Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by Bryan-28

How to make money with 10 websites

Bryan-28 — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:01:44 +0800

Hi Sifu,

Kindly advise on how to make money with my websites?

Katie Price still having sex with ex

Bryan-28 — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:13:53 +0800

Katie Price has revealed she is still having sex with her estranged husband Alex Reid.

The British TV star - who split from the cage fighter in January and is in the process of divorcing him - admits she and Alex still occasionally go to bed together and can handle it because they are adults.

She said in an interview with the Evening Standard newspaper's ES Magazine: "We're separated. He still comes to the house but we're not together. Do I go and f**k Joe Public or do I go and f**k an ex? Can anyone here tell me that they've never f***ed an ex? We are still friends, we are adult and amicable and he doesn't live at my house. It's completely different from Pete."

Just as Katie seems reluctant to fully remove Alex from her life, she has also accused her ex-husband Peter Andre of still being "in love" with her.

The 32-year-old beauty is still fuming with the pop star for contacting his lawyers over an accidental burn their three-year-old daughter Princess Tiaamii got while on holiday at Swiss ski resort Klosters, and she claims Peter's behaviour can be "evil".

Katie - who was also quizzed by police over the incident - fumed: "I wish you could see the burn. It is tiny and not painful. She was with my mother and sister in Klosters and I asked them to put her pyjamas in the sauna so they would be warm and cosy for her when she went to bed and she must have followed my mum in and caught her arm.

"If you knew what went on over on Pete's side of things, it is pure evil. He's probably still in f***ing love with me. That's the problem. There's a thin line between love and hate."
Source:Bang!Extranet

TV and water heater ‘souvenirs’ from hotel

Bryan-28 — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:07:17 +0800

A COUPLE were caught trying to steal a 32-inch LCD television set from their hotel room as a “souvenir”, Harian Metro reported.

A police source said the couple were seen leaving the hotel lobby in Jalan Bukit Bintang in a hurry on Tuesday.

Suspecting something amiss, the hotel staff stopped the couple outside the hotel entrance but they refused to open their bag for inspection.

The two guests immediately headed back to their room, followed by the hotel staff and a security guard.

“The couple did not allow the hotel staff into the room, claiming they did not want to be disturbed,” the source added.

When they finally relented 10 minutes later, the staff saw that the television set was placed in an awkward position.

The room’s water heater which cost RM500 was also missing.

The source said the couple finally confessed to the theft of the water heater and the attempt to steal the television set.

By The Star

Man dies after 3-day Internet gaming spree

Bryan-28 — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:04:12 +0800

A man in China died after internet gaming for three days straight.

The unnamed man, in his 30's, had not slept, had hardly eaten and had barely moved from his computer when he collapsed and slipped into a coma

Monday evening at an internet cafe outside Beijing.

According to the Beijing Times, the man, who had reportedly spent more than 10,000 yuan (RM4,666) on internet gaming over the past month, was

rushed to a nearby clinic but was pronounced dead a short time later.

With more than 450 million internet users in China, online games are extremely popular, especially with young men

Police removed several computers from the cafe for investigation but have ruled out homicide and were examining specific causes of death.

The incident highlights China's increasing number of internet addicts, which according to researchers has risen to more than 30 million.

More than three years ago, a 30-year old woman in the province of Guangzhou, died of exhaustion after three days of internet gaming.

With more than 450 million internet users in China, online games are extremely popular, especially with young men.

Source: Agencies

Qatar royals to offer RM7.4b for Man Utd

Bryan-28 — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:02:08 +0800

The Qatari Royal Family is preparing a new bid for Manchester United.

According to The Daily Mail the royal family of Qatar is preparing a fresh £1.5billion (RM7.4 billion) bid for Manchester United after the Glazers rejected an earlier offer.

A source close to the oil-rich emirate’s ruling Al Thani family confirmed that it tried to tempt the Glazers earlier this month with an offer of just over £1bn (RM4.9bn).

The bid was turned down by the Americans, who are holding out for closer to £1.8bn (RM8.9bn).

But the Al Thanis are on the verge of raising the stakes, partly motivated by rivalry with the Abu Dhabi royal family, whose wealth has transformed United’s arch-rivals Manchester City into title contenders.

Going head to head on the pitch would give the Al Thanis the opportunity to get one over on their Gulf neighbours, with the Manchester football scene offering a high-profile battleground.

United strenuously deny that they have received any bid from Qatar Holdings, a division of the Qatar Investment Authority, which identifies ways to make a return on the country’s oil billions.

But the source indicated the offer could be made privately, or through a separate vehicle owned by the Al Thanis.

Source: tribalfootball.com

Buses can replace MRT cheaply

Bryan-28 — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:37:18 +0800

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) should be shelved in favour of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which can achieve the same target of reducing traffic congestion but at a fraction of the cost, says a transport advocacy group.

Association for the Improvement of Mass Transit (Transit) chairman Muhammad Zulkarnain Hamzah told The Malaysian Insider that the government's claim that every developed city needed an MRT system was an exaggeration as even in Singapore, statistics showed that passenger travels via the city-state's underground rail system paled in comparison to the usage of buses.

According to Singapore's figures from 2010, Zulkarnain noted that only 1.9 million of passenger trips were recorded in the city's MRT stations while three million trips were made by bus.

“So meanwhile, we want an MRT system that SPAD (Land Public Transport Commission) said in its public display and roadshow could ferry some 60,000 passengers per hour but have they thought of how the trips can be further dispersed by means of using the buses?” he said in an interview.

The traffic consultant explained that the BRT would entail minor development of the present main road arteries where dedicated bus lines would facilitate the increase of passenger flow from one point to another and at the same time decrease traffic congestion.

Zulkarnain said at the macro level, rapid transit lines could be allocated on roads leading towards the city and looping the Klang Valley region.

At the same time, he added, the system would be fully integrated to serve the local transit lines to facilitate passenger travels from their homes to suburban centres and to the present rail links like the LRT and from thereon to the city centre.

“Because if you look at the Government Transformation Plan (GTP), they plan for high-capacity transit lines for the city centre and within these nodes, they will hit the suburban city centres... but the feeder buses will only serve those travelling towards the city centre. So why don't we just fix that?

“The feeder buses, instead of merely functioning as feeder buses towards the MRT stations, they can also function as local rapid transit systems whereby people from the housing areas, who want to travel to the suburban centres and not just to Kuala Lumpur, can use these buses,” he said.

Zulkarnain added that the construction of a new rail system would also be significantly more costly than developing a BRT.

He estimated that the cost of construction for 1km of an underground MRT rail could reach up to RM1 billion while 1km of the BRT would only cost up to RM20 million.

He cited the example of the BRT in Bogota, Columbia, which records passenger travels of more than 20,000 people per direction per hour.

In comparison, if the lanes were purely dedicated for cars, especially single occupancy vehicles, a maximum of only 2,000 people per direction per hour can be reached, he said.

“So if you dedicate lanes for buses or even trams, you can achieve 10 times more of what you can achieve with the car. And meanwhile, you can build 1km of an underground MRT but with the BRT, you can build at least 50km.

“The BRT can achieve the standards that the MRT hopes to achieve but at a fraction of the cost,” he claimed.

Zulkarnain said that the BRT could be developed on high-speed traffic highways like the Federal Highway, Silk, or even the New Pantai Expressway.

When the lines hit the present rail stations, he said, at least three to four dedicated lanes should be allocated for the buses to allow pick-up, drop-off and passing through, to decrease build-up of traffic at the station.

The BRT lines, he said, could also stop at interchange rail stations like Pasar Seni or KL Sentral where commuters could then move on to utilise the present train network.

“So with this, you can actually serve more people, build more travel corridors, achieve your goals set with the MRT by utilising the present transport network and without having to fork out too much of taxpayers’ money to improve the system,” he said.

At the same time, Zulkarnain warned that to implement such a system, the government still needed to ensure it used a holistic approach to developing the network.

This, he said, meant that proper thought should be given as to how the BRT could integrate with the present rail system like the LRT and the KTM Komuter and the local structure plans and how transit-oriented development (TOD) could be implemented at the present train stations.

The TOD, explained Zulkarnain, is the principle of ensuring that the areas surrounding the train stations are “people-based” with business activities that do not require the public to use their personal transports.

“You want them to use the public transport, right? So when people walk out of the stations, in their immediate surroundings, you should not have car workshops or some kedai cat (paint shops), which are generally businesses that require people to use their cars.

“This is what is happening now... and you see congested roads because people are there with their cars parked on the curbs to patronise these shops.

“I am talking about people-based activities... look at KLCC for example. You have everything there... hotels, walkways, so many shops... people don't need their cars. They just walk right into convenience,” he said.

He added that this meant that areas surrounding the stations should be relatively high-density which would enable the train stations to be fully utilised and the problem of urban sprawl to be contained.

“The MRT is supposedly needed to solve the problem of urban sprawling, which is a phenomenon that is caused by the country's present land use planning.

“Our present system cultivates a more car-oriented environment and so what we have been doing is that we have been constructing more and more highways which actually do not solve the problem of bottlenecks around the city centre.

“All you do is really pave the way for the people to arrive faster at these bottlenecks,” he said.

TOD, he added, would help to contain this problem as focus would be given on developing the present areas surrounding the current train stations.

“So then you have urban renewal instead of urban sprawling and this is important to create compact cities. You can then control this sprawl and urbanites will be able to carry out their activities outside of the city centre,” he said.

Zulkarnain noted that Transit has been constantly engaging with the government on the city's urban transport woes since its inception in 2007.

“We have also given them our proposals. But then all of a sudden, the MRT project came out and they are pushing through with it.

“It is a big surprise to us because how come the government has not even completed its integrated public transport masterplan but yet jumped the gun and announced the MRT? Where is the masterplan?” he said.

He claimed that it was likely that the past failures in the Putra LRT and Star LRT and even the KTM Komuter would be repeated with the MRT.

“And now we are talking of almost RM40 billion to be spent for the MRT. Before such a project is implemented, there has to be sufficient planning and integration with the present rail and road system,” he said.

The MRT system is touted as the most expensive construction project ever undertaken in the country and initial estimates have put the cost at about RM36 billion although officials from SPAD have said that it is too early to disclose the actual cost.

The proposed alignment map is up for public viewing until May 14 at seven locations across the city.

They are Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Petaling Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council, Selayang Municipal Council, Kajang Municipal Council as well as the Bangsar LRT station and the SPAD office in Menara Dayabumi.

The public can provide their feedback on the project via email to feedback@kvmrt.com.my or through the SPAD toll-free line at 1-800-82-6868.

The detailed environmental assessment impact report has been uploaded for public viewing at the Department of Environment’s website.

By The MALAYSIAN INSIDER

‘Second wife’ turns out to be a trannie

Bryan-28 — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:30:44 +0800

A 35-year-old woman spoke about her heartache when she found out that her husband’s “second wife” was a transvestite.

Known only as Sara, she told Metro Ahad in Kuala Lumpur that her husband had initially told her that he had remarried in Thailand about 18 months ago.

Sara, who has two children after five years of marriage, said she was devastated about her husband’s new “wife” but decided to accept the situation.

However, she was stunned when she received a telephone call from a religious officer one day that her husband had been caught for khalwat.

“On the night that I got the call, he was supposed to be at the home of the ‘second wife’. So, I thought he was keeping yet another woman,” Sara said.

However, the enforcement officers told her that her husband had been detained with a transvestite.

Sara’s husband eventually admitted that he never had a second wife.

“He had merely made up a story about remarrying so that I wouldn’t question his whereabouts.

“He even told me that the transvestite had treated him better than I did,” she said.

By The Star

China girls are syndicate victims

Bryan-28 — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:29:20 +0800

PETALING JAYA: There have been many cases of young women from China ending up in the sex trade here after they are duped by syndicates to travel overseas for jobs.

“They were usually told they would work as factory workers, maids or masseuses. Upon arrival, they are forced into vice,” said MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Datuk Michael Chong.

Chong said most of the women were from poor families in the rural areas of China who were enticed by the promise of well-paying jobs overseas. He believed some even knew they would eventually end up as sex workers, but would still accept the jobs overseas to escape the abject poverty they faced.

Chong suspected international syndicates were working with local ones to illegally traffic these young women.

He lauded Malaysia’s recent pact with China to tackle transnational organised crime as a good move to go after these syndicates.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had on Saturday said Malaysia would sign a memorandum of understanding with China which not only focused on the exchange of information, but also involved joint efforts in training, border control and in-depth study on criminal activities.

Separately, MCA vice-president Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai described the collaboration between China and Malaysia as timely, as crimes were becoming more prevalent with more economic activities taking place between the two countries.

By THE STAR

Saiful had semen of 2 people

Bryan-28 — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:37:56 +0800

Seah said that seminal stains of the unknown male identified as "Male Y" and Saiful's were also found on Saiful's grey underwear.

KUALA LUMPUR: Semen of an unknown male was found in the rectum of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan following DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) profiling of three swabs.

Chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong told the High Court yesterday that the semen of two other contributors were also found in a swab taken from Saiful's anus.

Seah said that seminal stains of the unknown male identified as "Male Y" and Saiful's were also found on Saiful's grey underwear.

In another spot on the underwear, Seah said she found the seminal stains of Saiful which matched his blood sample.

However, it was not revealed who "Male Y" and the other contributor were.

On June 30, 2008, Seah had received from Deputy Superintendent Jude Pereira 10 swabs and a sample of Saiful's blood specimen, which was taken by doctors who examined him at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

The chemist, who is also head of the serious crimes unit, said she further received from Pereira on July 1, 2008, eight more exhibits, including the grey underwear.

"I carried out DNA profiling using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction technique on the exhibits," she said when examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badarudin.

The chemist said her analysis showed only six swabs contained the DNA of Saiful and one swab indicated no DNA profile.

"The DNA profile derived from a swab in the high rectal area consisted of a male DNA from two individuals, one matching that of the blood specimen of Saiful, and the other matching the DNA profile of 'Male Y'," she said, adding that "Male Y" was classified as a minor contributor.

Another swab collected in the lower rectal area contained the DNA of Saiful and the unknown male.

Seah said DNA profiles of Saiful, "Male Y" and the other contributor were also detected in Saiful's anus.

Noorin: How could there be three contributors?

Seah: This area was exposed to contamination. My answer could be speculative.

Counsel Ram Karpal, who is a member of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's legal team, objected to the question as the witness said her answer would be speculative.

Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah: I am allowing the question and the court will decide later on the weight to be given to the evidence.

Seah: (replying to Noorin's earlier question) That could be due to sitting on a toilet bowl, or coming into contact with bathing items.

Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising Saiful in a Bukit Damansara condominium here between 3pm and 4pm on June 26, 2008.

Hearing continues.

BY NST

Marriage incentive for M'sian lovebirds

Bryan-28 — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:30:33 +0800

The Kelantan Government will give 1,500 poor couples RM1,000 each as an incentive to get married under a scheme to curb illegitimate children and baby-dumping.

State Human Development, Youth and Sports and Non-Governmental Organisation Com-mittee chairman Datuk Abdul Fatah Mahmood said the Azziwaaj Gateway scheme was aimed at encouraging couples to marry.

"The state government is trying to discourage illicit sex and immoral activities,' he explained.

He said the scheme was aimed at reducing the number of illegitimate children and baby-dumping.

Based on statistics from the National Registration Department, a total of 287,000 illegitimate children were born between 2000 and 2008 - at a rate of 250 cases a month.

Kelantan had 700 such cases in the first nine months of 2009.

THE STAR

Cecilia Cheung’s days as famous actress numbered

Bryan-28 — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:29:13 +0800

CECILIA Cheung (pic) is facing a boycott threat from a Chinese production company if she does not finish filming The Lady General of the Yang Family.

Major Chinese newspapers reported that Shanghai Film Studio, the second largest film production house in China, had threatened to withdraw its investment of the film if it was not wrapped up by the end of the month.

Cheung was scheduled to shoot 47 sets but discontinued after completing only 31.

This agitated the production house, which threatened to boycott all films by the Hong Kong actress.

“The boycott is expected to affect Cheung’s reputation as an actress,” one newspaper reported.

THE STAR

KJ Terima Sayap Penerjunan

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:19:22 +0800

KUALA NERANG: Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno Malaysia, Khairy Jamaluddin pada Khamis menerima tauliah sayap askar payung terjun (paratrooper) selepas berjaya menamatkan latihan asas intensifnya di sini.

Latihan tersebut mengambil masa lima minggu untuk ditamatkan.

“Saya sentiasa menaruh minat untuk mencuba latihan payung terjun apabila ada kesempatan untuk meningkatkan skil saya sebagai seorang anggota tentera," kata Khairy yang juga ahli parlimen Rembau pada sesi tamat latihan peringkat pertama penerjunan statik 79 anggota di Kem Padang Sanai, dekat sini.

Khairy menerima sayap penerjunannya daripada bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang juga bapa mertuanya.

WIRA NEGARA ... Mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (kanan) dan anaknya Nori Abdullah (tengah) bersama menantunya yang juga Ketua Pemuda Umno Khairy Jamaluddin (dua kiri) dan dua cucunya Jibreil Ali, 3, (kiri) dan Timor Abdullah, 2, (empat kiri) bergambar bersama selepas Majlis Penutup Kursus Ahli Paracut Statik Siri APS/1/2011 di Zon Guguran (DZ) Padang Sanai, Padang Terap di Kuala Nerang, Khamis. - Foto BERNAMA
Turut hadir ialah Panglima Medan Tentera Darat, Lt Jen Datuk Ahmad Hasbullah Mohd Nawawi, isteri Khairy, Nori Abdullah dan dua orang anak lelakinya Jibrail Ali, 3, dan Timor Abdullah, 2.

Khairy, berjaya menamatkan lapan terjunan sepanjang latihan berkenaan. Beliau sebelum ini telah pun menamatkan latihan asas ketenteraan di bawah Batalian Askar Wataniah tahun lepas.

Dalam pada itu, Abdullah turut menyatakan rasa terkejutnya apabila Khairy memaklumkan yang beliau berhasrat untuk menjalani latihan payung terjun.

Bagaimana pun beliau yakin, latihan ketenteraan akan menjadikan Khairy seorang warganegara dan manusia yang lebih matang dan baik.

BY MSTAR

NPE toll at PJ Selatan 2 cut to RM1

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:29:44 +0800

PETALING JAYA: The toll at the Petaling Jaya Selatan 2 (PJS2) toll plaza along the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) near Kampung Medan here will be reduced from RM1.60 to RM1, effective Friday.

This was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Thursday.

He said this was a Chinese New Year gift to the residents in the area.

This is the third cut in toll rates announced by the Prime Minister since he tabled the Budget 2011 proposals last year.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Najib saying that the Government had promised to do the best for the people and this was one of the examples in line with the 1Malaysia concept.

He said this in his speech at the Pesta Chap Goh Mei, organised by Selangor Barisan Nasional at Padang Taman Datuk Hormat PJS 10, here Thursday.

"This is another example that we will do the best for the people of Selangor and Malaysia," he said to loud applause from about 2,500 people at the gathering.

The NPE, stretching 19.5km, was opened on April 30, 2004.

The RM1.2bil expressway is managed by the concessionaire New Pantai Express Way Sdn Bhd.

BY THE STAR

Dr M, Anwar wanted to scrap ISA, says ex-IGP

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:17:13 +0800

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar claimed today that he had stopped Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his former deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, from abolishing the ISA.
Hanif, who served as the police chief for 20 years until 1994, said the issue was first raised by Anwar at a security briefing prior to his retirement from the service.

“Anwar said we should abolish ISA, Dr Mahathir said OK,” recounted Hanif at a forum on Parliamentary democracy here.

He said he later urged the two leaders to reconsider their plans, and suggested they merely review the security law.

Hanif also claimed that Dr Mahathir had been consistent in his opposition to the ISA.

“When he became the prime minister, Musa Hitam told me ‘don’t invoke the ISA, Dr Mahathir will not like it’,” said Hanif referring to the former deputy prime minister and home minister in the 1980s.

A total of 106 politicians and activists were detained under the ISA in 1987 when Dr Mahathir was prime minister. His government later removed judicial review from the ISA in 1989.

Hanif recently sought to exculpate Dr Mahathir over the crackdown, saying it was done to avoid a racial riot in Kuala Lumpur.

“I gave the briefing together with Tan Sri Rahim Noor,” said Hanif. Rahim was then the director of the Special Branch.

“The Special Branch was of the opinion that the situation was going out of control. If we did not take action, something more serious than May 13, 1969 would have taken place,” he added.

Hanif said the police proceeded with the crackdown despite opposition from Dr Mahathir, and added that it was his responsibility as the head of the police to uphold the law.

“As a police officer I am answerable to the minister. But my loyalty is not to the minister but to the law,” said Hanif.

Events of the 1987 Ops Lalang crackdown were dredged up recently when Dr Mahathir was quoted in a new book by American journalist Tom Plate as saying that he had met all opposition members before the operation and had assured them that they would not be arrested.

Dr Mahathir also insisted that he had not thought it necessary to arrest the opposition leaders but had no choice but to accept that the police believed otherwise.

BY MALAYSIAN INSIDER

Dr M: Police stopped me from scrapping ISA

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:23:09 +0800

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed today that he had wanted to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) when serving as the prime minister but had faced opposition from the police.
The 1960 security law allows for detention without trial and a 1989 amendment under Dr Mahathir’s rule removed the option for judicial review, granting the home minister absolute discretion to extend or reduce detention time.

“ISA must be invoked when necessary, but when I was the prime minister I wanted to abolish the ISA but the police were against it,” Dr Mahathir told a forum on parliamentary democracy here.

“When I suggested that the period be reduced from two to one year, they said ‘cannot’,” he added and pointed out that he had to rely on the police as his advisors on national security.

Dr Mahathir had recently also blamed the police for a mass ISA arrest in 1987, which led to the detention of then Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, his son Lim Guan Eng and 104 others.

BY MALAYSIAN INSIDER

mum uploads video of nude daughter

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:47:53 +0800

A Beijing woman, who was desperate to find a suitor for her daughter, uploaded a video of the girl walking out of a shower naked while fielding questions on prospective boyfriends.

According to Nanyang Siang Pau, the 80-second footage begins with the mother speaking to the camera and declaring her intention of finding a boyfriend for her 26-year-old daughter.

The camera follows the mother towards the bathroom, where her daughter walks out in the nude.

The mother then asks her what her requirements for a boyfriend are.

"I'm all right, as long as (he) is nice to you (the mother) and nice to me. That's enough," the Star Online quoted the daughter as saying.

The online community has speculated that the daughter in the footage is an actress named Ganlulu and the footage is genuine.

In search of friendship on the 15th night of CNY

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:43:17 +0800

HURLING mandarin oranges into lakes in high hopes of finding true love is a practice synonymous with Chap Goh Meh —which also marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations — in Malaysia.

Also dubbed the Chinese Valentine’s Day, Chap Goh Meh —which means the ‘fifteenth night’ in the Hokkien dialect — sees young Chinese gearing up for the gatherings at locations in their respective towns.

The singles scribble their contact details on mandarin oranges (or bananas for men at certain events) before throwing them into bodies of water.

Annual tradition: Single women and men would write their contact details on the respective fruit.
Some even arm themselves with fishing nets to scoop up the fruits. They then immediately dial the telephone numbers to establish new friends.

On this first full moon night in the new lunar year, the Chinese also solve lantern riddles and enjoy tang yuan (glutinous rice balls in sweet soup) as part of the tradition.

Here are the places to go if you wish to throw mandarin oranges, or simply want to enjoy the festivity as the Chinese New Year celebration comes to an end.

Cheras

Cheng Pai, an event management company, is back at Taman Tasik Permaisuri in Cheras from 5pm onwards to provide the chance for singles to find their matches.

Here, ladies will throw mandarin oranges while men throw bananas into the pond.

Entrance fee is RM15 for those who are interested to toss the fruits, and a goodie bag containing the fruits and marker pen will be given to the participants.

There would be a levy of RM2 for those who want to take a closer look at the fruits tossing ceremony at the pond area. Otherwise, entry is free.

The public can also do their part for charity by visiting stalls set up by Shuang Fu Disabled Independent Living Association, Formosa Women Organisation of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Malaysian Buddhist Co-operative Society, Xin Hui Buddhist Association, Walanda Buddhist Co-operative Society and Society of the Chinese Disabled Persons Malaysia.

Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai is the guest-of-honour at this event.

Festive fun: Mandarin oranges and fish nets are the essential items young people must bring when they go for Chap Goh Meh events.
Petaling Jaya

For the first time ever, six Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillors are hosting a Chap Goh Meh celebration at the Taman Jaya lake close to Amcorp Mall.

Besides the usual mandarin orange-tossing session, the public get to try ‘zorbing’ (rolling in a transparent orb) on the lake and will be entertained by performances and games. The event will be held from 8pm to 11pm, and mandarin oranges will be provided free.

Klang

The Klang Hokkien Association will be having its annual Chap Goh Meh celebration today starting from 7pm onwards at its premises located in Jalan Batu Tiga Lama, Klang.

Association treasurer Lim Sze Teck said the celebration will kick off with the serving of tang yuan to symbolise good tidings and family unity.

Other activities include lion and dragon dance performances, showcase of songs and dances by Huang Yi Fei and Miao Miao, lucky draw, Chinese calligraphy demonstration and distributing ang pows to children.

The event, which is open to the public, is expected to draw some 2,000 to 3,000 visitors.

“Twenty NGOs are also involved in organising the Chap Goh Meh celebration as this will be the grand finale to mark the final day of Chinese New Year celebrations.

“In addition to preserving and promoting a significant part of our culture to the younger generation, this event is important as it is a celebration of love and togetherness,” said Lim.

Aiming far: Hundreds of women turned up at the Taman Jaya lake to throw mandarin oranges with their names and phone numbers during previous Chap Goh Meh celebrations.
Shah Alam

The Petaling division of Young Malaysians Movement (YMM), who have been successfully organising Chap Goh Meh celebrations at the Taman Jaya lake in Petaling Jaya since 2004, is bringing the event to i-City this year.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon will officiate at the event, which will be held from 7pm to 11pm.

Chinese Orchestra from Kuen Cheng High School will be performing for the guests before the hopefuls toss mandarin oranges into the man-made lake.

YMM have also prepared 600 wish balloons and 600 wish boats for the public.

This time around, they hope to attract 8,000 participants this year.

Kuala Lumpur

The Selangor and Federal Territories Hainan Association (Thean Hou Temple) is having a Chap Goh Meh celebration tonight from 7pm to portray the cultural and customary richness of this traditional festival.

There will be events such as song and dance performance, high pole lion dance, magic show and acrobatics, lantern riddles, spring floral lantern making competition, and star and moon watching.

For the convenience of the visitors, shuttle bus service will be provided from 6.30pm to 11pm.

Meeting points are the bus stops opposite and in front of Kuen Cheng High School at Federal Highway, carpark at the back of Chinese Assembly Hall (next to Hotel Midah), and the KL Sentral and Tun Sambanthan monorail stations.

Asmara dalam ‘kereta sakit’

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:38:30 +0800

SEREMBAN: Memalukan apabila segelintir remaja dikesan menjadikan Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban (Lekas) berhampiran Taman Bukit Margosa, Paroi, dekat sini, sebagai ‘port kereta sakit’ dipercayai untuk memadu asmara pada waktu tengah malam dan awal pagi sejak awal bulan lalu.

Kebanyakan mereka melakukan aktiviti itu di dalam kereta sama ada dengan meletakkan kenderaan di tepi lebuh raya atau bergerak perlahan antara kawasan taman berkenaan ke Taman Tasik Jaya, Senawang, di sini, kira-kira dua kilometer.

Perbuatan mereka dikesan anggota Skim Rondaan Sukarela (SRS) Taman Bukit Margosa yang melakukan operasi rondaan keselamatan setiap malam di kawasan taman terbabit dan menemui tiga hingga empat pasangan remaja memadu kasih dalam kenderaan.

Timbalan Pengerusi SRS taman itu, Azizul Rahman Mohd Yusof, 40, berkata dalam operasi baru-baru ini, pihaknya menemui dua pasangan remaja memadu kasih dalam dua kereta berasingan di tepi lebuh raya dan sebuah lagi bergerak perlahan di laluan kecemasan.

Menurutnya, kejadian disedari berlaku kira-kira jam 3 pagi apabila empat anggota SRS yang menaiki dua motosikal mengekori kenderaan terbabit, namun mereka memecut kenderaan ke Jalan Seremban-Kuala Pilah sebaik menyedari diperhatikan.

“Kami percaya mereka memilih laluan berkenaan untuk melakukan aktiviti maksiat kerana menganggap kawasan terbabit agak sunyi pada waktu tengah malam dan awal pagi kerana kenderaan kurang melalui lebuh raya itu pada waktu itu.

“Bagaimanapun, mereka didapati tidak memikirkan kesan tindakan itu kerana boleh mengundang bahaya seperti dilanggar kenderaan lain kerana banyak kes membabitkan kemalangan di lebuh raya termasuk mereka yang meletakkan kenderaan di laluan kecemasan,” katanya.

Katanya, pihaknya tidak boleh menahan mereka kerana ia di luar bidang kuasa mereka, tetapi memantau bagi memastikan imej kawasan taman tidak terjejas selain kegiatan itu perlu dibanteras.

“Kami akan terus memantau kegiatan tidak bermoral itu supaya mereka tidak menjadikan kawasan ini sebagai ‘port’ untuk melakukan maksiat kerana sebelum ini pernah berlaku kes pasangan remaja hampir melanggar anggota SRS ketika dikejar,” katanya.

Azizul Rahman berkata, pihaknya berharap ibu bapa melaksanakan peranan mereka terutama dalam memantau pergerakan anak remaja perempuan masing-masing sebelum berlaku sesuatu kejadian tidak diingini.

“Ibu bapa perlu membuat pemantauan terhadap pergerakan anak remaja mereka bagi mengelak nasib dan masa depan anak mereka terjejas disebabkan perbuatan sia-sia,” katanya.

Penduduk lain, Abd Aziz Abd Hamid, 49, berkata pihaknya meminta kerjasama Bahagian Penguatkuasa Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (JHEAINS) untuk memantau kawasan berkenaan bagi memastikan aktiviti tidak sihat itu berterusan.

“Pemantauan pihak berkuasa agama mampu mencegah kegiatan yang bukan saja bertentangan ajaran Islam,” katanya.

BY METRO

Shah Rukh Khan fan in dreamland

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:37:10 +0800

MALACCA: The lucky stars were definitely shining for Mehjabeen Erum Alim when her life-long dream to meet Bollywood superstar Datuk Shah Rukh Khan finally came true.

“It is an indescribable feeling and I am so happy to have finally met him. I feel like I am in dreamland,” she said after meeting Khan yesterday at a resort in Ayer Keroh.

Khan met Erum, 27, and seven other fans at the resort just as he was about to enter his car to go to the film location at Sungai Udang for his latest movie Don 2.

Erum, a Bangladeshi who is pursuing her Masters in Business Administration in Kuala Lumpur, said she and the other fans learned that Khan was staying at the resort.

“Fortunately, he spotted us just as he was about to get into the car and agreed to sign autographs and take photographs,” she said, adding that she managed to draw his attention to the story in The Star about her wanting to meet him. Khan autographed the news article for her.

Erum, who had spent about RM10,000 tracking her idol, said she would still love to meet him again just to hear his voice.

“It was just a fleeting moment and he didn’t say a word but merely nodded and gestured to us as he rarely speaks before filming so as not to come out of the character he is playing,” she said, adding that fans were nevertheless thrilled when he blew a flying kiss before leaving the resort.

Besides taking home memories of the meeting with Khan, she said she was glad to have made new friends who shared a similar passion for the Bollywood heartthrob.

Erum and other diehard fans from Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam had staked out the Don 2 film set in Malacca over the last two days.

BY THE STAR

Two NS trainees die of illnesses, another still in

Bryan-28 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:35:35 +0800

KUALA LUMPUR: Two National Service trainees died in the past four days of different causes and at separate hospitals.

Mohamad Zulhaili Noraihan, 17, died of meningoencephalitis (bacterial infection of the brain) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Tuesday. The Kuala Lumpur boy had reported for training at the Wawasan Papar camp in Sabah on Jan 2.

A medical form prior to his entry to the camp had stated that he was being treated for nephrotic syndrome and that he suffered from gastric and kidney problems and had previously suffered from head injuries.

“He was treated initially at a clinic at the camp on Jan 24 for a pain in the ear and also on Feb 10 for fever and headache,” said NS Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil last night.

He said the boy was then referred to Papar district hospital when his headache did not ease off, adding that he was subsequently sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Apparently, he had developed fever after swimming with friends in a pond at the camp.

In another case, Fatini Aqilah Fadhil died of neutropenic sepsis (leukaemia) at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh last Sunday.

Fatini, 17, was based at the Chenderiang camp in Tapah starting Jan 2.

“She was given a Chinese New Year break like other trainees from Feb 2 to Feb 6,” Abdul Hadi said.

However, the girl was admitted to the intensive care unit at Taiping Hospital on Feb 7.

At the PDS Resort camp in Port Dickson, where NS trainee A. Tamilarasi fell into a coma due to high fever, spokesman Mej Mohd Rafee Zain said the authorities did not refer her to the hospital as her condition had not been serious.

“She was still able to attend all the programmes. Our medical staff examined her thoroughly to ensure she was able to undergo training,” he said, adding that the camp authorities were not negligent in not referring her to a government clinic or hospital.

“We always have medical officers who examine trainees showing signs of being ill. When she was here, her condition was not serious enough to warrant her being sent for treatment outside the camp,” he said.

Tamilarasi is fighting for her life at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital intensive care unit where she has been warded since Feb 8.

Mej Mohd Rafee said that when Tamilarasi did not return to the camp after the five-day break on Feb 7, the camp authorities called her father who said a private clinic had given her seven days’ medical leave. She slipped into a coma the next day.

Yesterday, Tamilarasi’s father K. Anandan, 39, said doctors had told him that the girl might require dialysis and minor surgeries.

“They (doctors) are almost certain that she must have contracted an illness during training,” he said.

BY THE STAR