New Straits Times articles from December 1999

New Straits Times archives from December 1999

British Xmas cheer.
December 22, 1999... THE sound of children laughing fills the air as one walks through the beautiful setting of Carcosa Seri Negara. You'll soon find out why. In one corner, some kids are getting their faces painted, while at the buffet table more kids are busy...

A long life loving.
December 22, 1999... Tea and temple bells; blossoms in spring; Clean girls, and a long life loving. MOST Japanese would have been relieved that when the Nobel committee finally decided in 1968 to award its literature prize to one of their race, it chose the...

A personal tribute to Pak Asraf.
December 22, 1999... ON July 23, 1997, I called Pak Asraf (Asraf Abdul Wahab) to inquire if he would consent to being interviewed on his role in promoting literary translations in the 1960s. I had not met him before but his extreme politeness, concern and...

Half-baked crumble.
December 22, 1999... Reviewed by John Evans MANGOSTEEN CRUMBLE (Team East, 81 pages) POETRY is a will-o'-the-wisp subject at the best of times. Could it be viewed as something akin to seeing ghosts, or falling in love? As something about which many...

Taking Canadian route.
December 20, 1999... The one-year pre-university course is ideal for students seeking to meet entrance requirements to international universities. Not surprisingly, the CIMP, which started a decade ago, has attained impressive academic quality. The CIMP...

Insitutional buying may help maintain upward momentum.
December 20, 1999... LAST week, the Kuala Lumpur Options and Financial Futures Exchange' stock index futures staged a strong rally as bullish momentum stepped in showing that the underlying strength of the cash market is still intact. The upswing continued...

Rubber estates' conversion to oil palm causes 500 workers to leave their jobs.
December 20, 1999... IPOH, Fri. - About 500 plantation workers in Perak have opted out of their current employment following a decision by the estate managements to fell rubber trees and plant oil palm instead. Perak branch National Union of Plantation...

Ministry to review administrative approach.
December 20, 1999... MIRI, Fri. - The Housing and Local Government Ministry will review its administrative approach to meet public expectations of local government administration and programmes. Newly-appointed Minister Datuk Ong Ka Ting is expected to...

Petra Group gets majority stake in Nasdaq-listed firm.
December 20, 1999... THE Petra Group, through the sale of one of its US-based Internet subsidiaries, is now the majority shareholder of a technology company listed on the Nasdaq - Berens Industries Inc. Petra sold Artmovement.com Inc to Berens Industries Inc...

Having sense of humour helps during hard times.
December 20, 1999... I'M not sure which is worse: being a female in a male-dominated society or being an abused male in a male-dominated society. I just sat at the edge of my bed staring at the letter I had just received. I had hoped against hope that it would...

Police on trail of 10 robbers.
December 20, 1999... SHAH ALAM, Fri. - Police are on the trail of a group of 10 men in connection with 12 armed robberies in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. The incidents, during which a group of men armed with parangs stole cash and valuables, were reported since...

Festive spirit permeates the air in KK.
December 20, 1999... CHRISTMAS MOOD... Preparations for the Christmas celebration are picking up in Kota Kinabalu. This is evident from the scene at hotels, resorts and supermarkets where staff are hard at work on festive season decorations. The Pan...

Abdul Hadi: No ban on pig breeding.
December 20, 1999... MARANG, Fri. - The Pas State Government will not ban the rearing of pigs in Terengganu, Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang said today. He said non-Muslims in the State could set up their pig farms here provided they followed certain...

Selangor setting aside RM45m for R&D projects.
December 20, 1999... SHAH ALAM, Fri. - The Selangor Agriculture Development Corporation will spend about RM45 million next year on three research and development programmes. One of them involves an estimated investment of RM6.7 million in a 19,201ha oil palm...

Probe over lax officers.
December 20, 1999... KUCHING, Fri. - The State Customs and Excise Department today began investigating complaints that some Customs officers were lax in checking the smuggling of firecrackers at the Tebedu border post. The items were reportedly being smuggled...

This 'Lady' will help you clean.
December 20, 1999... SHE stands for everything clean, clear and healthy. She takes no nonsense and wouldn't think twice about wiping out anything she deems "dirty" in her way. She's the new Valiant Lady - a product of Valiant Lady Sdn Bhd. The Valiant Lady...

More road checks in wet season.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - Expressway operators, especially those managing highways running through mountainous areas, have to step up slope inspection during the rainy season. Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Chua Soon Poh...

Private colleges seeking changes to attract foreign students.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - The Malaysian Association of Private Colleges hopes to meet Education Minister Tan Sri Dr Musa Mohamad to seek amendments to several Acts in order to continue to attract foreign students to study here. MAPCO...

Highway lanes between Grik and Jeli reopened.
December 20, 1999... KOTA BARU, Fri. - Both lanes of the East-West Highway linking Grik in Perak and Jeli in Kelantan are now open to traffic. Public Works Department senior engineer (East West Highway) Mohd Zaki Che Noh said repair works were, however, in...

Local gifts just as priceless.
December 20, 1999... THERE was a time when we thought gifts from the West were best. Red- faced, many of us are guilty as charged. However, in recent years, we have seen an overwhelming interest in all- things Asian, which include Malaysian-made goods. Shops...

'Umbrella concept' caused problems.
December 20, 1999... KANGAR, Fri. - The "umbrella concept" practised in the distribution of contracts under the Rural Development Ministry caused problems for the Barisan Nasional in the recent general election. Rural Development Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid...

Plans afoot to revive cottage industries.
December 20, 1999... KANGAR, Fri. - The Rural Development Ministry has identified the lack of market studies as the reason for failure to develop cottage industries. Its minister Datuk Azmi Khalid said efforts to remedy the situation would be stepped up,...

Zabidah's plight gets response.
December 20, 1999... BACHOK, Fri. - A single parent's plea for help to educate her children gained the sympathy of Kelantan Poverty Foundation founder Datuk Annuar Musa who went to the family's house today to convey the good news. A report on the hardship of...

Chinese Chamber of Commerce brings raya joy to orphans.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - In the spirit of racial harmony, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor today presented donations and Hari Raya money to the orphans of Rumah Bakti. In a ceremony held at the...

Kit Siang: No decision yet on boycott.
December 20, 1999... PETALING JAYA, Sat. - DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang today clarified that the Opposition Front has not decided to boycott the swearing-in of Members of Parliament on Monday. "What I said yesterday was that the 45 Barisan Alternatif and PBS...

Anwar's trial to resume on Jan 25.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - The sodomy trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his adopted brother Sukma Dermawan Sasmitaat Madja will resume on Jan 25 until its conclusion. High Court Judge Datuk Arifin Jaka fixed the date at a meeting with...

Arbitration committees set up by Penang Government.
December 20, 1999... PENANG, Sat. - The State Government has set up three arbitration committees to expedite the resolution of disputes between tenants and landlords of rent-control units in Georgetown, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon said today. ...

Fadzil: Pas has no plans for by-elections in Marang, Dungun.
December 20, 1999... ALOR STAR, Sat. - Pas president Datuk Fadzil Noor today said the party has no plans to push for by-elections in Marang or Dungun. Dismissing a newspaper report on the matter today as "rubbish", Fadzil said the party had full confidence in...

Malaysia's stand 'is principled'.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - Malaysia will continue to take the principled and firm stand in handling international issues that has helped the country win much support, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today. He said the...

Hotel's carollers herald in season of joy.
December 20, 1999... JOYFUL TIDINGS OF THE SEASON... With Christmas around the corner, the spirit of goodwill and cheer is alive in everyone. Staff members of the Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, recently got together to form a carolling group. Brainchild of the...

What Malaysians think of the new Cabinet line-up.
December 20, 1999... 'There is confidence and maturity among the Cabinet members. This is the perfect combination for leadership. The new line-up also shows unity among the various communities in Malaysia.' - Jelani Hamdan, 38, lawyer from Kudat. 'I FULLY...

Notes of dissent after the polls.
December 20, 1999... RECOVERING from a hectic political season, Malaysians are now being treated to less strenuous sideshows, some of which are the after-effects of the Nov 29 polls. A flurry of these small to medium-size issues have unfolded since. The most...

Prize winners in Wall's contest.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - Grand prize winner Chan Kit Sze, from Teluk Intan, was conspicuously missing at the prize presentation of Wall's "Happy Together" contest today. Ironically, Chan, who won a five-day trip for four to Los Angeles, is...

Set aside political differences.
December 20, 1999... PENANG, Sat. - Put aside all personal and political differences and get down to work. This was newly-elected State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Yahaya Abdul Hamid's request to all 32 Penang assemblymen sworn in before him this...

It's no protest, say MCA assemblymen.
December 20, 1999... PENANG, Sat. - Three more MCA State assemblymen today denied their absence at the swearing-in ceremony for the State Executive Councillors on Thursday was an act of boycott or protest. One of them, Tan Cheng Liang (Jawi), questioned the...

PPP wants its president to be made Senator.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - The People's Progressive Party's youth movement today called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to appoint party president Datuk M. Kayveas a Senator. PPP Youth chief T. Murugiah also called on Dr....

Dr. M repeats call to MPs to serve with commitment.
December 20, 1999... PUTRAJAYA, Sat. - Having told Cabinet Ministers to serve the rakyat and fulfil pledges made by the Barisan Nasional, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad today repeated the instructions to the ruling coalition's MPs. The Prime Minister and BN...

Waad quits Negri Exco in wake of criticism over re-appointment.
December 20, 1999... SEREMBAN, Sat. - Gemencheh Assemblyman Datuk Waad Mansor, 42, resigned as a State Executive Councillor today, five days after his re-appointment drew criticism from a wide spectrum of Negri Sembilan State Umno leaders. Reading from a...

Uncertainty is over but more life is expected in Penang State Assembly.
December 20, 1999... THE swearing-in of Penang State Assembly members yesterday means that those who endured sleepless nights can now let their hair down and relax. Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and his team can now get their show on the road after...

Waad's decision to quit wise, says Ishak.
December 20, 1999... SEREMBAN, Sat. - Seremban Umno chief and Lenggeng Assemblyman Datuk Ishak Ismail today described Datuk Waad Mansor's decision to quit the State Executive Council as a wise move in the interests of Umno and good governance. Ishak who had...

Traffic policeman killed in road crash.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - A traffic policeman was killed when his police motorcycle crashed into a road divider near the Jalan Kuchai Lama interchange of the Seremban-Kuala Lumpur Highway early today. Lance Corporal Seritharan Mathavan, 41, of...

Of trompaks, spittoons and the ultimate insult of a curse.
December 20, 1999... FOR want of something better to do, I scanned the classified advertisements. I was about to skip the personal column when I spotted an announcement that began with "Aunty Yeow Siew...." In case you have not brushed up your Hokkien, among...

Coming to grips with new ruling on marriage registration.
December 20, 1999... A SIGNATURE and the deed is done. Signing a marriage register may be thoroughly unexciting but that's all it takes to get married. If the truth be told, lavish wedding ceremonies aren't at all necessary but they are certainly a lot more...

Binary moving into 'digital' campus soon.
December 20, 1999... BINARY College will be making a big leap in the new millennium by moving into a 'digital' campus at the IOI Business Park in Puchong. Come Jan 15, all operations at its Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya will move to Puchong. The...

PRIME College living up to its name.
December 20, 1999... PRIME College is continuing to provide affordable pre-university programmes after an impressive track record stretching over 14 years. The college which offers two pre-university programmes Cambridge A- level programme and PRIME...

FTMS Business School spreads its wings overseas.
December 20, 1999... WHAT comes naturally after being a leader at home? The natural course of action would be to spread the wings, globally without doubt. Reflecting this sentiment, FTMS Business School after having establishing itself in the provision of...

PMC offers big savings in Medical course.
December 20, 1999... STUDENTS pursuing Medical studies at the Penang Medical College can save up to RM300,000 in tuition fees and yet get the same prestigious qualifications awarded by University College Dublin or the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. ...

130 SIT students make it.
December 20, 1999... MORE than 130 Sepang Institute of Technology-University of Adelaide Twinning Programme students will be leaving for Australia soon to complete their degree courses. At the recent "Award & Farewell" ceremony, top students received awards....

Institut KTC ensures charges gain practical experience.
December 20, 1999... INSTITUT KTC, Kuala Lumpur's newest institution of higher learning, is the place for world-class professional training. Its campus in Johor Baru scored a 100 per cent pass rate in the ACCA Certified Accounting Technician examination...

Distance learning with Olympia.
December 20, 1999... WITH distance learning fast becoming a tool to enhance empowerment, one college that has made major strides to enable more knowledge-based workers is Olympia College. With campuses in major towns in the country, and one to open in...

Sunway-VUT a first-class tie-up.
December 20, 1999... SUNWAY College's tie-up with the Victoria University of Technology, recognised as one of Australia's most innovative institutions of higher education, offers students first-class education. It also enables students who are keen to do a...

Amid is the Malacca Assembly Speaker.
December 20, 1999... MALACCA, Sat. - Alai Assemblyman Datuk Amid Nordin was today appointed the ninth Speaker of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister Datuk Wira Mohd Ali Rustam, in tabling the motion for his appointment, said Amid, 46, was...

Company warned not to have 12-hour shifts.
December 20, 1999... KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - The Malaysian Trades Union Congress today warned a large electronics company in Sungei Way, Selangor, against putting its workers on two 12-hour shifts during the fasting month. MTUC president Senator Zainal Rampak...

Buka puasa treat for thalassaemia children at PLUS overhead bridge.
December 20, 1999... restaurant KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - It was a red letter day for 30 thalassaemia patients when they were treated to buka puasa at the Sungai Buloh overhead bridge restaurant. Jointly organised by Penang-based Sunflower Confectionery...

Adjustments seen in portfolios.
December 20, 1999... KUANTAN, Sat. - Some adjustments are expected in the portfolios of State Executive Councillors to suit current needs. Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Tan Aminuddin Ishak said he would make several proposals. "Menteri Besar Datuk Seri...

2,700kg of rice seized in two-day operation.
December 20, 1999... KOTA BARU, Sat. - The State Anti-Smuggling Unit has seized 2,700 kilogrammes of rice worth RM13,400 in a two-day operation in Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah from Thursday. A total of 700kg of the rice was seized at Kampung Belukar in Pasir...

Promises made have to be kept.
December 20, 1999... THE new Kedah Menteri Besar, Datuk Syed Razak Syed Zain, like all Barisan Nasional Yang Berhormats, I am sure, has been awakened by the so-called wake-up call of Nov 29. It was a loud one - more like the sound of a gong than an alarm...

Direct marketing way to complement advertising.
December 20, 1999... STEVEN Palos speaks Hungarian (some good that does in Malaysia), but as managing director of OgilvyOne Malaysia, he has been speaking the language marketers and advertisers love to hear: The sound of advertising that is accountable,...

(Moving on).
December 20, 1999... TAYLOR Nelson Sofres Malaysia has appointed Hoo See Kong as general manager. Hoo, who joined the company in 1989, has vast experience in both qualitative and quantitative research using a variety of statistical analysis techniques. ...

Empowering people with street laws.
December 20, 1999... "HOW many laws did you encounter on your way here?" is not the kind of question that the jetlagged can answer right off the bat. We think harder than we need to, for the answers are simple really. For starters, there are laws regulating...

Partnership the key to teaching street law.
December 20, 1999... IT takes very little to implement a successful Street Law programme for youth or adult communities. Street Law Inc's time-tested approach is partnership. It works closely with US-based networks, as well as with non- governmental...

Getting a lesson in legal rights.
December 20, 1999... FOURTEEN teenagers will never again think lightly of buying a box of chocolates, not after an experimental "Street Law" lesson on shopping. All Form Three and Four students of Sri Cempaka, a private school in Kuala Lumpur, they found out...

Careers in real estate.
December 20, 1999... IF you are interested in the environment, would like to help shape the future of your city, interested in building design and costing as well as conservation, you should probably consider a career in building surveying, estate management and...

SAE gives equal focus on theory, practical training.
December 20, 1999... THE School of Audio Engineering has carved a niche for itself in producing professionals for the audio engineering, broadcast and multimedia industries. "By being experiential in our approach, that is combining practical and theoretical...

Metropolitan's excellent partner in Queen's U.
December 20, 1999... THE Queen's University at Belfast has come out well ahead in the performance indicator rankings in a new report published by the Higher Education Council for England, comfortably exceeding the benchmark figures in several categories. The...

In the spirit of giving.
December 20, 1999... AS the millennium draws to an end, many Malaysians are making plans for a memorable celebration. In years to come, stories of where people were on this New Year's Eve, would be fondly related to future generations. Some will celebrate in...

Informatics' ADCS2000 for the new millennium.
December 20, 1999... INFORMATICS Malaysia is ready to meet Information Technology education demands in the new millennium with its Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies 2000 (ADCS2000). Informatics head of Computer Studies Jason Lim said even though the...

Seven earn masters via KDU programme.
December 20, 1999... SEVEN professionals have completed their LLM in International Business Law this year with the KDU-Staffordshire University, UK, Masters in Law programme. They are executive director of PFA Corporate Service Sdn Bhd, Kang Shew Meng;...

Leeds in with a bright chance.
December 20, 1999... LEEDS has a bright chance of scoring his biggest success in the RM150,000 Anniversary Cup for Class 1 horses over 1700m (Race 8, 5.0) in Penang today. The five-year-old Irish entire by Tirol has already scored twice and placed six times...

Four plead guilty to charges of careless riding.
December 20, 1999... FOUR jockeys were suspended for careless riding by the Stewards at Penang yesterday. They were NM Selvan who got four days (Eagle Sky, Race 1); apprentices Bretham Tai and Yap Kin Yin, who were slapped three days each (Longfibre, Race 2 and...

Jockey Oo in great riding form.
December 20, 1999... THREE-time Malayan Racing Association (MRA) champion jockey Oo Khuang Liang was in great riding form booting home a treble from eight rides in a card of 10 races in Penang yesterday. The 39-year-old Penangite started off his winning...

Wayward Khalid out of UAE squad.
December 20, 1999... FORMER Olympic 2000 striker Khalid Jamlus can breathe a sigh of relief national coach Abdul Rahman Ibrahim is a gentleman. Khalid, who some rate as a player with tremendous potential, has been dropped from the national team's three-match...

National players boost Sarawak confidence.
December 20, 1999... SARAWAK are confident of a good showing in the 41st King's Cup Basketball championships at the Kuala Lumpur Basketball Stadium on Dec 21-28. Their confidence stems from the presence of two national players in Chai Tze Kiong and Chin...

SRAM short of RM600,000.
December 20, 1999... THE SRA of Malaysia have raised a princely sum of RM1.2 million a year for their ambitious six-year programme to produce world champions at the senior level by 2005. However, this sum is still RM600,000 short of the RM2.2 million needed...

New blood needed for ageing Pahang.
December 20, 1999... LEAGUE champions Pahang need to infuse more young blood into their Premier League squad so that they will be ready to take over from the senior players in a year or two. Some of the players have served Pahang faithfully for many years...

Four for Olympic qualifiers.
December 20, 1999... MALAYSIA will send four boxers for the Sydney Olympic qualifiers in Seoul on Jan 25-Feb 5 and Bangkok on April 1-7. Malaysian Amateur Boxing Association president Tan Sri Isa Samad said the four boxers are Sapok Biki, Rakib Ahmad, Adnan...

TTAM-NSC work for a new image.
December 20, 1999... IMPROVEMENTS are underway as the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) and the National Sports Council (NSC) work together to develop the national Squad. TTAM have formed a management committee to help in the development,...

SAM must look into legal aspect.
December 20, 1999... THE Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will advise the Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia (SAM) to tread with caution when they investigate allegations of players and coaches using ganja in the national grand prix circuit. Aside from the...

Basir gets nomination for F1 success.
December 20, 1999... SEPANG International Circuit chairman Tan Sri Basir Ismail, the man behind the success of the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, is among the nominations rceived for the 1999 Timesport-Sports Toto MAN OF THE YEAR award. According to Azhar...

Engineering courses at ITJ.
December 20, 1999... ILMU Tuntutan Jiwa - Knowledge questions the thirst of the soul. This has been ITJ's motto, one of the oldest private Engineering colleges in Malaysia. Institut Teknologi Jaya, popularly known as ITJ, has been providing quality education...

Tailored to ensure academic success.
December 20, 1999... TAYLOR'S College, a leading provider of high quality Management programmes, has close links with reputable universities worldwide. It has 3+0 arrangements for degree courses with the University of Sheffield, UK, and the University of...

Committed to ensuring quality.
December 20, 1999... MONASH University Malaysia is committed to become one of the providers of quality education in Southeast Asia. As a campus of Monash University in Australia, it brings to Malaysia and the region the Monash culture of quality education...

Barels of fun.
December 20, 1999... APRIL, 1962: I woke the football players at 5, and they ran out to the reservoir at the 4th Mile and back. Razlan and I had breakfast on the table for them when they came straggling in. Their next practice was at 4:30, and since they...

Let the countdown begin!
December 20, 1999... THE millennium fever is on - but elsewhere. Take Paris, for instance. For the big bash, there are plans to light up the Eiffel Tower and to take to the streets with marching bands, acrobats and floats. In Germany, big parties are being...