Foul!

As published in Malay Mail today HARESH SAYS By Haresh Deol THE Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex has slowly but surely uncovered the intriguing mystery of Southeast Asia’s oldest civilisation. The centuries-old secret of Sungai Batu — once referred to as Kataha in Sanskrit — is simply mind blowing as archaeologists are unearthing more items including remnants of ancients barges and items which described what life was in this region in the first and early second centuries. A decade ago, an archaeological team from Universiti Sains Malaysia discovered other relics including iron-smelting facilities, monuments, jetties and administrative buildings in the area which is within Kedah’s Bujang Valley. Some historians argue the relics found are not as old as they are believed to be. Others insist Sungai Batu deserves to be called a Unesco heritage site for there are enough evidence to prove it is the oldest civilisation in the region – dating earlier than the famous Angkor Wa...

As published in Malay Mail today   KUALA LUMPUR — A special legislation is needed to deal with government officials who flaunt regulations and act against the interest of the public.   This was one of the five recommendations mooted by the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB) as it focused on the misconduct of civil servants and the lack of action against them.   The board also noted refusals, delays and reluctance in taking disciplinary action by the disciplinary board of certain ministries or government departments “as well as the disproportionate sentences that were imposed on a public officer engaged in corruption”.   The statement was in conjunction with the submission of the board’s 2013 Reviews Report to the Special Committee on Corruption (SCC) on August 12.   ACAB and SCC are among the five entities which act as the check and balance mechanism to monitor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) since 2009. The boar...

Prehistoric ruins at an archaeological site in Bujang Valley some 1,200 years old were secretly demolished by a land developer, a Penang lawmaker said yesterday, even as Badan Warisan Malaysia seeks to list the historical spot as a Unesco world heritage site. Confirming the matter with The Malay Mail Online, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy said he was shocked to discover the ruins of candi (tomb temple) site number 11 dug up from its spot near Sungai Batu and cast aside in a pile of debris. “The candi was located at Sungai Batu and it was demolished by the developer, who is clearing the land for development, more than a month back,” he told The Malay Mail Online after he visited the site yesterday. According to the Penang lawmaker, he received reports of the demolition last week and decided to visit the site to verify if they were true. “This particular candi is hidden from sight behind an old oil palm estate so the developer probably demolished it first before clea...

Let's look at two scenarios. Scenario 1 Mario Balotelli (Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur) Mario Balotelli will serve his four-match ban after Manchester City opted not to appeal against his suspension. The controversial Italian striker appeared to stamp on Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker's head during Sunday's 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium - before his last-minute penalty winner kept City three points clear of the Barclays Premier League. Read the full report here . Scenario 2 V.Thirumurugan (Kedah v Kelantan) Insiden V Thirumurugan (Kedah) pijak Mohammed Ghaddar (Kelantan) dalam aksi Liga Super Kedah vs Kelantan (pic) 20 Januari 2012, Stadium Darul Aman. Thirumurugan bagaimanapun terlepas hukuman kerana terlepas pandang insiden pijak berkenaan. Watch the video here . With Astro Arena now showing the matches live and a major sponsor of the Super League, it would be impossible not to get recordings of the matches. Otherwise, we can always count on youtube. Those who w...