New Straits Times articles from March 2011

New Straits Times archives from March 2011

Bad canteen food (HL).
March 31, 2011... Byline: Koi Kye Lee PUTRAJAYA: Dirty school canteens were responsible for about half the 311 food poisoning cases reported nationwide last year. Even more shocking is that a committee set up in 2008 to monitor food served in school...

'Respect role and contributions of women'.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: We must respect the status of women in our country and appreciate their contributions to the nation. This was what Datuk Seri Najib Razak had to say yesterday in reference to a comment by controversial backbencher Datuk Bung...

Najib: Leaders should pursue 'transformasi'.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Hanis Maketab KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday urged the nation's leaders to choose transformasi instead of reformasi. Referring to the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), which has so far been well received by...

Liow: Foreign patients pay same fees as locals.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Foreigners seeking medical treatment here will pay the same fees as local patients, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday. He said there was no question of foreigners, especially wealthy ones, being slapped...

'BN must avoid complacency'.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Sajahan Waheed; Dennis Wong; Lian Cheng KUCHING: Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has cautioned the coalition's component parties against complacency ahead of the April 16 Sarawak election. "The choice is...

Political awareness very much alive among youth.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Sajahan Waheed YOUTHS, who make up 33 per cent of the more than 979,700 Sarawak voters, have often been described as "kingmakers" who will decide the outcome of the state election on April 16. And perception has always been that...

Seeing big circles everywhere.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Noor Adzman Baharuddin THIS has to be one of the biggest roundabouts in Kuching! Located in Petra Jaya, it has a long name, Datuk Menteri Abang Haji Mohammad Zin Salleh, a former important figure in Sarawak. Just a few kilometres down...

'Sejiwa Senada' expects 1 million visitors.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Radin Sri Ghazali KUCHING: The state government is confident that its Sejiwa Senada programme can reach the one million attendance mark by the time the last leg in Petra Jaya, which starts today, ends on Sunday. To date, the...

RM73 million to improve 1,593 schools.
March 31, 2011... KUCHING: The Education Ministry will allocate RM73.68 million to upgrade 1,593 schools in Sarawak, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday. Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said of the amount, RM25.68 million...

Najib to get BN list on Saturday.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Sajahan Waheed; Dennis Wong; Lian Cheng KUCHING: The list of Sarawak Barisan Nasional candidates for the April 16 state election will be presented to the coalition chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his approval on Saturday. ...

128ha for non-Muslim places of worship.
March 31, 2011... THE Parti Keadilan Rakyat-led Selangor government had allocated more than 128ha for non-Muslim places of worship since 2008. State Health, Poverty, Caring Society and Plantation Workers chairman Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar said the government,...

State taken to task for revenue dip.
March 31, 2011... Byline: G. Surach SUNGAI Burong assemblyman Mohd Shamsuddin Lias rapped the state government for a 26.3 per cent dip in revenue collection of RM1.3 billion last year compared with RM1.764 billion in 2009. "The weak financial management and...

'Auxiliary unit plan to help police'.
March 31, 2011... SELANGOR Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the idea to form an auxiliary police unit in the state would help the Federal Government deal with the police force's manpower shortage. He said the request was rejected by the Home...

Group: Put an end to trafficking in children.
March 31, 2011... PETALING JAYA: Non-governmental organisations pushed for more awareness of child trafficking with a show of numbers at the Home Ministry recently. More than 100 activists marched to the ministry in Putrajaya and presented its minister, Datuk...

All trafficking victims under Shahrizat's care.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Koi Kye Lee PUTRAJAYA: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has been assigned to handle victims of people trafficking regardless of gender. In a statement by the Home Ministry yesterday, Minister Datuk Seri...

'Revamp system used for blacklist'.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Lorry and bus operators are disappointed with the Road Transport Department and police because they are unable to carry on their business despite clearing their traffic summonses. They want the government to allow them to renew...

Few delays, but plan on track.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Suganthi Suparmaniam INTENSE rural-urban migration over the years has made Malaysian cities overly populated and brought an acute need to improve public transport, especially in the Klang Valley. The Urban Public Transport National...

What they say.
March 31, 2011... WAN SAIFUL WAN JAN, chief executive officer, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs "It is encouraging to learn about the success in creating new women entrepreneurs and reducing hard-core poverty. Reducing poverty through entrepreneurship...

MP may sue over 'irrelevant questions'.
March 31, 2011... AMPANG: Bukit Antarabangsa member of parliament Azmin Ali, who was questioned for two hours by police yesterday, claimed he was asked irrelevant questions. Batu Caves assemblyman Amirudin Shari and Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari Sungib...

Eye on China's talent pool.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Lydia Gomez KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and China will soon sign a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on higher education degrees to encourage and boost student-exchange between both countries. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri...

UPM comes up with 'mate' that's better than salt.
March 31, 2011... SERDANG: CardioMate may be the answer for health-conscious people who intend to reduce their salt intake. This is a new type of salt that can reduce a person's blood pressure and the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases, its makers...

Cuepacs: Scrap low-pay grades.
March 31, 2011... IPOH: Cuepacs will propose that all low-pay grades in the civil service be abolished when it meets the Public Service Department (PSD) on Monday. Cuepacs president Datuk Omar Osman said the proposal would be raised in a meeting with PSD...

Third police trainee dies.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Fadhal A. Ghani KUALA LUMPUR: A third police trainee succumbed to an adenovirus infection after being in intensive care for almost a month. Trainee constable Mohammad Siman, 23, slipped into a coma more than a week ago and died at...

It's back to 9-5 at Sessions, magistrates' courts.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The controversial Key Performance Index (KPI) measures introduced in 2009 to clear the backlog of cases has been scrapped. This was disclosed by the Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria at a conference of lower court...

'Second autopsy findings unreliable'.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Rita Jong KUALA LUMPUR: The findings of the second post-mortem on Teoh Beng Hock were not reliable as it was done four months after he had died, said British forensic pathologist Prof Dr Peter Vanezis. He said proper findings could...

Omission in bill sparks a ruckus.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Mazlinda Mahmood; Ili Liyana Mokhtar; Rahmah Ghazali THERE was a ruckus in the house after Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia shot down an opposition's attempt to proclaim the Green Technology, Energy and Water Supplementary Supply...

Doctors on call to get better facilities, perks.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Mazlinda Mahmood; Ili Liyana Mokhtar; Rahmah Ghazali FACILITIES for doctors on call will be made compulsory for all new hospitals nationwide. "We have also instructed departmental heads to provide on-call rooms to be equipped with...

MRCS raises RM3.2m.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) has raised more than RM3.2 million in aid of the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. MRCS national chairman Tunku Tan Sri Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman said although the Japanese...

Training institute donates RM4,000 to help Japan.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian National committee and alumni of the International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS) Forum Japan yesterday donated RM4,000 to Tabung Bencana NSTP-Media Prima. Its chairman, Datuk Zuraidah Atan,...

Severe wind damage in Kedah.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Adib Povera; Halimatul Hamid; Zarina Abdillah ALOR STAR: Continuous downpour for more than 24 hours followed by strong winds wreaked havoc in six districts in the state. State development director Datuk Azmi Lateh said the wind...

Tourism fair for the affluent.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Hanis Maketab KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will host its first fair promoting lifestyle and luxury tourism, travel and experiences at the Putra World Trade Centre from May 20 to 22. Unlike most tourism fairs, the Lifestyle and Luxury...

Pistol used in killing of palace guard identified.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Sulaiman Jaafar TUMPAT: A bullet used in the shooting of former Kelantan palace guard Ramli Mohamad, who died 18 days after he was shot last year, came from a .32 calibre pistol. Forensic examiner Inspector Amir Abdullah from the...

Radiating reassurance.
March 31, 2011... THOUGH more than 11,000 bodies have been recovered, the final death toll from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan is expected to exceed 18,000. In contrast, no one has died from the radioactivity released from the...

Is the end of the world nigh?
March 31, 2011... Byline: Chok Suat Ling WE are just about to enter the second quarter of the year, and already there have been earthquakes, a devastating tsunami, floods and cyclones around the globe. One earthquake came too close for comfort exactly one...

China's chance to redeem ties with Japan.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Frank Ching IF there is a rainbow behind the dark clouds currently blanketing Japan - the country is facing its gravest crisis since World War 2 - it could be this: relations with China, which were at their worst in decades last year,...

Need to go extra mile.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Patrick Teh AS usual, many students who achieved a string of As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination would feel excited and hopeful about getting a place in local universities to further their studies. To be exact,...

Restore language to rightful place.
March 31, 2011... Byline: David Tih I REFER to the letters "Learn it or get left behind" by Halimah Mohd Said and "It is necessary" by Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (NST, March 18). I thank both of them for raising relevant points on the use of the English language....

Gulf between what is said and done.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Marisa Demori I REFER to the letter "English: Don't rebuke us" by M.A.A. of Kuala Lumpur (NST, March 24) where the writer concludes with: "We are simply the victims of poor teaching of English". I can agree with this view, although...

Pressing change.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Lim Bee Hoon AFTER going through the many letters in the media recently, I found, to my delight, that the majority are of the same opinion as me, an old timer educated in the English medium schools in the early 1960s. In those...

Where people's voice is heard.
March 31, 2011... Byline: C. Sathasivam PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shows he is listening to the people's aspirations and needs by implementing the Government Transformation Programme (GTP). The first year report of the GTP shows the programme has...

Learn and adopt from the best system.
March 31, 2011... Byline: A. Azmi I REFER to Hussaini Abdul Karim's letter "Place importance on transport connectivity" (NST, March 23). While I agree Singapore's mass rapid transit (MRT) is a good benchmark in developing our own MRT system, the example of...

Inculcate our own culture of philanthropy.
March 31, 2011... Byline: M. Ganeshadeva ACCORDING to the recent rich list published by Forbes Asia, the combined wealth of the 40 wealthiest Malaysians has risen to almost 22 per cent or US$11.11 billion (RM33.63 billion) since last year. Their current...

Allow them the right to die.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Dr A. Soorian WHETHER the public is aware or not, euthanasia is carried out quietly, for example, in cancer wards overseas, where terminal illnesses offer no hope of recovery unless the conscience of the night nurse prevents her from...

Refer to e-filing user guide.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Mazlan Chik WE refer to the letter "Come out with easy explanation" from Yeoh Theam Chye of Prai, Penang (NST, March 28). The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) would like to thank the complainant for bringing this matter to our attention....

Help them regain hope.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Five young men on the cusp of adulthood were looking forward to healthy and productive lives until accidents robbed them of their limbs. Muhammad Noor Syafiq Nor Amirudin, 22, was riding his motorcycle to see his father in...

Bid to annul ex-ruler's marriage rejected.
March 31, 2011... KOTA BARU: The Syariah Appeal Court yesterday rejected an application by a third party to annul the marriage of former state ruler Sultan Ismail Petra to his second wife, Cik Puan Elia Suhana Ahmad, 32. A three-member panel led by state chief...

Bhangra brothers are back.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The Bhangra Ambassadors of Malaysia, Goldkartz, will create history tomorrow when their second album entitled 24 Karaatz is launched and released simultaneously in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, the United States, India and...

New judge to hear Syabas suit.
March 31, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The suit by Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) against the Parti Keadilan Rakyat-led Selangor government over alleged delay in water tariff adjustment will be heard before a different judge as the current one has recused...

Nathan's City Hero good for double.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Go-Ram LAST week's winner City Hero looks ready for a back-to-back win in the Class 5 event over 1400m in Race 1 on Sunday going by his workout in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Taken out by a track rider, the five-year-old French gelding...

Black Rain shines in trial.
March 31, 2011... ON A day when just two horses went against the clock, the morning "star" was Black Rain. The Don Baertschiger-trained runner clocked 44.9 seconds for the 600 metres yesterday. He had SH Low in the saddle. The three-year-old chestnut has...

A man who knows his turf.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Go Ram KRISHNA Kumar Karpaiya, the man behind the Batu Gantong racetrack, can stand tall having accomplished his mission entrusted to him by the Penang Turf Club. The Singaporean, after having completed the Penang project, is on...

Duo to spearhead Malaysia's challenge at qualifiers.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh AHMAD Deedat Abd Razak and Choo Lyn Yuen will lead the Under-16 Junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams, respectively in next month's Asia/Oceania Qualifiers in New Delhi, India. Ahmad Deedat, together with Colin Wong and...

BJSS look to maintain winning run.
March 31, 2011... BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) are aiming to continue their good form in Division One of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League when they face their junior team at the Ministry of Education pitch today. The in-form side have started on a...

Trulli bracing for gruelling campaign.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul GETTING his fitness up to the mark by joining the LeTua Cycling Team on a 100 kilometre training ride from Kota Damansara to Fraser's Hill yesterday, Jarno Trulli is truly keyed into Team Lotus' sole target for their...

Rewards continue to flow for Azizul.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Fadhli Ishak DESPITE still being out with an injury, Azizul Hasni Awang is never far from the winner's circle. Azizul, who was elected Sportsman of the Year earlier this month, added the inaugural Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD)...

Make-or-break situation for Hafiz.
March 31, 2011... Byline: K.M. Boopathy HAFIZ Hashim needs to win the ongoing New Zealand International Challenge in Auckland and make at least the semi-finals of the Australian Open next week if he wants to improve his chances of qualifying for the World...

Beng Hee aims to check slide.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Devinder Singh ONG Beng Hee will be looking to arrest a decline in form after two early PSA Tour exits this year when he begins his campaign at the Kolkata International today. First round defeats at the CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open and...

Treading into the unknown.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh MALAYSIA were drawn into a relatively light-weight 2014 World Cup Asian Zone qualifying group yesterday thus giving them a chance of advancing to the third round. In the draw conducted at the Asian Football...

Malaysia take on Lebanon.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Devinder Singh RELIEF at avoiding the big guns soon gave way to the realisation that little is known of the Lebanese Olympic team after the draw for the second round of the Asian 2012 London Olympic qualifiers yesterday. While the...

Teams brace for hectic pace.
March 31, 2011... Byline: Ajitpal Singh; Zainuddin Muhammad TEAMS are bracing for a hectic month when the Super League resumes after a short break tomorrow. It will be a crucial month, especially for the league contenders, as each team will play nine...

Help for blacklisted (HL).
March 30, 2011... Byline: T.N. Alagesh KUANTAN: A special committee, to be set up by the Road Transport Department, will formulate a mechanism to help traffic offenders who have been blacklisted. The committee will be tasked with working out effective...

Hold firmly to principles, sultan tells soldiers.
March 30, 2011... JITRA: Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah has reminded soldiers to stay away from unhealthy activities for the sake of the country's security and sovereignty. The sultan, who is also colonel-in-chief of the Royal Malay Regiment,...

Customs officer and wife remanded over graft.
March 30, 2011... KUANTAN: A senior Customs officer with a datukship and his wife, who is also a senior Customs officer, were remanded for four days by the magistrate's court here yesterday. The remand order was to facilitate investigations into their...

Flash floods hit two states.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Zarina Abdullah; A. Azim Idris MARANG: The La Nina phenomenon has reared its ugly head again with a series of torrential rain causing flash floods in several districts over the past two days. The inconsistent but heavy rainfall is...

'Blankets for Japan' campaign.
March 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: The tsunami that struck Sendai, Japan, on March 11, created another type of tidal wave here in Malaysia, but this time, it is one of care and compassion. A group of Malaysians launched a 1-Blanket 4-Japan campaign to provide new...

23 religious schools get RM3.2m federal aid.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Azura Abas; V. Shankar Ganesh; Masami Mustaza BANTING: The Federal Government has never shirked off its responsibility in opposition-ruled states, especially towards education development, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin...

Girls, it's better to be 'handsome' than 'pretty'.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Ahmad Fairuz Othman SOME years ago, a teacher from Terengganu who was newly transferred to Kuching went to the market to buy fish and was asked by the fishmonger, Kitak mau ikan bangsa apa?" (literal translation meaning "What race of...

PKR, SNAP still at odds over seat allocation.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Nancy Nais KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has yet to resolve its seat allocation dispute with Sarawak National Party (SNAP) although it is scheduled to announce its list of candidates today. State PKR head Baru Bian said his...

IGP: Enough cops to keep peace during polls.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Dennis Wong KUCHING: Sarawak police are all geared up towards safeguarding the state election process, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said yesterday. He said the allocation of men and logistics support was...

30 'home managers' snapped up.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Radin Sri Ghazali KUCHING: Sarawak has been the most outstanding state in implementing the 1Azam Home Managers Programme. Thirty participants who enrolled last year managed to secure jobs after completing it, Women, Family and...

Khalid rapped over Yayasan Selangor bonuses.
March 30, 2011... SHAH ALAM: Selangor opposition leader Datuk Mohd Satim Deman has criticised Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for the latter's failure to fully oversee the management of Yayasan Selangor (YS), which reportedly suffered a deficit of...

'Probe into hidden camera ongoing'.
March 30, 2011... SHAH ALAM: Investigations following the discovery of a hidden video camera in the Menteri Besar's office here last year is ongoing. Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said this in response to questions by Taman Templer assemblyman,...

BN to pick 21 new candidates.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Sajahan Waheed; Dennis Wong; Lian Cheng KUCHING: Barisan Nasional has narrowed down the list of candidates for the April 16 Sarawak election, proposing more than one person for each seat. A source said the BN leadership would begin...

It cost RM11m to run 16 by-elections since 2008 polls.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Ili Liyana Mokhtar; Mazlinda Mahmood; Rahmah Ghazali THE government spent more than RM11 million for 16 by-elections since the 2008 polls. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said a large...

MPs to meet in renovated hall.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Ili Liyana Mokhtar; Mazlinda Mahmood; Rahmah Ghazali THE Parliament's multipurpose hall will be renovated to temporarily house the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara while repairs are being carried out to the building. Works Minister...

Liow asks for public feedback on Kuantan rare earth plant.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Ili Liyana Mokhtar; Mazlinda Mahmood; Rahmah Ghazali MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has urged the government to hold public consultations on a RM700 million rare earth plant in Kuantan, Pahang, following a series of...

Police heroes tell why they said no.
March 30, 2011... SUBANG JAYA: Police inspectors Mohd Shaifuddin Zulkifli and Mohana Sundram Vre-Jenan were the talk of town after it was revealed that they had turned down a RM100,000 bribe. The letters of commendation were presented to them by the...

New measures to fight corruption.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Maizatul Ranai THE government has made some amendments to the National Key Performance Indicators (NKPI) this year to make it more relevant to the new initiatives to fight corruption. The new NKPI, aimed at measuring the...

Changes to ensure smooth traffic flow on race day.
March 30, 2011... SEPANG: Anticipating an increase in vehicle movement during the Petronas Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on April 10, traffic police will make changes to traffic flow around the Sepang racetrack. This includes counter flow stretches to...

Surge in Malaysian F1 ticket sales.
March 30, 2011... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul KUALA LUMPUR: Driven by the excitement of the Formula One season kicking off in Australia last weekend, there has been a late surge in ticket sales for the Petronas Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix. With 10 days...

Perkasa man fears for his life.
March 30, 2011... KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa treasurer Datuk Shuib Lazim claimed yesterday that he could not leave his home in Ampang Hilir after being told by police that his life was in danger. Shuib was among three men, including businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay...

Real issues smashed by a violent few.(Travel narrative)
March 30, 2011... Byline: Zaharah Othman IF I had wanted to join in the big protest march that turned ugly on Saturday, I couldn't have planned it better. My destination that Saturday was Piccadilly, right smack in the middle of a massive protest against...

Bright future for medical lab graduates.
March 30, 2011... MALAYSIA is witnessing an increasing demand for medical laboratory technicians (MLT), with graduates being snapped up by hospitals, public health departments, treatment centres, laboratories and clinics. They also have a promising future if...

25 students conquer Selangor's highest mountain.
March 30, 2011... THERE is no mountain that cannot be conquered if one has the determination. A group of 25 students and two Student Development Unit (UPP) officers from PTPL College in Shah Alam, demonstrated this when they successfully climbed 1,493m to...