STORY TO BE TOLD

Jumaat Februari 25, 2011
Shahir Disyaki Sakit Kanser Hati

Oleh FERIDE HIKMET ATAK

KUALA LUMPUR: Bekas juara Akademi Fantasia 8 (AF8), Ahmad Shahir Zawawi atau Shahir, dipercayai menghidap kanser hati selepas dia membuat pemeriksaan kesihatan pada tahun lalu.

Menurut Shahir, penyakitnya itu dikesan selepas sampel darahnya melalui sembilan jenis ujian dan salah satu hasil ujian mendapati bahagian hati Shahir mengalami masalah.

"Ketika itu saya ditahan di wad Hospital Az-Zahra, Bangi, Selangor selama dua hari akibat tekanan darah rendah. Tak sangka pula selepas membuat ujian, keputusan itu pula yang saya peroleh.

"Bagaimanapun, saya telah membuat ujian darah yang sama di hospital lain untuk mendapatkan pengesahan sebenar tentang penyakit tersebut dan Alhamdulillah, selepas diperiksa, penyakit saya ini belum sampai ke tahap serius.

"Mungkin kerana masalah pemakanan serta tekanan membuatkan kesan terhadap hati saya. Setakat ini saya masih lagi membuat pemeriksaan lanjutan dan keputusan baru akan diketahui pada minggu depan," katanya.

Tambah Shahir, gara-gara penyakit tersebut, dia mengambil langkah untuk berehat seketika daripada sebarang publisiti serta persembahan nyanyian pada tahun lalu.

"Bila saya perlukan ruang untuk berehat, timbul pula cerita yang saya tidak berdisiplin dan menghilangkan diri, semua itu adalah tidak benar.

"Sampaikan saya terpaksa menunjukkan surat doktor kepada beberapa pihak untuk memberikan penjelasan kerana saya enggan menimbulkan spekulasi," ujarnya.

Walaupun terpaksa bergelut dengan penyakit dan kontroversi, Shahir menerima keadaan itu seadanya memandangkan dia faham, sebagai seorang selebriti, pelbagai dugaan yang perlu ditempuh.

Pada hujung tahun lalu, penyanyi yang popular dengan lagu Kebahagiaan Dalam Perpisahan itu dikatakan mula menghadapi masalah disiplin apabila beberapa sesi fotografi yang telah diatur dibatalkan pada saat-saat akhir.

Malah dia juga gagal hadir semasa sesi mencabut nombor giliran sempena Anugerah Juara Lagu ke 25 (AJL25) anjuran TV3 selain tidak muncul dalam Konsert Ria 2010 di I-City, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Bagaimanapun, ibunya, Mahanum Osman, berkata kesihatan penyanyi itu agak terganggu dan dia memerlukan masa untuk menenangkan fikiran di kampungnya.

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US beauty queen is homeless

Miss Colorado USA Blair Griffith is a modern day Cinderella.

She has become the latest victim of the economic downturn - she is homeless and faces losing her day job, months before vying to be crowned Miss USA.

AFP reports that Griffith and her mother have been living with a family friend since being evicted last November, after her father died and her mother suffered a heart attack.

She had only been crowned the previous month.

"It was a difficult thing to go through to sit there and go, 'Where are we going to go now?'" the 23-year-old told local 9news TV station.

Her troubles started nine years ago, when her father Gary died of cancer.

"I was sad. But I said, 'I can't spend my time being so sad about it because I know my dad,'" she said. "He wanted to see so much out of me."

Griffith won Miss Colorado Teen USA in 2006 on her fourth try - but then three years ago her mother Bonita had a heart attack, leading to major surgery which tested the family's finances.

"Financially, it became difficult for us," said Griffith, a magna cum laude graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado. Then, as well losing her home, she is losing her job at a local branch of Saks Fifth Avenue, which is closing in March.

"You do sit there and go, 'Oh gosh, not again.' But at the same time I think it's almost like a test .. to see if you can handle it, and what will you make out of your situation."

Her next target is the national Miss USA title, to be decided at a pageant in Las Vegas on June 19.

Source: The Straits Times/ANN
Published Feb 24 2011

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Five years jail for umbrella thief

Thousands of criminal records detailing the harsh punishments handed our to female convicts in Victorian times will be published online for the first time.

Family history website, Ancestry.co.uk is publishing more than 4,400 criminal records and 500 mugshots in its collection, which included one woman who received a five year sentence for stealing an umbrella.

They provide an astonishing insight into the way justice was done at the time, and indicted that gender and the offence committed was no barrier to the full force of the law.

Women and young girls featured in the records include Mary Richards, who was jailed for five years in 1880 at the age 59 for stealing 130 oysters valued at eight shillings.

Another tells of Dorcas Mary Snell, 45, who was sentenced to five years of imprisonment with hard labour in 1883 for the theft of a single piece of bacon, although she was paroled two years later.

Elizabeth Murphy, who stole the umbrella, received a five years of hard labour in 1884 and seven years of police supervision.

She served three years of her sentence before receiving parole in 1887.
Source: The Daily Mail

Published Feb 25 2011

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A cat that predicts death?

A cat in New England has predicted the deaths of more than 50 patients at a nursing home, reports The Sun.

When the cat, Oscar, believes a patient is about to pass away, it sits next to the patient, who then passes away within 24 hours.

Before the patient passes on, his or her family is called to say goodbye and sometimes a priest gives the last rites.

Many elderly residents at the home suffer from dementia and are probably not aware of the significance of Oscar's visit.

Dr David Dosa , from the nursing home, thinks Oscar's ability has something to do with his sense of smell.

He said, "As cells die, carbohydrates are degraded to many different oxygenated compounds including various ketones - chemical mixtures with a fragrant aroma. Could it be Oscar smells an elevated level of a chemical compound released prior to death?"

Dr Dosa has watched Oscar doing his rounds on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre for more than five years.

He has just written a book about Oscar's special powers which has now been adapted for a Hollywood film.
Source: The Sun

Published Feb 25 2011

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Reporter burned to death, wife arrested

The wife of a Vietnamese investigative journalist, who died after being set on fire, has been arrested for murdering her husband.

Tran Thuy Lieu, the wife of Le Hoang Hung, 51, an investigative journalist with the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, has been in police custody since Sunday.

According to state media, police investigations showed that Tran, 40, had gambled frequently and had been arguing with her husband over money.

She was brought to a police station where she aconfessed to killing Hung, said Lt. Col. Pham Van Tien, chief investigator of Long An provincial police.

Media groups had earlier expressed fears that Le had been killed for his reporting of official wrongdoing.

Le, who had been investigating smuggling rackets and corruption, was doused with petrol and set on fire while he slept in an attack at his home on 19 January.

He died Jan. 29 after 10 days of treatment for third-degree burns covering 20 percent of his body.

According reports Tran had gambling debts of up to US$47,000 (RM144,122) traced to 22 trips to Cambodia in December.

The Local media has also reported that she had urged her husband to sell their house in Tan An town but Le did not agree to the idea.

Describing the incident at the time of the attack, Vietnam's Dantri.com had quoted Tran, as saying: "The whole family was sleeping, and all of a sudden I heard my husband screaming ."

"Just then, he smashed through the door with his body fully engulfed in flames. We rushed to get water to throw on him in an attempt to put out the fire."


Source: Agencies

Published Feb 24 2011


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No rise in prices of RON95 and diesel

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will maintain the current fuel price for RON95 at RM1.90 and diesel at RM1.80 despite the escalating global oil price, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

It will instead discuss with the Finance Ministry about alternatives to cushion the increase, he said.

“The Government will retain current prices and look at other options or alternatives even if the Government’s load increases.

“So far, the situation can be handled without raising the price of RON95 and diesel,” he told reporters after announcing Bank Rakyat’s annual financial results here yesterday.

He said the budget allocated for subsidy this year was RM10.3bil and if the price trend continued, this could reach up to RM14bil.

The RM10.3bil subsidy covers RON95, diesel, LPG, sugar, rice and cooking oil.

Last December, the prices of RON95 and diesel were increased five sen to RM1.90 and RM1.80 per litre respectively.

On the alternatives being looked at, he said there would be a review on the petrol and diesel quotas received by certain parties. —Bernama


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Family spared double tragedy
By CHITRA S. NATHAN
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

SEREMBAN: The family of an accident victim who died on Tuesday morning was spared a double tragedy when his widow was rushed to the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital here in time after she swallowed 20 sleeping pills.

Lee Kah Mun, 25, swallowed the pills after returning home from her husband Chin Hee Soon’s funeral at 11am yesterday.

A family friend said Lee, who had given birth to her firstborn a week ago, had gone to take a nap.

“Family members checked on her a little while later and were shocked to see an empty bottle of pills on her bedside table.

“They immediately rushed her to the hospital. She was still conscious,” he said.

The family friend, who declined to be named, said Lee had been noticeably distraught.

“Her husband’s death was a shock to her,” he said.

When met at the hospital, Temiang Barisan Nasional service centre co-ordinator Jason Lee said it was fortunate that the young woman’s life was saved.

In a press conference on Wed­nesday, Chin’s family told reporters they were upset about having to learn of his death from a funeral parlour operator despite the fact that the 26-year-old accident victim had been warded for almost a day.

Karaoke centre manager Chin was on his way back home from work in Kuala Lumpur when he was involved in an accident on the North-South Expressway near Nilai at around 7.50am on Monday morning.

He was taken to the hospital but the family said they were not notified of the accident.

Hospital director Dr Jaafar Che Mat claimed that it was not hospital procedure to divulge a victim’s information to a third party (funeral parlour operator).

He said the hospital would contact the family first and if that was not possible, the police would be informed.

Jason has also submitted a request to Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai on Wednesday to investigate the matter.

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Coffin too big, so woman cannot be cremated

A plus-sized woman who died on Tuesday afternoon could not be cremated as her body could not fit into the furnace, which could only handle coffins with a width of up to 71cm, the mainstream Chinese papers reported.

The custom-made casket of the Malaysian, who died at Singapore’s Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, was 92cm wide, which was almost double the size of a normal 50cm-wide coffin, said the reports in Sin Chew Daily, China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau.

The dailies reported that Annie Tan, 43, had been suffering hormonal disorder for the past six months and her weight increased from 160kg to 230kg by the time she passed away.

Her sister said Tan was admitted to the hospital last month after experiencing breathing difficulties.

Doctor inserted a tube through her throat but she later suffered lung, heart, kidneys and stomach infections.

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Nicholas Teo talks about his passion for helping children
by Jacob Achoi. Posted on February 25, 2011, Friday

KUCHING: Kuching-born Taiwanese music star Nicholas Teo made an impassioned plea for children and communities in need during a session here about his work with World Vision on Wednesday evening.

Teo, who has been a World Vision child sponsor since 2007, shared about his visits to World Vision projects in Vietnam last year, particularly his unforgettable encounter with his sponsored child Thuy BUI.

He was impressed by the strength and resilience of the people in spite of their difficult situations.

“As the trip progressed, this particular thought kept pressing on my mind — that we are one shared humanity, you and me, no matter who we are, where we are from, what we believe or what we have.

“Therefore, it is a duty for those of us who have to lend a helping hand to those who have not. Just because we are not affected by poverty does not mean that we shouldn’t care. It is our responsibility to help another human being to thrive,” he said.

If everyone with the means make a conscious decision to help those who cannot help themselves, he said, the world would be a better and brighter place for all.

Teo currently sponsors six children – aged four to 15 in Vietnam, China, South Africa, Indonesia and India — under World Vision’s International
Child Sponsorship programme.

World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

The international humanitarian organisation serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

Through its international Child Sponsorship Programme, World Vision provides a means through which Malaysians can give a hand up to children living in poor communities by giving them access to basic education, healthcare, infrastructure and services, as well as nutrition.

As part of its on-going initiatives to advocate for the poor, World Vision Malaysia has embarked on a special campaign themed ‘Change A Life, Change
Your Own’ throughout Malaysia.

The campaign highlights how Malaysians from diverse backgrounds are bringing lasting changes and hope to the lives of people in other parts of the world through World Vision’s Child Sponsorship Programme.

“Through our campaign, we hope to underscore the fact that regardless of our backgrounds, our hopes and visions can be reached if we work together and help each other,” said World Vision Malaysia CEO Liew Tong Ngan.

“And, as an organisation, World Vision is dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.”

The World Vision International Child Sponsorship Programme is a long-term programme aimed at helping children and their communities break the vicious cycle of poverty.

Under the programme, Malaysians can choose to sponsor a child for RM50 per month.

The money will be pooled together with those of other sponsors to carry out transformational development work at the ground level.

“Child Sponsorship is about bringing hope. For about RM1.70 a day, companies and individuals can change the lives of people in need and enrich their own in the process,” added Liew.

For more information on World Vision International Child Sponsorship, go to www.worldvision.com.my or call 1800-88-2505 (toll free).

The World Vision ‘Change a Life, Change Your Own’ campaign is supported by Astro, MIX FM, MY FM, Crown Square and Somerset.

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Earthquake: Malaysian woman reported missing in Christchurch
Posted on February 25, 2011, Friday

KUALA LUMPUR: Search efforts to find a Malaysian woman who was reported missing in Christchurch, New Zealand following earthquakes last Tuesday are still ongoing.

According to Ayauf Bachi, chief of the Malaysian operations room in Chirstchurch, they received reports on the missing woman from her friends on the day of the incident.

The family of the woman, who is in her 30s, originating from Sarawak, has
been informed of her disappearance, he told Bernama when contacted on the latest information on Malaysians there.

He said the New Zealand Civil Defence team, which heads the search and rescue operations, has also been informed of the missing woman who works for a private company in the
city.

Ayauf, who is also the Foreign Ministry’s deputy chief of protocol, said there were 636 Malaysians in Christchurch, including 390 students, and they have held meetings with about 40 students yesterday to find out what kind of assistance is needed. The earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale last Tuesday, has caused the death of 98 people, while 300 others were reported missing.

It is the worst to hit New Zealand since a major earthquake of 7.8 magnitude took the lives of 256 people in Hawke’s Bay in 1931.

An earthquake in September last year measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale destroyed 100,000 homes but no lives were lost. — Bernama

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