Jim Paull

PETALING JAYA: A video depicting two men in the midst of a verbal altercation, allegedly over the presence of a Muslim woman not wearing her headscarf in a mosque has gone viral.

In the 15-second video, uploaded on Facebook by a user named Lisza Laressa, a man in a green sweater is seen yelling at another man who appears older than him.

According to Lisza, the first man was an auxiliary policeman stationed at a mosque, located near a public hospital in the Klang Valley.

The second man was the woman’s father who stood up for her when the auxiliary policeman told her off for being in the mosque without a headscarf.

“It is my fault, mosque area, have to wear a headscarf … (but I was there) to seek shelter while waiting for the heavy rain to stop, (and) while accompanying (my) mother who was eating,” she wrote in Malay, relaying the incident in a Facebook post yesterday.

“My mother hadn’t eaten anything since morning while waiting to visit a sibling who was involved in an accident.”

According to Lisza, a man approached her and told her to “respect the mosque” and leave immediately. She, however, chose to stay as her mother was still eating.

The man refused to leave and continued yelling at her, she said. Her father then interfered and told the man that they would leave once Lisza’s mother had finished eating.

“(But) look at the way the young man spoke to an elderly person. Lifting his hands up like that? If he wants to scold me, then scold me alone.

“Even when speaking with an elderly person, he raised his voice. He said, ‘I am the auxiliary policeman here!'”

She claimed that those present during the incident had also criticised the way the auxiliary policeman had spoken to her and her father.

The video she attached to the post didn’t show the argument she had with the auxiliary policeman. It only captured his altercation with her father.

The auxiliary policeman is seen yelling and saying: “This is a mosque, respect it.”

The video had been viewed more than 1.2 million times in just over 24 hours.

Lawyer-cum-activist Siti Kasim also commented on it on her Facebook, saying that compassion is central to Islam.

“This is a very good example of how screwed the understanding of what Islam is all about is among the Malays.

“This guy, who thinks he is trying to uphold Islam, forgets about compassion, which is the most central (concept) in Islam.

“Compassion represents the true spirit of Islam, and compassion is far more vital to Islamic teachings than anything else,” she wrote in English.

KUALA LUMPUR: Heavy rain which hit the federal capital this afternoon caused flash floods in several parts of the city, resulting in several roads being flooded.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Station operations management head Samsol Maarif Saibani said the roads flooded were Jalan Kuching, Jalan Sentul, Jalan Genting Klang, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Loke Yew.

Also affected are Jalan Ampang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar, Jalan Maarof, Taman Melati, Sg Besi, Brickfields, Batu Muda Tambahan, Wangsa Maju, Semantan and Jalan Tuanku Abd Halim.

Samsol Maarif said the rain, which fell at 5.30pm, caused overflowing of the drains due to the large volume of rainwater.

“Now the traffic situation in the federal capital is under control,” he said.

If you're looking for a show-stopping dish to serve at Easter or your next dinner party, look no further than this carrot soufflé. It has everything you love about soufflés: an airy, delicate texture that almost melts in your mouth, the creamy richness of milk and cheese set with eggs, and, of course, the sweetness and vivid color of carrots.

Pair it with baked ham or lamb for lunch or dinner, or serve it alongside a green salad for brunch. And trust me when I say this soufflé is easy — there's absolutely no whipping of egg whites.

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(Image credit: The Vintage Mixer)

There's nothing like a grilled cheese to make you feel comforted and cozy. One bite of a buttery, crispy grilled cheese and you're instantly transported to childhood. And while a plain ol' grilled cheese always hits the spot, it doesn't hurt to dress it up a little with some in-season produce. Case in point? This roasted asparagus version.

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(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

Tuna salad that's loaded with mayo and stuffed between two slices of wheat bread doesn't thrill me — this guy, however, absolutely does. It's the polar opposite: loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs, with not a trace of goopy mayo in sight.

Taking inspiration from Greek ingredients and flavors, this tuna salad practically whisks you away to a breezy Greek island, even if you're only digging into it at your desk. Olive oil-packed tuna is greeted by crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and briny kalamata olives, then the whole mess is is tossed with lots of fresh chopped parsley and oregano and dressed with nothing but olive oil and lemon juice. It's a bright salad that can be eaten straight from the bowl or piled on toast for a satisfying lunch or a light dinner.

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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman said replacing top executives of problematic government-linked companies (GLCs) has paid off.

These firms were now profitable, The Star quoted him as telling the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.

Replying to a supplementary question from Limus Jury (BN-Kuala Penyu), he said the state government had removed the chairmen, boards of directors and chief executives of some GLCs to turn them around.

He gave state-owned insurance firm Progressive Insurance as an example. He said for years the government had to step in and pay the staff salaries but that the company became profitable after its chairman, board of directors and chief executive were replaced.

“It is now paying RM7 million in dividends to the state every year,” he was quoted as saying.

Musa warned executives of loss-making GLCs that the same fate awaited them if they did not improve.

To Limus’ original question, Assistant Finance Minister Ramlee Marhaban said 15 state-linked firms – including Warisan Harta Sabah Sdn Bhd, Sabah Development Bank Bhd, Sabah Energy Corporation Sdn Bhd and Sabah Credit Corporation – had paid dividends totalling RM286 million to the state government last year.

To a question from Charles Pang (BN-Karamunting), Deputy Chief Minister Raymond Tan said Sabah was taking full advantage of its central location in Southeast Asia by developing the Sepanggar Bay port near here as a transhipment hub.

“The port’s central location in the region will allow it to serve north Asian economic powers such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China as well as Australia, New Zea­land and Papua New Guinea.”

Musa also said negotiations between Sabah and the federal government on the devolution of powers to the state were proceeding well.

According to The Star, he told Chang Foong Hin (DAP-Sri Tanjung) that a report on this would be tabled at the state Cabinet before being submitted to the national steering committee on state rights.

STANDFORD-LE-HOPE: The first-ever freight train from Britain to China, laden with whisky, soft drinks and baby products, started its mammoth journey on Monday along a modern-day “Silk Road” trade route.

The 32-container train, around 600 metres (yards) long, left from the vast London Gateway container port on the River Thames estuary, bound for Yiwu on the Chinese east coast.

It was seen off on its 18-day, 12,000-kilometre (7,500-mile) journey with a string quartet, British and Chinese flags, and speeches voicing hope that it will cement a new golden age of trade between the two countries as the UK leaves the European Union.

The first train from China to Britain arrived on January 18, filled with clothes and other retail goods, and Monday’s departure was the first journey in the other direction.

The rail route is cheaper than air freight and faster than sea freight, offering logistics companies a new middle option.

The driver gave a thumbs-up and tooted his horn as he got the wagons rolling at the port in Stanford-le-Hope, east of London.

The train will go through the Channel Tunnel before travelling across France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan before heading into China.

The containers will be taken off and put on different wagons at the Belarus border, as the former Soviet Union countries use a wider rail gauge.

The containers switch back to standard gauge rails at the Chinese border, an operation that typically takes around two hours.

“We are proud to be able to offer the first ever UK to China export train,” said Xubin Feng, the chairman of Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment.

“Restoring the ancient Silk Road as a means by which China, north Europe and now the UK can exchange goods is an important and exciting initiative.

“This is the first export train and just the start of a regular direct service between the UK and China. We have great faith in the UK as an export nation and rail provides an excellent alternative for moving large volumes of goods over long distances faster.”

If you were about to eat something, you may want to put it down for just a second. Now pick it up and take a closer look at it: Any dead animals that shouldn’t be there? No? You’re luckier than two people in Florida who found a dead bat in the packaged salad they were in the process of consuming.

Fresh Express is recalling a salad mix sold at Walmart stores in the Southeastern U.S. after a report of “extraneous animal matter” that was allegedly found in a single container of the salad, some of which they’d already eaten when they found the bat.

“Out of an abundance of caution, all salads manufactured in the same production run are being recalled,” says the Food & Drug Administration.

The item subject to the recall is 5 oz. Organic Marketside Spring Mix which comes in a clear container with production code G089B19 and best-if-used-by date of APR 14, 2017 located on the front label. Look for UPC code 6 8113132897 5 located on the bottom of the container. The product was only sold at Walmart stores in the southeast.

Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also helping the Florida Department of Health and the FDA to investigate the dead bat situation.

The bat was sent to the CDC rabies lab for laboratory testing, but — hold onto your stomachs, folks — the “deteriorated condition of the bat did not allow for CDC to definitively rule out whether this bat had rabies.”

The CDC adds that it’s extremely uncommon to get rabies by eating a rabid animal, and that the virus doesn’t live long outside infected animals, so there’s some good news.

Although the risk of rabies transmission is very low in this situation, the CDC says it recommended the two people who ate the salad from the bat’s package begin post-exposure rabies treatment.

“Both people report being in good health and neither has any signs of rabies,” the CDC says. “CDC is not aware of any other reports of bat material found in packaged salads.”

Walmart acted quickly to remove the product from shelves, but anyone who’s already purchased the recalled product should discard and not consume it. You can get a full refund at the place of purchase or by calling the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center toll-free at (800) 242-5472 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

As an ardent pie crust lover, it's only natural that I adore empanadas, the sweet or savory stuffed pastries from Latin America or Spain. They're usually served at parties or even as a meal, and one of my favorite fillings is chicken with olives. This quick weeknight version reimagines the handheld pastry as a skillet pie, with a bubbling layer of juicy ground chicken cooked with bell peppers, onions, and olives in a savory spiced sauce, all topped with a flaky pie crust. It's homey, satisfying, and cooks in just one pan — all things you want in a tasty weeknight dinner.

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This dish will fool you. Sure, by appearance alone it looks a whole lot like shrimp scampi — something classically Italian with lots of garlic going on. But take one bite and you'll understand that it's firmly inspired by Greece. Pungent fresh oregano and vibrant lemon scream out loud and clear, most definitely making themselves heard, and most definitely whisking you away to that little Mediterranean corner of the globe.

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If you’re enough of a daredevil to give yourself a haircut, Remington’s Shortcut Pro makes the process as simple as possible.

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This week the Compensation Clinic-case comes from my stay last week at the fairly new Le Meridien Putrajaya in Malaysia (close to Kuala Lumpur).

Remember that our readers can also always email us, send us a Facebook message or Tweet about the issues you have with hotels, airlines and other travel providers. We’ll feature one new Compensation Clinic each week.

You can access Le Meridien Putrajaya’s website here.

Checked into the hotel around 8PM (came from the airport). As my flight was late in the afternoon the following day, made sure that my key was valid until 4PM.

Around 1PM someone first calls that they need to check the minibar. Told them to come back after I have checked out.

Ten minutes later same guy is knocking at the door while the RED Do-Not-Disturb light is on. When asked him if he knew what that light meant, he just told that he needs to check the minibar. Closed the door and asked him to consult a manager.

Called the front desk manager and reported the incident. Requested 3,000 Starpoints for the inconvenience. Spoke with him again at the time of checking out. He couldn’t make the decision but had to get someone to approve it. Was told that unless I hear back from him (by email I would assume) the points would be shortly deposited to my account.

The points posted to my account few days later.

Conclusion

The reason to request points was that the hotel must document the issue with the minibar service and someone foots the bill (internally) for the 3,000 Starpoints.

Obviously, the person checking the minibar wasn’t properly trained by the F&B department. There is no excuse to be knocking at the door after being turned down once over the phone and when the DND light is on.

Cannot get my head around this DND issue at hotels? Nobody should be knocking at the door when the light is on or the card hanging outside yet it happens quite frequently.

The suite upgrade was good (the layout was weird and not very functional) and breakfast was quite nice. I have no idea about the other hotel facilities such as the Club lounge because had no time to use them. The hotel is attached to a rather large mall that should have plenty of stores and F&B facilities.

Took Grab taxi both ways to/from the airport and paid 50 to 55 MYR. Uber would have been available as well but at a higher charge and the pick up address from the hotel would have been some coffee shop 5 minutes away.

From Apartment Therapy → IKEA Just Lowered The Prices On a Ton of Items

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The photo says it all: Cherry pie is liquefied into a frozen beverage made with a blended vanilla-flavored cream base, pie crumbles and cherry compote topped with whip cream.

The showstopping feature? The crispy, flaky pie lid, which breaks down to add a crunchy element to the drink.

The release coincides with cherry blossom season which is currently in full swing in Japan, with trees exploding in happy, pretty blossoms.

The limited edition American Cherry Pie Frappuccino is the latest innovative dessert drink from the team at Starbucks Japan.

Other flavors include Fruits-On-Top, Cantaloupe Melon & Cream, Hojicha with Earl Grey Jelly, Chocolate Brownie Matcha Green Tea, Tiramisu and Baked Apple.

The drink launches April 13 at participating stores across Japan.

Here are seven of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last two weeks, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

Good morning, good morning, it's great to stay up late! Until the alarm goes off and tears you from your much-needed slumber.

You know the drill. Shuffle to the coffeemaker and punch the button to deliver that life-giving elixir. While you wait, check out the Facebook posts you missed overnight. Coffee's brewing and the smell alone is perking up your drowsy brain cells, but you're still scrolling mindlessly. Now over to Twitter for the latest bursts from your motley assortment of friends, celebrities, and news sources. Is the pot done yet? You check Instagram, just long enough to spark envy over someone's dinner last night, and finally! You can pour your cup of coffee already.

Here's another thought. How about making use of those few minutes to get your blood flowing, loosen up your sleep-stiffened limbs, and clear the cobwebs from your mind before you start pummeling it with social media?

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Today’s Airfare of the Day goes to Qatar Airways low/off-peak season midweek regular excursion fares between Kuala Lumpur and Washington DC.

Fare Details:

• Fare: Qatar Airways (QR) WLMYP1ZX KUL to WAS.
• Route: KUL-DOH-IAD
• Booking class: W (Economy/Coach).
• Price: USD 476.
• Valid for: Round trip travel.
• Day/Time restrictions: Permitted Sunday through Thursday.
• Seasonal restrictions: Permitted 11 DEC through 24 JAN, or 02 FEB through 25 MAY, or 04 JUN through 09 SEP or 18 SEP through 23 NOV on the first international sector.
• Advances reservation/ticketing restrictions: Reservation and ticketing for all sectors are required at least 5 days before departure.
• Minimum stay requirements: Travel from last stopover must commence no earlier than 3 days after departure from fare origin.
• Maximum stay requirements: Travel from last stopover must commence no later than 1 month after departure from fare origin.
• Stopover restrictions: One free stopover permitted in DOH either outbound/inbound. A stopover may not exceed 96 hours. Purchasing an official QR holiday stopover will supersede the above rules.
• Transfer restrictions: Unlimited transfers permitted.
• Travel restrictions: Valid for travel commencing on/before 31 DEC 2017.
• Sales restrictions: Tickets must be issued on/before 10 APR 2017. Tickets must be issued in QR stock and may not be sold in Eritrea, Nigeria or Venezuela.
• Cancellations: Any time. Charge USD 270 for refund. Charge USD 540 for no-show.
• Changes: Any time. Charge USD 135 for reissue/revalidation.
• HIP exceptions: The Higher Intermediate Point rule does not apply for stopovers or connections.

Booking examples:

I was able to find availability during May and June using Matrix ItaSoftware:

I was able to price this ticket using Orbitz/Expedia/Travelocity. Here is an example using Expedia:

Fare construction (can be useful to travel agents):

Mileage Accrual

One World carriers offer 25% accrual for W fares. For this route, mileage accrual would be 5300 miles for round trip travel, with a cost of 8.98 cents per mile.

Conclusion

If you don’t mind having to travel away from your electronic devices, this is a great fare. For May/June dates it’s USD 300 cheaper than other airlines.

Fare Rules

Download (PDF, 56KB)

Since the electronics ban was first announced, affected airlines have been quick to come up with solutions for passengers facing the new inconvenience of not being able to bring their large electronic devices with them on board. Instead of forcing travelers to sit through a long-haul flight without electronics, some airlines, such as Qatar and Etihad, are offering a device loan service — Qatar is offering a “Laptop Loan” service and Etihad, an iPad loaner and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Not long after the ban was finalized, Emirates also announced that it would allow customers to “gate check” their electronic devices, to be picked up upon their arrival in the US. Emirates has since released a video to explain how the complimentary service works for all passengers, regardless of class. The “gate check” service has been available since the ban was first implemented on March 25, 2017.

We’ve launched 2 services for passengers affected by new electronic devices regulations on direct Dubai-USA flights. https://t.co/ZQy4uWiy56 pic.twitter.com/iGRi1FoXHv

— Emirates airline (@emirates) April 5, 2017

In addition to the airline’s check option, Emirates also announced that beginning today, business and first-class passengers will get Microsoft Surface tablets. Each device will come equipped with Microsoft Office 2016, and premium travelers will be allowed to borrow one of the tablets for the duration of their flight. In a press release, Emirates detailed that passengers could move files from their laptop to a USB drive, plug that into the tablet and resume work on board.

With the new service, passengers can use their laptop up until boarding, gate check it and then resume work on one of the tablets when they board the plane. According to Emirates, nearly 8,000 passengers have used the carrier’s “gate check” option since it was first introduced last month, including TPG Community Manager JT Genter when he flew with the carrier back to the US.

While the electronics ban is certainly an inconvenience to Emirates and its customers, this new device loan option should help make flights a bit more tolerable. It’ll be interesting in the coming months to see how airlines affected by the electronics ban respond and come up with new ways to make flying as enjoyable as possible.

Featured image courtesy of Emirates.

There are few desserts quite as delightful as those bursting with bright, lemony freshness. That's precisely why we're big fans of this yogurt-filled play on lemon cream pie.

This no-bake sheet pan lemon tart is big enough for all your get-togethers. If it doesn't win you over with its sweet bite, the supreme ease of it sure will. Each bite of this tart greets you with a sandy graham cracker crust holding up a lush lemon yogurt center, topped with a thick swirl of Cool Whip. Be prepared to go back for seconds.

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(Image credit: @tephanie.liza)

The latest food hybrid craze has arrived. Mixing an Italian savory pasta dish with a popular American pastry, Pop Pasta has invented spaghetti donuts. The "baked good," which is already making its mark on social media, debuted last weekend at Brooklyn's Smorgasburg open-air food market.

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For an herb, cilantro is very divisive. People either love it or can't stand the taste. Julia Child famously validated a hatred for cilantro in a 2002 interview with Larry King when she admitted she detested cilantro, saying it has a "dead taste" to her. Others say it leaves a soap-like aftertaste in their mouths, and some have even likened the taste to crushed bugs.

But there's more to a repulsion of cilantro than picky taste buds: it's biological.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

You know those nights where you're just staring blankly at the kitchen wall, wondering what to have for dinner? Well, typically we'd say the wall doesn't have your answer, but it could.

Enter: this cheeky pizza flowchart from illustrator Becky Simpson.

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SHAH ALAM:  A scheduled debate between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz at Sarangkraf Media Group Shah Alam was cancelled by police last night after fears the event would create a disturbance to Putrajaya neighbours living a mere 30KM from the venue. “If civilised discourse between about BNM and 1MDB was to […]

The post Shah Alam Debate Cancelled For Safety Of Putrajaya Neighbours Only 30km Away appeared first on FMN.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will soon be making available a database that will allow people to spot fake PhD holders, says Deputy Higher Education Minister Mary Yap.

The database, which is being built by the ministry in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), will include a list of PhD holders, the name of their university, their field of study, the subject of their thesis and their year of graduation.

Yap said the software being developed would incorporate a list of records from all public institutions of higher learning, and that searches could be conducted manually up to 2016.

“We all know those who said they finished their PhD within 10 months are fake PhD holders,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

She also warned that the ministry and the police would take stern action against those who were found to be holding fake PhDs or falsely claiming to be PhD holders.

“Additionally, the public can also report to the police and MCMC if they come across websites which offer fake doctorates or those who hold fake doctorates,” she said.

(Image credit: Floating Kitchen)

It's that time of year when spring produce is starting to arrive, but winter won't quite loosen its death grip. If you're not exactly sure how to cook for this in-between season, allow me to suggest these stuffed sweet potatoes. They'll leave you feeling warm and comforted, without weighing you down.

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PETALING JAYA: According to psychologists, four out of every 10 Malaysians will fall victim to some form of mental health issue in the course of their lives and the numbers will continue to rise, reported The Star.

“The numbers are often downplayed due to the stigma that surrounds the condition,” said International Medical University, consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist, Dr Philip George.

“The seriousness and prevalence of issues like depression, bipolar disorder and other mental health issues should be accepted and acknowledged first in order to be treated,” he said.

The World Bank, in a report, had predicted that 340 million people will suffer from depression by 2020.

The Star quoted George as saying the condition was not something that only attacks the poor, weak and lonely as it could happen to anyone.

The National Health and Morbidity survey says only 1.8% of the Malaysian population are depressed. However, George believes there is a flaw and says that at least 10% of Malaysians suffer from mental health issues.

He said unlike Caucasians, Asians do not talk about their problems.

“Asians do not talk about their problems. They do not have the words for emotions and that is a huge barrier,” he said, adding that many of them consider having an emotional problem to be a weakness.

He said there are many people walking among us who are facing mild depression.

The National Institute of Health has found depression to be a most disabling disease as it is not tangible and people find it hard to empathise.

“It is not something one can snap out of, just like how people cannot snap out of diabetes or a stroke,” George said.

He said with enough help and support, almost 90% of the patients could be restored to normal, although they may have a relapse as their emotions are more sensitive.

He said, however, with the right treatment these patients can be cured.

Leftover pasta, while rare, never seems to have the same flavor and consistency as it did before refrigerating. The sauce has congealed, the noodles are tough, and nuking it in the microwave doesn’t help much. But this quick and easy fix will make it taste like new.

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