Rabu, 7 Ogos 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

21 months' jail for maid abuse in Singapore
Minister signals impending changes
Soh escapes the gallows

21 months' jail for maid abuse in Singapore

Posted:

A WOMAN, who was convicted of five charges of abusing her Indonesian maid in one of the "most distressing" domestic maid abuse cases in Singapore, was sentenced to 21 months' jail.

Chan Huey Fern, 32, is appealing against conviction and sentence.

Bail of S$20,000 (RM51,337) pending appeal was offered.

The mother of two, who has seven other similar charges pending, was found guilty last week by district judge Low Wee Ping for causing hurt to Juwarti, 25, at her Buangkok Link flat between mid-December and Dec 31, 2010.

She was convicted of punching the maid in the eye, kicking her body and private parts several times.

The court heard that she lashed out at the maid on Dec 31 that year when she found her son's blanket on the floor in the children's room.

After kicking her repeatedly, she called the maid to the kitchen where she kicked her again on the body and private parts several times, causing her to bleed.

The maid ran away the same day as she was afraid of being tortured further by Chan.

The judge found her injuries, including bruises in her eyes and groin area appalling.

Judge Low, in his brief grounds of decision said that Chan became the maid's tormentor during her second year of work.

For nine months, she repeatedly abused Juwarti, both mentally and physically.

"Your abuses were systematic. What you have done to a helpless domestic helper, is repugnant to all notions of common humanity," he added.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Chua had cited several aggravating factors in the case, particularly the serious injuries inflicted on the victim's private parts and Chan's abuse of her position.

The fact that Chan denied that she had committed any of the offences showed a clear lack of remorse on her part, and she was not repentant for what she had done, he said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Minister signals impending changes

Posted:

EDUCATION minister Heng Swee Keat signalled impending policy changes on several fronts including housing, as he sketched out how the government intends to ensure that growth becomes even more inclusive.

Underpinning the way forward, however, must be the "critical ingredient" of trust between the government and citizens, he said in a speech at an Economic Society of Singapore function.

Speaking ahead of the Prime Minister's National Day Rally speech on Aug 18 – widely expected to contain policy shifts informed by the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) exercise which Heng heads – he sketched out elements of a "fairer and more just society".

These include giving lower-income Singaporeans substantial benefits to own a home, something that would be a "tangible way to share the fruits of success".

There must also be targeted assistance for the needy and a progressive tax system to avoid excessive inequality, Heng said, noting that the government intends to build on the current progressive system where the wealthy pay the bulk of taxes.

Turning to education, he said that his ministry is "looking at various ways to let off some of the pressure that has built up (in the education system) over the years".

But he added that it would not swing to the other extreme, and that "it must still be part of the Singaporean psyche to want to pursue excellence".

In the 35-minute speech that preceded a question-and-answer session at the event held at Mandarin Orchard hotel, Heng also summed up the main aim for the OSC exercise, which will release its final report this week.

Heng, a former Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director, also touched on how the global financial crisis has shown that the government must play a multi-faceted role of "enabling, regulating and stabilising markets".

On a final note, he also emphasised that Singapore is a price-taker in a tumultuous world buffered only by its reserves. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Soh escapes the gallows

Posted:

A FULL-TIME national serviceman originally facing the death penalty for stabbing a mother of two to death during the Mid-Autumn Festival three years ago will escape the gallows.

The prosecution has indicated that it will reduce the murder charge against Soh Wee Kian, 23, to that of culpable homicide, which carries either life imprisonment and caning, or up to 20 years' jail and a fine or caning.

This emerged in the High Court yesterday, which was originally scheduled to be the first day of Soh's trial for murdering Hoe Hong Lin, 32, at Mandai Tekong Park in Woodlands Drive 50 on Sept 22, 2010. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Egypt at "dangerous stalemate" in political crisis
Czech PM loses confidence vote, chances of early election grow
Dutch embassy in Yemen was potential terror target - Foreign Minister

Egypt at "dangerous stalemate" in political crisis

Posted:

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's political crisis entered a tense new phase on Wednesday after international mediation efforts collapsed and the army-installed government repeated its threat to take action against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi.

Both sides called their supporters on to the streets on Thursday, while Mursi supporters in two protest camps in Cairo strengthened sandbag-and-brick barricades in readiness for any action by security forces.

Acting President Adli Mansour, in a message on the eve of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, said Egypt was now in critical circumstances. The interim government would press on with its own plan to hold new elections in nine months time, he said.

"The train of the future has departed, and everyone must realise the moment and catch up with it, and whoever fails to realise this moment must take responsibility for their decision," he said.

U.S. envoy Nicholas Burns made his way home after days of trying to broker a compromise between the government and Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood. European Union envoy Bernardino Leon stayed on in the capital in the slim hope of reviving the effort.

But Brussels and Washington said they were very concerned that the Egyptian parties had not found a way to break what they called a dangerous stalemate.

"This remains a very fragile situation, which holds not only the risk of more bloodshed and polarization in Egypt, but also impedes the economic recovery which is so essential for Egypt's successful transition," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a joint statement.

The army ousted the Islamist Mursi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, on July 3 after huge street demonstrations against his rule.

Mursi and leaders of his Muslim Brotherhood have been rounded up and detained. But thousands of their supporters have demonstrated to demand his reinstatement.

Almost 300 people have been killed in political violence since the overthrow, including 80 Mursi supporters shot dead by security forces in a single incident on July 27.

Mansour earlier on Wednesday blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for the breakdown of the international mediation effort, and for any violence that might result.

Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said the government's decision to dismantle the protest camps was final and its patience had nearly expired.

Beblawi accused protesters of inciting violence, blocking roads and detaining citizens, and he warned that any further violence would be met "with utmost force and decisiveness."

People should leave the camps now, Beblawi said.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad, asked about the threat, told Reuters: "This means they are preparing for an even bigger massacre. They should be sending us positive signals, not live bullets."

PEACE AT EID?

On Wednesday afternoon, people streamed into the camp outside Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in northeast Cairo, where demonstrators have built barricades and armed themselves with sticks and rocks. Many were women and children.

"We will not leave until we get Mursi back," said Salma Imam, 19, student at Al-Azhar university. "It's not a government, the real government was chosen by the Egyptian people one year ago. This is not a legal government."

Any action could still be some time away, however.

Egyptians celebrate Eid, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, from Thursday to Sunday, an inauspicious time for any act of violence.

And Egypt's leading Islamic authority on Wednesday announced plans to host talks on the crisis after Eid, which might also forestall an assault by the security forces.

"There are some initiatives that can be built upon to start national reconciliation," an al-Azhar official told the state news agency MENA.

Mursi's downfall was driven by fears he was trying to establish an Islamist autocracy, coupled with a failure to ease economic hardships afflicting most of Egypt's 84 million people.

The army says it was acting at the behest of the people and has lain out its own transition plan for new elections, a move rejected by the Brotherhood.

Hamdeen Sabahi, a leftist who came third in last year's presidential election, said the Islamists were in a state of denial about what had happened.

"The Muslim Brotherhood must accept the will of the people. I can't imagine any political solution," he said in a radio interview.

Pro-Mursi parties and leftists who backed his removal called rival demonstrations for Thursday, making the public holiday a potential flashpoint.

The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, which includes the Brotherhood, urged Mursi supporters to take to the streets for an "Eid of Victory".

The leftist Popular Current party called for public Eid prayers in Tahrir Square, centre of the 2011 uprising that ousted long-ruling strongman Hosni Mubarak and set in train the current political drama.

Egypt is the Arab world's largest country, a bulwark in the United States' Middle East policy, and maintains an uneasy peace with Israel.

Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, one of a host of foreign officials who have visited Cairo as the crisis unfolded, said he saw the confrontation worsening.

"More people will turn to the streets to protest and the tendency in the armed forces to repress that will mount," he told Reuters.

"So I think there's a need to be worried about the next days and weeks," he said.

Czech PM loses confidence vote, chances of early election grow

Posted:

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The new Czech cabinet formed by allies of leftist President Milos Zeman lost a confidence vote on Wednesday in a split vote that made it likely the country will hold an early election before the end of the year, possibly as soon as October.

Zeman appointed his long-term supporter, economist Jiri Rusnok, in June, bypassing political parties that had proposed other options and accused Zeman of usurping powers that belong to parliament.

The government, which initially had no party support, gradually gained backing thanks to Zeman's influence over left-leaning factions and only narrowly lost the vote, 93 to 100.

Zeman, who won the country's first direct presidential election in January, said he would keep Rusnok in charge for at least several weeks. Rusnok said he would resign but will stay in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed or an election is held.

The centre-right camp had argued that it had the right to form a government because it held a majority of parliamentary votes with 101.

But Wednesday's vote showed disunity in the faction after several of its deputies decided at the last minute to walk out and not participate in the vote. The conservative TOP09 party immediately joined earlier calls by the main leftist parties and Zeman to hold an early election.

"The parliamentary club of TOP09... decided that it will support early elections," the faction's chief Petr Gazdik said.

Markets have largely ignored the political standoff, as the country has kept its deficits under control, beating its self-imposed targets despite recession. Debt is at half the EU average and debt yields are by far the lowest in central Europe.

The crisis clouds the outlook for the 2014 budget, in which the past and current cabinets planned to ease cutbacks to help revive an economy that has been in recession since 2011.

Rusnok's government had already dismissed senior ministry officials and the heads of the state railways, one of the country's largest employers, steps that were strongly criticised across the political spectrum.

Rusnok and ministers have also said they would consider changes at supervisory boards of other state and semi-state companies, including electricity firm CEZ.

Opinion polls show that the centre-left Social Democrats are likely to win early polls by a double-digit margin.

"Our estimate is that ... an election could be held in October this year," said Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka.

(Additonal reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Dutch embassy in Yemen was potential terror target - Foreign Minister

Posted:

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands has extended the closure of its embassy in Sana'a and pulled all diplomatic staff out of Yemen because its mission was a potential target of a terror attack, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said in a statement on Wednesday.

The decision was based on information from various intelligence agencies that several Western countries, including the Netherlands, were potential targets of a planned terror attack, a foreign ministry spokesman added.

Yemen's government said on Wednesday it had foiled a plot by al Qaeda to seize two major oil and gas export terminals and a provincial capital in the east of the country.

The United States recently issued a warning of potential attacks by militants and shut its diplomatic missions across the Middle East and Africa. Several Western countries, including the Netherlands, closed their embassies in Yemen temporarily because of security concerns.

(Reporting by Sara Webb and Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Will Waterman)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

A change in your career will happen - Are you prepared?
Ranhill Energy returns money to investors
FBM KLCI retreats on cautious sentiment

A change in your career will happen - Are you prepared?

Posted:

WHAT do I mean by "1,000-day itch"? Really, it's a term I've used in professional forums and talks to advocate setting of personal career goals. That then leads to conscious efforts to work specifically towards those career goals. Often enough these professional goals are inter-twined with personal goals as well.

Why 1,000 days? Well, think about it. Almost all would agree that life progresses in cycles. Throughout our education years, we'd likely be sitting for a major exam every two-three years. Then throughout our careers and personal adult life, either we'd be settling down, going through a new career challenge, or even planning to upgrade our car or home. There is even a tendency for economic cycles to follow a certain pattern of frequency. Please, however, regard the term "1,000 days" as an analogy. Change may happen in longer or even shorter intervals.

The question is how prepared are we for these next stages in life? Better still, have we consciously made an effort to better ourselves in anticipation of changes happening? For me personally, changes have happened in my professional career and to a greater extent in my personal life, every three years or so. This is why I refer to a "1,000-day itch". Sometimes I've been prepared in anticipation; sometimes not.

Joan Hoi, another popular columnist, writes in her book "Take on Change" that even as organisations go through change, the reality for change to happen is for someone in authority, likely the CEO or board, to feel sufficient pain or harbour strong ambitions for change. She also notes that another driver for change is ambition – the desire to achieve.

Regardless of how long it will take for the next change in our career, it will happen. It's a matter of when. The next question is how can we prepare ourselves to be ready for that change? Better still, how we, through specific efforts, will not only be ready for change, but dictate the direction of change that most suits us?

As Talent Consultants in Korn/Ferry, we constantly look for potential CEOs who have ambition. If one doesn't have personal ambition, how can they possibly drive the ambitions of an organisation? Other criteria we look for complementing depth of experience is one's ability to adapt to change. We call this learning agility.

It is disappointing to see, for example, senior professionals who have been in a role for countless numbers of years, doing the same thing day in day out. They are in their comfort zones. They too are the ones who constantly complain that they're being overlooked for C-Suite opportunities.

However, please don't get me wrong! I'm not suggesting that one should job-hop every three years. What I mean is that, even if you are in a role in an organisation for many years, there's no saying you can't improve how you perform as a professional, or be on the constant lookout for new opportunities to progress within the organisation.

The most important is to be ready. To be ready with experience and skill sets for the next change or "itch" to happen.

Much has been written about how one can be prepared professionally for next changes. Here are some pointers, which I've adapted from Korn/Ferry Institute publications.

1) Gain self awareness: "Self-Knowledge is the foundation upon which you can build self-confidence and success" – Dr Kevin Gazzara suggests. To get ahead, one needs to recognise your personal and professional strengths. Awareness makes us better leaders. You will be honest about your weak spots and will be able to work on them to better yourself to be ready for your next stage of growth.

2) Develop a posse of inspiration: Surround yourself with positive, successful people who have progressed in life. Some even look for mentors who can share their personal experiences for success.

3) Equip yourself with better qualifications: I've heard many arguments that there are just too many MBAs in the market, thus diluting its benefit. These comments are normally from those who sit on the sidelines complaining, while others progress. Like it or not, arm yourself with additional professional credentials, MBA or other pos-graduate qualifications, even via part-time programmes. This complements the years of on-the-job experience whilst broadening your knowledge.

4) Deliver excellence, speak up and gain recognition: Sounds a bit like a "motherhood statement," but there's no doubting exceptional performance that goes beyond what is expected sends a message to higher-ups that you are dedicated and have solid work ethics. To get noticed, you need to be heard and seen.

5) Polish your interpersonal skills: There are many fine examples of leaders who are polished speakers. They take extra efforts to enhance this skill. Some even engage personal coaches; some benefit from public programmes like Toastmasters International.

6) Be a risk taker: Another point for debate. In the business world, there are those who stagnate at their job and those who excel. In an environment that is constantly changing, one may need to take calculated risks to stay ahead of the game. This also encourages you to push beyond your comfort zone in order to learn, grown, build self-confidence and succeed.

7) Balanced perspectives of life – faith in the Almighty: Personally, I take this as being No. 1 on my list. Work hard and be sincere towards achieving what you desire in life, without forgetting that all is destined by the Almighty.

I hope the perspectives outlined in the column are well received by all. Personally these are pointers I have adopted in my personal life and career, of which I hope may benefit you too.

On a final note, I'd like to give credit to an uncle of mine, who I recall coined the phrase "1,000-day itch" and shared his thoughts with me so many years ago. He most probably has forgotten. I certainly have not.

Ranhill Energy returns money to investors

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: All the monies collected for the recently scrapped initial public offering (IPO) of Ranhill Energy and Resources Bhd from applicants and investors were refunded as of yesterday, the firm said in an announcement to the stock exchange.

Ranhill Energy, whose much-anticipated listing was canned just days before a scheduled debut on July 31, had said two weeks ago that it would return the funds without interest after the plug was pulled on its RM753mil IPO.

Although no official reason was cited, the freezing of a crucial Petroliam Nasional Bhd licence held by its affiliate was understood to have been key to unraveling the listing, which was touted as a comeback for Tan Sri Hamdan Mohamad (pic) and his Ranhill group.

Ranhill Energy had kept mum on the suspension for about a week before the news broke on StarBiz, leading the regulators to defer its IPO.

Although the national oil company has since restored Perunding Ranhill Worley Sdn Bhd's (PRW) licence for upstream jobs, the downstream suspension remains in place.

It is not known if PRW would seek to have its downstream licence remedied.

While Ranhill Energy's concession businesses - which provide steady recurring income from lengthy power and water concessions - have been seen as its most lucrative divisions, its oil and gas (O&G) engineering arm makes up a substantial 10% of the group's annual sales.

Meanwhile, news reports surfaced yesterday implying that Hamdan might seek to raise capital in Singapore, Dubai or Hong Kong within the next one to two years, after having fallen out with investors here.

However, industry observers told StarBiz that Ranhill Energy should take a breather to iron out its issues before it seriously considers another flotation exercise.

A bank-backed analyst also suggested that Ranhill carve out its problematic O&G arm from a future listing, even if this means a smaller share sale.

"Ranhill needs to restructure before it regains the confidence of investors," the analyst said.

FBM KLCI retreats on cautious sentiment

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: Cautious sentiment on the macro outlook caused some selling pressure on the local bourse on Wednesday's half-trading day.

While several analysts believe that the long-term fundamentals of the local economy remain strong despite external headwinds, selling pressure could still persist in the short term, particularly when the market re-opens on Monday.

Alliance Research analyst Teoh Chang Yeow said in a report that the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index (FBM KLCI) would likely trade below the 1,776.99-point level on Monday.

"The analysis of overall daily market action on Aug 7 revealed that buying power was weaker than selling pressure," he said.

The FBM KLCI was 5.32 points lower yesterday on light volume of 135.5 million shares.

Inter-Pacific Research Sdn Bhd research head Pong Teng Siew saidsome institutional funds were not willing to hold over the long weekend due to the uncertain external signals.

He told StarBiz that local investors turned cautious when key United States equity indices fell the night before on concerns about the tapering of the quantitative easing measures.

"Technical signals that are pointing to the Dow Jones registering a 5% drop on news of the bond purchase programme cut-down are similar to those gathered in June," he noted.

Concurring that investors were taking the cue from the US market, Philip Capital Management Sdn Bhd's chief investment officer Ang Kok Heng said the adjustment should be short-term.

"The volatility seen could be temporary, as the stock market would be supported by fundamentals when economies are doing well ultimately," he said, adding that the signals from the US were confusing, as good economic data became bad news.

He cautioned that investors should look out for changes in economic data and currency trends.

Ang explained that interest rates would be raised when the economic environment was supportive, while bond prices would go down, hence leading to weaker currencies, which would affect selective stocks.

"When currencies adjust, some companies would benefit and this bodes well for short-term trading," he said.

Nonetheless, the outlook for the Malaysian equity market was still resilient, especially on mid-cap stocks, which still provided value for investors, Ang added.

Pong said there were signs that China, South Korea and possibly Singapore could post slower growth this year.

However, he said Malaysia should be able to keep up with the anticipated growth rate, as construction activities, a major contributor to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), have been picking up well.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

Lighter side of life

Posted:

Double Oscar winner Denzel Washington relished the opportunity to tread new ground in 2 Guns.

Double Oscar winner Denzel Washington relished the opportunity to tread new ground alongside Mark Wahlberg in their new film 2 Guns, an action caper by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur.

Washington, 58, is renowned for heavyweight roles including anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko and Malcolm X. But he jumped at the chance to move to the lighter side, particularly as he was coming off the back of 2012's Flight, in which he played an airline pilot struggling with addiction issues.

"After Flight I was looking for something more fun," Washington said at the New York launch of the film, which opened in the United States last Friday.

Part comedy caper, part buddy movie, the film recounts the story of a DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer who start out investigating each other, but end up on the run together.

The actors also clicked off-screen.

"So, when I read the script and when I heard that Mark was involved I said, Ok, I can be safe cause I knew Mark is not just funny but he's also hard," Washington said of his co-star, who enjoyed major comedy success with his lead role in Ted.

"He allowed me to go for, you know, don't worry about being too silly or whatever. For me it was new territory. That's why I wanted to go out with someone who knows that territory better than I do."

Wahlberg was not surprised that Washington took to comedy with ease. "We've known each other for a while.

"What's surprised me is how willing Denzel was to just try everything. He has been very supportive with me."

Jar City director Kormakur said Washington was a comedy natural. "He had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the world does not get the chance to see his funny side as much as it should." – AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Family quits home after tragedy
Businessman's car gets blown up
Bail for couple in maid's death

Family quits home after tragedy

Posted:

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The family of a three-year-old toddler, who died of suffocation in an exorcism ritual gone wrong, is believed to have moved out of their home in Taman Bukit Minyak, Bukit Tengah here.

A neighbour, who declined to be named, said the family rarely came home after the tragedy.

"These days, the husband Chua Seng Ban only briefly stops by the house to feed the dog or clean the porch. He usually comes back twice a week around noon to avoid bumping into neighbours.

"I also spotted the wife Lim She Lee coming to stay for the night a few times," she said here yesterday.

The neighbour added that prior to the tragedy, the family hardly exchanged pleasantries with neighbours and only nodded to acknowledge them.

"The family kept to themselves," she said.

A check by The Star at the acupuncture and medical hall where Lim works as a traditional medicine practitioner showed that the shop has been closed for three consecutive days.

The couple was among the six family members fined a total of RM55,000 by a Sessions Court after they pleaded guilty for negligently causing the death of Chua Wan Xuen on Aug 5 last year.

Seng Ban and Lim, her uncle Chua Seng Hoo, 29, aunt Chua Ah Luan, 40, and grandmother Ong Soh Guat, 67, were each fined RM10,000 in default five months jail while her 21-year-old cousin Loke Xim Lin was fined RM5,000 in default two months jail.

The eighth person was their Indonesian maid, who became a prosecution witness, and testified against the family.

Wan Xuen, aged two years and nine months at the time, was found naked and pinned under eight people during the ritual.

Businessman's car gets blown up

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: A wealthy businessman, who owns several restaurants and nightclubs in the city, escaped death when his luxury car was blown up even as he was in the car. Both he and his driver escaped unhurt.

A bomb strapped below the vehicle apparently exploded sending ball bearings ripping through the boot of the Jaguar.

The businessman, a Datuk Seri, and his driver were passing Taman Taynton View in Cheras on Monday night when the device was detonated on Monday night.

The businessman, however, is said to be a former detainee under the Emergency Ordinance and had been detained in Simpang Renggam for more than a year.

According to the report lodged by his driver, they were driving past Jalan Nadchantiram in the area at about 8.45pm when the back of the car blew up. He said they stopped the car and rushed out.

When they inspected the damage later, there were ball bearings in the boot and the back of the car was blown off.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said the the blast damaged the rear of the car and no one, not even other motorists or passers-by, were injured.

Police believe the incident could be an act of sabotage.

It is believed the Datuk Seri, who received his title from Pahang, had been detained under the Emergency Ordinance in 2005 and released 17 months later. There is also talk that he may have been involved in underworld activities that may have led to the attack on him and his car.

Bail for couple in maid's death

Posted:

GEORGE TOWN: A couple who were each jailed 24 years for starving their Cambodian maid to death raised RM300,000 with the help of their relatives after a High Court here granted them bail pending their appeal.

Justice Zamani Abdul Rahim allowed hardware store owner Soh Chew Tong, 44, and his wife Chin Chui Ling, 41, a stay of execution on their jail terms and bail of RM150,000 in two sureties each.

He also ordered them to surrender their international passports to the court and to report to the Simpang Ampat police station between the first and third days of every month until a decision is made by the Court of Appeal.

Soh and Chin emerging from the courtroom in George Town.

Chin's mother was seen wiping away tears when she heard that the couple were allowed bail. She had waited outside the courtroom with the couple's three-year-old daughter before the proceeding began.

On May 16, Justice Zamani found the couple guilty of causing the death of Mey Sichan, 24, at their home in Taman Asas Mumi, Jalan Bukit Minyak in Bukit Mertajam, between Jan 1 and April 1, last year.

They were originally charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence, but on March 28, the judge amended the charge to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304(a), which carries a jail term of up to 30 years and a possible fine.

During the trial earlier, the court had heard that Mey weighed only 26.1kg when she was rescued by the authorities. She subsequently died.

Justice Zamani had ordered the couple to serve their jail term from the date of arrest on April 1 last year.

Yesterday, the couple were represented by counsel B. Jeyasingam while deputy public prosecutor Lim Cheah Yit prosecuted.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

Lee: Even a 'baby bonus' won't help

Posted:

IF former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew were in charge of Singapore today, he would have introduced a baby bonus equal to two years of the average Singaporean's salary.

This would not be to boost the country's abysmal total fertility rate of 1.2. Rather, Lee would do it to "prove that super-sized monetary incentives would only have a marginal effect on fertility rates".

Writing in his new book (pic), One Man's View Of The World, Lee makes clear that he would offer this huge baby bonus for at least a year.

The experiment will "prove beyond any doubt that our low birth rates have nothing to do with economic or financial factors, such as high cost of living or lack of government help for parents", he says.

Instead, it is due to the transformed lifestyles and mindsets which the Government is powerless against, he argued in the 400-page book that was launched yesterday.

Declining fertility was the biggest threat to Singapore's survival, he said.

But, Lee adds: "I cannot solve the problem, and I have given up.

"I have given the job to another generation of leaders. Hopefully, they or their successors will eventually find a way out."

In a chapter on Singapore, he also said the suggestion that the "Stop at Two" population campaign of the 1970s played a part in bringing fertility rates down is "absurd".

Rather, falling fertility is a global phenomenon due primarily to women's emancipation and participation in the workplace, he said.

The chapter on Singapore is one of 11 in the new book, which focuses largely on foreign affairs.

Lee covers regions including the Middle East and superpowers such as the United States and China, as well as issues like the future of the global economy and climate change.

He writes candidly about his past encounters with many world leaders and impressions of countries, but the bulk of the book looks forward as he sizes up these countries' strengths, weaknesses and chances of success.

He returns to the issue of low fertility often, pointing to it as the reason Japan, a country he once considered "peerless", is now on what he calls a "stroll into mediocrity". — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Singaporeans going on longer trips to more exotic places

Posted:

FROM Turkey to Tibet – the travel bug has been biting Singaporeans harder than ever, thanks to low-cost airlines and a stronger currency.

Not only are locals travelling longer, they are also spending more by going to more exotic locations according to a straw poll conducted by the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas).

Last month's survey of 20 outbound travel agencies here found that a Singaporean who booked a flight in the first seven months of this year went away for an average of seven days. It was only five days during the same period last year, said Natas chief operating officer Anita Tan.

Travellers are also paying between S$1,500 (RM3,840) and S$2,000 (RM5,120) for their package or free-and-easy booking, an increase of 20% from last year's figure.

This was due to more Singa-poreans putting more unusual destinations, including South Africa and Mongolia, on their itinerary, said Tan.

The Maldives has been particularly popular. Its blue waters have pulled in 50% more Singaporeans over the past two years, with arrivals this year hitting 5,084 according to the government there.

Another hot spot was Turkey, which welcomed 10,364 Singa-poreans in the first half of the year alone, 22% more than in 2011, despite recent protests there.

CTC Travel, one of the major agencies here, had also been selling twice as many packages to Tibet and Mongolia as compared to last year.

"The low-cost carriers have really fuelled interest," said Alicia Seah, the firm's senior vice-president.

Chan Brothers highlighted a 20% rise in packages to the Maldives and a 15% increase to South Africa. Online travel giant Zuji had reported that there were triple the number of bookings to Male and Hokkaido from Singapore, according to a sales report released yesterday.

Eileen Oh, head of marketing and communications at ASA Holidays, which had seen bookings to Hokkaido surge by 30% for travel from now till year-end, believes that the strong Singapore dollar has helped to make longer-haul trips more affordable.

Jean Chia, 33, has opted for a week in Hokkaido instead of her usual three-day getaway in Kuala Lumpur.

"I want a different experience," said the baker, who is paying S$7,000 (RM18,000) for the trip for three. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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Fighting an uphill battle, the outreach way

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Instant Cafe Theatre Company has an outreach project that may help encourage more schoolchildren to be involved in theatre.

AN ARTS school may be a start, but the general feeling is that a more systematic approach to bring arts appreciation into the mainstream is needed. "Corporations often moan about how graduates these days don't know how to think out of the box," says Jo Kukathas, a seasoned theatre practitioner. "Well, maybe that's because we've taken all the creativity out of our schools!"

Kukathas thinks getting more schoolchildren to engage in theatre would be a great way to bring back critical thinking. In fact, she tried to do just that, with the Instant Café Theatre (ICT) Company's Parah School Outreach Project.

She envisioned getting schoolchildren to actually do parts of Parah, a thought-provoking play about self-identity in a pluralistic society told through the eyes of four secondary school students.

The play by Alfian Sa'at has been widely acclaimed and ICT has had to re-stage it to sold-out houses in order to keep up with demand.

Theatre veteran Jo Kukathas wonders if the reason corporations feel many graduates can't think out of the box is because the creativity has been taken out of schools.

Getting permission to conduct the workshops in government schools, however, proved impossible.

And without funding, the programme would have been too expensive to roll out, even if it was just in international schools.

With characteristic perseverance, however, ICT instead adapted the Parah project into a more affordable format: a DVD project.

This will include a video of the play itself, a documentary on the play that doubles as a teaching kit, plus an online teaching component that can be used by co-curricular drama clubs, for example.

"Through the DVD, students will be able to learn about the wider aspects of theatre, through interviews with practitioners," Kukathas said. "Our lighting and set designers will talk about what they do, the playwright will talk about scriptwriting, and the actors will talk about their roles and how to do character development."

The Parah project is quite unique in that it is creating a reusable infrastructure of sorts, which can be used by educators anywhere to teach students about theatre wherever they are, and whoever they are.

Other outreach projects exist too – Hands Percussion and the Actors Studio, for example, often take workshops to more isolated communities where there is less access to arts than in the capital.

Most are fighting an uphill battle despite recent government initiatives to pay more attention to developing the arts.

For example, Kakiseni's new grant scheme, under the National Creative Industry Policy, disburses funds from the National Department for Culture and Arts.

While appreciated, it is just not enough; many practitioners who believe in bringing the power of the arts to the masses are still struggling to make their ambitions a reality.

ICT received seed funding for its project under the Arts in the Community grant, but it received just RM6,000 whereas the the DVD and documentary kit will probably add up to around RM60,000.

It hopes to find sponsors to help fund the rest, so that even if ICT members cannot be there in person to conduct workshops, the project will at least empower teachers or mentors who can do so. — Natalie Heng

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In Part Two of our series on 'What's eating the performing arts?', we examine its role in and value to society.

ART IS a vehicle though which a community can celebrate its collective identity – history may furnish us with dates, names and landmark events, but to truly grasp the essence of society, we turn to art, which affords people the freedom to express, reflect, inspire and think.

June Tan is a member of the multilingual, multidisciplinary arts group known as the Five Arts Collective. She's been producing shows for over six years because "Every time I sit down to discuss how to stage a performance, a part of my brain opens up – it's the part intent on discovery, on answering questions about what makes us human."

What makes it special for her, she says, is the raw and honest nature of how an artist performing live can connect to an audience. There is an immediacy originating from the lack of physical boundaries, which simply cannot be replicated through any other medium.

But theatre is powerful for other reasons too.

Actress and director Jo Kukathas has the perfect anecdote to illustrate how theatre can help us cast the light of public discourse upon the buried roots of a society's insecurities.

During a talk-back session after a staging of Alfian Saat's Nadirah, which tackles Malaysia's love-race-religion triangle of taboos, a university student who was watching theatre for the first time stood up.

"He said, 'As a science student, I like to ask questions. Now, all my friends are Chinese, but there are some Malay girls in my class, and I was speaking to one in the canteen. I asked how she would feel if her husband decided to take another wife, but my (Chinese) friends told me, you shouldn't ask questions like that, because it is her culture, nothing to do with you,' " recounts Kukathas.

Kukathas recalls how he stated that this made him feel sad, because he wasn't trying to be difficult – he was genuinely just curious about polygamy.

Having watched Nadirah, however, the student said he felt the play was talking about all the things that he wanted to talk about, but felt he wasn't allowed to.

The most moving thing about it was seeing the tears in his eyes when he said: "This is what I want, so much what I want, and I feel this is what people want."

Kukathas' story shines a light on the important role the performing arts can play in reflecting the issues and concerns of contemporary society.

"Seeing someone literally embodying a dilemma that you are facing can be very moving, and that's the power that theatre has. It's a very cathartic, transformative power," she adds.

Types of art

In assessing its value to society, it is important to acknowledge different interpretations of the term "the performing arts".

Some may use the term to refer to all forms of art, such as dance, drama, and music performed before an audience.

Others however, such as Kukathas, draw a distinction between art created in response to market demand, and art created in its own right – be it as social commentary, the expression of original ideas, or as an exploration of new and groundbreaking aesthetics.

The classical Indian dance icon Datuk Ramli Ibrahim points out that such a distinction is important: "It's the difference between products that pander to the common denominator, and 'serious art'.

"Anthropologically I find Starbucks and Lady Gaga to be valid representations of the cultural pysche; however, whether those things need as much support as the Mak Yong, or serious films, or experimental arts, is another matter."

The five dancers in Joseph Gonzales's Wirama extract the emotive essences of the different characters from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Gonzales feels there needs to be more exposure for the arts, the 'less popular' forms of which may be perceived as being less accessible to the average citizen.

No easy access: The five dancers in Joseph Gonzales's Wirama extract the emotive essences of the
different characters from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Gonzales feels there needs to be more exposure for the arts, the 'less popular' forms of which may be perceived as being less accessible to the average citizen.

Practitioners often say there is a difference between "entertainment" – a banner under which many consider to include the popular musicals of the West End and Broadway, and "art".

A defining characteristic of the latter is perhaps that for it to truly thrive, it must not be held captive to market forces.

Part of this is caused by the often exploratory nature of art, which Pentas Project founder Loh Kok Man elaborates on: "Art is like science – you need time to experiment and try new things. Sometimes it becomes a failure, sometimes it becomes a success."

For him, traditional art is important because it tells the story of humanity's cultural evolution.

Of equal if not greater importance is contemporary art – because it says something about who we are now, and how our society and culture are evolving today.

Theatre can help cast the light of public discourse upon the buried roots of a society¿s insecurities. Alfian Saat¿s Nadirah, which tackles Malaysia¿s love-race-religion triangle of taboos, has had a cathartic impact on audiences.

"It represents what we are living and feeling now, and what we understand about our society," Loh adds.

But the question is: can art in this context sustain itself? It would seem that there are some things that can't run on capitalism.

In fact, the British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) once called the exploitation of art by prostituting it to the purposes of financial gain, "one of the worser (sic) crimes of present day capitalism".

As such, he believed in supporting the arts, and was instrumental in the setting up of an arm's-length government institution that would channel funds into the arts – the British Arts Council – the model of which has been emulated by nations all over the world.

Many recognise that for art to thrive, there must be room for risk.

In a famous recorded radio broadcast aired a year after his death, Keynes offered his definition of "the artist": The artist walks where the breath of the spirit blows him. He cannot be told his direction. He doesn't know it himself. But he leads the rest of us into new pastures, and he teaches us to love and enjoy what we often begin by rejecting, enlarging our sensibilities and purifying our instincts.

Related Story:

Output audiences and affordability

What's eating the performance arts?

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