New Straits Times articles from June 2009

New Straits Times archives from June 2009

Single fight does not make NS a failure.
June 30, 2009... Byline: V. Vasudevan; Shuhada Elis; Joseph Sipalan A SINGLE fight between National Service trainees cannot be used to measure the success of the programme in enhancing inter-racial ties, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad...

Son unhappy over failure to solve father's murder.
June 30, 2009... Byline: V. Vasudevan; Shuhada Elis; Joseph Sipalan AN email sent to Lim Kit Siang by the son of a former Johor MIC state assemblyman shot dead in January last year took centre stage for a few minutes yesterday. The DAP MP for Ipoh...

Agencies must act, says Nazri.
June 30, 2009... Byline: V. Vasudevan; Shuhada Elis; Joseph Sipalan THERE are no two ways about it: the police and the 20 other agencies under the purview of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission will have to act on its findings. Minister in...

Special licence to drive automatic cars.
June 30, 2009... Byline: V. Vasudevan; Shuhada Elis; Joseph Sipalan SPECIAL driving licences for automatic cars may be approved by year's end. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew said this could be a reality by then if the ministry's...

The merits of need.
June 30, 2009... THE special category of the Public Service Department financial award to be known as the "national scholarships" are for "excellent and deserving students, regardless of race", said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Saturday. Like any...

Don't panic, says company.
June 30, 2009... KUANTAN: The public need not panic over the coming power supply disruption as they have ample time to prepare for it. Tenaga Nasional Bhd's chief operating officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said the scheduled maintenance work on...

Fire damages food factory.
June 30, 2009... JOHOR BARU: A factory in Taman University was badly damaged when fire broke out at 1pm yesterday. However, no one was injured in the incident at the Figo Foods Sdn Bhd factory. Umi Kalthom Mohd Taib, 45, a receptionist at the factory which...

TNB: Other sources not viable.
June 30, 2009... KUANTAN: With the nation's natural gas resources expected to be exhausted by 2019, Malaysia may have to consider using nuclear power to generate electricity. Tenaga Nasional Bhd chief operating officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh...

High Court to hear Orang Asli case.
June 30, 2009... TEMERLOH: The High Court here yesterday ordered that the civil suit by an Orang Asli group against the Pahang government to be transferred to the Kuantan High Court. Judicial commissioner Akhtar Tahir made the decision as the case involved...

I can get on with my life, career, says Nur Fazura.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Nur Fazura Sharifuddin, who was charged with hurting a housewife in a bar in 2004, can now focus on her career. The prosecution yesterday withdrew its appeal against the magistrate's court's decision to acquit her of...

Polls bring cheer to local traders.
June 30, 2009... KUALA KRAI: With the Manik Urai by-election just two weeks away, traders here have started diversifying their businesses to cope with the demand from locals and outsiders. From sundry shops to hawker stalls, they have started adding goods...

Ongkili: Consider nuclear option for power supply.
June 30, 2009... Byline: B. Suresh Ram KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should emulate Japan in taking steps to generate electricity from nuclear power. Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said with increasing global demand...

Najib: BN has a better candidate than Pas.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim; Zaidi Isham Ismail PUTRAJAYA: The track record of the Barisan Nasional candidate for Manik Urai is better than that of the Pas contestant, Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said. He said Tuan Aziz Tuan...

State govt passing the buck, claim residents.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Looi Sue-Chern GEORGE TOWN: The residents of Kampung Lorong Buah Pala, who are in danger of becoming homeless on Thursday, have now trained their guns on the state government for giving them false hope. The residents'...

Lawyer to attend polls conference.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer S. Radhakrishnan will attend the International Conference on Elections and Issues of Developing Parliamentarianism in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, tomorrow. He will provide input on electoral reforms at the two-day event...

Misbun: Focus on mental strength.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Ajitpal Singh NATIONAL coach Misbun Sidek feels that Malaysian players need to be mentally stronger for the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad on Aug 10-16 despite some good results in the just concluded Yonex Sunrise...

Minister to take aggressive measures.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Azura Abas KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's stringent measures in combating the H1N1 flu has created fear among foreign visitors. This has caused them to stay away from visiting the country for the time being. Tourism Minister...

Dad suspects foul play in pub dancer's death.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Family members of a pub dancer who was found dead in Puchong recently suspect that she was murdered. Yeap Teng Bee's nude body was found near Bandar Kinrara in the early hours of June 18, in a case which police had...

Time for the world to shoot the moon again.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Umapagan Ampikaipakan LATELY I have been somewhat preoccupied with the moon. I have been obsessing about our closest celestial neighbour, a mere 384,403km away, all alone, just hanging there, as if held up by some universal force;...

USM goes steady on computer-glitch culprits.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Looi Sue-Chern GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) will not rush into taking action against those responsible for the computer glitch that misled thousands of students into believing they had been accepted by the...

Schools that reopened record high attendance.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: SK Assunta (2) which was re-opened to students yesterday recorded an 81.7 per cent attendance, said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. The turnout of SK Assunta (1) in the afternoon session was expected to be...

Emerging changes in US' Pakistan policy.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Taj Hashmi THERE can be no doubt about the impending changes in America's Pakistan policy or, as one might put it, its India policy. What one gets in the media and can only surmise was conveyed in President Barack Obama's...

618 people under home quarantine.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Effective yesterday, all travellers entering the country from Indonesia and Thailand were given stringent checks for influenza A (H1N1) infection. Similar action has been taken for arrivals from four other countries which have...

Virus causing races to go off track.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul THE much awaited triple treat in the national cycling week next month has been severely hampered by fears over the spread of the Infuenza A (H1N1) virus. Of the three, only the Perlis Open on July 28-30 will...

'Dialogue can solve differences'.
June 30, 2009... KOTA BARU: Opposition leader Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad yesterday rejected Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's proposal for a debate with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Saying that the debate might cause conflicts between...

M-cycle tyres for Indonesia found in sawmill.
June 30, 2009... PORT KLANG: Almost 400,000 motorcycle tyres and tyre tubes that were meant to be exported to Indonesia were diverted to a sawmill, where they would have been distributed to local dealers to be sold here. However, the Selangor Customs...

A dream come true for Nurul.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Zainuddin Muhammad KUALA TERENGGANU: She could hardly sleep the night before yesterday. All excited about the e-Book, Nurul Nabila Ayob, 11, said she was up long before dawn to get ready to go to school to receive her...

School's RM66,000 lifeline for patients.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Children in need of help will always find support from Garden International School. Every year, the school holds a Mufti Day to raise funds especially for children-related organisations and those needing assistance for...

Rampage students on bail.
June 30, 2009... KUALA TERENGGANU: Ten secondary school students who went on a rampage at their teacher's house five days ago were released on police bail on Sunday. State Criminal Investigations Department deputy chief Superintendent K. Manoharan...

Poor communication links a crying shame.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Meenu ONE of these days, the minister responsible for telecommunications and technology should take a drive out of super-wired Kuala Lumpur city, and note just how many places in the peninsula do not offer any access to a decent...

Armoured vehicle rams into lorry.
June 30, 2009... KUANTAN: Perhaps it was lucky that they were in an armoured vehicle. An army armoured vehicle ended up on its side after a collision with a lorry at Km3 Jalan Kuantan-Muadzam Shah yesterday. All eight soldiers in the vehicle escaped...

Good time to air Farrah documentary.
June 30, 2009... Byline: F.A. ONE of Charlie's three angels, 62-year-old Farrah Fawcett, has died of rectal cancer. Farrah Fawcett was famed for the television series Charlie's Angels, aired on Malaysian television in the mid-1970s. It would be...

Bid to boost population of fish in Terengganu.
June 30, 2009... KUALA TERENGGANU: The state government will spend half a million ringgit on fish fry this year in a bid to increase the catch of fishermen. State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Rozi Mamat said the fry would be...

5 nabbed for smuggling.
June 30, 2009... KOTA TINGGI: The marine police seized 30,140 cartons of keretek cigarettes and arrested five Indonesians who were trying to smuggle the contraband, off the coast here on Sunday. The seized cigarettes' value, including its excise duties,...

Cries thwart snatch thief.
June 30, 2009... SEREMBAN: A snatch thief was caught after cries from his victim attracted passers-by who gave chase and apprehended the suspect. The 19-year-old suspect had snatched the victim's handbag at a shop in Ampangan near here at 7.50pm last...

Snatch thief meets his match in feisty Huda.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Nadia Badarudin ALOR STAR: A snatch theft victim turned the tables on her assailant when she single-handedly overpowered him and held him in a stranglehold after he snatched her handbag in Jalan Putra here on Sunday night. ...

Merit scholarships lauded.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Annie Freeda Cruez; Adrian David KUALA LUMPUR: The prime minister's proposal for a new class of purely merit-based scholarships has been unanimously welcomed. Several politicians and academics said the move was timely and in...

Man arrested for having ganja plants.
June 30, 2009... SEREMBAN: The son of a Felda settler thought he had found the perfect place to grow ganja - among other vegetables behind his house in Felda Pasoh 2 in Jempol. That was until a tip-off sent Narcotics Department policemen to his house at...

'Syabu in chocs' attempt foiled.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian KUALA LUMPUR: A new method, but it failed to deceive Indonesian authorities who arrested a Malaysian on Friday for attempting to smuggle almost 4kg of syabu packed as expensive chocolates. The 35-year-old suspect...

Getting approvals is such a hassle.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Shaharuddin M. Saaid I REFER to the comments on halal certification for food outlets by S.M. Mohamed Idris of the Consumers Association of Penang ("Make it mandatory for hotels"- NST, June 18). I would like to clarify...

Don't delay English move.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Liong Kam Chong EDUCATION Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced that his ministry will make a decision before the end of the year on the requirement for a pass in English for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). ...

Association: Look into other criteria, too.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Peninsular Malaysia Malay Students (GPMS) has welcomed the government's move to provide merit-based scholarships to the country's best students. Its president, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, suggested...

Elderly man dies during sex.
June 30, 2009... KUANTAN: A 78-year-old businessman died of a heart attack while allegedly in the midst of foreplay with a transvestite on Sunday. Harun Mohd Salleh of Kubang Buaya here, was in the 31-year-old transvestite's room in Jalan Sultan Ismail...

11 caught for illegal fishing.
June 30, 2009... KUALA TERENGGANU: A faulty engine led to the arrest of 11 Vietnamese fishermen who encroached on Malaysian waters on Sunday afternoon. In the incident just 75 nautical miles from here, the fishermen attempted to flee Malaysian Maritime...

Dispensing move will benefit all.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Datuk Nancy Ho I REFER to the letters on dispensing medicine from Narinder Pal Singh of Shah Alam ("Get public opinions first") and J.L. Phenix of Ampang, Selangor ("Additional cost for patients" - NST, June 23). Narinder is...

Tax break for firms that set up day-care centres.
June 30, 2009... PUTRAJAYA: New measures are being drawn up to reduce Malaysia's dependence on foreign maids. Deputy Human Resources Minister Senator Datuk Maznah Mazlan said companies which provided day-care centres would get double tax relief. She...

Arrest this sorry state of affairs.
June 30, 2009... Byline: James Gonzales DATUK Deva Mohd Ridzam's commentary, "No longer the envy of the diplomatic world" (NST, June 21) should be a cause for concern not only for Wisma Putra but also for the civil service. Being a veteran diplomat,...

Go for a better bus service.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Moaz Yusuf Ahmad A FEW days ago, it was announced that the Malacca Aerorail proposal had been submitted to the Department of Railways and was now in the three-month objection period. So I took a quick glance at the proposal to...

Ong warns those who are out to disunite MCA.
June 30, 2009... MUAR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has warned that he will not tolerate members with a personal agenda causing disunity in the party. He said he would not hesitate to exercise his power as party president to defend MCA from...

'Bad hats always watched'.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian KUALA LUMPUR: Secret society members and gangsters who have been released after serving time under preventive laws are still being monitored by the police, said Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk...

Fatality rate.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Gursharan Singh A PANELLIST on Forum Ehwal on TV1 last Thursday night discussed the status of HIV cases in Malaysia with an opening remark, if my memory serves me right, that on average four people die of AIDS daily, with a few...

PKR man to defy sacking from council.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Lee Keng Fatt; Adie Suri Zulkefli GEORGE TOWN: The DAP-led state government's sacking of Parti Keadilan Rakyat councillor Johari Kassim from the Seberang Prai Municipal Council has set the stage for a showdown between the two...

Are we overreacting to H1N1?
June 30, 2009... Byline: Dr Ong Hean Teik IN this globalised world, different countries seem to be responding differently to the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak. In the United States - the country with the largest number of cases - there are no thermal...

Man bites off stepdad's earlobe.
June 30, 2009... JITRA: A clerk who tried to stop his stepson from attacking his wife lost part of his right earlobe when the stepson bit it off early yesterday. No one could find the missing piece of earlobe following the attack, leading to the...

A day off is a basic right of workers.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Nara I AM shocked and dismayed by the remarks of former Customs Officers Association president Datuk Abdul Rahman Manan ("Apprehension about day off for maids" - NST, June 26) and M.S. of Sungai Buloh ("Blown out of proportion" -...

Foreigners have not paid RM3m in medical bills.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign workers left RM3.05 million in unpaid medical bills at government hospitals in the first three months of the year. Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin said the problem was becoming serious and urged...

Najib: Pointless to have debate with Nik Aziz.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim; Zaidi Isham Ismail PUTRAJAYA: The prime minister has shot down Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's suggestion for a debate. Saying that no good would come of it, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said...

DPM seeks Unesco help on review of education system.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Sajahan Abdul Waheed MALAYSIA has asked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to help review the country's system of education. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said...

Term limit for MIC chief proposed.
June 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: The term of office of the MIC president will be limited to three terms. This is one of the amendments to the party constitution that will be discussed at the party's annual general meeting on Sept 12 and 13. Each term lasts...

Anwar's appeal today.
June 30, 2009... PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal will today hear Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's appeal to have his sodomy trial heard before a Sessions Court. His counsel, Sulaiman Abdullah, told judge Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong that Anwar, the parliamentary...

Low pay, stigma sink home manager scheme.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Halimatul Hamid KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry's pilot project, Basic Home Manager programme, has failed. The programme, proposed by the then minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen in August...

Mum drowns newborn in pail.
June 30, 2009... KUANTAN: A woman gave birth in the toilet of a shophouse in Jalan Gambut yesterday and then allegedly drowned the baby girl in a pail of water. The death of the newborn would have gone unnoticed if not for the 26-year-old woman's friend,...

No shortage of maids in short term.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Amy Chew INDONESIAN labour placement agencies do not foresee a shortage in the supply of domestic helpers in the short term despite the moratorium on sending migrant workers to Malaysia. Hundreds of domestic helpers continued...

'Miracle baby' puts cancer behind her.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Teresa Yong KUALA LUMPUR: Kee Jin Yen may be a small 3-year-old but she licked the Big C against all odds. Her doctors and parents were astonished with the resilience of this "miracle baby" when she bounced back from...

Buying up land to save wildlife.
June 30, 2009... KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government wants to purchase privately owned land at zones neighbouring the fragmented Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary to ensure the long-term survival of iconic wildlife such as the orang utan. The move, along...

Attendance could exceed target.
June 30, 2009... KUCHING: If online ticket sales are anything to go by, the attendance at this year's Rainforest World Music Festival could exceed the 24,000 target set by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB). The STB had set its eyes on the number despite...

Many surprises and gifts.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Sager Ahmad KUALA LUMPUR: Visitors to the three-day Malaysia Domestic Tourism Fair (MDTF) at the Putra World Trade Centre here from Friday can expect many surprises and gifts. Tourism Malaysia's director for Domestic and...

Championship finale set to be a cracker.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Go-Ram ONE of the most anticipated races on the Malaysian circuit - the final of the Da Ma Cai Malaysia Three-Year-Old Championship - will be staged over 1200m at the Penang Turf Club (PNTC) this Sunday. Nine qualifying...

BAM must ensure coaching talent leaves a legacy.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Vijesh Rai IF there is one thing about the BA of Malaysia (BAM) that we have to admire, it has to be its ability to hire the best when it comes to coaching talent. Former world champion Hendrawan of Indonesia is the latest...

MHF dismisses speculation over next general manager.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Jugjet Singh THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) is looking for a general manager to put its house in order, and this has put paid to whispers that a former international has been hired, and will start tomorrow.. "There is...

Plus factor in title race.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Devinder Singh KL PLUS could well become the joker in the pack as they play a crucial role in deciding where the Super League title ends up. Title contenders Selangor and Perlis, separated by just two points, both have Plus...

Hendrawan set to chart future of juniors.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Devinder Singh HENDRAWAN joins an illustrious list of world and All-England champions to chart the fortunes of Malaysian badminton when he officially begins work with the BA of Malaysia (BAM) tomorrow. The likes of Punch...

Seamless soundstage.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Dick Tan REGARDED as royalty among the American high-end audio design community, McIntosh has come up with the XCS350 centre channel speaker. At 25.5 centimetres by 86.5cm by 15.3cm, it comprises two eight-inch woofers, a...

Home theatre bliss made affordable.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Dick Tan PANASONIC's PT-AE3000 is one of the most feature-rich home theatre projectors around. At RM14,999, it is brighter at 1,600 ANSI lumens and has a higher contrast ratio at 60,000:1 than its predecessor, the PT- AE2000. ...

Samsung SSD.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Edwin Kee * ARE you a netbook fan who thinks that such a device is the next best thing since sliced bread? If so, you may want to harness the speed of solid-state drives (SSDs) by ditching the old 160GB hard drive. Samsung...

Culinary fun messed up by poor controls.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by Bruno Dieter Chan I LOVE watching Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen. In fact, anything with Gordon Ramsey in it is sheer bliss to me. So, when I got the game Restaurant Empire 2, I was a little excited. You...

Kodak Easyshare S730 digital frame.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Edwin Kee * Eastman Kodak, one of the more established names when it comes to all things photography, has rolled out its new digital picture frame, the Easyshare S730. It is powered by a lightweight, integrated rechargeable...

Off the beaten track to eco-tourism.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Rozana Sani IF you are into nature, the local rainforests could be an inspiration for your next adventure. Take it from operations executive Keong Lye Choon, who detailed his accounts on his blog, My Rainforest Adventures...

Risk-based approach to network security.
June 29, 2009... MALICIOUS activities targeting enterprises capitalise on flaws such as poorly protected information and lack of IT policies. Security measures need to be taken to plug such loopholes. Tech&U discusses the issue with Francis deSouza, senior...

New face to customer service.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Chandra Devi ENGAGING customers and prospects on social networking sites is not new, but it is evolving to involve customer service and expanding to formal contact centres. No longer can a company afford to ignore one unhappy...

Aeco bullish on GPS demand.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Izwan Ismail AECO Technologies, the sole local distributor of Garmin GPS devices, is confident of demand for such devices here. "With affordable prices and better technology today, GPS devices have become a necessity in...

Microsoft shows Care for easy computing.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Rozana Sani STUDENTS with disabilities in Malaysia are set to get a much-needed boost in terms of ICT skills. This follows Microsoft Corp's plan to make available its Curriculum for Accessibility and Reach for Education (Care),...

Magic makes local debut.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Lim Yeh Ern THE Magic has hit Malaysia. This first Google Android-powered smartphone is a departure for HTC Corp, which until now only ships Windows Mobile- powered devices with a customised HTC TouchFlo interface. Android...

PC for all reasons.
June 29, 2009... DO you remember the One Home, One PC programme announced by the Government in 2004 aimed at driving greater access to PC technology in homes nationwide? If ever there is thought to revive it, now seems to be a good enough time. With the...