Ahad, 19 Januari 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

30,000 displaced by floods in Jakarta
Wen denies acquiring riches
Death toll from Philippines storm hits 40

30,000 displaced by floods in Jakarta

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

JAKARTA: More than 30,000 Indonesians have fled their homes in the capital due to flooding that has left five dead, an official said, with people using rubber dinghies and wading through waist-deep water to reach safer ground.

Many parts of Jakarta were under murky, brown water, while on the vast archipelago's northern Sulawesi island the death toll from flash floods and landslides rose to 24.

Buildings in some parts of sprawling capital, which has a population of 10 million and is regularly afflicted by floods during the six-month rainy season, were half submerged, with roads unpassable in many areas.

"So far, 30,000 people in Jakarta have been displaced by floods caused by heavy rains," disaster agency official Tri Budiarto said yesterday.

Five people have so far been killed in Jakarta in the past week while 19 others have died in Sulawesi, officials have said previously.

However, the floods were yet to reach the same level as last year when the central business district was left under water.

On Sulawesi, around 40,000 people were still displaced following flash floods and landslides earlier in the week, local disaster agency chief Christian Laotongan said.

Rescuers on Saturday recovered the body of a woman from a landslide in Tomohon city, Laotongan said, bringing the death toll in the area to 24. — AFP

Wen denies acquiring riches

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

HONG KONG: Former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao (pic) has pleaded innocence over claims that his family amassed huge wealth during his decade in power, a Hong Kong columnist said, as Beijing ramps up a much-publicised crackdown on official corruption.

"I have never been involved and would not get involved in one single deal of abusing my power for personal gain because no such gains whatsoever could shake my convictions," Wen said in a letter to Ng Hong-mun, a columnist with the Ming Pao newspaper, a Hong Kong-based Chinese-language daily.

"I want to walk the last journey in this world well. I came to this world with bare hands and I want to leave this world clean," Wen said, according to Ng's column published on Saturday.

Wen's letter dated Dec 27 follows a 2012 New York Times report that claimed his family controlled assets worth at least US$2.7bil (RM8.9bil) – a report China vigorously denounced as a smear.

Ng is a Hong Kong-based politician who frequently comments on relationships between Beijing and the semi-autonomous region, which was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

He is known to have ties to Wen, and a photo taken of both men and their wives after an April 2011 dinner in Beijing was circulated widely in the Hong Kong press.

News of Wen's letter comes amid an escalating campaign by the current Chinese leadership, led by President Xi Jinping, to fight corruption among high-ranking officials, or "tigers", as well as low-level "flies".

Analysts say that while there is little chance that Wen himself would be ensnared in that crackdown, the former premier is under pressure to clear his name following the New York Times investigation.

Recent reports of an official probe into China's former chief of internal security, Zhou Yongkang, a one-time member of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, could have prompted Wen to act, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"I think the point of Wen Jiabao's letter... is to pre-empt innuendo and speculation that he might be the next to go, after Zhou Yongkang," Lam said. — AFP

Death toll from Philippines storm hits 40

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

MANILA: The death toll from the first storm to batter the disaster-prone Philippines this year has climbed to 40, officials said, as forecasters warned more heavy rain was on its way.

"Lingling" – a tropical depression – has wreaked havoc across the southern island of Mindanao, affecting more than 580,000 people, 161,000 of whom have been displaced and moved to evacuation centres.

Manila's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council upped the number of dead by three from Friday's toll, as the state weather bureau said further "moderate to heavy" rains were expected over large areas of Mindanao.

Public storm warning signals have been hoisted in eight provinces on the island which are expected to be hit by 60km an hour winds over the next 36 hours.

"Tropical depression Agaton is expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over Bohol, Siquijor, Northern Mindanao and the rest of the Caraga region," the bureau said yesterday, referring to the storm's local name.

Office of Civil Defence regional director Liza Mazo said a landslide had blocked the national highway in Agusan, slowing the emergency response.

Roughly 20 storms batter the Philippines every year. — AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

J is for 'just plain'
And the nominees of Oscars 2014 are ...
Movies coming out soon

J is for 'just plain'

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

WHAT is it with fictional superspies/assassins whose names start with the letter J? There's James Bond, Jason Bourne, Johnny English and here we have Jack Ryan. What's wrong with writers giving their heroes good old names like Bob or even Michael, huh?

Anyway, Chris Pine's Jack Ryan is not the first on-screen version of Tom Clancy's super CIA agent. He's been played by Alec Baldwin (The Hunt For Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games) and Bat ... sorry, Ben Affleck (The Sum Of All Fears) before, so Pine has some big shoes to fill.

While Pine gives a decent portrayal of the rookie field operative version of Ryan here, he is hampered because the character just seems a little too, well, ordinary and colourless to be memorable.

Still, the action and plot are decent, even though at times it reminded me of a very long episode of 24. Hey wait, didn't the lead character of that show have a name starting with J as well? – Michael Cheang (***)

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

WITH no disrespect meant towards Nelson Mandela, I found myself drawn to the woman behind the anti-apartheid global figure instead, Winnie Madizikela-Mandela (Naomie Harris). Naturally, it was because I knew much less about her life (than Mandela's). From the way she is depicted in this movie, Winnie is as sweet as cotton candy when Mandela (Idris Elba) first meets her, but after experiencing the injustice and persecution he underwent, she turns into a strong but bitter human rights fighter, consumed by pure hatred for her oppressors.

Harris' performance outshines the rest of the cast, even Elba's.

I felt chills especially in a scene where Winnie walks out of the courthouse in which Mandela is charged with treason, with her fist raised high in the air in defiance – truly the gait of a woman behind the world's most iconic freedom fighter. – Kenneth Chaw (***)

The Legend Of Hercules

AFTER watching this movie, I felt like giving the cast and crew a pat on the head and going, "Awww, good effort, guys!"

Everyone seems to be trying their best to put out a great, if mythologically untrue, origin story of the Greek demigod hero Hercules (Kellan Lutz). But, unfortunately, it doesn't quite get there.

Visually, the film emulates another Greek-based fantasy action-adventure movie, 300, with lots of CGI and, unfortunately, way too many slow-mo moments. This is one movie, though, that would have looked good in 3D.

Plotwise, it is reminiscent of Gladiator. However, with only two-thirds the running time of that epic, many scenes here are short and choppy, and certain elements don't make sense. The dialogue can be quite cringeworthy if you let it get to you, as are certain key scenes.

Overall, a fairly entertaining, mindless watch. – Tan Shiow Chin (**)

Devil's Due

NEWLYWEDS Zach and Samantha McCall (Zach Gilford and Allison Miller) are in the Dominican Republic for their honeymoon. They meet a taxi driver (Roger Payano) who offers to take them to a cool place with free drinks. Zach – who seems pretty much on a YOLO (you only live once) track – agrees and they are led to an underground club. The next day, they wake up and can't remember anything from last night. Back home, Samantha announces that she's pregnant. The nightmare starts when she begins behaving erratically and Zach believes they are being watched by strange men.

Devil's Due is a found-footage film a la Paranormal Activity. It has a really slow pace, with a few scares in between and then you get all the so-called horror in the last 10 minutes. To me, the real devil here is husband YOLO Zach, who does a lot of stupid things.

YOLO Zach personifies the horror of hipster kids who can't stop documenting every aspect of their mundane lives out of fear that they might die without anyone knowing about them. Watch this if you have games on your phone so you have something to do while Zach helplessly tries to sort out his Rosemary's Baby problem. – Angelin Yeoh (*)

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

THIS is a conceptual, quirky, character-driven, inspirational tale of a constant daydreamer who finally decides to take action in real life when his magazine is about to publish its final issue.

And of course, his inspiration and motivation comes mainly from a co-worker whom he has a thing for.

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is a hero in his imagination, but his daydreaming frequently causes him to lose out in real life. When a film negative that is the next cover photo for his magazine goes missing, he finally embarks on a real-life adventure, tracking down the photographer (a perfectly cast Sean Penn).

We are treated to lovely visuals of the countries he visits. And the crazy adventures Mitty gets into go beyond his wildest imagination.

I loved this movie, with all its little details and quirkily apt soundtrack. This is one for indie and arthouse film fans, or those ready for a quietly inspirational underdog tale. – TSC (****)

12 Years A Slave

GSC International Screens

THERE is a reason why this film has been getting a lot attention on the awards circuit. Director Steve McQueen has not only brought forth a topic that the United States would rather sweep under the rug of "freedom", he has made it something that is awful to observe but necessary to acknowledge.

Each frame tells a story – from picking cotton in the vast fields under the hot sun or the cramped living conditions during the night – that the viewer cannot look away even for a minute. Although McQueen doesn't shy away from the atrocities inflicted upon the enslaved, he does it more with sound and close-up shots of the characters' expressions than graphic depictions.

The performances are amazing all round, making everything that we witness seem that much more real and heartbreaking. – Mumtaj Begum (****)

Jilla

THIS is exactly what you'd get from a banana leaf rice meal: a burst of flavours that will leave you full but still craving for more.

A typical ponggal (harvest festival) release, Jilla features two heavyweights of South Indian cinema, Mohanlal and Vijay.

It explores the relationship between a don (Mohanlal) and his adopted son (Vijay). Their relationship is perfectly captured in the course of several scenes at the start of the movie.

Director RT Neason fails to capitalise on the interesting premise. Vijay's performance – one of the best in many years – and his chemistry with Mohanlal save the movie which otherwise has a weak and tangled screenplay with a dull narration.

Overall, Jilla is for the hardcore Vijay fans out there. His ability to hold his own opposite a veteran actor speaks highly of his growth an actor. – Nevash Nair (***)

And the nominees of Oscars 2014 are ...

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:50 PM PST

American Hustle, Gravity and 12 Years A Slave lead this year's highly competitive race for Hollywood's top trophies.

THREE films – American Hustle, Gravity and 12 Years A Slave – cemented their frontrunner status for the Oscars on Thursday in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive year for Hollywood's top honours.

Director David O. Russell's 1970s conmen caper American Hustle and Alfonso Cuaron's space thriller Gravity each won 10 Academy Award nominations, while Steve McQueen's brutal depiction of slavery in 12 Years A Slave secured nine. All three films garnered nods for best picture and best director.

"This has been an amazing ride, and to receive nine nominations from the Academy is testament to all of the hard work," said McQueen, a British filmmaker who unearthed the real-life American story about a free man sold into slavery.

But in a year hailed as one of high quality for the Hollywood industry, several other films could challenge the favourites in the race for the world's top film prizes.

Somali piracy thriller Captain Phillips, the AIDS activism tale Dallas Buyers Club, and heartland comedy Nebraska, each garnered six nominations.

Martin Scorsese's cautionary tale on financial greed, The Wolf Of Wall Street, quirky computer-age romance Her and adoption drama Philomena round out the nine nominees for best picture.

Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may nominate up to 10 films for best picture, but only chose nine this year. A notable exclusion was the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis, which had won some top critics' awards, and scored only two nods overall.

The race could be complicated by the long lead time to the Oscars ceremony, to be hosted by comedian Ellen DeGeneres in Los Angeles on March 2.

Top actors snubbed

The crowded honours race spilled over into the acting categories, where the Academy snubbed some veteran stars and instead chose to recognise up-and-coming talent.

Eight individuals in the acting categories are first-time nominees, including Chiwetel Ejiofor as the free man sold into slavery in 12 Years A Slave. He will compete in the best actor race with Matthew McConaughey, the Golden Globe winner last Sunday for his role as the unlikely AIDS crusader in Dallas Buyers Club, and Leonardo DiCaprio as the swindling, fast-living stockbroker in The Wolf Of Wall Street. DiCaprio said he "found the role to be one of the most challenging and rewarding of my career".

And while the best actor race included veteran Bruce Dern for his cantankerous old man in Nebraska and Christian Bale as the conman with bad hair in American Hustle, it excluded Robert Redford, who won acclaim for his solo role as a sailor lost at sea in All Is Lost, and Tom Hanks as the captain under siege in Captain Phillips.

Hanks, who has not won an Oscar since his back-to-back wins in 1994 and 1995, was considered a favourite, mostly because of his harrowing final scene in the film.

While his co-star Barkhad Abdi received a nod for Best Supporting Actor, Captain Phillips lead actor and two-time winner Tom Hanks was surprisingly left out.

"I'm disappointed by it," said Captain Phillips producer Michael De Luca. "It was a crowded field this year. It's a great field of movies. I think with Tom, who has been so excellent in everything for so long, he makes it look easy." Hanks' Somali nemesis in the film played by newcomer Barkhad Abdi did win a best supporting actor nod, however.

Good year for veteran actresses and Oscar winners

Meryl Streep extended her lead as the most nominated performer with an 18th nomination, this year for best actress as the matriarch in August: Osage County. Streep goes up against fellow Oscar winners Sandra Bullock as the astronaut lost in space in Gravity, Cate Blanchett as the riches-to-rags socialite in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, and Judi Dench as the Irish mother who loses her son in Philomena. Amy Adams is nominated for her turn as a con-lady in American Hustle.

A giant screen shows the Oscar nominees for Best Actress, at the 86th Academy Awards nominations announcement, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, January 16, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California The Oscars will take place March 2, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The best actress nominees were Amy Adams for

The nominees for Best Actress. – AFP

"This is just the loveliest news," said Dench. "I'm so happy for everybody involved, and so proud to have been part of the wonderful experience that Philomena has been."

The list excluded Emma Thompson, praised for her role as the Mary Poppins author in Disney's Saving Mr. Banks.

Rare feat for 'American Hustle'

In the supporting categories, there was a nod for newcomer Lupita Nyong'o as the slave Patsey and another for her cruel master, played by Michael Fassbender, in 12 Years A Slave.

American Hustle also earned supporting nominations for actors from Russell's hit last year Silver Linings Playbook – Jennifer Lawrence, who won the best actress Oscar, and Bradley Cooper.

A giant screen shows the Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress, at the 86nd Academy Awards nominations announcement, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, January 16, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California The Oscars will take place March 2, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress. – AFP

Russell's romp through 1970s New York earned nominations for best picture, directing, writing and all four acting categories, a rare feat he also scored last year.

At the Golden Globes on Sunday, 12 Years A Slave, distributed by Fox Searchlight, a unit of 21st Century Fox , won best drama while American Hustle, distributed by Sony, won best musical or comedy. Gravity was distributed by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc.

In the next few weeks, Hollywood will look to see how the actors, producers, directors and writers guild awards shape up.

Their members also constitute the bulk of the 6,000 Academy members.

Oscar voters have a longer time this year between nominations and awards and there is a risk they could get bored by the frontrunners, change their minds or be distracted by the Winter Olympics, said awards handicapper Tom O'Neil of Goldderby.com.

"Right now it's looking like 12 Years A Slave is ahead based on the momentum," said O'Neil. "It feels very important. It has the urgent social message that the Oscar voters like, but it's a hard movie to take."

American Hustle, he added, has an A-list cast, a good box office and lighter fare, while Gravity is "a spectacular achievement cinematically". Cuaron won best director at the Globes and the techical advances he used to depict the wonders of space in Gravity yielded nominations for cinematography, visual effects and sound, among other technical categories. – Reuters

List of key nominations of the 86th Academy Awards (winners will be revealed in Hollywood on March 2):

BEST PICTURE

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

12 Years A Slave

The Wolf Of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR

Christian Bale in American Hustle

Bruce Dern in Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave

Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS

Amy Adams in American Hustle

Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock in Gravity

Judi Dench in Philomena

Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

BEST DIRECTOR

David O. Russell for American Hustle

Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity

Alexander Payne for Nebraska

Steve McQueen for 12 Years A Slave

Martin Scorsese for The Wolf Of Wall Street

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper in American Hustle

Michael Fassbender in 12 Years A Slave

Jonah Hill in The Wolf Of Wall Street

Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years A Slave

Julia Roberts in August: Osage County

June Squibb in Nebraska

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Before Midnight

Captain Phillips

Philomena

12 Years A Slave

The Wolf Of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

American Hustle

Blue Jasmine

Dallas Buyers Club

Her

Nebraska

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Broken Circle Breakdown, Belgium

The Great Beauty, Italy

The Hunt, Denmark

The Missing Picture, Cambodia

Omar, Palestine

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILN

The Croods

Despicable Me 2

Ernest & Celestine

Frozen

The Wind Rises

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The Act Of Killing

Cutie And The Boxer

Dirty Wars

The Square

20 Feet From Stardom

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Alone Yet Not Alone from Alone Yet Not Alone

Happy from Despicable Me 2

Let It Go from Frozen

The Moon Song from Her

Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Book Thief

Gravity

Her

Philomena

Saving Mr. Banks

BEST COSTUMES

American Hustle

The Grandmaster

The Great Gatsby

The Invisible Woman

12 Years A Slave

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Grandmaster

Gravity

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nebraska

Prisoners

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Dallas Buyers Club

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

The Lone Ranger

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Iron Man 3

The Lone Ranger

Star Trek Into Darkness

> For more info, go to oscar.go.com.

Movies coming out soon

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST

Check out what movies will be opening soon in cinemas nationwide.

From Vegas To Macau – From a reformed conman who is now a casino security consultant to a mafia boss putting out a hit on a mole in his company, there is clearly no shortage of action in this Hong Kong-China crime comedy.

Chow Yun-Fat reprises his role as Ko Chun in this fourth instalment of the God Of Gamblers series.

I, Frankenstein – This thriller, written and directed by Stuart Beattie, is based on the graphic novel and original screenplay by Kevin Grevioux. Aaron Eckhart is Adam Frankenstein, the 'monster' created by Dr Frankenstein who becomes embroiled in a war between two immortal clans in an ancient city. Also stars Yvonne Strahovski and Miranda Otto.

This image released by Columbia Pictures shows Joel Kinnaman, left, and Abblie Cornish in

Robocop (pic above) – In 2028, good cop Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is critically injured in a car-bomb blast. Omnicorp, a multinational conglomerate, seizes the opportunity to realise their vision of putting a Robocop – a part-man, part-robot police officer – in every city in the United States.

Directed by José Padilha, this is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name.

The Monkey King – Sun Wukong (Donnie Yen), the Monkey King, was imprisoned for 500 years under a mountain for rebelling against Heaven, before he left to accompany a monk on a journey to India.

This fantasy tale based on selected chapters of Journey To The West also stars Chow Yun-Fat, Aaron Kwok and Gigi Leung.

Laga – This local movie in Bahasa Malaysia stars some of the country's top actors like Nasir Bilal Khan, Eman Manan, Rosyam Nor and Ruminah Sidek. It follows the story of a group of men in a village who are addicted to the illegal "sport" of cockfighting, so much so that a few of them are even willing to bet their wives!

Directed by Ismail Yaacob, it also stars Wan Hanafi Su, Marsha Milan Londoh, and Yus Jambu.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Bomb near Pakistani army HQ in Rawalpindi kills four - police
Chinese president to attend opening ceremony in Sochi
Japan to open door further to foreign workers for economic growth

Bomb near Pakistani army HQ in Rawalpindi kills four - police

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:50 PM PST

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed four people in a crowded market on Monday near the Pakistani army headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi, not far from the capital Islamabad, police said.

The market, 10 minutes' walk from the army headquarters, is in one of the most secure areas of the city, said Rawalpindi police chief Akhtar Hayat Lalika. The area was cordoned off by the military immediately after the blast.

About a dozen people were wounded, Lalika said.

The attack comes a day after a Taliban bombing killed 20 Pakistani soldiers near the largely lawless, tribal region of North Waziristan.

Sunday's attack prompted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to cancel his trip to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.

His government is keen to pursue peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban to end the insurgency but there has been an upsurge in attacks since Sharif won elections in May 2013.

Chinese president to attend opening ceremony in Sochi

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:25 PM PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

In a brief statement, the ministry said that Xi would be in Russia from February 6-8 for the opening ceremony. It provided no further details.

Xi's decision to attend is a positive development for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has staked his political prestige on the success of the Olympics, after U.S. President Barack Obama and his German counterpart Joachim Gauck both said they would not travel to Russia for the Games.

To ease fears over possible breaches of security, Putin has ordered safety measures beefed up nationwide after 34 people were killed last month in bombings in Volgograd, another city in southern Russia.

About 37,000 Russian personnel are providing security in the Sochi area.

Russia's human rights record has also come under close scrutiny with Finland's Sports Minister Paavo Arhinmaki boycotting the opening ceremony over the country's "limitations in the freedom of speech or repressing of sexual minorities".

The Sochi Games are the 22nd Winter Olympics and will run from February 7-23.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Hui Li; Editing by John O'Brien)

Japan to open door further to foreign workers for economic growth

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:20 PM PST

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government agreed on Monday to make it easier for firms to hire foreign workers for highly-skilled positions and as trainees to offset a declining workforce and accelerate economic growth.

The government will also take steps to increase female workers in management positions and strengthen the child care system to increase the number of working women, a top advisory panel said on Monday.

Japan has the most rapidly aging society in the world, with a quarter of the population already over 65 years of age. The workforce is also shrinking, which could become a considerable drag on growth.

Policies that increase foreign workers and female employees are important steps needed to stop the decline in the workforce, ease labour shortages, increase tax revenue and raise the potential growth rate.

The government will flesh out the policies, which are part of a second instalment of its economic growth strategy, by mid-year, the Industrial Competitiveness Council said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made ending 15 years of deflation and economic malaise one of his top priorities since taking office more than a year ago.

Abe won initial success with stimulus spending and expanded quantitative easing from the Bank of Japan, but many economists warn that the government needs to rely more on deregulation and structural reforms to increase growth in the long term.

Some industries, such as construction, child care and nursing have faced labour shortages, so policies allowing firms to retain more foreign workers could give these industries a boost.

The government will also consider lowering the effective corporate tax rate and expanding the tax base to make Japanese firms more competitive, the panel said on Monday.

Japan's corporate tax rate, which is set at 38 percent for a large Tokyo-based firm, is among the highest in the world and companies often lobby to lower the tax burden.

(Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Malaysia's MOL picks Deutsche, Credit Suisse for US$300mil US IPO
Asia manages only muted cheer for China growth
China Q4 economic growth eases to 7.7% on year

Malaysia's MOL picks Deutsche, Credit Suisse for US$300mil US IPO

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 06:36 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: MOL Global Pte, a Malaysian online payment company owned by billionaire Vincent Tan, has picked Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Suisse AG to work on a US$300mil US IPO, said a person with direct knowledge of the plans.

The firm is aiming for a Nasdaq listing by the first half of this year, changing from an earlier plan to list in Kuala Lumpur as its peers such as eBay Inc are listed in the US, the source told Reuters.

Also known as Money Online, MOL is expanding in South-East Asia and plans to tap a push by Malaysia's government to drive e-payments in preparation for a new consumption tax that kicks in next year.

MOL, which snapped up Friendster Inc – one of the earliest social networking sites – in 2009 to boost its online reach, has said it currently processes an annual payment volume of over half a billion US dollars.

"The aim for Nasdaq will give investors something else to invest in apart from the usual US-centric tech companies," said the source, who could not be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

MOL has a market presence in South-East Asia, India and Australia. It has recently turned its focus to the US and Brazilian markets by taking up a majority stake last year in Silicon Valley-based e-payment company Rixty Inc for an undisclosed sum – Reuters.

MOL executives did not respond to requests for comment.

Deutsche Bank declined to respond to queries while Credit Suisse was not immediately available to comment.

MOL might be the biggest listing this year for Tan, who as Malaysia's 10th richest man with a net worth of US$1.3bil, made his fortune running businesses from lotteries to hotels and fast food franchises.

He plans to list Seven Convenience, operator of all 7-11 stories in Malaysia in a US$250mil IPO in March. Sources have also said Tan is exploring a listing of Welsh football team Cardiff City on Singapore's small cap Catalist exchange.

Last year, Tan listed two smaller Malaysian companies for a combined RM100mil (US$30.33mil) - Reuters.

Asia manages only muted cheer for China growth

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 07:10 PM PST

SYDNEY: Asian markets managed a muted cheer on Monday as China reported economic growth that was a fraction ahead of forecasts, though it was not enough to brighten the general mood of risk aversion.

Most share markets in the region stayed in the red with Tokyo off 0.6 percent, Sydney 0.45 percent and Shanghai 0.2 percent.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan pared its losses but was still down 0.2 percent.

Liquidity was lacking with U.S. markets closed on Monday for a holiday. Neither was there much of a lead from Wall Street where the Dow ended last week with a slim gain of 0.1 percent, while the S&P 500 lost 0.2 percent for the week.

China's annual economic growth slowed a tick to 7.7 percent last quarter, which was just ahead of market forecasts for 7.6 percent and at least countered fears that monetary tightening could have caused a sharper pullback.

"The economy may be a little more robust than people thought coming into 2014," said Tim Condon, an economist at ING Group in Singapore.

"I had thought the monetary tightening in 2013 would pose a downside risk. The numbers reduce that downside risk."

The other data out were much in line with foremasts, with retail sales growing 13.6 percent in December from a year earlier, while industrial output rose 9.7 percent.

That resilience was considered a positive for Australia given China is its single biggest export market, and helped the Australian dollar clamber off a three-year trough of $0.8756 to reach $0.8797.

Yet the Australian currency remains out of favour having shed 2.4 percent last week due to disappointing domestic data and demand for U.S. dollars and yen.

In contrast, the U.S. dollar gained 0.9 percent last week against a basket of major currencies on expectations the Federal Reserve will stick with plans to scale back its bond buying at a policy meeting later this month.

The yen had been in demand on Monday as general mood of risk aversion led speculators to cut back on short positions, which has been a very popular trade for months now.

The euro was particularly affected, dropping to a six-week low at one stage before steadying at 140.65 yen. The dollar eased to 103.97 yen from an early 104.32.

The Bank of Japan holds its policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday and is expected to maintain its massive asset buying program.

DEUTSCHE HIT BY FINES

Deutsche Bank started the week by reporting a surprise pre-tax loss of 1.15 billion euros for the fourth quarter of 2013 due to heavy costs for litigation, restructuring and balance sheet reduction.

The bank was originally scheduled to report its results on Jan. 29, but the Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that a profit warning was possible.

The unexpected loss is likely to compound the problems that have dogged the bank over the past year, especially a lengthening list of lawsuits and regulatory matters, and redouble pressure on co-chief executives Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen to prove their turnaround plan is on track.

Deutsche Bank's U.S.-listed shares closed down 3 percent at $52.27 on Friday.

The EU's quarterly earnings season goes up a gear this week. STOXX Europe 600 companies are seen missing consensus by 0.4 percent on revenues and by 0.9 percent on earnings, according to StarMine SmartEstimates, which focuses on the predictions by the most accurate analysts.

In commodity markets, spot gold made an early push to a five-week peak of $1,259.46 an ounce, thanks in part to talk of strong physical demand from Asia.

Brent crude oil for March delivery was off 21 cents at $106.27 a barrel, while U.S. crude fell 59 cents to $93.78. - Reuters

China Q4 economic growth eases to 7.7% on year

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 06:22 PM PST

BEIJING: China's annual economic growth eased to 7.7% between October and December 2013 from 7.8% in the previous three months, slightly ahead of market expectations for growth of 7.6%, data showed on Monday.

The world's second largest economy grew 7.7% in 2013 from a year earlier, data from the website of the National Bureau of Statistics showed. The government's target was for 7.5% growth in 2013.

Other data released alongside GDP showed industrial output grew 9.7% in December from a year ago, versus expectations of 9.8% showed in the Reuters poll.

Retail sales in December rose 13.6% on a year ago, in line with expectations.

Fixed-asset investment grew 19.6% in 2013 from a year earlier, versus an expected 19.8%. The government only publishes cumulative investment data – Reuters.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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Right on target
J is for 'just plain'
And the nominees of Oscars 2014 are ...

Right on target

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Josh Brolin wants to show his more vulnerable side.

JOSH Brolin is a little tired of being thought of as a "man's man" type of actor. But he scaled Mt Shasta anyway.

The performer, who has embodied a swaggering masculinity in such movies as No Country For Old Men and True Grit, says that he's growing weary of the macho tag.

"It was fun at first and then it just got to be a little too much of ..." – he pauses as he contemplates the right word, then settles on an "rrrrr" caveman growl.

Still, Brolin, 45, can't seem to escape the archetype. To prepare for the part of an extreme mountain climber in a new adventure film called Everest, he's been scaling daunting peaks, first in Switzerland and then in Northern California.

And this holiday movie season finds Brolin once again exploring the sharp topography of two new masculine characters.

In Oldboy, Spike Lee's remake of the Chan-wook Park blood opera, Brolin stars as Joe Doucett, an unrepentant jerk inexplicably held captive by mysterious forces in a motel room for two decades.

Upon release, he seeks answers and revenge, while also looking for reconciliation with his now-grown daughter.

In Labor Day, Jason Reitman's ethereal adaptation of Joyce Maynard's novel, he stars as Frank Chambers, an escaped convict who forcefully takes refuge in the home of single mother Adele (Kate Winslet) and her adolescent son in their quiet suburban home one holiday weekend.

With their "man-cornered" premises, the films offer an actor twofer of sorts. Both suggest Brolin as desperate and tightly coiled, relying on keen animal instincts that, one senses, are as likely to get him into trouble as they are to get him out of it.

But the parts also offer different views into the male psyche. A tenderness rumbles beneath his Labor Day character as Frank develops a relationship with Winslet's depressed romantic.

Oldboy's Joe, on the other hand, is all grit and hard-boiled rage, the character's emotions volcanically bursting through even when he's trying to take the proper family-man course.

The differences were especially felt during the production, Brolin said.

Brolin in No Country For Old Men, the Oscar and box-office smash that drastically changed the actor's fortunes. – Filepic

Calling Oldboy "probably the hardest movie I ever had to shoot," Brolin notes that he lost more than 9kg in three weeks to play the part and also cites the role's intense physicality that, particularly in the captive sections of the film, had him alternating between states of manic anger and focused determination.

Labor Day required Brolin to ratchet down the intensity, at times maintaining a stillness he called "really uncomfortable" and even performing a scene that has him baking intimately with Adele in what serves as a kind of pie-themed equivalent of the sensuous potter's wheel moment in Ghost.

"I had an older woman come up to me at a screening the other day and say, 'Thank you for helping me restore my libido.' I think that may have been a first," he said and chuckled. (Incidentally, Brolin said he's not the baking maestro the movie suggests, though he can get busy with a mixing bowl if pressed.)

Oldboy, on the other hand, is unlikely to prompt a run to Victoria's Secret.

The movie possesses a dark baroque quality that will likely alienate some critics and even seems to have elicited a mixed reaction in Brolin.

"I do have opinions, but it's better to bite my tongue," he said when asked what he thought of the finished film. (The actor says he was more enamoured with Lee's earlier three-hour director's cut that was both quieter and filled with more character-centric moments.)

The roles mark the latest turn for an actor who has seen more peaks and valleys than some of the terrain he's recently been climbing.

After a breakout as a teenager in the treasure-hunting classic The Goonies nearly three decades ago, Brolin went into a career quiet period, bottoming out in the 1990s when he landed roles on short-lived TV shows so obscure that he says he considered giving up acting.

His fortunes changed drastically about six years ago when the Coen brothers cast him as the outlaw Llewelyn Moss in their Western manhunt tale No Country For Old Men. An Oscar and box-office smash, the movie prompted a resurgence that had Brolin landing juicy roles in the likes of W. and True Grit, though, befitting his erratic career, also yielded such no-shows as Jonah Hex and Gangster Squad.

Brolin said he feels on surer footing these days, though still finds himself facing unexpected challenges.

A few months ago, he was approached by a man, an apparent panhandler, who pulled out a knife and stabbed him. (His wound wasn't serious.) Though sounding almost like a larger-than-life tale from one of Brolin's movies, the experience shook him up, causing him to question his ability to read situations accurately.

In the meantime, he is offering his own kind of unpredictability on the screen.

In addition to Everest, from the Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur, and a new Sin City film, he's set to star in a more literary effort, Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice, playing the colourful detective Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen, as well as the father in the Sean Penn-directed survival tale Crazy For The Storm.

"These new ones are still manly roles. But there's also more vulnerability," Brolin said.

He added with a small laugh: "There's a trajectory here. A little bit of one, anyway." – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

J is for 'just plain'

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

While Pine gives a decent portrayal of the rookie field operative version of Ryan here, he is hampered because the character just seems a little too, well, ordinary and colourless to be memorable.

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

Harris' performance outshines the rest of the cast, even Elba's.

The Legend Of Hercules

AFTER watching this movie, I felt like giving the cast and crew a pat on the head and going, "Awww, good effort, guys!"

Everyone seems to be trying their best to put out a great, if mythologically untrue, origin story of the Greek demigod hero Hercules (Kellan Lutz). But, unfortunately, it doesn't quite get there.

Overall, a fairly entertaining, mindless watch. – Tan Shiow Chin (**)

Devil's Due

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

THIS is a conceptual, quirky, character-driven, inspirational tale of a constant daydreamer who finally decides to take action in real life when his magazine is about to publish its final issue.

And of course, his inspiration and motivation comes mainly from a co-worker whom he has a thing for.

We are treated to lovely visuals of the countries he visits. And the crazy adventures Mitty gets into go beyond his wildest imagination.

12 Years A Slave

GSC International Screens

The performances are amazing all round, making everything that we witness seem that much more real and heartbreaking. – Mumtaj Begum (****)

Jilla

THIS is exactly what you'd get from a banana leaf rice meal: a burst of flavours that will leave you full but still craving for more.

A typical ponggal (harvest festival) release, Jilla features two heavyweights of South Indian cinema, Mohanlal and Vijay.

It explores the relationship between a don (Mohanlal) and his adopted son (Vijay). Their relationship is perfectly captured in the course of several scenes at the start of the movie.

Overall, Jilla is for the hardcore Vijay fans out there. His ability to hold his own opposite a veteran actor speaks highly of his growth an actor. – Nevash Nair (***)

And the nominees of Oscars 2014 are ...

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:50 PM PST

American Hustle, Gravity and 12 Years A Slave lead this year's highly competitive race for Hollywood's top trophies.

But in a year hailed as one of high quality for the Hollywood industry, several other films could challenge the favourites in the race for the world's top film prizes.

Somali piracy thriller Captain Phillips, the AIDS activism tale Dallas Buyers Club, and heartland comedy Nebraska, each garnered six nominations.

Martin Scorsese's cautionary tale on financial greed, The Wolf Of Wall Street, quirky computer-age romance Her and adoption drama Philomena round out the nine nominees for best picture.

The race could be complicated by the long lead time to the Oscars ceremony, to be hosted by comedian Ellen DeGeneres in Los Angeles on March 2.

Top actors snubbed

The crowded honours race spilled over into the acting categories, where the Academy snubbed some veteran stars and instead chose to recognise up-and-coming talent.

Hanks, who has not won an Oscar since his back-to-back wins in 1994 and 1995, was considered a favourite, mostly because of his harrowing final scene in the film.

While his co-star Barkhad Abdi received a nod for Best Supporting Actor, Captain Phillips lead actor and two-time winner Tom Hanks was surprisingly left out.

Good year for veteran actresses and Oscar winners

The nominees for Best Actress. – AFP

"This is just the loveliest news," said Dench. "I'm so happy for everybody involved, and so proud to have been part of the wonderful experience that Philomena has been."

The list excluded Emma Thompson, praised for her role as the Mary Poppins author in Disney's Saving Mr. Banks.

Rare feat for 'American Hustle'

In the supporting categories, there was a nod for newcomer Lupita Nyong'o as the slave Patsey and another for her cruel master, played by Michael Fassbender, in 12 Years A Slave.

American Hustle also earned supporting nominations for actors from Russell's hit last year Silver Linings Playbook – Jennifer Lawrence, who won the best actress Oscar, and Bradley Cooper.

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress. – AFP

Russell's romp through 1970s New York earned nominations for best picture, directing, writing and all four acting categories, a rare feat he also scored last year.

In the next few weeks, Hollywood will look to see how the actors, producers, directors and writers guild awards shape up.

Their members also constitute the bulk of the 6,000 Academy members.

List of key nominations of the 86th Academy Awards (winners will be revealed in Hollywood on March 2):

BEST PICTURE

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

12 Years A Slave

The Wolf Of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR

Christian Bale in American Hustle

Bruce Dern in Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave

Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS

Amy Adams in American Hustle

Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock in Gravity

Judi Dench in Philomena

Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

BEST DIRECTOR

David O. Russell for American Hustle

Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity

Alexander Payne for Nebraska

Steve McQueen for 12 Years A Slave

Martin Scorsese for The Wolf Of Wall Street

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper in American Hustle

Michael Fassbender in 12 Years A Slave

Jonah Hill in The Wolf Of Wall Street

Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years A Slave

Julia Roberts in August: Osage County

June Squibb in Nebraska

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Before Midnight

Captain Phillips

Philomena

12 Years A Slave

The Wolf Of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

American Hustle

Blue Jasmine

Dallas Buyers Club

Her

Nebraska

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Broken Circle Breakdown, Belgium

The Great Beauty, Italy

The Hunt, Denmark

The Missing Picture, Cambodia

Omar, Palestine

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILN

The Croods

Despicable Me 2

Ernest & Celestine

Frozen

The Wind Rises

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The Act Of Killing

Cutie And The Boxer

Dirty Wars

The Square

20 Feet From Stardom

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Alone Yet Not Alone from Alone Yet Not Alone

Happy from Despicable Me 2

Let It Go from Frozen

The Moon Song from Her

Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Book Thief

Gravity

Her

Philomena

Saving Mr. Banks

BEST COSTUMES

American Hustle

The Grandmaster

The Great Gatsby

The Invisible Woman

12 Years A Slave

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Grandmaster

Gravity

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nebraska

Prisoners

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Dallas Buyers Club

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

The Lone Ranger

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Iron Man 3

The Lone Ranger

Star Trek Into Darkness

> For more info, go to oscar.go.com.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

Language of politics
Extreme ends
Changing times

Language of politics

Posted: 18 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

An exhibition called A La Carte is the artist's take on national headlines.

THE air was thick with the clinking of silverware. The tables, bedecked with lit candles, lent the place an enchanting aura. A familiar tune (French, probably) played in the background.

People were chatting and drinking vintage wine. They looked lost in conversations on politics, art, the state of the country and world.

But something else accompanied them, never leaving the place. Something bizarre and yet familiar. Strange humanoid beings with extra appendages, clad in even stranger garb, were unlikely company for the patrons.

A bespectacled human-like figure with blue wings was flying through the air. His nose was exceptionally long and his lips, mint green. Looking up at him, he would have passed for a giant insect if it wasn't for his elongated tongue curling out to the earth below.

If you were of a grim disposition (like this author), you would hastily conclude this was a scene from the sequel of The Island Of Dr Moreau. But in truth, the scene is much less horrific and serves as a backdrop for a fusion of delectable, vibrant and satirical cuisines of the visual variety.

Paiman played the humour card with Dayang Sulu With Her Troop as he changed the self-proclaimed Sulu prince to a princess

National threat: Artist Noor Azizan Rahman Paiman played the humour card with Dayang Sulu With Her Troop, which references the Lahad Datu crisis.

For the next two and a half months, Maison Francaise, a French restaurant tucked away in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, will play host to the A La Carte exhibition by notable Malaysian artist, Noor Azizan Rahman Paiman, fondly known as Paiman.

The exhibition, presented by Fuman Art gallery, features 35 of Paiman's artworks, a mixed collection of old and new. And that is how the whole à la carte concept was engendered, the artist said.

"During my initial discussions with the gallery, I did not have any new work. All that I knew was that the exhibition will be taking place in a restaurant. So, I had the idea to make a selection of my works from 1994 up to now," shared Paiman in an interview in Kuala Lumpur last week.

The artist, who is based in Ipoh, has a day job as a senior lecturer – 14 years now – at the Fine Art Department in UiTM Perak. Away from the academic field, Paiman has been active in the art scene. In late 2012, he presented his third solo exhibition Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves, while last year he was part of the group exhibition Kembara Jiwa Fukuoka: Expanded Passion.

For the A La Carte exhibition, Paiman enjoyed trawling through his work at his studio.

"That is how the concept of à la carte came about. But of course, there are some newer paintings which I completed early this month."

Paiman with his Social Contract sculpture

Artist Noor Azizan Rahman Paiman below, with a sculpture called Social Contract.

A smaller collection, 12 in total, will be exhibited at the Fuman Art gallery itself in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.

Paiman's paintings are a visual treat at first glance. In fact, he labelled himself a "visual chef". Enticing your sight like scrumptious desserts, tantalisingly arrayed on a marble-top table on a cool spring afternoon, the artworks are simply bursting with colour. Looking at them in the daytime, the room brightly lit by sunlight, is akin to gazing at blooming flowers.

But beyond the colour is a deeper layer that arrests your senses. The characters in the paintings are human-like but there is something strange and otherworldly about them. Some have extra eyeballs, some have oddly shaped heads and limbs, and others have animal-like faces.

One such painting, called Dayang Sulu With Her Troop, features a tall female figure in a polka-dotted headdress and robe, surrounded by impish creatures in stripy clothes. In the backdrop are spindly tree trunks.

The faces of the imps were frog-like and some even looked like potato heads. Interestingly, all the figures, including the female leader, were armless. Two had webbed feet. They were all standing on the shore of a lake or sea.

Paiman, who has been involved in the country's art arena since the early 1990s, said this artwork is actually in reference to the Sulu gunmen who invaded Lahad Datu last year.

AP Series — Lee Lam Thye

"Dayang Sulu was a popular actress during P. Ramlee's time with Filipino blood and 'Dayang' is a name commonly used by Borneon or Filipino princesses. However, this painting is a metaphor for the Sulu 'prince' who wanted to start a revolution in Lahad Datu.

"I decided to take a humorous stance on the situation and instead of a prince, I made the leader a princess and these are her troops," Paiman explained.

This is the deeper layer that permeates every painting. A social commentary, as it were, on pertinent issues that is part of the nation's fabric. And that makes the experience of looking at these paintings even richer and exhilarating. Not only are you stimulated visually, but your brain too.

The artist himself confessed that his artworks are indeed "social commentaries" and it is his way of voicing his opinions on these issues.

Another painting, called Dasar Pendidikan Negara, shows what could be a female teacher wearing a scarf and spectacles, with a blackboard and the alphabet behind her. A cane of some sort is seen sticking out.

Paiman reasoned that this is in reference to the nation's education system and how it has changed over the years.

"Before, the teachers were allowed to cane the students for wrongdoings. Now, they can't even touch the students," he said.

But one that catches the eye instantly is an artwork called The Statesman. .

Former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, is wearing a red pagoda hat, his face carved with his cheeky smile. He is wearing a lilac blouse with red-faced emoticons for buttons. The McDonald's symbol "hangs" from his pocket.

Sprouting from his shoulders are gigantic red horns. Written across the painting is a sarcastic quote by the elder statesman: 'What do we brown-skins know about justice?'

"This statement was made by Mahathir in an interview with an Australian broadcast reporter when he sacked Anwar Ibrahim from the cabinet. The interviewer asked about the justice in Malaysia and that was Mahathir's reply to him," chuckled Paiman.

A La Carte is on exhibit at Maison Francaise (5, Jalan Changkat Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur) till March 31. The restaurant opens Tuesday to Thursday from noon to 10.30pm, and Friday to Sunday from noon to 11pm. For more information, visit www.fumanart.com. Paintings are also on display at Fuman Art, Wisma Samudra, Ground floor, 1, Jalan Kontraktor U1/14, Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam, Selangor. Call 012-229 8364 or 017-269 1648 for an appointment.

Extreme ends

Posted: 18 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

A Malaysian artiste reflects on a conflicted society in her adopted home of Yogyakarta.

IN the middle of the city stands the Kraton, home to the Sultan and the heart of Javanese culture. Within its walls, the streets wind themselves around the palace grounds, snaking around humble dwellings and shops. Markets and schools dot the compound, set against the backdrop of elaborate architecture from an age long past.

Nadiah Bamadhaj, born and raised in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, has called this place home for over a decade now – a city she describes as one "rich with culture and history spanning thousands of years old".

Here in Yogyakarta in Java, Indonesia, ancient artforms are preserved and practised till today.

Nadiah, 45, refers to them as forms of "high art" that are "juxtaposed sharply against a degree of visible economic and infrastructural poverty, evident by the swellings and structures that congest the city, and in the number of visibly homeless people."

It is these contradictions and contrasts that she attempts to convey through her works in Poised For Degradation, an exhibition comprising four architectural works and four portraits.

In Kandang Ningrat, a cowshed sheds its humble purpose when crowned with a palace roof.

The exhibition is currently showing at Richard Koh Fine Art in Singapore till Feb 14.

"The contrast between these rich forms of traditional culture and visible economic destitution of where I currently live form the intellectual foundation for the exhibition. The works are based on my observations of both social life and the physical environment of where I live," she explains. "I hope to convey my emotions about the juxtaposition between the cultural poise and the economic degradation that I see around me."

In Kandang Ningrat, for example, Nadiah crowns a humble cowshed with a palace roof structure, and in doing so, "lifts" the shed a level higher than its intended function. In Tertindas Yang Ditandu, the ventilation holes in a wooden box renders it "liveable", despite the boxed-in oppression – in contrast to the carrying poles that hint at being carried around like someone held in high regard and worshipped by all.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg of what Poised For Degradation has to offer. All the forms in Nadiah's drawings are taken directly from her surrounding environment, "either from found objects, or from Javanese mythological references".

When asked what the most distinctive aspect of everyday life that has found its way into her works is, the artist responds with, "the structures that symbolise the degree of economic poverty in Yogyakarta – dilapidated buildings, recycled objects, zinc and wood dwellings, warungs and carts that are wheeled by hand (which also act as homes), places that 10 years ago I would never had guessed that people would call their homes."

Null and Void is a portrait of an elderly woman who scavenges for recyclables in Nadiah¿s neighbourhood. In this frail figure, the artist sees an extremely hard life and ponders on the absurdity of the meaning of the word ¿future¿ in this woman¿s world.

A bleak life: Null And Void is a portrait of an elderly woman who scavenges for recyclables in Nadiah's neighbourhood. In this frail figure, the artist sees an extremely hard life and ponders on the absurdity of the meaning of the word 'future' in this woman's world.

She singles out Null And Void as the work that best conveys the economic brutality for a large number of people in the city, a work that represents an elderly woman who walks past Nadiah's studio every day, collecting recyclables.

"She's probably in her 90s," relates Nadiah, "and hard of hearing, frail, and extremely vulnerable to both the physical environment and to people who wish to harm her."

Nadiah has chosen to represent this old lady on a congkak, as she is "the end result of a game that has already been played".

This is probably not an unknown sentiment in this city, where, apart from its romanticism and culture, says Nadiah, "living in Yogyakarta is basically living on a fault-line within view of a very active volcano, under a near-sighted and overly-bureaucratised government, with an expensive and over-burdened health system, in one of the most over-populated islands in the world."

The potential of things going wrong is high, and to this artist, Null And Void is "the antithesis of our hopes and dreams for the future, the fear of what life could become."

Sounds grim? Perhaps.

In return for the wealth bestowed upon those who worship Nyi Blorong, a human sacrifice (¿tumbal¿) must be made. In Tumbal, Nadiah places the portrait of her husband on a creature resembling a chicken, originally manifestated from a garuda or eagle. The garuda¿s manliness is deformed and its claws display a character that is simultaneously strong and ¿closed¿.

In Tumbal, Nadiah places the portrait of her husband on a creature resembling a chicken, originally manifestated from a garuda or eagle.

"Despite the changes of subject matter over the year, most of my work has consistently reflected a certain amount of "grimness" – it is not intentional, it just always seems to come out that way. I find a work is successful when I manage to marry grim with a certain amount of humour," she says, adding that so far, only her mother is able to read this combination in her work.

Having developed her charcoal and collage technique since 2000, Nadiah believes that this technique adds a certain emotional quality to the work she creates.

"I find it hard to describe this in words. I suppose it contributes to articulating the 'grimness' I talked about earlier, or at least I hope so," she says.

Through Nadiah's eyes, Yogyakarta looks different now than when she first set foot in the city. Compared to living in Kuala Lumpur, she notes that the divisions between household, community, and administrative bureaucracy are much more porous in Yogyakarta.

"Each does not exist independently of each other and one's participation in each component is essential and noted. Because of this I have had more of an opportunity to observe the social structures and processes of community life," she relates.

Although she finds that this impinges on the kind of privacy and social independence that she was previously used to, she points out that Yogyakarta is "a more culturally and religiously tolerant environment" to live in.

"Despite the economic hardships that I attempt to articulate in my work, the fundamental basis of life in Yogyakarta is people's desire to get along with one another and maintain a peaceful life," she says.

How's that for poise.

Nadiah Bamadhaj's Poised For Degradation is showing at Richard Koh Fine Art Singapore, Artspace@Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road, #01-05 Tanjong Pagar Distripark in Singapore till Feb 14. More details at www.rkfineart.com.

Changing times

Posted: 18 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

The potential for selfies to influence art and reinvigorate self-portraiture cannot be ignored.

IN my mind's eye, the word "selfie" paints a picture of a hall of mirrors bearing endless reflections of a depressed navel.

The selfie, as explained by Oxford Dictionaries, is a photograph that one has taken of oneself, usually with a smartphone or webcam, and shared via social media.

This genre of self-portraiture has become a social networking sensation in recent times, aided by the pervasive presence of digital cameras in everyday life, from mobile phones to laptops to electronic tablets.

Celebrities do it, politicians do it, millions of Everyman and even astronauts do it.

That the Internet slang was crowned Word of the Year 2013 by Oxford Dictionaries is further testament to its cachet.

With fame and attention, however, comes scrutiny, and this social networking phenomenon has not been spared.

Vigorous debate has been waged online and off over its merits and faults. Much of the discussion, with everyone from psychologists to social advocates and armchair critics weighing in, has centred on its socio-psychological significance.

A common refrain which decries its rise charges that it encourages narcissism and attention-seeking behaviour in needy teenagers and adults.

This argument hinges on how social networks that selfies are uploaded onto, including Instagram and Facebook, often allow other users to register their approval of pictures posted by clicking on "Like" or heart-shaped buttons.

A recent selfie posted on Instagram which showed American reality TV starlet Kim Kardashian in a come-hither, white backless leotard, for example, attracted admiration from more than one million netizens.

The social trend has also drawn brickbats for how it spotlights shallowness and glamorises superficiality.

Those who consume selfies are equally at risk of social dysfunction. Psychologists have pointed out that frequent exposure to a constant barrage of pictures which show one's peers living pictureperfect lives – "Here I am, toasting the sunset on a pristine beach in a Maldivian resort" – can stoke "Instagram envy" and "Facebook depression".

Yet others have looked upon the craze as a tender, harmless expression of how people in the digital era yearn to connect intimately with other humans. The recent selfie that Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt snapped at the memorial service for former South African leader Nelson Mandela, with British Prime Minister David Cameron and United States President Barack Obama flanking her, may be seen as falling within this category.

What has piqued my curiosity, however, is the potential for this new visual language to influence the genre of self-portraiture in art.

The self-portrait is not novel. Its history stretches as far back as the 14th century, during the Renaissance, when interest in the individual came alive. Famed Dutch artist Rembrandt was a prolific self-portraitist and his series of drawings, when seen together, conjure a poignant, introspective picture of one man facing up to the brutal process of aging.

Over time, the symbolic and moral self-examination embedded in the genre has given way to experiments in optical perspectives and studies into the ways in which individuals negotiate complex social identities and taboos.

In the last century, self-portraiture in art has completely broken free from mimesis and the human figure, replaced by abstract portrayals of personhood; American pop artist Jim Dine, for example, has painted himself as a bathrobe with sleeves akimbo.

Already, this idea of the abstract or semi-abstract self-portrait has taken root with selfies, inspiring a string of subgenres such as shelfies – pictures of one's bookshelf, born of the idea that I-am-what-I-read – and legsies, photographs of one's outstretched legs, in which the body parts share the limelight with a usually charming background.

What selfies can bring to the longstanding tradition of self-portraiture in art is perhaps a sense of the changing times, when so much of our lives exist online as netizens who communicate in a strange new syntax.

Indeed, the art world seems to have cottoned on to this idea. Last October, art curators Kyle Chayka and Marina Galperina launched the National #Selfie Portrait Gallery, an exhibition at London's Moving Image Contemporary Art Fair, which features a looping series of video selfies of 19 young artists.

As the phenomenon morphs and mutates, so too might its potential to reinvigorate the discussion of self-portraiture in art. Artists may yet have the last word on selfies. — The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 19 Januari 2014