Jumaat, 9 September 2011

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Egyptians attack Israel embassy, ambassador evacuated
TS Maria to reach near U.S. Virgin Islands by Saturday - NHC
Egyptians attack Israel embassy, ambassador said to flee

Egyptians attack Israel embassy, ambassador evacuated

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:02 PM PDT

CAIRO (Reuters) - Hundreds of Egyptians stormed the building housing Israel's mission in Cairo and threw embassy documents and its national flag from windows, while state television said on Saturday that Israel's envoy, his family and staff had been flown home.

Protesters tear down a concrete wall built in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo September 9, 2011. Activists on Friday tore down the wall, built around a building housing the embassy in Cairo to protect it against demonstrators, witnesses said. (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany)

The Interior Ministry said at least 450 protesters were injured during a day of confrontations with police, who used teargas and fired in the air in an effort to disperse them. State television said 46 police were injured.

It was the second time the embassy was attacked since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month by Israelis during an operation against gunmen. That incident prompted Egypt briefly to threaten to withdraw its envoy.

Pulling Israeli diplomats even temporarily out of Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state, will shake Israel's confidence. It is already embroiled in a bitter feud with Turkey, formerly the closest of its few Muslim allies, over treatment of Palestinians.

The Cairo demonstrations continued well into the early morning hours, with police confronting at least 2,000 protesters near the embassy, a witness said.

They fired teargas and fired in the air to disperse the crowds. Protesters lit fires in the street using tyres, threw petrol bombs and stones and set at least two police vehicles alight.

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf summoned his cabinet crisis team, which was to meet early on Saturday, state media said, while the Interior Ministry put police on alert and cancelled police holidays.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Egypt to "honour its international obligations" and protect the Israeli mission after protesters, who had been demonstrating at Tahrir Square to push for a timetable for reforms and an end to military trials for civilians, smashed up a wall protecting the embassy building.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr to urge Egypt to meet its Vienna Convention obligations to protect diplomatic property, a senior State Department official said.

Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Levanon left Cairo early on Saturday, Egyptian state television said. State media earlier reported that an Israeli plane had arrived in Cairo to take the ambassador, his family and staff back to Israel.

Israel said it had asked the United States for help in guarding the embassy, located on the upper floors of an apartment block overlooking the Nile. Extra police and army vehicles had been sent to the area to protect it.

Activists who spearheaded the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11 have piled pressure on the ruling military council to fix a date for parliamentary and presidential elections and to get rid of senior officials who served under Mubarak.

Thousands had converged on Tahrir Square, the centre of the pro-democracy protests that toppled Mubarak, after Friday prayers for what was billed as "Correcting the Path" protests.

Some later marched to the opposite bank of the Nile in Giza. Demonstrators used hammers, large iron bars and police barricades to tear down the wall, erected this month by Egyptian authorities after daily protests over the killing of five Egyptian border guards in Sinai.

The five died during an Israeli operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis. Egypt threatened to withdraw its ambassador from Tel Aviv. Israel has stopped short of apologising, saying it is still investigating how the Egyptian troops were killed.

"FRUSTRATION"

Protesters scaled the embassy building, removed the Israeli flag for the second time in less than a month and burned it.

Some also tried to break into the embassy and reached the entrance hall but had not entered inside the mission itself, Israeli and Egyptian officials said.

"The embassy itself has not been breached," an Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Reuters in Jerusalem. An Egyptian security source confirmed that the embassy offices had not been entered.

The demonstrators also tried to storm the local police compound, hurled stones at the police and torched at least four vehicles. They also set a public building adjacent to the police compound on fire.

Police responded by firing teargas and blanks into the air, witnesses said.

"This action shows the state of anger and frustration the young Egyptian revolutionaries feel against Israel especially after the recent Israeli attacks on the Egyptian borders that led to the killing of Egyptian soldiers," Egyptian political analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah told Reuters.

CHEERS AS WALL CAME DOWN

Egyptian police stood aside as activists tore down the concrete wall to the cheers of hundreds of demonstrators, witnesses said.

Friday's demonstrations were organised mostly by secular groups which had been pushing for reforms, a new constitution and an end to the trial of civilians before military courts.

Islamists, including the political party set up by the Muslim Brotherhood -- Egypt's best organised political force after the dissolution of Mubarak's National democratic Party -- have distanced themselves from the planned protests.

The country's military rulers have promised to hand back power to a civilian government after elections, which they said would be held before the end of 2011. The council has also facilitated the trial of Mubarak and several of his aides, including former Interior Minister Habib al-Adli, on charges of corruption or conspiring to kill some 850 demonstrators.

(Reporting by Edmund Blair, Dina Zayed, Shaimaa Fayed and Seham Eloraby, Abdel Rahman Youssef in Alexandria and Yusri Mohamed in Suez; Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Christopher Wilson and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Michael Roddy)

TS Maria to reach near U.S. Virgin Islands by Saturday - NHC

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:01 PM PDT

REUTERS - Tropical Storm Maria is forecast to move over the Leeward Islands Friday night through Saturday and is expected to be near the U.S. Virgin Islands by Saturday night, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest report.

At 0800 a.m. EDT (0000 GMT), Maria was located about 130 miles (215 km) north of Barbados packing maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 kmph), the NHC said.

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite image shows Tropical Storm Ophelia, Hurricane Nate and Hurricane Maria churning over the Atlantic Ocean at 0915 EDT (1315 GMT) September 7, 2005. (REUTERS/NOAA/Handout M/KS)

A gradual strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, the NHC added.

Tropical cyclones become named tropical storms when their winds exceed 39 miles per hour (63 kph) and become hurricanes when their winds reach more than 74 mph (119 kph).

(Reporting by Soma Das in Bangalore)

Egyptians attack Israel embassy, ambassador said to flee

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:30 PM PDT

CAIRO (Reuters) - Hundreds of Egyptians stormed the building housing Israel's mission in Cairo and threw embassy documents and its national flag from windows, while airport sources said on Saturday that Israel's envoy was set to fly out of the country.

The Interior Ministry said at least 450 protesters were injured during a day of confrontations with police, who used teargas and fired blanks in the air in an effort to disperse them.

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf summoned his cabinet crisis team, state media said, while the Interior Ministry put police on alert and cancelled police holidays.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Egypt to "honor its international obligations" and protect the Israeli mission after protesters, who had been demonstrating at Tahrir Square to push for a timetable for reforms and an end to military trials for civilians, smashed through a wall protecting the embassy building.

Airport sources said the Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Levanon and his family were at Cairo airport early on Saturday, planning to fly out of the country following the assault on the building housing the embassy.

Israel said it had asked the United States for help in guarding the embassy.

Asked about the report that the ambassador and his family were at the airport, an Israeli official in Jerusalem said only: "The ambassador is currently in Cairo."

Activists who spearheaded the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11 have been piling pressure on the ruling military council to fix a date for parliamentary and presidential elections and to get rid of senior officials who served under Mubarak.

Thousands had converged on Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the pro-democracy protests that toppled Mubarak, after Friday prayers for what was billed as "Correcting the Path" protests.

"FRUSTRATION"

Protesters scaled the embassy building, removed the Israeli flag for the second time in less than a month and burned it.

Some also tried to break into the embassy, located in a tower overlooking the Nile, and reached the entrance hall but had not entered inside the mission itself, Israeli and Egyptian officials said.

"The embassy itself has not been breached," an Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Reuters in Jerusalem. An Egyptian security source confirmed that the embassy offices had not been entered.

Witnesses said activists managed to get a hold of some documents belonging to the Israeli embassy and threw them out of the building windows. A group of protesters took down the Israeli flag and hurled it from the building.

The official said the documents thrown from the windows of the tower housing the embassy appeared to be "pamphlets and forms kept at the foyer".

Police responded by firing teargas and blanks into the air, witnesses said.

CHEERS AS WALL CAME DOWN

Egyptian police stood aside as activists tore down the concrete wall to the cheers of hundreds of demonstrators, witnesses said..

"It is great that Egyptians say they will do something and actually do it," Egyptian film director and activist Khaled Youssef said, standing among the protesters outside the embassy.

"They said they will demolish the wall and they did ... the military council has to abide by the demands of the Egyptian people," he said.

Friday's demonstrations were organised mostly by secular groups which had been pushing for reforms, a new constitution and an end to the trial of civilians before military courts.

(Reporting by Dina Zayed, Shaimaa Fayed and Seham Eloraby, Abdel Rahman Youssef in Alexandria and Yusri Mohamed in Suez; Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Michael Roddy)

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Plenty of backstage drama in TV season

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:14 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters): This fall's TV schedule will be full of twenty-somethings looking for love, singers searching out fame and dinosaurs hunting down dinner - and if that's not enough, there promises to be a heap of drama behind the scenes.

What unfolds at NBC and ABC will be among the most closely watched developments of the 2011-12 season. Both have relatively new entertainment chiefs in Bob Greenblatt and Paul Lee, who made major changes to their prime-time schedules in hopes of resurrecting ratings and satisfying management at Comcast Corp and Walt Disney Co.

Fox and CBS, with stronger schedules, will be under less scrutiny, but all four broadcast networks could feel the heat from advertisers who signed pricey deals for commercial time. Last spring, during the dealmaking period, commercial rates rose around 10 percent from a year earlier.

The trouble is that concerns over the economy have intensified since advertisers made those deals - today there is far more talk about a double-dip recession - and they could be taking a hard look at spending plans.

Along Madison Avenue, anticipation is running high for ''The X Factor,'' a new musical competition from Simon Cowell that Fox hopes will be a blockbuster along the lines of ''American Idol.'' Advertisers paid up to $400,000 for 30-second spots and it boasts a clutch of blue-chip corporate sponsors, including Pepsi and Chevrolet.

Other shows that are generating buzz - for better or worse - include ABC's ''Pan Am'' and ''Charlie's Angels,'' NBC's ''The Playboy Club,'' ''Smash'' and ''Prime Suspect,'' and Fox's ''Terra Nova,'' a costly Steven Spielberg-produced dinosaur drama burdened with high expectations. Last year, more than three-quarters of the new shows were canceled and several barely lasted a month, the most notable being ''Lonestar,'' a high profile con-man drama that Fox abandoned after two episodes.

''Look, all these guys are under pressure,'' said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at advertising firm Horizon Media. ''You get next day ratings and must immediately make million dollar decisions. Every day there is a hero and every day there is a goat. But there's probably more pressure on ABC than anybody.''

Now president of ABC Entertainment, Lee spent 7 years running ABC Family until he was promoted in July 2010. This is his second full TV season running ABC, but the first one in which he's been involved from development through scheduling.

Lee can bank on the popular comedy ''Modern Family'' and ''Grey's Anatomy'' is still a top rated drama, but this will be the last season of the long-running ''Desperate Housewives'' and there are already some major holes in the lineup.

''His problem is that there aren't a lot of building blocks there,'' said David Scardino, entertainment specialist at media agency RPA. ''I don't know how much patience Disney is going to have with him.''

NBC's Greenblatt, meanwhile, should have some breathing room. Comcast hired him away from Showtime, where he had a solid track record, and has indicated it does not expect to revive NBC's fortunes in one season. For 2011-12, Greenblatt will bring out a hefty 12 new shows, including ''Smash,'' a midseason musical set on Broadway that will star Katherine McPhee from ''American Idol.''

''Comcast is at least paying lip service to the fact that this won't be turned around overnight,'' Scardino said.

The biggest surprise of the TV season may be if either ABC or NBC manage to move up in the ratings. That would mean beating out either News Corp's Fox, with several blockbuster hits, or CBS Corp's CBS, with the strongest top-to-bottom schedule in the business.

Another shocker would be if the four broadcast networks can arrest the steady decline in their collective audience.

One reason for the drop in viewership at the broadcast networks is the increasing competition from cable TV, with its critical and popular hits such as ''Mad Men,'' ''Breaking Bad,'' and ''Justified.'' Advertisers are well aware of the trend and swallowed huge price increases from the cable networks during the spring negotiations.

It remains to be seen whether advertisers will start to back away from pricey deals in general, exercising options that allow them to cancel.

''There is always a lag between what the economy is doing currently and where the budgets are - since budgets are done early,'' said Scardino. ''If I was on the network side, I would be nervous.''

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The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Up Close and Personal with Yasuteru Yamada
Why not aerobridges?
Your 10 questions with Johan Mahmood Merican

Up Close and Personal with Yasuteru Yamada

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:07 PM PDT

YASUTERU Yamada does not exaggerate when he says old people are Japan's only growing asset.

And the retired 72-year-old engineer is determined to get at least some of them working again in the world's most rapidly ageing society in a way which is grabbing headlines and causing headaches.

Yamada has become a hero of sorts in Japan with his rallying call for the aged to step forward as volunteers to tackle the nuclear crisis at the crippled Fukushima Dai-chi plant.

The facility, operated by Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power Co), is spewing dangerous levels of radiation triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami which wracked the Tohuku region.

Full story in Star Biz today.

If you have a similar story to share e-mail us at inspired@thestar.com.my

Why not aerobridges?

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT

I ADMIRE Tan Sri Tony Fernandes. Honest, I do. Not for everything he does of course but what he has done to make air travel so wonderfully affordable to such a large cross section of people. No one can ever take that away from him.

Not many people gave him much chance of success 10 years ago when he set up AirAsia but when he tweaked the low-cost model with some help from people who had worked with Ryanair, the runaway low-cost airline success in UK, I felt he had a sound model.

The focus was obviously costs and advance bookings and payments with next to no flexibility to change flights. The advance bookings brought in cash even before the flight flew up to six months ahead. Rapid expansion ensured the cash rolled in.

And the rest was history. AirAsia became and continues to be one of the most successful low-cost airlines in the world and without a doubt the most successful in Asia.

But sometimes Tony I shall call him that in this column rather than the cumbersome Fernandes because everybody does can be quite exasperating and his logic, well, stretched a bit. Such may just be the case with aerobridges and AirAsia.

Malaysia Airports had announced two years ago that it was building a RM2bil, since increased to RM2.8bil, low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT). The price tag raised many eyebrows, considering that the main KL International Airport was built from total scratch for under RM10bil and the current terminal built for a mere RM108mil.

There have been delays (that's a story for another day) but what raised more eyebrows was that this new LCCT would not even have aerobridges, although provisions will be made for their future use. Why, especially since it will cost to make provisions for aerobridges?

According to Malaysia Airports, it deferred to the operations of the low-cost carriers, in this case AirAsia and AirAsia X which did not want to use aerobridges so as to more quickly turn around the aircraft and therefore fly more and reduce costs.

This is despite the fact acknowledged by Malaysia Airports that many airport operators around the world require the use of aerobridges for the sake of convenience and importantly safety.

One thing though is clear cost is not the direct issue with the use of aerobridges. Use of the aerobridge costs just RM85 per time. If you unload 180 passengers and load a like amount, that amounts to less than 25 sen a passenger, Malaysia Airports pointed out. But still it did not require that aerobridges be used. Why?

Malaysia Airports answers: "In the case of AirAsia, they had explained that their business model requires a quick turnaround time in order to increase aircraft utilisation. This would then allow them to operate additional sectors in a day and enable them to reduce cost and therefore offer lower fares."

Fine. But could they still not have short turnaround times by using the aerobridges? Can't the operations be tweaked and the airport designed so that they can? And how does AirAsia manage to turn around its aircraft so quickly in places and there are quite a few where they are required to use aerobridges?

And isn't Malaysia Airports required to look at the safety and convenience of the passengers using its facilities? Does it not have an immense responsibility to the general public to ensure that where safety and convenience can be improved at reasonable cost, then it should?

I have had the pleasure of flying to many wonderful destinations via AirAsia and AirAsia X. I don't mind their seats and their service at all, and even their food is not bad for an airline though Pak Nasser's nasi lemak may have declined in quality over the years and does not look quite the same as on the menu card (I wonder whether there really is a Pak Nasser but that's okay too).

But what I do not relish is the long walk (often) to and from the aircraft. Sometimes aircraft taxi deafeningly quite close by. At other times, service vehicles are moving directly across your path, occasionally with little supervision.

And try walking down from the aircraft in pouring rain with umbrella in hand, luggage in the other and a driving wind threatening to take you off with your umbrella. That's a pretty hazardous, tricky operation requiring all your aerobatic skills.

It is not only inconvenient but dangerous if you are not careful at all times and if you have children with you. Nobody not AirAsia, not Malaysia Airports, not the Cabinet and the Government and not the flying public want an accident. We should act before that happens.

Aerobridges will remove totally the chances of any accident caused by passengers being on the tarmac besides the considerable amount of convenience and comfort that it will provide.

And here's a suggestion to reduce any financial burden to AirAsia. I think I speak for a lot of customers when I say we do not mind paying RM2 for the aerobridge. AirAsia can build this into its fares without anyone so much as murmuring anything about it.

What difference would it make? Considerable to AirAsia. If it and its sister airline AirAsia X fly 20 million passengers into and out of the LCCT, the difference to the bottom line is RM35mil (subtract 25 sen in costs to get RM1.75 net per passenger and multiply by the number of passengers) in pure incremental profit.

That should easily offset any setback AirAsia will face from an increase in the turnaround time.

Common Tony, sit down with Malaysia Airports and work it out such that your turnaround time will be little affected. I am sure you can do it! In fact even as the Cabinet is deciding on the question of using the aerobridges, upstage them by announcing a deal with Malaysia Airports that you are going to.

Surely the Cabinet has better things to do than to intervene in such matters. And think of how much happier your customers will be and how many more of them will fly with you after you give them aerobridges.

Managing editor P Gunasegaram believes that low cost does not have to mean low standards.

Your 10 questions with Johan Mahmood Merican

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:44 PM PDT

What makes your job interesting and exciting? Bernard Gideon Lim, Penang

TalentCorp is a startup formed in January this year. That in itself is exciting. What makes it more exciting is the scope for TalentCorp to address talent needs for the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). It is a new challenge for the country. There is no tried and tested method. It's like the Star Trek catchphrase, "To boldly go where no man has gone before". It has been and promises to continue to be an interesting and exciting journey. It is particularly engaging as the issue of talent is probably one of the most important enablers of the future success of Malaysia. Further, Malaysians are passionate about talent. Over the past eight months, my team and I have met and worked with a lot of inspiring individuals who have continued to support and encourage our work.

What are the challenges your organisation faces when trying to entice talented Malaysians to come back to work? Bulbir Singh, Seremban

Malaysia has great talent. Unfortunately, the world knows it! Hence, there is a great demand for our talent. The challenge for the country is therefore to compete for our talent. This is key given many talented Malaysians possess the experience and expertise to contribute to Malaysia's development aspirations. The overall value proposition to work in Malaysia needs to be continually enhanced. In this regard, the Government is driving the government transformation, which among others contributes towards enhancing the living standards and environment for talent.

Equally important, the private sector as employers will need to raise the attractiveness of building careers here in Malaysia. Nevertheless, as this effort is in progress, there are currently great professional opportunities in Malaysia. Given the level of scepticism, a major challenge for TalentCorp is to collaborate with employers to raise the awareness and convince talented Malaysians of the available opportunities that are suited for them to do well in Malaysia.

How is the effort in drawing talented Malaysians back to the country progressing? If it is not up to expectation, what could have gone wrong? Sivaletchumayah Sivalingam, Puchong, KL

TalentCorp runs the Returning Expert Programme (REP), which has been in existence since 2001 but was transferred to us this year. Since the Prime Minister's announcement of an improved incentive package under the REP in April 2011, we have seen an increase in interest. Last year, about 160 were approved to return. We've doubled that already in the first half of this year. And the numbers continue to look strong.

But, more importantly, what really matters is the quality of people who return, that they actually meet the needs of the industry. So, I am quite encouraged that some of the people who are returning are very experienced and include those with engineering, finance, and ICT background, which are highly in demand. As we are new in this effort, we are aware much more needs to be done to engage with a broader range of Malaysians overseas and to facilitate their return.

Do you agree that talented Malaysians leave the country because of unfavourable government policies and unfair educational and career opportunities here? How then can you convince them to return? Elle Subra, Bangsar, KL

I think when you look at the motivations of talent and where they choose to work, it's due to a lot of factors. If I can just broadly categorise them, they would be economics, related to pay level and its associated quality of life. Second is their future professional development. And the third is related to the environment and lifestyle.

In this respect, the Government is driving government transformation initiatives to address issues such as security, education and infrastructure. Parallel to this, the ETP has been put in place to lift the country to developed nation status and, in the process, raise the income level.

Hence, the attractiveness of Malaysia is on an upward trend. One has the choice of either viewing the glass as half empty or half full. Yes, we have room for improvement but now is an exciting time to return to Malaysia and contribute to make things better.

How can we do better locally to prevent our best minds from leaving the country? David Tih, Malacca

In today's globalised and highly mobile world, there will inevitably be movement of talent in and out of our country. This is the same elsewhere. It adds to the richness and diversity of the workforce. I personally believe that if we can provide credible, meaningful platforms for Malaysians to feel that they can really make a difference, a lot of us whether in Malaysia or overseas want to contribute to this country.

A good example is Pua Kim Sein, the founder of the Taiwan-based company which made the Pendrive. Despite being overseas for the past 20 years, he returns to Malaysia regularly and has business partners here. Pua's story reminds me of a Chinese proverb which says that no matter how high a tree grows, its leaves will fall to its roots.

So while we wouldn't want to stop Malaysians from reaching their potential outside, if that is where they are optimised, we would like to be able to leverage on their experience and expertise to touch the lives of other Malaysians. They can act as advisers to upcoming Malaysian businesses, introduce Malaysians to a larger network overseas, or channel investments back to the country.

Will you penalise those who have accepted the REP and then opt to work abroad on his/her second year? Audrey Lee, Kuala Lumpur

The Prime Minister in April 2011 had announced a revised REP incentive package to encourage Malaysian professionals overseas to return home and contribute to the ETP. This includes, among others, a flat tax rate of 15% on employment income for five years and two tax-free locally assembled cars. These incentives are conditional on the returnee working in Malaysia for at least five years. Opting to work abroad in the second year would result in a clawback of the incentives.

With the Government failing to implement an effective English language policy, how does your corporation think it will achieve its goal of identifying and developing more talented Malaysian workers for the future? Marisa Demori, Ipoh

From a company human resource perspective, a key part of talent development is managing the pipeline. There will always be people resigning or retiring, so you need to ensure the right number and quality of talent enters the pipeline. At the country level, we have a limited talent pool. As such, we need to channel them to key priority sectors represented by the National Key Economic Areas to ensure that our economy keeps growing.

TalentCorp is committed to collaborating with relevant public agencies and private sector to develop initiatives towards this. One area is creating greater career awareness among the youth today of the potential future career paths arising out of the ETP and how to pursue such careers. With respect to English, clearly for success in many careers, a strong command of English is important. Beyond efforts being taken by the Government to improve the standard of English, the community has an equally important role. Mastery of language is through regular usage and therefore, progress will be hindered if, for example, schoolchildren are discouraged from regularly speaking in English by their peers or parents.

Many talented Malaysian students who have taken up Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships for tertiary studies abroad have not returned to serve the country. Some did return and checked in with the Government, but no position was offered to them. Has TalentCorp taken any measures to address this problem and how? Wong Pui Yi, KL

The Government has always provided more scholarships than the requirements of the public sector. In the past, those not offered positions with the Government would naturally work in the private sector in Malaysia, thus contribute to the economy. However, today's talent has many options overseas. Recognising this, TalentCorp collaborated with PSD and last month launched two key initiatives for PSD scholars to build careers in the GTP and ETP priority sectors. The Talent Acceleration in Public Service (TAPS) programme is a collaborative initiative led by PSD, with the Razak School of Government and TalentCorp, to attract and nurture top PSD scholars into the civil service. Meanwhile, scholars not selected for the public sector will participate in the Scholarship Talent Attraction & Retention (STAR) programme. This is a collaborative effort between PSD and TalentCorp, for PSD scholars to serve their bonds working in leading companies driving the ETP. Through TAPS and STAR, the nation optimises by channelling our scholarship talent to contribute to the priority areas of the Government and economic transformation.

What has been your biggest failure in life? How did you overcome it? Melissa Ong, Sabah

After graduating from Cambridge with a first-class honours, I was brimming with confidence as I started to work in an audit firm in London. It turned out that while I was a good student, I was the complete opposite at the audit firm and was one of the worst performers professionally in my year. That was my first major failure in life. However, I believe with every failure, there is hikmah. The failure taught me humility and forced me to better understand myself my strengths and interest. I wasn't cut out to be an auditor. But that failure led me to try other paths, a few of which I would not have considered before, such as the public sector. As it turned out, working in the public sector is where I found my calling. I am motivated by the fulfilment from being able to contribute.

What are the three things that could keep you happy in life? Why? Naza, Perak

First, seeing my children grow up and be happy, fulfilled and have good values, which must include contributing to society. Second, finding personal fulfilment in my work. As we spend so much of our waking moments working, it is important for me to be challenged and know that my efforts contribute to making a difference. Which brings me to the third. I would like to see Malaysia reach its potential. We truly have a lot going for us resources, stability and great talent. We therefore should be a great country. However, it would require us to be pulling in the same direction. Whether we succeed as a nation, it is up to us.

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The Star Online: Sports

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The Star Online: Sports

National coach Allan expects Nicol to make winning debut in US Open
Hockey: Malaysia to take on Japan again after narrow win
Coach Jae-hyung’s move puts Malaysia in recurve final in Shanghai

National coach Allan expects Nicol to make winning debut in US Open

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:26 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Nicol David has lost to England's Laura Massaro twice this year.

So, all eyes will be on the duo when the US$60,000 United States Open in Philadelphia is held from Sept 30-Oct 6.

Massaro beat five-time world champion Nicol in the final of the Cleveland Racquet Classics in February and in the semi-final of the Singapore Masters in July.

The 28-year-old Nicol has yet to lose to any other player in the Women's International Squash Players Association (Wispa) tournaments so far this year.

For the US Open, Nicol, who has won 53 Wispa titles since turning pro, will face Joelle King of New Zealand in the first round.

In her top half of the draw are world No. 6 Kasey Brown of Australia and world No. 4 Madeline Perry of Ireland.

Nicol is expected to face world No. 2 Jenny Duncalf of England in the final.

World No. 5 Massaro will take on a qualifier in the first round and she is expected to meet Rachael Grinham of Australia in the quarter-finals.

National chief coach Allan Soyza said that Nicol has become a wiser player since her second defeat to Massaro in the Singapore Masters.

"Nicol has been training hard (in Amsterdam under former world champion Liz Irving) and will be leaving no stone unturned to win more titles.

"I am confident Nicol will go on to win the US Open," said Allan.

He added that although Nicol had played in many tournaments in the US – the Texas Open, Carol Weymuller Open, Seattle Open and Las Vegas Open – she would be making her debut in the US Open.

"Nicol has never played in the US Open as it was just a small event then ... but now it's the golden event with a bigger prize money," he said.

"Nicol is in good form after wining the Australian Open last month and I believe that she will create history in Rotterdam by winning a record sixth world title in November."

National men's No. 1 Mohd Azlan Iskandar will also feature in the US Open, which offers total prize money of US$115,000.

However, world No. 13 Azlan faces a tough opening match against world No. 3 Karim Darwish of Egypt.

National No. 2 and world No. 27 Ong Beng Hee and youngster Kamran Khan will feature in the qualifying rounds.

Hockey: Malaysia to take on Japan again after narrow win

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:17 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Debutant Amir Farid Ahmad Fuzi and youngster Faisal Saari inspired Malaysia to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Japan in their last preliminary round match at the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China, yesterday.

Japan, who needed a clear two-goal win over Malaysia to make the final, led 2-0 at half-time – courtesy of a penalty stroke by Koji Kayjawa in the 23rd minute and a field goal by Shinji Kawauchi in the 35th minute.

The second half saw an improved Malaysian side launching their fightback, with Amir finding the target in the 46th and 55th minutes before Faisal netted the winning goal in the 66th minute.

Malaysia and Japan will now square off again in the bronze medal playoff.

Pakistan and India, who drew 2-2 yesterday, will meet again in tomorrow's final while South Korea and China will meet in the fifth-sixth classification match.

National coach Tai Beng Hai attributed his team's first-half capitulation to "pressure and the cold weather".

"It was very windy and cold. But the players managed to stay calm and stage a recovery in the second half. We have played Japan before and we know their game well. But the two first-half goals were a setback and added more pressure on the team," he said.

"But it was quite a turnaround in the second-half. It showed that we can play good hockey too. We have reached our target of a top-four finish ... but we do not aim to stop there."

Coach Jae-hyung’s move puts Malaysia in recurve final in Shanghai

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:16 PM PDT

PETALING JAYA: National archery coach Lee Jae-hyung took a gamble by putting rookies Haziq Kamaruddin and Khairul Anuar Mohamad with national No. 1 Cheng Chu Sian in the men's recurve event at the World Cup leg in Shanghai yesterday.

And his gamble paid handsome dividends when Malaysia stormed into the final.

Jae-hyung opted to field the same team that earned Malaysia the maximum of three Olympic quota spots at the World Championships in Italy in July – leaving out Wan Khalmizam Wan Abdul Aziz.

Khalmizam, who featured at the last Olympics in Beijing three years ago, also qualified for the elimination rounds but failed to clear the first round on Thursday.

Jae-hyung's decision to leave out Khalmizam proved to be spot-on as the 10th-seeded Malaysia, inspired by the outstanding run of Khairul in advancing to the men's individual recurve final the previous day, started on the right note by taking out seventh seeds Britain 221-218.

Malaysia then continued their strong run by edging out second seeds and hosts China 222-219 to enter the last four.

The Malaysians maintained their momentum to secure a place in the final with a 222-215 win over surprise semi-finalists Finland.

Finland had stunned third seeds Mexico in their opening tie 219-214 before beating Mongolia 213-210 to reach the semi-finals.

It was Malaysia's first appearance in the final at the World Cup in three years and they will meet top seeds the United States tomorrow.

The US, winners of two previous legs so far this year, enjoyed a first round bye before chalking up impressive wins over Holland (226-219) and France (226-215) to enter the final.

All eyes will be on the Malaysian archers as they seek to make history today. And it's not just the men's team who will be in action today as Khairul will also be taking on American Joe Fanchin in the individual recurve final.

Jae-hyung hopes that Malaysia can win the men's team competition for the first time after two runners-up finishes back in 2008.

"The United States are stronger, on paper, as they have been very consistent this year, especially their main archer Brady Ellison," said the South Korean.

"He won all the three previous legs before losing for the first time this year to Khairul in the last 16.

"It will be difficult unless our archers raise their game tomorrow.

"It is important for our archers not to be intimidated."

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf

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Telling tales
Haunted by the past
‘How to’ books bonanza

Telling tales

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:47 AM PDT

A well-told story is magical in how it can reach across cultural and age divides to touch everyone.

ANYONE who has been read to as a child knows the joy and comfort derived from listening to a story. For the storyteller, often a parent, but frequently a teacher or caregiver, storytime is an opportunity to educate, entertain and inspire, as well as bond with his or her young audience.

Even adults are not immune to the charms of a good story, told well. Storytelling, after all, is one of the earliest forms of entertainment. Long, long before the advent of the television and other leisure devices and tools, stories were told in market squares and other public spaces to amuse and instruct, and to instil beliefs and values.

We have never really lost our taste for telling and listening to stories. Every day we spend exchanging news with friends, family and colleagues proves that.

The Malaysia International Storytelling Festival 2011 aims to highlight the importance of storytelling and the ways it can be used at home, in schools and in the community.

Held over two days, tomorrow and Sunday, at Sunway International School in Bandar Sunway, Selangor, the festival will feature seven master storytellers from Asia and the United States.

These professionals will not just be telling tales, but also conducting workshops on the various ways storytelling can be used in different fields and industries.

The storytellers who will be performing and sharing their knowledge at the festival are Dr Wajuppa Tossa (Thailand), Jeeva Raghunath (India), Hasniah Hussain aka Mama Tok (Malaysia), Ng Kok Keong (Malaysia), Randel McGee (United States), Roger Jenkins (Singapore), and Sheila Wee.

We caught up with some of them via phone and e-mail to find out a little more about what they will be doing.

Wee, who is often called the "Godmother of Singapore Storytelling", will be conducting workshops on storytelling for beginners and effective storytelling techniques, she says, adding that, "The wonderful thing about storytelling is that you only have to be barely competent before you taste success. Humans are naturally interested in stories, so you start off with an advantage".

Jenkins adds that any aspiring storyteller will find the craft a practical one: "Storytelling requires no lavish sets, costume changes or complicated technical support. I travel with a suitcase or props – and sometimes not even that!

:So it's highly portable and can be tailored to any situation, unlike a play which tends to work very well for one kind of audience but not another."

Jenkins' workshops will focus on storytelling for teachers and parents, as an educational as well as bonding tool.

Counsellors and other health care professionals may be interested in Jeeva's workshops on storytelling techniques for counsellors. Says Jeeva, "Medicine often forgets the importance of

listening to the patient's story. There is great power in listening attentively, reflecting on what is communicated in life stories of illness and suffering. This technique helps the patient see his or

her illness and problems from a different perspective."

The storytellers participating in the festival agree that storytelling is certainly a great way to connect with and touch people.

"I grew up listening to stories from my elders," says celebrated Malaysian storyteller, Mama Tok, who will be sharing her secrets to good storytelling in four Bahasa Malaysia sessions over the two days.

She says that she can still recall "the good feeling and enjoyment of listening to the stories" and also the expressions of excitement and wonder on the children's faces when she first started telling stories herself.

"It made me want to give them more. It's very special when you are able to touch children with a good story," she says, adding that her hope always is that a love for stories will lead children to reading more books.

The other Malaysian participating in the festival, teacher and storyteller Ng Kok Keong, would certainly agree with that sentiment. As the principal of Tadika Diyana in Kuala Lumpur, he uses storytelling in the classroom and also shows the parents of the children in his kindergarten how to use the art. In his workshops for the festival, he will explain how parents and teachers can engage and educate toddlers and young children using storytelling techniques.

From Thailand comes Dr Wajuppa Tossa who is not only a storyteller but also an educator of the art. In 1995, she founded the Mahasarakham University storytelling project which gets people of all ages involved in preserving and revitalising the use of local dialects and folktales in their daily lives and to take pride in their own cultural heritage. She sees storytelling as one way to do this, and her workshops aim at teaching the art of storytelling, especially to beginners.

Apart from Malaysia, she has conducted storytelling workshops and performed in Australia, Laos, Singapore, the Netherlands and the United States; as a storyteller, she has been involved in events such as the Asian Congress of Storytellers, Singapore International Storytelling Festival, the Book Fest in Seattle in America, and Story Fest International in the US Pacific West Coast.

You might have heard of Randel McGee and his puppet pal, Groark the Dragon – they have been entertaining audiences around the world for almost 27 years. Since "life among humans can be confusing" (mcgeeproductions.com), McGee helps Groark figure out how to deal with all sorts of issues – teaching his enraptured audience along way too, with a mix of comedy and original songs. McGee will be teaching his workshop participants how to develop storytelling presentation.

There will also be a workshop on digital storytelling and how NGOs and other organisations can use the technique to tell their story; this will be conducted by Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).

All workshops (which require pre-registration and payment – call 03-7954 7030 for details) will be held at the Sunway International School. On Saturday, there is also a showcase performance by the storytellers at 8pm that will be held at the Sunway campus of the Monash University, also in Bandar Sunway, Selangor.

For further details, go to malaysiainternationalstorytellingfestival.org.

Haunted by the past

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:47 AM PDT

The Most Dangerous Thing

Author: Laura Lippman

Publisher: William Morrow, 352 pages

IN 1979, two girls and three boys on the brink of adolescence spent an idyllic summer exploring heavily wooded Leakin Park on the outskirts of Baltimore in America. But one day, something happened there that none of them wanted to talk about.

The friends drifted apart. Decades passed.

But now one of those old friends, Gordon "Go-Go" Halloran, gets rip-roaring drunk and smashes his car into a highway barrier. The funeral draws the surviving friends — a magazine editor named Gwen, a stewardess named Mickey and Go-Go's brothers, Tim and Sean — back into the same orbit.

Police figure Gordon's death is either an accident or a suicide. Gwen, the protagonist of the story, isn't so sure. As she pokes into the case, she and the surviving friends are pulled back into the past — to what happened long ago in those dark woods.

Each of them, it turns out, has a different memory of it. But it's not just because childhood memories warp over time. It's because each of the old friends, and their parents as well, never knew more than a small part of the story. And what each of them knew was a different part.

The Most Dangerous Thing is Laura Lippman's seventh standalone novel, although fans of her popular private eye series will be pleased to know that its hero, Tess Monaghan, makes a cameo appearance. The standalones, including I'd Know You Anywhere (2010) and What the Dead Know (2007), have been widely praised not only as mysteries but also as literature — a body of work that places her in the company of Thomas H. Cook and Dennis Lehane as one of America's finest literary crime novelists.

The Most Dangerous Thing doesn't quite measure up to the earlier standalones. The first third drags a bit, and story doesn't pack quite as much emotional punch. But it is nevertheless a fine and ambitious novel that explores how much parents don't know about the lives of their children, and how little children know about their parents.

Lippman flashes effortlessly between the past and the present, describing that long-ago summer and chronicling Gwen's present-day search for the truth. Gwen, burdened with the care of her aged father and looking for a way out of her dying marriage, doggedly searches for answers, gradually unwinding the past layer by layer.

What she discovers will shock both her and the readers, and will change the lives of all of the characters forever.

n Bruce DeSilva is the author of Rogue Island, which won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for best first novel last year.

‘How to’ books bonanza

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:47 AM PDT

How To be a Zillionaire Author: Chellie Campbell Publisher: Advantage Quest, 247 pages

DO YOU want to be the next rags to riches story? Do you want to learn how to set the kind of goals that will make you rich? This book offers to guide you through all of that — and more.

Yes, the big bucks are important, but the author also says that it is not just about money; because money is nothing without great friends and fun work. Make your money, but don't forget to kick back and smell the roses too.

The Perfect 10 Diet: Ten Key Hormones That Hold The Secret To Losing Weight And Feeling Great — Fast Author: Michael Aziz Publisher: Advantage Quest, 422 pages

ACCORDING to author Michael Aziz, the Perfect 10 Diet is so perfect that it can be followed by anyone. Whether your goal is to lose a couple of pounds, fight depression, strengthen bones, improve your memory or simply to live longer, this diet claims to be able to do it all without imposing hunger, food cravings or calorie-counting — because it is designed to be an eating-for-life plan, not a quick fix.

How To Succeed in Work and Life Author: Todd Duncan Publisher: Advantage Quest, 199 pages

WHAT does an entrepreneur, bartender and accountant have in common? Their stories all appear in this book as examples on how to lead the perfectly balanced life. The author adopts an unconventional approach in this book, challenging the status quo in search of a smarter and more efficient ways to work and live.

27 Powers Of Persuasion Author: Chris St Hilaire Publisher: Vermilion, 204 pages

IF you want to make a lasting impression on someone, you will first need to examine how good you are at communication and persuasion. You might have to convince and convert sceptics, use information to strengthen your point or steer the conversation in the direction that you want. The author draws on Buddhist principles in coming up with these 27 strategies to help you win over people and gather allies.

How To Get And Stay Happy At Work Author: Beth Thomas Publisher: Advantage Quest, 228 pages

IT is in the best interest of a company to keep its employees happy but sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands. This book offers strategies for figuring out how to make yourself happy and how to create an environment that will leave you wanting for nothing. Filled with anecdotes about other people and how they overcome their struggles, this guide claims to be suitable for anyone who works and wants to take control of their happiness.

How To Get Rich, Stay Rich And Be Happy Author: Fred Young Publisher: Advantage Quest, 159 pages

COMBINING almost three decades of experience as a money manager and investment consultant, the author offers his take on what he claims is an infallible method of getting rich and maintaining that level of wealth. With a focus on real estate, stocks and business, the techniques discussed in this book are tailored for the average Joe.

The Diabetes Answer Book Author: David K. McCulloch Publisher: Advantage Quest, 333 pages

WHAT is diabetes and how do you live with it? How do you live with someone newly diagnosed with diabetes? Does it ever go away on its own? How do you manage it? The amount of information on the subject can be overwhelming and often contradictory. This book attempts to serves as an essential reference for you and your family, presenting information in a clear, concise question-and-answer format.

How to Create a Winning Career Author: David Couper Publisher: Advantage Quest, 224 pages

WORRY not if you don't fit in; there's always a way you can climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Got the "wrong" kind of dress style, personal beliefs, sexual orientation and gender? This book will teach you how to capitalise on these differences, turn them into assets and come up with marketing strategies to match your unique qualities with what potential employers want.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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Burnt body in Ampang that of college student, body identified
DPM: Vocational transformation programme to start 2013
PM: Reconsider 6pc charge on prepaid phone lines

Burnt body in Ampang that of college student, body identified

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:54 AM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have confirmed that the body of a woman with 80 per cent burns in Kampung Lembah Jaya Utara, Ampang belonged to a 19-year-old college student.

Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Amiruddin Jamaluddin said the confirmation was made possible after the victim's father identified the body at UKM Medical Centre here.

"The father lodged a report at the Setapak police station two days ago stating that the victim is his daughter who had gone missing for five days.

"He lodged the report after reading news reports on the case and information about the gold bracelet, tiny gold earrings and the remains of the baju kurung worn by the victim," ACP Amiruddin told reporters.

He said the father claimed that his daughter left home to meet a friend. "The victim is a student of a private college in Selayang and police are questioning all her friends to track down the suspect," he said. BERNAMA

DPM: Vocational transformation programme to start 2013

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:32 AM PDT

LONDON: The Vocational Education Transformation Programme, aimed at strengthening further Malaysia's vocational education, will be implemented in 2013.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the programme would support the national economic transformation agenda in churning out skilled and trained manpower.

"This is because efforts to develop trained manpower has yet to meet the government's aspiration despite the fact that vocational education had long been established in Malaysia.

"For example, we only produce 10 per cent of the industry's requirement in vocational education. We want to raise it to 20 per cent, just like in the developed nation," he told reporters here after visiting one of the world's top fashion colleges, the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, and held a meeting with the college principal, Prof Frances Corner.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, is in London for a four-day official visit to the United Kingdom.

He said although the new curriculum would only be implemented in 2013, preparations must be made from now especially in terms of the infrastructure, site, training, providing skilled teachers besides the financial aspect.

In this context, he said the government would set up the National Vocational Council consisting of representatives from the industry and government to draw up the policy needed in churning out skilled manpower that fulfilled the market requirement. BERNAMA

PM: Reconsider 6pc charge on prepaid phone lines

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:34 AM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hopes telcos can reconsider the decision to impose a 6% charge on prepaid mobile users.

He said he received a lot of reactions from the public and the decision was an unpopular one.

"I hope the telcos can reconsider this move because we are trying to reduce the burden of the public who are already suffering from the increase in living costs," said Najib.

He said the decision to impose the tax was not made by the Finance Ministry.

More in The Star Saturday.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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At first glance
Laughter and tears
At the source

At first glance

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:48 AM PDT

Second Chance (2011, drama)

ONCE upon a time there was a Japanese woman who fell in love with a married Japanese man. Although it seemed impossible that they would ever be together, they were finally reunited ... in Malaysia.

Yes, I nearly choked on my popcorn too. The natural landscape was like nothing in Japan but very much like what's outside my window. It was really, really cool.

Unfortunately, past the novelty of seeing a Japanese film set in Malaysia, there is not much more to recommend. The story is very soap opera-ish, complete with Romeo and Juliet obstacles, much angst and even (I kid you not) a case of amnesia.

And though it is cool to see some things that look familiar, the writers and directors should have read up a little more on this little country of ours. To find her lover, the star seems to have not only travelled in space but in time. He is seriously injured in a shoot-out (you know, the kind that are so common here) and cannot be moved from his hospital bed in a town whose name has been diplomatically left out. The clinic has no running water, primarily because it is so pretty and quaint to see the Japanese woman walking miles to fetch water (also in short supply in our country) wearing very expensive-looking songket (woven with gold thread for everyday use).

Do I recommend this film? Absolutely. If you can ignore the characters' histrionics, it's actually pretty amusing.

Double Trouble (2008, comedy)

Now that's what I'm talking about! Double Trouble is the stuff that film festivals are – or should be – made of. Tadashi Iizuka (Kaoru Kobayashi) is the director of his town's cultural centre and worst kind of government bureaucrat. He exerts the little power he has with a flourish and other than that makes no effort for anything except making excuses and passing the buck.

For the special night of Dec 30, the hall was pre-booked months ago for a women's choral group. Well, not one, but two. The names of the two groups are so similar that Iizuka has made a double booking, a mistake he realises (and desperately tries to blame on someone else) days before the event.

Like a ping-pong ball, Iizuka bounces between the two angry groups. The one that booked earlier is made up of seamstresses, supermarket staff and other working women. The second group is wealthier and connected to the town's mayor. But the first group has only this small pleasure in their lives. But among the audience of the second group is a couple whose little girl died. But ...

Iizuka is frankly a pathetic human being, a weak, self-absorbed chronic complainer. That's what makes the change so wonderful. As he travels back and forth, he sees for the first time that a concert is something into which people pour their souls and eventually, this man who once would never dream of lifting a finger for someone else, does the impossible.

If you need something that leaves you feeling wonderful and singing a happy tune at the end, don't miss this one.

Laughter and tears

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:47 AM PDT

This year's Japanese Film Festival 2011 features dramas and comedies.

IT took several attempts before I could start this article without using the word "YAY!".

Not that I have to work too hard to sell the wonderful thing that is coming to our screens. Of the many international film festivals that come here, the Japanese Film Festival is among the best attended.

This marks its eighth year and while some of the other international film festivals may be short on selection, the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) is being as generous as always.

There are a total of 10 films, all in Japanese with English subtitles. Most of them take place in Japan but one more is filmed in a very familiar country (for the spoiler, check out the attached review). As has become the fashion for film festivals, it includes one film for kids and all of the films are recent; none released earlier than 2008. I welcome the first trend, I always applaud anything that lets parents and children do something fun together and all ages will enjoy the anime feature Mai Mai Miracle.

The second trend I understand but regret. It is felt that audiences will respond better to contemporary films but I still miss the days in which there was at least one classic or one film that might not have broken box office records but received raves from critics.

A little variety would have been nice. Except for the animation and the novelty of a film in a familiar country, this year's selection of Japanese films is limited to dramas and comedies. What, no action? No suspense? No period films? No horror? Oh, the horror.

Klang valley residents have six days in which to watch as many of the films as they like, but Penangites will have to watch up to three films a day if they want to take in everything in their four short days. I say go for it. Again very generously, tickets are a mere RM5.

Besides, I can vouch that after watching 10 films in four days, you will come out with a decent vocabulary in a new language.

Besides the two reviewed films on the left, on this year's menu we have:

About Her Brother (2010, drama)

Having spent the last 10 years sweeping up Japanese and international awards for his Samurai Trilogy (The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade and Love And Honour), director Yamada Yoji sets his newest film in the present. Ginko is a professional woman, a mother and a widow. On her daughter's wedding day, Ginko's long-lost and socially inept brother shows up suddenly and drunk, straining family ties to their limit.

Happy Flight (2008, comedy)

Exams are tough and a lot of things can go wrong, but almost never a matter of, literally, life and death. Unless, like Kazuhiro Suzuki, the exam is in mid-air, checking whether you can safely qualify for the rank of airline pilot. When things go horribly wrong, made worse by difficult passengers and a stressed rookie flight attendant, we are supposed to wonder whether anyone will get back to the ground in one piece. Relax folks, it is a comedy.

I Just Didn't Do It (2007, drama)

High on my list of films to watch is this film, directed by Suo Masayuki and based on a true story. The sad and common story is that even when women report sexual misconduct or abuse, they are not believed. In this film, tables are turned when Kaneko Teppei, having just boarded a train, finds a woman accusing him of groping her. Bewildered, the young man finds himself caught in a legal drama, presumed guilty for something he just didn't do.

Mai Mai Miracle (2009, family)

Scriptwriter and assistant director to one of Japan's most beloved children's film directors, Hayao Miyazaki, the influence shows in Katabuchi Sunao's popular anime film, Mai Mai Miracle.

Tomboy Shinko loves the outdoors and her small town. Imaginative and exuberant, she could not be more different from her new classmate, pale, shy and withdrawn nine-year-old Kiiko. And yet, a bond forms. Take your kids.

Railways (2010, drama)

Aimed at the Hallmark Channel type of viewer, here is a familiar plot. Hajime is an ambitious workaholic who spends so much time at the office that he would hardly recognise his wife and kids if he saw them. Which he rarely does. A tragedy (or, in this case, two) shakes the corporate zombie awake, forcing him to acknowledge we only have one life to live and encouraging him to adjust his life accordingly. A nice film for anyone who has or wants to spread his or her wings and fly off the silly corporate ladder.

Sawako Decides (2009, comedy)

Young director Ishii Yuya's sixth film puts to test a young woman's lack of drive, direction or ambition. Sawako has gone through life taking a half-hearted approach to her career and her love life.

One day, she unexpectedly inherits her father's clam factory. Not only is she pushed around by the employees and her boyfriend, but the factory is also on the verge of bankruptcy. It is time for Sawako to decide how mediocre she wants her life to be.

Your Friends (2008, drama)

This one sounds like the tear-jerker of the festival. Nakahara, a writer, visits a free school in a small city for his research on children who have problems. At the school, he meets Emi, a volunteering college student who has a lame leg. Interested in this girl, Nakahara asks her to be interviewed, but in vain.

However, Emi gradually changes her mind towards Nakahara as he seems to genuinely care about the children and they seem to like him back. Just in case I'm right (it's been known to happen), bring plenty of tissues with you.

The Dark Harbour (2008, romantic comedy)

Another film I'm very keen to see because of the subtle element of fantasy. Directed by Naito Takasugu, it is the story of Manzo, a lonely fisherman who longs for the companionship of a wife. When he decides to be proactive about finding a mate he discovers something that would shock any of us: he is already living with a woman. She's been living in one of Manzo's closets with her son. Need I say more?

This is the kind of plot that encourages you not only to put The Dark Harbour on this year's must watch list, but to underline it three times to make certain you don't miss it.

The Japanese Film Festival will be held at the International Screens of GSC Mid Valley, GSC 1 Utama and GSC Pavillion in the Klang Valley, from Sept 15 to 20. The films will then be screened in Penang at GSC Gurney Plaza from Sept 22 to 25. Tickets are RM5 each. For more information, visit gsc.com.my.

At the source

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:44 AM PDT

Steven Soderbergh talks about his latest movie and retirement.

ACADEMY Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh explores how a lethal virus is transmitted from one person to another, until the entire world is affected in Contagion.

Soderbergh, known for directing such movies as Erin Brockovich and Traffic, sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, what he learned about viruses and why he's decided to "retire" from moviemaking.

Contagion is about a virus that kills people with no cure in sight. With real-life scares like SARS, N1H1 and the bird flu, this is a fear anyone can relate to.

Yes (the virus) doesn't speak and it doesn't have a brain, but it is alive and it wants to stay alive and propagate itself. I really felt like this was great movie material because you cannot construct a life for yourself in which you're not around germs.

Once someone gets the virus, death is imminent so it's like a zombie movie without the zombies.

Matt (Damon) wanted a zombie. He kept asking for one. He kept saying we'd make a lot more money if we had zombies. I said: 'Call Gwyneth! Let's see if she's up for it.'

This is your sixth film with Matt Damon. What is it about him that made you want him for Contagion?

He's one of the few people that can play both ends of the spectrum – he can be everyman, and he can be Jason Bourne. In Contagion his character needed to be resolutely middle class. Matt's great at that because he's not one of those actors that comes in like, 'I wanna win this scene.'

He's so completely lacking in vanity. He'll submit to the larger story and not worry about how he is coming across moment to moment.

You worked with a lot of consultants to get the scientific aspect of film correct. Most audiences wouldn't know the difference. Why was that important to you?

As a moviegoer, the more detailed and convincing the world of the film is, the happier I am. You go to the movies to be transported, to go on a ride, and this happens to be a ride you can't just forget the minute the lights come up because you have to touch the armrest in order to stand.

You've talked about retiring, but you still have three more movies to do. That could take a few more years, right?

Nah. 18 months. In a few weeks, I start shooting a male stripper movie with Channing Tatum. We worked together on (the upcoming) Haywire. Then I'm going to do Man From U.N.C.L.E in February and Liberace in June.

So after that you're truly retiring from filmmaking?

Call it whatever you want – hiatus, sabbatical. I'm just gonna disappear for a while.

Why do you want to disappear?

It's not that I want to. I need to. I've been running really fast for quite a while. It's been non-stop since Out Of Sight. That's a lot of work.

If you choose to come back to movies in the future, could there be another Ocean's still in you somewhere?

Not without Bernie Mac. It was a really unique group and we can't do it without him. We really hit the jackpot with those movies. (The cast) all liked each other, they enjoyed being together. Losing Bernie was a horrible tragedy. It was upsetting. He was such a doll and so much fun to be around. – Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Jumaat, 9 September 2011