KUALA LUMPUR, -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today announced that Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is the first government-linked company to raise the retirement age from 56 to 60.

He said this was in accordance with the implementation of the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012 passed by Parliament recently.

The prime minister also announced more good news for the TNB employees. He said the TNB board of directors and management had agreed to raise the employer's rate of contribution to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for the 56-60 age period.

He also said that new employees of TNB would contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) beginning Sept 1 this year.

Najib made the announcements when addressing an assembly of TNB employees at the TNB Sports Complex, here. The event was also followed live over a video telecast by almost 30,000 TNB employees throughout peninsular Malaysia and Sabah.

Najib said he hoped that all TNB employees would garner better benefits and be more motivated to discharge their duties.

"And, what was expressed by your representatives will be your firm commitment to work hard.

"As such, TNB will excel and in 60 years from now, it will achieve greater excellence," he said.

Najib said the challenge for TNB now was to fulfil the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) pertaining to supply of adequate electricity and energy at a high rate of reliability compared to the early stages where it had to supply power to small towns and the rural areas.

"When we talk of quality, it goes with reliability. This does not apply just for domestic consumers but for industrial users such as in the sophisticated electrical and electronic fields where a slight disruption can result in huge losses," he said.

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Retirement age at 60 for TNB employees - Najib

Michael Phelps recruits fellow Olympians, such as Nathan Adrian, behind Phelps, for a Las Vegas Labor Day weekend celebration marking his retirement from competitive swimming. (Erik Kabik / September 2, 2012)

September 3, 2012, 5:06 p.m.

We're guessing any retirement party you've been to didn't include bikini-clad waitresses, chilled vodka shots and world class DJs. But then again, Michael Phelps isn't anywhere near retirement age.

But retire the 27-year-old swimmer did. Following a blaze of glory at the recent London Olympic Games that saw him named the most-decorated Olympian in history, Phelps celebrated the end of his competitive career in Las Vegas.

A Labor Day weekend bash awaited Phelps and athlete pals such as Allison Schmitt and Nathan Adrian, kicking off Friday at the Wynn Encore's Surrender nightclub.

"This is my first night of retirement!" Phelps told the screaming room, taking Grey Goose shots as Afrojack worked the turntables.

The following afternoon at the Encore Beach Club Phelps rolled shirtless in shades with Schmitt and Adrian but not girlfriend Megan Rossee, accepting kudos from party-goers and a cake decorated with gold medals from some scantily clad servers.

David Guetta, he of such hits as "Titanium" and Usher's "Without You," invited Phelps into the DJ booth, prompting cheers of "USA!" from the crowd.

Hotel owner Steve Wynn and wife Andrea Hissom joined the pair to take in the moment -- likely an exciting one for everyone present. After all, this is the kind of Vegas occasion you want documented. Others can be a royal pain.

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Michael Phelps celebrates retirement with Vegas rager

SEPT 4 I will admit to having a specific pet hate in football, a certain tactical element of the game that I really dont like.

Its not diving, time-wasting, shirt-tugging or anything else of that negative nature. Those cynical aspects of the game, whilst admittedly not particularly edifying, are inevitable in any team sport with a strong competitive edge.

No. Its something else entirely: the thing that annoys me more than anything else is short corners.

It seems pretty self-evident to me that corners played directly into the heart of the penalty area present one of the most obvious routes to scoring a goal.

After all, corners provide a rare opportunity for a teams best dead-ball striker to compose himself and send an unimpeded delivery directly into the dangerous area immediately in front of the opponents goal, where the attacking teams most accurate and powerful headers of a ball are waiting to guide it goalwards.

Even if the defending team succeed in repelling the initial corner, the sheer number of bodies in a small area means that anything can happen: unintentional fouls, fortuitous deflections and defensive errors can easily result in a goal.

Furthermore, even a defensive clearance doesnt mean an end to the danger: with so many attacking players in the penalty area, if the second phase of possession is won by the attacking team, they can easily maintain the pressure by putting the ball straight back into the danger zone.

Finally, corners can be meticulously rehearsed on the training ground, where strategies such as bending the rules by blocking defenders to create space can be practised and practised until they are perfected.

Considering all the above, I have never been able to understand it when teams decline the opportunity to deliver a corner directly into the penalty area, electing instead to play it short and try to find a more meandering route towards goal.

Short corners immediately remove one of the biggest advantages enjoyed by the attacking team the fact that no defender can be within 10 yards of the ball before it is struck. As soon as the corner is played short, it allows the defending team to close down the man in possession, making it much more difficult to deliver an accurate cross.

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Man United and Barca cut corners for success

An investment rooted in the belief that with support, courageous leaders can create broad impact for the communities in which they live and work defines the essence behind the Bush Fellowship Program. The depth of work planed by the second cohort of 2012 Bush Fellows promises an inspiring range of exploration including systems change, community engagement, and personal development.

We take a behind-the-scenes look at one of the recently announced 2012 Bush Fellows. Zahra Aljabri, a COO of MuslimBuddy, mom, and fashion TV junkie, shares with us not only the path that brought her to this fellowship, but also gives us extended insight into her forward thinking idea that could change the face of community organizations' engagement and governance strategies for decades to come.

What three adjectives would you use to describe your childhood self?

Any professions you idealized as a child?

Police officer

What's the greatest takeaway from your educational experiences?

One of the most important lessons I learned during undergraduate, and was reinforced in law school, is the importance of developing meaningful, reciprocal relationships. Learning to be selective about who you closely associate with and not waste precious time or energy with people who bring you down or only take and never give. Sometimes it's hard to realize, but people you surround yourself with have an immense impact on how you perceive yourself and what you do. It's important to be mindful about the quality of those relationships.

Did you ever face a career crossroads?

I came to an important crossroads when I returned from extended stay overseas and was making a decision whether to work for an established organization or pursue MuslimBuddy full-time. On one hand, I had opportunities that were relatively secure positions with specific roles that would not utilize my full potential or stretch my comfort zone. On the other hand, I could purse an uncertain path that could potentially allow me to leave a significant social impact. I decided to pursue the riskier option. I felt it was a better use of my time, talent, and skills. Though it was a bit scary at the time, I'm confident that I've made the right decision to not stay safe in a limited role working for someone else.

As an entrepreneur, I value creativity and autonomy. At the same time, in order to succeed I needed support and structure while maintaining control and autonomy. The Bush Fellowship offered exactly that! As a Bush Fellow, I will have a fellowship plan and access to innovators and change-makers in the nonprofit sectorwhile having the control to make choices that meet the needs of my community. I am comfortable with risks and uncertainty and the Bush Fellowship makes a perfect fit as they focus more on learning and execution rather than success and failure per se.

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Pursuing uncertainty: A path towards social impact for a 2012 Bush Fellow

According to GetEducated.com, the online masters degree in special education offered by Texas Tech has recently been ranked No. 11 in the country as a best buy.

Robin Lock, a professor in special education at Tech, said GetEducated.com looks at online programs in many different areas.

She said the website ranks programs based off two criteria, affordability and credibility.

Credibility is where we really like to hang our hat because that is whats most important to us, Lock said.

Although the online program is affordable, she said she does not want the recognition of affordability to detract from the quality of the program.

We want it to be affordable, she said. We want it to be accessible, but we really want to produce quality educators who go out and actually make a difference in their classroom tomorrow.

Scott Ridley, dean of the College of Education, said the website does not get paid by the schools it ranks.

Lock said the special education masters program offers many different areas of specialization.

The areas of specialization are split in two different branches, she said. There is a sensory impairment and low incidence branch, and there is a generic special education branch.

Within the special education branch, Lock said they prepare students for many different career paths.

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Website ranks Texas Tech’s online special education master’s degree program No. 11

Originally published September 1, 2012 at 8:08 PM | Page modified September 1, 2012 at 11:33 PM

ARLINGTON, Texas Dee Milliner and that Alabama defense showed they can still dominate.

Even after sending three starting defenders from last year's national championship team to the NFL as first-round draft picks, the second-ranked Crimson Tide threw around eighth-ranked Michigan while pounding Denard Robinson in a season-opening 41-14 victory Saturday night.

C.J. Mosley returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown for the Tide. AJ McCarron, no longer with third overall draft pick Trent Richardson to hand the ball off to, threw two touchdowns as Alabama won its 11th consecutive season opener.

Milliner, the primary nickelback last season now in a starting role, deflected four passes in the first half, and had an interception after shoving intended receiver Roy Roundtree to the ground and into the Alabama sideline. That set up a touchdown for the Crimson Tide, which shot out to a 31-0 lead.

While Michigan still can recover to contend for a Big Ten title and possible Rose Bowl bid, this could be a confidence-shaking performance.

Other Top 25 games

At No. 3 Louisiana State 41,

North Texas 14

Kenny Hilliard rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and LSU opened its season with a victory over North Texas.

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Ohio State rolls in Urban Meyer's Buckeyes coaching debut | Top 25

by Lester Mekan Baha, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 3, 2012, Monday

KOTAS SWIMMERS: Kotass coach Jeffery Ho (right) poses with, from left Angela Chieng, Annie Chieng and Welson Sim.

KUCHING: Kota Samarahan Amateur Swimming Association (Kotas) swimmers have expressed their desire to train under Kuching Amateur Swimming Association (Kasa) swimming coach.

Kotas swimmers Angela Chieng, Annie Chieng and Welson Sim who collected a total of five gold, three silver and four bronze medals during the last Sukma in Pahang have intended to train with their former coach Ren Xiao Shun who is currently coaching Kasas swimmers.

The assistant coach from Kotas Jeffery Ho said that the former coach, Ren had greatly improved their swimmers basic swimming styles.

As soon as he was assigned to Kotas he quickly required all the swimmers to revert practicing the basic styles of swimming, whose actions initially drew some complain from the swimmers parents as time wasting because they have gone through the sessions earlier in training, Jeffery commented to The Borneo Post yesterday.

Jeffery recalled that Kotas swimmers were required to practice the backstroke basic techniques-floating on their back and keeping horizontal as they propelled their body through the water.

And the former coach will continues to take days to practice the butterfly stroke, by introducing the dolphin-style kick, the breaststroke uses a frog-style kick and the sidestroke which holds importance for swimmers because you can use it to rescue someone, since it only requires one arm, he informed.

In another development Jeffery revealed that at the moment they are 28 young swimmers under Kotas Elite Development Programme with the newly MSNS appointed Chinese coach Li Guo Bing.

And in the programme he added, Kotas always adopt coaching strategies of balancing coaching to win and coaching for learning as a developmental issue for their young swimmers.

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Balancing ‘coaching to win’ and ‘coaching for learning’

New Video Training Provides Strategies for Life and Fitness Success with Fitness Experts Todd Durkin and John Spencer Ellis

Fitness and coaching expert shares his top tips for success in both fitness and life in a new video interview. The video training is now available for free online at http://johnspencerellis.com/todd-durkin-interview-video-training-life-and-fitness-success/.

Durkin is the strength and conditioning coach for both Brees and NFL legend LaDainian Tomlinson as well as a business owner, author and mentor.

Im in the trenches myself, and the same principles Drew Brees uses for success on the field are the same ones we need to use as fitness pros, said Durkin. Sometimes you have to take things that are going on and put them aside so you can really get the job done.

In the video training interview, Durkin and Ellis discuss what makes people rise to the next level, a host of life lessons, several icons in the fitness and personal development industries, the importance of the people you surround yourself with, achieving success on a holistic level, overcoming adversity, nutrition, taking risks and taking advantage of opportunities, the importance of mental training, getting organized in the fitness industry, how to live a life worth telling a story about and much more.

This is truly an all-access, in-depth interview with one of the top coaching and fitness experts in the world, said Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a fitness and personal development solutions company. Todds experience, knowledge and passion are unparalleled, and he offers a wealth of great insights, ideas and inspiration.

The free online video training can be accessed now at http://johnspencerellis.com/todd-durkin-interview-video-training-life-and-fitness-success/.

About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises John Spencer Ellis Enterprises is a solutions provider for fitness and coaching professionals around the world, providing education, turn-key business programs, coaching and resources for new and advanced fitness and coaching professionals. For more information about John Spencer Ellis Enterprises or to watch the free video training with Todd Durkin on success in fitness and in life, please visit http://johnspencerellis.com/todd-durkin-interview-video-training-life-and-fitness-success/

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New Video Training Provides Strategies for Life and Fitness Success with Fitness Experts Todd Durkin and John Spencer ...

By Ben Smith Former professional footballer

I always wanted to leave football on my terms but in the end I suppose it was mutual.

After 17 years as a professional player with Arsenal, Reading, Yeovil, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Crawley, today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today I am starting work as a teacher.

It is actually the same school that I attended - I am teaching business and ICT at the Maltings Academy in Essex - so it's not completely alien territory, but it still means going from being a 33-year-old, respected member of a dressing room to being the equivalent of a 19-year-old starting a new job.

I have known this time was coming, of course, so over the past four or five years I have completed a business management degree and done my Uefa coaching badges. During the last year I've been going into a school on my day off on a voluntary basis and they have offered me a job.

The point that triggered all this for me was buying a house in my mid-20s because before that I would join a new team, go off in my car with a bag of clothes and rent a room off another player.

It was as simple as that.

But having a mortgage meant that if I left a club, I could not just go back to living in my dad's spare room and see what happened. I knew I needed to plan ahead.

I had not been involved in education since leaving school with no qualifications at 16 but I decided to start a flexible access course. There were 10 of us in the room and we were asked to write down an introductory paragraph about ourselves. I just spent 15 minutes staring into thin air.

1995 - Signs professional contract with Arsenal.

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Ben Smith: My life after football

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw0fKmD1GsM

02-09-2012 17:34 Absolute Fitness love Otago Polytechnic graduates. The Dunedin-based gym is owned and operated by two graduates and the majority of their trainers are also graduates from the Otago Institute of Sport and Adventure. Watch this video and see where an Otago Polytechnic qualification can take you. To find out more visit

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Why Absolute Health and Fitness ♥ Otago Polytechnic - Video