Thousands revel in world fiesta party in downtown KL

KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of tourists and shoppers flooded Jalan Bukit Bintang here to witness the BBKLCC Tourism Association’s World Fiesta party.

The street party featured processions of vibrant floats and a parade of hundreds of costumed dancers representing the diverse colours and culture of the world’s different regions.

BBKLCC is a trade association which represents nine malls here, and it is partnering with the Tourism and Culture Ministry to organise the street party.

The street party is part of the activities leading up to Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

The Mardi Gras-like festival started its pre-show at 5pm on Saturday.

A spectacular fireworks display then lit up the Kuala Lumpur sky and revellers danced to the music of deejays Joey G and Jesse Voorn.

Those staying late were not left in a lurch as Prasarana extended its LRT services until 1am yesterday.

BBKLCC’s members such as Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Suria KLCC, Fahrenheit88, Starhill Gallery and Lot 10 also organised promotions and giveaways throughout the day, with RM120,000 worth of prizes.

Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who officiated the event, revealed that the Prime Minister himself will declare Visit Malaysia Year open on Jan 4.

Schumacher 'critical' after skiing fall

LYON, France (Reuters) - Retired seven-times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher was in 'critical' condition with head injuries after an off-piste skiing accident in the French Alps resort of Meribel, his agent said on Sunday.

The 44-year-old German was in hospital in Grenoble and under the care of Professor Gerard Saillant, a brain and spinal injury expert who is also president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Institute.

"He suffered head trauma with coma that needed prompt neurosurgical treatment," Schumacher's agent Sabine Kehm said in a statement late in the evening, which a hospital official read to reporters.

"He remains in a critical condition."

A hospital official declined to give more details but said more information would be given on Monday.

Christophe Gernigon-Lecomte, the director of the Meribel ski resort where Schumacher has a vacation home, said earlier that the former champion was wearing a helmet when he fell and hit his head on a rock at around 11 a.m. local time.

He added that the German had been conscious while being transported first to a local hospital in Moutiers before then being transferred to Grenoble.

"He was conscious but very agitated while being taken to hospital," said the director.

In Germany, Schumacher's accident topped news bulletins, with the bestselling tabloid newspaper Bild reporting on its website: "Schumi fighting for his life".

Bild reporters also said that Ross Brawn, the Briton who worked with Schumacher at Ferrari and Mercedes as technical director and team principal respectively, had arrived in Grenoble.

SHOCK AND PRAYERS

The Formula One community, and the wider world of motorsport, reacted with shock and prayers on social network Twitter for the champion to win his biggest battle.

"If anyone can pull through, it's him," said Britain's triple Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, who is still walking on crutches after a huge crash in October that ended his racing career.

"Come on Michael, give us one of those race stints at pure qualifying pace to win through, like you used to. You can do it," said Schumacher's former Benetton team mate Martin Brundle.

Former Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa, who suffered a near fatal head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, said he was praying for his friend.

Schumacher is the most successful Formula One driver of all time with a record 91 race victories in an extraordinary - and frequently controversial - career spanning more than two decades.

He won his first two titles with Benetton in 1994, the year when Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna died in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix, and 1995.

The German then took five in a row with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004 in what now seems a golden age for the Italian team who named a square after him at their Fiorano test track.

Schumacher left the sport last year after a less successful three-year comeback with Mercedes following an earlier retirement from Ferrari at the end of 2006. He lives in Switzerland with his wife and two children.

Liow set to unveil MCA appointments

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA will unveil the appointments of its new secretary-general, treasurer-general, state liaison committee heads and other posts on Jan 2.

Party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he would also set key performance indicators (KPIs) for each of the office bearer in order to effectively deliver the transformation plan for the MCA.

For the past few days, there has been speculation on the appointments of office bearers but I urge all to be patient.

“We will announce them on Jan 2 after the central committee meeting that day,” he said during his first official day of work as party president at Wisma MCA here yesterday.

Liow said his focus was to implement the MCA transformation plan and the appointments of office bearers were the “vehicle” to deliver the commitments made to the Chinese community.

I have outlined nine important tasks in my manifesto and so I will create the vehicle for it on Jan 2.

“I want to create a very exciting journey for the MCA,” he said, adding that the MCA Youth and Wanita MCA wings were raring to go and start work.

Among the nine points in Liow’s manifesto in the Dec 21 party elections are to reaffirm MCA’s position as a founding member of Barisan Nasional, boost inter-racial communication and to institutionalise Chinese education.

Liow won the race for the president’s post, defeating Gan Ping Sieu and Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

He thanked community leaders, Chinese guilds and associations for their support of the party and promised that it would not disappoint them.

On calls from community leaders for the MCA to rejoin the Cabinet, he said they would be looked into but for now, the focus would be on the transformation plan to strengthen the party.

Top 20 trips for 2014

Here’s your list of National Geographic Traveler’s top 20 trips for 2014.

FROM the wildlife refuges of Rwanda’s rainforests, a cacao trail in Ecuador to the “immutable, imperishable” city of New Orleans, National Geographic Traveler’s list of top places to visit in 2014 eschews trends and travel statistics.

Curated by the National Geographic Traveler magazine’s network of global experts around the world, the Best Trips 2014 list is meant to reflect “what’s authentic, culturally rich, sustainable-minded and superlative in the world of travel today.”

Here’s the picks for 2014 (in alphabetical order):

Alentejo, Portugal

Arbil, Iraq

Bolaven Plateau, Laos

Cacao Trail, Ecuador

Cape Verde

Cathar country, France

Cordoba, Argentina

Derawan Islands, Indonesia (readers’ choice)

Guyana

John Muir Trail, Scotland

Liechtenstein

Nahanni National Park, Northwest Territories, Canada

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Northern Territory, Australia

Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda

Puglia, Italy

Ranthambore National Park, India

Riga, Latvia

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sochi, Russia

Electricity tariff & property assessment hikes will hurt plastic industry: MPMA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) has expressed concerns that the 16.85% increase in electricity tariff for the industrial category from Jan 1, 2014 will hurt the industry.

“Given that electricity is the second largest cost component in the manufacture of a plastic product, the drastic increase in electricity cost will cause plastic products made in Malaysia to be less competitive and, consequently, exports will be adversely affected,” MPMA's president Lim Kok Boon said.

“In 2012, Malaysia exported RM10bil’s of plastic products, which represent 62% of the total industry sales of RM16.1bil. Electricity cost is the second largest cost component for the manufacture of plastic products meant for export, after the cost of resins (raw materials),” elaborated Mr Lim.  

The 16.85% increase in electricity cost would translate into approximately 30% reduction in profit margin for the exporters of plastic products. The export sector is so competitive that exporters are operating at net profit margins of between 3% and 4%. 

“Other export-oriented and energy-intensive manufacturing industries in the country would also be expected to be similarly affected," he added.

Lim also pointed out that the proposed increase in valuation of property and assessment rates by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Ipoh City Council was excessive and unreasonable.

“Some of our members are hit by a 600% increase, which is far too drastic,” he stressed. 

Many residents had voiced their concerns and objections to the assessment rate increase for their houses but the business sector has been silent so far. This is probably because they are not aware of such increase as many of them are just tenants in a business premise and they do not own the building.

“But when the landlords are forced to pay a higher assessment fee, they will pass it on to the tenants,” elaborated Lim. 

According to Lim, plastics manufacturers are already facing drastic cost increase following the increase in minimum wages which would be fully implemented effective from Jan 1, 2014.

“While we understand the Government's need to rationalise subsidies and increase assessment rate, a sudden and huge increase would have serious adverse effect on the manufacturers. The recent announcement on the proposed toll increase will be further  a burden to our members," added Mr Lim.

He said that the Government should look at gradually increasing the electricity tariff increases over a reasonable period and any rate increase should not exceed 10%.   

In addition, Mr Lim said that over the years, MPMA has been requesting the Government, as well as Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), to extend the off-peak rates to all the plastics manufacturing companies as this would assist in mitigating the impact.  

SME users would be worst affected as they are not eligible for any off-peak period tariff discount under the Tariff D (low voltage users) category, unlike the medium and large users which are eligible under the Tariff E category. 

“We have submitted memoranda to the authorities several times, requesting TNB to extend its off-peak rates to all the plastics manufacturing companies in the Tariff D category, and extend the off-peak electricity tariff to cover full days of Saturdays and Sundays for all categories of TNB users, but unfortunately they were all rejected," said the MPMA President.

Lim Kok Boon called on all the relevant authorities to seriously consider our appeal on extending the off-peak rates to all the plastics manufacturing companies.

The plastics industry is a capital-intensive industry. The investments for production lines can cost up to several million ringgit.  There is therefore a high fixed cost attached to a machine in the form of depreciation amortisation and the financing cost of acquiring the machine. 

Such costs are fixed, which means that the costs are incurred regardless of whether the machine is in operation or left idle. Consequently, it is necessary to operate such machines on a 24 hours/seven days basis in order to absorb and amortise the fixed cost over a higher output so as to reduce unit cost.

“As such, they are “ideal” customers for TNB due to their consistent consumption pattern throughout the whole day, which would help to utilise TNB’s capacity in a more efficient manner,” Lim explained.

He warned that the increase in electricity cost would cause the export of plastic products to shrink.

In addition, exporters are beginning to feel the adverse impact of the withdrawal of the Generalised System of Preferences (GST) status by the European Union for Malaysia effective Jan 1, 2014,” he added.

Najib: Protect Malaysia's name

MECCA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the country can achieve greater success in future if Malaysians staying abroad kept Malaysia’s good name and image.

The Government’s desire was to make Malaysia a successful, modern and progressive Islamic nation, but based on Islam’s sanctity and rules, he said here yesterday.

He said among the successes achieved were the participation of Malaysians in big as well as mammoth projects overseas, including here where they were involved in the Masjidil Haram (Grand Mosque) extension project and building of the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, at a height of 602m.

“Hence, if we remain as a cohesive and united Islamic community, we will achieve excellence in future,” he said during a gathering with Malaysians at the Felda D’Saji Restaurant here.

Najib hoped that Malaysians, in Mecca on business or pilgrimage, would continue to protect Malaysia’s good name and image.

On the restaurant, which is located near the Grand Mosque, Najib said business at the eatery run by Felda has been going well.

The placement of the restaurant was based on an idea by Najib, who is in charge of Felda.

Najib said the restaurant’s location was a good way to introduce Malaysia to patrons from other countries.

On another matter, Najib congratulated the Malaysian contingent for exceeding the target of 40 gold medals at the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar.

“The target of 40 gold medals has been achieved. Congratulations to the Malaysian athletes for their earnest efforts in making the country proud,” he said in his Twitter posting.

The SEA Games ended on Sunday after it officially began on Dec 4.

The Malaysian contingent exceeded the target of 40 gold medals set by the National Sports Council by winning 43 gold medals, 38 silver and 77 bronze medals. — Bernama

We will not be cowed, say Danok folk

DANOK: Barely 24 hours after two blasts rocked this border town, life bounced back to some semblance of normalcy for the locals although most, if not all, the tourists have left.

It may take months before the town returns to its bustling self, but the locals are determined not to be cowed by the bomb attacks.

Traders, hawkers and others in the town between Malaysia and southern Thailand remained unperturbed as they went about their business.

Rojak seller Nur Hidayah Abdullah, 51, was busy slicing fruits at her stall directly opposite the blast scene.

Business is a bit slow but we will not back down.

“Most of us have only one source of income. And if hawkers like us decide to shut down our business temporarily, what are the people here going to eat?” she said.

Over at Paradise Spa, a stone’s throw from the scene, a masseuse, who wished to be known only as Ann, voiced the same sentiment.

Usually we have up to 35 customers or more daily, but sadly today, we had only eight.

“I am sure the situation here will improve soon,” the Thai national added.

Danok mayor Kecha Benjakarn assured tourists that the town was safe, saying everything was now under control.

We have beefed up our security and we will be conducting checks on all suspicious vehicles.

“All those injured were Thai nationals comprising mostly traders.”

Six people were treated at the Sadao Hospital, 17 at the Padang Besar Hospital, and four at the Songkhlanakharind Hospital.

Two who were seriously injured were later transferred to the Haadyai Hospital, he told a press conference yesterday.

Kecha added that the affected areas – Tanrattanakorn 1, Tanrattanakorn 2 and the vicinity of Oliver Hotel, where the blast occurred – would be reopened to the public within a week, after police completed their investigations. The hotel is closed for now.

Meanwhile, Malaysian deputy consul-general to Songkhla Mohd Rozaimi Harun advised Malaysians to avoid visiting the border towns until the situation was secure.

He said Malaysians should not visit the three affected border towns and also Betong, Tak Bai and Sungai Golok.

Abdul Karim Mahmud, 50, a spokesman from the Songkhla Governor’s office, believed it would be at least two months before the tourists came back to Danok.

“December, especially Christmas, has always been a peak period for Danok traders. Although it is unlikely that such a thing will happen again soon, tourists are afraid for their safety,” he said, adding that security had been tightened with military and police personnel on standby round-the-clock.

A check by The Star showed the immigration checkpoints on both sides to be fairly empty with only a few tour buses and vans making their way to Haadyai, about 50km north of Danok.

The Thai border towns of Danok, Padang Besar and Sadao were rocked by pre-Christmas bombings on Sunday, leaving a horrifying trail of mangled metal, burning vehicles and bloodied limbs and bodies.

Danok is especially popular among Malaysians and is dubbed the best entertainment town in Thailand.

From food courts to discotheques and massage parlours, Danok has it all.

The town is a favourite spot for men for its cheap alcoholic beverages while Malaysian women love the town for its wide array of cheap apparel and lingerie.

A good spa and massage that could cost hundreds of ringgit back home can be obtained for a fraction of the price.

Danok is usually crowded from Thursday to Sunday, with Kedahans thronging the town during their Friday-Saturday weekend while those from Perak and Penang come in during the Saturday-Sunday weekend.

Universiti Utara Malaysia students, too, often go to Danok as their campus in Sintok is just a 15-minute drive away.

Egypt PM declares Brotherhood 'terrorist' group

CAIRO (AFP) - Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi has declared the country's Muslim Brotherhood movement a "terrorist" organisation, state news agency MENA reported Tuesday, quoting the premier's spokesman.

Beblawi's remarks came just hours after a car bomb ripped through a police headquarters in the city of Mansoura, north of Cairo, killing at least 14 people, mostly policemen.

Scores more were wounded in the attack, medics and officials said.

"Prime Minister Beblawi has declared the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation," MENA quoted the premier's spokesman Sherif Showky as saying.

Egypt's military-installed authorities have often accused the Muslim Brotherhood of funding and training militants who regularly launch attacks on security forces in the restive Sinai Peninsula.

Upbeat mood at end of AGM

KUALA LUMPUR: The mood was upbeat as MCA leaders wound up the party’s two-day annual general meeting (AGM) here.

Deputy president Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong sang the praises of the four party vice-presidents – Datuk Lee Chee Leong, Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung, Datuk Chua Tee Yong and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun – by pairing their names with Mandarin phrases that rhyme together.

The delegates chose Chew Mei Fun because they want the party to exude fragrance (fen fang).

Hou Kok Chung was chosen because we did not forsake the country (guo jia). Guo rhymed with the middle name of Dr Hou.

The delegates picked Lee Chee Leong to reflect (liang chu) the courage of the party members and a bright future (guang liang) for the party.

They also gave the blessing to Chua Tee Yong because they need a leader with bravery coupled with wisdom (you yong you mou).

If you are hungry, then you need to add some side dishes (liao) to make it tasty (hao wei). Liao rhymed with the surname of the party president, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, while wei refers to none other than himself (Wee).

Dr Wee also urged rumour mongers to stop their act, especially when it comes to attempting to create a divide between him and Liow.

Please stop driving a wedge between Liow and me. There must be unity right from the top to the bottom.

“We must train our guns against Pakatan Rakyat, not at our comrades,” he said, adding that Liow is a leader who possesses a strong sense of righteousness and humility.

Chua gave his assurance that those from his faction would close ranks and support the new leadership.

Congratulations to all the office bearers. This is only the beginning of a tough journey ahead since we are the party’s appointees for the next three years.

The coming three years will be crucial. We should gear towards the coming general election. We don’t have any capital for party infighting.

“We should look at ways of revitalising ourselves and retain those capable leaders who lost in the (party) elections,” he said.

Chua also described former party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as a leader with integrity, who fulfilled his promise not to seek re-election.

Dr Hou said members must unite and fight for the party.

We are facing challenges and pressure from all quarters, from the Opposition to the Chinese community.

“This is why we must unite.Otherwise it would be too premature to talk about strategies or ideologies. Eventually everything will come to nought,” he said.

Chew reminded the party that highlighting past good deeds can only do so much. “We must not brag about our past contributions. The people no longer buy that anymore.”

MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon said: “While we keep fighting for the sake of the Chinese community, our political rivals have managed to win the hearts of all races.

“We must go back to the tenet of MCA’s founding members – to have a fair and just society,” he stressed.

Wanita chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie said members must unite to strengthen the party, or the party risks fading into oblivion.

Danok blasts: ‘Burning cars and blood everywhere’

BUKIT KAYU HITAM: Burning vehicles and bloodied limbs greeted Douglas Alexis as he approached the site where a car bomb went off in Danok.

Alexis said a jeep was burning and the blast had badly damaged the ground floor of Oliver Hotel where several shops were located.

“There were five to six people lying on the ground outside the hotel. Some looked like they had had their hands and legs blown off,” he told The Star.

Alexis, who was on one of his weekly trips to Danok to visit his wife and child who live in Roi Phat about a kilometre away, said he was walking with friends about 200m from the hotel at about noon when he heard a loud sound and “something like firecrackers going off.”

At first I thought it was the sound of shooting, because there is a shooting range nearby.

“However, when I went closer I saw the hotel building and its surrounding area badly damaged and there was smoke all around,” he said.

The 35-year-old, who is in the transport business in Penang, instinctively knew a bomb had exploded. After all, he had been in the midst of the Lee Garden bomb explosion three years ago in Haadyai.

He said policemen arrived at the scene quickly because the police station was close by.

The area around the hotel was cordoned off for several hours as police and army personnel scoured the streets to secure the area.

Customers at other nearby hotels were also evacuated.

“We are not under lockdown, but most places and shops in the affected area are closed and security is tight. It looks like the place is under military control,” he said.

Alexis said he is worried because Danok has not been known to be the target of attacks unlike towns like Patani and Narathiwat.

An escalator technician identified as Keong, meanwhile, had been looking forward to his bak kut teh lunch when the bomb went off.

I couldn’t have been more than 100m away from where the bomb went off. I felt the impact and it was like someone pushing me.

“It was deafening and earth shattering,” said the 26-year-old.

Keong and his colleague had only minutes earlier parked their car in front of the Paragon Disco next to the hotel and were placing their order at the restaurant across the road when the explosion occurred.

“I turned around and I could see shattered glass and building debris falling down,” he said when reached on the phone yesterday.

Keong said everyone in the restaurant and neighbouring premises ran to the main road about 100m away.

I heard some people screaming but I didn’t see any injured or dead people.

“I was not sure what happened. Some said it was due to gas leak. The police cordoned off the area soon after the incident,” he said.

“My colleague and I are really fortunate to escape unscathed,” he said.

The two had arrived in Danok on Thursday in the car belonging to their supervisor to work on a project.

Car owner Wong Jit Weng, 33, said he received a call from Keong at about 1.45pm to inform him of the blast.

“They had visited Danok twice in the last two months to work on the project,” he said.

The magic of Christmas

Is Santa Claus real? Or is he just a man in a red suit? What would you tell the little ones when they ask?

CHRISTMAS celebrations are steeped in traditions passed from generation to generation. Santa Claus is probably part of children’s favourite Christmas memories because he brings presents on a reindeer sleigh for those who have been good all year long. A few families share how they celebrate Christmas and what it means to them.

Spirit of giving

WHEN Tristan turned six, his friends told him Santa did not exist.

“He got really upset. One day he just came home and asked: ‘Is there really a Santa?’ I wasn’t prepared for that at all. I didn’t know how to say, ‘No, he doesn’t exist’, because that sounded so blunt. I had to quickly think up an explanation,” says mother-of-four Sasha Joanne Wee, 36.

That was a year ago, and the former accountant decided there was no two ways about it – honesty is the best policy.

“I told him Santa exists. He was St Nicholas and he used to give to the poor. He was the one who started the spirit of giving. After he was gone, his spirit lived on. Everybody remembered what he did and that’s how he remained alive during Christmas.”

Thankfully, Tristan accepted that explanation (though he did tell his younger brother and sister, aged five and four, that Santa was dead). For a lot of kids who grew up believing in Santa, it is surprising to find out he is not real.

“My parents told me about Santa very early on. It was a matter-of-fact kind of thing, and he was just like a character in stories. It’s the same for my husband. But I believe that for some people, what they remember about Christmas is the whole magic of Santa. There is no right or wrong, just what’s best for the family,” says Sasha. While Sasha prefers to go easy with the truth, her husband, Sheldon Wee, feels that it’s only logical to cap magic to a certain age.

According to the 37-year-old entrepreneur, parents should keep it real.

“Children grow really fast these days and they’re very smart. You can’t hide them from bad words and bad movies because they are going to find out on their own. When your child questions the existence of Santa, it’s always best to be honest and open. There’s no need to hide anything because he’s going to find out you’re lying to him and he’s not going to come to you the next time.”

The message you should be sharing with your children is that Christmas isn’t about Santa coming to visit; it’s about the spirit of giving, adds Sheldon. 

Countdown to Christmas

CHRISTMAS is the holiday the Jeremiah children look forward to the most.

Their excitement and anticipation start as soon as their family tree goes up. Michelle Long and her husband Raphael Sidney Jeremiah involve their children in the festive preparations; from decorating the Christmas tree to baking cookies and wrapping presents.

Hannah (left) and Aiden (far right) look forward to Christmas all year round with mum and dad, Michelle Long and Raphael Jeremiah Hannah and Aiden look forward to Christmas all year round with mum and dad, Michelle Long and Raphael Jeremiah.

Long and Jeremiah have explained to their children, five-year-old Hannah Marissa and two-year-old Aiden Zachary that Christmas is celebrated to observe the birth of Jesus Christ. Curious Hannah, however, cheekily questioned her mother recently, “How many times is Jesus born, then, mummy?” remembering that she has celebrated Christmas a few times with her family.

“We had to explain to her, that just like her birthday, Jesus has a birthday each year too,” laughs her mother, who was quite tickled by her child’s curiosity.

Both Aiden and Hannah believe that if they are good all year, Santa will leave them presents on Christmas Eve.

“If I am naughty, Santa won’t come and visit. Santa also says I should be thankful and happy with any gift I receive. I shouldn’t demand for this and that,” says Hannah who is hoping to find Monster High dolls in her stocking this Christmas. Hannah is also curious about how Santa will come into their house, since it doesn't have a chimney.

Each year, her parents come up with creative answers. “We give her interesting answers because we think both Hannah and Aiden are too young to know the truth about Santa,” says Long. As long as they have fun with the idea and it doesn’t cause them any harm, it’s OK for them to still believe in the existence of Father Christmas.

“When they are older, they learn to figure things out on their own. For now, they are just too precious for us to tell them the truth,” explains Long.

Hannah and Aidenare taught that Christmas is about giving, receiving and sharing.

They bake gingerbread cookies and distribute them to their friends and family. This year, the family distributed party bags to refugee children there.

Let the magic last

SHELDON’S aunt, Deirdre Theseira and her family, are happy to keep Santa well and alive.

The youngest two in her family, Miguel and Manuel Gomes, aged 12 and eight, are strong Santa supporters. Each Christmas Eve, the brothers would leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies for Santa. The reindeer, too, will get a carrot.

Come Christmas morning, there will only be crumbs and an empty glass left behind. And at the foot of the boys’ beds would be Santa’s gifts for them, taken off a wish list mailed to the North Pole.

Favourite day: The Gomes children loves Christmas celebrations. 

The Gomes children love Christmas celebrations. They would leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies for Santa each Christmas Eve.

“We started this tradition from the time my kids were born. We never really explained it. On Christmas Eve, we would just say that you have to go to sleep otherwise Santa won’t come. If you’ve been good, Santa will come and bring you a present at night,” explains Theseira, 47.

“There were a few times when we saw costumed Santas at different malls and my kids had asked why there were so many of them. My answer was: Well, Santa is really busy and those are his helpers, just like the elves.”

She tells her children, “The day you stop believing in Santa, is the day the magic stops. Santa won’t be coming by anymore after that.”

But no matter how hard parents try, children eventually grow up and discover that Santa doesn’t slide down the chimney.

Theseira’s eldest, Tatianna, 15, was about 11 when she came to realise that Santa’s gifts were probably from her mother.

“I remember I used to like reading this series of books. One day, my mum asked me which books I had and which ones I didn’t. And on Christmas morning, I received the ones I didn’t have, supposedly from Santa. That’s when the realisation hit,” Tatianna recalls.

“I was a bit disappointed. But after a while, the thought of a sleigh flying couldn’t be real and I used to always wonder how Santa came into the house because we didn’t have a chimney. So I just accepted that.”

Tatianna still receives presents for Christmas, just not from “Santa” anymore.

“Compared to when I was younger, the excitement I’d feel about Christmas is very different. I used to have a tough time going to sleep on Christmas Eve. I used to try peeking to see if I could catch Santa. When I woke up I would quickly go to the end of my bed to see what Santa has given me. I would take everything and lay it out on my bed and then go running to my mummy and daddy saying: ‘Look what Santa brought me!’ I guess that’s one of the childhood experiences I miss most. I think I would’ve liked it if I could still believe in Santa.”

Tatianna has since kept the “secret” to herself. “I still feel that sense of magic when it comes to Santa. Whenever my brothers talk about Santa, there’s like this special light in their eyes, and I didn’t want to spoil it for them.”

Theseira says: My parents did Santa for us as children. It’s something I’ve just passed down to my own children. I think it’s a nice aspect of Christmas, that you’re getting a surprise from Santa. If you’ve been bad, you obviously don’t get what you ask for. So it also serves as a form of motivation to get them to be good the whole year, or make promises of wanting to be good.

“I don’t feel like I’m deceiving my kids. I think when they do eventually uncover the truth, they aren’t going to be angry at me, because that’s the magic of Christmas. There are so many horrible things happening in the world these days, I think parents will go to any extent just to hold on to a tiny bit of magic, even if it’s just for Christmas.”

‘The ghost of Christmas’

AMIDST the festivities, Sharon Bright is determined her sons Shawn Sanjay Raj, nine, and Shane Shanjeev Raj, three, learn the true meaning of Christmas.

“To my sons, Christmas really is about gifts, toys and cookies. It’s a little easier with my elder son since he learns from his teachers and friends in school,” says Bright.

But they have also been attending Sunday school and know about its religious meaning.

“The boys have also been taught to pray and think of the less fortunate on this special day,” she says.

But Bright also encourages her younger son to believe in a little magic.

Sharon Bright with her two boys, Shawn (L) and Shane 

Sharon Bright with her two boys, Shawn (left) and Shane, to whom Christmas is all about gifts, toys and cookies.

“I don’t see any harm for my boys to grow up with some made up stories. Shane is only three and I want his growing years to be memorable.”

While Shawn is well aware that Santa is just a myth, Shane believes that Santa is really the ghost of Christmas.

“Shane’s explanation is that Santa is all white and since bad children don’t get presents, he must be a ghost!” she shares. Both boys agree presents is the highlight of Christmas and they usually write up lists of things they want.

“This year, my eldest son Shawn, slipped me a note telling me what he wants for Christmas is a Samsung S4, complete with smiley faces and a Christmas tree. Unfortunately, his request is going to receive a rather large ‘No’ note in return,” exclaims the cheeky mother.

“We all really look forward to Christmas. I enjoy the day off and being surrounded by my family and children,” says Bright.

Zacharevic draws again in Johor Baru

JOHOR BARU: Graffiti artist Ernest Zacharevic, whose Taman Molek wall art depicting a robber waiting for his victim drew the ire of the city hall, made a comeback with another drawing at Jalan Pahang here.

His latest work depicted a Lego woman and a boy riding a bicycle on a wall which was previously vandalised with nondescript words.

The new artwork was also rather similar to his popular Little Children On A Bicycle mural on Armenian Street in Penang.

Ardent fans of his work were seen thronging the street to snap photos of the fresh painting just hours after he drew it.

Nearby shop lot owners claimed that Zacharevic started working on his art on Wednesday evening, but was forced to stop when the owner of the premises did not allow him to proceed.

Clerk T. Jaya, who works just a few doors away from the wall art, said that the owner of the building stopped Zacharevic from painting the wall just as he started drilling holes into it to hang the bicycle.

I heard a loud drilling sound and decided to check and saw the owner and Zacharevic arguing over the matter.

“Zacharevic was forced to stop painting when the owner asked him to produce a valid permit from the city council,” she told reporters when met at Jalan Dhoby here yesterday.

She added that when asked why was he painting the mural, Zacharevic replied that he was only beautifying an ugly-looking wall.

However, a nearby hair salon owner, who declined to be named, said that he fully supported Zacharevic and even lent him a helping hand.

Apparently, Zacharevic came back later in the evening and completed his artwork at the same spot, though it was still uncertain what the property owner thought of it.

‘Lower toll rate, not raise it’, says BN Backbenchers

PETALING JAYA: The Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club has called on the Government to stick to its 13th general election manifesto pledge to gradually reduce intra-city toll charges instead of raising them.

BNBBC chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said that while the Government had yet to announce whether or not toll charges would be raised, it should bear in mind its GE13 promise.

“The main point here is that our manifesto states that toll charges will be reduced in stages and because of this the BNBBC hopes there will not be any increase at all,” said Shahrir.

The manifesto stated among other things that Barisan was committed to “the gradual reduction of intra-city tolls” within the next five years. Shahrir, who is Johor Baru Member of Parliament, said there was no immediate plan by the BNBBC to formally take up their reservations against a toll hike with the Government as there has been no confirmation of an increase.

“The issue is still being discussed by the Government and, as things stand, our members comprising MPs from many different constituencies do not all have the same view on the subject because not of all of them have tolled roads in their areas.”

While Barisan backbenchers from Sabah and many parts of Sarawak were not as worried over the prospects of a toll increase as these areas were not affected, other MPs, especially those with seats in the Klang Valley and other major urban centres were concerned, he added.

Shahrir said the Barisan backbenchers who are against a toll increase felt strongly about the issue because the reduction of toll charges was included in the manifesto which they had referred to when wooing voters.

“However, we are also mindful that not raising toll charges will mean that there may be a cost which the Government will need to incur,” he added.

Second wave of rains expected

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department has issued a warning that a second wave of monsoon rains that will cause floods is expected to occur from Friday to Monday.

A National Security Council statement said the areas that are expected to be affected are Terengganu (Dungun dan Kemaman), Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) and Johor (Segamat and Mersing).

“People living in low-lying areas should adhere to instructions given by the authorities. They can go online at http://portalbencana.mkn.gov.my/Portal/ to get the latest information on floods nationwide,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, flood victims whose MyKad had been lost or damaged in the recent floods here can apply for a replacement at the National Registration Department (NRD) without having to lodge a police report, said its director-general Datuk Jariah Mohd Said.

She added that they also need not have to pay for the replacement.

“However, they will have to answer several questions posed by NRD officials to verify that they are flood victims,” she said in Kuantan yesterday.

Jariah said that the process to replace the identity cards would take a week.

In Kota Baru, Kelantan Disaster Relief Committee deputy chairman Datuk Makhtar Mustapha said government departments and agencies are gearing up for the possibility of the next wave of floods.

He said 729 evacuation centres had been identified while essential supplies were being stockpiled.

In Kuala Terengganu, families affected by the floods in Terengganu will receive up to RM1,500 aid from the state government, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

The maximum RM1,500 aid will be given to victims whose houses were totally inundated by the flood while other flood victims will get RM500, he added.

“The state government is expected to spend RM15mil for the aid. The state’s annual aid for families with schoolgoing children affected by the floods will be increased,” he said after chairing the weekly state exco meeting at Wisma Darul Iman here yesterday.

Ahmad also said the state departments and agencies are fully prepared for the next wave of floods which is predicted to hit the state again this weekend.

Meanwhile, the state Agriculture Department director Md Yusof Maidin said the floods in Terengganu had damaged about 700ha of crops and had caused 856 farmers to lose about RM4.7mil.

He said the crops affected were padi, vegetables, fruit trees and cash crops such as corn, tapioca, mushroom and sweet potatoes as well as nurseries.

Shock over horrifying crash

KUALA LUMPUR: Friends and family gathered to pay their last respects to the six victims of the fatal accident near the Kampung Pandan roundabout.

The bodies of the foreigners – three Filipino women, two female Myanmar nationals and a British driver – were charred beyond recognition when their Nissan Skyline burst into flames after crashing into one of the highway pillars near the roundabout at about 12.45am yesterday.

The Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) mortuary was filled with crying relatives and friends of the victims, several from Singapore, who came to pay their respects.

Police have identified the driver of the Nissan Skyline as 40-year-old Briton Simon John Hall.

The two Myanmar nationals who perished were Pi Pi, 20, and Esther Sui, 26.

The Filipinas were identified as Siso Aileen, 30, Maileen Montejo, 26, and Mary Grace Macaraig, 24.

It is learnt that Hall was working as a manager in an offshore company in Jalan Tun Razak and was friends with the five women.

Sources revealed the women, with the exception of Siso, were waitresses who worked at a bar in Bukit Bintang here.

Marina, who is a cousin of Sui, said she came to the country in search of work four years ago.

“I am still shocked that she is gone,” she said in between sobs.

She was accompanied by two friends when retrieving her cousin’s body at the HKL mortuary yesterday.

She was devastated after identifying Sui’s body and had to be consoled by friends.

The women’s deaths caused such a huge impact on the community of foreign workers that even distant acquaintances came to show their respects.

One of the Filipinas’ friends, who declined to be named, said the victims were on their way to supper when the accident happened.

City Traffic chief Asst Comm Rusli Mohd Noor said initial investigations revealed that the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the pillars.

MCA polls: 72 chase 31 positions in Saturday’s MCA polls

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA elections on Saturday will be a crowded race with 72 candidates vying for 31 posts.

The spotlight will be on the three-cornered tussle for the presidency – deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, 52, vice-president Gan Ping Sieu, 47, and former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, 57.

Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, 45, and vice-president Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, 58, will fight it out for the deputy president’s post.

Nine candidates are in the running for the four vice-presidencies while 58 are contesting the 25 central committee member seats.

This is the second bid by Ong for the number one post after losing it to Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in 2010.

It is also the second try by Lim after losing to Dr Chua in the 2008 elections.

Liow is teamed up with Dr Wee while Gan is with Lim this round.

The MCA Youth election on Thursday will also see a packed field with 69 candidates fighting for 34 posts.

Selangor MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon and Batu MCA division Youth chief Datuk Goh Gaik Meng are vying for the Youth chief’s post.

Wanita MCA’s elections on Friday, however, will be relatively tame with 43 candidates in the race for 31 posts.

Perak Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie, 51, and former Penang Wanita MCA chief Tan Cheng Liang, 54, are in the straight fight for the Wanita chief’s post.

Datuk Lee Pit Chern, 62, was returned unopposed for the Wanita deputy chairman’s post when nomination closed at 5pm.

A total of 184 candidates filed their nomination for MCA and its Wanita and Youth elections at Wisma MCA yesterday.

Election steering committee chairman Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha commended the candidates and their supporters for ensuring a smooth nomination process.

He said there was no objection to all nominations filed.

Najib celebrates 40-year relationship with Land of the Rising Sun

TOKYO: If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the one of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Shinzo Abe by a bamboo tree speaks volumes.

The image was taken on a sunny Thursday morning after the two leaders held a bilateral meeting.

The picture of the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Japan, smiling into the camera of Najib’s smartphone with the former’s hand wrapped around a bamboo tree had gone viral with a huge number of “likes”.

At the end of a press conference with the Malaysian media covering Najib’s visit to Japan – which was to attend the Asean-Japan Comme­morative Summit to celebrate 40 years of ties between the regional grouping and the Land of the Rising Sun – Najib showed reporters shots of him and Abe at the bamboo tree.

At a press conference after the bilateral meeting, both Abe and Najib spoke of their warm and open relationship, and their body language as seen in the picture said it all.

Relations between Malaysia and Japan is believed to go back as early as the 15th century during the era of the Malacca Sultanate and the Ryukyu Kingdom.

It was recorded in the Rekidai Hoan, an official record of diplomatic documents compiled by the kingdom, that 10 voyages bound for Malacca were made between 1424 and 1630.

Several hundred years later in 1982, then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced an economic policy known as “Look East Policy” which sought to learn from Japan and Korea, their work ethics and practices that have helped the industrial and economic advancements of the two nations.

Thirty one years on, Najib sought the second wave of the policy, known as LEP 2.0 and this was made possible because of the long standing warm relations between Malaysia and Japan.

Malaysia has benefited from the 30 years of the Look East Policy. Najib said “the years in which we turned to face the rising sun were some of the most productive in our history”.

Malaysia got the first taste of Japanese work ethics during the construction of Dayabumi Complex.

Most construction work at that time took a long time to complete but this project was done within two years – from February 1982 to 1984.

International Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed remembered the project as one that “went on day and night and around the clock”, which back then was a rarity.

Today, construction projects achieving completion within 18 months is a norm, thanks to the work values adopted from Japan.

Mustapa said Malaysia was looking for quality investment from Japan under the LEP 2.0 and not just merely “ringgit and sen”.

We want Japanese firms to offer our people work opportunities that come with research and development and benefit from transfer of technology.

“This will not only help our economy but also complement efforts to have a society that reflects the high income nation status that we aim to achieve,” he added.

Mustapa admitted that the good relations between “two old friends” had put Malaysia in an advantage as far as trade and investment from Japan were concerned.

Because of the long relations, many Japanese companies are turning to Malaysia when it comes to looking for a place to set up hubs.

A few of its automobile manufacturers are exporting their cars to countries in the region from Malaysia. Their reason? Apart from skilled workers, the Government and its economy are stable.

The fact that Japan has agreed to turn the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology into a hub for students from Asean countries to study their technology reflects their high regard for Malaysia.

Japan is also leveraging from this warm relations. They are getting internationally-known halal certification to penetrate halal food and cosmetic products in the Middle Eastern market.

Mustapa, whose Miti is the lead ministry in ensuring efforts of the LEP 2.0 were realised, said Japan would remain as a very important source of foreign direct investment for Malaysia.

“But now, we will also be looking at other aspects of investment as we move from labour-intensive market to a more sophisticated one that is high in technology,” he said.

Japan is Malaysia’s third largest trading partner after China and Singapore with total trade amounting to US$47bil (RM149bil), and the country’s top investor.

In Japanese culture, bamboo is a plant that signifies strength and prosperity. And that is exactly what Najib and Abe intend to achieve as they embark on a new effort to further solidify the already good relations between the countries.

Thaksin factor all over again

Coups and elections have become a routine fixture in Thailand. And this time around, will it be the pro- or anti-Thaksin forces who will prevail.

ON Monday, in a televised address, Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced she would dissolve parliament and hold a snap election.

“Wah, another election in Thailand,” said a colleague at Menara Star in the Petaling Jaya office.

“There might not be an election,” I said.

On that Monday, hundreds of thousands were marching to the Government House (the office of the Thai Prime Minister) to force the Yingluck government to step down.

The Prime Minister’s attempt to pass an amnesty Bill in parliament that would have pardoned her older brother, Thaksin, of his criminal conviction sparked the latest street protest.

Under pressure from demonstrators who have flooded the streets of Bangkok for weeks, Yingluck told the Thais: “At this stage, when there are many people opposed to the government from many groups, the best way is to give back the power to the Thai people and hold an election. So the Thai people will decide.”

There might not be an election because the Thai people – three fifths of the voting electorate mostly from rural north and northeast of the country – will decide to vote into power a party linked to Thaksin, who was Thai Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006.

Since 2001, parties – Thai Rak Thai (TRT), People’s Power Party (PPP) and Pheu Thai – controlled by Thaksin have comfortably won all Thai polls.

So how do you get into power without allowing the Thai people to decide?

If you can’t beat Thaksin in this game called elections, what you do is launch a military coup while he is in New York to attend the United Nations general assembly.

On the night of Sept 19, 2006, a few weeks after I started working in Bangkok as The Star’s Thailand correspondent and Asia News Network (ANN) editor, I received an SMS informing that there was a military coup.

I told my then fiancee, Vera, to stay in the apartment, lock the door and not open it unless it was me, and I walked for five minutes to The Nation’s office, a Thai English newspaper that together with The Star are members of ANN, an alliance of Asian newspapers.

“The military has launched a coup,” a jubilant journalist at the newsroom told me.

Later, I looked out of the window of the ANN office and saw soldiers surrounding The Nation building.

“They are friendly soldiers,” a Nation journalist told me. “They are here to protect us.”

The military installed a caretaker Prime Minister. To make sure Thaksin’s political grip was uprooted, the courts banned TRT.

In December 2007, elections were held in Thailand and PPP (a TRT reincarnation) won most of the votes. The self-exiled Thaksin – or to be precise his proxy – was back in power. His brother in law, Somchai Wongsawat, was even elected Prime Minister.

The anti-Thaksin forces (with allies in the military, courts and monarchy) then did what they did before the 2006 military coup.

They unleashed the Yellow Shirts to bring down the People’s Power Party government to step down.

One of their crippling stunts was to occupy Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports in Bangkok in late November 2008.

It was a surreal experience covering the siege of Suvarnabhumi that paralysed the Thai tourism industry. Inside the airport, instead of passengers flying in and out of the airport, hundreds of yellow shirts protesters occupied the arrival and departure halls. Outside the airport, it was no man’s land. You could sense there were hidden “black shirt” gunmen guarding the parameters.

The PPP government asked the military to take over the two airports.

Instead, it did a TV coup.

On television, the Army commander General Anupong Paochinda flanked by his generals told the government to resign.

Then came the judicial coup in December 2008. The court dissolved PPP over alleged electoral fraud in the 2007 elections. Once again, Thaksin (or his proxy) was kicked out of power.

A government led by the Democrat party took over. The pro-Thaksin forces in the form of the Red Shirts did a Yellow Shirt on the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.

It launched a street protest to bring down the Abhisit government.

The military handled the Yellow Shirts and Red Shirts differently.

It used rubber bullets on the Yellow Shirts and live bullets on the Red Shirts.

My Thailand stint ended at the height of the Red Shirt bloody protests that saw “civil war” played out in the streets of Bangkok between the army and the pro-Thaksin forces in 2010.

In 2011, the Democrat government’s hold on power was untenable and it called for an election.

I was back in Bangkok to cover the Thai polls and it was clear that even Bangkokians – a majority of whom were anti-Thaksin – had gotten tired of the bumbling Democrat government.

In the July 2011 elections, Pheu Thai (a reincarnation of PPP) won the majority of votes and Yingluck was elected Thailand’s first female Prime Minister.

If polls go on schedule in February 2014, expect Thaksin’s Pheu Thai to win convincingly.

One way for the anti-Thaksin forces to get into power is via a people’s coup.