New Straits Times articles from February 2009

New Straits Times archives from February 2009

Blackmailed over lewd pictures.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian KUALA LUMPUR: A casual intimate encounter on Tuesday became a nightmare for a bank officer when his date stole his mobile phone and threatened to post the lewd pictures on the Internet. The victim, 39, had got to...

A new emerald dawn.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Rizal Solomon WITH a movie due in 2010 and a series of hit comics going strong, now's the time to check out Green Lantern, writes RIZAL SOLOMON. THE official word came out this week. Warner Bros has announced that the studio...

What is HIV/AIDS?
February 28, 2009... HIV attacks the white blood cells that help the human immune system function. When these cells are crippled, the person's body cannot fight off infection and disease. As the system weakens, the person develops AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency...

Baking's a piece of cake.
February 28, 2009... Byline: James Hipkiss JAMES HIPKISS finds out just what makes baking magical in a class conducted by two men. Baking classes BAKING classes by Nigel Skelchy and Allan Yap will start on the March 4 and run on Wednesdays and Saturdays...

(Niexters Ashleigh Goh Shen-Rhu ... ).
February 28, 2009... NIEXTERS Ashleigh Goh Shen-Rhu (13), Harris Nicolas Lemm (15), Nabilah Ajmal Amir Kamaludin (16), Zafree Shahabudin (17), Jasvinder Singh (13) and Mohammad Amerzan Amilson (16) asked some of their friends that if they knew someone had AIDS,...

Mobile music access made easy.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Chandra Devi A MOBILE phone which supports MP3, video playback and gaming is a great entertainment tool. You can have music, movie and games wherever you go and at any time. Nonetheless, all the capabilities of the phone...

Funny Prinny.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by Faizul Azim Saiful A TAD difficult for some perhaps, but fans of Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero will, nevertheless, be won over by the game's excellent controls, great battles and clever design, writes FAIZUL AZIM...

MB's house keys returned to state.
February 28, 2009... IPOH: The keys to the menteri besar's official residence were handed to the state secretariat yesterday but the Toyota Camry reserved for the menteri besar was nowhere in sight. Principal assistant secretary Shamshuzaman Sulaiman said he...

No interference, says Zaki.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Joniston Bangkuai KOTA KINABALU: Chief Justice Tan Sri Zaki Azmi has vowed to erase the negative perception the public has of the judiciary. He pledged that as long as he was chief justice interfering or influencing judges and...

CAP wants agency to probe voicemail charges.
February 28, 2009... GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers Association of Penang has urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to probe into the hidden charges on voice mails. CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said it was about time the...

3,170 Malaysian crafts in limelight at Harrods.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Zaharah Othman IT was the moment everybody was waiting for. Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, dressed in a pink outfit, walked the short distance to the podium at Georgian Restaurant to declare open the month-long...

Errant Bellamy nowhere near Del Piero.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Ash Wednesday TRY not to laugh, but under an imaginatively written headline entitled "Just Call Me Bel Piero" in October 2002, Craig Bellamy set himself a quite outrageous target. Bellamy had just scored one and made another...

Murugiah steps in to defuse row.
February 28, 2009... IPOH: The parents of two pupils of a primary school in Tanjung Rambutan have lodged police reports claiming a teacher had used her mobile phone to snap inappropriate pictures of their sons. Both boys, aged 10 and 12, had been walking out...

All energy and talent.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by Fong Leong Ming TAIWANESE-American Wang Leehom's latest album is this week's pick, outshining easily a Norah Jones wannabe and a dated, if starry, compilation. FONG LEONG MING has the reviews. WANG LEEHOM Heart...

The stripped tomato.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Dr Big DR BIG writes on the scaled-down version of the much coveted 1976 Ford Gran Torino from the hit TV series Starsky & Hutch. DUDE, who didn't like the 1976 Ford Gran Torino, better known as the Striped Tomato, from the...

"Big" Little Man.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Saeshan Pillai ONCE in a while a young child comes along who rises to the challenges of technology and shows the rest of us how remarkable Malaysia's young generation can be. Saeshan Pillai is one of them and he looks set to...

Good for a read and a watch.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by Su Aziz WITH so many bestsellers on the shelves, one can get overwhelmed and confused as to which one to pick. SU AZIZ helps you out with her five choices below. Slumdog Millionaire (Originally Q & A) By Vikas...

Man admits to causing death.
February 28, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: An unemployed man pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court yesterday to committing culpable homicide. G. Rajeswaran, 20, admitted causing the death of a Somalian, Abdul Kadir Said, at a road divider in front of a restaurant in...

Hiddink heads for Roman ruin.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Hugh McIlvanney HIS governing policies are described as "autocratic and capricious", shaped by being "engaged in discovering the limits of his power (for me anything is licit')", and he is characterised as reacting with deadly...

Now for something completely different in World Cup year.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Graham Poll NEXT year is World Cup year, and so there could be more new rules for the old game. Iive been given a sneak preview of the changes to be discussed when the IFAB (International Football Association Board) meet in...

Mah: Taiping's PR local councillors should resign.
February 28, 2009... IPOH: What is going to happen to Taiping municipal councillors appointed by the Pakatan Rakyat state government now that the opposition coalition is no longer in power? State executive councillor for Health, Local Government, Consumer...

Man to hang for drugs.
February 28, 2009... SHAH ALAM: A former customer service technician was sent to the gallows by the High Court here yesterday for trafficking in drugs. Judge Datuk Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad found M. Saravanan Muthu, 35, guilty of trafficking in 1,800g of...

3 rape and rob factory worker.
February 28, 2009... SUNGAI BULOH: A factory worker was raped by three men armed with parang on Wednesday after they robbed her and her boyfriend. The couple had been getting intimate in the boyfriend's car, parked in a secluded area, about 6am when the door...

No cheer for Malaysia as Ivan, Sharon crash in finals.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Devinder Singh THERE was to be no cheer for Malaysia at the NSC Series No 2 tournament yesterday as both the men's and women's finals went according to the form book at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil. Ivan Yuen,...

Abdullah proud of Asean's success.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Fauziah Ismail THIS may be his last outing at Asean summits and meetings but Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was neither unhappy nor sad to leave it. He described it as part of his work. His affiliation with Asean dates...

Resources-rich thinking.
February 28, 2009... I GET lots of junk mails from my friends and I would without hesitant, either click, delete or forward to my family members or friends. However, there was one on "solution-focused as opposed to problem-focused" that I took a minute to...

Taste of Malaysia.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Sharmila Billot A GROUP of Japanese students from Komagome High School (KHS) got to experience Malaysian culture at a local secondary school recently. The group, 120 students and nine teachers, visited SMK Seri Ampang...

Eight in the dock over murder.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Sushma Veera KUALA LUMPUR: He was a 39-year-old in love with a 19-year-old woman. The numbers just did not add up and her family protested over the age difference. But Azmi Ramli persisted, waiting regularly for his...

Loud but not so clear.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Philip Lim THE show must go on but the oomph was missing. PHILIP LIM singles out those who were a cut above. TWELVE more contestants took to the stage last Thursday. While there were some who received good reviews, most...

He made his parents cry.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Sonia Ramachandran SOCIAL worker, playwright and management consultant, Professor Dr. G. Suresh Kumar is essentially a tropical medicine and parasitology professor from University Malaya with 11 awards to his name, writes...

Move to block Ulu Muda logging plan.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Noor Adzman Baharuddin ALOR STAR: A nationwide signature campaign against Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak's plan to log timber in the Ulu Muda forest reserve was launched yesterday. A spokesman for the 19-member...

Hong Fu should shed novice status today.
February 28, 2009... EXPENSIVE purchase Hong Fu should live up to his price-tag by lifting the RM40,000 National Stud Farm Novice Stakes for National Premier Sales Malaysian breds over 1100m straight (Race 5, 3.30pm) in Ipoh this afternoon. The...

BJSS pull plug on Tenaga's challenge.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Jugjet Singh DOUBLE champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) brushed aside title contenders Tenaga Nasional 3-2 yesterday to remain on track for a glorious finish in Division Two of the Malaysia Hockey League. Playing at...

Akhmal roars with 12-stroke victory.
February 28, 2009... AKHMAL Tamizee Nazari won the the KL-Berjaya Sompo Amateur Open by 12 strokes after carding a final round of four-under 68 at the Bukit Jalil Golf and Country Resort yesterday. The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) player finished with a...

No escaping the storm this time, FAM.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Christopher Raj HAVING weathered numerous storms before, one gets the impression that the FA of Malaysia feels that it is only a matter of time before the criticism that is being hurled at it goes away. After all, it has happened...

Talent spotting doesn't need rankings.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul MOVING out of the country in order to improve prospects is what karters should be aiming for if they are serious about reaching the top level. At least that is how BHP-Iru1 Racing Team principal Nik Iruwan...

'Scuffle an embarrassment'.
February 28, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Thursday's incident where Karpal Singh was mobbed by Umno Youth members at the Parliament tower block has embarrassed the nation, said the Dewan Negara president yesterday. Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh said it was tragic...

What's in an adjective?
February 28, 2009... Byline: Nurul Nadiah Nordin FIRSTLY, what is "different"? Different, according to the Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English, is defined as "not like something or someone else or not like before". So how would you define...

Cash handout during winter break.
February 28, 2009... GORDON Smith said the SFA would consider offering cash to clubs if it meant the introduction of a two-month winter break that would help spare Scottish football from pitiful pitches. The SFA chief executive has been a long-term advocate...

MPO's Odyssey.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Dennis Chua HEAR the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) perform symphonic works at 8.30pm today and 3pm tomorrow at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. Slated under the Odyssey series, the concerts will...

Spreading the safety net.
February 28, 2009... BUDGET 2009 tabled in Parliament last August made it possible for some 55,000 to receive welfare assistance by raising the bar for eligibility. Considering that they have yet to be included in the newly-launched Social Security Net, it...

Kelantan ready to stamp class.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Devinder Singh IT is much too soon to bill it as a title showdown but today's top-of-the-table Super League clash between Selangor and Kelantan has all the ingredients to keep fans enthralled throughout the season. From a...

The music of tradition.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Elsheba K. Abraham ASK teenagers what their hobbies are and you will generally get replies like: "Sleeping", "Watching television", "Surfing the net". But ask 16-year-old Goh Jing Wei and she will tell you it is playing the...

The best (and worst) of Oscar red carpet.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Suzieana Uda Nagu; Nurjehan Mohamed; Sharmila Billot THE 81st Academy Awards may have featured plenty of low budget sets and a scaled-back stage - in keeping with the recession - but there was little sign of global economic crisis...

High-end burger.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Su Aziz GOURMET burgers can make a perfect meal. SU AZIZ shares with us a recipe for a succulent homemade gourmet burger with the works. I ADMIT, my addiction to burgers started with the mushrooming of fastfood chains - until...

Invincibles vs Untouchables.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Matt Lawton SO who would win what some might consider the ultimate contest? Who would emerge triumphant in a mouth-watering encounter between Arsenal's Invincibles of 2003-4 and Manchester United's all-conquering Untouchables of...

Harris willing to help FAM.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Christopher Raj FORMER national coach Allan Harris is willing to help the FA of Malaysia and no, he isn't expecting a big, fat salary. Harris, who handled the various national teams in 2000-2004, has been following Malaysian...

The artist called Richardson.
February 28, 2009... Byline: George Caulkin KIERAN Richardson is an artist. To Sunderland supporters, thrilled at the midfield player's increasing influence over the tone and texture of their team, that concept may not rate as surprising, although the...

My cottage sanctuary.
February 28, 2009... Byline: David Lavoie DAVID LAVOIE writes of his holiday haven, a family cottage in The Great White North, otherwise known as Canada. THE deer stands very still, her ears alert, her large liquid eyes fixed on me. Neither of us moves....

Bookmakers lose STG5m.
February 28, 2009... FOR fans of financially troubled Weymouth Football Club, the chance of a humiliating defeat usually only adds to their woes. But when the entire squad went on strike, leaving only the youth team available for the next match, supporters cashed...

No doubting value of Vidic.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Hugh McIlvanney IF shown by Jose Mourinho, irritation can be the sincerest form of flattery. When Mourinho complained noisily about the one-match suspension that kept Nemanja Vidic out of Manchester United's Champions League...

Hone your investigation skills!
February 28, 2009... Byline: Edwin Wong EDWIN Wong writes on crime-solving games which hone logic and deduction skills useful for the office too. WELL before the millions of viewers began tuning into the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) series every week...

Maid brutally attacks woman.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Phuah Ken Lin GEORGE TOWN: Lying bloodied and broken, Phang Kian Huang had to play dead to survive a brutal attack by her Indonesian maid which left her with multiple fractures and needing 100 stitches. The maid, known only...

Two charged with abducting student.
February 28, 2009... SHAH ALAM: Two men were charged at the magistrate's court yesterday with abducting a 21-year-old student and demanding a RM100,000 ransom. Unemployed Sukhwinder Singh, 26, and tourist guide Rashid Abdullah, 49, are alleged to have...

Security lapse, lack of action surprising.
February 28, 2009... Byline: V. Vasudevan NOBODY thought a group of people could walk into Parliament and intimidate a member over his speech in the chamber, the only place in the country where free speech is practised without fear or retribution. Dewan...

Why teens smoke.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Malik Ridhwan Zaihan; Nur Alisya Jan Mohamed Ali Khan EACH week, our NiEXTERs will share with you their thoughts on problems they see as affecting our schools and their peers. This week, Malik Ridhwan Zaihan and Nur Alisya Jan...

Putting Hart into survival.
February 28, 2009... PAUL Hart is set to be given the Portsmouth job until the end of the season. Alexandre Gaydamak has been impressed with the response of the team since the former Nottingham Forest boss replaced Tony Adams earlier this month. The...

Kinnear told to 'chill out'.
February 28, 2009... NEWCASTLE boss Joe Kinnear has been ordered to 'chill out' as he continues his recovery from heart surgery. Managing director Derek Llambias revealed the 62-year-old has been in touch repeatedly since being discharged from hospital last...

Recharge, relax and restore.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan SYIDA LIZTA AMIRUL IHSAN experienced sheer bliss from the healing heritage of the Peranakan spa treatment at a wellness centre that has a breathtaking view of the Straits of Malacca. THE face of Port...

Garden wars.
February 28, 2009... IF you have a garden, you would have discovered you also have some house guests known as insects. These insects are always plentiful where plants are growing and they can be very destructive. Fortunately, most insect pests can be controlled...

A dirty word.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Chai Mei Ling ACTIVISTS Manohara Subramaniam and Jac Kee reflect on what it means to be a feminist. CHAI MEI LING listens in as they talk about negative labels, invisible young activists and getting the taboo out of sexuality....

Ex-sailor jailed, fined for cheating.
February 28, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: An ex-navy man was sentenced to two years' jail and fined RM10,000 for cheating a logging company director of RM28,830. Ismail Che Abdullah, 62, was found guilty of cheating Regal Blue (M) Sdn Bhd director Rosmawati Mat Jusoh,...

Kien Keat-Boon Heong told to focus.
February 28, 2009... Byline: K.M. Boopathy THE withdrawal of Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan from the All England, beginning in Birmingham on Tuesday, has further increased Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong's chances of reclaiming the title....

Jack Sparrow sails again and again and again.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by S. Trishen PIRATES of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End are interesting swashbuckling tales of funny buccaneers and supernatural ships. The stories centre around...

All heart.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Nurjehan Mohamed THE recent Selamatkan Bumi Gaza campaign at SK Bukit Damansara (SKBD), Kuala Lumpur was an eye-opener for the pupils. In addition to raising funds for Gaza victims, the campaign also taught pupils about the...

Pursuing passion for arts.
February 28, 2009... THE arts offer some of the most exciting and fulfilling career choices. From visual artist to jazz singer, bharanatyam dancer to film director, gallery curator to art critic, the arts industry offers career opportunities for everyone who...

Choong Hann shoulders Malaysian hopes in Germany.
February 28, 2009... Byline: K.M. Boopathy VETERAN Wong Choong Hann was left to battle it out for Malaysia when he advanced to the quarter-finals of the German Open as Chong Wei Feng found the going tough against top seed Bao Chunlai of China in Mulheim on...

Zulfadli leads national charge.
February 28, 2009... Byline: K.M. Boopathy TOP trio Zulfadli Zulkifli, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin and Syawal Ismail cruised into the third round of the Dutch International Junior championships in Harleem on Thursday. KLRC Berhad's Zulfadli, who needs...

A crying need for truly Malaysian TV dramas.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Johan Jaaffar SOME years ago, I suggested to a minister to produce serials on multiracial Malaysia. I even suggested the novel the series ought to be based on, Interlok (Interlock). Written by National Laureate Abdullah Hussein,...

UV Sensor Watch.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Nabila Ajmal Amir Kamaludin I WANT to share with all of you what I really want to own. For some time, I have been wondering if there were any gadgets that could shield my skin better than the sunscreen cream which I really...

Honours even but Mourinho has to box clever.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Matt Dickinson IT is a measure of Manchester United's stature, and progress, when a goalless draw in the San Siro can be regarded with some regret. The previous trip here was less than two years ago, but it might as well have...

Creamy, dreamy desserts.
February 28, 2009... Byline: James Hipkiss LEARN how to make gourmet desserts with everyone's fave treat - ice-cream. JAMES HIPKISS shares two recipes with us. A TUB or two of ice-cream could probably be found in most of our homes as it's always welcomed...

Details of errant welfare officer sought.
February 28, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has denied welfare officers were sabotaging hardcore poverty eradication efforts in Penang. "I categorically say that we never allow any politicking...

Funny tale of shopaholic.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by Anusha Vijeyaratnam TITLE: Shopaholic and Baby Author: Sophie Kinsella "Shopaholic and Baby" is about a financial journalist, Becky Bloomwood who has financial problems of her own. Becky has a craze for shopping but is...

Spurs can puncture Devils' dreams.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Jack Howller TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR will get the first bite at trying to stop the Red machine from sweeping an unprecedented five titles. The London side will take on hot favourites Manchester United in the Carling Cup final...

Two die in mortar bomb blast.
February 28, 2009... JOHOR BARU: Two people were killed and another injured when what is believed to be an old mortar bomb exploded behind the workers' quarters of a factory in Sungai Tiram, Ulu Tiram, yesterday. Zaidi Jaafar, 35, and Rustam Ali, a...

Bar: Make a stand on privacy.
February 28, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: The public should stop viewing or forwarding pictures of Selangor state assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong if they want to make a stand on issues of privacy and morality. Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Srenivasan said there...

Ayu bows out of talent show.
February 28, 2009... SHAH ALAM: The second contestant to be eliminated from the talent show One In A Million Season Three (OIAM3) is 20-year-old Ayu Tekhary of Muar. Viewers did not like her performance of Matahari Ku, by Agnes Monica, the previous week and...

Stench of death held no fear for these commandos.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Fadhal A. Ghani CORPORAL Rochus Laga was a well-trained commando, but nothing prepared the VAT 69 member for a night in the jungle in 2004 with seven bodies. FADHAL A. GHANI has the story. POLICE commandos Corporal...

The successful backroom boys.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Meor Shariman WHO would you consider as the successful players in the Malaysian movie scene? In a nutshell, these are influential people who are able to bring the money into the industry. Here is the list of Malaysia's eight...

Beauty not brainless.
February 28, 2009... MULTI-TALENTED beauty Stephanie Chai takes a coffee break and discusses why inner beauty is important, and that not all beauties are brainless. Q: What are you working on? A: I've been helping out with the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) on...

Cops seize MP's laptop in probe into blog.
February 28, 2009... KUCHING: Police yesterday seized a laptop computer belonging to Bandar Kuching member of parliament Chong Chieng Jen in connection with an investigation into an article posted as a comment in his blog. Sarawak Criminal Investigation...

Lawyer charged with money laundering.
February 28, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer was charged at the Sessions Court yesterday with two counts of money laundering amounting to RM428,101.91. Hazlan Abd Hamid, 37, who is also the director of an investment company Business Time Dina Sdn Bhd, is...

The desperate plight of Sri Lanka's Tamils.
February 28, 2009... Byline: Balan Moses WHEN elephants fight, the mousedeer dies in the middle (Gajah sama gajah berjuang, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah). This old Malay saying clearly underlines the universal fact that when two enemies meet on the...