NEW KEMBARA?

The Daihatsu Be-Go will go on sale in Japan and subsequently the rest of the world early next year. It’s not known yet whether Perodua will use this as the Kembara Replacement Model. But if they do, it’s sure to sell like hot-cakes here in Malaysia.

Sarawak

Illegal logging exposed

Makeshift hut, cooking utensils and felled logs left behind by culprits in water catchment area, dialogue told

BAU: Illegal logging activities have been uncovered in a water catchment area of the proposed Bengoh Range National Park in Bau District.
A three-hour dialogue held at Bau District Office yesterday heard that the illegal felling of trees was first detected in September last year.
Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, who chaired the dialogue, said sometime last September, villagers complained to him of the presence of illegal loggers in the forest of Kampung Tringgus.
Subsequently, a team of Rela, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) officers and members of Kampung Tringgus village security and development committee (JKKK) went to the area recently.
According to the assemblyman, the team had to endure two and half hours of walking before finding a fresh makeshift hut, cooking utensils, food, petrol, old makeshift huts and felled trees with some measuring more than 15feet in circumference.
Yesterday’s dialogue was also attended by Bau District Officer Tom Hem Mijod, an officer of the district police, SFC officers and village chiefs from the nearby villages.
The illegal logging activities were confirmed by an SFC officer who gave three reasons why the activity was illegal.
Firstly, the logging area was not an area for any logging licence to be issued; secondly, it is a proposed area for the Bengoh Range National Park; and thirdly, a licence was never issued for any form of timber extraction to be carried out in the area.
“The investigation into the case is still on-going, although initial investigation proved that it is illegal,” said the officer.
According to him, the case is being investigated under the Forest Ordinance Chapter 126, Section 85 (1) and Section 50, which carries a penalty of RM50,000 or a year imprisonment or 10 times the amount of tax based on the current wood prices.
Meanwhile, Dr Jerip also said that investigation was also being carried out to determine whether or not the illegal logging was carried out by gangsters, syndicates or foreigners.
The district officer yesterday called on the village chiefs to continue to be the eyes and ears of the government and not hesitate to report illegal activities known to them.
He hoped that the village chief would not be a party to the illegal loggers because if they were their term as headman could be terminated prematurely.
On the whole, he said he was happy with the performance of the headmen whom he described as generally cooperative and sensitive to happenings around them.

Sarawak

Sungai Sarawak kian bersih
Oleh Norma Mullie

Pembersihan secara manual setiap hari sejak 1993 berjaya kurangkan kuantiti sampah terapung, tenggelam dalam saliran KUCHING: Sungai Sarawak yang menjadi sistem pengangkutan dan sumber bekalan air utama penduduk Kuching pernah dikenali sebagai sungai yang kotor beberapa tahun lalu kerana terlalu banyak sampah-sarap terapung dan tenggelam di dasarnya. Kekotoran dan pencemaran itu berpunca daripada aktiviti pembangunan, perindustrian dan penempatan penduduk sepanjang tebing sungai berkenaan.
Namun tidak dinafikan pokok tumbang dan daun kering daripada tumbuhan yang hidup di tebing sungai itu juga turut menjadi sampah ekoran proses semula jadi. Pada 1994, kuantiti sampah yang berjaya dikesan di Sungai Sarawak mencecah 125,380 meter padu sehingga memaksa pihak berkuasa tempatan - Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) mengambil langkah drastik memastikan kualiti sungai itu diperbaiki segera. Kesan daripada pelbagai pendekatan yang diambil, kini kuantiti sampah domestik di sungai itu menurun kepada 41,000 meter padu pada tahun lalu.
Ketua Bahagian Pengurusan Saliran Kawasan Hijau DBKU, Basheer Ahmad, berkata sampah yang ada di Sungai Sarawak terdiri daripada tumbuhan, buluh, kayu kayan dan domestik. Katanya, antara langkah yang diambil untuk memastikan sungai itu tidak kotor ialah dengan membersihkannya secara manual setiap hari dan ia dilaksanakan sejak 1993. Bagi memastikan keberkesanan usaha itu, DBKU melantik kontraktor yang memerlukan 16 pekerja untuk membersihkan sungai itu setiap hari. Usaha itu menelan belanja kira-kira RM500 sehari dan tujuan utamanya adalah untuk mengelakkan sampah pejal daripada hanyut ke kawasan tertentu.
"Mujurlah tahap kebersihan Sungai Sarawak berjaya dipulihkan walaupun mengambil masa bertahun-tahun. Tahap kesedaran orang ramai mengenai kepentingan sungai sebagai sumber bekalan air yang perlu dijaga juga antara faktor yang menyumbang kepada berkurangnya kuantiti sampah di buang ke Sungai Sarawak," katanya. Kuantiti sampah yang berjaya dikumpul merosot daripada 125,380 meter padu pada tahun 1994, kepada 60,705 meter padu (2002), 59,125 meter padu (2003), 56,850 meter padu (2004); 41,250 meter padu (2005), 45,000 meter padu (2006) dan 41,700 meter padu (2007). Pada masa sama, DBKU turut memasang sejumlah lapan perangkap sampah di lokasi tertentu di sepanjang sungai berkenaan. Perangkap khas yang diperbuat daripada buluh serta batang logam itu dipasang di muara sungai sepanjang kira-kira 25 kilometer. PBT berkenaan memasang perangkap itu di Kampung Kudei, Kampung Gita Laut, Sungai Maong, Maong dan Kampung Paroh. Perangkap terakhir dipasang di Satok dan Sungai Bintangor, manakala sampah yang dikumpul kemudian dibuang di tempat khas di Maong. "DBKU sedaya upaya tidak mahu sampah itu terapung ke laut dan kawasan tertentu misalnya Tebingan Sungai Sarawak yang menjadi lokasi tumpuan pelancong," katanya. Kos pemasangan dan pembuatan perangkap khas itu menelan belanja kira-kira RM2,000. Basheer kesal kerana kos penyelenggaraan perangkap itu lebih tinggi kerana ia sering dirosakkan pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab. "Saya berharap orang ramai termasuk kaki pancing memberi kerjasama supaya DBKU tidak perlu menggantikan perangkap itu setiap tiga hingga enam bulan gara-gara ia dirosakkan. "Selain itu, DBKU juga berharap orang ramai berhenti menganggap sungai sebagai tong sampah besar demi memulihara alam sekitar untuk diwarisi kepada generasi akan datang," katanya.

Fakta Nombor
125,380 meter padu sampah dikesan dan dibuang di sungai Sarawak pada tahun 1994

41,000 meter padu sampah dikesan dan dibuang tahun lalu
95 peratus sampah terapung adalah tumbuhan dikesan di sungai itu sekarang
5 peratus sampah domestik dikesan di sungai itu sekarang

Jenis Sampah
sampahan tumbuhan, buluh dan kayu
sampah domestik
sampah terapung
sampah tenggelam Info Mengenai Sungai Sarawak
sepanjang 112 kilometer
melalui kawasan tadbiran 3 PBT
sistem pengangkutan utama di Sarawak
daya tarikan pelancongan

Manchester Utd 2 Portsmouth 0

CRISTIANO RONALDO took the wheel and powered the Red Machine back to the top of the table in breathtaking style. Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said before the game that the Portuguese star can leave you with twisted blood. Yet what neither Redknapp nor anybody else could unravel was how he executed that stunning free-kick on 13 minutes.

It was his second goal in a scintillating opening to the match. The first half was without doubt United’s best of the season so far — and Ronaldo just cannot be stopped. He has now hit 27 goals in his last 25 appearances, having not scored in the first three of the season. It is an astonishing record for someone who is ostensibly a winger. Then again, Ronaldo is anything he wants to be in the opponents’ half and is invariably brilliant. A player who, in what promises to be the tightest of title races, will make the ultimate difference. He single-handedly wrapped up this clash before the fans’ kick-off teas had cooled and pies been devoured.

Jet-heeled

His first goal came after just 10 minutes, with Ronaldo involved in the build-up as well as the execution. United won the ball on half-way, when Park Ji-Sung hassled Noe Pamarot into giving it up. The ball ran loose to Paul Scholes, who immediately found Ronaldo. He then laid it off to Nani with a clever chest-off. The jet-heeled Portuguese star promptly set off to gather the return, which he did with ease before skating into the box. Pompey keeper David James was exposed and Ronaldo looked for an option before coolly slipping the ball between him and the near post. Just three minutes later, he raised the roof with his second. Ronaldo won the free-kick initially when Sol Campbell suddenly bundled him over. Wayne Rooney looked at Ronaldo more in hope than expectation that he might get a crack from 25 yards. But Ronaldo was set already on the destiny of the ball. He ran up and blasted it over the heads of the wall in such a way it then dipped dramatically into the top corner. It was stunning. You will see few better. How does he do it? Ronaldo stretched out his arms in glory. James just put his arms out and shrugged, as if to ask ‘What could I do?’ The United players who surrounded Ronaldo in celebration simply laughed at the sheer ability and audacity of their team-mate.

Manager Alex Ferguson said he had not seen a better free-kick in the Premier League. Ronaldo practises and practises different ways of executing these dead balls. Long after the rest of the squad are inside the Carrington complex having lunch, he is still out there fizzing, dipping and curling.

In this case, practice certainly does make perfect. When, after the final whistle, Ronaldo was asked about how he does it, he looked bemused. He just knows. It is nothing he can explain. He had another chance from virtually the same place on 22 minutes. This time he went for a low one into the bottom left-hand corner but James beat it away. It could easily have been many more before the break, as United really turned it on. They were in full flow, carving apart a team who boasted the best away record in the Premier League outside of Chelsea.

The one-touch stuff was brilliant and the speed of the play left the Pompey players chasing shadows beneath the Old Trafford lights. Rooney really should have made it three after 38 minutes. Patrice Evra made it all the way to the visitors’ byline before pulling the ball back. Rooney was on the angle six yards out but the ball spun away off his shin. In the second half, he had another gilt-edged chance when he latched on to a long punt by Edwin van der Sar.

Hit 19 shots

Rooney saw James advancing towards him and opted to try to lob the ball over the keeper into the net. But he could produce only a weak chip, which James recovered comfortably to gather.
Nani sent a couple of efforts sizzling past the bar and upright, Park had an effort go inches too high and sub Anderson rolled one just the wrong side of the far post. By then Ferguson had taken off Scholes, after his first start since October, Rooney and Ronaldo to save them for future battles.

United at the finish had hit 19 shots to Portsmouth’s three. They had 10 on target to Portsmouth’s mere one. United are so far ahead of the rest, bar of course Arsenal and Chelsea.
That three-way battle will continue to the end of the season. But if there is one man who will make a difference, United have him in Ronaldo.

Kolam renang terbesar dunia di Chile

KOLAM TERBESAR

SANTIAGO: Buku Rekod Dunia Guinness sudah menemui 'kolam renang terbesar dunia' yang terletak di pusat pelancongan San Alfonso del Mar Resort di Chile dan laporan mengatakan sebanyak 250,000 meter padu air diperlukan untuk memenuhi kolam sepanjang 1.013 kilometer itu. Resort Algarrobo di pantai selatan Chile itu kini secara rasminya boleh berbangga diiktiraf sebagai pihak yang mempunyai kolam renang terbesar di dunia. Meliputi kawasan berukuran lapan hektar dengan kedalaman 35 meter, kolam San Alfonso del Mar jauh lebih besar berbanding kolam renang kedua terbesar di Maghribi yang diberi nama 'The Big splash' dan hanya seluas 137.16 meter panjang dan 91.44 meter lebar.
Mengambil masa lima tahun untuk disiapkan dengan khabar angin mengatakan pembinaannya menelan kos £1 bilion (RM6.43 bilion) dan £2 juta (RM12.87 juta) setahun untuk penyelenggaraan. Memenuhkan kolam itu mungkin suatu tugas yang boleh dianggap rumit. Namun, ia tidak menjadi masalah besar kerana perancang kolam itu berfikiran ke depan apabila menggunakan air laut yang ditadah pada satu hujung dan dipam semula pada hujung lain menerusi proses kitaran kekal.
Menggelar kolam renang itu sebagai 'Projek hartanah percutian paling inovatif dan berjaya di Chile,' resort San Alfonso del Mar dengan bangganya menunjukkan pengiktirafan Buku Rekod Dunia Guinness dalam laman webnya. "Kesimpulannya, saiz kolam ini adalah bersamaan dengan 6,000 saiz kolam renang biasa sepanjang lapan meter," kata resort berkenaan di laman webnya. "Dengan saiznya yang amat mengagumkan, kolam itu menampilkan air berwarna biru tropika sejernih kristal yang diperoleh menerusi teknologi canggih. "Sebagai tambahan, suhu air kolam pada musim panas ialah 26 darjah Celsius, sembilan darjah lebih panas berbanding suhu lautan dan sudah tentu tetamu kami amat menghargainya," tambahnya.
Tetamu dan pengunjung resort yang terletak 100 kilometer ke barat ibu negara, Santiago, juga boleh menggunakan bot kecil atau berkayak dalam kolam berkenaan. Malah, ada laporan mengatakan, feri juga boleh beroperasi dalam kolam itu. Pakar biokimia Chile, Fernando Fischmann yang memimpin firma Crystal Lagoons Corporation dan bertanggungjawab mereka cipta kolam itu, berkata teknik kejuruteraan termoden membolehkan pihaknya membina 'sebuah kawasan umpama syurga dunia' meskipun di mana-mana saja.

Suspicions drive woman to kill son, hang herself

29 Jan 2008


Dennis Wong



SIBU: Convinced her husband was unfaithful to her, a 34-year-old homemaker killed their only child and took her own life on Sunday.
Hung Yu Yuen strangled her 6-year-old son David Ting Fu Soon, and then hanged herself from the ceiling fan in the sitting room.
She left a note written in Chinese characters, venting her frustration on her husband: "I've had enough and I will go together with my son. I can no longer live a lie."
Hung's 36-year-old husband, a car accessories salesman here, was not at home at the time of the tragedy.
A neighbour heard a woman's scream from the family's single-storey terrace house in Jalan Lang-sat at 7.40pm and notified the police, who arrived 10 minutes later.
The house was locked. After trying to reach Hung on the telephone several times, police broke in.
They found Hung hanging from the fan with a rope. David was lying nearby.
Both bodies also had slash wounds -- Hung on the right wrist and David on the left -- and police found a bloody meat cleaver.
David also had abrasions on the neck, believed to have been caused by strangulation with a rope, according to Sibu police chief Assistant Commissioner Shafie Ismail.
"This is a straightforward case," Shafie said yesterday. "We found no evidence of foul play and have classified the case as sudden death."
A statement was recorded from the husband and he was later released.
The couple had been married for more than six years.

New Kids back On The Block

WITH a 40-year-old man among their ranks New Kids On The Block already have a clear breach of the Trades Description Act to contend with – nevertheless the astronomically successful boy band ARE getting back together, according to reports.
Yes ladies – you have read that right.
The quintet, who conquered the entire planet in the early nineties, have taken a large leaf out of TAKE THAT’s book and are ditching their respective professions to return to the music industry, claims website People.com
Just don’t expect any back flips as their creaking joints are no longer up to extended bouts of exertion.
The lads, who screamed out of their native Boston in the mid 1980s, make GARY BARLOW’s mob look like rank amateurs. Before splitting in 1994 they shifted an astonishing 80 million albums and grossed more than half a billion quid.
Not bad going.
But what have they been up to since?
JOEY MCINTYRE (35) – still records but found more success acting on American TV serials and on Broadway.
DANNY WOOD (38) – dumped what little credibility he had from producing records by starring opposite BRADLEY from S CLUB 7 in MTV’s Totally Boyband.
DONNIE WAHLBERG (38) – almost became a proper Hollywood actor staring in The Saw series of films and The Sixth Sense.
JONATHAN KNIGHT (40) – turned his back on the entire music industry to become an estate agent.
JORDAN KNIGHT (37) – still makes music and has cropped up on the odd reality TV Show – most notably with SYD LITTLE and JODIE MARSH on Five’s seminal, Trust Me – I’m A Holiday Rep.
An official announcement is expected within days which will reveal a new album and plans to tour. Meanwhile head over to their website nkotb.com to reacquaint yourself with what all the fuss was about.

It's Man Utd v Arsenal!

ARSENAL have been handed a mouthwatering draw against Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round.
Arsene Wenger's side face a huge task with a trip to Old Trafford.
Liverpool and Chelsea both breathed a sigh of relief after today's draw.
The Reds, who struggled past non-league heroes Havant & Waterlooville in the last round, face Barnsley at Anfield.
And Chelsea will host another Yorkshire side in League One Huddersfield.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth face tricky trips to Sheffield United and Preston respectively.
There is also good news for dreamers, with at least three teams from outside the Premier League guaranteed to be in the quarter-finals.

FA Cup fifth round draw:
Bristol Rovers v Southampton
Cardiff v Wolves
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough
Liverpool v Barnsley
Manchester United v Arsenal
Preston v Portsmouth
Coventry v West Brom
Chelsea v Huddersfield
Ties will take place on February 16 and 17

Proton terima 23,000 tempahan Saga

28 Jan 2008

Suffian A Bakar

SHAH ALAM: Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton), menerima tempahan berjumlah 23,000 unit bagi keluaran terbarunya, Proton Saga, sekali gus menjadikannya model kereta nasional yang mendapat sambutan paling menggalakkan setakat ini.
Pengarah Urusan Proton, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, berkata angka tempahan itu mencerminkan keyakinan pengguna terhadap Proton Saga dan kemampuan syarikat mengeluarkan produk yang memenuhi cita rasa semasa.
"Permintaan terhadap Proton Saga baru ini sangat baik, malah mungkin dianggap luar biasa kerana setakat hari pelancarannya hanya kira-kira 6,000 unit ditempah tetapi kini ia melambung sehingga mencecah 23,000 unit.
"Ini menunjukkan keyakinan tinggi terhadap kualiti model baru Proton Saga terutama dari segi keupayaan pemanduan, keselesaan, prestasi dan harga," katanya kepada pemberita di majlis Hari Penghargaan Pelanggan Proton di sini, semalam.
Pada majlis itu, beliau turut menyampaikan kunci kepada empat penerima pertama Proton Saga baru berkenaan yang membuat tempahan sebelum model dilancarkan. Syed Zainal Abidin berkata, berdasarkan sambutan dan maklum balas menggalakkan yang diterima terhadap model yang dilancarkan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada 18 Januari lalu itu, Proton yakin tempahan akan terus meningkat.
Mengenai keupayaan Proton memenuhi jumlah tempahan, Syed Zainal Abidin berkata, kilang pengeluaran kereta nasional di sini akan beroperasi dua syif sehari bagi mempercepatkan kerja pemasangan serta penghantaran. "Dengan kapasiti pengeluaran sedia ada iaitu 5,500 unit sebulan, kami yakin pelanggan tidak perlu menunggu terlalu lama untuk mendapatkan kenderaan mereka. Kami akan cuba membuat penghantaran seberapa segera yang boleh tanpa menjejaskan kualiti," katanya.
Sehingga ini, tempoh menunggu untuk penghantaran Proton Saga terbabit ialah antara lima hingga enam bulan, bergantung kepada jenis model yang ditempah. Terdahulu, dalam ucapannya, Syed Zainal Abidin berkata, program penghargaan pelanggan yang diadakan Proton bertujuan merapatkan lagi hubungan syarikat dengan pelanggan setia jenama itu selain menunjukkan kemudahan servis dan khidmat lepas jualannya.
Katanya pelanggan juga berpeluang melihat secara lebih dekat pelbagai model yang dipamerkan, selain boleh memberikan pandangan masing-masing untuk membantu Proton mengeluarkan jentera yang lebih menarik serta berkualiti pada masa depan. "Kami serius untuk terus memperbaiki khidmat selepas jualan, kualiti dan paling penting meningkatkan hubungan dengan pelanggan. Kami mahu mereka tahu bahawa pelanggan sentiasa menjadi keutamaan.
"Antara usaha yang sudah dilaksanakan Proton setakat ini termasuk menubuhkan Pasukan Bertindak Pelanggan Proton (CAT) yang bertujuan memastikan mereka mendapat perkhidmatan lepas jualan terbaik dan kereta berkualiti," katanya.

United's Barclays Premiership Fixtures

11/08/2007 - Manchester United v Reading
14/08/2007 - Portsmouth v Manchester United
18/08/2007 - Manchester City v Manchester United
25/08/2007 - Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
01/09/2007 - Manchester United v Sunderland
15/09/2007 - Everton v Manchester United
22/09/2007 - Manchester United v Chelsea
29/09/2007 - Birmingham City v Manchester United
06/10/2007 - Manchester United v Wigan Athletic
20/10/2007 - Aston Villa v Manchester United
27/10/2007 - Manchester United v Middlesbrough
03/11/2007 - Arsenal v Manchester United
10/11/2007 - Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers
24/11/2007 - Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United
01/12/2007 - Manchester United v Fulham
08/12/2007 - Manchester United v Derby County
15/12/2007 - Liverpool v Manchester United
22/12/2007 - Manchester United v Everton
26/12/2007 - Sunderland v Manchester United
29/12/2007 - West Ham United v Manchester United
01/01/2008 - Manchester United v Birmingham City
12/01/2008 - Manchester United v Newcastle United
19/01/2008 - Reading v Manchester United
30/01/2008 - Manchester United v Portsmouth
02/02/2008 - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
09/02/2008 - Manchester United v Manchester City
23/02/2008 - Newcastle United v Manchester United
01/03/2008 - Fulham v Manchester United
08/03/2008 - Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers
15/03/2008 - Derby County v Manchester United
22/03/2008 - Manchester United v Liverpool
29/03/2008 - Manchester United v Aston Villa
05/04/2008 - Middlesbrough v Manchester United
12/04/2008 - Manchester United v Arsenal
19/04/2008 - Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United
26/04/2008 - Chelsea v Manchester United
03/05/2008 - Manchester United v West Ham United
11/05/2008 - Wigan Athletic v Manchester United

United 3 Spurs 1

We're Ron our way to Cup glory

Man United 3 Spurs 1
CRISTIANO RONALDO hit the 25-goal mark for the season to fire United into the FA Cup fifth round.
The Portuguese wing ace scored a late double and vowed to carry on shooting them to glory.
He said: “It’s fantastic to get 25 — now it is important we go on and win this cup.”
Ronaldo admits he is enjoying a dream season but has set his heart on winning the Cup after losing in the 2005 and 2007 finals.

I'm confident

Boss Alex Ferguson hailed his tally as “amazing” but the player, 22, hopes there are many more to come over the last three months of the season.
Ronaldo added: “I’m having a great season thanks to my team-mates.
"I hope it can carry on like this but the most important thing is we keep winning.
“This is a competition we want to win and I’m confident we can.”
Ronaldo grabbed his first — and United’s second — from the spot after Michael Dawson saw red for flicking the ball away from Wayne Rooney with his hand.
The United hero missed his last spot-kick at West Ham but had no hesitation stepping forward.
He said: “I didn’t have the West Ham penalty on my mind. I felt confident so I’m very happy I scored.”
Ferguson admitted his team were not at their best but was pleased to be in the hat.
The United boss said: “It wasn’t a great performance, our forward players were a bit quiet today.

“Sometimes you are scrappy and sometimes you are brilliant — but the bottom line is we’re in the hat.
“There are not many Premier League teams left but we’ll probably get a top-four team! I think it’s 15 out of the last 18 ties we’ve had against Premier League teams.”
Fergie claimed Dawson could count himself unlucky to be sent off. He added: “It was a penalty kick, whether was it was a sending off I don’t know. It’s harsh there’s no doubt about that.”
Spurs boss Juande Ramos refused to discuss his goalkeeping situation despite Radek Cerny’s howler for United’s third.
Tottenham are also on the brink of signing Jonathan Woodgate, but the Spanish coach would not discuss his new £7.25million man either.
He said: “There were three or four chances we created but didn’t manage to put them away.
“I don’t think the win against Arsenal affected us. We were always in the game and matched them We had chances to come away with something.”