selangor times jan 7-9, 2011 / issue 7

8/8/2019 Selangor Times Jan 7-9, 2011 / Issue 7

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commnty January 7, 9, 2011/issue 7

Tourismsynergy inthe pipeline

Studentpower

p 4 p 1213

CloggeddrainS CauSeof floodS

p 6

Move delayedy Chong Loo Wah and Gan Pei Ling

SHaH alaM: Leaking and peeling ceil-

ngs, among other problems, have delayedhe Petaling District Land Oces move tots new building at Section U5, Shah Alam.

Were very dissatised with the new build-ngs condition, said Sekinchan assemblyman

Ng Suee Lim, who inspected it recently.he building, which was completed in

009, is also ill-equipped with lack o securityacilities and inadequate urniture and parkingpaces.

Ng said the storeroom which would besed to store important doc uments like landtles did not have sucient protection againstres and oods.

Te state would be at risk o sufering greatosses in the event o an accident. Te build-ngs warranty period ends this month so wevesked the contractor to x the problems soon-

st, said Ng.o add insult to injury, the lop-sided landransaction or the oce has already cost thetate millions.

Te buildings problem was highlighted byivil servants to the special select committeen land and district oces headed by Ng.

He added that the contractor was ap-

pointed without open tender in 2004 toconstruct the new home or the PetalingDistrict Land Oce and other local depart-ments by the previous administration.

We still dont understand why the previ-ous administration wanted to move the Petal-ing Land District Oce rom its strategiclocation in Subang Jaya to a remote suburb inShah Alam, said Ng.

He said the move waslikely to inconvenience the

public as the new oce is

not easily accessible com-pared to the current oce which is near KM andbus stations.

In 2006, the BarisanNasional-led Governmentswapped 1.68ha o landthe Petaling Land District

Oce is currently occupying in Subang Jayaor the new oce in Shah Alam.

Gapurna Builders bore the constructioncost o RM24.6 million or the new oce andits adjacent our housing quarters or seniordistrict ocials in 4.51ha o state land.

In return, the developer obtained 1.23hao land at Jalan Kemajuan SS16/1 and 0.45hao Land District Oce quarters along Jalan

SS19/2 estimated to beworth more than RM100million now.

Ng said even thoughthe lands were worth lessin 2004, the manner in

which the developer wasappointed and the landswap lacked transparencyand smacked o crony-ism.

He added that the select committee on thedistrict and land oces would continue to

probe and report their ndings to the StateAssembly.

Te controversial deal was rst reportedby English daily theSun in 2006 and raisedagain in the State Assembly in 2009.

Former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mo-hamad Khir oyo had reused to comment onthe issue when contacted bySelangor Times.

Te Social Welare Department has movedinto the new building but the Petaling Land

District Oce, Irrigation and Drainage De-partment, and Public Works Department willonly start to move in this month.

Tey are expected to start operating in thenew oce in March. Te state may providebuses or taxpayers to reach the new oceuntil the public are amiliar with the newlocation.

Volunteer fre fghters o Taman SriSerdang strike a pose beore their

training session. The multi-racialgroup has members ranging rom

ages 18-56. Picture by Victor Chong

Story on page 8


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SELANGOR TIMES January 7 9, 20113

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Unveiling a brand new look@ a new location


4/23

4 January 7 9, 2011news

Clogged underground drainscause foodsBy Basil Foo

KLANG: Poorly designed mon-soon drains may be the cause o ashoods which have plagued amanPalm Grove residents or over adecade.

Roads and parking lots have beenbuilt over the length o some 200metres o monsoon drain in thearea, state executive councillor orhousing Iskandar Samad said duringa site visit to aman Palm Grove andHarbour Palace on uesday.

he design o the monsoondrain, which has several right-angleturns, may also be a actor in aect-ing water ow.

Majlis Perbandaran Klang andtheir consultants would have tocheck again to see i the right-angleis the cause o the water not beingable to low directly and causingbackow upstream, Iskandar said.

Tere was another suggestionthat we take over an adjacent landand reroute the drain to straightenit. But it is private land and the land

price would amount to more thanRM1 million, he added.

Straightening the monsoondrains could only be a long term

plan or the local government.Keeping the drains clear o debris

and rubbish remains the only im-mediate solution to the oods.Tere is also the possibility that

one o the causes o ooding is theclogging up o the monsoon drainbeneath the roads, said Iskandar.

We have also seen some man-holes here that have been shut bybuilding owners probably to avoidrubbish or debris alling into themonsoon drain, he added.

During the site visit, local coun-cil workers were brought along ora cleaning operation but that was

postponed as Iskandar said they didnot come equipped with specialgear. It might be too dangerous atthis time to clean without special

equipment in case there are poison-ous gases underground.Klang Member o Parliament

Charles Santiago said the housing

No1Malaysia

billboard banBy Basil FooSHAH ALAM: Selangor hasclaried that only state governmentlinked companies (GLCs) arebarred rom displaying 1Malaysialogos while restaurants and business

premises would not be stoppedrom displaying them.

Tere has been conusion here.We only bar GLCs rom using statemoney or promoting 1Malaysia.here is no 1Malaysia billboardban, said Menteri Besar an SriKhalid Ibrahim.

On Wednesday, Khalid said

Selangor GLCs were only supposedto promote state policies.he state has maintained that

1Malaysia logo was a political sym-bol o the Federal Government andstate unds cannot be used to pro-mote it.

Instead, they want to promotetheir Merakyakkan Ekonomi Sel-angor policies.

Khalid added the state would nothave any problem i private prem-ises displayed the 1Malaysia symbolbut they could only do so withconditions.

Local authorities have the rightsto approve the symbol or use on

private premises as long as they use

it or business reasons, not politicalpurposes, he said.Several business owners were

previously issued with notices toremove the logo rom their sign-boards by local g overnments whichconsidered the symbol as politicaladvertising.

Address parking

problem, SelayangHospital urgedBy Tang Hui Koon

SELAYANG:Te Selayang Hospital has been urgedto address its parking shortage or the sake o patients

who need immediate medical attention.I the situation continues to worsen, it would

aect ambulances rom entering and leaving thehospital in time, thus delaying rescue work, saidSelayang MCA Public Complaint Bureau chie Johnson

Ooi.Ooi said although there were already over 1,000parking lots available, trac would begin to be con-gested as early as 8am and would reach its peak at 10am.

Double and even triple parking have become a com-mon sight at the hospital.

Ooi submitted a memorandum to the hospitals as-sistant director Venothini Retnam on Monday.

Tey urged the hospital to build a multi-storey carpark on the vacant land between the hospital buildingand sta quarters.

Ooi added that the public had also suggested tothe hospital to remove the 14 boundary embankments

in its open-air car park and turn them into parkingspaces.Patients are advised to get a amily member or riend

to drive them to the hospital whenever possible.

State calls for RCI to gettruth over Teohs death

SHAH ALAM: Te state has expresseddisappointment with the results o the eohBeng Hock inquest and called or a RoyalCommission o Inquiry (RCI) to be estab-lished.

Te open verdict points to the act thatthe death was not investigated thoroughlyand the State leaves it to the police and theAttorney-General to continue urther inves-tigation, said an Sri Khalid Ibrahim in astatement on Wednesday.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas onWednesday ruled out suicide. He also saidthat there was insucient evidence to provethat the political aides death was due tohomicide.

He added that the coroners ndings alsorelect the ailure o the Malaysian Anti-

Corruption Commission (MACC) to carryout their responsibility to ensure the saety odetainees and witnesses during investigations.

Te political secretary to executive coun-

cillor Ean Yong Hian Wah was ound dead atPlaza Masalam on July 16, 2009 afer beingquestioned overnight by the MACC.

Te Selangor MACC was previously basedon the 14th oor o the building.

Tis decision that eoh Beng Hock didnot kill himsel means that the parties respon-

sible or his death have still not been identi-ed, said the Selangor Menteri Besar.

Selangor said that an RCI was needed inorder to determine the truth and restore

public condence.We are not surprised at the decline o the peoples condence in the integrity o theMACC, he said.

He added that his government was com-mitted to helping eohs amily in their pur-suit or justice.

estate had experienced oods or thepast 12 years. I am told that due tothe ooding, the prices o houseshere have dropped, said Santiago.

Palm Grove alone has about200 aected houses and adjacenthousing estates have an additional3,000 houses which are also aect-ed, he added. Residents handing over a memorandum to Santiago over their food woes.

Iskandar


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5January 7 9, 2011news

The youngexpress hopes

for Selangor

ByAlvin Yap

HULU KELANG: A vision o ree education asa gi or students in Selangor won 17-year-oldNabihah Ahmad Rosdi irst prize at an essay-

writing contest last Saturday.I hope the State Government will be an admin-

istration that educates the youth, so that we bloomlike owers, she wrote.

Te contest, held at Surau Al-Ehsan, was organ-ised by executive councillor or education DrHalimah Ali and Hulu Kelang assemblyman SaariSungib.

Saari said the state always welcomed views andopinions o the public. Penning the essays was achance or people to make their views known to theleaders.

Tat is the pulse o the people. We want toknow what people think, their dreams or Selangor,

welare and their rights, said Saari.He added the state would adopt these aspirations

while shaping policies or the welare o the people.

Abdul Kodir Shaharudin won the 13-15 year-old category. We hear so much about Malaysiaaected by natural disasters. I want our citizens tomake Selangor an advanced, yet caring state, wrotethe 15-year-old.

Te adult category was won by Norsaidah Za-karia. Selangor has achieved low defcit, and I askthe State Government to use the money to fghtcorruption, wrote the 24-year-old.

Among the prizes were childrens bic ycles, elec-trical appliances and boxes o conectionaries.

Power to OrangAsli villagey Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM:A remote emuanillage in Hulu Langat will soon getegular electricity aer a micro-hydroroject unded by the state and Shell

Malaysia is completed.We are now at the last stage o the

roject the wiring o the 16 houses,aid Colin Nicholas rom the Centreor Orang Asli Concerns(COAS).

Te village, accessible by road, isocated about an hour rom Kualaumpur and 25 amilies currently have

o rely on oil lamps or generators, ihey can aord it.

Nicholas said the anjung Rambaiommunity had successully built themall embankment in the river andnstalled the pipes leading to the tur-ine.

Te villagers were involved in allages o construction. Tis will make

hem competent enough to do theirwn repairs, he added.

Te frst o its kind in Selangor, theroject was launched in September010 and unded by the state and Shell

Malaysia.A renewable energy source, micro-

ydro systems are increasingly popularn rural areas in Malaysia.

he system is environmentally-riendly as it does not need construc-tion o dams that would submergelarge areas.

It merely converts the kinetic en-ergy o river water ow into mechani-cal power via a turbine.

Nicholas said technician AdrianLasimbang, rom Jaringan Orang AsalSemalaysia-onibung, provided thetechnical expertise.

However, progress and speed o theproject is dependent on the availabil-ity o the Sabah-based expert.

Te villagers are enthusiastic andwant to see the light in their housessoon, said Nicholas.

Fortunately, they ound a localelectrician to assist the villagers withthe wiring o their homes recently.

In act, he visited the village on Wednesday and wired up the irsthouse.

Te villagers are enthusiastic andwant to see the light in their housessoon, said Nicholas.

Tey hope to complete the projectby the end o January.

Kampung Songkok, also in HuluLangat, is the next village in Selangorto beneft rom the micro-hydro sys-tem.

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EvEntsCity Golf American Pool & Darts Tourney

Join the monthly contest hosted at City Gol and winexclusive prizes. This months competition includesNearest the Pin or Gol, American Pool and Darts.Prizes include exclusive RM150 dinner vouchers romthe Pressroom Bangsar Shopping Centre! Event is onJan 15 rom 6pm to 10pm. Admission is ree. Venue:4thFloor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 285, Jalan Maaro,Bukit Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur

Book sale

Book distributor and publisher GB GerakbudayaEnterprise Sdn Bhd is organising a new year sale thisweekend at its oce. The sale, held rom 10am to7pm, oers books on arts and literature, current aairs,economics, environment, globalisation, labour andmigrant workers, politics and international relations,religion and culture, social science, and women andgender studies, with discounts rom 30% to 100%.For details, call 03-7957 8342/ 43 or visit gerakbudaya.com. Venue: Gerakbudaya Enterprise, No. 11, Lorong11/4E, Petaling Jaya (opposite Restoran Banana LeaCuisine Grand City and Sri Pandi PJ).

Visual forum

Pantai Hospital Ampang (PHA) is organising a publicorum entitled Visual Correction or All Ages WhatsNew? tomorrow at 1.30pm at the hospitals auditorium.PHA ophthalmologist Dr Khaw Hoon Hoon will touch onthe causes o visual impairment and the latest refectivecorrection options available. Admission is ree. Forregistration and details, call 03-4289 2877 (Racheal)/2900 (Adrian). Venue: Pantai Hospital Ampang, JalanPerubatan 1, Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur.

Fighting diabetes

The Ti-Ratana Penchala Community Centre is host-

ing a Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Daysdocumentary screening, ollowed by a mini raw ooddemonstration tomorrow at 10am at its premises at21, Jalan Penchala, Petaling Jaya. The programmeis aimed at those ghting diabetes or want to preventgetting diabetes. Proceeds rom the event will gotowards charity. For details, call 03-7784 9002 (Honey/Irene) or visit www.ti-ratana-penchala.com.my.

Viva La Inpendencia

A concert by Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra leadby Marques Young and eaturing the distinctive styleo Latin music. Join Young as he pays tribute to LatinAmerica in particular, the nations o Mexico, Colombia,Bolivia and Argentina as they proudly commemoratetheir bicentenary o independence. The concert will onJan 12 at 6.30 pm. Tickets are sold at RM85, RM65,RM40 and RM20. Dress code is smart casual. Venue:Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, Level 2, Tower 2,PETRONAS Twin Towers, KLCC, K. Lumpur.

Don Quixote & International Ballet Gala

The Istana Budaya will hold these two separate eventsrom Jan 14-16. The ull length classical ballet DonQuixote will be perormed on Jan 14 at 8.30pm andJan 16 (Sunday matinee) at 3pm while the InternationalBallet Gala will be on the Jan 15 (Saturday) at 8.30 pm.These two programmes will showcase 25 internationaldancers (including international award winners) romthe US, Australia, Japan, Thailand and Germany aswell as more than 30 Malaysians. Tickets are pricedat RM220, RM180, RM140, RM100, and RM50 andis purchaseable at the venue. Venue: Istana Budaya,Kuala Lumpur.

Baby & Junior Fair 2011

Baby & Junior Fair oers extensive selection oexhibitors on latest products and services or expectantparents and amilies with young children. There will be

activities and contest held daily or the visiting parents,parents-to-be and their young children. The air will beheld on Jan 14-16 rom 11am to 9pm. Admission isree. Venue: Hall 3, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, KualaLumpur .

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM:: Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-led states will join orces oicially to

promote tourism in their states startingthis year, said Selangor executive council-lor Elizabeth Wong.

Well organise tourism activities thatcover the our states (Selangor, Penang,Kedah and Kelantan), Wong told Selan-

gor Times.She added that the our states had

agreed in principle on the cooperationduring the PR Menteri Besar Summit lastDecember and would be signing thememorandum o understanding (MoU)in Penang this month.

Wong said Selangor would team upwith budget airline Firey and the Kelan-tan Government to oer joint tourism

packages.Selangors strengths are in eco-

tourism and shopping. So or example,tourists can stay one night in Selangor toexperience the urban liestyle and y toKelantan the next day to experience itstraditional culture, she explained.

In addition, interested tourists mayopt or Muslim travel packages to experi-ence or instance, dierent Hari Rayacelebrations in Selangor and Kelantan.

ourism Selangor promotions andpublic relations manager Md Saad Mah-sah said both states have been workingtogether to promote tourism since last

year.Its a win-win situation, he said.As o October 2010, Selangor has

received close to ve million visitors. Te

state has allocated RM6 million rom its2011 budget to boost the industry.Besides Selangor and Kelantan, travel

agencies in Penang and Kedah have alsobeen oering joint packages.

Te Penang and Kedah state govern-ment havent work together on tourismoicially, but its common or travel

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Te public disclosureo audit reports on the Selangor Deve-lopment Corporation (PKNS) and

Yayasan Selangor has been delayed togive the subsidiaries a chance to explainthemselves.

Menteri Besar an Sri Khalid Ibra-him said both entities requested moretime due to insucient inormation inthe reports.

We will only release the audit re-ports afer the state executive councillorsare done discussing the explanations by

both bodies at our meeting next week,he said on Wednesday.

Both reports were originally sched-uled to be released this week.

Both state subsidiaries had come

under re over allegations o exorbitantspending in two separate events whichhad triggered the State Government toorder a ull probe.

PKNS is alleged to have sponsoredRM520,000 or the wedding dinner oastronaut Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor,a claim they have vehemently denied.

Yayasan Selangor is accused o spend-ing RM300,000 on a luncheon to cele-

brate its 40th anniversary.Khalid said the state would imple-

ment an integrity pact together withtheir subsidiary companies under theguidance o ransparency International.

We will invite several accountantswho have no ties with the state to orman audit panel or PKNS and YayasanSelangor. Te panel will comprise part-ners rom accounting rms, he said.

Tis way we will have a panel that isree and proessional to help the StateGovernment ensure that the administra-tion o both subsidiaries ollowed theoutlines o the integrity pact, he said.

By Chong Loo Wah

pucHong: Renewal o hawker li-

cences in Subang Jaya will be halteduntil the state standardises ees or all 12local governments.

Te council is issuing a circular toinorm traders to pay a three-month eerst, said Subang Jaya councillor Pooi

Weng Keong.Subang Jaya Municipal Council

(MBSJ) president Datuk Adnan MdIkshan will meet representatives ohawkers rom morning and night mar-

kets soon to explain the adjustment.aman Kinrara 1 Morning Marketraders Association complained toMCA recently that MBSJ had reusedto renew their licences without anyreason.

he associations chie, ee HuatHock, said the vendors were worried

they would be penalised by enorcementocers or trading illegally as theirlicences had expired on Dec 31 last year.

Pooi assured traders that MBSJwould not act against them or the nextthree months, or until the new ees arestandardised.

Selangor rst standardised ees orall local councils at RM4 a day in March2010 but the plan was shelved due to

public objections.

Tourism synergy

Release of audit reports put off

Hawkers reassured over licence renewal fees

agencies to oer joint packages to Pen-ang and Langkawi, said Penang statetourism bureau Penang Global ourismmanaging director Ooi Geok Ling.

Ooi added that the MoU is expectedto strengthen the alliance between theour states but urther details o thecollaboration have yet to be ironed outas they have dierent strengths in tour-ism.

Its not clear yet i Penang wouldcooperate with the other three states

equally, or on separate capacities, shesaid.

Apart rom oering joint packages,Kedah executive councillor on tourismManikumar Subramaniam said he ex-

pected the our states to cooperate onadvertising and promotional activities.

We can urther advertise each oth-ers destinations, he said, adding thattourism is the second largest industry inKedah. Te state receives three millionstourists annually.

Wong ... tourism activities to cover four states.


7/23


CNY calligraphy competition at Seri KembanganBy Basil Foo

SERI KEMBANGAN: Te ancient arto calligraphy is celebrated this ChineseNew Year with a competition that is opento all ethnic groups.

Te competition will be held at the SeriKembangan Multipurpose Hall rom 9amto 1pm on Jan 20.

Participants can choose to take part inthe primary school, secondary school, oropen categories with a limit o one category

per participant. Participants should bringtheir own ink and calligraphy pen.

Some students may eel that they aregood enough to join the open category and

they are encouraged to do so because theprizes are more attractive, said organisingcommittee member ong Chee Kuan.

As the date o the competition will heldon haipusam, a public holiday, onghopes people o all ethnic groups will

participate.It is open to people [o all races] who

know calligraphy. Tey are welcome to joinalso, like Malay children who may haveattended Chinese primary schools, headded.

Te competition is meant to showcaseChinese culture and to cultivate an interestin calligraphy among people.

raditionally, calligraphy was writing

well wishes vertically on pieces o paper inMandarin, ong explained, People wouldstick them on the ront door o their houseor oce.

N owa da ys , l e ss p e op l e k nowcalligraphy so they preer to buy romcalligraphy artists at markets. his is achance or them to do some personal

writing or themselves, he said.ong said that the competition was ree

or participants who register beore the dateo the event.

For registration or enquiries concerningthe competition, contact Bryan at 016-3239577, ong at 016-2123950, or [email protected].

Know Your Councillor:Kamarudzaman SanusiBy Lee Choon Fai andWilliam Tan

SHAH ALAM: A member o PartiKeadilan Rakyat since the day it wasormed, Kamarudzaman Sanusi (pic) is a

veteran in politics.I have always been critical o the way

the ruling government [uses] theopposition as a punching bag, saidKamarudzaman.

Born in Sungai Besar, he studied there

at an English school, Sekolah RendahInggeris Sungai Besar, beore it became anational school. He then pursued a degreein communications engineering romUniversity eknologi Malaysia (UM) in1983.

He worked as an engineer in Motorola(M) Sdn Bhd or 18 years until he resignedin 2001 as a senior manuacturing head.He took up work as an insurance broker,

which he still does or a living while

serving as a councillor.I have to juggle my work and my duties

as a councillor. So much that I ofen donthave time or mysel! said Kamarudzaman.

As a councillor, Kamarudzaman has atight schedule to keep. He tries to be

present at all events but will appoint arepresentative in his stead or the times thathe cant.

Te councillor is in charge o Zone 10,a highly industrialised area that includesSection 26, 27, and 28. Commoncomplaints in the area are about potholes,clogged drains, and illegal hawkers.

Such problems are usually brought upat the ull board meeting o the MajlisB a nda r a ya S h a h A l a m ( M B S A ) .Sometimes, however, not all roads anddrains belong to the municipality and inthose cases the MBSA will have their handstied, Kamarudzaman said.

His councillors oce is located at theMBSA Pulai Hall, Jalan Sungai Gapis27/71, Section 27, 40400 Shah Alam.Residents with queries and concerns cansee him there.

Although Kamarudzaman enjoys working or the people, he oten indshimsel missing the simple pleasures o lie.

One thing I would like to do more isto participate in treasure hunts. I havemissed them so much ever since I becamea councillor, he said.


8/23


Risking life

and limbfor others

By Basil Foo

SERI KEMBANGAN:A multi-racial volunteer re brigade in a-man Sri Serdang is selessly servingas guardians to the neighborhooddespite the risks involved.

Te unsung heroes, whose mem-bers include teenagers as young as18 and senior citizens as old 56,

work and train tirelessly to be readyto be the rst to respond to emer-gencies.

Our role is to be irst on thescene so that we can assist the Fireand Rescue Department and mu-nicipalities during emergencies,said Lim Chee Keong, who has beena volunteer reghter or 16 years.

Te deputy chairman o the vol-unteer ire brigade said the teamcomprises 40 Seri Kembangan resi-dents, including six women.

While the volunteers may all berom Seri Kembangan, they haveresponded to emergencies as araway as Puchong, Semenyih, Kajangand Desa Petaling.

Te volunteers usually get callsdirectly rom residents or are toldabout incidents by the Fire andRescue Department.

It usually takes us ive to tenminutes rom getting the call to ar-riving at the scene i the places arenear us, said Lim.

Volunteers who live closest to theemergency are usually alerted andcalled to respond using their motor-cycles or cars.

Ten, depending on the in-or-mation about the extent o the re,

TRAINING HARD: Volunteers attaching a hose to a hydrant during an evening practice session recently.

up to two more cars, with two vol-unteers each, will be sent out withequipment rom the teams make-shit headquarters in aman SriSerdang.

Tose rst on the scene are re-sponsible or clearing the way or theensuing ire trucks and locatingnearby ire hydrants and othersources o water like rivers.

Tis is so that the operationsare more ecient and no time is

wasted looking or a hydrant ormoving vehicles which are blockingthe hydrant, he explained.

Lim said chemical res at acto-ries are the most dangerous emer-gencies they have aced along withurniture actories where thinner isused.

Te biggest re we saw was at aSeri Kembangan urniture shop in2009, he said.

He said the blaze was too big orthe volunteers to handle and those

who responded did not have thenecessary specialised training.

We were not allowed to enterthe area o operations. Otherwise,

we would have assisted in retrievingpeople trapped inside the building ,he added.

Shortage o unds is the mainproblem aced by the volunteers.

Lim, who owns his own car repairshop, sometimes has to pay out o

his own pocket to keep the volun-teers operational.

We have a Proton Arena spon-sored by the government and aRussian truck which is rom me. Ihave also bought re retardant jack-ets, helmets and air lter masks orthe members, he said.

Te ull set o a reghting uni-orm, which includes re retardant

jacket and pants, costs aboutRM2,000. A new helmet would costRM600 but Lim got second hand

helmets or the group to reducecosts.

We didnt receive any contribu-tions last year. In 2009 we received

pumps, jackets and equipment romthe government. But governmentgrants can only cover or what weactually need, he lamented.

Te Sri Serdang volunteers un-dergo volunteer reghter trainingevery Wednesday at their servicecentre.

We have permission to use onlypart o the centre or meetings and

training because the hall is open orpublic use, said Lim. While hespoke to Selangor Times, a line danc-ing group was practising in the hall.

he volunteers are trained byremen rom the Seri KembanganFire and Rescue Department as

well as those rom Cyberjaya andBangi.

For beginners who have just joined our group, it would takethem around ve to six months otraining once a week to be ullyoperational, he said.

He said they hope the statewould assist them in getting biggerire trucks or the volunteers tomake it easier or them to respond

to emergencies.He added that public sponsorsand more volunteers are always

welcomed.hose wanting to contribute

donations to the group, or makeurther enquiries, can call Lim at013-3391414

LIM: Usually takes us 5-10 minutes to get to scene.

For beginners whohave just joined ourgroup, it would takethem around fve to

six months o trainingonce a week to be ullyoperational.

By Rahmah Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR: Developers and con-tractors spend hours to submit their applica-tions to local authorities through their OneStop Centre (OSC) but ret no more - it is nowconveniently at your ngertips.

Te online OSC, which was launched byMinister o Housing and Local GovernmentDatuk Chor Chee Heung at Putrajaya Interna-tional Convention Centre on uesday, kickedo its service in 10 local authorities nationwide.

Interestingly, the launch was witnessed byall the 10 local authorities at dierent venuesthrough online video conerencing, and Petal-ing Jaya City Council (MBPJ) was among the

authorities chosen to be part o it.Speaking at Menara M on uesday, MBPJdeputy mayor Puasa Md aib said the onlineOSC could help the authorities go throughhundreds o applications virtually, which usedto be tedious and mired in weaknesses.

OSC MBPJ was launched in 2007 to im-

prove our service and administrative work, atthe same time aiming to reduce the application

process to three months, sometimes more.However, with the online service we have now,

we are aiming to reduce it urther to 40 days,he said, adding that the contractors and devel-opers would now have access to OSC systemanytime, anywhere.

A project architect rom CY Foo Architectwas among the rst two developers who hadsuccessully submitted their applications on-line.

Soon afer we submitted our application,we received immediate response rom MBPJand the process was smooth compared to lasttime which was quite a hassle, said MasturaMasri.

Not only that, she said, the online applica-tion also helped the environment as it reduces

the use o paper.We used to submit our thick and huge

plans but now we can just scan them and putthem in PDF ormat. And submitting our ap -

plication is only a click away, she sa id.Te other nine local authorities which have

access to the new service are Shah Alam CityCouncil, Johor Bahru City Council, Kualaerengganu City Council, Kuantan MunicipalCouncil, Alor Gajah Municipal Council, Sun-gai Petani Municipal Council, Sepang Mu-nicipal Council, Kuala Kangsar Muncipal

Council and Nilai Municipal Council.Te Federal Government aims to have theonline OSC at all local authorities by year-end.However, we are giving the local authoritiesone month to maximise the online service.Afer that, they are expected to receive and

process the applications in real time, said Chor.

OSC at your fngertips


9/23


Mayor to move intoRM1.5m residence

By Tang Hui Koon

PETALING JAYA: Despite criticism rom some parties,etaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman will

move into his RM1.5 million ocial residence once construc-on is completed in February.

Everything related to the rebuilding o the ocial residencewas discussed and approved at a MBPJ (Petaling Jaya CityCouncil) board meeting.

Weve nothing to hide. I welcome any inquiry rom theublic. Tey can even visit and inspect the residence i they

want to, said Mohamad Roslan.He stressed that the six-room bungalow on the 10,000 square

eet council land in Jalan inggi 6/12 was not his, but MBPJsroperty.

MBPJ originally allocated RM900,000 to rebuild the ter-mite-inested residence in 2008. Construction was supposedo be completed last year.

However, work was delayed as the contractor wanted extraayments or higher building material costs, with the total costallooning to RM1.5 million.

Some Rukun etangga members and resident associationsave expressed concern that the increased costs would aect

he MBPJs operating budget.Last month, Mohamad Roslan had to clariy the matter due

o public pressure. He had said those who were still unhappyould propose to MBPJ to sell it, and he would continue tove in his double-storey terrace house in Shah Alam.

Mohamad Roslan will be the rst mayor to move into thecial residence.

Te settlement o US$137 million (RM413million) by Alcatel-Lucent SA (AL) with theUS Securities and Exchange Commission andhe Justice Department o charges o bribery government ocials in Costa Rica, Hon-uras, aiwan and Malaysia, is damaging tohe image o Malaysia. Tere are many issues governance and corruption to observe.

It is alleged that AL had paid bribes tomployees o elekom Malaysia BerhadM), a GLC (government-linked corpora-ion), to obtain conidential inormationelating to a public tender or a contract

worth US$85 million that AL won. AL hadaid US$200,000 and US$500,000 to twoonsultants but they did not appear to ren-er any legitimate services to Alcatel Malaysia

n connection with these payments.I these consultants did not provide le-

itimate services o value to AL then whatype o services did they provide? Tese o consultants or middle-

men/acilitators, especially inlosed or negotiated tenders, raisestrong suspicion o corrupt practices.

Many o them are RM2 companieswith no relevant expertise or experience

r even the resources to oer the serviceswhich they are supposed to provide.In addition to possibly being conduits or

ribes, in some cases, there are several layers consultants and/or sub-contractors. Tectual contractor doing the work gets a rac-ion o the contract value and middlemen/acilitators get signicant portions or acili-ating the contract. Te consequences o suchprocurement practice are highly inlatedrices, shoddy work, goods not delivered topecication in quantity and quality, etc.

Although the regulators have espousedood governance, especially or public listedompanies (PLC), and while many haveublished beautiully drafed statements oood governance in their annual reports,ctual measures to implement good govern-

nce may still be lacking, especially in pro-urement. ransparency International Ma-aysia (I-M) advocates a set o integrity toolshat are ofen missing rom PLC compliance

measures. Tese are:(1) Each PLC, GLC and government-

wned enterprise to make a public anti- cor-uption pledge similar to the pledge signed

recently on Dec 9, 2010, by the heads ochambers o commerce and industry/tradeassociations. Tis pledge is a commitment tocomply with a set o good business principles,including the implementation o an anti-bribery policy in accordance with globalstandards.

Furthermore, the enterprise shall do a periodical sel-assessment as to its level o

compliance, preerably using an independentthird-party assessor and the result o whichshould be made public.

(2) Implementing a public and open ten-der system or procurement and a set o in-tegrity compliance tools, especially the use oIs Integrity Pact (IP) and a whistle blowing

policy. An IP is a legally enorceable agree-ment signed between both the buyer and

the sellers with severe sanctionsor deaults, such as termination

o contract, black-listing, dam-ages to the buyer and unsuc-

cessul bidders.In IPs, the buyer com-

mits not to solicit bribes and toput in place all possible measures to

ensure its ocials comply and the sellers

commit to not paying bribes. All commis-sions and other payments paid directly orindirectly by the sellers must be disclosed tothe buyer.

Te best practice o IP requires all stageso the procurement process, including tenderspecications, prequalication, appointmento consultants, tender evaluation and award,contract perormance and post-contractevaluation, especially or large projects, to bemonitored by an independent externalmonitor with the requisite integrity andrelevant expertise.

For example, the upcoming MR inra-structure project announced by the Govern-ment would be an ideal candidate to imple-ment these important measures given itsmagnitude, costing RM36 billion, and will

have a direct impact on the general public.Although regulations and governancemeasures may not completely eliminate raudand corruption, Is experience is that themeasures mentioned above together with topmanagement setting the tone o integrity andzero tolerance o corruption, do mitigate therisk signiicantly. Recently, multi-billion

Learning from the Alcatel-Lucent case

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losses o PLCs and government enterpriseslike those at Sime Darby Berhad and PortKlang Free Zone (PKFZ) highlight the urgentneed or stronger good corporate governance.Te regulators, boards o directors, CEOs,and political leaders must take heed. I not,there may be more scandals to come!

Finally, in an article that appeared in ourlocal media entitled Getting corruptionright, Jagdish Bhagwati, proessor o econom-

ics and law at Columbia University, said butwhere substantial corruption can be unam-biguously be ound, as it ofen can, one mustrecognise that it is not a cultural given. Onthe contrary, it is the result o policies thathave ed it.

Datuk Paul Low Seng KuanPresident

ransparency International Malaysia


10/23


Committed to CSR

from

Congratulations

to

Weiron Tan

for winning the2010 Yamaha SL

International ChallengeChampionship Title

By Rahmah Ghazali

PETALING JAYA: Being runner-up ve years ago did notstop the Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association romcontinuing their hard work to become the best neighbourhoodat this years Petaling Jaya City Councils Sustainable Commu-nity Awards.

Shocked by the good news, the associations president RKRavindran did not expect that his committee would bag the rst

prize o the award, bringing home RM50,000, a trophy andcerticates.

We certainly couldnt believe that we had won. But we oweit all to the residents or their hard work and cooperation to makeour neighbourhood the best place to live in, he told reporters.

Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association deeated 16other residents associations under the Petaling Jaya district at agrand ceremony in Petaling Jaya Civics Hall on uesday night.

Each community was assessed by a panel o judges on, amongothers, cleanliness, administration, security and entrepreneur-ship.

Ravindran said their win was not an individual achievement,as the association had cooperated with various authorities suchas the local authorities, police, Alam Flora, Indah Water, WorksDepartment and Road ransport Department.

With their help and cooperation, 60,000 residents in BandarSri Damansara eel peaceul and secure, he said.

When asked what they would do with the cash prize, Ravin-dran said the money would be used to upgrade computer systemsto manage complaints by residents more eectively and ef-ciently.

And we will continue our hard work or the next year tocome by inviting more residents to join a lot o interesting ac-tivities organised by the association, he said.

Te ceremony was ofciated by Selangor Menteri Besar anSri Khalid Ibrahim, and also attended by Petaling Jaya CityCouncil Mayor Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

Bandar Sri Damansara residentsbag top prize

The Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association receiving their award and prizes from Khalid.


11/23

11January 7 9, 2011Views

MAN IN BLACK

wong chin huat

Daulat Tuanku! Long liveDemocracy! Hail Federalism!

Two key pillars o our politicalsystem are constitutionalmonarchy and ederalism,oth o which are at stake now inhe on-going constitutional crisis inelangor. Tey are at stake becauseome quarters through words andeeds make them seem contradic-ory, resulting in a trade-o.

A democratic defence for Consti-utional Monarchy

More than being an ethnic cham-ion, as some quarters in Malaysiake to stress, the principal role oonstitutional monarchy is to be aolitical symbol or national unity.

English constitutional theoristWalter Badeghot argued that the

ritish-style constitutional monar-hy is superior to a presidential re-

public ala America because theormer allows a separation betweenthe dignied and the ecientlements o government.

Te dignied reers to the head state which gains authority, whilethe ecient means the govern-

ment that uses the authority toovern. Put simply in our context,he Prime Minister, or Menteri Be-ar, oen need to get his hands dirtyo get things done while the King orultan will remain reverent by stay-

ng above the ray.Tis is not possible in American

presidentialism. President GeorgeW Bush was both the head o state

nd head o government. I youated him or his Iraq war, it woulde emotionally challenging to be

oyal opposition to such a highlyivisive head o state. In UK, you,owever, might hate PM ony Blair

or the Iraq War but still love Queen

lizabeth II who represents theountry.Phrased otherwise, constitu-

onal monarchy is relevant in themodern world because the monar-hy can cover or and complementlected government, hence makingemocracy work better.

And this is done by being a cer-monial leader, not in any way re-lacing or outsmarting the electedoliticians.

echnically, the role o a consti-utional monarch can be replacedy a non-executive president likehose in India and Singapore, but iou venerate history and traditionske Bagehot, constitutional monar-

hy would again be a superior alter-ative.In brie, a universal, democratic

eence or constitutional monar-hy is not only possible, but indeedhe only valid one. Constitutional

monarchy rests on its protection elected government rom dis-

oyal opposition.Any ethno-nationalist justica-

ion or monarchy is not only anti-emocratic but also anti-national,s it will both undermine the digni-ed role o the monarchy and tearpart Malaysias multicultural socialabric.

A monarchical defence for feder-

lismUnlike the United Kingdomwhich is a unitary state, the monar-

hical institutions have anothermportant role in democracy, that, to deend the states and ederal-m, or check the concentration oower at the Centre.

When it comes to check andbalance in democracy, many wouldonly think o the horizontal separa-tion o power between the threebranches o government: the legisla-tive, the executive and the judiciary,ignoring two very important con-texts.

One, in a parliamentary system,we actually have usion o powerrather than separation o powerbecause the legislative (directly) andthe executive (indirectly) are electedin one election. Second, the checkand balance between the Parliamentand the Executive actually lies on the

possibility o the Government beingoverthrown by Parliament, and

hence its non-existence in Malaysia.For a country which has neverexperienced party alternation at theCentre, the other option or checkand balance mechanism is then the

vertical division o power between

the ederal, state and local govern-ments.

It is greatly problematic i theState Secretary is to be appointed bythe Federal Government. Te un-derlying logic o ederalism is thatthere can be conlicting interestsbetween the Centre and the consti-tuting states, hence the governmentsare meant to be rivals, in coopera-tion and competition at the sametime.

Unlike what advocates o au-thoritarianism would tell you, inter-governmental rivalry or even con-licts are good or democracy. It

prevents emergence o absolutepower and absolute corruption. It

allows the citizens to divide andrule politicians.

We must be thankul or ederal-ism and we should thank the Mon-archy historically. Federalism waschosen over a unitary state in 1948to preserve the sovereignty o theMalay Rulers.

In brie, there would have beenno ederalism without the monar-chy. oday, the opposite is also true.I the power o the states is eroded,then monarchies will inevitably bein decline. A monarchical deence even only in intent o state rightsis thereore the only logical choice.

Te right equation

Te very core o the Malaysian political system is elected govern-ment (democracy), which is su-

preme subject only to the Constitu-tion. Upon its rest the two key pil-lars: monarchy and ederalism.

Te three can and should be inblissul harmony. Te Federal andState Constitutions must reect thisand be amended where this intent isnot eectively expressed.

Tose who hope to pit the Mon-archy against elected governmentsand ederalism are undermining allthree key elements o our politicalsystem.

hrough shouting out aloudDaulat uanku, these trouble-makers do not mind scariyingconstitutional monarchism in theirzest to build a unitary dictatorshipor oligarchy in Putrajaya. Just re-member, Francisco Franco o Spain

who called himsel a monarchist too.

Malaysians must show their willto chuck out trouble-makers intothe dustbin o history. One Perak istoo many.

Daulat uanku! Long live de-mocracy! Hail Federalism.

Whats missing in publictransport planning

Whats the greatest orm o public

transportation? Not the MR, notthe LR, not trains, or even buses.Its your legs.

We all walk, or move around on wheelchairs.Anyone whos taken a bus, train or taxi, standsor sits around waiting or the vehicle to arrive.Any eort to generate mass participation in

public transport will alter unless we make ourstreets and stations saer and more comortableor walking and waiting.

rouble is, we are mired in a mindset thatdevelopment means owning more cars, thenbuilding more roads and lanes (shoulders andkerbs maybe, i theres leover space), thenbuilding some elevated or tunneled rail transit

when roads become choked. And wait or thepublic to stream in.

We make plans to spend RM36 billion or

more to construct an MR while driving pastderelict bus stops, and dont bat an eyelid at thecontradiction. According to the Governmentransormation Programme Roadmap, about40 percent o bus stops in the Klang Valley haveno shelter or signage. Building and reurbishingtransit points oers a airly simple and highly

visible means or raising the prole o publictransport. And it wont hurt to raise the com-ort o walking or waiting or those who cur-rently bear with the heat, rain and other hos-tilities.

Much opposition to the MR points outthe exorbitant cost, but even i it is much lessexpensive we undermine potential gains by notdoing things in the right order.

Is it not logically obvious that to expandpublic transport, we must rst make it easier

to get to transit points and improve the bussystem, as the mode o transportation with the widest coverage? And then, gure out i weneed mass transporting trains and i necessary,build them?

Class mentalities pervade ocial, as well aspopular, thinking and handling o transporta-

tion issues.Policy is being made out o desire or other

people to use it and ree up the roads or therest o us. Policy is written by people who driveor are driven rom door to door, so the ocus isalways on the ride, not the shufe in betweenrides.

ransport woes are viewed rom above, bypeople who seem to think that the MR andLR are or middle class olks who will driveor be driven to stations. Down the pyramid,

walking and taking the bus are or people whoare poor or young, who dont mind the heat,grime and chaos.

Plans were laid in early 2010 to increase thebus eet, improve connectivity and upgradebus stops, but since the MRs conrmationthe common modes o walking and bussinghave to compete or the remaining scraps ounds, not to mention being so out-glamour-ised.

Tese days public transportation morningrush hour usage in the Klang Valley is around12 percent. Eighty-eight percent o commutersdrive private motorised vehicles.

Current drivers are probably not going toabdicate easily, especially when it continues tobe cheap to rule the roads. Petrol prices will goup, but we tolerate the squeeze and keep rev-

ving, unencumbered by congestion charges orsingle occupancy penalties.

Teres also a treacherous possibility that

success can undo itsel here. I public transportusage increases, wont this reduce congestionand make driving more appealing again?

Consider too, how we get away with drivingwith utter disregard or pedestrians and publictransport users. Zebra crossings are usuallymeaningless, sometimes dangerous or giving

a alse sense o security. Drivers barge past with

impunity. Te steering wheel is a status symboland power charm.Im not sure how much o these realities

actor into the grandiose target o increasingpublic transport usage to 50 percent by 2020.

But Im sure there is no escaping the pros-pect that many more people will have to walkand take the bus. Te Brazilian city o Curitiba,

paragon o green urban development, operatesan enviably ecient and sleek bus-based publictransport system and preserves abundant walk-

ways and lush spaces. Teyve been at this orover 40 years it takes time, patience and in-tegrated planning.

Surely various measures must be taken in theKlang Valley, in sequence or simultaneously,and customised to conditions here. Getting thebus system to operate smoothly and comort-

ably, though, is the best way to demonstratethat we can eciently and reliably transormpublic transport.

We have a long way to go. Te Pan MalaysiaBus Operators Association (PMBOA) re-cently lamented the lack o coherent policy ortheir industry, and an exasperating array ogovernment agencies they have to deal with.

One o Malaysias pastimes is complainingabout rude drivers. We cannot just wait ordrivers to magically turn nice. We need someregulation that tilts the balance o road powerrom vehicles to pedestrians.

I not congestion or other monetary charg-es, at least driving should cost more time.People who sit and press pedals should be madeto slow down or stop more requently to make

way or people who walk.

Ten maybe well stop thinking o walkingas backward a means o getting around. Maybewell even see it as a step orward.

Dr Lee Hwok Aun is a lecturer in the Facultyof Economics and Administration at the Uni-versity of Malaya.

wIt pLeAsureLee hwok aun


12/23

2insightjanuary 7 9, 2010

50StudentPower: yearS

on

Alvin Yap

Just a ew months ago, scenes o angry students protest-ing the British governments plan to triple tuition eesbecame world headlines.

n 1986, Te People Power and its non-violent revolutionhe Philippines saw students picketing at the gates outsideacanang palace. Tat event restored democracy toPhillipines, and led to the downall o thenident Ferdinand Marcos.

n May 1998, Indonesias Suharto ell romer ollowing daily student protests aer here-elected or a h consecutive term by aber-stamp legislative.

Another student power movement was the1968 student uprising in Paris. From May

uly o that year, Paris and almost all oce was nearly shut down by students who

d with workers as they protested againstDe Gaulle adminstration, to the point thatarly ell.

s there student power o this kind in Malay-o begin with, documentary lmmaker andent movement historian Fahmi Reza says that

current generation o students do not realise thatare a orce to be reckoned with.

Tere are almost a million students in local public andate institutions o higher learning. Fahmi believes theseents have the power to mobilise the rakyat in any civilety initiative given their sheer numbers alone.

He stresses, Malaysian student power is not about violentests or about overthrowing the government. Student power in

Malaysian context, Fahmi says, is about students being consciousut the lack o autonomy in campus aairs.

He wants the students to regain their independence that was lost971 due to the Universities and University Colleges Act

UCA).Te UUCA was enacted to curtail the autonomy and independ-e o campuses that fourished in the 1960s. Fahmi wants tow students that there has been a history o student activism in1960s especially in Universiti Malaya with his documen-lecture titled Student Power. He hopes that students willinspiration in their predecessors and realise that radicalism

Malaysian campuses was mainstream.

But not all agree with Fahmis direction, and thosewho dont are using the same Act he wants repealed tobar him rom delivering his l ecture on campuses.

Fahmi says that he cannot quit pushing campusauthorities to let him in. What is at stake is the studentcommunity, he explains, and the ability o the studentsthemselves to think and act independently.

What is so threatening about my lecture, he asks.It is, he says, about a part o Malaysian history. Hesmiles cryptically and asks, Could it be that while thestudents themselves are ignorant about student activ-ist history, the authorities are not?

He says that the government ears student radical-ism and or that reason, UUCA was enacted. Educa-tion and critical thinking have always been a dangerousmix, he says.

Student power a part of hiStory

He points to the student activism o the 60s and thevarious initiatives that the Universiti Malaya StudentsUnion (UMSU) set up; they published a paper, theMahasiswa Negara, and also ran a bus service and

canteen.He says that is a ar cry rom the current conditionsin public institutes o learning.

Students dont know that they have the right toorganise, to start their own initiatives. I the campusauthorities insist on controlling them with the UUCA,treating them like school-children, they will nevermature and be able to make [ good] decisions, Fahmisays.

Campus autonomy and independence should beencouraged and treasured, he says. A campus is the

perect place to test new ideas.He says that those ideas should deal with promoting

democracy, good governance and help students dealwith pressing issues. An autonomous and independentcampus is benecial to society, he adds.

A campus is just like a mini country, it has its ownconstitution and populace where students shouldexperiment with other orms o democracy, Fahmisays. What orm does he mean? [One that] replaces

political representation that is elitist and which takespower away rom the people.

Te political system inside campuses mirrors thato society, he continues. I students can successullysolve problems and organise themselves politically oncampus, they will be able to contribute at national

level, Fahmi reasons.o that end, he says to student activists: Design

new democratic institutions. Popularise power andgive sovereignty back to the students.

I it is successul, bring that model to the rakyat sothat the decision making process is back in their hands,he concludes.

I such ideas sound alarming, Fahmi responds: Ithe students experiments ail, it ails within the con-nes o campus and is contained inside it.

One problem student power in Malaysia aces is thelack o credibility people today associate the idea oa student movement with student riots elsewhere, likethe recent ones in London recently.

Fahmi says that there will be a small number ostudent protestors who resort to violence to vent theiranger. But the media is also to blame, and he believesthe medias xation on violence is a method to dis-credit students grouses.

People who have risen up in history and spokenup are seen as troublemakers because they dared toquestion the status quo, he notes.

Small StartWhat should Malaysian students be addressing? Fahmisays some issues are not too dierent rom what stu-dents in other countries ace, such as the ee increasein Britain. University ees here are on the increase too,he observes, with government pushing the provisiono education to the private sector.

Currently, there are already students graduating

Student movementShave been on thefrontlineS ofSocial change.

they were once aforce for changein malaySia in

the 1960s. whathappened, andwhatS beingdone to reviveStudentpower.

A campusis just like amini country,it has its ownconstitutionand populacewherestudentsshouldexperimentwith otherforms ofdemocracy,

rom public universities saddled with studyloans, some as much as RM15,000. Education,however, is a right, and not a privilege by eco-nomic status, he says.

What then is stopping students rom beingparagons o student power?

Fahmi admits that there is a long way to go

beore students can even reach the goals o hav-ing unettered public space on campuses to re-alise their potential.

Not many students are even aware o theoppressive atmosphere in national campuses.Most students do not ask hard-hitting ques-tions, he says.

Besides the UUCA, students have beenconditioned to think o education as a com-modity, or as a pursuit or paper qualications.

A wholesome education should be aboutdeveloping the spiritual side o any student. Itshouldnt be [just] about getting a degree and a

job aer that.But Fahmi still believes there is a growing

momentum towards student power in Malaysia.Tere is a group that will be holding an assemblyat the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on the11 January. Te Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Ne-gara (PMN) or National Student Assembly willgive each student who turns up at the meet achance to talk about issues close to heart. Eachstudent also gets to vote on resolutions to theissues raised.

[Tis] initiative gives hope or democracyin campuses and Malaysia, Fahmi says.

With just a ew days let, preparations or the Students Parliamentat the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Jan 11 are at ever pitch.More than 170 students rom private and public institutes o higherlearning have registered to participate in the assembly, organisedby Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Negara (PMN) or National StudentAssembly.

Each participating student will get three minutes to speak aboutcampus administration issues.

There will be no unheard voices on that day. No issue is too smallor too big, or too irrelevant or us to discuss, said PMN media ofcerDineshweri Puspanadan. Some o these issues might be aboutpersonal saety on campus, or the lack o transportation ater nightclasses.

Students eel that they aren't able to reach the campusauthorities over issues as small as a lack o parking, said Dinesh.

The Students Parliament is seen as a step towards unitingstudents rom campuses around the country. Students, unite! isPMNs rallying cry to those attending the assembly.

PMN hopes that public and private university students can fndcommon ground, and revive the idea o students as change agentsin society, just like the Universiti Malaya student movement o the1960s.

We've seen Fahmi Reza's documentary on the 60's UniversitiMalaya student movement. They were united, and they were evenable to mobilise the public over critical issues in their time, saidDinesh.

The students who raised issues o poverty and deended armersrights were united regardless o ethnicity, said Dinesh. That is thelegacy o the 60s student movement that PMN wants to continue.

She outlines other positive consequences expected as a result othe Students Parliament.

For one, it will be an exercise in participatory democracy. Not onlywill students get to speak but they will also decide on solutions toproblems together and vote on them.

Secondly, it is hoped that the event can help remove prejudicesbetween private and public university students.

Public university students say that private university and collegestudents are arrogant, observed Dinesh. Through the assembly, shehopes that students rom both types o institutions will fnd that theyhave common ground, and will learn to trust each others approachto solving problems.

And perhaps most importantly, PMN hopes that students will learnhow to think or themselves.

We [have been] taught what to think and what not to think, butnot how to think, she said.

PMN is happy with the response rom students nationwide.Thirty percent o those attending are rom private institutes o higherlearning.

Dinesh is hopeul that the students who attend the assembly willreturn to their campuses and empower their ellow students.

Empowering andUniting Students

Fahmi Reza


13/23

14 January 7 9, 2011VIews

Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column byLoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)

where all your profound,abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite,

sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered!

The business of

governing cakes

Should governments beinvolved in business? Con-stipated Baboon, via email

O course! Governments whichare not involved in business are notdoing a good job o governingare they? Rules, regulations, licens-ing, budgeting all sorts o othergoverning-esque doo-dads need tobe done. But the question is , to whatdegree should this involvement be?

Governments can be part othe business market in two general

ways to participate in the market,or to protect the market. Both arecommonplace, worldwide.

Governments participate in themarket via their investment arms, in

which they hold substantial stakes,and have control over the what,

where, which, who, why, and howo the investment considerations.

Problems arise when govern-ments, or these government-linkedcompanies are seen to have an unairadvantage due to either privilegedinormation, avouritism when itcomes to licensing or inrastruc-ture, or in the process by whichtenders or government projectsare awarded.

Malaysians are, sadly, all tooamiliar with these issues.

Some would argue that, in acapitalist market, its all about thesurvival o the ttest. On the suracelevel, one o the most publicly com-

petitive businesses is the telecom-munications industry.

Te major telcos wage price wars

on a daily basis, in terms o theirdevices and voice and data packages.

Consumers benet rom open,air competition! Brilliant right?

But that surace-level view be-comes immeasurably muddied

when one takes a look underwater,

and uncovers the murky depths oissues such as bandwith allocation,licences and tender process or allthings telco-related.

It is then that one realises thatthe governments control over whichcompanies have an easier ride thanothers makes it anything but a level

playing eld.

O course, government interven-tion is sometimes needed in timeso crisis which seem to be a dimea dozen these days such as whenmajor companies collapse, creating adomino eect on the market.

I governments do not step in to

bail out such corporations,they may go under, or be

purchased by a oreign entity.he collapse or loss o

control o such mega corporations would not onlyaect other companies intheir industry, it would aectother industries as well, andcause a nationwide economicdownturn.

here is a balancing actto be achieved companiescannot keep expecting gov-ernments to bail them out

with taxpayers money, anddecisions need to be madeairly, and properly.

Yes, i companies do not take careo themselves, then they should beallowed to ail, but and its a but

which is bigger than that rainbowone on Lord Bobos Aunt Mildred governments cannot be expected tosimply let economies, markets andnations crumble because a companydoesnt deserve a handout.

And this is where the good gov-ernments dier rom the hal-past-six governments.

Good governments ormulate e-ective measures and sets o sensiblerules and regulations in order toavert a major economic or nancialcatastrophe.

Good governments create min-istries staed by responsible leaders

who ensure that these measures,rules and regulations are actuallyenorced, and applied airly.

Dear Lord Bobo, what is withthis apostasy law business? Howwill it afect us Muslims? @la-

dymissazira, via TwitterIn common to many other spe-cies in the galaxy, humans too havea natural aection or their ownreligion. Most o Earths religionshave persecuted those who wish toconvert to another religion, callingit apostasy.

Here, it is only apos-tasy rom Islam that is un-doubtedly the concern oour intrepid questioner.

Article 11(1) o theFederal Constitution en-shrines the right o every

person to proess and practice his orher religion. Te 9th Schedule per-mits States to make Islamic law to beapplied only to persons proessingthe religion o Islam.

Yet, the 2-1 majority FederalCourt decision in Lina Joy (2007)requires any person considered aMuslim by such State law to goto the Syariah authorities or per-mission to renounce Islam. Tisexposes those wishing to convertout to criminal sanction.

In Melaka a ew years ago, AlJa-zeera covered the story o a womancalled Revathi who went to theSyariah court in its civil jurisdictionto get an order to leave Islam, sayingthat she was now Hindu, had mar-ried a Hindu man and had a baby

with her husband.Te Melaka Syariah High Court

exercised its criminal jurisdiction inthat case and sent the woman to bedetained at a rehabilitation centre inUlu Yam, Selangor or six months.

At the end o her rehabilitationperiod, she still maintained that shewas a Hindu but the Syariah Courtreused to allow her to renounceIslam and ordered her into the cus-tody o her ather (even though she

was 28 years old).Negeri Sembilan is the only State

with a procedure within its legisla-tion permitting conversion out,

which imposes mandatory coun-

seling (but without any detention),but ultimately still leaves a discretionto the Syariah court to say no to the

person who wants to leave.Lord Bobo has learnt that the

National Registration Departmentreceived a total o 873 applicationsto remove the word Islam rom

their identity cards between 2000and 2005. Other sources conrmthat the actual numbers are verysmall, and more oten than notinvolve those who had convertedto Islam or reasons o a marriage,and now wish to revert to theirormer religion once their marriagehad ailed.

All aithul are natural lyconcerned when one o their ownchooses to renounce a religionthey believe to be perect andtrue. But the disappointment eltcannot be an excuse to subject thatother person to live trapped in anunwanted ofcial religious identity.

All should be concerned at thegovernment determining whatreligion a person is.

Why does cake-eatingappear so threatening?@Adriene, via Twitter

You must be reerring

t o t h e g o v e r n m e n tmonitoring Universitiunku Abdul Rahman(Utar) students who

protested against the1 0 0 - s t o r e y W a r i s a nMerdeka project by eatingcake at McDonalds onNov 16, 2010.

Eating cake whenupset is a well known

phenomenon. At anindividual level, it is notan act o protest but moreo inding comort andescape rom ones troubles.

his phenomenonhas now been adapted

by those creative studentsand applied in the political sphere.Eating cake as a sign o protest is anew orm o dissent.

People eat cake all the time.How do you tell i they are eating to

protest, or eating to enjoy the cake?What i it is both?

his guerrilla-like methodmust be very disturbing to thecake monitors, who make it theirbusiness to obstruct any publicaction questioning the status quoand the powers that be.

However, the students wereonly exercising their rights to reelyassociate and express themselves asguaranteed under Article 9 o the

Federal Constitution.And by no stretch o the imagi-nation can eating dessert be classi-ed as a threat to public order.

Among the many trivial pursuitso the PDRM, expending their lim-ited resources by sending 14 ofcersto this event surely takes the cake.

Although Lord Bobo already knows your question before youeven knew you had a question, as a practical display of your truedesire to have your query answered, His Supreme Eminencenesshas graciously allowed you to communicate your questions by emailing [email protected], stating your full

name, and a pseudonym if you wish the question to bepublished anonymously (and a good reason for anonymity).

tweeting your questions by mentioning @LoyarBurok andusing the hashtag #asklordbobo.

The rst 100 questions published will receive LoyarBuroksONLY merchandise you ever need (worth a lot for humankind)courtesy of Selangor Times. Now, what the hell are you waitingfor?

Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (although trembling isoptional if you are somewhere very warm)! Liberavi AnimamMeam! I Have Freed My Spirit!

People eat cake allthe time. How do youtell if they are eatingto protest, or eating toenjoy the cake? What ifit is both? This guerrilla-like method must bevery disturbing to thecake monitors, whomake it their businessto obstruct any publicaction questioning the

status quo and thepowers that be.


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15/23


Penang Economic Monthly is a monthly magazine dedicated to socio-economic issues inPenang, offering reliable socio-economic data as well as informative articles on the arts,theindustry, culture and social issues that are relevant to todays generation of Malaysians.

Available nationwide at bookshops and newsstands.www.penangeconomicmonthly.com

Tracking the ulse of Penang

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Students push for rolein nation-building

ByAlvin Yap

SELAYANG:wenty-our new closedcircuit cameras have been installed atcrime-prone hot spots in the municipal-ity here in a bid to step up public secu-rity.

We want to ensure the saety o ourcitizens, said Selayang Municipal Coun-cil (MPS) acting president Mohd JaidEhsan.

He said MPS would start operatingthe CCVs around Bandar Baru Selay-ang, Selayang Utama and Kepong

within a month.Each location has ve CCVs that

are spread out in dierent areas, saidMohd Jaid.

He said the locations were strategi-cally chosen to enable the authorities tomonitor crime in a larger area. heGombak district police headquartersselected the sites or the cameras.

Te CCVs will be monitored byMPS ocers at their oce in BandarBaru Selayang and police at their districtheadquarters.

Tree CCVs are already operating24-hours at the Municipal Council,Selayang Mall and Selayang Capitalshopping centre.

Hi-techmonitoring

to go onlinein SelayangPETALING JAYA: he absence o a

police permit did not stop 450 undergraduatesrom gathering to demand or a greater

political say at Padang imur last Saturday.he Himpunan Mahasiswa Malaysias

(Malaysia Youth and Students DemocraticMovement) gathering was held to support aseries o declarations that would see studentsasking or a larger role in national politics. It

was attended by pro-democracy studentbodies.

In other countries, in Europe or example,students have been able to change government

policies,said Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razak, president o the Political Council oGabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia, orGamis.

He said Malaysias student movement stillhad some distance to go beore it couldinfuence government policies. Tere aremore students now with greater politicalconsciousness, more than beore, but its stillnot enough, he said.

He said student movements must be givenan opportunity to speak out against unair

practices in campus elections. He was reer-ring to universities which avour pro-establishment student bodies and their can-didates.

Isnt having dialogues and giving viewsand opinions a part o education? askedAhmad Syukri on the sidelines o the g ather-ing which was held rom 10am to noon.

But most o all we agree that the Univer-sities and University Colleges Act must be

abolished, he said. He said the act dictates

how studentsshould partici-

pate in campuselections. Headded that theact barred stu-dents rom be-ing involved innational poli-tics, and hence,are preventedrom contrib-uting to nation-building.

He said itwas natural orstudents to bei n v o l v e d i n

politics or masspolitical move-ments as they

wanted to becritical o unjust state and ederal government

policies. In view o this, he said the move-ment would judge the Barisan Nasional andPakatan Rakyat airly.

We are sensitive to the peoples plight,and we are ready to deend them by beingcritical o bad policies and governance. We

will o course contribute to better policiesthat benet the people, he said.

Te student organising committee hadapplied or a police permit or the gatheringtwo weeks ago, said Petaling Jaya City coun-cillor Richard Yeoh. He said police did not

approve the application but nally relented

on one condition: no political speeches bythe students.

Yeoh said he disagreed with the condition.Every speech, especially in matters relatingto student elections and aspirations, is po-litical. How can police say no politicalspeech?

Deputy Higher Education MinisterSaiuddin Abdullah, who expressed supportor the gathering, said there was a need orstudents voices to be heard, and that theirrole in nation-building was important.

Member o Parliament or Petaling Jaya

Utara Hee Loy Sian was also present.


16/23

17January 7 9, 2011Review

The bizarre and the exoticByAlvin Chin

Theres no doubt the Irish love theirspuds but Irelands Potato oers bizarreor exotic (it depends who you ask)

avours or those looking or more than or-inary ries.While it would be impossible to taste all

he avours oered in Irelands Potato in onetting, but or the readers beneft, I gath-red a group o non-proessional gluttons tout their taste buds to the test.

Fortunately we managed to try 10 dier-nt avours rom the outlet. Te specialheddar cheese avours name says it all. Itsheesy cheese has a rich texture, causing ito be sticky. While consuming, let the cheesyries melt in your mouth as the satisactionan be very addictive. It is better to consumewhile it is still warm as the cheese and ries

will glue together when it turns cold.I you want to try spaghetti bolognese on

ries, then order the Ireland chicken meatauce potato chips. It defnitely would notaste as good as the spaghetti but it is worthrying. Dierent people have dierent pre-rences but this avour is not as appetisings it looks on the picture.

Ever wondered how would Pringles tasteke reshly baked rom the oven? Ten tryhe sour cream potato chips avour. Iromise you this avour will not disappointour expectations. Imagine biting a warmringles crisp and you will eel the urge torab another piece.

I can say that honey mustard potatohips might sound appetising but not eve-yone would ancy this avour. I personallyave tried this avour twice and I fnd itood but my partners-in-rime thought otherwise.

Tey complained about thexcessive amount o honeyovering the mustard. I youlace an order or this a-our, do tell them to be attle more generous with

heir mustard.Te wasabi mayonnaise

otato avour is a great ex-mple o an east-meets-westombination. Combiningwo o the countries oldestultures can only mean onehing; a very dierent, yet exotic avour. Tenly catch is the lack o pungency rom the

wasabi. Perhaps it is caused by the thickness the mayonnaise. People who are araid ohe power o the wasabi can ear not as theungency is only very mild.

Te avoury pickle mayonnaise potatoad a unique mixture. Te mixture o saltynd sour avour lived up to its pickle com-

ination with the potato.Te champion o the night went to thegarlic powder potato avour. Although itooked ordinary with garlic powder sprinkledn the ries, the adjustment o garlic avour

was perect. Tere was not much grumblingabout this avour as everyone agreed this wasthe best o the night.

o be honest, we did not know what anordinary nori taste like but while trying outthe nori powder potato, we could only noticethe similarity with the garlic taste. Maybe we

were not accustomed to the avour but i t wasstill worth trying.

Te plum pepper powder potato avour

lived up to its name as it alls under the crazyavour category. Who would have thought oincluding plum avour in an ordinary lookingpotato? Nonetheless, we could hardly taste theplum avour on this choice.

Close your eyes and imagineeating a warm and sweet Frenchries. I know it sounds a little

weird but you can try the cin-namon icing potato avour.Tis is a bad combination as

warm ries already carry a littlesalty taste in it and with themixture o sweet cinnamon, itonly makes it taste weirder.

Some o the avours have toocomplicated combinations,making it sound exotic but

sometimes the taste can go bad.But then again, its up to anindividual to decide his or herchoice o avour.

Ireland Potato outlets arelocated at Sunway Pyramid,Berjaya imes Square and TeGardens, Midvalley.

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Titillating snacks from Ireland.


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18 January 7 9, 2011Features

Of tyres, helmets

and pedalling awayByAlvin ChinH

ave you ever wanted to relivea childhood moment when

you used to cycle around theneighbourhood? We watched mountainbikers manoeuvring around the jungle,dodging potholes and branches ontelevision, and wondered why cant webe like them.

Cycling has been a part o everychilds lie but the habit seems to dieo as a child grows older. Saety issuesand lack o places to cycle could be thereasons or the dis interest.

Back in my childhood days I usedto cycle around my kampung, but nowbecause o trac concerns, I rather notbe bothered to cycle at all, said KoeHoui Yun, an accountancy graduate.

According to Choo Shi Jin, the lacko place or him to cycle ended his cy-cling days. Its boring to cycle aroundthe neighbourhood over and over againand there are also limited sae places tocycle in Petaling Jaya said the twenty-

two-year-old.But now budding cyclists can put

their saety concerns behind. heycan join the Kuala Lumpur MountainBike Hash (KLMBH) to challengethemselves and wander into the orest.A good opportunity to relive the adven-turous spirit o our childhood.

Te KLMBH started in 1994 whena group o 20 riders got together andstarted venturing into orests. It hasgained in popularity through the years,and it now has 230 members .

When I irst started mountainbiking about six years ago, there wereonly about 100 riders but the numbershave increased strongly over the years,said Stanley Ng, who is president oKLMBH.

Ng, 36, who is an I technical man-ager, has been an active mountain bikeror six years. He believes people shouldtake up mountain biking regardless otheir age, gender or occupation.

he idea o a bunch o people(bashers or hounds) cycling aroundan area (typically an oil palm or rubberestate here in Malaysia) ollowing bitso paper (the paper trail) laid earlierby the hare may sound crazy, but notto these adventurers. Tey just love it.o make things more exciting , the papertrail includes a system o checkpoints

and alse trails. A bit like treasure hunt-ing and orienting.Part o the attraction o the bike hash

is that it allows you access new trails, asno two hashes are ever the same. I thehare is particularly adventurous, youmay even be biking in an area totallynew to mountain bikes. Bike hashingis ideal or those who nd racing on aclosed loop antithetical to the mountainbiking spirit o adventure.

For those who have a bike that is keptin the store room, it is time to take it out,

wipe away the dust and pump your tyreswith air. Ten join a bike hash on the

last Sunday o the month and prepare toendure the adrenalin fow in your body.

I you worry your body cannothandle the punishment o thetrails set by KLMBH, have noear. Tere are two categories inevery bash. Te beginners trailis airly easy with no big hills inbetween and the length is only10 to 12 km. his is recom-mended or rst time bikers. Teintermediate trail varies rom bighills, ast down hill and requiresknowledge o technical riding.Riders are expected to complete20 to 25km in the trail.

Do keep in mind that everybash is not a race. Tere are nocompetitions but the commongoal is to complete a course ineach bash. Every participantmust work together to completea loop.

I you are tired o the same oldroutine, then try something new.Grab your old bike and start ped-alling away. Forget about cyclingin parks or housing neighbour-hoods, push yoursel into cyclingin a new environment where you

will be surrounded by nature.

Log on to www.klmbh.orgFind out when and where the next bash is.Show up on that particular day with your bike and helmet.Sign up on the spot.When and where is the next bash?

Jan 30, 2011 (Sunday) at Rubber Research InstituteWhat does it take to be a member?Fill in an application form and submit on the next bash to-

gether with m

selangor times jan 7-9, 2011 / issue 7

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