The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Annual dance event brings out the best in youngsters dancing skills
- Abdul Ghani: Important for Indian community to support ruling party
- Increase in dengue cases in Johor
| Annual dance event brings out the best in youngsters dancing skills Posted: 20 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST JOHOR BARU: Some 750 people, mainly students, showed off their dancing skills during the annual National Chinese dance competition here. Visitors were entertained to about 50 different shows during the three-day competition at the Southern College Datuk Seri Joseph Chong's hall recently. The youngest performers at the event were primary one pupils while adults also showcased their dance moves in three different categories namely primary and secondary schools and open category. Lawyer Zahariah Mohd Alim, 39 said she attended the competition to show support for her two nieces participating in the event. "I was mesmerised by the performances especially by the little ones," she said adding that the organisers should in future try to make announcements in dual-language as she and her family did not understand Mandarin. She added that the competition was a fun way to boost children's self-confidence and sociability, as they had to interact with other dancers to ensure the dance flow. Businesswomen Janet Tan Soh Khin, 40, who came from Selangor with her family said that the dancers displayed originality and creativity in their dance routines. "Although most of them were students, they showed flexibility in their dance moves as if they were all professionals," she added. The 24th National Chinese dance competition was organised by Johor Baru Tiong Hua association in conjunction with its 90th anniversary. The event's organising chairman Oh Chee Kiong said the performers came from all over Malaysia including Johor, Kedah, Penang, Sabah as well as Sarawak and were mostly champions and runners-up of their respective states. "We received great response from the local Chinese schools and communities across the country as we have 750 participants this year and are looking forward to increase that number next year in Terengganu for the 25th dance competition," he said when met at the competition. Johor Jaya assemblyman Tan Cher Puk who officiated the event praised the association for diligently organising the event annually. "The performers in the competition are of high standard even though many of them are relatively young and dancing is a good way of expressing oneself," he said. The competition was divided into three categories, which included the participation of 19 Chinese primary schools, 16 Chinese secondary schools and 15 groups in the Open category. |
| Abdul Ghani: Important for Indian community to support ruling party Posted: 20 Jan 2013 03:51 PM PST JOHOR BARU: There will be many plans to further develop the Indian community and create inclusive policies that will help the community in future. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said that it was important for the Indian community to continue supporting the ruling Government as many problems faced by them are slowly being solved. "So far the Government has helped in the development of Hindu temples, Tamil schools and more job opportunities for the Indian community especially in Governmental organisations," he said. He was speaking during a special dinner with the Indian community held at the Dewan Raya Bandar Putra in Kulai here recently. The dinner which was attended by more than 3,000 people was also attended by MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, Johor state MIC chairman Datuk K.S. Balakrishnan and other state representatives and officials. Abdul Ghani said efforts were also being made to enhance business opportunities for the Indian community and this was aimed at bettering the community as a whole. "The state government will continue aiding the Indian community here but we need the support of the people to do it," he said. Abdul Ghani also reminded the people to not easily believe the false promises of the Opposition. "Pakatan Rakyat will not be able to take care of this country. Barisan Nasional however has a strong base and good constructive policies that will help the country grow in the coming years," he said. He added that the people should think rasionally and should weigh the odds before making a decision for change. "Some people just want a change because BN has been leading for so many years but the people need to understand that taking a chance with the Opposition could lead to disaster," he said. During the dinner, the guests were entertained with a wide array of performances including traditional dances, modern dances and songs sung by guests performers. |
| Increase in dengue cases in Johor Posted: 20 Jan 2013 03:52 PM PST NUSAJAYA: The public has been warned to take precautions against the spread of dengue following an increase in the number of cases this year, which has even resulted in at least one death. State Women, Family, Health and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robiah Kosai said since the beginning of this year, a total of 45 cases have been reported statewide compared with 37 cases the same period last year. "All the cases occurred in Johor Baru, Kulaijaya, Kluang and Muar," she said, adding that so far there were no cases in the other districts. On the fatality, she said that it involved a woman in her 50s who had fever for several days. Dr Robia said among the hotspots in Johor Baru include Taman Gembira, Taman Kota Putri, Perumahan Iskandar, Taman Sri Tebrau, Bandar Baru Uda (Padi Ria), Bandar Sri Alam (Jalan Gunung) and Bandar Sri Alam (Jalan Tasek). She added that last year there were a total of 1,650 cases statewide with at least three deaths. Dr Robiah urged members of the public to take precautions including keeping their neighbourhood clean and also carry out gotong royong to keep their areas clean. "I also hope that schools will also ensure that their surrounding areas are free from mosquito breeding grounds," she said, urging those suffering from continuous fever to immediately seek treatment. Meanwhile, on another issue, Dr Robiah said single mothers in the state enjoyed enrolling in sewing classes, cooking and holistic therapy classes to increase their income. She said presently the state had 6,572 registered single mothers with 852 attending at least 43 different courses organised by the family development foundation last year. "The state government allocates RM200,000 annually to help these women stand on their own feet and also to support their family," she said, adding that most of them were single mothers due to divorce or their husbands passing away. "The government also helps to provide equipment such a sewing machines, ovens, washing machines and freezers to help them venture into business," she said, urging single mothers to come forward and register to enjoy these benefits. |
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