Slavery!
Jul 11, 2008 People
Fifa President Sepp Blatter on the Ronaldo tug-of-war between Manchester United and Real Madrid:
“The important thing is we should also protect the player,” Blatter told Sky News.
“If the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it’s not good for the player and for the club.
“I’m always in favour of protecting the player and if the player, he wants to leave, let him leave.”
I think in football there’s too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere,” - AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
1. Only 23 years old (Feb 5, 1985)
2. 2007 and 2008 English PFA Player of the Year
3. Signing fee to Manchester United in 2003: £12.24 million
4. April 2007: Ronaldo becaomes highest-paid player in Manchester United’s history - £120,000-a-week
5. Apparently dating Nereida Gallardo.
Niki says: I think I’d like to be a slave to.
12.15pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Cristiano Ronaldo, FIFA, football, manchester united, Nereida Gallardo, Real Madriad, Sepp Battler, soccer
No-confidence for PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Jul 10, 2008 News Breaks
Update (4.30pm):
PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail did file an emergency motion of no confidence against PM. The Star reports that there will be no voting involved as PKR is not looking for a no-confidence vote, according to Wan Azizah.
So, er, what is the difference between an emergency motion and a no-confidence vote? And if you don’t want a vote, what is the point of filing? Mengada only isit? Can someone please enlighten me?
Or is this just another stupid political game and we’re just supposed to laugh off like we do everything else that appears to be happening in Parliament? Sigh …
Ohhh, how exciting *cough*
Just received a The Star SMS News Alert which reads:
“Opposition leader Wan Azizah Ismail is expected to file no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister under and emergency motion at 3pm.”
That’s like 20 minutes away! This couldn’t come at a worst time for the Prime Minister, who welcomed Australian Prime Minister Kevin Ruud at Putrajaya this morning during the latter’s first official visit to Malaysia.
This vote also comes a couple of days into SAPP’s “We’ll file, we won’t” ping-pong game. I wonder how the two SAPP MPs will vote later, if Wan Azizah does file the motion. (Oh, an earlier News Alert states that Penang CM Lim Guan Eng announced that Wan Azizah will be conferred DPPN title - Datuk Seri)
I wonder if this has anything to do with the expected announcement from the PM that the top 2 UMNO post will not be contested at the end of this year, as reported by Malaysiakini. My boss also blogged on word on the street that PM will only step down in 2010.
Maybe many feel that it is two years two long (heh heh pun intended).
Watch this space - I’m keeping my ears and eyes perked.
Oh, and apparently there was an argument by Fong Po Kuan and Datuk Ng Yen Yen in parliament today about the length of skirts worn to Parliament. No reports on this yet though…
With all this fighting spirit in Malaysia, no wonder Muay Thai is the talk of the town of late.
2.46pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Chief Minister, Fong Po Kuan, Kevin Ruud, Lim Guan Eng, Ng Yen Yen, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, penang, PKR, Prime Minister, SAPP, skirt length, Umno, Wan Azizah, Yong Teck Lee
A rose by any other name…
Jul 9, 2008 Rantings
I’m not sure if I agree with Shakespeare.
And no, I’m not going to go into a discourse on literature - truth be told, I know little of Shakespeare’s works other than the titles and synopsis of his more popular ones.
I am, however, making that statement in relation to today’s cover story in The Star.
Of course, I am happy that Penang and Malacca has been named World Heritage Sites. Although, I have to admit, that I would not have known about Malaysia submitting the names if not for an article on the different countries vying for the status by the DPA News Agency I used in R.AGE earlier this week.
I am particularly happy as well because I am extremely fond of Malacca, my dad’s hometown. It always pains me and dad when we see any old sites being destroyed. I still remember the look on dad’s face many years ago when they painted the historical sites like The Stadyus et al red.
But one thing I know that really gets to dad was how they keep changing the names of the roads. Jonker Street and Heeren Street, among others, have changed over the years. So this morning, as I was about to head to work, he pointed it out again.
The cover pix of The Star was a graphic of both Penang and Malacca - a map of the areas which are covered under the Unesco World Heritage Site status. There were also text boxes which described the areas in both cities which fall in the “site” area.
What was most significant was the name of the roads in Malacca that was mentioned. Some of those mentioned has the new names which the old Dutch or Portuguese names in brackets. Sure, it was only a couple but it was indication of the many others that had their names changed in Malacca.
I personally feel sad at this because while a lot of the names are more “Malaysian”, but it feels like the Dutch, Portuguese and British history is slowly diminishing. The old folks still refer to the roads by their old names but what happens when these people are no longer around?
Even someone like me who kinds of knows Malacca well (for someone who didn’t grow up or live there lah) do not know all the old names. As my grand aunts will say, sakit hati.
Of course, more changes can only come (I seriously doubt that anyone will revert the names) but I hope that with this World Heritage Site title that the heritage of Malacca will remain and be preserved. That is my one wish, and I know dad echoes my sentiments. And I think ours are the feelings shared by the many people of Malacca.
So, as for Shakespeare… a rose by any other name may smell as sweet but the name rose itself is sweet enough … why change it?
11.57pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Malacca, Melaka, penang, pulau pinang, Unesco, World Heritage Site
Rafael Nadal ends Federer’s Wimbledon streak!
Jul 7, 2008 News Breaks
Longest finals in Wimbledon history - 4 hours and 48 minutes! 5 sets. 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 6-7, 9-7!
OH MY EFFING GOD!
What drama!
The hype lived up to its expectations as Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer battled it out for the Wimbledon Men’s Single Trophy…
And Nadal takes the cup, ending Roger Federer’s dominance at the grass-court tournament (he has won five consecutive Wimbledon titles (and was set to beat Bjorn Borg’s 1976-1980 record to be the first man in the Open era to win six consecutive titles).
Even from the first point, the promise of a great game (and lots of drama) hung in the air. Federer was serving, but after relatively long rally, Nadal took the point. So many amazing shots (everytime you thought either got a winner, the other would find a way to return it!) and then there was also the rain interruption in the third set just as Nadal was about to serve at 4-5. Then another later. It’s madness!!!!!
Nadal is now the first person since Bjorn Borg (yes, he holds that many records) in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year (Nadal had just recently trashed Federer in straight sets at the French Open).
Congrats Rafa!!! :)
Oh my God, oh my God!!!
4.25am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Tennis, Wimbledon
Venus takes Wimbledon!
Jul 5, 2008 News Breaks
Serena Williams looks like she is about to cry as I write this. The dissapointment in her face is clear - and she doesn’t care if this year’s winner of the Ladies Singles of Wimbledon is her sister Venus.
Yes, the defending champion has once again won the plate - so aptly named the Venus Rosewater Dish, beating her younger sister 7-5, 6-4.
Venus has now won Wimbledon five times, and it’s her 7th Grand Slam win. (Serena has won two at Wimbledon, and eight altogether.)
There were some initial worries that the finals would be anti-climactic, only because their previous two meets at Wimbledon (where Serena won both), their games were only mediocre, leading to many suggestions that it was fixed by the family. But today was different - both seemed more mellow in their celebrations (although Serena was less restraint) and there were some amazing shots and rallies!
I’m so happy to see Venus win - I was rooting for her all competition (and I don’t care what everyone say about her game). I almost missed tonight’s game, being in Johor Baru for work and my hotel room didn’t have StarSports!
But thankfully, I went to the bar and convinced the people to change the channel, and got to watch it (although I couldn’t hear the commentary but instead a really horrible band performing on the bar, or repeats of Mariah Carey’s music in between their sets!).
The best thing is this: both sisters will play together in the Women’s Doubles finals in a couple of hours!!! I’ll miss that game but I’ll be rooting for them!
Congrats Venus!!!!! Now, on to Nadal to annihilate King Federer tomorrow!
11.12pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Ladies Single's, Serena Williams, Tennis, Venus Williams, Wimbledon
