Nuke expert: Lynas plant is safe

WHERE once people depended on simple electronic appliances and gadgets to complete their task, today, life has been made much easier with the presence of devices such as smart phones, which offer a variety of applications and services at your fingertips.

Several conditions breached in anti-Lynas rally: Police

Police will ask the organiser of the Himpunan Hijau 2.0 to explain why several conditions were breached during the the rally held at Kuantan Municipal Council 4 (MPK4) field here today.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Jasmani Yusoff said the organiser had failed to comply to some of the conditions, including allowing several groups to march to the venue while several opposition leaders had delivered political speeches at the event.

Jasmani said police also regretted the organiser's action to allow children below 15 to join the two-hour rally.

Not everyone is racist, says historian Dr M’s race rhetoric unwarranted

Most Malaysians identify themselves according to their ethnicity, but not all Malaysians are racists.

Historian Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim (pic) told The Malay Mail yesterday former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had exaggerated by saying all Malaysians were racists.

“He is speaking as a politician. Not everyone is racist, but a majority of Malaysians are not brought up to distinguish the difference between nationality and ethnicity,” he said.

“They still think ethnicity is more important than nationality.

Big crowd at MPK4 field for anti-Lynas demo

Protestors buying anti-rare earth merchandise at the field

Among the Anti-Lynas protesters in Kuantan

Protestors lay on the road at Maju Junction

A huge crowd has gathered at the MPK4 field here for the Himpunan Hijau 2.0 anti-Lynas rare earth plant protest.

The protestors, most of them in light green attire, have been assembling at various locations leading to the field before marching in groups.

Sex, babies and books

Too graphic: Khairun believes there is a distinction between children’s sex educational books and pornography and he believes the book Where Did I Come From? is of the latter category. — Bernama


Many parents dread it when their young ones ask them where they came from. Some parents relied on a children's sex education book aptly titled Where Did I Come From? but the book has since been banned for its graphic content.

MUMMY, where did I come from?” When her daughter asks this question, says a freelance copywriter who wishes to be known only as Suet, she will be prepared with the right answer.

“I will talk about sex with my daughter as soon as she starts asking questions,” says Suet, 29.

“I would rather my child learned about sex from me than from other sources such as the media.”

Keep calm, and wear a sarong

Random Alphabets strikes again with their latest get-together called Keretapi Sarong where people put on their sarung and take a train trip to KLCC.

Mat Zain: ‘No doubt’ Shahrizat’s husband, children committed multiple CBT

Former senior police officer Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim asserted today that the National Feedlot Corporation’s (NFCorp) controversial condominium purchases are clear examples of CBT (criminal breach of trust), adding the Attorney-General should have “no doubt” of this when deciding whether to press charges.

Mat Zain said that based on provisions in Section 409 of the Penal Code, the husband and children of minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who run the NFCorp, should each be slapped with numerous counts of CBT.

If convicted, the former KL CID chief said they would be liable to a jail term of between two and 20 years, whipping and a fine.

Highest turn-out ever for MCA anniversary

The MCA's 63rd anniversary celebrations here on Sunday has seen the highest turn-out yet.

More than 3,000 party central delegates attended the celebrations, which started at 10am at Wisma MCA here.

Rally attracts over 5,000 protesters against Lynas plant

Various shades of green were spotted at the Kuantan Municipal Council field here as more than 5,000 supporters of Himpunan Hijau 2.0 gathered to protest against the construction of Lynas Corporation's rare earth processing plant in Gebeng.

The rally is part of an ongoing effort to stop the construction of the RM2.5 billion Australian-owned plant, citing health concerns from its radioactive waste.

The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) has given the company 10-months to submit plans for the permanent disposal facility, which is among conditions the company has to fulfil for a temporary operating liscense.

AELB has also ordered Lynas to pay USD50,000 (RM150,752) in installments over five years as a guarantee.

1 Care merely ‘upgrade’ of current healthcare system, says minister

1 Care merely ‘upgrade’ of current healthcare system, says minister
The health minister today denied 1 Care would force Malaysians to contribute 10 per cent of their salaries to finance the scheme

Putrajaya’s controversial 1 Care proposal is merely an “upgrade” of Malaysia’s current two-pronged healthcare system, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today.

The health minister told reporters that any discussion of 1 Care was “premature”.

He repeatedly stressed that the matter is at a “discussion level” in what appears to be an attempt to allay the public’s alarm and fury following disclosures on the internet by prominent healthcare professionals, including those who were involved in talks with the government over 1 Care’s execution as far back as three years ago.

KFC food fight not racial, says witness

Ng (centre) giving his version of events during a press conferernce on February 9 2012


It was hunger and not racism that triggered a fight at a KFC outlet in neighbouring i-City, Shah Alam, a witness to the quarrel said today.

The witness, who only wanted to be known as Jes6366, recorded a 28-second long fight scene between an unhappy customer and KFC workers, which she uploaded on video-sharing site Youtube earlier this week.

The video went viral and prompted an uproar that saw social media users taking sides between the customer and the workers, which soon spiraled into allegations of racism.

Danny Ng, the man who had been assaulted in the incident, had since stepped forward and urged for calm, asking the public not to fan racial sentiments.

Jes6366, who had been queuing up for the famous fried chicken, backed Ng and said no racial slurs had been hurled during the fight to qualify a racial debate.

“There were no racial words that were mentioned in the fight, but Danny was speaking in a pretty loud voice and maybe that’s what provoked the KFC worker and made him angry,” she told a news conference organised by Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers here.

House funding scheme not detrimental to EPF contributors, says Najib

House funding scheme not detrimental to EPF contributors, says Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the amount of financing for the scheme is not big compared to the funds with EPF.

"The scheme does not undermine the interests of EPF because the value of the housing units in the market is far higher than the purchase price.

Festive mood at national-level Chinese New Year open house

A celebrative mood fills the air as thousands of Perakians thronged the Sitiawan airfield for the national-level Chinese New Year open house.

Shahrizat says will stay on as Wanita chief

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said today that she would not bow down to pressure from any quarters to resign as Wanita Umno chief.

Shahrizat said it was nothing unusual for political leaders to face pressure and that this was all part and parcel of politics.

"If there are people who know the workings of Wanita Umno and are calling me to quit, it must be because they have their own agendas," she said when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here today.

She said the quit calls would not dampen her spirit but only make her stronger in continuing to serve society.

As to her Cabinet post, Shahrizat said she was leaving this to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to decide. "I respect his (Najib's) leadership. So the decision whether I should remain in the Cabinet or not is up to him."

Health D-G: 1Care won't burden public

The Health Ministry has given an assurance that the 1Care 1Malaysia health concept would not burden the public with undue costs.

Director-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said discussions and consultations on the types of financial arrangement and implication to the Government, taxpayers and individuals were ongoing to propose an acceptable healthcare financing model.

"Thus, any assumption or conjecture on the mode of financial impact for the individual tax payer is very premature at this stage, as discussions are being held at the moment to ensure a positive and workable model," he said in a statement here Friday.

Sugar deal inked above market price as subsidy bill spikes

Malaysia signed a long-term sugar supply deal at a fixed price of US$26 (RM78.20) per hundred pounds last month despite global prices for the commodity hovering around US$23, resulting in a hike in the subsidy bill.

A Cabinet minister said today that the country would benefit if prices go up.

The market price for sugar is expected to remain soft for the next six months due to ample supply, according to most traders.

The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister told reporters today that Putrajaya’s decision to raise the sugar subsidy and keep its RM2.30 per kilogramme peg is due to a three-year-long contract it signed in January 2012.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government had struck a deal, until 2014, to buy sugar at US$0.26 per pound.

He added that the contract would benefit Malaysians should market prices increase in the future.

Citizen-led healthcare coalition says no to 1Care

A healthcare coalition has called the government to review healthcare reforms as proposed under the 1Care for 1Malaysia transformation plan after highlighting its implications.