Eyeing the RON 95 and Diesel TWENTY CENTS price hike by Roy Goh

FUEL HIKE: People must look at the long-term benefits in subsidy cuts

MALAYSIANS lined up to save money on Monday night and burnt some as they waited.

The prices of RON95 and diesel were raised by 20 sen to RM2.10 and RM2 yesterday.

This triggered nationwide panic-buying and Kota Kinabalu was no exception with vehicles queuing from late noon.

To make things worse, pump attendants and station supervisors bore the brunt of the people's frustrations at the slightest delay or mistake.

In other states, there were also reports of motorists crashing into pumps, vandalism and other form of abuses -- because of the 20 sen hike. It was good to note those who fuelled before the midnight deadline earned a reprieve worth RM6 to RM20 until their tank empties.

The smallest of cars could hold up to 30 litres and multiply that by 20 sen, its owner saved RM6. For owners of bigger vehicles that could hold up to 100 litres, they saved up to RM20.

A hike in the price of an essential item, such as fuel, is always worth a debate among economists right to the man on the streets.

There are points to be raised both from the decision-makers and end-users. But for the trouble they go through waiting for up to an hour, the rage burning as they scrolled their smartphones on social media, the honking and the beverages they bought, it's priceless, at least to those who queued.

Their grouses varied from the announcement being too sudden, it was wrong, 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) to be blamed and some emphatic tunggulah kamu (just you wait) to the government.

A friend, who smokes a cigarette brand that retails at RM10.50 a packet, said he queued to fill up to make sure he saved as much as he could.

Asked if he would change to a cheaper brand of cigarette so that he could save, his answer was no.

Three key facts that were not stated by those who vented their feelings:

THE contraction could save the government RM1.1 billion for the remainder of the year and RM3.3 billion annually;

THE prices of RON95 and diesel at the stations were still subsidised at 60 sen and 80 sen per litre; and,

COMPARED with prices in the region, where in most countries, it is higher.

The hike would likely hit the lower-income group, according to Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association president Datuk N. Marimuthu.

"The 20 sen increment is high as RON95 petrol and diesel are widely used by the low- and middle-income families.

"Even though it gives the government much-needed elbow room to plan and allocate a bigger budget for other developments, they should also think about the people."

The keyword when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made the announcement was rationalisation.

The move was part of the government's subsidy rationalisation initiative to ensure a more efficient and just distribution of benefits derived from its subsidy effort, he said.

"Currently, our subsidy system benefits everyone, including the higher-income group and foreigners. Thus, we need to move to a more targeted subsidy system that caters to the vulnerable groups.

"The subsidy rationalisation will be carried out in many stages. To reduce the burden of the low-income and vulnerable group following the fuel subsidy rationalisation, BR1M will be increased in the 2014 Budget," he said.

The government, in its 2013 Budget, allocated RM24.8 billion for fuel subsidy and the price move would help save RM1.1 billion in the remaining part of the year. Whatever is saved would be ploughed back to benefit the people, especially the lower-income group.

All this, however, calls for prudent spending among the public and efficiency from the civil service, especially in the transport industry. It also points to the stricter enforcement of laws against profiteers, who will jump on the issue as an excuse to hike prices of goods and services.

Read more: Government saves RM1.1b for rakyat this year - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/government-saves-rm1-1b-for-rakyat-this-year-1.348721#ixzz2dt3bowQu

Eyeing Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbod's writing on Trade Liberalisation

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: The world is already a global village with economic boundaries crumbling

  WITH globalisation and internationalisation, countries are no longer spared of pressures from many quarters to open up their economies and be increasingly exposed to demands for surrendering their sovereignty to manage their economic affairs.

The last round of trade negotiations, otherwise called the Uruguay Round, led to the demise of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which dealt with trade in goods, and in its place the World Trade Organisation (WTO) established and brought trade in services into its fold. Efforts were also in place bringing in intellectual property (TRIP) and investments (TRIM) under the WTO fold.

Subsequent post Uruguay Round efforts to further improve multilateral processes, beginning in Seattle, and later in Doha, stalled. In place of multilateralism, bilateral pressures picked up speed and free trade initiatives came onto the scene subjecting small economies to the full onslaught of economic power of the large economies.

Now another form of regional partnership called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement has emerged, to bring several economies in the region into another regional arrangement with its own ways of addressing disputes between contracting parties, even proposing the need to adjudicate disputes on investment incentives.

Thus the statement that countries are no longer at war in a military sense but are having skirmishes in the trade arena, is true. The concern by the American leaders of China's exchange rate policy is but one of these.

Nearer to home is our commitment towards Asean economic integration, the Asean Economic Community (AEC), which is slated to come into force by 2015. The varying economic stages within Asean should not delay the formation of AEC and our efforts need to be focused on this more urgent matter. Certainly what happened in the Eurozone, the Euro in particular, should give us more insights into the challenges and trappings of regional integration.

The AEC should be the corridor where our diplomats and trade negotiators should be busier, rather than responding to pressure from the majors whose real problem is to effectively manage their own economies.

We must ensure AEC materialises to showcase to the world that our brand of economic grouping is working and impactful. Asean has come a long way and it is high time we consolidated it even further. AEC is quite a natural progression after our CEPT, AFTA, AFAS, and after the opening up of neighbouring countries, such as Myanmar and the coming of the latter, into another potential centre for investments into the region.

Malaysia would stand to gain from AEC given its stage of economic growth and development and the public policies that are supportive of the private sector as the engine of economic growth.

As any trade negotiation would develop, and TPP included, the issue of more liberalisation is uppermost and the issue of how to address disputes under the new proposed grouping will always be an important agenda for negotiation.

Our negotiators must be prepared with country positions after doing the calculations of cost and benefit of joining the partnership. Have we done so? Hopefully we have.

Our culture for in depth economic and policy analysis has somewhat taken a back seat preferring only the importance of the bottom line. The private sector with all the subsidies it has enjoyed often does not find it quite necessary to invest in policy related researches and R&D. This is where we differ from the developed west where policy related researches and R&D are largely funded by the industry for the benefit of the whole economy.

In managing all these pressures and expectations, our economic players and policy makers will have to be prepared for liberalisation. We have to build our state of readiness for a more liberal economic environment. It is almost a fact of economic life that the world is already a "global village" with economic boundaries crumbling.

Thus the mindset, of thinking global and acting local, must be in all of us. To be so contented with the domestic market and with the strong support of the public sector available here, should be a mindset of the past.

 To be sure, others are watching us to contribute to the global process of liberalisation. The simple reason is that we have benefited from their capital investment flows and markets for our products.

 Thus Malaysian industries and traders should always be prepared for competition from external players and operators, and to work with their Asean counterparts to become global players to face international competition. The need to consolidate and to grow into regional and global player is a must now.

The TPP is a wake-up call to our industries to stay efficient and competitive as well as highly productive.  If nations with limited resources can find niches in this competitive world, Malaysia too, can.

 With efficient utilisation of our natural and human resources by our industries as well as operating in a non-subsidised environment, using the boundary pricing policy as much as possible, may be the formula for long term survival of our industries. Additionally, we must be prepared for our protection walls to be increasingly brought down in due course.

Read more: Be ready for trade liberalisation - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/be-ready-for-trade-liberalisation-1.347804#ixzz2dhLcuQdG

Eyeing Unusual features in leaked TPP proposals writes Khor Eng Hee

TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP TALKS: There should be a balance of rights and obligations, writes Khor Eng Hee

SECRECY surrounds current negotiations taking place on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a plurilateral trade negotiation carried out so far by 11 countries to establish a regional free-trade area. Japan was admitted as the 12th  participating member on July 23.

Certain parts or chapters of the draft text of the TPP, however, have been leaked on the Internet. Consequently, much interest has now been aroused among people worldwide about the main players, their motives and of the issues involved.

Trade liberalisation, as the Uruguay Round (UR) has shown, does not necessarily bring benefits to participants equally.

Major adjustments are often required in the economy and these can be costly. A country's business and industrial enterprises must be prepared and capable to compete in world trade, and to face such competition at home to profit from such liberalisation.

When elements of geopolitics are added to trade liberalisation, the outcome does not impact just on trade.

Some of the obligations can be liabilities. They can constrain development efforts because of the restraint in legal commitments undertaken either unwittingly or under pressure.

This article discusses the TPP in a general manner. It takes up one or two of the salient features of the proposed agreement as these have been leaked out. Readers will need to understand that it is written under such qualification.

The terms and conditions including the sectors involved in the proposed agreement are still kept away from the public. These, in addition, are evolving as negotiations progress.

However, from what has been leaked out, there seems to be some features in the draft TPP text not seen in the 50 years of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade's (GATT) history and in the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) institutional and legal framework.

Some of the commitments proposed seem to go beyond those accepted in the WTO or other regional free-trade areas in sectors like environment, labour standards, intellectual property rights protection, investment, competition, etc. Many of these proposals would have serious implications.

Observers note that of the 29 chapters of the TPP, only two deal with trade. There is nothing strange about such an approach as major participating countries do attempt to use trade negotiations to pursue their other economic or political strategic concerns and aims in international relations.

Developing countries also enter into trade negotiations with some plan and ambition. However, their efforts do not have the strategic interests or impact compared with those of major advanced nations.

Theirs is simply social and economic growth and development. They do not yet possess the strength and influence to aim for a more ambitious power play.

One other unusual feature is the proposal that private economic enterprises and their individuals in sectors covered by the agreement would be empowered to sue the government of another party for what they claim to be breach of commitments, and because of this, for loss, direct or indirect.

Some observers are of the view that what is proposed puts the government answerable to the enterprises of another party rather than the other way around when they establish themselves in another country. This would put lesser countries at the mercy of multinational corporations, some of whose annual budget is even bigger than their government's.

The host government would open itself to all sorts of litigation, not just government-to-government as in the GATT in the past, now in the WTO or in most other existing free trade areas.

Such commitments will apply to all members of the agreement once they are adopted and come into effect. While developed members have the human and financial resources to deal with such a problem or are au fait with such a practice in their culture, are developing members on par with their developed counterparts?

Such a principle or legal rule if applied to services trade such as financial and banking services as an example, would tie down governments from regulatory corrective actions in the event of financial volatility and other crisis that the world today is prone to. Hedge funds, for example, would have a heyday.

Threat of punitive action would be sufficient to pressure particularly weaker member countries. This would act as a strong constraint on any affirmative policy measures towards national economic development and growth.

For one thing, capital control would be out of the toolkit of central banks to prevent a sudden surge of outflows of capital under these proposed terms and conditions.

The number of free trade agreements so far concluded and studied by some scholars and think tanks show that the use of different rules of origin is discouraging some foreign businesses from making use of some of these free trade areas as it adds up transaction costs.

One common question in the corridors of the GATT that I used to hear in my days in Geneva was: "At the end of the day, is there a balance of rights and obligations?"

One answer is that it may be too late if one waits for the end of the day to ask such a question. What is the use of such rights if developing countries, because of weakness, cannot make use of them.

Read more: Unusual features in leaked TPP proposals - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/unusual-features-in-leaked-tpp-proposals-1.347808?localLinksEnabled=false#ixzz2dhKe4xHA

Eyeing Glycemic Index and Diabetes

Glycemic Index: What's It All About?

Good carbohydrates, bad carbohydrates. Low glycemic index, high glycemic index. A great tool to help you manage diabetes or lose weight. You might have heard all these statements associated with the glycemic index. What is this glycemic index all about? Is it worth considering as a way to help you control your blood sugar levels?

The Glycemic Index: Food’s Impact on Blood Sugar in Diabetes

Researchers have spent years debating what makes blood sugar levels too high in those with diabetes. Potential culprits have included sugar, carbohydrates in general, simple carbs, starches, and more. The glycemic index is one attempt to measure each individual food’s effect on blood sugar.

If you're trying to lose weight, calories count more than the types of food in your diet, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Tufts University study shows.

The study shows that after a year, overweight people on a low-carb low-glycemic-index diet lost just as much weight -- 8% of their original weight -- as people on a reduced-fat, high-glycemic-index diet. That suggests there's a range of healthy diets that can promote weight loss successfully.

High Glycemic Index Foods Are Linked to Health Problems

What researchers have learned is that high glycemic index foods generally make blood sugar levels higher. In addition, people who eat a lot of high glycemic index foods tend to have greater levels of body fat, as measured by the body mass index (BMI). High BMIs are linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

High glycemic index foods include many carbohydrates such as these:

• White bread
• Pasta
• Rice
• Low-fiber cereals
• Baked goods

Eyeing Honourable Dato Sri Najib's speech at the Tun Dr Mahathir Global Peace Award

HE. Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa and Mrs. Zuma,

His Excellency Tun. Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Malaysia, and Her Excellency Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali,

Ministers,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen. 

1. It is a privilege to be here today to present the Tun Dr Mahathir Global Peace Award. On behalf of all Malaysians, I offer my warmest welcome to President Zuma. I thank you for your friendship and for your commitment to strengthening the bond between our two nations. It is a relationship that only grows stronger with time. 
2. The recipient of today’s award needs little introduction. So before we begin, I thought I might say a few words about the award itself.  
3. Over the course of history, humans have ascended great heights. We have created language, cured disease, set foot on the moon. These achievements illustrate the best of our nature: the ability to work together in pursuit of common aims. But there is another side to human endeavour. 
4. Despite the coming of civilization, we have yet to turn our backs on the most primitive pastime of all. Despite millennia of progress, our most powerful tools are used not just to advance our ambitions, but also to destroy them. 
5. Throughout our history, humans have embarked upon war. In the name of plunder, conquest or religion, we have chosen violent ends over peaceful aims. Motivated by anger, fear and greed, we have killed and maimed at ever greater scale. 
6. Today, conflict burns in each region of the earth. Whether border skirmish or civil war, sectarian violence or military occupation, conflict continues to take a heavy toll on people and nations: often on those who can afford it least. 

Ladies and gentlemen,  

7. The progress we have fought for over centuries – and the achievements of our remarkable species – count for nothing if we cannot live in peace as people of one world. 
8. All nations share a common responsibility to break with the past and create a better future; to secure a just and lasting peace. Here the international community faces perhaps its greatest challenge: peace not just during our time, but peace for all times. 
9. It is a challenge that must be met collectively. It is imperative that we achieve a peace premised upon a covenant of the willing, not one enforced by hegemony or secured through coercion. Peace can only be achieved if we are willing to constructively engage each other, to substitute dialogue in place of conflict. 
10. It is this spirit that inspired Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, who stands solidly against war. Speaking at conferences across the world, Tun Dr Mahathir works tirelessly to deliver a simple message: that war should not be the preferred path to peace. 
11. Today’s award is yet another demonstration of his personal commitment to this cause. It therefore gives me great pleasure to present the Mahathir Award for Global Peace, and to congratulate its inaugural recipient.  
12. It is rare that a national leader rises to become a global icon; rarer still that they do so by compassion, not conquest. Only a handful earn such recognition that they are known not just to their own people, but to the world; known not only by their titles, but by a single name. 
13. We count ourselves lucky to find one in a generation; in the twentieth century, there were three. Mahatma Gandhi. Martin Luther King.  And the recipient of today’s award, Nelson Mandela. 
14. For millions of people, the name stirs deeply held memories: the lawyer in London, telling the world of an ideal for which he is prepared to die. The prisoner on Robben Island, holding seminars with his fellow inmates. The free man, walking from his cell to lead his nation to democracy. And the President who turned his back on retribution in favour of reconciliation. 
15. It is this Mandela – the leader who brought a nation together when others would tear it apart – that we recognise today. Faced with a choice between settling scores and healing wounds, President Mandela demonstrated that peace begins at home. That the practice of peace begins with a personal commitment: to forgiveness, and to compassion.   
16. In one bold stroke, he rallied the country to think of the opportunities that avail themselves when a country is united.  His words and his actions, particularly when tensions were at their highest, were chosen with a wisdom born of experience, and the generosity of spirit that equalled the occasion. At a time when dark flames of revenge flickered in the background, President Mandela showed that his commitment to his country burned brightest of all. 
17. In so doing, he gave hope to the world: hope that national reconciliation – a long and arduous journey, one that may not ever be fully complete – is nonetheless worth every single step. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

18. These achievements were celebrated with a particular passion here in Malaysia. For generations, our people have felt an affinity with South Africa. 
19. Our nation also spent much of the twentieth century in search of democracy; struggling for majority rule, working to build the institutions on which independence and prosperity rely. We felt a connection with the fight to remove racism and instate democracy, for Malaysia too was trying to create a fairer and freer country. 
20. Our nation’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, was also the first Malaysian premier to register his opposition to Apartheid. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs rallied the Commonwealth to reject Apartheid. Three months after Malaysia’s independence, we voted to support United Nations resolutions against it, and our stance did not waver until the injustice was ended. Malaysia played a key role in bringing about South Africa’s exit from the Commonwealth, initiated early trade sanctions, and sat on the special UN committee on apartheid.  
21. But it was our longest serving leader, Tun Dr Mahathir, who did the most to further this tradition. Dr Mahathir worked with the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Zambian administration and the ANC itself. And in 1990, on the eve of negotiations for democracy, he welcomed Nelson Mandela to Malaysia. 
22. It is this personal connection to the cause – this history of activism and support for one of the defining struggles of our generation – that makes today’s award all the more poignant. And so, on behalf of all Malaysians, it gives me great pleasure to present the Tun Dr Mahathir Global Peace Award to Nelson Mandela. 

Eyeing Nazri will always be Nazri by Razak Ahmad The STAR

PETALING JAYA: Those who expect Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to mellow out will be disappointed.

The Tourism and Culture Minister has been in politics for 35 years and he has a reputation for being vocal. The Umno leader would occasionally air views that go against the grain of conventional thinking, either within his party or the Government.

But despite the recent controversy which erupted after he appointed his son as his special officer, Nazri, in a recent interview, said he would remain as outspoken as ever.

“If I have done something wrong, I will apologise but if I know that my stand is a principled stand, I will hold my ground, no matter what people say about me,” Nazri said.

The incident has inflamed some of his critics who, over the years, have accused him of going overboard in voicing controversial opinions.

“I have a few hats to wear – politician, social worker, lawyer. But I am a lawyer first above everything else, even above my political party.

“Upholding the law is the most important thing to me and that is why I am vocal, even if it goes against the grain of my party’s struggle,” he said when asked about the strong opinions about him.

Views about him among Umno members and supporters are also mixed. Some feel that he is a maverick while his critics say he is kurang ajar (insolent) and have not forgiven him for crossing swords with people whom, they say, he has no right to question, namely Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“It is principles and nothing personal. I debate and argue with a clear mind,” said Nazri when asked about the former prime minister.

“When I was the minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, I would argue with the Opposition all the time but I also get along with many of their MPs because they knew it was not personal.”

He attributes his outspokenness to his father Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yeop.

Abdul Aziz studied law in Britain and later became one of Malaysia’s leading public servants, holding positions including as high commissioner to Britain and secretary-general to the Education Ministry.

“My late father was a lawyer who instilled in me the importance of having a strong conviction and principled stand,” he said.

Another trait he credits his father with is a strong faith in multi-culturalism.

“He mixed a lot with people from all races and this also moulded me to become a person some would probably consider unorthodox.

“To me, it’s very simple. I am a Malay but if I want to do something for my race, it should not be a zero sum game whereby it is seen as being at the expense of another race. You love your race but, at the same time, it doesn’t mean that you must hate the others,” he said.

Love him or hate him, the fact is that Nazri is no newbie to politics. Appointed as an Umno Youth exco member in 1978 when he was just a 24-year-old fresh law graduate, Nazri gradually climbed up the party ranks in a political career that has spanned over three decades.

He has been on the Umno supreme council since 1990 and in 1993, became Umno Youth deputy chief.

To many of his supporters, peers and colleagues, he is known simply as “chief”, a moniker he considers more than just a nickname but a term of endearment.

“When I was appointed as an Umno Youth exco member in 1978, I was neither a Datuk nor an elected representative, so many did not know what to call me.

“I was from the Malay College Kuala Kangsar and I was a ringleader among a group of friends. My old friend Datuk Naim Mohamad (currently the deputy president of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation) used to call me chief and somehow, the name stuck.

“To me, when someone calls me chief, it makes that person feels closer to me,” he said.

In the Cabinet, Nazri has served as Entrepreneur Development Minister from 1999 to 2004 after which he served as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department before being appointed as Tourism and Culture Minister following the last general election.

Nazri said that he was worried about the recent spate of shootings and crime as this could scare tourists away.

He said he was equally vocal in the Cabinet, voicing dissenting opinions which his colleagues sometimes disagreed with.

“My views are independent because I believe that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong, so I will always tell it as it is,” he said

Eyeing the Moscow World Championships at the Luzhniki Stadium - Track and Field

Medal Tally of the top ten countries.

Russia 7G 4S 6B

U S     6G 13S 6B

Jamaica 6G 2S 1B

Kenya  5G 4S 3B

Germany 4G 2S 1B

Ethiopia 3G 3S 4B

Great Britain 3G 0S 2B

Czech Rep  2G 0S 1B

Ukraine 2G 0S 1B

France  1G 3S 1B

Russia, U S, Germany, Great Britain and France represented the World's largest national economies

whilst Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia, Czech Rep and Ukraine the developing nations.

Amongst the top ten highly developed countries

MOSCOW: TOPPLING Usain Bolt from his sprint throne could take a while yet with the untouchable Jamaican star of track and field still looking down on those who seek to challenge his reign.

While his jet engine still roars, others toil, with the fastest man on earth heading home from the Moscow World Championships with another three gold medals, despite never needing to be at his peerless best.

Bolt duly completed a 100m, 200m and 4x100m treble to match his feats of the last two Olympics, become the most successful athlete in World Championship history -- and left promising his goal was more Games glory in Rio in 2016.

Jamaican sprinters lauding it over waning powerhouses the United States was evident again in the Luzhniki Stadium, the twinkle-toed Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce powering to her own treble.

In truth, it was far from a vintage championships, the buzz of last year's Olympics long gone, with some notable London champions absent, a doping cloud hanging over the sport and not a world record in sight.

Like Bolt and Shelly-Ann, an ever-smiling Mo Farah shone bright. The Briton confirmed his place among the long-distance greats by brilliantly repeating his Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 double.

Farah took 10,000 gold on the opening night of the championships and made light of a stitch during the 5,000 final six days later with another supreme final lap.

Russia topped the United States in the medals table, by seven gold to six, helped by strong performances in the field events and walks.

Popular drama queen Yelena Isinbayeva was roared to victory by an ecstatic crowd in the pole vault, taking an emotional third world title after a difficult season then announcing she planned to return to action in the future once she has had a baby.

However, she suffered a backlash for her subsequent anti-gay comments, convincing nobody when she said later she had been misunderstood.

While Yelena and the controversial Russian law divided opinion, the world is united in appreciation of Bolt.

He came to Moscow after a low-key season but, in the absence of injured Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay, banned after failing a drugs test, there was nobody able to pressure him.

He regained his 100m title with a workmanlike win over Justin Gatlin, then sauntered to victory over his favourite 200.

Anchoring the Jamaican 4x100m, he took his tally of world championship gold to eight -- level with Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson and Allyson Felix but ahead of the American trio on silver countback.

Apart from his false start and ignominious disqualification from the world 100 final two years ago, the 26-year-old has won every global sprint gold since claiming his first Olympic 100m title in Beijing in 2008.

"My goal is to defend (for a second time) my titles at the next Olympics as it hasn't been done before by anyone. And this World Championships is a stepping stone towards that goal," he said.

The colourful Shelly-Ann, half her long hair dyed pink, also led her rivals a merry dance. Her scintillating 100m triumph, sealed from the moment she powered out of the blocks, was followed up with another virtuoso display in a 200 final that left three-time champion Allyson prone and in tears after the American tore her hamstring in the first 30 metres.

New stars emerged in the hurdles in the shape of American Brianna Rollins and Trinidad and Tobago's Jehue Gordon.

Brianna, 22 on Sunday, belied her inexperience to dethrone Sally Pearson while in the men's one-lap event, Gordon, 21, pipped a tiring Michael Tinsley by one hundredth of a second to confirm the promise that made him world junior champion.

Of the Olympic champions to flop in Moscow, Kirani James was the most surprising.

Defending world and Olympic champion James trailed home seventh in a 400 metres final won easily by LaShawn Merritt.

"I was hungry. Probably the hungriest person in the field," said the American after regaining his 2009 title and making up for last year's Olympic disappointment when he suffered injury.

Compatriot David Oliver did not even make it to London after a wretched time but the ever-cheerful American took his first global title in the 110m hurdles, with world record holder Merritt sixth after an injury-hit year.

In the closest gold medal finish of all, Briton Christine Ohuruogu brilliantly punished an inexcusable lapse by defending champion Amantle Montsho, who failed to dip at the line as the former champion edged her out by four thousandths of a second.

"I did not see Christine coming," the Botswanan said with no hint of irony.

While Farah left his African rivals still figuring how to plot his downfall there were no such problems for Ethiopia's women.

Line up against Tirunesh Dibaba in the 10,000 and you can write off gold. The runner known as the 'baby-faced destroyer' powered to her third world crown, extending her winning run in a distance she has never been beaten to 11. Not to be outdone, compatriot Meseret Defar eased home in the 5,000m.

Kenya's dominance of steeplechasing continued through the indomitable Ezekiel Kemboi, showing his younger teammate Conseslus Kipruto a clean pair of heels and equalling the hat-trick feat of his coach Moses Kiptanui.

Milcah Chemos Cheywa also led home a Kenyan one-two in the women's event.

Decathlon world record holder and London champion Ashton Eaton admitted he had struggled to lift himself in 2013, but that did not stop the American winning a first world title after a first-day roasting from his coach kick-started him to the fastest-ever decathlon world championship 400m.

An Eaton family double -- he married Brianne Theisen-Eaton last month -- was denied when the Canadian was pipped to heptathlon gold by Ganna Melnichenko, much to the delight of the vociferous Ukraine fans who were a constant presence in an all-too empty Luzhniki Stadium.

The Ukrainians also celebrated Bohdan Bondarenko's impressive high-jump victory, while women's long jumper American Britney Reese landed a third successive world title, going better than greats Heike Drechsler, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Fiona May who all won two apiece -- all after sneaking into the final as the 12th and last qualifier.

Kenyan Edna Kiplagat defied hot and humid conditions to become the first woman to retain the world marathon title and Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich showed his surprise Olympic victory was no fluke by holding a trio of Ethiopians at bay.

Germany took four field event golds, led by Robert Harting who won his third successive world discus crown.

New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams described her feat of four consecutive world titles "as good for women's sport", and on the final day, Frenchman Teddy Tamgho unleashed the fourth longest triple jump leap of all time -- 18.04m. Reuters

Read more: ATHLETICS / WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Bolt strikes three times - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/athletics-world-championships-bolt-strikes-three-times-1.340621#ixzz2cTwm7SQP

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir Bathin

Lebat daun bunga tanjung

Berbau harum sibunga Raya

Adat dijaga pusaka dijunjung

Selamat menyambut Hari Raya

Eyeing the benefits of Cycling

1. You’ll get there faster

Commute by bike in the UK’s major cities and you’ll get there in half the time of cars, research by Citroen shows. In fact, if you drive for an hour in Cardiff’s rush hour, you’ll spend over 30 minutes going absolutely nowhere and average just 7mph, compared to averaging around 12-15mph while cycling.

2. Sleep more deeply

An early morning ride might knacker you out in the short term, but it’ll help you catch some quality shut-eye when you get back to your pillow. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers asked sedentary insomnia sufferers to cycle for 20-30 minutes every other day. The result? The time required for the insomniacs to fall asleep was reduced by half, and sleep time increased by almost an hour.

“Exercising outside exposes you to daylight,” explains Professor Jim Horne from Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre. “This helps get your circadian rhythm back in sync, and also rids your body of cortisol, the stress hormone that can prevent deep, regenerative sleep.”

3. Look younger

Scientists at Stanford University have found that cycling regularly can protect your skin against the harmful effects of UV radiation and reduce the signs of ageing. Harley Street dermatologist Dr Christopher Rowland Payne explains: “Increased circulation through exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to skin cells more effectively, while flushing harmful toxins out. Exercise also creates an ideal environment within the body to optimise collagen production, helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles and speed up the healing process.” Don’t forget to slap on the factor 30 before you head out, though.

4. Boost your bowels

According to experts from Bristol University, the benefits of cycling extend deep into your core. “Physical activity helps decrease the time it takes food to move through the large intestine, limiting the amount of water absorbed back into your body and leaving you with softer stools, which are easier to pass,” explains Harley Street gastroenterologist Dr Ana Raimundo.

In addition, aerobic exercise accelerates your breathing and heart rate, which helps to stimulate the contraction of intestinal muscles. “As well as preventing you from feeling bloated, this helps protect you against bowel cancer,” Dr Raimundo says.

5. Increase your brain power

Need your grey matter to sparkle? Then get pedalling. Researchers from Illinois University found that a five percent improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness from cycling led to an improvement of up to 15 percent in mental tests. That’s because cycling helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus – the region responsible for memory, which deteriorates from the age of 30.

“It boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which fires and regenerates receptors, explaining how exercise helps ward off Alzheimer’s,” says the study’s author, Professor Arthur Kramer.

6. Beat illness

Forget apples, riding’s the way to keep the doctor at bay. “Moderate exercise makes immune cells more active, so they’re ready to fight off infection,” says Cath Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital in London.

In fact, according to research from the University of North Carolina, people who cycle for 30 minutes, five days a week take about half as many sick days as couch potatoes.

7. Live longer

King’s College London compared over 2,400 identical twins and found those who did the equivalent of just three 45-minute rides a week were nine years ‘biologically younger’ even after discounting other influences, such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking.

“Those who exercise regularly are at significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, all types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity,” says Dr Lynn Cherkas, who conducted the research. “The body becomes much more efficient at defending itself and regenerating new cells.”

8. Save the planet

Twenty bicycles can be parked in the same space as one car. It takes around five percent of the materials and energy used to make a car to build a bike, and a bike produces zero pollution.

Bikes are efficient, too – you travel around three times as fast as walking for the same amount of energy and, taking into account the ‘fuel’ you put in your ‘engine’, you do the equivalent of 2,924 miles to the gallon. You have your weight ratio to thank: you’re about six times heavier than your bike, but a car is 20 times heavier than you.

9. Improve your sex life

Being more physically active improves your vascular health, which has the knock-on effect of boosting your sex drive, according to health experts in the US. One study from Cornell University also concluded that male athletes have the sexual prowess of men two to five years younger, with physically fit females delaying the menopause by a similar amount of time.

Meanwhile, research carried out at Harvard University found that men aged over 50 who cycle for at least three hours a week have a 30 percent lower risk of impotence than those who do little exercise.

10. It’s good breeding

A ‘bun in the oven’ could benefit from your riding as much as you. According to research from Michigan University in the US, mums-to-be who regularly exercise during pregnancy have an easier, less complicated labour, recover faster and enjoy better overall mood throughout the nine months. Your pride and joy also has a 50 percent lower chance of becoming obese and enjoys better in-utero neurodevelopment.

“There’s no doubt that moderate exercise such as cycling during pregnancy helps condition the mother and protect the foetus,” says Patrick O’Brien, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

11. Heal your heart

Studies from Purdue University in the US have shown that regular cycling can cut your risk of heart disease by 50 percent. And according to the British Heart Foundation, around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided each year if people kept themselves fitter. Cycling just 20 miles a week reduces your risk of heart disease to less than half that of those who take no exercise, it says.

12. Your boss will love you

No, we don’t mean your Lycra-clad buttocks will entice your superiors into a passionate office romance, but they’ll appreciate what cycling does for your usefulness to the company. A study of 200 people carried out by the University of Bristol found that employees who exercised before work or at lunchtime improved their time and workload management, and it boosted their motivation and their ability to deal with stress.

The study also reported that workers who exercised felt their interpersonal performance was better, they took fewer breaks and found it easier to finish work on time. Sadly, the study didn’t find a direct link between cycling and getting a promotion.

13. Cycle away from the big C

There’s plenty of evidence that any exercise is useful in warding off cancer, but some studies have shown that cycling is specifically good for keeping your cells in working order. One long-term study carried out by Finnish researchers found that men who exercised at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes a day were half as likely to develop cancer as those who didn’t. And one of the moderate forms of exercise they cited? Cycling to work. Other studies have found that women who cycle frequently reduce their risk of breast cancer by 34 percent.

14. Lose weight in the saddle

Loads of people who want to shift some heft think that heading out for a jog is the best way to start slimming down. But while running does burn a ton of fat, it’s not kind to you if you’re a little larger than you’d like to be. Think about it – two to three times your body weight goes crashing through your body when your foot strikes the ground. If you weigh 16 stone, that’s a lot of force! Instead, start out on a bike – most of your weight is taken by the saddle, so your skeleton doesn’t take a battering. Running can wait…

15. You’ll make more money

If you’re cycling to lose weight then you could be in line for a cash windfall… Well, sort of. Researcher Jay Zagorsky, from Ohio State University, analysed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth – which saw 7,300 people regularly interviewed between 1985 and 2000 – to see how their obesity and wealth changed over that period. Zagorsky concluded that a one unit increase in body mass index (BMI) score corresponded to an £800 or eight percent reduction in wealth. So, shed a few BMI points on the bike and start earning.

16. Avoid pollution

You’d think a city cyclist would suck up much more pollution than the drivers and passengers in the vehicles chucking out the noxious gases. Not so, according to a study carried out by Imperial College London. Researchers found that passengers in buses, taxis and cars inhaled substantially more pollution than cyclists and pedestrians.

On average, taxi passengers were exposed to more than 100,000 ultrafine particles – which can settle in the lungs and damage cells – per cubic centimetre. Bus passengers sucked up just under 100,000 and people in cars inhaled about 40,000. Cyclists, meanwhile, were exposed to just 8,000 ultrafine particles per cubic centimetre. It’s thought that cyclists breathe in fewer fumes because we ride at the edge of the road and, unlike drivers, aren’t directly in the line of exhaust smoke.

17. Enjoy healthy family time

Cycling is an activity the whole family can do together. The smallest tyke can clamber into a bike seat or tow-along buggy, and because it’s kind on your joints, there’s nothing to stop grandparents joining in too.

Moreover, your riding habit could be sowing the seeds for the next Bradley Wiggins. Studies have found that, unsurprisingly, kids are influenced by their parents’ exercise choices. Put simply, if your kids see you riding regularly, they think it’s normal and will want to follow your example. Don’t be surprised, though, if they become embarrassed by your tendency to mismatch fluorescent Lycra when they become teenagers.

18. It means guilt-free snacks

Upping your salt intake is seldom your doctor’s advice, but in the few days leading up to a big ride or sportive, that’s exactly what you should do. This gives you the perfect excuse to munch on crisps and other salty foods you might normally avoid. The sodium in them helps protect your body against hyponatraemia, a condition caused by drinking too much water without enough sodium that can lead to disorientation, illness and worse.

19. Get better at any sport

Whether you want to keep in prime shape or just improve your weekly tennis game, a stint in the saddle is the way to begin. A recent medical study from Norway carried the title Aerobic Endurance Training Improves Soccer Performance, which makes it pretty clear that the knock-on benefits to other sports and activities are immense.

20. Make creative breakthroughs

Writers, musicians, artists, top executives and all kinds of other professionals use exercise to solve mental blocks and make decisions – including Jeremy Paxman, Sir Alan Sugar and Spandau Ballet. A study found that just 25 minutes of aerobic exercise boosts at least one measure of creative thinking. Credit goes to the flow of oxygen to your grey matter when it matters most, sparking your neurons and giving you breathing space away from the muddle and pressures of ‘real life’.

21. You’re helping others

Many cyclists turn their health, fitness and determination into fundraising efforts for the less fortunate. The London to Brighton bike ride has raised over £40 million for the British Heart Foundation since the two became involved in 1980, with countless other rides contributing to the coffers of worthy causes.

22. You can get fit without trying too hard

Regular, everyday cycling has huge benefits that can justify you binning your wallet-crippling gym membership. According to the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Foundation in the US, regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person who’s 10 years younger.

23. Boost your bellows

No prizes for guessing that the lungs work considerably harder than usual when you ride. An adult cycling generally uses 10 times the oxygen they’d need to sit in front of the TV for the same period. Even better, regular cycling will help strengthen your cardiovascular system over time, enabling your heart and lungs to work more efficiently and getting more oxygen where it’s needed, quicker. This means you can do more exercise for less effort. How good does that sound?

24. Burn more fat

Sports physiologists have found that the body’s metabolic rate – the efficiency with which it burns calories and fat – is not only raised during a ride, but for several hours afterwards. “Even after cycling for 30 minutes, you could be burning a higher amount of total calories for a few hours after you stop,” says sports physiologist Mark Simpson of Loughborough University.

And as you get fitter, the benefits are more profound. One recent study showed that cyclists who incorporated fast intervals into their ride burned three-and-a-half times more body fat than those who cycled constantly but at a slower pace.

25. You’re developing a positive addiction

Replace a harmful dependency – such as cigarettes, alcohol or eating too much chocolate – with a positive one, says William Glasser, author of Positive Addiction. The result? You’re a happier, healthier person getting the kind of fix that boosts the good things in life.

26. Get (a legal) high

Once a thing of myth, the infamous ‘runner’s high’ has been proven beyond doubt by German scientists. Yet despite the name, this high is applicable to all endurance athletes. University of Bonn neurologists visualised endorphins in the brains of 10 volunteers before and after a two-hour cardio session using a technique called positive emission tomography (PET). Comparing the pre- and post-run scans, they found evidence of more opiate binding of the happy hormone in the frontal and limbic regions of the brain – areas known to be involved in emotional processing and dealing with stress.

“There’s a direct link between feelings of wellbeing and exercise, and for the first time this study proves the physiological mechanism behind that,” explains study co-ordinator Professor Henning Boecker.

27. Make friends and stay healthy

The social side of riding could be doing you as much good as the actual exercise. University of California researchers found socialising releases the hormone oxytocin, which buffers the ‘fight or flight’ response.

Another nine-year study from Harvard Medical School found those with the most friends cut the risk of an early death by more than 60 percent, reducing blood pressure and strengthening their immune system. The results were so significant that the researchers concluded not having close friends or confidants is as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight. Add in the fitness element of cycling too and you’re onto a winner.

28. Be happy

Even if you’re miserable when you saddle up, cranking through the miles will lift your spirits. “Any mild-to-moderate exercise releases natural feel-good endorphins that help counter stress and make you happy,” explains Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation. That’s probably why four times more GPs prescribe exercise therapy as their most common treatment for depression compared to three years ago. “Just three 30-minute sessions a week can be enough to give people the lift they need,” says McCulloch.

29. Feeling tired? Go for a ride

Sounds counter-intuitive but if you feel too tired for a ride, the best thing you can do is go for ride. Physical activity for even a few minutes is a surprisingly effective wake-up call. A review of 12 studies on the link between exercise and fatigue carried out between 1945 and 2005 found that exercise directly lowers fatigue levels.

30. Spend quality time with your partner

It doesn’t matter if your paces aren’t perfectly matched – just slow down and enjoy each other’s company. Many couples make one or two riding ‘dates’ every week. And it makes sense: exercise helps release feel-good hormones, so after a ride you’ll have a warm feeling towards each other even if he leaves the toilet seat up and her hair is blocking the plughole again. 

From the notes of  Matthew Barbour, Cycling Plus