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p 10 p 6 p 12 & 13

community June 3 — 5, 2011/ issue 27

Owners of leasehold properties

in older parts of Petaling Jaya are
set to benefit from the new state
scheme on premiums.

Premium relief
By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM: Owners of

leasehold properties, holders of
Temporary Occupation of Land

(TOL) licences and those who
have just converted the status of
their land are set to benefit from
the state government's latest
scheme.
In a bid to lighten the financial
burden of such landowners, Selan-
gor has introduced the Private
Residential Ownership Scheme for
property owners to pay RM1,000
first to renew their leases instead of
the normal hefty premiums.
The balance of the premium,
however, will have to be paid up
when the properties are sold or
transferred at a later date. Property
transfers resulting from inherit-
ances are also exempted from pay-
ing the balance of premiums if they
choose to keep the properties.
The scheme is limited to residen-
tial properties.
“Starting June 1, they no longer
need to pay full premiums to secure
land titles or extend their leases,”
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibra-
him said after chairing an executive
council meeting on Wednesday.
for landowners
Owners of expiring leasehold
properties, such as those in Petaling
Jaya Old Town or Sections 1, 2, 3
and 4, now need to pay RM1,000
first to extend their leases instead of
the RM100,000 premium to keep
their properties.
Owners who have just converted
the status of their properties from
agricultural to residential will also
benefit from this arrangement.
For TOL licence holders, the
owners can now obtain leasehold
status instead of yearly renewals.
Owners of 60-year leases are also
set to benefit as the scheme will al-
low them to convert the leases to 99
years.
The scheme, however, does not
affect owners of properties where
the status is still in limbo, such as
squatters.
“We’ve identified those who
have been living on TOL land for
more than 10 years. They will re-
ceive land titles with certain condi-
tions,” Khalid said.
He added that due to rising land
prices in Selangor, the premium to
secure a land title could come up to
RM10,000 or more.
“Under the scheme, they only
need to pay RM1,000 to get the
land title. When they sell the house
[in future], they can use the money
from the sale to pay the remaining
premium,” he said.
Khalid said the scheme is part
the state’s initiative to ease the pro-
cess of granting land titles to deserv-
ing applicants as well as to reduce
the people’s financial burden.
As for leasehold property own-
ers, Khalid said residents in older
townships like Petaling Jaya who
want to extend their expiring leases
to 99 years will benefit from the
scheme.
“The premium to extend the
lease is a quarter of the property’s
market price. For a 10,000 sq ft
house, the premium may come up
to RM250,000.
“This scheme allows them to pay
RM1,000 and continue living there
until they sell it,” said Khalid.
He said the scheme aims to en-
courage people to retain ownership
of their leases.
He added that the scheme is a
result of the research by land and
district offices and the state secre-
tary’s office.
The scheme will also benefit
people who are living on non-resi-
dential lands as they will be allowed
to change their status by paying just
RM1,000.
Khalid said this would benefit
many of the villages who are staying
on lands designated for agricultural
use.
“We want to help them legalise
their land status,” he said.
Meanwhile, for those who can
afford to pay their premium in full
within six months of application,
the state will grant them a 30%
discount of their premium.
Khalid said the state is also set-
ting up an integrated information
centre to would allow landowners
to check and update their status or
other related land matters.
2
news
june 3 — 5, 2011

Village polls kick off next month

By Gan Pei Ling
SHAH ALAM: Residents from three New
Villages will go to the polls next month to
elect their leaders for the first time.
The move to allow Chinese villagers to
select their own Village Security and Develop-
ment Committee ( JKKK) chiefs is the first
step towards restoring local government elec-
tions.  Sundays for voters’ convenience. All  candi-
“Once elected, the state will formally ap-
point them [as JKKK chiefs],” said executive
councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah in an exclusive
interview with Selangor Times yesterday.
The first election will kick off in Jenjarom
with nomination day on July 24 and polls on
July 31, followed by Pulau Ketam and Pan-
damaran.
Nomination day is set for July 31 and vot-
ing day on Aug 7 in Pulau Ketam while Pan-
damaran’s nomination day will be on Aug 7
and polls on Aug 14.
Ean Yong, whose portfolio includes New
Villages, said the election dates are set on
dates must be above 21 years of age and must
stay at the villages for at least two years.
“This is to ensure that the candidates are
familiar with local issues which will help
them serve the villagers more effectively,” said
Ean Yong.
He said eligible candidates would have to
pay a RM500 deposit and submit their
nomination forms between 9am and 10am on
nomination day. Candidates must contest in
their personal capacity and not under any
political party banner.
Ean Yong added that villagers can cast their
votes between 8am and 4pm. All registered
voters included in the latest electoral roll as
of Oct 27 last year are eligible to vote.
Jenjarom’s polling stations will be at its
community and multipurpose halls, Pulau
Ketam at its community hall on the main
street and Pandamaran at the JKKK centre
and sports complex.
Ean Yong said the state has allocated
RM60,000 for each election.
As the Election Commission has refused
to help, local councils and district offices will
run the elections.
If the polls are successfully carried out in
the three pioneering villages, the model may
be used to elect other JKKK chiefs in Selan-
gor.
Local government elections in Malaysia
were suspended in 1964 after the Indonesia-
Malaysia confrontation, and the state’s move
to have them restored has been rejected by
both Putrajaya and Election Commission.

Welcome relief for leasehold owners

By Alvin Yap
SHAH ALAM: Residents with leasehold titles, which are
fast expiring, are welcoming the RM1,000 policy that allows
them to extend their leases for another 99 years.
Michael Muniandy was among those who were overjoyed
to hear the news announced on Wednesday.
“It’s very good news indeed, especially for retirees like me,”
said the former engineer with the Land and Mines Department.
The 78-year-old pensioner had just 20 years left on his lease
for his home in one of PJ’s oldest neigbourhoods,  Section 1,
Jalan Carey.  lease is at RM12.50 per sq ft, and the total area
He pointed out that the RM1,000 premium would be less
of a financial burden on his savings and pension.
Similarly, music teacher Raymond Pragasam, 46, said the
move would encourage more home ownership as prospective
housebuyers have balked at having to pay hefty premiums to
extend the leases.
“Our house in Section 4 has 55 years remaining [on our
lease], but our neighbours around us have less than 10 years.
This is good news for them,” Raymond said when met at Taman Shamsuddin was shocked when he heard the news.
Petaling here.
Former public school teacher Ng Sik Poon, 81, said the Petaling Jaya.
RM1,000 amount was within the means of every resident in
phone (603) 5510 4566
fax (603) 5523 1188
email editor@selangortimes.com
EDITORIAL
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,
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COPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang
DESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man Yen
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi, Vincent Boon
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“Even if you are short of money, you would borrow
the amount to secure the lease,” he said.
He pointed out that the move by the state govern-
ment would assist middle-income families.
Ng added that he expects a “rush” at the Land
Office as ratepayers would clamour to extend their
leases.
“Too bad I just extended my lease a few years ago,
and I paid quite a hefty sum based on the land size,”
he said, who could not recall the amount offhand.
Pragas Marimuthu admits that he is lucky to stay
on freehold land in Puchong. Nevertheless, he said
it was very good news for leasehold landowners in
Selangor.
The 50-year-old businessperson said the move
would encourage citizens to own residential prop-
erty.
“A lot of prospective housebuyers put off buying
property around the Old Town and New Town hous-
ing area,” said Pragas.
He pointed out that when it came to the
renewal of leases, buyers would be saddled
with large amounts.
Pragas added that the unprecedented ini-
tiative showed that the government was “car-
ing” towards the middle-income group.
Siti Hanim Mohd Nasir, 38, said the an-
nouncement was “very good news” as her
home on Jalan 3/60 here has only nine years
remaining.
According to her land title documents, the
of her bungalow lot is around 3,400sq ft.
“I’d have to pay at least RM40,000 to renew
the lease,” she said.
Section 3 residents association (RA) head
Shamsuddin Hassansaid he was “shocked”
upon receiving the news from Bukit Gasing
assemblyperson Edward Lee.
“When I told my residents this morning,
they told me to stop joking,” he said when met
at the RA office here in Section 3, Old Town.
The 61-year-old retiree said the residents
had bought all the daily newspapers in order to con-
firm the announcement.
He pointed out that many of the houses, some of
them the oldest here in Petaling Jaya, have their leases
expiring within 10 years.
Shamsuddin said it would have cost some of the
residents between RM40,000 and RM50,000 to renew
their leases.
“We are not earning very much, and many of us are
pensioners,” he pointed out.
He said he would be accompanying the residents
as soon as possible to the Land Office to take full use
of the state’s initiative.
“On behalf of the residents here in Section 3, I
want  to say thank you very much to the state admin-
istration,” he concluded.
Pragas (top) said more citizens will want to own
residential property while Siti Hanim said she
can now renew her lease.

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SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ June 3 – 5, 2011 ⁄ 3
4
news
june 3 — 5, 2011
Events
Transformers live
Fans of the movie Transformers are in for a treat as
a meet-and-greet session with its characters will be
held during the school holidays. Popular Autobots
and Decepticons like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee,
Ironhide, Sideswipe and many more will appear at
The Curve in Mutiara Damansara. The sessions will
be from noon to 1pm on Sunday (June 5) and from
2pm to 5pm on June 10. They will be held ahead of
the screening of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
A Transformers Speed challenge will be held with
special edition Autobots to be given out as prizes. For
details, call The Curve customer care at 03-77106868
or visit www.thecurve.com.my.
Pet-grooming talk
A pet-grooming talk will be held on June 12 from
8.30am to noon. Yuri Professional Grooming Training
Centre founder Yuri Lim will speak about household
pet cleanliness besides educating the public on
basic grooming skills. The talk will be held at Teratai
assemblyperson Jenice Lee’s service centre on Jalan
Bunga Tanjung 10, Ampang. Admission fee is RM20. All
proceeds will go to non-governmental organisations.
For more information, call 012-2669639.
Fashion design show
The Textile and Fashion Design Diploma Show
2011 featuring selected artworks by students of the
Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) will be held from June
11 to July 7 at the MIA Art Gallery on Jalan Bandar 11
in Taman Melawati. The gallery is open from Mondays
to Fridays from 11am to 5pm and on Saturdays from
11am to 1pm. Admission is free. For more details, call
MIA at 03-41088100 or visit www.mia.edu.my.
Cyberjaya cycling race
The first Cyberjaya Green Ride will traverse the city’s
streets with 10 different categories for cyclists of
all ages on June 18 from 8am to 6pm. More than
RM14,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs. The race
will start at the Kelab Komuniti Taman Tasik Cyberjaya,
off Persiaran Semarak Api. For more information, call
Elli at 017-3346469 or Nuraihana at 012-6794565.
Email them at ellie@cyberview.com.my and nuraihana.
ramlan@totalsportsasia.com.
Hats off to record seekers
An attempt to break a record in the Malaysia Book of
Records by having the largest number of people to
walk in fancy hats will he held on June 11. The attempt,
organised by the Junior Chamber International Petaling
Jaya (JCI PJ), will be held from 4pm to 11pm at I-City,
Shah Alam. A registration fee of RM25 will go to the JCI
PJ leukemia fund. Register at jcipjfancyhats@gmail.
com or call 019-3197383 or 012-3995495.
 
USJ Family Day
The second USJ Family Day will be held on June 11
from 5pm to 10pm at the Subang Jaya Municipal
Council (MPSJ) field in USJ 5. The event is expected to
attract about 100,000 residents from USJ2 to USJ15.
The attractions include goodie bags for the first 500
visitors. There will also be a lucky draw every hour with
laptops and mobile phones up for grabs. Remember
to register before 7pm to be eligible for the lucky draw!
 
Dumpling-making contest
A “bak chang”, or dumpling-making, competition and
a children’s colouring contest will be held at the Bukit
Tinggi 2 Burger King (Jakes Stations) tomorrow (June
4). The competitions will run from 10am to 12.30pm.
Food will be served. For registration, call 03-33232122,
012-2113003 or 012-2339544.
 
Video-shooting workshop
A video-shooting-technique workshop will be held on
June 17, 18 and 19 at Klang MP Charles Santiago’s
office. Organised by his office in collaboration with
Malaysiakini, the workshop will be held from 10am to
5pm. Registration fee is RM100 for all three days. For
details, call Revathy at 03-33232122.
Audit ordered on
irregular spending
By Brenda Ch’ng
klang: Discrepancies in the
awarding of contracts worth RM1.8
million have led the municipal coun-
cil to order an internal audit on its
Engineering Department.
Between January and April this
year, more then 90 projects costing
RM20,000 or less each were awarded
to Klang Municipal Council (MPK)
contractors for drainage and road
repairs without approval.
“I was shocked when I saw that
RM1.8 million was used for projects
which I didn’t even know about in
the past four months,” said council-
Sultan’s mother laid to rest
SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selan-
gor’s mother, Raja Saidatul Ihsan Teng-
ku Badar Shah, was laid to rest at the
Shah Alam Royal Mausoleum at 3pm
on Tuesday.  their last respects.
The first wife and cousin of the late
Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin
Abdul Aziz Shah, died at the age of 88
Community
library for flats
port klang: A new community li-
brary has been launched in the Seri Perantau
flats here to make it easier for residents to
start reading.  
The library was launched by Dr Halimah
Ali together with Selangor Public Library
Corporation (PPAS) director Mastura Mo-
hammad on Tuesday.
“The theme of the library is ‘Your Li-
brary is Your Second Home’, and I want the
residents to take advantage of the library
which is in such close vicinity to their
units,” said Halimah.
The executive councillor for education
hopes the youths and children will use the
library and its facilities to conduct research
or to complete their schoolwork.
She said the library is part of the measures
lor Lim Lip Suan.
The MPK’s finance oversight
committee member discovered dis-
crepancies from internal records that
showed the money had been spent
between January and April.
Lim said all proposals for small
projects must be disclosed to the re-
spective councillors.
However, Lim and his fellow-
councillor’s efforts to get the depart-
ment to justify their expenses have
failed because officials say the ex-
penditure is “confidential”.
“I have the right to see what pro-
jects have been approved, but I can’t
believe we were all turned down,”
on Tuesday at the Ampang Puteri Hos-
pital.
Her body was then taken to Istana
Alam Shah in Klang for mourners to pay
Among those who paid their respects
were Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibra-
him, state executive councillors and
the state is taking to promote Selangor
as an educational and informative hub.
Halimah pointed out that knowl-
edge is an asset that must be acquired
by youths if they aspire to become
better leaders of tomorrow.
The library is fully equipped with
said Lim.
On Tuesday, Lim proposed that
internal auditors check on the depart-
ment’s expenditure and records of the
council’s full board meeting.
The move was approved unani-
mously, and the results of the report
will be tabled at the full board upon
completion of the audit. 
Lim pointed out that the council-
lors were  unhappy that the huge
amount was spent by the engineering
department without consulting them. 
He added that the huge expendi-
ture could result in more urgent pro-
jects in Klang having to be put on
hold due to budget constraints.
Yang di-Pertuan
Agong Tuanku
Mizan Zainal Abidin,
Sultan Sharafud-
din Idris Shah and
Raja Muda Perak Dr
Nazrin Shah paying
their last respects
to the mother of the
Sultan of Selangor,
Raja Saidatul Ihsan
Tengku Badar Shah,
on Tuesday.
political leaders.
Special prayers were also held at the
newly opened Masjid Istana Sultan
Alam Shah.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has
requested for flags in the state to be flown
at half-mast and members of the Selan-
gor royalty to mourn for a week. 
Dr Halimah
(third from
right) with
residents at
the opening
of the library.
free wi-fi services, computers, a reading
room, and educational activity sets for
children.
The community library is set up
right beside the Generasi Idaman Sel-
angor centre, which is set up to handle
social problems among youths.

Crime woes in Puchong
By Basil Foo
PUCHONG: Frequent burglaries are caus-
ing alarm among Taman Puchong Utama
Phase 3 residents who want an increased po-
lice presence.  area as if looking for potential targets,” said
“Our area has had one to two break-ins a
month since late last year. We are also afraid
of being harmed as the robbers carry parangs,”
said T Selvam.
The 47-year-old, who has been living in the
housing estate for the past five years, had his
home broken into on Dec 27.
He lost jewellery, a television set, cameras,
and other portable electronic devices during
the home invasion by four men who climbed
over the walls of his home.
“We found footprints on the walls outside
my house where they climbed in. They left two
parangs on my bed. I sent them to the police
station, but the fingerprints couldn’t be iden-
tified,” he said.
He has since installed metal spikes on the
top of his walls to prevent further intrusion
into his home.
Selvam blamed the increase in crime to the
many entrances into the residential area, with
several main roads and small paths leading
from a neighbouring industrial park.
Reverend Rani Phillip, who manages a
Community helps
Bomba give hydrants
a makeover
By Gan Pei Ling
 
SUBANG JAYA: Residents and
members of the SS17 fire station
came together in good spirits to
clean and repaint fire hydrants in
USJ 2 last Saturday morning.
Several residents also signed
up on the spot to “adopt” the fire
hydrants in front of their houses.
“The residents just need to make
sure the hydrants are in good con-
dition and alert us if they are
faulty,” said SS17 fire station chief
Deputy Superintendent Khairi
Daud.
Khairi, who was transferred from
Alor Gajah to Subang Jaya recently,
said it is crucial to ensure that the
fire hydrants are in working condi-
tion to prevent any delay in the
event of a fire.
“Timing is everything in fire-
fighting,” said Khairi, adding that
sometimes unaware residents may
plant trees or flowers next to a USJ 2 resident Ramli Chik adopts the fire hydrant
hydrant, blocking firefighters’ ac- in front of his house and submits the form to a
cess to it. firefighter.
He said there are 108 fire
hydrants in USJ 2 and over 5,000 in ield’s Fire and Rescue Cadets volunteered
Subang Jaya.
The Fire and Rescue Department members. 
(Bomba) aims to service all fire hydrants
in Subang Jaya by the end of the year.
Last Saturday’s event was jointly organ- enue.
ised by the SS17 fire station and Rukun
Tetangga USJ 2 and USJ 6, and was launched organising similar joint initiatives with the
by local councillor R Rajiv.
Around 15 students from SMK Seaf- station at 03-56349444.
NEWSJUNE 3 — 5, 2011 5
home for underprivileged, abused, and or-
phaned children in the area, also expressed
worry at the recent crime spree.
“We sometimes see fully tinted cars with
three or four men driving slowly around the
the home supervisor. 
She said while the home has not been
robbed, it was risky for her children to walk
to the nearby school or to an adjacent field for
activities.
Manager M Devaraj had his house broken
into on May 2, when four men with parangs
entered his home and tied up his wife and
children.

“I rushed home after receiving a call that
my house has been robbed at about 10pm. I
lost laptops, cash, and jewellery,” said the
54-year-old.

He said they seldom see police patrol cars
in the area, and hoped the relevant authorities
would look into the matter quickly to avoid
further crime.
 Selvam showing Gobind the spot where he suspects the robbers climbed in.
Surau chairperson Sulaiman Yusof also
aired his complaints about cars parked along been cut down by unknown individuals with “We will set a date for a Saturday evening or
roads in the residential area that have been wire cutters,” he said. night after the school holidays so that most of
stolen or had their tyres removed.  Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, who the residents here will be able to make it,” he said.

“There was a fencing previously set up to visited the area last Saturday, suggested that He reassured residents that he would con-
block the access of small walkways leading residents hold a dialogue with the police and tact the authorities to attend the meeting,
from the nearby industrial area. It has since local council.
 which he hoped would address the problem.
Education fund aims to top
RM200 million
By Brenda Ch’ng and are regulated by their principals.
PETALING JAYA: Tiger Beer and Sin
Chew Daily are aiming to break the RM200
million mark in their 18th year of fundraising
The cost of organising, getting the artists
and managing publicity are fully sponsored
by Tiger Beer.
Sin Chew Daily is the event’s official
with the Chinese Education Charity Concert media partner.
(CECC).  These concerts showcase performances
CECC has so far successfully raised more by local budding artists and are held on
than RM189 million through charity con- weekends.
certs held in schools across Malaysia. Yap said the charity concerts also serve as
This partnership between Tiger Beer and a platform for local artists to showcase their
Sin Chew Daily was initiated in 1994 to fi- talents and kickstart their musical careers.
nancially help with the development of Since the charity concerts are done on a
Chinese schools. wide scale across the country, it is broken
“All proceeds helped fund additional class- up into four phases.
rooms, computer labs and indoor sports halls The first phase for 2011 was launched
for schools,” said Yap Swee Leng, marketing on May 18 by Minister of Housing and
director of Guinness Anchor Berhad. Local Government Datuk Wira Chor Chee
Yap said that over the years, the funds Heung. The second phase will be launched
raised have benefited 361Chinese primary this month. 
and 80 Chinese secondary schools through- These two phases will showcase 11 differ-
out the country. ent concert performances in 11 different
The fundraiser concerts are done at various schools.
schools, and tickets are sold by respective The third and fourth phases will begin in
schools directly to the community.  October and November with a total of 20
Ticket prices vary from school to school more performances in other schools. 
and helped the residents and Bomba
The event was sponsored by the Subang
Jaya Municipal Council and Subang Av-
(From left) Koo
Other community groups interested in Cheng, executive
director of Sin
Bomba are welcome to contact the SS17 fire Chew Media
Corporation
Berhad, Chor
and Yap.
6
News
June 3 — 5, 2011

RM6.5b water bailout criticised

By Gan Pei Ling
 
SHAH ALAM: Several parties have
criticised the federal government’s move to
bail out the four troubled water companies in
Selangor.
“If this is not a bailout, what is it?” As-
sociation of Water and Energy Research
Malaysia (Awer) president S Piarapakaran
asked.
Putrajaya has offered RM6.5 billion to
take over the water concessionaires’ down-
graded bonds, but Energy, Green Technol-
ogy and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter
Chin denied it was a bailout.
Piarapakaran pointed out that the conces-
sionaires are not required to relinquish their
stakes despite defaulting on their bonds.
“[We understand that the bailout is being
done to] prevent deterioration of market
confidence, but the concession agreement
should be made null and void at the end of
the deal,” said the engineer.
He said Putrajaya should have seized the
opportunity to take control of the four com-
panies and work together with Selangor to
complete the state’s water-restructuring ex-
ercise that has been in a deadlock since 2008.
The four troubled concessionaires are
water distribution company Syarikat Bekalan
Air Selangor (Syabas) and water treatment
companies Puncak Niaga, Syarikat Pengelu-
aran Air Sungai Selangor (Splash) and Kon-
sortium Abass.
Piarapakaran also questioned the federal
government’s move to set up a new special
purpose vehicle called Acqua SPV Bhd to
take over the bonds when Pengurusan Aset
Air Bhd (PAAB) could have done so itself.
“[This] will incur additional costs unnec-
essarily,” said Piarapakaran.
Meanwhile, Selangor Water Review
Panel member Tony Pua said the RM6.5
billion offer is 73% higher than the bonds’
market value, describing it as “outrageous
and an abuse of taxpayers’ money”.
He urged the federal government to be
transparent about the bailout.
Pua said the bailout effectively killed off
the Selangor government’s remaining hope
of striking a deal to take over these compa-
nies.
Selangor had made a third offer to take
over these companies and their debts at
RM6.3 billion.
“[Had] no bailout been offered, the com-
panies would have no choice but to negotiate
the terms of restructuring with Selangor or
other parties which have offered to acquire
their businesses and assets,” he said in a state-
ment on May 28.
Pua said there is no longer any urgency for
the companies to agree to any form of re-
structuring as they are relieved of their cash
flow problems, adding that they now have
the upper hand at the negotiating table.
“[This] is clearly a loss for the people of
Selangor, for they have lost an opportunity
for the privatised water industry to be re-
structured to ensure quality water is pro-
vided at the lowest possible prices,” said the
member of Parliament.

MPK
identifies
heritage
trees
to be
preserved
By Brenda Ch’ng
 
KLANG: The municipality
has earmarked 20 trees, some
as old as 70 years, in the Royal
Town which will be preserved
and protected.
These “herita g e tre es”,
worth an estimated RM5 mil-
lion, will soon be gazetted by
the Klang Municipal Council
(MPK).
“These trees are historical
landmarks and should be
saved,” said MPK deputy pres-
ident Mohd Ikhsan Mukri,
who added that he wanted to
see a greener town. 
The move to gazette the
trees was tabled by MPK’s Parks
and Recreational Department From left: Telok Datok assemblyperson Philip Tan and Dr Xavier Jayakumar officiating the Caring Government housing scheme in
during the council’s full board Kampung Bukit Perah in Banting last Friday.
meeting on Tuesday. 
The motion was unani-
mously approved. 
Mohd Ikhsan added that
Orang Asli families get keys to new homes
he  would not be surprised if By Alvin Yap
there are many more trees that  
are older and are worth pro- KLANG: Six Orang Asli families at Kampung
tecting. Bukit Perah in Banting received keys to their new
According to Mohd Ikhsan, homes under the Caring Government housing
the 20 heritage trees are lo- scheme.
cated in Taman Bandar Di- State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar,
Raja Klang (12), MPK (5) and who handed over the keys, later went on a walking
Taman Seratus (3). tour of the housing scheme.
They are valued by MPK’s Tree The houses built on Orang Asli reserve land cost Dr Xavier
Doctors at between RM440,000 RM30,000 per unit and was paid for by state gov- handing over a
and RM200,000 based on spe- ernment-linked companies. mock key to a
resident during
cies, uniqueness, physique and Dr Xavier, who holds the caring government the handing over
age. position, was accompanied by Kuala Langat Land ceremony.
A 70-year-old rain tree Officer Datuk Asmawi Kasbi, assemblyperson for
in  Taman Bandar DiR aja Sikangjang Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, and Telok Da-
Klang has been valued at tok assemblyperson Philip Tan Chong Swee.
RM440,000. They were also accompanied by officers from the
state civil service.

Of inflation, power
tariffs and ‘Super June’
By Brenda Ch’ng
KLANG: The spiralling costs of living, com-
pounded by an increase in electricity tariffs from
Wednesday, have led the Klang Member of
Parliament to cynically describe the month as
“Super June”.   that the billions
“Today, June 1, is also known as Super June
because everything is increasing except wages.
How is that even acceptable in today’s day and
age?” asked Charles Santiago.
Electricity prices have risen at an average of
7.1% this month.
Santiago is urging both the state and federal
governments to work with hypermarkets and
subsidise daily essentials.
He also wants direct cash handouts or vouchers
to be given directly to the poor  “Food prices [in the country] have gone up
Santiago also reiterated his earlier call to Putra-
jaya to  implement a minimum wage policy of
RM1,500 to RM,2000 without further delay.
“Something has to be done now. The people
can’t wait any longer, especially with the expected
rise in inflation [this month],” he said.
He said apart from power tariffs, the price of
natural gas would also rise by RM3 per million
metric BTU every six months until it reaches the
market level.
In addition, the Association of Malaysian
Hauliers will raise its haulage tariff guidelines
by 20%.
These tariff hikes will not help trim the growing
subsidy bill and reduce the budget deficit as an-
nounced by the
government, but
instead add more
burden on the peo-
ple, Santiago said.
He pointed out
of ringgit which
Putrajaya subsi-
dies Independent
Power Producers
(IPPs) would re-
sult in 5.49 mil-
lion households Charles Santiago
paying more once
suppliers and food manufacturers pass on the
burden of the increased tariffs to the public.
more than twice the rate of global food prices in
the first four months of 2011,” said Santiago.
He said there was an increase of 40-60% in
food prices between September 2010 and April
this year.  required by TNB.  There is a 40%
However, while prices have gone up, wages have
stagnated for the past decade, with only an increase
of 2.6% between 2000 and 2010.
Santiago said daily necessities are expected to
have a drastic increase of 70-80%.
“This is not fair because the government should
be subsidising the public, not the IPPs and [Sel-
angor] water bond holders,” said Santiago.
“This increase [in prices] will continue to push
thousands into poverty,” he said.
Tariff hikes unfair
to Malaysians
THE federal government’s decision to
pass the burden of the increased gas
prices from Tenaga Nasional Bhd and
Independent Power Producers (IPPs)
to Malaysian consumers is an abdication
of its responsibility to the people.  increased cost of gas to be passed
The cause of the increased in the
tariff, which is about 7% higher from
this month and increased every six
months until 2015, is due to the gov-
ernment’s unwillingness to review the
grossly unfair contracts entered into by
the government with the IPPs, and the
manifestly improper long-term gas
supply agreements between Petronas
and the IPPs.
The unfair power purchase agree-
ments require TNB to purchase all
electricity produced by the IPPs, regard-
less of TNB’s requirements, and at a cost
that is more expensive than the power
produced by TNB itself.  ceeding with the windfall tax, the
As a result, TNB pays the IPPs a
capacity charge, which is payment for
power produced by the IPPs and not
excess capacity, for which TNB has
been paying capacity charges to the
IPPs since 1993.  the gas supply agreements.  The pub-
Under the gas supply agreements, the
IPPs purchased gas from Petronas at the
price of RM6.40 per Million Metric
British Thermal unit (MMBtu), when
the production cost was RM15 per
MMBtu. This was reviewed in 2009 to
NEWSJUNE 3 — 5, 2011 7
RM10.70 per MMBtu. It is now in-
creased by RM3 to RM13.70 per
MMBtu.
The government has agreed with
TNB and the power companies for the
through to the consumers.
By reason of the grossly unfair
power purchase agreements and the
highly improper use of Petronas to
sell its gas production below cost to
the IPPs, the IPPs have been making
super profits since 1993.
In 2008, the Barisan Nasional
government backed down from re-
viewing these unfair contracts, and
also surrendered to the IPPs’ demand
by not proceeding with the imposi-
tion of windfall taxes in 2008. 
In backing down from the review
of the unfair contracts and not pro-
Barisan Nasional government has
therefore chosen to protect the prof-
its of the IPPs over the people. 
I call upon the government to im-
mediately declassify and make public
the power purchase agreements and
lic has a right to know the terms of
these agreements and to take action
to correct the wrongs.
William Leong
Member of Parliament Selayang
8
News
June 3 — 5, 2011

Breaking racial barriers

By Basil Foo

SUBANG JAYA: A  football league, organised by parents

wanting to spend quality time with their children, is success-

through football
fully breaking racial barriers on and off the pitch.
“This is a brilliant experience in bringing together children on May 28 and 29, and culminated
and their parents to mingle in a multiracial environment,” in the finals last Sunday, ending this
said Desmond Teh, who coaches Team Rhino, one of 24 teams. year’s tournament season which
Teh said the Subang Jaya Community Youth Football League began in January.
was a good experience for his two ment for seven years, said the league Puchong MP Gobind Singh
sons, aged 10 and 13 years old. was assisted by the local council and Deo, who attended the tournament
He  described the tournament, the developer for the area. on Saturday morning, said sports
which has been held for the past 11 “The tournament is always held events like these were important to
years, as the best reflection of Ma- at the USJ 4 school field, which bring together various communities.
laysia and the kind of environment Sime Darby has renovated and the “Children have to be brought
that Teh himself grew up in. Subang Jaya Municipal Council is together at an early stage. The
“If you talk about unity, this is maintaining monthly,” said Mohd friends I had when I was young re-
where it begins,” said the 47-year- Nazir. main my close friends to this day,”
old general manager, who took over The knockout matches were held he said.
coaching duties of his team at the
start of this year.  Parents helping with refereeing during
“When this idea was mooted, their children’s football tournament.
we wanted to do something for the
kids, to spend time with them over
the weekend,” explained the
league’s coordinator, Dr Mohd
Nazir Abu Bakar.
He said the tournament had One of the children’s football team tents.
moved beyond football into an en-
deavour that built community in the committee, there are others 10), Senior League (Under 12) and
spirit among participants. who help with refereeing, photog- Premier League (Under 14).
Parents and children from vari- raphy, becoming team managers and This year’s tournament saw the
ous races and localities have taken other responsibilities, Mohd Nazir biggest turnout in its history, with
part in the tournament over the said. 265 children from 24 football teams
years, with many having volunteered The children’s football divisions playing in four divisions.
to help out. are made up of the Junior League Mohd Nazir, whose 13-year-old
Apart from six parents who are (Under 8), Major League (Under son has been playing in the tourna-

New environment-friendly bins for Klang

By Brenda Ch’ng
KLANG: New metal rubbish bins
that can be drilled directly into the
ground will be used by the munici-
pality to encourage the public to keep
the town clean.
The Klang Municipal Council
(MPK) said the new receptacles would
replace the smart bins, which cost the
council RM100,000 annually but were
found to be ineffective because of its
small size.
The  new enviro bins, which are
produced by MPK from 50% recycled
metal, only cost RM90 each.
“Our aim is to provide [environ-
mentally friendly] rubbish bins for
the public, and at the same time re-
duce costs,” said Wan Mohd Sofian
Wan Husain.
The MPK environment director
said the annual budget for bins is now
only RM25,000.
A total of 250 bins will be placed in
busy areas in Klang Utara and Selatan,
Bukit Tinggi and Bandar Baru Klang.
He said 90% of 100 shop owners like
the huge bins, which are placed near
their shops.
The bin’s large opening easily allows
rubbish of all sizes to be thrown in. 
The 10kg bin comes in three differ-
ent colours – silver, blue and orange.
The enviro bin was launched at
MPK’s full board meeting on Tuesday. Wan Mohd presenting the enviro bins.

Petition over delayed Distinguished Police competition

Shah Alam hospital
By Basil Foo
SHAH ALAM: Khalid Samad is
launching a petition to get residents
in this city to express their disap-
pointment over the delay in the
construction of the Shah Alam
Hospital.
“Currently people seeking afford-
able medical treatment have to
travel to Klang,” said the Shah Alam
Member of Parliament.
Khalid pointed out that there are
no public hospitals in Shah Alam, a
major inconvenience especially for
residents who need emergency
medical attention.
The project was halted in the
middle of last year due to legal prob-
lems.
Legal suits between the main
contractor and its subcontractors
Khalid
caused the project’s completion to
be rescheduled to November last
year, and again to this month.
The project was awarded to a
company in 2007 via direct nego-
tiations for RM482 million, and was
slated for completion last August.
“Should the project face further
delays again, the hospital might be
completed only by the end of 2014,”
said Khalid.
SHAH ALAM: The Distinguished
Police-My Vision competition is
being held to promote better rela-
tions between the officers in blue
and the public.
The  public will stand a chance
to win cash prizes by writing on
their experiences with the police
and nominating personnel.
“The competition is open to
Shah Alam residents to write about
their experiences or qualities that
police personnel must have,” said
Khalid Samad.
The Shah Alam MP said submis-
sions should be in an essay format
of not more than 1,500 words, and
can either be based on real experi-
ences or consist of fictional creative
writing.
The essay entries, which can be
in Bahasa Malaysia or English, will
be judged based on writing style,
storyline, and overall message.
“Participants can write as many
essays about [as many] different
experiences as they want, as long as
they submit their entries by July
31,” he said.
Khalid, who spoke during a
press conference on June 1, said the
stories should be of good conduct
and exceptional treatment received
by the participants.
“This is to counter recent nega-
tive reports on police personnel
with bad conduct with stories of
those who did good jobs without
acknowledgement,” he explained.
The prizes for both language
categories include RM1,000 for
first place, RM750 for second, and
RM500 for third.
Those who have received good
service from any Shah Alam police
officer can also nominate him or
her for the Distinguished Police
Award.
“These nominations must be
reports of true experiences of excel-
lent service by a police officer,”
Khalid said.
In nominating their selected
police officer, participants are al-
lowed to write on different experi-
ences in multiple reports.
Families of police personnel are
not eligible to participate.
A RM2,500 cash prize comes
with the award presented to the
first-placed police officer, while the
participant who submitted the re-
port will receive RM500.
The second- and third-placed
police officers will receive RM1,500
and RM1,000, while the two par-
ticipants will receive RM350 and
RM150 for their reports respec-
tively.
Entry forms and other contest
guidelines can be found at www.
khalidsamad.com. Participants can
also get more information by call-
ing 03-55111066 or 03-
551198117.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ JUNE 3 – 5,2010 ⁄ 9

Hefty fine for
apathetic developers
By Chong Loo Wah
 
AMPANG: Developers who
fail  to monitor and  maintain
their hill slopes and flood miti-
gation ponds here will face up
to RM250,000 in fines.
The Ampang Jaya Municipal
Council (MPAJ) said  two
warnings have already been is-
sue to developers and land
owners of risk-prone hills after
heavy rains last month.
“We’ve identified and are
focusing on five sensitive areas,
[namely] Kampung Baru
Cheras, Kampung Bukit Se-
puteh, Kampung Ampang In-
dah, Kampung Datuk Mutif
and Kampung Kemensah,”
said Datuk Mohammad Yacob.
The MPAJ president, speak-
ing after the council’s full board
meeting on Monday, said all
five sites are located on agricul-
tural land.  ally the responsibility of their
He said the council will be
conducting a survey on the ar-
eas to ensure there are no land-
slides or problems of soil ero-
sion.
Mohammad Yacob said
MPAJ has its own hill slope unit
under the engineering depart-
ment, which has been actively
monitoring over 600 slopes
within the municipality.
He said there are eight
members in the unit, and the
members work together with
other local departments to
supervise hill slopes and repair
them swiftly if soil erosion is
detected.
The local council received 35
landslide-related complaints
last month and spent
RM300,000 in repair costs.
According to Mohammad
Yacob, the majority of slopes are
private properties, with fewer
than 10 belonging to the state.
As private hill slopes are re-
respective developers or land-
owners, the local council ex-
news
pects them to cover the cost for
repair.
Mohammad Yacob also said
the Public Works Department
has yet to inform MPAJ of 39
residential areas they have iden-
tified that are located in land-
slide-prone regions. 
He said any development on
Class 3 slopes must be approved
by a state-level committee.
Since the implementation of
Selangor’s hill slope develop-
ment guidelines, four out of six
development projects on Class
3 slopes have been approved,
while the remaining two are still
being reviewed.
Slopes can be divided into
four classes: Class 1 for slopes
below 15 degrees, Class 2 be-
tween 15 and 25 degrees, Class
3 between 25 and 35, and Class
4 above 35 degrees.
Development is totally for-
bidden on Class 4 slopes as they
are classified as environmen-
tally sensitive areas.

Concert to go on as planned
By Basil Foo
SHAH ALAM: The upcom-
ing MTV World Stage con-
cert, slated to be held at I-City
on July 24, has been given the
go-ahead, albeit with certain
rules in place.
“Approvals for the concert
were given early last year. To
me, there is no problem with
the event although they must
observe some restrictions,” said
Khalid Samad
Khalid Ibrahim.
The Menteri Besar, who
spoke to reporters after chair-
ing the weekly state executive
council meeting, said restric-
tions include ending the event
before midnight, observing
decent dress codes and ensur-
ing minimum noise levels.
The concert, organised by
I-City, has been criticised by
Pas lawmaker Khalid Samad
for its potential to cause traf-
fic congestion and noise pol-
lution.
“The entrance roads at the
technology park pass through
housing areas which will in-
convenience residents during
large events,” said the Shah
Alam Member of Parliament.
He said the area is not suit-
ed for big events as it is an
MSC (Multimedia Super Cor-
ridor) entity whose purpose is
for technology expansion.
“If the concert is held
[there], an overflow of traffic
will occur from I-City all the
way out to the Federal High-
way,” he said.
Khalid, during a meeting at
his office on Wednesday ( June
1), claimed that massive traffic
jams were caused by previous
events.
He said he would have no
problem with the concert if it
was held in stadiums that are
equipped to handle big crowds.
“The concert should in-
stead be held at larger venues
like the Bukit Jalil stadium,” he
said, adding that a petition
would be launched against the
concert.
When contacted, I-City
did not respond.

New MPSJ president clocks in

By Brenda Ch’ng Though he already
clocked in for duty at
SUBANG JAYA: Subang Jaya Municipal 8am on Wednesday, he
Council (MPSJ) officially welcomed the arrival is still waiting for his
of their new president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi on swearing-in date to be
Wednesday June 1. announced.
The newly appointed president paid a visit to Meanwhile, council
all the departments in MPSJ on Wednesday to acting president Ab-
greet all staff, and at the same time familiarise dullah Marjunid re-
himself with the building. sumed his post as
Asmawi has been working with the govern- council deputy presi-
ment for 30 years. The first half of that period was dent as of June 1. Datuk Asmawi Kasbi
with the federal government, and the other half Marjunid stepped
with the state government. in to be acting president after former president
His latest position as the Kuala Langat Dis- Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan was promoted as the
trict Land officer ended in May after he was Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing deputy
appointed president of MPSJ. secretary-general in February.
Asmawi had held the previous position since Asmawi will step in to replace Adnan, who had
2005. served as MPSJ president since 2006.
10
news
June 3 — 5, 2011

Religious leaders: Ignore

provocation, stand united ties were plotting to change the
religion of the federation from
Islam to Christianity.
Mujahid’s call for peace was
echoed by another Muslim aca-
demic, Prof Sharil Harahap from
Indonesia.
“Islam and other religions [have
always] emphasised the impor-
tance of [cultivating] peaceful in-
terfaith relationships among vari-
ous religious communities,” said
Sharil at the dinner at Quality
Hotel, Shah Alam.
The Al-Washliyah University
rector also cited the city of Madinah
during Prophet Mohamad’s time as
a perfect model of harmonious liv-
ing among different religious com-
munities.
Malaysian Council of Churches
Over 150 Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims attended the interfaith dinner organised general secretary Reverend Dr Her-
by the state in Shah Alam last Saturday night. men Shastri noted that some people
are frightened to interact with people
By Gan Pei Ling for their own personal gains,” said when interfaith relations in this na- of different faiths as a result of the
  Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who is the tion have been strained by several narrowing of space, and the wrong
SHAH ALAM: Various religious president of Southeast Asian Inter- incidents in the past few years, in- ideas of religions and stereotypes that
leaders were united in their call for faith Networking for Peace. cluding the 2009 cow-head protest are being perpetuated.
peace and respect among their fol- The Parit Buntar Member of and Molotov cocktails attack on “Good interfaith relations can
lowers of different faiths in a dinner Parliament called on Malaysians to churches over the use of the word only be sustained if we are willing to
gathering last Saturday night. respect each other regardless of re- “Allah” by non-Muslims. look inward and accept every other
“We must reject any form of ligion, so that everyone can live to- Recently, a Malay daily also person as a human being. Respect,
manipulation and exploitation of gether peacefully. published unfounded allegations love and treat each other with com-
religion [by unscrupulous people] The message comes at a time by two bloggers that certain par- passion,” said Shastri.
He added that it is crucial to cre-
ate safe spaces for inter-religious
dialogues and for Malaysians to
share their lives.
Malaysia Hindu Sangam Selan-
gor chairperson Ganesh Babu Rao
also called on Malaysians of diverse
religious backgrounds to focus on
the similarities among Malaysians,
rather than the differences.
Malaysian Consultative Council
of Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu,
Sikh and Tao honorary secretary
Prematilaka Serisena also reminded
the 150 attendees to stand united as
Malaysians regardless of faith.
Prematilaka cited memorable
quotes from first Prime Minister
Tunku Abdul Rahman, who stated
his wish to see a diverse yet united
Malaysia.
The interfaith dinner was organ-
ised by the Selangor government.
Executive councillors Dr Halimah
Ali, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and Ron-
nie Liu were present.
Halimah concluded the night by
expressing the state’s wish to
strengthen inter-religious relation-
ships among different communities
in Selangor.
“ We hope Selangor can be-
come a model for other states,”
she said.

An open book for public Running for charity

views By Alvin Yap

KLANG: A run for charity is being organised

above), Women’s Open (13 to 34) and
Women’s Veteran (35 and above).
The 6km run entry fee is RM25, and
By Basil Foo by wealth planners who are setting out to make qualifying time is one hour. It is divided into
a difference.  Men’s Open (10 and above) and Women’s
SHAH ALAM: An avenue for voic- The Admiral 5A Charity Run 2011 will Open (10 and above).
ing out suggestions, hopes and discon- be held on July 31 at Stadium Padang Su- Registration is open at all New Balance/
tent has been made available with a laiman here, and aims to raise funds for two Admiral outlets at 1Utama, Sunway Pyramid,
“mega book” which is open for con- organisations. Jusco Bukit Tinggi, Cheras Leisure Mall, IOI
tributions by the general public. 5A Lifestyle & Wealth Planner Sdn Bhd Mall, and The Gardens MidValley.
Contributions to the book will be executive director Kho Chui Ing said pro- Participants can also register by calling SP
managed by the Selangor Public Li- ceeds will be channelled to the Handicapped Wong (012-3101379), SH Teh (017-
brary Corporation (PPAS), which and Disabled Children’s Association of 3024882), Michelle Yong (017-5580212) or
welcomes the public to submit their Klang, and Beautiful Gate Foundation for Jensen Chong (010- 2424254).
contributions in essay form. the Disabled. The closing date is 12 June or upon the
“The involvement of all levels of Dr Halimah Ali cutting the ribbon to launch
the Selangor Book Fest. Looking on are PPAS
The inaugural race will flag off at 11am and registration of 2,500 entries.
society is encouraged, from commu- director Mastura Muhamad and SACC chief will see seven categories for the 10km and 6km Top 10 winners will receive a pewter trophy
nity leaders, working professionals executive officer Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad. runs, according to age and gender.  and other prizes. All runners who finish the
and labourers to government employ- For the 10km run, the entry fee is RM30 race will also receive goody bags.
ees,” said Dr Halimah Ali. meeting last Thursday (May 26), said this and qualifying time is two hours. It is divided Also at the event was  Stream Enterprise
The state executive councillor, whose was to inculcate a culture of reading in both into the Men’s Open (13 to 19), Men’s Vet- general manager Wei Chong Hwa, whose
portfolio includes education, said this pro- the old and young. eran (40 to 49), Men’s Senior Veteran (50 and company is providing the t-shirts for the run.
gramme is part of an initiative to inculcate On the same day, a writer’s forum will
a culture of knowledge in society. also be held, bringing together prominent
“Professional or amateur writers like authors and aspiring writers to develop the
novelists, freelance writers, columnists and nation’s writing industry.
bloggers are expected to be the main con- “We plan to tap the talent of young writ-
tributors to the book,” said Halimah. ers, give them advice on the writing industry,
This programme is meant to coincide and address the perception that writing is
with the second annual Selangor Knowl- not a profitable career choice,” said Sarwani
edge Day organised by PPAS, which will be Abdul Jalal.
held at the Shah Alam Convention Centre The PPAS Research and Information
(SACC) on June 26. Services Department head said both aspects
Other programmes include a state-wide of writing and reading should be equally
15-minute “reading break” planned from focused on to develop a generation of young
10.45am to 11am on that day. intellectuals.
“All Selangor residents are encouraged to Running concurrently with these pro-
stop wherever they are and pick up a book to grammes is the Selangor Book Fest, which
read on the appointed time and date,” she said. will be held at the convention centre from 5A Lifestyle & Wealth Planner executive directors Tan Yan Kok (left) and Kho
Halimah, who spoke to the press at a June 24 to July 3. (centre) announcing the run last Friday with Stream Enterprise general manager Wei.
 VIEWS 11
JUNE 3 — 5, 2011

Presumptions and Malaysia,

a Jedi nation?
D
ear Lord Bobo, what is a
presumption of innocence?
Is it truly applicable in
Malaysia? @christan_yh, via Twitter
THE presumption of in-
nocence is a fundamental legal
principle of criminal trials. This
simply means that you are presumed
innocent until you have been con-
victed in a court of law.
So from the moment you are ar-
rested by the police, right through
your trial and until the court hands
down a verdict of “guilty”, the law
assumes you are innocent of the
charge against you.
There are important repercus-
A glaring example of this is ambiguous and way cheaper than court decisions that have inter-
when you see people accused of a Scientology. That’s totally under- preted the phrase to pronounce
crime being treated shabbily by standable. Wandering around its scope.
the police – handcuffed, dressed town in a full hooded robe with a This suggests that you can leave
in crappy clothing, held firmly by lightsaber is way cool. You could your former religion and embrace
a big cop or surrounded by a few hire a midget and dress him up as the spirit of Jediism and the ways of
police personnel, treated a boxy droid and call him 12FU to Yoda. And if you do manage to start
roughly and then held in accompany you. up the Temple of the Jedi in the
lockup. Why should The Federal Constitution does Klang Valley somewhere, give us a
you be treated this way not limit the types of religions to call – we’d love to learn the Jedi
until and unless you Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by tether your faith to, unless it is mind trick.
have been convicted of LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com) some deviant Muslim sect as clas- Oh, hang on, you’re not a Muslim
a crime? where all your profound, abstruse, sified by the government. Article are you? We assumed from your
The presumption principle very erudite, hermetic, recondite, 11(1) clearly states that you have Twitter profile picture that you’re
strongly applies in Malaysia – the sagacious, and other thesaurus- the right to profess and practise not. If you are, then sorry, your road
presumption of guilt. You are described queries are answered! your religion. to Jedi-dom may be headed towards
treated as a criminal simply because If you are a Muslim, though, a dead end. You’re likely to be la-
you were caught by the police. innovations. It’s not their fault that propagating Islam is subject to belled things like “traitor to your
Such attitudes often lead to abuse of their experiments sometimes go state law and federal law. That race/religion”.
suspects and witnesses. awry. The most recent innovation is means the government can only You may even be accused by a
It makes the job of a police inves- the presumption of flight. Out of regulate the religion of Islam, but certain prominent someone (he
tigator a hell of a lot easier to pre- windows. They’re still working on not other religions. They are free to doesn’t seem qualified to be called a
sume guilt; if a suspect is innocent, that one. propagate their faith, unshackled “politician” – which says a lot) of
they’d have to start from square one and untouched by the sticky tenta- starting some sort of crusade, or

sions to this. For one, the police are
not supposed to treat you like a
criminal, i.e. someone who has al-
ready been found guilty of a crime
in court. They should not handcuff
you when you are brought to or are
in court. Bail should be readily
given and a lenient conditions set
(unless the offence is so serious i.e.
murder, terrorism).
Even if you held in a lockup, you
should be given access to facilities,
as much and as reasonably as pos-
sible, as any normal citizen. To do
otherwise would be to punish you
before you have been found guilty.
To do those things is to infringe
against this presumption.
While the principle exists in
Malaysia as it does in any civilized
system of law, it suffers the same fate
as many fine legal principles and
government policies – a lack of ap-
plication, borne out of a lack of
appreciation of the principle itself.
C
and find someone else to bang up an I legally change my cles of some Jabatan or other crack wanting to change Malaysia into a
for the crime. r e l i g i o n t o Je d i ? @ taskforce. Jedi nation, and you don’t wanna be
Like all legal principles, there are j un w 3 n , v i a Tw i tte r Luckily for you (and would-be messin’ with that dude. The Force
exceptions, and the Malaysian-style Jedis across the nation), there are against the Farce, that would be
presumption of guilt is the same. If GREETINGS Young Padawan, no laws that limit what “other compelling.
you’re a VIP or well-connected in- May the force be with you and religions” are under the Federal
dividual, then you are exempted thank you for your timely and im- Constitution. There are also no Have a question for Lord Bobo?
from the presumption of guilt. portant question. His Supreme Call on His Supreme Eminence-
If you’re unfortunate enough that Eminenceness is aware that the Jedi ness by emailing asklordbobo@
news of the allegations against you religion is growing in popularity loyarburok.com, stating your
have become known to the public worldwide, asserting itself through full name, and a pseudonym (if
(damn those nosy independent organisations such as the The Tem- you want), or tweeting your
media folk!), you unfortunately will ple of the Jedi Order and Temple of questions by mentioning @Lo-
have to be charged, and the charges the Jedi Force. yarBurok and using the hashtag
made public. But don’t worry, as In 2001, it was officially recog- #asklordbobo. The first 100
there is an endless stream of scandal nized as a religion in the United questions published will receive
and hoopla in Bolehland, your mat- Kingdom. Ten years later, based on monkey-riffic LoyarBurok mer-
ter will soon fall off the radar, and your question, it seems to now be chandise courtesy of Selangor
the charges be wrapped up in old making its way to Malaysian shores, Times . What the hell are you
nasi lemak wax paper and not be buzzing into people’s skulls and waiting for ? Hear This, and
heard of again. spirits like the sound of a good ol’ Tremblingly Obey (although
Let’s not be too hard on the Ma- lightsaber. trembling is optional if you are
laysian authorities. They are at the You obviously feel a strong need somewhere very warm)! Libera-
forefront of investigative procedure, to drop your old boring beliefs and vi Animam Meam! I Have Freed
and are responsible for cutting-edge crank it up with one that is snazzier, My Spirit!

Times of change
we’ve been made to understand. Yet
it seems impossible to talk about
Kthxbai! changes happening around us right
now without recalling the days,
Fahmi Fadzil weeks, and months preceding the
12th General Election, and the re-
the “healthy lifestyle” and “anti-
diabetes” campaign. Very smart,
which kind of reveals that there are
sharp public relations operators
walking the hallways of Putrajaya
these days, and obviously sharper
And so, going forward, are we
going to expect no change at all?
Of course not. These are sensitive
times. The 13GE is near, so there
shouldn’t be too much rocking of
the rakyat’s boat. But would this
are more easily roused, organised,
galvanised, becoming a somewhat
not-too-silent threat hanging by
the bedsides of those who sleep
with power.
Whatever the case may be, the

O
f late, we’ve been
inundated with talk about
withdrawal of subsidies
and subsequently the change in
the price of sugar, RON95, gas,
electricity, etc – some of which
has happened, and some of which
( f o r w ha t e v er e c o n o m i c o r
political reason) has not.
And of course, all this talk has
helped fuel the rakyat’s imagination
that something big is rolling our
way, in the form of the ever-loom-
ing 13th General Election.
Again, much about the date of
13GE is speculative, something
which only Datuk Seri Najib Razak
is privy to – or at least, that’s what
sultant mood or climate surround-
ing public sentiment.
I still remember the heated talk
of “ubah gaya hidup” back then –
particularly vivid is my recollection
of this YouTube video done by
Youth4Change which parodied the
BN administration’s sentiment that
when the going gets tough, the
rakyat gets changing (if petrol
prices skyrocket, just change from
a car to a motorbike, to a bicycle,
to...??).
This time round, the BN admin-
istration has been a bit more savvy
in laying the ground for potential
change in basic goods. For instance,
when it came to sugar, they floated
(or more sensitive) than during the
times of the previous tenants of the
fourth floor.
But what about the petrol and
gas prices? Well, the “performance”
of Umno Youth in fighting to stay
the price of RON95 should suffice
to lower any temporary negative
public sentiments. “At least some-
one spoke up for us” might be the
perceived public’s response.
In any case, there are no changes
in these prices for now at least, even
if the total amount spent on subsi-
dies balloons to somewhere closer
towards the RM20 billion mark.
The Najib administration is literally
biting the bullet.
discussion be different post-
13GE? Maybe. But that’s specula-
tive, and it all depends on who sits
in Putrajaya then!
But an observation: any govern-
ment operating in these “post-
Arab spring” times are becoming
more sensitive to rumblings of the
populace. Perhaps, within the
Malaysian context, the days of be-
ing quiet and just accepting orders
from above are over. Perhaps the
popular mandate is not so obvi-
ously within reach of any particu-
lar group, and thus all who vie for
it must appeal more exhaustively
for the rakyat’s ears.
Perhaps these days, the people
days leading up to the 13GE will be
very exciting indeed. We can already
see the ratcheting-up of sentiments
by all sides, which is a double-edged
sword that must never be allowed to
be raised above our heads.
In fact, we must do what we can
to allay such negative sentiments
and work together to maintain
peace and calm in the country.
Come 13GE, no matter what
kind of change takes place, no mat-
ter who walks the hallways in Putra-
jaya, we can only hope and pray that
change happens democratically,
under peaceful circumstances, and
with our national dignity, sanctity,
and sanity intact.
 Insight
12 June 3 — 5, 2011

Learn
By Alvin Yap

How to support
I
magine having a world of ideas to share, communicate, and,

the needs of a child

most importantly, learn and explore. Now imagine your world
falling apart when “neurological” disabilities or injuries make

who has learning

disabi
it difficult for you to process information, to learn and to interact
and communicate.

disabilities
Learning disability, sometimes called learning disorder, does not
involve physical handicaps like paralysis or blindness, but instead
affects learning skills that others take for granted, such as writing,

If you think your child has a learning disability, send him/her
for clinical assessment and diagnosis.
Clinical assessment and diagnosis
Government hospitals such as Universiti Malaya Medical
not a
speech, reading and comprehension, and mathematical skills.
It is a disease caused by illness, disease or brain injury, and afflicts
some 116,000 Malaysians.
The figure could be higher, as many have yet to be registered
with the Welfare Department.
“Learning disability is caused by Down’s syndrome, autism,

Centre, Selayang Hospital and Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia can run tests to determine if your child is learning-
disabled. The Psychology departments at Sunway University
and Help University College can also conduct tests.
Basic assessment
The following organisations can also carry out basic assessment
of your child: Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, Nasom
(National Autistic Society of Malaysia), Emmanuel Care Centre
(primary school age) and Malaysian Care (below six years of age).
The next step is to enrol your child in a learning disabilities
intervention programme.
Intervention programmes
What is Early Intervention Programme (EIP)?
• Early Intervention is a concept that promotes help at the
earliest possible age so that learning potential can be fully
developed.
• It equips parents to teach and manage their child better and
enable them to prepare for their child’s future.
• It helps prevent secondary complications such as
behavioural problems
Why EIP?
• Early and intensive intervention can have a profound impact
on the quality of life for both children at risk and their families.
• With proper intervention, a child can overcome a wide range
of developmental, behavioural and learning problems.
• EIP should begin from birth to six years old.
EIP may be conducted once or twice a week for two to three
hours.
• Activities carried out may include individual work, group
work, computer access, physical activities, art and craft,
roleplaying, story time, singing and music.
• The programme should seek to stimulate all areas of a child’s
development such as normal and fine motor skills, cognitive
skills, social and communication skills, and behavioural
management.
Wendy Yeong joined disabled
learning advocacy group United Voice
(UV) in 2005, and was later offered a Yeong’s long and winding road
barrie
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and cerebral
palsy. It is also caused by meningitis, or accidents that cause
traumatic brain injuries,” said Wendy Yeong Moh Foong, a public
relations manager at United Voice (UV), a learning disability
advocacy group.
She pointed out that these disorders can hinder a person’s
ability to learn, and prevent them from
mastering simple skills or completing tasks
on their own.
“People with learning disabilities have
difficulties with spoken and written lan-
guage, coordination, self-control or focus-
ing attention on specific tasks,” she added.
This includes physical movements that
may be erratic or uncoordinated.
As learning disability is caused by brain
disorders, it cannot be cured. However,
victims can alleviate their predicament if
they are sent to support groups that provide
intervention programmes and training.
Yeong pointed out that in the past, the
public was fixated on Down’s syndrome
and other disorders, rather than the overall
big picture that learning disorders can be
overcome with intervention, training and
the right support.
Yeong said the public is more aware of UV’s art gallery, which showcases members’ artwork.
learning disabilities now compared with 20
years ago, when having a child with Down’s She said there is no stigma associated with found jobs for its unemploye
syndrome or autism, or even talking about learning disability, but job prospects remain The project, which began
the subject, was considered taboo. low due to misconceptions that these people eight employees, now has
Yeong pointed out that there are now are slow learners. They receive monthly salari
more special schools in the country that The graduate-turned-social worker said bonuses apart from being cov
serve people with learning disabilities, and there are comprehensive programmes for the social security organisat
there are also charity and welfare clubs like these people to master basic to intermedi- Part of the project involv
Kiwanis Malaysia that conduct basic to ate skills. Gallery, which showcases so
intermediate learning courses. She said UV’s Employment Project has paintings and sculptures.
Some of the paintings have
up by art collectors, while ot
bought by corporations as pa
porate Social Responsibility

to self-confidence
supervisor’s  post at the Employment Some paintings have fet
Project. of RM3,000.    
“I have a learning disability,” said Yeong said other groups li
Yeong, who thought she was a slow Utama Methodist Church
learner at an early age as she had trou- her parents advised her to go and look Yeong to sign up for the tensive and comprehensive c
ble keeping up with her class. for a job. Employment Project. people with learning disab
“From [Standard Six] onwards, I “I told them I did not know how to Yeong said working at the working skills.
was having problems understanding find work, especially with my learning Employment Project pro- However, there is still so
the teacher during lessons,” said Yeo- disability,” she said matter-of-factly. vided her with the responsi- before these people can be f
ng, 30, who hails from Perak. In 2004, Yeong enrolled at the Day bility and space to develop into the workforce, said Yeo
She was frustrated with her inabil- Training Centre for slow learners and her leadership skills. She pointed out that these
ity to follow lessons, and began to hate St Paul’s Anglican Church in Petaling In 2009, she was offered only be fully accepted into th
school as a result. Jaya, for those with mild learning a super visor’s post. She the government commits to
Luckily, a teacher of her Form One disabilities. oversees the arts and crafts tional schools for them to lea
class recognised that she was showing She was taught intermediate living department, where some 26 “Among the skills we know
signs of learning disability, and rec- and basic work skills by her trainer. members are employed to learning disabilities] have
ommended to her parents that she be Most importantly, the trainer got her make greeting cards, fridge housekeeping, baking, sew
sent for further checks. a job at a packing line in a factory. magnets and other items. dressing,” said Yeong.
Yeong’s father sent her to a child However, due to her disability, she Yeong guides and gives One of the reasons emplo
psychologist, who confirmed that she quit and went to work at a college advice to the members in a from employing disabled
had a learning disability. He told her library. “quiet and teaching” man- perception that they fare bad
she could only learn and keep up with Yeong pointed out that her former ner whenever they struggle sonal relationships.
lessons taught in a special class. employers did not know how to deal with a task. and UV’s support group. Yeong acknowledged tha
However, she was still going to a with her condition. “I’m happy working at [UV]. I She pointed out that learning dis- abilities cause problems in co
normal school, and later sat for her  “I quit that job and was looking for think I [would not have obtained] this ability programmes can assist those and those with the conditio
PMR examination, which she failed. work when I came to [UV’s] office to supervisor’s position in other compa- with such disability to overcome their problems expressing thems
“I stayed at home after that, and sign up as a member,” she said. nies,” she said. handicaps. due to their limited vocabul
never went back to school. I told my She approached the owner of the Yeong has also been invited as guest Asked about her future plans, However, she pointing o
parents I did not want to study,” restaurant below UV’s office here in- speaker at institutes of higher learning Yeong said she is content to stay on attend speech and commun
Yeong said. Section 17/12 to ask for work, but as to talk about learning disability.  with her organisation. to improve themselves.
She spent a few years at home, chance would have it, another member She is thankful for the support, love “I am taking life one day at a time,”   As such, sustainable em
helping out with house chores, but overheard her conversation and told and care she receives from her family she said. concern to learning disabi
ning UV members
working to
complete
handicraft

ilities
items at the
Employment
Project.

er
Yeong

Leading a normal,
Fine ink and pencil drawing of the Petronas twin towers and Tanjung
Karang pier.
contented life
Izzudin Nordin, 23, shows up for
ed members. like UV and other groups. ties should assert their rights, but more work here at the Employment Project.
n in 2003 with There is a higher rate of job turnovers importantly, must be given the oppor- His father sends him to United Voice’s
s 26 workers. with employees with learning disabili- tunity to lead and to join the workforce. office from their home in Kelana Jaya.
ies and annual ties, and groups like UV are embarking Yeong said that learning disabled Others may not see Izzudin as
vered by Socso, on job coaching to ensure that they are groups must speak out for themselves “normal”, but he is like any other
tion. employable. with the concept of self-advocacy. person. He likes his work, he has
ves the UV Art Under this programme, a suitably She said that given the right to be friends, and he ruminates over life.
ome impressive qualified volunteer guides a disabled em- heard, learning disabled people can and He has Down’s syndrome, and the
ployee through job tasks with after-work will advocate their needs and demands. features that are associated with the
e been snapped tutoring, teaching of interpersonal skills “A person with mild learning dis- condition are visible on his face.
thers have been and counselling. ability self-advocates by voicing [his or “I like my work here. I get to do
art of their Cor- A report card from the employers is her] views. A person with severe learning things that I like,” he said, as he went
y programme. closely monitored by the job coach, who disability self-advocates by [his or her] back to making greeting cards at his
tched upward can then take necessary action to guide presence in a public meeting.” workstation.
and teach the disabled person. She said our part would be to listen and Izzudin knows he is special, different
ike Damansara “It is done so that an employee with to champion that right. from others. He said it does not bother
operate an in- learning disabilities is suitable to the em- “At the end of the day, we must ac- him that others may think less of him
course that help ployer’s specifications and stays employ- knowledge their inherent right to be in because of his learning disabilities, and
ilities to learn able at the workplace,” said Yeong. and part of society, and we must see that especially his Down’s syndrome.
She said people with learning disabili- it is upheld together,” Yeong said. “I have gained independence,” he
ome way to go pointed out. Izzudin: “I have shown to people
fully absorbed He said he is thankful for life as he that I can be independent.”
ong. is healthy, and can work to support
e people would himself. multinational company was visiting
he workforce if Izzudin gives a part of salary to his United Voice on the day Izzudin and
o opening voca- parents for groceries and other others were being interviewed.
arn trade skills. household expenses. The manager said her company was
w people [with “I have shown to people that I can thinking of getting a thousand pieces
mastered are be independent,” he said. of greeting cards, and options for
wing and hair- The work is simple by “normal” another few thousand pieces of
people’s standards, but advocates at refrigerator magnets.
oyers shy away United Voice say it gives these people “The quality of work is really fine,”
people is the a “worthwhile” job that they might the manager said.
dly in interper- not otherwise be able to secure in Izzudin wondered what the fuss was
other places. about as people crowded around his
at learning dis- The diligence Izzudin and his workstation.
ommunication, friends show at work reaps benefits He excused himself and went back
on might have when they are also paid yearly bonuses. to his job.
selves at work However, the best acclaim they get “Okay, thank you, I have to get back
lary. is when their clients visit the gift shop to work now,” he said.
out that many and are amazed at the quality of work As he sat down, his features melted
nication classes that goes into the art and handicraft into a contented smile, happy that he
items. and his colleagues were appreciated by
mployment is a The procurement manager of a others.
ility advocates Some of the members’ paintings.
14
NEWS
JUNE 3 — 5, 2011

New crematorium for

Puchong by November
By Basil Foo facility would be set at a reasonable price, as
the state was not looking to profit from the
PUCHONG:  Construction of a new cre- crematorium.
matorium to cater to the needs of the growing A fifth crematorium is slated to be built in
township has started at Bandar Puchong Kajang, but not enough funds have been ac-
Utama.
 cumulated for the project yet. 
“There have been many requests for ad- “The state is looking to add more cremato-
ditional crematoriums in Selangor. The riums to cut travel time for people from rural
Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) will areas who need to use them,” said Dr Xavier
be the fourth local council to have one,” said Jeyakumar.  
Ronnie Liu.
 The state executive councillor, whose port-
The state executive councillor, whose port- folio includes caring government, said those
folio includes local government, said the new from poorer families wanting to use the facil-
facility will help ease demands on other crema- ity could apply to use it for free. 
toriums in Klang, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam. Putra Heights Buddhist Society president
The crematorium is scheduled to be com- Chua Teck Seong thanked the authorities for
pleted in November, and will cost RM1.2 this public service initiative.
million, inclusive of construction and the “Puchong has grown massively over the years
purchase of an incinerator.
 to reach about 600,000 people. Half of that is
Liu said his office and MPSJ will allocate estimated to be Buddhist. This facility would
a further RM100,000 and RM300,000 re- be beneficial for many families,” said Chua. Arumugam (right) explaining details of the building plan. Looking on are Loka Ng
spectively for a second incinerator. Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs (left, in background), Liu, Michael Tamilarason, Dr Xavier (with sunglasses) and
Liu, who spoke at the project’s ground- secretary G Gunaraj also thanked the state Abdullah Marjunid (with cap).
breaking ceremony last Saturday, said it was government and MPSJ for the project.
Also
necessary to buy another unit to keep the present were officials from the Serdang Bud- son Hannah Yeoh, and MPSJ deputy presi- Ng Sai Kai, Edward Ling Sieak Meeng, Kes-
crematorium running in the event that the dhist association and a Sikh temple. dent Abdullah Marjunid.
 hminder Singh, Chin Sou Bong and Michael
main incinerator broke down.
 Officiating the event were Puchong MP Also present were  MPSJ councillors K Tamilarason, along with Sepang Municipal
He said the payment for families to use the Gobind Singh Deo, Subang Jaya assemblyper- Arumugam, Pooi Weng Keong, R Rajiv, Loka Council member M Pulanthran.

Microcredit workshop Unity still strong among

for stall owners
By Basil Foo
PUCHONG:  Small traders
from all over Selangor took part
in a basic training workshop held
on May 26 on how to utilise Se-
langor’s Urban Poor Microcredit
(Mimbar) programme.
“For those with no money,
their plans remain just dreams.
But once they have money, those
plans become achievable ambi-
tions,” said Mohamad Noor
Mahmud.
The Selangor Mimbar senior
marketing manager fielded ques-
tions from 150 stall owners dur-
ing the workshop, which was
held at Puchong Indah’s multi-
purpose hall.
Mohamad Noor said the mi-
crocredit scheme, applicable for
those earning less than RM1,500,
is intended to be an easier alter-
native to applying for a bank
loan.
“We don’t ask for your busi-
ness permit or bank account
number. This is meant to help
poor families to work and sustain
themselves,” he said.
On whether stall owners
could repay their loans before the
predetermined due date, Moha-
mad Noor said they should hold
on to their money.
“Instead of facing shortage of
finances and applying for a loan
again next time, use your money
to expand your business further,”
he suggested.
Halim
Abdul Halim Khusairi, who
runs a burger and fried chicken
stall in Taman Tun Perak, Ch-
eras, brought up the concerns of
Mimbar applicants from his part
of town.
The 44-year-old residents’
committee chairperson said he
had been asked by residents to
find out the status of their micro-
credit applications.
“Many have applied for the
loans months ago but do not
know the status of their applica-
tions,” he said.
Halim, who has been operat-
ing his stall for the past three
years, received a RM3,000 loan
from the microcredit scheme
after applying for RM5,000.
Hasnah Abd Manap, who sells
nasi lemak in Puchong, asked if
she could sell dishes that were not
included in her initial loan ap-
plication form.
“What if we find that the de-
mand for our products was de-
creasing? Can we sell nasi ayam
in addition to nasi lemak?” asked
the 41-year-old.
She was told that stall owners
are encouraged to diversify if it
could bring in more profits, as the
goal of the loan is to help them
succeed in business.
Hasnah, who has been work-
ing at her present stall for the past
two years, applied for a RM2,000
loan but has yet to receive it.
Mimbar public relations man-
ager Nor’Ain Eusoff said 104
small business owners received
their loan offer letters on May 26,
and would receive the money
within two weeks.
Officiating the event was Sub-
ang Municipal Council 3C Com-
plex senior director Haini Mohd
Salleh, Puchong MP Gobind
Singh Deo, Taman Medan as-
semblyperson Hanizah Talha,
and Meru assemblyperson Dr
Abdul Rani Osman.
Hasnah
the races
By William Tan
GOMBAK: Over a hundred peo-
ple of all races gathered for a dinner
a t D e w a n Mu h i b b a h i n Ta -
man  Bolton last Saturday to cele-
brate unity and foster relationships
among one another.
“This is a great way to celebrate
unity and a great way to meet all our
friends. I only wish it was bigger,” said
Akrun Mathajar, 52.
The Kampung Sri Gombak Resi-
dents Association member said  no-
tions of racial divisional are merely
political, and he never found it to be
an issue on the ground.
He believes that any indication of
racial segmentation should be  re-
moved, such as the declaration need-
ed for one’s IC application.
Lim Boon Dak, 68, was of the
same opinion, saying he always finds
that most people, regardless of race,
tend to be friendly.
“I do admit that we are drifting
apart these days compared to 20, 30
years before, [but] I believe it has to
do with unfair policies, and I don’t
think the right policies are properly
implemented,” he said.
He added that Malaysians in gen-
eral are united, and that in most situ-
ations, it simply boils down to toler-
ance, compromise, and pure civic
sense.
These are values and essentially a
way of life that young people should
be cultivated into in order to truly
promote unity and harmony, Lim
added.
Youth, therefore, are the agents of
Akrun Mathajar: Racial
segmentation should be
eliminated.
change, says Khoo Kim Suan, 37.
The representative of Triumphant
Christian Centre believes that more
youth-oriented activities encouraging
unity should be carried out.
“We need focused activities with a
clear and consistent purpose, in order
to truly bring people together,” she
said, citing the example of youth
leadership training seminars, where
people of all races can come together
and pass on useful skills and experi-
ences.
She believes there should be fewer
speeches made and more action taken
by leaders to demonstrate themselves
as role models.
Resident Gobula Krishnan, 50,
said the change in state government
has been the main catalyst for racial
unity.
He said while there was clear seg-
mentation before, a greater mixing of
the races has been more obvious since
the government took over the state.
The event was officiated by Sri
Andalas assemblyperson Dr Xavier
Jayakumar.
 Features15 June 3 — 5, 2011

Know Your Councillor:

Tai Cheng Heng
SUBANG JAYA: Making sure mu-
nicipality contractors repair potholes
promptly to avert accidents is a major
concern for Tai Cheng Heng.
“It is their job to identity the pot-
holes, prioritise the ones that need ur-
gent attention, and
take action immedi-
ately,” said the Subang
According to Tai, many parking
spaces in Seri Kembangan are occupied
by illegal hawkers and street traders.
Customers of the stalls double park
along the road, causing massive traffic
congestion all day long.
“What used to be
a proper two-lane
road lined with par-

Dragon Boat
Jaya Municipal (MPSJ) allel parking is now a Source: penangdragonboat.gov.my
councillor. one-lane road with
Tai, 49, wants the no space for cars to
council to be more park,” he said.
proactive in dealing As a so lution,

with public concerns,
especially those that
pose a hazard to health
and safety.
The three-term
councillor said he fre-
qu entl y g e ts c om-
plaints on dead trees,
clogged drains and
rubbish.
He pointed out that
many such complaints
are repetitive because
of the poor or slow response by the
municipality.  For the future, Tai is hoping to help
Tai and his fellow councillors are
trying to come up with a system that
enables them to monitor the efficiency
of the respective MPSJ departments
and their contractors.
This would help them oversee con-
tractors who have been assigned jobs by
the council and make sure they com-
plete their projects without delay.
The civil-engineering graduate said
this system is urgently needed because
residents have started to lament that
some contractors are negligent in car-
rying out their work.  Any advertisement left unpaid will
Tai is also looking into improving the
traffic conditions in Seri Kembangan.
“Most traffic congestion in Seri
Kembangan stems from narrow roads
and illegal double parking,” he said.
Festival celebration
MPSJ has approved a
project to shift all
these illegal traders
to a ne w market
where they will all be
issued licences to By Brenda Ch’ng The “bak chang”, made of glutinous rice
trade legally. filled with meat, bean paste or egg yolk, will be
The relocating will K L A N G : Klang MP Charles Santiago judged based on how nicely the dumplings are
take between three wants the Dragon Boat Festival to be recognised wrapped and presented.
and four months. as part of Malaysian heritage and be celebrated The “bak chang” (pic) is usually wrapped in
Tai hopes that by all races. bamboo leaves and tied with string. “Bak”
with the illegal trad- The Dragon Boat Festival, or means “meat” in Hokkien, and
ers and hawkers out more commonly known as the “chang” means “dumpling”.
of the way, traffic will improve in his area. Dumpling Festival, is cele- According to Chinese his-
brated annually on the tory, this festival commemo-
generate more revenue for MPSJ to fifth day of the fifth lunar rates the minister of the
help them increase their budgets and month of the Chinese state of Chu, who drowned
enable more funding of projects re- calendar.  while fighting corruption
quested by the residents. “My office is going to in China.
“One way of generating profits for promote the festival this Following his death, the
MPSJ is to charge advertisers who adver- year so that everyone can people sailed the river in
tise on the council’s billboards in their be enlightened about how boats bearing the head and tail
area,” he said. and why this festival is cele- of a dragon in search of their
In the past, advertisers have been us- brated,” said Santiago. minister’s body.
ing the billboards without paying any- Santiago will be organising this After failing to retrieve the body,
thing to MPSJ. Now, they will have to festival, which falls on June 4, with Klang they started throwing dumplings into the river
pay a fee to the council before they are Municipal (MPK) Councillors, residents as- to ensure that his corpse would not be eaten by
allowed to put up banners. sociations in Bukit Tinggi, and the state gov- fishes.
ernment. The festival has since been a colourful event,
be deemed illegal. There will be a colouring competition open featuring dragon boat races with audiences
Tai is on the hunt to get more adver- to children aged four to seven, and a “bak cheering them on with dumplings.
tisers and direct them to MPSJ to help chang” wrapping competition open to all ages The Dumpling Festival organised by Santi-
them get their advertisements up on the and races. ago will be held on Saturday, June 4, at Jakes
council’s billboards. Winners will be rewarded with cash prizes, Station in Bukit Tinggi 2, Klang from 10am to
certificates and trophies on that day. 12.30pm.

T
he Asian Youth Championship is the perfect
event for Malaysia to benchmark our talent.
This year, with the delegation almost com-
pletely made up of our best young players, I took
particular interest in the final standings and their
Roshan shows his mettle
rating performance.
Taking that into account, it is only with those 14
Get smart!
years and above that we can consider the results to
be stable and indicative.
Play chess!
Teh De Zen, who finished fourth in the U-10
Girls, and Roshan Ajeet Singh, who performed best By Peter Long
at 1829 and gained a whopping 17.8 rating points, peterlong@aol.asia
were the standouts. You can judge for yourself from
the featured game.
India and China are the super-
powers of Asian chess and fight on the strong Mongolian players, 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 g6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4.
equal terms on the world stage. It is together with his draw against f3 d5 5.e3 Bg7 6. Bd3 0-0 7. Nge2
not often that a young Malaysian is another highly ranked Indian and a Be6 8. Qd2 c6 9. Nf4 Bf7 10. h4
able to dismantle a significantly Filipino talent. Qc8 11. h5 Nxh5 12. Nxh5 gxh5
higher-rated and much better- 13. 0-0-0 e6 14. g4 hxg4 15. fxg4
trained opponent from the land of Roshan Ajeet Singh (MAS – Bg6 16. Rdg1 Nd7 17. gxf5 exf5
World Chess Champions (India 1856)–Nayak R akesh Kumar 18. Qh2 Nf6 19. Ne2 Nh5 20. Ng3
took a clean sweep of the medals at (IND – 2021) Nxg3 21. Rxg3 Rf7 22. Rh3 Bf8
the Asian Youth!). Asian Youth Championship 23. Be2 Qe6 24. Bf4 Bg7 25. Bh5
This game, which shows Roshan’s (U-14) – Round 5 Rff8 26. Bxg6 hxg6 27. Rh7 Bf6
strongest side, was published in 28. Qh6 Qe8
several local chess blogs, but no less Subic, Philippines 2011
impressive was his two wins against 29.Bg5 Qf7 30.Rh8+ 1-0
16
media
June 3 — 5, 2011

Sunway Pyramid bags Attractions aplenty

retail development award for racing fans
SHAH ALAM: Sunway Pyramid
did Malaysia proud when it re-
cently clinched the prestigious Prix
d’Excellence Award 2011 award at
the recent FIABCI World Con-
gress 2011 in Cyprus.
The Malaysian development
was named the overall winner in
the retail development category,
which saw worldwide entries
judged by a panel of international
real estate professionals and ex-
perts from the US, United King-
dom, Germany, Japan and many
other countries.
The mall, with four million
square feet and 800 outlets, ex-
celled ahead of other entries in the
areas of concept, architecture, en-
gineering, profitability, marketing
results, environmental impact and
benefits to the society.
Continuing its signature Egyp-
tian-inspired architecture, the
mall differentiate d its entr y
through its thematic shopping
precincts – Shopping Central,
Oasis Boulevard, Asian Avenue
and Marrakesh.
Sunway Pyramid also made
significant breakthroughs in the
implementation of various systems
By Basil Foo
SUBANG JAYA: A dance mob
kicked off the Super GT Interna-
tional Series Malaysia leg during
its launch at the Empire Shopping
Gallery here last Saturday.
The Super GT International
Series Malaysia leg, which will be
held on June 18 and 19 at the Sepang
International Circuit, will have a
carnival-like atmosphere with many
side events planned.
“It will be the first time that two
major rave parties are held the night
before the race – Velocita and
Femme Fatale,” said Chin Jit Pyng.
Ngeow receiving the award from (centre) Lakis Tofarides,  The JPM Motorsports founder,
president of Cyprus Land and Building Developers Association. who spoke to a crowd of race
Looking on is Enrico Campagnoli. enthusiasts and mall-goers at the
launch, said the rave parties would
in the shopping mall industry. rector Datuk Ngeow Voon Yean consist of R&B and trance music,
Among the notable innovations received the award from Cyprus with celebrities and top inter-
are the Car Park Guiding System, Land and Building Developers’ national DJs.  as the state’s official tourism board
which allows motorists to locate Association president Lakis Tofa- He said the race would also host
vacant carpark bay quickly through rides at the award presentation the first rock concert to be held on
indicators on the ceiling; waterless ceremony. the track itself, which will feature
urinals, which eliminate the need Also present were FIABCI local bands like Hujan, Azlan and
for water flushing ; dual access World President Enrico Campag- the Typewriter, and Indonesian
ramps from both sides of the high- noli, FIABCI Prix d’Excellence band Radja.
way; and an auxiliary police force Awards 2011 president Laszlo The race will also offer a Touch
as part of its security. Gonczi, and FIABCI Cyprus presi- and Go special-edition Super GT
Sunway Pyramid managing di- dent Dinos Michaelidas. card, which comes with every grand-
stand ticket purchase. 
“These cards will allow visitors to
shop cashless on that day. Don’t
forget to use it after the event for
tolls,” Chin said.
The race is being heralded as
the only leg of the Super GT to be
held outside of Japan, with GT
queens and Japanese drummers
brought into the country to liven
up the scene. 
Race-goers can expect meet-
and-greet sessions with famous
racers, a flea market with 60 stalls,
and a kid’s zone with painting
competitions and clowns. 
The event will be carried by
main broadcasters RTM, with all
nine rounds of the race available
for public viewing on national
television.
Tourism S elang or will b e
assisting the advertising of the event
and will be promoting the race in
their capacity. 
The trophy this year was designed
and sponsored by Temasek Pewter,
who will also be giving away a
duplicate trophy to one lucky win-
ner during the race.
For more information or to buy
tickets, visit www.supergt.com.my.

Al-Fatihah
Our Deepest and Heartfelt Condolences to
His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj
Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
D.K. D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu).,D.K. (Kelantan)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Perlis)., D.K. (Negeri Sembilan).,
D.K. (Kedah)., D.K. (Johor).,S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J.
and
THe SelAngoR RoyAl FAmIly
on the demise of

HIS RoyAl HIgHneSS’ beloved moTHeR

yAng mAHA mulIA PAdukA bondA RAjA SelAngoR
RAjA SAIdATul IHSAn bInTI Tengku bAdAR SHAH
on
31`st may 2011 (27 jamadilAkhir 1432 H)
“Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya”
from
The management & Staff of
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ June 3 – 5, 2011 ⁄ 17

Al-Fatihah
Our Deepest and Heartfelt Condolences to

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj

Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
D.K. D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu).,D.K. (Kelantan)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Perlis)., D.K. (Negeri Sembilan).,
D.K. (Kedah)., D.K. (Johor).,S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J.

and

The Selangor Royal Family

on the demise of

His Royal Highness’ beloved mother

yang Maha Mulia Paduka Bonda Raja Selangor
Raja Saidatul Ihsan BINTI Tengku Badar Shah

on

31`st May 2011 (27 JamadilAkhir 1432 H)

“Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya”

from

The Menteri Besar of Selangor

Tan Sri Dato Seri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim

&

members of State Executive Council, the state government

and the people of Selangor
18 ⁄ June 3 – 5, 2011 ⁄ SELANGOR TIMES

Al-Fatihah
Our Deepest and Heartfelt Condolences to

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj

Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
D.K. D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu).,D.K. (Kelantan)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Perlis)., D.K. (Negeri Sembilan).,
D.K. (Kedah)., D.K. (Johor).,S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J.

and

The Selangor Royal Family

on the demise of

His Royal Highness’ beloved mother

yang Maha Mulia Paduka Bonda Raja Selangor
Raja Saidatul Ihsan BINTI Tengku Badar Shah

on

31`st May 2011 (27 JamadilAkhir 1432 H)

“Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya”

from

The Chairman, Board of Directors,

Subsidiaries Group, Management & Staff of
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ June 3 – 5, 2011 ⁄ 19

Al-Fatihah
Our Deepest and Heartfelt Condolences to

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj

Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
D.K. D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu).,D.K. (Kelantan)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Perlis)., D.K. (Negeri Sembilan).,
D.K. (Kedah)., D.K. (Johor).,S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J.

and

The Selangor Royal Family

on the demise of

His Royal Highness’ beloved mother

yang Maha Mulia Paduka Bonda Raja Selangor
Raja Saidatul Ihsan binti Tengku Badar Shah

on

31`st May 2011 (27 JamadilAkhir 1432 H)

“Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya”

from

The Management & Staff of

20 ⁄ June 3 – 5, 2011 ⁄ SELANGOR TIMES

Al-Fatihah
Our Deepest and Heartfelt Condolences to

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj

Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
D.K. D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu).,D.K. (Kelantan)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Perlis)., D.K. (Negeri Sembilan).,
D.K. (Kedah)., D.K. (Johor).,S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J.

and

The Selangor Royal Family

on the demise of

His Royal Highness’ beloved mother

yang Maha Mulia Paduka Bonda Raja Selangor
Raja Saidatul Ihsan binti Tengku Badar Shah

on

31`st May 2011 (27 JamadilAkhir 1432 H)

“Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya”

from

The Management & Staff of

Yayasan Selangor
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ June 3 – 5, 2011 ⁄ 21

Al-Fatihah
Our Deepest and Heartfelt Condolences to

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj

Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
D.K. D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu).,D.K. (Kelantan)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Perlis)., D.K. (Negeri Sembilan).,
D.K. (Kedah)., D.K. (Johor).,S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J.

and

The Selangor Royal Family

on the demise of

His Royal Highness’ beloved mother

yang Maha Mulia Paduka Bonda Raja Selangor
Raja Saidatul Ihsan BINTI Tengku Badar Shah

on

31`st May 2011 (27 JamadilAkhir 1432 H)

“Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya”

from

The Chairman, Board of Directors, Management & Staff of

Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad

Tingkat 25, Wisma MBSA, Persiaran Perbandaran, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel: 03-5510 7105 / 7233 / 7234 Faks: 03-5510 7232 / 5512 9528 E-mel: admin@pnsb.com.my Laman Web: www.pnsb.com.my
Tingkat 25, Wisma MBSA, Persiaran Perbandaran, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel: 03-5510 7105 / 7233 / 7234 Faks: 03-5510 7232 / 5512 9528 E-mel: admin@pnsb.com.my Laman Web: www.pnsb.com.my
25th Floor, Wisma MBSA, Persiaran Perbandaran, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel: 03-5510 7105 / 7233 / 7234 Fax: 03-5510 7232 / 5512 9528 E-mail: admin@pnsb.com.my Website: www.pnsb.com.my
25th Floor, Wisma MBSA, Persiaran Perbandaran, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel: 03-5510 7105 / 7233 / 7234 Fax: 03-5510 7232 / 5512 9528 E-mail: admin@pnsb.com.my Website: www.pnsb.com.my
22
Gallery
JUNE 3 — 5, 2011

Desmond Teh coaching his

children's football team, Team
Rhinos, who are part of the
Subang Jaya Community Youth
Football League.

Construction begins on a new crematorium in Bandar Puchong Utama. State executive

councillor Ronnie Liu sits in the driver’s seat accompanied by fellow exco Dr Xavier Jeyakumar
on his left, Puchong MP Gobind Singh and Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh
(standing), and other councillors.

Councillor R Rajiv painting a fire hydrant during the joint initiative between
SS17, Subang Jaya residents and the Bomba last Saturday. On Rajiv’s
right is Rukun Tetangga USJ 2 and USJ 6 president Ang How Chuan, and
on his left is SS17 fire station chief Deputy Superintendent Khairi Daud.
Surrounding them are residents and students from SMK Seafield’s Fire and
Rescue Cadets.

Models looking classy in the French colours of the Salabianca collection at Sunway Pyramid, A dance mob kicking off the Super GT International Series Malaysia leg
which concluded its fashion month of May with an exclusive fashion preview finale last during its launch at the Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya last
Thursday (May 26). Saturday.

A dazzling, top-notch
Cabaret
(Above) Stephanie Van Driesen shone as Sally Bowles. (Below) Scenes from the musical.
By Terence Toh  button. Featuring Edwin Sumun;
What good is sitting alone in your room?
Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret! 
– Sally Bowles, Cabaret 
J ohn Kander and Fred Ebb’s Cabaret, one of the
most beloved and influential musicals in history,
was staged by PAN Productions at the Kuala
Lumpur Performing Arts Centre from May 6 to 15.
This musical, like its main characters, is a strange
marriage of odd contrasts: juxtaposing tongue-in-
cheek, humorous musical numbers with dark themes
such as decadence, prejudice and the disillusionment
from false dreams. In less capable hands, the show
could have felt awkward and jarring, its extreme tone
changes causing its audience to disconnect.
Thankfully, due to a spirited cast and capable
directing, PAN’s Cabaret succeeded.
The most notable aspect of this production was its
extremely inspired staging: every inch of the relatively
small stage space of KLPAC’s Pentas 2 was effectively
used. Backdrops, moving scenery, overhead railings,
and set pieces were all put into play, serving very well
in establishing the musical’s many settings.
Whether it was the tense atmosphere of a wedding
party that slowly turns wrong, the intimate chambers
of protagonist Clifford Bradshaw’s room, or the glitz
of the stage at the Kit Kat Club, space was utilised
fantastically in this production, with scenes dramatised
and transitioned to and from, capably.
The cast did a wonderful job. One of the best
things about this staging of Cabaret was its effective
balancing of both the stage band and its performer’s
vocals, thus avoiding the problem faced by many local
musicals: that of the performer being drowned out by
music. Every lyric of every song was clear throughout,
which is truly commendable.
Peter Davis did a decent job as Clifford Bradshaw,
his serious, controlled demeanor an effective foil
to the larger-than-life personalities of the other
characters.
Stephanie Van Driesen shone as the promiscuous,
emotional cabaret performer Sally Bowles, her rich,
mellow voice proving to be mesmerising on numbers
such as the hopeful Maybe This Time and the soaring
title song.
While her character’s over-the-top mannerisms
can occasionally grate, Van Driesen succeeded in
her performance, bringing Sally Bowles to life as a
frivolous, selfish attention seeker very well aware of her
own faults, desperately retreating into her façade of a
carefree, seductive performer as escapism.
Alizakri Alias and Zalina Lee performed wonderfully
as unlikely couple Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider,
their unexpected, tragic romance forming the
emotional heart of Cabaret.
The undisputed star, however, was Peter Ong, who
was simply fantastic as the flamboyant, androgynous
Emcee, stealing the show with his outrageous outfits
and wild behaviour.
Managing to be both likeable as well as menacing,
Ong’s performances – particularly in The Money Song
and If You Could See Her – were a delight, often
serving as sharp commentary on human behavior as
well as the events of the play.
The supporting cast also gave good performances,
with Bernie Chan in particular delivering a memorable
performance as sailor-crazy lodger Fraulein Kost.
Cabaret’s ensemble performed well together, and
their big number at the end of Act One, the dark
anthem Tomorrow Belongs To Me, was the highlight of
the show. Dancing, while not fantastic or particularly
memorable, was done well.
My only nitpick with Cabaret would be its storyline,
which was incredibly dark and ended on a heavy,
somewhat abrupt note. While this was remaining
true to the subject matter and original material, and
therefore was no fault of the production team, one
cannot help but think that Cabaret’s story folded rather
prematurely, with a resolution that might come across
as unsatisfying.
Regardless, Cabaret was one of the more
accomplished musical productions to be staged here,
and the team at PAN Productions, particularly director
Nell Ng, should be commended for their efforts. A true
testament to what local theatre can be capable of.
CULTURE 23 JUNE 3 — 5, 2011
CALENDAR
Compiled by Nick Choo
Send your events to nick@selangortimes.com
Buto 3:
3 Performers, 3 Solos,
3 Interpretations
Dance; June 3 & 4; Annexe Gallery @ Central Market KL; 03-
20701137, www.annexegallery.com; RM20
“Buto is usually heavy and intense, but this time Nyoba Kan tries to
be casual and easy. Is that easier or harder? Who cares, as long as it
is weird, wonderful and wired.” Nyoba Kan presents three solo pieces
by Jess, Lai Chee & Kuan Nam. With sharings by artistic director Lee
Swee Keong, and Q&A after each piece.
Shelah says
Life’s A Drag
Comedy; June 3-5; PJ Live Arts @
Jaya One; 03-79600439, www.pjla.
com.my; RM60/RM30
Shelah, the fiercest Glamazonian
Drag Queen in KL and star of her
own radio show on BFM, share
her views on life as we know it.
Everything she’s been banned
from saying on radio, she’s going
to tell you live on stage. No censor
part of the PJ Laugh Fest 2011.
Unmasked.Ed
Exhibition; June 7-19; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre;
03-40479000, www.klpac.org; free admission
An art exhibition presented
by Malay Singaporean artist
Syahidah Osman Cawley. “The
works cover about a 10-year
period in her life. Many of
the pieces are of the people
closest to her, particularly
her husband and eldest
son, Ainan. This reflects the
composition of the family …
she has striven to speak of the
inner quality of her subjects in
each piece.”
Rock Scissors
Shadow Boxer
Dance; June 15 & 16; Kuala Lumpur
Performing Arts Centre; 03-40479000,
www.klpac.org; RM35/RM20
“Three choreographic works about a
game that cannot be won.” Featuring
Noord Nederlandse Dans, a contemporary
dance company based in Groningen, the
Netherlands. Rock is choreographed by
Roy Asaaf; Scissors and Shadow Boxer
by Noord Nederlandse Dans artistic director Stephen Shropshire.
Ri Yue Chu Yin: The Birth of
Hands Percussion Gamelan
Concert; June 9-12; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; 03-
40479000, www.klpac.org; RM48-RM128
Eight Mallets Percussion, a world-class percussion group from
Beijing, joins Hands Percussion as special guest artiste in this
collaborative concert. “An exciting journey to celebrate the unity of
Armour and Skin.”