Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Anwar challenges Najib to contest in Marang
- Bersih not looking for an Arab Spring, Ambiga tells CNN’s Amanpour
- Man alleged to have insulted Johor ruler re-arrested under different charge
- Nurul Izzah ready to meet JAIS over religious freedom issue
- Cops probing The Malaysian Insider over coverage of royal Facebook slur
- Formula to win over Sabah
- Selayang Council turns blind eye to Freedom of Information Act
- Selayang Council defied the DOE
- Clearing the air
- Resistance grows within BN against AES profits
- Man gets speeding ticket due to AES blunder
- Anwar 'not democratically elected'
- PERKASA calls on Bumiputeras to reunite
| Anwar challenges Najib to contest in Marang Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:07 PM PST
He says the PM should contest in Marang as PAS president Abdul Hadi had offered to stand in Pekan, held by Najib. (FMT) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today issued a challenge to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to contest in the Terengganu parliamentary constituency of Marang held by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in the next general election. He said the prime minister should contest in Marang as Abdul Hadi had offered to stand in the Pahang parliamentary constituency of Pekan held by Najib. Asked whether Abdul Hadi would definitely contest in Pekan, Anwar, when approached at the lobby of Parliament House, said: "We have yet to discuss the matter. He (Abdul Hadi) had said that he would abide by the decision of PAS. Let's wait for the party decision." Abdul Hadi had reportedly said that he would contest wherever the party wanted him to, including in Pekan. Najib had said yesterday he did not think that Abdul Hadi would contest in Pekan.
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| Bersih not looking for an Arab Spring, Ambiga tells CNN’s Amanpour Posted: 05 Nov 2012 06:08 PM PST
To be honest, as far as our movement is concerned, we're not — we're not worried about who wins. We're worried about the process. Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Bersih 2.0 movement does not want to cause an Arab Spring in Malaysia, Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan told CNN in a rare interview on international television aired here this morning. She stressed that the election watchdog group she heads only wants a clean polls process to ensure a democratically-elected government. Ambiga told CNN's Christiane Amanpour during the New York interview that Bersih 2.0 is not opposed to the possibility of the present government returning to power after the next polls, provided that its leaders are elected fairly. "Well, let me tell you where we're coming from. We don't want an Arab Spring," the activist said to the renowned CNN chief international correspondent. Ambiga was being interviewed alongside another pro-reform fighter, Ukraine's Eugenia Tymoshenko, the daughter of the jailed former prime minister Julia Tymoshenko, on "Amanpour", the nightly foreign affairs programme on CNN International which Amanpour anchors for. Both were described by Amanpour as "brave women" and "brave voices for democracy". "We want to choose our leaders through clean and fair elections. We want to do it through the ballot box, which is why the government really, if they want peaceful transition of any sort — it can be the same government," Ambiga said, according to a transcript of the interview available on CNN.com. Amanpour had asked Ambiga if she felt that Malaysia would witness the same uprising seen over the past two years in the Middle East, pointing to the string of pro-democracy protests that the prominent lawyer has led since 2007. "The process is important because what it needs to reflect is the will of the people. It's about legitimacy. It's about honouring the right of the voter to vote," she said. The Arab Spring or the Arab revolution has seen rulers forced from power in several countries across the Arab world including Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen, in a wave of anti-government street demonstrations. "It can be the same people coming in," insisted Ambiga, stressing again that Bersih 2.0 does not want a Malaysian version of the Arab Spring. "They have to allow it to happen through clean and fair elections. That's what we're asking for. We want to bring change through the ballot box, if there is to be change at all," she said.
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| Man alleged to have insulted Johor ruler re-arrested under different charge Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:43 PM PST
(The Star) - Police have re-arrested a 27-year-old man alleged to have posted insulting remarks on his Facebook page against the Johor Sultan. State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the suspect was detained again after police failed to get an extension on the first remand order from the court. He added that police have opened two investigation papers against the suspect. "We are investigating the case under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act as well as under the Sedition Act. "The first remand was under the Communication and Multimedia Act but the suspect is now re-arrested under the Sedition Act," he said.
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| Nurul Izzah ready to meet JAIS over religious freedom issue Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:31 PM PST
Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider Following attacks on Nurul Izzah Anwar for her statement that allegedly supports religious freedom, the PKR vice president today said she is ready to give her statement to the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS). The Lembah Pantai MP also said she will take legal action on those who had hurled accusations against her, and will leave the issue to the country's legal system. "I'm ready (to be called by JAIS)...(but) on lawyer's advice, I will take legal action," she said. "My lawyer will take the next action, I am no longer allowed (to) issue statements," she said in a press conference at the Parliament lobby today. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described the issue raised against his daughter as a political trick to shift attention from the abuses of power by the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and its mainstay party Umno. "This issue of religion is not for play. If Umno wants to use religion, if JAIS truly (fights for Islam)...take action against Muslims involved in gambling, statements that are twisted (disesatkan), but no. "(But) religion is used as Umno's political toy," he told reporters at a press conference today. The Permatang Pauh MP also slammed Umno's religious scholars for attacking Nurul Izzah over her alleged support for pluralism, but keeping their silence on many religious issues within Umno. "Cruelty (kezaliman), bribery, abuses (penyelewengan) by Umno, Umno's religious teachers don't dare to touch, they use religious pluralism generally. "Religious pluralism, if they belittle (meremehkan) Islam, means rejecting laws (menolak hukum) and saying all religions are the same. "Issues of religion, faith, we (PR) do not budge, but this is only distracting the view because Umno religious teachers do not dare to talk about insults to religion, cruelty and bribery," he stressed. Nurul Izzah has been under attack for allegedly expressing her support for freedom of religion for all, including Malays, in a forum last Saturday. But she has reportedly denied that she is supporting apostasy among the country's Malay-Muslim community. Anwar also supported Nurul Izzah's move in bringing the matter to court to enable legal action against those who had made the accusations against her.
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| Cops probing The Malaysian Insider over coverage of royal Facebook slur Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:16 PM PST
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Johor police have started criminal defamation investigations against The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini for their coverage of last week's arrest of a man who allegedly insulted the Johor Sultan on his Facebook page. Johor CID deputy director Asst Comm Nor Azizan Anan said the probe was following two police reports lodged by state police on articles carried by the two news portals regarding the arrest, Berita Harian reported today. "On the arrest, The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini published articles on the investigation and arrests last Saturday and Sunday. "Following the publication, the Johor police lodged two reports on the articles and an investigation is being carried out under Section 500 of the Penal Code," he was quoted as saying in the Malay daily. ACP Azizan said the authors of the articles and those named in the reports will be summoned for questioning. Section 500 of the Penal Code, which outlines the penalty for defamation, stipulates that "whoever defames another shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both." Ahmad Abd Jalil (picture), a 27-year-old quantity surveyor, was detained by police at his office on Friday night under the Sedition Act for a Facebook posting that allegedly insulted the Johor Sultan. The Malaysian Insider reported the arrest and subsequent events following his detention on Saturday, quoting details from Ahmad's lawyer Mohd Zakwan Adenan and a sibling who refused to be named. On Sunday, this news portal carried another report on the incident, this time quoting the Ahmad's father Abd Jalil Abd Rahman, who expressed his family's fear over his son's safety while under police remand. Yesterday, Abd Jalil told The Malaysian Insider that his son was released from remand under orders from a Johor magistrate but was later rearrested and placed back into police custody, this time for another probe under a different law. "Legally, Ahmad has been FREED by d magistrate. But d POLIS wants 2take him back to IPK. We are insisting that Ahmad follow us. Police still...?" Abd Jalil had said in an SMS. IPK refers to "ibu pejabat polis kontinjen" or the Johor police contingent headquarters, where the 27-year-old Ahmad has been held for the past few days. English-language daily The Star had yesterday quoted acting Johor CID chief ACP Abd Aziz Ahmad as saying in a statement that Ahmad's offensive posts were published on October 21 and had implied that Sultan Ibrahim was unfit to be the state ruler. According to the news report, Ahmad is also being investigated under the Communications and Multimedia Act.
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| Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:57 AM PST
(fz.com) - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had promised to let SAPP contest two thirds of the seats in the Sabah state assembly, while national based opposition parties will contest two thirds of the Parliamentary seats. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) vice-president Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui, in revealing this, said the party is going along with this formula after reaching a consensus with Anwar, who she assumes will go back to negotiate with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners. "Anwar is recognised as the spokesman of PR coalition. Obviously, when we are negotiating, they are willing to seek a formula, it should be a win-win situation for all," the Tawau MP told fz.com in an exclusive interview recently in parliament. When asked when this consensus was reached, Chua said the parties have been talking from the beginning of this year, but negotiations are still on going, because the political scenario is dynamic. "We are not sure if there are any more parliamentarians or state assemblymen leaving BN, as it will change the balance of the negotiation. Anyway the main negotiation that we are doing with PR is (with) PKR, and Anwar is leading PKR. So hopefully we can reach a final consensus just before the election," the affable politician said. Currently, the national-based and local-based opposition parties are in negotiation to come up with a formula that would satisfy every party. However, the likelihood that an amicable solution would result is not very strong, as there are many political considerations in the Land Below the Wind. These include the State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah, led by the Kadazandusun strongman Datuk Dr Jeffery Kitingan, which is reportedly eyeing the rural seats, and has gone on record to say the party will contest all the state seats. Also, DAP and SAPP are eyeing similar urban and Chinese majority seats. Furthermore, it is unsure what role the two BN MPs - Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin (Beaufort) and Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing (Tuaran) - who quit Umno and Upko respectively to join Pakatan Rakyat in Sabah. To Chua, the opposition should have a common goal - to fight against BN - and also a common vision as to what to do for the people. She feels that the opposition front already share a common ideology and vision, and the parties merely need to work out a formula as the two MPs had changed the equation. She also hopes that leaderships of all parties could recognize the difficulties in challenging BN and choose winnable candidates. 'BN is arrogant' When asked if she was planning to contest in the next election, Chua brushed it aside, saying that it is the prerogative of the party president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, and the important thing is to strengthen the party's network. The party has two MPs and two state assemblymen (the two other state assemblymen opted to remain as BN independents). Chua ventured into politics in 1994 and become one of the pioneers of the SAPP which was registered in 1994. She witnessed the party became a partner of BN Sabah, before it pulled out of the alliance in 2009, citing loss of confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister and BN chairman Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. She was elected in 1995 GE and 2008 GE on the BN ticket and enjoyed the allocations and help of government agencies until she left the coalition. According to Chua, Sabah BN is different now, and has become very arrogant. "They think by putting a lot of pressure on people, they will still gain," she says with a shake of her head. Among the tactics used by the BN, Chua says, is to go to the rural folk and tell them that they will only get something vital, say water tanks, if they hang up the BN flag. This sort of pressure will have adverse effect, she points out. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/formula-win-over-sabah |
| Selayang Council turns blind eye to Freedom of Information Act Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST
(The Sun Daily) - The tenets of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) mooted and approved by the Selangor state government last year have landed with a thud even before they can take off. While the legislation allowing access to government information has been presented as the "product of the people's power", the people are powerless even with existing legislation which provides for access to basic information. Even existing guarantees in some pieces of legislation before the advent of the FOI are being ignored and a culture of "don't let them know" has pervaded. Take the local councils, for example. Ratepayers and understandably, their legal tenants are entitled to inspect minutes of meetings of the council. This is enshrined in the Local Government Act. However, the Selayang Municipal Council thinks otherwise. It has taken upon itself to deny a request for the minutes of the meeting where the controversial Dolomite Avenue Park project was approved. Who supported the move, who objected or who abstained from voting are now national secret – no thanks to some bumbling council official whose interpretation of the clause is somewhat left to be desired. Unequivocally, the law states: "The minutes of all proceedings of the local authority shall be kept at the office of the local authority and shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of any Councillor or rate-payer of the local authority area and of any officer of the Government of the Federation or of the State in which such local authority area is situate, any of whom may at all reasonable times make a copy of any part thereof without fee…" Therefore, what authority does anyone have to prevent a lawful request? The council's corporate communications officer Jamaliah Ahmad repeatedly said: "The minutes are confidential and no one from the public can view or access them. Only the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is allowed to access the documents." When specifically referred to the clause, she refused, insisting that no access would be given and the catchword was: "Only the MACC officers have access." |
| Selayang Council defied the DOE Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:03 AM PST (The Sun Daily) - The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) defied objections from the Selangor Department of Environment (DOE) in giving the go-ahead for the controversial development of the Dolomite Park Avenue project in Batu Caves in 2007. Even before the land was cleared for development, the council had been alerted to the geological and natural sensitivity of the nearby limestone hills and surrounding areas. Yet, the council chose to ignore such views which are critical when approving development projects. A copy of the DOE letter to the council dated Jan 24, 2007 has been made available to theSun. In the letter, which was copied to the developer, the DOE identified the problems and justified its stand on the project. The key phrase in that letter read: "Jabatan ini tidak menyokong pembangunan di atas memandangkan ianya berpotensi menimbulkan tanah runtuh dan sebagainya." (This department does not support this development as it has the potential to create landslides and other problems.) However, the DOE said that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not necessary as the development covers about 3ha – far below the minimum area of 50ha required by the law. The council had consulted nine related agencies to provide their input on the proposed development. Even the Geosciences and Minerals Department (JMG) had its reservations and asked that five conditions be fulfilled (see box). Despite such strong objections, the council gave the go-ahead and approved the construction of 18 units of three-storey shop lots and two tower blocks – one of 25-storeys and another of 29. The construction of the shop lots has since been completed, some of which have been sold and occupied.
According to planning experts, the mere construction without the developer having met the conditions, especially in the wake of the "non-support" from the DOE, should have dissuaded the council from issuing any development order. The developer, Dolomite Industries Company Sdn Bhd, submitted its plans to the council in June 2006. In an unprecedented move, within four weeks, the council sought the views of nine government agencies – unusual for councils which usually take months to get files moving. The Selangor Town Planning Department in a letter dated Aug 25 stated it had no objection as the development "had potential to be incorporated in the overall development of the neighbourhood"(see chronology). Having received feedback from the agencies, including the reservations from both the DOE and JMG, the One-Stop Centre (OSC) committee, which had been set up by the council, approved the project in a meeting on Sept 27, 2007. It is not immediately known if the comments from these two departments were considered, but according to documents made available to theSun, three councillors – Datuk Raja Paduka Wan Mahmood Pa'wan Teh, Yuszahari Mohd Yusoff and Soohaimi Abd Rahman – attended the meeting together with representatives from the departments of the council. Conspicuously present were chief clerks of the Planning and Buildings Divisions. All decisions made by the various sub-committees of the council including the OSC have to be endorsed at the council's full board meeting which is attended by all 24 appointed-councillors. It is not known when the council met but on Nov 30, 2007, council president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim wrote to Dolomite enclosing the Development Order. |
| Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:01 AM PST
(The Star) - While Malaysia is still using PM10 as a parameter to measure particulate pollution, much of the developed world has moved away from this to something that is even more closely correlated with public health: PM2.5, or particulate matter that is equal to or less than 2.5μm. There are still no standards here for ultra-fine dust that could be inhaled. IT happens like clockwork every few months, when the winds do not favour Malaysia: smoke haze gets blown across from Sumatra or Kalimantan to engulf us and we all become very interested in the latest API figures. The Air Pollutant Index, or API, represents the air quality for the past 24 hours. It is calculated after measuring levels of major pollutants in the air; these include fine dust particles, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. These are measured on a continuous basis at 51 locations throughout the country. We tend to fuss over air quality only when the skies are grey. However, that does not mean that there is nothing to worry about when there is no haze, for research shows that the appearance of the sky is not the only thing to look out for when it comes to determining whether the air is safe to breathe. Much of the hazard is invisible to the eye. Haze is essentially fine particulate matter which is generated locally, as well as carried into our atmosphere by winds. Up to 2000, the ambient air quality guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) did not provide specific guidelines for particulate matter, which can be inhaled by humans. However, by 2005, WHO revised its guidelines after collating enough evidence that links the fine dust pollution with health effects. The pollutant comes from man-made sources (typically from the combustion of fossil fuels, open burning and various industrial processes, like cement manufacturing) as well as natural ones, which include sea sprays (salt particles), dust carried by strong winds (like during dust storms), and volcanic eruptions. For a few decades, the most common method of determing particulate pollution is by monitoring levels of fine particulate matter that measure up to 10 micrometers (μm) or 10 microns, commonly referred to as PM10. A micrometer is a millionth of a metre, and the average strand of human hair is about 100μm, while a bacteria measures around 10μm. Minute particles While Malaysia is still using PM10 as a parameter to measure particulate pollution, much of the developed world has moved away from this to something that is even more closely correlated with public health: PM2.5, or particulate matter that is equal to or less than 2.5μm. PM2.5 is regarded as more dangerous because they penetrate deep into the lungs, even reaching the alveoli (air sacs), which is the part of the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. If enough fine particulates get sucked into the alveoli, then the lung function of that person will be impaired, causing shortness of breath, among other complications. And when these fine particulates accumulate in the alveoli, there is no way for the body to expel them, unlike for larger ones, which can be cleared by blowing the nose or through expectoration. Research accumulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has shown that air with high levels of particulates can aggravate symptoms related to asthma, and add further stress on cardiovascular systems. In severe cases, PM2.5 increases damage to red blood cells in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PM2.5 is now an accepted air quality indicator in many developed countries. For example, the USEPA has set its National Ambient Air Quality Standard limit for PM2.5 at 15 microgrammes per cubic metre of air (μg/m3) for the annual average and 65 μg/m3 for the 24-hour average. The European Union has set 25 µg/m3 (annual average) as a target in 2010. Getting into the act Malaysia is rather late in the game when it comes to measuring levels of PM2.5, with the Government getting into the act only last December when five air quality monitoring stations were fitted with equipment to measure fine particulate matter. The stations are in Putrajaya, Banting (Selangor), Cheras (Kuala Lumpur), Langkawi (Kedah) and Kuching (Sarawak). Not surprisingly, PM2.5 was detected in all five stations. The Department of Environment (DOE) did not reveal the levels but in an e-mail reply toThe Star, said that in urban areas, the ratio between PM2.5 and PM10 was generally above 0.5 while in suburban and rural areas, the ratio was 0.5. In other words, for every gramme of PM10 recorded in urban areas, more than half would consist of PM2.5. Drawing from available data on PM10, like for example, in Petaling Jaya of Selangor, it can be seen that the city's long-term mean for PM10 is 36.2μg/m3 – which already fails to meet WHO's 2005 guideline for PM10, which is at 20μg/m3. By working backwards, it should mean that the levels of PM2.5 should easily exceed 18μg/m3, which again fails WHO's guideline of 10μg/m3. A DOE study in 1996 showed that motor vehicles contributed 82% to air pollution, while other significant sources include power stations (9%), industrial fuel burning (5%), industrial production processes (3%), domestic and commercial furnaces (0.2%), and open burning at garbage dumps (0.8%). Studies by local academicians pointed out that the source of particulate matter in the Klang Valley comes mainly from the transport sector, especially from diesel vehicles. Conventional diesel, while packed with lots of energy, is actually quite a dirty fuel as it contains a high amount of sulphur, which aids in the formation of particulates during the combustion process. Due to the nature of diesel combustion in older types of internal combustion engines, a significant amount of particulate matter is produced, unlike in petrol engines. Hence, it is quite common to see smoke emitted from vehicles or equipment that are powered by diesel such as buses, lorries, locomotives, mobile generators, farm equipment (tractors), construction equipment (concrete mixers, excavators), and even boats. According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV), lowering the sulphur content in diesel will allow the introduction of newer emission control technologies that in turn should substantially lower emissions of particulates from diesel engines. (PCFV, a partnership between governments, the private sector and non-governmental organisations, assists developing countries in reducing urban air pollution through the promotion of clean fuels and vehicles.) Low-suphur To overcome the problem of particulate pollution from diesel, many developed countries are using a cleaner form of diesel called ultra-low sulphur diesel, which generally contains not more than 50 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur (some countries go as low as 10ppm of sulphur). Malaysia, however, is still using relatively high-sulphur crude oil that it imports, while exporting the more valuable low-sulphur crude. The most recent update of diesel fuel and vehicle emission standards took place in 2009, when Malaysia finally adopted Euro II (already considered antiquated in the developed world – Singapore adopted it back in 2001). The Euro II regime still allows up to 500ppm of sulphur in the diesel to be sold at the pump. While most Asian countries have adopted the PM10 standard in differing degrees, more is needed in the development of a PM2.5 standard, as well as the tightening of fuel standards. Merely reporting PM10 levels (as in the case of Malaysia) is no longer adequate as it does not give a complete picture of the hazards faced by people. According to the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), an organisation formed to help Asian countries achieve better air quality and more liveable cities, while the phase-out of lead from fuel has been "remarkable", there has been much feet-dragging when it comes to lowering sulphur levels. It is understood that Malaysia has shifted the implementation date for Euro IV diesel several times, with the latest target moved to 2015. Among Asian countries, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong are the most progressive when it comes to using cleaner diesel (Euro IV), while India, China and the Philippines are deemed to be well on their way there. Singapore, which already gives daily reports on PM2.5 levels, will adopt the Euro V standard for new diesel vehicles by January 2014 and will mandate oil companies to sell only near sulphur-free diesel (with less than 0.001% sulphur) by next July. Beyond measuring and reporting ambient PM2.5 levels, there is also a need to determine the exact sources of these fine particulates. "We need to know how much PM2.5 a bus is emitting per kilometre travelled, or how much PM2.5 is emitted from a factory smokestack," said air quality researcher Prof Mohd Rashid Mohd Yusof, who heads Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Air Resources Research Laboratory. Undoubtedly, meeting Euro IV targets will entail substantial investments by refineries and oil companies, but the resulting improvements in vehicle emissions will be substantial. Using clean diesel will enable the introduction of the latest high-tech diesel cars from Europe that are equipped with diesel oxidation catalysts (that would otherwise be poisoned by high sulphur levels). Last, but not least, lowering fuel sulphur also makes it possible for some older diesel vehicles to be retrofitted with emission control technologies, and this is a strategy that is used in many urban centres where air pollution is a problem. On its part, DOE said that it is in the process of developing new ambient air quality standards that will include PM2.5 under its Clean Air Action Plan. "Under the schedule of implementation of the plan, the monitoring of PM2.5 will be incorporated into the existing network of air quality monitoring stations by 2016," said director-general, Halimah Hassan, in an e-mail statement. Based on the experience of other countries, it is clear that cleaner air cannot be detached from the tightening of both ambient air quality standards, as well as the mass adoption of cleaner fuels. With the number of vehicles here on the rise, it is only logical for levels of PM2.5 to increase if nothing is done quickly to curb it. Within this context, waiting for another few years seems so awfully far, especially when urban dwellers are forced to breathe in high levels of PM2.5, with or without episodes of haze.
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| Resistance grows within BN against AES profits Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:59 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - A whopping 2.72 million speeding tickets will have to be issued in each of the next five years for the two concession holders of the controversial Automatic Enforcement System (AES) cameras to just recoup their reported RM700 million investments. And considering the authorities had only collected an average of about 25 per cent of all traffic summonses a year — which increased to 65 per cent only after a general discount was offered last year — the two companies will have to issue far more summonses to account for the poor collection. Such calculations have led to apprehension on the part of a growing number of Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians who are concerned about the profit motive that is built into the concession agreements. "The privatisation of the AES could be seen as attempting to make profits because some (cameras) are placed in inappropriate places," Umno's Seri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz told The Malaysian Insider. The two firms awarded the contract to implement the enforcement system — ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap — will spend between RM300 million and RM400 million each to set up traffic cameras at 831 "black spots" nationwide. Both ATES and Beta Tegap are entitled to RM16 per valid summons for the first five million issued. They will then split the remaining revenue evenly with the government up to a cap of RM270 million each. The firms will each receive 7.5 per cent from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest. Based on the business model, both companies will collect RM80 million each for the first five million summonses issued by each company. This works out to a total collection of RM160 million. Under the second tier of the agreement, the companies will get a total of RM540 million, bringing the total amount due to the two companies to RM700 million. Based on the even split in revenue with the government, the RM540 million figure represents 3.6 million summonses of RM300 each. To hit the RM700 million break-even mark, a total of 13.6 million summonses of RM300 each for speeding and other major offences will have to be issued via the AES cameras Read more at: www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/resistance-grows-within-bn-against-aes-profits |
| Man gets speeding ticket due to AES blunder Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:53 AM PST
(The Sun Daily) - A blunder by the AES (Automated Enforcement System) control centre in Perak caused a factory manager in Penang to be erroneously slapped with a speeding summons, Sin Chew Daily reported yesterday. To rub salt into the wound, state Road Transport Department (RTD) officials he approached gave him the runaround and eventually told him to write to their director-general to resolve the matter. Factory manager CK Leong, who drives a black Toyota Harrier with plate number PKR 181, received the summons on Oct 18 stating that his vehicle was captured going at 145kmph at Km204.6 of the North-South Expressway at 12.34pm on Oct 10. Upon checking the summons, he found that the actual vehicle caught speeding was a white Toyota Camry with the number plate PKR 1811. The ticket indicated that Leong must settle the compound fine of RM300 by Dec 11, failing which he will have to appear at the magistrate's court in Taiping on Jan 7. Leong, 34, said he approached the local RTD office but none of the officers knew how to deal with the matter although he brought his vehicle along and pointed out to them the glaring error in the AES summons. The officers gave him the address of the RTD director-general in Putrajaya and told him to write to explain his case. An irate Leong told a press conference at Bukit Mertajam on Sunday that apart from writing to the RTD chief, he had also lodged a police report. Padang Lalang assemblyman Tan Cheong Heng said it was a clear case of human error committed by the AES control centre in Perak which obtained Leong's particulars from the RTD's database. He said the centre should have checked and compared the colour and make of Leong's vehicle with the speeding car before sending out the summons notice.
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| Anwar 'not democratically elected' Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:51 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to publicly declare that he is not a democratically-elected leader, but a "chosen" one as he was appointed by his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is party president. Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kassim said Anwar was lying to the United States and other foreign organisations when he claimed he was championing democratic rights. Ruslan claimed that by doing so, Anwar had conned several international institutions into funding PKR through Suaram, an alleged opposition-friendly human rights watchdog. "Anwar must explain to US Ambassador to Malaysia, Paul W. Jones and Suaram's financiers that he did not obtain his position in PKR via the democratic process. "Anwar was not elected (into power) and it is so hypocritical when he says he fights for democratic rights," Ruslan said in a statement yesterday. He claimed that until today, Jones was still unaware that Anwar's position in PKR was a courtesy appointment by Dr Wan Azizah. Suaram is believed to have received RM21 million from Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), RM774,000 (between 2008 and last year) from New York-based Open Society Institute (OSI) and RM21,400 from the German embassy in 2010. NED, on its website, said "it is a private, non-profit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world". "NED claims to promote democracy, but it is bizarre that it was willing to fund Anwar's political activities through Suaram as PKR is clearly practising nepotism, which is against democratic principles," Ruslan added. He further claimed that OSI was indirectly funding PKR as it was a party which had shown support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Malaysia. "OSI has been fighting for same-sex marriages in the country with the help of Suaram, and Perkasa views this as an attempt to compromise Malaysia's image as a conservative Muslim country." |
| PERKASA calls on Bumiputeras to reunite Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:49 AM PST
(Borneo Post) - "It is because of BN that the word 'Bumiputera' exists. Bumiputera means the rights of the Malays and the indigenous. If another party takes over, the word 'Bumiputera' will be buried.' he said this in his speech at the first annual PERKASA Sabah Conference here on Sunday. PERKASA Malaysia president Datuk Ibrahim Ali warned that the Malays and Muslim Bumiputeras in the country would lose power if they were divided. "When they are no longer in power, not only will the rights of bumiputeras disappear, but the word 'Bumiputera' will cease to have meaning," he said.
He pointed out PERKASA is not a political party but it was established to fight for the rights of the nation's most favoured race, hence providing plenty of support to the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to continue its struggle.
Ibrahim added that the Bumiputeras in Sabah needed to give full support to BN because PERKASA would use BN to further its goal.
"Let us Bumiputeras reunite. We unite under PERKASA and why choose BN? Why not choose another (party)? For that answer, let's look at history.
"It is because of BN that the word 'Bumiputera' exists. Bumiputera means the rights of the Malays and the indigenous. If another party takes over, the word 'Bumiputera' will be buried.' he said this in his speech at the first annual PERKASA Sabah Conference here on Sunday. |
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