Enter no-touch computing

Enter no-touch computing

Enter no-touch computing

Posted: 07 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

08 December 2013| last updated at 12:53AM

THE buzz now is about touch computing but in a couple of years, consumers will be able to use motion gestures to navigate and access functions on computers.

Whatever you did with keyboards, mice and touch screens to take charge of your PC will be possible with just a wave, swipe, grab or poke motion.

Touchless control or the ability to contol your laptop with your eyes or your hands is not far off as PC manufacturers are already testing aspects of this technology.

Leap Motion, a company that manufactures and markets a hardware sensor device that supports hand and finger motions as input, has entered into partnerships with PC makers Asus and HP to embed its technology into their computers.

In September, HP rolled out its first laptop with Leap Motion technology, the HP ENVY17 Leap Motion Special Edition Notebook.

It has the Leap Motion micro sensor technology embedded below the keyboard allowing easy 3D control for apps such as gaming, making music and education.

Cameras and infrared LEDs are the key components of this micro sensor which is capable of tracking motion from fingers. As it's small, only 3.5mm in height, and simple, the device has the potential to be embedded in a wide variety of devices.

HP ENVY17 Leap Motion Special Edition Notebook.

'I saw Highland Towers block crash to the ground'

Posted: 07 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

THEY once stood glorious and full of life, home to affluent families and expatriates, but today the two Highland Towers apartment buildings that remain at Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, Selangor, cut a forlorn figure.

Formerly part of a luxury hillside development comprising three 12-storey blocks, the two blocks were evacuated after Block 1 collapsed after a massive landslide on Dec 11 1993. Forty-eight people died in the tragedy.

Within the first 24 hours, only two women and an infant were pulled out of the rubble. Indonesian maid Umi Rashidah Khoruman, 22, and her 18-month old daughter Nur Hamidah Najib, survived the ordeal, but the second woman, Japanese national Shizue Nakajima, 50, succumbed to her injuries.

Despite being only 12 at that time, Zhariff Afandi, a former resident of Block 1, remembers the tragedy vividly.

"It's not something that ex-residents like me can talk about easily, even today. It was devastating that a tragedy like this had happened to us. I was playing video games at a friend's apartment in Block 2 when we heard a loud bang. We rushed to his balcony, which faced the hillside, and when I saw the landslide rushing towards my block, my heart sank.

"My one-year-old brother and six-year-old sister were at home with our maid in our apartment. My parents were out, and I was very worried for their safety," recalled the social entrepreneur.

"My friend's mother decided it was best that we leave the apartment. When we reached the ground I started to run towards my block, but she pulled me back. Instead, she led us in the opposite direction to Block 3, out of harm's way. From here we looked back on Block 1. It had started to fall, buckling forwards a little, before crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust that was so thick I couldn't see anything, even my own feet.

"Eventually, when the dust cleared, all that was left behind was the building in shambles. After an unnatural, deathly silence, the air was filled with the sound of people screaming and car alarms going off."

Fortunately for Zhariff, his siblings and maid had escaped unscathed. More than an hour later, he was reunited with them.

"The maid had seen the landslide from our balcony and rushed out immediately with my brother and sister.

"I was so happy to see them. Their experience that day was even more astounding. My little sister told me that as they were fleeing for safety via the staircase, the stairs were crumbling behind them like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. She apologised for not being able to save my microscope, which I received for my birthday a week earlier, because it was too heavy for her to lift."

Banker Hilton Lee, a former Block 2 resident, was in the car park when the building fell.

"I made my way to the car park to move my car to a safer place, after learning that a landslide had occurred behind Block 1, just to be on the safe side.

"I couldn't believe what happened next. As I was inserting the key into my car door, I heard a loud noise and turned around just in time to see the block falling. From my angle, the building swayed forward slightly first, before crashing to the ground."

Another former resident of Block 2, KPWG International Sdn Bhd director Chan Keng Fook, was at work when he heard the building had collapsed.

"My father called me, shouting at the top of his voice: 'get down here quickly, Highland Towers Block 1 just fell down!' I jumped into my car and rushed home.

"As I was turning into the Highland Towers area from the road, the first thing I saw was a woman walking towards me covered head to toe in white dust and I sensed something really bad had happened," said Chan, who is also secretary of the Highland Towers Residents Committee, Kuala Lumpur.

The scene that greeted him when he arrived about half an hour later was utter chaos.

"People were shouting, crying, confused and frightened. At the time, nobody knew what to do. The Fire Department and police were focusing on searching for survivors in the collapsed block."

Worried that Block 2 might collapse onto rescuers in Block 1, the army had placed C4 explosives all around it to bring it down. However, before that, they allowed residents to return to their apartments in small batches, to pick up necessities.

"I was relieved to see my father, wife, two children and maid safe and sound. But I had to run back up to my apartment to get clothing and necessities for my family, lock the front door to our apartment and look for my wife's car keys, which she had left behind.

"In their haste to exit the building, they had not taken anything with them. I also went up to look for our dog, who was very dear to my children. Happily, we found it in the area 12 days later."

For Chan, it was a surreal experience.

"I remember walking past the explosives and soldiers with automatic rifles and thinking, 'this is home?' It looked more like war-torn Beirut.

"The whole parking area had been covered with canvas and barbed wire was erected all over the place. The first thing in my mind was to get my family out of the area to my father's apartment, because it was just crazy."

Dr Iain Gray, a former Block 3 resident, was driving towards Highland Towers at the bottom of the hill when he heard a loud "whoomp" and felt his car jostle.

"I thought this was from ongoing construction at the Bukit Antarabangsa housing development project, located on the hilltop behind the Towers.

"When I arrived at Highland Towers, I was gobsmacked to see Block 1 on the ground. There was an eerie silence, you couldn't even hear the birds, just people crying and screaming."

An engineer by training, Gray helped in the rescue effort to extract the survivors from Block 1 on the first day of the collapse. He also helped recover all 48 bodies from the building debris.

"When crawling through the rubble, your adrenaline level is pumping like crazy because if you move too quickly it could cause death to a survivor. It was like playing a game of pick-up sticks, because the collapsed structure was still moving as we went about our task.

"This was the first natural disaster of such a magnitude, something which Malaysia had never dealt with before. Indeed, despite the valiant efforts of our local rescue teams, foreign expertise was called in to help, from Singapore, Japan, France and the United Kingdom," said Gray, who is currently based in China as chief foreign architect and master planner with the South China Architectural Design & Research Institute in Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province.

He said although no more survivors were rescued from the rubble after the first day, the rescue teams did their best.

"Bearing in mind that any quick movement could have caused death to trapped survivors, they took the right decision to proceed with caution, even though people didn't think it was being done fast enough.

"We were there for 12 days and nights. The first four days we had no sleep. We were looking for survivors until the eighth day, then on the ninth day, it inevitably shifted to recovering bodies.

"When that happened, there was a horrible feeling of despondency and failure that we weren't able to save anyone else."

During the rescue, Gray said each time he walked past the family, relatives and friends of the trapped residents, they swarmed towards him for updates or news about their loved ones.

"What's happening? Have you found anybody yet? Have you been to my apartment?" they would ask. It was heart-rending.

"They never lost hope until rescue efforts shifted to body recovery, because rescuers heard knocking and voices right up to the seventh day after the collapse."

Both Chan and Gray said the amount of support received from the public and corporate sectors, hotels and surrounding community was amazing.

They chipped in to provide equipment and food for the rescuers and volunteers who worked tirelessly, as well as accommodation for residents of the two other blocks who had to be evacuated.

Four months ago, while Gray was back in Malaysia and in the vicinity of the Highland Towers area, he decided to visit his old apartment on level five in Block 3.

"I walked into what had been my son's bedroom. He was three at that time, and I was amazed to see that some of his toys were still there, as was a colouring book that had not blown away and a dinosaur stencil on the floor.

"The building had preserved them like a time capsule, and a lump caught in my throat -- it was as if time had stood still and the memories preserved in time. I took them with me as keepsakes when I left.

"But what makes me angry is whenever I see hill slopes still being cleared in an improper manner, because of pure greed. Local developers have not learned from the incidents of slope failures near hillside developments. My plea to property developers is to please adhere to government guidelines on construction on slopes.

"Cutting corners for profit could lead to another tragedy like Highland Towers."

Family members and friends place flowers at the base of the memorial erected six months after the tragedy to remember those who lost their lives in the disaster.

Highland Towers Residents Committee KL secretary Chan Keng Fook holding athe original poster created in 1994, six months after the Block 1 collapse to commemorate those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

An aerial view of the Highland Towers block that collapsed.

Islam to be religion of federation, says Najib

Posted: 07 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

 UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in his adjournment speech at the party's annual general assembly yesterday, highlighted several issues, including religion, the economic agenda for the Bumiputeras and the party's transformation programme. Some of the highlights were:

RELIGION

"I have discussed with the deputy president (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and Datuk Seri Jamil Khir (Baharom), (that) we will amend Article 33 of the party's constitution.

"We will no longer state Islam as the official religion. We will say that Islam is the religion of the federation and that Islam holds the Sunnah Wal Jamaah.

"The assembly clearly supports commitment of the government to elevate Islam and its law in defending the sanctity of the religion in the country. If there are quarters who cannot accept this reality -- those who have closed their minds to the good deeds we are doing -- we will not be disheartened.

"Sheikh (Dr) Khalid Ali(-Al-Ghamdi), who was imam of Friday prayers (at the Putra World Trade Centre), was proud (of Malaysia) in defending the sanctity of Islam.

"When we decided that the definition of Islam as that following the teaching of Sunnah Wal Jamaah, he (Khalid) said Malaysia was the only country which had explicitly made the distinction about the definition of Islam."

BUMIPUTERA ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

"Malays and Bumiputera want to see the implementation of empowering (the) Bumiputera economy agenda. I will see this through. We have met and discussed with all chief executives of GLCs (government-linked companies). (The) agenda is a national agenda."

"All chief executives and management must carry out the agenda to show their commitment (and) we will make it the KPI (key performance index) of the CEO of the GLC.

"I will be monitoring this. End of this year, I want to see the report card, scorecard.

"We do not have to be apologetic. If we consider social justice, 67 per cent are Malays and Bumiputeras.

"What happens if the majority is sidelined, it will be worse. For the sake of social justice and for the long-term, Malays and Bumiputera must elevate their status, balanced (and) wealth-sharing.

"We do not neglect the right of others. When did other commu- nities feel neglected? We are fair to all.

"Do not point to us as racist. Umno is not racist, Umno is fair to all. We want everyone to be with us. Indians, Chineses, Ibans, Kadazans must be with us, but Umno is the one that holds the power.

POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION

"We need to change the way we operate as a party. In this hall, I am encouraged to see the spirit among members strong, but once back at the division or branches, I hear different things.

"If we want to embrace changes, we cannot act this way. We have to change the political landscape of our country. If we do not understand this new political environment, we will fall because we are not invincible.

"Our key performance indicator is already in our party's constitution. I checked this and found it there.

"It says branches must meet once every two months and the same goes for divisions and state liaison committees.

"I can tell (that) we, at the headquarters, meet once every month. We have 21,000 branches, and to empower the party, we must power up the branches because that is where our foot soldiers are, where our strength lies.

"We make surau and the mosques, but they are controlled by Pas as we don't take things seriously.

"The party will issue the KPI, we will monitor, the division will monitor the branches, the state will monitor the divisions and the headquarters will monitor all.

"In the last election, many Umno members were not registered as voters. When we found ourselves in trouble, we seek Wanita Umno for help.

This is a modern party, a party of the 21st century. Umno must be seen as a party of the future and not the past because this is what the party stands for."

RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS AND YOUNG LEADERS

"At the division level, I have asked for the appointment of religious scholars or professionals into the line-up. We need to look into this because when I reviewed the lists, almost all the appointed posts were filled.

"Maybe some followed their chai (preferred list) because it is payback time. We need to appoint religious scholars or professionals to enhance our leadership at all levels.

"When I was the defence minister, my South African peer then, (Mosiuoa) Lekota, a freedom fighter who was imprisoned for 17 years, told me when they were in prison at Robben Island during winter, they made two circles (to stay warm). The young would form the inner circle while the older prisoners on the outer circle.

"He told me this was to make sure the young live on so that they can continue with the struggles of the people. When people struggle for apartheid, they don't think about positions or status. They only think about freedom and this was why the veterans were willing to sacrifice themselves.

"The message here is for the veterans to give way to the young who will be the next generation of leaders. It is our responsibility because who else do we hand over this country to?

"I hope such spirit could be instilled at all levels."

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak giving his winding-up speech at the party's 2013 general assembly at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur (PWTC) yesterday.

After the 'surge', now the 'trough'

Posted: 07 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

THE Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) issued an orange-level alert of continuous heavy rain in several areas of Pahang.

Many areas of the state, namely Kuantan, Pekan, Rompin, Temerloh, Bera, and Maran experienced intermittent rain yesterday and gloomy weather is expected to continue until today.

The situation is expected to cause floods in low-lying areas.

MMD central forecast division director, Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the heavy rain was due to a weather phenomenon known as "active monsoonal trough", which was different from the normal "monsoon surge" which caused the first wave of floods in the east coast.

"The monsoon trough is an area of convection (build-up of rain clouds) which lies close to the Equator during this time of year, and it spreads across Sabah and Sarawak, and the peninsula."

Helmi said unlike the monsoon surge which can be predicted a week ahead, it is difficult to predict this type of tropical weather system.

"The indications are not clear. Besides, we can only predict the weather when the radar indicates the formation of the clouds." He said the colour warning was usually reserved for monsoonal rain, but due to the rain intensity and its area of coverage, the orange warning was issued.

The warning indicates floods occurring and to warn those in the affected areas to prepare to evacuate if the situation worsened.

Meanwhile, heavy rain and thunderstorm warnings were issued for Perak (Kerian, Larut, Matang, Selama, Kuala Kangsar, Kinta, Manjung and central Perak), Selangor (Kuala Langat and Sepang), Negri Sembilan (Seremban and Port Dickson), Johor (Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Johor Bahru, Kulaijaya and Pontian), Pahang (Cameron Highlands, Lipis and Jerantut) and Terengganu (Dungun and Kemaman).

The heavy rain is expected to continue until tonight and the same weather condition is expected to occur in Pahang (Raub and Bentong).

These conditions are expected to cause strong winds and flash floods.

In Pahang, heavy rain pounded several districts yesterday, increasing the flood victims to 39,580 in the evening compared with 38,099 in the morning.

Raub became the latest district to be hit after eight people were moved to shelters while the number of flood victims in Temerloh was expected to increase by midnight after heavy rains yesterday evening.

Kuantan recorded the highest number of flood evacuees at 34,222 followed by Pekan (2,887), Temerloh (847), Maran (784), Jerantut (520), Rompin (153), Bera (106) and Lipis (53).

Four stretches - Km28 Jalan Sungai Lembing-Kuantan, Km72 Jalan Kuantan-Segamat, Km14 Jalan Temerloh-Bahau and Km 51 Jalan Kuantan Kemaman -- are still closed to all vehicles after being submerged by more than 1m of water.

In Terengganu, the situation was grim despite a decrease in the number of displaced victims yesterday.

As of 5pm, authorities expected the flood, which had receded slightly and saw eight of 76 relief centres statewide closed, to worsen as downpour since 11am did not show any signs of stopping.

Information received from the state's Disaster Operations Centre stated that there was over 85mm rainfall distribution at Sungai Kemaman due to the downpour yesterday, causing its water level to rise rapidly.

The flood caused phone communications in the district to be almost severed.

An officer at the district's Disaster Operations Centre said food and petrol supplies for purchase were scarce, with motorists having to go as far as Kijal and Kerteh, more than 15km away to refuel.

Kemaman district officer Mohd Kamil Othman said they were preparing for the worst.

He said several roads connecting Kemaman to Dadong, Air Putih and Teladas, were cut off due to flooding.

Meanwhile, the overall number of evacuees in the state, as of 4.30pm, decreased to 22,236 compared with 22,678 in the morning.

Kemaman made up the highest number with 18,576 victims in 43 centres.

In Johor, 1,639 flood victims were placed at 23 relief centres as more people left the centres for their home. The weather in most parts of the state was reported to be sunny yesterday.

In Kelantan, the situation in flood hit areas improved with only Pasir Mas affected. Six centres in Pasir Putih, Machang and Tanah Merah were closed in the morning after the evacuees returned home.

Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob yesterday said flood victims in the state will be given cash aid from the Tabung Serambi Mekah soon. Ahmad said each state constituency affected would receive between RM10,000 and RM15,000.

Children helping to clean up and sort through household items after floodwaters receded in Kampung Felda, Seberang Tayor, Kemaman, Terengganu, yesterday.

PM, sultan to open bridge today

Posted: 07 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

08 December 2013| last updated at 01:25AM
By KAMARULZAMAN SALLEH | news@nst.com.my

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: THE official opening of the RM25 million bridge linking Limbang in Sarawak and Temburong in Brunei today  marks another milestone in Malaysia's  bilateral relations with the  sultanate.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will jointly open the 200m-long bridge, called Jambatan Persahabatan (Friendship Bridge), over Sungai Pandaruan in conjunction with the 17th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders' Consultation here.

Work on the toll-free bridge, funded by both governments, commenced in May last year and was completed recently. Limbang is about a two-hour drive from here.

For years, travellers, especially motorists, on both sides of the border have had to queue for hours to use ferry services.

The launching of the bridge completes a vital link of the Pan Borneo trunk road from Kuching in Sarawak to Tawau in Sabah.

Najib, accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, will lead an entourage of ministers, chief ministers and senior government officials to the annual meeting at Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the sultan and the seat of the Brunei government.

The entourage include Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Hasan Malek, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, special envoy on exchange of letters Tan Sri Mohd Rastam Mohd Isa and Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Othman Hashim.

Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Datuk Awang Sahak Awang Salleh and High Commission officials received Najib and Rosmah at the Brunei International Airport here last night.

Wisma Putra said Najib would have a meeting with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in the afternoon to discuss regional and international issues.

Malaysia hosted the 16th annual consultation in Putrajaya in September last year.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity for both leaders to follow up on the progress of the Exchange of Letters and to discuss new bilateral initiatives.

The EoL, signed in 2009, encompasses land, maritime, commercial and economic cooperation between both countries.

This would be followed by the signing of two documents on cooperation in the field of hydrocarbon and in cooperative development to be witnessed by both leaders.

They would issue a joint statement on the annual consultation at the end of the meeting.

Najib and the delegation will also attend an official dinner hosted by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his consort at the palace.

They will depart for Kuala Lumpur after the event.

The Friendship Bridge over Sungai Pandaruan will link Limbang in Sarawak and Temburong in Brunei. Pic by Kandau Sidi

'No place for Shia'

Posted: 07 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

08 December 2013| last updated at 01:13AM

In his no-holds-barred closing speech, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed the involvement of Pas' top leadership in the outlawed movement.

"We know who in Pas is a Shia leader. He is No. 2 in Pas," he said, alluding to Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also home minister, told Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom that the latter was empowered to take action against Mohamad.

He said the government had always known about Mohamad's involvement in the Shia movement, noting that Pas had never initiated action against him or reported him to the authorities.

"As home minister, I will be honoured if Pas worked with the government to stop the spread of Shia in the country.

"It will be good if Pas has the courage and political will to remove a top Shia leader from the party leadership."

Ahmad Zahid said he was bewildered that Pas had allowed Shia to seep into the party leadership. He reminded delegates that the threats from Shia were real and that deviant sects should not be taken lightly.

In an immediate reaction, Mohamad denied being a follower of Shia, saying "I am a Sunnah wal Jamaah follower, a Muslim that follows the teaching of ahli Sunnah wal Jamaah," he told Astro Awani.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said the Islamic Development Department had proposed setting up a commission to curb the spread of deviationist teachings, including Shia.

"The Home Ministry will handle the security."

He said the Registrar of Societies had rejected the Malaysian Shia Council's application to become a society.

"We have not only rejected its application but are also taking action under the Registration Act 1966 to seize properties from premises where they conduct illegal activities."

Ahmad Zahid concurred with Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the status of Islam as the country's official religion and enshrined in the Federal Constitution, be redefined to underline that it only meant teachings of the Sunnah wal Jamaah.

"Shia has no place in Umno. Umno is only for followers of Sunnah wal Jamaah.

"If there are any Shia followers here, leave it and return to the right path."

Ahmad Zahid also said the Home Ministry would expand the role of its Al-Quran Censorship Board to look into the hadith. Headed by Perak Mufti Tan Sri Dr Harussani Zakaria and former Perak Religious Department director Datuk Sheikh Mohamah Nor Mansor Al-Hafiz, it will be renamed the Al-Quran and Al-Hadith Censorship Board. It will also advise the ministry on Islamic affairs.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi addressing delegates in his closingwinding-up speech yesterday. at the Umno General Assembly here yesterday.