THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT !!!

[kueytoc]

Orchard Road Prowler shot ’85 UPSKIRT Videos in ONE Day'

By Ewen Boey | What’s buzzing? – Sat, Mar 19, 2011 2:13 PM SGT

A production engineer prowled Orchard Road and took "85 upskirt videos in one day" last September.

47-year-old Tham Nam Sang pled guilty to five charges while the remaining 80 will be taken into consideration while sentencing.

The videos, all taken without the women's knowledge, were all recorded on 6 September 2008 in Ngee Ann City and other shopping malls in Singapore along Orchard Road.

The culprit used two digital cameras to capture "upskirt" videos of women in skirts.

The court understood that after having dinner in Orchard Road, Tham placed one camera in a paper bag and turned it on to record a video, with his lens facing upwards.

He proceeded to walk behind his victims while holding the paper bag under their skirts.

After that, he would use his second camera to take a pictures of the victims' faces to match the videos.

He captured a total of 120 minutes of video clips.

According to lawyer Jacob Lim, his client was suffering from major depressive disorder when he committed the offences.

District Judge Soh Tze Bian has postponed the sentencing until April 28, and has called for a probation report.

Tham faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine for each offence.

[peacemaker]

SWEE MAK-MAK !!!

Transsexual wows in Thai Talent Contest

By Liyana Low | What’s buzzing? – Fri, Mar 18, 2011 11:02 AM SGT

She is pretty, she sings well, and she stunned everyone on Thailand's Got Talent when she started singing in a man's voice.

Bell Nuntita, 27, is a transsexual contestant who wowed the judges and the audience when halfway through her audition piece, she changed her feminine singing voice to a very masculine bass.

Her appearance in the show is not unusual in a country where it is accepted for men to undergo sex change to become a woman when he feels out of place in his body.

"Katoeys (the Thai name for men who undergo sex change) are common in Thailand, so no one really criticizes her or makes a big deal out of it," said Thai student Bay Wallapa.

She added, "But even though I'm used to seeing katoeys in Thailand, I was still so shocked when she suddenly switched voices. She's very good."

Her Youtube clip without English subtitles alone has garnered half a million views; the one with subtitles also has another half a million.

Famous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was so amazed at her talent, calling her "truly a wonderous talent to behold."

When her friend posted the link on Facebook, Singaporean Shahida Hassim commented, "I keep watching this over and over again. She is so pretty. Her voice is beautiful. His voice is so manly."

Said Anjali Ragu, Singaporean student currently on exchange in a Thai university, "It was creepy and cool at the same time, I couldn't even tell that she was transsexual."

Dang... if I watched the video without reading the article first, I would be deceived as well. He / She is good.

[kueytoc]

'SHOTGUN' !!!

Cisco Officer’s GUN goes off in MRT toilet

By Ewen Boey | SingaporeScene – Sun, Mar 20, 2011 1:30 PM SGT

An auxiliary police officer is believed to have fired his gun by accident while on duty at Bukit Gombak MRT station on Saturday.

The incident occurred between 6.30pm and 7pm in the staff toilet of the MRT station and no one was injured, reported The Straits Times.

The 28-year-old Certis Cisco officer was on assignment at the station. It is usual for auxiliary police officers to be deployed in areas for duties such as the safe transportation of money to and from ATMs and banks.

A police spokesman confirmed that they received a call around 7pm regarding an incident of an accidental discharge of a firearm at the station by an auxiliary police officer.

When contacted, a Certis Cisco spokesman declined to comment as police investigations are under way.

This is not the first time a service weapon has been fired.

From 2000 to last year, more than 20 cases were reported in the media about police or auxiliary police officers firing their weapons.

Of these, 10 were suicides and four were accidental discharges.

In 1999, a Cisco constable misfired his revolver while trying to free it when it got stuck in a chair he was sitting in.

Veteran investigator Jeffery Ang, who spent 27 years in the police force, told the same paper that all firearms will have safety measures such as a safety catch or a double-action trigger, which makes it difficult to fire off a round.

In addition, there is a flap on pistol holsters to prevent the accidental drawing of the weapon.

"It is quite difficult to misfire a weapon if all safety procedures have been followed," said the former Criminal Investigation Department officer.

"For this to happen, there must be a lapse somewhere."

There are over 40,000 auxiliary police officers in Singapore today from Certis Cisco, Aetos Security Management and SIngapore Airport Terminal Services Security Services.

[kueytoc]

How to fold a T-Shirt in TWO Seconds

Step 1: Lay it flat

Lay the T-shirt so that it is completely flat and is side on to you

Step 2: Pinch one

Draw an imaginary line with your finger across the middle of the T-shirt, stopping short of the edge. Pinch the T-shirt between your thumb and forefinger of your left hand at this point, making sure that you have gripped the front and back of the T-shirt fabric.

Step 3: Pinch two

With your other draw a line directly up the T-shirt and pinch the T-shirt on the shoulder seam of the T-shirt directly above this point again making sure that you have gripped the front and back of the T-shirt fabric.

Step 4: Pinch three

Bring Pinch 2 down behind your hand and pinch T-shirt at the bottom directly beneath the two pinches and pinch the bottom along with your original pinch, again making sure that you have gripped the front and back of the T-shirt fabric. You should now have the top and bottom of the shirt pinched between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand - your hands should be crossed

Step 5: The flick

Keeping a firm pinch with both hands uncross your hands. Bring Pinch 1, in your left hand up and away. You should now have the T-shirt Hanging down from your two hands, shake out the creases.

Step 6: The flop and fold

Lower the T-shirt, sleeve first back onto your flat surface, creating a fold on the T-shirt that is symmetrical with the line between your original two pinches, then bring the T-shirt down flat.

[kueytoc]

Abramovich spends £25m on 'Stop-Gap' House

Mon Mar 21 02:56PM

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has splashed out £25 million on a 'temporary home' while builders redevelop his main £150m residence.

The Russian billionaire, who is the 15th-richest person on the planet with a fortune of more than £11 billion, bought the nine-bedroom, 10-bathroom house in Chelsea as work on his main house in Knightsbridge could take up to three years to complete, according to The Independent.

The paper also claims that the general public may be able to get a sneaky glimpse of the house in September this year as the property was once part of the original manor house of Chelsea built on the site of Sir Thomas More's garden, which is now owned by the National Trust.

In September of this year, the Trust plans to open the neighbouring property's entrance and gardens to the public for two days - which means that visitors will be "able to crane their necks for a rare view of Mr Abramovich's back garden and possibly his taste in interior design", according to the newspaper.

Abramovich's temporary digs also contain parking for eight cars, a music room and a separate annexe for domestic staff.

The paper also reveals that the house overlooking the Thames has previously been occupied "by such diverse luminaries as the artist Whistler and society fascist Diana Mitford" (no, we haven't heard of them either).

The tycoon's property portfolio includes:

- Properties in Knightsbridge and Chelsea worth, respectively, £150m and £25m

- A chateau at Cap d'Antibes on the French Riviera worth around £15m

- Two houses in the exclusive ski resort of Aspen, Colorado

- Two houses on the Caribbean island of St Barts

- Two mansions near Moscow and a flat in the far eastern Russian province of Chukotka

[kueytoc]

Bryan Adams on learning to deal with FAME

36 mins ago by Shirley Halperin

It was a little more than 30 years ago when Bryan Adams set out from his native Canada to make a name for himself as a musician and songwriter.

He hoped for a foot in the door. What he got, and didn't necessarily bargain for, was success on a global scale, boasting record sales of tens of millions.

The 51-year-old dad-to-be (he's expecting his first child with personal assistant Alicia Grimaldi) continues to tour, bringing his treasure trove of hits (his biggest came during the 1990s) to some of the world's more remote markets such as India and Nepal.

On March 21 he received a permanent home in Los Angeles with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's a long way from being "just a spotty kid from North Van," as Adams describes his pimply self in the early days. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with the Grammy-winning rocker.

THR: Canada has long been hailed for supporting the arts by providing grants to musicians and mandating that 35 percent of songs played on the radio be by Canadian artists. Do you think this helped at all as you were starting a career in music?

Adams: "I never took a grant or borrowed a penny from anybody. It was partially because I didn't really know how to do that, but secondly, my pride would never have allowed me to. In the beginning, it was about doing it the right way, on the merits of the music."

THR: You famously signed with A&M Records in 1979 for one dollar. Can you explain the circumstances of that deal?

Adams: "They were cheap as chits and didn't want to invest any money in me, and it was the time when I needed it most. But in those days, the idea of getting your foot in the door was everything, and let's see where it goes from there. All they really wanted were the songs, but we made an agreement -- and this is probably the one redeeming thing about the deal -- where they could have a few of my songs under the condition that I get to record some myself. So I got a shot

"I did say to the label, "Could I have that dollar, please?" And they sent me a check, which I still have."

THR: One would imagine it was renegotiated soon enough?

Adams: "At some point, but not right away. The only thing we negotiated immediately was tour support. In 1980, as soon as my album was ready, we were put on tour, and I don't think I went home until about 1999."

THR: You reached your career high at age 27 when promotion was winding down for your fourth album, the multiplatinum "Reckless." How did you not end up with an alcohol or drug addiction, as so many musicians often do?

Adams: "First of all, I decided to make an album called 'Into the Fire,' which is kind of how I felt. "Reckless" was such a big album in 1985, and it was a lot to take. There's not an instruction manual on how to deal with success, so you just have to rely on having great friends and a good team.

"I'm really grateful to my manager, Bruce Allen, and producer Mutt Lange because both had seen it before with different artists. And I had a great girlfriend at the time, Vicki Russell, who was a child actress and her father was a director, so she was able to laugh at the situation and help me see the humour in it. Plus, I was never really interested in drugs or alcohol at all."

THR: Did you want to be famous?

Adams: "I didn't understand what that meant because I really wanted to be a working musician. The craft was everything to me. To be a celebrity, I couldn't think of anything more cringe-worthy. I had difficulty with it and used to argue with my manager all the time about some of these press things that would come up. I would shun the limelight completely and didn't really want to be out there. Laughing at it is key; if you can laugh at yourself, you never cease to be amused."

THR: These days, a band can sell 40,000 albums and be No. 1 on the Billboard chart. What's your take on how much the economics of music have changed?

Adams: "I feel quite sad for the young musicians coming up because they may never get to pay their rent properly. It doesn't matter what the genre; nowadays, it's so much harder than it ever was. You want to get paid for your work and be able to take something home to your family or yourself. I tip my hat to anybody today that can make music and move forward."

THR: One Canadian who's seeing international success is Justin Bieber.

Adams: "His success is incredible. I wish him lots of strength and hope he can keep his sense of humour about it, too."

THR: You were involved in one of the greatest benefit concerts of all time, Live Aid. What do you remember of that day in 1985?

Adams: "I had two gigs that day. I opened Live Aid, got blown away by that, and then we got in a plane and flew to the next town, where we had to play a gig that night. So I didn't even get to see the show and hardly got to participate. I had to slot it in among many other things we were doing at the time. Live Aid was possibly the greatest live concert ever. Woodstock would've come close in terms of its breadth, but Live Aid was far more watched."

THR: As a result of Live Aid, it has become the norm for musicians to band together for a cause or to aid in relief after a natural disaster. And it seems especially appropriate now, on the heels of the earthquake in Japan.

Adams: "It's more rare these days, but it's part of the sense of community among musicians and singers. Like when we did the Prince's Trust in London, it was incredible. Backstage there were so many different people working on songs together, the greats of the record business: Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Jagger, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Mark Knopfler, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart.

"You'd have to pinch yourself. So when everybody pulls together like that, things get done. I'm wondering when someone is going to put something together for Japan. I've been thinking about it for a few days now. It would be great if the rock community got together for Japan because Japan has given so much to all the rockers over the years. Everybody has spent time there."

THR: You performed on "American Idol" three seasons back. Would you have any interest in judging a singing show like "Idol" or "The X-Factor"?

Adams: "I would have a really hard time being on television that long and also being critical of other musicians. I don't really like to criticise people."

THR: If you were starting out today, would you take the talent-show route?

Adams: "I probably wouldn't get in. Too many spots."

[kueytoc]

WAH PIANZ !!!...cannot buy from this SHOP.

Personal Documents found on NEW Laptop

By Ewen Boey | SingaporeScene Tue, Mar 22, 2011 12:42 PM SGT

A 14-inch Asus notebook PC recently bought at an IT fair was supposedly brand new.

However, Hidayat Sudirman found Central Provident Fund statements and divorce documents stored in the new computer that he bought from retailer Newstead Technologies at the fair.

The 25-year-old civil servant grew upset when he discovered 10GB worth of personal data, including tax return forms, belonging to the laptop's previous owner.

He went back to the company and was told that it was a "mix-up". Apparently, the laptop belonged to another customer who had sent his laptop for repairs.

Hidayat got a refund and bought a new laptop from another retailer.

When contacted by The Straits Times, Newstead's operations manager Mark Ong said, "The notebook was accidentally packed along with brand-new products headed for the IT fair. The employee responsible has been counselled and steps have been taken to remind the teams to be vigilant in their operations."

This incident prompted Taiwanese computer maker Asus to warn its 30 authorised retailers here to pay extra attention when selling their products.

Asus' notebooks are shipped from its factories in Taiwan and China to its branch here, which then sends them to the authorised sellers, a spokesman of the computer maker said.

She declined to delve into the details of the steps taken to avoid such mix-ups again.

Seah Seng Choon, executive director of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), said that he does not see a rising trend in cases similar to Hidayat's. However, he added that consumers do have avenues to seek redress.

"If a vendor claims a laptop is new, and subsequently the customer discovers this to be untrue, this is a breach of the Consumer Protection Act. He can take the vendor to task, such as seeking redress through the Small Claims Tribunal," he noted.

Case revealed that they received 16 complaints last year from consumers who bought "new" electronic gadgets, such as laptops and mobile phones, and discovered them to have been used. Three cases have been lodged so far this year.

Netizens voiced their concerns after the issue was raised in an article on an online journalism website.

Tech enthusiast David Lee, 32, noted that while such occurrences cannot completely be eliminated, there are signs that consumers can look out for.

The IT programmer pointed out that buyers can look out for scuff marks on a brand new gadget, or if the security seal has been tampered with.

[kueytoc]

Any TOY-BOY out there ???

Debbie Harry: I cant find a MAN

Cover Media Tue, Mar 22, 2011 2:30 PM SGT

Debbie Harry wishes she could meet her Mr. Right, but fears she will have to visit a morgue to find someone.

The singer made her name as the frontwoman of Blonde in the 70s achieving success with hits such as The Tide is High and Heart of Glass. The 65-year-old is widely regarded as one of the sexiest women ever to front a band and she is currently single. Debbie who previously dated Blondie guitarist Chris Stein - would like to find a guy to settle down with, but claims she may have to resort to drastic measures.

Id love to be in a good relationship, but I think Ill have to go to the morgue to find somebody… she said in an interview with Grazia. I do date its a horrible process. But I dont have a fella thats why I keep having to tie them up and put them in my room.

Debbie says she is still in great shape and her health is good. Even though she feels happy with appearance, she finds it disappointing when men she finds attractive are already taken or more interested in dating younger women.

However, Debbie is determined to continue her search for a suitable partner.

I actually do feel pretty good. A lot of things have really come together for me. I enjoy what I do more, because Im more relaxed about it, she explained. I think I enjoy reasonably good health. The only thing that is bad for me is that most of the men I meet are either married or want younger women, so thats a little bit difficult. I have to capture them and take them home, tie them up and put them in a room and then abuse them SEXUALLY.

© Cover Media

[kueytoc]

ALAMAK !!!...Game Over liao

Ex-Taekwondo CHAMP fined for PIMPING

By Angela Lim | SingaporeScene Mon, Mar 21, 2011 12:03 PM SGT

Once, he was a taekwondo champion, bagging a gold medal for Singapore at the 1993 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

But for Wong Jing Ching, the fall from grace has been painful.

On Feb 25, 40-year-old Wong was fined S$29,000 for introducing customers to Uzbekistani prostitutes and bribing two security officers of a hotel to turn a blind eye to the activities.

He was caught last June and faced charges for taking a cut from the prostitutes' fees for every customer he brought them and for being a contact point for the prostitutes.

Wong's wife, Shirinbekova Yelean, 23, who is also from Uzbekistan, pleaded guilty to helping him and was fined S$8,000.

Wong, who was so proud of his achievement that he added an alias in his identity card -- Patrick Champion Wong -- may never relive his glory days.

Going in and out of training, he took part in local tournaments and set up a business. He even worked briefly as a bodyguard in 2007.

But last year, he became a pimp, bringing in women from Uzbekistan, paying off security guards to keep his women at a hotel.

His voice quivering and tears welling up in his eyes, Wong told The New Paper, "People are... saying that I'm a disgrace to Singapore."

"Do they know how much I have sacrificed and suffered for taekwondo? I don't deny that I have made a big mistake in my life. The law has given me a chance, God has given me a chance. Now why can't Singaporeans give me a chance?"

Wong revealed that after he was charged in court last year, he would often quarrel with his wife, blaming each other for breaking the law.

He said his friends began avoiding his calls and stayed away from him when news of his crime broke in the media in January.

Wong, who has a 19-month-old daughter, stopped taking his family out.

He said the only place they would go to as a family was to his parents' home for dinner in the evenings.

At first, he was too ashamed to face his parents, but his parents showed him love and support which he said helped him get through the tough times.

The former national athlete was so proud of his achievements in taekwondo that he would display his medals inside his car.

But since his appearance in court last year, Wong has removed those items from his car.

"My life is gone now. Do you know that taekwondo is my life? Now that I have a daughter, I should be so proud to tell her that her daddy was a gold medalist in taekwondo. I wanted to teach her taekwondo when she grows older. Now I don't think I will do that anymore," he said.

"I will not mention anything about taekwondo that will link her back to this incident."

He said he has learnt from his mistake adding,"I... made a mistake and I have paid my dues. It has nothing to do with taekwondo. It was a moment of folly... I am paying for it with my life now. I can no longer fulfill my dream in taekwon-do."

In 2007, Wong became a bodyguard for a client and he met his Uzbekistani wife on one of his work trips to Malaysia.

"She was there on holiday... She was attractive and caught my eye. We exchanged numbers and kept in touch," Wong reminisced.

Later, he invited her to Singapore for a holiday and developed their relationship further. The couple registered their marriage here in 2009.

"At night, it is my wife who puts my daughter to bed, and I wake her up in the mornings... I love to play with her. My daughter is very close to us because we spend a lot of time with her every day," he said.

"We want to put the past behind us. I will work hard and provide the best for my family."

Wong is also ashamed of the pain he has caused the Singapore Taekwondo Federation.

A self-professed taekwondo fanatic, Wong was determined to be a champion despite being beaten during his first SEA Games selection trials in 1988.

He said his coach Lim Teong Chin gave him two options then.

"My coach told me: You either quit taekwondo now, or you become unbeatable."

Wong quit school to dedicate all his time to taekwondo. He trained seven days a week and more than 12 hours a day.

"I would wake up at 5am to run and do my weights training at the gym before practising my kicks in the afternoons. In the evenings, there would be the national squad training. After that, I would go running again," he recalled.

He added, "I wanted to be the fastest player..."

At the 1993 SEA Games, Wong beat his Malaysian opponent with his kicks. The score was 5-3, adding to the milestone year for taekwondo with the sport bagging five gold medals at the Games.

But in the 1995 SEA Games, Wong fractured his shin and had to undergo surgery to insert a metal plate into his shin.

He then left the sport to work as a flight steward.

He said, "I sat for the English paper at the GCE O Level exams only after I quit school. With a B3 in English, what can I do? I was hired because I was a former SEA Games Gold Medallist.

After working as a flight steward for seven years, Wong went on to operate pubs and karaoke lounges in 2003. Bent on making a comeback to the taekwondo scene, he sold off his businesses in 2010.

In 20o6, he came in third at the National Taekwondo Championships, second in 2007 and 2009, and clinched a bronze last year.

Wong had hopes of winning another gold medal for the country and for his daughter, but it seems that hope is gone for now.

[kueytoc]

ALAMAK !...casting MAGIC SPELLS !!!

MUM, DAUGHTERS made Healer's SEX SLAVES in M'sia

By News Desk in Kuala Lumpur/The Star | ANN – Wed, Mar 23, 2011 12:20 PM SGT

Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - A traditional healer in Pahang, Malaysia, raped three women and their mother under the guise of bringing religious knowledge to them, Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian reported.

The suspect first preyed on the mother, leading her to his house where he allegedly cast a spell on the woman in her 50s before sexually assaulting her.

He then told her he wanted to go to her house to pass on some religious material to her three daughters, in their 20s and 30s.

"The woman, apparently not conscious of what she was doing, followed his every bidding and brought him to her home near Rompin," district police chief Deputy Supt Johari Jahaya said, adding that the women became his sex slaves since January.

He said initial investigations showed that one of the daughters had been raped at least seven times by the suspect, who is believed to be practising a deviant religious belief.

The case came to light when the husband of one of the victims, who works in Johor Baru, went to look for his wife to find out why she had not returned to their home for several months.

On reaching his mother-in-law's house on March 15, the man saw the four women in a state of trance.

The suspect, who was at the house at that time, was overpowered in a scuffle that followed between the two men.

[kueytoc]

No Mean Feat !!!

US SUMO Wrestler becomes Heaviest Person in History to finish Marathon!

By ANI | ANI – Tue, Mar 22, 2011 2:33 PM SGT

London, March 22 (ANI): A sumo wrestler from the U.S. has broken the Guinness World Record for Heaviest Person to Complete a Marathon.

Kelly Gneiting, who calls himself the 'Fat Man', completed all 26 miles in record time.

Gneiting, from a Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona, weighed exactly 400lbs when he started the Los Angeles Marathon this weekend, but by the end he weighed just 396.2lbs.

The six-foot former sumo champ beat back torrential rain before crossing the finish line in 9 hours, 48 minutes and 42 seconds - beating his 2008 record of 11:52:11when he weighed 275lbs.

"I'd like to see the Kenyan improve his marathon time by two hours," the Daily Mail quoted him as telling the Los Angeles Times.

"I was really struggling in the last five miles, but I said to myself, 'If I have to crawl, I will," he added.

The 40-year-old was always confident about his chances.

[kueytoc]

M'sian SEX VIDEO Scandal: Who is Datuk T?

By News Desk in Kuala Lumpur/The Star | ANN – Wed, Mar 23, 2011 12:20 PM SGT

Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - The mysterious Datuk T has become a top talking point as the controversy over the sex video involving a man who resembles Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim rages on.

The Opposition Leader has denied he is the man in the 22-minute video and claimed that it was doctored. He blamed it on the Barisan Nasional government.

A day after the video emerged, political sources speculated that it was "an inside job".

In his press release, whistle-blower Datuk T had said that after the politician had left the hotel, "he (the politician) realised he had left behind his Omega watch in a room that he had occupied earlier."

Datuk T, a Malay man in his 50s, said he was "asked to search for the watch in the room", when he stumbled upon some electrical wiring as well as a video recorder containing the footage of the politician having sex with a woman.

However, it is not clear what prompted Datuk T to go public with the video. The popular theory is that he once belonged to the videoed politician's inner circle.

"He is obviously someone very trusted by the politician to carry out such a personal task (search for the watch)," one analyst said.

The bespectacled Datuk T signed off the press release as "The Insider", which gives further hint that he was, at some point, someone who knew of the politician's movements, habits and activities.

Political sources believe Datuk T could have fallen out with the politician, causing the former to turn against him.

In the press release, Datuk T said he would make available a copy of the video to the politician and his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). The whistle-blower has demanded that the duo quit politics within seven days, failing which he would call on several NGOs to set up an independent panel to investigate.

Media representatives were allowed to take turns individually to watch the video.

They included those from The Star, New Straits Times, Utusan Malaysia, Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, China Press, Oriental Daily, Kwong Wah Daily, Bernama and Harakah, the mouthpiece of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

Datuk T, who spoke impeccable English, pointed out the date and time on the footage to the newsmen who watched it closely to ascertain the identity of the man in the video.

The soft-spoken mystery man had four bodyguards with him. Two wore dark glasses. They used metal scanners to check reporters, who were then asked to wear robes over their attire before being allowed into the room.

The media has been unable to trace the identity of Datuk T or whether the person who spoke to them was in fact Datuk T.

Analysts said that, logically, the man in the video would know the identity of Datuk T if it was indeed true that Datuk T had been asked by him to collect the watch left behind in the hotel after having sex with the foreign prostitute.

Datuk T also showed a gold Omega watch to the journalists. The watch was carefully wrapped and he made sure that he left no fingerprints on it, telling reporters that "his (the politician's) wife would be able to recognise it."

When asked by reporters on Monday, Anwar said at a press conference that his Omega watch was with his wife.

[kueytoc]

Yes, SEX can kill you, US study shows

By Julie Steenhuysen | Reuters – Wed, Mar 23, 2011 4:14 AM SGT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Sudden bursts of moderate to intense physical activity -- such as jogging or having sex -- significantly increase the risk of having a heart attack, especially in people who do not get regular exercise, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

Doctors have long known that physical activity can cause serious heart problems, but the new study helps to quantify that risk, Dr. Issa Dahabreh of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The team analyzed data from 14 studies looking at the link between exercise, sex and the risk of heart attacks or sudden cardiac death -- a lethal heart rhythm that causes the heart to stop circulating blood.

They found people are 3.5 times more likely to get a heart attack or have sudden cardiac death when they are exercising compared to when they are not.

And they are 2.7 times more likely to get a heart attack when they are having sex or immediately afterward compared with when they are not. (These findings do not apply to sudden cardiac death because there were no studies looking at the link between sex and cardiac death.)

Jessica Paulus, another Tufts researcher who worked on the study, said the risk is fairly high as such studies go. But the period of increased risk is brief.

"These elevated risks are only for a short period of time (1 to 2 hours) during and after the physical or sexual activity," Paulus said in a telephone interview.

Because of that, the risk to individuals over the course of a year is still quite small, she said.

"If you take 1,000 people, each individual session of physical or sexual activity per week can be associated with an increase of 1 to 2 cases of heart attack or sudden cardiac death per year," Paulus said.

She said it is important to balance the findings with other studies showing that regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death by 30 percent.

"What we really don't want to do is for the public to walk away from this and think exercise is bad," she said.

What it does mean is that people who do not exercise regularly need to start any exercise program slowly, gradually increasing the intensity of the workout over time.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

[kueytoc]

Tombstone, Coffin found at Construction Site in Yishun

By farism | SingaporeScene – Wed, Mar 23, 2011 12:45 PM SGT

The discovery of a tombstone and coffin at a construction site in Yishun on Monday has some residents living in the area spooked.

Construction workers were excavating a site at the foot of Block 711, Yishun Avenue 5 when they made the grim findings. The construction works were part of the HDB's lift upgrading programme.

The tombstone indicated that the deceased, Madam Sim Seok Inn, died in 1971 at the age of 83. Some clothes were found buried near the coffin.

Some residents have expressed their alarm over the discovery of the tomb.

While there was nothing to worry about, Zali H M, 57, said he would still try to avoid the area. "I will walk away from the lift. Maybe walk around it," said the retiree.

However, the main question going through his mind and some of the other residents is: "Why is there even a coffin here?"

According to a spokesman for the National Environment Agency (NEA), the burial site of the tombstone "may have been where a cemetery was once sited and then exhumed for public housing development by the HDB in the late 70s to the early 80s".

"Upon completion of the investigation and the confirmation that the site is indeed within the cemetery, HDB will carry out the necessary exhumation with a permit from NEA," she added.

Still, other residents expressed their shock over the finding. Housewife and mother of two children Norasmah, 40, immediately asked, "Why didn't they find it when they built these flats?"

Her sister, a 34-year-old housewife who wanted to be known as Anita, felt that checks should be done to ensure that there are no more coffins left underground.

She added, "If you find one, there might be others. Something should be done to appease the spirit."

Team supervisor of the lift upgrading project, Mohan, 35, said that offerings were made after the discovery with joss sticks and candles seen at the site.

Other residents though were unfazed by the incident.

One of them was Steven Lim, 48, a swimming instructor who said, "She has been dead for so long, so what is there to be scared about?

"If there were to be any hauntings, it would have happened long time ago. Why wait until now?"

Wu You Jin, 65, echoed the sentiments above, saying in Mandarin, "As long as your conscience is clear, you have nothing to worry about."

A police spokesman confirmed that a call was received around 12:30pm on Monday about a tombstone and some coffin remains being found at a construction site. He added that the matter has since been referred to NEA for action.

In March 2007, heavy rain uncovered some 34,000 earthenware urns under a hill near Block 299 at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Ring Road. A marble memorial tower nearby indicated that it was a burial ground.

Most of the urns were then reburied while remains from the broken urns were put in new containers and placed in the hollow space under the plaque in the centre of the memorial tower.

[kueytoc]

NEWSFLASH - Elizabeth Taylor Dies

Cover Media Wed, Mar 23, 2011 8:00 AM SGT

Dame Elizabeth Taylor has died aged 79.

The screen icon had been suffering from ill health for some time. She passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles earlier this morning, where she had been cared for over the last two months.

According to reports the acting legend died of congestive heart failure.

Someone at the hospital Tuesday night says doctors knew at around 6pm that Taylor was dying, reports TMZ.

Further details of Elizabeths death were not available at the time of writing.

The actress was best known for appearing in movies such as Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She won Oscars for her roles in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and BUtterfield 8.

She was also renowned for her colourful private life, which saw her married eight times to seven different men. She wed Richard Burton twice, and often referred to him as the love of her life.

Elizabeth will reportedly be buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, next to her mother and father.

© Cover Media

[kueytoc]

Elizabeth Taylor: Violet-Eyed Movie Queen

AFP Relax – Wed, Mar 23, 2011 9:26 PM SGT

Elizabeth Taylor, who has died at the age of 79, was the archetypal Hollywood movie queen, a violet-eyed beauty known equally for her stormy romances and eight marriages as her Oscar-winning performances.

Over a five-decade career she won two Academy Awards for best actress, including in the 1966 classic "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" one of many films where she played opposite her two-times husband Richard Burton.

In later years as her health failed she retired from the public gaze, although she notably attended the 2009 funeral of her long-time friend Michael Jackson, while she remained active in raising funds to battle AIDS/HIV.

Born in London February 27, 1932, she was evacuated to California with her American parents in 1939, where she was soon discovered at her father's art gallery by the fiancee of the chairman of Universal Studios.

She debuted in 1942 in "There's One Born Every Minute," and by 1944 had become a child star with "National Velvet," the story of a girl who rides her horse to victory at the Grand National disguised as a boy.

"Before men, my great love was for animals, which I still have," Taylor would later say.

Schooled on the set, it wasn't long before her attention turned to men.

She married for the first time in 1950, aged 18, to playboy hotel chain heir Nicky Hilton. The marriage lasted 203 days, collapsing amid verbal and physical abuse after a lavish Hollywood wedding and a three-month European honeymoon.

Taylor moved on, and by 1952 she had tied the knot with British matinee idol Michael Wilding, 19 years her senior. They had two children, Michael Jr. and Christopher.

Though Taylor said Wilding gave her stability, it wasn't enough. She filed for divorce in 1956, and within days of the separation producer Michael Todd, 49, proposed.

Tough and domineering, he was Taylor's first great love. They had a daughter, Elizabeth Frances, in August 1957, but seven months later tragedy struck: Todd was killed in a plane crash in New Mexico.

Devastated, Taylor was accompanied at Todd's funeral by his best friend, singer Eddie Fisher, whose wife actress Debbie Reynolds stayed home in California to take care of Taylor's children.

From grieving widow to homewrecker, Taylor made a lightning change of roles, stealing Fisher from Reynolds in an affair that scandalized puritanical America.

They married in 1959, but the public outrage nearly killed Taylor's flourishing acting career.

She had just finished filming the Tennessee Williams classic "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958) with Paul Newman, and had already earned critical raves with "Giant" (1956), the Texas oil patch epic with Rock Hudson and James Dean.

But her flame only burned brighter. She made Tennessee Williams' "Suddenly Last Summer" in 1959 with Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift.

The following year, she won her first Oscar for best actress for her portrayal of a high-class call girl in "Butterfield 8." Taylor is said to have hated the movie.

Then came "Cleopatra" (1962) -- "surely the most bizarre piece of entertainment ever perpetrated," Taylor said of the production, at the time the most expensive in Hollywood history. Taylor was paid a record million dollars.

The movie flopped, but the Roman set was the backdrop for a sizzling love affair that made headlines around the world: Taylor and her leading man, Burton, who was married.

"Elizabeth looks at you with those eyes, and your blood churns," said Burton, a Shakesperean actor hailed as the next Lawrence Olivier.

They married in March 1964 in Montreal. By the time they were filming "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," the harrowing portrayal of a marriage torn by booze, bitterness and failure mirrored their own.

They divorced in June, 1974 and remarried in October of the following year in Botswana, only to divorce again in August, 1976. Before he died, Burton commented: "We never really split up -- and we never will."

The marriage left Taylor an alcoholic, and her career in decline. A seventh marriage to Virginia Senator John Warner, from 1976 to 1982, failed to cure the blues.

In and out of California's Betty Ford Clinic in the 1980s, she overcame her alcoholism and a dependence on painkillers and emerged as a champion in the cause of AIDS victims.

In 1991, she stunned the world by marrying husband No. 8: Larry Fortensky, a 40-year-old construction worker she met in rehab. They parted amicably three years later.

Taylor's health continued to deteriorate. In 1997, she underwent surgery to have a brain tumor removed and in 2006 she appeared on US television to deny rumors she had Alzheimer's disease.

In July 2008, she was hospitalized but her spokesman denied reports that she was close to death, while in 2009, she underwent heart surgery to repair a "leaky valve," tweeting afterwards: "It's like having a brand new ticker."

She was admitted to hospital in early February 2011 for "symptoms caused by congestive heart failure," an ongoing condition, said her publicist Sally Morrison.

jm-mt/ag

[kueytoc]

Cockpit Fraud: Fears grow over India's FAKE PILOTS

By Adam Plowright | AFP News – Thu, Mar 24, 2011 12:44 PM SGT

India's fake pilot scandal began unravelling when a female captain landed her packed airliner on the nose instead of the rear wheels as she touched down in the holiday hotspot of Goa.

Parminder Kaur Gulati, flying for the fastest-growing airline in the booming Indian sector, IndiGo, was investigated for the dangerous error in January and was found with falsified qualifications. She has since been fired and arrested.

The case set alarm bells ringing for passengers, anxious about the idea of a semi-trained fraud being responsible for their lives, and for airline bosses, who have been hiring crew at a furious pace in recent years.

It also cast a spotlight on a familiar problem in India, where corruption is widely seen as on the rise: most things, even qualifications for highly skilled jobs, can be bought at a price.

"It's as bad as doctors or surgeons who fake their certificates and put people's lives at risk," says Baijayant Panda, a member of parliament from the eastern state of Orissa.

"But it's not limited to aviation in India. In many fields, you have a lot of fakery going on," the lawmaker, seen as part of a new breed of young Indian politicians, told a debate show on NDTV television last week.

Since the discovery of Gulati, at least five other pilots have been arrested working for low-cost flier SpiceJet, national flag carrier Air India and smaller regional airline MDLR.

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is responsible for pilot examinations and granting licences, has announced it will look into the credentials of 4,000 commercial airline pilots.

More arrests are expected.

Amid rising anxiety, attention has focused on a small school in the arid west of the country, the Rajasthan State Flying School, which has been running for the last 10 years.

Two of its alumni, working for SpiceJet, were arrested on Monday.

"A pilot needs to have completed a minimum 200 hours of flying to get a licence. Several of the pilots from there had only completed 50-60 hours," Umesh Mishra, from Rajasthan's anti-corruption bureau, told AFP.

Police built a case against the school and its graduates by checking the logbooks of the instructors responsible for certifying that trainees have completed supervised hours at the controls of a plane.

"We checked those records against the records kept by the air traffic control authorities in Rajasthan and found that some of these flights never took place," Mishra said.

Police began looking into the school after being approached by someone who alleged that they had paid a million rupees (22,000 dollars) to the chief instructor, who never granted a licence.

The DGCA, which the airlines blame for the licence debacle, has promised a probe into 40 schools around the country "to find out if there are any irregularities in their functioning."

"A special team will be constituted to complete the audit in three months and bring the truth out," DGCA chief E.K. Bharatbhushan promised on Tuesday.

The parliamentarian Panda, who holds flying licences in three countries -- India, South Africa and the United States -- believes the problem is systemic: suffocating red tape provides the opportunity for bribes.

"The DGCA has become a humongous bureaucracy and the red tape involved is phenomenal," he said. "Even genuine pilots, it takes them months and sometimes years to clear the process.

"This incentivises people to go to touts who say 'why go through the genuine process? I'll fix it for you'."

It's a pattern repeated across the country, where bribes are frequently paid for driving licences, passports, ration cards for subsidised food, university degrees or even doctor's certificates.

Last year, the head of the Medical Council of India, which is responsible for certifying medical qualifications, was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of 20 million rupees to recognise a medical college.

Ketan Desai, along with two other doctors and a suspected tout, await trial.

T.R. Raghunandan, who set up IPaidABribe.com, an online forum for citizens to vent their frustration about corruption, says that bribes paid for education certificates are part of life in India.

The implication is widely understood by companies and recruitment agencies, who face a difficult task in verifying the qualifications and experience claimed by job candidates.

"Flying schools are meant to be monitored by the DGCA. What is the DGCA doing? They are themselves so corrupt," the retired civil servant told AFP.

[kueytoc]

'Winning GRC will be Psychological BLOW to PAP'

By Alicia Wong | SingaporeScene – Fri, Mar 25, 2011 2:08 AM SGT

Opposition veteran Chiam See Tong says capturing a group representation constituency (GRC) at the upcoming General Elections will be a "big psychological blow" to the People's Action Party.

It would show that the GRC is "no longer an impregnable fortress," said the MP for Potong Pasir.

Speaking to the media at his Meet-the-People session on Thursday night, Chiam, 76, was responding to Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng's comments on Wednesday. DPM Wong questioned the opposition parties' motives for wanting to win a GRC in the next GE.

"Some say, well, we want to do that for renewal, and there are others who say, well, they want to be the first one to break through into a GRC and win a GRC," said DPM Wong.

But this should not be what the election is about, said the DPM..

Said Chiam, "We're not that small-minded. Any step that the Opposition does that's against the ruling party, I think that's one step forward for the voters."

To DPM Wong's call to reveal their candidates and not short-change voters, Chiam responded, most Singaporeans already know the Opposition candidates.

"(The) Opposition likes to talk a lot, they inadvertently reveal the names of the candidates," he said, adding that he announced his candidacy for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC a year ago.

As for the rest of his team, Chiam said, "You'll know when the time comes."

He is currently in talks with other opposition parties, "and we're going to have a team when the time comes".

Chiam, who maintained he is fit enough to contest in the coming GE, also spoke of his sportsman background during his school days and shared his current exercise regime.

He has a trainer who goes to his home once a week, and he cycles half an hour daily. He also follows his wife, Lina Chiam, on her visits around Potong Pasir.

"Of course, I'm not 100 per cent fit, there's still remnants of the stroke which I suffered, but I can manage, I'm certain of that," he said.

[kueytoc]

Vonnie Lui: "NOTHING UNDERNEATH!"

Cinema Online Fri, Mar 25, 2011 3:20 AM SGT

25 Mar: Busty Hong Kong P.O.R.N. star Vonnie Lui Hoi Yan replied that she "wasn't wearing anything underneath" when it was pointed out that she wasn't dressed sexily enough for a "3D Sex And Zen: Extreme Ecstasy" press conference at the Film and Television Market (FILMART) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai earlier this week.

She plays the Elder of Bliss in the upcoming Category III flick, also starring Japanese pornstars Yukiko Suo and Saori Hara.

Lui said: "In the movie I'm a SEX Expert but in real life I can barely meet my boyfriend's needs. I sure do learn from watching videos. I have seen Saori Hara and Yukiko Suo's work. I feel Saori Hara's eyes are very attractive. Although I'm a woman, I'm attracted to her! In comparison to them, I'm definitely just a rookie."

Earlier in the month, the 27-year-old "Slim Till Dead" and "Love Education" starlet was involved in an eye-popping promotion for the new 3D porno she was at an event which sold peculiar mouse pads featuring her image and also tangible 2D pop-up breasts, fashioned in her likeness.

Recently, she also claimed she has lost her iPhone 4 and about 100 explicit photos that were in it, all of which are being forwarded around the world on the Internet, according to Sohu and Apple Daily.

[kueytoc]

Chinese Man left in a pickle after $4,000 SALT Spree

By Sui-Lee Wee | Reuters – Fri, Mar 25, 2011 1:36 PM SGT

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese man who bought 6.5 tonnes of salt, hoping to profit from panic buying spurred by fears of radiation from Japan, is now stuck with the $4,000 worth of the condiment, state media reported on Friday.

The man, surnamed Guo, bought the salt in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, when rumours spread across China last week that the iodine in salt could help ward off radiation sickness, the China Daily reported on Friday.

Salt prices jumped on the rumours, and, acting on a tip that there would be a supply shortage lasting at least six months, Guo bought 260 bags of salt, which he took back to his apartment in three trucks.

A few days later, the Chinese government urged consumers to stop the panic buying, saying residents will not be exposed to radiation from Japan's quake-damaged nuclear plant, causing a sharp drop in the price of salt.

Guo is now stuck with the salt, which the newspaper said takes up more than half his apartment and had cost him 27,000 yuan ($4,100) to buy and transport.

The newspaper said Guo can't resell the goods, because he has no receipt and also because he was told it was illegal to do so. He also can't take it to another province, as the government strictly controls salt transport.

(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Ken Wills and Miral Fahmy)

[kueytoc]

Debbie Harry: Surgery is Fine

Cover Media – Sat, Mar 26, 2011 9:00 AM SGT

Debbie Harry thinks people should be more open about plastic surgery.

The 65-year-old singer-songwriter is best known for being the front woman of iconic rock group Blondie, who first achieved success in the 70s.

The blonde star – who is famed for her edgy style – says people should be encouraged to be more open about surgical procedures since so many celebrities are having work done. She had a facelift in the past, and doesn’t understand why some people look down on the idea.

“Oh sure, I think a lot of people are open about that now. I mean, look how beautiful Cher looks. She looks absolutely stunning. Joan Rivers is so outrageously funny about it and yet she looks cute and feels good. She’s in her 70s she looks fantastic and she has a great time. It makes her feel good,” she told Grazia magazine.

Debbie claimed the procedure she had was for “business reasons” when she first spoke about it. The former frontwoman is so pleased with her appearance she would consider having it done again, although she does partake in exercise too.

“I think so. I don’t know how much more I could do. But I seem to be holding up pretty well,” she revealed, when asked if she’d think about going under the knife again. “I train. I have a great trainer and he gives me a hard time. He’s so brilliant. We do a lot of core work. Loosening up joints, balance.”

© Cover Media

Any TOY-BOY out there ???

Debbie Harry: I can’t find a MAN

Cover Media – Tue, Mar 22, 2011 2:30 PM SGT

Debbie Harry wishes she could meet her Mr. Right, but fears she will have to visit a morgue to find someone.

The singer made her name as the frontwoman of Blonde in the 70s achieving success with hits such as The Tide is High and Heart of Glass. The 65-year-old is widely regarded as one of the sexiest women ever to front a band and she is currently single. Debbie – who previously dated Blondie guitarist Chris Stein - would like to find a guy to settle down with, but claims she may have to resort to drastic measures.

“I’d love to be in a good relationship, but I think I’ll have to go to the morgue to find somebody…” she said in an interview with Grazia. “I do date – it’s a horrible process. But I don’t have a fella – that’s why I keep having to tie them up and put them in my room.”

Debbie says she is still in great shape and her health is good. Even though she feels happy with appearance, she finds it disappointing when men she finds attractive are already taken or more interested in dating younger women.

However, Debbie is determined to continue her search for a suitable partner.

“I actually do feel pretty good. A lot of things have really come together for me. I enjoy what I do more, because I’m more relaxed about it,” she explained. “I think I enjoy reasonably good health. The only thing that is bad for me is that most of the men I meet are either married or want younger women, so that’s a little bit difficult. I have to capture them and take them home, tie them up and put them in a room and then abuse them SEXUALLY.”

© Cover Media

[kueytoc]

'Jimmy Eat World' Can Still Rock

Sunday March 20, 2011 10:34 pm PDT

Ahead of the Arizonian punk/alternative rock foursome‘s tour date here, vocalist-guitarist Jim Adkins tells I-S magazine about life in the band.

Where are you now, and what have you been up to?

At the moment I'm in Arizona. Been up to a whole lot of nothing really. Kind of taking care of all the stuff that we missed out on when we were on tour - catching up with friends, taking kids out to baseball practice - things like that.

What's the weirdest thing that's happened to you while on tour?

We got into the after-party for the MTV Music Awards in Europe and we got to meet Jimmy Page. It was a very brief meeting and he was great and all, but I doubt he would remember. You know, close human contact with Jimmy Page - that was exciting, weird and "wow." It must have been in 2004 or 2005.

What's the craziest audience you've performed for so far?

We played a show once in Laguna, Montana - which was a very small city in the middle of nowhere, and we played at this really nice place - really old seats, old theater, and I wasn't expecting much. But it was definitely one of the rowdiest crowds I've ever seen - people were moshing and crowd surfing. I don't know how it was even possible because there were seats everywhere. People were just hell-bent on going crazy.

Best part about being in Jimmy Eat World?

I think just being able to play music for this long is probably the best thing. We realize that it's a fragile thing, you know, not everyone gets the chance to do what they want to do every day. And we're really grateful for that, that we've been able to do that for a while now.

And the worst part?

I think now that our kids are getting a little bit older - the drummer and I both have kids - it's a little bit tough when we're gone for a really long time for work. I think that's probably the worst part. It's a mixed blessing that we get to go for tours that last for a long time, but it's also suffering, to be touring for so long and there're a lot of things happening.

If you woke up tomorrow and found that you've lost your voice, what would you do?

I'd start an instrumental band. You know, I don't have any illusions ... I'm pretty certain that I won't be playing in a rock ‘n' roll band forever. But I know I'll be doing something with music, you know, until I have absolutely no physical capacity to do so.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you change?

I'd probably pick a different band name.

What would it be?

I don't know, anything. Some one-syllable thing so that no one would ever ask us how we got our name.

Message for your fans?

We're really excited to come and play! Performing in new places has always been an important thing for us.

Catch Jimmy Eat World Live in Singapore for the first time on Apr 1, 8pm at The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa, 6577-8899. $115-140 from Sistic.

[kueytoc]

S’porean Drug Convict’s Family tries to raise S$50k

By Angela Lim | SingaporeScene – Thu, Mar 24, 2011 5:44 PM SGT

More than two years ago, Noor Atiqah M. Lasi's family feared she was killed in a car accident when she did not contact them after leaving on a business trip.

What they didn't know was that the Singaporean had been arrested in January 2009 for drug trafficking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Last Friday, Noor Atiqah, now 27, was sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court for trafficking 342.1g of heroin and 30.3g of monoacethylmorphine.

Her family, distraught, is now struggling to raise S$50,000 to get more legal advice.

Together with their close friends, Noor Atiqah's sister, Edayu M. Lasim, 31, and brother, Zainal M. Lasim, 37, set up a website on Tuesday to appeal for donations, The Straits Times reported.

The family is seeking a second opinion on the case from a Singapore lawyer, even though Mohaji Selamat -- the Malaysian lawyer who was representing Noor Atiqah -- had filed an appeal on the day she was sentenced.

Mohaji had told the family that he was confident of winning the case, said a close family friend, Mohammad Faizal Abdullah, 31.

"Now we are just trying to focus on how to help her -- the lawyer told us that it will take nearly a year to process her appeal," he said.

The family insists Noor Atiqah, the youngest of four children, is innocent.

In order to raise the funds needed to consult with another lawyer, the family are planning to raise money by selling clothes and snacks at a flea market stall in Hougang on Sunday.

They have raised S$700 so far.

Noor Atiqah was arrested at Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Carrier Terminal on 5 Jan 2009, after immigration officials found a packet containing the drugs sewed into the back flap of the blue trolley luggage she was carrying during security checks.

She is now held in Dengkil Prison in Sepang, where she communicates with her family by phone once a week for 30 minutes each time. The single mother is unmarried and has a six-year-old daughter.

According to her family, Noor Atiqah, who was an events planner, had travelled to Kuala Lumpur on 26 Dec 2008 with a male friend named Azam to celebrate New Year's Day.

During her time there, she was approached by a man named Frank whom she had met during her previous business trips to Shenzhen and China.

According to court documents, Frank had asked her to collect samples of imitation clothing from Shenzhen back into Malaysia.

He promised her S$632 when she reached Shenzhen and gave her a total of S$293 for her expenses in Malaysia. Upon agreement, she was given an AirAsia ticket on Jan 3, 2009 by a Ghanaian man known as Emeka. He also passed her a bag for storing the samples, which was later found to contain the drugs.

Emeka is reportedly acquitted of charges related to the case, but is in custody for other offences.

Nor Atiqah's family maintains that she was unwittingly lured into a drug ring by her Nigerian boyfriend Valentine, who introduced her to Frank.

They said she met Valentine at a club in Clarke Quay in August 2008. Her family was not able to contact him after the incident despite repeated attempts.

"We just want her to come back. She has already missed two of her daughter's birthdays, her only wish is to be there for the next one," said Madam Edayu.

[kueytoc]

Wah K.N.N.!!!...still can go HOLIDAYS !!!

Top surgeon ‘threatened’ MFA: counsel

By Elena Torrijos | SingaporeScene – Tue, Mar 29, 2011 11:33 AM SGT

Prominent surgeon Susan Lim wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) saying that to defend herself properly she would have to expose information that could cause "unnecessary embarrassment" to Brunei and affect ties between the country and Singapore if a disciplinary hearing against her proceeded, the High Court heard on Monday.

Dr Lim's letter dated 1 March 2010 and addressed to Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo was presented yesterday to the High Court, which will have to decide whether the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) can set up a second disciplinary hearing against her regarding the fees she charged a patient, the cousin of Brunei's Sultan and sister of his queen.

SMC's lawyer, senior counsel Alvin Yeo, told the High Court that the letter amounted to Dr Lim "threatening" Minister Yeo and was another attempt by her to "subvert the legal process", according to The Straits Times.

In the letter, Dr Lim said that "some of the facts that may cast a negative light on Brunei" include the medical condition of the patient and the "apparently inconsistent relationship between the Ministry of Health, Brunei, the Royal Family and the patient's family".

She also claimed that there had been "extraordinary and often unreasonable demands placed on me by the patient and the Royal Family, including significant out-of-pocket expenses I was made to bear... including the cost of a private air-charter to transport the patient to Brunei which I personally paid for", TODAY reported.

Pengiran Damit, who had breast cancer, was Dr Lim's patient from 2001 until her death in 2007. Last month, the news broke that Dr Lim charged her $26 million for the period January to July 2007, but later slashed the fee to just over $3 million.

In a letter of reply dated 16 March last year, the MFA said it had taken note of Dr Lim's letter and that the it "is not in a position to intervene in an ongoing legal process".

Dr Lim, who is facing 94 charges of professional misconduct by the Ministry of Health, also wrote to the chairman of the second disciplinary committee formed by the SMC to look into the complaint of overcharging against her.

Yeo told the High Court that in the letter Dr Lim sought to raise "ridiculous assertions of purported personal or professional conflict of interest against" the chairman.

Earlier, the High Court heard that Dr Lim allegedly marked up bills of third-party doctors by as much as 500 times, allegations that Dr Lim's lawyer, senior counsel Lee Eng Beng, described on Monday as "false and mischievous".

The reading of the bills were taken out of context and should include other services provided at the time, Lee contended. He also questioned SMC's lack of a benchmark to determine a case of overcharging.

Meanwhile, as the hearings were being held, Lim herself was away travelling in the U.S. and Europe.

According to Dr Lim's husband, banker Deepak Sharma, she attended a medical conference in San Francisco before going on a private trip to a high-end ski resort in Courchevel, France, where she joined her two daughters, aged 19 and 21, The New Paper reported.

On 20 March, she said on her Twitter page that was "starting the yearly pilgrimage up the mountain from Moutiers to Courchevel to enjoy the freshness of spring skiing."

On 19 March, she said she had an "exhausting day at the shops in Geneve with my teenage daughters before hitting the slopes".

On 25 March, she tweeted, "Let not an honest citizen be trampled upon by public authorities when their injustice and irregularities are exposed."

She had been expected to fly back to Singapore yesterday.

[kueytoc]

Aiyoh !...MALU lah

NSman with MAID carrying his BACKPACK sparks debate

By Angela Lim | SingaporeScene Mon, Mar 28, 2011 7:45 PM SGT

He's in the army, but she's the one carrying the backpack.

A series of photographs making its rounds on the Internet has generated much debate about whether Gen Y soldiers in Singapore are too "soft" and "spoilt".

The photos which were taken off Facebook and posted on The Straits Times' online portal Stomp features a young man, fully decked out in army fatigues, with his maid trailing behind him carrying his large backpack.

The full pack the maid was carrying looks to be the newer type, which is bigger and has more compartments compared to older variations.

The contributor claimed that the photos had been taken in the area around Tanah Merah MRT.

Disgusted netizens began sharing the photos on social networking site Facebook and on online forums like hardwarezone.com.sg, triggering debate on whether the youth these days are too pampered.

Most were critical of the soldier, calling him "lazy" and "spoilt". Some even said he "tarnished the image of Singapore".

Others we more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, saying he could have been injured and needed help with his heavy backpack.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman told the paper, "The SAF takes a serious view of the conduct of its servicemen in public."

She added that the SAF is looking into the matter and will take appropriate action.

Ex-NS men and NSFs who spoke to Yahoo! Singapore held differing views on the matter.

25-year-old Kelvin Wong, who completed his army stint in 2006, said, "This photo is just ridiculous. It's hard to believe that a grown man who is supposed to be serving the nation is making his female domestic help carry his backpack."

"He's a disgrace to the army and makes Singaporean men look bad," he added.

23-year-old Karl Mak, who finished his stint in 2008, said, "He's probably a spoilt kid who had his bag carried by his maid since he was a child. I guess stuff like that is cultivated from a young age."

A former army officer who only wanted to be known as Jonathan, was more amused than disgusted.

The 28-year-old said, "When I first saw the photo, I thought it was funny. I've never come across such a scenario before and I don't think it's at all representative of our generation. In the army, we trained recruits to take responsibility for themselves."

"Anyway, it's possible he had a shoulder injury and needed help with his bag. It's not a big deal and we shouldn't generalise this to the mentality of youths these days."