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  • Malaysia Culture & Tourism Minister: Don’t Be Stupid And Backward, Don’t Ban Use Of “Hot Dog”

    Malaysia Culture & Tourism Minister: Don’t Be Stupid And Backward, Don’t Ban Use Of “Hot Dog”

    KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Religious authorities’ decision to deny halal certification over the word “hot dog” is stupid and backward, said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

    The Umno supreme council member said it was unequivocal that the word “hot dog” did not mean the food item contained dog meat, adding that there was no reason for the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) to take issue with the term now.

    “Hot dog has always been known to be a western food. It comes from the English language. It is a western food. Please do not make us seem stupid and backward.

    “Hot dog is hot dog la. Even in Malay it’s called hot dog. It’s been around for so many years. I’m a Muslim and I’m not offended. I’m not offended at all,” he told reporters when met outside the Parliament today.

    Jakim this week confirmed that eateries must rename the “hot dog” if the item is in their menus, if order to secure halal certification.

    A department spokesman said food items containing the word “dog” could confuse Muslims, as the animal is considered unclean by Islam.

    Nazri today rejected the argument, saying that eating hot dogs has never endangered his faith.
    “This is ridiculous. This is done by people who are ignoramuses. They are not living in the real world.

    “I think I now want to eat a hot dog now,” he said with a chuckle.

    When met by reporters here, PAS MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said he has no issue with food operators using the term “hot dog” to describe sausage-based food products.

    “The issue here should not be the name of the food. Any name is okay, as long as its contents are halal but food companies cannot intentionally use names which will confuse Muslims either,” the Pasir Mas MP said.

    The issue surfaced after an executive with US pretzel chain Aunty Anne’s revealed that their application for halal certification had failed due to, among others, concerns over the “pretzel dogs” in their menu.

    The incident is the latest in the growing trend of religious conservatism in Malaysia, the only country in the world that prohibits non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” and other Arabic terms.

     

    Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

  • Saudi Arabia Executes A Prince Convicted In A Fatal Shooting

    Saudi Arabia Executes A Prince Convicted In A Fatal Shooting

    Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed a member of the royal family for murder, the first time in four decades it had done so, after he was convicted of shooting another man to death during a brawl.

    Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer was put to death in the capital, Riyadh, according to a report by the Saudi state news service. While the report did not detail the method used, most death penalties in Saudi Arabia are carried out by beheading in a public square.

    The rare event rocketed around the kingdom’s social media networks, with some Saudis saying they never imagined such a thing would happen and others arguing that it showed the quality of their justice system, which follows a strict interpretation of Shariah law and is often criticized by human rights groups and Western governments for what they consider harsh and arbitrary punishments.

    “The greatest thing is that the citizen sees the law applied to everyone, and that there are not big people and other small people,” Abdul-Rahman al-Lahim, a prominent Saudi lawyer, wrote on Twitter.

    Other Saudis lauded the monarch, King Salman, on Twitter under an Arabic hashtag that translated as, “Decisive Salman orders retribution for the prince.”

    Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s few remaining absolute monarchies. The thousands of members of the royal family enjoy perks not available to the rest of the country’s 20 million citizens.

    Tuesday’s execution was the first time that a member of the royal family had been put to death for murder by the state since 1975, when Prince Faisal bin Musaid was beheaded in Riyadh for assassinating King Faisal.

    A New York Times article about that event said that some 10,000 people “watched silently as the executioner swung a sword with a golden hilt, but then thousands broke into chants of ‘God is great!’ and ‘Justice is done!’”

    A couple of years later, a princess and her husband were accused of adultery and executed after the princess refused to marry a man selected by the family. The princess, Mishael, was shot as her husband, Khalid Muhallal, watched. He was then beheaded, according to a New York Times obituary of her grandfather, Prince Mohammed Ibn Abdel-Aziz.

    It was unclear how many people watched the execution of Prince Turki on Tuesday or what their immediate reaction was.

    The state news media report did not release his age or provide any other biographical information.

    Another member of the royal family, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, said by telephone from Riyadh that Prince Turki was from one of the most prominent branches of the royal family after that of the direct descendants of King Abdulaziz, who founded the modern Saudi state in 1932.

    That genealogy earned Prince Turki no extra credit with the courts or with the king, Prince Faisal said.

    “The king has always said that there is no difference in the law between princes and others, and I think that this is clear manifestation of the reality of that fact,” he said.

    According to Saudi reports, Prince Turki shot a man during “a group fight” that occurred a few years ago.

    Adam Coogle, a researcher at Human Rights Watch who tracks Saudi Arabia, said the execution of the prince did not affect his organization’s criticisms of the country.

    Saudi Arabia has executed 143 people so far this year, according to a count by the group, which opposes the death penalty in all cases.

    Source: The New York Times

  • Singapore To Launch First Trial Of Driverless Buses In Jurong West

    Singapore To Launch First Trial Of Driverless Buses In Jurong West

    Driverless buses may soon ply the roads of Singapore, under a new trial to test out such buses for commutes between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and CleanTech Park, and possibly even to Pioneer MRT station.

    The trial – the first in Singapore with driverless buses – will be conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and NTU’s Energy Research Institute, under an agreement signed at the opening of the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition on Wednesday (Oct 19).

    The agreement follows a Request for Information exercise called by LTA in June last year on autonomous mobility concepts.

    NTU is one of the first research institutions to have trialled a self-driving electric shuttle within the campus and CleanTech Park since 2013. It will now translate that know-how to develop two electric hybrid buses, equipping the vehicles with sensors and other capabilities to allow them to operate without a driver.

    The 12m-long buses could potentially ferry people between NTU and CleanTech Park in the Jurong Innovation District, to even Pioneer MRT station in the future. The single-deck buses can accommodate about 80 passengers.

    The vehicles will also be equipped to charge at a bus stop or depot.

    “Current efforts worldwide have been focused on cars,” said Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU Chief of Staff and Vice-President of Research. “So, this autonomous bus trial is the first of its kind in Singapore that will aim to improve road safety, reduce vehicle congestion, alleviate pollution and address manpower challenges.”

    LTA also inked an agreement with NTU on a research study to improve preventive maintenance and rail reliability in Singapore.

    A real-time condition monitoring tool that detects early signs of defects in traction power systems will be developed as part of the project. The technology will allow round the clock monitoring, without disrupting normal train operations.

     

    Source: ChannelNewsAsia

  • 3,000 Infected Mosquitoes Released In Braddell Heights Under NEA’s Study To Curb Mozzie Population

    3,000 Infected Mosquitoes Released In Braddell Heights Under NEA’s Study To Curb Mozzie Population

    Four years after laboratory studies on using male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to control the mosquito population were conducted, about 3,000 of the insects were set free in Braddell Heights on Tuesday (Oct 18), one of the three sites selected for a small-scale field study.

    Regular releases of these mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia, a naturally-occurring bacteria, will be conducted over the next six months, to better understand how they fare in Singapore’s urban environment.

    The first release of these mosquitoes at the other two selected sites — Tampines West and Nee Soon East — will be on Oct 28 and Nov 15, respectively, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday.

    One to three mosquitoes per person will be released regularly at public spaces – such as stairwells and void decks – around each of the three housing estates as part of the trial.

    The study will allow the NEA to move towards using these infected male mosquitoes to suppress the population of the dengue-transmitting mosquitoes in the community. As male mosquitoes do not bite, those released in the study will not transmit any diseases.

    “The results (of the study) will help to calibrate the strategy for maximal mosquito suppression and reduction of dengue in Singapore,” said Dengue Expert Advisory Panel member, Associate Professor Vernon Lee of the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

    A comprehensive risk assessment of Wolbachia technology has determined it to be safe, with no risk to human health and insignificant risk to ecology, the NEA said.

    Mr Seah Kian Peng, a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, and some residents of Bradell Heights on Tuesday joined NEA officers in releasing the Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes.

    “…We are happy to support NEA’s efforts in exploring new tools and technologies to improve dengue control in Singapore,” Mr Seah said in a Facebook post.

    Braddell Heights resident Tan Jiah Yong, 83, is among those who agreed to have fan-based mosquito traps and Gravitraps, black cylinder-shaped containers, in her home. “It’s for the good of residents and it’s just placing a fan outside the house,” said Mdm Tan.

    Participating residents are asked to change the mesh daily and to place them in Ziploc bags without flattening them. The Ziploc bags then go into a plastic container that is hung outside their unit.

    Student Rachel Koh, 20, said she hoped the field study would work in reducing the mosquito population. There are “a lot of mosquitoes in this area” and she is bitten “easily twice a day”, she added.

    For now, the sight of significantly more mosquitoes buzzing around will take some getting used to for a few residents.

    Mr Patrick Foo, 55, noticed many more of them in the house on Tuesday and guessed it could be due to the release of the Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes.

    “Even if they don’t bite, it’s so irritating,” he said, pointing to a cluster buzzing around a vase of artificial flowers.

    His family is hosting a fan-based trap because his brother, who was once hospitalised with dengue, decided to take part, said Mr Foo.

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Hassan In Limbo

    Hassan In Limbo

    The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) confirmed yesterday (Oct 17) that the country’s top football competition, the Thai Premier League (TPL), has ended.

    It means that Army United, where Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny plies his trade, will be relegated to Division 1.

    Hassan, the Singapore No. 1, is hoping he can secure a loan move and stay in the top flight.

    Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, the 32-year-old, who kept five clean sheets for his club this season, said: “I still have one more year on my contract with Army United, so I will have to play in Division 1 if they want me to.

    “No disrespect to Division 1, but I would like to still play in the top division if possible, as I feel I can still play at this level.

    “I have had some verbal interest from some TPL clubs, although given my contract circumstances, they would have to pay a transfer fee to sign me on a permanent deal, which is more common for locals than imports here.

    “There is a new chairman at my club, so I’m not sure now what direction they want to take for next season.

    “I will meet with him soon and hope to get a clearer picture.

    “If I don’t fit in their plans, I will request to go on loan at another TPL club.”

    The FAT announced the conclusion of the 18-team TPL season with three matches to go following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej last Thursday.

    The league standings at the time were deemed final, with Muang Thong United crowned champions and the bottom three – Army United, Chainat Hornbill and BBCU – relegated, while upcoming cup finals would be decided by a draw.

    According to Thailand daily Siam Sport, Army United had complained of “unfair relegation with three matches and nine points to play for”, as there were teams ahead of them they still could have caught.

    After a meeting with the affected clubs, the FAT upheld the original decision.

    Hassan can look back at two fruitful seasons in the TPL in which he has become a fan favourite with his committed and commanding displays.

    Earlier this year, he was named by British newspaper The Telegraph as the 18th-best goalkeeper in the world.

    “I love the challenge here in Thailand,” said Hassan.

    “Week in, week out, every game feels like an international match here in terms of the standard of play, the intensity and the environment.

    “We can all feel the excitement of a game day and it’s a league which every Singaporean footballer should aspire to play in.

    “I have always given 100 per cent 
in every game I play and it’s nice that the fans acknowledge that and tell us they appreciate us regardless of the results.

    “The team I play for are not one of the strongest or richest, and there’s definitely pressure to perform as an import, but I have really enjoyed my time here and I’m looking forward to playing in the TPL for at least another season.”

     

    Source: The New Paper

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