New Straits Times articles from December 2008, page 5

New Straits Times archives from December 2008

Animation up there with Hollywood.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Meor Shariman KUALA LUMPUR: Money is a major factor in the development of computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology in Malaysia, said Burhanuddin Md Radzi, managing director of Les' Copaque Production Sdn Bhd. He said...

New Year specials at Palm Garden.
December 27, 2008... Byline: A.R. Sivarajan USHER the new year 2009 at Palm Garden Hotel under the stars at the Courtyard. It will be a classy affair at the al fresco outlet complete with landscaped gardens, tinkling fountains and waterfalls. Located 25...

Changes in the works.
December 27, 2008... LAST month, I mentioned that changes were in the wind for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. Since then, I have attended two meetings with the Ministry of Tourism in which it explained what rules it was going to recommend were...

'Court cannot review party's decision'.
December 27, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: A High Court has no authority to review a decision made by a political party or its office bearers under the Societies Act. Judicial Commissioner Mohd Ariff Md Yusoff said the statutory provision of section 18C of the act...

A man of action.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Dawn Chan KUALA LUMPUR: Ravindran Raman Kutty is a man ever ready to take up the cudgels. Take his desire to form a residents association for instance. It began the day he moved into the Kenanga area in Bandar Sri Damansara in...

Ex-state secretary's tomb raided.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Nancy Nais KUCHING: Tomb raiders have struck again, much to the dismay of the relatives of the dead, including a former state secretary. The late Tan Sri Gerunsi Lembat's grave in Saratok was among 16 others which were...

Embracing best governance practices.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Ivy Chang PUBLIC Bank Bhd's (PB) 2007 Annual Report picked up three top awards at NACRA 2008 for Most Outstanding Annual Report, Industry Excellence Award for the Finance Sector, and Best Annual Report in Bahasa Malaysia. ...

Friendlier policies for MM2Hers.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Zoe Phoon DEPUTY Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said it: The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme will be reviewed to make it more attractive in matters pertaining to MM2Hers' investments, funds and work status in...

Make the world a better place.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Reviewed by Su Aziz SU AZIZ reads about making changes and superheroes as well as what some of the world's records entail in the following collection of leisurely reads. WHAT MATTERS Created by David Elliot Cohen 330...

Blending synergies for the future.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Ivy Chang CIMB Group (CIMB), through its listed vehicle Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd (BCHB), took home the Platinum Award for Best Designed Annual Report. Head of group corporate communications Effendy Shahul Hamid said...

Zooming in on unknown spots.
December 27, 2008... Byline: R. Sittamparam KUALA LUMPUR: Relatively unknown tourist destinations in the country will be given much needed promotion and exposure through the state-level Zoom Travel Fair, which will be launched next year. These places...

Muar 'ideal place' for link with Dumai.
December 27, 2008... MUAR: The town is an ideal site for the proposed Peninsular Malaysia-Sumatra bridge, Muar Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Datuk Koh Kim Toon said yesterday. "Muar is nearer to Dumai in Sumatra and this would reduce the cost of the...

'Investing in imagery projects not always viable'.
December 27, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Two computer generated imagery-laden films, Antoo Fighter and Cicakman 2, under performed at the box office. Antoo Fighter cost RM2.5 million to make, but collected only RM2.3 million in ticket sales. Cicakman 2 also...

Countdown party at Hotel Istana.
December 27, 2008... Byline: A.R. Sivarajan START the New Year Countdown Party at Songket Lounge at Hotel Istana with a new outlook. If you have not made your New Year's resolutions, you can figure it out while wining and dining with your loved one. ...

Thousands attend PBS, Upko open house.
December 27, 2008... KOTA KINABALU: Thousands attended the two most popular open houses on Christmas Day hosted by leaders of political parties. Parti Bersatu Sabah president and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan welcomed well wishers to...

Ahmad Said to head new anti-graft commission.
December 27, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will begin operations first on Jan 1 with Anti-Corruption Agency director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan as its first commissioner. The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC),...

There are still some good ones around.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Piers Morgan I WATCHED the recent BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards and, like most people, was struck by the complete lack of any contribution from contemporary British football. No current players or teams won...

Crispy bites.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Su Aziz TEMPT your taste buds with an explosion of flavours in a crispy wrap. SU AZIZ writes. Here's food for thought Have you ever realised that there are two types of vegetables? There's the variety that "borrows" flavours...

So is ref Attwell ready for a big call-up?
December 27, 2008... Byline: Graham Poll STUART Attwell became England's youngest international referee last week when he was named on the FIFA list. Nine officials were nominated by the England FA in October to FIFA. They were Howard Webb, Mike Riley,...

It pays to sell legends, myths as tourist attractions.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Johan Jaaffar THE Kuching Civic Centre and Sarawak Cultural Village are manifestations of the good and the ugly in the country's tourism industry. Kuching Civic Centre once housed a library and a planetarium. It was a proud...

A second chance.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Reviewed by Su Aziz HOW STARBUCKS SAVED MY LIFE By Michael Gates Gill 262 pages/Harper Collins I HAVE a confession to make. I sat on this book for a month before I could make myself read it. I was sure it was one of those...

Time to scrap immunity of authorities.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Salleh Buang SECTION 95(2) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) may be difficult for lay persons to comprehend fully and I, therefore, reproduce a portion of what's relevant here. It states that "the State...

A helping hand to find the right home.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Zoe Phoon PROSPECTIVE buyers, including foreigners who have never been to Malaysia but are fishing for investment opportunities in its real estate, may want to surf to the "wish list services" on the propertrack.com portal to...

A glamourous New Year at Melia.
December 27, 2008... Byline: A.R. Sivarajan MAKE your Star appearance at Melia Kuala Lumpur and join us to countdown and usher the New Year in glamorous Hollywood style at the Alhambra Ballroom! Beat the traffic, get an early start and head on to Melia Kuala...

Kulim setting SPO benchmarks.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Zoe Phoon ENVIRONMENTAL issues such as deforestation, loss of biodiversity, threat to wildlife and carbon emission from peat land development are projecting an incorrect image of the palm oil industry to consumers worldwide. ...

Making a link comparison.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Asim Qureshi HAVING completed our circuit of looking at various property types in selected areas within states in the peninsula, here's an overview how certain property types are doing on a region-by-region basis - based on the...

Our rich biodiversity a big draw.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Aida Ahmad TO the initiated, he's Mr Green: Matthias Gelber, 41, is saving the planet one tree at a time. Having won the Greenest Person on the Planet award in September - he was ahead of 600 other participants from around...

NST brightens up bus journeys.
December 27, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of express bus passengers on board Konsortium Transnasional Bhd have begun receiving complimentary copies of New Straits Times. On Thursday, more than 1,000 copies of the newspaper were handed out to passengers...

PAM Green Design Forum on Jan 3.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Abby Lu PERTUBUHAN Akitek Malaysia (PAM) is driving this message home: It's important for the building industry to "go green". And this will be given a huge boost soon with the launch of the Malaysian Green Building Index (MGBI),...

Transfer window Shopping.
December 27, 2008... AT the stroke of midnight in England on Jan 1, the transfer window will open. Teams will be scrambling to sharpen attacks, stem bleeding defences or add muscle to midfield departments. Chelsea, who still want more firepower, are ready to...

Early start to shopping for new school year.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Shuhada Elis KUALA LUMPUR: Boxing Day is known as a shopping holiday in most Western countries. It is a time of sales and massive bargains. Here, Malaysians go on a buying spree of a different kind. It is time for back-to- school...

Simple does it.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Su Aziz DON'T know how to make that Christmas turkey or panicky at the thought of a crowd crashing in? SU AZIZ has the solution. I THINK that if we are conditioned by shopping malls and retails stores to anticipate Christmas...

E&Y poised to end long wait.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh ERNST & Young are awesome and look good to win their first ever Malaysian Hockey League (MHL)-TNB Cup title by beating Sapura in the final at the KLHA Stadium in Pantai today. It will be their seventh appearance...

Smooth meeting likely at Seremban Umno.
December 27, 2008... SEREMBAN: Seremban Umno division chief Datuk Ishak Ismail is confident that the division meeting, which will be held today, at the theatrette of Wisma Negeri near here will go on smoothly. Ishak said there would not be any untoward...

Thieves target diners.
December 27, 2008... KUANTAN: Snatch thieves here have now changed their modus operandi with their main targets being victims who put their handbags on the table in restaurants. In most cases, the culprit will enter the restaurant on the pretext of buying...

Jack Black does it again.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Reviewed by Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan BE KIND REWIND Directed by Michel Gondry Starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow and Melonie Diaz Distributed by Speedy Video Distributors Sdn Bhd BE Kind Rewind, one of the best...

HK's Michael bags second title.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh HONG Kong's Michael Mak captured his second international youth title of the year with victory in the Boys' Under-15 Masters finals of the 9th Milo World Junior All-Stars at Sunway Megalanes, Bandar Sunway...

The 50 greatest players from outside England to have graced the English league.
December 27, 2008... 50. Gheorghe Popescu (Tottenham Hotspur 1994 - 1995) 49. Dwight Yorke (Aston Villa 1989 - 1998; Manchester United 1998 - 2002; Blackburn 2002 - 2004; Birmingham 2004 - 2005; Sunderland 2006 - present) 48. Daniel Amokachi (Everton 1994 - 1996)...

Scrumptious Spread.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Su Aziz FROM lean roast and dainty sushi to local favourites, The Spread offers a smorgasboard of healthy and tasty choices. SU AZIZ writes. We are developing a taste for lighter and finer food - cuisine with subtle flavours...

Making spoilt votes a thing of the past.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Zubaidah Abu Bakar ANY effort to minimise spoilt votes should be lauded. Considering the high percentage of rejected ballots in past elections - between two and three per cent - political parties have to put in extra hours to...

Lady Nina thrown out in Arsenal civil war.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Paul Hayward ONLY Arsenal could start a civil war with the ejection of a person called Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith and her complaining on the way out that the men in the room had "no manners whatsoever". This vignette of owner...

City Hall urged to keep business going.
December 27, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Jittery businessmen and city folks want City Hall to create more jobs and also to be transparent in awarding contracts. They say these measures will help them cope with the expected economic slowdown next year. Veteran...

KL can still be a melting pot of Asia.
December 27, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Malay Businessmen and Industrialists Association hopes the city authority would be business friendly. Its president, Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir, suggested that City Hall create guidelines as reference material...

Christmas charity benefit.
December 27, 2008... Byline: T. Vignesh IT was a Christmas delight for around 50 children from the Rumah Keluarga Kami in Kajang as they were treated to a Christmas lunch cum party together with famous female artiste Jaclyn Victor and senior executives of...

NACRA 2008 salutes the best-in-class.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Ivy Chang CONCEPTS of transparency, ethics and accountability should be part and parcel of our social value systems and embedded into our corporate culture, according to National Annual Corporate Report Awards (NACRA) 2008...

Mangrove forests still under threat.
December 27, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: Large areas of mangrove forests continue to be at risk despite Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's directive prohibiting any form of encroachment on and destruction of mangroves following the Dec 26 tsunami four...

A new home for a new year.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Abby Lu THERE'S nothing better to kick off the New Year than starting it afresh. And if a new home or an investment asset were high on your list of priorities, a good place to start looking would be the upcoming Malaysia...

'We walk the talk when it comes to CSR'.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Zoe Phoon BRITISH American Tobacco Malaysia (BAT Malaysia) covers the industry "from seed to smoke" and is dedicated to corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles companywide. The following is a Q&A with Christine Lee,...

The top 10 Bosmans of all time.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Laura Williamson EVERYONE loves a bargain and getting a player of international pedigree without paying a penny to his former club makes the acquisition all the sweeter. Or, in the case of Sol Campbell, it makes the loss even...

Heart babies need funds for surgery.
December 27, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: Two-month-old Muhammad Izham Zamri, who underwent an operation yesterday to correct a complex congenital heart disease called total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, is in need of financial help. His parents need between...

Fire destroys two factories.
December 27, 2008... SERDANG: Two neighbouring factories were razed by fire in Bukit Serdang, Seri Kembangan, near here, yesterday. Seri Kembangan Fire and Rescue Department chief Zulkifli Sailan said the fire was brought under control at 1.19am. The losses...

2nd part of Lekas highway to open.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Suganthi Suparmaniam KUALA LUMPUR: The second stretch of the Kajang-Seremban Expressway (Lekas) connecting Pajam and Mantin will be opened next week. Motorists, especially those from Kajang, Cheras, Ampang and the eastern...

Held over rape of stepchild.
December 27, 2008... KULAI: Police have arrested a man over the alleged rape of his 16-year-old stepdaughter, who had lodged a police report at the Kulai police station yesterday. District police chief Superintendent Zulkefly Yahya said the 35-year-old Indonesian...

Shantou Mayor ready to act.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Go-Ram SHANTOU Mayor wrapped up preparations for a comeback win in the RM1.35 million Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Gold Cup for Malaysia Group 1 horses over 2200m (Race 7) tomorrow with a two-round workout in Penang yesterday. ...

Wonderful Gift set to be Queen.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Go-Ram MALAYSIAN-bred Wonderful Gift can strike in the RM150,000 National Stud Farm (NSF) Queen Of The Turf for National Premier Sales fillies and mares confined to three-year-olds and above over 1400m (Race 8, 4.00pm) in Penang...

Villa, Hull the A-graders.
December 27, 2008... D: ARSENAL: Must try harder Arsene Wenger is having a shocking season by his standards as the club go through a painful transition on and off the pitch and they will be lucky to make the top four. Sticking with William Gallas as captain was...

Taekwondo steals the 'show'.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh MARTIAL arts paled into insignificance in competitive terms in a year without an Asian Games or Sea Games to capture the nation's attention but still made the headlines, at least where taekwondo was concerned. ...

Facilities a fundamental right.
December 27, 2008... Byline: K. Kandiah MALAYSIANS value sports as a fundamental right but the people's right to play can only be met if there are adequate facilities in place. There is, said Malaysian Association for Physical Education, Sports Science and...

HPTC-Asia offers Rehvan a 'home'.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh PROMISING sprinter Rehvan Arumugam (pic), a surprising omission from the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union's (MAAU) development programme, has found refuge at the IAAF High Performance Training Centre (HPTC)-Asia in...

Exclusion won't blow LTAM off course.
December 27, 2008... Byline: Datuk Abdul Razak Latiff TENNIS is thriving again thanks to the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) prioritising development. However, the sport's exclusion from the 2010 Malaysia Games has come as a major blow and Abdul...

Call to provide ethnic cuisine at varsities.
December 25, 2008... Byline: R. Sittamparam KUALA LUMPUR: Eating outlets at the country's public universities should be made diverse to include chefs of all races to cater to the taste buds of the multiracial student population there. Provisions should...

HIV couples who can't bear to part.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Dharshini Balan SEREMBAN: Following the mandatory premarital HIV testing for Muslim couples in the state from June 1 last year, 15 out of 18 people who tested positive for HIV went ahead with their marriages. State Health...

New tax system optional.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Employees need not have to file their tax exemptions on a monthly basis under the new schedular tax deduction (STD) system that will take effect on Jan 1. Inland Revenue Board (IRB) chief executive officer Datuk Hasmah...

Grandma saved from fiery death.
December 25, 2008... KANGAR: Fire destroyed a house in Kampung Kepala 10, Long Boh, yesterday. Mohd Said Mahmod said his family was about to have their dinner when they saw smoke emitting from the kitchen area of the wooden house. He said his 78-year-old...

Disabled community expresses doubt about law.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Various non-governmental organisations and activists remain sceptical that the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act will have the desired results. Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva is one of those not...

Railway project stopped again.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Phuah Ken Lin GEORGE TOWN: The state government has slapped a second stop-work order on MMC-Gamuda which is building a double-track railway line on mainland Penang. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the order was issued as the...

Remember the less fortunate, Christians urged.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: As more than two million Christians here celebrate Christmas today, they have been asked to remember those facing hardship. The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam made the call yesterday, asking all Christians...

New areas to boost trade relations.
December 25, 2008... MALAYSIA and Iran have identified new areas of cooperation which will boost their trade relations. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his meetings with Iranian President Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his visit here, outlined...

Robbers grab RM100,000 in gems.
December 25, 2008... ALOR STAR: Three masked robbers grabbed RM100,000 worth of jewellery from a goldsmith shop at Taman Intan in Jalan Datuk Kumbar here yesterday. The robbers, two of them armed with a pump gun each and one with a pistol, struck at 2.10pm...

Viennese new year with MPO.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: To welcome 2009, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra will present three spectacular concerts with the theme "A Viennese New Year" at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC. Conductor Martin Sieghart takes the helm for...

Tribunal rejects residents' claims.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The Tribunal for Consumer Claims yesterday rejected a claim for compensation of RM20,000 by 31 flat dwellers of Taman Sentul Utama who alleged that the developer had failed to provide satisfactory maintenance services. Rungit...

Council to add more bite to disability act.
December 25, 2008... PUTRAJAYA: Be disabled-friendly or face the wrath of the law. This is the warning from Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. Tired of the lukewarm response to the Persons with Disabilities Act,...

'Screening should be mandatory for all races'.
December 25, 2008... IPOH: Couples of all races planning to marry should be required to take an oath that they have never been exposed to HIV before tying the knot. Deputy state PPP chairman and criminal lawyer Naran Singh said the proposed mandatory...

Bo Long grabs surprise lead.
December 25, 2008... LITTLE known Kang Bo Long stamped his mark in the 9th Milo World Junior All-Stars by taking the lead in the Boys' Open Masters qualifiers at Sunway Megalanes in Bandar Sunway yesterday. The national youth bowler, who hails from Kuching,...

Foundation hands out schooling items to 1,600.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Nuradzimmah Daim KUALA LUMPUR: Some 500 pupils from the city can now go back to school with new uniforms and bags, among others, thanks to the Federal Territories Foundation. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan...

Hee Chun-Kok Siang out to impress.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh WORLD Junior boys' doubles champions Mak Hee Chun-Teo Kok Siang and veteran Wong Choong Hann will be out to end the year on a high note at the Copenhagen Masters which start on Saturday. Hee Chun-Kok Siang are in...

2 weeks' jail and fined for having protected animals.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: A 65-year-old market trader was slapped with a RM5,000 fine and sentenced to two weeks' jail by the magistrate's court yesterday for illegal possession of protected animals. Yap Kum Weng pleaded guilty to five charges of...

Orphans treated to ice-cream.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: In the spirit of Christmas, New Zealand Natural recently participated in a charity event organised by the Waterfront management at Desa Parkcity. Thirty-six orphans between the ages of 4 and 18,were given a special treat of...

Carollers bring joy to the world.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Nuradzimmah Daim KUALA LUMPUR: A group of carollers and a wide spread of Yuletide cakes ensured a merry Christmas at the Grand Seasons Hotel. Hotel manager Vincent Pillai said carollers were a must to spread the Christmas...

Wanted man who attacked cop shot.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian KUALA LUMPUR: A 54-year-old man, wanted for a series of wayside robberies in Sentul, was shot twice by police on Tuesday when he attacked and injured a corporal. The man survived and was sent to Selayang Hospital...

Hotel gets on the love train.
December 25, 2008... PETALING JAYA: Christmas came early for 25 charity homes when they received RM4,500 each from the Hilton Christmas Train, a year-end fund-raising project by the Hilton Petaling Jaya. The funds were handed to the homes during the launch of the...

Twelve months to stamp their mark.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh THERE are seven pairs in the men's elite back-up squad and the BA of Malaysia (BAM) knows that not all will be able to make an impact in the 2012 London Olympics. In fact, BAM is prepared for the eventuality that...

PJ public now have bigger say on approval of projects.
December 25, 2008... Byline: Sheila Sri Priya PETALING JAYA: State Local Government, Research and Development Committee chairman Ronnie Liu has denied that 80 per cent of applications for new development projects in Petaling Jaya have been rejected. He...

'Good storylines will sell local films, save industry'.
December 25, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Why should the people be made to pay for the shortcomings of the local film industry? A local production professional said increasing the ticket price for Hollywood movies to RM20 to save the local film industry would not make...