Celebrating Earth Hour

Celebrating Earth Hour

Celebrating Earth Hour

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

30 March 2014| last updated at 12:40AM
By PHUAH KEN LIN | phuahkenlin@nst.com.my

 GEORGE TOWN: PEOPLE came out in droves to celebrate Earth Hour 2014 yesterday,  participating   in a  bicycle ride, night walk  and other activities. 

Family-oriented events took place from 8.30pm to 9.30pm in inner-city and suburban areas, including Universiti Sains Malaysia.

The main feature of the global movement is the switching off of non-essential lights in buildings and shopping malls for an hour.

More than 60 historical buildings owned by the local council in the heritage core zone had their lights switched off.

The Queensbay Mall Earth Hour Fun Ride featured a 6.6km route, with 100 cyclists pedalling for a good cause. They were flagged off at the mall in Bayan Baru at 8.30pm.

Headlights from helmets and flashing tail lights illuminated the streets as the cyclists made the round-trip.

A 3.5km night walk on the heritage trail was participated by hundreds, while 60 endangered species trees were planted in the "I Will If You Will" pledge by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at the Esplanade.

The area was transformed into a carnival with booths, performances by music and dance schools, and a gymnastics display by Soka Gakkai, among others.

On the mainland, Juru Auto-City took part in the movement, with its 30 food-and-beverage outlets turning off non-essential lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

Earth Hour is an initiative in partnership with WWF.

The event began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, where 2.2 million people and more than 2,000 businesses switched off their lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change.

Before and after shots of the Petronas Twin Towers, as seen from the KL Tower, yesterday as Kuala Lumpur celebrates Earth Hour 2014 . Pix by Khairull Azry Bidin

Xavier's family vying for posts, too

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

30 March 2014| last updated at 01:19AM

While Anwar is going against his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, for the president's post, with their daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, defending her vice-president's post, Seri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jayakumar and two of his family members are vying for several posts in the party.

Xavier is going for the vice-president's post, while his wife, Sheila Devaraj, is vying to become PKR Women's movement central committee member.

Their daughter, Sangeetha Jayakumar, filed her nomination papers to contest the PKR Youth wing's vice-chief post.

She will be contesting against eight candidates.

Red Bean Army behind 'nasty' postings

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

30 March 2014| last updated at 01:01AM

Selangor Anti-Irregularities Coalition (GAPS) chairman Hamidzun Khairuddin described such postings as a planned cyber attack that could jeopardise the peace and prosperity of Malaysia.

"The attacks were the work of those who wanted to benefit from the MH370 crisis and sour ties between Malaysia and other countries. The postings are seditious in nature and provide a negative outlook on Malaysia," he said.

Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat Selangor secretary Mohd Nazmi Rosli said pro-opposition cybertroopers known as the Red Bean Army (RBA) were tasked to confuse people with misleading information and make the government look incompetent.

"They are responsible for most of the cyber attacks."

Racing in style at Formula One

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

30 March 2014| last updated at 12:37AM

IWC Schaffhausen's association with Mercedes­-Benz dates back to 2005, when the Swiss watch manufacturer re­introduced their rugged yet tradition­-steeped Ingenieur models after securing a partnership with AMG, the high-­performance arm of the prestigious car marque.

Unlike others in the industry, this alliance is based on a shared passion for sophisticated technology and precision in performance engineering inherent in both entities, and the result is a set of highly robust and functional timepieces for individuals who thrive on adventure and challenge.

Nine years on, the partnership extends to MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One motorsport and a new Ingenieur line is re­launched whereby IWC interprets the racing theme by using materials typically employed in motorsport, such as carbon fibre, ceramic and titanium, and "drawing on design cues taken from the modern Formula OneTM cockpit", as explained by Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC.

"Screws attach the bezels securely to the case, which lends additional emphasis to the watches' sporty, high-­tech character and thus, a logical continuation of an IWC product family that has one of the richest traditions of them all, including the legendary design of the Ingenieur SL created by the famous watch designer, Gérald Genta."

Combined with state-­of-­the-­art watchmaking technology, the iconic 1976 Genta design with five-­screw bezel is recreated into a new line of Ingenieur models, including the spectacular Constant­Force Tourbillon in platinum and ceramic case and the Chronograph Silberpfeil, ­ a circular-­grained­ dial piece that pays homage to the legendary Mercedes-Benz Silberpfeil (or Silver Arrows) race cars of 1930s to mid-­1950s, whose W25 models' dashboard had a steel surround with a similar circular­ grain decoration. The timepiece is fitted with an automatic movement, complete with a newly ­developed IWC double­-pawl winding system.

Other impressive models from the new sports­ inspired line-­up are the limited Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance (whose carbon­ fibre case is made of epoxy resin­ soaked carbon ­fibre matting and baked under pressure, just like the safety cell and bodywork of an F1 racing car) and the Ingenieur Automatic AMG Black Series Ceramic, displaying a polished ceramic case, inspired by the disc brakes found in the Mercedes SLS AMG series. Both watches are powered by IWC's in-­house calibre 80110 movement.

To demonstrate the shared prowess in providing the utmost resilience and reliability in extreme situations, a select group of media and VIP customers were invited to partake in the Ingenieur Driving Experience on the Sepang International Circuit Prix -- a test of the proficiency of Mercedes- Benz vehicles in calming our nerves with their high-­tech braking system and ESP (electronic stability programme) when driving at fast speeds, performing an emergency brake under treacherous conditions or turning a sharp corner on the F1 track.

The exercise also revealed the intensity of the F1 racing sport on the Sepang track and the need for precision performance engineering in fast cars as well as driving skills in winning the Grand Prix.

To further enhance the partnership between IWC Schaffhausen and the racing team, the two F1 drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, were appointed as brand ambassadors -- the first racing drivers to join a select group of world famous celebrities or prominent Friends of the Brand that include actors Kevin Spacey and Cate Blanchett.

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are the newest brand ambassadors of IWC Shaffhausen

Shalwati gets 1st visitor

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

30 March 2014| last updated at 12:44AM
By ZAHARAH OTHMAN | news@nst.com.my

 LONDON: SHALWATI Norshal, 46, who was convicted of repeated gross violation of the integrity of her children and assaulting them, received her first visitor yesterday after being sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment by the Solna district court in Sweden on Friday.

Her brother, Badrul Hisham Mahzan, 55, who arrived four days ago, said he found his younger sister in good spirits, adding that she had positively accepted the sentence.

"She had more or less expected this. She has accepted this but was somewhat disappointed that the court did not consider that the incidents did not happen in Sweden," he said of the meeting at the Akersberga detention centre, 30km from Stockholm.

The two-hour meeting, in a guest room where coffee was served, seemed quite comfortable but Shalwati's thoughts were on her children back home.

She had not been around to celebrate the birthdays of two of her children, Aisyah, who turned 15 and Arif, who turned 8, when she was being tried in the Swedish court. She had also not seen her other sons, Ammar, 12, and Adam, 11, since she and her husband, Azizul Raheem Awaluddin, were arrested on Dec 18 last year.

The first time she and her husband saw and heard them again was on the big screen in Court 4, telling the police interviewer about their domestic issues.

The children, through government-to-government negotiations, were brought back to Malaysia last month, after a month with a Swedish foster family.

"The children must have heard about the verdict because journalists were there (in Malaysia) to talk to Shaleena Norshal (his sister) after the sentence was announced. But I told Shalwati that they are fine and not to worry about them," said Badrul Hisham in a phone interview from Stockholm.

Badrul Hisham, who will be in Stockholm for a week, will be visiting Azizul Raheem at the detention centre in Varden Sollentuna.

Both Shalwati and Azizul Raheem will be transferred to proper prisons soon.

"Shalwati thinks her lawyer, Kristofer Stahre, had done his best. She will now endure the sentence meted out," said Badrul Hisham.

It is believed that Shalwati and Azizul Raheem will be released earlier.

Badrul Hisham said he was with Malaysian ambassador Datuk Badruddin Ab Rahman and staff when the verdict was delivered.

In Kota Baru, the four children accepted the court's verdict with a heavy heart.

Their aunt, Shaleena, said the children were calm when she broke the news to them after Maghrib prayers on Friday.

"They were sad but courageous. They understood the situation and were thankful that their parents were given minimum sentences," she told Bernama at her home in Kampung Wakaf Tok Wali here yesterday.

(Clockwise from left) Aisyah Azizul Raheem and her siblings Adam, Ammar and Arif reading about their parents' court proceedings via a mobile phone in Kampung Wakaf Tok Wali, Kota Baru, recently. They accepted their parents' sentencing with a heavy heart.

Syabas: Water rationing extended to April 30

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

30 March 2014| last updated at 12:38AM

The decision was made at the Water Supply Distribution Contingency Plan meeting between the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and the Selangor state government yesterday.

"The First Stage Water Rationing Plan is still effective as the Cheras Batu 11 and Bukit Tampoi water treatment plants are still closed due to high ammonia content in Sungai Langat," said Syabas' assistant general manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Priscilla Alfred, in a statement yesterday.

She said consumers in Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang, who received water supply from the two treatment plants, would face rationing as scheduled in the First Stage Rationing Plan.

The Third Stage Water Rationing Plan in several areas in the Klang Valley is still effective due to the unchanged water level in the Sungai Selangor Dam.

Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splas) and Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd will continue to control and reduce the release of raw water from Sungai Selangor Dam and Klang Gates Dam.

Consumers are advised to avoid wastage and refrain from using water for non-essential purposes such as washing vehicles, filling swimming pools and watering of plants. Bernama


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