New Straits Times articles from May 2009

New Straits Times archives from May 2009

Worker flees 'hell estate'.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Gomathy Ramasamy JASIN: After stories of loan defaulters being chained and imprisoned by loan sharks, here is a story of Malaysians being treated as slaves in secluded estates in the hands of local contractors. One of them is M....

Melodies in amber.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Reviewed by Marc Lourdes DIDO and Sara Bareilles are the pick of this week's reviews even with The Boss in the fray, writes MARC LOURDES. DIDO Safe Trip Home Sony/BMG EVERYTHING about this album, from the music to the lyrics to the...

Public enemy but always Chelsea's No 1.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Matt Dickinson IF Didier Drogba has an inflated sense of self, and that would be about the kindest thing written about him since last week, we should not be too surprised. He is the most important player in the Chelsea side. Less...

Not so Jol-ly for Sunderland.
May 30, 2009... MARTIN Jol has snubbed Sunderland to take over at Ajax. The former Tottenham manager was appointed Hamburg coach last summer and led the club to a fifth-place finish - and a Europa League spot - in the Bundesliga. The Dutch outfit have...

Family files for judicial review.
May 30, 2009... SHAH ALAM: The family of deceased art director Mohan Singh filed an application at the High Court for a judicial review against Sungai Buloh Hospital's decision not to release his body to them as he was believed to have converted to Islam in...

China visit: PM to focus on trade.
May 30, 2009... PUTRAJAYA: Trade and investments will dominate bilateral talks with China when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak visits the republic on Tuesday. Najib will also be discussing and exchanging views on bilateral, regional and international...

'Please release me'.
May 30, 2009... PAUL Robinson has held a meeting with Tony Mowbray in a bid to secure a release from West Brom. The left-back, who has been subject of a STG1m (RM5.3 million) enquiry from his former boss at Bolton, Gary Megson, is keen to stay in the Premier...

Correction.
May 30, 2009... IN our report "Space-age use for rice husks" yesterday, we wrongly reported that Prof Dr Halimaton Hamdan was Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer and chemical engineer. She is a UTM lecturer and chemist. The error is regretted.

MB's aide escapes unhurt.
May 30, 2009... KUANTAN: The Terengganu menteri besar's political secretary, Wan Ahmad Wan Abdul, 43, escaped unhurt after the Mercedes-Benz he was driving was involved in an accident at Km12 of the Jalan Kuantan-Kemaman, near Cherating on Thursday night. In...

Gavin comes from behind to triumph.
May 30, 2009... A DETERMINED charge by Gavin Kyle Green from five strokes back saw him winning the Kurnia-Saujana Amateur Championship yesterday. The 15-year-old edged overnight leaders Kenneth De Silva and Iszaimi Ismail by one stroke for his third victory...

Danger at work.
May 30, 2009... DEMOLITION work at the former Jaya Shopping Centre in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, was apparently scheduled to begin at 6pm on Thursday. But about 4.45pm, sections of the old structure suddenly came tumbling down. Two workers have been pulled...

Marinated chicken wings + Black mushrooms + Steamed glutinous rice = Traditional steamed glutinous rice + Berbecue chicken pieces + Pacific clam = Glutinously yours!
May 30, 2009... Byline: Su Aziz THERE'S nothing like sticky, succulent glutinous rice to perk up your palate, writes SU AZIZ. My first encounter with Chinese steamed glutinous rice was when I was seven years old. Back then, studying in an all-girls...

'Clubs will queue up for Gordon'.
May 30, 2009... FORMER Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson believes leading clubs will be falling over themselves to welcome Strachan back into the Premier League following his departure from Celtic. Atkinson took Strachan under his wing as a playercoach...

All eyes on Jega-Ibrahim fight.
May 30, 2009... Byline: K.M. Boopathy FOLLOWING the withdrawal of Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim from the contest for the top post, the stage is now set for the battle between deputy president Datuk Dr. M. Jegathesan and Datuk Dr. Ibrahim Saad in the Olympic...

Owen should say sorry to Newcastle for costing them RM 3.7m a goal.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Des Kelly WHEN I heard there was a Michael Owen apology on the back page of a national newspaper, my first thought was that he was finally saying sorry to the supporters of Newcastle United for the years of underachievement at the...

Hanging on to Hangeland.
May 30, 2009... FULHAM boss Roy Hodgson is determined to persuade Brede Hangeland to stay at Craven Cottage but concedes he will not be able to stop him leaving for the likes of Arsenal next summer. The Norway international defender has been one of the...

Red sails in the sunset.
May 30, 2009... Byline: James Hipkiss JAMES HIPKISS takes in the calm Andaman Sea, with good food and fine wine for company. Yachting and boating appears to be a growing phenomenon in Malaysia. Certainly, there have been, for many years, some yacht...

Who's the best? Who's the worst? It's awards time ...
May 30, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Northcroft BEST player Frank Lampard. Chelsea were inconsistent but whether playing under Luiz Felipe Scolari or Guus Hiddink, as a defensive or attacking midfielder, home or away, in Europe or the Premier League, Lampard...

Dept takes custody of abused boy.
May 30, 2009... BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Welfare Department here yesterday took custody of a 9-year-old abuse victim after his case was highlighted to them by a village security and development committee member. The boy, from Taman Juru Indah near Juru, claimed...

Umno special general meeting on Oct 12.
May 30, 2009... Byline: V. Vasudevan; Suresh Ram KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno special general meeting will be held one day before its four-day annual general meeting (AGM), which will begin on Oct 13. The party also reiterated that it would contest the Manik...

Stress factor in rising IBS cases.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Shuhada Elis KUALA LUMPUR: About 430,000 Malaysians suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and the number is rising, thanks to increasing stress levels. Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (MSGH) president...

Illiterate Indians lured into slavery.
May 30, 2009... MALACCA: They lure illiterate Indians by promising them a good life. Trapped between wanting a better life for their family and eager to escape the grip of poverty, many Indian parents fell prey to the scam which has been kept under close...

'Adamazing' fashion sense.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Suzieana Uda Nagu; Nurjehan Mohamed SUZIEANA UDA NAGU and NURJEHAN MOHAMED marvel at Adam Lambert's stylish onstage persona. KRIS Allen may have won the title for American Idol 8 but runner-up Adam Lambert takes the crown for...

Child abuse cases on the increase.
May 30, 2009... PETALING JAYA: Child abuse cases are increasing at an alarming rate. There were 2,780 cases last year compared with 2,279 in 2007 and 1,999 in 2006. In 2005, there were only 1,800 cases. Last year, Selangor recorded the highest number of...

Open sesame for scholarships.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Koh Lay Chin PARENTS Dr Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi and Ahmad Ikmal Ismail, with KOH LAY CHIN sitting in, have an illuminating discussion over limiting the numbers of subjects that a student can sit for in the SPM. CRAZY NUMBERS...

Wunderbar!
May 30, 2009... Byline: Kitty Kaye BAYERNHAUS serves up some some succulent fare that'll make you come back for more. KITTY KAYE says sehr gut! There's something to be said about German food - they come in huge quantities and are deliciously comforting. ...

Malaysia a land of irony and incongruity.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Koh Lay Chin IT'S a tragic but fascinating story that is now showcasing the ironies and contractions of politics and public opinion. When former South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun committed suicide recently over a broadening...

Mothers Day special at prison.
May 30, 2009... Byline: June Ramli KUALA LUMPUR: Rose (not her real name) wore a stoic front on Thursday despite the obvious sadness over her husband and children's failure to attend the Kajang Prison's Mothers Day celebrations. For the duration of the...

Kelantan can play in Kota Baru.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Devinder Singh KELANTAN at last had their wish to return to their home ground granted when the FA of Malaysia (FAM) lifted a season-long ban on the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium in Kota Baru yesterday. FAM's competitions committee...

Hairy Fellaini ready for His biggest day.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Northcroft HE has the most distinctive hair in English football since David Beckham, so much so that when he put it in braids for a game against Stoke, the Liverpool Echo interviewed market stall owners and a fancy-dress shop...

Twisted coffee cocktails.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Kitty Kaye KITTY KAYE lifts a few coffee-based drinks recipes to add punch to your weekend; just remember to try them with company! Recently, I have been bored with freshly brewed coffee. I either brew it in my percolator or in my...

Two with tiger skins arrested.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Noor Adzman Baharuddin; Adib Povera ALOR STAR: Local conservationists have estimated that there are now fewer than 500 Malayan tigers left in the jungles in the peninsula. As of yesterday, the number had dwindled by five. This...

Showcasing progress in education.
May 30, 2009... PUTRAJAYA: The 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) next month has provided Malaysia the best platform to showcase its success and progress in education. The triennial conference at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre...

Indonesian movie treat for students.
May 30, 2009... STUDENTS at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology were recently treated to a screening of Teh O Ais Productions' Kain Warna Warni. The screening, organised by the university's Indonesian student-based Merah Putih Club, attracted not...

The unsung heroes behind those who succeed.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Johan Jaaffar PRESIDENT Barack Obama's choice of Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for the Supreme Court is not to say unpredictable. After all, the 44th president of the United States is black (or half-white or half-black, whichever way...

Chong Wei simply too good.
May 30, 2009... Byline: T.N. Alagesh FAVOURITE Lee Chong Wei proved why he has remained unbeaten on the local circuit for six years as he captured the Pahang Open in convincing manner in Kuantan yesterday. Chong Wei toyed around with back-up shuttler Chan...

Farah takes five to pamper herself.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Meor Shariman SINGER Farah Asyikin takes a coffee break and shares her thoughts on fame and controversy. Q: You lead a very interesting life as a singer. A: Yeah, ever since I jumped into the entertainment scene via Malaysian...

A Vintage season for drivers, divers and pretty pink boots.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Piers Morgan BEST 'HOW TO LOSE THE DRESSING ROOM IN 15 MINUTES' DECISION Yes, it was my old perma-tanned friend, Phil "Enough about me, what about me?" Brown, whose Hull City side were storming the Premier League until they slipped up...

Putting vino in the treatment.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Su Aziz GRAPE-based treatment spas are flourishing all over town, as SU AZIZ finds out. We all know the wonders of grapes. Especially dark red grapes. Its grape seed goodness, its antioxidant and beta carotene content. But the poor...

Fulham - a great family club.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Patrick Barclay THERE cannot be a more popular team in the Premier League than Fulham. By popular I mean actually liked by their supporters. There is no whipping-boy, like Darren Fletcher used to be at Manchester United or Emmanuel...

Panel set up to tackle problem of loan sharks.
May 30, 2009... Byline: B. Suresh Ram KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry has formed a working committee to review cases involving loan sharks and its victims. "The committee had its first meeting on Thursday, chaired by the ministry's secretary-general,...

Five held for beating up traffic cop.
May 30, 2009... GEORGE TOWN: Five suspects, including a woman, have been arrested to help investigations into the case of an off-duty traffic policeman who was beaten and robbed here on Wednesday morning. The suspects, aged between 40 and 50, were picked up...

From the pages to the silver screen.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Meor Shariman MANY Hollywood blockbusters have been adapted from best-selling novels. Among the recent blockbusters are Harry Potter, Twilight, The Chronicles of Narnia, Inkheart, Slumdog Millionaire and Angels & Demons. ...

City council absolved of blame.
May 30, 2009... Byline: V. Shuman; Veena Babulal; Adrian David PETALING JAYA: Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha yesterday absolved the city council of any blame in the collapse of the former Jaya Supermarket building on Thursday....

And the nominees are...
May 30, 2009... Byline: Edwin Wong EDWIN WONG lists down this year's designer games which are in the running for the coveted Spiel des Jahres award. Much like the Academy awards, the growing legion of designer game enthusiasts are looking forward to this...

Najib tells Ong to provide the answers.
May 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has directed Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to respond to queries involving the audit report on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ). He said Ong would provide the necessary...

Schoolgirl missing for a week.
May 30, 2009... BATU PAHAT: The police here are appealing to the public for information regarding the whereabouts of a girl who has been missing for the last one week. Batu Pahat deputy police chief Superintendent Azman Abd Lah said Ng Xiao Lin, 14, left the...

A mammoth task awaits port authority.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Kang Siew Li FOR nearly seven years, the government has been dogged by the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, and this situation is unlikely to change any time soon. Indeed, opposition parties have been having a field day with...

Perak moves to set up ICT centres with China, Vietnam.
May 30, 2009... IPOH: As part of the effort to enhance and expand the information, communications and technology sector outside Perak, the state government will collaborate with China and Vietnam to set up the Shared Services and Outsourcing (SSO) centre, the...

It is now all up to MACC.
May 30, 2009... PUTRAJAYA: It's now over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the Port Klang Free Zone debacle. Port Klang Authority chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng handed over the audit report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to the commission at the...

The fight to be the toughest.
May 30, 2009... FOUR professionals from Nigeria, five from Japan and one each from Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand are among the triathletes fighting to be the toughest in the XTERRA Malaysia - Kuantan Off-Road Triathlon on June 6-7. To date, 27...

'It was a personal challenge'.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Koh Lay Chin KUALA LUMPUR: He may be the record holder for the most straight As in a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, but Azali Azlan insists the staggering 21 As do not define him. The 18-year-old who obtained 20 1As...

Minimum is 4 core subjects, 2 electives.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi KUALA LUMPUR: Starting next year, the number of core subjects for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia will be reduced from six to four to allow candidates to choose more electives. However, SPM candidates will still have...

Strike a pose, win a Samsung Star.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Chandra Devi HAVING the right pose during a photography session does make a lot of difference in the way your picture turns out. Some people are just natural at posing for the camera that every picture shows their best side. ...

Decision on PKFZ will be in people's interests.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Mazlinda Mahmood SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said yesterday any future decisions made on the Port Klang Authority and the Port Klang Free Zone project would be in the interests of the people, even if it cost him his political...

Fourth body in Jaya mall disaster found.
May 30, 2009... PETALING JAYA: Police yesterday recovered a fourth body from the collapsed portion of the former Jaya Supermarket, amid fading hopes of finding the three other victims still trapped inside alive. District police chief Assistant Commissioner...

You's pick of the week.
May 30, 2009... THE unexpected victory of Kris Allen over Adam Lambert in the recently concluded American Idol 8 garnered equal measures of elation and despair among viewers. This video from YouTube user brisk8 probably best captured this polarity in...

Class will tell.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Tony Cascarino IN a nutshell, why do I expect Guus Hiddink to be celebrating a win in today's FA Cup final? Because Everton are a poor man's Chelsea. They've got a lot in common. Both sides are dogged, hard-working, organised,...

Balancing act the key to Burnley's survival.
May 30, 2009... IT is great to have a club with Burnley's history and tradition in the top flight but if they want to be more than a one-season novelty act, the work starts now. The first year in the Premier League is hard for any manager, let alone one as...

Sports school for the disabled.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Syed Umar Ariff MUAR: A sports school and a pre-Olympic sports council for the disabled will be set up to prepare and augment the skills of handicapped athletes for local and international sporting events. Deputy Education Minister...

Good going for Malaysians.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Arnaz M. Khairul IT looked pretty good for the Malaysian camp in their home round of the Asian Festival of Speed (AFOS) at Sepang Circuit yesterday. Veteran Eric Yeo was leading the pack in the Asian Touring Car Series (ATCS),...

Easy first round for national junior Yan Xin.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Devinder Singh NATIONAL junior Tan Yan Xin had the perfect start in her bid to land the Milo All-Stars Junior Championships girls' Under-17 title at the Astaka Courts in Petaling Jaya yesterday. Top seed Yan Xin showed no mercy in...

MPYO concert at DFP.
May 30, 2009... FRESH from its tour of East Malaysia last December, the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) is set to demonstrate its musicianship again at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), KLCC, Kuala Lumpur on June 2 and 7. Both concerts at...

Quarantine for 5 until Tuesday.
May 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Health authorities have decided to "home quarantine" the five Malaysians who came in contact with the 22-year-old Singaporean woman who is infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus. The five show no symptoms of the virus at...

Tevez's man Joorabchian is no secret agent.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Dan King A NEW blacklist of suspected unlicensed agents was sent out to all clubs by the Football Association last week. Absent from it was Kia Joorabchian, the businessman who heads the group of investors which owns the economic...

Miss Universe 2005 here to judge pageant.
May 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: Cameras clicked when Natalie Glebova walked out of the arrival hall at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday. A chorus of "selamat datang" rang out to welcome Miss Universe 2005. On hand to greet her were the 18...

Revelling in Aestheticism at SGM.
May 30, 2009... THERE is no lack of beauty in life but a lack of eyes that can see the beauty in things. This is the message conveyed by a host of artists from China in the art exhibition "Revelling In Aestheticism" at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, Jalan Bukit...

Fergie focused on Liverpool since Kenny was king of the Kop.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Ash Wednesday SIR Alex Ferguson's obsession with Liverpool can be traced back to a television interview given by Manchester United's manager after a fiery 3-3 draw at Anfield way back on April 4, 1988. Ferguson claimed managers...

Bosses should be gagged to ease the pressure on referees.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Graham Poll THE footballing authorities must act to stop managers from trying to influence appointments and performances of match officials. There ought to be either a new "seven-day rule" which bans any manager from speaking about...

Fast and furious day for orphans.
May 30, 2009... THOUGH the Sepang Circuit will be packed with racing cars and motorheads, organisers of the Asian Festival of Speed (AFOS) have not forgotten their social responsibility and will give the disadvantaged a taste of high level motor racing this...

Wanted: Travellers' tales.
May 30, 2009... MPH Group Publishing is looking for true travellers' tales, preferably on places outside the tourist hubs in Malaysia. Stories should be in the form of travelogues with rich, firsthand descriptions of sights and sounds and even tastes. ...

'The Global Art of Mixing' at Zouk.
May 30, 2009... HENNESSY Artistry 'The Global Art of Mixing' returns to Kuala Lumpur on June 4 with two top-notch artistes from Indonesia and the United States who give party enthusiasts a dynamic, body-pumping performance. The 9pm showcase at Phuture in...

It looks like mission impossible for Everton.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Jack Howler THERE is a God after all... and thankfully he did no favours for Manchester United in the Champions League final. For it would have been a great injustice to football if the Devils had beaten Barcelona on Wednesday. ...

Five-star rating for air force system.
May 30, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR: The government recently awarded the Royal Malaysian Air Force a five-star rating for its new management system. RMAF chief Gen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin said the RMAF, together with other agencies in the Defence Ministry, had...

Poll's Poser.
May 30, 2009... THE REFEREE'S CLINIC Question: With today's FA Cup final potentially to be decided by penalty shootouts, many of you have asked when the ball is dead at such a kick. Does the penalty count in these situations? ? The ball hits the crossbar,...

Make merry at Kaamatan festival.
May 30, 2009... PENAMPANG: Traditional dances, songs, music performances, handicraft exhibitions, local food and drink tasting and traditional sports and games. These are among the events at the two-day state-level Kaamatan or harvest festival celebration at...

Wildcards for Si, Adam and Razlan.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Ajitpal Singh FORMER national champion Si Yew Meng, Adam Jaya and Razlan Rawi have been given wildcard entries into the main draw of the US$30,000 (RM104,830) Malaysia Open Dunlop Futures I, II, III Championships next month. The...

A real surreal.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Dennis Chua ARTFOLIO in the Jelatek Business Centre, Jalan Jelatek 2, Kuala Lumpur, presents Reality Of Surreal-Scape, a solo exhibition by Thai artist Paramat Lueng-On. It is Paramat's second solo exhibition in Malaysia. Born...

Chor denies any conflict of interest.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung has denied any conflict of interest involving his role in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project. Chor, auditors had said, could have possibly been in a...

UEM deposits RM47m pending appeal.
May 30, 2009... PUTRAJAYA: Government-linked company UEM (Group) Bhd, embroiled in a shareholder dispute with its Singapore partner, has agreed to deposit RM47.2 million in a stakeholder's account as a condition to obtain a stay of execution against a Court of...

Mike aims to surprise again.
May 30, 2009... MIKE Ariokiasamy Ratnam and co-driver Wayne Cheah hope to repeat their surprise win in Round One when Round Two of the Malaysian Rally Championship flags off in Kuala Perlis today. Having rebuilt the engine of his Proton Wira which was badly...

2 years' jail over abortion deaths.
May 30, 2009... Byline: Sushma Veera KUALA LUMPUR: A 63-year-old grandmother who escaped jail last year for performing an illegal abortion was shocked yesterday when the High Court ordered her to spend two years behind bars. It set aside the RM6,000 fine...

The limits of limitations.
May 30, 2009... WATCH out when you ask someone, "What limitations are you facing when carrying out your task?" You need to discern their responses to this question carefully when they go through a list of reasons why they can't do this or that. You need to find...

Hair-raising day for Blues.
May 30, 2009... MAROUANE Fellaini is seen as one of Everton's most lethal weapons against Chelsea in the FA Cup final today at Wembley. Nicknamed "Screech", the Morroco-born Fellaini is a tall, rangy midfielder with a scoring habit. Fellaini, who cost...