Tag: Efficiency

Malaysia Should Build a Sports Institute of Higher Learning

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: The federal government should at least establish one institute of higher learning (IHL) dedicated to sports development in order to improve athlete’s’ level of professionalism in Malaysia.

The Exco in charge of Selangor Youth and Sports, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, said that planned development of sports institutions will provide an opportunity for national athletes to continue their studies at the highest level, thus making sports as an important industry that will benefit the country.

He said that athletes can also improve their skills in events and games pursued more consistently with physical and scientific equipment through the establishment of the sports IHL.

“We will also be able to educate the public that sports is not just a side activity, but involves a good future career with a high level of certification,” he said when contacted by Selangor Kini today.

He was asked to comment on the motion presented by the Member of Parliament for Kota Bharu, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, who suggested in the House of Representatives yesterday for the federal government to establish a sports university college to produce athletes that are not only excellent, but are of high intellect.

Ahmad Yunus said that he also proposed for the Bukit Jalil area to be the location of the IHL development to reduce the cost of construction if the central government agrees.

“Perhaps the development of the first sports IHL in the country can be done in Selangor, as the focus state in the development of Malaysia. We also have the Shah Alam Stadium which is recognised as the best stadium in the country.

“Therefore, I hope that the central government will consider this proposal and make it happen, at least before year 2020,” he said.

Malaysia’s Economic Development Must be Implemented in a Free and Fair Fashion

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: The economic development in Malaysia still requires international investment and trade; however its implementation should be done freely and fairly.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that over 60 percent of economic opportunities are still dependent on international trade due to the country’s small internal market since the Malaysian economy began to grow till now.

He said that the matter can be seen if we refer to the Trans-Pacific Agreement (TPPA) which is now in the process of negotiations with the federal government.

“Each person must accept the fact and agree that we cannot run away from making international trade relations and it looks like no one is objecting to it.

“However, it should be noted that although it is accepted, responsible parties should ensure the the trade agreement which is signed is fair to us,” he said.

He said this in front of about 100 participants comprising of state employees, government linked companies (GLCs) and local authorities at a TPPA Briefing event held here at the Silver Jubilee Hall today.

The TPPA Briefing session was presented by a three-member panel consisting of Professor Gus Van Harten (Canada), Pablo Solon (Bolivia) and Cecilia Olivet (Uruguay), and was also participated by Member of Parliament for Klang, Charles Santiago.

Commenting of the TPPA, Abdul Khalid said that the agreement which is to be signed by the Central Government early next year may also have an impact on the state government.

“For example, if the TPPA states that the awarding of contracts should be open to all, including multinational corporations, but the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) gives the opportunity to Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the name of wanting to help the community, we could be sued.

“They can also take Selangor to court for failing to comply with the conditions set in the agreement and we might be sued and cause losses to the people,” he said.

Abdul Khalid, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bandar Tun Razak, hopes that the briefing held would provide knowledge to the public in understanding the effects of the TPPA, in addition to asking the Central Government to make a decision which will benefit the people.

Selangor to Begin Klang River Development in March 2014

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: The state government will start the redevelopment of the Klang river, including cleaning and upgrading, in March 2014.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the first effort which is to be taken seriously is the cleaning of the river and currently, there are several planning to be initiated in 2014.

Abdul Khalid said that the state government should first wait and examine the development of the Klang river because many have come forward to help in the upgrading, including several companies from Korea and China.

“I think that this development would likely occur in March 2014. Currently there are several work papers, (and) our first effort is to clean up the Klang river because there is a lot of garbage in it,” he said.

Abdul Khalid said this at a press conference after attending the Selangor State Headman (Penghulu), Traditional Village Heads and Members of Village Development and Security (JKKK) Assembly here at the Silver Jubilee Hall in the State Secretariat Building today.

However, Abdul Khalid said that the conditions imposed on the governments cannot be met by the state government for several reasons.

“Too many people want to help us fix the Kang river, including some from abroad. But they do not really want to develop the Klang river, but they are dreaming of the land next to the area, so I have postponed it.

“If I consented to it, I fear that we will not have the land. They want to beautify the Klang river so that is anyone wants to go to Kuala Lumpur from Port Klang to Masjid Jamek can do so by boat.

“However, to fund this development, the land next to the river would have to be handed over to them. The village people would be angry with me,” he said.

Abdul Khalid said that the state government is waiting for cleaning and upgrading of the river in Kuala Lumpur to finish before starting the Klang river clean-up efforts.

“I will wait for Kuala Lumpur to upgrade the upper part of the river. If we start cleaning, dirt from that area would reach here. But plans are ready and next year, it can begin,” he said.

Norazita Asked Her Children to Study Hard Before She Was Shot

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: “Mom asked me and my brother to study hard,” said the eldest son of the late banker, Norazita Abu Talib, who was shot by a security guard at the USJ Ambank on 23 October.

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Nurisa Nabilah Irwan, 12, said that her late mother’s message still remains in her memory and her brother’s, Muhammad Hazimi Irwan, 8, and it will continue to be the strength for them to excel in their studies.

Nurisa, who just finished taking the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR), said that the loss of Norazita is a blow to her and Hazim, but support from their father, Irwan Kamaruddin, makes them strong.

Meanwhile, Irwan, 37, who works as a personal driver, also expressed his gratitude for the contributions and concern of the state government which is trying to help ease the burden of their family.

“All tasks previously shouldered by my late wife is now my responsibility. Now, I have the responsibility as both, a mother and father to my children.

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“I hope that the police could quickly solve this case as find a solution so it does not recur and no other family would have to face this situation,” he said.

Irwan said this when meeting with Selangor Kini after the state government’s contribution of RM5,000 was delivered by the Exco for Welfare and Women’s Affairs, Rodziah Ismail, and was also attended by the Assemblywoman for Taman Medan, Haniza Talhah, here at their home yesterday.

Rodziah said that the state government is ready to help in the form of legal advice if Irwan takes the matter to court for a lawsuit.

“This lawsuit is not meant for revenge, but it is more towards ensuring that all parties, especially the management of companies, are more sensitive in the selection of security members so that such an incident will not recur.

“We will also provide assistance in the form of legal advice and counsel so that Irwan will get a comprehensive explanation on this case,” said Rodziah.

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PKR Criticises 2 Assemblymen in Sabah who Jumped Party

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vehemently criticised the unethical actions of two PKR leaders from Sabah who left the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component party recently.

PKR Vice-President, Tian Chua, said that the action of the two leaders, who are also Assemblymen, is deemed as a huge betrayal to the people of Malaysia, especially Sabah.

He said that the irresponsible attitude clearly betrays the trust given by the people of Sabah during the 13th General Election (GE-13).

“Their claim that they had both lost confidence in the party leadership is just a ploy and a simple excuse to justify their betrayal.

“The actions of these Assemblymen who jumped party is the usual modus operandi of Barisan Nasional (BN) in Sabah to weaken the fighting spirit of the people who want change,” he said.

Thus, he said, PKR urges the people of Sabah to be united and not let the dirty tricks of BN divide the fighting spirit and reformation of PR.

Rumours that the desire of Assemblyman of Matunggong, Jailani Hamdan, and the Assemblyman of Kadamaian, Jeremy Malajad @ Malazah, to leave the party has been brought to attention when they were absent in a meeting with PKR General Chief, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, last week.

Jeremy, in a statement, stressed his move to leave PKR and support BN is to enable the constituency that he represents to enjoy development.

He announced his decision to become an independent MP and also resigned as the state’s PKR Information Chief, with immediate effect, recently.

MACC’s Proposal to Examine Government Contracts through Direct Negotiations is Meaningless as long as BN is in Power

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: The recommendations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for government projects that were awarded through direct negotiations and involve soft loans to be examined by the cabinet can be considered futile as long as Barisan Nasional (BN) remains in power.

BN is seen as making the awarding of contracts through direct negotiations their source of political funds that are able to reach millions of ringgit per project.

The Coordinator of Youth Solidarity Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shaharin, said that the situation makes MACC a toothless commission.

“This is still happening because there is no political will as BN’s machinery funds come from government contracts awarded through direct negotiations.

“As long as BN is in power, MACC’s proposal is almost impossible to be implemented, and it does not mean anything,” he said when contacted by Selangor Kini today.

Badrul Hisham said that the BN machinery requires a high amount of funding to finance their party programmes, much different from Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Earlier, the MACC, in their report, recommended that government projects which were awarded through direct negotiations and involve soft loans to be examined by the cabinet, especially if it involves ‘families and allies’.

The MACC also recommended declaring conflict of interest when family members receive government loans, guidelines for soft loans for the finance ministry, and the role and responsibilities of those representing the government in board of directors of the companies.

The report also mentioned some problems in the project awarding of the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) to the companies owned and managed by the Wanita Umno Chief, who was also a former minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

According to the MACC in the 2012 report, the NFC was also given a soft loan of RM250 million despite not having any financial of technical skills.

Malaysia to Face Lawsuit if TPPA is Signed

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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Nov: The Malaysian Government will face the risk of lawsuits from giant firms if they insist on implementing the investment dispute settlement (ISDS) by signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah, said that although many believe that the ISDS is important because it has been adopted in many countries, but the mechanism would only benefit foreign investors and cause local investors to fall into the second class.

She said that the government has been urged to create a special fund in case Malaysia is sued by giant companies at a high cost, in addition to advising them to accept the TPPA post-signing risk.

“This is a serious problem if the agreement is signed without knowing the burden to be shouldered by the country and it would affect future generations as well as the Malaysian economy.

“Leaders of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have met with ISDS experts and we think that we cannot accept it without carefully looking at the black and white of every chapter of the TPPA to be signed by Malaysia,” she said in a press conference at Parliament today.

She said that PR has never rejected any trade dealings; however the implementation of the law may entrap many parties and should not be adopted.

She said that the TPPA should be stopped, especially since the United States have been found to be spying on Malaysia by using their embassy and high commission in Kuala Lumpur.

“We must stop this, especially after finding out what is being done by the US to Malaysia, and the government should seek clarification.

“Malaysia should emulate the European Union and stop US banking access after knowing that they were conducting surveillance on the country,” she said.

Budget 2014: MBPJ Proposes RM1 Million Allocation to Provide Free Feeder Buses

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PETALING JAYA, 7 Nov: The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) remains focused in efforts to develop the public transportation infrastructure as well as efficient and integrated traffic management to ensure that the locals are provided with comfort and facilities.

Petaling Jaya Mayor, Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad, said that MBPJ, in the Selangor Budget 2014, will propose for the state government to allocate RM1 million in providing free bus service.

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Alinah said that the service involves access between the city centre, health centres, welfare offices, government offices and public educational institutes with a public transport terminal and walkways in addition to the existing community bus and also transit vans for people with disabilities (PWDs).

“In addition, MBPJ has prepared a five-kilometre (km) bicycle path encompassing the council area which was built in addition to the existing 5.6km.

“Four ‘park and ride’ facilities offering 1,911 car park bays at the existing Light Rail Transit (LRT) station will also be built,” he said.

Alinah said this in the ‘Transit Oriented Development (TOD): Towards a Livable and Sustainable City’ seminar which was attended by 300 participants, including residents’ committee, neighbourhood watch, students of higher learning institutions, consultants, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and the Public Works Department at the Royale Bintang Damansara Hotel this morning.

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She said that MBPJ has also started a pilot project of limiting parking hours to two hours at Sunway Damansara Town Centre on 1 October.

“Works to make the street at Section 52 into a one-way street will also begin in early 2013 to create more space for alternative transportation such as pedestrian and bicycle paths that are more safe and comfortable.

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Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, when inaugurating the seminar, said that the city of Petaling Jaya is not only booming, but it has complete infrastructure, thus making the city comfortable for residents to build a life.

“This can The situation can only be maintained by implementing plans to boost infrastructure development and public transport in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

Power Distribution Reform

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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Nov: Malaysia needs to implement a decentralisation of power of a total reform to the distribution of power in efforts to make the government more efficient.

Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru (PKR), Sim Tze Tzin, said that decentralisation process allows for power to be distributed more equally between the federal and state government, as well as the local authorities.

“For example, in the United States, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is collected by the local government and not the federal government.

“This similar in our neighbouring country, Indonesia, which implements the ‘Big Bang Policy’ a decentralisation of the central government to local governments,” he said during the Budget 2014 debate at the Parliamentary session last night.

Tze Tzin said that power that should be under the state government was transferred to the central government, including land and water, since independence.

The centralisation of power has not only caused various problems or left local issues hanging, but it has also increased the national debt.

“Malaysia has 35 ministers and 26 deputy ministers, but Australia, with a population which is about the same, only has 19 ministers, while Obama only needs 15 ministers.

“This centralisation of power has caused the operating budget to be huge and it has jumped up to 82.4 percent, compared to development expenses of a 17.6 percent growth rate,” he said.

Tourism Selangor and MPS Committed to the Success of VMY 2014

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SELAYANG, 7 Nov: Tourism Selangor and the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) are committed to the success of the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 by taking the initiative to promote tourism and recreation places around Selayang.

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The Manager of Tourism Selangor, Noorul Ashikin Mohd Din, said that they will seek feedback from the management of tourist areas beforehand to see if there is any need to ensure that the area has potential to attract tourists.

“We will determine the amount after we review and study the needs of a recreation area in order to add facilities to facilitate tourists or visitors who visit the place,” she told Selangor Kini.

She said that they are convinced that the state government would not hesitate to provide allocations, especially in efforts to make Selangor known internationally.

“If the place has real potential to attract visitors from the country and abroad, we are positive that the state government will help,” she added.

Among the focal points for tourism to be promoted are Damai Cave, Tasik Biru Kundang and the Selayang Hot Springs.

Promotional efforts are seen as a positive step to elevate Selangor’s tourism industry to a higher level.

Damai Cave which is located near Batu Caves, is a place for rock climbing enthusiast for a long time.

It first opened in 1998, and this cave is not a rock climbing location, but it is also a location for mountain climbing training.

This cave is ideal for beginners in mountaineering activities because most of the route is not too challenging.

Wira Adventure Consultant Manager, Mustafa Al Bakri Omar, said that he hopes that his efforts to promote this area internationally will receive support and assistance from the Federal and State Governments.

He said that this location has become a focus of an international diving programme each year before the country’s annual Kuala Lumpur Tower climb.

“More recently, mountaineers from 15 countries visited this place for training sessions and I believe if we focus on it, this place can become a major attraction for fans of outdoor activities, the best after Krabi, Thailand,” he said.

Mustafa who is also responsible for managing the Damai Cave Extreme Park, using his own capital to develop the area, said that it is now better after receiving RM1 million in allocations from the Federal Government to provide infrastructure such as parks, toilets, playgrounds and other facilities.

“An allocation of RM50,000 from the state government has also been received for next year. We hope that support from the federal and state governments will continue.

“It is our desire to widen the climbing area and of course, the maintenance will require a high cost, but it will be worth it for a tourist attraction,” he said.

Selangor Government Help Residents of Kampung Buloh Telor Overcome Riverbank Collapse

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KUALA KUBU BAHRU, 7 Nov: The residents of Kampung Buloh Telor can now heave a sigh of relief as the riverbank collapse, destroying the only road linking the Orang Asli village, will be fully repaired soon.

Reparation work will involve the construction of a retaining wall at the bank and resurfacing of the damaged roads will be done with provisions channelled through the State Government.

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The Assemblywoman for Kuala Kubu Bahru, Lee Kee Heong, said that the first stage of the construction of the retaining wall in the village of about 150 people from 37 Orang Asli families has already been completed.

“Although this is the responsibility of the Federal Government under the Department of Orang Asli Affairs Development (JHEOA), I ask the State Government to provide allocations to facilitate the residents of the village from entering and exiting.

“There are two parts of the river bank that needs to be repaired, where one has already been completed and for the other, I need to ask for new provisions from the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN).

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“This is because when UPEN officers previously visited, some of the collapse was covered by trees and bushes, causing this part to not be seen at the time,” she said when visiting the construction site of the retaining wall and road at Kampung Buloh Telor.

Kee Heong added that the first stage of the construction reached a cost of RM19,000, while the cost of the second part and road reparation is still under UPEN’s evaluation.

Meanwhile, the Tok Batin (village chief) of Kampung Buloh Telor, Harun Adam, said that the riverbank collapse started in March dues to heavy rains.

“Since then, the road has been damaged and has become narrow because of the riverbank collapse. But with the help of the State Government, I hope that this problem can be completely resolved thus facilitating residents of the village.

“Thanks to YB Kee Heong and the State Government for this assistance which will make it easier for villagers to go about their daily business,” said Harun.

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EXCLUSIVE SERIES FINAL – Shooting cases: Is Malaysia still peaceful?

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SHAH ALAM, 7 Nov: Like situations in foreign countries that we often watch on television, the society is suddenly shocked with incident after incident of shooting since April.

The latest, a banker, Norazita Abu Talib, was shot dead by an Indonesian security guard when opening the bank vault at the USJ2 Ambank on 23 October.

The incident is among several cases reported by the mass media, making the people restless and on edge about the level of security in Malaysia.

What’s more disturbing is that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) confirmed that Selangor recorded the highest index of shooting compared to other states, with 15 cases from January to August.

It’s Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, also acknowledged that geographical boarder factors, such as between Malaysia and Thailand, is the cause of firearms smuggling activities to further contribute to the increase in criminal cases.

Lecturer, Ahmad Isa, 55, said that the shooting cases happening is a very sad matter, especially when Malaysia is about to step forward to the level of a developed country.

He said that the community has to live in fear and caution because they are afraid that they would be targeted next by criminals.

He said that the phenomenon occurring clearly shows that anyone can own a firearm (free for everyone) without restrictions from the authorities.

“I think that everyone will live in fear when we see crime happening so frequently, especially in Selangor. Drastic action should be taken by the government and the authorities so that it can be resolved from the start because crimes involving firearms are getting more serious.

“I do not want future generations to live this way. Now is the time for the MOHA to take serious action so that Malaysia becomes peaceful again,” he told the Selangor Kini portal recently.

Marketing Assistant, Mohd Alitaha Jamal, 31, claimed that poor enforcement by the Malaysian Government has encouraged criminals to work beyond the limits, endangering the lives of innocent people.

He said that the police and the MOHA cannot be complacent on the matter and urged to tighten existing laws, in addition to finding out the real cause so that crimes involving firearms can be resolved.

“Human life is likened to that of mosquitoes, immediate death when hit. Firearms are so easily available, making the people wonder what the Malaysian authorities are doing in Thailand. If there is no smuggling of weapons, such incidents will not happen.

Vendor, Zamri Kassim, 50, is of the opinion that the safety of the people is at the tip of a horn because they are at risk of being randomly shot because firearms are easily accessible.

Zamri said that he also does not rule out the possibility that such crime is a shortcut used by criminals to get simple pleasure.

“National security is getting worse and this is because previously, the Government gave identification cards at random, especially to foreigners. I also do not rule out the possibility that this factor is due to the burden of the standard of living and crime is a shortcut to make it easier,” he said.