Ahad, 9 Februari 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Australian trafficker Corby released from prison in Bali
Kerry heads Thursday on new Asia visit
Japan sensor will let diaper say baby needs changing

Australian trafficker Corby released from prison in Bali

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 04:26 PM PST

KEROBOKAN, Indonesia: Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby was released from an Indonesian prison on parole Monday after more than nine years behind bars, racing past hordes of waiting journalists as scores of police stood guard.

The 36-year-old covered her face with a scarf and hat as she was ushered into a minibus waiting outside Kerobokan jail on the resort island of Bali, as camera crews and photographers fought to get a shot of her.

Corby, whose case has drawn huge fascination in Australia since she was caught entering Bali in 2004 with marijuana stashed in her surfing gear, sped off to complete final administrative steps for her release, with journalists giving chase.

Dressed in a white blouse and jeans, she headed to the prosecutors' office and then to the corrections office, part of the justice ministry which will oversee her parole, trying to keep her face covered at all times.

At the corrections office, she signed papers agreeing to her parole conditions. Despite her face being obscured, she could be seen dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Her release dominated Australian TV networks on Monday morning, with every second of her release broadcast live to all those who have followed the case minutely.

As expected Corby did not comment on her release, as a bidding war is reportedly in full swing in Australia for her first post-jail interview. However Kerobokan prison governor Farid Junaidi said she seemed fine.

"She was fine when she left, only a little anxious and she asked why there were so many people and reporters," he told journalists outside the jail.

Journalists have been camped outside Kerobokan jail for the past week in anticipation of her release, with one Australian television network alone having reportedly dispatched 17 staff.

Indonesian Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin announced on Friday that Corby, who has always maintained her innocence, had been granted parole following a drawn-out process that repeatedly ran into bureaucratic hurdles.

The move was welcomed in Australia but drew protests from Indonesian lawmakers and an anti-drugs group, who said it went against the country's tough anti-narcotics laws.

Syamsuddin defended the move, saying that parole was a "right regulated by law".

Mental health problems in jail

Following her release, Corby will not be able to return to Australia until 2017. Her sentence ends in 2016 and then she will be required to stay for another year to comply with the conditions of her parole.

During this period, Corby is expected to live on the resort island with her sister Mercedes, who has a Balinese husband.

She will also have to report regularly to authorities in Bali and will be allowed to travel to other parts of Indonesia but only with prior permission from the authorities.

Corby, who has always insisted that the 4.1 kilos (nine pounds) of marijuana found in her body board bag were planted, will emerge a changed woman after years in Kerobokan prison.

Prisoners typically live side by side in overcrowded cells, and drug abuse, fighting between inmates and beatings by jail wardens are reportedly common.

She has suffered from mental health problems in prison and needed hospital treatment for depression.

Corby was convicted and jailed for 20 years in 2005.

The end of her sentence was brought forward to 2016 after she received several remissions for good behaviour, and a five-year cut following an appeal for clemency to the Indonesian president.

Her parole bid was a complex, months-long process which repeatedly ran into bureaucratic hurdles. The process sped up in the past week when a justice ministry parole board in Jakarta finally heard her case.

Her application included letters of support from the Australian government, as well as her family, the head of the Balinese village where she will live and Kerobokan prison.

In prison Corby lived alongside other foreigners sentenced under Indonesia's tough anti-narcotics laws, from people caught with small quantities of drugs at parties to those attempting to smuggle huge stashes into the island. -AFP

Kerry heads Thursday on new Asia visit

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 04:10 PM PST

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry will make his fifth trip to North and Southeast Asia on Thursday, stopping in China, South Korea and Indonesia for climate change and North Korea talks.

The globe-trotting top US diplomat will also visit Abu Dhabi at the end of his February 13-18 voyage, his spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

In Seoul, Kerry will "discuss ways to expand our cooperation on regional and global issues, and continue our close coordination... on North Korea," Psaki said.

Kerry last visited Seoul in April, and the new trip comes just after Washington learned Friday that a US citizen has been returned to a labor camp after having been hospitalized for poor health.

Washington has repeatedly called for the release of Kenneth Bae after the devout Korean American Christian missionary was detained in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years' hard labor on charges of trying to topple the government.

In Beijing, Kerry will highlight the role that the United States and China - the world's top emitters of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming - can play in combating climate change.

Kerry will also "relay the message that the United States is committed to pursuing a positive, cooperative, comprehensive relationship and welcomes the rise of a peaceful and prosperous China that plays a positive role in world affairs," Psaki said.

The Beijing visit, also his second as secretary of state, comes however amid growing regional tensions over China's territorial ambitions after it unilaterally extended its air defense zone over the South China Sea.

The United States has urged Beijing to clarify or adjust its claims in the South China Sea, calling for a peaceful solution to one of Asia's growing flashpoints.

On Friday, Kerry reaffirmed a 1960 treaty with Japan and vowed the US would defend its ally against attack, including over islands claimed by China.

Beijing claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety, even areas a long way from its shoreline, but portions are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

After China, the top US diplomat will then travel to Jakarta for talks with senior Indonesian leaders, before heading to Abu Dhabi, where his discussions are likely to focus on Middle East peace and the conflict in Syria. -AFP

Japan sensor will let diaper say baby needs changing

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 08:05 PM PST

TOKYO: A disposable organic sensor that can be embedded in a diaper and wirelessly let a carer know it needs changing was unveiled by Japanese researchers on Monday.

The flexible integrated circuit printed on a single plastic film transmits information and receives its power wirelessly, and could potentially be manufactured for a few yen (US cents), the developers told AFP.

The system, which uses organic materials that can be printed with inkjet technology, was developed by a team led by professors Takayasu Sakurai and Takao Someya at the University of Tokyo.

In addition to use in infants' diapers, the technology can be applied to adult nappies, which are a big-seller in rapidly-ageing Japan.

Regular diapers change colour to indicate they are wet, but a care-giver still needs to take off the wearer's clothes to see.

"If sensing is done electronically, you can tell simply by coming close to the wearer - without unclothing him or her," Someya said.

The technology could also be put directly on the skin like a plaster, in place of often ring-shaped devices currently used in hospitals to monitor pulse and blood oxygen levels, he said.

Healthcare sensors often use silicon and other relatively rigid materials that can cause their users discomfort.

The flexibility of a single sheet of plastic film reduces discomfort for wearers and means it can be applied to a larger number of places - offering greater potential for doctors or carers to monitor well-being.

The prototype system that has been developed is capable of monitoring wetness, pressure, temperature and other phenomena that cause a change in electrical resistance, said Someya, but the team would like to refine it to reduce its power consumption before it goes into widespread use.

Currently the data-reading device needs to be a few centimetres (inches) from the sensor, but Someya said the team was exploring how practical this is and whether they can boost the distance.

Researchers are to unveil their work at an academic gathering now under way in San Francisco. -AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

The Walking Dead: A band of brothers

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

On or off screen, The Walking Dead stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus have each other's backs.

TWO things come to mind after meeting actors Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus – you either want to be part of their bromance or date them … at the same time. The latter, well, that's a story for another day.

At The Walking Dead promotional tour in Singapore last month, Lincoln and Reedus – who play Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon respectively in the hit TV series – were absolutely at ease and finished each other's sentences like best friends do.

"We mix perfumes together," Lincoln deadpanned when asked about their friendship off screen.

On screen however, they have fought zombies, scrambled for their lives, separated, re-grouped, separated again, kill bad guys and find ways to survive each day – sometimes without even saying a word to one another.

"He's my brother," said Lincoln of Reedus. "Most of your life, you avoid emoting. We put up faces all the time. I go to work and take the mask off and he's seen me make a fool of myself many times and still continues to be my friend. It's not always the case you meet someone you just dig, but we do."

What about the rest of the cast, which includes Steven Yuen, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride and Lauren Cohan, then?

"We hate those guys," Reedus joked.

If that is indeed true, then these gentlemen are really good at hiding their true emotions from the rest of the cast in the show about a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating zombies.

Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead premiered in 2010 and is currently the highest rated television series on cable in the United States. It's Season Four premiere in October last year became the most-watched drama series in American basic cable history, with 16.1 million viewers tuning in to see the fate of Rick, Daryl and the rest of the gang.

Norman Reedus (left) and Andrew Lincoln were in Singapore recently to promote their hit TV series, The Walking Dead.

Lincoln (right) and Norman Reedus were in Singapore recently to promote The Walking Dead.

The show is back on air in Malaysia tomorrow after a two-month hiatus and fans are dying to know how everything works out after the epic mid-season finale last December, in which several vital characters were killed and the gang got separated.

"The back eight are some of the strongest episodes we have done. It's very character driven. We sort of get to know the characters and see why they fight what they fight for and what they don't," said Reedus on what is in store for fans.

The actors are well aware that during its four-year presence, the television series has taken on a larger-than-life persona and that fans hold them accountable for how the storyline pans out.

"I went to my local coffee shop the day after (a specific episode) aired and they wouldn't serve me coffee. That's how upset they were. They asked, 'You're going to stand by that decision?' and I said, 'It's not me … I just say the words!'," shared Lincoln of his experience facing hardcore fans.

"(Rick) makes instantaneous decisions and they're not right or wrong – they are just decisions. This is also what I like about the show; the guy is a hero and in the next episode he's a villain and vice versa."

To be fair, Lincoln admits that Rick is not exactly popular for making great decisions anyway.

"Pretty much every decision he makes is questionable. He's a man who has made terrible decisions but one of the great qualities about him is that when he does, he's certain. And I think people follow people like that because they're so certain."

So people like to follow people who make bad decisions? Right.

"It happens all the time. Think about it. We're all part of governments and they make decisions for us constantly. As soon as the nuclear arms race happens – this is getting into a much bigger idea – then all of us are on the line, aren't we? That wasn't a decision made by me, ever. But it happens to be a fact of life," Lincoln explained, to which Reedus gave another example of a bad decision: "Look at those rubber sandals, Crocs. Those were huge."

Speaking of decisions, has executive producer and creator of the comic series Robert Kirkman decided to introduce Daryl in the comics? Reedus' character is currently television-exclusive and fans have petitioned to have him included in the ongoing comic series as well.

"I have offered to wash Robert's car, offered to sleep with him … whatever it takes. I would love to be in it but that's Robert's decision. He told me to stop asking him about it, so I don't know," said Reedus.

Whether Daryl makes it to the comic series or not, one thing is for sure, he is staying in the television show, at least for now, as the producers realise the character's value on it. In fact, the remaining episodes of the series proves just that, without compromising Rick's position in The Walking Dead, of course.

"Daryl will kill something and feed it to you or kill somebody for you or kill you, but he doesn't want to give you a hug and talk about things. I think people need that sort of emotional connection and they will look to Rick for leadership," Reedus offered.

Fans are advised not to have too much hope as the showrunners are known to mercilessly kill off favourite characters with few or no regrets.

And Lincoln didn't exactly help ease fans' minds when asked about the show's upcoming fifth season.

"We might not be alive … think about that," he said cryptically.

> To know the fate of Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, catch the Season Four Part Two premiere on FOX Movies Premium (Astro Ch 413 / HD Ch 433) on Feb 10 at 12.30pm and the encore at 9.10pm.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Syrian chemical weapons stalling tests limits of U.S.-Russian deal
Pakistani separatist militants blow up three gas pipelines
Asylum seekers accuse Australia navy of abuse as boat towed to Indonesia

Syrian chemical weapons stalling tests limits of U.S.-Russian deal

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 09:20 PM PST

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - At a closed door meeting, Western governments led by the United States took Syria to task for failing to surrender its chemical weapons under ambitious deadlines agreed with Russia after a poison gas attack in August.

Speaker after speaker stood up to berate Damascus at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), until it came to Russia's turn and Moscow took a much more lenient view - the international split over Syria writ large.

Russia defended President Bashar al-Assad and said his government needed more time to ship the chemicals safely through territory where it is fighting rebels.

Syria missed a first deadline to give up the most dangerous toxins on December 31 and another cut-off date passed on Wednesday, when it was due to hand over all the remaining critical chemical materials.

The success of the destruction programme, now also at risk of missing the final June 30 deadline, is in the interests of both powers, but the confrontation in The Hague on January 30 exposed a deep division between Moscow and Washington over how to respond to Syria's lack of progress.

The U.S.-Russian clash also bodes poorly for a broader Moscow-Washington partnership that is seen as critical to resolving other major foreign policy challenges, from Iran's nuclear programme to the Geneva peace talks for Syria, which are set to resume on Monday. Further bad feeling was aroused by a leaked phone conversation about Ukraine between U.S. officials.

Even with the latest setback, the agreement to destroy Syria's chemical stockpile that averted a U.S.-led military strike and led to a Nobel Peace Prize for the OPCW, can still be pulled off, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said.

MAJOR DEADLINE

The next major deadline is March 31, by when the most toxic substances are supposed to be destroyed outside Syria on a special U.S. cargo vessel, the Cape Ray, which is on the way from Virginia.

"The odds of Syrian compliance increase if Washington and Moscow speak with one voice, but that isn't happening at present," Amy Smithson, a chemical weapons expert at the U.S. Monterey Institute, a leading think tank, told Reuters.

"These two countries are both key to the potential success of chemical disarmament in Syria, not to mention a settlement to the overall conflict, so hopefully they will rapidly find a way to resolve this impasse," she said.

With Russia opposed to automatic U.N. Security Council action against Syria if it is deemed non-compliant - a stage diplomats say has not been reached - Washington finds itself in a similar situation to last September, when it had threatened military action, diplomats said.

Western powers fear the programme is being stalled intentionally to give Moscow more time to provide military hardware to Damascus and to enable Syria to retain its weapons of mass destruction as a negotiation tool in the Geneva peace talks.

It is a process that has faced difficulties from the beginning, with OPCW inspectors held up in Cyprus for weeks before they could get into Syria to check its chemical arsenal. The August 21 gas attack happened within days of their arrival and inspectors were earlier shot at by snipers while trying to check allegations of chemical weapons use.

RUSSIAN PUSH

Even as Moscow supports Assad in public, it is being urged to put pressure on him to meet the targets. On Tuesday Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Syria was planning a large shipment of chemical substances this month and was ready to complete the process by March 1.

Still Western diplomats complained that the Russians were not doing enough to encourage Assad to play ball, while other powers may be reluctant to threaten action for fear of undermining the Geneva talks.

"There are signs that the Russians are putting pressure on them (Syria) to do it," a Western diplomat said. If the Syrians complete the shipments of toxic chemicals by March 1, as the Russians said then "that would be good."

Washington and other Western governments have rejected Syria's claim that it needs more equipment to transport chemicals securely after it received a long list of hardware to carry out the job.

The delay is already having a knock-on effect on the complex logistical task, involving nearly a dozen countries, commercial chemical destruction contracts and multi-million dollar funding by the international community.

The international community has invested heavily in the operation, providing ships, vehicles, personnel and tens of millions of dollars in donations to OPCW and U.N. funds.

Washington sent shipping containers, GPS trackers, armoured vehicles for inspectors, decontamination equipment and a cargo ship outfitted with $10m in chemical weapons treatment systems.

China chipped in ambulances and surveillance cameras, Belarus gave 13 field kitchens, Russia sent 75 transport vehicles, 25 of them armoured. Denmark and Norway donated cargo ships and military patrol boats. Italy offered use of a port. Germany and Britain will make available toxic waste destruction facilities.

"While remaining aware of the challenging security situation inside the Syrian Arab Republic, it is the assessment of the Joint Mission that (Syria) has sufficient material and equipment to carry out multiple ground movements to ensure the expeditious removal of chemical weapons material," Ban said last week.

A senior Western diplomat said the Syrian government is "teasing us" by dragging its heels while doing enough to avoid being declared in non-compliance with its obligation to destroy its chemical weapons program.

"Our impression is that they (Assad's government) are managing this issue in parallel with the Geneva discussion," he said. "Everything is blocked so they are blocking on the chemical weapons to remind us" of their power on this issue.

That sentiment was echoed by the U.S. Ambassador to the OPCW, Robert Mikulak, who called on Damascus at the closed OPCW meeting to "take immediate action" to resolve the impasse.

"Syria has said that its delay in transporting these chemicals has been caused by 'security concerns' and insisted on additional equipment - armoured jackets for shipping containers, electronic countermeasures, and detectors for improvised explosive devices. These demands are without merit, and display a 'bargaining mentality' rather than a security mentality," he said.

IN VAIN

On February 6, a day after the deadline to hand over all critical chemicals expired, OPCW/U.N. mission head Sigrid Kaag addressed the U.N. Security Council on the matter.

Although she did not believe the Syrians were deliberately stalling, she said cooperation must be speeded up if the June 30 deadline is to be met.

A second senior Western diplomat said it was possible that Western powers were overestimating Russia's leverage with Assad's government.

Still, Western nations are encouraging Moscow to use all its influence on Damascus to resume complying with the timetable agreed in September and October.

It is in Moscow's interests to ensure that the chemical weapons deal doesn't fall apart. Russia doesn't want its reputation as a diplomatic power tarnished, or Assad's government to face renewed threats of U.S. air strikes at a time when the Syrian army appears to have an edge over the opposition militarily.

"Of course it is in Russia's interest to see it go ahead. President (Vladimir) Putin threw a safety belt to President Obama at a very delicate moment," said Georgy Mirsky, a Middle East expert at the Institute of the World Economy and International Relations in Moscow.

The U.S. and Russia have invested political capital in the operation to eliminate Syria's 1,300 tonne stockpile, of which just 4.1 percent had been handed over for destruction.

"If it appears now that it was all in vain - that chemical weapons will remain in Syria and that Bashar al-Assad is pulling a fast one - it will be President Putin who will be in a very bad situation indeed," Mirsky said.

(Additional reporting by Lou Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols in New York, Alistair Bell, Jim Loney, Matt Spetalnick and Lesley Wroughton in Washington, Gabriela Baczynska and Steve Gutterman in Moscow and Nicholas Vinocur in Paris; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Pakistani separatist militants blow up three gas pipelines

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 09:15 PM PST

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Separatist rebels from Pakistan's resource-rich Baluchistan province have blown up three gas pipelines, cutting supplies to the country's most economically important province, an official from a state-owned gas company said Monday.

The rebels blew up the pipelines to Punjab province overnight, said Ayub Bajwa, the emergency manager on duty for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the capital of Islamabad.

Punjab is Pakistan's most populous and wealthy province and the power base of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Most of the province is now without gas.

"This the first time they have blown all three simultaneously," Bajwa said. "They used to just blow up one here or there."

The pipelines are large - 24, 18 and 16 inches in diameter. It will take at least two days to repair them, Bajwa said.

During that time millions of Pakistanis will be unable to heat their homes or run their factories.

Sarbaz Baloch, a spokesman for the banned Baluch Republican Army, said his group had blown up the pipelines near the Punjabi town of Rahim Yar Khan, about 600 km (370 miles) south of Islamabad.

The BRA is fighting for the independence of Baluchistan, Pakistan's poorest and biggest province. They accuse the federal government of looting the province's rich mineral resources and leaving its people to live in poverty.

Human rights groups have accused both the Baluch rebels and government security forces of serious human rights abuses, including kidnapping, torturing and killing civilians.

(Additional reporting by Asim Tanveer in Multan and Gul Yousafzai in Quetta; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Asylum seekers accuse Australia navy of abuse as boat towed to Indonesia

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 08:55 PM PST

KUPANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - On New Year's day, 45 asylum seekers in a ramshackle wooden boat slid ashore on a small island off the Australian city of Darwin. Four others had been swept overboard that morning in rough seas and were believed dead.

The survivors, from Africa and the Middle East, stumbled onto the beach, thankful to find refuge on Australian soil. Or so they thought.

Within an hour, an Australian warship and other vessels arrived. Military personnel forced the asylum seekers back onto their wooden boat and towed it out to sea. Their destination: Indonesia.

Determining precisely what happened is difficult. But interviews with five of the passengers reconstructs a journey they say was marked by physical and verbal abuse.

Their accounts highlight just how far the newly elected conservative government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott is going to meet his election promise to "stop the boats" - a policy which involves towing vessels back to Indonesia, the main departure point for people-smuggling boats.

In a statement in response to questions on the accusations from the five asylum seekers, Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison said he did not give "credibility to malicious and unfounded slurs".

"I know and trust that our Navy and Customs and Border Protection Service act in accordance with their training and lawful orders and would only use force where necessary," he said. The navy refers all questions about the operations to Morrison's office.

About 16,000 asylum seekers came on 220 boats to Australia in the first seven months of last year. The government has said that since mid-December, not a single boat has arrived.

In separate interviews, the five asylum seekers all said their vessel landed on the island - raising questions about what Canberra means when it says no boats have arrived. One of the men said he had carried a Global Positioning System (GPS) device that showed Darwin was roughly 35 km (22 miles) away.

They also gave multiple accounts of military personnel using plastic zip ties and pepper spray to restrain asylum seekers. Passengers were denied proper access to food, water, medical treatment and toilets, they added.

Reuters was given permission by Indonesian immigration authorities to interview the five men, who were detained when their boat arrived back in Indonesia. Four were interviewed in person in the city of Kupang and the other by telephone.

TOWED OUT TO SEA

Tensions flared as soon as the Australian military personnel arrived on the island off Darwin, said Yousif Ibrahim Fasher, an English-speaker from Sudan's Darfur region. He said he told the Australians that four men had been swept overboard.

"We told them: 'that direction, we lost people.' We told them everything. They said: 'No, you go back to the boat'."

"We refused, and then they used force," Fasher said.

Men who resisted were picked up by their arms and legs and dumped in the boat, the asylum seekers said. Fasher said he saw military personnel kick and use zip ties to handcuff one man who tried to flee.

The boat, its engine crippled after men sabotaged the motor on arrival, was tethered to a navy speedboat and towed back to sea.

Morrison said claims of four people falling overboard had been investigated and that he was confident they were not true.

Abbott came to power last September partly because of his tough stance on asylum seekers, an issue that has polarised Australia since the first boats from Vietnam came in the 1970s. The government has offshore detention centres in the impoverished South Pacific nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru capable of holding thousands.

He has likened the battle to stop the boats as a war, insisting secrecy is important to prevent "the enemy" receiving information.

The U.N. refugee agency has warned that Australia could be breaking its obligation under the U.N. Refugee Convention by failing to hear asylum seekers' claims.

NOT QUITE AUSTRALIAN SOIL

Standing on the beach that New Year morning, Mansoor Ali, a former sailor in the Eritrean Navy, stared at his GPS device.

His reading suggested the boat had landed on one of several islands north of Darwin in Australian territorial waters, a former Australian Navy officer with experience in intercepting asylum seeker boats told Reuters.

But unbeknown to Ali, the sand beneath his feet was not as Australian as he assumed.

In 2001, then Prime Minister John Howard made it harder for asylum seekers by removing the right of unauthorised boat arrivals to apply for a visa on landing in several territories, such as Christmas Island, that were popular due to their proximity to Indonesia.

Under pressure from then-opposition leader Abbott over a surge in asylum seekers, the previous Labour government last year expanded this to include all of Australia's coastline.

For Ali and the others, the result was immediate: an armed escort back to where they came from.

TENSIONS BUILD

Once out to sea, the asylum seekers were guarded by 10 personnel from the warship HMAS Parramatta, according to witness recollections of its hull number. Shifts changed every four hours.

Some of the guards called asylum seekers "monkeys" and told them they were not wanted in Australia, Fasher said.

Guards imposed strict discipline on the cramped, roughly 10-metre-long boat. Food and water were insufficient and some requests for medical help went unheeded, the asylum seekers said.

The greatest tension built towards the back of the craft, in a room below deck where Australian engineers struggled to repair the engine. The room was the only route to the toilet.

Fearing someone would break the engine once it had been fixed, the Australians instituted a rule: one visit to the toilet per day for men, and only night visits for women.

"I remember they used to stop us going to the bathroom. Forbidden to stand, forbidden to speak, forbidden to raise your voice," said Bakil Abdul Hamid, a 28-year-old Yemeni, who said his brother Mohammad was one of the four swept to their deaths on January 1.

As the trip wore on, hope dwindled. After several days, unrest broke out. Taking the opportunity with the boat stationary as Australian engineers again tinkered with the engine, the asylum seekers launched a desperate protest.

Ali was the first to hurl himself into the water, three asylum seekers said. At least 10 others jumped in. Guards began tackling, pepper-spraying and zip-tying people in an effort to stop more following. Some of those pulled from the water said they were then pepper-sprayed in the face.

"We were suffering. People did not prefer life to death," said Faisal Salaad, a 33-year-old who said he watched the scuffle as he floated in the sea.

BACK IN INDONESIA

The following day, as the boat continued its journey, violence broke out again.

Around midday four men, angered by the toilet curbs, went into the engine room.

The first through the door, Bobies Ibrahim Nooris, 20, was pepper sprayed in the eyes, he recalled, causing him to stumble into an engine exhaust and seriously burn his hand.

Fasher was the only passenger spoken to by Reuters who claims to have seen what happened next.

Military personnel grabbed the hands of the other three men and forced them onto the exhaust as punishment, he said.

These accusations, already made in the Indonesian and Australian media, have been denied by the Australian government. No other passengers could corroborate Fasher's account.

In the early hours of January 6, the guards changed shifts. As the asylum seekers dozed, the Australians slipped away leaving behind a small supply of food and water, and just enough fuel to reach Indonesia.

Deflated and exhausted, the asylum seekers sailed for about two hours to Rote, Indonesia's southernmost island. Locals called the police, who put them in detention.

(Additional reporting by Matt Siegel in Sydney and Yara Bayoumy in Dubai. Editing by Dean Yates)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Whitaker shines as Muslim convert in Berlinale contender

Posted: 07 Feb 2014 06:35 PM PST

French-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb directs Two Men In Town.

ACADEMY Award winner Forest Whitaker stars as a convicted cop killer looking for a second chance in America after his conversion to Islam, in a warmly received Berlin film festival contender on Feb 7.

In Two Men In Town by French-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb, Whitaker's character William Garnett tries to go on the straight and narrow after his release from a New Mexico prison with the help of a sympathetic parole officer played by British actress Brenda Blethyn.

But the town's sheriff (Harvey Keitel), an otherwise upstanding law and order man who tries to deal fairly with the tide of illegal immigrants coming over the Mexican border, is enraged to see Garnett as a free man two decades after he killed his own deputy police officer.

Garnett turns to Islam while still incarcerated and once free, quickly finds work as a ranch hand, a room in a halfway house and even the love of a bank teller (Dolores Heredia) who emigrated from Mexico a decade before.

But the sheriff stands in his way at every turn and his old partner-in-crime (Luis Guzman) will not take no for an answer when Garnett tries to break ties.

The picture is a remake of a 1973 French classic starring Alain Delon and Jean Gabin but Bouchareb said he borrowed only the basic outlines of the original story to make an up-to-date film about the social and political landscape of today's America.

"My films are always influenced by issues such as migration of people, immigration, crossing borders, how cultures interact – these are themes in all of my films," he said, also highlighting the introduction of anti-Islamic prejudice to the story.

Bouchareb, 60, is best known for the groundbreaking 2006 drama Days of Glory (Indigenes), about north Africans serving in the French army during World War II.

The Texas-born Whitaker, who won an Oscar in 2007 for his turn as Idi Amin in The Last King Of Scotland and garnered rave reviews last year in The Butler, said the cross-cultural dynamics on set played into the filmmaking.

"We talked about what it would be like to convert to Islam, how you'd be perceived as a possible terrorist, if you'd be perceived as someone who was against the country, what it would be like to be a black man who had a criminal past but who lives in this town," he said.

"The film was from Rachid's mind but I just offered a few insights into the pressures that this man is under," said Whitaker, 52, who drew a big round of applause from critics after a preview ahead of a gala premiere.

Blethyn, who starred in Bouchareb's 2009 drama London River about the 7/7 bombings, transforms herself into a gun-toting desert law-woman who believes in giving hardened ex-cons a fresh chance to integrate into society.

"I spent some time with a parole officer in Albuquerque and she took me through the ropes of her daily routine," Blethyn, 67, said.

"It's such a tough job – personally, I could go nowhere near that job ... She taught me a trick or two so don't any of you get lairy with me," she joked.

Two Men In Town is one of 20 films vying for the Berlin festival's Golden Bear top prize, to be awarded on Feb 15. – AFP Relaxnews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Whitaker shines as Muslim convert in Berlinale contender

Posted: 07 Feb 2014 06:35 PM PST

French-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb directs Two Men In Town.

But the sheriff stands in his way at every turn and his old partner-in-crime (Luis Guzman) will not take no for an answer when Garnett tries to break ties.

Bouchareb, 60, is best known for the groundbreaking 2006 drama Days of Glory (Indigenes), about north Africans serving in the French army during World War II.

"I spent some time with a parole officer in Albuquerque and she took me through the ropes of her daily routine," Blethyn, 67, said.

"It's such a tough job – personally, I could go nowhere near that job ... She taught me a trick or two so don't any of you get lairy with me," she joked.

Two Men In Town is one of 20 films vying for the Berlin festival's Golden Bear top prize, to be awarded on Feb 15. – AFP Relaxnews

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The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Where and how can I make fast money?
UEM Sunrise up after KL Kepong tie-up
KLIA2 sees 80% of business space taken up: Hasan Malek

Where and how can I make fast money?

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 04:10 PM PST

I HAVE often been asked this question by young working adults: "Where and how can I make fast money?"

My usual reply comes in the form of another question:"Are you also willing to lose it as fast too?"

Making 'fast' money doesn't last.Think about it.

How many times do gamblers put back their winnings into the gambling table only to find that they lose everything they have won and more?

Even if it isn't lost on the same day,over time, gambling is a zero-sum game.

There is no difference in trading or speculating on risky investment instruments if you are not trained to do the job or you are not doing this on a full-time basis.

Think about the last time you made good money from a stock investment – what was the next thing you did?

Plough everything back and maybe more into another stock tip? If you are not careful, after each "winning investment", the capital invested into the next instrument becomes larger and larger until a bad move wipes away everything including profits from earlier investments.

There are no fast ways to make money but there are slow and sure ways that work.

Investing in a portfolio with the right asset allocation for your age and life goals is a great way to start.

Check that your portfolio has a right balance between liquid and illiquid assets.

Owning too many illiquid assets (e.g. real estate) can put you or your beneficiaries in a cash-tight situation which can be financially draining on you in times of slower demand for such assets or when borrowing costs escalate, assuming your asset is leveraged.

Annually reallocate the profits you make from your plan. Don't plough them back into the same instrument.

Place them into an asset class which is under-allocated or utilise the profits to average down on other investments you know eventually will make a come-back.

Some of my retired clients use them to fund their annual holidays!

If you're still wondering where you can begin as an investor, begin by having an investment plan.

Don't go bungee jumping when you're not sure if your heart (and money) can take it.

Discuss this with your financial planner first and stay patient with your plan.

UEM Sunrise up after KL Kepong tie-up

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 07:01 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of UEM Sunrise rose at mid-morning on Monday following its tie up with KL Kepong, and after analysts upgraded its stock to Hold from Sell.

At 10.55am, UEM Sunrise rose six sen to RM2.16 with some 3.01 million shares done between the prices of RM2.12 and RM2.18.

The FBM KLCI rose 9.08 points to 1,817.67. Turnover was 839.63 million shares valued at RM522.59mil. There were 396 gainers, 167 decliners and 266 counters unchanged.

Maybank KE said it is long-term positive on the latest land swap with KLK which replenishes UEMS' landbank and provides it with stable recurring earnings base from mass market penetration.

"The Gerbang-Nusajaya JV, meanwhile, will expedite development momentum in the area.

"The JV projects are expected to only contribute significantly from FY18 onwards," it said

KLIA2 sees 80% of business space taken up: Hasan Malek

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 06:58 PM PST

SEPANG: Eighty per cent of the business space at the low cost carrier terminal (LCCT), KLIA2, has to date been taken up, said Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK), Datuk Seri Hasan Malek.

He said this was a positive sign, indicating that the KLIA2 was not just a LCCT, but also a retail centre that will provide job opportunities for 12,000 locals.

"Various brands, both from at home and abroad, will operate at the KLIA2, and serve not just passengers but also those visiting the place.

"The KLIA2 retail hub is among the Entry Point projects (EPP) under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) for the wholesale and retail sector under my ministry," he added.

Hassan told reporters this after visting the KLIA2 here today.

Also present was the KPDNKK Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and its secretary general Datuk Alias Ahmad. Hasan said the KLIA2 EPP is among the private sector initiaives spearheaded by Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB), while the government acted as the facilitator in the implementation of the project.

He said the KLIA2 offered business opportunities that had the potential of providing big returns for the retail and wholesale sectors, following an expected increase in the number of domestic and international passengers using the LCCT in time.

Hasan said the business space at the KLIA2 was divided into two sections, namely that at the main terminal and the gateway – Reuters.

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf

Maya’s Notebook

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

MAYA'S Notebook is the story of 19-year-old Maya Vidal, who, after the death of her beloved Popo (grandfather), loses her way and falls into a life of crime and drugs.

After getting into some serious trouble, Nini, her grandmother, sends her far away to Chiloe, a remote island off the coast of Chile, where she is to live – safely – under the care of an old family friend, Manual.And Maya needs safety badly, as she is running not only from the police but also the FBI and Interpol as well as a group of assassins.

Maya initially hates the place. However, she finds unlikely companionship in the sleepy town and also discovers a long buried family secret, and learns about love, loyalty and herself in the process.

Isabel Allende has always written novels that tug on the heartstrings, novels that can simultaneously
make you laugh and cry.Maya's Notebook, translated from the original Spanish, is no different. Her rich depictions of Maya, grandmother Nini and the colourful people Maya meets pulled me in strongly. Add in a mysterious family secret, a vulnerable Maya who is, nevertheless, a survivor and you have a truly enjoyable read.

There's sympathy for Maya, as well as empathy, because how many among us don't know what it's like to lose someone we love? How many of us have made bad choices? This is basically the core of Maya's Notebook, and her journey of self-discovery and coming into her own is one that most of us can relate to.

One of Allende's greatest strengths is her lyrical writing, with rich descriptions of people and places. Indeed, there is an almost effortless feel to her writing here, with the novel moving between Chile's Chiloe and Berkeley and Las Vegas in the United States.

The contrast between gritty and dark Las Vegas and the peaceful, tranquil Chiloe is especially well done, and there is a smooth flow between Maya's recent past and the present. This, as well as Allende's portrayal of the people of Chiloe, their customs and history, make this a book that's easy to get lost in.

One of the biggest differences between this novel and Allende's other works is that Maya's Notebook is set in the present instead of decades ago. This, I feel, makes Maya a much more relatable character to me in the context of her age (another departure for Allende, who usually writes from a more mature perspective) and how easily she seems to fall into a life of crime and drugs. Raised by her Nini and Popo because her parents had neglected her, Maya was extremely close to her grandparents, so it's no surprise that Popo's death is a catalyst to her downward spiral.

If there's one thing about the book that can put the reader off, it's that there are so many characters, and not all of them are fully fleshed out – some are even rather one-dimensional. They are more like passers-by in Maya's life in Chiloe (and maybe that's what Allende intended).

Because the book is translated, there are some sections that made me wonder how close to Allende's
original prose the translator got.

This loss of nuance can be a bit jarring, but overall, the translation must be pretty good because the novel certainly captures the heart.

Maya's Notebook is one of those books that you have to read in one sitting, and then go back over it just to appreciate all the little things that make a great story. One thing's for sure: Allende has done a abulous job – again.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Inaugural Harmony walk delays wedding but welcomed
New Immigration D-G joins ops against illegals
Sitcom suspended over Kok video link

Inaugural Harmony walk delays wedding but welcomed

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: Hundreds of city folk, transcending race and religion, visited places of worship to promote national unity through the inaugural Harmony Travelogue and Walk event here.

Starting out at the Sikh Gurdwara at Sembulan, they dropped by at Buddhist and Taoist temples in Penampang before joining a wedding at the Catholic Church of Mary Immaculate in Bukit Padang yesterday.

The 9am ceremony was held back for about 30 minutes – but nobody minded the delay.

The group, led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and state Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, was greeted by family and friends of Joe Liew and his bride Tracy Ho. Along with Kurup and Jainab were imams and Buddhist monks.

"This is a pleasant surprise," Joseph Ho, the father of the bride, said.

"We don't mind the delay because it's great to see so many people of different faiths visiting our church."

The group also included National Service trainees later stopped by the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Hindu temple nearby before concluding their walk at the Nurul Hikmah mosque.

Kurup told reporters later that the National Unity Department was asked to organise more such events to foster better rapport among groups of other faiths.

For a start, he said, the department would liaise with the state governments to organise similar events.

"Events like this serve as an icebreaker among people of different faiths," said Kurup, who chairs the Committee on the Promotion of Understanding and Harmony among Religious Organisations.

"This is an opportunity for members of different communities to better understand each other's faiths," said the minister, who led panel members and representatives of 18 religious organisations in a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman on Friday.

Meanwhile, Musa said Sabah had set a good example for peace and harmony despite the diversity in ethnicity, religion and cultures.

"We, in Sabah, never had problems with religious issues," he pointed out.

"We live in a society where inter-marriage is common, visiting each other's open houses during festivities is normal and to sit and drink together is part of our daily lives."

New Immigration D-G joins ops against illegals

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Barely a week into her new post, newly appointed Immigration director-general Datuk Aloyah Mamat has conducted her first operation under a nationwide crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Aloyah, the first woman appointed as director-general of the Immigration Department, was present during the operations at GM Plaza in Chow Kit here yesterday.

It was part of the Ops Bersepadu 6P nationwide crackdown.

During the operation, 200 illegal immigrants aged between 20 and 40 were arrested for various offences.

Aloyah said most of their offences were about not possessing identification documents, having fake travel documents or overstaying.

"They will be placed in our detention depot for further investigation," she told reporters during the operation.

On the job: Aloyah (right) inspecting the passport of a detained foreign worker in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama

She also noted that most of the foreigners were from Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Myanmar.

Aloyah said since the beginning of Ops Bersepadu 6P on Jan 21, 438 operations involving 5,600 officers were carried out across the country with 16,000 foreigners screened and 3,550 arrested.

"The number of foreigners arrested from each country so far are 1,400 from Indonesia, 537 from Myanmar, 451 from Bangladesh, 264 from Philippines and 239 from Nepal," she said.

Aloyah said that 30 employers were also arrested with 22 of them Malaysians, four Indonesians, three Bangladeshis and one from Nepal.

They were suspected of hiring or protecting illegal immigrants.

Sitcom suspended over Kok video link

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) has suspended the broadcast of 88 Kopitiam, a weekly Chinese sitcom over TV2, following allegations that one of its actors appeared in Teresa Kok's Chinese New Year video clipping Onederful Malaysia.

In a statement here yesterday, information director-general Datuk Norhyati Ismail said RTM would investigate any programme where it is found the actors were involved in activities that could tarnish the country's image.

"RTM will not hesitate to take stern action against individuals involved in such activities," she said.

The video drew a series of brickbats from political and civil groups and some 50 people, claiming to be part of a so-called Council of Muslim NGOs, who carried out a protest here on Thursday denouncing the Seputeh MP.

They also offered a RM500 reward to anyone who slaps Kok, who is a DAP national vice-chairman. The reward was later raised to RM1,200.

The protesters slaughtered chickens and smeared the blood on poster images of Kok, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon.

The group is being investigated for violating the Peaceful Assembly Act.

The video purportedly poked fun at national leaders and national issues, like the education system, cost of living, public safety and foreign intrusion into Sabah in February last year.

Norhyati said RTM would be meeting with the 88 Kopitiam producer to ascertain the involvement of the actor in Kok's video.

"This is to ensure that no parties were wronged or used by irresponsible parties," she said.

The sitcom, which airs on TV2 on Mondays, highlights issues affecting the Chinese community in Malaysia.

Khairy: Video in bad taste but slap offer extreme

PAS offers bodyguards to protect Kok from threats

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

Definition of cool

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

So who's cool? US photo exhibit tackles the question.

So what is this thing called cool? A major photography exhibition that recently opened at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, United States dares to tackle the question.

From Elvis Presley and James Dean to Jay-Z and Johnny Depp, American Cool namechecks 100 actors, actresses, artists, musicians and writers in the US whose creativity and style have shaped the concept of cool.

"Cool is America's greatest cultural export," said Aussie Kim Sajet, who took over last year as director of the National Portrait Gallery, part of the Smithsonian network of museums.

"It's interesting for me, coming from another country, that I know all these people in this exhibition – they were very much cool in Australia where I grew up."

To pull the show together, jazz professor Joel Dinerstein and photography scholar Frank Goodyear spent five years going through a draft list of 500 names of charismatic Americans who might be regarded as cool.

To make their selections, the curators came up with four defining factors of cool: an original artistic vision and signature style, the embodiment of rebellion, instant visual recognition and "a recognised cultural legacy".

If someone hit at least three of those markers, they made the grade.

"What we're examining are people who had an impact," said Dinerstein, who hopes American Cool will provoke "an inter-generational debate" over who's hot and who's not.

Their final top-100 list opens with two 19th century figures – humanist poet Walt Whitman and African-American writer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass – who the curators call the grandfathers of cool.

Stars of the golden age of Hollywood illuminate the "roots of cool" section – screen legends like Fred Astaire, Louise Brooks, Greta Garbo, Buster Keaton and Mae West – along with writers Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker.

"Cool has been central to American self-expression since at least the 1930s," said Dinerstein, a Brooklyn native who teaches a course called The History Of Being Cool In America at Tulane University in New Orleans.

But it was in the 1940s and 1950s that cool was truly born, with jazz legends like Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Lester Young coming to the fore.

Sharing the limelight were James (Rebel Without A Cause) Dean, Jack (On The Road) Kerouac, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne and, of course, Elvis Presley.

With the 1960s and 1970s, rock and R&B stars arose in force: Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Blondie's Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Carlos Santana, Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and – the show's token Canadian – Neil Young.

Fittingly, the predominantly black and white images – many by top photographers such as Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe and Edward Steichen – are hung on walls painted a cool shade of blue.

The curators view the exhibition as "very small-D democratic," but to ward off potential complainers, they whipped up an "Alt 100" list of also-rans that includes Sam Cooke, Janis Joplin and George Clooney.

"These were the men and women who lingered the longest during the selection process," the exhibit organisers explained. American Cool runs through Sept 7, and the National Portrait Gallery's website is www.npg.si.edu. – AFP

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

Five dead, 600 injured as snow storm hits Japan

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 06:05 PM PST

TOKYO: The heaviest snow in decades in Tokyo and other areas of Japan has left at least five dead and 600 injured across the country by early Sunday, reports said.

As much as 27 centimetres (10.6 inches) of snow was recorded in Tokyo by late Saturday, the heaviest fall in the capital for 45 years, according to the meteorological agency.

The snow storm hit the capital on the eve of its gubernatorial election. Observers say the heavy snowfall may affect voter turnout in the city of 13 million people.

As a depression moved along the Pacific coast north Saturday, the northeastern city of Sendai saw 35 centimetres (13.8 inches) of snow, the heaviest in 78 years.

Local media said at least five people have been killed in snow-linked accidents - mostly crashes after their cars skidded on icy roads.

Public broadcaster NHK reported more than 600 people were injured across the nation.

More than 20,000 households were still without electricity early Sunday while airlines cancelled 200 domestic flights a day after more than 740 flights were grounded Saturday.

Nearly 5,000 people were stranded at Narita airport Saturday as traffic linking the airport to the capital was disrupted, NHK said.

Further snowfall is expected Sunday in northern Japan, the weather agency said. -AFP

Poll: 52% of youth fear terror attack

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

MORE than half of young people in Singapore fear being caught up in a terrorist attack here – yet few are likely to help prevent one, says a survey.

Among residents aged 16 to 35, 52% worry about personally encountering a terror attack, yet only one in five said they would investigate or report suspicious activity, a poll by the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) found.

However, 68% trust the government to protect the country from such incidents.

The online survey, conducted last September and released on Wednesday, studied attitudes towards terrorism among 314 Singaporeans and permanent residents across different races and housing types.

More than seven in 10 respondents felt that terrorism is constantly changing its form.

Singapore has been the target of terrorist activities before.

In 2001 and 2002, the Internal Security Department picked up 36 men and uncovered plans to attack various targets.

In 2010, a map of the MRT network, with Orchard station circled, was found in the home of a terror suspect in Indonesia.

NSCS deputy director Loh Kean Wah said that while large terrorist organisations continue to pose threats, there is an increasing risk of "attacks perpetuated by self-radicalised individuals".

He said: "The proliferation of radical online platforms means individuals have easier access to extreme rhetoric."

To raise awareness about how to stay vigilant, the NSCS launched the "Let's Stand Together" movement last year.

Last month, it launched a campaign focused on terrorism with a series of installations at Raffles Place Park and various MRT stations depicting suspicious objects that had been camouflaged.

It also launched an online game called "Terror Watch", in which users race to foil a terrorist's plans to cripple Singapore.

Players at the site – letsstandtogether.sg/terrorwatch – can win prizes every week until Feb 19.

Said Loh: "Protecting Singapore against this evolving self-radicalisation threat requires the concerted effort of both the government and the individual."

However, the message does not seem to have raised the level of cautiousness among young people The Straits Times spoke to.

Civil servant Eugene Tan, 28, said: "There is the chance of a terrorist attack here but less than in other countries."

Audrey Peng, 18, who is waiting for her A-level results, said that if she saw anything suspicious, she "would not know what to do so I wouldn't report it".

To provide information or seek advice on security awareness, people can call the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre 24-hour helpline on 1800-262-6473. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 9 Februari 2014