Wednesday, June 27, 2007

MAS' 50% discount is for private students too

PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry has clarified that the special airfare rebate of 50% on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flights is open to private university students too. In a statement Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said that the offer is given in conjunction with the start of the new academic term in June and July.

It is open to students at both public as well as private universities as well as those studying in polytechnics and community colleges and is valid until July 31 for all domestic destinations. “To receive the rebate, students must make their reservations early, at least five days before their expected flight date.”

AirAsia is also having a special fare for students departing from Kuala Lumpur or Johor Baru to Sabah or Sarawak. The cost is between RM69 to RM99. However the fare does not include taxes, surcharges and other fees. “For those flying AirAsia, they must make their reservations between June 21 and July 9 and fly between June 29 and July 16.

Theymust also purchase their tickets at least seven days before their flight dates,” said Mustapa in the statement. He noted that the discounted tickets came as a result of a meeting between student leaders and the deputy prime minister as well as discussions between his Ministry and the two airlines. “I would like to thank MAS and AirAsia for giving these offers to students,” said Mustapa.


Source : The Star


Dept ordered to blacklist irresponsible contractors

KUALA LUMPUR: Works Minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu has initiated action against contractors whose shoddy workmanship has resulted in government infrastructure projects being saddled with problems, such as leaking ceilings. He said yesterday he had asked the Public Works Department (JKR) to blacklist contractors who have failed to complete government projects on time and according to specifications.

The JKR has been instructed to propose to the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to blacklist the contractors and their companies, he said. Samy Vellu said that though the problems were minor, he wanted action to be taken against the irresponsible contractors and sub-contractors.

“For a start, I have instructed the JKR director-general (Datuk Dr Judin Abdul Karim) to send show-cause letters to these contractors,” he said when launching the ministry’s Excellence Service Awards 2006 ceremony here. Samy Vellu said the ministry would no longer tolerate shoddy workmanship but added that the blacklisting of contractors would not be done indiscriminately as the contractors would be asked to explain the problems they faced. He said many contractors faced difficulty in completing their projects owing to an increase in the prices of construction materials such as steel and cement.

“Apart from that, the difficulty in getting skilled workers also caused a delay in the completion of projects,” he said. Samy Vellu also said, somewhat cynically, that any government department or agency unhappy with the work of the JKR could undertake projects on their own.

Bernama

Govt yet to set minimum price for cigarettes

PUTRAJAYA: The government has yet to fix the minimum retail price for cigarettes as it was still being discussed with related ministries, producers and manufacturers. As such, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek denied a newspaper report claiming his ministry had set the minimum retail price for a pack of cigarettes at RM5.

The ministry is also studying a proposal for the government to fix a different minimum price for a pack of locally produced cigarettes from that of imported ones, he told reporters after presenting the ministry’s 2006 excellent service awards yesterday. “Whatever decision made, we will make sure the prices will not be too high as it might encourage smuggling and not too low as it would promote smoking.

“We may need two more months to arrive at a decision,” he said. On the Cabinet’ decision to ban fast food companies from sponsoring children TV programmes, he said the ministry and its agencies had deliberated on the matter with the companies concerned and advertising agencies.

“We are aware they (fast food companies) might have entered into contracts to sponsor certain programmes for a stipulated period. We can only enforce the rules once the contracts ended,” he said. Dr Chua said Health Ministry was also in the process of enforcing the labelling fast food products and it could be implemented by year-end.

“Food labelling can educate consumers on the content of fast food products in terms of their calories, fat and sugar,” he said, adding at present consumers were in the dark over of their content.

—Bernama

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

PM to MTUC: Resolve wage issue through negotiations

ROME : Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today advised the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) to pursue its call for minimum wage and higher allowance through negotiations and not by any action that could be damaging to workers. He said employers were now concerned about the high cost of labour and could use that excuse to relocate their business to other countries.

"Investors intending to come to Malaysia may think twice about the cost of manpower (if that cost is high in Malaysia)," he told Malaysian journalists accompanying him on his visit to Italy, reports Bernama. Abdullah has been here since Sunday (June 24) for a three-day official visit to Italy to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in trade and agriculture.

He was asked to comment on MTUC's demand for legislation to set a minimum wage of RM900 and cost-of-living allowance of RM300 per month for private sector employees. MTUC staged a nationwide picket yesterday to press for its demand after giving the government one week to respond to a memorandum it submitted to the Prime Minister's Office (on June 18).

It is seeking an amendment to the Employment Act 1955 to set the minimum wage and higher allowance. More than 1,000 private sector employees picketed for about an hour from 5pm near the Employees Provident Fund building on Jalan Raja Laut in Kuala Lumpur. Similar pickets were also held in several states, including Selangor, Penang, Perak, Malacca, Johor, Negri Sembilan and Sarawak.

Abdullah said MTUC should also consider the wages of foreign workers. "Will the decision encompass the wages of foreign workers or are the foreign workers prepared to accept the current wages without any increase?" he asked. He said there will be competition with Malaysian workers if the foreign workers were prepared to accept the current wages without any increase.

Abdullah said he would ask Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn to provide him with a comprehensive report on MTUC's demand. In SEREMBAN, Fong said it was improper of MTUC to have staged the picket because the ministry held dialogues with the congress at least once a month to enable it to raise issues. "I have explained to MTUC several times that the government is sensitive to the need for workers to be paid reasonable and fair wages.

"The Wages Council Act provides for the government to set up wage councils to study and determine the wages and work conditions if it is found that workers in certain sectors are not getting proper remuneration," he told reporters after officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Seremban office of the Social Security Organisation. Fong said over the last two years, the government had set up seven wage councils to determine fair wages for employees in certain sectors.

"The government is serious and committed in looking after the welfare of workers in the country. We are with MTUC. We want workers to be paid reasonable wages. We do not want even a single worker being exploited. Therefore, I ask MTUC to negotiate in the matter."

Source : The Sun

Lower finance charges for good paymasters

Lower finance charges for good paymasters

PETALING JAYA : Credit card users who display qualities of a good paymaster for 12 consective months will have their finance charges reduced from the maximum 18% per annum to 15%. Bank Negara said in a statement today a tiered pricing structure for card users to promote the use of credit cards as a payment instrument has been introduced.

It is part of the central bank's continuous efforts to promote prudent financial management and inculcate good financial discipline among card users. Bank Negara said on average, a third of credit cardholders use their cards as a payment instrument, settling their card outstanding amount in full every month.

"More than half of the cardholders pay at least the minimum amount due promptly and roll over the remaining balance," the central bank reported. Card issuers will begin to track the repayment behaviour of the cardholders effective from Sunday. The tiered pricing structure will be implemented on July 1 next year. Bank Negara also encouraged debit cards as an alternative payment instrument.

"The domestic banking institutions are in the process of upgrading all credit card terminals deployed by them to accept ATM cards," the bank reported. Bank Negara said the upgrading exercise is expected to be completed this year and it will enable a total of 15.4 million ATM cardholders to use their cards to make purchases at participating merchants. "The greater use of these payment cards is part of central bank's drive to accelerate the migration to e-payments," said the statement.

Source : The Sun


Eric Chia Acquitted Of CBT Charges


KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court here Tuesday acquitted and discharged Tan Sri Eric Chia Eng Hock, the former managing director of Perwaja Steel Sdn Bhd, without calling for his defence on charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM76.4 million.

Judge Akhtar Tahir said the prosecution had failed to adduce sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the 74-year-old Chia, who was charged more than three years ago. After the judgement, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nordin Hassan said he would have to have a discussion with Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail before determining the next course of action.

Senior DPP Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden was not present when the judge read out the judgement, which took 35 minutes. Yusof had led the prosecution team which closed its case on May 4 after calling 29 witnesses.

Both DPP Yusof and lead defence counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah summed up their arguments verbally on May 31 and June 1, respectively. Yusof closed the prosecution's case in 34 pages, covering all evidence obtained from witnessess including from Hong Kong, Japan, Zurich and Geneva, while Muhammed Shafee's summing-up was contained in a 300-page document.

Chia had pleaded not guilty on Feb 10 2004 to the original charge of CBT of RM76.4 million by dishonestly authorising the payment of the money to the account of Frilsham Enterprise Incorporated with American Express Bank Ltd in Hong Kong for technical assistance provided for the Perwaja plant in Gurun, Kedah, when no such payment was due.

Alternatively, he was charged with dishonestly disposing of the funds by entering into an agreement with NKK Corporation of Japan and authorising the payment of the amount without the approval of the board of directors or tender committee of Perwaja Rolling Mill and Development Sdn Bhd. He was charged with having committed both offences in his capacity as managing director of Perwaja Rolling Mill and Development at its office in Menara UBN in Jalan P. Ramlee here between Nov 4 1993 and Feb 22 1994.

On both counts, he was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of between two and 20 years and whipping, and the liability of a fine upon conviction. In court today, Chia was allowed to sit behind the defence team due to his brittle diabetic condition.

Source : Bernama

Monday, June 25, 2007

Community leaders reminded of their role

SIBU: Community leaders here are reminded of their role to serve as a bridge between the community and the government. The call came from president of the Sibu Division Chinese Community Leaders’ Association, Tan Sri Dato Sri Temenggong Tai Sing Chii, at the association’s annual general meeting held at the premises of Sibu General Chinese Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

Tai said that while serving the community, they should be aware of government policies and the need to complement the government effort in carrying out activities and programmes. “We are grateful to our government for the readiness to receive and listen to the people’s positive and constructive suggestions and input in areas concerning social matters, infrastructure development, education, healthcare and other community needs.

“It is gratifying to see that many of our requests, if not all, have been met for the benefit of our community,” he added. Tai said in this fast changing world, it was important for community leaders to constantly upgrade themselves and be well-prepared to face the challenges ahead. Therefore they should take time off to attend the Ketua Masyarakat and Ketua Kaum seminar to be held on July 2. It is to be organised by Sibu Resident’s Office. He said the holding of this seminar would be timely and benefit them. He appealed to Chinese community leaders who had yet to join the association to do so to strengthen it, so it could move forward to achieve its objectives through collective effort and teamwork.

Earlier the association’s deputy president Pemanca Datuk Lau Hieng Ing who also spoke touched on the land issue, security and flight problems. On the land issue, he echoed that many people were dissatisfied with the new land policy, renewal fees, premium rate and land lease. In this connection, he hoped the government would review it. On security, he said community leaders should nurture the Rukun Tetangga spirit in their people, who should cooperate with the police and Rela in the fight against crime. He lamented that it was now not even safe to live in the rural areas where there allegedly had been a rise in crime such as thefts.

Lau also mentioned the poor service provided by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia with flight delays as well as insufficient flights to cope with the demand. Saying this has affected businessmen and the tourism industry, he hoped both companies would rectify their weaknesses as early as possible for a win-win situation.

With MAS to take over domestic flights in Sabah and Sarawak, he hoped it would provide efficient services. Meanwhile 15 community leaders were elected for the association’s committee, including Tai and Lau. But office-bearers for the 2007-2008 term would only be known when the election is held at 3pm tomorrow at Wisma Pansar.


Source : The Borneo Post


Altantuya's cousin: We were threatened

SHAH ALAM: Altantuya Shaariibuu's cousin Namiraa Gerelmaa told the High Court here Monday that a private eye and his man threatened to kill her, a friend and Altantuya in October by throwing them out of a hotel room window.

She added that the men also claimed that accused Abdul Razak Baginda had sent them. Namiraa also testified that Altantuya was under a lot of pressure, when she came to Malaysia in October. "Her life was under threat. She said before we left Mongolia in October, that she wanted to come to Malaysia to see her boyfriend," Namiraa said.

Source : The Star

DPM: Address KL floods in comprehensive way

KUALA LUMPUR: Leave open areas and ponds alone. Their development will worsen the flood situation, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. “We must look at the overall development density in the Klang Valley. This means that if there are places such as open areas and ponds and so forth, it is not proper to develop them.

“If they are developed, then we will be adding to the flood problem,” he told reporters after attending the “Anak Anak Pekan” Family Day here. Najib said the flood problems in Kuala Lumpur should be addressed in a comprehensive way.

“The SMART Tunnel can only solve part of the problem. We know that if water rises in Sungai Gombak, it can lead to problems. “However, various steps are being taken, including the building of 10 more retention ponds around Kuala Lumpur, increasing the number of pump stations and so forth,” he said. The SMART Tunnel’s flood channel component became operational on Saturday.

The road tunnel had been opened since mid-May. However, it is only capable of diverting 45% of floodwater from the city because it is designed to divert excess water from Sungai Klang. The problem of the remaining floodwaters from Sungai Gombak and Sungai Batu is expected to be solved once retention ponds and related flood diversions are ready in December.

On Saturday, Drainage and Irrigation Department director-general Datuk Keizrul Abdullah said the RM2.1bil tunnel could help divert 90% of Sungai Klang waters from flood-prone areas such as Masjid Jamek and Dataran Merdeka. The waters would then be channelled into retention ponds before being dispersed into rivers in stages.

Last Monday, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid had said that the flood problem was not easy to resolve despite the billions of ringgit spent because new development and drains and rivers due to rubbish thrown could result in flash floods.

Source : The Star


Sunday, June 24, 2007

Ahmad Shiozaki Yuki and Huriya Kushimoto Hiroko tied the knot at at Kota Sarang Semut, Alor Star, yesterday.
Ahmad Shiozaki Yuki and Huriya Kushimoto Hiroko tied the knot at at Kota Sarang Semut, Alor Star, yesterday.

ALOR STAR, Sun: It was a Malay wedding with a difference as the couple getting married was Japanese. Huriya Kushimoto Hiroko and Ahmad Shiozaki Yuki, both 29, tied the knot "Kedah-style" at SM Agama Nahdzah in Bukit Besar, Kota Sarang Semut, near here yesterday.

The two doctoral candidates at universities here felt this was the right thing to do being Muslims in Malaysia. Huriya, the eldest of two siblings, converted here last month while Ahmad Shiozaki converted six years ago in Tokyo.

"Observing how Muslims live here proves that Islam is a beautiful religion. This opened my heart towards the religion."As I treasure my time with the people at the school, we decided to hold our wedding according to Malay custom."

Huriya is studying at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia while Ahmad Shiozaki is at the International Islamic Universiti of Malaysia. Huriya became smitten with local culture after "adopting" SM Agama Nahdzah here for research on her thesis titled The Spread of Islamic Teachings.

"Since conducting my research here last September, the people at school have been treating me like family. "I observed their lives and religious activities.

"That was the beginning of my interest in Islam," said Huriya who speaks fluent Bahasa Malay-sia.

She came to Malaysia six years ago to study anthropology as part of a student exchange programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Last year, she started her doctoral studies on Islamic teachings. She met Ahmad Shiozaki earlier this year in Kuala Lumpur.

She said her family supported her decision to convert. Meanwhile, Ahmad was touched by the gotong-royong organised by students and school for the bersanding ceremony.

"I didn't expect them to go out of their way for us," said Ahmad Shiozaki, whose thesis is titled Islam and Politics.

Source : The New Strait Times

16 investment websites on SC warning list being watched: Awang Adek

BACHOK: The Securities Commission (SC) is monitoring activities of 16 “get-rich-quick” investment websites on the SC’s warning list, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said. He said some of the Internet websites had cheated locals of up to RM200,000. Despite being placed on the SC warning list, the websites were still active and could be accessed by investors, he said.

“We cannot shut down the websites immediately as the virtual information technology is difficult to control,” he told reporters when asked to comment on press reports that 28 “get-rich-quick” local investment websites found to be involved in the capital market and securities without the SC’s approval could not be assessed on the Internet. However, 16 are still active.

Awang Adek said the website operators wooed Malaysians to invest in such schemes, capitalising on their weaknesses of easily falling prey to sweet promises and the greed to make big profits in a short time. Awang Adek said Malaysians must realise that actually there was no Internet investment schemes that would so easily offer high returns immediately without ulterior motive.

He, however, said the government was determined to scuttle their operations to ensure no Malaysians fell victim. He said Malaysia would not allow foreign Internet investment schemes to operate in the country as many people had fallen prey to the dubious schemes. “Their activities must be stopped so that Malaysians are not tricked and deceived by advertisements that they can become rich fast,” said Awang Adek, who is also Bachok MP.

He said investors, who had fallen victims, would normally not lodge police reports as they believed that there was still a chance of making easy money. He advised Malaysians to invest in transparent and safe schemes like Amanah Saham Bumiputera which was guaranteed by the government.

Source : BERNAMA

Boat ferrying students capsizes; two girls missing

BETONG: Two school girls on their way home from school are feared to have drowned after a boat carrying 11 students overturned in Sungai Rimbas, near here yesterday. When a search and rescue operation was called off late yesterday evening the two girls had not been found.

Betong police chief DSP Bukhari Saffai said that the incident happened around noon when the boat was ferrying students from SMK Saribas. The victims have been identified as Nurjanah Suut and Norakma Abdillah, both 14. By The incident happened when the boat the students were on overturned after being hit by strong waves created by a larger boat.

“There were 13 persons on the boat (including the driver and a father of one of the students) when it overturned after it was hit by strong waves from another boat which was passing though the Lubuk Betanak area there,” DSP Bukhari said when contacted. DSP Bukhari said that passengers in two other boats nearby managed to rescue the remaining nine students. According to him, it was only after the students were rescued that the two were found to be missing.

“However, efforts to locate the two Form Two students failed at that time,” he said. Search and rescue operations will continue today with help from the Fire and Rescue Services Department (Bomba) Diving Unit.


Source : The Borneo Post

‘They mix diesel with chemical for more profit’

MIRI: Some suppliers of subsidised diesel in the State have been detected to have mixed the fuel with a type of chemical known as Nanatek to increase the quantity. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, Sarawak branch enforcement chief Abdul Rosik Yakub said so far four cases had been detected, three in Kuching and one in Bintulu.

It was difficult for the ordinary people to differentiate between genuine and adulterated diesel, that which had been mixed with the chemical, he said, adding that the colour of the diesel would appear the same. “Currently we are investigating all the detected cases and action will be taken against the suppliers if there is an element of abuse,” he said.

According to Rosik, his officials had since last year discovered about 6,000 litres of subsidised diesel mixed with the chemical. He warned any supplier found to have misused the subsidised diesel would be charged under the Supply Control Act 1961.

“The ministry wishes to remind those involved in abusing subsidised diesel that stern action will be taken against them,” he said. He said suppliers resorted to the new tactic to make extra profit.

Source : The Borneo Post

Foreign Ministry To Summon Rommel Over Remarks On New Economic Policy

ROME, June 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia views comments by the European Union's (EU) top envoy to the country, Thierry Rommel, critical of the country's New Economic Policy (NEP) as irresponsible, and Foreign Ministry will summon him to explain his remarks. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the comments were tantamount to meddling in the country's internal affairs and policies. He said Malaysian ambassador to Brussels, Datuk Kamal Yan Yahya, would meet EU officials to convey Malaysia's stance with regard to Rommel's remarks.

"Malaysia will then study the possibility of sending a protest note against the statement of an ambassador who should be forging constructive and good relations between Malaysia and the EU, and not otherwise," he told reporters here. Rommel, who is the ambassador and head of the European Commission Delegation to Malaysia, was quoted by the media as saying that the NEP, seen as favouring the Malays and Bumiputera, did not provide a level playing field for foreign companies.

Rommel alleged that the government was using the NEP as an excuse to practise "significant protectionism of its own market", including the automotive sector, steel, consumer goods, agricultural products, services and government contracts. Syed Hamid said: "We're disappointed that a diplomat had made a statement which pointed to his lack of understanding of the role of an envoy and a diplomat who shouldn't be interfering in the internal affairs and policies of a country."

The minister is a member of the Malaysian delegation accompanying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on his three-day visit to Italy. Abdullah is scheduled to arrive here tonight. Noting that relations between Malaysia and the EU were good, Syed Hamid said Rommel's action would not contribute to improving the ties further.

"I believe that he (Rommel) was expressing his personal opinion which had nothing to do with EU's attitude towards us, considering that our relations are very close and good," he said. Syed Hamid reckoned that this was the first time that an EU diplomat had commented on a sensitive issue.

"I feel that Rommel's statement was not based on facts. If we look at the facts, the EU's overall investment and trade volume with Malaysia is high," he said. "He said our policies are stifling the economy but the fact is that our economy and stock market are growing, and the level of in-coming investment is also encouraging. So it's clear that what he said was not based on facts," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Friday, June 15, 2007

Sabah government to give increment to civil servants

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government will also implement the federal government announced salary increase of between 7.5 per cent and 35 per cent for its 25,737 civil servants from July 1. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said yesterday the exercise would involve an additional annual cost of RM90 million for the state government.

“If the salary increase for local authorities and statutory bodies is taken into account, it will involve an additional cost of RM109 million a year, meaning the state government will have to fork out a total of about RM700 million annually,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the state cabinet, here.

Musa also announced an increase in the monthly allowance for 3,526 state government grassroots employees, including local community leaders such as “ketua daerah”, “ketua anak negeri”, “wakil ketua anak negeri”, “ketua kampung” and “ketua masyarakat Cina”, effective July 1. With the raise, the allowances will be RM2,500 for “ketua daerah”, RM1,500 for “ketua anak negeri”, RM700 for “wakil ketua anak negeri and RM450 for “ketua kampung” and “ketua masyarakat Cina”. “For `ketua kampung’ and `ketua masyarakat Cina’, this is a huge increase of almost 100 per cent because they have thus far been paid about RM250 a month,” he said.

Musa said he was confident that the salary increase would spur economic growth as it would enhance the purchasing power of consumers. “However, I hope that civil servants will not become spendthrifts,” he said. Musa also announced the retirement of State Secretary Datuk KY Mustapha on July 2, saying that he would be succeeded by State Public Service Department Director Datuk Sukarti Wakiman.


Source : The Borneo Post

Don't Restrict The Entry Of Skilled Workers, Says PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said tonight Malaysia should not "overly restrict" the entry of skilled workers particularly in strategic sectors as it could actually bring benefit to the country.

The Prime Minister said he believes the Malaysian working population will benefit from having greater interaction with foreign talent.

"Indeed, we can only improve ourselves if we work and learn with talented others," he said in his address "Looking Back, Forging Ahead: 50 Years of Business in Malaysia" at the Kuala Lumpur Business Club dinner, here.

To get the skilled workers, he said, Malaysia should facilitate skilled foreign students to stay on after graduating.

Abdullah said Malaysia must benefit from the globalised flow of human capital.

"I believe that Malaysian professionals can hold their own amongst the global talent pool and that they remain the employees of choice by businesses in Malaysia.

"This does not necessarily conflict with a policy of drawing more foreign knowledge workers to our shores," he said.


Source : BERNAMA

"Malaysia My Second Home" Programme Draws 9,275 Foreigners

SHANGHAI, June 14 (Bernama) -- The "Malaysia My Second Home" programme drew 9,275 foreign nationals, especially from China, up to May this year.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai said 2,021 Chinese nationals joind the programme between 1996 and 2006 and 30 between January and May this year.

According to Tourism Malaysia, the programme drew 818 people from 1996 to 2002, and attracted even more after it took over the programme in 2002.

The number of participants was 1,645 in 2003, 1,917 (2004), 2,615 (2005) and 552 from January to May, 2007.

Lim said the programme had also drawn people from South Korea, Japan and Bangladesh.


Source : BERNAMA

Fire destroys 14 shophouses

KUCHING: A pre-dawn fire destroyed 14 wooden shophouses in Serian town, about 65km from here. The blaze, which broke out at about 3am on Thursday, gutted the trading premises of 27 companies housed in the two double-storey blocks.

The wooden buildings were built in the 1930's. The fire was the worst that had hit the town along the Pan Borneo highway. Two other fires in 1974 and 1995 destroyed fewer shops. Shops that went up in smoke in Thursday's fire include those trading in sundry goods, telecommunication products and accessories as well as sports wears. Also destroyed was a coffeeshop, a barbar shop and a shop which sold shotgun catridges. There were no casualities.

Firemen took an hour to control the blaze and prevented it from spreading to adjacent blocks of wooden buildings. According to eye-witnesses, families living on the upper floors of the affected shops ran for safety after they were alerted by night traders nearby. Serian district officer Sindie Muleng said a relief committee had been set up to provide various assistance, including providing food for a food and some cash to the fire victims. `All the victims are temporarily putting up with their relatives,'' he told reporters after meeting the victims. Sindie said the relevant authorities would find a site for the affected companies to carry out their trade.

Serian criminal investigation department (CID) chief Asst Supt Suhali Solek said police were investigating the cause of the fire, which was reported to have started from the corner coffeeshop. He advised companies operating in wooden shophouses to take extra precautions, and to check on the wirings of their premises

Source : The Star

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Man weds at mum’s funeral

PORT KLANG: K. Narani had always wanted to see her son married. But the tears of the guests at the wedding ceremony yesterday were of both joy and sorrow. In a simple gesture of love for his mother, P. Sanjeevi Rajan married R. Sasikalah in front of his mother’s body during her funeral at the family’s house here.

Fate had been cruel to the family, as 47-year-old Narani died of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on Sunday while shopping for sarees and other accessories for the wedding which had been originally scheduled for June 30. When her body was brought to the house at noon yesterday, Narani’s grieving husband Perumal suggested that Sanjeevi Rajan honour his mother’s dream of seeing her son married.

Bride and groom consented, and after consulting with Sasikalah’s family, it was agreed that the wedding would go ahead. Two priests were brought to the house, and between 2pm and 3pm, they conducted all the usual wedding ceremonies minus the yagna (fire ceremony).

Sasikalah, 25, was dressed in a blue saree while Sanjeevi Rajan wore the traditional vesthi and jippa. Sanjeevi Rajan, 28, also performed the patha pooja, where he washed the feet of his parents. For this ceremony, Perumal stood beside the body of Narani.

The thali was then placed in the mother’s hand before Sanjeevi Rajan tied it around Sasikalah’s neck. Instead of the usual yellow rice, flowers were given to those present in the family hall to bless the couple. Later, Sanjeevi Rajan said though a marriage in such circumstances was unheard of, he was glad that it took place the way it did.

"I could have got married in the temple later, but would my mother be there? At least now, my mother is still here. My parents were side by side. It means the world to me.

"It’s both the saddest and happiest day for me in one go," he said wiping away his tears.

Sasikalah said she was fortunate to have her wedding in front of her mother-in-law.

"I got the chance to pay my last respects as the daughter-in-law and it means a lot to me."

Her father, R. Rajaratnam, said when Perumal came up with the idea, he discussed it with family members and everyone felt that it was a good suggestion. It’s definitely worth it. Narani wanted to see the wedding and Sanjeevi Rajan wanted his mother to be present at his wedding. Both got their wishes."

As for the wedding invitations that have been sent out, Rajaratnam said everyone would be informed about what had happened. However, he said the couple would get their marriage registered at the temple on June 30.


Source : The New Straits Times

Local Govt's One-stop Centres Begin Operations Wednesday

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- All the 98 local government one-stop centres began operations Wednesday in efforts to improve the government's delivery system. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said some of the centres had started their operations a few months ago following a directive by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi two months ago (April 13) to set up such centres.

"Until Tuesday, all local government authorities have set up their respective one-stop centres, which are being supervised by the respective state governments," he said at a special press conference at his ministry here. However, he said Sarawak and Sabah were not affected by the directive since the states had different laws and regulations.

The one-stop centres are set up to speed up processing, including for land applications for projects and approval for building plans. He said a new system would also be introduced for building approvals, where instead of the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CFO), a Certificate of Compliance and Completion (CCC) would be issued by professionals like architects and engineers for better guarantee on the safety of the buildings.

To meet the manpower requirement for the setting up of the one-stop centres, Ong said the Public Service Department had approved 533 permanent posts, some of which were filled last month. He said the ministry would also set up an institute to train local government officers to beef up their performance and delivery system.

He said a total of 2,055 applications for various approvals were received by the one-stop centres since two months ago.

"These applications are to be processed and settled before Oct 31," he added.


Source : BERNAMA

Malaysia Always Self-Finances Its Development

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government has always used domestic funds to develop the country, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Wednesday night. While many other countries were very dependent on foreign financing, Malaysia has sufficient local funds for development projects and this also helps to further spur the economy, he pointed out.

"We don't need to borrow from overseas; this is one of our superior qualities," he said during a live interview over RTM1.

Most of the domestic funds are sourced from the Armed Forces Fund, the Employees Provident Fund and the Pensions Fund, he added. Nor Mohamed said the government borrows only about 10 percent of the total loans from overseas and this was mainly to demonstrate the country's international creditworthiness and for roadshows to draw foreign investors.

And all these foreign loans are repaid well ahead of schedule - "While some countries need to re-schedule their foreign debts or pay according to schedule, we pay ahead of schedule."

He stressed that the hallmark of the government since the country's independence has always been its disciplined financial management, borrowing domestically only for development projects and relying on its own revenues for the upkeep of the government machinery. And the government has also to be credited for always being pragmatic in managing the economy and even in overcoming economic crises. He pointed out that during the 1997/98 regional financial crisis, the government determined the most pragmatic way to overcome it and succeeded, leading the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to compliment it on getting the recipe right.

Nor Mohamed explained that it is achievements such as this that have enabled the country to build its capacity and confidence in facing and overcoming any economic crises in the future.

"In the next 50 years, we could face challenges and crises that could arise suddenly and in a different form, but because the government has developed this capacity and confidence we are better prepared to face them," he said.

"But most importantly, we must always be in a state of preparedness and consistently gain new knowledge in the context of a new era."

Nor Mohamed also emphasised on the credibility of official statistics on the economy, pointing out that this is best demonstrated by the investor confidence, expressed in the dramatic rise in the market capitalisation of Bursa Malaysia from RM640 billion in 2003 to more than RM1 trillion last year.

"Likewise, the government-linked companies since their restructuring have been generating more profits, more than RM106 billion in the last three years," he added.

Nor Mohamed said this is among the reasons why he is confident that Malaysia's economy will grow by at least six percent a year in the next few years. On the impact of the wage increases in the public sector, due in July, impacting on inflation and the country's overall deficit, he said this matter was fully considered by the government before it decided on the higher salaries.

"We are confident the wage increases won't disrupt our deficit, which will remain at the current 3.4 percent. Inflation, too, will remain below 2.5 percent," he added.

On the other hand, the wage hikes will have a positive impact on the economy, expanding consumption and exports, which are important for generating economic growth, he said.


Source : BERNAMA

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Malaysia unveils Vitato

BACHOK: Vitato – that's Malaysia's own homegrown nutritious sweet potato with loads of vitamins. The Malaysian Agriculture Research Development Institute (Mardi) unveiled it here on Tuesday.

The new potato variety was first conceived in 1997 at the Mardi station in Telong, here. It has a stronger nutrition content compared to the average potato and has become a source for pride for the institute. The brandname was coined from the words "vitamin" and "potato."

Speaking at its launch, Agriculture and Agro-Based Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that it has a stronger nutrition content compared to the average potato and has become a source for pride for the institute. "It has many vitamins such as C and E which can help in the dietary supplement of those consuming it,” he said.

Present were MARDI director-general Datuk Dr Abd Shukor Abd Rahman, state Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Annuar Musa and state agriculture committee chairman Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamed.


Source : The Star

Five Brunei Nationals Killed In Crash

SIBU, June 12 (Bernama) -- A family of five from Brunei were killed when their car was involved in a collision with a bus at the 38km Jalan Sibu-Bintulu at 3.45pm today.

The victims were identified as Gazali Yahya, 40s, his wife Zulyana Hassan, 40s, and their three children, Fatin Nabillah, 12, Fatin Khairuniza, 10 and Mohd Ali Amri, 6. Sibu police chief ACP Nicholas Sebastian told Bernama the Nissan Cefiro carrying the family was descending a hill when it was involved in a collision with the bus belonging to an institution of higher learning.

"All the victims from Temburung in Brunei were travelling from Brunei to Kuching. They died on the spot."

He said police were still investigating the cause of the accident. The five bodies had been sent to Sibu General Hospital for a post-mortem. The bus driver and 15 passengers escaped unhurt.


Source : BERNAMA

SMART To Be Completed One Week Ahead Of Schedule

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- The floodwater channel of the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) will be ready one week ahead of its scheduled June 30 completion date as the authorities scramble to overcome flash floods in the Klang Valley.

Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) director-general Datuk Keizrul Abdullah said the department would speed up all flood mitigation measures to deal with the problem. For SMART's floodwater channel, several gates are being installed while all security features would be completed before the tunnel is commissioned, he said in a statement Tuesday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday expressed dismay over the inadequate flood control measures in the city during a briefing at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall on the flood which threw the capital into chaos on Sunday night. He asked the DID to speed up flood mitigation efforts, including the RM1.93 billion SMART dual-purpose tunnel.

Keizrul said DID was carrying out several projects to prevent floods in the federal capital under the Klang River Valley Flood Mitigation Programme, including the construction of the Batu Dam and raising the height of the Klang Gates Dam by three metres. He said the department was also installing pump systems in low-lying areas.

"DID is also deepening and widening the Klang River, Damansara River, Kerayong River and Penchala River besides strengthening the river embankment in Kebun Bunga, Shah Alam.

"We'll also construct flood bypasses and upgrade flood forecast and alert system. We've started sending flood warnings to Shah Alam residents by SMS (short messaging service)," he added.

A four-hour downpour on Sunday left many places in Kuala Lumpur under water. Among the worst affected areas were Kampung Baru, Sentul, Jinjang Selatan, Segambut, Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Perak, Jalan Pinang, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan P Ramlee and Jalan Kolam Air, Setapak. Clean up operations are now underway to clear the streets of rubbish and items destroyed by floodwaters.


Source : BERNAMA

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Malaysia Week Fest In London A Huge Success

LONDON, June 11 (Bernama) -- After five eventful days at Covent Garden Market here, the Malaysian delegation to the London Malaysia Week Festival 2007 wound down operations yesterday with much to cheer about.

For the small and medium enterprise members of the delegation, the products they brought sold like hot cakes while the cultural shows presented received resounding appreciation.

After being such a hit with visitors and the British government, the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry, which organised the event, is looking at making it an annual affair. In fact, its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has already drawn up plans for an even greater fest should it be held again next year.

"Overall, I am very pleased as the response has been so much greater than last year. This year, we also had the support of the local Westminster government as well as the British government," he told Malaysian journalists covering the fest, which began on June 6.

This year, the fest was that much more special as besides promoting Visit Malaysia Year'07, the cultural shows also showcased the unique "unity in diversity" that Malaysians of all races hold dear and has been a strongpoint of the country, which is celebrating its 50th independence anniversary.

"I feel we successfully conveyed the message of Malaysia's uniqueness to the people here. Culture and the arts are really good for imparting such a message than politics," said Rais. He also said the ministry was now busy preparing for the Malaysia Week Festival in Bejing, China to be held at the end of the year.


Source : BERNAMA

UUM to accept visually handicapped students

PENANG: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) is expected to start accepting visually handicapped students from next year, the second university in the country to do so after Universiti Malaya.

This will be made possible under the RM60,000 “We Care” project to be jointly undertaken by AIESEC UUM and St Nicholas Home Penang. AIESEC UUM (AIESEC is an international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential to have a positive impact in society) and St Nicholas Home will make the necessary preparations to enable the university to accept visually handicapped students from its July 2008 intake.

At the project’s agreement signing ceremony at St Nicholas Home here on Monday, project director Cheng Tee Chuan said they were currently working on creating awareness of “equal education opportunity” within the campus. “We will also hold roadshows at selected secondary schools for the visually impaired to encourage their students to pursue higher education,” she said. Cheng said they would start the “hardware preparation” early next year. “We will have to provide tactile paths and railings to make it convenient for the visually-impaired to move around,” she said, adding that St Nicholas Home would prepare the examination papers in Braille and help mark them.

The home’s executive director Ooi Chee Khoon said a team led by its training and social services division manager Wong Yoon Loong went to audit the university’s campus accessibility to the blind in March. “Other than providing our expertise, we will also train UUM staff and students to cope with the blind community,” Ooi said.

Wong said not many physical changes were needed for UUM to cater to the visually handicapped. UUM’s Human and Social Development Faculty dean Assoc Prof Azmi Shaari said most of the university’s management courses as well as its Information Technology, Communications and Law programmes were suitable for blind students.


Source : The Star

Spied on for two years

NINETEEN students of Kolej Islam Antarabangsa in Gombak thought their privacy could not be better safeguarded in their rented house. They were happy staying in the four-room house in Taman Bullion Mewah in Sentul since 2005.

Moreover, the landlord, who’s married with children, appeared to be a kind man who would attend to their problems promptly. But they found out how wrong they were on Saturday, following the discovery of spy cameras that had been installed in the ceilings of three bathrooms. The girls, in their 20s, did not suspect anything amiss until two days ago. One of them had entered one of the bathrooms when she glanced at the ceiling and saw a foreign object near the fluorescent light.

Curious, she checked with the neighbours if they had similar objects in their bathrooms, and the answer was no. Later, when one of the neighbours took a closer look, he was shocked to discover that the object resembled a spy cam. The girls alerted the police, who arrived at their house about 10pm the same day.

Sentul police chief Assistant Commissioner K. Kumaran said initial investigations showed that three spy cams were found in the three bathrooms. He said police arrested the 34- year-old house owner the same night. It is learnt that the students called the owner on the pretext of asking him to repair a pipe leakage at the house before he was arrested. Yesterday, police obtained an eight-day remand order on the man. The case is being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene objects.

Five of the 19 students were also at the Sentul police headquarters yesterday to give their statements. One of them, who declined to be named, said they did not know when the spy cams were installed. “Some of the students had spotted the objects early this year, but they did not suspect anything, thinking that these were just components of the ceiling lights,” she said. She also said in view of the case, the students would refer to the management of their college for advice and assistance.

“If we are advised to sue the person responsible for all this, we will, beacause our privacy has been invaded. “We will move out of the house as soon as possible.” She added that the students had informed their parents of the incident. The students described the man as a kind landlord who would attend to problems promptly. He had visited the house to collect rental, bringing along his wife and children. “He would come to the house at least once a month to collect the rental money and he would enter the bathrooms during each of his visits. He also told us to take care of the house and keep it clean,” a student said.


Source : The Malay Mail

Chaos in KL after 5 hours of rain


KUALA LUMPUR: A five-hour deluge caused flash floods which wreaked havoc in the city last night. Thousands of people were left stranded in parts of the city when Sungai Klang burst its banks around 9pm. Dataran Merdeka, Kampung Baru, Masjid Jamek, Masjid India, Air Panas in Setapak, and the city side of Jalan Ampang were under 1m of water.

Two women were injured when they were trapped by the branches of a tree that fell near them after the downpour. Kamala Devi, 46, and her daughter S. Thanaletchumi, 20, were outside the Royal Selangor Club in Dataran Merdeka when the incident occurred at 11pm.

They were accompanying Kamala’s husband, the club’s chief security officer L. Selvarajah, 48, who was checking the building after the heavy rain. Both women were trapped for half an hour while firemen cut through the branches to get to them. Kamala broke her right hip while her daughter suffered minor bruises.

At a fast-food outlet in Jalan Tun Perak, two women and a man were injured when a passing bus sent the flood waters crashing into the outlet’s glass entrance at 10.30pm. Several vehicles at the underground car park in Dataran Merdeka were submerged while the Putra LRT’s Masjid Jamek station had to be closed. Even the Jalan Maxwell fire station in Sentul was not spared, trapping several members of the Fire and Rescue Department.


Source : The new Staits Times

Monday, June 11, 2007

PM weds Jeanne in private

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah were married in a simple and private ceremony attended by close family members at his official residence of Seri Perdana yesterday. Sunday June 10, 2007

Jeanne, 53, became the Prime Minister’s wife at around 2.50pm in a ceremony solemnised by acting Putra Mosque Imam Abd Manaf Mat and witnessed by some 50 relatives, including Abdullah’s children – Datuk Kamaluddin and Nori and their spouses – and Jeanne’s children from her previous marriage, Nadiah and Nadene. Also at the akad nikah ceremony were the Prime Minister’s siblings and family members of his late wife, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood.

Seen entering the residence before the ceremony was Yayasan Budi Penyayang chief executive officer Leela Mohd Ali. Earlier, Jeanne had been escorted by two outriders to Seri Perdana, in a Proton Chancellor car bearing the Prime Minister’s favourite license number 13, from her home in Damansara Perdana. Her arrival at around 2.20pm marked an upswing in the activities surrounding the official residence since morning, when vans bearing flowers and gifts, and catering staff made their way to the gate. However, reporters staking out at the gate, some of whom had been there from as early as 8am, were disappointed to see that she arrived in a heavily tinted car, making it impossible for them to catch a glimpse of the bride.

The solemnisation ceremony then got under way, the highlight of which was Abdullah slipping a diamond solitaire ring on Jeanne’s fourth finger on her left hand. He followed this with a kiss on her cheek, according to those who witnessed the ceremony. The newlyweds, who were dressed in matching cream-coloured baju melayu and baju kurung, and their guests later visited Endon’s grave in Precinct 20, where Abdullah led special prayers dedicated to his late wife. When scattering rose petals and scented water, Abdullah remarked to reporters that Muslims planted trees at the grave so that these would “pray for the deceased.” Looking buoyant and happy, with his new wife by his side, he had earlier greeted reporters who had been congregating at the gravesite for an hour, some of whom congratulated him on his marriage.


When approached, Abdullah good-humouredly informed the press that he had only had to “lafaz nikah sekali sahaja (proclaim his vows only once)”. “The solemnisation of marriage went on smoothly and those who attended it included my children, my siblings and their spouses, those from Kak Endon’s side as well as (son-in-law) Khairy’s (Jamaluddin) mother and (daughter-in-law) Azrene’s mother and my grandchildren. “They are all my closest family members and, Alhamdulillah (thank God), everything went well,” he said. Abdullah also obligingly showed the press the ring that he had presented to Jeanne during the ceremony, holding her left hand. Jeanne, who looked resplendent in a beaded baju kurung and scarf, did not speak to the press but smiled.

Kamaluddin said the family welcomed their “new” mother and that everything had gone smoothly. “She is our new family member,” he said. Jeanne’s daughter Nadene, 27, said her mother had at first seemed calm until she arrived at the surau in Seri Perdana. “It was only then that she felt jittery because she realised what was happening. Everything went well and let’s hope for the best,” she said. Asked if she was acquainted with her “new” family members, Nadene said they were all already family and “there was nothing new to us.” “We (Nori and I) are close. We are cousins and our age gap is very close,” she said. The wedding ceremony was over in a matter of minutes, opening a new chapter in Abdullah’s life. His wife of 42 years, Endon, died in October 2005 after a long battle with breast cancer. Jeanne was formerly married to Endon’s younger brother Othman, who was also at the ceremony.

Source : The Star

Six Hurt After Storm Lashes City

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 (Bernama) -- Six people were injured in two separate incidents following a severe storm that caused massive flash floods in the city today. A police spokesman said two of them were injured when a branch of a tree fell on them while they were seeking shelter near the Royal Selangor Club in Jalan Raja.

"The victims, Kamala Devi, 46, and her daughter S.Thanaletchumi, 20, were trapped under it for almost 30 minutes before firemen from the Jalan Hang Tuah station came to their rescue," he told Bernama.

He said Kamala broke both her legs while her daughter only sustained light injuries in the incident. The other four were patrons of a fast-food restaurant in Jalan Tun Perak who were injured by shards of broken glass which hit them when a bus trying to move through the flooded street in front it caused a wave that shattered the premises windows.

"However, the injuries were only minor," the spokesman said.

As of midnight, vehicles were still inching their way at several roads especially at Jalan Ampang and Jalan Parlimen, which were still under water, a Jalan Bandar police station traffic spokesman said.

"Vehicles can still pass through the roads but they have to move bumper-to -bumper," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Other areas affected were around the Masjid Jamek, Masjid India , Kampung Baru, Kampung Chubadak, Sentul and Kampung Pandan. Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Kampung Pandan also experienced severe flash flooding. Massive traffic snarls were also reported along these two roads and the situation was made worse when several cars stalled.


Source : BERNAMA

Smart Tunnel Toll Collection Begins Midnight Friday

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 (Bernama) -- Toll collection at the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway will start at midnight on Friday and the rate will be announced shortly, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

"I'll announce the toll rate at a news conference in one or two days," he told reporters after opening the Hindu Dharma Mamandram national delegates' meeting in Batu Caves here Sunday.

Asked whether the government would guarantee that the toll rate would be reasonable and would not burden the public, Samy Vellu said they should understand that the cost of building a road tunnel was higher than that of a normal highway.

"I can't guarantee you that there'll be a reasonable toll because it cost a lot of money to build the tunnel," he said. The RM1.9 billion project between Jalan Sungai Besi and Jalan Ampang includes a 3.3km road tunnel costing RM650 million. Road users have been using the motorway for free since May 14.

Samy Vellu said the public had the option of using the road tunnel for speedier travel or other existing roads. The 9.7km SMART project is meant to divert rain water away from the city centre to prevent flash floods and alleviate traffic congestion, especially for those coming into the city from the south.


Source : BERNAMA

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Call To Change Tint On Windscreens Before Buying Imported Cars

BUTTERWORTH, June 9 (Bernama) -- Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy today advised buyers of imported cars to get the vehicle supplier to change the opacity of the dark tinted film on the vehicle windscreens and windowpanes to the permissible limit before the purchase.

He said the buyers could not escape adhering to the ruling on the permissible visual transmission by stating that imported cars had dark tinted windscreens and windowpanes.

They should adhere to the ruling that required the permissible visual transmission for windscreens to be 70 per cent and for windowpanes to be 50 per cent, he told reporters after launching the use of the credit card for payment at Road Transport Department (JPJ) counters nationwide, at the Penang JPJ headquarters in Seberang Jaya, here.

Source : BERNAMA

Three months to approve land lease renewals

Unless land has been placed under Sections 47 or 48, says land and Survey Department

KUCHING: The Land and Survey Department expects to approve applications for the renewal of land lease in not more than three months as long as the land concerned is not placed under Section 47 or Section 48 of the State Land Code. The department gave its assurance that it would promptly process applications for renewal during a dialogue with representatives from the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda), housing Development Corporation, the Chief Minister’s Department and bank associations.

The dialogue was held at the Land and Survey Department’s headquarters here on Friday. A statement from Sheda said the briefing on the new land policy was conducted by the department’s assistant directors Zaidi Mahdi and Brahim Lumpu. The Land and Survey Department plays a primary role in the formulation and implementation of the new land policies which was announced on May 26, 2007, particularly on the renewal of land lease, extension of term of title, premium payable, and procedures for application and eventual approval. The dialogue was requested in order to allow those present to get first hand input and briefing from the department so as to better understand the implications, procedures, rational and justifications on the new land policies as land matter holds dear to all the people.

Sheda said in its press statement that most of them were uncertain and could not really comprehend the policies as announced in the newspapers. Therefore, the dialogue session was the most proper forum that would provide them with an in-depth understanding of the subject which could be properly disseminated to their members including property developers and owners, Sheda said.

Sheda said it supported the strategic plan of the department to ensure that land be managed to bring best economic benefit to the State, and to encourage optimum utilization and development of the land to generate economic benefit to states as well. Sheda proposed that in order to achieve the goal, the department should also consider issues relating to perpetuity title status, titles with more that 99 years lease, real estate investment trust (REIT) implication, premium calculation manner, premium installment payment procedures and others. It hoped that more information on the new land policies could be made readily available to members of the public.


Source : The Borneo Post

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Malaysian students win international acclaim

MELBOURNE: Four Malaysian students have won international acclaim when their robotic violin player, RoboFiddler, came second in the inaugural ARTEMIS Orchestra Contest in Berlin. They are Joshua Chia, from Sabah, Lee Chin Hooi (Ipoh), Hong Boon Yao (Kuala Lumpur) and Beinyg Lim. They are all final-year mechatronics engineering students at the University of Adelaide. Sponsored by NICTA, one of Australia’s leading information technology and communications research institute, the students were flown to Berlin to demonstrate their invention and receive their award. Beinyg Lim was unable to make the trip.

The contest is based on long-standing European traditions in music and challenges participants to create devices that play real musical instruments with the help of various embedded technologies. “NICTA is thrilled with the result, especially given that the competition attracted entries from leading embedded systems teams across Europe. “I think they were the crowd favourite,” NICTA chief executive Dr David Skellern said in a statement.

The RoboFiddler system links a conventional laptop computer to a micro controller that controls both the robotic bow arm and a series of six metal “fingers” that allow 28 notes to be played across the four strings. Tunes played by the RoboFiddler can be entered on a host computer and downloaded to the microcontroller-based robot.

The central controller communicates with the host, downloading whichever note needs to be played next. It then relays this information to the fingering controller, carefully coordinating all required motions such as fingering, bowing and tilting the main arm. “It is a complex system because the bow needs to be told not only which string to play, but at what angle and speed to play to ensure a clean sound.

“The result is not up to orchestra standard, but it is an impressive piece of engineering,” University of Adelaide Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering Prof Colin Hansen said.
In Berlin, the RoboFiddler performed two pieces during the ARTEMIS competition. The traditional piece Soldier’s Joy and the first part of Book 1 of German composer Hans Sitt’s 100 Etudes, Op. 32.

These pieces were in the set specified by the competition organisers. The RoboFiddler team received a trophy and 9,000 Euro prize. The winner of the ARTEMIS Orchestra competition was a team from Germany which demonstrated a recorder player with timing that followed a conductor as well as a piano player.


Source : BERNAMA

PM marries Datin Seri Jeanne in private ceremony

PUTRAJAYA: The marriage between Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah was solemnised at Prime Minister’s official residence in “Seri Perdana” here today. The akad nikah ceremony was solemnised by the Imam of the Putrajaya Mosque, Haji Abd Manaf Mat, at 2.50pm. It was witnessed by the prime minister’s son, Datuk Kamaluddin Abdullah, and son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin.

The ceremony was attended by close relatives, according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s family to Bernama at 3.40pm.

“The prime minister and his wife would like to thank the people for their good wishes for a happy marriage,” the statement added.

Born in Kuala Lumpur on July 29, 1953, Jeanne is the eldest of four siblings.
She received her education at Sekolah Menengah Assunta in Petaling Jaya and has vast experience in administration and hotel management.

She also worked as a supervisor of the official residence of the Deputy Prime Minister and was manager at the Seri Perdana complex.

Jeanne, 53, has two daughters, Nadiah, 29, and Nadene, 27.

Abdullah, 67, has two children, Kamaluddin and Nori, from his marriage to the late Datin Seri Endon Mahmood, who passed away on Oct 20, 2005, from breast cancer.

Jeanne and her entourage were seen entering Seri Perdana for the akad nikah ceremony at 2.20pm.

Source : BERNAMA

Friday, June 8, 2007

Sarawak cops go gangbusting

KUCHING: Police have busted 17 gangs in Sarawak after 84 leaders and members were arrested under the anti-gangsterism Ops Cantas Kenyalang launched in April. Those arrested included four leaders from Miri, Sarikei, Kuching and Sibu and their right-hand men, Federal CID director Comm Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee said.

All have been charged with offences ranging from armed robbery, criminal intimidation and extortion to kidnapping in order to commit murder. Police also seized several weapons including three pistols, a shotgun, knives and swords. One of the gangs was the notorious Sibu-based Hua Kee gang which has an estimated 50 members.

“Its gang leader and 13 members have been arrested and eight charged with kidnapping in order to commit murder and gang-robbery. “They are now being detained in Sibu prison awaiting trial,” Comm Wan told a press conference here on Thursday during his visit to state police headquarters. He said other gangs included the Sungai Merah and Kong Pia gangs in Sibu, Taxi Station gang in Miri, Market gang in Kuching, Ah Seng gang in Sarikei and Tua Chek gang in Bintulu.

He said 1,310 people had been arrested for offences linked to gangsterism under the operation. Of the number, 679 have been charged in court. The anti-gangsterism operation is being carried out by a task force comprising Federal and state police. “We will continue to flush out the remnants of the gangs in Sarawak and take further action to hunt down the leaders,” Comm Wan said.


Source : The Star

Altantuya's dad, Mongolian govt file to have counsel removed

SHAH ALAM: The Mongolian government and the father of murder victim Altantuya Shaariibuu have appealed against High Court judge Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yasin’s decision not to direct a relative to disqualify himself from acting as counsel in the trial.

The notice of appeal, lodged at the criminal division High Court registry Thursday afternoon, was filed by lawyer Daniel Abishegam of Karpal Singh & Co. The Mongolian government and Shaariibuu Setev are naming the public prosecutor as the respondent. In a press statement issued later, Karpal Singh said the notice was filed in the interest of Altantuya’s family as well as in the public’s interest.

“The appeal is against Justice Mohd Zaki decision on Monday to dismiss my application that Hazman Ahmad, lead counsel for the accused C/Insp Azilah Hadri, be disqualified from defending the accused. “The application was made on the ground that Hazman’s late wife was the trial judge's niece,” Karpal Singh said.

The veteran lawyer said he had also sent a letter to the judge, appealing that he hand down his written judgment together with its grounds well before the trial commences on June 18. He said this was important so that the Court of Appeal could hand down its judgment on the issue as soon as possible. The murder trial was scheduled to begin on Monday but was postponed to June 18 because of a last-minute change of prosecutors. Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has since clarified that he had changed the team of prosecutors in the interest of justice. He said on Wednesday that DPP Salehuddin Saidin, who was leading the original prosecution team, had been seen playing badminton with Justice Mohd Zaki.

In the dock are C/Insp Azilah, 31, and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, who are charged with murdering Altantuya in Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year. Also in the dock is political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, who is accused of abetting the two Unit Tindakan Khas (Special Action Force) personnel at the Bangunan Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, between 9.54am and 11.05am on Oct 18 last year.

Source : The Star

Langkawi Declared A Geopark By Unesco

KULIM, Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands covering an area of 10,000 hectares, has been declared a geopark by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) effective Friday.

Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said that with the recognition, Langkawi joined the Global Geoparks network of 52 geoparks worldwide.

"This official recognition by Unesco will enhance Langkawi's image as a world class tourist destination," he told reporters after opening Fuji Electric (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd's second factory at the Kulim High Technology Park here today. Mahdzir said Langkawi had applied to join the Unesco's Geopark network in May last year and it was the first geopark in Malaysia and South East Asia to gain such a recognition. He thanked Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), the Mineral and Geoscience Department, Forestry Department, Environment Department and the Langkawi District Office and all other parties that had contributed to the island getting the recognition.


Source : BERNAMA

Wedding Turns Tragic, 5 Killed, 9 Injured When Man Fires At Crowd

SONG (Sarawak), Five people were killed and nine others injured when an enraged man fired at the crowd attending a wedding reception in a longhouse here Wednesday night. Song Police Chief ASP Entusa Iman said a 36-year-old Indonesian man married to the longhouse chief's daughter suddenly opened fired at the crowd over a misunderstanding.

Preliminary investigations revealed the man fired four shots from a shotgun from outside the longhouse at "Ruai" or public gallery where the guests had gathered for the reception. He then went into the "Ruai" to fire another shot in the 9pm incident at the "Rh.Enchan", a longhouse in Ulu Engkabau, Katibas, a 10-minute ride upriver by longboat from here and another one hour on foot, he said.

Of the nine injured, two sustained serious injuries, Entusa said. All of them have been admitted to the Kapit Hospital. The bodies of the dead have also been sent to the same hospital for post-mortem but their identities have not been released.

The Indonesian surrendered to the police at about 1.20am Thursday. On the probable reason for the carnage, Entusa said he was told that some youths had persistently teased the Indonesian over his statelessness during the Gawai dayak celebrations at the longhouse over the past four days.

"Probably he could not take it anymore," he said of the Indonesian who does not have an identity card. He has three daughters. Entusa could not tell if any of the youths were among those killed or injured in the incident. "The bride and the bridegroom are safe," he added.



Source : BERNAMA

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Take Good Care Of Our Prime Minister, Najib's Request To Jeanne

"Take good care of our Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) so that he can continue to lead the country," was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's request to Jeanne Abdullah, who will wed Abdullah on Saturday.

Describing the news of Abdullah remarrying as long-awaited by all Malaysians, Najib said that he and the Cabinet were of the view that the decision by Abdullah was appropriate as the responsibilities of a nation's leader were very heavy and needed the support of a wife.

"It is a complement to his life, which is hoped will bring him much happiness and give him added strength in carrying out his duties," he told reporters after visiting the Malaysia Week carnival in Covent Garden here today.

Najib was asked to comment on the announcement about their wedding scheduled to take place at the Prime Minister's official residence Seri Perdana in Putrajaya on Saturday.

Abdullah's wife, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood, died on Oct 20 2005 after a long battle with breast cancer.

Najib arrived here on Monday in conjunction with the 2007 Malaysia Week celebrations here and is scheduled to leave for home tonight.

Meanwhile, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said it was great news for all Malaysians and would put an end to rumours spread about it recently.

"Alhamdulillah (thank God), we are very happy our Prime Minister has found a soul mate. I pray for his happiness and good health to continue leading the nation," he told reporters.

Source : BERNAMA

Flash floods hit Muar

MUAR: A two-hour downpour has caused more than 15 residential and commercial schemes located between Sungai Agong and Jalan Bakri near here to be hit by flash floods. The rain, which started at about 7am and ended before 9am, also caused traffic congestion along several roads leading from the two areas to the town on Wednesday.

Sungai Abong assemblyman Datuk Dr Haris Salleh said the cause of the floods would be investigated but suspected poor and un-maintained drainage system were the main factors. Dr Haris said many residents were surprised when their areas were flooded, as they did not expect a short downpour could have caused the floods.


Tourism Ministry to brainstorm

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism Ministry will have a brainstorming session to ensure the ideas presented by experts during the World Tourism Conference will be implemented.

Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim said the tourism and hospitality industries played an important role in the development of the country, and it was thus important to develop the sectors. He said the conference had given the participants, especially those from the tourism-related sector, an opportunity to gain additional knowledge from experts around the world.

“We will see what areas need improvement to ensure the industry is at par with other developed countries at all times,” he told reporters after closing the conference here on Wednesday.

Source : The Star

PM to get married on Saturday

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has announced his marriage to Jeanne Abdullah in a private ceremony on Saturday. The akad nikah ceremony, to be attended by close family members only, will be held at the Prime Minister's official residence at Seri Perdana here, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday.

The bride-to-be, Jeanne, 53, was born in Kuala Lumpur and is the eldest among four siblings. She received education from SM Assunta, Petaling Jaya, and has vast administrative and hotel management experience. She had also served several major hotels in the city, including KL Hilton and Pan Pacific Hotel.

Jeanne served as a supervisor at the Deputy Prime Minister's official residence and also as manager of the Seri Perdana complex. She has two daughters from a previous marriage - Nadiah and Nadene.

The Prime Minister lost his wife, Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood who passed away on Oct 20, 2005 after a two-year battle with breast cancer. The couple has two children, Datuk Kamaluddin and Nori.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Tourism still second largest forex earner

KUALA LUMPUR: The tourism sector has maintained its position as the second largest foreign exchange earner for Malaysia, after manufacturing, and hopes to do better this year, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that tourism had been Malaysia second largest earner since 2000 with RM17.3 billion before it increased to RM36.27 billion last year. “2006 saw a 6.8 per cent growth rate in tourist arrivals with a 13.5 per cent increase in receipts. In terms of employment, it is estimated that the industry accounts for a remarkable 1,344,000 jobs of which 492,320 are direct employment.

“This year being Visit Malaysia Year and the 50th anniversary of our nationhood, we hope to do even better,” he said in his opening speech at the Third World Tourism Conference yesterday. The three-day World Tourism Conference were attended by 826 participants from 72 countries. It covers four key areas of tourism— sustainable growth, marketing, product development and privatepublic sector partnerships. Present were secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Francesco Frangialli, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and tourism ministers from several countries.

Najib said Malaysia had set a target of RM20.1 million tourist arrivals with expected tourism revenue of RM40.5 billion this year. “It is indeed quite a challenge but I believe that it is a target we will be able to achieve,” he added. Speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony, Tengku Adnan said that as of May 10 this year, 8.9 million tourist arrivals had been recorded with an average of two million monthly. “We are on track to achieve the target,” he said.


Bernama

Malaysia's Astronaut Candidates Get Green Light To Train At NASA

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia's astronaut candidates can train at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States (US) to familiarise themselves with the American compartment at the International Space Station (ISS).

Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis said NASA had granted permission for Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Kapt Dr Faiz Khaleed (the two candidates) to undergo the training from July 23 to 27.

"The permission is very important as our astronaut will shift from the Russian module to the NASA compartment at the ISS," he told reporters after attending a design recognition ceremony for local products here Tuesday. Before going to the US, both men will fly back to Malaysia on June 18, he said. One of the candidates will make the space journey scheduled for October and in the process make history by becoming Malaysia's first astronaut.

Meanwhile, Jamaluddin said Malaysia would step up research and development (R&D) efforts to improve on its commercial products to further enhance the economy. He said the time had come for Malaysia to use "knowledge" as its new economic resource. "Malaysia cannot be complacent anymore as China and Vietnam are now offering cheaper labour for foreign investors. The world has now shifted to China, India and even Vietnam," he said.

A total of 15 products of Malaysian design such as furniture and packaging items were awarded with the "Malaysia Good Design Mark 2006" as recognition by the Malaysia Design Council. Jamaluddin added that the ministry was ready to allocate RM500 million for R&D, mainly to universities, and that the government had already engaged international consultants such as Boston Capital and Pricewater House Coopers to identify and develop strategies and markets for Malaysian design.


BERNAMA

Idris Jala first M’sian voted to IATA board

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Idris Jala has been elected to the International Air Transport Association’s board of governors effective yesterday until 2010.

The first Malaysian to be named to the 30-member IATA board, Jala joins other leaders from the world’s leading airlines, MAS said in a statement. Commenting on his appointment, Jala said: “This is an excellent opportunity for Malaysia Airlines to be involved in the key decisions impacting the airline industry as a whole.”

He thanked all his staff for their full and continued support of MAS’ business turnaround plan. New IATA board chairman Fernando Pinto said: “Malaysia Airlines under Jala has made great progress in turning the corner. “We are delighted to have him with us, and trust that his experience and invaluable insights will further strengthen the board.” IATA is a trade association representing some 250 airlines, which account for some 94 per cent of the world’s air traffic.


Bernama

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

PTK Won't Be Abolished, Modification Allowed

PUTRAJAYA, June 4 (Bernama) -- The Public Service Department (PSD) will not abolish the Pernilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK) test for evaluating the competency of civil servants, its director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said.

However, the PSD had given the leeway for departments and statutory bodies to draw up their own evaluation system to measure the competency level of their employees in giving them a promotion, he added. "It (PTK) can be changed but not abolished because we need a system to evaluate those wanting a promotion. They have to sit for the PTK exam.

"But if a statutory body or department feels it can come up with its own evaluation system, then we will study it and most likely allow it if it's equivalent to the PTK exam," he told a press conference here. Ismail was responding to a call by Cuepacs, the civil servants umbrella body, for the PTK to be abolished, saying that it did not reflect the true competency level of a civil servant. He cited the Accountant-General's Office, where the civil servants there needed not sit for the PTK to gain promotion but their competency would be gauged through a professional test.

"Similarly, organisations like Bernama (Malaysian National News Agency) and RTM (Radio Televisyen Malaysia) can come up with their own evaluation system which they see fit for an officer to pass before being promoted. "Although the PTK exam is the most popular exam chosen, several government departments are implementing their own evaluation system...this we allow." Ismail said although the introduction of PTK was the government's idea, it had consulted Cuepacs before implementing it in 2001.

-- BERNAMA

Loga, of Alleycats, dies

GEORGE TOWN: Loganathan Arumugam, a founder-member of the popular and widely followed Alleycats pop music band, died after losing a year-long battle with lung cancer. The 54-year old musician, who was one of the most recognisable local musicians with his trademark Afro hairdo, died at the Mount Miriam Hospital here at 10.50am yesterday.

He died to the tune of a collection of early Alleycats songs being played on a portable disc player placed at his bedside. Family members said Loga, as he was fondly known, died with a smile listening to his music which brought him and the Alleycats worldwide fame. He leaves wife, Susan, 50; son Vigneshwaran, 24, and daughter, Priyadashini, 20. Loga used to play the flute in the band and was also vocalist alongside his brother, David Arumugam, 57. David said his brother’s death was fated and the family accepted it as the will of God.

"It has been a tough battle but he fought it all the way after learning that he had lung cancer in October last year. He used to smoke but gave it up many years ago," he said when met at the hospital. The body was later taken to the family home in Jalan Tanjung Bungah here and is expected to be cremated according to Hindu rites at 11am on Wednesday. Asked on the future of the band, David said Loga had informed him that the Alleycats music should never die.

"We recorded an album last year but its launch was put on hold after Loga was diagnosed with cancer. The launch was supposed to take place when his condition improved," he said, adding Loga’s last stage performance was at the PJ Hilton in October last year.

David said the group had also planned to release a "live" album once Loga’s condition improved and the project was already on the drawing board. The Alleycats, formed in 1969, has contributed much to the development of the local pop music scene. The group started by playing in clubs around the country before signing a recording deal with PolyGram Records in 1978. The Alleycats has 29 albums to its credit.

It is one of Malaysia’s favourite bands with evergreen hits like Sampaikan Salam, Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu Sebelum Mu and Sekuntum Mawar Merah. The band until today is regarded as one of the classic Malaysian pop music groups. Meanwhile Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez said Loga was a versatile and gifted artiste who had "dedicated his life to music and clubs".

"This is very sad news for the Malaysian music industry. The power of Loga’s harmonies with David was awesome and they were famous for getting crowds of all races to enjoy and appreciate their music," he said. Composer M. Nasir, who co-produced the first Malay album for the Alleycats, Terima Kasih, in 1978, said he spoke to Loga on the phone last week. "We talked about his illness and the treatment he was taking. He sounded fine at the time and I was confident he would be making full recovery. I will really miss him."

He remembers Loga for his positive outlook on life. Singer Khadijah Ibrahim recalled meeting Loga with other members of Alleycats at a stage show in 1979. The first thing that struck her was his Afro hairdo."I remember him as a very serious person when it came to work. Off stage, he was friendly and charming. I will always remember his zest for life," she said. For singer Francissca Peter, Loga was an intelligent musician who never stopped working to make the Alleycats music relevant to today’s audiences.

"Even the younger generation knows Alleycats. A musician like Loga is a rare commodity," said Fran, who got to know Loga and David in the late 1970s when they performed together at stage shows.

Source : New Straits Times

Altantuya Murder Trial: The DPPs who were replaced

SHAH ALAM: Deputy public prosecutors Salehuddin Saidin and Noorin Badaruddin, who were replaced on Sunday, have been handling the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial from the time Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, were charged on Nov 15. Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was charged with abetting the policemen a day later.

Salehuddin is the head of the Classified Cases Unit while Noorin is head of the General Crimes and Sexual Unit in the Attorney-General’s Chambers in Putrajaya. They have appeared for the prosecution, individually or together, since then. Salehuddin last represented the prosecution last week following Corporal Sirul Azahar’s attempt to obtain a statement of witnesses through a court order. Lawyers’ response to the change in DPPs

There were no reasons given to the court on the change of DPPs. The new DPPs should have at least provided a reason. Counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin. The case was already fixed for this month. The court had already fixed other cases before and after itthe case. If the case is fixed after, the court may be packed with other cases. The case should go on, if not, the court should grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, or grant my client bail, until the prosecution is ready to proceed. Counsel Wong Kian Kheong

We were going to apply for a postponement anyway, to fulfil the 10-day notice of alibi. But we were only going to apply for a one-day adjournment. I think it is fair since the new DPPs have just received the case to get at least two weeks to look at the files. But we are ready to go on with the trial. Counsel J. Kuldeep Kumar

I am in a quandary as to why the previous DPPs could not continue with the case. This has disrupted the court schedule of the trial judge and the lawyers. More importantly, the postponement had entailed additional expenses to the government as the five witnesses from Mongolia would remain here until they complete giving evidence. The Attorney-General (Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail) owes the public a satisfactory explanation. Counsel Karpal Singh

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