New Straits Times articles from December 2005

New Straits Times archives from December 2005

A trouble too near.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Sheridan Mahavera BESIDES the usual prayers for Muslims to be more steadfast in their faith, the doa recited at Friday prayers in mosques in Malaysia often includes requests for divine...

Unity and change - the priority.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Comment by Arnaz M. Khairul SET amidst the backdrop of the Sports Commissioner's Office announcing yesterday the de-registration of the Penang CA (PCA) under the Sports Development Act, the...

NST help in raising pass rate.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Pathmawathy Subramaniam KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - After years of scoring not more than 50 per cent passes in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah, teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan Klang Gate have...

Making the right moves.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Christopher Fernandez HOUSING the family and educating the children are top priority for expatriates when they arrive in Malaysia to take up a posting. With their appointment and work...

People power to the front.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Kamrul Idris AT times in 2005, the global village seemed more to be wired in telepathic empathy than in the communications hardware of TVs, computers and cellphones. The year began six days...

CRUNCH TIME.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Leslie Andres 2005 will be remembered for many things as far as the Royal Malaysia Police are concerned. It will be remembered, of course, as the year the Royal Commission on the...

Theatre's giant strides.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Shuib Taib IN just 10 years, the theatre scene has made giant strides despite the odd production company still seeking sponsorship to get going. But importantly, theatre productions have...

The Institute of Internal Auditors Malaysia.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) INTERNAL Auditors Adding Value Across the Board Today the profession has evolved and its value has been more fully realized. Internal auditors monitor, assess and analyse organisational risks and...

CEOs see positive outlook for property sector.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: P. Rajan THE outlook for property market, particularly for landed residences, will continue to be bullish in 2006 but somewhat more restrained compared with this year. This is...

Malaysia stun China.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: K.M.Boopathy MALAYSIA stunned China 2-1 to win the inaugural Asian Under-16 boys' badminton team championship at the Kuala Lumpur BA (KLBA) Stadium in Cheras yesterday. Kuan Kam Chung gave...

Second wind for Sai Kong.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) FORMER international Wong Sai Kong (pic) struggled to find his form with his former team MPPJ but since joining Perak, the midfielder has grown to be a key man in their line-up. The Negri Sembilan-born...

RUPTURES IN THE MALAY HEARTLAND.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Razak Ahmad THIS has been an exciting year for the two leading Malay political parties in the country, Umno and Pas. Both parties pushed through important changes to lay the...

Eight copper cable thieves caught.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) SEREMBAN, Fri. - Masquerading as employees of a utility company, eight men tried to steal copper cables worth thousands of ringgit along the Seremban 2 main road here today. But, luck was not on...

Wind down in Ogawa massage chairs.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: R.S. Kamini OGAWA. The brand has become so popular that anyone hearing it can recognise its speciality in a flash. As a leading distributor of massage chairs, foot reflexology, health...

We're back to square one.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Yasmin Ahmad LET me begin by laying the cards on the table. I know next to zilch about etymology. That's why it impresses me no end when someone speaks, with utmost conviction, about the...

Citizen reporters do their part.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) CONSCIENTIOUS Malaysians have always been out there, watching out for neighbours and the community, monitoring the bad guys and checking against unsavoury incidents. The difference this time? They are...

The technology of seduction.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) The exquisite Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class DaimlerChrysler Malaysia Sdn Bhd launched the CLS-Class, a new segment model, at Bangsar One in September The unique four-door coupe-style concept with the comfort...

ECONOMY PROVES RESILIENT TO CHALLENGES.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Rupa Damodaran AFTER a vibrant and robust economic growth a year ago, Malaysia was poised for another stellar performance when a fair bit of shocks elsewhere challenged our economic...

UKM's new institute to boost healthcare.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Minderjeet Kaur UNIVERSITI Kebangsaan Malaysia will be setting up a new institute to explore and improve healthcare services. The Global Health Institute, under the United Nations...

UPM's outstanding research.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) UNIVERSITI Putra Malaysia has made significant progress since it started as an agriculture school in 1931. From the start, the university placed great importance on providing excellent education. Over...

Drink: Give it a shot.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Jeremy Mahadevan Mixing drinks is easy, insists maverick mixologist and Belvedere Vodka ambassador Grant Collins. JEREMY MAHADEVAN is an eager learner. "MIXOLOGIST"? "Mixology"? Isn't...

FAQs on marketing.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Jagathasan Naidu Title: FAQs on Marketing Author: Philip Kotler Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Availability: Major bookstores Price: RM79.90 IF you had the chance to meet the world's leading...

Westport marching into 2006 with e-terminal.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) MALAYSIA'S new age port Westport Malaysia is leveraging information technology in its operations to achieve higher productivity and boost service. Armed with a highly-skilled IT workforce, the port...

Fatal end to joy ride.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Syed Umar Ariff TANAH MERAH, Fri. - Eighteen-year-old Wan Ismanizam Ismail thought it would be all right to take his little brother Wan Mohammad Ismaasraf, 4, for a ride in the family car,...

Stick closely to the safe middle ground.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: John Teo IT is the end of another eventful year, another moment for contemplation and introspection. Especially because most of us realise peace and social harmony in our multi-racial...

CATCHING UP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: IZWAN ISMAIL THE year 2005 has been another interesting year for the local information and communications (ICT) industry. A few new technologies, after being talked about for a few years...

TAKING ON THE WORLD.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Rupa Damodaran TEN years ago, only a handful of Malaysian construction industry players were keen to take up the invitation of the Indian Government to tap the opportunities in the...

Palm oil can light up biofuel advantage.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Sabri Ahmad WILL the lights go out in certain countries in about 50 years when the world's fossil fuel resources dry up and new reserves are not found? As the answer rests squarely on...

Valuable yet problematic staff.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Dr Michael Heah Q: Despite numerous warning letters and verbal warnings, this particular sales staff still has a poor attendance. I don't want to dismiss him because he is good in his work....

High-end features at affordable price.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Hana Kamaruddin THOSE in the middleincome group who previously could only fantasise living in an upmarket condominium equipped with high-end features will now have that opportunity, with...

CHANGING GLOBAL FABRIC.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan IT has been a colourful year for the Malaysian fashion industry but, admittedly, some of it is splashed overseas. Many Malaysian designers feel that in order to...

Wedding bells and party belles.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Saleha Ali THE unlikely, the impossible and incredible did happen in a year that started on an all time low. Though everyone was reeling with tsunami shock, only to be shaken later by...

Internal Auditing.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) FOR 28 years, IIA Malaysia has put forth its call to support a curriculum of internal auditing in institutions of higher education and to encourage students to enter this field of professional...

Putting Penang back on international map.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Chris Prasad RECENT concerns that Penang has lost much of its appeal may soon be put to rest - with a mammoth project by E&O Property Development Bhd worth over RM2 billion, which looks set...

Hunza to bring a pearl to Seputeh.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Fadzil Fauzi TRENDS in the local property industry are clearly heading towards the higher-end market, particularly for developments within the Kuala Lumpur city centre. However, the...

Finding a cure.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Annie Freeda Cruez IT WAS a challenging year for Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek and Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Ismail Merican. They had to put the house in order and get the...

BIAPA Sets Malaysia's Benchmark for Best Internal Audit Practices.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) IIA Malaysia's Best Internal Audit Practice Award is aimed at promoting, recognising and celebrating the best and the highest standards of company performance in internal auditing. The prestigious...

STATUS QUO WITH A SLIGHT TWIST.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Chow Kum Hor THE year saw MCA and Gerakan going through their most keenly-fought elections in recent years, with contests for the top posts in both parties. In MCA, six years without...

Morsels for thought.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Comment by P. Rajan PropertyTimes has always endeavoured to keep its readers informed about emerging trends in the property market, as well as to highlight issues that play a crucial role...

The story of time.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Willy Schweizer Can anyone recall what happened between October 4 and 15, 1582? Well, in fact nothing at all, because those 10 days did not exist. WILLY SCHWEIZER explains. AS this is...

Tackling inter-religious issues.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Comment by Chandra Muzaffar THE M. Moorthy (Mohamed Abdullah) episode brings to the fore important issues in Malaysian ethnic relations which demand urgent attention. The former commando's...

Weeding out the inept civil servants.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Sarban Singh ASK anyone if the public delivery system has improved and you are likely get a reluctant nod. Ask that same person if he is satisfied with the services rendered and be prepared...

Special allowance for warders mulled.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) KLUANG, Fri. - The Government is considering giving special allowances to 11,000 prison wardens and officers who are given high-risk tasks such as supervising prisoners infected with HIV/AIDS. ...

Asean can lead Asian community process.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: ZAINAL AZNAM YUSOF The borderless world made little progress at the Hong Kong meeting of the WTO, but in Kuala Lumpur the first East Asian summit brought the biggest regional powers...

Kolej Shahputra upgrading facilities in 2006.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: M. Hamzah Jamaludin QUALITY education and first-class facilities have always been the priority for Kolej Shahputra in Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan. Since its inception in 1997, Kolej...

Film industry shaken by PGL-Sepet rivalry.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Faridul Anwar Farinordin YOUNG and unconventional local film directors - many who rocked international film festivals - were beginning to make an impact. Last year's Min (Ho Yuhang),...

Road Angels committed to 'You Drink, We Drive'.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - On Valentine's Day three years ago, Kevin Lee had a few beers with his younger brother. It was also the second day of Chinese New Year, and they had been celebrating. After...

Steel wall frame falls on car, passenger dies.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Devinder Singh; Sheridan Mahavera KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - A half-tonne piece of steel that was blown off the top of a partially completed building flattened a car, killing a management...

Is tuition really necessary?
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) To enrol or not? With the school year starting soon, a dedicated tuition teacher and a disbelieving parent present their case on this perennial problem. YES YES! But not just because I'm a tuition...

Prudent spending.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) INSOLVENT civil servants have been in the news lately. Some have apparently been injudicious enough to have borrowed from one co-operative too many. As a result of this cavalier disregard for the...

This journey's a breeze.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Sam Cheong The coastal town of Lumut may ring a bell as the embarkation point for ferry passengers to Pangkor Island. SAM CHEONG explores the route there. A WEEKEND drive to Lumut in...

Making Malaysians fitter.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: K.M. Boopathy THE NATIONAL Fitness Council (NFC) is the brainchild of Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said whose vision is to see qualified instructors running fitness...

TRENDY NEW LOOK FOR BATA.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Nisha Sabanayagam THE Italian touch is evident these days when one walks into a Bata store. Not only does one see hip, cool designs among the shoes, but the layout of the store is also...

'Threat' shuts down embassy.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Nurris Ishak; Ahmad Suffian KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - The American Embassy was closed today at 11.40am due to a "security threat". US embassy spokesman Kathryn Taylor said the embassy was closed...

Malaysian Assurance Alliance Berhad.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) MALAYSIAN Assurance Alliance Berhad (MAA Assurance) under the helm of Y.M. Tunku Dato' Ya'acob bin Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah, was incorporated on September 2, 1968. Its strength and success as a...

The next word.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) EVERY now and then, certain words or phrases come along to mark particular periods of time. For instance, during the boom-boom 90s, it was "mega" that caught the imagination of the country and made us...

Guiding young people.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Q: My son just sat for his STPM exams but has no idea what type of career he would like to pursue in the future. As a result, I feel he is just directionless. He is more inclined towards the Arts, and...

She stands tall as world No.1.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) NICOL DAVID is the New Straits Times Malaysian of the Year 2005. We congratulate her on this exceptional triumph, all the more so at a time when Malaysian sports and its fans were clamouring for a...

Think-thank and resource centre.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: K.M. Boopathy THINK TANK for the youth. That is what the Institute of Youth Research (IUR), formed under the Youth and Sports Ministry's 11 plans of action, is about. The IUR is...

Work space provider Regus opens new KL centre.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) GLOBAL professional workplace provider The Regus Group plc has been on an expansion drive in the Asia Pacific region, more than doubling the number of Regus Business Centres to 53 since the beginning of...

Slower, but sustained recovery.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Lim Lay Ying PROPELLED by continued economic growth in the country - albeit at a slower rate - the property market sustained its momentum of recovery for the third year running. For the...

Two flyovers to ease congestion.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Jaswinder Kaur KOTA KINABALU, Fri. - Two flyovers are being built in the city to ease the growing traffic congestion. To be opened in 2007, they are in addition to the city's first...

Puspakom's peace of mind for RM40.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Errol de Cruz DO YOU KNOW just how much time, money and hassle you would save if, the next time you buy a used car, you take it down to a Puspakom inspection centre, and have the personnel...

All the fixin's for your picknickin'.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Sam Cheong; Manveet Kaur; Gerald Chuah It's another long weekend... how about doing something old-fashioned for a change? Picnics are easy (and loads of fun) when you know how. We give you...

Abused maid awarded RM51,000.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) KUCHING, Fri. - An Indonesian maid who suffered two years of abuse under her employer was today awarded RM51,000 in compensation by the Sessions Court. The five-year wait was worth it for Marni...

Coaching course on building defects.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) LEADING conference organiser Asia Land Seminar (ALS) will hold coaching sessions on Building Defects & Maintenance Planning and on Regulations for Sub-division of Buildings for Strata Titles at the...

Volvo seats get top scores in 2006 Thatcham whiplash tests.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) ONCE again, Volvo has achieved top scores in the latest 2006 year new car whiplash ratings by the UK's Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre in Thatcham which conducted the tests on behalf of the...

Operation to nab errant motorcyclists.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) PETALING JAYA, Fri. - Motorcyclists without licence and road tax will have their New Year celebrations cut short tomorrow night as the Road Transport Department will mount an operation to nab them. ...

Innovation rules in Malaysian music.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Hafidah Samat An eventful year for the music industry despite declining sales and an uncertain immediate future. Better ideas and concepts abound but they did not translate into better...

Medical grads' suit against USM struck out.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - The High Court today struck out a suit by 30 medical graduates from unscheduled universities against Universiti Sains Malaysia. The decision was made by senior assistant...

Reality TV rules!
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Sharifah Arfah and Hizreen Kamal The television and radio industries are consolidating in a gigantic way, especially with Media Prima's acquisition of ntv7 and Channel 9, which should...

Assassin theory in supervisor's murder.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) BATU PAHAT, Fri. - Was it a case of mistaken identity or a planned hit? These are the two possibilities police are looking into following the murder of an ex-supervisor of a logging company last night....

The danger of 'market-dominant minorities'.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Johan Jaaffar IN her thought provoking book, World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability, Amy Chua narrated a tragedy involving her...

Dog ownership ruling challenged.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Neville Spykerman SHAH ALAM, Fri. - A legal battle may be brewing between dog owners here and the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) over new guidelines on dog ownership. The Malaysian...

1 million yet to apply for MyKad.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Lydia Gomez KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - It was just one day left to deadline today but more than one million Malaysians have still not applied for their MyKad. Out of that number, Selangor has...

Outlook for 2006.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) EXPECT things to be better next year, but only slightly, says economist Dr Mohamed Ariff. Still, the economy's continued growth will help mitigate the pressures that consumers are experiencing,...

'To stay sane, we never sleep in the same room'.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: HAFIDAH SAMAT No, it's not that Peter Pan. This Peterpan is a multiple award-winning Indonesian pop outfit, which has nothing to do with Neverland. The band - comprising Andika, Reza,...

Daily struggle to make ends meet.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) *AHMAD Termizi Abdul Rahman, 36, works at a car assembly plant in Pekan, Pahang. He earns RM800 a month, supporting his wife and their three children. He is thinking of getting a second job working at a...

The air-traffic control's pace of news.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Syed Nadzri Deputy Group Editor If 2005 was a person, he would be an air-traffic controller at New York's JFK airport. That's how busy the year was. And selfish or unkind as it may...

Let's roll!
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Manveet Kaur For a snack that will put a spring into your step, the ubiquitous popiah is a favourite choice. MANVEET KAUR bites into some of the best popiah around. THE popiah or...

Coping with rising prices.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Lee Siew Lian; June Ramli KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - Paying RM12 for a cup of coffee at the Concorde Hotel here used to be nothing for businessman K.S. Lim. That is a luxury he has not...

'Status quo doesn't work'.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: ANIZA DAMIS Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said yesterday that when a dispute arises over whether a person has become a Muslim convert, the case should be...

PSD: Moorthy's wife can claim pension.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) PUTRAJAYA, Fri. - S. Kaliammal, the widow of the late M. Moorthy @ Mohammad Abdullah, will not be denied her husband's pension. Public Service Department public relations officer Hasniah Abdul...

Mapping development objectives.
December 31, 2005... (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) Byline: Salleh Buang WE do not have a specific law on smart growth in Malaysia, nor is there a plan for one on the horizon. What we have is the old Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) 1976, based...