Jumaat, 13 September 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Jailed for paying teen girl for sex

Posted:

Two men were jailed 11 weeks each for commercial sex with an underage Chinese national who was forced into the flesh trade.

Drivers Wu Delong, 35, and Yang Dong, 36, both Chinese nationals, admitted to paying S$60 (RM155) each to the 17-year-old for her sexual services at Min Wah Hotel in Geylang in May.

The minor was brought to Singapore by her pimp, Tang Huisheng, 36, who has claimed trial to various vice-related charges, on May 16. They had flown here from Zhuhai, China.

While in Zhuhai, the minor was drugged by her pimp, who had sex with her while she was in a stupor.

He repeatedly asked her for sex and if she refused, he would beat her or threaten to do so. She complied out of fear.

When she found out that he was going to bring her to Singapore to be a prostitute, she refused and was locked up in a room for more than a week.

She injured her waist while trying to escape by jumping from the fifth floor unit. Both Tang and his sister caught hold of her and beat her up.

The court heard that Wu and Yang had asked the minor for her age and she replied she was 19. But they did not take any other steps to verify her age.

So far, 11 others have been jailed between 11 and 12 weeks for similar offences while sentencing on two others, who have been convicted, has been postponed.

The maximum penalty for commercial sex with a person under 18 is seven years and a fine. — The Straits Times / Asia News Net­work

Wee’s e-mails on church improper, claims auditor

Posted:

An auditor testifying in the City Harvest Church trial said that certain practices described in e-mails written by accused Serina Wee were "improper", and mischaracterised advice he gave to the church. These include downplaying the close relationship the church had with related companies, for example by leaving out information in minutes of church meetings.

The prosecution had shown Foong Daw Ching, who has advised church members, several e-mails that Wee had written to the other five accused listing suggestions Foong purportedly gave to her about the accounting and disclosures of transactions between the church and related firms.

One e-mail in 2008 saw her describe "Bro Foong" as saying the church should not minute down everything that was explained about Xtron Productions to members at a extraordinary general meeting "so as not to show too close a relationship or control over (Xtron)".

But Foong denied he had given such advice. "Why would I, in my position, tell someone to do something that looks improper? It definitely did not come from me."

The prosecution believes the six accused had illegally funnelled church money to Xtron to fund Ho Yeow Sun's secular music career. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Language abilities affected by culture

Posted:

Teaching and learning two languages is affected by social and cultural developments, Minister of State for Education, and Communications and Information, Sim Ann said.

In Singapore, for instance, more are speaking English rather than their mother tongue languages at home and "this has resulted in varying levels of proficiencies and abilities among our students in their mother tongues when compared to students of the past", she said.

She was speaking at the East Asia Summit (EAS) conference on bilingualism, which was attended by some 200 policy-makers and educators from the 18 EAS participating countries. This included China, Japan and Australia. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Syrian opposition to choose PM in push for credibility

Posted:

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition coalition will appoint a provisional prime minister on Saturday to raise its international credibility as high-stakes diplomacy plays out between Washington and Moscow to resolve Syria's two and a half year civil war, National Coalition officials said.

After a week of intense international negotiations that threatened to sideline the Western and Arab backed coalition in the wake of a nerve gas attack on Damascus that killed hundreds of people, coalition officials said they reached consensus that Ahmad Tumeh, an independent Islamist, will be appointed to run rebel-held areas where a decline into chaos threatens to undermine the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

"We will be appointing a new prime minister tomorrow. It will be the first item on the agenda," coalition spokesman Khaled Saleh told reporters after the first day of a meeting of the 115-member coalition.

The coalition has struggled to form a coherent response to a Russian initiative that proposes Assad hands over the country's massive chemical weapons arsenal in return for averting a threatened U.S.-led punitive strike.

"The Russian initiative is silent on the very first issue on ensuring accountability. Providing and reaching political solutions does not absolve the regime from the fact that it killed 1,466 innocent civilians," Saleh said.

Assad denies responsibility for the gas attacks, which hit rebel-held districts.

Russia and the United States agreed on a new push to negotiate an end to Syria's civil war on Friday by reviving an international plan for a "Geneva 2" conference.

The original drive for a political solution to the conflict, dubbed the "Geneva" plan and calling for a transitional government with full power, went nowhere as Assad refused to cede power, and the opposition insisted that he could not be a part of any new political order in the country.

Coalition member Khaled Khoja said the opposition was still willing to enter into talks with the Assad government if the balance of military power was redressed.

"We are not against Geneva 2, but not under these conditions. The balance of power is not right now. What would restore it is either an air strike or weapons for the Free Syrian Army," Khoja said, referring to more sophisticated anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons that rebel brigades generally lack.

Selim Idris, the head of the Supreme Military Council, denied media reports that the first shipment of U.S.-supplied weapons arrived in the past few weeks. The Obama administration authorised giving weapons to the Supreme Military Council in June following several smaller chemical weapons attacks it blamed on Assad's forces.

"We would like to know where these weapons are," Idris said.

Although not a member of the coalition, Idris has emerged as an influential player with a bloc of 15 members expected to support Tumeh's prime ministerial bid.

Tumeh was due to be named on Friday, but several members asked to postpone the vote until Saturday in an attempt to derail the process. Ahmad Jarba agreed, hoping that this would buy time to secure more votes for Tumeh, coalition sources said.

The coalition appointed a Qatari-backed candidate as provisional prime minister earlier this year, but he could not form a government and had to resign as the coalition expanded and Saudi Arabia replaced Qatar as the Arab country with the most influence on the group.

An aid to Tumeh said: "Do not expect the liberated areas to be transformed overnight. The opposition is under international pressure to raise its credibility, and the idea is that the coalition will become more of an assembly, while the government acts as an executive."

Another coalition source said: "The international powers are talking while the coalition is nowhere to be seen. Electing someone like Tumeh will raise its profile."

Tumeh, 48, is the secretary general of the Damascus Declaration, a group of veteran opposition figures who led a peaceful resistance to Assad before the revolt. A moderate Islamist from the eastern tribal province of Deir al-Zor, Tumeh was jailed several times during the uprising and was forced to flee the country earlier this year.

He was imprisoned from 2007 to 2010 along with 11 prominent opposition members who had demanded that Assad embark on democratic change in the country, which has been ruled by the his family since 1970.

Tumeh has worked closely with liberals and Islamists alike, including Riad al-Turk, the main political figure in the Damascus Declaration, who at 82 still operates underground in Syria, despite spending a total of 25 years as a political prisoner.

(Editing by Will Waterman)

U.S. officials: Use of force not expected in U.N. resolution on Syria

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States does not expect a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria's chemical weapons to include a potential use of military force due to Russian opposition, senior Obama administration officials said on Friday.

Their comments suggested Washington will not insist on including the use of force in the U.N. resolution.

The officials, who briefed a group of reporters on condition of anonymity, said the United States would instead insist that the resolution include a range of consequences should Syria refuse to give up chemical weapons in a verifiable way.

Those consequences could include sanctions, one official said.

Independently of the United Nations, U.S. President Barack Obama has threatened the use of force in response to an August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria that U.S. officials say killed around 1,400 people. Officials said he still retains that option.

But as part of negotiations toward a U.N. resolution on Syria, the United States sees no benefit in trying to include the potential use of force as a consequence if Syria refuses to give up its chemical weapons.

The reason is simply that Washington does not see Russia ever agreeing to such a step and could use its veto power to nix such a resolution, the officials said.

The U.S. position reflected something of a concession as it relies on Moscow's help to force Syria into an agreement to give up chemical weapons in a verifiable way.

Key allies the United States, France and Britain are discussing what should be included in a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would create the framework for verifying that the Syrian government lives up to its disarmament promises.

In Geneva, where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Syria, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the effort toward the U.N. resolution was in its early stages.

"We are not going to prejudge the outcome of negotiations that are just beginning in New York. The U.S. has been clear that for any effort to be credible it must be verifiable and include consequences for noncompliance," she said.

U.S. officials say they have not backed down from pushing for a tough U.N. resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, the part that covers sanctions and military action.

The United States wants to see progress with Russia and the United Nations toward a deal on disarming Syria of its chemical weapons over the next couple of weeks, the officials said.

The Obama administration officials said they expected to seek the most stringent range of consequences while Russia seeks the weakest, and that an agreement would be sought by finding a middle ground.

Obama has drawn heavy fire from congressional critics for a muddled message on Syria this week. The week culminated with Russian President Vladimir Putin offering Obama an escape hatch by persuading Syria to agree to give up chemical weapons and scolding the American president in a New York Times opinion article.

Still, administration officials said they believed Obama was in a position to achieve the outcome he sought, the transfer of Syrian chemical weapons out of the control of President Bashar al-Assad.

They rejected the argument made by some analysts that the move still leaves Assad in power to prosecute a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people. They said Assad would be weakened tactically as a result of giving up chemical weapons and could still be forced to give up power through a political process.

U.S. and Russia at a 'pivotal point' in Syria talks

Posted:

GENEVA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-Russian talks on eliminating Syria's chemical weapons program have reached a "pivotal point," a U.S. official said, and both nations said on Friday they wanted to renew efforts to negotiate a peaceful end to the war in Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Geneva to discuss a Russian proposal under which Syria would sign international treaties banning chemical weapons and hand over its stocks of such weapons to the international community for destruction.

The U.S. official said the two sides were "coming to agreement" on the size of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles and talks were continuing into Saturday.

U.S. President Barack Obama, after a meeting in Washington with Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, reiterated that he would insist any deal on Syria's chemical weapons be "verifiable and enforceable.

In Washington, senior Obama administration officials said the United States did not expect a U.N. Security Council resolution formalising the deal to include potential use of military force. But officials said Obama retained that option.

Independent of the United Nations, Obama has threatened the use of force in response to an August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria that U.S. officials say killed about 1,400 people. But as part of negotiations toward a U.N. resolution, the United States sees no benefit in trying to include the potential use of force.

The reason is that Washington does not see Russia ever agreeing to such a step and could use its veto power to nix such a resolution, the officials said.

Russia holds a veto on the Security Council and previously used it on three occasions when Western powers sought to condemn Assad over the war in Syria. President Vladimir Putin has said the proposal on chemical weapons will only succeed if the United States and its allies rule out the use of force.

The U.S. officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity said the U.N. resolution could include a range of consequences should Syria refuse to give up chemical weapons in a verifiable way. Those consequences could include sanctions.

In Geneva, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the effort toward the U.N. resolution was in its early stages.

"We are not going to prejudge the outcome of negotiations that are just beginning in New York. The U.S. has been clear that for any effort to be credible, it must be verifiable and include consequences for noncompliance," she said.

After meeting U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, Lavrov and Kerry said they hoped to meet in New York in about two weeks, around September 28 during the U.N. General Assembly, to see if they could schedule a new international peace conference on Syria.

The talks between teams led by Kerry and Lavrov, which began on Thursday, are at a "pivotal point" and were continuing into Saturday, the U.S. official told reporters in Geneva.

Kerry told a joint news conference, "We are committed to trying to work together, beginning with this initiative on the chemical weapons, in hopes that those efforts could pay off and bring peace and stability to a war-torn part of the world."

He hoped a date might be set for peace talks, but added, "Much ... will depend on the capacity to have success here in the next hours, days, on the subject of the chemical weapons."

Lavrov, voicing regret at the failure of an international accord reached in Geneva last year, said he hoped a "Geneva 2" meeting could lead to a political settlement for Syria.

"We agreed ... to see where we are and see what the Syrian parties think about it and do about it," he said.

OPPOSITION DISHEARTENED

Assad's Syrian opponents, many of them disheartened by Obama's failure to make good on threats to launch military strikes in response to the August 21 gas attack, say they see no place for Assad after the war.

But neither side has been able to finish the fighting, leaving the country's territory divided and its people in misery, including 2 million who are now refugees abroad.

The Syrian opposition coalition, which has struggled to form a coherent response to the Russian proposal, said it would appoint a provisional prime minister on Saturday to raise its international credibility.

The original drive for a political solution to the conflict, dubbed the "Geneva" plan and calling for a transitional government with full power, went nowhere as Assad refused to cede power, and the opposition insisted he could not be a part of any new political order in the country.

National Coalition member Khaled Khoja said the opposition was still willing to enter into talks with the Assad government if the balance of military power was redressed.

"We are not against Geneva 2, but not under these conditions. The balance of power is not right now. What would restore it is either an air strike or weapons for the Free Syrian Army," Khoja said, referring to more sophisticated anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons that rebel brigades generally lack.

CHEMICAL REPORT

The United States has blamed Assad's government for the August 21 attack, while Russia and Assad say it was the work of rebel forces.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said a report by U.N. chemical weapons experts would confirm that poison gas was used in that attack.

Ban also said that Assad "has committed many crimes against humanity," although he did not say whether it was Assad's forces or rebels who used chemical toxins in the August attack.

There is little sign of compromise inside Syria, where sectarian and ethnic hatreds have been deepened by 2 1/2 years of war that has killed over 100,000 people and forced up to a third of the population from their homes.

Assad's forces were on the offensive around Damascus, opposition activists and residents said. Warplanes and artillery were bombing and shelling, notably in the Barzeh neighbourhood, where activists said there were also clashes on the ground.

"It seems that the government is back to its old routine after the past couple of weeks of taking a defensive posture from a U.S. strike," said one resident of central Damascus, who opposes Assad. She heard jets overhead and artillery in action.

U.N. investigators said Syrian government forces were bombing and shelling hospitals in rebel areas to stop sick and wounded getting treatment, acts that constituted war crimes.

Fighters loyal to Assad purposefully denied people medical care as a "weapon of war", they said in a report.

WEAPONS PLAN

The Geneva talks were part of a diplomatic push that prompted Obama to put on hold his plans for U.S. air strikes in response to the chemical weapons attack. Moscow's proposal also spared Obama facing a vote in Congress on military action that he had appeared increasingly likely to lose at this stage.

Three-quarters of Americans support efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria through an international agreement to control chemical weapons, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that shows steady opposition to U.S. military action.

In polling this week, about 62 percent said the United States should not intervene in Syria, virtually the same percentage as a week earlier.

The United Nations said on Thursday it received a document from Syria on joining the global anti-chemical weapons treaty, a move Assad promised as part of a deal to avoid U.S. air strikes.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, said on Friday that Syria's deputy foreign minister had contacted it with a request for technical assistance.

But Assad told Russian state television that he would finalise plans to abandon his chemical arsenal only when the United States stopped threatening to attack.

France said a binding U.N. Security Council resolution was needed to police Syria's promise to give up its chemical weapons, insisting the matter cannot be left to the OPCW alone.

The State Department said Kerry would travel to Jerusalem on Sunday to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Middle East peace talks and Syria. He will meet his French and British counterparts in Paris on Monday.

Experts say removing Syria's hundreds of tonnes of chemical weapons, scattered in secret installations, would pose huge technical problems in the middle of a civil war.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles in Geneva, Dmitry Solovyov, Alexei Anishchuk and Thomas Grove in Bishkek, Michael Martina and Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Steve Holland, Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason in Washington, Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations and William Maclean in Dubai; Writing by Alastair Macdonald and Claudia Parsons; Editing by Giles Elgood, Jim Loney and Peter Cooney)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Movies coming soon

Posted:

Malavita – Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer play husband and wife who enter the witness protection programme with their two children. De Niro's character was part of a notorious mafia clan; but he and his family have a small problem letting go of their old way of life. Directed by Luc Besson, the film co-stars Dianna Agron and Tommy Lee Jones.

2 Guns – Two undercover officers from different departments try to infiltrate a drug cartel. Things go bad and they find themselves having no choice but to team up. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg head the cast.

Prisoners – Fathers Keller Dover and Franklin Birch decide to go down a path they cannot return from after their daughters go missing and the detective-in-charge is unable to find them. Starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Paul Dano and Melissa Leo.

My Lucky Star – Wang Leehom and Zhang Ziyi lead the cast list in this romantic comedy. Directed by Dennie Gordon (apparently the first American woman to direct a feature for the China market), the film revolves around an adventure that takes place in Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. Of course, there's romance too.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


Cameron Diaz to produce 'Bad Teacher'

Posted:

The actress is set to wear the producer's hat for a TV adaptation of her popular film.

Cameron Diaz is ready to get Bad again.

The actress has signed on for CBS's series adaptation of her 2011 film Bad Teacher, which she starred in as Elizabeth Halsey, an individual familiar with the move told TheWrap on Thursday.

The series will star Fringe actress Ari Graynor as Meredith Davis, a hot, confident, unapologetic trophy wife who takes a job at a middle school to meet a new man after her husband leaves her without a dime.

Sex And The City alum Kristin Davis will play Meredith's nemesis Ginny, a math teacher, choir director and faculty president. Bad Teacher is being produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Mosaic Media Group.

My Name Is Earl and Community veteran Hilary Winston is executive-producing. Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who were behind the film, are executive-producing as well, along with Jimmy Miller, Sam Hansen and Michael Lasker. The series will premiere mid-season in the United States. — Reuters

'Breaking Bad' has a spinoff

Posted:

The hit drama series is getting a spinoff – featuring one of its colourful characters – called Better Call Saul.

A spinoff of the successful US cable television series Breaking Bad has been given the green light from network AMC and producer Sony Pictures Television, the companies said in a joint statement yesterday.

Better Call Saul will be based on the character Saul Goodman, who is played by Bob Odenkirk in Breaking Bad.

The one-hour show will be a prequel and tells the story of Goodman before he became the lawyer for Walter White, the series' main character played by Bryan Cranston.

AMC, which is part of AMC Networks Inc, and Sony Corp's Sony Pictures Television did not say when production would start or when it was projected to air. Breaking Bad, which concludes its five-season run this month, is a dark drug drama about a high school chemistry teacher who begins producing and selling methamphetamine to secure his family's financial future after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The series' actors have won five Emmys, including three top TV drama actor accolades for Cranston and two best supporting actor awards for Aaron Paul, who plays White's former-student-turned-business-partner Jesse Pinkman.

Breaking Bad has been nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards this year, including best drama series. — Reuters

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The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business


McLaren confident on M’sian supercar market

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: The iconic British supercar brand McLaren is confident of making good headway in the local high-performance supercar market with its MP4-12C model.

According to McLaren Kuala Lumpur brand director Eau Chian Boon, the company has received good response from potential customers pending the launch of the MP4-12C and McLaren flagship gallery in Mutiara Damansara next month.

Sime Darby Auto Britannia is the sole distributor of McLaren cars in Malaysia and will market the brand as McLaren Kuala Lumpur.

"Besides having race car-like performance, our cars also offer everyday drivability and comfort," he said at the special preview of the MP4-12C Coupe and Spider variants in Kota Damansara.

The estimated retail price for the Coupe version is from RM2.1mil to RM2.2mil and the Spider somewhere from RM2.3mil to RM2.4mil.

The MP4-12C is equipped with a 3.8-litre V8 turbo engine outputting 616bhp and has a top speed in the region of 330kph.

The model is expected to mount a challenge to similar offerings from Ferrari and Lamborghini.

McLaren, an outfit currently involved in Formula 1 racing, was formed 50 years ago by New Zealander racer and engineer Bruce McLaren.

Emkay may form REIT

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: The Emkay Group is not ruling out the possibility of forming a real estate investment trust (REIT) sometime in the future.

"If it is viable, then there is a possibility that we may form our own REIT," said founder and chairman Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal at a briefing on the commencement of works for Emkay's newest corporate office development, Mercu Mustapha Kamal.

To-date, the group owns two Grade-A office towers – Wisma Mustapha Kamal in Cyberjaya and Menara Mustapha Kamal in Damansara Perdana. Once Mercu Mustapha Kamal is completed, the total value of the three office towers is expected to range between RM500mil and RM550mil.

In the last five years, the company has completed more than RM2bil worth of projects. It has more than RM4bil worth of projects lined up for the next five years, of which RM3.7bil is located in Cyberjaya.

Mercu Mustapha Kamal is Emkay's latest addition to its investment portfolio, with a gross development value of RM374mil. The development will comprise two corporate office towers with a total net floor area of 468,267 sq ft in NeoDamansara, Damansara Perdana. The project is expected to be completed by November 2016.

Mustapha Kamal said the piling work for the development had already been completed. The project is pre-certified with a Green Building Index Gold rating and will be Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Malaysia Cybercentre-compliant once complete.

The MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status is given by Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to niche business locations that meet MSC Malaysia standards and criteria to deliver the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees to MSC Malaysia-status companies.

Chief executive officer Ahmad Khalif Mustapha believes the project will be successful due to its location. "Damansara Perdana as a location that has matured over the years. There are a few public-listed companies and multinational companies located here," he said.

He added that concerns about a glut in office space as what Kuala Lumpur was now facing did not exist due to the high take-up rate in the area. He said most of the corporate office towers in Damansara Perdana were already reaching 90% occupancy rates.

Meanwhile, Mustapha Kamal said the company was looking to have a sustainable source of income and planned to own seven Grade-A office buildings within the next five years, with at least one in the central business district of Kuala Lumpur.

Ogawa gets Xiamen vote

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: Shenzen-listed Xiamen Comfort Science & Technology Group Co Ltd, which has launched a takeover of low-profile Ogawa World Bhd, could be attracted to the company's strong balance sheet and growth potential.

Xiamen Comfort had on Monday launched a takeover of Ogawa, one of Malaysia's largest players in the healthcare equipment sector, at RM1.05 cash a share for a total of RM126.2mil.

Several shareholders who owned a combined 53.9% in Ogawa, or 64.62 million shares, have given their irrevocable undertakings to Xiamen Comfort to accept the offer, as Ogawa's share price has been in the doldrums.

The RM1.05 offer was at a premium of 19 sen or 22.9% above Sept 6's closing price of 86 sen.

Ogawa closed at RM1.01 with 537,900 shares being done yesterday.

Ogawa has been in the market since 2001 and has spread its wings across Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore.

Its earnings have been on an uptrend over the past three quarters.

For its fourth quarter ended June 30, 2013, it posted a net profit of RM9.56mil on the back of RM78mil in revenue. Earnings per share was at 7.97 sen.

Net profit was at RM2.9mil in the third quarter on the back of RM54.83mil in revenue, while in the second quarter, earnings came in at RM528,000 on revenue of RM45mil.

The company's short-term deposits, cash and bank balances for the fourth quarter, meanwhile, stood at RM59.98mil, an increase from the RM45.73mil recorded a year ago.

Xiamen Comfort could probably be attracted to Ogawa due to its improved earnings and healthy bank balances, which makes it a better option than its bigger counterpart, Singapore-based Osim International Ltd.

Osim has a market capitalisation of S$1.4bil (RM3.63bil). At the last traded price of S$1.935, it was trading at a price to earnings (PE) of 15.02 times.

In comparison, Ogawa's market capitalisation stands at RM121mil, and at the last traded price of RM1.01, it was trading at a PE of 8.49 times.

Apart from Ogawa's takeover, Xiamen Comfort had, in April, bought over the trademark of FujiMedic, which is also involved in the medical equipment sector, for a total of RM220,000.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies


Movies coming soon

Posted:

Malavita – Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer play husband and wife who enter the witness protection programme with their two children. De Niro's character was part of a notorious mafia clan; but he and his family have a small problem letting go of their old way of life. Directed by Luc Besson, the film co-stars Dianna Agron and Tommy Lee Jones.

2 Guns – Two undercover officers from different departments try to infiltrate a drug cartel. Things go bad and they find themselves having no choice but to team up. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg head the cast.

Prisoners – Fathers Keller Dover and Franklin Birch decide to go down a path they cannot return from after their daughters go missing and the detective-in-charge is unable to find them. Starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Paul Dano and Melissa Leo.

My Lucky Star – Wang Leehom and Zhang Ziyi lead the cast list in this romantic comedy. Directed by Dennie Gordon (apparently the first American woman to direct a feature for the China market), the film revolves around an adventure that takes place in Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. Of course, there's romance too.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation


Time for reflection

Posted:

To give moderate politics a chance to succeed in this country, we have to espouse the principles on which this nation was founded.

ON Sept 16, we will reach the 50th year in the life of this nation. It's an opportune moment for us to reflect on things that have happened, and more importantly, on things that are in store for our children and future generations.

In all this time, we have seen leaders with many accomplishments and mediocre ones who did little during their time in power, leaders we could be proud of and those who did wrong for the country. We have seen major policy changes that brought about prosperity and peace, as well as those that sowed the seeds of disunity and hatred.

In short, we have witnessed an exciting 50 years of political and economic development in this peaceful country, and which can only get better if we all play our part .

It's not for me to tell you what things are important enough for you to ponder, what you should stand up for and who you should support. I will not even try to set out the important issues for the country as I believe you know them well. I can only give you my own perspective.

What is most precious to me is this country's character. Malaysia must remain a free, just and liberal democracy governed by the rule of law. Democracy is not just about the freedom to choose our leaders – the leaders we elect must reciprocate by recognising the rights and freedom of Malaysia's citizens, as mandated by our Constitution.

Malaysia must also remain a business-friendly economy; where the Government does not allow only GLCs to own precious assets but instead encourages individuals to prosper; where hard work, risk-taking and innovation are rewarded.

A true democracy is not simply the rule of the majority, but the rule of everyone regardless of their race, religion or beliefs, all of which must be protected and provided for in equal measure. All peaceful and prosperous nations in the modern world share these attributes and characteristics.

Today, we have strong advocates of religious theocracy making inroads into our political system. Never before have we had our public policies become the subject of approval of religious clerics. This is a trend we have to resist.

The values that form the bedrock of the nation are usually those that are acceptable to all communities. This must remain the basis of our public policies. All Malaysians must be brave to speak up and defend the values they believe in and cherish. Unless we fight for freedom and for our rights, no one will give them to us for free. Nothing is free.

We have powerful oligarchs influencing policy and that makes it important for the rest of us citizens to put forth our stand so this country can mature peacefully. They must not be allowed to "bully" us like bringing in foreigners to "balance the scale", as is evident from the public inquiry in Sabah.

These oligarchs create the mistaken impression that the country and the bumiputra are under attack, which justifies any means taken to address this perceived problem. This approach has enabled them to seize large economic benefits for their own interests at the expense of others.

No other independent nation has created this culture of fear or demonised its own citizens as blatantly as we have done.

No nation has institutionalised discrimination – both in racial and religious matters – as vigorously as we have.

And it could be that the worst is yet to come. So we have a fight on our hands.

The only way out for us now is to be together so we can reverse these trends. We need to collectively espouse with conviction the principles on which this nation was founded. This is the only option available to us as right-thinking Malaysians looking for a way to give moderate policies the chance to succeed in this country.

Like so many of you, I have been critical of the Prime Minister for many years. I had hoped he would be forceful and courageous enough to bring our country back from the excesses of the past. I had hoped he would reform Umno's core beliefs and uphold the good values of its earlier leaders. Still, he is doing his best and deserves our support.

On reflection, it's always easier to criticise others when we are not in the hot seat ourselves. He is a reformer who needed to pace his efforts lest he became another victim of his own party. He believes in most of the things we want for the country to move forward, but it's much more difficult to implement policies when there are equally powerful forces at work to slow him down or even derail him.

I believe that beneath his skin he is a liberal and a democrat, despite his Umno theatrics that reject pluralism. He will not bring about racial discord nor will he condone racist politics. He will not issue ICs to foreigners to win elections. He is a moderate, which is rare for a Malay leader still holding power in Umno. His economic plans deserve support despite huge implementation problems that are sure to unfold in the coming years.

His administration's Education Blueprint is comprehensive. Although the results are still unknown, he has recognised the problems of having a poor education system. This is a major step forward after so many years of neglect.

He has repealed some of the preventive detention laws and that is proof of his commitment to human rights. He even tried to establish the Equal Opportunities Commission under the New Economic Model, although he has had to backtrack. This is a man who must walk the tightrope at all times and you have to be in Umno to fully appreciate the difficulties he faces.

I believe more Malaysians, especially the Chinese, should show their trust in the Prime Minister if we want to help him be more effective. Sometimes we are unsure if he will be bolder if we give him undivided support, but if he really were an extremist then he would not have even bothered to try out the 1Malaysia idea.

He would have embraced Perkasa and all its dangerously chauvinistic and exclusionary ideas in totality.

It's understandable that we want to see him distance himself from everything that is negative in his own party and take action to address his departmental heads and advisers in certain media. We hope he will be more firm with them.

> The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

Indonesian drug mule arrested after hotel room raid

Posted:

JOHOR BARU: Police have arrested a 41-year-old Indonesian drug mule who carried 3.1kg of syabu in a special compartment in his luggage while travelling from India.

The substance with a street value of RM621,600 was seized when police raided a hotel room in Senai, Kulaijaya, at about 6pm yesterday.

Johor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Ismail Yatim said that the suspect, believed to be working for an international drug ring, had brought in the drugs by hiding them in a special compartment in his luggage via the Senai International Airport.

"We put the luggage under an airport scanner and the drugs could not be detected. We believe that the syndicate may have used this tactic many times before to avoid detection," he said at a press conference here.

He said that the drugs could cater for some 15,540 addicts, adding that the suspect had tested negative for drugs and would be remanded until next Tuesday to assist in their investigations.

In a separate case, DCP Ismail said that police had arrested six suspects including a 16-year-old girl who were part of a syndicate involved in at least three break-ins and eight robberies in the Johor Baru North area.

He said that during the group's latest spree, three of the suspects robbed a sundry shop in Taman Perling here at about 6pm on Monday.

He said that police had seized a CCTV camera, an LCD television set, eight machetes, electrical tools and 63 cartons of cigarettes worth about RM20,000 from a Proton Waja that the syndicate used.

"We believe that the syndicate used the money they got from their illegal activities to invest in contraband cigarettes before selling them at a higher price than what they had bought them at," he added.

Stay alert and be wise, women told

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: Always stay alert to your surroundings and be prepared to respond if a crime happens or if there is a threat of one.

"Set your mind always on how you should react in case a crime happens," said Supt Jenny Ong Chin Lan from the Woman and Child Protection Division of the Federal Police's Criminal Investigation Department.

She said those who were careless, immature, did not know of their rights and lacked knowledge and moral education were easy targets.

Crime usually takes place at isolated and dark locations, unsafe and night entertainment outlets and where there was a lack of neighbourhood watch, she added.

"Hit the attacker's triceps or step on him repeatedly with your high heels," she said during a talk at The Star's Safety Campaign at Menara Star here yesterday.

Supt Ong, who also gave other safety tips, urged women to get the keys out before reaching their vehicles or house doors, stand at the back for a better view of everyone in the lift, keep valuables away from public view, do not use handphone while walking and always walk against the traffic.

"If you are attacked, never fight back and don't antagonise the perpetrator," she said.

"As for rape victims, never clean yourself because useful evidence may be washed away and a report must be made as soon as possible," said Supt Ong, adding that 60% of such cases occurred while dating.

"Anybody who has knowledge of a crime, especially domestic violence and child abuse, must also inform the police," she added.

Also, she advised the victims to try to identify the appearance of the attackers and remember particulars of their vehicles, if any.

Supt Ong also briefed The Star's employees on the modus operadi used in mystery cure stones and Internet love scams; and how women were being lured into becoming drug mules.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

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Colleagues of another race is fine

Posted:

More than nine in 10 Singaporeans accept colleagues and neighbours of a different race but fewer are willing to marry or welcome an in-law of another race.

A recent survey on race relations here has found that while Singa­poreans are generally open to other races in the public sphere, this attitude does not always extend to the private space.

For instance, among non-Malay respondents, just over three in 10 said they would be comfortable with a Malay spouse. 

The numbers were similar when non-Indian respondents were asked about marrying an Indian person, and just slightly higher – five in 10 – for a parallel question on Eurasians.

The finding was characteristic of the bigger picture on race relations painted by the study of more than 4,000 Singaporeans by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and racial harmony advocacy group OnePeople.sg: 

The country has made good prog­ress, but there is still some way to go.

IPS director Janadas Devan said the results show "an overwhelming majority of Singaporeans are ideologically committed to the idea of Singapore being a multiracial society". But he sounded a note of caution, especially as fewer than half of the respondents said they had a close friend of another race.

And there were other gaps as well. Those born here were much less comfortable with workmates who are new citizens of a different race. While 94% of non-Chinese accept a local-born Chinese as their boss, that share falls to 74% for a boss who is a new citizen originally from China.

There was also a significant number who said that minorities are disadvantaged at work. Some 36% of respondents felt Malays had to work harder or much harder than someone of another race to reach the top spot in their company. For Indians, the figure was 31%.

The Chinese had marginally different attitudes to race relations compared to minority ethnic groups. They were, for instance, the least keen to learn from other races.

IPS research fellow Mathew Mathews, who headed the survey, said the results indicate that racial bias "has not been removed across the board".  -The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Traffic accident case highlights reckless habits of cyclists

Posted:

A motorist whose car collided with a cyclist at a traffic junction and killed him was fined S$1,000 (RM2,581) and disqualified from driving for four months in a district court last week.

But while Yap Thien Leong, 40, had pleaded guilty to the less serious charge of driving without due care, the case drew notice to the habit of errant cyclists riding on pavements and pedestrian crossings at traffic junctions, and posing grave risk to life and limb.

Yap had failed to keep a proper look­out when he knocked down S. Muneeshwaran at a traffic junction along Pasir Ris Drive 2 on Dec 17 last year.

Muneeshwaran, 24, who was cycling across the pedestrian crossing despite the green light in Yap's favour, suffered severe internal injuries. 

The Indian national was taken to Changi General Hospital where he died the next day.

Video footage showed that he was cycling on the road pavement in the same direction as Yap but on the opposite side of the same road. 

He also rode over the pedestrian crossing at a much higher speed than a pedestrian would have crossed, giving little time for Yap to react.

Yap's lawyer Selva Naidu argued that it has become "a worryingly frequent experience in Singapore to find cyclists riding on pavements meant for pedestrians and riding across a pedestrian crossing. Many seem unaware they should not be riding across the pedestrian crossing".

"The deceased should never have cycled at all on any pedestrian crossing. Pedestrian crossings are for pedestrians, not cyclists," he added.  -The Straist Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox on stage

Posted:

A fun story of family, bravery and wit takes centre stage on Roald Dahl's birthday this Friday.

FAMILY. Adversity. Good. Evil. Such meaty subjects are the hallmarks of a good story, one that plucks the strings of our heart and caresses the soul of our humanity.

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) certainly knew a lot about crafting good stories; his seemingly simple children's stories often had protagonists facing situations where the odds are stacked against them with only courage and daring seeing them win through in the end. In his Fantastic Mr Fox (1970), for instance, a father goes to great and fantastic lengths to protect his family and eventually the community of the downtrodden.

This timeless tale of family, diversity, and friendship – as adapted for the stage in 2001 by Sir David Wood – has been chosen by local children's theatre company Box of Delights to mark what would be the British author's 97th birthday on Friday.

Directed by Marvin Wong and featuring Na'a Murad, Jerrica Lai, Sukania Venugopal, Freddy Tan, Siti Farrah Abdullah, Tria Aziz, Caleb Fong, Arjun Kang, Toby Ann Ujhazy, Loh Ui Li, Raghuram and Eugene Yeo, the local staging boasts on-screen animation along with songs, dance and fight sequences, and much more, and will run for three days at PJ Life Arts, Petaling Jaya.

If you haven't read the book or watched the 2009 movie adaptation, Fantastic Mr Fox tells the story of Mr Fox who lives in a cosy underground burrow with his three kids and wife and steals food from farms belonging to three cruel farmers. When the farmers join forces to kill Mr Fox by digging into his burrow, he and his family survive the attack by the skin of their teeth and are left to starve. But the fantastic Mr Fox always has something up his elegant sleeve and soon devises a plan to not only feed his family but his friends, too.

LEAD PIX: The Fox family is played by (from left) Arjun Kang, Na'a Murad, Jerrica Lai, Caleb Fong and Toby Ann Ujhazy. -- Star photo

The Fox family is played by (from left) Arjun Kang, Na'a Murad, Jerrica Lai, Caleb Fong and Toby Ann Ujhazy. - The Star

Central to the plot are the children of Mr Fox and Na'a, who plays the titular role, finds the relevance of his character in the fact that when his children's lives are threatened, Mr Fox climbs the mountain and slays the dragon as it were just so that he can feed and protect them.

"In a moment of crisis, the rules are not so clear. When there's real danger, a person needs to step up to save his family. Mr Fox is not like Gandhi or Mandela but he's still a hero ... an accidental hero if you will. And I like the fact that he's never overly serious, as many heroic characters are. He kids around with his children," says Na'a, adding, "What I like about the play is that there is a strong environmental base to it and it's also about community, bravery and the underdogs sticking together."

Playing the role of the middle child is Caleb Fong, 14. He says the play is very much about family and family dynamics and that "It's something kids can relate to. Nowadays, kids spend hours on their computers and smartphones and I think a play like this, or theatre in general, can engage them intellectually on important issues like family."

Heroes need villains, of course, and in this case they come in the form of farmers Boggis, Bean and Bunce. Much like the three Stooges, the farmers are dim-witted men who, because of their greed, have made it their personal agenda to hunt down Mr Fox and get rid of him before he steals their produce.

But what's interesting about the farmers is that they will be played as puppets, controlled by Freddy Tan, Siti Farrah Abdullah and Tria Aziz, who, on top of playing Mole, Rabbit and Weasel respectively, will also be playing farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean.

"It's a challenging thing for me to remain neutral and animate the puppet at the same time!" confesses Tan, laughing. "But it's fun. And I think much of the comedy comes from me reacting to what the puppet says or the puppet reacting to my inaction."

Wong reasons the idea behind the puppets is to create a duality in the world of the play where the world below ground is real and the world above ground is a "strange world where all the humans are caricatures, and puppetry, I believe, can serve that purpose.

"So I wanted to animate the world above ground. Since it's a re-enactment of a story Badger is telling, I didn't want to bring in the actual farmer. So, for instance, you see Mole taking on the character of Boggis through the puppet."

"It's going to be an adventurous and explorative journey for the kids and a full-sensory experience for them. There are so many elements in this play, from the actors to the puppets and the children are that close to touching them. It's like Disneyland," says Siti.

Fantastic Mr Fox will be playing at PJ Life Arts (Jaya One, No. 72A, Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya) from Sept 13 (showtime, 10am) to Sept 15 (showtime Saturday and Sunday, 2pm). Tickets are RM40; for ticketing enquires, visit pjlivearts.my or call 03-7960 0439 (noon-7pm daily).

Related story

Roald Dahl: Master of imagination

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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Colleagues of another race is fine

Posted:

More than nine in 10 Singaporeans accept colleagues and neighbours of a different race but fewer are willing to marry or welcome an in-law of another race.

A recent survey on race relations here has found that while Singa­poreans are generally open to other races in the public sphere, this attitude does not always extend to the private space.

For instance, among non-Malay respondents, just over three in 10 said they would be comfortable with a Malay spouse. 

The numbers were similar when non-Indian respondents were asked about marrying an Indian person, and just slightly higher – five in 10 – for a parallel question on Eurasians.

The finding was characteristic of the bigger picture on race relations painted by the study of more than 4,000 Singaporeans by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and racial harmony advocacy group OnePeople.sg: 

The country has made good prog­ress, but there is still some way to go.

IPS director Janadas Devan said the results show "an overwhelming majority of Singaporeans are ideologically committed to the idea of Singapore being a multiracial society". But he sounded a note of caution, especially as fewer than half of the respondents said they had a close friend of another race.

And there were other gaps as well. Those born here were much less comfortable with workmates who are new citizens of a different race. While 94% of non-Chinese accept a local-born Chinese as their boss, that share falls to 74% for a boss who is a new citizen originally from China.

There was also a significant number who said that minorities are disadvantaged at work. Some 36% of respondents felt Malays had to work harder or much harder than someone of another race to reach the top spot in their company. For Indians, the figure was 31%.

The Chinese had marginally different attitudes to race relations compared to minority ethnic groups. They were, for instance, the least keen to learn from other races.

IPS research fellow Mathew Mathews, who headed the survey, said the results indicate that racial bias "has not been removed across the board".  -The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Traffic accident case highlights reckless habits of cyclists

Posted:

A motorist whose car collided with a cyclist at a traffic junction and killed him was fined S$1,000 (RM2,581) and disqualified from driving for four months in a district court last week.

But while Yap Thien Leong, 40, had pleaded guilty to the less serious charge of driving without due care, the case drew notice to the habit of errant cyclists riding on pavements and pedestrian crossings at traffic junctions, and posing grave risk to life and limb.

Yap had failed to keep a proper look­out when he knocked down S. Muneeshwaran at a traffic junction along Pasir Ris Drive 2 on Dec 17 last year.

Muneeshwaran, 24, who was cycling across the pedestrian crossing despite the green light in Yap's favour, suffered severe internal injuries. 

The Indian national was taken to Changi General Hospital where he died the next day.

Video footage showed that he was cycling on the road pavement in the same direction as Yap but on the opposite side of the same road. 

He also rode over the pedestrian crossing at a much higher speed than a pedestrian would have crossed, giving little time for Yap to react.

Yap's lawyer Selva Naidu argued that it has become "a worryingly frequent experience in Singapore to find cyclists riding on pavements meant for pedestrians and riding across a pedestrian crossing. Many seem unaware they should not be riding across the pedestrian crossing".

"The deceased should never have cycled at all on any pedestrian crossing. Pedestrian crossings are for pedestrians, not cyclists," he added.  -The Straist Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health

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Low oestrogen linked to flagging sex drive in men

Posted:

Previously, a drop in testosterone production might have been suspected as the culprit when middle-aged men experienced reduced sex drive, but researchers said a decline in oestrogen may be part of the problem.

MANY middle-aged men find their waistlines expanding and their sex drive shrinking, symptoms a new study out recently suggests can be traced to a hormone deficiency – but not the one you might imagine.

Previously, a drop in testosterone production might have been suspected as the culprit, but researchers said a decline in estrogen may be part of the problem.

"This study establishes testosterone levels at which various physiological functions start to become impaired, which may help provide a rationale for determining which men should be treated with testosterone supplements," says Joel Finkelstein, of Massachusetts General Hospital.

But he said, "the biggest surprise was that some of the symptoms routinely attributed to testosterone deficiency are actually partially or almost exclusively caused by the decline in oestrogens," Finkelstein said.

Traditionally, a diagnosis of male hypogonadism – a drop in reproductive hormones sharp enough to have physical effects – was based solely on a measurement of testosterone levels.

These diagnoses have increased dramatically in recent years – leading to five times as many testosterone prescriptions in 2000 as in 1993.

Yet doctors understand little about the exact levels of testosterone needed to support normal function.

Testosterone production also has a direct impact on oestrogen levels in men, since a portion of the male hormone is always converted into oestrogen.

That makes it hard to know which hormone is needed, and in what quantity, to counteract the symptoms that appear in older men.

To find out, researchers suppressed all natural hormone production among more than 300 male test subjects, aged 20 to 50. Half of the subjects were given a daily dose of a testosterone gel or a placebo for 16 weeks. The other half were given the gel plus a drug that inhibits the conversion of testosterone to oestrogen.

The results of the study suggest that testosterone regulates lean body mass and muscle strength, while oestrogen impacts the accumulation of body fat.

And sexual function was impacted by both hormones: a lack of oestrogen decreased desire, while a low level of testosterone impeded erectile function.

Further studies are necessary, Finkelstein said, to confirm whether the findings of this controlled study are accurate for naturally occurring hormone fluctuations. – AFP Relaxnews

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