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Isnin, 10 Februari 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Australian gets 26 years for killing Canadian ex-ballerina

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:40 PM PST

Sydney (AFP) - An Australian who threw his Canadian girlfriend off the balcony of their high-rise Sydney apartment in a crime that captivated the nation was Tuesday sentenced to 26 years in jail.

Simon Gittany was convicted of hurling his fiancee, former ballerina Lisa Harnum, from their 15th floor home in a fit of rage in July 2011 after discovering she planned to leave him.

The 40-year-old, who was steadfastly supported in court by a glamorous new girlfriend, maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming a suicidal Harnum, 30, slipped and fell after climbing over a railing.

But he was found guilty late last year and on Tuesday sentenced to a maximum 26 years and a minimum 18 years, with Justice Lucy McCallum saying he had shown no remorse and had little prospect of rehabilitation.

During his trial, the court heard Gittany was controlling, had installed CCTV cameras inside the apartment and used a computer programme to monitor Harnum's text messages and emails.

One of the cameras showed him restraining Harnum outside their home and then dragging her back inside on the night she died. Harnum was heard yelling: "Please help me, help me, God help me."

When the sentence was announced, a member of Gittany's family in the public gallery was removed from court after yelling: "In the name of Jesus Christ, he won't do any of that time."

Reporters said another woman celebrated when the sentence was handed down, shouting "Off the balcony you go" to Gittany.

His current girlfriend Rachelle Louise, who has fiercely defended Gittany, was noticeably absent for the sentencing. Reports said she had signed a lucrative deal with commercial network Channel Seven to tell her side of the story.

Gittany's solicitor Abigail Bannister said her client would appeal.

China and Taiwan to hold historic talks

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:50 PM PST

Nanjing (China) (AFP) - China and Taiwan will hold their first government-to-government talks Tuesday since they split 65 years ago after a brutal civil war -- a symbolic yet historic move between the former bitter rivals.

Taipei's Wang Yu-chi, who oversees the island's China policy, arrived in Nanjing for a meeting with his Beijing counterpart Zhang Zhijun on the first day of a four-day trip, a Taiwanese official said.

The eastern Chinese city was the country's capital when it was ruled by Wang's Kuomintang, or Nationalist, party in the first half of the 20th century.

When they lost China's civil war -- which cost millions of lives -- to Mao Zedong's communists in 1949, two million supporters of the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China.

The island and the mainland have been governed separately ever since, both claiming to be the true government of China and only re-establishing contact in the 1990s through quasi-official organisations.

Tuesday's meeting is the fruit of years of efforts to improve relations.

But Beijing's communist authorities still aim to reunite all of China under their rule, and view Taiwan as a rebel region awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Over the decades Taipei has become increasingly isolated diplomatically, losing the Chinese seat at the UN in 1971 and seeing the number of countries recognising it steadily whittled away, but it is supplied militarily by the United States and has enjoyed a long economic boom.

While no official agenda has been released for the talks -- widely seen as a symbolic, confidence-building exercise -- Taiwan's Wang last month said they had "crucial implications for further institutionalisation of ties between the two sides".

Taiwan is likely to focus on reaping practical outcomes from the discussions, such as securing economic benefits or security assurances, while China has one eye on long-term integration of the island, analysts say.

Detente and differences

The political thaw comes after the two sides made cautious steps towards economic reconciliation in recent years.

As the heirs of a pan-Chinese government, Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party accepts the "One China" principle and is opposed to seeking independence for the island.

Since it returned to power on the island in elections in 2008, President Ma Ying-jeou has overseen a marked softening in tone from Taipei towards its giant neighbour, restoring direct flights between the two sides and other measures.

In June 2010, Taiwan and China signed the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, a pact widely characterised as the boldest step yet towards reconciliation.

Yet despite the much-touted detente, Taipei and Beijing have still shunned all official contact, and negotiations have been carried out through proxies.

While these bodies -- the quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation representing Taiwan and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits for China -- have achieved economic progress, they lack the power to broach deeper-held differences.

Analysts say that only government-level officials can address the lingering sovereignty dispute that sees each side claiming to be the sole legitimate government of China.

Tuesday's meeting will be watched closely to see whether it could pave the way for talks between Ma and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping -- although chances of that happening any time soon are slim.

"The current interaction across the Taiwan Strait is quite positive," said Jia Qingguo, a professor of international studies at Peking University.

Ties have "been developing very fast, but the potential of this relationship has not been fully tapped (by) both sides," he said.

"But people should not expect too much out of it. It will take time for the two sides to get really integrated."

Nonetheless the mood surrounding the talks soured in Taiwan after Beijing refused to issue credentials to the Taipei-based Apple Daily and the US government-funded Radio Free Asia at the weekend.

Taiwan said Monday it would raise the issue of press freedom with China during the talks.

New Zealand PM wants Japan apology in whaling row

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 09:05 PM PST


WELLINGTON, Feb 11, 2014 (AFP) - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Tuesday he wants Japan to apologise over a whaling ship entering Wellington's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), despite warnings for it to keep out.

The New Zealand foreign ministry has already hauled in the Japanese ambassador Yasuaki Nogawa for a dressing down over the incident last Friday, which it labelled "unhelpful, disrespectful and short-sighted".

Key said he supported Japan going one step further and issuing an apology over the incursion, which took place when the whaling ship Shonan Maru 2 entered the EEZ as it was chasing the Sea Shepherd protest vessel Steve Irwin.

"That would be good," he told reporters when questioned about whether Japan needed to say sorry.

"We had earlier on made it quite clear our view about the Japanese ship coming into New Zealand's economic zone."

"We'll see what happens from here, but whether there's an apology - we'll wait and see."

The foreign ministry said the ship did not enter New Zealand's territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the coast, but did breach its EEZ, which covers a region 12 to 200 nautical miles offshore.

While the vessel was legally entitled to sail in the EEZ, the ministry said it had been made clear to Japanese officials before it entered the waters Friday that it was not welcome.

The Japanese embassy in Wellington has refused to comment on the issue.

High-seas confrontations are common between Sea Shepherd's protest ships and the Japanese, who hunt whales under a "scientific research" loophole in the moratorium on whaling.

In 2010 a collision involving the Shonan Maru 2 resulted in the sinking of Sea Shepherd's speedboat Ady Gil. - AFP
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Is Daijiro Enami Japan's hottest, sexiest journalist in a bulletproof vest?

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

Stop the press! A handsome Japanese journalist has overshadowed the civil strife in Thailand with his chiselled good looks. Daijiro Enami, 28, became an overnight sensation after appearing in a video report on the Thai protests while on assignment in Bangkok for Japan's Fuji Television Network.

Photos of the six-footer in a safety helmet and bulletproof vest spread like wildfire through Thailand's social media, ostensibly cooling tensions as netizens latched onto his good looks to make light conversation.

"Take off your bulletproof vest, I'll use my body to protect you," said an admirer with the username Noo Khon Dee on the popular forum Pantip.com. Noo would have to fend off the many others clamouring to be his bodyguard, as another netizen, Stardust Of Ray, confessed a need to "wipe the saliva" after drooling over Daijiro.

One user wanted to help escort him around Thailand "for the sake of international relations". Forum member Edna Mode even joked that former PM Thaksin Shinawatra had hired him to "divert the situation and cool off (tensions)". Another forum member named Venusian said she had forgotten about her husband for a moment.

Enami is part of Fuji Television's FNN Super News, the highest-rated network news programme in Japan for nine consecutive years. He joined the station in 2008, where he accumulated experience on programmes like Tokudane!, a weekday morning news programme, and the sports segment of FNN Super News Weekend.

His clean-cut looks and steely gaze have been compared to CNN's Anderson Cooper, while his tanned complexion resembles Hong Kong star Louis Koo Tin Lok.

According to the Bangkok Post, Enami interviewed anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban and covered the general election at the Bung Kum district, where caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawat­ra cast her vote.

Enami's official biography on the Fuji Television website, where he maintains a blog, is a trove of trivia. His hobbies includes sunbathing, mountain hiking and swimming in the sea. He finds razor burns a "difficult subject", dislikes how his sideburns grow too quickly and he longs to be a playwright.

The former competitive swimmer also enjoys a minor-celebrity status in Japan: He's appeared on the TV shows Room Of King and Ninkyo Helper. A goofy video of his participation in a variety series two years ago, where a playful Daijiro strikes a sexy pose while jumping into a pool – first in a tight swimming trunk and then in his pajamas – has racked up over 90,000 views in the past week.

Make no mistake about his devotion to the sport: On the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) section of Fuji Television's website, he outlines his concern over long-distance swimming being "affected by marine pollution and ozone layer depletion". He has also participated in regular clean-ups of the Tokyo Bay area at Wakasu Seaside Park in Koto.

Netizens have not determined if he's single, but some are hoping to get lucky. An anonymous user on a YouTube video featuring the journalist has even suggested a bond of holy matrimony: "I'm gonna let my mum propose marriage to you!"

Daijiro has so far declined requests for interviews and his only reported reaction to "Enami-mania" was recorded in an article on TV Tokyo Corporation's website: "It was to have taken place during coverage of demonstration, and feeling is complicated."

Meanwhile, Thai fans have cause to cheer as Enami is apparently delighted over their acceptance of him, and feels that the attention he's attracted expresses a "unique air of demonstration that we just have in Thailand".


 
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Tsai Ming-liang: Then and now

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

The elders of his family were noodle-sellers, and he spent most of his time with his grandparents who would take him to the cinemas regularly. He never imagined that one day he would become a world-renowned filmmaker.

Tsai is one of the featured directors in the book, Speaking In Images, by Michael Berry that compiles a series of interviews with contemporary Chinese filmmakers. It was this book that inspired Saw to make Past Present. He was in Melbourne, Australia in 2010 when he came across the book in a library.

"I went to a nearby park and started reading the interview that Berry did with Tsai," said Saw, "and I fell in love with the part where he talked about his childhood experience of going to cinemas twice every evening with his maternal grandparents.

"He was also elaborating on the 1960s, about the old stand-alone cinemas, the names of those cinemas and the films he watched back then. Reading this particular part of the interview made me think of the stories that my mother told me about those old cinemas in my hometown with names like Odeon, Cathay and Jubilee."

Saw then became curious about why Tsai made the films he made, "to explore the link between his past and the films he makes in the present."

"I often contemplate about how people turned out to be who they are, how the past affects someone, including the environment one grew up in, the people, culture and society one was surrounded by," Saw explained.

He then pooled together funds from local and foreign investors, and spent the next three years shooting and putting the film together, seeking out interviews with other famous directors such as Ang Lee and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival last year to good response. It was also screened at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. There are still other international festival engagements coming up. It also screened at the recent Tropfest Southeast Asia in Penang.

Tsai recalled the making of the documentary, of retracing his past and meeting old friends and neighbours.

"The experience was like going into a tunnel back to my past," he wrote in his e-mail. "What I saw was cruel. The 'scene' and those familiar buildings were now old and dilapidated and some had even disappeared.

"The people that I know are old now, some have already passed away. At one point, I turned to Tiong Guan and asked him, 'Why bring me back here to destroy my memories?'"

Said Saw: "I think (Tsai) is a private person but as the filming progressed, he gradually opened up and became more comfortable with us."

Tsai is clearly a creature of nostalgia, and he recalled a time when there were no computers, TVs, video games, refrigerators or even electric fans, and children, including him, used to play in a field near his house.

"At night, I would go to the cinema to watch films," he wrote. "My homework was done by my grandparents. Will there ever be better times than those?"

Unfortunately, Tsai has announced his retirement from filmmaking. His last film, Stray Dogs, won the Grand Jury Prize in Venice and he picked up the Best Director award at the recent Golden Horse ceremony. In Venice, he was reported as saying, "I hope (Stray Dogs) will be my last film."

Said Apichatpong during his recent visit to KL: "(Tsai) was a big influence on me and made me continue making films. So it's such a shock, and sad for me, when he said he would stop making films. Tsai makes you feel there is something larger outside of the frames of his films. This documentary is very important."

Said Saw: "As someone who loves cinema, I feel sad. I share Apichatpong's sentiment that it will be a big loss if he stops making films. But as Tsai's friend, I think it is not a bad thing if he retires, so that he can rest more, which is better for his health. I know how hard he works and making films is difficult."

Tsai says in the documentary that he originally planned to make only 10 films in his entire career, and he has already done so.

"At my age, there is nothing that is particularly important,' wrote Tsai in his e-mail.

"There is nothing that I must do. I would love to experience a life where there is nothing to do, not creating anything. I am envious of the trees in the jungle, they just stand there alive. I am also envious of wild birds, innocently flying in the air.

"Actually, I don't want to do anything. Life is short. I don't want to spend it doing things and working."

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

U.S. considers waiting on Afghan security deal until Karzai leaves -report

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:20 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Frustrated about prospects of getting Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign a long-term security deal, the United States is considering waiting until he leaves office before completing the pact and deciding on a troop presence beyond 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

"If he's not going to be part of the solution, we have to have a way to get past him," the Journal quoted a senior U.S. official as saying. "It's a pragmatic recognition that clearly Karzai may not sign the (deal) and that he doesn't represent the voice of the Afghan people."

The White House, asked about the report, said it was standing by its previous comments on the issue.

The United States would like to leave more than 10,000 troops in Afghanistan for counterterrorism and training of Afghan forces after U.S. forces formally withdraw at the end of this year following a 13-year mission in Afghanistan begun after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

But Karzai has refused so far to sign a bilateral security agreement that Washington insists must be approved before it will agree to leave the troop contingent behind.

The White House says that in the absence of a bilateral agreement, all U.S. forces will withdraw at the end of the year, and that a decision by Karzai is needed within weeks

Karzai has called that an empty threat and suggested any security deal could wait until after the April elections.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier this month that Karzai was unlikely to sign a pact and would probably leave the choice for his successor.

The Journal said the revised schedule for drawing down troops was based on a plan presented by the Pentagon in January that involves keeping 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after this year at a limited number of bases.

The plan would draw down those troops in two years and enable the removal of all U.S. troops by the end of President Barack Obama's second term in early 2017, other than military personnel at the U.S. Embassy, the Journal said, citing officials.

According to the Journal, the revised plan would allow the U.S. military to accommodate having either 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 or an order to remove all the troops by the end of the year.

The top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, told reporters last December that the U.S. military could wait months for a political decision on whether troops remain in Afghanistan or leave, but that delaying a security pact would damage the confidence of Afghan forces and undermine NATO's plans.

(Reporting by Peter Cooney; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Eric Walsh)

White House to transform tent to Monet masterpiece for Hollande

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:35 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House will turn a heated tent on its frigid South Lawn into a Monet-inspired gala fit for a French president on Tuesday, the highlight of a two-day state visit to Washington by Francois Hollande.

President Barack Obama invited Hollande for the state visit to highlight the long relationship between the two countries. The two leaders have worked together on responding to Iran's nuclear program, Syria's civil war and insurgent attacks in Mali.

"France is really a key partner in the principal security challenges that we're currently confronting," a senior administration official told reporters on Monday.

After the leaders meet on Tuesday, the White House has invited about 350 guests to a state dinner honouring Hollande. It is only the seventh such gala hosted by Obama and his wife Michelle since they moved into the White House in 2009.

Guests will meet the Obamas and Hollande in the Blue Room, decorated with Parisian-made gilded sofas and chairs ordered for the room in 1817 by then-President James Monroe.

"Paris was the centre of high-style culture," White House curator Bill Allman told reporters.

Guests will take small trolleys across the South Lawn to the tent, which will be transformed into a spring-like scene inspired by Claude Monet's Water Lilies paintings, with quince branches in full bloom, irises, blue agapanthus and lilies.

The White House kept the guest list under wraps, along with who will sit at the head table, but revealed that soul singer Mary J. Blige will perform after the dinner.

The first course will feature caviar harvested from Illinois streams, Pennsylvania quail eggs, and 12 varieties of potatoes, the White House said.

The salad, served in a terrarium-like bowl, includes herbs from the White House kitchen garden, and honey from the White House beehive.

Dry-aged ribeye beef from a farm in Greeley, Colorado, will highlight the main course.

For dessert: Hawaiian chocolate-malted ganache, fudge made from Vermont maple syrup, and puffs of cotton candy dusted with orange zest.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Obama, France's Hollande make pilgrimage to Jefferson's Monticello

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande toured Thomas Jefferson's plantation estate on Monday in a show of solidarity for Franco-American ties that have endured for more than two centuries despite the occasional tempest.

The visit to Monticello, home to America's third president, served to showcase a relationship that stretches back to the founding of the United States in the late 18th century, an alliance still strong despite spats over U.S. eavesdropping and trade talks with the European Union.

Hollande, 59, who split from his partner, Valerie Trierweiler, last month after an affair with an actress, arrived solo for the first state visit hosted by Obama since he won a second term in 2012.

The two leaders will get down to business on Tuesday with White House talks, covering topics such as Iran, Syria, restive North Africa and trade, followed by a joint news conference. A Tuesday evening state dinner features aged rib-eye beef and American wine and a musical performance by Mary J. Blige.

Monday was all about symbolism. Obama met Hollande at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington shortly after the French leader arrived from Paris, and together they flew aboard Air Force One to Charlottesville.

At Monticello, they toured the unique home designed by Jefferson, including its distinctive crowning portico and the Cabinet room Jefferson used for writing, architectural drafting and scientific observation. They saw the basement kitchen equipped with utensils he brought back from Paris after serving as U.S. ambassador to France.

"Thomas Jefferson represents what's best in America, but as we see as we travel through his home, what he also represents is the incredible bond and the incredible gifts that France gave to the United States, because he was a Francophile through and through," Obama told reporters.

He said the house also represents the complicated history of the United States since "slaves helped to build this magnificent structure.

"It's a reminder for both of us that we are in a continuous fight on behalf of the rights of all peoples," Obama said.

Hollande noted the significant role played by a French general, the Marquis de Lafayette, in helping George Washington defeat the British colonial power.

"We were allies in the time of Jefferson and Lafayette. We are still allies today. We were friends at the time of Jefferson and Lafayette and will remain friends forever," he said.

Today's collaboration is a far cry from the strains of a decade ago, when France refused to join the Iraq war. But France also has made known its unhappiness over National Security Agency spying practices. Hollande told Time magazine that the agency's tactics "should never have existed" and had caused "a difficult moment, not just between France and the United States but also between Europe and the United States."

Washington's relations with the European Union have also been ruffled by a U.S. diplomat's secretly recorded expletive to disparage the EU's handling of the political crisis in Ukraine.

The United States and France have cooperated in diplomacy on Syria and Iran, but do not always agree on economic issues, such as a U.S.-EU trade deal on which negotiations began in July.

France set several preconditions before allowing the talks to start, insisting that the audio-visual sector, including cinema and books, be excluded from discussions.

French tax authorities have also put U.S. Internet giant Google under audit about accounting procedures that channel sales through Ireland. Google rejects suggestions that this is an attempt at tax-dodging.

(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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Tsai Ming-liang: Then and now

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

The elders of his family were noodle-sellers, and he spent most of his time with his grandparents who would take him to the cinemas regularly. He never imagined that one day he would become a world-renowned filmmaker.

Tsai is one of the featured directors in the book, Speaking In Images, by Michael Berry that compiles a series of interviews with contemporary Chinese filmmakers. It was this book that inspired Saw to make Past Present. He was in Melbourne, Australia in 2010 when he came across the book in a library.

"I went to a nearby park and started reading the interview that Berry did with Tsai," said Saw, "and I fell in love with the part where he talked about his childhood experience of going to cinemas twice every evening with his maternal grandparents.

"He was also elaborating on the 1960s, about the old stand-alone cinemas, the names of those cinemas and the films he watched back then. Reading this particular part of the interview made me think of the stories that my mother told me about those old cinemas in my hometown with names like Odeon, Cathay and Jubilee."

Saw then became curious about why Tsai made the films he made, "to explore the link between his past and the films he makes in the present."

"I often contemplate about how people turned out to be who they are, how the past affects someone, including the environment one grew up in, the people, culture and society one was surrounded by," Saw explained.

He then pooled together funds from local and foreign investors, and spent the next three years shooting and putting the film together, seeking out interviews with other famous directors such as Ang Lee and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival last year to good response. It was also screened at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. There are still other international festival engagements coming up. It also screened at the recent Tropfest Southeast Asia in Penang.

Tsai recalled the making of the documentary, of retracing his past and meeting old friends and neighbours.

"The experience was like going into a tunnel back to my past," he wrote in his e-mail. "What I saw was cruel. The 'scene' and those familiar buildings were now old and dilapidated and some had even disappeared.

"The people that I know are old now, some have already passed away. At one point, I turned to Tiong Guan and asked him, 'Why bring me back here to destroy my memories?'"

Said Saw: "I think (Tsai) is a private person but as the filming progressed, he gradually opened up and became more comfortable with us."

Tsai is clearly a creature of nostalgia, and he recalled a time when there were no computers, TVs, video games, refrigerators or even electric fans, and children, including him, used to play in a field near his house.

"At night, I would go to the cinema to watch films," he wrote. "My homework was done by my grandparents. Will there ever be better times than those?"

Unfortunately, Tsai has announced his retirement from filmmaking. His last film, Stray Dogs, won the Grand Jury Prize in Venice and he picked up the Best Director award at the recent Golden Horse ceremony. In Venice, he was reported as saying, "I hope (Stray Dogs) will be my last film."

Said Apichatpong during his recent visit to KL: "(Tsai) was a big influence on me and made me continue making films. So it's such a shock, and sad for me, when he said he would stop making films. Tsai makes you feel there is something larger outside of the frames of his films. This documentary is very important."

Said Saw: "As someone who loves cinema, I feel sad. I share Apichatpong's sentiment that it will be a big loss if he stops making films. But as Tsai's friend, I think it is not a bad thing if he retires, so that he can rest more, which is better for his health. I know how hard he works and making films is difficult."

Tsai says in the documentary that he originally planned to make only 10 films in his entire career, and he has already done so.

"At my age, there is nothing that is particularly important,' wrote Tsai in his e-mail.

"There is nothing that I must do. I would love to experience a life where there is nothing to do, not creating anything. I am envious of the trees in the jungle, they just stand there alive. I am also envious of wild birds, innocently flying in the air.

"Actually, I don't want to do anything. Life is short. I don't want to spend it doing things and working."

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Cahya Mata Sarawak shares selldown overdone; LITRAK 'buy'

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

CMS selldown overdone

CAHYA MATA SARAWAK BHD

By RHB Research

Buy (Maintained)

Target price: RM9.15

THE selldown on Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (CMS) shares may have been overdone, according to RHB Research, as the former's businesses are expected to go on as usual.

CMS' share price declined 11.1% on rumours that Sarawak chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is stepping down. While this could happen by end-February, he could be appointed the state's new governor. The chief minister's family owns a 42.72% stake in the conglomerate.

RHB Research said the new chief minister was also likely to carry on with Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE) developments, which will benefit the group.

RHB Research believes the recent selldown of CMS' stock may have been overdone. Its divisions will suffer little to no impact from the chief minister's departure, even though Mahmud Taib's family is a major shareholder. It also believe that the new chief minister will carry on with SCORE developments, which will continue to drive CMS' units forward.

RHB Research maintained a buy call and its sum-of-parts- (SOP) based RM9.15 fair value. That said, the fair value, which reflects 1.47 times FY14 forecast price-to-book value and 12.2 times FY14F price-to-earnings ratio after stripping out net cash, is still undemanding. Note that its SOP valuation does not include the value of other CMS' outfits.

LINGKARAN TRANS KOTA HOLDINGS BHD

By Maybank IB Research

Buy (from hold)

Target price: RM4.45

MAYBANK IB Research said Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak) share price has fallen 11% year-to-date as at Feb 4, likely due to concerns on substantial toll rate hikes for major toll roads in the country, impacting near-term traffic volume.

However, the Government had on Feb 5 announced that there would be no toll rate increases this year, in its efforts to help the public cushion the impact of rising cost of living.

The next toll hike for Litrak's two concessions are in (i) 2015, for SPRINT's Kerinchi and Damansara Links, and (ii) 2016, for the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP). The last scheduled toll hikes in 2011 for the LDP and 2008/10 for SPRINT's three links were not implemented but Litrak's concession units have been compensated accordingly, and on time.

Maybank IB said its discounted cashflow-based target price for Litrak remains intact. With the recent fall in its share price, the stock now offers an attractive 10% upside to our target price and dividend yields are more attractive at 4.2% net. Maybank IB upgraded the the stock to buy.

MISC BHD

By Affin Research

Add (maintained)

Target price: RM6.70

YEAR-TO-DATE, MISC's share price has risen by 15%, outperforming the KLCI by 3%.

Affin Research reaffirmed its positive stance on the group with a higher target price of RM6.70, given the semblance of earnings recovery as well as renewed optimism on the shipping sector.

"We make no changes to our FY13-15 earnings forecast, pending MISC's full-year results announcement on Feb 13. Risk to our recommendation would be a prolonged depressed shipping market which would thwart a meaningful recovery in tanker rates going forward," it said.

As the last heavy bout of new capacity into the market was delivered in 2013, the research house expected outlook for the shipping sector and freight rates to continue recovering.

The new supply of petroleum tankers tonnage into the market was estimated to increase by a softer 2% of total global fleet in 2014, from 5.7% in 2013. For the first nine months of 2013, the Petroleum shipping segment contributes about 27% of MISC's total revenue.

Similarly, global new tonnage for chemical tankers was anticipated to grow by a softer 0.5% of total global fleet in 2014, from 4.4% in 2013. For the 9M13, the chemical shipping segment contributes about 10% of MISC's total revenue.

Coastal Contracts up after RM1.24bil job deal

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:19 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Coastal Contracts rose at mid-morning on Tuesday after its unit bagged a RM1.24bil charter contract for a jack-up gas compression service unit from a group of Mexican companies.

At 11.11am, its shares rose seven sen to RM4.16 with 508,300 shares done between RM4.15 and RM4.25.

The FBM KLCI was up 3.99 points to 1,820.13. There were 321 gainers, 288 decliners and 275 counters unchanged.

Coastal Contracts said on Monday the contract, secured via Thaumas Marine Ltd is for eight years with extension option up to 12 years. The contract is expected to start by the second half of 2015.

Coastal Contracts said these Mexican companies, had in turn inked a gas compression service contract with Mexico's state-owned petroleum company Petroleos Mexicanos.

"The charter contract valued at approximately RM1.24bil is expected to contribute positively to the revenue stream, earnings and net assets of Coastal Group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2015 and the financial periods thereafter for the duration of the charter contract," it said.

KLCI opens firmer, Petronas stocks lead

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:14 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's blue chips opened firmer on Tuesday, underpinned by mild buying of Petronas-related stocks after their firmer set of earnings while analysts expect the market to be supported again by local funds.

At 9.02am, the FBM KLCI was up 1.18 points to 1,817.32. Turnover was 83.87 million shares valued at RM35.62mil. There were 139 gainers, 76 losers and 129 counters unchanged.

BIMB Securities Research said Monday's stronger closing, where the KLCI closed up 7.55 points to 1,816.14 was due to continued buying support from local institutions.

"We noticed foreign funds were again the net sellers with net foreign outflow touching RM115mil yesterday.

"We were surprised with the solid performance of the local bourse yesterday and expect the market to be more subdued today with the index to hang around the 1,810/15 levels," it said.

Petronas Gas rose 38 sen to RM23.48 and Petronas Dagangan 10 sen to RM30.36.

Among plantations, United Plantations rose 38 sen to RM25.88 and KL Kepong 16 sen to RM23.68. However, PPB Group slipped six sen to RM15.42.

Coastal Contracts rose 10 sen to RM4.19 and its warrants 11 sen to RM1.33 after its unit bagged a RM1.2bil contract in Mexico.

BAT fell the most, down 20 sen to RM60.70. Among banks, AmBank shed seven sen to RM7.32 and Public Bank foreign six sen lower at RM19.06 while Affin slipped five sen to RM4.11.
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Johari fuels talk with quips

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

KUCHING: Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has been cracking jokes throughout the weekend outside PBB's meeting room and his positive vibes have fuelled speculation that he is the man most likely to take over from Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud as Chief Minister.

Next to Taib, Johari has been attracting the most media attention.

However, instead of giving straight answers to prying questions, he keeps deflecting them with humorous replies.

When reporters stopped Johari between the meeting room and dining hall yesterday, he quipped: "Wait for the official announcement. There might be no lunch left for me inside!"

Later, asked if he was the chosen one, Johari quickly replied that the question was premature, adding: "We unanimously agreed to give him (Taib the mandate to select). That's the principle. There must be ethics."

Political scientist Dr Jeniri Amir of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak is among those who believe that Johari is the frontrunner.

"There are many factors. On stage, he is the best public speaker. To lead the state election, you need someone who is seen as enthusiastic," Jeniri told The Star. "Of the names suggested, Johari is also probably the one with the most support from the Chinese community."

Taib's endorsed list of successors comprise Johari, senior vice-president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Information chief Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

Jeniri said Johari and Adenan were both "in the final lap".

"Adenan could still be CM's pick, but Adenan is not in the best of health. Tengah is last for one simple reason – he is the most junior,"

"Tengah was an officer under Johari; it was Johari who brought him into politics."

Adenan was elected to public office in 1979, Johari in 1981, and Tengah, 1987.

While Johari has been all smiles lately, Tengah has been more reserved. Immediately after Taib's announcement on Saturday, Tengah said he would "support whoever he (Taib) decides".

Yesterday, he said he was "surprised to be named as one of the potentials".

"I'm just a small man, so whatever it is, whoever is chosen by Taib, we will support," Tengah said.

"The most important thing is to carry on all the good things that have been started by the CM. He laid a strong foundation and this needs good teamwork among all leaders."

Related stories:

Taib keeps all guessing on impending resignation

Another by-election looms if Taib resigns by end of the month

Six nabbed for digging up grave

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

ROMPIN: Police detained six men, including a 14-year-old boy, for digging up an orang asli grave here, purportedly for treatment purposes, without authorisation.

Rompin OCPD Deputy Supt Johari Jahaya said police, who were informed of the incident in Kampung Deraman, Batu 3, Kuala Rompin by villagers, succeeded in nabbing those involved at 9.30pm on Saturday.

"Six suspects, aged between 14 and 43, were detained with the help of villagers.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the suspects is on the wanted list, and another has a criminal record," he told reporters yesterday.

He said the suspects confessed that they had dug up the grave to find a bone for medical purposes. — Bernama

Housewife killed after thieves grab her 'thali'

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

IPOH: A 26-year-old housewife was killed when a snatch thief grabbed her thali, resulting in her falling off her motorcycle and hitting her head near the Slim River Hospital.

Tanjung Malim OCPD Supt Othman Nayan said that in the 4.30pm incident on Saturday, M. Shemavarthini was on her way to fetch her aunt, who worked as a cleaner at the hospital.

"She was oblivious to three individuals trailing her on two motorcycles," he said.

"One of them grabbed her thali from behind.

"This caused Shemavarthini to lose her balance and control of the motorcycle," Supt Othman said.

"She fell, hitting her head on the cement curb along the road as her helmet had come off."

A thali is a special gold chain worn by married Hindu women.

Supt Othman added that Shemavarthini was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem found the cause of death to be haemorrhaging in the brain.

Supt Othman said that only the victim's thali, which was worth about RM5,000, was taken by the snatch thieves.

Police are looking for Farizul Hezry Mohamad, 29, whose last known address was at Taman Genting Permai, Batang Kali, Selangor and 16-year-old Shamsiah Asrik from Kampung Sungai Masin, Batang Kali to help in the investigations.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts is encouraged to call the Tanjung Malim police station at 05-452 6999 or contact investigating officer Asst Supt Sila Kadong at 019-265 9641.
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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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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
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An intimate encounter with Siti Nurhaliza

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 08:15 PM PST

The pop diva's charity concert over the weekend was a warm and personal affair.

MIDWAY through her performance, the spotlights that had been on Datuk Siti Nurhaliza throughout the first half of the show dimmed while the house lights flickered to life – I later realised, both a practical and symbolic gesture for what's to come.

"I will be opening the floor for a Q&A session now," the 35-year-old singer announced, adding "this is the first time I've ever done this."

Immediately, hundreds of hands were raised all over Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), each one hoping for a chance to have their burning questions answered.

Over the next few minutes, Siti was peppered with queries about her personal life, including whether she has overcome her fear of driving ("the furthest I ever got to was the Giant near my house," she responded with a chuckle) and someone even asking her husband, Datuk Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, whether the sweet-natured Siti ever gets angry at home (short answer: No).

Not only was she offering the audience the opportunity to get to know her better, Siti was putting the limelight back on the people, the many who have supported the pop darling throughout her illustrious career.

And how apt, too, seeing that Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Live In KLCC – Where The Heart Is is a charity concert; proceeds of the two-night event will go to Yayasan Nurjiwa, a charity organisation founded by Siti and her husband that provides aid to the underprivileged, victims of natural disaster and children with special needs, among others.

In fact, from start to finish, Siti makes it a point to share a little about herself, often teasing the audience with jokes and witty remarks. The two-hour concert saw the vocal powerhouse deliver some of her most notable works such as Purnama Merindu, Jerat Percintaan, Cindai, Nirmala, Seindah Biasa and Bukan Cinta Biasa.

The singer sang and dance to some of her biggest hits such as Purnama Merindu, Jerat Percintaan, Cindai, Seindah Biasa and Bukan Cinta Biasa.

The singer sang and dance to some of her biggest hits such as Purnama Merindu, Jerat Percintaan, Cindai, Seindah Biasa and Bukan Cinta Biasa.

Accompanied by a mini orchestra, Siti sounded flawless as usual, although on Biarlah Rahsia where a rock arrangement was introduced to the ballad, the singer's mellifluous vocals was unfortunately drowned out, despite providing a refreshing touch.

Siti also performed Kesilapanku, Keegoanmu after receiving many fan requests from Twitter to revive the old favourite prior to the concert. Two songs from her 2011 English album, Stand Up and Remember You, were also included in the night's line-up.

The local songbird then surprised the audience with her rendition of Pink's Just Give Me A Reason, joined by guest artiste, Akademi Fantasia winner Hazama. Though the songstress undoubtedly had the vocal range to carry the song, Siti's syrupy sweet voice didn't quite provide the song the edginess it needed.

The evening's most memorable performance had to be Jaga Dia Untuk Aku, a stirring ballad capturing the moment Siti found out that her husband had gotten into a motorcycle accident in New Zealand over a year ago.

Siti revealed that it is her first time performing the number and it will be included in her upcoming album. The singer has started recording and the album is slated for release middle of this year.

The Cotton Field Scarecrowes: Pride of passion

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

A little bit country and a little bit folk, The Cotton Field Scarecrowes have great stories to tell.

TWO half brothers. One who grew up in Ipoh, Perak, and the other in Shah Alam, Selangor. They make up the band The Cotton Field Scarecrowes, which has a vintage Americana flavour. Cue the Dust Bowl, Route 66 and the Great Depression. Something wrong with this script? On any other day, perhaps, but not today.

The Cotton Field Scarecrowes, comprising Johann and Shahrhyl Sultan, are mining a pool that's perhaps rarely been mined on these shores (not as unabashedly, anyway), but not every artiste is hoping to have an album or songs race up the charts for the sake of commercial gain. And Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes, the duo's recently-released debut, represents an artistic statement that goes against the grain of convention.

Surely this is commercial suicide on every conceivable level? "I chose this direction because of my passion for American folk and history. This album is all about pride of passion – it was never meant for the charts. It was just something I needed to get out before it became a regret," said songwriter Johann, at a recent interview in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

But surely there's a line between music purely being a labour of love and seeking some degree of audience acceptance, at least for the sake of longevity?

Johann may not be a father yet but he has paternal instincts for his craft: "I'm not setting any expectations for this. I'm just going to watch it grow like a child. It can be good or bad. It can fall or rise. Ultimately, what it achieves is beyond our control," philosophised the 36-year-old senior art director.

His single-minded pursuit isn't without reason. In fact, he has had an explicit interest in all things related to the land of the free from a young age, having been exposed to its history and culture via the record collection of his parents, uncles and aunts. And the musical interest took on a literary curiosity, after which he bought books on the United States, devouring its history and arriving at the point where he was even putting brush to canvas, depicting various landscape images of that nation.

So, from the ground up, Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes was always going to vaunt an American flavour, particularly that of the South.

"This album actually grew from an unfinished solo project in 2011, a one-man band with music very much inspired by the sounds from Mississippi, New Orleans ... American roots music from the 19th century, when slavery was commonplace," revealed Johann, who started his music journey playing in punk/ska band Toxin 99% in Ipoh between 1994 and 2000.

Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes may have had a lengthy gestation, but the album itself was written and recorded in three months at Johann's home studio in Petaling Jaya, where the brothers surrounded themselves with a plethora of vintage musical instruments and equipment to achieve its rustic sounds.

More than just music, this eight-track excursion is an experience in (deliberate) lo-fi sonics, warm instrumentation and earthy vocals, from lilting opener Grass Beneath The Petals to moody closer Tall Moon.

It wouldn't be too difficult to perceive Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes as a tad depressing, but what it really embraces is melancholia, including the ace in the album's sleeve, Letter From Tennessee, the standout track with "single" potential.

Johann reckons that these brooding tunes contribute to the healing process for the ailing, even if common knowledge suggests that the human spirit is uplifted by upbeat music.

"I've received funny feedback where people have told me that the music will surely get the attention of the troubled – those who are heartbroken, divorced, depressed and have financial issues," Johann conceded with a hearty laugh.

In the end, his troubled friends concurred with the feedback, judging by the messages they left on the band's FB page. But this is purely by accident and not by design, he intimated: "I meant to give people hope. I've always felt this music can cushion the soul. While upbeat music can get you up, my music puts you at peace." But misery obviously still sells in the arts.

Johann's listening diet during the making of the album included the likes of Fleet Foxes (he even got engineer Ed Brooks to master Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes), Leonard Cohen, The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks and Son House, and it's this rich resource that's contributed to the lyrics and themes on The Cotton Field Scarecrowes' debut.

But how does one synthesise the experience of being in a foreign land and in a different time even? "I've looked at many old pictures of the American south, and I try to plant myself there and imagine the surroundings. I also write poetry, so I always have a sketch pad of ideas and I pool everything together when I write," he explained, sharing that his lyrical themes are generated from snapshots of his dreams.

Currently, he's slipped into a massive Beatles phase, so who knows where the next album – which is already in the works – could head. His love for rock's classic era is never far away, though, having been weaned on records by Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and the like.

The Cotton Field Scarecrowes is helmed by Johann, but his brother Shahryl is his lynchpin, without doubt. Some of the nifty guitar work on the album can easily be traced to the 28-year-old sibling, having come from a background of playing somewhat more technical music, funk-rock inspired by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers. "He used to play in a band called Locust Daydream. After not having seen him for years (the boys share a common parent), we finally hooked up again, and when I learned he was playing music too, I knew there was potential for us to work together." And when the dots were connected, The Cotton Field Scarecrowes was born.

Johann's keen eye for detail is sprawled across the album's inlay and artwork, too. Arty black and white photos adorn the CD package and rumour has it, the house in which the photo shoot was conducted is haunted, but that's a story for another day.

At the moment though, it's all about the "bleak folk hymnody" on Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes, which Johann succinctly describes as "folk songs". But it's a brand of the genre that contains elements of the darker side of life: "I like injecting morose and morbid subjects into the songs. I love contradiction, too, like finding hope in a dark situation." There couldn't be a more accurate sales pitch for The Cotton Field Scarecrowes' outlandish debut.

> Dancing Hymns And Broken Rhymes is available from Merdekarya, and http://thecottonfieldscarecrowes.bandcamp.com.
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