Swimmer Daniel qualifies for three events at Olympics

December 10, 2007

THE exploits of Malaysian swimmer Daniel Bego get better and better.

He pulled off a stunning victory in the men’s 100m butterfly at the Aquatics Centre of the Korat Sports Complex last night and in the process became the first Malaysian swimmer to qualify for three events in the Olympics.

The 18-year-old won the race from the outside lane in 54.33, leaving United States-trained James Walsh of the Philippines in his wake f or silver in 55.47.

Another foreign trained swimmer, Andy Wibowo of Indonesia, took bronze in 55.59.

Daniel, who just completed his SPM examinations before flying off to Korat, not only smashed his own national record of 54.40 set at the World Youth Championships in Brazil last year but also demolished the four-year-old SEA Games record of 55.04 held by Lim Keng Liat.

While Daniel was able to retain the 100m butterfly title, securing an Olympic spot in Beijing in the event must have meant more to him.

The Sarawakian had qualified for the 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle in an international meet in Japan in August.

As the slowest qualifier for the 100m butterfly final yesterday with a time of 57.28, Daniel had to swim in Lane 1.

But he saved his best for last and finished nearly one body length ahead of Walsh.

“I did not want to go all out in the morning because I was determined to hold on to this gold,” said Daniel, who also swam in the men’s 400m freestyle heats but did not make the final.

“I was pacing myself in the 100m butterfly and it was quite risky. I would not have made it if I had been a second slower.

“For the final, I told myself that I did not want to repeat this and I just went all out.”

Daniel’s performance was least expected, considering he was not in the best of shape going into the competition. He settled for the silver in the men’s 100m freestyle on Saturday.

Coach Gavin Urquhart said: “He had not been training as much as the others because of his exams. Making it worse was the fever after arriving here. But to me, he is a Ferrari and since Daniel has a day’s rest today, he should be fresh in his bid to end the competition on a high.”

Daniel is down to defend his 200m freestyle title and will attempt to better his previous haul in Manila by winning the 200m butterfly as well.

“I will just take whatever that comes first,” added Daniel.

Earlier, Malaysia’s Kevin Yeap led the field for the first 300m in the men’s 400m freestyle. However, the youngster ran out of steam and finished sixth in 4:04.60.

In the men’s 100m backstroke, Malaysia’s Linvern Lim and Eric Chang finished fifth (1:00.09) and sixth (1:01.02) respectively.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/
2007/12/10/sports/19716373&sec=sports

Fong Ying the first Malaysian woman to win gold in wushu

December 10, 2007

DEBUTANT Chai Fong Ying strut her way into the history books as the first Malaysian female wushu exponent to win a gold medal in the SEA Games at the Chanapolkhan Institute of Technology in Korat yesterday.

Fong Ying was confirmed as the winner of the taijiquan and taijijian all-round competition after dishing out a graceful performance in the taijijian (swordplay) to earn 9.55 points, taking her total to 19.18.

Another Malaysian, Ng Shin Yii, claimed the silver. Shin Yii scored 9.53 for a total of 19.09. Filipino Janice Hung took the bronze on 18.77.

The success for Fong Ying yesterday makes her the only Malaysian wushu exponent to hold the Asian Games, World Championships and SEA Games titles at the same time.

While Fong Ying made it look effortless, everything she has achieved came through personal sacrifices.

“I have taken two semesters off studies because of my preparations since the Asian Games last year,” said the 21-year-old Universiti Putra Malaysia student.

“My colleagues in the same batch have finished their studies but I guess this is what I love doing and good at it.”

National coach Yoong Thong Foong said they were looking forward to a bonus gold medal today.

The best bet is on the women’s nanquan all-round competition, which ends with the nangun (stick) routine.

Tai Cheau Xuen is the joint leader with Vu Thuy Linh of Vietnam after the completion of two routines with a total of 18.70.

Cheau Xuen scored 9.39 for the nandao (broadsword) yesterday while the Vietnamese exponent fared better with a 9.43.

Diana Bong is also in the running for the gold medal. She is just 0.1 point behind the joint leaders. Diana posted 9.42 in nandao to take her total to 18.69.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/
2007/12/10/sports/19714628&sec=sports

Investors rush in to Malaysia’s ‘Super Corridor’

By Thomas Kostigen, MarketWatch
Last Update: 7:13 PM ET Nov 27, 2007

KUCHING, Malaysia (MarketWatch) — It’s called the MSC, the Malaysian Super Corridor, and it’s attracting the investment attention of big money and institutions all around the world.

Malaysia is poised for enormous growth. Predictions for the economy in 2008 are robust. Venture capitalists and developers are investing in real estate, technology and communications. The country is looking like it will become a major business hub in years to come.

Take a look at Kuala Lumpur. Built out of the jungle, the city is thriving with shopping malls like the KLCC and the famous Petronas Twin Towers attracting people in droves. When I was there, business meetings and conferences were being held all over. Pete Sampras and Roger Federer were holding an exhibition tennis match and the city pulse was on par with that of New York. The hotels and buildings are sparkling new, and more are going up every day.

If the MSC takes hold it will be a force to be reckoned with. Here’s why: Malaysia is just Western enough to attract investors from Australia, Europe and the U.S. And it is just Eastern enough to attract investors from China and Japan. China is already taking the lead. A local businessman told me that Chinese interests control about 50% of the businesses near him.

The Malaysian government and the MSC, an organization in its own right, aren’t keeping the place a secret. Advertisements are all over the international news networks and the local papers.

The Malaysian government sees the MSC as its big chance to compete on the international level. It boasts a hub, or corridor, that is being developed rapidly and attracting businesses ranging from real estate to telecommunications to technology. It is sparking job growth, stock growth, economic growth — growth with a capital G.

To be sure, Singapore, its neighbor, has already proven to be a major business success. Malaysia faces competition from the rest of the world as well as very little infrastructure to begin such a 21st century endeavor.

Jungle transformation

Besides, the MSC will ravage the land here more than it already has. Malaysia is a pristine place, full of jungle and unspoiled natural resources. That will all change if the various stages of the corridor take hold and envelop the states of Sabah and Sawarak, where myriad species roam wild.

Officials from the state of California were visiting when I was in Kuala Lumpur, vetting the MSC. They said they are interested in pursuing relationships in the area — potential investments and sharing of resources.

What will attract people here are the prices. Malaysia is cheap. A two-story compound of a home on Sawarak is about $100,000. You can get a full dinner, including appetizers, drinks and dessert for a little more than ten bucks.
In terms of stock prices, Malaysia has followed Asia and the rest of the world of late, seesawing. But values are said to be available.

The Malaysian government admits that the MSC will corrupt land, but says the economic benefits of jobs and industry will outweigh that and help its people.
It won’t be up to them, however. There isn’t enough local wealth to put Malaysia in riches. It knows that. It needs outside investors to reach the type of growth it has in mind.

That means it will have to rely on the business strategies of foreign firms to propel its growth. And that may not so neatly mean jobs for the Malaysian people. There is a huge influx of Indonesian labor in the country. Outsourcing capital also means outsourcing the management of the economy to an extent.

By those rules, the market will win, even if that means at the sacrifice of the people and the land that it is built upon. Whether the MSC will fulfill the high hopes the Malaysian government has remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: It will have a dramatic effect on how things are here.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/
investors-rush-malaysias-super-corridor/story.aspx?guid=
%7B6F3CF5D4-FB9D-48E5-9B6E-60BB9E34790A%7D

Change must come from within ourselves

COMMENT
By JOSEPH RAJ

At the end of the day, it is in the hands of the Indians whether they want to do better for themselves and their future generations. Street protests are definitely not the answer.

I DO not profess to know everything that is ailing the Indian community, but it has to be admitted that all is not well.

Some will argue that the community, which makes up about 8% of the population, has a decent, even an enviable, share of the economic pie in Malaysia.

But it has to be remembered that this is due to the fact that a few Indians have managed to do well in business as well as in professions such as medicine, law, engineering and accountancy.

The majority of Indians in the country are not as well off as their counterparts from the other communities. But this does not mean that Indians have to take to the streets to right what they perceive to be injustices done to them in the country.

Malaysia is a country that prides itself in achieving peace and harmony among the various races. As a matter of fact it is a success model of how people of various races and religions can work and live together to bring prosperity and success to themselves and the nation.

The MIC, which represents Indians in the Barisan Nasional coalition, says it is aware of the issues and problems confronting the community in the country,

“We believe in working from within the (government) system,” party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said, referring to the illegal gathering organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

One must understand that the MIC faces an uphill task in uplifting the standards of many in the Indian community, whose roots are linked to the rubber and oil palm estates in the country.

Many Indians are either still in the estates or working as labourers and holding menial jobs to earn a living.

Many, however, have also wrangled free of the clutches of poverty due to their business acumen and education excellence. These Indians live a quality of life equivalent or even higher than their counterparts in the other communities.

Chances are their children and their children’s children will continue to do well in life due to the solid foundation provided by their successful parents.

The challenge that faces the community now is to emulate these success stories while the task before the MIC and other Indian social and economic organisations is to continue and further intensify efforts towards this ideal.

One needs to only look at the Chinese in Malaysia to realise what a good education can do. Ever insistent on quality education for their children, the community has become an economic powerhouse in Malaysia.

The Chinese have achieved this despite most of them also coming to the then Malaya as labourers and odd-job workers.

There must be a strong will among Malaysian Indians to emulate this and for the MIC and the Government to continue facilitating this endeavour.

For a start, the 25 leading Indian associations that rightly urged Hindraf to call off its illegal march to the British High Commission should perhaps come forward to help the MIC and the Government to help uplift the standard of living of the Indian community.

It would also be great for successful Indians to individually take the effort to sponsor or help the needy in the community.

Such good work may already be taking place but it will not hurt to double or even triple such efforts.

Parents must also ensure their children are serious about their studies and do well in school.

But at the end of the day, it is in the hands of the Indians whether they want to do better for themselves and their future generations. This, I know, is easier said than done but it is achievable.

Street protests like the one in Kuala Lumpur yesterday are definitely not the answer.

Such protests only seek to point out problems but do not strive to provide answers or solutions.

As an Indian, I believe we have the ability within ourselves to do better in life.

But the push should start from us, the Indians in Malaysia, with help from our friends from the other races, the MIC and the Government.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/
2007/11/26/nation/19575192&sec=nation

I love you Wong Mew Choo

You have proved to the world that we are among the greatest in the world.

To those who do not know who Wong Mew Choo is, go back to sleep.