Sallehen: Fishermen Strike Requires a ‘Win-Win’ Solution

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SHAH ALAM, 6 Nov: The Central Government and fishery associations are urged to resolve the issue of net sizing and the prohibition of employing foreign workers immediately before consumer are affected from the fishermen’s strike which was been going on since 1 November.

The Executive Councillor in charge of Islamic Affairs, Agricultural Modernisation and Rural Development, Sallehen Mukhyi, said this when he found that the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry refuses to budge and the fishing communities have resolved to continue the protest by refusing to go out to sea until the enforcement of certain provisions in the Fisheries Act 1985 is withdrawn.

Sallehen is actively monitoring the situation through meetings with the fishing community. He said that he is ready to help so that discussions between the two sides are finalised.

“We are not saying that the enforcement is improper and we are also not saying that the actions of the fishermen are not right. However, to appease the situation, a public hearing must be held.

“Views of the fishermen and all involved parties should be taken into account and a win-win solution has to be found” he said.

On 1 November, the Ministry enforced the law that the hole size of nets were to be enlarged from 25 millimetres to 38 millimeters. The overall size of the nets is also to be reduced to only 3 metres.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said that the existing small size of the holes also trawl fish fry, resulting in the overall supply of fish to be affected.

However, the fishermen say that the large size of the hole causes their catch to decline by 60 percent.
Fishermen also said that the fry caught are sold as snacks for fishery cultivation and fertiliser.

The new policy also sets for fishermen that fish at Zone B (five nautical miles from shore) to not be allowed the services of foreigners.

The services of foreigners are only allowed for fishing in Zone C (12 nautical miles from the shore and above). Licencees mus be on the ships that sails the seas.

EXCLUSIVE SERIES 2: Police Admits that Selangor is a Major ‘Destination’ for Crime

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SHAH ALAM, 6 Nov: The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) acknowledges that Selangor is the choice ‘destination’ for criminal activities such as shooting and other social ills which are believed to be a result of overcrowding.

Selangor Police Chief, Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan, said that the people of this state are of various races and foreigners often visit the state for a variety of reasons, where some of them have been found to take advantage and commit crime.

He said that the crime index in Malaysia, as a whole, is greatly influenced by events in Selangor, at a rate of about 40 percent.

“Usually, the crime rate in Malaysia depends of the rate in Selangor because this state is part of the Klang Valley. Although there has been an increase in crime by five percent as of August, the Selangor police have managed to reduce it to six percent recently.

Shukri said that it is not fair for some people to make allegations that the police has failed to carry out their duties well in handling such cases. However, he does not deny that the crime rate in Selangor is worrisome and that they will always work to monitor and address the problem aggressively.

“This does not mean that is Selangor is filled with crime stories, therefore the people assume that the police doing their job. We do not deny that crime in Selangor needs to be addressed aggressively, however, the police is always mobilising our members and we are striving to reduce crime and social problems that is occurring in this state in a holistic manner,” he said.

He said that the Special OPS Cantas and roadblocks which are often held in several focus areas in the state has managed to reduce the crime rate by four to six percent as of early this month.

“The Selangor police will continue this effort as one of the measures to curb crime, in addition to improving strategies to endure that the situation and safety of the people is back under control. Moreover, it cannot be denied that the dissolution of two laws; the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Emergency Ordinance (EO) has affected the increase in crime in this country.

He said that the implementation of the two laws, which allows for detention without trial, is effective in preventing criminals from committing offences because they are placed in detention camps for a certain period.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) confirmed that Selangor recorded the highest crime index compared to other state, involving a total of 32,348 cases from January to September this year.

From the total, motorcycle theft showed the highest frequency with 9,689 cases, followed by burglary and robbery cases (5,682), gang robbery without firearms (4,583) and car theft (4,370). Meanwhile 293 rape cases have been recorded, murder cases (124), snatch theft (698) and wounding (868).

Crime in Selangor has been recorded as the highest in the past five consecutive years which is for years 2008 (57,752 cases), 2009 (54,994), 2010 (49,69), 2011 (44,302) and 2013 (40,629).

In addition, Selangor has the highest narcotic offences with 18,602 arrests, while 18,063 are already police cases involving cases of trafficking, possession, misuse and addiction. It also remains on the top for recording about 15 deaths due to shooting, starting January to September.

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Suhaimi Said Dies

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SHAH ALAM, Nov: The Chairman of the PKR Felda Bureau and Indigenous People, Suhaimi Said, 58, dies at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital at 6.00pm, Senator Syed Husin Ali’s twitter reports.

Suhaimi was admitted in the hospital since 29 July for a suspected infection in his spine.

Suhaimi, who is also the Kuala Krau PKR Branch Chief, was a fighter of the Felda community since the 1980s, and he was also involved in a bloody tragedy during the Lubuk Merbau by-election in Kedah.

His services to the people, especially the settlers and indigenous people, were tremendous. He was also a tenacious lawyer who helped the people and was feared since the days of Tun Dr Mahathir as Prime Minister.

He was twice detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and was many times arrested and his lectures were surrounded by the police.

The Selangor Kini portal wishes heartfelt condolences to his family..Al-Fatihah.

SERIES 1 EXCLUSIVE – Malaysia has the Most ‘Semi-Professional’ Killers

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SHAH ALAM, Nov: Murder using firearms is seen as an increasing trend and the current choice of the people, either as a career or to simply gain personal satisfaction.

Almost every day, the country is shocked by various shooting incidents causing concern among the community about their state of security.

Criminal analyst, Datuk Akhbar Satar, said that there are three types of hired killers identified in this country which are not mature (discord cases, jealousy, semi-professionals (resentment, envy) and professionals (murder without consequences).

He said that most of the hired killers in Malaysia are among the semi-professionals and is carried out in public places such a traffic lights and eateries.

“These assassins can usually be detected by the police. If the authorities do not take drastic action, they (semi-professional assassins) can turn into professional shooters who murder victims without being detected, and this is what we are concerned about,” he told the Selangor Kini portal today.

He said that the use of firearms for killing is believed to be rampant due to a power struggle between triads to control an area, and it is not just driven by revenge.

He said that the existing laws are not guaranteed effectiveness if government enforcement is not tightened.

“Every law is good, but enforcement and cooperation from the public is needed to combat such crimes. The public needs to help the police by reporting incidents or those suspected to be involved in criminal cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Kelana Jaya, Wong Chen, said that the problem of crime should be addressed holistically and not to just be focused on the enforcement of law alone.

Wong Chen said, the economic aspect should also be given serious attention, like the enforcement of law, in curbing criminal activity in the country.

“Suppose one criminal commits armed robbery every day, the country will witness 365 criminal cases throughout the year. Imagine if we have 10,000 criminals with the same commitment, how many police officers would be needed then to handle this problem,” she said.

Wong Chen said that he urges the central government to be more concerned with administrative management in providing a better economic environment for the people by taking into account the worrying economic pressure.

“Criminals in this country seem to be committed in making crime a permanent career so much so that they are willing to smuggle firearms from neighbouring countries,” he said.

* Series 2 will follow tomorrow, 6 November 2013 *

Selangor CM: Congratulations, Mohd Azam, for Becoming the New Sg Limau Assemblyman

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SHAH ALAM, 5 Nov: The Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, congratulated Mohd Azam Abd Samat who was voted to be the new Sungai Limau Assemblyman yesterday.

“Finally, the people of the Sungai Limau constituency elected him (Mohd Azam) as the new Assemblyman. Congratulations to PAS and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for the victory in the Sungai Limau State Legislative Assembly By-Elections. Hopefully, we would carry this responsibility with trust and sincerity, Insya-Allah (God willing),” he said through his Facebook page last night.

Meanwhile, Mohd Azam said that his victory at Sungai Limau is a victory for all and thanks all PAS and PR leaders, Sungai Limau voters, and the whole machinery for helping him win the N20 seat.

“Alhamdulillah, Allah SWT bestowed victory on this new Hijra year. This victory is a victory to all fighters of Islam, justice and truth, as well as defenders of the people’s rights,” he said in a press statement.

PAS Youth Chief, Nasarudin Hassan, described Mohd Azam’s victory as a 1435H New Year’s gift for the people of Sungai Limau.

“Thousands of congratulations to Mohd Azam on his victory in this by-election to carry the trust of Muslims and the people of the Sungai Limau constituency,” he said through his Facebook account.

Nasarudin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Temerloh, hopes that the new Sungai Limau Assemblyman will perform duties entrusted unto him well and excellently. He also congratulated the party leadership for sacrificing time, energy and finances for the by-election.

Mohd Azam, 37, received 12,069 votes, defeating the BN candidate, Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, 52, who received 10,985 votes, thus enabling PAS to retain the Sungai Limau constituency seat with a majority of 1,084 votes.

PAS Defends Sungai Limau Seat Despite a Decline in Majority

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SUNGAI LIMAU, 4 Nov: PAS officially managed to retain the Sungai Limau State Legislative Assembly seat with a majority of about 1,084 votes, a decline from the 1,690 majority in the 13th General Election (GE-13).

PAS candidate, Mohd Azam Abd Samat, received 12,069 votes while BN candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim receives 10,985.

A total of 85.5 percent (22,642 voters) out of 27,222 voters in the State Legislative Assembly fulfilled their duties today.

Citing Mallaysiakini, PAS defended the seat for the fifth consecutive term. The by-election was held following the death of incumbent, Tan Sri Azizan Razak, due to diabetes complications.

During the GE-13, PAS defended the seat with a majority of 2,774 votes. At the time, Azizan received 13,294 votes to beat three other candidates, including the candidate from BN who received 10,520.

This means that PAS dropped by 1,255 votes while BN votes increased by 465.

Kedah PAS Commissioner, Datuk Mahfuz Omar, said the decline in the majority received by the party is because the by-election was on a weekday.

According to him, this caused only 2,300 out of 3,600 outstations voters who returned to vote today.

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s Message in conjunction with Maal Hijrah 1435

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Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Muslim Brothers and Sisters who are Loved by Allah

We are grateful to Allah Subhanahuwataala because with permission and blessing, this year, once again, we are able to celebrate the beginning of Muharram as the start of the Hijra 1435 year. Peach and blessings to Prophet Muhammad Sallallahualaihiwasallam, his family and all his companions.

Hijra is an Arabic word which means “move, leave behind, turn away and to no longer acknowledge.” In the following context, Hijra means several things; the Muslims leaving the place which is under the heathen government, staying away from sin, and the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

Hijra in Islamic history is often associated with when Prophet Muhammad Sallallahualaihiwasallam moved from Mecca to Madinah after being ordered by Allah Subhanahuwataala.

Indeed, there are many benefits if we use the opportunity and space from celebrating Maal Hijra to remember the biography of Prophet Muhammad Allah Sallallahualaihiwasallam, his great personality and his message which makes Allah as a blessing of all things.

Therefore, when we talk about these events, we are reminding Muslims, and non-Muslims, about the grace of Allah, and is something that is prescribed and such efforts should be commended and acclaimed.

Among the favours of Allah, in the Surah al-Ahzab, verse 9 and 10, Allah reminds about the Battle of the Trench where the Quraysh tribe, the Ghaffan tribe and their allies attacked Prophet Muhammad Sallallahualaihiwasallam and a group of Muslims in their homes. Quraysh besieged Medina and erected fences to eliminate the Muslims. But Allah saved the Muslims from the disaster. Allah sent wind and angles that could not be seen by humans. Allah reminded the of the event. This means that Allah requires us to remember these blessings.

Another example is that in Sura Al-Ma’ida, verse 11, Allah reminded them of the actions of the Banu Qaynuqa Jewish tribe which was determined to kill Prophet Muhammad Sallallahualaihiwasallam planing a trick. However, Allah’s plan was more quick and accurate.

In the context of everyday life, we should make “hijra” as a platform to move towards a better direction in terms of practice, socialisation, economy, politics and so on.

The current Selangor State Government, with everything that we have, is undertaking efforts to improve the economy and the standards of living of the people of Selangor, which we love, through various programmes, schemes and incentives.

People of various races, from babies to senior citizens, students, youth, the disabled, women, single mothers and pensioners, are given assistance and guidance to enable them to “hijra” or be independent to live and enjoy a better life.

This way, the Selangor State Government is confident that the targeted group of people will be able to improve themselves from being plagued by desolation of knowledge and poverty in order to face everyday life.

The Selangor State Government’s efforts are in line with Rasulullah Sallalahualaiwasalam’s decree which means: “If anyone of you carry wood behind you, to a point that a portion of it can be given to charity and refrain from begging, this is the best for you, rather than asking other, whether given or not, because the hand above is better than the hand below…”

Finally, let us come together to love Allah and His Prophets more by obeying Allah’s commandments and instructions in order to improve ourselves for the year 1435 Hijra.

Wassalamulaikum Warahmatullahitaala Wabarakatuh.

Wanita Selangor Urged to have a Giving Attitude

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GOMBAK, 4 Nov: Wanita Selangor has been urged to have the attitude of giving and sharing concerning aspects of knowledge, finance, energy and property, to create more individuals who are competitive among the group.

Wanita Selangor Exco, Rodziah Ismail, said that the culture of giving and sharing is a positive effort to strengthen the state’s progress because almost half of its people are women.

“Women should think ahead and should make their family a motivation to continue to succeed. I hope that women in Selangor will implement this concept, starting from their homes, this year,” she said.

Rodziah said this at the Reflexology Practical Workshop Certificate Presentation Ceremony which was also attended by the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) member, Zailah Kamaludin, and about 76 single mothers where about 30 of them are members of the SOHO Single Mothers Economic Empowerment Programme (PET SOHO)

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The workshop was jointly organised by the Association of Women’s Initiative For Research, Development and Advancement (WIRDA) and MPS which aims to teach the proper massage methods and techniques, and it took place here at the Simpang Tiga Hall yesterday.

Rodziah said that with the adoption of these values, empowered women in Selangor can be an example to all women across Malaysia to further develop themselves.

“While visiting Sungai Limau, I took one of the women’s programmes there and the response was very encouraging despite different political backgrounds,” she said.

Meanwhile, a participant, Roswati Abd Hadi, said that the programme provides knowledge that can be used in her work as a masseuse and estimated her monthly income to be about RM300.

Another participant, Norita Mohd Yatim, said that she is able to generate an income of about RM200 a month with the programme because her customers and satisfied with the massage techniques learned from such workshops.

“Through this effort, we will also be more sensitive in taking up all opportunities available to supplement the family income. The culture of giving and sharing is seen as able to trigger creative thinking among women, which indirectly opens up more income opportunities,” she said.

4.2

Selangor DAP Distributes Whistles to Curb Snatch Theft

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SHAH ALAM, 4 Nov: A total of 1,000 whistles were recently distributed to the public by the Selangor Wanita DAP to curb snatch theft and robberies around the Seri Kembangan wholesale market.

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The distribution of the whistle was led by the Selangor State Assembly Speaker, Hannah Yeoh, and the Exco in charge of Investment, Industry, New Village Development and Illegal Factories Whitening, Ean Yong Hian Wah, as well as 13 Serdang Wanita DAP members.

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Hannah said that the police acknowledged and agree that whistles help reduce snatch theft and the programme has already been implemented in Subang Jaya.

Meanwhile, Ean, who is also the Assemblyman for Seri Kembangan, said that crime victims, especially restaurant owners, are often reluctant in reporting theft or robberies.

In the meantime, two snatch theft cases involving women, including a senior citizen, was reported to take place near here at Taman Bukit Belimbing and Kampung Seri Kembangan recently.

In relation to that, it is hoped that the police can increase patrolling at crime focus areas to reduce snatch theft and robberies around Seri Kembangan.

2.4

GST Exemption Should Be Extended to Public Transportation & Essential Goods

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SHAH ALAM, 4 Nov: Ikram Organisation Malaysia (Ikram) hopes that the Central Government will expand the goods and services tax (GST) exemption list to all types of services and essential goods for the people in this country.

Ikram Vice-President, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, said that the exemption is needed to ensure that the burden shouldered by the people due to the GST would be less.

“If it is needed for the GST to be implemented, GST exemptions should be given for all types of essential services such as public transportation, healthcare, services and essential goods needed by the people,” said Syed Ibrahim when contacted by TVSelangor.

Syed Noh added that the government should ensure that there are no leakages, wastage of public funds and to reduce household debt before imposing the GST on the people.

“The implementation is supposed to be the last option after leakages and wastage is controlled.

“The similar goes for household debt, which should be successfully be reduced first. The income of the lower to middle class should be increased, as it will unfair to them if it is implemented now,” Syed Ibrahim added.

Previously, the Malaysian Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, said that the cost of health services in this country will not increase with the implementation of the GST.

However, his statement raised doubts due to the increased cost in transportation and packaging which is expected to have an impact on health goods and services.

Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, stressed for the Umno-BN Government to address the issue of corruption, extreme wastage of public money and to improve the people’s quality of life before implementing the GST.

GST: SMEs need to spend up to RM4 billion for computing systems

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SHAH ALAM, 3 Nov: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in this country would have to spend about RM3 billion – RM4 billion to implement a computerised system for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which will be imposed starting from 1 April 2015.

The Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru, Sim Tze Tzin, said that it is a huge cost to be shouldered by the people and our country especially since the effectiveness of the GST is still being disputed.

He said that due to the high cost, companies will shift costs to consumers, causing an increase in goods and services, as well as an increase in the rate of inflation.

“Currently, only RM100 million goes to computing systems and this does not only involve the government system, but the people, especially small and medium businessmen, have to spend between RM20,000 to RM80,000 for a new system.

“In terms of the people, they need to spend a lot for the GST, while the large companies have to spend hundreds of thousands for the GST,” Sim said when contacted by TVSelangor.

He said the projected cost is based in other countries’ experiences in implementing the GST when SMEs need large expenditures to upgrade existing computer systems.

Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that Putrajaya will spend RM98.8 million to implement a computerised system for the GST.

Najib said that the Customs Department, as the implementing agency, will reorganise staff and personnel in preparation for the implementation of the tax.

Sim said that the computing cost if almost RM100 million for the GST which is to be shouldered by the Central Government is also feared to increase and lead to wastage if not controlled.

He said that the Federal Government is implementing the GST in a hurry while no incentives are given to SMEs to upgrade their computing systems.

“Therefore, millions of ringgit is needed just to implement the GST,” he said.

Ambiga: ‘40,000 Bangladesh voters’ Issue is Najib’s Trick

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SHAH ALAM, 3 Nov: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s denial of claims that 40,000 Bangladeshis voted in the last general election is just a ploy to avoid answering allegations of election fraud.

The Co-Chairman of Bersih 2.0, Datuk S.Ambiga, said that she is very sceptical because the issue keeps coming up.

“I think is it a red herring so that they don’t have to answer all other allegations of electoral fraud which are backed by evidence,” she said.

She said this to Malaysiakini when responding to Najib’s interview on CNN, which was published online on Oct 31.

In the interview, Najib was asked to comment on “allegations of fraud, buying votes, double-voting, phantom voters, (and) issues of gerrymandering”.

Najib replied that the allegations are “by and large… totally unfounded”, and then pointed to the allegation that 40,000 Bangladeshis were ferried in to vote as an example, stressing that the allegation was never proven.

The matter has also been raised several times over the past week – when Najib tabled the Budget 2014 on 25 October and when he inaugurated the Gerakan National Delegates’ Conference on 26 October.

“He didn’t answer any other allegations of fraud that (CNN interviewer Christiane Amanpour) mentioned, like vote buying and gerrymandering,” Ambiga noted.