Stop bullying Julia, Aussie PM's boyfriend says

SYDNEY - The boyfriend of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has hit out at people bullying his partner, saying women are among the worst culprits.

Gillard is Australia's first female leader and is under huge pressure with her ratings in opinion polls at record lows.

In some recent protests she has been called a "bitch" and a "witch" and Tim Mathieson, a former hairdresser who is known as Australia's 'First Bloke', said he could not understand why women were among Gillard's biggest critics.

Who says the British don't like sex (outdoors)?

Britain may not boast the best weather but that doesn't stop us indulging in alfresco love-making, an exclusive Sun sex survey reveals.

Just over half of the 2,124 people questioned said they'd romped in the great outdoors.

Woman made to have sex with fortune teller

The angry couple resorted to trashing the stall. Image source: Shin min Daily

A couple trashed a fortune teller’s stall outside a the popular Kwan Im temple in Singapore on Thursday.

The fortune teller, identified as a plump man in his 30s, had allegedly swindled the couple and had sex with the couple’s daughter in a supposed exorcism. 

Topless picture of girl sent to her parents and relatives

MALACCA: Another underage girl has had her topless picture sent to her parents and family by her boyfriend after she refused his demand for sex.

It is believed that the 31-year-old salesman, a father of three from Jasin, had sent the picture to her parents after she refused to have sex with him while they were alone at her home last week.

Do I look like a transvestite?

You are used to seeing her looking nothing but gorgeous on the TV screen or award shows. With her exotic good looks and hourglass figure, Sofia Vergara is the envy of women and desire of men, which is why we are so suprised by what the Colombian beauty said recently.

People envy my cash and looks: Cristiano Ronaldo

MADRID - Opposing fans give Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo a hostile reception because he is 'rich, handsome and a great player,' the Portuguese said after Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League win at Dinamo Zagreb.

Ronaldo, the world's most expensive signing, was roundly booed and whistled during the Group D opener in Croatia and was also the target of some robust challenges, one of which drew blood on his right ankle and required several stitches.

Peanuts, not sweeping reforms

Let’s not be fooled, people. The changes Najib announced are merely cosmetic, and will have to be passed in Parliament first before they become effective.

PEANUTS. That’s what Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s so-called “sweeping reforms” are. They hardly amount to a political transformation.

While it’s cheering to note that the Internal Security Act (ISA) will be repealed – finally, after our many years of waiting – and that the Emergency proclamations are to be lifted – a decision that is decades overdue – it’s disturbing to be told that they will be replaced by two new laws aimed at preventing subversion and safeguarding public order.

Nazri Aziz – the defective law minister

Taxi drivers, just like politicians, are a law unto themselves. There are also allegations that the taxi companies are controlled by corrupt politicians.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz said that the government was serious in fighting corruption and announced the latest Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) initiative whereby taxi drivers would become mini-ambassadors and informers on behalf of the MACC.

He added that if the information the cabbies supplied was successful in securing arrests and convictions, they could also be rewarded for their efforts.

Nazri said: “The government is committed to battling corruption through its transformation plan by establishing a National Key Results Area for corruption and reducing corruption via increased enforcement and prevention, while improving the people’s perception of the government’s and public services’ integrity.”

Let’s forge a common destiny

Are we merely celebrating Malaysia Day because of the rising political importance of Sabah and Sarawak, asks R Kengadharan.

Sept 16 is the day Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak joined and became the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 and since 2010 it is called Malaysia Day.

What is the significance of Malaysia Day? How do we recognize Malaysia Day? Can it be classified and/or considered a day where people of different faith, belief and values came together as one?

While today Malaysia is considered a plural society, can we as a society remain cohesive to ensure steady progress?

Canada alerted to Taib’s ‘dirty’ assets

Swiss-based NGO claims that several top Canadian political leaders have taken an interest in the complaints about Taib's alleged money-laundering activities in Canada.

KUALA LUMPUR: Swiss-based NGO, Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), claimed that the Canadian government is taking a keen interest in complaints raised by BMF about Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s alleged money-laundering activities in Canada.

The BMF, however, could not confirm if a formal investigation had been initiated on Taib-family-founded Sakto Corporation for the alleged offence, but said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is well aware of the allegation.

Reforms or not, Najib likely to delay GE-13 till 2012

The repeal of the oppressive Internal Security Act as well as several Emergency laws have been played up to the hilt by the mainstream media, all of whom have rushed to portray Prime Minister Najib Razak as a hero to the people.

Many also say the reforms were aimed at boosting Najib's position ahead of snap general elections, a view which is not unreasonable. But it is still hard to imagine that Najib could summon enough courage to call for polls before the end of this year, especially after former premier Mahathir Mohamad openly advised that there was "no harm" in waiting a bit longer!

The prerogative to set the GE-13 date is in the hands of the Prime Minister and one can be sure this date will always be set to be at the most advantageous to himself and to hs Umno party. So no matter how hard the people, his rivals in Umno or Pakatan Rakyat may clamor for early polls, the whole of Malaysia will just have to wait until Najib Razak makes an official announcement.

Repeals: A healthy dose of scepticism

Many who read this commentary would accuse me of being unnecessary cynical, that I am not giving credit where it is due. Those who know me better would know that I am an optimist at heart. Which is why I want to caution everyone who is ecstatic over Prime Minister Najib Razak's announcements tonight to take what he says with a large bucket of salt.

On paper, Najib's announcement to repeal the Internal Security Act 1960 (better known as the ISA) and the less well-known Banishment Act 1959 as well as to review certain sections of the Restricted Residents Act 1933, the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and the Police Act 1967, should be applauded and welcomed by all who advocate for a freer and more democratic country.

But instead of reacting with glee and overwhelming optimism, I have instead chosen to take a more sceptical, and in my humble opinion, more realistic view of these announcements for three related reasons. These are:

Sept 16: A BN mole upset the Pakatan takeover in 2008

Three years since the watershed General Elections on Sat 8, Mar 2008, it’s clear that Sept 16 in a future year will be the pivotal date for Sabah and Sarawak to win back their rights and freedom enshrined, inter alia, in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

The first shots were fired in the weeks and months running up to Sept 16, 2008 when it appeared with increasing certainty that this would be the moment when Sabah and Sarawak would be the proverbial tail wagging the dog.

Alas, it was not to be.

Women strip down for footbal

Fantasy football will take on a whole new meaning for some footy followers when the Ladies Football League laces up in October.

The concept is based on the Lingerie Football League in the US.

Woodend resident Tala Schultz said the first official women's 11-on-11 tackle grid-iron football league will take Australia by storm.

Woman dies after being crushed by falling woman

SINGAPORE - Not one, but two bodies were found at the foot of a block in Bishan St 13 in the freakiest of accidents that occurred on Monday.

It is believed that Madam Lau Fong Kien (left inset), 55, had been crushed by a falling woman, Madam Ng Sock Luan (right inset), 48, at the bottom of her block, reported The New Paper.

Madam Lau, who was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer a few years ago, survived the disease but did not survive being crushed. It is believed that no one saw the incident.

3 charged with killing foreigner

AMPANG: Three Cameroonians jointly claimed trial at the Sessions Court here yesterday to committing culpable homicide not amounting to murder against a Japanese businessman.

Ndele Innocent Kufor, 27, Celestin Nzogne, 35, and Balack Mabe Jean Paul, 20, allegedly caused the death of Hirokazu Miyashita, 51, at a room at Hotel De Palma in Ampang on Aug 22.

Teacher, 25, ‘groped an air steward’

Bailed ... Goldberg

THIS is the teacher accused of drunkenly groping an air steward on a flight and demanding sex.

Katherine Goldberg, 25, allegedly grabbed the man's crotch after having nearly a pint of whisky during the Virgin Airways flight from South Africa to Heathrow last month.

Outlining the case, Stella Waata, prosecuting, told Uxbridge Magistrates: "The circumstances are that Miss Goldberg was on a flight from South Africa to Heathrow and she was drunk whilst on the airplane.

OAPs' webcam antics become net hit

Cam-eo ... QAPs are the latest internet sensation after unwittingly filming
 themselves on webcam

A PAIR of OAPs have become an internet sensation after unwittingly filming themselves on a new webcam.

The couple, Bruce and Esther Huffman, don't realise their new laptop's camera is filming as they try to get to grips with the technology.

Is a general election looming in Malaysia?

KUALA LUMPUR: A recent slew of populist measures has strengthened expectations that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak could call a snap election within the next six months, as he seeks a mandate to execute economic reforms and strengthen his grip on power.


Bonus payments for civil servants, a cash payout for farmers and affordable housing for low-income earners are among the steps the government has taken to cushion the impact of higher prices and address a major gripe among voters.


Najib is also expected to announce several political reforms on Thursday, Sept 15 including amending a controversial security law to make good on promises to allow increased freedom of speech.

Dr M says British advisers were rulers

SERDANG, Sept 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad conceded today that Malaysia was never colonised by the British but insisted that their advisers acted as if they were the rulers instead of the Malay Sultans.

The 85-year-old former prime minister said that the British “acted as if we were colonised” in response to the claim by the National Professors’ Council (MPN) that Malaya, the precursor to Malaysia, was never colonised by Britain and had merely been a protectorate.

“The Sultans decided to invite the British to come and advise them on how to administer the country. We were not conquered in that sense. But the fact remains that when the British were here, they operated as if we were colonised.

Detention without trial stays but strictly for terrorists, says Nazri Aziz

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz admitted tonight that the new legislations replacing the Internal Security Act (ISA) would still allow for detention without trial but only for “terrorists”.

The de facto law minister explained that laws like the Patriot Act in the US, which was introduced after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, would be enacted in place of the now repealed ISA.

The significance of repealing the ISA, said the senior Cabinet minister, was that individuals would no longer be detained for following different political ideologies.

Raided foreign GROs send SOS to ‘hubbies’

Caught in the act: Some of the foreign women coming out of the
entertainment outlet at Tanjong Tokong on Tuesday.

GEORGE TOWN: Many foreign women were heard making calls to their “husbands” on their mobile phones after they were arrested at an entertainment outlet in Jalan Tanjung Tokong here.

Missing cat found after 5 years

A calico cat named Willow that disappeared five years ago has been found nearly 3,000km away from its home.

Willow was found on a Manhattan street on Wednesday and was sent to the Animal Care & Control (ACC) – an animal rescue and shelter in New York City.

The centre contacted Willow's owner based on information on the microchip implanted in it.

Najib disappoints again: Glamour ISA announcements but little real change

Prime Minister Najib Razak's promise to repeal the Internal Security Act 1960 and several other oppressive laws were cautiously greeted by PKR leaders as a victory for the people, including the thousands of activists both local and foreign who fought through the decades for their removal.

However, they slammed Najib for trying to give a false impression to Malaysians that they could look forward to greater democracy and social justice, when effectively, there was little real change and a possibility that new laws made to replace the ISA could contain similarly oppressive clauses.

"Firstly, we don't know what new laws will be made to replace the ISA and Emergency Ordinance. They could be worse. Also, if Najib was really sincere, he would have lifted the Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act, which they are already using to force the people into obedience. We have always said there was no need for the ISA. The Sedition Act and the OSA were bad enough," PKR strategies director Rafizi Ramli  told Malaysia Chronicle.

Reactions to Najib’s proposed changes

Civil society movements and politicians give their immediate reaction to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's pledge to have functional and inclusive democracy.

Civil society movements and politicians give their immediate reaction to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s pledge to have functional and inclusive democracy.

Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff:
ISA is about detention. If the PM is really concerned and sincere, it should also include the release of ISA detainees. It is an issue of dignity and freedom of the person. Najib (Tun) Razak should announce the immediate release of ISA detainees. In his capacity as the PM, he can order the Home Ministry to do so.

There should be a gesture of sincerity. As a lawyer who have dealt with ISA detainees, I know the effects of the ISA on the person. It is very draconian. For me, the hope of the families is to please bring back the victims. That’s the best gift of Hari Malaysia. I hope the prime minister will do it by tomorrow.

I also feel that Najib is merely making a calculated move (to repeal the ISA) to serve BN’s own political interest. It has nothing to do with someone’s freedom. I applaud his move to abolish the ISA but the ball is now in his court.

Nurul: Include opposition in reform process

The PKR vice-president welcomes Najib's wide-ranging reforms but wants the premier to engage the opposition when making the much needed reforms.

PETALING JAYA: PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar welcomed various reforms proposed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today as it would help the nation progress but warned that the premier should engage the opposition in the process.

“To his credit this is a step in the right direction, albeit a small step. I urge him to include the opposition when making much needed reforms for the country,” she said.

Nurul, who is also the Lembah Pantai MP, added that constructive engagement was necessary to put Malaysia back on track again.

She said that it was crucial that the drastic changes proposed by Najib were meaningful and lasting.

Monster snake captured

18ft anaconda weighs 100kg with a 27in girth

Super snake ... this giant anaconda was successfully captured by a group of biologists

THIS enormous 18ft anaconda was successfully captured by a team of daring biologists - during a tropical rainforest exploration.

Niall McCann, a 29-year-old biologist from Cardiff, pounced on the slithering jungle giant when he happened across it on a bank of the Rewa River in Guyana.

Pak Samad: Boestamam, Burhanuddin were freedom fighters, Umno grabbed the glory

Malaysia's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, referred to as 'Father of Independence', was just a "receiver of independence" handpicked by the British colonisers to safeguard their interests in Malaya, said national laureate A Samad Said.

"To me, Tunku was not an independence fighter. He was a receiver, the person approved by the British to 'receive' independence... the British felt that the 'receiver' must be a person who can take care of its interests in Malaya," he said during a public forum in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Another Umno palace? Jamil denies stealing zakat money for renovations

Minister in charge of Islamic affairs Jamil Khir Baharom has denied helping himself to zakat money or Islamic tithes to build a palatial home mansion for himself and family. In the style of his Umno party, Jamli also rushed to offer to 'swear' or take a religious oath if his accusers did the same.

“Wallahi, I did not take zakat money. You can check with the Federal Territory zakat department and get a clean audit. I dare to swear if they dare,” Jamil Khir told reporters on Thursday.