New Straits Times articles from March 2010, page 12

New Straits Times archives from March 2010

Green your space.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Stephanie Choo PLANTS make great decorative pieces at home or the office, writes STEPHANIE CHOO. When I go shopping at malls, I would never miss the home centres. Nowadays, almost all of them are stocked with a good variety of...

Ka Ting: My intentions noble.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Sim Bak Heng SIM BAK HENG gives an insight on what the Chinese media is reporting on the upcoming MCA polls. Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting gave exclusive interviews to all major Chinese dailies in what is believed to be the start of his...

Anuar takes centre stage at the JW Marriot KL.
March 20, 2010... Byline: V. Josephine KUALA LUMPUR: It's the time of year when bosses show their appreciation to their secretaries for the secretaries' hard work and loyalty. During International Secretaries' Week, bosses and their secretaries can unwind...

Top Three Places To Eat.
March 20, 2010... CINNAMON Coffee House at One World Hotel Petaling Jaya is having a special promotion called Take 5 from now till June 30. Enjoy 50 per cent discount on all cakes and pastries on the counter daily from 3pm onwards. OPUS Bistro at 67, Jalan...

Top Three Movies.
March 20, 2010... MATT Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear star in the action thriller Green Zone. The story revolves around two CIA agents on the trail of certain weapons of mass destruction and a foreign correspondent following their mission in Iraq. SUPERSTAR...

'Awards a matter for the regent'.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Nik Imran Abdullah KOTA BARU: A decree issued by the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Ismail Petra on Thursday is being disputed. State Royal Household comptroller Datuk Abdul Halim Hamad said the office could not validate the...

Bid to save whale shark fails.
March 20, 2010... PASIR PUTEH: An attempt by the crew of a deep sea trawler to save a whale shark found floating off the coast here proved futile after it died while being towed to a fish landing jetty in Tok Bali yesterday. The whale shark, known by its...

Colourful world of moth orchids.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Anusha K. THE phalaenopsis plant is vibrant in hue and is a perfect example of an orchid. ANUSHA K. visits the largest phalaenopsis specialist in Malaysia. Spanning 2.5 hectares of land, Waltex Biotec World of Phalaenopsis farm is...

Buy an ice-cream and win cool prizes.
March 20, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Buy a Magnolia ice cream and you could walk away with a Sony PSPs (Playstation Portable) or a Sony Buddy Walkman. The gadget is among the RM400,000 worth of prizes up for grabs in the Magnolia Mag-a Deal Redemption However, to...

Save RM790m with this cool idea.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Marc Lourdes FEWER than 3,000 of all Malaysian homes have insulation, simply because it is considered mainly a fire-retardant and sound-dampening tool. Unlike air-conditioning unit, its benefits can't be seen or felt directly, writes...

The Mall shoppers take home big gifts.
March 20, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Shoppers at The Mall had fun participating in the Guess The Number Of Gold Ingots contest and children's colouring contest held in conjunction with its Chinese New Year celebration. A prize-giving ceremony was held this week at...

YTL to mark Earth Hour Day.
March 20, 2010... Kuala Lumpur: It will be lights-out at YTL's 30 establishments across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand to mark Earth Hour Day. From Bintang Walk's Lot 10, Starhill Gallery and The Ritz-Carlton to Wisma Atria in Singapore, Spa...

Decor that grows on you.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Desmond Ho ONE of the easiest ways to brighten up interior spaces is by adding house plants. They're cheap and hardy, and literally breathe life into any room they're in - and if placed smartly - can transform an empty space into an...

Cars up for grabs at charity raffle.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Halim Said KUALA LUMPUR: Two family-sized cars await two lucky winners at the Budimas Annual Charity Raffle Draw. The charity raffle, which is in its sixth year, will see its winners walking away with two sets of wheels - a Toyota...

Strollers2 honours The Beatles.
March 20, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Hard Rock Cafe Kuala Lumpur will be presenting a special gig called "March On Stage" on March 28 at 11pm featuring The Stollers2, who will be paying tribute to The Beatles. They will perform hit songs from the Beatles in their...

The right skincare during a heat wave.
March 20, 2010... DRIVING to the farm at Ulu Yam, which is about 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, can be a little dehydrating for the skin. Though the air-con in the car was practically left at a maximum level, the scorching heat somehow made my skin dry and...

Staying 'coolth' without the air-conditioner.
March 20, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: "Coolth" is not a word often heard. But, in the rainforests of Sabah are chalets which use natural coolth - defined as the state of being a pleasantly low temperature - to totally do away with air-conditioning. The Borneo...

Tangs to open in Subang Jaya.
March 20, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Tangs Department Store Sdn Bhd announced its retail expansion plan for the company with the opening of a new concept store at Empire Gallery Subang in early June. This will be Tangs's second store in Malaysia and its fourth...

Mythical heroes fight ancient Greek gods.
March 20, 2010... Petaling Jaya: Be prepared for war as men fight against kings and kings against gods in the movie Clash of the Titans to be released in the GSC cinemas on April 1. You can look forward to state-of-the-art visual effects and cutting edge...

Eco-friendly habits.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Su Aziz BEING eco-friendly not only improves the environment but saves you money as well. SU AZIZ picks out 10 from the Internet that are easy to turn into habits. 1. SKIP BOTTLED WATER Use a water filter to purify tap water...

Zahrain takes centre stage.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Sajahan Abdul Waheed; Shuhada Elis THERE is no doubt about it. Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (independent-Bayan Baru) was the star of this week's Dewan Rakyat proceedings with his confession on the purported Pakatan Rakyat's...

A for Adam's family.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Ajitpal Singh IF you want to know how to become successful tennis parents, then have a chat with Mohd Adam Das and his wife, Ramlah Mukadis. Their five children are not only talented in tennis but also top in studies. It is rare...

Sanctuary of peace and quiet.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Vimala Seneviratne FENG Shui expert and author Lillian Too's home in a neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur offers a sense of calm and serenity, writes VIMALA SENEVIRATNE. From the outside, it looks like any other house in the high-end...

Doling out welfare.
March 20, 2010... SOCSO already provides pensions to its contributors who cannot work as a result of chronic or disabling conditions. It is also working on two pension schemes for its members, one for retirees and another for the self-employed. Now, it plans to...

Oz mix of business and pleasure.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Sheila Sri Priya KUALA LUMPUR: Members of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) were treated to an evening of fine wine and food for a "Taste of Australia" - an event for business networking. The...

No place for child marriages here.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Nuraina Samad IT is not in a twisted way that I am glad the news of two young girls in Kelantan being "married off" to men old enough to be their fathers was highlighted in the media two weeks ago. One was of an 11-year-old to a...

Next world war will be over parking spaces.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Johan Jaaffar EVERY one of us has horror stories to tell about drivers on the road. Driving is not just about going from point A to B; it is a whole notion of values, psyche even sub-culture. It is, in fact, a key to deciphering...

Jakarta's treasure trove.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Gouri Mirpuri GOURI MIRPURI visits a 'town square-cum-swanky mall' that houses the finest in Indonesian traditional ware. The alun-alun is the traditional town square in every village and town in Java and the heart of community...

RM1.5m for film on mak yong dancer.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Meor Shariman A FILM about a mak yong dancer has been picked as the first project to be financed by the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry, using a grant allocated for films of national interest. The film, Mek Ani:...

Want more? Look out!
March 20, 2010... Byline: Meera Murugesan THE sin of excess is well reflected in our constant desire to accumulate things. The hoarding of objects, theft and robbery, especially by violent means, trickery and manipulation of authority, are all actions...

New NSTP branch office.
March 20, 2010... BATU PAHAT: The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) yesterday officially opened its new branch office in Jalan Mohd Salleh here. The Batu Pahat office is the first NSTP branch office to be upgraded and revamped as part of the company's...

Report abattoir 'thugs', says Ismail.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Kristina George PUTRAJAYA: Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry enforcement officers have been told to lodge a police report against "rowdy" abattoir operators in Rembau who had locked them in during a raid recently....

Thai lure.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Seet Cher Hung SEET CHER HUNG is captivated by its excellent sport fishing facilities. ASK any Malaysian who our closest neighbour is and you will probably get the answer: "Singapore". However, geographically, Thailand is...

Media Prima staff donate books.
March 20, 2010... PETALING JAYA: Since founding the Bandar Tasik Puteri Community Library, Amluddin Yusof has come to expect book donations to be in the form of tattered novels and the occasional textbook. The 41-year-old, who set up the library in Rawang last...

Thousands to throng expo.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Audrey Dermawan GEORGE TOWN: Thousands of people looking for property in the northern region are expected to throng the Penang International Property Expo 2010 (PIP 2010), which kicked off yesterday. More than 50 developers,...

Duo and 3 cops hurt in car chase.
March 20, 2010... JOHOR BARU: Two convicted criminals and three policemen were injured during a 90-minute high-speed car chase in Taman Daya early yesterday, which ended with policemen firing several shots at the duo's vehicle. One of the criminals was shot in...

Charged over false statement.
March 20, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: A former director of KJ Equipment Sdn Bhd was charged at the Sessions Court yesterday with making a false statement to the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) six years ago. Khoo Tiang Boong @ Khor Tiang Bong, 62, pleaded not...

Man pleads not guilty to cheating.
March 20, 2010... PUTRAJAYA: A businessman was charged in the Sessions Court yesterday with cheating a Datuk of RM40,000 with the promise of a highway project. Datuk Azraie Jamaluddin, 33, is alleged to have cheated Datuk Shahroldin Ali, managing director of...

Man caught with 19 fake passports.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Lee Shi-Ian KAJANG: A syndicate selling forged passports to Indonesians was crippled following the arrest of a man on Thursday. District police chief Assistant Commissioner Sakaruddin Che Mood said rubber stamps belonging to the...

Khalwat raid annoys guests.
March 20, 2010... SETIU: Guests at the Penarik Inn here were flabbergasted by the actions of a group of men said to be from the state Religious Affairs Department (JHEAT) who conducted a raid yesterday morning. Guests claimed they were rudely awakened at...

Mental blocks.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Edwin Wong WHAT do crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers and mind benders have in common? EDWIN WONG has the answers. Well, for a start, they are all activities designed to keep the mind active and alert. Next, they...

Mel returns to silver screen.
March 20, 2010... ACADEMY Award winner Mel Gibson plays a veteran homicide detective and single father in the emotionally charged thriller Edge of Darkness. The movie is set at the intersection of politics and big business. Gibson plays Thomas Craven whose...

Beauty and The Gypsy Kings.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Subhadra Devan SUBHADRA DEVAN finds out about their timeless appeal. The Gypsy Kings seems to hold a special corner when it comes to folk-pop and world music. Comprising an extended family from southern France, their voices seem...

Catch Cuban maestro in action.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Dennis Chua FOR the first time, Cuban jazz legend and seven-time Grammy Award winner Chucho Valdes takes centre stage at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. Valdes, 69, who hails from Quivican, Havana Province will be...

Break-dancing contest.
March 20, 2010... THE Impression Cup 2010: Battle Of B-Boys aims to discover the next big break-dancing (or B-boying) talents in Malaysia. Organised by Exquisite Impression Sdn Bhd, the contest will begin at noon on March 27 at Pusat Sukan Rakan Muda in Bukit...

Nadhira makes her move.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Aref Omar MUSIC is her journey. AREF OMAR chats with the new indie artiste. She spent her formative years in different countries including the United Kingdom, Brunei and Indonesia. "My dad's work (in finance) took him all over...

Second thoughts about the first.
March 20, 2010... ALEC Baldwin, who plays an attorney falling back in love with his ex-wife in It's Complicated, talks about his character in the movie. In Nancy Meyer's comedy It's Complicated (to be released in cinemas on March 25), Alec Baldwin stars as...

Time Speed poised for comeback win.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Go-Ram CLASSY Time Speed looks ready for a comeback win in the RM95,000 Da Ma Cai Stakes for Table 1 horses over 1400m (Race 6, 4.00pm) in Penang this afternoon. The five-year-old Australian gelding by Second Empire, who arrived...

Elegant ghost story.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Patrick Sennyah THE OTHERS Directed by Alejandro Amenabar Starring Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Alakina Mann, James Bentley & Eric Sykes Distributed by Speedy Video Distributors Sdn Bhd THIS movie is about a woman named Grace...

Pegasus Royal in great shape.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Go-Ram PEGASUS Royal wrapped up preparations for a comeback victory in the Nazareh Handicap for Class 5 horses over 1700m in Race 2 tomorrow with a one-round workout in Penang yesterday. Taken out by race jockey Salee Saad, the...

Fairuz aims to keep sharp for season.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul IT will be a hectic season for Fairuz Fauzy, with test duties not only limited to official session but on race weekends as well, but the Lotus Racing test driver is looking at options to keep him in good racing form....

English Premier League 2009-10
March 20, 2010... TODAY Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers at Villa Par Villa are running into form at a critical point of the season as Tueday's 2-1 win at Wigan put them firmly in the race for fourth place. James Milner enhanced his growing reputation at...

Man U, Man City, Liverpool or Chelsea - where next for Mourinho?
March 20, 2010... Byline: Tom Bellwood AFTER the dust settled on Chelsea's Champions League exit, the Blues were left to count the cost of another season without winning Europe's premier trophy. The rest of us are left to consider life without Inter Milan...

Wounded T-Team ready for backlash.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Zainuddin Muhammad DEFENDING a two-goal lead in the FA Cup quarter-final second-leg against Terengganu today may not be as easy as T-Team coach Che Ku Marzuki Che Ku Mohd Nor previously thought. A few things have changed since the 3-1...

Bright outlook for Lotus and Meritus.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul HOW most Malaysians must have wished that what seems - after the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix last week - a return of Ferrari domination, that Lotus Racing will also be up there this season. when Fernando Alonso and...

Zul strolls into last eight.
March 20, 2010... ZULMAZRAN Zukilfi kept his hopes of a rare hat-trick of wins of the Canon Malaysian Bowling International Open title alive when he finished second to qualify for today's quarter-finals at the Sunway Mega Lanes yesterday. Compatriot Adrian Ang...

KL too strong for Pahang.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Jugjet Singh KUALA Lumpur fielded their reserves, but still beat Pahang 4-0 to top Group A in the National Under-16 tournament in Sandakan yesterday. KL, who finished unbeaten after six matches, will square off against Negri...

Beng Hee, Azlan out.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Devinder Singh NICOL David is poised to recapture the CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open title after yet another impressive display by the world champion yesterday but standing in her way in the final is Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy. Egytian duo...

Ash Shefa floors her opponents.
March 20, 2010... Byline: K. Kandiah ASH Shefa Baharom of Kuala Lumpur used to watch gymnastics on television when she was in pre-school and got hooked to the sport. In fact, there used to be a tug-of-war over watching television as all four of her older...

Azizul, Josiah have what it takes for medals.
March 20, 2010... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul AZIZUL Hasni Awang and Josiah Ng will have some form in reserve as they take on the best at the UCI Track World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark next weekend. But head coach John Beasley believes, even at 95...

Nadzmi: Ganga not suspended.
March 20, 2010... Byline: K.M. Boopathy BA of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Nadzmi Salleh has denied speculation that P. Ganga Rao has been suspended as the association's secretary. However, Nadzmi said any changes in the association's set-up will only be...

Hafizh, Elly share fastest time.
March 20, 2010... HAFIZH Syahrin Abdullah and Elly Idzlianizar Ilias showed their capabilities in the CP130 category by clocking the fastest time in the curtain-raiser of the Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship at Darul Aman Stadium in Alor Star...

Kien Keat-Boon Heong in last eight.
March 20, 2010... WORLD No 1 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong stayed on track in their bid to retain their title when they advanced to the quarter-finals of the Swiss Open in Basel on Thursday. Kien Keat-Boon Heong defeated Denmark's Rasmus Andersen-Simon Mollyhus...

May the best win.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Zoe Phoon DEVELOPERS looking to have their projects benchmarked as models of distinction by the industry can submit their entries to this year's Malaysia Property Award (MPA 2010). It recognises excellence in real estate...

The new deal in town.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Andrew Wong THERE'S now another reason to buy property from a developer - one that might actually soften even the most hardened of naysayers because of its financing lure. Far as I can tell, no name has been given to this plan yet,...

Socso plans fund for the retrenched.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Halimatul Hamid PETALING JAYA: A fund will be set up by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to help people who have lost their jobs. The relief fund for loss of employment will assist retrenched workers who fail to receive...

Cop snatches back gun despite being shot.
March 19, 2010... BATU PAHAT: A policeman was seriously injured when he was shot by a man who was stopped for questioning at Kampung Bumiputera Dalam Rengit on Wednesday night. Lance Corporal Johari Ali Mohammad, 41, of the Rengit police station, was on...

Demolition works at Jaya restart.
March 19, 2010... AFTER 10 months of inactivity, work on the demolition of the Jaya Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, was spotted to have recommenced this week. Cranes on the site are clearly buzzing with activity and look to be removing much of the...

Tiger view then, Tiger view now of Bangsar.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Elvin Fernandez THE last time the Tiger came through the zodiac, in 1998, two-storey terrace houses in the upmarket suburb of Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur were about RM500,000 in value and gross rents were about RM1,500 a month. That meant...

No deadline for GST.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Zuraimi Abdullah KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak says no date has been set to start implementing the goods and services tax (GST). "We have not decided on a date," the prime minister said, dismissing the notion that 2011 was...

'Private varsities can boost creativity'.
March 19, 2010... PETALING JAYA: Private universities should focus more on applied research to encourage creativity and innovation, which is in line with the New Economic Model, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. There were four steps to Malaysia...

A researcher's haven.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Abby Lu IT'S been a busy day, and the to-do list is still full of unticked items, ruminates Faizal as he sat on a bench by the lake, slowly munching on a sandwich - his standard lunch these days. The biologist takes in the beauty of...

Ungku Aziz: Give money to poor for basic items.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Minderjeet Kaur KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to help the hardcore poor by giving them debit cards with a monthly token for buying basic foodstuff at designated shops. Royal Prof Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid the...

Getting to the root of child abuse.
March 19, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has expressed concern over the rising crime cases involving children. The kids, said the prime minister's wife, should, instead, be protected and empowered to fulfil their potential as productive human...

An organic lesson.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Abby Lu NATURE has often been regarded as a source of inspiration for designers and rightfully so. While human feats of engineering and construction have a long history of achievement, there's still no trumping the headstart that...

Inspiring innovation.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Chris Prasad THE new RM100 million Bio Innovation Centre (BIC) taking shape in Putra Nilai, Negri Sembilan, may be one of a handful of centres purpose-built for biotechnological activities but it still manages to be a...

Smoke detectors allow occupants time to escape.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Eugene Wong THE quite frequent news of children perishing in house fires shows most Malaysians are unaware of fire safety. Such tragedies could have been avoided if parents and child minders take an interest in ensuring safety...

Anwar skips Zahrain's debate.
March 19, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who walked out of the House on Wednesday when his former colleague reconstructed events surrounding Sept 16, 2008, was conspicuously absent when Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim...

Ex-forces chief denies link to 'new govt' plan.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Sager Ahmad; Adrian David PETALING JAYA: Former chief of Defence Forces Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal has strongly denied that the armed forces had supported any plan to form a new government in 2008 with Parti Keadilan Rakyat...

Viva la high lifestyle!
March 19, 2010... Byline: S.C. Cheah I HAVE a small confession to make. Sometimes, I feel a bit envious of motoring journalists who get to test drive all those expensive marques in some exotic country. However, as one motoring journalist friend once...

Possible fuel hike looms over house prices.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Chris Prasad INDUSTRY players are alerting housebuyers to the possibility of property prices going up following the government's expected announcement on fuel price hikes. Sources within the Ministry of Finance said with global...

Shanghai aims high.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Lim Lay Ying SHANGHAI wants to be among the world's top-tier global financial centres and is adamant about it, judging from its consistently high level of investments committed to modernisation. Touted to be China's international...

Karpal calls for by-elections.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Sajahan Waheed; Sean Augustin; Ili Liyana Mokhtar BUKIT Gelugor member of parliament Karpal Singh has called on independent MPs not to attend parliamentary sittings for six months so that their seats can be declared vacant to pave the...

'Copy claim a serious charge'.
March 19, 2010... Byline: Sajahan Waheed; Sean Augustin; Ili Liyana Mokhtar MINISTER in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the government will decide whether to refer opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the...