VETERAN SPORTS WRITER RECALLS MUHAMMAD ALI'S MALAYSIA VISIT

=     VETERAN SPORTS WRITER RECALLS MUHAMMAD ALI'S MALAYSIA VISIT                 By R. Vikneswaran      Veteran sports writer George Das remembers boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died Friday aged 74, as a friendly sportsman who liked to take charge at his press conferences.   Recalling his coverage of Ali during his visit to Malaysia in June 1975 for a match against European champion, Joe Bugner, he said Ali was without a doubt, the greatest athlete of the century.     Das, 69, who was then working for English daily, The Star, described Ali as a 'people's champion' for his close relationship with fans and as a person who had no qualms about mingling with them.     "I don't think anyone can come close to him in terms of personality and professionalism as an athlete and, on top of that, as a human being. He was a magnificent sportsman and a showman," he told Bernama.     Nicknamed 'The Greatest', Ali died in Phoenix, Arizona. Reports said the three-time world heavyweight champion was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease.       Elaborating, Das said that during Ali's over a month-long stay in the country, the light-heavyweight gold medalist at the 1960 Rome Olympics never failed to impress journalists covering his events.     "Sometimes, there was no need to ask questions because Ali would come up with all kind of things. He was so fast with words, very articulate," he said, noting that Ali would also recite poems.     "Usually at normal press conferences, the team managers would talk a lot, but not with Ali. He would take charge of and bring excitement to press conferences," he added.     Ali, he said, had also planted a rambutan tree in the vicinity of Masjid Negara, besides rubbing shoulders with Malaysian royalties and dignitaries, including having an audience with Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, who was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong then.     Das recalled that the boxing match held at the Merdeka Stadium was an electrifying affair, as Malaysians, some of whom did not even like boxing, got to see Ali's scintillating performance in the ring.     Another journalist, A. Subramaniam, 58, expressed sadness over Ali's passing, saying that the American boxer had left an indelible impression for many Malaysians.     "I was just a 17-year-old student then. What I remember most was that all the roads in Kuala Lumpur were empty because people went to watch his match at the stadium, as well as on television.     "That kind of environment had never happened or been felt before," he said.     Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr in Louisville, Kentucky on Jan 17 1942.     He was remembered for, among others, his resistance to the American war effort in Vietnam, besides his speed and punishing punches among an array of skills that led to the "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" catchphrase.     In his 61-fight career, Ali won 56, with 37 wins by KO.     -- BERNAMA

Yuhaizam Yahaya, From Helicopter Crash Victim To Paralympian

By Vikneswaran Raman

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- The Nuri helicopter crash in 2004 may have physically disabled Major Yuhaizam Yahaya, but it certainly has not crippled his spirit.

The former Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) pilot, who became paraplegic due to the incident, is now a national paralympian in archery.

The gold medal winner at the Asean Para Games (APG) 2011 in Solo, Indonesia for the men's Individual Compound Open, is now looking to qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, that will be held from Sept 7-19 this year.

The World Qualification Tournament in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, from June 11-20, would be the final chance for Yuhaizam and other national paralympians to qualify for the event.

"I am currently training hard to qualify, but the competition is stiff. At the moment, I am focusing on bringing up my score to at least be at par with the international athletes.

"My current score can ensure a win at the Asian level, but it's not enough for the international level. However it goes, I will try my best to qualify for Rio," said the 45-year-old archer.

PERFORMANCE AND PRECISION

The wheelchair-bound Yuhaizam is confident that the archery equipment borrowed from his coach Khairul Fadly Jamaludin would help boost his performance in the Czech Republic.

The RMAF officer, who has been seconded to the National Sports Council since 2012, however said that the price of the equipment had little influence on an archer's performance.

"I had previously used a PSE bow. Now I use a Hoyt. After some experimentation, I found myself more comfortable with the Hoyt.

"An archer does not need an expensive bow to shoot accurately, because many use cheaper equipment and can still achieve great results.

"Hitting the target accurately has a lot to do with an archer's skill. If an equipment suits us it will provide better comfort and more confidence," he said, admitting that the price of archery equipment could reach up to thousands of ringgit.

TRAGEDY

Yuhaizam, who has been with the RMAF for 10 years, is the only survivor of the crash on March 5, 2004. Co-pilot Captain Dicky Rishi Chin and Sgt Zailani Ab Kadir were killed in the incident that was believed to have been caused by technical problems.

The aircraft from the Butterworth RMAF Base, typically used for search and rescue operations, was on a daily flight routine when it crashed.

Yuhaizam, who held the title of Captain then (before being promoted to Major in 2012), admitted he thought long and hard about his future before returning to the air force after the tragic incident.

He decided to pursue the Bachelor of Social Science (Social Work) programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 2011 and received the Gold Award for Best Student from the university, in honour of his academic achievements during his three-year programme.

"I started archery in my third year at USM after several friends coaxed me to join. My interest eventually deepened to the point that I was able to represent the country at the APG in Solo in 2011 where I won gold.

"After that, I was given the chance to join the National Sports Council as a full-time athlete," said the father of four children who hails from Kamunting, Perak.

Yuhaizam has also won bronze for an individual event and silver for a team event at the 2014 APG in Myanmar. However, he failed to bring home a medal during his debut at the 17th Asian Para Games held in Incheon, South Korea, in the same year.

BERNAMA

MALAYSIAN GUNNERS GLORIFIED AS ARSENAL CRAFTED FA CUP RECORD

PETALING JAYA, May 31  -- It's a top of the moon feel for Arsenal
fans in Malaysia as their favourite team lifts FA Cup for the record 12th time,
after defeating Aston Villa 4-0 at the Wembley Stadium, England.
    Some 300 fans gathered at the MBO cineplex, Citta Mall, Subang here,
thrilled with the win when the 'Gunners' crafted history for the greatest number
of FA Cup wins, moving a step further from rivals Manchester United (11 times).
    For Arsenal Malaysia exco member, K. Anand, the occassion was a 'triple joy'
after been a 'Gooner' for 40 years.
    "Triple joy for me as Arsenal won the game by huge score, displayed a
fantastic game and breaks record to win the cup most times. This is fourth time
we are organising this session here and we have fans from Singapore and United
Kingdom joining us," said the 50-year-old die hard fan.
    Arsene Wenger's side takes the lead in the 40th minute through Theo Walcott
before Alexis Sanchez doubles the lead in 50th minute, which secured the cup for
the North-London club. 
   
    German defender Per Mertesacker headed the third in 62nd minute before
Olivier Giroud netted the final goal in the injury time at match kicked-off at
12.30 am Malaysian time.
    Defending champions, Arsenal, had won the cup at 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971,
1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014 and 2015, where six was under Wenger
during 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014 and 2015, makes him as the first manager in
the post-war period to win the trophy six times.
    Meanwhile, another fan, Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz, 35, who was delighted with
the bak to back Fa Cup win.
    "It was a great pleasure to watch the game with my friends here. Mesut
Ozil's performance was outstanding," he said.
    Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who is personally a fan of Aston
Villa presented the trophy for the 'Gunners' as president of the Britain's
Football Association.

Dire Need For Rail Specialists In Malaysia

By R.Vikneswaran

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- Even with major upcoming rail projects on the line, Malaysia has yet to meet the dire need for qualified manpower to take on the challenge.

According to rail recruitment specialist Rail Personnel, there is a shortage of skilled workers and white-collar personnel in the development of current rail projects, namely the High Speed Rail (HSR) linking Kuala Lumpur with Singapore and the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network.

Its director, Paul Spencer, said that for now, rail operators were merely "surviving" with the limited qualified human capital by importing trained professionals from overseas as a stopgap measure.

"However, (if this is not quickly remedied) they will face more serious problems in finding engineers and skilled workers for the upcoming MRT 2 and HSR projects.

"There are two main reasons for the shortage. The first is that there are no courses or training offered in railway studies at (Malaysian) higher institutions. Secondly, Malaysians who are actually trained and experienced (in rail technology) are working abroad because of the higher salary," he told Bernama at the Rail Business Asia (RBA) 2014 here, recently.

Rail Personnel recruits engineers and professionals of all disciplines of rail industry and was set up in Malaysia over a year ago.

A PROBLEM COSTLY TO IGNORE

According to Paul, the lack of skilled workers might also result in the late completion of rail projects.

"Besides that, the cost for such projects would increase because of the need to bring in foreign expertise and pay them a higher salary", the Australian said.

Meanwhile, the Land Public Transport Commission chairman, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar said the Malaysian rail industry had tremendous potential for growth.

The country is expected to spend up to RM160 billion on rail development projects by 2020.

"MRT and HSR are not the last of the rail development projects. There are plans for more development in the future such as LRT 3, MRT 2 and Trans-Asian railway", Syed Hamid said to reporters after officiating the conference at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

RAILWAY SIGNALLING

The establishment of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) in Malaysia last year was a positive step towards meeting the needs of local industry players in the signalling and telecommunications fields.

Railway signaling is one of the units in the rail industry that plays a pivotal role in enhancing the safety of the passengers and avoiding mishaps.

It is also considered the central nerve system of any rail infrastructure as it drives the whole system. It is software and hardware based and interfaces everything with each other, including the operator and driver.

Given the many upcoming rail projects in Malaysia, having numerous local specialists in railway signaling is a need that cannot be ignored.

THE NEED FOR PROPER SIGNALLING

The IRSE (Malaysia) Secretary Aniket Mukhopadhyay said in Malaysia, the braking distance of its rail systems extended to as far as one kilometre.

Without a proper signaling system, a rail driver would not be able to judge when to brake simply by looking at the track conditions.

"Trains move as fast as 400kmph in Spain and Japan. At that speed, it is impossible for the driver to gauge when to brake, simply by looking onto the tracks.

"So it is the signalling system that tells the driver whether there is an oncoming train or blockades, derailment or whether the routes are set properly. It's a very complex system", he explained.

He said as the world moved on to the more modern forms of signalling, there would only be virtual signals, such as that used in the current Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems.

"Everything is virtual and usually there is enough sensors and signal detectors that is communicating to the network", he added.

Aniket said that rail was the only mode of transportation that required no steering.

"A driver would only need to accelerate and brake, and when he has to do so is communicated to the driver through the signalling system", he said.

On the IRSE, Aniket said its main objective was to develop such professionals of the industry and grade their competence.

The institution is established in the United Kingdom in 1912 but launched in Malaysia last year by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"The IRSE is an international NGO that helps develops the knowledge and competence of our members in the science and practice of signalling and telecommunications engineering within the industry, as well as to maintain high standards of knowledge and competence within the profession", he said.

-- BERNAMA

Wearing National flag Stickers is a sign of Patriotism

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 Displaying Jalur Gemilang stickers on the face is one way of showing one's patriotism and love for the country according to Nur Izzati Ayuni, 14.

"I'm very happy and excited to participate in the Independence Day celebrations here, together with the people of this country," she told Bernama at the 57th Independence Day celebrations at Dataran Merdeka here today.

The Form Two student from SMK Desa Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, never missed an opportunity to participate in the National Day celebrations at Merdeka Square in recent years.

"I will come to the square every year with my parents to watch the national day celebrations. But this year my parents gave me permission to come with my friends," she said.

According to Nur Izzati, each sticker can be purchased for RM1 around Merdeka Square and can be stuck to parts of the body such as the face and hands.

'Malaysia: Here, Where Love Begins' is the theme for the country's 57th Independence Day celebration this year.

-- BERNAMA

NEED A VACATION? SPACE WILL SOON BE AFFORDABLE

     Sub-orbital flights can cost as cheap as RM15,000 in future which would help develop the space tourism industry, said Prof Dr Patrick Collins, a professor of economics at Azabu University, Japan.
    "Currently space flight costs range from US$100,000 to US$200,000 (RM327,170
to RM654,340), but by doing it on a larger scale, engineers believe it can be as
low as RM15,000 in 2020," said Collin in his talk titled 'From Microgravity to
Orbital Flight' at Planeterium Negara here today.
    A sub-orbital space flight is a spaceflight in which the spacecraft reaches
100 kilometres above the sea level. It could boost space tourism besides cutting
cost for microgravity research.
    Sub-orbital flights helps researchers to carry out microgravity research
without going to outer space, hence saving time and cost. 
    Collins also said that space tourism could be commercialised like air travel
and such efforts and research were being carrying out by few countries like the
United States of America (USA), Japan besides a few European nations.
    "In 2000, only 1 billion passengers flew on aircraft, but in 2010, 2.5
billion passengers used aircraft services. So in future, we can expect more
people to travel to space. USA, Japan and Europeans are working on the
possiblities," he said.
    Collins is also a collaborating researcher  with the Institute for Space and
Astronautical Science. He is also an adviser to a number of companies and his
research focus for the past 25 years has been on how to stimulate growth on
commercial space activities, mainly for tourism and energy supply.
    Meanwile, National Space
Agency (ANGKASA) Director General Dr Noordin Ahmad said it its effort to become
a developed nation by the year 2020, Malaysia was not
sidelined on the matter and expected the new technology to reduce costs.
    "We are expecting the concept of sub-orbital flight to be used in expediting
microgravity experiments with the least possible cost compared to using the
older method of sending microgravity experiments to the ISS (International Space
Station) which is very costly," Noordin told Bernama.
    Malaysia has been involved in microgravity research since sending its first
astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor into space in 2007. The research was
on five themes namely microbes in space, cells in space, protein in space, food
in space and students suggested experiments. 
    As a continuation, Malaysia continued research in collaboration with
Japan and Russia in the area of parabolic flight, protein crystallization and
space seeds from 2008 until end 2013.
    -- BERNAMA

THE UEFA'S ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT REFEREE SYSTEM IN MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL

     The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will implement the additional assistant referee (AAR) system, beginning with the quarter-finals of the 2014 Malaysia Cup.
    FAM Referees Committee chairman Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz said the system
which was adopted from  UEFA, will be fully implemented in the Malaysian League
(M-League), early next year.
    "We will implement this system from the middle of this year in stages,
beginning with several friendly matches and use it fully from next year," 
he told reporters after opening a course on the system organised by FAM, here,
today.
    Through the implementation of the system, Astaman said there will be two
additional assistant referees, joining the fourth officials along with the
referee and two assistant referees.
    They would be positioned alongside each goal line to watch for incidents in
the penalty area and help the match referee in
taking decisions, he said. 
    UEFA is currently using the system in the European club competition after it
was firstly introduced at the 2012 European Football Championship (Euro 2012).
    "With the cost for each set of  'Radio Communication System' and 'Electronic
Flag' estimated at around RM15,000, we will need at least 15 sets to ensure full
implementation in the M-League (in 2015)," said 
Astaman.
    On another note, he said the committee had received six official
complaints about poor refereeing, out of 415 games in the M-League so far.
    "Of the six, two have basis for action to be taken against the referees.
    "Apart from this, action has been taken against seven referees and assistant
referees based on the reports fo match comissioners," he said.
    Some 30 local referees joined the two-day course which
will be conducted by six instructors namely Hugh Dallas, Werner Helsen (both
from UEFA referees committee) beside four local instructors -- Subkhidin Mohd
Salleh, Mohammad Radzali Yaacob, Nasaruddin Ishak and Ahmad Khalidi Supian.
    -- BERNAMA