‘Uptown Funk’ still number one on British music chart

‘Uptown Funk’ still number one on British music chart

‘Uptown Funk’ still number one on British music chart

Posted: 01 Feb 2015 05:12 PM PST

Mark Ronson celebrates after winning the Best British Male award. — Reuters picMark Ronson celebrates after winning the Best British Male award. — Reuters picLONDON, Feb 2 — "Uptown Funk" by English DJ and producer Mark Ronson secured a seventh week at the top of the British singles chart yesterday, the Official Charts Company said.

The single, which features Hawaii-born singer Bruno Mars, outsold Irish artist Hozier's song about love and religion "Take me to Church", which came in second place, and "L.A. Love" by Fergie in third.

The top five was completed by "Lips are Movin" by Meghan Trainor in fourth and new entry "Four Five Seconds" by Barbadian star Rhianna, which also features Kanye West and Paul McCartney.

Ronson could not hold on to number one position in the album charts, where Trainor's new entry "Title" earned her a chart-topping debut studio album. Ed Sheeran's "X" continued its long spell in the top five, charting in second place ahead of Ronson's "Uptown Special". — Reuters

A dairy case of world domination

Posted: 01 Feb 2015 05:07 PM PST

FEBRUARY 2 — For the longest time, I've been trying my hardest to use the word gorgonzola in a story.

Alas, in my 14 years of being a journalist, I have never had the chance to actually use it, even after doing numerous food reviews including at restaurants that were most likely to use the weirdly-named cheese.

(Italian, anyone?)

That odd dairy product, which is described as either "buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a 'bite' from its blue veining" according to a Wikipedia entry, is somehow absent from the typical Western offering in Malaysia.

I skim through the menus of the many restaurants that I've visited over the years, hoping that I would at least be amused by the discovery of the word in at least one of their dishes.

Always, I'm disappointed.

After having missed out on it for so long, it occurred to me that I could actually buy some and use it in some of my cooking.

And I'm no slouch when it comes to cooking, if my family has anything to say about it.

But Gorgonzola, arguably the oldest type of blue cheese made in Italy, gets me quite apprehensive.

Here is a food product that is lovingly crafted by mostly family-run businesses in the region of Gorgonzola, using centuries-old recipes to create something so iconic.

Which makes me afraid of screwing things up, since so much effort has been put into creating something that many in the Western world have in ample supply.

There's no denying that there is a lot of pride in the creation of such a distinctive product, which demands a great deal of respect and appreciation in its consumption.

Just like how I stare in horror when some noveau rich Chinaman gulps down litres of single malt whisky, just because he can afford to buy it.

That fear of desecrating such a curious, but ultimately distinctive food product, has so far kept me from actually using it in my cooking.

Which got me thinking — are the chefs here also afraid of failing to do justice to such an interesting ingredient?

Or is it because Malaysian diners insist that they won't pay for something that doesn't conform to their (possibly) limited idea of what Western food is all about?

Sure, we in South-east Asia always talk about how the Western palate is bland and doesn't have any of the complexity that is common to our curries and sometimes insanely spicy dishes.

But history clearly shows that it was these same Westerners who took the trouble to circumnavigate the globe in search of new experiences (their colonialist tendencies aside).

Our Asian ancestors discovered the basis of almost everything that drives our modern existence — mathematics, astrology... heck, even basic hygiene.

So why is it that we are now taking instructions on those very things from the people who learnt it from us?

My theory is that we probably felt too comfortable with what we already had, and simply decided that our nasi lemak (which is fantastic) didn't need any improvements.

So obviously there was no need to see if Gorgonzola cheese could actually work with some spicy sambal, right?

The very idea of mixing nasi lemak with Gorgonzola cheese would understandably cause quite a few people to balk.

And not all food experiments come out as rousing successes — take for example deep-fried Mars bars, which despite its wide acceptance in the US and possibly some parts of the UK, I still find disgusting.

But can anyone honestly say that adding Gorgonzola cheese to a serving of nasi lemak positively and absolutely cannot work?

Unless you have actually tried it, I won't believe you if you say it's horrible.

And even if you have tried it, recipes are almost always about how much of something that you put in.

So I guess the only way for me to find out, is to break out of my gastronomically conservative shell and take on that adventure.

I could be wrong, but so was Columbus.

And he ended up discovering what eventually became the most powerful country in the world at this point of time.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

Wenger challenges Arsenal to show consistency after Villa rout

Posted: 01 Feb 2015 05:01 PM PST

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin (left) celebrates his goal against Aston Villa with Santi Cazorla during their English Premier League football match at the Emirates Stadium inLondon, February 1, 2015. — Reuters picArsenal's Hector Bellerin (left) celebrates his goal against Aston Villa with Santi Cazorla during their English Premier League football match at the Emirates Stadium inLondon, February 1, 2015. — Reuters picLONDON, Feb 2 — Arsene Wenger challenged Arsenal to show the consistency needed to win the Premier League after a 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa gave them renewed hope of a belated title challenge.

Wenger's side were at their imperious best at the Emirates Stadium yesterday as they swept to their biggest win of the season thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin.

After a spluttering start to the season, the Gunners are now level on points with fourth placed Southampton and their primary target of qualifying for the Champions League is well within reach following three successive league victories.

But, with Walcott and Ozil returning to prominence after lengthy injury absences, Wenger harbours ambitions of a more lofty goal following Chelsea's 1-1 draw against second placed Manchester City on Saturday.

Arsenal are 11 points behind leaders Chelsea and only six adrift of City, prompting Wenger to hint a run at the title isn't impossible if his players can continue playing with the kind of verve and energy that overwhelmed Villa.

"For now let's try to be consistent and see where we are. It's too early to say what will happen because we are 11 points behind. That means they need to lose four games and we need to win four," Wenger said.

"Our offensive game was good, we had some weaker periods in the game but we always looked dangerous when we got through their lines.

"Defensively we were sound and it was a positive day for us. That shows as well that maybe we have found a better consistency that will be important until the end.

"Lets show we can keep it going. It helps the confidence level when everybody is fit."

Significant statement

The ruthless manner in which Arsenal dispatched Paul Lambert's side could be a significant statement of intent coming just two weeks after an even more impressive victory at champions City.

It won't do Arsenal's chances any harm if Germany midfielder Ozil and England winger Walcott continue to progress towards peak form after their injuries.

"Mesut still lacks a little competitive edge but the quality of his game is exceptional. He is getting back now," Wenger said.

"For Theo he needs more sharpness and physical contact, but he is a very intelligent player and the quality of his movement is good."

Bolstered by a reduced injury list and with Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista signed from Villarreal last week, Wenger is unlikely to be active on today's transfer deadline day.

"I dont think I will be busy, we have done what we wanted, unless there is a huge surprise and somebody calls me. If that happens why not, but at the moment it doesn't look very likely," he said.

For Villa manager Lambert, this was another chastening day in a turbulent campaign.

Villa have gone six matches and 10 hours without scoring a league goal and their timid display will only add to the pressure on Lambert, whose team are three points above the relegation zone.

With 11 league goals to their name this season, Villa are the lowest scorers in England, but Lambert remains at a loss to explain their profligacy, which was on display as Andi Weimann and Christian Benteke wasted chances to equalise.

"I was pretty relaxed at 1-0. I thought we would get chances but the keeper made a good save from Andi's header and then we had Christian's chance. Those were big moments," Lambert said.

"It was a strange game. I didn't think we deserved to lose 5-0 but that's the score so we have to take it. It's not good enough.

"We do finishing and crossing in training every Friday, but when it comes onto the pitch you have to do it.

"You probably can't print the things I'm feeling at the moment. We have been in this position for too long." — AFP

‘American Sniper’ tops US box office for third week

Posted: 01 Feb 2015 05:00 PM PST

Actress Sienna Miller (left), director Clint Eastwood and actor Bradley Cooper arrive for the premiere of the film ‘American Sniper’ in New York, in this file picture taken December 15, 2014. — Reuters picActress Sienna Miller (left), director Clint Eastwood and actor Bradley Cooper arrive for the premiere of the film 'American Sniper' in New York, in this file picture taken December 15, 2014. — Reuters picHOLLYWOOD, Feb 2 — Box office juggernaut "American Sniper" held the top spot at US and Canadian box offices over the weekend with US$31.9 million (RM115.91 million) in ticket sales, according to studio estimates.

The Oscar-nominated war film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring best actor nominee Bradley Cooper as a Navy Seal sharpshooter easily triumphed over several new releases as it closed in on a domestic total of US$250 million since opening on Jan. 16.

Family film "Paddington", based on the series of classic children's books about a loveable bear in search of a home, finished in second with US$8.5 million for Friday through Yesterday.

In a virtual tie, estimates showed "Paddington" sold just US$5,000 more in tickets than sci-fi time travel tale "Project Almanac," which debuted this weekend with US$8.5 million. The low-budget, teen-focused film starring Jonny Weston and Sofia Black-D'Elia cost just US$12 million to make.

"Sniper"'s continued strong performance helped drive overall box office performance on Super Bowl weekend, when many Americans are focused on the final game of the pro football season.

The hit film was on course to set an all-time record for an individual film on Super Bowl weekend, while total overall box office was up about 23 per cent to US$103 million from the same weekend a year ago, according to tracking firm Rentrak.

"It is now the highest grossing war film ever, unadjusted for inflation," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Rentrak, noting "Sniper" had surpassed the US$216.2 million of 1998's "Saving Private Ryan".

Another new release, "Black or White", debuted in fourth place with US$6.5 million. The family drama about a family custody battle, stars Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer. Costner helped finance and also produced the film.

Distributor Relativity Studios said it was "confident that adults will continue to come out over the weeks ahead given the film's A- CinemaScore (rating), and growth from Friday to Saturday," noting that the film's second day take exceeded that of opening day.

Rounding out the top five, the Jennifer Lopez thriller "The Boy Next Door" took in US$6.1 million, pushing its total since opening last weekend to nearly US$25 million.

"American Sniper" was released by Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner Inc. "Paddington" was released by The Weinstein Company. Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc., distributed "Project Almanac". Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp., released "The Boy Next Door." — Reuters

Justin Timberlake ecstatic over baby news

Posted: 01 Feb 2015 04:57 PM PST

Timberlake wrote on his Instagram account below a photograph of him kissing Biel's pregnant belly. — Cover Media picTimberlake wrote on his Instagram account below a photograph of him kissing Biel's pregnant belly. — Cover Media picLOS ANGELES, Feb 2 — Justin Timberlake says having a baby is the "greatest gift" he could receive on his birthday.

The singer-and-actor, who turned 34 yesterday, married Jessica Biel in 2012 and rumours started circulating last year that the couple are expecting their first child.

Now Justin has finally confirmed the happy news to fans, admitting they don't know the gender of their little one yet.

"Thank you EVERYONE for the Bday wishes! This year, I'm getting the GREATEST GIFT EVER. CAN'T WAIT.#BoyOrGirl #YouNeverKnow #WeDontEvenKnow#WeAreTakingBets (sic)," he posted on Instagram.

The star added a heart-warming picture of himself kissing his 32-year-old wife's bump.

Justin's confirmation is no big news to fans, as many people have been letting the cat out of the bag for months now.

InStyle magazine's Editor-in-Chief Ariel Foxman took to Instagram last year to offer her well wishes, despite no official word from the A-list couple.

"Congrats @jessicabiel on your impending motherhood…Looking forward to the red carpet maternity style pix to come #tbt," he captioned a red carpet photo with Jessica.

Justin's former NSYNC bandmate Joey Fatone was also too excited to not spill the beans.

"He told me a while ago, and I kept my mouth shut," Joey told In Touch magazine. "But now I can talk about it!" — Cover Media

Jim Parsons: Cheesy and proud of it

Posted: 01 Feb 2015 04:54 PM PST

Actor Jim Parsons of the CBS series 'The Big Bang Theory'. — Reuters picActor Jim Parsons of the CBS series 'The Big Bang Theory'. — Reuters picBEVERLY HILLS, Feb 2 — Jim Parsons is as "cheesy" as a Hallmark card.

The actor is best known for his role as the super-clever Sheldon Cooper in popular comedy series The Big Bang Theory.

He's become synonymous with his catchphrase 'bazinga!' but in real life, his favourite word is a little more sentimental.

"I'm so cheesy — the only things occurring to me are so Hallmark," he laughed to Empire magazine when quizzed on the best word in the English language.

"Maybe that's what I am. I am cheesy. It's 'hope'. I think about the future in general a lot and when I do, I try not to think too hard about it. That's where hope comes in. Maybe my favourite word should be 'optimism', then."

The 41-year-old is in a relationship with Todd Spiewak and he's previously referred to their love as "regular" and "boring".

While he might be settled down with a boyfriend now, the star can remember the first time an onscreen character caught his attention.

"Olivia Newton-John as Sandy in Grease. There's not a doubt about it," he smiled.

"I cannot tell you how much I would think about her for a period of time. Obviously not in a sexual way, not only was I young but I was gay, even if I didn't know it then."

He added that he still listens to many of her songs now, such as Magic and Physical. — Cover Media

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST

31 December 2014| last updated at 12:08AM
By ZAFIRA ANWAR | news@nst.com.my

He said the blueprint, which will be implemented in three different waves, is aimed at producing human capital to fulfil the nation's future agenda that underlines the importance of a world-class and quality education in achieving the nation's goals.

"The first wave (2013-2015) will rationalise 25 out of the 100 initiatives introduced by the government focusing on revamping the current education system and teacher quality on three key aspects; numeracy, literacy and language," he said, adding that the blueprint would transform the entire education system to meet the requirements of an increasingly competitive global environment.

The teaching profession will be enhanced to create outstanding pupils and students to drive the country's development.

The gap between students in urban and rural areas will be bridged, with other areas of focus being the socio economic level and meeting a 50 per cent gender achievement by 2020.

He said the Ministry will raise teacher quality while improving the existing pool of teachers in terms of school leadership, recruitment and training of principals, and also improving student literacy in Bahasa Malaysia, English and other languages.

The blueprint also focuses on enhancing the status of Bahasa Malaysia while giving serious attention to the English language which will be made a must pass subject for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination by 2016.

"'Strong implementation rapid execution', that is my approach in realising the education blueprint," he said at a press conference at his office yesterday.

"Strong implementation would consist close monitoring starting from the management of the education system right up to the classroom environment," he said adding that as the Director-General, he would go to different schools to closely analyse and look at issues faced by teachers and students first hand.

"The Ministry has developed a set of KPIs anchored on the system goals of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. These KPIs have been cascaded downwards from the Ministry to schools, ensuring consistency and coherency of targets throughout the system.

"The implementation of initiatives towards achieving these KPIs will be monitored by the Inspectorate of Schools."

He said teachers must understand and embrace the blueprint in order to fully implement the plan.

"This is called rapid execution -- we must know where we stand and how far are we from reaching our goal in order to realise each plan or initiative successfully," he said, adding that under the 2014 Budget RM54.6 billion, which is almost 21 per cent of the Budget, was allocated for education purposes.

"The Budget shows commitment by the government in providing the education system with better opportunities for improvement."

The Ministry also carries out special programmes for students identified as gifted, as well as runs the School in Hospitals programme to ensure students who are hospitalised get the opportunity to learn. There are Integrity Schools for juvenile delinquents and Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih in Kuala Lumpur for underprivileged children.

"For poor students, Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin was established with those excelling in exams given priority for entry into fully residential schools.

"With this there is no question of students being left behind because every opportunity is given to them," he said.

 

Good night Malaysian 370

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 08:17 PM PDT

RMonday.

Malaysia's ambassador to China told Chinese families inBeijing as early as March 12, four days after the flight wentmissing, that the last words had been "All right, good night."

"Good night Malaysian three seven zero" would be a moreformal, standard sign-off from the cockpit of the Boeing 777, which was just leaving Malaysia-controlled air space on itsroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Minutes later its communications were cut off and it turnedback across Malaysia and headed toward the Indian Ocean. Morethan three weRestigation" to determine P

PP

Malaysia says the plane, which disappeared less than an hourinto its flight, was likely to have been diverted deliberatelyfar off course. Investigators have determined no apparent motiveor other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew.About two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese nationals.

(Reporting By Stuart Grudgings; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

By Matt Siegel

ABOARD US NAVY P-8 POSEIDON, Indian Ocean, April 1 (Reuters)- O f all the 20 aircraft and ships out scouring the vast IndianOcean for debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370,the U.S. Navy's P-8 Poseidon seems perhaps the most likely tohelp unlock modern aviation's most confounding mystery.

Five workstations lining the fuselage displayhigh-definition video from the top-secret sensors that make thisone of the most sophisticated surveillance planes in the world.

But the latest mission in the three-week hunt - fiveluckless hours skimming as low as 300 feet (90 metres) above thewave tops - only served to underscore the enormity of thechallenge facing the international search team.

"This is my first time in the Indian Ocean and it isunquestionably the most untouched piece of water I have everseen," U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander David Mims, the plane'spilot, told Reuters during a search flight this week.

"It's rare to come out and not see any land mass, not seeany shipping traffic. There's nothing," he said. "It's weird."

The United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, SouthKorea and Japan are all scouring an area some 2,000 km (1,200miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, where investigatorsbelieve the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people came down.

So far, the search has turned up only fishing rubbish andother flotsam. It has been halted several times by bad weatherin the search area.

Two Poseidons are engaged in the search. Costing around $175million, the aircraft is armed with cameras, infra-red and radarsensors that are fine-tuned to detect enemy submarines hidingunder the ocean surface.

But despite its high-tech equipment, much of the searchingis visual - crew members peering out a window.

"I'm a pretty optimistic guy by nature," said Petty OfficerMichael Herman, perched in front of a porthole staring out intothe foggy sea. "But yeah, this is tough."

The Poseidons operate alongside a pair of Chinese Il-76military transport planes at Perth International Airport. Theyare kept under tight security, including a round-the-clock armedrapid response team.

The plane is so top-secret that a Reuters journalist given arare berth was stripped of all electronic devices and barredfrom taking pictures.

The technology is impressive. Sitting at a pair of monitorsstacked one atop the other, Petty Officer Julio Cerpa operates apanoramic camera that quickly zooms in on distant patches ofocean with great clarity.

An infrared version of the same camera feed cuts through thehaze of fog surrounding the plane, offering a polarised andsomewhat nightmarish view of the search area.

About two hours into the search zone, the monotony ofpeering out a window or at a computer screen, is starting towear on the crew.

Petty Officer Sam Judd begins a slow climb up his seat backthat will eventually see him perched atop it. Cerpa's hands turnhis workstation into the world's most expensive drum kit.

And then the plane begins to ascend back to 30,000 feet,(9,000 metres) having found nothing. The total trip, includingflying time to reach the search zone, is around 10 hours.

To an outsider, the experience can seem frustrating, but thecrew maintains a remarkably optimistic outlook. Even a trip thatfinds nothing rules out a part of the search zone, and is thusan important part of finding the wreckage, says Mims, the pilot.

"Being this far into the search process and having this muchocean to cover definitely makes it a challenging evolution," hesays. "But if it's in our area, I think the probability offinding it is high." (Editing by Ron Popeski)

By Matt Siegel

ABOARD US NAVY P-8 POSEIDON, Indian Ocean, April 1 (Reuters)- O f all the 20 aircraft and ships out scouring the vast IndianOcean for debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370,the U.S. Navy's P-8 Poseidon seems perhaps the most likely tohelp unlock modern aviation's most confounding mystery.

Five workstations lining the fuselage displayhigh-definition video from the top-secret sensors that make thisone of the most sophisticated surveillance planes in the world.

But the latest mission in the three-week hunt - fiveluckless hours skimming as low as 300 feet (90 metres) above thewave tops - only served to underscore the enormity of thechallenge facing the international search team.

"This is my first time in the Indian Ocean and it isunquestionably the most untouched piece of water I have everseen," U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander David Mims, the plane'spilot, told Reuters during a search flight this week.

"It's rare to come out and not see any land mass, not seeany shipping traffic. There's nothing," he said. "It's weird."

The United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, SouthKorea and Japan are all scouring an area some 2,000 km (1,200miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, where investigatorsbelieve the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people came down.

So far, the search has turned up only fishing rubbish andother flotsam. It has been halted several times by bad weatherin the search area.

Two Poseidons are engaged in the search. Costing around $175million, the aircraft is armed with cameras, infra-red and radarsensors that are fine-tuned to detect enemy submarines hidingunder the ocean surface.

But despite its high-tech equipment, much of the searchingis visual - crew members peering out a window.

"I'm a pretty optimistic guy by nature," said Petty OfficerMichael Herman, perched in front of a porthole staring out intothe foggy sea. "But yeah, this is tough."

The Poseidons operate alongside a pair of Chinese Il-76military transport planes at Perth International Airport. Theyare kept under tight security, including a round-the-clock armedrapid response team.

The plane is so top-secret that a Reuters journalist given arare berth was stripped of all electronic devices and barredfrom taking pictures.

The technology is impressive. Sitting at a pair of monitorsstacked one atop the other, Petty Officer Julio Cerpa operates apanoramic camera that quickly zooms in on distant patches ofocean with great clarity.

An infrared version of the same camera feed cuts through thehaze of fog surrounding the plane, offering a polarised andsomewhat nightmarish view of the search area.

About two hours into the search zone, the monotony ofpeering out a window or at a computer screen, is starting towear on the crew.

Petty Officer Sam Judd begins a slow climb up his seat backthat will eventually see him perched atop it. Cerpa's hands turnhis workstation into the world's most expensive drum kit.

And then the plane begins to ascend back to 30,000 feet,(9,000 metres) having found nothing. The total trip, includingflying time to reach the search zone, is around 10 hours.

To an outsider, the experience can seem frustrating, but thecrew maintains a remarkably optimistic outlook. Even a trip thatfinds nothing rules out a part of the search zone, and is thusan important part of finding the wreckage, says Mims, the pilot.

"Being this far into the search process and having this muchocean to cover definitely makes it a challenging evolution," hesays. "But if it's in our area, I think the probability offinding it is high." (Editing by Ron Popeski)

Jailed parents out soon

Posted: 05 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT

06 July 2014| last updated at 12:16AM

The children were told by Ketereh member of parliament Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who had visited Shalwati recently, that Azizul Raheem would be released next month, while Shalwati would be released in September.

The couple's eldest child, Aishah, 15, said she and her three siblings were elated by the news.

"I am very happy to hear the news that mummy and daddy will be released soon.

"We are surprised, as we thought that they would be in prison for a longer time.

"We will wait patiently for their return."

Azizul Raheem, 38, who is Tourism Malaysia director in Sweden, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while Shalwati, 46, was handed a 14-month sentence for gross violation of the integrity of their children.

The couple have been in the custody of Swedish authorities since December last year.

The children, Aishah, Ammar, 12, Adam, 11, and Arif, 8, have been living with their aunt here since returning from Sweden early this year.

Aishah said Ramadan this year would be extra meaningful, as it would be the first time the siblings would fast in their home country.

She said they were glad that their father would be here with them.

She said Arif was excited by the news of their father's impending return, as he was closest to him.

"We miss mummy and daddy very much.

"It has been more than six months since we last saw them."

Street crime in KL down 25pc till May

Posted: 05 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT

06 July 2014| last updated at 12:15AM

Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Zainuddin Ahmad said a 25.9 per cent reduction in serious crime was recorded in the district in the same period.

"This is proof of our commitment and continuous effort to fight crime, especially street crime, in the district," he said, attributing the success to Op Cantas Khas.

He said regular checks and police presence at several hot spots, such as Bukit Bintang, Jalan Silang, Central Market and Kota Raya, were among the initiatives that had led to the development.

Zainuddin added that random checks on suspicious-looking individuals at hot spots in the Golden Triangle had led to the arrest of 92 suspects.

Cabinet reshuffle announcement today?

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT

13 June 2014| last updated at 11:22PM

Talk about the reshuffling of ministries and swapping of portfolios began when MCA publicly expressed its desire to represent the Chinese community in federal cabinet.

"This cabinet reshuffle is vital for the component parties to rejoin the cabinet to help the prime minister implement his transformation plans," said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to Bernama at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

It was a desire endorsed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, following a more than year-long hiatus of Chinese community representatives from the cabinet.

Furthermore, Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, promised that Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong would become a minister if he emerged victorious in the Teluk Intan by-election. Thus, the upset against DAP in the by-election ensures that at the very least, a mini reshuffle of the cabinet was needed.

The focus now is on the inclusion of Chinese leaders in the cabinet.

Other than Mah, the other two Chinese leaders most likely to make the cut as full ministers are Liow and his MCA deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Universiti Sains Malaysia's Associate Professor Sivamurugan Pandian said he expected the next cabinet reshuffle to change the current "deficit line-up" to better represent communities in the country.

"It is going back to the power sharing formula practised by BN component parties. Gerakan will be represented by Mah, who is the party president, while MCA will likely be represented Liow and Wee."

Sivamurugan said Liow, Wee and Mah could then use their ministerial positions to better strategise their approach against waning support from the Chinese community for the ruling coalition.

"New positions in the cabinet for Gerakan and MCA would also mean a new platform for the two parties to rebuild their voting base.

"They need to focus on the needs and demands of the Chinese community while assessing the reason behind the loss of support."

MCA grassroots members had proposed a "3+5" formula, meaning the appointment of three ministers and five deputies.

"But he (Najib) does not want the change to be merely lip-service. The proposed MCA formula may not be fully met. The prime minister wants the new line-up to be of substantial leaders equipped with capabilities to realise the projected outcome of nation building policies," says Sivamurugan.

Independent analyst professor Hoo Ke Ping speculated that expectations to return the health ministry portfolio to Liow remained, with the same fate for Wee, who might be appointed transport minister.

"Mah is likely to be a minister in the prime minister's department in charge of unity and performance management."

Expats eagerly await kick-offAWAY VIEWING: Foreigners in Malaysia will be supporting their teams with a touch of home

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT

13 June 2014| last updated at 11:36PM

Brazilian embassy Minister-Counselor Jose Soares said the much-awaited quadrennial games would be watched with the same level of excitement and intensity in Malaysia as in his home country, this year's host of the World Cup.

He said the Latin American community in Malaysia had always embraced their roots and their undying love for football, regardless of the geographic distance.

"We have more than 2,000 Latin Americans residing in Malaysia and our community had always come together for festivals and events.

"As for the World Cup this year, we have planned and arranged many activities for the community throughout the month, such as private parties at bars and restaurants and going house-to-house to watch the games," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Although, Soares missed the energy and spirit of football in Brazil, he was sure Malaysians would show the same enthusiasm.

Soares' countryman, Cristiano Genuino Da Silva, 39, said the World Cup atmosphere was different in Malaysia.

"My friends would go to different people's houses each day, hours before the game started, just to get into the mood.

"We would be served a variety of food and drink everywhere we go."

Unlike in Brazil, watching football in Malaysia was different in many aspects, especially in terms of the spirit, he said.

The Camara'Malaysia capoeira instructor said his capoeira team had been fully booked the entire month to perform at private parties, bars and events throughout the country for football fans.

England-born Geoff Siddle is determined to go full throttle in embracing World Cup fever with a mix of English and Malaysian styles.

The 46-year-old who operates the "Sid's Pub" chain of neighbourhood pubs around Kuala Lumpur, said his outlets would be open until 6am throughout the month.

"We will be offering discounts of up to 50 per cent all day long on selected beverages and also be serving local and western dishes for customers until the wee hours of the morning."

Siddle, who came to Malaysia 17 years ago, said he had arranged for a gathering with other British expatriates to watch the England-Italy match on Sunday morning.

"I have prepared an Englishmen's get-to-together to cheer and support our countrymen in winning the World Cup this year," he said, adding that the spirit and enthusiasm would be larger than life despite watching it with a small group of people.

Chad army reports killing 120 Boko Haram militants in Cameroon

Chad army reports killing 120 Boko Haram militants in Cameroon

Chad army reports killing 120 Boko Haram militants in Cameroon

Posted: 31 Jan 2015 05:16 PM PST

Men who have fled violence in Nigeria sit on the ground at a refugee centre in Ngouboua, Chad, January 19, 2015. More than one million people have been forced to flee northern Nigeria by the insurgency of Islamist sect Boko Haram. — Reuters picMen who have fled violence in Nigeria sit on the ground at a refugee centre in Ngouboua, Chad, January 19, 2015. More than one million people have been forced to flee northern Nigeria by the insurgency of Islamist sect Boko Haram. — Reuters picN'DJAMENA, Jan 31 — Chadian forces have killed 120 militants from Boko Haram in a battle in the north of neighbouring Cameroon that began when the insurgents attacked its troops, the army said in a statement yesterday, adding that three of its soldiers were killed.

Boko Haram has recently launched cross-border attacks from Nigeria into Cameroon and Chad as part of its five-year drive for an Islamist state in the northeast of Nigeria.

Chad and Cameroon have stepped up troop deployments to fight the militants and yesterday Chad's army said it bombarded Boko Haram militants.

The African Union (AU) has authorised a force of 7,500 troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin to fight the militants and the nations will meet in the Cameroon capital next week to decide on its command structure, Ghana President John Mahama told journalists yesterday.

"When they meet in Yaounde the rules of engagement will be agreed by the nations constituting the force. It will allow them to move across borders because Boko Haram does not recognise borders," Mahama said on his return from an AU summit.

Chad has a reputation as one of the region's best militaries and it helped French forces drive al Qaeda-linked Islamists from northern Mali in 2013. But previous efforts to create a regional force to fight the militants have faltered. — Reuters

Growing up under Western coverage of Islam — Asyifa Putri

Posted: 31 Jan 2015 05:14 PM PST

FEBRUARY 1 — About five years ago, my life was altered utterly when my father decided to move to the US, along with my family. Although different, everything was structured and simpler than back home in Jakarta.

However, I was still a minority with attached stereotypes.

The fact that I'm a Muslim is what might have caused problems if my classmates had known, which they didn't.

This opinion was formed because of what I gathered from the media and personal encounters. It came to the point where I was reluctant to show any sign of my "Muslim-ness."

I don't like how my religion is being portrayed in the media but I also don't feel I have enough knowledge to refute the stereotypes already formed long before I was even there.

I heard stories from close friends that they had had to sit through prolonged investigation at the airport; one's first name is Mohammad.

Also, my mother's fingerprints were taken at the airport, whilst my sister, brother, father and myself could go through security easily.

"It's just a random check" the official said. What a coincidence; it was my mother, who wears a hijab, who got checked.

At the time, news about Muslims in the mainstream media was revolving around 9/11, the invasion of Iraq, the Beslan hostage massacre, and everything violent.

Muslims were shown to be these lunatic people running around with weapons, demonstrating chaotically and dressing weirdly according to western standards.

It seems as if the western media has an agenda to make all Muslims look petrifying.

A friend once told me, unaware that I'm Muslim, that he was extremely nervous about boarding his plane because an Arabic-looking guy was in the same row as his.

Today, the situation, if not the same, has become worse.

The Boston marathon bombing, which occurred in 2013 and caused three deaths and many injuries, has opened up the old wound of 9/11 as the suspects were said to be Muslim.

Many people expressed anger online, saying what horrible human beings Muslims were and that they had grown even more suspicious toward all Muslims.

Then the Sydney siege happened in the Lindt Café not too long ago, carried out by a Muslim man, and two were killed in the incident.

The occurrence sparked more buzz about how violent Muslims are in Australia and beyond.

Further, the IS extremist group is known for their videos of the beheadings of soldiers, civilians, journalists and aid workers, and lately Japanese hostages.

If I were in westerners' shoes and was presented with this kind of news every day, I would definitely think of Muslims as barbarians who love killing people and hitting their wives.

In no way am I blaming the media for what those people did and in no way am I supporting anything they did. But if we are to talk about religion and Islam, I was taught the value of tolerance since kindergarten, and hitting anyone is out of the question, especially when it involves women and kids.

But with what the media has shown, no one would believe Islam is a religion that encourages peace.

And I was also in shock that these things happened and were declared to be a form of jihad to protect Islam.

But then again, if the media said that they were only showing the facts of what happened around the world, why hasn't the news shown coverage of similar intensity about how the US has practically destroyed countries, killing civilians? Even if it is being covered, the news has made the US come out as the hero.

They bombed cities with civilians living there. Countless people died as a result. Many children become orphaned, losing limbs, schools and houses. Why hasn't the media covered that justifiably; how much of the US actions were for oil? Although this may be a rumor, it's a rumor that people named Mohammad and Aisyah are suspected as terrorists.

Is it more sinful and morally wrong to kill people from developed countries than it is to kill those from developing countries?

Shouldn't the people living in, say, Palestine, be the ones feeling afraid whenever there are westerners on their soil?

Journalism plays a major part in shaping public opinion about Islam. So with the fear that the coverage of Islam and Muslims has brought about, and the low media power of people from developing countries, which is where many Muslims come from, we just have to endure the painstakingly long investigations at the airport.

And just maybe, when we have a chance and time, we could explain that not all Muslims are like those being covered in the news, just like not all westerners are heroes. And when people say that actions speak louder than words, then show them that most of us just want to live a normal, peaceful life.

Just like all other religions and races, there are good and bad people. And the fact that we are of the same religion and/or race does not make us all behave the same way. — Jakarta Post

* The writer is a communications student from the school of social and political sciences at the University of Indonesia.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.

Utusan sounds death knell for PAS-DAP ties after latest row

Posted: 31 Jan 2015 05:11 PM PST

The newspaper’s editors said the unconcealed animosity between the two Pakatan Rakyat partners signalled a lasting erosion of goodwill. — AFP picThe newspaper's editors said the unconcealed animosity between the two Pakatan Rakyat partners signalled a lasting erosion of goodwill. — AFP picKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — PAS and DAP co-operation has deteriorated beyond salvage after the recent round of open attacks between the two over local elections and hudud Islamic penal law, editors at Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia said today.

Writing under the shared Awang Selamat pen name, the newspaper's editors said the unconcealed animosity between the two Pakatan Rakyat partners, whose ties have been strained since the Islamist party began its push for hudud in Kelantan, signalled a lasting erosion of goodwill.

"Awang does not see that relations between the two parties will easily be restored after this because the trading of insults in the alliance is increasing and difficult to forgive," the paper's editors wrote in Mingguan Malaysia, the Sunday edition of the Malay daily.

Last month, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang claimed that DAP's ambition to restore the so-called third vote would create racial inequality in urban areas and trigger a repeat of the May 13, 1969 race riots, prompting DAP leaders to rebuke him for the assertion.

Earlier this week, PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali called his DAP counterpart, Lim Guan Eng, a liar for claiming that the Islamist party had agreed to the latter's bid to restore local council elections, and challenged him to a public debate on the issue and hudud.

The disagreement over the third vote is the most recent flashpoint between PAS and DAP, who have been trading barbs over the Islamist party's plan to enforce Islamic penal law in Kelantan.

DAP had proposed that it PR allies adopt Penang's approach and enact state laws in Selangor and Kelantan to try to return the third vote to Malaysians.

PAS, however, accused DAP of acting unilaterally in seeking to restore local council elections, in apparent retaliation the latter's vehement attacks over the Islamist party's hudud ambition.  

EPL: Pardew’s perfect start at Palace ruined by Everton

Posted: 31 Jan 2015 05:09 PM PST

Julian Speroni of Crystal Palace makes a save under pressure from Aiden McGeady of Everton during their English Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London January 31, 2015. — Reuters picJulian Speroni of Crystal Palace makes a save under pressure from Aiden McGeady of Everton during their English Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London January 31, 2015. — Reuters picLONDON, Feb 1 — Everton ended Alan Pardew's unbeaten start as Crystal Palace manager as a second minute goal from Romelu Lukaku set up a 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park yesterday. 

Palace, who had won four straight matches under the former Newcastle handler, saw their streak snapped as the Toffees won their first league match in seven outings. 

The two teams came into the match level on points after Pardew won his first pair of league games and two in the FA Cup while Everton were without a win in eight matches in all competitions. 

However, Everton got off to a dream start just two minutes into the match when Belgian striker Lukaku bundled home the ball after good work down the flank by Steven Naismith who caused chaos in the area with a low cross. 

Midweek signing Jordan Mutch, who arrived from QPR, was forced into an immediate debut when Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh was carried off on 26 minutes covered in blood after a nasty clash of heads with Seamus Coleman. 

Former Bordeaux and Arsenal striker Chamakh was making his first appearance in six weeks but appeared to have broken his nose. 

Palace pushed hard throughout the remainder of the first half and created several chances including a goal-line clearance from Phil Jagielka who just kept Dwight Gayle's header from crossing the line with Spanish 'keeper Joel Robles beaten. 

The game balanced out after the break as Roberto Martinez's men battled hard to keep Palace at bay and it took a couple of fine saves from home 'keeper Julian Speroni late on to prevent Everton from putting the match to bed earlier on. 

The win lifts Everton up to 12th and seven points above the relegation zone while Palace remain one place below them and four points above the drop zone. — AFP

Delicious eats around Hong Kong’s underrated Tin Hau area

Posted: 31 Jan 2015 05:09 PM PST

Sister Wah in Tin Hau serves one of the most popular beef brisket noodles in Hong Kong. – Pictures by James TanSister Wah in Tin Hau serves one of the most popular beef brisket noodles in Hong Kong. – Pictures by James TanHONG KONG, Feb 1 — Most holidaymakers and casual day-trippers to Hong Kong island would spend a day or most of it around Causeway Bay shopping and eating, or drinking around the Central/Lan Kwai Fong area. Not many would venture to Tin Hau or North Point and spend more than half a day around the area.

A few months back, I had the opportunity to explore that area. Let me share with you what I ate throughout my days around the Tin Hau neighbourhood.
Tin Hau was named due to its proximity to Causeway Bay's Tin Hau temple. Technically, it's not a formal district by itself but an area wedged between Causeway Bay and North Point; connected by King's Road towards the north-eastern point of the island.

I remember the name Tin Hau from many years back, probably during my school or university days from the title of a song sung by the popular Canto-pop duo Twins. This was definitely my first stop-over (for a good three days, no less) at Tin Hau. I had once passed by the station to get to North Point for the famous egg waffles or gai dan jai.

Hong Kong is fairly well-connected with underground trains, trams and buses, hence commuting around the island was not much of a challenge. The only downfall is the tussle and tuna-in-a-can feeling during rush hours in a train around the busy Causeway Bay area. You can reach Tin Hau, by taking the MTR Island (red) line and alight at Tin Hau station or Fortress Hill station, which is about 20 minutes walking distance between each other.

One of the most talked about beef noodles stall in Hong Kong happens to be Wah Jie (Sister Wah) Beef Noodles shop at the start of Electric Road near the Tin Hau MTR station.

Sister Wah (or Wah Jie in Cantonese) as seen from the outside is one of the landmarks around Electric Road and within walking distance of a MTR stationSister Wah (or Wah Jie in Cantonese) as seen from the outside is one of the landmarks around Electric Road and within walking distance of a MTR stationJust like many other famous food establishments around the city, waiting for a seat and subsequently sharing a table is the norm. You would also somehow be part of someone's conversation involuntarily since you're basically elbows apart.

Seriously, I could have taken a piece of my neighbour's beef brisket accidentally since our bowls were merely inches apart.

But let's not digress.

The shop's name is all written in Chinese characters, so you would either need some help in translation, be thick-faced enough to ask around (and good luck on the comeback from the locals) or look out for the image of the shop in this article.

Good thing their menu has the items translated into English, so you won't need to poke your nose around the counter or worse, steal glances at your neighbours' food.

A bowl of piping hot beef brisket noodle soup (HK$38/RM17), with a side of stewed radish (a definite must-try!) in delicious, wholesome beefy broth proved to be a little too much for one person, but I left the place satiated and recharged after the four and a half hours flight from Singapore. The menu at Sister Wah had two options; soup or stir noodles (dry version) for the various cuts such as beef brisket, beef tendon, beef balls, beef tripe, or even curry beef noodles. If beef is not your preference (you may need to revisit your decision to come to Sister Wah again though), they also serve dan dan noodles with pork ribs, chicken wings or even wontons.

Tin Hau is also apparently a choice location for the locals to have their desserts; with a few notable names within walking distance just off Electric Road.

A typical Hong Kong breakfast would include you tiao (fried dough fritters) with soy bean milk, and side dishes like chee cheong fun or pan fried radish cake (left). Another simple yet hearty breakfast is the polo bun sandwiching a piece of luncheon meat within, and a cup of extra smooth stocking milk tea from the char chaan teng of Hong Kong (right)A typical Hong Kong breakfast would include you tiao (fried dough fritters) with soy bean milk, and side dishes like chee cheong fun or pan fried radish cake (left). Another simple yet hearty breakfast is the polo bun sandwiching a piece of luncheon meat within, and a cup of extra smooth stocking milk tea from the char chaan teng of Hong Kong (right)One popular shop with a perpetual queue after dinner hours on weekends is Auntie Sweet that opens until late night; perfect for the sweet-toothed after a fabulous night out in the city. The signature dessert here is the velvety smooth beancurd pudding (tau fu fah) with creamy durian flesh. The combination sounds awkward on paper but the ultimate ensemble works so well, especially if you are a durian lover and hankering for more of the pungent king of fruits during the low season.

The rest of the items were equally as satisfying: the black sesame ice-cream in a black sesame cream was luscious, while their mango desserts were excellent. If you wanted to ask about Hui Lau Shan (the mango desserts specialist with branches all over Malaysia now), then I regret to inform you that my past two experiences with Hui Lau Shan in Hong Kong were equally as bad.

If you find Auntie Sweet's long line too intimidating, look for Tin Hau Desserts at two locations (a stone's throw away from one another) along Electric Road. I went for desserts there on two nights, the first night for the yong zhi gam lou – mango pomelo sago with cream, while the second night I returned for the watermelon and grass jelly combination.

The breakfast selection may not be much around the area; mostly relegated to typical Hong Kong char chaan teng (Hong Kong style cafes) that serve polo bun with butter, Nissin noodle soup or macaroni with tomatoes and beef. You can  complete your meal with a fried egg, two slices of toast and a cup of milky Hong Kong milk tea or coffee.

I also spent a bit of time exploring the markets around the North Point area as well, within walking distance from my hotel, and was caught up with the locals' morning shopping spree for fresh produce.

Come winter time, try the claypot lap mei fan at Lei Garden; even the rice crust is so good and infused with flavours from the waxed meatsCome winter time, try the claypot lap mei fan at Lei Garden; even the rice crust is so good and infused with flavours from the waxed meatsFor dinner, Lei Garden is a viable dining option at nearby North Point. Lei Garden with several outlets in Hong Kong is one of the most popular Cantonese dining establishments in the city. Since it was near to the winter season, you should try the lap mei fan or waxed meats rice cooked in claypot; available at Lei Garden and most of the diners around the city. Don't miss their trademark roasted meats; both siew yoke (crispy roasted pork belly) and  char siew (barbecued, caramelised pork) were stellar and definitely some of the best that I have tasted anywhere in the world.

Eventually, I ended up giving up my plan to escape to Central or Sheung Wan area (west side of the island) for a food hunt, and spent most of my time around Tin Hau or Causeway Bay. Who knew that this area ignored by most of the Hong Kong guide books could turn out to be so fascinating?

James Tan loves good food and blogs at Motormouth From Ipoh (www.j2kfm.com)

Sister Wah Beef Noodles @ G/F, 13A, Electric Road, Tin Hau

Auntie Sweet @ G/F, 13, Tsing Fung Street, off Electric Road, Tin Hau

Tin Hau Desserts @ G/F, 91, Electric Road, Tin Hau

Lei Garden @ Block 9, City Garden, North Point

EPL: City prevents Chelsea from pulling eight points clear

Posted: 31 Jan 2015 05:01 PM PST

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois makes a save during their English Premier League match against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London January 31, 2015. — Reuters picChelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois makes a save during their English Premier League match against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London January 31, 2015. — Reuters picLONDON, Feb 1 — Spanish midfielder David Silva equalised as Manchester City prevented Chelsea pulling eight points clear at the Premier League summit in a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Loic Remy put Chelsea in front in the 41st minute, but Silva touched in a shot from Sergio Aguero four minutes later to keep the defending champions five points behind Jose Mourinho's side with 15 matches remaining.

Manuel Pellegrini's City have won only one of their last five league games, but following successive defeats by Arsenal and Middlesbrough, they at least prevented Chelsea from streaking away into the distance.

Chelsea great Frank Lampard, sent on by City as a late substitute, was afforded a warm reception on what was likely to prove his final appearance at Stamford Bridge, and it was a broadly positive afternoon for the hosts.

While the sight of Willian limping off late on was a concern, they coped well without the suspended Diego Costa and the injured Cesc Fabregas, and remain very much on track for a first league title since 2010.

With Costa beginning a three-game ban for treading on Liverpool's Emre Can, Mourinho plumped for the pace of Remy over the battering-ram qualities of Didier Drogba up front, but it was City's attackers who showed their opponents a clean pair of heels in the early stages.

Inside the first minute, Jesus Navas drifted past Cesar Azpilicueta and worked Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with a rising shot, while Fernandinho had a shot deflected wide.

Aguero gave Chelsea three scares, obliging Kurt Zouma to make a perfectly timed last-ditch tackle, drawing a parry from Courtois and then rolling a shot a foot wide after John Terry failed to cut out a long ball.

Courtois flaps

In response, Oscar could only shoot tamely at Joe Hart after Remy had dispossessed Vincent Kompany and galloped down the left flank, but four minutes before half-time, the hosts went in front.

Branislav Ivanovic's cross from the right was volleyed back across goal at the far post by Eden Hazard and Remy tucked away his fifth goal of the season from inside the six-yard box.

It seemed an ideal time to take the lead, but in the final minute of the half, City levelled following an uncharacteristic error of judgement by Courtois.

The Belgium international has been one of Chelsea's stand-out performers this season, but he flapped at Navas's cross from the right and when Aguero drilled the ball back towards goal, Silva slid in to score.

Navas continued to prove City's best outlet in the second half, teeing up Fernandinho for a downward header that bounced up and had to be touched over by Courtois and setting up James Milner to loop a header over the bar.

Fernandinho, meanwhile, curled a shot at Courtois after Ramires's run had been checked by Milner.

Lampard, Chelsea's all-time leading goal-scorer, replaced Fernando with 14 minutes to play, while Willian's injury saw another Stamford Bridge legend enter the fray in the shape of Drogba.

Pellegrini also introduced Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic, but Chelsea held firm, with Milner dragging a late chance wide with his left foot.

Mourinho had refused to speak to the media in the build-up to the game, apparently in protest at Costa's ban, but though he reacted to every adverse decision with trademark theatricality on the touchline, the result suited him better than Pellegrini. — AFP

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST

31 December 2014| last updated at 12:08AM
By ZAFIRA ANWAR | news@nst.com.my

He said the blueprint, which will be implemented in three different waves, is aimed at producing human capital to fulfil the nation's future agenda that underlines the importance of a world-class and quality education in achieving the nation's goals.

"The first wave (2013-2015) will rationalise 25 out of the 100 initiatives introduced by the government focusing on revamping the current education system and teacher quality on three key aspects; numeracy, literacy and language," he said, adding that the blueprint would transform the entire education system to meet the requirements of an increasingly competitive global environment.

The teaching profession will be enhanced to create outstanding pupils and students to drive the country's development.

The gap between students in urban and rural areas will be bridged, with other areas of focus being the socio economic level and meeting a 50 per cent gender achievement by 2020.

He said the Ministry will raise teacher quality while improving the existing pool of teachers in terms of school leadership, recruitment and training of principals, and also improving student literacy in Bahasa Malaysia, English and other languages.

The blueprint also focuses on enhancing the status of Bahasa Malaysia while giving serious attention to the English language which will be made a must pass subject for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination by 2016.

"'Strong implementation rapid execution', that is my approach in realising the education blueprint," he said at a press conference at his office yesterday.

"Strong implementation would consist close monitoring starting from the management of the education system right up to the classroom environment," he said adding that as the Director-General, he would go to different schools to closely analyse and look at issues faced by teachers and students first hand.

"The Ministry has developed a set of KPIs anchored on the system goals of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. These KPIs have been cascaded downwards from the Ministry to schools, ensuring consistency and coherency of targets throughout the system.

"The implementation of initiatives towards achieving these KPIs will be monitored by the Inspectorate of Schools."

He said teachers must understand and embrace the blueprint in order to fully implement the plan.

"This is called rapid execution -- we must know where we stand and how far are we from reaching our goal in order to realise each plan or initiative successfully," he said, adding that under the 2014 Budget RM54.6 billion, which is almost 21 per cent of the Budget, was allocated for education purposes.

"The Budget shows commitment by the government in providing the education system with better opportunities for improvement."

The Ministry also carries out special programmes for students identified as gifted, as well as runs the School in Hospitals programme to ensure students who are hospitalised get the opportunity to learn. There are Integrity Schools for juvenile delinquents and Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih in Kuala Lumpur for underprivileged children.

"For poor students, Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin was established with those excelling in exams given priority for entry into fully residential schools.

"With this there is no question of students being left behind because every opportunity is given to them," he said.

 

Good night Malaysian 370

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 08:17 PM PDT

RMonday.

Malaysia's ambassador to China told Chinese families inBeijing as early as March 12, four days after the flight wentmissing, that the last words had been "All right, good night."

"Good night Malaysian three seven zero" would be a moreformal, standard sign-off from the cockpit of the Boeing 777, which was just leaving Malaysia-controlled air space on itsroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Minutes later its communications were cut off and it turnedback across Malaysia and headed toward the Indian Ocean. Morethan three weRestigation" to determine P

PP

Malaysia says the plane, which disappeared less than an hourinto its flight, was likely to have been diverted deliberatelyfar off course. Investigators have determined no apparent motiveor other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew.About two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese nationals.

(Reporting By Stuart Grudgings; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

By Matt Siegel

ABOARD US NAVY P-8 POSEIDON, Indian Ocean, April 1 (Reuters)- O f all the 20 aircraft and ships out scouring the vast IndianOcean for debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370,the U.S. Navy's P-8 Poseidon seems perhaps the most likely tohelp unlock modern aviation's most confounding mystery.

Five workstations lining the fuselage displayhigh-definition video from the top-secret sensors that make thisone of the most sophisticated surveillance planes in the world.

But the latest mission in the three-week hunt - fiveluckless hours skimming as low as 300 feet (90 metres) above thewave tops - only served to underscore the enormity of thechallenge facing the international search team.

"This is my first time in the Indian Ocean and it isunquestionably the most untouched piece of water I have everseen," U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander David Mims, the plane'spilot, told Reuters during a search flight this week.

"It's rare to come out and not see any land mass, not seeany shipping traffic. There's nothing," he said. "It's weird."

The United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, SouthKorea and Japan are all scouring an area some 2,000 km (1,200miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, where investigatorsbelieve the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people came down.

So far, the search has turned up only fishing rubbish andother flotsam. It has been halted several times by bad weatherin the search area.

Two Poseidons are engaged in the search. Costing around $175million, the aircraft is armed with cameras, infra-red and radarsensors that are fine-tuned to detect enemy submarines hidingunder the ocean surface.

But despite its high-tech equipment, much of the searchingis visual - crew members peering out a window.

"I'm a pretty optimistic guy by nature," said Petty OfficerMichael Herman, perched in front of a porthole staring out intothe foggy sea. "But yeah, this is tough."

The Poseidons operate alongside a pair of Chinese Il-76military transport planes at Perth International Airport. Theyare kept under tight security, including a round-the-clock armedrapid response team.

The plane is so top-secret that a Reuters journalist given arare berth was stripped of all electronic devices and barredfrom taking pictures.

The technology is impressive. Sitting at a pair of monitorsstacked one atop the other, Petty Officer Julio Cerpa operates apanoramic camera that quickly zooms in on distant patches ofocean with great clarity.

An infrared version of the same camera feed cuts through thehaze of fog surrounding the plane, offering a polarised andsomewhat nightmarish view of the search area.

About two hours into the search zone, the monotony ofpeering out a window or at a computer screen, is starting towear on the crew.

Petty Officer Sam Judd begins a slow climb up his seat backthat will eventually see him perched atop it. Cerpa's hands turnhis workstation into the world's most expensive drum kit.

And then the plane begins to ascend back to 30,000 feet,(9,000 metres) having found nothing. The total trip, includingflying time to reach the search zone, is around 10 hours.

To an outsider, the experience can seem frustrating, but thecrew maintains a remarkably optimistic outlook. Even a trip thatfinds nothing rules out a part of the search zone, and is thusan important part of finding the wreckage, says Mims, the pilot.

"Being this far into the search process and having this muchocean to cover definitely makes it a challenging evolution," hesays. "But if it's in our area, I think the probability offinding it is high." (Editing by Ron Popeski)

By Matt Siegel

ABOARD US NAVY P-8 POSEIDON, Indian Ocean, April 1 (Reuters)- O f all the 20 aircraft and ships out scouring the vast IndianOcean for debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370,the U.S. Navy's P-8 Poseidon seems perhaps the most likely tohelp unlock modern aviation's most confounding mystery.

Five workstations lining the fuselage displayhigh-definition video from the top-secret sensors that make thisone of the most sophisticated surveillance planes in the world.

But the latest mission in the three-week hunt - fiveluckless hours skimming as low as 300 feet (90 metres) above thewave tops - only served to underscore the enormity of thechallenge facing the international search team.

"This is my first time in the Indian Ocean and it isunquestionably the most untouched piece of water I have everseen," U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander David Mims, the plane'spilot, told Reuters during a search flight this week.

"It's rare to come out and not see any land mass, not seeany shipping traffic. There's nothing," he said. "It's weird."

The United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, SouthKorea and Japan are all scouring an area some 2,000 km (1,200miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, where investigatorsbelieve the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people came down.

So far, the search has turned up only fishing rubbish andother flotsam. It has been halted several times by bad weatherin the search area.

Two Poseidons are engaged in the search. Costing around $175million, the aircraft is armed with cameras, infra-red and radarsensors that are fine-tuned to detect enemy submarines hidingunder the ocean surface.

But despite its high-tech equipment, much of the searchingis visual - crew members peering out a window.

"I'm a pretty optimistic guy by nature," said Petty OfficerMichael Herman, perched in front of a porthole staring out intothe foggy sea. "But yeah, this is tough."

The Poseidons operate alongside a pair of Chinese Il-76military transport planes at Perth International Airport. Theyare kept under tight security, including a round-the-clock armedrapid response team.

The plane is so top-secret that a Reuters journalist given arare berth was stripped of all electronic devices and barredfrom taking pictures.

The technology is impressive. Sitting at a pair of monitorsstacked one atop the other, Petty Officer Julio Cerpa operates apanoramic camera that quickly zooms in on distant patches ofocean with great clarity.

An infrared version of the same camera feed cuts through thehaze of fog surrounding the plane, offering a polarised andsomewhat nightmarish view of the search area.

About two hours into the search zone, the monotony ofpeering out a window or at a computer screen, is starting towear on the crew.

Petty Officer Sam Judd begins a slow climb up his seat backthat will eventually see him perched atop it. Cerpa's hands turnhis workstation into the world's most expensive drum kit.

And then the plane begins to ascend back to 30,000 feet,(9,000 metres) having found nothing. The total trip, includingflying time to reach the search zone, is around 10 hours.

To an outsider, the experience can seem frustrating, but thecrew maintains a remarkably optimistic outlook. Even a trip thatfinds nothing rules out a part of the search zone, and is thusan important part of finding the wreckage, says Mims, the pilot.

"Being this far into the search process and having this muchocean to cover definitely makes it a challenging evolution," hesays. "But if it's in our area, I think the probability offinding it is high." (Editing by Ron Popeski)

Jailed parents out soon

Posted: 05 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT

06 July 2014| last updated at 12:16AM

The children were told by Ketereh member of parliament Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who had visited Shalwati recently, that Azizul Raheem would be released next month, while Shalwati would be released in September.

The couple's eldest child, Aishah, 15, said she and her three siblings were elated by the news.

"I am very happy to hear the news that mummy and daddy will be released soon.

"We are surprised, as we thought that they would be in prison for a longer time.

"We will wait patiently for their return."

Azizul Raheem, 38, who is Tourism Malaysia director in Sweden, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while Shalwati, 46, was handed a 14-month sentence for gross violation of the integrity of their children.

The couple have been in the custody of Swedish authorities since December last year.

The children, Aishah, Ammar, 12, Adam, 11, and Arif, 8, have been living with their aunt here since returning from Sweden early this year.

Aishah said Ramadan this year would be extra meaningful, as it would be the first time the siblings would fast in their home country.

She said they were glad that their father would be here with them.

She said Arif was excited by the news of their father's impending return, as he was closest to him.

"We miss mummy and daddy very much.

"It has been more than six months since we last saw them."

Expats eagerly await kick-offAWAY VIEWING: Foreigners in Malaysia will be supporting their teams with a touch of home

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT

13 June 2014| last updated at 11:36PM

Brazilian embassy Minister-Counselor Jose Soares said the much-awaited quadrennial games would be watched with the same level of excitement and intensity in Malaysia as in his home country, this year's host of the World Cup.

He said the Latin American community in Malaysia had always embraced their roots and their undying love for football, regardless of the geographic distance.

"We have more than 2,000 Latin Americans residing in Malaysia and our community had always come together for festivals and events.

"As for the World Cup this year, we have planned and arranged many activities for the community throughout the month, such as private parties at bars and restaurants and going house-to-house to watch the games," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Although, Soares missed the energy and spirit of football in Brazil, he was sure Malaysians would show the same enthusiasm.

Soares' countryman, Cristiano Genuino Da Silva, 39, said the World Cup atmosphere was different in Malaysia.

"My friends would go to different people's houses each day, hours before the game started, just to get into the mood.

"We would be served a variety of food and drink everywhere we go."

Unlike in Brazil, watching football in Malaysia was different in many aspects, especially in terms of the spirit, he said.

The Camara'Malaysia capoeira instructor said his capoeira team had been fully booked the entire month to perform at private parties, bars and events throughout the country for football fans.

England-born Geoff Siddle is determined to go full throttle in embracing World Cup fever with a mix of English and Malaysian styles.

The 46-year-old who operates the "Sid's Pub" chain of neighbourhood pubs around Kuala Lumpur, said his outlets would be open until 6am throughout the month.

"We will be offering discounts of up to 50 per cent all day long on selected beverages and also be serving local and western dishes for customers until the wee hours of the morning."

Siddle, who came to Malaysia 17 years ago, said he had arranged for a gathering with other British expatriates to watch the England-Italy match on Sunday morning.

"I have prepared an Englishmen's get-to-together to cheer and support our countrymen in winning the World Cup this year," he said, adding that the spirit and enthusiasm would be larger than life despite watching it with a small group of people.
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