Khamis, 17 Januari 2013

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Iran strengthened cyber capabilities after Stuxnet - U.S. general

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 08:04 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran responded to a 2010 cyber attack on its nuclear facilities by beefing up its own cyber capabilities, and will be a "force to be reckoned with" in the future, a senior U.S. Air Force official told reporters on Thursday.

General William Shelton, who heads Air Force Space Command and oversees the Air Force's cyber operations, declined to comment about Iran's ability to disrupt U.S. government computer networks, but said Tehran had clearly increased its efforts in that arena after the 2010 incident.

While no government has taken responsibility for the Stuxnet computer virus that destroyed centrifuges at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility, it was widely reported to have been a U.S.-Israeli project.

Western analysts say Iran has launched increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks in a growing confrontation with its adversaries, including the United States, Israel and Gulf Arabs, at a time of rising pressure on Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

Iran denies Western accusations it is seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability, and says its program is aimed only at power generation and medical research.

This week, a senior Iranian commander was quoted as saying that the Islamic Republic could disrupt enemy communication systems as part of its growing "electronic warfare" capabilities.

Iranian officials have denied hacking into U.S. banks in recent months, but have devoted resources to building up their cyber defence capabilities after suffering a string of cyber attacks in the past year targeting industrial sites, an oil export terminal and oil platforms.

"The Iranian situation is difficult to talk about," Shelton told reporters. "It's clear that the Natanz situation generated reaction by them. They are going to be a force to be reckoned with, with the potential capabilities that they will develop over the years and the potential threat that will represent to the United States."

Shelton said the Air Force expected orders in coming months to expand its cyber workforce of about 6,000 by 1,000 people. He said he was pressing Air Force leaders to boost funding for cyber operations, but added there were competing demands and the budget outlook remained uncertain.

He said the Air Force was repelling nearly 100 percent of the millions of probes launched against Pentagon networks every day, but it was also using cyber tools to substitute for clandestine human intelligence-gathering efforts and expanding its offensive cyber capabilities.

"There are things that you can get from a computer network that in the past were very hard to collect and had to be done through human sources," he said. "It has become ... a darned-near substitute for human intelligence activity."

With what he called access to the "right networks" and the "right code," Shelton said the U.S. military would also be able to cause physical damage without using a bomb or missile.

(Editing by Warren Strobel and Peter Cooney)

Copyright © 2013 Reuters

U.S. experts investigate Boeing 787 at Japanese airport

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:49 PM PST

TAKAMATSU, Japan (Reuters) - A team of experts from U.S. aviation authorities and Boeing Co arrived in Japan on Friday to inspect a 787 Dreamliner passenger jet that made an emergency landing on a domestic All Nippon Airways Co flight earlier this week.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical advisor Eric West (3rd L) and a member (4th L) of the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) inspect All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner plane, which made an emergency landing on Wednesday, at Takamatsu airport in Takamatsu, western Japan January 18, 2013. REUTERS/Issei Kato

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical advisor Eric West (3rd L) and a member (4th L) of the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) inspect All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner plane, which made an emergency landing on Wednesday, at Takamatsu airport in Takamatsu, western Japan January 18, 2013. REUTERS/Issei Kato

The incident prompted regulators in the United States and around the world to ground the 50 Dreamliners already in service. Battery-related problems are being investigated after warning lights indicated a battery problem on the ANA flight on Wednesday.

The 787, a lightweight, mainly carbon-composite aircraft, has been plagued by mishaps, raising concerns over its use of lithium-ion batteries.

The five representatives from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing are helping Japanese authorities in the investigation of the aircraft, which remains parked at the side of Takamatsu airport in western Japan.

The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) aims to end its initial checks by around midday on Saturday, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, and will make further decisions based on how the investigations go on Friday.

GS Yuasa Corp, the Japanese company that makes batteries for the Dreamliner, said it also sent three engineers to Takamatsu to help the investigation.

A person at the company, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said: "Our company's battery has been vilified for now, but it only functions as part of a whole system. So we're trying to find out exactly where there was a problem within the system."

Shares in the Kyoto-based battery maker rose 3 percent on Friday, having dropped around 18 percent since January 7 when a battery-related problem affected a parked Japan Airlines (JAL) 787 in the United States.

BIGGEST MARKET

Regulators in Japan said it was unclear when the Dreamliner could be back in the air. Japan is the biggest market so far for the 787, with ANA and JAL operating 24 of the 290-seat wide-bodied planes, which have a list price of $207 million.

Separately, the country's transport ministry said a fuel leak on a JAL-operated 787 last week was due to a malfunction in a drive mechanism that controls a valve. It said the British company that makes the valve was investigating. The ministry declined to name the firm.

Keeping the 787s on the ground could cost ANA alone more than $1.1 million a day, Mizuho Securities calculated, noting the Dreamliner was key to the airline's growth strategy.

JAL has cancelled 8 Dreamliner flights on its Tokyo-San Diego route until January 25, affecting some 1,290 passengers, and is switching aircraft for another 70 flights scheduled to fly the 787.

The JTSB has said the battery on the ANA flight that made the emergency landing was blackened and carbonised, had a bulge in the middle and weighed 5 kg less than normal.

The use of new battery technology is among the cost-saving features of the 787, which Boeing says burns 20 percent less fuel than rival jetliners using older technology. The plane represents a leap in aircraft design, but the project has been plagued by cost overruns and years of delays. Orders for the Dreamliner last year helped Boeing overtake rival Airbus as the world's largest manufacturer of passenger jets.

"This could turn out to be a minor technical problem, but the FAA has turned it into a significant marketing challenge for Boeing," said Loren Thompson, defence consultant and chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a Virginia-based think tank.

(Additional reporting by Yoshiyuki Osada, James Topham, Mari Saito, Issei Kato, Herng Shinn Cheng, Ruairidh Villar and Andrea Shalal-Esa; Writing by Ian Geoghegan; Editing by Ken Wills and Alex Richardson)


Related Stories:
JAL 787 fuel leak caused by valve-related malfunction - Japan ministry

Engineers union urges rejection of Boeing contract offer

Copyright © 2013 Reuters

U.S. soldier charged in Afghan massacre had PTSD - lawyer

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:33 PM PST

TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier charged with slaying 16 civilians, most of them women and children, near his Army post in Afghanistan was diagnosed before his deployment as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury, his lawyer said on Thursday.

Attorney John Henry Browne (R), who is representing Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, talks to the media after Bales was arraigned on 16 counts of premeditated murder, six counts of attempted murder and seven of assault at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, January 17, 2013. REUTERS/Marcus Donner

Attorney John Henry Browne (R), who is representing Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, talks to the media after Bales was arraigned on 16 counts of premeditated murder, six counts of attempted murder and seven of assault at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, January 17, 2013. REUTERS/Marcus Donner

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who is accused of gunning down the villagers in cold blood during two rampages through their family compounds in Kandahar province last March.

Military justice experts say the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, if substantiated, may prove of limited value in helping Bales' attorneys pursue an insanity defence but could make it more difficult for prosecutors to obtain the death penalty, even if they can prove premeditation.

The disclosure that Bales had been diagnosed with PTSD followed a hearing in which defence lawyers told a military judge they were preparing a possible "mental health defence" for Bales, who appeared in court wearing a green military dress uniform.

The judge, Colonel Jeffery Nance, said such a defence would require a formal psychiatric evaluation and that he would order a "sanity board" of independent doctors to review Bales' mental condition.

During Thursday's 90-minute hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, where Bales is being held, defence lawyers also deferred entering a plea on behalf of their client and waived a formal reading of the charges against him.

Asked by the judge whether he understood that the case against him could result in the death penalty, Bales, 39, an Army staff sergeant, replied, "Sir, yes sir."

Under the military justice system, a plea is commonly postponed at this stage to preserve legal options for the defence, whose ability to make additional motions is severely restricted once a plea is entered, experts say.

Civilian defence lawyer John Henry Browne told the judge that Bales' legal team would need at least a year and a half to prepare its case.

Prosecutors say Bales, a father of two from Lake Tapps, Washington, acted alone and with "chilling premeditation" when, armed with a pistol, a rifle and a grenade launcher, he left his base twice, returning in the middle of his rampage to tell a fellow soldier: "I just shot up some people."

The shootings, which occurred over a five-hour period in March, marked one of the deadliest incidents the military has blamed on a rogue U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War, and strained U.S.-Afghan relations.

BRAIN INJURY DIAGNOSIS

Browne said he had government documentation showing that personnel at Lewis-McChord's Madigan Medical Center had found his client to be suffering from both post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury.

He said the diagnosis was made before Bales was deployed in November 2011 to Afghanistan on a tour of duty that ended abruptly with the events for which he is charged.

Defence lawyers have previously said that Bales, who faces 16 first-degree murder charges among other offenses, had suffered a possible concussion from a bomb blast during a prior tour of duty in Iraq.

Legal experts said evidence of PTSD or a brain injury might be used by the defence to bolster an insanity claim, but they doubted such a diagnosis could convince jurors that the accused was unable to appreciate the nature and consequences of his actions - the definition of insanity under military law.

"My research has not revealed a single case in which any person mounted a successful insanity defence in a court-martial based on a PTSD claim," said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School.

But the defence could argue that Bales' PTSD and brain injury were severe enough to cause "diminished mental capacity," making it harder for prosecutors to prove premeditation, which is necessary for him to be eligible for capital punishment, experts said.

Even if the jury finds Bales guilty of premeditated murder, a PTSD claim might be enough to sway just one member of the panel to vote against the death penalty during the sentencing phase of the court-martial. The panel must be unanimous in approving the death sentence.

"That's probably where this evidence would be the strongest and have the most impact on a capital case," said Victor Hansen, a former Army attorney who is now vice president of the National Institute of Military Justice and a professor at the New England School of Law in Boston.

Experts doubted that jurors, all members of the military themselves, would be sympathetic to an overt argument that the military was to blame for deploying a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Defence attorney Emma Scanlan said Bales would participate in a review of his mental state, but wanted him to be examined by a neuropsychologist with expertise in traumatic brain injuries. She also wanted defence attorneys to be present at the examination, which the defence wants recorded.

(Writing by Eric M. Johnson and Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Tim Dobbyn, Andrew Hay and Lisa Shumaker)

Copyright © 2013 Reuters

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


Dream come true

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 04:18 PM PST

Deborah Tan says that she will never forget her experience at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

The winner of last year's contest on Red FM was delighted when she found out that she was on her way to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California to attend the awards.

In true Red FM fashion, the announcement of the winner wasn't just done on air.

The Red Ryders, together with Terry from The Red Fix (Mondays to Fridays, 4pm-7pm), surprised Tan at her house and presented her with the good news – that she had not only won a ticket to the Grammys, but also a day trip to either Universal Studios Hollywood or Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Terry practically had to chase after Tan to give her the prize as she was too busy screaming and running around the house in excitement!

Looking back on the experience, Tan still can't believe that she actually got the chance to be at the glitzy awards. "I had to pinch myself several times to actually believe that it wasn't just a dream. I was within reach of Bruno Mars!" she said.

For her day trip, Tan chose to head out to Disneyland. "Even though I am an adult, I felt just as amazed (being there) as a child would. It's the only place where fairytales can come true!

"It was so much fun, I can't even explain how amazing the place was. On a scale of one to 10, it was 99. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Red FM gave me," shared Tan.

She advises this year's winner to just "soak it all in, you will never get an opportunity like this again, walk around as much as you can, talk to as many people as you can and make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity that you will never forget."

So, who will win Red FM's 60 Seconds To The Grammys contest this year? Entries are currently still pouring in at Red FM; two finalists will face off on the Red Breakfast with Sarimah and Lil Kev on Jan 25.

So, if you have yet to send in your entry, make sure you do so by Jan 22.

The contest is simple: Just send a one-minute video of yourself showing off your best talent to Red FM.

For more information on the contest, log on to www.red.fm.

You can also join the Red FM Malaysia Facebook fan page on www.facebook.com/redfm.my or follow them on Twitter (@iloveredfm) for updates.

Red FM is owned and operated by The Star.

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

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business


Maybank KE Research maintains Neutral on plantations

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:19 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank KE Research is maintaining its Neutral outlook on the plantations sector as the valuations reflect the crude palm oil (CPO) price recovery.

"Our regional top BUYs are Sime Darby, Sarawak Oil Palms and First Resources," it said on Friday.

Maybank Research described India's move to impose a 2.5% import duty on crude edible oils as a surprise.

It said this may be marginally negative for India's overall imports of vegetable oils in the short term but continues to favour palm oil over the long run as it is still the cheapest vegetable oil.

"We believe the negatives have been priced-in with yesterday's CPO mild price correction. Nonetheless, we think CPO price recovery may be slightly delayed with this new duty," it said.

Maybank Research said the latest duty hike does not disadvantage CPO significantly as it understands the 2.5% duty hike is also applicable to crude soyoil, crude rapeseed oil, and crude sunflower oil.

"In absolute terms, CPO will now cost RM55 a tonne (or US$18) more based on MPOB's spot CPO price of about MYR2,200 with the new duty.

On the CPO price, it said the third-month CPO futures price corrected 2.1% (or RM52) on Thursday but it believes the negatives have been fully priced in, into the latest CPO price.

"The downside risk of this new import duty on CPO by India is a slight delay in CPO price recovery to RM3,000 by Q2, 2013 (on lower production in H1, 2013 and exports boost following Malaysia's change in CPO export tax structure effective Jan 1, 2013). Nonetheless, we maintain our RM3,000 CPO average selling price forecast for 2013 (2012A: RM2,870)," it said.

Aberdeen launches two Islamic funds

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 05:18 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd launched its Aberdeen Islamic Malaysia Equity fund and the Aberdeen Islamic World Equity fund, the company's first syariah retail products in Malaysia and the first by a foreign fund manager, yesterday.

Aberdeen Asset Management general manager Gerald Ambrose said this was a natural step forward for the company. "Having established ourselves as an institutional manager, we are pleased to offer investors the first Islamic unit trusts from a foreign Islamic fund management licensee," he said in a statement.

Further, the managing director of Singapore-based Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd, Hugh Young, who oversees Aberdeen's regional business, said Malaysia had been a core market for the group in the region and had worked hard to develop a viable market for Islamic investments.

"We have been really impressed by how Malaysia's capital markets have progressed over the years and have high hopes, with these two new funds, for continued success in asset gathering over the medium to long term," he said.

Aberdeen Islamic's ultimate owner, United Kingdom-listed Aberdeen Asset Management Plc, has been investing client money in Malaysia for over 25 years and with RM13bil of Bursa Malaysia-listed equities under management, is among the largest foreign investors in the local equity market.

The Aberdeen Islamic Malaysia Equity fund will be managed from Kuala Lumpur, while the Aberdeen Islamic World Equity fund will be operated from Edinburgh, UK.

The latter is a genuinely international fund and will have no immediate exposure to Malaysia at all.

Both funds would be managed in accordance with Aberdeen's long-term stock-picking style, resulting in concentrated portfolios.

The funds would be available for purchase via distributors, Phillip Mutual Bhd and iFAST Capital Sdn Bhd, with a minimum subscription of RM1,000 for retail investors and RM5mil for institutional buyers.

Units are available at a fixed price of RM1 per unit until Feb 6 when trading commences. – Bernama

Bursa advises investors to be careful in trading Patimas' shares

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 05:14 PM PST

PETALING JAYA: Bursa Malaysia has advised investors to exercise caution and to make informed decisions in the trading of Patimas Computers Bhd shares.

The counter was issued an unusual market activity query last Thursday following a recent spike in its trading volume and stock price.

In its reply, it said it was unaware of any development which may have caused the spike save for a memorandum of understanding in which it had entered with a third party which is a telecommunication company, to consider the possibility of providing technology know-how to assist the telecommunication company to manage and run 4G services in a foreign country. It added that depending on the outcome of a due diligence process, the proposal may or may not materialise. A day later, businessman Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi emerged as a substantial shareholder in the firm with a 5.4% stake.

Patimas shares have been on a general uptrend in the past one month, rising from 2.5sen to 14sen at yesterday's close. The stock which fell 4 sen yesterday was the most actively traded counter with more than 298 million shares changing hands.

Bursa Malaysia said it would not hesitate to take appropriate regulatory action to ensure fair and orderly trading of Patimas.

Bernama reported that former Bank Simpanan Nasional chairman Abdul Azim was in talks to rope in a foreign strategic partner to help revive the fortunes of Patimas, a PN17 company. The talks were expected to be concluded in the next 10 working days, he was quoted as telling Bernama. "Lets just say that while Patimas as a company might not excite, its data centre and its ability to manage data storage is very valuable," he said. Abdul Azim recently also emerged as a substantial shareholder in Tiger Synergy Bhd.

In a separate announcement, Patimas said it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a limited company in Tanzania.

It said the MOU was at a preliminary negotiation stage and that it was still in a state of flux and no specific terms and conditions have been agreed to yet.

"No decision has been made on whether or not to proceed further pending due diligence to be carried out by both parties on each other. Depending on the outcome of the due diligence, the above proposal may or may not materialise," it added. Its directors had yet to deliberate on the nature of and viability of the project, it said, adding that the MOU was signed to formalise the intention of both parties to further explore the possibilities of working together in the project.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Sports

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Armstrong says 'sorry,' calls doping a 'mistake'

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:01 PM PST

LOS ANGELES: Disgraced US cycling star Lance Armstrong said in an interview broadcast Thursday that he was "sorry" for taking performance-enhancing drugs during his career and that it was a mistake.

"I made my decisions. They're my mistake. And I'm sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I'm sorry for that," the seven-time Tour de France winner said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. "The culture was what it was."

"I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times," Armstrong said, admitting that he was a "flawed character." "All the fault and all the blame here falls on me," he said.

Armstrong, after years of denials, acknowledged in the interview taped on Monday that he took several banned performance enhancing substances during his cycling career.

Armstrong said he had blood transfusions and taken EPO, testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone in all seven of his Tour de France victories. - AFP

Three share lead at Humana Challenge

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:16 PM PST

LA QUINTA (California): Roberto Castro, Jason Kokrak, and US PGA Tour rookie James Hahn all shot nine-under par 63 on Thursday to share a one-stroke lead after the first round of the US$5.6mil Humana Challenge.

Rookie Russell Henley, coming off a three-stroke win in the Sony Open on Sunday, was among the quartet of players lying one stroke back on eight-under 64. He was tied with Australians Greg Chalmers and Aaron Baddeley and Dough LaBelle.

Phil Mickelson launched his 2013 season with an inconsistent round of even-par 72 that left him nine off the pace.

Mickelson, recovering from flu-like symptoms, had three birdies, one bogey and a double-bogey at La Quinta Country Club, one of three courses used in the tournament in which the opening rounds are played in a pro-am format.

Kokrak had two eagles and five birdies at La Quinta. Castro had nine birdies at PGA West's Jack Nicklaus Private Course and Hahn had nine birdies on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course.

"The course over at La Quinta is in great shape," Kokrak said. "Greens are not overly fast, so you can be somewhat aggressive out there. The greens are holding. So you can be aggressive with the iron shots out there."

Castro capped his round with a birdie putt of more than 40 feet. He was pleased he was able to take advantage of the good scoring conditions offered in the balmy California desert.

"This tournament you kind of got to get it going and keep it going," he said.

Hahn's round included two chip-ins for birdies, something he said hadn't happened for him since he was nine years old. He said not knowing the course was actually an advantage.

"I think a lot of the times, we as professionals, try to take in too much information," he said.

"Some of my best rounds have come from not even seeing a golf course for the first time. It gives me tunnel vision ... I just know fairway, green and try to make a putt." Henley posted his 64 on the Nicklaus course.

"I'm feeling very confident," Henley said. "I definitely wasn't going to be upset either way ... The last thing I want to do is waste any energy and be emotional right now. I think I've got to conserve all my emotions and my energy as much as I can so I can play another full golf tournament." - AFP

Tour de France organiser: Armstrong 'in the past'

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:25 PM PST

LEEDS (Britain): Tour de France organiser Christian Prudhomme said Thursday that disgraced rider Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour titles because of doping, "was already in the past".

Prudhomme added that it was a surprise that Armstrong had given a television interview, to be broadcast at 02h00 GMT on Friday, in which he reportedly admitted doping.

"No one could have imagined only a few weeks ago that Lance Armstrong would make his confession publicly, that he would confess in public to having been doped," he said.

"It's obviously something very important but I can't say more than that, I don't know more than you. I don't know what he'll say. For us, Lance Armstrong is already in the past."

The International Cycling Union (UCI) late last year effectively erased Armstrong from the cycling history books when it decided not to appeal sanctions imposed on the Texan rider by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

A damning USADA report, including hundreds of pages of eyewitness testimony, emails, financial records and laboratory analysis of blood samples, said Armstrong helped orchestrate the most sophisticated doping programme in the history of sport.

In his first interview since Armstrong was shorn of his Tour titles, recorded Monday with Oprah Winfrey, the US television icon said she believed "the most important questions" were asked and that Armstrong provided answers "that people around the world have been waiting to hear".

Armstrong's choice of Winfrey as a confessor is a stunning reversal for a man who was notoriously aggressive in denying doping accusations for more than a decade, vilifying those who challenged him.

"The Tour de France has been getting better for several years now," added Prudhomme when asked about the race's history of drug scandals. "What is going on at the moment is part of the past.

"We are starting with a clean slate and we have to get to the end of that slate. It's not just a subject that affects cycling. This is something that affects many other sports as well.

Prudhomme, speaking in Leeds as he announced the start dates for the 2014 Tour de France, added: "Although this has all happened in the past 20 years, we are looking forward to the future when things will be much cleaner, bearing in mind this is something that affects other sports.

"Cycling has without doubt cheated a lot in the past without any doubt. But for several years now it has made enormous efforts in this struggle and we need to continue those efforts." - AFP

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies


In production

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 12:16 AM PST

In What City Does It Live?

DIRECTOR Liew Seng Tat (Flower In The Pocket) is all set to finish filming his latest project, In What City Does It Live?, sometime this month.

Mainly shot in Padang Rengas, Perak – a small town which is about 15km from Kuala Kangsar – it stars Wan Hanafi Su, Harun Salim Bachik, Soffi Jikan, Jalil Hamid, Azhan Rani, Normah Damanhuri, Roslan Saleh, Acong and Azman Hassan.

The film looks at what happens when an African immigrant goes into hiding at a small village.

Well, one of the things that happens is ... it arouses the superstitions of local residents. At the core of this somewhat humorous film is a very important question – is a home defined by the place you live or by the people around you?

Produced by Sharon Gan, In What City Does It Live? is co-produced by Everything Films Sdn Bhd (Malaysia), Volya Films (The Netherlands), Mandra Films (France) and Flying Moon Filmproduktion (Germany), with funding from Sundance (United States), Hubert Bals Fund (the Netherlands), Prince Claus (the Netherlands), Torino Film Lab (Italy), Fondation Groupama Gan Pour Le Cinéma (France), World Cinema Fund (Germany), Visions Sud Est (Switzerland) and our own Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture Malaysia.

In What City Does It Live? is tentatively scheduled for release at the end of this year.

Full moon fever

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 12:08 AM PST

As a Malaysian production with international aspirations, Paper Moon flies the flag proudly with its mix of Hong Kong stars and local talents.

Bringing Malaysian stories to an international audience is surely every film producer's dream. But how to do so is something that not many have quite figured out yet. Aside from arthouse films like Kaki Bakar and Bunohan that have travelled the international film festival circuit, the Malay movie scene, especially, has yet to come out with a product that could successfully cross borders not only as an export, but also as a commercial success.

The Chinese language film scene, however, has seen a precedent in actor/filmmaker Aniu (real name Tan Kheng Seong)'s directorial debut Ice Kacang Puppy Love, which starred quite a few Malaysians, in the form of Aniu himself, leading lady Angelica Lee Sin Je and supporting player Fish Leong, who have found fame in Hong Kong and China. Considering the shared language, it is not so far-fetched to try and make a Malaysian film that also possesses commercial potential for the Hong Kong, China and Taiwan market.

If Ice Kacang Puppy Love starred Malaysians famous in Hong Kong and China, Paper Moon, which is a joint-venture between Astro Shaw, Double Vision and Passion Entertainment, goes one further by actually having Hong Kong stars Gordon Lam (Ip Man, Infernal Affairs, Election) and current HK sex symbol Chrissie Chau in the lead roles. Also playing a major role in the film is Malaysian singer Tedd Chan in his first film role and award-winning Malaysian singer-songwriter Rynn Lim playing a supporting role.

Being a full-fledged Malaysian production with a mixture of Hong Kong and Malaysian stars in it, the film further signals its international aspirations with the participation of director Stanley Law, one of the most successful directors in HK-TVB and also a mainstay in film and TV production in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong (for Double Vision, Indosiar and Star TV).

With such impressive pedigree, it's a wonder why nobody thought of trying to pull off this formula much earlier. When asked about the film's international distribution, executive producer Gayatri Su-Lin Pillai answered at a media event in Kuala Lumpur earlier on Tuesday that producer Jess Teong and her team at Double Vision have managed to secure distribution with highly-regarded Hong Kong company Distribution Workshop. It will represent the film worldwide.

And judging from the fact that the titles that they have distributed include major hits like Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate, The Last Tycoon and Monga, not to mention critically acclaimed titles like A Simple Life and 24 City, it's probably safe to say that Paper Moon is in good hands.

But pedigree is nothing if the final product lacks quality, and thankfully Paper Moon is a well-executed exercise in romantic melodrama.

Furthermore, despite starring Hong Kong actors, the film's setting and background can't be more Malaysian.

The movie is set in a coastal village in Kelantan, and centres on a melancholic Wau-making master called Chen Tian Song (Gordon Lam giving a soulful and understated performance) who clearly has regrets haunting him from his past.

Rynn Lim plays his apprentice Xiao Ding, and we first get a glimpse of Chrissie Chau as holidaying city girl Man Hua. Their paths collide when Tian Song bumps into her while Xiao Ding helps her pick up her things from the ground.

A sweet courtship ensues between Man Hua and Xiao Ding and the movie then pulls its first surprise on us by showing flashbacks of the young Tian Song (Tedd Chan) and his old flame Shi Qin (revealed in the news to have been recently murdered), who looks just like Man Hua and is also played by Chau. The movie then teasingly plays out the uncanny similarities between Man Hua and Shi Qin, not just in their looks but also from the words they say, the things they do and the places they remember.

With such a bold display on the theme of doppelgangers, I was swiftly reminded of the dangerous yet highly romantic emotional pull of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, not to mention other romantic movies with men encountering doppelgangers of their past or lost loves like Obsession, The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp and Heaven Can Wait. While not quite arriving at the level of sophistication of the aforementioned films, it is still quite refreshing to see a Malaysian movie attempt a grand romantic gesture like this. Commenting about the film's doppelganger theme, director Stanley Law said that he planned the editing and placement of scenes involving the two characters in advance while visually taking cues from a lot of Korean and Japanese movies in terms of the film's look. And like similar local Chinese language films like Ice Kacang Puppy Love and Great Day, the look and production value displayed in Paper Moon is absolutely top-notch and is more than worthy of international export.

Making things even more interesting for the male audience are the numerous steamy love scenes involving the young Shi Qin and Tian Song, some of which did not manage to survive local censorship. Well, the Malaysian movie industry is not exactly famous for its permissibility.

Hiring a sex symbol (and eye candy) like Chau would probably be pointless if the movie doesn't have any titillating scenes in it. But in this case, the juicy scenes are justified by the fact that they're used to show young love in all its messy glory, and also by the fact that Chau has shown herself to be a quite capable actress here.

When asked about whether she had any difficulties trying to inhabit these two very different characters, Chau answered that the fact that she had different partners for each role helped immensely. It's the fact that she gets to play these two roles in one film that led her to agree to star in the movie.

Lam also answered to almost similar effect when asked about his role and what attracted him to it.

He considers the character's emotional torment, which involves the realisation that you are unable to take care of your loved one, as something very realistic and which could happen to anyone. It was a new challenge for him. Looking quite different physically in this role, I asked about his preparation for it, to which he answered, "When I accept a role, I never think about how the character looks physically, so it's exciting to play someone that looks different from me. But as an actor, I always think deeply about the character's feelings and how to convey that."

Acting alongside two big Hong Kong stars, especially ones as technically capable as Lam and Chau, must be a daunting challenge. So I asked Chan how he feels about all this, especially since he's a singer and has only recently started making forays into the acting world.

"Being a newbie, of course I'd jump at the chance at acting alongside Lam and Chau, but having said so, I did feel a lot of pressure and as a result, I did a lot of homework before going into the shoot so as not to cause any delays," he answered.

Having produced a lot of Malay movies for Tayangan Unggul and Astro Shaw, the last few years have seen Astro Shaw more actively making Chinese films as well, usually as a joint venture with other companies. Are there more of these films on the way this year?

"We are definitely on the lookout for more joint ventures like this one, because I think it's time that we try and not just tell Malaysian stories, but also tell them to the world. And I think Paper Moon is something special not only because it is very local in terms of the culture and setting in Kelantan," said Gayatri.

"But the fact that it's filmed by someone from the outside looking in, even if that someone's been based here for quite a while, and the mere fact that we're looking through fresh eyes just makes Malaysia look even more beautiful," she added. We can't agree more.

> Paper Moon is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.

Bullet To The Head movie premiums and tickets

Posted: 16 Jan 2013 05:19 PM PST

After watching their respective partners die, a cop and a hitman form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.

Catch Bullet To The Head starring Sylvester Stallone, Sarah Shahi, Jason Momoa, Sung Kang and Christian Slater in cinemas this 31 January 2013.

Thanks to Nusantara Ederan Filem, we have movie premiums and tickets to give away. All you have to do is answer the questions below and follow the instructions given.

1. Name the actor who plays Jimmy Bobo.

2. Name the actor who plays the police officer who teams up with Jimmy Bobo in this movie.

Email your answers with your details (name, address, IC number and contact number) to ecentralcontest@gmail.com by 22 January 2013. Title the subject BULLET TO THE HEAD. Winners will be notified by email.

Prizes to win:

2 X Bullet To The Head female t-shirts + 1 pair of tickets

2 X Bullet To The Head male t-shirt + 1 pair of tickets

4 X Bullet To The Head pendant necklace + 1 pair of tickets

4 X Bullet To The Head multi purpose tool + 1 pair of tickets


Rules & Regulations

1.The contest is open to all Malaysian residents residing in Malaysia only.

2.To qualify for a prize, contestants must include relevant personal details (full name, address, new IC number , contact number). Email your answers to ecentralcontest@gmail.com.

3.Contestants may only submit one entry each. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

4.One prize is allowed per contestant only.

5.Prizes are not exchangeable for cash and the organizer reserves the right to exchange the prize with that of a similar value without prior notice.

6.Staff of The Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad, sponsors and their immediate families are not allowed to participate.

7.Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained.

8.Judges will be from The Star Online.

9.For enquiries, please e-mail ecentralmy@gmail.com

10. I hereby expressly consent to the collection, collation, use and/or disclosure of all my personal data by Star Publications (M) Berhand for the purposes of the Bullet To The Head contest.

11. Special screening for this movie will be on 30 January 2013 (Wednesday) at TGV 1 Utama at 9.00pm. This ticket is for free seating.

12. Winners will have to pick up their prizes as well as the tickets at our redemption table on the day of the screening.

13. Winners will be notified by email.

14. This movie is rated 18. Movie ratings will strictly apply for this movie. The organizers reserve the right to refuse entry to the cinema hall to those not within the permitted age limit. No exceptions will be made at any time for any reason.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Najib keeps them guessing about 13th GE

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:30 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has hinted that the 13th general election is near but will let the people continue to guess the date.

The Barisan Nasional chairman said he liked the guessing game.

"Barisan has already ironed out most issues, including seat allocations and candidates.

"The question of when parliament will be dissolved - we have until April 28. We will know when the time comes. For the time being keep on guessing," he told reporters after chairing the Barisan council meeting.

On the issue of candidates, Najib said that although most have been identified, the coalition was still scrutinising some of the candidates to ensure they were the right choice in terms of ability and acceptability.

He said although support for Barisan had increased, the coalition would not take things for granted and be comfortable with the present support.

"We must not act as if there's nothing that can threaten our position. We have to fortify efforts to make sure we do our best because many factors can affect the outcome of the election," he added.

Asked whether this would be Barisan's last meeting before the election was called, he said this was not necessarily so as such meetings could be called anytime.

On the Royal Commission of Inquiry to look into the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah, Najib said the commission was a clear manifestation of the government's sincerity to resolve the issue once and for all.

"In fact, credit should be given to Barisan because we dare to tackle the issue head on," he said.

He reminded the public not to jump into conclusion as only several of the 167 witnesses had testified so far.

On the issue of citizenship awarded to foreigners, Najib said there was nothing wrong with doing so provided it was in accordance with the law.

"Many countries are also doing the same. I'm sure you know that," he said.

He added the issue would not affect Barisan during election as it was a genuine effort to resolve the issue and pointed out that it was Barisan component parties in Sabah that had asked for the RCI.

However, he said, the issue should not be spun out of context.

Jakarta flood: Malaysian embassy ready with contingency plans

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:58 AM PST

JAKARTA: The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta is ready with contingency plans to evacuate Malaysians living in Jakarta should the flood situation worsen.

Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Munshe Afdzaruddin Syed Hassan said embassy officers were in constant contact with the Malaysians to ensure they were safe.

He said no Malaysian had been trapped in the flood, which rendered major roads leading to the city centre inaccessible when the water level rose to one metre.

The embassy has set up a 24-hour flood operations room to enable Malaysians to obtain updates on the situation in Jakarta, which can be contacted at +62215224947.

A state of emergency has been declared in Jakarta from today until Jan 27.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited some of the affected areas in a boat and directed the police to monitor security at the houses of residents who were forced to move to evacuation centres.

In the last two days, about 10,000 residents living near Ciliwung River and its tributariess had to be evacuated as flood waters as high as three metres inundated their homes.

Meanwhile, Education Malaysia (EM) Indonesia today ordered the affected Malaysian students to relocate temporarily to Malaysia Hall in Jakarta.

EM director, Assoc Prof Dr Juzhar Jusoh said the rest of the Malaysian students were safe but ready to move if asked to leave their living quarters.

He said most of the affected students were from the medical and dental faculties of Universiti Kristen Krida Wacana (UKRIDA) and Universiti Trisakti respectively.

"Both universities had to cancel lectures today because of the floods," he said. - Bernama

Malaysia and South Korea sign extradition pact

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:45 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and South Korea on Wednesday signed a landmark extradition treaty enabling both countries to repatriate wanted criminals and exchange intelligence information.

The treaty, also aimed at combating increasing cross-border crimes, was signed by Malaysia's Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and South Korea's Minister of Justice, Kwon Jae Jin.

Witnessing the signing of this first ever Malaysia-South Korea extradition treaty were Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Lee Chee Leong and Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

At a press conference later, Hishammuddin said the treaty could enhance bilateral collaboration between the countries.

"The treaty encompasses cooperation in transnational crimes and other collaboration pertaining to security aspects towards a more secure and healthy regional environment," he said.

He said Malaysia was also keen to learn about handling public assemblies from Korea, particularly on related legal structures.

Hishammuddin also hinted of similar treaties with Indonesia and Thailand soon.

Meanwhile, Kwon said he was pleased with the signing of the pact, adding that such a move would enhance bilateral ties.

"This treaty will enable South Korea to share intelligence information in handling security matters with Malaysia," he said. - Bernama

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

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Metro watch

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:24 AM PST

HEALTH CARNIVAL

1Malaysia PJ Service Team will organise the Healthy PJ Health Carnival on Jan 20 from 8.30am to 12.30pm, the at Jalan SS21/50 Damansara Utama playground. There will be health checks, including blood pressure, blood glucose, uric acid, cholesterol and BMI tests and consultation with a certified nutritionist. Beabelle Academy will also introducing aromatherapy as an alternative theraphy. For details, contact 016-233 2993 (Hoong Ling).

Blood Donation Drive

Cargill, in collaboration with the National Blood Bank, is holding a one-day nationwide blood donation drive on Jan 26 at the following locations: Aeon Bukit Tinggi, Klang (11am to 4pm), Tropicana City Mall, Kuala Lumpur (11am to 4pm), Aeon Bandaraya Melaka, Melaka (12pm to 5pm), Tesco Extra, Butterworth (1pm to 5pm), Kuantan Parade, Kuantan (11am to 4pm), Palm Square, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (11am to 4pm). For details, contact Cargill at 03-2246 3188.

Elderly Health FOrum

Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre Klang (SKSMC) will be organising a public forum on Elderly Health Issues on Saturday from 8.30am to 1pm at SKSMC, SK Terbilang. There will be a talk by resident Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Prema Latha on osteoporosis followed by a talk on rheumatoid arthritis, sleep disorders and consultation on ENT, head and neck. For details call 03-3373 3636 ext 7313/7335/7356.

Water Disruption

Hulu Langat will experience water disruption on Jan 30 due to pipe removal works by Syabas at Jamba­tan Baru, from Jalan Bangi Lama to University Islam Selangor College, for the Public Works Department. For details, call Customer Service Centre (PUSPEL) at toll free 1800-88-5252 or SMS; by typing PUSPEL and send to 39222. Also visit www.syabas.com.my.

Patchwork Workshop

Learn basics of patchwork on Jan 22, from 1pm to 5pm, at Sungai Way Subang Methodist Church Tuition Centre. Donations will be collected for Home of Hope, Bangalore. To re­gis­­ter, call Rosalind at 017-308 3380. Limited to first 30 participants.

Floral Design

Fairview International School Kuala Lumpur is organising a floral design workshop for parents and friends to help raise funds for children in need on Jan 23, from 10am to 11am, at the school at 4178, Jalan 1/27D, Section 6, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur. For details, call 03-4142 0888 or email jacqueline@fairview.edu.my.

Last Train Cancelled

From Jan 12, the last KTM trains will end 30 minutes and 60 minutes earlier than the original schedule . This is to make way for railway upgrading work from 12am to 5am every day. For details, call KTM Berhad Service Centre at 1-300-88-5862.

Junior series top priority for SportExcel golf circuit

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:24 AM PST

THE junior open series will remain as the flagship for the SportExcel golf circuit this season.

SportExcel executive director C. Sivanandan said the Premier-Elite circuit for the country's emerging talents would not be part of their golf calendar this season.

They will be opting for a monthly affair, hosting regular competitions for the juniors alongside their ongoing junior open competitions.

"We have identified tentative dates for this season's competition calendar.

"We will be discussing with the various clubs before finalising the exact venues," said Sivanandan, adding that the foundation's main aim was to provide opportunities for promising junior golfers to compete.

They will also be reviewing the age-groups to be included in the circuit. The likely categories are Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 for boys and girls.

"The executive board members of the executive board will also be meeting before endorsing several other suggestions to improve the competition structure.

"We are deliberating on the inclusion of the Under-18 age-group. We will also address an important issue to increase participation by girls," Sivanandan said.

They are planning to host 12 legs for the junior open circuit, including two legs in Sabah and one outing in Sarawak in November.

The national junior match-play contests will wrap up the seventh leg scheduled in Selangor from Aug 10 to 12.

And they will conclude the season with the grand finals and international meets from Dec 17 to 20.

Meanwhile, five visiting golfers from India's Albatross Junior line-up stamped their mark in their debut outing; winning two titles at the previous SportExcel junior open international tournament.

Pukhraj Singh and Yash Jindal were declared joint winners of the boys' Under-20 category while Piyush Sangwan emerged as the boys' Under-15 champion.

Sivanandan said local talents will need to narrow the gap in matching their peers from the region, especially those in Thailand and the Philippines.

"We are continuing with the three-day duration for the tournaments. We are considering to introduce a cut-off after the first two rounds.

"It is important for our youngsters to strengthen their endurance to cope with the punishing pace in local and international competitions decided over three rounds," he added.

Meanwhile, they are also encouraging local contenders to scale greater heights by taking on stiffer challenges in international outings including the TrueVisions International Juniors in Thailand, the Jakarta World Juniors and the Albatross International Juniors in India.

SUGGESTED LEGS

Feb 15-17: Klang Valley

March 8-10: Johor

April 5-7: Malacca

May 24-26: Penang

June 28-30: Perak

July 5-7: Terengganu

Aug 12-16: Selangor

Sept 27-29: Kedah or Perlis

Oct 25-27: Negri Sembilan

November: Sabah and Sarawak

Dec 17-20: Klang Valley

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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Cyclist fulfills childhood dream

Posted: 16 Jan 2013 04:04 PM PST

MALACCA: For many people, cycling may be their favourite past time in the evening. However, for teacher Tan Lang Seng, cycling has been his passion some 25 years ago when his brother presented him with a road bike.

Tan has recently completed his solo-pedalling trip around east Malaysia in 24 days.

"It was my childhood dream to pedal alone across the country and I was even more determined to do it after reading a book entitled 'Pedalling Around The Peninsular: A Malaysian Girl's Two-Wheeled Adventures' by Sandra Loh," said the 47-year-old Malaccan.

In his maiden solo trip Tan had the opportunity to tour the four corners of the Peninsular from southern tip of Tanjung Piah, Johor, Sungai Rengit, Johor, Pengkalan Kubor, Kelantan in the east and Padang Besar, Perlis on the northern region.

During his trip, he discovered that Malaysia has many breath-taking and captivating landscapes which should be explored.

Tan also added that he will never forget the scenic Perlis and fascinating Penarik Beach in Terengganu.

During his trip, the teacher with Civil Engineering background brought along a tent, cooking utensils, clothes, spare tubes and bike

tools on his 16-year-old Rerun Hurricane mountain bike.

The adventurous Tan acknowledged it took him six months to be mentally and physically prepared for his strenuous and gruelling journey.

The humble cyclist has participated in about 50 cycling competitions and biking jamborees but none of those were as significant as this solo tour.

This is when he realised he could not pedal on a fast speed, just like what he did before in the competitions.

Throughout the 24 days, his bicycle tyre punctured three times and he only suffered from minor bruises on his legs.

Along the journey, he encountered many wonderful experiences and has met many friendly people who offered him drinks and showed him the way.

This father of four children possesses some knowledge of repairing bicycles that comes handy at times.

His daughter, Tan Shu Yao, 20, expressed that she admires her father and is extremely proud of his dream.

Currently, Tan has seven mountain and road bikes as his collection and on most evenings, he and his sons will cycle as a family activity.

Apart from that, Tan is also the cycling sifu (master) of his colleagues who has took up cycling as their interest a year ago.

He advices all cycling buffs to take safety precautions on the road and always make sure the bicycle is in optimum condition.

"Be sensitive on the road as we share the roads with many other vehicles," concluded Tan who takes cycling as his only hobby.

Sabah Museum willing to pay public who have heirlooms of worth

Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:56 PM PST

KOTA KINABALU: Though people are keen to donate their heirlooms and artifacts to the Sabah Museum, not all are accepted.

This is because the Sabah museum is only keen to pick up items with historical value or with an interesting story behind them, museum director Joanna Kitingan said.

"Everyone has something old to give but we cannot take everything or just anything which is old as there has to be a meaning, a value and a great story worth sharing before it will be accepted and displayed," she explained.

However, there were still quite a number of people with valuable heirlooms possessing significant historical value who sells the items to the museum despite calls for the public to donate them, she added.

"Many people have offered to donate their items, while there are still some who sells their heirlooms and if it is really worth the buy, the museum will not hesitate to pay for them," Joanna said.

Meanwhile, she said the museum staff is in the midst of restoring the old government quarters and the former house which used to be the office and residence of the late Tun Mustapha Harun in Kampung Kerasik in Pitas for public visits.

She said this is among the many initiatives of the museum to attract more visitors and to make the museum a main source for information history, culture and so on.

"The upgrading of our museum buildings and exhibition halls have also contributed to the increased number of visitors from 373,794 in 2011 to 440,612 last year," she stated.

Towards sporting excellence in Malacca

Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:57 PM PST

MALACCA: The historic state is set to add another feather to its cap by setting up a sports university to produce athletes, coaches and management teams.

State Education, Youth and Sport Committee chairman Datuk Gan Tian Loo said the university would be built at the Hang Jebat Stadium Complex in Krubong, some 15km from the city.

"A discussion has been ongoing between Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and officials from the University of Stirling in Scotland on details of setting up a branch here.

"The university's officials are expected to come to Malacca for a site visit and to make a final decision soon,'' he said after the Education Department's monthly assembly on Friday.

Gan said the initiative was apt and timely as the performance of the state's athletes dropped in recent years, especially at the last Malaysia Games (Sukma) held in Pahang last year.

"The state government looks into this issue seriously and is ready to take measures to improve it.

"With a sports university here, it is hopeful that more world-class athletes, coaches and sports managers are identified and trained for Malaysia,'' he said.

Gan noted that discussions were also underway with the Education Ministry to upgrade SMK Seri Kota to a full-fledged sports school with secondary and pre-university education.

The school at Jalan Ayer Leleh that was changed into a sports school starting this year only offer the relevant sports classes to students from Forms One to Four.

Gan also distributed RM70,000 each to four schools for their excellent academic achievements.

They were the Selandar Integrated Boarding School, SK Convent Infant Jesus 2, Methodist Girls' Primary School 2 and SJKC Yok Bin.

Meanwhile, state Education De­­partment director Kasim Mohammad said two new primary schools, namely the SK Ayer Merbau in Jasin and SK Demang Taha in Alor Gajah started their first school term this year.

He also noted that there were 236 primary schools with 7,641 teachers and 86,799 pupils in Malacca at present.

As for secondary level, there were 77 schools with 6,018 teachers and 70,332 students.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my
 

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