John Edwards to quit presidential race

AP

John Edwards to quit presidential race

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Tom Cruise getting Ducati superbike

Tom Cruise arrives at the premiere of 'Mad Money' in Los Angeles, in this Jan. 9, 2008, file photo. Cruise is the first on the list to get Ducati's newest motorcycle, a $72,500 superbike bristling with titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber technology that can scoot up to 200 mph. Cruise is scheduled to take delivery of the Desmosedici RR at Beverly Hills Ducati this week. Only 1,500 of the red-and-white Moto GP racing replica motorcycles will be made and Cruise gets the first.

(AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

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Loloq Dies...

Oleh Saharudin Mustafa

Loloq dies in Hospital Pakar Damansara today.

PETALING JAYA 30 Jan. - Penulis lirik terkenal, Loloq atau nama sebenarnya Rosli Khamis meninggal dunia di Hospital Pakar Damansara, di sini hari ini.

Penulis lirik yang berasal dari Singapura itu meninggal dunia pada pukul 1.37 petang akibat pendarahan otak.

US Candidate Presidential Election

AP Photo

Romney, McCain in tight Florida race

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Estranged - Itu Kamu ( AJL 22 - 2008)

The Winner in AJL 22 2008 Estrangedddd....!!!

Mawi - Angan & Sedar (Final AJL 22 - 2008)

Mawi show in AJL 2008.

LATEST!: Suharto dies

JAKARTA, SUN:

Former Indonesian president Suharto died at the Pertamina Hospital in south Jakarta at 1.10pm local time (2.10pm Malaysian time) after slipping into a coma earlier today. He was 86.

The announcement was made by former Minister of State Secretariat Moerdiono over a local radio station to the nation after a team of doctors treating Suharto since Jan 4 confirmed the death of the former Indonesian strongman.
Suharto helmed Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation, for 32 years from 1966 to 1998.
Suharto had been in critical state since admission to the hospital on Jan 4.
Earlier today, the team of specialists attending to Suharto said the former president’s condition turned very critical at 1am, with all his vital organs having failed.
Suharto was breathing with the help of a ventilator, they said.
Moerdiono said Suharto’s children were at his bedside when he died.

by Mohd Nasir Yusoff, BERNAMA
Source :NST 27 january 2008

Malaysia approves TIMEdotcom's 3G transfer to Digi

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 - Malaysia has approved the transfer of telecoms firm Timedotcom's 3G licence to the country's smallest mobile phone firm Digi.Com , Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik said on Friday.

"This is a promoted exercise. The cabinet has agreed to the exercise," he told reporters.

Megat Junid passes away

By : Jennifer Gomez, Marc Lourdes and Shuhada Elis




UMNO STALWART: Megat Junid was a longtime loyalist of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad PETALING JAYA,

Former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub, 65, passed away at 5.25 am today at the Pantai Medical Centre, Bangsar.

Megat Junid succumbed to prostate cancer and secondary cancer of the lungs, in addition to kidney failure.

He is survived by three sons and two daughters from two wives, Puan Sri Faizah Shuaib and Ziela Jalil.

Born at Kampung Bandar Mukim Bandar, Teluk Intan, Perak, on Dec 8 1942, Megat Junid received his education at Sekolah Melayu Air Mati, Teluk Intan and Sekolah Menengah Anderson, Ipoh. He was a teacher and held a Bachelor of Arts honours degree from Universiti Malaya.

Megat Junid has an illustrious career in politics launched by his stint as the special assistant to then Education Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1975.
He then became the political secretary to Dr Mahathir, during the latter’s tenure as Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. His last cabinet post was as Domestic and Consumer Affairs Minister between 1997 and 1999.

He became an UMNO supreme council member in 1987 and was made UMNO Information Chief in 2002.

Megat Junid was chairman of Stemlife Bhd until May 2007. He was also president of the Kuala Lumpur Football Association.

He will be buried today at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetary after zohor prayers.

Among those who turned up to pay their last respects were Dr Mahathir, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and UMNO Information Chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Dr Mahathir, who was there for an hour in the morning with Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, described Megat Junid as a very good political secretary.

Although he smiled throughout the interview, Dr Ma hathir’s voice broke a few times.

Muhammad Taib hailed Megat Junid as a person who went around meeting grassroot leaders to explain fundamental policies to them.

“He was jovial and a very good speaker,” he added.

Ong described Megat Junid as a caring and helpful colleague and friend.

Others who turned up were former deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam, former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zain uddin, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, former Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Umno Youth exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

Mukhriz, who described Megat Junid as a stalwart, said he represented Dr Mahathir very well during his tenure as political secretary.

“I was young and he was Uncle Megat to me. He was always in our house and very close to our family, Mukhriz said. "He was a loyalist to my father till the very end. Even last year, he attended the Perdana Global Peace Forum in a wheelchair."

Dr Ling, who used to play golf regularly with Megat Junid, described him as a good friend of 30 years.

Samy Vellu said that he was a "man of his words" and proved that a "minister could have humanity".

An Unfair Report by AFP...

Malaysian Indians boycott Hindu festival

AFP - Wednesday, January 23

Malaysian Indians boycott Hindu festival

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - - Malaysian Indians stayed away in droves from a popular Hindu festival Wednesday, in a boycott linked to allegations of discrimination by the nation's majority Muslim Malays.

The colourful Thaipusam festival, during which devotees pierce their bodies with hooks and skewers, usually attracts more than a million people to Kuala Lumpur's Batu Caves temple, set in a spectacular limestone cavern.

But this year activists called on Hindus to celebrate elsewhere, accusing temple managers of assisting police who cracked down hard on a demonstration there last November, using tear gas and water cannons.

The crowds were thin Wednesday, numbering only in their tens of thousands, thanks to the boycott call and the prospect of more trouble.

A series of SMS text messages had called on ethnic Indians who did turn up to use their sandals to pelt political leaders including Samy Vellu, the leader of the Malaysian Indian Congress which is a member of the ruling coalition.

The veteran politician, who has sided with the government and been accused of neglecting the interests of his constituents, insisted there were at least half a million people at the complex and a million the day before.

"I have come to Thaipusam since I was 11 years old. I know the crowd. It is the same as before," he told reporters at Batu Caves.

"I don't think religious people who went to pray to Lord Murugan will listen to all the naughty fellows," he said of the SMS campaign.

"Who can threaten us? Anyone who threatens us we can find out where he is. It takes only five hours to find out where he is. They can't run away from us."

Stallholders and devotees lamented the small turnout and said ethnic Indians should work together to promote their cause.

"The crowd is normally double or triple this size. Now it's so small, so there is not so much of a great mood this time," said N. Kumaran, 41, a civil servant who has taken part in the festival for the past 14 years.

Sweet seller Joga Singh said that with the crowds so thin he and other vendors were not making any money this year.

"I think many people are afraid to come because of the SMS to boycott. Our business is suffering because of it," he told AFP.

At least 3,000 ethnic Indians gathered in the temple grounds to protest in November, and more than 8,000 people massed elsewhere the following day in unprecedented scenes that shocked the government.

In December it jailed five ethnic Indian activists under draconian internal security legislation that allows for detention without trial.

Malays, who make up 60 percent of the country's 27 million population, control the government while ethnic Chinese, who make up 26 percent of the population, dominate business.

Ethnic Indians, who make up 8.0 percent of the population, complain they run a distant third in terms of wealth, opportunities and education

exact news source

MalaysianChoice - This report sounds not so good. They trying to break the malaysian community. No where in this world can handle the country with multiple races control the government like malaysia. This report is not good. They should show the colourful of this thaipusam festival...+ report gain a positive mindet to all.

malaysian-choice : choose harmonic report for all races.

Top-up card costs 50 sen extra

KANAGEARAJAN, of Kuala Lumpur, was surprised when he was asked to pay an extra 50 sen for the RM10 DiGi reload card.

He says this happened at a DiGi booth in front of the Puduraya bus stop.

“When I asked for the RM10 top-up card, the seller asked me to pay RM10.50.

“When I asked why, his reply was ‘If you don’t want it, you can leave.’”

“Is this a new practice by operators of DiGi outlets?”

A DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd spokesman says DiGi agents do not charge extra for reload coupons.

“Our investigation showed that the booth which sold the reload card to KANAGEARAJAN is not an authorised DiGi outlet,” she says.

”We advise our customers to report the matter to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and give them the names and addresses of such outlets,” she says.

Megat Junid meninggal dunia

Oleh Normala Zulkifli

Kuala Lumpur 24 Jan. - Bekas Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayob, 65, meninggal dunia pada pukul 5.25 pagi tadi di Pusat Perubatan Pantai, Bangsar.

Anak Allahyarham, Megat Firdaus memberitahu Utusan Malaysia jenazah bapanya akan dikebumikan selepas sembahyang zuhur hari ini di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Bukit Kiara.

Malaysian PM tips election losses

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23, 2008 (AFP) - Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has conceded that the ruling coalition is unlikely to score a repeat of its 2004 landslide victory in the next general elections.

Abdullah is expected to hold a ballot in March, but faces an array of negative factors including public anger over rising food and fuel prices, unprecedented street protests, and problems within coalition parties.

Asked if he was confident of the 14-party National Front coalition repeating its stunning 2004 election victory, Abdullah said: "I don't think so. If I get (a repeat), I'll be very, very happy, (but) I'm very practical."

According to the state Bernama news agency, Abdullah said late Tuesday that the 2004 results garnered after he replaced former leader Mahathir Mohamad were an exception as the change had brought about high hopes.

"There were high expectations, a lot of things to change, but I cannot change everything and there was an expectation," he said in acknowledgement of feelings that he has failed to fulfil some of his core promises.

"This has to be done, that has to be done. It's not that we have not done anything, I've started to implement practically everything that I promised," he said.

"I have started to do it and it is in the process of being implemented. That's what we are doing."

The government has been shaken by rare public demonstrations which erupted last November, targeting a variety of causes including alleged discrimination against Malaysia's ethnic Indians, and electoral reform.

There is also discontent over the government's warning it will have to remove costly fuel subsidies, and anger over spiralling food prices and periodic shortages of staples including flour and oil.

After a resounding victory in 2004, which reversed losses made in 1999, commentators say the pendulum is likely to swing against the government again.

The ruling United Malays National Organisation has led the National Front coalition in government for half a century.

Malaysia urges global community to make Israel lift blockade on Gaza

AP - Wednesday, January 23

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia, which chairs the world's largest Islamic bloc, urged the global community Tuesday to make Israel lift its blockade of Gaza strip before it turns into a humanitarian catastrophe.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who chairs the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference, condemned the blockade and the closing of all border closings between Israel and Gaza as "inhumane."

"The Palestinians have the right of access to food, fuel and medicine. The inhumane action by the Israelis would make the living conditions of the Palestinian people even more unbearable," Abdullah said in a statement.

The blockade has "exacerbated the already worsening humanitarian crisis in the area and this will cause a humanitarian catastrophe," he warned.

Abdullah also called on the United Nations to hold an open-ended session of the U.N. Security Council so that other countries could participate on the debate on Gaza.

Israeli has already eased the blockade _ imposed in response to a sharp increase in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants _ after Gaza's Hamas government and aid agencies warned of an impending humanitarian crisis.

On Tuesday, Israel delivered fuel for Gaza's only power plant, which provides electricity to about one-third of Gaza's 1.5 million residents. Other areas of Gaza are supplied directly by Israel and Egypt, neither of which cut off service.

Malaysia PM says repeat of massive 2004 mandate unlikely in next polls

By EILEEN NG,Associated Press Writer AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's leader said Tuesday his coalition would not be able to repeat its huge electoral success of 2004, as he stepped up preparations for the next polls, widely expected in March.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's National Front coalition won 196 of the 219 parliamentary seats in the 2004 elections, held about five months after he took over the reins from Mahathir Mohamad who had been in office for 22 years.

Abdullah said the previous results "were exceptional." The massive mandate Abdullah received was largely attributed to the euphoria over a new beginning and his promises of a more open, efficient and clean government.

Asked if he could match the 2004 results, Abdullah said, "I don't think so. If I get, I will be very happy. I am being very, very practical."

He was speaking to reporters after a two-hour meeting with middle-level leaders of his United Malays National Organization, the dominant party in the National Front coalition. The front is made up of 14 parties representing the different ethnic groups in this multiracial nation, but most power is with UMNO, which represents the majority Muslim Malays.

Tuesday's meeting came a day after Abdullah met with top members of National Front's constituents.

Abdullah refused to say when he would call elections, or what sort of results he expects. The National Front has governed Malaysia since independence in 1957 and is expected to win again easily.

Abdullah said he reminded the UMNO workers that they should not do anything to damage the party's name.

"We want to get the mandate to continue our work to implement what we have done," Abdullah said.

The comments indicated that the party is gearing for snap elections, which are not due until mid-2009. Local media have reported that the polls will most likely be held during school holidays in mid-March, when school buildings would be required for use as polling booths.

He acknowledged there are shortcomings in the government and problems in the country.

"There were expectations for a lot of things to change. But I cannot change everything. There was expectation that this has to be done, that has to be done. It is not that we haven't done anything. I have begun implementing practically everything that I have promised," he said.

Among the biggest challenges facing the government are inflation, rising crime and tensions in the society because of frustrations among minority Indians, who feel they are not getting a fair share of the national wealth.

However, Indians form only 8 percent of the population and do not have enough clout or numbers to drastically effect the poll results.

Separately, Mahathir told reporters that the National Front "will surely win."

"No doubt about that. I don't know about the percentage ... but it will be a substantial victory," he said.

Malaysia's Islamic-run state to strictly separate lines for men, women in supermarkets

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's only state run by the Islamic opposition party will get stricter about enforcing separate lines for men and women at supermarkets since many shoppers have been flouting the rule, an official said Tuesday.

Authorities in the northern state of Kelantan _ governed by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party _ will fine supermarkets and shops if they let men and women use the same lines at checkout counters, said party spokesman Anual Bakri Haron.

He said Chief Minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat has called for stricter enforcement "to safeguard the ladies" from being harassed and to avoid close proximity between opposite sexes while lining up to buy groceries.

"He wants the enforcement to be looked into thoroughly," Anual told The Associated Press.

Kelantan is the only Malaysian state governed by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. The rest are ruled by the National Front coalition, which is made up of various parties representing Malaysia's different ethnic groups.

The coalition is dominated by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's United Malays National Organization party, which draws its support from the ethnic Malay Muslims who account for 60 percent of the country's 27 million people.

The Islamic opposition party, which has ruled Kelantan for more than 17 years, imposed the separate lineup rule as part of its agenda to promote Islamic values. In recent years, however, people ignored the regulation and there was little enforcement.

Drinking coffee may lower ovarian cancer risk: study

LONDON (Reuters) - Caffeine appears to lower a woman's chances of developing ovarian cancer, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday, while smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol do not.

The benefit for caffeine drinkers also seemed strongest for women who had never used oral contraceptives or postmenopausal hormones, the researchers wrote in the journal Cancer.

"With regard to caffeine and caffeine-containing beverages, we generally observed a lower risk of ovarian cancer with increasing intake," Shelley Tworoger of Harvard Medical School and colleagues wrote.

Worldwide there are more than an estimated 190,000 new cases of ovarian cancer each year, a disease more common after age 50. Women often have mild or no symptoms until the disease has progressed.

Previous studies have linked caffeine consumption with lowered cancer risk but the researchers said further work was needed to determine the biological reasons driving the protective benefits they found in ovarian cancer.

The team examined data taken from health questionnaires of more than 121,000 women aged 30-35 as part of a Utah study.

The researchers found no significant link between current or past smoking or drinking and overall ovarian cancer risk, though cigarettes seemed to raise the likelihood of one rare form of the disease.

Risk also appeared to decline the more total caffeine and coffee a woman consumed, the study found. Decaffeinated coffee had no apparent benefit.

"The possibility that caffeine may reduce ovarian cancer risk, particularly for women who have not previously used exogenous hormones, is intriguing and warrants further study, including an evaluation of possible biological mechanisms," the researchers wrote.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Janet Lawrence)