community May 20 — 22, 2011/ issue 25

TI-M head disputes Christian state claim

Wesak Day: a time for giving

p 4 p 15

may 13: recollections & reconciliation p 12 & 13

• Turn To page 2

Facelift for old flats

By William Tan

Petaling Jaya: Dilapidat-ed low-cost flats throughout Sel-angor may get a new lease of life if a pilot programme to rehabilitate such homes is successful.

The ambitious and first-of-its-kind project is being carried out by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) in collaboration with Veri-tas Design Group, a private com-pany, and Rumah Air Panas, a community-based charity.

The single block at the  Taman Maju Jaya apartments here, which houses 59 families, will be the first to undergo the transformation, which includes renovations and re-furbishments while keeping the physical aspects intact.

"All works are based on the deci-sions made by the residents," said social activist Wong Hay Cheong.

Wong, who mooted the idea, pointed out that many of the resi-dents were forced to move into the flats when squatter settlements were demolished, but the buildings and facilities were hardly adequate.

“The entry of Veritas Design Group, which has contributed RM100,000 and the skills [of their architects], means that is going to change,” said Wong.

As many as 50,000 families were relocated to low-cost flats between 2000 and 2008 under former Men-teri Besar Dr Khir Toyo's Zero Squatter policy which has been crit-icised for creating high-rise ghettos.

Wong said the private firm is car-rying out the project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, having spent the last two years laying the groundwork for the project.

The company has been liaising with the families regularly to get feedback on their needs and help them decide on practical solutions.

Their architects, using the latest technologies and techniques, will remodel the building on a tight budget, which is estimated to be less than RM500,000.

“It is very challenging; almost everything needs to be redone. The wiring is horrible, the roof is leaking, and the septic tank emits an awful stench,” said Veritas Design Group

architect Iskandar Razak.Iskandar added that it was very

difficult to obtain commitments from various parties at the start of the project, with funding still a seri-ous issue.

The success of the project rests on sponsorships for the various compo-nents, such as the supply of metal parts, and the company hopes to

obtain what they need from  their business contacts.

“Despite it all, this is a very im-portant project for us as we believe that a city should not be inhabited by the wealthy only, but by every strata of society. In a way, we are re-juvenating the city,” said Iskandar.

If the pilot is successful, the com-LB_246391_Sun_m14.ai 1 5/12/11 9:56 PM

Keeping abandoned babies safe: Faizah Mohd Tahir (left) demonstrating the use of the baby hatch as local celebrity Datin Sofia Jane looks on.

• STory on page 10

2 May 20 — 22, 2011

News

Kg Kerandang squatters told to withdraw TOL claimBy Brenda Ch'ng

SHAH ALAM: The state govern-ment is advising the 375 illegal squatters of Kampung Kerandang to withdraw their claim for the land’s Temporary Occupational Licence (TOL).

“We found out that only six families are actually living on the land, and we will help them keep their houses.

“However, those who are trying to take advantage of the situation will not be entertained,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

The Menteri Besar said the 12 acres of land which the six families live on will not been tampered with. This includes their houses and madrasa that were donated by the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS).

However, the state government will be writing to LZS to explain how the madrasa was built without approval.

The government will also be seeking clarification from the Im-plementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Depart-ment on how the illegal access roads were built.

An explanation will also be sought from Tenaga National Ber-had on how electrical cables were built in the village without state recognition.

Khalid said the TOL, which was issued in 2001, expired in 2004 and was never renewed.

In 2007, the land was converted into a Malay reserve to replace land in Kuala Langat that was taken over and developed.

The land replacement was not done for the benefit of the villagers in Kuala Langat, but to ensure that the number of Malay reserves is met in accordance with the Na-tional Land Code.

When declared as a Malay re-serve, the land attracted 700 indi-

pany hopes that larger agencies will start getting involved and help carry out the initiative across the state.

On their part, MBPJ has  already endorsed the project and allocated about RM100,000 for it, he added.

“We were really excited when we heard about the project as it was a to-tally new concept to us. We chose the

Taman Maju Jaya [apartments] as the pilot project out of our list of critical low-cost houses,” said Latheefa Koya.

The MBPJ councillor, who is among those championing the initiative, said the location was still considered to be within the bounds of the city centre and near MBPJ offices.

She welcomed public-private initia-tives as both the residents and companies would strive to meet their expectations.

“This project will give the residents a sense of ownership and awareness because of their participation in the process. This is especially important as they will be responsible for the mainte-nance of any new works,” she said.

She added that the project is ex-pected to be completed within six months, and a statewide initiative is likely to be carried out within a year.

Meanwhile, residents are looking forward to the renovation based on artist impressions of their future homes.

“We have been fighting for these basic improvements for 20 years. I cried when I was told we will finally be getting them,” said Mohamed Sahib, the commu-nity’s residential head.

Mohamed said the residents fully understand they will be responsible for the maintenance of the new facilities.

He added that the residents will set up a Joint Management Body ( JMB) to help them fix their own problems in the future.

With the establishment of the JMB, residents will not need to solely rely on the developers as they will be legally empow-ered to seek help from local

governments like the MBPJ.

• From page one

MBPJ allocates RM100,000 for refurbishmentproject

viduals, who demanded for their rights to a piece of the land.

The 700 applicants were enter-tained by the district office, where they were asked to submit their

names and were subsequently charged an application fee of RM10.

Thereafter, a sur veyor was brought in to divide the land

among the 700 applicants.The land in Kuala Kubu Baru,

which encroaches on the Bukit Tarek forest reserve, was then used as profitable cash crop land.

phone (603) 5510 4566fax (603) 5523 1188

email editor@selangortimes.com

EDITORIALCHIEF EDITOR KL Chan

COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville SpykermanWRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,

Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ngCOPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang

DESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man YenPHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong

ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan LooiADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz

Morning

Friday Saturday Sunday

afternoon

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Selangor WeaTHer

Source: Malaysian meteorological department

Snapshot of the Taman maju apartments, contrasted with an artist impression of the new and improved accommodation.

reporters and members of the public came out in droves when Datuk Seri anwar Ibrahim officiated the start of the rejuvenation project on april 15.

To place your Advert in

Contact Timothy Loh 019-2674488,Ivan Looi 014-9366698,

or Vincent Boon 012-8902033

Council to address religious practices by non-MuslimsSHAH ALAM: A community council was held by the state recently to discuss issues related to religious practices by the non-Muslim community that require the state’s attention.

“Three of the seven organisations involved in the council are from Buddhism,” said Tan Sri Kha-lid Ibrahim in a statement on Tuesday.

The Menteri Besar said the council will meet six times a year.

This was to be an increase in the frequency of meetings, which previously were only held twice a year.

He said the community council was held in recognition of the diversity of beliefs that exists in

Malaysia and the religious freedoms guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

“Wesak Day, which represents enlightenment of self and our human relationship with others, is particularly important to understand the realities of our multiracial society,” said Khalid.

He added that each year, despite the state gov-ernment’s financial limitations, an amount of more than RM1 million was distributed to nearly 200 Buddhist places of worship.

“I hope the Selangor Buddhist community will strengthen its resolve to enhance human dignity, respect diversity, uphold justice and fight injustice,” said Khalid.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ MAY 20 – 22, 2011 ⁄ 3

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4 MAY 20 — 22, 2011

NEWS

By Alvin Yap

KUALA LUMPUR: The head of a corruption watchdog group has re-futed allegations that a pact was made during a private dinner in Penang a fortnight ago to turn Malaysia into a Christian state.

“I categorically confirm that no pact or pledge to make Christianity an of-ficial religion or call for a Christian Prime Minister was ever made [at the dinner] on the evening of May 5,” said Datuk Paul Low at a press conference on Wednesday.

Low, president of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International (TI-M), stressed that he was making the statements both on a personal and professional level.

“As [Transparency International] stands for truth, integrity and transpar-ency, I have come forward as the head of the organisation to clarify that noth-ing of the sort happened,” he said.

“I am stepping forward because I was an independent guest, “ Low said, explaining that he was making the statement as a non-political and non-governmental organisation leader.

Low was a guest at the dinner and also a keynote speaker during the con-ference on “ethics and integrity in na-tion-building”.

He stepped forward to clear the air over the allegations which arose from a grainy photograph published by pro-Umno bloggers showing pastors rais-ing their hands in prayer at the dinner.

The bloggers have claimed that the participants had pledged to make Christianity the official religion of the state.

Malay language daily Utusan Ma-laysia has since picked up the news, alleging that a certain political party is in cahoots with the pastors to install a Christian prime minister.

Low said the dinner, a closed-door affair, was sponsored by private indi-viduals, and Christian pastors were praying for elected officials.

He pointed out that the prayers were an “invocation for political can-didates to uphold integrity, fight cor-ruption and govern with justice”.

He said the participants were pray-ing for good governance, social justice and observance of the rule of law and human rights. Low also explained that the lifting of hands in prayer, did not, in this case equate to “swearing” in an official position.

“Do not confuse it with, [say], Obama being sworn into office as the 44th president,” he explained.

Low said he was gravely concerned about the political firestorm that has erupted along the political divide.

He said the issue was not good for nation-building and social harmony in the country.

“It is dangerous, distracting and detrimental,” he added.

Low explained that elected officials must be held accountable for bad governance, and said it was impossible for the nation to move into economic high-gear if it did not tackle corruption and wastage.

On that note, he said the Selangor state government was principally on the “right track”, but needed more political will and commitment to root out corrupt practices among its elected officials and state civil service.

Low pointed out that Selan-gor’s Freedom of I n f o r m a t i o n (FOI) enactment was a right step for the people to keep abreast of g o v e r n m e n t dealings.

However, he said the FOI was just one part of larger “instruments” to ensure compliance and accountability, especially at the state-government level.

He said every public official in the state should be held to account with individual pledges.

“The state executive councillors should make it a point to have state assemblypersons down to the civil servant sign an individual pledge to uphold integrity,” Low explained.

Of greater concern also is the issue of political patronage, he added.

Low said since election campaigns cost a lot of money, elected officials could end up being beholden to “pri-vate contributors”.

“To address the issue, one solution is for the state to provide a allowance of RM7,000 for the running of service centres and staff,” he explained, saying the money should be disbursed regard-less of political affiliations.

Low said issues of governance, in-tegrity and accountability would now be a main deciding factor if Selangor went through state elections now.

“Post-2008, people want a state government that is clean,” he con-cluded.

TI-M head disputes Christian state claim

EVENTSFree Sudoku class for childrenThe Malaysia Sudoku Society and Senior Citizens Association of Selangor and Federal Territory (Secita) will conduct lessons for children aged 10 years and above. The lessons will be held on June 2, 6 and 9 from 10.30am to 12.30pm at the Secita building on Jalan SS 5D/6, Petaling Jaya. Art of Sudoku author Lim Teck Guan will conduct the classes. Admission is free. Call Secita at 03-78063303 from 10am to 5pm on weekdays for more information.

Clinic for leaders, professionalsThe Corporate Coach Academy (CCA) will hold a two-day life and executive coaching clinic from May 27-28. The clinic, which is targeted at corporate leaders and professionals, will be held at Dorsett Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Contact 03-62054488 or log on to www.corporate-coachacademy.com for more information.

International drums performanceThe Hands Percussion Team will hold a concert called Ri Yue Chu Yin (Music from the Sun and Moon) at the KL Performing Arts Centre in June with the Beijing percussion group, The Eight Mallets Percussion. Ticket prices range from RM48 to RM128, and show times are at 3pm on June 11 and 12, and 8.30pm on June 9, 10 and 11. Discounts are available for Hands Club members, HSBC credit cardholders and group buyers. Call KLPac Box Office at 03- 40479000 for bookings.

Self-improvement services Community coaching services in life fulfillment and executive development are being offered to those who want to try out coaching as a self-improvement technique to improve themselves. The Malaysian Association of Certified Coaches (MACC) is offering the coaching services at a nominal fee, and will be including a coaching standards handbook for free. Call 03- 62054488 or visit www.malaysiancoaches.com for details.

Wesak Day processionA procession of floats in conjunction with the Wesak Day celebrations will be held today (May 20). The procession will start from the the Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society at Wisma NBC Klang at 8pm. It will then head from Jalan Meru to Jalan Sireh, travel along the Federal Highway, turn into Taman Berkeley, Taman Eng Ann, and return to the Buddhist centre on Jalan Pekan Baru and Klang Parade. Devotees who wish to take part are advised to arrive at the centre at 7.30pm.

KL-PJ wedding fairThe 3rd KL-PJ Wedding Fair aims to showcase the best of bridal houses from Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur, Bandar Sunway, and SS2 in Petaling Jaya. Visitors will get to experience four shows by the bridal houses. Guests will also stand a chance to win iPads, iPhones, iPod Touch, electric appliances, buffet vouchers, and more through a Spin & Win game. The fair will be held at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre today (May 20) till May 22 from 11am to 9pm.

Pets and aquatics exhibitionThe fourth Malaysia International Pets and Aquatics Exhibition, or Pet World Malaysia 2011, is looking for exhibitors for its event from June 3 to 5. It will be held at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre from 10am to 9pm. Entrance fee is RM5 for adults and RM2 for children. Contact Jonathan Kan at 012-2831520 or Sherman Yeong at 012-2993438.

Chocolate fairThe Malaysia 5th Chocolate Fair 2011 will bring together local and international chocolate makers and confectioners. Apart from delightfully-prepared chocolates, there will also be beauty and health products. Parents can also look forward to learning the art of making chocolates with their children. The fair will be held from May 27 to June 5 at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Super GT3 is backThe third Super GT International Series Malaysia is back in the Sepang International Circuit and will be held on June 18 and 19. Besides the Super GT Race there will be a motor show, stage performances and food festival. For more details, call 603-77128762 or visit supergt.com.my/ticketing.

Paul Low

CorrectionIn last week’s centrespread on Community Policing,

Cassian Baptist is the chairperson of Rukun Tetangga 20A, Taman Paramount and not chairperson for Rukun Tetangga Section 21 SEA Park.

By William Tan

AMPANG JAYA: Despite cam-paigns against bullying, numbers of such cases have not dropped, and a state lawmaker believes such measures are inadequate and misplaced.

Jenice Lee, in response to the latest case involving 13-year-old Kung Way Yan, said the problem lies in three areas: family, a lack of holistic educa-tion, and lack of trained personnel.

“I once visited a home of a victim and found that the father had no clue about his child, not what happened, not the child’s timetable, not even the his child’s age,” said the Teratai as-semblyperson.

She acknowledged that there is no blanket solution to address family problems, but efforts should be spent on education and trained personnel.

On May 11, Kung was dragged out of school grounds and slapped repeat-edly by several schoolmates.

Lee claimed that school authorities had washed their hands of the incident because it happened outside the school compound in Pandan, and the victim has not returned to school since.

Lee said she was barred from enter-ing the school, and the victim did not

receive any apol-ogy from the per-petrators or the people who could have prevented it.

She pointed out that the lack of trained per-sonnel was a real p r o b l em , a n d even police offic-ers stationed in schools to curb bullying were in-a d e q u a t e l y trained.

Schools she has visited don’t seem to know what to do in such situations, and they ei-ther approach it poorly or choose to ignore the problem entirely, she add-ed.

Lee further said that education has to be holistic, and that clubs and ac-tivities should be promoted where students can ex-plore their talents and divert their energies, rather than focus rigidly on studying.

According to

her, most bullies or predators and their victims tend not to be high academic achievers.

“They reach a stage where they have given up and have no self-es-teem. Without a place to channel their energy and frustrations, the strong become predators, and the weak victims,” she said.

Efforts to curb bullying inadequate

Kung and her relatives during the press conference with Jenice Lee (centre) on May 17.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ MAY 20 – MAY 22, 2011 ⁄ 5

6 May 20 — 22, 2011

News

Writing for a better tomorrowBy Basil Foo

KUALA LUMPUR: A collection of stories by Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim titled Someone Had To Say It has been published to influence lawmakers into making chang-es for the better.

“I hope my writings will be able to influ-ence official policymaking processes in ways that are helpful,” said Tunku Aziz.

The author said his writings, which touch on social, economic and political is-sues, consisted of articles he had contrib-uted to the New Sunday Times and Sin Chew Daily.

Tunku Aziz, who is DAP vice-chairper-son, acknowledged that while he was writ-ing to influence policies, it was important for him to take a moderate stance and not be too provocative.

“To make a change in policy, we should articulate our ideas and not be confronta-tional to those who make the policies. [No point] being controversial for its own sake,” he said.

Tunku Aziz, a former vice-chairperson of corruption-monitoring organisation Transparency International, said it is still important for people to be passionate about ideals.

Speaking to reporters at the launch of his book on Wednesday (May 18), he said ev-eryone should feel strongly about certain issues affecting the country today.

“Issues like racial polarisation continue to be an obstacle to orderly integration. This has to do with the policies that are in place,” he said.

He added that discriminatory policies that tend to divide rather than unite have to be abolished.

PAPAN IKLAN KEMPEN SELAMATKAN MALAYSIA: MANSUHKAN ISA

Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan) dengan ini menjemput secara tender terbuka syarikat-syarikat yang berdaftar dengan Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia dalam bidang pengiklanan (billboard) 22.15.03 untuk membekal,

membina dan memasang 56 unit papan iklan Kempen Selamatkan Malaysia: Mansuhkan ISA di semua kawasan DUN di Negeri Selangor.

*Syarikat yang terpilih akan berurusan dengan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan, Pejabat Khidmat Wakil Rakyat dan Pejabat Penyelaras DUN untuk memastikan lokasi yang yang dicadang untuk dibina struktur papan iklan adalah sesuai dan

strategik.

KENYATAAN TENDER

Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan)Tingkat 14, Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah

40503, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan

No Tel: Tuan Nazuri – 03-5544 7601

Dokumen Tender akan dijual bermula pada 25 Mei 2011 hingga 3 Jun 2011 dari pukul 8:00 pagi sehingga 5:00 petang (kecuali Sabtu & Ahad)

Dokumen akan dijual pada harga RM250.00 per set. Bayaran hendaklah dibuat dalam bentuk Cek Bank, Deraf Bank atau tunai kepada:

Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan)

Semua Tender hendaklah diserahkan dalam sampul surat tertutup pada atau sebelum jam 12.00 tgh 7 Jun 2011 di pejabat Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan), Tingkat 14, Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Shah Alam

MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR(PEMERBADANAN)

Know Your Councillor: Yew Boon LyeKLANG: Yew Boon Lye (pic) is planning to improve the facilities in his service zone’s open spaces like playgrounds and exercise areas.

“We already started upgrading Butterfly Park, and will soon be doing maintenance work on the other 20-over parks in my area,” said the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) member.

The full-time councillor said many facilities such as playground equipment for children and basketball and futsal courts were falling into disrepair.

He said the work that was being planned in-cluded upgrading of the drainage system, repair-ing exercise and recreational equipment, and re-painting.

“As the budget we have allocated for this is not so big, we plan to do the maintenance works in parts, and will not be wholly replacing the equip-ment,” he said.

Yew, a second-term councillor, serves the Bukit Tinggi zone under the Port Klang constituency, having served Kapar town previously.

He said the main complaint he receives is of poor road conditions due to neglect by devel-opers.

“The maintenance of most main roads is still the responsibility of the developers, who prom-ised us they would upgrade the road systems late last year,” he explained.

However, the roads have still not been re-paired, which led to increased complaints that forced MPK to issue an ultimatum during their last infrastructure meeting.

The developers were told they had until June before the local council would impose more conditions on their future development projects.

Other complaints revolve around cleanliness issues, which Yew said should be solved by July.

He said the local council would be taking over cleaning operations from Alam Flora by the middle of the year, and expressed confidence that they would be more efficient at it.

He explained that the council could be more responsive when receiving complaints, rather than having to forward the grouses to Alam Flora.

Yew said one challenging aspect of his job is in communicating with council officers, and dealing with their negative thinking and slow response time.

Yew, who previously worked as a personal as-sistant to politicians, enjoys playing badminton and spending time with his wife and two children.

“[Otherwise] 1Malaysia will only remain a slogan,” he cautioned.

Research For Social Advancement (Refsa) executive director Teh Chi-Chang said the book could be read by those interested in local issues as it is in plain English.

He said the book is available in all major bookstores. It has received encouraging re-sponse since being published in March.

Tunku Aziz is a contributing writer for Refsa, an institution which encourages dis-cussions on contemporary issues affecting Malaysians.

Genta Media general manager Cheong Wey Jin said the book is available in hard-cover at RM50 and softcover at RM40.

The publisher has offered a premium pack, which includes Tunku Aziz’s first book, Straight Talk, at RM50 for both books in softcover.

Tunku Aziz signing autographs at the launch.Tunku Aziz holding his book Someone Had To Say It.

7MAY 20 — 22, 2011

NEWS

By Gan Pei Ling

KUALA LUMPUR: Orang Asli communi-ties have pledged their support for the first national inquiry into indigenous peoples’ land rights that will begin next month.

Spearheaded by the Human Rights Com-mission of Malaysia (Suhakam), the year-long inquiry will investigate systemic land problems plaguing indigenous communities in the country.

Shafi Bris, 42, from Pahang, said he was

glad that Suhakam is highlighting and in-vestigating land disputes.

“I hope the inquiry will be able to pro-ceed smoothly and other Malaysians will support this initiative to uphold our native customary land rights,” said the Jahut.

Shafi was attending a community map-ping workshop in Pulau Carey on Tuesday (May 10). His village’s boundaries cur-rently overlap with the borders of Kuala Krau Wildlife Reserve.

Apart from encroachment on their an-cestral land by plantations and logging companies, the Orang Asli often have to deal with border disputes between forest and wildlife reserves and their villages, said Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordina-tor Colin Nicholas.

Nicholas, who is acting as an independ-ent consultant to the inquiry, said the Orang Asli have collected data on 10 separate case studies of land conflicts for the inquiry.

He said grassroots organisations such as the Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Seme-nanjung Malaysia are directly involved and are supportive of the inquiry.On May 10, Suhakam chairperson Tan Sri

Hasmy Agam said the agency decided to launch a nationwide inquiry as they had re-ceived more than 1,000 complaints on native customary land since 2002.

Topping the list is Sabah, with 824 com-

plaints lodged in the past decade, followed by Sarawak (229) and peninsular Malaysia (45).

“The inquiry will examine the root causes of the problems in a comprehensive manner from a human rights perspective, and recom-mend appropriate solutions,” said Hasmy.

He said Suhakam would share ideas with civil society as well as state governments and government agencies, including the Orang Asli Development Department.

When asked if government agencies would willingly cooperate with Suhakam as they are often seen as the “bad guy” in land disputes, Hasmy said it is in the authorities’ interest to take part in the inquiry.

“If they don’t cooperate, then our report will be one-sided. It is in their own interest to respond [to allegations],” said Hasmy.

He added that Suhakam has the power to subpoena witnesses to attend public hearings, but he hoped that Suhakam would not need to resort to such a measure.

“We prefer to invite them. I hope we won’t have to come to that,” said Hasmy, adding that the inquiry’s purpose is not to “point fingers”, but to look for solutions to the indigenous peoples’ land conflicts.

Consultations with stakeholders will begin next month followed by nationwide public hearings in November.

The final report is expected to be ready in June next year.

Orang Asli welcome inquiry on land issues

All seven Suhakam commissioners were present at the national inquiry’s media launch on May 10: (from left) Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, Detta Samen, Suhakam vice-chairperson Prof Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee, chairperson Tan Sri Hasmy Agam, Jannie Lasimbang, Prof Datuk Dr Mahmood Zuhdi Majid and James Nayagam.

8 May 20 — 22, 2011

News

Noisy makeshift hostels annoy neighbours

By Gan Pei Ling

SUBANG JAYA: Neighbours of makeshift hostels, which cater to private colleges in the munici-pality, are voicing their frustration at having to deal with ill-behaved students.

“Some of them like to come home in the middle of the night, or race motorbikes in front of your house. How can we sleep well?”asked Mohd Noor Ahmad, 65, at a dia-logue on Monday night.

The Rukun Tetangga PJS 9 vice-president has received numerous complaints from residents in his neighbourhood.

 A homemaker from PJS 9 said

Hostel operators clear the air with MPSJ

mother of four. One of her children is sitting for

the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) this year.

“My children also need to study. I’ve tried calling the agent, but he just asked me to call the police,” said the woman, who declined to be named for safety concerns.

She added that the agent was often unreachable as he would switch off his mobile phone.

“I’ve also tried contacting the colleges, but they said they were not responsible for the students’ behav-iour [off campus],” she said.

She added that these agents would often advertise to the stu-dents that her neighbourhood is a gated and guarded community, but they have never contributed a sin-gle sen to the scheme.

Many residential houses in areas like PJS 9 and PJS 7 in Bandar Sunway and SS 15 in Subang Jaya have been turned into hostels to

accommodate the increasing stu-dent population at the education hub for the past few years.

Inti International College Sub-ang, Metropolitan College, Tay-lor’s University, Sunway Univer-sity and Monash University are some of the popular colleges lo-cated in the vicinity.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has set up guide-lines to regulate residential and commercial properties converted into hostels to ensure they are not overcrowded.

The guidelines, which will be enforced next month, will also en-sure that these hostels are not reno-vated illegally, comply with safety regulations, and do not cause other traffic problems for residents.

More importantly, consent from neighbours is required before a residential house can be converted into a hostel.

Landlords expressed concern

during the dialogue that they would not be able to get their neighbours’ consent on the matter.

However, MPSJ councillors who attended the dialogue, includ-ing R Rajiv, Dr Loi Kheng Ming and Edward Ling, said it was im-possible to waive the consent.

Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh said the neighbours ought to be consulted as a legiti-mate stakeholder since they would be affected.

Mohd Noor said as a neighbour staying beside a student hostel, he is willing to give consent as long as the agent or landlord can make sure that their students are well-behaved.

“We’re not mean neighbours. Some of us have children studying outstation as well.

“You can make your money, we don’t care, but give us our peace and ask your tenants to behave,” he said.

SUBANG JAYA: Student hostel owners had a heated but fruitful discussion on Mon-day with the local council on new guidelines that will be enforced next month.

The owners were finally able to clarify many contentious points in the 24-page guidelines with the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ).

Under the guidelines, owners must obtain planning approvals, which come with a fee of RM200, and licences from MPSJ before they can convert their residential or commercial properties into dormitories.

Size of house Rooms Max Fee (RM)(square feet) occupants>650 3 6 200>750 3 7 250>850 3 8 300>1,000 3/4 10 350

Annual licence fees for residential houses that are converted into student hostels 

Floors converted Max rooms Fee (RM)1 12 5002 24 7503 36 1,000Annual licence fees for commercial property such as shoplots that are converted into student hostels

All operators, regardless of when their dormitories or hostels were set up, must com-ply with the guidelines or face action.

“We’re willing to comply with the safety and cleanliness guidelines, but some of the conditions in the guidelines are unreasonable,” said Eric Oh from SS15.

Oh, who is renting his house to three stu-dents, posed questions to the local authority on behalf of other owners from his area.

He said some parents are uncomfortable with having their children’s names displayed publicly at hostel entrances.

Under the guidelines, hostel operators are required to list down the students’ names at the gate of a residential house or in the main

entrance route for commercial buildings.

“It should be sufficient for us to submit the names and their colleges to MPSJ in pri-vate [for the local authority’s record or monitoring purpos-es],” said Oh.

Councillors who were at the dialogue, including R Rajiv, Dr Loi Kheng Ming and Edward Ling, said they would look into the matter.

Rajiv said the guidelines were not meant to make life difficult for the owners, but to address overcrowding in some of the hostels.

The council has found more 20 students packed into an illegally renovated house previously.

Consequently, residential houses are disal-lowed from renovating their premises to add more rooms.

A double-storey house that has four rooms is only allowed to house a maximum of 10 students.

Also present at the dialogue were MPSJ Building Depart-ment director Nor Azmi Mohd Rosli, Licensing De-partment senior assistant di-rector Ismail Salim, Urban Planning Department assis-tant director (development and enforcement plan) Haz-man Mahayuddin, and Subang Jaya's new Fire Department chief Mohd Khairi Daud.

Oh also raised the prob-lem of obtaining neighbours’

consent to convert residential premises into dormitories. 

Nor Azmi said MPSJ could review their applications on a case-by-case basis.

The full version of guidelines is on http://bit.ly/MPSJhostelguidelines.

her family has had to put up with the nuisance since three years ago when her neighbour’s house was converted into a hostel.

“One of the students would play basketball in the middle of the night in his room. How are we supposed to sleep?” asked the

Mohd Noor: Some race motorbikes in front of the house.

(From left, seated) Rajiv,

Ling, Nor Azmi, Dr Loi, Mohd

Khairi, Hazman and Ismail.

Oh: We’re willing to comply.

9MAY 20 — 22, 2011

NEWS

By Chong Loo Wah

BALAKONG: Residents in Ta-man Karunmas are living in fear after a landslide damaged a retain-ing wall in their backyard two weeks ago.

Chan Yuk Eng said she heard a loud bang as mud and debris crashed into the 100m-long wall.

“We hope the local council will repair the wall soon,” said the 67- year-old.

Chan, who has been living there for a decade, pointed out that this was not the first landslide.

She said landslides have been occurring ever since a developer started cutting down trees on the

hill a few years ago.Once, a severe landslide blocked

the back alley of 11 homes, render-ing them completely inaccessible.

Teo Nie Ching said the devel-oper should help residents resolve the long-standing issue.

The Serdang Member of Parlia-ment said the developer has been passing the buck to Kajang Mu-nicipal Council (MPKj) instead of taking responsibility.

MPKj councillor Lee Kee Hiong said the municipality had spent RM200,000 to build the retaining wall after an earlier landslide two months ago.

She added that MPKj would take legal action against the developer.

Another RM180,000 has also been spent for a consultant to carry out geological studies to find a solu-tion to stop the recurring landslides.

The study is expected to be com-pleted in two months.

Teo, Lee, councillor Datuk Noorhisham Ishak and MPKj sen-ior engineer Fadilah Razalli visited Taman Karunmas on May 9.

Lee said MPKj would also or-ganise a conference on hillside management next month, bringing together engineers from eight local governments to learn more effective hillside management methods.

Eight out of the 12 local au-thorities in Selangor are responsible for managing hill slopes.

Living in fear of landslides

By Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: Expect a shorter waiting period for land transfer cases when the Selangor Land and Mines Department fully comput-erises its filing system.

“The department’s daily opera-tions, especially the record-keeping of land titles, will be more effi-cient,” said director Datuk Abd Nasir Hassan at the State Secre-

tariat on Monday.Abd Nasir said the computerisa-

tion will cut down on errors in processing land transfers, especially in the key departments that deal with registration of ownership and strata titles.

He pointed out that the depart-ment was maintaining status quo in terms of employed staff.

“Instead, to manage the work-load, the department will invest

heavily in Information Technology systems,” he said.

He added that the department will be auditing its daily operations and will streamline its procedures and computerise the process.

The ceremony was attended by  State Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim and  Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who gave out the awards to 200 staff.

Land and Mines Dept to be fully digital

(From left) Lee, Teo, Noorhisham and Fadilah inspecting the site with residents on May 9.

Menperkenalkan pusat perniagaan baru yang terletak ditengah-tengah kawasan Bukit Serdang- Pusat Perdagangan MERCHANT AVENUE merupakan sebuah pusat perdagangan yang menawarkan peluang yang tidak terhad bagi perniagaan dan pelaburan dengan pilihan bagi 3½ Tingkat dan 5½ Tingkat Kedai Pejabat.

APT. ORKID

APT. DAISY

TAMANPERINDUSTRIANBUKIT SERDANG

VILLA PAVILION(VILAMAS)

TAMAN BUKITSERDANG

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MINES WATER FRONTBUSINESS PARK

THE MINES (LAKE)

PALACEOF THE

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SUNGEI BESITOLL PLAZA

TURF CLUB

MINT HOTEL

SAPURA BUILDING

MOSQUE

BHPMOBIL

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FROM NOUTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY

TO SERDANG TOWN

JALAN PBS 4/1

FROM BUKIT JALIL

FRO

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TO SERI

JALAN 14/3

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FROM KUALA LUMPUR

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PELAN LOKASI

Pembiaya Pinjaman:

• Status Tanah: Pegangan Bebas • Pajakan: Maybank • No of units: 49 • Pihak Berkuasa Yang Meluluskan: MBSJ • Rujukan Kelulusan Perancang: MPSJ 250/560

All plans, information, specifications and measurement contained herein are subject to change without notification as may require by relevant authorities or project consultantd and cannot form part of an offer or contract. While every reasonable care has been taken in providing this information, the developer or its agents cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. All illustrations and images are artist’s impression only. The items are subject to variations and substitutions as may be required by the architect and/or relevant approving authorities.

Galeri Jualan: Lot 6-001, Endah ParadeNo. 1, Jalan 1/149E, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-9056 5601 (Cik Siti / Ms March) (Waktu Operasi: Isnin-Jumaat, 9.00pagi-6.00petang atau melalui temujanji)

Pemaju:

25’ x 72’3½ Tingkat Kedai Pejabat

Keluasan Lantai: 6,200 kaki

Jenis A Jenis C 40’ x 72’5½ Tingkat Kedai Pejabat

Keluasan Lantai: 14,594 kaki

1 Pulangan Pelaburan yang tinggi

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3 Pegangan Bebas

4 Peluang baru untuk mengembangkan perniagaan

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8 Pemaju yang dipercayai dengan rekod

pemajuan yang terbukti

Pusat Perdagangan Merchant Avenue

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sebab mengapa pelaburan ini akan membawa kejayaan!

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• Percuma fee guaman bagi SPA

DI BUKA UNTUK JUALAN

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Kejayaan bermula di sini…

By Brenda Ch’ng

SHAH ALAM: Both the state and federal governments will meet again to resolve the long-standing issue of the restructuring of the Selangor water services industry and the con-struction of the Langat II water treatment plant. 

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the four-year dispute would be discussed and hopefully resolved in a special meeting sched-uled for the first week of June.

“One of the agendas will be to determine if the notice of construc-tion of water treatment plants at Sungai Langat or Langat II will be issued in the near future,” he said.

Khalid hoped that all parties

would be able to come up with an agreement so that the state govern-ment could give the water treatment project the green light soon.

Khalid added that the state had no objection to approving the water treatment plant project, but wanted the restructuring issue resolved first. 

The water treatment plant, which is part of the Pahang-Selangor Inter-state Water Transfer Project, is tar-geted to be completed by 2014 due to concerns over water shortages. 

However, Khalid said the state has more than enough water to sustain residents until 2019.

Khalid added that the restructur-ing of the water industry would help improve water supply services and maintain reasonable tariffs.

More negotiations to break water deadlock

10 May 20 — 22, 2011

News

Residents seek help to repair roofs

By Brenda Ch’ng

PETALING JAYA: The rise in the num-ber of baby dumping cases in Selangor has pushed Orphan Care to set up a second baby hatch in Ulu Klang, Kuala Lumpur.

The second hatch will be up and running within the year, following the successful launch of the first baby hatch in Petaling Jaya in May last year.

“ We want unwed single mothers to know that they can drop off their unwant-ed babies in a safer location now, instead of in public toilets and rubbish bins,” said Faizah Mohd Tahir.

The president of Orphan Care said their mission is to find suitable loving homes for abandoned babies and orphans.

She believes every child should be blessed with a family and not be placed in orphan-ages for the rest of their childhood years.

“We have about 600 families in our system who are desperately wanting to adopt a child. Who knew that babies are in such high de-mand?” said Faizah.

Of the 600 on the waiting list, 100 families have already been through screening and in-terviews.

These are done to ensure that the families can provide a conducive and comfortable en-vironment for their future adopted children.

Since the launch of the first-ever baby hatch in the country, Orphan Care has seen a deposit of two to three babies each month, totalling 30 babies dropped off a year.

The babies are left by unwed mothers aged

PORT KLANG: Residents of Taman KEM flats are turning to the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) and state government for funds to repair their dilapidating roofs.

“The roofs for all the five blocks are either filled with holes or are collapsing,” said resident Daud Ismail.

Ismail said wooden structures which are supposed to be holding the roofs in place are broken and dangling

from the top.He expressed fear that residents who

use the corridor might get injured if the structures collapse.

The resident said the 464 units in the 30-year-old building have been a death trap for residents for at least a decade.

Children and the elderly walking along the corridors or stairs run the risk of losing their balance and falling off due to the missing railings.

At night, snakes emerge from the neighbouring swamps to sleep in car engines, and during the day, monkeys sneak into homes to look for food.

There are piles of rubbish every-where, and thick cobwebs line the stairs and walkways.

Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago has pledged to organise a go-tong-royong to clean up the rubbish and repaint the walls of the building.

“I can’t fix the roofs and railings with my limited funds, but I will organise a meeting with MPK and the state government to come up with a solution,” said Santiago.

Santiago was shocked by the living conditions when he visited the flats on May 11.

He said the safety of the residents is most important and replacing roofs and railings should be done immediately by both MPK and the state government.

Santia g o expresse d hope that MPK will col-lect rubbish strewn around the area.

Santiago will assist resi-dents’ representative Daud to form a joint manage-ment body to help improve the condition of the flats.

More baby hatches to patch broken families

Faizah (far left) with

members of the Orphan Care team

at a baby hatch box.

Missing railings along corridors of three floors.Residents trying not to fall off the side of the stairs. Roofs with holes.

RM15milfor education in SelangorSHAH ALAM: The state government aims to increase teaching quality and improve school facilities through yearly allocations of over RM15 million.

“The allocations are to those who have not been getting financial assistance from the Education Ministry,” said Tan Sri Kha-lid Ibrahim.

The Menteri Besar, in his address in conjunction with Teacher’s Day, said it is important to understand that education in the state is under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

However, he said, Selangor, despite its financial limitations, will render small-scale assistance – such as schoolbags and books for needy students – where necessary.

Khalid said the state government also holds a number of education-related initia-tives, such as providing state-owned colleges and universities.

He also acknowledged the increase in al-lowance for Kafa (Fardhu Ain basic class) teachers through a zakat allocation to pro-vide a better compensation for the teachers.

Selangor also allocates a yearly amount of RM3 million for youth activities.

“These include culture, sports, volun-teerism and entrepreneurship,” said Khalid during his National Youth Day address on Tuesday.

He also said many young people fail to see their voices represented by existing youth organisations, and advised youths to be more aware and active in upholding hu-man dignity and freeing people from pov-erty and injustice.

between 18 and 35 years old. In most cases, these mothers were abandoned by their part-ners, leaving them no choice but to give up their babies.

After dropping off their babies, mothers have to go through a round of counselling provided by Orphan Care to make sure giving up their baby is what they really want.

Once the baby is given to the centre, families on the waiting list will be contacted immedi-ately. They will be able to see if the baby is the right one to complete their family puzzle.

“The babies we get don’t stay for long in our centre, as I think it is healthier for babies to be in a family environment as soon as possible,” said Faizah.

The babies are usually placed in families within two to three days of their arrival.

A two-year probationary period will be given to the adoptive parents, where Orphan Care will visit the babies at their new homes

to make sure they are well taken care of.Orphan Care also helps parents who are

elderly to find children to adopt from or-phanages.

As of this year, Orphan Care has helped place eight orphaned children between the ages of three and 12 in the care of proper families.

To allow for more baby hatches to be set up around Malaysia, Orphan Care is asking for support from the public.

Whether voluntary or monetary, Orphan Care is seeking long-term help so that they can set up their organisations in needy places like Kelantan and Sarawak, and in rural parts of Selangor.

Their upcoming fundraiser dinner will be held tomorrow (May 21), and the public is invited to contribute as they wish.

For more information, contact the centre at 03-78761900.

11May 20 — 22, 2011

views

Leaving and arriving: The non-place

Students should be consulted, tooThe history subject in Malay-sian secondary schools has been politicised to such an extent that it does not interest students any-more. Unfortunately, the govern-ment leaders still do not know why the subject no longer inter-ests students. 

Schools exist to provide educa-tion that enables and empowers students to contribute to society and the nation. Yet there is a con-certed effort to tamper with the syllabus by erasing the diverse, multiethnic and multireligious fabric of our country.

Schools should be free of in-doctrination, evangelism and rac-ism if we as a nation are to compete with other countries. Sadly, the education Ministry seems more concerned with producing colour-

ful and glossy his-tory textbooks.

The m in istr y only reacts and in-forms the public that they seek teach-ers’ views when there is a public out-cry. Do the ministry officials ever take students’ views, since they are the main stakeholders?

The syllabus is also too narrow as students are are now well ex-posed to worldviews through the internet and other alternative media. Therefore, it is not possible to impose parochial and dogmatic views on their minds.

It is important that the minis-try takes an inclusive approach to not only history, but also Moral Studies through consultations

with student represen-tatives. Students’ aspi-rations and expecta-tions must be factored in the formulation of the syllabus.

The current govern-ment says it is con-

cerned about brain drain, and spends millions of taxpayers’ mon-ey to woo them back. But at the same time, it is only making super-ficial and primitive changes to our education system.

We need more proactive and inclusive action, not shallow prom-ises from the government to encour-age Malaysians to come back.

Let’s improve history to make it more inclusive.

Senator S Ramakrishnan

Tripping Zero 3 Sharyn Shufiyan

A Caucasian couple with a toddler on tow walked out of the arrival hall. As the parents’ attention was focused on a row of men holding up name placards,

the toddler, lying face down, dragged himself along the marble floor, as if licking it, then got up and mischievously scurried away.

Luckily his mother turned around just in time to run after him, before he got lost among other worn-out travellers streaming out into the hall. Airport transitions sometimes take a while, and children usually devise their own ways to keep themselves busy.

My mother is an avid traveller. ever since we were young, we would travel during the school holidays. My brother and I used to have a blast playing with the luggage trolley, pushing each other as my mother did all the adult stuff – checking in, luggage drop, determining the gates. To other people, we may have been a nuisance.

I had never really known the airport process until my first solo travel experience at age 19. Although I was already familiar with airports, it is different when you’re travelling alone. I felt independent. I felt free. I was ready to leave home.

I love airports. I love the feeling of walking up to the departure board and figuring out your check-in counter. I love walking through immigration, past the duty-free shops and towards the departure gate. I love lugging my hand-carry around the halls and walkways. I love watching the planes take off and touch down. I even love the sound your shoes make on the aerobridge.

I love leaving every time, but most of all, I love coming home.

The Kuala Lumpur International Airport, or KLIA, is located in Sepang and takes about one hour to reach by car from the city centre. Opened in 1998, KLIA is one of the largest airports in Southeast Asia.

At RM8.5 billion, the building of KLIA was dubbed Malaysia’s most ambitious and one of the biggest construction projects in the world, with 450 project teams, more than 26 design contracts , and 80 construction contracts.

The majestic structure of glass and concrete which forms the main terminal building is huge and spacious. Perhaps due to its large spaces and low traffic of travellers (although Wikipedia states that KLIA is the 17th busiest airport in

the world as of 2010), it is relatively quiet, even amid the hustle and bustle of arriving and departing people. This is a stark difference to its annexe, the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

KLIA is the primary gateway for international visitors, and first impressions matter. KLIA appears modern, competent and stylish, the face of a developed nation. But I personally prefer the smaller and quaint small-town airports, where the arrival and departure halls are one, and when you walk out across the aircraft parking bay, the engines of the aircraft purr in the background.

Airports like KLIA see a lot of movement. It is what French Anthropologist Marc Augè termed a “non-place”, spaces of such temporary and transient activity that do not have the significance of being called a “place”.

These places retain little or no traces of engagement or interaction.We spend most of our time at the airport either waiting for our flight, or for family or friends (or in the case with LCCT, delays).

The infrastructure of airports is such that it is actually comfortable to be spending a lot of time there, with amenities such as VIP lounges, Wi-Fi, cafés, shops and banks.

Writer Alain de Botton even lived in heathrow airport as its writer-in-residence, observing and documenting the interactions of staff, executives and travellers that pass through.

Airports are also appearing in movies such as Terminal, Up in the Air and Going the Distance , featuring the state of liminality as part of its discourse. Life at the

airport has also been made into reality TV in the form of Border Security: Australia’s Front Line, which follows the work of Aus tra-lian customs and immi gration officers.

But airports remind me of the relationships and people we come into contact with as we go on in life.

We meet new people and form new relationships. Some of these may work, while others falter and we never see these people again. Our lives are continuously moving and changing , and while we as indi viduals remain unmoving , l ike the infrastructure of the airport building, our relationships are fluid.

Like l ife itself, nothing is permanent. As we learn new things from the people we come into contact with and create new experiences, we also go through loss and departures – and I do not mean only in a macabre way.

As I sit here in the main terminal building, I realise that I do not adapt well to change, especially when someone decides to take the outbound flight out of my life. You get so accustomed to having them around that when they’re gone, you feel a sort of vacuum, as if this person had never existed and you had dreamt his or her presence.

Like the person you had just brushed shoulders with while waiting for your luggage: for a split second, the person existed as you acknowledged his or herpresence, but as you move on, that person is but a distant memory.

Although KLIA may be a non-place, a transitory ground, it bears witness to a lot of emotions being exchanged, feelings of happiness, sadness, anxiety, exasperation, fatigue.

KLIA has seen some of my most heartbreaking moments, its floors has felt the wetness of my tears. I had uttered some of the most difficult goodbyes I could ever have said in my lifetime. But it is a capsule made of glass and steel,

encapsulating these emotions within its walls. For as soon as you step out, you leave the emotions behind and you move on.

The state of being is temporary; we are constantly moving, leaving and arriving. But when someone significant finally arrives, that wonderful, glorious feeling of anticipation and sheer joy surges through you. Although the feeling is temporary, it is heavenly.

And every so often, the familiar jingle comes on: “Flight Mh1 London to Kuala Lumpur is now arriving.”

12 May 20 — 22, 2011InsIght

May 13: Recollections and Reconciliation

Retelling different narrativesWhat do you know about May 13? What actually happened that led to the racial riots in Kuala Lumpur?

a reading of various stories of May 13 was presented from May 11 to 13 in Penang and May 14 in Kuala Lumpur.

 “The purpose of staging it is to provide an avenue and space for interested people to think and reflect on May 13,” Chee Sek Thim, the director, told Selangor Times in an interview last Saturday.

Grim official accounts as well as heart-warming personal stories collected from books, government reports and the media were shared at the reading titled I was 13 at the time. On the day it happened….

“The different texts reflect the different as-pects of May 13. For example, personally, I wasn’t aware of the extent of the provocation by the opposition,” said Chee.

“Melayu sudah jatoh!” and “Kuala Lumpur sekarang China punya!” were some of the in-sults hurled during a demonstration to cele-brate the opposition’s breakthrough in the 1969 general election, according to Goh Cheng teik’s The May Thirteenth Incident and Democ-racy in Malaysia published in 1971.

For the first time in our country’s history, the opposition denied the alliance a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Penang and Kelantan also fell to the opposition, while Selangor and Perak’s assemblies hung in the balance.

according to Goh’s writings, Umno had planned a counter-rally against the opposition on May 13, 1969 following the loss of non-

Malay electoral support before racial clashes broke out subsequently.

The riots left at least 137 people dead and 342 injured, according to official statistics. Curfews were imposed and a state of emer-gency was declared on May 15.

Parliament was suspended and the National Operations Council, led by then Deputy Prime Minister tun abdul Razak, was formed to run the country until 1971.

Chee noted that another historian, Farish a Noor, had questioned the reason for a na-tionwide declaration of emergency when the

clashes were confined to a few cities and towns in peninsular Malaysia.

No trouble was reported in states like Kelantan, terengganu, Johor as well as in East Malaysia.

In addition, affirmative action policies such as the New Economic Policy (NEP) were put in place by the government to address the economic imbalance between the races after May 13.

“The incident inspired policies that affect every Malaysian. It’s extremely important for us to know where these policies came from, why

we are in the situation we are in today, and the events and circumstances that had led the country to take the direction that it has taken [since 1969].

“With knowledge, we can break down fear and think rational ly when politicians threaten us with another May 13,” said Chee.

a production of Five arts Centre and Pocketsize Productions, the three readings in Penang were attended by close to 110 people while the two in Kuala Lumpur attracted about 100 people.

The readings were per-formed by Foo May Lyn,

(From left) Shah Zainal, Foo May Lyn, Chee, Surin and Dass.

(From left) Foo May Lyn, Shah Zainal and Dass presenting the readings of different May 13 stories collected from a variety of sources, including books, government reports and the media.

By Gan Pei Ling

“No no no, don’t talk about bad things, I cannot remember anything, bad things are better left forgotten. Forget it,” Foo May Lyn’s

mother told her.Foo, a theatre arts performer, had asked her

mother about the May 13, 1969 incident as she was going to present a reading of selected May 13 stories in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

More than four decades have passed since 1969, but the ghosts of the racial tragedy have continued to haunt Malaysia. Not everyone who has lived through it has gotten over it.

“I remember my mother telling us that some boys had thrown stones at her windscreen when she was driving to school,” Foo told Selangor Times.

her mother was a teacher in Jelutong, Penang and Foo was only five years old then.

Some Malaysians who had lived through the racial riots do not want to speak about it due to the gruesome memories it invokes.

Dead bodies. Burnt buildings. Damaged ve-hicles. Empty streets. Who would want to recall such things?

tan Siew Leng (not her real name), 61, is one of the survivors of May 13.

On that fateful day, she was attending a short-hand class on Jalan tong Shin terrace and was told to return home at about 5.30pm.

The streets were quiet and there were no buses, so she started to walk home, passing Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Pudu.

“I saw people running and shouting. In a panic, I ran all the way home. It must have been four miles,” said tan.

her family was living on Jalan Doraisamy on the border of Kampong Bahru, where the riots reportedly started.

“I thought I was going to live through a war. Initially I was excited for I was a silly 19-year-old then, but that was short-lived,” the public relations director recalled.

Despite warnings from her father to stay away from the windows, tan stole glances at the streets through drawn curtains from the windows upstairs. She switched off the lights to make sure nobody from the streets could see her.

“Rumours were rife. You can hear gunshots, people screaming, and see nearby houses or build-ings going up in flames,” said tan.

The most violent clashes in Kuala Lumpur were reportedly concentrated in Kampong Bahru and its surrounding areas like Chow Kit Road.

Curfews were imposed on May 14 and a state of emergency was declared on May 15. Parliament was suspended, and the country was run by the National Operations Council led by former Prime Minister tun abdul Razak.

Government statistics reported that 137 people were killed, 342 injured and 2,912 people, mostly curfew breakers, were arrested at that time.

hassan Muthalib, 66, recalled that he was on his way to join a counter-rally against the opposition’s post-1969 election celebrations at then Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk harun Idris’ residence.

“While I was walking out of my house, I saw a Chinese guy on motorbike speeding past and people were throwing things at him but he man-aged to get away, so I decided to stay home,” said the filmmaker.

Born in Kedah and raised in Penang, hassan

only came to Kuala Lumpur in 1964. he was stay-ing with other bachelors at a house on hale Road (now known as Jalan Raja abdullah).

“On that evening, I also saw someone attacking a woman. I could see it from my door but I didn’t want to look after that,” he told Selangor Times.

It was as if normal people had lost their san-ity, he added.

On that night, everyone in his house gathered and stayed together in one place.

“Somebody came around to sell parangs, so we bought some for self-defence,” he added.

Some of the troublemakers had slept on the verandah outside the house. The police raided the area at three to four in the morning and ar-rested them.

“I don’t know where they came from, or if they were paid to create trouble,” said hassan, adding that he also hid away their weapons to avoid get-ting into trouble with the police during the raids.

The next morning, hassan saw army trucks entering his area to enforce the curfew.

When the curfew was lifted, hassan and his housemates went into the abandoned shops to look for food.

It was a while before everything calmed down, and people were not afraid to come out and return to work again.

hassan was working for Filem Negara then.“I remember my director-general sent some

men to film the riots, but much of the material was destroyed after that,” he said.

he added that the working crew at Filem Ne-gara was multiracial, and they got along very well with one another.

Lucille Dass, who was a teacher in her 20s in

1969, never understood why and how the racial riots occurred, until today.

“as a people we were okay with each other, living peacefully together. how could this have happened?” said Dass, who was teaching in SMK Dato hamzah in Klang then.

her school principal had asked them to go home early on May 13.

“We were told not to come back to work until we were instructed [to do so],” said Dass.

She did not witness any clashes.“I saw smoke. I was so young then, I didn’t

understand what was happening, I wasn’t as politi-cally savvy as I am now.

“I was staying with a Chinese family with an-other Chinese roommate. Personally I don’t know anyone who got hurt … but we heard that people were killed and we were frightened and I cried,” said Dass, recounting the sleepless nights.

When asked how she and the people around her got over the traumatic experience, she said: “Of course we talked about it among ourselves. When we went back to work, people shared their experiences.

“But we didn’t dwell on it too much, even though we were left wondering. Until today I’m still wondering how it really could have hap-pened,” said Dass.

although several books have been written on the subject, details about the matter remain sketchy in our history textbooks.

Most young people know little about the riots or where to look for more information about this episode in our history.

This is despite that May 13 had resulted in the formation of the New Economic Policy (NEP)

Foo: Only five years old then.

Dass: Teacher in her 20s.

Shah: Heard stories from his grandparents.

Shah Zainal and Lu-ci l le Dass , while journalist Jacqueline ann Surin handled the text.

among the find-ings Surin discov-ered when research-ing for this project were the multiple narratives of May 13 that Malaysians are generally not ex-posed to in main-stream education.

For instance, she said one scholar who reviewed different accounts of the riots did not find any clear evidence to support the theory that May 13 was started because there was a plot in the Razak camp to overthrow tunku abdul Rahman.

In addition, while some had blamed former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk harun Idris for starting the riots as he had called for a counter-rally, a witness had seen him trying to calm the crowd.

“Based on the research I did for the read-ing, there’s no clear black and white, it’s difficult to pinpoint who is to blame for the riots because everything is so nuanced,” said Surin, who is also the editor and co-found-

May 13: Recollections and Reconciliation

(From left) Shah Zainal, Foo May Lyn, Chee, Surin and Dass.

1969, never understood why and how the racial riots occurred, until today.

“As a people we were okay with each other, living peacefully together. How could this have happened?” said Dass, who was teaching in SMK Dato Hamzah in Klang then.

Her school principal had asked them to go home early on May 13.

“We were told not to come back to work until we were instructed [to do so],” said Dass.

She did not witness any clashes.“I saw smoke. I was so young then, I didn’t

understand what was happening, I wasn’t as politi-cally savvy as I am now.

“I was staying with a Chinese family with an-other Chinese roommate. Personally I don’t know anyone who got hurt … but we heard that people were killed and we were frightened and I cried,” said Dass, recounting the sleepless nights.

When asked how she and the people around her got over the traumatic experience, she said: “Of course we talked about it among ourselves. When we went back to work, people shared their experiences.

“But we didn’t dwell on it too much, even though we were left wondering. Until today I’m still wondering how it really could have hap-pened,” said Dass.

Although several books have been written on the subject, details about the matter remain sketchy in our history textbooks.

Most young people know little about the riots or where to look for more information about this episode in our history.

This is despite that May 13 had resulted in the formation of the New Economic Policy (NEP)

Shah Zainal and Lu-ci l le Dass , while journalist Jacqueline Ann Surin handled the text.

Among the find-ings Surin discov-ered when research-ing for this project were the multiple narratives of May 13 that Malaysians are generally not ex-posed to in main-stream education.

For instance, she said one scholar who reviewed different accounts of the riots did not find any clear evidence to support the theory that May 13 was started because there was a plot in the Razak camp to overthrow Tunku Abdul Rahman.

In addition, while some had blamed former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Harun Idris for starting the riots as he had called for a counter-rally, a witness had seen him trying to calm the crowd.

“Based on the research I did for the read-ing, there’s no clear black and white, it’s difficult to pinpoint who is to blame for the riots because everything is so nuanced,” said Surin, who is also the editor and co-found-

er of The Nut Graph.“And there were also all these incredible

stories of Malays helping Chinese; Chinese helping Malays; Indians, Chinese and Ma-lays helping [one another] …

“But I think a lot of Malaysians may not be aware of this other aspect of race relations during the clashes. I’m sure there are more such stories out there.

“Malaysians should be exposed to more diverse narratives to reclaim back what re-ally happened at that time,” said Surin.

She hopes more people will take an active interest in the country’s history, especially alternative narratives that had not made it into official or mainstream history.

“I’m not a historian, this is just my tiny effort to popularise the diverse history of Malaysia.

“If only more people understand our history, we would be less influenced by the political rhetoric of the day and be more appreciative of what we have today,” she said.

that continues to shape Malaysians’ everyday lives and affect racial relations in the country.

No truth and reconciliation commission was ever set up to find out more about May 13.

However, in the past few years, newspapers have published heartwarming accounts of different people taking care of each other during the riots.

In a series of news reports about the incident in theSun in 2007, a Malay volunteer recounted saving a Chinese man from being beaten up in Setapak.

Multiracial residents in Laman Peel, Kuala Lumpur also united to protect their neighbour-hood and stop troublemakers from harming others, in the same series of reports.

More such stories have surfaced in other media subsequently. If anything, such stories demon-strate that Malaysians are capable of rising above violence and racial boundaries in times of need to care for one another.

In order to move forward as a nation and pro-vide proper closure to the tragedy, Malaysians, regardless of race, need to stop treating the subject as taboo.

Forty-two years have passed. Malaysians are mature enough to talk about May 13 openly now and share with one another the stories that have been hushed up for far too long.

Hassan: Saw army trucks on the morning of May 14.

The view from Hassan’s home on Hale Road on the morning of May 14, 1969.

Hassan said people only dared to go back on the streets around a week after May 13, while Tan said the streets in Kuala Lumpur were deserted on the anniversary of the incident over the next few years.

Burnt houses off Hale Road.

Some of the shops in Kampung Pandan were set on fire during the riots. (Photos courtesy of Hassan Muthalib)

14 may 20 — 22, 2011

views

Yeoh and some of the Subang Jaya beneficiaries giving the thumbs-up to the Food Bank programme.

Change your life, change Malaysia!

By Alicia Mun

sUBANG JAYA: Thirty needy families re-ceived their first monthly supply of basic food items during the launch of the Subang Jaya Food Bank initiative last Saturday.

This first-time project is organised by the office of Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh and Kingdom Christian Fellowship (KCF), a non-governmental organisation.

“The 30 families were identified by my office to be part of the Food Bank to receive food items such as rice and flour from KCF every month for a year,” said Yeoh.

“I believe that this Food Bank would help to lighten the burden of these families because prices of food items such as sugar have increased recently,” Yeoh added.

According to Yeoh, the Selangor government has also recently launched a micro-credit financ-ing scheme to help single parents or those who are in need by providing them with training on

how to start their own small businesses. Single mother Lalita Govindasamy from

SS19 said she is grateful for the Food Bank project as she is trying very hard to make ends meet for her family.

The 34-year-old mother of four children aged between six and 13 said she struggled every month as she also has to take care of her ailing mother.

KCF president Yap Kok Sun said the Food Bank is a pioneer project to help needy residents such as Lalita and her family.

“We are thankful that several companies and individuals have stepped forward to sponsor various food items to be distributed to these families who are in need of help,” Yap added.

“However, this Food Bank is only a tiny step around the area, and hopefully we can do more when we become more established,” Subang Jaya Food Bank chairperson Richard Chong said.

Those interested in contributing to the Food Bank can contact Chong at 012-2880883.

We interrupt the usual Ask Lord Bobo Q&A to give you the answer to a ques-

tion that all of you should be asking! After all, His Supreme Eminence-ness is all-knowing, and therefore knows you want to ask this question even though you may not.

What is UndiMalaysia!? Lord Bobo will tell you the answer in four parts – why, what, how, and what now.

Why?Malaysians complain a lot. Malay-sians think that only politicians are able to solve our problems, and every fault lies with the politicians when we do not get what we want.

This is wrong. We disempower ourselves when we think that only politicians can solve our problems. We complain, and complain, and complain some more that our com-plaints are not being acted on, but when it comes to actually doing something, we the complainants sit back, fold our arms and do nothing.

We do not see that there is an alternative to blaming politicians – acting on our own, reclaiming our power, and making true grassroots democracy more of a reality than it is today. As has been said, “People should not be afraid of their govern-ments; governments should be afraid of their people.”

The Malaysian political landscape is extremely polarised, and voters are forced to vote purely along party lines, or for personalities based on salacious and sensationalised issues (read: sex) rather than on properly analysed and advocated bread-and-butter elec-tion issues (read: food, housing , public transport, pub-lic service effi-c i e n c y, h u m a n

rights, and education).As such, our politicians are not

required to address issues that affect local communities in a properly thought-out way, and most cam-paigning remains firmly stuck in gutter politics.

Generally, there are two types of Malaysian youth today – those ex-tremely partisan towards a political party, and those so apathetic that the very thought of politics and civil society issues makes them sick.

The former believe the answer lies in supporting and being part of a political party. The latter believe the solution is in completely ignoring what is going on in the country.

The former have an illusion of politics and political change. The latter are disillusioned with the Malaysian political scene as it stands.

Many voter registration initia-tives have been started, and many youths have been registered. The efforts, and results, of these initia-tives deserve to be celebrated – but it is only the first step. What is being done with the newly registered vot-ers? After registering, very few of them are being mobilised or acti-vated. Why?

What?To empower and enable Malaysians to meaningfully exercise their right to vote, and to ensure that election results express the will of voters

based on informed choices, the Malaysian Centre

for Constitu-tionalism and

Human Rights a .k.a. PusatRak-

yatLB (the Centre) will undertake a

first-of-its-kind c i t i - zen education

i n i t i a t i v e known as Undi-Malaysia!.

The UndiMalaysia! initiative will be carried out on key election issues to equip Malaysians with the infor-mation they need to make informed choices when exercising their right to vote. Election candidates will be scrutinised on their performance, conduct, and pledges.

UndiMalaysia! should, if suc-cessful, lead to a larger social move-ment, and act as the “conscience” of the people at every election.

The Centre will conduct this experimental initiative with the long-term goal of establishing a permanent voter education hub. UndiMalaysia! will mobilise and build a database of empowered youth as part of the “voter bank” to demand and sustain good prac-tices for future elections.

The voter population, particu-larly the younger generation, should be encouraged to make more informed choices at elections, and to ask fundamental questions that have often been forgotten by the electorate and politicians.

A sustained campaign for a number of years will in its course influence voter behaviour, leading to positive changes in the way politicians handle elections. Undi-Malaysia! will also result in a core peoples’ movement that is able to take things in its own hands and be self-reliant.

How?The initiative consists of whatever floats your boat. We will reveal them as they are revealed. The prototype UndiMalaysia! pack will include infographics and a flagship work-shop, targeted at both urban and rural settlements.

We will also test our deliverables in one chosen Selangor parliamen-tary constituency as if we are to “campaign” in that constituency to show the politicians how it ought to be done.

UndiMalaysia! will deal with a number of important issues of so-cial relevance, including poverty eradication, law and order, corrup-tion, freedom of expression, man-aging the country’s resources, transparency in government ex-penditure, and students’ and indig-enous peoples’ rights.

If it’s important to the rakyat, it’s important to us. We hope there will be Malaysians in all communities who will stand up and be counted to do their own maths, and question the politicians when the figures ap-pear wrong.

When successful, this first-of-its-kind initiative will be replicated in other constituencies, and hopefully throughout the country.

What now?You should UndiMalaysia! It will excite and be exciting. We are in the process of recruiting and mobilis-ing. We are also inviting all non-governmental organisations on board to raise their own issues when we campaign, and share the same platform for a larger presence and stronger voice.

Most importantly, we want YOU on board. No expertise is required.

If you have an interest in being part of something bigger than your own personal life, join us. If you think you are clueless and want to come on board to learn, join us. If you have no clue about politics, but are keen on helping out in any way, join us. We will guide and find a place for you.

Be part of a movement that is truly a rakyat’s movement. Move us. Move with us. Join us. Start history with us. Change the way politicians behave – they are not VIPs who need to be bowed down to, they are there to represent YOUR needs.

Rewrite the lives of Malaysians. Be the change you want to see. Email your details to undimalaysia@loyar-burok.com, and we will do the rest! We promise you, your life will never be the same.

Test His Supreme Eminenceness by email-ing asklordbobo@loyarburok.com, stating your full name, and a pseudonym (if you want), or tweeting your questions by mentioning @LoyarBurok and using the hashtag #asklordbobo.

The first 100 questions published will re-ceive monkey-riffic LoyarBurok merchandise courtesy of Selangor Times. What the hell are you waiting for? Hear This, and Tremblingly Obey!

Liberavi Animam Meam! I Have Freed My Spirit!

Food Bank helps 30 families

question for Lord BoBo?

15MAY 20 — 22, 2011

NEWS

By Brenda Ch’ng

SUBANG JAYA: The true meaning of Wesak Day was shared with the community during a joint project between Sunway Pyra-mid and Kechara Buddhist association.

“The significance of Wesak Day is often misunderstood. With this event, I hope this multicultural community can embrace and join in the celebrations,” said Datuk Ruby Khong.

The president of the Buddhist association wants the public to start seeing Wesak Day as a time of charity, which, she says, does not always have to be monetary. Rather, charity should be about giving – time, love, care – without expecting anything in return.

Wesak Day is celebrated in conjunction with Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and pass-ing, which all took place in the month of May.

The Sunway-Kechara event, which was held at Sunway Pyramid, ran from Friday, May 13 to Wesak Day itself on Tuesday, May 17.

The event was launched by Datuk Dr Vic-tor Wee, chairperson of Tourism Malaysia.

Kechara provided bins for the community to donate unwanted clothing or food. The association also set up booths selling food, merchandise, and a “green” art and craft cor-ner to teach children about recycling.

The money raised through sales would be given to welfare homes.

A main attraction was the wishing tree, which represented the Bodhi tree that Buddha sat under on his journey to enlightenment.

“Bodhi”, a Sanskrit word meaning “enlight-enment”, refers to the particular tree with heart-shaped leaves that is believed to be one of wisdom and miracles.

Those present at the event were therefore encouraged to write their wishes and prayers on heart-shaped paper, which were then clipped to the tree on display.

“This project is to bring the community closer together and to let non-Buddhists know that they can join in and be part of

Wesak Day too,” said Henry Ooi, vice-president of Kechara.

Ooi hoped this first-time event would turn into an annual affair which people of all races

could join in and look forward to.He also wants to set a path for other Bud-

dhist associations to organise similar events to help make Wesak Day known to everyone.

Wesak Day – a time for giving

The wishing tree.

By Alvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: The city council (MPBJ) aims to reduce carbon emission here to the lowest level possible by looking at its own energy consumption patterns.

“This is part of MBPJ’s plan to encourage sustainability and also achieve the lowest carbon emission in Malaysia,” said Khair-ul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin.

The councillor, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Green Personality Award launch on Wednesday, said a committee has been formed to achieve the objective.

Comprising MBPJ council-lors, the committee has started auditing every light source, air-conditioning unit and vehicle fuel mileage in its inventory.

They aim to identify which energy consumption creates the highest carbon footprint, and

then prioritise measures to lower the levels.

Khairul said the findings would lay the groundwork for an environmentally friendly city.

The council is also looking into investing in green technol-ogy for its offices in Petaling Jaya.

MBPJ will also adopt inter-national and local guidelines from the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water to plan its energ y conservation programme.

Councillor Richard Yeoh said MBPJ would have to beef up its bylaws to deal with carbon emis-sions within the city.

He pointed out that station-ary vehicles with its engines and air-conditioning running are a major contributor to environ-mental damage, among others.

“In other countries, there are laws against this,” he said, adding that MBPJ should look into creating bylaws to deal with the problem.

MBPJ leads green initiative

PETALING JAYA: The state is building a six-classroom Tadika Rakyat for poor families living at the Desa Mentari flats.

Executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the state is spending RM470,000 for the construction of the kindergarten.

He said this will be the 11th Tadika Rakyat the state is building for needy children from Indian communities.

The first nine pre-schools are attached to Tamil primary schools, while the 10th is at Taman Sentosa. The nine primary schools are:

SJK (T) Permata, DengkilSJK (T) Ladang Sungai Bernam, Sabak BernamSJK (T) Bukit Rotan Baru, Bukit RotanSJK (T) Effingham, Petaling JayaSJK (T) Bukit Darah, Sungai BulohSJK (T) Ladang Hopeful, Batang BerjuntaiSJK (T) West Country, KajangSJK (T) Acob, KaparSJK (T) Bukit Rajah, Klang

Jayakumar was attending Petaling Jaya’s Tamil Meth-odist Church’s 25th anniversary celebration dinner with Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

The church also launched its Desa Mentari Education Fund to provide free tuition classes and educational seminars to underprivileged students in conjunction with the dinner.

The silver jubilee dinner was attended by around 200 of its followers and donors.

Jayakumar said the state would donate RM25,000 to the newly established education fund.

The education fund is an extension of the church’s current charity activities, which include organising periodical free medical check-ups for the needy, and visits to orphanages and old folk’s homes.

Kindergarten for needy children at Desa Menteri

Around 200 people attended Petaling Jaya Tamil Methodist Church’s 25th anniversary dinner.

A donor receiving a token of appreciation from Jayakumar (second right) and Nik Nazmi (second left), while dinner organising chairperson R Rajagopal looks on.

Food for sale prepared by Kechara Soup Kitchen.

16 May 20 — 22, 2011

News

Melawis field to get upgrade

By Brenda Ch’ng

KLANG: A four-decade wait to have their park repaired is almost over for residents of Taman Me-lawis after discussion with the Klang Mun icipa l Counci l (MPK) on Sunday.

“The field has been in this same condition since I moved here 37 years ago,” said Satasiv-am Venugopal, chairperson of Persatuan Penduduk Taman Gembira.

The 65-year-old resident wants the park to be equipped with a five-foot jogging track,

proper football field and proper facilities for the kids to play with.

M Manoharan highlighted the poor conditions of the park with its damaged pathway and uneven turf during a dialogue between MPK and the resi-dents.

MPK’s engineering depart-ment has agreed to see how they can level and improve the park’s turf.

“I’m giving the engineering department a month to resurface the damaged pathway in the middle of the park, and I will be pushing for a quicker response

Police report filed over lewd flyerBy Basil Foo

KLANG: A police report was lodged at the South Klang police station last Friday after flyers depicting a prominent opposition politician engaging in sexual acts were found.

“I was told there were many flyers strewn under trees in Taman Teluk Gedung Indah, but we only managed to retrieve five,” said Yew Boon Lye.

The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) member said he hoped the police would take immediate action to avoid such fur-ther incidents.

Yew, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Klang branch chairperson, said dis-tribution of pornographic material is illegal and morally wrong.

“This has been done without a care about negative effects on society, and this may especially affect the young people who find the flyers,” he said.

Along with the flyers, a video disc was found containing a pornographic video, which Yew said was distributed during a public talk on the night of May 7.

He blamed the distribution of these materials on a mastermind who orches-trated for the flyers to be spread openly.

Yew added that these materials caused public complaints when they were found to have been placed in a surau.

“The South Klang police remarked that this was their first time receiving such a re-port. I hope this will be the last time,” Yew said.

Free medical checks for residentsKLANG: Taman Sentosa residents had a free screening for diabetes and cervical cancer at their community centre last Sunday.

“Apart from breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second deadly disease affecting women. With early detection, there is still a fighting chance for them,” said Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

The state executive councillor urged resi-dents who tested positive for diabetes and cervical cancer to seek counselling at their preferred hospitals.

He also encouraged residents to take advan-

Yew (centre) holding his police report in front of the South Klang police station while several PKR supporters hold the pornographic flyers.

with regard to the uneven field,” said the Kota Alam Shah assem-blyperson.

Manoharan pointed out that he had sent two letters to MPK this year, one in January and the second in March, to request for upgrades, including repair of the playground facilities.

The residents were happy with the given time frame for the re-pairs, which was announced at the dialogue session.

Also present were local council-lor Robert Choo Teck Keong and representatives from MPK, who were on hand to note down and address complaints.

“We have already appointed a contractor to fix and upgrade the park facilities, and it should be done within the week,” said Zainuddin Mohd Noh.

The representative from MPK’s Parks and Recreational Depart-ment added that he will urge the council to prioritise the levelling of the field for increased safety.

Over the years, there have been multiple ankle sprains suffered by residents who played football on the uneven field.

“These check-ups, especially the glu-cose test, are on a first-come-first-served basis as we only have limited amount of glucose strips,” said T Palaiya.

The Zone B Rukun Tetangga chairper-son said the programme has been held since 2008 in conjunction with Mother’s Day.

Residents who do not have the time or means to travel to a proper hospital have

tage of free medical programmes being offered by the state.

The programmes include free mammogram for women, free cataract and  minor surgeries as well as financial help for dialysis patients.

Besides glucose tests for diabetes, the screening also included tests for hypertension and pap smear.

come to rely on the screening, which is held annually in the second week of May.

“I’m a working mother who only fin-ishes work at 7pm every day, and I do not have time to travel far to get [health] checks,” said A Rajeswary.

The 53-year-old, who was awaiting her turn for a pap test, said the programme would help residents keep track of their medical condition.

Pathway in the middle of the park in dire need of repair.

Residents listening to Dr Xavier.

Dr Xavier talking to a

young resident about the

dangers of diabetes.

(From left) Zainuddin, Manoharan and Choo.

17MAY 20 — 22, 2011

FICTION

She was always agitated, irritable, bothered by things I couldn’t and no longer cared to fathom, forever tense and on edge, except when I watched her sleep, when she lay diffused by slumber, I loved her still.”

Fiction by Al-Zaquan

I firstly have to say that I do appreciate, Your Honour, the opportunity to have my story

heard, as I’ve been made a monster by the people beyond this room, strangers now repelled by my presence or the mere mention of my name.

I miss the thrill of anonymity, and how your accidents and misgiv-ings simply slip away in the big picture of this universe; whereas due to this incident that puts me before yourself and the jury today, I am put on the front page, on cen-tre stage.

I believe it is necessary for us to relate as people. The dossier you have of me may have described me in broad, unforgiving strokes, and my height, weight and supposed crime bear no voice in narrating my true self.

My first brush with competitive sport was as a swimmer at 14. I participated in both solo and team relays. I didn’t always win, but was always driven ahead by this brutal, excruciating wakeness from being part of the game.

How it forced me to try as hard as I could, required that I invest a lot of time building the right phy-sique and mental strength the prospect of winning required. A big part of it was intimidation: with the look and confidence I could be perceived to be unbeatable. So I spent more time in the gym than at pool practice.

I loved this wordless taunting,

just minutes before we were due to race. In the locker room, that fear in my rivals, this nervous pulse displayed in their short, scrawny bodies.

And when the whistle was blown, that time between start and end, when there is no threat of feel-ing tired, when just swimming as hard and fast as I could made me feel like I was more than human, more than I could ever be.

My parents hardly came to see me. Now I can admit that I was overshadowed by my brother James, whose grades or intelligence were far beyond mine.

My dad in particular was unre-served in showing his preference, and I didn’t understand and still

don’t now how it was impossible for him to grasp that James and I were two different people.

I couldn’t do what he did, and if he ever even tried doing what I did, I can guarantee you he’d probably-die in the process. Not that I would ever wish that on him.

I later got married to a girl I dated for three years. Linda. There’s no way I could minimise her into a few adjectives, although given the choice I’d pick “sweet” and “loving.”

She had a way of observing how I thrived in the quietness of things. We could talk for hours and muster that light, luminous energy that lives in touch and not language.

This was before things got bad, when she started working again and there was a period of maybe two years when both of us begin arguing nearly all the time, over the most petty things, and it came to a point where I just stopped being a part of it.

She was always agitated, irrita-ble, bothered by things I couldn’t and no longer cared to fathom, forever tense and on edge, except when I watched her sleep, when she lay diffused by slumber, I loved her still.

I hope now given my back-ground you have the idea of the person I was made to be. It has be-come my natural instinct to want to win, and on that day of the mara-thon, I had decided to stick to my own pace and time for all 42km, to be immersed in my own music, maintain a steady breath and step.

But this man began to irk me. He suddenly appeared next to me with a satisfied grin, and eyed me hun-grily before sprinting ahead. He

then reappeared a few minutes lat-er, covered in sweat and his eyes deeply sinister, as if he was read- ing, as-s e s s i n g me.

A n d without provoca- tion he shoved me leftwards and I nearly fell. Suddenly I felt endangered. It broke my concentration and I wanted to run past him, as far ahead as I could, and win. I felt that this would be a bigger blow which would deliver what no simple punch or kick could.

I caught up to this man, who I could now see was a tall, looming and tightly built runner.

I shot him a knowing look, pushed every muscle and joint to run faster. For a while we were equals, toe-to-toe and myself com-pletely out of breath, until eventu-ally I pushed forward and didn’t see him for a while, until very near the finish line when he again appeared unpredictably.

The sun was out and cars had been let onto the other side of the road. He came out now and I had this immediate need to put him out into the dark, out of my vision.

I felt threatened, and it was a visceral reaction when my hand shot out and hit him hard in the shoulder, pushing him directly into

the way of a car going downhill.

The next thing I knew there was blood on the pavement, and people were scream-ing.

I prom i s e ,Yo ur Honour, this is what I saw that day. You don’t know the horror of finally, days after, being made fa-miliar to what had been.

Liberally labelled as “the victim”, I saw this

picture of a small, bony kid who I was told was turning

14 that week. He had bright yellow hair and that glow of youth. This was not the man I saw that day, this could not be the one I pushed, I could not

have killed a boy. But this, as I have been told re-

peatedly, is what I’m now made to believe. It has by default become the truth, and I am having trouble ac-cepting the personal limitations that lead me to see otherwise.

My only defence is that I did not mean to do what I did, Your Honour.

The Runner

By Basil Foo

SUBANG JAYA: Devotees of two temples here can look forward to parking their vehicles for free in the Monash University outdoor parking lots during major festivals.

“We encourage devotees of the Sub-ang Jaya Vihara Buddhist temple and the Sri Varathareajah Perumal temple to use the parking facilities here,” said Han-nah Yeoh.

The Subang Jaya assemblyperson an-nounced at a press conference last Friday (May 13) that the 900 parking lots were available for use by temple-goers.

Yeoh said this measure is expected to reduce traffic congestion on Jalan Persi-aran caused by vehicles parked on the roadside during religious celebrations.

“The temple committees should apply with the university two weeks before their events to check for clashes with class schedules,” she added.

Subang Jaya Buddhist association president Chim Siew Choon, who man-ages the Buddhist temple on Persiaran

Kewajipan, welcomed the free parking offer.

He said the temple would use the lots during their Wesak Day celebrations, which he expects would draw a crowd of 10,000 devotees, on May 17.

“We have received approval from the university for temple-goers to use the Monash outdoor parking lots from 8am to 2pm on that day,” Chim said.

Sri Varathareajah Perumal temple secretary Tamilvanan thanked the uni-versity for allowing them the use of the parking lots.

He said the temple committee would be applying for parking during their 10-day Navareathri Pooja celebrations this September.

“The use of our parking lots has been offered to the temples as part of our corporate social responsibility pro-gramme,” said Phang Koon Tuck.

The Monash University Malaysia ex-ecutive director said temple-goers should feel no qualms about using their parking lots as they have hired sufficient security officers.

Free parking for Subang temples

Yeoh (fourth right) pointing to the 900-lot outdoor car park. With her are Chim (far right), Tamilvanan (third left) and Phang (middle).

The Monash University car park has been offered for nearby temples to use during major festivals.

18 MAY 20 — 22, 2011

TRAVEL

Kampung Melayu Seri Kundang is out of the way for many PJ and KL residents. The village sits snugly inside the neighbourhood of Kundang,

somewhere off the Sungai Buloh main road.The kampung road is narrow. After a while, you

might begin to wonder if you have unintentionally made a mistake by veering too far away from the trunk road.

Suddenly, the scenery changes, and a recreation lake opens up before your eyes. Directly opposite the lake, you will notice a fenced-up area with a couple of human-made ponds.

Anglers sit along the edges of the ponds with rods and reels. Some sit further in the shade to avoid the full brunt of the sun.

This fishing site has been operating for more than 10 years, but you can be forgiven if this is the first time you have seen it. Few people outside Kampung Melayu venture this far to soak in the pastoral scenery.

There are not many such ponds in Selangor, so you will have to be in the loop to know of their existence. The fishing pond opposite Tasik Biru operates round the clock.

The anglers on a Thursday afternoon are all Ma-lays. This part of Seri Kundang is very much their

turf. Any outsider who walks around, clueless and rodless, will be stared at.

But snapping away with a camera creates a situation for strangers to be friends. Several young men who spoke with a foreign accent were quite happy with their lot.There were four of them, and they had been fishing for more than three hours.

I was curious as to whether they had any luck with their rods until one of them pulled out a sizeable fish straight out of the water. His buddies were full of cheer. Then I saw their spoils of the day. At the edge of the pond was their catch. Inside the foldable net basket, there were at least 10 fish.

No wonder they were laughing and cracking jokes. One guy wearing a red shirt was quite glad to display the fish they caught. It brought back memories of my fishing days in Ipoh when I had my share of fishing fun at an abandoned mining pool.

There are three fishing ponds in the area. I believe there are different species of fish in those ponds. For ponds designated 1 and 3, the rates are RM28 for five hours. If an angler shows up after midnight, it is RM30.

Pond 2 commands RM23 for three hours, RM25 for four hours, and RM32 for seven hours of fishing.

If you haven’t caught anything after three hours, the fish are trying to tell you something.

Any experienced angler will tell you that there are different types of bait for different species of fish. Appropriately, the operators at this site sell 10 types of bait. I am sure they had worms, but the ones in a plastic bucket which seemed popular among the anglers were pieces of bread laced with a red substance.

Some of the umpan, or bait, were “dedak rohu, dedak ayam, dedak 923 & 929”. There was even a “dedak pellet”.

The most common fish in the pond was tilapia. The other fish which I had seen among the catch of the day was patin. You really can’t expect to find ex-

Going for it – hook, line and sinker“Gone fishing” is what we would like to say to our friends. LIN ZHENYUAN walks right into a fish haven, kilometres away from home, and allows the big ones to get away

One of the three ponds in Kampung Melayu.

Showing off the fish caught over three hours.

Cats having their meal of the day under the watchful eyes of their keepers.Friends who came to relax, chat and have some laughs.

19MAY 20— 22, 2011

TRAVEL

Have you cHecked your electrical switcHes before leaving Home?

Ibu pejabat polIs Daerah subang jayaTel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815

Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at the nearest police station to have regular checks at your house while you are away.

Borang maklumaT Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk bercuti.

Kepada Kawasan pentadbiran balai polis

..............................................................................................

BuTiran penduduk:

nama: ..................................................................................

alamat: .................................................................................

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nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................

nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................

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tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................

tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ...........................................

Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar kenderaan).

1. ..........................................................................................

2. ..........................................................................................

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lain-lain maklumat:

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✂

...............................................tandatangan

.......................................tarikh

Before leaving your home for a holoday, have you checked all your electrical switches and turned off your gas tanks?

Call the SS17 BomBa for advise at

03-5634 9444

pensive and exotic species for a fee of RM25 or RM28.When I was there, the women at a shack were feed-

ing a colony of cats. The cats had their own separate styrofoam plates, and the grub consisted of rice and bits of fish. It would be safe to assume that the little fishes were the pond rejects that the anglers didn’t want because they were too tiny.

Malaysian anglers belong to different classes of fishing enthusiasts. There are the deep-sea anglers who charter boats to take them into the deep waters. They will be at sea for about two to three days. Of course, they will eat whatever they can catch.

A fishing “kaki” once told me that if their luck is really bad, instant noodles doesn’t really taste that bad out in the open sea.

Then there are the committed ones who prefer to try their luck in the wild rivers of Malaysian jungles. These outdoors folk who also double up as serious anglers will trek kilometres into the jungle to find

good fishing spots. Most of the time, they take guides along so that they won’t get lost and create unneces-sary problems for forest rangers.

Then at the bottom of the unofficial fish enthusiasts club are those who come in motorcycles or bicycles. They are regulars at places like this site in Kampung Melayu Seri Kundang. The pond may not have the best fish, but the venue is close to home and family members know where they are all the time.

If an angler can land five to six fish in two hours for just RM28, it would be a worthwhile trip.

This part of Seri Kundang is majestically pictur-esque. It has an ambience of a relaxed lifestyle. A resident here won’t have any trouble maintaining a healthy heart.

Fishing is definitely a therapeutic pastime. It is also invigorating when the line dips and tightens, and the activity has a recuperative effect on tired minds and bodies.

A shack for the tired and weary angler who wants shelter from the hot sun.

by William Tan

PETALING JAYA: Hot air bal-loon rides were provided in Padang Timur last Saturday to promote what’s being touted as Malaysia’s largest Fancy Hat Charity Walk.

The weekend’s prelude to the charity event also featured games as well as booths offering goods and services to the public.

The walk is being organised by the Petaling Jaya Junior Chamber International (PJ JCI), who are at-tempting to raise money for their leukaemia trust fund, which has existed since the 1980s.

“We hope to raise RM100,000 overall,” said PJ JCI president Lim Hooi Hooi.

Lim said they are trying to get recognition in the Malaysian Book of Records by getting the most people to participate in the Fancy Hat Charity Walk.

“We chose a fancy walk over more traditional methods, such as dinners, because it is a far more ef-fective method of drawing young people,” he added.

Participants are also encouraged to make their hats from recycled materials.

The walk is to be held on June 11 at I-City, Shah Alam between 8am and 12pm, and will have a mini-mum charge of RM 25.

JCI is an international community of young peo-ple between the ages of 18 and 40, who are devoted

to community and personal development. It has 52 branches in Malaysia, with over 200,000 members and over one million members globally.

“Joining us gives you an opportunity to learn and grow,” said PJ JCI former president Fong Kin Meng.

For more information, visit www.jcimalaysia.cc.

Ride-in-the-sky prelude to Fancy Hat Walk

Hot air balloon in Padang Timur.

20 May 20 — 22, 2011

Features

Quicker play not helping quality

When this column sees print, the Asian Youth Champi-onship, which started on

May 14, will be coming to a close in Subic, Philippines, and we will know how our 16 representatives from eight to 18 years of age fared.

It is only in the U-14 and above categories that one can say for sure where our young talents stand relative to their peers as it takes three years to prepare a talent to become a champion in an event.

However, what has kept me up most nights recently is the ongoing Candidates tournament, which will decide the challenger to current World Chess Champion V Anand of India.

What is clear is that today’s young players develop very quickly thanks to the easy availability of i n f o r m a t i o n c o u p l e d w i t h computer training.

Subsequently, any player can play well above their ELO ratings.These players mature quickly due to the extra help from chess programmes

KL International Open returnsTHE Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA), with sponsorship from the Masterskill Education Group Berhad, will hold the 4th KL International Open Chess Championship for the Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy from Sept 4-10.

Held under the auspices of the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF), the KL Open will be registered with the World Chess Federation (FIDE) as an international title and rated tournament and will be played over 9 rounds.

The competition will be played using the time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of

the game with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

The total prize fund is RM 45,000, while the closing date for entries is July 31. For more details, email the tournament director at peterlong@aol.asia.

Although only in its fourth edition, the KL Open is one of the most successful innovations in recent years.

Held after the World Chess Olympiad in Dresden 2008 and the Singapore Open, the inaugural KL Open offered local organisers and arbiters the opportunity to show their mettle.

Get smart! Play chess!

By Peter Longpeterlong@aol.asia

and databases, while lacking a certain maturity to their game.

The Candidates tournament was amazing in that there were mini matches of four games followed by Rapids and the Blitz to break ties.

In every match right up to the final between two of the most unfancied players – veteran Boris Gelfand and Alexander Grischuk – there was no decisive result obtained through normal time control.

Pundits have accused the players of being afraid to take risks. While there is some truth in this, the tie-breaks can be seen as a gamble.

As such, I was shocked at the poor

quality and huge number of mistakes made during the tournament, given these are among the world’s elite. But we can be sure that the universal criticism of the format will be validated with improved quality in the longer championship system of 12 instead of four.

What I did realise was that without exception, all the players who made the Candidates were not products of the computer age.

Rather, they are players trained in the old way but who have adapted to using computers, as opposed to training with them from an early age.

community

May 13 — 15, 2011/ issue 24

Partnering police to reduce crimeIncreased bounty to curb Illegal banners

p 12 & 13p 8

dIsabled beIng denIed theIr basIc rIghts p 6

• Turn To page 6

Tussle over bridal biz

By Gan Pei Ling PetalIng Jaya: Legalising SS2's unlicensed bridal shops could boost the industry here, but some residents are far from keen to see more wedding dresses in what was once their neighbours' homes.

Apart from the bridal galleries on Jalan SS2/24, the rest of the shops along three other main streets sur-rounding SS2’s commercial centre are unlicensed as they have yet to convert their residential land status into commercial use.Councillor Tony Cheong is

among advocates who want to see SS2, which has 30 such shops, gal-

leries and studios, become a top bridal centre equalling Jalan Ipoh in Kuala Lumpur.He has proposed to the mayor to

legalise the shops by converting the three main streets into “limited commercial” areas under a special area plan of the PJ Local Plan.

“These houses are no longer suit-able for residential use. The roads ( Jalan SS2/55, Jalan SS2/72 and Jalan SS2/75) are busy and there is

a lot of noise and dust pollution,” said Cheong.He added that an ongoing survey

conducted by the Town Planning Department since April revealed that most property owners do not stay in the houses, but rent them out to residential or commercial tenants.

“The landlords enjoy higher rental rates if they lease the houses to business tenants,” Cheong said.

Cheong said since it would take

a few years to convert the land status of the three main streets from resi-dential to limited commercial, MBPJ should issue temporary busi-ness permits to the shopowners so that they can continue operating during the legal process.He said usually the landlord must

convert the property to commercial before the business operator can apply and secure a business licence.

Cheong noted that it had taken

around two years for the city coun-cil to change the street’s status of SS2/24 in the local plan in 2008 to “limited commercial”.The process may be delayed fur-

ther should there be opposition from SS2 residents.Currently, property owners could

face a fine of between RM10,000 and RM15,000 for renting out resi-dential units for commercial use.

LB_246384_Sun_m14.ai 1 5/6/11 11:01 PM

Mild improvement in air quality after yesterday's evening shower.

Inset picture was taken on Wednesday afternoon. Story on

Page 2.

Where to get Where to get

LRT Stations (Distribution by hand) – MorningAmpang – Sentul TimurAmpangCahayaCempaka Pandan IndahPandan JayaSentul TimurSentul

Kelana Jaya – Terminal PutraKelana JayaTaman BahagiaTaman ParamountAsia JayaTaman JayaUniversitiSri Rampai Wangsa Maju

Sri Petaling – Sentul TimurTaman MelatiSri Petaling Bukit Jalil Bandar Tasik SelatanSalak Selatan

Shopping Malls (From Saturday noon)1 UTAMA Tropicana Mall Sunway Pyramid The CurveIOI MallIOI Business Park Ikano Power Centre

Empire Subang Amcorp Mall Klang Centro

Hypermar-kets (From Satur-day noon)Tesco (Puchong, Kajang, Mutiara, Bukit Tinggi, Setia Alam, Am-pang, Extra Shah Alam, Kepong)Giant (Puchong, Kajang, Subang Jaya, Bukit Tinggi, Setia Alam, Kota Kumuning)Carrefour (Bukit Rimau)Jusco (Bukit Tinggi)Metro Point, KajangGM Klang

Commuter Stations (Distribution by hand) – MorningSentul – Port KlangPort Klang Bukit Badak Shah Alam Subang JayaJalan TemplerPetaling

Rawang – SerembanKuala Kubu BaruSungai BulohKepong Sentral Kepong

Morning Wet Markets (Saturday morning)Jalan SS2/62 Taman Medan Jalan 17/27 Taman Kuchai Lama Taman OUG Pasar Taman Megah Pasar Jalan OthmanPasar Jalan 17/2Pasar Sek 14Pasar Seri Setia SS9A/1Pasar Kg ChempakaTaman Tun Dr. Ismail

HospitalForrest Medical Centre

CollegesHelp InstituteCollege Bandar Utama (KBU)Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia

GM Anton Fillipov from Uzbekistan was the winner, and the KL Open was the platform to propel him to prominence. He is today one of the toug hest competitors on the international circuit.

In 2009, the KLCA with Polgar Chess Asia organised the KL Open, moving the dates from December to April and positioning it as a programme for young talent development.

Accordingly, the Challengers tournament was replaced by a match between teams of very young players representing Indonesia , Singapore, Malaysia, and KL.

The winner was former World Youth Champion GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son from Vietnam, recently a co-winner of the Asian Continental Championship held in Iran.

But nothing could beat the 3rd KL Open held in April 2010. With over 100 players from 21 countries taking part, including 16 GMs, 20 IMs and 16 FMs, it was the strongest international field ever seen in Malaysia, and was bested by then 16-year-old Hou Yifan of China.

Too Short for Nigel

HOU Yifan (pic), 17, of China is a prodigy even among the young stars. At just 14 and already playing in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, she met Nigel Short, current English champion and World Championship finalist, and showed a glimpse of her strength.

Yifan Hou vs Nigel ShortRound 3 - Corus B, 20081. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 Nigel erects the Berlin wall4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7More common is 8. ... Nf5 but you cannot fault him looking to keep chances to win. 9. c4 O-O 10. Nc3 Re8 11. Rd1 Bf8Yifan has built a nice position with simple and logical moves while Nigel has chosen to be slightly provocative. 12. Bg5 f6 13. Bh4 g5 Playing 12. ... f6 was pushing it but 13. ... g5 is really asking for it. Nigel plans to snatch a pawn and then hand on for dear life.14. Bg3 d6 15. Ne4Black is in serious trouble!15. ... Bg4 16. exf6 Bh5How else to defend 17. f7+ and then 18. Nxg5, etc.?17. Qe3 Bh6 18. Ne5!(Diagram) It is over. What an amazing move. You try and work out the variations! 18. ... Rxe5 19. Bxe5 Bxd1 20. Rxd1The finish is crushing and very telling is the complete lack of moves that can provide any resistance.20 ... Qe8 21. Bc3 Nd8 22. f7+ Qxf7 23. Nf6+Nigel will not remember too many games that he lost in just 23 moves. 1-0

21MAY 20 — 22, 2011

MEDIA

By Gan Pei Ling

PETALING JAYA: With her confident gaze and smile, Marcella Nuerqa, aged one year and three months, charmed the judges to be crowned Carrefour Malaysia’s Little Ambas-sador last Saturday.

Her family walked away with RM10,000 worth of baby products and a RM5,000 Carrefour cash voucher.

As the grand-prize winner, her daughter will also be the model for selected Carrefour’s catalogues in the coming year.

“We didn’t think we could win,” her beaming mother

Mahani Ismail, 40, from Cheras told Selan-gor Times.

With a Spanish name, her fair-looking daughter Marcella is sometimes mistaken for a child of mixed blood, but Mahani said her husband is also a Malay-Muslim.

The mother of five said they gave their youngest child a Spanish name out of their love for Spanish culture and folktales.

“Our older children all have Malay names, so we decided to do something different,” said Mahani, who works as a babysitter and usu-ally does her shopping at Carrefour Bandar Tun Hussen Onn.

The second-prize winner was Mohd Irfan Mohd Ehsan, who is only a month younger than Marcella.

While the others walked onstage with their mothers, Mohd Irfan made the most memo-rable entrance by driving his striking yellow toy car in front of the five judges.

His family and relatives also made banners to sup-port the handsome toddler from Ampang.

Her parents were rewarded with a RM3,000 cash voucher and baby products worth RM2,000.

Third-prize winner Qaleesya Amer-uddin, who is almost one and a half, impressed the judges by placing plastic bottles and bowling pins into separate baskets.

Her family received a RM1,000 cash voucher and RM500 worth of merchandise.

The remaining seven consolation-prize winners w a l k e d a w a y w i t h RM1,000 cash vouchers and RM200 worth of baby products.

The 10 finalists were selected from over 2,500 entries received nation-wide. The babies were judged on their appear-ance, personality, and abil-ity to charm.

This is the second year the competition was held. Last year, Carrefour received over 1,000 applications.

The five judges were Carrefour Malaysia-Singapore marketing and communication director Low Ngai Yuen; model Amber Chia; TV host Wardina Syaffiyah; parenting magazine Pa & Ma editor Liza; and Parents Thots editor Brigitte Rozario.

Babies’ charm wins big prizes in Carrefour contest

SHAH ALAM: X-perience it to believe it! Domino’s Pizza is set to unleash zealous frenzy among fans of both Domino’s and X-Men.

In line with the highly anticipated premiere of this summer’s blockbuster, X-Men: First Class, Domino’s launched its First Class pizza range last week.

The pizza delivery experts unveiled its First Class pizzas – Tuna Extreme, Chicken Perfec-tion and Prawn Passion.

Domino’s Pizza Malaysia chief operating officer Ba U Shan-Ting said: “The new line-up, through the introduction of gourmet in-gredients, promises a new level of Domino’s

experience for pizza lovers.”In the spirit of offering a First Class X-

perience, Domino’s First Class Double Deals are available in two sets. The Double Deal 1 set comes with one regular First Class pizza of your choice and one regular pizza of your choice for RM33.50, with a total savings of RM17.60.

Double Deal 2 includes one large First Class pizza of your choice, and one large pizza of your choice for RM55, with savings of up to RM15.60.

Double Deals are available for a limited time only from May 9 to 25.

“Today’s event also marks another collabo-ration with an international franchise, and we are pleased to partner with X-Men.

“Together, Domino’s and X-Men fans are in store for a great experience with special meal offers which include the Exclusive X-Men First Class Limited Edition Glass, a premium exclu-sive to Domino’s Malaysia and Singapore and will only be available for a short period and while stocks last,” added Shan-Ting.

Fans of X-Men can also get their hands on the specially commissioned glass from May 26 with a purchase of Domino’s First Class Meal.

For RM60, the meal comprises one large First Class pizza of your choice, one regular pizza of your choice, one set of Crazy Chick-en Crunchies with Tangy Cheese Dip, one set of six-piece Twisty Bread, and a 1.5L bottle of 100 PLUS.

Domino’s First Class Meal will be available from May 26 to June 19.

First Class pizzas are available as an à la carte order with a surcharge of RM3.50 for regular pizzas, RM5 for large pizzas, and RM7 for X-tra large pizzas.

The highly anticipated movie X-Men: First Class premieres in Malaysia on June 2.

First-class X-perience from Domino’s

By Brenda Ch’ng

MEMBERS of Metrojaya Sports and Recreation Club (MJSRC) have been encouraged to forge closer ties through family-based activities and events.

The club, which was established in 1990, aims to use recreational sports to bring families closer.

“The club has 1,100 members who actively take part in activities organised [by the club]. We plan to have more activities for the year,” said Christine Lee.

The advertising and promo-tions manager of Metrojaya said

the year started off with Family Day on April 16.

The event at Desa Waterpark attracted attracted employees of all ages.

Lee said the day began with aero-bics followed by telematches, chil-dren’s games and an “amazing race” around the park.

Lee said more events are in store for members and their families.

Fishing , bowling and futsal competitions will be held next fol-lowed by a Hari Raya barbeque gathering.

Lee said MJSRC would organise more events for families.

Family Day fun for Metrojaya

Club members enjoying themselves.

Model Amber Chia (back row, left) and Carrefour Malaysia-Singapore marketing and communication director Low Ngai Yuen (back row, right) taking photos with the winners’ families.

Marcella Nuerqa

22 MAY 20 — 22, 2011

Gallery

Resident monk Phraklin Thawakro gesturing to donation boxes in the Thai Buddhist Chetawan Temple in Petaling Jaya, which saw a steady stream of devotees offering prayers on Wednesday, May 11, in anticipation of Wesak Day on May 17.

Founding members of the Petaling Jaya Tamil Methodist Church celebrating its 25th anniversary during a silver jubilee dinner attended by around 200 of the church’s followers and donors.

Mohd Irfan Mohd Ehsan charmed judges and onlookers by driving onstage in his toy car during Carrefour Malaysia’s Little Ambassador pageant last Saturday. The toddler, aged one year and two months, won second place in the competition.

Petaling Jaya Selatan (PJS) Member of Parliament Hee Loy Sian (right), with Petaling Jaya city councillor Maharul Ismail (centre) and PJS surau committee member Mohd Hamzah (left) during a cheque-presentation ceremony last Sunday. Hee gave RM33,000 in donations from his MP allocations to residents associations, houses of worship and other organisations in the area.

A devotee sticks gold paper onto a statue of Buddha while saying a prayer at the Thai Buddhist Chetawan Temple in Petaling Jaya on Wesak Day.

Datuk Ruby Khong and Henry Ooi of the Kechara Buddhist association showing food and clothing donation bins during a Wesak Day event held at Sunway Pyramid from May 13 to 17. The event was open to members of the public, who were encouraged to partake of the spirit of giving. Food and merchandise were also sold to raise funds for welfare homes.

23May 20 — 22, 2011

Culture

Editor’s PickKam… Fully Loaded! Theatre; PJ Live Arts @ Jaya One; May 20 & 21; RM60; 03-79600439, www.pjla.com.my

Compiled by Nick Choo

A History of Falling Things

Theatre; May 19-22; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; RM13/RM23; 03-4047900; www.klpac.org

A phobia-filled comedic love story written by British playwright James Graham. This 21st-century love story is themed around the fear of falling satellites, known as keraunothnetophobia, where phobic cyberspace love birds, Jacqui and Robin, communicate solely via webcam. Their neurosis keeps them indoors, but they foster their adoration on the net. The biggest question remains – will the thing that brought them together be the thing that keeps them apart? Directed by Christopher Ling, presented by the T4YP Ensemble 2011.

Bars and Bedrooms

Theatre; May 19-22; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10; RM25/RM50; 03-21422009/21432009; electricmindsproject@gmail.com

Four short stories about love, passion and unintended consequences. Sandy struggles with addiction and the attentions of bartender Kendra, who is dealing with an unusual addiction of her own. Michael and Sam have a heart-to-heart about the difference between career and the path of their dreams. Dan is besieged by newlyweds Ella and Stuart, but unbeknownst to them, their meeting will undo everything they have become. Yee Sin and Wai Lun drift apart in their marriage, as they slowly drown in the ghosts of the past and living life in the big city. Between the bars and the bedrooms, what do these people dream of, and who will they become? Presented by Electric Minds Project.

Wayang

Theatre; May 20-23; Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur; RM43/RM20; www.theatreanticsshop.com; 03-26983566.

Presented by Masakini Theatre Company, Wayang presents a twist on the traditional puppetry and shadow play by incorporating eight dancers from Dua Space Dance Theatre. The production will take audiences through six decades – from the 1950s till today, with music to match each decade. “[It] mirrors on society where everyone puts on a front, a show of sorts. We only see what’s on the surface and it’s behind an imaginary smokescreen, or in this case, a sheet of cotton cloth,” says director and Masakini founder Sabera Shaik.

The Moon Speaks For My Heart: Teresa Teng, Her Life, Her Songs

Musical; May 19-29; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; RM60-RM255; 03-62019107/62019108, email: dama@damaorchestra.com; www.damaorchestra.com

Dama Orchestra’s latest concert is a tribute to the legendary Teresa Teng. Savour the sweet melodious music and songs that made Teng a truly international icon. Featuring Tan Soo Suan, Evelyn Toh, and Chang Fang Chyi, with narration in English by Sam Tseu.

The Fulfillment of Solitude

Exhibition; May 10-31; EQ Fine Arts; 03-62010985/019-2809985, email: rajaihsan@gmail.com; free admission

A selection of photographs by HRH Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (1907-79). “The 25 photographs carefully chosen for this exhibition are some of his most celebrated, and also several that were never before printed. These are pictures that reveal the true character of the photographer, who also happened to be a Malay Sultan. They also reveal his relationship with the human element of his subjects, as well as the countryside that he belonged to.” Viewing by appointment only.

Land of God & Shadows

Exhibition; May 9-29; Pentas 2 Foyer, KLPac; 03-7958 2175, email: stag@tm.net.my; www.shaliniganendra.com

Pictures by photojournalist Rahman Roslan, taken during frequent visits to Bali in 2010. “As a frequent stranger to this land, Bali offers many surprises. On my second visit, I was able, due to familiarity, to capture images, people met, and landscapes touched, and the feeling of the breeze. What I see has more meaning now and grows from the image, because from the visual I explore the multiple layers beneath. Sometimes a beautiful marriage occurs between the ancient and contemporary, or the obvious and the subtle. These relationships, shadows, and realisation brought the mesmerising energy for this series.” Presented by Shalini Ganendra’s Fine Art.

INTERVIEWBy Nick Choo

AS Joanne Kam was regrettably entangled in glitter and feather boas and was unable to grace Selangor Times with an interview, we spoke to director Llew Marsh, who found inspiration to direct Kam… Fully Loaded! from sources as diverse as Broadway, hit TV series Glee, Lady Gaga, and the recent big-screen Christina Aguilera-starrer Burlesque. Marsh, 34, began performing with the London Touring Opera when he was 11, and was in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in Australia when he was 21. He has worked as a musical director, arranger and producer, including with Universal Studios Singapore touring Australasia as a member of the casting panel.

Kam is known for her provocative comedy. Is it safe to say we can expect more of her trademark humour in Kam… Fully Loaded!?Joanne Kam Poh Poh was known for headlining The Boom Boom Room, which was famous for its risque humour, drag shows, impersonations, skits, and all-round good, fun time! This show will pay homage to that. It will include huge dance numbers with a variety of costumes and music, a skit or two, and, of course, stand-up comedy and audience participation. The songs include old-school Vegas-style numbers, a sexy burlesque routine, and contemporary choreography from Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Glee.

You are more established as a performer and producer. Is this your first time directing a show? I direct a lot of cabarets, revues, corporate shows, and concerts

with local and foreign artistes, and I have directed a mini-musical for the Malaysian Short & Sweet Festival 2010, which won four awards. This is the first time I’m directing a larger show for a general audience. There

are similarities and differences [between producing and directing], of course. The main goal [at the end of the day] is to put on a great show, with memorable moments the audience can remember, and profitable returns. With directing, you have more control over the creative content and process. Having produced makes you more aware of budgets and what you are able to achieve. So in retrospect, it does make you more creative.

Have there been any diva moments in the course of your working on this show? The show is full of divas! Ten of them! Every single one! Being a performer, you need attitude, personality, sex appeal, style and wit! But really, everyone on this show has been a joy to work with. We are like one big family, we all have our jobs to do and we just get it done.

What is it about theatre, in particular musicals, that you enjoy? And what are your thoughts on Malaysia’s musical theatre scene, especially local productions? Anything with music in it has an emotional quotient tied to it. Music is universal and can make you feel things you might not feel in a conventional play. I’ve always been switched on to music, as my mother reminds me. I believe music can manipulate human emotions like no other medium can, and when words and story are added, it’s magical.

I believe our musical theatre scene is growing up fast; it’s still in its adolescence, but is eager and stubborn enough to push forward, to try new and challenging things. With the birth of various [local] musical theatre programmes and academies, it’s clear there is a growing interest. We truly need the human resources on and off the stage to make it happen, and it’s great to see many music, theatre and dance graduates coming back home to Malaysia eager to get on the stage and bring it!

CaLENDaR

MALAYSIA’S Queen of Burlesque, Joanne Kam Poh Poh, diva-comedienne Bibi Kay Poh, and the irreverent Will Quah join forces in this burlesque-inspired cabaret-comedic showcase. Loaded with diamonds and sequins, bawdy wit and campy theatrics, the awesome threesome will have audiences rolling in the aisles as they shimmy, shake and try to outshine one another.

“Supported by the SEXY Divas and dancers to stretch your ringgit further! Kam… Fully Loaded! has reinterpreted the burlesque art form – from its naughty, striptease elements, to a slicker and more diverse form of entertainment … A uniquely satirical and entertaining showcase, one which will incorporate a local relevance, poking fun at our various idiosyncrasies and lifestyles – all for laughter’s sake, of course.” Part of the PJ Laugh Fest at PJ Live Arts Theatre; with choreography by Ahmad Kassan and direction by Llew Marsh.