Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Showbiz: Reality show on spiritual women

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Solehah, hosted by Irma Hasmie (left) and Nurul Iman, is TV AlHijrah’s first reality TV show with a focus on virtuous women
Solehah, hosted by Irma Hasmie (left) and Nurul Iman, is TV AlHijrah’s first reality TV show with a focus on virtuous women
THOSE tired of flashy and extravagant reality TV shows like American Idol and America’s Next Top Model can now look forward to something more spiritual and wholesome.

TV AlHijrah has produced Solehah, a new show that aims to showcase the feminine mystique as a sacred and valuable means to spread the universal tenets of Islam.

Sharing a similar concept to Astro Oasis’ Imam Muda, which is now in its second season, the difference lies in its focus on producing female role models to the community.


Solehah, which features women in a positive and modest light, is TV AlHijrah’s first reality TV show. It debuted on Sept 23 and will run for 13 episodes.
Viewers can tune in to Solehah on TV AlHijrah (Astro Channel 114) every Friday at 8.30pm as well as online at www.tvalhijrah.com.


The show features 10 candidates, selected from 600 Muslim women, from various backgrounds across the nation, who were auditioned in June.

They were chosen for their versatility in spreading the teachings of Islam through oral and written formats and their strong physical and mental capabilities.

One unique aspect of this reality TV show that diverges from the norm is that all candidates will be kept till the last episode.

Solehah consists of a live telecast session and pre-recorded location shoots that feature the candidates’ diary activities at Solehah Madrasah and the tasks that they have to complete.

Solehah Madrasah is where the candidates will attend classes to enhance their knowledge of Islam and fine-tune aspects of their mannerism, public speaking as well as communication skills.

They will also be assigned with a series of tasks both individually and in group, to test their endurance, abilities and personalities.

Throughout the programme, the candidates are supervised by four mentors and a panel of three jurists.

Solehah is presented as an informal Islamic educational show in a laid-back fashion.

Rare crab re-appears in Malacca

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MALACCA: The re-appearance of a rare species of crab along the shores here has caused a stir among the people, especially Christians, due to a cross-like mark on its shell.

The crustacean, with the scientific name Charybdisferiatus, is a species of Malacostraca and is mainly found in Malaysian and Indonesian waters.

It was reportedly last seen in the Straits of Malacca in the 1960s.

Sparking frenzy: A fisherman holding the rare crab (left) next to a normal crab. The rare crab was reportedly last seen in the Straits of Malacca in the 1960s.

The species is different from another commonly found species in the state and which also has a cross on its shell.

A fisherman from Tengkera here hauled a dozen of these crabs on Sunday, sparking a frenzy among locals who rushed to buy the crabs.

The fisherman, who only wanted to be known as Man, 65, said the crabs were considered scarce.

He claimed that the crab was last caught in small numbers in the late 1960s.

“Only minimal quantities of the crabs were caught. Many locals don't buy them to eat, but to preserve the shell as it's considered sacred,” Man said.

State Rural Development and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk R. Perumal said the state would ask the Fisheries Department to record and monitor the landings of the rare crab.

“We may conserve the crab by breeding it,” he added.

A marine biologist, who declined to be named, said the crabs became rare after rapid development along the state coastline led to the deterioration of the mangrove swamps where the crabs thrived.

Legend has it that Saint Francis Xavier was sailing to Malacca from an Indonesian island sometime in the 16th Century when he was caught in a storm in the Straits of Malacca.

He then dipped his crucifix into the sea and prayed to God to calm the raging storm.

However, the crucifix slipped from his grip and fell into the sea. He prayed that he could get it back.

When he reached the shores of Malacca safely, St Francis saw a crab crawling on the beach and clutching the same crucifix between its claws.

Surprised, St Francis knelt down and recovered his crucifix.

He blessed the crab and the sign of a cross then appeared on its back.

Searching for the M'sian Susan Boyle

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It's a 'yes' for the Shahabuddin sisters.

It's a 'yes' for the Shahabuddin sisters.


By Steven Patrick

Looks aren’t everything…

At least, that’s what the producers of new TV3 programme Vokal: Bukan Sekadar Rupa, feel.

Executive producer and judge Muhd Sufian Isa says, “Most vocal competitions are not about ‘just the vocals’ but also the looks and the package.”

“On this programme, we are looking for the voice, pure and simple. You know…we would like to find our version of Susan Boyle…” he adds.

The plain looking Susan Boyle skyrocketed to fame purely on the strength of her vocals after being discovered on Britain's Got Talent programme, in 2009.

600 'aesthetically challenged' participants attended the first round of the Vokal audition sessions, in the hopes of being discovered.

Of that, 14 participants were selected to proceed to the second stage and get a chance of competing for the grand prize of RM50,000.

Among those selected for the second stage of the competition were sisters Isra and Irmiza Shahabuddin.

Isra, 24, said she had tried out for the Mentor competition before but was turned down because she sang old songs.

“That was last year. I only knew songs like those of P.Ramlee and Saloma and I was rejected. So I spent a year learning new songs by people like Alicia Keys,” said the classical voice student.

At the audition for Vokal: Bukan Sekadar Rupa, she impressed the judges with her vocal technique but they told her to put more soul into it.

“Soul and feel is what I have to work on and I will!” she says.

Her younger sister, Irmiza, 21, who is a business student, learnt to sing from her.

Irmiza also impressed the judges with a version of Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy.

"I had to. They told me that if I couldn't sing like my sister, I could just leave..."

However, there were many hopefuls who left the judges unimpressed too.

“We need people to sing 12 notes, not one!” quipped judge and music producer Ajai to a hopeful.

Vokal: Bukan Sekadar Rupa will air on Oct 16 at 9pm on TV3. Singer/actress Erra Fazira will be one of the judges.

Survey: 80% S'poreans have unsafe sex

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Eight in 10 Singaporeans have sex with a new partner without using contraception.

Another 25 per cent believe in at least one contraception myth - for example, that having a shower after sex can prevent pregnancy.

These findings come from a regional survey of 1,800 young adults across nine countries.

The survey was conducted among young adults aged 20 to 35 years old by Bayer Healthcare earlier in July to mark World Contraception Day on Monday.

Pink fried chicken necklace, anyone?

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Someone should call PETA.

Rap star Nicki Minaj was spotted wearing a necklace made out of fried chicken while performing in Las Vegas over the weekend.

The American rapper performed a selection of her Pink Friday hits, including Super Bass and Where Them Girls At at the Nevada-based iHeartRadio festival while wearing some fried chicken painted pink.

She used the poultry to accessorise her corseted tutu and bright pink wellies combination, while showing off her blonde back-combed hair do.

Her dancers appeared in an array of costumes including school girls, nurses and can-can dancers.

US millionaire kills wife

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A millionaire developer who lived in the same central Florida neighbourhood as Tiger Woods and other celebrities was convicted of murdering his wife in their mansion.

The six jurors deliberated more than 12 hours over two days before finding Bob Ward guilty of second-degree murder.

Ward was stoic as the verdict was read.

Before the verdict, he hugged his two college-aged daughters as the girls wept.

He faces up to life in prison when he's sentenced in November.

Ward was accused of shooting of his wife, Diane, in September 2009.The slaying happened days before she was to give a deposition in a lawsuit alleging that he blew millions of dollars on big houses and expensive cars while his business failed.

Defence attorneys said that Ward's wife was suicidal, and that he was trying to stop her from killing herself.

Ward never took the stand in his defence.

A book on the natural attractions of Perak

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The natural treasures of Perak is showcased in a new book.

WHEN the idea of a coffee-table book on the natural attractions of the state of Perak was broached, photographer Omar Ariff Kamarul Ariffin was doubtful if he could get the job done. But he need not have worried. In the end, the book is a hefty 320-pages thick and he reluctantly had to leave out many images.

“I would have continued photographing, if I hadn’t stop myself,” confesses the 45-year-old photographer. “Initially, I was sceptical as the only well-known nature spot in Perak is the Belum forest. And you usually associate nature photography with Sabah, Sarawak and Taman Negara. But after researching, I found that the state has many interesting places.”

Perak eventually offered Omar a diverse range of landscapes to shoot at, from the archaeological dig at Lenggong Valley to the limestone caves of Kinta Valley, lowland forests of Lata Kekabu and Ulu Kenas, mangroves of Lumut and Matang, highland forest of Bukit Larut, riverine reserves of Sungai Perak, and even the mining ponds of Batu Gajah.

Up close: Photographed at the Bukit Slim Forest Reserve in Ulu Slim, Perak, the Indo-Chinese rat snake is a ground-dweller and preys on rodents and frogs. – Pics courtesy of Omar Ariff Kamarul Ariffin

The result is that Perak – The Natural Heritage brims over with stunning images of birds, insects, snakes, lizards, frogs, tortoises and mammals which inhabit the state’s wilderness.

The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah had commissioned the book to promote the state’s unique natural wonders. In the foreword, he wrote of a childhood spent exploring the state’s stunning natural and historical features, which cultivated in him a love and appreciation of the environment.

“The book offers a glimpse into the astounding natural treasures of Perak and it is my hope that it will persuade many readers to visit this beautiful state,” he wrote.

Omar says the book gives readers an idea of the different and varied wildlife of Perak. “The landscapes are different and so are the animals. I am extremely lucky that Tuanku has given me the chance to come out with the book.”

Perak – The Natural Heritage offers readers a glimpse of the richness of Perak’s wildlife.

Nature fascinates the photographer who has two previous publications – Pusaka Bumi and Corak (patterns in nature up close, compiled with proverbs from 80 countries) – on the topic, out of the nine that he has published over a span of 15 years.

“(With nature) you never know what to expect. It is not like photographing the F1 (which he has done several times) where you know what is to come, when the car will turn round the bend. You can set your camera up, chit-chat with people, and then press the trigger at the right time. In the forest, it is never the same. The scenery, the kind of animals you see, they are different with each visit and changes, before and after a downpour.”

Fresh angles

This is not the first coffee-table book featuring Perak’s natural attractions but Omar made his different by his trademark close-up angles. This renders stunning shots such as those detailing the elaborate scales of a snake’s body, the rainbow of hues on the agamid lizard and the aggressive stance of the mantis about to pounce on an attacker.

(With nature) you never know what to expect - OMAR ARIFF KAMARUL ARIFFIN

“I don’t like it to be obvious, (for) then it becomes predictable. That’s what I like about nature photography,” says Omar, who honed his skills in macro photography in the marine realm when he was a dive instructor in the 1990s. He ventured into photography full-time in the late 1990s, shooting special events and commissioned projects, such as the Petronas four-wheel drive expeditions which took him to Africa and Siberia.

He started work on Perak – The Natural Heritage in early 2008, finally completing it two and a half years later. To ensure a top-notch product, he fussed over the project and made it a point to work with an acclaimed publisher and sought out quality paper and binding. So readers are rewarded with a visual feast of photos so brilliant and sharp that the animals appear life-like; you can even make out the fines lines on the Asian fairy bluebird’s plumage and the specks of dirt on the fire-tufted barbet’s bill.

Flipping through his book is like going armchair trekking: you get to see a myriad of creatures without having to don boots or work up a sweat. In fact, these are creatures you are unlikely to spot in the forest, either for lack of a sharp eye or because you just do not know where to look.

Omar has portrayed cryptic creatures which otherwise would have gone unnoticed or are too well-camouflaged to be discernible: the glow worm which is actually a stick-like beetle; the katydid that mimics a leaf; the mantis that could pass off as an orchid bloom; and the bristle-sporting David Bowie spider.

And hard as it may be to like the tiger leech, it actually is quite pretty when magnified, sporting brilliant stripes of red, yellow and green.

The long-tailed macaque at Matang Mangrove Reserve is also known as the crab-eating macaque but here, it is prying open a cockle.

To best capture nature, Omar took time to study and understand animal behaviour. “That’s also what makes nature interesting. You learn along the way. And you have to let the animals get comfortable with you.”

To shoot a mangrove crab, for instance, he waited patiently in his boat for over 15 minutes until the crab emerged from the mudflats and slowly climbed up a tree.

The quest for perfection saw him seeking out different facets of animal behaviour. The Indo-Malayan bamboo rat was snapped with its mouth agape and the long-tailed macaque, while prying open a cockle. One shot has readers staring into the throat of the mangrove snake while in another, the blue-winged pitta grappled with a wriggling worm.

Helpful guides

He photographed the animals in their natural habitats, and mostly at night as that is the time when his favourite subjects, frogs and geckos, are most active. Also, the cloak of darkness gives his images a clean, uncluttered background. He explains that it is also easier to shoot birds at night as they will be perched and sleeping.

I had to pose THE question: Did he see any tigers?

“No, didn’t even hear them. You’ll have to be very lucky to see or hear them.”

The horned tree lizard from Bukit Slim Forest Reserve changes colour to blend into its surroundings.

But the forests of Perak have lots of other wild and rare inhabitants to excite him, such as the green land snail that is found only in the state, the leaf insect that exists only in the vicinity of Jalan Pahang (on the way to Cameron Highlands), and other seldom-sighted species such as the vampire crab and cinnamon tree frog.

Many were spotted only because of his knowledgeable and sharp-eyed orang asli guides whom he depended on totally while in the jungle environment, which can be harsh at times. They were the ones who kept him safe and helped weed out rare wildlife for him to photograph.

“When you’re in the jungle, you really want to be with people you trust, people who can help you find your way out should you get lost. To really appreciate the place you’re going to, you need to have the sifu (expert) of the place,” says Omar.

He also has his guides to thank for reaching some really wild, obscure places, such as the forests of Ulu Slim in southern Perak, where few have ventured. There, Omar photographed the rarely-visited Menau Falls which is accessible only by four-wheel drive, and animals such as the striped coral snake, mahogany frog and banded kingfisher.

He has also entered caves with beautifully lit chambers which few have stepped into, and reachable only with the right guide. Shooting caves prove to be a real challenge.

The mangrove snake, photographed at the Mangrove Park in Lumut, is also known as the gold-ringed cat snake. This aggressive serpent has a mild venom.

“You have to be there at the right time for the light to come into the cave chamber. Sometimes, after trekking for an hour to get there, you wonder if there is going to be clouds, rain or the right light.” So getting that perfect shot might entail several trips.

Unrelenting in his pursuit of new subjects to photograph and that rare species, he would rush over whenever he gets a call from his guides. So while working on the book, it was quite normal for him to leave Kuala Lumpur at 3pm, reach Ipoh at 5pm and head into the forest at 6pm. He would be in the forest until 11pm, and then start driving back to the city.

“The orang asli have many stories and myths about the forest. Once, I photographed a slow loris right up to 2am. Driving back on my own, I started recalling all the stories about how the slow loris is an omen of death and usually found in cemeteries.” Needless to say, he sped up after that.

He has had to camp out in the jungle, and sleep in his four-wheel drive, a lorry and even in caves, with only a fire to keep animals away. He has been bitten by spiders and insects but when it comes to poisonous snakes, his guides would alert him and ensure that he keep his distance.

“There were times when I wondered if my four-wheel could get back, as we were so deep in old logging trails. And what happens if it goes off into a ravine?” So he practises caution and always carries a satellite phone with him.

Much to learn

One of his favourite places to photograph is Jalan Pahang which winds up mountainous areas towards the town of Tapah in Cameron Highlands.

“It is an insects’ world here because of the climb in elevation. I like insects as they make dramatic pictures.”

Photographs of many rare species never made it to the book, however, as Omar did not deem them good enough. The selected images are what he considers his best shots.

“I want pictures that speak to you. That is why I focus on the subject’s eyes and try to get eye contact in my pictures.”

His most satisfying photo in the whole book is that of three smooth otters – part of a group of 20 – scurrying in the mudflats of Sungai Sepetang. “They’re not easily located and are difficult to photograph in the wild. I was quite far away and used a 600mm lens to shoot. I’m always looking for them and I finally got a nice image of them, in a line and with birds in the background.”

It was not always about photographing wildlife, however. It was also a learning experience for with each foray into the wilderness, he got fresh insight into animal behaviour and made new discoveries.

“Some snakes will still be at the same place when I return the next day. They feed, and then rest.” He also learnt that the trio of tailorbirds which he had photographed, huddled together and faced different directions in their slumber, for safety’s sake.

And all those claims about jungle plants and animal organs being sex-boosting? Mostly untruths. “Rarely have I met an orang asli who eats something for its aphrodisiac value. For medicinal purposes, yes,” shares Omar.

It was a tough decision when to wrap up fieldwork for each time he felt he had collected enough images, the jungle – and his guides – summoned him back. “I’d get a call, saying they’ve found something new. I could have gone on photographing and had to put a stop to it.”

Omar is hopeful that the book, apart from giving glimpses of the wilds of Perak, will spur people to preserve these natural spaces and creatures for the future. This, too, is the aim of Raja Dr Nazrin, who wrote in the foreword: “I hope the extraordinary pictures contained herein will inspire a greater appreciation of the need for sustained conservation of these spaces. We must never allow short-sighted objectives to jeopardise our priceless heritage. We must instead do all we can to ensure it is passed on to future generations in its current condition.”

The many images left out of the book will not go to waste; Omar intends to use them for future publications. So there should be more wonderful coffee-table books celebrating nature from this photographer to look out for.

Bros water bottles showcase artistic designs

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Seven independent artists offer a fresh twist to Bros water bottle designs.

WHEN Bros water bottles first started coming off the production line in 2004, the focus was on environmental sustainability. They were practical, lightweight, robust and reusable. They were also plain and transparent.

Today, the water bottles have evolved into containers with bright colours and colourful designs.

“It was only in 2005 that we came up with the idea of having designs printed on the bottles,” says Bros business development director Terence Lee.

Creative contribution: (Clockwise from top left) Jimmy Tan, Bros business development director Terence Lee, Tan Howe Qin, Cheers 2 Art bazaar co-organiser Miif Plus art director Song Pe, Nadira Bashir, Tan Yi Sin and Lois Loo.

The company has not looked back since.

This year, Bros takes its design tradition a step further with the Cheers 2 Art campaign. With the objective of promoting young, independent local artists, Bros collaborated with seven independent local artists to produce eight designs that will be used for the 2011 Bros Crystal Plus BPA Free Artist Series.

“We have had collaborations with college students but this is the first time we are working with independent artists.

“We know there is a lot of artistic talent out there, talent that is perhaps not yet recognised, and we feel that we have a role to play in promoting the local art scene,” says Lee, adding that they thought it would add a new dimension to the company’s existing designs.

The Bros Crystal Plus BPA Free Artist Series bottles are available in two sizes: the 550ml and 750ml.

The seven artists were given one month to submit two works each. Of the 14 designs, Bros chose eight to grace the Artist Series bottles. The bottles will be available for purchase until June next year.

Lee adds that the seven artists selected by Bros to participate in this design collaboration lived up to expectations. They demonstrated a diverse range of styles and offered a unique take on the theme: water.

“We chose this theme because it’s broad and we thought that it would be good to give the artists lots of room to interpret and explore,” he says.

Lois Loo (Wonderkitten), 30 A Day In The Ocean
“I have six cats at home and three of them like water. I wanted my design to be something cute, something that kids will like. I drew many animals – cat, turtle, whale. The mood my design evokes is one that’s very relaxed, very slow-moving.”

In conjunction with the Cheers 2 Art campaign, a bazaar was co-organised by Miif Plus, a lifestyle store that supports local designers and local brands. The artists were there to introduce their works.

Lee says that they were pleasantly surprised that the designs the seven artists came up with were very different from the Bros bottle designs currently in the market.

“They explored ideas we have not explored before. It’s something new, something different – and being able to offer this new perspective is exactly why we wanted to work with local artists.

“What we would really like is for consumers to look at the designs and think: ‘Wow, that’s really cool!’,” he says.

Splash the K-pop

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Seven South Korean acts put up an awesome performance during the Korean Music Wave 2011 at Stadium Merdeka.

YOU can’t argue with K-pop daebak (literally meaning K-pop is awesome or the best), a pop music phenomenon which is the rage here! Amid frenzied scenes of pop adulation, the Korean Music Wave 2011 concert underlined the genre’s popularity at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday night.

The biggest K-pop concert in Malaysia (to date), the screamfest was headlined by Big Bang’s Seungri and GD & TOP, and featured Park Jung Min, FT Island, U-KISS, Teen Top and girl group 4Minute.

The screaming never stopped as the seven sizzling South Korean acts wowed 10,000 K-pop fans made up of VIPs (Big Bang fans), Primadonnas (FT Island fans), KissMes (U-KISS fans), 4nias (4Minute fans), Angels (Teen Top fans) and Park Jung Min fans.

Oh what a night! Being the only female act, five-member South Korean girl group 4Minute strutted their grooves before a 10,000-strong audience at the Korean Music Wave 2011 screamfest.

Two local artistes, singer Alvin Chong and beatboxer Koujee, served as opening acts for the show, courtesy of joint organisers Galaxy Group, Proof Label and Tomato.M.

U-KISS members Kevin (speaking in English) and Dongho (speaking in Mandarin) also took to the stage as guest emcees joining Malaysian radio deejay Jeff Chin and DJ Young Kim of South Korea’s Arirang TV/Radio as hosts for the show.

The three-hour-long concert showcased some 30 hit Korean pop songs.

Fan girls waved various placards while loudly proclaiming their declarations of love like “I love you!” and “Marry me!” to which their idols responded with warm greetings that quickly endeared them to their very vocal supporters.

The show kicked off with five-member teen rock band FT Island (comprising Lee Hongki, Choi Jong Hun, Lee Jae Jin, Choi Min Hwan and Song Seung Hyun) singing Hello Hello, Love Love Love, Bad Woman, Bing Bing Bing and I Hope.

As FT Island frontman Hongki expertly worked the crowd, fans screamed “Jeremy!”, the adorable character he played in popular K-drama series You’re Beautiful.

Coming here for the first time, six-member boyband Teen Top (comprising C.A.P, Chunji, L.Joe, Niel, Ricky and Changjo) did its best to impress with No More Perfume On You, Brushing, intro (47”) + Clap, Angel and Supa Luv.

Fan boys, who were probably outnumbered 10-to-1, had their turn screaming their lungs out for five-member girl group 4Minute (comprising Hyuna, Ji Hyun, Ga Yoon, Ji Yoon and So Hyun). Being the only female act, the luscious lasses strutted their grooves on Mirror Mirror, Heart To Heart, I My Me Mine, Muzik and Hot Issue.

Next up was seven-member boyband U-KISS (comprising Kevin, Dongho, Soohyun, Kiseop, Eli, AJ and Hoon) which got fans singing along to BingGeul BingGeul, Everyday, Never Land, 0330 and Man Man Ha Ni. The group was well-received considering the frequency of its visits here.

It’s been four years since Park Jung Ming last came to Malaysia with the now-defunct boyband SS501. On this solo visit, he won many hearts when he fished out a crumpled little love note from his pocket and read it aloud.

Speaking in Mandarin and Malay, the lanky lad said he was elated to be in Malaysia and promised to do his best and went all out to please with Not Alone, Because It’s You, Every Day Is My Christmas, Missing You and Let Go.

By the time it was Big Bang’s turn to perform, the crowd was on their feet, with some perched on plastic chairs while others moved to the grass where they could bounce and groove freely.

Looking dashing in a suit, Big Bang’s Seungri got fans leaping with joy when he declared that “Malaysian fans are bagus”, then serenaded them with VVIP, What Can I Do and Strong Baby.

While the rest of the acts kept to a black-and-white theme, GD & TOP were a riot in their colourful outfits as they ran about the stage belting out High High, Oh Yeah and Knock Out. Making their debut performance here, the duo were pleasantly surprised that local fans could sing Korean songs.

A blast of pyrotechnics and golden streamers took the show to its grand finale but fans waited around to watch their idols being shuttled off in vans.

The show may be over but my ears are still ringing with fans screaming saranghae! (We love you), bogoshipoyo! (We miss you!).

A tale of forbidden love

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The Sorcerer And The White Snake is a Chinese classic with a fresh twist.

WITH such an ominous sounding title, The Sorcerer And The White Snake is actually a love story packaged in an action-packed fantasy epic.

Formerly known as It’s Love and Madame White Snake, The Sorcerer And The White Snake is based on the oft-told Chinese classic Legend Of The White Snake, a delightful affair which movie buffs will remember was best told in Tsui Hark’s 1993 Green Snake (starring Maggie Cheung, Joey Wang, Vincent Zhao and Wu Hsing Kuo).

Helmed by multiple award-winning Hong Kong action choreographer-turned-director Tony Ching Siu-tung, the updated fantasy romance stars Jet Li, Eva Huang, Raymond Lam, Charlene Choi, Vivian Hsu and Wen Zhang.

Good vs evil: Sorceror monk Fa Hai (Jet Li) fighting with Snow Goblin (Vivian Hsu) in fantasy epic The Sorceror And The White Snake.

Playing the star-crossed lovers White Snake and Xu Xian, Chinese actress Huang, 28, and Hong Kong actor Lam, 31, spoke of their experiences on the set of The Sorcerer And The White Snake in separate phone interviews from Hong Kong recently.

Portraying the dashing herbalist Xu Xian in the movie, Lam reportedly beat Taiwanese actors like Ethan Ruan, Mark Chao and Peter Ho to win the coveted role.

“Tony and Jet are both my idols. I’ve watched practically every movie of theirs. When I first heard that I was offered the role, I was both surprised and elated. While I was very happy, I was also nervous because this was a classic tale after all. And with classics, everybody already has preconceived notions about the characters in the story. So our interpretation of these characters may not be the same as what others have in mind.

White Snake (Eva Huang) and Xu Xian (Raymond Lam) fall in love and marry, but their union is not sanctioned by Fa Hai.

“I feel that this version of the character I play is very different from previous renditions. Other interpretations of Xu Xian that I’ve seen have always portrayed him as a weak and timid fellow. I don’t recall him doing anything for White Snake at all. It’s always White Snake who sacrifices everything for him, never the other way round.

“This version is different and should appeal to the youth of today who will identify with how beautifully tragic this classic romance truly is. In the end, it takes mutual sacrifice to touch people’s hearts. So, I feel this version of Xu Xian is more of a man,” Lam declared to laughs all around.

Queried about his underwater love scene with Huang, Lam said the scene was very romantic but also very challenging.

“Because of the long hours of being submerged underwater, we were soaked till our skin was all wrinkled. The scene took two days to film and was the most difficult of all. Being a costume flick, taking to the water is quite difficult. Moreover, there were two of us to manoeuvre. The outcome may look very beautiful, but it was truly difficult to film in the water.”

During the second day of filming in the swimming pool, Lam also related how they were wrapping their last shot when more anti-bacterial chemicals were added into the water.

“My eyes started to tear and redden, until I couldn’t even open them. I had to rest for awhile.

“That particular scene was not a very long one but it took two days to film due to factors that were beyond our control, in particular Eva’s hair and her costume.

“It was an action shot requiring constant movement, and a very romantic scene to film. Sometimes her hair would get in the way, obstructing the frame or obscuring the face. And at other times, her robes did not float as beautifully as intended. So, that scene alone required dozens of takes,” Lam lamented

Taking on the physically challenging role of White Snake who had to combat sorcerers, fairies, goblins and demons alike, Huang had even more action scenes which required lots of wire work.

“After many years of shooting action epics, Tony wanted to experiment with fresh elements. Hence, there were lots of very difficult action sequences and stuff that has never been seen before this.

“It’s not as simple as just flying around any more. Now, there are lots of spinning around in mid-air and coordination with other stunts and special equipment. The scenes were very difficult so I’m lucky in that I did not suffer from any serious injuries. There were some bumps and bruises or grazes and sometimes even chaffing or swelling caused by the wires. They were just minor injuries so I count myself very fortunate indeed,” shared the slender lass.

“Whether it’s the action or emotion, its all been quite challenging. From leaping off the edge of the cliff to being submerged underwater for days and suspended from various wires plus fighting with Jet Li,” enthused Huang, who is starring in one of her biggest roles to-date.

“When it came to the emotional scenes, there’d be a fan blowing in my face all the time, to give my long hair and flowy robes that ethereal effect. But, with the huge fan blowing so strongly in my face, even very simple lines took a lot of effort. While the result was really beautiful, filming was very tough. Plus it was winter with temperatures below zero, and I was wearing such sheer and skimpy materials. Even my lips felt like they were in constant combat.”

Production on the Chinese blockbuster (available in 3D in Hong Kong and China) commenced in September last year and ended in January this year. The film was screened out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival early this month.

The tale revolves around White Snake (Huang) and Green Snake (Choi), who are serpents whose thousand years of spiritual training have accorded them immortality, super powers and the ability to morph into human form. In the guise of beautiful women, they mingle freely with unsuspecting humans.

White Snake falls in love with herbalist Xu Xian, so they get married with the help of Green Snake. However, this doesn’t go down well with sorcerer monk Fa Hai (Li), who feels such relationships are against the laws of nature. Meanwhile, his disciple Nengren (Wen) is drawn to Green Snake.

Also, they have to contend with an assortment of other worldly creatures like the Snow Goblin (Hsu), Rabbit Devil (Miriam Yeung), Toad Monster (Chapman To), Turtle Devil (Jiang Wu) and Chicken Devil (Lam Suet).

Badly maintained ramp irks motorists

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A RAMP which falls under the jurisdiction of two local councils has been not been maintained, with overgrown trees and dead leaves piling up on both sides of the road.

One side of the ramp near the Phileo Damansara commercial area in Section 16, is under the Petaling Jaya City Council (MPBJ) and the other under Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

The ramp takes motorists across to the Sprint Highway and into Jalan Damansara to get to Kuala Lumpur.

Part of the ramp near Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam under DBKL has tree branches leaning over the road and motorists fear these may break during a storm.

Danger: Tree branches left to grow out into the ramp leading towards Kuala Lumpur. Dried leaves on the road have also not been cleared.

Accounts executive Peggy Lam, 34, who works in Phileo Damansara, said the road was unkempt with dead leaves and rubbish collecting on the side of the road.

She said overgrown trees also posed a danger to motorcyclists, especially when it rained. The problem has been a long-standing issue since early 2006.

Beside the cleanliness problem, cars parked illegally along the ramp also makes it harder for motorists to manoeuvre the sharp turn.

MBPJ enforcement officers have on numerous occasions issued summonses and towed cars parked along the ramp yet many people still find it convenient to park their cars there to avoid paying for parking inside the commercial area.

MBPJ public relations officer Zainun Zakaria said the council had built the ramp but the maintenance on the part of the ramp near the golf club fell under DBKL.

A DBKL spokesman said they would send officers to check on the problem and determine if they had the jurisdiction to trim the trees.

Old woman living in filth

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A 66-year-old woman’s obsessive hoarding of garbage and recyclable items at her house in Jalan 51A/232 for the past three years has become unbearable for her neighbours.

After numerous complaints from neighbours, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) conducted a clean-up operation at Ng Chow Moi’s house yesterday.

Two police reports were lodged by Ng’s neighbours against her in the past six months for disturbing the peace and polluting the environment. They also had to put up with the suffocating stench of the garbage coming from the single-storey house.

Mammoth task: MBPJ workers clearing the rubbish from Ng’s house.

At 9am yesterday, MBPJ Public Complaints Unit director Tengku Nazaruddin Zainudin, MBPJ councillor (for Zone 14) R. Selvarajan and police personnel as well as 50 enforcement officers arrived at Ng’s house with two garbage lorries.

Selvarajan said the neighbours had complained that Ng had been collecting rubbish and recyclable items and the stench was just too much to bear.

Cockroaches and rats were seen scurrying about among the piles of garbage as the workers cleaned the front part of the house. Ng’s next door neighbour, who wants to be known as Rashid, said he had to cover the common fence with an aluminium sheet as he could not stand to see the piles of rubbish.

“We have seen her bathing and defecating outside her house on the porch. The smell has become unbearable for us. We notice that she takes her bicycle out in the wee hours of the morning to collect more rubbish to bring home.

“I have even seen a snake in her compound. Her husband has died and her son and daughter-in-law used to stay with her but they eventually moved out,” he said.

It is learnt that Ng’s other daughter lives and works in Singapore.

MBPJ has issued a summons to Ng for breeding mosquitoes and four notices for keeping the house in a filty condition since last year.

Sevarajan said she collected cans and plastic bottles for recycling to earn some money but she was keeping everything at her house.

“We will sell the recyclable items and give the money to Ng.

“The welfare department officers will arrange for Ng to be examined by a doctor who will certify whether she needs to be admitted into hospital for observation,” said Selvarajan.

Ng’s son, a mechanic, who declined to be named or interviewed by reporters, arrived later.

A total of eight garbage container lorries were used to clear the rubbish stacked from floor to ceiling. It was a horrific sight when hundreds of cockroaches crawled out from beneath the rubbish bags in the living room.

“This is the worst case we have seen so far,’’ added Selvarajan.

New bread brand on the block

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MASSIMO sandwich loaf with wheat germ, which recently entered the bread market, is a homegrown sandwich loaf that promises wholesome goodness.

The sandwich loaf packaging bears three colours — green, white and red — the same colours found on the Italian flag.

Marketed under the brand name Massimo, it denotes luxury and prestige, synergising traditional style with modern design.

The Massimo bread is baked combining the traditions of Italian baking passion with modern day techniques.

All natural: Chang standing next to a conveyor belt that sends out freshly baked bread at the new baking plant in Pulau Indah, Port Klang.

“We decided to adopt the Italian approach as they are known to take great pride in, and are very passionate about, food, especially in the use of fresh ingredients to ensure that it is wholesome and healthy,” said Italian Baker Sdn Bhd general manager and director Jimmy Chang.

“These are the core values which we want to implement in our bread making process.”

An investment of RM120mil was spent to set up the new baking plant in Pulau Indah, Port Klang where Federal Flour Mills (FFM) is located thus enabling easy access to the raw ingredients required for the baking process.

Chang added that state-of-the-art machinery from the United States and Europe was brought in and installed in phases with a local team that worked closely with the overseas experts.

Getting popular: Buns and breads under the Massimo brand name are doing well in the Klang Valley.

“Our combination of bread-baking passion and technology results in the production of superior quality bread filled with wholesome goodness,” he said.

Chang added that people wanted foods that contained the freshest and most nutritious ingredients yet still within their budgets when they went grocery shopping.

“With this understanding of their lifestyle and realising the increasing costs of basic staples such as bread, we decided to introduce Massimo,” he explained.

Chang said the sandwich loaf not only tasted good but also came with a host of health benefits due to the wheat germ it contained.

He added that wheat germ was regarded to be healthy as it is full of minerals and vitamins.

If consumed on a daily basis, it can help lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, combat certain cancers and improve the body’s immune system on the whole.

“Our bread is baked with total dedication to quality and ingredients and adheres only to the highest standards,” added Chang.

Traders forced to close stalls after power supply cut over illegal status

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SINCE Sept 10, about 40 stall operators at Medan Selera Wang Seng in Taman Ehsan, Kepong, are without eletricity supply and cannot conduct their business.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) workers cut the electricity supply to the food court which was declared illegal by the Selangor government.

Medan Selara Wang Seng business representative James Ho said TNB workers had told him that they were merely following instructions from the headquarters.

“When I went to the TNB office in Kepong, they told me that there is a court order to cut electricity supply.

In a dilemma: Stalls at Medan Selera Wang Seng in Taman Ehsan, Kepong, closed after electricity supply was cut.

“Because of this, we are unable to carry on with our business,” he said.

Ho said the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) had not received permission from the Selangor government to build any structures on the land.

“I want MPS and TNB to explain to us why they approved a food court without getting permission from the State Land Office.

“All this while, we were under the impression that we are conducting our business legally,’’ he said.

“MPS signed an agreement with Tiara Erti Sdn Bhd in 2001 to build 41 shoplots and manage the food court.

“And when I checked with the state government, there was no permission given to MPS to build any structure.

“This is one of the problems the operators face.

“I have some documents showing that MPS had signed a Build, Occupy and Transfer with another developer to manage this food court.

“The agreement stated that the operators are supposed to charge RM600 in rental a month but the current developer wants us to pay between RM1,200 and RM1,300 for each stall.

“As small time stall operators, we cannot afford to pay this amount in rental.

“Also, for the last 10 years, the stall operators have been paying rental to Tiara Erti.

“Apart from the rental, the new developer also wants us to pay backdated arrears for 12 months and sign an agreement.

“We will not do so because we have already paid to Tiara Erti,’’ said a frustrated Ho, who was with stall operators and Paya Jaras assemblyman Datuk Mohd Bushro Mat Johor yesterday.

Mohd Bushro said the stall operators had been doing business for 10 years without any problems and there was no reason to change the operator.

He added that it was also unfair for the new developer to increase the rental and ask the operators to pay the backdated sum.

“It seems like the state government and MPS are not working hand-in-hand to solve public woes,” he said.

Big Bad Wolf book sale returns next month

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THE fourth edition of the Big Bad Wolf book sale is back — and this year the wolf’s spine-tingling howl is louder than ever.

The book sale, touted to be the world’s biggest book sale with more than 1.5 million books from across the world, is organised by BookXcess, a one-stop remainder book retail outlet located in Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya.

The event is scheduled to run from Oct 7 to 16 at an exhibition park in the Klang Valley.

“Organising the world’s biggest book sale has always been a personal ambition,” said BookXcess chief executive officer Andrew Yap.

All set: Yap and Ng (right) are all set for the big sale.

“After almost a year of scrupulous planning, long hours of painstaking work, and travelling to major global capitals to source for the best-value books, the event is a reality.”

The book sale, affectionately dubbed the Big Bad Wolf sale, attracted more than 80,000 fans last year.

The organisers hope to attract more than 500,000 fans this year.

All books in every category will be sold at discounts ranging from 75% to 95% of the usual retail price.

Avid readers and collectors will also be spoilt for choice with a wide selection ranging from latest paperbacks, coffee table books, box sets, pop-up art books, and backdated imported magazines – and something for everyone.

“We love books and it’s our passion,” said Yap, who runs the business with his wife Jacqueline Ng.

“Our greatest satisfaction comes from selling books at unbelievably low prices and making them available to the widest cross-section of book lovers.”

The husband-and-wife team behind BookXcess has spared no effort to ensure that this year’s Big Bad Wolf sale is an unqualified success.

“Our goal is to revive the joy of reading and make books available to all Malaysians at bargain prices,” states Yap.

OCBC Bank is a partner for this year’s sale. The bank will host a number of promotional activities in support of the Big Bad Wolf sale.

OCBC credit cardholders will also enjoy an additional 5% discount during the sale.

Young footballer gets surprise visit from minister

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YOUNG Malaysian footballer Tam Sheang Tsung was all excited when a surprise customer visited his parents’ Rasa Malaysian Cuisine Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan recently.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek who was in Japan to watch the Malaysian football team play in the 2012 London Olympics Asian Zone final round qualifying tournament, visited the restaurant while he was there.

Tam’s mother Ang Hui Chin said the minister spent some time chatting with some Malaysian students and also spoke to her son, enquiring on his current training at the J-league Division 2 team FC Mito HollyHock.

Proud moment: Sheang Tsung (right) with Shabery during the minister’s visit to Japan to witness the Malaysian football team play in the Asian Zone final round qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics.

“The minister also had a meal here, eating dishes like rojak mamak, satay, seafood tom yam and bubur cha cha,” said Ang via an email interview.

The 16-year-old Sheang Tsung recently made a name for himself when he was selected to train for the English Championship club Cardiff City this year.

Sheang Tsung had rushed back to the restaurant after his training in Mito, which is about 120km away from Tokyo to greet the minister, who wrote some words of encouragement on his football.

Sheang Tsung said he was currently taking up an off campus course due to the hectic training schedules.

He returned from Cardiff after the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Mito was one of the affected areas.

“I grew up in Japan so I would like to play a big part in rebuilding this devastated area by making appearances in friendly matches.

“The Cardiff stint was a great experience for me. I enjoyed the peaceful life there and I liked my coach.

“My homestay parents have been very helpful,” he said, adding that his most memorable experience there was meeting his idol Craig Bellamy.

He currently trains twice daily at FC Mito and cycles 9km from his club hostel to the training ground. “Right now, I’m just going to concentrate on my training and try to get a place in the first team,” he said.

Dengue patrols in primary schools

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SANOFI Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi Group, recently announced its partnership with the Health and Education Ministries to launch a pilot Dengue Patrol programme in primary schools nationwide.

Health Ministry deputy director-general of public health Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman launched the event on behalf of Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai recently.

The launch, held at SK Gombak Setia in Gombak, Selangor, was also attended by representatives from both ministries, Sanofi Pasteur’s partners and stakeholders and more than 1,000 pupils of the school.

The programme is part of Sanofi Pasteur’s ongoing commitment to take pro-active measures to increase public participation and raise awareness of public health issues, especially dengue.

All smiles: Dengue Patrol members from SK Gombak Setia are ready to spread the word.

It also serves to promote prevention as a means for broader protection against the disease in line with the Government’s aim of creating public awareness on various health matters.

“Dengue is a threat to about 1.8 billion people in Asia including Malaysians and this is more than 70% of the estimated 2.5 billion people at risk of dengue worldwide.

“South-East Asia is fast becoming the most seriously affected region and there is an urgent need to continue spreading awareness on dengue and ways to prevent it through various innovative public education initiatives.

“Through concerted efforts by government agencies and partnerships with multinational corporations like Sanofi Pasteur, we hope to significantly reduce dengue incidence in the region,” Dr Lokman said.

The Dengue Patrols created under the programme will be taught the severity, prevalence and preventive measures of dengue and then will be tasked with spearheading dengue prevention activities in the immediate community.

Incentives will be awarded to the school team with the most effective and innovative activities carried out and Sanofi Pasteur will provide pupils with health knowledge support as well as funding for all activities.

“We are proud to initiate this project with strong support from both the Health and the Education ministries.

“This programme illustrates our commitment to address the health challenges presented by dengue fever and increasing public awareness is one of the main strategies to reduce the risk of dengue transmission,” Sanofi Singapore/Malaysia/Brunei general manager Leah Goodman.

The Dengue Patrol programme is part of a long-term initiative for schools in the country.

Existing Dengue Patrol programmes will roll over every academic year with additional recruitment and new activities.

Singapore name strong squad for Sultan of Selangor’s Cup

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SINGAPORE have named a strong squad for the annual Sultan of Selangor’s Cup football competition at the Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday.

The Lions, coached by Avramovic Radojko, have included Aleksander Duric, Qui Li, Mustafic Fajrudin and Shi Jiayi in their 26-member squad for the match against the Red Giants.

The foursome were in the Singapore team that defeated Malaysia 6-3 in the two-leg Pre-World Cup match recently.

It will be interesting to see how Selangor, with the return of Mohd Safee Sali and inclusion of former English Premier League (EPL) players — Jason McAteer and Jesper Blomqvist — will fare against the Lions.

Huge threat: Singapore will be banking on Shi Jiayi (left) and Duric for the match.

McAteer and Blomqvist, who played for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, are expected to join the Selangor training session on Friday.

Organising chairman Abdul Karim Munisar said Singapore have named a formidable squad for the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup competition.

“It will be interesting to see how they match Selangor. They had beaten Selangor 6-0 last year.

“But this year we have Mohd Safee, McAteer and Blomqvist. We hope to see an exciting match,’’ said Abdul Karim.

This year’s Sultan of Selangor’s Cup is the 10th in the series. Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had initiated the event in 2001 to foster better relations between Selangor and Singapore.

Ace in the pack: Malaysian captain Mohd Safee (centre) will be the man to watch out for.

Then, it was known as the Regent of Selangor Cup.

The competition was renamed the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup in 2003. The tournament has two matches.

The first will be an encounter between Selangor veterans and their Singapore counterparts while the second match will see the Selangor Selection taking on a S-League Selection.

Last year, in the match between the veterans, Selangor scored a 1-0 win with the winning goal coming from former international Shahrin Majid in the last minutes of the game.

The champions of the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup will receive RM50,000 while the runners-up will pocket RM10,000.

The organising committee are expecting a crowd of 70,000 for the match.

To add excitement to the environment, there will be fireworks and parachute display.

Popular local artiste Amy Search will entertain the crowd during breaks.

Sultan of Selangor’s Cup

Date: Oct 1

Venue: Shah Alam Stadium

Programme

5pm: Entertainment by Amy Search

8pm: Selangor veterans vs Singapore veterans

9pm: Selangor selection vs S-League selection

Tickets: RM10

Available at: Quality Hotel, Shah Alam; Quality Hotel City Centre Kuala Lumpur; Concorde Shah Alam; Hard Rock Cafe Kuala Lumpur

Enquiries: 03-55103999 ext 229

Vernacular and mission schools to benefit from Community Chest

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One for the album: Najib (centre) and Lim posing for a group picture with the recipients from the 61 schools at SJK (C) Confucian in Kuala Lumpur Monday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Vernacular and mission schools in the country can now seek assistance from a new charity foundation – The Community Chest – set up by the country’s top business tycoons.

The Community Chest promises to dispense at least RM100mil yearly to Chinese, Tamil and mission schools, and other learning institutions which apply for assistance from it.

It will be managed by a board of trustees and chaired by Genting Malaysia chairman and chief executive Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay.

The foundation started its work by giving out RM26.1mil in assistance to 61 schools during a mock cheque presentation by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at its launch at SJK (C) Confucian here yesterday.

Of the 61 schools, six were SJK (T) schools, six were mission schools and the rest SJK (C) schools. They received between RM25,000 and RM2.5mil each.

SJK (C) Confucian and SJK (T) R.R.I in Selangor received RM2.5mil each.

The funds will be used to repair leaking roofs, windows and ceilings, and build new classrooms, laboratories and multi-purpose halls.

Lim told reporters that The Community Chest would not rely on funding from the Government.

He described the charity’s role as complementary to government initiatives in enhancing education in Malaysia.

However, Lim said its funds were “relatively small” and hence would be focused on education-related initiatives.

Lim was among four tycoons who contributed RM500,000 each to kick-start the fund.

The others were Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd chairman Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, Lion Group Malaysia chairman Tan Sri William Cheng and CMY Capital Group chairman Tan Sri Chua Ma Yu.

The four are in the eight-man board of trustees together with Genting Malaysia deputy chairman and AMMB Holdings Bhd group director Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar, Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam, SP Setia Foundation chairman and 1Malaysia Foundation trustee Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, and Amanah Yayasan Budaya Dayak and Tun Jugah Foundation chairman Tan Sri Leonard Linggi Jugah.

The Community Chest came into fruition with the acquisition of Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd (PMP) by Jana Pendidikan Malaysia Sdn Bhd last month from Tanjong Plc.

Lim said The Community Chest would initially be supported by contributions from the profits of PMP and investment returns from the fund.

All dividends generated by PMP, after the deduction of its expenses and other financial obligations, will be channelled towards the charity.

Lim said The Community Chest hoped to receive strong support of donations from the public.

He said its activities would be fully executed by a subsidiary entity registered as Pusat Pengurusan Pendidikan Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PPP).

The Government has announced that all chargeable income of PMP and donations toward the charity will be tax-exempt.

“This effectively means that PMP has become a non-profit establishment,” said Lim.

Projects and plans under the charity will be presented to its board of trustees for approval.

Learning institutions that wish to apply for funding must state a specific need for the benefit of the establishment and/or the students.

Interested applicants must be registered with the Education or Higher Education Ministries and other relevant Malaysian regulatory bodies.

Samsung seeks Dutch ban on 3G iPhone, iPad

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ACRIMONIOUS BATTLE: A photo showing Apple's iPad (left) and Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablet. The South Korean company wants the Netherlands to ban the sale, distribution and import of iPhones and iPads, ahead of four separate patent cases against Apple

THE HAGUE: Samsung Electronics and Apple fought the latest battle of their patent wars when the South Korean firm urged a Dutch court to ban Apple's iPads and iPhones in the Netherlands.

Samsung has also filed four patents cases against Apple in The Hague and asked for a preliminary injunction against all of Apple's mobile products that use 3G technology, including iPhones and iPads.

That is likely to include the latest iPhone5, which is expected in October.

A Dutch judge said on Monday he would rule by Oct 14 on Samsung's bid to ban the sale, distribution and import of Apple iPhones and iPads in the Netherlands, ahead of the next four separate patent cases due to run through to Nov 17 in The Hague.

The two technology titans have been locked in an acrimonious global battle over smartphone and Tablet patents since April. Apple has successfully blocked Samsung from selling its latest Tablets in Germany and some smartphone models in the Netherlands.

On Monday, Samsung's legal team in The Hague accused Apple of not paying licensing fees for some of Samsung's patents before it started selling iPhones.

"Apple should have asked for a licence before it launched the iPhone in 2007 or 2008 in Holland. Period," Samsung's lawyer Bas Berghuis said in court.

Apple's lawyer Rutger Kleemans told the Dutch court on Monday: "Samsung never demanded a licence until 2010 and before that Samsung remained silent because Apple is an important customer of Samsung."

Lawyers from Apple and Samsung argued their cases at a hearing in The Hague district court and agreed not to request additional injunctions before the judge rules in mid-October.

Apple and Samsung are vying for top spot in the global smartphone market and are squaring off over patents in courtrooms around the world.

Earlier on Monday, Apple sought an injunction in Australia to ban the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tablet, asserting three patents have been infringed. Another hearing is set to resume in Australia on Thursday.

On Sept 9, a German court upheld a ban on Samsung's local unit from selling its Galaxy 10.1 Tablet in Europe's biggest economy.

The iPhone and iPad maker has forced its rival to indefinitely delay launching its new Galaxy Tablets in Australia, where a court will give its ruling this week.

The latest Dutch deliberations involved those Samsung patents deemed standardsessential, which means they have been incorporated in internationally accepted technology standards, or in these cases, 3G and UMTS technology.

"Samsung's Dutch counterclaims against Apple raise important issues concerning patents that are essential to industry standards. The terms on which such patents can be licensed transcends this particular dispute," said patent expert Florian Mueller.

He said the issues at stake around industry standards from Monday's hearing concern the wider industry at large as all handset makers implement what is known as "FRAND" (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) standards and rely on those licensing commitments.

DiGi prepares for LTE

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DIGI Telecommunications Bhd is currently conducting LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology trials and the company said it hopes to have it rolled out by January 2013 depending on the award of the 2.6GHz spectrum.

LTE is a standard of wireless communication for high-speed data and is based on GSM network technologies. It features peak download speeds of up to 300Mbps and upload speeds of up to 75Mbps. The quality, however, is subject to the distance a device is from a base tower.

In comparison the latest 3G technology, HSPA+, provides download speeds of 56Mbps and upload speeds of up to 22Mbps.

To prepare for LTE, DiGi is modernising its network to make it LTE-ready and is swapping its entire 2G and 3G network to a brand new single radio access network.

According to Joachim Rajaram, DiGi's head of communications, the new network will be able to deliver higher speeds and cover a larger area. "We are also addressing the backbone of our operations to ensure we have the capacity and strength to stimulate and manage data demand," he said.

Stein Erik Paulsen, technology strategy officer at Telenor Group, which is DiGi's parent company, said LTE is the next big jump in telecommunications technology and the industry has a lot of expectations for it.

He said consumers can expect better and faster mobile broadband connectivity through LTE.

"However, the industry cannot afford to make the mistakes it did with 3G deployment. Timing is crucial when deploying LTE," Paulsen said.

He said 3G was already a matured technology when it was introduced in the Malaysian market but most of users weren't prepared for it. "There was no proper market strategy to get consumers excited over it," Paulsen added.

When deploying LTE, Paulsen said service providers will need to strike a balance between spotting the sites and following the market.

If not done correctly, the industry may run into the same roadblocks it did when deploying 3G, he said.

With LTE, one base station could theoretically cover an area of up to 70km, however the strength of the signal will depend on the distance from the tower and the number of devices used.

"The signal may also be affected if the user is indoors. One way to work around this is to have repeater cells in the buildings," he said.

LTE has already been deployed in countries like Sweden and Norway but devices are still limited to dongles.

It is also being used in the United States by emergency responders to communicate with their command centres efficiently.

Dead Sea scrolls now available online

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ONLINE ACCESS: Web users can view the text, as well as a translation tool and other background information of five of the main Dead Sea scrolls online.

Five of the main Dead Sea scrolls, containing some of the oldest-known surviving biblical texts, were on Monday put online as part of a joint project between the Israel Museum and Google.

The project gives the public access to ultra high-resolution images of the ancient scrolls in a format which is easily searchable, with the magnified text revealing details previously invisible to the naked eye, a museum statement said.

So far, five of the scrolls have been digitised as part of the US$3.5mil (RM10.9mil) project which uses space-age technology to produce the clearest renderings yet of the ancient texts: the Great Isaiah scroll, the Community Rule scroll, the commentary on Habbakuk, the Temple scroll and the War scroll.

By visiting dss.collections.imj.org.il/ web users can view all of the text, as well as a translation tool and other background information on the documents, the museum said.

"We are privileged to house in the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book the best preserved and most complete Dead Sea Scrolls ever discovered," Israel Museum director James Snyder said in a statement, describing them as of "paramount importance" for the world's monotheistic religions.

"Now, through our partnership with Google, we are able to bring these treasures to the broadest possible public."

The 900 biblical and other manuscripts, comprising some 30,000 fragments, were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in the Qumran caves above the Dead Sea and photographed in their entirety with infra-red technology in the 1950s.

The parchment and papyrus scrolls contain Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic writing, and include several of the earliest-known texts from the Bible, including the oldest surviving copy of the Ten Commandments.

The oldest of the documents dates to the third century BC and the most recent to about 70 AD, when Roman troops destroyed the Second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

The artefacts are housed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where the larger pieces are shown at the dimly lit Shrine of the Book on a rotational basis in order to minimise damage from exposure.

When not on show, they are kept in a dark, climate-controlled storeroom in conditions similar to those in the Qumran caves, where the humidity, temperature and darkness preserved the scrolls for two millennia.

From single to soul mate: 10 tips for a blissful relationship

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Often in marriage, especially in the early years, there is a choice: You can be right or you can be happy - not both. Choose wisely.

As a friend of mine said after his first year of marriage: "I finally figured out that the sun will come up tomorrow if we do it her way."

1. Learn the gentle art of cooperation. Related to wanting to be right, competition in a marriage is corrosive - it eats away at all the good stuff.

2.If you are going to compete, compete together to have the very best marriage you can have.

3. Talk about the important stuff. Most couples spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning for their relationship. Create a relationship vision by asking: "If we could have it exactly like we want, how would it be?" Build from there. If you get stuck, ask or hire someone to help.

4. Forgive as much or more than you would like to be forgiven. Sometimes forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, especially when you do not feel like it. Forgiveness can release you from the pain of the offense.

5. Celebrate what you want to see more of. Appreciation can go a long way.

Marriage is all about keeping the romance, and your sanity!

6. Listen to the heart more than you listen to the words. Focusing on the words can lead to endless and meaningless debate: "No, that did not happen on Tuesday, it happened on Monday!" Focusing on the heart behind the words can lead to resolution of conflict and to taking care of each other.

7. Don't be a Darren Stevens. In the old sitcom "Bewitched," Samantha merely had to wiggle her nose to make incredible things happen. Darren was always trying to get her to stop using her magical powers.

Even as a little kid, I thought the guy was nuts. He could have had anything he wanted. Instead he tried to get Sam to stifle her gifts. Encourage your partner in her gifts.

8. Check out your communication. While it's easy for two people to talk to each other, sometimes it is more difficult to really communicate with each other. Practice these two sentences: "What I think you're saying is . . . did I miss anything?" and "Please, tell me what you think I just said."

9. Take responsibility for your contributions to the struggle. We've yet to see a relationship problem that didn't have two sets of fingerprints all over it. Yet, we tend to focus on what the other person is doing. "If only you would . . . .,then everything would be OK."

One of the quickest paths to frustration and failure is to try to change someone else. Take responsibility to change your contribution to the problem, whether it's what you are doing and/or how you respond to what your partner is doing.

10. Don't assume that just because you are married, you know how to be married. Pay attention to what works for other couples. Read all you can. Go to seminars. Everybody needs a coach. Find one. It's a lot less expensive than divorce, financially and emotionally.

Snatch theft victim takes down assailant

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JOHOR BARU: A gutsy scooter rider wasn't about to be prey again to snatch thieves.

Cindy Tan was riding her scooter in Jalan Maju at 4.15pm Monday when the suspect came up from behind on his motorcycle and snatched her handbag.
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Several passers-by pinning down the snatch thief.


The 52-year-old sales assistant quickly recovered her wits about her, gave chase and rammed her motorcycle into the thief. Both fell.

"I then got up and grabbed my handbag and rushed into a restaurant for help," she told reporters at the scene.

Luckily, the thief's leg was trapped underneath his motorcycle. The incident caught the attention of bystanders who nabbed the thief.

Tan, who sustained injuries on her hands and legs, said she was a victim of a snatch theft in Taman Megah Ria, Seri Alam in 2005. The culprit was later arrested.

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Tan receiving aid from a member of the public.

Caterham Cars launches new technology business

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LONDON: In the first announcement since its takeover last April, Caterham Cars, makers of the legendary Seven, has released details of a standalone engineering business, Caterham Technology and Innovation Limited (CTI).

The company will be responsible for the development of a completely new line of accessible and affordable sportscars inspired by the lightweight, minimalist philosophy of the Seven and drawing on the advanced technologies and materials from the group’s Team Lotus Formula One and Caterham Team AirAsia GP2 motorsport operations.

In addition to the next generation of Caterhams, CTI will undertake advanced projects for external companies operating within the automotive and aerospace sectors.
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Shute (left) and Edwards with the Seven.


"The new shareholders are committed to investing in an exciting range of global products over the next 10 years," said CTI's chief executive Mark Edwards.

CTI is based in Norfolk, 170km north-east of here, and is located near the group’s motorsport operations.

"Tony Fernandes has been very clear from the start that Caterham needed a sustainable research and development business model in order to meet the plans the management have for the road car business.

“By establishing unique operating principles for CTI, we have managed to attract a world-class team of niche vehicle engineers eager to build on the ethos of Caterham and the DNA of the Seven.”

Among the first in a series of respected industry figures to join the new operation will be Tony Shute. Joining as Head of Road Cars for the new business and, as an avid motorsport competitor, Shute is credited with bringing the Series 1 Lotus Elise to market.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

Porsche shows off bonnet art

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STUTTGART: The Porsche museum here is honouring 24 works of art with an exhibition that melds art with car.

Art cars are nothing new these days and Porsche is carrying on the practice through the bonnets of Porsche 911 GT2 sports cars, which have been pressed into service as a "canvass".
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The project was an idea from Argentinian Jorge Gómez who wanted to combine his love for art and the Porsche brand.

Nineteen artists from Uruguay and Argentina, including Pablo Atchugarry, Rogelio Polesello and Jorge Ferreyra Basso, accepted Gomez's invitation to lend Porsche bonnets their own signature and put a creative twist on them.

The artists used a variety of styles and materials such as acrylic, enamel, mosaic tiles and tyre rubber.

Gómez occasionally used the artistic bonnets on his own Porsche 911 GT2 and taking the artworks for a spin.

The collection is now making its European debut in the Porsche museum, being exhibited against a backdrop of 23,000hp.

The exhibits titled Colección Goméz will be on public display from Sept 20 to Jan 8.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Spain's Catalonia bids farewell to bullfighting

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Catalonia - a northeastern region of Spain - bids farewell to the country's emblematic tradition of bullfighting with a final bash at the Barcelona bullring.

The sold-out Sunday evening event at the 20,000-seat Monumental ring – which starred Spain's No.1 matador Jose Tomas - was the last fight scheduled this season.

A regional ban on the bloody pastime takes effect Jan. 1, 2012.

The Catalan Parliament banned the spectacle in July 2010 following a signature-collection campaign by animal rights activists, but critics say the ban is less about animal welfare and more a snub to Spain by independence-minded Catalans.

Hours before the fight, a small group of anti-bullfight activists gathered outside the arena, celebrating with sparkling wine.

Nearby, people lined up to try buying last-minute tickets.



The prohibition caused a furore and triggered a nationwide debate over the centuries-old spectacle that inspired such artists and writers as Goya, Picasso and Hemingway.

"Banning bullfighting in Catalonia is nothing more than an attack on liberty," said Carlos Nunez - president of Mesa del Toro pro-bullfighting umbrella group, which is seeking 500,000 signatures in the hope it can persuade the Madrid national parliament to grant bullfighting cultural heritage status.

Animal rights activists, meanwhile, are triumphant.

"It's like a crack has developed in the armour plating (of bullfighting). It's a small crack but the protective shield might crumble altogether," said Leonardo Anselmi, a key promoter of the Catalan prohibition.

Catalonia is the second of Spain's 17 regions to ban bullfighting. The Canary Islands outlawed the practice in 1991 although it had never been a popular tradition there.

Shakira sexes up Singapore GP

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Awww…with her wiggling hips and power-packed vocals, pop superstar Shakira rocked Singapore F1 on Saturday night, ending its international concert series on a high note.

Just like the title of her famous song, her Hips Don’t Lie. Seriously.

Standing on stage at the Padang, Shakira was so booty-licious! When the Colombian pop-rock chanteuse - garbed in super tight leather pants - rocked her sexy rear end, you felt as if you had been hypnotised.

“Shakiraaaa….your a** is good,” screamed her adoring male fans.

Oh we girls love Shakira too. Half way through the show, four beautiful female fans joined her on stage for a crash course on belly-dancing.


“This is just for the girls. Left, right, left, right, shake,” the singer demonstrated her well crafted hip-shaking moves.

Gyrating hips aside, Shakira was also a singer full of energy and passion.

In one and a half hours, she glided effortlessly in between her string of Latin and English hits that included Hips Don’t Lie, Whenever, Wherever, She Wolf, Gypsy and Waka Waka (It’s Time For Africa).

Her delivery oozed sensuality; it flitted between sleaze and innocence. It also contained moments of spontaneity, even telling her personal stories on Loca.

Needless to say, when she did a belly dancer in a Latin-Arab dance solo - which reflected her mixed cultural roots, the crowd just went ballistic!

“Singapore, you’re a beautiful audience,” Shakira said as she capped the testosterone-charged night with Waka, Waka (It’s Time For Africa). "I’m glad to be here for the first time.”

Cup noodle museum an instant hit

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A cup noodle museum gives visitors a taste of their own flavours.

JAPAN’s Nissin Foods opened a cup noodle museum on Sept 17 charting the history of the speedy snack where visitors even get the chance to create their own tasty version.

“We opened this place ... as a factory that gives children experience and a museum for corporate activities,” says Nissin Foods Holdings president Koki Ando.

Koki, whose late father Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles more than half a century ago, says visitors to the museum in the port city of Yokohama near Tokyo could knead flour, roll out noodles, steam and fry them to make chicken ramen which is then put into bags.

Oodles of noodles: A boy making noodles at ‘Chicken Ramen Factory’, where visitors can experience the process of making instant noodles.

In another area of the museum called “My Cup Noodle Factory”, visitors can design cups, put dried noodles in them and pick toppings and broth for their own versions of cupped meals – with the potential to create more than 5,000 different versions.

The museum exhibits packages of Nissin instant noodles from around the world over the decades and houses restaurants that serve food such as Vietnamese pho noodles and pasta from Italy. There are giant cup noodle containers in the museum for children to play in.

Momofuku Ando, the man credited with inventing instant noodles, took a lower-profile role in the business at the ripe old age of 95 in 2005, the year Nissin supplied vacuum packed instant noodles or “Space Ram” to a Japanese astronaut aboard a US space shuttle.

The businessman, who died of acute heart failure in 2007, was born in 1910 in Taiwan under Japanese occupation.

An exhibit made to look like giant, up-turned cup noodle pots.

He entered the food business when Japan was hungry after World War II and invented the world’s first instant noodles – chicken ramen noodles sold in bags – in 1958.

Momofuku launched the cupped version in 1971 with a pre-cooked slab of noodles in a waterproof styrofoam container.

He saw his invention stocked on the shelves of convenience stores around the world. As the products were widely replicated, more than 95 billion servings were consumed around the globe in 2010, according to the Japanese instant noodles manufacturers association.

Momofuku said he was inspired to develop the product when he saw a long line of people waiting to buy soup noodles at a black market stall in post-war Japan.

“Peace prevails when food suffices,” he was quoted as saying.

Twining’s cup runs over

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This tea ambassador is living proof that the health drink adds zing to life.

WHEN you raise your cup with Stephen H.B. Twining, 10th generation of the famous tea family, Twinings of London, his chosen beverage is tea, of course.

And he drinks 15 cups a day!

Isn’t that too much tea? What about the Chinese old wives’ tale that too much tea can cause rheumatism?

Well, Twining replies: “Tea affects different people in different ways. The recommended amount is three to four cups a day. I choose to drink more because I love the taste.”

Royal blends: Earl Grey Tea and Lady Grey Tea are popular tea blends of Twinings.

Twining, 48, is director of corporate relations of Twinings, a marketer of tea based in Andover, Hampshire, England. He was recently in Malaysia as part of his South-East Asia tour. He joined Twinings in 1985 after a couple of years in the tea brokerage business.

Twinings of London, founded by Thomas Twining, has over 300 years of expertise in the tea trade.

In 1706, Twinings started selling fine teas in England and today, it sells 250 tea blends in 115 countries.

A cup of tea has less than half the caffeine of a cup of freshly brewed coffee. A rich source of antioxidants, tea is part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

“Tea has less than one calorie per cup. Unless you drink really strong tea, three cups in half an hour, it’s not going to have a diuretic effect,” Twining explains.

Tea time: Stephen Twining sips different teas at different times of the day.

“Most tea rehydrates you. Of course, I drink some water but I get most of my water intake from tea.”

Coffee is a diuretic. Even a tea lover like Twining allows himself two cups of coffee a week.

“I like cappuccinos and the lattes,” smiles Twining.

So what’s his morning cuppa?

“What gets me out of bed (at 7am) is a good cup of English Breakfast tea because it’s hearty, strong and invigorating. I have that with my breakfast as well.”

Twining starts his standard day at the office at 8.30am with Ceylon Breakfast or Ceylon Orange Pekoe. He moves on to Darjeeling around 11am and at lunch (noon or 12.30pm), it’s Lady Grey or Earl Grey, depending on his mood.

In the afternoon, his choice of tea blend depends on how he is feeling, how the day is going, and the mood he is in.

At tea time, Twining’s choice depends on what food he’s eating. Or whether he needs “to relax or reinvigorate”.

If he wants to relax, he would pick Jasmine Green Tea which is “very soft and gentle” and English Breakfast, if he needs invigoration.

For refreshments, Jasmine Green Tea and Lady Grey are the picks.

Twining says: “English Breakfast is the first designer tea and goes very well with a slice of dark chocolate cake in the afternoon. Lady Grey has citrus elements with orange peel and lemon peel, so a turkey sandwich might be nice. With Earl Grey, it’s meringue or creme brulee.”

At 5pm, he leaves his office for a 10-minute drive to Salisbury, where he lives.

In the evening, Twining sips Green Tea and after dinner at 7.30pm or 8pm, he’ll want tea infusions such as Camomile or Peppermint. Or he may opt for Camomile or Jasmine Green Tea. Camomile, he says, is used to promote relaxation and restful sleep.

Of his tea drinking habits, Twining insists: “I’m not that different from my father (Sam Twining, the ninth-generation director of Twinings).”

He says that his dad is happily retired and wrote a book, My Cup Of Tea (published in 2002). “He’s busy as ever with various charities.”

The way he likes it

Twining drinks his tea without sugar. And sometimes with milk, especially English Breakfast and Ceylon tea.

“There’s no right or wrong way to drink tea. It’s your cup of tea and as long as you drink it and it brings you pleasure, then you’re enjoying your tea; that’s all that matters. When I drink tea, I drink it the way I like it,” explains Twining.

In his youth, he had heard people telling their friends: “No, you can’t put milk in your Earl Grey. It’s sour. That’s terrible.”

“That’s not right because you can put milk in Earl Grey,” says Twining, who often puts milk in his Earl Grey because he enjoys it that way.

Earl Grey, reputed to be the world’s most popular tea, has a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange. Lady Grey tea is a delicate, fragrant variation of the Earl Grey blend. It consists of black tea scented with oil of bergamot, lemon peel and orange peel.

On the history of the famous blend, Twining said Earl Grey was named after Charles Grey, British prime minister in the 1830s.

“We had the honour of making the specific blend for him. Lady Grey was a marketing response to our customers who wanted a more delicate version of Earl Grey. So Lady Grey is a more gentle, rounded tea,” says Twining.

Twining has often been asked: How do you make a perfect cup of tea to get the best flavour?

“A good tea cup should be porcelain whereas the tea pot can be made of anything except aluminium. It can be glass, stainless steel, ceramic, earthenware or a handed down silver tea pot,” explains Twining.

Blending tea

“Blending tea is the heart of the Twinings business,” says Twining.

Darjeeling tea comes from Darjeeling (in West Bengal, India), a tea growing area with different gardens.

“Twinings doesn’t have a set formula for its Darjeeling tea. Tea changes its flavour with the weather, the same way wine changes its flavour from year to year. Wine drinkers get used to the fluctuations of flavours but not tea drinkers.

“We have to buy teas, mix and blend them together so that your cup of Darjeeling tea is always the same. It’s a huge skill. It takes five years to train tea tasters and they go on learning and become master tea tasters after over 20 years. If a particular tea blend doesn’t taste the same, it won’t be packed. It’s a complex business,” says Twining.

The tea company has 10 qualified tea tasters and a tea blend goes through six or seven rounds of tasting. A master tea taster is in charge of one major tea growing area like India or China.

Twining learnt tea tasting for two years to get a good working knowledge and understanding. An experienced broadcaster and spokesman, he travelled extensively throughout India and Sri Lanka where he experienced first hand the picking and buying of tea.

Tea tasters assess tea samples, buy and mix them.

“Twinings has 30,000 different teas which serve as ingredients for making 250 tea blends. It’s up to the skill of a tea taster to mix together the right proportions to recreate the taste, colour and how the tea feels in the mouth,” says Twining.

In Malaysia, Twinings has 15 blends and is looking into expanding.

“We have local teams supervising the business in Malaysia, besides distributors who handle delivery to stores,” he says.

“We’re researching what flavours Malaysians like and dislike, and hope to introduce new tea flavours next year,” Twining discloses.

Mango Strawberry Infusions is relatively new in Malaysia; it has been around for three to four years, he says.

Green Tea with Jasmine is one of the teas sold for many years and is a time-honoured tea.

Twinings’ bestsellers are Earl Grey and English Breakfast.

The Europeans, he cites, would also have fruit-flavoured teas – tea and fruits together instead of fruit infusions (without the tea) like Mango and Strawberry infusions.

Special blends

For the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Twinings did a commemorative blend of white tea leaves with limited stocks for sale in England only. About 7,000 tins of 25 tea bags were produced (with royal approval) and were sold out.

“It’s a white, delicate and sophisticated tea with rose petals and oil of bergamot (which also goes into Earl Grey) to represent the joyous occasions,” explains Twining.

Next year, Twinings will have a commemorative tea blend to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee.

“Malaysia has expressed interest in selling the blend,” he says.

Asked what tea the Queen likes, he says: “I’m not allowed to answer that question. We’ve the honour of supplying the royal household; therefore we’ve the royal warrant, that is, the coat of arms we put on our packs. With that comes the rulebook, and the first rule is confidentiality.”