Civil Servants Completed Adat Istiadat Workshop

Civil Servants Completed Adat Istiadat Workshop
‘Alien’ creator Giger dies at 74
Gambia lifts flight bans as Guinea says Ebola spread slowed
Hero dua beradik
Permohonan permit jualan murah hendaklah dalam tempoh 14 hari
Keluarga mangsa kebakaran Rahmat Ulis akan diberi RMR

Posted: 13 May 2014 06:47 PM PDT

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Civil servants play an important role in safeguarding, preserving and defending the existence and continuity of the Brunei Adat Istiadat as the pillar of nation-building, said Yang Di-Pertua of Adat Istiadat Negara during the Closing Ceremony of a Course and Workshop on Adat Istiadat yesterday, ©BRUDIRECT.COM reported.

Yang Di-Pertua of Adat Istiadat Negara, Yang Amat Mulia Pg Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pg Anak Hj Abd Aziz Pg Jaya Negara Pg Hj Abu Bakar also stressed that civil service staff are also committed towards upholding the Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) concept with individual observing the customs and traditions.

Yang Amat Mulia in his sabda said the attitude and behaviour contained in the concept show the beauty of the Malay, Islamic values and in the loyalty towards the Monarch, and these could be felt by every individual who practices the concept. In fact, the feeling of love and respect will also grow among all levels of the community in this fortunate country of Darussalam.

About sixty officers and staff from various ministries and government departments attended the workshop. The importance of adat istiadat and courtesy at ceremonial events, the language procedure, titles and proper addressing language were among the matters emphasised during the workshop.

During the workshop, the participants also heard a talk on Brunei Adat Istiadat delivered by the Senior Assistant Yang Di-Pertua of Adat Istiadat Negara, Yang Amat Mulia Pg Seri Wijaya Pg Hj Ahmad Pg Md Yusof. Yang Amat Mulia stressed on the strength of true values that made the country's Adat Istiadat or ceremonial customs, particularly the Royal Adat Istiadat and Bruneian Adat Istiadat continue to be respected and highly regarded because it is owned not only by Brunei Malays, but also by other races and communities in the country.

‘Alien’ creator Giger dies at 74

Posted: 13 May 2014 06:45 PM PDT

Swiss surrealist designer Hans Ruedi Giger, who won an Oscar for the monster he created for Ridley Scott's "Alien", has died, a museum dedicated to his work said Tuesday.

The HR Giger Museum in the central Swiss village of Gruyere confirmed that the 74-year-old artist had died, but provided no further details.

Swiss public broadcaster SRF meanwhile reported that Giger had died Monday afternoon in hospital from injuries sustained in a fall, citing sources close to his family.

Born on February 5, 1940 into a chemists family in the small eastern Swiss town of Chur, Giger moved to Zurich in 1962 to study architecture and industrial design.

He quickly turned to art, producing first mainly ink drawings and oil paintings that formed the basis for his first solo exhibition four years later.

But it was his discovery of the airbrush that led to the unique freehand painting style that characterises many of his most famous works.

His distinctive style shot to global fame when he created the "Alien" for Ridley Scott's 1979 iconic film, with help from "ET" creator Carlo Rambaldi.

The nightmarish skeletal monster, with its elongated metallic head and mouth filled with vampire-sharp teeth, earned Giger an Oscar in 1980 for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects.

The terrifying costume, which was worn to great effect by an actor in the film, was reportedly sold at auction about a decade ago for $126,000.

His designs were also centrepieces in a range of other well-known films, including "Poltergeist II", directed by Brian Gibson, David Fincher's "Alien3″, and Roger Donaldson's 1995 horror movie "Species".

The artist also gained international recognition for his often dark and demonic Giger sculptures, as well as for his paintings and furniture.

In 1998, the HR Giger Museum opened in the Swiss town of Gruyere, becoming home to the biggest collection of his works.

The museum, run by the artist's wife Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger, also houses examples from his vast private art collection, counting works by the likes of Salvador Dali, Dado and Friedrich Kuhn.

In recent years, a number of international museums, including in Paris, Prague and Vienna, have also presented retrospectives of the artist's work.

Always eager to make his dark, biomechanical world come to life, the artist has also modelled several so-called "Giger Bars", where patrons are immersed in the atmosphere seen in "Alien" and other films he worked on.

Inside, the chairs are high-backed and skeletal, spinal cords lace Gothic arched ceilings, and head-to-toe sculptures of crying babies cover walls.

The first Giger Bar was opened in Tokyo in 1988, but the artist himself disowned that project following disagreements with the Japanese company that built it.

There are two of the bars in Switzerland, one at the museum in Gruyere and one in the town he was born in, Chur. -AFP

Gambia lifts flight bans as Guinea says Ebola spread slowed

Posted: 13 May 2014 06:45 PM PDT

The Gambia has lifted a ban on flights from Liberia and Sierra Leone imposed at the peak of the Ebola virus outbreak as Guinea said the spread of the deadly virus had "slowed significantly".

The outbreak in Guinea is one of the deadliest in history, with 233 cases "clinically compatible" with Ebola virus disease reported, and 157 deaths since the start of the year, according to the World Health Organization.

"The general public is hereby informed that airlines serving Banjul and the sub-region can now pick up passengers in Liberia and Sierra Leone," said a statement issued by the Gambian transport ministry.

President Yahya Jammeh ordered airlines to cancel all flights from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone on April 10 in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

The new statement, dated Sunday, made no mention of Guinea, although it said further information would be provided in due course.

The spread of Ebola has "slowed significantly", with no new cases in Conakry since April 26, Guinea's health ministry said on Tuesday. The total number of laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases in Guinea is 133, including 83 deaths, it added.

"This is positive news for us. The restriction on the movement of people from Sierra Leone to the Gambia has nearly crippled my business," said Isa Camara, a Sierra Leone businesswoman who buys textiles from the Gambia for sale in Freetown.

The Gambian government has not revealed how effective the ban was at keeping out travellers from Liberia and Sierra Leone.

"I travel from Freetown to Dakar by flight and from there, I travel by road to the Gambia," a Gambian who asked not to be named told AFP.

"Since Sierra Leone did not register any cases of Ebola, I don?t think it was prudent to ask flights servicing the sub-region not to pick up passengers from Freetown to Banjul."

The Ebola outbreak across west Africa began in the impoverished country's southern forests, spreading to Conakry, a sprawling port city on the Atlantic coast and home to two million people.

Liberia has reported six lab-confirmed cases, six probable or suspected cases and 11 deaths, while Sierra Leone had two suspected cases of Ebola, both of which turned out to be Lassa fever.

The Gambia, a country of about 1.8 million, is a finger of territory flanking the Gambia River, with Senegal on either side and a narrow Atlantic coastline.

Jammeh, 48, is often pilloried for taking unilateral and seemingly impetuous decisions as well as for rights abuses and the muzzling of the press. -AFP

Hero dua beradik

Posted: 13 May 2014 05:22 PM PDT

by Jeremy Lanson. Posted on May 14, 2014, Wednesday

Oleh Jeremy Lanson//

KUCHING: Jeritan dua beradik yang mulanya disangka bergurau berjaya menyelamatkan beberapa nyawa pekerja sebuah kilang dan bengkel yang musnah dalam kebakaran semalam.

Ini berikutan jeritan dua kanak-kanak berusia tiga dan lima tahun itu yang terkejut melihat api mula merebak dari dalam sebuah stor kilang di Jalan Stephen Yong, di sini berjaya menarik perhatian pekerja-pekerja terbabit.

Sungguhpun begitu, jeritan tersebut hanya dianggap gurauan sebelum bahang panas mula terasa menyebabkan kesemua pekerja terbabit segera menyelamatkan diri mereka dalam kejadian yang berlaku sekitar jam 11.40 pagi itu.

"Mereka (kanak-kanak) ke tandas di belakang kilang dan tidak lama selepas itu mereka berlari masuk ke dalam kilang dan menjerit memberitahu ada melihat api di dalam stor.

"Kami tidak mengendahkannya dan beranggapan mereka bergurau atau bermain, sehingga keadaan menjadi semakin panas dan asap tebal mula masuk ke dalam kilang, baharu kami sedar api semakin kuat," kata seorang daripada pekerja di kilang berkenaan.

Bapa kepada kanak-kanak tersebut yang dikenali sebagai Mohd Fikri, 26, memberitahu bahawa kedua-dua anaknya itu mengikutinya pada pagi semalam kerana mahu membeli kasut.

"Hari ini(semalam) mereka cuti sekolah dan mangajak saya membeli kasut baharu, tetapi saya bawa mereka singgah di sini sementara menunggu saya habis bekerja," kata Fikri yang juga merupakan pekerja di kilang berkenaan.

Difahamkan, dua beradik tersebut dijaga oleh sebuah pusat asuhan kanak-kanak di Jalan Setapok, di sini pada hari-hari biasa.

Dalam kebakaran tersebut semalam, sebuah kilang dan pejabat termasuk bengkel dan kedai menjual aksesori kereta musnah manakala dua lagi kilang berjaya diselamatkan oleh pihak bomba.

Komander Operasi Bomba dan Penyelamat Zon Kuching Tiong Ling Hii memberitahu, seramai 35 anggota termasuk pegawai dari Balai Bomba Padungan, Tabuan Jaya dan Batu Lintang dikejarkan ke tempat kejadian.

"Api berjaya dikawal sepenuhnya pada jam 12.15 dan untuk operasi ini kami terpaksa menggunakan sumber air terbuka kerana tiada pili bomba di sini, bagaimanapun operasi berjalan lancar,"katanya.

Tiada kemalangan jiwa dilaporkan dalam kejadian tersebut dan punca kebakaran masih dalam siasatan.

Permohonan permit jualan murah hendaklah dalam tempoh 14 hari

Posted: 13 May 2014 05:21 PM PDT

SIBU: Sebanyak 39 permit jualan murah diluluskan sempena sambutan Gawai Dayak.

Ketua Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan (KPDNKK) Cawangan Sibu Balraj Singh berkata permit itu dikeluarkan kepada kedai-kedai menjual barangan elektronik, perabot, kasut dan butik serta pelbagai fesyen.

Katanya permohonan permit untuk menjalankan aktiviti niaga jualan murah hendaklah sampai kepada KPDNKK dalam tempoh 14 hari sebelum jualan murah diadakan.

"Dalam pada itu, kami turut menyerbu dua buah permis kerana menjalankan aktiviti niaga jualan murah secara haram," katanya ketika ditanya jumlah permit jualan murah dikeluarkan.

Menurut beliau, KPDNKK di sini meningkatkan penguatkuasaan bagi menghalang peniaga yang tidak bertanggungjawab cuba mengeksploitasi pengguna memandangkan sambutan Hari Gawai Dayak semakin hampir.

"Pada awal tahun ini, kami merampas produk kosmetik bernilai RM630 dalam dua serbuan kerana melanggar Akta Perihal Dagangan 2011 (Pindaan) (Jualan Harga Murah)," ujarnya.

Di bawah akta baharu itu, Balraj berkata peniaga dikehendaki menyenaraikan harga lama dan baharu.

Jelas beliau, barangan jualan murah sepatutnya terdiri daripada 70 peratus barangan dalam premis berkenaan.

"Jika didapati bersalah di bawah akta berkenaan pesalah boleh dikenakan denda sehingga RM100,000 atau hukuman penjara sehingga tiga tahun atau kedua-duanya," katanya.

Balraj juga menggesa pengguna sentiasa melakukan perbandingan harga daripada kedai berbeza dan memilih produk terbaik.

Pemegang kad kredit juga perlu memastikan pengurusan kewangan yang baik ketika berbelanja menggunakan kad mereka.

"Pengguna perlu berjimat cermat dalam perbelanjaan mereka untuk mengelak masalah bebanan kewangan," katanya.

Keluarga mangsa kebakaran Rahmat Ulis akan diberi RMR

Posted: 13 May 2014 05:20 PM PDT

KUCHING: Bebanan yang ditanggung keluarga Rahmat Ulis dari Kampung Pulo Ulu, di sini apabila rumah mereka musnah dijilat api baru-baru ini akan dapat diringankan menerusi pemberian bantuan skim Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) selepas ini.

Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar berkata, beliau akan mengemukakan permohonan skim RMR itu kepada Kementerian Perumahan Sarawak bagi membolehkan keluarga berkenaan membina kediaman baharu.

"Lazimnya kami akan menilai rumah yang terbakar sama ada mereka layak menerima RMR atau PPRT (Projek Perumahan Rakyat Termiskin) dan dalam kes ini, saya rasa RMR lebih sesuai… kami akan buat pengesyoran untuk membinanya secepat mungkin," katanya ketika ditemui pemberita, semalam.

Wan Junaidi yang juga Ahli Parlimen Santubong menyampaikan sumbangan berjumlah RM7,000 kepada empat keluarga yang terjejas dalam kebakaran yang berlaku kira-kira jam 11.30 malam, Selasa lepas.

Pusat Khidmat Santubong katanya, akan menyalurkan sumbangan secara segera kepada keluarga yang ditimpa musibah selepas penilaian dibuat.

"Kami memberi bantuan penuh RM2,500 kepada (Rahmat) memandangkan rumah mereka terbakar habis," katanya.

Pada masa yang sama, isterinya Datin Feona Junaidi akan turut memohon peruntukan daripada Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-Isteri Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri (BAKTI) untuk disalurkan kepada keluarga tersebut.

Sementara itu, Rahmat mengalu-alukan bantuan yang diberikan kerajaan kepadanya.

"Tidak ada apa lagi yang dapat saya ucapkan, melainkan terima kasih," katanya.

Dalam kejadian malam itu, Mohammad Irsyad Anaqi dianggap hero selepas rengekan mahukan susu, menyelamatkan ahli keluarga tersebut daripada kebakaran tersebut.

Bayi yang berusia 53 hari itu dianggap wira apabila rengekan itu menyebabkan ibunya, Rozana, 27, terjaga sekali gus menyedari rumah mereka terbakar.

"Baby (bayi) merengek kerana mahukan susu. Ketika itu juga saya terhidu bau asap dan menyuruh suami saya pergi periksa keadaan di dalam rumah sebelum kami menyedari asap mula memenuhi ruang bilik tidur kami.

"Saya dan baby segera keluar dari dalam rumah, manakala suami saya pergi menyelamatkan ahli keluarga yang lain dan bersyukur sebab kami semua sempat menyelamatkan diri sebelum api semakin marak," kata Rozana.

Ekoran itu, Iskandar dan bapa saudaranya telah dikejarkan ke Hospital Umum Sarawak (HUS) kerana mengalami sesak nafas serta kecederaan ringan.

Seramai 23 anggota daripada Balai Bomba Petra Jaya dan Tabuan Jaya bergegas ke tempat kejadian untuk mengawal keadaan di mana sebuah rumah dua tingkat separuh kekal musnah sepenuhnya dalam kebakaran tersebut.