Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The Star Online: Nation

Posted: 13 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST



MALACCA: Four National Service (NS) camp operators have been given 18 months to upgrade their hostel facilities to the latest standards set by the authorities.




NS Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said the camps, one each in Kedah and Malacca and two in Pahang were told on Jan 1 to start building larger dormitories for female and male trainees.



"At present, each dormitory can only accommodate seven to eight trainees at a time, and it is not suitable for training. The new facility should be able to accommodate between 25 and 30 trainees," he told reporters after visiting the NS Hutan Rekreasi training camp in Ayer Keroh here yesterday.



Abdul Hadi said larger dormitories would ensure a more balanced racial composition among trainees.



"Trainees occupying each dormitory would have 60% Malays, 28% Chinese, 10% Indians and 2% from other ethnic groups," he said.



Asked if the trainees would need to be relocated during the upgrade, Abdul Hadi said it would be decided later when the operators have finalised the dates, duration and details of the required work, pending the department's approval.



"The operators are not allowed to conduct upgrading work that would compromise safety, training and other needs.



"The operators will risk having their contracts terminated if they fail to complete the upgrade in time, or if the outcome is not according to the given standards," he said.



Abdul Hadi noted that the operators of the four camps - one of them in Kuantan, Pahang - that has been ordered earlier to stop operations for not complying with safety guidelines, would bear the costs of upgrading.



Abdul Hadi also said that trainees would have their Chinese New Year holiday from Jan 30 to Feb 2 and applications to extend the holiday are not allowed.



Posted: 13 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST



KUANTAN: Two men have been remanded for a week to assist investigations into the shooting of policeman Kpl Abdul Halim Md Ali (PIC).



Magistrate Noor Zaihan Mohamad Ali granted the remand order for the two men, aged 19 and 33, until Jan 19.



Pahang CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mohd Zakaria Ahmad said the men were detained on Sunday but declined to comment further.



On Jan 6, Kpl Abdul Halim was found dead, after he went missing the day before while pursuing two suspects believed to be armed.



He had been on a crime prevention patrol with three other policemen in the LKPP plantation in Jaya Gading here when they spotted two men who appeared to be holding shotguns.



During the pursuit, Kpl Abdul Halim's colleagues lost sight of him and could not contact him via walkie-talkie or cellphone.



His body wad found in the oil palm plantation with shotgun wounds in the face and chest.



Posted: 13 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST



LOS ANGELES: Red Granite Films co-founder Riza Aziz was excited during the red carpet ceremony in the 71st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel here.



The Hollywood based-Malaysian producer, who invested in The Wolf Of Wall Street that won Leonardo DiCaprio the Best Actor in A Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical award in the Sunday event, took a minute or two to speak to The Star, which is the only Malaysian media invited to cover the prestigious event.



When Riza found out that a Malaysian media was present at the Golden Globes red carpet, he cried: "No way!"



He explained that working with DiCaprio was a pleasant experience and that the actor was an ultimate professional.



He said that The Wolf Of Wall Street was a comedy, a cautionary tale about men, money and greed.



Riza is the son of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.



American Hustle emerged the lead winner at the awards ceremony above the rest, especially 12 Years A Slave, which led the way with seven nominations.



American Hustle won the Best Picture in the Comedy or Musical category, as well as producing the Best Actress (Amy Adams) and Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence).



Organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes typically kicks off the awards season, and is an early indicator of a movie's potential at the Academy Awards (the Oscars).



Among the winners of the night who spoke to The Star were Lawrence, Adams, Michael Douglas, Chiwetel Ejiofor and the cast of TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine.



When The Star asked Lawrence how she stays grounded as it must be hard for a young actress like her not to go astray, she said: "I just have a good group of friends that I have had for a very long time and an amazing family, and I am just always busy working. I don't have time to get into trouble."



Veteran actor Douglas, who won Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for his saucy portrayal of Liberace, when asked which was more fun to play, baddies or good guys, said: "I've always enjoyed playing bad guys more because I don't know of any good guys. I have always been intrigued by the ambivalence of characters."



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