New Straits Times articles from November 2008, page 4

New Straits Times archives from November 2008

RM200,000 flood aid.
November 29, 2008... KOTA BARU: The State Welfare Department has allocated RM200,000 in food supplies for the flood season, including rice, sardines, biscuits and cooking oil. Most of it has been sent to Pasir Mas, Tumpat, Tanah Merah and Kota Baru...

Ying Ying's mum loses her cool.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Phuah Ken Lin GEORGE TOWN: A female accused damaged the audio equipment of a Bernama television cameraman outside the magistrate's court in Balik Pulau, near here, yesterday. Teh Hooi Wen, 29, however, apologised to Amear...

No permit for nude protest, say police.
November 29, 2008... SHAH ALAM: No police permit will be given for a nude protest in front of the State Secretariat building here on Monday. State police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said that police would never approve a permit for such a demonstration, as...

Keane has given Sunderland discipline, attitude & leadership.
November 29, 2008... SIR Bobby Robson sat down with Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn at the club's academy recently to talk about the challenge of making the leap from player to chairman - and the prospect of Roy Keane carrying on his good work at the Stadium of...

New physical, virtual access to MM2H.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Zoe Phoon A wider international audience can now access information on the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme physically and virtually. This follows the launch of a new information desk at the Kuala Lumpur Retail...

Gripping humour.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Reviewed by James Hipkiss THE GATE HOUSE By Nelson DeMille (Grand Central Publishing, 666 pages) IN this latest Nelson Demille novel, his position as one of today's best thriller writers is emphasised yet again. Having...

Proof of the pudding is in the eating.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Aida Ahmad SUDANESE Shawgi Izzeldin says he "fell in love with Malaysia" after vacationing here two years ago. He later came across the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme through his extensive reading about the country...

The luxury of value.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Chris Prasad TASTE, preference and value. Today, these are factors that influence buyers who are shopping for high-end residential properties, for whom choosing a home is more about choosing a lifestyle. To put it into...

Major European Leagues.
November 29, 2008... PREMIER LEAGUE ENGLAND LEADING SCORERS Robinho (Man City): 8 goals 12 Nicolas Anelka - Chelsea 8 Cristiano Ronaldo - Man Utd 8 Robinho - Man City 8 Amr Zaki - Wigan 7 Darren Bent - Tottenham 7 Gabriel Agbonlahor - Aston Villa 6 Jermain Defoe...

Agent: Give MM2Hers a chance to work.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Julia Jamaldin THE Expat Group has suggested that those registered under Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) be permitted to work here, subject to restrictions. Its managing director Andy Davison, an MM2H agent, said feedback...

Singapore halts outright land sales.
November 29, 2008... TO forestall risk of oversupply in the property sector, the Singapore government has halted outright land sales until mid-2009, announcing it will cancel tenders for a transitional office site at Mountbatten Road and another site bordered by...

New Citi home loan for the rich.
November 29, 2008... CITIBANK Singapore has a new home loan for high nett worth clients to consolidate their mortgage financing on residential properties held domestically and abroad into an all-in-one overdraft facility. It said Citibank Global Home Equity...

Rediscovering our assets.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Andrew Wong QUITE a few of us have a nasty habit of discarding what we consider old and replacing them with what we consider trendy. We did it with our toys; we did it with our bell-bottoms; and we even did it with our country's...

China simplifies foreign investment process.
November 29, 2008... INVESTORS wishing to establish foreign invested real estate enterprises (FIREs) in China will now find the process easier as its Ministry of Commerce has delegated the power to approve to provincial authorities. The ministry said while...

Our builders in RM11b 'Modern Islamic Lifestyle' project in Shenyang.
November 29, 2008... SOME RM11 billion worth of commercial and residential properties are set to take shape in Shenyang, China, under the supervision of a group of Malaysian developers including Bina Puri Holdings Bhd. Shenyang-Malaysia Development Sdn Bhd...

Tengku Budriah laid to rest.
November 29, 2008... ARAU: The Raja Perempuan Besar of Perlis, Tengku Budriah Tengku Ismail, passed away yesterday and was buried at the royal mausoleum. The royal hearse left Istana Arau for the mausoleum after Asar prayers and the burial ceremony ended at 6pm....

Frustrated foreign buyers form action committee.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Naveen Mathew Menon KUALA LUMPUR: From Japan, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia and the Middle East, they all came to Kuala Lumpur looking for a piece of property to buy. They bought commercial lots in the Nas Pavillion scheme...

Duke of hazards.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Noel Achariam KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities want to build a drainage system on their land for their safety but the villagers ask to be compensated for it. Two days ago, a 30-metre retaining wall on the Duta-Ulu Kelang...

A success magnet.
November 29, 2008... JUST the other day, I decided to call up Minah, an old coaching client of mine to see how she was doing. Much to my delight and happiness, Minah, is now a fully 'transformed' person today. She speaks with so much confidence and from her tone...

Government ever vigilant, says Najib.
November 29, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday said Malaysia was "on top of the situation" where terrorism in the country was concerned, saying the government was ever vigilant. He said this was the result of what...

Just relieved to be back.
November 29, 2008... SEPANG: The situation in Bangkok may be tense with anti-government protestors confronting police at two major airports, but for Malaysians who returned last night, the biggest fear was not being able to get home. "It was not frightening...

353 flown home from Thailand.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Azura Abas; Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 353 Malaysians were whisked home to safety last night aboard two emergency flights out of Thailand. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia mounted a flight each out of the...

Digesting facts on nutrition.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Su Aziz SU AZIZ recommends you go through these books to be informed about what you eat. Recently, I was given directions to a wedding hall in Ipoh, Perak. One of the instructions on how to get there was, "Once you smell...

Endless choice at Sunway Pyramid.
November 29, 2008... SPORTING a frantic look as Christmas approaches and shopping has yet to be completed? Well, there is no better reason to head for the all-new Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, home to over 700 outlets specialising in fashion, home and living and...

Organiser of tennis event gets 2 weeks to repair field.
November 29, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) is giving the organiser of the cancelled "Kings of Tennis" event a two-week deadline to restore the damaged Esplanade field. Its president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman said the company...

Teng on Anwar's role in RM84m council HQ.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Audrey Dermawan GEORGE TOWN: The RM84 million Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) headquarters was built in Bandar Perda on the advice of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was then the deputy prime minister. This was stated...

Girl's parents seek help to pay hospital bills.
November 29, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: Three-month-old Nur Masrisha Mahya had an urgent operation on Thursday to correct congenital heart defects. The surgery at the Gleneagles Medical Centre here was to repair the holes between the upper and lower chambers of the...

Zen with bonsai.
November 29, 2008... WHEN you look at a well shaped-bonsai, you should see a flowing form that captures the eye. To obtain this form, you don't simply begin pruning and snipping away with no plan in mind. You need to have a plan and a clear understanding of your...

Stedman primed for major upset.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Go-Ram SPEEDY Stedman wound up preparations for a claim in the S$1.35 million (RM3.2 million) Singapore Gold Cup for Group 1 horses over 2200m in Race 10 tomorrow with a stylish workout at Kranji yesterday. Taken out by a...

Big Maverick for comeback win.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Go-Ram CONSISTENT Big Maverick can step up on his series of placings to score a comeback win in the S$350,000 (RM840,000) EW Barker Trophy for Group 2 horses over 1400m (Race 9, 5.25pm) at Kranji today. The four-year-old New...

Delia's the key to semis.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh IT is not so much Nicol David but National No 3 Delia Arnold who holds the key to Malaysia's semi-final ambition at the Women's World Team Championship which begin in Cairo tomorrow. World No 1 Nicol, unbeaten...

Dream trip for grand champions Intinity FC.
November 29, 2008... INTINITY FC from Kuantan emerged as grand champions in a nation-wide Under-16 Milo Hidup Bola Futsal Carnival held from April to July . The grand prize came with a six-day all-expenses paid trip to the heart of English Premier League... .

South Zone fancy their chances of retaining title.
November 29, 2008... SOUTH Zone will seek to retain their title when they face North Zone in the annual HSBC Under-19 two-day match at the Bayuemas Oval in Klang today. Faris Almas-Lee Rosmanizam, the South captain, believes his side is well equipped to...

Yew Meng, Selvam through to last four.
November 29, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh TOP seed Si Yew Meng and V. Selvam cruised into the men's singles semi-finals with ease in the Port Dickson Open at the Royal Port Dickson Yacht Club yesterday. Yew Meng thrashed Mohd Faizal 6-0, 6-1 and next...

A pity about the lock.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Mohd Faizal Abdullah I REFER to the report "Cop's son shoots mum" (NST, Nov 26) where it was reported that the son of a police sergeant shot his mother using his father's semi-automatic pistol. The son had taken the pistol from an...

Look into supply end to cut costs.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Paul Selva Raj IN the wake of announcements that the roti canai price is going down with "immediate" effect, most consumers are still waiting for cheaper meals at their local stalls. The Consumer Research and Resource Centre's...

IGP: Malaysia is still a safe place.
November 28, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: Police have given their assurance that Malaysia is still a safe place despite the rise in the domestic crime rate and instability in the region. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said he did not want anything like...

Malaysian Maybank Open returns to Saujana.
November 28, 2008... THE 48th edition of the Maybank Malaysian Open returns to the Saujana Golf and Country Club on Feb 12-15 with a total of RM6.4 million (US$2 million) in prize money. The Saujana Golf and Country Club last hosted the event in 2007 and next...

'Why is this happening?'.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Sushma Veera KUALA LUMPUR: Former air stewardess Yim Pek Ha will spend 18 years in prison after she was found guilty of causing grievous hurt to her maid, Nirmala Bonat, in a case which received widespread attention here and in...

Susilo hails ruling.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Amy Chew INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who took a personal interest in Nirmala Bonat, welcomed the court's decision against her employer, saying justice had been done. "We are pleased to hear that justice has...

Aamir shows Azlan the exit in Macau.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh PAKISTAN'S Aamir Atlas Khan piled on the misery for Azlan Iskandar, who bowed out in the first round of the Macau Open yesterday. Fifth seed Azlan, seeking to play his way to form after a spate of injuries, lost...

Unbeaten Nicol hungry for more.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh HOW do you improve on a perfect season? For Nicol David that is the formidable task she faces next year having exceeded her own expectations by going through an entire season unbeaten. The World No 1 won all 10...

Help for marriage panel.
November 28, 2008... Byline: K.N. Damodaran AS a member of a marriage tribunal, I cannot but agree wholeheartedly with what was highlighted in your report "Tribunal ill-prepared to solve marriage woes" (NST, Nov 17). Twenty-six years have lap-sed since the Law...

Keep the contractors away from animals.
November 28, 2008... Byline: T.K.T. THERE seems to be no end to the problem of council workers and private contractors being cruel to stray dogs while in the process of catching them. Why is that so obvious? Regardless of whether a state is run by a Barisan...

Pei Tty-Eei Hui now World No 2.
November 28, 2008... Byline: K.M. Boopathy WOMEN'S doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui achieved their best career ranking of World No 2 yesterday following their exploits in the Super Series events over the last two months. Pei Tty-Eei Hui, who were ranked World...

Men's doubles struggle.
November 28, 2008... Byline: K.M. Boopathy NATIONAL No 1 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari slugged their way into the quarter-finals alongside women's doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui in the Hong Kong Open yesterday. Kien...

Why we need to think again on 24-hour eateries.
November 28, 2008... Byline: J. D. Lovrenciear IN Malaysia, it is easy to park yourself in a restaurant 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One wonders, do we really need such round-the-clock food services? Not so long ago, the argument put forth was that there...

A new tack is needed on Chua.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Idzan Ismail YOUR report "Soi Lek left out of Johor MCA line-up" (NST, Nov 26) describes a trend in Malaysian politics followed for decades. You don't like the man, so you marginalise him. It's a sad, recurring malaise which is...

JLJ forced to concede walkover in semis.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Jugjet Singh DIVISION TWO champions Jurulatih Jentera (JLJ) will be banking on their 19-year-old penalty corner flicker to do damage against Sapura in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League on Dec 5. But the irony is...

Sorry for the bother.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Amin Khan WE refer to the letter "Travel setbacks: Airline should take the blame" (NST, Nov 4) by S.R. of Ipoh and apologise for the inconvenience experienced by the customer as a result of our flight rescheduling. We have since...

Let's not fail them twice.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Mariam Mokhtar THERE are no winners. There are no losers. Those who have been "saved" from their suicide attempts acted in this way because they were alreadyin the depths of despair. Therefore, I hope that the deputy...

Crooks buying up credit card codes.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Alang Bendahara KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian credit card users face the risk of identity theft by international syndicates that buy their card details and use it for online purchases overseas. Federal Commercial Crime Investigation...

Ernst & Young have easy draw.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Jugjet Singh "IT's now or never," that's how Ernst & Young team manager George Koshy summed up his team's chances in the Malaysia Hockey League TNB Cup. The League champions, who won all their nine matches comfortably, not only...

Haslinda fails in appeal.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Former television production manager Haslinda Merican and ex-financial consultant Mohd Amin Jamdi failed in their first attempt to appeal against their conviction and sentence in a sex-for-hire case in 1995. The High Court...

Summonses for defaulters.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Eileen Ng; Irdiani Mohd Salleh; Evangeline Majawat THE National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has sent out a total of 18,532 court summonses to loan defaulters up to October this year. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri...

Don offers royals a way to regain status.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The onus lies with the Rulers' Conference to prove that the 1993 constitutional amendment that removed full legal immunity of rulers is no longer relevant, according to a constitutional law expert. Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi,...

Slanging matches.
November 28, 2008... MISBEHAVING parliamentarians, it appears, have become very much the order of the day. The august house has been besmirched time and again with a free flow of unfavourable expressions, name-calling, four- and even seven-letter words and invective...

1 billion ASM units on offer on Monday.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd is selling an additional one billion units of Amanah Saham Malaysia from Monday. Transactions on the new ASM units will begin at 8am at all 10 ASNB offices nationwide. Unit holders can also subscribe to...

Karpal continues to pile it on Nazri.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Eileen Ng; Irdiani Mohd Salleh; Evangeline Majawat DAP chairman Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) continued with his criticism of Minister in the Prime Minister Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz yesterday over the case of the judges...

High number of teen rape cases.
November 28, 2008... SEREMBAN: The state capital recorded the highest number of teenage rape cases in the state last year with a total of 58 cases. The state assembly was told yesterday that the town recorded 36 cases where girls aged below 16 were raped. Nine of...

Opposition baying for blood.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Eileen Ng; Irdiani Mohd Salleh; Evangeline Majawat THE house will decide whether to take disciplinary action against Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) for making unparliamentary remarks against opposition members on...

Nothing wrong with my health, says Saiful.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Mohamad Saiful Bukhary made an appearance yesterday to brush aside rumours circulating on the Internet that he was paralysed, or dead. The 23-year-old former aide of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had been keeping well and was...

Men above 40 prone to erectile dysfunction.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Three in five urban Malaysian men aged 40 and above suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED). This was the finding derived from a study carried out by the Malaysian Society of Andrology and the Study of the Aging Male (MSASAM) in...

Calm before storm in long Umno race?
November 28, 2008... Byline: Zubaidah Abu Bakar ASIDE from the brewing battle for the chieftainship of the women's wing, Umno seems eerily calm at this stage of the long run-up to the party's polls. ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR examines why. A MARATHON, decathlon or its...

TV presenter set for her first tournament.
November 28, 2008... Byline: K.M. Boopathy KUALA lUMPUR: Tennis has always been a passion for television presenter Azura Zainal but she has never competed in a tournament. So when the opportunity presented itself in the form of the CEO-Celebrity Charity Tennis...

Refugee policy stays.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Eileen Ng; Irdiani Mohd Salleh; Evangeline Majawat MALAYSIA will not change its policy to take in people fleeing Thailand because of the escalation of violence in that country, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said. He said...

Nazri: Immunity request must come from rulers.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Irdiani Mohd Salleh KUALA LUMPUR: There is conflict of interest in the call by the Regent of Negri Sembilan Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Jaafar for full legal immunity of the rulers to be restored, Minister in the Prime Minister's...

PM: Cooperation key to nation's growth.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Cooperation and understanding among key stakeholders are critical to the economy's growth prospects, the prime minister said. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said although the government projected a growth rate of five per cent...

Vietnam tour for Kedah.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Bashah Zainol Abidin TREBLE champions Kedah will play two friendly on a playing tour of Vietnam on Dec 12-17 as preparations for the new season which kicks off next month. Kedah coach Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah is pleased that his team...

8 villages flooded after downpour.
November 28, 2008... TAMPIN: Eight villages, including five in Kuala Pilah, were hit by floods as deep as a metre after a downpour on Wednesday. Heavy rain, which started around 2pm, caused 27 people to evacuate their homes in Kampung Keru near here to a nearby...

Game on despite turmoil, says Thai FA.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Christopher Raj THE Thailand Football Association has confirmed that it will host the Asean Football Championship Group B matches on Dec 5-11 despite the political turmoil in Bangkok. It is learnt that Thailand FA president Datuk...

Pillaging pirates pile gloom on world trade.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Hardev Kaur INCREASED pirate attacks on the high seas could not have come at a worse time for world trade and the struggling global economy. Increased pirate attacks along major trade routes have resulted in the "largest crisis faced...

UPSR high achiever dies of leukaemia.
November 28, 2008... KUCHING: Two weeks ago, Alvina Ho was on cloud nine when she scored 5As in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and emerged as one of the state's top students. However, she did not live to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Ho, who...

'People power' a viral contagion.
November 28, 2008... Byline: John Teo THE Arroyo administration in the Philippines has just one full year left in office and is refusing to let slip any chance it gets to amend the country's constitution. What happens there, as I always believe, is of more than...

Children in need of surgery funds.
November 28, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: Two-year-old Muhammad Ariff Haikal Muhammad Nor Azri had an operation recently to correct congenital heart defects. They were a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and an abnormal connection between two major blood...

RM2 meal wins award.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Arman Ahmad KUALA LUMPUR: For the last 20 years, patrons of Khalid Ahmad's stall in Kuala Kedah have paid just RM2 for a complete meal of rice with fish or meat and vegetables. Yesterday, Khalid's stall was among 170 premises to...

Kota Tinggi was never a producer.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Tan Choon Lim I REFER to your report "Bridges of Kota Tinggi" (NST Johor Buzz, Nov 20). According to the report, "iron ore, sundry goods and passengers were ferried in Sungai Johor between Kota Tinggi and Sisek. Sisek was once a...

Yes, you'll get a boat.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Norshazila Ahmad I REFER to the complaint "Transport vital in hour of need" (NST, Nov 17) that there is no alternative transportation from Langkawi island to the mainland in times of emergency, that is after the last ferry or airline...

Gang rampage leaves 2 dead.
November 28, 2008... Byline: V. Shankar Ganesh KLANG: A gang of six went on a rampage in Taman Sentosa on Wednesday night, killing two and leaving five seriously injured in separate attacks. The parang-wielding gangsters, believed to be high on drugs, randomly...

Judge describes Yim's behaviour as sadistic.
November 28, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: It was Yim Pek Ha's own testimony which did her in, said Sessions judge Akhtar Tahir. In reading out his judgment, Akhtar said Yim's evidence had strengthened the prosecution's case and also the victim's evidence. "I noticed...

Civil servants on EPF can switch to pension scheme.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants who had opted for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme can now choose the pension scheme instead, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He said government employees...

PM may not attend Asean Summit.
November 28, 2008... PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may not attend the Asean Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, next month. The summit, scheduled from Dec 15 to 18, clashes with the Parliament session, which has been extended until Dec...

Wanita feud too serious for Abdullah to intervene.
November 28, 2008... PUTRAJAYA: The rivalry between Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and her deputy Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has gone too far for the prime minister to step in. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said it was best to let delegates at...

ACA action, loss of posts for vote buyers.
November 28, 2008... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: Those found guilty by the Umno disciplinary board of buying or selling votes will not only be stripped of the posts they won but must also face the Anti-Corruption Agency, the prime minister said. Datuk...