Najib launches website for youths to discuss nation-building ideas

KUALA LUMPUR: A new website has been launched to challenge Malaysians, especially youths, to present and brainstorm ideas and tackle problems.

The Genovasi Challenge website, www.challenge.my, aims to empower the people to create and transform ideas into solutions.

The first challenge is entitled 'Connected Communities' with attractive prizes to be awarded for the best ideas.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the website on Wednesday during a brainstorming session at a popular cafe in Bangsar.

The session tackled about 12 invoking topics such as ways to improve customer service, the education system, tourism revenue, street cleanliness as well as decreasing instances of diabetes in the country.

About 48 people from various sectors of the community participated in the informal session. They included youth leaders, bloggers, young opinion leaders, media and corporate individuals.

Najib, who spent time with the participants, was passionate about the session and was impressed with the ideas put forward.

"We believe in the young people.

"Great ideas were generated and it can be translated into action. "We want to build the nation. As the Prime Minister, I want to listen and use your ideas," he said during his interactive session with those present.

All for charity, none for Jaycee Chan

10 Nov – It looks like Jaycee Chan will have to make it on his own, as his father; Jackie Chan has decided to donate all his money to charity.

As reported on Investorplace, during a promotional event in Beijing, international Chinese movie star Jackie Chan, who has a fortune estimated at USD130 million, recently announced that he will donate all his wealth to charity.

The "Chinese Zodiac" star, who originally intended to split his wealth between his family and charity, has decided to give it all to the needy. Chan was quoted saying that his son Jaycee should be capable of earning his own money now that he has his own career.

On the other hand, Jaycee Chan has not been very successful in the business, with several movie flops and an average accomplishment in music. His 2012 film, "Double Trouble", recently bombed with profit less than USD10,000 in Hong Kong.

Sex blogger Alvin Tan loses scholarship

PETALING JAYA: The National University of Singapore has terminated sex blogger Alvin Tan’s scholarship over his Internet sexploits.

The prestigious university, however, stopped short of expelling the 24-year-old from law school but he will have to pay full non-subsidised fees as a foreign student should he resume studies, reported Singapore Straits Times, quoting unnamed sources.

Tan was an Asean scholar and had been on “leave of absence” from his classes for almost a year when he started uploading pornographic pictures and videos of himself and his girlfriend Vivian Lee on a blog titled “Sumptuous Erotica”.

Tan has refused to comment on the university’s decision.

“I’m sorry but I can’t comment. I’m bound by a confidentiality agreement,” he said.

The university has also kept mum, with the spokesman stating that the school’s disciplinary proceedings were confidential.

An estimate shows that it may have cost the Singapore go­­­vernment – the benefactor of the Asean scholarship programme – at least RM275,000 to fund all of Tan’s seven years of study in the city state.

The highly prestigious scholarship is awarded to only 170 undergraduates from nine Asean countries annually. It covers tuition fees, accommodation and also provides an allowance for the recipients.

Last week, after deciding on the punishment, the university said Tan’s actions were “inappropriate and was detrimental to the reputation and dignity of the university”.

Singapore Education Minister Heng Swee Keat also told Parliament on Monday that Tan’s behaviour was “reprehensible and unbecoming of a scholar”.

Tan said he apologised to the university during the disciplinary hearing on Oct 31.

Meanwhile, both he and Lee have deleted all of their Facebook posts referring to the blog.

Jho Low A millionaire before graduating

KUALA LUMPUR: Businessman and Malaysia’s most famous socialite Jho Low made his first million – in US dollars – when he was barely 20 years old when he took a semester off from The Wharton School of Business to set up an investment fund that is today worth in excess of US$1bil (RM3.19bil).

In his first-ever interview with the media, Low said he was in the right place at the right time and also that he had gone to the right schools – Harrow School in England and The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, in the United States.

He tells of how at these schools he met and befriended Arab royalty, describing the relationship as being important since how they became friends at such a young age created a great amount of trust between them.

His private equity fund, called The Wyndon Group, started off with a capital of US$25mil (RM79.7mil) from his family and nine other investors made up of his schoolmates and their families. Low, 28, is the third and youngest child in the family of Datuk Larry Low, who founded the engineering company MWE.

Low Taek Jho or better known as Jho Low
Age: 28
Place of birth: Penang
Height: 1.7m
Weight: 88kg
Languages: English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Hokkien, Teo Chew and Basic Arabic

Education
Primary: Union Primary School
Secondary: Chung Ling High School/Uplands School (O-Levels) Harrow School, London (1998-2000) (A-Levels)
Tertiary: The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (2000-2005) (Bachelor of Science in Economics majoring in Finance)

Career

* At the age of 20, started an investment company called The Wynton Group with US$25mil from family and South-East Asian and Middle Eastern friends. The investment company in which he owns a stake is now worth in excess of US$1bil.

* Appointed to the board of UBG Bhd as group adviser and non-independent & non-executive director in 2008.

* Group adviser to several international corporations involved in global private equity, M&A and buyouts

Injured British soldier completes London Marathon

LONDON -- A British soldier who lost the use of his legs in a rocket attack in Iraq has completed the London Marathon, two weeks after starting the race.

Maj. Phil Packer set off April 26 and walked the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course on crutches at a rate of two miles (3.2 kilometers) a day.

Packer entered the marathon to support Help for Heroes, a charity for wounded soldiers. He has raised more than 600,000 pounds ($900,000) and hopes to reach 1 million pounds ($1.5 million).

The 36-year-old military policeman has been a paraplegic since he was injured in Basra in February 2008.

Packer crossed the finishing line Saturday and said the feeling was bittersweet, because it followed the deaths of four British soldiers in Afghanistan in the last two days.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pulau Tioman - Krisnamoorthy has redeemed our faith in young people

KRISNAMOORTHY, a wireman, was the hero who saved dozens at the Seagull Express inferno off Pulau Tioman last Saturday.

Dictionaries define “altruism” as “the unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others” This teenager fits the bill well.

Survivor, Ng Soon Tiong, said he saw Krisnamoorthy selflessly handing out lifejackets to other passengers and helping children off the burning ferry.
He repeatedly dived into the water to pull others to safety, including Ng's two sons, aged seven and nine as well as several other relatives.

Glowing tributes befell this teenage hero from all fronts: the 18 survivors, politicians and the Group of Concerned Citizens. Ng acknowledged that many of them were alive today because of him.

However, this teenager was a picture of modesty, saying that his main concern was the children although he was struggling to keep afloat as his jeans were water logged. His reaction to the tragedy was immediate and spontaneous.

This guy is a cut above the rest. His action was one of exceptional commitment to save others in the face of adversary. It was a moral and spiritual challenge to him that he readily accepted. Not many would have taken the risk.

This guy has redeemed our faith in young people. He has made us proud to be Malaysians! He deserves the Guinness Award for Bravery.

DR A. SOORIAN,
Seremban, Negri Sembilan.

Hail our Malaysia inventors

FROM breathing doors and designer eggs to an anti-ageing gel and bio-ceramic bone implants, the mind-boggling display of gadgets beggared belief.

There was even an electronic nose and tongue device to “tantalise” the crowd at the four-day British Invention Show, which ended yesterday.

Then again, it was Britain’s largest expo to showcase the latest inventions, innovations and new technology from around the globe.

And a group of Malaysians were among the 250 inventors from 17 countries who presented their unique ideas for the benefit of mankind.

Led by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM’s) Dr M. Ratnasamy, the 30 researchers were from Universiti Teknologi Mara (Uitm), Universiti Malaya, USM, UKM, UPM, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap), Mardi and the National Defence University.

Azimin Samsul Mohd Tazilan literally breathes life into his innovative door, which is based on the traditional kampung house design. “I was inspired by my grandparent’s house in Selama, Perak, which is breezy and has plenty of natural lighting,” said the UKM lecturer/researcher.

Azimin noted that houses with conventional doors were often warm and stuffy due to lack of good ventilation. “Imagine both the front and back doors closed and somebody’s cooking in the kitchen,” he said, describing a typical Malaysian home.

He said his breathing door comprised four pieces “sandwiched” together – a perforated inner layer, a movable screen panel, a safety metal/polymer plate and an external unit.

The unique combination allows for easy air movement with cross-ventilation, natural lighting, privacy, safety and health, he explained. “This is a low-tech, cost-effective but smarter way to cool the house by up to 30%,” he added.

Azimin said his aim was to design a functional house complete with breathing ceilings, walls and roof within five years.

Source: The Star

Malaysia Spaceman returns today

MOSCOW: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will return to earth today after an 11-day stint in space.

He will receive a warm welcome from a Malaysian delegation, which includes his parents, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Angkasawan will return with Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov on board the previous mission’s vehicle Soyuz TMA-10 or Soyuz 14S, which will undock from the docking port at the International Space Station’s functional cargo block or Zarya at 11.15am (3.15pm Malaysian time).

The spacecraft will travel for just over three hours before landing within a 10km radius in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 2.37pm (6.37pm Malaysian time).

The Soyuz TMA-11 or Soyuz 15S was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct 10, bringing Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, new ISS commander Peggy Whitson and Russian Yuri Malenchencko to the ISS two days later.

Najib, Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis, Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Datuk Mohamad Khalis Ali Hassan and other dignitaries will watch the landing sequences from the Mission Control Centre here.

Malaysians, meanwhile, can watch the historic event live on Astro Channel 58.

Upon landing, a recovery team including the Malaysian Mission Flight Surgeon and Russian crew support personnel will reach the landing area in a convoy of Russian military helicopters.

Once the capsule touches down, the helicopters will land nearby to begin removing the crew and set up a portable medical tent.

Russian technicians will open the module’s hatch and begin removing the crew one at a time before the cargo is retrieved. The crew will be seated in special reclining chairs for initial medical tests and to re-adapt to earth’s gravity.

Back at mission control, the participating agencies will hold a press conference after the crew’s safe retrieval, with Najib taking questions on behalf of Malaysia.

Officials from the Russian Federal Space Agency, Nasa and Malaysia will then congratulate each other for a successful mission.

This will be followed with a simple traditional landing ceremony led by Najib, Jamaludin, the scientists and technical crew members at the Malaysian Technical Control Centre at mission control – the National Angkasawan Programme mission logo sticker will be placed on the room wall to commemorate completion of the mission and the officials will sign on the wall.

Meanwhile, two hours after landing, the Soyuz crew will be flown via helicopters to a staging site in Kustanai, near the Kazakh-Russian border, where Kazakh officials will welcome them.

At 7pm (11pm Malaysian time), the crew will board a military plane to fly to the Chkalovsky Airfield adjacent to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia. They are expected to land there at 8pm (midnight Malaysia).

At the Chkalovsky airport, the delegation including Dr Sheikh Muszaphar’s parents Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad and Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Shukor will be waiting to welcome him home.

Our first Malaysian "Angkasawan"

BAIKONUR (Kazakhstan): Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor’s childhood dream came true when he blasted off into space, but his hope, before leaving Earth, was that he would be just the first of many more Malaysian Angkasawan to come.

“I’ve dreamt of this since I was 10 years old, and now I am living the dream of all Malaysians,” he said, just hours before launching into space at 9.22pm (Malaysian time) yesterday.

The dashing cosmonaut hopes his “impossible dream”, once it comes true, will make young boys and girls believe they can reach for the stars.

“I want to inspire them as the first Malaysian in space, just like Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space) and Neil Armstrong (first man on the moon) still inspire many today.

“I hope to make them believe in their capabilities and get them interested in science, mathematics and engineering.

“Hopefully after me, there will be more Angkasawan in the future,” he said.

The orthopaedic surgeon, however, admits he expected to be the chosen one.

“To be honest I was not really surprised because I worked hard, was focused and motivated. I sacrificed everything – my life, surgery, business, my loved ones and modelling,” he said.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, however, believes that his trip to space is secondary to what he will learn and bring back from the experience.

“More important is what I can contribute to Malaysia, such as the technologies I learned from Russia that I hope to share with our scientists.

“I hope Malaysia will rally to enter a new era and one day, we’ll have our own space rocket and become a leader in the aerospace arena,” he said.

On a personal level, he looks forward to the life-changing experience in space, including gaining new spiritual experience in the skies.

“I want to share my experience of fasting and praying in space with Malaysians and all Muslims. I think space will change my life perception,” he said.

Fully trained and prepared, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was calm and ready the night before his big day.

He spent his time reading the Quran and conducting sembahyang hajat, and calling his family and loved one.

He wants to succeed in his mission so as not to let down the scientists who had spent three years preparing for the experiments he will conduct.

Source: The Star

Hui Yi the miracle girl - heart transplant

KUALA LUMPUR: Tee Hui Yi is indeed a miracle girl. The teenager, who is making steady progress after a second heart transplant on Friday, had no luck with six potential donors in the past nine months.

Yet, in a space of 24 hours, she had two suitable donors. The first failed and the doctors are now “cautiously optimistic” about the second heart transplant.

Since January this year, there had been six possible donors. On June 15, the heart of a donor was rejected for being incompatible. The following month, the heart of a man who weighed more than 100kg was rejected. Days later, there was another heart available but the donor was too young, just five. On July 31, the heart of an accident victim was offered to Hui Yi but unfortunately, the organ was found to be damaged.

The fifth chance for Hui Yi came in September but the donor was suffering from hypertension and diabetes. Then just into Ramadan, a private hospital in Alor Star offered her the organ but that donor was found to be a hepatitis carrier. On Thursday, finally, her luck turned. Hui Yi received a heart from a 15-year-old boy diagnosed to be brain dead but soon after the operation her body started rejecting it.

The next day, Hui Yi got the heart of a 20-year-old mechanic who was declared brain dead after a road accident in Johor. National Heart Institute heart and lung transplant unit clinical director Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib said Hui Yi was making good progress after her second transplant. He said she was responding to calls, was moving and obeying commands through signals. “When the doctors asked her which areas she felt pain, she was able to point and was able to move her feet and hands.

“This is good progress and doctors are cautiously happy. We hope for the best in the days to come,” he told a press conference yesterday. Despite her stable condition, Dr Mohamed Ezani said Hui Yi was still in critical condition and not out of danger yet.

He said an echocardiogram was conducted yesterday morning and the test showed the heart was functioning normally. The doctor said she had no breathing problems but was put on a ventilator as a precaution. He added that her wounds were cleaned yesterday at the operating theatre, explaining that it was safer to do it there rather than the Intensive Care Unit.

“She had to be given doses of immunosuppressant and the intra-aortic balloon pump that had been inserted into the vessel was removed in the morning,” he said, adding that Hui Yi’s progress would be closely monitored over the next 72 hours.

He said if everything went well, she would be moved to the normal ward in about five days and fed through a tube. Once she is moved to the ward, he said doctors would continue to conduct biopsies with a tube placed in her heart to check for any infection.

Source: The Star

Non-Malay - Wushu: Siti scores a first

KUALA LUMPUR: Sanshou (freestyle boxing) exponent Siti Zaishbila created history for Terengganu when she won the state's first-ever gold in the national wushu championships at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium in Cheras yesterday.
Terengganu did not even have an association until early this year and in their debut in the national championships made their present felt in sanshou with a haul of 1-2-4. In the 11 finals contested, Siti was the easiest winner. She was handed the gold in the 65kg category without having to fight in the final because Kuala Lumpur's Chong Yin Yin came down with cramps and conceded a walkover.
But for Siti, who won two bouts on Monday to advance to the final, it was still a well-deserved gold medal. She had quit her job to prepare for the national championships.

“I'm happy to deliver a gold medal for Terengganu. I did not expect this because this was my first competition in sanshou,” said the 23-year-old former taekwondo exponent who had represented Malaysia in the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) world championships in North Korea in 2000.

Terengganu sanshou coach Wee Teck Jien said that he was delighted that one of his exponents managed to emerge as the champion. "It was not easy for the Malay exponents who were fasting throughout the competition days,” he said.

“I am happy for Siti who quit her job as a supervisor in a supermarket two months ago to train intensively with me. “The exponents with me have a background in taekwondo. But in sanshou, we have only started training intensively for the last two months. I'm delighted that seven of our eight exponents in sanshou managed to win medals.” Teck Jien, who has his training base in Kemaman, added that the standard of his exponents were relatively low compared those from Kuala Lumpur and Perak. “They are just beginners. Given time, we will be challenging the other states strongly,” he said. The Terengganu Wushu and Lion Dance Association were set up this year to enable the state to field a team for the wushu competitions in Sukma (Malaysia Games), which they will host next year. But sanshou will not be in the Sukma programme.

source: The Star

Malaysian ‘tiger girl’ wins UN-letter writing competition to save the planet

28 August 2007 – Assuming the mind of a tiger cub, a young Malaysian girl has won a United Nations letter-writing competition, beating out over 3 million other youngsters from around the world who were asked to put themselves in the position of a wild animal whose habitat is threatened by environmental or climate change.

“I want to congratulate you all. Many of you have good education and live in your so-called world of modernization. Does this mean that humans are civilized?” 14-year-old Sze Ee Lee wrote, taking on the role of the cub living in the endangered rainforest.

“Yet, why do humans still need to invade our jungle besides hunting us like in those primitive days? Dear people of the World, don’t burn our homes and occupy the area, our natural habitat. We have no other place to go.”

It is the first time that Malaysia has won the international competition sponsored by the UN Universal Postal Union (UPU) since it began in 1972.

“We are helpless. We depend on you – the People of the World to save us,” the letter concludes, winning unanimous praise from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) jury.

“With her sensitivity and imagination, the young Malaysian successfully conveyed the urgency of the situation and sent us a message: we must unite to save our planet,” the jury said.

For next year’s 37th competition, the UPU is inviting youngsters to write a letter explaining why the world needs more tolerance, a particularly relevant theme in an age of globalization, migration and other trends bringing ever more people from different cultures into contact with each other.

“Creating a world in which all people live in harmony is a noble goal to which each of us can aspire,” the UPU said.

Predating the UN by seven decades, the UPU was founded in 1874, the second-oldest international organization after the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is the primary forum for cooperation between postal services, setting the rules for international mail exchanges among its 190 members.

source: UN News Centre