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Carrot-and-stick strategy helps bump up
PTPTN repayments
RM1mil
a day
BY VATHANI PANIRCHELLVUM
K
UALA LUMPUR: The National
Higher Education Fund
Corporation’s (PTPTN) threat to
blacklist loan defaulters, as well as
its discount incentive, seem to be working as
it is now seeing more borrowers settling
their long outstanding loans.
PTPTN, which is owed some RM7 billion
by loan defaulters, is recently seeing better
repayments to the point that average daily
collections are now over RM1 million per
day.
This follows the government’s decision
to have hardcore PTPTN loan defaulters
listed on the Central Credit Reference
Information System (CCRIS) beginning next
year.
In presenting Budget 2015, Prime Minister
and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Razak had announced a 20% discount for
those who pay up their PTPTN loan in full,
and a 10% discount for those who pay
regularly for a year.
PTPTN has been having problems getting
the borrowers to pay their outstanding loans
INSIDE
ASHRAF SHAMSUL/THESUN
[email protected]
despite repeated reminders and notices
issued to them.
As of Sept 30, PTPTN was able to collect
only RM5.4 billion of about RM12 billion that
was to have been paid back.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education
minister, said yesterday, the government
agreed to have hardcore defaulters listed on
CCRIS beginning next year to educate and
make them more disciplined and responsible
TURN TO PAGE 02 X
MORALE BOOSTER ... Deputy
Education Minister P. Kamalanathan using
his phone to take a selfie with students of
SMK Victoria in Kuala Lumpur just before
they sat for their SPM Bahasa Melayu Paper
1 yesterday.
CCTVs TO PREVENT SPM LEAKAGE P02
SHAFEE: ANWAR’S ARREST WAS LAWFUL P04
02
NEWS WITHOUT BORDERSВњВђ
BERNAMAPIX
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Brunei confident Malaysia
can promote world peace
Najib with Sultan Hassanal at Seri Perdana for the 18th annual
leaders’ consultation between Malaysia and Brunei.
PUTRAJAYA: The Sultan of
Brunei, Sultan Hassanal
Bolkiah, yesterday expressed
confidence in Malaysia’s
contribution to the
promotion of international
peace and security as a
United Nations Security
Council non-permanent
member.
In a joint statement issued
in conjunction with the 18th
annual leaders’ consultation
between Malaysia and Brunei
here, he congratulated Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Abdul Razak for Malaysia’s
success in winning the UNSC
seat for the 2015-2016 term.
Najib, meanwhile,
expressed his appreciation
for the invaluable support
given to Malaysia by Brunei.
Sultan Hassanal also
expressed his best wishes and
full support for Najib in
conjunction with Malaysia
assuming the chairmanship
of Asean next year.
The two leaders
reaffirmed the importance of
Asean and its centrality, and
looked forward to the historic
establishment of the Asean
Community in 2015 under the
Malaysian chairmanship, said
the statement.
Meanwhile, the two
countries expressed
satisfaction with the progress
of the implementation of the
Exchange of Letters signed in
2009 to pave the way for
strategic bilateral
partnership.
However, both leaders
urged their officials to
intensify efforts to conclude
the outstanding elements as
well as other issues
deliberated by both sides.
The joint statement said
they also reaffirmed their
commitment to maritime
cooperation and reiterated the
importance of strengthening
cooperation in the agriculture,
information, technology,
communication and taxation
sectors. – Bernama
CCTVs to prevent leaks
> Cameras installed at all
strongrooms holding SPM
exam papers
BY ARLYN AVELINE AND AIEZAT FADZELL
[email protected]
KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry
has installed closed-circuit television
(CCTV) cameras at 526 strongrooms
which stored the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia
(SPM) papers to prevent leakage, said
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin.
He said the ministry has taken all
proactive measures to tighten security
control and flow of SPM question papers
following the recent leakage of the Ujian
Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) question
papers that resulted in some 480,000 Year
Six pupils having to resit four papers.
Muhyiddin, who is also education
minister, said the ministry has to beef up
security for SPM question papers to
prevent another leakage.
“The security measures cover the
preparation of the questions, the packing
and storage in strongrooms so that if there
is any tampering, it can be identified,” he
told reporters after observing the first day
of the SPM examination at SMK Kiaramas,
here yesterday.
He said police provided security in the
delivery of question papers to examination
centres.
For flood-hit states, Muhyiddin said, the
ministry has taken steps to ensure students
get to sit for the exam in schools or centres
not affected by floodwaters.
A total of 455,839 candidates are sitting
for the exam in 3,655 centres across the
country starting yesterday until Dec 4.
Of the candidates, 20 are students with
special needs due to mental retardation,
134 have impaired vision while 23 are blind,
208 deaf, one mute, 26 spastic and 645
others physically disabled.
On the installation of CCTVs in all
vaults keeping SPM question papers,
Second Deputy Education Minister P.
Kamalanathan said: “If everyone follows
the standard operating procedure, there
will be no room for leakages ... the only
issue is the officials’ integrity.”
He had earlier witnessed the safety
management arrangements made for the
SPM papers in the vault at SMK Anderson,
here yesterday.
BERNAMAPIX
[email protected]
SUBANG JAYA: MCA will raise in the
Cabinet the issue of a new policy to reduce
the number of members sitting on the
board of directors in Chinese schools.
MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon said
the party needs clarifications as to why the
Education Ministry has slashed the
number from 15 to nine.
“The ministry should have prior
consultation with the affected parties
before coming up with such a policy,” he
said.
He said board of directors in Chinese
schools have been doing a good job and
there is no need to restructure them.
XFROM FRONT PAGE
in paying their debts.
“Based on records as of Oct 1, some 173,985
hardcore defaulters have not repaid their
loans for the 1999-2010 period, estimated at
RM1.23 billion,” he said, adding that besides
the discount incentive announced, defaulters
are also allowed to reschedule their payments
by extending the period of repayment up to
age 60.
Meanwhile, Second Education Minister
Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said it is important for
those who have borrowed from PTPTN to
repay the money, so that others can benefit
from the scheme.
Speaking to reporters after launching the
“OUM e-learning Innovation Ceremony” at a
hotel here, he said PTPTN has been very
flexible on repayment and those who face
affordability issues in paying up their loan can
negotiate for easy payment plans.
“We would like to ensure that PTPTN is a
continuous facility for students to pursue
higher education,” said Idris, adding that the
government is allocating a further RM1.3
billion to PTPTN’s revolving fund for next
year so that more students can have the
benefit of higher education.
It is understood PTPTN is committed to
giving out a total of RM47.8 billion to 2.1 million
students who have applied for study loans.
B R I E F S
�15% CUT IN LOAN AMOUNT
TOO MUCH’
SUBANG JAYA: MCA Youth chief Chong
Sin Woon yesterday said the 15% reduction
in the quantum of National Higher
Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans
to students in private higher learning
institutions is too much. In contrast, he said
the 5% cut in amount for public university
students will not affect them much as their
fees are highly subsidised. It costs much
more to study in a private institution than a
public university. For example, he said, a
medical course in a private university can
cost as much as RM300,000 compared with
just RM30,000 in a public university. “It’s
simple maths, 15% of costs in a private
university will be a lot, while 5% in a public
university won’t amount to much,” Chong
told a press conference in Sunway Hotel
Resort and Spa yesterday.
FULL REPORT ON EXAM
MANAGEMENT NEXT MONTH
Disabled
student
Mohamad
Syazwan
Roshdi of
SMK Datuk
Shahardin,
Labu, near
Seremban
uses his toes
to type the
answers on a
laptop.
MCA to raise school board issue in Cabinet
BY LEE CHOON FAI
PTPTN very flexible
On another matter, Chong praised the
government for taking the initiative to
send teachers to China to study the
Chinese language but said it is also
important that the authorities learn how
the vernacular school system works.
On the issue of certain quarters pushing
for a single-stream education system to
bridge the growing racial and religious
divide, Chong said the vernacular
education should be viewed as a strength
rather than a weakness.
He said most developed and advanced
countries are multi-ethnic, multi-cultural
societies, and some countries even have
more than one national language.
“In developed countries like Australia,
you see all sorts of culture mingling
together. And in Switzerland, they even
have many national languages. Even their
MPs debate in French, German, and Italian
in Parliament.
“The government should not be looking
at vernacular education as a Chinese issue
but as a national language instead,” Chong
said.
He pointed out that Indonesia is now
opening its doors to Chinese education
while Thailand has already set up a
Chinese university.
Perhaps Malaysia should do the same
(set up a Chinese university), he said.
Chong also said that MCA would also
be in a better position to champion
vernacular education if it had a minister or
deputy minister in the Education Ministry.
IPOH: An independent committee
reviewing the management of public
examinations is expected to submit a full
report on proposed improvements and
recommendations next month, said
Education Director-General Datuk Dr Khair
Mohamad Yusof. He said the committee is
still gathering input before issuing an
interim report and a subsequent full report
by mid-December. “The independent
committee will review the SOP on the
management of public examinations
conducted by the Malaysian Examinations
Board and will help in further improving it,”
he told reporters after reviewing the SOP
and safety management arrangements
made for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
examination papers in the vault at SMK
Anderson for the 42 exam centres, here
yesterday. – Bernama
PROBE AT MH17 CRASH SITE
MUST CONTINUE: NAJIB
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak yesterday reiterated
that investigation at the MH17 crash site
must continue despite the on-going
geopolitical situation on the ground. “I
reiterate Malaysia’s commitment to the
families of the passengers and crew of
MH17 and the fact that justice must be
served on the criminals who committed this
heinous act,” he said in his Facebook
posting. On Sunday, Transport Minister
Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the
International Civil Aviation Organisation
Council had unanimously adopted a
resolution condemning the downing of
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern
Ukraine. – Bernama
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03
04
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theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Anwar’s arrest was
lawful, says Shafee
PRESS DIGEST
Bus men may
seek higher fare
BY KONG SEE HOH
[email protected]
> �Crime was carnal
intercourse’
BY KAREN ARUKESAMY
[email protected]
Anwar stands outside the courtroom at the Federal Court in
Putrajaya, yesterday, on the fifth day of his appeal hearing.
Halim Omar pointed out that there was an
error in the warrant, where a different
numbered apartment unit address was
recorded.
Shafee admitted it was an error but
stressed that the most important to note was
Saiful’s name as complainant.
He also said that it was not necessary for
the charge to remain the same.
Touching on the lock-up items submitted
as circumstantial evidence, Shafee said these
items are admissible in law even if they were
illegally obtained as claimed by Anwar’s
lawyer.
He said Anwar had refused to give any
DNA samples at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur,
but there was evidence that a cotton bud had
been inserted in his anus.
“This cotton bud would have been a
powerful DNA but it was not used as he said
he won’t give any DNA,” Shafee claimed.
BERNAMAPIX
PUTRAJAYA: The arrest of Opposition
leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was lawful
as the crime was carnal intercourse outside
the order of nature and does not require a
warrant of arrest.
Nevertheless, senior lawyer Tan Sri
Muhammad Shafee Abdullah argued that
the police had issued an arrest warrant and
communicated the grounds of arrest to
Anwar and his lawyer S. Nair.
“The appellant (Anwar) said his counsel
was in contact with the investigating officer
(IO) when he was going to the police station.
Surely, his counsel would have asked the
reason for the arrest,” Shafee told the fivemember Federal Court panel yesterday.
He claimed that the grounds of arrest, at
the very least, was communicated when
Anwar arrived at the KL police contingent
headquarters (IPK).
“No one goes to the police station to have
a chat or coffee,” Shafee said.
He said Anwar was arrested when
heading to his Bukit Segambut home but the
warrant of arrest was shown to him at the
IPK.
“It was a serious and seizable offence. It
is carnal intercourse outside the order of
nature and there is no need for a warrant of
arrest.
“It was a valid arrest, and (Anwar) was
informed of the grounds at the police
station. Thus, there is no infringement of his
constitutional right,” Shafee said.
He also said the arrest warrant had all the
relevant details of the apartment number,
complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s
name and the reason for arrest.
At that point, Justice Tan Sri Suriyadi
Abdul Aziz (second from right) with Le Drian (third from right) and the French
team visiting the KD Razak submarine at the naval base in Sepanggar yesterday.
France satisfied with our submarine force
KOTA KINABALU: French Defence
Minister Jean Yves Le Drian has
described the existing cooperation
between France and Malaysia, including
in the field of defence, as a strategic
cooperation which is significant to his
country.
Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Chief
Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said Le Drian
had asked him to convey to the media
that France desired to see more
cooperation opportunities between
France and Malaysia in future, including
in the form of aid and training,
particularly with the RMN.
“I have been given the mandate by the
French Defence Minister (to announce)
that he was very satisfied with what he
saw (throughout his visit to the
Submarine Force Base at the RMN base
here),” Abdul Aziz told reporters here
yesterday.
He said Le Drian visited the
Malaysian Submarine Force Base to look
at the developments achieved since the
force was set up 11 years ago.
Abdul Aziz said Le Drian had told
him that he was impressed with the
development and growth achieved by
the Malaysian Submarine Force because
not many nations could achieve such
progress within 10 years. – Bernama
NORMAN HIU/ THESUN
Shafee said the DNA from the water
bottle, toothbrush and towel found in the
lock-up was not illegally obtained.
He said even if it was illegally obtained,
the evidence is admissible because under
the Evidence Act 1950, it states that as long
as the evidence is relevant to the charge, it is
admissible.
Referring to the DNA of “Male Y”, which
was found in Saiful’s rectum that matched
the DNA from the locked-up items, Shafee
pointed out that the items were used by
Anwar.
“In fact, who could have opened the
plastic? We gave him the plastic with four
items.
“In the morning the items were on the
floor and were used. He used them,” he said.
Shafee will wrap up his submissions
today followed by replies by Anwar’s
lawyers, which may spill over to tomorrow.
ALTHOUGH the Land Public Transport
Commission (SPAD) has recommended that
the Transport Ministry increase public
transport charges nationwide, the Pan
Malaysia Bus Operators Association says it
may ask more than the 30% increase it earlier
sought due to the fuel price hikes and the
impending Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Speaking to the media after launching
Johor’s first Safe and Responsible Truckers
Day on Sunday, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed
Hamid Albar said the commission has
submitted the request for a 30% hike in fares
by long-haul bus operators to the Transport
Ministry.
The request was justified as operational
costs had increased, he said.
“Due to the urgent need (to increase the
fares), we have submitted the proposal to the
government,” he said.
However, Pan Malaysia Bus Operators
Association president Datuk Mohamad
Ashfar Ali told Nanyang Siang Pau late on
Sunday that the 30% fare hike was the
quantum sought when the request was made
18 months ago. With the hikes in fuel price,
the latest being last month, and the impending
implementation of GST, the association may
seek an increase of more than 30%.
He pointed out that a 30% fare increase
will only allow operators to cover the losses
they had been incurring for the last five years
due to increased operational costs.
“Spare part prices have also increased over
the years, so the 30% hike in fares is just
enough to meet operational costs that have
risen so far,” he said.
Mohamad Ashfar said he was disappointed
with SPAD for taking 18 months to give an
answer to the association’s request for the
fare hike, which was made in May last year.
He lamented that although the commission
has submitted the fare hike proposal to the
government, it is still anyone’s guess when
the government would make a decision.
Emergency landing
B R I E F S
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysia-bound Malindo
Air flight diverted to Thailand and made an
emergency landing yesterday after the cabin
started to de-pressurise, the airline said,
adding that none of the 129 people on board
was hurt.
The Malaysia-based carrier’s flight OD206
from Delhi had been due to arrive here early
yesterday but instead re-routed to Bangkok
after the incident, which caused oxygen masks
to deploy inside the plane.
“A slow decompression was detected by
the pilot,” said a Malindo spokesman, who
suggested it may have been caused by oxygen
leaking from the fuselage.
“In our case, oxygen masks were deployed
as a precautionary measure according to SOP
(standard operating procedure).” – Bernama
THREE FAMILY MEMBERS
KILLED IN CRASH
Toll discounts
PETALING JAYA: Class 1 motorists who travel
along the Federal Highway during off-peak
hours can enjoy a monthly savings of more
than RM40 when they make electronic
payments at Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll
plazas.
Plus Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) managing
director, Datuk Noorizah Abd Hamid, said the
motorists can enjoy the 30% toll rebate from
10am to 3.59pm and from 10pm to 5.59am.
She added that the promotion, which is on
till the end of the year, is only for those who
use PLUSMiles card, Touch �n Go card and
SmartTAG.
Motorists who travel during peak hours will
also enjoy a toll rebate of 10% at the two toll
plazas. The peak periods are from 6am to
9.59am and 4pm to 9.59pm everyday.
KUALA LIPIS: A couple and their daughter
were killed and their son was injured in a
road accident with an express bus at Km92
of Jalan Lipis-Merapoh near here
yesterday. Lipis police chief Supt Abdul
Razak Hassan said the dead were Nik
Zainuddin Nik Mohamad, 58, his wife Wan
Akma Lailee Wan Aziz, 54, and their
daughter Nik Lyana, 19, and the injured
was Ahmad Bahari Nik Zainuddin, 15. –
Bernama
SECURITY GUARD CLAIMS
TRIAL TO MOLEST CHARGE
KUALA LUMPUR: A security guard
claimed trial at a magistrate’s court here
yesterday to a charge of molesting an
eight-year-old girl last September.
Mohamad Borhanudin Mohd Shafiei, 48,
was accused of molesting the girl, who is
his neighbour’s daughter, at around 6am at
a house in Cheras on Sept 6. – Bernama
STOLEN HOUSEHOLD GOODS
RECOVERED
JOHOR BARU: Stolen goods worth
RM200,000, believed to be from
housebreakings, were recovered after
police detained a 41-year-old man in
Malacca. Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar
Shariff said the suspect, believed to be
involved in three housebreakings here and
Kulaijaya, was arrested on Nov 26 while he
was alone in his car. “Police found in his car
35 bottles of expensive wine, four watches,
14 bags, eight wallets, two handphones,
four waist belts and cash RM2,000.”
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
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06
NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS
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www.thesundaily.my
B R I E F S
UNDERGRADS WANT
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
BERNAMA PIX
A GROUP of university
undergraduates submitted a
memorandum, calling for academic
freedom to be restored in local
universities, to several Opposition
members of parliament yesterday.
The memorandum, prepared by
Mahasiswa Ganyang Akta Hasutan,
also called for the abolition of the
Universities and University Colleges
Act 1971 (UUCA) as well as the return
of students’ union in universities.
RIZALMAN CASE SHOWS
STRONG TIES WITH NZ
THE TRANSFER of Second Warrant
Officer Muhammad Rizalman Ismail
from Malaysia to New Zealand is proof
of the good relations between the two
countries. “Both countries have held
on to clear and strong principles and
process (on this matter),” Deputy
Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah
Zainuddin told the Dewan Rakyat
yesterday. “The government believes
that Rizalman will be given a fair and
just trial,” he said in a reply to Dr
Azman Ismail (PKR-Kuala Kedah). The
trial is set for Nov 21.
MORE TOURIST ARRIVALS
THIS YEAR
MALAYSIA registered 16.1 million
tourist arrivals between January and
July this year, an increase of 9.7% over
the corresponding period last year, the
Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk
Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said
there was a decrease tourist arrivals
from China and Taiwan due to the
tragedy of the missing Malaysia
Airlines flight MH370. – Bernama
WELCOME
ABOARD ... Dewan
Negara Speaker Tan Sri
Abu Zahar Ujang with
the three senators who
were sworn in yesterday.
They are (from left)
Datuk Seri Abd Halim
Abd Samad, Datuk Seri S
Nallakaruppan and Tan Sri
Dr Ibrahim Shah Abu Shah.
Felcra queried over
unapproved payments
> PAC says directors were
paid RM700,000 for three
years without approval
BY BERNARD CHEAH
[email protected]
THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has
questioned how Felcra Berhad was able to
give over RM700,000 of consolation
payment in kind (bayaran saguhati dalam
bentuk) to its board of directors between
2010 and 2012.
PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan
Mohamed said the committee is not satisfied
with how the payments were made without
the permission of the Ministry of Finance
(MoF).
“This was not approved by the
Finance Ministry, which is one of
the shareholders. And this has to
be approved during the AGM
(annual general meeting),” he
told a press conference in
Parliament yesterday.
Nur Jazlan said when
questioning several people from
Felcra yesterday, including its
chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, he was
informed the board approved the payment
“based on good performance”.
Bung Moktar is Kinabatangan MP.
Nur Jazlan also pointed out that Felcra had
written to the Finance Ministry this year
requesting permission to give out the
payments. The ministry replied that such
payments should be stopped immediately.
“PAC will have a meeting to
discuss the next course of action
soon,” he added.
The Auditor-General’s Report
2013 had pointed out that Felcra
suffered a loss of RM12.71 million
in 2012 from palm oil
manufacturing activities, noting
that a key factor for Felcra’s dip in
profit for 2012 was the decline in
the price of fresh fruit bunches (FFB).
The report noted that the average FFB
price in 2012 fell to about RM542.21 per metric
tonne compared to the range of RM659.45
per metric tonne in 2011.
The Felcra chairman in 2010 and 2012 was
Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who is now
the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and
Agro-based Industry.
School funding fair: DPM
DEPUTY Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin yesterday dismissed allegations of
unfair distribution of financial allocations to
schools.
Muhyiddin, who is also education
minister, said the government had never
marginalised any school under its
jurisdiction.
The approved annual allocations had
been distributed equally in accordance with
requirements to all schools without favour
for the type of school or location, he said
when winding up debate on the Supply Bill
2015 for the Education Ministry in the
Dewan Rakyat.
“For example, this year, the operating
expenditure allocated to 8,300 national
(primary and secondary) schools is RM10.9
billion while that for 1,294 national type
Chinese schools is RM2.4 billion and for 523
national type Tamil schools, RM970
million,” he said.
The distribution of allocation to Chinese
and Tamil schools was much better than
that for the national schools in poor
condition, especially in remote and rural
areas and on islands, he said.
He cited Budget 2015 and said RM450
million in maintenance allocation would be
distributed to more than 8,000 primary
schools, including government Chinese and
Tamil schools, as well as national secondary
schools compared to only RM50 million to
889 government-aided Chinese schools and
336 government-aided Tamil schools.
Therefore, said Muhyiddin, it is wrong
for anyone to allege injustice in the
distribution of allocations to schools.
He also said Budget 2015 had raised the
allocation for utilities payment for national
type schools from RM2,000 to RM5,000.
The government allocated RM5.284
billion as development expenditure for
education from 2013 to 2015.
New villages more competitive
THE New Village Master Plan 2005 has
made new villages more competitive, said
Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.
It had modernised the lifestyle of
residents and improved their economy via
agriculture, small and medium industries
and ecotourism, he added.
“For example, Kampung Baru
Coldstream in Bidor is famous for its fruits.
“Kampung Baru Bukit Merah in
Menglembu is known for its shoes and is
now able to market them abroad, while
Kampung Baru Ayer Hitam in Batu Pahat is
famous for its ceramic industry,” he said in
reply to a question from Rear Admiral (Rtd)
Mohamad Imran Abdul Hamid (PKRLumut) yesterday. – Bernama
�Racist’ SPM practice question riles MP
AN opposition Member of Parliament has
taken the Education Ministry to task over an
SPM examination practice paper that had
answers which could incite racial hatred
among students.
Oscar Lim Chai Yew (DAP-Sibu) was
surprised when parents and teachers
showed answers given for one of the
questions which stated “Akhir sekali
berlakunya pembunuhan orang Melayu
yang dilakukan oleh orang Cina” (in the
end, the killings of the Malays was done by
the Chinese) and “Sekolah Jenis
Kebangsaan menyebabkan wujud
pemisahan murid berdasarkan kaum sejak
awal lagi.” (Vernacular schools had caused
the divide among student based on race
since the beginning).
The book in question is Kertas Model
Sebenar SPM: Bahasa Malaysia by
Khairuddin Ayip and Yusanizan Shafie,
published by Info Didik in 2014.
“Such answers could incite racial hate
and bias towards vernacular schools. To say
vernacular schools are the cause of a racial
divide is not true,” he told reporters.
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theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Bible issue: Azmin
to meet Sultan
SHAH ALAM: Mentri Besar Mohamed
Azmin Ali will seek an audience with the
Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin
Idris Shah, to give an update on the status
of the Malay and Iban-language Bibles that
were seized from the Bible Society of
Malaysia (BSM) early this year, and
discuss ways to resolve the long-standing
issue.
The Selangor Islamic Religious
Department (Jais) raided the BSM’s then
headquarters in Petaling Jaya on Jan 2 and
seized 321 copies of Malay and Ibanlanguage Bibles containing the word
“Allah”.
Azmin said he already had a series of
meetings with Jais and Selangor Islamic
Religious Council (Mais) to resolve the
issue.
“I have discussed the matter with Jais
and Mais and we will refer the outcome of
our meetings to the Sultan.”
He said he is expecting to get the
consent from the Sultan to resolve the
matter in a good and harmonious manner.
MB loosens purse strings
> RM500m Putrajaya
grant to go towards road
maintenance, sewerage
system
BY HAIKAL JALIL AND
MELISSA ANNABELLE LAWSON
[email protected]
SHAH ALAM: Starting next year,
the state government will
distribute all of the RM500
million allocated by the federal
government to the local councils
for road maintenance and
sewerage system in Selangor.
Selangor Mentri Besar
Mohamed Azmin Ali (pix) said
the previous administration did
not fully utilise the grant and
only partially distributed it.
“Every year, the federal government
allocates about RM500 million under the
Malaysia Road Records Inventory System
(Marris) grant.
However, it is up to the state government
to distribute the money,” he said.
“I know there are some states which use
the money as salary for government staff,” he
added.
Azmin said he believed the
money should be distributed to
all local councils for the purpose
it was allocated for.
“We will do that beginning
next year,” he said.
Asked whether the money was
not distributed during former
mentri besar Abdul Khalid
Ibrahim tenure, Azmin said: “The
past is the past”.
Azmin was speaking to
reporters after launching the
Pelan Tindakan Selangor Bebas
Denggi 2014 dan Gotong-royong Mega (A
Dengue Free Selangor Action Plan 2014 and
Mega Gotong-Royong Programme) at Dewan
Jubli Perak here.
Earlier in his speech, Azmin said the state
local councils must focus on resolving public
issues such as the uncollected rubbish, poor
road conditions and rise in dengue cases.
In an event attended by local councillors,
village chieftains and community leaders,
Azmin said it was hard for the state to have a
greater economic progress if such issues
could not be handled properly.
He said problems such as poor rubbish
management also contributed to the surge of
dengue cases in the state.
As of Oct 31 this year, Selangor recorded
42,478 dengue cases with 59 deaths, he added.
“Last year, 23,850 dengue cases were
recorded with 24 deaths,” he said.
Through the action plan, the state
government is expecting to reduce the
number of dengue cases by 50% by the end of
this year.
Selangor has the highest number of
recorded dengue cases this year, with more
than 1,000 cases reported every week.
Condo folks seek
management solution
BY KAREN ARUKESAMY
[email protected]
KUALA LUMPUR: A tussle is
brewing between the residents
of Pangsapuri Waja in Cheras
and their Joint Management
Body (JMB) over the validity of
the body and alleged
discrepancies, to the
extent that residents
are being barred from
accessing certain
facilities.
Several residents
have filed official
complaints to the
Commissioner of
Building (COB) in
Kajang Municipal
Fauzi
Council and
Malaysian AntiCorruption
Commission over the
validity of their JMB,
and have formed an
action committee to
resolve the matter.
The JMB has
allegedly not held
annual general
meetings (AGMs) and
Yeop
has not presented the
financial statements for almost
three years, which is a clear
violation of the Building and
Common Property
(Maintenance and
Management) Act 2007.
“We do not understand why
the COB is not responding to
our complaints,” Waja Action
Committee spokesman Fauzi
Ismail told theSun.
“After residents raised their
concerns, the group of people
holding office held an
emergency general meeting in
February,” he added.
He said an EGM cannot be
used to re-elect the same officebearers as the JMB committee
members after three years.
Fauzi said a JMB member
can only serve for three years
and JMB must conduct an AGM
for a new committee.
“They have yet to
show us the accounts
for the money they
have been collecting
in the form of
maintenance fees
from the residents,”
Fauzi said.
Yeop Arbi, who is
also one of the action
committee members,
said under the law,
the JMB and
Residents’
Association (RA)
should be
independent of each
other and should not
have the same people
as office-bearers.
However, he said
this is not the case in
Pangsapuri Waja.
“Those in JMB are
also in the RA committee and
this is not right as there would
not be a check and balance
between the two groups.
“Majority of the residents
here have expressed their
grouses and are fed up with the
lack of response from the JMB
and also the COB,” Yeop said.
Some of the residents have
also decided to protest against
the allegedly illegal JMB by not
paying maintenance fees until
proper accounts are shown for
the funds of previous years.
�Humanitarian’ photo display
KUALA LUMPUR: A photo
exhibition showcasing 150 years
of global humanitarian efforts
worldwide is being held at the
University of Malaya Art until
Nov 30.
The event is jointly
organised by the International
Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), the Swiss Embassy and
the Malaysian Red Crescent
Society. A collection of 40
works by Swiss photographer
Jean Mohr, “War from the
Victims’ Perspective” retraces
the refugees from their
displacement to adapting to an
enduring situation.
Malaysian Red Crescent
National chairman Tunku Tan
Sri Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman
hopes this exhibition will help
raise awareness of the society’s
extensive efforts and foster a
better understanding of
humanitarian needs.
Вђ NEWS
WITHOUT BORDERS 09
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
MASRY CHE ANI/
THESUN
Thaiveegan
with Huan
(left) and Lee
showing some
of the seized
syabu and the
ornaments used
to conceal the
drugs.
RM400,000
drugs haul
BY IMRAN HILMY
[email protected]
GEORGE TOWN: Police seized 2,553g of
syabu worth RM400,000, and arrested a
Nigerian man in a raid at Batu Feringghi last
Friday.
State deputy police chief Deputy
Commisioner Datuk A. Thaiveegan said in
the 3.15pm incident, police raided a
condominium unit and found the drugs
hidden inside a box of decoration items.
“We believe the drugs were obtained
from China and brought to Penang
through Kuala Lumpur for local
distribution”, he told a press
conference at the state
police contingent
headquarters, that was
also attended by
Penang narcotics
chief Huan Beng
Kang and his deputy
Lee King Chuan.
He said the 32year-old man is in the
country on a student
visa and is believed to be
living alone in the apartment
unit since the beginning of the year.
“We believe the suspect is not a student
and he has no prior criminal record,” he
added.
The suspect, who tested negative for
drugs, has been remanded until Friday to
facilitate investigations.
He will be investigated under Section
39B of the Dangerous Drug Act for
trafficking.
Meanwhile, in IPOH, police nabbed 19
men, including seven foreigners for various
drug offences in a pre-dawn operation in
Kuala Sepetang and Kampung
Seberang.
Perak Narcotics
Criminal Investigation
Department chief
ACP Yap Toon
Khuan said the
men, aged 25 to 60
years, were picked
up in the six-hour
operation which
started at 4.30am.
Among them were
four men from
Myanmar and three
Mongolians.
Duped by �Bank Negara’ staff
BY P. CHANDRA SAGARAN
[email protected]
IPOH: A 62-year-old fishmonger from
Sitiawan became RM9,700 poorer in 10
minutes after allegedly being duped by an
individual who claimed he was a Bank
Negara staff.
The Oct 29 incident began when the
victim, Koh Choon Song, received a
telephone call from one “Muhammad
Aiman Poh” from the number 03-26988044.
Koh, from Kampung Koh in Sitiawan,
said since he is not well-versed in Bahasa
Malaysia, Muhammad Aiman passed the
call to another person by the name of Lee.
“Lee introduced himself as a staff from
Bank Negara,” Koh said at the Perak MCA
public services and complaints bureau,
where he sought assistance yesterday.
“He informed me that I had used a
certain bank credit card and had to make a
payment of RM4,770.”
When Koh said he does not own a credit
card, Lee instructed him to transfer all his
money from his bank savings accounts to a
new account under Aiman’s name,
purportedly to prevent his name from being
fraudulently used.
The fishmonger then withdrew his
money from three banks and deposited all
of it into the account given by Lee.
After transferring the money, Koh began
to feel uneasy.
“I suspected something was amiss and
informed my daughter who told me I had
been conned.”
The daughter checked the phone
number (03-26988044) and found that it
was listed under Bank Negara. However,
calls made by the victim to the number
went unanswered.
Phone scammers fleece women
PETALING JAYA: Eight women lost almost
RM200,000 to a gang who tricked them into
paying for the “release” of a family member
purportedly detained by police.
Except for a 28-year-old teacher who
paid RM2,000 after being told that her
husband is in police custody, the rest were
women aged between 56 and 71 who parted
with between RM5,000 and RM60,000.
In all the cases, the victims received a
call from a man posing as a police officer
claiming he had detained either the
women’s son or husband for a serious crime
such as drug possession.
In one case, a 62-year-old retiree paid
RM50,000 after being told that her son had
been kidnapped.
The crooks instructed the victims to
leave the cash in a bag at public places. The
women only discovered they had been
fleeced after the family member returned
home as usual after work.
Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Azmi Abu
Kassim said the eight cases were reported
since early last month and the latest victim
lost RM20,000 on Thursday.
10
NEWS WITHOUT BORDERSВђ
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
THREE VILLAGE LEADERS
SHOT DEAD IN PATTANI
PATTANI: Three village leaders were killed
and two others injured when they were
attacked, here, at 5pm yesterday. Muang
Pattani district police chief, Pol Col Tuandir
Chutanon, said all the victims were in a
pick-up truck on their way home after
attending a monthly meeting at the district
office when the incident happened. The
victims are a village head and four assistant
village heads in the Muang Pattani district.
Chutanon said police are investigating
whether the attack is linked to separatists
in southern Thailand. – Bernama
VIRGIN �IGNORED’ SPACE
SAFETY WARNINGS: EXPERT
WASHINGTON: Virgin Galactic “ignored”
repeated warnings in the years leading up to
the crash of its spacecraft in California, a
rocket science safety expert said on Sunday.
Carolynne Campbell said a lock-unlock lever
on the ship had been moved prematurely,
but emphasised that the cause of the crash
was still unknown. She said multiple
warnings about the spacecraft’s motor and
the fuel used to power it had been issued to
Virgin since 2007, when three engineers
died testing a rocket on the ground. – AFP
NORTH KOREA DENIES ROLE
IN PHONE HACKING
SEOUL: North Korea’s state media
yesterday blasted South Korea’s National
Intelligence Service (NIS) for alleging last
week that Pyongyang hacked over 20,000
smartphones in the South using malware
disguised in mobile gaming apps. State
newsite Uriminzokkiri accused the NIS of
fabricating the report to distract attention
from a standoff over South activists who
send leaflets critical of the North’s regime
across the border by balloon. – AFP
�Peace within a
year in Thai south’
> Defence minister
makes pledge despite
stalled talks with rebels
BANGKOK: Thailand’s military
government vowed yesterday to bring
peace to the Muslim-dominated south
within a year, despite stalled peace talks
aimed at ending an insurgency that has
cost thousands of lives in the past
decade.
Sporadic violence has killed more
than 5,700 people in Thailand’s
southernmost provinces, where
resistance to central government rule
has existed for decades and resurfaced
violently in January 2004.
In the latest violence last Friday, one
woman was killed and at least two
injured in separate bomb attacks
launched by suspected militants at
three restaurants in Pattani province,
police said.
“We are doing all that we can. We
will try to bring peace within a year,”
defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan
said.
He blamed the attacks on insurgents
retaliating for recent arrests by the
authorities.
“The attacks happened because we
managed to catch many people, including
leaders, of groups involved in instigating
acts of violence.”
The violence comes as Prime Minister
Prayuth Chan-ocha seeks to present an
image of greater effectiveness in
containing the insurgency, based in
Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces in
Thailand’s so-called “Deep South”.
It has occasionally spilled into nearby
Songkhla province, thronged by tourists
from Malaysia.
The provinces were once part of a
Malay Muslim sultanate until being
annexed by Thailand in 1902.
Successive governments have tried,
with little success, to stem the violence.
Responses to the insurgency have drawn
criticism, including accusations of
widespread rights violations against
suspected militants and their supporters.
The government of ousted prime
minister Yingluck Shinawtra formally
agreed to start peace talks with a militant
group operating in the southern provinces
last year.
The talks were lauded by some rights
groups and academics but stalled months
before Yingluck’s government became
embroiled late last year in a political crisis
that climaxed with a court ordering her to
step down on May 7.
The army seized power weeks later in a
coup on May 22.
Prayuth, who took power after the coup,
has promised investigations into
allegations of rights abuses by some troops.
Rights groups say he has failed to act on
that promise.
In August, a 14-year-old boy was shot
dead by an army-trained volunteer unit in
Narathiwat.
A police investigation found a member
of the unit planted a pistol in the boy’s hand
after the shooting to make him appear to be
an insurgent.
“The military needs to wake up to the
reality that they have their share of
responsibility to improve the situation in
southern Thailand,” Sunai Phasuk, a senior
researcher on Thailand at Human Rights
Watch, said. – Reuters
MORE WORLD STORIES AT:
www.thesundaily.my
AFPPIX
B R I E F S
Obama greets supporters after speaking at a rally for Tom Wolf, Democratic candidate
for Pennsylvania governor, at Temple University in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Obama makes final campaign push
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama
made a final push on Sunday to help
struggling Democrats before this week’s
midterm elections, making campaign stops
in Connecticut and Pennsylvania to try to
avert a “shellacking” at the polls like the one
in 2010.
After a 2014 political season spent mostly
behind the scenes at high-dollar fundraisers,
Obama spent the past several days on the
road, making appearances in states where
his low popularity ratings are seen as less of
an albatross to Democrats running for office
than in other close races across the country.
On Sunday, he began in Connecticut,
where Democratic governor Dan Malloy is
in a tight race with Republican challenger
Tom Foley. A RealClearPolitics average of
polls shows Malloy up 0.7 of a point.
Malloy, speaking first at the rally, did not
distance himself from Obama as many
fellow Democrats have, saying it was
“certainly great to have the president join
us” and praising Obama for his support in
the aftermath of the Newtown school
shootings in 2012.
Malloy pledged never to sign a repeal of
state gun control legislation passed in the
wake of the massacre, which plunged the
country into a new debate about gun rights.
The two men embraced on stage before
Obama spoke.
Obama was interrupted several times
while he spoke, at least three times by
hecklers about his immigration policies.
The president, who is mulling an
executive order to remove the threat of
deportation for millions of undocumented
immigrants, said the issue underscored the
need to vote today.
“This is part of why elections are so
important,” Obama said, noting that
Republicans in the House of
Representatives had blocked legislation on
immigration reform. “The other side has a
very different vision.” – Reuters
NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS
11
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Briton charged over
Hong Kong murders
> Two women found dead
in upscale apartment
HONG KONG: A 29-year-old British
banker appeared in a Hong Kong court
yesterday charged with two counts of
murder after police found the bodies of
two women in his apartment, including
one inside a suitcase on a balcony.
A court document said Rurik George
Caton Jutting worked for Bank of America
Corp. The US bank said that it had, until
recently, an employee with the same
name, but it declined to give further
details.
Looking stony-faced, Jutting told the
court he understood both charges.
The brief hearing was adjourned until
Nov 10, without Jutting entering a plea.
Jutting was arrested in the early hours
of Saturday at his apartment in Wan Chai,
a central city district known for its vibrant
night life.
The charge sheet identified the woman
in the suitcase as Sumarti Ningsih and said
she had been killed on Oct 27.
The second woman, who was not
identified, was killed on Nov 1, the
document said.
It did not say how they were killed.
Local media described the two victims
as prostitutes and said both had neck
injuries, adding one was nearly
decapitated.
One of the women was Indonesian, the
South China Morning Post newspaper
reported.
Martyn Richmond, Jutting’s duty
lawyer, said his client had been denied
contact with the British consulate and
access to a solicitor of his choice prior to
being interviewed.
AFPPIX/APPLE DAILY
Jutting sits
cuffed next
to an officer
in a police van
as he is driven
to court
yesterday.
Jutting had done up to seven police
interviews over many hours, he said.
A Linkedin account under Jutting’s
name said he had worked in structured
equity finance and trading at Bank of
America in Hong Kong since July last year.
Before that, he had worked in the same
department but in London.
The profile also said Jutting had worked
in structured capital markets at Barclays
between June 2008 and July 2010 and had
studied at Cambridge University.
A spokesman for Barclays said the bank
was not immediately able to confirm if
Jutting had worked for them.
According to people who were at
Cambridge at the same time, Jutting
attended Peterhouse, the oldest college,
and was president of the Cambridge
University History society. Prior to
Cambridge, he went to Winchester
College, one of Britain’s most famous and
oldest private schools.
His Facebook account showed pictures
of Jutting, including one with a young
Asian woman.
Jutting’s most recent posts were on Oct
31 to articles titled Money does buy
happiness and Is 29 the perfect age.
The apartment where the bodies were
found is on the 31st floor of a building
popular with financial professionals,
where average rents are about HK$30,000
(RM13,000) a month. – Reuters
Officials
resort to body
snatching to
fill quota
BEIJING: Two officials bought corpses from
grave robbers to meet government cremation
quotas, local media reported, as Beijing
pushes to enforce its controversial and highly
sensitive burial policies.
The officials from Guangdong province
bought the bodies from a man who stole
more than 20 in night-time raids on
graveyards, the official news agency Xinhua
said on Sunday, citing Chinese media.
“Both were local officials in charge of
funeral management reform,” said Xinhua,
naming them He and Dong.
“They told police they bought the corpses
to finish government cremation quota,” it
said, adding Dong had paid 3,000 yuan
(RM1,600) each for 10 bodies, while He’s cost
half the price for an unspecified number.
China has a long history of ancestor
worship and there is a belief in many areas
that an intact body is necessary for a peaceful
afterlife, so that burials are preferred.
But the government has launched a
campaign encouraging cremation to save
land for farming and development.
The body snatching scheme went up in
smoke in June when a man in Beiliu in the
Guangxi region, next to Guangdong in
southern China, reported his grandfather’s
body had been stolen, the Xinhua report said.
The family had been guarding the tomb in
a bid to ward off potential grave robbers, but
could not prevent the theft, it said.
Authorities had demanded a minimum
number of cremations in the unspecified
towns where Dong and He worked, but
residents had begun burying dead relatives
in secret to bypass the regulations.
“Pushed to meet their quota, the two
officials sought to purchase the corpses and
send them to funeral parlour for cremation,”
Xinhua said. – AFP
12
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theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
English teachers faulted, again!
THE A TO Z
OF ENGLISH
BY BHAVANI KRISHNA IYER
E
NGLISH language teaching and
learning was in for another bashing
recently when Education Minister 11
Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh revealed the
shocking statistics that about two-thirds of
English language teachers in the country
have been classified as “incapable” or “unfit”
to teach the subject in school.
The figure is a sad revelation of what has
been a perennial problem in the country but
one that the government has chosen to
ignore for political convenience.
The comments from academicians on this
were interesting. One senior member raised
a pertinent question which is, “why blame
the teachers, when after all it was the
ministry which gave them the licence to
teach English”.
When I was training to be an ESL teacher
in the late 80s, we had trainees who could not
grasp the use of the articles “a” and “an” and
the subject-verb agreement was and still is
somewhat rocket science to most.
The key to subject-verb agreement is
matching the number of both; singular
subjects take singular verb forms, as plural
subjects take plural verb forms.
Granted that subject-verb agreement can
be difficult due to the irregularity of English
plural subjects, the problem is exacerbated
when subject-verb agreement is not present
in the first language of the language learner.
Coming back to the issue at hand, the
proposal to send teachers overseas for
exchange programmes to take up TESL is not
a bad idea but it sounds like a stop-gap
measure and it would be colossal waste of
public funds if it is not implemented with
some deeper research put into it.
A better option would be to address this
incapacity in English language teachers by
imposing stricter entry requirements at the
entry level for those applying to be teachers.
There needs to be a big revamp right at policy
level for recruitment of trainee teachers
where applicants will need to be tested on
their written and oral proficiency.
An applicant who comes in with
incompetence in grammar will not be able to
cope with the training modules, let alone
teach English at the completion of the course.
Teaching and learning English have been
hogging our education system quite
negatively and we all know all is not well. The
Education Ministry does not seem to know
which direction to take as from what I gather
they are coming with quick fixes every now
and then.
Recently, there was talk of making a pass in
English compulsory at tertiary level and now
our teachers are going to be sent overseas for
exposure and of course there were a host of
other measures at lip service level. What
about the suggestion that retirees will be
brought back into the system and then we also
know the ministry was mulling bringing in
native speakers to teach English.
In this context, I strongly feel that no
bodies of government soldiers were
described by rebel spokesmen as being
REMEMBER the time when Libya was
men shot because they were about to
being held up by the American, British,
defect. Video film showed the soldiers still
French and Qatari governments as a
alive as rebel prisoners so it must have been
striking example of benign and successful
the rebels who had executed them and put
foreign intervention? It is worth looking
the blame on the government.
again at film of David Cameron
Foreign governments and media alike
grandstanding as liberator in Benghazi in
have good reason to forget what they said
September 2011 as he applauds the
and did in Libya in 2011, because the
overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and tells
aftermath of the overthrow of Gaddafi has
the crowd that “your city was an example
been so appalling. The extent of the
to the world as you threw off a
calamity is made clear by
dictator and chose freedom”.
two reports on the state of
Cameron has not been back
the country, one by Amnesty
to Benghazi, nor is he likely to
International called “Libya:
do so as militias reduce Libya
Rule of the gun – abductions,
to primal anarchy in which
torture and other militia
nobody is safe. Most Libyans
abuses in western Libya” and
are demonstrably worse off
a second by Human Rights
today than they were under
Watch, focusing on the east
Gaddafi, notwithstanding his
of the country, called “Libya:
personality cult and
Assassinations May Be
authoritarian rule. The
Crimes Against Humanity”.
slaughter is getting worse and
The latter is a gruesome
is engulfing the entire country.
account of what people in
“Your friends in Britain and
Benghazi call “Black Friday”,
France will stand with you as
which occurred on Sept 19,
Gaddafi ... brought
you build your democracy,”
the most deadly day in a
down by Nato.
pledged Cameron to the
three-day assassination
people of Benghazi. Three
spree in the city, in which
years later, they are words he evidently
“the dead included two young activists,
wants to forget, since there was almost no
members of the security services, an
reference to Libya, the one military
outspoken cleric and five other civilians”.
intervention he had previously ordered,
The activists were Tawfiq Bensaud and
when he spoke in the House of Commons
Sami Elkawafi, two men aged 18 and 19, who
justifying British airstrikes against Islamic
had campaigned against militia violence.
State (Isis) in Iraq.
Among others who died was a prominent
The foreign media has largely ceased to
cleric, Seikh Nabil Sati, who was murdered,
cover Libya because it rightly believes it is
as well as a young man, Abdulrahman altoo dangerous for journalists to go there.
Mogherbi, who was kidnapped at the
Yet I remember in the early summer of 2011
cleric’s funeral and later found dead.
in the frontline south of Benghazi when
Their murders brought to 250 the
there were more reporters and camera
number of victims of politically motivated
crews than there were rebels. Cameramen
killings this year in Benghazi and Derna, the
used to ask fellow foreign journalists to
major cities in eastern Libya. This is not
move aside when they were filming so that
counting the far larger number who have
this did not become too apparent. In reality, died in military operations between the
Gaddafi’s overthrow was very much Nato’s
militias or the battles that have raged in and
doing, with Libyan militiamen mopping up.
around Tripoli.
Human rights organisations have had a
Without the rest of the world paying
much better record in Libya than the media
much attention, a civil war has been raging
since the start of the uprising in 2011. They
in western Libya since July 13 between the
discovered that there was no evidence for
Libya Dawn coalition of militias, originally
several highly publicised atrocities
based in Misrata, and another militia group
supposedly carried out by Gaddafi’s forces
centred on Zintan. A largely separate civil
that were used to fuel popular support for
war between the forces of retired General
the air war in the US, Britain, France and
Khalifa Haftar and the Shura Council of
elsewhere. These included the story of the
Benghazi Revolutionaries is being fought
mass rape of women by Gaddafi’s troops
out in the city. Government has collapsed.
that Amnesty International exposed as
Amnesty says that torture has become
being without foundation. The uniformed
common with victims being “beaten with
The writer was a language teacher and
now teaches part time in public universities,
apart from having a full-time job.
Comments: [email protected]
LETTERS
Libya falls into the abyss
BY PATRICK COCKBURN
compromise should be made for graduates
from other disciplines to teach English as
teaching a language is not just about having
the desired proficiency. Both the pedagogy
and methodology must be in place.
Teaching English cannot be done using the
same method as teaching mathematics and
science and more importantly it has to be
student-centric approach for the former.
Doing past year question papers and
worksheets will see students through the
examinations but the language skills learnt
will not be of any use outside the classroom.
We are very fond of setting up committees
and task forces for various misdoings and
issues, why not set up one to relook at where
we have gone wrong and plan corrective
actions in teaching and learning of English.
Incidentally, we should not have just
academicians in this task force or committee,
people from multi-disciplines should be
included for a strategic direction for the team.
Most importantly, when introducing a new
approach, give sufficient time for the system
to settle in and bear results.
[email protected]
plastic tubes, sticks, metal bars or cables,
given electric shocks, suspended in stress
positions for hours, kept blindfolded and
shackled for days.”
It is easy enough to deride the neoimperial posturing of Cameron and
Sarkozy, or to describe the abyss into which
Libya has fallen since 2011. The people
whom that intervention propelled into
power have reduced a country that had
been peaceful for more than half a century
to a level of violence that is beginning to
approach that of Syria, Iraq and
Afghanistan. Whatever Western intentions,
the result has been a disaster. In Libya, as in
Syria today, Western intervention was
supposedly in support of democracy, but
was conducted in alliance with the Gulf
monarchies who had no such aims.
The temptation is to say that foreign
intervention invariably brings catastrophe
to the country intervened in. But this is not
quite true: US air strikes in defence of the
Syrian Kurds at Kobani and the Iraqi Kurds
in their capital Erbil are justifiable and
prevent massacres by Isis. But the
drawback is that foreign intervention is
always in the interests of the country
intervening. These may, for a time,
coincide with the real interests of the
country where the foreign intervention is
taking place, but this seldom lasts very long.
This is the lesson of recent foreign
interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya
and Syria. Most Afghans wanted the
Taliban out in 2001 but they did not want
the warlords back, something the
Americans found acceptable. The US
would fight the Taliban, but not confront
the movement’s sponsors in Pakistan,
thereby dooming Afghanistan to endless
war. In Iraq in 2003, many Iraqis welcomed
the US-led invasion because they wanted
the end of Saddam’s rule, but they did not
want a foreign occupation. The Americans
did not want the fall of Saddam to benefit
Iran, so they needed to occupy the country
and install their own nominees in power.
In all three cases cited above, the West
intervened in somebody else’s civil war and
tried to dictate who won. There was a
pretence that the Taliban, Saddam, Gaddafi
or Assad were demonically evil and
without any true supporters. This foreign
support may give victory to one party in a
civil war, as in Libya, which they could not
win by relying on their own strength. In
Iraq, the beleaguered Sunni could not fight
a US-backed Shia government so it needed
to bring in Al-Qaeda. Thus the conditions
were created that eventually produced Isis.
– The Independent
Look at anti-terror
laws Down Under
THE suggestion made by Home Minister
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to create
new preventive laws to tackle terror threats
is highly appreciated.
The government can look at security
legislation in Australia to draft new security
laws. Australia has long played a pivotal role
by creating legislation on counter-terrorism,
national security and other cross-jurisdictional offences.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 sets out the functions
of the Australia Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Australia’s security
service. This law empowers ASIO to obtain
warrants for surveillance and to detain and
question a person who may have information
important to the gathering of intelligence
in relation to a terrorist activity.
The Crimes Act 1914 deals with crime,
the powers of the authorities to investigate
it and related issues including sabotage,
treachery, disclosure of information and
other issues.
The Crimes (Foreign Incursions and Recruitment) Act 1978 covers offences prohibiting Australian citizens and residents from
engaging in hostile activities in a foreign
state and recruiting people to do so.
The Criminal Code Act 1995 covers terrorism and terrorism related acts.
The Surveillance Devices Act 2004 sets
out procedures for officers to obtain warrants, emergency authorisations and tracking device authorisations for the installation
and use of surveillance devices in criminal
investigations and other initiatives.
The Telecommunications (Interception
and Access) Act 1979 permits ASIO to intercept telecommunications under warrant
for intelligence gathering including in relation to threats of terrorism. It also provides
authority, where a warrant is obtained for
Australian law enforcement bodies to intercept telecommunications in investigations
into serious offences, including a range of
terrorism offences.
It is expected there will be some conflict
between security laws and human rights.
The laws because of their very nature restrict
freedom, rights and in some cases, liberty.
For national security purposes, we sometimes have to sacrifice some liberties to
protect the sovereignty of our nation.
Paneir Selvam
Institute of Crime and Criminology
HELP University
SPEAK UP
13
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Nov 6: D-Day for MAS
C
OME Nov 6, the fate of Malaysia
Airlines (MAS) will be known at an
extraordinary general meeting that
will surely go down as the most
phenomenal EGM in Malaysia’s corporate
history.
In two days, we will know whether the
national carrier gets a new lease of life via
privatisation or continues as it is until it ceases
operations, in other words goes bankrupt
because financially it only has funds to last up
to next year.
What’s so special or critical about Nov 6,
one might ask? It’s D-Day when MAS’s
minority shareholders will vote whether to
accept Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s offer of
27-sen per share in order to delist the
chronically ailing airline to take it private.
Taking MAS private is the first of the many
steps in the pipeline towards its revival. It’s a
prerequisite as Khazanah, the government’s
strategic investment fund, will pump in the
RM6 billion it has committed before the
mother of all corporate restructurings begins.
In other words, MAS’s restructuring is
contingent upon the minorities’ acceptance of
Khazanah’s offer price.
Taking full ownership of MAS will accord
Khazanah greater flexibility to execute the
restructuring plan and to put in place an
appropriate capital structure given the
airline’s substantial funding needs for the next
few years to sustain its operations and address
current high levels of gearing.
Delisting from Bursa Malaysia is the best
way to ensure fairness to minority
shareholders who are offered an opportunity
to exit at a premium to the prevailing market
price. This will be done without subjecting
them to the associated risks and uncertainties
relating to the restructuring, which as minority
shareholders, they will have little control over,
or perhaps when a call for capital is required.
Dr Yeah Kim Leng, a prominent economist,
has advised the minority sharholders to “bite
the bullet” to at least recoup some of their
investments by voting for the 27-sen offer or
they would end up getting nothing.
“Fortunately, Khazanah is stepping in for at
least the exit is deemed to be reasonable given
the current situation of MAS. The 27 sen being
offered should not be seen as too low because
at least with the capital injection by Khazanah,
they would have recouped part of their
investments,” said Dr Yeah, the dean of the
School of Business at Malaysia University of
Science and Technology.
Ahmad Maghfur Usman, the Regional
Transportation Analyst at RHB Research
Institute, said MAS’s privatisation was critical
for its survival and the minority shareholders
must accept the 27-sen offer failing which the
airline would have no other option but to
declare bankruptcy.
If left on its current course, MAS could lose
between RM3 billion and RM4.5 billion for the
2014-2016 period and will run out of cash by
2015. This is despite a total of RM17.4 billion
having been funded by the taxpayers since
2001.
From 2001 to this year, MAS has incurred
net losses totalling RM8.4 billion and
compounded further by the downward trend
of its share price which during its high hit RM8
per share.
In its circular to shareholders, the MAS
board of directors and independent adviser
AmInvestment Bank recommended that
shareholders vote in favour of the offer as
Khazanah’s buyout is “fair and reasonable”.
In late August, Khazanah, which owns
almost 70% of MAS, unveiled a radical 12-point
plan to overhaul the airline which had
undergone four unsuccessful attempts to turn
around and now further exacerbated by the
double tragedy of MH370 and MH17.
Before the announcement of the rescue
plan, I had in this column urged fellow
Malaysians to save MAS.
And I am taking the liberty here to now call
on the minority shareholders to also save
MAS.
Khazanah has provided the minority
shareholders with the opportunity to exit MAS
by recouping some of their investments and it
is for them now to accord the same to MAS as
it needs a new lease of life.
What is important to remember is that it is
not about MAS’s survival per se but also the
survival of its 20,000 employees.
The privatisation will secure job continuity
for 14,000 employees the new company
(NewCo) that will take over MAS will require
with a proper separation scheme and retaining
programme for the 6,000 others that the
airline will let go with the restructuring.
To say No to the 27-sen offer is like saying
No to the survival of MAS that will
throw 20,000 people out of jobs
come 2015 when it runs out of funds.
And 2015 is just round the corner!
To the minority shareholders, the
future of MAS is in your hands.
Don’t allow MAS to be history.
Please vote wisely on Thursday.
Azman Ujang is a former
editor-in-chief of Bernama.
Comments: [email protected]
LETTERS
[email protected]
Ensure fair
deal for all
THE article “MCA Youth takes
AG to task” (News Without
Borders, Oct 29) is well written
and reflects the feelings of nonMuslims affected by anti-racial
statements made by certain
people who think they are above
the law. MCA Youth certainly
deserves a big pat on the back.
Leaders elected by the people
must always ensure all sections
of our society get fair and equal
treatment. No one is against
Islam, as the prime minister
described that Islam grows by
leaps and bounds when referring
to Islamic banking recently.
Non-Muslims just want to be
left alone to carry on living
peacefully with all Malaysians
just like we have done for the
past 57 years.
May God bless Malaysia and
its people including our beloved
king, rulers, the prime minister
and the top government leaders.
Unity is strength.
SR Nathan
Petaling Jaya
GOLDEN
TOUCH OF
LOVE – PAGE 22
SPECIAL
D
ECEMBER is the time for celebration and parties! It
is also a time for giving and sharing as we celebrate
Christmas Day on 25th December.
theSun Christmas Special is packed with gift and
decoration ideas, style tips for parties, places to bag a
bargain, as well as restaurants to wine and dine in - a
perfect platform for you to connect and get your ad
message across to urbanites this December.
We invite you to make Christmas more meaningful
for the urban family by participating in this Christmas
Supplement by theSun.
Contact theSun’s marketing team to book your advertising space
Petaling Jaya Office : 03-7784 6688 Penang Office : 04-2627 598
Email: [email protected]
Edition : National
PUBLICATION DATES
BOOKING DEADLINES
MATERIAL DEADLINES
FRIDAY,
12 DECEMBER 2014
FRIDAY,
28 NOVEMBER 2014
MONDAY,
8 DECEMBER 2014
14
MEDIA & MARKETING
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Modern business and management
methods
> MIM highlights advantages of social
networking and crowdsourcing
T
HE Malaysian Institute of
Management (MIM), the
Malaysian chapter of the
Asian Association of
Management and Organisations
(AAMO), hosted the inaugural
Asian Management Conference
& Exhibition 2014 (AMCE)
recently. The theme of the event
was “Social Capital: Leading in a
Networked World”.
VALUE IN SOCIAL
NETWORKING
Social capital is a sum enveloping
the relationships within our
ecosystem, whether professional,
business, personal or social. It is
a measure of patterns and quality
of connection that produce
advantage for one group and
constraint for another. In sociology,
it is explained as the expected
collective or economic benefits
derived from preferential treatment
and cooperation between groups
and individuals.
The event touched on the
importance of social capital in the
changing landscape of business
methods today. It also covered how
investing in social capital can bring
many advantages to businesses in
achieving its objectives, staying
competitive in the relevant market,
as well as being able to foster trust,
loyalty and dedication with
employees. Social capital does not
only act as a catalyst to boost
businesses by way
of enhanced
networks, it can
also facilitate the
exchange, flow
and collection
of information,
thus enabling
businesses to react
with added ease
and speed to any
movements or
changes in the
market. This is
particularly
relevant during
these times when
cloud, mobile and
social technology is
the mainstream
and continues to
move towards the
foreseeable future.
(From left): MIM CEO Sivanganam Rajaretnan, vice-chairman Ng Tieh Chuan, president Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar, Women,
Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Sri Rohani Abdul Karim, MIM general council member Rahima Ibrahim,
association chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther and another general council member Joseph Rocky Gomez at the
AMCE 2014 event.
NEW WORKING
SOLUTION
A highlight at the event was
on crowdsourcing and its
potential impact on businesses.
Crowdsourcing is described as
the process of obtaining services,
ideas or content by soliciting
contributions from a large group
of people, in particular, from online
communities rather than traditional
employees or suppliers. It is a new
approach that revolutionises the
way businesses are run, how
productivity is measured and the
way human capital is managed.
The hierarchy approach is no
longer considered these days.
Instead, it is more about having
direct access to markets,
information and decision makers.
AMCE 2014
The officiating guest-of-honour was
Women, Family and Community
Development Minister Datuk
Sri Rohani Abdul Karim. She
mentioned that her ministry is in
collaboration with Multimedia
Development Corporation (MDeC)
under the Digital Malaysia B40
division and uses crowdsourcing
to assist 2.4 million Malaysian
households with an income of below
RM2,300 per month.
The event also included sessions
on women leadership which
highlighted that Malaysia is on
track to increasing its female labour
force participation rate to 55% in
2015. Currently standing at 52.4%,
it is higher than the world female
labour force participation rate of
51.1% and almost at par with the
developed economies and
European Union’s female labour
force participation rate.
Attended by over 300
participants, representing various
industries from around
the world, the event gathered
international and regional subject
matters, experts and practitioners.
The sharing of experiences,
discussions and networking aims
to change the mindset of business
leaders in the way businesses are
run and how people are managed
in today’s globalised and
networked environment.
Spicy treats from KFC
(From left): RHB
Banking Group’s
cards and
unsecured business
acting head
Lenon Cheong,
member relations
and business
development vicepresident Choong
Suk Ling, Sik and
Rusnaidi.
RHB customer wins a Ford
BIG time winner in RHB’s “Win Big
with RHB Debit MasterCard”
contest is none other than Rusnaidi
Mohd Nasir. The grand prize
winner who is an active RHB Debit
Mastercard user, drove away with a
brand new Ford Fiesta Sport 1.5L
Ti-VCT, his prize. Rusnaidi was
presented with the spanking new
car by RHB Banking Group head of
retail banking Charles Sik.
“Following the success of this
campaign, we definitely look
forward to continuing to work
closely with our partners in
developing campaigns that deliver
more value for our customers,” said
Sik. The contest, held from May 28
to Aug 19, was launched in
collaboration with MasterCard.
It aimed to reward card members
who use their RHB Cash Connect
Debit MasterCard /RHB My Cash-I
Debit MasterCard. Besides the
grand prize of the Ford Fiesta,
twelve weekly winners received
RM1,000 as consolation prizes.
Card members were
automatically made eligible to
enter the contest, receiving three
entries for every RM30 spent
online or overseas; two entries for
every RM30 spent on groceries at
department stores or dining outlets;
and one entry for every RM30 on
retail purchases.
“MasterCard is delighted to work
with RHB Bank and offer exciting
opportunities and experiences to
continually connect with, reward
and meet the evolving needs of card
members. The positive response
towards the contest is a testament
that debit cards are increasingly
becoming a trusted payment
alternative,” said MasterCard group
country manager for Malaysia,
Brunei, Indonesia and Islamic
Payments Southeast Asia group
head Safdar Khan.
To further reward its customers,
RHB card members can look
forward to special dining privileges
at O’Briens until Jan 31 next year.
Get 10% off before 7pm or 15% off
after 7pm on a la carte items on
the menu.
THOSE with a penchant for spicy
food will be in for a treat as KFC’s
Tasty Travels series takes taste
buds on a spicy journey to the city
of Bombay in India.
The promotion features two
delicious new additions to the
menu, which are Bombay Fiery
Crunch and Bombay Fiery
Crunch Burger.
The Bombay Fiery Crunch
offers customers succulent
chicken marinated with special
spices and chilies, battered
with crunchy cornflakes and
fried to perfection. The Bombay
Fiery Crunch Burger on the
other hand, is ideal for those
who prefer an on-the-go version
of the former.
“Bombay is a city rich with
unique cultural heritage, spices
and food. With its recent rapid
transformation to become a
modern city, going there could
be an expensive treat especially
if it is just to experience and enjoy
the flavours of Bombay. So we
thought, why not with the third
destination of our KFC Tasty
Travels series, we bring the
flavours of Bombay to our beloved
Malaysians through our Bombay
Fiery Crunch? The abundance
of spices and flavours are so
irresistible. Now we can savour
it right here,” said KFC Malaysia
senior vice-president Ling
Mee Jiuan.
The Bombay Fiery Crunch
Burger combo set meals are
available from RM9.95 while
the a la carte burger is sold at
RM7.95. This is the first time
the KFC Tasty Travels series is
available as sets with the Lunch
(12pm – 3pm) and Dinner (6pm –
9pm) Treats. These come as twopiece chicken combo sets with
Cheezy Wedges, a Butterscotch
bun and Sjora Mango Peach drink
at just RM10.95.
The Bombay Fiery Crunch
promotion is available at all KFC
restaurants nationwide for a
limited time only.
KFC staff
(in red) with
KFC Malaysia
marketing
general
manager Kelvin
Hong and Ling,
presenting
KFC’s new
Tasty Travels
series offering
Bombay Fiery
Crunch and
Bombay Fiery
Crunch Burger.
ON TUESDAY
Вђ
Business Editor Presenna Nambiar Tel (Editorial) 03-7784 6688 Fax 03-7785 2624/5 Email [email protected]
Tel (Advertising) 03-7784 8888 Fax 03-7784 4424 Email [email protected]
NOVEMBER 4, 2014
BURSA MALAYSIA TRADE STATISTICS - 3/11/2014
Participation
Bought
Sold
Net
%
RM m
RM m
RM m
1012.9
1103.2
-90.3
55.8
Institutions
24.0
Retail
439.4
471.4
-32.0
20.2
Foreign
443.2
320.9
122.3
1895.5
1895.5
0.0
100.0
Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com
Source: Bursa Malaysia
DNEX
HUBLINE
CENSOF
NEXGRAM
IFCAMSC
IFCAMSC-WA
BJCORP
SUMATEC
KTB
NIHSIN
97,779,300
91,159,400
72,838,800
47,673,500
38,596,000
34,448,400
28,116,000
28,101,900
27,473,400
26,560,700
CLSG (sen) +/- (sen)
37.5
4.5
58
10.5
67
57.5
49.5
33.5
41
49
-0.5
+0.5
-3.5
-1
-1.5
-1.5
-1.5
-1
+2
+1.5
KL MARKET SUMMARY
NOVEMBER 3, 2014
INDICES
FBMEMAS
FBMKLCI
INDUSTRIAL
CONSUMER PRODUCTS
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
CONSTRUCTION
TRADING SERVICES
FINANCE
PROPERTIES
PLANTATIONS
MINING
FBMSHA
FBMACE
TECHNOLOGY
1.81
STI
3,290.84
16.59
Hang Seng 23,915.97
SCI
CHANGE
12,878.10
1,853.34
3,268.81
590.85
140.11
311.25
243.42
16,796.57
1,464.34
8,508.54
575.50
13,358.11
6,550.04
18.64
-4.79
-1.81
-10.59
+1.23
-0.61
+2.42
+0.54
-29.95
+2.61
-45.31
UNCH
+11.74
-35.99
-0.11
TURNOVER
VALUE
1.862 billion
RM1.895 billion
Lower on profit-taking
in heavyweight stocks
SHARES on Bursa Malaysia ended lower yesterday
with the FBM KLCI closing 1.81 points or 0.10% easier
at 1,853.34, as profit-taking in heavyweight stocks
emerged.
A dealer said investors took profits after the local
bourse’s bullish momentum during the whole of last
week. “It’s common to see market correction and
profit-taking after a week’s rally.”
Among the benchmark index’s components, Petronas Gas led the laggards, dipping 54 sen to RM21.94,
while CIMB Group lost 8 sen to RM6.41, Felda Global
Ventures shed 11 sen to RM3.55, KLCC Property &
REIT edged down 15 sen to RM6.73 and Public Bank
declined 6 sen to RM18.48.
Nestle led the top gainers, adding 50 sen to
RM69.00.
On the overall scoreboard, losers outpaced gainers
by 448 to 421, with 290 counters unchanged, 480
untraded and 11 suspended. Total volume dwindled
to 1.86 billion shares worth RM1.89 billion from 2.75
billion shares worth RM2.40 billion last Friday. – Bernama
QL extends offer period
for Lay Hong shares
PETALING JAYA: QL Resources Bhd has extended
the closing date for the conditional takeover offer of
RM3.50 a piece for the remaining shares in Lay Hong
Bhd, to Nov 26 from tomorrow.
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, QL said all other
terms and conditions of the offer as set out in the
offer document are unchanged.
As at Nov 3, 2014, QL, which has been buying up
shares in Lay Hong since the announcement of the
offer, has managed to secure a 37.31% stake in the
latter, from 34.1% at the start of the offer. Of this 1.55%
was through acceptances of the offer, while 1.66%
was acquired. A further 0.27% of acceptances are yet
to be verified.
2,430.03
82.09
Nikkei
16,413.76
755.56
9.85
TSEC
9,004.86
30.10
KOSPI
1,952.97
11.46
S&P/ASX200 5,506.89
19.72
Rectifications ongoing,
so no CPC yet for klia2
> Deputy minister tells
why MAHB has not
issued the Certificate
of Practical Completion
[email protected]
NOVEMBER 3, 2014
VOL
1,853.34
BY EVA YEONG
10 MOST ACTIVES
STOCK
KLCI
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airports
Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has not issued
the Certificate of Practical Completion
(CPC) for klia2 because the contractors
have not completed rectification works
as per its requirements, said Deputy
Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz
Kaprawi.
“The CPC is a contractual issue
between contractor and building owner.
MAHB will only issue the CPC if the
contractor complies with the contract,”
he told SunBiz yesterday.
He said klia2 is still under warranty
and the contractor, UEM Construction
Sdn Bhd and Bina Puri Sdn Bhd joint
venture (UEMC-Bina Puri JV), is yet to
satisfy MAHB’s requirements on repair
and rectification works.
Explaining the situation, Aziz said
every building will be under warranty
for a certain period, usually one year.
For big projects, the warranty period
can go up to two years.
The warranty period for klia2 began
on April 17, 2014 which is when MAHB
received the Certificate of Completion
and Compliance (CCC), he said.
“The terminal is very huge, it is a
RM4 billion job. So there are probably
many aspects that they have to redo or
repair. For example, the apron issue.
The contractor is doing rectifications
now,” he added.
Aziz, who is also chairman of the task
force set up to ensure the timely
completion of klia2, said, for example,
the sinking surface in the apron will take
three years to settle but is still under
control and has not affected operations
at the new low-cost carrier terminal.
“The CCC is more important
because it is considered complete. The
building is completed and the
authorities have approved the safety of
the building,” he added.
This brings up the question,
however, as to whether the liquidated
ascertained damages (LAD) imposed by
MAHB on the contractor for the delay
in completing klia2 could be more than
the RM60 million reported.
The LAD, calculated from June 16,
2013, is RM199,445.40 per day, which
works out to about RM6 million a
month. If the LAD is calculated up till
the day the CPC is issued, the LAD
would have already exceeded RM96
million as of end-October.
Based on MAHB’s statement in
March, the handover is only complete
once the CPC is issued. Until then, the
building is the contractor’s
responsibility. However, according to
Aziz, the LAD has nothing to do with the
CPC and is calculated up till the day the
CCC is obtained.
MAHB and UEMC-Bina Puri JV had
not responded to queries as at press time.
To date, MAHB has deducted RM5
million from the RM60 million, citing
possible financial constraints that the
contractor could face if it started
imposing LAD, which would in turn
affect the contractor’s ability to
complete the job.
Also, MAHB is believed to have
access to a RM45 million performance
bond, which was put up to ensure the
contractor completed the work.
Meanwhile, MAHB reported a net
profit of RM1.6 million for the third
quarter ended Sept 30, 2014 (Q3 FY14)
compared to a net loss of RM44.7
million in the preceding quarter.
However, the net profit was a huge drop
from RM112.8 million posted a year ago.
Revenue for the quarter was 30.5%
lower at RM675.8 million from RM972.7
million a year ago.
Net profit for the nine months (9M
FY14) fell 74.9% to RM85.6 million from
RM340.6 million a year ago while
revenue fell 11.6% to RM2.6 billion from
RM3 billion a year ago, due to
recognition of construction revenue and
costs for klia2.
“In recording its revenue, MAHB
adopts IC Interpretation 12: Service
Concession Arrangements. Following
this, the group recognises construction
revenue and costs in accordance with
FRS 111: Construction Contracts by
reference to the stage of completion of
the construction works of klia2 and
Penang International Airport.
“In 9M FY14, MAHB recognised
construction revenue and costs of
RM662.4 million and RM633.9 million
respectively for klia2. These revenue
and costs were recognised upon the
completion of the infrastructure assets,”
MAHB said.
MBSB’s Q3 net profit 45% higher
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Building
Society Bhd’s (MBSB) third quarter net
profit was up 45% as a result of higher
operating income from its Islamic
banking operations and conventional
business as well as lower impairment
losses on loans, advances and financing.
The group made a net profit of
RM192.4 million for the quarter ended
Sept 30, 2014, compared with RM132.7
million for the same quarter the year
before.
This was on RM679 million revenue
for the quarter compared with RM644
million for the same quarter last year.
Commenting on the planned merger
between MBSB, CIMB Holdings Group
Bhd and RHB Capital Bhd, MBSB CEO
Datuk Ahmad Zaini Othman said, “We
will continue with our business growth
plans and operational improvements
moving into year 2015 as these will only
bring value to the new entity.
“Being the smallest entity amongst
the three with far fewer employees, a lot
of our time and efforts will be expended
on the corporate exercise; nevertheless
we shall ensure any impact on business
is well managed and minimised.
“We’re excited about the potentials
of the corporate merger as MBSB will be
part of the formation of the first mega
Islamic bank in the country. Such news
should also be well received by the
market considering the substantial
benefits that can be gained by
consumers and the country,” he added.
In a commentary on its prospects,
MBSB said the group expansion of
corporate business segment has shown
positive contribution in loans/financing
assets and earnings growth.
The group continues to strengthen
its corporate and retail businesses, and
other new business strategies, it added.
MBSB said it is continuing to strive
to improve operational workflows and
asset quality based on the risk
management and compliance
framework.
Net profit for the nine months ended
Sept 30, 2014 was RM622 million
compared with RM464 million for the
corresponding period last year.
Revenue was RM2 billion, compared
with RM1.8 billion the year before.
Net loans, advances and financing
stood at RM31.0 billion and increased by
2.3% as at Sept 30, 2014 compared with
RM30.3 billion as at Dec 31, 2013.
The cost-to-income ratio stood at
20.3% as at Sept 30, 2014, up slightly from
19.6% as at Dec 31, 2013. This was partly
attributed to the higher interest costs
due to an increase in the Overnight
Policy Rate in July 2014. However, the
ratio remains impressive in comparison
to the industry average of 46.6%.
The ratio of net non-performing
loans as at September 2014 improved to
4.9% from 5.1%in June. Assets totalled
RM36.82 billion as at September 2014.
MMHE secures contracts worth nearly RM350m
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Marine and
Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd
(MMHE) has secured contracts for
fabrication and other associated works
for two exploration and production
projects offshore Peninsular Malaysia
worth close to RM350 million.
In a statement yesterday, MMHE
said the first contract is for the
fabrication of a well head platform and
its jacket, the connecting bridge and
heavier jacket for the central processing
platform in the North Malay Basin
(NMB) Bergading Complex, where it
will be the subcontractor for Hyundai
Heavy Industries Co Ltd.
The total weight of these structural
components under MMHE’s work
scope is about 14,800 tonnes and they
are scheduled for sail away and delivery
to the project’s ultimate client, Hess
E&P Malaysia BV, by 2016.
MMHE said the NMB Bergading
Complex is located offshore Peninsular
Malaysia in waters between 55 and 60
metres deep.
MMHE said the second contract is
the procurement, construction, hook-up
and commissioning of the Besar-A well
head platform and its jacket as well as
the associated host tie-in work for
Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd.
The Besar field project, with a total
components weight of 5,100 tonnes, is
scheduled to be completed towards the
end of 2015.
Besar field is located offshore 185km
northeast of Kerteh in Terengganu at a
water depth of about 70 metres.
16
SUNBIZ
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
B R I E F S
CHO APPOINTED
CEO OF TUNES INS
PETALING JAYA: Junior Cho
has been appointed CEO of Tune
Ins Holdings Bhd, on the
recommendation of the
nomination and remuneration
committee. Cho replaces Peter
Dixon Miller, who will leave the
company on Nov 17 to pursue
other opportunities. Junior has
worked with a number of bluechip institutions in Asia and the
US, including Accenture, Metlife,
Cigna and AirAsia Philippines. He
has over 20 years of experience
in the financial services and
consulting industries.
DNEX MOST ACTIVELY
TRADED STOCK, AGAIN
PETALING JAYA: Dagang
Nexchange Bhd (DNeX),
continued to be the most actively
traded stock yesterday when it
started trading again following a
trading halt on Friday. On Friday,
DNeX was slapped with an
unusual market activity query by
Bursa Malaysia for a sudden
surge in share price and volume
of its stocks. Yesterday, DNeX
closed 5 sen or 1.32% lower at
37.5 sen with 97.779 million
shares traded. It moved as high
as 40.5 sen and as low as 37 sen.
Last Friday, its share price rose as
much as 1 sen or 2.7% to 38 sen
with 134.5 million units changing
hands.
AHB’S SHARE PRICE
PLUNGES 15.4%
PETALING JAYA: AHB Holdings
Bhd’s share price tumbled 15.4%
yesterday after its external
auditor qualified its accounts and
the company was given Practice
Note 17 status last week. AHB
closed 3 sen lower at 16.5 sen,
with some 6.463 million shares
changing hands. It traded to a
high of 17 sen and a low of 15.5
sen.
PERWAJA, KINSTEEL
ACCOUNTS DELAYED
PETALING JAYA: Kinsteel Bhd
and Perwaja Holdings Bhd have
clarified that the delay in
submitting their audited
accounts is due to audit matters
relating to the valuation of fixed
assets of the group.The valuation
exercise was yet to be completed
as at Oct 31, 2014. Kinsteel is a
major shareholder of Perwaja
Holdings. Kinsteel told Bursa
Malaysia Bhd that it is still in the
midst of finalising the valuation of
fixed assets of the group and
expects to issue the audited
financial statement soon, not
later than Nov 14, 2014.
Surprise turnaround bodes well for Bursa
PETALING JAYA: MIDF Research
has raised its level of optimism on
local equities this month, based
on healthy participation on Bursa
Malaysia last week, especially on
Friday when trade volume hit 2.75
billion units, the highest in 39
trading days.
“The current market has depth
and the fact that prices can still
climb meaningfully illustrates the
healthy underlying demand and
supply forces,” its head of research
Zulkifli Hamzah said in his weekly
fund flow report yesterday.
He said October saw a “calamitous” start, after which the
FBM KLCI reversed course and
managed to eke out a marginal
gain in October with the FBM KLCI
rising 0.5% for the month while
the FBM70 stayed in the redzone
with a loss of 1.2% and the FBMSmallcap lost 5.2% for the month.
“It was the second worst October
since 2000, behind only the 19.9%
loss in October 2008, at the height
of the financial crisis,” he added.
However, the market saw a
“surprising” turnaround last week
with both the FBM KLCI and
FBM70 swinging to levels above
their respective short-term and
long-term support.
Zulkifli said the FBMSmallcap
is more volatile and has yet to
break the 50-day moving average
line but the gap is only 2.6% and
it is now above its long-term 200day average support line.
“November may surprise although we note that the market’s
performance has not been inspiring since 2007. There is a certain
peculiarity about November that
if the market decides to move, it
will run without hesitation, like
what happened in 2001, 2004 and
2006,” he added.
Zulkifli said in Malaysia, foreign
money flow has been erratic this
year.
There had been a pronounced
down cycle, or money outflow, in
September and in the first three
weeks of October. However, the
tide appears to be reversing.
“After seemingly bucking regional trend, foreign liquidity is
flowing into Malaysia again. Investors classified as �foreign’ purchased Malaysian equity in the
open market (excluding off-market
deals) on Bursa last week amounted to RM460 million last week, the
fifth highest in a week this year.
That compared with RM351 million
sold the week before,” he said.
Foreign investors were net
sellers on Monday, but turned
strong buyers for the rest of the
week. Buying peaked on Wednesday when foreign funds mopped
up RM202.3 million, only the 15th
Don’t forget the
warrants, says Insas
> Company views 4% gross preferential
dividend rate for redeemable preference
share as �reasonable’
BY LEE WENG KHUEN
[email protected]
KUALA LUMPUR: Insas Bhd is of
the view that the 4% gross
preferential dividend rate for its
redeemable preference share is
reasonable after taking into the
consideration the free detachable
warrants.
Shareholders at its EGM
yesterday requested that the
company increase the dividend, on
the basis that it is “just slightly”
above the fixed deposit rate.
Speaking to reporters after its
EGM here yesterday, its nonindependent non-executive
director Datuk Wong Gian Kui
stressed that shareholders should
“look at the broader picture” as
the warrant has it intrinsic value
as well.
“If you sell the warrant,
basically your yield is much
higher compared to only 4%
dividend rate,” he said.
Insas’ unit M&A Securities
Sdn Bhd director Bill Tan
supported this, saying that the
issuance of preference shares is
better than a “pure rights issue”
of new shares.
Insas CEO Datuk Thong Kok
Khee, who owns a 23.45% stake,
however, declined to comment,
saying that he rarely talks to the
press.
About 99.93% shareholders
approved the proposed
renouncable rights issue of up to
138.67 million redeemable
preference shares with up to
277.33 million free detachable
warrants on the basis of one
preference share and two
warrants for every five existing
shares held.
The issue price of each
preference share has been fixed
at RM1 with a tenure of five years.
The rights issue is expected to
raise up to RM138.7 million, of
which RM60 million will be
injected into its stockbroking arm
M&A Securities, RM5 million for
Insas Pacific Rent-A-Car Sdn
Bhd, RM20 million for the
repayment of bank loans,
RM30,000 for the subscription of
a rights issue in its 31.05%-owned
associate company Inari
Amertron Bhd and RM22.27
million for working capital and
general business purposes.
Insas is mainly involved in
corporate finance advisory and
stockbroking, property
development, fashion retail, food
and beverage and car rental
business.
Commenting on M&A
Securities, Wong said the group
hopes to bring in more deals for
initial public offerings, with the
latest, Carimin Petroleum Bhd,
expected to be listed next
Monday.
“We’re one of the top in the
non-bank backed (securities
houses),” he added.
Meanwhile, in response to the
Minority Shareholder Watchdog
Group’s query on the employees’
share option scheme (Esos), Insas
said it will be monitored by an
Esos committee, which is in
compliance with the listing
requirements.
Asked on the rationale of
granting share options to nonexecutive directors, the company
said it is purely to reward
employees and directors that
have contributed to the group.
Affin Hwang Capital Asian Series fund launched
PETALING JAYA: Affin
Hwang Asset
Management Bhd (Affin
Hwang AM), formerly
known as Hwang
Investment Management
Bhd, yesterday launched
the Affin Hwang Capital
Asian Series, a
Luxembourg-registered
Undertaking for Collective
Investments in
Transferable Securities
(UCITS).
“We are the first company in
Malaysia to launch a Luxembourgregistered UCITS fund. This is an
exciting time for Affin Hwang AM
as this marks its foray
into the European
market with an
umbrella of two Asian
equity focused funds,
namely Affin Hwang
Select Asia
Opportunity Fund
(SAOF) and Affin
Hwang Select Asia
Quantum Fund
(SAQF),” its chief
strategy officer Esther
Thye said in a statement.
The company has appointed BNP
Paribas Securities Services
administrative, registrar, transfer and
domiciliary agent, and custodian.
Its head of equity, Gan Eng Peng
(pix) said its house investment
strategy is largely based on a
holistic and total return approach,
making the underlying investments
in the portfolios different from
other Asian Funds.
“We adopt an alpha investment
strategy, where we strive for
positive returns irrespective of
market performance, and the newly
launched UCITS will be adopting
our same winning strategy,” said
Gan, who is also the portfolio
manager of the two funds.
Gan said the UCITS offers an
opportunity for global investors to
allocate and enhance their
allocations to Asia, as Affin Hwang
AM is strategically located in the
heart of Southeast Asia.
“This has enabled us the
opportunity to become cornerstone
investors in new initial public
offerings (IPOs) in companies
within the region, providing us with
ability to gain access into new and
upcoming investment
opportunities,” he said.
Affin Hwang AM manages over
RM29.4 billion of assets through its
investment expertise in Asian
equity and fixed-income
instruments, with recognition from
58 local and international rating
agencies.
day this year that net purchase had
exceeded RM200 million.
For October, foreign funds sold
RM493.3 million, lower than the
RM1.5 billion in September. For
the year until October, the outflow
of foreign funds amounted RM3.69
billion, reversing the RM3.03 billion inflow last year.
Foreign participation eased
after three weeks of “elevated”
(more than RM1 billion) volume.
Daily average gross purchase and
sale fell to RM967 million.
“Local investors cleared positions, taking advantage of foreign
entry. Retail investors sold
RM107.9 million while local institutions offloaded RM352.1 million
respectively. Institutional participation rate bounced back to
above RM2 billion at RM2.3 billion,
while retail participation climbed
slightly to RM867 million. However, we note that retail participation surged to RM1.2 billion on
Friday, the highest since Aug 21,”
said Zulkifli.
E&O gets SC
nod for notes,
plans bonus,
warrants issues
PETALING JAYA: Property
developer Eastern & Oriental
Bhd (E&O) has obtained
approval from the Securities
Commission (SC) to issue up
to RM500 million in nominal
value of private debt securities
(PDS).
This follows E&O’s earlier
announcement to Bursa
Malaysia dated Sept 5 2014,
whereby the company
proposed a PDS issue of 20year medium-term notes
programme and/or seven-year
commercial papers
programme.
“With the SC’s approval,
we are closer to realising our
proposal
to raise
close to
half a
billion
of funds
on a
fixed
funding
cost for a period of five years,
enabling us to reduce our
exposure to interest rate
fluctuations, which in turn will
allow us to manage our cash
flow more efficiently,” its
deputy managing director Eric
Chan Kok Leong said.
In the same filling, E&O
announced a proposed bonus
issue and a free warrants issue
of up to 114.094 million stock
units on the basis of one bonus
stock unit for every 10 existing
E&O stock units and proposed
free warrants issue of up to
228,188,922 warrants on the
basis of one warrant for every
five existing E&O stock units
respectively.
E&O will now call for an
EGM, targeted for endNovember, for shareholders to
consider these proposals.
While the proposed bonus
issue and free warrants issue
are meant to reward E&O’s
loyal shareholders, the
proceeds from the proposed
PDS are expected to be used
for investments, property
development expenditure,
working capital requirements
and/or general corporate
purposes across the group.
SUNBIZ
17
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Petronas breaks ground
on RM5 billion plant
> Pengerang Co-generation
Plant will be one of
the largest gas-fired
power stations in Malaysia
BY EE ANN NEE
[email protected]
PENGERANG: The RM5 billion Pengerang
Co-generation Plant (PCP), which
witnessed its groundbreaking ceremony
yesterday, sees Petroliam Nasional Bhd
(Petronas) moving a step closer towards
realising the development of its Pengerang
Integrated Complex (PIC).
The PCP will be one of the largest and
most efficient gas-fired power plants in
Malaysia and expected to power the entire
PIC by generating 1,220MW of electricity
as well as provide reliable and continuous
supply of steam up to 1,480 tonnes per
hour for plants within the complex.
The PCP will have four co-generation
units, with the first unit expected to be
commercially operational by mid-2017.
Petronas vice president, infrastructure
and utilities Pramod Kumar Karunakaran
said as one of the most critical support
facilities developed within the PIC, the
PCP will play an important role in
providing reliable steam and power to
meet the requirements of the plants within
the PIC area and supplement the needs of
the Peninsular Power Grid.
“The first co-generation unit will
dispatch about 400MW of electricity to
the National Grid and subsequently the
other three units will be commissioned by
2019 in time for the commissioning of the
Rapid (Refinery and Petrochemical
Integrated Development) complex,” he
told a press conference after the
groundbreaking of the PCP here yesterday,
which was officiated by Johor Public
Works, Rural and Regional Development
Committee chairman Datuk Hasni
Mohammad.
Pramod added that Petronas is also
expected to announce more contracts for
the PIC, having recently awarded 13 major
contracts.
The PIC will house the Rapid project
From left: Fischer, Hasni and Petronas executive vice-president and chief
executive officer, downstream business, Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin at the
groundbreaking of the Pengerang Co-generation Plant in Pengerang yesterday.
and other ancillary facilities which, apart
from the PCP, include the Pengerang LNG
re-gasification terminal, air separation
unit, raw water supply project, crude and
product tanks as well as centralised and
shared utility facilities.
The PCP contract was awarded to a
consortium comprising Siemens AG,
Siemens Malaysia and MMC Engineering
Sdn Bhd. Petronas subsidiary Pengerang
Power Sdn Bhd awarded this order in May
this year for the turnkey construction of
the PCP, which comprises four cogeneration units along with a long term
maintenance and services contract.
Siemens AG CEO of power and gas
division Dr Roland Fischer said each of the
four co-generation units will include a
Siemens gas turbine.
“Six turbines will be installed in
Malaysia within the next two years (four
for PCP) with two of them being installed
at the Tenaga Nasional Bhd Prai
combined-cycle power plant in Penang,
which is scheduled to begin operations in
early 2016,” said Fischer.
Developed on a 6,242-acre site, the PIC
will involve a US$27 billion (RM88.8 billion)
investment. The PIC forms part of the
Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex.
Celcom Axiata
inks pact with
S. Korea’s SK Planet
Regulatory issues cloud
TNB’s outlook: Analysts
PETALING JAYA: Celcom Axiata Bhd has
entered into an agreement with South Koreas’s SK Planet to form a joint venture entity,
known as Celcom Planet, to explore e-commerce business opportunities in Malaysia.
In a statement released yesterday, Celcom said the agreement signed on Oct 31
would enable the company to further participate in the digital industry and build
long-term capabilities in the digital space.
“We strongly believe that this latest initiative can spearhead Celcom’s advancement
in the digital space as SK Planet, part of Korea’s leading mobile operator (SK Telecom),
has successfully ventured into the e-commerce domain and has a strong background
in this field as well as digital content.
“Leveraging on SK Planet’s platform and
operations know-how, coupled with Celcom’s experience and knowledge of the
local market, we are confident that this collaboration will be very successful,” said
Celcom CEO Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly.
Celcom Planet is expected to launch an
optimised e-commerce platform by the second
half of 2015. It aims to be a market leader in
the local e-commerce industry, which it expects
to grow rapidly as shoppers look for competitive prices and a wider variety of products.
PETALING JAYA: Analysts are mixed on
Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) prospects
as the delay in the implementation of
incentive-based regulation (IBR) and fuel
cost pass-through (FCPT) mechanism
continues to plague it with uncertainties
on its future earnings.
MIDF Research has reaffirmed its
neutral call on TNB with a target price of
RM14.23 as it opines that the
implementation of the FCPT mechanism
remains as TNB’s secular catalyst in
order to justify an even higher future
valuation as it gives greater clarity and
stability to TNB’s long term earnings.
“Nonetheless, we see no unstinting
commitment thus far with regard to the
FCPT implementation from the
government. Without the implementation
of FCPT mechanism, we believe that
TNB’s full potential future earnings growth
will continue to be restricted or to be risked
by future fluctuations in coal and LNG
prices, evidenced by the under recovery of
the earlier escalated fuel cost incurred in
1HFY14,” the research house said.
“We otherwise are more optimistic on
the outlook of electricity demand growth
in Malaysia which we expect to be in line
with the growth momentum of Malaysian
economy going forward, boosted by
exciting developments in construction
and services sector,” it added.
For the fourth quarter ended Aug 31,
2014, TNB’s net profit rose 44.2% to RM1.3
billion from RM916.9 million a year earlier.
HLIB Research maintained its positive
view on TNB with a higher target price of
RM15 as it is positive with the
implementation of IBR and FCPT
mechanism which eliminates
uncertainties about future earnings.
“We are not overly concerned with the
delay of tariff adjustments under IBR
implementation as current coal price
below US$70 per metric tonne as well as
improvement in coal power generation mix
are working in TNB’s favour,” it added.
PublicInvest Research, which maintains
its neutral call on TNB with a target price
of RM12.32, said even though the current
quarter has been a cheer on account of
higher coal-based generation, the latter is
set to fall again in subsequent quarters as
various coal plants are scheduled to shut
down for maintenance, with Jimah 2
currently out of the system, to be followed
by Tanjung Bin units 1, 2 and 3.
Johor to redevelop
idle, underutilised
govt land, buildings
JOHOR BARU: The Johor state government plans
to rejuvenate and redevelop idle and underutilised
government land and buildings through publicprivate partnership (PPP) model as part of the
Johor Baru transformation programme.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled
Nordin said while there has been track record
of PPPs in these areas, there were still many
other opportunities to be explored.
“For example, there is a need for new PPP
projects and developments in the areas of
low-carbon, smart growth, renewable energy
and other related green-oriented,” he said at
the PPP Conference 2014 here.
The text of his speech was read by Johor’s
State Secretary Datuk Ismail Karim.
Mohamed Khaled, who is also co-chairman
of Iskandar Regional Development Authority
(IRDA), said there was also an increasing need
for social-focused PPPs in the areas of affordable housing, education, healthcare, youth
development and other public facilities.
“We need the private sector to come forward
with their innovative ideas and international
expertise together with a workable PPP that
can be jointly developed between the government and private sector,” he said.
Khaled said Iskandar Malaysia and the Johor
state government welcomed and encouraged
private sector investments in PPP projects that
would provide critical infrastructure and services for the benefit of the rakyat.
He cited examples of the PPP projects succesfully implemented in Johor such as expressways – PLUS Expressways, Malaysia-Singapore
Second Crossing (better known as the Second
Link), Senai-Desaru Expressway and the Eastern
Dispersal Link, as well as airport and port infrastructures such as Port of Tanjung Pelepas and
Senai International Airport.
“The PPP projects that are currently in the
pipeline for Iskandar Malaysia include the muchneeded Bus Rapid Transit project which would
help boost the public transportation system
within Iskandar Malaysia,” he said.
The PPP conference 2014, which is jointly
organised by IRDA and Johor Economic Planning
Unit, attracted over 300 participants from both
the public and private sectors. – Bernama
Cagamas issues
HK$1 billion notes
PETALING JAYA: Cagamas Bhd has issued Hong
Kong dollar medium-term notes amounting to
HK$1 billion (RM424 million) through its whollyowned subsidiary, Cagamas Global PLC.
In a statement released yesterday, the national mortgage corporation said the issuance,
which has a maturity of 3.5 years, marked the
second foreign currency issuance for the year,
under Cagamas’ US$ 2.5 billion (RM8.2 billion)
conventional multi-currency medium term note
(EMTN) programme.
“With the multi-currency funding programme
in place, we have been conducting regular
assessments on the comparative advantages
between foreign currency and domestic bond
issuances to achieve competitive funding cost
and meet market demands, especially from
regional investors. This has spurred the inaugural Hong Kong dollar EMTN issue,” said its
president and CEO Chung Chee Leong.
Meanwhile, at home, Cagamas concluded
the pricing of multiple ringgit issuances, comprising RM1 billion sukuk and RM1.06 billion
conventional medium-term notes (MTN) issued
under Cagamas’ existing RM40 billion IMTN/
MTN programme.
“The ringgit multiple issuances were competitively priced at 41 and 47 basis points above
the corresponding one-year and three-year
Malaysian government securities. Notably, both
the benchmark size foreign currency and
multiple ringgit issuances were concluded in
the same week,” Chung noted.
The new issuances will bring Cagamas’ total
issuances for the year to RM4.9 billion, proceeds
of which will be used to fund the purchase of
Islamic and conventional financing from the
financial system.
18
SUNBIZ
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
www.thesundaily.my
IFSB guidance on
liquidity management
> Islamic Financial Services
Board guidelines allow
regulators to have final
say on how standards apply
DUBAI: The Kuala Lumpur-based
Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)
has released draft guidance on liquidity
risk management for Islamic banks and a
new standard for regulatory supervision,
as the industry body tightens oversight
of banking practices.
IFSB guidelines allow national
financial regulators to have the final say
on how they apply standards, but its
prescriptive approach is gradually helping
to harmonise practices across the
industry’s core centres in the Middle East
and Southeast Asia.
Islamic banks face uncertainty over
how regulators will treat their deposits,
compounded by a lack of well-developed
Islamic securities markets.
The IFSB’s guidance note on liquidity
management aims to clarify the
accounting treatment of Islamic deposits
and defines the types of high quality liquid
assets (HQLA) that Islamic banks can
hold to meet regulatory requirements
under the Basel III banking standards now
being phased in around the world.
HQLA can range from cash and central
bank reserves to sukuk (Islamic bonds)
issued by both sovereigns and corporates,
subject to various haircuts, the IFSB said.
Given the shortage of such
instruments, the IFSB outlined three
other actions which regulators could
take to facilitate the industry: liquidity
facilities from central banks, allowing
banks to hold HQLA in international
currencies, and widening HQLA criteria.
This would help Islamic banks meet
Basel III liquidity coverage ratios that are
being phased in from 2015 to 2019; a net
stable funding requirement will be
implemented in 2018.
Regulators will have to determine the
rights of bank customers to withdraw
their Islamic deposits to define the
weights, or run-off rates, that apply to
these, the IFSB said.
It added that developing shariacompliant deposit insurance schemes
would be required if deposits were to be
considered “stable” under Basel rules.
Regulators must also decide on the
treatment of Islamic deposit holders,
who must be classified as investors, as a
liability to the bank, or as a mix that is
partly risk- absorbent, the IFSB said.
The IFSB also published a draft
standard on core principles for regulation
and supervision of the industry, which
will come into effect in January 2016.
These broadly mirror the Basel core
principles, while addressing other issues
such as the treatment of Islamic window
operations, which are sections of
conventional banks that operate
according to Islamic religious principles.
The draft standard requires windows
to have a minimum amount of funding
from the conventional parent. – Reuters
REUTERSPIX
Germany’s
Foreign Minister
Frank-Walter
Steinmeier (left)
and Indonesia’s
President Joko
Widodo sharing
a light moment
after a meeting at
the presidential
palace in Jakarta
yesterday.
New law to spur Indonesia’s Islamic insurance market
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Islamic insurance
market will be reshaped over the next
decade by a new law that requires
conventional firms to spin off their
sharia-compliant units, while
encouraging more foreign investors to
enter the market.
The takaful market in Indonesia,
southeast Asia’s largest economy, is
dominated by so-called “windows”
which enable firms to offer syariah-
compliant and conventional products
side by side.
At present, Indonesia is one of the few
markets where that practice is still
allowed. The new law, which came in
force last month, requires insurers to
spin off their windows within 10 years.
There were five full-fledged takaful
firms and 37 syariah units of
conventional firms as of December
2012, the latest month for which data is
available. Their combined assets were
worth 13.1 trillion rupiah (RM3.6
billion) at that time, data from the
regulator showed, representing 2.3% of
total insurance industry assets.
Firms offering takaful products
include Europe’s top insurer Allianz,
Britain’s biggest insurer Prudential,
Toronto-based Manulife Financial
Corp and French insurer AXA. –
Reuters
EXCHANGE RATES
Foreign currency
1 US DOLLAR
1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR
1 BRUNEI DOLLAR
1 CANADIAN DOLLAR
1 EURO
1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR
1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR
1 STERLING POUND
1 SWISS FRANC
100 UAE DIRHAM
100 BANGLADESH TAKA
100 CHINESE RENMINBI
100 HONGKONG DOLLAR
100 INDIAN RUPEE
100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH
100 JAPANESE YEN
100 PAKISTAN RUPEE
100 PHILIPPINE PESO
100 QATAR RIYAL
100 SAUDI RIYAL
100 SOUTH AFRICA RAND
100 THAI BAHT
NOV 3, 2014
Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy
TT/OD
TT
OD
3.3435
3.2675
3.2575
2.9240
2.8400
2.8240
2.6010
2.5350
2.5270
2.9610
2.8990
2.8870
4.1850
4.0820
4.0620
2.6130
2.5220
2.5060
2.6005
2.5350
2.5270
5.3280
5.2230
5.2030
3.4640
3.3920
3.3770
92.2700 87.7200 87.5200
4.3840
4.1550
3.9550
54.7000 52.7000
0.0000
43.7000 41.5400 41.3400
5.5210
5.2500
5.0500
0.0286
0.0261
0.0211
2.9720
2.8940
2.8840
3.3200
3.1200
2.9200
7.5600
7.1400
6.9400
93.0400 88.5000 88.3000
90.4300 85.8500 85.6500
31.1300 28.7100 28.5100
10.9600
9.3200
8.9200
Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama
China to push on with
capital account opening
BEIJING: China will advance the liberalisation of its
capital account by encouraging funds to enter or
leave its borders and allowing foreign investors to
participate in domestic mergers and acquisitions,
the deputy chief of the central bank said.
Deputy central bank governor Yi Gang said China
will also relax the restrictions for Chinese investing
overseas so that individuals and companies can play
a leading role in foreign investment.
Opening the capital account is one of the
hardest financial reforms that China is pursuing as
it requires authorities to cede control in parts of
the economy, and the fear is that the change may
destabilise markets if it happens prematurely.
There was also speculation that China may
delay some of its reforms to focus on bolstering
the country’s cooling economy, though the
government has never publicly acknowledged
that such a move is on the cards.
Instead, Yi said in his piece titled “A Profound
Understanding of the New Trends in China’s
Economic Development” that China will persevere
in market-oriented reforms, which are meant to
reduce state planning and its attendant waste.
Yi, who also heads the agency that manages
China’s US$3.9 trillion (RM12.8 trillion) foreign
exchange reserves, made the remarks in an opinion
piece that ran in the ruling Communist Party’s
official People’s Daily newspaper yesterday.
The government will create a set of rules that
are open and transparent and write a “negative
list” that says which industries are out of bounds
for foreign investors, he said.
There were no direct comments on China’s
plans to free the yuan and turn it into a convertible
currency, or one that can be moved in and out of
the country with few restriction.
Beijing has made reforming China in a host of
areas one of its policy priorities this year, although
the job has been made difficult by a slowdown in
the world’s second-largest economy.
Economic growth slipped to its slowest since
the 2008/09 global financial crisis in the third
quarter and annual expansion is expected to sag to
a 24-year low of 7.4% in 2014, according to analysts
polled by Reuters.
Jakarta’s trade deficit narrows as exports surprise
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s trade deficit
narrowed slightly in September as
merchandise exports posted the
fastest month-on-month growth so
far this year, despite weak
commodity prices.
The trade deficit stood at
US$270 million (RM888.2 million),
compared with August’s shortfall
of US$318 million, the statistics
office said yesterday.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s
biggest economy, faces strong
economic headwinds from fiscal and
current account deficits, ballooning
fuel subsidy costs, and the slowest
GDP growth in five years.
President Joko Widodo, who
was sworn in late last month, will
find it hard to boost exports while
commodity prices remain low and
China, Indonesia’s biggest trading
partner, remains locked in an
economic slowdown.
Encouragingly, exports rose in
September by 3.9% year on year to
US$15.28 billion. On a month-onmonth basis exports were up by
5.5% – the fastest growth since
December 2013.
“The improvement in
manufactured goods exports
continued into September, while the
partial resumption in mineral exports
was also sustained – suggesting
Indonesia’s external adjustment,
though gradual, remains on track,”
Barclays said in a research note.
Exports of coal and other
mineral fuels rose by 5.7% month
on month to US$1.7 billion in
September. Palm oil shipments
rose by 4.3% to US$1.67 billion. And
rubber exports were up by 6.4% to
US$596.6 million.
Meanwhile, imports totalled
US$15.55 billion in September, a rise
of 0.2% year on year. Imports were
up by 5.1% month on month.
Indonesia’s trade performance
in the first nine months of this year
shows marked a improvement
compared to last year with the
deficit shrinking to US$1.7 billion
from US$6.4 billion.
The improvement occurred
more because of contraction of
imports. Imports shrank 4.26%
compared to the first nine months
of last year, while exports were
0.93% smaller compared to the
same period last year.
Exports of coals and rubbers
were down 12.97% and 21.51%
respectively in the first nine
months of the year from last year.
But exports of palm crude palm oils
and chemical products rose 12.29%
and 20.40% during the period.
Indonesia imported less
machinery, steel, cars and spareparts
in the first nine months. That reflected
a slowdown in investment growth
that the country experienced since
the beginning of the year. – Reuters
ON TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 4, 2014
f Editor Irene Leong fTel (Editorial) 03-7784 6688 fTo advertise email [email protected]
Monash remains right
on the cutting edge
> Research is critical to the university that is among
the world’s top 1% of universities
BY YEE JIE MIN
[email protected]
M
ONASH University Malaysia
president and chief executive
Prof Helen Bartlett has big
visions for the university. Her
visions are driven by the desire to move from
just being an Australian campus offering
Australian courses to being fully integrated
in Malaysia, and in the region.
“We have been here for 16 years and I
think now, the community, businesses and
industries are much more engaged with us in
terms of understanding the opportunities for
our students through internships,
placements, projects, and working with them
on collaborative projects. It reduces the gap
between university and the real world.
“There is a wealth of expertise in business
and industry, and we are working very hard
at increasing our connections. We are
inviting leaders to share their expertise and
looking at how our research can be
implemented and disseminated in the real
world,” she said.
Research is critical to the university’s
education and blending research into the
educational approach is something that has
taken shape, and will continue to be
strengthened.
“We do a lot of work on tropical
environments where we can gear units to
take advantage of the natural experience,
skills and opportunities that are here.
“A lot of research by our business school
focuses on Halal eco systems and with that
comes subjects like Islamic banking. In
medicine, we are studying dengue fever and
our units can incorporate more attention to
tropical diseases.
“That is the way we are making our
courses become more
adaptable. There is no
point offering exactly
the same thing that
Australia has. We have
more to offer as well.
We are trying to develop units that reflect the
essence of Asia,” Bartlett said.
The university is in the top 1% of the
world’s universities and is ranked 83rd in the
world according to the Times Higher
Education World University Rankings (20142015). They are also ranked in the top 50 in
three areas, namely arts and humanities,
clinical, pre-clinical and health, and
engineering and technology.
“There’s a whole range of things that
contribute to the rankings including quality
teaching and learning, international reach,
and industry engagement. These things get
wrapped up in a complicated formula to
produce the rankings.
“The rankings signal to students and
families that we have excellent staff that are
experts in their п¬Ѓeld and are doing cuttingedge research. It also sends a message
to employers that they are going to
get a graduate who has been to a
highly ranked university, and for
our graduates, they will have
good opportunities with a
Monash degree,” Bartlett said.
She said even as
undergraduates, students have
the opportunity to do projects
and have honours degrees,
and it is very exciting for
them to feel that they can
be involved in
knowledge creation.
“They can be at the
cutting edge of
generating solutions
for society
problems. It
appeals to
students to know that they can work
alongside academics that have that
background,” she added.
As a research active university, Bartlett
said they have to keep investing in research
to remain on the cutting edge. Their
challenge is п¬Ѓnding the balance between
internal and external funding.
“Another challenge is ensuring our
students have the opportunities for mobility.
For students to travel and have different
experiences in universities, businesses and
industries in other countries means we have
to have a mobility strategy.
“We have to also maintain quality
standards in what we do so that our teaching
and learning is the best. That means we have
to recruit the best and make sure they remain
the best.
“Academic mobility is a challenge too.
They are like football players who can be
enticed with better remuneration and
conditions. We have to make sure we give
them the best opportunities and
support.
“We need to attract as well as
grow them. We like to attract our
undergraduate students to come
back to do their honours and
PhD, and then bring them on to
the academic staff so we can
grow our own,” Bartlett said.
She said Monash is focused
on producing global citizens;
this is
embedded in
its courses.
“We not
only expect
students to
develop
knowledge and
Bartlett says
Malaysia can play
to its strengths
by promoting
itself as a
gateway for
the region.
ZULFADHLI ZAKI/THESUN
application of the п¬Ѓeld but all the soft skills
that are needed to be able to work in teams
and in multicultural environments. The
world is so mobile that everyone has to be
able to work with different cultures.
“Students must be able to transfer their
knowledge from one area to another. They
have to be very adaptable.
“They have to have excellent
communication skills and ethics, and
students acquire these skills throughout their
degree in Monash.
“Their skills are further enhanced by
placements and internships with industries.
They could go to Australia for a semester or
longer if they want, or any of our partner
universities all over the world. Students can
also have placements arranged for them in
other countries in relevant areas.
“If they cannot get placements overseas,
we try to place them with multinationals. We
try to focus on big companies where students
get an understanding of what it is like
working in a global organisation.
“Graduates got to be able to problemsolve and be critical thinkers. That is what
companies want today. They want
employees who can take initiative and make
a contribution to the company,” she said.
Bartlett believes the Malaysian education
is improving. “Its advantage is choice where
there are many types of institutions you can
go to from an open university to a technology
university or industry-based university. The
diversity is truly amazing.
“I think Malaysia can play to its strengths
by promoting itself as a gateway for the
region, making sure quality is regulated
carefully and standards are improved but not
over regulate.”
Bartlett is optimistic about Malaysia’s
future as an education hub. “I think the goal
of becoming a hub is not totally out of the
question if they can maintain quality and
promote Malaysia as a destination. We have
to be very proactive in selling the story.
“Students can go anywhere in the world
now and they are increasingly going to
different places than Australia, UK and US.
They are becoming more open to studying in
different countries.
“There are a lot of students coming from
China but there are also many students going
to China, and Malaysia can be one of those.
“Malaysia has the opportunity to become
a serious option for international students.
There is still more to do as an international
university here and we can contribute by
collaborating with public universities and by
working in partnership with the government.
“Sometimes it benefits us to collaborate
and п¬Ѓnd a partner you can blend skill sets to
have a better impact,” she said.
ICAM gains international recognition
THE International College of Automotive
(Icam) stamped its mark at the annual
Invention and New Product Exposition
(Inpex) held at the David L. Lawrence
Convention Center in Pittsburg, US.
Inpex is the world’s largest invention
trade show organised by InventHelp. It
provides a forum for inventors to exhibit
their inventions and pitch their ideas with
companies interested in licensing,
marketing or manufacturing new products.
This year, inventors from the US and all
over the world gathered with their latest
gadgets and prototypes.
Four inventions from Icam garnered gold
medals, a п¬Ѓrst for Malaysia. The team was
led by the college’s head of academic Prof
Dr Ahmad Mujahid Ahmad Zaidi.
The inventions that the college exhibited
have been recognised and are poised to
make a significant impact on the future of
the automotive industry. The inventions are
Mistake-Proofing Nut Detector Device, 2-R
Cutting Waste, Patch Nut Separator Device,
and Universal Portable Spray Stand.
The names may sound funny but in the
automotive industry, these inventions will
allow better ways to make automobiles. For
example, the 2-R Cutting Waste method will
reduce lubricant costs by separating chips
from lubricants and more importantly
contribute directly to better environment
pollution control.
Project leader Noraishah Mohamad
Noor explained that the end product cuts
pollution to the barest minimum. The
Bulgarian Union of Inventors was so
impressed that they honoured it with a
special award.
The Universal Portable Spray Stand
(UPSS) won the hearts of judges because of
its versatility, easy assembly and high
degree of adjustability. Project leader
Muhamed Abdul Fatah Muhamed Mukhtar
demonstrated its fabrication which п¬Ѓtted all
types of auto parts, models and sizes.
The Mistake-Proofing Nut Detector
Device invented by the team led by Mohd
Zaidi Azir, solves the perennial problem of
lost nuts in auto assembly. Lost nuts will be
retrieved by the Support Radiator Upper,
п¬Ѓtting in with quality control in any factory.
The Patch Nut Separator Device was
designed by the team led by Azrul Zamir
Mohd Idris and addresses the problem of
waste during nut welding processes at
production assembly lines in auto plants.
Established by Hicom University College
Ahmad
Mujahid
(centre) and
his team
members
with their
prizes.
Sdn Bhd (HUCSB), a wholly owned
subsidiary of DRB-Hicom Bhd, Icam has
thus far contributed more than its share of
ideas and innovations to the auto industry.
“We are honoured to receive this
recognition for our efforts in innovating
products that benefit the automotive players
especially the subsidiary and associates of
our group in meeting the worldwide
standards for efficient performance of the
automotive industry,” said DRB-Hicom
Group managing director Tan Sri Haji Mohd
Khamil Jamil.
Among the accolades the college won in
the past that reflect educational excellence
are two gold medals at the i-ENVEX
exhibition held at the Universiti Malaysia
Perlis (Unimap), and the Leading Innovation
Award from the International Intellectual
Property Network Forum.
20
ENTERTAINMENT
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Get to know Fazura up close on E!
MALAYSIAN actress Nur Fazura
Sharifuddin (right) will be starring
in her own mini-series called
Facing Up to Fazura, which
premieres on E1 (Astro channel
712) on Dec 14 at 10pm.
This
five-part
half-hourepisode series will give viewers
unprecedented access to this
personality’s life, loves, challenges,
triumphs and joys as a leading
entertainer and fashion socialite in
Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
Throughout the series, viewers
will be treated to an in-depth and
unscripted look at Fazura’s often-
controversial life on and off the
camera.
“I never imagined that anyone
would be interested to showcase
my life, let alone have a whole
series planned around me for E! I
feel so blessed and humbled at the
same time,” said Fazura. “I have
always been a private person so
having a reality show does make
me a little nervous. I am showing
everyone my world and I really
hope they enjoy what they see.”
The miniseries is part of NBCUniversal International Television’s
commitment to Asian productions
and celebrity stories.
It will also feature a host of
cameos and guest appearances by
many of Fazura’s famous friends
and colleagues from the worlds of
entertainment, film and fashion.
“E!’s success is driven by the
exclusive access to celebrities and
Facing Up to Fazura is a perfect
fit for our channel,” said Christine
Fellowes, the managing director of
Universal Networks International,
Asia-Pacific.
“E! combines the best of
Hollywood with breakout stars from
Asia and we are excited to build on
our commitment to the
local entertainment
industry and shine
the spotlight on this
Malaysian
artiste
and bring her to the
global stage.”
Developed
and produced by
Matchbox
Asia,
production begins
in Malaysia later
this month.
Facing Up
to Fazura is
executive
produced
by Karen
Wiggins,
whose credits include
E!’s It Takes GUTZ to
Be a Gutierrez.
E!
has
also
produced a number
of Malaysian specials
featuring top talents
such as actress Lisa
Surihani, leading
man Aaron Aziz and
the upcoming
E! News Asia
Special:
Y u n a ,
which
airs on
N o v
25 at
10pm.
SCREEN SHORTS
WEDDING HULA
MATTHEW MORRISON (pix)
danced a hula with
wife Renee Puentee
after their wedding
in Hawaii recently.
He said: “It’s
tradition for a Hawaiian
bride to dance hula
for her husband, so
she did that. And we kinda learned
this hula together that we did after
that. It was awesome.”
A NUDE PORTRAIT
CINDY CRAWFORD (pix) and
husband
Rande
Gerber are said to
have paid US$30,000
(RM95,000) on a
nude portrait of her
by the late fashion
photographer Herb
Ritts’ protege Brian Bowel Smith,
the New York Post’s PageSix
reports.
Crawford had posed for some of
her famous nude and fashion shots
with Ritts, most notably the famed
Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana,
Naomi, Hollywood, 1989 feature for
Rolling Stone magazine.
THE RIGHT FIT
EDDIE REDMAYNE (pix), 32,
measured
his
fiancee’s finger while
she was asleep so
he’d know what size
ring to buy her.
The star, who is to
marry antique dealer
Hannah Bagshawe
in December, couldn’t find a way
to measure her finger before he
proposed so he was forced to wait
until “the middle of the night”.
TWO BIRTHDAY PARTIES
SETH
MACFARLANE
(pix)
celebrated his 41st
birthday recently with
two
star-studded
parties attended by
socialite Paris Hilton,
Ashley Benson and
Charlize Theron.
Hilton sent a tweet:
“Happy Birthday @SethMacFarlane!
Such a fun birthday party last night.
Wishing you the best on your special
day. (sic)”
A RETURN TO TV
JAY LENO (pix), 64, who left
NBC’s Tonight Show
in February after 22
years, is said to be
negotiating a deal to
host for CNBC.
According to The
Hollywood Reporter,
it will focus on his long-time love of
cars. Meanwhile, Jay has toured the
US with his stand-up comedy show,
hosted a show in Jerusalem as well
as Jay’s Garage on NBC.com, and
Jay’s Garage: The Ultimate Car
Week. – Bang Media
Rock-a-bye cradle
> Zoe Saldana takes on the iconic lead role in the mini-series version of Rosemary’s Baby
O
NE of the most riveting
psychological horror films of all time
is Rosemary’s Baby, a big-screen
adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel of the
same name that was directed by Roman
Polanski and starring Mia Farrow as
Rosemary.
Now, after more than four decades, an
updated version of the novel comes in the
form of a mini-series starring current boxoffice darling Zoe Saldana (above).
This modern four-part mini-series
focuses on a young married couple from
New York who move to Paris with hopes of
leaving their sad past behind.
After a series of unfortunate events,
Rosemary (Saldana) and Guy Woodhouse
(Patrick J. Adams) are presented with an
offer they can’t refuse – an apartment at the
most prestigious address in Paris.
Things seem to be picture perfect when
Rosemary becomes pregnant and Guy’s
career takes off. Problem is, the new home
comes with a sinister past and the couple
learn that it also comes at an immeasurable
price.
Rosemary’s Baby will premiere on KIX
HD (Astro channel 729) this Saturday
and on Nov 15 at 11.20pm. In an interview
transcript provided by KIX HD, Saldana
talks about her demanding role.
What was the first thing that went
through your mind when you were offered
the role?
“I was like, are you kidding me? All this blood?
All this sex? This is awesome.”
Have you watched Rosemary’s Baby
before?
“Yeah, I’ve watched it before, and I was with
my mum. I didn’t really understand it because
the thing about Roman (Polanski)’s movie is
he leaves it all to the imagination, it’s not
graphic.
“So I think at that time, I was a little
too young to understand that I needed to
just let my imagination go. I remember
watching and thinking: �What’s in the crib?!’
But you never see the baby!
“With Agnieszka Holland (director of
the mini-series), she pushes it a bit, but
leaves it a bit back.”
“That to me, was much more natural for
me to channel that.”
Were there any concerns about Adams
being too young for the role of Guy?
“I was very adamant about us casting an actor
that was closer to me in age, especially to play
my husband.
“I didn’t want an older actor cause for
me, if Rosemary was married to a professor
that was much older, it would probably give
you the idea that it wasn’t his first marriage;
it was definitely her first marriage, and that
it would be easy for him to sell her out.
“As opposed to them being this young,
vibrant, starry-eyed couple together coming
into an ancient world of lust and malice,
it was going to be a much more enticing
scenario.”
For someone used to acting in movies,
how was it like working for television?
“Television is great too, for us actors. With a
four-hour miniseries instead of the usual 90minute movie, we could explore more
thoroughly the complex relationships
between our characters.”
As an actor, what did you want to do
different in comparison to Polanski’s
version?
“The thing about this modern remake, which
really had me, was that we were going to have
the opportunity with having a female director
and a very opinionated New Yorker, to bring
to life what we felt would be a more realistic
woman, that is less subservient.
“Kind, light-spirited, innocent, but not
a slave to a marriage or to a man or overly
obedient. She loves her husband, she’s very
much committed to her marriage, but she’s
inquisitive and she will raise concerns, and
even when she’s not heard, she’ll try to the
best of her abilities to be heard.
We love the crop hair-do you did for the
series, reminiscent of Farrow’s who
actually did chop it all off. Would you
consider the crop for good?
“I loved the hair-do but I wasn’t going to
really do it, because I have other obligations.
In this day and age with all the great wigs out
there … I don’t know. I didn’t want it to be
about a fashion trend ....
“I was trying to focus on that as a
character, and not pressure myself going
�what am I going to do?’ because I didn’t
want it to be about the hair.
“And I found the less and less I would
think about those things, the more I would
create a distance between the original
Rosemary’s Baby and this retelling.
“It’s not a remake. I didn’t want to touch
what Mia did.”
Now that you yourself are pregnant, has
acting in Rosemary’s Baby influenced
your pregnancy period? Any spooky
incidence?
“Throughout my pregnancy, I wouldn’t say
anything spooky but I’ve definitely been
watching a lot of crime shows like murder
mysteries.
“So, here I am at like 2am solving some
case. It’s kind of like a gift of pregnancy,
especially at times when you just can’t
sleep. Sometimes my husband wakes up,
and I’m just like: “He totally did it’.”
LIFESTYLE
21
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Children
enjoying
themselves at
The VIP Room
while DJ
Weiss (below,
left) oversees
the children in
the DJ Booth.
Really young
clubbers
> Children are given a taste of the New York
club scene in the city’s hottest new trend
T
HE MUSIC’S thumping, the
dance floor’s packed and
the bar’s bustling. Welcome
to one of New York’s
hottest nightclubs and a new
generation of clubbers: six-yearolds.
The VIP Room threw open its
doors to children aged six to 12 on
a Sunday afternoon to give them
a taste of the nightclub, electronic
music and dance scene in New
York’s uber trendy Meatpacking
District.
Among those hitting the decks
was eight-year-old DJ Alden. Kids
swarmed onto the dance floor,
bopping up and down to beats
with proud mums shimmying
alongside or snapping pictures.
“It was awesome!” said Alden,
son of the organisers who jumped
on the decks during the four-hour,
Halloween-themed party.
“The best thing was when I
was in the DJ booth, deejaying for
everybody.”
A dancer dressed as a robot
with LED lights on his legs,
arms, head and body, took to the
podium to whip up the crowd.
When he starts shooting dry
ice from two white guns, they go
wild. The children scream with
pleasure, reaching up their hands
as the robot takes them through
basic dance steps, getting them to
feel the beat.
More than 300 people,
including parents and younger
siblings, attended the party
organised by a husband and wife
team whose company CirKiz
opens top New York clubs to
children once a month.
“I love it. My daughter’s having
a great time,” said Laura Lampert,
a legal secretary from Harlem
dressed in a leopard print dress
with cat ears, pointing out her
child twirling to the side.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s also safe
for the kids. It’s during the day,
and they get to feel like grownups,” she said.
While parents sit back with
a beer or vodka from the bar,
children get a taste of the DJ
booth – they are encouraged to
touch the equipment and dabble
in a spot of mixing.
Natalie Elizabeth Weiss
deejays at the children’s club
sessions and thinks they are a
brilliant way of opening young
minds.
“It’s giving us a chance to get
back to our roots as humans,
which is get together and dance
to music,” she told AFP.
She gives deejay lessons
to children as young as three
months, which have gone viral
among trendy families across
New York. There has been
interest as far afield as South
Korea, Berlin and Los Angeles.
Weiss plans masterclasses in
Atlanta and Orlando, and she flies
next month to Taiwan to initiate
the programme there.
But the parties are the
brainchild of Jesse Sprague, a
deejay who has worked on the
club scene for 20 years, and his
wife Jenny Song. They say the
raves are great fun for a child.
“They get to come into a really
cool space, socialise with their
friends, get away from televisions,
ipads and tablets, and come
in and experience something
that has a very cool vibe,” said
Sprague.
“One of the mission statements
is that we want to inspire kids to
pursue things that are artistic. It
helps to develop a creative mind,
having the kids be in a stimulating
sensory environment.”
The couple got the idea after
throwing their son’s first birthday
party at New York club Cielo.
Friends had such a good time
that they urged the couple to turn
it into a business.
In concession to the tender age
of clubbers, they keep the volume
in check, screen songs for content
and restrict ravers to cupcakes
instead of cocktails.
Pier Singh, dressed up as
a Candy Corn Witch in tight
trousers, high-heeled ankle boots
and a spangly top, struts onto the
dance floor with two-year-old
son Nico in a New York police
uniform.
Older brother Miles, six,
is Spider-Man and likes to
breakdance.
Singh saw the party advertised
on Facebook and knew it would
be the perfect family outing.
“I think it’s really awesome,”
she said. “What kid doesn’t love
dancing these days.” – AFP
Tweaking perceptions
Showcasing Middle Eastern creativity
MIDDLE Eastern design was under
the spotlight at last week’s Downtown
Design in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirate’s platform for contemporary
original design.
It
featured
an
exhibition
– The Harper’s Bazaar International
Regional Design Competition (above)
– dedicated to trendsetting designers
from five Middle Eastern and North
African countries.
They included design pieces by
Arwa Hafiz from Saudi Arabia, Nanu
Al-Hamad from Kuwait, Nayef Francis
from Lebanon, Cherif Morsi from Egypt,
and Chacha Atallah from Tunisia.
Downtown Design fair director
Cristina Romelli-Gervasoni said that
these trendsetting designers “whose
keen eye and unique perspectives
translate into original designs with
global appeal” were a definite must-
see feature at this year’s exhibition.
“It’s imperative that the industry
nurtures the growth of the region’s
talent base as it is an essential step
towards a sustainable regional creative
economy and we are delighted to play
a role to this end.”
Under the theme of Original Design,
this year’s show covered furniture,
lighting, accessories, textiles and new
technologies. – AFP-Relaxnews
A NEW way of syncing
music to video could
revolutionise
our
perception
of
TV
advertisements, making
them more memorable
so they leave more of
an impact, according
to a researcher at the
University of Huddersfield
in the UK.
Doctoral candidate Andy
Rogers (right) discovered
that making tiny tweaks
imperceptible to the
ear and eye, in which he
alters the sound and visual
content synchronisation by
just one-tenth of a second,
could result in improved
perception.
“The
concept
of
dynamic attending is
widely known, but what is
new is that we have done
a musical displacement
based on changes in
frequency rather than
loudness,” says Rogers.
He put his theory to the
test on 10 participants of
an average age of 23 whom
he asked to watch TV ads
in both their original and
altered versions.
After watching, he
assessed their memory of
the information presented
by the commercials using a
word fragment completion
task.
He found that tweaking
the synchrony to deliver
the audio portion just
a little bit ahead of the
visual resulted in a 36%
memory recall and perfect
synchrony resulted in
a 24% recall but doing
the opposite – a delay
– resulted in a 28% recall.
– AFP-Relaxnews
22
FAMILY TIES
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Golden touch of love
Family
Teh Time
> Having your elderly parents living with
you can reap benefits for both sides
WITH LYDIA TEH
they can render:
T
ODAY, you will find the
elderly living with their
family though the scenario
might change 20 years
down the road. It might be vogue
then for old people to live in
assisted living facilities with
medical and house help within
easy reach.
If you ask the folks in my
parents and grandparents’
generations, they’ll tell you that
being sent to a retirement home is
like a slap in the face. There is a
cultural stigma attached to it.
They would rather live in a
shack with their offspring than
goyang kaki (shake leg) in a nice
home for the elderly.
The offspring, who take in
their elderly parents, are fulfilling
their filial piety in doing so. But
it’s not a one-way street as, as they
say, “old can be gold”.
Consider the many things
elderly parents can and willingly
do for their children’s family if
they are physically able.
But don’t get me wrong,
readers. I’m not suggesting that
elderly parents should work for
their keep.
The fact is they are usually
more than willing to chip in
wherever and whenever they
could. It also
helps keep
them fit
and active.
Here are
just
some of
their
“services”
Babysitting: When the
grandkids are young, and both
parents are working,
grandparents could babysit them,
if not for a below-market rate fee,
then as a labour of love. For
families who employ housemaids,
having an elderly parent in the
house to keep an eye on the maid
is also a workable solution.
Housework: If the elderly
parent is still fit, she helps out
with light housekeeping such as
washing the dishes, taking care of
the laundry, sweeping and
mopping the floor.
Cooking: When dear old mum
cooks, of course, she’ll cook extra
for the whole family instead of
just for herself. What is better
than a 10-course restaurant
repast? A home-cooked meal.
I am reminded of a story about
a woman called Martha who is a
great cook. Every dish she
prepares, she’d sprinkle a secret
herb kept in a container that had
been given by her mom.
Her husband is puzzled that
after 30 years of marriage, the
secret herb has yet to run out. He
hopes it never does.
One day he has a chance to
open the container to satisfy his
curiosity once and for all. He
found a piece of paper inside.
On it was written these words:
“Martha, to everything you make,
add a dash
of love.”
Gardening: This is an area
where guys could excel in, not
that women can’t. Housework
and cooking are the usual
domains of women.
Don’t get your knickers in a
twist. The word �usual’ is there for
a reason. Yes, there are men who
reign supreme in these territories
but they’re a minority.
The guys could weed, water,
and rake dried leaves. Grass
mowing should be left to the
gardener or younger folk, unless
the lawn mower is the type one
could ride like a golf buggy.
Chauffeuring: This is a task
suitable for retired men, if they
are fit enough to drive. Doing the
school run with grandkids can be
a great bonding experience.
It behoves children to
appreciate their parents for their
labour of love and not take them
for granted, or worse, send them
off to an old folk’s home when
they become sick and frail.
A couple of years down the
road, this list might become
redundant. Old people then might
prefer to goyang kaki in a
retirement home rather than
being a house help for their
children’s family.
Lydia Teh is a mother of four and
author of eight books, including
the latest Honking – More Scenes
from Malaysian Life. Send
comments to lifestyle.lydia@
thesundaily.com.
Lines of communication
BEING able to contact mum and
dad for children who are staying
away from home using a variety of
digital means – including text
messaging and Facebook – could
be beneficial to their relationship,
say researchers from the University
of Kansas in a paper published in
the journal Emerging Adulthood.
“A lot of parents might resist
new technologies. They don’t see
the point in them, or they seem like
a lot of trouble,” says doctoral
student Jennifer Schon.
“But this study shows while it
might take some work and learning,
it would be worth it in the end if you
are trying to have a good
relationship with your adult
child.”
In the study, 367 young adults
between the ages of 18 and 29
filled out a survey about what means
of communication they used to
keep in touch, how often they
communicated and how satisfied
they were in their relationships with
their parents.
They reported using a variety of
communication methods with their
parents, including Snapchat, online
gaming networks, video calls,
instant messaging and texting as
well as the tried-and-true landline
phones and cell phones.
On
average,
participants
reported using three means of
communication, and Schon’s
research suggests relationship
satisfaction increases modestly for
each method used.
“So, if you are only using one or
two technologies to communicate,
adding a third might hit the sweet
spot for relationship satisfaction,”
says Schon but adds that parents
who communicate effectively
already might not benefit as much
from adding another tool. – AFPRelaxnews
Easing hot flashes, night sweats
SPENDING time with young
children could reduce hot flashes
and night sweats for some women
in mid-life, according to a new study
from the Kinsey Institute that
focused on women who underwent
rapid menopause after surgical
removal of the ovaries.
Of the 117 women who took
part in the study, 69 were
menopausal or postmenopausal at
the time of surgery; of them, 29 had
at least one child in their home. The
remaining 48 participants were
premenopausal, and 28 of them
had at least one child at home.
The research team measured
hot flashes and night sweats
immediately prior to surgery and
then again at two, six and 12 months
post-op.
“These are intriguing findings,”
says Tierney Lorenz, a postdoctoral
fellow at The Kinsey Institute at
Indiana University Bloomington.
“For women who were menopausal
when our study began, those with
young children at home showed
more symptoms of hot flashes.
“But the women who underwent
rapid menopause because of the
surgical removal of their ovaries
showed a dramatic reduction of
symptoms.”
Of this group, the researchers
say the effects were limited to those
with children younger than 13.
The research members add that
they are being cautious with the
findings given that menopause is
well-known to affect women
differently. – AFP-Relaxnews
GOING PLACES
23
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
On a train ride
in Japan
> All aboard the super-sleek Shinkansen for a high-speed
rail tour of the Land of the Rising Sun
BY SARAH BARRELL
A
S SYNONYMOUS with
Japan as golden pagodatopped temples and
artfully-arranged squares
of raw fish, the super-sleek
Shinkansen (bullet train) was built
for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and
celebrated its 50th anniversary last
month.
The original 320 miles (515km)
of high-speed rail track from
Tokyo to Osaka now extend to
1,500 miles (2,414km) nationwide.
It’s faster, too. Originally
moving at speeds of 130mph
(209kph), the Shinkansen now
zips around the country at
199mph (320kph).
Travelling on these muchloved trains is not only the
quickest but is also the most
comfortable and characterful way
to explore Japan.
But don’t pay as you go.
Shinkansen fares are pricey. If
you’re making more than a couple
of journeys, a Japan Rail Pass is
essential. Buy before you travel.
Passes start at ВЈ164 (RM862) for
all seven days (japanrailpass.net).
Trains comprise the speediest
way to access even the remotest
corners of the country. So step on
board the Shinkansen this autumn
to enjoy some unforgettable
Japanese experiences.
Here are some suggestions:
X Bite the bullet
Take a two-week bullet train
bonanza with Inside Japan Tours
(insidejapantours.com),
incorporating every Shinkansen
line in Japan, using a number of
trains including 2013’s red-nosed
Super Komachi, to Akita in the
north and 2011’s Sakura (meaning
cherry blossom) to Kagoshima in
the south.
A 50 Years of the Shinkansen
tour costs from ВЈ1,800 (RM9,464)
per person, including 15 nights
accommodation (B&B), some
meals and all domestic travel.
Flights are extra.
X Soak up the view
Just an hour-and-a-half from
Tokyo, the thickly-forested
Hakone region will soon be
transformed with autumn’s fiery
“koyo” (colourful leaves) display.
The region is home to FujiHakone-Izu National Park,
crowned with Japan’s iconic
snow-capped peak, and has a
network of traditional ryokan
inns and steamy onsen (hotspring
baths).
This a meditative spot to soak
up the seasonal show.
DialAFlight (dialaflight.com)
offers a Golden Japan trip to the
Hakone region this autumn, from
ВЈ1,899 (RM9,985) per person (two
sharing), which includes a Japan
Rail Pass, all transport, transfers
and flights. Valid for departures
until Nov 20.
X Get cultural
Explore Kyoto, some two hours
and 20 minutes from Tokyo, with a
learned local guide from WAK
Japan (Women’s Association of
Kyoto; wakjapan.com).
Tours and classes range from
a couple of hours to a full day,
covering everything from tea
ceremonies to calligraphy and
sake production to sushi rolling.
The Nishiki Market Food walk,
Sake Tasting & Rolled Sushi
Cooking tour (3.5 hours) costs
from ВҐ11,200 (RM331) per person.
X Temple trek
Take the Kumano Kodo trail
through the mountainous Kii
Peninsula, southeast of Kyoto, and
follow in the footsteps of Japan’s
ancient emperors, who once made
pilgrimage here to worship deities
in the trees and rocks.
Stroll along waterfall- and
shrine-lined paths through
cypress and cedar forest,
overnighting in mountain villages
and small temples.
Plan your route online with
the Tanabe City tourism website
(in English) with audio guides,
maps and listings for lodges and
transport (tb-kumano.jp).
X Unesco dining
Japanese cuisine, or “washoku”,
recently made Unesco’s Cultural
Heritage List (only the second
national cuisine to receive the
designation, after French cooking),
recognised for its centuries-old
techniques and seasonal
ingredients.
Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.
com) has a 12-day Real Food
Adventure group tour, from ВЈ2,385
(RM12,539) per person with B&B
accommodation, some meals, all
activities, domestic travel and a
guide. Flights extra.
The tour covers market visits,
cooking lessons and the chance
to try everything from sizzling
yakitori in Osaka to space-age
sushi in Tokyo, plus a multicourse kaiseki banquet in Kyoto.
– The Independent
Sleeping in Wizard chambers
A LONDON hotel has created a set of rooms
inspired by the world of wizardry and magic of
Harry Potter, complete with stonewalls, gothic
arches, fireplaces and cauldrons.
Since being picked up by local British media
recently, buzz surrounding the 19th century Georgian
House has reached a fever pitch, particularly among
Harry Potter fans, for the hotel’s Wizard chambers,
two rooms that bring the dormitories of Hogwarts
to life.
Details include stained glass windows, faux
stonewalls, wood burning stoves, bedding and
drapery in Gryffindor’s signature red and yellow
scheme. Guests sleep under the watchful eye of
portraits that hang over their plush, four-poster beds,
while owl accents, candles and writing desks invite
them to pen letters to friends.
The first room sleeps two, with a double, fourposter bed, while the family suite includes a single
and double bed in the first room – also both fourposter – and a half-tester double bed in the second
room.
Stays also include a traditional English breakfast
(baked beans are homemade and don’t come out
of the can) while add-on options include a Muggle
Walking Tour of London that takes guests to some
of the major landmarks featured in the film, and
tickets to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour for The
Making of Harry Potter.
Rates start at £209 (RM1,099) for two. – AFPRelaxnews
Go Gyeonggi-do with passes
and discounts from AirAsia
THIS holiday season, AirAsiaGo.
com is rewarding visitors who have
booked trips to scenic Gyeonggido, one of Korea’s most charming
regions, with free passes and
discounts.
All AirAsiaGo.com travellers who
have booked their tickets for travel
to Gyeonggi-do between now and
Dec 31 will be in the running for
free passes to five popular tourist
attractions in the region – the
Trick Eye Museum, Petite France,
Everland, OneMount and Hanwha
Aqua Planet.
AirAsiaGo.com will randomly
choose 20 lucky winners who will
be informed via email.
All other guests who booked
Flight + Hotel/Hotel-only packages
on the AirAsiaGo.com website will
also be able to enjoy discounts at
those attractions.
Just show their AirAsiaGo.com
Booking Confirmation email at the
gate and they will enjoy 25% off
the entrance fees to the Trick Eye
Museum and Petite France, 20%
off for Everland Resort, and 50% off
for OneMount and Hanwha Aqua
Planet.
The Trick Eye Museum is an
interactive museum with eight
thematic exhibitions, with another
museum located within for visitors
to experience and enjoy ice
sculptures, igloos, and slides.
Petite France is a small French
Village in Korea which consists of
16 French-styled buildings.
Well-known Korean dramas like
Secret Garden, Beethoven Virus,
My Love from the Stars and an
episode of the hit TV series Running
Man were filmed here.
Everland is listed as one of the
four major theme parks in the world,
and OneMount is the world’s first
sports theme park where summer
and winter attractions can be
enjoyed all year round.
Lastly, Hanwha Aqua Planet
is the only zoo located inside an
aquarium where visitors can marvel
at marine life, land creatures and
birds all in one location.
For more, visit www.airasiago.
com.my/gyeonggido.
24
FEATURE
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
HOROSCOPE
Oct 23 – Nov 21
ALONG with Cancer and Pisces,
you’re one of the three sensitive
and sentimental water signs.
However, you’ve a quality of determination they
lack, one that can sometimes verge on
uncompromising stubbornness. Bear this in mind
when you refuse even to consider certain ideas
you know, deep down, are wise.
Nov 22 – Dec 20
YOUR ability to brush off
annoying or upsetting issues that
others take far too seriously is a
virtue. Yet, now you, too, need to examine and
deal with certain persistent problems. While
there’s no straightforward solution for these,
what you learn when dealing with them more
than justifies the effort.
Dec 21 – Jan 19
MARS is the planet of energy,
courage and ego, and its
presence in Capricorn until early
December is bound to be both exciting and
worthwhile. True, you won’t always recognise
the accompanying benefits, at least at the time.
Still, you’ll prosper from the shakeup it gives
your thinking and your life.
Best of comedy series from HBO
THIS month, HBO is bringing the
third and final season of The
Newsroom as well as the longawaited return of comedy series
The Comeback.
The Newsroom, which stars Jeff
Daniels (right) as news anchor Will
McAvoy, kicks off the season with
a highly-charged look at the core
issue of maintaining journalistic
integrity in the era of 24-hour news
cycles, while crowd-sourcing and
“citizen journalism” result in the
dissemination of misinformation.
The staff of the fictional news
programme also face the possibility
of a hostile takeover of the network
and leaked classified government
documents that unleash a legal
firestorm to threaten more than
one professional career.
This six-episode season will
premiere on Nov 10 at 9pm over
on HBO / HBO HD (Astro channel
411 / 431), within 24 hours of its
The Rom
… saved
for the
time
being
from
changes
or being
torn
down.
Jan 20 – Feb 17
WATCHING the demise of
arrangements you worked hard
to organise and which, in some cases, have been
a source of joy isn’t easy at all. Yet, your instincts
say these have outlived their time. Challenging
as it may be to let them go, it will be easier and,
equally, wiser, than struggling to keep things
afloat for the sake of it.
Feb 18 – March 19
THE realisation you’ve hurt
somebody’s feelings is always
upsetting but this particular
individual could have a reason to rouse feelings
of guilt – to make it easier to manipulate you
into doing something you’d ordinarily refuse.
The solution is just apologise, then in a firm but
friendly manner, change the subject.
March 20 – April 19
IN late October, your ruler Mars
moved into the crucial midheaven
angle of your chart, which accents
your activities out in the world. In the two years
since it was last there, things have changed,
more than you realise. Review these and you’ll
realise why certain arrangements cannot
continue or remain as they are.
April 20 – May 20
ARE things you’ve intended to
do, but somehow forgot about,
coming to mind? And all at once?
Worrying as this may be, these reminders are
all worth noting down. While not all are as urgent
as they seem, once you have listed these, you
can then review them and decide which should
come first based on your priority.
May 21 – June 20
SEVERAL times in the recent
past, you’ve tried to talk over
troublesome issues but haven’t
achieved much. Don’t give up. Each discussion
helped clear up unclear issues, more than you
realise. This time, however, leave it to others to
bring things up. That way you’ll be sure they’re
ready to talk.
June 21 – July 21
LOSS can appear in several forms.
While that which you experience
this week may be of the type
that’s very sudden and unexpected, once you
recognise what it’s all about, you’ll also feel a
huge sense of relief. To that extent, this loss
may in fact may bring about good, that you may
not think of it as a loss at all.
TV1
US debut.
On the same day, catch HBO
Original Comedy Series The
Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow
(left) as the embattled Valerie
Cherish, a fading TV “It Girl” who
was once so desperate to stay in
the spotlight that she allowed
cameras to follow her every move
as she appeared on a new sitcom
– with disastrous results.
This six-episode comedy series
will air at 10pm within 24 hours of
its US debut.
Notable guests (playing versions
of themselves) include Sean Hayes,
Conan O’Brien, Andy Cohen and
Aisha Tyler.
A
SKATEPARK in east
London became the first
in Europe to be listed as
a heritage site last
Wednesday, after the
government decided its concrete
bowls and ramps were of
national importance and worth
protecting.
The Rom skatepark (right),
known as �The Rom’, opened in
1978 as the sport was taking off in
Britain. The park is still popular,
used for skateboards as well as
BMX bikes and kick scooters.
Modelled on parks in
California, it covers an 8,000square-metre site by the River
Rom in Hornchurch, half of
which is surfaced in pressurised
concrete, known as shotcrete.
It becomes the second
skatepark in the world to be
listed, after the �Bro Bowl’ in
Tampa, Florida, was added to the
United States’ register of historic
places in October last year.
“Skateboarding is more than a
sport: it has become a worldwide cult,” said Roger Bowdler
of English Heritage, the body
which advises the government
on which sites should be listed.
“The Rom is the finest
example in England of this
aspect of youth culture, and we
are delighted its special interest
Flying McCoy
Skating to
a milestone
> The Rom skatepark in London is the first
in Europe to be listed as a heritage site
will be protected for future
generations through listing.
“It gives the whole idea of
heritage an extra twist.”
The work of Adrian Rolt of Gforce, the leading skatepark
designers of the period, the Rom
comprises a series of bowls and
hollows of various shapes,
including the main �pool’, a
slalom run and a half-pipe.
The shapes were inspired by
the urban areas used by the US
pioneers of skateboarding,
including the oval and kidneyshaped swimming pools of rich
residents of Los Angeles, and the
concrete drainage features of the
California coast.
The Grade II listing
designates the Rom as of national
importance and of special
interest, although it is not a
guarantee against changes or
even demolition in the future.
The Bro Bowl in Tampa is
threatened with demolition and
relocation to another site as part
of a major redevelopment of the
surrounding area.
In a statement, Britain’s
Heritage Minister Ed Vaizey said
the listing “highlights how the
UK’s unique heritage reflects all
parts of our culture and history”.
“I hope the protection
provided by this listing ensures
the pool, moguls and snake run
can be enjoyed for years to
come,” he said.
Earlier this year, the concrete
banks at the Southbank arts
centre in central London, one of
Britain’s best-known
skateboarding sites, were saved
from demolition after a campaign
supported by London mayor
Boris Johnson. – AFP-Relaxnews
10am
11.35am
12.30pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
4.30pm
6.20pm
7.30pm
9pm
10pm
Parlimen (live)
Emon Sista
Boleh Bah Kalo Ka
Tomorrow, Today
Saudagar Boria
Geng Sekolah
Zorro Generations Z
Anda Musykil?
Alfa
Global
Demi Negara Darah
Merah Melakar Sejarah
TV2
11am
2pm
3pm
3.30pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
Life in San Yuan Country
Lembuku Ben
In-Vogue
Arusuvai Aayiram
Naalai Namathe
To My Beloved
Justice Pao
Star Wars: The Clone
Wars
9pm
Pulang Sayang
10.03pm Nota Untuk Sang Awan
MN
Hawaii Five-O
TV3
1pm
4pm
5pm
5.35pm
6pm
6.30pm
7pm
9pm
9.30pm
10pm
11pm
NTV7
10.30am
Noon
1.30pm
3.30pm
4.30pm
6pm
7.30pm
8.30pm
9pm
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11pm
Jom Singgah
Separuh Jiwaku
Asmara Luna
Disney’s Wizards of
Waverly Place
Beware the Batman
Dunia Baru 2
Bila Hati Berbicara
999
Bersamamu
Plan B
Marvel’s Agents of
SHIELD
Geronimo Stilton
The Great Doctor
Journey to the West
Mr Sandwich
Happiness
The Descendants
Planet’s Funniest Animals
Man Vs Food Nation
Gordon’s Ultimate
Cookery Course
The Scavenger
Inbound Troubles
8TV
11.30am
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4pm
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Talent Star
Eve’s Diary
8 E-News 2014
Sudden
Heart of a Woman
Silver Spoon, Sterling
Shackles
8.30pm Palace III
9.30pm The Goldbergs
10pm
2 Broke Girls
10.30pm The Vampire Diaries
TV9
10am
11am
12.30pm
1.30pm
5pm
5.40pm
6.35pm
7pm
7.30pm
8.30pm
9.30pm
10.30pm
Don’t Mess with an Angel
Julia Juli
Ku Tunggu Kau Di Pasar
Kalau Bukan Aku
SpongeBob SquarePants
Cinta 7 Susun
Upin & Ipin
Mickey Mouse & Friends
Skuad Pasar Malam
Setitis Kasih Darmia
Feast of the Gods
Teen Wolf
Real Life Adventures
July 22 – Aug 22
THERE’S talk of changes in your
domestic setup. While this has
been going on for ages, now
these seem worryingly serious. It’s true. While
these begin around Thursday’s unsettling Full
Moon, they’ll prove amazingly informative. Once
you know more about them, you’ll exchange
your existing concerns for enthusiasm.
Aug 23 – Sept 22
ALTHOUGH your ruler Mercury’s
retrograde cycle came to an end
in late October, you’re still
contending with fallout, mostly in the form of
previously undetected errors. Frustrating as this
is, dealing with these now, when things are
calmer, gives you a chance to review the actual
circumstances in question in depth.
Sept 23 – Oct 22
YOU may not be in the mood to
reorganise elements of your
personal financial life or business
matters. However, you’ve long been aware that
certain arrangements are becoming increasingly
troublesome. They have, in fact, reached the
point at which remedying them will take less
effort than working around them.
House of DVF
(premiere)
E!, 11PM: Designer Diane von
Furstenberg launches a docuseries with E! where viewers get
an exclusive invite into the House
of DVF. Furstenberg is on the
prowl for a global brand
ambassador and the girls are in a
fierce contest vying for everything,
from design to merchandising.
25
theSun | TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4 2014
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SPORTS – AHEAD OF THE GAME
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Pakistan win first Australia
series in 20 years
Wozniacki beats goal to complete NYC Marathon
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI says she’s
pleased she beat her goal in the New
York City Marathon, especially since
her training routine included late
nights and attending a sporting event
on the eve of the run.
“I’ve done everything you are not
supposed to do before a marathon,” said
the 24-year old Wozniacki. “I had a Halloween party three days ago and came
back at like 4:00 in the morning.
“I’ve been really busy. Last night, I
actually didn’t have much of a dinner
because I went to the (New York) Rangers
game. You are supposed to load up on
carbs, but I didn’t have too much time
for that.”
The WTA Tour tennis star finished her
first marathon yesterday in just under
three hours, 27 minutes, saying she even
had enough left in the tank to sprint the
final few metres to the finish line.
“It was incredible,” said Wozniacki,
who set a goal of three hours, 30 min-
322
Notices
322
Notices
utes.
“I’m so happy to have done this. I’m
so proud. Now I have this medal. I can
say that I’ve done the New York City
Marathon. I’ve even done it at a cool time.
So I’m really, really happy.
“I’ve never tried anything this hard.
This is like toughest physical test ever. It
was so hard. You have to keep going.”
The former world No. 1 from Denmark
said she would wait a few years before
attempting a second marathon. She
qualified for the Boston Marathon with
her time yesterday.
Asked to compare running a marathon
to a five-hour tennis match, Wozniacki
said running 26.2 miles is much more
difficult.
“This is completely different,” she
said. “I had no idea what to expect when
I went out there.
“Every time I go on the tennis court, I
know exactly what to expect. I know what
to do out there. Here I just knew I had to
put one foot in front of the other until you
see something saying finish.”
Wozniacki was met at the finish line
by fellow women’s tennis star Serena
Williams (pix). Williams tweeted about
the experience. – AFP
Joker reigns
> Djokovic on top of the world
after Paris win and fatherhood
I
T’S BEEN quite a year for Novak
Djokovic, who is driving
towards another year-ending
No. 1 spot, recently becoming a
proud father and winning his third
Paris Masters crown for his 600th
ATP victory.
The popular 27-year-old Serb
said at the beginning of last week
that becoming a dad had already
made him feel like No. 1, but he is
also doing his talking on the court,
breezing through an elite field in
the French capital without
dropping a set.
His 6-2, 6-3 victory over bigserving Canadian Milos Raonic
yesterday emphasised his
dominance in world tennis, but
there is still one tournament to go
at the season-ending World Tour
Finals in London.
have,” continued Djokovic who has
spent 118 weeks at No. 1 during his
career, the seventh highest total
ever.
“Also because of Wimbledon
and the long history (of tennis in
London), so I look forward to that.”
The other players to qualify are
Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Andy
Murray, Kei Nishikori, Tomas
Berdych, Marin Cilic and Raonic.
The players are split into two
pools of four with a round-robin
format determining two
semifinalists from each group.
Djokovic says he is prepared for
whatever the draw throws up in
terms of opponents.
“It’s the best eight players in the
world in the whole year, so there
are not many preferences to be
honest.
PAKISTAN achieved their first series win over Australia in
20 years with a thumping 356-run win in the second Test
in Abu Dhabi yesterday, taking the two-match series 2-0.
The elusive win lifts Pakistan to No. 3 in International
Cricket Council’s Test rankings behind No. 1 South Africa
and Australia.
Spinners Zulfiqar Babar (5-120) and Yasir Shah (3-44)
rocked Australia once again for 246 in the second innings
soon after lunch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Pakistan won the first Test by 221 runs in Dubai.
Pakistan had taken a big step forward after scoring a
mammoth 570-6 declared in their first innings and getting
a 309-run lead by dismissing Australia for 261.
That never allowed Australia to stage a comeback and
avoid series defeat for the first time since losing 1-0 in
Pakistan in 1994.
The defeat was Australia’s third worst in all Test cricket
behind their 675 run loss against England in Brisbane in
1928 and by 408 against the West Indies at Adelaide in
1980.
In contrast Pakistan registered their biggest win in terms
of runs, beating their 341-run victory over India at Karachi
in 2006.
“It’s really an honour for me to lead this side, the way
everybody played,” said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq.
“Every individual performed and I’m really happy about
that. I can’t describe my feeling.
“We were working really hard and playing good
cricket but not winning, so it’s really good.”
Australian skipper Michael Clarke heaped praise on
Pakistan, saying they had “played outstanding cricket in
both Tests”.
“And we have been outplayed, unfortunately,” he said.
“It’s been the track record of Australian cricket (in Asia) for
a long time, unfortunately.”
It was Australia’s sixth Test defeat in a row in Asia after
they lost 4-0 in India early last year. – AFP
GAYLE HOPEFUL SOUTH AFRICA TOUR
WILL GO AHEAD
STAR West Indies batsman Chris
Gayle (caricature) said yesterday
that he was hopeful a tour to South
Africa would go ahead despite a
pay dispute. The West Indies
cut short a tour to India last
month, refusing to play
the last of five one-day
internationals (ODIs), a
Twenty20 (T20) match
and three Tests over a cash
row between players and
officials. There have been
fears in South Africa that the
West Indies would not come
this December, or that officials
would have to send a secondstring side shorn of crowdpullers like Gayle. “Hopefully the dispute can be
resolved and we will play against South Africa,” Gayle
said as he helped the Highveld Lions win a South African
T20 Challenge first-round match in Johannesburg. “The
current situation between players and officials in the
West Indies is unfortunate, but these disputes do
happen occasionally.”
WEST INDIES CHIEFS ASK POLITICIANS
FOR HELP OVER INDIAN DEMANDS
Novak
Djokovic
celebrates with
his trophy after
winning the
Paris Masters
yesterday.
– EPApix
His lead over Roger Federer in
the ATP rankings is now 1,310
points with up to a possible 1,500
available to the winner in London.
Federer can also pick up a small
amount of points when he plays the
Davis Cup final for Switzerland
against France in Lille but it might
be too late by then with Djokovic
the man to beat heading to London.
“Two successive titles in
London in the last two years gives
me reason to believe that I can do
well,” said Djokovic after his 27th
consecutive indoor victory and
becoming the first man to
successfully defend the title at
Bercy.
“Even this year I will have a
week off to recharge my batteries,
recover a little bit, spend some
time with family, and get on the
court.
“I’m excited to be there because
I think it’s one of the most
spectacular tennis venues that we
“But it definitely encourages me
the fact that I have played so well
this week and that I have won the
four last indoor tournaments in the
last two years that I’ve played in.
“I do feel very comfortable
playing, returning, serving in these
conditions.”
The Belgrade native also paid
tribute to 17-time Grand Slam
winner Federer’s fine season that
has seen the Swiss win more
matches than anyone on Tour as
he rose back to world No. 2.
“He is one of the top contenders
to win all the major titles and to
compete for the top spot,”
continued Djokovic.
“I think maybe he’s playing
some of the best tennis of his
career, in my opinion, and I don’t
think age really matters in his case.
“But every match that I play,
every match that I play and win,
gets me closer to holding No. 1 at
the end of the year.” – AFP
WEST INDIES Cricket Board officials are turning to
Caribbean political leaders for support and guidance in
the aftermath of a US$42m (RM134m) claim by Indian
authorities following last month’s abandonment of the
tour to India by the West Indies team. On the same day,
Friday, that the WICB received formal notification of the
claim from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, a
meeting was held in Trinidad after which WICB
president Dave Cameron confirmed the involvement of
regional leaders in seeking a resolution to both the
impasse between the players and their own players’
association, which resulted in the abandonment of the
tour, and the impending legal battle with the
BCCI.“This is a matter that we will enlist the support of
Caricom (Caribbean Community) going, forward,”
Cameron was reported as saying.
ALI DOCTOR QUERIES PARKINSON’S
LINK
MUHAMMAD ALI’S doctor has said he cannot be
certain that the boxing great’s remarkable career in the
ring contributed to the former world heavyweight
champion suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. It has
long been asserted that the effect of taking punishing
head blows in fights against the likes of George
Foreman in the �Rumble in the Jungle’, whose 40th
anniversary was celebrated this week, have been a key
factor in Ali suffering from Parkinson’s, a neurological
condition which can cause its sufferers to shake and
have problems with their balance. However, plenty of
Parkinson’s victims have not suffered anything like the
head trauma that came Ali’s way during a 21-year ring
career. And Dr Abraham Lieberman, the Medical
Director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Centre, said
yesterday it was impossible to be sure regarding the
root cause of American sporting hero Ali’s condition.
SPORTS – AHEAD OF THE GAME
27
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Hamilton gets closer
> Briton thanks fans, flag power as title looms after US GP win
A
SERENE Lewis Hamilton increased
his lead in the world championship to
24 points and then thanked his fans for
their support after he swept to victory in the
United States Grand Prix.
It was his fifth consecutive victory, his
10th of the season and the 32nd of his career
– one more than Nigel Mansell – making him
the British driver with the most career
successes in Formula One.
“I feel very privileged to be at the top of
the British winners,” he said. “It means so
much.
“I did my homework for this race last
night. I felt confident I could win and I had
great energy from the British fans with all
the flags here today. The fans were great and
I never had any doubt I could win.”
The 29-year-old, who started second
behind his pole sitting Mercedes teammate
and nearest rival Nico Rosberg, took the
lead with a bold move after 24 laps on his
way to a perfectly-measured triumph ahead
of the German by 4.314 seconds.
His triumph meant he also became the
first Briton since Mansell, in 1992, to win five
races in a row.
Hamilton, the 2008 champion, now has
316 points to Rosberg’s 292 following the
Englishman’s dominant success, earned by
clever tyre preservation and well-judged
speed, with two races remaining, including
the final race in Abu Dhabi where double
points are scored.
Hamilton added: “It is such a privilege to
represent my country and to be top of the
drivers’ standings. It’s been an incredible
run. This whole season has been incredible.”
“For me, I think it goes back to growing
up in Stevenage where I never thought I
would be in this position and have people
supporting me all over the world, wearing
my top, the cap and waving the flags.
“I have made a conscious decision these
last few years, I have felt more mature and I
know this is a great sport, but it is also a
great platform for me to inspire others – to
inspire people never to give up and to keep
pushing and keep working at it to achieve
what you want.”
The result left the two Mercedes men as
the only drivers now capable of winning the
title contest which will go down to the wire
in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 23, no matter the
result in Brazil next weekend.
Yesterday’s triumph was also the
Mercedes team’s 10th one-two triumph of
the year, equalling the 1998 record set by
McLaren’s pairing of Ayrton Senna and
Alain Prost.
Hamilton also became the first Briton to
win 10 races in a season, a feat achieved by
two Germans Michael Schumacher and
Sebastian Vettel.
Mansell said on Twitter: “Brilliant for
Lewis and Mercedes. Nico put up a strong
fight but Lewis did a fantastic job.
“Many congratulations – five wins on the
trot and 32 wins altogether.”
Rosberg was downcast at his latest
setback.
“It kind of sucks,” he said. “It took too
long for me to find my rhythm. It’s pretty
simple. In the overtake, I knew there was a
chance he could try it. I tried halfway
defensive, but Lewis did a good job and that
was it.
“Five to 10 laps later, I started to feel ok,
but unfortunately it was too late. I never
gave up, I was determined to put pressure
on Lewis all the way and try to get closer,
but it just wasn’t possible.
“What is clear is that I still have a chance
and so I go to Brazil and keep pushing, flat
out, try to be on pole and win and that is it.
There are many points to be won and a lot
can still happen.” – AFP
Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton (left)
celebrates with former F1 World Champion Mario
Andretti on the podium after winning the United States
Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of The
Americas in Austin, Texas yesterday – AFPpic
Money talks louder than ever in Formula One
MONEY has always talked in Formula One
but now, with Caterham and Marussia in
administration and only nine teams in
yesterday’s US Grand Prix, the talk is
increasingly about money itself.
The cost of competing in Formula One
has become the hot topic and, with no sign
of agreement on how to bring it down and
share revenues more equally as smaller
teams are demanding, will only become
hotter.
The sport, with 19 races this year and 20
scheduled for 2015, has annual turnover in
excess of US$1.5 billion (RM4.8bn) with
more than half of that sum leaving the sport
as money due to the commercial rights
holders.
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone
(caricature) told reporters on Saturday that
the teams’ share for this year amounted to
more than US$900m (RM2.88bn).
However the prize pot is not split equally
among the teams, with cash paid out
according to a formula based on past and
present performance.
“The problem is there is too much
money probably being distributed badly probably my fault,” said Ecclestone, who
turned 84 last week.
The latest edition of Britain’s Autosport
magazine, in estimates corroborated by
sources as accurate but not confirmed by
the teams, gives a breakdown of the 2013
payouts from Formula One Management.
The sport’s oldest and most successful
team Ferrari, who were paid a US$32m
(RM102m) bonus and US$62m (RM198m)
special share of the profits, were top with an
estimated US$166m (RM531m).
After them came Red Bull (US$162m),
McLaren (US$95m), Mercedes (Us$92m),
Lotus (US$65m), Force India (US$59m),
Williams (US$56m), Sauber (US$52m) and
Toro Rosso (US$50m).
Caterham, according to the estimate,
received US$31m (RM99m) and Marussia
US$10m (RM32m) –half the cost of an
engine supply.
Marussia, who were ninth in the
championship before going into
administration, would receive significantly
more next season – possibly around
US$45m (RM144m) – had they managed to
maintain their position.
Apart from the prize money, sponsorship
and shareholder contributions represent
the other main sources of revenue for teams
whose budgets vary hugely.
“If you look at the budgets of Marussia
and then you compare the highest spender,
whoever it is, Ferrari or Red Bull, you are
talking about a gap from US$70m
(RM224m) to US$250m (RM800m),” said
Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff in
Austin.
Bringing new partners into the sport has
proved increasingly difficult, with some big
brands preferring to sponsor the sport as a
whole rather than individual outfits.
The team outgoings have also
increased considerably this season
due to a change in engine, with the
old V8s disappearing and replaced
by a more complex V6 turbo
hybrid power unit.
“The fact is that with the new
engine, which from a technology
perspective is a great thing, the
costs were passed on to all the
teams,” said Lotus principal
Gerard Lopez.
“In our case this year between
the engine and development we
probably spent something like
US$50-60m (RM160m-192m).”
There are three engine
manufacturers in Formula One, with
Honda coming in next year as McLaren’s
partners to make it four. Mercedes and
Ferrari run works teams while Red Bull are
Renault’s main focus.
The remaining teams have to pay for
their engines and Mercedes F1’s nonexecutive chairman Niki Lauda said
Mercedes �customer teams’ paid €18m
(RM72m) a year.
The teams also face other unavoidable
costs in order to compete and Lopez
questioned whether it all made sense.
“A GP2 team for the whole season is
going to cost €4m (RM16m). Are we really
that much better? I mean are we really
better to the point that a team needs to
spend €300m (RM1.2bn) to be six seconds
faster?,” he asked.
“If I took a financial view of this sport,
comparing GP2 to F1, and the so-called law
of diminishing returns, we are most
probably the worst managers there are.”
A letter sent by Sauber, Force India,
Marussia and Caterham to International
Automobile Federation (FIA)
president Jean Todt early in
the season stated that a
mid-table team required
in the region of
US$120m (RM384m) a
year.
Of that, tyres cost
Us$1.8m (RM5.76m),
fuel/lubricants US$1.5m
(RM4.8m), travel US$12m
(RM38.4m) and chassis
production Us$20m
(RM64m).
“The fact is there’s a
minimum budget that is
required today to even exist
in Formula One,” said
Lopez. “And that minimum
budget has actually killed
two teams.” – Reuters
Lewis drives it
like he owns it
LEWIS HAMILTON’S father always told him to
�drive like you stole it’ but there was never any
question about who owned yesterday’s US Grand
Prix.
The Mercedes driver did not start on pole,
that honour denied him by teammate and title
rival Nico Rosberg in Saturday qualifying, but
the Briton knew he had something special going
on.
Hamilton feels at home in the United States,
where he spends time with singer girlfriend
Nicole Scherzinger and friends in Los Angeles,
and won the inaugural race at the Circuit of the
Americas in 2012.
As he took the chequered flag for his 10th
win of the season, and fifth in succession, the
championship leader entered the record books
as the British driver with most Formula One wins
– his 32 now one more than 1992 champion
Nigel Mansell.
“Once I got past Nico it was really just about
controlling it,” he told the crowd in a podium
interview with 1978 champion Mario Andretti,
the last US driver to take the title.
Later, once he had tried Andretti’s black
Stetson sheriff’s hat for size, he told reporters:
“Before the race there’s a lot you can do to really understand what opportunities could come
up and in different scenarios, how you approach
it, and I felt very much on top of that as I have
done for quite some time.
“I just went into the race with the belief that
I could win it,” he added.
“I went into the race thinking I need another
race just like 2012 and it was just like that. I was
catching him through exactly the same points at
which I was catching Sebastian (Vettel in 2012).
“There wasn’t a moment in the race when I
didn’t think that I would get him. Once I was past,
as I said, I was able to relax for a second and
really try to manage the tyres.”
The move, when it came, was on the 24th lap
– a fitting number since the win sent him 24
points clear of Rosberg with two races remaining
and a maximum of 75 points available.
The manner in which he took the lead, an
aggressive swashbuckling pass through the inside as Rosberg braked early and went slightly
wide into turn 12, was the mark of a true champion.
“I had been planning that for many laps and
just never really got close enough,” said Hamilton.
“The opportunity was there and I knew there
was a big head wind into that corner. All weekend there’s been a head wind into turn 11 and
today it turned around, so it was a head wind
into 12. So braking there was really strong.
“I felt really confident going into there, I had
the slipstream and I pulled out, out-braked him.
But it was really important that I didn’t lock up
and out-brake myself and go wide,” he added.
“It felt good.” – Reuters
US GRAND PRIX
RESULTS & STANDINGS
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1h40:04.785,
2. Nico Rosberg (Ger/Mercedes) at 4.314, 3.
Daniel Ricciardo (Aus/Red Bull Racing) 25.560,
4. Felipe Massa (Bra/Williams) 26.924, 5. Valtteri
Bottas (Fin/Williams) 30.992, 6. Fernando
Alonso (ESP/Scuderia Ferrari) 1:35.231, 7.
Sebastian Vettel (Ger/Red Bull Racing) 1:35.734,
8. Kevin Magnussen (Den/McLaren Mercedes)
1:40.682, 9. Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra/Toro Rosso)
1:43.863, 10. Pastor Maldonado (Ven/Lotus)
1:47.870.
OVERALL STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) 316pts, 2. Nico Rosberg
(Ger) 292, 3. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) 214, 4.
Valtteri Bottas (Fin) 155, 5. Sebastian Vettel
(Ger) 149, 6. Fernando Alonso (Esp) 149, 7.
Jenson Button (GBR) 94, 8. Felipe Massa (Bra)
83, 9. Nico HГјlkenberg (Ger) 76, 10. Kevin
Magnussen (Den) 53, 11. Sergio Perez (Mex)
47, 12. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) 47, 13. Jean-Eric
Vergne (Fra) 23, 14. Romain Grosjean (Fra) 8,
15. Daniil Kvyat (Rus) 8, 16. Jules Bianchi (Fra)
2, 17. Pastor Maldonado (Ven) 1.
Constructors
1. Mercedes 608pts, 2. Red Bull Racing 363, 3.
Williams 238, 4. Scuderia Ferrari 196, 5.
McLaren Mercedes 147, 6. Force India 123, 7.
Toro Rosso 31, 8. Lotus 9, 9. Marussia 2.
28
SPORTS – AHEAD OF THE GAME
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
High-powered �dream team’ to take MLS by storm
MALAYSIA has a major presence
in a high-wattage ownership
group that is spending at least
US$250 (RM825m) million to create a new Major League Soccer
(MLS) franchise to kick off in
2017.
The new club, the Los Angeles
Football club or LAFC, has a large
and multi-national group of owners that includes basketball legend
Earvin “Magic” Johnson and
prominent Malaysian businessmen
Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Ruben
Gnanalingam.
While this will be the first
venture into football for the
former Los Angeles Laker point
guard, Berjaya Group founder Tan
already owns Cardiff City FC and
FK Sarajevo, while Gnanalingam,
CEO of Westports, is a shareholder of Queens Park Rangers.
Tan (pix, right) told BBC Sport
he was going to be a “minority
partner” in the new franchise and
that this was his “personal, private
investment.”
“I believe the MLS will be a
good investment,” Tan added.
Tan, who also revealed he is
seeking to invest in another un-
D
ERBIES DISTORT and stats
can lie. After the sound and
fury, City retained the
bragging rights, halted a slump that
could have become a full-blown
crisis and prevented Chelsea from
going out of sight. But they were
hanging on by their chomped
fingernails at the end.
United, with a side that cost ВЈ241
million (RM1.3b), finished with a
back four made of cardboard and
held together by string. They have
now made their worst start to a
season (after 10 games) since 1986
yet can take heart from the way
they finished.
It was City’s sixth win in seven
League derbies but probably their
least comfortable since the Abu
Dhabi billions tilted the balance of
power.
Nothing like the annihilations of
recent memory, it marked a decline
in the side that was being built to
conquer the world – and against a
rag-tag United rearguard, the Blues
were mighty glad to get over the
line.
In mitigation, there were three
strong penalty appeals, two of
which looked nailed-on, and had
they been given, the scoreline
would surely have been more
emphatic. But there were only brief
glimpses of anything approaching
superiority and you could argue
that had United not been down to
10 men, they might have won.
Failure to collect three points
would have been unthinkable for
City. With a must-win match
against CSKA Moscow tomorrow,
they could have been looking at the
FA Cup as their only realistic hope
of a trophy. A bonfire of vanities,
perhaps, on bonfire night.
Even with the win, the season so
far represents a dip below the
carefully calibrated “trajectory”, as
ex CEO Garry Cook used to put it,
of City’s progress. Out of the
League Cup, hanging by a thread in
Europe and to Jose Mourinho’s coat
tails in the League.
In fairness, they have been
stymied by UEFA’s Financial Fair
Play laws but blew most (£32m –
RM176m)) of their budget on
Eliaquim Mangala, a defender who,
after an impressive debut, has been
an accident that has frequently
happened ever since.
Manuel Pellegrini was miffed
that United – despite their huge
named European club, said he
remains committed to Cardiff,
who he bought in May 2010, despite their relegation from the
Premier League last season.
“I enjoy investing in a football
club and I believe that you can
make money in a football club,”
Tan said.
“I didn’t really start off well
investing in football, I wasn’t that
lucky. But there are a lot of clever
owners who make money every
year so I now understand the
business so much better.
“I joked that I invested so much
money in Cardiff and it is my tui-
tion fees to learn the football
business.”
Ruben (left) told theSun that
his involvement started at the end
of last year after he’d attended a
Sport Owners Conference in Aspen, Colorado.
“We met people there and already knew (Vietnamese entrepeneur) Henry Nguyen through the
ASEAN basketball league.
“Henry owns the Saigon Heat
and Tan Sri’s son Robin and I own
the KL Dragons.
“Robin then got me to see Tan
Sri and we went to explore the
MLS in New York. And eventually
we won the rights to build the new
franchise.”
As to why he became involved,
he explained: “I think there’s huge
potential in the MLS... its has been
around for about 20 years but it’s
at the stage where it’s going to
really move.”
Asked if he were not put off by
LA Galaxy, which a certain David
Beckham helped put on the map,
he said: “No, we can have derbies.
The US doesn’t have enough
derbies. NY is going to have two
teams. The best games around are
the derbies.”
The consortium, comprising of
22 investors, are paying in excess
of US$100 million (RM330m) for
the rights to start the new MLS
franchise. The team will join the
LA Galaxy in the southern California market.
In addition to the US$100 million, the new owners has agreed
to spend at least US$150 million
(RM495m) to fully fund the construction of a new stadium in the
Los Angeles area that will seat
25,000 or more.
Peter Guber, a longtime Hollywood producer with films such
Much to ponder
after frantic derby
INSIDE WRITE
by Bob Holmes
Manchester City’s Yaya Toure (2nd right) challenges Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo during their English
Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. – REUTERSPIX
debts – were able to buy Angel di
Maria whereas City couldn’t,
although you can’t help but feel the
Mangala money might have been
better invested in reinvigorating
the attack.
Without David Silva, they lack
ideas and spark, and seem to have
stagnated from the team that made
Fergie joke that he thought of
sticking his head in the oven.
With all the planning, all the
dossiers and all the dosh that has
gone into this “City project”, they
are still dependent on four key
players – Silva, Kun Aguero, Yaya
Toure and Vincent Kompany.
If even one is missing, they’re
not going to make Europe quake in
their boots. As it is, they should stay
alive by dismissing the mediocre
Russians but will need to beat
either Bayern or Roma to progress.
Pellegrini is in no immediate
danger but his reign has come
under severe scrutiny as his team
selection and tactics can seem odd.
On Sunday, as soon as he took
off James Milner and Stevan
Jovetic, City lost the initiative and
United came into the game.
And there are one or two underperformers such as Samir Nasri
as Rain Man, Batman and The
Color Purple to his credit, who
also co-owns both the Los Angeles
Dodgers and the Golden State
Warriors, is part of the ownership
group and will serve as the executive chairman of the club.
Other members of the ownership group include ESPN NBA
analyst Tom Penn, YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley, Allen Shapiro, the CEO of Dick Clark Productions; Rick Welts, the president
of the Golden State Warriors,
private equity heavyweight Larry
Berg, Bennett Rosenthal, cofounder and senior partner of Ares
Management and former US
women’s football star Mia
Hamm.
Berg and Rosenthal are also
co-owners of AS Roma while
Hamm is on the board of the Serie
A team.
Ruben says: “In reality there are
three managing partners – Tom
Penn, Henry who is the largest
shareholder, and Peter Guber.
Peter Guber is chairman. There’s
a lot to be done and Peter, Henry
and Tom have a lot on their
plate.”
and Jesus Navas who appear
lightweight and are never going to
go through brick walls. Or even
cardboard.
Louis van Gaal has a very
different set of problems but ones
that will stretch even the great
football brain of this veteran
manager. But if we can quibble
about City misdirecting their
limited funds, LVG’s excessive
front-loading is in another
stratosphere – and has come
back to haunt.
After the departures of
Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja
Vidic and Patrice Evra,
even the Old Trafford ball
boys could see United were
light at the back and dependent on
an extremely thin red line staying
free of injury.
But Sod being such a sadistic
legislator, they’ve not only gone
down like flies they’ve been
shooting themselves in the foot.
Bad luck? Yes, but a manager
with his experience should not
have allowed them to be so
exposed. And end up facing City
with a converted winger, a
converted mid-fielder and two 19year-olds!
Credit must go to Paddy McNair
for the cool way he’s come in and
Luke Shaw is gamely battling to
justify that ridiculous millstone of
ВЈ28 million (RM154m) but such an
error of judgment is hard to believe
in such an accomplished old hand.
Perhaps he relied on Fergie’s
view that Chris Smalling and Phil
Jones would be the future central
defensive partnership for years to
come.
Right now, with one’s brain
scrambled and the other as fit as
Humpty Dumpty, neither look as if
they’ll even be the new Wes Brown
and John O’Shea, let alone replace
Ferdinand and Vidic.
But what LVG has that Pellegrini
lacks is an unshakeable belief and it
is why United, even with 10 men,
were still able to mount a late rally.
But if United don’t sign at least one
top defender in January, all his
other achievements will be wasted.
However you look at it, to spend
ВЈ150 million (RM825m) plus and not
get into the top four would have to
be considered a failure.
Based on this game, it will be
some time before either team is
back to where it belongs.
SPORTS – AHEAD OF THE GAME
29
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Borussia eye knockout berth
BORUSSIA DORTMUND are chasing
both a place in the Champions
League’s knockout phase and a
confidence-boosting victory to
remedy their dire domestic form
when they host Galatasaray tonight.
Dortmund have dazzled in Europe
this season with an average of three
goals per game to top Group D ahead of
Arsenal with three straight wins and a
perfect nine points.
Borussia have beaten Arsenal 2-0 at
home, defeated Anderlecht 3-0 in
Belgium, then downed Galatasaray 4-0
in Istanbul a fortnight ago.
A fourth consecutive win tonight
will confirm their place in the last 16.
The 2013 Champions League
finalists’ European form contrasts
sharply to their nightmare Bundesliga
run where they have dropped into the
relegation zone, struggling in 17th place
after the worst start to a league season
in the club’s history.
To exacerbate matters, Dortmund
host Galatasaray without captain Mats
Hummels after the Germany centreback
MATCHDAY 4: NOV 4
GROUP A
Malmo SWE
Atletico ESP
Juventus ITA
Olympiacos GRE
GROUP B
Basel SUI
Ludogorets BUL
Real Madrid ESP
Liverpool ENG
GROUP C
Zenit RUS
Leverkusen GER
Benfica POR
AS Monaco FRA
GROUP D
Arsenal ENG
Anderlecht BEL
Dortmund GER
Galatasaray TUR
suffered a sprained ankle in Munich.
His place in the back-four is likely to
go to Neven Subotic, his replacement at
Bayern.
“This is the opportunity to show
everyone that we can do better,” said
Subotic.
“We need to regain some selfconfidence for the home game against
Moenchengladbach next Sunday so we
can hold our heads high.”
Group D bottom side Galatasaray
warmed up for their trip to Germany by
coming from behind to seal a 2-1 win at
home to Kasimpasa on Friday.
Cesare Prandelli-coached
Galatasaray have an impressive record
in Germany, winning as many games
(five) as they have lost, with the other
three fixtures ending in draws.
But the Turkish giants have just a
point from their first three games and
must win in Dortmund to keep alive
their slim chances of repeating last
year’s feat of reaching the knockout
stage having also made the quarterfinals
in 2012/13. – AFP
Head-to-head W D L
Standings GD Pts
0 0 3
5 2 2
2 0 1
1 0 3
1 0 2
0 1 0
2 0 1
3 1 1
Atletico
Olymp’cos
Juventus
Malmo
5
0
0
-5
6
6
3
3
Real
Ludogorets
Liverpool
Basel
8
-1
-3
-4
9
3
3
3
Lev’kusen
Monaco
Zenit
Benfica
3
1
0
-4
6
5
4
1
Dortmund
Arsenal
Anderlecht
Gal’saray
9
2
-4
-7
9
6
1
1
125
Dortmund
9
Atletico
8
Porto
10
147
Real Madrid
10
148
Leverkusen
5
Chelsea
8
128
153
159
Source: UEFA, Infostrada Sports
Picture: Getty Images
returning from a long injury layoff in time for a bad-tempered
3-2 win over Roma on October 5,
and broke his league drought
with the opener in a a 2-0 win over
Empoli on Saturday.
“I’m improving, doing well
during the week and I feel better
with every game I play. I hope to
be back in peak condition as soon
as possible,” said Pirlo.
But the joy of restoring a threepoint lead over Roma, who lost
2-0 to Napoli earlier in the day,
has been eclipsed by the more
pressing matter of beating the
Greek champions.
“Every match is a final for us,
not just this one, but Olympiakos
will be a crucial encounter,” Juve
midfielder Arturo Vidal, who underlined the need or an early goal
tonight, told Sky Sport Italia.
While Juve moved three points
clear at the top of Italy’s top flight,
Olympiakos struggled to a scoreless draw away to 10-man Asteras
Tripolis at the weekend.
The result saw the Greek
champions close the gap on
leaders PAOK Salonika to two
points although they have
played a game more. – AFP
ITALIAN MIDFIELD star Andrea
Pirlo appears to be hitting peak
form in time for a crucial clash
against Olympiakos today that
could prove decisive for Juventus’s hopes of qualifying from
Group A in the Champions
League.
The Turin giants’ last-16
chances are hanging in the
balance after dropping to
third in the group, three
points adrift of Atletico Madrid and Olympiakos, following respective away defeats to
the pair in the past month.
With a tricky away trip to
Swedish champions Malmo and
a home clash against Atletico still
to come, Massimiliano Allegri’s
men realistically need a win in
Turin tonight if they are to keep
their knockout phase hopes
alive.
But if Pirlo’s form is any indicator, Juventus fans could be forgiven for believing they are about
to finally turn the corner following
a nightmare month of October
that saw them held by Sassuolo
and lose to Genoa in Serie A.
The 35-year-old has been
steadily rebuilding form since
Lock and load
> Wenger impressed by Arsenal improvement
A
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Dortmund
Gabonese striker leading line for Dortmund, scored
twice in comfortable 4-0 victory over Galatasaray
EFFICIENT ATTACK: Passes per goal
Shakhtar
9 goals 117
Pirlo peaking as Juve eye key win
EUROPEAN DREAM
Dortmund are aiming to
improve on poor domestic
form and
qualify for
L8
Last 16
Home
record in
Champions
League
W26
D7
В© GRAPHIC NEWS
RSENE WENGER
(caricature) believes
Arsenal are finally
showing signs of developing the
killer instinct required to
succeed in the Champions
League.
Wenger’s side will aim to
stay in the race to finish top of
Group D when they host
Anderlecht today and
the Gunners boss
knows it will be a
night when
patience and
predatory
finishing will be
essential qualities.
Arsenal are
three points
behind group
leaders Borussia
Dortmund in
second place and a
win over
Anderlecht,
combined
with a
victory for
the Germans
against
Galatasaray,
would guarantee
the north Londoners a place in
the last 16, while keeping them
in with a chance of finishing in
first place and potentially
earning an easier draw in the
knockout stages.
“In the recent games at home
we were not patient and we
have learned. We look a bit
more balanced between offence
and defence,” Wenger said.
“We were less in trouble
when we lost the ball, we
were serious and that is
very important in the
efficiency.”
Key to Arsenal’s
resurgence has been the
impressive form of Alexis
Sanchez, a pre-season buy
from Barcelona, who
Wenger has deployed in a
more central attacking
role following injury to
Germany playmaker
Mesut Ozil.
Wenger is confident
Sanchez can handle
the additional
responsibility,
having compared him
and the Uruguayan
former Liverpool striker
Luis Suarez to tough South
American “street footballers” in
the build-up to Saturday’s
match.
With the return of England
winger Theo Walcott, who
made a late cameo appearance
against Burnley after 10 months
out with a serious knee injury,
Wenger will soon have
increased attacking options.
France forward Olivier
Giroud is also set to be in
contention following the next
international break after
recovering earlier than expected
from a broken foot.
“For Theo it must be great as
well to see that everybody wants
him to come on,” said Wenger,
who could also have England
midfielder Jack Wilshere
available tonight after a minor
knee problem forced him to
miss the Burnley match.
“Lukas Podolski also played
very well after he came on, he
could have scored two.”
Anderlecht have taken only
one point from their first three
group matches and a defeat
would eliminate them from the
competition. – AFP
No love lost between Bayern and Dortmund bosses
Watzke
GERMANY’S Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are riding high as they return
to Champions League action this week,
but relations between the Bundesliga
giants’ bosses are at an all-time low.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern are home
to Roma tomorrow, but Dortmund left
Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday with
Borussia’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke
accusing Bayern’s chairman Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge of lacking respect.
Speculation is rife as to whether Germany winger Marco Reus will take the
well-worn path from Dortmund to Bayern
as Borussia face the prospect of losing
their top player to Bayern for the third
year running.
The 25-year-old Reus is under contract
at Dortmund until 2017, but Rummenigge
recently publically highlighted a release
clause in his current deal which would
allow him to leave next June.
The prospect of seeing another star
quitting Dortmund for the bright lights of
the Allianz Arena would clearly be a third
bitter pill to swallow.
“The two clubs who have shaped
German football in recent years must find
a reasonable basis to work from,” Watzke
told Sport1’s football show �Doppelpass’
yesterday.
“I would never comment on the contract details of a Bayern player. That’s
something you just don’t do.
“It’s legitimate to want to have Marco,
but you don’t have to permanently make
comments in the public domain about
it.
“He’s our player and I expect some
respect, which you can do on a certain
level.”
Rummenigge had previously insisted
Bayern’s transfer policy is to strengthen
their team rather than weaken any rivals.
But Watzke insists Bayern have “come
a long way” in weakening Dortmund after
Borussia won the 2011 and 2012 German
league titles, before Bayern bounced back
by dominating for the last two seasons.
With nearly a third of the season gone,
Dortmund are already 10 points off the
pace in their ambition of a top-three finish
to guarantee next season’s Champions
League place.
Watzke says can potentially cope
without the minimum pay out for playing
in next year’s Champions League’s group
phase, worth €8.6million (RM35.6m) this
season, and he insists they will bounce
back.
“We are economically so strong that
we will make no compromises, we will
march on and attack again,” he said.
The Dortmund boss also insisted coach
Jurgen Klopp has a job guarantee until
his contract expires in June 2018. – AFP
Rummenigge
30
SPORTS – AHEAD OF THE GAME
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
www.thesundaily.my
GLADBACH EQUAL CLUB
UNBEATEN RECORD
Milan stunned
BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH
stayed within four points of Bundesliga
leaders Bayern Munich yesterday when
their 3-1 home win over Hoffenheim
equalled a club record of 17 games
unbeaten this season. Left winger
Patrick Herrmann was Gladbach’s star
at Borussia Park as he set up the first
goal for right winger Andre Hahn, then
netted twice either side of halftime.
After Hahn had put the hosts ahead,
Hoffenheim’s French striker Anthony
Modeste equalised with 30 minutes
gone when he powered past Gladbach
defender Martin Stranzl to fire home.
But Herrmann converted a Hahn cross
just two minutes later, then tapped in
the rebound after Havard Nordtveit’s
freekick was parried with 52 minutes
gone. Gladbach coach Lucien Favre
celebrated his 57th birthday with the
win which equalled the club’s record
from the 1970/71 season of 17 games
unbeaten in all competitions. Hoffenheim are fourth after their first defeat of the season. Borussia finish the
weekend third in the table on goal
difference, but level on 20 points with
VfL Wolfsburg.
> Newly promoted Palermo beat Inzaghi’s team in San Siro
A
C MILAN’S six-match unbeaten run in Serie
A came to an end in spectacular fashion as
promoted Palermo ran out deserved 2-0
winners at a stunned San Siro yesterday.
Following two consecutive draws, Filippo
Inzaghi’s men had been looking for the win that
would have hoisted them up to joint third place
alongside Sampdoria.
But they were stunned by two goals in the
space of three first-half minutes and, despite
battling for the equaliser, were left with a second
defeat of the season which kept them in seventh
place.
Milan are nine points behind leaders Juventus
but only three points off the last Champions
League qualifying spot now occupied by Sinisa
Mihajlovic’s high-flying Samp.
“Hats off to Palermo,” Inzaghi told Sky Sport.
“I take full responsibility for the defeat. We’re
still growing and so there can always be bumps
along the way but maybe we deceived ourselves.”
Milan welcomed �keeper Diego Lopez back to
the starting line-up following several weeks on the
sidelines and midfielder Riccardo Saponara
returned after a six-month injury absence.
But Lopez found himself beaten when
defender Cristian Zapata, who replaced Alex due
to an injury after just three minutes, turned the
ball into his own net from a corner on 23 minutes.
An already enterprising Palermo grew in
confidence and moments later Lopez did well to
stop a shot from striker Paolo Dybala with a
trailing leg.
However the �keeper was left clutching at thin
air when the diminutive Argentinian muscled his
way past Zapata on the left and fired a fine leftfooted strike inside the far post on 26 minutes.
Milan saw several chances go amiss, notably
when Andrea Poli’s attempted chip trailed wide of
the target after Stefano Sorrentino came rushing
out of goal, while Fernando Torres saw a glancing
header skim the post.
The Spaniard also saw a diving header go wide
but the hosts quickly ran out of ideas as Palermo
hung on to record a famous win that had coach
Giuseppe Iachini purring.
“Tonight we played a great game against a
great side. We played with personality and
aggression and deserved the win,” said Iachini.
Earlier, Sampdoria reclaimed third spot thanks
to a 3-1 home win over Fiorentina, while city rivals
Genoa fought back to claim a precious 4-2 away
win at Udinese.
Sampdoria went in for the halftime break 2-1 up
after Angelo Palomba, from the penalty spot, and
Luca Rizzo both opened their account for
Mihajlovic’s side with Stefan Savic reducing the
arrears on the stroke of halftime.
Samp made sure of all three points in the 77th
minute when Eder pounced to beat fellow
Brazilian Neto in the Fiorentina goal.
Sampdoria now trail leaders Juventus by six
points, with Roma in second three points off the
pace.
Mihajlovic told Sky Sport: “Very few people
would have put us in third place after 10 games.”
Napoli, 2-0 winners over Roma on Saturday, sit
in fourth place a point behind Sampdoria with
Genoa moving up to a surprise fifth thanks to an
entertaining comeback win at the Friuli Stadium.
Udinese got off the mark thanks to veteran
striker Antonio Di Natale.
Giovanni Marchese levelled with a great halfvolley on 21 minutes and three minutes later
Falque Iago restored the visitors’ lead.
Silvan Widmer pulled Udinese level four
minutes before the break but Genoa were back in
front when former Juventus and Milan reject
Alessandro Matri struck 10 minutes after the
restart and Juraj Kucka made sure of the points
three minutes from fulltime.
It was Udinese’s second successive defeat after
a 3-0 reverse to Fiorentina in midweek and coach
Andrea Stramaccioni said: “In the past two games
we’ve lost some humility and hunger.” – AFP
AC Milan’s forward from Spain
Fernando Torres (L) fights
for the ball with Palermo’s
defender from Slovenia Sinisa
Andelkovic during their Italian
Serie A match yesterday at the
San Siro Stadium stadium in
Milan. – AFPPIX
MARSEILLE BACK ON
TRACK AHEAD OF
PSG SHOWDOWN
MARSEILLE restored their four-point
lead at the top of Ligue 1 yesterday,
beating Lens 2-1 at the Stade Velodrome despite a less than convincing
display against their struggling visitors.
Nicolas Nkoulou headed Marcelo
Bielsa’s side into an early lead, but
Lens drew level courtesy of Baptiste
Guillaume and had chances to go in
front themselves. However, Florian
Thauvin secured the points with his
third league goal of the season on the
hour-mark as Marseille got back to
winning ways after suffering consecutive defeats in league and cup, holding
on despite the late sending-off of
Alaixys Romao. With 28 points, OM
are four clear of second-placed Paris
Saint-Germain before they face their
great rivals at the Parc des Princes in
the biggest fixture in French football
next Sunday. A positive result in the
capital against the defending champions would set them up for a sustained title challenge, but Bielsa will
accept that his side need to play far
better than they did against Lens if
they are to take anything from PSG.
Nevertheless, the win meant it was a
good finish to a difficult week for the
south-coast club, who fell short of a
club record ninth consecutive league
win by losing at Lyon last weekend
and were then eliminated from the
League Cup at Rennes before a reported bust-up between Andre-Pierre
Gignac and Brice Dja Djedje at the
club’s training ground hinted at divisions in the squad.
Valencia up to second, Sevilla blow chance to move top
VALENCIA moved to within a point of La Liga leaders Real Madrid in second with an impressive 3-1
win away to Villarreal yesterday.
Earlier, Sevilla passed up the chance to move top
as they were beaten 1-0 away to Athletic Bilbao
thanks to Aritz Aduriz’s stunning early strike.
The top five remain separated by just two points
with Valencia and Atletico Madrid a point ahead of
Barcelona and Sevilla.
“The table isn’t that important just now because
only 10 games have been played,” said Valencia
coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
“We are on the right track, but there is a long
way to go. If we want to be in the Champions League
we need to pick up as many points as possible because the Spanish league is very strong and you have
to work hard to achieve your objectives.”
Valencia got off to a flying start at El Madrigal as
Manu Trigueros turned Sofiane Feghouli’s cross into
his own net after just six minutes.
The hosts then went on to enjoy the better of the
opening half but were denied by the in-form Diego
Alves as the Valencia goalkeeper flew to his left to
keep out Denis Cheryshev’s low drive.
Alves made another fine reaction save at the start
of the second period to turn Bruno’s deflected free-
kick behind.
And Valencia took advantage of those reprieves
as Shkodran Mustafi headed home Pablo Piatti’s
cross at the far post to double the visitors’ advantage.
The German international was on hand again to slam
home the third from Feghouli’s low corner seven
minutes later.
Trigueros did at least restore some pride for
Villarreal by slamming home a consolation two
minutes from time, but they remain eighth. Sevilla
failed to take advantage on Barcelona’s lost to Celta
Vigo on Saturday to take top spot at San Mames.
They were beaten 1-0 by Atletico Bilbao. – AFP
RESULTS & STANDINGS
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Aston
Villa 1 (Weimann 16) Tottenham 2
(Chadli 84, Kane 90), Manchester City
1 (Aguero 63) Manchester United 0.
LA LIGA: Athletic Bilbao 1 (Aduriz 12)
Sevilla 0, Villarreal 1 (Trigueros 88)
Valencia 3 (Trigueros 6-og, Mustafi 64,
73), Levante 2 (Barral 25, Casadesus
75) Almeria 1 (Jonathan 70), Elche 2
(Jonathas 19, 52) Espanyol 1 (Stuani
86-pen).
SERIE A: Chievo 0 Sassuolo 0, Sampdoria 3 (Palombo 27-pen, Rizzo 43,
Eder 77) Fiorentina 1 (Savic 45),
Torino 0 Atalanta 0, Udinese 2 (Di
Natale 1, Widmer 41) Genoa 4
(Marchese 21, Iago 24, Matri 54, Kucka
87), AC Milan 0 Palermo 2 (Zapata
23-og, Dybala 26).
BUNDESLIGA: Borussia Moenchengla-
dbach 3 Hoffenheim 1, Cologne 0 Freiburg
1, Paderborn 3 Hertha Berlin 1.
LIGUE 1: Nantes 1 Rennes 1, Bordeaux
2 Toulouse 1, Marseille 2 Lens 1.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
P W D L F A Pts
Chelsea
10 8 2 0 26 10 26
Southampton 10 7 1 2 21 5 22
Man City
10 6 2 2 20 10 20
Arsenal
10 4 5 1 18 11 17
West Ham
10 5 2 3 19 14 17
Swansea
10 4 3 3 13 10 15
Liverpool
10 4 2 4 13 13 14
Tottenham
10 4 2 4 13 14 14
Man Utd
10 3 4 3 16 14 13
Everton
10 3 4 3 19 17 13
West Brom
10 3 4 3 13 13 13
Newcastle
10 3 4 3 11 15 13
Stoke
10 3 3 4 10 12 12
Hull
10 2 5 3 13 14 11
Aston Villa
10 3 1 6 5 16 10
Palace
Leicester
Sunderland
QPR
Burnley
LA LIGA
Real Madrid
Valencia
A. Madrid
Barcelona
Sevilla
Celta Vigo
Malaga
Villarreal
Getafe
Vallecano
Bilbao
Espanyol
Eibar
Almeria
Granada
Deportivo
9
10
9
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
9
10
10
9
10
10
10
2
2
1
2
0
8
7
7
7
7
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
5
1
4
0
2
2
1
1
4
3
2
1
2
2
4
4
3
3
2
4
5
3
7
6
2
1
1
2
2
1
2
4
5
4
5
4
3
5
5
6
13
11
8
9
5
37
23
19
23
17
17
12
14
8
11
7
10
9
8
6
12
16
16
17
20
19
10
9
9
4
10
11
8
12
14
16
12
12
11
12
17
21
9
9
8
7
4
24
23
23
22
22
19
18
14
13
11
11
10
10
9
9
8
Elche
Levante
Sociedad
Cordoba
SERIE A
Juventus
Roma
Sampdoria
Napoli
Genoa
Lazio
AC Milan
Udinese
Inter Milan
Fiorentina
Verona
Torino
Palermo
Sassuolo
Cagliari
Atalanta
Empoli
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
9
10
10
10
10
9
10
10
10
9
10
10
2
2
1
0
8
7
5
5
5
5
4
5
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
2
2
3
5
1
1
4
3
3
1
4
1
3
4
3
3
3
5
3
3
4
6
6
6
5
1
2
1
2
2
3
2
4
3
3
3
4
4
3
4
5
5
10
6
10
8
18
16
12
19
14
16
18
13
15
10
10
7
11
10
14
4
10
22
24
15
18
4
6
6
12
10
9
14
13
12
9
15
9
17
15
12
11
18
8
8
6
5
25
22
19
18
18
16
16
16
15
13
12
12
12
11
9
9
7
Cesena
Parma
Chievo
9 1 3 5 6 15 6
10 2 0 8 14 21 6
10 1 2 7 6 15 5
BUNDESLIGA
B. Munich
10
Wolfsburg
10
M’gladbach 10
Hoffenheim 10
Leverkusen 10
Hanover 96 10
Paderborn
10
Schalke 04
10
Mainz 05
10
Cologne
10
Augsburg
10
E. Frankfurt 10
Hertha Berlin 10
Hamburg
10
Stuttgart
10
Freiburg
10
Dortmund
10
Bremen
10
7
6
5
4
4
5
4
4
3
3
4
3
3
2
2
1
2
1
3
2
5
5
4
1
3
2
5
3
0
3
2
3
3
5
1
4
0
2
0
1
2
4
3
4
2
4
6
4
5
5
5
4
7
5
23
20
15
14
17
7
16
14
13
7
11
17
15
4
14
9
11
12
3
9
5
10
15
11
13
13
12
8
12
19
19
12
23
14
17
24
24
20
20
17
16
16
15
14
14
12
12
12
11
9
9
8
7
7
SPORTS – AHEAD OF THE GAME
31
theSun ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
MAN
4 MAN
MARKING
MANCHESTER CITY
JOE HART: Hardly overworked until he
had to make a couple of magnificent saves
late on from Angel Di Maria and Robin van
Persie. Back to his best.
(7/10)
GAEL CLICHY: A late replacement for
Kolarov, and became more advanced as
the game wore on, playing almost as a leftwinger. Fine pass set up the goal.
8
MARTIN DEMICHELIS: Caught out on a
couple of occasions owing to his lack of
pace but was certainly not overrun against
a blunted United team.
6
VINCENT KOMPANY: Provided a
commanding presence in the centre of the
City defence. Made some crucial
interceptions but was never really rattled.7
PABLO ZABALETA: The Argentine was
his usual dependable self. He kept his
compatriot Di Maria quiet for most of the
match in a solid display.
7
JAMES MILNER: Bombed up and down
the left, and drew the lungeing foul for
which Smalling received his second yellow
card. Continued his great start to the
season.
8
YAYA TOURE: Incredible array of passing
flummoxed his opponents. Behind all his
side’s best work and incisive ball to Clichy
set City on their way to the goal.
8
FERNANDO: Kept City ticking over in
midfield alongside TourГ© and helped the
Premier League champions make sure
their neighbours stayed quiet.
6
JESUS NAVAS: Smashed an effort against
the post but lost out in his battle with Shaw
for most of the match. Not as effective as
his manager would have liked.
6
STEVAN JOVETIC: The Montenegrin
could not celebrate his 25th birthday with
a goal. He was overshadowed by his
spectacular strike partner Aguero.
6
SERGIO AGUERO: Unplayable. United
just could not cope with the tricky forward.
In addition to his goal he could have won
his side two penalties.
9
MANCHESTER UNITED
DAVID DE GEA: Showed bravery and
brilliance on a busy day behind a truly
makeshift defence. City could have had
four goals like last season without him. 7
ANTONIO VALENCIA: Struggled at
right-back in making his first appearance
for nearly a month. Could not get
anywhere near Sergio Aguero at times. 5
CHRIS SMALLING: Lasted just 38 minutes
before being given his marching orders.
The first booking was stupid, the second
well deserved. Can have no complaints. 2
LUKE SHAW: Settling into life at United,
and performed admirably against Navas.
One of the few United defenders to
emerge with any credit.
7
MARCOS ROJO: Made some crucial
blocks in his role as United’s only real
defender before he was forced off in the
56th minute with a shoulder injury.
6
DALEY BLIND: Impressive range of
passing looked to get his side going but
found himself overrun by TourГ© as soon as
United went down to 10 men.
6
MAROUANE FELLAINI: Recent
impressive form ended with woeful
performance. Lucky not to concede a
penalty for a challenge on Aguero. Back to
the Fellaini of last season.
4
ADNAN JANUZAJ: The fall guy because
of Smalling’s red card. Replaced by Carrick
in the 43rd minute, but had been far from
effective before then anyway.
3
WAYNE ROONEY: Looked like someone
who had not played in three matches…
then burst into the game with an
astonishing run. No lack of effort from
midfield.
6
ANGEL DI MARIA: Kept quiet as City
made their extra number count. Floated in
and out of the game in putting up his
worst performance in a United shirt.
4
ROBIN VAN PERSIE: Hardly got a sniff of
the ball until forcing Hart into a late save. It
summed his day up when he was replaced
by 18-year-old James Wilson.
5
Off the bench MICHAEL CARRICK: The
midfielder came on after Smalling’s
dismissal and was deployed as a utility
centre-half. Displayed the assuredness of a
fish out of water.
4
Kane to the rescue
> Late Harry freekick seals the points for Spurs after Christian Benteke red card
BY DAVID HARRISON
T
HEY sang his name for almost an hour and
when manager Mauricio Pochettino
answered the call from the Spurs fans and
sent on Harry Kane, the young striker
responded with a 90th-minute winner which
left the Aston Villa manager, Paul Lambert,
clinging to the wreckage of a season.
The good news for Villa was that they
scored their first goal in nine hours and seven
minutes of football; the bad was that they
relinquished their lead and lost the game in the
last six minutes to goals from Nacer Chadli and
Kane after striker Christian Benteke had been
sent off for slapping Ryan Mason in the face. It
was their sixth straight defeat.
The pressure on Pochettino was almost as
intense as that on Lambert before the game
after two successive league defeats but, even in
victory, there were questions as to why he left it
so late to introduce Kane, who brought some
energy and aggression to an otherwise tepid
attack.
“He [Kane] made a big impact when he
came on,” said the Tottenham manager. “He
scores goals in every competition and I’m
happy for him. He will get more games in the
future.”
Those Villa fans who came to bury Lambert
before the game were on the verge of praising
him. Despite this latest setback, the manager is
under no immediate threat even though it is the
club’s worst run of results for 47 years and they
are two points off the relegation zone.
Lambert was certain the sending-off
changed the course of the game. “I can’t
condone what Christian did but he was
provoked [by Mason],” he said.
“You cannot get away with raising your
hands to an opponent but the lad has put his
head in Christian’s face. We didn’t deserve to
lose that. We were excellent.”
Lambert’s decision to leave out joint top
scorer Gabby Agbonlahor in favour of Charles
N’Zogbia was justified when Villa finally ended
their drought.
The Frenchman was used in a floating role
behind Benteke but it was from a more familiar
wide position that he created the long-awaited
goal after 16 minutes. N’Zogbia skipped past
Danny Rose’s feeble challenge down the right
and his cross was slid into the net by Andreas
Weimann.
Benteke looked to be finding some form and
fitness after his six-month absence with a
ruptured Achilles tendon and his three-game
ban will be a big loss for Villa.
The Spurs fans’ verdict for Pochettino was
abrupt and pointed. They chanted continuously
for Kane, who was left on the bench despite
scoring eight times this season, all of them in
cup competitions.
Pochettino’s half-time change was not the
one the fans wanted. He took off Christian
Eriksen and replaced him with Erik Lamela.
The supporters were not impressed and
responded with chants of “We want our
Tottenham back” and, directed at the Spurs
chairman, “We want Levy out”. They finally got
their wish when Kane replaced the ineffective
Adebayor in the 58th minute.
As the temperatures began to rise Jan
Vertonghen was booked for a lungeing twofooted tackle on Ashley Westwood and that set
the mood for another eruption of tempers,
which led to Benteke’s dismissal.
After a fierce challenge by the striker on
Lamela, Mason intervened and shoved his face
towards the striker, inviting a response.
Benteke obliged with a slap to the midfielder’s
cheek.
Even with 10 men Villa were holding out
Referee Neil Swarbrick (2nd L) shows
the red card to Aston Villa’s striker
Christian Benteke (2nd R) during their
English Premier League match against
Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park
yesterday. – AFPPIX
comfortably until Spurs equalised in the 84th
minute. Lamela’s corner was hit behind the far
post where an unmarked Chadli swept it into
the net.
Even worse was to follow for the home side,
after Carlos Sanchez tripped Andros
Townsend just outside the area. Kane made
sure the moment was his by whipping the
freekick into the net via a huge deflection off
defender Nathan Baker. – The Independent
CHELSEA FANS HIT BACK AT
MOUR’S CRITICISM
JOSE MOURINHO was criticised by his
own supporters yesterday for questioning
their passion and commitment to the
cause in the wake of Chelsea’s 2-1 win
over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
“At this moment it’s difficult for us to
play at home,” Mourinho said on Saturday,
“because playing here is like playing in an
empty stadium.”
Tim Rolls, the chairman of the Chelsea
Supporters’ Trust, responded yesterday:
“I think the manager’s criticisms were
slightly ill-advised because the fans pay
good money to watch highly-paid footballers,” he said. “I don’t think criticising the
fans when the team is top of the league
helps.
“Maybe the team didn’t play particularly well and he was seeking to deflect
attention. Mourinho will have alienated
some people. Others will have agreed with
him.
“On pricing, it’s £50 a game, give or
take. So an awful lot of young people can’t
afford to go very often, clearly that’s a
problem across the Premier League.
“In fact, the atmosphere issue is not
just a Chelsea issue either. We were at
Old Trafford the other week and the atmosphere wasn’t what it was, just as it isn’t
at Liverpool.
REDS WANT �UNIQUE’
GERRARD TO STAY
LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers
insists there is still a role for Steven Gerrard
at Anfield after the club captain raised
doubts over his future.
The 34-year-old joined Liverpool’s
youth academy at the age of nine but his
contract expires in May. He has lifted the
Champions League, the UEFA Cup the
FA Cup twice during his long career.
“I won’t be retiring this summer. I will
play beyond this season,” the midfielder
said. “We will have to wait and see if that’s
at Liverpool or somewhere else. That’s
Liverpool’s decision.”
Gerrard captained the Reds yesterday
as they fell to their fourth Premier League
defeat of the season to Newcastle United
and his manager has no intention of letting
him go easily.
“I explained to Steven’s representative
that I want him to be part of what we’re
doing here,” said Rodgers. “He’s been a
brilliant captain for me. I want to keep him
here.
“I relayed that information to the owners. I’m sure they’ll go away with that and
with Steven’s representatives, hopefully
organise a deal. He’s a unique player and
a unique person.”
Fellaini in clear over Aguero �spit’
BY IAN HERBERT
MANCHESTER UNITED’S Marouane Fellaini is likely to escape
Football Association punishment
for an apparent spitting incident
in his side’s fourth consecutive
Premier League derby defeat,
which left them reflecting on their
worst start to a season in 28
years.
The United manager, Louis van
Gaal, defended the Belgian, who
was at the centre of a similar
controversy when Pablo Zabaleta
lay on the floor during United’s
3-0 derby defeat at Old Trafford
in March.
“I have heard that it is a question on social media,” Van Gaal
said.
“But already the TV has shown
that he is shouting and sometimes
when you shout there’s a little bit
of – what do you call? – saliva [that
comes out] with it. I don’t think
that he’s a spitting figure.”
It was a deeply unsavoury mo-
ment, with Fellani stooping angrily to place his head next to
Aguero’s face, as he lay on the
ground, and seemingly launching
accusations of gamesmanship at
the player, whom he had just
fouled in the area with a kick to
the back of the foot.
The Football Association may
examine the footage but it is unlikely to take action against Fellaini.
There is no emphatic evidence
of deliberate spitting and City
manager Manuel Pellegrini’s
downplaying of the incident may
also be significant.
“No, no, I don’t know about
that. It’s something I don’t know
about,” Pellegrini said.
To the question of whether
Aguero had mentioned the incident he replied: “Maybe.”
Van Gaal’s side’s 13 points
from 10 games is the lowest since
the eight from 10 that earned Ron
Atkinson the sack in the winter of
1986. – The Independent
ON TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4, 2014
04-2627598
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435
> Van Gaal says
beaten United getting
closer
M
ANCHESTER UNITED
manager Louis van Gaal
feels his side are getting
closer to the Premier League’s
leading teams despite having
made their worst start to a season
since 1986.
After drawing 1-1 with League
leaders Chelsea the previous
weekend, United lost 1-0 at derby
rivals Manchester City on Sunday,
with Sergio Aguero scoring the
winning goal after United
defender Chris Smalling was sent
off.
United also lost Argentine
centreback Marcos Rojo to a
dislocated shoulder, but although
the result left the 20-time
champions 13 points adrift of
Chelsea, Van Gaal believes they
are making progress.
“In spite of all the injuries, we
were very close with Chelsea last
week and also this week we were
very close, but not close enough,
and we have to make steps still to
D
improve,” he said.
Aguero struck in the 63rd
minute after Smalling was shown
two yellow cards in the first half
for attempting to block a clearance
by Joe Hart and then sliding in on
James Milner, but United finished
the match strongly.
“Of course as a coach or as a
manager you can be proud of the
last 20 minutes because they
showed unbelievable willpower
and we could have scored at that
moment,” said Van Gaal, who
described Smalling’s dismissal as
“stupid”.
efiant
evils
“I have seen the willpower of
this team that I said to the players
is fantastic, but we have still only
13 points out of 10 games and that
is not so much.”
Van Gaal’s assessment of
United’s display was echoed by his
captain Wayne Rooney, who
played as a deep-lying No. 10 on
his return to the team after a threematch suspension.
“We have to focus on ourselves.
You can see every week we are
getting better,” the England striker
told Sky Sports.
“We are not far away from
Manchester City
goalkeeper Joe Hart
(right) saves at the feet
of Manchester United
midfielder Marouane
Fellaini (left) during
Sunday’s English
Premier League match
at the The Etihad
Stadium. – AFPPIX
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’ve done
everything you
are not
supposed to do
before a
marathon. I had
a Halloween
party three days
ago and came
back at 4 in the
morning. I’ve
been really busy
and last night
didn’t have
much of a
dinner...”
– Tennis star Caroline
Wozniacki on her build-up to
the New York Marathon which
she ran in just under 3 hours
and 27 minutes.
> Hamilton gets
closer
X pg27
> Much to ponder after a frantic derby
X pg28
> Milan stunned
X pg30
04-2627576
being back up there and being a
very good side. We came here for
a result and leave with no points,
so we are disappointed.”
City’s victory brought them
four consecutive league successes
over United for the first time since
1970 and ended a damaging run of
three matches without a win in all
competitions.
The English champions face a
key Champions League fixture at
home to CSKA Moscow
tomorrow and City captain
Vincent Kompany said the victory
over United would allow his team
to approach the game with
confidence.
“The derby win is massive. For
a minute, the League doesn’t
matter,” said the Belgium centreback.
“It is a boost for us and we will
do our job again in the Champions
League on Wednesday.”
City had three strong penalty
appeals waved away before
Aguero turned in Gael Clichy’s
cut-back to claim his 10th goal of
the season, but manager Manuel
Pellegrini refused to criticise
match official Michael Oliver,
saying: “It is very difficult to be a
referee.”
United finished the game with
midfielder Michael Carrick and 19year-old Paddy McNair at
centreback, while an injury to
Rafael da Silva meant that winger
Antonio Valencia started the game
at right-back.
With Phil Jones and Jonny
Evans currently sidelined, Van
Gaal has a defensive headache
ahead of United’s next game at
home to Crystal Palace, but he
believes there is sufficient depth in
his squad to compensate.
“We have a lot of injuries in
defence, as you know, but you
have also seen how Michael
Carrick has come in and Paddy
McNair has come in,” said the
Dutchman.
“We have still 11 players to play
and also very good players, so I
don’t cry for that. It is sometimes
difficult to select the best team,
but I think I can manage that.” –
AFP
Struggling Liverpool faced with rampant Ronaldo
CRISTIANO RONALDO will be
aiming for another record as the
Champions League’s all-time
leading scorer when Real Madrid
host a Liverpool side short on
confidence at the Santiago
Bernabeu today.
Ronaldo’s opener in the
European champions’ 3-0 win at
Anfield two weeks ago took him to
within one goal of Madrid legend
Raul’s 71 Champions League goals.
A 12th consecutive victory in all
competitions would allow Real to
seal their place in the last 16 with
two games to spare in Group B.
Liverpool are tied with Swiss
champions Basel and Champions
League debutants Ludogorets
Razgrad in a battle for second
place on three points.
However, despite suffering a
sixth defeat of the season at
Newcastle on Saturday, Liverpool
boss Brendan Rodgers insisted his
side won’t be overawed by the
task in front of them.
“We’ve worked very hard over
a couple of years to get to this
level... We want to be better and
we need to be better. So the game
Tuesday night is a wonderful
game for us,” he said.
“We’re still very much in the
group to qualify, which is the
objective. It’s a big ask playing
against arguably the best team in
the world at the moment.
“But we’ll go into it with
confidence. The players will be
back up again after Saturday’s
result and we’ll go into that game
looking to get something from it.”
By contrast, Madrid moved to
the top of La Liga for the first time
this season with a 4-0 thrashing of
Granada on Saturday, taking their
goal tally in their 11-game winning
streak to 46.
“We need to continue this run
and we’re very happy with the
way we’re playing. We’re in
incredible form,” said midfielder
Luka Modric.
“We want to be comfortable in
games and we played well against
Granada from the kickoff. The
team wants more and the more
goals we score the more we want.”
Modric’s partnership with Toni
Kroos in central midfield has
rightfully received a lot of praise
for their part in turning Madrid’s
fortunes around after an uncertain
few weeks following the
departures of Xabi Alonso and
Angel di Maria.
“Xabi Alonso was an excellent
player for us, but Kroos and I are
playing better and better every
game,” added the Croatian.
“We’re steadily getting to know
each other and we know what we
want to do on the pitch. I think
that we’re playing very well
defensively.”
The hosts should also be
bolstered by the return of Gareth
Bale after five games out with a
pelvic muscle injury.
The form of Isco and James
Rodriguez during Bale’s absence
is likely to mean that the
Welshman will start on the bench,
but Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti
dismissed suggestions Bale’s
return posed him a selection
dilemma.
“Everyone thinks that Bale is a
problem, but I think he is a player
that will help us to be even better,”
said the Italian. – AFP

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