Landslide causes massive traffic crawl in city

Landslide causes massive traffic crawl in city

Landslide causes massive traffic crawl in city

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:02 AM PST

08 January 2014| last updated at 12:39AM

The landslide also brought traffic in Lebuhraya Mahameru, heading towards Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Kuching, to a standstill.

The slope, which was being upgraded with a concrete replacement, gave way, causing soil and debris to cover the three lanes, including the emergency lane.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident.

Motorists were diverted to Jalan Parlimen and Jalan Damansara.

Vehicles which were caught near the affected area were slowly diverted after City Hall brought in two excavators to clear the way for them.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan said following the incident, further rectification and study would be considered in the slope stabilisation works to avoid future landslides.

He said this was the second incident at the same place since May.

"We were in the midst of stabilising the slope and it was due for completion in March.

"However, it is unfortunate that it gave way again while works were going on," he said, suggesting that frequent rain over the past few days could have contributed to the incident.

Loga said the affected area would be cleared of all debris by midnight and assured motorists that the road would be accessible by rush-hour traffic today.

Sentul Fire and Rescue chief Zahari Mohamad said no casualties were involved in the incident.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall personnel clearing part of a stretch of Lebuhraya Mahameru with an excavator following a landslide near Wisma Tani yesterday. (Inset) Scores of motorists who were caught in a bumper to bumper crawl after soil and debris covered three lanes, including the emergency lane. Pic by Muhd Asyraf Sawal

Work being carried out to clear the landslide in Lebuhraya Mahameru, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday. Pic by Muhd Asyraf Sawal

Customers rush to eatery to eat 200kg grouper

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

08 January 2014| last updated at 12:15AM
By PHUAH KEN LIN AND PREDEEP NAMBIAR | news@nst.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: THE 200kg kerapu, or grouper, which has been sliced for soup dishes at a seafood restaurant here yesterday, proved to be an instant hit among customers.

Many flocked to Ka Bee Cafe for lunch after reading news of the rare catch.

Ang Mei Hua, 40, prepared the ingredients for the fish dishes while her husband, Chew Kean Ghee, 42, cooked the kerapu.

When asked on how long would it take to consume the fish, also known as long tan among Hokkiens here, Chew said it could last for up to two weeks, depending on demand.

"At the rate things are going, there is a good chance the big fish may run out in a week.

"I have been buying groupers as the main ingredient for my dishes but I have never seen such a big catch until now," Chew said at the couple's restaurant, which also served fish head and prawn soup.

The giant fish caused a stir among traders and customers at the Lebuh Cecil wet market when it went for sale on Monday. It was bought by Chew, who outbid other potential buyers at a price of RM11,000.

Fishmongers at Lebuh Cecil wet market took more than an hour to cut the fish into hundreds of pieces, each about the size of an adult's palm, before delivering them to Chew and Ang.

Chew mostly fried and served the meat with noodles, bee hoon or porridge.

"I know for some, kerapu is best cooked in curry, especially the head. However, my customers prefer it to be either fried or boiled, and served in a soup dish."

Vivian Foo and Jess Chong, both 25 from Kuala Lumpur, enjoyed savouring the kerapu with prawns, porridge and noodles.

The duo, who read about the gigantic catch in the New Straits Times and were overwhelmed by the fish's sheer size and price tag, decided to dine at Ka Bee Cafe yesterday.

"We love the grouper fish dishes here as the meat is fresh, be it deep fried or non-fried. The grouper is very tasty and we will definitely come here again to satisfy our cravings for seafood," Foo said.

Fishmonger Khor Swee Boon, 44, told the NST that a group of five fishermen on a trawler had the shock of their lives when they hauled up the giant kerapu in waters near the Kedah-Penang border.

Khor, who has a stall at the Lebuh Cecil wet market, said one fisherman in Batu Maung here called him at 4am on Sunday about the catch.

"The fishermen knew they had caught something extraordinarily big due to the heavy load.

"They had a difficult time pulling the fish out of the net and were surprised to see the big catch."

Vivian Foo (right) and Jess Chong enjoying a portion of the 200kg fish at Ka Bee Cafe in George Town yesterday. Pic by Ramdzan Masiam

HK movie mogul Run Run Shaw dies

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: THE passing of movie mogul Sir Run Run Shaw at 106 yesterday draws the curtains on an icon of Asian cinema whose influence, alongside that of his elder brother Tan Sri Runme Shaw (1901-85), extended beyond the shores of his native China.

 Pioneers of modern filmmaking in Hong Kong (their eventual home), the duo, known as the Shaw Brothers, were also synonymous with the development of Malaysian cinema and the Malay film industry in both Malaysia and Singapore.

 The Shaw brothers were the founders of Malay Film Productions (MFP) at Jalan Ampas in Singapore, which produced 159 films from 1947 until its closure two decades later.

 MFP's first film was B. S. Rajhans' drama Singapura Di Waktu Malam starring Siput Sarawak while its last was the Malay classic Raja Bersiong, directed by Datuk Jamil Sulong.

 The well-known directors who worked with MFP included Rajhans, Tan Sri L. Krishnan and Phani Majumdar.

 Rajhans' film Cinta (1948) rocketed to fame a 19-year-old playback singer who provided the vocals for the lead actor Datuk S. Roomai Noor and who became a legend in his own time. He was Tan Sri P. Ramlee.

  P. Ramlee did 43 films with the Shaws, including Penarik Beca, Hang Tuah, Ibu, the Bujang Lapok films, Anakku Sazali, Ibu Mertuaku, Labu Dan Labi, Madu Tiga and Tiga Abdul.
  Shaw was born Shaw Ren Leng in Ningpo, Zhejiang, China, on Nov 23, 1907.

 He was the youngest of six sons of a Shanghai textile merchant, Shaw Yuh Hsuen (1867-1920), and received his education in American-run schools in Shanghai.

 At 19, he joined his third brother Runme in Singapore to produce silent films and established the Shaw Organisation.

 In 1924, the Shaw brothers founded the Tian Yi Film Company in Shanghai, later reorganised into the South Seas Film Studio in the 1930s in Hong Kong, which later became Shaw Studios.

 The brothers noted the dearth of cinemas in Malaysia and Singapore and decided to open four cinemas there.

  After the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Shaws diversified into amusement parks, such as Bukit Bintang Park in Kuala Lumpur, New World in Penang and Jubilee Park in Perak.

 The Shaws operated more than 100 cinemas in Malaysia and Singapore from the 1940s to 1980s.

 Shaw moved to Hong Kong and established Shaw Studios in 1958.

 By the 1960s, Shaw Brothers was Asia's biggest producer of movies, including The Magnificent Concubine, which took the Grand Prize at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival.

 The Shaw Studios also popularised the kung fu genre that had great influence on many Hollywood directors, including Quentin Tarantino.
 
 He had donated generously to schools and hospitals as well as international humanitarian work.

 Shaw's first wife Lily Wong died at 85 in 1987. He remarried Mona Fong in 1997.

 Shaw has two sons and two daughters. His eldest son Dr Shaw Vee Meng heads the Shaw Foundation in Singapore.

 In 1974, Shaw was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

He received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth 2 of the United Kingdom in 1977 and the Grand Bauhinia Medal  from Hong Kong in 1998.

 In 2013, Shaw received a BAFTA Special Award for his contribution to cinema.

 In 2004, he established the Shaw Prize for scientists in astronomy, mathematics and medical science.

Sir Run Run Shaw was one of the founders of Shaw Studios, which became Asia's largest producer of movies by the 1960s.

A young Sir Run Run Shaw (centre) with the late Puan Sri Saloma (left) and her sister, Mariani in 1967.

The late Tan Sri P. Ramlee made 43 movies with Shaw Studios, including Ibu Mertuaku and the Bujang Lapok films.

Muslim NGOs take unity panel to task

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

08 January 2014| last updated at 12:33AM

The group's spokesman, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, who is also Perkasa deputy president, said NUCC had condemned Jais despite the fact that the religious body had acted according to the law.

"Jais did not seize Malay-version Bibles. They only seized those that contained prohibited words such as 'Allah'."

Zulkifli said the contention by NUCC that the seizure went against the 10-point solution was wrong as it did not cover the use of the word "Allah".

The NGOs include Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Negara, Pertubuhan-Pertubuhan Pembela Islam, Persatuan Peguam Islam Malaysia, Jalur Tiga Peguam Pembela Islam, Institut Pemikiran Tradisional Islam, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia and Pertubuhan Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah.

13 illegals held over fake Immigration Dept stamps

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

08 January 2014| last updated at 12:18AM

The immigrants, aged between 20 and 55, were rounded up at the Penang International Airport by the state Immigration Department after enforcement officers manning the immigration counter discovered oddities.

Syahrolfal Falanam, 32, who was among the detainees, claimed he did not know his passport had been stamped with fake department stamps.

"We gave our passports and paid RM1,600 to the agents, who claimed they could manage all the documents for our departure."

Syahrolfal, who worked as a contract worker in Kuala Lumpur for a year, said he knew about the agents from his countrymen who also worked in the country.

"I have been living here for about a year and decided to go back to my family in Indonesia. I did not expect this to happen."

State Immigration Department director Hasbullah Abdul Rashid said this was the biggest roundup involving fake department stamps in the state this year.

He said one of the 13 was also arrested for using a fake international passport to enter the country.

Hasbullah said the department had also rounded up 39 illegal immigrants, including a 29-year-old mother with her toddler, during three separate raids in the state.

He said the foreigners were picked up during a four-hour operation here.

"We had rounded up 109 immigrants and found that 39 of them did not have proper documentation.

"They included 12 Nepalese, 13 Indonesians, and three Myanmar nationals, including a seven-month-old toddler."

Hasbullah urged more resident associations to play a more active role in tackling issues relating to illegal foreigners in their residential areas.

"Today's raid saw authorities take action following complaints by the locals over foreigners disturbing the peace and being involved in illegal activities.

"We need the help of local communities to tackle this issue as they are attuned to what is happening."

'Policies are for rakyat's wellbeing'

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

08 January 2014| last updated at 12:35AM
By Adib Povera | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Efforts by the government to strengthen the economy will be meaningless if the aspirations and views of the people are not taken into consideration, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

In his Facebook posting, Najib said the government's transformation policies were for the wellbeing of the people.

"The government's measures to bolster the economy will not work if the wishes and opinions of the people are not taken into account.

"I hope all quarters will understand that the transformation policies being implemented are for the wellbeing of the people. I believe that countries that change with time will achieve a more sustainable economic growth."

Later, in a Twitter post, Najib, who is also finance minister, described the expected jump in Malaysia's international Islamic banking assets to US$390 billion (RM1.27 trillion) within the next four years as a "very positive growth".

According to the Ernst and Young World Islamic Competitiveness Report 2013-14, the country's international Islamic banking assets will rise to more than US$390 billion (RM1.27 trillion) in 2018, from US$125 billion (RM410 billion) in 2012.

Ernst and Young Malaysia's Country Managing Partner and Islamic Finance Leader, Datuk Abdul Rauf Rashid had said on Monday that the boost was triggered by the inception of the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 in the country.

The enforcement of the act, Rauf said, had enabled greater regulatory clarity to the industry, which helped Malaysia to stand out from other markets.

He had said the ongoing liberalisation of the financial sector was also creating opportunities for partnerships between Malaysian and global banks, particularly those in the Middle East.

The prime minister also took to Twitter to announce a RM6.1 million loan to help entrepreneurs in Terengganu to operate and expand their businesses.