Parents marry off 5 kids in one go

Parents marry off 5 kids in one go

Parents marry off 5 kids in one go

Posted: 04 Jan 2014 08:03 AM PST

05 January 2014| last updated at 11:42PM

They tied the knot for five of their seven children -- four sons and a daughter -- in a mass wedding reception at their house in Lorong Seri, Jalan Langgar here.

The event saw about 1,000 guests converging on their place here to extend their wishes to the five couples.

There was music, singing of religious songs and food, such as laksa Kedah, peanut apam as well as giant pots of curry chicken and beef.

Che Ariffin said getting his second to sixth children -- Farhana, 27, Mohd Farhan, 25, Mohd Syafiq, 24, Mohd Anis, 22, and Mohd Anas, 20 -- to marry on the same day saved him much trouble from having to plan and repeat the celebrations.

He said the mass wedding had cost some RM100,000 to host.

"We did not really plan for it.

"The idea came up suddenly some months back and the children also consented to it.

"It took us three months to plan everything."

Daughter Farhana works as a clerk in his company while Farhan, Syafiq and Anis helped out in the sales.

Anas is a Quran teacher.

Che Ariffin Abdul Manaf (front left) and wife Sharifah Fatimah Syed Hussain (front right) with their just-married children and their spouses, (back, from left) Mohd Shafirin Mansor, Farhana Che Ariffin, Mohd Farhan Che Ariffin, Fatin Fadillah Salleh, Mohd Syafiq Che Ariffin, Syazwani Ghazali, Mohd Anis Che Ariffin, Siti Aishah Mohd Noor, Mohd Anas Che Ariffin and Nurul Nadjua Izda Mohd during the mass wedding reception in Alor Star yesterday. Pic by Danial Noordin

Monkey whisperer says 'gih'

Posted: 04 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

05 January 2014| last updated at 11:47PM

However, his students are not humans, but coconut-plucking short-tailed macaques.

Wan Ibrahim, or Tok Wan Leman, has an uncanny ability and is an expert at training the wild monkeys. He uses just four words - tuh (itu or that), gih (pergi or go), maghi (mari or come) and sambung (continue).

"I do not use many words, as they only serve to confuse the monkeys."

His services are much sought after by villagers.

There are also those who come from other states, including Pahang, to seek his advice.

Wan Ibrahim trains up to 20 monkeys every two weeks.

He said once the animals were given to him, he would take two to three days to familiarise himself with them.

"After that, they will attend two classes to learn to climb trees and pluck coconuts.

"Normally, the classes last for eight hours per session," said Wan Ibrahim, who learnt the skill from religious teacher Tok Che Wan in Kuala Terengganu in the 1980s.

Wan Ibrahim, who has three children, said he charged RM150 to RM160 to train a macaque.

His wife, Rogayah Ibrahim, 48, cooks a kilogramme of rice daily to feed his "trainees".

"I support his work as it helps animal owners earn a living," she said.

Each macaque is able to pluck about 500 coconuts daily, which can generate about RM100 for its owners.

Wan Ibrahim Wan Mat with one of his 'students'. His services as a monkey trainer is much sought after. Pic by Syamsi Suhaimi

'My parents set up KL's first A&W outlet'

Posted: 04 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

 "IN 1968, my mother and stepfather built the Petaling Jaya A&W drive-in, which was a 'cash cow ' from day one for us.

"We couldn't keep up with business," said Jim Phenix, an American who came to Malaysia in December 1963 with his mother and stepfather to start the A&W franchise.

"Our first store was in Batu Road (now Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman) in Kuala Lumpur.

"My family held the master franchise for Malaysia, which we had bought from A&W Restaurants Inc, Santa Monica," said Phenix, who was the store manager for the Batu Road outlet.

This Californian has been residing in Malaysia for 20 years. When his family sold the franchise in 1973 and returned to the US, Phenix settled down and married a Malaysian.

Phenix said his parents visited Kuala Lumpur in 1961 while on their honeymoon and fell in love with its charming blend of cultures and colonial influence.

"When they returned home to Las Vegas, they started talking to friends about this charming city and how they wanted to introduce something uniquely American to Kuala Lumpur."

The idea to sell hamburgers to Malaysians evolved after a visit from his stepfather's father.

"During his visit, he mentioned that his employer was considering setting up shop and selling hamburgers in Germany because thousands of American soldiers were based there at the time.

"That was the eureka moment for them: the idea to introduce A&W to Kuala Lumpur surfaced.

"My mother and stepfather decided to embark on this venture to introduce burgers and American fast food to Malaysia, and moved our family to Kuala Lumpur."

The A&W chain of fast-food restaurants is famous for its draft root beer, root beer floats and hamburgers.

Phenix said they were told they could never sell a meal with cheese to Asians, and initially, he said, there was resistance.

However, things looked up when youngsters educated overseas introduced their parents and family members to American fast food and burgers.

"Our first store was selling typical American fast food like hamburgers, hot dogs, root beer and fried chicken. We were the first restaurant to offer curly fries on our menu, which was as popular as our fried chicken and burgers.

"In the 1960s, the price of a burger was about RM1.20.

"We had to rename our hamburger because of the Muslim market. That's how the Papa, Momma and Baby Burgers -- suggested by my mother -- got their names.

"She was also responsible for introducing the Coney Dog to the public. It was a hot dog with a serving of chili con carne spooned over the sausage.

"It came to be known as 'the Coney Dog' because of a mispronunciation of carne and the name stuck.

"Every Thursday was Coney Dog day at our store."

"In terms of restaurant decor, A&W wouldn't let us change the Brown and Orange colours that had been associated with their brand since 1918. But they allowed us to add chrome details and bright lights to enhance the decor.

"We also had a greeter positioned at the entrance to welcome diners."

Phenix said the big and fuzzy A&W bear that people had come to associate with the brand was as wildly popular with children then as it is now.

"It hasn't changed a bit. The first time we featured the bear in our restaurant was for a charity fair for the children of policemen.

"We brought in burgers and other A&W goodies to hand out to children and the bear came along.

"They were so enamoured with the bear that they jumped on it and brought it down. The poor worker who had donned the costume cried for help."

"When we held the franchise, we could see the growth and potential of the fast-food business in KL and opened two more shops.

"We opened our second shop in the old annexe of the AIA building in Ampang Road. Then, in 1968, we built our third store, the Petaling Jaya A&W drive-in, before we sold the business in 1973."

Children being entertained by the A&W bear in 1991.

Miss Malaysia Universe 1978 Yasmin Yusuff with the A&W bear.

Police foil illegal race by nabbing 1,500 Mat Rempit

Posted: 04 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

05 January 2014| last updated at 12:07AM
By MELISSA DARLYNE CHOW | darlyne@nst.com.my

 GEORGE TOWN: POLICE yesterday detained more than 1,500 Mat Rempit, including 10 women, at Batu Ferringhi, foiling attempts to hold a mass gathering and illegal racing here.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Gan Kong Meng said the illegal racers from Johor, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Perlis and Kedah had entered the state in stages since yesterday.

"We received two reports yesterday of them ramming into a police roadblock, as well as 10 snatch theft cases believed to be carried out by these Mat Rempit."

He said that during the six-hour operation, which began at 1.30am, police had set up roadblocks at all entry points leading into Batu Ferringhi and had checked over 2,000 motorcycles, adding that about 300 summonses were issued for various offences, such as having expired road tax and illegal modifications.

Several Mat Rempit and their motorcycles at Batu Ferringhi Police Station in George Town yesterday. Bernama pic

'Safety is priority for NS trainees'

Posted: 04 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

05 January 2014| last updated at 12:02AM
By KOI KYE LEE | news@nst.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: THE National Service Training Council (NSTC) has assured parents of trainees that safety is  its priority and problematic NS training camps will be closed if safety is compromised.

NSTC chairman Datuk Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashid said the trainers were strict and would not tolerate any nonsense.

"The camp operators are aware of the importance of safety and will never compromise it," Ehsanuddin said after flagging off 26 buses ferrying 14,000 trainees to their NS camps, at the Palace of Justice here yesterday. Earlier, the trainees were given a send-off by their parents at the venue.

Ehsanuddin said the trainers were well-prepared to handle the programmes and their trainees and the operators had certified that the camps were safe. He said the council was constantly improving the modules that would be taught to the trainees as it was the core of the programme.

"The response to our national service programme has been good as many people have enquired about it. We had parents who said the programme had given their children a chance to interact with those of other races and learn how to live in peace and harmony."

He said the deaths of more than 20 trainees reported in the camps since the NS programme started 10 years ago were mostly from natural causes, such as health problems, while one or two deaths were because of fights.

A total of 14,706 trainees out of 43,000 under the Group 1 Series 11/2014 left yesterday in 365 buses, 20 flights and one ferry to camps nationwide. Some 150,000 trainees are involved in Series 11/2014 of the NS programme this year.

The rest of the trainees would be departing for their camps today and tomorrow.

National Service Training Council chairman Datuk Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashid (right) chatting with trainees at Precinct 3, Putrajaya, yesterday before they left for their camps. Pic by Mohd Fadli Hamzah


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Malaysia a huge shopping draw

Posted: 04 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: SHOPPING is poised to overtake hotel accommodation as the biggest share of tourism spending in two years' time.

Malaysian Shopping Malls Association president H.C. Chan said this was evident from the fact that Malaysia was increasingly becoming the choice destination for tourists, compared with Hong Kong and Singapore.

"Shopping posted 26 per cent of the tourism spending, compared with 32 per cent for hotel accommodation, last year.

"We expect shopping to garner 35 per cent spending in two years, owing to tremendous efforts by Tourism Malaysia and our association to market the country as a globally competitive shopping destination."

Should this happen, Chan said, Malaysia could challenge Hong Kong, which accounted for 55 per cent from shopping expenditure, and Singapore, which registered 30 per cent.

"Malaysia has come a long way, from zero to hero. There are 350,000 shopping malls today, as compared with 10 years ago.

"The government's removal of tax on some 300 items is another plus factor."

Chan said tourists were attracted to branded items -- from electrical devices to clothes and accessories -- and better choices, no matter the price.

"Brand recognition is very powerful. Tourists tend to spend more than usual, regardless where they buy the items.

"And, Malaysian malls offer a wide variety of such items at affordable rates."

He said goods sold here were comparatively cheaper, as mall rental rates were lower than in Hong Kong and Singapore.

"Coupled with affordable travel and accommodation, tourists are bound to find Malaysia a lot more attractive," he said, adding that low-cost carriers flew in 30 million tourists last year alone.

He said Malaysia had three shopping malls that were among the top 10 biggest in the world and had won many international awards.

"This has put us in a very strong position, which we can continue to build and sustain.

"The Tourism and Culture Ministry has done a lot of groundwork to promote the country overseas, making shopping malls a key beneficiary."

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz is confident that shopping tourism will continue to grow rapidly in coming years, given the intense sale campaigns.

"Shopping tourism is a booming sector of the tourism industry and Malaysia intends to tap into its potential.

"Malaysia has more than 320 shopping malls, offering more than 100 million square feet of nett-lettable area, with a real estate value in excess of RM100 billion."

Shopping expenditure by tourists was recorded at RM18.56 billion last year, with total tourist arrivals in the country registering at more than 25 million.

This is an increase of 5.7 per cent from the 2011 shopping expenditure of RM17.5 billion.

Nazri said shopping constituted 30.7 per cent of total tourist expenditure last year, compared with 30 per cent in 2011.

"Malaysia's tourism industry is the second largest foreign exchange earner for the country and it will continue to flourish."

Sunway Pyramid, which is one of the top 10 shopping malls in the world, is lit up for Christmas. Pic by Muhd Zaaba Zakeria