New Straits Times articles from August 2011

New Straits Times archives from August 2011

People's needs come first (HL).
August 31, 2011... Byline: Eileen Ng; Sean Augustin; Koi Kye Lee; Eunice Au PUTRAJAYA: A survey has suggested Datuk Seri Najib Razak's approval rating has dipped, but the government remains unperturbed, stressing that it is more concerned about addressing the...

Kick the habit and rise to the occasion.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Suganthi Suparmaniam KUALA LUMPUR: All that hype over smoking and virility has been debunked by a Malaysian doctor who has proof that cigarettes lead to sexual problems. Clinical andrologist Dr Ismail Tambi has carried out studies...

Hisham: Deadline for amnesty exercise stays.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Sean Augustin PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the legalisation and amnesty exercise for illegal immigrants, which ends today, went better than expected. While admitting that no programme involving more...

Safety campaigns fail as death toll rises.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The death toll continues to rise with 17 more fatalities reported on Monday. After seven days of Ops Sikap XXIV, the death toll stands at 134, an average of 19 fatalities daily since the operation began on Aug 23. During the...

Klang Valley welcomes 150 Hari Raya babies.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: More than 150 Hari Raya babies were born in the Klang Valley yesterday. Of the total, 100 were born in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Hospital Ampang and Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah. Louise Lau, 32, of Taman...

Cooking for more than 30 hours to cater to 50,000.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: It took more than 30 hours to cook the smorgasbord of local delicacies that fed 50,000 visitors at Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Aidilfitri open house at Seri Perdana yesterday. Kuzie Catering head chef Fauzi Ramli said his team of...

Large turnout at Seri Perdana.
August 31, 2011... PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's AidilFitri open house here saw nearly 50,000 people comprising Malaysians and people of various nationalities queuing up to wish the prime minister "Selamat Hari Raya". The Seri Perdana grounds were...

Clip of comment posted on YouTube.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Even as Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu was denying saying the communists who attacked Bukit Kepong were the real freedom fighters, he came under attack on social networking websites. This included YouTube, where a clip of the...

Upholding independence.
August 31, 2011... WHEN a high official of a political party makes a public statement, one would not be wrong in assuming that he speaks for his organisation. Therefore, Mohamad Sabu should be held accountable for his words and Pas be made to explain the stance...

Ask what you can do for nation.
August 31, 2011... Byline: S. Agathiar TODAY, the nation turns 54, and we should all celebrate it with great joy. As we celebrate Merdeka Day, we should take time to reflect on our nation and the direction in which it is going. Today is a good day for...

Different ways.
August 31, 2011... Byline: C.K. Wong I REFER to the letter "Few flying flag to show love for nation" (NST, Aug 22) by Mohd Zaman Khan. Loyalty and patriotism are not displayed just by flying the national flag. To imply that the owners of houses and...

Measures taken to keep out avian flu.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Ling Poh Lean KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is on the alert for the avian influenza (H5N1) virus, which causes bird flu, in the wake of fears that it was spreading in parts of Asia. Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said...

'Lowering the bar won't affect residential schools'.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR: The performance of residential schools is unlikely to be affected by the revision of minimum admission requirements for less fortunate students, the Education Ministry said. Its deputy minister, Dr Puad...

Levy hike a burden, say SMEs.
August 31, 2011... JOHOR BARU: The RM50 hike in the foreign worker levy at a time when the global economy is slowing is like rubbing salt to the wound, the Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia said yesterday. Its deputy president, Teh Kee Sin,...

Upgrading of water assets in the pipeline.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Chuah Bee Kim JOHOR BARU: The Johor government will upgrade the Gunung Pulai and Skudai water treatment plants and two pump houses in Pontian and Tebrau once the Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB) hands these facilities back to...

Firm's sports club raises RM3,077.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Alam Maritim Resources Berhad Welfare, Sports and Recreational Club recently donated RM3,077 to the drought victims in Somalia. Club president Yahya Asri said the money was collected from among 180 chapter members here. "The...

Two held over security guard's murder.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Two men were arrested by police at a house in Dungun, Terengganu, on Monday on suspicion of murdering a security guard in Jinjang. Police said one of them was believed to be the prime suspect behind the murder of Shariff Din,...

Girl needs help to lead normal life.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Predeep Nambiar KUALA LUMPUR: The parents of Leong Jia Xuan are appealing to the public to help pay for their daughter's surgery to close a hole in her heart. The 6-year-old girl suffers from atrial septal defect and needs RM30,000...

House burnt down while family's out.
August 31, 2011... KOTA BARU: A house in Tanjong Mas here went up in flames while the family was out celebrating Hari Raya with their relatives. It was learnt that the family of three left home early in the morning while the fire broke out at 12.30pm. A neighbour,...

Shaw's My Son in rattling form.
August 31, 2011... SIX-TIME winner My Son showed on the training track that he was good for a seventh success when he turned in a perfect report card over the 600 metres at Kranji yesterday. Turning on the speed from the word "go", the Patrick Shaw-trained...

What ails our shuttlers?
August 31, 2011... Byline: Oleh Datuk Ramlan Aziz IN the wake of the results of the recent World Badminton Championships in London, several issues were raised by certain quarters with regard to the underlying reasons for Lee Chong Wei's heartbreakingly narrow...

Pardika bides his time.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Fadhli Ishak WITH the big names of Malaysian diving basking in the limelight, Sarawak's Pardika Indoma is happy to quietly work his way through the ranks . The 19-year-old, better known as the elder brother of Olympic-bound...

Keglers determined to redeem pride.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh THE national bowlers, after a month of comprehensive training, left for Hong Kong yesterday determined to win medals at the Women's World Championships which begins with official practice on Friday. National coach...

Quit smoking if you want children.
August 31, 2011... HALIM (not his real name), 28, and his wife Mariam (not her real name), 25, have been trying to have a baby for two years. When questioned by a doctor, Mariam said that Halim, an executive at a multinational company, had recently not been...

Don't let sex life go up in smoke.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Eight in 10 men who smoke may end up having sexual problems, according to a doctor who performs clinical evaluation on male fertility. Dr Ismail Tambi, a clinical andrologist, said this could even affect men who smoked a packet...

Celebrations across country.
August 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims ushered in Hari Raya yesterday with prayers early in the day and open houses later with relatives and friends. Muslims also thronged mosques for prayers while many visited cemeteries to offer prayers in remembrance of...

Mat Sabu 'playing shallow politics'.
August 31, 2011... PUTRAJAYA: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein criticised Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu for practising "shallow" and "provocative" politics after the latter accused two nationalists of being British officers. Mohamad, or...

Voters tell S'pore it must change its ways.
August 31, 2011... Byline: P.N. Balji THE demand for urgent transformation in the island republic can't get any clearer in the aftermath of a closely-won presidential election, writes P.N. BALJI. What does it say of the Singapore political scene when a man...

Thai game of blind man's bluff.
August 31, 2011... Byline: W. Scott Thompson FORGET the two triumphs of Thai modern history, the evasion of foreign colonialism through astute diplomacy, and the emergence from the wrong side of World War 2 untainted. Just in our own years there are three...

We fought for country's peace.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Husaini Abdul Karim A WEEK before we received our King's Commission, which was to be held on April 14, 1972, all Royal Military College graduating officer cadets of Short Service Commission Intake 20 and Regular Commission Intake 14...

One of the best.
August 31, 2011... Byline: K. Rajendra THE year 1957 was one of many triumphs and eventful moments. Besides gaining independence, it was also the year Merdeka Stadium was declared open by then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. The following week saw the...

Ode to 1Malaysia.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Dr Victor S.L. Tan MALAYSIA, is truly a unique nation; Its independence crafted with great caution By past leaders who had sincere intentions To bring freedom and prosperity to people of all stations. Today, Malaysia is truly one...

All hands needed in building unity.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye AS Malaysia celebrates its 54th Merdeka anniversary, it is indeed an opportune time for the rakyat to reinforce their patriotic spirit and sense of belonging to the nation. Equally important, we need to ask...

Steps to curb gambling addiction.
August 31, 2011... PUTRAJAYA: The government wants to curb gambling in the country. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday gambling was an aspect of mental health that the ministry would be addressing. He said gambling was an addiction that...

Yu Xuan gets early birthday gifts.
August 31, 2011... MALACCA: Seven-year-old Ho Yu Xuan will be a year older on Sept 12, but he got his wish to celebrate it earlier thanks to the Children Wish Society (CWS) and doctors at Malacca Hospital. Diagnosed with a serious condition of the liver, Yu...

Panel's report on church check ready next month.
August 31, 2011... Byline: V. Shuman SHAH ALAM: The committee set up to probe the Selangor Islamic Religious Department's (Jais) controversial check on a church in Petaling Jaya earlier this month is expected to complete its report by the end of next month. ...

Penang won't lift horse-riding ban.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Audrey Dermawan; Looi Sue-Chern GEORGE TOWN: The ban against horse-riding on the beaches of Batu Ferringhi will remain despite appeals by the operators. Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state government...

Jibrail's time to shine.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Zainuddin Muhammad HE was named after an angel 26 years ago and now Mohd Jibrail Kamaron Baharin has vowed to keep watch over T-Team during the Malaysia Cup campaign. The Pos Malaysia goalkeeper, who is one of two T-Team on-loan...

Team ready for Japan.
August 31, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh THE national Olympic squad are in confident mood ahead of this month's Asian third round Group C qualifier against Japan after a recent successful training-cum-playing stint in Slovakia. The team, who were based on...

City have the force.
August 31, 2011... IGNITED by provocative posters and Sir Alex Ferguson's dismissal of Manchester City as little more than a nuisance, the rivalry between these footballing superpowers could become more intense than anything the Premier League has ever seen. ...

Spirit of oneness (HL).
August 30, 2011... Byline: Suganthi Suparmaniam KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday called on Malaysians to unite as one big family and demonstrate the nation's spirit of oneness to the world. He urged the people to continue with...

Party leaders urge Malaysians to strengthen unity.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims and Malaysians have been urged to emphasise and strengthen unity as they celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Merdeka Day. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, in wishing all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya, said this was...

Bargains for late buys.
August 30, 2011... Byline: T.N. Alagesh KUANTAN: While most Muslims throughout the country began their festive shopping early, some shoppers still prefer to do it last-minute - hoping to cash in on better deals. Ramadan bazaars throughout the state capital...

Babysitter remanded over boy's death.
August 30, 2011... SUBANG JAYA: A baby boy, believed to be a victim of abuse, died of a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage early on Sunday. A 35-year-old babysitter was remanded to facilitate investigations. Two-month-old Ahmad Hafiz was rushed to a...

Electrocuted while plucking coconuts.
August 30, 2011... MARAN: A 22-year-old lorry driver died when he was electrocuted while plucking coconuts for Hari Raya Aidilfitri here yesterday. Mohd Tarmizi Kamarulzaman, from Felda Lepar Hilir Satu, Kuantan, was using a pole to pluck the coconuts when its...

Tricked into working for money launderers.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: A money laundering syndicate is now resorting to using unsuspecting middlemen in collecting their ill-gotten gains. The syndicate has tricked people into working for them on the pretext that they were actually working for a...

Private varsities to lend a hand.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Eunice Au KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has identified several private higher learning institutions to assist the ministry in training English teachers. The move, which will produce primary school English teachers, was...

Labour of love on ancient wood.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Satiman Jamin A COUPLE in Kuala Terengganu specialises in carving delicate designs on cengal wood using a jigsaw rather than the traditional chisel and carving knives. SATIMAN JAMIN has the story on these tebuk tembus carvers. A...

Apple must understand what Jobs has done.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Umapagan Ampikaipakan LAST week, Steve Jobs made a shocking, if not unsurprising, announcement. In a memo addressed to "the Apple board of directors and the Apple community", he wrote: "I have always said if there ever came a day...

Mostly, it's 1979 all over again.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Syed Nadzri THE last time Hari Raya Puasa and Merdeka Day came so close together was in 1979 - six days apart. Tun Hussein Onn was prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad his deputy and Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the deputy minister of...

US-style food stamps a proven method.
August 30, 2011... Byline: C. Sathasivam DEPUTY Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has suggested that a food stamp programme (FSC), similar to the one implemented in the United States, be adopted to cushion the impact of the soaring food prices. On Aug...

36 vie for Miss Chinese World crown.
August 30, 2011... SUBANG JAYA: Thirty-six contestants from across the globe have gathered here to compete for the title of Miss Chinese World (MCW) 2011. The event will be held at the Sunway Hotel and Spa on Sept 10. The contestants are of Chinese descent...

Manipulation must be stopped.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Go-Ram THE increasing number of cases of horses 'not allowed to run on merit' in the Malaysian racing circuit is shocking, despite the swift action taken against errant jockeys and apprentices by the Stipendiary Stewards. It is...

Kien Keat goes missing again.
August 30, 2011... Byline: K.M. Boopathy KOO Kien Keat skipped training for the third consecutive day yesterday in what is clearly a statement that he is no longer willing to train under Rexy Mainaky. But his partner, Tan Boon Heong, rejoined training on...

Shalin keen to hit lanes again.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh SHALIN Zulkifli has pledged to continue bowling as she celebrates her first Hari Raya with daughter, Aleya Azidi. The 33-year-old, who became a mother on June 28, feels that the experience of being a parent has turned...

'One-armed' bus drivers.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Roy See Wei Zhi KUALA LUMPUR: Using handphones while driving was the main offence of express bus drivers since the start of the Road Transport Department's (RTD) Ops Aidilfitri 2011. Thirty-four summonses were issued since Aug 14...

Azhar is CEO of MRT Co.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday announced the appointment of Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid as the chief executive officer of MRT Co, a Ministry of Finance Incorporated company. MRT Co will be the...

Call for Teraju to work out funding issues.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Part of the newly-announced RM2 billion Facilitation Fund under the Bumiputera Agenda Coordinating Unit (Teraju) should be used to help resolve funding issues faced by Bumiputera entrepreneurs. Malay Economic Consultative...

Early Raya cheer for settlers.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Kelly Koh Ling Min MALACCA: Hari Raya cheer came early to 1,923 Federal Land and Development Auhority (Felda) settlers from five Felda settlements in the state after they received "duit raya" totalling RM448,200. The "duit raya"...

Not all Muslims get to balik kampung.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: While most Muslims are away celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri with families in their home towns, there are, however, some who will not do so. Celebrating Hari Raya in the city without family around is considered a norm for some....

Simple Hari Raya for villagers hit by floods.
August 30, 2011... BALING: Residents of Kampung Kuala Cenerai here will celebrate Hari Raya in a simple manner. Their village was submerged by floods early yesterday. While other people across the country are busy decorating their homes, the villagers here face...

Don't overindulge during festive season.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: It is a time for personal reflection. A time for abstinence. A time to fast. Happily, at least for some people, Ramadan is also a time when they actually lose weight. Mohd Norsham Hadi Samsudin, 24, lost 5kg this fasting...

Khalid raps emergency lane abusers.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian SHAH ALAM: Police are concerned at the number of fatalities in the first six days of Ops Sikap XXIV. The current figures showed 117 deaths, an increase from 99 reported during the same period last year. Deputy...

No open house due to repairs.
August 30, 2011... JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor will not host a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house this year. This was due to ongoing repair and refurbishment works at Istana Pasir Pelangi and Istana Besar which could not be completed in time for the...

Man held over bomb hoaxes.
August 30, 2011... KUALA TERENGGANU: An employee with an oil and gas company was arrested on suspicion of causing bomb scares which disrupted court proceedings here and in Kota Baru last week. The 47-year-old suspect was tracked down to Kuala Lumpur and picked...

Mat Sabu denies allegation.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Eileen Ng KUALA LUMPUR: Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu yesterday denied supporting communists as national heroes. He said he had reviewed the recordings of his Aug 21 speech and found that he did not mention the word "communist"...

Sweeper finds dead newborn at bazaar.
August 30, 2011... SANDAKAN: A street sweeper received a shock when she stumbled upon a dead newborn baby with its umbilical cord still intact here yesterday. The 60-year-old sweeper was on duty at a Ramadan bazaar behind a supermarket when she found the baby boy...

'DAP confusing people about Perak gas project'.
August 30, 2011... IPOH: The DAP has been criticised for confusing the people about a multi-billion ringgit gas and oil project in Perak, which it claimed was awarded to a dormant company with a paid-up capital of RM100. "The layman will not understand complex...

Teen among 5 on kidnapping charge.
August 30, 2011... JOHOR BARU: A 19-year-old factory worker was among five charged at a magistrate's court with kidnapping a businessman about two weeks ago. S. Inderan, together with scrap metal dealer K. Subramaniam, 25, wedding planner R. Puspanathan, 24,...

Man offers to sell Merdeka heirloom.
August 30, 2011... MALACCA: A document on the Declaration of Merdeka, signed by the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, has been put up for sale. It is being offered by its owner, Abdol Rahman Madlan, 29, at a price of RM54,500. "This is...

Danger has passed, Malaysians go home.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Koi Kye Lee; Rozanna Latiff PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians in the United States were spared the wrath of Hurricane Irene as it battered the east coast on Sunday. Irene caused an estimated US$3 billion (RM9 billion) in damage and cut...

Singapore voters still bristling at PAP policies.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Santha Oorjitham KUALA LUMPUR: Voter discontent and a contest that was too close to call were the hallmarks of Singapore's presidential election last weekend - much like the general election in May. Former deputy prime minister Dr...

Insurance agent claims trial to cheating 14.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: An insurance agent claimed trial at the magistrate's court here yesterday to 14 counts of cheating people into believing that he was a palace official who could get them free meals and jobs. All 14 were allegedly told they could...

Raya reflections.
August 30, 2011... TODAY, Muslims in Malaysia celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri with prayer and feasting to mark the end of the fasting month. But as they gather to wish each other well and make merry, it is also time to reflect on the lot of Muslims in other parts...

Cherish what we have.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Ravindran Raman Kutty MERDEKA Day this year is special for many reasons. Malaysia is blessed to celebrate her 54th birthday in the month of Ramadan. We are also celebrating the 54th Merdeka with the Malaysia Day. This celebration...

Ways to help realise Vision 2020.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Tih Seong Pin MALAYSIA has changed drastically since attaining independence in 1957. The nation has progressed and developed tremendously and today, is one of the the most competitive economies in the world. The peace, harmony,...

Impose heavier penalties.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Najmi Harith IN the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast for the entire month. Some non-Muslims also join in. Usually, in this holy month, we hear of children being injured by firecrackers. The easy availability of firecrackers and...

Produce films on them to inspire others.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Maureen Anne Muthu TAN Sri Jeffrey Cheah's photo in the Business Times section of the New Straits Times on Aug 22 caught my attention. It was very inspiring to read about Cheah's endeavours and how setbacks didn't get him down. As...

Triumph of the human spirit.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Rueben Dudley THE 24-year-old double amputee, Oscar Pistorius, made history when he was cleared by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), the world athletics governing body, to run for his country, South Africa, in the...

Love will lead the way.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Ariff Shah R.K. I REFER to the letter "Islamophobia: Tackle it with knowledge" by Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin (NST, Aug 26). He referred to my earlier letter "Islamophobia: Man's own doing" (NST, Aug 19). When I use the term "love", I...

Let's offer her a helping hand.
August 30, 2011... Byline: M.D. I REFER to the interview on Adibah Amin (NST, Aug 25). It is indeed sad to see that such a talented teacher and writer would find herself in dire circumstances in her golden years. While the reasons for a lack of resources...

It's full trial for 'Utusan'.
August 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad's (UMMB) defamation suit against Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok will go for full trial. High Court judge Datuk John Louis O'Hara made the order after dismissing UMMB's application to strike out...

Fearing for Penang Hill's future.
August 30, 2011... Byline: Sharanjit Singh GEORGE TOWN: The green hills at the north-central part of the island here, fondly known as Penang Hill to the locals, have come under the spotlight 21 years after a Genting Highlands model of development was proposed...

Eight Indonesians survive two-hour ordeal in rough sea.
August 30, 2011... GEORGE TOWN: Eight Indonesian crew members of a cargo vessel, which sank 14 nautical miles off Penang yesterday survived a two-hour ordeal floating on the rough opens sea before being rescued. The crewmen, on their way from Indonesia to...