November 2012 ~ Malaysians Demand Security

Friday, 30 November 2012

JALAN BULAN SEBELAH PLAZA BUKIT BINTANG DITUTUP SEMENTARA

Laluan kenderaan di Jalan Bulan bersebelahan Plaza Bukit Bintang, akan ditutup selama empat tahun untuk projek pembinaan Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) mulai Sabtu (1/12/2012) ini.

Pengarah Komunikasi Strategik dan Perhubungan Awam MRT Corporation Sdn Bhd Amir Mahmood Razak berkata berikutan itu orang ramai boleh menggunakan laluan alternatif di Jalan Bulan 1, Lorong Bintang atau melalui Jalan Imbi.

Beliau berkata kerja-kerja pembinaan stesen itu adalah sebahagian daripada laluan bawah tanah di kawasan bandar raya yang sibuk.

"Oleh itu, kawasan kerja yang sesuai adalah terhad. Kawasan kerja perlu berada dekat dengan tapak stesen atas sebab-sebab logistik dan keselamatan binaan," katanya pada sidang media di sini hari ini.

Amir Mahmood berkata pihaknya telah berbincang dengan pihak berkuasa berkaitan penutupan laluan itu dan papan tanda trafik akan diletakkan untuk membantu pengguna jalan raya.

Keep it private on Facebook

EARLIER this week, many Facebook users’ timelines were flooded with the same status update from their various friends staking copyright claims to their updates and uploads from Facebook.

Part of the status update reads: “In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc (as a result of the Bernes Convention).”

Never mind that the person who originally wrote the update from which people have been cutting and pasting onto their own statuses got the name of the Convention wrong (it’s Berne, by the way), but posting what is known as a “legal talisman” such as the above doesn’t really do anything.

Such updates are not new. For many years, and on a variety of websites, similar postings have appeared. In most cases, these words have little legal weight.

Take the aforementioned status update for example. First of all, a posting like that cannot override the terms and conditions that a user has accepted when signing up for the account. Even if one was to argue that Facebook has made many changes to its policies along the way, it would be naïve to believe that the company – now a publicly listed one – would not have covered their backs in the form of a clause stating that they are allowed to change said terms and conditions. What’s more, Facebook has many a time informed its users of impending changes to its privacy policies.

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty doctors will participate in the second humanitarian aid mission to Gaza next month.

Putra 1Malaysia Club president Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the focus would be on providing medical aid to the Palestinians.

The volunteers for the mission were responsible for their own safety and would have to sign an indemnity form, he said.

“Priority will go to volunteers who are single. This is a very dangerous mission, and even if there is a ceasefire, anything can happen,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

Abdul Azeez said an advance team would be sent into Gaza via Egypt on Dec 2 while the rest would follow on Dec 5 and return on Dec 14.

Gerakan Belia Gagasan 1Malaysia will join the mission for the first time.

In PUTRAJAYA, a fund to assist victims of the Gaza crisis has been launched to seek donations from Rela members.

1Rela-RM1-1Nyawa aims to collect RM3mil.

The Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) is still in the process of heating up for the rare earth concentrates to be fed into the kiln.

Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Mashal Ahmad said this in response to reports that the rare earth refinery would begin operations within 48 hours.

“We are still in the process of preparing the plant, heating up, calibrating and starting up bit by bit,” he said. “It is not a 48-hour job.”

Australia's Sydney Morning Herald had reported that the first feedstock was expected to pass into the refinery kiln.

Mashal said that once the rare earth concentrate had been fed into the process line, it would need 45 days to be refined into the final product.

On the shipment of rare earth raw materials to Malaysia, Mashal said any amount imported required approval from the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB).

About 100 containers of the rare earth concentrates arrived at the Kuantan Port and were transported to the plant last week.

SEPANG: A study is being carried out to determine a “more realistic” price of owning a house under the Government's low-cost housing scheme in view of the increasing cost of construction materials.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said a RM70,000 price tag for a low-cost unit would be more realistic compared to the current range of RM35,000 to RM45,000.

“The cost of construction materials and labour and other things has gone up a lot, so RM35,000 to RM45,000 is no longer viable.

“We are currently studying when is the best time (to increase the prices). We are thinking about it; and how to go about it,” he told a press conference before launching a seminar on public housing organised by the National Professors Council here.

Chor explained that under the people's housing programme managed by the Government, Malay-sians whose monthly household income does not exceed RM2,500 can purchase low-cost houses at RM35,000.

He said the Federal Government had informed its state counterparts of the proposal to allow an increase in low-cost house prices but he assured that that is nowhere near implementation for now.

Source : Click

GEORGE TOWN: A hawker's attempt to jump off the Penang Bridge was foiled following swift action by Fire and Rescue Department members.

The man, who was standing on the bridge guard rail, was pulled to safety by several firemen who rushed to the scene at 1.30am yesterday.

Several family members, who arrived at the scene, had pleaded with the 50-year-old man not to jump.

It is learnt that the man had earlier called his son, who is a member of the Voluntary Patrolling Unit (PPS), on Tuesday night to tell him that he had decided to end his life over “family problems”.

The man's son called other unit members for help and they found him at the bridge.

They contacted the Fire and Rescue Department as the man threatened to leap if they got any closer to him.

The man, who lives in Mount Erskine, was heading towards Butterworth where his wife and four children live.

He was later handed over to the police.

Legoland Malaysia gets a Christmas tree-t

Visitors to Legoland Malaysia theme park will be welcomed by the first Lego-made Christmas tree in Asia.

The 9m tree, including ornaments, was made entirely out of 427,695 Duplo Lego bricks and weighs 6,057kg.

The theme park's installation leader Libor Udzral said a crew of 20 put together the tree model, which was about three storeys tall, in the Czech Republic before the parts were shipped to Malaysia and assembled here.

“The tree is designed to withstand the wind, heat and rain because there is actually a steel frame in the middle supporting the tree,” he said during the unveiling of the tree here yesterday.

Udzral added that the tree was decorated with 260 ornaments such as snowflakes, pretzels, candy canes, bells and snowmen as well as more than 100 LED candles, also made from Lego.

“The Christmas tree here is the third one after similar ones at Legoland in California and Florida and it is also the tallest one among them,” he said, adding there will be a tree-lighting ceremony tomorrow evening.

In conjunction with the festive period, the theme park's operating hours would be extended to 8pm so that visitors have a chance to take photos with the tree when it is lit up.

TheStar

BANJIR DI SELANGOR : APA USAHA KHALID IBRAHIM UNTUK MEMBANTU RAKYAT?

Banjir telah melanda beberapa kawasan di Selangor. Malah, tanah runtuh juga telah berlaku di Ampang. Namun, Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang diterajui oleh Khalid Ibrahim, langsung tidak menampakkan sebarang usaha untuk membantu rakyat. Di sebalik pelbagai janji yang dibuat, Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat pimpinan Khalid Ibrahim lebih berminat dengan penghapusan aset dan penjualan serta harta benda rakyat Selangor untuk kepentingan diri, seolah-olah Pakatan Rakyat sudah tidak yakin lagi mereka akan menerajui Selangor selepas PRU13.

Apabila Najib Abdul Razak mengumumkan, sekiranya Barisan Nasional berjaya merampas Selangor dari tangan Pakatan Rakyat pada PRU13 akan datang, perkara pertama yang dilakukan nanti adalah melupuskan projek kondominium di Batu Caves, orang yang paling kuat melompat adalah Xavier Jeyakumar, Exco Selangor merangkap ADUN Sri Andalas. Kata Xavier Jeyakumar, Najib sekadar membeli undi untuk pilihanraya.

Anehnya, Pakatan Rakyat yang menjadi Kerajaan Negeri di Selangor tidak pula mendahului Barisan Nasional dengan melupuskan projek kondominium tersebut sebaliknya, berusaha menyalahkan UMNO dan Barisan Nasional, kononnya projek tersebut telah diluluskan pada zaman Kerajaan Negeri yang terdahulu.

KUALA KRAI: A man armed with a fake pistol and knife held five hair salon workers and a customer hostage for three hours in a hair salon here.

The 27-year-old unemployed graphic designer gave himself up after the police managed him to coax him into surrendering during the hostage drama which occurred at about 2.30pm yesterday and witnessed by hundreds of onlookers.

Kelantan CID chief ACP Lai Yong Heng said the suspect attempted to rob the five workers and a customer in the premises.

“The police managed to talk the suspect into surrendering and arrested him at about 5.30pm.

“The suspect has no previous criminal record. However, the suspect will be investigated under Section 393 and 342 of the Penal Code for using a sharp object and a fake pistol to commit robbery,” he said.

Upon entering the salon, the suspect grabbed one of the female workers and demanded that the other workers open the safe deposit box.

GEORGE TOWN: The number of Indians involved in violent crime has increased so much that Penang police have set up a task force to handle such cases.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said Indians were involved in 271 cases last year compared to 321 cases to date, an increase of 18.5%.

“These include 117 unarmed robbery cases and 13 murder cases last year and the number has risen to 158 and 29 respectively this year.

“The all-Indian task force is led by an ASP who will be assisted by 18 personnel, including two inspectors,” he said yesterday.

On a separate matter, Penang CID chief Senior Asst Comm Mazlan Kesah said the two men, aged 32 and 36, who allegedly slashed a lorry transport company operator to death on Nov 21, were arrested at about 5pm on the island yesterday.

“One of them tested positive for drug abuse and has five previous convictions. The other was wanted by us for causing unrest with dangerous weapons in Tanjung Tokong,” he said.

Source : Click

SLIM RIVER: Pang Lee Si was supposed to be married in 10 days' time.

However, the 35-year-old from Serdang, Kedah, and four others were killed when their journey to a musical performance at a temple ended in tragedy.

The MPV they were travelling in from Parit Buntar to Muar collided with a stationary 12-tonne lorry at KM372 of the North-South Expressway at about 7am yesterday.
“The MPV crashed into a rice-laden lorry, which was parked on the emergency lane,” said Deputy Tanjung Malim OCPD Deputy Supt R. Supramaniam

“The lorry (which was heading towards Sungai Buloh, Selangor, from Jitra, Kedah) had a flat tyre and was forced to stop by the roadside.

“The MPV rammed into the lorry before the driver could place emergency cones to warn incoming vehicles,” he added.

DSP Supramaniam said the five died on the spot while six others were rushed to the Slim River Hospital.

Participants of anti-Lynas march disperse

KUALA LUMPUR: Participants who took part in the Himpunan Hijau walk dispersed after holding a meeting near the barricades at Dataran Merdeka.

They had camped overnight after completing a 300km march from Kuantan that began on Nov 13.

They unanimously passed three motions for a greener environment the immediate closure of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Gebeng, Kuantan; the suspension and review of projects deemed harmful to the nation; and an assurance that future projects are in line with the Earth Charter.

Several Oppostion MPs and state assemblyman, including DAP adviser and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Selangor exco Ronnie Liu, were present.

Himpunan Hijau leader Wong Chin Huat told the crowd to disperse at 11am. Many boarded buses back to Kuantan. Police later removed the barricades along Jalan Raja.

The group had called off plans to march to Parliament to hand over a memorandum to the Prime Minister.

The implementation of the Automated Enforcement System (AES) does not affect existing traffic laws or regulations.

Road Transport Department deputy director Ahmad Nasir Abdul Gani said the public seemed to be confused about the AES.

“For instance, a summons for beating the red light is still RM300 prior to the AES. The difference now is that there is a 24-hour monitoring system via the AES cameras,” he said here yesterday.

Motorists who were issued speeding tickets could still appeal, provided there was concrete proof, he added.

Commenting on a report stating that there was more than 60,000 traffic offences recorded by the AES since September, Ahmad Nasir said they would be verified first before summonses were issued.

Ahmad Nasir emphasised that the AES was needed in order to reduce the high rate of accidents and fatalities in Malaysia, with 19 deaths recorded daily.

“Hopefully the AES can educate Malaysian drivers to be more cautious as there are 22 million vehicles registered in the country, with an annual increase of 10%,” he said.

Source : TheStar

Source : BBC News

An emergency centre has been set up at a leisure centre in St Asaph.

About 200 flood warnings are in force in England and Wales and there are two for the Scottish Borders region.

Heavy rain has fallen in northern England and north Wales but the wet conditions are set to ease.

However, there are fears saturated ground could lead to further flooding and travel disruption.

Inspector Mark Davies from North Wales Police said the flooding in the area was also affecting the villages of Llanfairtalhaiarn, Llangernyw and Llansannan nearby.

"The Environment Agency tell us water levels are rising and getting worse," he said.

"We haven't had any reports of people in severe difficulty but it has been distressing for people flooded in their own homes."

In North Yorkshire, more than 50 houses in Pickering are currently under threat from rising water levels.

And in Cornwall, the A39 at Perranarworthal is closed in both directions because of flooding and a poor road surface.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has assured the public that there are no findings to support claims of the danger of radioactivity at the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng, Kuantan.

“We found no evidence of any health threat to people living in the area,” he said at a press conference after launching the Fourth Conference on Traditional Medicine in Asean Countries here yesterday.

He said the Government had always prioritised the public's health and had taken note of issues raised by groups about the plant's safety.

“We have set up a panel and met various experts. The Government also set up the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Lynas to study various claims brought up by the Himpunan Hijau group.

“However, until today, there is no evidence that it is dangerous to the public,” he said.

It was reported that the Himpunan Hijau group had embarked on a 300km walk from Kuantan to protest against LAMP.

PETALING JAYA: Scammers are “injuring” another hospital by using its website to con unsuspecting expatriates, including doctors.

“Hartamas Medical Center” mirrors the website of Damai Service Hospital (HQ) (DSH) to hire foreigners by offering jobs with lucrative salaries and other perks.

The website, which is still running, lists several job vacancies, including for general surgeon, paediatrician, physiotherapist and nurse manager.

They have handphone numbers for people to contact although instead of a fake mailing address, the “hospital” lists the address of DSH on its website, which is about 5km away from the fake Dutamas Hospital, supposedly located in Solaris Dutamas, that was reported last week.

DSH officials were shocked when a doctor turned up claiming that he had been offered a job some weeks ago.

Chief operating officer Andy Soo, in denying any connection to the scam, said the expatriate doctor had a letter stating that he had been offered a job.

The Health Ministry is looking into a “zoning” system to distribute pharmacies over both urban and rural areas to make it easier for the people to get their medicine.

Pharmaceutical services division director Datuk Eisah A Rahman said a Healthcare Providers' Mapping Service was in the works to show the distribution of pharmacies.

“With this service, people will know the location of the pharmacy nearest to the hospital or clinic they have visited.

“More importantly, it can assist health policy makers in implementing the zoning of pharmacies to ensure equitable distribution and access to medicine for the public,” she said.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said there seemed to be an inequitable distribution of pharmacies, as there were more outlets in urban areas than in rural places.

Ministry statistics show that there are 10,006 registered pharmacists and 1,834 pharmacies in the country.

Sabotage attempts must be detected early, says Ahmad Zahid

THE issue of party turncoats and sabotage will take centre stage at the coming Umno general assembly along with preparations for the general election.

A strong signal will be sent out to the delegates that traitors and saboteurs have no place within the party.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party learnt a harsh lesson in 2008 and will not compromise on the issue.

“We have to start early in detecting attempts to sabotage especially since the elections is coming. We need to act against them now and not wait until the elections is over.

“Even if we have to cut fingers, legs or hands (sack members), at least the body (Umno) will remain intact,” he said in an interview recently.

It is an open secret that in 2008, many Umno members turned against Barisan Nasional over dissatisfaction on the choice of candidates.

“Barisan clearly lost Perak and Kedah in the last elections because of sabotage and we nearly lost Negri Sembilan. We need to make sure this does not happen again,” said Ahmad Zahid.

Residents of Pandamaran and its surrounding areas received some good news with the soon-to-be-opened basic healthcare centre under the 1Malaysia Clinic initiative.

The clinic is intended to serve the middle and low income population in the area.

Minister of Health Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the setting up of 1Malaysia Clinics nationwide was a reflection of the Government's aim to put the people's interest first, especially those in the middle and low income groups.

“In ensuring the people's wellbeing and easy access to quality healthcare, a total of 151 1Malaysia clinics are in operation this year nationwide and plans are under way to open another 70 clinics next year.”

“In line with the additional clinics, the rakyat, especially those in the interior areas will not have to concern themselves with access to basic healthcare.

“The clinics will be built in the vicinity of the chosen residential areas,” he said.

Source : BBC News

On Friday, the cabinet authorised the call-up of up to 75,000 reservists, although so far only about 20,000 have been contacted.

So what is Israel's military strategy?

Its offensive, which is being called Operation Pillar of Defence, began on Wednesday when the head of the Hamas armed wing, Ahmed Jabari, was killed in his car in Gaza City.

Continue reading the main story
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Start Quote

We don't claim to topple Hamas, this not our objective - it is to deter them”

Moshe Yaalon
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister
Since then, the assault against Gaza has been conducted through a remote campaign of air strikes, naval artillery and tank fire across the border.

More than 1,100 targets have been hit. The Israel Defense Forces say their objective is to stop rocket fire by militant groups in Gaza into Israeli towns and cities.

Food lovers were in “culinary heaven” as they savoured the best curry mee, nasi lemak, pasembur, rojak, Hokkien mee and char koay teow at the Battle of Penang Hawker Masters 2012 finale.

The delectable offerings, concocted by 18 leading street food vendors, proved to be a treat with the 500-strong crowd.

The event, held at Penang Times Square for the second year running, was “a sell-out” with all tickets snapped up hours before it began yesterday.

Finance analyst Benson Tan and supervisor Choo Hock Kheong were among those who sampled all 18 dishes.

The slender built duo proved that size was no indication of one's appetite.

Retired chef Lee Yoke Weng lamented that the two-hour time-frame for visitors to sample the dishes was not enough.

The Star executive director and group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, who was among the judges, said that as a Penangite, he was truly passionate about street food. He said besides taste, healthy cooking and hygiene was also important.

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen days after leaving Kuantan on a 300km march, the Himpunan Hijau group protesting against the Lynas Advanced Material Plant finally reached the capital and parked itself outside Dataran Merdeka, which was cordoned off.

Surrounded by a huge crowd that had joined the original group of protesters, Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack vowed to remain outside Dataran until 9am today, adding that they would not march to Parliament as originally planned.

The organisers had planned to camp at Dataran last night before heading to Parliament the next day to submit a memorandum against the commencement of the Lynas plant.

Wong also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to meet the protesters at Dataran and listen to their concerns.

At the historic square, both the crowd and police officers manning the barricades were calm, with many even walking up to the barrier to pose for photographs.

Earlier, the group, which set off from Kuantan on Nov 13, gathered at the Sentul market at about 1pm before starting on their last leg of the march.

Wet spell pushes up number of influenza-like illness cases

There is a slight increase in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases due to the wet spell.

Health Ministry's Disease Control Division director Dr Chong Chee Kheong said the number of ILI cases compared to total number of outpatients (national ILI consultation rate) from Oct 7 to Nov 3 showed such cases went up from 0.43% to 0.50%.

He said this was still well below the alert threshold of 10%.

Dr Chong said the ministry's virus surveillance on week 37 (up to Sept 15) showed that the circulating virus was mainly the influenza B virus (72.3%) which was less virulent compared to the influenza A virus (11.6%).

He said ILI occurred throughout the year with a slight increase during the wet season.

The main symptoms of influenza are fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, headache and fatigue, he said.

To prevent the spread of influenza viruses, he said people should follow basic hygiene rules and frequently wash their hands with soap and water.

Two hundred and sixty-five families in Lukut and Siliau near here were affected by flash floods that inundated their homes following heavy rain.

District officer Ab Khalid Mat said water level rose rapidly during the downpour which started at 5am.

“Among the affected areas were Siliau, Taman Indah Jaya, Taman Wawasan, Bandar Springhill, Kampung Batu 7 and Kampung Batu 10. The flood inundated the homes of 265 families here.

“However, none of the residents were evacuated because the floodwaters receded completely by 11am,” he said yesterday.

One of those affected, R. Deviamu-hanthan, said the flash floods had damaged the electrical items and furniture at his house.

“I couldn't save many of the stuff at home because the water rose too fast.

“Many of my neighbours' homes were also swamped,” he said.

GEORGE TOWN: Residents of the Taman Seri Damai flats in Batu Lanchang here made a quick dash out after a rooftop water tank burst, turning the 16-storey block into a “water theme park” of sorts.

The impact was such that many even thought a bomb had gone off after hearing an “explosion”. As they ran, they were hit by water gushing from above.

Most of the units located on the upper floors of the low-cost flats were affected.

Residents were seen trying frantically to move their electrical appliances and furniture after the incident at 8.40pm on Friday.

Residents committee secretary Shukor Ali, 49, said the water tank had not been replaced for 22 years.

“Luckily no one was injured and the tank did not collapse.

“There were 10 tanks on the rooftop. There have been leakages and only minor repairs were carried out,” he said.

Minister urges Muslims to hold prayers for lasting peace in Gaza

Muslims in the country have been advised to hold prayers for the people of Gaza to live in peace.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said prayers would help “make a difference”.

“Some people may think that nothing can come from prayers compared with other forms of assistance, but as Muslims, we have to pray to achieve all objectives,” he said.

The minister called on mosques and surau throughout the country to hold prayers for the safety of the Palestinians.

He said mosques under the jurisdiction of the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia, such as Masjid Negara, Masjid Putra, Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and the Federal Territory Mosque, and other mosques in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, should conduct prayers.

These mosques are scheduled to have special sermons on the issue of Palestine today.

Jamil Khir said in the context of seeking to protect the Palestinians, Malaysia was on the right track in using every available avenue to assist them.

He said efforts to help should continue with the support of the international community.

Source : Click

Fresh start for ex-convict

S. A. Balachandran borrowed RM150,000 from friends and family to start a business after his release from prison.

However, his business harvesting chillies took a bad turn after 10,000 of his trees were destroyed.

He now has a chance to rebuild, thanks to a RM40,000 loan from Tekun Nasional's Indian Entrepre-neurs Development Scheme.

“I was sentenced to 16 years in 1998 for drug possession and was released in 2009.

“I decided to start the business after learning about agriculture in prison.” said Balachandran, when met at the Tekun cheque presentation ceremony on Tuesday.

Credit card debt churning out bankrupt graduates

Many university graduates have been declared bankrupt due to heavy credit card spending and failing to settle their loans early on in their working lives.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said statistics showed that there were a 40% increase of bankrupts every five years and by 2020, the number was expected to reach 120,000.

He said young graduates lost control of their finances through excessive credit card spending and high loan repayments during the early stages of their careers.

“They should be taught to spend wisely and learn to take control of their financial affairs in the early stages of their student life,” he said after opening the Graduates Consumer Movement carnival and presenting Siswa 1Malaysia discount cards at Universiti Malaysia Pahang on Wednesday.

TheStar

A fun roadtrip among superbike enthusiasts ended in tragedy after one rider died and five others were seriously injured in an accident.

Ishak Jaafar, 53, died on the spot in the accident which occurred at about noon yesterday on KM13.6 of the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) near the Subang Jaya exit.

The accident happened when a car driving on the middle lane of the highway suddenly swerved into the fast lane on the right, hitting six bikers.

It is believed that one of the injured bikers is a traffic policeman from Johor.

The convoy was heading north from Kota Tinggi, Johor.

The other injured bikers in the 12-man convoy were rushed to Hospital Sungai Buloh for treatment.

Ishak's body has been taken to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre for a post mortem.

The superbikes involved are estimated to cost between RM80,000 and RM150,000 each.

A post on the accident at the Fire and Rescue Department's official Facebook page saw over 500 users offering their condolences to Ishak's family.

TheStar

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has appealed for the ceasefire in Gaza to hold out, saying a long-term solution should be worked out.

The Prime Minister asked Israel to remove its blockade on Gaza “so that Palestinians can enjoy their right to life”.

“It is with great relief that we awoke to news of a ceasefire in Gaza (yesterday). I call upon both sides to stand true to the ceasefire agreement and ensure no further destruction of property and loss of life,'' he said at a dinner in conjunction with the International Conference on War-Affected Children here last night.

The conference, held at the Putra World Trade Centre earlier in the day, featured local and international speakers highlighting the effects of war on children.

Najib said the focus should be on a broader Middle East peace process, saying the region should move from conflict to stability.

“No child should lose his or her home, family or life. It is incumbent on us, the governing generation, to make the changes that children deserve,''he said.

IT is rather surprising if you compare the statement by Road Transport Department (JPJ) deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Ahmad on Oct 5 that there are adequate signs to warn motorists of the Automated Enforcement System (AES) cameras at 14 locations nationwide with the current situation that those caught without warning must still pay.

I disagree that those caught without warning must still pay since the Road Transport (Camera-Recorded Offences) Rules 2012 was clearly amended to make it compulsory for signs to be erected to warn motorists of cameras to detect speeding and at traffic lights.

Cameras are installed to be able to zoom in on the faces of the drivers who commit traffic offences as evidence that they were the ones behind the wheel at the time the offence was committed.

The latest spate of atrocities suffered by Palestinians at the hands of Israel is expected to be a key talking point at the Umno general assembly next week, party vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.

He said the topic was unavoidable as the pursuit of global peace had much to do with the economy, education and religion.

“This is something that is close to our hearts and championed by the party for a long time,” he said after launching the 1KDN Semarakkan Kedamaian programme here.

Hishammuddin, who chairs the assembly's Motions and Speakers committee, said with Internet access these days, the stand taken by Umno members in pushing for justice would be known around the world.

“We don't want to see hate politics and the spread of allegations, which have become a norm in today's political landscape.

“We want to differentiate ourselves from that... no matter how small, if we are sincere, honest and united, our voices will be heard,” he said.

Hackers' collective Anonymous claims it has declared 'cyber war' against Israel in retaliation for threats to block Palestinians' internet access.

As the Israel Defence Forces began airstrikes against targets in the territory, the hacktivist group tried to cripple Israeli sites and government networks.

The move came as Israel admitted the war is being fought on 'three fronts' - including physical, social networks and cyber attacks - and triggered calls for a 'cyberdome' protective shield to mirror the 'Iron dome' missile defence system.

Scroll down for video

'Cyber war has been declared on Israel cyber space': A grab from a YouTube video uploaded by Anonymous in which the collective calls on members to target Israeli websites and networks

Israel's finance minister Yuval Steinitz admitted last night that the group - along with other protesters - bombarded Israeli sites with more than 60million hacking attempts.

However, he said most of the attacks failed and that the only site that was successfully brought down was up again within minutes.

Anonymous though posted a list of more than 650 Israeli websites it says it has taken down or defaced in retaliation for what it called 'the barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment of the Palestinian people'.

Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2235668/Hackers-declare-cyber-war-Israel-IDF-threatens-cut-Palestinians-internet-latest-Gaza-campaign.html

Hamas says 'Israel failed in its goals'

CAIRO: Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said on Wednesday that Israel had “failed in all its goals” after a Gaza truce deal came into effect, while thanking Egypt’s President Morsi for his support.

“After eight days, God stayed their hand from the people of Gaza, and they were compelled to submit to the conditions of the resistance,” Meshaal said.

“Israel has failed in all its goals,” he told reporters in a Cairo hotel.

Meshaal also thanked ceasefire mediator Egypt, as well as Iran, which he said “had a role in arming” his Islamist movement.

“I would like to thank our dear Egypt, aided by the brave elected President Mohamed Morsi... Egypt acted responsibly and understood the demands of the resistance and the Palestinian people,” he said.

Meshaal also praised Iran, despite “disagreements on the situation in Syria”.

The truce accord, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, calls on Israel to “stop all hostilities... in the land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals”.

It also urges the Palestinian factions to end “rocket attacks and all attacks along the border”.


Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh

Two men who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for alleged involvement in terrorism have been released.

Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said Shamsuddin Alik and Mohd Sarail Osman were released at 10pm on Tuesday.

“They were arrested in Tawau on Nov 15 last year. Under the original detention order, they were only expected to be released in January 2014,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Syed Ibrahim said he was informed of their release in an SMS from their lawyer Fadiah Nadwa.

With their release, those still being detained under the ISA are six men from Sri Lanka, two from India, two from Iraq, two Indonesians, a Bangladeshi and a Filipino.

Inspector-General of Police Secretariat’s assistant public relations chief Asst Comm Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf confirmed the duo’s release.

Source : Click

IPOH: Four Projek Penyelenggaraan Lebuhraya Berhad (Propel) workers were killed and four others seriously injured after a trailer crashed into them at KM294 of the North-South Expressway near Gopeng.

Perak police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said three workers died on-the-spot while the fourth died at the hospital after the 4.30am accident yesterday.

The victims have been identified as Hafez Yunus, 39, from Kuala Lumpur, Ismady Mohd Rodzi, 32, from Kulim, Kedah, Shaharuddin Abd Aziz, 51, from Kuala Kangsar, and Mohd Shafie Ismail, 56, from Ipoh.

DCP Mohd Shukri said four other workers, the trailer driver and the co-driver were injured.

Those injured have been identified as Dino Azmi, 36, Mohd Rozi Mat Sharif, 44, Azhan Ismail, 44, Mahyuddin Idris, 48, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, 41, and Shafudin Abdul Jalil, 31.

“The workers were about to start some maintenance work along the left side of that stretch.

Israel's aggression against Gaza and territorial disputes hog the headlines but much of Asean's agenda was achieved in the three long days of meetings.

AS he got up after his press conference with the Malaysian media before departing home from Phnom Penh, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak candidly exclaimed: “Wah! Exhausted! If anyone thinks that this is a joy ride, you better tell the people at home.

“Pagi sampai malam tiga hari berturut turut, tak berhenti langsung! (From morning to night for three days in a row. Non-stop)”. He quipped, still looking dapper despite going through another long day of meetings with Asean and world leaders, including from China, India, the United States and Japan.

Asean summits have always had a punishing schedule for those participating in the meetings. Meetings always overrun the scheduled time, causing a pyramid effect on other meetings.

But as a seasoned Asean summit attendee from Malaysia puts it, “Asean meetings will always be important as the cornerstone of a country's foreign policy”.

Asean meetings can be slow affairs but can get fairly “exciting” when there is a crisis brewing be it political or foreign affairs.

US president to play role for ceasefire in Gaza conflict

US President Barack Obama has responded to a call by Malaysia and Indonesia asking for his country to get Israel to stop its military aggression in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia had called for a resolution not only for the short-term but in the long run to end the conflict.

“Obama said he would try and that he wanted the current violence to stop. But to get a comprehensive and final solution would be a huge undertaking.

“He knows the challenges and complexities of the problem.

“This is a very complex and almost insurmountable (problem),” Najib told the Malaysian media after attending the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) meeting, which was also attended by Obama yesterday.

Officials said Malaysia and Indonesia had spoken up about the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during the Asean-US Summit on Monday.

THE hideously spiralling, lopsided violence in Gaza is a tragedy of vast proportions and a travesty of international politics.

Israel, as a full member of the United Nations, is hell-bent on punishing the Palestinian people again by exterminating residents of Gaza along with its Hamas leadership.

For more than a week now, Israeli forces have bombarded Gaza more viciously than any independent terrorist group, deliberately targeting homes and other civilian centres after murdering a Palestinian Hamas leader.

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed and over 700 wounded, in “response” to what Israel says are Hamas rocket attacks that killed three Israelis.

This has come after years of a siege that Israel forced on Gaza, compelling residents to turn to Hamas.

Israel has made a mockery of claims to a Palestinian state, and yet the United Nations and particularly the UN Security Council can only stand by.

KUALA LUMPUR: MPs from both sides of the political divide spoke with one voice to condemn the latest Israeli attack against the people of Palestine.

At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, they unanimously approved an emergency motion moved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to decry the military attacks.

The resolutions stated in the motion will be sent to all relevant legislative assemblies especially the US Congress, the British Parliament, the European Union Parliament, the UN secretary-general and the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

It also sought to urge the Security Council to compel Israel to immediately cease its military attacks on Gaza and deploy a peacekeeping force there.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz tabled the motion on Najib's behalf.

To a suggestion from Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PASTumpat) to sever all ties with Israel, Nazri said this was impossible as Malaysia practised free trade dealings.

“Malaysia has never had import and export ties with Israel. Malaysia is a nation that practises free trade so we cannot control international trade, including the destination of our products,” he said when winding up the debate on the emergency motion.

IPOH: Three highway maintenance workers died on the spot when a trailer crashed into them along KM294 of the North-South Expressway, near Gopeng.

Kampar OCPD Supt Ng Kong Soon said the trailer, which was heading towards Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur, had ploughed into eight Projek Penyelenggaraan Lebuhraya Berhad (Propel) workers on the left lane of the expressway at about 4.30am on Wednesday.

Supt Ng said seven others, including the trailer driver and a co-driver, sustained serious injuries.

He said the workers were conducting some maintenance work there prior to the incident.

He added the the road was wet and on an uphill stretch.

"All victims have been sent to hospitals in Kampar and Ipoh to receive treatment," he said.

Source : Click

The tabling of a motion condemning Israel's atrocities in Gaza has received the thumbs up from non-governmental organisations.

Country Director for Islamic Relief Malaysia (IRM) Zairul Shahfuddin Zainal Abidin said the motion was an appropriate action taken by the government to express its concern about the plight of the innocent civilians in Palestine.

"The voices of free countries like Malaysia need to be heard to let the Israelis know that the world is watching and people are aware of the outrageous crime they are committing."

Zairul Shahfuddin said that besides the tabling of the motion, Malaysia would also be lobbying the United Nations to hasten relief efforts in Gaza.

"I am glad that we are doing our part to help the Palestinians."

He said IRM was also making efforts to assist the Palestinians in terms of medical support, adding that IRM was targeting to raise RM5 million which would be distributed to nearly 30 hospitals in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Aqsa Syarif chairman Dr Hafidzi M Nor said the tabling of the motion was laudable.

"As a democratic country, we need to show our concern to ensure that the United Nation stands up to help the Palestinians."

Source : NewStraitsTimes

In the can — liquid cocaine in cans

The authorities are still busy opening some 23,000 cans of canned pineapples and coconut milk, believed to contain 76kg of cocaine worth at least RM22mil.

Only 30% of the cargo have been inspected so far, with 384 cans found to contain 200gm of the liquidised drug each.

Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said police had received a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration that the drug shipment from Guyana, South America, was expected to make a stop in Port Klang en route to Mozambique.

“We decided to work together with the Selangor Customs Department. A day after the ship docked at Port Klang, we boarded it at 2am on Nov 12 to inspect the containers.

“Inside one container, we found 980 boxes of canned processed pineapple and coconut milk,” he told reporters in Bukit Aman here yesterday.

After opening almost 100 cans on the ship and analysing the contents with a portable drug testing kit, the team finally hit pay dirt when one was found positive with cocaine.

The cargo was then seized and handed over to the police forensics and chemistry laboratory.

KOTA KINABALU: Police are tightening security in Malaysian waters and at borders and is also seeking the cooperation of the authorities in neighbouring countries to nab the gang responsible for the abduction of two cousins in Lahad Datu recently.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said state police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib has been told to strengthen ties with the related parties to ensure better control of the such situations.

"I want to ensure Malaysians at large, particularly Sabahans, here, that we take this very seriously.

"We are strengthening ties to send a message to these groups that we are alert and we guarantee the safety of our civilians.

"They cannot beat us, we won't allow that to happen," Ismail said after launching the Auxiliary Police Agency conference with senior police officers here, yesterday.

On the motive for the abduction, Ismail said it is mostly always “dollars and cents’ and he appealed to Malaysians to come forward if they have information on this case.

MALACCA: Alor Gajah emerged as the worst casualty in a second wave of floods which hit the state after incessant rain.

Some 400 homes in the district were submerged in a metre-high water after rain poured since early yesterday morning. The authorities fear that villagers would be forced to evacuate if the downpour continues.

In the latest situation, 12 areas in Alor Gajah were badly hit while the main gateway into the city the Malacca International Trade Centre-Seri Negeri junction was closed to traffic due to high water at 10.30am.

In Alor Gajah, some 1,500 residents from Kampung Sungai Siput, Brisu, Sungai Petai, Pengkalan and Belimbing Dalam, Taman Pengkalan Indah, Taman Awan Biru, Gadek Dalam, Pegoh, Air Hitam Lendu, Sungai Tuang,Rantau Panjang and Simpang Ampat were badly hit.

Residents were also seen moving their belongings from their homes to safer ground when the water started rising since 9am.

District Civil Defence Department officer Hamdan Mohd Saat said 15 members of his team were sent to help stranded victims while six flood relief centres were opened as a contingency plan to accommodate evacuees.

The ‘war’ is on now between PAS and DAP in the opposition alliance that was formed with the sole purpose of unseating Barisan Nasional (BN) and take over as the federal government.

Nice beautiful ambition that started as a dream and it now seems to have developed into near reality as the opposition alliance of three parties – PAS, DAP and PKR – keep pounding and hammering BN with allegations and accusations which somewhat or rather succeeded in molding the minds of Malaysians into believing them to be true.

A hard climb through lies and cheats, the three parties managed to take over four states in 2008 and this time around, they plan to take over the federal government.

They feel the people, Malaysians who are voters at large will continue to support them and their lies, forgetting that the states that they controlled now are in chaos with voters’ uprising following their unfulfilled promises and unprofessional administration.

And despite all these, as they continue exposing allegations of scandals and so on, they want Malaysians and voters to believe that they are capable of running the country, managing the nation’s economy as well as making policies beneficial to all the races and religions.

If they are truly capable, the three parties would not argue and debate whether the country would implement Islamic laws and enforces Hudud.
PAS, the most senior partner in PR has stated and reiterated its stand that it will implement Islamic laws and enforces Hudud if the opposition wins the federal government.

Worse still is that the party wanted its president Abdul Hadi Awang to be the Prime Minister, not PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim.

So now the ‘war’ between them begins with DAP and PKR wanting Anwar as Prime Minister while PAS insisted on Hadi Awang.

Logically, if they cannot come together and have one mind on such matter, do they think voters would trust them to run the country?

The ‘war’ is an open secret as voters watch what will be outcome before the present government calls for election.

Voters are now smarter…like the saying goes once bitten twice shy…they already know what and who the oppositions are and with this new issue on who is going to be the Prime Minister, they are more wary and worry.

How hard the oppositions try to hide the issue, Malaysians at large know they cannot be voted into the government because they do not stand united in philosophies and principles.

They are poles apart and voters know there is no rallying point among them…not even on a simple matter like who is the Prime Minister.

Thus, no matter what kind of show they put up, voters already know the oppositions have no contents what more other criteria to rule.

Even as neighbours picked through the rubble of their destroyed house for survivors, the stunned Dalu family arrived at Gaza's main hospital on Monday to collect the bodies of nine relatives for burial.

"Is this your wife?" asked a medic inside the morgue.

"Ahh, what happened to your face sweetheart?" her husband said, weeping and collapsing into the arms of his spouse. The woman's face was burnt beyond recognition.

Israel's bombing of the Dalu house in Gaza on Sunday was the deadliest single attack since it began an offensive it said was aimed at deterring Hamas and other militant groups from firing rockets over the border at its towns and villages.

Nine members of the Dalu family, a mother and her four children, a grandmother, great grandmother and two aunts died in the Gaza strike. Two other neighbours were also killed as the building collapsed.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein warned that heavy military action by Israel against Gaza could bring about a rise in militancy in the world.

“And it's not just the extremist militants. Even those, who are not extremist by nature, will look at Israel's heavy-handedness and feel angry at them,” he said during a mass circumcision ceremony in Batu Umno in Gombak yesterday.

The Government, he said, had also been monitoring the situation involving two Malaysians caught in Lebanon for alleged links to terrorist group al-Qaeda for over a year.

“We know of their actions. We know that their network is not just in Malaysia but also in neighbouring countries,” he said.

Muhamad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal, 21, and Razif Mohd Ariff, 30, are currently facing trial in a Lebanese military tribunal. The Home and Foreign ministries were watching the trial closely to ensure they were treated fairly, he said.

PETALING JAYA: A milk company is going all out to encourage children to drink its formula instead of chomping down on junk food.

Cotra Enterprises Sdn Bhd deputy general manager Michael Ong said his company manufactured the Marigold UHT Milk a glass of which is akin to a complete meal.

“Since the milk is almost like a complete meal by itself, it will give children the proper nourishment that they need,” said Ong during a photography session to mark his company's sponsorship of the Kuntum-Marigold Holiday Enrichment Workshops 2012.

This is the second time Cotra Enterprise is sponsoring the event.

The event ends tomorrow. Three workshops are on offer.

Packets of Marigold UHT are being given out during the workshops.

Yesterday, participants took part in a fun-filled money management game called “I'm Junior Millionaire”.

The game allowed them to navigate through the ups and downs of business cycles and find the best way to emerge as financial champions.

User-friendly website soon to empower children

KUALA LUMPUR - Childline Malaysia is currently developing a website to enable children to contact it for help over their rights and protection.

Its chairman Sabri Rahman said the website would benefit children who were hearing impaired or unable to contact them via telephone.

"We are now developing a user-friendly website, which will be more of a social network site incorporating a Facebook and Twitter-like environment," Sabri said at a press conference at the Children for Child Protection Forum and Exhibition 2012.

"This will allow for another medium for children to contact us. We hope to complete it by June next year."

He added that another benefit of the website was that it offered more privacy.

Sabri said the website was currently being modelled on similar applications done by Childline organisations in other countries.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Six families were left with only the clothes on their backs after a fire gutted their rented semi-wooden, double-storey houses at Kampung Kubang Semang near here.

Zuraini Darus, 42, said she was having her bath at 10.30am yesterday when the incident happened and she rushed out after being alerted of the fire by her neighbours.

“I could not go upstairs to salvage my belongings as the fire was spreading fast,” she said, adding that she managed to save her daughter Muna Izzah Abdul Mustafa, 10, who was in the living room.

Her husband Abdul Mutalib Mohd Noor, 52, who works as a land surveyor at a construction company, said he was buying groceries at the market when he received a call from a friend about the fire.

“I rushed back and all that I have, including my personal documents and education certificates, were lost,” he added.

Abdul Mutalib, who has been renting the house for 21 years, said he estimated his losses at RM50,000.

Another victim Mohd Nazri Abdul Rahman, 37, said he was sleeping after completing his night shift and was awakened by his six-year-old son Mohd Lokman.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has directed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to table an emergency motion in the Dewan Rakyat today to express Malaysia’s strong condemnation against the latest Israeli attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Prime Minister said the motion, among others, would:

> Strongly condemn Israeli military attacks in Gaza that have resulted in the loss of lives of Palestinians;

> Urge the United Nations (UN) Security Council to issue a resolution demanding Israel to immediately stop its military aggression;

> Urge the UN to hold an emergency session if the Security Council fails to do so;

> Express the solid support of Malaysians for the struggle of the Palestinians; and

> Forward the resolution to all parliaments, especially the American Congress, and British and European Parliaments.

Najib, who is here for the 21st Asean Summit and other related summit conferences, said he had raised the issue of the attacks against Gaza at the summit yesterday.

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