Another May 13 not impossible, says Muhyiddin |
- Another May 13 not impossible, says Muhyiddin
- Man behind Noma restaurant to open Nordic food hall in New York
- Neymar ‘hunted’ throughout World Cup, says Scolari
- Messi v Courtois: Part seven
- A silent and cruel war is being waged
- Former world boxing champion Khan arrested in assault probe
| Another May 13 not impossible, says Muhyiddin Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:58 PM PDT
Speaking during a Ramadan even in Pagoh, Johor yesterday, he said ethnic tensions that were allowed to simmer would lead to unrest when the various communities start to eye each other with suspicion. "Because of that there exist all kinds of assumptions when ethnic ties become strained and unhealthy. This can cause that event and I do not want to mention the particular date," he was quoted as saying by Malay language daily Utusan Malaysia. Muhyiddin did not mention the date specifically but Utusan Malaysia inserted May 13, 1969 to his quote in parentheses. The Umno deputy president also said he has been receiving text messages from those expressing concern about the welfare of the Malays, the country's dominant racial group, and Islam. "Why are these things happening and it is worrying to us. We must find a way back to the right path," he was further quoted as saying. Malaysia professes to be a multi-racial and cultural country but has seen increasing racial and religious tensions in recent years. Muslims and Christians have been pitted against one another due to the government's decision to prohibit the Catholic Church from using "Allah", the Arabic word for God, in its weekly newsletter. The Catholic Church this month lost a six-year battle to contest the ban, when the Federal Court declined to hear its appeal against the prohibition. Although the matter is theoretically limited to the newsletter, the decision has affected other aspects of Christian worship and led to demands by Muslims for "Allah" to be exclusive to Islam. Malay concerns over the Bumiputera special privileges have also bubbled to the surface in recent months after Putrajaya's National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) proposed three draft bills to replace the Sedition Act. Among others, the laws and the members of the NUCC responsible for drafting them have been accused of being anti-Malay. Hundreds of Malaysians are believed to have died during the May 13, 1969 clashes between the Malay and Chinese communities. Although ostensibly triggered by the results of Election 1969, it was rooted in ethnic tensions between the two communities. Pro-Bumiputera affirmative action programmes such as the New Economic Policy (NEP) were introduced in its aftermath but ,decades later, these policies have led the non-Malay communities to complain of inequality.  |
| Man behind Noma restaurant to open Nordic food hall in New York Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:54 PM PDT
He's the lesser known culinary partner of René Redzepi, chef of award-winning restaurant Noma. And Claus Meyer's Midas touch has been solicited to help build a food hall in Grand Central that will pay homage to new Nordic cuisine, reports the Village Voice. In an interview with the publication, Meyer said he plans to work with local farmers to create a Scandinavian-themed menu, which may include salads, sandwiches, and drinks. Not sure what New Nordic cuisine means? In a nutshell, Meyer describes it as bright, fresher and less fatty than the classical American and European diets. Meyer is no stranger to bold, pioneering, entrepreneurial projects. Last year, Meyer set off on a mission to do for Bolivia what he helped do for Scandinavia: shine the spotlight on native cuisine and elevate it to fine dining heights. Meyer helped open Gustu restaurant in La Paz last year in an effort to revive native Bolivian cuisine and restore pride in their culinary heritage. His Nordic food hall, meanwhile, is set to open in New York in 2016, says the Village Voice. Another highly anticipated food hall opening? Food and TV personality Anthony Bourdain has said he plans to open an international food emporium in New York that will be modeled after Singaporean street hawkers. The food hall will feature Asian food stalls, retail shops for gourmet foods and a pop-up market. Though Bourdain and his business partner Stephen Werthen have remained mum about the exact location and opening date of the food market, rumors are rife that the venture will end up at 3 World Trade Center. ― Afp-Relaxnews pic |
| Neymar ‘hunted’ throughout World Cup, says Scolari Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:40 PM PDT
Neymar was carried off in agony after a heavy challenge from Juan Camillo Zuniga towards the end of Brazil's 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia in Fortaleza. Hosptal tests showed that the 22-year-old Barcelona striker had a fractured third vertebrae and would not play again in Brazil's campaign for a sixth title. Brazil play Germany in the semi-final on Tuesday and will also be without captain Thiago Silva who is suspended after getting a second yellow card of the competition. "I have been saying for three matches that Neymar has been hunted, but all the other countries say it is not true and it is only their players that are hunted," said Scolari. The coach fumed that Silva had been booked for impeding a clearance from Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina without any injury when Zungia went unpunished. "There was not even a yellow card and Thiago got a yellow card for nothing," he said. The Barcelona superstar has been integral to Brazil's World Cup campaign so far, scoring four goals en route to the last four. Brazil appeared to have had the game won when David Luiz's sensational free-kick doubled his side's advantage midway through the second-half after Silva's early opener. However, James Rodriguez's penalty 10 minutes from time cut the deficit with his sixth goal in five World Cup games. The nervy finish frustrated Scolari. "I don't think it was tiredness from the match against Chile because everyone was able to recover. "So much so that in the first-half if we had finished the chances we had we should have scored the second goal and we would have felt slightly better. "We then conceded the goal from a situation where we had the ball and lost possession and that caused a momentary lack of calm," he added. Scolari refused to rule out more changes than just Silva and Neymar for the meeting with the Germans. "It depends on how people recover in the next two or three days. The last 20 or 25 minutes were much more difficult than expected so I will look at he players and see how they recover to decide." Match-winner Luiz, meanwhile, revelled in his incredible free-kick that propelled Brazil into the last four for the first time in 12 years. "Today it was great because I hit the exact point where the ball can go many ways and it is difficult for the goalkeeper," said the Paris Saint-Germain defender. "We know Germany are a great team, with a great philosophy to play football, a lot of great players, great coach and it will be a great game. This is a World Cup semi-final." Luiz backed fellow central defenders Henrique and Dante to fill the void left by Silva. "We have two players that are great players and that have prepared to play just like Thiago and myself. "We will be missing our captain, but thankfully God blessed our coach with an ability to cap great players." ― AFP |
| Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:40 PM PDT JULY 5 ― Tonight's World Cup quarter-final tie between Argentina and Belgium is highlighted by the seventh ― and obviously last ― head to head meeting this season between Lionel Messi and Thibaut Courtois. So far, Belgian goalkeeper Courtois has enjoyed much the better of things, with his Atletico Madrid side winning one and drawing five of their six games against Messi's Barcelona ― two in the Spanish Super Cup, two in the Champions League and two in La Liga, which Atletico clinched courtesy of a final day 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp. Even more notably, during the course of those six games Messi scored precisely zero goals ― a remarkable statistic considering his incredibly consistent goalscoring exploits over the last few years. He came close, particularly when he fired a penalty against the crossbar in August's Super Cup goalless draw at the Nou Camp and then on the final day of the season when a potentially title-winning strike was (perhaps wrongly) disallowed for offside. As they prepare for tonight's renewals of hostilities, both men can take confidence from the fact they have enjoyed excellent World Cup campaigns, with Courtois conceding just two goals in four games (and one of them was a penalty) as Belgium's defensive excellence has provided the backbone for their first quarter-final appearance since 1986. The athletic Courtois, who is set to return to Chelsea after three splendid loan seasons with Atletico, once again showed his worth to his team in their exciting 2-1 extra time victory over the United States in the last sixteen, making a superb save from Clint Dempsey to preserve Belgium's lead in the final minutes. Messi's influence for Argentina has been even greater, with the 27-year-old scoring in each of his team's three group games and then teeing up the late extra time winner for Angel Di Maria in Tuesday's knockout tie with Switzerland. Although 20 other players will be on the pitch, the head to head battle between Messi and Courtois will undoubtedly be one of the most decisive factors in deciding today's outcome, with their previous meetings over the last 10 months lending an additional edge to the encounter. Messi is proud of his goalscoring records and will be acutely aware of his recent blanks against Atletico, which extends back to seven games including the 2012/3 season. But over the last fortnight he has risen to the challenge of carrying a moderate Argentine team on his shoulders, providing the only real reason to believe his team can lift the trophy next weekend. Compared to their club meetings earlier in the season, Courtois' task tonight is complicated by the fact that he will not enjoy the protection afforded by Atletico's superb back four. Over the course of those six games, Messi was so well shackled by Diego Godin, Miranda and co that he had very few opportunities to test Courtois, and Belgium ― even with the presence of the magnificent Vincent Kompany ― will struggle to match the defensive discipline routinely achieved by Atletico in nullifying Messi. With Eden Hazard, in particular, often failing to track back and provide his defence with sufficient cover, Messi should have much more space in which to operate than the meetings between Barca and Atletico, and there is no player in the world better equipped to exploit space when it is made available. For Messi, of course, this is a career defining World Cup Finals. He came into the tournament with two personal aims beside winning the trophy: regaining the status of the greatest player in the world, which had arguably been lost to Cristiano Ronaldo in the preceding months, and matching the historic exploits of his greatest predecessor in the Argentine number 10 shirt (or perhaps any shirt), Diego Maradona. In 1986, Maradona inspired an otherwise mediocre team to victory in Mexico with a series of breathtaking performances and outrageous goals, two of which came in a semi-final victory over Belgium. The parallels between then and now are striking. As a team, Argentina are no better now than they were then, and their hopes of glory are almost wholly reliant upon their diminutive left-footed superstar in the number ten shirt. So far, Messi has delivered. He will need to continue to do so, starting today against a goalkeeper who has already kept him at bay on half a dozen occasions this season. Whoever wins today's personal duel will probably end up winning the game. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist. |
| A silent and cruel war is being waged Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:29 PM PDT
Fasting for this whole month is supposed to be a way for us to be closer to God by being in solidarity with those who are less fortunate, by reminding ourselves that while we live our lives in relative comfort, there are many others who fall through the cracks and are unable to pick themselves up. It is not about starving oneself and feeling holier than thou. What it is about is helping those who are poor, living in poverty and in need. That's why during this period, Muslims are encouraged to donate their time and money to do charitable deeds and be involved in community service, with the idea that by doing good to others and the community, we can all be better people. Perhaps the Minister of the Federal Territories and the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim respectively need to be reminded of this. For some reason, these two have decided to wage a war on the homeless, poor, unemployed and destitute based on the warped and twisted belief that the majority chose to be so and are just plain lazy. That soup kitchens and organisations which give food and assistance to them make it worse as it encourages this behaviour of purposely being homeless, jobless and therefore poor. The honourable ministers have repeated this position a number of times so they can't claim to be misquoted. Maybe it took a decapitated baby belonging to a mother who is homeless, for the authorities to realise that there are whole communities of vulnerable people who are living under bridges, along the riverbanks, in dark alleyways, in abandoned buildings on cardboard boxes, planks of wood and pieces of tarpaulin. People who Tengku Adnan would rather not see in "his" city. For many years, the valiant efforts of non-profit voluntary organisations like Food Not Bombs KL, the Kechara Soup Kitchen, Pertiwi and many other faith-based groups have come together every day of the week, often at night to provide food, temporary shelter, clothes and medical assistance to these communities. They fill critical gaps in essential government services. They provide for those who have slipped through the social welfare net. They are doing what we would rather not have to look at or deal with. Proper avenues for aid? While the government bureaucracy often depends on people in need to go to them in their offices, wear clothes and look respectable, smell good, be literate, have an identity card, have a home address and be there before they close at 5pm, these soup kitchens often ask no questions, pass no judgements, provide a human face to show that people care and do so in the relative safety of the night. The homeless and destitute have so little and now you want to take this away from them too? If you want to wage a war, let it be on poverty itself. Take this opportunity to improve quality and coverage of existing services and voluntary assistance to those who are homeless, in need and destitute, instead of cracking down on them. Don't victimise those who are unable to speak for themselves, are victims of poverty and hardship, and those wanting to help them. The operation labelled "Ops Qaseh" is anything but that. Have some compassion and sense of Fardhu Kifayah, for God's sake. Enacting laws and conducting operations to sweep homeless people and beggars under the carpet and pretending they don't exist will not solve the problem nor will it help them. What is worse is wanting to punish people and organisations wanting to provide assistance. Whether it is Ramadan or any other month, there is nothing wrong with helping others. Feeding and helping those in need is not a crime! Where is our compassion as human beings? Isn't it a good thing that Malaysians are helping others and those in need? What kind of society would we be if we forget those who are less fortunate and been left behind or fallen through the cracks? The existence of these soup kitchens should not be seen as a criticism of the government. People understand that the government cannot be everywhere every time. There is so much need and so much to do. As responsible members of society, we must also do our part. I urge the readers of this column to volunteer their time and energy with the soup kitchens and faith-based groups in Kuala Lumpur. There are many. Find one and sign up for one session this weekend, on Monday night or as many nights as possible till the end of Ramadan. I will be doing that myself. Show them that they have our support in their work to help others! They, and the many communities who depend on them, need to know that we care and stand with them. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist. |
| Former world boxing champion Khan arrested in assault probe Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:11 PM PDT
However, a spokesman for the 27-year-old former WBA and IBF light welterweight champion said he expected the case would be dropped. Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to a street in Khan's home town of Bolton in northwest England at about 1:30 am (0030 GMT) yesterday. Officers "discovered two 19-year-old men had been assaulted. Their injuries are not serious. "A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two... assaults." He was taken into custody for questioning. A spokesman for the Olympic silver medallist confirmed he had been quizzed by officers but added: "It was a minor incident and we're expecting the case to be dropped against Amir," the spokesman said. "We're expecting to formally hear that from police on Monday morning." ― AFP |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malay Mail Online | All To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
