Monday, October 31, 2011

Giving Kenyans a run for their money

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TOP Malaysian marathon runner Shaharudin Hashim, despite a strong field of Kenyans, finished 10th in the 21km men’s Open category in the PJ Half Marathon at the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya yesterday.

Many of the established local runners chose to stay away from the event because of the presence of foreign participants but Shaharudin opted to race against them. And he should be praised for matching his rivals in the early stages of the run.

But in the end, Shaharudin, from Police, crossed the finishing line in 1’15:06 to settle for the 10th spot.

Kenyans Joseph Mwagi Ngare (1’05:08), `Onesmus Muasya Muindi (1’05:26) and Kasitit Michael Hoywala (1’05:28) took the top three spots.

Shaharudin said he started off well in the first 10km.

“I had a friend to accompany me and we managed to achieve our time. But my friend had to stop at the 11km mark due to cramps.

“I was just left to run behind a group of Kenyans who had gone ahead of me. It was not easy to catch up so I tailed closely behind the two runners in front of me,” said Shaharudin.

Great run: Shaharudin is the only Malaysian to make it to the top 10 of the men’s open 21km race.

However, he found the going tough when he reached the ramp before the roundabout at Japan Lapangan Terbang.

Despite his 10th placing, Shaharudin was pleased with his time.

“My aim was to clock around 1’16.00 but I managed a faster time. It could have been because of the strong competition. The PJ Half Marathon is part of my preparations for the coming Penang Bridge International Marathon,’’ said Shaharudin.

Joseph, who won the men’s Open 21km category in the Standard Chartered Marathon this year, said he and his countrymen kept together in the leading pack.

“It is part of our group strategy, We trained together. In a race we keep each other company and motivate one another along the route,’’ said Joseph.

It was also an all-Kenyan affair in the women’s Open category. Esther Wambui Karimi completed the event in a time of 1’16:31 followed by Ann Mukuhi Nihia (1’23:23) and Yucabeth Chelangat Bore (1’23:38)

Esther said the route was an easy one compared to the other runs in Malaysia.

International R. Venugopal, representing Police, also made his presence felt in the men’s Open 10km category.

He finished third in a time of 33:33 while the top place went to Mutai David Kipkiroi in 31:36. In second place was Elphaz Kipchumba in 31:47.

Former Malaysian international Yuan Yufang was the winner in the women’s Open 10km event on 42:01 while Chia Xian Qing Pamela was second in 43:00 followed by S. Sanggeetha in 43:45.

About 4,500 participants took part in the PJ Half Marathon, taglined — Run for a Greener PJ, organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), the Selangor Amateur Athletics Association (SAAA) and The Star.

The main sponsors were Genneva Syariah, ICI Paints Malaysia, Sports Toto, 100Plus, AmBank Group, Milo and Andaman Property Management.

African power: (from left) Ann Mukuhi Nihia, Esther Wambui Karimi, Kasitit Michael Hoywala, Joseph Mwagi Ngare, Onesmus Muasya Muindi and Yucabeth Chelangat Bore celebrating their win in the men’s and women’s 21km open event.

RESULTS

21km

Men
Open: 1. Joseph Mwagi Ngare 1’05:08; 2. Onesmus Muasya Muindi 1’05:26; 3. Kasitit Michael Hoywala 1’05:28.
Veteran: 1. Junichiro Adachi 1’15:59; 2. Mark John Williams 1’17:31; 3. V.Devandran 1’21:33

Women
Open: 1. Esther Wambui Karimi 1’16:31; 2. Ann Mukuhi Nihia 1’23:23; 3. Yucabeth Chelangat Bore 1’23:38
Veteran: 1. Julie Foreman 1’33:15; 2. Susan Khoo 1’37:33; 3. Emer Breen 1’40:32

10km

Men
Open: 1. Mutai David Kipkiroi 31:36; 2. Elphaz Kipchumba 31:47; 3. R.Venugopal 33:33
Veteran: 1. M. Ramakrishnan 37:01; 2. Ong Chin 38:22; 3. Casey Lim 40:34

Women
Open: 1.Yuan Yufang 42:01; 2. Chia Xian Qing Pamela 43:00; 3. S. Sanggeetha 43:45

5km

Boys : 1.Calvin Boon Chang Yik 14:02; 2. Amirul Hakim Johari 14:07; 3. S.Jivana 14:12

Girls: 1. Kim Khoo 21:44; 2. Nor Walieyna Nor Aziz 22:19; 3. Sylvia Moey 23:15

Running to inspire others

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SOME people participate in marathons to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Some have their eyes set on the medals, while some, like Md Shariff Abdullah, run to inspire others.

As the amputee marathoner with a prosthetic left leg approached the finishing line of PJ Half Marathon, the spectators welcomed him with applause and cheers.

Fellow runners and officials on duty also stopped in their tracks to congratulate the 43-year-old when he was assisted to the first-aid tent to nurse a cramp in his right thigh.

Against all odds: Md Shariff (centre) receiving applause and cheers from the crowd as he approaches the finishing line.

“I was born without a left foot and had to amputate my left leg below the knee in December 2008 following a skin infection.

“I almost wanted to give up but I was inspired by world double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorious. I told myself, ‘if he can do it, why not me?’” Shariff, who is known as the Singapore Blade Runner, said.

The Singaporean reached Petaling Jaya at midnight and spent a few hours in a hotel lobby before catching a cab to Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya at 4am.

It was his first time participating in PJ Half Marathon and he clocked close to three hours but it did not bother him. He even stopped at 18km to help a runner, who was suffering from leg cramps.

“If I can do this, everyone else can too. Don’t give up.

Striking: Although in a sarong, Yim Heng Fatt completed the 21km.

“I’m heading to Sabah next for the Sabah Adventure Ultra Trail Marathon and then Penang for the Penang Bridge International Marathon,” he said.

Marathoners prefer comfy running apparel but not Yim Heng Fatt, who ran 21km in a sarong.

“I wore this for two reasons — to make it harder for myself and to make people smile.

“There used to be a man running barefooted in sarong and he succumbed to cancer later. I am sort of continuing his legacy,” the 41-year-old IT manager from Puchong said.

Despite the restriction from the fabric, he clocked one hour and 54 minutes and received a finishing medal.

The run was also a good platform for families, friends and colleagues to bond.

R. Sethuraman, 43, and his wife Sugeeta Menon, 40, had no problem waking their two children up at 5am because they were all excited about the event.

“Sethuraman, who is an avid runner, always shows them the medals and goodie bags he received from the race.

“By signing up for the 3km family fun run, they also got their share of the goodies this time,” Sugeeta, a teacher, said.

Khairul Izham and Nurziana Harun, both 34, took their five boys aged between eight months and seven from Selayang to the run.

The twin babies were wide awake since 4.30am but soon fell asleep in the prams not long after the category was flagged off.

Nine employees from Malaysia Milk Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer of Marigold and Vitagen, were sponsored by their company to run in the 10km and 21km categories, and four of them walked home with finishing medals.

Sales operations manager Tan Boon Peng said it was a good teambuilding session for the team.

Celebs brave pain to finish race

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ALTHOUGH she is suffering from a slipped disc injury, local celebrity and columnist Xandria Ooi was ecstatic that she managed to finish the 10km run at the PJ Half Marathon.

“It was really a great feeling to complete the race. I ran and power walked,” she said. But Ooi wasn’t the only celebrity who ran the 10km run. Her friends, columnist Jojo Struys and TV host/emcee William Quah, also joined in the race. All three received finishers medals.

It was the first time that all three of them participated in the PJ Half Marathon. For Quah, this was also the first time he participated in a major marathon event in Malaysia. “I usually do a an 8km to 10km run on a weekly basis around KL city or at the gym. But the PJ Half provided an opportunity for me to catch up and hang out with Jojo and Xandria,” said Quah.

I did it: Chermaine Poo finished the race despite the lack of rest.

Struys said she used to run competitively in long-distance running in Singapore but now she enjoyed playing squash and hiking in FRIM.

“All these activities are real calorie burners. I always feel energised after a good workout.

“I was even happy to power-walk during the PJ Half. We were walking past those who were jogging. I will sleep well tonight,” jested Struys.

The three of them managed to clock in at about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Despite staying up till wee hours in the morning attending a Halloween party, Quah managed to make it for the PJ Half yesterday.

No sweat: (from left) Struys, Quah and Ooi are glad that they managed to complete the 10km run.

The most enjoyable part for him was being able to see so many enthusiastic runners from all walks of life.

“We met a 70-year-old man who is apparently an avid marathon runner and he just whisked past us three. This just goes to show you are never too old to run, whatever the distance,” he said.

Being a fan of trekking in Gasing hills, Ooi said she was happy to see many Malaysians partaking in the marathon. “It’s a good thing that people, be it those who are thin to those who are plus-sized, are now getting fit and doing more exercise. It was also nice to see a good mix of people from different races,” said Ooi.

All three personalities, however, felt strongly that the Petaling Jaya City Council needed to do something about repairing the potholes and repaving the pavements.

“During the marathon we noticed a lot of potholes on the road. Some of the drains were also not properly covered which can be dangerous,” said Ooi. “There needs to be a more conducive environment for marathons around the Klang Valley and KL,” said Quah.

Actress, TV host and emcee Chermaine Poo barely had a few hours of sleep before the run as she had just touched down from Jakarta, Indonesia, at 2am yesterday.

Nonetheless, Poo who had slipped disc twice, completed 10km and was rewarded with a finishing medal.

Mayor takes lead in tree-planting ceremony in conjunction with PJ Half

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IN CONJUNCTION with the 24th instalment of the PJ Half Marathon, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman led a tree-planting ceremony in the vicinity of the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya.

Also present at the ceremony were Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Puasa Md Taib, Star Publications (M) Berhad chief events officer Iris Tan and representatives from Selangor Amateur Athletics Association (SAAA). The PJ Half Marathon is organised by The Star, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Selangor Amateur Athletics Association.

The platinum sponsor for the run is Genneva Syariah and the main sponsors are ICI Paints Malaysia, Sports Toto, AmBank Group, Milo, 100 Plus and Andaman Property Management.

Green hands: Mohamad Roslan (fifth from right) at the tree-planting ceremony in conjunction with the PJ Half Marathon in Petaling Jaya. With him are (from left) Andaman Property Management sales manager Patty Lim, Nestle sports marketing executive Lim Kerwin, AmBank Group public affairs group head Syed Anuar Syed Ali, F&N Beverages marketing event and sponsorship regional manager Muhammad Fauzi Ahmad, Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Tan Liang Keat, MBPJ Zone 1 councillor Syed Abdul Malik A. Hamid Al Jafree, MBPJ councillor Megat Iskandar Megat Ahmad Sufian, Sports Toto Malaysia sales and marketing deputy general manager David Chong Kah Yow, Star Publications chief events officer Iris Tan, ICI Paints (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd managing director CW Goh and Star Publications advertising and business development senior manager Chua Chee Beng.

After the first tree is planted in conjunction with the marathon, subsequent plants will be planted by MBPJ in the vicinity of Petaling Jaya based on the number of runners registered with the marathon. There were 4,500 runners this year.

“With this year’s theme ‘Run for A Greener PJ’, the tree-planting initiative is a good sign for us to give something back to the environment. In western countries they have sculptures for remembrance, whereas we have trees,” said Roslan. He added that next year, the PJ Half Marathon would be held earlier. “We hope to have it sometime in June.”

Meanwhile, Tan said it was symbolic for the first of the 4,500 plants to be planted at the stadium vicinity. “The organisers and sponsors made a pledge that for every runner who runs the marathon, we will plant one plant in our bid for going green,” she said.

Motorists caught unawares by U-turn closures along MRR2

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THE sudden traffic flow change along the MRR2 Pandan Indah interchange that disallows right turns along the bridge caught many motorists unawares one morning this week and many resorted to illegal U-turns, causing massive traffic congestion.

Though the barriers preventing the turns have been removed since yesterday, Pandan Indah residents who experienced a taste of the final MRR2 Ampang upgrade project are protesting against it.

One resident, Lim Lai Heng, 50, a computer business owner said that many people were confused due to the lack of any visible signage.

No U-turn: The two-lane road in Pandan Jaya has now been narrowed down to one as cars queue to make this difficult U-turn, despite the narrow lane and oncoming vehicles, to get back onto the Hulu Kelang-bound MRR2.

“People who were already on the bridge had to continue on into Taman Shamelin Perkasa and make an illegal U-turn at the first traffic lights they came to.

“This caused a long queue and traffic was backed up all along the bridge and into Pandan Indah,” he said.

An observation into the situation also found something similar to traffic from Taman Cempaka who, unable to get onto the Hulu Kelang-bound MRR2 directly, opt to make an illegal U-turn at a traffic light in Pandan Jaya.

Another area with the same problem is the Kampung Pandan Luar exit with motorists making such U-turns to head towards Taman Nirwana.

As motorists wait for an opportunity to make these illegal U-turns, their vehicles would inadvertently block one of the two lanes on those roads, causing a worse congestion than the usual.

Odd construction: A strange road shoulder that juts out awkwardly close to the road, causing vehicles to veer away and narrow at the two lane exit from Taman Shamelin Perkasa towards the Hulu Kelang-bound MRR2 and Pandan Jaya.

To make matters worse, motorcyclists were squeezing in between barriers and making turns where it was no longer allowed, causing traffic to slow down as many had to watch out for these irresponsible road users.

According to Lim, the Public Works Department (JKR) project that involves ungrading a 2.8km stretch along the MRR2 for RM104mil is making residents in the area suffer.

“I feel that JKR is doing a good job but other problematic sections of the MRR2 will inevitably cause traffic congestions that nullify this project,” he said.

“The highway’s three lanes may help somewhat with traffic flow but it is residents living all around it that have to suffer for it,” Lim said.

He pointed out some of these troublesome situations such as residents coming out of Jalan Pandan Indah who would have to take both the Hulu Kelang-bound and Cheras-bound U-turns to get to Pandan Jaya.

“I think implementing free flow along the Pandan Indah interchange is not a good idea.

“While people living in the area may get used to the new system in time, outsiders will find themselves getting lost,” he said, adding that proper and visible signages would help ease this problem.

He also said that many areas could be improved such as the Taman Shamelin Perkasa turn off onto the Hulu Kelang-bound MRR2.

“Due to traffic being unable to turn onto Cheras-bound MRR2 from Pandan Jaya, many are now taking the Taman Shamelin Perkasa route, thus JKR should consider a longer stretch for road widening here,” Lim said.

He said that he has complained to both the JKR and project manager about the issues.

Open burning behind dialysis centre raises eyebrows

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RESIDENTS in Taman Seri Merdeka in Bandar Baru Ampang are complaining of sore throats and breathing difficulties as a result of illegal rubbish dumping and open burning at a site near their homes.

To add to their distress, their complaints to the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

No action has so far been taken against the culprits responsible for the daily pollution.

According to the residents, the site, which sits at the edge of a haemodialysis centre run by a member of Parliament, was dug up before lorries started unloading rubbish there on a daily basis.

Source of air pollution: Thick smoke from the open burning enveloping part of Taman Seri Merdeka.

The site sits next to a stream and not far from the 140-year-old Kow Wong Yeh Temple.

Businessman, Andy Kong, who runs a restaurant nearby, said he received a rude reply when he asked one of the lorry drivers about the rubbish dumping and burning.

“You small chicken don’t make noise. We can do anything lah,” — This was the reply that Kong received from the lorry driver.

Another resident Dr Mohd Fawzi Ramli said the open burning was adding to the poor air quality around Bandar Baru Ampang.

“I cannot understand why the council cannot act firmly against these culprits whose actions will have a long-term effect on the environment,” he said.

Local community leader S.M. Kamaruddin, who visited the site, was surprised that open burning at such a scale was being carried out in the neighbourhood without being detected by MPAJ.

One more load: A lorry driver dumping rubbish at the site in Taman Seri Merdeka.

“You can see the smoke billowing for miles around.

“Why hasn’t the authorities taken action?” he told StarMetro.

Kamaruddin, who is deputy president of Pewaris Malaysia, an NGO involved in the caring of underprivileged senior citizens, said the open burning would affect the health of residents living in several old folk’s homes in Bandar Baru Ampang.

When contacted, MPAJ corporate communications department head Norhayati Ahmad said the council did not have the power to arrest the lorry drivers who dump and burn rubbish at the site.

“We can only issue compounds and refer the matter to the Department of Environment,” she said.

However, she said MPAJ enforcement officers had gone to see the operator of the haemodialysis centre to ask them not to allow anyone to use its compound for illegal dumping and open burning.

Families worry about missing sons

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Five distraught families who are frantically on the lookout for their sons had a sorrowful festival of lights this year.

Their sons went missing seven months ago and the whereabouts of the five are unknown.

Three cousins, Dilipan Palanivel, 21, Madhan Nadarajah, 27, and Jeyasingam Gopal, 32, and two friends, Gobi Krishna Ramasamy, 27, Ari Kumar Manyam, 27, were last seen having tea in Seri Kembangan.

Worried sick: Family members of the five missing men looking at a poster of the five after a press conference in Puchong on the unresolved missing persons’ case.

The incident took place on April 4 this year, between 7pm and 8pm in the carpark of Jaya Jusco where the five were believed to have been abducted. Ari’s wife received a call two days after the incident from the kidnappers asking for RM1mil, but the caller could not be identified.

Sources said the five were taken by a group of 15 who identified themselves as police officers from the Bukit Aman Narcotics Department.

They were handcuffed and taken in three separate cars.

Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said: “We have sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Home Affairs Minister and MIC to look into this issue,” he said in a press conference recently.

Developer says no more work being done as contruction completed

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CLAIMS made by the tenants and owners of commercial units in Solaris Dutamas Kuala Lumpur about their problems with the joint management of the retail and office has been refuted by the developer and management of the development.

The developer and management of Solaris Dutamas, Sunrise Bhd community and customer development general manager Anne Tong denied that there was still construction works and flying debris as claimed by the stakeholders.

“It is impossible that at this stage there is still construction works and debris as the development is already completed.

Easy to get lost: Poor signage at Solaris Dutamas has become a bane for both tenants and visitors.

“Whatever works done in the development at the moment are the renovation works within Publika, which is the shopping mall within the Solaris Dutamas development.

“Some of the works are by the individual retail outlets done by the tenants or shop owners themselves,” she said during an interview which was also attended by Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, in respond to the claims made by the stakeholders.

However, Tong admitted that there were problems with the signage in the development which was also one of the problems cited by the stakeholders.

“We understand that the signage here can be a bit difficult. However, we have engaged a consultant from Singapore to work on upgrading the ‘wayfinding’ signage for the development. As this is an ongoing exercise, changes will be gradual,” she said.

Tong added with regards to the high parking rates and claims, that the revised rates would not encourage more customers and they would resort to other malls claimed by the stakeholders were incorrect.

“The revised parking rate is fixed at RM1 for the first three hours and RM2 per hour for the subsequent hours not RM1 for the first hour.

“We believe this price is reasonable as it is comparable to other shopping malls in the Klang Valley and it is relatively cheaper than several shopping complexes nearby,” she said adding that the parking rate is maintained at RM1 per entry during the weekends to attract and encourage more shoppers.

When asked about the claims by stakeholders that their units are not given proper publicity, Tong said they could not allow the business operators to hang their own buntings and banners along the corridors and the car park as it would affect the outlook of the development.

“Just like any other shopping areas, we cannot let them place their buntings and banners as the outlook and appearance will be affected.

“We have to maintain and control this,” she said adding that they have also given publicity for many of the outlets in Solaris Dutamas by featuring them in the Sunrise news bulletin without charging them.

Some 200 tenants and owners from Block C and D signed a petition recently to the management of the development and organised a press conference with Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng to highlight the issue.

Most of them said there are several things that have hampered their business in the area with one of the most pertinent problem was the delay in the completion of Publika shopping mall and the commercial units claiming there was debris flying around that was affecting their business.

The tenants and owners claimed that the construction was still going on although the works at Solaris Dutamas should have been completed two years ago.

They are also unhappy that their units are not given proper publicity and are treated as a separate entity from Publika that has received numerous advertisements and articles in the local media.

Deciding to take matters into their own hands, the business operators printed their own buntings and banners along the corridors and the car park. However, they were told they could not do that and the security guards had gone around collecting the banners and placing them in the carpark to be picked up by respective owners.

High achievers honoured during Italian-themed dinner

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ETIQA Insurance and Takaful honoured 1,000 of its top agents from around the country at its stylish Italian- themed annual agency dinner and awards presentation (ADAP) 2011 recently.

“A special dinner and award celebration like ADAP allow us to fully show our appreciation to them for their hard work and dedication,” said, Etiqa Insurance and Takaful chief executive officer Hans De Cuyper.

Living up to the event’s theme, everything from the venue, menu and costumes were presented in Italian flavour, as a tribute to Italy where more than 190 Etiqa top agents will be going as part of their Overseas Study Trip rewards.

Good job: The top agents waiting for the start of the award presentation ceremony.

The venue was decked in the colours green, red and white while guests turned up in black coats and hats to mimic famous characters and gangs from the Italian mafia era.

Adding to the excitement were the Ferrari and Maserati cars that were used to ferry the grand winners to the stage.

The famous Malaysian comedian, presenter and film director, Afdlin Shauki, kept everyone laughing and alert as the master of ceremony while Malaysian rock diva, Ella, wowed the audience with her energetic performance.

Zulkifli Othman from Kuala Lumpur was named the champion of the Group Agency Manager category under Etiqa Takaful and Suguna Devi Marimuthu from Sungai Petani received the same award under Etiqa Insurance. Soo Siew Fang from Kuala Lumpur was awarded the Special President Award.

“The tremendous achievements among our agents mirror the group’s achievement as Etiqa Takaful Berhad was awarded ‘The Most Outstanding Takaful Company’ at the Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum (KLIFF) 2011 recently, a prestigious award that Etiqa Takaful has won in four consecutive years.

Also, Etiqa Insurance was recently assigned the ‘A’ Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating by the international rating agency, Fitch Ratings, and the only direct company to achieve a rating of single “A” by Fitch among the domestic players,” addedDe Cuyper.

Magazine honours Hannah Tan third title win

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FHM co-hosted a double celebration in honour of the multi talented Hannah Tan to celebrate her win as “FHM’s 100 Most Wanted Women in the World 2011” as well as to usher in her 30th birthday recently.

Hannah’s win this year makes her the first personality to take home the 100 Most Wanted title thrice including two back-to-back wins in 2010 and 2011.

The singer-songwriter, actress, model and TV personality has a strong fan base in Malaysia, among them a growing band of loyal FHM readers.

Birthday girl: Tan cutting her cake flanked by Foo (right) and Gan.

Her popularity has also seen her featured on the cover of FHM seven times since 2005.

“I’m so blessed to have a loyal following in Malaysia. I cannot thank my fans and supporters enough for voting me to the top of FHM’s most famous poll.

“I could not have asked for a better birthday gift,” said Hannah during the event.

Organised by FHM and Carlsberg, the party at food and beverage outlet Ecoba in Petaling Jaya also celebrated Hannah’s 30th birthday.

Among the guests were a select group of Hannah’s friends and associates.

The winning pose: Tan showing a poster of herself during the celebration of her win.

Also present at the event were FHM publisher in Malaysia Measat publications Sdn Bhd vice-president Louis Foo and Carlsberg senior manager David Gan.

Now into its 12th year, the FHM’s Most Wanted Women in the World poll remains the original and largest search for the most beautiful women on the planet.

Each year, the magazine and its readers choose 20 local celebrities to make up a list of the 100 most successful women in film, television, music, sports and fashion from around the world.

Other notable locals who made it into this year’s list are Marsah (#76), Lisa Surihani (#62), Nadia Heng (#57), Andrea Fonseka (#46), Sarah Lian (#40), Jay Menon (#32), Choy Wan (#22) and Juliana Evans (#14).

A number of other Malaysian TV and radio personalities also made their debut in this years list including Megan Tan (#27) and radio deejay Patricia K (#59).

PICC staff take part in tree-planting campaign

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IN LINE with the Government’s “Go Green” campaign, all Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) employees, led by its deputy undersecretary Valluvan Veloo, took part in the “Go Green PICC 2011” campaign.

To support the meaningful initiative, they all became proud owners of a self-selected plant.

The event, held in the vast landscaped area of the PICC, was aimed at instilling a sense of love for Mother Nature and appreciation for the green environment surrounding the PICC.

Doing our part: Valluvan planting a Blue Olive Berry or ‘Elaeocarpus Ganitrus’ during the event.

It was also an attempt to raise awareness among PICC staff on the environmental hazards that the world is facing as a result of fast-paced development and the important role that everyone plays in creating a better world by going green.

The tree-planting campaign also reflected on the effort to provide the entire workforce of PICC with a healthy, comfortable and greener work environment.

With this, the PICC will be able to stand proudly as a clean, fresh and well-maintained business district for all guests and visitors to enjoy.

Employees were asked to pay a minimal fee for all costs of purchasing the plants, manpower for gardening work and a name plate.

Celebrating diversity and unity at Sunway Family Day

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SUNWAY celebrated its 38th Family Day with more than 12,500 of its employees and family members from all over Peninsular Malaysia gathering at Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach recently.

The full-day event, which was attended by Sunway’s management team as well as its employees from its many business divisions, was themed “Passion Unites,” resonant of Sunway’s recent merger to become one of the largest property-construction corporations in the country.

The launch of Sunway’s Family Day was further enhanced by a muhibah group percussion performance comprising nine drummers of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds such as Malay, Chinese, Indian and Sikh who gave a rousing rendition of a medley of popular and upbeat tunes.

Carnival scene: There were various programmes for all to enjoy at the event.

The cultural drummers represented the diversity of the Group’s employees, while their extraordinary presentation represented the power of passion united.

Hosted and organised by the group’s sports club, Kelab Sukan Sunway, the day’s programme also included a lively telematch where staff and their families sportingly participated amidst lots of fun and laughter.

Winners of the recent Sunway Sports Carnival held from June to September were also announced that day. The Red Team emerged as overall winner and was awarded the Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Challenge Trophy.

Suraya Hani who brought her family of four was delighted to participate in the festivities.

She said that the event was an excellent platform to foster closer ties with her colleagues as well as her family.

“I am proud to be a part of an organisation which integrates work-life balance in its management. We spend one third of our daily lives at work, and it is activities such as these that bring families and colleagues together.

“This also enables us to understand each other better for a more productive life at work and at home,” said Geetha, another employee who brought her mother and brother to the family day.

Sunway Group deputy chairman Datuk Razman M Hashim, who launched the Family Day, said that the event was themed ‘Passion Unites’ as it was the first gathering after the milestone merger which the group had undergone earlier this year.

“This year’s Sunway Family Day is especially significant for us as it was our first gathering as one family under the Sunway Berhad banner. As a large conglomerate, we hail from different backgrounds, both culturally and professionally — but there is one value that unites us all — a deep passion for excellence. At Sunway Berhad, this passion has brought us to new heights and I truly believe that passion will bring us further in our journey to build communities together,” he said.

Foundation contributes vans to charitable organisations

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BERJAYA Cares Foundation contributed five 14-seater vans to five charitable organisations costing RM400,000 recently to provide better accessibility and mobility for wheelchair users.

Four vans have even been modified and fitted with electro-hydraulic wheelchair lifts.

The recipients include Community AIDS Service Penang, Eden Handicap Service Centre Bhd, Penang, Home for Aged Simee, Ipoh, Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Association Johor Baru and Hope Mission Children’s Welfare Home, Teluk Intan.

Thank you for caring: Vincent Tan (second from right) and Robin (right, seated) shaking hands with S.K. Lee from Eden Handicap Service Centre Bhd. Looking on were recipients from other charitable organisations.

The vans were presented by Berjaya Corporation Bhd chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan and chief executive officer and Berjaya Cares Foundation chairman Datuk Robin Tan.

During the event, Robin said they wanted to bring tangible differences to the community.

“When these non-profit and charitable organisations reached out to us, we responded immediately out of our interest in assisting the communities.

“I hope that our contribution will help ease their transportation woes apart from improving their mobility and independence,” he said.

A short demonstration was held to show the functionality of the electro-hydraulic wheelchair lift, which has a loading capacity of 800 pounds.

To date, the foundation has contributed 11 of the 14-seater vans, costing about RM1mil.

Junior kabaddi meet serves as platform to identify talents

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The Milo-Kabaddi Association of Selangor(KAS)-Selangor Schools Sports Council (MSSS) inter-district kabaddi championships, in Kuala Selangor on Nov 3 and 4, is expected to be an exciting affair.

The championships, catering for Under-12 and Under-18 for both boys and girls, will be held at the SMK Pengkalan Permatang ground.

The KAS are looking for new talents to beef up their squads for the 2013 Malaysia Games. — Noor Azli Abdul Rahman

Selangor Education Department sports unit head Noor Azli Abdul Rahman said the championships would be an excellent platform for the KAS to identify players for their development programmes.

“The KAS are looking for new talents to beef up their squads for the 2013 Malaysia Games. The Under-18 age group will be an opportunity for KAS to spot new talents,’’ said Noor Azli after the draw in Shah Alam recently.

The champions and runners-up in both the age groups in last year’s championships in Hulu Selangor were given top billing.

The championships has been in the MSSS calendar since 2003. The partnership between KAS and MSSS has played an important role in Selangor’s success in the 2010 and 2011 Malaysia Games.

In the 2010 Malaysia Games in Malacca, Selangor won both the men and women’s gold medals. In the men’s final, Selangor defeated Negri Sembilan while in the women’s section, they upstaged Johor.

In this year’s Malaysia Games, hosted by the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil, Selangor were once again champions in the men and women categories. In both the finals, Selangor defeated fancied Kuala Lumpur.

Noor Azli said they were also pleased when the Selangor State Sports Council (MSNS) presented the 2010 Most Promising Sportswoman award to kabaddi player J. Jananiejay recently.

“She was a product of the MSSS championships. Likewise many players had gone to play for Selangor as well as the national teams,’’ said Noor Azli.

MSSS kabaddi technical chairman V. Muralee said the teams were divided into two groups.

“After the preliminary rounds, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. We are offering individual medals to the best player in each category,’’ said Muralee.

Judo event brings out the best in talented kids

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IT was not the championship bout but the thrilling encounter meant a lot to Selangor’s Chong Yew Xuen and Matthew Bata from Singapore’s Jagsport in their tussle for a better position in the boys’ Under-10 below 30kg category at the Selangor Judo Association (SJA) Diamond Grand Slam meet at the Methodist Boys’ School in Kuala Lumpur recently.

In the evenly contested match-up, the duo fought wholeheartedly and won the crowds’ approval with their gritty performances when both endured the full distance of four-minute duration.

They ended their campaign in style with a praiseworthy show of sportsmanship acknowledging each other with a steady grip handshake after their battle on the mat.

Joining the occasion: Jagsport’s Teo Karshing (left) and Shermin Sing from Federal Territories in action in the girls’ Under-16 below 57kg contest.

SJA secretary Susan Cheah said they allowed the eight-year-old Yew Xuen to take part because the SJKC Kampung Baru, Semenyih Year Two pupil indicated his eagerness to join his 11-year-old brother Yew Yong as a competitor at the tournament.

“Initially, we felt he (Yew Xuen) was too young to be part of the competition. He was very determined to be in action. We included him because he weighs close to 30kg and is no pushover against five other competitors in the category,” she added.

Although Yew Xuen showed glimpses of brilliance overpowering Matthew on several occasions, he only edged Matthew by one yuko (lower grade score used in a tie-breaker) for a narrow 5-0 victory to finish in joint third position along with teammate Garret Yong Shern Min.

Both Yew Xuen and Matthew chalked up a waza-ari each and Yew Xuen finish ahead of Matthew with two yukos.

“It was a tight bout but I was confident of winning the match,” said Yew Xuen.

Head-to-head: The determined Yew Xuen (left) attempting to pin his opponent Matthew on the ground in the boys’ Under-10 below 30kg bout.

In the main draw, Yew Xuen overcame teammate Garret 5-0 for a place in the semi-final before going down 0-5 to the eventual champion Chong Ee Jack of Selangor.

The recent one-day meet drew 100 competitors including five entries representing Federal Territories and 18 visitors from Singapore’s Jagsport featuring in 110 bouts of 22 separate categories.

Hosts Selangor captured 10 of the 15 titles at stake in the boys’ sections while Federal Territories and Jagsport took home two and three titles respectively.

Meanwhile, the Selangor girls flexed their domination making a clean sweep of all six categories.

In addition, Choi E-Faye was also in her elements with her decisive move pulling off the twister kesa-gatame (side control) in both of her triumphs over Lang Jia Xian and Lang Jia Le to secure the top spot in the triangular contest of the combined Under-10 below 34kg category.

SJA president R. Mohan said they were delighted two other teams — Federal Territories and Jagsport — adding excitement and offering stiffer competitions to their young charges in the tournament hosted in conjunction with their association’s 60th anniversary celebration.

RESULTS

COMBINED

- Under-10 below 34kg: 1. Choi E-Faye (Sel); 2. Lang Jia Xian (Sel); 3. Lang Jia Le (Sel)

BOYS’

- Under-10 below 30kg: Chong Ee Jack (Sel) bt Alvin O’Brian Singh (Sel) 10-0

- Under-10 below 38kg: Tan Jason (Sel) bt Md Izren Zuhairee Mohamed Rozaisee (Jag) 10-0

- Under-10 above 42kg: Kwa Kuan Eng (Sel) bt Liew Jia Yie (Sel) 10-0

- Under-12 below 38kg: 1. Gavin Oberroy Singh (Sel); 2. Chong Yew Yong (Sel); 3. Lam Johnson (Sel)

- Under-12 below 42kg: Lee Chee Wah (Sel) bt Loh Kwok Onn (Sel) 10-0

- Under-12 above 50kg: Kwa Kuan Xiang (Sel) bt Choy Juen Jet (FT) 10-0

- Under-14 below 50kg: Cheong Wai Yi (Jag) bt Muhd Irfan Zuhainee (Jag) 10- 0

- Under-14 below 55kg: 1. Jerome Ng Zhi Rong (Jag); 2. Kong Kwai Meng (Sel); 3. Lim Chin An (Sel)

- Under-14 below 60kg: 1. Chew Boon Hou (Sel); 2. Muhd Danish Shamsuddin (Sel); 3. Antonio Pinto (Jag)

- Under-14 below 66kg: Pushan Qin Nathan Visvanathan (Sel) bt Ding Lit Zhien (Sel) 10-0

- Under-14 above 66kg: 1. G. Madhu Reuben (Sel); 2. Ali Jahangeer Manj (Sel); 3. Kenji Choi Ken Jeh (Sel)

- Under-16 below 50kg: Lee Yung Chin (FT) bt Steven Lam (Sel) 10-0

- Under-16 below 55kg: 1. Poon Chuan Kent (Sel); 2. Kenneth Kwek (Jag); 3. Lee Kai Tsern (Sel)

- Under-16 below 60kg: Lim Wai Kit (FT) bt Ong Cheng Yang (Sel) 5-0

- Under-16 above 66kg: 1. Muhd Rifqi Al- Qayyum (Jag); 2. Pipo Leonardo Gabriel Fernandez (Jag); 3. Jessus Chng (Jag)

GIRLS’

- Under-10 below 25kg: 1. Chew Xue Er (Sel); 2. Marit Lemmens (Jag); 3. Lam Yuen Si (Sel)

- Under-10 above 36kg: Lee Jing Hwa (Sel) bt Choi Jing Yuet (FT) 10-0

- Under-12 above 48kg: 1. Surekhalaranya Mohan (Sel); 2. Liew Jia Qi (Sel); 3. Angeline Choi E-Ann (Sel)

- Under-14 below 44kg: 1. Tan Jie Xi (Sel); 2. Low Er Shu (Sel); 3. Nor Johanna Nor Rhyland (Sel)

- Under-16 below 48kg: 1. Chew Yen Peng (Sel); 2. Kathleen Chin Yee Ling (Sel); 3. Nurul Ain Jalal (Jag)

- Under-16 below 57kg: 1. Kong Sook Yin (Sel); 2. Cassiopeia Lim (Jag); 3. Teo Karshing (Jag)

Participants thrilled to don spooky costumes for contest

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SPOOKY creatures of all kinds and manner ‘descended’ upon Queensbay Mall in Penang in celebration of Halloween.

More than 30 children dressed up in costumes such as a dinner table, scary witch, Frankenstein, the Grim Reaper, Japanese geisha, bandit, skeleton man, murderous doctor, zombie and even fairy godmother during the ‘Helluva Halloween’ costume competition at the shopping mall on Saturday.

Each contestant was required to walk across the stage in their scary costumes and act like the character they represent against a backdrop of a giant spider, jack-o’-lanterns and tombstones.

The first prize went to Teh Tze Yi, eight, dressed as a zombie trapped in cage held by a black-cloaked Grim Reaper, the personification of death.

The SJKC Keong Hwa pupil said she spent two weeks with the help of her mother Lee Siew Leng, 33, to prepare the costume using recyclable materials such as polystyrene, PVC pipes, old clothes and cardboards.

“All in all, we spent less than RM10,” said Tze Yi.

Just the day before, she took third prize in a similar competition in another shopping mall in Penang using the same design but with slight modification.

Zombie in a cage: Teh Bin Wan and his wife Lee Siew Leng helping to prepare their daughter Tze Yi for the 'Helluva! Halloween' children's costume competition at Queensbay Mall. She turns out to be the winner

The runner-up was 10-year-old Nurazryn Arysha Muhd Zaidi, who dressed up as a decapitated head placed on a dinner table, complete with food and drinks.

The SJKC Chung Hwa pupil also impressed the judges, which comprised a three-man panel, with her linguistic abilities, as she spoke in fluent English and Mandarin.

Using her head: Nurazryn en route to finishing second place in the children's costume competition

“I got the idea from the Internet, and I added some modifications later on,” said Nurazryn, who had emerged best-dressed in two other Halloween costume competitions just a week before.

Aaron Ewe, who also disguised himself as a dinner table, repeated his top three finish.

The 10-year-old boy took home the second prize in the same competition last year, dressing up as Ju-on, a popular character from a Japanese horror film.

“I’d like to thank my parents for giving me a hand, especially in the last three days, to prepare the costume.

“I could not have done it without their help,” said the SJKC Union pupil, who was accompanied by his father Lawrence, 37.

For their elaborate efforts, the children were rewarded with RM500, RM300 and RM200 worth of prizes for the first, second and third place respectively.

The grownups were not left out from the fun and excitement of one of the world’s oldest holidays.

In the adults’ category, 18-year-old Tan Shyan Shyang beat the rest of the competition with his impersonation of a zombie, an idea he got from friends and video clips in Youtube.

Animated corpse: Shyan Shyang impersonating a zombie to emerge as the winner in the adult category of the 'Helluva!Halloween' costume competition

“Last year I also took part, but did not win anything so it’s really great to win,” said the college student who took home a 32-inch LCD television and vouchers worth about RM1,000.

Phor Tay High School student Yap Wei Wei, 14, ‘scared’ the audience with her grisly act of pulling a ‘baby’ from her womb, complete with umbilical cord, and singing to it.

Wei Wei took home a CD player set and vouchers worth RM800.

Five consolation prizes of RM200 and RM50 were also given out in the adults’ and children’s categories respectively.

During the competition, crowds were also kept going with a Michael Jackson dance impersonation and a fashion show.

Better facilities at airport

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A MULTI-STOREY car park and a hotel block will soon be built within the Penang International Airport ground, said state Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng.

“The car park, which will have 1,218 lots, and the hotel will be tendered to interested concessionaires via open tender.

“Both structures will not exceed 30m as per the Civil Aviation Department’s (DCA) Obstruction Clearance Limitation,” he told reporters after inspecting the work progress at the airport in Bayan Lepas yesterday.

Lim said airport users could now enjoy smoother pick-up and drop-off of passengers with the opening of the arrival and departure curb side and ramps on Friday, adding that lanes had been built according to vehicle types.

“The opening of the new drop-off and pick-up points has visibly eased traffic flow but the absence of signs has caused motorists to park haphazardly outside the terminal building.

New look: The almost completed curb side and driveway at the Penang International Airport

“Signs and road-line works will be carried out at night when there are fewer cars to ensure the public abide by the system and not take advantage of the situation by simply parking anywhere they like,” he said.

The arrival and departure ramps had been closed to visitors since April this year due to the upgrading and repair works.

Throughout that period, passengers and visitors had to endure numerous inconveniences even though nearly RM1.6 million had been spent on temporary diversion measures following complaints.

Airport senior manager Mohd Ariff Jaafar, who was also present, expressed confidence that they would be able to meet the completion date of June 2012.

Earlier, Lim and Batu Maung assemblyman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim also visited the completed RM6.1mil road rehabilitation project along the coastal road on the Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in Penang.

They thanked motorists for their understanding and patience during the four-month road closure and diversion.

Abdul Malik said road users, including him, would get to enjoy a smoother and a safer driving experience along these roads.

Club in a rush to help Thailand flood victims

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THE Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani is appealing for donations to send food, drinking water and medicine to help flood victims in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Its president K. Moorthy Sharma called on the public to donate generously in cash and kind towards the millions of victims affected by the natural disaster.

“We feel it is our part to render help to those facing the worst ever floods in their country, and the club appeals to all Malaysians to help,” he said.

The club would send the first batch by tomorrow, Moorthy said after receiving food, mineral water and sanitary pads from businessman Sonny Ho Teik Chuan on Saturday.

“We will deliver the items at the Thai border in Bukit Kayu Hitam, and our counterparts in Thailand will hand them over to the flood refugee centres,” he said.

Noble mission: Moorthy (far right), Ho (second right), Arvind (foreground, centre) and other committee members packing the food items collected to be sent to Thailand flood victims at the club collection centre in Sungai Petani

He said people could donate rice, instant noodles, sanitary pads, drinking water, tents, flashlights, mosquito nets, insect repellent and toilet paper.

Kedahan R. Mahendran, who is attached to a multinational in Ayutthaya, said the situation was worrying, and worsening day after day as people were getting isolated from the outside world.

“They cannot leave their homes to buy food and no shops operate due to the situation, and they mainly wait for food from the aid workers,” he added.

Club secretary G. Arvind said contributors could send their items to the club at 63B, Taman Mesra, off Jalan Sekerat, 08000 Sungai Petani, between 10am and 4.30pm or call him at 012-4773949.

Donors who wish to donate money could address their cheques to ‘Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani, Kedah’ or bank in cash into the club’s CIMB account 0206-0013393-05-8.

Official receipts will be issued for donations.

Advertisers and supporters show their cool dance moves at The Star’s 40th anniversary bash

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IT was an uncommon blend, but strangely perfect.

They came dressed in elegant traditional garb from all over the world, and proved that they had ‘Moves Like Jagger’ when they broke out in dance steps imitating the legendary The Rolling Stones singer.

And just when the crowd thought they had busted their last move, they switched genres from rock to pop and paid tribute to Michael Jackson’s famous Thriller music video.

Let's dance: The Star northern region advertising department staff performing in a flash mob during The Star's 40th anniversary dinner at E&O Hotel, Penang

The flash mob, involving 32 members from The Star’s northern hub advertising department, was one of the highlights of the newspaper’s 40th anniversary dinner at E&O Hotel in George Town, Penang, held last Friday.

The dinner, which was also held to honour the newspaper’s northern region clients and agencies, was attended by the top brass of Star Publications (M) Bhd who were dressed to the nines.

Good company: The Star advertisement manager (north) Simone Liong posing with ACMS Resources Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Dr Zainuddin Md Wazir (seated left)

Executive deputy chairman Datuk Vincent Lee arrived in a shiny, golden Chinese top while executive director Tan Sri Kamal Hashim donned a traditional Middle-Eastern robe.

International flavour: (from left) Nestle Products Sdn Bhd sports marketing manager Ng Ping Loong, The Star group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, StarMetro senior editor Brian Martin, Photo President administration manager Loh Choon Teik, The Star regional editor (north) Choi Tuck Wo and IT manager (north) Khoo Boo Taik posing for a group photo

Group managing director and chief executive officer Ho Kay Tat, group business director Calvin Kan and The Star group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai — dressed in Chinese, Punjabi and Middle Eastern outfits respectively — gave the advertising department staff a run for their money when they took over the dance floor, shaking loose to the Bee Gees’ hit Stayin’ Alive.

Kamal said the night was one of the best the company had enjoyed and thanked all the advertisers for their strong, continuous support.

Gorgeous ladies: Blissful Bridal Studio representatives including studio manager Anne Lee (left) and marketing manager Summer Chai (third left) posing for pictures

“I have never regretted being associated with The Star — from the beginning when we were still a small Penang paper till today when we have become the number one newspaper in the country.

“Tonight, I am so happy to be entertaining some of our most faithful advertisers whom I have known for a long time,” said Kamal, the company’s longest serving executive director.

Lee, who addressed the crowd in the opening speech, said it was apt to return to Penang to celebrate The Star’s 40th anniversary as it was where the paper had originally started.

“Most of the great writers — not only from The Star but also from our competitors — come from Penang.

“Penangites should be proud of producing the best intellectuals in the country,” said Lee, adding that the newspaper’s soul was “still very much” in the state.

Colour-coordinated: (left) Gama administration and marketing divisional manager Alexius Liew with IJM Land northern region general manager Toh Chin Leong

During the night, guests were entertained by musical group Daniel & Friends and were treated to a stand-up comedy routine by noted funnyman Douglas Lim.

A total of RM150,000 was handed out to five non-governmental organisations in conjunction with The Star’s anniversary.

They were the Penang Hospice Society, Women’s Centre for Change, Penang Caring Dialysis Society, Penang Amateur Athletic Association and Pure Lotus Hospice.

Advertising representatives also put on a glittering fashion show featuring gowns and suits from Anovia Bridal and glittering jewellery from Amee Philips.

Guests included Sunshine Wholesale Mart Sdn Bhd advertising and promotion manager Cynthia Loo, ACMS Resources Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Dr Zainuddin Md Wazir and Gama administration and marketing divisional manager Alexius Liew.

Gurney Plaza marketing communications manager Peter Chan and Queensbay Mall general manager Selina Ng bagged the “Best Dressed” award for the male and female categories respectively, with shopping vouchers worth RM500 each.

Good sport: Gurney Plaza marketing communications manager Peter Chan won the Best Dressed (male) award

Ng, who beat the other competitors with her shimmering, black saree, said she got the idea as Deepavali had just passed on Oct 26.

Chan said his Ip Man-inspired traditional Chinese robe was bought in Hong Kong five years ago and he only wore it for special functions.

In the lucky draw segment, Penang CIMB Bank manager Max Wong was the biggest winner of the night, walking away with an Amee Philips necklace worth RM4,200.

Wong, who never expected to win anything, said he would present the necklace to his lovely wife.

The other gifts in the lucky draw included iPad2s, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Malaysia Airlines flight tickets, digital cameras, hotel stay vouchers, buffet vouchers and shopping vouchers.

Ipoh folk learn about military paraphernalia and life of soldiers

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IPOH folks had the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the Royal Malaysian Army during the simultaneous launch of Territorial Army companies for the Batu Gajah, Beruas, Ipoh Barat, Ipoh Timur and Sungai Siput parliamentary constituencies.

Held at the Ipoh Padang, children and adults alike climbed onto armoured vehicles and jeeps to pose for photographs.

Army personnel, who were on duty to supervise them, obliged to have their photographs taken alongside the visitors.

Riding red: Members of the Army Red Warrior performing a stunt.

There were also various booths showcasing information about the army, Territorial Army and other uniformed groups in the country.

One particular booth was of interest to many — it was where the army demonstrated how soldiers survive in the jungle by using traps to catch small animals and explained how soldiers survive in the jungle without rations.

A few brave souls even tried eating sago worms and various edible leaves, which are often food for the soldiers when there was nothing else to eat.

The firearms booth was another crowd-puller with members of the public trying their hands at firing rifles, machine-guns and rocket launchers.

Earlier during the launch by army chief General Datuk Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, guests were left enthralled by a display of stunts by members of the “Army Red Warrior”, who on their Scrambler motorcycles jumped over cars. The soldiers also performed martial arts.

Tank top: Young visitors taking pictures on an army tank for remembrance.

In his speech, Zulkifli said the Territorial Army consisted of various races coming together to defend the country against threats.

“We need to instil the spirit of patriotism and nationalism amongst the people.

“Together, we share the same responsibility to ensure peace and harmony in the country,” he said.

He pointed out that the Territorial Army companies had been set up in 212 parliamentary constituencies throughout the country.

There were only 10 constituencies left, including three in Perak, namely Bukit Gantang, Parit Buntar and Lenggong that have yet to set up companies.

A night of Chinese jazz

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OVER 400 people took a stroll down memory lane where they were treated to the songs of the late Taiwanese songbird Teresa Teng, during a charity concert earlier this month.

Themed “The Jazzy Sounds of Teresa Teng,” the audience was mesmerised by Astro Talent Quest 2000 winner Winne Ho and her rendition of Teng’s songs in contemporary jazz style.

Organised by Andaman Property Management Sdn Bhd (Andaman Group), the concert raised RM100,000 for SMJK Sam Tet and John Moh Education Foundation.

Contemporary jazz: Ho in a duet with jazz guitarist extraordinaire, Roger Wang.

Andaman Group executive chairman Datuk Patrick Teoh said: “Sponsoring the concert is a good opportunity for me to contribute to my alma mater, Sam Tet School.”

Besides raising Sam Tet School’s profile, the concert also paid tribute to Rev Brother John Moh, who served the school from 1959 to 1992.

Come Nov 25, the group will be organising another concert entitled “In the Mood for Love” at Syuen Hotel at 8pm.

Featuring the same new genre of Chinese jazz music as the first concert, playing perennial favourites in contemporary jazz style, it will appeal to both Chinese- and English-speaking audiences of all ages.

All funds collected will be shared by SMJK Sam Tet and the John Moh foundation. The money will be used for school maintenance, upgrading of facilities, school activities and to provide aid to needy students.

Tickets are now available at Friendly Records in Kinta City shopping centre. For details, call Leslie (012-208 3790) or Man (016-628 8819).

Technician wins saree contest

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Winners: Veniswary flanked by first Runner-up M. Raja Letchumi (left) and second runner-up Athiletchumi (right).

TECHNICIAN S. Veniswary showed that she is just as capable in designing her own saree as she is tinkering away at machines at her work place.

The 24-year-old Ipoh lass, who works at a semi-conductor factory in Jelapang, was crowned Deepavali Saree Queen after beating nine other contestants with her saree design — an embroidered piece with purple borders.

“It took me a few days to come up with the design,” said Veniswary, who had entered the contest with her younger sister, S. Athilechumi.

Athilechumi, 23, a diploma student in bridal fashion, emerged second runner-up in the contest while the second place went to college student M. Raja Letchumi, 20.

Organised by the Ipoh Barat MIC division, the contest was part of events lined up at Little India in the week leading up to the Festival of Lights.

Donors fill up bags of foodstuff for the needy

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MALAYSIANS are generally a charitable lot and their kindness knows no bounds.

Volunteers from three Buddhist organisations filled up four bags of foodstuff — rice, canned drinks and cooking oil — in response to the Kampar Municipal Council’s (MPKpr) “Kilo of Kindness” campaign recently.

As the campaign tagline goes, donors are urged to fill a bag with a kilogramme of foodstuff. The council had distributed 1,500 bags to government agencies, corporations and individuals for the purpose.

Working together: MPKpr staff packing rice into smaller packets to be distributed to the beneficiaries.

“We did not weigh the foodstuff but just filled up four bags with rice, canned drinks and cooking oil,” said one of the three volunteers, Foong Siew Keng, from Mambang Diawan.

Foong, 46, said the council’s initiative was commendable.

Campaign chairman Nor Akmal Yang Ghazali said 1,200 bags containing 3,800kg of foodstuff such as rice, sugar, beehoon, instant noodles, canned food, cooking oil and drinks had been sent to the council so far.

“The foodstuff will be given out to 1,200 needy people who have been recommended by the municipal councillors, village chiefs and the Civil Society Council,” he told reporters during a session to pack the foodstuff at the council building recently.

Piles of goodies: Some packets and cans of food donated by the public.

He said the beneficiaries came from areas such as Kampar town, Mambang Diawan, Kuala Dipang, Malim Nawar and Gopeng, adding that each bag of foodstuff to be given out would weigh up to three kilogrammes.

MPKpr president Abdul Hakim Ibrahim said the campaign was the first of its kind undertaken by the council and praised Kamparians for their strong sense of social responsibility.

Nor Akmal said the campaign was one of the initiatives of “Local Agenda 21” and that other local authorities in the country also conducted similar campaigns.

Best for parents to educate kids about sex

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PARENTS should be open about sex and be ready to discuss it with their children.

In her talk entitled “Parenting Teens on Sex: When to Start and What to Say”, author and certified trainer Jamilah Samian said parents were the best teachers for their children when it came to the topic of sex.

“If one sensationalises sex by cracking dirty jokes, the topic will ultimately turn dirty.

“But if parents talk about sex as it is, it will not become a taboo,” she said.

Lamenting that the word “sex” was all over television and the Internet, parents should be prepared to deal with the inevitable.

Sensitive issue: Jamilah presenting the talk at the seminar.

“Children as young as seven years old have heard of the word sex.

“My own son had asked me what was sex when he was only eight,” she related.

Jamilah, who had teamed up with her husband Ahmad Fakri Hamzah to deliver the talk organised by the Perak Women for Women Society, said teenagers had sex due to curiosity and because they were bored or lacked attention.

There were also times when teenagers did so after succumbing to peer pressure or because they wanted to be like adults, she added.

“The media also has to shoulder some of the blame for why teenagers indulge in sex at a young age.

“To sell a product, the media tends to associate being sexy with being popular.

“This leads to children having a mental image that being sexy and popular equates to power and thus, happiness,” Jamilah elaborated.

Ahmad Fakri said parents must be present in the lives of their children.

“If not, they will turn to their friends for advice or look it up on the Internet,” he said.

Earlier when launching the event, society vice-president Halida Mohd Ali said the talk was aimed at empowering parents and teenagers on the subject.

“Teenagers need to be made aware of the complications caused by pre-marital sex.

“Only by empowering teenagers can we curb unwanted pregnancies and cases of baby dumping,” she said.

With an 11-year-old daughter about to enter teenhood, businessman Aizi Reza Razak and his wife Kay Moris did not mind travelling over 200km from Petaling Jaya to attend the talk in Ipoh.

“I wanted to learn the best way to broach the topic with my eldest girl.

“Although my daughter has yet to raise the issue, I want to be ready when she starts asking,” he said.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Kampung Pertak: Nature lovers haunt

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KAMPUNG Pertak in Hulu Selangor is a well-known haunt for nature lovers.

Located about 15 minutes or about 12km from the Kuala Kubu Baru town, this orang asli re-settlement village is also frequented by families organising picnics.

The Kul river, a tributary of the Selangor river, runs through the village that is mostly made up of concrete houses.

A decade ago, the orang asli community who were scattered all over the area were relocated following the construction of the Selangor Dam.

A river runs through: A view of the tributary leading to Sungai Selangor near Kampung Pertak.

The route towards Kampung Pertak is scenic and visitors can catch a glimpse of the reservoir as the road snakes around this man-made structure.

From the orang asli village, there is a track to Bukit Kutu (1,100 metres above sea-level), an abandoned British outpost overlooking the border of Selangor and Pahang.

There’s nothing left but a chimney of the structure after it was bombed by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

This is a tough eight-hour trek on a 13.5km trail where hikers are known to go off the trail and get lost.

One must be physically fit to tackle the challenges of hiking up to Bukit Kutu.

Scenic: Water from a creek flowing into the Kul river.

For the nature lover, there’s ample flora and fauna around, although much of the forested area here was slashed for cultivation by the orang asli.

The Pertak trail yields plenty of spider species and its riverbanks are a favourite spawning area for the tiger beetle.

Apart from bugs, there are also a wide variety of birds in the area, making it a popular haunt for bird watchers.

To get there, head towards the Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh trunk road and make an exit at Kuala Kubu Baru. From there, take the road leading towards Fraser’s Hill.

Kampung Pertak is located near the Selangor Dam which is not hard to locate. The GPS coordinates for this village are: N 03 34 841, E 101 43 759.

PJ Half Marathon: Cheering on runners

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DEEJAYS Linora Low and Mynn Lee from Red FM will not only be cheering on participants of the PJ Half Marathon at the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya tomorrow but to compete in the race as well.

Linora, who has signed up to run her first 10km race, said she had always envisioned to run but never really got to doing it.

When the 27-year-old found out about the run from her colleagues, she immediately made sure she would not miss it.

Juggling between work and training has been difficult but Linora said she tried to spend some time working out at home on the treadmill, running as well as stair climbs and dynamic squats.

Raring to go: Linora (left) and Mynn doing some stretching exercise and jogging (below) during their training session.

“When I have the time, I will drop by the gym to workout with my colleagues,” said the former aerobic instructor.

She added that persuading her colleagues to participate was one difficult task as they often too busy with work commitments or were not interested.

“The lifestyle here is different, not everyone is into sports and working out, hopefully I will be able to persuade them into running with me one day,” said Linora who hosts the Eleven-2-Three show on the station.

For Mynn, who used to be an active runner, work got the better of her, hence she had not been able to participate in runs actively.

Mynn, a former gymnast during her schooling days, said she would love to join Low but she had been given the duty of being the emcee of the race with DJ Jeremy Teo.

“We will there from morning cheering on everyone and Linora of course, I don’t think I am allowed to run in any event that day,

“So I will be at the stadium with Jeremy screaming our lungs out and cheering everyone on to the finish line,” said Mynn who hosts the Late Night Love Songs programme.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman and Star Publications group managing director Ho Kay Tat are expected to flag off the PJ Half Marathon.

About 5,000 participants have signed up for the event with four distance — 21km, 10km, 5km and 3km fun run.

Singers, dancers and flash mob to thrill crowd at PJ Half

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MORE than 4,000 runners are expected at the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya tomorrow for the PJ Half Marathon.

Those who are there to support the runners will be entertained by singers Qalisha and Aisya Hasnaa (pic).

O M Galz, the winners for My Challenge, will perform a hip-hop dance number while the MBPJ Team will be putting up a Stomp performance.

Tapping into the young talent pool, the organisers have also invited students from SMK (P) Sri Aman for a flash mob performance.

In sync: O M Galz will perform a hip-hop dance number.

There will also be a lucky draw at 10am featuring prizes like a 42” LCD TV, iPad 2, a home theatre and a digital camera.

In line with the Run For a Greener PJ theme, several trees will be planted near the stadium by Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan and the invited guests.

The 21km run is the first to be flagged off at 6.30am. Public parking is available at the open-air parking spaces around the stadium but the roads leading into the area will be closed at 6am.

The PJ Half Marathon is organised by The Star, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Selangor Amateur Athletics Association.

The platinum sponsor for the run is Genneva Syariah and the main sponsors are ICI Paints Malaysia, Sports Toto, AmBank Group, Milo, 100 Plus and Andaman Property Management.

The categories for the run are 21km (men’s Open, women’s Open, men’s veteran and women’s veteran); 10km (men’s Open, men’s veteran, women Open); 5km (boys, girls, wheelchair men and women); and 3km (Individual and Family Fun Run).

Programme

6am: Warm-up session

6.10am: Arrival of PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, deputy mayor Puasa Md Taib and Star Publications group managing director and chief executive officer Ho Kay Tat.

6.30am: Flag off 21km

6.45am: Flag off 10km

6.50am: Flag off 5km (wheelchair)

7am: Flag off 5km (nonwheelchair)

7.15am: Flag off 3km Fun Run

7.20am: “Run for Greener PJ” tree-planting ceremony

7.30am: Expected arrival of participants

8.15am: Entertainment

9.30am: Lucky draw and prize presentation ceremony

Hire locals first, companies urged

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FEDERAL Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin is urging companies to hire Malaysians instead of employing foreigners.

“We have to be prepared with skilled human capital to generate income for the country. So all industries need to start employing semi-skilled and unskilled local workers and reduce dependency on foreign labour.

“In the economic and social sense, foreign labour is not good in the long run.

“Some don’t even understand English and in such cases sign language needs to be used to get the message across,” he said.

Working together: Raja Nong Chik (in batik) shaking hands with participants of the luncheon talk. Looking on is Human Resource Ministry skills development director-general Dr Pang Chau Leong (right).

Raja Nong Chik said this after launching a luncheon programme for top civil servants and 30 chief executives of multinationals and government-linked companies (GLCs) in Kuala Lumpur.

The event was held as the beginning to form smart partnerships between federal government agencies and private companies to discuss issues such as human capital, technology as well as present and competency of the workforce.

It was organised by the department of skills development under the Human Resource Ministry.

They include six main industries in Kuala Lumpur namely oil and petrochemicals, retail hypermarket, telecommunication, finance, tourism and regional establishment.

During the event, most of the industry captains spoke on the importance of communication skills, the need for semi-skilled workers and new talent as well as making the industry more attractive among job seekers.

Raja Nong Chik said by 2020, the country plans to achieve the number 20 spot as a livable and high income city.

As such, he said, more Malaysians should be made multiskilled and earning a higher income.

“We have to make it attractive for young people especially in greater KL as we plan to attract multinational companies to set up business here.

“So the services should be like they are in Hong Kong or Singapore,” he said.

Malaysia is concentrating on 12 National Key Economic Area (NKEA) to promote the economy towards a high income by 2020, thus the commitment by all relevant stakeholders are important.

The NKEA is the base for the Economic Transformation Prog-ramme, whereby 131 initial projects need 3.3 million skilled workers in all the sectors in Malaysia.

Solution to illegal extensions

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THE Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) will give a one-year period for those with illegal extensions or renovations to submit their applications to the council.

This latest move is to resolve any illegal extensions, land encroachment and neighbourly disputes.

A counter will be opened from Oct 31 at the Menara MPAJ lobby for submissions and information.

Council president Datuk Mohamad Yacob Mohamad said it would take seven days for the council to process any approval of permits following mutual agreements between disputing neighbours.

Down it goes: A file picture of an excavator tearing down an illegal extension at an apartment.

“This applies for all houses with renovation being carried out as well as those built on no-man’s land, which can be given a temporary approval.

“We have had cases where the joint management bodies (JMB) have asked us to tear down certain structures, so if there was anything that doesn’t comply with the rules and regulations, it will be brought down.

“We want to reduce the use of middlemen in such disputes and a minimal fine will be imposed against those who fail to comply,” Mohamad said at the MPAJ full board meeting yesterday.

MPAJ is also looking into changing the schedule for its garbage collection especially for bulk waste.

Mohamad said that Monday was a good day for bulk waste collection as people often did major house cleaning over the weekends.

He added that they would also make some arrangements to the scheduled time of waste collection that best suited the community.

At present, bulk waste is collected on Saturdays while household garbage is collected on alternate days depending on the areas.

“We receive an average of five complaints a day.

“We strongly advise people to dispose of their waste properly especially in strata areas with a dedicated garbage disposal site. We ask the JMBs to play their role in helping us,” he added.

Mohamad also spoke about the extension of the Besraya highway from Pandah Indah and Pandan Jaya towards Istana Negara.

He said the 3.5km stretch in Ampang would be completed by 2014 as initial works had already begun.

“The project is to improve the traffic flow and reduce congestion on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) southbound towards Kuala Lumpur.

“We want the builders to address a few issues such as reducing the volume of noise during late night construction as well as to consider building a noise barrier around the housing areas and some landscaping,” he said.

When asked about the completion of the MRR2 upgrading work, Mohamad said the project would probably be completed by December, earlier then the scheduled February next year.

He said a new U-turn ramp was built near the Flat 700 for those wanting to head to Tesco or Hulu Kelang.

“People will have to make use of the U-turn as the turning near Pandan Jaya has been diverted. Right now, people can’t see the whole flow yet but once it is completed, they will experience a smoother traffic on the MRR2,” Mohamad said.

It was mentioned that MPAJ received the highest Accountability Index Award grade by the Auditor General’s Report for Selangor for having the best finance management.

The MPAJ toll-free line is 1-800-22-8100 or call the hotline 03-4296 8007/ 8044 for any complaints.

MPSJ strikes against illegal ads

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THE war against illegal advertisements continues as the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) organised an operation to remove the bunting and stickers in three areas yesterday.

Divided into three teams, about 40 MPSJ staff members from the management services, enforcement and corporate planning departments headed to SS14, SS15 and SS19 to tear down advertisements that did not bear the permit stickers.

As with many other areas in the Klang Valley, signboards, lamp posts and TNB substations in these three commercial areas are plagued with illegal advertisements.

Clean up: MPSJ enforcement officers removing illegal advertisements in SS15.

A total of 875 advertisements were removed in the operation.

Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh, who requested for the operation, said the council needed to have a task force to tackle the problem regularly.

She said an increase in requests for financial assistance at her service centre showed that there are potential “customers” for loan sharks in Subang Jaya.

“I have also seen teens being hired to put up the ah long advertisements,” she said.

MPSJ councillor Dr Loi Kheng Min questioned the validity of the serial numbers printed on some banners in lieu of the permit stickers. “This practice is not allowed. The numbers are just the reference numbers on the applications,” he said.

Lau: Fee for land status transfer up to developer and residents’ lawyers

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THE Selangor state government has no power to fix a flat rate or offer discounts for residents of the Sri Aman low-cost flats in Section 22, Petaling Jaya, who are having difficulty paying for their transfer of land status to strata title.

Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San, in rebuking a statement made by Selangor MCA Public Services and Complaints Department deputy chairman Kelvin Chong Seng Foo, said the state government was not involved in matters pertaining to payments to obtain the strata titles by the residents.

Two weeks ago, Chong, who is Kampung Tunku co-ordinator, urged the state government to fix a flat rate and “to be fair to all low-cost unit owners” as they all have different rates to pay for the transfer of strata title.

Lau rebutted by saying that this was an issue between the residents, the Sri Aman low-cost flat developer and their respective lawyers who are handling the transfer of land status.

Finding an amicable solution: Sri Aman flats residents have been urged to settle their outstanding debts to the Sri Aman Joint Management Body to expedite the process of obtaining their strata titles.

“It is incorrect for Chong to say that the state government is charging a high fee for the residents for the transfer of land status to strata titles.

“However, I have made a request to the state government to extend the Oct 15, 2011 deadline for the residents to settle the fees for the strata title allocation.

“In this matter, we do have the power to make the time extension under Section 40A (2) of the Strata Titles Act 1985,” explained Lau after meeting with the residents of Sri Aman low-cost flats.

He also urged the residents to settle their outstanding debts to the Sri Aman Joint Management Body (JMB) to expedite the process of obtaining their respective strata titles.

“Some of them have yet to pay up their maintenance fees which includes the sinking fund and water bill.

“This will only slow down the process of getting the strata titles. It is not possible for the state government to help the residents pay for their outstanding arrears because it will be unfair to other low cost unit owners who have settled their debts,” added Lau.

In October last year, all 342 households of Sri Aman flats received notices from the developer requesting them to pay the processing fees to exercise the transfer of land status to strata titles.

The residents were given a year to settle the processing fees which range from RM500 to RM2,000.

Lighting and furniture double up as art pieces

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LIGHTING and furniture are not just mere objects of practicality these days as they are being marketed as art pieces too.

“Apart from serving its purpose, furniture and lightings have become art pieces with high aesthetic value.

“When we sell our products, we tell our customers that they are buying art pieces,” said The Deer Berry marketing manager Yap Yoong Ching at the Homedec 11 exhibition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The company, which was established five months ago, has a range of interesting furniture and lighting items which are made from bamboo and rattan.

Lots of choices: Visitors browsing through the items at Homedec 11.

Ranging from comfortable, artistically-manicured settees and sofas to chic and modern-looking chandeliers and lighting, the products from Thailand are designed by top Thai designers.

Apart from offering off-the-shelf products, the company also custom makes items to meet customers’ demands and needs.

“Our concept is all about natural and handmade products using plants such as rattan and bamboo to produce something modern and chic,” said Yap whose booth is located in Hall 5.

Another booth which offers artistic lighting is Trend Energy. The company’s lighting from the Natural series grabs a lot of attention from visitors of the exhibition.

Lamp shades, chandelier and feature lights, using natural materials such as treated drift wood, rattan and, longan and mango tree woods are the main highlights.

The company’s operation manager Wenny Fong said the products were all handmade in Vietnam using Italian and Swedish designs.

“They home improvement products which offer a cosy feel to the entire get-up. This range has been around for three years but we were only doing it for resorts and hotels.

With the theme ‘Living Design’, the second part of Homedec 11 is occupying five halls and is all about home interior. Visitors can learn about lightings, furniture, materials, colours, decorative items and many more.

The exhibition ends tomorrow.

Walk to raise funds for orang utan foundation

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RESIDENTS living in and around Bandar Utama are encouraged to take part in the Burt’s Bees Walk tomorrow at 7.30am for a good cause.

The 3.5km Awareness Walk at the Curve Shopping Mall in Bandar Utama is to help raise funds for the Orang Utan Island Foundation (OUIF) in Bukit Merah in their continuing Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.

Susana: ‘We target 200 people to participate in the walk.’

Co-organised by the Rotaract Club of Port Klang Centennial, the walk will see guest-of-honour and chairman of Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, OUIF chief executive officer and resident veterinary surgeon Dr D. Sabapathy and director of Belmonde Corporation Sdn Bhd who owns Burt’s Bees in Malaysia Susana Chung will be at the walk to usher the participants.

“We target 200 people to participate in the walk. Now we have about 100 and most of them are fans of Burt’s Bees products. Each participant will be charged RM30, where RM25 goes to OUIF while RM5 is for processing fee. As a gesture of appreciation from Burt’s Bees, all participants will be given goodie bags worth RM100 which includes Burt’s Bees merchandise, a certificate of participation, a T-shirt and a free pass to Fitness First,” she said.

“We will also have lucky draw prizes which will include a free night stay in Bukit Merah Lake Town Resort,” she said.