SC Fun Run 2012

Standard Chartered Fun Run 8km in Putrajaya was not fun! This is the 2nd year running for this race. It's free...yes...free...no need to pay any registration fees. Surprised?
Held in conjunction with government's belia week in Putrajaya, this race was a fast one. Categories were 3km right up to 8km and participants ranged from school sprinters to Kenyan speedsters!

I registered in the International Category this time, hoping not too many Kenyans showed up. But I was wrong! 12 of them were there, so there goes my hope...poof goes the prize $$$. Already I have no chance to be top10 in battling with local elites in Men Open, presence of Kenyans signified no chance whatsoever for me...again! Boo...hoo...hoo... hahaha!

Anyway, it was "fun" to see Kenyans bunched up leading the race followed by local elites chasing and me trailing behind. I was following Nor Amelia, the fastest local girl. It was not easy! Making things worse, she was cruising, not going all out as there was nobody challenging her in the 8km category.

I was behind her all the way with the gap increasing as the kilometres increased. Biggest gap must have been 200 - 300m.

A black incident was an ambulance pulling up beside me with 500m to go. Bad traffic control meant I must switch left lane into right lane leading to the finish line whereas ambulance from right lane needed to switch into left lane to go who knows where. Damm freaking driver almost knocked into me. It was caught on camera. You could see I raised my hand after banging the ambulance's door.

                                       Kenyan champion with second and third close behind

                                            Local elite champion, about 3min behind the Kenyan champion.

                                         I'm squashed in between the ambulance and motorbike

                                          Ambulance didn't let me pass and turned left. I almost came to a standstill

                                         Here you can see me with my raised arm shouting to the driver

                                         Finally...away from the stupid ambulance driver!


That slowed me down and got my blood boiling. Sprinted the last 100m and clocked 33min26secs, position 15th. I would be 14th in the Men Open.

Distance measured was 8.18km. Pace 4:05min/km

So far, that's the best pace I've done. Previous good race was 4:15 pace.

But there's still lots to do in order to hit a 4:00 pace flat.

I just hope I can maintain a sub4:30 pace in the coming Springs Half Marathon in Kuching on 16June

Is red meat good for you? Read on...

Red meat linked with increased risk of mortality, suggests study

By Nathan Gray, 13-Mar-2012

Consumption of high amounts of red meat could be linked with an increased risk of all-cause death, including death from heart disease and cancer, warn researchers.

The study – published in JAMA’s Archives of Internal Medicine – report that intake of red meat is associated with increases in all-cause mortality, and specifically increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancers. The authors add that substituting other sources of protein such as fish, nuts, and poultry for red meat was found to lower the risks.
"We found that a higher intake of red meat was associated with a significantly elevated risk of total, CVD and cancer mortality, and this association was observed for unprocessed and processed red meat, with a relatively greater risk for processed red meat," wrote the authors, led by An Pan of the Harvard School of Public Health, USA.
"We estimated that 9.3 percent in men and 7.6 percent in women of total deaths during follow-up could be prevented if all the participants consumed fewer than 0.5 servings per day of total red meat in these cohorts," they commented.
"Our study adds more evidence to the health risks of eating high amounts of red meat, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers in other studies," Pan added.
Study details
Pan and her colleagues analysed data from two prospective cohort studies, containing data from 37,698 men and 83,644 women. All participants were free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer at baseline. Diets were assessed through questionnaires every four years, said the authors.
A combined 23,926 deaths were documented in the two studies – of which 5,910 were from CVD and 9,464 from cancer, said the authors.
Regular consumption of red meat, particularly processed red meat, was found to be associated with increased mortality risk: one daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 13% increased risk of mortality, whilst one daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 20% increased risk.
When looking at specific causes of death, the authors said the corresponding risks were 18% (unprocessed) and 21% (processed) for cardiovascular mortality, and 10% and 16% for death from cancer.
Pan and her colleagues said the analyses took into account chronic disease risk factors such as age, body mass index, physical activity, family history of heart disease, or major cancers.
Red meat risk
The research team noted that red meat, especially processed meat, contains ingredients that have been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. These ingredients include heme iron, saturated fat, sodium, nitrites, and certain carcinogens that are formed during cooking.
They explained that replacing one serving of red meat with one serving of a ‘healthy’ protein source was found to be associated with a lower mortality risk: 7% for fish, 14% for poultry, 19% for nuts, 10% for legumes, 10% for low-fat dairy products, and 14% for whole grains.
Professor Frank Hu of Harvard School of Public Health – and senior author of the paper – commented that the findings provide “clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death."
"On the other hand, choosing more healthful sources of protein in place of red meat can confer significant health benefits by reducing chronic disease morbidity and mortality," said Hu.

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2287
“Red Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies”
Authors: A. Pan, Q. Sun, A.M. Bernstein, M.B. Schulze, J.E. Manson, et al

7th Mile Kitchen

Alex "Ip Man" has moved his kolo mee, laksa, tomato mee business to a more comfortable and favorable location.

His now owns a business of his own in a shop. Congratulations Alex!

Where exactly is it?

Look for Kelana Jaya Giant shopping mall. Nearby there's a condo, Kelana Sentral.

RG24, Kelana Sentral Condominium
Jalan Bahagia

Name of the shop is 7th Mile Kitchen

Once you've tasted his yummylicious meals, you'll surely go back for more!

For Sarawakians, this it it! You will get authentic local hawker delicacies. 100% certified!

This time, not only you get food, you'll get to try Kuching famous drinks as well.

The famous 3 layers , 5 layers Teh C peng special.

Special mocktails made famous by ah Meng in Hui Sing, Kuching

White Lady, Black Widow, Matterhorn, Michael Jackson, Do Re Mi, Mi Re Do, Lucky Strike, Red eye.

Interesting names ya :P

So, wait no more, go and enjoy Kuching food.

Malaysian police fire teargas at electoral reform protesters

Rights groups accuse government of contempt for basic freedoms as officers fire upon crowd of tens of thousands

Malaysian police have arrested more than 100 protesters involved in one of the largest political protests in the country's history.
Riot police in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, fired water cannon and several dozen teargas rounds after protesters demanding electoral reform tried to break through barriers at Merdeka Square, in defiance of a court order.
A police spokesman estimated there were about 25,000 demonstrators at the protest, although some Malaysian news organisations put the numbers as high as 100,000.
"Look at how many of us there are today – this just proves how sick we are of the corruption of this government," said demonstrator Charles Chan, 33.
"The lies and cover-ups have gone on too long. Even if the next government isn't perfect, it will at least be a change – as long as Najib allows Malaysia a clean election."
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who many hope will win the upcoming election, rallied the enthusiastic crowds as one of Bersih's leaders, Ambiga Sreenevasan, said: "We all want change today."
Baton-wielding police detained dozens of people, with Malaysian media reports saying as many as 100 were arrested.
Video footage by independent news website Malaysiakini showed angry demonstrators overturning a police car that had allegedly hit two people. Several people elsewhere were seen to have fainted, although no serious injuries were immediately reported.
Some commentators believe the violence could force the prime minister, Najib Razak, to delay elections that must be held by next March but which could be called as early as June.
Najib, whose ruling coalition has held power for nearly 55 years, saw his approval rating fall sharply after the last major electoral reform rally by the Bersih ("Clean") movement in July 2011 when police were accused of a heavy-handed response.
The violence on Saturday occurred shortly after a Bersih leader declared the protest a success and asked people to go home. "They [the police] asked the crowd to disperse but did not give enough warning," said Aminah Bakri, 27, with tears streaming down her face from the teargas. "They do not care."
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, condemned the police crackdown. He said: "By launching a crackdown on peaceful … protesters on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian government is once again showing its contempt for its people's basic rights and freedoms."
Bersih, an independent movement whose goals are backed by the opposition, has a history of staging influential rallies.
Malaysians have demanded more freedoms and democratic rights in the former British colony, which has an authoritarian streak. But despite the huge demonstration , there was no indication that Najib's National Front coalition would agree to meet their demands.
"If [elections] are not clean, not fair, show the evidence," Najib was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama, on Saturday. "We do not want to be elected through cheating. We are a government chosen by the people. The majority of the people chose us because they know [we] are better [than the opposition]."
Najib has replaced tough security laws – ending indefinite detention without trial – relaxed some media controls, and pushed reforms to the electoral system, which critics have long complained is rigged in the government's favour.
A bipartisan parliamentary committee set up by Najib this month issued 22 proposals for electoral reform, including steps to clean up electoral rolls and equal access to media.
But Bersih has complained it is unclear if the steps will be in place for the next election. The government says it has already met, or is addressing, seven of Bersih's eight main proposals for the election, which will introduce the use of indelible ink to cut down on fraud.
Bersih says the proposals do not meet most of its key demands, including lengthening the campaign period to at least 21 days from the current seven days and allowing international observers at polling stations.
The National Front, which has governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, suffered its worst performance in 2008 elections, when it lost more than a third of parliament's seats amid public complaints about corruption and racial discrimination.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/28/malaysian-police-fire-teargas-protesters

Police brutality more widespread during Bersih 3.0, says Bar Council

Police brutality more widespread during Bersih 3.0, says Bar Council

UPDATED @ 06:59:58 AM 02-05-2012

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

May 01, 2012

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee at the briefing. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — The Bar Council has blamed the police for the violence of last Saturday’s Bersih 3.0 rally, accusing the authorities of human rights violations and widespread brutality. Lim Chee Wee, who is Bar Council president, said that its monitoring team found more instances of police brutality compared to last year’s Bersih event.
A highly critical Lim said the authorities had failed to take heed of criticisms and recommendations outlined by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) with regards to police conduct during Bersih’s first two rallies, and lamented on how “little has changed.”
“It is incomprehensible, if not a reflection of the sheer incompetence or arrogance of the police force that it has not learnt from its past mistakes in the management of assemblies of people exercising their constitutional right, so well documented and analysed by Suhakam in its two reports and the pending ongoing inquiry.
“Police brutality this time around has been magnified, there is more police brutality (compared to last year.) There was arbitrary use of tear gas, water cannons,” Lim told reporters here.
The lawyer said that last weekend’s events showed an “urgent” need for the police force to undergo a “transformation programme”, to be changed by force of statute through the establishment of an “independent and credible external mechanism.”
“This will be achieved through the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) envisaged by the Royal Commission on the Enhancement of the Management and Operations of the Police,” Lim added.

The Bar’s interim report found, among other things, the use of force by the police was far worse this time around. — file pic

He said the Bar’s interim report on the Bersih 3.0 rally had found that: 1. The rally was peaceful until around 3pm when the police unleashed water cannon and tear gas on the crowd;
2. The use of force by the police without any obvious provocation or cause, was far worse, indiscriminate, disproportionate and excessive;
3. Police brutality was more widespread;
4. There was a concerted effort by the police to prevent and stop any recording of their actions and conduct;
5. Police fired tear gas directly at the crowd and their firing pattern was to box in the participants rather than allow them to disperse quickly
6. After which pockets of retaliatory behaviour was exhibited by some participants of the rally to the wrongful use of force by the police;
7. The police were observed taunting and mocking the crowd;
8. When items were thrown by some of the participants at the police, the police stooped to return like for like; and
9. Not all police personnel were wearing and displaying their police identification number on their uniforms.
Lim also said that the authorities had disregarded provisions within the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (UNBPUFF), the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials (UNCC), and Amnesty International guidelines.
“Principle 13 (of the UNBPUFF) states that in the dispersal of assemblies that are unlawful but non-violent, law enforcement officials shall avoid the use of force or, where that is not practicable, shall restrict such force to the minimum use,” he said.
Lim also pointed out that a 2006 Suhakam report had recommended that the police and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) implement a five-stage process in any utilisation of force: “verbal persuasion, unarmed physical force, force using non-lethal weapons, force using impact weapons and deadly force.”
“At which point did the police comply with the recommendations set by Suhakam?” he asked.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/police-brutality-more-widespread-during-bersih-3.0-says-bar-council/