Malaysian royal family: more than just a symbol |
- Malaysian royal family: more than just a symbol
- It’s back to work as Hong Kong protests subside (VIDEO)
- NYT Video: Hong Kong — one week later
- Jessica Chastain: James McAvoy kept me laughing during love scenes
- At least one dead as Typhoon Phanfone bears down on Japan, heading for Tokyo
- Big bike makers rev up interest on Southeast Asia
| Malaysian royal family: more than just a symbol Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:49 PM PDT
He says his daily catch of fish, prawns and crabs has slumped since land reclamation work began this year on a controversial 2,000-hectare man-made island called Forest City, a project between the Sultan of Johor and a Chinese developer. "My net used to last up to years, but nowadays I have to replace it after three months," said the 24-year-old fisherman. The mammoth project, which has drawn concern from Singapore and environmental groups over its impact on the narrow channel, is a sign of what critics say is the increasing political and business influence of Malaysia's traditional rulers, the sultans. A decline in support for the long-ruling coalition, led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), at the last two general elections has left a power vacuum. Analysts say that the country's nine traditional rulers have stepped into the void, with the tacit support of the government. "If the national opposition front were the ruling government in Putrajaya (Malaysia's seat of government) this would not have happened," said Abdul Aziz Bari, a constitutional law expert. "...It shows that UMNO is so desperate to cling on to power." A government crackdown on dissent has coincided with a flurry of cases involving allegedly seditious remarks against the traditional rulers. Out of more than a dozen prosecutions under the colonial-era Sedition Act this year - most against anti-government activists or opposition politicians - five have centred on comments voiced about the sultans or their powers. Aziz Bari is currently being investigated under the Sedition Act over comments he made about a sultan. The role of the sultans — descendants of centuries-old ethnic Malay kingdoms — goes beyond the ceremonial. They wield real power as the official guardians of Islam and can withhold consent for the dissolution of state assemblies and appointments of chief ministers. Many, including the sultans of Johor in the south and Selangor,Malaysia's richest state, have built up large business interests. The Johor and Selangor palaces declined to comment on the issues when contacted by Reuters. The prime minister's office also declined comment, but some of his ministers have publicly expressed their support for the Sedition Act and Malay royalty. The sultans also make up a Conference of Rulers, which can block changes to the federal constitution affecting the special status held by majority Malays over minority Chinese and Indians. Perak crisis Many commentators trace the recent assertion of royal power back to 2009, when the then Sultan of Perak state declined the opposition's request for fresh state elections after it had lost its majority. The sultan allowed the ruling coalition to form the state government. The Perak crisis came a year after the opposition made sweeping gains in a national election, handing the now 57-year-old ruling National Front its worst-ever election setback. "The reason they (the sultans) are asserting themselves is the change in the political scenario in the country," said Azmi Sharom, a law professor at Universiti Malaya, the country's oldest university. "That is not necessarily a problem as long as they work within the constitution. However even pointing out what their constitutional limits are you put yourself at risk for sedition." A few days after speaking to Reuters, Azmi was charged under the Sedition Act for saying that "what happened in Perak was legally wrong" and the result of a "secret meeting". The Selangor sultan last month appointed a new chief minister who had not been formally proposed by the opposition coalition, in what analysts said was an unprecedented royal snub of the established democratic process. The sultan, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, said last month that some politicians had misunderstood his role as only ceremonial. "Politicians come and go ... but my position as sultan and ruler of Selangor will continue until the end of my days," he was quoted as saying by Malaysian media. The sultans' powers were pegged back under the 22-year-rule of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who in 1993 passed constitutional changes ending their immunity from prosecution. The then leader of UMNO tapped into rising concern about errant royal behaviour and extravagance. Although neutral arbiters in theory, the sultans have traditionally been seen as closer to the ruling party than the opposition due to their shared role as guardians of ethnic Malay power. Royal business empire Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail's role in the state's booming property market and attempts to gain more policy clout have raised concern from politicians and some investors. "Hopefully he doesn't go overboard, because it could affect the economy," said one Johor property investor, who asked not to be identified because of the subject's sensitivity. However, a member of the ruling UMNO defended the sultan's right to pursue business interests. "If it's approved by the state and federal government, what is the issue?," said Sharir Samad, a member of parliament from Johor. "It's not an issue where he is taking somebody's land, and depriving business or an individual of his right to property." This year, a proposed bill that would have given the sultan broad powers over a new state Housing and Property Board was revised amid cross-party opposition to say that the sultan could only act on the advice of the chief minister. But some are not convinced the changes are enough to limit the sultan's ability to influence policy in the Iskandar economic zone, an international hub of property development and tourism named after his father. "The question is whether the chief minister dares to advise him," said Hassan Abdul Karim, the vice chairman of the main opposition PKR party in Johor. "This is not good for the democratic system in our country." — Reuters  |
| It’s back to work as Hong Kong protests subside (VIDEO) Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:48 PM PDT HONG KONG, Oct 6 — Hong Kong civil servants returned to work at the government's headquarters today as pro-democracy protests which have paralysed the area for more than a week subsided in the face of a deadline to disperse. Dozens of workers streamed along a footbridge and into the Central Government Offices complex in the harbour side Tamar district, an AFP reporter saw. Several hundred demonstrators remained in the area, well down on past numbers. A knot of protesters partially blocked the entrance to the complex with barricades, but kept a narrow section open to allow the officials to pass through. "I'm happy the protesters opened the barriers today," one female civil servant said as she pushed through a crowd of reporters. "I need to work!" Another who gave her name as Ms Cheung said: "I support the protesters and I have the right to support them after work". The crowds of protesters have been swelling and subsiding on a daily basis since their campaign began, but dwindled to their lowest point early today as many had feared the police would use force to clear them.
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| NYT Video: Hong Kong — one week later Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:44 PM PDT Duration: 04:07, Published 6 Oct 2014 Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong held one of the largest rallies of their campaign that began last Saturday evening, a gesture of defiance following attacks on their occupied areas. — New York Times |
| Jessica Chastain: James McAvoy kept me laughing during love scenes Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:41 PM PDT
The 37-year-old co-stars with the Scottish actor in "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby". But despite the film being a drama, Jessica sometimes felt she was in a comedy because of the 35-year-old. "I actually had difficulty keeping a straight face [on set] especially because James McAvoy is super, super funny, and he improvises a lot," she explained to the October issue of Interview magazine. "There's a lot of me breaking, but doing it in character that actually made it into the film." The "Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" is broken into three films, Him, Her and Them. All of them follow the same time period, but are told from the differing perspectives of Connor Ludlow (James) and Eleanor Rigby (Jessica), a young married couple living in New York. For Jessica, who is best known for serious roles in films like "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Debt", it was great to work with someone like James who put the fun into every scene they did together. "There's a scene where we're kissing in the car and he's putting my bra on me. He says something like, 'I think I've been programmed to not be able to do this'. And he starts going off about how he only knows how to take off a bra," she recalled. "I looked at him, like, 'You're so stupid', and started laughing. That's in the film. James has so much lightness and love around him that, even when we were working on the difficult, sad scenes, between takes we had a feeling of celebrating life." — Cover Media |
| At least one dead as Typhoon Phanfone bears down on Japan, heading for Tokyo Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:40 PM PDT
Three US servicemen were swept away by high waves in the southwestern island of Okinawa yesterday as Typhoon Phanfone, which earlier had the status of super typhoon, neared Japan. One was later found dead and the other two are missing. Heavy rains forced the cancellation of a search for victims of Mount Ontake, with 12 people still missing after an eruption last week killed at least 51. A score of households in the foothills of the peak were evacuated out of concerns that heavy rains could cause mudslides as ash is washed downstream. Phanfone made landfall near the central city of Hamamatsu today morning, prompting Honda to halt production at its Hamamatsu and Suzuka plants, while Nissan said it was halting production at its Oppama plant. Toyota said yesterday that it would halt production at 12 plants. The storm had sustained winds of 129kph with gusts of up to 185kph and was moving northeast at 45kph as of 8:00am (2300 GMT), Japan's Meteorological Agency said. Some parts of eastern Japan were expected to be hit with 8cm of rain an hour, with total accumulations of 20cm before the storm sweeps out to sea. More than 50,000 households throughout eastern Japan were advised to evacuate due to fears of flooding as rivers threatened to burst their banks. Some areas were forecast to see a month's worth of rain before the storm ended. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and service on the Shinkansen bullet train was suspended west of Tokyo. Commuter train services were delayed or suspended in the capital, affecting millions of commuters. Heavy rain delayed the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix yesterday, which eventually saw two starts behind the safety car and ended before the full distance due to a crash. Britain's Lewis Hamilton won the race. — Reuters |
| Big bike makers rev up interest on Southeast Asia Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:31 PM PDT
Traffic in urban centres such as Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City has long been characterised by swarms of small motorbikes and scooters. Honda Motor and Yamaha Motor, the world's biggest motorbike makers, have dominated this sprawling regional market. The landscape is slowly shifting as the Southeast Asian market, the world's third-largest after China and India, undergoes a structural change. In Malaysia and Vietnam, motorbikes with bigger engine capacities are outselling their smaller cousins. Italy's Ducati Motor Holding, Japan's Kawasaki and Austria's KTM are among motorbike makers looking to build a new axis of growth in this market of 600 million people as orders for larger bikes in first-world countries slow. They are wooing not just small-bike owners graduating to larger models. They are also chasing riders who already own a four-door subcompact sedan but have no qualms about taking on an additional financial commitment. Harley-Davidson plans to roll out a new entry-level motorcycle, the Street 750, in Southeast Asia early next year. The 749cc model has been a hit in India, with sales accounting for 60 per cent of the company's local revenue two months after its launch in February. The bike costs 410,000 rupees (RM21,680). "We are optimistic about the Southeast Asian premium leisure motorcycle market," Marc McAllister, vice president and managing director of Harley-Davidson Asia-Pacific, told Reuters. "The motorcycle is perfectly suited to the region's infrastructure and fast-growing urban cities filled with a younger generation of riders who want an accessible premium ride." The demand for premium bikes is in step with rising gross national income (GNI) in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines — vast countries held together by miles and miles of high-speed motorways, urban roads and rural byways. In Vietnam, GNI per capita is approaching the key US$2,000 (RM6,526) level, data from the World Bank shows. Crossing that threshold marks the first phase of a shift in a population's spending from subsistence to moderate consumption, U.S.-based private equity and investment consulting firm TorreyCove Capital Partners said in a report in 2013. Indonesia and the Philippines both breached the US$3,000 level in 2012, while in Malaysia and Thailand, GNI per capita stood at US$10,400 and US$5,370, respectively, last year, according to the World Bank data. In Vietnam, sales of larger models are outpacing the broader market, according to Harley-Davidson and Ducati. In Malaysia, sales of bikes with capacities of 250cc and above surged 49 per cent last year, while the overall market was almost flat, local industry association data shows. In Indonesia, the region's largest motorcycle market, bikes with similarly bigger capacities comprised 13 per cent of total sales in 2013, up from 11 percent in 2012. "We also see that not only bigger and heavier bikes will have a better volume, but also cross-touring motorcycles like BMW and Triumph will have a better opportunity here," said Tony Tardjo, head of consumer lending of Indonesia's Bank CIMB Niaga. "This kind of motorcycle offers the ability for on and off-road, which is suitable for Indonesian road infrastructure," he said. Extra commitments With a monthly salary of RM4,000 ringgit Hor Chee Fung, 28, is one of the region's new middle class earners, working hard to pay off monthly commitments from phone bills to car loans. But that didn't stop him from taking another loan to buy a larger and more powerful motorcycle. "I don't mind taking that extra commitment to join my fellow riding friends," said Hor, a Kuala Lumpur-based financial analyst with International Business Machines Corp. Hor is moving from a moped to a 250cc sports motorbike — the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. He plans to eventually upgrade to a Harley-Davidson or Ducati entry-level model when he gets a pay rise and promotion. An entry-level Ducati, such as the Monster 795 assembled in Thailand, costs RM59,900 in Malaysia, 18 per cent cheaper than an entry-level Toyota Vios car. A Kawasaki Ninja 250R costs less, at RM22,590. "These superbikes are highly affordable from RM60,000 to the dream machines costing RM500,000 and above," said Khairul Kamarudin, business development director at Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, a unit of BIMB Holdings Bhd. "As there are presently not many financial institutions providing superbike financing, we view this under-served community as an exciting prospect," he said. "We are in this superbike financing for the long haul." A consumer banking manager from a Kuala Lumpur-based bank was more cautious. He said the superbike market is still small compared with car financing, though he agreed it is growing. "I would say a lot of it is impulse buying," he said, adding that interest rates are high, as much as 10 per cent if the client chooses zero downpayment. Market research firm Nielsen estimates that middle class earners in Southeast Asia, or those with disposal incomes of as much as US$3,000 a month, will more than double to 400 million by 2020. Close to you To be closer to this new growth segment, KTM, Europe's second-largest motorcycle maker, last year opened its first assembly plant outside Austria in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah. That came two years after Ducati, a unit of Audi AG, set up a factory in Thailand. "We notice in Southeast Asia a clear demand for bigger engine capacities. Even premium high-end models like our 1290 Super Duke R show potential. But clearly the main business is done with products between 200 and 400cc," Thomas Kuttruf, PR manager at KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH, told Reuters. Apart from being closer to their customers, it also makes more economic sense for manufacturers to produce in Southeast Asia. A regional free trade pact has meant lower import tariffs in the single digits. Bikes and components imported from outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are slapped with duties of up to 30 per cent, making them more expensive. "The choice of the factory in Thailand, the first for us outside of Italy, was an important step... We are able to deliver Ducati motorcycles throughout Asia taking advantage of the ASEAN duty agreement," Pierfrancesco Scalzo, general manager of sales and marketing at Ducati Asia, told Reuters. For now, market leaders Honda and Yamaha remain unfazed by the entry of other motorbike makers. Like Ducati, KTM and Kawasaki, a unit of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, Honda is starting to offer bigger bikes, producing the CB500 and CB650 series in Thailand. "We are not competing with the other manufacturers," Yuka Abe, a Tokyo-based Honda spokeswoman told Reuters. "But we do this because in Asia, demand for bigger models is increasing while in developed countries, the demand for the same is decreasing." Yamaha is not about to be left behind. The world's second-largest motorcycle maker has recently started producing a new 250cc sports motorcycle in Indonesia — the R25 — and is looking to launch the model worldwide soon. — Reuters |
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