THE STAR : TUESDAY 29 JUNE 2010

Affirmative action under the NEM will have a new approach
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he did not promise to do away with the affirmative action with regard to helping the Malays and bumiputras when he introduced the New Economic Model (NEM) for Malaysia.

EC can’t change addresses of voters on its own
KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) has no authority to change the address of voters without a signed application from them, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz said.

Teen held over alleged sex abuse
GEMAS: Police have arrested a 17-year-old resident of a home for orphans and abandoned children here for alleged sexual abuse.

Student expelled over deadly bullying
KUALA LUMPUR: A Royal Military College (RMC) student was expelled while four were others suspended in connection with the death of another student, Mohammed Naim Mustaqim Mohamad Sobri, 16, after allegedly being bullied.

Sultan Ibrahim is the first Ruler to get a train driver’s licence
GEMAS: The Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar made it into the Malaysia Book of Records as the first Ruler to obtain a locomotive driving licence.

No compensation for return of stolen engines
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will not pay compensation to the party in Uruguay for returning two F-5E aircraft engines to Malaysia as they were stolen assets.

Argentinian arrested for bribery attempt
AMPANG: There was one Argen­tinian who was not celebrating when his country beat Mexico for a spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Loan sharks open fire at house
ALOR SETAR: Two men believed to be loan sharks fired five shots at a house in Kampung Baru, Pokok Sena, after failing to collect a debt from the house owner’s son.

Ex-nasyid singer turned R&B crooner
KUALA LUMPUR: A former nasyid group singer has crooned his way into the hearts of the Japanese with his debut album I Need You Baby, charting 30,000 mobile downloads among youths in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Still going strong at 70
KUALA LUMPUR: Politics is his middle name but on his 70th birthday, Karpal Singh reveals another passion – durians.

Palace contractors who don’t pay workers to be excluded from future projects
KUALA LUMPUR: Contractors who did not pay their workers involved in the new Istana Negara project will be blacklisted, Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said.

Dept interviews eight workers
KUALA LUMPUR: The FT Labour Department has interviewed eight workers at the construction site of the RM800mil Istana Negara, following reports that a number of these migrant labourers have not been paid their wages for three months.

Khalid’s foes may back off
KLANG: The group of 15 MPs working behind the scenes to remove Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim from his position may call off their attacks.

Anwar: No plot to oust Khalid
KUALA LUMPUR: PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has refuted claims that there is a plot to oust Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

‘An efficient administrator but not a good politician’
KLANG: Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s inability to relate to grassroots leaders and listen to their grouses are said to be factors in his removal as state PKR chief.

Fallout from Khalid’s ouster
By handing over the Selangor PKR leader’s post to Azmin, Anwar has set a bad precedent and has prolonged internal feuding, not end it.

Biotechnology undergrad uses compost to improve harvest
GEORGE TOWN: Most people shriek at the sight of worms in their durians but for the Choi family, these wriggly wonders have saved their orchard’s fruits.

Singapore: No evidence of sand smuggling
PETALING JAYA: There is no evidence that the sand received by Singapore’s Housing and Develop-ment Board (HDB) had been smuggled out of Malaysia, the republic’s National Development Ministry said.

Bank launches campaign to spread word on missing kids
KUALA LUMPUR: A banking group has taken its child safety awareness message to schools through its recently launched Mr Bling mascot.

Teachers: Curiosity leads to teens toying with sex
PETALING JAYA: Lack of sex education is not the cause of teenage pregnancies, National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said.

Yasmin’s ad a winner in Cannes
PETALING JAYA: The late film director Yasmin Ahmad’s TV commercial Funeral has received two Gold Lion awards at the 57th International Advertising Festival in Cannes, France.

Rep vows to get rapist uncle charged
KUALA TERENGGANU: A thorough investigation will be conducted on a Rela officer’s rape of his niece.

Man gunned down after leaving restaurant
KUALA LUMPUR: A 51-year-old man was murdered gangland-style in the parking lot of a restaurant near Plaza South City in Seri Kembangan here.

Batu Pahat champs overcome weakness to emerge winners in challenge
JOHOR BARU: With maths, science and general knowledge at their fingertips, fear of public speaking was the only hurdle that the team from SMK Tinggi Batu Pahat had to face during the RHB-The Star Mighty Minds state finals here yesterday.

School-based evaluation better, says ministry
IPOH: Parents need not worry that their children will not be assessed if the Government scraps the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR).

Close eye on students who play truant
SHAH ALAM: Students playing truant are being monitored for signs of involvement in extremist activities, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

Promoting music therapy
KUALA LUMPUR: Music has the potential to encourage autistic children to discover and express themselves, said the Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Runaway girl found in Malacca
JOHOR BARU: A 14-year-old girl who ran away on Fathers Day has been found in Malacca after a passer-by recognised her from several newspaper reports published last Thursday.

Health and safety taken into account in marathon
PETALING JAYA: All health and safety measures were carefully considered and taken into account in organising the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, said its medical and organising committees.

Three vehicle thefts over weekend
KUANTAN: Vehicle owners, especially those with pick-up trucks and four-wheel drives, have been advised to be extra careful after at least three thefts were reported here over the weekend.

Contraband cigarettes seized in the open sea
KUANTAN: The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) seized 240 cartons of contraband cigarettes worth about RM300,000 after a patrol ship stumbled upon two speed boats in waters off Pulau Berhala not far from Pulau Tioman on Sunday morning.
Other News & Views

Hooker forced to carry on ‘family business’
A 21-year-old street prostitute in Kuala Lumpur has accused her mother of forcing her into carrying on with the “family business”, reported Harian Metro.

Malaysian victims in online scam
HONG KONG police busted an international online scam syndicate which has conned at least 160 people, including Malaysians, of some RM8.7mil, reported Nanyang Siang Pau.

Swami in sex scandal case defends himself
THE much-talked about spiritual guru Swami Nityananda, who was embroiled in a sex scandal with a young South India actress recently, has defended himself, saying that the truth will prevail, Tamil Nesan reported.