community OctOber 7 — 9, 2011/ issue 43

Councils deny misuse of allocations

Double trageDy for siblings

p 2 p 15

spelling the enD of emergency laws

p 12 & 13

• Turn To page 2

Bike lanes coming to Selangor

By gan pei ling

hulu selangor: Kuala Kubu Bharu will become the first town in Selangor with its own des-ignated bike lanes by December, with Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam likely to follow suit soon.

Executive councillor Elizabeth Wong told Selangor Times the Hulu Selangor District Council, in its July full board meeting, had approved a proposal to construct bike lanes around Kuala Kubu Bharu.

“Kuala Kubu Bharu will serve as a pilot project. If it is successful, the Petaling Jaya mayor is also keen to build bike lanes around the city [to reduce traffic congestion and the city’s carbon footprint],” said Wong in a phone interview.

Wong said Shah Alam is an-other city that has the potential to transform itself into a biking city as its development over the years has been more controlled and or-ganised.

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.

Selangor is mirroring a world-wide trend where major cities in-cluding London, Paris and Wash-ington, DC are taking various steps to promote cycling as the pre-ferred mode of transport.

Apart from constructing bike

lanes, Wong said Selangor and rel-evant local governments will be amending their laws and by-laws to ensure cyclists’ safety on the road.

“Safety is our number-one con-cern. So, for example, we plan to introduce penalties for those who

endanger cyclists by parking their vehicles on bicycle routes,” said Wong.

She added that public educa-tion and campaigns are needed to educate road users to be consider-ate to cyclists on the road.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim warming up with participants of the run for peace in Taman Klang Jaya last Sunday. Story on page 16.

Hulu Selangor district council-lor Chua Yee Ling told Selangor Times the state government, dis-trict council and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research are very supportive of Kuala Kubu Bharu’s bike lane project.

Chua said an estimated RM800,000 will be needed to im-plement the project, which will be sponsored by the state.

“Currently many local residents choose to drive, even for short journeys, to schools or town be-cause it can be dangerous to cycle with inconsiderate car drivers on the road.

“With designated bike lanes [separated from the main road], it’ll be safer for children to cycle to schools and residents to cycle to town,” said Chua when met at Kuala Kubu Bharu.

She said parking spaces will be provided in public places such as schools, bus stations, post offices and markets for cyclists to park

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2 OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

news

Councils deny misuse of allocations By Selangor Times team

SHAH ALAM: Local authorities are refuting allegations in an English daily that councillors are pocketing allowances meant for staff and ser-vice centres.

The Star reported on Sept 23 that some local councillors in Selangor are allegedly abusing the RM2,500 monthly allowance given to them by the state.

The report also quoted Klang Consumer Association president Devadass Anjan, who said he was sceptical about giving allowances to the councillors as not all of them have service centres.

But councillors and local councils’ public relations personnel told Selan-gor Times the local governments check the premises and audit the operating expenses of service centres.

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Councillors from the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) also said the council does not provide the monthly allowance in cash.

Councillor Robert Choo said MPK’s corporate communication unit issues the cheques for his ser-vice centre rental to the property owner, and his office assistant’s sal-ary to the employee directly.

“We have to present receipts for our service centre’s utility bills and stationer y purchases to make claims,” he said.

Similarly, Selayang Municipal Council public relations director Mohamad Zin Masoad said council-lors have to present their service centre rental receipt and office as-sistant salary slip before they would be reimbursed.

Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) president Datuk Hasan

Nawawi Abd Rahman said the council reimburses the councillors based on their service centres’ ten-ancy agreements, and that the maximum amount MPKj council-lors can claim for their service centre rental is RM750 a month.

District councils in Hulu Selan-gor and Kuala Langat provide sig-nificantly less funds for the council-lors’ service centre operations com-pared with their urban counterparts.

Public relations unit assistant in-formation officer Shahrulnizam Khalil said the Kuala Langat District Council only provides a maximum of RM1,000 to operate a service centre.

“Some councillors choose to set up a service counter at the state as-semblyperson’s office to save on rent and use the RM1,000 to pay the of-fice assistant salary, utility bills and other expenses,” said Sharulnizam.

He added that the councillors must submit their bills and receipts of the expenses to the district coun-cil every month.

In addition, the council’s Finan-cial Department would audit the premises and receipts submitted.

Hulu Selangor district councillor Chan Fook Heng said his colleagues only receive RM800 a month to run a service centre.

“Most of us use it to pay our as-sistant’s wage and utility bills,” said Chan, adding that most councillors set up a service counter in state or council buildings to save on rent.

Chan dismissed the allegation that councillors are pocketing the allow-ances, saying it is politically motivated and an attempt to discredit local councillors and the state government based on unfounded accusations.

“The allowance allocated to us is

barely enough to run a service cen-tre, and the councils audit the ex-penses. There’s very little room for abuse,” said Chan.

The five local authorities above and Ampang Jaya Municipal Coun-cil (MPAJ) provide monthly allow-ance or reimbursement for their councillors to set up and maintain service centres.

Selangor Times could not reach MPAJ public relation officers at press time.

The remaining six local govern-ments in Selangor – Petaling Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council, Subang Jaya Municipal Council, Sepang Municipal Council, Kuala Selangor District Council, and Sabak Bernam District Council – do not give allowances or reim-bursement, but directly provide the office and staff for the councillors.

Chua pointing out existing bike lanes near vernacular school SJK (C) Khing Ming, which will be incorporated into the new project.

Strong campaign to publicise bike lanes to be launchedtheir bikes.

The Public Works Department has yet to finalise the bicycle route, but it is expected to connect the town centre, SJK (T) Kuala Kubu Bharu, SJK (C) Khing Ming and SMK Kuala Kubu Bharu Bestari Perdana with residential areas like Taman Pesara, Taman Serul-ing, and Chinese new village Kam-pung Asam Kumbang.

Chua expects the move to reduce the number of cars on the road and traffic congestion during peak hours in town.

“For short-distance travel, cycling is actually better than driving because it saves time, petrol, reduces your carbon footprint and is healthier,” she said.

Existing bike lanes surrounding ver-nacular school SJK (C) Khing Ming will be incorporated into the new bicy-cle route as well.

However, Chua pointed out that Putrajaya, Jonker Street in Malacca and Georgetown in Penang have their

own bike lanes, but local residents do not make use of them due to a lack of pro-motion by the authorities.

To avoid such failure in its bike lane project, Chua said the district council will launch a strong campaign to publicise its bike lanes and encourage residents and schoolchildren to cycle.

“We’ll educate the public on traffic and safety rules for cyclists, and join hands with bike shops to have promo-tions or discounts for bicy-cle purchases,” said Chua.

Early last month, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman expressed inter-est in building bike lanes around the city.

Roslan, who started cycling to work last month, told the press that desig-nated bicycle routes are needed to make cycling safer and more conveni-

ent for the public.The mayor urged residential associa-

tions or local organisations that are keen to have bike lanes in their area to submit proposals to the city council so that the council would have a better gauge of the public’s interest in the initiative.

• From page one

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4 OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

News

Shadow Budget to cut waste, help needy

World sight campaignIn conjunction with World Sight Day, Focus Point and Caring Hearts Foundation will launch their inaugural World Sight Day Campaign tomorrow (Oct 8) at LG concourse, Sunway Pyramid. There will also be exhibitions on eye health and talks by eye care professionals and opthalmologists from today (Oct 7) until Oct 9. Highlights are free eye profiling, corneal health checks and demonstrations of premium lenses. RM1 from every registered participant and water bottle sold will be donated to children in need of eye care in Klang Valley. Call 03-78805520 ext 190 (Clara) for details.

Art exhibition

The MIA Art Centre will be opened to the public for one week from Oct 9-16, 11am-4pm for an exhibition showcasing works by students pursuing creative arts and hobbies courses at the centre. Themed R3 – Explore, Express, Enjoy, the exhibition not only inspires and motivates students, but also provides them an opportunity to share their works with the public and loved ones. Selected artworks will also be on sale on Oct 9 from 12pm-2pm. Call 03-2163 2337 (Farah) or email mia.ems@gmail.com for details.

Support Sarawak brunch

Barefoot Mercy, a non-profit non-governmental organisation, is inviting the public to be part of its Sarawak Awareness brunch on Oct 22 at 11am at The Annexe Gallery, 2nd floor Central Market Annexe, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur. The brunch aims to highlight problems faced by native rural communities in Sarawak. Tickets are priced at RM50. For details, email sarawakbrunch@gmail.com.

Fundraising dinner

Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago will organise a fundraising dinner on Oct 14 to raise funds for welfare programmes organised by his office and the upcoming general election. Among the speakers are Pakatan lawmakers Datuk Teng Chang Khim, Teresa Kok, Charles Santiago, Gobind Singh Deo, Dr P Ramasamy and Khalid Samad. Call 016-6267797 (Stephe-nie Lao) or 03-33232122 for details.

Cartoon animation classes

Astro Media is conducting free trials for its creative programmes in digital cartoon animation at its Petaling Jaya Studio every Saturday morning starting this month for children aged 11-17 years of age. There will also be lessons on manga drawing for Japanese anime lovers. To register log on to www.astromediastudio.com. Call 012-2902272 (Rei) or 03-78031336 for more details.

Special needs art competition

The Rotary Club of Bandar Utama will organise a unique art competition for special needs children and adults on Oct 23 from 12pm-5pm at the SJK(c) Puay Chai, Jalan SS2/54, Petaling Jaya. The theme, which is ‘Rainbow In My Heart’, will display the top 20 art works at the Art Expo Malaysia 2011 at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Kuala Lumpur. Attractive prizes worth RM16,000 will also be given away, including iPads. Registration fee is RM20. Call 012-3930300 or 012-3991622 for details.

International Seniors’ Day

D’Happy Club will organise a dinner and dance on Oct 16 in conjunction with International Senior Citizens Day. Joining them will be 40 seniors from three old folks’ home. The event will be held at Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort. Admission is RM80 per person. For details, call 012-3230560 (Christopher Lee) or visit www.kairosforcommunity.blogspot.com.

EvEntsBy Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Pakatan Rakyat’s Shadow Budget for 2012 proposes to cap govern-ment expenditure and reduce wastage to channel more resources to lower-income groups.

“ We have prepared the budget at RM220 billion, of which RM181 billion comes from taxes, licensing, Petronas and others, while RM39 billion will be deficit,” said Mohd Rafizi Ramli.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strat-egy chief, who spoke on the Shadow Budget at a forum at Quality Hotel here on Wednesday night, said their smaller budget aimed to do more with less wastage.

Among the cost-cutting measures will be a RM10 billion reduction of the Prime

Minister’s Department budget to RM5 billion from the current RM15 billion.

“Auctions of Approve Permits at market price will also bring in extra income of RM1.2 billion,” Rafizi added.

He said among the benefits would be RM1,000 annual bonuses for senior citi-zens above 60 and homemakers who earn below RM1,500 monthly.

Welfare Department aid will increase from RM300 to RM550 monthly, while a top-up allowance increase to RM550 monthly will be set in place to help the hardcore poor.

“The fundamental question is who the budget is for. We are targeting the bottom 60% with household earnings less than RM3,000 a month,” said Liew Chin Tong.

The Bukit Bendera MP said in order to help needy families, the budget had to look at transportation, health, housing, and security, which accounted for most of their income.

He said to achieve their target, they would have to oppose monopolies such as those in the local airline, telecommunica-tion, and media industries.

“Internet costs are expensive as Tele-kom Malaysia (TM) almost monopolises the entire market,” he said.

Liew explained that if other consumer services were allowed to compete with TM, costs would be lowered and trickle down as savings to ordinary Malaysians.

Among the speakers at the forum were Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

New

!

Minimum wage to drive economy SHAH ALAM: The forum on Pakatan Rakyat’s Shadow Budget discussed setting the national minimum wage at RM1,100 to help workers weather the global economic downturn.

“Anything below this amount will be considered illegal,” said Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong.

At the forum on Wednesday night, Liew said while it is not exactly a decent wage, a higher amount could result in unemployment. He said RM1,100 was a target that everyone could achieve.

Sabah and Sarawak would be given a grace period of two years to implement the policy.

“This is a way to help the bottom 60% of wage earners for whom pay has remained stagnant for the past 15 years,” he explained.

However, he cautioned that disposable income could lead to inflation. “Should everyone’s salary increase over-night, inflation would follow suit, changing nothing in the current situation.”

In order to increase disposable income, he said mo-nopolies should be dismantled to create competition, which would drive down prices and encourage consumers to save.

Liew added that an increase in disposable income would spur domestic spending and drive the economy.

“With the global economy slowing down, we need to look towards local markets rather than rely solely on our usual foreign trading partners,” Dzulkefly Ahmad said.

The Kuala Selangor MP said by increasing the income of the country’s workforce, the number of those taxable would also increase, reaping profit for the government.

Currently, only 1.7% out of 12 million workers nation-wide are eligible to pay income tax.

Shadow Budget 2012: Facts and FiguresGovernment expenditure: RM220 billionEnhancing education: RM4.4 billion – RM500/month for teachersMinimum wage: RM1,100/monthFacilitation fund: RM2 billion – Help SMEs adjust operations to create jobsWorkforce technical and vocational training: RM1.6 billionTraining teachers to address shortage: RM200 millionImproving vernacular schools: RM200 millionAnnual seniors citizens’ (above 60) bonus: RM1,000 – Estimated cost RM1.7 billionAnnual homemakers’ bonus: RM1,000 – Estimate cost RM2 billionHardcore poor supplementary income: RM550/month – Estimated cost RM200 millionDirect welfare payments: RM550/monthChildcare allowance: RM1,000/yearExisting goods and services subsidies: RM22 billionImproving SME cleanliness facilities: RM100 millionPublic housing projects allocation increase: RM1 billion

(From left): Rafizi, Nurul Izzah, Dzulkefly and Liew.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ OctOber 7 – 9, 2011 ⁄ 5

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6 OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

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Kok: Selangor’s economy still doing well

Medium-cost homes deal for villagersBy Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: Kampung Sri Temenggung residents in Selayang have agreed to the state’s offer of new homes at discounted rates to end the dispute over their reloca-tion.

“The squatters have accepted the state’s offer of medium-cost units of 850 sq ft in size at RM42,000,” said state executive councillor Is-kandar Samad here on Wednesday.

Iskandar, whose portfolios in-clude housing and squatter settle-ment, said the amicable agreement ends the deadlock between 29 families and the state, which has been pending since 2005.

The 29 families had resisted eviction orders because they felt that the initial offer of low-cost units at RM42,000 was not good enough.

A total of 137 families had taken

up the offer by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

The residents of Kampung Sri Temenggung had settled at the vil-lage 50 years ago, but had been forced to relocate under former Menteri Besar Dr Khir Toyo’s zero-squatter policy.

Iskandar said the state’s new policy is to offer medium-cost units to lower-income groups, and the families were benefiting from the programme.

Iskandar pointed out that the market value for the medium-cost homes is around RM150,000.

The state will also allow the families to stay at their existing homes until the apartments are ready.

Selangor is slated to build some 5,000 units of medium-cost homes in 2012, and 450 will be built in the Sri Temenggung area.

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM: Selangor attracted RM3.4 billion in foreign investment in the first six months of the year, based on statistics released by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida).

Teresa Kok said the state is second only to Penang, which beat all other states by securing RM3.6 billion between January and July this year.

The executive councillor for investment, industry and trade said the statistics show that Selangor is still one of the most popular investment destinations in Malaysia.

“Our state’s economy is growing steadily,” she said at a press conference after the executive council weekly

meeting on Wednesday.The Kinrara assemblyperson added that Selangor has

the highest number of approved manufacturing projects –158 – of all the states.

She said 102 are new projects, while 56 are extended projects. These are estimated to create 11,006 new jobs.

The Petaling district will see 49 new projects, with 26 of them concentrated in Shah Alam, nine in Pu-chong, five in Subang, and four each in Serdang and Petaling Jaya.

The Klang district also has 44 projects approved from January to July this year, followed by 18 projects in Hulu Langat, 17 in Gombak, 12 in Kuala Selangor, and eight in Kuala Langat.

MBPJ’s traffic warden plan hits a snag PETALING JAYA: The city’s plan to deploy traffic wardens with enforcement powers similar to traffic police is caught in federal red tape.

Mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman said the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) is still waiting for the green light from the Ministry of Transport.

Under the plan, wardens will be empowered to book vehicles for breaking traffic rules.

“The traffic wardens will be guided by traffic laws when carry-ing out their duties,” said Roslan here on Wednesday, adding that MBPJ had written to the ministry “countless” times to speed up the approval of the plan.

Under the new initiative by MBPJ, some 30 wardens will post-ed across the city to summon errant motorists.

Their duties will also include directing traffic during peak hours and issuing compounds for of-fences such as illegal parking, jump-ing queues and causing gridlock at yellow boxes.

Traffic wardens are employed by statutory authorities such as local governments in Commonwealth countries to help regulate traffic flow and enforce laws relating to the parking and stopping of vehicles.

MBPJ wants to be the second local government in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to have the power to book motor-ists in its jurisdiction.

The delay is likely to ruffle feath-ers, especially among residents as-sociations (RA) in the city, in the wake of frequent traffic snarls in the city.

Roslan was speaking at a gradu-ation ceremony for 33 enforcement officers at the MBPJ headquarters.

Enforcement and Security  de-partment head Mohd Fauzi Maar-op said the department is assisting RAs and Rukun Tetangga to guard their neighbourhoods.

He said that some 60 enforce-ment officers have been seconded to assist RAs in residential areas.

CorrectionIn the photo caption of page 1 of our Sept 30-Oct 2 Issue 42, we erroneously captioned Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president as Datuk Adnan Ikhsan (who was the former president). His name is actually Datuk Asmawi Kasbi. Any error and inconvenience caused is regretted.

Iskandar: New policy to offer medium-cost units to lower-income groups.

Roslan handing out graduation certificates to new enforcement staff.

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7OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

News

DNAA a ‘face-saving measure’By Brenda Ch’ng

KAJANG: Local councillors who w e r e g i v e n D i s c h a r g e s n o t Amounting to Acquittals (DNAA) for wearing Bersih 2.0 t-shirts said the move was a face-saving measure by the government.

”We were arrested on June 29 for wearing a Bersih shirt which was only declared illegal on July 1,” said councillor Zulfikar Ali Ariffinm following Wednesday’s decision by the prosecution in the Kajang mag-istrate’s court in Putrajaya.

He said the decision by the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) didn’t make sense and was politi-cally motivated.

“The government knows they’re wrong. They’ve no strong basis to charge us, and instead of admitting their mistake, they decided to dis-charge but not acquit us,” said Zulfikar.

Zulfikar was among the 10 charged for wearing the yellow t-shirts in solidarity with the election reform watchdog at the Kajang Municipal Council’s (MPKj) full board meeting on June 29.

“Retelling it sounds like a joke now. Eleven of us were supposed to be charged, but councillor Cheong Seow Foon could not make it to court and escaped the charges,” said councillor Ng Tien Chee.

Cheong was supposed to be

charged at a later date, but the pros-ecution made no move to do so.

Ng said the government should stop playing political games and just grant them a Discharge Amounting to Acquittals (DAA).

“This is in fact a straightforward case, and if the government is refus-ing to admit their mistakes, it just shows there is a big flaw with the prosecution system in Malaysia,” said Ng.

The councillors also expressed

their dismay at being denied their day in court when they weren’t given a chance to argue their case.

“It was just a waste of time as we went all the way to Putrajaya antici-pating a three-day hearing which was cut short to half a day.

“ We weren’t even allowed a chance to speak up for ourselves. How is that fair?” said councillor Lee Kee Hiong.

Their lawyer, Lim Lip Eng, also requested for DAA, but the prose-

cution said the DNAA was a deci-sion made by the Attorney General.

“It’s poor decision-making on the government’s part by wanting to move on without allowing us to ar-gue the case,” said Lim.

Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan also echoed the view that the decision by the prosecution was just face-saving measure.

“And it is really unfair to the persons concerned,” said the Bersih 2.0 chief.

Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) councillors in Putrajaya in July. (From left) Tan Booh Wah, Zulfikar Ali Ariffin, Ong Seng Peng, Lee Learn Eng, Steven Chan Jeong Hon, Lee Kee Hiong, T Chandra Mohan, Cheong Siow Foon, Ng Tien Chee, Mohd Mohyiddin Mohamed Mesbah, and Razaly Hassan.

Temporary inconveniencePUCHONG: An eight-month temporary road diversion will be in place at Putra Heights interchange on the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) starting Sunday, Oct 9.

The diversion is to facili-tate construction works on a new bridge which will con-nect Puchong to Shah Alam, Klang, and Hicom.

“Those from Puchong to-wards Shah Alam, Klang and Hicom should keep left after the Putra Heig hts Inter-chang e,” sa id L ing karan Trans Kota Sdn Bhd (Litrak) head of communications Shah Rizal Mohamed Fawzi.

He urged the public to follow the road signs which will guide them to their des-tination.

Traffic from Puchong to Persiaran Kewajipan Subang Jaya will remain unchanged.

For inquiries, contact the L D P H e l p l i n e a t 0 3 -74947333.

8 october 7 — 9, 2011

news

By Basil Foo

PUCHONG: The state has urged the Ministry of Education to approve the construction of three schools here to cater to a growing number of students in the state. 

In a letter to the Ministry, the state voiced their support for the applications of SJKC Yak Chee, SMJK Katholik, and the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) to set up schools here.

“The state decided to approve the land for the schools after the state executive committee meeting on Sept 23,” said ex-ecutive councillor Teresa Kok.

At a press conference on Monday, Kok showed reporters the letter dated Sept 30, which contained the proposed lots and land sizes for the three schools.

SJKC Yak Chee applied for 1.67 hectares, while SMJK Katholik applied for 2.58 hectares of Lots 65768 and 65766 respectively in Taman Tasik Prima.

Both applications are for the construction of branches of existing schools: SJKC Yak Chee in Puchong and SMJK Katholik in Petaling Jaya.

“Another 1.01 hectares of Lot 65766 have been applied for by Nasom to build a school for autistic children,” she said.

Kok said the state has now done its part and is leaving the ultimate approval in the Ministry’s hands.

The meeting was held in the showroom of property developers Bolton Bhd, which had allocated these land parcels in their de-velopment as school reserve land.

Also present was Chinese Schools De-velopment Committee deputy chairperson Lee Kim Chuan, who welcomed the state’s initiative.

“In Petaling, there are 45,000 students in 20 SJKC (Chinese vernacular) schools. These statistics are among the highest in the country, with some schools having up to 4,000 students,” he said.

Lee said they proposed to add another eight schools to the Petaling district to re-duce overcrowding in current schools and to minimise travel time for students.

He added that while the optimal student population of 1,500 per school is a long way from being achieved, he hopes the state and Ministry will take note of the issue.  

SMJK Katholik board chairperson Datuk Lim Hock San said the school has over 3,000 students and 40 classes.

He said the number of students who apply to enter their school every year end – 20,000 – is a sign that they desper-ately need a second school branch.

Nasom chairperson Teh Beng Choon said their school, upon approval and construction, will be the society’s first permanent home in its 26-year history.

“The autism identification rate in Malaysia is low. There may be undiagnosed autistic children attending regular schools who drop out due to inability to cope,” he said.

Also at the meeting was Puchong MP Gobind Singh, Bolton executive director Chan Wing Kwong, and Subang Jaya Mu-nicipal Council (MPSJ) councillor Ng Sze Han.

Putrajaya urged to approve new schools

Kok with the letter to the Ministry of Education. Looking on are Gobind (right), Teh (back left) and Chan (back right).

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KLANG: A dinner themed An Evening In Support For Change is being organised by Klang MP Charles Santia-go on Oct 14.

Santiago said the fundraising dinner for the upcoming general election will be held at Taman Rasnah Restaurant.  

“We want to be prepared and make sure our party is equipped with enough funds to run campaigns,” he said.

He added that some of the funds raised will be used for welfare programmes by his service centre.

“There are too many programmes to run, with too little allocation for my office,” he said.

Among events planned for the year are an educa-tional entrepreneur programme for youths and welfare programmes for single mothers.

Speakers for the dinner are Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim, and Puchong MP Gobind

Singh Deo. For more information, donations and ticket sales,

contact 016-6267797 (Stephenie Lao) or call the MP’s office at 03-33232122.

By Alvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: Both this city and Guang-zhou are set to sign a Friendly City status agree-ment by the end of the year to mutually benefit from each other’s social, technical and eco-nomic experiences.

“Both cities have a lot in common,” said Petal-ing Jaya City Councillor (MBPJ) Richard Yeoh, who said PJ and Guangzhou are implementing almost similar sets of policies.

Yeoh explained that a tie-up would benefit PJ as both cities are pursuing environmental and sustainable policies such as Low Carbon City and Liveable City standards.

MBPJ is finalising details towards inking an agreement with Guangzhou’s local govern-ment following a technical visit to the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province.

Yeoh said MBPJ could exchange engineering and technical knowledge on city planning with the provincial city government.

The MBPJ entourage included Deputy Mayor Puasa Md Taib, One Stop Centre (OSC) head Lee Lih Shyan, and councillor Chan Chee Kong.

The know-how that Yeoh thinks MBPJ could

learn from Guangzhou includes the implementa-tion of public transport services such rail and bus networks inside its 7,000 sq km area.

The city of 12 million also faces the same is-sues that plague urban centres: garbage disposal.

The MBPJ entourage received a thorough briefing by the Guangzhou local government on the city’s comprehensive recycling pro-gramme as part of its solid-waste management.

Yeoh also pointed out that both cities have ethnic ties as PJ has a sizeable Cantonese-speak-ing Chinese community due to immigration from Guangzhou and nearby areas.

It is also hoped that a Friendly City status will increase economic cooperation between the cities.

Both Guangzhou and PJ are strategic eco-nomic locations in each’s own country, are invest-ment and manufacturing centres, and are top destinations for foreign investment.

“PJ and Guangzhou market themselves as the one-stop investment locations,” Yeoh said, add-ing that economic opportunities from a tie-up have yet to be tapped.

The MBPJ team was part of a Tourism Selan-gor roadshow representing PJ at the Guangzhou Fair 2011.

PJ to tie up with Guangzhou City

Fundraising dinner for Klang MP

Santiago (centre) with supporters and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councillors.

By Brenda Ch’ng

KLANG: The building of Southpoint, a third port beside Westport and North-port, should be halted until the Port Klang Authority (PKA) is transparent and willing to disclose their master plan.

“I want PKA to reveal their master plan and inform the public why a third port is necessary,” said Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago.

“Where are the statistics or studies to show that Southpoint will increase Port Klang’s net gain? Where is the proof that Southpoint will bring new business to all ports?”

Santiago expressed concern that the building of Southpoint would result in more competition between the existing ports.

However, PKA chairperson Datuk Teh Kim Poo feels that competition can help improve services.

“I believe [Southpoint] will attract new clients and generate more business in the next five years,” he said.

Teh added that the privately owned

Southpoint would bring in new clients with the affordable prices they are going to offer.

He said Southpoint, which will be built next year, will help address the over-flow of imports and exports related to the marine trade and

industry shipping in the near future.According to PKA, both Northport

and Westport will reach their maximum capacities by 2016.

However, Santiago argues that there is no evidence to justify that both ports will face maximum capacity.

“We need substantial proof before embarking on a project that might ulti-mately bring in losses instead of gains,” said Santiago.

He pointed out that the country is facing an unstable economy, and business might drop in the near future.

He urged PKA to do a more thorough research to ensure Southpoint will be a viable project.

“I’m not objecting to it; in fact, I will support the building of Southpoint if it can increase Port Klang’s net gain,” he said.

MP: Prove Southpoint is viable

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ OctOber 7 – 9, 2011 ⁄ 9

10 october 7 — 9, 2011

news

By Brenda Ch’ng

SUBANG JAYA: Residents here have been assured that congestion and pollution from test piling work for the construction of the Kelana Jaya light rail transit (LRT) extension will be minimised. 

“We are looking into solutions to prevent these problems which will cause distress to residents,” said Subang Jaya Municipal Coun-cil (MPSJ) infrastructure engineer Mohd Ariffuddin Kamari.

He told residents during a dialogue session on Monday that MPSJ will send enforcement officers to ensure there is no traffic congestion as a result of double parking during test piling, which is expected to take 62 days.

Twelve temporary roadsigns will be erected on the affected section of Jalan SS18/6 to notify the public of piling work, which starts on Oct 10. 

MPSJ will also be providing huge contain-ers for contractors to throw rubbish and soil

into to ensure the area is free of excess mud and dirt.

He also said contractors will only be al-lowed to work on Mondays to Saturdays from 8am to 5pm.

For two months, residents will have to use alternative routes around the housing area to access the main road Jalan Jengka.

“Residents are really worried about double parking of heavy vehicles and machinery and the noise pollution,” said residents committee member AB Naicker.

The 57-year-old said residents wanted clarification from MPSJ and contractors on the impact of the project on the neighbour-hood.

He said noise pollution will affect those studying for exams, while congestion will hold up those going to work during rush hour.

“We will do our best to minimise the effects on the neighbourhood, especially the noise,” Mohd Ariffuddin said.

Present during the dialogue was Trans

Resources Corporation senior project man-ager Zambri Ahmad Syah, who said residents could expect noise and vibration only during the first week.

“The 12-by-12-metre test pile area will not cause inconvenience to the residents as it is only a small space,” he said.

The soil test is to determine if the ground is strong enough for the building of station there.

Zambri added that the testing is abso-lutely necessary to ensure the safety of resi-dents and future LRT users.

If the soil test shows the land is not strong enough, LRT developers will have to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new structure that suits the strength of the land.

Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh urged the council to follow through on the measures promised.

‘Minimal disruption during test piling’

Yeoh (in purple) with other representatives and residents at the edge of the test piling site.

SUBANG JAYA: Daily traffic gridlock at apartments next to Empire Shopping Gallery has become worse since the explosion, and residents are urging the municipality to act. 

“It takes me close to an hour to get from Carrefour to my home at Saujana Residency, a short stretch measuring about 400 meters,” said Saujana Residency joint management body( JMB) chairperson Marcus Tan.

Tan, who has been living there for more then a year, said the traffic situation is getting from bad to worse.

The situation was exacerbated after the main junction leading to the mall was closed due to the gas-leak explosion on Wednesday (Sept 28).

As a result, there is now more indiscrimi-nate parking on Jalan SS16/1. 

“Yesterday alone, I did a rough count, and

there were about 200 to 300 illegally parked vehicles here,” said Tan.

He said many letters and complaints have been sent and made to the Subang Jaya Mu-nicipal Council (MPSJ), but to no avail.

“There are actually numerous empty car-park lots at Subang Parade, which is just across the road, but people just don’t want to pay the fee,” Tan said.

To make matters worse, three to four buses are parked along the one-lane road right be-hind Carrefour, making it hard for vehicles to manoeuvre past without obstructing traffic coming from the opposite direction.

Motorists are also seen making illegal U-turns near the entrance to the Subang Com-muter station, and also at the traffic light be-tween Subang Parade and Carrefour on Jalan SS16/2.

Delivery vehicles, waiting taxis and shoppers also tend to park their vehicles at Carrefour’s side entrance (SS16/2), turning the two-lane road into a single-lane.

To solve the problem, Tan has proposed for MPSJ to study the traffic situation and turn Jalan SS16/1 into a one-way road.

He said MPSJ’s enforcement

officers should also be proactive and tow illegally parked vehicles.

“I agree with Tan that some-thing serious has got to be done by the council immediately to rectify the traffic situation here,” said Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh.

Yeoh urged council officers to have a sense of urgency when reviewing the proposal and in making SS16/1 a one-way road.

“Making the road a one-way street is not difficult, and it doesn’t incur much cost on the council either. So I see no reason why traffic changes cannot be done immedi-ately,” she said.

She also wants MPSJ to patrol the area more often, especially during peak hours, and tow away illegally parked vehicles. 

“I’ve been told by MPSJ that they have issued 976 summonses last month for this road alone, but with the many cars still ille-gally parking, I don’t think summonses alone are effective anymore,” she said.

Subsequently, MPSJ has agreed to patrol the area more often and tow vehicles away after an hour’s notice.

“First we will give warning via the loud-speaker asking them to move their vehicles. If

they don’t, we will issue summonses after half an hour.

“If they still don’t move after one hour, tow trucks will be contacted and vehicles towed away immediately,” said the council’s enforce-ment assistant director, Ainol Salnee Salim.

Since last week, MPSJ has towed away about 10 cars daily  from the area.

All cars towed will be brought to a site in USJ 3A, where vehicle owners will have to pay a minimum fee of RM200 before their vehi-cles are released.

“If records show they have outstanding summonses from the past, they will also have to clear their debt before their vehicles are returned,” Ainol said.

Traffic snarl worsened by Empire blast

From left, Ainol, Loi and Yeoh discussing traffic woes with residents.

Saujana Residency

SUBANG JAYA: Rebuilding and restoration work of shops damaged during the explosion at Empire Shopping Gallery is keeping nearby residents awake at night.

“I hope the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) will make it clear that contractors cannot work past 6pm as it is disturbing the residents living close by,” said Han-nah Yeoh.

The Subang Jaya assemblyperson pointed out that work to repair damage caused by the suspected gas-leak blast on Wednesday (Sept 28) should commence at 8am on Mondays to Saturdays only.

Yeoh had received complaints from residents at Saujana Residency that loud drilling and hammering noises could

be heard from the mall at as late as 11pm.Yeoh said contractors should not rush to complete their

work at the expense of neighbouring residents.She also urged MPSJ to do a thorough inspection of

nearby buildings, including Saujana Residency and Wisma Consplant, to make sure both are safe for occupancy. 

“We wouldn’t want something to happen to other build-ings, and hopefully the council will do an inspection and make sure everything is safe and in good working condition,” she said.

As of Tuesday, police have declared the Empire Gallery building safe, and handed it over to the council and Empire management to proceed with cleaning and rebuilding.

Sleepless in Saujana

11october 7 — 9, 2011

views

YouthologY Lee Lian Kong

Getaran jiwaMelanda hatikuTersusun nadaIrama dan laguWalau hanya sederhanaTetapi tak mengapaMoga dapat membangkitkanSedarlah kamu wahai insan – Getaran Jiwa, P Ramlee

This song will continue to resonate timelessly. P Ramlee was not a one-hit wonder. His songs spanned decades, from the infectious Bunyi Gitar to the aching Di Mana

Kan Ku Cari Ganti. His is a genius sorely missed in today’s creatively barren music industry.

Subsequently, this dearth is derived and feeds from us, the masses, who, some will say, are easily satisfied. I’d rather call it “not well equipped”. Both descriptions are fair. We get over-excited at mediocre copycat songs like Malaysian Boy, and are not attuned to exposing ourselves to a whole plethora of music beyond the Top 20s.

My parents sent my sister and me for classical piano lessons from a young age. I had a little more patience for the strict discipline and persevered to Grade 8, the last grade. My sister stopped halfway, partly because my parents couldn’t afford the ever increasing fees, but also because she thought they were lame. Which I agreed with. The focus was on pass-ing exams, thus classes were tailored to master three classical pieces, scales (ugh), and some technical singing and sight-reading, year after year.

Music classes in school weren’t any better. We learnt some basic note reading and played the recorder until Standard Six. In secondary school, music was no longer compulsory but an elective, known insultingly as a subject for the “less smart” students.

Why do schools teach music in a way that turns off so many young people rather than ignite their imagination? 

There is so much potential in music lessons, spillover effects to help learn academic subjects like language arts and math, using music to engage children who are disruptive or at risk of failing. Allowing expression. Providing joyful, engrossing, community-building qualities. Instilling perseverance.

“Any professional musician will tell you that to get where they are (jazz, classical, or pop), they had to work hard, very hard. A classroom music setting in band, orchestra, or choir, reveals the work required to succeed,” says Tom Chapman, a professional musician himself.

Studies show the Mozart effect, linking music-making with enhanced cognitive development in children. And it can be so much fun. 

Imagine being taught to play the guitar at six. A few basic chords is enough set you up for life. Being taught to play songs you like, instead of scales, is like being told to eat ice cream instead of broccoli. These pop songs do not signal the death of classical music, or “serious” music. The orientation should never be the focus, but how bizarre, awesome and brilliant it should be.

In this case, it is what interests the kids most. If that happens to be Justin Bieber, so be it. At the end of the day, what matters is that we captivate their interests, supply them with the basic music-making skills, and guide them as they explore music. We want them to be inquisitive and daring music appreciators, if not musicians.

This is not the beginning of an end to classical music or to “serious” music education. The goal is not to produce profes-sional instrumentalists for only one genre of music, but for them to grow and thus for music to grow as well. Money and manpower are limiting factors, but they can be overcome. Enough with the outdated syllabus and methods already. It’s 2011, for goodness sake.

Programmes such as Little Kids Rock provide music classes where students play in bands, and are allowed to improvise and even compose. They have been remarkably successful in low-income areas, where they’ve revamped the music education systems in the US.

Sure, there are funding and resources issues, but if you can build another billion-dollar castle, surely you can buy a few guitars and some keyboards. Companies record billion-dollar revenues every year, too – it’s time for some corporate social responsibility.

What about teachers? Do we have the human resources to pull this off ? This is where I am hoping fervently that the prom-ising Teach For Malaysia trainees will jazz up Malaysia’s music education system.

A good teacher can inspire. My piano teacher in Grade 6 taught me to notice and appreciate the subtle nuances in Cho-pin and even scales! She briefed me in the history and colour behind a piece, instead of being a drill master like many others.

By her cultivating in me this ability to appreciate, it gave me the edge to play music with a little more soul, and to enjoy it, not just to earn a paper.

Music education needs not be a privilege for a few. It needs to be democratised for all. After all, it is a win-win situation. It would be such a waste to not tap into the enormous musi-cal potential of our young ones. Let’s start young. Let’s bring quality back to our music scene.

Tak mungkin hilangIrama dan laguBagaikan kembangSentiasa bermaduAndai dipisahLagu dan iramaLemah tiada berjiwaHampa

Let’s create more P Ramlees

UNISEL Intake Layout 190811 (Selangor Times-DEC).indd 1 29/09/11 5:04 PM

12 OctOber 7 — 9, 2011InsIght

MeMber of Parliament for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar tried to table a private member’s bill to revoke the three emergency declarations early this year, but the PKr deputy president’s proposal was shot down by the Speaker.

barely half a year later, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib razak announced his administration would lift the emergency Proclamations, among a host of other reforms, on the eve of Malaysia Day.

Nurul Izzah welcomed the prime minister’s move, but like most Pakatan rakyat politicians, expressed “cautious” optimism on Najib’s promises.

“In view of the prime minister’s lacklustre track record in fulfilling promises, not to mention [his] tendency to backtrack, I would say we are cautiously optimistic in seeing the revocations as well as proper passing of other reforms in the [current and next] parliamentary sitting,” said Nurul Izzah in an email interview.

She added that reforms to our judiciary, police force and basic governance in many aspects of Malaysian life must continue.

She pointed out that although the Internal Security Act (ISA) and emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 would be repealed, the Dangerous Drugs Act remains.

“Al l laws that a l low for detention without trial should be abolished because the suspects can be detained arbitrarily at the whims and fancies of the Home Minister and police. There’s no accountability,” said Nurul Izzah.

Member of Parliament for Subang r Sivarasa (PKr) also highlighted that Parliament can continue to enact laws that allow

for detention without trial as long as Article 149 of the Federal Constitution remains.

Article 149 allows Parliament to make laws that suspend fundamental liberties, including the right to life and personal liberty, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, assembly and association, among others, to curb “subversion” and threats against public order.

Sivarasa added that Najib had already mentioned in his announcement that the two new laws replacing the ISA would be based on Article 149, hinting that detention without trial would remain.

However, Temer loh Member o f Par l iament Datuk Sa i fudd in Abdullah (Umno) pointed out that preventive laws are still needed to curb terrorism.

“I don’t agree with using preventive laws on politicians or youths, but I can understand the police still need preventive laws to address the threat of terrorism,” said Saifuddin.

The deputy higher education minister has decried the detention of individuals, including youths, under the emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 for petty theft as “ridiculous”.

He also thinks the 28-day detention of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia activists under the same ordinance was “unnecessary”.

“If it’s for terrorism, I think the public can understand, but if you were to use detention without trial on youths or politicians, it’s very difficult to convince the public we’re doing something right,” Saifuddin told Selangor Times.

MPs: Reforms must continue

by Gan Pei Ling

P rime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s announcement on Sept 15 to repeal archaic security laws and emergency declarations as well as amend a few other oppressive laws has caught many by surprise. So far, attention

has mostly been focused on the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the two new laws that are supposed to replace it.

However, legal experts reveal that Najib’s promise to end the Emergency Proc-lamations is way more significant than the abolition of the ISA.

“People don’t see it, they think the promise to repeal the ISA was the most important announcement, but it is the lifting of Emergency Proclamations that would have the largest impact on the country,” constitutional law expert Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi told Selangor Times.

He said emergency laws, numbering in the hundreds, would expire within six months once the Emergency Proclamations are revoked, based on Article 150 (7) of the Federal Constitution.

ances between the three branches,” said Syahredzan.

Restoring Malaysia back to normal

Currently, Malaysia is still under a nationwide Emergency declared in 1969 in response to the May 13 riots and two state Emergencies: one declared in Sarawak in 1966 and another in Kelantan in 1977 due to political crises in the states.

Shad Saleem pointed out that Malaysia is still under a nationwide Emergency only for legal purposes: “This is a land where you and I can still travel almost anywhere we like

He estimated that around 92 emergency ordinances, five to six parliamentary acts, and hundreds of subsidiary legislations would cease to have effect. These include emer-gency ordinances that allow for de-tention without trial and eviction of squatters as well as regulations that created Rela and Rukun Tetangga.

“The government can re-enact the laws that they feel are still needed, but these new laws will be subject to constitutional limits and human rights protected under the constitu-tion,” said the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) legal adviser.

He explained that emergency laws are subject to very few limits compared to ordinary laws.

The Malaysian Bar Council’s Constitutional Law Committee chairperson, Syahredzan Johan, highlighted that emergency laws are considered valid even if they are inconsistent with provisions in the constitution, except for a limited scope of matters, during Emergency.

These exceptions are only appli-cable to matters related to religion, citizenship, language, Malay cus-toms, and native law or customs in Sabah and Sarawak, as specified in Article 150 (6A) of the constitution.

Fundamental liberties such as freedom of movement, freedom of speech, assembly and association guaranteed under our constitution can be suspended during Emergency. For example, the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Or-dinance 1969 allows for detention without trial indefinitely.

In addition, the federal govern-ment can make laws that are under a state’s jurisdiction such as on land matters during Emergency, as pro-vided under Article 150 (4) of the constitution.

“Wide powers are vested in the executive when our country is in a state of emergency. Its end can only be a good thing.

“It would restore powers taken away from the judiciary and legisla-ture, and bring back checks and bal-

without a police permit.”He said the prime minister can

revoke the three emergency decla-rations immediately by advising the King to do so.

Alternatively, the Parliament can annul the Emergency Proclamations by tabling motions in both houses, which is the method Najib’s admin-istration is adopting.

Shad Saleem speculated that Najib may have picked the second method so that his administration would have more time to prepare for the re-enactment of certain emergency laws.

“These emergency laws, some

Isn’t it time for laws enacted during this period to be repealed?

Spelling the end of emergency laws

Nurul Izzah: Expressed ‘cautious’ optimism over Najib’s promises.

Saifuddin Abdullah: Preventive laws are still needed to curb terrorism.

People don’t see it, they think the promise to repeal of the ISA was the most important announcement, but it is the lifting of Emergency Proclamations that would have the largest impact on the country.”

made as far as back as 40 years ago, touched on many aspects of life. All of them will expire with the end of Emergency, but some of them may still be needed such as the ones on territorial waters.

“The challenge ahead for the Attorney Gener-al’s Chambers would be to re-enact them within constitutional limits,” said Shad Saleem.

Barely half a year ago, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had told Parliament that the federal government did not intend to lift

the 1969 Emergency Proclamation. Nazri had said it would be difficult for the government to control crime and maintain public order if the emergency laws cease to have effect.

The Speaker also rejected a pri-vate member’s bill proposed by Lembah Pantai Member of Parlia-ment Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR) to end all emergency declarations early this year.

Indeed, the federal government has yet to announce when it will table the motions to end the three emergency declarations in Parlia-ment.

However, Syahredzan thinks the

Isn’t it time for laws enacted during this period to be repealed?

emergency declarations should be revoked as soon as possible.

“There is no excuse. The emer-gency laws will only expire in six months, the ministries have more than enough time to prepare new laws [needed to replace the old ones],” said the lawyer.

End of EO and Rela?One of the things the public can

look forward to with the end of Emergency is the end of the Emer-gency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 that al-lows for detention without trial like the ISA and Dangerous Drugs Act.

The Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordi-nance 1969, commonly known as the EO, gained notoriety when it was used for the first time on politi-cal detainees prior to the Bersih 2.0 rally in July 2011.

Six Parti Sosialis Malaysia mem-bers, including Member of Parlia-ment for Sungai Siput Dr Michael Jeyakumar, were detained for 28 days without trial, and were only released on July 29 due to public pressure.

EO detainees are commonly held in detention centres in Sim-pang Renggam, Johor or Machang, Kelantan. Over 3,000 people have been detained under the EO from 2,000 to 2009.

Although the EO may be lesser known than the ISA, Syahredzan

Spelling the end of emergency laws

Law don: Restore original constitution provisionWhile civil society rejoice in the upcoming end of emergency, a constitutional law expert warns that the government must substantially reform the provision related to emergency powers in the Federal Constitution.

“Over the years, a number of safeguards to prevent an abuse of the emergency powers has been eroded,” law professor lee hoong Phun from Monash University told Selangor Times in an email interview.

lee pointed out that prior to 1960, Article 150 of the constitution stipulated that an emergency Proclamation should end two months from the date

on which it was issued. in addition, any ordinance promulgated by the King would automatically lapse 15 days from the date on which both houses of Parliament first sit.

A constitutional amendment in 1960 altered this position. As a result, an emergency declaration and the emergency laws made under the regime would continue to be in operation until they are expressly revoked by the Parliament.

“A more insidious constitutional amendment was made in 1981. Under this amendment, the executive is given unbridled power to declare an emergency and perpetuate emergency

rule at will [by the removal of judicial review],” said lee.

The Constitutional (Amendment Act) 1981 provided that “no court shall have jurisdiction to entertain or determine any application, question or proceeding, in whatever form, on any ground’ regarding the validity of a proclamation of emergency, or an ordinance, or their continued operation thereof.

Consequently, Malaysia has been legally under a state of emergency since 1969, which lee said has caused an “adverse” impact on the state of constitutionalism in Malaysia.

“Repealing the proclamations of

emergency is not sufficient. Article 150 should be restored to its original position as set out in the 1957 Merdeka constitution,” lee concluded.

Prof. Lee: Preventing abuse of the emergency powers has been eroded.

said it has been more widely used to detain or banish people the police do not have sufficient evidence to charge in court.

They include youths suspected of petty theft or being involved in gangsterism or secret societies.

Selangor Times previously high-lighted the case of three youths aged 19 to 22 who were first detained for 60 days and subsequently ban-ished to Johor, Kedah and Pahang separately for two years, simply for alleged motorcycle theft.

Syahredzan said EO detainees may still be required to serve the remaining term of their detention order even if the EO expires.

But Shad Saleem thinks the federal government should release all detainees and those banished under EO in good faith once the law expires.

“I think it would be good to put a close to this chapter of emergency laws and detention so that the gov-ernment, the detainees and their families can begin anew,” said the law professor.

Najib’s adminsitration may at-tempt to resurrect the EO under ordinary laws, but both Shad Saleem

and Syahredzan think that existing laws such as the Police Act and Sedi-tion Act are more than sufficient to maintain public order.

“I think our police will be able to cope [using existing laws],” said Shad Saleem.

Apart from the EO, another sig-nificant impact of the end of Emer-gency may be the dissolution of Rela.

The voluntar y reser ve was formed under the Essential (Ika-tan Relawan Rakyat) Regulations 1966 under the 1964 Emergency Proclamation, said Syahredzan.

“The 1964 Emergency Procla-mation was automatically revoked when the 1969 Emergency was declared, but Parliament passed an Act in 1979 so that emergency regulations made under the 1964 Emergency could continue to oper-ate,” he explained.

In 2005, the law was again amended to grant Rela volunteers the right to carry and use firearms, stop, search and demand documents as well as arrest or enter premises without a warrant.

The wide powers given to Rela have led to allegations of abuse against refugees and migrants and criticism from human rights groups.

“Parliament can enact a new law to keep Rela, but its powers would be limited and subject to limita-tions within the constitution,” Syahredzan said.

Moving forwardShad Saleem foresees the end of

Emergency to be one of the water-shed moments in Malaysian legal history.

“We’re living through very sig-nificant times, legally speaking. Of course we’ll have to wait and see, right now we’ve only heard the an-nouncement, but if the prime minis-ter can pull through these changes, it would be a great feather to his cap,” said the constitutional law expert.

He noted that none of the previ-ous prime ministers have had the de-sire or courage to end the emergency declarations.

“It would give a tremendous boost to the rule of law, increase judicial review of the judiciary, and ultimately give hope to activists that the struggle for the cause of liberty and human rights will bear fruit.

“Those in the cabinet or Parlia-ment who support the prime minis-ter’s initiative would be on the right side of history,” said Shad Saleem.

Syahredzan: It would restore powers taken away from the judiciary and legislature.

Prof Datuk Dr Shad: New laws will be subject to constitutional limits and human rights protected under the constitution.

14 october 7 — 9, 2011

views

Can you please explain the mechanism for repealing the ISA in Parliament as well as the replacement of it by the two new laws?

What kind of majority is required to carry the motion, and what are its implications in view of the current composition of Parliament? Keep up the good work! I never miss your column in Selangor Times each week! Loyarbochor, via email

THE mechanism is relatively simple. However, the process, and the outcome, is anyone’s guess.

Firstly, the Prime Minister and cabinet must actually have meant what they said. They must then inform the officers in the Attorney General’s Cham-bers, and particularly the Parliamentary Draftsman (or, more accurately Draftswoman, as its current occupant is the lovely Datuk Engku Nor Faizah Engku Atek).

The Bills must be drafted, and presented in Parliament. A simple majority of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara must approve the Bills, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong must give the Royal Assent. The Bill must then be published in the Government Gazette.

However, the lawyers in the Attorney General’s Chambers will follow the lead of their political masters. They will have to “consult” with the civil servants in the Home Affairs Min-istry, as well as the police.

It would hardly come as a surprise if these parties request that they enact the laws in such a way that is most efficacious for detaining whoever the police or Home Affairs Ministry people want detained. Such things as judicial oversight, the importance of fundamental liberties, and human rights may naturally take a back seat, notwithstanding the bold words of the Prime Minister.

Whatever agenda or campaign the Prime Minister may be embarking on at the moment (some say it is reform, some say it is pure PR smoke and mirrors), it does not take a wonder-typewriting monkey from cyberspace to tell you that there will be some dissent within the ranks. Not many individuals and institutions would readily surrender precious and much-wielded weapons such as these.

Since a simple majority is all that is required, the Bills will have no problems passing through Parliament. The interesting question is what the opposition will do, and whether civil society will accept the Bills that will replace the ISA.

As has been pointed out, Suhakam has already provided all the key elements that must be put in place to replace the ISA in

2003 in their “Review of the Internal Security Act 1960”, which includes recommendations for reform of various other laws as well. Many lauded Suhakam’s recommendations. Many have suggested that the Attorney General’s Chambers could use the Suhakam recommendations as a base for widespread and long-awaited reforms to the law. Many should not hold their breath anticipating that this will be what transpires. The process then, is straightforward, but it is the contents of these new laws that will likely result in the most debate, and uncertainty.

The government has announced that the ISA can only be repealed in March as it needs to consult stakeholders to ensure that it is done properly. Worryingly though, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz says the government needs to be cautious in repealing the ISA because “if we have no new law, then we must immediately release terrorists currently detained under the ISA”. This is worrying because Nazri is the de facto law minister, and this statement displays an ignorance of the law.

Legally, a repeal would not invalidate previous actions under the ISA. The detention orders which were issued under the ISA would continue to be operational, and completely valid. To offer this as a reason for delaying the repeal of the ISA is at the very least disingenuous, and possibly even a blatant deception. It definitely misleads the public as to the legal position.

Lord Bobo, like many proponents of civil liberties and justice, is looking forward to reading through the contents of these two replacement laws. It is hoped that their contents will match the Prime Minister’s bold words on the eve of Malaysia Day. As politicians from all parties continue to spin this issue

for their own agendas, His Supreme Eminenceness urges all Malaysians to continue to read up, stand up, and speak up for what is right, and keep all parties accountable.

Dear Lord Bobo, if you were the PM, what goodies would you put in the Budget to win over Malaysians? Gold Digga, via email

LORDBobo sighs. And when His Banananess sighs, entire galaxies shudder. But such is the sad state of Malaysian politics, economics, soci… well, just the state of Malaysia in general, that Lord Bobo cannot help but sigh. Everything seems geared towards “winning votes” or “wooing the public”. This is not what politicians should be doing.

Politicians should be representing the rakyat in bread and butter matters, instead of trying to do what “looks”

best. Similarly, the government should not be in a 24-7 PR spin, image-management mode. When thinking up the Budget, the government should be formulating what is best for the country moving forward, not what “goodies” will make the rakyat happy.

It is sad, but it is true. And it is true, because that is what the people have allowed it to become. Because, the truth is, the majority of Malaysians do value these “goodies”. There’s nothing wrong with that. But we must also remind ourselves to continue to strive for other deliverables, other core issues.

We must make our politicians realise that our votes will not be won just because petrol prices are lowered, or the income tax rate is reduced. If our votes are so easily swayed, then we only have ourselves to blame if the government only takes care of us in the run-up to a general elections.

ISA deceptions and budget goodies Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly

column by LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com) where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered!

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

15OCTOBER 7 — 9, 2011

NEWS

By Alvin Yap

PUCHONG: First their mother dies of a heart attack, then they find the body of their missing father in the same mortu-ary. This the cruel fate that has fallen upon 16-year-old Ruphan Raj and his 23-year-old sister Vasugi.

“I thought she was sleeping,” said Ruphan, recalling how he found his mother lying on the sofa after returning to their home at the Sri Seroja flats here last Friday.

A post-mortem determined that G Satiavani, 47, had died of a heart attack. Her body was sent to the Serdang Hospital mortuary, where they discovered their 48-year-old father A Rajendran.

He had gone missing a few days earlier after going to seek medical attention at a nearby hospital for abdominal pains.

“He was feeling ill, and he told us not to worry and that he’d find his own way to the hospital,” said Ruphan.

Unbeknownst to them, he had died of liver failure at same hospital.

Mortuary staff alerted the siblings of their father’s body when they listed his name as their mother’s next-of-kin.

Vasugi said she had been preparing to tell their father the news that their mother had passed away.

Holding back tears, she explained that their mother had died from “anguish” and a broken heart that their father had

gone missing.After taking care of their parents for almost

three years now, the siblings now only have their grandmother and an uncle to call family.

Both their parents had been of ill health and had been unable to work in the last two years of their lives, leaving Ruphan to foot the rental and other payments.

The teenage family breadwinner stopped schooling at Form One to work in a sports shop.

“He’s not academically strong, but he’s a skilled worker and picks up on tasks very quickly. I’m very proud of him,” said Devan Subramaniam, Ruphan’s supervisor at work.

According to Devan, Ruphan wants to be-come a hairstylist but could not afford to attend hairstyling school as his parents did not have financial savings.

Vasugi, who just started working as a cashier in a nearby hypermarket, said they would take care of each other.

“I will continue with my job. I will take care of my brother. We only have each other now,” she concluded.

Kinrara assemblyperson Teresa Kok handed over RM4,000 to the siblings towards their parents’ funeral  expenses and

expressed her condolences to the family.Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said he would write to

the state to ask for financial aid and other assistance for Ru-phan’s vocational education through Selangor’s microcredit scheme.

Double tragedy for siblings

Concerned neighbours look on as Gobind and Kok hand over a cheque to Ruphan, Vasugi and their grandmother.

SHAH ALAM: Owners of resi-dential and commercial properties in Section 7 here are expected to benefit from a new RM58mil flyo-ver which connects the area to the Federal Highway.   

“It will lower the traffic jams in the area, as well as boost property value due to the connection to the Federal Highway,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim during the project launch on Tuesday. 

The Menteri Besar said the flyo-ver will also lead to I-City and ease weekend and evening traffic snarls in the area.

The flyover starts at the Sungai Rasau toll and connects traffic from Kuala Lumpur towards Per-siaran Bestari near I-City.

Khalid said motorists will have to pay a toll to use the flyover, but did not disclose the charges or the concessionaire that will manage collections.

The project will also benefit developers as they can plan for higher density commercial and residential projects in the future.

Developers will contribute al-

most two-thirds of the cost by footing RM40mil of the total RM58mil bill.

The state will bear the remain-ing RM18mil and has appointed Selangor State Development Cor-poration (PKNS) as project man-agers and consultants.

PKNS General Manager Oth-man Omar said his company has carried out traffic studies in the area and found that up to 3,000 vehicles use the roads near the UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara) entrance here at Section 7.

“Traffic studies show that sev-eral intersections have reached their maximum capacity. The construction of the interchange will reduce the traffic jams here,” Othman said.

He said piling works will start “as early as possible”, followed by construction to meet the Decem-ber 2013 deadline.

Also at the launch were state executive councillors Ronnie Liu, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and Yaakob Sapari.

I-City interchange to lower traffic, boost property prices

(From left) Liu, Yaakob and Dr Xavier look on while Othman (blue shirt) explains the plans to Khalid.

Zulkifli

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Fashion show-cum-luncheon Raya Fashion Week Preview was held at the Shah Alam Convention Centre (SACC) last Thursday.

“We want to be the most pres-tigious meeting and convention centre in the city and build good rapport with our clients through events like this,” said Datuk Zulkifli Mohammad.

The SACC chief executive officer said in his speech that the convention centre offers the best solutions to customers who want a quality experience at a reason-able price.

In the buildup to Raya Fashion Week Malaysia 2012, which will be held at the convention centre, SACC plans to position itself as a premier platform for the local fashion fraternity.

He said among the fashion events the convention centre will cater for will be fashion competitions, workshops, conventions, showcases, auctions, and din-

ner shows.Among the packages offered

is the SACC Vogue Fashion Package, a one-day event costing RM20,000 for weekdays and RM28,000 for weekends.

The Grand Couturier Package will be for a three-event-per-year package costing RM16,000 per e v e n t f o r w e e k d a y s a n d RM28,000 for weekends.

Zulkifli said both packages come inclusive of one-day usage of the Plenary Hall for setup and rehearsal, and one-day usage of the hall on the event day, includ-ing tear-down.

Also included is a T-shape walkway with sound and light facilities, inkjet stage backdrop, and standing cocktail for a maxi-mum of 300 guests.

Guests to the preview were treated to a fashion showcase of wearable Raya designs, feted with a luncheon by SACC, and sere-naded by local singers.

Another highlight of the event was a launching ceremony of boutique French Kiss Connec-tion, which will sell branded luxury goods within the conven-tion centre itself.

SACC to be new fashion hub

Breaking the ice to launch the French Kiss Connection boutique at SACC.

16 october 7 — 9, 2011

news

By Brenda Ch’ng

SHAH ALAM: University graduates stand a better chance at securing their dream jobs by being part of Selangor’s three-month graduate career programme. 

The programme, aimed at inspiring confidence and teach-ing graduates to be street-smart, was launched by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim at the state secretariat last Friday.

It is designed to provide training for participants, followed by job placement at certain companies. 

“It’s crucial that fresh grads are exposed to the harsh realities of working life and put what they have learnt into good use,” Khalid said.

The Menteri Besar said most university graduates are unsure of how to work as a team, tend to mess up interviews, and lack leadership qualities.

These qualities cannot be learnt or taught, but can be in-culcated through motivational or team-building programmes and life experiences, he said.

He urged all graduates to apply.The programme, which is open to all Selangor citizens re-

gardless of race and age, is part of Perangsang Selangor Bhd’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) project.

It also welcomes graduates who are interested in training

in an alternative field of studies. For example, an engineering graduate can choose journalism as their training course to write engineering-themed articles.

“Do take advantage of this gener-ous offer and apply for the free course, which will ensure better job prospects and give you a brighter future,” said Khalid.

Khalid said the youths of tomor-row are the country’s best assets, and by investing in their education and motivational courses, it will only prove beneficial in the long run.

“We are expecting to get at least 1,500 participants this year, and we are glad to help them secure jobs and prepare them for the future,” said Kumpulan Perangsang Bhd chairperson Raja Idris Raja Kamarudin.

He said participants who perform well will also be recom-mended to reputable companies for work.

Participants who want to start their own businesses will

also be given guidance after the programme.“All you need to apply is a degree or diploma certificate in

any of the related fields chosen,” Raja Idris said.For applications, contact the CSR team at 03-55103999

ext. 244 (Ahmad Sabki Yusof ), ext. 260 (Mohd Ismail Zam Zam) or ext. 282 (Shahrul Izad Yahya).

Boosting career prospects for graduates

(From left) Raja Idris, Khalid and Dr Halimah Ali at the launch.

KLANG: Over 8,300 people, including families, senior citizens and children, took part in an eight-kilometre fun run last Sunday in Klang Jaya.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim flagged off the event with executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayaku-mar and Klang Municipal Council acting president Ikhsan Mukri.

Khalid, Dr Xavier and Ikhsan also joined the par-ticipants to do some warm-up exercises prior to the non-competitive Run for Peace 2011.

Organised by Soka Gakkai Malaysia Selangor branch, this is the fourth time the run has been held

since 2005.Held every two years, the event aims to pro-

mote a healthy lifestyle and peace awareness among communities.

Participants received a certificate for completing the run, and were also treated to martial art, gymnas-tics and live band performances.

Also present were Soka Gakkai Malaysia Selan-gor branch chairperson Johnny Ng, Klang munici-pal councillor Sundarajoo Periasamy, and Taman Klang Jaya Rukun Tetangga chairperson Zainuddin Zainal.

Khalid (middle in jacket) signals the start of the run. On the left is Dr Jayakumar and right is Soka Gakkai Malaysia Selangor branch chairperson Johnny Ng.

Large turnout for Run for Peace

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: A hundred old folks from Taman Eng Ann in Klang , Meru, and Kapar were the latest ben-eficiaries of the Jom Shopping pro-gramme last Thursday.

A participant of the programme, 83-year-old Lee Boon Hee from Ta-man Eng Ann, was happy and appre-ciative of the RM100 given to each senior citizen to shop.

She picked out household items together with her 44-year-old daugh-ter Angel Chong, who had came to help her out.

Husband and wife A Suppiah and K Chelamah, aged 78 and 70 respectively, were also glad with the programme and were happy to be shopping.

“This has been the second round of shopping from my constituency,

and we could see the old folks were excited,” said Sungai Pinang assembly- person Datuk Teng Chang Khim.

He said most of the seniors were delighted at being selected to shop at the Setia Alam branch of Tesco hyper-market.

He hopes allocations for the pro-gramme will increase as there are over 4,000 seniors registered in his con-stituency, and they can only manage a hundred in each outing.

“As the allocations come from profits of the state’s sand-mining ac-tivities, I hope their profits will also increase,” he said.

Teng added that the first round of shopping was focused on Muslim seniors as it was done during the fast-ing month.

The third round of shopping will focus on Hindus for Deepavali, he said.

Shopping treat in Setia Alam for seniors

Teng helping to load a trolley with groceries at the Jom Shopping programme last Thursday.

SHAH ALAM: The Islamic party has decided to go beyond the religious agenda and do their bit for the environment by starting a campaign for mother Earth in conjunction with World Habitat Day on Oct 3.

To kickstart their campaign, Pas organised a pub-lic gathering on Monday night in Shah Alam to raise public awareness on environmental issues.

Pas environmental committee chief Zulkefly Mohamad Omar said the party would organise more public awareness programmes around Selangor this month.

“We’ll focus on educating the public on water conservation issues, including the water restructuring exercise stalemate between the state and federal government,” said the Pas central committee member.

In addition, Zulkefly said the party would engage environmental non-governmental organisations to

work with the state to improve environmental man-agement within Selangor.

Jamil Abd Rahim, who is special assistant to Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, said environmental con-cerns must be taken into account when planning development projects.

“We’re not anti-development; we want sustainable development so that we and our children can con-tinue to enjoy a clean and pollution-free environ-ment,” said Jamil.

Selangor has been at the forefront of pushing for sustainable development since Pakatan Rakyat came into office in 2008.

Among others, Selangor has gazetted several for-est reserves, introduced the No Plastic Bag campaign on Saturdays, and amended the state’s forestry bill to ensure a public inquiry must be held before a forest reserve can be degazetted.

Pas goes green

17ocotber 7 — 9, 2011

fiction/bookS

Fiction by Hafidz Baharom

“Why are we still stuck on the road?!”Frustrations. We all have them when we start or end

a day in heavy traffic. The hustle and bustle, mixed with the little clouds coming out of exhaust pipes that surround us in our comfortable air-conditioner-, air freshener-induced bubble is not exactly the most calming thing in this situation. One wonders if the scent of lavender coming from the sup-posed aromatherapy freshener really does have a calming effect, or just gives me false hopes in avoiding a fight.

Not that the continuous yelling and deep, frustrated sighs from the passenger side are helping at all.

“Why didn’t we take another route?!” he demands.Minutes, seconds, hours have all turned immaterial as the

line upon line of multicoloured cars with shimmering red brake lights light up the morning while the sun is rising across the horizon. I personally see it as a beautiful sight. But then,

of course, my passenger just considers it an irritant.“Well, this is the road I know best. Besides, the

slow traffic is temporary,” I explain calmly.At this time, I begin to wonder about how one

should wonder about the road not taken. How-ever, I do believe Robert Frost would forgive me in this moment where I have to decide which route to drive towards eight hours of being in a

cubicle. Furthermore, I doubt any route less taken would make a difference during rush hour on a

Monday morning such as this.Heavy traffic heading into town in the morning is

not uncommon on a working day. Plus, I love the heavy traffic. It helps me to analyse people around me. The five

worn-out lanes of tar, merging into one another to form three, gives me some semblance to the character of a person.

You can tell a lot from how people treat one another in traffic. The urgency in needing to clog up the emergency lane shows just how far people are willing to go to be first in their corporate rat races. Somehow, getting ahead in this traffic has turned into a competition where people wouldn’t mind cutting off others, or taking the opportunity to tail a police escort clearing the path for a VIP, or even squeezing their tiny, com-pact cars in between two lanes, arrogantly forcing their way in.

Meanwhile, there are others who are polite enough to see that the actions of the arrogant are merely making things worse, thus giving way. Cooperating. Giving way to one an-other. Staying in between the lines dividing supposedly the fast from the slow, without even hoping for a raised hand out the driver’s side window indicating a well-deserved thank you from the guy who cut in in front of you.

“Why don’t you cut into the emergency lane?” he asks pointedly, the anger quite clear in his voice.

I can’t help but smile. This irritates him more.“Is being caught in heavy traffic that will make you late for

work really an emergency?” I reply.It’s not that I am baiting him for a fight. I rationalise eve-

rything. I don’t mind being late for work, since I’ll just text someone saying I will be late. Not that I would recommend texting while driving if the traffic is clear, God forbid. It’s just the way things are.

The frustrated sighs are now followed up by “tsks” and “tchs” to indicate further irritation with my decision to stay the course.

It is a slow journey. But it is one that has become a neces-sity in this overbearing world which we live in. We all face heavy traffic in one way or another, resistance that tells us to slow down and be patient. It is our reactions to this necessity that determine our character. Are we resilient, patient, lawful people who can contain their tempers and frustrations? Or are we merely as combustible as the petrol that fuels this end-less plethora of cars, combustible and toxic?

And this is where patience is tested for the first time, every day, first thing in the morning and till we reach the end of our working hours at dusk if not longer.

“I could walk faster than this traffic is moving,” he says sarcastically.

That’s it. I pull the car over.“Get out.”He walks out of the car, angry and venting incoherently. I

lock down the car and continue in the slow moving traffic, inching closer and closer to the ramp off the highway, the car once again at peace. No frustrations, no regrets, no ranting but just endless, blissful silence with me, my thoughts and the endless stream of cars that begin to clear.

Heavy traffic is a test of patience. But every man has his limits.

Heavy Traffic

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM: State law-maker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad launched his second book Coming of Age: A Decade of Essays 2001-2011 at the Shah Alam Convention Centre on Sunday.

“The book documents how my views have developed or changed over the years,” said the 29-year-old Seri Setia as-semblyperson at the launch.

His new book is made up of 40 essays on sociopolitical is-sues that were previously pub-lished in various media includ-ing Malaysiakini, The Malay-sian Insider and The Edge.

The PKR communications director was first elected into office in the 2008 general elec-tion when he was 26.

He has served as Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s private secretary and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary.

The law graduate from King’s College, University of London published his first book Moving Forward: Malays for the 21st Century in 2009.

Both books are published by Marshall Cavendish and are available at major book-stores including Popular, MPH, Times, Borders and Kinokuniya.

Coming of Age retails at RM39.90, while Moving Forward is priced at RM24.90.

Readers can look forward to a series of forums on issues raised in Nik Nazmi’s latest book. Details will shortly be available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/adecade-ofessays.

Nik Nazmi –Coming of Age

DO you wish your child were better at expressing with his or her words? Do you often need to encourage him or her to write? Does your child’s writing seem lim-ited by his or her vocabulary?

English Champ’s Hello Writing! pro-gramme is a 30-hour course for children, which aims to encourage them to write from their hearts and allow them to better express their thoughts and emotions rather than just convey information.

The programme consists of interesting and interactive lessons incorporating tech-niques such as speech, drama and music.

Various activities will be incorporated along the way to ignite their senses, which is crucial for students to apply in their writing.

Other fun-filled mini-projects such as roleplay and photography will also be intro-duced, and the children will be presented with various simulated scenarios, from puzzles and IQ tests to baking.

Participants will be taught organisational skills, various ways to introduce their stories, and how to write seat-gripping plots and memorable conclusions.

Hello Writing! is conducted by a team of

experienced teachers led by Aileen Hoe, programme founder and director of English Champ. Hoe has been in the education in-dustry for more than 10 years, and has taught both children and adults, using speech, dra-ma, music and movement in her lessons.

English Champ is also offering five free seats to underprivileged children who are enthusiastic about writing and would like to develop their skills.

Those who register for Hello Writing! by Oct 8 will be entitled to an early bird discount. Group discount is also applicable for registra-tion of at least three students by this date.

For further details, contact Aileen or Christine at 03-78802460 or 016-2091989.

You can also email info@englishchamp.com.my, or visit www.englishchamp.com.my or www.lwenglish.blogspot.com.

DETAILS• For ages eight to 14 years• Twice a week for six weeks, 12 lessons

x 2.5 hours• Lessons commence in October 2011• Students must be fluent in reading and

writing in English

Thinking out of the box for creative writing

18 october 7 — 9, 2011

media

KEPONG: Dressed in track bottoms and sports shoes, 10 lucky winners and their partners walked away with trolleys of shopping goodies thanks to Tesco’s Supermarket Sweep Challenge at Tesco Kepong recently.

The winners had earlier participated in the Clubcard Bonus Day contest, open to all Tesco Clubcard members. All they had to do to qualify was spend a minimum of RM100 in a single receipt and have their Clubcard swiped during the contest period of July 27-28.

The lucky winners were then electronically drawn based on their Clubcard number, and were asked a simple qualifying question in order to win

Iskandar Ezzahuddin Zulkiflee, head of Club-card, said: “At Tesco we are passionate about creat-ing value for our customers, and one of the many ways we do this is through promotions and contests that are relevant to their needs.

“The Clubcard Bonus Day contest was an ideal platform to reward and thank our customers for their loyalty as well as continued support.

“The contest was intended to be easy for customers to participate in and get rewarded,” he said.

The contest’s two first-prize winners were given the op-portunity to walk away with RM5,000 worth of items each. One of the winners, Siti Zarina Jamaludin, came all the way from Alor Setar to join in the Supermarket Sweep.

The other first prize winner was Lee Choi Kon, a housewife and mother of four.

The Clubcard Bonus Day contest also gave three second-prize winners the opportunity to take home RM2,500 worth of items each, and five third-prize win-ners got to walk away with RM1,000 worth of items each.

As soon as they were flagged off, the winners raced through the outlet picking out whatever they desired.

They needed to accomplish this in eight minutes, and were able to take home the items as long as the total amount did not exceed their prize amount.

Supermarket sweep for lucky Tesco shoppers

All 10 winners.

Siti Zarina Jamaludin (right) and Lee Choi Kon (third right) with Supermarket Sweep partners.

SHAH ALAM: AirAsia has de-cided to provide aid to Filipinos affected by ty-phoon Nesat.

The budg et airline is offering air assistance to facilitate relief ef-forts with imme-diate effect.

AirAsia will b e f re e ing up cargo space on its daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Clark to trans-port, for free, materials to the Philippines.

Those who are keen to help, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), aid and humanitarian agencies as well as members of the public can send requests to airasiacares@airasia.com.

Instructions on material spec-ifications and delivery will be provided after evaluation of the request.

The typhoon hit Philippines last week, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

More than a million people in Luzon remained without power, including in the capital Manila and seven outlying prov-inces, according to Office of Civil Defense Chief Benito

Ramos. This is not the first time that

AirAsia has come to the aid of people and nations in the region during times of tragedy. AirAsia was at the forefront of relief ef-forts in the wake of the tsunami that struck the region in 2004, Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (2008), and the earthquake which struck Sichuan in China (2008).

AirAsia has also supported the recovery of Bali, Indonesia, after the terrorist bombings in 2005, by giving away 12,000 free seats on its flights.

It mounted rescue flights from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur in November 2008 to help peo-ple stranded by the closing of the airport in Bangkok.

AirAsia offers free air assistance to typhoon victims By Basil Foo

SUBANG JAYA: Leverag-ing on the natural beauty and low-density of Templer Park, T-Parkland aims to provide its residents with a serene and clean environment.

“As T-Parkland is surround-ed by a heavy forest reserve, we emphasise an almost zero pol-lution rate for our residents,” said Soo Kai Chee.

The B&G Concept Engi-neering Sdn Bhd financial, commercial, and marketing executive director said the closeness to nature grants a picturesque view of the sur-roundings.

There are 240 condomini-um units, some facing a natu-rally formed lake and others facing nearby hills – among them being the iconic Bukit Takun.

“There is no second phase for this project or other high-rise developments as the surroundings already have residential houses – so the views won’t be blocked,” Soo said.

At the property preview last Saturday, he said buildup of the units is a minimum of 1,200 square feet, with three rooms and three bathrooms each.

The units come fully furnished with air-condition-ing, kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, plaster ceiling, fans, and water heaters.

He said they wanted purchasers to experience a hassle-free move, where they would only need to carry in loose furniture.

“Even with the furnishings, our pricing still remains reasonable at less than RM300 per square foot, which is quite a competitive rate in the market,” he said.

Soo said it has always been their strategy for their products to be priced reasonably in order to pass on the profits to the end consumer who may be buying to invest.

Compared with other higher-priced developments,

their strategy is to set a low price to induce a high take-up rate for their properties, he added.

Facilities at the condo include tri-level parking lots, infinity swimming pool, and an over two-acre lakeside park with landscaped garden and jogging track.

Spacious environment, pleasant views at T-Parkland

CAPTIONS

0299 - A customer asking about T-Parkland at the property preview last Saturday.0301 - Customers asking about T-Parkland at the property preview last Saturday.0306 -0308 - 0310 - Soo

A model of T-Parkland at the property preview last Saturday.

Soo (second right) and his team.

19OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

Food

Authentic Balinese at Uma

By Alvin Yap

It’s a real treat to be able to savour cuisine from other parts of a country as far flung and diverse

as Indonesia’s archipelagos. Balinese food is similar to our own cooking, as it uses the same ingredients.

But the difference in taste and flavour is what surprised me when I sampled my first morsels at Uma, located at the Strand. Tucked between other shops along a road with considerable lack of parking space here in Kota Damansara, Uma is hardly two years old and serves authentic Balinese food. Statues and sculptures line the entrance outside and inside, giving the place an “I’m-at-Bali” feel. Low tables and thick cushions line the wall. But what catches your eye is a mural painting of paddy fields on a long wall – it’s uncannily similar to what you’d see in the countryside. If you’re stumped for choice, or wonder what sate lilit, jukut urab, or iga base galas are, fret not. Ask your server and ye shall be told.

Sitting on the raised platform, we looked at the menu and de-cided to try Uma’s favourite selec-tion: the group set. It consists of four main dishes that you can choose from the menu. Bali is majority Hindu, and so the food is non-halal. We settled on three dishes to make up the main course: bebek mengoreng (crispy fried duck), iga base kalas (pork ribs curry), and pesan be pasih (grilled toman fish in banana leaf ). To accompany these main meals, we ordered our side dishes of jukut urab (mixed vegetable salad consisting of long bean, kangkung and bean sprouts with shredded coconut), kentang goreng (spiced potato fries), and sambal mbe (sambal with fried shallots and chilies). Pictures don’t do justice to the food presentation. When our or-der came to our table, I was taken by how much Uma goes to present an authentic dining experience. All the dishes came either wrapped

in banana leaves or in rattan bas-kets on top of a large rattan-weave tray. The smells from the food will kickstart your appetite, thanks to the liberal amount of spices in-fused into the dishes. Duck is suitable for roasting or stewing, as other cooking methods can reduce it to a dry chewy mess. However, this was not so with the fried bebek mengoreng, which was crispy on the outside,

The crackling skin crunched and exploded with flavour in our mouths, while the inside was still tender – not juicy, but still tender. The spices and herbs lingered on our taste buds, no doubt because the duck was marinated overnight.

The iga base kalas is a dry curry consisting of four pork ribs mari-nated heavily with spices. The fla-vour was intense and every bite was mouth-watering. The fish – pesan be pasih – was delightfully sweet and sour, wrapped in banana leaves before being grilled, which gives the dish a distinctly vanilla-sweet hint. It is similar to our local grilled fish, but the taste is

subtler and more piquant. It is a dish best taken with the rice that accom-panies the main courses.

For the side dishes, I found the taste and cooking methods quite similar to our Malay cuisine.

The plecing kangkung is blanched – not fried – before tossed simply with a sambal paste. It gives the humble green a fresh taste, which we could not stop eating. Each bite underscored the freshness of the vegetable. My partner and I found it a perfect way to prepare kangkung. The kentang goring is simply potatoes sliced into strips, coated with spices and deep fried. It might be a bit oily for most palates. We didn’t finish that dish.

The spices and herbs and sambals, while not hot or spicy, can be overwhelming. To refresh the palate, we had Es Campur Bali. Similar to our ais kacang, the shaved ice concoction can be taken between meals or as dessert. Loaded with jackfruit, cen-dol, cincau and pieces of coconut meat, it is lighter and less sweet compared

with our local version. The meal at Uma was very pleas-ant as the service and atmosphere was up to our expectations. Uma is a quiet place, perfect for friends and family to gather and share a meal in a relaxed setting. The Uma Balinese Restaurant is located at The Strand, Kota Da-mansara, 7-G & 7-1 Jalan PJU5/21, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Scrumptious selections on a banana leaf platter.

When our order came to our table, I was taken by how much Uma goes to present an authentic dining experience. All the dishes came either wrapped in banana leaves or in rattan baskets on top of a large rattan-weave tray”

Special menus at West Lake Garden during Gourmet Fest

SHAH ALAM: Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa’s prestig ious Chinese restaurant, West Lake Garden, will be represented in the 11th Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) by master chef Chan Choo Kean (pic), whose culinary creativity has won him many accolades in his more than 20 years in the industry.

A connoisseur of Cantonese fare, Chan will present two exqui-sitely crafted menus, Opulent Jade and Luxe Pearl.

The Opulent Jade menu is priced at RM188++ per person, and will start off with a platter of Sze Chuan beef with foie gras stuffed in Chinese steamed bun, as well as a succulent barbe-cued chicken roulade and white fungus with pickled lotus.

The six-course menu continues with a serving of hot and clear organic chicken consommé and baby abalone with chrysanthe-mum and cordyceps. The savoury chicken broth is followed by an invigorating claypot braised salm-on with garlic, shallot, ginger and spring onion  – a surefire hit for

those with a penchant for tangy dishes.

The crowning glory of the menu will be the fried Boston lobster dusted with salt and pep-per cooked fresh to a crispy per-fection.

An aromatic plate of Cantonese braised noo-dle with shredded scal-lop, sweet preserved vegetable and eggplant follows suit to cap the appetite, before diners are served with a lip-smacking dessert, Es-sence of Emperor Date and Aloe Vera with fra-grant young coconut.

West Lake Garden’s Luxe Pearl menu, priced at RM138++ per person, starts off with a serving of luscious venison ribs dripping with Xi Chiang glaze, with garlic cu-cumber pickles and steamed prawn with abalone dumpling.

During the month-long MIGF celebration, West Lake Garden Chinese restaurant is offering a 10% discount on selected house pouring by glass, and on any bever-age with the purchase of the Festi-val Menus. For dining reservations and enquiries, call 03-74928000 ext. 3181.

It’s like actually being there.

20 october 7 — 9, 2011

TRAVEL

The memories have come and gone but the building re-mains. It has been more than

100 years, but the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, or Stesen Keretapi Kuala Lumpur, on Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin is still in majestic form.

The old railway station, as some call it, hardly sees the kind of human traffic that it was accustomed to for about 90 years. KL residents who have very long memories will re-member that the road in front of the KL railway station was previously known as Victoria Avenue.

In 2001, the intercity railway ser vices were shifted to Kuala Lumpur Sentral, less than a kilome-tre down the road. Today, the old KL railway station is used mainly for commuter and goods services.

The old KL railway station was completed in 1910. It was the rail-way headquarters for the Federated Malay States Railways and the Ma-layan Railway (Keretapi Tanah Melayu) for much of the 20th cen-tury.

Some will remember the stately KL railway station for its unique architecture, which is a blend of Eastern and Western influences. Or perhaps you’d even remember seeing it in scenes from some of P Ramlee’s movies.

The man responsible for the de-sign of the KL Railway station was Arthur Benison Hubback, a British architect attached to the Public Works Department at that time.

Before the main KL railway sta-tion came into being, there were two other railway stations. The first opened its gates for business in 1886 and was unofficially called the Resi-dent Station, connecting KL to Klang.

The second station, called the Sultan Street Station, appeared in 1892. It established a link between the Ampang mines and the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Resident Station was pulled down when the main KL railway station went into operation. The Sultan Street Station made way for a smaller station when the tracks on Foch Avenue ( Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) were removed to accommo-date the new transport infrastructure of the city.

According to official records, the KL Railway Station was completed at a princely sum of $23,000 (Straits dollar 1904-1939). After receiving official certification of its worthiness on Aug 1, 1910, the “choo-choo trains” began their busy schedules for the next 80 years.

If your grandparents are still with you, they may be able to educate and inform you of the time when the main railway station was the symbol of the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Most people who stayed in other parts of the peninsula usually came to KL by train, and the first thing they saw on arrival was this railway station with all its architectural splendour.

As part of its services, the railway building incorporated the Station Hotel in its premises. Today, the hotel carries another name – Heritage Station Hotel.

KTM Komuter Services were introduced 16 years ago (1995) at this station. After the KL Railway Station gave way to KL Sentral, plans were made to turn it into a culture cen-tre and railway museum.

This took place on Aug 31, 2007. The railway museum is located in the main hall of the building. Locals and foreign

visitors who have a keen interest in railways will find the various artefacts and relics from the old FMSR (Federal Malay States Railways) very interesting.

If you are visiting the railway museum, keep your eyes peeled and you may just notice a sign that says “Occupa-tional Level Crossing Notice” dated September 1910.

It states: “It is forbidden to open the gates of this crossing within 15 minutes before the time at which a train is ex-pected to pass or at any time when a train is in sight.

“Cattle passing over this crossing must not be driven but led by a properly secured halter. Any person causing the cat-

tle to cross without such halter is liable to a fine of $20 (Straits dollar) or to imprisonment for three months.

“Any person who opens the gates of this crossing or at-tempts to pass or to drive any cattle or other animal or any carriage across the railway at any time when a train is in sight is liable to a fine of $50.

 “Any person who at any time omits to shut and fasten the gates of this crossing as soon as he or any animal or any cattle or any carriage in his charge has passed through is liable to a fine of $50.”

The law was quite clear in the early years of the last cen-

Still chugging along after 100 yearsKuala Lumpur has many interesting chapters in its history. One of the highlights of the capital city is the old KL Railway Station. LIN ZHENYUAN travels on the slow track to catch glimpses of its rich heritage

The Heritage Hotel at the railway building.

The railway museum is located in the main hall of the station. Scaled-down versions of the train coaches and other artefacts.

21october 7 — 9, 2011

TRAVEL

Have you cHecked your electrical switcHes before leaving Home?

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

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

Borang maklumaT Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk bercuti.

Kepada Kawasan pentadbiran balai polis

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

BuTiran penduduk:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. ..........................................................................................

lain-lain maklumat:

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

✂

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

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

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

Call the SS17 BomBa for advise at

03-5634 9444

The majestic interior of the old railway station now living in quieter days.

tury. Life in the growing metropolis of Kuala Lumpur was much simpler then. These days, if you want to see any cattle, you have to travel to the outskirts of Selan-gor.

On display are also some of the instruments that are no longer used as far as railways are concerned. Railway enthusiasts will learn that in the days of yore, a key tablet was the signaling instrument that was deemed essential from 1890 to the 1930s.

The key tablet was in the possession of the Station Master, who inserted the key into a red machine at the train station so that a train could be able to continue on its journey.

There is an information graphic timeline of the old Malayan Railway from 1885 to 2000. The history of KTM is also explained during the war years of Japanese Occupation and Communist Emergency from 1941 to 1958.

The first railway tracks linked Taiping to Port Weld

in 1885. The 12km track was used to transport tin ore from Taiping to the port on the other side of present day Simpang.

In 1909, the main KTM line extended to Gemas and Johor Baru. In 1913, the Singapore Government Railway was acquired, and the railway line then ex-tended from Padang Besar in Perlis to Singapore.

The KL railway station underwent several phases through the 1960s to the 1990s. Today, it is enjoying a well-earned rest. Like a pioneer who had paved the way for modern development of the city, this station is much like a stately manor that has “retired” and is now resting on its laurels.

To fully appreciate the history of the old Kuala Lumpur railway building, which has an ambience of the “Raj” era, one must walk and study the place at leisure. It won’t do to execute a speedy walkabout be-cause the walls still retain the lingering and enduring essence of a bygone age.

The key tablets and the red machine were used in the bygone era.

22 OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

Gallery

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim at the official launch of Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s book Coming of Age: A Decade of Essays 2001-2011 at the Shah Alam Convention Centre on Sunday.

Kampar MP S Manikavasagam (in blue) giving out prizes to winners of a one-day fun-and-games event organised by the residents association of Taman Juta at their neighbourhood park last Saturday.

Vehicles being towed away from the vicinity of Saujana Residency in Subang Jaya. The residence has seen an increase in illegally parked vehicles following the suspected gas leak blast at Empire Gallery on Sept 28.

Soka Gakkai Malaysia Gymnastics group entertaining participants prior to the Run For Peace in Taman Klang Jaya last Sunday.

Sungai Pinang assemblyperson Datuk Teng Chang Khim speak-ing to a senior citizen during the Jom Shopping programme in Tesco Setia Alam.

Some 200 residents took part in the event at Taman Juta last Saturday, which featured games such as a balloon-blowing match and tug-of-war.

23OctOber 7 — 9, 2011

CultureEditor’s PickThe Selfish Crocodile Theatre; 4-22 Oct; PJ Live Arts @ Jaya One; 017-2289849, www.tix.my; www.

Compiled by Nick ChooSend your events to: nick@selangortimes.

The Secret Life Of Nora

Musical; 29 Sept-16 Oct; Istana Budaya; 03-40265558; RM30-RM450

Enfiniti Productions’ musical extravaganza! Immerse yourself in the story of Nora, a sassy prima donna who unwittingly becomes an M15 secret spy. Set in whimsical 1960s Malaya, the strong-willed miss uses her feminine wiles to uncover a diabolical plot of epic proportions, battles a masked villain who holds a secret from her pastm and discovers hidden bravery within herself. Along the way, she catches the eye of her dashing spy trainer Roger and rises to the challenge of becoming the spy she never intended to be. Travel back in time to experience an action-packed 60s spy adventure, brought to you by the same team that brought you Puteri Gunung Ledang and P Ramlee the Musical. Starring Tiara Jacquelina, Ryan Silverman, Adibah Noor, Aznil Nawawi, Tony Eusoff, Stephanie Van Driesen and Aaron Khaled.

In Perfect Harmony

Theatre/Music; 6-23 Oct; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; www.klpac.org, 03-40479000, www.damaorchestra.com; RM93-RM303

Set against the backdrop of a radio broadcasting station, this musical concert production pays homage to the multitude of popular music that tugged at our heart strings in the last four decades. It’s a showcase of fabulous songs and dances. Exquisite vocals. Great music. Superb fun and entertainment all the way. Featuring Chang Fang Chyi, Tria Aziz and Tan Soo Suan, with special guest appearances by Zainal Abidin (6-9 Oct), Sean Ghazi (12-16 Oct), David Arumugam (19-23 Oct) and The Seasons 4 (12, 16, 19, 23 Oct). Presented by Dama Orchestra.

MaYa: Gong Illusions

Concert; 20-23 Oct; Shanthanand Auditorium, Temple of Fine Arts, Brickfields; RM53

“Tapping into the world of dreams, MaYa opens an unexpected door into the surreal and inspiring realm of the gong resonance. It is a beautifully bizarre journey between the world of light and shadow, and the embracing of its dualistic nature. It is through this mystical dual path that Rhythm In Bronze would like to invite their audience to explore with them, the many facets of their music style, performance and even views.” Featuring collaborations with choreographer Joseph Gonzales, artistes Reza Salleh, Zailan Razak, Batteryheadz Percussion and many more.

Life Sdn Bhd 7: Refugees

Theatre; 24-30 Oct; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10; www.theactorsstudio.com.my, 03-21422009

“What’s it like to be a refugee? To witness your family torn apart by war and conflict? To lose everything you value – family, friends, your home – and be forced to flee in order to save your life? To travel hundreds of miles, on foot through dense jungles and in leaking boats across dangerous seas?” Actors as well as non-actors share true stories, on stage, on issues that affect people living in Malaysia; featuring songs by local singer-songwriters, which

were specially commissioned for this show. Presented by The Actors Studio, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); directed by Faridah Merican.

In Death Row’s Shadow

Exhibition/Dialogue; 1-10 Oct; Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall; free admissionFeaturing the works of 11 local artists, including illustrator JC Wong, blogger Susan Loong, and visual artist Seelan Palay, as well as two Singaporean artists and a US-based photographer. “The death penalty is not only cruel, inhuman and degrading for the moment of execution; rather, the entire process, from the time of sentencing till the last moment of consciousness, is profoundly torturous.” Works on the theme include installations, acrylic paintings, mix media, visual media and video art.

A Night of Cantonese Opera VI

Theatre/Music; 15 & 16 Oct; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10; www.theactorsstudio.com.my, 03-21422009; RM38/RM29

Madam Kam Sin Kiew and her troupe return with seven excerpts from some of the most well-known and beloved Chinese sagas such as The Water Margin, The Magic Lantern, Return of The Condor Heroes and The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom. Love, tragedy and heroism bind the stories together. Whether you are a long-time fan of Cantonese opera or a first-timer, this is a great chance to step into another magical world and relive this extraordinary art form with all its traditional colourful costumes, distinctive make-up, fascinating vocals and enrapturing music.

reVIeWBy Basil Foo

SITTING through two-hour song-and-dance performances is never easy, even for fans of musicals. The music has to be original, the plot engaging, and the vocals music to the ears.

So when the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) introduced Short & Sweet Musical last year, it was practically heaven-sent for non-musical mortals like me.

Instead of one two-hour musical, audiences are treated to 10 10-minute performances, allowing even the least initiated fan to enjoy a variety without getting bored to tears.

And due to its popularity, KLPac had decided to increase the number of melodic skits from last year’s four to 10. For 100-odd minutes, the audiences got a mixture of musical tales about love, angst-filled teenagers, wedding stories to cannibalism.

KLPac’s decision to raise the number of performances was also rewarded as the four-day Short & Sweet Musical played to full houses every night from Sept 28 to Oct 1.

While increasing the number of acts ensured better attendance, one wonders if some quality was sacrificed to fulfill the quantity quota of 10.

Nevertheless, most of the musicals were well-conceived, and whatever shortcomings the handful of acts had were well compensated by the better ones. The sweet ones were 10 minutes short, while the sour ones were thankfully just 10 minutes long.

The silver lining to having 10 musicals is that more budding singers, writers, musicians, music

and dance directors get a chance to showcase their talents without waiting for a generous funder.

Among the 10 musicals, three stood out for their originality, great acting, wittiness, lyrical prowess and musical flair. Unsurprisingly, they went home taking nine out of the 12 awards given.

Though familiar plot-wise, A Taste Of Love presented an interesting chain of events where a cannibalistic mother-and-daughter team feasted on travelling men lodging in their home.

However, when the daughter was smitten by their latest dinner mate, she decided to fend off her mother’s gastronomic advances and convince her to change her ways.

Ending with the mother falling for another traveller, the musical left audiences humming to the catchy lyrics of the double-entendre theme song Licky Licky.

Besides being voted for the People’s Choice award, A Taste

Of Love’s Aminda Faradilla Omar, who played the mother, also won the Best Supporting Actress award while Aaron Lo picked up the Best Composition and Best Libretto awards.

Coming in a close second with three awards was Oriental Takeout, which showcased the dilemmas of a geek and a sex worker.

Looking for his first feminine contact, the geek evoked sniggers as he attempted to put on protection for the first time before giving up and deciding that love cannot be bought.

The Broadwayish performance highlighted good acting by both the leads, and as anticipated, Nick Dorian and Karynn Tan bagged the Best Actor and Best Actress awards respectively. Oriental Takeout also earned the Best Overall Production award.

Another crowd favorite, Float N’Sync: The Rise N’Fall Of The Bad Streak Boys, was an easy choice for the Best Musical Director (for composer/lyricist Nick Choo) and Best Glitz & Glamour awards. Using boy bands as a background for its plot, Float N’Sync delighted the gallery with the hilarious story of a band that must come to terms with a cross-dressing member.

With lines lifted straight out of boy band hits like Bye, Bye, Bye, Seasons in the Sun and Quit Playing Games With My Heart, the musical wrapped up the night’s performance with gusto.

Other winners of the Short & Sweet Musical 2011 included My Prince Will Come’s Kevin Chong (Best Supporting Actor), Meanwhile...’s Tung Jit Yang and Banun Atina (Best Director), and Tweet About It’s Sachie Amira (Festival Director).

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A funny forest adventure about a snappy crocodile and a brave little mouse. This bestselling children’s story by Faustin Charles and Michael Terry comes to life in this delightful stage adaptation by UK’s Blunderbus Theatre Company. The 50-minute show tells the story of a crocodile who terrorises the frightened forest animals who attempt to get near the river, and how one kind and courageous mouse changes everything! The Selfish Crocodile teaches positive messages like honesty, compassion and the importance of friendship, while reminding kids that sometimes the smallest acts of kindness are the ones that often have the greatest impact. This story is written especially for children aged four to seven, but adults will find the show thoroughly entertaining, too. Presented by Gardner and Wife Theatre.

10 minutes too short?

Best Supporting Actress Aminda Faradilla Omar flanked by KLPac artistic director Joe Hasham (left) and festival director Datuk Faridah Merican.

The ‘boy’ band of Float N’Sync: The Rise N’Fall of the Bad Streak Boys.

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.