New Straits Times articles from October 2008

New Straits Times archives from October 2008

Dodging debate.
October 31, 2008... MANY Malaysians would no doubt have watched with keen interest the American presidential debates. It may have whetted their appetite for US-style political debates, a practice which received a boost from the Anwar Ibrahim-Shabery Cheek and...

Wanita pressure mounts.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Sajahan Abdul Waheed KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita Umno members are a confused lot at the moment, uncertain on whether there will be a contest for the wing's leadership in the party elections in March. Incumbent head Tan Sri Rafidah...

Raja Nazrin: Five ways to empower the people.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The world financial crisis could worsen the divide between rich and poor in Asia, and pose the greatest challenge to the continent, Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah said. "The single biggest challenge, the dividing line...

A package deal for greater democracy.
October 31, 2008... Byline: M. Husairy Othman IPOH: Most of the 24 Umno divisions here in Perak have resorted to "packaging" the lists of nominations for the party's top posts in the March elections next year. The reason is that it saves time and allows...

Work on Penang Sentral to start soon.
October 31, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: Work on the first phase of Penang Sentral in Butterworth is expected to start before the end of the year when the relocation of hawkers at the current site is completed. Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) director...

'No need to test fly helicopters first'.
October 31, 2008... THE Defence Ministry did not carry out a physical evaluation of the Eurocopter helicopter before ordering 12 units as the manufacturer would have had to fabricate the aircraft based on the buyer's specifications. Deputy Defence Minister Datuk...

7 Malaysian students in Perth missing.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jalal Ali Abdul Rahim KUALA LUMPUR: Seven Malaysians who are studying at several Australian universities have done a vanishing act. Three of the students are with Curtin University of Technology, Perth, while the others are...

23 colleges closed.
October 31, 2008... TWENTY-THREE private institutions of higher learning were closed this year. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung said: "Before such institutions are closed, the ministry will instruct them to relocate students to nearby...

Philippine market ripe for our palm oil.
October 31, 2008... Byline: John Teo I HAD occasion to speak with a 19-year Malaysian resident in the Philippine capital of Manila recently who is in the palm oil business. The way I noticed how supermarket shelves there are stocked with palm oil-based...

US presidential-style debate 'not for Umno'.
October 31, 2008... SHAH ALAM: Malaysians should not be influenced by the United States' presidential debates and hanker for the same thing to be done here as an open debate was not good for a multiracial country, said Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri...

RM162m Proton profit.
October 31, 2008... PROTON recorded a profit of RM162.2 million for the financial year ending March 31 this year. Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said this was an increase of RM780 million over losses recorded in the previous financial year. "This is due...

Zaki gets a feel of court problems.
October 31, 2008... SHAH ALAM: A day after he took office as the country's 12th chief justice, Tan Sri Zaki Azmi visited the court complex here yesterday to find out its problems and possible measures to overcome them. Accompanied by Chief Judge of Malaya...

Nazri won't contest while minding ACA.
October 31, 2008... PUTRAJAYA: De facto law Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has pledged to not contest any post in Umno for as long as he is in charge of the Anti-Corruption Agency. This self-imposed restriction, he said, was to safeguard the integrity and...

2am 'khalwat' in actor's office.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: An actor was detained early yesterday for being in close proximity with an actress at his office in Jalan UP 1/2, Ukay Perdana, Ampang. The man, in his 30s, whose marriage is now on the rocks, is popular for his portrayal...

Company fined RM15,000 for discharging effluents into river.
October 31, 2008... PETALING JAYA: A company producing fruit juice was fined RM15,000 by the Sessions Court yesterday for permitting the discharge of effluents above the permissible level into their drainage system. Judge Balqis Aini Mohd Ali fined Grand...

Police storm hotel room to rescue mother, son.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Chuah Bee Kim; Jassmine Shadiqe JOHOR BARU: A woman and her 6-year-old son were rescued from a hotel room in a dramatic operation, some 700km away from where they had been kidnapped, less than 48 hours earlier. The police...

Another firm fingered in abuse probe.
October 31, 2008... ALOR STAR: Kedah Communications and Events Sdn Bhd (KCE) is the latest government-linked company being investigated for alleged abuse of power and misuse of funds. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said checks by a special...

Many woes faced by Indians resolved.
October 31, 2008... PUTRAJAYA: The special cabinet committee to deal with Indian affairs has successfully addressed scores of problems faced by the community. Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said by addressing the concerns of the Indian...

Why the fuss, asks Azizan.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Noor Adzman Baharuddin ALOR STAR: Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak is taking to task those condemning the recent state housing policy requiring 50 per cent Bumiputera ownership in new housing estates built after Sept 1....

Focus on really selling Ipoh.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Mariam Mokhtar I CANNOT agree more with Datuk Michelle Yeoh's comments that "Ipoh is a beautiful city, but more needs to be done to promote it" ("Yeoh urges ex-miners to invest in tourism" - NST, Oct 28). I also agree that...

'Terror' Sibert dies at 80.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Melissa Darlyne Chow GEORGE TOWN: Millicent Sibert, respected former headmistress of St Nicholas Convent in Alor Star, died here at 7.15pm on Wednesday. She was 80. Sibert, a headmistress for 27 years, infused a sense of...

Practitioner defends yoga for Muslims.
October 31, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: A long-time yoga instructor has expressed shock and dismay over the views of a lecturer who said that practising yoga could cause Muslims to deviate from the teachings of Islam. Datin Suleiha Merican, 56, who has been...

Shabery: No 'envelope journalism' here.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The standard of journalistic ethics in Malaysia is not as bad as many believe. Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said yesterday the standard here was, in fact, better than in many other countries as there was...

Police mull plan to ban m-cycles in cities, towns.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Fadhal A. Ghani KUALA LUMPUR: If the police had their way, they would ban motorcycles from entering cities and towns. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said this was one of the drastic measures being studied to...

There's no need for a ruling on yoga.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nazreen Tajul Arif READING the report "Fatwa on yoga to be made known" (NST, Oct 30) has left me dazed with disbelief. I am a Muslim who practises yoga daily. Does it make me any less a Muslim? No. I practise it purely for...

Business fears after new no-smoking rule.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Food outlet operators are not too happy with the latest addition to no-smoking zones. As of Wednesday, smokers are not allowed to light up at open air areas in the vicinity of shopping complexes. This includes alfresco...

Hawker strikes RM20m jackpot.
October 31, 2008... Byline: David Yeow KUALA LUMPUR: A hawker created history on Wednesday when he won the Mega Toto lottery jackpot worth RM20 million, the biggest amount ever in Malaysia. With the lucky numbers 17, 19, 20, 32, 39 and 41, the...

Luxury car scam probe.
October 31, 2008... PUTRAJAYA: A senior Customs officer is under investigation for falsifying papers which enabled him to smuggle in imported luxury vehicles. Sources said the officer had also allegedly forged the signature of former Customs...

Shot but raring to return to duty.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: He may be warded, having been shot in the knee while trying to apprehend a suspect, but Lance Corporal Mohd Azlan Abdullah is raring to get back to work. "This is nothing to me. It is a small injury. It will not hold back...

ACA steps up Umno probes.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Hamidah Atan; Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: Umno members guilty of graft will have to deal with not only the party's disciplinary board but also the Anti-Corruption Agency. ACA investigations director Datuk Shukri Abdull said...

All for that mosque proposal.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nor Shahid Mohd Nor I REFER to the letter "It'll promote racial integration" (NST, Oct 29) from Datuk Dr Fadzli Cheah Abdullah of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association. I agree with his view that the building of a Chinese...

Council meets to improve party's image.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno supreme council is expected to discuss at its meeting here today efforts to rejuvenate the party and initiatives to improve the party's image, among other things. Money politics and the proposal for party elections...

Little India is a great move.
October 31, 2008... Byline: S. Sundareson I REFER to the views of two readers who are against the plan to turn Brickfields into Little India ("Brickfields plan not a good idea" - NST, Oct 29). I regret that they are not looking at the bigger picture....

Respect the choice of the MB.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim I READ with great concern the grounds given for opposing Low Siew Moi's appointment as acting general manager of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS). The objection to her appointment on...

Two more museums by middle of next year.
October 31, 2008... Byline: T.N. Alagesh KUANTAN: Two new museums - the Malaysian Textile Museum and Natural History Museum - are being built and will be open to the public by the middle of next year. Museums Department director-general Ibrahim Ismail said...

Time to reduce surcharge.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Richard Teo WHEN the cost of crude oil was escalating at a dizzy pace, AirAsia was quick to implement a fuel surcharge on its flights. It justified the increase by referring to global oil price increases. However, despite the...

Hit by snatch thieves.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Millicent Danker HAVING been the recent victim of a snatch theft in Kuala Lumpur, which is fast gaining notoriety among visitors and residents alike, I would like to share my experience and offer some advice to our police force....

Suspected of being a shoplifter.
October 31, 2008... Byline: E.Y. ON Oct 19, I was shopping at a supermarket in Taman Pertama, in Kuala Lumpur. Since I had my 8-month-old baby asleep in her stroller, I was unable to manoeuvre another shopping trolley or carry a store basket, and was using...

'Safeguard Unesco sites'.
October 31, 2008... ALOR GAJAH: Any development within the core heritage zone in either Penang or Malacca should be referred to the Heritage Commission and the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, said its minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal. He said...

Nicol checks into Qatar final.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh NICOL David overcame a mid-match hiccup against Natalie Grainger to book her place in the Qatar Classic final as she closes in on her ninth title of the season in Doha yesterday. The World No 1 won 11-6, 6-11,...

Farmers protest move to evict them.
October 31, 2008... IPOH: Some 20 farmers in Bercham here are up in arms after the Ipoh land office and Ipoh City Council demolished several of their houses and destroyed their farms on Wednesday, causing damage amounting to RM500,000. The farmers claimed...

A mature brain is what counts.
October 31, 2008... Byline: R.L.R.S. AT a recent meeting, Tun Musa Hitam is reported to have said that this country needs young people for top posts. Not so. This country needs brains, brains with leadership quality, maturity and experience (and perhaps...

We must stop harping on trivial issues.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jayaraj K.G.S. I DON'T understand why some people are making a big fuss over the appointment of Low Siew Moi as the acting general manager of the Selangor State Development Corporation. The question of whether she is a Bumiputera...

Penguins gunning for fourth title.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh WINNING tournaments comes naturally to Penguins International RFC but more importantly it is the imparting of their rugby know-how that is more in keeping with the club's objectives. Penguins, three-time former...

Teacher accused of sex acts with pupils.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Heidi Foo SEREMBAN: A senior assistant at a Vision school here, was charged with encouraging two schoolboys to perform unnatural sexual acts. The 40-year-old, who has 18 years of experience as an educationist, faces up to...

I was betrayed by my allies, says Jui Meng.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Defeated MCA presidential candidate Datuk Chua Jui Meng claims he lost in the contest because some of his allies had stabbed him in the back. The former MCA vice-president told the New Straits Times yesterday that prior to...

Know your equipment, military told.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: The armed forces must constantly improve and upgrade their knowledge on the latest developments in military technology so that the equipment they are buying does not go to waste. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad...

Money for housing scheme will get dividends, says EPF.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Member's savings that have been kept in a separate account for withdrawals under the Housing Loan Monthly Instalment Withdrawal will continue to receive dividends accordingly, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) said in a...

Hypermart joins price-cutting drive.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Shuhada Elis KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers can now look forward to more fresh foods at lower prices as Tesco hypermarkets joined in the price reduction campaign yesterday. Twenty-six Tesco outlets in the peninsula had reduced the...

Groups eager to meet minister.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: It is good to meet up. This was the response from restaurant owners and petty traders associations on Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad's intention to discuss the price reduction of food items. The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant...

High Court judge resigns.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial High Court judge Datuk Ian Chin, who alleged that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had tried to influence judges, resigned on July 16. The 60-year-old, who had five more years to retirement, has...

Mini plan to help aided schools.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: A mini Education Development Master Plan will be drawn up to address perennial issues facing government-aided schools, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong said. The plan will incorporate proposals resulting from the...

Promotions for 233 graduate primary school headmasters.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ili Liyana Mokhtar KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 233 graduate primary school headmasters have been promoted from grade DG41 to grade DG44 based on their qualifications and three years of service. This move, made for the first...

Parents' group wants policy to stay.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nurjehan Mohamed KUALA LUMPUR: The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) said it is focused on trying to get the Education Ministry to maintain its policy of teaching Mathematics and Science in English. It, however, does...

Tourism Action Council denies it is a law unto itself.
October 31, 2008... KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Tourism Action Council yesterday denied the allegation that it had not cooperated with state authorities in efforts to boost tourism. Chairman Datuk Aziz Derashid said all projects undertaken by the council were...

14 errant cops face punishment.
October 31, 2008... SEREMBAN: Disciplinary action was taken against 11 policemen in the state for various offences from January to September this year. Three others were suspended from their duties in the same period. Giving the figures yesterday, state...

'Grandma was murdered'.
October 31, 2008... MUAR: Police have classified the death of an elderly woman in a double-storey semi-detached house at Taman Tangkak Jaya on Monday as murder. District deputy police chief Superintendent Lee Choon Guan said a post-mortem report showed that...

Call to improve road quality.
October 31, 2008... GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the state government to review the standards of road construction and maintenance here. CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said that roads in the state had numerous potholes...

Heart babies need funds for surgery.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: Limpid pools of black stare around as she surveys the room, nestled safely in her mother's arms. Norhazerien Zolkifle, four months, weighed in at a mere 3.5kg and was diagnosed at birth as suffering from a congenital heart...

Hard to beat Magic Leg.
October 31, 2008... PROBABLE favourite Magic Leg was restricted to do pace work in his final preparation for his Race 7 assignment at Kranji tonight. The Bruce Marsh-trained four-year-old should be hard to beat in the small Class 3 affair over 1,000m on the...

Gold Lion in great shape.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Go-Ram GOLD Lion wound up preparations for another success in the Class 4 event over 1400m in Race 4 tomorrow with a one-round workout in Penang yesterday. Taken out by apprentice Henry Barnabas, the four-year-old Australian...

Shaw's Ricoco in rattling form.
October 31, 2008... IN-Form Ricoco, unbeaten in two attempts on the Polytrack, can make it a third straight success in the S$95,000 (RM228,000) Open Benchmark 97 event over 1800m (Race 8, 10.00pm) on the Polytrack at Kranji tonight. The four-year-old New...

Juniors aim to overcome 'foreigners'.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jugjet Singh NATIONAL Juniors will come up against a 'foreign' team when they meet Nur Insafi in a Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Division One match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today. Both teams are winless after two...

Timely boost for MAAU.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh SHORN of its financial independence for too long, the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) is slowly learning to stand on its two feet again after signing a RM5 million corporate sponsorship yesterday. The...

WTBA confirms Malaysia as hosts for world meet.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh THE World Tenpin Bowling Congress (WTBA) has confirmed that Malaysia will host the 2011 Women's World Championships. WTBA secretary-general, Christer Jonsson said Malaysia was the only country to bid for the...

Perlis FA in trouble with EPF.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh PERHAPS taking a cue from a spate of foreign takeovers of English Premier League clubs, Perlis FA has offered itself to anyone who can secure its own financial independence. Perlis FA president, Datuk Seri...

Craig takes route 65 to an early lead.
October 31, 2008... WELSHMAN Craig Smith fired a blistering seven-under 65 to take the first round lead of the US$500,000 (RM1.8 million) Iskandar Johor Open at the Royal Johor Golf and Country Club yesterday. The six-foot eight-inch giant turned in a...

Chong Wei in last eight.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei remained solid while under-fire pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong turned in a disturbing performance as they marched into the quarter-finals of the French Open in Paris yesterday. Chong...

Iskandar continues impressive run in Pune.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh ISKANDAR Zulkarnian Zainuddin produced an impressive performance to advance to the boys' singles quarter-finals of the World Junior Championships in Pune, India, yesterday. Iskandar, the joint fifth and eighth...

Car engine factory razed.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: A car engine factory was destroyed in a blaze at Kampung Puah in Sentul here last night. Loss was estimated at more than RM10 million. No casualties were reported. A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said they had received a...

Johor Umno expected to unite in adversity.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Zubaidah Abu Bakar NOMINATIONS by Umno divisions for top party positions are no indication that the party is factionalised, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR. There has been excessive speculation on who is on whose side since Umno...

MCA Youth told to be better opposition.
October 31, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth must act as a "constructive opposition" in the five Pakatan Rakyat-led states, said its chief, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. He urged the youth wing's members in Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan to be more...

Abdullah gives exact figure for copter deal.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ridzwan Abdullah KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday provided the exact figure for the Eurocopter deal after he was given a clarification by the Defence Ministry. The prime minister said the correct...

MB plans exco reshuffle to split party, govt affairs.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Rosli Zakaria KUALA TERENGGANU: A reshuffle of the state executive council is expected as early as the middle of next month following the outcome of the Umno divisional meetings. Seven of the eight divisions in the state have...

Don't dispute rulings, says Pandikar Amin.
October 31, 2008... SPEAKER Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia was at the end of his tether yesterday as he reined in MPs who appeared to be testing his patience. He said it seemed as if MPs were not giving a second thought to breaching parliamentary rules. ...

Senior civil servant 'too busy' to attend Eurocopter probe.
October 31, 2008... THE absence of a senior civil servant led to the postponement of the Public Accounts Committee meeting yesterday looking into the financial aspects of the controversial RM1.607 billion Eurocopter helicopter deal. The meeting was deferred...

Perks to hire the disabled.
October 31, 2008... HIGHWAY concessionaires may employ the hearing-impaired at toll booths. Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Noriah Kasnon said the ministry was offering incentives such as tax exemption to companies that employed the...

Resorting to Asian ways to handle financial meltdown.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Hardev Kaur "WHY are Asians not angry with the Americans and Europeans?" asked a French journalist at last week's Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing. She was referring to the global carnage caused by the ongoing financial meltdown...

Goldsmith robbed.
October 31, 2008... BUTTERWORTH: Two robbers, one armed with an iron rod, struck at a goldsmith's shop in Jalan Bagan Luar here and escaped with RM30,000 worth of jewellery yesterday. Wearing full-face helmets, they struck at 3.15pm when there were two...

Boy crime-buster dies trying.
October 30, 2008... Byline: Alang Bendahara KUALA LUMPUR: It was a heroic attempt, but one which ended in his death. Riding a motorcycle, fifth former Mustaqim Minsawi tried to chase down two snatch thieves, also on a motorcycle, yesterday. What...

Nicol struggles to seal semi-final spot.
October 30, 2008... Byline: Devinder Singh NICOL David was given her sternest test yet at the Qatar Classic before subduing a battling Alison Waters to seal her semi-final spot in Doha yesterday. The sixth-seeded Alison pushed Nicol hard in the second...

Polished display from Chong Wei.
October 30, 2008... Byline: Ajitpal Singh LEE Chong Wei, who is on a mission to win his first international title as World No 1, produced his near best to dispose of India's Arvind Bhat 21-14, 21-3 and advance to the second round of the French Open in Paris...

Felda postpones futsal league.
October 30, 2008... Byline: Christopher Raj IN a surprise move, Felda, who were committed to develop Futsal in the country, has written to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) that the proposed RM3 million national futsal league is now postponed. It...

Goosen looking to save season.
October 30, 2008... RETIEF Goosen, the two-time US Open winner, is looking forward to bringing back the sparkle to his career starting with the US$500,000 (RM1.8 million) Iskandar Johor Open which tees off today at the Royal Johor Country Club (RJGC). By his own...