New Straits Times articles from December 2011

New Straits Times archives from December 2011

11pc to study Science, Maths in English.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Masami Mustaza KUALA LUMPUR: One student in nine - or slightly more than 11 per cent - who begin Form One next week will be learning Science and Mathematics fully in English. The rest will be taught the two subjects either fully in...

New rules soon for scratch-and-win (HL).
December 31, 2011... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: A NEW set of regulations is expected to be enforced next year in a move to protect Malaysians from falling prey to schemers running false scratch-and-win contests. The Domestic Trade, Consumerism and...

Railway relief.
December 31, 2011... WHEN KTM Komuter started its services in 1995, it had 64 three-carriage Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) to run its operations. But over the years, the absence of proper periodic maintenance, difficulties in getting spare parts and the lack of...

Residential school policy change.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Masami Mustaza KUALA LUMPUR: FROM next year, students from poor socio-economic backgrounds who score a minimum of 3As and 2Bs in their Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) will be given opportunities to enrol in residential schools....

CEO pleads not guilty.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Irdiani Mohd Salleh KUALA LUMPUR: BUSINESSMAN Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court to two counts of cheating National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) director Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail of more than...

BR1M payments start on Jan 15.
December 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Successful applicants in the RM500 Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) scheme will be given cash vouchers beginning Jan 15, according to the Finance Ministry. An official from the BR1M operations room under the ministry said the...

Bosses can hire agents to register workers.
December 31, 2011... PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry has given the go-ahead to employers to engage the service of agents to register their illegal foreign workers. This was in view of the congestion at one-stop centres (OSCs) handling the 6P legalisation process of...

Dept to roll out new MyKad from next week.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Alang Bendahara PUTRAJAYA: THE new MyKad with its laser-engraved ghost image and other security features, to be issued starting from Tuesday, will be tougher to forge. National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Datuk...

Carnival a big hit with visitors.
December 31, 2011... Byline: V. Shuman SHAH ALAM: THE "Sayangi Selangor" carnival organised by Selangor Umno at the I-City here is proving to be a success with more than 70,000 visitors taking part in the event since it was launched on Wednesday. With the...

Sabah to get RM215m welfare aid next year.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Kristy Inus KOTA KINABALU: SABAH will receive nearly RM215 million from the Federal Government for welfare distribution next year, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. Shahrizat,...

Blood donation appeal ahead of festivals.
December 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The National Blood Centre (NBC) is appealing for donors to help replenish supply during the festival period. NBC pathologist Dr Norris Naim said the centre urgently needed to stock enough supply in preparation for the New Year...

Let's Join the Countdown
December 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: A HOST of events has been lined up to bid farewell to 2011 and welcome in 2012. And some revellers may get the opportunity to join Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and other VIPs in the countdown to the new year. The deputy prime...

'Don't drag the people into it'.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Rahmah Ghazali KUALA LUMPUR: THE people should not be dragged into opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim said. Speaking to New Straits Times yesterday, he...

Boyfriend held over bank clerk's murder.
December 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The prime suspect in bank clerk Rozana Mohd Yushak's gruesome murder was nabbed in Pantai Dalam here on Thursday. The unemployed suspect, in his early 20s, was detained at his house about 8.30pm by a team from the Gombak police...

Villagers thankful for help.
December 31, 2011... Byline: T.N. Alagesh ROMPIN: FIVE Orang Asli families from Kampung Denai here were nearly reduced to tears when volunteers from the New Straits Times Press-Media Prima Flood Relief Mission yesterday gave them bags containing food and other...

Situation improving, but more rain expected.
December 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The flood situation in Sarawak is improving with many of the evacuees returning home but Johor is bracing for more floods. The number of flood victims at the various relief centres in Sarawak dropped from 562 to 217 yesterday...

Carpenter to hang for drug trafficking.
December 31, 2011... SHAH ALAM: A carpenter was sentenced to death by the High Court yesterday after he was found guilty of trafficking in nearly 4kg of methamphetamine seven years ago. Judge Datuk Yazid Mustafa sentenced Lee Boon Kwang, 40, after ruling that the...

RM50,000 in debt from 12 credit cards.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Fahirul N. Ramli KUALA LUMPUR: A 35-YEAR-OLD jobless man, who is also a schizophrenic, is now saddled with RM50,000 in debt from 2 credit cards he has owned since 2005. Yet the man, who is from Salak South, can barely hold a job...

Policewoman's help sought in child abuse probe.
December 31, 2011... ALOR STAR: Police are looking for a policewoman to help in investigation into a child abuse case involving her 5-year-old adopted son. The boy was rushed to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here by the policewoman's neighbour who found scars and...

Uncle shocked over chained kids.
December 31, 2011... BUTTERWORTH: The brother of a man who was arrested for allegedly chaining his two young children in the bathroom of their home in Raja Uda on Wednesday, has expressed shock over the incident. The man's older sibling, aged 45, said his brother...

Low sugar defence not acceptable.
December 31, 2011... SHAH ALAM: An argument with an elderly neighbour over a noisy gate ended up with a motorcycle shop owner sentenced to death for murder. High Court judge Noor Azian Shaari sentenced Ho Ah Tee, 65, after ruling that the defence had failed to...

RM2.7m from G1M number plate sale.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Alang Bendahara KUALA LUMPUR: THE "Kelab Eksplorasi 7 Benua Malaysia" (KE7B) has collected a staggering RM2.7 million from the sale of 2,500 G1M (Gagasan 1Malaysia) vehicle registration number plates. KE7B adviser Muhammad...

Orphanage fire leaves 33 homeless.
December 31, 2011... SUBANG JAYA: An orphanage in Taman Tenaga, Puchong here was destroyed by fire yesterday, leaving 33 young boys homeless. The fire at the House of Joy orphanage is believed to have started in its dormitory on the second floor about 10.30 am....

Search for three boys continues.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Jaspal Singh GRIK: TEN hours of an operation yesterday to find three boys who were swept away by the strong currents of Sungai Perak near here on Thursday afternoon, failed to locate the missing children. The search and rescue...

Firm offers refunds over banned products.
December 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers who had bought the banned Twee Hong Suah traditional medicine products can return them to any of its distributors. Hong Yang Hoo Pharma Sdn Bhd director June Choo said consumers would get their money back upon...

Wanted drug dealer shot dead.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Audrey Dermawan GEORGE TOWN: A MAN high on the wanted list was killed in a shoot-out by police in Sungai Lokan, Butterworth, on Thursday night. State police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakob said the 36-year-old from Butterworth, who is on...

'Detained woman knew of the drugs'.
December 31, 2011... GEORGE TOWN: Police believe the 42-year-old woman, detained at the Penang International Airport with 3.7kg of syabu worth RM750,000, is not being used as a drug mule by an international drug trafficking syndicate. They say the woman, a spa...

Heart children seek funds for surgeries.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Danny Ooi GEORGE TOWN: TWO-month-old Muhamad Aqmar Redza Ahmad is suffering from a complex congenital heart disease with multiple defects. He is on life support to improve his blood pressure and given infusion to maintain Patent...

Hearing set for RM30m suit against Guan Eng.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Irdiana Mohd Salleh KUALA LUMPUR: THE High Court has fixed four days from April 2 to hear a defamation suit by Penang Umno against the state's Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and three others. Judge Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah...

Commercial cattle-breeding project for inmates.
December 31, 2011... KLUANG: The Prisons Department is undertaking a large-scale commercial cattle breeding programme which will also see it fulfilling the needs of the institution with the efforts of selected prisoners. Prisons deputy director-general (security...

Policemen guilty of corruption.
December 31, 2011... JOHOR BARU: Two policemen were fined RM10,000 each by the Sessions Court yesterday after they were found guilty of three counts of corruption about five years ago. Lance Corporal Ab Hadi Ab Rahim and constable Yusoff Latip were jointly...

New home for jumbo.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah JELI: THE Kelantan Wildlife Department has sent the 20-year-old bull elephant, which it captured in Batu Melintang here last Sunday, to a national park in Terengganu. The elephant, named Awang Jerek, was...

Developing good model of welfare.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Datuk Mohamed Iqbal THE word "welfare" and its Malay equivalent, kebajikan, were well known a few decades ago. Malaysians from all walks of life in one way or another indulged in the draws of the Social Welfare Lottery and hoped for...

Just promise yourself to stay healthy.(Obituary)
December 31, 2011... Byline: Johan Jaaffar GOODBYE 2011. Let's make a New Year's resolution at midnight tonight - a different one than you would normally ask for - wealth, prosperity, big bonus, new trajectory in career, whatever. Just promise yourself to stay...

Sabah's forestry policy growing popular.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Joniston Bangkuai SABAH is fast becoming a trailblazer in sustainable forest management. This is evident from the numerous accolades, notably from the United Nations, World Wildlife Fund Malaysia, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)...

Looking back and looking forward.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Nuraina Samad IT is that time of year again when everyone is making resolutions for next year. After all, tradition dictates that every 365 days, we look back at how bad, or good, we have been and make a promise to ourselves to be...

Mr Roar should win today.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Go-Ram MR Roar can score his second success in the Class 5 event over 1600m (Race 4, 2.15pm). The six-year-old New Zealand gelding by Senor Pete, who arrived unraced in April 2009, has a win, three seconds and two thirds in 22...

Nicol, Chong Wei still dominate.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh NUMEROUS records fell and titles were won in an action-packed year for Malaysian sports. From the likes of Nicol David claiming her sixth World Open title to Zulfadli Zulkifli's total domination in junior badminton...

Arivalagan in hot water.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Devinder Singh P. ARIVALAGAN'S bid to continue as national kumite coach has been complicated by a two-year suspension handed down by the Asian Karate Federation (AKF) for his conduct at the recent Indonesia Sea Games. Acting on a...

Razif is top man to replace Selvaraj.
December 31, 2011... Byline: K.M. Boopathy FORMER international Datuk James Selvaraj's stint as the BA of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director (HPD) ends today and the association has yet to find a replacement. Selvaraj has received an extension to his...

Datuk nabbed over bribery linked to 9 cheating cases.
December 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The businessman detained for allegedly trying to bribe senior police officers last week is believed to be linked to nine other cheating cases in three states. The 45-year-old man, who is a Datuk and owns a maid agency and a...

Faster, better rail travel from March.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Maizatul Ranai KUALA LUMPUR: NEW trains with bigger capacities, announced this week will, from March, benefit more than 91,000 city commuters who have had to endure long waits. KTM Berhad president Dr Aminuddin Adnan attributed the...

An urban oasis that's Rimbun.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Roznah Abdul Jabbar ENJOYING all the trappings of luxury and security at a great location is one thing but getting this package together with environmentally friendly elements, such as what Rimbun is offering, is quite another. ...

Safety first and always.
December 30, 2011... OPERATORS of public transport should not be arguing to protect their businesses when some of their conveyances are discovered to be unsafe. The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) has unequivocally arrived at the decision that high-deck...

Moderating trend amid challenging conditions.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Rajan Paramesran THE property sector in 2011 could be summed up as a year in which regulators and property market players here and elsewhere in the region reacted with some measure of trepidation as to whether the market cooling...

Interest from Asia Pacific, Mideast intact.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Zoe Phoon SENTIMENT NOT DAMPENED: The crises in the eurozone and the United States have not created dampening effects on investment interests coming to Malaysia from Asia Pacific and the Middle East thus far. Kumar Tharmalingam,...

Silver linings amid gloomy global outlook.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Mak Kum Shi THERE are still glimmers of hope and opportunities on the international real estate scene despite the bleak outlook for the world economy in 2012. Overview:According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2012...

Ministry to ease congestion.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Koi Kye Lee PUTRAJAYA: A MAJORITY of employers hiring some one million illegal foreign workers had converged over the past few days at the Immigration Department's one-stop centres handling the 6P legalisation process, causing massive...

Enter the Malaysia Dragon.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Zoe Phoon IN May this year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) identified Asia's seven economies of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia with over three billion people between them to drive Asia's economic...

3 feared drowned during boat outing.
December 30, 2011... GRIK: Three children were feared drowned after they failed to return from a river boat outing here yesterday. Mohd Saiful Haikal Gahari, 7, and his cousins, known only as Amir, 9, and Adham, 11, from Kampung Bukit Marikan, had taken a boat...

Father held over chaining and starving his children.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Adie Suri Zulkefli BUTTERWORTH: POLICE have arrested a father of two from Raja Uda for chaining his 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter in a bathroom and starving them for being disobedient. Luckily, the children's cries were...

What's in store for 2012.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Roznah Abdul Jabbar WITH the year drawing to a close, here's a peek into what industry professionals say about the various real estate segments for 2012. The residential market will continue to be active with more developers...

Onus on buyers to know their rights.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Chang Kim Loong BUYING a home is unlike buying any other consumer product as it covers many considerations including legal, financial, technical and emotional. Buyers should take responsibility for the condition of the items they...

Perkasa lodges report over Jan 9 assembly.
December 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa yesterday lodged a police report against plans to hold "901 (Jan 9) Rakyat Hakim Negara" assembly, which is intended as a show of support for opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim...

Polls panel official's house broken into.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Hariz Mohd KUALA LUMPUR: ROBBERS broke into the house of an Election Commission senior officer and locked up his two daughters in a bathroom before ransacking the home and fleeing in his official car yesterday. Commission deputy...

Clubs lead group investment trend.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Gavin Tee IN the current economic climate, it is natural for investors to be concerned about investing in any kind of financial instrument - be it foreign exchange, equities or real estate. The stakes are high and there are no...

News of better services lauded.
December 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: News of KTM Komuter's improved services at 15-minute intervals during peak hours from March may just persuade more commuters to take the city trains regularly. Those contacted by the New Straits Times yesterday said they had...

Guide to buying at auction.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Michael Yeoh AUCTIONS have become a preferred mode of buying property as buyers can find good buys below market values. In Malaysia, auction properties generally come under Loan Agreement cum Assignment (LACA) and non-LACA. A LACA...

PROPERTY Q&A.
December 30, 2011... We give you the right answer Q/A1 Leon Tan@Singapore: I am a Singaporean looking to buy a bungalow situated on a 1-acre site in Selangor. However, the land title remains agricultural. As a foreigner, can I buy this bungalow? RED: First, you must...

How to design for small spaces.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Alvin Lee DESIGNING for small apartments can be a huge challenge to designers as small spaces are a physical reality and no amount of interior design work can physically enlarge a space. Designers need to fill the room with...

Easier to keep an eye on voters.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Masami Mustaza KUALA LUMPUR: The parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms (PSC) yesterday announced changes to the layout plans at polling stations for the next general election. During a demonstration held at Parliament...

Mere business trip, no politics involved, says Isa.
December 30, 2011... KANGAR: Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu said that his recent visit to Cambodia with two former menteri besar was solely a formal trip to discuss business and investment issues. Isa denied talks that the trip was a "secret...

Simplicity key to cosy condo living.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Alvin Lee WHILE 1,200sq ft is by no means small when it comes to a condominium or apartment unit, it can still be a challenge to fit in a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Careful planning can help make small space...

LBS releases Nordic-themed homes.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Roznah Abdul Jabbar MINIMALIST DESIGN: LBS Bina Group Bhd launched Nautilus, the latest phase of D'Island Residence in Puchong, Selangor, last week. Targeted at those with a discerning taste for subtlety and understated elegance,...

Zahid to clear air on purchase of vessels.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Rahmah Ghazali KUALA LUMPUR: DEFENCE Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has invited Kita president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to meet him for details on the recent purchase of six second-generation patrol vessels. "Zaid can come to...

Be ready for polls, says Shahrizat.
December 30, 2011... KOTA KINABALU: Wanita Barisan Nasional members were told to set aside nagging issues and put their war gear on for the next general election. Its head, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said Wanita BN was the backbone of the coalition and...

Wanita MIC's hope in next polls.
December 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita MIC hopes to field more professionals as candidates in the next general election, said its chief Datin Paduka Komala Krishnamoorthy. Komala said they had identified several candidates who were educated, intellectual and...

'Carnival success shows strong support for BN'.
December 30, 2011... Byline: G. Surach SHAH ALAM: UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ongoing success of the "Sayangi Selangor" carnival sends a clear signal that the people are coming around and supporting the Barisan Nasional. He...

Parents: Integrity will create confidence in system.
December 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Teachers must be ready, objective, independent and professional when they execute the national level school-based assessment (SBA) system to replace Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) starting next year. Praising the Education...

Nigerians, Iranians top list of drug suspects.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Musliza Mustafa KUALA LUMPUR: Nigerians topped the list of 557 foreigners detained for alleged involvement in international drug trafficking this year with RM350 million worth of drugs seized. A total of 156 Nigerians were...

Jail and RM2m fine for graft.
December 30, 2011... SHAH ALAM: A former senior officer of a telecommunications company was sentenced to four years' jail and fined RM2.075 million by the Sessions Court here yesterday for 14 counts of graft involving RM415,000. S. Stanley, 39, who was the senior...

15 landslide risk areas along Pan-Borneo Highway.
December 30, 2011... SERIAN: There are 15 locations identified as landslide risk areas along the Pan-Borneo Highway with most of them in the lower region of Sarawak, namely Sri Aman and Sarikei. Though the Works Ministry is monitoring closely the situation of...

Situation improves in flood-hit states.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Punitha Kumar; Lavanya Lingan KUALA LUMPUR: THE flood situation in the country took a turn for the better yesterday, with many evacuees returning home. The number of evacuees in worst-hit Sarawak, which stood at 2,657 on Wednesday,...

Port to track down barge owner.
December 30, 2011... KUANTAN: The Kuantan Port authorities are tracking down the company of a mystery barge found at a beach near Kampung Bukit Pelindung here recently. Officer in charge Maharuddin Awang said they were trying to obtain the shipping documents to...

14 to conquer English Channel.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Alang Bendahara KUALA LUMPUR: EVEREST climber and traveller Muhammad Muqharabbin Mokhtaruddin or Qobin plans to take 14 youths from 14 ethnic groups and from 14 states to swim across the English Channel on Malaysia Day next year. ...

Volunteers bring cheer to flood victims.
December 30, 2011... ROMPIN: Volunteers of the New Straits Times Press-Media Prima Flood Relief Mission yesterday brought smiles to 136 families from five villages here when they distributed daily necessities to ease the burden of the flood victims. Villagers...

More colours and culture.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Farhana Ab Rahman; Akil Yunus KUALA LUMPUR: SEEKING to promote performing arts on a larger scale, Istana Budaya has lined up shows for all audiences next year. They include "Asean Extravaganza" in March, combining performances from...

Dead frog found in bottled fish sauce.
December 30, 2011... JOHOR BARU: Imagine the shock of R.Y. Tay, 55, a retired salesman, when he discovered a dead frog in a bottle of fish sauce yesterday. Tay from Puteri Wangsa, Ulu Tiram, realised something was amiss when he noticed a pale-coloured object...

Life experiences in prose and poetry.
December 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian expatriate in Saudi Arabia has recorded his experiences in prose and poetry in his book Echo of Silence and Masih di Sini (Still Here). Written by Ariffin Mamat, the book chronicles his life and working experiences...

10 years' jail for 5 friends.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Looi Sue-Chern GEORGE TOWN: FIVE friends will spend 10 years in jail for beating up a man, who had allegedly stolen a motorcycle belonging to one of them three years ago to death. Faizal Ahmad, 26, Muhammad Syuhaimie Ahmad, 20,...

Three claim trial to fraud.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Hidir Reduan SHAH ALAM: THREE individuals involved in a fish fry cage farm investment scheme in Pahang were charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with defrauding 12 investors. Johar Arifin Baki, 45, S. Suresh Kumar, 30, and...

Security majorities is simply smart politics.
December 30, 2011... Byline: John Teo BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron said something noteworthy for Malaysians earlier this month. He said Britain should not be afraid to proclaim itself a "Christian" nation because, contrary to what many...

More than just a madrasah.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Noor Adzman Baharuddin ALL parties embroiled in the controversial plan to demolish Madrasah Sahiliah Kanchut in Alor Star should take note - it is not just another madrasah. The madrasah was originally a humble single-storey wooden...

They speed at 140kph without fear.
December 30, 2011... Byline: S.J.B. Jawahar THERE have been many accidents involving double-decker buses in recent times. Every time there is an accident, it gives rise to a debate calling for a ban on such buses due to the danger they pose. After some...