Kaunter LHDN diserbu

PETUGAS LHDN menunjukkan peti untuk orang ramai memasukkan borang taksiran cukai pendapatan mereka di Kaunter LHDN Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

KUALA LUMPUR 30 April – Kaunter Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) Jalan Duta di sini ‘diserbu’ pembayar cukai yang mahu menunaikan tanggungjawab itu pada saat-saat akhir.Ini kerana, hari ini merupakan hari terakhir bagi orang ramai mengembalikan borang cukai pendapatan mereka.Tinjauan Utusan Malaysia mendapati, orang ramai menyerbu kaunter tersebut seawal pukul 8 pagi. Walaupun terdapat kemudahan e-filing, orang ramai terus ‘berpusu-pusu’ bagi menunaikan tanggungjawab masing-masing.Difahamkan, kesukaran untuk mengakses sistem e-filing menyebabkan orang ramai terpaksa menyerbu kaunter-kaunter LHDN.Bilangan pengunjung semakin bertambah menjelang waktu tengah hari apabila pembayar cukai terdiri daripada kakitangan kerajaan, swasta dan persendirian memanfaatkan waktu rehat bagi menunaikan tanggungjawab tersebut.Kehadiran begitu ramai pembayar cukai turut menyebabkan jalan masuk ke kompleks kerajaan itu menjadi sesak.Ini kerana, kekurangan kawasan letak kereta memaksa orang ramai meletakkan kenderaan mereka di sepanjang bahu jalan. Begitu pun, kehadiran anggota polis trafik berjaya mengawal keadaan.Bagi memudahkan urusan pembayar cukai, pihak LHDN telah menyediakan kaunter-kaunter di Blok 8A dan 11. Ia termasuk kaunter-kaunter bagi perkhidmatan e-filing. Kesemua kaunter itu akan beroperasi sehingga pukul 10 malam.Dalam pada itu, beberapa pembayar cukai yang ditemui memberi pelbagai alasan kenapa menunaikan tanggungjawab itu pada saat-saat akhir.

What a brain!

By Dr LEE MOON KEEN

Though the physical body inevitably winds down with age, there’s no reason why the brain should suffer the same fate.
IN the developed world, and now increasingly in developing countries such as Malaysia, a person can reasonably expect to live for quite a long time past middle age.
No longer is one considered “old” at the present retirement age of 56 years. In fact, back in 2004, life expectancy for Malaysians had already reached 69 years for men and 74 years for women. Life expectancy will continue to increase with better health status in the whole population.
Unfortunately, the later years come with a risk of dementia – a feebleness of the mind, a slowing of the intellect. The incidence of dementia doubles every five years after the age of 65 so that there is a 22% risk in those over 80.
There is, therefore, a discrepancy between physical well-being and brain function in a large proportion of the elderly.
And yet, now and then, we are cheered by a report of some very senior person living in good health past the age of 100, with the mind alert and wits intact. In fact, a rather “with-it” centenarian named Olive Riley, living in Sydney aged 107, even has a blog site – check this out at http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/
Can we hope to live longer lives and still maintain our mental capacity? How is brain function preserved? Can we prevent mental decline?

The brain weighs on average only three pounds but co-ordinates the myriad functions needed to maintain our physical, emotional and intellectual selves. – Photos.com
A complex and delicate structure

The brain weighs only three pounds but co-ordinates the myriad functions needed to maintain our physical, emotional and intellectual selves.
Brain power can be diminished by disease, but more commonly, the feebleness is more gradual over the passage of time, the so called “age-related mental decline”.
This is well documented, and quite poignantly summarised by Shakespeare in the 16th century in “The Seven Ages of Man” (see quotation above).
Mental decline due to disease is termed dementia, the causes being Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia.
Rather than focus on disease, this article will deal with keeping the brain healthy and forestalling, as far as possible, age-related mental decline.

Is age-related mental decline inevitable?
Casual observation will reveal that at least some people remain mentally sharp up to an advanced age.
Travel documentaries are replete with very senior citizens toiling away and smiling for the camera in regions as diverse as Okinawa and Azerbaijan. Famous geriatric personages are Mahatma Gandhi (died at 78; assassinated) and Winston Churchill (died at 90; stroke).
That “normal folks” can remain mentally agile has now been confirmed in a large study on 9,704 women conducted at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, as part of a broader study on osteoporotic fractures.
It was reported: “One in 10 women will reach the age of 85 with their mental abilities completely intact, while another 58% will experience only minor reductions in their cognitive abilities”.
It can be presumed that a study of elderly men would bear similar results.

Is brain-power pre-determined?
There is no doubt that a large part of brain functioning is governed by the genes you inherit.
The highest percentage of long-lived people has been recorded in Okinawa, Japan, where the frequency of centenarians is 40–50 per 100,000 persons compared to 10–20 per 100,000 in industrialised countries.
These healthy elderly were also mentally agile.

How can we improve on our genetic endowment?
We can nurture the brain and enhance function up to an advanced age. This is achieved by providing a supportive environment for the brain and avoiding harm from external sources.
The first crucial stage of brain development takes place in the womb during the earliest part of pregnancy.

Provide good nutrition in the womb
It goes without saying that maintaining good health in the mother can only be good for the baby. Pregnant mothers should have a well-balanced and nutritious diet supplemented with vitamins.
A special mention should be made of folate, one of the B vitamins. This should be taken before and during pregnancy to prevent maldevelopment of the brain and spinal cord in the developing baby.
Major neural tube defects are anencephaly (failure of the brain to form, a fatal malformation) and the less severe but still disabling spina bifida (failure of the spinal cord to fold and close up).
Folate is especially important for those who abuse alcohol and for people who have abnormal forms of the oxygen-carrying haemoglobin, such as occurs in thalassaemia.
Is there any other supplement one could take? It turns out that at least one old wives’ tale has been borne out.
In a recent study conducted in Bristol, greater intake of fish and seafood by mothers during pregnancy was associated with higher IQ and better social skills in their children.
The study confirmed that omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish are very important for brain development.
The benefit was evident in spite of the presumed adverse effect on nerve development of mercury which has been detected in many types of large fish in the waters of the Western Hemisphere as a result of environmental pollution. Omega-3 fatty acids are most abundant in oily fish.

Avoid harm to the baby
Prevent toxins from reaching the baby. It makes sense to avoid contact with chemicals and other harmful substances during pregnancy. Discuss any medications with your doctor to check if they are safe.
Smoking in pregnancy has been proven to affect baby’s development, and result in small babies. It has now been shown in a Dutch study that smoking specifically slows the growth of baby’s head. Pregnant mothers are now discouraged from smoking.
Substance abuse of any kind (cannabis, glue, Ecstasy, etc.) can bring disastrous effects on both mother and child.
Beyond taking proper nutrition, the pregnant woman should maintain a healthy balance between reasonable activity and adequate rest. Stress is a big “no-no”.
Maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with increased levels of stress hormones which may increase the likelihood of premature birth, delayed childhood development and behavioural abnormalities in adult life.

It's all numbers to me...exercise your mind with mental activities and problem solving.

How to keep your brain young
Provide nutrition for the brain – we are what we eat.

In addition to a good set of genes, the long and healthy lives of the Okinawa people is attributed to consumption of locally grown vegetables and huge quantities of tofu and seaweed. Before the advent of modernisation, their diet was lean in calories, low in sugar and fat and devoid of processed or canned food.
This advantage was lost when they emigrated elsewhere or changed to a more modern lifestyle and eating habits, as practiced by the younger generations.
A similar dietary pattern is found in the exceptionally healthy and long-lived Abkhazians in Central Russia, the Vilcabambans in Ecuador, and the Hunzans in Pakistan.
Their diet is low in calories with fresh food which came from natural sources such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Conversely, it is low in fat (in fact devoid of animal fats). There are no processed foods, sugar, preservatives, artificial flavours, or other chemicals.
It has been found that the modern “Western” diet has a higher proportion of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids (at around 15:1) compared to that of our ancestors, whose intake was probably in a 1:1 ratio.
Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish, game and vegetables have been largely replaced by omega-6 fatty acids of cereal oils.
This is believed to contribute to diseases of ageing. A ratio of about 3:1 is associated with lower risk of degenerative diseases.
A study at Tufts University in Boston showed that people who ate the most fish (equivalent to three servings of oily fish per week) were nearly 50% less likely to develop dementia.
These people had higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the so-called “heart-healthy” omega-3 fatty acid. Higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is, of course, also good for heart health.
It is not known if omega-3 supplements are needed if an appropriate omega fatty acid ratio is maintained through sensible eating.
In sum, a brain healthy diet is nutritionally balanced, low in calories, fat and sugar; ideally fresh, with minimal processing; and has a favourable omega fatty acid composition.

Avoid head injury
The brain is a soft structure contained within the skull. It is easily damaged from direct and indirect impacts. Quite a number of human activities expose the brain to physical injury. Road traffic accidents, extreme sports and dangerous work may all cause the loss of valuable brain cells.
In fact, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons has debated whether to call for a ban on boxing as a sport. Do take reasonable care and wear protective head-gear to avoid injury in your daily activities.

Zero tolerance for ingested toxins
A great number of chemical and organic substances may poison our brain cells. Every day, people consume toxins without paying much attention to the consequences. The principal neuro toxins around us are alcohol and tobacco smoke. A recent European study confirmed that smoking speeds up brain decline in the elderly by a factor of five times. It was thought that smoking accelerates atherosclerosis and contributes to high blood pressure, stroke and small artery blockage in the brain.
Keep our environment safe
Children can suffer brain damage from being exposed to chemicals, such as very low levels of lead. Even adults may suffer from environmental toxins.
There have been tragic incidents of environmental neurotoxins causing epidemics of brain diseases. In Minamata, Japan, mercury poisoning was due to environmental contamination.
On the other hand, a freak accident of nature in the Chamorro Islands resulted in an epidemic of muscular weakness, parkinsonism and dementia in young people, which was eventually traced to poisoning through seeds of the cycad plant (the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam).
As a concerned citizen, support initiatives to minimise pollution.
Brain maintenance – neuroprotective foods
The brain needs help with the removal of damaging products of its metabolism. The free radical concept of ageing holds that free radicals, (charged oxygen molecules) which are produced in the body’s metabolism of oxygen, cause the oxidation of lipids, protein and nucleic acids, a process termed oxidative stress.
Antioxidants help to protect against the effects of free radical damage. Sources of antioxidants are foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E. A group of compounds called flavonoids have been reported to protect against brain ageing by acting as an antioxidant and reducing inflammation.
Returning to the Okinawan story, the native diet is high in flavonoid content. Foods which are rich in flavonoids are red grapes, red wine, chocolate, cocoa, white onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and tea (both green and black varieties).
A comprehensive list is available from the US Department of Agriculture at http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/flavonoid.
What about supplements?
It is now quite common for supplements to be taken in the hope of promoting healthy ageing. However, there is as yet no definitive proof of benefit from any agent, including gingko biloba, ginseng, folic acid, or Coenzyme Q10.
The same goes for drugs such as statins, aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and hormone replacement therapy. Research is ongoing to identify nootropics, drugs which can maintain brain function.

A healthy mind in a healthy body
For the brain to function optimally, the body as a whole needs to be in good health.
Absence of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart disease will contribute to brain health. General good health goes a long way to preserve mental agility.
Quite apart from promoting heart and lung function, recent studies suggest that physical activity in early and mid-adult life can help prevent dementia. Exercise is associated with increase in levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which enhances brain function, as well as reduced build-up of beta-amyloid, the abnormal protein which accumulates in Alzheimer’s disease.
In this regard, aerobic exercise appears to more beneficial than anaerobic exercise. This is yet another incentive to keep physically active.

An active mind is a healthy mind
Exercise your mind with mental activities and problem solving. The more the mind is exercised through mental tasks, the more likely it is to stay nimble. This is most pleasurably done by staying engaged with life.
When you retire from work, do not retire from life! Being productive gives a sense of self-worth and well-being. Emotionally sustaining social networks such as family and friends keep the elderly active and make them feel valued.
Stay happy. Stress and depression during adult life has been found to be a risk factor for future development of dementia.
Finally, a February report announced that coffee drinking slows cognitive decline. So stay active and happy with friends at your neighbourhood warung kopi or other suitable coffee outlets.

Tiada alasan lagi guru tak mampu miliki komputer

KETIKA Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pelajaran, Datuk Fatimah Md Deni mengumumkan lebih 300,000 guru sekolah rendah dan menengah di seluruh negara berpeluang memiliki komputer riba apabila kementerian memperkenalkan skim pinjaman atau pembiayaan 50-50, pastinya ramai guru berasa lega dan tidak sabar menunggu pelaksanaannya.

Kenyataan Fatimah menunjukkan beliau akur dengan keluhan ramai guru subjek lain yang tidak dibekalkan komputer riba sehingga ada menyatakan kementerian pilih kasih dan hanya mengutamakan guru Sains dan Matematik. Setakat ini kementerian hanya membekalkan komputer riba kepada guru subjek terbabit selain guru yang menjalankan tugas khas lain seperti setiausaha peperiksaan, penyelaras Hal Ehwal Murid dan Sistem Maklumat Pengurusan Pelajaran (EMIS).

Jika diperhalusi rintihan guru selama ini, kementerian perlu mengakui hakikat kerana guru selama ini dibebani pelbagai tugas yang memerlukan mereka menggunakan komputer seperti merekod data.

Selain itu, guru juga memerlukan komputer untuk memudahkan mereka menyediakan bahan bantu mengajar selain kadangkala perlu menyiapkan pelbagai laporan yang diminta pihak sekolah. Tidak cukup dengan itu, guru sewajarnya menguasai kemahiran teknologi maklumat (ICT) kerana nampaknya kementerian kini begitu agresif menjadikan ICT sebagai kepentingan yang diberi perhatian.

Jelas sekali keperluan guru memiliki komputer peribadi bukan untuk kepentingan diri, tetapi untuk urusan rasmi sekolah. Benar, memang setiap sekolah disediakan makmal komputer dan guru boleh menggunakannya, namun adakah komputer di situ memenuhi keperluan guru dan relevan untuk kegunaan harian guru?

Presiden Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP), Anuar Ibrahim, berkata sepanjang pemerhatiannya, hampir semua sekolah berdepan dengan masalah penyelenggaraan komputer dan boleh dikatakan banyak komputer di makmal tidak dapat digunakan kerana pelbagai masalah.

“Selain jumlah komputer terhad, peraturan makmal yang ketat juga sering menyebabkan guru tidak dapat menggunakan komputer pada masa diperlukan. Apabila jadual yang membolehkan mereka menggunakan komputer, pada masa sama guru berkenaan perlu mengajar di kelas hingga menyukarkan mereka menyiapkan tugasan.

“Kebanyakan guru lebih selesa menyiapkan kerja di luar waktu persekolahan seperti pada waktu malam, tetapi mustahil mereka boleh menggunakan makmal komputer pada waktu malam. Jelas sekali, semua guru perlu mempunyai komputer sendiri,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun beliau berkata, walaupun kerajaan ada menyediakan skim pinjaman untuk pembelian komputer, adakah wajar guru menanggung beban hutang untuk menjalankan urusan sekolah. Jika guru terpaksa berhutang, itu sudah menjadi hak peribadi sedangkan tidak ramai guru yang menggunakan komputer untuk urusan peribadi.

“Malah, bukan semua orang suka berhutang. Sehubungan itu, langkah kementerian yang mahu memperkenalkan skim bayaran 50-50 itu wajar disegerakan untuk menangani masalah ini,” katanya.

Guru juga kadangkala dibebani arahan menghadiri kursus dengan membawa komputer riba sendiri. Masalahnya, bagaimana mereka boleh membawa komputer sedangkan mereka tidak memilikinya. Memang guru boleh meminjam daripada guru Sains dan Matematik (PPSMI), tetapi sering kali pula mereka berdepan masalah kerana guru PPSMI juga hendak menggunakan komputer bagi tujuan pengajaran dan pembelajaran.

Dalam usaha kementerian menggalakkan perkembangan ICT di sekolah sehinggakan baru-baru ini Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, mengumumkan untuk memperluaskan pengetahuan ICT pada peringkat prasekolah pula, tidakkah mereka sedar bahawa kepentingan yang lebih utama adalah memastikan semua guru menguasai kemahiran ICT terlebih dulu.

Teringat kata-kata bekas Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran, Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad, “untuk memastikan hasrat kerajaan membina modal insan, kita perlu memastikan insan di negara ini mampu dijadikan modal. Untuk menjadikan mereka modal, kita memerlukan modal lain untuk menyuntik kemampuan mereka dan modal itu adalah pendidikan. Untuk menyampaikan pendidikan pula, kita memerlukan pendidik yang berkemahiran”. Jadi, jelas sekali sebelum ICT diperluaskan kepada semua peringkat, pendidik perlu menguasai bidang itu sepenuhnya.

Namun, semua pihak perlu sedar, untuk menguasai bidang yang bersifat kemahiran itu, latihan berterusan diperlukan dan ia mustahil dicapai jika guru tidak mempraktikkannya selalu di rumah dan di tempat kerja. Berilah pelbagai kursus sekalipun, tetapi jika peluang mempraktikkannya terhad, semua kursus itu adalah sia-sia.

Sehubungan itu, Anuar berkata, guru perlu memiliki komputer riba 24 jam dan bukan terpaksa beratur menunggu giliran di makmal sehingga kadangkala gagal menyiapkan kerja yang diberi tepat pada masanya. Kadangkala kerana terpaksa menyiapkan kerja di makmal, urusan mengajar yang lebih penting tidak dapat dilaksanakan dengan sempurna.

“Jika kementerian memandang serius perkara ini, pengumuman Fatimah itu wajar dilaksanakan segera. Jangan sekadar membuat pengumuman gembira, tetapi pelaksanaannya terus senyap tanpa berita. Semua warga pendidik tetap menaruh harapan agar cadangan kementerian menjadi kenyataan.

“Jika hendak menyahut seruan kerajaan, satu rumah satu komputer, pendidik terlebih perlu perlu mempunyai komputer. Jangan nanti, murid lebih mahir menggunakan komputer sedangkan guru terpinga-pinga mengingati kembali kaedah menggunakan komputer yang jarang dipraktikkan,” katanya.

Years of rubbish cleared

What happens when one collects rubbish for four years? It took 40 council workers an hour to load it onto a three-tonne truck. And that's only the garbage from the driveway and garden of the house.

Forty council workers took one hour to fill a three-tonne lorry with rubbish from the driveway and garden of a double-storey link house in Taman Cempaka here yesterday.
And the clean-up job is not over because there is a mountain of rotting garbage inside the locked house, believed to have been accumulated over the past four years by the 73-year-old owner of the property.
The council’s legal department will be obtaining a court order to enable them to enter the house and remove the huge pile of smelly rubbish.
Yesterday, the council went to the house at 9am following complaints from neighbours of a stink coming from the man’s house due to his peculiar habit of collecting and keeping rubbish and junk.

Tonnes of trash: Rubbish and junk taking up most of the space inside the Taman Cempaka house in Ipoh


What happens when one collects rubbish for four years? It took 40 council workers an hour to load it onto a three-tonne truck. And that's only the garbage from the driveway and garden of the house.The houseowner was not in, but the front gate was open.
Old furniture, clothes, broken flower and cooking pots, plastic ware, bicycles, newspapers, rotten fruit and rusting refrigerators were among the items removed from the compound.
Council assistant public relations officer Mohd Syahrizal Azmi said the amount of rubbish in the compound alone filled the three-tonne lorry.
On Tuesday, Datuk Bandar Datuk Mohamad Rafiai Moktar had visited the house and instructed his men to carry out the cleaning operation.
Mohd Syahrizal said: “We have to do the cleaning up for him as the rubbish is a health hazard.”
He said the man would be brought to court to face charges of non-compliance with three notices compelling him to clean up the rubbish, which were issued since 2005.

.“He will be charged under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976 where he can be fined up to RM1,000 or jail up to six months, or both, if convicted,” he added.
The man had been staying in the house for the past 10 years, but his strange habit began about four years ago, neighbours said.
It is believed that his wife and a son left the house about three years ago.

Millions lost in e-invest scam

Minggu lepas seorang kawan bergurau bila diberitahu bahawa saya sedang menghadiri mesyuarat pada jam 6.30 petang. Katanya mesyuarat kedai kopi sedang bincang pasal pelaburan di internet. Jawab saya ini meeting betul dan serius, dalam hati pula berkata tak mainla cari kekayaan secara segera macam tu. Tiba-tiba semalam heboh pasal tak boleh access website pelaburan tu. Berita selanjutnya dari The Star..........

PENANG: Thousands of people nationwide are believed to have lost several million ringgit in an Internet “investment” scheme known as buy-e-barrel which has closed down abruptly.
Investors have been unable to log onto their online accounts over the past two weeks.
An investor, who declined to be named, said he managed to “escape” before the US-based pyramid scheme collapsed.
“I made a few thousand ringgit from the scheme which offered daily interest of between 2% and 3% for an investment of between US$100 (RM345) and US$2,000 (RM6,900),” he said.
He believed that many of those who lost their money were government servants, adding that they took part in the scheme at the tailend.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said the police were aware of such a scheme but had yet to receive any report from those who lost money.
He advised victims to lodge police reports if they had been cheated so that they could investigate the case as cheating.
The Securities Commission has issued an alert on more than 50 websites which
promised quick returns with minimum investments and urged the public not to invest in them.
“These websites are not authorised or approved under the country's securities laws to deal in securities or whatever investments,” ACP Azam said.
Buy-e-barrel was among the websites mentioned in the SC list at: http://thestar.com.my/news/www.sc.com.my/eng/html/licensing/%20investors/Alert_list.html.
The SC recently froze two bank accounts with RM1.6mil and closed two websites
said to be connected to a global Internet investment scam run by Cambridge Capital Trading.
Last week, the National Fatwa Council passed a fatwa forbidding Muslims from investing in shares on the Internet.

Pasangan Myanmar sedih dilempar pelbagai tohmahan

KUALA LUMPUR: Pasangan suami isteri warga Myanmar yang ‘menyimpan’ Muhamad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali atau Yin, 5, selama 15 hari sebelum menyerahkan kepada ibu bapa kanak-kanak itu, amat sedih berikutan pelbagai tohmahan dilemparkan terhadap mereka sepanjang tempoh tahanan reman sejak Isnin lalu.

Mohd Abdul Rahman Doli Rahman, 31, dan isterinya, Noorshida Nur Islam, 27, ditahan reman empat hari selepas didakwa mengurung kanak-kanak berkenaan sejak menemuinya 31 Mac lalu dan ketika ditahan, mereka mendakwa tidak tahu Yin dilaporkan hilang dan gerakan mencarinya dijalankan secara besar-besaran di seluruh negara.Mereka dibebaskan dengan jaminan polis, semalam.Noorshida berkata, dia tidak pernah memaksa Yin mengemis di sekitar Lembah Klang seperti didakwa, malah tidak akan berbuat demikian kerana anak-anaknya turut tidak pernah disuruh mengemis.“Kami tidak pernah mengemis seperti didakwa, anak-anak pun saya tidak suruh mengemis atau meminta sedekah malah mereka kami hantar ke sekolah,” katanya pada sidang akhbar yang dipengerusikan Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (Suhakam), Datuk N Sivasubramaniam.Noorshida berkata, dia dan suami juga sangat sedih apabila status anaknya dipertikaikan walaupun lima kanak-kanak itu anak kandungnya.“Saya mempunyai bukti saya melahirkan mereka di HKL dan kami mempunyai kad pengenalan diri anak-anak kami yang dikeluarkan Suruhanjaya Tinggi Bagi Pelarian Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (UNHCR),” katanya.Pasangan warga Myanmar terbabit turut kesal kerana ada pihak menuduh mereka enggan memulangkan Yin semata-mata inginkan mendapatkan ganjaran wang.Sementara itu, Sivasubramaniam berharap orang ramai memberi tanggapan positif terhadap pasangan Myanmar terbabit kerana mereka belum disabitkan sebarang kesalahan.“Selama ini semua pihak memberi tanggapan negatif, kasihanilah mereka yang selama ini menjaga Yin dengan baik sehingga membelikan sepasang baju baru walaupun tidak berduit.“Pasangan terbabit dijangka berjumpa anak mereka esok (hari ini) yang kini ditempatkan di rumah kebajikan,” katanya.Terdahulu, Mohd Abdul Rahman dan Noorshida dibebaskan dari Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi selepas tempoh tahanan reman mereka yang bermula Isnin lalu, tamat semalam.Pasangan terbabit dilihat keluar dari perkarangan IPD Dang Wangi dengan menaiki van kira-kira jam 3.40 petang bagi menghadiri sidang media di pejabat Suhakam.Peguam yang mewakili pasangan terbabit, Pritam Singh Doal, berkata mereka diikat jamin dengan dua penjamin iaitu seorang daripadanya warga tempatan dan seorang lagi bertaraf penduduk tetap.“Sepatutnya pasangan ini didakwa pagi tadi tetapi dibebaskan dengan ikat jamin polis.“Kedua-duanya dijamin penjamin masing-masing dan dibebaskan hasil perbincangan pegawai penyiasat dengan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya selama tiga jam,” katanya ketika dihubungi.Yin, hilang ketika mengikut ibu bapanya membeli-belah di Kompleks Sogo di sini, kira-kira jam 2 petang, 31 Mac lalu sebelum dia dijumpai wanita warga Myanmar yang mendakwa membawa kanak-kanak itu pulang ke rumahnya di Sentul Pasar di sini.Pasangan warga Myanmar terbabit menyerahkan kembali Yin ke pangkuan keluarganya Sabtu lalu dan mendakwa tidak mengetahui kanak-kanak itu dicari ibu bapanya dengan alasan mereka buta huruf dan tiada televisyen di rumah.Mereka ditahan polis pada Ahad lalu untuk membantu siasatan selepas keterangan yang diberi meragukan.

How to stop monkey attacks

Quiet moment:Monkeys taking a break from the chase for food,

a natural scene at the Botanical Garden, Penang, Malaysia

THE public should not carry plastic bags to the Penang Botanic Gardens to prevent from being attacked by monkeys.
The monkeys there associated colourful, transparent bags with food and would rush to grab them from visitors, State Wildlife and National Parks Department director Hasnan Yusop said.
“Monkeys are opportunists and will not hesitate to act when they think there is food. Backpacks and sling bags are all right but monkeys get excited when they see plastic bags because visitors often feed these primates groundnuts and bread brought into the gardens in these bags,” he said, adding that the department would suggest to gardens curator Lim Boon Teong to prohibit visitors from bringing food into the gardens.
“Currently, there are signboards warning visitors against feeding the monkeys but it would be more effective if we were to prevent people from bringing food in all together,” he said.
Last year, the department received about 300 complaints on aggressive monkey attacks from all over the state, he said, noting that surveys conducted by the department showed that most visitors who were attacked were carrying plastic bags.

.“About six months ago, we planted about 1,000 commercial fruit trees on 161 hectares of green lung area outside the Botanic Gardens.
“This pilot project is meant to make the area more habitable for monkeys so that their population inside the gardens can be reduced.
“Once the trees start bearing fruit in a few years, we will move some of the monkeys to the new habitat. Then we will be able to gauge the effectiveness of the project.
“If successful, we will recom-mend that hotels in the Tanjung Bunga and Batu Ferringhi areas plant fruit trees to prevent monkeys from causing chaos on their premises,” he said, adding that the monkey population in the gardens was 300 last year.
“There are seven groups, each led by an alpha male. Most attacks are by the older alpha males which can bite off a finger if provoked,” he said.
A reader, who only wanted to be known as Jeff, wrote to The Star recently claiming that the he was nearly attacked by a group of “aggressive monkeys” when visiting the Botanic Gardens.
“My friend and I were walking along the pathway when a group of monkeys suddenly came down from the trees nearby and tried to attack us.
“Sensing trouble, I quickly took off my belt and got ready to fend off the monkeys. One of them looked like it was about to bite us, baring its teeth to intimidate us.
“I swung my belt a few times and they slowly retreated. Luckily I had something to defend myself with, otherwise I might have ended up with a few stitches,” he said, adding that the authorities should act before something happened to visitors.

By CHRISTINA CHIN

Myanmar couple remanded four days

Neighbour’s account: Rashidah (left) listening to a question about Nazrin while her mother Hasina Nur Islam looks on yesterday.

The Myanmar couple, who found five-year-old Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali and kept him for two weeks, have been remanded for four days.
Magistrate Fatimah Rubiah Ali ordered the couple to be remanded until Thursday.
Police are investigating if the 31-year-old man and 27-year-old woman had abducted the boy, popularly known as Yin, and wrongfully confined him.

Speaking to newsmen later, lawyer Pritam Singh Doal said the police had placed the couple’s five children, aged between three and 10, with the Welfare Department pending investigations.
Nazrin went missing on March 31 while his father Shamsul Ghazali Shamsuddin was trying on some clothes at the Sogo shopping mall in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here.
He was finally reunited with his father on Saturday evening.

City acting CPO Senior Asst Comm (I) Mohd Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin confirmed that the five children were with the Welfare Department but declined to say if DNA tests would be done to verify if the children were the couple’s.

Meanwhile, a young neighbour of the Myanmar couple said that for the two weeks that Nazrin was there, he had called them “mak” (mother) and “ayah” (father), and was renamed Yusoff.
Nazrin was a a happy-go-lucky boy who was well loved by the couple, said Rashidah Begum, nine, who lives next to the couple in a squatter area behind the Sentul market.
When Nazrin appeared in the couple’s house two weeks ago, the Myanmar woman claimed he was her brother-in-law’s son, the girl said.
“When I asked Yusoff where his mother was, he would just smile, but he never gave coherent answers because he could not speak well yet,” said Rashidah, who is also from Myanmar and has been staying in the area for the past four years.
Rashidah said she saw red spots all over the boy’s body and that was probably why his head was shaved.
The detained woman’s brother, who happened to be next door, said his sister and her husband had been treated unfairly for their kindness.
“She and her husband are illiterate, do not understand the law and do not watch the television. They did not know there was a search going on for the boy,” said the ice-cream seller who declined to be named.
As for allegation that the Myanmar couple planned to use Nazrin for begging, the brother retorted: “If that is true, she has five beautiful children who can do a better job. Moreover, they can speak better.”

Jealous hubby beats wife over SMS

This happened in Kuala Trengganu, Malaysia:

A husband beat his saleswoman wife yesterday – the second time in as many months – all because of an SMS she had sent.
The 27-year-old victim’s husband suspected her of having an extra-marital affair.
She was sending an SMS to a friend over the case of a missing five-year-old boy while watching the news on television when her husband grabbed the handphone from her.
The 28-year-old husband beat her and threatened her with a knife.
She then lodged a report.
On Feb 14, the victim suffered severe injuries when the husband beat her up for sending an SMS to her colleagues on the eve of Valentine's Day.
Her husband had suspected her of cheating on him after apparently seeing her having a drink with another man.
The case is pending in court.

Happy Birthday, Sweeeet 17 yuu.....

Gambar semasa form 3 (atas) dan form 4 (bawah)
Selamat menyambut hari lahirmu yang ke 17 baru-baru ini. Sudah 17 anakku ini. Besar dan panjangnya engkau. Rasanya masih kecil lagi dan masih juga dipanggil dengan nama manja adik.



Didoakan semoga panjang umur, murah rezeki, kesihatan diri sentiasa baik dan sentiasa dalam peliharaan Allah swt.

Tahun ini adik akan menduduki peperiksaan SPM, semoga berjaya memperolehi A yang banyak.

Jangan lupa banyak minum air supaya badan kamu tidak kering. Sekarang muka adik sudah bulat banyak. So jangan lupa exercise, you know.

Yin Dijumpai, Alhamdullillah

Alhamdulillah akhir nya Yin atau Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali atau Yin, 5, kanak-kanak yang dilaporkan hilang sejak 31 Mac lepas ditemui selamat di Sentul semalam.Yin dilaporkan berada dalam jagaan pasangan suami isteri warga Myanmar Rasidah Nur Islam, 27, dan Abdul Rahman Doli Rahman, 31, yang tinggal di Sentul Pasar. Mereka (Rasidah dan suami) hanya tahu bahawa Yin adalah budak yang hilang setelah melihat poster Yin sewaktu membeli belah di Sogo. Rasidah yang berada di sekitar Kompleks Membeli Belah Sogo kira-kira pukul 1 tengah hari bersama anak perempuannya yang berumur tiga tahun telah terlihat poster Yin sedang diagihkan oleh Baharudin. Tanpa menyedari maklumat yang terkandung di dalam poster, beliau membawa poster itu pulang ke rumah. Di rumah, Rasidah telah melihat kembali poster itu dan terkejut kerana gambar yang tertera di dalam poster itu adalah sama dengan kanak-kanak yang tinggal bersama nya. Rasidah yang tidak tahu membaca mengesyaki sesuatu yang tidak kena, lalu menghubungi nombor yang tertera pada poster tersebut. Baharudin yang menerima panggilan tersebut kemudiannya terus ke Sentul bagi mendapatkan Yin sebelum membawa ke rumahnya di Setiawangsa. Beliau berkata bapa Yin kemudiannya dimaklumkan tentang penemuan.
Pada hari kejadian Rasidah telah melihat seorang kanak-kanak cuba melintas dan hampir dilanggar sebuah kereta. Rasidah sempat menarik tangannya lalu memimpinnya ke tepi jalan. Rasidah kemudian mencuba untuk mendapatkan maklumat daripada Yin di mana ibu bapanya berada dan Yin hanya berkata "Besan... besan". Dia yang tidak memahami maksud kata-kata itu kemudiannya mengambil keputusan menunggu selama satu jam di tepi jalan bersama Yin dengan harapan ibu bapa Yin akan datang mencarinya. Kerana khuatir dengan keselamatannya, saya ambil keputusan membawa Yin pulang ke rumah setelah ibu bapanya tidak muncul. Sepanjang tempoh dua minggu itu, Rasidah menjaga Yin seperti anaknya sendiri malahan anak perempuannya turut menganggap Yin sebagai abang. Ketika persidangan media itu berlangsung, jelas kelihatan Yin begitu rapat dengan Rasidah sehingga memanggil Rasidah dengan panggilan "mak".
Ucapan terima kasih diucapkan kepada Rasidah dan suaminya kerana menjaga adik Yin dengan baik serta seluruh rakyat Malaysia, pihak Polis dan agensi yang terlibat termasuk jentera-jentera NGO dan Politik, yang selama ini memberi bantuan dan bertungkus lumus membantu mencari adik Yin. Walaubagaimanapun sikap segelintir rakyat Malaysia yang mengambil kesempatan, dengan menghantar SMS memaki hamun dan menyalurkan maklumat palsu adalah amat dikesali.

KOSONG DAN PENUH

Kosong Dan Penuh Satu hari ketika seorang ayah membeli beberapa gulung kertas bungkusanhadiah, anak perempuannya yang masih kecil dan manja sekali, meminta satu gulung.

"Untuk apa?" tanya si ayah.
"Nak bungkus hadiah" jawab si kecil.
"Jangan dibuang-buang ya." pesan si ayah, sambil memberikan satu gulungankecil.

Keesokan harinya, pagi-pagi lagi si kecil sudah bangun dan membangunkanayahnya, "Yah, Ayah........ ada hadiah untuk Ayah.

" Si ayah yang masih menggeliat, matanya pun belum lagi terbuka sepenuhnya menjawab, "Sudahlah.... nanti nanti saja." Tetapi si kecil pantang menyerah, "Ayah, Ayah, bangun Ayah, dah pagi." "Eh... kenapa ganggu ayah... masih terlalu awal lagi untuk ayah bangun." Ayah terpandang sebuah bungkusan yang telah dibalut dengan kertas pembungkusyang diberikan semalam. "Hadiah apa ni?" "Hadiah hari jadi untuk Ayah. Bukalah Yah, buka sekarang."

Dan si ayah pun membuka bungkusan itu. Ternyata di dalamnya hanya sebuah kotak kosong. Tidak berisi apa pun juga.

"Eh.. kenapa kosong?? Tak ada isi di dalamnya. Kan Ayah dah kata janganbuang- buang kertas bungkusan Ayah. Membazir tu"

Si kecil menjawab, "Tak Ayah....., ada isi tu... Tadi kan, Puteri masukkanbanyak sekali ciuman untuk Ayah."

Si ayah merasa terharu, dia mengangkat anaknya. Dipeluk dan diciumnya.

"Puetri, Ayah belum pernah menerima hadiah seindah ini. Ayah akan selalumenyimpan hadiah ini. Ayah akan bawa ke pejabat dan sekali-sekala kalau perlu ciuman Puteri, Ayah akan mengambil satu. Nanti kalau kosong diisi lagi ya!"

Kotak kosong yang sesaat sebelumnya dianggap tidak berisi, tidak memilikinilai apa- apa pun, tiba-tiba terisi, tiba-tiba memiliki nilai yang begitu tinggi.

Apayang terjadi?

Lalu, walaupun kotak itu memiliki nilai yang sangat tinggi di mata si ayah,namun di mata orang lain tetap juga tidak memiliki nilai apa pun. Orang lain akantetap menganggapnya sebuah kotak kosong.

Kosong bagi seseorang boleh dianggap penuh oleh orang lain. Sebaliknya, penuh bagi seseorang boleh dianggap kosong oleh orang lain.

KOSONG dan PENUH - kedua-duanya merupakan produk dari "fikiran" andasendiri.

Sebagaimana anda memandangi hidup demikianlah kehidupan anda.

Hidup menjadi bererti, bermakna, kerana anda memberikan erti kepadanya, memberikan makna kepadanya.

Bagi mereka yang tidak memberikan makna, tidak memberikan erti, hidup iniibarat lembaran kertas yang kosong...........

Sumbangan dari Sahabat Ust Syamsul Ariffin

Perasmian Kejohanan Olahraga MSSPP Zon Nibong Tebal oleh YB Dato' Seri Hj Abdul Rashid bin Abdullah, TImbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang.

RENUNGKANLAH

RENUNGKANLAH

Ada seorang pemuda yang sangat pemarah. Dia tidak dapat mengawal kemarahannya walaupun ianya hanya satu masalah kecil sahaja.Pada suatu hari, bapanya telah menghadiahkannya dengan seguni paku. "Untuk apakah paku-paku ini ayah?" tanya pemuda tersebut.

"Setiap kali kamu marah, kamu pakulah tembok batu di hadapan rumah kita ini, bagi melepaskan kemarahan mu" jawab ayahnya.

Pada hari yang pertama sahaja, pemuda itu telah memaku sebanyak 37 batang paku pada tembok batu tersebut.Selepas beberapa minggu, setelah dia dapat mengurangkan kemarahannya, jumlah paku yang digunakan juga berkurangan.Dia mendapati, adalah lebih mudah mengawal kemarahannya dari memukul paku menembusi tembok batu tersebut.Akhirnya tibalah pada suatu hari, dimana pemuda tersebut tidak marah, walau sekali pun.Dia pun memberitahu ayahnya mengenai perkara tersebut dengan gembira.Bapanya mengucapkan tahniah dan menyuruh dia mencabut kembali paku itu satu persatu, pada setiap hari yang ia lalui tanpa kemarahan.Hari berganti hari, dan akhirnya dia berjaya mencabut kesemua paku-paku tersebut. Pemuda tersebut lantas memberitahu perkara tersebut kepada bapanya dengan bangganya.BAPANYA TELAH MEMIMPIN tangannya ke tembok tersebut dan berkata "Kau telah melakukannya dengan baik, anakku, tetapi lihatlah kesan lubang-lubang di tembok batu tersebut, tembok itu tidak akan kelihatan sama lagi seperti sebelumnya.Bila kau menyatakan sesuatu atau melakukan sesuatu ketika marah, ianya akan meninggalkan kesan parut dan luka, sama seperti ini.Tetapi ingatlah, tak kesah berapa kali kau memohon maaf dan menyesal atas perbuatam mu, namun lukanya masih tetap ada. Luka di hati adalah lebih pedih dari luka fizikal.Sahabat adalah permata yang sukar dicari. Mereka membuatkan kamu ketawa dan menggalakkan mu ke arah kejayaan.Sahabat juga adalah seorang pendengar, berkongsi suka dan duka dan sentiasa membuka hatinya kepada kita.Maafkan saya sekiranya saya pernah meninggalkan kesan berlubang di dinding hati anda.

KATY marjon

Katy is...
a Senior Lecturer in International Education. In college she teaches on trainer and teacher development programmes as well as working in test development and editing. Overseas she has been involved in a variety of consultancies: for example the CBSE Curriculum Reform project in India, and the Examinations Reform Project in Jordan. She has spoken at international conferences in Brazil, Mexico and Poland and has trained teachers in Malaysia, Spain, Mexico, Kenya, Cape Verde, Jordan, Ethiopia and Austria. She is particularly interested in test writing and test writer development as well as teacher observation and supervision. Her publications are mainly in the field of teacher training, observation, mentoring and testing. She has a PhD in test writing.

PENDIDIKAN BESTARI PEMANGKIN KEGEMILANGAN Oleh MARZITA ABDULLAH
HARI Guru disambut lapan hari lagi, dan tibalah masanya untuk menghargai jasa mereka melalui ucapan sistem pesanan ringkas (SMS) anjuran Kementerian Pelajaran. Anda cuma perlu taipkan kata `guru', jarak, dan tuliskan dedikasi anda. Kemudian hantarkan kepada 32020. Ucapan anda akan dipaparkan di A Kelas dan Tutor serta www.tutor.com.my. "Carilah guru anda dan ucapkan penghargaan serta terima kasih atas jasa mereka." - Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Hon Choon Kim.
Hari Guru pada 16 Mei ini sewajarnya menjadi suatu tarikh yang dapat memberi kesedaran kepada masyarakat tentang pengorbanan seorang guru. Menyedari hakikat ini Choon Kim menyeru masyarakat negara ini untuk menjadikan sambutan Hari Guru suatu yang bermakna kepada diri mereka dan kepada guru yang pernah mendidik dan menabur bakti kepada mereka.
Hubungi guru-guru lama kita, ucapkan penghargaan sama ada melalui kad ucapan, ucapan khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) atau pergilah berkunjung ke rumah mereka, tanyakan khabar mereka, katanya.
Beliau sendiri memulakan langkah tersebut dengan mengunjungi guru-guru lama yang pernah mengajarnya semasa di Sekolah Menengah Chan Wa, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Choon Kim dan rakan-rakannya berusaha mengumpulkan guru-guru lama yang telah tidak ditemuinya sejak 30 tahun lalu.
Baru-baru ini beliau dan rakan-rakan mengadakan satu majlis pertemuan semula guru lama mereka iaitu cikgu Murad yang mengajar mata pelajaran Bahasa Melayu, cikgu Lim yang mengajar mata pelajaran Bahasa Mandarin dan cikgu Loh yang mengajar mata pelajaran Sains. Pertemuan itu diadakan di sebuah restoran dengan dihadiri oleh guru-guru berkenaan dan rakan-rakan Choon Kim.
Kesemua guru berkenaan pernah mendidik Choon Kim dan rakan-rakannya sekitar tahun 60 an. "Bukan sahaja kami gembira malah guru-guru merasa terharu dengan usaha kami untuk menemui mereka," katanya.
Sepanjang pertemuan tersebut mereka banyak bercerita tentang kisah-kisah lampau terutama suasana dalam bilik darjah ketika guru-guru berkenaan mengajar. "Kita bercerita tentang pakaian guru ketika itu, cara mereka bercakap, semuanya dalam suasana gembira dan penuh ceria," katanya. Kata Choon Kim, tiada yang merugikan apabila masyarakat mencari semula guru-guru lama yang banyak berjasa kepada diri masing-masing.
"Pasti guru kita juga akan gembira melihat kejayaan pelajarnya apatah lagi jika pelajarnya berjaya dalam hidup masing-masing," katanya.

Kenangan Mengusik Jiwa

Kenangan Manis Kau Dan Aku Sukar Dilupa

-Jamal Abdillah

Teringat

Manis nya