Malaysia’s decades-old Christian ‘Allah’ issue

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — The issue of Christians not being allowed to use “Allah” goes back to the 1980s when the authorities ring-fenced a list of Arabic terms first on national security grounds then later in order to prevent confusion among Muslims. >Read More

Opinion

Lipstick jihad

MARCH 10 — What has ‘Islamic feminism’ come to? While I am not unsympathetic to women’s demands for bigger, more comfortable places to pray ...

Shifting through the post-tsunami debris

MARCH 10 —  All seemed so surreal then, as a brave new world dawned upon the nation.  We had high hopes then, after what was considered a tipping point ...

Love pillows and friendship

MARCH 10 — No Facebook account? Then you’re just not cool. In contemporary society it is like the air we breathe, the water that we drink and the food that we consume.

Malaysia

Pathologist changes mind, says Beng Hock not strangled

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UPDATED By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal SHAH ALAM, March 10 —In an apparent about turn, Sungai Buloh Hospital chief pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor today testified that Teoh Beng Hock could not have be...

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Two dropped in Kedah exco reshuffle

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UPDATED By Adib Zalkapli KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 —Two Kedah executive councillors from PKR and PAS were dropped in a minor state Cabinet reshuffle this morning, just two years after the Pakatan Ra...

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Lawyers clash over Anwar’s ‘qazaf’ motion against Saiful

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By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — The Syariah High Court today saw lawyers arguing over Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s qazaf or criminal defamation against his sodomy accuser ...

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TBH inquest: Porntip, Vanezis to testify in April

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By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal SHAH ALAM, March 10 — The coroner’s court today confirmed that Thai forensic pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunand, who had testified last October in Teoh Beng Hock’s inquest, ...

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PM spends too much time on Facebook, says Kit Siang

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By Clara Chooi KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang took a stab at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today, accusing him of spending more time on Facebook ...

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When ‘Allah’ was not the only word banned

By Debra Chong KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Allah is not the only word banned by the Home Ministry from use by non-Muslims. The Malaysian Insider recently obtained a copy of two ...

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PAC summons SPMB to explain cost over-runs

UPDATED By Syed Jaymal Zahiid KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 —Government housing agency SPMB was called up by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today to explain alleged cost over-runs. PAC chairman Datuk Azmi Khalid ...

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Third vote not likely before next elections

By G. Manimaran KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Local government elections requested by the Pakatan Rakyat states of Penang and Selangor might not happen before the next general elections as it ...

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Anwar to meet police tomorrow over rally speeches

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (picture) has been called-in to give a statement to the police tomorrow — joining the list of Pakatan Rakyat ...

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Phang, The Star can comment on Wee, PKFZ

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UPDATED By Clara Chooi KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong’s chief critic and The Star newspaper are free to comment on him and the Port Klang Fr...

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World

Bomber’s death deals fresh blow to Indonesia militants

CANBERRA, March 10 — A suspected mastermind of the Bali bombings was killed in a police raid in Indonesia in the latest blow to an Islamist militant movement in the ...

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Visiting Biden condemns new Israel settlement plan

JERUSALEM, March 10 — US Vice President Joe Biden yesterday condemned Israeli plans to build 1,600 more homes on occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood, announced in the middle of ...

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Nigeria urged to end impunity after village massacre

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LAGOS, March 10 — Nigeria must prosecute those behind a weekend massacre and address underlying issues of poverty and discrimination if it is to end a cycle of violence in ...

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SpaceX aborts rocket engine test

CAPE CANAVERAL, March 10 — Space Exploration Technologies aborted a test firing of its Falcon 9 rocket yesterday, in what was to be a key milestone in its quest to ...

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Romania seeks access to statements

SINGAPORE, March 10 — Romania’s Ministry of Justice is seeking access to the evidence and statements presented at the Coroner’s Inquiry into the hit-and-run accident involving its Embassy car, its ...

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Gates says ‘decisive phase’ of war looms in Kandahar

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KABUL, March 10 — US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates told troops in southern Afghanistan yesterday they would soon be part of a “decisive phase” in the war — an op...

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Something happened, said Ionescu to driver

SINGAPORE, March 10 — With his diplomatic immunity waived by his government, Romanian embassy driver Marius Trusca recounted yesterday the events leading up the moment he handed over the embassy ...

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Pope’s brother says slapped pupils at choir school

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BERLIN, March 9 — The brother of Pope Benedict said in an interview today he slapped pupils in the face at a German school where he led the choir, but ...

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Biden assures Israel of US security commitment

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JERUSALEM, March 9 — US Vice President Joe Biden assured Israel today of Washington’s commitment to its security and preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons. He said the agreed resumption of ...

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Woman crashes car while shaving pubes

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MIAMI, March 9 — Taking multi-tasking to a new level, a Florida woman allegedly caused a crash as she was shaving her privates while behind the wheel, the Florida Highway ...

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Sports

Bendtner hat-trick helps Arsenal crush Porto 5-0

LONDON, March 10 — A hat-trick from Nicklas Bendtner sent Arsenal on their way to a 5-0 thumping of Porto yesterday as they overturned a first-leg deficit to reach the ...

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McLaren relaxed about rear wing

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MANAMA, March 10 — McLaren have a fallback option should Formula One race stewards take issue with their new car’s rear wing but are confident they will not be using ...

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World Cup mascot row is political football

BEIJING, Mar 10 — The Chinese company ordered to stop making soccer World Cup mascots because of poor working conditions in their factory hit back at the accusations today, saying ...

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Bent hat-trick brings Sunderland’s first win in 15 games

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LONDON, March 10 — Sunderland secured their first win in 15 Premier League games when they beat Bolton Wanderers 4-0 with a Darren Bent hat-trick while Birmingham City reversed last ...

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Fiorentina bemoan offside goal as Bayern sneak through

FLORENCE, Italy, March 10 — Coach Cesare Prandelli said he was bitter that an offside goal in the first leg of Fiorentina’s Champions League tie against Bayern Munich had ultimately ...

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Wenger’s faith in Bendtner pays off as Dane sparkles

LONDON, March 10 — Three days can be a long time in football as Nicklas Bendtner proved yesterday. On Saturday against Burnley the gangly Dane’s finishing prowess was distinctly Sunday morning ...

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Rooney fit in time for Milan game

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LONDON, March 9 — Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be fit for tomorrow’s Champions League second leg match against AC Milan, manager Alex Ferguson said today. Rooney, who has scored ...

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Benitez losing patience as Reds run out of time

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LONDON, March 9 — A season that still has two months to run cannot end soon enough for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez who once secured a Champions League title for ...

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Tournament clash to make Malaysia a ‘laughing stock’

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Malaysian golf chiefs are threatening to withdraw their endorsement of the US PGA’s first event in Southeast Asia over a clash of dates with an ...

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Force India eyes points, podiums

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LONDON, March 9 — After securing their first points in Formula One last season, Force India have set their sights on more than one podium finish in 2010. “We finished 2009 ...

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Business

Will Malaysia rate rise set off Southeast Asia hikes?

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Central banks in Southeast Asia are set to stick to their current monetary policy course rather than change tack after Malaysia last week surprised markets ...

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Greece says G20 to review financial speculation

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ATHENS, March 10 — Greece, pressing for curbs on financial speculation it blames for worsening the country’s debt crisis, said yesterday the idea would be examined by the Group of ...

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US senators to seek wider ‘Volcker rule’

WASHINGTON, March 10 — Two US Senate Democrats said they will propose today placing new limits on proprietary trading by banks and nonbank financial firms, widening the ‘Volcker rule’ backed ...

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Cisco leapfrogs rivals with faster router

NEW YORK, March 10 — Cisco Systems Inc introduced its first major new routers in six years and said they can be configured to handle Internet traffic up to 12 ...

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Burger King sees weak Q3, blames weather

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NEW YORK, March 9 — Burger King Holdings Inc expects lower third-quarter revenue and restaurant margins in the US and Canada as bad weather in the central and eastern United ...

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Country not ready for GST, says FMM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) today suggested that the government consider a retail sales tax (RST) as Malaysia was not ready for the goods ...

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Plane provisions, currencies hit EADS profits

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PARIS, March 9 — Airbus parent EADS (EAD.PA) dived to a heavy loss in 2009 and scrapped its dividend as charges on its A380 superjumbo and a currency hit swelled ...

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Mukhriz: Islamic finance will overcome the Dubai debt crisis

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — The Dubai debt crisis does not represent a permanent setback to Islamic finance even though the sukuk or Islamic bonds suffered a blow as potentially ...

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Share prices close lower on profit-taking

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed lower today as investors booked in profit after the sharp gains yesterday, dealers said. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur ...

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Kulim set to part with Menara Ansar for RM105m

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Diversified palm oil group Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd plans to dispose its investment property, Menara Ansar, in Johor Baharu for RM105 million. The divestment will be satisfied ...

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Opinion

Lipstick jihad

MARCH 10 — Reading “Let These Women Pray” made me wonder: has ‘Islamic feminism’ come to this? I am not unsympathetic to these women’s demands for a bigger and more comfortable ...

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Shifting through the post-tsunami debris

MARCH 10 — It’s hard to believe that it has been two years since the tsunami that was Pilihanraya Umum ke 12 (PRU12) hit us on 8th March 2008 and ...

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Love pillows and friendship

MARCH 10 — Do you have a Facebook account? If you don’t, then I’m sorry, you’re just not that cool. Facebook to the current society is like the air that ...

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Two years on, and here’s what we know

MARCH 9 — When writing about politics and Malaysian society in general, it truly helps to have some alcohol available just to make everything have a lick of sense, because ...

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The rhetoric of oppression

MARCH 9 — Umberto Eco, in his article, The Wolf and the Lamb — The Rhetoric of Oppression (from which the title to this article is borrowed), posits that often ...

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Sex education and the culture of confusion

MARCH 9 — At work, my computer’s homepage automatically shows the Top Ten most read articles from The Star. I have noticed a pattern in these articles: the majority deal with ...

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Tee Keat kena tikam

9 MAC — Beliau mungkin dilihat sebagai satu-satunya pemimpin tertinggi MCA yang kurang disenangi oleh sesetengah pihak kerana ketegasan, kelantangan serta kejujurannya dalam memperjuangkan sesuatu isu hinggakan ia melampaui norma-norma ...

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Make way for local elections

MARCH 9 — What a wonderful piece of news. That aptly describes my reaction upon learning the request of the Penang state government to the Election Commission to organize two ...

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Dua tahun selepas Malaysia semakin matang

8 MAC — Tahun ini genaplah dua tahun berlakunya Tsunami politik di Malaysia. Buat pertama kalinya selepas pilihanraya1969, parti yang memerintah tidak mempunyai kuasa dua pertiga di parlimen. Sepanjang dua tahun ...

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A renaissance of hope

MARCH 8 —When Zhou Enlai was asked in the mid-20th century what he felt about the French Revolution of 1789, he replied: “It is too early to tell.” I do not ...

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Showbiz

Michelle Obama’s ball gown makes museum debut

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WASHINGTON, March 10 — First Lady Michelle Obama bowed to tradition yesterday and donated the dazzling ball gown she wore for her husband’s presidential inauguration last January to the Smithsonian ...

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Accused Letterman extortionist pleads guilty

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NEW YORK, March 10 — A television producer pleaded guilty yesterday to trying to extort US$2 million (RM6.66 million) from US talk show host David Letterman by threatening to reveal ...

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Bigelow Oscar will change Hollywood, slowly

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LOS ANGELES, March 10 — “Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow wrapped her fingers around that little golden man called Oscar on Sunday and cracked one of Hollywood’s glass ceilings, but ...

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Pink Floyd battles EMI in online royalties case

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LONDON, March 9 — Pink Floyd today launched legal action against record label EMI in a case that centres around royalty payments and how music is sold in the digital ...

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‘Phantom of the Opera’ sequel opens amid ‘phan’ disquiet

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LONDON, March 9 — The sequel to “Phantom of the Opera”, one of the biggest musicals of all time, opens in London today amid disquiet among die-hard “phans” who have ...

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Celebrities? So last season, say Paris fashionistas

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PARIS, March 9 — Maybe it’s the effect of recession, maybe it’s simply a case of Hollywood fatigue — whatever the reason, buyers and designers at Paris fashion week are ...

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Latest Oscar telecast most watched in five years

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LOS ANGELES, March 9 — “Avatar” may have failed to repeat the Academy Award success for “Titanic,” but James Cameron’s latest hit film proved once again: nothing draws eyeballs to ...

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Leibovitz agrees loan deal with Colony Capital

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NEW YORK, March 9 — Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz has arranged a deal with a private equity firm to sort out her debts, the Financial Times reported today. The paper said ...

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Singapore celebrity sex scandal widens

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SINGAPORE, March 9 — A second woman has come forward with allegations about popular local film-maker Jack Neo, claiming that she was sexually harassed by him about five years ago. This ...

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Bigelow, first woman director in Oscar history

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LOS ANGELES, March 9 — Hollywood finally entrusted a female director with an Oscar on Sunday. Kathryn Bigelow (picture) became the first woman in the 82-year history of the Academy Awards ...

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  It looks like we will all have to wait a while before we can have a say about who gets to be local councillors... in two states anyway. Your thoughts?
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