Ahad, 16 Mac 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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'MH370 shows need for good intelligence'

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Extremely good intelligence is key to averting incidents such as the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, said Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam.

It had emerged on Saturday that the plane may have been taken over by someone with an intent.

Malaysian authorities have found that someone on board may have deliberately disabled the plane's transponder and other devices with the plane continuing to fly for nearly seven hours after authorities had lost contact with it.

Speaking on the sidelines of a community event in Sembawang yesterday, Shanmugam said the latest revelations on MH370 are "quite chilling".

He noted that the takeover of the plane was a very deliberate, very carefully planned operation.

"It is a very sharp reminder really that we cannot take anything for granted," he said.

With Changi Airport's 50 million passengers passing through a year, doing "100% checks" is not practical, he noted, as most passengers are travelling legitimately and want a good experience.

"So the real answer is extremely good intelligence ahead of time, close cooperation with others."

Referring to the arguments raised in the past few months about intelligence and intelligence activities, Shanmugam noted that the MH370 incident brings home the need for good intelligence, and for governments to have it and be able to use it effectively.

"It doesn't mean that it will pick up everything, but with good airport security and intelligence, you should be able to avert most of the danger," he said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Search moved to Malacca Strait

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Following Malaysia's announce­­ment that efforts in the South China Sea to search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 had been called off, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) said it has recalled its ships and aircraft there.

Since March 8, when the plane disappeared, the SAF has supported the operation in the South China Sea.

The SAF will continue to support the search operation in the Malacca Strait with a RSAF patrol aircraft, which was deployed to the Butterworth Air Base. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

600 potential runways to land

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Reports emerged about the po-tential runways where the missing aircraft could have landed.

Mirror in Britain reported that with enough fuel to fly anywhere from Pakistan to Western Australia, the missing plane could have landed in 634 runways after the suspected hijacking.

This is based on a map from WNYC, website of non-profit, non-commercial, public radio stations located in New York City.

According to WNYC, the missing plane could have landed in 634 runways in 26 different countries.

"A recent Wall Street Journal article quoted sources stating the flight could have continued for 2,200 nautical miles from its last known position," WNYC said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: World Updates

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China again urges calm and restraint in Ukraine

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 09:10 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong on Monday repeated Beijing's call for calm and restraint in Ukraine, after Crimea's Moscow-backed leaders declared a 96-percent vote in favour of quitting Ukraine and annexation by Russia.

Li, speaking to reporters ahead of a visit to Europe by President Xi Jinping later this month, added that a political settlement was the only way to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Defence at bin Laden son-in-law trial cites alleged 9/11 mastermind

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 09:00 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's son-in-law Suleiman Abu Ghaith, on trial in New York, had no role in al Qaeda military operations, said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, according to court documents filed late on Sunday.

Abu Ghaith's lawyers submitted Mohammed's responses to their written questions along with a request to allow his testimony at the nearly two-week-old jury trial at which Abu Ghaith is charged with conspiring to kill Americans.

The U.S. government contends that Abu Ghaith, 48, became a leader of al Qaeda militants after the September 11, 2001, attacks as a spokesman and recruiter of fighters, and that he knew of planned attacks against the United States.

Abu Ghaith's lawyers argue there is no evidence that he knew of future attacks.

Mohammed, who is being held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said Abu Ghaith "was not a military man and had nothing to do with military operations," according to the Defence filings.

On the strength of Mohammed's remarks, Abu Ghaith's lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, presiding over his trial, to order Mohammed's testimony be taken via live closed circuit television, or that his testimony be preserved through deposition.

"Mr. Mohammed is unavailable to physically appear at trial, and his testimony is necessary to prevent a failure of justice in this matter," the lawyers, led by Stanley Cohen, wrote to the judge.

JUDGE: 'DEEPLY SKEPTICAL'

In February, Kaplan briefly delayed Abu Ghaith's trial so his lawyers could submit written questions to Mohammed. But Kaplan said he was "deeply sceptical" the lawyers had a right to access to Mohammed.

Abu Ghaith is also accused of providing material support and resources to terrorists and conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists. Abu Ghaith has pleaded not guilty, and faces life in prison if convicted.

According to the new court documents, Mohammed also said individuals involved in al Qaeda media operations would not have prior knowledge of coming attacks and Mohammed never told Abu Ghaith anything about the shoe bomb plot attempted aboard a plane by Briton Richard Reid in late 2001.

The Manhattan U.S. prosecutor's office, which is leading the case, argues that Abu Ghaith knew of the shoe bomb plot. It has shown jurors videos from October 2001 in which Abu Ghaith warned that, "The storm of airplanes will not stop."

"The operations which the leadership intends to undertake and the plans for them are known only to the leader of the operation and the military and security officials involved," Mohammed said, according to the court filing.

The Manhattan U.S. prosecutor's office, which rested its case on Friday, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Abu Ghaith is one of the highest-ranking figures linked to al Qaeda to face a civilian jury on terrorism-related charges since the attacks that destroyed New York's World Trade Center.

The case is U.S. v. Abu Ghayth, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 98-cr-01023.

As Russia closes in, Ukrainians fearful, defiant

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 08:10 PM PDT

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian museum caretaker Valentin knows what it's like when Moscow sends in troops to occupy a reluctant ally - he was there, in Red Army uniform, when Soviet tanks rolled in to crush the Prague Spring in 1968.

"We were the occupiers then. Now we are the ones who are being occupied by the Russians," he said, shaking his head at the irony of history which sees Ukraine, long Moscow's closest partner, losing Crimea after Sunday's Kremlin-backed referendum there and fearing further invasion from the east.

But, surveying Kiev war museum's display of tanks and combat aircraft, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin must beware.

As Ukraine's government called up troops, and television ran images of Ukrainian armour on the move to a soundtrack of anti-Soviet patriotic song, he said the nation of 46 million would be no pushover: "We would resist. There would be a partisan war."

On a blustery weekend on the banks of the Dnieper, the 100-metre (300-foot), sword-wielding statue of "The Motherland", a hammer and sickle on her shield, towered overhead, a reminder of the common cause Ukrainians and Russians died for side-by-side in their millions in World War Two and which Putin says Ukraine is betraying by turning to "fascism" and an embrace by the West.

"Us fascists?" asked Valentin. "They're the fascists," he said, likening the "referendum at gunpoint" he expects to annex Crimea to the invasion he was part of as a young conscript, when Soviet leaders claimed to have been invited by Czechoslovakia to lend "fraternal help" against a purported right-wing plot.

Putin uses the role of far-right groups in last month's overthrow of his elected ally in Kiev to brand Ukraine's new leaders as neo-Nazis and to warn he may send troops to "protect" citizens of the "brotherly state". That offends staff and visitors to the memorial park, whose anger and confusion over a possible war reflects emotions felt by many in the capital.

"It's an insult. We were all together. Now we would like to be on our own - but friends," said Viktor, in his 40s, as he surveyed an exhibit that included the iconic T-34 tank which helped liberate Ukraine in 1944 and a Cuban Crisis-era missile launcher from the 1960s. "They just don't want to let us go."

As shown by Crimean voters and eastern protesters seeking autonomy, many Ukrainians feel cut off from a Russian homeland by arbitrary post-Soviet borders. But they are in a minority, albeit concentrated in big, industrial cities near Russia.

RISKS

For old soldier Valentin, Putin's action could "backfire": "He's pushing us into the arms of the EU," he said, echoing a widespread view in Kiev after two uneasy decades trying to balance relations between the Kremlin and the West.

Svetlana, visiting from Poltava in the east, blamed Putin and corrupt Ukrainian leaders for the situation: "It's just terrible that people are talking about war. It's worrying."

A poll last week confirmed that few Ukrainians - about 3 percent - want to go to war to defend their territory, including Crimea. But appeals for support for the armed forces, including troops blockaded in bases in Crimea, and last week's formation of a new National Guard are contributing to a more martial mood.

On Kiev's Independence Square, the Maidan where bloodshed brought down president Viktor Yanukovich, camouflage-clad ultra-nationalists proud of forebears who fought Soviet rule say they are ready to fight again, this time against Putin's Russia.

"We'll push them all the way to Siberia," said one, who gave his name as Mykola. The Ukrainian government has urged militants to keep back, well aware that Russia cites their activities as proof of a threat to ethnic Russians that Kiev cannot control.

And another militiaman, Serhiy, was cautious: "We need a peaceful solution," he said. "If not, it'll be World War Three."

Such fears are shared across the square, still barricaded and littered with the debris of three months of demonstrations and makeshift shrines to 100 dead protesters. In the modern, plate-glass shopping mall overlooking Maidan, shopkeepers said business is, slowly, picking up and hope to keep it that way.

Irina Tsarynok, 43, can survey the scene from her travel agency, offering getaways to foreign beaches - though, she says, no longer the local breaks once vital to the Crimean economy.

"There is now real hope that, if not for us, at least for our children, life will be better," she said, scoffing at Moscow for suggesting native Russian-speakers like herself faced danger and discrimination from "Banderites" - far-right admirers of 1940s anti-Soviet partisan Stepan Bandera.

"I'm not a radical like those men on the Maidan," she said, sitting coiffed and businesslike at her desk. "But if wanting a better life makes you a Banderite, then I'm a Banderite."

Having grown up with the empty shops of the Soviet 1980s, she no longer believed promises of prosperity from Moscow and, much as she saw Russians as family she saw them behaving as if they now thought, like Nazi Germans, they were a "master race".

"If you love someone, you hug them like this," she said with a gesture. "You don't grab them round the throat."

EMOTIONS

Across the square, 22-year-old Lenara Smedlyaeva has special cause to fret about Crimea being lost to Russia. Born into the Tatar community there, she now works at the "Crimea" restaurant on the Maidan and fears not just losing ties to family but that Tatars, persecuted under Soviet rule, could face new hardships.

"Putin is a swindler," she said of Sunday's referendum that Tatars are boycotting. "Once again, Crimean Tatars will suffer."

Next door, gnawing national anxiety about the future is keeping Andriy Karachevsky and Galina Osadko busy. They are among psychiatrists working in a closed branch of the McDonald's hamburger chain that was turned into a drop-in counselling centre early in the protests. "How are we going to live now?" is the most typical question patients pose, Karachevsky said.

Strikingly, said Osadko, the trauma of witnessing death and violence during the protests had prompted relatively few to seek psychiatric help. A sense of purpose among protesters gave them strength to withstand emotional shocks. Whatever their worries, even suicide rates seemed to have fallen among the most active.

Instead, she said, calls were coming in from people sitting at home - especially among an older generation, brought up on Soviet certainties and "not used to making their own decisions".

They were also more likely to fall prey to speculation about war: "Those who watch television," she said, "are having more psychological problems than those who fought on the Maidan."

Said her colleague Karachevsky: "The biggest problem Ukrainians are facing is the uncertainty and what comes next."

Across town at the war memorial, Oksana, in her 40s from Kiev, had brought her daughter. "It's important she sees our history," Oksana said, looking over lines of tanks not too different from those now filling TV screens. "We thought we had put war into the museum. I only hope we can keep it that way."

(Editing by Ron Popeski)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Creative ways to save your money

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:08 PM PDT

WE are a resourceful lot. There are many creative ideas and ways when it comesto savingmoney. By saving more,we would have more to accumulate and invest.

1.Barter

Bartering is the oldest form of transaction and existed before money was used. There are a few
groups of people benefitting from bartering. One is Free Market TTDI. It is a group people exchanging
usable items for free. 

Apples for Eggs is an initiative where participants bring home-grown herbs, veggies and crafts to exchange for similar items.

2.Buy cheaper at markets or second-hand.

Flea markets environment in the Klang Valley are rather lively with malls like Jaya 33 or The Curve holding regular markets. They offer new items like clothes, novelty items and food at cheaper prices.

Amcorp Mallflea market has gained popularity for its variety in goods and prices and is a real treasure trove for new and second-hand goods. ibu Jumble is a gem for sourcing second-hand baby stroller, carseat, cot, toys and clothes which a baby outgrows within weeks so there's no need to buy new ones. 

My three kids were brought up on stuffs bought at ibu Jumble where I paid only
fraction ofprices for babyitems.

3. Compounding effect

Such savings can accumulate with the effect of compounding. Small but regular investments with fixed annual return can make you a more successful investor than one who waits for the right time to invest.

For example, gety our savings from ibu jumble and make the money work harder.

Instead of RM1,000 for a new stroller, new parents may pay only RM300 for a second-hand one, and baby clothes from newborn to 12-month old at RM5 apiece and not RM45 on a pack-of-three. The cost of welcoming a child is reduced by RM790 on just two items, without lessening the joys.

With savings of RM790 (from the example above), you can double it in 7.2 years at 10% return a year.
Invest this amount regularly and you will have a fund accumulated for your child in future. Flea markets orfree exchange …money saved is money you can invest to work harder for you!

If you have a question, Cheong Wai Quan can be contacted at info@successconcepts.biz.

Foreign selling of Malaysian equities hit RM989.3m in wk ended March 14

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 07:06 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign selling of Malaysian equities rose to net RM989.3mil in the week ended March 14, 2014, which was the highest in five weeks, MIDF Equities Research said.

The research house said on Monday this was an increase from net RM218.9mil outflow the week before.

"Foreigners sold every day, except on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the size of the pullout surged to -RM399mil, the second highest this year, after the -RM556mil drain on February 4. Selling continued to be heavy on Friday (amounted to -RM397mil), which is rather ominous for the market this week," it said.

MIDF Research pointed out although the sale amount exceeded RM300mil on two days last week, the daily outflow was capped at below the RM400mil level this year, except for one day.

"For the year to date, foreign funds have pulled out -RM6.54bil net from Malaysian equities. Still, we estimate an overhang of foreign liquidity amounting to RM27.4bil, for cumulative money flow since January 2010," it said.

Weak start for KLCI on Crimea tension

Posted: 16 Mar 2014 06:24 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's blue chips started Monday in the red, mirroring the worries in key Asian markets after Crimean citizens voted to be annexed by Russia.

At 9.07am, the FBM KLCI was down 1.37 points to 1,803.75. Turnover was 55.77 million shares valued at RM29.11mil. There were 83 gainers, 117 losers and 152 counters unchanged.

Reuters reported global markets were on edge after Crimean citizens voted to be annexed by Russia, prompting risk-wary investors to seek traditional safe-haven bets.

Over 90% of Crimean voters chose to break with Ukraine and join Russia on Sunday, an outcome that was denounced by Western powers and leaders in Kiev as a sham.

JF Apex Research said following the bearish sentiment in global markets, it expects the KLCI to remain negative with support at 1,800.

Plantations and Petronas-related stocks fell in thin trade while MAHB again slipped into the red.

KL Kepong fell 46 sen to RM23.30 and Genting Plantations lost 30 sen to RM10.40. However, United Plantations gained 78 sen to RM25.78, PPB Group 20 sen higher to RM16.28 and Batu Kawan added 10 sen to RM19.70.

Petronas Dagangan fell 30 sen to RM30 and Petronas Gas 10 sen to RM22.90. UMW was down 10 sen to RM10.60 with 64,000 shares done.

MAHB fell 11 sen to RM8.07.

Datasonic, whose share price had surged many fold since last year, fell eight sen to RM3.56.

Encorp rose six sen to RM1.34 and Encorp-WA added 5.5 sen to 53 sen on a news report that Felda was keen on a substantial stake in the company.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Supernatural help

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

When logic fails and every trail leads to a dead end, some will turn to cultural and traditional beliefs in desperation.

SINCE "Raja Bomoh Sedunia" Ibrahim Mat Zin brought out his "magic carpet" to help in the search for the missing MH370, visuals­ of the supernatural ritual and its spoofs have gone viral. Do Malaysians still buy into the unexplainable?

Academics say many Malaysians still hold strongly to cultural and traditional beliefs despite living in a digitally driven world.

Since flight MH370 disappeared, shamans, astrologers and mediums have all come forward to offer their services to help in the search – with some predicting that the plane would resurface yesterday.

Meanwhile, a YouTube video where a "Nigerian Pastor" "prophe­sies" a plane crashing shortly after it took off from an Asian country is also being re-circulated.

A cursory look at the various public holidays for the different faiths in Malaysia and the often highlighted religious-cultural festivals support the impression that a lot of Malaysians are very familiar and comfortable with the prevalence of religious-cultural beliefs and practices, Monash University Sunway Campus School of Arts and Social Sciences senior lecturer Dr Yeoh Seng Guan points out.

He believes that there are various well-meaning individuals and groups out there, though not necessarily of the same religious faith or belief system of the affected families, who are doing what they think is important or meaningful in bringing about a happy resolution to a difficult situation.

"The very nature of social media like Facebook allows for divergent comments, whether one sees it as appropriate or inappropriate.

"The critics are obviously those who don't believe in the world-view of the shamans (and the like)," he adds.

The presumption that faith and modernity or science cannot co-exist, and that those who are modern cannot be religious or spiritual, is no longer the reality as historical events of the past two or three decades have shown, he states.

Universiti Malaya anthropology and sociology department lecturer Kamal Solhaimi Fadzil agrees.

Describing Malaysian society as one that straddles between modern rationality and traditional values, he says we are a spiritual community.

This is true irrespective of which religion we embrace, he says, noting that people will accept and believe in whatever gets them through a difficult time – and this includes the supernatural.

"For those who believe, nothing is far-fetched. However, their beliefs should not be exploited," he says.

"Rituals need not be turned into a spectacle because then it becomes a farce or, worse, offensive to the families involved."

Dr Edward Chan, principal consultant psychologist at the International Psychology Centre, Kuala Lumpur, notes that Malaysians are not unlike many other nationalities who veer towards God or the supernatural to help in times of crisis and to cope and manage their emotional distress.

The baby boomers especially, and their children who are locally edu­cated draw emotional strength from the hope-generating acts of the supernatural practitioners, he feels.

"As there are still many from ­various religious traditions who share in such beliefs, supernatural reports are widely shared on social media.

"Practices (like the one involving the bomoh) psychologically support those who believe. They find it helpful," he explains.

Dr Chan recommends that the public­ develop psychological skills so that they can better accept and deal with difficult situations.

This can be done through psychotherapy, he says.

Conducted by psychologists, these include existential psychotherapy, rational emotion therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

"In the long term, this would be a healthier and more resilient way to deal with an emotional crisis," he opines.

Instead of relying on acts performed by shamans, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) associate professor Dr Muhammad Azizan Sabjan from the School of Humanities (philosophy and civilisation section) calls on Muslims to "pray sincerely and obediently" to Allah for help to locate the MH370 and bring those on board home safely.

"Apart from searching with top notch gadgets, please pray because His power is might.

"Malaysians still hold strong to their cultural and traditional beliefs but Muslims should not condone ritualis­tic acts that deviate from Islamic teachings.

"Now the whole world is ­making fun of us, which is irritating," he says, referring to various spoofs of self-dubbed "Raja Bomoh Sedunia" Ibrahim Mat Zin's attempts to find the missing aircraft.

The group first performed their ritual at KL International Airport in Sepang on Monday and returned on Wednesday.

Following reports of the spectacle, creative netizens went to town super-imposing shots of Ibrahim and his assistants sitting on the so-called magic carpet onto photos including one of US President Barack Obama.

A few of Ibrahim's Indonesian counterparts have also weighed in on the topic, with blogs and websites quoting some as saying that the aircraft had crashed in a realm con­trolled by supernatural beings or flown through a portal in the sky where it could remain for hundreds of years.

On the Malaysian Bomoh Facebook page, the administrator posted that real shamans do not publicly parade their tricks.

It wrote: "There are Good bomohs and there are Nonsense bomohs. Not all bomohs the same. But unfortunately most of the nonsense bomohs get all the attention in media because everyone likes these kinds of news. People always like to make fun of things they do not understand (sic)."

Missing MH370: Passengers' kin relieved after PM's announcement

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

IPOH: Families of passengers and crew members aboard the Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane have expressed relief following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's announcement that the aircraft could have flown for hours after it went missing.

A niece of passenger Tan Ah Meng, 46, said there was still hope after the press conference.

Tan's parents, she said, were feeling a little better after hearing the news, adding that they could better sleep and eat now.

"They feel a little relieved and can now only hope and pray for the best," said the woman who declined to be named.

Tan was onboard the flight together with his Taiwanese wife Chuang Hsiu Leng, 48, and their eldest son Tan Wei Chen, 19. The couple have two other boys who are staying with relatives.

"We can't do anything else but just wait for more news," she said, adding that her parents had been in Kuala Lumpur ever since the incident.

Getting updates: Selamat listening to Najib's press conference. - EPA 

Getting updates: Selamat listening to Najib's press conference. - EPA

Thong Say Moi, 73, whose daughter-in-law Goh Sock Lay is the chief stewardess for the flight, said she had been told by her son to only listen to verified news.

"Right now, our hopes are high, and I pray that all goes well," she said at her shop in Kampung Tawas.

In Putrajaya, families of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane remain hopeful as they gathered at the hotel ballroom to watch the Prime Minister's live telecast.

Selamat Omar, 60, whose son Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat is onboard the flight, said immediately after the telecast that he was relieved to get some information.

"I am relieved that the Prime Minister has spoken at last and given us some new developments. I am hopeful that the passengers may still be safe and will return soon," he said.

At one point, Selamat, who watched the telecast with the reporters in the lobby, seemed excited when Najib mentioned that the plane's satellite signal might have been detected and that the aircraft was heading towards the west of Peninsula Malaysia.

Strong winds and swift-moving rain clouds help clear haze

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: Strong winds and swift-moving rain clouds helped clear the sky stricken by haze in parts of peninsular Malaysia, said the Meteorological Department.

A spokesman said rainfall had started in the morning over several areas in the east coast before moving gradually to northern and central states by evening.

In addition, he said strong northeasterly winds had also helped disperse the haze particles, which had caused air quality in Port Klang and Banting to reach hazardous levels on Friday.

"We recorded rain clouds moving across Selangor and the Klang Valley, bringing brief and moderate rainfall over several areas. Parts of Negri Sembilan and Malacca also experienced isolated showers," he said when contacted yesterday.

However, he said that the rain clouds had been blown out to the Straits of Malacca before they could bring significant rainfall over Johor.

He said that visibility had also improved significantly.

As of 5pm yesterday, the Department of Environment's Air Pollutant Index (API) showed no places in Malaysia were experiencing hazardous air quality.

Three places recorded unhealthy air quality: Port Klang (124), Banting (103) and Tanjung Malim (123).

An API reading between 0 and 50 is considered good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301 and above, hazardous.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said on Friday that the DOE's ban on open burning was now extended to Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya effective March 13.

"No open burning can be done in these areas except for certain activities such as cremation, for religious purposes and barbecues. Those caught carrying out open burning can be fined not more than RM500,000, jailed not more than five years or both," he said, adding that a maximum compound of RM2,000 could also be imposed for each offence.

Meanwhile, AirAsia cancelled all flights to and from Pekanbaru until Wednesday due to low visibility caused by the severe haze.

It said in a statement that flights were expected to resume on Thursday, depending on how much visibility improved.

The AirAsia flights affected by the cancellations are Kuala Lumpur-Pekanbaru, Pekanbaru-Kuala Lumpur, Pekanbaru-Bandung, Bandung-Pekanbaru, Pekanbaru-Medan and Medan-Pekanbaru.

Affected passengers can choose one of two service recovery options: 1) Changing their flight departure date within seven days of the original date without additional charges and 2) use a credit shell equivalent to the value of the confirmed booking for any AirAsia flight, valid for three months from the date of issue.

"All affected guests will be notified via their registered member e-mail account as well as an SMS notification of the cancellations. We urge all guests to keep their e-mail address and mobile numbers with their country code prefix updated in their AirAsia member profiles," it said.

For more information, visit www.airasia.com/ask, www.facebook.com/AirAsiawww.twitter.com/AirAsia or call its Indonesian call centre at +62 21 2927 0999.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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HPB launches weight management scheme

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Singapore's first national-level weight management initiative was launched.

An initiative of the Health Promotion Board (HPB), the One Million KG Challenge is designed to link incentives directly to the outcome of losing excess weight, and aims to get Singapore residents to lose 1,000,000kg collectively in three years.

It is open to residents in Singapore aged 18 to 64, whose Body Mass Index (BMI) ranges from 18.5 to 37.4. To calculate BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.

Singapore's obesity prevalence has increased 0.7 percentage points a year since 2004 to reach nearly 11% in 2010.

The National Health Survey 2010 shows that 1.7 million Singaporeans with a BMI of 23 or greater are vulnerable to developing obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases.

HPB hopes to round up 300,000 participants over three years. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Vietnam ends search, India intensifies mission

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

HANOI: Vietnam has decided to end the search mission for MH370, a senior military officer said at Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue.

Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of the General Staff of Vietnam People's Army, told reporters that the decision was made after Vietnam had received information from Viet­namese Ambassador to Malaysia Nguyen Hong Thao yesterday afternoon that Malaysia has decided to end the search in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Indian navy ships supported by long-range surveillance planes and helicopters scoured Andaman Sea islands for a third day yesterday without any success in finding evidence of the missing jet, officials said.

Nearly a dozen ships, patrol vessels, surveillance aircraft and helicopters have been deployed, but "we have got nothing so far", said V.S.R. Murthy, an Indian coast guard official.

The Indian navy's coordinated search has so far covered more than 250,000sq km in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal "without any sighting or detection", the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The search has been expanded to the central and eastern sides of the Bay of Bengal, the ministry said.

India intensified the search yesterday by deploying two recently acquired P8i long-range maritime patrol and one C 130J Hercules aircraft to the region. — Agencies

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Eat right, move more

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

In conjunction with Nutrition Month Malaysia 2014, we are carrying a series of four articles relating to nutrition matters. This week, we look at how unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle are major causes of obesity.

AS a nation, we are losing the battle of the bulge. According to a 2010 survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Malaysia held the dubious distinction of being the fattest country in South-East Asia.

Not only do we outweigh our Asean neighbours, we also rank as the sixth fattest folks in the whole of Asia.

Dr Tee E Siong, president of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM), says: "Findings from the NHMS (National Health and Morbidity Survey) show that the obesity rate in the country has increased by almost three and a half times from 1996 to 2011.

"This indicates that approximately one in two Malaysian adults is either overweight or obese."

Two of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) obesity has been linked with are diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The NHMS 2011 found that some 2.6 million Malaysians were suffering from diabetes.

This figure represents an increase of more than half a million compared to the 2006 NHMS.

In addition, one in three Malaysians have high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure.

These medical conditions are risk factors for heart disease, which has been the number one killer in Malaysia for the past 30 years.

Prof Dr Winnie Chee, president of the Malaysian Dietitians' Association (MDA), emphasises: "Not only has obesity levels increased in Malaysia, so has the prevalence of other NCDs.

"Since one in two Malaysians are either overweight or obese, and being overweight or obese is known as a risk factor for NCD development, it is not a surprise if half the population of Malaysia is already suffering from one form of NCD or another, yet remain unaware or completely ignorant of it."

The root of the problem

Why is this happening? Excessive weight is a big risk factor for NCDs.

According to Prof Dr Norimah A Karim, vice-president of the Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity (MASO), being overweight or obese is something that does not happen overnight.

"It typically occurs over a period of time, and the main causes are unhealthy eating habits and practices.

"By frequently consuming more than is needed by the body and subsequently not using the consumed energy through physical activity, there is a large excess of unutilised energy.

"What does the body do with this unused energy? It will be stored as fat, and this gradually leads to overweight and obesity," she notes.

Let us examine some common factors that can contribute to our expanding waistlines:

·Unhealthy eating habits/practices: Many Malaysians have bad eating habits and a tendency to indulge in unhealthy foods.

There is a high tendency to overeat, and lack of control over portion or serving sizes, and Malaysians frequently make unhealthy food choices – foods that are high in fat, sugar and calories.

·Insufficient exercise: NHMS 2011 showed that 35.7% of Malaysians do not exercise at all.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is a precursor to health problems such as overweight or obesity, which then leads to other NCDs.

Exercise is a key component in achieving healthy weight. Engaging in physical activity means burning calories, and the more intense the activity, the more calories you will burn.

Being physically active and exercising goes a long way toward balancing out your food intake versus your energy expenditure.

·Other factors: Ageing is also associated with weight gain as muscle mass typically diminishes with age, while fat increases.

Loss of muscle mass is linked to weight gain as it decreases the rate at which your body uses calories.

Excessive alcohol consumption can also result in weight gain. This is because alcoholic drinks are high in calories and contain hardly any other nutrients.

Prof Norimah says: "What is needed to have successful weight loss is discipline and determination. Weight loss should be gradual, and as a general guide, it should be around 0.5kg to 1kg per week.

"Even just losing at least 7% of your body weight (7kgs if you weigh 100kgs) and exercising moderately (such as brisk walking) 30 minutes a day, five days a week can actually lower your risk for type 2 diabetes by more than half.

Fighting the flab

Malaysia is geared for a nationwide battle against obesity. Focusing on obesity prevention and weight management, the upcoming Nutrition Month Malaysia (NMM) 2014 Programme will start with the "Eat Right, Move More: Fight Obesity" Family Carnival on March 29 and 30 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (Hall 1), Kuala Lumpur.

Now in its 12th year, NMM continues to be spearheaded by the same three professional organisations that founded it, namely, NSM, MDA and MASO.

This programme aims to spread awareness on healthy living through activities such as carnivals, roadshows, and a series of health-related publications.

With all these initiatives, Malaysians should become more aware that unhealthy eating practises and a sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity will have serious detrimental consequences to their health.

While obesity can lead to NCDs, both of which are bound to badly affect your quality of life, they are preventable, and in the case of obesity, reversible.

Malaysians should therefore take positive steps immediately to adopt healthy eating habits and be active every day so as to prevent obesity, thereby reducing their risk of NCDs.

  • NMM 2014 is supported by Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn Bhd, Legosan Sdn Bhd (OatBg22), Malaysia Milk Sdn Bhd (Vitagen), Nestle Products Sdn Bhd and Yakult (M) Sdn Bhd. To learn more about preventing obesity and other interesting nutrition information, visit the Nutrition Month Malaysia Family Carnival at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (Hall 1), Kuala Lumpur, on March 29 and 30. There will be free nutrition screenings, expert advice from nutritionists and dietitians, exciting activities, and much more. For more information, call 03-5632 3301, drop by the Nutrition Month Malaysia Facebook page or visit www.nutritionmonthmalaysia.org.my.
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HPB launches weight management scheme

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Singapore's first national-level weight management initiative was launched.

An initiative of the Health Promotion Board (HPB), the One Million KG Challenge is designed to link incentives directly to the outcome of losing excess weight, and aims to get Singapore residents to lose 1,000,000kg collectively in three years.

It is open to residents in Singapore aged 18 to 64, whose Body Mass Index (BMI) ranges from 18.5 to 37.4. To calculate BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.

Singapore's obesity prevalence has increased 0.7 percentage points a year since 2004 to reach nearly 11% in 2010.

The National Health Survey 2010 shows that 1.7 million Singaporeans with a BMI of 23 or greater are vulnerable to developing obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases.

HPB hopes to round up 300,000 participants over three years. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Vietnam ends search, India intensifies mission

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

HANOI: Vietnam has decided to end the search mission for MH370, a senior military officer said at Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue.

Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of the General Staff of Vietnam People's Army, told reporters that the decision was made after Vietnam had received information from Viet­namese Ambassador to Malaysia Nguyen Hong Thao yesterday afternoon that Malaysia has decided to end the search in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Indian navy ships supported by long-range surveillance planes and helicopters scoured Andaman Sea islands for a third day yesterday without any success in finding evidence of the missing jet, officials said.

Nearly a dozen ships, patrol vessels, surveillance aircraft and helicopters have been deployed, but "we have got nothing so far", said V.S.R. Murthy, an Indian coast guard official.

The Indian navy's coordinated search has so far covered more than 250,000sq km in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal "without any sighting or detection", the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The search has been expanded to the central and eastern sides of the Bay of Bengal, the ministry said.

India intensified the search yesterday by deploying two recently acquired P8i long-range maritime patrol and one C 130J Hercules aircraft to the region. — Agencies

Mortality and search for what matters

Posted: 15 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

In order to function, humans generally live under the assumption of their continual existence for the foreseeable future.

TAIPEI: One of the few certainties in life is that it ends. We live until the day we don't.

But in order to function, humans generally live under the assumption of their continual existence for the foreseeable future.

It is mysterious and tragic events such as the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that jolt us back to the reality of our mortality and our inability to know – much less to control – our fate.

The mystery of Flight MH370 reminds us that there is no authoritative source of guidance in life.

The flight was still missing as of press time and the 11 nations that cooperated in one of the largest searches in history have not even come close to determining the fate of the plane and the people onboard.

If the authorities cannot even find a plane in the busy waters of the South China Sea, how can we expect there to be an authority in the way we live our lives?

These events remind us that we might be suffering the slings and arrows of our fortune, but we suffer them for a reason, that life is about doing what is important, not what "should be" important.

In different stages of our lives, we can often be distracted and flustered by what is expected from us by society, such as intense pressure for school exams and pressure to get a job and keep it.

While education and financial security are essential to sustain our lives, they are but means to an end. It is, however, easy to mistake them as the goals of our lives when we lose track of things.

Not getting bogged down by daily turmoil and keeping stress to a manageable level is the best way to reserve enough space in our lives for reflection on the things that truly matter to us.

But what are the things that truly matter to you? No one can answer that for sure.

No one can tell you what is important in your life. But that does not mean you should not seek advice in the search for your life's goals.

One good place to start is to find the ideals we want to pursue. Leaving room for mental fortitude most importantly leaves room for better usage of our time, which in our finite lifetimes should not be spent wallowing in irrelevant worries that society places on us, including the obsession of prestige and wealth.

The things that society normally envies are good things, but they should come naturally during the pursuit of the projects that we dedicate our passion to.

Turning things the other way around invites envy and decreases our happiness.

Finding the things that evoke our passion will allow us to transcend worldly obsessions. It could be a calling from nature.

It could be a calling from art. Or science. Once that thing is found, it should be where we dedicate the best parts of our lives, our energy.

Finding one's passion is not entirely an inward-looking process, either. A central part of facing the uncertainties of life is to remember one's place in the greater scale of things and to remember people we share our lives with.

Life insurance and leaving a will can benefit one's life, even though the true value of our lives can never be counted by money.

Quantitative values set by society are done more for the lack of a better alternative than really assigning a fixed number to our being, as is the case of wealth distribution that ends up assigning humans into egregiously different classes.

Donating organs can be another possibility, as our dead body can yet be of use in benefiting medical research or extending the life of others.

The fate of the 239 passengers and crew members on Flight 370 is still uncertain. We hope for the best for these people and for their loved ones.

We can feel feeble in the face of great mysteries, but such feebleness can be the beginning of a search for our answers to the question of all time: why are we here?

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