News writing assignment 2 - PM's speech

 

 

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak launched Malaysia Green Forum 2010 on 26th April at Sri Siantan Conference Hall.

The Prime Minister said that the forum will give the government an opportunity to reiterate its resounding pledge towards environmental sustainability in the country as it deals with environmental issues holistically. He also recognized the contribution by Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for bringing together 14 agencies from 4 different ministries when he established the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in 2004 that paved the way for a more comprehensive and cohesive approach in tackling environmental issues.

He added, "I am happy to see that MGF2010 has united leaders and experts from very diverse backgrounds on a platform where environmental issues can be dealt with more holistically".

Malaysia is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, prized with 16 million hectares of tropical forest area, which covers 60 per cent of the countries land area. Preservation of this asset is the key to sustainability and the fact that over 73 per cent of the total forest area in this country is currently protected as national parks.

The government will consistently affirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability and continue to take cognizance of the growing need and urgency of green technology towards sustainable development.

News writing assignment 1 - Earthquake story

ALEUTIAN ISLAND – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the North Pacific about 40 miles east of the village of Nikolski and 850 miles southwest of Anchorage at 7:01 p.m. PST Sunday night.

According to George Carts, a seismologist at the Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre, he stated that the quake was strongly felt in the towns of Unalaska, Dutch Harbor and Nikolski which are located on western islands in the Aleutian chain. The 3-minute quake resulted in minor damages at Nikolski.

Officials said that the 20 aftershocks; one measured 5.0 on the scale was not powerful enough to cause a tsunami which sparsed the Aleutians.

An earthquake of 6.6 magnitudes can cause severe damage if it hits populated areas. Luckily, there were no reports of injuries or major damage.

Richter scale measures ground motion and is recorded on seismographs; each increase of one number means a tenfold increase in magnitude; example, 7.5 is 10 times greater than 6.5.

Official categories of earthquake magnitude: 3.5 may cause slight damage; 4.0 may cause moderate damage; 5.0 may cause considerable damage; 6.0 may cause severe damage; 7.0 may cause major earthquake and widespread heavy damage; 8.0 is a great quake.

5W1H, Element of newsworthy (5)

Sunday October 7, 2012

Con-test leaves man singing the blues

GEORGE TOWN: A waiter's dream to be a singing sensation went bust after he and some 100 others were cheated by a con man.

Waiter Yip Jing Qun, 18, lost RM1,750 after he signed up for a singing competition.

“I paid the registration fee of RM50 to take part in the competition and won second place.

“The winning prizes for the competition was RM2,000, an iPad besides a trip to Taiwan. None of the prizes were given. Instead, I was asked to fork out RM1,700 for a trip to Singapore for a recording session and to Taiwan for a singing competition.

“I deposited the amount in July, but there was no response from the organiser (the con man),” he said at the Penang MCA headquarters yesterday.

Penang MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau deputy chief Lim Thoon Deong said he would write a letter to IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abd Rahim Hanafi and Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong.

“I will gather the police reports from the victims and address it to them. So far, four reports have been made.

“I have urged the other victims to come forward. We need to look into the matter seriously since many are believed to have been conned.”

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/7/nation/12138009&sec=nation

Where - George Town
When - Saturday, 6th October
What - Man was conned in a singing contest
Who - Yip Jing Qun, 18

Element of newsworthy - Consequence

5W1H, Element of newsworthy (4)

Sunday October 7, 2012

Anti-corruption academy now has global advisors

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy has opened its doors to a select panel of international experts to sit in on a newly set up advisory board.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed introduced the six-member board, which he will head, to help with the academy in capacity building.

Also on the board are Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption former head Daniel Li Ming-chak and International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) chairman Martin Kreutner.

“They will advise the MACC on its training modules and assist in building international relations,” Abu Kassim told reporters at the sidelines of the 6th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities here yesterday.

However, Kreutner warned that the board would not serve as easy fixes or a silver bullet to end corruption.

“All academies and authorities have to be judged by their long-term efforts,” he said. “Don't expect quick social changes.”

The MACC also signed a memorandum of understanding with the IACA to jointly develop an international master's programme.

The 24-month programme for anti-corruption professionals, police officers, judges and other enforcement agency officers will be launched on Dec 9 - World Anti-Corruption Day.

The programme will be the first of its kind on global corruption studies.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/7/nation/12138081&sec=nation

Where - Kuala Lumpur
When - Saturday, October 6th
What - Malaysia's anti-corruption academy has global advisors
Who - Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy 

Element of newsworthy - Timeliness

5W1H, Element of newsworthy (3)

Sunday October 7, 2012

PM hoping for strong mandate in upcoming general election

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hopes he will be given a strong mandate in the general election so that he could turn Malaysia into a fully developed nation by 2020.

“The next five years are crucial for the Government to fulfill commitments and promises made by previous leaders to the nation,” the Prime Minister said in an interview with Martin Soong on CNBC Conversation, which was aired on Astro CNBC yesterday.

“Crucial, because you're talking about the last lap. You're talking about going down the stretch and this is the most critical part because we really have to deliver,” said Najib.

Najib said the transformation was a firm commitment made by former prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Now, said Najib, it was his turn to deliver to the people.

Najib agreed that achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth without upsetting the politicial landscape too much was one of the challenges Malaysia faced in becoming a developed nation.

However, he stressed, the key to making Malaysian society more equitable was to get growth to redistribute income back to the people. “Without growth, it will be a lose-lose situation.” - Bernama

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/7/nation/12137980&sec=nation

Where - Kuala Lumpur
When - Saturday, October 6th
What - PM hopes for strong mandate in upcoming election
Who - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Why - So that he could turn Malaysia into a developed nation by 2020

Element of newsworthy - Prominence

5W1H, Element of newsworthy (2)

Saturday October 6, 2012

Fire destroys fibreglass factory

IPOH: An afternoon fire destroyed a fibreglass container manufacturing factory in Kuala Kuang, Chemor, affecting the livelihood of 40 people.

About 80% of the Goodwater Engineering Sdn Bhd factory was in flames when firefighters arrived at about 1.40pm.

Black smoke rising: Firefighters arriving to put out the blaze at the fibreglass container manufacturing factory in Kuala Kuang, Chemor.

Firemen cordoned off the area as a safety precaution as the factory contained chemicals and flammable liquid.

They had to focus their attention on a storeroom where chemicals like ethanol were stored. Several small explosions were heard during the height of the fire.

The fire was brought under control at about 2.20pm.

No one was injured as most of the workers had gone out for either prayers or lunch.

The cause of the fire and losses have yet to be determined.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/6/nation/12132943&sec=nation

Where - Ipoh
When - Friday, October 5th
What - A fibreglass factory was destroyed by fire
Who -  No one was injured

Element of newsworthy - Consequence

5W1H, Element of newsworthy (1)

Saturday October 6, 2012

Three more ‘gold firms’ raided

PETALING JAYA: Three more gold investment companies in Kuala Lumpur have been raided for suspected illegal deposit-taking.

The premises of Pageantry Gold Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd were raided yesterday by Bank Negara, police and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism.

Among others, they are being investigated for money-laundering, tax evasion and avoidance, false description, including misrepresentation, and appointment of unlicensed agents, Bank Negara said in a statement.

They are the latest gold investment companies to be raided after Geneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which is being investigated for similar offences as The Star front-paged on Tuesday.

Potential evidence: Bank Negara staff taking away boxes of documents seized during the raid on Worldwide Far East Bhd.

At press time, officials were still at the Pageantry office in Setapak and the Worldwide Far East premises in Bandar Baru, Sri Petaling.

No one could be seen around the Caesar Gold base in Jalan Klang Lama.

In a separate statement, Bank Negara said that relevant assets and documents had been seized from several premises of Genneva and the residences of the directors of the company.

The investigations followed police reports lodged by “various quarters” against the company, the statement added.

Bank Negara had acted against Genneva in 2009, but it was back in operation after changing its name.

The central bank advised the public to check with the relevant authorities when dealing with companies or individuals offering seemingly attractive business opportunities or financial services.

“The public are reminded to be cautious in investing in unregulated schemes,” it reiterated.

Bank Negara stressed that enforcement agencies would act against illegal financial schemes “to protect the interest of the investors and the public at large”.

Of the 87 companies on Bank Negara's consumer alert list, 18 are involved gold investment activities.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/6/nation/12135512&sec=nation

Where - Petaling Jaya
When - Friday, October 5th
What - Three gold investment companies were raided
Who - Pageantry Gld Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd
Why - They were suspected for illegal deposit-taking

Element of newsworthy - Consequence

News article 3

Saturday September 29, 2012
Man accidentally mows down 13-month-old daughter

ALOR SETAR: For businessman Mohd Uzair Zul, life will never be the same again. He had rushed home, eager to see his 13-month-old daughter, Auni Elia Aifa, the apple of his eye. He did not realise he had just driven over her and crushed her to death.

On Friday evening, the 35-year-old parked his car in the porch of his house in Felda Lubok Merbau, Padang Terap after refuelling at the nearby family-owned petrol station.

The devoted father, who was still seated in the Proton Persona car, was unaware the toddler had been crushed to death under the weight of the vehicle.

Auni Elia Aifa sustained head injuries in the 6.50pm incident. Her body was sent to the Alor Setar Hospital.

Padang Terap police chief DSP Ku Yaacob Ku Hamad said, according to Mohd Uzair's police report, the businessman was parking the car in the porch when he mistakenly mowed down his daughter.

"He claimed to have hit the victim with the car before mowing her down while entering the porch of his house.

"He suspected that he had dragged something when one of his rear tyres caused something to crack," he told Bernama when contacted Saturday.

Ku Yaacob said the case was investigated under Section 41 (1) Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by dangerous driving.

Auni Elia Aifa was buried at the Lubok Merbau Muslim cemetery Saturday. - Bernama

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/29/nation/20120929181903&sec=nation

Summary
35-year-old businessman Mohd Uzair Zul rushed home to see his 13-month-old daughter, Auni Elia Aifa. However, he did not realise he had driven over her and crushed her to death. Auni Elia Aifa sustained head injuries in the 6.50pm incident and was buried at the Lubok Merbau Muslim cemetery.

Opinion
In my opinion, parents need to pay much more attention to their children, especially toddlers. You have to keep an eye on them at all times to prevent accidents like this from happening. Besides, people nowadays need to drive safely. No matter how many time this message is told, driving safely is something that we Malaysians can't seem to do.

News article 2

Saturday September 29, 2012
Eight suspects arrested over murder of newly-wed man

JOHOR BARU: Eight suspects have been detained over the murder of a newly-married man here.

The suspects, aged between their 20s and 30s, were picked up on Wednesday and yesterday at different locations in the city.

“All have been remanded until Tuesday. Three of them have a criminal record,” said Johor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Dr Hashim Haron in a press conference at the state police headquarters here yesterday.

In the incident on Monday, spare parts shop owner Allan Tee Kok Weng, 36, died after a group of masked men slashed him in front of his wife Shiau Ting, in her 30s, outside a bistro in Taman Mount Austin.

Both Tee and Shiau, known as Krystal, had attended their wedding dinner hours earlier.

In another case, SAC Dr Hashim said the police were looking for three people, including a woman, in connection with the throwing of a Molotov cocktail at a Customs Department officer's house earlier this month.

He added that a 38-year-old suspect was detained on Sept 13. The three people are businessmen Yip Soon Kent, 25, also known as Pendek Kent, Danny Chuah Seong Khoon, 40, and Carran Lee Sew Kian, 37.

“Those who know their whereabouts are urged to contact the state police hotline at 07-2212999 or lodge a report at the nearest police station,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/29/nation/12102158&sec=nation

Summary
Eight suspects have been detained over the murder of  newly married man, Allan Tee Kok Weng, 36. The incident happened on Monday when Tee, owner of a spare parts shop was slashed in front of his wife, Shiau Ting, in her 30s outside a bistro in Taman Mount Austin.

Opinion
There is always three sides to a story. Your side, the opposite party's side and the truth. Why was the victim murdered hours after their wedding dinner? Nobody knows. He might have done something bad or maybe the murderers are just cold, inhumane beings killing people because they want to. Then, there is the truth.. or part of it since some of the truth nowadays are covered up for certain reasons.

News article 1

Saturday September 29, 2012
Typhoon Jelawat on course to hit mainland Japan

TOKYO: Strong typhoon Jelawat was moving toward the Japanese mainland on Saturday, the national weather agency said, after it battered southern Okinawa island with gusts strong enough to flip cars.

Violent winds up to 234 kilometres per hour (145 miles per hour) have injured at least 56 people, including a person in Okinawa who lost a finger as a door slammed shut on it due to strong winds, national network NHK said.

The Okinawa Prefecture Police said it had counted at least 30 cases of typhoon-caused injuries as of late Saturday afternoon.

Okinawa Electric Power said some 331,500 households in the island prefecture have suffered power outage.

Winds have flipped over cars and blocked streets, adding to traffic chaos that included cancelled flights and ferries.

As of 0700 GMT, the typhoon was 30 kilometres south of Okinoerabu island, off Kagoshima prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

It was moving northeast toward Tokyo at a speed of 30 kilometres per hour, with gusts and heavy rains expected in the Japanese capital on Sunday and Monday, the agency said.- AFP

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/29/reutersworld/1209292033-typhoon-jelawat-on-course-to-hit-mainla&sec=reutersworld

Summary
Typhoon Jelawat was moving toward mainland Japan after it battered Okinawa island. Its violent winds have injured 56 people. There was about 30 cases of injuries caused by the typhoon and 331,500 households suffered power outage. The strong winds flipped cars and caused flights and ferries to be cancelled.

Opinion
Lately, natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes have been happening quite frequently, no? Whenever I hear such news, I feel really thankful that I am staying here in Malaysia where we are free from all these serious natural disasters.

Journalism?

As I have mentioned in the previous post, I am currently taking journalism this semester. Writing? Newspaper? Yes, those were the first two things that popped into my mind when I see the word 'Journalism'. I hope by the end of this semester, I would get a better in-depth view of what journalism truly is.

Like I said, I chose to study Mass Communication because of my interest in journalism. I love reading and I have my personal blog BUT I do not write as much. Hopefully, through this subject, it will spark more interest in me to write something - be it articles or short stories of my own. I also have a huge interest in photojournalism. My passion in photography plays a huge part in this interest of mine. I do hope I will be able to know more about photojournalism through this subject.

Likewise, I want to improve my writing skills and grammar. By improving myself in this aspect, I hope to then acheive a better writing style. Who knows? I might write my own book in the future!

The blogger's introduction

The name of the blogger is So May Vinn or you can refer her as Jasmine. She turn 18 three months ago. She was born and grew up in Selangor, Malaysia. Although she is Chinese, she cannot write or read the language. However, she can converse and understand Mandarin/Cantonese. She is a Christian in the Lord's Recovery. She is the oldest child in her family with two younger siblings - a brother and a sister, who are fraternal twins. Jasmine is now studying in INTI International College Subang, taking Diploma in Mass Communication. She chose this course because of her interest in journalism/photojournalism.

In her free time, she reads, listens to music or plays the guitar. She also learns Korean from the Internet and books during her free time. Also, she has a passion for photography. Jasmine loves nature views A LOT. She loves it's mesmerising and scenic views which never fails to make her feel in awe. The beautiful, blue skies with it's cotton-like, poofy clouds. The captivating sunset by the beach. Besides being a nature lover, she loves dogs.

To others, she may come of as quiet girl but that is because she is not comfortable with new people. Once she gets to know the person more and is more comfortable being around them, she can be very crazy. Jasmine also laughs a lot. She laughs at the smallest, most random thing and her face turns ridiculously red. Behind the smiles and laughters, there is another side of her where she can easily become emotional, especially when it comes to her loved ones and animals.

This concludes the brief introduction about the blogger. Signing off for now.

p.s : You may wonder why she created this blog. It is an assignment  for her journalism class which she is taking this semester. So.. that is all. Bye!