'Fight' outside the field, too

'Fight' outside the field, too

'Fight' outside the field, too

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

09 February 2014| last updated at 12:19AM
By EDDY OSMAN AND FAZROL NASIR | news@nst.com.my

PEKAN: THE clash between Pahang and Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) supporters did not end at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan after the match but continued here when furious "Tok Gajah" fans gathered outside the district police headquarters to protest against provocation by the opposing group.

Some of the Pahang supporters claimed the bus carrying JDT fans, which was part of a convoy comprising three buses and a multi-purpose vehicle, tried to ram into their motorcycles while on the trip back to Johor.

The situation was quite tense when more Pahang supporters thronged the district police headquarters after news of the incident and JDT's plan to lodge a police report here went viral in the social network.

Quick action by the police helped defuse the tension before it erupted into another brawl as what had earlier happened in Kuantan on Friday night.

Pekan police chief Superintendent Yahaya Othman said a JDT fan in his 20s was detained for ignoring police instruction against provoking the 200 Pahang supporters outside the police headquarters.

However, the man was released later after his statement was recorded.

In Kuantan, a JDT fan sustained cuts above his left eye following a clash outside the Darul Makmur Stadium after the highly-competitive Super League match between Pahang and JDT.

The man, in his 30s, was believed to have been hit with a hard object when he and several other JDT supporters were walking towards their vehicles parked in front of the stadium.

However, quick intervention from the Police Light Strike Force personnel managed to control the incident before it turned into an all-out brawl.

It was learnt that small groups of fans from Pahang and JDT were pelting stones and other hard objects at each other outside the stadium.

Fans were spotted chanting and singing as police formed a line to separate and prevent them from getting near the two buses ferrying JDT players and officials.

Kuantan deputy police chief Superintendent Abdul Aziz Ahmad said safe passage were provided for JDT supporters to get to their respective vehicles while a police patrol car escorted the team's buses to their hotel.

Pahang recorded a 3-2 win against JDT with the winning goal coming in the final minute of injury time.

Pahang supporters waiting outside the Pekan police headquarters to protest over the alleged provocation by JDT fans after the match in Kuantan on Friday night.

Grandfather at halfway mark of cycling trip

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

09 February 2014| last updated at 12:18AM

Wan Hashim Wan Mahmood, 68, who has 18 grandchildren, left Jalan Telipot in Kota Baru on Jan 26 and had travelled 1,188km across the states of Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Singapore, Malacca and Negri Sembilan.

Already halfway through his 2,000km journey, Wan Hashim is now en route to Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Penang, Kedah, and finally Padang Besar in Perlis where he will board the train from Songkhla in Thailand to get to Sungai Golok before returning to Malaysia via the border in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, in Kelantan to complete his journey.

Wan Hashim was confident of completing the solo cycling within a month.

He said the greatest challenge in the trip was dealing with safety issue as most of the roads taken did not have a dedicated lane for cyclists or motorcyclists.

"I have to watch out for heavy vehicles when travelling along the narrow roads. Thankfully I have yet to encounter any mishap or major difficulty except once when my tyre went flat in Kampung Raja, Kuala Terengganu," said Wan Hashim when met at his stopover point at the Seremban Prison yesterday.

Also present to bid him farewell for his trip to Putrajaya was the Prison Department deputy superintendent Mohd Kolek Mohamad Noor from the Seremban Prison.

Commenting on his daily preparation, Wan Hashim said he would visit all police stations along his planned route to get the latest update and news of the location he would travel that day.

Wan Hashim preferred to use the trunk road instead of the highway.

"I prefer it as the public and local community along the way are always eager to provide assistance such as giving tips on the roads ahead or give some contribution.

"Some authorities such as the Prison Department and cycling association or clubs in several states also provided me with accommodation along with food and drinks.

Wan Hashim cycled an average of nine hours daily from 8am till 5pm and covered 20 to 30 km per hour depending on the road condition and terrain.

Wan Hashim Wan Mahmood says he prefers using the trunk road as the local community is always eager to help. Pic by Mohd Amin Jalil

Don't take peace for granted, says Najib

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

09 February 2014| last updated at 12:42AM
By AUDREY DERMAWAN AND ROZANNA LATIFF | news@nst.com.my

The prime minister said since independence, the good relations between different races and ethnic groups have ensured Malaysia's rapid development.

"Peace is like oxygen. Without oxygen, we will not be able to breathe. As such, we cannot take peace for granted -- it is the key to our success," he said at the national level Chinese New Year celebration at the Larut, Matang and Selama district and land office here.

Addressing the 30,000-strong crowd, Najib said holding the celebration in Taiping was made more meaningful as the name Taiping in Mandarin stood for peace and harmony.

Najib said the festive season should be a time for all Malaysians to demonstrate their good values and understanding towards others.

"Sometimes, we go too far in our words and actions. Instead of speaking well of others, we mock them. This does not reflect the positive values that we share."

He said every ethnic community stressed on the importance of moderation, or chung yung in Mandarin.

  "This is similar to wasatiyyah in Arabic or kesederhanaan in Bahasa Malaysia. If we continue to uphold moderation, then we will be able to maintain the true meaning of Taiping, or peace and harmony."

  Earlier, Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, were greeted on arrival by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed  Nazri Abdul Aziz and MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

   Foreign guests from Switzerland, Indonesia and Bangladesh also joined in the celebration, which involved a host of activities, including a spectacular fireworks display as well as a Chingay performance.

German tourist Andreas Degen, 24, said he learned of  the event through the Tourism Malaysia website.

  Degen said he took a bus to Taiping yesterday morning.

   "This is my first time attending such an event. It is really cool," he said.

  Earlier, at the Umno Bukit Gantang 100 days of Transformation celebration here, Najib announced that the latest edition of the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) will be launched on Feb 22.

  The prime minister said the BR1M 3.0 would  include RM650 in cash aid per household and a RM50 insurance coverage contribution for all recipients.
 
In Pagoh, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the brotherly spirit among races should be nurtured so that continuous peace and prosperity can be enjoyed by everyone in the country.

   Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh member of parliament, said it was critical for people to enhance understanding, cooperation and unity for the sake of progress.

"And, that's why we want to avoid problems which could result in us not being able to sit together as brothers.

"Today, I'm happy to be in Pagoh and to see everyone, be they Malays, Chinese and Indians, sitting and eating together as one big family," he told a crowd of 5,000 people at the constituency's Chinese New Year celebrations here yesterday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, tossing 'yee sang' with Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (left) and MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai at a Chinese New Year open house in Taiping yesterday. Pic by Muhaizan Yahya

Growing own food to save money

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

Hee Mee Kien's home in Salak South New Village, just 10 minutes from the heart of Kuala Lumpur, has no lawn to speak of.

There is only a bit of a backyard and a front yard that are covered in grey concrete. But this has not deterred Hee and her husband from growing their own vegetables.

The couple, who used to eat out often with their two daughters, aged 15 and 6, has had enough of spiralling food prices.

"One day, a small fu yong omelette costs RM7. The next day, it will cost RM8. They told us they had to raise prices because of the petrol price hike, but the increase in the price of some items is just too ridiculous," she recounted.

So Hee and her husband decided to spend more time cooking at home.

"Some hypermarkets sell cheap vegetables but they taste very bitter even though they have been washed numerous times. We think too much pesticide has been used on them.

"On top of that, we have to contend with the parking and the crowd. It's a huge headache at the end of the day, with many hidden costs involved, including petrol," added Hee.

So in the middle of last year, Hee and her husband decided to dedicate their weekend to growing their own vegetables.

"We take some soil from the hedges around our home. It is surprisingly rich and loamy. We enrich it with some organic fertiliser, like chicken droppings from a neighbour who rears some in his backyard. It has worked out quite well for us," said Hee.

Now, beautiful heads of sawi grow in makeshift red brick boxes that are filled with the loamy soil, all around her front yard.

Growing near them are some spring onions, a chilli plant, a couple of pots of ginger, a few bunches of Chinese chives, and some budding parsley.

"It's surprisingly easy. The sawi can grow and mature in about a month. This is our fifth replant. We have given a lot of extras to relatives and passing neighbours and they all like the freshness and juiciness of our vegetables," Hee shared with a happy grin, adding that some friends liked her sawi so much that they have dubbed Hee the 'Sawi Queen'.

One friend even offered to buy them from her, praising her crop as a top-quality organic produce.

"I thought she was joking of course, so I declined her offer."

Instead, she and her husband continue giving whatever extras that their family can't eat to others for free.

THE MAID LED THE WAY

In an old double-storey house in Salak South Garden, in Kuala Lumpur, a middle-income urban family that has been lamenting the rising prices of food items have also started their own vegetable patch - with the help and expertise of their Cambodian maid.

"I have never farmed before in my life so we never thought we'd be able to grow our own vegetables. My previous experience with flowers taught me that I don't have a green thumb so I shied away from it. But our maid, who has been with us for over four years now, told us one day last year that she would teach us," shared Cherrie Kwan when met.

Kwan's 5-year-old daughter, Tan Ming Wei, has also proven to be a particularly enthusiastic partner in the endeavour.

When the New Sunday Times visited their home, the little girl was found hard at work with her nanny, Borin Nuth, on their vegetable patch in the backyard.

Occasional shrieks of 'Worm, che che (big sister), I found another worm!' could be heard as she helped with the weeding.

"Borin tells us what type of soil to get to enrich our rather dry patch at home. She tells us what types of vegetables are suitable, and also what tools we need. We buy and then pitch in to help when we can. All in all, she is our supervisor in this project," Kwan added with a laugh.

"I mostly take care of Ming Wei and her younger baby brother, Kuan Yew. I also do some chores at home but when I am free, I will weed and plant and water with Ming Wei and my boss. My parents are farmers and I used to help them at home," said Borin with a shy smile.

Borin's garden, as the family calls it, boasts a flourishing bed of sweet potatoes, water convolvulus', some succulent king vegetable shoots (daiwongmiu) in a bricked-up box, pandan leaves, spring onions, chillies, lemongrass, and two crawler plant additions: cucumbers and pumpkins.

"My youngest is just a little over 10 months. We feed him organic vegetables blended into oatmeal or porridge most of the time. Even for Ming Wei, we try to give her the best and freshest vegetables.

"But things are getting so expensive. But now that we have started farming and harvesting our own produce, I get to ensure that he eats well and safely, as well as save money. It's totally satisfying," added Kwan.

Hee Mee Kien, diligently tending her sawi.

No holds barred balcony farming

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

09 February 2014| last updated at 12:21AM

She only started working on it mid last year and already the garden is yielding sweet results-- clutches of bright red cherry tomatoes, fat and juicy Japanese cucumbers, small but cute lady fingers, and some succulent long beans and eggplants.

And everything is grown in a pot -- whether it's of the clay variety or one formed from a reused plastic bottle or an IKEA plastic-bag basket.

Aside from the fruiting variety, she has also managed to grow an impressive wall of fresh herbs that include dill, parsley, mint, lemon basil, Thai basil, cinnamon basil, marjoram, oregano, spring onions, curry leaves, and more.

Not only does she grow them well but she also photographs them well and posts them up on her Instagram account, @triple _sprinkles

"I love cooking but it is quite tedious and costly when I run out of ingredients and realise it as I am about to cook for that day.

"I would then have to change clothes, drive out into the city jam, rush into the mall, queue up to pay, and then rush back home. There's also the parking and the petrol costs. So I thought to myself, why not change things?"

Being a true urbanite, the first place she turned to was the Internet.

"I googled for information, places to buy seeds, as well as advice from fellow home farmers. I even joined a Facebook group where I sought and got many helpful tips and remedies for whatever ailed my plants," she said.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Masliza Maaris with the 'fruits' of her edible balcony garden.

'Focus also on leadership skills'

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

09 February 2014| last updated at 12:17AM

YANG di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah advised  armed forces cadet officers to gain wide knowledge on not only military but leadership skills as well.  

He said this would help them to maintain their credibility as officers and strengthen the force in line with Malaysia's progressive and modernisation status.

"General knowledge, the ability to handle the latest military equipment and leadership skills are very important. The army should always be at the highest level of preparedness to defend the nation's sovereignty at any given moment."

He was speaking at the royal passing-out parade of 61 short-term commissioned officers under the 76th and final such course conducted by the Army College, here yesterday.

Present at the parade were Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, Army Chief General Datuk Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor and Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

"Make the sacrifices of our past heroes as your source of inspiration. Always be absolutely loyal to the country's leadership and be disciplined at all times to maintain the prestige and reputation of the armed forces," he advised the cadet officers.

The parade was led by Senior Under Officer Nor Ikhmar Madarsa, accompanied by the Royal Armour Corps Band, 2nd Regiment Brass Band, Army College Brass Band and Army Basic Training Centre Band conducted by Major Ziful Azman Zainal Abidin.

Nor Ikhmar was announced as the Overall Best Student, while Senior Under Officer Mohamad Shafiq Ramzan received the Best Student in Military Skills title.

The Army College will be restructured into the Army Academy in order to create a centre of excellence for army officers.

A total of 507 officers who underwent the cadet officers training also took part in the parade, led by the Army Institute of Management Commander, Col Rafizi Sharif. Bernama

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah attending the royal passing-out parade of 61 short-term commissioned officers at the Army College in Port Dickson. With them is Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (left). Bernama pic