Jumaat, 9 Ogos 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Lee: GDP growth forecast up

Posted:

The Singapore economy is holding steady and is likely to grow faster than the expected 2.5% to 3.5% this year, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The full year GDP growth figure was revised upwards from 1 to 3%, as the economy expanded 2% in the first half of the year.

"The economy is holding steady amidst global uncertainties. We are attracting more quality investments. Unemployment remains low."

He added that Singapore must maintain investor confidence and be open for business even as it tightens up on foreign workers and immigration.

The Prime Minister also signalled a shift in Singapore's approach to nation building, saying that the government will play a bigger role to build a fair and just society.

It will help everyone succeed, as Singapore and the world experience changes in society and more pressure from technology on jobs and incomes.

Lee said the government will do more to help children from less well-off families get off to a good start from pre-school, help the elderly cope with healthcare costs, help every family own an HDB flat, and give low-income workers a better deal through the Workfare income supplement scheme.

"In Singapore, everyone will always have a stake in this country, and ample chances to make good in life," he said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

St Margaret's Secondary girls allowed to go wig-less

Posted:

The St Margaret's Secondary principal in the Hair for Hope incident has now allowed the five girls involved to go wig-less after discussion with the students, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat in a post about the incident on his Facebook page.

"I am happy to learn that yesterday, (Marion) Tan and her teachers spoke with the students who participated in Hair for Hope," Heng wrote.

"The girls shared with their principal the learning they have had through this experience. Tan, on her part, has also reflected on her decision, and understood that the girls wanted to show empathy and solidarity with cancer patients which entail the experience of going bald.

"With this in mind, she has supported all five in their wish not to conceal their shaved heads. I am glad that the principal, teachers and students of St Margaret's Secondary School have resolved this and will move on from here," he said.

Last week, the St Margaret's students who had their heads shaved for the Hair for Hope charity event in support of children with cancer were taken to task for not wearing wigs after they had promised to do so.

In his blog post on Wednesday morning, Heng added that the teaching community was very proud that the students had shown great character by showing solidarity with those afflicted with cancer. "It is not easy for a teenage girl to shave her head – I fully appreciate and applaud the commitment it shows," wrote Heng adding that the Ministry wants schools to nurture young people with a natural empathy for those who have known suffering.

He noted that Tan felt the same way and did give her support to the students to join in the charity exercise but on condition that the girls would don wigs in school. While some may say the school is being rigid, he said he understood the principal's rationale for asking the girls to wear wigs. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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Gerard's back on form

Posted:

Gerard Depardieu returns to Paris for Fifa film after fallout with the French.

VETERAN French actor Gerard Depardieu is shooting a film in Paris for the first time since he sparked a huge outcry by leaving France for tax reasons and taking Russian nationality.

In an exclusive interview with AFP, the 64-year-old film star said he did not move out of the country to escape the taxman but to flee "the way governments use the money they take". The award-winning performer made global headlines late last year when he decided to move to Belgium after the Socialist government sought to impose a 75% tax rate on annual incomes over one million euros (RM4.29mil).

He was subsequently granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin. The decision stirred up controversy, as have his friendships with Putin and Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov – both accused of human rights violations.

"It's the first time that I'm shooting again in France (since the controversy)," he told AFP on Sunday of his new film about the history of the Fifa World Cup, in which he plays the competition's creator Jules Rimet.

"I had refused all French films as people could not understand. I am Russian and a Belgian resident. I live in Russia, where I spent three-and-a-half months. I have firms in the countries in which I live because it's more advantageous.

"In 15 years, I have spent maybe only five months in France. Since December 2012, a month-and-a-half ... I am not escaping the taxman but the way governments use the money they take," he said by phone.

The film shoot in Paris will only last around 20 days, and Depardieu will be acting in English alongside "an international cast" of British, Australian and American actors including Tim Roth, he said, without giving more details.

Under the helm of French director Frederic Auburtin, the actors will also work on location in Brazil, Switzerland and Spain, and the film is due to come out in time for the 2014 World Cup.

"The film was planned a long time ago but it proved difficult to set up," Depardieu said. "It's the history of football as told by four men of incredible power," including Rimet, the co-founder of Fifa, the world football governing body.

Known as much for his acting skills as for his erratic off-screen behaviour, Depardieu was recently fined 4,000 euros (RM17,150) and had his licence suspended for driving his scooter in Paris while drunk in November.

But according to a person close to the actor, who refused to be named, he is now "on top form and has stopped all excesses".

Depardieu will play Dominique Strauss-Kahn in an upcoming film inspired by the spectacular fall from grace of the French former IMF chief, who was accused of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid.

He is also due to star in a historic serial penned by Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's leader, with whom he has also released a pop duet. – AFP Relaxnews

Out of the blue

Posted:

Sacré bleu! More trouble awaits Smurfs in Paris.

HAVE you ever wondered why Smurfette is the lone female Smurf amongst 99 males?

Well, if you are a true blue Smurf fan (pun intended!), you will know that it is because Smurfette was actually created by the Smurfs' nemesis, the evil wizard Gargamel.

He intended for pretty Smurfette to use her feminine charms to distract and trap the male Smurfs for his nefarious purposes.

Fortunately, with love, kindness and a specially-created magic potion, Papa Smurf was able to help transform her into the sweet Smurf we know and love today.

But is that inner naughtiness still hiding inside Smurfette?

That is exactly what The Smurfs 2, sequel to the 2011 hybrid live action and animation effort that first brought the Smurfs to the silver screen, explores.

Singer Katy Perry, who voices Smurfette, says: "Although I (Smurfette) was created in an evil atmosphere, everybody has the opportunity to change whatever they were born into, if they want to.

"Yes, the yin and yang do exist, but the good trumps the bad with Smurfette." Perry was speaking to reporters from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia in a video press conference call from Cancun, Mexico, earlier this year, along with castmates Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria, as well as director Raja Gosnell.

Now, the first movie involved some of the Smurfs being accidentally sucked through an interdimensional portal and marooned in New York City, along with Gargamel and his sidekick cat, Azrael.

There, they meet expecting couple Patrick and Grace Winslow (played by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays respectively), who, after getting over their disbelief of the existence of little blue creatures, help them to both evade Gargamel and find their way home.

In this second movie, Gargamel, who was left stranded in New York with Azrael, has established himself as a celebrity magician in Paris.

However, he is running low on the Smurf essence that powers his magic.

So, he decides to create the Naughties – Vexy and Hackus (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove respectively) – using the same technique that made Smurfette.

But, in order to get the magical Smurf essence that he needs, Gargamel has to get hold of Smurfette, who holds the key to transforming the Naughties into Smurfs.

The decision to film in Paris was a homage of sorts to the creator of the Smurfs, Peyo, the Belgian comic artist who wrote in his mother tongue – French.

Says Gosnell: "Paris seemed like a great second city to go to after New York, and we captured some beautiful moments there, and we're all really excited about it."

The cast and crew got to film amongst the buttresses of Notre Dame, as well as the home of the Paris Opera – the historic Palais Garnier, which ranked among the most memorable moments of the process for Harris and Gosnell.

Says Harris: "Because it (the Palais Garnier) was a tourist spot, we only filmed after it closed and all night long, so it was very memorable to be in that specific landmark with the freedom to roam and see all of these amazing hallways and backstage areas, and film sort of all night long in this super-classic opera house. I really enjoyed doing that."

Gosnell adds: "There's hundreds of years of history in that building, and we are the first film that's been allowed to shoot inside and on the stage to the extent that we did, and it was just... standing under that Chagall ceiling, and looking up and thinking of the history of the performances that have been there – it was kind of overwhelming."

Tribute to Papa Smurf

The quartet also shared their thoughts on comedian Jonathan Winters, the voice of Papa Smurf, who had passed away recently.

Although neither Azaria nor Harris had the opportunity to work with the renowned comic due to the isolated nature of voice work, they both shared a deep respect for his legacy.

Azaria, who is well-known for his diverse voice work, especially on The Simpsons, says: "I can tell you that, growing up, watching his comedy was definitely inspirational, especially to somebody who wanted to do voices and mimic and do accents.

"He was one of the first guys who did that, so I was really sad to hear of his passing."

Harris adds that they were literally just talking about Winters before the video press conference started.

"We were talking about his amazing abilities, and I was thinking about the Johnny Carson Show and all of the amazing voices and energy and improv(isation) ability that he had.

"He just had a remarkable energy, and yet, still a great voice, so it's nice to know that that crazy energy plays into, and allowed for, a very calm, wise, deep-voiced Papa Smurf. We were lucky to have him."

Gosnell shares that Winters' health was such that they had to record his voice work at his home in California.

"The last session we did was two weeks before he passed.

"We drove to Santa Barbara, because he was no longer able to travel. He worked hard to do it.

"He was in and out a bit, so we had a sense that we may not see him again, but I have to tell you, being Papa Smurf was the single best thing for him at the end of his life.

"It gave him something to be proud of, something to do, and sort of reintroduced him to an entirely new generation of fans.

"So I feel very lucky for us that we had him, and lucky for him that he had Papa Smurf to make his own."

The Smurfs 2 is dedicated in memory of Winters.

The Smurfs 2 opens in cinemas nationwide Thursday.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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Gerard's back on form

Posted:

Gerard Depardieu returns to Paris for Fifa film after fallout with the French.

VETERAN French actor Gerard Depardieu is shooting a film in Paris for the first time since he sparked a huge outcry by leaving France for tax reasons and taking Russian nationality.

In an exclusive interview with AFP, the 64-year-old film star said he did not move out of the country to escape the taxman but to flee "the way governments use the money they take". The award-winning performer made global headlines late last year when he decided to move to Belgium after the Socialist government sought to impose a 75% tax rate on annual incomes over one million euros (RM4.29mil).

He was subsequently granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin. The decision stirred up controversy, as have his friendships with Putin and Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov – both accused of human rights violations.

"It's the first time that I'm shooting again in France (since the controversy)," he told AFP on Sunday of his new film about the history of the Fifa World Cup, in which he plays the competition's creator Jules Rimet.

"I had refused all French films as people could not understand. I am Russian and a Belgian resident. I live in Russia, where I spent three-and-a-half months. I have firms in the countries in which I live because it's more advantageous.

"In 15 years, I have spent maybe only five months in France. Since December 2012, a month-and-a-half ... I am not escaping the taxman but the way governments use the money they take," he said by phone.

The film shoot in Paris will only last around 20 days, and Depardieu will be acting in English alongside "an international cast" of British, Australian and American actors including Tim Roth, he said, without giving more details.

Under the helm of French director Frederic Auburtin, the actors will also work on location in Brazil, Switzerland and Spain, and the film is due to come out in time for the 2014 World Cup.

"The film was planned a long time ago but it proved difficult to set up," Depardieu said. "It's the history of football as told by four men of incredible power," including Rimet, the co-founder of Fifa, the world football governing body.

Known as much for his acting skills as for his erratic off-screen behaviour, Depardieu was recently fined 4,000 euros (RM17,150) and had his licence suspended for driving his scooter in Paris while drunk in November.

But according to a person close to the actor, who refused to be named, he is now "on top form and has stopped all excesses".

Depardieu will play Dominique Strauss-Kahn in an upcoming film inspired by the spectacular fall from grace of the French former IMF chief, who was accused of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid.

He is also due to star in a historic serial penned by Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's leader, with whom he has also released a pop duet. – AFP Relaxnews

Out of the blue

Posted:

Sacré bleu! More trouble awaits Smurfs in Paris.

HAVE you ever wondered why Smurfette is the lone female Smurf amongst 99 males?

Well, if you are a true blue Smurf fan (pun intended!), you will know that it is because Smurfette was actually created by the Smurfs' nemesis, the evil wizard Gargamel.

He intended for pretty Smurfette to use her feminine charms to distract and trap the male Smurfs for his nefarious purposes.

Fortunately, with love, kindness and a specially-created magic potion, Papa Smurf was able to help transform her into the sweet Smurf we know and love today.

But is that inner naughtiness still hiding inside Smurfette?

That is exactly what The Smurfs 2, sequel to the 2011 hybrid live action and animation effort that first brought the Smurfs to the silver screen, explores.

Singer Katy Perry, who voices Smurfette, says: "Although I (Smurfette) was created in an evil atmosphere, everybody has the opportunity to change whatever they were born into, if they want to.

"Yes, the yin and yang do exist, but the good trumps the bad with Smurfette." Perry was speaking to reporters from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia in a video press conference call from Cancun, Mexico, earlier this year, along with castmates Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria, as well as director Raja Gosnell.

Now, the first movie involved some of the Smurfs being accidentally sucked through an interdimensional portal and marooned in New York City, along with Gargamel and his sidekick cat, Azrael.

There, they meet expecting couple Patrick and Grace Winslow (played by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays respectively), who, after getting over their disbelief of the existence of little blue creatures, help them to both evade Gargamel and find their way home.

In this second movie, Gargamel, who was left stranded in New York with Azrael, has established himself as a celebrity magician in Paris.

However, he is running low on the Smurf essence that powers his magic.

So, he decides to create the Naughties – Vexy and Hackus (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove respectively) – using the same technique that made Smurfette.

But, in order to get the magical Smurf essence that he needs, Gargamel has to get hold of Smurfette, who holds the key to transforming the Naughties into Smurfs.

The decision to film in Paris was a homage of sorts to the creator of the Smurfs, Peyo, the Belgian comic artist who wrote in his mother tongue – French.

Says Gosnell: "Paris seemed like a great second city to go to after New York, and we captured some beautiful moments there, and we're all really excited about it."

The cast and crew got to film amongst the buttresses of Notre Dame, as well as the home of the Paris Opera – the historic Palais Garnier, which ranked among the most memorable moments of the process for Harris and Gosnell.

Says Harris: "Because it (the Palais Garnier) was a tourist spot, we only filmed after it closed and all night long, so it was very memorable to be in that specific landmark with the freedom to roam and see all of these amazing hallways and backstage areas, and film sort of all night long in this super-classic opera house. I really enjoyed doing that."

Gosnell adds: "There's hundreds of years of history in that building, and we are the first film that's been allowed to shoot inside and on the stage to the extent that we did, and it was just... standing under that Chagall ceiling, and looking up and thinking of the history of the performances that have been there – it was kind of overwhelming."

Tribute to Papa Smurf

The quartet also shared their thoughts on comedian Jonathan Winters, the voice of Papa Smurf, who had passed away recently.

Although neither Azaria nor Harris had the opportunity to work with the renowned comic due to the isolated nature of voice work, they both shared a deep respect for his legacy.

Azaria, who is well-known for his diverse voice work, especially on The Simpsons, says: "I can tell you that, growing up, watching his comedy was definitely inspirational, especially to somebody who wanted to do voices and mimic and do accents.

"He was one of the first guys who did that, so I was really sad to hear of his passing."

Harris adds that they were literally just talking about Winters before the video press conference started.

"We were talking about his amazing abilities, and I was thinking about the Johnny Carson Show and all of the amazing voices and energy and improv(isation) ability that he had.

"He just had a remarkable energy, and yet, still a great voice, so it's nice to know that that crazy energy plays into, and allowed for, a very calm, wise, deep-voiced Papa Smurf. We were lucky to have him."

Gosnell shares that Winters' health was such that they had to record his voice work at his home in California.

"The last session we did was two weeks before he passed.

"We drove to Santa Barbara, because he was no longer able to travel. He worked hard to do it.

"He was in and out a bit, so we had a sense that we may not see him again, but I have to tell you, being Papa Smurf was the single best thing for him at the end of his life.

"It gave him something to be proud of, something to do, and sort of reintroduced him to an entirely new generation of fans.

"So I feel very lucky for us that we had him, and lucky for him that he had Papa Smurf to make his own."

The Smurfs 2 is dedicated in memory of Winters.

The Smurfs 2 opens in cinemas nationwide Thursday.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Mexico releases drug lord behind 1985 DEA agent killing

Posted:

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Notorious Mexican drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero, convicted of ordering the torture and murder of a U.S. anti-drugs agent in 1985, was freed from prison on Friday in a move that angered the U.S. government.

Caro Quintero had served 28 years of a 40-year sentence for the brutal death of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena and was released after a Mexican court ruled he should have been tried at a state level rather than on federal charges.

The DEA said it was "deeply troubled" by his early release and that it would push for him to be tried in a U.S. court.

"We are reminded every day of the ultimate sacrifice paid by Special Agent Camarena and DEA will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Caro Quintero faces charges in the United States for the crimes he committed," it said in a statement.

Caro Quintero, who is believed to be 60, holds a special place in Mexican drug lore. He was one of the leaders of the Guadalajara cartel, a forerunner of the Sinaloa cartel which is currently led by Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, the country's most-wanted drug lord.

Caro Quintero was freed from the Puente Grande prison in the western Mexican state of Jalisco on Friday morning, according to the state attorney general's office.

"There are various factors, and among them the fact that he already served his time for drug trafficking," a court official said in explaining the release.

Camarena was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in retaliation for his involvement in a number of successful drug busts.

At the time, the United States was furious at a perceived lacklustre effort to catch Camarena's killer and the episode marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations. Caro Quintero was caught in Costa Rica in 1985.

His release raises the possibility of a renewed tussle between the two countries over the possible extradition of the aging drug lord.

U.S. Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said the government was "extremely disappointed" by the decision to free Caro Quintero and that it "has continued to make clear to Mexican authorities the continued interest of the United States in securing Caro Quintero's extradition so that he might face justice in the United States."

A source from the Mexican attorney general's office said Caro Quintero cannot be extradited to the United States because a decision by Mexico's Supreme Court bars extradition of Mexicans to countries that may impose the death penalty or life imprisonment - punishments excluded by Mexican law.

In June, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 18 people linked to Caro Quintero, including six family members, freezing their U.S. assets.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since 2007 when the government launched a militarized attack on the warring cartels.

President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December, has shifted the focus away from going after cartel bosses to tackling violent crimes such as extortion and kidnapping.

The shift has raised concerns that Mexico may cooperate less with U.S. security forces in the fight against the cartels.

(Additional reporting by Tim Gaynor in Phoenix and David Ingram in Washington; Writing and additional reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Simon Gardner and Mohammad Zargham)

Obama describes Putin as 'like a bored kid'

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday denied he has poor relations with Vladimir Putin after cancelling their Moscow talks, but said the Russian president can sometimes appear "like a bored kid in the back of the classroom."

U.S.-Russian relations plunged to one of their lowest points since the Cold War this week after Russia granted temporary asylum to fugitive former U.S. spy contractor Edward Snowden. Obama retaliated by abruptly cancelling a Moscow summit with Putin planned for early next month.

At a White House news conference on Friday, Obama insisted that he does not have bad personal relations with Putin. The two men had a testy meeting in June in Northern Ireland and from the photos of them at the time, it looked as if they would both rather have been somewhere else.

"I know the press likes to focus on body language, and he's got that kind of slouch, looking like the bored kid in the back of the classroom. But the truth is that when we're in conversations together, oftentimes it's very productive," Obama said.

Putin's sending of a telegram wishing former President George W. Bush well after a heart procedure this week was viewed by some Kremlin watchers as a sign that Putin was sending an implicit message to Obama.

The White House says Obama pulled out of the Moscow summit not just because of the Russian decision to grant asylum to Snowden, who is wanted in the United States to face espionage charges.

U.S. differences with Russia have piled up recently over Moscow's support for the Syrian government in that country's civil war, as well as human rights concerns and other grievances.

There was no immediate response from Moscow to Obama's description of the Russian president. But at a news conference in Washington after talks on Friday between the Russian and U.S. foreign policy and defence chiefs, the Russians emphasized how positive the meeting had been. They even invited the Americans to participate in a tank competition later this year.

"We don't have any Cold War. Instead we have close relations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "Edward Snowden did not overshadow our discussions."

U.S. TO 'TAKE A PAUSE'

Obama said the United States will "take a pause, reassess where it is that Russia is going" and calibrate the relationship to take into account the areas where they can agree and acknowledge that they have differences.

"Frankly, on a whole range of issues where we think we can make some progress, Russia has not moved," Obama said.

"I think there's always been some tension in the U.S.-Russian relationship after the fall of the Soviet Union," he said.

Obama did resolve one issue that has been debated in the United States. He said American athletes will in fact compete in the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, in spite of Russia's anti-gay propaganda law.

"I do not think it's appropriate to boycott the Olympics," Obama said.

He said the best way to combat the law is for gay and lesbian athletes to do well in the Sochi Games.

"One of the things I'm really looking forward to is maybe some gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze, which would, I think, go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we're seeing there," he said. "And if Russia doesn't have gay or lesbian athletes, then, it'll probably make their team weaker."

U.S. and Russian senior officials sought to maintain a working relationship despite the tensions when they met in Washington on Friday.

The two countries agreed on the need to convene a Syrian peace conference in Geneva as soon as possible at the meeting between Secretary of State John Kerry, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by David Brunnstrom and Sandra Maler)

Obama pledges greater transparency in surveillance programs

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced plans on Friday to limit sweeping U.S. government surveillance programs that have come under criticism since leaks by a former spy agency contractor, saying the United States "can and must be more transparent."

"Given the history of abuse by governments, it's right to ask questions about surveillance, particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives," Obama told a news conference at the White House.

Saying that it was important to strike the right balance between security and civil liberties, Obama vowed to improve oversight of surveillance and restore public trust in the government's programs.

"It's not enough for me as president to have confidence in these programs. The American people need to have confidence in them, as well," Obama said, adding that he was confident the programs were not being abused.

Obama's announcement - made just before Obama heads for summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard - may be greeted as a partial victory for supporters of ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden who is now in Russia, where he was granted asylum last week.

The Obama administration has vigorously pursued Snowden to bring him back to the United States to face espionage charges for leaking details of the surveillance programs to the media.

"I don't think Mr. Snowden was a patriot," Obama said at the news conference, brushing off the suggestion that Friday's announcement showed Snowden had done the right thing in revealing the extent of the government's program.

The president said he had ordered a review of the surveillance programs before Snowden provided secret documents to The Guardian and The Washington Post, but he added that there was no doubt those leaks triggered a "much more rapid, passionate response" to the issue.

FOUR STEPS

Obama said he had decided on four specific measures.

Firstly, he said, he plans to work with Congress to pursue "appropriate reforms" of Section 215 of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act that governs the collection of so-called "metadata" such as phone records. He insisted that the government had no interest in spying on ordinary Americans.

Obama did not specifically lay out how the program will be reined in, however. Instead, he pledged greater oversight, greater transparency, and constraints.

Civil liberties advocates wanted more details.

"He said he would recommend 215 reform, but he said 'appropriate' reform and we don't know what that means," said Electronic Frontier Foundation digital rights analyst Trevor Timm. "There were no concrete changes to the actual surveillance programs."

Outlining his second measure, Obama said he would pursue with Congress a reform of the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which considers requests from law enforcement authorities to target an individual for intelligence gathering.

Obama said he wants to let a civil liberties representative weigh in on the court's deliberations to ensure an adversarial voice is heard. The court, authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, has been criticized for essentially rubber stamping the U.S. government's requests to search through Americans' electronic records.

Currently, the FISA court makes its decisions on government surveillance requests without hearing from anyone but U.S. Justice Department lawyers in its closed-doors proceedings.

Appointing a civil liberties advocate to argue before the surveillance court may have little value, said Carrie Cordero, director of national security studies at Georgetown University Law Centre and a former Justice Department lawyer.

"I will be interested to hear how this would work in practice, but as an initial reaction, I do have concerns about additional layers of bureaucracy slowing down the speed and agility of conducting counterterrorism activities," Cordero said in an email.

Thirdly, Obama said he wants to provide more details about the NSA programs to try to restore any public trust damaged by the Snowden disclosures.

The fourth measure was the creation of a high-level group of outside experts to review the U.S. surveillance effort.

Gigi Sohn, head of public interest group Public Knowledge, said Obama's plans were a good start, but added: "It's going to depend a lot on Congress."

The American Civil Liberties Union called the proposals "a necessary and welcome first step."

Executive Director Anthony Romero said the ACLU favours revamping all U.S. surveillance programs to adhere to constitutional protections.

PRIVACY VS NATIONAL SECURITY

The NSA declined to comment on Obama's proposals. It is not clear if Congress will take up the initiatives. A number of influential lawmakers have vigorously defended the spying programs as critical tools needed to detect terrorist threats.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that her panel will hold a series of hearings to study the surveillance programs.

Brendan Buck, spokesman for House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, said Republicans expect the White House to ensure that reforms do not compromise programs that protect against terrorism.

Republican Representative Peter King issued a statement stridently defending the surveillance programs and calling Obama's reform plan "a monumental failure in presidential wartime leadership and responsibility."

The Patriot Act, launched by then-President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001, attacks, was initiated as a terrorism-fighting tool to prevent a similar attack from happening again.

But frequent questions have been raised about the scope of the law and whether its sweeping tactics allows unwarranted intelligence gathering on innocent Americans.

The Snowden disclosures generated concerns about whether people were being forced to sacrifice their constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties in the open-ended search for terrorism links.

The NSA has long monitored communications abroad but the documents released by Snowden indicated the email and phone data of Americans is being routinely monitored on a vast scale, with the cooperation of major U.S. technology firms.

Obama met with the CEOs of technology and telecoms companies such Apple Inc and AT&T Inc on Thursday to discuss government surveillance. A Google Inc computer scientist and transparency advocates also participated.

The search for Snowden has upset U.S. relations with some Latin American countries, China and, above all, Russia. Obama this week cancelled a planned summit in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin.

Obama said the United States has always had tension with Russia and it was an appropriate juncture to reassess where the two nations stand.

(Additional reporting by David Ingram, Joseph Menn, and Alina Selyukh; Editing by Karey Van Hall, Claudia Parsons and Xavier Briand)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


A beguiling mystery

Posted:

New drama thriller The Bridge keeps viewers guessing from one border city to another. 

IN the dead of night, the lights suddenly go off on the Bridge of the Americas, a heavily utilised bridge that connects the United States and Mexico border cities of El Paso in Texas and Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua. The entire border crossing is plunged into complete darkness.

Before border patrol officers can determine what's going on, the power comes back on, revealing a dead body lying right on the border line – half on American soil, and the other half in Mexico. 

This is the gambit for The Bridge, a brand new drama thriller based on a Swedish/Norwegian drama series also called The Bridge (or Bron in Swedish and Broen in Danish). 

Things get interesting real fast in the show. El Paso detective Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger) and Chihuahua detective Marco Ruiz (Demian Bichir) both go down to the crime scene as the murder falls under both their jurisdictions.

The detectives discover that the body is severed at the waist and that the dismembered body actually belongs to two different people – the top half belongs to American judge Lorraine Gates while the lower torso belongs to a young Hispanic girl named Christina Fuentes. Ruiz recognises Christina's name and connects her to a previous case he was working on in which 23 dismembered bodies were discovered in a "death house".

Whoa.

There is a serial killer at large and Cross and Ruiz are forced to work together to solve the case. Cross is a socially awkward, by-the-book cop suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. She finds herself drawn into an unfamiliar world of drugs, prostitution and human trafficking – things are just not so cut-and-dry as she is used to.

However, even though she's blunt and direct to a fault, Cross is an ace detective who is used to being in control. In Mexico, though, she's forced to relinquish that control because things are done a little differently there.

The Mexican police fix their investigations to protect their families from the dangerous drug lords whose involvement in the case isn't clear but is, at the same time, obvious.

Things start moving once the killer makes contact. For some reason, the murderer chooses arrogant journalist Daniel Frye (Matthew Lillard) as his point of contact, using him to get his messages across to the authorities. The serial killer, it would seem, has a political agenda, namely calling to question the cultural wars between the two countries. His first message – through Frye – is this: why should the death of one white woman be more important than that of so many Mexicans across the bridge?

The killer strikes again soon after the incident on the bridge. When the killer asks for ransom for his latest victim, a Hispanic woman hoping to make her way across the border, Cross and Ruiz smell a red herring: serial killers don't ask for ransom.

Are they being played? Is there even a serial killer?

The case is intriguing enough but it isn't the most interesting thing about the show. Quite soon into the first episode, you realise that this isn't your typical whodunit series. The murders uncover a greater, much darker mystery involving a host of other characters who are directly or indirectly connected to the central case.

We learn that you don't know who anyone is, completely. There are deep, dark secrets and we want to know what these secrets are more urgently than we want to know who the serial killer is.

This is what makes The Bridge possibly the best new series on television at the moment. There are layers of mystery and so far the show's writers (led by creators Elwood Reid and Meredith Stiehm, who also did Cold Case) seem to be playing things out cohesively.

If you like drama and intrigue and are craving a fresh take on the standard murder/detective tale, The Bridge will seem like a breath of fresh air. With each episode, just as the detectives seem to have made some headway into the case, a new twist is introduced and a whole new mystery is spun.

Add to that some really good acting, namely Bichir (who was previously in Weeds) as the flawed but likable Ruiz.

Here's my grouse, though. While I love the fact that Cross is nowhere near perfect – her inability to emote is evocative of another favourite TV detective, Adrian Monk (of Monk) – I am not completely convinced that I love Kruger's interpretation of the character. Monk was endearing, Cross ... not so much.

Still, there are brilliant performances by the supporting cast as well, like Australian actor Thomas M. Wright as shady social worker Steven Linder and Puerto Rican actor Ramon Franco who plays a drug lord named Fausto Galvan (he appears in Episode Four). I can't wait to see the story unfold.

> The Bridge airs on Fox (Astro Ch 710) every Monday at 9.50pm.

Raya treats

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Celebrate this festive season with RTM.

WITH Raya Kita (our Raya) as its tagline, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) is offering wide range of special programmes such as variety shows, blockbuster movies, both local and foreign, and musicals for all to enjoy this festive season.

First day of Raya

Ketuk-Ketuk Syawal (TV1, 12.30pm)

Host Sheila Rusly will be preparing a variety of Raya delicacies with Emma Maembong and Shamsul Ghau-Ghau as guest artistes.

Selamat Pagi Cinta (TV2, 2pm)

Julia (Nur Fazura) and Ilham (Pierre Andre, pic top) experience a turn in their relationship when the latter discovers that he suffers from a terminal disease but decides to hide it from Julia anyway. She begins to doubt his fidelity when he secretly goes out often. Que Haidar and Sharifah Amani co-star.

Konsert Sanggar Lebaran Siti Nurhaliza (TV2, 9pm) (repeat: Aug 16, 4.30pm)

Tune in to Datuk Siti Nurhaliza as she belts out her popular hits and several Hari Raya songs.

Ombak Rindu (TV2, 10.30pm)

Based on the bestselling Malaysian novel, Ombak Rindu tells the story of Izzah, a village girl, who has been sold by her father to a nightclub in KL to work as a prostitute. However, Hariz, a rich man's son, has bought her from the nightclub to become his mistress. Aaron Aziz, Maya Karin (pic top), Lisa Surihani, Bront Palarae, Azizah Mahzan, Zaidi Omar and Normah Damanhuri star.

Second day of Raya

Ramadan Jangan Ambil Nyawaku (TV1, 10.05am)

Johari has everything in life. He is not only young but blessed with a good job and healthy as well. Then, one day he finds out he has brain tumour. Amar Baharin, Tasha Shilla, Fadhilah Mansor and Khairil Anwar star.

Seiring Jalan Khas Raya (TV1, 2pm)

A variety show featuring top celebrities such as singers Nubhan and Aisha, actress Safura, Ezliza Loy, Ezrin Loy, Lisdawati, actors Fauzi Nawawi and Shahrolnizam, Towkey and footballer Farizal Marlias. Fizz Fairuz and Wan Sharmila co-host.

Barakah (TV2, 9pm)

This telemovie tells the story of a businessman who is blessed with wealth and happy family. However, one day, his world turns upside down when his daughter is kidnapped and his wife leaves him. Stars Wan Raja and Izreen Azminda.

Konsert Emas Eksklusif Orkestra RTM - Datuk Yusni Hamid (TV1, 9pm)

Catch the singer with golden voice Datuk Yusni Hamid (pic below) as she takes fans down memory lane belting out her evergreen songs as Kau Ku Nanti, Ku Tak Mengerti and Antara Kita Berbeza.

Madagascar (TV2, 11pm)

Spoiled by their upbringing with no idea what wild life is really like, four animals from New York Central Zoo escape, unwittingly assisted by four absconding penguins, and find themselves in Madagascar, among a bunch of merry lemurs. Featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer.

Third day of Raya

Empat Beradik (TV2, 9pm)

This telemovie revolves around four siblings – Along, Angah, Acik and Acu. Apart from Acu who lives with their elderly mother, the rest reside in the city and haven't been back to their hometown for years. Until one day when they receive a bad news. Starring Khir Rahman, Sobri Anuar, Amirul Afendi and Farah Nadia (pic top).

Sorak Lebaran (TV1, 6pm)

Featuring national athletes of different fields such as Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim (weight-lifting), Bryan Nickson Lomas (diving), Farah Ann (gymnastic) and Rizal Tissin (cycling) and see how these sportsmen are celebrating raya.

Bunohan (TV2, 10.30pm)

This award-winning movie tells a complex story of murder, passion and haunting memories for three estranged brothers and their ailing father. Starring Faizal Hussein, Zahiril Adzim, Pekin Ibrahim and Nam Ron.

Fourth day of Raya

Siapa Aku Di Hatimu (TV1, 9pm)

Sweethearts Ezran and Azyun have been together since college days. As they are planning for their engagement, enters Ayuni who puts a strain the their relationship. It stars Ady Putra, Fauziah Gaus and Anzalina.

Meriahnya Raya ( TV1, 2pm)

A musical featuring artistes such as Misha Omar, Hafiz, Altimet, Datuk Hattan, Alyah and Apek.

Gangster (TV2, 4.30pm)

Rosli is a stall owner who finds himself in trouble when he is unable to pay the moneylenders. Soon, it turns into nightmare when his wife and son are kidnapped by the loan sharks to ensure his repayment. Rosyam Nor, Umie Aida, Hasnul Rahmat, and Ako Mustapha star.

Did You Hear About The Morgans? (TV2, 1am)

In New York City, an estranged couple who witness a murder is relocated to small-town Wyoming as part of a witness-protection programme. Starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker and Elisabeth Moss.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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The perks of being young

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Talented, handsome and in demand, Logan Lerman has the world at his feet.

ALTHOUGH his character in the 2010 film Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief and this year's Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters is a demigod – the half-human son of the Greek god Poseidon – actor Logan Lerman can totally emphatise. In the second film, Percy Jackson feels insecure, with a need to prove to himself that he's not just a one-time wonder kid.

"I feel like I've been there. Those moments of self-doubt and all that, like I am sure everybody else has felt, so I can definitely relate to his journey in the film," says Lerman in a phone interview from Italy where he is attending the Giffoni Film Festival to promote Sea Of Monsters with his co-star Alexandra Daddario. "It's what the movie is about, the importance of family and friendship. I have definitely been in that situation when I have been over my head and had a big movie on my shoulders and doubted myself. I depend on my friends and family to, kind of, help me through the hard times."

Born in Beverly Hills, California, Lerman is no stranger to the film industry. At only 21, he has worked for more than half his young life having started acting at the age of six. Among the films he has appeared in include The Patriot, What Women Want, Riding In Cars With Boys, The Butterfly Effect, The Number 23 and 3:10 To Yuma. On television, he is best known for Jack & Bobby, a series Lerman deems as the starting point of his "film school" as that's when he got curious about how movies and TV shows were made.

At 18, he landed the titular role in Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, which is based on the best-selling novel by Rick Riordan. The film became a global hit, elevating Lerman to international stardom. "It's pretty odd to be outside my bubble – you know, in the US – and going to different regions and seeing that people know about the film. It's eye-opening. When I started doing the international press for the first film, it was quite shocking ... (but) it was nice shock, you know."

In between making the two Percy Jackson films, Lerman starred in one big-budgeted feature (The Three Musketeers) that was panned by critics and a smaller fare (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower) which earned him good reviews.

As for resuming the role of Percy Jackson, it was not a problem for Lerman as he had already figured out the character during the first film. "It was pretty easy jumping in the old shoes," admits Lerman.

"These films are really a lot of fun to make; it's an adventure movie and the adventure itself is fun to be in."

Lerman says it was great to reunite with the cast despite the three-year gap between the two Percy Jackson films. "It was a nice reunion. I mean I kept in touch with most of the cast that I worked with in the first movie, but you know everyone is working and travelling everywhere for different projects, so it's really hard to see each other. So, yeah, it was like a big reunion."

Sea Of Monsters starts off with Percy training at Half-Blood camp with other children like him. Feeling abandoned by his father, Percy questions if he is living up to his full potential. His low self-esteem is crushed further by the daughter of Ares (the god of war) – Clarisse La Rue (Levan Rambin) – who proves to be better than Percy at almost everything. He also discovers that he has a half-brother, a cyclops.

But before he can deal with all the new drama in his life, the camp is attacked leaving it susceptible to outside forces, which indirectly puts Olympus in danger. With so much at stake, Percy steps up to go on a mission with the old gang – Annabeth Chase (Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) – as well as his brother, Tyson (Douglas Smith). Together, they set sail to the Bermuda Triangle or, as it is known to the Olympians, Sea Of Monsters.

The second film features a more elaborate special effects and plenty of action, something Lerman has become quite proficient in. Whenever working against the green screen, Lerman just wraps his mind around what he's supposed to be seeing – which he does with the help of conceptual art – and he starts having fun acting out his imagination with what the filmmaker wants to achieve.

As for the action sequence, Lerman is already comfortable with the physically-demanding scenes and wire work from working on the first film. "I didn't need as much (training) being back on the film – it was just coming up with choreography and learning it, which made it a little bit easier. At the same time, we worked that much harder to make the film better and bigger than the first one."

According to Lerman, no one got hurt ... well, other than the usual bruises that come with any action adventure film – bruises which he describes as awesome. But, then, why is he wearing a cast on his left arm in the publicity photos for Sea Of Monsters?

"I broke my arm outside of work," he explains. "What happened? I started skateboarding shortly after I turned 21. I just turned the age when I can legally drink and learned too late that drinking and skateboarding is not a good combination. And I broke my wrist."

As with all young people, his injuries healed quickly and Lerman is once again busy working on two new films. In Noah, he plays the son of the biblical figure played by Russell Crowe and in Fury – the film he is making right now with Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf – he is part of an American crew in Germany at the end of World War II.

Acting is not the only thing Lerman is planning to do in his life. Apparently, during the making of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, the young actor would often play the piano at the hotel where the cast was staying. "I do (play the piano) but I've always been shy. I don't think I will do it professionally. I really enjoy it but I get a little insecure thinking about sharing music or something like that. But there are tonnes I like doing in the future, maybe getting more involved (in filmmaking) like directing. I have been a big fan of filmmakers – the captain of filmmaking, the visionaries, those guys. I'd like to helm something one day."

  • Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters opens in cinemas nationwide on Aug 8.

Out of the blue

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Sacré bleu! More trouble awaits Smurfs in Paris.

HAVE you ever wondered why Smurfette is the lone female Smurf amongst 99 males?

Well, if you are a true blue Smurf fan (pun intended!), you will know that it is because Smurfette was actually created by the Smurfs' nemesis, the evil wizard Gargamel.

He intended for pretty Smurfette to use her feminine charms to distract and trap the male Smurfs for his nefarious purposes.

Fortunately, with love, kindness and a specially-created magic potion, Papa Smurf was able to help transform her into the sweet Smurf we know and love today.

But is that inner naughtiness still hiding inside Smurfette?

That is exactly what The Smurfs 2, sequel to the 2011 hybrid live action and animation effort that first brought the Smurfs to the silver screen, explores.

Singer Katy Perry, who voices Smurfette, says: "Although I (Smurfette) was created in an evil atmosphere, everybody has the opportunity to change whatever they were born into, if they want to.

"Yes, the yin and yang do exist, but the good trumps the bad with Smurfette." Perry was speaking to reporters from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia in a video press conference call from Cancun, Mexico, earlier this year, along with castmates Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria, as well as director Raja Gosnell.

Now, the first movie involved some of the Smurfs being accidentally sucked through an interdimensional portal and marooned in New York City, along with Gargamel and his sidekick cat, Azrael.

There, they meet expecting couple Patrick and Grace Winslow (played by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays respectively), who, after getting over their disbelief of the existence of little blue creatures, help them to both evade Gargamel and find their way home.

In this second movie, Gargamel, who was left stranded in New York with Azrael, has established himself as a celebrity magician in Paris.

However, he is running low on the Smurf essence that powers his magic.

So, he decides to create the Naughties – Vexy and Hackus (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove respectively) – using the same technique that made Smurfette.

But, in order to get the magical Smurf essence that he needs, Gargamel has to get hold of Smurfette, who holds the key to transforming the Naughties into Smurfs.

The decision to film in Paris was a homage of sorts to the creator of the Smurfs, Peyo, the Belgian comic artist who wrote in his mother tongue – French.

Says Gosnell: "Paris seemed like a great second city to go to after New York, and we captured some beautiful moments there, and we're all really excited about it."

The cast and crew got to film amongst the buttresses of Notre Dame, as well as the home of the Paris Opera – the historic Palais Garnier, which ranked among the most memorable moments of the process for Harris and Gosnell.

Says Harris: "Because it (the Palais Garnier) was a tourist spot, we only filmed after it closed and all night long, so it was very memorable to be in that specific landmark with the freedom to roam and see all of these amazing hallways and backstage areas, and film sort of all night long in this super-classic opera house. I really enjoyed doing that."

Gosnell adds: "There's hundreds of years of history in that building, and we are the first film that's been allowed to shoot inside and on the stage to the extent that we did, and it was just... standing under that Chagall ceiling, and looking up and thinking of the history of the performances that have been there – it was kind of overwhelming."

Tribute to Papa Smurf

The quartet also shared their thoughts on comedian Jonathan Winters, the voice of Papa Smurf, who had passed away recently.

Although neither Azaria nor Harris had the opportunity to work with the renowned comic due to the isolated nature of voice work, they both shared a deep respect for his legacy.

Azaria, who is well-known for his diverse voice work, especially on The Simpsons, says: "I can tell you that, growing up, watching his comedy was definitely inspirational, especially to somebody who wanted to do voices and mimic and do accents.

"He was one of the first guys who did that, so I was really sad to hear of his passing."

Harris adds that they were literally just talking about Winters before the video press conference started.

"We were talking about his amazing abilities, and I was thinking about the Johnny Carson Show and all of the amazing voices and energy and improv(isation) ability that he had.

"He just had a remarkable energy, and yet, still a great voice, so it's nice to know that that crazy energy plays into, and allowed for, a very calm, wise, deep-voiced Papa Smurf. We were lucky to have him."

Gosnell shares that Winters' health was such that they had to record his voice work at his home in California.

"The last session we did was two weeks before he passed.

"We drove to Santa Barbara, because he was no longer able to travel. He worked hard to do it.

"He was in and out a bit, so we had a sense that we may not see him again, but I have to tell you, being Papa Smurf was the single best thing for him at the end of his life.

"It gave him something to be proud of, something to do, and sort of reintroduced him to an entirely new generation of fans.

"So I feel very lucky for us that we had him, and lucky for him that he had Papa Smurf to make his own."

The Smurfs 2 is dedicated in memory of Winters.

The Smurfs 2 opens in cinemas nationwide Thursday.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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Talking landscapes

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ALSO on exhibition at Galeri Petronas is Convergence: Allegories Of The Malaysian Landscape. The exhibition features 59 works by 31 major local artists, including Haron Mokhtar, Ismail Mat Hussin, Awang Damit, Ivan Lam, Wong Hoy Cheong, Raphael Scott Ahbeng, Johan Marjonid, Chuah Thean Teng, Mad Anuar, Yee I Lann and Anthony Lau.

The exhibition – divided into four sections – gives visitors an insight into how landscape art is not only a reflection of the natural environment, but also symbolical landscapes of the nation's past history, economic development, cultures and belief systems.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Galeri Petronas is organising a public talk by Prof Dr Ramlan Abdullah on Artist's Interpretation: Commission Public Sculpture Of Ramlan Abdullah on Sept 7 from 11am to 1pm with an entrance fee of RM15 per person. Browse www.galeripetronas.com.my or call 03-2051-7770 for more details.

The Convergence: Allegories Of The Malaysian Landscape exhibition is open for public viewing at Galeri Petronas till Sept 22.

A cultural spin

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The fourth instalment of the DFP Seni Festival will feature a variety of traditional and modern shows.

NEXT month sees Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in Kuala Lumpur presenting the fourth edition of the DFP Seni Festival, which sees the venue opening its doors to a wide array of music genres (traditional and modern), as well as collaborative efforts with renowned ensembles and art groups.

The programme starts on Sept 16 (Malaysia Day) with the Malam Melayu Klasik concert, featuring Badan Kesenian Yayasan Warisan Johor (which captivated audiences at the festival in 2011), veteran asli singer Datuk Andre Goh and newcomer asli singer Haziq. The concert will also present zapin and ghazal music.

This will be followed by a performance themed Spectrum by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) on Sept 18.

Next, a Makyung traditional theatre performance is scheduled on Sept 20, featuring Kumpulan Makyung Kijang Emas JKKN Kelantan and Rosnan Rahman (the only male Pakyung in today's Makyung performances). Makyung Raja Besar Negeri Ho Gading, a dramatic story about the fight between seven princes for the throne of the Ho Gading Kingdom, is the featured performance.

MPO Rocks on Sept 21 with local rock legends like Ella and guitarist Man Kidal.

To end the festival, there is the MPO and All That Jazz show, with the MPO Jazz Orchestra, featuring singers like Atilia, Dina Nadzir and Elvira Arul in a jazz setting. This concert is scheduled for Sept 22.

For more information and ticket details, visit www.mpo.com.my. Hotline: 03- 2051-7007. Fax or e-mail bookings to 03-2051 7077/dfp_boxoffice@petronas.com.my.

Get 'em while they're young

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The final part of our series on the performing arts in Malaysia looks at the role of education and outreach in cultivating an arts-loving nation.

THERE IS nothing like the plasticity of a young brain – it is often said that if you want to teach values to children, get 'em young. But we don't, and that's the problem, says arts educator and practitioner Joseph Gonzales.

"The arts is not in our national school syllabus," he points out.

"We don't nurture an arts-loving population from the time people are young."

The Dance Faculty dean for Malaysia's only university specialising in the arts – the National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage (Aswara) – Gonzales feels this is a critical point.

Colourfully-costumed students performing a traditional dance at the Citra Karya Aswara.The Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara) is Malaysia's only university specialising in the arts.

Colourfully-costumed students performing a traditional dance at the Citra Karya Aswara. The Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara) is Malaysia's only university specialising in the arts.

Certain countries, for example Australia, England and Singapore, have formalised performing arts subjects. Students can opt to include things like Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts as part of their core curriculum.

The rationale? These subjects help develop creativity, imagination, understanding, critical thinking and self-confidence in students. They help young people learn how to communicate ideas about their individual and collective worlds to others in meaningful ways.

The opportunity to analyse and immerse oneself in the diverse works of artists from all over the world also helps young people develop into more well-rounded individuals because they gain a better understanding of local and international cultures, traditions and histories.

In Malaysia, however, such enrichment tends to be ad hoc – schoolchildren are lucky if they have the option of joining a drama or dance club during co-curricular sessions.

That's not to say that the Government hasn't made any effort.

Prof Anis says we need more teachers qualified in the arts.

Prof Anis says we need more teachers qualified in the arts.

The Ninth Malaysia Plan noted ambitions to "create a Malaysian society that is well balanced, outstanding and appreciative of arts".

And in 2007, Malaysia got its very first Arts School or Sekolah Seni, an arts-focused school run by the Education Ministry. Those who successfully audition for places get to experience secondary school life through a system which incorporates planned and systematic arts education on top of the normal syllabus.

Such schools are supposed to have equipment, facilities and programmes geared towards the stated objective of polishing and nurturing students' potential and talent to participate in arts and cultural activities.

Such schools do face challenges of their own, from getting parents to see the value in sending their children there, to teething problems such as getting soundproofed rooms and a full complement of quality equipment. The schools are, in many ways, still finding their feet.

There are only two such schools at present, one in Johor Baru and one in Kuching, out of over 2,200 secondary schools and 2.2 million students in the country (2011 statistics).

The question arises: should we be making more effort to make the benefits of the arts more accessible to all students, not just for those who are interested to pursue a career in the field?

The missing pieces

Malaysia's Arts Schools represent a collaboration between the Education Ministry and the National Department for Culture and Arts, a portfolio which has suffered something of an identity crisis over the years.

Malaysia can't seem to make its mind up over the role and relevance of arts and culture to society; between 1987 and today, the department has been under various ministries including Youth and Sports; and now most recently, under the freshly-minted Tourism and Culture Ministry.

'We don¿t envision that (the students) all become actors, but at least they will know what acting is about,' says Datuk Norliza Rofli of the Dept of Culture and the Arts on its outreach programme to bring arts awareness to schools.

'We don't envision that (the students) all become actors, but at least they will know what acting is about,' says Datuk Norliza Rofli of the Dept of Culture and the Arts on its outreach programme to bring arts awareness to schools.

Deriving a clear sense of the value that arts and culture bring to the nation would seem like an important objective.

Is development of the arts mainly a means to attract tourist dollars? At policy level, is the development of the arts seen simply as a fulfilment of our responsibility to preserve our cultural heritage?

Or can the official stance acknowledge a more intrinsic and inward-looking value, where arts and culture are seen as more than just a tourism asset, or emblem of our collective cultural identity; but also an avenue for self-enrichment at the individual level?

Despite the constant flux, the department has managed to get some long-term initiatives off the ground; one example is an outreach programme running since 2000 that aims to instill a better appreciation for the arts within schoolchildren.

"We work through the co-curricular curriculum," says department director-general Datuk Norliza Rofli.

"We don't envision that they (the students) all become actors, but at least, they will know what acting is about."

Under the programme, trainers are sent to schools once a week for six months each year, working through the arts societies to teach students about theatre or acting. Sometimes, the content is tailored to teaching specific art forms, for example Mak Yong and Wayang Kulit in Kelantan, or Cak Lempong in Negri Sembilan.

Norliza says about 1,000 schools participate in the programme.

Even so, for just one hour a week, the programme captures a small section of Malaysia's schooling population. What's more, it is overshadowed by a larger problem: a lack of trained teachers.

In fact, this is one of the major limiting factors to piecing together a functional infrastructure for nurturing the performing arts, and creating an arts-loving population.

Mohd Anis Mohd Nor, a professor of Ethnochoreology and Ethnomusicology at Universiti Malaya's School of Performing Arts in Kuala Lumpur, points to a glitch in the factory line.

"You have music teachers coming out of Sultan Idris University of Education (a teacher training college) because music is offered as an O-level or SPM exam paper.

"But dance and theatre aren't O-level or SPM subjects. Hence, at the moment, we don't have teachers graduating in dance, theatre or other forms of the performing arts."

Of course, tertiary institutions are producing a stream of undergraduates and post-graduates qualified in the performing arts, Prof Anis adds.

"But they are being snapped up fast by the market as a whole, because in this industry, there is a dearth of qualified people. Between teaching and being creative, most graduates would rather be in the creative side, right?"

Building baby bridges

There is one more missing piece to the puzzle.

Institutions such as Universiti Malaya may offer undergraduate and post-graduate courses in the performing arts; the road to get there, however, is often bumpy unless a candidate is able to impress the interview panel.

Undergraduate courses usually entail specific entry requirements. If you want to study science, you are expected to have some science subjects under your belt after completing your STPM or matriculation courses.

Those qualifications act as a bridge to bachelor-level degree programmes.

Unlike subjects like engineering, accounting or the sciences, however, there isn't much available in terms of subjects that prepare students for the arts.

Perhaps the scarcity of such a link can be blamed on a lack of coordination and foresight, arising from the separation of Education and Higher Education as portfolios held under two separate ministries (since reunited under the Education and Higher Learning Ministry following the 2013 Cabinet reshuffle).

Either way, Prof Anis explains how entry into UM's degree programme in Performing Arts works: "Applicants are put through an aptitude test. If they choose to major in music or drama, for example, we will ask them to play an instrument, or dance," he explains.

"The trouble is, out of the many potential students audited from STPM level every year, very few usually qualify because they don't have a background in the subject."

Prof Anis isn't worried about practitioners who decide to build on their knowledge through further education, because such applicants don't usually have a problem making it into the course.

As an educator, however, he feels it is necessary to provide as many bridges as possible for those who are interested to pursue their interest in the arts.

This is why he wants to add on to the current entry points. At the moment, these generally consist of getting a diploma in the subject area through an institution like Aswara, or displaying an exceptional degree of talent or experience during the aptitude tests.

Hence, Universiti Malaya is tabling a matriculation programme of its own that is specifically geared towards the performing arts and connect directly to its degree programme – something it is qualified to do, being a research university.

"As we have matriculation for the sciences already, we are now creating (a programme) for the arts. After obtaining their SPM, students can do a one-and-a-half-year course, completing both a general course component as required by the Education Ministry, along with a secondary component geared towards specialisation in the field," Prof Anis said,

Nothing is set in stone yet; the university has forwarded its blueprint to the ministry. If all goes well, he says, there is an indication that other universities will follow suit.

"Universiti Malaya already has a full-fledged Performing Arts programme, from a Bachelors degree to PhD level," Prof Anis points out.

This is a move that closes the loop, creating a streamlined pathway for more youths to pursue their interests and gain formal skills in the field of performing arts.

In fact, deepening the existing functions not immediately associated with the "creative" is something that practitioners like June Tan feel needs to be done.

A producer with the Five Arts Collective, Tan thinks this includes getting better at producing, stage management, production management, project financing and publicity.

"We need to take a good look at how we place the arts in our education system," she adds.

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