Saturday 10 November 2012

Rodgers proud of Liverpool youngsters



Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was proud of his side's young players despite a 1-0 defeat by Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League.
The Northern Irishman named a youthful side for the trip to Russia, with Conor Coady making his full debut, while 19-year-old full-back Jon Flanagan and 18-year-old striker Adam Morgan also featured.

Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole made just his third start of the campaign after picking up an injury on the opening day of the season, with the midfield also featuring Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Jonjo Shelvey.

"I thought we were outstanding tonight," Rodgers said.

"We were terrific for 44 minutes and 55 seconds in the first half but we just switched off at the crucial moment.

"We created chances throughout and although they got at us a bit more as we pushed on I thought we deserved something out of the game.

"I am very proud of my young players. It was a difficult night but it was a great team performance.

"I thought Conor Coady did very well on his debut and Adam Morgan's movement was good. It is a steep learning curve and when we learn to cut out our mistakes we will be able to go on and win these games."

The Reds now face a tough task if they are to progress to the knockout stages of the competition, although they remain second in Group A behind the Russians.

Swiss side Young Boys surprised Udinese with a 3-2 win at Stadio Friuli to move level on six points with Liverpool and they are the next visitors to Anfield before Rodgers takes his side to Italy in the last group-stage fixture.

Pardew delighted with Newcastle fightback



Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is confident Europa League qualification is within their grasp following their 2-2 draw against Club Brugge.
Vurnon Anita and Shola Ameobi scored before half-time in Bruges to cancel out the Belgians' early 2-0 lead.

Despite stuttering early on, Pardew was full of praise for his side's fightback and the point gained sees Newcastle on top of Group D by a point from Bordeaux with two matches remaining.

"It was a terrific game, really open," Pardew told reporters. "They went at us and we went at them.

"But we gifted a goal and then another one which surprised me. We were creating chances, we should have scored. It was a great goal from Anita and another too from Shola.

"I am delighted. 2-0 down at Bruges is tough and they have pace in their team and are always a threat. I was pleased with all the individuals.

"We are in a strong position. We are looking to wrap the league up against Maritimo (at St James' Park on November 23)."

Newcastle did not leave the game unscathed however, after Cheick Tiote received a yellow card that will see him banned from the final game of the group, while James Perch was injured and is expected to be out for six weeks.

But there was enough to keep the 2600 travelling Newcastle faithful happy, and Pardew was full of praise for their support.

"It is affecting Cheikh and he protected himself by pulling out of some tackles," Pardew said. "He will have to serve this new suspension and come back roaring in the league.

"By all accounts our fans have conducted themselves well with good humour and I hope it stays like that. This is a good result."

Villas-Boas happy with strike force



Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas was delighted with his attacking force after the 3-1 win over Maribor in the Europa League.
The manager saw his side produce a dominant display to take them two points behind Group J leaders Lazio, with Jermain Defoe overtaking Spurs legend Teddy Sheringham in the all-time scoring charts.

The manager praised both Defoe and Gareth Bale, after the pair combined for two of Spurs' three goals.

"He (Defoe) makes the most of the opportunities that he gets and Gareth was amazing in his creation of the chances for him," Villas-Boas told Tottenham's official Twitter account.

"When you have so much quality, you will always get opportunities to score, and Jermain is a clinical striker.

"It's also good for him to overtake Teddy Sheringham, it means a lot to him."

The Portuguese also was pleased with the character his side showed as they went into the interval at 1-1 thanks to an ill-advised back-pass from Kyle Naughton and a mistake from French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

"I thought we were brilliant from the beginning," he said. "The possession and attacking football was great to see. It was good to see the desire of the players to come back from 1-1.

"The way we kept the ball was fantastic. When we play like that we deserve good things."

Despite the success, Villas-Boas said he will decide his formation on a game-by-game basis, and with Manchester City coming up for Spurs at the weekend, the manager refused to say whether he would stick with the 4-4-2 formation for the clash against the Premier League champions.

"We can create a lot of opportunities when we play with one striker too," he said.

"We've done well in the past with both formations. We go four steps up in the level of competition at the weekend so that will be a different type of game and scenario.

"So we'll regather the boys and then we'll start to focus on that game."

Platt defends Mancini outburst




Manchester City assistant David Platt has defended Roberto Mancini following his furious reaction to Tuesday's draw with Ajax.
City manager Mancini reacted angrily to his side having a goal disallowed and being denied a late penalty in the Champions League clash with the Dutch champions and confronted officials after the full-time whistle.

But Platt believes Mancini was right to express his frustration and suggested he would have been more judgemental of the Italian had he not reacted at all.

"Why wouldn't the manager of a football club be frustrated?" Platt said to reporters.

"Why wouldn't we all be frustrated? Players are frustrated, supporters are frustrated, staff are frustrated."

After approaching the referee, Mancini was also shown to break into argument with a cameraman, but Platt has played down the incident and believes there is no need for such media scrutiny.

He continued: "Robbie has gone onto the pitch and spoken to the referee. As he comes back, he turns around and has a camera in front of his face for 30 yards.

"He turns around and says, in English, that basically it is enough now.

"People then want to start talking about what has happened and almost exaggerating the incident."

Tidak pincang tanpa Mat Yo


Mat Yo
Mat Yo
KOTA BHARU – Kelab Penyokong Rasmi Bola Sepak Kelantan (KPBSK), menyifatkan jika benar penghijrahan penyerang sensasi, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha berlaku, ia tidak memberi kesan kepada prestasi The Red Warriors dalam menghadapi saingan Liga Malaysia musim depan.

Timbalan Presidennya, Kapten (B) Mohd Izani Che Hassan berkata, ketiadaan Norshahrul Idlan Talaha atau dikenali panggilan Mat Yo, tidak perlu dirisaukan kerana kejayaan Kelantan sebenarnya tidak bergantung pada seseorang individu.

“Jika benar hasrat Persatuan Bola Sepak Kelantan (Kafa) hendak melepaskan Mat Yo ke mana-mana pasukan lain, saya fikir ia sedikit pun tidak menggugat perancangan Kelantan pada musim depan,” katanya ketika dihubungi Sinar Harian semalam.

“Bola sepak dimainkan secara berpasukan. Sejarah kejayaan pasukan Kelantan dalam empat tahun kebelakangan ini, membuktikan kita tidak terlalu bergantung pada mana-mana pemain tertentu.

Akhbar tempatan sebelum ini melaporkan, penyerang kebangsaan itu meluahkan hasrat untuk beraksi bersama pasukan Johor pada musim depan, setelah mendapat tawaran gaji lumayan RM80,000 oleh Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Johor (PBNJ) baru-baru ini.

Menurut Mohd Izani, jika Norshahrul Idlan tetap menyimpan hasrat untuk berhijrah, beliau harap pemain tersebut dapat menyelesaikan segala urusan termasuk menebus kontrak dengan pihak Kafa secara profesional.

Dalam perkembangan sama, Mohd Izani turut menyifatkan masalah perpindahan pemain hari ini berpunca daripada sikap mengambil mudah dalam kalangan pemain dan persatuan bola sepak negeri mengenai sesuatu kandungan kontrak dan polisinya.

“Amat dukacita ketika kita sedang menuju ke arah profesional tetapi masalah seperti ini masih berlaku. Baik pemain atau persatuan, mereka kena tahu perkara penting yang terkandung di dalam kontrak.

“Situasi ini yang menimbulkan kekecohan mengenai isu penghijrahan Norshahrul Idlan. Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) sendiri perlu berusaha memperbetulkan keadaan ini.

“Peraturan sudah ditetapkan Persekutuan Bola Sepak Antarabangsa (Fifa), cuma kita tidak buat rujukan, sebab itu keadaan menjadi tambah bercelaru. Pihak FAM sendiri masih jahil dalam isu perpindahan pemain walaupun Fifa menetapkan undang undang mengenainya.

Menurut Mohd Izani, kes membabitkan Norshahrul Idlan membuktikan masih ada segelintir pemain dan persatuan bola sepak negeri tidak memahami Prosedur Operasi Standard (SOP) yang ditetapkan dalam memeterai sesuatu perjanjian.

DAP gesa inkuiri awam siasat dana RM40 juta



Lim Kit Siang
Lim Kit Siang
SHAH ALAM - Pemimpin veteran Pakatan Rakyat (PR) menggesa supaya satu inkuiri awam diadakan untuk menyiasat sumbangan dana politik RM40 juta kepada Umno Sabah oleh seorang ahli perniagaan yang didedahkan baru-baru ini.

Lim Kit Siang dari DAP berkata, daripada mengamalkan sindrom penafian berkenaan dengan masalah rasuah di Malaysia, pemimpin-pemimpin Umno seharusnya bertanggungjawab penuh dengan mempamerkan iltizam politik dan komitmen untuk melawan "rasuah besar" melibatkan pemimpin-pemimpin politik dan kerajaan.

"... bermula dengan satu inkuiri penuh berhubung skandal sumbangan politik Sabah RM40 juta melibatkan Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman dan ahli perniagaan balak Sabah, Micheal Chia," kata beliau di blognya, hari ini.
Kenyataan itu terkandung dalam ucapannya yang disampaikan pada majlis pelancaran Angkatan Perubahan Sabah di Papar semalam.
Kit Siang, Ahli Parlimen veteran berkata, dengan ranking indeks rasuah merosot sepanjang dua dekad lalu dan keadaan semakin buruk berbanding ketika era Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan Tun
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, "bagaimana pemimpin-pemimpin Umno boleh memandang kecil masalah besar rasuah di Malaysia di bawah Umno?"
"Melainkan pemimpin-pemimpin Umno boleh menunjukkan bahawa bukan Umno, tetapi parti-parti Barisan Nasional seperti MCA, Gerakan, MIC dan parti-parti Sabah dan Sarawak yang harus memikul tanggungjawab besar berkenaan masalah rasuah besar di Malaysia?" katanya.
Semalam, Setiausaha Agung Umno, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor berkata, masalah persepsi merupakan cabaran utama dalam mengukuhkan imej parti itu di persada politik tanah air.
Beliau berkata, selepas pilihan raya 2004, Umno bukan sahaja berhadapan dengan tohmahan pembangkang yang melabelkannya sebagai parti kronisme, elitis dan korup.

Malah terpaksa berhadapan dengan bekas anggota parti yang kecewa apabila gagal meraih kedudukan politik semasa bersama Umno hingga menjadi manusia yang 'angkuh hati' dan sanggup menyebarkan persepsi buruk mengenai parti.
Dana politik RM40 juta kepada Umno Sabah menjadi isu sejak dua bulan yang lalu. Perkara tersebut kini menjadi modal politik dan kontroversi dengan Pengarah Strategi PKR menggesa Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia menjalankan siasatan mendalam.
Baru-baru ini, Setiausaha Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan berkata, dana RM40 juta yang diberikan kepada Umno Sabah oleh penyumbang yang ingin dirahsiakan namanya, yang kini dikaitkan dengan Chia, adalah bagi kegunaan perancangan program parti dan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13).
Katanya, sumbangan yang diberikan itu adalah dari penyumbang yang  percaya kepada dasar-dasar kepimpinan parti supaya dana itu boleh disalurkan untuk aktiviti parti dan perancangan program masa depan.

Generasi baru Felda dapat durian runtuh RM563 juta


Najib Tun Razak
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berucap pada Majlis Perhimpunan Generasi Baharu FELDA hari ini 
SHAH ALAM - Seperti yang dijanjikan, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini menyempurnakan bayaran 'durian runtuh' pusingan ketiga kepada generasi baru Felda sebanyak RM5,000 untuk 112,635 keluarga melibatkan RM563.2 juta.
 
Sebagai menandakan pembayaran itu, Najib menyampaikan cek replika kepada wakil dari 11 Wilayah Felda pada Himpunan Generasi Baharu Felda dihadiri kira-kira 12,000 belia dari seluruh negara di Universiti Teknologi Mara di sini.
 
Berucap pada majlis itu, Najib berkata, kini tiba giliran generasi baru Felda untuk mendapat manfaat itu selepas ibu dan bapa mereka sebelum ini.
 
"Hari ini giliran generasi kedua anak-anak mendapat rahmat daripada durian runtuh, sekali gus membuktikan bahawa sebagai sebuah kerajaan kita tidak pernah mungkir janji," kata beliau.
 
Sebelas Wilayah Felda itu ialah Raja Alias, Segamat, Gua Musang, Kuantan, Trolak, Johor Bahru, Mempaga, Terengganu, Alor Setar, Jengka dan Sahabat di Lahad Datu.

Laporan media sebelum ini menyebut jumlah durian runtuh yang diberi kepada peneroka, isteri peneroka dan generasi kedua ini ialah RM1.689 bilion.
  
Najib menarik perhatian bahawa pihak pembangkang cuba menidak dan menggagalkan segala usaha baik yang kerajaan lakukan, misalnya dengan menyatakan Felda telah bankrap.
  
"Orang yang tak betul sahaja yang percaya Felda bankrap," tegas beliau.
  
Najib berkata mereka bukan sahaja mengutuk tindakan malah memfitnah kerajaan, dan kalaupun mereka mengemukakan idea, ia bersifat dangkal.
  
Sumber dana kesemua pemberian durian runtuh adalah hasil penawaran awam permulaan berikutan penyenaraian Felda Global Ventures Holdings Berhad (FGVH) di Bursa Malaysia yang merupakan penyenaraian saham kedua terbesar di dunia tahun ini.
  
FGVH menyasarkan bayaran dividen 50 peratus daripada keuntungan perniagaannya setahun.

Najib berkata kerajaan menyediakan pelbagai peluang kepada generasi baru Felda sehingga ada yang kini menjawat jawatan tinggi, berpendapatan lumayan dan mempunyai tahap kepakaran tinggi termasuk mampu menyelenggara pesawat penumpang terbesar di dunia, Airbus A380.
  
Beliau turut gembira dengan sokongan yang diterimanya hari ini dan berharap ini berterusan sehinggalah ke pilihan raya umum nanti.
  
Seorang wakil 11 Wilayah Felda berkenaan, Yip Seng Lam, 40, berkata beliau selaku wakil 36 tanah rancangan di bawah Wilayah Mempaga, Pahang berterima kasih kepada Felda dan Perdana Menteri atas pemberian kepada generasi kedua Felda hari ini.
  
Yip, yang mengusahakan tanah rancangan Felda Lurah Bilut, Bentong berkata terdapat 616 keluarga peneroka di sana melibatkan 400 keluarga Melayu, 169 Cina dan selebihnya keluarga India.

Rafizi tidak tahu malu?


Mohd Rafizi Ramli & Noh Omar
Noh (kanan) terpaksa menunggu sehingga 40 minit untuk membuat sidang media kerana tempat itu dimonopoli oleh Rafizi. 

SHAH ALAM - "Dia (Mohd Rafizi Ramli, Pengarah Strategi PKR) patut c. Dia memang tidak tahu malu apabila menggunakan kemudahan disediakan kepada Ahli Parlimen. Dia yang sebenarnya yang menjatuhkan maruah Dewan Rakyat."
 
Demikian kenyataan sinis Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Datuk Seri Noh Omar ketika mengulas dakwaan Rafizi terhadap keputusan Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia melarang penggunaan sudut sidang media di lobi Parlimen oleh mereka yang bukan Ahli Parlimen.
 
Larangan lisan tersebut berkuat kuasa serta merta kerana tidak mahu sudut bertulisan ‘Parlimen Malaysia Sidang Media’ disalahguna oleh mereka yang bukan Ahli Parlimen.
 
Noh berkata, beliau bersetuju dengan laranganyangdibuat itu kerana sudut sidang media itu adalah satu kawasan khusus untuk Ahli Parlimen tetapi telah dimanipulasi oleh pemimpin parti pembangkang yang bukan Ahli Parlimen untuk membuat sidang media.
 
"Rafizi bagi saya ahli politik tidak matang, tidak tahu malu dan hanya mengambil kesempatan.
 
Lebih melucukan apabila dia pula menyalahkan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz kononnya menggunakan kuasa menghalangnya membuat sidang media," katanya, semalam.
 
Noh yang juga Timbalan Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) Selangor berkata, Rafizi perlu cermin diri sendiri sebelum membuat tuduhankerana larangan itu hanya dikenakan kepada orang luar atau pelawat.
 
"Saya pernah berhadapan situasi ini. Sebagai menteri dan Ahli Parlimen, saya terpaksa menunggu sehingga 40 minit untuk membuat sidang media kerana tempat itu digunakan Rafizi.
 
Saya hairan, dia buat sidang media atau ceramah politik kerana ambil masa terlalu lama.
 
"Siapa Rafizi ini? Kalau Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor) dan Datuk Saifudin Nasution (Machang) yang mengadakan sidang media tidak mengapalah kerana mereka Ahli Parlimen, tetapi mereka ini hanya menjadi 'pengiring' Rafizi pada hari tersebut," katanya.
 
Jika Rafizi menghormati martabat Dewan Rakyat, kata Noh, dia tidak akan buat sidang edia di lobi Parlimen, tetapi di tempat lebih sesuai dengan kedudukannya sebagai ahli politik. 
 
"Dia boleh buat sidang media di ibu pejabat partinya sendiri kalau dia mahu. Tetapi inilah sikap pemimpin pembangkang yang perlu diketahui rakyat. Dia yang buat salah ceroboh hak Ahli Parlimen kemudian salahkan orang lain pula. Kalau dia tahu malu, dia takkan buat  begitu," 

MB cabar Hadi tanding di Kemaman


Ahmad Said
Ahmad Said merenjis air mawar pada Program Berkhatan Beramai-ramai Peringkat Dun Kijal 2012 di Padang Kubu, Kijal, hari ini.
KEMAMAN – Cabar-mencabar menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) berterusan – kali ini Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said pula mencabar Presiden Pas, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang agar bertanding di kerusi Parlimen Kemaman.
Ahmad yang juga Pengerusi Umno Terengganu berkata, Ahli Parlimen Marang itu sepatutnya bertanding di Kemaman terlebih dahulu sebelum berhasrat bersaing di Pekan, yang disandang Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Kesediaan Abdul Hadi itu (untuk) bertanding di Pekan hanya gimik politik sahaja, bohong belaka. Apa tujuan dia? Nak dapat publisiti? Nak gali kubur sendiri?

“Kalau berani, marilah bertanding di Kemaman. Buat apa pergi bertanding di Pahang. Tunjukkan kehebatan di Terengganu dahulu," katanya yang juga Ketua Umno Bahagian Kemaman selepas merasmikan Program Berkhatan Beramai-ramai Peringkat Dun Kijal 2012 di Padang Kubu, dekat sini, hari ini.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas mengenai laporan media yang menyatakan Abdul Hadi akur dengan kemahuan parti jika diarahkan bertanding di Parlimen Pekan pada PRU13.
Ahmad berkata, pihaknya mengalu-alukan kedatangan Abdul Hadi untuk bertanding di kerusi Parlimen Kemaman bagi menguji kehebatan parti itu dalam mendapatkan sokongan rakyat.
Tegas beliau, kenyataan Abdul Hadi itu juga adalah gimik kononnya pemimpin itu akur arahan parti sekali gus untuk menghangatkan suasana sebelum PRU13.

Menjelang Piala Suzuki AFF

Harga tiket bagi menyaksikan Perlawanan-perl awanan Bolasepak
Piala AFF-Suzuki di Kuala Lumpur dan Shah Alam yang bermula 25
November ini adalah RM30 (dewasa) dan RM10 (kanak-kanak).
Tiket-tiket akan dijual dua hari sebelum perlawanan di gelanggang
berkenaan. Sekiranya, Malaysia layak ke Separuh Akhir, harga tiket
adalah RM40 (dewasa) dan RM10 (kanak-kanak) dan sekiranya layak
ke Perlawanan Akhir, harga tiket adalah RM50 (dewasa) dan RM10
(kanak-kanak).

Nelson San Martin ke pasukan Kedah?

Photo: Untuk makluman penyokong hijaukuning, jika ada yang berkesempatan malam esok, bolehlah datang ke Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Halim, Kepala Batas jam 9malam Sabtu untuk meraikan kedatangan beliau ke bumi hijaukuning. 

Jom raikan Nelson! Ini kali lah!

"I'm coming home, I'm coming home!"...

Mungkin itu perkataan yang bermain diminda Nelson ketika ini. Tiba jam 4:00 petang tadi di KLIA, beliau bakal meneruskan perjalanan ke Alor Setar dan akan tiba di LT Sultan Abdul Halim jam 9:00 malam ini. Jom kita raikan beliau.

Welcome home Nelson!

Ibrahim Ali: Perkasa hanya pertahan akidah umat Islam


Datuk Ibrahim Ali

KUALA LUMPUR – Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali mengingatkan media tidak salah memetik forum Kebebasan Bertukar Agama dari sudut Islam dan Perlembagaan Persekutuan anjuran pertubuhan itu sebagai melaga-lagakan bangsa Melayu yang beragama Islam dengan bangsa dan agama lain.
Menurutnya, forum itu bertujuan bagi memperbetulkan kekeliruan yang bahaya kepada masyarakat yang telah diwujudkan keraguan tentang agama persekutuan di negara ini oleh pembangkang.
“Perkara ini tidak ada kena-mengena kepada mana-mana pihak yang berbangsa lain dan menganuti agama selain Islam tetapi ia bertujuan memberikan kesedaran kepada pihak yang ideologinya boleh merosakkan umat Islam dan negara ini.
“Penganut agama lain tidak perlu bimbang kerana perkara yang kita pertahankan adalah berkaitan pegangan akidah umat Islam di Malaysia,” katanya pada sidang media selepas berakhirnya forum di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, semalam.
Mengulang kenyataan Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai baru-baru ini membawa maksud menjurus kepada perkara yang berkaitan kepada perkara murtad.
Katanya, beliau mengulangi bahawa Melayu Islam memegang kepada prinsip tiada paksaan dalam beragama kepada orang bukan Islam yang wujud sejak zaman berzaman.
Bukan kepada Melayui yang agama terasnya adalah Islam yang boleh menukar agamanya dengan sewenangnya.
Menurutnya, forum ini akan dijadikan jelajah ke setiap negeri sekali gus akan menerbitkan cakera padat forum yang dilihat memberi kupasan yang amat jelas kepada masyarakat Melayu Islam.
Beliau berharap tidak ada pihak menyatakan pihaknya cuba memprovokasikan agama lain.
“Kita mahu mempertahankan agama Islam itu tak ada kebebasan sekiranya telah menganutinya,” katanya.

Malaysia’s exports rise unexpectedly in September on shipments of E&E products


KUALA LUMPUR: Exports in September unexpectedly rose despite the volatile global economic environment, with shipments of electrical and electronic products supporting growth.
The Statistics Department said that September's exports grew 2.6% year-on-year to RM60.21bil helped by the growth of exports to Asean countries, the United States, India and Taiwan.
Imports rose by 9.6% to RM53.74bil in September.
The jump in exports exceeded economists forecast of a 2.9% decrease, especially after the country's exports slumped 4.5% in August, according to a Bloomberg survey.
Exports of manufactured goods in September grew 2.4% year-on-year and 7.6% month-on-month to RM40.86bil.
Major export products for the month were electrical and electronic products (35.4%), liquefied natural gas (8.1%), palm oil which includes crude palm oil; fractionated palm oil; palm kernel oil, olein and stearin (7.8%), refined petroleum products (6.7%), and chemicals and chemical products (6%).
Meanwhile, exports to Asean countries recorded double-digit growth of 18.9% to RM16.3bil, accounting for 27.1% of Malaysia's total exports. This was due to higher exports of both commodities and manufactured goods.
Exports to the United States grew for the fifth consecutive month since May, and rose 6.3% year-on-year to RM5.27bil, contributed mainly by electrical and electronic products.
However, total exports to China decreased by 10.8% to RM7.66bil, due to lower exports of rubber and palm oil.
Exports to Japan in September also decreased by 2.2% to RM7.04bil owing to lower exports of liquefied natural gas.
Exports to the European Union (EU) in September decreased by 12.5% to RM5.14bil due to weaker demand for electrical and electronic products, rubber as well as chemicals and chemical products.
For the first nine months of 2012, Malaysia's total trade expanded by 4.3% year-on-year to RM982.74bil as exports rose by 1.7% to RM525.50bil while imports grew by 7.6% to RM457.24bil.
Exports of manufactured goods for January till September 2012 was valued at RM353.51bil, accounting of 67.3% of total exports.
Malaysia's top five export destinations were Singapore (RM71.62bil or 13.6%), China (RM66.45bil or 12.6%), Japan (RM63.50bil or 12.1%), United States (RM45.65bil or 8.7%) and Thailand (RM28.25bil or 5.4%).

CIA Director Petraeus resigns, admits extra-marital affair


WASHINGTON - CIA Director David Petraeus resigned as head of the main U.S. spy agency on Friday, saying he had engaged in an extramarital affair and acknowledging that he "showed extremely poor judgment."
U.S. General David Petraeus gestures during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Capitol Hill in Washington in this June 23, 2011, file photo. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/Files
U.S. General David Petraeus gestures during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Capitol Hill in Washington in this June 23, 2011, file photo. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/Files

In a letter to the CIA workforce, Petraeus, 60, said that he met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday and asked "to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position."
"After being married for 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair," he wrote. "Such behaviour is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours."
Obama, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, said in a statement that he accepted Petraeus' resignation, praising him for his work at the CIA and for leading U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The sudden and dramatic turn of events appeared to end the public career of a widely admired man who played a key role in the Iraq war, led the U.S. Central Command and commanded U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Petraeus' name had circulated speculatively as a possible Republican presidential nominee before Obama tapped him as CIA chief. Before taking the CIA post, he retired as an Army general after nearly four decades of military service.
Petraeus had led the CIA for only 14 months. His sudden departure threatened to usher in a period of instability at the spy agency, which is grappling with a levelling off in its budget after a decade of steady increases.
The agency is also fending off questions about its performance before and after the attack that led to the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya.
U.S. officials insisted that the CIA's handling of the Benghazi incident had nothing to do with Petraeus' decision to resign.
TESTIFY ON CAPITOL HILL
Petraeus had recently travelled to Libya and the Middle East, and had been scheduled to testify about the Benghazi events next week behind closed doors to the House and Senate intelligence committees.
In his statement, Obama said, "I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission."
But there is no indication that he broke any agency rule in connection with his admitted affair, sources familiar with the matter said. The CIA has no broad rule banning officials from engaging in extramarital affairs, though if discovered, liaisons by CIA personnel with suspected foreign agents would pose security problems for a U.S. spy.
Obama, who accepted Petraeus' resignation in a phone call with him Friday afternoon, said that Michael Morell, the agency's long-time deputy director, would serve as acting CIA chief.
Morell, who is well respected at both the White House and on Capitol Hill, had previously served as acting director following the departure of former CIA chief Leon Panetta.
He is a leading candidate to be Petraeus' permanent successor, sources said. Other possible candidates being discussed on Capitol Hill include John Brennan, Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser; Obama national security adviser Thomas Donilon; and former congresswoman Jane Harman, who chaired the House intelligence committee.
Petraeus' resignation also adds a new vacancy on Obama's national security team. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she will leave after Obama's first term, and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is widely expected to leave as well.
Petraeus' wife, Holly, has been an advocate for U.S. veterans and head of the Office of Servicemember Affairs at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Last month, Petraeus and Holly appeared together at a reception at the Canadian Embassy in Washington to celebrate the premiere of the Ben Affleck film "Argo," which chronicles a successful operation in which the CIA and Canadian diplomats smuggled a group of U.S. officials out of Tehran during the 1979-80 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.

Harimau Muda’s Gary hopes winning award can earn his spot with the senior side


Midfield general: Harimau Muda’s Gary Steven Robbat is in line for the Young Player of the Year award at the 2012 S-League Awards Gala Night in Singapore tomorrow. Picture shows Robbat jumping for the ball against Selangor's Mohd Fadzli Saari during their Super League match at the Shah Alam Stadium, May 25, 2011. - GLENN GUAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Harimau Muda midfielder Gary Steven Robbat believes that winning the Singapore League’s Young Player of the Year award will boost his chances of earning a spot in the national football team for the defence of the AFF Suzuki Cup.
Gary and Harimau Muda A team-mate Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor are among the nominees for the award at the 2012 S-League Awards Gala Night in tomorrow night.
Both the national juniors are currently training with the senior team.
Wan Zack already has a title in his bag, having won the S-League’s People’s Choice Award on Thursday.
The hard-tackling Gary admitted that he had failed to make his mark in Malaysia’s last two warm-up matches, which ended in defeats to Vietnam (1-0) and Thailand (2-0).
“The nomination is a surprise and an honour. It’s also timely as I need a dose of confidence after our two defeats,” said Gary
“To be honest, I’m not happy with my form. I had some minor injuries and missed several S-League matches towards the end of the season.
“My confidence is a bit shaken, so winning the award will be the perfect boost.”
The 21-year-old’s stock rose after winning rave reviews for his performances in the S-League and friendlies against English Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester City in July.
The Kulim lad, who was included in the national team’s playing tour of Europe in August by coach Datuk K. Rajagopal, got his first senior cap in the 2-0 defeat to Vietnam in a friendly at the Shah Alam Stadium on Sept 11.
Despite a promising debut, Gary has been struggling to blend in with his senior team-mates and was criticised for his insipid performances.
“Playing with the national team is a big step up for me and I’m still learning the ropes,” said Gary.
“It’s harder than I expected as the pace of the game is different. I have a lot of catching up to do.
“The coach has yet to announce the final squad and we have one more warm-up match and I hope to make an impression.”
The national team play Hong Kong at the Shah Alam Stadium on Wednesday before Rajagopal names his final squad of 22 players.
The Suzuki Cup will be co-hosted by Malaysia and Thailand from Nov 24-Dec 22.

PKNS show their intent with signing of hotshot Wleh


File picture shows Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh (red jersy) in action when he played for Sime Darby.

PETALING JAYA: Hotshot Patrick ‘Ronaldinho’ Wleh will play for Super League side PKNS FC next season.
The former Sime Darby FC striker will be a huge boost for PKNS following his exploits with the Premier League club this year.
PKNS head coach Abdul Rahman Ibrahim confirmed that Wleh would add more bite up front.
“We should be stronger for the new season. We made our debut in the top flight this year and have gained valuable experience. The competition will be stiff with newly promoted Armed Forces and Pahang playing in the Super League. A top class striker of Wleh’s calibre should give us more depth in attack to match the big guns,” said Abdul Rahman yesterday.
The 21-year-old Liberian international’s goal-scoring feats took Sime Darby to their historic FA Cup run and third place in the Premier League this season. No club have ever made it to the FA Cup final but Sime Darby did so largely on Wleh’s six goals in five matches en route to the final, which they lost 1-0 to Kelantan.
Sime Darby FC also did well to finish third in the Premier League behind champions Armed Forces and Pahang, thanks to Wleh’s 15 goals in 18 matches.
Abdul Rahman said they have made minimal changes in the squad and have retained the other foreign signing – French midfielder Abdelfatah Safi.
PKNS will be hoping to shed their “draw specialists” tag next season.
The club, who have been in the Premier League for eight seasons, have found life in the top flight tough, finishing mid-table in the 14-team standings with eight wins, 11 draws and seven defeats this season.
Their FA Cup campaign also ended in the first round. They drew 3-3 with Kedah, who advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Rajagobal stays confident despite losses


Malaysia coach K. Rajagobal believes that his team’s preparations for the defence of their AFF Suzuki Cup title are still on track despite a pair of disappointing defeats in recent warm-up matches.

The reigning Asean champions returned to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, a day after they had suffered a 2-0 defeat to fellow group stage co-hosts Thailand in an international friendly in Nontaburi.

That followed a 1-0 loss in Hanoi five days earlier, their second defeat against the Vietnamese in two months after they also went down 2-0 to Phan Thanh Hung’s side at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in September.

However, those results have not dented the confidence of Rajagobal as he attempts to lead his team to back-to-back title.

"The boys tried their best," said the Malaysia coach to the New Straits Times. "To me as a coach, it's much better we lost now rather than in competition. People did not see us play against Vietnam and I thought we did much better against Thailand.
"We put Thailand under pressure in the second half and you must realise we were playing away. It was a good test for the players and a reality check for them. Now they know what they have got to do."
Added Rajagobal: "People have their own opinion but as a coach I know my players. They know they have to raise their level and it is good we got to play there as I got to check the character of the players.”

Midfielder Amri Yahyah, who was a member of Rajagobal’s winning squad two years ago but is only on the standby list this time, defended the form of the team by pointing to the performance of the 2010 side, who won the competition despite losing 5-1 to Indonesia in their opening game.

“We had the same problem in 2010 but ended up winning the tournament. It’s too early to write them off just yet,” said the Selangor captain.

“Playing for the national team is different from playing club football. Players have a shorter time to adapt to each other, thus the slow start.

“I think this time we have extra pressure as we are the defending champions … but let’s not lose faith in the team.”

Malaysia are in Group B at the AFF Suzuki Cup and they will face Singapore in their opening game on November 25 before taking on Laos and Indonesia. 
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