FRIDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- KK CENTRAL MARKET TO UNDERGO RM2M REPAIR

KK central market to undergo RM2m repair


KOTA KINABALU:

The central market located in the heart of the City centre and its surrounding areas will undergo upgrading works once allocation from the State Government is received. Repair works, estimated at RM2 million, will among others include repairing of leaking roofs and damaged ceiling, and replacing broken tiles on floors and walls at the two storey wet market and the fish market. The road divider at Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, between the central market and KK Plaza that were damaged by motorists who parked their vehicles illegally, would also be improved and widened for public convenience. Mayor Datuk Iliyas bin Ibrahim who was doing his rounds at the central market area on Thursday, noted that the central market and fish market, which were built in 1975, are badly in need of repair and upgrading works. Hence, he is hoping that the State Government would approve City Hall’s requests for the renovation and upgrading allocation. Iliyas, who was accompanied by Director of Engineering Jr. Lee Tet Fon, Director of Health and Services Alfred Gonsilou and officers, also inspected the landing point for small boats plying to and fro the mainland to the nearby islands, as well as the work progress at the Hyatt Waterfront development project. Earlier, he accompanied Api-Api Assemblyman and Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai to meet with the hawkers at the central market to extend his Chinese New Year greetings.

FRIDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- SHAOLIN WUSHU SQUAD TO PERFORM AT LIKAS STADIUM

Shaolin Wushu squad to perform at Likas Stadium

KOTA KINABALU:

A performance by the Chinese Shaolin Wushu squad from Henan, China is set to enthrall the crowd at Likas Indoor Stadium on Saturday at the Cultural Exhibition of Dragon, Unicorn and Lion Dance Year 2008. Organised by the United Sabah Chinese Communities Association of Kota Kinabalu (USCCA), the event to be opened by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman, will also feature local dance troupes comprising 10 dragon dance teams, 15 Unicorn teams and 45 lion dance teams. “The purpose of staging the exhibition is to provide opportunities to the people to exchange knowledge of cultures, besides strengthening the relationship between the residents of People’s Republic of China and Malaysia,” said USCCA of Kota Kinabalu president Datuk Lau Kok Seng. The free-admission event which begins at 2pm, will also see the presence of the Consul-General of the Republic of China, Mr Xie Fu Gen. “As we usher the new lunar calendar, we want to share the joy of celebrations with other races of people in the State,” Lau said in a statement.

FRIDAY- 25TH JANUARY 2008- SELLERS OF CONTRABAND CIGARETTES INCREASING

Sellers of contraband cigarettes increasing

Another complaint has been received about the activities of contraband cigarette peddlers in Inanam town. It came from Mat who claimed that the number of youngsters involved in the illegal activities are increasing. He said these people are seen day and night openly pestering passersby to buy the cigarettes. “Every time I go there in the evening, these people would be there and I think they are illegal immigrants,” he said. “The fact is young children are involved in activities that are prohibited by law and such activities are encouraging young people to smoke as they make cheap cigarettes easy to obtain.” Mat pointed out that the illegal activities if tolerated by the authorities could make these people more daring and carry out more serious illegal activities like drug peddling. He said the activities defeat the purpose of the government in raising the prices of cigarettes and discouraging people from smoking. A spokesman for Kota Kinabalu City Hall’s Public Complaints Unit, when asked to comment on the matter, said many operations have been carried out to curb the activities. He said such operations are usually carried out together with the Customs Department and Immigration Department. “We are currently conducting operations every evening to curb the activities, and those caught would face action,” he said.

FRINDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- JOHN LAU NEW PRESIDENT OF SANDAKAN JUNIOR CHAMBER

John Lau new president of Sandakan Junior Chamber


SANDAKAN:

The Sandakan Junior Chamber in its recent annual general meeting elected John Lau as the new president for 2008. The other office bearers elected are Immediate Past President Mike Yap, General Legal Counsel Anne Chong, Vice President for Business and Community William Chu, Vice President for Individual and International Brian Chui, Secretary Davina Khoo and Treasurer Audrey Wong. President-elect John Lau said with the presidential theme of ‘Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Associate, Development’, the new board is looking into areas of youth training, members’ self development, extending business networking for members and service to the community.

FRIDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- RM500 MILLION FOR PAVING VILLAGE ROADS IN SABAH

RM500 million for paving village roads in Sabah



TUARAN:

More village roads in Tuaran parliamentary constituency will be resurfaced when the Federal Government provides a RM500 million allocation for the purpose in Sabah under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau said the allocation will be spent on resurfacing village roads this year. Although not all village roads could be improved with the allocation, there will be marked improvement overall, he said. “In Tuaran, there are 199 kilometers of roads under the Public Works Department (PWD) which have not been paved, and the cost of paving a kilometer of road can reach RM1 million to RM2 million. Tangau was speaking when launching the paved Kampung Lampung Lapai-Dato-Rondoggung road in Tenghilan at the Kampung Lapai community hall yesterday. Also present were Assistant Youth and Sports Minister cum Tamparuli Assemblyman Jahid Jahim and Tamparuli People Development Leader Jefferson Jonathan. The one-kilometer road which has been used by about 100 people in the villages was paved under a project by the Sabah Federal Development Department (JPPS) last month. Tangau said the need for additional funds to pave roads in Tuaran has been conveyed to the Economical Planning Unit (EPU) besides being brought up in the Parliament.

FRIDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- MEGAT JUNID LAID TO REST AT BUKIT KIARA CEMETERY

Megat Junid laid to rest at Bukit Kiara cemetery


KUALA LUMPUR:

Former domestic trade and consumer affair Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayob, was laid to rest at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery here yesterday, attended by about 500 people. His remains arrived at the cemetery in a Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) hearse at 2.15pm. The funeral rites, performed by Sub-Insp Mohd Tahir Malik of the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, ended about 40 minutes later. His wives, Puan Sri Faizah Shuaib and Norzilah Jalil, were seen sitting side by side during the ceremony. They and Megat junid’S five children later poured scented water on the grave in turns. Among dignitaries present were Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Aziz Shamsuddin and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar. Megat Junid, 65, died of cancer at 5.25am at the Pantai Medical Centre in Bangsar. His remains were later were taken to his residence at No. 2, Jalan SS733 in Kelana Jaya. Among those who paid their last respects at the house were the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Others included Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam and former, inspector-general of police Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar. Before the burial, Megat Junid’s remains were taken to the Nurul Yaqin Mosque in Kelana Jaya for prayers led by DSP Ghazali Daud of the RMP’s Religious and counseling Division and joined by about 300 people, at 1.50pm. Faizah told reporters later that she was grateful for having her husband last wish, to have his funeral arranged by the RMP fulfilled. Bernama

FRIDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- MEGAT JUNID'S DEATH A LOSS TO NATION, SAY LEADERS

Megat Junid’s death a loss to nation, say leaders


PUTRAJAYA:

Several leaders yesterday described the death of former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayob as a great loss to the nation. Megat Junid died of cancer in Kuala Lumpur early Thursday. He was 65. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was saddened by the demise of ”a close friend and colleague”. He said Megat junid had contributed a lot to the Government and country. ”he was known for being a jovial character,” Najib told reporters officiating the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Public Service Commissions here. In PETALING JAYA former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the nation had lost a leader of quality. “Megat Junid was hardworking, honest, and a minister of quality’ he told reporters after paying his last respects at the residence of Megat Junid in Kelana Jaya. Dr Mahathir, who arrived at the residence with his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali at 9.15am, described Megat Junid as a spirited individual and said that when he met Megat Junid three weeks ago, he was talking about politics despite being ill. Megat Junid had served for nine months as the political secretary of Dr Mahathir when the latter was education minister in 1976. Megat Junid, who launched his career in politics in 1972, had served for 13 years as a deputy minister and four years as a minister. He had also served as the Umno information from 2OOO to 2003. Former deputy information minister Datuk Khalid Yunus, who also paid his last respects at the residence, said Megat junid had served Umno and the country well ‘We have lost a good leader and I have lost a friend,” he said, adding that he came to know Megat Junid when both of them joined Umno Youth in the 1970’s.

FRIDAY-25TH JANUARY 2008- COMPOSTING CENTRE LAUNCHED IN LUYANG

Composting centre launched in Luyang

Landfill to be closed if composting program successful


KOTA KINABALU:

A composting centre set up to compost garden waste has been launched at Taman Luyang Timur here yesterday. The centre is a joint project of the resident committee in the housing estate and Local Agenda 21 Kota Kinabalu City Hall led by Director General Dr Chua Kim Hing. Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology Melanie Chia, who officiated the launch, said the program had been planned since three years ago and the setup of the centre is a first step towards a sustainable environment management. “Hopefully this program will be successful and as a start, we hope the residents here can commit to this project,” she said, adding that it should encourage people from other areas to set up their own composting centre. During the launch, a demonstration of a Viking shredder, a RM1,800 machine sponsored by KTS Trading, was conducted to shred thick garden waste such as branches and leaves. Meanwhile, Chua said residents from any area can send their waste to the Luyang centre instead to the Kayu Madang landfill. “If this program is successful, the Kayu Madang landfill will be closed and turned into a material recovery facilities,” he said. “Kayu Madang will produce a new type of garbage without leachate to be transferred to other landfills,” he said. Chua said the program might be hard for people to follow but hopefully soon it will be accepted. Chairman of Luyang Timur Residents Committee, Chia Shee Yung said the community should reduce the burden of City Hall. “We can contribute to the environment by segregating the waste for recycling and composting,” he said. Chia urged the public from Kota Kinabalu area, especially Taman Luyang Timur, to send their garbage to this centre. The composting centre has received contributions from various individuals and companies, he said.

FRIDAY- 25TH JANUARY 2008- FOCUS OF PROMOTING QUALITY LOCAL PRODUCTS

Focus on promoting quality local products: Musa

KOTA KINABALU:

Domestic market for agricultural products will be further strengthened to ensure the agriculture sector continue to grow as planned, said Chief Minister Datuk Sen Musa Aman. He said focus will be given to promoting local products that are high in quality and competitively priced to enable them to compete with imported products. For this purpose, he said both the public and private sectors would be encouraged to provide marketing infrastructures and to efficiently manage their daily operations. Construction of marketing infrastructures such as collection centres, warehouses, cold storage facilities, wholesale markets and Pasar Tani would be expedited, Musa said in a speech at the signing of a MoU between FAMA and KKIP yesterday for the purchase of land to build a RM5 million marketing complex of FAMA. His speech was read by Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail. He said the State Government fully supports FAMA in its effort to further stimulate the agriculture and food industry in Sabah by setting up a marketing complex in KKIP. He said FAMA’s move reflects the increasing awareness and understanding among the industry players of the objective and importance of the establishment of Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP). “This would ultimately help the government in realising the Sabah’s Halatuju which recognizes agriculture as one of the three main sectors that will be developed to strengthen the State’s economy. More importantly, the agriculture sector would also be the leading sector under the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC),” he said. With the completion of the proposed complex, Musa said it is hoped that FAMA would further strengthen its role and efforts towards affectively coordinating the marketing activities for agriculture and agro-based products in the State. At the same time, he said FAMA should continue establishing distribution centres in districts with high potential to further improve marketing mechanism and provide supporting facilities for value-adding activities.

THURSDAY-24TH JANUARY 2008- BN PAGINATAN READY FOR POLLS

BN Paginatan ready for polls

RANAU:

The Barisan Nasional (BN) in Paginatan is ready to face the general election, said Industrial Development Minister Datuk Ewon Ebin. He said the spirit of unity and cooperation between all the BN component parties in the area is so strong that it will be an advantage to whoever is selected to contest the seat for the ruling coalition. Ewon, who is also Paginatan assemblyman, said the Government’s ability to see and manage the various problems faced by the people supports his optimism that the BN will win big in the area. “For example, the provision of RM700 for each student under the poor students trust fund, scholarships, uniforms and textbooks are contributions which cannot be found in any other Governments in the world,” he said when officially opening the Kampung Dambalang Marakau branch’s BN election headquarters and the new Kampung Tinanom community hall recently. During the event, Ewon presented cash assistance from the Government to senior citizens, single mothers, the sick and the less fortunate. He also approved a RM8,000 budget to repair the suspension bridge in Longui Marakau, RM6,000 for the construction of a kitchen at the community hall and RM2,000 to purchase female uniforms for Kampung Tinanom.

TUESDAY-22ND JANUARY 2008 - BISCUIT FACTORY IN TROUBLE

Conservation needs huge funds

KOTA KINABALU:

Funds are always in need, especially when environmental conservation is concerned. WWF-Malaysia Chief Technical Officer Dr Rahimatsah Amat in stressing this said it is a never ending issue and need every individual’s attention all the time. “It is what keeps us employed. .A new (enyironmental-related) problem will emerge even before we could solve the earlier one ... it is a cycle. For instance, we need at least RM6 million to do forest restoration for just 50 hectares of land, and it is not easy to raise such big amount of funds,” he said. Speaking to media representatives during a luncheon dubbed ‘An Afternoon with WWF-Malaysia’ here yesterday, Rahimatsah said similar problem is faced with other conservation programmes concerning wildlife and marine. “Efforts are being made to save our rhinos whose numbers are in a worrying state. At least RM2O million is needed to protect the Sumatran Rhinoceros, which include to track them down in the forest, to bring them out and to keep them in a big area, which needs to be monitored at all times to avoid poachers from poaching them. “All this is cost and needs huge funds,” he reiterated. Rahimatsah in sharing their experience, disclosed that their first project was to gazette the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in 1974. “It only cost about RM3,000 and a year to get the area gazetted. Today, it would take us millions and over 20 years to gazette an area. We need to tell the Government why this place is important and should be gazetted the scale has gone up, therefore, when it comes to conservation, we need to have an open cheque,” he said. During the briefing, Rahimatsah said since WWF-Malaysia sat foot in Sabah, they have many success stories to tell and various conservation programmes were implemented, which include the Borneo Species Programme (BSP). He explained that the research on Borneo Pygmy Elephants, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Orang Utan is carried out under BSP that covers the whole Borneon land area. The newly-formed programme will begin work by focusing on the three large terrestrial mammals found on the island, where WWF-Malaysia will run the BSP from its office here and work directly with the Sabah Wildlife Department and other stakeholders. Previously, the Sabah Orang-Utan Rhinoceros Elephants Landscape (SOREL) project managed the species work of the WWF-Malaysia in Sabah. “The time is now right to start the BSP, which cross cuts the Kinabatangan - Corridor of Life and the trans-boundary heart of Borneo. Before, SOREL limited our work in Sabah,” said Rahimatsah. He disclosed that work on the three mammals started in 1979 with the ‘Faunal Survey of Sabah’ conducted by WWF-Malaysia which confirmed that the habitats of the three animals are threatened by forest loss and land development. Currently, a total of 11 pygmy elephants have been collared with tracking devices since three years back for scientific studies and the satellite tracking data has had huge influence on land use planning, particularly at Ulu Segama Malua. Since the WWF-Malaysia’s orang-utan work is in partnership with the Government and nongovernmental organisations, work on the near extinct Sumatran rhinos get additional support from the private sector such as Hinda Malaysia.
“Today, WWF-Malaysia was tasked to lead in the preparation of management plan for rhino conservation in Sabah,” said Rahimatsah. There is an estimated of 25-20 rhinos left in Sabah and work is currently being planned to find out whether a rhino population exists in Sarawak as they did thousands of years ago. The method used in Sabah has been successful with infrared camera traps generating never before seen images and footages of the Sumatran rhino and WWF-Malaysia hopes to apply the same concept in Sarawak. WWF-Malaysia Borneo Programme’s species work is supported by WWF-Netherlands, WWF-UK, WWF-Germany and WWF-US, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Rahimatsah said Sabah is indeed fortunate that the global WWF network pays huge attention to Borneo. “We believe that we have the resources to expand our work to our neighbouring Sarawak soon,”he added. WWF-Malaysia chairman Datuk Tengku D Z Adlin, who also attended the briefing, stressed that conservation need not be too expensive if the people understand the importance of preserving the environment. “If we have enough awareness among the people and everybody plays a role in preserving and conserving the environment, there will be no destruction and we need not spend much to maintain the environment. “If we manage the forest properly, there is no need to clean up. I am glad that the Government, the corporate sector and individuals are showing interest in conserving the environment. The only thing is to get all this people to work together for the good of the environment and for the future,” said Adlin, who is also the Sabah Tourism Board chairman.

22ND JANUARY 2008 - AGRO TOURISM CAN ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS TO SABAH

Agro-tourism can attract more tourists to Sabah, says Rahim

KOTA KINABALU:

Agrotourism has great potential in bolstering the State’s tourism industry, said Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Hj Abdul Rahim Ismail. He said various elements needed to develop agro-tourism are already in place as 70 percent of the State’s farmers live in rural areas that possess their own charms and extra-ordinary attractions. “Agro-tourism is among the efforts to attract more foreign and domestic tourists to visit Sabah,” he said after hosting a luncheon for Konstantine Vatskalis, the Minister of Tourism for the Northern Territory of Australia. Rahim noted that while agriculture is the main focus of Sabah’s Halatuju, there are various related components that are equally attractive such as aquaculture, livestock rearing and agro-tourism concepts. Vatskalis, on a working visit here, said that Sabah will become an important tourism destination for Australian tourists, especially for those living in Northern Territory areas such as Darwin. “There have been discussions with Jetair Australia to make stops in Darwin before proceeding to several destinations in South East Asia and this automatically makes Darwin the gateway to this region, specifically Sabah,” he said. Vatskalis expressed confidence that this flight plan will become a reality as the airline has already booked several new planes to service the route. “This confidence is based on the attractions in Sabah which include the uniqueness of its natural beauty, the food and the friendly residents here,” he said, adding that safety and political stability are also contributing factors. Vatskalis, who has visited Sabah seven times, also praised the State Government for emphasising on the tourism sector as the State is rich in natural resources which make it an attractive tourism destination in the region. “We have a similar strategy as the Sabah Government in attracting tourists to Australia, especially in the Northern Territory because there are many similarities between both areas such as the weather conditions and the environment,” he said. Meanwhile, during the luncheon the two ministers also discussed issues related to agriculture development, specifically on the livestock industry, which Rahim said is a follow-up on the memorandum of understanding between Sabah and the Northern Territory signed about five years ago.. “The close relations between both sides in agriculture development has spawned the development of the Sabah Meat Technology Centre in Kinarut,” Rahim said.

TUESDAY-22ND JANUARY 2008-CONSERVATION NEEDS HUGE FUNDS

Conservation needs huge funds

KOTA KINABALU:

Funds are always in need, especially when environmental conservation is concerned. WWF-Malaysia Chief Technical Officer Dr Rahimatsah Amat in stressing this said it is a never ending issue and need every individual’s attention all the time. “It is what keeps us employed. .A new (enyironmental-related) problem will emerge even before we could solve the earlier one ... it is a cycle. For instance, we need at least RM6 million to do forest restoration for just 50 hectares of land, and it is not easy to raise such big amount of funds,” he said. Speaking to media representatives during a luncheon dubbed ‘An Afternoon with WWF-Malaysia’ here yesterday, Rahimatsah said similar problem is faced with other conservation programmes concerning wildlife and marine. “Efforts are being made to save our rhinos whose numbers are in a worrying state. At least RM2O million is needed to protect the Sumatran Rhinoceros, which include to track them down in the forest, to bring them out and to keep them in a big area, which needs to be monitored at all times to avoid poachers from poaching them. “All this is cost and needs huge funds,” he reiterated. Rahimatsah in sharing their experience, disclosed that their first project was to gazette the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in 1974. “It only cost about RM3,000 and a year to get the area gazetted. Today, it would take us millions and over 20 years to gazette an area. We need to tell the Government why this place is important and should be gazetted the scale has gone up, therefore, when it comes to conservation, we need to have an open cheque,” he said. During the briefing, Rahimatsah said since WWF-Malaysia sat foot in Sabah, they have many success stories to tell and various conservation programmes were implemented, which include the Borneo Species Programme (BSP). He explained that the research on Borneo Pygmy Elephants, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Orang Utan is carried out under BSP that covers the whole Borneon land area. The newly-formed programme will begin work by focusing on the three large terrestrial mammals found on the island, where WWF-Malaysia will run the BSP from its office here and work directly with the Sabah Wildlife Department and other stakeholders. Previously, the Sabah Orang-Utan Rhinoceros Elephants Landscape (SOREL) project managed the species work of the WWF-Malaysia in Sabah. “The time is now right to start the BSP, which cross cuts the Kinabatangan - Corridor of Life and the trans-boundary heart of Borneo. Before, SOREL limited our work in Sabah,” said Rahimatsah. He disclosed that work on the three mammals started in 1979 with the ‘Faunal Survey of Sabah’ conducted by WWF-Malaysia which confirmed that the habitats of the three animals are threatened by forest loss and land development. Currently, a total of 11 pygmy elephants have been collared with tracking devices since three years back for scientific studies and the satellite tracking data has had huge influence on land use planning, particularly at Ulu Segama Malua. Since the WWF-Malaysia’s orang-utan work is in partnership with the Government and nongovernmental organisations, work on the near extinct Sumatran rhinos get additional support from the private sector such as Hinda Malaysia.
“Today, WWF-Malaysia was tasked to lead in the preparation of management plan for rhino conservation in Sabah,” said Rahimatsah. There is an estimated of 25-20 rhinos left in Sabah and work is currently being planned to find out whether a rhino population exists in Sarawak as they did thousands of years ago. The method used in Sabah has been successful with infrared camera traps generating never before seen images and footages of the Sumatran rhino and WWF-Malaysia hopes to apply the same concept in Sarawak. WWF-Malaysia Borneo Programme’s species work is supported by WWF-Netherlands, WWF-UK, WWF-Germany and WWF-US, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Rahimatsah said Sabah is indeed fortunate that the global WWF network pays huge attention to Borneo. “We believe that we have the resources to expand our work to our neighbouring Sarawak soon,”he added. WWF-Malaysia chairman Datuk Tengku D Z Adlin, who also attended the briefing, stressed that conservation need not be too expensive if the people understand the importance of preserving the environment. “If we have enough awareness among the people and everybody plays a role in preserving and conserving the environment, there will be no destruction and we need not spend much to maintain the environment. “If we manage the forest properly, there is no need to clean up. I am glad that the Government, the corporate sector and individuals are showing interest in conserving the environment. The only thing is to get all this people to work together for the good of the environment and for the future,” said Adlin, who is also the Sabah Tourism Board chairman.

TUESDAY-22ND JANUARY 2008-LAST BN MEET BUT NO POLLS TALK

LAST BN MEET BUT NO POLLS TALK

PUTRAJAYA:

The ‘last’ Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting yesterday did not touch on the much-speculated general election and there was no discussion on BN candidates too. Instead, the meeting focused on development issues with the BN Chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi directing all 13 coalition component parties to be frank and to tell the people what the BN-led Government had done for them. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said many development issues were discussed and that “it was more on development, nothing to do with the general election ... we did not discuss candidates either”. Works Minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu said Abdullah had instructed all component parties to be frank and tell what had been done by the Government so far. “He wants us to tell what we have (in store) for the people and how we have managed the people in the country for so many years and the experience we have gained from doing so,” said Samy Vellu, who is also the MIC President. Abdullah chaired a three-hour closed-door BN supreme council meeting, which began about 11. 50 am, at his office and speculation was rife that this would be the last such meeting before the nation’s 12th general election. Samy Vellu said the BN Government wants Malaysia to be a progressive and dynamic nation and the people must not be misled by politicians who are out to smear the name of the Government. “I feel that in recent months there had been a heavy campaign going on against the Government and against each component party. “And all those who carry out these campaigns have a lot of dirt behind them. They are not very clean everyone who wants to campaign carry at least a half a ‘pikul’ of dirt behind them and they put up a facet to say that they are very clean,” he said. He said while the opposition were putting up a facade, the BN Government “does not put up a show but tells the truth” and wants the continued support of the people. “And we believe in the concept of the BN. We believe in the concept of being together for the betterment of the country and I support the PM’s views,” he said. Probed further on what transpired at the meeting, Samy Vellu said a lot of things were discussed and each component party “was very open to air our views to the PM”. “The PM has listened. That is the beauty of the BN leadership. They open two ears to listen. They are not like the opposition with closed ears, who only know how to talk but not do things. “But we know how to talk, we also know how to do things... that is the Government that is there at the moment. We feel that we only have another 12 years for 2020 and by this 12 years the Government feels that the people must be upgraded in (terms of) their living standards,” he added.
He said on MIC’s part, it would get down to the grassroots to explain to the people on the Government’s deeds to date as the party did not want the community “to be taken for a ride by anybody”. Asked if Abdullah had instructed BN component parties to submit names of their respective candidates to contest under the BN banner in the upcoming polls, he said the Prime Minister had not done so. “Usually the PM will never tell component parties to prepare the candidates list, that is the right of the component party leacer ... I have not prepared it,” he said, adding that the BN supreme council meeting yesterday did not discuss the candidates list for the general election. “Even if the election is near the BN supreme council does not discuss candidates. “Candidates are something for (component) party leaders to select. It is the prerogative of the PM to accept or otherwise. He is the final decision maker ... we submit to PM and if the PM says ‘yes’, then we proceed to the next stage,” Samy Vellu said. - - The MIC supremo said the party was prepared for the polls even if it were held tomorrow. “We started our work six months ago. Even if one year later you have to prepare your ground ahead of it. So there is no point of thinking when is the election. Let it come tomorrow, tonight midnight we file the nomination, tomorrow morning we can contest,” said Samy Vellu. Meanwhile, on PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement that he wants Malaysia to be a welfare state, Najib said he would want to see first what he could really do. “He wants to make all kinds of promises ... opposition! He promised the Teregganu contractors but he could not fulfill those promises. This time, it’s a national issue. “We know the limitations of the opposition. It’s normal for the opposition to make promises ... for the sun and the moon.” Abdul Hadi, in his manifesto, among others, promises to make Malaysia a welfare state if PAS wins the 12th general election. Towards this end, the party promises to reduce the current fuel price by 10 sen per litre and to abolish the Internal Security Act. - Bernama

TUESDAY-22ND JANUARY 2008 - KING AND QUEEN HERE FOR THREE-DAY VISIT

KING AND QUEEN HERE FOR THREE –DAY VISIT

KOTA KINABALU:

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah arrived here yesterday on a three-day royal visit to Sabah. Flying in on a special Air Force plane, the King and Queen arrived at around 1O.45am at Terminal Two of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and were welcomed by the Head of State Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah and his wife Toh Puan Dayang Masuyah Awang Japar, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and a host of other VIPs. Among the VIPs in attendance included deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin and Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, State Ministers and State Barisan Nasional (BN) component leaders. As the royal couple left the airport for the Magellan Sutera in a specially-modified luxury four-wheel-drive vehicle, they were greeted by hundreds of people gathered to give a colourful and warm welcome. Those assembled for the royal welcome included members of the various security forces stationed here, National Service trainees, cultural groups dressed in their traditional attire and students from nearby schools. After a short rest, the Agong and Raja Permaisuri visited the Tun Mustapha Tower where they were given an overview of the State’s development and later feted to a royal dinner at the State Assembly banquet hall. The royal itinerary for this morning is expected to start with golf. as the Agong tees off in the PGMS Golf Tournament, after which he and the Raja Permaisuri pay a visit to the Royal Malaysian Navy base in Sepanggar Bay before leaving for Sandakan. In Sandakan, the Agong and Raja Permaisuri will spend the evening with the people at a public dinner at Dewan Hakka along Mile 5, while tomorrow Musa is expected to host them to lunch at his residence at Sri Libaran before their scheduled return to Kuala Lumpur at around 4. 3Opm.

SATURDAY-19TH JANUARY 2008 - UMS TO SET UP RADIO STATION

UMS to set up radio station
Public will be able to communicate with students

KOTA KINABALU:

The public will be able to communicate with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students when its radio station starts operating by the middle of this year.
Running on a 500-watt band, the radio station will be aired in English, Bahasa Malaysia and other ethnic languages. UMS Vice Chancellor Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin when disclosing this yesterday, said they are in the final stages of renovating the studio and installing the antennae.
The effort was made possible thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the university and RTM last year, which is aimed at providing training for its students majoring in communication courses. “We would also incorporate art into the 10-hour daily programmes,’ he said to reporters after announcing the Education Journalism Awards 2007 jointly organised by the university and Sabah Journalists Association yesterday. He said that the equipment had already arrived and was now just waiting for the studio renovation to be completed. Although the programme contents are mainly produced by the university, Mohd Noh said they would still be under the supervision of RTM.
“In fact, he said the broadcasting licence is acquired from the Government via RTM,” he said, expressing his excitement over the programme that would stretch up to Kudat, Beaufort and Brunei. He said a similar campus radio had been set up by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UiTM) and other higher learning institutions in Peninsular Malaysia. On another development, Mohd Noh stressed they would continue with the practice of maintaining 40 per cent of student population from Sabah, while the rest is open to others from outside the State.
He said there had been cases where students from other states rejected offers by UMS as they wanted to take up courses closer to home. “However, those who fail to turn up after the registration exercise may appeal to the relevant authorities and come to us. This has happened before when they arrived at the UMS campus during the second semester,” he explained. Mohd Noh said that they would still continue to promote courses available at UMS through roadshows in the Peninsular. Also present were Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) President Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and UMS Education Journalism Award 2007 organising chairman Dr Andreas Totu.

SATURDAY - 19TH JANUARY 2008 - POLLS IN 60 DAYS, SAYS KIT SIANG

POLLS in 60 days, says Kit Siang

KOTA KINABALU:
The DAP has predicted that the forthcoming general election will be held in less than 60 days, possibly between March 8 and 15. The Opposition party’s National Adviser, Mr Lim Kit Siang, said the prediction is based on a recent statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman, that the latter would be calling for the BN supreme council meeting. “Our prediction is that Parliament will be dissolved on March 3, followed by the nomination day four days later on March 7 and polling on March 15,” he told a news conference upon his arrival here from Kuala Lumpur yesterday. “We are also expecting that the Election Commission will reduce the campaigning period as in the previous general election in 2004 when it was two weeks only, which was a short time ... may be this time the period will be eight days only.” Commenting on a statement by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he was not influenced by any quarters in choosing Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim to fill up the top post in the Judiciary, Lim said it was merely an excuse for the former premier to evade the question from members of the media. Although Malaysia is a democratic country and the Prime Minister is vested with the prerogative powers, it does not mean that the Prime Minister is not responsible and accountable to the people, he said. “It is demeaning the public inquiry set up by the Government to investigate the controversial ‘Lingam’ video clip,” he said. Lim said the controversy over the video clip was a serious issue and if the former Prime Minister does not view the matter seriously, then the public will lose confidence in the public inquiry and also to the judiciary.

SATURDAY-19TH JANUARY 2008- ENOUGH COOKING OIL FOR CNY

Enough cooking oil for CNY
Sabah Softwoods CEO says supply won’t be problem

KOTA KINABALU:

There will be enough cooking oil in Sabah, especially for the Chinese New Year (CNY), despite the reported smuggling of the . commodity and the recent shortage at retail outlets.
“I am certain . that the supply of cooking oil for the Chinese New Year would not be a problem here,” said Haji Osman Walat, the Chief Executive Officer of Sabah Softwoods Berhad (SSB) yesterday.
SSB has planted 20,000 hectares with oil palm and the total hectarage would be expanded in future.
However, Haji Osman said that Sabah Softwood does not market, distribute and retail the crude palm oil (CPO). It is handled by the Malaysia Palm Oil Board. Similarly, Sabah Softwood does not deal with the packaging of cooking oil.
“The output of CPO is guided by the MPOB, basically depending on demand and supply. As for price subsidy, it is based on the market price where a higher price would result in a higher subsidy and it is decided by MPOB,” he said.
SSB was engaged as the main contractor for reafforestation and oil palm development in the Benta Wawasan concession area between 2000 and early 2006. Regional Harvest Sdn Bhd operates a 45-metric ton fresh fruit bunches (ffb) per hour CPO processing mill in Dumpas.
Based on the current capacity, the mill is able to produce an annual output of 54,000 metric tonnes of GPO. The mill has an expansion capacity to 60 metric tons (Mt) ffb per hour and the annual production is expected to increase to 72,000 metric tons of CPO.
In 2002, SSB entered a joint venture for the construction and operation of a GPO mill with an equity participation of 40 percent in Regional Harvest Sdn Bhd. Sabah Softwood is also involved in tree plantations, chipmil operation and other relevant services.

SATURDAY-19TH JANUARY 2008 - CM URGES KKIPC TO BE MORE INNOVATIVE

CM urges KKIPC to be more innovative

KOTA KINABALU:

The Chief Minister has urged KKIPC Sdn Bhd which has been tasked to operate and manage the Sabah. Net for 20 years to be more innovative and creative in providing its services. “This is to ensure that Sabah will not be left behind in terms of Information Communication Technology (ICT) development,” said Datuk Seri Musa Aman at the company’s 11th anniversary here yesterday. The text of the Chief Minister’s speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister cum Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin. Musa said that the State Government had taken its own initiatives in ICT development in Sabah, and this was evident with the establishment of the State-owned intranet - Sabah. Net - in September 1997.
Today, he said the ICT industry was among the country’s most dynamic industries and served as an important catalyst for socioeconomic growth and development of the nation. As such, Musa reckoned that Sabah must be able to create new products and services that are of high value, not only to the local economy but international as well. Under the RM2.3 billion State Budget 2008, Musa who is also the Finance Minister, noted that RM17.8 million had been allocated for ICT development and a big chunk of the money goes to paying KKIPC’s services. Whilst stressing the State Government’s readiness to work with the private sector, Musa assured that the State Government would continue to call for greater cooperation and concerted national focus on the development of the ICT sector in Sabah.
“The adoption of private-sector initiatives can alleviate the burden on the Government and provide benefits to the private sector. Ultimately, this will be the driving motivation behind the State’s effort in bridging the digital divide.”
Moreover, he said there is a need to build a consensus by bringing together policy-makers, business leaders, academics and technical experts to work together in developing new policies and incentives that will make the Sabah ICT sector more competitive in the global market place.
He said this was part of a conducive investment climate that Sabah need to create. “The future focus would remain on strengthening human capital, developing hard and soft infrastructure, bringing innovations through ICT in the small medium enterprises and reducing the digital divide,” Musa added.

SATURDAY-19TH JANUARY 2008 - HUSBAND WINS BATTLE TO GIVE DEAD WIFE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL

Husband wins battle to give dead wife Christian funeral

KUALA LUMPUR:

A Malaysian has won a battle to give his dead wife a Christian funeral after Islamic religious authorities dropped their claim to the body on the grounds of her conversion to Islam. The row over the corpse of Wong Sau Lan, a 54- year-old ethnic Chinese woman who died on Dec. 30. “It was harrowing to wait for 18 days,” said Ngiam Tee Kong, who was at his wife’s bedside when she died in a Kuala Lumpur hospital and then suffered several sleepless nights during the custody fight for the remains. “I’m definitely relieved. Hopefully it will be over in a few days.” Ngiam, 53, the manager of a snooker game centre, said his ordeal began the day his wife died of kidney failure, when police told him she had converted to Islam by reciting Arabic verses during a session with a traditional healer a week earlier. His wife had sought the help of a Muslim bomoh - a common practice among Malaysians. “My wife was made to recite some Koranic verses. When she died, the witch-doctor showed the video clip of my wife reciting to the Islamic officials, who then issued a letter saying my wife was a Muslim,” he said, adding: “But my wife does not have a Muslim name. She had never converted to Islam,” he added. Ngiam, himself a Buddhist, however challenged this version of events, maintained that his wife was a Christian baptised in November, and asked a Malaysian court to intervene. Islamic officials later admitted they were wrong in claiming she had converted to Islam. “The High Court has ordered that the body of the deceased be released to the husband forthwith,” his lawyer Karpal Singh told reporters outside the court, adding that the body would be cremated according to Christian rites after a two-day wake. “The Islamic Affairs Council has said the conversion of the deceased was not in accordance with Islamic law, and therefore they have no objections to the body being released to the husband,” he said. Race ties, always a delicate issue in multiracial Malaysia, have become increasingly sensitive as speculation grows that the Government could call for snap polls as soon as March. The spectacle of non-Muslims battling for funeral rights of relatives is not new in Malaysia. In another case in 2006 involving an ethnic Indian said to have converted to Islam, religious authorities also eventually climbed down and allowed the family of van driver Rayappan Anthony, 71, to reclaim his body for Christian burial. But in 2005, as Islamic officials prepared to bury former soldier and mountain climber M Moorthy against his Hindu widow’s wishes, the High Court said it had no jurisdiction over such religious matters, leaving non-Muslims unsure of their rights. Politically dominant ethnic Malay Muslims form about 60 per cent of Malaysia’s population of roughly 26 million, while the ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities include Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. “This is a very serious case because the council should be more careful in future,” said Karpal Singh. “It must ascertain that any conversion is made according to Islamic law, not snatch a body and refuse to release it on the grounds that there is a conversion when there is not one, later admitting there was no lawful conversion.” Ngiam and his two children would seek damages from the hospital and the Islamic Affairs Council for the trauma they suffered, the lawyer added. Lawyer Zulkifli Che Yong, who represented MAIWP (Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council), said it was the council’s responsibility to investigate into Wong’s religious status following claims that she had converted to Islam. Zulkifli said the decision by MAIWP to release Wong’s remains was made after taking into account the views of the Mufti and testimony from a witness, traditional healer Siti Aishah Ismail, who used to treat Wong. — Reuter, AFP, Bernama