Before you get excited about East Malaysia autonomy |
- Before you get excited about East Malaysia autonomy
- Hublot hosts its largest pop-up in the world in Singapore
- Doctor row overshadows Manchester City-Chelsea buildup
- 5 questions with Grace Chan
- British serial killer musical to close San Sebastian festival
- Wall Street ex-trader swaps arbitrage for AirAsia’s ambitions
| Before you get excited about East Malaysia autonomy Posted: 13 Aug 2015 06:05 PM PDT AUGUST 14 — The big news for Sarawakians earlier this week was the prime minister saying more autonomy is coming for the state. But it may not be what you think. According to the prime minister, the federal and state governments are looking into streamlining administration and how to avoid duplication of responsibility. "I agree with this idea as we notice there is duplication of many responsibilities leading to slow delivery to the people. We are currently identifying what type of empowerment that we can leave it to the state as they have a better view of things on the ground," the prime minister was quoted as saying. Already there is some disconnect with the autonomy that chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem had been talking about. On July 22, for example, he boldly stated that Sarawak did not partake in the formation of Malaysia only to have Britain's colonial responsibilities over it handed over to the Federation of Malaya. In May, he said constitutional provisions accord to Sarawak "a greater degree of financial, legislative and administrative autonomy not enjoyed by the other states in the Peninsula", in a speech to the State Assembly. It seemed the chief minister called for a different sort of autonomy — not only more independence on state administrative matters but also on financial and legislative fronts. A telling shade to his remarks is his often-repeated point that Sarawak and Sabah are equal partners in the Malaysia federation on par with the Federation of Malaya as an entity. In comparison the prime minister's promise on August 10 seemed limited to administrative aspects, especially in government roles vis-a-vis "delivery to the people." So have the goal posts shifted? Perhaps. But they were not clearly defined in the first place. It comes down to whether the chief minister, in multiple instances earlier this year, was calling for full autonomy. Full autonomy, essentially, means Sarawak governs itself fully. This leaves only defence, foreign affairs and security aspects to the federal government. One important aspect of that is natural resources — will Putrajaya let Sarawak completely manage its own natural resources, especially in oil and gas reserves, its extraction and commercial exploitation? That's a difficult question because the Petroleum Development Act 1974 grants Petroliam Nasional (or Petronas) exclusive right to all oil and gas resources in Malaysia. If Sarawak's autonomy means complete control over its natural resources, the arrangement in respect of Petronas and the Act may need changing. That may mean the oil and gas royalty dynamics would change as a result. State Democratic Action Party (DAP), for instance, wants 20 per cent in terms of oil and gas royalty and 50 per cent of all tax revenue generated to accrue to the state. That's a huge concession for Putrajaya and Petronas to make. There are other matters to clarify too. In a previous declaration state DAP wanted autonomous powers to be granted to Sarawak in respect of education system, healthcare and police matters. Is the chief minister on the same page as DAP in this interpretation of autonomy? In any case all these come back to finances — the question is whether Sarawak will have control over its own finances. If the control over money remains in Putrajaya then there is no real meaning to autonomy in this sense because you need funds to get things going. So what does autonomy for Sarawak really mean? The chief minister should explain clearly and immediately the precise points of autonomy he is demanding from the federal government. Only then can we be sure the prime minister does not misunderstand what the word means to Sarawak, because his track record with promises so far is far from inspiring. Otherwise we may get something else entirely — or nothing at all. *This is the personal opinion of the columnist.  |
| Hublot hosts its largest pop-up in the world in Singapore Posted: 13 Aug 2015 06:00 PM PDT
But it has already made its mark. Founded in 1980 by Italian Carlo Crocco (who used to be part of the Binda Group, which makes Breil watches), one of the company's early successes was a watch that had a natural rubber strap (a first in the history of watch-making back then). Despite a disappointing showing at the renowned timepiece fair in Basel, it soon sold in excess of US$2 million (RM8 million) in its first year. To date, Hublot has 50 boutiques all over the world. In 2005, Hublot's then-CEO Jean-Claude Biver created a flagship collection called the Hublot Big Bang chronograph. It was an immediate success and orders increased threefold in one year. By the end of that year, the Big Bang chronograph received the 2005 Design Prize in the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, along with other international awards. Now, some 10 years later, Hublot is celebrating the Big Bang in a unique way in Singapore. It will be putting up its largest pop-up store in the heart of Orchard Road at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza — an idea that Ricardo Guadalupe, the current CEO of Hublot, credited to its long-time retail partner The Hour Glass. "With the help of our long-time partner and luxury watch retailer The Hour Glass, Hublot's presence has stayed strong in Singapore and regionally for the last 30-over years," he said in an email interview. "This pop-up store is an initiative fronted by The Hour Glass and we cannot be more supportive of this event. "It is the largest Hublot pop-up store globally and ... visitors can expect to see the world of Hublot on a panoramic scale — from haute horology to craftsmanship and lifestyle gears that Hublot has to offer." "Some of Hublot's latest collections such as the Big Bang Denim and Big Bang Broderie, showcase Hublot's story of fusion," said Wong Mei Ling, managing director of The Hour Glass Limited. "Hublot remains the first luxury watch brand to use real denim material in their timepieces, while the Big Bang Broderie is a nod to traditional artisanal lace craftsmanship while combining technical watchmaking — once again celebrating the story of fusion." A key highlight of this store, said Guadalupe, is the two limited editions that have been specially created for Singapore. "The first is the Red Dot Bang, a timepiece created in two cases — Hublonium and Yellow Bang. It is a nod to not only the iconic Big Bang that made Hublot the success story it is today, it also showcases Hublot's strength in material engineering," he elaborated, adding that it was a limited run. There will be 50 pieces of the Hublonium variant in a tribute to Singapore's 50th birthday and 10 pieces of the yellow-gold variant at the pop-up store. "Placing the red '10' index on the dial also holds a dual meaning — it is an homage to Singapore's national colour and the number (is) to celebrate Big Bang's 10-year anniversary," said Guadalupe. The other timepiece of note is the one-of-a-kind Hublot Manufacture MP-05 La Ferrari Golden Jubilee, which the company calls the "the super machine of all time machines", adding that it was "a suitable model to develop ... for Singapore". This edition features a gleaming yellow-gold case set with 440 baguette-cut diamonds worth at least 13 carats. Not surprisingly, Guadalupe was effusive about the experience that visitors could take away from its pop-up event. "With every project that Hublot executes, we want our visitors to feel inspired, to draw from the brand's dynamism and our bold spirit," he said. "It is a veritable playpen for all Hublot fans! One that truly showcases the spirit of Hublot. "Hosting a pop-up store on such a scale is testament to Hublot's strong presence in Singapore and the strong partnership that we share." — TODAY * The Hublot pop-up is from Aug 16 to 26 at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. |
| Doctor row overshadows Manchester City-Chelsea buildup Posted: 13 Aug 2015 05:57 PM PDT
British media reports claim Carneiro will no longer attend matches or training sessions after Mourinho reacted furiously to the sight of her and physiotherapist Jon Fearn running on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during the latter stages of last weekend's opening 2-2 draw at home to Swansea City, which temporarily reduced Chelsea to nine players. The outspoken Mourinho, who said that Carneiro and Fearn had been "impulsive and naive," has received widespread criticism, with Liverpool's former head of sports medicine Peter Brukner branding his behaviour "absolutely appalling." Mourinho was due to give his first public response to the reports of Carneiro's demotion at his scheduled pre-match press conference today. However, for all that he enjoys confronting the media, Chelsea and Mourinho have sometimes cancelled his press conference appearances in a bid to limit the damage caused by uncomfortable topics. Indeed it was prior to a match with City last season that Mourinho backed out of a press conference in anger at what he believed was an attempt by the Football Association to make Blues striker Diego Costa a scapegoat for his stamp on Liverpool defender Emre Can. Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, sent off against Swansea, but have a more than capable deputy in former Stoke City number one Asmir Begovic. Both last season's league meetings between Chelsea and their title rivals ended in 1-1 draws but City will have hope of a win after starting this campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory away to West Bromwich Albion on Monday. Aguero caution Sergio Aguero may not be in their starting side after the striker played just the final 27 minutes against the Baggies following his return from international duty with Argentina. "Whether I start or not remains to be seen," Aguero told City's website. "I'm trying to get there and be in top condition, but arriving for pre-season later having taken part in the Copa America with Argentina means I need some additional time," added the forward, who scored 32 goals in 41 appearances for City last term. "With the whole season in mind, what matters the most is that I get in top form and don't take any risks." Southampton are to set receive a double boost on Saturday when they face Everton at St Mary's. Dutch manager Ronald Koeman is in line to return after missing last weekend's 2-2 draw with Newcastle United because of Achilles tendon surgery and the Everton game could see the Saints hand a club debut to former Chelsea midfielder Oriel Romeu. This will be Southampton's first home league game since they signed off in May with a 6-1 victory over Aston Villa, a game marked by Sadio Mane's 176-second hat-trick, the Premier League's fastest ever. "It was nice to end the season like that at St Mary's," Mane said. "I will try and score more than last season." Newcastle travel to Swansea looking to build on their point against the Saints, while Tottenham Hotspur — undone by Kyle Walker's own goal in a 1-0 defeat by Manchester United — will look to bounce back at home to Stoke. West Ham United, whose 2-0 win away to Arsenal was arguably the shock result of the first weekend, are at home to Leicester City — themselves 4-2 winners over Sunderland. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech will hope for a better second league game with the Gunners than his first, where the Chelsea great was blamed for both goals, in another London derby with Crystal Palace on Sunday. But Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is set to remain in the stands again for today's match away to Aston Villa as the impasse over his proposed move to Real Madrid continues. Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated) — today Aston Villa v Manchester United (1845 GMT) Tomorrow Southampton v Everton (1145 GMT), Sunderland v Norwich City, Swansea City v Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City, Watford v West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United v Leicester City Sunday Crystal Palace v Arsenal (1230 GMT), Manchester City v Chelsea (1500 GMT) Monday Liverpool v Bournemouth (1900 GMT) — AFP |
| Posted: 13 Aug 2015 05:55 PM PDT SINGAPORE, Aug 14 — You would think that TVB actress Grace Chan would have learnt how to handle paparazzi attention by now. Chan and her beau, fellow star Kevin Cheng, were recently snapped while in the middle of a dinner by the paparazzi in Hong Kong, with Chan calling the incident "crazy". The winner of Miss Hong Kong 2013 and Miss Chinese International Pageant 2014 was recently in Singapore for a meet-and-greet session as a curtain raiser of sorts for the StarHub TVB Awards, which will be held on Oct 24 in Hong Kong. "It is crazy. I mean, no one really invites that kind of attention to their lives. It is very shocking; you're just trying to enjoy your dinner and then all of a sudden, they rush in and what do you do? I apparently went like this (shows a fist in front of her face) and the photo is hilarious," she exclaimed. "I was like a deer in headlights in it. (Kevin) was really calm and was like: 'Can you guys give us space?' "I was like: 'Why did they use that photo? It's terrible!' Next time I'll be so cool ... and I'll have perfect hair and everything."
A: I believe I can wear no make-up but I think the hair has to be nice. I can't stand not having good hair when I go out because it just feels like it ruins your whole look. Say you have perfect make-up and your clothes are perfect but your hair is a mess, it just seems not in character. If you're wearing no make-up but you have nice hair, people just think that you are going for a minimal style. Q: What about your personal style when you are not working? A: When I am not working, I prefer to be super casual. I like wearing tank tops, shorts and flats. My choice is definitely not high heels. I know a lot of girls like high heels but to me, I would choose comfort over anything else. I think you can be stylish but still comfortable. The older I get, the more I like buying very plain T-shirts: Nothing with too much designs because I like to mix and match. If I'm wearing a T-shirt, I can wear a patterned skirt or I can wear something over the top but when you have something that is very recognisable, you wear it once or twice and everyone's like: 'Oh I know that, you wore it, like, yesterday.' (Laughs) It's easier to use something that's plain and then add onto it. Q: What is an item every woman should have in their wardrobe? A: I think it's good to have a really good pair of jeans that you can match with anything. You put on high heels and it's glamourous; you put on flats and you can go out for shopping. I love wearing rings (as well). I don't think you need to have it but rings are something that are very simple. It feels like they go well with everything. For statement necklaces, you can't wear them all the time but rings are something that are very personal and always mean something. You don't just buy a ring for no occasion, there's usually a reason behind it. Q: Can you share more about your upcoming dramas? A: We're going to have Captain Of Destiny and I'm really excited because it's the first time that I'm in a period drama. I play someone from the present day but a tornado brings me back into the past. It's hilarious because everyone knows that learning the language in period dramas is very hard because it's not what we're typically used to. But because I'm from the present, I can just use modern terms - sometimes I speak in English. And everyone's like: 'You can't do that.' It's a little bit like a fantasy drama. Honestly, it's just a lot of fun (and) we laughed so much on set. Q: How do you feel about being in Brother's Keeper 2? A: I'm nervous, because I love Brother's Keeper 1. Everyone has such chemistry in the drama and I'm a new addition so I feel like I have to see how I'm going interact with everyone in the drama. Kristal Tin makes me so nervous because I think she's such a terrific actress and when she does everything, it's so natural. I'm not like that. So sometimes when I'm around her, I get really anxious and I don't say anything. She asked: 'Are you okay? Are you scared of me?' And I'm like: 'No no no.' But actually, I am. (Laughs) . — TODAY Iconic costumes and props from some of TVB's hit dramas such as The Duke Of Mount Deer and Triumph In The Skies will be on display from Aug 17 to 23 at Tampines Mall. For more information, visithttp://www.starhubtvbawards.com. |
| British serial killer musical to close San Sebastian festival Posted: 13 Aug 2015 05:48 PM PDT
The movie, an adaptation of an avant garde musical by the same name which Norris directed at London's National Theatre about the murder of five women in 2006, will screen out of competition on September 26, they said in a statement. "The film follows the community who found themselves at the epicentre of the tragic events. Using their own words set to an innovative musical score, 'London Road' tells a moving story of ordinary people coming together during the darkest of experiences," it said. The movie, which features Tom Hardy and Olivia Colman, will premiere at the Toronto film festival which runs September 10-20. The 63rd San Sebastian film festival, the highest-profile movie event in the Spanish-speaking world, gets underway on September 18. The festival, held each year in San Sebastian, a picturesque seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, was originally intended to honour Spanish language films but has established itself as one of the most important movie festivals in the world. It hosted the world premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller "North by Northwest" in 1959 and Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda" in 2004. — AFP |
| Wall Street ex-trader swaps arbitrage for AirAsia’s ambitions Posted: 13 Aug 2015 05:37 PM PDT
Now, as chief executive officer of Malaysia's low-cost carrier AirAsia Berhad, her juggling act extends beyond figures. She's negotiated with airport authorities over a sinking tarmac in Kuala Lumpur, haggled with banks on aircraft financing, and overseen the addition of 24 routes to destinations including the Chinese city of Guangzhou and Kolkata in India since becoming CEO three years ago. Implementing the expansion plans of the airline's co-founder and group CEO, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Aireen says she shares his vision of maintaining AirAsia's position as the region's biggest budget carrier and continuing to grow. "I'm supposed to be able to carry out the ambition," Aireen, 42, said in interviews in Kuala Lumpur. "I want AirAsia to be the airline that everybody wants to use when they travel to Asia." Aireen has her work cut out for her. Even before a December crash that killed 162 people flying AirAsia's Indonesian joint venture, competition rendered it loss-making, forcing the group to rely on the profitability of the Malaysian business. A June report criticising AirAsia group's accounting caused the company's stock to drop 41 per cent since, bringing the decline to 56 per cent this year. And the expansion she's presided over has loaded up debt, at the same time as cash from operations has been declining. Bit stretched AirAsia has been "expanding aggressively, and it continues to do so," said Alan Richardson, a Hong Kong-based money manager at Samsung Asset Management Ltd., who sold the stock in March. "The balance sheet is a bit stretched right now." AirAsia's vision doesn't come cheap. It has joint ventures in four countries in order to fly more frequently and cost- efficiently than carriers relying on code-share partners. Apart from Indonesia, the Philippine and Indian units are also unprofitable, with Thai AirAsia the only one that is. Plans call for adding Japan next year. The units plus Aireen report independently to Fernandes. "They have to focus on turning around the Indonesia as well as the Philippine operations," said Tan Kee Hoong, an analyst at AllianceDBS Research Sdn. in Kuala Lumpur. "If they don't, it will continue to burn more cash, and this will be a burden on AirAsia's balance sheet." Rare woman Aireen is one of 12 female CEOs among 248 global airlines, according to New York-based Skift, a travel and data marketer. None comes from North America. She has a decidedly different style from her boss. Fernandes has taken to social media such Twitter to lambaste Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad over problems at Kuala Lumpur's budget terminal, where pooling water and cracks are frustrating operations. Aireen has tried to engage the operator privately with a more diplomatic approach. Still, her patience seems to be diminishing: Her criticism became more public last month, when AirAsia sent a letter demanding the airport operator pay for losses and damages. Malaysia's airlines have suffered lower demand after Malaysian Airlines' loss of two planes: MH370 vanished over the Indian Ocean in March last year; flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine four months later. Following December's Indonesia crash, AirAsia group suspended marketing in the first few months of this year and cut capacity there. Declining yields At the same time, passenger yields at the Malaysian business continued to decline in the face of strong competition, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. The report by Hong Kong-based GMT Research that questioned AirAsia's accounting dealt a further blow. Fernandes said the report created "mass hysteria" and that the company's fundamentals remain strong. GMT's assessment is "incorrect," Aireen said. To prove her conviction, she has personally purchased 50,000 AirAsia shares since June 12, an exchange filing shows. "It's to gain market confidence that the CEO herself is actually buying," Aireen said. "The best thing that we can do is to keep engaging the analysts, the investors, brokers, the financial market, to keep engaging them and explain." Mohshin Aziz, an analyst at Malayan Banking Berhad in Kuala Lumpur, said AirAsia stock was unfairly punished after the report and recommends buying it based on an improved outlook. Growth challenge Yet slowing economic growth in Asia is also posing a challenge to airline expansion, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, which warned about Airbus Group SE's exposure to a concentration of AirAsia orders in its backlog that might end up unfulfilled. Negotiating plane purchases was what got Aireen into the business. She'd started as an equity arbitrage trader at Deutsche Bank AG in New York in 1997 and spent three years dealing in "pie-in-the-sky money," which she said left her discontented. Aireen moved home, switching careers to project finance. While at Bumiwerks Capital Management, a boutique investment firm, she met Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia's co-founder with Fernandes, who was seeking an executive to handle financing for Airbus jets. "It sounded very exciting," Aireen said. She joined as director of corporate finance in 2006 and was promoted to head the company six years later. Women need to be confident that they can get any job done and not be held back by gender stereotyping, said Aireen, who cited cases of female cabin crew becoming pilots. "I always enter into something without thinking that 'Hey, I'm a woman, and how do I deal with this situation as a woman,'" she said. AirAsia began as a government-backed startup and was bought in 2001 by Kamarudin and Fernandes. The group has since expanded to 203 planes, including those of AirAsia X Berhad, the group's long-haul arm that flies to Australia and China. "A lot of work still needs to be done," Aireen said. "I would like for it to continue to be the leading low-cost airline in Asia. "I would like it to be better than that, maybe the best in the world." — Bloomberg |
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