Foul!

A magical sight was seen at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday as KL2017 ended with Malaysia finishing as overall champions. - Bernama 145 gold medals. It's the best Team Malaysia has ever achieved since the inception of the SEAP Games in1959. The 29th edition of the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur ended yesterday. The opening ceremony dazzled those at the stands and viewers at home while the performances during the closing ceremony yesterday jogged plenty of musical memories to many. Our athletes, the real superheroes, brought smiles through their heroic display. They made everyday a happy day. A majestic shot of Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin by Ghazali Kori (Harian Metro). Kudos to the officials - from the coaches, the National Sports Institute and National Sports Council - for their hard work in ensuring our athletes perform to their best. But it was not all memorable. From 16 athletes downed with food poisoning to a bus driver being caugh...

The Kuala Lumpur SEA Games has created a list of firsts. Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin was the first Sultan to participate in the regional Games and he went on to win a gold medal in the equestrian endurance race. Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is the first minister to compete in the biennial Games - representing Malaysia in polo. Another first is the creation of an ad-hoc arbitration panel - which was surprisingly not publicised. The panel was set up to resolve disputes that may arise during the Games. One of the arbitrator sitting in the panel is Sharon Chong Tze Ying, a lawyer attached to legal firm Skrine. Chong once taught law at a private institution.  Chong, who was appointed by the Olympic Council of Malaysia, is honoured and delighted to be part of history. "We will ensure all disputes are resolved in an impartial and expedient manner and uphold the spirit of teamwork, sportsmanship and fairplay," she said. Datuk M. Rajasekaran chairs th...

(From left) The author, Juwaidi and Astro Arena's Shaukei Kahar So what did national archer Juwaidi Mazuki do after winning his second SEA Games gold medal? He took his classic Datsun B310 to the workshop! "I'm a classic car enthusiast. The car belonged to my dad Mazuki Jusoh. "I upgraded it's alarm system." Juwaidi's 'love'. He remembers being introduced to the sport when he was 13. "I was rather nakal and loud then (while studying at SMK Tun Mutahir, Melaka). "A replacement teacher, by the name of Mr Zambri if I recall his name right, introduced me to the sport. "I gave it a shot but got bored on the first day and wanted to give up. But I didn't," said Juwaidi who was a guest on Astro Arena's Nadi Analisis at 1.15pm. And it was no turning back since. Juwaidi, who just became a father to a baby girl Aisyah Humairah, one month 14 days ago, said he wished schools would promote archery aggressivel...

Workers repairing a burst water pipe at Kpg Ampang Campuran. — Pic from @air_selangor Dear Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, This is 2017. In 15 days, the country will celebrate its 60 th Independence Day. In less than three years we are supposed to be a “developed nation”. But here’s something that many of us keep hearing for decades – “water disruption due to broken pipes”. I live in Taman Dagang Permai, Ampang and the neighbourhood, and others nearby, have been facing dry taps since yesterday – without any warning. I first called your Helpline (15300) yesterday (Aug 15) at 14:58. I was informed by your representative that there was a burst pipe in Kampung Ampang Campuran and that works were expected to be completed by 8pm the same day. I called the Helpline again at 22:04 only to be told that works were only expected to be completed by 6am the next day (Aug 16). This morning (Aug 16) I received a text message from 63633 at 07:51 stating that re...

I studied at SK Jalan Kuantan 1 in the '90s - the same school where Perak's Sultan Nazrin Shah and football legend the late Datuk Mokhtar Dahari had also studied. During any sporting event, may it be the weekly Rumah Sukan training or an inter-class football tournament, we would have a pail of water (or cheap cordial orange squash) with four to five cups in it — just like the picture above. We would then share the drink among ourselves. There were just a handful of us non-Muslims studying in the school at that time as the administrators had to combine three classes of the same standard to teach Moral Studies. It was the same during secondary school as well. Yet, we never felt segregated. SK Taman Puteri in Hulu Langat confirmed pictures in social media that the school had separated cups at the drinking water dispenser by labeling the cups with “Muslim” and “non-Muslim” tags, as widely reported. It has been slammed as "plain stupid" by G25, as repo...

UPDATE (4.01pm): Kuala Lumpur SEA Games chef de mission Marina Chin, a former runner herself, was quoted by Berita Harian as saying: "Kalau ada seseorang itu tidak kiralah sebagus mana pun anda, sama ada anda ada potensi pingat emas sekali pun jika anda tidak ada disiplin dan tidak boleh mengikuti peraturan yang ditetapkan persatuan, maka persatuan bolehlah memutuskan untuk melakukan sesuatu." -----   SPRINTER S. Komalam Shally (pic) breaks her silence following her dismissal from the national women's 4x100m team just days before the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. The emotional 29-year-old reveals all: "I was asked to attend a meeting at the fifth floor of the National Sports Council building. I was in the meeting room and in there were team manager Datuk Salim Parlan and several coaches. I was then told that due to my disciplinary issue, I have been dropped from the SEA Games relay team. I was shocked. I kept quiet for awhile, didn't know what to say...

A member of the record-breaking women's 4x100m team has been dropped. (Picture from NST Online) Sprinter S. Komalam Shally (second from left) was dropped from the record-breaking women's 4x100m relay team just days before the start of the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. Komalam was dropped last Friday apparently over her "bad behaviour". "She was accused of belittling the younger sprinters but Komalam claims she was merely trying to motivate them," said an insider. The matter was brought to the Olympic Council of Malaysia's board yesterday and it was decided that an inquiry be conducted over her dismissal. A committee, overseeing the inquiry, will meet Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) officials and coaches today before possibly meeting the athletes tomorrow. Many are baffled to why the drastic decision was made just days before the Games. If true Komalam had "disciplinary issues", the matter should have been handled earlier or at le...

The mighty Land Rover Defender at Maxwell Hill To those who say there's nothing happening in the sleepy town of Taiping - you must be sleeping. There's certainly plenty happening in the town of eternal peace - not for the right reasons. I was in Taiping two weeks ago and must say - for the first time in my life - I was disappointed with the Perak town. In its eagerness to marry heritage and modernisation, it has lost its identity along the way. The town seems confused, and this is evident in the construction of new structures (mainly hotels) there. There is a hotel being built right at the foot of Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) with several others built near the iconic Lake Gardens. Hoteliers claim occupancy rates are high. For visitors, food is generally top on the list followed by the supposed cool weather. But weather in the "wettest town in the country" has been ridiculously HOT while prices of food and vegetables, known in the past to be relatively ch...

Some of the bikes by Beautiful Machines displayed at the Art of Speed over the weekend. The Art of Speed entered into its sixth edition last weekend, featuring some of the best works from our local custom builders. Industry players including Triumph, Kawasaki, Harley Davidson, Honda and Ducati joined in the fun as they showcased their machines during the two-day affair at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS). Custom-bike builders Beautiful Machines stamped their mark as several of their creations were shortlisted for awards with 'Kuro' being named the Best Cafe Racer award. Meet Kuro - Picture by Beautiful Machines The gorgeous customised machines from Zero Engineering were surprisingly missing from the show. The event drew some 45,000 enthusiasts, young and old. A great effort by the organisers but motoring fans were torn between the Penang Bike Week 2017 and a party by The Gasket Alley on Saturday night. Awie at the Penang Bike Week. - Pictu...