Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
Are we setting up Miss Universe Malaysia to lose? Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:34 PM PST Time and again we've seen beauty pageant contestants score in the swimsuit competition, entertain in the talent segment, and stun in the evening wear parade—only to falter at the finish line. That's the moment they emerge from the isolation booth to answer the question, "What would you do to prevent war?" Instead of answering eloquently about battlefields and patriotism, most times you can see their eyes glaze over, or open wide like a deer caught in headlights as they stare dumbfounded at the host, and then giggle and plead, "Can say in Chinese please?" (Not that we're singling them out.) But therein lies the problem. Contestants can be flawless and elegant in a beautiful gown, show-off their sexy bodies in an itsy-bitsy bikini, and flash a winning Vaseline smile. But when comes that make-or-break moment—speaking their minds intelligently and wittily—it's truly a nerve-and-soul wrecking moment for them and the audience. There's a huge reason why the Q&A remains one of the most anticipated moments of any beauty pageant—right after the swimsuit competition. And as long as the "I want world peace" joke has been making the rounds, Miss Universe has had an admirable history of posing the kind of questions that challenge our perception of these "beauties with no brains"—that they are indeed smart, clever, educated, informed women. At times the questions have been tough, philosophical ("Who has it easier in life: men or women?"), driven by issues (the death penalty, same-sex marriages, public nudity), thought-provoking ("What is it about fame that makes many people, including you, want to be famous?"), creative ("If a man from the moon landed in your hometown, what would you do to entertain him?"), sweet and a little bizarre ("What makes you blush?").
We can only imagine what waits for Carey Ng if she makes the cut at the Miss Universe final next year. At last week's Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 pageant, the last eight girls were lobbed softball questions that completely avoided national issues or world affairs—except for Symren Kaur who was asked, "What do you think is the biggest problem affecting the youth of Malaysia?" She ended up in fourth place. Read more at: http://dailychilli.com/happenings/19621-are-we-setting-up-miss-universe-malaysia-to-lose-
|
Money Laundering? Questions In Australia For Taib’s Brother Onn Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:01 PM PST Documents obtained by Sarawak Report plainly show that Onn Mahmud has offered conflicting information to the Australian authorities, in order first to obtain a Business Visa and then to export the profits from a series of multi-million dollar property transactions. Incorrect information given to the authorities includes claiming that a foreign based company, Ryan Park Limited, which was used to sponsor his visa application, was an "Australian Private Company" registered in Australia. We can further reveal that Onn Mahmud has bought and sold tens of millions of dollars worth of investments in Sydney real estate, through an elaborate network of off-shore companies, based in the Cayman Islands and managed by a top American bank, Merrill Lynch, from offices located in the Isle of Man. The visa application, submitted by the Chief Minister's brother to the Australian authorities, clearly states that Ryan Park and its associated companies (which all appear to have been ultimately controlled by Onn himself) owned commercial properties in Australia worth in excess of A$50 million:
The application explains that Onn holds the position of 'General Manager – Australia" for these companies, acting as their "sole employee", who "reports directly to the Directors". However, Onn's ultimate ownership of the companies is also implied:
Yet, we can demonstrate that Onn Mahmud appears to have supplied incorrect details to obtain Australian Business Numbers (ABN) for one of the companies Ryan Park Limited, which is described as an "Australian Private Company", although it does not in fact exist on the Australian Company register (ASIC). Read more at: http://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/12/money-laundering-questions-in-australia-for-taibs-brother-onn/
|
You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan