Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy set to make history as it aims at US coast

October 28, 2012

A wave crashes over the sandbags in front of the houses on the east side of Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina as Hurricane Sandy hit on October 27, 2012. — Reuters pic

HATTERAS ISLAND, North Carolina, Oct 28 — Weather forecasters worked to pinpoint the likely landfall of the monstrous Hurricane Sandy as it closed in on the US East Coast today, with the potential to be the biggest storm to hit the mainland.

Government officials faced tough decisions on emergency plans as residents scrambled to purchase supplies. Governors of several states in the hurricane’s path declared emergencies and ordered mandatory evacuations of vulnerable coastal areas.

On its projected track, Sandy is most likely to make US landfall tomorrow night between Delaware and the New York/New Jersey area, forecasters said.

While Sandy’s winds are not overwhelming for a hurricane, its width is exceptional. The hurricane-force winds extended 165 km from its centre while its lesser tropical storm-force winds reached across 1,125 km.

Sandy could have a brutal impact on major cities in the target zone. In New York, city officials discussed whether to shut the subway system today in advance of the storm, which could bring the county’s financial nerve centre to a standstill.

A man salvages bricks from rubble on a street in Santiago de Cuba, in Cuba, October 27, 2012, after Hurricane Sandy hit. — Reuters pic

The storm could cause the worst flooding Connecticut has seen in more than 70 years, said Governor Dannel P. Malloy.

Government forecasters at the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said as the storm approached land it became increasingly pointless to predict the precise landfall.

“It is still too soon to focus on the exact track ... both because of forecast uncertainty and because the impacts are going to cover such a large area away from the centre,” the NHC said in an advisory.

Sandy was located about 445 km south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with top sustained winds of 120 km/h early today, the NHC said.

The storm was moving over the Atlantic parallel to the US coast at 22 km/h, but was forecast to make a tight westerly turn towards the US coast tonight.

Record breaker

Sandy could be the largest storm to hit the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website.

“The size of this alone, affecting a heavily populated area, is going to be history making,” said Jeff Masters, a hurricane specialist who writes a blog posted on the Weather Underground.

Sandy could hit the cities of Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, one of the most densely populated regions of the country, home to tens of millions of people.

Forecasters said Sandy was a rare, hybrid “super storm” created by an Arctic jet stream wrapping itself around a tropical storm, possibly causing up to 30 cm of rain in some areas, as well as heavy snowfall inland.

Sandy killed at least 66 people as it made its way through the Caribbean islands, including 51 in Haiti, mostly from flash flooding and mudslides, according to authorities.

Election looms

The approaching storm forced a change of plans for both presidential candidates ahead of the November 6 election. The White House said President Obama cancelled a campaign appearance in Virginia tomorrow and another stop in Colorado on Tuesday, and will instead monitor the storm from Washington.

Republican challenger Mitt Romney rescheduled campaign events planned for Virginia today and was flying to Ohio instead.

All along the US coast, worried residents packed stores, buying generators, candles, food and other supplies in anticipation of power outages. Some local governments announced schools would be closed tomorrow and on Tuesday.

“They’re freaking out,” said Joe Dautel, a clerk at a hardware store in Glenside, Pennsylvania. “I’m selling people four, five, six packs of batteries — when I had them.” — Reuters

BN To WIN PRU

Despite Pakatan push, BN expects to win more than 140 seats

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) expects to win more than the 140 federal seats it took in Election 2008 despite the onslaught and talk by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that it can capture Putrajaya in the next general election which must be called by the end of April 2013, say government sources.

But BN politicians concede that as many as seven parliamentary seats in Sarawak and six in Sabah are vulnerable to PR but maintain that their stronghold on rural areas remain strong. There are 222 parliamentary constituencies and 505 state seats up for grabs in the coming 13th general election.

BN is confident of winning more seats than it did in the 2008 general election.

“The worst-case scenario is winning just over 120 seats but we’re confident of getting as much as we did in 2008 if not more,” a senior BN official told The Malaysian Insider, saying that their calculations do not take into account the impact of another Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) payout next January where households earning less than RM3,000 a month will get a one-off RM500 cash aid.

The Malaysian Insider learnt that BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor expressed confidence that the ruling coalition will do as well as in 2008 during a recent talk with the Foreign Correspondents Club of Malaysia despite uneasiness over risky seats in the coalition’s “fixed deposit” states of Sabah and Sarawak.

It is understood that BN is expecting to lose some of the seats held by four Sabah MPs who left the coalition while the urban Chinese sentiment in Sarawak could see those seats going to PR. In Election 2008, the DAP was the sole PR component party to win a federal seat each in Sabah and Sarawak.

However, the opposition has questioned BN’s confidence as the ruling coalition expects to lose more seats in Sabah and Sarawak in the coming elections than before. “How is BN going to make up for losses in the fixed deposit states?” asked an opposition lawmaker when contacted by The Malaysian Insider.

“BN knows it can lose up to six in Sabah and seven in Sarawak but it hopes to make it up elsewhere, especially in the peninsula where sentiment is swinging back to the government,” one Umno leader told The Malaysian Insider, saying programmes like BR1M have a positive effect on voters.

The BR1M began earlier this year and some RM2 billion was spent for over four million households. The BR1M 2.0 also includes a one-off RM250 for unmarried people between 21 and 30 who earn up to RM2,000.

Analysts say the expanded coverage would include most of the 2.2 million first-time voters expected to cast their ballots in the next elections. There are now just over 13 million voters in the country of 28 million people.

BN politicians also point out that they are expected to get back support from the Indian community, who number 1.7 million, as the coalition has been fulfilling their requests and also extended more aid to them.

Many Indians had blamed former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for their poor financial circumstances and turned their backs on him and BN in Election 2008. Samy Vellu also lost in his Sungai Siput stronghold in that election.

“The Indians are showing more support but we have to work harder. We also have to work harder to get Chinese support apart from others,” the Umno leader said, pointing out that the Najib administration has been working at meeting the requests from all communities in the country.

BN lawmakers note that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval rating dropped only one per cent to 64 per cent in June although the government’s approval rating dipped six per cent to 42 per cent in the same month with a major drop in satisfaction coming from Malay voters.

They also pointed out that Najib’s popularity has held despite the daily ceramahs around the country by PR politicians criticising the government on many issues. “PR holds four states now and they are going all out with their ceramahs and blogs but our support remains,” added the Umno leader, who declined to be named.

“We are also pushing ahead to keep our support and get more, especially from the young,” he said.

He said Najib, Cabinet ministers and other aspiring politicians have been visiting all constituencies and also taken to social media to garner support from voters in what is expected to be another closely-fought general election.

The BN mandate expires in April 2013, leaving Najib just six months more to call elections.

Tunang Lima sekali.

BUKTI...Nina dan Wani yang menjadi mangsa lelaki kasanova menunjukkan laporan polis mereka.

SEGAMAT: Kelicikan seorang lelaki yang memperdaya puluhan wanita dikenalinya melalui laman mencari jodoh sehingga dapat mengikis wang lebih RM100,000 terbongkar apabila seorang daripada mangsa curiga dengan kegagalannya hadir untuk majlis pertunangan mereka.

Hasil ‘siasatan’ mangsa itu yang mahu dikenali sebagai Wani, 28, amat mengejutkan apabila kekasihnya itu bukan saja berjanji untuk bertunang dengannya pada 26 Ogos lalu, tapi turut membuat janji serupa dengan empat lagi wanita lain.

Wani yang bekerja sebagai guru sekolah rendah berkata, dia menghubungi empat wanita itu yang mengaku senasib dengannya apabila wang mereka turut dikikis lelaki sama.

“Saya percaya dia ada tidak kurang 20 teman wanita yang semuanya dikenali menerusi laman web mencari jodoh sama. Setakat ini, saya dapat hubungi 10 daripada mereka dan empat dijanji untuk bertunang pada tarikh sama dengan tarikh pertunangan saya,” katanya ketika ditemui semalam.

Menurut Wani, ketika berkenalan dengannya September tahun lalu, lelaki itu memperkenalkan diri sebagai Marzuki, 37, berasal dari Terengganu dan bekerja sebagai kontraktor

11 isteri kongsi seorang Ustaz sebagai suami

11 isteri kongsi 1 suami - gagasan 1Malaysia

Umurnya baru 30 tahun tapi sudah memiliki sekurang-kurangnya 11 isteri. Modalnya cuma berimej warak dan bijak menggunakan 'ayat power' selain pakar memalsukan dokumen bagi memperdaya jabatan agama kononya masih bujang. Kini 11 isterinya membuka akaun facebook bagi mengumpul lebih banyak bukti untuk mengheretnya ke mahkamah.

Gaji pengarah urusan Tabung Haji

Bukan Nak persoalkan.Kenapa dia dapat duit Gaji lebih. Tapi nak di fikirkan boleh tak kurangkan perbelanjaan dan keuntungan di salurkan kepada penyimpan. Kalau Bank Rakyat boleh Kasi !15% tiap tahun..takan Tabung Haji tak boleh?

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Bagi yang sudah lama mendeposit wang masing-masing untuk tujuan menunaikan haji ke tanah suci Makkah, pastinya kini berkira-kira menunggu simpanan masing-masing mencukupi di samping turut menyimpan wang bagi perbelanjaan di sana pula.

Yang bekerja makan gaji, ada yang mendeposit dengan cara memotong gaji bulanan, malah ada yang mengikat perut semata-mata tidak mahu menunggu lama terutamanya yang sudah berusia lewat 40-an.

Manakala yang berniaga kecil-kecilan dan bersawah terpaksa membanting tulang empat kerat setiap hari bagi mencukupkan wang simpanan sekurang-kurangnya RM11 ribu seorang.

Bagaimanapun, matlamat sebenar Tabung Haji dari hanya menguruskan jemaah haji setiap tahun kini nampaknya semakin lama semakin tersasar.

Buktinya, lihat penyata gaji bulan Disember 2011 untuk Pengarah Urusan dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) yang hanya bertaraf kontrak, Ismee Ismail seperti yang tertera di atas.

Gaji pokok sahaja sudah berjumlah RM70 ribu manakala elaun lain seperti kenderaaan rasmi dan pemandu peribadi mencecah jumlah RM12 ribu menjadikan jumlah keseluruhannya hanya RM82 ribu sebulan sahaja!

Setelah ditolak semua caruman, gaji bersih yang diterima Ismee cuma RM54,155.25 sahaja sebulan!

Paling mengejutkan lagi apabila dilihat dari segi bonus sebanyak RM700 ribu sebulan yang pastinya menimbulkan persoalan bagaimana Tabung Haji mampu membayar sebanyak itu sedangkan setiap tahun rungutan mengenai kenaikan kadar sewa penginapan di Makkah tidak pernah surut?

Apakah agaknya perasaan penyimpan tabung haji apabila melihat sebegitu banyak wang yang sudah pasti datang dari titik peluh mereka dengan mudah digunakan untuk membayar kos bagi hanya seorang CEO bertaraf kontrak?

Justeru wajar buat Tabung Haji menjawab persoalan yang dikemukakan ahli parlimen Pokok Sena, Mahfuz Omar yang mempersoalkan apakah mekanisme yang digunakan bagi menaikkan gaji CEO nya sehingga mencecah nilai sedemikian!

Kesemua persoalan tersebut menuntut jawapan sejujur mungkin bagi mengelakkan Tabung Haji dicop tidak lagi mempunyai kredibiliti menguruskan kewangan bagi orang Islam dan cuma sibuk memperkaya satu dua kerat kroni dan melabur wang pendeposit hingga rugi dan tidak mampu ditebus kembali.

Women Head Covering in different religions

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Gaji minimum

Kilang-kilang mula membuang pekerja, menjelang pelaksanaan gaji minimum

Oleh Lee Wei Lian

October 12, 2012

Pengeluar di Malaysia mula menggugurkan pekerja disebabkan ketidakpastian ekonomi, serta menjelang permulaan gaji minimum, mengikut RHB Research Institute. — Gambar Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Okt — Pengeluar di Malaysia menggugurkan pekerja disebabkan oleh ketidakpastian terhadap ekonomi global dan menjelang permulaan gaji minimum yang akan berlaku tahun depan, kata RHB Research Institute.

RHB berkata dalam satu laporan semalam bahawa sejajar dengan kelembapan dalam jualan, pengeluar memberhentikan 4,609 pekerja pada bulan Ogos berbanding dengan pengambilan 441 pekerja pada bulan Julai. Kadar pengangguran adalah 3.1 peratus pada Julai dengan dianggarkan dua juta pekerja asing bekerja di negara ini.

“Sejajar dengan kelembapan di jualan YoY (tahun ke tahun), pengeluar berhati-hati dan mereka memberhentikan beberapa pekerja pada bulan Ogos,” kata RHB. “Ini adalah kerana kelemahan dalam ekonomi global dan diburukkan lagi oleh pelaksanaan dasar gaji minimum yang akan bermula pada awal tahun 2013.”

Firma penyelidikan itu memberi amaran bahawa pengeluar boleh membuang lebih banyak pekerja jika keadaan ekonomi merosot sebagai peningkatan produktiviti yang diukur daripada jualan setiap pekerja — perlahan kepada 0.7 peratus pada bulan Ogos daripada 4.3 peratus pada Julai dan 5.8 peratus pada Jun.

Ia menjelaskan bahawa upah bagi setiap pekerja meningkat 4.6 peratus pada bulan Ogos berbanding dengan 3.2 peratus pada bulan Julai dan hanya satu peratus dalam bulan Jun.

RHB menambah walaubagaimanapun pelucutan faktor bermusim dan diukur asas 3 bulan purata bergerak, upah bagi setiap pekerja meningkat lebih rendah kepada 2.9 peratus tahun-ke-tahun pada bulan itu, daripada 4.3 peratus pada bulan Julai yang menunjukkan bahawa tekanan upah secara beransur-ansur hilang selepas meningkat dalam tempoh lima bulan pertama tahun tersebut.

“Bagaimanapun, trend tersebut boleh meningkat lagi, di belakang pelaksanaan dasar gaji minimum, yang akan berkuat kuasa dalam masa 6-12 bulan, bergantung kepada jenis industri, dari tarikh Order Gaji Minimum diwartakan pada 16 Julai,” kata RHB.

Pentadbiran Najib telah ditekan untuk memperkenalkan upah minimum dalam usaha untuk menaikkan gaji sebagai sebahagian daripada usaha untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebuah negara berpendapatan tinggi.

Penyokong gaji minimum mengatakan bahawa ia akan membuat perniagaan dan pengeluar lebih cekap dan membawa meningkatkan rantaian nilai dengan melabur dalam teknologi tinggi dan lebih banyak latihan kemahiran bukannya bergantung kepada buruh murah seperti pada masa lalu.

Pengkritik walaubagaimanapun berkata gaji perlu berdasarkan produktiviti pekerja dan cukup fleksibel untuk bertindak balas kepada keadaan pasaran atau selainnya ia boleh mengakibatkan kehilangan pekerjaan.

Output pembuatan merosot buat kali pertama sejak September 2009 sebanyak 1.8 peratus tahun-ke-tahun pada bulan Ogos, selepas meningkat kepada 6.0 peratus peratus pada bulan Julai.

Jualan pertumbuhan pembuatan perlahan kepada 1.8 peratus tahun-atas-tahun pada Ogos, selepas sederhana kepada 4.8 peratus pada bulan Julai, dan dibandingkan dengan 6.3 peratus pada Jun.

“Ini sejajar dengan kejatuhan dalam pengeluaran perkilangan dan eksport barangan perkilangan pada bulan tersebut, menunjukkan bahawa kelemahan tanpa henti dalam ekonomi Amerika Syarikat dan zon ekonomi Eropah mengurangkan permintaan untuk eksport barangan perkilangan negara,” kata RHB.

Pengeluaran perindustrian merosot sebanyak 0.7 peratus tahun-ke-tahun pada bulan Ogos, menandakan penurunan pertama dalam 13 bulan, berbanding dengan pertumbuhan 2.9 peratus pada Julai dan 3.7 peratus pada Jun.

RHB berkata bahawa penurunan mencerminkan kejatuhan dalam pengeluaran pembuatan serta penyederhanaan pertumbuhan dalam keluaran elektrik, tetapi diimbangi oleh pemulihan dalam pengeluaran perlombongan.

Ia berkata bahawa aktiviti perindustrian ang lemah pada Julai-Ogos mencadangkan bahawa aktiviti ekonomi akan berkembang pada kadar yang lebih sederhana dalam jangka terdekat disebabkan permintaan eksport luar lemah di tengah-tengah ketidaktentuan dalam ekonomi global.

RHB berkata bahawa ia menjangka KDNK sebenar untuk mengekalkan pertumbuhan pada kadar 4.6 peratus tahun-ke-tahun pada suku ketiga walaupun pada kadar lebih sederhana berbanding dengan 5.4 peratus pada suku kedua, disokong oleh pelaksanaan pelbagai program ekonomi dan projek koridor serta perbelanjaan pengguna yang berdaya tahan.

“Melangkah ke hadapan, kami menjangkakan ketidaktentuan ekonomi global secara beransur-ansur pulih dari masa ke semasa,”kata RHB. “Ini mungkin akan membantu untuk meningkatkan eksport negara pada tahun 2013.”

Asian Development Bank (ADB) berkata minggu lepas bahawa ekonomi Malaysia dijangka berkembang lebih perlahan untuk sepanjang tahun disebabkan kepada keadaan ekonomi global yang lemah, setelah mencapai kadar pertumbuhan lebih tinggi daripada yang dijangkakan dalam separuh pertama 2012.

ADB mengunjurkan pertumbuhan sebanyak 4.6 peratus keseluruhan tahun ini bagi Malaysia dan 4.8 peratus bagi tahun depan dengan andaian bahawa perdagangan dunia dan pertumbuhan akan menjadi lebih baik

Kisah Seorang Ibu tua

Tak rela berpisah’

Oleh Nuraishah Ya
am@hmetro.com.my

KASIH IBU...Esah yang lumpuh menjaga Zulkifli yang tidak mampu bergerak sejak lahir.

KOTA BHARU: Seorang warga emas yang lumpuh, buta dan hidup dalam kedaifan bertekad untuk terus menjaga anak lelakinya yang juga orang kurang upaya (OKU) berusia 57 tahun, walaupun anaknya itu pernah ditawarkan untuk ditempatkan di pusat perlindungan oleh Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM).
Esah Mohd Yusof, 89, berkata dia tidak sanggup berpisah dengan anaknya, Zulkifli Mohd Nor, yang tidak mampu bergerak sejak lahir kerana bimbang tiada sesiapa yang mahu menjaga zuriatnya itu. “Saya tidak akan meninggalkan Zulkifli kerana sayangkannya. Jika hendak bawa anak saya ke pusat perlindungan, bawa saya sekali kerana saya tidak sanggup berpisah dengannya.

“Walaupun hidup dalam kemiskinan, saya tidak rela melihat anak saya bersendirian. Walau apa pun berlaku, biarlah kami susah bersama,” katanya ketika ditemui di kediamannya, di sini, baru-baru ini.
Menurut Esah, dia mempunyai empat anak, namun dua daripadanya sudah meninggal dunia dan kini tinggal bersama Zulkifli, manakala seorang lagi anaknya bekerja di luar Kelantan.

“Untuk menampung hidup, saya menggunakan wang bantuan daripada JKM dan pencen arwah suami berjumlah RM400 sebulan.

“Wang berkenaan tidak mencukupi dan saya sering mengharapkan ihsan jiran yang kerap memberi makanan,” katanya.

Esah berkata, dulu ada wanita yang diupah menjaganya dan anaknya tetapi wanita itu menipunya dengan mengambil wangnya untuk kegunaan sendiri, malah menggunakan namanya untuk pendaftaran talian telefon sehingga bil mencecah RM600 sebulan.

“Ketika itu, semua wang saya habis digunakan oleh wanita itu sehingga dia pernah mengurung kami di dalam rumah tanpa memberi makanan, namun nasib baik ada jiran yang prihatin menolong kami.

“Wanita itu melarikan diri dengan membawa bersama barangan berharga di dalam rumah, malah MyKad dan kad bank saya turut dicuri.

“Tanpa MyKad, saya tidak dapat memohon apa-apa bantuan yang disediakan kerajaan,” katanya.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson Converts To Islam.

Posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2012 at 9:49 pm and filed under Drama Reviews .

Janet Jackson is well-known all around the globe for her music and also her live music performances. But the latest news that is circling the International media is that Janet Jackson and her fiancé Wissam Al Mana are planning to get married in Doha, Qatar in 2013. Janet Jackson’s fiance Wissam is a billionaire who exercises a lot of influence in Qatar. The two got engaged last year when Wissam proposed to her with a 15 carat diamond ring. Wissam is ten years younger than Janet Jackson but age is not an issue between the two. “My mother always raised us to believe that age was just a number. All of us – my sisters, my brothers – we’ll just tell you our ages because it’s all about where you are mentally and how you feel about yourself. It doesn’t matter,” Janet reportedly said once.


In 2010 while giving an interview to the Turkish television Network Adnan Oktar, a well known author said that Janet is a practicing Muslim just like her late brother Micheal Jackson. He said ““I sent that nice Janet Jackson a copy of my book,”. “I also sent her late brother a copy. Her brother was a Muslim. Janet is also, in fact, a Muslim. Like her brother, she keeps it hidden.” “She is a devout believer…like her brother”. Janet’s brother Jermaine is Muslim too


According to the Western media the people who are close to Janet Jackson have reported that for the past few years she has been very secretive about her religion and it is unlikely that she will share the news with the public because of obvious reasons.
The couple plans to spend $3 million to fly in their 500 wedding guests from all over the world, according to reports. Wissam reportedly plans to offer all guests a $10,000 Rolex watch a piece as a thank you for attending.


DOHA - Janet Jackson dan tunangnya yang juga seorang jutawan Wissam al-Mana (gambar) sedang merancang untuk berkhwin di ibu negara Qatar, Doha dalam sebuah majlis perkahwinan mewah dianggar bernilai USD 20 juta (lebih RM 60 juta) pada tahun 2013, menurut sebuah laporan media pada hari Rabu (3/10/2012).

Menurut maklumat terdekat majlis perkahwinan tersebut akan menjadi "salah satu majlis yang terbesar, ekstravaganza yang paling diingati dalam sejarah."

"Mereka telah menetapkan tentatif selewat-lewatnya pada tahun 2013 untuk tarikh perkahwinan itu. Tetapi mereka masih merancang untuk mencari hari yang sesuai," kata sumber kepada sebuah majalah.

Pengarang buku terkenal dari Turki, Adnan Oktar (aka Harun Yahya) mendakwa semasa temu bualnya dengan rangkaian Turki pada tahun 2010, bahawa Janet, 46, dan arwah abangnya Michael Jackson telah memeluk agama Islam.

"Saya telah memberikan kepada Janet Jackson sebuah buku karangan saya," kata Adnan. "Saya juga memberikan kepada allahyarham (Michael Jackson) sebuah buku saya. Abangnya adalah seorang Muslim. Janet juga pada hakikatnya seorang Muslim. Seperti abangnya, dia menyembunyikan (identiti) itu. Dia adalah seorang mukmin yang taat ... sama seperti abangnya. "

Pasangan itu untuk merancang untuk membelanjakan USD 3 juta (lebih RM 9 juta) untuk perbelanjaan menerbangkan 500 tetamu mereka dari seluruh dunia, menurut laporan itu. Wissam dilaporkan merancang untuk menghadiahkan kepada semua tetamu jam tangan Rolex berharga USD 10,000 (lebih RM30 ribu) sebagai ucapan terima kasih kerana menghadiri majlis tersebut.

"Wissam akan menjadikan majlis perkahwinannya dengan Janet sebuah majlis perkahwinan terhebat abad ini," kata orang dalam yag tidak mahu namanya didedahkan dalam majalah National Enquirer itu.

Wissam dilaporkan 10 tahun lebih muda daripada Janet dan kedua-dua mereka telah berkenalan sejak musim panas 2010. Beliau dilaporkan telah melamar Janet pada tahun lepas cincin berlian 15-karat

Boat sinks after collision with Ferry in HongKong

Boat packed with holiday revelers sinks off Hong Kong after collision with ferry; 36 dead

 

 

HONG KONG - A boat packed with revelers on a long holiday weekend collided with a ferry and sank off Hong Kong, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens in the deadliest accident to strike the Chinese territory in years.

Genneva Gold Malaysia

Gold trading firm Genneva's offices raided

Dr Mahazir perasmian syarikat Geneva 

PETALING JAYA: The police, Bank Negara, the Companies Commission of Malaysia and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism jointly raided gold trading firm Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhdand its affiliates in the country for various suspected offences.

Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department also conducted a similar operation against Genneva Pte Ltd in the republic.

In a statement released yesterday, Bank Negara said the raid was to probe suspected offences under the laws administered by the agencies.

“The public is advised to be cautious in investing money to avoid becoming victims of activities that are illegal and in breach of the law,” the statement read.

Waiting patiently: Customers gathering outside Genneva’s office in Jalan Kuchai Maju 6 as the raid is in progress.

The website for Genneva Malaysia remained accessible providing visitors with information on the company's background and contact details, among others.

The firm's Singapore portal, however, was not fully accessible.

The website for the Genneva Pte Ltd at http://www.genneva.com.sg/, takes visitors to a single page with the message that reads: “Work in progress, to ensure all obligations to our customers and consultants are met.”

The message urged for calm and cooperation during “these trying times as we work out amicable solutions for everyone”.

Genneva Singapore's Facebook stated: “Pray for positive outcome while the new management is working round the clock to solve problems.”

“We Shall Overcome!,” read a message posted on the page yesterday afternoon. (http://www.facebook.com/GennevaWorld.Sg)

Meanwhile, several clients and gold traders of the company cried foul over the raid.

A trader, who only wished to be known as Nick, said money earned from the purchase and sale of gold had helped fund his son through university.

“There has never been any complaint by the clients. The company has helped the livelihood of thousands of people. Why are the authorities interfering in a legitimate business?” he asked.

Another trader, S. Shanti, said the money from her buying and selling of gold, which she stressed was done with the relevant documentation and tax deductions, had helped pay for her mother's dialysis weekly treatment costing RM1,000 over the past three years.

“If they put a stop to this company, how am I going to foot the expensive bill for my mother's health?” she asked outside the company's office in Jalan Kuchai Maju 6.

She was among 100 customers, aged between those in their 20s and 70s, who had gathered at the office in support of Genneva after hearing of the raid yesterday afternoon.

They hoped that the authorities would complete the investigations and leave the company alone after that.

It was learnt that Bank Negara held a briefing with all the other agencies in Putrajaya at 8am before the simultaneous raids were conducted.

Staff at the Jalan Kuchai Lama office had their statements recorded until about 9pm before they were allowed to leave.

Officers at the scene were tight-lipped over the operation. However, they were seen carting away documents and files from the two premises located opposite each other.

PPIM lodges police report against gold investment company

By QISHIN TARIQ

KUALA LUMPUR: The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) lodged a police report against a gold investment company alleging the company continued to claim its investments to be syariah compliant despite being renounced by the National Fatwa Council.

The report was made by PPIM executive officer Mohd Mustaffa Hamzah at the Ampang district police headquarters here Wednesday at 12.30pm.

“We made the report so police can carry out investigations into why the company still states on its website that it is syariah compliant, and hopefully make them remove such claims,” Mohd Mustaffa told reporters.

On July 11, the National Fatwa Council declared that Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd did not comply with syariah and national law in its gold investment transactions.

“Companies cannot simply claim they are syariah compliant when they don't follow the regulations, this can be very misleading if the public remains unawares,” said Mohd Mustaffa.

He added that the PPIM had recieved over 30 complaints from the public regarding the contradictory situation.

Mohd Mustaffa claimed that an investigation by the association revealed Genneva was operating without a licence to take deposits.

“We worry that should the public continue to invest in Genneva, they could stand to lose their money should the company prove to be fraudulent,” he said.

According to the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) website, in 2009, it began investigations into Genneva Sdn Bhd under suspicion of conducting illegal deposit taking activities in breach of Section 25(1) Banking andFinancial Institutions Act 1989 (BAFIA) and Section 4(1) of Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 (AMLATFA).