Jumaat, 22 November 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Action against illegal guides

Posted:

Suspected unlicensed tourist guides will be questioned or even hauled to the police station by enforcement officers, under proposed changes to the law to give the Government more teeth to fight the scourge of illegal guides.

Offenders may also face harsher penalties, with plans to double the maximum fine to S$10,000 (RM25,626) for recalcitrants. There are also possible plans for more training and to raise the professionalism among licensed tourist guides.

The proposals come after a year-long review by the Trade and Industry Ministry and the Singapore Tourism Board as they grapple with the growing menace.

These illegal tourist guides are often foreigners accompanying tour groups from overseas. Others may be work pass holders who take on freelance guiding jobs without the requisite licence to be tour guides. They frequently give wrong information and take away business from those who have valid licences.

MTI said in a statement that proposed legislative changes are part of the government's ongoing efforts to raise the quality of tourist guides.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said tourist guides are important in promoting Singapore as a choice destination. He added that standards have to be improved and tougher action need to be taken against illegal guides who could "otherwise tarnish Singapore's image and impede the professional development of the tourist guide industry". — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Army officer jailed for five months

Posted:

A 38-year-old army officer was jailed for five months after paying an underage prostitute S$500 (RM1,281) for sex.

Emlyn Thomas Thariyan (pic) is the 28th man to be sentenced in a series of cases involving the same 17-year-old prostitute, who was part of an online vice ring. He is appealing both conviction and punishment – the stiffest to date.

Thariyan committed the offence at Hotel 81 Bencoolen on Feb 18, 2011.

He is the fifth man to be sentenced after claiming trial, following 42-year-old Swiss banker Juerg Buergin, ex-navy engineer Kwa Wee Nam, 34, Indonesian Reyner Desvando Suhar-tono, 29, and business consultant Edward Whistler Goh Ngian Meng, 51.

Kwa, Suhartono and Goh each received four months' jail, while Buergin, a former executive director with UBS, was understood to have left Singapore in August after completing a 19-week jail term.

A total of 51 men were charged last year.

All the 23 other men who have been sentenced had pleaded guilty.

The maximum penalty for the offence is a seven-year jail term and a fine. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

CNB seizes 12kg of heroin worth RM3.1mil

Posted:

Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers seized about 12kg of heroin with a street value of more than S$1.2mil (RM3.1mil) – its largest haul of the drug since Feb 5, 2008 – from a suspected drug trafficker.

The bureau said in a statement on Thursday that had the shipment of heroin flowed onto the streets, it would be enough "to supply one straw of heroin per day to more than 1,300 abusers for a month".

An operation was launched on Wednesday targeting the 46-year-old Singaporean, who was suspected of actively distributing heroin in Singapore. It was believed he would be receiving a fresh consignment of drugs from a neighbouring country.

CNB officers spotted the suspect in his car at around 10.30pm. When they moved in to arrest him, the man tried to escape by driving his car up the side pedestrian curb of the road. In the process, he hit and damaged a few CNB vehicles and a taxi parked along the road. He also put up a violent struggle while being arrested. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Hungry for more

Posted:

Fans just can't get enough of Jennifer Lawrence and there are plenty of reasons why.

THERE is just something honest and grounded about Jennifer Lawrence which comes through every time she is captured on camera – be it for interviews or when she's playing a role.

In articles written about the actress, words like humble, playful, normal and funny are used to describe her. These are usually accompanied by praises on her unencumbered acting style and relaxed personality on film sets from those who have worked with her including directors Jodie Foster, David O. Russell and Francis Lawrence (no relation) as well as fellow actors Bradley Cooper and Sam Claflin.

In short, she's just easy to like. This would explain why even when she took an embarrassing tumble on her way to receive the best actress Oscar in a beautiful Dior dress earlier this year, Lawrence received a standing ovation from her peers.

Jennifer Lawrence with her The Hunger Games: Catching Fire co-stars - Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth - with director Francis Lawrence. Deemed Hollywood¿s ¿normal¿ girl, Lawrence¿s accessible personality contributes to her demand. ¿It¿s refreshing,¿ said Hemsworth of the actress¿s disposition. ¿She¿s not trying to be anything she¿s not and she¿s got one of the biggest hearts of anyone I¿ve ever met.¿ - AP

Lawrence with co-stars – (from left) Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth – and director Francis Lawrence.

But in a true J.Law style, she started her acceptance speech by addressing what just happened. "Thank you. You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell. And that's really embarrassing," she said humbly.

Her resolute kindness also came to the fore last week when the 23-year-old moved security barriers (at the red carpet for the London premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) so that she could hug a crying, wheelchair-bound fan.

Armed with a quip for every occasion and a candid outlook on life, Lawrence is undoubtedly the current Hollywood darling. Well, not surprisingly, she is also the box office darling; besides working on indie films (Russell's Silver Lining Playbooks and American Hustle), Lawrence is involved in two major franchises (The Hunger Games and X-Men).

With one Oscar nomination (for 2010 Winter's Bone) and one win (for Silver Linings Playbooks) under her belt, Lawrence now commands a whopping US$10mil (RM32mil) salary per movie – that would be her take home pay for playing a teen heroine in Catching Fire. Consider this: Lawrence was only paid US$500,000 (RM1.6mil) for 2012's The Hunger Games.

In the second instalment of the film based on Suzanne Collins' bestseller, Lawrence's character – 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen – returns to her district after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

But this victory is bittersweet for Katniss who wants to go back to how things were before she became a tribute (what participants in Hunger Games are called) and ultimately the winner.

Unfortunately, she finds herself pushed into the spotlight as she makes her Victors' Tour with fellow winner, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

To make matters worse, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) cooks up a new twist for the 75th Hunger Games, also known as the 3rd Quarter Quell – pitting all the previous victors, two from each district, in a more challenging gladiatorial game.

Actress Jennifer Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept the award for best actress in a leading role for

Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept her Oscar.

In an interview transcript provided by the film distributor, Nusantara Edaran Filem, Lawrence spills what it's like to revisit the character for the second time: "It was kind of weird to go back because I had this idea when I first signed on to the franchise that it would get boring playing the same character. I've never done that – I've always played a brand new character. Katniss is the same character, but in completely new circumstances."

She adds: "The stakes are different for her this time. In the first movie, she was a hesitant hero who really just wanted to save her family, but now she has a bigger weight on her shoulders. She feels a responsibility to all these people who are depending on her and yet, she is struggling with that, because it isn't at all what she signed up for."

Similar to how her character is forced into the limelight and her every move documented for the viewing pleasure of the people of Panem, Lawrence is faced with papparazzi problem since her rise to fame.

In an interview with Vogue, she is quoted: "I teeter on seeming ungrateful when I talk about this, but I'm kind of going through a meltdown about it lately. All of a sudden the entire world feels entitled to know everything about me, including what I'm doing on my weekends when I'm spending time with my nephew. And I don't have the right to say, 'I'm with my family.'

"If I were just your average 23-year-old girl, and I called the police to say that there were strange men sleeping on my lawn and following me to Starbucks, they would leap into action. But because I am a famous person, well, sorry, ma'am, there's nothing we can do. It makes no sense."

The unwanted attention by photographers continued when she was filming Catching Fire in Atlanta and Hawaii in the United States.

Although Lawrence jokes that it's difficult being stressed in Hawaii – echoed by her co-star Claflin: "There's something about Hawaii where you step off the plane and you feel really chill." – the presence of paparazzi did cause some problems for the actress.

Lawrence complains: "When you're working, it's distracting. And when you're not working, it's annoying."

Even if the world is curious to know everything about her – for example, when she was reunited with ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hoult, it made major headlines, Lawrence is happy to be doing what she loves.

The loss of privacy is a small price to pay. "I haven't really stopped working, which has been exhausting, but also a blessing because I don't have time to think about it."

> The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Related stories:

Playing catch up

New to the Games

Clothes maketh the man

Emily Blunt to star in thriller based on bestselling book

Posted:

Film is to be adapted from Rosamund Lupton's 'Sister'.

EMILY Blunt (pic) is attached to star in the psychological thriller Sister, which Kevin McCormick (Gangster Squad) is developing under his Langley Park banner, TheWrap has learned.

StudioCanal is financing development of the project, which is based on Rosamund Lupton's bestselling novel Sister. The project is near and dear to Blunt, whose own sister, literary agent Felicity Blunt, represents the book, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

The London-based mystery follows Beatrice (Blunt) as she investigates the death of her younger sister Tess, whose passing is ruled a suicide by police. Convinced that her sister was murdered, Beatrice sets out to uncover the strange events leading up to Tess' death, though she may pay a terrible price for the truth.

Rory Koslow will oversee the project for Langley Park, which is currently searching for a writer to adapt Lupton's novel.

Blunt has spent most of 2013 on movie sets, filming the female lead opposite Tom Cruise in Doug Liman's futuristic action movie Edge Of Tomorrow, as well as the role of the Baker's Wife opposite James Corden in Disney's Into The Woods. Those movies are scheduled for release next year on June 6 and Christmas Day respectively.

Langley Park is currently developing an adaptation of Robert Kolker's true crime book Lost Girls, a Boston Strangler movie with Casey Affleck attached to star and an adaptation of Jo Nesbo's novel The Son, which, like Sister, features a protagonist questioning the suicide of a family member.

Blunt was last seen wielding a shotgun in Looper and is no stranger to movies about siblings, having starred in Your Sister's Sister. – Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz


Hungry for more

Posted:

Fans just can't get enough of Jennifer Lawrence and there are plenty of reasons why.

THERE is just something honest and grounded about Jennifer Lawrence which comes through every time she is captured on camera – be it for interviews or when she's playing a role.

In articles written about the actress, words like humble, playful, normal and funny are used to describe her. These are usually accompanied by praises on her unencumbered acting style and relaxed personality on film sets from those who have worked with her including directors Jodie Foster, David O. Russell and Francis Lawrence (no relation) as well as fellow actors Bradley Cooper and Sam Claflin.

In short, she's just easy to like. This would explain why even when she took an embarrassing tumble on her way to receive the best actress Oscar in a beautiful Dior dress earlier this year, Lawrence received a standing ovation from her peers.

Jennifer Lawrence with her The Hunger Games: Catching Fire co-stars - Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth - with director Francis Lawrence. Deemed Hollywood¿s ¿normal¿ girl, Lawrence¿s accessible personality contributes to her demand. ¿It¿s refreshing,¿ said Hemsworth of the actress¿s disposition. ¿She¿s not trying to be anything she¿s not and she¿s got one of the biggest hearts of anyone I¿ve ever met.¿ - AP

Lawrence with co-stars – (from left) Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth – and director Francis Lawrence.

But in a true J.Law style, she started her acceptance speech by addressing what just happened. "Thank you. You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell. And that's really embarrassing," she said humbly.

Her resolute kindness also came to the fore last week when the 23-year-old moved security barriers (at the red carpet for the London premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) so that she could hug a crying, wheelchair-bound fan.

Armed with a quip for every occasion and a candid outlook on life, Lawrence is undoubtedly the current Hollywood darling. Well, not surprisingly, she is also the box office darling; besides working on indie films (Russell's Silver Lining Playbooks and American Hustle), Lawrence is involved in two major franchises (The Hunger Games and X-Men).

With one Oscar nomination (for 2010 Winter's Bone) and one win (for Silver Linings Playbooks) under her belt, Lawrence now commands a whopping US$10mil (RM32mil) salary per movie – that would be her take home pay for playing a teen heroine in Catching Fire. Consider this: Lawrence was only paid US$500,000 (RM1.6mil) for 2012's The Hunger Games.

In the second instalment of the film based on Suzanne Collins' bestseller, Lawrence's character – 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen – returns to her district after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

But this victory is bittersweet for Katniss who wants to go back to how things were before she became a tribute (what participants in Hunger Games are called) and ultimately the winner.

Unfortunately, she finds herself pushed into the spotlight as she makes her Victors' Tour with fellow winner, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

To make matters worse, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) cooks up a new twist for the 75th Hunger Games, also known as the 3rd Quarter Quell – pitting all the previous victors, two from each district, in a more challenging gladiatorial game.

Actress Jennifer Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept the award for best actress in a leading role for

Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept her Oscar.

In an interview transcript provided by the film distributor, Nusantara Edaran Filem, Lawrence spills what it's like to revisit the character for the second time: "It was kind of weird to go back because I had this idea when I first signed on to the franchise that it would get boring playing the same character. I've never done that – I've always played a brand new character. Katniss is the same character, but in completely new circumstances."

She adds: "The stakes are different for her this time. In the first movie, she was a hesitant hero who really just wanted to save her family, but now she has a bigger weight on her shoulders. She feels a responsibility to all these people who are depending on her and yet, she is struggling with that, because it isn't at all what she signed up for."

Similar to how her character is forced into the limelight and her every move documented for the viewing pleasure of the people of Panem, Lawrence is faced with papparazzi problem since her rise to fame.

In an interview with Vogue, she is quoted: "I teeter on seeming ungrateful when I talk about this, but I'm kind of going through a meltdown about it lately. All of a sudden the entire world feels entitled to know everything about me, including what I'm doing on my weekends when I'm spending time with my nephew. And I don't have the right to say, 'I'm with my family.'

"If I were just your average 23-year-old girl, and I called the police to say that there were strange men sleeping on my lawn and following me to Starbucks, they would leap into action. But because I am a famous person, well, sorry, ma'am, there's nothing we can do. It makes no sense."

The unwanted attention by photographers continued when she was filming Catching Fire in Atlanta and Hawaii in the United States.

Although Lawrence jokes that it's difficult being stressed in Hawaii – echoed by her co-star Claflin: "There's something about Hawaii where you step off the plane and you feel really chill." – the presence of paparazzi did cause some problems for the actress.

Lawrence complains: "When you're working, it's distracting. And when you're not working, it's annoying."

Even if the world is curious to know everything about her – for example, when she was reunited with ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hoult, it made major headlines, Lawrence is happy to be doing what she loves.

The loss of privacy is a small price to pay. "I haven't really stopped working, which has been exhausting, but also a blessing because I don't have time to think about it."

> The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Related stories:

Playing catch up

New to the Games

Clothes maketh the man

Emily Blunt to star in thriller based on bestselling book

Posted:

Film is to be adapted from Rosamund Lupton's 'Sister'.

EMILY Blunt (pic) is attached to star in the psychological thriller Sister, which Kevin McCormick (Gangster Squad) is developing under his Langley Park banner, TheWrap has learned.

StudioCanal is financing development of the project, which is based on Rosamund Lupton's bestselling novel Sister. The project is near and dear to Blunt, whose own sister, literary agent Felicity Blunt, represents the book, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

The London-based mystery follows Beatrice (Blunt) as she investigates the death of her younger sister Tess, whose passing is ruled a suicide by police. Convinced that her sister was murdered, Beatrice sets out to uncover the strange events leading up to Tess' death, though she may pay a terrible price for the truth.

Rory Koslow will oversee the project for Langley Park, which is currently searching for a writer to adapt Lupton's novel.

Blunt has spent most of 2013 on movie sets, filming the female lead opposite Tom Cruise in Doug Liman's futuristic action movie Edge Of Tomorrow, as well as the role of the Baker's Wife opposite James Corden in Disney's Into The Woods. Those movies are scheduled for release next year on June 6 and Christmas Day respectively.

Langley Park is currently developing an adaptation of Robert Kolker's true crime book Lost Girls, a Boston Strangler movie with Casey Affleck attached to star and an adaptation of Jo Nesbo's novel The Son, which, like Sister, features a protagonist questioning the suicide of a family member.

Blunt was last seen wielding a shotgun in Looper and is no stranger to movies about siblings, having starred in Your Sister's Sister. – Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Kerry to join Iran nuclear talks in bid to reach deal

Posted:

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will join talks on Iran's contested nuclear programme in Geneva on Saturday, as Tehran and six world powers appeared to be on the verge of an elusive breakthrough in the decade-old dispute.

The Chinese, French, British and German foreign ministers, Wang Yi, Laurent Fabius, William Hague and Guido Westerwelle, were due to take part in intense negotiations on a deal under which Iran would curb its atomic activity in exchange for some relief from economic sanctions.

The announcements came after diplomats in the Swiss city said a major sticking point in the talks, which began on Wednesday, may have been overcome.

A senior European diplomat told reporters earlier that foreign ministers of the six states would come to Geneva only if there was a deal to sign. "We have made progress, including core issues," the diplomat said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Geneva on Friday evening and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, a Russian spokeswoman said.

Kerry left for Geneva "with the goal of continuing to help narrow the differences and move closer to an agreement," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

The decision was taken after consulting with Ashton, who is coordinating talks with Iran on behalf of the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany, Psaki said.

Later, deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that Kerry decided to travel to Geneva "in light of the progress being made" and with "the hope that an agreement will be reached".

Echoing optimism that a deal was close, China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying the talks "have reached the final moment". The country's foreign minister left Beijing for Geneva early on Saturday.

Diplomats said a compromise over Iran's insistence that its "right" to enrich uranium be internationally recognised has been proposed, possibly opening the way to a long-sought breakthrough.

Fabius expressed hope that a deal could be made. France has taken a harder line than other Western powers and repeatedly urged the six-power group not to make too many compromises with Tehran.

"You know our position ... it's a position based on firmness, but at the same time a position of hope that we can reach a deal," Fabius said in Paris.

The United States and other Western powers say there is no such thing as a right to enrich - a process that can yield both electricity and nuclear bombs - but Iran views it as a matter of national sovereignty and crucial to any deal that would resolve the standoff over its nuclear intentions.

The Islamic Republic also wants relief from economic sanctions in return for any nuclear concessions it makes that could allay the West's suspicions that its nuclear fuel-making programme has military rather than its stated civilian goals.

Foreign ministers from the six nations negotiating with Iran waded into the previous talks on November 7-9 and came close to winning concessions from Iran, which they count on to reduce the risk of Iran achieving a nuclear weapons capability.

POLITICALLY CHARGED DETAILS

In the days running up to the talks, policymakers from the six powers said an interim accord on confidence-building steps could be within reach to start a cautious process of detente with Iran and banish the spectre of a wider Middle East war.

Under discussion is Iranian suspension of some sensitive nuclear activities, above all medium-level uranium enrichment. Sanctions relief offered in return could involve releasing some Iranian funds frozen in foreign bank accounts and allowing trade in precious metals, petrochemicals and aircraft parts.

The United States might also agree to relax pressure on other countries not to buy Iranian oil. Tehran has made clear it wants more significant diluting of the sanctions blocking its oil exports and its use of the international banking system.

Diplomacy on Tehran's nuclear aspirations has revived remarkably since the election of Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, as president in June on promises of winning sanctions relief and diminishing Iran's international isolation.

The sides have struggled to wrap up a deal, however, bogged down in politically vexed details and hampered by long-standing mutual mistrust.

In Geneva, last-minute discussions wrapped up around midnight on Friday as diplomats from the six powers, the EU and Iran sought to work out an agreement.

Diplomats said new, compromise language being discussed did not explicitly recognise a right to produce nuclear fuel by any country. "If you speak about the right to a peaceful nuclear programme, that's open to interpretation," a diplomat told Reuters without elaborating.

No other details were available, but Zarif, Tehran's chief negotiator, said earlier in the day that significant headway had been made even though three or four "differences" remained.

The fate of Iran's Arak heavy-water reactor project - a potential source of an alternative bomb material, plutonium - and the extent of sanctions relief were among the other stumbling blocks, diplomats said.

The OPEC producer rejects suspicions it is covertly trying to develop the means to produce nuclear weapons, saying it is stockpiling nuclear material for future atomic power plants.

SENATE SANCTIONS PUSH

Zarif and Ashton met throughout the day on Friday to try to narrow the remaining gaps.

Israel continued its public campaign of criticising the offer of sanctions rollbacks for Iran, voicing its conviction that all it would achieve would be more time for Iran to master nuclear technology and amass potential bomb fuel.

"I think right now the international community ... has all the leverage to roll back its (Iran's) nuclear making capacities," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel Rossia in Moscow.

"It's a pity, just when they have this maximum leverage, that they're backing off and essentially giving Iran an unbelievable Christmas present - the capacity to maintain this breakout capability for practically no concessions at all," he said.

For the powers, an interim deal would mandate a halt to Iran's enrichment of uranium to a purity of 20 percent - a major technical step towards the bomb threshold, more sweeping U.N. nuclear inspections in Iran and an Arak reactor shutdown.

The United States has only limited flexibility during the talks, however, because of scepticism in the U.S. Congress about the benefits of cutting any deal with Tehran.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Thursday he was committed to pursuing a tougher Iran sanctions bill when the Senate returns from a recess early next month - even though President Barack Obama has warned that could derail diplomacy in Geneva.

If a preliminary agreement is reached for a six-month suspension of some of Iran's most sensitive nuclear activity, the six powers and Tehran will use that time to hammer out a broader and longer-term accord.

(Additional reporting by Justyna Pawlak, Fredrik Dahl and John Irish in Geneva, Marcus George in Dubai, John Ruwitch in Shanghai, Steve Gutterman in Moscow, Allyn Fisher in Jerusalem, Hortense de Roffignac in Paris, Arshad Mohammed and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Editing Giles Elgood, Jackie Frank and Eric Walsh and Jeremy Laurence)

China FM spokesman says Iran talks at "final moment" - Xinhua

Posted:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme "have reached the final moment", China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei as saying on Saturday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi left Beijing early on Saturday for Geneva to attend the talks with Iran, which also involve the United States, Russia, France, Britain and Germany.

(Reporting by John Ruwitch; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

China's foreign minister heads to Geneva for Iran talks

Posted:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi left Beijing early on Saturday for Geneva to attend talks on Iran's nuclear programme, the Foreign Ministry said.

The brief announcement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website (www.fmprc.gov.cn) gave no further details. The talks with Iran also involve the United States, Russia, France, Britain and Germany.

(Reporting by John Ruwitch; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

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The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business


Up Close & Personal with Martin Gilbert

Posted:

SCOTTISH lad Martin Gilbert is no stranger to Malaysian soil. Having spent a good part of his childhood here, he is well-accustomed to the country's intricacies through the local delicacy, rich culture and people.

Growing up in Asia turned out to be a great advantage to Gilbert, now chief executive and founder of Aberdeen Asset Management Plc. It is one of the reasons he chose to set up office here.

"I knew that Asia was going to be the growth area of the world. If we relocated the team out here, we would do well," he says.

Aberdeen Asset Management is the first foreign fund manager to have been awarded a domestic asset management licence in Malaysia.

Seating in a boardroom situated on the 26th floor of Menara IMC, amidst the concrete jungle skyline in bustling Kuala Lumpur, Gilbert shares his personal journey with StarBizWeek.

Boarding woes

Although he was born in Brickfields, he lived at Carey Island, some 14km off Port Klang with his parents, where his father worked for Harrisons & Crosfield then.

He schooled at The Alice Smith School for five years, the oldest British international school in Malaysia, and one of the oldest in South-East Asia.

"I started boarding at the age of five in KL so I could go to school there. It was interesting," he says.

Later on, he was sent to school at co-ed independent Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland for nine years. Although having been through the boarding system in KL, boarding in Scotland was different. "It was cold and miserable and windy," he cringes.

Although he left KL to go to boarding school in Scotland when he was 10 years of age, Gilbert says he spent most of his holidays in Malaysia, which really formed his love for the country. "It's a great place to grow up," he says.

How it all started

Gilbert was educated in Aberdeen and graduated with a law degree, and then went on to do a masters degree in accountancy from the University of Aberdeen. He later qualified as a chartered accountant in 1980.

In the early years of his career, he worked at legal firm Brown Robb Cruickshank, which had an investment department. Together with two partners, Gilbert bought out that investment department in 1983 and formed Aberdeen Asset Management.

"We realised the days of the Scottish fund managers being part of accountancy or law firms were over. We realised that the world had changed and you had to be set up on your own and independent. So, we worked it out and bought the business," he says.

Being one of the few genuine global independent asset managers, he says Aberdeen Asset Management's story is one of remarkable growth.

"We built a global asset manager capable of managing money anywhere in the world. We manage equities, bonds, property and solutions, et cetera," he says. From a firm of only US$75mil in assets under management to the US$315bil it manages today, Gilbert says he occasionally feels he has to pinch himself. "It still surprises me everyday that we have become as big as we actually are as a business," he says.

Being part of the company, from its birth up to now, 30 years down the road, Gilbert says he feels a special affinity with it.

"When we went through the tough times from 2002 till 2004, never did it enter my thoughts to give up or leave. Because when you have this special affinity, you also have the desire to stay and sort it out," he says.

Aberdeen Asset Management was faced with bleak circumstances when its investments in split-capital investment trusts, which it was a major investor in, dramatically collapsed in 2002.

But Gilbert managed to pull the company back from the brink and bring it to where it is today.

The Aberdeen culture

He attributes the Aberdeen culture as a key part of the business. "We have a strong culture, and we like bringing in graduates and training them. The graduates we brought in 15 to 20 years ago are now running large chunks of money for us," he says.

It gives him great satisfaction to see these graduates succeed and do well in the business, he adds.

His duties now involve a lot more travelling because it is a global business, but he adds that most of the time it is about sorting out problems.

"We are a people business, so at any given time you've got to try and keep all your people as happy as you can. That's what we spend most of our time doing – making sure you run the business well and above all making sure we do the right things for our clients," he says.

While he enjoys his work, he adds that it is indeed hard work. "You're on call now 24/7 because you're never too far away from your Blackberry. There's no question now of going for a holiday and shutting down your Blackberry for a week. People would think you have gone mad!" he laughs.

With a global organisation like Aberdeen Asset Management, there is ongoing communication 24 hours a day. Although technology has allowed for seamless communication, he warns that people should be careful and disciplined with it.

"With messages and e-mails constantly coming in, you've still got to make sure you get some sleep! I try to switch it off at night but the rest of the time it is turned on constantly," he says.

It is amazing, he exclaims, how the digital revolution is dramatically and constantly changing people's lives.

"It's great because if you think about it, in the past, no one would leave their desk because they couldn't communicate if they weren't at their desk. The only method of communication was by fixed line or telephone. So with technology now, we communicate much more. It is better this way because you're constantly in touch," he says.

The Malaysian flavour

Gilbert loves getting his dose of curries, roti canai and kuey teow. Also, the great thing about Malaysia is that it is a melting pot of all cultures, he says.

Having been born here, he is heavily influenced by the work ethic practised and the sacrifices people make for education here.

With three children of his own, he says this prompted him to work hard to give his children the opportunity of having a good education. "You want to give them the best chance you can in educating," he says.

His children are all above the age of 21, and have all done well, he says. Meanwhile, he says he met his wife Fiona at university, where she was working.

She is currently the head of department of radiology at the University of Cambridge. "She has had a very successful career. We live in Aberdeen, Cambridge and London, but Aberdeen is our main home," he says.

Gilbert enjoys skiing the most with his family. "I ski anywhere in the world. The alps are great!" he says.

When he was younger he took up golf, and used to play often. "You've got to play a lot, almost everyday even. The guys I play golf with are all really good players. One of them even played nationally," he says.

He adds that he sails quite a bit during the summer. "It's just cruising, but it has to be somewhere warm like the Mediterranean, which is so different from Europe where when the sun shines, you think, my God! What's happening?" he says.

When asked if he would be retiring soon, Gilbert laughs it off and replies: "No, I've got to keep working. I said recently that I would work as long as Alex Ferguson keeps working. But even though he has retired, I'll keep going. It keeps you young and I love it because it's great fun!" he says.

Time for finalists to show their mettle

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IT'S crunch time.

For the 13 finalists shortlisted by Alliance Bank for the Bizsmart SME Innovation Challenge, the time has come to prove their mettle after six weeks of training.

The weekly training sessions organised by Alliance Bank are designed to arm them with some formal business coaching which the finalists have found useful.

To sum up the experience in working with like-minded entrepreneurs and learning from reputable coaches and business people, Christy Ng of her namesake shoe business, says it has been "an enriching experience being able to look cross-industry and learn from each other".

She feels that the training has been somewhat of a compressed master of business adminstration course for entrepreneurs with no formal business training.

"I was an accidental entrepreneur, a biotech graduate whose hobby was in designing. This (challenge) gave me a crash course on business," she admits.

As an SME owner, she believes that entrepreneurs need to be equipped with the right knowledge of running a business. In the latest training session, the young entrepreneurs learned about workplace psychology.

"How you manage your staff and how to understand their strengths and weaknesses are important aspects because a company is only as good as the people running it," she tells StarBizWeek.

Smooshie director Lee Hai Lin says the entire training process has helped the finalists evaluate their businesses from an outsider's perspective and critique their own businesses using the tools provided.

"We would not have seen the new possibilities as my business partner Wan Thuin and I had been concerned only about running our business," says Lee.

She thinks that the trainings are holistic in the sense that they are not only taught about the mechanics of assessing business opportunities but also on coping and complementing each other as a team.

"The lessons have opened our eyes to more market spaces, like offices and gyms. We are pushed to explore boundaries we never think of, like exporting," the founder of the fruit juice and smoothie business says.

Smooshie's next phase, Lee says, is to start a factory for better product distribution and longer shelf life.

While some are ready to share what they want to do for their businesses, some prefer to guard their secrets.

Softinn Solutions Sdn Bhd founder Jason Lee says his company has discovered what he calls a game changer for his business that he thinks could change the local accommodation-booking industry.

"Through the training programmes, I felt there were a lot of fine-tuning to be done. What Softinn is doing now is right, else we wouln't be profiting already but the Blue Ocean Strategy has helped us find a way to leapfrog our business from the current position," he says. He declines to share what the big leap is however.

For him, it is the Blue Ocean Strategy training and media exposure that are most impactful to his business.

"As small businesses, we don't usually have access to these. It would require us to gain quite some traction before we could be picked up by the media, but the challenge has given us a chance to leverage on the publicity and events," he says, noting that Softinn's existing and potential clients recognise him from the challenge.

For him, the most trying part of the SME Innovation Challenge is time management.

"The challenge is time. It's tough finding time to attend all the training sessions and afterwards, if we are serious about this, we need time to review our business to see where we can improve on."

This week, the young businessmen presented their improved business ideas to the panel of judges, all vying for the three finalist spots.

And it doesn't end there.

On Monday, the three finalists will have to win the hearts of more than just the judges as public voting for the ultimate "young SME idol" commences.

Now, who will impress the masses most?

Permanis seeks to broaden product range

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PERMANIS Sdn Bhd, which recently celebrated its 40 years of operations in Malaysia, is confident it will be able to quench consumers' growing thirst and carve a stronger brand name in the competitive ready-to-drink beverage market in the country.

Since being bought over by Japanese beverage giant Asahi Group Holdings Ltd in 2011, the official bottler for PepsiCo in Malaysia has invested significantly in manufacturing as well as in marketing and distribution.

In an interview with StarBizWeek president and CEO Erwin Selvarajah says Permanis is probably the only beverage company in the country that distributes directly to more than 50% or in excess of 40,000 serviced outlets nationwide.

These include supermarkets, fast food chains and coffee shops, he says, adding that it currently commands around 70% market share in the beverage segment in the quick service restaurant business.

"We will continue to strengthen and expand our range and brand of products. From the investment point of view, the company has made substantial investments post-Asahi acquisition in manufacturing, marketing and distribution. The strong distribution capabilities has allowed us to strengthen our relationship with customers in terms of their taste for the type of beverage they consume," he adds.

Selvarajah feels that among the top three beverage players, it is in the number two spot in terms of revenue, behind F&N and ahead of Coca-Cola.

In a bid to better serve and strengthen its relationship with business partners, associates and consumers. Permanis in May this year launched its RM35mil operations office and main warehouse in Bangi to deliver services with a faster turnaround time.

On its range of products, he says the company is in every single category with the exception of dairy products, noting that it will be launching its first ready-to-drink coffee range called Wonder next month.

According to Selvarajah, as for the expansion of its products, the company will look into broadening the categories of its existing products and investing in technology to enhance its product range.

Permanis will also look into investing multi-billion ringgit over the next 10 years in marketing expenditure and expansion of product range, he notes.

As for its product contribution to revenue, he says the company has a good spread across all its brands and most of them contribute almost equally.

For example, Pepsi accounts for less than 15% in terms of revenue contribution, whereas Tropicana Twister, Revive, Mirinda and Mountain Dew account for about 10% to 20% each.

He says there is great potential of the ready-to-drink beverage market in the country. "Malaysia, unlike other countries, has a low per capita beverage consumption per year of about 100 cans. In Singapore and Thailand, it is between 300 and 400 cans compared with the US and Europe where the figure is higher at between 800 and 1,000 cans," he adds.

Apart from adopting a stronger green technology for Permanis plants in line with Asahi's business objectives, he says, its Japanese owner has brought in the best practices with strong focus on quality products while pricing competitively.

Citing a famous phrase in Asahi which states "It will take 100 years to build a company but a day to kill it", Selvarajah says the focus is to deliver the right products with a right price in order to gain consumer preference for the company's products.

He says the beverage market in Malaysia is set to improve over time as in the last 10 years the cummulative annual growth rate (CAGR) growth has been 20% in spite of low consumption of ready-to-drink beverage.

"It may take one generation before changing the mindset of people to consume ready-to-drink beverage from the beverage they drink directly from shops or other food outlets," he says.

Permanis started operations in 1973 and manufactures and distributes some of PepsiCo's global brands such as Pepsi, Revive Isotonic, 7UP, Tropicana Twister, Mirinda, Lipton Ice Tea, and Gatorade, as well as its own range of products which include Excel, Chill, Frost, Kickapoo, Bleu and Shot.

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Hungry for more

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Fans just can't get enough of Jennifer Lawrence and there are plenty of reasons why.

THERE is just something honest and grounded about Jennifer Lawrence which comes through every time she is captured on camera – be it for interviews or when she's playing a role.

In articles written about the actress, words like humble, playful, normal and funny are used to describe her. These are usually accompanied by praises on her unencumbered acting style and relaxed personality on film sets from those who have worked with her including directors Jodie Foster, David O. Russell and Francis Lawrence (no relation) as well as fellow actors Bradley Cooper and Sam Claflin.

In short, she's just easy to like. This would explain why even when she took an embarrassing tumble on her way to receive the best actress Oscar in a beautiful Dior dress earlier this year, Lawrence received a standing ovation from her peers.

Jennifer Lawrence with her The Hunger Games: Catching Fire co-stars - Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth - with director Francis Lawrence. Deemed Hollywood¿s ¿normal¿ girl, Lawrence¿s accessible personality contributes to her demand. ¿It¿s refreshing,¿ said Hemsworth of the actress¿s disposition. ¿She¿s not trying to be anything she¿s not and she¿s got one of the biggest hearts of anyone I¿ve ever met.¿ - AP

Lawrence with co-stars – (from left) Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth – and director Francis Lawrence.

But in a true J.Law style, she started her acceptance speech by addressing what just happened. "Thank you. You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell. And that's really embarrassing," she said humbly.

Her resolute kindness also came to the fore last week when the 23-year-old moved security barriers (at the red carpet for the London premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) so that she could hug a crying, wheelchair-bound fan.

Armed with a quip for every occasion and a candid outlook on life, Lawrence is undoubtedly the current Hollywood darling. Well, not surprisingly, she is also the box office darling; besides working on indie films (Russell's Silver Lining Playbooks and American Hustle), Lawrence is involved in two major franchises (The Hunger Games and X-Men).

With one Oscar nomination (for 2010 Winter's Bone) and one win (for Silver Linings Playbooks) under her belt, Lawrence now commands a whopping US$10mil (RM32mil) salary per movie – that would be her take home pay for playing a teen heroine in Catching Fire. Consider this: Lawrence was only paid US$500,000 (RM1.6mil) for 2012's The Hunger Games.

In the second instalment of the film based on Suzanne Collins' bestseller, Lawrence's character – 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen – returns to her district after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

But this victory is bittersweet for Katniss who wants to go back to how things were before she became a tribute (what participants in Hunger Games are called) and ultimately the winner.

Unfortunately, she finds herself pushed into the spotlight as she makes her Victors' Tour with fellow winner, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

To make matters worse, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) cooks up a new twist for the 75th Hunger Games, also known as the 3rd Quarter Quell – pitting all the previous victors, two from each district, in a more challenging gladiatorial game.

Actress Jennifer Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept the award for best actress in a leading role for

Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept her Oscar.

In an interview transcript provided by the film distributor, Nusantara Edaran Filem, Lawrence spills what it's like to revisit the character for the second time: "It was kind of weird to go back because I had this idea when I first signed on to the franchise that it would get boring playing the same character. I've never done that – I've always played a brand new character. Katniss is the same character, but in completely new circumstances."

She adds: "The stakes are different for her this time. In the first movie, she was a hesitant hero who really just wanted to save her family, but now she has a bigger weight on her shoulders. She feels a responsibility to all these people who are depending on her and yet, she is struggling with that, because it isn't at all what she signed up for."

Similar to how her character is forced into the limelight and her every move documented for the viewing pleasure of the people of Panem, Lawrence is faced with papparazzi problem since her rise to fame.

In an interview with Vogue, she is quoted: "I teeter on seeming ungrateful when I talk about this, but I'm kind of going through a meltdown about it lately. All of a sudden the entire world feels entitled to know everything about me, including what I'm doing on my weekends when I'm spending time with my nephew. And I don't have the right to say, 'I'm with my family.'

"If I were just your average 23-year-old girl, and I called the police to say that there were strange men sleeping on my lawn and following me to Starbucks, they would leap into action. But because I am a famous person, well, sorry, ma'am, there's nothing we can do. It makes no sense."

The unwanted attention by photographers continued when she was filming Catching Fire in Atlanta and Hawaii in the United States.

Although Lawrence jokes that it's difficult being stressed in Hawaii – echoed by her co-star Claflin: "There's something about Hawaii where you step off the plane and you feel really chill." – the presence of paparazzi did cause some problems for the actress.

Lawrence complains: "When you're working, it's distracting. And when you're not working, it's annoying."

Even if the world is curious to know everything about her – for example, when she was reunited with ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hoult, it made major headlines, Lawrence is happy to be doing what she loves.

The loss of privacy is a small price to pay. "I haven't really stopped working, which has been exhausting, but also a blessing because I don't have time to think about it."

> The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens in cinemas nationwide today.

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Journey to the dark side

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A gangster tale that's both believable and emotional, Kisah Paling Gengster will pleasantly surprise you.

WHEN you've got eight or nine gangster-themed Malaysian movies already released in cinemas in 2013 alone, it's probably not wrong to say that the market for Malaysian gangster films is kind of saturated at the moment. With overkill being a real danger to Kisah Paling Gengster, the latest in the genre to strut into town, what does star Shaheizy Sam – who has himself starred in other gangster flicks like Kongsi and 8 Jam – think makes this one special?

"It has to be the storyline, which I think is great," said Shaheizy, who plays paramedic Remy in the film. "It's a character-driven movie, and I like the fact that the storytelling is more nuanced and not so single-layered."

In the film, Remy starts out as a shy, honest and innocent individual who slowly gets sucked into the violent and dark world of gangsterism because of an act of kindness on his part.

Director Brando Lee said he conceived the role with Shaheizy in mind and developed the character according to Shaheizy's style of acting. Spending approximately four months to write the screenplay with co-writer Alfie Palermo, Lee believed that going back to basics and having a really strong story would make this movie stand out among the crowd, especially with the current gangster film craze and the seemingly endless news items involving gangsters and shootings that have seen the whole country taking an even more intense interest in the issue of gangsterism.

Taking inspiration from Korean films like Old Boy and modern Hollywood classics like Michael Mann's Heat and The Godfather films, Lee said Kisah Paling Gengster initially started life more as an action-comedy, but gradually changed shape into the heavier terrain of the gangster drama as the writing process progressed. There are still sprinklings of comedy here and there to lighten things up – how can you not have those when Epy Raja Lawak has a supporting role as Remy's best friend Jimmy? Still, this is one of the rare examples of a local film that faithfully and successfully follows the form and structure of a classic genre, resulting in an effort that may be familiar in terms of storyline, yet doesn't lack emotional impact.

People often say that power corrupts, and watching Remy's descent from being a sweet-natured innocent into the depths of violence and power, made more convincing by Shaheizy's absolutely committed performance, was quite a pleasant surprise for this writer. In fact, believability is definitely this film's strong suit as the majority of the characters do look authentic, as do the locations.

Supporting players like Wan Hanafi Su as godfather Ayah Megat, Zul Suphian as Ringo, Wawa Zainal as Remy's sweetheart Rina, Mikail Andre as nemesis Romeo and Fyza Kadir as Ayah Megat's daughter Sofea all gave suitably believable performances devoid of fake and exaggerated posing.

Even the shootouts and gun battles, usually a huge bone of contention for this writer when it comes to local films, are quite realistically staged and presented.

Having handled various weapons on his trips overseas, Lee explained that he more or less served as technical advisor as well when it came to the correct way of handling weapons, often showing the actors how to hold and position the weapons in order not to hurt themselves when firing them.

More impressive are the fight scenes, which, as Shaheizy rightly pointed out, are more "raw" and seem less choreographed than most films of this ilk. A particular standout is the scene where Remy "loses it" in a hand-to-hand fight against three gangsters who have been making trouble at a place under Ayah Megat's protection, eloquently showing Remy's first few baby steps on his plunge into darkness instead of explaining it through dialogue.

With film supposedly being a more visual medium, wherein it's more important to show than to tell, it is gratifying to see a local production with more than a few examples of visually eloquent, meaningful moments like this. And all without sacrificing the entertainment factor which is the reason why most people pay to watch a movie.

The Bahasa Malaysia title may hint at another kind of film, but don't let this dissuade you because it is at heart an old-fashioned gangster tale, one which never gets old – that of innocence corrupted.

Emily Blunt to star in thriller based on bestselling book

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Film is to be adapted from Rosamund Lupton's 'Sister'.

EMILY Blunt (pic) is attached to star in the psychological thriller Sister, which Kevin McCormick (Gangster Squad) is developing under his Langley Park banner, TheWrap has learned.

StudioCanal is financing development of the project, which is based on Rosamund Lupton's bestselling novel Sister. The project is near and dear to Blunt, whose own sister, literary agent Felicity Blunt, represents the book, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

The London-based mystery follows Beatrice (Blunt) as she investigates the death of her younger sister Tess, whose passing is ruled a suicide by police. Convinced that her sister was murdered, Beatrice sets out to uncover the strange events leading up to Tess' death, though she may pay a terrible price for the truth.

Rory Koslow will oversee the project for Langley Park, which is currently searching for a writer to adapt Lupton's novel.

Blunt has spent most of 2013 on movie sets, filming the female lead opposite Tom Cruise in Doug Liman's futuristic action movie Edge Of Tomorrow, as well as the role of the Baker's Wife opposite James Corden in Disney's Into The Woods. Those movies are scheduled for release next year on June 6 and Christmas Day respectively.

Langley Park is currently developing an adaptation of Robert Kolker's true crime book Lost Girls, a Boston Strangler movie with Casey Affleck attached to star and an adaptation of Jo Nesbo's novel The Son, which, like Sister, features a protagonist questioning the suicide of a family member.

Blunt was last seen wielding a shotgun in Looper and is no stranger to movies about siblings, having starred in Your Sister's Sister. – Reuters

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Mercy Malaysia lends a helping hand

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KOTA KINABALU: Medical services at a central Philippines city devastated by Typhoon Haiyan are slowly returning to normal, thanks to the Malaysian Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia).

The NGO has deployed a field hospital within the grounds of the severely damaged Ormoc District Hospital.

Mercy team member Dr Cheah Phee Kheng (pic) said the field hospital was functioning as an outpatient department as well as a temporary emergency department while the original hospital was being repaired.

He said all that was left of the 100-bed Ormoc hospital after the typhoon, which struck on Nov 7, was its emergency unit.

Despite that, patients from more devastated areas such as Tacloban city, which is about 100km away, have been coming to Ormoc for medical treatment.

"All the wards, including the operating theatre, delivery suites and neonatal intensive care units, were destroyed.

"The only department that could function was the emergency department, which became the centre of all activities.

"Patients were placed along the corridors and hospital lobby," Dr Cheah said, adding that Mercy had deployed four doctors who had so far treated more than 250 patients.

He said some very ill patients from the interior areas arrived at the hospital by tricycle.

Mercy vice-president Norazam Samah said the NGO would also help in the reconstruction of the Ormoc hospital, beginning with the replacement of the roof.

"As it is a double-storey building, water collects on the second floor and leaks when it rains heavily," said Norazam, an architect by profession.

Mercy would also be involved in rebuilding the male, female and paediatric wards.

Donations can be channelled to the Mercy Humanitarian Fund, MBB 562179504126 Swift Code: MBBEMYKLA. Mercy Malaysia can be contacted at 03-2273-3999. For online donations, visit www.mercy.org.my.

Meanwhile, World Vision has set up its first "Child Friendly Space" (CFS) in Tabugon, a remote community of northern Cebu, to give children who survived Typhoon Haiyan much-needed emotional support and a safe area to play and learn.

Those who wish to help either by sponsoring a child via World Vision's International Child Sponsorship Programme or donating to the typhoon survivors can contact World Vision Malaysia at 03-7880-6414.

Cheques can be mailed to World Vision Malaysia Bhd, PO Box 8171, Kelana Jaya, 46783 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Kindly indicate "Haiyan" behind each cheque.

Flying in K-pop artistes justified

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KUALA LUMPUR: The expenditure to fly in the K-Pop artistes for the National Youth Festival last year was found justified by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The contentious issue was finally laid to rest when the explanation by former Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek was accepted by the bi-partisan committee.

Ahmad Shabery, who spent three hours with the PAC committee, said the ministry had merely made advance booking and commitment payments of RM900,000 for the three K-Pop groups, and not RM1.6mil as reported.

"The remaining expenditure was for items such as accommodation, flight tickets, transport including entertainment taxes and working permits for the groups," he added.

The 2012 Auditor-General's Report revealed that the Government paid RM1.6mil to bring in the South Korean groups, contrary to an earlier claim that private companies had sponsored the show.

The three K-Pop groups are U-Kiss, Teen-Top and Dal Shabet.

Ahmad Shabery yesterday said the cost of bringing in the K-Pop artistes came from RM2.3mil in private cash contribution to the ministry for the National Youth Festival.

"The contributions were made in instalments, and as such, the ministry had to make the payments first.

"However, every transaction is accounted for," he added.

Ahmad Shabery added, "I explained to them that we need to look at the outcome or returns derived from the festival as a whole."

Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said, "We do not intend to call Ahmad Shabery in again as his explanation was comprehensive.

"We have found no discrepancy or wrongdoing involved in the organisation of the K-Pop performance, or of Hari Belia as a whole."

He said this at a press conference after the PAC meeting at Parliament yesterday.

We never made such a proposal, claims Miros on lifespan cap of cars

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PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research Malaysia (Miros) had never recommended or proposed that cars older than 12 years old be scrapped.

Its director-general Dr Wong Shaw Voon clarified that he had never called on the Road Transport Department to put mea­sures in place to enforce the policy or made any other similar comments as wrongly implied.

"What I did say was a sizeable number of cars, which are more than 12 years old, are likely to have less effective safety features to protect occupants from death and injury in the event of a crash. This risk can be reduced if the car has been carefully used and properly maintained according to the manufacturers' maintenance sche­dule," he said.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi was previously quoted as saying that the Road Transport Department would decide soon on a policy to impose a lifespan on cars.

Dr Wong said that in a crash, older cars would provide less protection than newer cars.

"This does not mean that old cars are necessarily the cause of accidents or are not roadworthy," he said.

"However, from an engineering perspective, cars older than 12 years old would be subject to various possible higher risks, including degraded structural integrity, and may thus not provide the best protection to their occupants from fatality and injury in a crash."

He added that the Miros' views, as an agency specialising in the research of road safety, were purely from the technical standpoint.

"We are well aware that before any findings can materialise into policy, its social and economic impacts must first be seriously consi­dered as asserted by the Transport Ministry," he said.

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