China September final HSBC PMI at 50.2 on firmer exports

BEIJING:  China's factory sector grew in September after rising foreign orders made up for a subdued home market, a private survey showed, suggesting Asia's economic powerhouse is starting to turn the corner though a firm rebound remains elusive.

The final HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) edged up to 50.2 in September from August's 50.1, although that was below last week's flash reading of 51.2, with domestic orders proving to be weaker than preliminary estimates suggested.

New export orders picked up the slack, climbing above the 50-point mark separating expansion from contraction to 50.7, from 47.2 in August. After seasonal adjustments, however, the expansion was slight, HSBC said on Monday.

Still, the data should support financial markets and comfort investors eager to see China's economy stabilise, even if the revival is likely feeble and perhaps even short-lived.

Qu Hongbin, an HSBC economist, said stronger manufacturing growth was driven by firms replenishing their stocks, albeit slowly.

"Growth is bottoming out on Beijing's mini-stimulus," Qu said, noting however that growth in domestic demand was unchanged from August.

Beijing's policy action and a firmer U.S. economy -- the world's second-biggest buyer of Chinese exports after Europe -- have put a floor beneath China's economic growth, which has slowed in 12 of the last 14 quarters.

To reinvigorate growth, China's government has fast-forwarded infrastructure investment, lowered taxes for small companies, and sustained spending in public housing.

But analysts warn that the mild pick-up in China's economy could fizzle if Beijing keeps its promise and enacts financial reforms that include curbing state investment, a move that would hurt growth in coming months.

There are also signs in parts of the PMI poll that the economy is not out of the woods yet.

The survey showed factories cut jobs for the sixth consecutive month in September as workers resigned and firms downsized.

And although output and new orders were shown to have grown in September, HSBC noted that expansion was fractional after seasonal adjustments. In fact, it said some firms reported a contraction in output, citing unstable economic conditions. - Reuters

Anifah: Malaysia not meddling but seeking peaceful end to crises

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s effort to resolve conflicts in South-East Asia is not to meddle in the affairs of other states, but it is due to the country’s sincere desire to see peace prevail in the region.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said Malaysia believed that one cannot remain idle bystanders when countries were torn asunder by conflicts and violence.

We must act and do what we can. This is the essential thrust of a practising moderate. It calls on all those who yearn for peace to drown the voices of extremism.

“It calls on all peace-loving moderates to take action when, where and by whatever ways he or she can,” he said in his statement at the United Nations Alliance of Civili­sations (UNAoC) Groups of Friends Ministerial Meeting in New York on Friday.

The statement was made available to the media here by the ministry.

Anifah said Malaysia believed in the peaceful settlement of disputes and, accompanied by moderation, the country believed that there was no conflict that cannot be resolved peacefully.

Malaysia has even applied it to mediation efforts in the region in resolving crises and conflicts such as in the southern Phi­lippines and hoped the same could be applied to the situation in southern Thailand.

While some had criticised Asean as being ineffective in resolving conflicts in the neighbourhood, it was an inescapable fact that there had been a dramatic decline in the number of conflicts in the region, he said.

Another roof collapse in Terengganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: The roof of the Kampung Tebauk Mosque in Bukit Tunggal here collapsed, just five months after the roof of another mosque came down in Hulu Teren­gganu.

Yesterday’s collapse, which happened at about 4am, affected about 20% of the place.

The two-year-old mosque was built at a cost of almost RM6mil.

Mat Man, who is the bilal (the man who makes the call for prayers) said he arrived at about 5am yesterday to prepare for subuh (dawn) prayers for the congregation when he found that the foyer’s ceiling had collapsed.

I had arrived at the mosque, opened the gates and switched on the lights, as people would come soon for the subuh prayers.

“When I entered the foyer, I saw there was rubble. I looked up and realised the ceiling had collapsed,” said Mat, 61, who lives nearby.

Mat said the ceiling had been intact the night before. He suspects that the roof collapsed early in the morning.

“I asked some of the villagers who live next to the mosque and they told me they heard a loud crash at around 4am,” he said.

He said the foyer section where the roof collapsed was not used for performing prayers although some people would pray there when the mosque was full such as on Fridays.

Built in January 2010, the mosque was open to public on Oct 24, 2011. It could accommodate about 1,000 people at a time.

The collapse was similar to the one at the Kampung Binjai Kertas mosque, where the ceiling of the entrance collapsed in May. It barely missed several villagers who were performing prayers then.

In October 2009, the roof of a mosque entrance in Kampung Batu Putih in Kertih, Kemaman, collapsed and injured three Indonesian workers.

That incident occurred only a few months after the roof of the RM300mil Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin stadium collapsed.

The stadium was in the spotlight again in February when five workers were injured while dismantling its roof after its steel supporting structure gave way.

The Public Works Department said the building contractor and the supplier of the roof were not the same as the ones that built the Kampung Binjai Kertas mosque.

State JKR director Datuk Shafii Mohamad, however, said both roofs had used a similar design and materials.

We have informed our headquarters in Kuala Lumpur of the incident.

“They will send a forensics team over before Tuesday (tomorrow) so we can investigate the cause of the collapse,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

He said the contractor and the design of the mosque were approved by JKR.

“There is a 10-year warranty period for the roof. Since it is now damaged before the period is over, the supplier will be held responsible and the contractor will be asked to rebuild the roof,” he said.

Shafii said other sections of the mosque were deemed safe and the villagers could continue to use the mosque.

At a separate function, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said expressed his disappointment over yet another roof collapse incident in the state.

Ahmad Said said he had asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commis­sion to find out whether there were elements of corruption in the construction of the mosque.

Corporate Japan strives to beat power crunch

TOKYO: Automatic doors are blocked at offices, subway escalators are disabled and much of the headquarters of Japan's biggest utility sits in semi-darkness - all evidence of how a 2½-year power crunch has forced companies to re-think energy use.

As expensive imported fuel has sent corporate electricity prices surging by more than a third since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, firms have scrimped and employees have grown used to sweaters in the winter and open collars in the summer.

Adding to the pressure, Japan is without nuclear power for only the third time since 1970 after the last of its 50 nuclear plants was closed for routine maintenance on Sept 15.

"Electricity fees will rise further and further," said Yukio Noguchi, a professor at Waseda University in Tokyo. "We are just at the beginning of the problem."

Before the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that wrecked the Fukushima nuclear plant and prompted the shutdown of the industry, nuclear power supplied about 30% of the energy needs of the world's third-biggest economy.

With no sign of the post-Fukushima power-crunch abating, most organisations plan to keep responding just as they've been doing: by cutting costs and trying to save more energy, a Reuters survey shows.

A few companies are seeking to exploit the high electricity prices, but for most it's a matter of soldiering on.

About two-thirds of the firms in the Reuters Corporate Survey say they will increase their energy conservation efforts and a similar number will cut costs to combat continuing rising power costs.

Some larger firms are making efforts to generate their own power, and high energy costs are also a factor in the growing trend of production shifting overseas.

TRADE DEFICIT

The Reuters poll of 400 big Japanese companies was conducted from Aug 30 to Sept 13; 262 firms answered the question on electricity countermeasures.

Conservation efforts have affected life across the country, with rolling blackouts in Tokyo shortly after the disaster and offices adjusting their thermostats to cut air conditioning bills and reduce heating costs ever since.

Power consumption by large industrial users last fiscal year was down more than 5% from before the disaster, trade ministry data shows. Overall, annual power demand in Japan was around 6% lower in the 12 months to March than it had been in the year to March 2011.

Electricity fees make up a small portion of total costs for Japanese firms, but any rise is a heavy burden due to the slim profit margins many companies face.

Japan's No 2 convenience store chain, Lawson Inc, has cut electricity use by 30% since roughly the time of the March 2011 tsunami, by switching to LED light bulbs, adding solar panels and adopting other energy-saving measures in many of its outlets.

Electric utilities themselves have spent billions of dollars importing petroleum, gas and coal, driving Japan to a trade deficit for the 14th straight month in August, the longest such streak since 1979-1980.

Power conservation measures imposed out of necessity in March 2011 have become routine. Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power Co has lights dimmed throughout much of its main office in Tokyo, while on the city's subway some stations have cut the number escalators operating.

Yet corporate efforts to wring every bit of production out of pricier electricity can only achieve so much in a resource-poor country already long famous for its energy efficiency.

Power costs for businesses have risen by just over a third since the disaster, according to the Bank of Japan, and many expect them to keep growing due to increased use of costly thermal fuel, higher import costs from a weaker yen and the future costs of decommissioning nuclear plants.

AT THE LIMIT

A few companies are benefiting from the power squeeze.

MXVR Co, which counts Toyota Motor Corp and Sharp Corp among its clients, says sales have more than doubled since the disaster for its machine that helps reduce power use by regulating the voltage from supplied electricity.

Companies' attempts to simply use less energy "have reached their limit, and for further cuts, companies will have to adopt energy-conservation equipment", said Daisuke Sato, president of the unlisted MXVR. "Higher electricity prices have been a tailwind for us."

He said firms have room to cut power use by an additional 40-50% through the wider adoption of energy-efficient technology.

Andrew DeWit, a professor at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, said that since the tsunami, "there's been a realisation among the big players – Toyota, Hitachi, shipbuilders – that there's a huge opportunity in power."

A Toyota subsidiary is among more than 100 companies that have registered with the government to be power producers and suppliers, joining many major manufacturers in selling excess electricity produced in-house, at rates often lower than the those of the regional power monopolies.

Since the 2011 disasters, Toyota has installed several gas co-generation units and increased its solar-energy generation capability, using the power produced at its facilities as well as selling it to a wide range of nearby businesses – including a factory for Bain Capital-owned restaurant chain Skylark and a paprika grower.

Sacrifice remains the default response among Japanese firms to the crunch, but about one-fifth of the manufacturers in the Reuters survey are considering on-site power production or storage, something many Japan firms have adopted recently.

In July, Honda Motor Co Ltd added a gas co-generation unit at its Yorii factory 80km (50 miles) northwest of Tokyo. Along with plans to use the excess heat the plant produces and other conservation measures, Honda expects the steps to cut energy use at the plant by 30%.

Still, Waseda's Noguchi said the only fundamental solution to high electricity costs was to shift operations abroad – a choice that a fifth of the manufacturers in Reuters poll are considering.

"Energy conservation will not be enough to offset the rising prices, because often the costs required to undertake it will not be enough to justify the benefits" – Reuters 

Chin Peng was an enemy of the state, says Selangor Sultan

SEMPORNA: Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng was an enemy of the state, says the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

The Ruler reminded the people that Chin Peng wanted to turn the country into a communist state, and he and his compatriots were responsible for the deaths of many security personnel and civilians.

History has shown that the Government sacrificed a lot of money and effort to defend the country’s sovereignty.

“Lives of members of the armed forces and police were lost, and many civilians were killed and suffered as a result of the actions of Chin Peng and communist terrorists,” he said during a visit to the KD Sri Semporna naval base here yesterday.

Sultan Sharafuddin, who is also Royal Malaysian Navy Colonel-in-Chief, hoped Malaysians would learn and understand the country’s history while not forgetting its darkest moments during the Emergency.

“Do not trade national pride and honour for popularity,” he added.

Sultan Sharafuddin also congratulated the navy for successfully overcoming the challenges to protect the country against foreign militants during Ops Daulat in Lahad Datu.

He called on the Malaysian security forces, including the police, the armed forces and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, to cooperate and remain in constant communication with each other in their duty to protect the country and its people.

“I want to remind those who tried to be an enemy and sell out the county to foreign parties to be cautious and to repent so that they do not commit this evil act again,” he said.

Sultan Sharafuddin is on a four-day visit to Sabah and visited KD Sri Tawau naval base on Wednesday and will proceed to Lahad Datu and Sandakan later.

He will also visit the Danum Valley Conservation Centre, Pulau Bum Bum and Kampung Tanduo, as well as the naval staff quarters in Taman Samudera, Sandakan.

Parliament: Government to bring in 10,000 Bangladeshi workers

THE Government is not planning to bring in 1.4 million Bangladeshi workers into the country by early 2014, said Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Ismail Abd Muttalib.

“The 1.4 million is actually the number of Bangladeshis who applied to their government to seek jobs overseas,” he said yesterday.

Ismail was responding to a question by Datuk Abdul Manan Ismail (BN – Paya Besar), who asked for a clarification, given that the number was almost equivalent to the num­ber of civil servants in the country.

He said the Government was actually seeking to bring in 10,000 Bang­ladeshi workers to work in oil palm plantations in peninsular Malaysia.

As of Sept 23, a list of 8,703 applicants was provided by the Bang­ladesh government to police and Immi­gration Department.

“From these, 2,288 have been filtered and 75 were found to have criminal records,” he said.

Ismail said recruitment of workers from Bangladesh was stringent and only three out of the 10 companies that had applied for workers had received approval.

“We approved 200 workers for Sime Darby Plantations, 262 for UP Plantations and 683 for Kulim Plan­tations, bringing the total number of Bangladeshi workers approved to 1,145,” he said.

Be fair to all, BN leaders told

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional leaders who said that they would only serve those who supported the coalition have come under fire from MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Such statements, Dr Chua said, were detrimental to its component parties, especially MCA, MIC, Gerakan and SUPP, which had lost the support of the Chinese community.

He said some Barisan leaders, especially those from Umno, had told the people that the allocations were only meant for those who voted for the coalition.

These leaders have sent out an unhealthy message. It’s as if the Chinese community are being punished for not giving their votes to Barisan.

“This will incite their dissatisfaction with the Government and make it even more difficult for the component parties to regain their support,” he said after the media launch of the 5th World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) here yesterday.

In fact, Dr Chua said, the coalition should cooperate and work out a way to win back the support of the people.

He stressed that all allocations belonged to the people and every race should have its share.

He said he had met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who had assured that there was no attempt to punish the non-bumiputra for not supporting Barisan.

WCEF is aimed at promoting closer business linkages, tapping into the economic resources of Chinese entrepreneurs worldwide and providing a platform for global collaboration.

Some 400 people from over 30 countries are expected to participate in the event to be held on Oct 3 and 4.

Man jailed for offering sex to a plainclothes cop

KUALA LUMPUR: A young man who offered to have sex with another man for RM50 was stunned when the prospect turned out to be a policeman.

The incident occurred when plainclothes officers were patrolling Lorong Haji Taib 3 here and saw several youths loitering by the roadside at around 6.30pm on Tuesday.

One of them, 20-year-old Raizi Toran, called out to officer Mohammad Rahimy Abd Rahim: “Hei bang, marilah, lima puluh ringgit saja. Ikut saya la (Hey brother, come, RM50 only. Follow me).”

Mohammad Rahimy identified himself as a policeman and arrested Raizi on the spot.

Yesterday, a magistrate’s court sentenced Raizi to four months’ jail for offering services as a prostitute and two months’ jail for failure to produce his identity card after the youth admitted to committing the offences.

However, he needs to only serve four months after magistrate Ashraf Rezal Abdul Manan ordered Raizi’s sentences to run concurrently, effective from the date of his arrest.

Asked by the magistrate during mitigation if three years’ prison would be fair, Raizi cupped his mouth and gasped loudly.

Ashraf Rezal said he faced a dilemma due to the accused’s age.

“On one hand, a long prison term would have a detrimental effect to a young offender,” he said.

“However, an incapacitative punishment is suitable deterrent against such crimes,” said Ashraf Rezal.

“Thus, I will use the middle route and give a shorter prison term,” he added.

The prosecution was represented by Chief Insp Nom Phot Prackdit.

Why good women fall for bad men

Some women are trapped in the same unhealthy cycle their entires lives.

He’s arrogant, rude, a rebel, and may quite possibly have a borderline personality disorder… But yet women fall head-over-heels for the bad guy.

It’s a common complaint among men in the dating world, and it is a phenomenon that still befuddles all of us. That is why The Star Online sought the help of Charis Wong, a marriage and family therapist, to explain why women fall for “bad men”.

“A lot of women get caught up in this cycle and they can remain in this cycle for the rest of their lives,” said Wong.

Wong says that women who fall for “bad men” often have unresolved issues that make them attracted to these individuals.

“In a normal situation, a woman would be attracted to someone who would make a potential life mate, and father to her future children,” explained Wong.

“However, there are some cases where women may have unresolved childhood issues, and have the tendency to fall for bad boys as a way to deal with these issues,” she said.

Wong says that women from dysfunctional families, whose father had affairs with other women, or women with father issues, who did not get much attention from their father, may also fall into the cycle of dating “bad men”.

A distant or emotionally detached man may be a relationship that is considered normal for the woman.

“It is an accustomed and familiar relationship, and when you’re familiar with something, it’s comfortable, and you will become unconsciously attracted to the same sort of man your mother was,” said Wong.

Wong said that low self-esteem is another reason women fall for “bad men”.

“This is when women don’t have a healthy image of themselves. They often do not think that they’re worthwhile to be with a “good guy”, so they settle for the “bad man”,” said Wong.

Wong said that many of these women put the man’s faults on themselves; blaming themselves for his bad behaviour.

“They will think that maybe he is ignoring me because I’m not good enough, so I need to be better,” explained Wong.

“Men who do what they like and rebel and who is not afraid to get into trouble, may seem attractive because they have that seemingly powerful aura. So by associating herself with that person, it makes her feel powerful by association,” she said.

“It almost becomes an obsession or love addiction,” said Wong.

“He becomes an obsession and the focus of your life. You feel like you have no other reason for living and that your role as his girlfriend defines you and that without him, you are nobody,” she adds.

“There will come a point when the “bad man” can’t deal with this, and leaves them. The woman will then move on to the next “bad man” that comes around,” she said.

She also adds that women who are attracted to “bad men” find “good guys” boring and non-attractive.

Wong says that if these women ever date a “good guy” they will end up feeling unsatisfied and bored.

“She will keep trying to sabotage the relationship to “test” him because she doesn't believe that the “good guy” wants her,” said Wong.

“She may even cheat on this “good guy” with a “bad man”, because they feel like the “good guy” will leave her anyway,” she adds.

Wong advices women who realize that they’re in this unhealthy cycle to seek help from a therapist.

“Once you’re aware that you have predisposition to go out with “bad men”. Ask yourself if you’re ready to break this cycle and visit unresolved childhood issues,” said Wong.

“You have to be ready to take that step, even though it may seem scary,” she added.

Charis Wong is a marriage and family therapist and the director of Kin & Kids, a marriage, family and child therapy centre.

Proposed amendments to Prevention of Crime Act to beef up security

A PERSON may be detained without being charged or tried for up to two years under proposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act.

A proposed Section 19A of the Act also allows the detention to be extended for another two years in the interest of public order, security or crime prevention.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tabled the Bill for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

The proposed law follows the repeal of the Emergency Ordinance and the Internal Security Act, which allowed for detention without charge or trial.

Under proposed new sections 7B and 7C, a Prevention of Crime Board will be set up to determine issuance of detention orders, subject to review by the High Court.

The three-man board will be headed by a chairman who is, has been or is qualified to be a Federal Court, Court of Appeal or High Court judge.

A proposed amendment to Section 9 stipulates that inquiry reports are to be made to the board instead of to the Home Minister.

To be considered for detention, a person must have committed two or more serious offences, and the inquiry report must have sufficient evidence to support the findings.

The person must also have been previously placed under a supervision order, and failed to comply with the restriction imposed.

For a supervision order, one must have committed two or more non-serious offences and have either failed to comply with a previous supervision order, or have not been placed under such an order.

A supervision order applies if the board finds that a detention order is unnecessary.

Under Section 19E, the Home Minister is required to submit an annual report to Parliament of all activities of detention orders.

Detention orders will also be reviewed every five years, and will cease to have effect unless a resolution to extend is passed by both Houses of Parliament after the review.

Meanwhile, a proposed new section 7A explains procedures for attaching electronic monitoring devices on a remanded person upon release pending an inquiry.

The device must be worn for a period determined by a Sessions Court judge, which must not exceed the release period.

Anyone who fails to comply with the terms, or tampers with the device, will be liable to a jail term not exceeding three years.

Renewed push at U.N. for Syria resolution followed by peace talks

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama appealed to the United Nations on Tuesday to back tough consequences for Syria if it refuses to give up chemical weapons and urged Russia and Iran to end their support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

At the same time, Obama said agreement on Syria's chemical weapons should energize a larger diplomatic effort to end 2-1/2 years of civil war - a sentiment that was echoed by the leaders of Turkey, Jordan and France, among others.

"I do not believe that military action - by those within Syria, or by external powers - can achieve a lasting peace," Obama told world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.

Obama stepped back from launching unilateral military action against Syria this month, setting in motion a diplomatic effort that led to Russian assistance in persuading Syria to agree to give up its chemical weapons after a poison gas attack on August 21 that U.S. officials say killed more than 1,400 people.

In a bid to ensure Syria fulfils its promise, Obama's challenge at the United Nations was to persuade world leaders to apply pressure on Damascus with a U.N. Security Council resolution that includes tough consequences should Assad not surrender his chemical weapons stockpiles in a verifiable way.

"The Syrian government took a first step by giving an accounting of its stockpiles. Now, there must be a strong Security Council resolution to verify that the Assad regime is keeping its commitments, and there must be consequences if they fail to do so," Obama said.

The worry from the U.S. side is that Russia might veto any resolution that contains even an implicit threat of military force against Syria. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Tuesday in an effort to agree on the wording of a resolution this week.

Negotiations on a draft in New York have come to a standstill while Russia and the United States struggle to reach an agreement that would be acceptable to both, diplomats say.

"We had a very constructive meeting," Kerry told reporters after meeting with Lavrov at the United Nations for about 90 minutes. "Very constructive."

Lavrov made no public comments after the meeting.

A senior U.S. official said the U.N. envoys for the two countries would now need to do more work on the draft resolution.

NO 'TRIGGER' CLAUSE

Speaking earlier in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov reiterated Russia's opposition to any threat of military action against Assad. He said Moscow would not accept a resolution stipulating automatic punitive measures if Assad fails to comply with the U.S.-Russian deal.

Nonetheless, prospects for an agreement between Russia and the West on a draft resolution may be improving, with Western powers giving up on what U.N. diplomats call a "trigger" clause for automatic punitive measures in the event of non-compliance.

French President Francois Hollande told the Assembly that too much time had been wasted trying to end the civil war, which the United Nations says has killed more than 100,000 people.

"We must ensure that this war ends. It is the deadliest war since the beginning of this century. The solution is a political one and too much time has been lost," he said.

Obama said it was not for America to determine who would lead Syria, but he added: "A leader who slaughtered his citizens and gassed children to death cannot regain the legitimacy to lead a badly fractured country."

Obama had an explicit message for Assad's two biggest backers, Iran and Russia: The notion that Syria can return to a pre-war status quo "is a fantasy."

"It's time for Russia and Iran to realize that insisting on Assad's rule will lead directly to the outcome they fear - an increasingly violent space for extremists to operate," he said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said there was no military solution to the Syrian crisis and criticized "some regional and international actors" for helping militarize the situation by providing arms and intelligence to "extremist groups."

In his speech to the General Assembly, Rouhani welcomed Syria's acceptance of the Chemical Weapons Convention and, in an apparent reference to U.S. threats of military action, he added: "I should underline that (an) illegitimate and ineffective threat to use or the actual use of force will only lead to further exacerbation of violence and crisis in the region."

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, which has been backing Syrian rebels, condemned what he called "horrible massacres" by the Syrian government.

"It is unfortunate that the perpetrators of these brutal crimes and massacres that have shocked every human conscience are enjoying impunity from deterrence or accountability," he told the Assembly.

In his opening speech to the General Assembly, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to member states not to abandon the Syrian people, and said it was not enough to destroy Syria's chemical weapons while the wider war continued.

"Military victory is an illusion. The only answer is a political settlement," Ban said.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Jordan's King Abdullah were among the world leaders at the General Assembly who called for a more robust international effort to end Syria's civil war.

"This conflict has evolved into a real threat to regional peace and security," said Gul, whose country was once an ally of Assad but is now one of his fiercest critics. "Any recurrence of the proxy wars of the Cold War era will plunge Syria into further chaos."

King Abdullah said the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan could rise to 1 million by next year, equivalent to 20 percent of its population, and called for additional international support as the economic burdens weigh on the state.

"My people cannot be asked to shoulder the burden of what is a regional and global challenge," he said. "More support is urgently needed to send a strong signal that the world community stands shoulder-to-shoulder with those who have borne so much."

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman also warned about the repercussions on his country's security and economy from the Syrian crisis. He said the number of Syrian refugees in the country was "way beyond Lebanon's capacity of assimilation, exceeding one fourth of Lebanon's population."

Obama announced the United States would provide an additional $339 million in humanitarian aid to ease the Syrian refugee crisis, including $161 million for people inside Syria and the rest for surrounding countries.

Iran's Rouhani calls Holocaust crime against Jews

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday called the Holocaust a "reprehensible" crime committed by the Nazis against the Jewish people but said it was up to historians to determine the scale of what happened.

"I am not a historian and when it comes to speaking of the dimensions of the Holocaust it is the historians that should reflect," Rouhani told CNN when asked whether or not he believed, as did his hardline predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that the Holocaust was a myth.

"But in general I can tell you that any crime that happens in history against humanity, including the crime the Nazis created towards the Jews, is reprehensible and condemnable," he said, according to CNN's translation of his comments, during a visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly.

Israeli officials had sharply criticized Rouhani, a moderate cleric who has made diplomatic overtures to the West, for failing to renounce Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust, which killed 6 million Jews. Rouhani had dodged the same question in an interview last week with NBC.

"Whatever criminality they committed against the Jews we condemn," Rouhani told CNN. "The taking of human life is contemptible. It makes no difference if that life is Jewish life, Christian or Muslim. For us it is the same."

But Rouhani went on to take a swipe against Iran's archfoe Israel, which was founded after World War Two as a Jewish state in part of what had been British-mandate Palestine.

"This does not mean that on the other hand you can say 'Nazis committed crimes against a group, now therefore they must usurp the land of another group and occupy it,'" he said. "This too is an act that should be condemned. There should be an evenhanded discussion."

Malaysia leading in global sukuk

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has grown its sukuk rapidly and is now leading in global sukuk.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysia had grown its sukuk from US$1.5bil (RM4.8bil) of the global outstanding amount in 2001 to over US$148bil (RM473.7bil) in June this year.

This accounted for 60.4% of the outstanding global sukuk, he told the 10th Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum 2013 yesterday.

He added: “Being a conducive environment for sukuk transactions, I certainly believe that Malaysia has what it takes to attract more institutions from all regions of the globe aiming to tap Malaysia’s Islamic finance marketplace and the pool of liquidity.”

Muhyiddin said the sukuk market had become a major contributing factor in the internationalisation of Islamic finance.

He noted that global sukuk issuance last year had surpassed that of 2011 by more than 50%.

Despite the volatility in global bond markets and concerns over monetary policy in the United States, the global sukuk market had shown resilience in the first half of this year – with US$61.2bil (RM194.7bil) worth of sukuk papers domiciled in more than 20 countries, he said.

He credited Bank Negara, Securi­ties Commission, Syariah scholars and the Islamic financial industry community with bringing Malaysia’s Islamic finance marketplace to the current sophistication level.

According to Bank Negara, Islamic banking assets totalled RM527.2bil or 24% of the banking system’s total assets in the first six months of this year compared with just 12.1% of the market share in 2006.

Muhyiddin said the new Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 had been put in place to promote Syariah governance, practices and implementation.

An institution could be fined up to RM25mil and individuals could be jailed up to eight years, apart from being fined, if found to be violating Syariah principles when operating an Islamic financial transaction, he said.

RM24,600 worth of khat leaves seized so far

SEPANG: Foreigners are fuelling the demand for khat leaves and the Malaysians distributing it do not realise they are banned in Malaysia.

KLIA Customs director Datuk Chik Omar Chik Lim said those arrested usually claimed ignorance.

He said a 27-year-old Sabahan was arrested on Sept 8 and a 56kg shipment of khat leaves worth RM2,800 was seized.

“He was arrested when he came to collect the package and said he did not know it was illegal,” Chik Omar said at a press conference at the Customs Department complex here.

If found guilty, the man can be jailed between three and five years.

He said Yemeni nationals here were the biggest consumers of the leaves and demand was high since the leaves were cheap.

“It is normal for them to chew the leaves,” added Chik Omar, who compared it to locals chewing betel leaves or daun sirih.

Khat leaves contain cathinone, a substance listed in the Dangerous Drugs Act. The fresh leaves are chewed as a stimulant.

Custom officers have seized 492.7kg of khat leaves worth RM24,635 on seven occasions this year.

Chik Omar also said they had made four seizures, totalling 71.366kg of methemphatamine, worth RM2.92mil this month.

Israel bleak about U.S.-Iran rapprochement at U.N. summit

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel voiced concern on Tuesday over a potential meeting of the U.S. and Iranian presidents, saying Tehran sought reconciliation with world powers as a ruse to press on with its nuclear programme.

Iran's new government has taken its charm offensive to the annual U.N. General Assembly, agreeing to international nuclear negotiations that would include its foreign minister seeing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

U.S. officials also said a meeting was possible this week between President Barack Obama and Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani - a landmark after more than three decades of hostility.

Israel sees a mortal menace in an Iranian bomb it says could be months away from production and says may now be expedited should world powers back off sanctions and readiness for a war of last-resort against Tehran.

Iran has rejected several U.N. Security Council resolutions aimed at curbing its nuclear projects with bomb-making potential, insisting the programme is entirely peaceful. It has also tried to shift scrutiny to Israel's assumed atomic arsenal.

Asked if there would be an Obama-Rouhani handshake, Yuval Steinitz, the cabinet minister representing Israel at the U.N. forum in New York, said: "I hope not. I don't know."

"But really the important thing is not just words and appearances. The important thing is the actions. The important thing is the resolutions," Steinitz told Israel's Army Radio.

"And I really hope that the whole world, and chiefly among them the United States, will say, 'Okay, it's nice to hear the smiles, the new rhetoric, but as long as you don't change the conduct, and as long as you don't make a real concession in the nuclear project, the economic sanctions will continue and if there is need, will be joined by a military threat as well'."

OUTREACH

In contrast to confrontational former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rouhani favours restrained outreach, saying on Monday he would "present the true face of Iran as a cultured and peace-loving country" at the United Nations.

Rouhani and Obama were scheduled to deliver speeches to the General Assembly on Tuesday.

Washington says it remains determined to deny the Iranians the means to make nuclear arms but its willingness to engage them directly complicates strategy for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will address the world forum on October 1.

The day before, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Obama at the White House for discussions on Iran that Israeli officials say will affect the content and tone of his U.N. speech.

At last year's speech, Netanyahu set a "red line" that he said would trigger Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, drawing it across a cartoonish bomb representing the pace and scale of the Islamic Republic's uranium enrichment.

This time around, some Israeli officials predict, he will opt for a more sober message, with facts trumping rhetoric. As Iran has kept its uranium enrichment below the Israeli threshold, they said, he will note it has also made progress on another track that could yield bomb-grade plutonium.

Steinitz said last week that Iran, on its current course, could make a nuclear weapon in six months. "There is no more time" for nuclear negotiations, he told the Israel Hayom daily.

But with a new round of such talks in the works, Steinitz reaffirmed Israel's position that it would support a diplomatic solution that truly halted Iran's nuclear programme. He described this as unlikely, saying Rouhani brought a deceptive change of style but not substance to Iranian policymaking.

"We are certainly warning the entire international community that Iran may want an agreement, but it is liable to be the Munich agreement," Steinitz said, referring to the 1938 appeasement of Nazi Germany.

"Rouhani wants to hoodwink, and some in the world want to be hoodwinked, and the role of little Israel is to explain the truth and to stand in the breach. And that is what we are doing to the best of our abilities. It is a long struggle."

Number of obese Malaysians on the rise

JOHOR BARU: More and more Malaysians are obese nowadays and, worse, many of them are children.

Disclosing this at a meeting here, Johor Health Department director Dr Mohd Khairy Yaakub said this was due to dietary patterns that have steadily evolved as a result of socio-economic change.

“Families, nowadays, eat on-the-go and the average time devoted to meal preparation has declined as a result of busy lifestyles,” he said, adding that such problems were also evident in other countries as well and have become a global challenge.

Quoting a National Health and Morbidity Survey, Dr Mohd Khairy said the number of Malaysian adults with diabetes has also increased from 14.9% in 2006 to 15.2% in 2011.

The survey also showed there was a rise in those suffering from hypercholesterolemia (presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood), from 20.6% to 35.1%.

There was also an increase in the prevalence of obesity in the same period, from 14% to 15.1% .

“What is more worrying is that cases of people being overweight is increasing, especially schoolchildren,” he said when opening the 9th Johor Scientific Meeting yesterday.

Dr Mohd Khairy said the rise in the number of people suffering from diabetes, obesity and hypercholesterolemia is worrying.

“The Government, especially the Healthy Ministry, is concerned about the unhealthy trend and has conducted programmes and campaigns to create awareness among the public on healthy living,” he said.

“Every Malaysian should be motivated to embrace the concept of positive living by changing their mindset, attitude and behaviour. We need to exercise regularly, have a balanced diet and avoid smoking.”

NS trainee dies after being found unconscious on bathroom floor

KUANTAN: A National Service trainee at the Pinggiran Pelangi camp in Muadzam Shah, about 110km south of here, has died.

A fellow trainee found Muhammad Suhaimi Norhamidi’s body motionless on the bathroom floor at their hostel shortly after midnight yesterday.

The camp commandant rushed the boy to the Muadzam Shah Hospital.

Muhammad Suhaimi, 18, from Kerdau near Temerloh, died without regaining consciousness. The cause of his death has yet to be determined.

Rompin OCPD Deputy Supt Johari Jahaya said a post-mortem would be conducted soon.

“We will classify the case accordingly after that,” he said, adding that police would interview those who had last seen the teenager.

National Service Training Department acting director-general Rozainor Ramli said the trainee did not have health-related problems prior to enrolment and neither was he involved in any fight.

Rozainor said a special unit would be set up to conduct a thorough investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, Norhamidi Bakar, 46, said he was informed of his son’s death by a camp official.

He said he last saw his son last month when Muhammad Suhaimi, the eldest of three sibilings, was preparing to register for the camp.

“He was his usual self,” he said.

Norhamidi said he accepted the fate that befell Muhammad Suhaimi and the family.

“We will leave it to the authorities to conduct a probe,” he said at the hospital mortuary.

Muhammad Suhaimi’s remains would be laid to rest in his hometown in Kampung Klebang, Kerdau.

Jalur Gemilang touch to night of glamour in Prague

PRAGUE: It was a nice finishing touch to a night of glamour and style – the Malaysian flag “flying” on the runway of Mercedes Benz Prague Fashion Weekend.

The presence of the Jalur Gemilang capped a successful showing by Malaysian designers Jovian Mandagie and Phuna Boon Yi, whose creations closed the premier fashion event in the Czech Republic capital on Sunday night.

Jovian and Phuna were invited as guest designers after winning the Mercedes Benz Stylo Fashion Awards for Designer of the Year and Emerging Designer of the Year respectively in March in Kuala Lumpur.

Phuna, a first year fashion design student, presented a noteworthy 12-piece collection while multi-award winning Jovian lit up the runway with 24 pieces, mostly comprising richly embellished evening gowns.

The Prague Fashion Weekend also played host to renowned shoe designer, Malaysian Datuk Jimmy Choo, who was a guest of honour at the event.

Also present were president and CEO of Stylo International Datuk Nancy Yeoh, Mercedes Benz Czech Republic CEO Florian Muller and Mercedes Benz Malaysia general manager, marketing communications Elaine Hew.

This was the second annual international fashion exchange since Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and Stylo entered into the World Fashion Initiative in 2011.

The first exchange was held in Mexico City last year.

Top Asian fashion designers, buyers, media and celebrities from over 10 countries will congregate in Malaysia for this inaugural trade event in November which will be hosted at the Resorts World Genting.

Khazanah spreads its wings to the United States

SAN FRANCISCO: Khazanah Nasional has spread its wings to the American continent, with the opening of the Khazanah Americas Incorporated (KAI) office here on Sunday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who was at its opening, said he hoped the move would encourage more trade and investments between Malaysia and the United States.

KAI is Khazanah's third regional office after Beijing and Mumbai.

San Francisco was selected as it is a premier hub for innovation and technology.

Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar said KAI would play an immense role as a bridge between Malaysia and the premier innovation and US technology hubs.

Later on Sunday, Najib attended a dinner with some 300 Malaysians working and living in the city.

The Prime Minister said the Government was striving hard to ensure the wealth of the nation is shared in an equitable manner for everybody.

"It is by no means an easy task, but we have done extremely well and this is proven with the rapid growth of the country," he added.

Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Shabery Cheek and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.

War crimes trial of Kenyan VP Ruto adjourned over Nairobi hostage crisis

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday adjourned the trial of Kenyan Vice President William Ruto for a week to allow him to return home and deal with the hostage crisis at a Nairobi mall that has left at least 68 people dead.

40,000 jobs on offer at BN Youth Job Fair on Friday

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 40,000 jobs will be up for grabs at the BN Youth Job Fair this coming Friday, said its secretariat chairman Nazir Hussin Akhtar Husin.

“Some 350 companies will be participating in the fair, which will see 40,000 jobs being offered during the three-day event,” he said, after flagging off the BN Youth Job Fair big bikers’ promotion campaign here yesterday.

He said this was the 11th time that the fair was being held since it was first organised by Barisan Nasional Youth three years ago.

“Since it was first held, some 160,000 youths have managed to find employment through the job fair,” he said.

Nazir Hussin said, during the fair, there would also be talks held on the role of online social media on the job market with 50 companies providing online business opportunities.

“This job fair is not only about offering employment to young graduates but it also gives them an opportunity to learn what the Government has done for them,” he said.

Some 1,000 internships with government-linked companies and multi-national firms would also be offered to bumiputra graduates via the Bumiputra Agenda Action Council, he added.

City Hall plans bicycle lanes

KUALA LUMPUR: City Hall is planning to build bicycle lanes to encourage a healthy lifestyle and in its pursuit of a green city.

Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said they were looking into the possibility of using Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) reserve land for the purpose.

He, however, said the project was still in the planning stages.

“We have to get permission from TNB and discuss the routes,” he said at the World Car Free Day event yesterday.

As a pioneer project towards becoming an eco-friendly city, City Hall is making every Sunday a “Car Free Day” around the Golden Triangle area.

From 6am to noon, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Bukit Nanas, Jalan Raja Chulan and Jalan Sultan Ismail will be closed to all motor vehicles.

Activities like walking, running and cycling will be held in conjunction with the campaign, which is jointly organised by City Hall and the National Cycling Federation.

Environmental advocates have welcomed the move. “This is a great move to reduce carbon emissions,” said Effie Rizal, 37, who car-pools to work with his colleagues.

The project manager said he would take public transport whenever possible and what he was doing would set a good example for his children and help in the fight against global warming.

Winnie Thor, 47, said building more infrastructure for the safety of cyclists would encourage more people to use bicycles as a mode of transportation.

Currently, she said, cyclists used the motorcycle lanes, which are usually filled with heavy traffic.

Analysis - Obama may extend his hand to Iran's Rouhani at U.N.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Next week's U.N. General Assembly meetings will offer U.S. President Barack Obama a chance to extend a hand, both literally and figuratively, to new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The White House said on Thursday a meeting was possible, the first between U.S. and Iranian presidents since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"It's possible, but it has always been possible," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. The extended hand has been there from the moment the president was sworn in.

It looks more likely to be a handshake and brief exchange of pleasantries - probably in the U.N. building - rather than a formal meeting where the leaders could talk at greater length

With conciliatory overtures and gestures emanating from Iran's ruling echelon at a surprising pace in recent days, the White House is looking for the right balance in forming a response.

Obama eventually wants to encourage Iran to make concessions in talks over its nuclear program. But if he embraces Tehran too warmly before it takes concrete actions, he would risk criticism that he is fumbling another foreign policy issue after struggling to handle crises over Syria and Egypt.

SIGNS OF WARMING

Iran's rhetoric has softened markedly since Rouhani took office in August. Recent gestures include a promise never to develop nuclear weapons, tweeted greetings on the Jewish New Year and the release of prominent political prisoner and rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.

On Thursday, Rouhani published an opinion piece in the Washington Post urging other leaders "to respond genuinely to my government's efforts to engage in constructive dialogue."

For its part, the White House said this week Obama had written Rouhani to convey the message "that the U.S. is ready to resolve the nuclear issue in a way that allows Iran to demonstrate that its nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful purposes."

A U.S. official said the White House hoped to engineer a handshake in the U.N. building between the two leaders, but by no means a full meeting, and a second official also bet on a handshake, while saying there were currently no such plans.

Regardless of whether Obama and Rouhani shake hands, the more serious issue is whether both countries are ready to get into a direct bilateral discussion.

The United States suspects Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop atomic weapons, something it sees as a threat to Israel and to oil-producing U.S. allies in the Gulf. Iran denies that, saying its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes.

A decade of negotiations between Iran and the West has yet to resolve the dispute and the United States has said it would not take any option off the table - code for a possible military strike - in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

Speeches by Obama and Rouhani, who address the United Nations next Tuesday, will attract scrutiny for signs of a thaw. Another closely watched address will be that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who views a potential Iranian bomb as an existential threat to Israel and is wary of Iran's new tone.

Rouhani may extend what many analysts regard as a charm offensive by distancing himself from remarks by his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was widely vilified in the West for doubting the Holocaust and questioning Israel's right to exist.

Obama's speech must strike a balance, analysts said, between showing a readiness to engage Iran - a message he conveyed in his first week as president in 2009 by saying he would extend a hand if they would "unclench their fist" - and stressing that talks could not be endless and Iran must curb to its nuclear program.

In so doing, Obama needs to keep the door open to talks while protecting himself from attacks from conservatives who may regard his willingness to talk as weakness, particularly after his recent decision not to bomb Syria.

Elliott Abrams, who served under former Republican President George W. Bush and is now at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said Obama was right to test whether Iran was willing to negotiate but should avoid an encounter with Rouhani himself.

Saying the two are not equals because Rouhani serves under Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Abrams said: "Such a meeting is likely to be read in Tehran as showing how anxious Obama is for a deal. It ought to be avoided."

Abrams also said Obama had undercut his leverage with Iran by striking a diplomatic deal with Russia to try to eliminate Syrian nuclear weapons rather than launching a military strike that he appeared poised to order in late August.

"What happened with regards to Syria (suggests) that the Americans don't want any kind of military engagement, so all options are not on the table with regards to Iran," he said, saying that might make Israel more likely to strike Iran if the Jewish state thinks Washington is not engaged.

LOWER-LEVEL CONTACTS?

While there has been speculation of talks between the two presidents or between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif during the U.N. meetings, current and former U.S. officials said lower-level contact might make more sense.

"That's often the way they start because you're not really sure what you're dealing with," said a third U.S. official. "You can survive a lower-level meeting that doesn't work, but you can't survive a higher-level that doesn't work."

The United States has several potential candidates to lead the talks, including Wendy Sherman, undersecretary of state for political affairs, who currently leads U.S. nuclear negotiations with Iran, and Bill Burns, deputy secretary of state, who is a past negotiator with Iran and a Middle East expert.

"The level and the negotiator will not be difficult to arrange ... the formal trappings, they'll figure out," said Dennis Ross, a former senior White House official under Obama now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.

"If the decision has been made to do it, you cut through that. If they are still fencing around trying to determine how to do it, then that is an indication that there isn't quite the readiness there otherwise would appear to negotiate," he added.

Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said a genuine rapprochement between Iran and the United States was unlikely but that an Obama-Rouhani handshake "could open a path toward detente."

"As long as Ayatollah Khamenei remains supreme leader of Iran, this is the best group of interlocutors that the U.S. will ever have to work with in Tehran, particularly Foreign Minister Zarif," Sadjadpour said.

He argued that Rouhani and his foreign minister might succeed in impressing other Western nations with their more conciliatory tone and that could, over time, make it harder for the United States to sustain economic sanctions on Iran.

"I think the double-edged sword Rouhani and Zarif present to the United States and Israel is that Iran is now easier to engage, but more difficult to isolate," he added.

Robbed and almost raped

KOTA KINABALU: A woman narrowly escaped being raped by an armed robber in her home when the man realised as he started pulling at her clothes that his three accomplices had already fled.

He quickly ran after them, leaving the woman, 30, bound on the floor and her husband, 32, badly wounded.

The four, armed with parang, had earlier barged through an unlocked door into the house in Beluran, about 100km from Sandakan, at about 8pm on Wednesday.

When the husband tried to put up a fight, the robbers slashed and stabbed him on the head, torso and abdomen.

They bashed the wife and tied her up.

The husband was left unbound because he was severely injured and could not even move.

As the robbers ransacked the home looking for valuables, one of them tried to rape the woman.

He stopped when he noticed that his accomplices had left him and gone off with the loot.

The woman had her bruises treated at the Beluran Hospital while her husband has been warded at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan.

The robbers got away with cash, jewellery and other valuables worth about RM12,000 in total, said Beluran OCPD Deputy Supt V. Sivananthan.

He said police had started a hunt for the four.

A relative of the couple, who was visiting the husband at the hospital, said both were traumatised by the incident and still could not talk about it.

“Both are glad to be alive though,” the relative said.