Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Now it’s a ‘Mat Sabu’ video
- ‘Forget inquest, just book them for murder’
- Anwar tanked economy in bid to oust Dr M, says Najib
- Ex-cop claims AG concealed billion-ringgit scandals
- Kit Siang wants parliament to debate Sarbaini
- Don't worry about 'power crazy' tag: Sabu to PAS
- Nursery row taking a toll on a growing business
- Never be number one, second wives told
- Ministry: PM’s trip to Kazakhstan was reciprocal, not for leisure
- Obedient wives’ anger PBB women
- Malacca to boost security at historical sites, says CM
- Key resignation, resentment hits new national innovation initiative
- Wikileaks: Malaysian firm tried to buy China missile parts
- Umno a hypocrite for anti-PAS welfare state stand, says Muslim cleric
- 930 tonnes of food being thrown away every day
- Malaysia may get more boat people
| Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:04 AM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - PKR has urged the police to form a special unit to investigate the distribution of a sex DVD aimed at portraying Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim as an immoral person. Zuraida Kamaruddin, leader of the party's women's wing, made the call today after making a police report following the discovery in her residential mailbox of a DVD in a package that also had obscene literature with screenshots from the now famous video that shows a man resembling Anwar having sex with a prostitute. However, the DVD Zuraidah received had the title "Skandal Sex Mat Sabu" and bore a picture of the PAS deputy president. A video with the same title was clandestinely distributed in 1999. It featured only voices in sexually charged conversation. Zuraida said she believed many of her neighbours in Ampang had received similar packages. She criticised police for their failure to make headway in the case despite several reports in recent weeks. In a media statement released today, she also urged Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, to state her stand on the matter. She said Shahrizat should be concerned because the obscene materials were making their way into households with women and children.
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| ‘Forget inquest, just book them for murder’ Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:01 AM PDT
LFL and PKR officials note inconsistencies between the police version of the Glenmarie shooting and the post mortem report. (Free Malaysia Today) - Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) and two PKR officials have rejected the Selangor police chief's call for an inquest into the last year's fatal shooting of three young men in Glenmarie, saying the authorities should go ahead and charge the policemen involved. The Selangor top cop, Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah, in suggesting an inquest into the death of Mohd Shamil Hafiz, Hairul Nizam Tuah and Mohd Hanafi Omar last Nov 13, also dismissed allegations that they died in an execution-style killing by police. "There is absolutely no necessity for an inquest as there is clear and incontrovertible evidence that the three young victims were deliberately shot to death by the police," Fadiah Nadwa Fikri of LFL said in a press statement, which was also signed by PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and N Surendran. The statement said there were inconsistencies between the police version of the incident and the post-mortem report of the deaths. "The police had claimed that the victims had been shot dead when they rushed at police with machetes. This is inconsistent with the post-mortem finding of 45 degree angle bullet trajectory, indicating the victims were taken into custody and were kneeling before being shot," it said.
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| Anwar tanked economy in bid to oust Dr M, says Najib Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:43 PM PDT
(The Malaysia Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim deliberately mismanaged the economy as finance minister during the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998 in order to hasten Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's exit, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today. The prime minister told residents at a Selangor suburb that Anwar, who was also the then deputy prime minister, raised interest rates and cut public allocations in an attempt to force then-prime minister Dr Mahathir out of government and take his place. "I was in Cabinet, I know the story," Najib told Lembah AU5D residents here during a walkabout today. "He raised interest rates by 20 per cent and cut (public) allocations to ruin the economy all because he wanted to be prime minister, because he wanted to push Dr Mahathir out," he added. Anwar's PKR party and two allies, DAP and PAS, won Selangor from the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Election 2008 but Najib, who is Umno president and heads the party's Selangor chapter, is working the ground to win the country's wealthiest state in the next general elections. Taking another dig at Anwar's time in government, Najib pointed out it was useless to talk big but not live up to one's promises when in power. He added that Anwar's alleged failure to manage the economy then meant that voters now should not trust claims by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that it can keep the price of fuel low if it wins federal power. The billions of ringgit needed to maintain fuel subsidies in the face of rising global crude oil prices would have to come from allocations meant for public goods, he said.
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| Ex-cop claims AG concealed billion-ringgit scandals Posted: 09 Jun 2011 08:18 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - A senior ex-cop has accused Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail of burying evidence of corruption by senior government leaders between 1994 and 1996, involving losses of at least RM12 billion in public funds. Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said Abdul Gani, then a senior public prosecutor heading the prosecution division in 1994, was involved in covering up the roles of "ministers and chief ministers" in scandals such as the RM8 billion and RM4 billion losses incurred by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Perwaja Steel respectively. "Between 1994 and 1996, Gani Patail was busy playing his role in closing cases or burying information that linked ministers or chief ministers who could be proven to have abused power or were corrupt. This includes the Perwaja case and also the one related to Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli," the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief said in an open letter to the prime minister today. Mat Zain was referring to MAS's claim that Tajuddin was responsible for RM8 billion in losses during his tenure as executive chairman of the national carrier from 1994 to 2001. In the letter, he added that Tajuddin, who he refers to as TRI, used a similar modus operandi of "signing long-term and lopsided contracts" similarly used by Perwaja Steel as well as Tenaga Nasional Berhad in its power deals with independent power producers (IPP) that is said to cost taxpayers RM20 billion a year. "There are similarities in the MO used by all three companies. A common factor may be found and we cannot ignore the possibility that the persons involved in all the agreements are the same," said Mat Zain, who headed the 1998 police probe into former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's black-eye case.
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| Kit Siang wants parliament to debate Sarbaini Posted: 09 Jun 2011 04:46 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Lim Kit Siang wants Parliament to discuss the death of Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, following allegations that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was trying to tarnish Sarbaini's name. Lim said today that he had given notice to Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin to move a motion next week during Parliament, and added that motion for the debate will focus on Raja Petra Kamarudin's claims of a conspiracy. Raja Petra, in a post on his Malaysia Today website yesterday, claimed the police had conducted a thorough check on Sarbaini's assets and found no unusual or extraordinary wealth. Raja Petra (picture) has also accused MACC of trying to tarnish Sarbaini's name following his death. "My motion for an urgent parliamentary debate will also focus on the revelation by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that the police had conducted a thorough check on Ahmad Sarbaini's assets and found no "unusual or extraordinary" wealth," Lim said in a statement today. The DAP parliamentary leader said that the motion also demanded that the police comply to the requests made by the late Sarbaini's family. "The police (should) reveal its probe into Sarbaini's unusual death at MACC premises and to allow Sarbaini's family to decide whether to have an inquest or a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the causes of Sarbaini's death," he added.
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| Don't worry about 'power crazy' tag: Sabu to PAS Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:43 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 10: PAS leaders have been told not to be defensive over the claim by UMNO that the Islamic party was "power crazy". Saying the BN's long rule should be immediately ended, Mat Sabu said the people had been made to pay for its follies, the latest being a spate of price hikes on necessary items. "At the same time, our crime rate continues to rise to the point that people have been living in fear," he added. As such, Mat Sabu said there was nothing wrong in wanting to wrest power from UMNO and BN in order to bring about reforms and better governance. "So if they accuse us of being power crazy, then indeed we are, because we want to overthrow those power crazy people who should not be allowed to continue ruling the country," said the outspoken Mat Sabu, whose election as the party's deputy president last week generated a spate of critical comments from UMNO leaders on PAS. Kazakhstan trip According to Mat Sabu, in realising Pakatan Rakyat's goal to assume power, PAS has pledged a 'benevolent state' in line with the Islamic call to defend the masses at all levels. "The people can judge for themselves our actions based on this pledge. Should we fail to uphold that pledge and Pakatan Rakyat is seen as no different than UMNO-BN, the people can throw out the PR government," added Mat Sabu. Mat Sabu also referred to a report that prime minister Najib Razak's official trip to Kazakhstan is to among others finalise matters pertaining to his daughter's marriage to a Kazakh. "They use the country's wealth for their self interests, including to arrange the engagement of (Najib's) daughter in Kazakhstan, when money for such trips should not have come from public funds," he said.
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| Nursery row taking a toll on a growing business Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:32 PM PDT The Star Says Yes, these nurseries are sitting on a gold mine. Not surprisingly, the nursery operators are suspicious of this "land grab" by Yayasan Selangor and rejected the state's move to make the foundation their new landlord. Yayasan Selangor, after all, specialises in distributing and managing scholarships, not land. TO most people in the Klang Valley, Sungai Buloh is synonymous with flowers and potted plants because of the many nurseries that dot the road. Historically, many of these nurseries got their supply from the leper colony at the old Sungai Buloh Hospital. Over time, as leprosy became a curable disease, the inmates left and many of the nurseries started growing their own plants. When Pakatan Rakyat took over the Selangor Government after the March 2008 elections, the nursery operators applied for their own Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) for the land they were occupying. From 1999 to 2008, the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation held the TOLs of the 72 lots, collecting a monthly rental that was progressively increased from RM400 to RM800 per lot. The operators were unhappy and insecure as they did not have any legal right to the land they had occupied for years. In previous years, various groups and individuals had fought evictions or the right to continue using state or reserved land under TOLs. The pomelo growers of Tambun, for example, faced the same problem in the 1990s. Because they were major contributors to the Perak economy, The Star campaigned successfully for them to be given the titles to the land. Under the National Land Code, a person can only acquire an interest in a piece of land upon the land being alienated to him by the state, either on the basis of a grant in perpetuity or a lease or a sublease derived from it. An individual may be allowed to occupy state or reserved land under a TOL. However, such a licence is strictly to enable occupation, such as for living or agricultural purposes. This is for a specified period, which is usually on a year-to-year basis and always on the payment of a fee. However, there is no guarantee that renewals will be granted. Historically, land is a state matter and under the National Land Code, the Selangor government has the power to issue the TOL for the Sungai Buloh land to Yayasan Selangor. That cannot be disputed. But the manner in which it was done that is questionable. It is no secret that the Federal Government is planning to develop the 1,200ha Rubber Research Institute and the land has already been given to the EPF for this purpose. Many of the nurseries are located just next to the fence of what will be the biggest property development project in the country. Yes, these nurseries are sitting on a gold mine. Not surprisingly, the nursery operators are suspicious of this "land grab" by Yayasan Selangor and rejected the state's move to make the foundation their new landlord. Yayasan Selangor, after all, specialises in distributing and managing scholarships, not land. Furthermore, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim did not allay suspicions by offering the explanation that the foundation was well-qualified to manage the land because its general manager was an engineer. In light of the Federal Government's development plans for the area, it makes financial sense for the foundation to take control of the land. The state government should take note of what happened with the Tambum pomelo farmerss. These people are looking for security in a business that requires long-term investments. Growing plants take time and the operators need to know for sure that their investments will indeed bear fruit. A simple TOL might just be the fertiliser the nurseries need to bloom. |
| Never be number one, second wives told Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:26 PM PDT By Nurhidayah Rmli, The Star "When they are courting couples, they pay so much attention and are naughty with each other; why not spice up the marriage by still being naughty?" she asked. "When a wife does not fulfil the needs of her husband, including sex, the husband will be inclined to find a naughtier' one outside," she said. KUALA LUMPUR: Single mothers who re-marry as the second, third or fourth wife should not try to take the first wife's place, said Malaysian Council of Single Mothers Association (MPITM) president Nor Aini Juffrey. "Do not try to be number one," she said. Nor Aini noted that the first wife might have family demands which the second or third wife might not have like children. This being the case, she said the second or third wife should be willing to accommodate the husband's need to pay more attention to the first wife and her children. She felt that being considerate would help the wives respect and be in peace with each other. Nor Aini also commented about the Obedient Wives Club vice-president's statement where the wife had to be like a "first class prostitute" to keep the husband from straying. "When they are courting couples, they pay so much attention and are naughty with each other; why not spice up the marriage by still being naughty?" she asked. "When a wife does not fulfil the needs of her husband, including sex, the husband will be inclined to find a naughtier' one outside," she said. She also said a good marriage should not be confined to bedroom activities alone. "Couples should also look at outdoor activities like going for family picnics together." |
| Ministry: PM’s trip to Kazakhstan was reciprocal, not for leisure Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:19 PM PDT (Bernama) KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's trip to Kazakhstan was to fulfil a long-standing invitation from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to visit the country, the Foreign Ministry said. The ministry's Department of Information and Public Diplomacy in a statement to Bernama yesterday refuted a news portal report titled "PM's use of public funds for wedding trip morally wrong". The ministry said the claims by some quarters that the visit was for the wedding of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's daughter was unfounded. The statement clarified that Najib's visit to Kazakhstan on June 5 and 6 was the Prime Minister's first official visit to the country and reciprocated the visit by Nazarbayev to Malaysia in June 2006. Warm welcome: Najib shaking hands with members of the public at the Bunga Raya Complex, KL International Airport in Sepang. Najib returned to Malaysia Thursday after a four-day trip to Kazakhstan. With him is Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. The ministry said during the visit, Najib had paid a courtesy call on Nazarbayev and also held bilateral consultations with Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Massimov. "The visit did not just elevate bilateral relations between the two countries but also generated many opportunities for the Malaysian business community." The ministry added that Kazakhstan was also Malaysia's biggest trading partner among Central Asian countries. The statement also said the Prime Minister's visit coincided with the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) from June 7 to 9 at Astana and that Najib had attended the forum in his capacity as a head of government, representing Malaysia and as patron of WIEF. The decision by Kazakhstan to host the 7th WIEF on these dates was reached more than a year ago, when Malaysia hosted the sixth series of the WIEF in May, 2010, the ministry statement added. "On the whole, the visit brought about a substantial development in Malaysia-Kazakhstan bilateral relations which is mutually rewarding," said the ministry. - Bernama |
| Obedient wives’ anger PBB women Posted: 09 Jun 2011 12:11 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: The controversy-ridden Obedient Wives' Club (OWC) appears to have already driven a wedge within the Barisan Nasional lead-party,Parti Pesaka Bumiputra (PBB). The club, which encourages women to be submissive and perform better in bed, has triggered a conflict among the Youth and Women wings of the party. PBB Youth chief Fadillah Yusof is not only supporting the club, but will also officiate at the setting up of a branch of OWC at MJC Batu Kawah. But PBB woman leader, Fatimah Abdullah, who is also the minister in the chief minister's office, is dead against the formation of OWC. National PKR vice-president, Voon Shiak Ni said that Sarawak PKR women were shocked and disappointed with the stance displayed by PBB leaders. "Their inconsistent stance is clearly calculated to mislead and confuse the people in the state," she said. Voon was commenting on a recent report disclosing that the OWC is to set up a branch in a new township in Kuching. The promoter of the club revealed that PBB Youth chief and science, technologies and innovation deputy minister Fadillah Yusof will be officiating at the launch of the OWC. Last week, OWC vice-president Dr Rohaya Mohamad shocked Malaysians when she reportedly said that the club would give sex lessons to women so that they could "serve" their husbands better and to ensure that they do not look for prostitutes. Like their counterparts in peninsular Malaysia, the Sarawak women are against the setting of such club. Confusing signals Voon said: "They are confusing the people. While Fadillah is said to be supportive of the OWC, Fatimah Abdullah is saying that the OWC should be scrapped." She said the state BN component parties must make clear their stance on the setting up of the OWC branch in Sarawak. "It is embarrassing for Fatimah to announce her objection to the setting up of OWC, but for her BN and PBB colleague to act otherwise. "While it is the OWC promoters and organisers' rights to freedom of association, they should also take heed that their announcement to set up the club has triggered objections and adverse comments from the men, women and the civil societies.
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| Malacca to boost security at historical sites, says CM Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:38 AM PDT By R.S.N. Murali, The Star MALACCA: The state government has initiated measures to protect its historical sites following the theft of wheels from ancient Portuguese cannons on top of St John's Hill at Bandar Hilir on Wednesday. Describing the theft as a threat to the state's artefacts, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said he would immediately see to it that all historical sites in the state have CCTV facilities."We have to seriously consider beefing up security at these sites after the recent theft including placing guards, especially at sites in the World Heritage Zone," he told reporters after the groundbreaking ceremony for Malacca's Hard Rock Cafe yesterday. |
| Key resignation, resentment hits new national innovation initiative Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:34 AM PDT By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Unik, the prime minister's initiative tasked with restructuring the country's public innovation ecosystem has hit a setback with the resignation of its technical advisor N Danaraj who was in charge of putting together the National Innovation Policy (NIP). His resignation earlier this week could come as a blow to Unik due to the loss of experience as Danaraj has a masters degree in public administration from Harvard, a doctorate from Oxford and was also technical advisor to the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), a senior fellow at Khazanah Nasional and a research fellow at the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research. His departure, which sources say was due to various disagreements with Unik CEO Dr Kamaljit Singh over the NIP, comes as several innovation agencies have been privately expressing concern over the Unik chief's leadership style. The innovation agencies are understood to be frustrated that their issues over proposed changes to the way federal grants are disbursed have not been adequately addressed and their growing resentment over the uncertainty could hamper Unik's efforts to implement initiatives. Their unhappiness came to a head when they learnt that Kamaljit had proposed a freeze on funding by innovation agencies by July at the Economic Council (EC) meeting earlier this month without consulting them. Sources say that a decision on the proposed freeze was postponed following objections from several other members of the EC, which is chaired by the prime minister. Kamaljit is understood to be in favour of implementing a competitive bidding system where both government agencies and ministries that disburse technology related grants such as Biotech Corp, the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (Mosti) and the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) bid against each other for the funds which will be put in a common pool, but agencies say it is unfair for agencies under the ministry to bid against the ministry itself. One industry veteran familiar with the situation said that while some people might appear to "play ball" with Kamaljit because they believe he has the prime minister's ear, the opposition might get more serious if he doesn't get buy-in from the agencies. "If you push things through without getting agreement, do you think the agencies will help you?" said the industry veteran. One industry player said Unik is a good initiative but the main issue is lack of clarity from the top and claimed that the affected parties were being asked to trust Kamaljit without knowing all the details. "Nobody's afraid of competition," said the industry player when asked about competitive bidding. "If we don't perform, shut us down." "But you can't put parents and children in the same basket and ask them to compete (for grant money budget), that's not market forces," he added referring to the concept of agencies competing against their parent ministries. Some industry observers say however that Kamaljit may be trying to push things through because he feels that things will not get done otherwise. "Unik has an ambitious agenda and when you are short of time, you may be forced to step on the toes of those more used to a drawn out consultative process," said one observer. "That's why Unik is under the prime minister's department." When contacted, Danaraj confirmed the resignation but declined to comment further. Kamaljit also declined to comment for the story when contacted. Unik, which stands for Unit Inovasi Khas or Special Innovations Unit, was established by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to develop and implement strategies to stimulate and support innovation in Malaysia. Its website states that it is a special-purpose body designed to focus on two core priorities - improving Malaysia's innovation eco-system and directly cultivating innovation.
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| Wikileaks: Malaysian firm tried to buy China missile parts Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:18 AM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — A Malaysian company with links to Iran tried to buy gyroscopes used for guiding missiles from China, according to a leaked United States diplomatic cable. According to the cable released by whistleblower website Wikileaks, the US Department of State asked China in December 2009 to block the sale of TRS-500 gyroscopes from China firm VibTel Industrial to Electronics Component Limited (ECL). The cable, which was published today on news portal Malaysia Today, said that the US embassy in Beijing was ordered to share information with Chinese officials to assist "your ability to prevent the transfer of these gyroscopes by VibTel Industrial Co. to ECL." "ECL is associated with a network of Iranian-controlled front companies that procure sensitive goods on behalf of a number of Iranian entities of proliferation concern," said the document classified by the US State Department's director of missile threat reduction Pam Durham. According to the cable, China had agreed to look into the matter but asked for additional information on ECL's relationship to Iranian firms. The US said that ECL was linked to Iranian firms "Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), which is Iran's primary developer of liquid propellant ballistic missiles, and Heavy Metal Industries, a front company for the tactical missile developer Ya Mahdi Industries." "Both SHIG and Ya Mahdi Industries are sanctioned under United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1737," the cable said, adding that the gyroscopes, used in ballistic and cruise missiles as well as unmanned aircraft, are prohibited for export to Iran under the same resolution. It also said that ECL had links with another Malaysia-based front company Skylife Worldwide Sdn Bhd. It is the second time in recent years that a Malaysian company has been linked to Iran's nuclear and missile ambitions.
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| Umno a hypocrite for anti-PAS welfare state stand, says Muslim cleric Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:15 AM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has labelled Umno a hypocritical party for slamming its political foe's pro-welfare state stand raised at the PAS annual general assembly last week. The popular Muslim cleric said Umno, as the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) lynchpin which is also supposed to represent the Malay voice, should have supported the Islamist party's idea instead of slamming it as conservative and fanatical.
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| 930 tonnes of food being thrown away every day Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:46 AM PDT By P Aruna, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians can afford to eat less because they are either overeating or wasting food, throwing away up to 930 tonnes of unconsumed food daily, say experts. This is equivalent to us throwing away 93,000 10kg bags of rice each day. The experts warn that people must change or adapt their eating habits in the light of rising prices and a looming food shortage, adding that the country was already experiencing a food crisis. Universiti Malaya Prof Dr P. Agamuthu said wastage was a growing trend, adding that almost 50% of the 31,000 tonnes of waste produced daily by Malaysians comprised organic kitchen waste such as leftover food. "Malaysians discard about 930 tonnes of unconsumed food daily. Wastage of unconsumed food alone in Malaysia has doubled over the past three years. This does not even include leftover food," he said, adding that the unconsumed waste mostly consisted of expired bread, eggs and old or rotten fruit. Dr Agamuthu, who specialises in solid and hazardous waste management, said Malaysia was close to developed country status in terms of waste generated compared to developing nations like India and Bangladesh, which had almost zero unconsumed food. He said food wastage was higher in urban areas due to the difference in income levels over rural areas. Nutrition Society of Malaysia president Dr Tee Ee Siong said many Malaysians tended to overeat, usually taking more food than they should. He said it was a common sight to see Malaysians pile too much food on their plates, especially during meals at restaurants and buffets. "It could be because they don't want the hassle of going back for a second helping or they are worried that the food will finish before they can return. "When we have too much food on our plates, we tend to overeat," he said, adding that overeating was also the main reason for obesity among Malaysians. According to Health Ministry statistics, 30% of Malaysians are obese while another 30% are overweight. Dr Tee said those preparing food in households should be more accurate in their estimations on how much they needed to cook to avoid wastage. "Parents need to be more sensitive about the wastage of food and teach their children by example," he said. Marditech Corporation Sdn Bhd group CEO Anas Ahmad Nasarudin said non-alcoholic foodstuff had registered an average of 4.7% increase in prices from last year. He said an investigation by the body showed that the price of meat had increased by 7.6%, milk and eggs by 7.9%, vegetables by 11.4%, jam and sweetened products by 10.9%, fruits by 6.8% and fish by 3.8%. Marditech consultant Ahmad Zamzam Mohamed said the country was already in a food crisis and Malaysians would have to change their eating habits to lessen its impact. "The Government has been shielding Malaysians from the real impact of the crisis with various subsidies," he said, adding that they would soon face reality as subsidies were slowly removed. "We should learn to eat accordingly and not over-indulge," he said during a press conference on the 7th Malaysia International Agro-Bio Business Conference here yesterday. The two-day conference, which will gather experts to discuss the challenges of the emerging global food crisis, begins on July 13. |
| Malaysia may get more boat people Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:34 AM PDT More than the proposed 800 boat people could be sent to Malaysia as the Gillard Government looks to nail down the last details of its asylum-seeker swap deal with Kuala Lumpur. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has also signalled boat people sent to Malaysia will be issued special identity tags which it is hoped will safeguard them from caning and other harsh local punishments. By Nick Butterfly and Andrew Probyn, The West Australian Giving further details about the deal yesterday, Mr Bowen said while the current arrangement was for Australia to send only 800 asylum seekers to Kuala Lumpur in exchange for 4000 certified refugees, that swap could eventually be expanded. "The Malaysian Government have said themselves that if the arrangement works they would be happy to look at extending it further," Mr Bowen said. The Government announced its plan to swap boat people for certified refugees with Malaysia almost five weeks ago, however it is yet to officially sign off on the scheme or release details about how the exchange will work. The deal is expected to be finalised within days and the terms could be announced on Monday. Officials have spent weeks thrashing out the details of the agreement, with the Australian delegation seeking assurances that asylum seekers sent to Malaysia will be safeguarded from caning and other harsh punishments that asylum seekers are sometimes subjected to. The plan has sparked unrest among some Labor backbenchers, with a number of left-wing MPs warning unaccompanied asylum seeker children should not be sent to Malaysia. Under the yet-to-be-finalised deal, the asylum seekers will be housed in Australian taxpayer-funded accommodation for six weeks during which they will undergo security, identification and health checks. Once released into the community they will be required to wear special identity tags which will exempt them from Malaysia's draconian punishments meted out to illegal immigrants.
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