Khamis, 18 Oktober 2012

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Obama talks Libya and Biden's swimsuit on "Daily Show"

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:21 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama joked that his vice president looked good in a swimsuit and said screw-ups can happen in government as he discussed the Libya controversy, mixing comedy and serious issues in an appearance on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) participates in a taping of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart at the Comedy Central Studios in New York, October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) participates in a taping of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart at the Comedy Central Studios in New York, October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed

In a appeal to young voters, Obama largely played it straight in his sixth appearance on the liberal-leaning comedy show, which enjoys a broad following among younger viewers.

He touted the steps he had taken to lower college costs and expand rights for gays and lesbians and warned that Republican rival Mitt Romney would bring back economic policies that would favour the very wealthy over everyone else if he won the November 6 election.

"Here's what I will say to everybody who's watching: The stakes on this could not be bigger," Obama said. "There's no excuse not to vote."

Voters under age 30 made up a crucial part of Obama's winning coalition in 2008, and Reuters/Ipsos polling data indicates they back him again this year by wide margins.

Younger Americans voted in near-record levels in the 2008, but it is unclear whether they will turn out again in such numbers this year. Obama's campaign has harnessed social media and set up an extensive network of on-campus volunteers to help ensure young supporters vote this year, and an appearance on "The Daily Show" is likely to help.

With an average audience of 1.1 million, the Comedy Central cable network show reaches roughly one-third of the viewership of the most popular late-night talk show, NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," according to Nielsen data provided by Horizon Media.

But it ranks first among viewers under the age of 50, according to figures provided by the show.

Obama promised viewers he would keep working to help the economy recover from the deepest recession since the 1930s, but he also emphasized issues like student loans and civil liberties that are normally not a central part of his stump speech. He said he still wanted to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison for terrorism suspects, which he has been unable to do so far.

Asked about the administration's shifting assessment of last month's deadly attacks on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, Obama said his administration was still piecing together the evidence.

"The government is a big operation. At any given time, something screws up and you make sure you find out what's broken and you fix it," he said.

The edgy humour that Stewart is known for surfaced occasionally.

"How many times a week does Biden show up in a wet bathing suit to a meeting?" Stewart asked in an unprompted reference to Vice President Joe Biden.

"I had to put out a presidential directive on that. We had to stop that," Obama said. "I gotta say, though, he looks pretty good."

SEXY REFORMS?

At another point, when Obama said some of his proposed legal reforms were not "sexy," Stewart stopped him.

"You don't know what I find sexy," Stewart said.

Obama nearly took the bait, mentioning that the erotic bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey" had come up in an earlier segment of the show. Then he appeared to catch himself.

"We're not going to go there, Jon. I'm still the president," he said.

The Democratic incumbent has rebounded since a sharp debate performance on Tuesday night in which he was widely judged to have gotten the better of Romney.

A Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll showed Obama holding a slight but steady lead, with 47 percent of likely voters saying they planned to vote for Obama, compared with 44 percent for Romney.

Other polls show a tighter race, and the focus is on swing states like Ohio and Florida that will likely decide the election. The Romney campaign said it was moving resources out of North Carolina, where it sees an increasing chance of winning, to allocate them to other battleground states. The campaign said its communications director for the state was redeploying to Ohio.

Romney's economic plans have "resonated strongly" in the Southern state and polls are increasingly widening, spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said.

The two men face off in their last debate on Monday in Florida, where the topic will be foreign policy.

They will meet before then in New York on Thursday night, where they are expected to deliver humorous remarks at a political dinner.

Romney spent the day at a Manhattan hotel preparing for the debate and his evening speech.

For a graphic of the Reuters/Ipsos poll please click here: http://link.reuters.com/new23t

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland in New York, Jeff Mason and Lisa Richwine Editing by Alistair Bell)


Related Stories:
Bill Clinton, Springsteen rock Ohio for Obama

Biden says Republican "bullets are aimed at you"
Locked in tight race, Obama and Romney trade jokes at dinner
Mormon feminists? Yes they exist, and they're for Obama

Copyright © 2012 Reuters

Obama talks Libya and Biden's swimsuit on "Daily Show"

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:06 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama joked that his vice president looked good in a swimsuit and said screw-ups can happen in government as he discussed the Libya controversy, mixing comedy and serious issues in an appearance on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) participates in a taping of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart at the Comedy Central Studios in New York, October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) participates in a taping of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart at the Comedy Central Studios in New York, October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed

In a appeal to young voters, Obama largely played it straight in his sixth appearance on the liberal-leaning comedy show, which enjoys a broad following among younger viewers.

He touted the steps he had taken to lower college costs and expand rights for gays and lesbians and warned that Republican rival Mitt Romney would bring back economic policies that would favour the very wealthy over everyone else if he won the November 6 election.

"Here's what I will say to everybody who's watching: The stakes on this could not be bigger," Obama said. "There's no excuse not to vote."

Voters under age 30 made up a crucial part of Obama's winning coalition in 2008, and Reuters/Ipsos polling data indicates they back him again this year by wide margins.

Younger Americans voted in near-record levels in the 2008, but it is unclear whether they will turn out again in such numbers this year. Obama's campaign has harnessed social media and set up an extensive network of on-campus volunteers to help ensure young supporters vote this year, and an appearance on "The Daily Show" is likely to help.

With an average audience of 1.1 million, the Comedy Central cable network show reaches roughly one-third of the viewership of the most popular late-night talk show, NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," according to Nielsen data provided by Horizon Media.

But it ranks first among viewers under the age of 50, according to figures provided by the show.

Obama promised viewers he would keep working to help the economy recover from the deepest recession since the 1930s, but he also emphasized issues like student loans and civil liberties that are normally not a central part of his stump speech. He said he still wanted to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison for terrorism suspects, which he has been unable to do so far.

Asked about the administration's shifting assessment of last month's deadly attacks on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, Obama said his administration was still piecing together the evidence.

"The government is a big operation. At any given time, something screws up and you make sure you find out what's broken and you fix it," he said.

The edgy humour that Stewart is known for surfaced occasionally.

"How many times a week does Biden show up in a wet bathing suit to a meeting?" Stewart asked in an unprompted reference to Vice President Joe Biden.

"I had to put out a presidential directive on that. We had to stop that," Obama said. "I gotta say, though, he looks pretty good."

SEXY REFORMS?

At another point, when Obama said some of his proposed legal reforms were not "sexy," Stewart stopped him.

"You don't know what I find sexy," Stewart said.

Obama nearly took the bait, mentioning that the erotic bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey" had come up in an earlier segment of the show. Then he appeared to catch himself.

"We're not going to go there, Jon. I'm still the president," he said.

The Democratic incumbent has rebounded since a sharp debate performance on Tuesday night in which he was widely judged to have gotten the better of Romney.

A Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll showed Obama holding a slight but steady lead, with 47 percent of likely voters saying they planned to vote for Obama, compared with 44 percent for Romney.

Other polls show a tighter race, and the focus is on swing states like Ohio and Florida that will likely decide the election. The Romney campaign said it was moving resources out of North Carolina, where it sees an increasing chance of winning, to allocate them to other battleground states. The campaign said its communications director for the state was redeploying to Ohio.

Romney's economic plans have "resonated strongly" in the Southern state and polls are increasingly widening, spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said.

The two men face off in their last debate on Monday in Florida, where the topic will be foreign policy.

They will meet before then in New York on Thursday night, where they are expected to deliver humorous remarks at a political dinner.

Romney spent the day at a Manhattan hotel preparing for the debate and his evening speech.

For a graphic of the Reuters/Ipsos poll please click here: http://link.reuters.com/new23t

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland in New York, Jeff Mason and Lisa Richwine Editing by Alistair Bell)


Related Stories:
Bill Clinton, Springsteen rock Ohio for Obama

Biden says Republican "bullets are aimed at you"
Locked in tight race, Obama and Romney trade jokes at dinner
Mormon feminists? Yes they exist, and they're for Obama

Copyright © 2012 Reuters

Yemen takes tough sell message to U.S. businesses

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 07:32 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It has to be one of the toughest jobs around - trying to sell U.S. businesses on the investment potential of one of the poorest nations on Earth, a country battered by Islamist militants who bomb, assassinate and kidnap.

Yet it is a job U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein is taking on by leading a delegation of 10 Yemeni businessmen on a 10-day, five-city tour of the United States.

"We think there are great opportunities. There's money to be made investing in Yemen," Feierstein, a career diplomat, said on Thursday. This is the first time the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa has organized a Yemeni business delegation to visit U.S. companies.

Just last week masked gunmen fatally shot a Yemeni who worked in the security office of the U.S. Embassy, leaving behind a wife and seven children. A month ago the embassy was stormed by protesters angry about an anti-Islam film made in California.

The task of promoting Yemen seems daunting and could draw a parallel to the 2011 film "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," starring Ewan McGregor as a fisheries expert hired by an eccentric sheik to bring fly-fishing to the parched land. Still, the Yemeni business executives, who arrived in New York on Wednesday, presented an upbeat image of their nation.

"The overall situation in Yemen is improving," said Fathi Abdulwasa Hayel Saeed, chairman of the Yemeni Businessmen Club. "Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are security issues but Yemen is such a virgin country where there are a lot of opportunities to do business.

"I think a lot of American companies have been shy from coming to Yemen, while other nationalities like from Europe and Southeast Asia have been coming to Yemen even in the difficult times," Saeed said.

Their itinerary also takes them to Kansas City, Houston, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.

'YEMEN NEEDS POWER'

The executives come from the construction, pharmaceuticals, medical and technology industries. However, much of the discussion focused on developing clean water, a precious commodity in the dry Arabian peninsula landscape, as well as renewable energy such as wind and solar power.

"Yemen needs power to grow the economy," said Wael Zokari, chief executive officer of Griffin International, the technology arm of conglomerate Griffin Group.

"The technology we need comes from the United States," he said.

Yemen produces less than half the electricity it needs now, let alone for the infrastructure it wants to build to grow an economy that contracted 10.5 percent in 2011 to under $29 billion.

The International Monetary Fund estimates 40 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day and earlier this month forecast economic contraction of 1.9 percent for this year.

However, in September nearly $8 billion in international donor pledges were collected to help support the government's budget, which is under severe strains because of frequent attacks on its oil pipelines.

According to Feierstein, there is a misperception that Yemen's oil and gas production is "going to run dry over the next few years."

He said oil companies, including major U.S. producers, are interested in taking another look at the country because much of it has never been explored. A survey by Houston-based oil and gas consultant Knowledge Reservoir is under way to calculate more accurately its gas reserves, a U.S. State Department official travelling with the delegation said.

POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION

The storming of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa occurred in conjunction with the violence on September 11 in Libya in which the U.S. ambassador to Libya, another diplomat and two U.S. security men were killed in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi.

Asked if he has enough support on security in Yemen, Feierstein responded: "Yes. Absolutely. I would say specifically that the support we have gotten from Washington, the State Department, from (U.S.) Central Command, the White House, which oversees or certainly watches these things, has been outstanding.

"There's never been a time where we came and asked for support where the support wasn't forthcoming."

Yemen still is rattled by violence, often claimed by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and U.S.-led drone attacks on militants. But the executives highlighted a political transition that is holding despite militancy, while international donors have pledged billions of dollars to help rebuild the country.

In February, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the sole candidate to replaced Ali Abdullah Saleh, was sworn into office. Saleh ruled Yemen for three decades with an iron fist but was pushed out by months of street protests sparked by the Arab Spring.

The hope among the executives, the U.S.-backed government, and Washington is that much like McGregor's fictional movie character, who saw his project blown up by local militants, they, like the salmon, will survive.

(Editing by Bill Trott)

Copyright © 2012 Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


Red FM: A top-pick station

Posted: 19 Oct 2012 06:52 AM PDT

The ever-evolving Red FM is determined to be everyone's favourite station.

Things at Red FM have been heating up lately in anticipation of the results of the "most popular radio station" survey, in which radio stations in the country are ranked according to its popularity.

Red FM has been enjoying continuous growth over the last five years and always strives to do better. Now, the question that is burning in the minds of everyone at Red FM is ... will the radio station be able to keep up its pace and momentum?

With the dynamic pairing of radio DJ pioneer Lil Kev and Malaysia's girl-next-door Sarimah Ibrahim, the station has also enjoyed further growth in its breakfast hour listenership. The duo really do get Red FM listeners energised and ready to face the day.

Red FM also champions local upcoming artistes with a segment called Red Unsigned. Every Wednesday (7pm-10pm), Fiqrie hosts the segment that features unsigned artistes and highlights their music on air. Then, these artistes get to feature their music in a monthly on-ground event that happens at The Curve in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Red FM offers a lifestyle focus to reach out to its listeners, constantly coming up with innovative and interactive segments.

However, radio listening has taken a dramatic shift where younger people are starting to favour retro classics, on top of the latest chart-topping hits.

Will Red FM's mix of music provide the perfect platform for this market? Only time will tell.

The big reveal happens on Oct 22. Will Red FM maintain its title as the fastest-growing English radio station in Malaysia? If you're a fan, keep your fingers crossed!

For more information, log on to www.red.fm. Join the Red FM Malaysia Facebook fan page on www.facebook.com/redfm.my and follow them on Twitter (@iloveredfm). Red FM is owned and operated by The Star.

* Red FM's station frequencies: Taiping, Kedah, Perlis and Pulau Langkawi: 98.1FM; George Town and Seberang Prai: 107.6FM; Ipoh, Perak: 106.4FM; Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan and Tapah: 104.9FM; Kuantan, Pahang: 91.6FM; Batu Pahat and Malacca: 98.9FM; Johor Baru and Singapore: 92.8FM.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business


Astro opens at RM3.03

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 07:30 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Astro Malaysia Bhd made its debut on the Main Market on Friday at RM3.03, which was three sen above its offer price of RM3 per share.

The IPO is the third largest public offering in Malaysia and Southeast Asia thus far this year.

At RM3 per share, the pay TV operator's market capitalisation was RM15.6bil (US$5.1bil). The IPO comprised of 1.518 billion 10 sen shares, or 29.2% of the paid-up share capital. Of the 29.2%, Astro had said 20.1% were secondary shares offered by Astro Malaysia's shareholder, Astro Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, and about 9.1% were primary shares offered by the company.

Astro said total amount of funds raised was about RM4.6bil (US$1.5bil), of which the amount raised by the company was RM1.4bil (US$500mil).

Astro was delisted from the Malaysian stock exchange following a 2010 buyout by Malaysia's second richest man Ananda Krishnan and Khazanah Nasional, the investment arm of the Malaysian government.

When the company was taken private it was valued at RM7.9bil (US$2.6bil).

Affin Investment Bank Research said at the IPO price of RM3, Astro was valued at a price-to-earnings multiple of 32 times CY13 EPS and enterprise value/earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation of 13 times.

"This lies at the higher end of its regional peers valuation range. We are however of the view that its fundamentals and exclusivity may warrant such premium valuations.

The research house said Astro had a 99% market share in the pay TV derived from its strong premium content and exclusive sole satellite pay TV operator status.

"With these two key high barriers to entry, we expect Astro to retain its market leadership position. Management has guided for a minimum dividend payout ratio of not less than 75% (2.3% yield for FY13).

"This will become more meaningful once earnings recover after Astro passes the current transitional blip, a result of Astro incurring major capex as it migrates its customers into the new B.yond set top boxes," said Affin Research.

China Q3 growth of 7.4% misses official target for first time since 2009

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:58 PM PDT

BEIJING: China's economy slowed for a seventh straight quarter in July-September, missing the government's target for the first time since the depths of the global financial crisis.

The National Bureau of Statistics said GDP grew 7.4% in the third quarter from a year earlier in line with forecasts from economists polled by Reuters, the first miss of the official target since 6.5% growth in the first quarter of 2009.

"This is within expectations, the economy is showing signs of stabilising, that is good news," said Dong Tao, an economist at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong.

"We think that with rebounding property markets, stabilising export orders, resuming consumption, we probably have seen the bottom of the economy. The economy can bounce back quickly."

While GDP growth at 7.4% would be cause for joy in recession-stalked developed economies, it represents a sharp slowdown for China, where GDP grew 9.2% in 2011 and has averaged an annual rate near 10% for three decades.

The government targets growth of 7.5% for the full year reduced in 2012 from the previous 8% target and the consensus forecast of economists polled by Reuters is that it will deliver on it, with an expansion of 7.7%. Indeed, Premier Wen Jiabao was quoted by local media as saying on Wednesday that the economic situation in the third quarter was relatively good, and the government was confident of achieving its goal.

But the remorseless slowdown has confounded forecasters repeatedly this year, with the initial consensus call for growth to bottom in the first quarter being persistently beaten back to its present position of a trough in the third quarter followed by a mild uptick in the fourth quarter.

Some analysts cite electricity usage growth running at roughly half the average rate of the last five years as a manifest sign of economic malaise. Others disagree. They say there is clear evidence that the financial system's liquidity taps have been opened wide and that finetuning policies Beijing's mantra for a year now are gaining traction.

The fine tuning includes two interest rate cuts, three cuts to the proportion of deposits banks must keep as reserves freeing an estimated 1.2 trillion yuan (US$190bil) for lending and approvals in the last month for infrastructure projects worth about US$157bil. - Reuters

Bullish on London property

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:53 PM PDT

PETALING JAYA: Kenanga Research analysts came away from a recent visit to Europe's financial city of London positive on the city's property scene as the residential segment of the market faces a tight supply while the commercial segment is also short of prime commercial properties.

The Kenanga research team noted that London's property scene has ironically bucked the overall bearish trends in the United Kingdom.

"The eurozone contagion and tighter UK lending environment have impacted overall UK prices, but has ironically been a big plus for London.

"By mid-2012, we understand London's residential prices achieved a 6% year-on-year (yoy) growth and up to 12% in selected prime areas against the weaker UK national price increase of 0.9%," the team stated.

They said in their report that a tough local lending environment there had given foreign developers an advantage because UK loans approvals had declined significantly and had surpassed its historical 15-year low.

"Loan-to-value (LTV) has also eased-off significantly with average property deposits at more than 25% of property values in 2011.

"The tighter lending environment and the global financial crisis have also affected local developers in terms of funding and ability to hold or acquire landbanks," the report stated.

This is one of the main reasons Battersea Power Station, where a joint venture consortium consisting SP Setia, Sime Darby and Employees Provident Fund joint managed to secure the project at a price tag of £400mil (RM1.96bil) after the previous developer became a victim of the global financial crisis.

Kenanga said that London city was also viewed as a safe haven destination in Europe or as an avenue to divest new found wealth more so especially from emerging markets such as China, India and Russia.

"On this backdrop, the local scene in London is still tough as developers are finding it tough to raise financing for landbanking or to kick off new launches," it added.

Meanwhile, they said the move by Malaysian developers to invest in the London property market had been largely driven by the need to divest their earnings base overseas.

"The Malaysian property market can no longer offer larger listed developers, with high base sales, the double-digit sales growth required by shareholders.

"We do expect to see more Malaysian developers and investment companies making a bee-line for London," it said.

However, they noted that the development landscape in the UK, especially in central London, could be "challenging" in terms of approvals but public and local authorities perception of the project and infrastructure requirements such as transportation, and the shortage of both residential space, with the lack of Grade A commercial buildings are reasons that will overcome these challenges.

Back home, Kenanga also has a "neutral" call on developers due to the tightening supply of real estate policies but has an "outperform" call on IJM Land, and a "market perform" call on both Sime Darby and SP Setia.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Sports

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Haas joins 500-win club

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 04:10 PM PDT

VIENNA: German veteran Tommy Haas celebrated a piece of personal history on Thursday when the former world number two became only the fourth active player to win 500 matches.

The 34-year-old Haas, whose career has been plagued by injuries, reached the landmark by beating American Jesse Levine 6-4, 6-2 in the Austrian Open second round.

Florida-based Haas, ranked 20 in the world, joins an elite group of active players made up of Roger Federer (871 wins), Rafael Nadal (583) and Lleyton Hewitt (566) to reach the 500-win mark.

The all-time leader is Jimmy Connors (1,243 wins) followed by Ivan Lendl (1,071), Guillermo Vilas (923) and John McEnroe (875).

"I really want to reach 500 wins, it was a goal for me at the start of the year. To do it means a lot. It's been such a hard road, I had to play some good tennis," said Haas, the champion in Vienna in 2001.

"No one gives you anything on the ATP. And to do it here in Vienna where I won the title was spectacular.

"You have a lot of goals over the years and I've tried to reach mine. This is something great, because I wasn't really sure I could do it when I was playing last spring.

"I feel really fit now and playing good tennis. It really makes me proud, I want to thank my family, my team and those supporting me. This is something I can always look back on."

To mark the achievement, Haas was presented on court with a Fiat 500 retro car.

Chun Seang comes good to join Chong Wei and Daren in last eight

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 04:22 PM PDT

ODENSE: A two-year ban from competing in Asian tournaments has not dampened former international shuttler Tan Chun Seang's aspiration to make it big.

Yesterday, the 26-year-old professional, who just joined Austria as their assistant national coach, finally flourished in the picturesque city of Odense with his best career win when he upset fourth seed and world No. 5 Simon Santoso 21-14, 21-19 win in 36 minutes.

He joins world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei and Liew Daren in what could be described as a memorable day for Malaysia's men's singles department.

Malaysia have never had three singles players in the quarter-finals of a Super Series event.

But the spotlight truly belonged to southpaw Chun Seang, who squealed in delight after his breakthrough win yesterday. He had never made it past the second round of the Super Series event when he was under Badminton Association of Malaysia's (BAM) banner. BAM, however, banned him in 2010 when he decided to turn pro. The ban limited him to participating in non-Asian countries only.

Chun Seang said that as an independent player "I was able to enjoy the game without having to deal with any form of pressure" and is grateful to two parties – his sponsor Apacs and the Austria BA.

"I was on the verge of quitting after BAM banned me in 2010. But Apacs came to my rescue and gave me an opportunity to play in Europe and America. Without a sponsor, I would have given up," said Chun Seang.

"To live in Europe is expensive. Then Austria's national coach John Dinesen asked me if I wanted to become his assistant. I accepted the offer and now I have a decent income.

"The win over Simon makes it even more wonderful."

Chun Seang will take on the winner of the match between China's Du Pengyu and Germany's Marc Zwiebler.

Asked to rate his chances, he said: "I don't look that far. I hope to do well."

It was also a moment of reckoning for Daren when he finally subdued Japan's Sho Sasaki after five long years.

Daren's 21-17, 21-14 win was his first over the Japanese in four attempts.

"I spent some time analysing Sasaki's match and today I was faster and quicker at the front court," said Daren, who will unfortunately meet Chong Wei next.

Top seed Chong Wei made short work of Boonsak Ponsana – winning 21-11, 21-16 in 33 minutes.

"I am quite satisfied with my game today. It was just another ordinary day at work for me," said Chong Wei, who, a day earlier had broken the hearts of home fans with a 21-8, 21-18 win over Viktor Axelsen in the opening round.

It was also a good day for Malaysia in the doubles department.

Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, however, marched into the quarter-finals of the men's doubles and mixed doubles in contrasting fashions.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong did not have to break sweat after being given a walkover by Denmark's Jonas Rasmussen-Joachim Fischer Nielsen following an injury to Nielsen.

Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong failed to make the last eight after going down fighting 21-19, 13-21, 17-21 to Japan's Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa.

Reigning Japan Open champions Peng Soon-Liu Ying struggled for one hour and three minutes to beat the unheralded Danish pairing of Anders Kristiansen-Julia Houmann 19-21, 22-20, 21-14 and set up a meeting with Indonesia's Mohd Rijal-Debby Susanto.

Denmark Open results

Men's singles first round: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Viktor Axelsen (Den) 21-8, 21-18; Liew Daren (Mas) bt Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 21-17, 21-9; Sourabh Varma (Ind) bt Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) 21-18, 21-14; Du Pengyu (Chn) bt Ajay Jayaram (Ind) 19-21, 21-8, 21-9; Simon Santoso (Ina) bt Chong Wei Feng 16-21, 21-17, 21-17; Suppanyu Avihingsanon (Tha) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 11-21, 21-11, 21-15; Marc Zwiebler (Ger) bt Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) 21-14, 16-21, 21-8; Kenichi Tago (Jpn) bt Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (Den) 17-21, 21-17, 21-17.

Men's singles second round: Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Sourabh Varma (Ind) 21-19, 21-17; Wong Wing Ki (Hkg) bt Suppanyu Avihingsanon (Tha) 21-13, 21-12; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Boonsak Ponsana (Tha) 21-11, 21-16; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Sourabh Varma (Ind) 21-19, 21-17;

Liew Daren (Mas) bt Sho Sasaki (Jpn) 21-17, 21-14; Tan Chun Seang (Mas) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-14, 21-19.

Men's doubles first round: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Ko Sung-hyun-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) 8-21, 21-16, 21-19; Chris Langridge-Peter Mills (Eng) bt Patiphat Chalardchaleam-Nipitphon Puangpuapech (Tha) 21-18, 17-21, 21-11; Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) bt Lukasz Moren-Wojciech Szkudlarczyk (Cze) 21-16, 21-11; Shin Baek-cheol-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) bt Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) 20-17, rtd; Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) bt Hong Wei-Shen Ye (Chn) 21-14, 21-16; Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Ina) bt Jacco Arends-Jelle Maas (Ned) 21-17, 21-17; Michael Fuchs-Oliver Roth (Ger) bt Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen (Chn) 21-18, 20-22, 21-19; Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Chris Adcock-Andrew Ellis (Eng) 26-28, 22-20, 21-19.

Men's doubles second round: Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) bt Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) 21-16, 21-16; Shin Baek-cheol-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) bt Jorrit De Ruiter-Dave Khodabux (Ned) 21-16, 21-10;

Bodin Isara-Maneepong Jongjit (Tha) bt Angga Pratama-Ryan Agung Saputra (Ina) 21-19, 21-13; Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) bt Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 19-21, 21-13, 21-17; Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) 21-23, 21-10, 22-20.

Women's doubles first round: Qing Tian-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty (Mas) 21-13, 21-11.

Matches involving Malaysians in other events

Mixed doubles second round: Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) bt Anders Kristiansen-Julie Houmann (Den) 19-21, 22-20, 21-14.

Veteran Christensen makes sad exit in own backyard

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 04:21 PM PDT

ODENSE: It was a woeful Wednesday indeed for Denmark as their old and new badminton stars – Peter-Gade Christensen and Viktor Axelsen respectively – crashed out in their home tournament in Odense.

But world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei preferred to look beyond their defeats, hailing Christensen's decade-long contribution to the sport and strongly believing that Axelsen has all the right credentials to take over the mantle from the veteran.

Chong Wei said this after fending off a late fightback from Axelsen to win the first round match 21-8, 21-18 while Christensen went down tamely 18-21, 14-21 to India's Sourabh Varma.

Christensen received a standing ovation despite his sad exit at his last Denmark Open as he is quitting in December.

Having had the chance to assess the 19-year-old Axelsen's performances of late, Chong Wei feels that Denmark have found a good replacement for Christensen.

"Christensen has been a role model and idol for many people around the world. He has contributed greatly to the sport and has done well to give European badminton prominence. He will be missed on the Tour," said Chong Wei, after beating Axelsen for the third time on the international stage.

"Denmark will not have to fret about Christensen's departure from the scene because they have Viktor. With more time, I believe Viktor will keep the Danish flag flying high."

All that the former world junior champion lacks, according to Chong Wei, is experience.

"I see a bright future ahead for the 19-year-old. He has the height, the 'killing' shots and speed. He just lacks experience right now. Give him another two years and he could be leading the pack," said Chong Wei.

"Our junior – Zulfadli Zulkifli – possesses the same talent as Viktor ... I hope he too will move up the ladder in the next two years."

Last year, Zulfadli defeated Axelsen in the final to emerge as the country's first-ever world junior champion.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Construction worker killed in Shah Alam bungalow collapse (Updated)

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:13 AM PDT

SHAH ALAM: A portion of a double-storey bungalow undergoing renovation to extend a bedroom upstairs collapsed Thursday, killing one worker.

Six workers were said to be working at the house at Section 7 here during the 4.20pm incident.

Shah Alam police chief ACP Zahedi Ayob said three victims were brought out by 5pm and sent to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang for treatment.

At about 6pm, another victim was rescued and 30 minutes later the dead victim was brought out.

"Three others are still trapped under the rubble.

"Our fire and rescue personnel are working very hard to bring them out. We heard voices of them pleading for help," he said.

He said all six workers were Indonesians.

ACP Zahedi added that the house owners had been notified about the incident.

Meanwhile, rescue operation stopped at 10.30pm after all six workers, including the deceased, were pulled out from under the debris.

ACP Zahedi said rescue personnel found there was no further response from anyone under the rubble.

"The rescue team shouted to see if anyone was still trapped under the concrete slab but no one responded.

"The team will continue their work tomorrow (Friday) to clean up the area," he said.

50% discount on KTM Komuter fares from Nov 1

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:58 AM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians earning RM3,000 a month and below are eligible for a 50% discount on KTM Komuter fares for a period of one year from Nov 1 till Oct 31 next year, KTMB announced Thursday.

KTMB Commercial executive vice president Sarbini Tijan said the offer was in line with the announcement made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling Budget 2013 and reflected KTMB's support of the Government's effort to reduce the burden of the people.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said KTMB would be introducing a 1Malaysia commuter card which would be used as an identification card by those eligible for the discount.

"Citizens in possession of the 1Malaysia card can buy tickets at the discounted price at all KTM stations by showing the card together with their identification cards (MyKad)," he said.

Sarbini said those eligible could only own one card each and that there would be a minimal charge of RM1 for issuing it.

If the card is lost, the individual concerned will be charged RM5 for a replacement, he said.

Application forms for the 1Malaysia commuter cards can be obtained from any commuter station or downloaded from KTMB's website http://ktmb.com.my with immediate effect.

For registration and issuing of the 1Malaysia commuter card, 20 special counters will be opened at seven major commuter stations - KL Sentral, Kepong Sentral, Tanjung Malim, Subang Jaya, Sentul, Bangi and Sungai Gadut - with 120 staff mobilised to handle the applications.

The counters will be opened for a month from Oct 22 from 11am to 8pm except for public holidays. - Bernama

Bank Negara: Statements being recorded from affected parties in probe on gold trading firms

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 05:37 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has started taking down statements from the affected parties following its major probe into gold trading firms.

The central bank said that relevant agencies were now recording statements from the directors, senior management of the firms, agents and the investors.

In a statement Thursday, the central bank added that extensive and detailed analysis was now being conducted on the assets and liabilities of the companies.

"Orders have also been issued to the directors and key personnel of the companies concerned to declare their assets in Malaysia and overseas, including those of their spouses and proxies," it said.

Earlier this month, BNM together with the police, Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry and Companies Commission of Malaysia raided the offices of gold trading company Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd for suspected illegal deposit-taking and money laundering.

Days later, similar firms Pageantry Gold Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd were also raided under the same scope of investigations.

At the same time, BNM said the relevant enforcement agencies were working fast in the case, making these investigations a priority.

"Action will be taken on those companies that offer fraudulent and deceptive financial or interest schemes that promise high monthly returns which are funded from future investors and not from gold trading activities or any other legitimate business activities," it also said.

For more information, members of the public may contact BNM's customer contact centre at 1-300-88-5465.

Related Stories:
Probe reveals returns promised are not from gold trading
Consultants and investors show support for Genneva
Probe on gold trading firms shows schemes are unsustainable, say Bank Negara, A-G, police
Bank Negara tells investors to be wary of attractive' opportunities
Gold trading company under investigation to pay dividends
Genneva consultants cry foul over deprived money'
Three more gold firms' raided
Raided - Gold traders Pageantry Gold, Caesar Gold and Worldwide Far East
Worried investors hope Genneva will be allowed to resume business soon
Investors form Genneva support group on FB

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Chills and thrills

Posted: 16 Oct 2012 05:06 PM PDT

THE description "two good-looking brothers on a quest to keep the world safe from supernatural forces" sounds like a winning premise for a television show from the get-go. Indeed, Supernatural (season six currently airs on TV3 on Tuesdays, 11.05pm) has proven to be a runaway success and a long-running hit series worldwide, thanks in no small part to the lead actors' charisma, stellar writing and bone-chilling stories.

The series out-lived its initial five-season run (which it was originally slated for) and is now in its eighth season in the United States. It doesn't look like the show will be going out of ideas anytime soon, although the creative minds behind the show already have a rough plan in place on how the show would end.

"We have a general shape of an end but it can float forward and you can put more stuff in front of it," explained executive producer Ben Edlund in an interview. Plus, there's the engaging dynamic between siblings Sam and Dean, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively.

For the two actors, playing on-screen brothers is still fun. "I think the brother bickering has always been part of the show that (Jared) and I have just done pretty easily," Ackles revealed. "We don't have trouble bickering."

Edlund, Ackles and Padalecki discuss the inner workings and future of Supernatural in more detail in the Oct 17-31 issue of Galaxie magazine, out on newsstands this week. Also in the latest issue, British band The Wanted divulge on the progress of its upcoming third album and teased about the kind of music fans can expect.

"Some of (the songs are) very personal because some of us personally had a rough year," Jay McGuinness disclosed.

Actress Torrey Devitto talked to Galaxie exclusively about landing parts on not one but two hit TV shows – Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries. And, with Halloween around the corner, the magazine takes a closer look at five of the scariest places to live on the small screen – you seriously don't want to put down roots in these towns!

Poster collectors will want to grab the new issue as it features lovely photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Pink, Jennifer Lopez and the cast of The Vampire Diaries. Plus, readers stand a chance of winning cool merchandise, like exclusive Supernatural T-shirts, Paranormal Activity 4 iPhone 4/4S covers and The Script's latest album, #3.

The latest in music, movies, TV and celebrity goings-on, Galaxie has it all and more. Galaxie, which is owned by Star Publications (M) Bhd and voted Entertainment Magazine Of The Year for two years straight, also has a presence online at galaxieblog.com.my.

Visit Galaxie blog now for a chance to win one of 10 pairs of passes to Hot Chelle Rae's upcoming showcase in Kuala Lumpur next month.

For updates on the magazine and the entertainment world, follow Galaxie on Twitter (@galaxiemag) and visit its Facebook page (facebook.com/GalaxieMagazine).

Jeet Thayil on Booker Prize Literature shortlist

Posted: 15 Oct 2012 04:17 PM PDT

Jeet Thayil's name on the Booker Prize for Literature shortlist, together with that of Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng, has been hailed as a triumph for Asian literature.

WHEN Jeet Thayil's debut novel Narcopolis was released in India last year, the Indian critics were scathing in their reviews.

Several of them panned the book, set in the dangerous world of Mumbai's drug dens in the 1970s and 1980s as the opium trade gave way to cheap heroin. The newspaper DNA called it "one of the worst novels written in the English language anywhere", and Tehelka magazine said reading the book was "like waiting for a really long goods-train to trundle by".

In an ironic twist, the poet-musician-author's book is now on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. The winner, to be announced today in London, picks up £50,000 (RM245,849)– not to mention the increased sales from the media hoopla surrounding the annual prize, now in its 44th year.

Internationally, Narcopolis has won much acclaim with Britain's The Guardian newspaper calling it a "blistering debut" (it was also reviewed positively in these pages on Sept 7). His name on the shortlist, together with that of Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng for The Garden Of Evening Mists, has also been hailed as a triumph for Asian literature.

In a recent e-mail interview, Thayil, 53, observes of those early reviews: "The initial Indian reviews were notable mainly for their incomprehension, which, to be honest, I was expecting. What I was not expecting was the savagery and the extent of it. It felt like a confederacy of dunces.

"People who had not read the book, who had no experience of reviewing literary fiction, rushed to judgment. It was devastating in some ways, because the book was released first in India. And when the reviews started to come in, I thought, 'That's it, I'm done.'"

The narrative, about gangsters, eunuchs and poets in an opium-riddled Mumbai, has an interesting structure, which a lot of reviewers could not get their heads around. The reader encounters an all-knowing "I", and then another character named Dom Ullis. Thayil says he chose this style because he knew he wanted to write something that would "reveal its secrets and its structure slowly".

"I wanted to write a book that would reward second and third readings. Dom Ullis is the 'I' of the book, or one of the 'Is', but for the bulk of the novel he disappears and the third person takes over. Who is to say that is against the rules of fiction? The point of the novel is that it is a capacious, inclusive form and it can be reinvented all the time."

The son of journalist T.J.S. George, the founding editor of the now defunct Asiaweek magazine, Thayil grew up in Hong Kong, Mumbai and New York. He returned to Mumbai at the age of 18 to read for a bachelor's degree in English Literature. Soon after college, he started working as a journalist.

It was as a student in Mumbai that a friend, who was visiting the city, took him to an opium den. "At the time, I was reading the French Romantics and I was immediately attracted to a world conducted entirely on floor level, lit by oil lamps and perfumed with opium smoke. I think I was addicted before I even tried a pipe. I found it romantic, poetic, seductive," he recalls.

Unfortunately, it led to about 20 years of addiction. For most of that time, he pursued a career in journalism, because he needed to finance the drug addiction. "I tried at least two dozen times to quit, with detox and cure attempts of varying intensity, but they all failed. Then in 2002, I joined a methadone programme in New York. I have been clean for about 10 years," he adds.

He went to the United States in 1998 to read for a master's of fine arts in poetry, which he received from Sarah Lawrence College in 2000, then worked as a journalist in New York City. He moved back to India in 2004 to become a full-time writer and settled in Mumbai again from 2008 to 2011. He now lives in New Delhi.

Those years in Mumbai, he recalls, were spent sitting in bars, "getting very drunk, talking about writers and writing. And never writing. It was a colossal waste".

But his time in bars and his addiction did shape the book. One of the key characters, a hijra (eunuch) named Dimple/

Zeenat, is based on a charismatic and elegant character he saw in an opium den once in the early 1980s.

"She was there for a brief period and then she disappeared, as people in that world tended to do. I never forgot her. When I came to write Narcopolis, she pushed her way into the novel and took centre stage. In many ways, a character that is both man and woman is a tremendously useful literary device. She is able to see and say things that are denied to those of us who inhabit just one gender."

Another person who influenced his writing was his late wife Shakti Bhatt. She was a book editor and writer, and she died of a sudden and brief illness in 2007 at the age of 27. They did not have children.

"Shakti is a presence throughout the book, or it would be more accurate to say she is an absence. The book is full of ghosts and dreams of ghosts, of people who die and return because they are unwilling to leave the people they knew. Death is a constant in the book. Shakti has everything to do with the way Narcopolis turned out," says the author.

Narcopolis was "a very tough book to write". "After I was done, I could not do anything for about a year. I was depleted and exhausted. Ending it felt like grief." To be a writer, he feels, "you have to be damaged in some way" – "There are far better ways of spending one's time than sitting alone in a room, staring at a screen."

It took him more than five years, from 2005 till last year, to finish the novel, though he was also writing other things during that time, including a book of poems and a libretto. He also released a CD with his band Sridhar/Thayil. Thayil has written four poetry collections: Gemini (1992), Apocalypso (1997), English (2004) and These Errors Are Correct (2008) and edited The Bloodaxe Book Of Contemporary Indian Poetry (2008).

When asked which was easier, writing poems or a novel, he picks poetry. "Without question, poetry is easier. It takes less out of you, and, essentially, the writing of a poem is a joyful activity, however miserable the poem might be," he replies.

"A novel is different. It is about neurosis and stamina. It is hard work, a nine-to-five job. There is little possibility of joy."

Despite there being little joy, he is "almost there" with his second book, of which he will reveal only the title: The Book Of Chocolate Saints.

"I do not want to jinx it," he explains.

It has taken him several years to find literary success. Which is why, to aspiring writers, all he has to say is this: "Good luck. You are going to need it." – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

Jeet Thayil will read from Narcopolis and speak at the Singapore Writers Festival, which runs from Nov 2 to 11. Go to singaporewritersfestival.com for more information.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Ant-Man will come out of his hole in 2015

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 01:51 AM PDT

SAN DIEGO (Relaxnews) -- Disney has set the release of the Edgar Wright-directed superhero film Ant-Man for November 6, 2015.

Officially announced at San Diego's Comic-Con, Ant-Man will roll out worldwide in November 2015. It will be the first film based on the Marvel character.

Ant-Man is the alter-ego of a scientist named Henry Pym who is able to change his size at will and communicate with ants.

The cast has yet to be determined. Adrien Brody and Benedict Cumberbatch were previously mentioned for the title role, and you can expect the actor who gets it to fight with other Marvel heroes in the next chapter of The Avengers.

Disney hired an English duo for the film described as the "first Marvel comedy": Shaun Of The Dead and Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright and scriptwriter Joe Cornish, who made a splash last year with his directorial debut Attack The Block.

Ant-Man is the latest addition to phase 2 of the cycle "Marvel Cinematic Universe," which will launch in 2013 with Iron Man 3 (May) and Thor: The Dark World (November), followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014 and Guardians Of The Galaxy in August 2014. Avengers 2 will bring the cycle to its conclusion on May 1, 2015.

Acclaimed Japanese director Koji Wakamatsu dies

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 12:58 AM PDT

TOKYO (AFP) - Award-winning Japanese director Koji Wakamatsu, whose film career started in pornography and ended in acclaimed independent productions, has died after being hit by a taxi, an aide said Thursday.

Wakamatsu was 76, and had only two weeks ago been named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the region's biggest film festival in Busan, South Korea, for his contribution to independent cinema.

Interviewed by AFP in Busan, the Caterpillar director had said he felt his films were undervalued in Japan, "so this is a great honour for me". "I am an independent filmmaker and this goes against the system in Japan. But you have to make the films that are in your heart, not films other people want you to make," he said.

Wakamatsu was hospitalised on Friday after being hit by a taxi as he crossed the road in a busy commercial district of Shinjuku in Tokyo, according to Kazuya Shiraishi, an employee in his production company.

He died on Wednesday evening, Shiraishi said.

Wakamatsu first came to international attention when Secrets Behind The Wall was featured at the 1965 Berlin International Film Festival.

In a career that spanned more than 100 movies, he was as noted for his work exploring strong social themes as he was for his contribution to adult films. He was prominent in Japan's notorious "pink" or soft-porn genre with Go, Go Second Time Virgin (1968) and entered the mainstream through his involvement in the likes of the acclaimed 1976 erotic drama In The Realm Of The Senses.

His 2008 United Red Army centred on the Japanese Maoist group of the same name that became involved in a protracted police stand-off after they took a woman hostage in rural Japan. The film won the Best Asian Movie Award at Berlin.

In 2010, the actress who starred in his film Caterpillar, Shinobu Terajima, won the best actress award at the Berlin festival.

Writing on her blog on Thursday, Terajima, 39, paid poetic tribute to a man she said had a "burning passion" for his art. "He disappeared so suddenly, the director who likes to surprise people. I want him to show up again, saying he's just kidding.

"The director who is considerate, who sides with the weak and turns on the strong, who loves liquor and good food, who had a burning passion for film-making. Oh, where on earth are you?" she wrote.

Wakamatsu's last work was Sennen no yuraku (The Millennial Rapture), which featured at this year's Venice International Film Festival.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Puppet steals the show

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 07:34 AM PDT

AT THE Leng Eng Tian temple, amid the crowd of devotees praying or seeking advice from mediums, a dancing wooden puppet was the centre of attention.

All eyes were fixed on the puppet and its puppeteer, Ng Chin Chai.

With deft moves and manipulation of the strings, Ng brought the puppet to life.

The wooden puppet monk was a delight to watch as it danced and knocked animatedly on the Chinese block, commonly known as the wooden fish.

Ng, 60, learnt the art when he was seven and has been performing since he was 16 years old.

However, the puppet master humbly states that there is more to learn.

With an average of 32 strings, there are 20 movements to master.

The puppet show, according to Ng, was started by Emperor Gaozu commonly known as Liu Bang, as a tactic to divert the enemies' attention during war times in the Han Dynasty.

"The soldiers from the opposition were so caught up in watching the performance that the emperor managed to win the war," he said.

Ng said he learnt the tricks of the trade from his father and grandfather. He is the fifth generation in his family to practise the art.

"It is a serious business and there are rules to follow. We cannot fool around. We must play the puppet's characters with accuracy and suitable dialogue, be it classical Chinese or modern Chinese, depending on the era of the character's origin," he said.

His sons, aged 28 and 33, are currently following in their father's footsteps.

"They took the initiative to learn. I did not have to push them.

"My son is better than me at manipulating the puppet that can spit fire," he said.

Ng, who also makes some of his own puppets aside from buying them from craftsmen, has 100 string-puppets and 300 hand-puppets. Some are made locally while others are made in China.

"I perform almost every month at temple functions in various states. I have also done charity performances, such as the one in aid of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake victims," he said.

Before and after each performance, it is customary for Ng to pray to a god worshipped by puppeteers, for blessings and as a mark of respect.

"I was in high spirits during my performance just now, I am sure the gods were happy, too," he said.

Traders appeal to authorities to do business in Brickfields

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 07:30 AM PDT

SCREAMING marginalisation and unfair treatment, a group of traders, many of whom were single mothers and from poor families, took to the streets of Brickfields yesterday, pleading to be given one final chance to set up Deepavali stalls in front of the shops of Jalan Tun Sambanthan for the upcoming Deepavali festival.

"I have borrowed RM50,000 from loan sharks and I am saddled with hundreds of Punjabi suits that I cannot sell," lamented M. Parimala.

"What am I to do now? What happens when they (loan sharks) come for their money?" cried the 40-year-old mother-of-two.

A single mother, who only wanted to be identified as Nell, said she had baked cookies to be sold at the bazaar.

"I am alone with little children at home who are depending on me; I need the business, my family needs it," said Nell with tears streaming down her face.

"I am the sole breadwinner in my family," said another trader, G. Mageswari. "I am married but I do not get any financial support from my husband, and have to rely on myself," she said.

"I have been doing business in Brickfields during the Deepavali festival period for the past nine years. It is during this period that we are able to make enough money to last for a whole year.

"Business is very good here just before the festival, which is why it is so important that we are allowed to trade in front of the shops; it is only once a year," she added.

When asked why they were not happy to move to the new location in Jalan Berhala and Chan Ah Tong field, the traders said they were worried that people would not visit their stalls at the new location.

"What if people do not come?"asked Parimala.

"We cannot take that risk,'' Mageswari stated.

They are affiliated to the Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya Indian Petty Traders Association.

Association president Jothy Appalasamy said he had sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry, and the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry last week to look into their woes.

"We have yet to hear from them. While we still hope for a favourable outcome, we have decided to go ahead with our bazaar on Sunday.

"We would also like to go on record to say that we take offence with Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan for calling us gangsters," said a visibly upset Jothy.

"Do we look like gangsters here, do these women look like gangsters to you?" he asked.

Jothy said the traders were supposed to have started the Deepavali bazaar last Sunday. However, they decided to put it on hold and appeal to the Prime Minister.

"But we are running out of time, Deepavali is three weeks away," he said.

Traders are objecting to the balloting system as well as the new location provided by City Hall (DBKL) for this year's Deepavali bazaar.

Unlike previous years, this year, DBKL is ensuring that everything is done by the book. This means no direct allocation to any particular NGO or organisation, to ensure transparency and resolve allegations of middlemen raking in thousands of ringgit by sub-letting lots to third parties.

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