selangor times nov 4-6, 2011 / issue 47

community November 4 — 6, 2011/ issue 47

MBSA to weed out errant contractors

Greener budGet for pj

p 11 p 8

WHitHer tHe money?

p 12 & 13

Halal Hub, market in AG’s spotlight

By Gan pei Ling

SHAH ALAm: The Selangor Halal Hub in Pulau Indah, Port Klang, has been described as un-competitive for failing to attract local and foreign investors.

The Auditor-General, in his an-nual report, noted that only two companies are operating at the 951-acre hub that was launched in 2003 and touted to be the first of its kind in Malaysia.

Lack of promotion, marketing strategies and difficulties in ob-taining bank loans are among the reasons for the slow development of the commercial centre.

“No feasibility study was con-ducted before the project was im-plemented,” the report noted as another reason for the hub’s stalled progress.

The project is being carried out by state property arm Kumpulan Hartanah Selangor Bhd’s subsidi-ary Central Spectrum (M) Sdn Bhd.

Divided into three phases, 10 companies bought 220 acres of land during the first phase of its development from 2003 to 2007, but only two have started operat-ing.

The second phase started in 2008, but as of April 2011, only 120 acres have been sold to nine investors while another 117.7 acres remain vacant.

One of the purchasers also owes Central Spectrum RM6.02 mil-lion in arrears.

The AG also reported that the decade-old Selangor Wholesale

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim informing nursery operators and Yayasan Selangor officials that the state government will not hand out TOL for Green Lane.

Cheras residents protesting irregular bus services at the Jalan Alam Jaya 15 bus stop on Thursday. Irate residents carried out a signature campaign on Thursday to send to Rapid KL over the matter. Story on Page 4. • Turn To page 2

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EDITORIALCHIEF EDITOR KL Chan

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2 November 4 — 6, 2011

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Wholesale Market yet to meet its objective

Market in Seri Kembangan has yet to meet its objective of allowing farmers and fishermen to directly sell their pro-duce to consumers.

“Out of the 229 lots rented out, it was found that 124 (54%) were handled by foreigners from Myanmar, Bang-ladesh and Indonesia during an audit visit to the market on Feb 22, 2011,” said the report.

The auditors found that only 61 out of the 229 were local tenants and among these 61, the majority were deal-ers, distributors and wholesalers.

Developed by state-owned PKPS Agro Industries Sdn Bhd, the RM25 million Selangor Wholesale Market was completed in March 2001 and started operating in May 2001.

The wet market was supposed to raise farmers and fish-ermen's incomes by eliminating the role of middlemen.

However, due to lacklustre response from farmers and fishermen, the shoplots were rented out to outsiders to sustain the operational costs.

The AG recommended that PKPS Agro Industries in-crease promotional activities, improve basic facilities and cleanliness as well as security to attract more visitors.

• From page one

By Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: The Auditor-General’s annual report has lauded Selangor for exem-plary management of its finances.

The state recorded an overall increase in revenue while lowering its operating ex-penditure on the back of sound financial management from local governments and state departments.

The 2010 report singled out the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), Ampang Jaya Municipal Counci (MPAJ) as well as the state treasury and Urban and Rural Plan-ning department for managing their expen-ditures with strict budgetary controls.

MPS and MPAJ also reduced arrears by setting up mobile counters for ratepayers to settle outstanding fees.

“Each unit that was audited had to dem-onstrate that it had effective financial man-agement systems, effective internal controls on revenue collection, spending and man-agement of assets.”

MPS was singled out for lowering its ex-

penditure for 2009 and 2010 by carrying out extensive research before procuring ser-vices and equipment.

The report, tabled in Parliament on Oct 24, explained that MPS had also set up com-mittees to rein in spending by scrutinising prices and quality of services and equip-ment from vendors.

MPAJ was cited for increasing its tax rev-enue by using mobile vans that travelled door-to-door to collect arrears from houses.

MPAJ, the 300-page report said, had also set up a task force to identify and go after individuals and companies which owed ar-rears to the municipality.

“The initiatives by local governments have contributed to the rise in revenue, as well as a drop in operating expenditure.”

From 2006 until 2009, the state recorded a rise in revenue from RM1.16 billion to RM1.763 billion, but experienced a short-fall of RM192.36 million in 2010.

Selangor’s consolidated revenue in-creased by RM266.91million, or 20.2%, in 2010 from RM1.319 billion in 2009 to

RM1.586 billion in 2010.This was despite the state registering a

10.9% drop, or RM192.36 million fall, in revenue to RM1.57 billion for 2010, as the coffers stood at RM1.763 billion in 2009.

Selangor reduced its operating expendi-ture from RM1.829 billion in 2009 to RM1.447 billion in 2010.

The state was also cited by the country’s top accountant for reducing revenue arrears by RM99.87 million, or 16.6%, from RM601.92 million in 2009 to RM502.05 million in 2010.

In all, the four state statutory bodies, as well as seven local governments, recorded surpluses.

The report, signed off by Auditor-Gener-al Tan Sri Datuk Sri Ambrin Buang, said MPAJ, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) recorded the highest surpluses.

State subsidiary property developer Sel-angor State Development Corporation (PKNS) registered a RM130.87 million surplus cash, while the Housing and Prop-

erty Board (LPHS) had a modest RM16.38 million increase.

However, the report was not all that glowing as the AG rated the state’s long-term investment outlook as “unsatisfacto-ry”, with low dividend returns from 2006 to 2009, with no dividend given out in 2010.

The state completed 64.5% of its projects amounting to 927 projects out of 1,437.

It had also spent RM3.16 billion out of a RM3.43 billion allocation for the projects.

There are still 199 projects yet to be real-ised while 130 are being carried out.

Among the state beneficiaries receiving the largest allocations are the Menteri Be-sar’s office, State Secretariat and Selangor Public Works Department.

The report described Selangor as a “cata-lyst and leader” in realising Malaysia’s drive towards high income growth through infra-structure projects.

However, it said Selangor could do more to realise greater economic growth through better planning and implementation of its projects.

WorKerS rIgHTS: over 1,300 workers affiliated to malaysian Trade Unions Congress (mTUC) gathered at two locations in Shah alam on Thursday evening to picket against amendments to the employment act 1955 which the unions claim would erode protection for workers. The nationwide picket in 18 other locations was organised by mTUC which is the umbrella body comprising 390 labour unions with a total of 802,323 members.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ November 4 – 6, 2011 ⁄ 3

Another Prestigious Development by:

4 November 4 — 6, 2011

news

The decades-old wooden shop houses have been demolished recently to make way for SJK (C) Jenjarom's extension.

Residents cry foul over titles and water metersBy Alvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: Disputes with a developer over the size of their condo-miniums are preventing residents here from getting their strata titles.

Residents of Pangsapuri Kayangan at PJS 10 who purchased 1,033 sq ft apart-ments have been told that the apart-ments are in fact 1,044 sq ft and they will have to fork out more for strata titles.

While the Department of Survey and Mapping Selangor ( JUPEM) stepped in last year to support their case, the residents are no closer to get-ting their titles.

“We want our strata titles, and we want the developer to realise that JU-PEM has conducted a survey that sup-ports our case,” said the condominium’s Joint Management Body chairperson, Lim Giat Eng.

She said residents had waited for eight years and the developer could no longer withhold the granting of the ti-tles.

But other disgruntled residents, who were made to pay for the additional 10 sq ft in their applications to get the titles, want their money back.

“I checked the brochures and floor plan, both said that the size is 1,033 sq ft,” said JMB committee member Daniel Pang, who bought a second-hand unit in 2006 for RM140,000.

Pang, 32, said he was told by the de-veloper in 2006 that the unit size was actually 1,044 sq ft, and that he had to fork out an additional RM10,000 for the extra built-up area.

He claimed that he was offered a 50% discount if he settled the ‘outstanding’ amount within a week and paid RM5,000.

“I believed the developer then as it was my first home purchase. Now I want my money back. I was cheated,” said Pang.

He and other JMB committee mem-bers are representing some 270 families who are facing the same predicament.

Their dispute with the developer over the built-up area was exacerbated when the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) lost the building plans for Pangsapuri Kayangan around 2006.

However, with JUPEM supporting their case, they hope to receive their strata titles by end of November.

But other long-standing woes still afflict the residents, including an appli-cation to get individual water meters.

Lim said residents have opted to re-place the current bulk meter to obtain the free first 20 cubic meters of water offered by the state to households.

But arrears of RM31,040 owed by the developer to Syarikat Bekalan Air Se-langor (Syabas) are preventing the move.

“Syabas wants the developer to settle the arrears before the bulk water meter is disconnected and individual ones con-nected,” said Lim.

Residents want the developer to use a RM28,000 deposit to pay the amount owed to Syabas with the JMB settling the rest, but their request has been ig-nored by the developer.

Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the developer was caus-ing a lot of problems for residents at Pangsapuri Kayangan, which is under his state constituency.

He said the developer could no longer avoid their legal obligations as the dis-pute with the residents was resolved with JUPEM’s survey.

“The size is 1,033 sq ft and not 1,044 as claimed. Residents do not have to pay extra, and they should get their titles now,” he said.

The lawmaker said he had met Men-teri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and state executive councillor Iskandar Sa-mad to discuss the dispute.

“We might blacklist them from tak-ing part in development projects in Se-langor,” he said.

EvEntsAnti-corruption talk

D'Happy Club Centre for Seniors and Transparency International Malaysia will conduct a talk on “Fight Against Corruption” at 10am on Nov 4 at the Touch Community Centre, 124, Jalan SS2/6, Petaling Jaya. Admission is free. For details, call 012-3230560 or visit www.kairosforcommunity.blogspot.com.

Children's health forum

A free public forum to educate parents about the importance of strengthening their children’s immune system will be held from Nov 11-13. The forum, part of the Nestle Nan Grow 3 How & Why Series, will be held at DEMC Specialist Shah Alam on Nov 12 from 11am to 2pm, Columbia Asia Puchong on Nov 13 from 2pm to 5pm and Hospital Wanita Metro Klang on Nov 13 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Free goodie bags will also be given away.

Novitiate programme

Chempaka Buddhist Lodge will hold a novitiate programme from Nov 23-28. The course is open to healthy males who are at least 15 years of age. For details, call 03-7880 3936 or email [email protected].

Education showcase

BETT Asia will present the latest educational and training resources and services through workshops and various interactive and informative sessions at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Nov 8 from 10am to 5pm and Nov 9 from 10am to 4pm. Participants will get to learn the various ways to improve and develop teaching and learning.

Diabetes walk

Putrajaya Hospital, Perbadanan Putrajaya and Novo Nordisk Pharma (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd will hold a World Diabetes Day Walkathon in conjunction with World Diabetes Day on Nov 13 from 6.45am-10am at Taman Wetland, Precinct 13 Putrajaya. For details, call 03-22977200 (Nurita) or visit ww.facebook.com/putrajayadiabeteswalk.

World Animal Day

In conjunction with World Animal Day 2011, SPCA Selangor will organise an event for animals in collaboration with the Sunway Volunteer Society on Nov 13 at 3pm. For details, call 016-4451007 (Helen), 017-3739391 (Ying Zhao) or 017-6940668 (Li Jean).

No land grabKLANG: The Kuala Langat District Council and local lawmaker has come out to deny claims that the state is grabbing land from traders along Lorong 13, Jenjarom.

The claims were made the Malaysian Association of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (Ikhlas) who held a protest there recently.

But Telok Datok assemblyperson Philip Tan said the traders were on five acres of government reserve land which had been allocated to SJK (C) Jenjarom, in 2005 by the previous state government.

“The school and local authorities had given the traders ample time to move,” said Tan, adding that the traders had been offered new shop lots at the new market as compensation.

National newswire Bernama had reported on Oct 30 that around 100 traders and their family members had protested against the demolition of their 60-year-old wooden shop houses on Sept 26 and demanded an explanation from the state.

However, Kuala Langat District Council assistant information officer Shahrulnizam Khalil told Selangor Times that 15 out of the

23 traders had already moved out before the demolition.

“Most of them are TOL ( Temporar y O c c u p a t i o n a l L icense) holders . Some may have been reluctant to move as they’ve been operating there for years, but the majority understands that the land belongs to the government,” said Shahrulnizam.

He added that the land office had issued several evacuation notices to the traders since 2009.

Meanwhile, Tan urged the handful of unsatisfied traders, who want to be compensated with land and money, to be reasonable.

“The land is being used for public good. The school had already collected enough public donations and is ready to build a multi-purpose hall for its students at the site,” said Tan.

He described the Oct 30 protest as politically-motivated and urged Ikhlas and the traders to stop politicising the issue.

Nik Nazmi (3rd from left) and Lim (seated right) with JMB members and residents

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ november 4 – 6,2010 ⁄ 5

news

UNISEL INTAKE 36x4 SGOR TIMES (option2).indd 1 2/11/11 12:07 PM

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM: The state is defending the use of Tourism Selangor funds and bill-boards for its welfare programmes after it was cited by the Auditor-General (AG) in his annual report.

“An allocation of RM70,000 that was approved to promote and improve tourism products was not spent until the closing of accounts in 2010. Instead, the State Trea-sury used the allocation to finance the Se-langor Children Heritage Fund (Tawas),” said the report.

The 2011 AG report also stated that such financial management practice was “unsat-isfactory” and should be avoided to ensure the planned development of tourism is not affected.

However, tourism executive councillor Elizabeth Wong said the funds were a sur-plus from Tourism Selangor’s 2010 budget.

She said the state had completed all planned tourism projects prudently and therefore the surplus was channelled to Tawas.

The AG also reported that Selangor had used two billboards in Kuala Kubu Bharu to promote tourism for other purposes in its 2010 report.

The Menteri Besar’s office said the Hulu Selangor District Council, which owns the billboards, had agreed to loan the billboards to the state to publicise its welfare pro-grammes.

One of the billboards located at the town’s mini stadium was used to advertise Tawas while the other, located on the route from

Rasa to Kuala Kubu Bharu, was used to promote the state’s 20 cubic metre free water programme.

However, the report praised Tourism Selangor for its overall success in promoting and developing the industry as it had sur-passed its targeted number of visitors.

Selangor attracted 5.83 million tourists in 2010, four percent more than its original target of 5.6 million. More than half of them, 3.24 million people, are domestic tourists while the remaining 2.59 million are foreign tourists, mostly from Asia.

Tourism billboards, funds channelled to good use

A billboard promoting Selangor as a tourist destination.

SHAH ALAM: Selangor has refuted claims that it was responsible for Ilya Grad’s participation in The Challenger Muay Thai reality show.

“Selangor is not involved in organising the competition, the selection of fighters, or the production of the reality TV series,” said Elizabeth Wong.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who has come under fire for the move, told Parliament on Monday that Selangor had allocated RM5 million for the competition.

“The minister should not point fingers at others, knowing full well immigration matters are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government,” said the state ex-ecutive councillor.

Wong, whose portfolio includes tour-

ism, said Selangor had won the bid for the reality television series to be filmed in the state from the award-winning reality tele-vision producers of ‘The Contender’, ‘The Biggest Loser Asia’ and ‘The Apartment’.

However, the Israeli’s presence in Ma-laysia is contentious as travel between the two countries is deemed illegal due to the absence of diplomatic ties.

“We did not invite any of the fighters or sign any support documents for an Is-raeli national to enter Malaysia,” she said.

Wong pointed out that this was the second time this year the Youth and Sports Minister had allowed an Israeli national to enter Malaysia on a special entry pass.

Malaysia played host to English Pre-mier League club Chelsea which fielded Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun in July.

State not involved in Israeli boxer’s participation

6 ⁄ November 4 – 6, 2011 ⁄ SELANGOR TIMES

PERBADANAN KEMAJUAN NEGERI SELANGOR(SELANGOR STATE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION)

KENYATAAN TENDERMEMBINA DAN MENYIAPKAN 18 UNIT KEDAI/PEJABAT 2 TINGKAT, SEBUAH PENCAWANG ELEKTRIK 2

RUANG SERTA KERJA-KERJA INFRASTRUKTUR YANG BERKAITAN DI SEKSYEN 5A, ANTARA GAPIMUKIM SERENDAH, DAERAH HULU SELANGOR, SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN

Tender adalah dipelawa kepada Kontraktor-kontraktor Bumiputera yang berdaftar dengan Pusat Khidmat Kontraktor (PKK) danLembaga Pembangunan Industri Pembinaan Malaysia (LPIPM/CIDB) dalam kelas dan gred pendaftaran yang berkaitan serta masihdibenarkan membuat tawaran pada masa ini bagi kerja-kerja berikut:-

Naskah meja tawaran boleh disemak di Bahagian Perolehan, Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor pada waktu pejabat bermula4 November 2011. Bayaran Dokumen Tawaran hendaklah dibuat dalam bentuk Draf Bank atau Kiriman Wang di atas nama Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (bayaran ini tidak akan dikembalikan).

Kontraktor dikehendaki membawa Sijil Pendaftaran Asal Pusat Khidmat Kontraktor (PKK) dan Lembaga Pembangunan IndustriPembinaan Malaysia (CIDB) serta Sijil Pengiktirafan Taraf Bumiputera dan satu salinan bagi ketiga-tiga Sijil tersebut semasa membelidokumen tender.

Dokumen Tawaran Tender yang telah lengkap diisi hendaklah dimasukkan ke dalam sampul surat bermeteri dan dimasukkan ke dalamPeti Tender di alamat:-

BAHAGIAN PEROLEHANPERBADANAN KEMAJUAN NEGERI SELANGOR

TINGKAT 7, MENARA HPAIC, LAMAN SERI BUSINESS PARKNO. 7, PERSIARAN SUKAN SEKSYEN 13

40100 SHAH ALAM, SELANGOR DARUL EHSANNo. Tel : 03-5520 1234

BUTIR-BUTIR HARGA DOKUMEN TEMPAT DAN TARIKH SYARAT TARIKH DAN TEMPAT TARIKH TENDERTAWARAN TAWARAN DOKUMEN DIJUAL PENDAFTARAN LAWATAN TAPAK DITUTUP

No. KontrakPKNS/IP/AG/KON-12/2011

RM 750.00 Bahagian PerolehanTingkat 7, Menara HPAIC,

SEKSYEN 13,SHAH ALAM

Pada :4 November 2011

Hingga18 November 2011

PKK :Kelas BKepala I

Sub Kepala 1

Kepala IISub Kepala 2(a)

CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari


















Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

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Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

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Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari


















Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari


















Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari


















Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari


















Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari


















Sub Kepala 1


CIDB : Gred G6

- 29 November 2011

Jam12.00 Tengahari

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ November 4 – 6, 2011 ⁄ 7

8 November 4 — 6, 2011

News

Greener 2012 budget for PJBy Brenda Ch’ng

PETALING JAYA: Free parking for hybrid car buyers and lamps to improve night time security at neighbourhoods are among some of the incentives being offered to ratepayers in Petaling Jaya next year.

In a bid to improve the environment, while giving a leg-up to commerce in the city, buyers of hybrid cars purchased from dealers in Petaling Jaya will be rewarded with a one-off three-month free city parking pass worth RM300.

“It doesn’t matter where the hybrid car users live, as long as they buy the car in Petaling Jaya, they will be given the free city parking pass,” said mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman after unveiling the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) budget for next year.

To reduce burglaries and improve secu-rity, free Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights, with installation, are being offered to homes owners to light up back lanes at night. Owners, however, have to pay for the elec-tricity.

MBPJ contractors will install one LED light per participating household all over

Petaling Jaya next year. A RM100,000 bud-get has been allocated to install the lights. Each installation will cost RM250.

“Those who are interested need to inform the council as it is only available on a first-come, first-served basis,” said Roslan.

A further RM10 million has been allo-cated to green up the city by planting more trees, beautifying the existing landscape with flowers and upgrade parks and play-grounds.

MBPJ will also be launching a new proj-ect titled ‘Petaling Jaya Community Green Corridor’ next year.

Green corridor is an open space network system which connects main parks, housing areas and fields with a landscape of plants.

Residents can expect a change of scenery next year when more trees are planted to link parks and houses.

To reduce carbon emission, MBPJ will expand their ‘switch off the engine’ zone at other MBPJ offices like Menara MBPJ, their library and Landscape Department.

From January 1, residents are expected to turn off their car engines if they are waiting in their car.

Currently, the MBPJ headquarters is the

only building which implements a ‘switch off the engine’ zone.

Roslan said the council will also continue to provide free community shuttle services for senior citizens and the less fortunate. There will be four buses, two for Petaling Jaya North and the remainder for Petaling Jaya South.

In addition MBPJ’s free community clinic will continue operations to serve the less fortunate and disabled society. It will upgraded in 2012 to cater to senior citizens.

The council will reduce hearse rental from the current RM1 per km to RM0.50 per km. This service will be available to all races on a first-come, first-served basis.

There is also good news for registered senior citizens’ clubs as each registered body will also be allocated an annual sum of RM2,000, to help fund their activities.

MBPJ has also allocated RM77,000 to run awareness campaigns to help improve the lives of the disable community.

A sum of RM150,000 has been allocated to run business development courses for small traders.

In light of Alam Flora’s termination of services, the council will be setting up a

Quick Response Team (QRT) which will be on stand-by 24 hours a day to tend to rub-bish complaints.

This QRT will be responsible to back up rubbish collectors when the lorries break down or they fail to collect rubbish at a certain area.

A sum of RM57 million has been allo-cated to fund the QRT, manage rubbish collection and for cleaning services.

A further RM500,000 was also allocated for new rubbish bins for all commercial and residential areas and parks.

MBPJ will be replacing all broken rubbish bins, ranging from small to big bins, and adding additional bins wherever necessary.

Roslan said RM281 million has been al-located for the 2012 budget and MBPJ ex-pects to collect the same amount in revenue.

“We earned over RM263 million this year and we are looking to increase income by 6.74%,” he said.

However, Roslan assured residents that there will be no increase in rates.

“It will be the same because residents are doing an excellent job of paying their rates on time, so we don’t see why it is necessary to increase the rates,” he said.

2011 2012 (RM) (RM)Public amenitiesNew and upgrading carparks in PJ 10 3,400,000Upgrading vacant land, playgrounds 2,000,000 2,300,000Upgrading traffic lights 200,000 600,000Improving cemetery infrastructure 10 500,000Installing LED lighs in back lanes – 500,000Upgrading Kelana Jaya Sports Complex – 500,000Improving street lights 450,000 450,000Improving public fields 10 400,000Upgrading PJ Sports Arena – 335,000Building futsal, tennis courts 405,000 600,000Improving public Taman Jaya amenities 10 200,000Improving MBPJ website 10 200,000Repair works to Riang Park, PJ Walk – 400,000 Constructing a roof for SS2/63 basketball court – 200,000Green City plan – 150,000 Upgrading works Dataran Anak Muda (PJS1) Linear 10 200,000Park (Section 12)

RM11 millionBusiness premisesUpgrading stalls in Taman Datuk Harun, Medan 10 700,000

Roads, Drainage and BridgesRepairing drainage system 2,500,000 3,000,000Changes to Jalan Othman roundabout 67,500 1,200,000Road widening (PJS 3/40) & traffic light installation 350,000 1,200,000Upgrading back lanes 323,200 500,000Consultancy fees for irrigation masterplan – 482,500 Road upgrading at Jalan SS3/44 and SS3/80 – 120,000

RM7.2 million

Offices & BuildingsMBPJ office renovation 350,000 1,550,000PJ Civic Centre renovation 920,830 500,000Upgrading various community halls 10 400,000Construction of City secretary’s residence – 100,000Construction of City mayor’s residence 500,000 –Construction of PJ museum 470,000 –

RM2.55 million

Computers and systemsICT improvements 2,300,000 2,000,000

Salient points of MBPJ 2012 development budget

MBPJ’s poster promoting a greener city.

Buses for senior citizens and less fortunate.

Affordable hearse rental for all races.

9november 4 — 6, 2011

news

SUBANG JAYA: A proposal for the mu-nicipality to provide free bulk waste collec-tion in a bid to stop illegal dumping was shot down by Datuk Asmawi Kasbi.

“We cannot do it for free as there are still expenses to pay, like transportation. Residents who want their bulk waste collected will have to pay RM60,” said Subang Jaya Municipality (MPSJ) president.

The idea was raised by MPSJ councillor R Rajiv, during the council full board meeting on Monday.

Rajiv said that the free service would stop the public from dumping their waste along streets and empty plots of land.

Bulk waste, which includes refrigerators, sofa sets and other big items, will only be col-lected by the council if residents call MPSJ and request for a pickup.

“If we charge, very few people will call. But if its free, I’m sure many people will call the council to collect it from their homes,” said Rajiv.

Currently, only a handful of residents are paying for bulk waste collection while the majority are dumping it illegally, hoping it will be collected in a few weeks.

He said MPSJ should make it free for now to cultivate the habit of calling the council’s bulk waste collection hotline

whenever they want to get rid of things.“If we don’t do this, there will just be more and more illegal

dumping happening in Subang Jaya, creating an eyesore for the community,” said Rajiv.

But Asmawi explained that MPSJ has other plans to tackle bulk waste collection.

“We will be placing Roro (Roll-on/ Roll-of ) bins at areas with the most bulk waste disposal all around MPSJ, and peo-ple can dump their unwanted things there,” he said.

Starting next year, these Roro bins will be placed where they are needed, according to a schedule, and MPSJ will haul away the bulk waste for free.

Residents will be notified by the council on when and where the bins are placed in their areas.

MPSJ is currently identifying areas and drawing a schedule to cater to those living in Sri Kembangan, Subang, Sri Serdang and Puchong.

By Brenda Ch’ng

SUBANG JAYA: The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has been urged to allow residents to take over the management of a decrepit rural complex.

The call for MPSJ to relinquish control of the complex at Kampung Bukit Lanchong was made by councillor Jaberi Ami on Monday.

He suggested that the Village Development and Security Committee ( JKKK) and Residents Com-mittee ( JKP) oversee the complex.

“It would be best if the council allows locals to oversee maintenance and management of the com-plex so that they can upgrade the place and bring in more business,” said Jaberi.

The complex, which houses restaurants, clothes stores and computer shops, sits on 4.04 hectare plot

owned by the District Land Office, but has not been maintained adequately for the past two decades.

In 2009, the complex was handed over to MPSJ.Jaberi said many tenants have not paid the RM50

rental for 10 years while others have been paying the money to former tenants.

Worse still, some vacant shops have been illegally converted into hostels to house foreign workers.

“It’s not a conducive environment to be living in. No one is overseeing the infrastructure or the admin-istration of the complex,” he said.

He said if MPSJ agreed to the proposal, both com-mittees would refurbish the complex and use the rental collection for maintenance repairs as well as upgrades.

“I will suggest this to the licensing department and we will discuss the matter,” said MPSJ president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi.

MPSJ to consider giving complex to residents

Free bulk waste collection proposal rejected

SUBANG JAYA: A checklist of pre-existing damage at homes has been proposed as a requirement before any reno-vation is approved to avoid disputes between neighbours.

Records of cracks or leakages can be used by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) as an official document to make sure houses undergoing renovation do not damage neighbouring houses.

“Fights and disputes always arise when damage occurs and both parties deny culpability,” said MPSJ councillor Ng Sze Han on Monday.

Ng, who made the proposal at the council’s full board meeting , said that the renovations could proceed more smoothly if any existing damage is identified beforehand .

MPSJ’s current rules, requiring home owners who want to carry out renovations to obtain consent from neighbours, do not help solve disputes that might happen during and after renovation works.

“Even with the immediate neighbours’ consent, there will still be disputes when cracked walls or leakages appear during renovation,” said Ng.

Neighbours will also be at odds with each other when no one wants to take responsibility for the damage.

“We will review it again at the one stop centre (OSC) meeting next month and see how this checklist can be incor-porated into the current regulations,” said MPSJ president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi.

Council mulls ways to end neighbourly disputes

Unwanted furniture thrown out in Subang.Refrigerators are often left to rust in vacant land lots.

10 November 4 — 6, 2011

News

MBSA plans 20% budget increase

By Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: An additional RM19.83 million has been bud-geted for the city next year to pay for higher wages and asset expendi-ture for solid waste management.

“We’re allocating a bigger bud-get because our operating expendi-ture is projected to increase for 2012,” said Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan after tabling Shah Alam City Council’s (MBSA) budget on Wednesday.

The mayor said“unforeseen cir-cumstances”- like Putrajaya’s move to increase the salaries of civil ser-vants from seven to 13% - had caused the budget to balloon from RM245.32 million for 2011 to RM265.15 next year.

Iskandar: Received 596 applications for the new development.

MBSA’s expenditure for salaries and bonuses will increase by 20.2% and the city has budgeted RM39 million to pay its staff compared to RM32 million this year.

Mohd Jaafar said MBSA also had to buy two garbage trucks, “road sweepers” and other sanita-tion vehicles as it had taken over road cleaning and garbage collec-tion from Alam Flora since August and October respectively.

MBSA is expected to spend some RM7.7 million to purchase the equipment and other vehicles.

The move is to ensure there’s no disruption to MBSA’s core business of garbage collection and road cleaning.

A further RM70 million is being allocated for public cleaning, gar-

den and garbage collection.“There is no compromise here.

We will allocate as much as we can to ensure the sanitation services are not disrupted,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

MBSA is projected to collect RM176.54 million from assess-ment rates and an additional

(From left) Deputy mayor Mohtar Hani, Mohd Jaafar and finance director Roslan Darus.

Facelift for Shah Alam StadiumSHAH ALAM: Spectators at Shah Alam Stadium can expect better amenities once upgrades c o s t i n g R M 4 m i l l i o n a r e completed in April next year.

The 80,000-capacity stadium will be closed from December for workers to install high-powered flood lights, repair the 400 toilets and rebuild parts of the roof.

“It will be closed for four months beginning next month to enable upgrades and repairs to be carried out ,”said Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan on Tues-day.

The Football Association Malaysia (FAM) says the stadi-

um must upgrade the lights if it wants to continue hosting night matches.

Changing rooms will also un-dergo extensive renovations next February.

Mohd Jaafar said portions of the roof needed repairs as they had been subjected to wear and tear since the stadium was opened in 1994.

The pitch will also be repaired as the current rainy season has taken its toll on the grass pitch.

He claimed that the multi-purpose sports arena, which was built at a cost of RM460 million, was in a better condition than Bukit Jalil Stadium.

RM83.55 million in other revenue such as new property development charges.

In addition, developers who are compelled to pay “development fees” for new commercial and hous-ing schemes are expected to con-tribute RM10 million.

When asked if the city council

would provide incentives to rate-payers for greening their homes, he said they would announce the ini-tiatives soon.

Earlier, he told the councillors during the budget meeting that they would be getting RM200 ev-ery month to pay their mobile phone bills.

Revenue 2011 2012 %

Assessment 160, 368,740 175,545,490 10.1Non-assessment 79,892,510 85,551,640 4.6Other sources 5,060,730 5,060,730 –Total revenue 245,321,980 265, 157, 860 8.1

Expenditure

Emoluments 32,514,780 39,089,700 20.2Services and supplies 179,613,860 179,670,010 –Assets 3,182,050 8,514,300 167.6Fixed costs 1,121,410 2,500,010 122.9Miscellaneous 637,120 1,483,830 132.9Total operating expenditure 217,069,220 231,257,850 6.5

Development expenditure

Funded by MBSA 28,252,750 33,900,000 20 Funded by state 10 10

Total expenditure 245,321,980 265,157,860 8.1

MBSA 2012 Budget

Clear rules for affordable homesSHAH ALAM: Strict criteria is b e ing imp ose d to ensure that af fordable homes , b eing bui lt in Bandar Baru Bangi, are purchased by those who really need them.

“We received 596 applications for the new development, but only 124 purchasers fulfill the requirements and will be called in for an interview,” said Selangor executive councillor Iskandar Abdul Samad in a statement on Thurs-day.

The 124 affordable homes at Sec-tion 3 are being built by the State Development Corporation (PKNS) and those intending to buy them will be interviewed to ensure all informa-tion provided in the forms is accurate.

To qualify, applicants must be Ma-laysians who are at least 18-years-old. Both husband and wife must have a joint income of RM5,000 or less and must not already own any property in

Selangor. However, those who have a low

cost house for at least five years can apply to buy the affordable home as a second property.

To qualify for a second property, applicants must show proof of their monthly income totaling less then RM5,000. The state also expects home owners to live in the new home and not rent it out.

Meanwhile, non-married appli-cants are also allowed to buy the houses if they are the sole breadwin-ner of the family, for example, single mothers.

To decide if the applicant fulfills all the requirements, the state runs all applications through a computerised selection system which decides who qualifies.

The system grades each applicant based on their income, status of their current house, marital status,

age, place of birth, if they are disabled, and if they are seniors.

Those scoring the highest will be shortlisted and contacted by the state.

Names of all successful applicants will be posted on the Selangor Housing and Real Estate Board (LPHS) website for two weeks.

Iskandar said Selangor plans to built up to 10,000 affordable homes by 2016 in Gombak, Shah Alam, Kota Puteri, Antara Gapi and Selangor Science Park 2.

The sales of all these homes will be monitored and controlled by LPHS.

Have you got your copy of

Turn to page 23

11November 4 — 6, 2011

news

MBSA to cull non-performersBy Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: Solid waste contractors for the city will be reduced next month in a bid to streamline and improve waste management.

The Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) is targeting to streamline the current 71 contractors to 64 during a new round of open tenders after the existing contracts cease at the end of the year.

“There are locations in Shah Alam that, due to its smaller size or lower population, that do not need their own contractor to cover the area,” said MBSA mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan after a Full Board meeting here on Monday.

Existing companies will have to tender for new contracts and all bidders will have to demonstrate that they can run efficient and cost-effective operations.

Mohd Jaafar pointed out that the criteria was a state directive to all local governments when hiring contractors and vendors.

Contractors that were over-charging for their services and profiteering from local governments were being “weeded out”.

“I’m saddened to see contractors taking advantage of MBSA, sometimes charging as much as 30 per cent extra for providing the service to ratepayers,” he said.

The new contracts, which could be finalised as early as late December to early January, will run for two years.

Shah Alam is looking to save RM8 million next year from managing its own solid waste collection.

The savings would be channelled to MBSA Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.

MBSA will purchase two garbage trucks outfitted with trash compactors to run its own

stand-by solid waste collection service.Meanwhile, MBSA has been handling the

collection of household waste with minimal disruption.

“We would liked to have more time to plan, to train our staff on managing the garbage collection duties but upon the State’s directive,

we assumed control on Oct 16,” he said.Local governments were supposed to take

over so l id wa ste mana g ement from concessionaire Alam Flora Sdn Bhd in January 2012, but the company stopped their services on Oct 15.

Mohd Jaafar explained that there were

some complaints of late-collection at Section U13, Sections 7 and 9 and the Proton low-cost flats at Section 27 but these were resolved quickly.

The delays were caused by equipment breakdown but other contractors were on standby to pick up the slack.

KLANG: Music will soon herald the arrival of garbage trucks here so residents will have advance notice to bring out their trash.“The music will be played from 7am-7pm to notify residents whenever the rubbish trucks are in their areas,” said Klang Mu-nicipal Council (MPK) secretary Ikhsan Mukri (pix).

The novel idea was disclosed during the council’s Full Board meeting last Friday.

Ikhsan said MPK hopes the move will curb the public from dumping their household waste everywhere.

“This is one of our new methods (to deter illegal dumping) which we are excited to try out,” he said.

The idea, which was presented earlier to local leaders, rubbish contractors and residents, was well received.

Currently, the council is still waiting to get copyright to the music which will then be edited to suit the local communities.

Once that is dealt with, the council will move ahead with their “garbage and music” experiment.

Musical garbage trucks

Insufficient funds for road upgradesBy Brenda Ch’ng

SUBANG JAYA: With 800 km of roads under their jurisdiction, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) is hard pressed to maintain them with an annual allocation of RM5 million.

“We have five zones with only RM1 million for each zone for road resurfacing and upgrading projects. This is not enough,” said the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) engineering department director Ismail Shafie on Thursday.

Federal allocations are given to the state annually by the Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS), who then channels it to all the 12 local councils.

The amount is divided and distributed to all the local councils, based on the number of roads they have in their jurisdiction.

Even so, the money allocated is not enough

to even resurface a quarter of the 800 kilometers in Seri Kembangan, Puchong, Subang Jaya, Sri Serdang and Kinrara.

Ismail hopes the state will re-evaluate and allocate more money to the council.

MPSJ currently gets numerous requests from residents asking for their roads to be resurfaced.

“Some areas are really bad, especially at housing and commercial areas where there is a heavy flow of traffic,” said Ismail.

He added that almost all roads in MPSJ has not been resurfaced in over two decades.

“It is time for those roads to be resurfaced. But with only a limited budget, we are left with no choice but to choose and prioritise the urgent ones first on the repair list,” he said.

For example, MPSJ could only resurface eight kilometers of road at Subang, with the RM1 million budget this year.

Among roads which were resurfaced are Jalan PJS7/15 at the morning market, Jalan PJS9/3, Jalan SS18/1B, Jalan Subang 4, Jalan Persiaran Tujuan leading out to Persiaran Kewajipan and Jalan Persiaran Subang.

On top of that, MPSJ has drawn extra parking boxes for busy commercial areas along Jalan SS18/1B (63 new car parks), Jalan USJ9/3F (18), Jalan PJS7/15 (38) and SS13 (10 opposite the Buddhist Temple).

“These projects were done in phases throughout the year and it cost us about RM787,770,” said Ismail.

The left over money will be used to resurface

two roads in USJ9, and it is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“All these roads were identified via site visits done with the engineering department and we prioritise the roads which are in the worst condition,” said Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh.

She said the demand for road resurfacing is increasing everyday and the RM1 million allocation is no longer enough to cater to the needs of residents.

Yeoh said she gets frequent complaints at her service centre about roads which are littered with potholes and water ponding.

“The other roads will be identified and resurfaced next year when the new budget is in,” she said.

22 January 21 — 23, 2011

Gallery

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ)Tel: 03-4296 8000; Toll-free: 1-800-22-8100Garbage collection schedule: www.mpaj.gov.my/34

Hulu Selangor District Council (MDHS)Tel: 03-6064 1331SMS: Type “mdhs aduan (complaint details)” and send to 15888. To checkcomplaint status, type “mdhs semak (complaint reference number)” andsend to 15888.Website: www.mdhs.gov.my

Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj)Tel: 03-8737 7899 / 1789 / 8343 / 8428 / 0171 / 4253 / 0112 / 1714Toll-free: 1-800-88-6755Website: www.mpkj.gov.my

Klang Municipal Council (MPK)Garbage collectionNorth Klang: 016-2720406 (Kamachy); South Klang: 016-2506796 (Razif )Public cleaning (streets and drains)North Klang: 019-2245387 (Haji Nasirun); South Klang: 016-3824471(Loganathan)General: 03-3372 4820 / 6781 / 1-800-88-23826 (Toll-free)Website: www.mpklang.gov.my

Kuala Langat District Council (MDKL)Tel: 03-3187 2825SMS: Type “MDKL ADUAN <complaint details>” and send to 15888. To check complaint status, type “MDKL SEMAK <complaint reference number>” and send to 15888.Website: www.mdkl.gov.my

Kuala Selangor District Council (MDKS)Tel: 03-3289 1439Website: www.mdks.gov.my

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ)Tel: 03-7954 2020 (24-hour hotline) / 03-7956 3544 (General)SMS: Type “MBPJ ADUAN [complaint details]” and sent to 33213Website: www.mbpj.gov.my

Sabak Bernam District Council (MDSB)Tel: 03-3224 1655 / 1000Website: www.mdsb.gov.my

Selayang Municipal Council (MPS)Tel: 03-6126 5800 / 6120 4903 / 04 / 05 / 06Website: www.mps.gov.my

Sepang Municipal Council (MPSp)Tel: 03-8319 0200 / 0300Website: www.mpsepang.gov.my

Shah Alam City Council (MBSA)Tel: 03-5510 5811 (Hotline) / 5133 (General)Website: www.mbsa.gov.my

Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ)Tel: 03-8026 3131 / 5637 6545Website: www.mpsj.gov.my

Want to report uncollected garbage or clogged drains in your community but unsure how and where to go to? We’ve compile the local governments’ contact below for your convenience.

COnDITIOnS at the Palm Springs Condominium in PJU 3/29, Section 13, are deplora-ble.

This photo of the condo-minium was taken on nov 1. Rubbish at the collection area is strewn all over the place and not put in the proper containers.

As a result, the place has turned into a breeding ground for flies, mosquitoes and rats.

I am concerned for the cleanliness of the neighbourhood as I live next door at Opal Damansara Condominium.

I hope the authorities will do something about this matter immediately.

Darren Lee

Rubbish woes

Selangor Times contacted the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) on Wednesday for further clarification on the mat-ter. A MBPJ spokesperson said the city council was aware of the indiscriminate dumping of rubbish.

MBPJ, however, said Palm Springs Condominium does not fall under its garbage collection route, as it only collects solid waste from low-cost flats. The spokesperson said conces-sionaire Alam Flora is responsible for collecting the garbage.

“From what we know, there is a dispute between the Joint Management Board and Alam Flora.” He said the council will discuss the problem with the residents.

12 November 4 — 6, 2011InsIght

By Gan Pei Ling

Y ear in, year out Malaysians are left astounded when the Auditor-General’s Report

is made public. Reports of over-priced procurement of common equipment such as screwdrivers, binoculars, thumb drives, laptops, etc, are revealed by the annual Auditor-General audit of govern-ment department spending.

Released on Oct 24, this year’s report was no different as it revealed the millions of ringgit wasted due to financial mismanagement, in-competency and corruption.

The most cited “highlights” include the Malaysian Marine Park Department spending RM56,350 – 29 times more than its market value of RM1,940 – for a pair of night vision binoculars, and the National Sports Institute paying RM3.94 million, without the Treasury’s ap-proval, for 18 horses unqualified to race. The Tourism Ministry has also been in the spotlight for over-spending close to RM270 million for advertisements because it chose to use direct bookings instead of open tenders.

Nine federal ministries and departments were reported to have overspent their operational alloca-tions by RM3.73 billion. They are the Education Ministry, Health Ministry, Home Ministry, Agricul-ture and Agro-Based Industry Min-istry, Public Service Department, Attorney-General’s Department, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the

Public Services Commission.To soothe public outrage, Sec-

ond Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan say action will be taken against civil serv-ants found to have misused public funds or breached expenditure procedures.

The MACC says it has also opened 36 files to investigate is-

sues raised in the national audit report as well. In addition, the Public Accounts Committee

(PAC) will probe seven min-istries and agencies for weak financial management.

But why do we see similar wastage and abuses being repeated every year? Selan-gor Times spoke to former Sabah Public Service Com-

mission chairperson Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and current Selangor State Secretary Datuk Khusrin Munawi to find out the reasons.

Sipaun, 73, held various senior positions in the Sabah government, including state secretary from 1988 to 1993. He is currently the chair-person of Human Rights Promo-tion Society (Proham).

Khusrin, 55, has served in the public service for over three dec-ades, and was appointed chief of Selangor’s civil service in January.

Based on your experience and knowledge in public administration, why and how do these wastage and abuses happen?

Sipaun: The government is the custodian of public funds – money which belongs to the people. The government is a mere trustee. Civil servants administer and manage public funds in the process of im-plementing government policies. This being the case they are duty bound to comply with a lot of rules and regulations designed to minimise, if not, eliminate abuse

of public funds. There will always be controlling officers in charge in each ministry, department or agency, responsible and account-able for public expenditure.

Wastage occurs when there is in-adequate or lack of effective system of control within the organisations. Sometimes, the people operating the system are not as effective as they should be. Very often also, the rules and regulations such as the Financial Procedure Act, Treasury Instructions and Treasury Circulars are not complied with either due to ignorance or oversight.

For example, the Treasury In-structions provide that the award of government works and services should be subject to open tender. In practice, more often than not awards are made through negoti-

AG report: Whither the money?

In light of the 2010 Auditor-General’s Report, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has opened 36 files to probe abuse of public funds while the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee will investigate seven ministries and agencies for weak financial management.

However, Transparency International Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low pointed out that the MACC had opened 13 files on the 2009 Auditor-General’s Report last year, but there has been no news since then.

When asked to comment on the latest national audit report, Low said the same abuses were being repeated.

“The possibility of corruption is definitely there. The MACC needs to toughen its actions [against wrongdoers],” he said.

He added that government authorities should conduct domestic inquiries and act against public servants who mismanage taxpayers’ money.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua suggested that the government set up a Financial Accountability Commission to probe irregularities highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report and penalise offenders.

“The PAC has no power to punish. We can only investigate and report our findings and recommendations to the Parliament,” said the DAP publicity secretary.

He added that the Chief Secretary to the Government had consistently failed to take stern action against offenders to have a deterrent effect.

“Usually the offenders would receive a warning letter, that’s all…in advanced countries like Japan, the ministers and head of departments in charge would have had to resign for such financial scandals and incompetence,” said Pua.

The proposed Financial Accountability Commission should be made up of independent leading professionals in the field of audit such as from the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Pua said.

One of the 13 MPs sitting in PAC, Pua also noted that the parliamentary committee has limited capacity and resources to look into all the issues raised in the Auditor-General’s Report.

In this respect, Low disagrees that a new commission is needed.

“I don’t think it’s necessary. I think the government should strengthen existing institutions like the MACC by giving them more independence and resources to conduct thorough investigations,” Low said.

Regardless, both Low and Pua agreed that precious public funds cannot continue to be squandered, and that it is high time ministries, departments and agencies cleaned up their act.

When will heads roll?

Sipaun: Corruption is costly as well as contagious.

Very often also, the rules and regulations such as the Financial Procedure Act, Treasury Instructions and Treasury Circulars are not complied with either due to ignorance or oversight.

Khusrin: Selangor stresses “value for money” and have introduced several policies to save taxpayers’ money.

of public funds. There will always be controlling officers in charge in each ministry, department or agency, responsible and account-able for public expenditure.

Wastage occurs when there is in-adequate or lack of effective system of control within the organisations. Sometimes, the people operating the system are not as effective as they should be. Very often also, the rules and regulations such as the Financial Procedure Act, Treasury Instructions and Treasury Circulars are not complied with either due to ignorance or oversight.

For example, the Treasury In-structions provide that the award of government works and services should be subject to open tender. In practice, more often than not awards are made through negoti-

ated tender. This is like a one-horse race. The horse will win without even moving. The real value of money is not realised. RM1.00 spent may only realise the value of say 40 sen.

All these could take place with-out being detected promptly be-cause of the absence of internal auditors to monitor that compli-ance is the order of the day. The element of corruption also cannot be discounted as one of the main causes of wastage. Corruption is costly as well as contagious.

Khusrin: Similar to the federal level, every month, state depart-ments and agencies have to send five to six reports on their financial status, revenue and assets to the state treasury. The treasury moni-tors and double checks the reports to make sure everything complies with rules and regulations.

The internal audit departments are also meant to ensure all rules and regulations are complied with. Every year, civil servants also have to go through a seven-day course to learn about financial management.

Besides that, a state committee made up of district officers, local council presidents, state depart-ment and agency chiefs will also meet up every three months to scrutinise our financial affairs. These are routine work, but if any of us, especially heads of department, are lax, then mismanagement and abuses may happen.

It’s best to catch small mistakes and take action before they become bad habits or culture.

But why do we see similar

mistakes being repeated every year?

Sipaun: Unfortunately the audit report only appears long after the event. In the meantime, civil servants are busy with day-to-day business and administration. Little time, if any, is available to study the report and take corrective measures. Old habits die hard. This being the case it would be advisable to designate specific officers to take follow-up action on the report.

Khusrin: So far in Selangor there hasn’t been any major issues raised in the Auditor-General’s Report [compared to the federal level]. But there are still some mis-takes, we’ll discuss the report at state meetings and ask each depart-ment to explain the issues that have been raised in the audit report.

If there are abuses, then we’ll have to hold an internal inquiry to investigate, and if the officer(s) is found guilty, we’ll have to take disciplinary action against the officer(s).

Can you share some of your personal experiences in the civil service?

Sipaun: I was once asked by a politician if the state could have a moratorium from complying with the Treasury Instructions and I told him “no way!”

After spending just about a couple of weeks in the Sabah Min-istry of Finance, I discovered about RM500 million was placed with the Sabah Development Bank as special time deposit to finance government-nominated projects. These projects were losing concerns

and involved good money after bad money. To me it was expenditure sourced from the consolidated fund without the State Assembly’s approval. In other words, it was an unauthorised expenditure by the state government. The State Treas-urer disagreed with me. To me, it was a constitutional and legal issue rather than an accounting one.

I referred the matter to the State Attorney General who agreed with my interpretation of the situation. To cut a long story short, the State Legislative Assembly had to pass a resolution to retrospectively ap-prove the amount placed as long term deposit with the Sabah De-velopment Bank. I am puzzled why this matter was not detected by the government auditor. The executive cannot utilise public funds unless authorised by the legislature.

How can we stop these wastage and abuses from happening and improve the civil service’s competency and integrity in financial management?

Sipaun: It must al-ways be remembered by politicians and civil ser vants that public funds belong to the pe ople , who ex-pect them to be utilised for the common g ood an d f re e f rom wasta g e. Should wastage occur those responsible and ac-countable should be identified and appropriate

Khusrin: Selangor stresses “value for money” and have introduced several policies to save taxpayers’ money.

action taken against them.I think there are enough provi-

sions to penalise offenders in the form of surcharge and disciplinary actions, amongst others. If the authorities are seen to be too leni-ent, then there will hardly be any deterrent effect.

Khusrin: The current state administration in Selangor stresses “value for money” and have in-troduced several policies to save taxpayers’ money. For example, we have open tenders for all projects, including small projects involving funds under RM20,000. We would call at least three to five companies to submit their quotations and pick the lowest.

Previously we used to reject companies whose bids were too low from our estimated cost, but now the state has changed the policy and will accept bidders whose prices are 20 to 30% lower than our estimate. We don’t want people to lobby for projects like the old times. Let the most competitive company win.

Year Ministry / Dept / Agency Item Market price (RM) Paid (RM) Markup rate (%)

2010 Marine Park Department A pair of binoculars 1,940 56,350 2,804

Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) An oven 419 1,200 186

A folding bed 100 500 400

A gas cooker 59.90 200 233

2008 Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi A laptop 4,500 42,320 840

MARA Balik Pulau A laser printer 5,000 7,722 54

2006 National Youth Skills Institute A set of four screwdrivers 40 224.94 462

A two-tonne car jack 50 5,741 11,382

A set of 10 technical books 417 10,700 2,466

Summary of overpaid items over the years

14 november 4 — 6, 2011

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community

OctO

ber 28 — 30, 2011/ issue 46

Erosionof workers’

rights Aren't w

e All dirty

minded?

p 12 & 13p 14

AffordAble centre for

diAlysis pAtients p 7

End to flood woes

By Gan pei ling K

lAnG

: Flash floods on Jalan Tengku

Kelana will be a thing of the past once new

flood mitigation ponds are built and the

drainage system upgraded next year.

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said RM3.5 mil-

lion will be allocated to end the problem at

Little India once and for all.

The announcement by the M

enteri Besar,

who visited the area on Monday, was well-

received by business owners who have been

plagued by the problem for more than a dec-

ade.“We’ve sent countless memorandums to

the authorities and we are thankful that the

state and local council are finally making a

serious attempt to address this problem,”

Klang Little India Traders Association presi-

dent T Muthusamy told Selangor Times.

Floods are a bane in this area, often de-

stroying goods in the 200 shops and stalls

besides driving away business.

Executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar

also told the press during Selangor's Deep-

avali celebration on Monday that construc-

tion is expected to start next year.

“An underground retention pond will be

built at the car park in front of the Methodist

church (near Jalan Kota),” he said.

The Klang M

unicipal Council (MPK) is

also proposing a second retention pond be-

neath the Padang Chetty field.

“The retention ponds will retain rainwater

and divert it to the Klang River,” said a

spokesperson from the engineering depart-

ment. He said the existing drains will be wid-

ened and cleared to ensure water can flow

smoothly, especially during downpours.

Funding for the project will be jointly pro-

vided by the Selangor Economic Planning

Unit (UPEN) and MPK. Th

e Drainage and

Irrigation Department (DID) and Public

Works Department (JKR) will work with

UPEN and MPK to carry out the project.

The flood mitigation project is in line with

Selangor’s move to continue promoting Lit-

tle India as a tourist destination in Selangor.

Another RM50,000 is being allocated to

build an arch at the entrance of the street.

“Construction will start soon and will be

completed by the end of the year,” said Dr

Xavier. M

eanwhile, the state also gave out

RM235,000 to 11 H

indu temples from

Klang, Kapar, Banting and Shah Alam on

Monday night. Four Chinese temples and

five churches also received contributions

ranging from RM10,000 to RM

35,000.

Present at the event were Selangor Speak-

er Datuk Teng Chang Khim, executive coun-

cillors Teresa Kok, Rodziah Ismail, Elizabeth

Wong and Ronnie Liu, Klang M

P Charles

Santiago, Kapar MP S M

anikavasagam, Kota

Alam Shah assemblyperson M M

anoharan,

Telok Datok assemblyperson Philip Tan,

MPK acting president Ikhsan M

ukri and lo-

cal councillors P Sundarajoo and V Maney-

vannan.

FOR A GO

OD CAUSE: Alzheim

er Disease Foundation president Datuk Jeffrey Ng Chin Heng (second from left), M

BSA mayor

Datuk Mohd Jaafar M

ohd Atan and Orang Besar Petaling Datuk Em

ran Kadir (second from right) w

ith Alzheimer patients prior to

the walkathon to raise aw

areness about the disease last Sunday. Story on Page 10

community

OctOber 28 — 30, 2011/ issue 46

Erosionof workers’

rights

Aren't we

All dirty

minded?

p 12 & 13p 14

AffordAble

centre for

diAlysis

pAtients p 7

End to f lood woesBy Gan pei ling

KlAnG: Flash floods on Jalan Tengku

Kelana will be a thing of the past once new

flood mitigation ponds are built and the

drainage system upgraded next year.

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said RM3.5 mil-

lion will be allocated to end the problem at

Little India once and for all.

The announcement by the Menteri Besar,

who visited the area on Monday, was well-

received by business owners who have been

plagued by the problem for more than a dec-

ade.“We’ve sent countless memorandums to

the authorities and we are thankful that the

state and local council are finally making a

serious attempt to address this problem,”

Klang Little India Traders Association presi-

dent T Muthusamy told Selangor Times.

Floods are a bane in this area, often de-

stroying goods in the 200 shops and stalls

besides driving away business.

Executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar

also told the press during Selangor's Deep-

avali celebration on Monday that construc-

tion is expected to start next year.

“An underground retention pond will be

built at the car park in front of the Methodist

church (near Jalan Kota),” he said.

The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) is

also proposing a second retention pond be-

neath the Padang Chetty field.

“The retention ponds will retain rainwater

and divert it to the Klang River,” said a

spokesperson from the engineering depart-

ment. He said the existing drains will be wid-

ened and cleared to ensure water can flow

smoothly, especially during downpours.

Funding for the project will be jointly pro-

vided by the Selangor Economic Planning

Unit (UPEN) and MPK. The Drainage and

Irrigation Department (DID) and Public

Works Department ( JKR) will work with

UPEN and MPK to carry out the project.

The flood mitigation project is in line with

Selangor’s move to continue promoting Lit-

tle India as a tourist destination in Selangor.

Another RM50,000 is being allocated to

build an arch at the entrance of the street.

“Construction will start soon and will be

completed by the end of the year,” said Dr

Xavier. Meanwhile, the state also gave out

RM235,000 to 11 Hindu temples from

Klang, Kapar, Banting and Shah Alam on

Monday night. Four Chinese temples and

five churches also received contributions

ranging from RM10,000 to RM35,000.

Present at the event were Selangor Speak-

er Datuk Teng Chang Khim, executive coun-

cillors Teresa Kok, Rodziah Ismail, Elizabeth

Wong and Ronnie Liu, Klang MP Charles

Santiago, Kapar MP S Manikavasagam, Kota

Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan,

Telok Datok assemblyperson Philip Tan,

MPK acting president Ikhsan Mukri and lo-

cal councillors P Sundarajoo and V Maney-

vannan.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Alzheimer Disease Foundation president Datuk Jeffrey Ng Chin Heng (second from left), MBSA mayor

Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan and Orang Besar Petaling Datuk Emran Kadir (second from right) with Alzheimer patients prior to

the walkathon to raise awareness about the disease last Sunday. Story on Page 10

copies distributed weekly throughout Selangor & Klang Valley100,000Tel: 03-5510 4566 Email: [email protected] http://selangortimes.com/

Th e A u d i t o r General Report 2 0 1 0 . N a s i

Lemak 2.0. What do they have in common? Yes, that’s right – our

nation is bankrupt. We are financially bankrupt and creatively bankrupt. Nasi Lemak 2.0 – Not so delicious “Uhmmm... You know... it was at that point that I realised

that maybe Thierry wasn’t actually a film maker, and he was maybe just someone with mental problems who happened to have a camera.”

That remark was made by the iconic street artist, Banksy, after watching an attempt by his friend, Thierry, at making a documentary about street art. The same can be said about Namewee, another person with issues who happens to have some money to make a movie.

Nasi Lemak 2.0 is a convoluted tacky mess. It was as if all the readers and commenters of Malaysian online media got together to create a movie. In other words, it was “syok sender” and sensationalising with an obvious Pakatan Rakyat bias.

Here’s a brief summary of the movie – Huang Da Xia (played by Namewee) is a struggling chef

because he cannot adapt to the localised cooking his custom-ers are looking for. However, he is also Hero Huang, a local community hero, because he films and uploads video on his YouTube account. Xiao K (Karen Kong) approaches him to participate in a cooking competition to help her father win back the restaurant from his cougar sister. Huang seeks help from a popular nasi lemak seller (Adibah Noor), who sends him to learn about Malaysian cuisine from the Nyonyas, Ma-lays and Indians and ultimately, the real hidden message of

“Nasi Lemak”. Namewee wanted to cram as many film genres, as many

parodies on Malaysian politics and as many scenes of self-glorification into his 1 hour 48 minutes film.

In terms of technique, the humour mostly fell flat, the acting was overdone and the editing was amateurish. The slightly more critical reviews say its saving grace was the message behind it, which was Malaysian unity.

I guess they derived this message of unity from the scene of Namewee making the popiah wrapped with nasi lemak, rendang and sambal or from the multi racial Bollywood-esque musical with cheesy “We eat sambal, we become united” lyrics.

Fair enough, on its own or maybe as a 4-minute YouTube video, we might get a hint of encouraging unity. But in Nasi Lemak 2.0, these scenes seem hastily constructed as if Namewee had forgotten the original purpose of this movie and thrown them in at the last minute to justify his movie.

Why the box office success then? When your selection of local movies is either about i) Toyols and Pontianaks ii) More toyols and pontianaks iii) Unashamedly blatant B grade cop-ies of Hollywood blockbusters iv) formulaic Malay romantic comedies, Nasi Lemak 2.0 becomes Citizen Kane.

This is completely understandable. When your film indus-try is bankrupt, Namewee becomes Martin Scorsese. Forget about appealing to viewers’ intelligence and imagination, just do something “different” and you’re hailed as a genius.

Meritocracy has a weird definition here. Decades of race politics have resulted in meritocracy being defined as a process based on including non-Malays, especially Chinese, in the competition, when the rightful definition is a process that rewards merit and nothing else. Nasi Lemak 2.0’s success was not based on merit, but merely because it was produced, di-rected and written by a non-Malay with themes that capitalise

on our guilt for closet racism, but packaged into a politically correct manner in the name of justice to relieve us of such guilt.

We are diluting the notion of greatness by heaping the movie with praises like “unusually daring”. Daring is a term we use on someone like Yasmin Ahmad, who explored love be-tween an upper middle class Malay girl and a Chinese boy from Ipoh. Great is a description for P Ramlee, whose movies focused on only one race in Malaysian society but are still loved by all races and all classes. When I see the description for Nasi Lemak 2.0 as “a Malaysian movie made for Malaysians”, I cringe. This suggests that Malaysian audience are setting the a much lower bar for a good movie.

So, we either choose to be critical or delusional. Guess which is the way forward?

Lee Lian Kong thinks the best nasi lemak is the humble but oh so good Nasi Lemak Marvellous. Send your feedback or angry YouTube videos to Lee Lian Kong at [email protected]

Why I don’t enjoy nasi lemak any more

YouthologY Lee Lian Kong

15november 4 — 6, 2011

news

By Basil Foo

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven new traffic lights, installed at a T-junction in Sri Damansara re-cently are alleviating the persistent traffic grid-lock which previously plagued the area.

“The traffic lights are to better control traffic flow at the intersection connecting Persiaran Industri with Jalan Tago 1,” said Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Chan Chee Kong.

Speaking to reporters at a site visit on Mon-day, Chan said the junction did not have traffic lights for the past 10 years and several accidents occur every week.

Complaints from residents began to pile up, especially in recent years, when the volume of traffic increased exponentially.

The traffic lights, which cost RM100,000, use a combination of sensors and timing mechanisms to control traffic flow.

“If one lane has no cars, the sensors will signal a change to green light on the other lane. This will help solve the heavy traffic flow,” said

Ariff Sahidin.Appointed by MBPJ, the Alfa Sinar Sdn Bhd

contractor said the traffic lights can also be controlled remotely from the council’s head-quarters.

Leading into the intersection, Jalan Tago 1 will be given priority where heavy traffic from Selayang and Aman Puri converge.

“There is a high volume of traffic coming down the road during rush hour in the morning. This is the only major road linking Selayang with this section,” said Mohd Hazimi Khalid.

The MBPJ Mechanical and Electric assistant engineer told reporters that the junction will be monitored for the next six months to further improve the traffic light timing.

The roads around the intersection, Persiaran Industri and Jalan Tago 1, may also be widened to ease traffic bottlenecks.

Also at the site visit was MBPJ councillor Syed Abd Malik Syed A Hamid.

The public has been urged to remain patient with the situation as the council works to im-prove traffic conditions there.

Ariff (back left), Mohd Hazimi (second left), Chan (third right) and Syed Abd Malik (second right) standing next to the newly installed traffic lights.

Accident cases fall with new traffic lights

PETALING JAYA: The city council will organise a fund raising carnival - Community Care Carnival (CCC) - to help children at the Public Housing Project (PPR) in Section 8 this Sunday.

“The carnival will be held in the Tropicana Medical Centre (TMC) in Kota Damansara and will feature food bazaars and game booths,” said TMC chief operating officer Erica Lam during the press conference on Wednesday.

The carnival is being jointly organised by TMC, SEGI College and several other non-government organisations. SEGI College students will help out with basic health, dental, and eye check-ups at the carnival.

According to Friends of Kota Damansara chair-person Jeffrey Phang, five Resident Associations have already confirmed their participation.

“They will be taking up booth spaces to sell food-stuff like cupcakes, cookies, nasi lemak, lontong – an assortment of things,” he said.

PPR Section 8 Resident Association chairperson Johari Nander said the carnival is to raise funds for students living in the public flats.

“They need to participate in more holistic activi-ties in order to stay away from negative influences,” he said.

The PPR Section 8 RA currently helps out by providing free tuition classes for the children. The classes are staffed by nine volunteer teachers and has more than 100 students.

He said they hoped to keep the children occupied to discourage them from negative activities like sniff-ing glue and petty thefts.

“With the additional resources, we hope to get more computers to provide the children with IT education,” he added.

Rotary Club Gombak (RCG) community service director Lee Jia Ping said coupons for the carnival are available in booklets of RM10 each.

Coupons can be bought at the event itself and carnival-goers are encouraged to donate with extra

coupons to the PPR children for th em t o p l a y games at the car-nival.

“ C a r n i v a l -goers can also bring foodstuffs, storybooks, soft toys , b ic yc les and other items on the day itself for us to sell or donate to the children,” Lee said.

The carnival is open to the pub-lic from 10am to 4pm and will in-clude face paint-ing , Harley Da-vidson motorcy-cle rides, perfor-m a n c e s , f a c e p a i nt i n g , a n d lucky draws.

Donations are welcome and can be made out to Rotary Club of Gombak Charity Foundation. Individual donors will receive tax exemption receipts.

Also at the press conference was RCG president Joyce Lim, RCG past district governor Leslie Salehud-din, TMC account manager Lee Ai Lin, TMC public relations executive Phoebe Woo, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Development Planning Department technical assistant officer Nurizan Abdul Rashid, and CCC event manager Arvind Danapalan.

Fun and games for a good cause

Phang.

Johari.

By Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: Kindergartens are mushrooming in Selangor, but most are operating illegally and taking advantage of poor enforcement.

Pre-schools are required to reg-ister with the State Welfare Depart-ment besides obtaining licences from local governments.

“There are about 300 kindergar-tens registered with us, but about 1,200 are not registered or do not have licences to operate,” said state welfare department director Nik Omar Nik Ab Rahman.

He said that kindergartens must also meet fire safety and occupa-tional safety regulations as well as satisfy building safety requirements from local governments.

But most of them are putting the lives of children in danger by ignor-ing these regulations.

“You can set up a kindergarten at any shoplot or house close to resi-

dential areas,” said Nik Omar at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that parents are reluctant to tip off authorities.

He urged errant operators to register themselves rather than con-tinue to operate illegally.

According to Nik Omar, his staff are reaching out to kindergartens that have not registered.

Under the Child Care Act of 1984, first-time offenders can ex-pect a fine of no more than RM10,000 or a maximum two-year jail sentence.

Repeat offenders can face a fine of up to RM20,000 and a jail term of not more than five years.

On Tuesday e vening , Nik Omar and his staff allowed a kin-dergarten at U10 that was forced to close on Oct 5 while under in-vestigation for operating without a licence to reopen.

The owner has been given a grace period to legalise operations.

Nik Omar... kindergartens must get registered.

Most kindies operating illegally

16 November 4 — 6, 2011

News

Ahmat Mohaayen launching the Jom Bayar Lesen campaign.

Mobile counters for renewalof business licences

New lease of life for Selangor Fruit Valley

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Fruit Valley has been saved from becoming another white ele-phant by a deal with a local company to revive the RM5 million agro-tourism project.

Papaya will be planted in 150 acres of the es-timated 20,000-acre park in the next two years as a pilot project, incorporating the latest bio-technology and agricultural science methods from Taiwan.

(From left): Lee, Kok, Prof Shih and Ng.

Enjoyable shopping trip for senior citizensBy Basil Foo

KAJANG: Senior citizen shoppers with their spouses and grandchildren in tow came out in force for the fourth round of the Bangi Jom Shopping programme on Tuesday.

“We are thankful for being chosen to join this programme,” said 78-year-old Saad.

The Kampung Bahagia resident was among 60 senior citizens who were given a RM100 shopping allowance each by the Bangi state assembly office.

Helped by his two grandchildren, he man-aged to pick up a few daily essentials like cooking oil and rice at the Econsave hyper-market on Jalan Reko.

“We are glad for the assistance that was provided to us,” said Mohd Yunus Malim Saidi.

The 75-year-old Kampung Bahagia resi-dent enjoyed a double shopping allowance as he came together with his wife Khadijah Sidau, 68.

Most of the participants came from Kam-pung Bahagia, Pekan Bangi and Kampung Sungai Ramal Dalam.

A total of 469 senior citizens have so far attended the four Jom Shopping pro-grammes organised by Bangi assemblyperson Shafie Abu Bakar.

“A majority who came were born before 1940. The oldest was born in 1919, and was represented by his two children who are also seniors citizens,” he said.

Shafie added that for those who could not make it to the hypermarket due to physical ailments, goods would be sent to their homes.

A total of 1,300 senior citizens have reg-istered for the programme with the assem-blyperson’s office while 831 are awaiting their turn.

“We will be having one more shopping trip before the end of the year. The rest who can’t make it will have to wait for next year,” Shafie said.

By Alvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: Mobile counters are being set up at five locations in the city to make it easier for owners here to renew next year’s business licences.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Ser-vices Management head Ahmat Mohaayen Said said 37,693 businesses have yet to renew their licences for 2012.

“We are setting up the mobile payment centres to avoid jamming our counters,” said Ahmat at the launch of the Jom Bayar Lesen campaign on Tuesday.

The mobile counters will open at Amcorp Mall (Nov 9-10), Tropicana City Mall (Nov 15-16), One Utama Shopping Centre (Nov 23 and 27) and Giant Kelana Jaya (Dec 1-2) from 11am to 6pm.

The council hopes the move will pre-vent long queues at MBPJ ’s payment counters when traders and business owners

rush to meet the deadline to renew their licences.

Those renewing their licences before Dec 31 will be exempted from paying the RM50 processing fee, while those who fail to renew their licences by April 1 next year cannot trade for a year.

“Other local governments won’t be so le-nient. If you are caught by them by Jan 1 next year without a licence, you’ll be blacklisted,” said Ahmat.

He said MBPJ’s grace period was to give businesses a chance to renew their permits and not to slap them with compound fines of RM250 per offence.

MBPJ has issued 3279 compound as of October 2011 to businesses and traders, in addition to 2397 fines to hawkers and stalls during the same period.

The common offences include carrying out business operations without licences or with expired ones.

(From left) Mohd Yunus, Khadijah, and Shafie.

“We plan to double the local papaya production rate to 200 tonnes (per hectare) per crop cy-cle,” said AgriScience Biotech (M) Sdn Bhd chief advisor Prof Thom-as Shih on Tuesday.

Executive director Marlvyn Lee said currently, the maximum local papaya yield per hectare is 100 tonnes per crop cycle as most farm-ers still employ traditional farming methods.

The consultancy signed the agreement to develop 150 acres of land with the Selangor Agricul-tural Development Corporation (PKPS) after a year of negotiations.

AgriScience Biotech will invest RM9 million in the two-year pilot project.

Its chief executing officer, Rob-ert Ng, said papaya seedlings will be planted in the nursery and later transferred to a larger greenhouse with nylon netting when they are 45 to 60 days old.

“The fruits can be harvested starting from the eighth month to 24th month,” said Ng.

He added that the crops would be replaced after that as they would have grown too tall. The harvest decreases rapidly when the plants grow old.

Ng said 150 acres would be contracted out to farmers while his

consultancy would provide the production planning, technology transfer, marketing and sales ser-vices.

“We also plan to organise semi-nars and practical trainings for farmers who are interested to learn

and adopt the latest farming tech-nology from Taiwan,” Ng added.

An officer from PKPS will also learn how eco-friendly designs and the use of effective microorganism can reduce the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.

“We’ll also have quality control checks to ensure the fruits are sweet and presentable,” Ng said.

If the venture is successful, the company will plant different types of fruits and give the 20,000-acre Selangor Fruit Valley a total make-over.

The previous state administra-tion spent RM5 million to start the project in 2002, which was sup-posed to be the largest star fruit farm in the world. However, the agro-tourism park deteriorated due to poor management and was of-ficially closed in 2008.

Executive councillor Teresa Kok, who was present during the interview, said Selangor could re-duce its dependency on imports and become self-sufficient if the Selangor Fruit Valley becomes a success.

“Malaysia used to be one of the top exporters of tropical fruits like papaya and pineapple, but now Selangor can lead the way to boost the industry again,” said Kok.

17novmeber 4 — 6, 2011

news

By Brenda Ch’ng

SUBANG JAYA: Four special chairs which have mecha-nisms to help the elderly stand properly were donated to the Senior Citizens Club last month.

The chairs, which cost about RM1,000 each, can be pro-grammed to fully recline or be raised to a vertical position to help seniors with backaches and knee pains stand prop-erly.

“The chairs from China and are useful for seniors as they make them more comfortable as well as support them when they have trouble standing,” said Timeless Design managing director Jessie Ng.

Ng said these chairs are padded and fully equipped with mechanisms designed to lift seniors.

“I feel so comfortable on the chair. It’s well designed and supports my spine really well,” said resident Wong Mun Tin.

The 77-year-old, who suffers from backache, said he could

now stand up with the help of the chair.Wong is also thinking of buying one for his own home

and recommending it to his friends.“The chair is really comfortable and it is good because it

helps me stand up without help,” said resident Mun Yoke Lin.

The 82-year-old was one of the club members who tried out the chair yesterday.

“I’m so grateful for these chairs as they will definitely benefit the seniors who have pains and aches,” said club president Yeong Teik Boon.

The club has over 910 members in Subang who actively take part in activities like cooking, language and computer classes, and even road trips around Malaysia.

Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh and Subang Jaya councillor R Rajiv received the chairs on behalf of the club. “It’s a good chair not only for seniors but also for preg-nant women. I’m glad it was donated to this club as these are the people who really need it,” said Yeoh.

Seniors get a lift

Mun (seated) trying out the special chair at the Senior Citizens’ Club.

KLANG: The Selangor Health Department has denied ru-mours that Klinik Kesihatan Anita here will be shutting down.

“We are not shutting down Klinik Anita. It will operate as usual,” said state deputy health director Dr Zainudin Abdul Wahab.

However, patients with chronic medical problems such as diabetes and heart disease are being transferred to new clinics with better facilities in Bandar Botanic and Pandamaran.

While the move may inconvenience some patients, it is necessary because of the shortage of space and facilities at the aging clinic in Klang town.

The government clinic on Jalan Pegawai off Jalan Tengku Kelana will continue to open its doors to outpatients.

Pandamaran state constituency assistant KN Chandren first highlighted the issue after hearing grouses from patients who were transferred to other clinics.

“I’ve been told to continue my medical treatment at the new clinic in Bandar Botanic at the end of November,” said Teluk Pulai resident Teresamah Nayakam.

The 73-year-old, who suffers from diabetes, has been a patient at the clinic since last year along with her son, who is also a diabetic.

Both mother and son, who travel by motorcycle, are un-happy about the move because it is about 10km away from their home.

“It will take us so much longer to get there now, when it used to be near my home,” she said.

Rumours of the clinic shutting down have put residents in a spot.

“No way this clinic is shutting down. I’ve been seeking treatment here for over 30 years and it’s both convenient and cheap,” said Kampung Jawa resident Paridah Mahmud.

The 50-year-old visits the clinic when she is down with fever or cough.

“If it shuts down, I will have to take two buses just to get to Botanic from my home. Waiting for one bus when you are sick is bad enough, let alone two,” she said.

This was echoed by V Maniam, whose family also relies on the clinic because it is convenient and affordable.

“I bring my son here whenever he is sick. This is a better clinic because there isn’t a long wait like at the Klang General Hospital,” he said.

The 44-year-old, who lives in Kampung Jawa, said the shift to the new clinic would inconvenience his family, which only owns one motorbike and often relies on public transportation during the day.

“How is my wife going to rush to the new clinic when there is an emergency during the day and I’m out at work on my motorcycle?” asked Maniam.

Government clinic not shutting down

WITH all due respect to Datuk Seri Idris Jala, he is wrong to say that MRT is the only thing that will prevent Klang Valley from chok-ing up by 2020. Traffic congestion stems from the high usage of private cars, espe-cially single occupancy vehicles. While the proposed Sungai Bu-loh-Kajang (SBK) MRT is bound to take some private cars off the roads of Klang Valley, this is not the direct answer to the fact that more and more private cars are coming into our road system every day.

What is very important is a reliable public transport network that enables all citizens in the Klang Valley to move around from one end to another solely on public transport, regardless of bus or MRT. Today, this is lack-ing, and we need to see the gov-ernment and Pemandu address this lack of a complete network.

The SBK line will not even cover 20% of the Klang Valley population, so, at this rate, many who may be stay-

ing along this transport corridor may still have to resort to using private vehicles to get to their destinations.

Since the government is not in a financial position to roll out MRT lines all over the Klang Valley (similar to New York City’s subway), it needs to ac-knowledge the importance of buses in building and achieving the network. High density cities like Singapore and Hong Kong today record higher bus rider-ships than MRT, showing the importance of bus networks.

Rajiv RishyakaranAdvisorThe Association For The Improvement Of Mass Transit’ (Transit)

Good transport network more reliable than MRT

Klinik Anita is still in service.

KUALA SELANGOR: Building a crematorium to cater to residents in his area is what Kuala Selangor District (MDKS) councillor KN Chandren is focusing on before his term ends.

“There’s none now. Residents have been carrying out open burning with kerosine and fire wood,” says the two-term councillor.

The 65-year-old fulltime councillor says a piece of land has already been gazetted for the project.

For Chandren, helping the less fortunate in Bukit Melawati and Jeram may be an uphill task, but he is undeterred.

“I have a keen interest in helping people, and most of the time I get carried away. That is why I became a council-lor, to do more for the people,” he said.

He is currently concentrating on improving the living conditions of the 30,000 villagers by ensuring that in-frastructure is properly maintained.

Among common complaints are blocked drains, uncut grass and potholes.

“The villagers here don’t complain much, they only come to see me about infrastructure problems or for welfare help. When I receive the complaints I will try to solve them on the same day itself,” says Chandren.

His hands-on approach was put to the test during the recent Ramadan when he responded immediately to complaints about a major blackout at the Sungai Buloh wet market.

“All the ceiling lights went out, leaving the whole market in darkness and making it hard for traders to do business,” he said.

The morning wet market, which houses over 20 stalls, open as early as 5am during the fasting month, and the semi-darkness caused fish and vegetables to be stolen. Thanks to Chandren’s quick response, the council sorted out the problem.

Meanwhile, he is trying to get the damaged cement floor and drainage systems at the market repaired.

“The small drain around the market is in a bad con-dition as it gets blocked all the time. Even the cement floor is badly cracked.”

Even though the council has no more funds left this year for major upgrades at the market, it has promised to set aside money next year to resurface the flooring and to repair drains around the market.

“I’ve been told that the council will clear everything out of the market and do a proper resurfacing for the floor and repair the drains,” he says.

Apart from improving the village’s infrastructure, he also spends time to help the less fortunate.

He uses his council allocations to give shoes and schoolbags to needy children apart from organising community events for villagers during festive seasons.

Know Your Councillor : KN Chandren

18 November 4 — 6, 2011

Technology

By Edwin Yapp

T he last quarter of the year is a l w a y s a t i m e w h e n manufacturers line up to

showcase and introduce their products. So it comes as no surprise that this quarter will see a lot more on the horizon in the consumer products space and naturally, we at Selangor Times have front and centre seats to such gadgets and gizmos.

So here is a sampling of the gad-gets I’ve seen in the past month, with more to be featured in the coming weeks.

Dell Vostro V131First up on the list of what I’ve

recently seen is the Dell Vostro V131, a thin, powerful, and sleek addition to the award-winning Vostro laptop line. The V131 has been designed for the small business in mind. It comes encased in an ul-trathin, stylish chassis which houses either Core i3 or i5 processors, making the Vostro V131 a portable powerhouse engineered to maxi-mise business productivity.

For those who are power hungry, the V131 comes with an optional removable 4-cell battery and Intel ULV Celeron 847 processor, and will deliver up to 9.5 hours of bat-tery life, allowing users to work virtually anytime, anywhere.

The V131 also has the added advantage of a fingerprint reader security software that provides ex-ceptional security for anywhere, anytime peace of mind. Other fea-tures include a full HD camera, SRS Premium Voice Pro, digital array microphones and built-in Skype. In addition, the laptop offers two USB 3.0 ports, a chiclet keyboard with a backlit option, and quick launch keys.

New gadgets and gizmos

Lenovo

ThinkPad Tablet So much has been said of tablet

computer makers in recent months with Apple’s iPad leading the fray. Since then, other vendors have got into the game, namely Asus, Acer, and more recently Samsung. So it was only inevitable that Lenovo was the next one to enter the market.

The ThinkPad Tablet has been touted to combine media and enter-tainment value with the security, reliability and manageability fea-tures ThinkPad is known for, and is being positioned as the “first true business-class tablet.” Designed as a companion computing device for professionals on the go, the Think-Pad Tablet includes an optional digitiser pen, a full-size USB port, full-size SD card slot, and mini-HDMI for connecting to external projectors and displays, as well as an optional ThinkPad quality Key-board Folio Case with optical TrackPoint.

The ThinkPad Tablet looks sol-idly built and indeed has a nice

business class feel to it. But what’s impressive is that the data remains safe on the ThinkPad Tablet as it has been built with layered data security, including an anti-theft software and the ability to disable the tablet if the device is lost or stolen.

The ThinkPad Tablet comes equipped with a 10.1” WXGA (1280x800) display weighing 750g, IPS display for a 178-degree viewing angle and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. It comes preloaded with a full version of Documents to Go app by DataViz for compatibil-ity with Microsoft Office applica-tions.

ThinkPad Tablet customers will also enjoy Lenovo’s full portfolio of enterprise-level services, such as ThinkPlus Support, which provides business customers direct access to advanced technicians with tablet and Android specific experience, and Tablet Protection.

Acer Aspire S3 Ultra lightweight laptops began

breaking into the market in the last year or so led by Apple’s MacBook Air series. Since then, other players such as Acer have also come up with Windows-based equivalent ma-chines to give consumers more choice.

One such device is the Acer As-pire S3 Ultrabook, which measures

only 13mm thin and weighs less than 1.4kg. The ultra-slim aerody-namic design features a strong and lightweight aluminium or magne-sium alloy chassis, and a lid with a fingerprint-free metal finish. Users have a choice of 320GB HDD with embedded SSD6 or 240GB SSD (Solid State flash Drive) for ultra-fast access and ample media and data storage.

For multimedia delivery, the S3 comes packed with the profession-ally-tuned Dolby Home theatre v4 for cinema-style surround sound and enhanced dialogue quality for AN optimum listening experience. Standard HDMI output is also in-cluded.

But perhaps by far the most in-novative feature is its Acer Green Instant On, which delivers ultra-fast responsiveness to give an “instant on & instant use” user experience, en-ergy efficiency, and enhanced pow-er management. Acer Green Instant On technology has two sleep modes from which the Acer Aspire S3 re-sumes ultra-fast. In Sleep the Acer Aspire S3 will resume in less than 2 seconds, and in Deep Sleep2 it re-sumes in 6 seconds.

Also, the Acer Instant Connect allows users to access the Internet in only 2.5 seconds, four times faster than conventional connections – so users can go faster for better produc-tivity and infotainment enjoyment.

Free health checks for S27 residentsSHAH ALAM: The Rotary Club of Shah Alam (RCSA) will be providing free medical screening for residents at Section 27 here, on Nov 20.

“The Free Medical Camp will feature a compre-hensive battery of tests for every person who attends the event including free medicine prescriptions,” said RCSA president Kong Ling Thoh at Shah Alam City Council’s (MBSA) corporate office on Monday.

The free screening includes blood, urine, bone, eye and kidney tests for low and medium-income earners.

In addition, free medicines, nutritional supple-ments will be given to those who need them. Children will be also given free spectacles.

Held annually since 2009, the medical camp aims to create awareness as well as provide “basic”

health care to the underprivileged.Volunteer doctors and specialists will be on hand

during the event.Among sponsors are Lion Group Medical As-

sistance Fund, Pfizer Malaysia, Vision College, Columbia Asia Hospital and Sanofi Pasteur.

Taipei TCM Medical Centre will also provide traditional Chinese medical check up like acupunc-ture.

Kong said RCSA will be working alongside the Rotary Club of Kiara Sunrise and MBSA which has offered the use of the community hall and other facilities at Section 27.

The programme is also organised by Zone 10 councillor Kamarudzaman Sanusi’s office

“We have a good relationship with the Rotarians of Shah Alam,” he said.

(Left to right) Kamarudzaman, Mohd

Jaafar and Kong at the press conference

talking about the Medical Camp.

19november 4 — 6, 2011

media

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Surrounded by lush forests and scenic hill vistas, Bukit Bayu at U10 Shah Alam espouses a concept of exclusivity and comfort.

“At harmony with nature, Bukit Bayu enjoys a cool atmos-phere as we are neighbours with the Bukit Cerakah forest reserve,” said Datuk Ku Abdul Rahman Ku Ismail.

The Melati Ehsan Holdings Berhad chairperson said a dense fog could be seen on cold mornings and likened the weather to other hilltop retreats in the country.

He was speaking at the first official launch of the Bukit Bayu development here last Saturday.

The massive 24.3-hectare development contains 133 double-storey bungalow lots, each ranging from 743 to 1115 square meters.

“We want to give people plenty of space. In this area, we could have built 800 link houses but instead chose to build fewer units for lower density,” he said.

Fielding formidable co-architect Patrick M Frecon, whose high-profile projects include Putrajaya and the French Embassy, Bukit Bayu homes utilises green technology.

Its homes contain inbuilt energy-saving

elements in the form of wide glass windows and the use of white walls to reflect natural sunlight and cut down lighting cost.

Bukit Bayu also features fence-less lots to create an open concept for residents to interact with their neighbours in the gated and guarded com-munity.

The development boasts a 30% landscaped area including two hectares of an expansive lake with clubhouse facilities such as an indoor gym and swimming pool.

“The clubhouse provides convenience for residents to mingle by holding private func-tions like birthday parties,” said Ku.

Bukit Bayu has seen an encouraging take-up rate with more than 40% confirmed buyers

for the 65 units in its first phase.Melati Ehsan Holdings Berhad managing

director Tan Sri Datuk Yap Suan Chee, who was also at the launch, expects the first phase to be sold out by mid November.

“Some buyers have previously bought Melati developments in Kota Damansara. They are confident in our projects for reason-able prices and speedy completion,” he said.

After a year of taking over the project, Bukit Bayu has reached 50% completion.

Also at the launch was Shah Alam City

Council (MBSA) mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan who said the development was aptly named.

“The name Bayu evokes feelings of calm-ness, comfort and peace. It is a well-suited name,” he said.

Also at the launch was Melati Ehsan Hold-ings Berhad executive director Datuk Ir Tan Hong Hing and director Datuk Sudin Haron.

The double-storey bungalows in Bukit Bayu at U10 Shah Alam are fetching prices of between RM2.5 to RM3 million.

Sprawling natural beauty at exclusive Bukit Bayu

A Bukit Bayu double-storey bungalow.

Tan showing a model of the Bukit Bayu development. Looking on is Ku (second left).

SHAH ALAM: To celebrate Deepavali, 20 children age under 12 years old from Leo Cubs were invited to a fun floral foam cake arrangement workshop where they learned to exercise their creativity and their love for colours.

Fleurs owner Eric Min Tet showed a variety of colourful cakes displayed on his mobile table. His displays ranged from small cupcakes to miniature cakes, whole or sliced. A few of the cakes were passed around and the children took time to touch and smell the cake.

Reminding the children that the cakes were made of foam and therefore could not be eaten, Eric introduced the next few ‘in-gredients’ in his ‘baking’ session – the green pom poms (otherwise known as green chrysanthemum).

He passed the flower around and each child had a close look at it. Then, he showed them the hypericum and the eustoma. T

Quarter slices of multi-coloured foams were passed around to the children – blue, red, yellow. Eric and his assistants demon-strated how the whole process of creating a floral foam cake slice, from putting to-gether the colourful foams with toothpicks and then creatively arranging and fastening the flowers onto the foam.

After the demonstration, the children were asked to create a floral foam cake slice.

“When I heard it’s going to be a floral arrangement workshop, I didn’t expect it to be this… it’s so simple yet it looks beautiful,” commented Liew, proud mother of sisters Liew Rae Yee, 5 and Liew Rae Yuen, 3.

“This is the f irst time my daughter took part in the Leo Cu b a c -tivi ties ,” said Keer-t h a n a Gnanae -aswaran’s mother.

“It is also an opportunity for her to meet new friends… to do something different.”

“The objective of the Leo Cubs pro-gramme is to reach out to young children. Activities organised for the Leo Cubs are meant not just for children to have fun but also for them to learn something new each time they come here,” said Sunway Pyramid marketing director Phang Sau Lian.

The Foam Cake Floral Arrangement Workshop was held in conjunction with the Deepavali celebration at Sunway Pyramid.

Fun with cupcakes

Children from Leo Cubs posing proudly with their final product

Beautiful floral foam cake slice created by Leo Cubs

PETALING JAYA: Foodies who have been munching down on their favourite local delica-cies can now continue do so and at the same time stand a chance to win prizes.

The Selangorlicious! Foodster Chinese Blogging Competition was launched recently for Mandarin-speaking food bloggers to eat and write about their favourite foods.

“Following the successful conclusion of our first competition in English and Bahasa Ma-laysia, we have extended this to the Mandarin foodies,” said Fazly Razally.

The Tourism Selangor events and market-ing manager spoke during the competition launch at My Cook Book Restaurant in Sun-way Giza on Oct 24.

The competition will run from Oct 28 to Dec 2 where participants must sign up at sel-angorlicious.com to send in their entries via the web portal.

Participants may choose any eatery and write about their experience in a blog post of 50 to 400 words long and attach between two

and 10 photos.P h o t o s

should include location shots of the interior and exterior of the eatery, shots of the food, and of diners enjoying the food if pos-sible.

W h i l e t h e blog posts must be in Mandarin, the eateries fea-t ure d c a n b e

both halal and non-halal.Non-bloggers are also encouraged to take

part as all they need is to be able to write Mandarin, look out for enjoyable food and write and photograph their experiences.

Contestants will be rewarded with cash prizes totalling RM750 for blog writing and food photography each, along with prizes from sponsors.

A weekly prize draw will also be held for the public to vote on the online portal and win exciting dinner vouchers at eateries across the state.

The winning blog entries will first be chosen by number of votes through the Selangorli-cious! online portal where weekly prizes will be awarded to top entries.

After the closing date, entries will be short-listed by number of votes which would then be presented to a panel of judges to decide the winners.

Eat and blog your way to cash prizes

Best photography winner from the former Selangorlicious Blogging Contest, Nigel Low

Invited bloggers enjoying the delicious spread at My CookBook restaurant

20 november 4 — 6, 2011

fiction/media

Fiction by Hafiz Noor Shams

He remembers all too clearly what happened six months ago on the other side of the world as he stands among

strangers under a statue of St Michel, waiting for an old dear friend to emerge from the Metro.

“Don’t bite your nails.” “You’re starting to sound like my mother,” she

replied to him sarcastically as both of them sat by the table, feeling a little bit nervous by each other’s presence. This was six months ago.

“Okay, but you should listen to your mother,” he said.

She gave a curt but a cute “pfft”. Her reply made him smile, but he regretted saying what he said almost immediately. He didn’t want to annoy her unnecessarily, although such teasing was exactly the thing that brought them to-gether in the first place. Life is so full of paradoxes.

“Why do you like to bite your fingernails, anyway?” He was genuinely curious.

“Well, that’s how I clip my nails.” He wasn’t quite sure if she was either joking or being serious.

The cultural gap between them was wide enough that one makes an assumption on one’s own peril. But he risked it any-way. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to see the expres-sion on her face.

“Really? You expect me to believe that?” he incredulously asked.

She smiled, perhaps realising the outrageousness of her statement. But it was true. She bit her nails to keep them tidy. Almost.

“Okay. Sometimes.” “I don’t believe it. Give me your hands.” He grabbed both

of her hands and inspected her fingernails, which were surpris-ingly neat.

“Wow” was all he could muster.

“I told you so,” she said almost mockingly as her smile be-came wider. She loved being right.

He didn’t quite think much of it at first. He had inno-cently taken her hands, but it soon struck him that they were holding hands for the first time. And in this cold weather, her hands were soothingly warm. They felt so comfortably soft. Holding them felt like a sinful sensual pleasure.

He felt guilty. He liked her but he also respected her. He didn’t want to turn her into a sensual object, a being that ex-isted just to present this private moment to him.

Most importantly, he didn’t know how she felt towards him despite having gone out with her and having simple fun to-gether several times already. Movies, dinners, kayaking, thea-tres, funfairs. He knew he liked her, but a relationship such as this must always be mutual. He was still unsure, but he couldn’t ask her. One cannot be too explicit with these things.

He didn’t want to be presumptuous about whatever hap-pening between them. It could be that they enjoyed each other’s company as friends and nothing more. If that was the

case, then he didn’t want to ruin it. He could live with being close friends, but he couldn’t imagine losing her completely.

He decided to loosen his grip, even if reluctantly. The conflicting emotions were tearing him apart. No longer smiling, she must have realised whatever he felt. His hands were slipping away slowly but surely.

But she wouldn’t let that happen. She quickly took his hands and held them tightly. And she smiled at him, hoping to assure him of something.

“Merci, mademoiselle.” He sighs forlornly in the cold Paris, ru-

ing how time has changed. He wants to meet her for one more time, but something tells him that that isn’t the best of all ideas. Another friend of his was convinced that it is the worst of all ideas.

“It’s the end. You’ll suffer more if you meet her again,” the friend said.

“I know, but I just want to see her again for one last time,” he stubbornly replied. “I need to see her again, just for one more time.”

“You’re a sucker for pain, you know that. You going there will only hurt both of you. You need to move on and get over her.”

Whatever it is, it is too late to back out now. There she is, walking straight towards him, smiling and looking beautiful, as she has always been.

He smiles back, partly relieved to see her again, partly devastated that he won’t be able to hold her hands again.

“Hi...” she says rather nervously, wearing a smile to hide, perhaps, the past. “How have you been?”

In his mind, he wants to say I miss you so much. He doesn’t. Instead: “I’m feeling great, and I’m excited to be here for the first time.”

A necessary lie, perhaps.

A Necessary Lie

SHAH ALAM: Eye care specialists Focus Point together with Sunway Medical Centre (SMC) re-cently marked the Save A Sight eye health awareness campaign in conjunction with World Sight Day 2011 with a Mobile Optical Service visit to local schools to offer free eye health screening and prescription glasses for the needy.

Nine employees from Focus Point and SMC in-cluding three optometrists volunteered their time and assisted in the eye screening of more than 500 stu-dents at a local primary and secondary school over a period of two days in mid-October.

A total of 83 students were screened for common eye disorders and myopia at SK Pendidikan ( Khas ) Selangor which houses 104 children with various learning disabilities whilst another 419 students were screened at SMK Bandar Sunway.

The students were each given Save A Sight bottled water and a copy of “Mata Sihat, Visi Baik”, a 63-page dual language comic book featuring the Save a Sight mascot, “ Totti” who imparts knowledge on eye care and nutrition.

“We are heartened by the passion and care dem-onstrated by Focus Point and SMC for our students and community,” said SK Pendidikan ( Khas ) Selan-gor head of student welfare services Mohd Hassan Mokhtar.

“I have no doubt that the students and their parents will benefit from the awareness created on the importance of vision correction and prevention of blindness via the screening programme,” he added.

On the distribution of eye care literature, Focus Point assistant marketing manager Clara Goh said: “We feel that it is important for children to learn the basics of eye care.”

Twelve children from Precious Home and Rumah Sayangan, Cheras also underwent free screening at Focus Point Section 14 and Bandar Sunway outlets as part of the programme, earlier this month.

Of the total number of children screened, 65 re-quired new prescription glasses which would be made to order and sponsored by French ophthalmic lenses and optical equipment maker, Essilor.

514 students get free eye screening

Employees of Focus Point and Sunway Medical Centre posing with students and teachers of SK Pendidikan (Khas) Selangor

SHAH ALAM: McDonald’s is back with their latest of-fering of savoury chicken meat in the form of the Classic Chicken McDe-luxe and Chicken McBites.

Tender 100% c h i c ke n b r e a s t meat, free from ad-ditives and fillers, g o es into b o th i t ems , c o mp l e -menting McDon-ald’s great-tasting line of existing chicken meals.

Together with all-time favourites McChicken, Spicy Chicken McDe-luxe and Chicken McNuggets, the two latest offerings are set to offer customers a wider variety of choices.

Despite repeatedly drawing cus-tomers back into its restaurants for its delicious meals and reasonable prices, McDonald’s research find-ings told a wider story.

“Customer feedback and focus group findings told us that custom-ers are looking for even more chick-en variety,” said Sarah Casanova.

The McDonald’s Malaysia man-aging director added that apart from tantalizing their taste buds, custom-ers are looking for food that can be shared in a fun way.

Made from 100% chicken breast, the Chicken McBites is a fun and bite-sized dish which can be added on to any meal for the enjoyment of sharing it with family and friends.

For those wanting a juicier, meatier bite, the Classic Chicken McDeluxe is made from whole chicken breast topped with lettuce and tomato in a corn-meal bun and mayo.

It offers a wholesome white meat experience to satisfy fans of chicken burgers and win over hungry diners who are looking for something new to try other than its spicier cousin – the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe.

The Classic Chicken McDeluxe and Chicken McBites are available in McDonald’s restaurants from October 27 for a limited time only.

More chicken meals at McDonald’s

Classic Chicken McDeluxe & Chicken McBites

21November 4 — 6, 2011

food

Delectable seafood where planes land

When it’s twilight time over the old Subang airport route, restaurant lights cast an alluring glow over the landscape. LIN ZHENYUAN pulls over at a roadside restaurant and spends some quality time with the family

T he old airport road, or Subang airport trunk road, is no longer as busy as it once was. Still, when dusk descends on the sprawling landscape that encompasses Ara Damansara, Kampung Melayu and beyond, traffic picks

up a little. There was a time when PJ residents would head towards the old Subang

village for seafood. These days, there are other places with more reputable seafood restaurants.

Recently, in an unplanned excursion in that area that used to be Klang Val-ley’s aviation hub, I came upon a restaurant that peeks from the opposite side of the road where Mas Firefly aircraft land and take off.

My watch indicated that it was close to 7pm. The eatery suddenly became more noticeable as it had switched on its multicoloured neon lights.

If you are approaching from Subang Jaya or Petaling Jaya, you may not know which turn to take. The correct route is a narrow slip of a road which veers to the left as the main road proceeds to Sungai Buloh and beyond.

The sharp U-turn takes you directly to Restoran Subang Ku. It is quite ap-parent that this restaurant’s peak hours are after 7pm because of the numerous tables spread over a wide area with a big parking area at the back of the restau-rant.

Inside Restoran Subang Ku, an-other name is hung over some aquariums, and it is B.B. Restoran Thai Seafood Village.

Perhaps the place is now under a new management and the owners have neglected to remove the old signage. But without any restaurant within sight, Restoran Subang Ku seems to be the choice pick as far as dinner goes.

It has been ages since I have pa-tronised any restaurant along the old airport route. At 6.30pm, I was among the first customers there.

Picking the choice parking spot was a privilege for the early birds. Subang Airport Terminal 3 was within walking distance. I guess those passengers who have the time and opportunity could easily cross the road, have their dinner and still have plenty of time left to board their Firefly flight.

Meanwhile, restaurant workers were busy preparing for their busy hours. Some tables were under tarpaulin covers, others had that thatched roofs.

It was a picturesque setting that is not so much typical of west coast peninsula but more of the east coast.

But other considerations pre-vailed at that restful hour. A Chi-nese waitress came along with a pen and pad to take our orders.

We went for the usual inexpen-sive items, beginning with vegeta-bles, la-la and a plate of yin-yeong noodles. Then we were asked about our choice of fish.

At first, we were not sure, so I took a short walk to the aquariums to study the finned ones. Actually, I was looking at the prices that were pasted on the tanks with different species of fish.

The Soon Hock species weighed in heavily at RM16.90 per 100gm. That’s an eyebrow-raising 169 per kilo. An average-sized Soon Hock should be around two and a half kilos or thereabouts.

Under normal circumstances, that is normal for businessmen en-tertaining clients, but we were a

family and did not wish to spend more than RM200 on fish alone.

Table-ready Soon Hock doesn’t come in small sizes. Neither does the Australian Jade Perch which was priced at RM9 per 100gm.

The most affordable of the fishes available was the waterfall tilapia which cost RM3.50 per 100gm.

Just when we were discussing what species of fish suited us, the waitress mentioned “garoupa”. We had an affinity with that species and it was decided swiftly by the wait-ress who added: “Tiger Garoupa, it is then!”.

I only found out later that the Tig er Garoupa wa s actua l ly RM9.80 per 100 gm. But let it be

known that its meat was one of the finest I have tasted in recent years.

It was worth every sen of the RM64 we spent on the Tiger Ga-roupa. Fish aficionados have been known to pay up to hundreds of ringgit for fishes that are not only rare but are caught in the waters of faraway rivers.

So in reality, our garoupa is not

that special. The plate of la-la was smaller than we expected, but

it was spicy and nice.The noodles which were heavily

laden with thick gravy were not a sensational success. It wasn’t bad either. The kai lan vegetable was adequately nutritious, but it didn’t earn any compliments from us.

What impressed us were the location of Restoran Subang Ku and the wide expanse of land that surrounds it. Its proximity to Sub-ang Jaya, Kelana Jaya and the rest of PJ gave it some crucial bonus points.

I guess PJ and Subang residents may like it for its seclusion and its clear advantage of not suffering from heavy motor and human traf-fic, like many other places.

When the bill came, we were a bit surprised that it was only about RM111, inclusive of Chinese tea, peanuts and towels.

The Tiger Garoupa accounted for more than half the total cost of the bill. It was an easy 20-minute drive home from Restoran Subang Ku with little traffic to contend with.

Parking is free at the restaurant. The location, if you want to know, is Terminal 3, Subang Airport (across the main road).

If you want to make enquiries, the telephone number is 03-7846-1200. I believe the restaurant has about 50 tables within its premises because my bill clearly says “Table 49”.

I am glad I re-established ac-quaintance with this eatery at the old Subang airport. It brought back memories of those happy times when PJ residents didn’t have to venture too far to have a memorable dinner with the family.

Crabs – alive and bound for the dining table.

The crowd gets larger as the

evening hours descend.

Yin-yeong noodles is a perfect complement to the main course.

The plate of vegetables fresh from the hot wok.

The la-la has the right degree of spiciness to please any Malaysian

who loves it hot.

Attap roofs give the place a touch of kampung life.

22 november 4 — 6, 2011

Gallery

Firefighters attempting to put out a fire on Jalan SK 9/6, Seri Kembangan New Village on Oct 25. Four families subsequently received financial aid from Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian Wah and Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching.

Mohamad Hairolazwan Mohd Faizan, 12, from Kg Taman Warisan, Taman Melawati. rejoices over receiving a new wheelchair from Hulu Kelang Assemblyperson Saari Sungib (standing behind him).

Sixty needy families in Klang receive goodie bags and angpows from Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan (standing, centre, in green) and Klang municipal councillor Robert Choo (centre, standing, in pink) on Sunday in conjunction with Deepavali.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, MPK secretary Ikhsan Mukri, state exco members Ronnie Liu and Dr Xavier Jayakumar, and MPs Charles Santiago (Klang), R Sivarasa (Subang) and S Manikavasagam (Kapar) during a visit to shops on Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang last week in conjunction with the Deepavali celebration.

(Front row) Tropicana Medical Centre (TMC) public relations executive Phoebe Woo, TMC CEO Erica Lam, Rotary Club Gombak (RGC) president Joyce Lim, MBPJ officer Nurizan Abdul Rashid, RCG community director Lee Jia Ping, TMC account manager Lee Ai Lin. (Back row) PPR Section 8 RA chairperson Johari Nander, Friends of Kota Damansara chairperson Jeffrey Phang, Community Care Carnival event manager Arvind Danapalan and RCG past district governor Leslie Salehuddin at the CCC press conference on Wednesday. The carnival aims to raise funds to help children residing at the Section 8 Public Housing Project.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim handing cows in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidil Adha to the State Mosque in Shah Alam on Tuesday. The Selangor government donated 516 cows to be shared by mosques in Selangor. With him is Sepang district officer Mohd Amin Ahmad Ahya.

23november 4 — 6, 2011

culture

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

Where to get your Where to get your LRT Stations (Distribution by hand) – MorningAmpang – Sentul TimurAmpangCahayaCempaka Pandan IndahPandan JayaSentul TimurSentul

Kelana Jaya – Terminal PutraKelana JayaTaman BahagiaTaman ParamountAsia JayaTaman JayaUniversitiSri Rampai Wangsa MajuTaman Melati

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 MallPlaza Damas Ikano Power CentreEmpire Subang MetroPointCentro Mall, KlangBangsar Shopping Complex

Hypermarkets (From Saturday noon)

Tesco (Puchong, Kajang, Mutiara Damansara, Rawang, Bukit Tinggi, Setia Alam, Ampang, Extra Shah Alam, Kepong)

Giant (Puchong, Kajang, Bandar Kinrara, Klang, Pandamaran, Bandar Selayang, Kota Damansara, Taman Setiawangsa, Putra Heights, Taman Connaught, Kelana Jaya, Bukit Antarabangsa, Subang Jaya, Bukit Tinggi, Setia Alam, Kota Kemuning)

Carrefour (Bukit Rimau, Subang Jaya, Wangsa Maju, Sri Petaling, Kepong, Puchong, Ampang, Jalan Peel, Jalan Kapar, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, S23 Shah Alam)

Jusco (Bukit Tinggi, Tmn Maluri, Wangsa Maju, Bandar Baru Klang, Mahkota Cheras)

Commuter Stations (Distribution by hand) – Morning

Sentul – 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 17/27SS15 Subang Jaya Taman Kuchai Lama Taman OUG Pasar Taman Megah Pasar Jalan OthmanPasar Jalan 17/2Pasar Sek 14

Pasar Seri Setia SS9A/1Pasar Kg ChempakaTaman Tun Dr Ismail

HospitalForrest Medical Centre

CollegesHelp InstituteCollege Bandar Utama (KBU)Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia

Irresistible Wear

Exhibition; until 27 Nov; Galeri Petronas, Suria KLCC; galeripetronas.com.my, 03-20517770; free admission

Showcasing 48 new artwear pieces designed by Malaysian artists and fahion designers, namely Datuk Radzuan Radziwill, Datin Sharifah Kirana, Edric Ong, Faizal Abdul Hamid, Adnan Hassan, Akma Suriati, Asliza Aris, Zainol Salleh, Eddie Yap, Fion Poon, Associate Professor Hasnul Jamal Saidon and Abdul Hamid Hassan. “A form of expressing art about clothing the human body; the notion of ‘wearing art’ instead of just looking at it.”

CALenDArSend your events to [email protected]

Double Bill: What’ll Break You and Apoca-Lips

Theatre; 3-13 Nov; KLPac; www.klpac.org, 03-40479000; RM45 (matinee), RM70 (evening shows)

What’ll Break You – Marcus Whitacre has killed someone. He’s not denying it. He’s lost a lot. He’s going to lose more. We can only watch it happen. An interrogation, dressed as a play. Starring Gavin Yap and Zahim Albakri.Apoca-Lips – This New Year’s eve will be a blast. As soon as the clock rings in the New Year, anyone who kisses will blow each other up. Only two people in the city know this, but they’re arguing right now. A play about three just-about-to-fail relationships on the eve of a New Year, with a slight amount of Armageddon. Starring Vince Chong, Stephanie Van Dreisen, Ash Nair, Gavin Yap and Zahim Albakri, and introducing Tania Khan.

The Canticle Singers: Odds and Ends

Music; 4-7 Nov; Bentley Music Auditorium, Wisma Bentley Music, Petaling Jaya; www.thecanticlesingers.com; RM28 / RM38

Spend a fun and exhilarating evening with The Canticle Singers in an intimate studio concert setting, with a collection of their favourite odds and ends of lush choral arrangements, solos, duets and ensemble numbers. The repertoire offers selections from the world of pop, jazz, folk, spirituals, lounge, screen, musical theatre; from songwriters such as David Pomeranz, Burt Bacharach, Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Ruth Elaine Schram, Andy Beck, Cole Porter, Claude-Michel Schonberg, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim and others.

The Drive

Theatre; 16-19 Nov; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur; 03-2142 2009, www.theactorsstudio.com.my; RM30 / RM15

Three friends went up to visit an old asylum – the perfect spot for the horror-fanatic fans of their blog. For Mo, Stevie and Jerry, a good ghost story on a night’s drive would be expected. But on this drive, the stories come to life. And death. Directed by Ashraf Zain, written by Jude James. Featuring Ariff Faisal Abdullah, Branavan Aruljothi, Omar Ali, Sharon Lam, Ng Boon Ping and Redza Minhat.

Badai Semalam

Theatre; 11-20 Nov; Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur; 03-41498600, www.ticket2u.biz; RM30-RM300

Mazni, the daughter of a household maid who works for a rich family, attracts the attention of her rich employer’s son, the flamboyant Karim, who sets out to woo her despite resentment from his family. The theatre production follows the young couple in the twists and turns of

their ill-fated love story, as they deal with discrimination from their families, gossip from neighbours, and relationship complications. Starring Erra Fazira, Aaron Aziz and Fizz Fairuz.

Dummyland Take 2

Theatre; 17-19 Nov; PJ Live Arts @ Jaya One; 03-79600439, 012-6832099, www.pjla.com.my; RM29

Monti and Logi have done a DNA analysis on the citizens of Dummyland (formerly known as Bolehland). They have come to the irrefutable conclusions that the citizens of Dummyland must have in their DN, a dummy gene. It is the only logical explanation when everything is successfully bulldozed past the dumb citizen. Monti and Logi’s social comedy will take you on a journey of situations through the eyes of the citizen of Dummyland.

Together As One

Music; 4-13 Nov; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur; 03-2142 2009, www.theactorsstudio.com.my; RM40 / RM30 / RM20 (preview night)

Inspired by the Festival Musica Sacra International, The Young KL Singers will be presenting songs composed to express the faith of each respective religion in harmonious manner. Besides being part of their choral music education process, the concert will also serves as a way to honour all faiths through music without any form of discrimination. The concert will be witnessing members of all religions, races, age groups and backgrounds singing under one roof to promote a sense of openness and understanding towards other religions as well as celebrate our cultural diversity. Songs will be in various languages including Sanskrit, Latin, Arabic, Mandarin and English.

Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.