17052012

No. 5520 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.
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MAY 17 , 2012
Promotion
for 24,000 teachers
> 28 recommendations to reduce teachers workload also being implemented
UALA KANGSAR: A total of 24,053 teachers are to be considered for promotion between June 1 and Dec 31. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the exercise involves 8,222 teachers with bachelors degree, and 15,831 others with diplomas. They can check their names at the Education Ministrys website, he said when launching the 41st National Teachers Day celebration here yesterday. Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said that in line with the government effort to improve the teaching service scheme, the minimum allocation for the time-based promotion, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on March 8, will be maintained. Under the scheme, teachers need only complete: eight years of service to be promoted from Grade DG41 to Grade DG44; eight years to move from Grade DG44 to move to DG48; six years to be promoted from Grade DG48 to DG52; and only three years to move from Grade DG52 to DG54. Meanwhile, teachers with diplomas on Grade DGA29 need only complete eight years to be promoted to Grade DGA32; another eight years to move to DGA34; and five more years to DGA38. Muhyiddin said following Najibs announcement, 390 teachers had been promoted to Grade DG54, DG52 (676), DG48 (3,938), DG44 (19,805), DGA38 (399), DGA34 (2,639) and DGA32 (9,519). He said the promotion for principals on Grade DG48 to DG52 and senior assistants on Grade DG44 to DG48 had also been implemented by the ministry. So far, 854 principals have been promoted from Grade DG48 to DG52 and 4,270 senior assistants have been promoted from Grade DG44 to DG48. Muhyiddin said the promotions, which took effect on Jan 1, 2012, involved existing principals and senior assistants, or those who have been appointed to act in these capacities on or before Dec 31, 2011. He said the promotion for 430 other principals on Grade DG48 to DG52, and 2,655 senior assistants on Grade DG44 to DG48 will be ratified in stages from June 2012 when they fulfil the requirements. The government has allocated RM934 million to implement the promotions for
Joy is written on the face of SK Assunta 1 headmistress Naimah Mohd Nasir, 51, as she receives a bouquet of roses from pupils on Teachers Day yesterday.
Sugar can make you dumb

WASHINGTON: Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study showing how a diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats memories. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup a common ingredient in processed foods as drinking water for six weeks. One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity, said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Those not fed DHA supplements had also developed signs of resistance to insulin. Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss, Gomez-Pinilla said. High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, apple sauce, baby food and other processed snacks. Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brains ability to learn and remember. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimise the damage. AFP
officers in the education service. He said the government was committed to achieving the target of having 60% of graduate teachers in primary schools and 90% in secondary schools nationwide by 2015. He said the teachers graduating programme is also running smoothly with 69.6% of 66,124 teachers having accepted the offer to pursue tertiary education. Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said a working committee established to see how teachers workload can be reduced is implementing 28 recommendations to address 14 issues that have been raised. Among measures implemented is the introduction of a single data entry system in place of multiple systems. This system is being implemented as a pilot project in 88 schools and to be extended to all schools under the ministry by 2013, he said. He said the ministry is also conducting a study on the placement of administrative assistants N17 in schools until June to see its impact in reducing the clerical workload of teachers. A proposal will be submitted to the Public Service Department for the recruitment of administrative assistants N17 for schools, he added.
INSIDE
Expecting a good comedy

Cameron Diaz who stars in What to Expect When Youre Expecting feels she is not ready yet to have a child
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SKP needs US$1-1.5b new jobs yearly

RM13b orderbook to keep enlarged group busy for three-and-ahalf years
Sunbiz page 15
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NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS

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Continuing restrictions on media

> Political power still impedes freedom of expression, says CIJ
BY MICHELLE CHUN AND PAULINE WONG
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Political parties from both sides of the divide continue to exert influence on the media and impose restrictions on freedom of expression, a report by the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) revealed yesterday. In its Freedom of Expression Report 2011, the centre noted that many reforms were announced by the government but there were continuous violations of civil liberties and media freedom that seem to contradict promises of change. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his government went to great lengths in 2011 to demonstrate that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is ready for reform. However, events in 2011 tell a different story. The announced legal reforms do not go far enough to ensure an open and democratic Malaysia, the report said. In a historic Malaysia Day speech on Sept 15 last year, Najib had announced the repealing of
the Internal Security Act 1960 along with the Restricted Residence 1933 and Banishment Act 1959. He also promised that laws on newspaper publication and freedom of assembly would be reviewed. However, the report said several bills passed last year seemed to impose further restrictions rather than remove them. The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 gives the police such far-reaching and arbitrary powers that some have said that it should be called the Restricted Assembly Bill. The report said the government has also shown its willingness to use other repressive laws such as the Sedition Act 1948, Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, as well as exerted heavy influence on mainstream print media. When contacted, CIJ executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah said the report is an echo of the centres report in 2010. It is the same old story. Nothing much has changed. Although there had been promises of reforms last year, many have still not been
BERNAMAPIX
carried through entirely, she said. Masjaliza said the empty promises speak of the governments lack of understanding and commitment to reform. The report also noted that Pakatan Rakyat had also employed practices which seem to impede media freedom. Questions may be raised with the Selangor governments involvement in the publication of state newspaper Selangor Times. The mentri besars political and press secretaries have been named as advisors to the paper and vet contents before it goes to print. It added that the pact had also banned Umno-linked paper Utusan Malaysia from covering Penang and Kelantan assembly proceedings. Some of the rhetoric used by Pakatan for Utusans ban is similar to the strong-arm tactics applied by the BN government, it said, adding that while the pact has introduced freedom of information laws in Selangor and Penang, there is still no guarantee it would repeal all repressive press laws or unshackle the media if it gains power at federal level.
Umno should focus on young professionals

KUALA LUMPUR: Umnos three-day 66th anniversary celebrations last week received tremendous response from the younger generation, which proved Umnos rejuvenation process is gaining pace. About 70% of the estimated 250,000 who attended were youths. According to Universiti Teknologi Maras Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies dean Prof Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam, the party should give room for participation to young professionals who were described as determinants of Umnos political strength. He said although youth voters should not be over emphasised by Umno in its rejuvenation process, young professionals aged 45 and above are considered critical as a majority of them tend to be fence sitters or leaning towards the Opposition. The focus should be on this group of individuals as they would be key to determining the strength of the government in the future, he told Bernama here. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysias Faculty of Human Ecology senior lecturer Dr Marof Redzuan was of the opinion that Umno had to change its approach in order to gain respect and belief of the people, especially the younger generation. Marof said the personality and quality of a leader who is clean and transparent in all endeavours is the main factor considered by the people in determining Umnos worth, and as such, would determine the partys continuity, especially its ability to face the upcoming 13th general election. He said if those values failed to be highlighted by Umno, the people would continue leaning towards the Opposition. Bernama
Paya Besar MP Datuk Abdul Manan Ismail (centre) and the heads of the Paya Besar Felda schemes pose with mock cheques worth RM23.9 million for Felda settlers in the constituency at a handover ceremony at the Panching Selatan Public Hall in Kuantan yesterday. The windfall of RM15,000 for each Felda settler family was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on May 8.
WINDFALL ...
Najib visits New York

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak arrived in New York yesterday to begin a working visit aimed at strengthening and broadening Malaysias relations with the worlds largest economy, the United States. Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, arrived at the Westchester County Airport here by a special aircraft at 1am yesterday (1pm in Malaysia) after a two-day working visit to the United Kingdom. They were received by Malaysian ambassador to the United States Datuk Othman Hashim. The prime minister will have a busy programme during his visit here, starting with chairing the Second Meeting of the Global Sciences and Innovation Advisory Council at the New York Academy of Sciences. Najib and Rosmah will depart for Washington DC from the Westchester County Airport tomorrow. Bernama
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MCA suspends youth leader over Lynas

BY KONG SEE HOH
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KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA disciplinary board has suspended the membership of Indera Mahkota division youth chief David Choi, who has been vocal about his stand against the Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng, Pahang. Board chairman Tan Sri Michael Chen said Choi can appeal the suspension, which is for three years, reported Sin Chew Daily. He said the board had summoned Choi to defend himself against 20 complaints of
indiscipline, including breaking ranks over the Lynas issue and running down Indera Mahkota division chief Datuk Pang Tsu Ming. Despite being suspended from the party for three years, he (Choi) can file an appeal, said Chen said on Tuesday. Earlier, news that Choi had been suspended had been making the rounds in Kuantan but the division youth chief, who is also national youth public service and complaints bureau vice-chairman, said he had not been notified of the boards decision and did not know the source of the grapevine talk. Someone must have been happy that
action has been taken against me, and leaked the information to the press, he said when contacted by the daily. On March 27, Choi was summoned by the board following complaints that he had slighted some party leaders and had broken ranks with the party over the Lynas issue. Choi, despite facing disciplinary action for his support for Himpunan Hijau, was seen among the crowd at the Himpunan Hijau 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur last month. The Indera Mahkota MCA Youth is the only party youth division which strongly opposed the controversial plant in Pahang.
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Grad reports assault during Bersih rally

BY BERNARD CHEAH
GEORGE TOWN: A university graduate yesterday lodged a police report alleging police brutality against him during the Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur last month. Mohd Saufi Othman, 26, said in his report he was assaulted by a group of between 10 and
15 police officers when he was in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka at about 3pm. They punched and kicked me. When I was on the ground, they dragged me and even placed their feet on my face, he said. He said one officer hit his chest with the hilt of a pistol. He said other police officers continued to hit him when he was brought to the carpark
behind Dataran Merdeka, and was later sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for treatment. Because of the kicks and punches to my chest, I have difficulty breathing, he told reporters after lodging a police report at the George Town district police headquarters on Tuesday. I dont know why I was roughed up, he added.
He was accompanied by his mother Rohani Othman, 56, PenangInsight.com reporter Zainulfaqar Yaacob and Penang Suaram Secretariat member Ong Jing Cheng. Zainulfaqar said he too made a police report as a witness to Mohd Saufis assault. He also told reporters that he had witnessed the alleged incident of police brutality and reported it on the webportal.
B R I E F S WATCH OVER AMBIGAS HOUSE

KUALA LUMPUR: Police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall enforcement unit yesterday patrolled the residence of Datuk S. Ambiga in Jalan Setiakasih 1, Bukit Damansara. Two City Hall vans with 10 enforcement officers and a police patrol car were seen keeping watch over the area yesterday afternoon and as of 7pm, there were no traders or groups of people at the location. Ambiga, who was among the organisers of the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28, in the federal capital which later turned violent, lodged a police report on May 10, after a group of traders opened a burger stall in front of her house to express their anger over alleged financial losses suffered as a result of the rally. Bernama
Lawyer wants Bar EGM declared null and void

KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer has filed a suit against the Bar Council, Malaysian Bar and the councils president Lim Chee Wee and secretary Tony Woon Yeow Thong, seeking a declaration that an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held last Friday is null, void and against the Legal Profession Act 1976. Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, who is a member of the Malaysian Bar, filed the suit at the High Court registry yesterday. Khairul is seeking a declaration that the motion which was passed at the EGM is null, void and against the Legal Profession Act and leads to an offence under the Sedition Act 1948. He is seeking an injunction that the defendants or their employees be prohibited from writing or publishing any article in relation to the May 11 EGM on the Malaysian Bar website or in any media, or Internet for the purpose of publishing for the public. Khairul is also seeking a declaration that a notice to call for EGM dated May 4 issued by the defendants is null, void and against the Legal Act. He also seeking a declaration that a motion for an EGM dated May 4 is also invalid and leads to an offence under the Sedition Act. He is also seeking costs and any other relief deemed fit by the court. In his statement of claim, Khairul said that on May 4 at about 1.05pm, Woon had uploaded a notice of EGM of the Malaysian Bar, to be held at 3pm at a hotel. At about 11.29pm, Woon uploaded a motion titled Motion in relation to the events of and surrounding the Bersih 3.0 public assembly on April 28, 2012 and matters in connection therewith, proposed by Lim Chee Wee on behalf of the Bar Council dated May 4. He said Woon failed to issue notice and motion of EGM attached together and that they were issued more than 10 hours apart. He said the defendants failed or negligently abandoned his statutory rights when they did not send the EGM notice and motion through post to him and all other members of the Malaysian Bar. He said Woons act to publish notice and motion only on the Malaysian Bar website is an incomplete serving and not according to the law.
CHILD ABUSE SUSPECT NABBED

KUALA TERENGGANU: The main suspect in the abuse of two-year-old Mohd Danish Aiman Abdullah was arrested yesterday. State CID chief ACP K. Manoharan said the suspect, 31, was nabbed at 2pm at a foodstall in Manir, here, by policemen from the Kuala Terengganu district headquarters while on patrol in the area. On April 21, Mohd Danish went into coma after he was believed to have been slapped by his mothers boyfriend while the couple was having an argument. Bernama
NOT FOR BAR TO SAY NO: NAZRI

JAKARTA: Minister in the Prime Ministers Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz yesterday said the Bar Council had no right to reject the proposed setting up of a law academy. It is not for the Bar Council to say no, and it is for us to say yes, and I think we should have a law academy so that those with legal background, but who do not have an association, can be united under the Law Academy, he added. He was responding to a statement by council chief Lim Chee Wee, who rejected the governments proposal to set up the academy. Bernama
Ex-Negri RTD director freed of graft charge

SEREMBAN: A former Negri Sembilan Road Transport Department (RTD) director was acquitted and discharged by a sessions court yesterday of accepting a return flight ticket and accommodation from a driving institute to attend a meeting in Sabah two years ago. Sessions judge Datin Nusinah Adzmi made the decision after the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against Mohd Kamal Saad, 58. Mohd Kamal was charged with accepting a return flight ticket for Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur worth RM298 and one nights accommodation at the Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu worth RM390 from Sharifah Norliza Syed Hamid, 45, the owner of a driving institute, Empatsempurna (M) Sdn Bhd located in Lukut, Port Dickson. He was alleged to have accepted the ticket and the accommodation without prejudice on July 21, 2010 even though he knew that Sharifah Norliza was also involved in the meeting between Negri Sembilan RTD and driving institutes in Kota Kinabalu from July 24 to 26. Mohd Kamal was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code which
Bar Council a political party, says Dr M

BY HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM
VOTERS WITH COMMON ADDRESSES

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) is displaying the electoral roll of voters who registered in groups using common addresses for verification by the voters concerned. Its public relations officer, Sabri Said, said the electoral roll will be displayed on the ECs website, www.spr.gov.my , for 30 days from yesterday. He urged the voters concerned to help the EC to update their addresses. Those who registered before, but did not give the right address to the EC, are advised to contact or go to the nearest EC office to update their addresses, he said in a statement yesterday. He said they could also do so online by filling the information in the space provided on the EC website. Bernama
Mohd Kamal (left) speaks to his lawyer after being released. provides a maximum jail term of two years or fine, or both, upon conviction. Mohd Kamal later told reporters outside the court room he hoped the decision would clear his name and change the negative public perception towards him. Deputy public prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Mohd Fairuz Johari, appeared for the prosecution, while Mohd Kamal was represented by lawyers Faiz Fadzil, Haresh Mahadevan and Ramzani Idris. Bernama
SLIGHT NAME CHANGE FOR RELA

BESUT: Beginning June 2, Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia (Rela) or Malaysia Peoples Volunteer Corps will get a new, more suitable name in line with its role as a national security agency. Its director-general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim said Rela would be known as Pasukan Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia. He said the change was slight, involving the addition of a word (pasukan) in front, and the agency would still be known as Rela. Bernama
June date for case linked to Sosilawati murder

SHAH ALAM: The sessions court here fixed June 22 for mention of a case involving farm worker U. Suresh for allegedly giving false statement in the murder trial of cosmetic millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others at the High Court here. Deputy public prosecutor Salwa Asmary Abdul Rahim requested the postponement for her to obtain the notes of the proceeding of the murder case from the High Court. On April 30, High Court Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir ordered former lawyer N. Pathmanabhan and his three farm workers, T. Thilaiyalagan, R. Matan and R. Kathavarayan, to enter their defence on charges of murdering Sosilawati, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad and Sosilawatis driver, Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, two years ago. Suresh, 28, and another farm worker, K. Sarawanan, 21, are serving a 20-year jail sentence at the Sungai Udang Prison in Malacca for disposing of evidence. On Aug 10 last year, Suresh pleaded not guilty to a charge of giving a false statement before judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir contradicting his statement to recording officer ASP Ong Seng Keong on Oct 26, 2010 in Sungai Udang Prison. The offence was allegedly committed between 9.30am and noon on July 25 and 27, 2011, at the High Court here. Bernama
LIGHT AND EASY FOR NICOL PAGE 26
PUTRAJAYA: FORMER Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed has accused the Bar Council of becoming a political party and supports the proposal to set up an alternative to the Malaysian Bar. Mahathir said any professional organisation should purely focus on the profession. It is obvious the Bar Council has become a political party. If that is going to be what the Bar Council is concerned about, then it should become a political party and let other organisations take up the professional side, he said yesterday. He said the council has become more concerned with political issues rather than legal matters. When it has something to do with the law, for example, then you should comment but when you go about campaigning for political parties, then I think you should become a political party. Next, well have the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the architects, all becoming political parties, then there will be a lot of confusion, said Mahathir. He was referring to the recent comment by Minister in the Prime Ministers Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz who said the government will look into reviving the Malaysian Academy of Law Bill, which was dropped in 2002, as part of its plan to create an alternative to the Malaysian Bar. Nazri had commented on the Bar Councils extraordinary general meeting (EGM) last Friday which passed a resolution condemning the use of excessive force by the police during the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28. Meanwhile, on the resignation of DAP senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, Mahathir said Abdul Aziz was not well suited for DAP. From the beginning, I never thought he was suitable in DAP. I dont even know why he joined, said Mahathir.
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Civil servants should be creative: Anifah

BY HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM
No Bersih 4.0 for now

> Pak Samad: Coalition will focus on the power of votes
BY ALYAA ALHADJRI
PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants should nurture the culture of innovation and establish a creative atmosphere to be more productive. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said a creative atmosphere in an organisation would spark ideas and help create an environment for innovation. He said creative ideas could help improve the quality and productivity of the services provided. Civil servants should change their way of thinking in performing their daily tasks and focus their efforts to improve the delivery system with more innovative ways, said Anifah during the ministrys Excellent Service Award 2011 presentation yesterday. His speech was read out by his deputy Kohilan Pillai. Anifah said efforts to improve the system must be continuous and not merely confined to meet the criteria set in the Star Rating system one of the mechanisms to evaluate and rate the performance of specific categories of public agencies. Anifah also said civil servants should also have a sense of discipline to ensure the success of an organisation. The main goal of enforcing regulations is to provide guidance for civil servants to perform their duties responsibly. The development and success of the public service depends on the attitude of the civil servants, he said. During the ceremony, 110 civil servants from the ministry received the awards, of which 89 were from Wisma Putra and the rest from embassies.
KUALA LUMPUR: Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 has quashed rumours of a fourth rally to demand clean and fair elections, and will focus instead on two major initiatives to increase voters turnout and eliminate fraud within the system. The first is a campaign dubbed Come out and vote, fight the fraud using the power of numbers to minimise alleged attempts at manipulating votes. Bersih 2.0 calls on all registered voters to use your vote as a key tool in mitigating fraud, said coalition co-chairman and National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, better known as Pak Samad. He also urged supporters of free and fair elections to take part in activities that will detect, report and stop any fraud during the
campaign period and on election day. Supporters can help by taking on important roles of election monitors, polling agents and counting agents, said Pak Samad during a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here. Training sessions for volunteers are conducted nationwide by Bersih 2.0, in cooperation with non-governmental organisations Tindak Malaysia and Komas, through the Jom Pantau! (Lets Monitor) initiative. Following the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 which turned chaotic after an alleged attempt to break through barriers set up around Dataran Merdeka, supporters of the cause had mulled possibilities of holding its fourth installment to pressure the government into implementing electoral reforms. Pak Samad also condemned the alleged harassment against co-chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who together with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were held accountable for allegedly losing control of the crowd.
She is a figure who has dedicated her life to defending human rights and for the betterment of our society ... In the face of despicable acts, she has been handling the matter with dignity and grace, he said. Last Thursday, a group of traders had set up burger stalls outside Ambigas home after claiming a loss of income amounting to RM200,000 due to the rally which saw some 80,000 protesters taking to the streets. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar had on Monday said the protest led by Malaysia Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance was legal. The group has since announced its plans to organise a larger pasar malam protest outside Ambigas home on May 24 and will be reportedly submitting its application for a permit from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall. A separate group of 15 men claiming to be army veterans had on Monday morning also staged a protest outside her residence by performing butt exercises.
Council still probing bull terrier attack case

BY TAN YI LIANG
ANWAR FAIZ/THESUN
PETALING JAYA: The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has yet to issue any compound to the owner of the bull terrier that attacked and killed 74year old Yip Sun Wah. The MPSJ is doing a thorough investigation in order to prosecute the owner for the offence under its Dog Licensing and Kennel Establishment By-Laws 2007, MPSJ chairman Datuk Asmawi Kasbi told a press conference yesterday. He denied reports saying MPSJ had issued a RM1,000 compound to the female owner of the American bull terrier and miniature bull terrier cross-breed. A check by theSun found under Section 15 (1) of the by-laws, an owner is guilty of an offence if a licensed
Asmawi (right) and Roslan during the press conference. dog chases, bites or attacks any person whether or not any injury has been caused. The 25-year-old accountant may face a charge of causing death through negligence under the Penal Code. On May 8, Yip, who lived in Jalan SS19/5E,
Subang Jaya, died at the scene after being attacked by the male bull terrier in Jalan 19/5B while jogging. Asmawi said if found guilty, the owner of the restricted-breed dog faces a maximum fine of RM2,000, one-year jail or both. At this time, the case is still under investigation by the police, the state Veterinary Services Department and MPSJ, he said. MPSJ legal adviser Anita Abdul Jalil said the council is looking into strengthening its bylaws by making the necessary amendments. For an amendment to be gazetted, she said, the council must consult the state legal adviser, get the approval from all local authorities and receive endorsement from the state government. MPSJ health director Dr Roslan Mohd Hussin said the fate of the bull terrier is to be decided by the Veterinary Services Department. Our scope of investigation is to see if there is any wrongdoing under our bylaws, he added.
Najib writes on joy of meeting Twitter followers

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak is thousands of kilometres away from home, but still thinking about the people back here. In his latest blog posting, Najib related his pleasure of meeting his social media friends, especially his 500,000th Twitter follower student Anwaruddin Izzuddin, 15, from Hartamas at the Chawan restaurant in Bangsar over breakfast. We discussed all sorts of things over nasi lemak, ubi kayu rebus and telur separuh masak. We talked about Malaysia, football and food including how ubi kayu became a staple food during the Japanese Occupation, he wrote on his blogsite www.1Malaysia.com.my. The prime minister is currently on a four-day working visit to New York after concluding a visit to the United Kingdom where he, among others, attended a reception hosted by heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, in conjunction with the granting of the Royal Charter Award to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Najib observed that his breakfast companions had all the best traits of the upcoming generation of Malaysians, with their sense of optimism and their determination to make the most of the peace and prosperity we enjoy in our country. Referring to Anwaruddin, Najib said: He shared with me his passion for mountain biking, and asked me how I maintain a healthy lifestyle. I told him that I have a fitness regime that I apply, and I even do some exercises when travelling, including during my flights! It was encouraging to hear how important sports is to his life. I hope that this passion is shared by many of his fellow students. The prime minister said the offline breakfast was overall a pleasurable meet-up and that he was looking forward to engaging further with his social media friends, online or offline. It was particularly significant for me as I hit one million Facebook likes two days before the breakfast, he added. Najib said as someone who valued social media engagement as an important way to connect with the rakyat, he was grateful for the continued support and feedback, and invited ideas for future initiatives to be posted either in the blog comments or on Twitter and Facebook. Bernama
Rela, NGOs lodge police reports against Fernandez

KUALA LUMPUR: Two non-governmental organisations and Rela lodged a police report against Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez in relation to her statement on foreign workers which they claimed had tarnished the good name of the country. Thirty representatives from Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia (IRIMM), Dewan Ekonomi dan Sosial Malaysia and Rela arrived at the Dang Wangi police headquarters at 11am yesterday to make the report. Following the report, Putrajaya Rela Lt-Col Mohd Sani Mohd Zin said her statement which appeared in Yahoo News in Bangladesh two days ago, claiming that foreigners in the country were ill-treated, was regrettable. IRIMM president Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay condemned Fernandezs statement in the Jakarta Post last week, which alleged Malaysia was not the best country for Indonesian workers, besides accusing the police of abusing their power to shoot criminals. Bernama

07
PRESS DIGEST
Support for Dong Zongs move

BY KONG SEE HOH
TWO affiliates of Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) have voiced their support for the Chinese education movements withdrawal from the roundtable talks on Chinese education. Both the Dong Lian Hui (Chinese school committees association) of Penang and Kedah have said they supported the umbrella bodys decision not to be a party to a mechanism that anaesthetises the Chinese, Oriental Daily News reported yesterday. Their support came a day after an academician said Dong Zong faced the prospects of a split as the threats by 13 Johor Baru Chinese school committees to pull out of the Johor Dong Lian Hui, unless Dong Zong returns to the roundtable, may produce a ripple effect. The Penang and Kedah Dong Lian Hui told the daily
they have received calls from Chinese school committees wanting to know more about the decision taken by Dong Zong, but no one from the two states has threatened to pull out. The two Dong Lian Hui said they are firmly behind Dong Zong and will help it explain the reasons it opted out of the roundtable talks. The roundtable meetings on the eight-point plan to address issues affecting Chinese schools were held between the Education Ministry and five bodies, namely Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association), Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia), Dong Zong, National Union of the Teaching Profession and SJKC School Headmasters Association since March 8. Earlier this month, Dong Zong, which insisted that education policy changes be discussed at the roundtable, withdrew from the talks.
Kita upset with Abdul Kadir

BY HUSNA YUSOP
PARTI Kesejahteraan Insan Tanahair (Kita) is upset with former Information Minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir who appears very determined to get close to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Kita leader Zamil Ibrahim said the party had offered Abdul Kadir membership in Kita, but he rejected the idea, saying he was no longer interested in active politics since leaving Umno in March. But now he is very
enthusiastic about supporting Anwar at various events organised by the opposition. Didnt he realise who was Anwar before this? When Anwar was sacked in 1998, Abdul Kadir was one of those in the Umno Supreme Council meeting who agreed to his sacking from cabinet and from Umno, Zamil said, according to Utusan Malaysia report yesterday. He wondered whether Abdul Kadir was hoping to be nominated for the KulimBandar baru parliamentary seat in the next general election.
Berita Harian denies misquoting Perlis mufti

BERITA HARIAN yesterday defended its reporter whom Perlis mufti Dr Juanda Jaya claimed had misquoted him in a report on Tuesday. He described it as a stupid behaviour on the part of the reporter. It was regarding his response to the call by Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria for the National Fatwa Council to discuss whether it is appropriate for PAS to use the word Islam in its name. According to online news portal Malaysiakini report on Tuesday, Juanda was disappointed that his statement has been allegedly twisted by Berita Harian. The newspaper should say first that he is leaving the matter to Harussani since he is more senior in the council, before saying that he agrees with the call to discuss the matter within the council, the portal reported Juanda saying. However, the daily said, Juanda never made a specific request for his response through SMS exchanges with a Berita Harian reporter on Monday to be carried in that sequence. Thus, the reporter has written the news by angling it according to its news value, based on the issue and questions posed. In this respect, Berita Harian regrets Juandas action in hurling abusive words against the reporter, the daily said.
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Hollande vows new strategy

> Promises to end debt crisis threatening eurozone
PARIS: Francois Hollande was sworn in as president of France on Tuesday with a solemn vow to find a new growth-led strategy to end the crippling debt crisis threatening to unravel the eurozone. After brief ceremonies and a rainlashed walkabout, the 57-year-old Socialist headed to Berlin to confront Chancellor Angela Merkel over their very different visions as to how to save Merkel and Hollande address a news conference after their talks in the the single currency bloc. Chancellery in Berlin, on Tuesday. A storm forced Hollande to turn back to in Junes legislative elections a key test for the Paris shortly after party after Hollandes win. takeoff amid fears his plane had been hit by The new president was welcomed to the lightning, but the president left again shortly Elysee Palace by his predecessor Nicolas afterwards in a different jet. Sarkozy, who led him to the presidential office Europe needs plans. It needs solidarity. It for a private head-to-head and to hand over the needs growth, Hollande told dignitaries at his codes to Frances nuclear arsenal. new home, the Elysee Palace, renewing his vow Hollande ushered Sarkozy to his car for a to turn the page on austerity and implicitly final farewell, outgoing first lady Carla Bruni underlining his differences with Merkel. exchanging kisses with Hollandes partner To our partners I will propose a new pact Valerie Trierweiler, elegant in a dark dress and that links a necessary reduction in public debt vertiginous heels. with indispensable economic stimulus, he told Hollande then signed the notice of formal the assembled Socialists, trade unionists, handover of power becoming the seventh military officers, churchmen and officials. president of the Fifth Republic and only the And I will tell them of our continents need second Socialist. in such an unstable world to protect not only its But the real work was to begin after values but its interests. Hollandes second plane arrived for tense talks Hollande also named his new prime minister, with Merkel, the leader of Europes biggest Jean-Marc Ayrault, a 62-year-old longtime economy and Frances key ally. Hollande ally and the head of the Socialists Merkel was a Sarkozy ally and the architect parliamentary bloc, who was tipped as of the European Unions fiscal austerity drive. favourite. Hollande opposed the speed and depth of the Ayraults new cabinet will likely hold its first cutbacks demanded by Berlin, and wants to session today after which the Socialists turn to renegotiate the eurozone fiscal pact. AFP their campaign to win a parliamentary majority
REUTERSPIX
Judge to lead Greece to fateful June 17 vote

ATHENS: Greece put a senior judge in charge of an emergency government yesterday to lead it to new elections on June 17 and bankers sought to calm public fears after the president said political chaos risked causing panic and a run on deposits. European leaders who once denied vociferously that they were fretting over Greece leaving their currency union have given up pretence. Asked if he was concerned about a Greek exit, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said simply: No comment. Greeks have been withdrawing hundreds of millions of euros from banks in recent days as the prospect of the country being forced out of the European Unions common currency zone seems ever more real although there has so far been no sign of a run on bank branches in Athens. Political leaders failed to form a government following an inconclusive parliamentary election on May 6, leaving the state with its coffers almost empty and no elected cabinet in place to satisfy lenders it deserves the money needed to stay afloat. President Karolos Papoulias, whose powers as head of state are limited, named supreme administrative court head Panagiotis Pikrammenos as caretaker prime minister. He will have no power to take political decisions, only to carry Greece into the vote. The parliament that was elected on May 6 will convene today and be immediately dissolved, a presidency source said. The interim leader is little known outside legal circles. State television said he was born in 1945 in Patras, western Greece and studied law in Athens and Paris. A court source said he would name a cabinet that would be as small as possible. Thank you for your trust, and I believe that I am worthy of this mission, Pikrammenos said at a meeting with the president. This is purely a caretaker government. However, it escapes no one that our country is going through difficult times. He repeated a joke he said he had read in the press, that his own name, which translates to embittered in English, made him suited to be the last prime minister of a political era. A new poll confirmed what other surveys have shown: that radical leftists who reject a bailout agreed with the European Union and International Monetary Fund are poised for victory, and the two establishment parties that agreed the rescue are sinking further after an historic wipeout 10 days ago. Reuters
B R I E F S MLADIC TAUNTS SURVIVOR AT START OF TRIAL

THE HAGUE: Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic made a throat-slitting gesture to a woman who lost her son, husband and brothers in the Srebenica massacre at the start of his trial yesterday. Mladic, 70, flashed a defiant thumbs-up as he entered the courtroom the last of the main protagonists in the Balkan wars of the 1990s to go on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Reuters sector in jobs such as day labourers, construction workers, street vendors, part-time and home-based workers. Many are not documented by their employers and earn less than the minimum wage. AFP
ONE OF TWO TRAVOLTA ACCUSERS WITHDRAWS

LOS ANGELES: One of the two male masseurs who accused actor John Travolta of sexual assault dropped his US$2 million (RM6.2 million) lawsuit on Tuesday. The unidentified man, referred to as John Doe No. 1, who claimed that the Hollywood star groped him during a massage session in Beverly Hills in January, filed a notice dismissing his lawsuit. The man said he got the wrong date of the alleged incident after photos surfaced putting the actor in New York on the same day. Reuters
PHILIPPINES TO REGISTER UNRECORDED WORKERS

MANILA: The Philippine government said on Tuesday it plans to register an estimated 17 million undocumented workers so it can better address their needs. At least 44% of the countrys workers are in the informal

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Trumped-up charges
> China dissident tells US of abuse of family
WASHINGTON: A dissident at the centre of a standoff between Beijing and Washington on Tuesday accused Chinese authorities of a pattern of abuse against his family as he again took his case to US lawmakers. Chen Guangcheng, a blind selftaught lawyer who last month dramatically escaped house arrest for the safety of the US embassy, telephoned a hearing of the US Congress for the second time this month from a hospital bed in Beijing. Unlike in the previous hearing, Chen did not voice concern over his own conditions. But he charged that local authorities in the eastern province of Shandong were seeking revenge by filing a murder charge against his nephew. These are trumped-up charges. Those people in Yinan county have already been on the opposite side of the rule of law in China, Chen said by telephone as one of his most prominent supporters, Chinese dissident Bob Fu, translated for members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Chen said government-backed thugs broke into his nephew Chen Keguis house and beat him up for
AFPPIX
Indonesian organisers ght for Lady Gaga gig

JAKARTA: Organisers yesterday vowed to fight for a Lady Gaga concert to go ahead in Indonesia, despite police refusing a permit and Islamic hardliners threatening chaos if she comes to the Muslim-majority nation. Big Daddy Productions reached out on Twitter to Lady Gaga fans, known as little monsters, saying it still hoped to find a way to hold the June 3 event after already selling more than 50,000 tickets. Little monsters, be patient please. We will keep you updated. We are still fighting, the company tweeted. But the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) said it would create havoc if Lady Gaga were allowed to perform in Indonesia, calling her the devils messenger who wears only a bra and panties on stage. If Lady Gaga still wants to perform here, go ahead. But please be prepared for chaos in Jakarta. We are ready to be thrown to jail and be killed we will do anything to stop it, FPI Jakarta chairman Habib Salim Alatas told AFP. Big Daddy Production spokesman Arif Ramadhoni said they were discussing the issue with several parties, but declined to specify which ones. We are still in the process of finding a way to do it, and we ask for everyones patience and forgiveness for the trouble, Ramadhoni told AFP. The national police, responsible for issuing event permits, showed no signs of budging yesterday, saying they could not grant the US star permission to perform without a recommendation from Jakarta police. They have said they do not recommend Lady Gagas performance in the capital. AFP
Smith and Bob Fu (left) listen to Chen on the phone during a hearing before the Global Health, and Human Rights Subcommittee of House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
three hours with stakes until his face was bloody, with police detaining him when he fought back. Despite the murder charge, no one was reported dead. This is a pattern, Chen said, accusing authorities of launching the same sort of campaign against his nephew as they did to him. Chen served four years in jail on charges that included disruption of traffic. Chen had riled authorities by exposing forced abortions and
sterilisations by officials meeting quotas under Chinas one-childonly policy. Chen has said he was subjected to brutal beatings under house arrest because he continued to speak out after his release from jail in 2010. In a striking scene on Capitol Hill, Chen spoke to Representative Chris Smith, a longtime campaigner against Chinas one-child policy, as some of Chinas leading exiled dissidents including legendary
activist Wei Jingsheng and Tiananmen Square protest leader Chai Ling huddled on the dais to listen. After Chai Ling now an advocate against sex-selective abortion praised his efforts, Chen replied: Im not a hero. I just do what my conscience asks me to do. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday that US visas were prepared for Chen, his wife and their two children. AFP
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B R I E F S MEETING ON RELIGIOUS ISSUES

SHAH ALAM: A meeting will be held next week to discuss religious issues in the state, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said yesterday. He said the meeting will also discuss a special committees decision to enhance Islamic Religious Affairs Departments (Jais) ability in handling problems faced by Muslims, including apostasy and religious freedom. Khalid announced the setting up of the special committee on April 4. I will announce the outcome of the committee meeting next week, he told a press conference after chairing the exco meeting. Next weeks meeting, among others, will discuss the Sunni-Syiah dichotomy which has been debated since the Pakatan Rakyat-led administration took over the state government in 2008.
MB leaves water dispute to Putrajaya

BY RADZI RAZAK
Offer not a bribe, says Penang Institute

GEORGE TOWN: State government think tank Penang Institute has denied that its offer of a senior fellowship to former DAP national vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim was a bribe. Its chief executive Zairil Khir Johari said he regretted that the offer had been misconstrued by the former Transparency International Malaysia president. In an interview with an English daily published on Wednesday, Tunku Abdul Aziz dismissed the offer of the senior fellowship. Zairil said the senior fellowship was a genuine offer based on a desire to make the best use of Tunku Abdul Azizs talent in the service of the state after his retirement as a senator for Penang. When it became clear that Tunku did not wish to be re-nominated for another term as a senator for Penang, we at Penang Institute saw it as an opportunity to recruit a public intellectual with valuable global network, he said in a statement. He said the post entailed writing commitments, programme supervision and a platform to continue engaging in public discussion of national policies. Penang Institute has a standard package for senior fellowship that includes a yearly stipend of RM50,000. Zairil said the institute had requested Lim, who is its chairman, to convey the offer to Tunku Abdul Aziz out of respect. At no time did the chief minister (Lim) speak about the terms of the appointment or financial details during their telephone conversation last Friday.
31 PRIME MOVERS FOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL

KUALA LUMPUR: City Hall yesterday handed over 31 units of prime movers worth RM10.6 million to Tetuan Umpan Jaya Sdn Bhd, the contractor responsible for solid waste management in the federal capital. Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad said each of the prime movers would be used to carry a 20-tonne solid waste container and move it to the Bukit Tagar Landfill, in Hulu Selangor. The contractor will be responsible to transfer 1,700 metric tonnes of solid waste every day from the solid waste disposal site at Taman Beringin, Jinjang to the Bukit Tagar Landfill, he said after the handover ceremony here yesterday. Bernama
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government is leaving it to the federal government to do what is necessary on the stalled water restructuring exercise in the state. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that his administration is in discussion phase and will leave it to the federal government to exercise its powers as vested in the Water Supply Industry Act (WSIA) 2006. Abdul Khalid said the statement by Energy, Green
Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin that he had no power to force concessionaires to accept the Selangor water industry restructuring plan showed that he had no confidence over his power as the minister under Section 191 (5). The section states that the determination of what amounts to national interest issues arising from the coming into operation of this Act shall be made by the minister and such determination shall be final and binding upon all persons and shall not be challenged, appealed against,
reviewed, quashed or questioned in any court, Abdul Khalid said at a press conference yesterday after chairing the executive council meeting. On Tuesday, Chin in a statement said that he had only the power to take over water supply from concessionaires during an emergency. On a related matter, Khalid said housing developers should cooperate with Syabas to install individual meters in apartments so residents could enjoy the free 20 cu m of water a month provided by the state government.
DAP thanks Tunku Aziz

BY AARON NGUI
GEORGE TOWN: The DAP has given up trying to convince its former national vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim to change his mind about quitting the party. In a brief statement yesterday, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he had tried to contact the former senator since Monday but without success. I have no wish to exchange personal attacks with Tunku but to
convey the partys thanks for his service during his four years as national vice-chair of DAP, the chief minister said. Time will prove who is on the right side of history. In an interview with an English daily, Tunku Abdul Aziz had criticised Lim for being a different kettle of fish. He had also expressed his relief after leaving the party, describing it as being freed from the tyranny of a demagogue. Penang Barisan Nasional said it is not depending on the Tunku
Abdul Azizs resignation to garner votes in the next election. State BN working committee chief Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said the state opposition is working on showing the people how united its component parties are. He said BN can get the votes to recapture the state by showing how it is willing to serve the people in Penang. We have plans that will be rolled out not for political gain but for the benefit of the state and for the people, he said when contacted yesterday.
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13
Free port politics

YEBROWS were raised this week when news broke that the Barisan Nasional is proposing that Penangs free port status be restored 43 years after it had been stripped away. The newly minted state chairman of the BN, Teng Chang Yeow, confirmed that he had brought up the idea with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak recently. Teng, who is Gerakan secretarygeneral and a former Penang state executive councillor before he lost his state seat in the last general election, said Najib has taken to the suggestion positively. But there is a catch. The BN would pursue the implementation of the status only once it takes over the state government, Teng said. Making Penang duty-free would be part of an overall economic programme that would be hawked to the people ahead of the next general election. There is a great irony in this affair. The hugely unpopular removal of the free port status was executed by the federal government, led by the BNs own forerunner, the Alliance, in 1969. It was among the key factors that swept opposition Gerakan into power in Penang in the election that same year. Helmed by new chief minister (Tun) Dr Lim Chong Eu, Gerakan was however compelled later to join the BN because it needed federal support to lift Penangs economy and unemployment rate caused in no small part by the taking away of the free port out of the doldrums.
LETTER
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TheNutmeg Verses
BY HIMANSHU BHATT
Today, a Gerakan-led BN coalition which was removed from power in the 2008 polls is relying on the very issue of reinstating the free port to regain the state government. The political coalition that stripped the state of its traditional free port status, established two centuries ago under British colonial rule, is now appearing to use the issue as a bargaining chip for the next election. Teng was defensive when at a press conference it was suggested that the free port idea is a bait to woo voters. I did not use the word bait, he retorted. This is a people-centric programme. It is not about baiting! But to make the announcement on the eve of a general election will make it hard for the public to construe such a move in any other way. The BN of course is asserting that it is only acting in the practical interest of the states economy. Meanwhile, the DAP, which now leads the ruling Pakatan Rakyat coalition in Penang, has upped the ante. DAP chairman Karpal Singh commented that the free port status was only now being made an issue by Gerakan, with no such move seen during the 40-odd years that the BN was in power. He called on Najib to declare Penang a free port before the next election. The DAP had been calling for the status to be
restored for years. Its not something new. To make one more leery, the BN says it is embarking on a plan to seek public response to the proposal. People have to support this programme before we can do it, Teng said. There is an obvious politically-charged inference in this that support for the programme must equate with support for the BN. To be fair, the Gerakan-led BN administration had managed to turn the economy around in the 70s and 80s with new free industrial zones and licensed manufacturing warehouses. Still, there has been pressure from various quarters to revive the free port status to boost tourism in particular. Many people remember the glory days of Penangs waterfront when the city of George Town teemed with trading activity, foreign entrepreneurs and tourists, brought in by a bustling dutyfree port. Today, the docks and harbours are, relatively speaking, a pale shadow of what they used to be, and a far cry from the potential they were once thought to have. But the enormous political significance of a free port, it seems, has not changed. One is now left to see whether the idea of its revival will impact an impending general election in the same way that its removal did 43 years ago. Himanshu is theSuns Penang bureau chief. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
An apology to Ambiga
I REFER to reports published in online versions of newspapers on a group of retired armed forces personnel holding butt exercises in front of the house of Bersih cochairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, and have this to say to her. Dear Datuk Ambiga, I write to let you know that, as a Malaysian citizen, I am deeply ashamed of recent behaviour directed at you personally. I refer to blatant acts of intimidation that you have had to endure in what should be the sanctity of your home. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinions, but that there are many avenues available to express them. If segments of society disagree with what you stand for and all that you have achieved, there are many other more respectful and constructive methods to air their grievances. Personal attacks are par for the course if you are a public figure. However, to target you at your own home is deplorable. There is no justification for this kind of behaviour. Any person with a sense of common decency would be as appalled and disgusted as I am that you have been attacked in such a manner. The burger protest was bad enough, but this latest childish demonstration of unflattering callisthenics is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. I would like to borrow a phrase that has been used frequently of late this is not the Malaysian way. I cannot speak for anyone other than myself, but I would like you to know that I am very deeply embarrassed by the behaviour you have had to tolerate. It does not speak for me. As a Malaysian, I would like to offer an apology for the way you have been treated. Josephine Moggie via email
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Shake off apathy on Batang Kali

bottom of the case was thwarted by the incoming Conservative ARLIER this month, Britains government which cold storaged High Court heard for the the inquiry. As late as January 2009, first time testimony by Scots the British government remained Guards soldiers admitting reluctant to delve into this that they had killed and covered up ignominious past by rejecting calls the 1948 massacre of 24 unarmed for an inquiry. rubber plantation workers in the However, two factors made it village of Batang Kali. impossible for the case to be buried. During a judicial review of the The first is the determination of Freespace British governments decision not to Batang Kali survivors not to let Where young views rule hold an official inquiry into the history be whitewashed. The incident, lawyers representing the second is the awful reality that villagers revealed statements obtained during crimes such as those perpetrated in Malaya were interviews with soldiers in 1970 when the thennot isolated. Parallel to the efforts of Batang Kali British Labour government ordered an campaigners to seek justice, other violated investigation into persistent claims of a cover-up. groups were doing the same in British courts, Among the more shocking admissions, including Kenyans who allege torture by British soldiers said that contrary to claims by the forces during the Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s. colonial office that the villagers were shot while It was during the Kenyans fight for the right trying to escape, the rubber plantation workers to sue the British government that the British were instead made to run by the same soldiers Foreign Office released an archive of material who later gunned them down. Worse was to detailing some of the worst crimes committed follow. The bodies of some of the victims were during the final years of the Empire. According subsequently mutilated and the village burned to a Cambridge historian overseeing the review to the ground. In reports that emerged after the and transfer of the archive, the documents massacre, no weapons were said to have been should have been made accessible in the 1980s found in Batang Kali. Former Malayan but were kept hidden in breach of legal Communist Party leader Chin Peng has also obligations for them to be transferred into the gone on record to say that none of the villagers public domain. were ever linked with his movement. This glimmer of hope for Batang Kali The acts perpetrated by the Scots Guards survivors was to be quickly dashed once it was were shameful, but no more shameful than the confirmed that crucial papers detailing the determination of successive British events of the fateful day of Dec 11, 1948 had been governments to deny responsibility for the destroyed, but the archive still shed light on killing of 24 innocent people more than six some of the terrible deeds carried out in the decades ago. name of the anti-Communist struggle. The first of these denials took place in 1949 Within these documents, regular references when an informal investigation exonerated the were made to terrorist eliminations, many of solders involved. An attempt 20 years later by which were coldly regarded as being the Labour government of the 1970s to get to the satisfactory. Other papers described actions BY YAP MUN CHING
calculated to humiliate and degrade including one practice of forcing women to remove their clothes and throwing them far away so that they had to recover their clothing under the eye of their tormentors. One could infer that the destruction of the Batang Kali papers speaks just as loudly for the survivors case. It is not for no reason that the Batang Kali case is widely regarded as one of the most controversial in British colonial history. Back home, while there have been several attempts to bring the case to public attention through Parliament and an attempt to investigate by the Royal Malaysian Police in the 1990s (the case was eventually closed on grounds of insufficient evidence), it has received but lukewarm interest. It may be due to the wariness of some quarters to be involved in a compensation claims trial that threatens to dredge up many
more potential cases. It may be due to the taint of Communism that is inseparable from this case. As the innocence of the villagers becomes ever more evident, this apathy should be shaken off. For all we know, the villagers may have been guilty of nothing more than being anti-colonialists. As pointed out by a writer in The Guardian newspaper, in the twilight years of the British Empire, the difference between anti-colonialism and Communism was not always clear. Thus, in our memories, the villagers of Batang Kali would be better honoured not as victims of mistaken identity but simply as people who sacrificed to stand on the same side as many other Malayans. Mun Ching enjoys travelling off the beaten path to discover the grittier but more revealing parts of the region we call home. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
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Out in the cold at 50

I WAS rather sad and disappointed to read in MISC cuts 1,400 jobs (Sunbiz, May 2), the companys statement that a reasonable severance package had been extended to staff affected by its exit from the liner business. My father is one of these people he is 50 years old and out of a job. From my understanding, unlike other established companies that offer one severance package, MISC offered several, and my father received 40% of his current salary (x) remaining months of service. This package trapped loyal and senior staff in the 50+ age group in this arrangement, although they had been with the company for more than 30 years. The older you are, the more you lose as the company does not recognise the years that senior staff have put in. Loyalty doesnt pay, it would appear. My father is angry and bitter at the MISCs lack of responsibility to its staff. It is a shame that such an established government-linked company is not able to offer one reasonable severance package for all staff without discrimination, if it is unable to redeploy them. In his years with MISC, my father was proud of his employer, and watching him as a child, I too wanted to be part of the company. My father will have a problem getting employment in view of his age, and opportunities are limited in shipping-related industries. With the current high cost of living and the uncertainty that lay ahead, he is more worried by the day. As a daughter, I just want my father to be given a fair deal what he deserves. Afiqah via email
Not unique to pedigree dogs

I AM chief trainer at the Westerwald Kennel and have attended dog training in Germany. With regard to the recent dog attack which killed a jogger, there have been many comments on breed, training of the dog etc. But many fail to realise that dogs are animals without a reasoning faculty. They are intelligent because they are able to learn commands taught by humans and remember them. And the willingness to learn and abide by the human master is what makes them stand apart in the animal kingdom. Like any other animal, they either act by instinct or conditioning, both of which are determined by the character of the animal which varies from one to another. A human can go through all the training in the world, but when faced with a situation, his stability of character will determine whether he will apply what he has learnt. A dog is no different in many ways. Pedigree dogs are bred for their ability to listen and act on human commands. So all dogs left by themselves will call the shots on how to act. Pointing at a breed is like pinpointing a particular human race and concluding the behaviour of that race. This incident could easily have happened with a mongrel or a stray. Many attacks from toy breeds in homes and strays in the street go unreported due to the damage being insignificant or the absence of an accountable party. We really do not know what caused this dog to act in this way. Was it the dog, the jogger, or the environment? Or all put together? The victim cant give his side of the story, and we dont have much information about history. Looking ahead, we should take a scientific approach by monitoring the behaviour pattern of this dog under different situations and documenting the outcome a task meant for serious and professional trainers and animal behaviourists. This would provide valuable information to work backwards to understand the reason for the vicious attack. For the time being, the owners have to be held responsible as it was an animal in their care that was allowed to run loose. But it cant be denied that town councils are not doing enough to curb the problem from the start. Even on the day I write this, I was driving in the well-to-do area of Bukit Gasing, and found dogs running around the joggers track and standing in front of houses. These could be strays or pets. Councils must do the rounds to warn irresponsible owners. But if owners remain adamant, laws must be in place to impose heavy penalties. Only then can you get people to comply. Selvam Kuala Lumpur
Date 18th May, 2012 19 th May, 2012 20 th May, 2012 21st May, 2012 22nd May, 2012 23rd May, 2012 26th May, 2012 27th May, 2012
Venue Hotel Amanpura (SP Inn), Sg. Petani, Kedah Hotel Vistana, Kuala Lumpur Hotel Armada, Petaling Jaya Hotel Royal Bintang, Seremban The Emperor Hotel, Melaka Hotel Crystal Crown, Johor Bahru Hotel Cititel, Penang Hotel Syuen, Ipoh
Time 2.00 pm 7.00 pm 2.00 pm 7.00 pm 2.00 pm 7.00 pm 2.00 pm 7.00 pm 2.00 pm 7.00 pm 2.00 pm 6.00 pm 2.00 pm 7.00 pm 2.00 pm 7.00 pm
Apology not enough

ACCORDING to news reports on the Batang Kali massacre, senior Malaysians who travelled all the way to London to hear the judicial review which began at the Royal Courts Of Justice challenging the British governments refusal of a public enquiry, are insisting only on an apology. Now, thats another tragedy in itself, considering the gravity of the offence if its proven that British soldiers involved were at fault. They should, in fact, take whoever was responsible to the proverbial cleaners. The perpetrators must pay. The victims must seek legal recourse in bringing those responsible to book and demand appropriate compensation. A mere apology to seek closure on this tragic episode simply doesnt register. Yhto Nainif Semenyih
ON THURSDAY
MAY 17, 2012
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KL MARKET SUMMARY
MAY 16, 2012 INDICES FBM EMAS FBM KLCI INDUSTRIAL CONSUMER INDUSTRIAL PROD CONSTRUCTION TRADING/SERVICES FINANCE PROPERTY PLANTATION MINING FBMSHA FBMACE TECHNOLOGY TURNOVER 1.330bil CHANGE 10,493.48 1,536.04 2,686.90 494.16 115.96 236.63 191.96 13,760.01 967.09 8,156.61 352.60 10,414.46 4,287.56 17.85 VALUE RM2.061bil -180.09 -25.03 -56.46 -7.81 -1.94 -5.12 -3.84 -151.15 -10.54 -207.89 -6.08 -211.09 -109.62 -0.01
Third day of losses

SHARE prices on Bursa Malaysia ended lower yesterday, for the third consecutive day, due to weak sentiment amid persistent worries over the global economy, analysts said. The FBM KLCI ended 25.03 points or 1.6% lower at 1,536.04, the lowest since end-February, after moving between 1,535.05 and 1,558.25. Worries over the European debt crisis, particularly that of Greece, continued to weigh on market sentiment, said Mercury Securities head of research Edmund Tham. He said the prolonged political crisis had pushed the country to the verge of bankruptcy and Greece could exit from the eurozone. The countrys move to hold a fresh election has given investors another reason to be cautious despite several days of equity losses, he told Bernama. On Bursa, losers outpaced gainers 822 to 97 while 215 counters were unchanged. Turnover rose to 1.33 billion shares valued at RM2.06 billion from 1.12 billion shares worth RM1.64 billion on Tuesday. Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd (SKP), which makes its debut on Bursa Malaysia today, will need to replenish US$1 billion to US$1.5 billion of new jobs every year to sustain a healthy backlog for the newly merged entity. President and group CEO Datuk Seri Shahril Shamsuddin said the companys orderbook currently stands at RM13.5 billion and will keep the group busy for three-and-a-half years. Our burn rate of RM3.5 billion to RM4 billion per year gives us three years of backlog and we have to replenish that every year, he told a press conference after the launch of SapuraKencanas prospectus and corporate identity by Minister in the Prime Ministers Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop here yesterday. Executive vice-chairman Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir said the group is currently bidding for RM7 billion worth of jobs and by year-end, it will have submitted bids for RM12 billion, with the success rate expected to be 30-40%. We should be able to keep bid book high and backlog high at RM8 billion to RM12 billion a year, Shahril said. About half of the projects it has bid for are in Malaysia with the rest overseas, especially in Brazil and Australia. SapuraKencana is the result of the merger of the businesses and assets of SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd and Kencana Petroleum Bhd, and is now the worlds fifth-largest integrated oil and gas engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) services provider. On its capital expenditure, Shahril said:
From left: Shahril, SapuraKencana chairman Datuk Hamzah Bakar, Nor Mohamed, Sapura group chairman and founder Tan Sri Shamsuddin Abd Kadir and Mokhzani at the launch of SapuraKencanas prospectus and corporate logo. We have a build programme of US$1.5 billion over three years budgeted for three new drilling rigs and five new pipelay vessels. He said the company will leverage on its US$1.5 billion business in Brazil to enter West Africas EPCIC market. It is also bidding for projects in Brazil, as well as undertaking jobs in the Gulf of Mexico. Commenting on the impact of the global economic slowdown, Shahril said: Throughout the years, the oil and gas sector is robust to the fluctuations of oil price. Many projects take five or six years to execute and due to the long gestation period, we find that we transcend the volatility of the marketplace. Mokhzani said should oil price fluctuate, the company knows how to operate in a lean environment and on tighter margins given its experience in operating under such a situation. Were confident that whatever happens, the company will be resilient and pull through, he added. On when SapuraKencana shareholders can expect a dividend, Mokhzani said the cash payout to shareholders from the merger exercise is equivalent to eight years of dividends. SapuraCrest received a RM875.1 million cash payment or 69 sen a share, and Kencana RM968.7 million or 49 sen a share, besides SapuraKencana shares, from the merger exercise. We believe we will be able to give out dividends from the first year. However, the quantum has yet to be set as were a growing company, he said. Shahril said as the company expands its reach as an enlarged entity, it needs to support Malaysia and be a catalyst for the small and medium oil and gas companies. The company has some 9,000 employees, coming from 20 nationalities. We support 500 local vendors and suppliers by giving out RM1.5 billion to RM2 billion worth of works to them every year, he added.
Blue chips bear the brunt

BY PREMALATHA JAYARAMAN
Hektar REIT gets nod to increase fund size

PETALING JAYA: Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd, manager of the Hektar Real Estate Investment Trust (Hektar REIT), has obtained the Securities Commissions nod to increase its fund size and list the new units on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. Approval was also given for the valuation of two retail properties totalling RM184 million in Kedah to be acquired by Hektar REIT, namely the Landmark Central Shopping Centre and a major portion of Central Square Shopping Centre. Hektar REIT is looking to increase its fund size by up to 93,858,773 units, from 320,001,000 units to a maximum of 413,854,773 units. Our next steps are to meet with our unitholders to obtain their approval for the proposed acquisition and rights issue through an EGM, said Hektar Asset Management chairman and CEO Datuk Jaafar Abdul Hamid in a statement yesterday.
KUALA LUMPUR: Blue-chip stocks suffered heavy losses yesterday to drag the stock market down sharply for the third day in a row, falling alongside regional markets as investors feared a prolonged political crisis in Greece could slow the global growth momentum. The FBM KLCI slipped another 25.03 points to close at 1,536.04 yesterday. Turnover was 1.33 billion shares valued at RM2.061 billion. Losers thumped gainers 822 to 97. Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd led the bluechip declines, falling 64 sen to RM22.26. Dutch Lady Industries Bhd dropped 60 sen to RM31.70, British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd and PPB Group Bhd fell 38 sen each to RM51.60 and RM15.56, respectively, while Tenaga Nasional Bhd lost 28 sen to RM6.17. CIMB Group Holdings Bhd closed down 14 sen to RM7.18 and Sime Darby Bhd gave up 19 sen to RM9.54. Markets across the region tumbled, with South Koreas KOSPI and Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index the worst performers with 3.08% and 3% losses, respectively. Singapores Straits Times Index lost 1.58%, Japans Nikkei 1.12%, Indonesias Jakarta Composite Index 1.61% and Thailands Stock Exchange of Thailand 1.12%. Affin Investment Bank vice-president and head of retail research Dr Nazri Khan said
investors are reducing their positions in riskier assets and shifting to safe-haven currencies due to the uncertainty. This, he said, had lifted the US dollar to its strongest level against major currencies. The next support level for the FBM KLCI is 1,500. The weaker fundamental in the external is contributing to the losses in the local bourse. But there is no serious correction in our market given that we have ample liquidity in the market, he added. MIDF Research senior analyst Syed Muhammed Kifni Syed Kamaruddin said many bourses in the region had fallen between 1% and 2% in the past two weeks but the local bourse had managed to hold its own, with only a 0.3% decline. Meanwhile, HwangDBS Vickers Research Sdn Bhd said further inflows of foreign funds may be limited as the general election looms, after a seven-month buying streak. It reckons that stocks with high foreign shareholding that are susceptible to a selldown include AirAsia Bhd, Genting Malaysia Bhd, Axiata Group Bhd and UEM Land Holdings Bhd, and advises investors to switch to defensive stocks with relatively low foreign shareholdings like Hong Leong Bank Bhd, Malayan Banking Bhd, Bumi Armada Bhd, Maxis Bhd and Petronas Gas Bhd. HwangDBS said foreign investors had been net buyers of Malaysian equities since October last year, taking cumulative net buying value to RM9.2 billion in the last seven months.
JCY starts ops at 2nd China plant

PETALING JAYA: JCY International Bhd, one of the worlds largest manufacturers of hard disk drive (HDD) components, has commenced operations at its second factory in Suzhou, China. The new factory costs RM36 million to build and another RM9 million to fit out and furnish. Measuring 237,000 sq ft or three times the size of the companys first factory, JCY finance director James Wong said the lean design of the factory allows an efficient operational flow, reduces operational lead time, improves production yield rate, has better control of wastage and reduces the cost of production. We expect to engage more workers and move in additional machines in the near term, he added.
SHARIL AMIN ABDUL RAHIM/THESUN
> RM13.5 billion orderbook to keep enlarged group busy for 3 years
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MISC continues to sail in rough seas

PETALING JAYA: MISC Bhd, the worlds single largest owner operator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers, saw its first-quarter net loss widen to RM465.1 million from RM307.9 million, mainly due to higher losses in its liner shipping business and lower profit in its heavy engineering business. Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2012 fell 18% to RM2.4 billion from RM2.9 billion a year ago, largely on a reduction in liner business revenue from lower volume carried and lower freight rates. The (liner) business segment suffered a 93% reduction in liftings following the groups decision to completely exit from the operations by middle of 2012. Lower revenue in heavy engineering business segment further contributed to the decrease in group revenue, said MISC in a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday. Lower earning days from reduced demand combined with softer rates have translated to 3.5% revenue decrease in the petroleum business, it added. The group also recognised additional impairment provision on its ships of RM116.4 million in the January-March 2012 period, following a decrease in asset values from deterioration of shipping markets, as well as recognised additional liner exit provisions of RM220.5 million. MISC said low freight rates, rising bunker costs and vessel supply overhang contribute to the challenges faced and do not bode well for the rest of the year. Cost management will be an important priority in the few quarters ahead, it added. However, it said the global LNG market remains favourable with buoyant demand in Japan, while the prospects for the offshore and heavy engineering businesses remain favourable in the short and medium term and will continue to provide stability to the group.
WCT bids for RM5b jobs

> It also seeks to grow its non-construction business
BY PREMALATHA JAYARAMAN
IOI Corps net gearing to more than double

BY KANG SIEW LI
KLANG: WCT Bhd, which is bidding for RM5 billion worth of projects in Malaysia and overseas, wants to grow its non-construction business to contribute more than half of the groups earnings by 2016, said its chairman Datuk Capt Ahmad Sufian Qurnain Abdul Rashid. It is also targeting for the construction segment to contribute 45% of the groups earnings within the next five years. Ahmad Sufian said WCT is looking at expanding its consumer-driven divisions in property development, and hotel and commercial properties as new earnings drivers. Speaking to reporters after the companys AGM here yesterday, he said non-construction activities are expected to contribute more than half of WCTs operating profit by 2016 from the current 36%. On its core business, Ahmad Sufian said: As a construction company, we are always pursuing new projects. We are pursuing RM5 billion worth of projects. They are mostly infrastructure projects. Forty per cent are local and 60% overseas. But I cant tell you what they are because we are still in various stages (of the bidding process). He said company hopes to secure at least RM1 billion worth of projects this year based on its 20% success rate in the past. Ahmad Sufian said the group will tap its 30year civil and structural construction track
From left: WCT Bhd deputy managing director Goh Chin Liong, Ahmad Suan and corporate affairs manager Kenny Wong Yik Kae at the AGM. record in Malaysia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and India with 300 completed projects valued at RM19.8 billion. In the first quarter, WCT secured a RM331 million contract for the construction of a mixed development with purpose-built medical centre at Coastal Highway in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It has also bagged a RM300 million job to design, construct and complete the headquarters of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The company plans to build another two or
ANWAR FAIZ AHMAD TAJUDIN/THESUN
three hotels in the next five years and is eyeing places like Penang, Iskandar Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu and the Klang Valley, he said. Its new shopping mall, Paradigm Mall in Petaling Jaya, is slated for launch on May 23. The mall is already 91% occupied and will be managed and operated by the company. Ahmad Sufian said the company is also exploring venturing into Myanmar and Indonesia. We are still in the initial stage. We have to be very careful and still studying the markets, he added.
HSL gets RM73m contracts

PETALING JAYA: Hock Seng Lee Bhd (HSL) has added three new contracts to its orderbook, bringing the total value of new contracts secured so far this year to RM155 million. The latest projects are a subcontract for further flood mitigation works in Sibu worth RM45.7 million, and earthworks and construction works for a RM10.6 million orphanage complex and a RM16.9 million government office, both in Bintulu. Together with the RM82 million 20.2km road project from Balingian to Jalan Persekutuan announced in February, newly secured jobs for 2012 total RM155 million. In a statement yesterday, the Sarawak-based infrastructure specialist said it is on track to surpass last years figure of RM313 million in new jobs. The new contracts bring the total value of projects in hand for HSL to RM1.7 billion of which some RM1 billion is outstanding, it added. HSLs cash reserves stood at over RM200 million.
AirAsia X begins ights to Beijing on June 22

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X will fly to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur four times weekly from June 22. The long-haul budget carrier will increase the flight frequency to daily from Aug 6, using the wide-body A330-300 with a configuration of 12 premium flatbed seats and 365 economy seats. However, it will be suspending its five-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Tianjin flights from June 21. AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani said the airline will allow all impacted passengers the flexibility to transfer their flight bookings into Beijing. In conjunction with the launch of the new service, AirAsia X is offering promotional all-in fares to Beijing from RM249 one-way on economy class and from RM1,129 one-way on its premium flatbeds class. The fares are available for online booking from today to Sunday for travel between Aug 6 and May 22, 2013. Our first flight into China took off eight years ago, and since then we have carried more than 12 million guests from seven destinations in China, namely Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guilin, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Chongqing, said AirAsia group head of commercial, Kathleen Tan, in a statement yesterday.
PETALING JAYA: IOI Corp Bhd, which plans to set up an US$1.5 billion (RM4.67 billion) Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programme, could see its net gearing rise to 54-58% from 21% as at end2011, assuming drawdown of the proceeds, Kenanga Research said. If so, IOI Corps net gearing will be the highest among big capitalisation planters, exceeding Sime Darby Bhds 21% and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhds net cash position, the research firm said in a note to clients yesterday. Moodys Investors Service had on Tuesday assigned a (P)Baa1 rating to IOI Corps new programme. The rating outlook is negative. Moodys said the Baa1 rating is to accommodate IOI Corps greater involvement in property development, with little cushion for any disappointments in palm oil or aggressive shareholder returns. IOI Corp had told Bursa Malaysia that it plans to use the net proceeds from the EMTN programme to fund capital expenditure, investments or acquisitions, working capital and loan repayment. Of the possible maximum RM4.5 billion loan raised, we believe that about RM800 million will be used to finance the companys purchase of 2.4ha plot of land in Clementi, Singapore. Another RM491 million could be used to repay its S$200 million term loan due in May 2013, said Kenanga. It expects the balance of RM3.2 billion could be used to expand the plantation groups business in either plantation or property. We are positive if the EMTN proceeds are used to expand IOI Corps plantation land, but negative if they are used to invest deeper in Singapore or the Malaysian property market due to their unexciting growth prospects, said Kenanga. The research firm is maintaining its earnings estimate for IOI Corp in the financial years ending June 30 of 2012 and 2013 at RM2.05 billion and RM2.12 billion respectively, pending the actual amount of drawdown from the EMTN loan. IOI Corp posted a net profit of RM2.22 billion in FY11. Kenanga reiterates a market perform rating on IOI Corp at RM5.01, but has lowered its price target to RM5.20 from RM5.60. The stock closed at RM4.90 yesterday.
Maybank sets up US$5b MTN programme

PETALING JAYA: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) has obtained the Securities Commissions approval to set up an US$5 billion (RM15.59 billion) multicurrency medium term note (MTN) programme, which will enable the bank to issue senior notes and/or subordinated notes from time to time. The programme was subsequently set up on Monday. It had earlier received the nod from Bank Negara Malaysia for the new programme. Maybank told Bursa Malaysia yesterday that net proceeds from each issue of notes from the MTN programme will be used for working capital, general banking and other corporate purposes. Barclays Bank Plc, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and Nomura International Plc are the arrangers.
AmBank issues 4 call warrants

PETALING JAYA: AmBank (M) Bhd is issuing four new European-style cashsettled structured warrants over the shares of TSH Resources Bhd, Tradewinds Plantation Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd and Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd. The call warrants, with tenures of 10 months, will be issued today at an issue size of up to 100 million each. They are priced at 15 sen each, with gearings ranging between 4.88 and 8.79 times.
BHP: COMMODITIES MARKETS TO COOL

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Facebook boosts IPO size by 25%

> Share sale could raise as much as US$16 billion
SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc will increase the size of its initial public offering (IPO) by 25%, a source familiar with the matter said, and could raise as much as US$16 billion (RM49.95 billion) as strong investor demand for a share of the No 1 social network trumps debate about the companys long-term potential to make money. Those concerns over revenue growth were underscored earlier on Tuesday, when General Motors (GM) said it planned to pull out of advertising on Facebook. Facebook, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room, will add about 85 million shares to its IPO, floating about 422 million shares in an offering expected tomorrow, the source told Reuters, declining to be identified because the information was confidential. The expanded size, coupled with Facebooks recently announced plans to raise the IPO price range, would make Facebook the third-largest initial share sale in US history after Visa Inc and GM. Facebook declined to comment on the increased IPO size, which was first reported by CNBC on Tuesday. The social networking company is drumming up massive demand for the offering even as slowing revenue and user growth spur questions about the long-term Facebook story. This is much more a spectacle, a media event and a cultural moment than it is an IPO, said Max Wolff, an analyst at GreenCrest Capital. This is not a game of models and fundamentals at this point. GMs announcement, while ill-timed, should not seriously hurt Facebooks IPO reception for now as it may not be representative of advertisers overall attitude, said Brian Wieser, an analyst with Pivotal Research Group. The demand for the IPO probably wont be affected materially by this, he said, noting, however, there were probably a lot of calls between underwriters and investors following GMs announcement. The IPO, Silicon Valleys largest, eclipses the roughly US$2 billion debut by Google Inc in 2004. Facebook raised the target price range to US$34-38 per share in response to strong demand, from US$28-35, according to a Tuesday filing. That would value the company at US$93-104 billion, rivalling the market value of Internet powerhouses such as Amazon.com Inc, and exceeding that of Hewlett-Packard Co and Dell Inc combined. The increased price range made it very unlikely that Facebook shares would double on their trading debut as they might have if the company had come out at the low end of its initial price range, Wolff said. He expects a first-day gain of about 10%. Reuters
Chinese, Indian airlines risk EU penalties

BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) on Tuesday warned Chinese and Indian airlines that they risked penalties for defying the blocs emission trading scheme by refusing to state how much carbon dioxide (CO2) they produced last year. India and China are among the nations opposed to the EU extending its emission trading scheme (ETS) to aviation. Starting this year, the bloc is forcing foreign airlines serving EU destinations to stock up on CO2 permits. As part of the ETS rules, airlines were meant to report to national authorities in the EU countries in which they operate on how much CO2 they produced last year. The deadline was March 31. Companies from the US and Russia, which also oppose the ETS extension, all complied with the requirement, while there was systematic non-reporting from Chinese and Indian airlines, the European Commission said in a statement. dpa
Greek euro exit loses taboo status in Germany

BERLIN: Akropolis Adieu! screams the cover of the latest issue of the usually understated Der Spiegel news weekly, a sign that the topic of Greece leaving the eurozone is gradually becoming less taboo. Why Greece must now leave the euro, the front page was subtitled, with a picture of a euro coin broken in two having fallen off a crumbled Acropolis pillar. For EU paymaster Germany, as well as top European officials even at the European Central Bank, the most ardent defender of keeping the bloc together the prospects of a break-up appear less catastrophic than before. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble last week said that while Germany wants to keep Greece in the euro, it cant force anyone and stressed that Europe wont sink that easily if the eurozone were to split. In another interview with Sundays edition of Die Welt, he said it would be a funny sort of government if Berlin did not at least prepare for all possible eventualities. As chaos reigns in Athens, with squabbling politicians unable to form a government following inconclusive elections, Germany is beginning to count the cost of a potential Greek exit. Economists at Deka Bank have put the bill to the German taxpayer at some 86 billion (RM340.65 billion), assuming that Greece does not pay back EU loans of which Berlin stumps up the lions share. When Germanys contribution to the International Monetary Funds section of the Greek bailout package is taken into account, the tab rises to more than 100 billion not to mention losses at German regional banks. Private German banks could probably cope with a Greek exit, said Claudia Buch, one of the economists that advise the German government. Most of the private German lenders will certainly have written off a portion of the risks linked to Greece, Buch told business daily Handelsblatt. Of course, there are other risks that are difficult to put a figure on. But on the flip side, this should not mean that we always need to help out every country every time. AFP
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BHP warns commodities markets will cool

> Says investors have lost condence
SYDNEY: BHP Billiton said it expects commodity markets to cool further and that investors have lost confidence in the longer-term health of the global economy. The mining giant also backed away yesterday from a plan announced by chief executive Marius Kloppers in 2011 to spend US$80 billion (RM249.7bil) over 5 years to expand its iron ore, coal, energy and base metals divisions, banking on continuing high demand from its main market, China. It is all about appropriate allocation of capital. When Marius (Kloppers) talked about the US$80 billion, the environment was different, chairman Jacques Nasser said. The second thing was investors were saying well, where are the growth options? It was a valiant attempt to say we have a multitude of choices and he laid out the choices. He never said we will do it at the same time. Asked if BHP would spend US$80 billion over five years, Nasser said: No. Shares in BHP fell 4% month peak in late yesterday, hitting their February. lowest since July 2009. The tail winds of high The broader market was commodity prices have down 2.2%. The Australian contributed to record dollar was also under growth in the sector. Now pressure, sliding to its we have a period where lowest since December. those tail winds are They are facing moderating and we expect margin pressure through further easing over time, rising capital and said Nasser. operating costs, said Ric Much of BHPs Ronge, fund manager at earnings hinges on Pengana Global resources demand growth in China. fund, which owns BHP Chinese data showed the shares. Now that countrys economic commodity prices have expansion was cooling plateaued in the medium more than expected. term, there is pressure on Nasser ... all about appropriate Industrial output growth companies with the costs slowed in April and fixed allocation of capital. going up. We are seeing a asset investment hit its cycle within a super cycle lowest level in nearly a largely because of the macro events in decade. Europe and to a lesser degree in China. In March, BHP said it saw signs of The Reuters-Jefferies CRB index, a flattening in demand for iron ore from closely followed indicator for commodities, China, but remained upbeat on the longhas slid more than 11% since hitting a fiveterm demand outlook. Reuters
EXCHANGE RATES
Foreign currency
MAY 16, 2012
Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 3.1290 3.0660 3.0560 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.1160 3.0370 3.0210 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 2.4790 2.4280 2.4200 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.1090 3.0420 3.0300 1 EURO 3.9930 3.8940 3.8740 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.4240 2.3390 2.3230 1 PAPUA N GUINEA KINA 1.6900 1.3810 1.3650 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 2.4785 2.4280 2.4200 1 STERLING POUND 5.0000 4.8990 4.8790 1 SWISS FRANC 3.3180 3.2470 3.2320 100 ARAB EMIRATES DIRHAM 86.4900 82.1700 81.9700 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 3.8900 3.6740 3.4740 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 49.4000 47.6000 N/A 100 DANISH KRONE 55.2100 50.8800 50.6800 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 40.9000 38.8600 38.6600 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.9120 5.6200 5.4200 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0344 0.0327 0.0277 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.8970 3.8130 3.8030 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR N/A N/A N/A 100 NORWEGIAN KRONE 53.7500 49.4800 49.2800 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 3.5200 3.3000 3.1000 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 7.4400 7.0700 6.8700 100 QATAR RIYAL 87.2000 82.9500 82.7500 100 SAUDI RIYAL 84.7400 80.4500 80.2500 100 SOUTH AFRICAN RAND 38.6900 35.6800 35.4800 100 SRI LANKA RUPEE 2.5100 2.3000 2.1000 100 SWEDISH KRONA 45.1100 41.1400 40.9400 100 THAI BAHT 10.6600 9.0500 8.6500
Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama
Gold rush sweeps Latin America

SANTIAGO: A new gold rush is sweeping through Latin America with devastating consequences, ravaging tropical forests and dumping toxic chemicals as illegal miners fight against international projects. With high international market prices for metals, informal wildcat mining has been on the rise in recent years in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, itself one of the largest producers of silver, copper and gold. Mining investments in those countries are expected to reach some US$300 billion (RM935 billion) in 2020, according to the InterAmerican Mining Society. But over 160 mining conflicts have erupted across the region amid opposition from locals against projects they consider a threat to the environment, the Observatory of Mining Conflicts in Latin America says. During the past decade, the price of gold went from US$270 to between US$1,600 and US$1,800 per ounce, as people see it as a safe investment. And the price of copper is at an all-time high, thanks to Chinas strong appetite for it. Unlicensed mining has already killed hundreds of people and devastated thousands of hectares in the Amazon forest, where miners have set up camps. In Madre de Dios, Peru about 18 tonnes of gold are produced per year, while some 20,000ha of tropical forest are destroyed. Thousands of people in Colombia have started exploiting abandoned mines in Antioquia and Choco. In Bolivia, about 10,000 people make a living off the illegal mining of gold in extreme conditions, Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) says. The thirst for mineral resources makes Latin America one of the attractive regions for investment, set to dominate world production of precious metals by 2020. But several mining projects have been put on hold in Chile, Peru and Argentina, as local communities have fought for their rights to prior consultation under the International Labor Organisations Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention. AFP
Media Prima Q1 net falls 40%

PETALING JAYA: Media Prima Bhds net profit declined 40.2% to RM20.79 million in the first quarter ended March 31, 2012 from RM34.79 million a year earlier, primarily due to a drop in advertising expenditure (adex) amid volatile global economic conditions. In a statement yesterday, Media Prima said revenue fell 5.3% to RM335.28 million from RM354.19 million. Chairman Datuk Johan Jaaffar said as anticipated, the first quarter of 2012 was a very challenging period for the group as perceived economic performance influenced spending trend and confidence of its clients. Media Primas outdoor media recorded a revenue of RM38 million, up 15% over the corresponding period in 2011 while its radio networks registered a 10% increase to RM13.8 million. Its print division, The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd, posted a 2% higher revenue of RM158 million, while its new media division had revenue of RM4.4 million, up 57%. However, its television networks recorded a lower revenue of RM119 million, down 20% against 2011. Group managing director Datuk Amrin Awaluddin said despite the softening of revenue in the first quarter, the company is optimistic of the remaining part of the year with special events such as Olympics 2012, UEFA Euro 2012 and the expectation of a general election taking place in the next quarters.
Chinas economic slowdown presents challenge

BEIJING: Bleak data has raised fears Chinas economy is cooling faster than previously thought, but analysts say Beijing has only limited means to prevent a politically damaging slowdown. The government has set a growth target of 7.5% for 2012, fearing that anything below that could trigger mass unemployment and cause widespread unrest in the economy. Analysts had been predicting the economy would bottom out in the second quarter, before rebounding in six months, but data released indicate that the slowdown may be more intense and lasting. Its quite worrisome, and worse than before. It increasingly looks like were seeing a very broad-based slowdown, said Zhou Hao, an ANZ Bank analyst in Shanghai. We will definitely see more reserve ratio cuts in the coming months, and there may also be more spending. On Saturday, Chinas central bank stepped in to reduce cash banks are required to keep in reserve for the third time since last year. The move came after data showing the output from the countrys millions of factories and workshops hit a near three-year low in April, with imports virtually flat, showing a stagnant local economy. Tuesdays news that investment from Europe tumbled nearly 30% this year from the same period a year ago added to the gloom. Economists expect the central bank to cut the reserve ratio further, freeing up the money that banks can lend to their clients to try to kickstart the economy, but they questioned whether that would be enough. Even if they (the government) reduce the required reserve ratio again, who are the banks going to lend the money to? Banks use land as collateral, and when the price of land goes down the way it does now, the amount of loans goes down too. said Andy Xie, an independent economist. Growth in China fell to 8.1% in the first quarter from 9.7% a year earlier, as domestic demand drops and Europes debt woes curb business. Economists say growth could be eased further in the second quarter, and there have been accusations China has been too slow to react to the cooling. A more assertive monetary policy is now needed, research firm IHS Global Insight said. We believe the government will step up efforts to stimulate the economy, even as genuine concerns remain regarding the very real possibility of over-stimulating. The government got its fingers burned with fiscal expansion from late 2008 onwards, as it loosened the purse strings to try to mitigate the impact of the global crisis on its export-dependent economy. Beijing launched a spending package of four trillion yuan (RM1.9 billion), kickstarting higher growth but also fuelling higher prices. Another problem is that policy makers in Beijing largely have to act on the same economic statistics available to everyone else, and these data often provide muddled signals about the real state of the economy. Beyond the immediate crisis, China needs a comprehensive reform of an economy still stuck somewhat
A car salesman waits for customers in Bejing yesterday. Bleak data has raised fears Chinas economy is cooling faster than previously thought. in its socialist past, according to Xie. What China needs is structural reforms. The government needs to improve efficiency by reducing the state sector. The state sector is too big, and it is wasting tremendous amounts of money, he said. A lot of the growth right now is just waste. The government needs to have another attitude. It needs to change. Otherwise the problems will just mushroom. AFP
media & marketing

theSun on THURSDAY | MAY 17, 2012
19
A good life
> nestl promotes a healthy lifestyle at its showcase
eLd in the last week of April, the 7th Nestl Nourishing Malaysia showcase kicked off at the Straits Quay Convention Centre in Penang where it continued to promote healthy living to Malaysians under its tagline good food, good life. The showcase which presented various aspects of everyday Malaysian life from the classroom to the kopitiam - all demonstrating healthy lifestyles was visited by over 14 thousand people. A visitor at the Nestl a leading wellness booth. food, nutrition,
health and wellness company, is frequently involved in campaigns in line with the governments 2006 to 2015 National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia. Such campaigns include World Walking Day as well as the How Am I and Choose Right campaigns. Other events that were carried out during the showcase weekend included educational sessions aimed toward informing visitors on making healthier choices by reading nutrition labels. A health-check booth also featured a calculator used to determine the sodium content in food. There were also special presentations of games and dance activities from various Nestl brands such
A fitnesse jazzercise session was part of the activities during the Nestl showcase. as Milo Wushu coaching, Nescaf Rock Band Challenge, Koko Krunch Taekwondo demonstration, Fitnesse Jazzercise and a performance by Aseana Percussion Unit sponsored by Maggi Happiness is Homemade. We have decided to have this years showcase in Penang, as this is where we started our journey in this country back in 1912, clarified managing director of Nestl Malaysia Peter R. Vogt on the choice of this years showcase location. The launching of the showcase was presided over by the governor of Penang Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas together with the chairman of Nestl Tan Sri Syed Zainol Anwar Jamalullail and a member of the board of directors of Nestl Malaysia Datuk Frits van Dijka. The Nestl showcase was first introduced in 2006 and has since taken place at various locations around the country such as Klang Valley, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.
of celebrating educational excellence

1977~2012
years
(From left) Celcom accounts manager Ganesh Sammuggam with the four prize recipients and the BHP marketing manager Baba Tan at the prize presentation.
Smart phones for lucky four

Last Thursday, the BHPetrol (BHP)-Celcom-HTC contest announced and presented prizes to their first months winners selected based on the entries submitted weekly throughout April. The contest sponsored by HTC Sdn Bhd, gifted one weekly winner for each week in April with a HTC One smart phone; 35-year-old Razmi Zakaria from Klang, 40-year-old SP Navapushanam from Setapak, 25year old Vivien Chen from Subang Jaya and 25-year-old Noraini Marwan from Batu Caves were the lucky four. There are total of 12 HTC smart phones to be won during the contest which is ongoing from April until June 30. The contest is being held at selected BHP service stations with e-Pay facilities throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Contest participation requires the purchase of Celcom Xpax reload valued at RM30 or above in a single receipt. Winners will be notified via telephone by BHP.
Working Adults:
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The flexible delivery of the Executive Diploma is specially designed to meet the needs of working adults and will provide you with the competitive advantage needed for a promotion or to pursue a new career path. The programme is based on a student-centered learning approach, ensuring you gain further knowledge, skills, techniques and ethics to excel in your chosen career.
tHe current CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) in South-East Asia (SEA) Jeffrey Seah was recently appointed to the role of Country Chair for VivaKi SEA. This was announced by the VivaKi board of directors in Chicago on May 7. As CEO, Seah will continue to work collaboratively with the regional and local leadership of Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia to strengthen the service offering and clout of all agencies in the region. As country chair, he support the brand leaders to drive cross-brand growth initiatives for VivaKi in market, as well as deliver against operational and financial goals. The introduction of the VivaKi structure in SEA will help consolidate scale in the marketplace. It allows both ZO and SMG to align our focus and resources to future proof our operations, says Seah. Seah has a formidable track record of delivering growth and new thinking in this important region. With agencies and experts throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines, we have a powerful opportunity to have a stronger and more unified voice in the marketplace by combining forces, restructuring around VivaKi and aligning behind Seahs leadership, said VivaKi CEO Jack Klues. Seah has spent more than a decade at SMG and paved the way for Starcom to become an established entity in South East Asia. Initially he was responsible for launching the Starcom brand in Asia and setting up its first office in Singapore in 1999.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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SCREEN SHORTS
RIHANNA (pix) broke down and wanted to punch someone while recording her latest album because she was so overwhelmed. The singer was hospitalised with a bout of flu in November and admitted her hectic schedule meant she barely had time to rest and recuperate. Asked how hard she worked on latest record Talk That Talk, she said: It was the craziest schedule Ive ever been on in my entire life. I get into bed and my phone started going off. I was sick but then I was the only person who could get it done.
Album ordeal
Expecting a good comedy

> Cameron Diaz who stars in What to Expect When Youre Expecting feels she is not ready yet to have a child
LEONA LEWIS (pix) will conduct a masterclass for London teenagers together with rapper Plan B on the BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra Academy initiative in her home town of Hackney, east London. The project aims to help 10,000 youngsters with lessons in music, acting and radio. Leona said: Its important for us to come back and support those who are doing amazing things. Leona and Plan B will work with children aged 13 to 15 from the Pupil Correction Unit in Newham to create a special musical performances.
Teaching London kids
SIMON COWELL will fill singer Britney Spears (pix) X Factor dressing room with figs and prunes. The TV mogul has signed her to appear as a judge on the US version of talent show for a reported US$15 million (RM45 million) and a promise he made to clinch the deal was to keep supplying her with the fruits she usually insists on in her tour rider. Meanwhile the singer is said to be embarking on a six-week course of intensive training to prepare herself for the show.
Fruity treat for Spears
JOHNNY DEPP (pix) has denied splitting from longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis. Apparently the pair have been living separate lives for months, but he shot down rumours they had parted ways on the red carpet for the premiere of his new film in London. He told The Sun that the rumours were not true. Bang Media
Still with girlfriend
NSPIRED by the New York Times bestseller of the same name and the first book in a series that has sold over 35 million copies worldwide, What to Expect When Youre Expecting is a hilarious and heartfelt big-screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules (Cameron Diaz) and dance show star Evan (Matthew Morrison) find that their celebrity lives do not stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy (Elizabeth Banks) gets a taste of her own militant mummy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body while her husband, Gary (Ben Falcone), struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad Ramsey (Dennis Quaid), who is expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler (Brooklyn Decker). Photographer Holly (Jennifer Lopez) is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child but her husband Alex (Rodrigo Santaro) is not so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a dudes support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is. Meanwhile, rival food truck chefs Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and Marco (Chace Crawford)s surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date? Diaz, who is well known for her comedic roles in films such as Bad Teacher, Knight & Day and What Happens in Vegas, talks about her views of having children in a questionand-answer transcript provided by the movies distributor, Nusantara Edaran Filem. Do you have a timeline in terms of when you thought you would be married and have kids? I thought I was going to be married and have two children by the time I was 21. I think I felt I had to model my life after my mothers. But then, my career was starting to take off and there were still so many things I wanted to do.
So that dream for me was shattered early on. After that I never put another timeline on anything in my life. Do you think our culture pushes motherhood and judges women who do not have kids? Im sure a lot of people would expect that I would have had a child by my age. But its not what Ive wanted out of my life thus far. We still live in a largely chauvinistic world. Theres a box people put themselves in, and when you live outside of it, that makes them uncomfortable; they have to look at themselves and question their own choices. What about pressure from your families? My mum would never, ever do that. Shes happy when she sees me happy. If having children and a family was something I really wanted but couldnt manage to have, my mum would feel bad for me. But since shes never heard me say I want a baby or husband, its not even a conversation between us. You cant equate children with happiness. Its right for some people and it isnt right for others. I read an article in a
New York magazine titled something like I Love My Children. I Hate My Life. Raising happy kids is very challenging, and there are often a lot of sacrifices that have to be made. You look at where we came from, the feminism of the 60s and 70s that basically said: Women can do it all. And slowly, women are realising: Wait a minute, its hard to do it all. I think whatever choice women make about having a child, in whatever capacity, theres a reason for it. I dont think anyone should regard those choices as good or bad. Women just have to let up on ourselves, which is really hard to do in this day and age. It just proves that you cant ever predict whats going to transform your life. Regardless of what you plan for, I think you have no idea what life is going to hand you. And I think the great thing is [if] you dont expect anything, then you usually get much more than you could possibly ever imagine. What to Expect When Youre Expecting opens in cinemas today.
Show me the funny!

IF IT was your first time catching Canadian-born standup comedian Russell Peters (left) in action, you would probably be impressed with his recent act at Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam. You would have left the stadium saying how hilarious his show was and what a comedy genius Peters was. But those who had watched the 42-year-old comedian perform on YouTube or his DVDs or his live shows in other countries might not have shared the same excitement. No doubt the pricey tickets (costing between RM128 and RM438) were sold out three hours after his show was announced and Forbes had ranked him as the seventh highest-paid comedian in the world, but all that hype had worked against him to a certain degree. It built tremendous expectations on his show and Peters, unfortunately, failed to live up to it. Of course, his show was not a total bore. Many of his X-rated jokes were definitely amusing. His experience in Bangkok, where he discovered a totally different technique of self gratification, would have had you in stitches. His experiences in India, where he wanted to score with a famous Bollywood actress but ended up spending time with her parents instead, was funny too. Peters speciality is poking fun at people seated near the stage. But this segment of his show fell a little flat that night. A handful of Malaysian celebrities, who turned up at Fridays show, were asked what they thought of it. Harith Iskandar, comedian: When you do standup comedy, you need to have an intimate connection with your audience. But the venue where Peters performed didnt help in this department as the stadium was too big. I saw him six years ago in Singapore in a smaller and cosier venue and I enjoyed the show better. Hans Isaac, actor: I didnt find Peters funny this time around compared to the time when he started his career. But I appreciate the organisers effort in bringing him here for the Malaysian audience. I also appreciate the fact that the authorities are loosening up to allow comedians to be more liberal with their jokes. It goes to show that our audiences are becoming more mature. Afdlin Shauki, comedian-cumdirector: This is my first time watching Peters live and I had a great time. He was very relaxed on stage and he poked fun at real-life issues. What I liked best about his show was the content and my favourite was his Bollywood experience. Bissme S.
ENTERTAINMENT
21
Princess goes places

BY ANANSA JACOB USICALS are a labour of love for Ho Lin Huay, the director and one of the founders of Asia Musical Productions Sdn Bhd (previously named Musical On Stage Productions). The company is known for its groundbreaking productions like Siddhartha, Above Full Moon and Kita musicals. It gained a reputation among critics and audiences for its shows high-production values and talented performances, despite the fact that the cast and crew consisted of amateurs or part-timers. This month, one of its productions, Princess Wen Cheng The Musical (originally called Jewel of Tibet) will make its China debut in Beijing and Xian, following a successful Taiwanese debut earlier this year. The musical tells the story of the 7th century Tang Chinese princess, who was sent off to ancient Tibet to marry its king, Songtsan Gampo. Eventually, she became one of the most revered figures in Tibetan history. Ho said: The performance in Xian is special for us, because that was where Princess Wen Cheng originally came from, when it was known as Changan. So for us, its almost like bringing the princess back home. The story of Princess Wen Cheng is actually based mostly on oral history and myths, as very few written records exist today. What is known is that she was most likely a niece of the King of Changan, and that to reach Tubo (her future husbands kingdom), she had to travel 3,000km over dangerous terrain, in a journey that took her and her entourage three years to make. Ho herself visited the region and travelled along Wen Chengs path over four years ago. Its a very difficult journey, even in a 4WD, she said. Just imagine what she had to go through all those centuries ago. Not only that, she had no idea what to expect from her future husband or her strange new home. But as a staunch Buddhist, she saw it as her mission to bring the culture, education and civilisation of the Tang dynasty to Tubo. Thats why she is known as the first female ambassador, as she helped bridge the two countries. At the time of her trip, Ho was looking for an idea for a third musical. The first two had male leads, so I wanted to do one with a female lead, she said. I was inspired on hearing stories of Princess Wen Cheng and seeing her statues in temples, so I did a lot of research and came up with the story for Jewel of Tibet. The musical follows the basic
> Jewel of Tibet, which had a successful run in Malaysia in 2008, will now be restaged in Beijing and Xian as Princess Wen Cheng The Musical
(far left, from left) Sim, Ho and Toh. (left) All dressed up ... Toh as Princess Wen Cheng and Yang as Songtsan Gampo. (below) Scenes from Princess Wen Cheng The Musical.
We want to prove to the world that here in Malaysia, we can produce a professional show thats not only excellent, but can be accepted by an international audience.
Ho Lin Huay history, but fills in the gaps with a love story involving Wen Cheng and Songtsan Gampo. There is also political intrigue and betrayal, as well as stirring musical and dance numbers featuring amazing sets and multiple costume changes. The musical premiered locally in 2008 and was a success. Its 2012 revival not only features a new name, but a new lead as well. Classically-trained soprano Evelyn Toh will be playing the title role opposite veteran Yang Wei Han as Songtsan Gampo. In 2007 when Toh was performing in another of Hos musicals, she heard about this new musical they were doing. I had a strange feeling that the lead role was important, that I somehow had to do it. I wanted to try out for it, but then I found out I was pregnant and had to take some time off from musicals. Last year, Toh heard they were doing a revival of the musical, and this time, auditioned and landed the role she had dreamt of. My co-star Wei Han said maybe all the [experiences] I had undergone before this was a preparation for the role of Wen Cheng, she said. Joining Toh onstage is Alana Sim, one of the ensemble cast members. A talented, experienced dancer, she plays one of Princess Wen Chengs handmaidens, and also performs other dance numbers. For me, the biggest challenge is changing costumes for the next scene or dance, Sim said. Weve very little time in between dance numbers, maybe five minutes, so after one dance, we all rush backstage and change costumes in the dark, and have our hair or makeup redone. Not only that, there are so many other stagehands and cast members running around backstage that its very stressful sometimes. However, there have been some funny moments. One time, one of the dancers wore her costume backwards. Another time, a newer male dancer accidentally wore his false beard and moustache as sideburns! Toh faced her biggest onstage challenge in one musical where she had to sing on a raised platform situated eight metres above the ground on an elaborate set. The first time, I was very nervous, she said. But I had to appear calm and strong while singing, and there were crewmembers standing below ready to catch me. For Ho, the dedication shown by the cast and crew of Princess Wen Cheng is a source of pride. The standards in China are very high, and the fact that this production is put up by mostly amateurs doing it purely for the love of the arts is what sets us apart, she said. We want to prove to the world that here in Malaysia, we can produce a professional show thats not only excellent, but can be accepted by an international audience. Princess Wen Cheng will be staged from May 18 to 22 at the Beijing Poly Theatre. For details, visit www. asiamusicalproductions.com.
Hoffman a Good Samaritan

HOLLYWOOD actor Dustin Hoffman (right) was credited with saving the life of an Australian lawyer who had a heart attack while jogging in Londons Hyde Park, recent news reports said. The Rain Man actor was walking near his London home when he came across Sam Dempster, 27, who he described as staggering and frothing at the mouth after Dempster suffered a cardiac arrest in the April 27 incident. The 74-year-old dual Academy Award winner phoned for an ambulance and helped the stricken runner until paramedic Martin Macarthur took over. He was taking dying breaths, so we had to act fast, Macarthur told The Australian newspaper. Dustin had turned him over on to his back, which was really useful and would have assisted in keeping his airways open. It took five minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and work with a defibrillator to get Dempsters heart beating again. Macarthur said that without Hoffmans compassion, the outcome would have been very bad. Dempster, who learned he had a congenital heart defect and has been fitted with a device to ward off another attack, has yet to meet his saviour. I came to in the ambulance, and the paramedics said: You wouldnt believe who called the ambulance for you! and I freaked out a bit, Dempster was quoted as saying. I thought it mightve been a joke to liven me up a bit, but it was true. Adelaide-born Dempster had started working in London two weeks before. dpa
22
WHERE2EAT
Delicious menu for diners

IF YOU are already a fan of the Delicious chain of restaurants, then you would probably want to try out its new menu which was launched on May 15. This menu offers diners 25 new dishes in the soup, salad, quiche, main and dessert selections all created by the chains group executive chef Kasdi Dahari, with the assistance of E&O group creative chef Steve Allen. This collaborative effort between the two chefs has resulted in a wider culinary selection for Delicious fans. There is the Middle Eastern-inspired harrisa parmigiano baked eggplant and the Italian pumpkin risotto with chargrilled prawn, squid and toasted almonds, as well as the red pesto gnocchi. The new entries that earn star billing are the 16-hour braised boneless beef short ribs in spiced caramel (right), crispy noodles, mushroom broth, roasted tomato soup with crumbed mozzarella & basil, as well as the tomato, leek and zucchini quiche served with black olive tapenade. Delicious grazing menu also welcomes some healthy and yummy appetizers eggplant and sesame chips with a fennel yogurt dip (top); crispy tiger prawns in coriander butter; tamarind BBQ chicken wings; and Thai fried calamari with green peppercorn ginger jam. Sweet temptations are what Delicious is famous for and its latest dessert offerings comprise apple, hazelnut and cranberry crumble slice; chilled pineapple cheesecake; cold chocolate fondant, raspberry and mango tart; and warm melted chocolicious pudding. The inspiration behind the dishes is freshness, said Kasdi. We use the freshest ingredients to create healthier food as peoples eating habits the world over are progressing towards consumption of more nutritious food and the use of more sustainable products. The dishes are intended to remind you of homecooked food with a twist that suits the Malaysian palate, with a winning combination of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and European cuisines. Kasdi and Allen spent months developing the new offerings, using their collective years of experience in the culinary world and also taking into consideration customer feedback. They went through more than 70 recipes, testing them till they shortlisted the list to 45, which then underwent another two rounds of tasting till they have their 25 dishes. Delicious opens its ninth cafe today at Setia City Mall in Setia Alam, Shah Alam. The outlet is decorated in the unmistakeably white and turquoise signature colours with quirky bird cages for accents. The traditional Delicious warmth and friendly smiles will be there to welcome diners to its newest addition under the Delicious Group. HSBC Malaysia has tied up with Delicious to offer its credit cardholders a 10% discount off the total bill (minimum of RM100 in a single receipt) when dining at the any Delicious restaurant. This offer is valid until Aug 31.
(clockwise, from top right) The restaurants signature roast duck; Peking duck wrapped in crepe; and char siew spare ribs and roast pork belly.
Yummy treats
> At Yummy Duck Roast House, customers are guaranteed quality food served at reasonable prices
BY CHAN SOO WAH
AVING been in the food industry for the past 20 years, Chef William Low believes that food quality should be the most important criterion in any restaurant. The owner of Yummy Duck Roast House personally ensures that his restaurant only offers quality meals to each and every customer. Yummy Duck Roast House serves more than just roast duck. It is also renowned for its roast goose (below). But customers must order at least one week in advance as Low insists on freshness. He needs the time to import the birds from Shenzhen, China, and roast them. Besides duck and goose, Low also serves
(from left) Allen and Kasdi mixing their creative juices to come out with the new menu.
roast chicken, roast pork belly and char siew (BBQ pork) spare ribs, Hong Kong style. Other popular dishes here are the appetizers such as Peking duck, which is wrapped in a thin crepe and served with sweet sauce; and glutinous rice stuffed in chicken wing skin (above). The glutinous rice is cooked and flavoured with spices and cubes of duck meat before it is stuffed into the chicken wing skin, and then roasted. The roast goose is definitely the restaurants main attraction. Crisp and glossy on the outside, the juicy goose is crunchy as you bite into it. The meat has just the right amount of salt as well. It goes well with a bowl of rice or a plate of plain Hong Kong noodles, which is another highlight of this restaurant. Imported weekly from Hong Kong, the noodles are thin but have a springy texture. The noodles are served in three different ways dry, soupy or spicy. Flightless birds aside, the roast pork belly and char siew spare ribs also showcase Lows skill in roasting. Both the pork belly and char siew are tender and juicy while the layer of fat in between the meat melts in your mouth. The restaurant has an open kitchen located at the entrance to cater to customers who opt for takeaways. The prices here are reasonable. Low, who has been operating his restaurant for three years, has no plans to expand. This is because he personally takes on the task of doing all the roasting so as to maintain the quality of the food served to his customers. YUMMY Duck Roast House is located at 9, Dinasti Sentral, Jalan Kuchai Maju 18, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur. Parking: Can be a challenge Operating Hours: Daily, 11am to 10.30pm. Type of Food: Roasted meat Hong Kong style Food classification: Non-Halal Price: Average to high. Ambience: Casual and comfortable with very attentive service
ON THE ROAD
23
Auto attractions
> Carmakers are making efforts to lure young consumers with gadgets and sleek designs
RED
MEANS
ASHBOARDS glittering with gadgets, turbo-charged engines and sleek designs are on offer as carmakers try to attract young consumers who care more about computers than cars. BMWs Mini is the most tricked-out car on display at the Detroit auto show early this year offering drivers a way to turn their car into both a video game and a DJ, using a joystick to help navigate the chrome circular display. The Minis dynamic music system shifts sound levels of different speakers and adds tracks when the car accelerates, brakes or turns. The car also turns fuel efficiency into a game using a fish bowl graphic that tips over if a driver wastes fuel by accelerating or braking too quickly. And the on-board computer is programmed to speak 1,800 different messages, including yippee, that was awesome! for a smooth turn and its cold outside. Volkswagens new Beetle features a Fender sound system that can be turned into an amplifier, thanks to a jack for an electric guitar. Hyundais navigation system lets parents track how fast their teenagers drive and where they take the car which might sound a bit creepy and restrictive, but could make it easier to trust teens with the keys. Voice recognition, Bluetooth connections, navigation systems that track the location of Facebook friends, and access to internet radio stations, restaurant reviews, and search engines are also becoming standard fare as carmakers seek to keep up with a generation raised in the digital age. Car sales among the under-30 crowd have been sluggish in recent years and perhaps more worryingly most teenagers in the US are no longer rushing to get a drivers licence the instant theyre old enough for the traditional rite of passage. The big thing about the youth market is, do they care about cars at all, Jeremy Anwyl, president of automotive site Edmunds.com, told AFP. Nobody really has an answer because a lot
(clockwise, from left) BMWs Mini Roadster launched at the Detroit Show; the new Beetles Fender sound system; and Toyotas Scion FRS out to lure young people with its stylish looks.
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of the data was collected in a recession if you cant afford something you dont give it a lot of thought. It would be a misstep to paint youth with a broad brush, said Bob Carter, of Toyota Motor Sales USA. While some young people are still attracted to muscle cars and performance, others are
looking for environmentally-friendly options. Some want a hatchback or sport utility vehicle so they can haul bikes, surfboards or friends, while others are looking for zippy little cars with an urban feel. The common thread through all that is (that) we do pack those vehicles with a high level of content, specifically on technology,
Carter said. But we have to do it in a responsible way thats not distracting. Toyota has developed an entire brand Scion to lure young people looking for something more stylish than what their parents drive. Personalisation and performance has been a big part of Scions appeal it offers a wider range of colours and interiors, spoilers and appliques, encouraging a robust after-market upgrade industry. Carmakers are also expecting the millennials to be more interested in luxury brands once they settle into their careers, and are expanding their offerings of entry-level luxury vehicles, said Mark Templin, general manager of Toyotas luxury Lexus brand. We talk a lot about the democratisation of luxury, he said on the sidelines of the show. Its a generation that grew up in affluence. Young people are attracted to buying luxury ... whether its kitchen appliances or clothing or handbags or cars, they certainly want premium goods. But the ongoing recession also has young people looking for value, said Mark Reuss, president of the North American division of General Motors. Thats why GM is expanding its small car offerings like the Chevy Cruz, Sonic and Spark and designing them to look confident, expensive and fast. Who really knows if its possible to make young people fall in love with an automotive brand the way they do with a phone or a laptop or a social network? Reuss said. All I can tell you is, if theres a way to do it, Chevrolet is going to find it. AFP-Relaxnews
WHEEL BRIEFS
More power for the SL 63 AMG

MERCEDES has released a new version of the SL 63 AMG (below) with a power boost and a 30% improvement in fuel economy, enhanced sports suspension and speed-sensitive steering. The all-aluminium body shell is similar to that of the SLS AMG super sports car with the vehicle weight reduced by 125kg. Output is listed at 537hp for the AMG 5.5-litre V8 bi-turbo engine and 564hp for the AMG performance package. Acceleration times are from zero to 100kph in 4.3 or 4.2 seconds respectively. The top speed is electronically limited at 250kph. Fuel consumption comes in at 9.9 litres per 100km for both power ratings, which Mercedes says is 4.2 litres or 30% less than for the outgoing model. The new AMG brand face comprises the twin blade radiator grille and the lower cross-strut in the front apron both featuring a chrome finish. The sixth-generation SL retains the electro hydraulically-operated vario-roof, which can be retracted into the boot to save space, enabling the SL to be transformed into a roadster or a coupe in under 20 seconds. In contrast to the outgoing model, there are three versions to choose from for the new SL: painted roof, glass roof or the panoramic vario-roof. Its transparency can be switched to light or dark at the push of a button. dpa
New Audi A4 in the planning for 2014

THE NEXT generation Audi A4 heading for the markets in 2014 will be significantly lighter and more economical than current versions like the Audi A4 Avant (above), according to a report in Germanys Autobild newspaper. According to AutoBild, the car will ride on the MLB Evo platform which will enable it to weigh 120 to 150kg less than the current model. Despite the reduced mass, the A4 is expected to grow in size to battle the enlarged BMW 3-Series. The latest A4 underwent a major facelift last year with sales in Germany falling behind those of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. During the first quarter of this year, only 9,033 A4 models were sold compared to 12,714 units of the BMW 3-Series and 17,114 Mercedes C-Class models. Autobild says the latest A4 will offer more space for both passengers and luggage with the technology on board taking up less space. The interior sports a screen in the centre of the cockpit which replaces the classic circular instrumentation. dpa
The last big Alfa Romeo classic

ALFA ROMEO Spider is arguably one of the last of the great classics produced by the Italian carmaker, taking up the challenge in the convertible two-seater segment dominated until the late 1970s by the Triumph Spitfire. Originally presented by the Pininfarina design studio in 1966, the Spider was produced for 27 years until production was finally ceased in 2010. The last Spitfire was manufactured in 1980. True fans of the Alfa Spider, such as the fourth series (below), are not perturbed by typical problems that include generators that sap the battery power and clutch problems particularly in the models produced between 1998 and 1999. The basic Pininfarina form was maintained until 1994. But then to the chagrin of many of its fans came the modernised version number five based on the Alfa 159, taking on the form language of the other models in the Alfa stable but losing its individual style. In 2006, came the sixth generation that was also given a facelift in 2008 and a sixgear automatic transmission with diesel engine option. dpa
24
FEATURE
www.thesundaily.my
HOROSCOPE
April 19 May 19 LAST week the ideas planet, Mercury, moved into Taurus and this week its formed brilliant aspects with Mars and the uncompromisingly truthful Pluto. While the facts that have emerged wont always be welcome or easy to deal with, whats come to light is enabling you to make pivotal decisions. May 20 June 19 WHEN you first ignored certain facts, it was because they were complicated and you felt theyd have little impact on your plans. However, things have changed, and those seemingly unimportant facts are now significant. Remember that when you think about ignoring other facts that seem equally unimportant. June 20 July 21 FEW things are more unsettling than sudden changes in plans youve struggled to get properly organised. Since these events are being triggered by this weekends eclipsed New Moon, which is about breaking up familiar patterns, whatever is going is paving the way for something better. July 22 Aug 21 DURING times of challenge, everybody has advice to offer. Now that youre wrestling with an excess of exciting yet unsettling developments, others assume all is well, so have vanished. Let them know you need them now, too. It may be merely for moral support but they could also have useful advice to offer. Aug 22 Sept 21 YOU pride yourself on your objectivity. But several arrangements are so dear to your heart that you wont even hear criticism of them. Now, however, events are making it clear that not only must you acknowledge their faults, some might need a serious rethink. And, perhaps, one or two need to end. Sept 22 Oct 22 OBVIOUSLY now that youve reached the point at which discussions are about to turn into decisions, youd prefer that the arrangements you organise be lasting. But thats not only unlikely, with this weekends eclipse shaking things up, its unrealistic. Aim for the best you can do now, but expect changes. Lots of them. Oct 23 Nov 20 ITS the rare Scorpio whod plunge into any situation, whether personal or of a practical or professional nature. Still, judging by this weeks stunning planetary activity, in which your ruler Pluto takes a starring role, whats coming your way is too exciting to refuse. At least explore offers. Youll be glad you did. Nov 21 Dec 20 THERE are times when you can afford to be easygoing about details. But this isnt one of them. While its true that changes in circumstances will continue until early June, you need to ensure your plans are sound. Make no commitments until youre confident those decisions are based on solid facts. Dec 21 Jan 19 IF theres any problem with the way youre approaching certain pivotal decisions, its that you intend to make them once and be done with it. Be more flexible. These and any other decisions are being made during a period of change, which means even the simplest of plans is unlikely to last long. Jan 20 Feb 18 EVERY sign will be influenced by this weekends eclipse, which is the first of two. In your particular case, the circumstances of those closet, friends or loved ones, are likely to be changed or challenged. Unsettling as events are initially, deep down you know these arent just important, theyre vital. Feb 19 March 19 ABANDONING tricky issues for others to deal with isnt your style. Yet its increasingly clear they have greater interest in the particular situation than you do. If you feel youre abandoning your responsibility, discuss it with them. The odds are good theyd no idea how you felt and are happy to take over. March 20 April 18 SOMEBODYS been holding back on you. While people often keep things to themselves because that information is not important, the facts in question are becoming increasingly important. And because of that, youre urged to raise these now. The more swiftly theyre out in the open, the sooner theyll be dealt with.
TV1
KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOR/ THE SUN
11.05am 12.30pm 2.30pm 3.05pm 3.30pm 4.05pm 6.30pm 7pm 9pm
Jelajah Lagenda Steves Deadly 60 Orang Kita Camar Putih Dapur Remaja Farhat Hafazan Al Quran National Geographic Forum Perdana Ehwal Islam 10.05pm Pesona Kasih 11.30pm 1001 Nasi
TV2
These maids, butlers and Ultraman turned up at the launch of Afamy.
1pm 1.30pm 3.30pm 4.35pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 9pm 10pm MN 1am
Cuci-Cuci Services Perangkap Maathangal Adutha Veedu White Lie The Building Blocks of Life American Dragon: Jake Long Makbul Shaolin Soccer Ops SPRM Enchanting Escapes
> The Anime Festival Asia Malaysia, to be held in June, promises to be a great showcase of anime-centric culture and music
BY ANANSA JACOB
Anime overload
TV3
3pm 4pm 5pm 5.35pm 6pm 6.30pm 7pm 9pm 9.30pm 10pm 11.05pm
APANOPHILES in Malaysia are in for a huge treat in June when one of the biggest regional showcases involving anime-related culture and music hits our shores for the first time. The Anime Festival Asia Malaysia (Afamy) is an offshoot of the Anime Festival Asia (AFA), which has been held annually in Singapore since 2008 and has drawn tens of thousands of local and international visitors. Malaysians make up the bulk of regional visitors to the event, so when the organisers decided to take the event around the region, Kuala Lumpur was the natural first choice. At the Afamy launch at Federal Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, AFA director and event organiser SOZO executive director Shawn Chin said he wanted Malaysians to experience the fun of anime in their own backyard. Our purpose was to share the latest trends and content directly from Japan in one big event, Chin added. We want to be the place where anime fans can gather alongside people who share the same interests and enjoy themselves. Several exciting events have already been lined up for fans to get a complete anime experience. One of the most highly-anticipated activities will be a cosplay championship, with the winners representing Malaysia at the Regional Cosplay Championship at AFA in November. Visitors are also encouraged to attend the festival dressed as their favourite anime characters. They can scout for exclusive anime trading cards and figurines from some of Japans top hobby brands, including Good Smile Company and Bushiroad. There will also be a Good Smile Racing zone for model cars. Another uniquely Japanese feature, cosplay cafes, will also be available at Afamy. The Moe Moe Kyun
Maid Cafe features cute, bubbly maids who will serve you desserts and tea, while the Atelier Royale Butler Cafe will have handsome butlers catering to your every whim. A new segment has also been created for Afamy the Ultraman Zone based on the iconic Japanese superhero. Visitors will be able to watch special performances by Ultraman characters and actors flown in from Japan, and take part in many activities and interactive games. But by far the most anticipated event will be Super Anisong Genki Live, a two-night performance by top J-Pop artistes, including Kotoko, Sea A, Maon Kurosaki, Flow, Kalafina and Aimi. They will all be performing songs from some of todays biggest anime series. A number of special guests will also make appearances, including top Japanese cosplayer Kaname , famous for his performances as characters in Final Fantasy VII, Bleach and One Piece. Anime entrepreneurs and producers Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Ishii Tomohiko will also be there to share some of their latest releases for 2012. The festival will be hosted by top anime blogger and Culture Japan host Danny Choo, who will also be promoting his Japanese-language education card series, Moekana, at the festival. Afamy will be held on June 9 and 10 at the Putra World Trade Centre. General festival tickets are priced at RM15 per day. For customers who want to access exclusive stage contents from anime celebrities, they will have to purchase the Festival+Stage tickets at RM30 per day. For the Super Anisong Genki Live evening concerts, tickets are RM88 per day (free standing) and RM168 per day (VIP seating). A RM308 two-day VIP package and RM148 two-day standing package are also available. Each concert ticket is bundled with a Festival+Stage ticket.
Endless Love Mini Kaber Hero Kaber Zero Jom Terokai Perak Teganu Kita Metal Fight Beyblade Seindah Sakura 999 Mahabbah Amukan Pocong WWE International Smackdown
NTV7
1.30pm 2.30pm 3.32pm
Neighbourhood The Emperors Harem The Amazing Strategist Liu Bo Wen 4.32pm Taiwan Tornado 6.02pm My Family 7.30pm Fairytale 8.30pm The V Squad 9pm Bilik 7 10pm Unriddle 2 11pm Footprints in Asia 11.30pm All About Sports
8TV
10.30am 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8.30pm 9.31pm 10.31pm
My Family, My Love Guess Guess Guess Just in Singapore Hitman Reborn Dong Yi Family Harmony In the Eye of the Beholder Secret Garden Switched at Birth Jamie Olivers Food Evolution 11.45pm Desperate Housewives
TV9
12.30pm 1.30pm 2pm 5pm 5.37pm 6.37pm 7pm 7.30pm 8.30pm 9.30pm 10.30pm 11pm 11.30pm
Nikita Heroman Bola Kampung SpongeBob SquarePants Anugerah Upin & Ipin Kochikame Pakar Kejelitaan Friday Im in Love Semanis Kurma 9 Soalan S.O.S Cinta Fitri
Flying McCoy
Real Life Adventures
Reign of Fire
FOX MOVIES, 6.15PM: After his construction engineer mother inadvertently woke an enormous fire-breathing beast from its centuries-long slumber 20 years ago, Quinn has to struggle to keep a small community alive in a world which has been scarred by the beast and its offspring. Then a hotshot American arrives who says he has a way to kill the beasts and save mankind. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale.
theSun | THURSDAY MAY 17 2012
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26
SPORTS AHEAD OF THE GAME

> Nicol breezes through Pakistani opponent

ICOL DAVID (pix) made a ying start to her bid to win back the British Open title, needing only 20 minutes before hurtling into the second round with a win over a surprise opponent in London yesterday. The record-breaking world champion from Malaysia played as relentlessly as ever against the rst Pakistan-born player ever to reach the main draw, Maria Toor Pakay, who endured a tough introduction to Nicols jet-propelled court coverage and early attacks. Nicols 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 success suggested that she is again in the right frame of mind for a major success, having dazzled everyone with her light-footed movement and near-perfect performances during the World Open in Rotterdam in November. Nicol seemed motivated by the fact that the British Open was returning after missing two years. Its a huge bonus knowing the British Open is back, seeing its such a big event, she said. Once again its all that the players are gunning for. For the last three years its tough to know that such a prestigious event is not happening. Finally its back and I am really happy it is on again. Nicol next plays Samantha Teran, the rst Mexican to reach a World Open seminal, in a half of the draw which has seen the removal of one of the leading contenders. This is Kasey Brown, who beat Nicol in the US Open and led Australia to the world team title late last year, but now was unable to clinch two match points and lost 11-7, 11-2, 4-11, 6-11, 13-11 to Jaclyn Hawkes, the unseeded former world No. 12 from New Zealand. The second of them involved a controversial no let decision when Brown
Light and easy

appealed to the referee, apparently hoping for a point. There were four other stunning ve-game womens matches, with Dipika Pallikals recovery from two games down and 6-8 down in the third against Omney Abdel Kawy being the pick of them. Pallikal, the highest ranked Indian ever, recovered to win 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 against the 2010 World Open nalist from Egypt amidst an explosive atmosphere in which Pallikal was both warned and had a conduct penalty stroke awarded against her. The other long-drawn out winners were Nour El Sherbini, the 16-year-old Egyptian, Alison Waters, the former world No. 3 from England who is returning after a year out and bone spur operation, and her compatriot Laura Massaro, the third seed. Meanwhile former Olympic hurdler Colin Jackson backed squashs bid for a place in the Olympic Games after watching world champion Nick Matthew make a good start to the defence of the mens title. Jackson, a silver medalist in the 1988 Seoul Games, was a guest of Matthew as the 31-yearold Englishman beat Max Lee of Hong Kong 11-8, 11-4, 11-6. As an athlete myself, I have an enormous respect for them and cant understand why squash is not in the Olympics, said Jackson. Matthew could earn a repeat of Novembers World Open nal against Greg Gaultier, the second-seeded Frenchman, who began with a sparkling 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 win over Nicolas Mueller, a top 30 Swiss player. AFP
Federer blows past Berloq

ROGER FEDERER braved dust storm conditions to blow past Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-4 and open his week with a second-round victory at the Rome Masters yesterday. The world No. 2 with four titles this season including two of the rst three Masters 1000 honours of 2012 came good on his hope of playing in Rome the week after winning in difcult conditions on and off court on the controversial slick blue clay of Madrid. The Swiss third seed will next play Spanish veteran Juan Carlos Ferrero, champion here 11 years ago. Federer beat Ferrero in a 2003 seminal in Rome. Federer is on the hunt for his rst Rome title after losing the 2003 and 2006 nals. His victory left Berloq 0-8 against top 20 opponents as the Swiss charged out by winning the rst dozen points of the contest. Federer, 30, and winner of titles in seven of his last 10 events dating to last November, left it late to actually decide on playing Rome, hoping that his body would give him indications of how he was holding up after Madrid. He evidently got the right answer with his victory, bolstered by 16 winners in the rst set and success on 12 of the last 15 points of the afternoon. The Rome pressure now shifts to ve-time champion Rafael Nadal to post a victory in his opening match. The Spaniard has been mentally fragile after his troubles last week in Madrid, complaining about the blue clay and losing badly in the third round to Fernando Verdasco from a 5-3 lead in the nal set. The king of clay insists that all is ne in the kingdom now that hes left behind his Madrid bad memories. But his test will come in Italy as he faces German Florian Mayer, who beat him in their last meeting in Shanghai in 2011. In womens play, Chinas Li Na moved on to the fourth round as third seed Agnieszka Radwanska lost to only her third different opponent of the season. Eighth seed Li beat Iveta Benesova with ease, 6-1, 7-5, but Czech Petra Cetkovska caught Polands Radwanska with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss. The winner attacked and went for her shots on a windy day on the clay at the Foro Italico, producing 44 winners and 38 unforced errors. She broke the seed sight times from 20 chances. Of Radwanskas eight defeats in 2012, six have come from world number one Victoria Azarenka, with their most recent meeting the Madrid seminals last weekend. Li will face the winner from New Zealands Marina Erakovic and South African Chanelle Scheepers. In other results, US Open winner and fth seed Samantha Stosur put out Italian Sara Errani 6-3, 7-5 while sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki fell to Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues, with the Dane retiring injured trailing 6-4, 4-0. German 12th seed Angelique Kerber defeated American Vania King 6-3, 6-2, while Sorona Cirstea of Romania beat Swede Soa Arvidsson 6-3, 6-1 and Italys Flavia Pennetta hammered Sloane Stephens of the United States 6-2, 6-3. AFP

27
Once in a lifetime drama

by JOHN DYKES ORDON STRACHAN summed Sundays Barclays Premier League climax up perfectly when he said, between the three of us we have 120 years experience in the game of football and none of us have ever seen anything like that. He sat in our TV studio, anked by Alan Curbishley and Peter Reid, as he tried to put Kun Agueros title-winning 94thminute strike into some sort of perspective just moments after the game had ended and Manchester Citys celebrations had begun. Former City manager Reid found it all a bit too much. Show me those goals [both stoppage time efforts] again, please, because I still cant believe it happened, he begged. Minutes earlier, he had been off his feet much like the rest of the footballwatching world as those breathtaking events unfolded at the Etihad Stadium. A bottle of water went ying under our desk, sending Health and Safety-conscious studio crew scurrying for mops and tissues lest we get electrocuted. Elsewhere, on SKY TVs Soccer Saturday the bizarrely-enthralling show where we watch people watching football matches -- Paul Merson leapt out of his seat, ripping his lapel microphone off in the process, and then had to sit and describe the proceedings to host Jeff Stelling on live television, all the while fumbling away as he tried to re-attach the aforementioned mic. The studios, from which we broadcast to 650 million homes round the world are still ringing with Alan Parrys screamed Aguero!!!!! which was echoed in a multitude of languages in more than 200 countries. Meanwhile, the UK audience heard Martin Tyler, the doyen of English commentators, utter the absolutely perfect, I swear you will never see
B R I E F S WORLD CUP STADIUMS A CONCERN: FIFA

FOOTBALLS world governing body FIFA believes that six of 12 Brazilian stadiums that are to host the 2014 World Cup may not be ready in time, the daily Folha de Sao Paulo reported yesterday. The paper cited a FIFA study on the stadium construction or renovation program pointing to various degrees of risk for arenas in Manaus, Cuiaba, Porto Alegre, Curitiba and Sao Paulo. But the biggest concern is for the stadium in the northeastern city of Natal because of a tight schedule that left no margin for problems, it added. Manaus and Cuiaba have medium risk while Curitiba and Porto Alegre have low risk, with a greater chance of being ready in time. The report indicated that two years before the World Cup gets underway, work on the 12 stadiums have progressed on average by 34.4 percent. The outlook for the 2013 Confederations Cup is even more critical. FIFA reports delays in three of the four venues for the competition, Folha said. The Confederations Cup, seen as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, will be held from June 15 to 30 next year in four conrmed cities: Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza. Recife and Salvador could be added depending on progress on the work. But the FIfA report said challenges facing the Recife arena will be hard to overcome, complaining about the bureaucracy and excessive politicisation in the country while acknowledging President Dilma Rousseffs determination to speed things up.
anything like this ever again! Maybe not. But we will keep coming back for more because we all know that sport is always capable of throwing up drama like Sundays. As Nick Hornby pointed out in his essential football read, Fever Pitch: be tolerant of those who describe a sporting moment as their best ever. We do not lack imagination, nor have we had sad and barren lives; it is just that real life is paler, duller, and contains less potential for unexpected delirium. Life, he explained, tends not to throw up lastminute winners. In broadcasting terms, the last-minute winner is the ultimate stress test. Everything changes in an instant: video packages and highlights reecting one result have to be altered to properly demonstrate another, tables and statistics have to be modied, editorial decisions revisited. Stats come at us thick and fast, perhaps too quickly to process: staggeringly, Manchester City scored with their
43rd and 44th attempts on goal. Was that a record? Had David Silva or Alex Song ended the season top of the assists charts? Did we realise that the late strikes at Swansea, Wigan and of course the Etihad had lifted the seasons tally to a record-breaking 1,066. Its a crazy nish for a crazy season, shrugged Roberto Mancini amidst chaotic postmatch scenes in Manchester. On the other side of the country, Sir Alex Ferguson was magnanimous in defeat but must inwardly have been revisiting his famous Football... bloody Hell! pronouncement. We were lucky enough to have satellite feeds of all the matches coming into our studio simultaneously and were witness to Michael Owen and the United substitutes preparing to strip off their tracksuits to reveal Champions T-shirts. In an instant, Aguero scored in Manchester and faces fell at the Stadium of Light. It was hard not to feel uncomfortable, voyeuristic at a time of heartbreak.
CELTIC COUSINS JOIN FORCES

SCOTLAND, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are set to mount a joint bid to host Euro 2020. Turkey and Georgia are the other predicted bidders and as both countries have potentially serious aws as prospective hosts, the Celtic nations will stand a good chance should they decide to translate a declaration of interest into a concrete bid. Last night was the deadline for countries to register an interest in hosting the nals, which would be the rst in the United Kingdom for 24 years. Interested countries now have 18 months to table an actual bid, which would need 10 stadiums to host the 24-team nals. The expanded nals require all three to bid together to meet the stadium criteria. The three associations will now begin exploring the detail with possible venues in Dublin, Cardiff, Swansea, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Ireland are competing at Euro 2012 this summer, but Scotland have not qualied for a major nals since the 1998 World Cup in France. Wales have to go back to the World Cup of 1958.
PAPISS CISSE RUBBISHES EXIT RUMOURS

NEWCASTLE hotshot Papiss Cisse (pix below) has dismissed rumours that he could leave the club this summer. The 26-year-old Senegal international has been a sensation since his January arrival on Tyneside with a return of 13 goals in just 14 appearances, helping the Magpies to an unexpected fth-place Barclays Premier League nish. However, with Newcastle last week having rmly denied reports that the former Freiburg frontman had issued a come and get me plea to Primera Division winners Real Madrid, he has moved to reassure the clubs fans I hope to continue scoring goals for Newcastle next season. Im looking forward to playing in the Europa League, Cisse told the Evening Chronicle We wanted to play in the Champions League, but we can be very happy with what we have achieved this season. Its good to be in Europe next season, but Im sorry for the supporters. We wanted to give them Champions League football. That was our objective. We are in the Europa League and I thank God for the season I have had. But we are still a little disappointed. he added.
Allardyce starts legal action against Kean

SAM ALLARDYCES legal representatives have sent letters to Steve Kean and Blackburn Rovers following video footage that shows the clubs manager making disparaging remarks about his former colleague. Kean was secretly videoed by supporters during Blackburns trip to Hong Kong last summer. He tells those fans that Rovers will denitely nish in the top 10 (for the season that has just nished, when they were relegated), also win the Carling Cup and places a 100 (RM500) bet with them. However, it is the potentially libellous comments about Allardyce, who was in charge when Kean was a coach at Ewood Park, that have seen legal proceedings begin. Allardyce, now manager at West Ham United and preparing for Saturdays Championship playoff nal with Blackpool, only became aware of the YouTube video yesterday morning. He met his legal team just after lunchtime and the decision was made to begin proceedings. The footage that has sparked the controversy was lmed months ago but its posting on Twitter has pushed it into the public domain. It shows Kean questioning the operating methods and ability of the man who was manager before him at Blackburn. Kean and Allardyce fell out hugely after the latter was sacked by Venkys, Blackburns owners, in December 2010, despite the team being 13th in the Premier League at the time. Kean, however, has faced a huge public backlash in Blackburn since he was given the job, with repeated demonstrations calling for him to be sacked or to resign. The local newspaper has twice called for him to go and his appointment has been blamed for the huge disappointment of the current campaign, which ended in relegation before the nal game of the season. Allardyce is said to be furious with the slur. The release of the four-minute YouTube rant by Kean was calculated to cause maximum embarrassment as he ghts for his job; the BRFC Action Group, who have repeatedly called for his dismissal and the removal of Venkys, posted the video on their website yesterday. The Independent
Rule changes conrmed for 2012 AWMRT

SEVERAL rule changes have been conrmed for the 2012 Alpari World Match Racing Tour, coming into effect at the rst event of the season, Match Race Germany in Langenargen on May 23 28. The Racing Rules have been amended in order to continue the positioning of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) as the most compelling, competitive and pioneering action on the water. Craig Mitchell, Tour Director of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, expects the alterations to have a positive effect on the Tour, as well as match racing in general. Match racing has evolved to the point where we currently have a great set of rules, producing some fantastic sporting action, as we saw quite clearly in the 2011 series, said Mitchell. Nothing major has changed in the past few years and we are enthusiastic in our responsibility to keep developing the rules to challenge our world class athletes and create the best possible spectacle we can. Several changes have been included in order to tidy up existing wording and dene certain aspects more clearly but amongst the slightly more controversial additions are a revision of the penalty process, limiting boat requests for redress and an amendment of proper course restrictions which it is hoped will allow the trailing boat increased chances to overtake expected to get a mixed reaction amongst sailors and sailing acionados alike. We are the most competitive sailing series in the world and we hope that these changes, amongst others, continue to create the closest, most intense battles out on the water, Mitchell, said.
PRIOR WARY OF WEST INDIES THREAT

MATT PRIOR has insisted there is no way England will take the West Indies lightly when the teams meet for the rst of a three-Test series at Lords today. England are top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings, while the West Indies - who have won just two of 30 Tests since beating England in Jamaica in 2009 - are down in seventh place. However, the tourists do boast the worlds No. 1-ranked batsman in Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while England have lost four out of their last ve Tests heading into Todays match, after struggling against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This is a very tough series in its own right, England wicketkeeper Prior said at Lords yesterday. I think if you get complacent or take things easy in Test cricket, or international sport in general, you get bitten pretty quickly. Theres no room for that in our dressing room. Prior has happy memories of Lords, having scored a century on his Test debut, against the West Indies, at the home of cricket ve years ago.
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Robben always causes trouble

by STEVE TONGUE
N THREE YEARS AT CHELSEA, Arjen Robben was often a controversial gure, a certain physical frailty tending to obscure some ne wing-play and important goals. So it was no surprise that controversy should follow Robben at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, for whom he will be a key player in a Champions League nal against several of his old London teammates. He is, after all, a Dutch footballer. Hes not the best friend of all the players, and not the easiest one, because he is very egocentric, says Patrick Strasser, a journalist for Munichs Abendzeitung. It was a bit surprising that the club wanted him to sign a new contract but he did last week, until 2015. Identied closely at Chelsea with the mouldbreaking Jose Mourinho, under whom he won two League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup in the space of three years, Robben was actually signed, like Petr Cech, before the new manager arrived in the summer of 2004. Recognised as one of the very best young talents in Holland for his work with Groningen and then PSV Eindhoven, he would have gone to Manchester United had they been prepared to pay the price. Chelsea offered far more for him
presumably in wages too and secured him for 12 million (RM60m), his provocative explanation being: Ive gone there because Chelsea are on the rise. I feel that maybe Manchester Uniteds best years are now behind them. Injured in a pre-season friendly, he did not make his debut until November, and missed out on the climax to the season as well after taking a knock at Blackburn. But with Damien Duff on the other ank, he became an important cog in Mourinhos wheel when t. His second season was probably his most effective as he adjusted to the physical demands of English football and Chelsea retained their title, and by the end of his third and an FA Cup nal win over United, Real Madrid were keen suitors. They eventually paid 24 million (RM120m) and Robben was successful enough in another title-winning season. But somehow he was never quite galactico quality and when the more glamorous Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka were recruited a year later, it was time to move on again, this time to Bayern. Scoring on debut, as he had for Chelsea, secured immediate popularity and by the end of the season he had a championship medal from a fourth different country and had been voted Germanys Footballer of the Year. Last season, familiar injury problems
resurfaced a hamstring problem from the World Cup not having been solved and to Bayerns annoyance he was unable to play until January. Borussia Dortmund took Bayerns title and have kept it this season, Robben playing an unfortunate part in the key game of the season recently, when with Bayern a goal down he missed a penalty and then a glorious late chance. Maybe a turning point was the second leg of the Champions League seminal against Madrid when Bayern were 2-0 down, said Patrick Strasser. He took a penalty just one week after the Dortmund miss and scored it. In January and February he had a lot of problems with (Bayern coach) Jupp Heynckes, who was giving some players a rest after the winter break. For three games in a row Robben was sidelined and in his world he can never sit on the bench, so that was causing problems. He wasnt complaining directly but he was like a child who was promised an ice-cream and did not get it. Unlike his Chelsea days, he now plays on the right, regularly cutting inside on his left foot and achieving a notable tally for a wide player of 54 goals in 88 games one of which knocked United out of the Champions League at Old Trafford two seasons ago. The Independent
Third nal of the year will be great: Drog

CHELSEAS Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is condent that his third nal of the year will be a great one. Drogba told reporters at the Chelsea Media Open Day ahead of the Champions League nal in Munich against Bayern Munich that although he has had many disappointing moments in major nals, he is condent that Saturdays game will be different. I have not only had disappointing moments in nals, I have also had some great ones and I and all my teammates will give everything to make sure that this is a great one. For Drogba the match against the four-time champions will be the third nal in which he is involved this year. In February Drogba lost the Africa Cup of Nations nal with Ivory Coast against Zambia, but then scored the winning goal for Chelsea against Liverpool in the FA Cup nal earlier this month. Saturdays match will be the second Champions League nal for the 34-year-old, whose future with the Blues is unclear as he might be playing his last game for the club in Munich. Four years ago Drogba was in the Chelsea side that lost on penalties in an all-England nal in Moscow against Manchester United, but the match ended prematurely for him as he was sent off in the second half of extra-time. We thought that we would get to the nal against in the next year, but it is not that easy, so I am just happy to be given another chance, he said.
Real Madrid 2 Bayer Leverkusen 1 Hampden Park, Glasgow Zidane Wonder Goal Real back in final this time a perfectly struck left-foot volley from worlds most expensive player, Zinedine Zidane, secures trophy
AC Milan 0 3-2 penalties Juventus 0 Old Trafford, Manchester Italian Masterclass Typically tight all-Italian contest, high on technical ability. Andriy Shevchenkos spot kick lands AC Milan their sixth European victory
Porto 3-0 AS Monaco Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen Mourinho Double Decos man-of-the-match performance helps Jose Mourinhos side to a second European triumph, a year after winning UEFA Cup
Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 3-2 penalties Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul Game of Two Halves AC Milan lead after just 52 seconds and 3-0 at half time, but goals from Gerrard, Smicer and Alonso help set up brilliant shootout victory
Barcelona 2 Arsenal 1 Stade de France, Paris Barcelonas Patience Arsenals Jens Lehmann becomes first player to see red in a European final, as Barcelona seal title with two goals in final 15 mins
AC Milan 2 Liverpool 1 Olympic Stadium, Athens Milans Revenge Two years after Liverpools astonishing comeback, the sides meet again Milan coming out on top after two goals from Filippo Inzaghi
Manchester Utd 1 6-5 penalties Chelsea 1 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow English Supremacy First ever final between two English clubs. United win even match thanks to John Terrys penalty slip, to seal third European title
Barcelona 2 Manchester Utd 0 Stadio Olimpico, Rome Mighty Barcelona United start brightly but are hit by 10th minute Etoo strike and never recover classy Barcelona go on to win sextuple of trophies in 2009
Schweiny must lead from the front

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER must show leadership qualities in Champions League nal says former Bayern Munich captain Former Bayern Munich captain Stefan Effenberg has challenged Schweinsteiger to prove his leadership qualities in Saturdays Champions League nal against Chelsea. Effenberg captained Bayern the last time they won the competition in 2001 and he called on Schweinsteiger to rise to the occasion at the Allianz Arena. There is a lot of hope resting on his shoulders and he cannot buy any more time he has got to work now, Effenberg told the Bild newspaper. Sooner or later, he has got to be there to lead this team. I am keen to see whether he can cope with the pace - he has got to play intelligently. Effenberg claimed Jupp Heynckes side, who were beaten to the Bundesliga title by Borussia Dortmund, are too reliant on wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben and are too predictable. It is not good when you are always hoping that Ribery and Robben wont get stopped, he added. Given the quality Bayern have, they have got to be able to play other systems too. They are too predictable. A win in this game would save their season.
Internazionale 2 Bayern Munich 0 Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid Inters Long Wait Jose Mourinhos Inter side win their third European Cup, and first since 1965 two goals from Diego Milito cap treble-winning season
Source: UEFA
Barcelona 3 Manchester Utd 1 Wembley Stadium, London Unstoppable Barcelona Barcelona dominate in repeat of 2009 final, as goals from Pedro, Messi and Villa give Guardiolas side third title in six years
Bayern Munich v Chelsea Saturday May 19, Fuball Arena Mnchen, Munich Franck Ribery will be aiming to help Bayern to their fifth European Cup title on home turf against Chelsea, semi-final victors over 2011 champions Barcelona
GRAPHIC NEWS
Pictures: Getty Images

29
BAYERN MUNICH
Coach Jupp Heynckes Captain Philipp Lahm European Cup record W81 D41 L39 European pedigree European Cup 1974-76, 2001 UEFA Cup 1996 Cup Winners Cup 1967 Intercontinental Cup 1976, 2001 Bayern v English opposition
CHELSEA
Saturday May 19, Fuball Arena Mnchen, Munich HEAD-TO-HEAD Bayern 1 Chelsea 1 Goals 5 Goals 6
PREVIOUS MEETINGS 2005 Chelsea 4-2 Bayern Q-final 2005 Bayern 3-2 Chelsea Q-final Chelsea v German opposition 2.00 0.92 52% 4.25 13.1 2.25 48% 83 Total shots 161 78
Coach Roberto Di Matteo Captain John Terry European Cup record W57 D33 L23 European pedigree European Cup runners-up 2008 Cup Winners Cup 1971, 1998 Super Cup 1998 Won 7 Draw 2 Lost 4
Blues united
> Mikel counts on unity to bring ultimate prize
Won 13 Draw 12 Lost 10 2.08 0.83 56% 5.25 16.3 2.33 58% Total shots 155
Top scorer Mario Gomez 12
TEAM STATISTICS (per match) Goals scored Goals against Possession Corners Fouls Yellow cards SHOTS BREAKDOWN On target Wide 65
Pictures: Getty Images
Top scorer Didier Drogba 5
90
SHOOTING BOOTS: Goals Gomez Drogba Robben 4 Players with 3 goals 3 1 5 12
PLAYMAKERS: Assists Ribery Torres Lampard Malouda 2 3 4
PLAYER STATISTICS ON TARGET: Shots 5 Gomez Robben Torres 10 10 29
BANNED: Missing final David Alaba, Luiz Gustavo Holger Badstuber John Terry, Raul Meireles Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires
Sturridge 9 PROBABLE LINE-UPS Neuer ROUTE TO FINAL Topped Goup E with unbeaten home record eliminated Valencia Rafinha Round of 16 Napoli Quarter-finals Benfica Semi-finals Barcelona 1-3 (a), 4-1 (h) After extra time 1-0 (a), 2-1 (h) 1-0 (h), 2-2 (a) 3-0
15 30
ROUTE TO FINAL Topped Goup A with unbeaten home record eliminated Manchester City Round of 16 Basel Quarter-finals Marseille Semi-finals Real Madrid 0-1 (a), 7-0 (h) 2-0 (a), 2-0 (h) 2-1 (h), 1-2 (a) Won 3-1 on pens 5-2
15 30 45
Lahm
Boateng Tymoshchuk
Schweinsteiger Kroos Robben Muller
Ribery
GOAL TIMES 3-2 Total minutes played 75 1,080 4-0 Leading in 60 matches (mins) 570 (52.8%) 1-3
Gomez Drogba 5-0 Sturridge Malouda Lampard Cole Cahill Luiz Cech
Source: UEFA, Infostrada Sports GRAPHIC NEWS
7-3
Mata Essien Bosingwa
Level 368 (34.1%)
GOAL TIMES ET: 1-0 Total minutes 4-3 played 75 1,080 4-3 Leading in 60 matches (mins) 45 480 3-1 (44.4%) Level 500 (46.3%)
6-0 3-4
Behind 142 (13.1%)
Behind 100 (9.3%)
NY FATALISTS WITH A CHELSEA allegiance must wonder if the club are ever destined to become champions of Europe. Get to within one penalty kick of succeeding and your captain slips over and misses; make it to the nal again with the two hot favourites out of contention and you nd the game is somehow an away match, from which at least four key performers will be missing. Of course, players and staff cannot afford to think like that. So at the Cobham training ground early this week midelder John Obi Mikel (pix) was grasping whatever positives he could from a far from ideal situation. The conversation with Mikel also included the clearest explanation yet of what was wrong under the stewardship of Andre Villas-Boas and how his successor Roberto Di Matteo has brought a fractured squad back together again. This new spirit, he believes, represents Chelseas best hope of overcoming Bayern Munich on their own turf on Saturday. I ended last season well and at the start of this season I was one of the key players and there were a few rotations early on, he said. It was kind of difcult, you play and the manager leaves you out and you dont know the reason. Things like this went through everyones head not just me. Everyone didnt know what was happening. You come into training thinking shall I train well because I dont know if Im going to be playing at the weekend?. Things like that just went on and on. The communication was not right. Now things are more stable, we have a manager that understands the game and played the game and speaks to everyone and treats everyone the same, treats John Terry like he treats every other young player. I think thats what has brought all of us together. Now nobody is moaning or upset when they are left out. This togetherness is what we were lacking before. After a costly mistake in the home defeat by
Liverpool, Mikel did not start another League game until Villas-Boas was sacked three months later. Di Matteo has shown vastly more condence, playing him in both legs of the seminal against Barcelona, the FA Cup seminal and the nal. With Raul Meireles and Ramires suspended, as well as defenders Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, he is therefore entitled to think that a place in the side this Saturday should be his; unlike the 2008 nal against Manchester United when he sat and watched as the Moscow skies wept for Terry and Avram Grant. I had only just come into the club but after that I could see what the Champions League meant to the players, he said. And now we have a chance to put things right. Hopefully on the 19th if luck and God help us we will make that history. If we can pull off this win itll be the greatest achievement ever forthis club. One victory in six Champions League away games this season does not bode well, especially against a side who have beaten all seven of their visitors, including Real Madrid; nor does the notion of facing a front four of Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez without Terry and Ivanovic in defence. The hope in the Chelsea camp is that pressure will stie the home side, just as it did when Roma lost the nal in their own Olympic Stadium to Liverpool on penalties 28 years ago. Well play with less pressure, have a chance to express ourselves and do what we want to do a bit better. If we can grab a goal in the early stages its gonna be good but we have to make sure we dont concede early. It is the biggest game of our life and I hope the players who step into others shoes want to make this club proud. Thats why we have to go in and make sure we win it for them and for the club. The Independent
Di Matteo ready for toughest test

ROBERTO DI MATTEO is bracing for the toughest managerial challenge of his career as he attempts to lead an injury and suspension-hit Chelsea to Champions League glory over Bayern Munich. Just 10 weeks after taking over at Stamford Bridge following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, Di Matteo has already overseen a string of notable performances including an unforgettable seminal win over Barcelona. But the Italian believes that orchestrating a win over Bayern on their home ground on Saturday would represent his greatest triumph as he attempts to pull together a Chelsea side decimated by injuries and suspensions. Given the circumstances, Di Matteo agreed he faced the most challenging tactical assignment of his career. With all the problems that we have its certainly causing me a headache, the 41year-old said. Despite overseeing a rebound in Chelseas fortunes, which included an FA Cup victory as well as their passage to the Champions League nal, Di Matteo has yet to be given any assurances about his longterm future at Chelsea. Chelsea say no decision on a long-term successor to Villas-Boas will be taken until the season has ended, and Di Matteo insists he is happy to wait. Im very relaxed about it, Di Matteo said. I just have a big drive and a big motivation to do something extraordinary for this club and thats all I want to do. And whatever comes afterwards well, theres always a reason for things that happen. He also brushes off suggestions that failure to land the top job would be a bitter pill to swallow if Chelsea were successful on Saturday. Id be absolutely delighted to win the Champions League trophy for this club and Id be very happy for the players, he said. Weve worked so hard to reach this goal and have tried many many times to win it. I dont think about myself. Its a big game for the club and our players. Its a massive game. But we have to go into it with the knowledge that we have the quality and experience to win it and thats all. He also dismissed criticism of Chelseas tactics in the seminals, when their 10 men managed to mount a stunning rearguard action against Barcelona in the Camp Nou before clinching a 3-2 aggregate win. I wasnt annoyed (by the criticism), Di Matteo said. I was very happy that we beat Barcelona. Football is about playing football and scoring goals, and we scored more goals than them. And we probably scored the best goal as well. I understand from the neutral point of view that people may prefer other styles, but weve just tried to get the best out of our players and team to reach the nal. Di Matteo is also reading little into Bayerns 5-2 mauling by Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup nal in Berlin last weekend. Asked to comment on the suggestion that Bayern could be beaten if the attacking threat posed by Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben was nullied, he replied: I dont think its as easy or as straightforward as that. They have lots of good players, he said. To be able to win many titles and be competitive in the Champions League and reach the nal you need more than two players. You need a good team. AFP
Cahill, Luiz ready to face Bayern

ROBERTO DI MATTEO has been handed a signicant lift ahead of Saturdays Champions League nal after Gary Cahill and David Luiz emerged unscathed after returning to training with the rest of the rst-team squad yesterday. Both have been sidelined with hamstring injuries and their failure to play any role in Sundays Premier League game with Blackburn raised doubts over whether they would make the trip to the Allianz Arena. But the pair reported no ill effects after yesterdays session and declared themselves t to play, leaving Florent Malouda as Di Matteos only major concern. This was my rst session with the boys and it was good to get out here, said Cahill. Now Ive got three more sessions so I can kick on from here. Thankfully its healed quickly. Weve spent every day working on it and the works paid off. Hopefully I can get the training under my belt this week and be ready. Malouda is a greater concern. The France midelder was withdrawn in the rst half against Blackburn with a hamstring problem and Di Matteo admitted: We still have to assess Flo and itll be touch and go for him to be available. The combination of injuries and suspensions means Di Matteos squad will be stretched and the interim rst-team coach acknowledged the Chelsea bench might carry an unfamiliar look for a game of such stature. Thats the worst-case scenario, he said when asked what would happen if the injured players suffered setbacks. We will take some reserve-team players on to the bench, into the squad, and just gure out what to do. Ive been trying different options in training for different solutions just in case. Di Matteo warned his players their experience following defeat against Manchester United in the Moscow 2008 nal conrmed this may be their last opportunity for some time to land the one trophy to have eluded the club. To reach a Champions League nal is very, very difcult, he said. Sometimes you think: Ah yes, itll happen again. But its not that easy. The Independent
Its a big game for the club and our players. Its a massive game. But we have to go into it with the knowledge that we have the quality and experience to win it and thats all.
30

ANCHESTER UNITED will continue to compete with their neighbours, the newly crowned champions, Manchester City, and will do so with Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm for many more years. That was the condent message from the clubs chief executive David Gill yesterday as, with ironic timing, the Premier League recognised Uniteds domination of the competitions 20-year history just as their supremacy is being challenged. In the aftermath of Manchester City claiming their rst title in 44 years, Ferguson has conceded that Uniteds rivals, with their petrodollar backing, can outbid his club by paying stupid money and silly salaries. But Gill insisted that Uniteds commercial power would enable them to match City on the pitch. We can compete because our revenues are in the top three in world football and they are growing signicantly in commercial and media areas, Gill said. We can invest in players, transfers and contracts.
Devils still the team to beat

> Ferguson will keep dethroned United competitive, insist Gill
We are a very attractive club, we pay good wages, we also have all the assets of being Manchester United that can get players in, whether it be Alex Ferguson with his record, playing with Ryan Giggs, or our history and heritage. Manchester United can and will attract some of the best players in world football, of that there is no doubt. Despite growing revenues since the Glazer takeover in 2005, United have been relatively small net spenders in the market, preferring to buy developing players for fees approaching 20m (RM100m) rather than elite performers at 30m (RM150m)-plus. This summer is likely to see more recruits in that mould, such as Nicolas Gaitan, of Benca, and Borussia Dortmunds Shinji Kagawa, but Gill stressed there was no great need to spend heavily. We were only two or three minutes from retaining the title; we came second but we got 89 points, he said. We clearly have a great set of players. We will only bring in players Alex believes will improve us.
There are additions we are looking at in certain areas, but we are not going to buy players just for the sake of it. Were already looking forward to next season. Im condent; I always am with this manager. Ferguson, who opted not to attend a function that had been arranged near Euston station, presumably to facilitate his appearance, was, said Gill, in his Carrington ofce at 7.30am on Monday as usual, despite Uniteds despair after their nal match at Sunderland the previous evening. He lives for the game, said Gill, who collected on Fergusons behalf the award for being the best manager of the Premier League era. The hunger and enthusiasm is there day in, day out. Hes on a rolling contact and with his enthusiasm, the way he delegates, the support of his staff, therell be many more years, Im sure. Giggs, who has played under Ferguson for every one of the 20 Premier League seasons, was voted the competitions best player. As long as Im enjoying it and still getting picked, Ill carry on, said Giggs, 38. The Independent
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Ferguson meets Kagawa

JAPAN international Shinji Kagawa (pix) revealed yesterday that he had met Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, as rumours swirl that the Borussia Dortmund star is eyeing a move to the Premier League. The midelder said the Scot, one of footballs most successful managers, had good words to say about him during two hours of talks in Manchester this week. Kagawa, who still has a year to run on his contract with the German champions and has stalled over signing an extension with the club, said he wanted to think hard before deciding where his future lay. It was good that I was able to meet him in person and talk, Kagawa told reporters on his return ahead of Japans friendly against Azerbaijan. Ferguson had some good words, the player added when asked by journalists at Tokyos Haneda Airport about the meeting, without disclosing what they discussed. The 23-year-old scored 17 goals this season in all competitions to help Dortmund secure a second consecutive Bundesliga title and win the domestic double for the rst time in their 103-year history. He has made no secret of his desire to move to England with United tipped as front-runners to sign him. AFP
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MU accept Citys apology

MANCHESTER UNITED have accepted an apology from Manchester City over a controversial placard held up by Carlos Tevez during their title celebrations. City striker Tevez, formerly of United, was lmed on TV with a sign which read RIP Fergie during his clubs open-top bus tour of Manchester city centre with the Barclays Premier League trophy. The banner, thought to have been passed onto the bus by a fan, may have referred to a remark by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson three years ago when asked if his side would ever be underdogs against City. "Not in my lifetime," the Scot said. City reacted quickly last night to express sincerest apologies while Tevez also spoke of his regret. United chief executive David Gill told Sky Sports News: I think its right. The club acted
RM 6,556,083.20
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RM 127,724.08
Magnum proudly sponsors London The Summer Musical @ Sunway Lagoon Ticket Redemption start from 26 May until 16 June 2012 @ ENE (Selangor) Sdn Bhd.
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pretty quickly. I think it was rather silly, frankly, in terms of what it said, but City acted with commendable speed. We move on and concentrate on other issues. The Football Association are looking into the matter after chairman David Bernstein also described the Argentinians actions as silly. Bernstein was asked about the incident by MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Bernstein said: It looked to me rather silly, more than anything else an impetuous, silly thing to do. It certainly wasnt very sensible. I think it was a very excitable moment, emotions were running very high. The Independent
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31
End of an era
> Rio will have a few regrets
by SAM WALLACE Y ANY MEASURE it has been a remarkable international career, and one that has survived more than its fair share of ups and downs, but having been left out of the Euro 2012 squad, Rio Ferdinand (pix) has surely now played his last game for England. At the age of 33, he does not play as many games as he once did. He is by no means the player he was at his peak during the 2002 World Cup nals, the summer in which he joined Manchester United for 30m (RM150m) and was voted in Fifas team of the tournament. But it will come as a huge blow to a character who has had to deal with disappointments in the past. Two years ago he was preparing to lead England at the World Cup nals in South Africa, having been installed as captain by Fabio Capello after John Terry lost the job over the Vanessa Perroncel episode. As it turned out, Ferdinand turned his knee during the very rst training session and spent the rest of the month on a pair of crutches, rst watching from the touchline and then reluctantly accepting that he needed to go back to Britain for treatment. It means that a player generally regarded as one of the most naturally talented defenders that English football has ever produced will only ever have represented his country at two major international tournaments, the World Cup nals of 2002 and 2006. He was in the squad for the 1998 World Cup nals as a 19-year-old but never played a game. He has never been in a squad for a European Championship. In the case of Euro 2000, his form for West Ham tailed off towards the end of the season and manager Kevin Keegan decided to leave him out. He was serving his eight-month Football Association ban from football for a missed drugs test during Euro 2004. He was part of the Steve McClaren squad that did not qualify for Euro 2008. Yesterday the door closed on Euro 2012 too. For all the problems that Ferdinand has had to face in his England career, and by his own account of it there will have been few more difcult than the FA ban, he has always had a habit of coming back from adversity. But in recent years injury has
FA fears that England players will be racially abused at the Euros

THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION has raised concerns with UEFA over the prospect of England players being racially abused during this summers European Championship. David Bernstein, the FA chairman, has discussed the issue with UEFA president Michel Platini (caricature) and been promised that referees have increased powers to deal with situations in matches. Bernstein said yesterday that the FA had been working on all sorts of contingency plans and preparing for all eventualities should any England players be the subject of racial abuse at Euro 2012. Last week the UKs senior policeman in charge of footballing matters, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, warned of the possibility of England players and supporters being racially abused in Ukraine, where England will play their three group games. In the course of a meeting with Platini two weeks ago, Bernstein raised the subject; yesterday Bernstein told a Parliamentary inquiry into racism in football that Platini had assured him UEFA was taking the issue very, very seriously. They have given referees increased powers to deal with situations in matches, Bernstein told the Culture, Media and Sport committee at Westminster. When asked about Euro 2012, Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, told the same inquiry: Weve got a big worry with the European Championship. UEFA insists it is taking steps to address the issue ahead of the tournament, which begins on 8 June. More than 80,000 police ofcers and stewards in Poland and Ukraine will be given anti-discrimination training to help them identify discriminatory chants, symbols and behaviour, say UEFA. Europes governing body says sanctions have been provided to deal with any incidents. Under measures which were actually introduced in 2009, referees have the power to abandon a match should racist behaviour occur in the stadium. In the extreme, that could result in the awarding of a match by default, deduction of points or disqualication from the competition. Any player found guilty of abusing an opponent faces a minimum of a ve-match ban. England players have been on the receiving end of racist abuse during previous visits to eastern Europe. Last year the Bulgarian FA was ned 40,000 after Ashley Young, Ashley Cole and Theo Walcott were abused by the home support. UEFA has been criticised for its response to previous racist incidents. Earlier this season Manchester City were ned 30,000 because their players came out late for the second half against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League. That was 10,000 more than Porto were ned for their fans racially abusing City players in the previous round. The on-going problem with racism at football grounds in Poland and Ukraine was highlighted this year when the respected campaign group Never Again, which is linked to the UEFA-backed group Football Against Racism in Europe, produced a report detailing 195 incidents of racist and discriminatory behaviour between September 2009 and March 2011. The Independent 1.00 = RM4.00
slowed him down to the extent that since the start of 2010 he has gured in just ve of the 22 England internationals played. It is also telling that Ferdinand has started just three of the 19 games that England have played since he broke down in South Africa in a fairly innocuous challenge for the ball with Emile Heskey. A total of 81 caps is an impressive return for an England international but given Ferdinands status in the game he will surely have cause for regret at not reaching 100. His last cap came against Switzerland in the Euro 2012 qualier in June last year. That was the only time he played for Capello after the then England manager took the captaincy away from him, opening up a huge rift with the United player. Capello had been concerned, with some justication, about Ferdinands longterm tness and the likelihood that he would be t for this summers European Championship. But it was the manner in which he told Ferdinand or rather did not tell him that damaged the relationship irrevocably. Capellos casual approach that he would speak to the player when he next bumped into him at Old Trafford was interpreted by Ferdinand, understandably, as a slight. Ferdinands best moments for England came during the 2002 World Cup nals in Japan and South Korea when his partnership in the centre of defence with Sol Campbell was among the best in international football. For another four years he and Terry were the mainstay of the England defence. Generally speaking, since the start of 2001, when Sven Goran Eriksson took over the team, Ferdinand has been an automatic rst choice. Only once did the Swede leave Ferdinand out of the side on the basis of form, against Austria in a World Cup qualier in October 2005, a game which followed a humiliating defeat for England against Northern Ireland in Belfast. It was a rare occasion when Eriksson lost patience with his senior players and he made an example of Ferdinand, telling him in front of the squad at the start of the week that he was out. Otherwise, whatever has happened to him, Ferdinand has remained a cornerstone of England managers teams when he has been t. As a 17-year-old he
was regarded as such a prodigious talent that Terry Venables invited him, along with Frank Lampard, to train with the Euro 96 squad. He made his debut as 19year-old in a friendly against Cameroon in 1997 and has captained the team on seven occasions. It would have been more were it not for injury. He has one year left on his contract at United and beyond that it would not be hard to imagine a lucrative deal in China or in the MLS in America to see him through to retirement. As with many of Englands most famous players, the end of his career has come abruptly. There would be many of his generation who would have been delighted with the international career that Ferdinand has enjoyed, but it will be hard for him to shift the feeling he could have played on for longer. The Independent
With Neville in camp, Englands players should not fall prey to indifference
by JAMES LAWTON WE CAN be cynical as easily as we like over the fast-tracking of Gary Neville into the hierarchy of the England team. We can ask if, for example, you were the new manager Roy Hodgson, would you rather have Red Nev at your side in the potential maelstrom of the European Championship or lurking in a TV studio dreaming up the kind of line that hit David Luiz like an assassins bullet? Comparing the Chelsea defenders work with the meanderings of a schoolboy let loose on a PlayStation was a barb Neville may never surpass in the rest of his broadcasting career but Hodgson, who is already on record with his belief that having the media onside is a key part of the job, may well be happy not to run the risk. However, even in an age when the massaging of popular opinion has reached industrial levels, there are enough reasons to believe that Nevilles long-term appointment is rooted in something other than a craven reaction to the former Manchester United captains remarkable rise as one of the games most inuential voices. The most arresting of them is the possibility that after a club career that brought him eight Premier League titles and a Champions League medal, and one with England that he has already described as the last word in futility, he will be ideally placed to draw from the strength of one side of his experience and transfer at least some of it to the other. Encouragement to believe this is certainly not an emergency centreback of impressive reliability. That he made such demands on himself was evident enough in his performance and now it is implicit in the criticism he often feels obliged to level at a new generation of defenders. An early job description for him is that he will be Hodgsons most acute reader of the mood of the England dressing room a role that might have been weighed in gold two years ago on the high veldt when Fabio Capello and his players engaged in a cultural collision so catastrophic that the manager later confessed that when he looked out on to the eld he didnt recognise his own team. The breakdown could hardly have been more profound. Wayne Rooney spoke of the ineffable boredom of life in an isolated ve-star prison, John Terry made not the least miscalculation of his life when he elected himself as the spokesman for a dressing room he could hardly have split more profoundly had he driven a stake into the middle of the oor. For Neville there is also the much wider perspective of all those false dawns of the Golden Generation. He was playing in Munich when Michael Owen scored his hattrick and did his cartwheel and some of us were persuaded that Sven Goran Eriksson might just have found the lost chord of the English game. A few years later he witnessed the full wretched circle in the celebrity circus of BadenBaden, when old clubmate David Beckham handed back, tearfully and unbidden, the England captaincy. Neville may then have reected on the time he made his own run for player power while organising a strike threat on behalf of Rio Ferdinand after he was dropped from the national team while awaiting a disciplinary hearing for failing to take a drugs test. It will be some time before we know the value of Nevilles appointment and any serious clue about where it might lead, but the instinct is strong that it should be welcomed. If there is a single perception, right or wrong, about the relentless failure of the England team it is that it has not been accompanied by any sense of overwhelming regret by the players involved. Rooney was aghast that fans should complain so loudly that night in Cape Town when England played so feebly against Algeria and Capello made his terrible confession that he had looked helplessly at the skeleton of a team he had tried to build. At the very least, indifference will not come so easily in the shadow of Red Nev. The Independent
diluted by even the most casual review of his performance since putting aside his boots and taking up the microphone. Whether you agree with everything he says or not, there is certainly no strain in acknowledging an authentic attempt to get to the heart of the game in which he accumulated 85 caps. He was never Englands most accomplished player, nor Uniteds though Sir Bobby Charlton had no hesitation in inserting him at rightback in the all-time team running back to the Busby Babes but there was never any shortage of evidence that he cared. He also, palpably, applied himself to the science of defence, to the point where he became
ON THURSDAY | MAY 17, 2012

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King sacked
> Under pressure Dalglish leaves Liverpool managerial post
ENNY DALGLISH has been sacked as manager of Liverpool, 16 months after returning to the role. The Scot ew back to Britain yesterday after travelling to Boston in the United States for talks with the clubs principal owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner. Without any announcement or public reassurances over his future, speculation that Dalglish would leave the club has been mounting. It would now seem that speculation has turned into reality. Liverpool are yet to make an ofcial statement, although one is expected shortly. His daughter, the sports broadcaster Kelly Cates, has tweeted: Devastated for Dad but incredibly proud of the job hes done. Thanks for all the lovely messages already. Have a good summer x Liverpool have endured a difcult season, with the club nishing eighth in the Premier League, their lowest position for 18 years.
22
> Robben always causes trouble
pg28
VETERAN defender Rio Ferdinand was the highest-prole casualty yesterday as England manager Roy Hodgson unveiled his squad for the European Championships. After intense speculation about whether Hodgson would risk picking Ferdinand and Chelsea captain John Terry in the same squad, an announcement conrmed that it was the Manchester United centrehalf who had been left out. Terry had previously been tipped to miss out with Hodgson questioning whether the centrehalf could exist happily in the same squad as Ferdinand, who has accumulated 81 caps since making his debut in 1997. Terry is facing a July court case on allegations he racially abused Ferdinands younger brother Anton during Chelseas Premier League clash with Queens Park Rangers last October, accusations he strongly denies.
Meanwhile their points tally of 52 was their lowest since 1953-54 (assuming three points for a win in every season). The Merseyside club did win the Carling Cup and reached the FA Cup nal, which they lost to Chelsea but those runs would not appear to have been enough for the owners. In total Dalglish won 35 of his 74 games in charge. Fenway Sports Group, the owners of Liverpool, have invested heavily since taking over sanctioning the signings of Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson arrivals that all cost in excess of 20m (RM100m). Qualication for the Champions League would have been seen as a minimum requirement if they are to recoup their investment, and having fallen well short, the American owners have decided to act. Dalglish returned to the role of manager under FSGs ownership. He replaced Roy Hodgson, who is now the England manager, in January last year. The 61-year-old was the manager at Aneld between 1985 and 1991, during which time he won the old First Division three times and the FA Cup twice, and his return last year was hugely popular among fans. Those same fans are unlikely to take this decision lightly, and will be looking for assurances that FSG has a plan. It is unclear at this stage if Dalglish will retain a role at the club. Before being appointed manager last year, he was working behind the scenes with the youth academy and in an ambassadorial role. FSG have been conducting an array of cost cutting measures of late, with director of football Damien Comolli one of those recently shown the door. Among the contenders to replace Dalglish will be Wigans Roberto Martinez, former Aneld boos Rafael Benitez and former England manager Fabio Capello. The Independent
Roy unveil England Euro 2012 squad, Rio out

However Ferdinands ability to withstand the rigours of a tournament campaign were called into doubt by his Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last week, who questioned whether the defender could play two games in four days. Other notable selections yesterday saw Arsenal teenager Alex OxladeChamberlain earn his rst senior call-up after a promising rst season with the Premier League giants. Meanwhile Liverpool striker Andy Carrolls reward for a strong nish to the season is a place among the pool of four strikers picked by Hodgson. With Wayne Rooney suspended for Englands opening two Group D games, Carroll is now a strong candidate to lead the attack in the Three Lions opening game against France in Donetsk on June 11. Rooneys Manchester United colleague Danny Welbeck and Tottenhams Jermain Defoe complete the line-up of forwards. In mideld Hodgson has opted for an experienced pool of players with several veterans of Englands ill-fated 2010 World Cup campaign in the frame, including Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner and Gareth Barry. Meanwhile Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy has also forced his way into the squad after an acclaimed season for the Canaries. Ruddy has been given special dispensation to miss Englands nal warm-up game against Belgium on June 2 as it clashed with his planned wedding. He offered to cancel it but we told him there is no need to. He will rejoin the squad after his wedding, an FA spokesman said. Earlier, the FA conrmed Hodgson had scrapped plans to take Englands squad on a four-day training camp to Spain next week ahead of their May 26 friendly with Norway in Oslo. England will now train at Manchester Citys stadium next week before heading to Oslo on Friday. AFP
ENGLAND EURO 2012 SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich). Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton). Midelders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City). Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham). Standby: Jack Butland (Birmingham), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea).
> Devils still the team to beat pg30 > End of an era
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