New Straits Times articles from January 2010

New Straits Times archives from January 2010

PTPTN loans only for the needy.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Regina Lee PUTRAJAYA: The government will review the loan conditions set by the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to ensure money is made available only to those who really need them. Currently, a loan is given to...

Stricter visa entry.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will tighten visa procedures for foreigners to prevent negative influences and unsavoury characters from entering the country. It is learnt that visitors from all countries that currently need...

Birth pains.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Aniza Damis IT'S easy to take apart a Constitution, but how do you put one together from scratch? And how do you arrive at a document that's fair to all? ANIZA DAMIS attends a MyConstitution workshop and observes the laborious process...

Focus on prevention, not cure.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Intan Maizura Ahmad Kamal THURSDAY is World Cancer Day and National Cancer Society president Dr Saunthari Somasundaram tells INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL there's a need to change people's perception about the disease "Gosh, I'm not...

PM: Pakatan squabble has erupted into crisis.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Alina Simon; T.N. Alagesh PEKAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the problems affecting the opposition-held Penang government was no longer an internal matter but has escalated into a crisis. While the opposition leaders...

Tiresome, inefficient service.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Nashima Mat Razali READER Nashima Mat Razali writes in response to the article Missing Link in Public Transport in last Sunday's issue of Learning Curve: I'M a student at Islamic International University Malaysia in Gombak, Kuala...

'Suspects are Wahabbi followers'.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Alang Bendahara; Lee Shi-Ian KUALA LUMPUR: The 10 terror suspects detained under the Internal Security Act are believed to be followers of the puritanical Wahabbi Islam, similar to that practised by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. ...

Supervisor from hell.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Soyung Kim SUPERVISORS are crucial to a postgraduate candidate but, unfortunately, my friend who is a foreign student at a university in Malaysia ended up with one from hell. The supervisor made my friend acknowledge receipt of...

Students not told of work rules.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Sonia Ramachandran KUALA LUMPUR: Could the foreigners that we see working as frontliners in hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and petrol kiosks actually be students of higher learning institutions? The Immigration Department thinks...

Military cadets pass out with bachelor's degrees.
January 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: The acting king graced the passing out parade of 381 cadet officers at the Malaysian National Defence University (Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, or UPNM) in Sungai Besi yesterday. Of the cadet officers, who were...

'Needy' the loaded word in the equation.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Regina Lee PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities lauds the move to review the loan conditions set by the National Higher Education Fund Corporation so that the loans it provides benefit the needy....

What is the best type?
January 31, 2010... Byline: Tessie Lim TAKE your dominant hand and point it in the direction of your future. Now take your other hand and point to your past. There's nothing to think about, just do what fits. Now imagine a line connecting the two points. Does...

Flexible entry at OUM.
January 31, 2010... IN today's highly competitive job market, having an academic qualification may give you the extra edge over your competitors. However, quite a number of people do not have the privilege to pursue tertiary education owing to circumstances...

Quality pre-tertiary education at ATC.
January 31, 2010... INVESTING into the right college and study programme needs careful planning. Many aspects are to be looked into, including accessibility, cost effectiveness, good facilities and excellent teaching faculties, and the Advance Tertiary College has...

Making the journey of faith.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Koi Kye Lee; Halimatul Hamid KUALA LUMPUR: Tens of thousands of devotees braved the scorching heat to pay obeisance to Hindu deity Lord Muruga and to receive his blessings during Thaipusam at the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniyar Swami...

Grateful for their good fortune and blessings.
January 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Wishes do come true for devotees of Lord Muruga. Mohan Balakrishnan was among devotees who carried the paal kudam (milk pot) following the procession which started from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and all the way to the Sri...

Healthy enthusiasm.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Tan Bee Hong WITH all the indulgent feasting going on during the Lunar New Year, Chan Chong Yan tells TAN BEE HONG that taste and health must not be compromised. Chef Chan Chong Yan is not one to rest on his past successes. He is...

UKM promoting postgrad studies aggressively.
January 31, 2010... UNIVERSITI Kebangsaan Malaysia's Centre of Graduate Management (PPS) will be aggressively promoting its postgraduate programmes throughout the year. Among its campaigns is a series of networking exercises with its alumni through nationwide...

Ultimate form of sacrifice.
January 31, 2010... JOHOR BARU: Traffic along Jalan Wong Ah Fook was heavy as thousands of people, mainly from the Tamil community, converged on the Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam temple in Jalan Ungku Puan to celebrate Thaipusam. The devotees were there...

Penang devotees fulfil vows as early as 1am.
January 31, 2010... GEORGE TOWN: Hundreds of thousands of devotees inched their way up 277 steps to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple at the hilltop to fulfil their vows in conjunction with the Thaipusam festival yesterday. Coming as early as 1am, most of...

Little bites of love.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Intan Maizura Ahmad Kamal FINALLY, a chance to re-ignite LOVE after years of staring into hubby's eyes over a thosai on Valentines Day, writes INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL. Romantic Valentine's dinner for two? Right. Maybe for other...

Bring all skeletons out of the closet.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Firdaus Abdullah "THE pot that called the kettle black is getting darker each passing day," wrote blogger Hantulaut yesterday. Under the heading, "Infernal Rambling Over Projects", the posting at www.hantulaut.blogspot.com, read:...

KLMU in semifinals of footwear design competition.
January 31, 2010... THE Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (KLMU) has advanced to the semifinals of the National Footwear Design Competition 2010 through two students and a lecturer. Jurors selected the trio after analysing 22 other designs submitted...

Is Pakatan going off the rails?
January 31, 2010... Byline: Adie Suri Zulkefli; Lee Keng Fatt BUTTERWORTH: An impending implosion in Pakatan Rakyat? PKR Bayan Baru member of parliament Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Has-him's latest move appears to be leading the group in that direction. The...

Binary producing industry specialists.
January 31, 2010... IT is imperative for parents and students to check out if the degrees or diplomas that they are enrolling for are fully accredited by MQA (Malaysian Qualifications Agency) and recognized by JPA (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam). "Many are not,"...

A touch of raw Zen.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Tan Bee Hong BORED with the traditional yee sang, Michael Chew looks East for inspiration and finds it in the crispy crunch of tempura, writes TAN BEE HONG. Inspiration can spring forth when you least expect it. For chef Michael...

Suspended Khalid has met his objective.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Shuhada Elis KUALA LUMPUR: Pas Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Samad believes he has "met his objective" after Selangor Pas commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali was given a stern warning by the party's disciplinary committee. He...

Over 1,000 papers to be presented at congress.
January 31, 2010... UNIVERSITI Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) chancellor and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress 2010 (ESTCON 2010). The congress, being...

Athlete thrives on full support at PTPL.
January 31, 2010... "I FEEL blessed that my involvement in silat (a traditional Malay martial art) has the full support of my lecturers. "They even gave me the motivation to succeed in this sport," says Mohammad Ridzuan Akram Jaafar, a student of PTPL College...

Spice of Malaysian art.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Rachel Jenagaratnam AN exhibition at Pace Gallery by 14 artists suggests the choices are bountiful and diverse. RACHEL JENAGARATNAM is impressed. I looked up the definition of "spice" to find a suitable introduction to this article...

Have fish head curry for peace sake.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Evangeline Majawat KUALA LUMPUR: Eat, be merry and spread the love. Food-loving Malaysians have a new reason to head to the nearest "kari kepala ikan" restaurant next weekend. Separate incidents recently - one involving the...

Industry-driven courses a boon for MSU students.
January 31, 2010... MALAYSIA has adopted high-end value-added technologies as a way to create jobs. Under its Second Industrial Master Plan (IMP2), technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, photonics, advance manufacturing, and information and...

No room for politics of cynicism.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Zainul Arifin THE nation, tested by the acts of a few, passed with flying colours. The desecration of our houses of worship, which decades ago would have raised much concern, while worrying, did not in any way paralyse us. We...

Strong emphasis on patient care at PMC.
January 31, 2010... IF you think the medical profession is as what you see in Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, House or ER, think again. Penang Medical College's (PMC) Assoc Professor of Surgery, Dr N. Premnath, says the TV dramas portray a totally different picture...

Radio Gaga.
January 31, 2010... NOT long ago, many thought the radio will go the way of the dinosaurs with the advent of television and other entertainment mediums. Instead, it has only become more popular, writes SHUIB TAIB. "It's not true that I had nothing on. I had the...

UCIM carves a niche with psychology programme.
January 31, 2010... UNIVERSITY College of Islam Melaka (UCIM) in Kuala Sungai Baru, Alor Gajah, is noted for being the first private Islamic institute of higher learning to offer the Bachelor's Degree in Psychology programme. Vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk...

Soft skills give SEGi students the edge.
January 31, 2010... THIRTY five students from SEGi College Kuala Lumpur (SCKL) took part in an exciting three day, two night SEGi Leadership Camp (SLC) recently. Some were a bit apprehensive, but at the end of the weekend adventure, they were glad that they...

Razaleigh's U-turn on oil issue.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Sulaiman Jaafar THE Pas-led Kelantan government's claim on royalty payment for petroleum produced off its shores took another twist on Thursday when veteran Umno politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah threw his weight behind them. ...

UniRazak launches public discourses.
January 31, 2010... WITH globalisation making national economies more linked together than ever before, it becomes increasingly critical for Malaysians to become better informed, equipped with high quality knowledge and insight necessary to make the right decisions...

DPM: Solution may be found through dialogue.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR: Closed-door talks between Muslim and Christian leaders are underway to find a solution to the on-going "Allah" controversy. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government was...

Observer of events.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Vimala Seneviratne ARTIST Jeganathan Ramachandram captures on canvas images that stimulate both the eye and the mind, writes VIMALA SENEVIRATNE. IT looks like a scene straight out of Noah's Ark - all creatures great and small...

'Tongkat Ali' does it measure up?
January 31, 2010... Byline: Tan Choe Choe KNOWN as a powerful herbal aphrodisiac, Tongkat Ali is hugely popular in the country and abroad. It has become such a big hit that there has been an explosion of Tongkat Ali food products online and offline. There...

Let's joget.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Aref Omar A QUIRKY and sensual blast from the past, Ghazal Party Queen aims to portray rural life in all its dramatic glory, writes AREF OMAR. Who says life before Jom Heboh and Sehati Berdansa was boring? People then really knew...

'Innovate or die'.
January 31, 2010... THE pursuit of innovation has profoundly changed the nature of global competition. Innovation gives an edge in business, and Malaysia should take a cue from countries such as Japan, Switzerland and Sweden to keep up with and effectively use...

Loses his dad's m-cycle this time.
January 31, 2010... KUALA TERENGGANU: A 14-year-old girl and four polytechnic students were among several people detained by the police in an operation against road thugs. The operation was held here from Friday night to early yesterday morning. The girl, a...

Ignore NGOs at your own peril, says Dr Mahathir.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Sajahan Abdul Waheed KUALA LUMPUR: Political parties should not belittle the roles played by non-governmental organisations, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday. He said the voice of the non-governmental...

On wings of an angel.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Reviewed by Philip Lim SUSPEND all your preconceived notions about angels and prepare to welcome them as imagined by director and writer Scott Stewart. Some of us may be familiar with Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) and angel...

'I never look back on the past'.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Yaqin Ching Abdullah DATUK Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al-Masrie, 38, became the first Malaysian astronaut when he went to space on Oct 10, 2007. He wanted to be a doctor since he was 10 and studied medicine for seven years at Kasturba...

MB: Reconsider RM38m demand for railway land.
January 31, 2010... IPOH: The state government wants the Railway Assets Corporation to review its demand of RM38 million for 94.5ha of railway land in Kuala Sepetang. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the land was not for any commercial...

'Observe rules or face maximum RM300 fine'.
January 31, 2010... SEREMBAN: Road users have been advised to check the condition of their vehicles or use public transport during the upcoming festive season. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat yesterday warned drivers to observe the rules to avoid...

Pomelo farmers reap fruit of 80-year toil.
January 31, 2010... Byline: P. Chandra Sagaran IPOH: At last, pomelo farmers in Tambun here have received the good news they have long awaited from the state government. Sixty-two of them have been given a 99-year lease on their land which they and their...

No winner for DPS Endon award.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Subhadra Devan HERE was no winner for the two-year-old Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood Award for performing arts excellence last Saturday. It was launched by the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in honour of the late wife of the...

End of the Cammys.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Subhadra Devan AFTER eight years of celebrating Malaysian arts, the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards are on its last leg, writes SUBHADRA DEVAN. It's always about money, and the lack of it has sounded the death knell for the independent...

Noor Ilyana's riding high.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Michael Sun NOOR Ilyana Ahmad Rafidzi's passion is horse riding and at age 17, she is determined to pursue a career as a trainer in the principles of dressage - an equestrian sport in the Olympic Games. She aims to fly to the...

Destressing with Ninie.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Akil Yunus SIT down, have a cup of hot coffee and be inspired. That's what I experienced at a recent session of Starbucks Live And Inspire Series. The series is about personalities from various walks of life giving a talk on their...

Time to learn from the Saudis.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Dzulkifli Abdul Razak SAUDI Arabia is at it again. This time it had successfully attracted over 300 universities from more than 30 countries to participate in its inaugural International Exhibition for Higher Education in Riyadh last...

Passion for Paintball.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Max Koh PAINTBALLl is more than just a casual sport, writes MAX KOH. Armed with jerseys, masks and guns - oops, markers - a bunch of guys and girls entered the field with one goal. Like Jason Bourne, they were out to get the enemy,...

Going beyond classroom walls.
January 31, 2010... SCHOOLS are about to be transformed. The government has announced it will set up a system by which to rank all 10,000 primary and secondary schools in the country. The rankings will be the basis for reward and remedial programmes, and the...

Coming back to a past that's being chipped away.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Wan A. Hulaimi TALL trees, leaves a-waving, and the constant blare of the distant town is lost in the sweep of waves. I am at the table on the open lanai of this peaceful house, with the morning sun filtering through the canopies,...

Bribe-free? Only if we want it.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Ahmad A. Talib "BRIBE-FREE Malaysian" - that was the car sticker staring at me from the back of a blue Suzuki yesterday. I smiled because it summed up one aspect of the Government Transformation Programme launched on Thursday. The...

Gleeful watch.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Reviewed by Tashny Sukumaran GLEE, the latest show to hit Star World, is a treat. And not just for theatre geeks or Broadway fans - Glee is a charmer for the family. The pilot episode kicked off spectacularly. This show has...

What an E! host is all about.
January 31, 2010... WANT to be the Asian Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic? E!, the channel dedicated to the world of celebrities, pop culture and entertainment is looking for two people to be the star presenters of E! News Asia. Regional managing director of E!...

Change of pants can work wonders with one's image.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Syed Umar Ariff WHAT do boys wear to school nowadays? Nothing cool it seems. It is quite surprising to discover a stark difference in school fashion in the 1990's and now. Of course, we are not saying that looks matter more than...

Watch out for the bogeyman.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Marc Lourdes BOGEYMEN are real. They've stepped out of our children's nightmares and are now stalking them for real. They're plucking them off the streets and melting away into the shadows. In less than a year, at least six...

It can do good or harm.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Bulbir Singh AS I see, the Internet can do nothing to corrode our moral and cultural values. Take heart. We are not that fragile. That said, however, the Internet is a double-edged knife. It can cut both ways. It can be good,...

Too feisty for a Sunday.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Reviewed by Suzanna Pillay I WAS expecting the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra's Golden Age Of Film Music tribute matinee to sweep me away on a whirlwind of musical scores to many beautiful and diverse worlds. Unfortunately, I...

(No one makes the ... ).
January 31, 2010... Byline: Reviewed by Aref Omar POP ROCK Newton Faulkner: Rebuilt By Humans NO one makes the acoustic guitar more cool or hip than Newton Faulkner. The 25-year-old dreadlocked Brit meshes the singer-songwriter guitar aesthetic with electro...

Pass law to regulate the practitioners.
January 31, 2010... Byline: M.G.D. PRACTITIONERS of the dark arts still exist in this modern age because there is a demand for their services. Perhaps the spiritual practitioners in the country can form a professional association so that they can regulate...

Free bus services by MPs more useful.
January 31, 2010... Byline: James Loo I REFER to the report "Tee Keat tells MCA centres to run community buses for free". I think it is a laudable for Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, who is also Pandan member of parliament, to offer free bus services for those in...

Consider biomedical treatment.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Teoh Pei Sze I REFER to the article "Money and distance letting down children with autism". It is a fact that services for children with autism are sorely lacking in Malaysia. Not just for children with autism, children with other...

Look to Australian guidelines.
January 31, 2010... Byline: S.E. Tan TO ensure the safety of our schoolchildren, the Education Ministry should look into the guidelines of the South Australian Department of Education, Training and Employment. The document states: "The procedures described...

Police had right to nab them.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Citizen Malaysia THE students participating in the demonstration are not very smart. How many Malaysians are interested in campus politics? Those students do not have any respect for the law. Their illegal gathering not only caused...

Embrace it or we will be left behind.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Michael Ching IT is a new culture, just like the hippies, bell-bottoms and backpackers in the earlier days. Nowadays, almost everyone, young or old, are in it. This is the 21st century, after all. Social networking is not a Western...

(Drapes of black leather, ... ).
January 31, 2010... Byline: Reviewd by Aref Omar HEAVY METAL Judas Priest: A Touch Of Evil (Live) DRAPES of black leather, more studs than bullets in a world war, dark imagery and a mega decibel sound. Judas Priest represents one of the most influential metal...

(In the 80s, this ... ).
January 31, 2010... Byline: Reviewed by Subhadra Devan POP ROCK Bon Jovi: The Circle IN the 80s, this band from New Jersey was known for You Give Love A Bad Name while It's My Life made its name in the 90s. After 27 years, this is its 11th studio album, still...

Again, a matter of implementation.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Chandra Devi Renganayar KUALA LUMPUR: Academics have cautioned the Education Ministry against the creation of other categories of government schools. While it is a practical idea that will raise the standards of schools and improve...

Rose Chan had a fierce rival in Rose Marly.
January 31, 2010... Byline: A. Shulor Rahman THERE was a time when striptease queens and wrestlers were the top draw at Penang's amusement parks, writes A. SHUKOR RAHMAN. The self-styled "Striptease Queen" Rose Chan Wai Cheng had a keen rival in Ipoh-born...

They earn up to RM10,000 a month, but at what cost?
January 31, 2010... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian; Halimatul Hamid WE see them being hauled into vans and trucks by enforcement personnel, often shielding their faces from the cameramen there to cover the raid. They are often blamed for the breakdown of marriages. They...

Retraining the workforce to excel.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Annie Freeda Cruez EMPLOYERS registered with Pembangunan Sumber Manusia will get value-added deals and solutions to boost their companies growth, writes ANNIE FREEDA CRUEZ. Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB), which has 12,045...

Goldsmith shop robbed of RM300,000.
January 31, 2010... YAN: Three masked robbers grabbed RM300,000 worth of jewellery from a goldsmith shop in Guar Chempedak here yesterday. One of the robbers was armed with a pump gun and another with a hammer. The third accomplice kept guard, waiting in a...

Marine parks being trespassed.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Taufiq Md Daud KUALA TERENGGANU: Cases of fishing boats trespassing into marine parks are on the rise, with six cases recorded this month compared with 19 last year. State Marine Parks Department director Abdul Jamal Mydin said the...

100 house buyers upset over delays.
January 31, 2010... NIBONG TEBAL: More than 100 house buyers in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan, have appealed to the state and federal governments to step in to resolve the delay in the completion of their homes. The purchasers of the middle-low cost homes claim that...

Poser over missing pills.
January 31, 2010... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian SEREMBAN: A doctor operating a private clinic here was tongue-tied when asked by Health Ministry officers to explain where his supply of more than 10,000 Dormicum pills had disappeared to. Authorities believe that the...

RM15,000 up for grabs in Scrabble competition.
January 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: One hundred and thirty-four participants are battling to be Scrabble champions this weekend. They are aiming for more than RM15,000 up for grabs in the New Straits Times-A star Scrabble Challenge International 2009/10 being held...