FMT News |  |
- A ‘dark’ Deepavali for Kg Railway residents
- 70% rakyat Selangor sokong Umno-PAS bergabung
- Hindraf doubts Najib’s sincerity
- Veteran Umno digesa bantu menangi PRU13
- Karpal vindicated by FMT poll
- Generasi baharu Felda dapat durian runtuh RM563.2 juta
- SS2 Goreng Pisang: Sinful fried snack
- ‘Spent force’ Zaid should retire
- Quadripartite meeting over landslide
- GST for oranges, but not lobsters
- 3 cawangan SUPP sokong Soon Koh
- 500 bantah AES di pejabat MP Lumut
- Standoff over world heritage sites
- SIS: Recognise freedom to change faith
- Stop Arab cabbies, say local drivers
- Work in plantation sectors, Sabah youths told
- The effects of crime on society
- Remembering the 2007 Bersih rally
- Religion is something personal
- How to be liked in the workplace
- Istanbul Aku Datang: Filem cinta komedi
| A ‘dark’ Deepavali for Kg Railway residents Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:18 AM PST
"Light festival darkened" read one banner as some 40 residents staged a picket at the entrance of their century-old settlement this afternoon. The 30-minute picket saw the residents holding black flags and displaying banners that read among others "One Malaysia, one family, one house" and "Safeguard Kg Railway residents’ rights". On Oct 30, High Court declared Sentul Raya as the rightful owner of the land and issued the eviction order. The residents now demanding the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Sentul Raya to issue a letter of commitment to fulfill their earlier promises of building low-cost apartments as compensation. Their lawyer Abdul Rashid Ibrahim said the residents are not requesting a free unit but agreed to pay at a discounted price to own a unit.
He claimed that Saravaman reaffirmed the statement before the court handed down its decision on Oct 31. The residents were informed that they would obtain the commitment letter from the developer regarding the building of low-cost apartments on Nov 4. "However, they have yet to receive such a letter," said Abdul Rashid. It is understood that another 31 residents represented by Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar are seeking a declaration that the village is national heritage and a plot of land to be given to each family. Batu MP Tian Chua, who was also present, urged the residents to protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office or the developer’s office should they fail to resolve the matter after Deepavali.
"Saravanan promised to have a discussion after the court proceeding is done. But again there is no meeting. People are running out of patience," he said. Kg Railway residents action committee chairman Darshan Singh said only DBKL and the developer could return the "light" the residents needed for Deepavali. "We never say this land belongs to us, but we were pioneer residents who have been paying rental and assessment fees until 2009. We hope they can fulfill their promises," he said. |
| 70% rakyat Selangor sokong Umno-PAS bergabung Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:13 AM PST
Bekas Setiausaha PAS Selangor Norman Toha, kajian yang dijalankan sebuah agensi perunding menunjukkan majoriti penduduk Selangor yang berbilang kaum mahu dua parti itu mengenepikan perbezaan politik dan bergabung tenaga. “Kalau mengikut kaji selidik yang dibuat sekitar Mac 2012, 70 peratus penduduk mengharapkan satu kerjasama yang baik antara PAS dan Umno untuk mempertahankan Melayu-Islam,” katanya dalam sidang media selepas mengadakan wacana ‘Mengembalikan PAS ke Landasan Asal’ pagi tadi di Hotel Vistana di sini hari ini. Wacana tersebut menurut Norman dianjurkan atas inisiatif individu ahli PAS yang mahu suara rungutan mereka diberikan perhatian. Katanya, peserta wacana itu terdiri daripada pemimpin dan penyokong akar umbi yang mahu memberikan pandangan serta luahan tentang kecelaruan hala tuju parti yang semakin tersasar daripada perjuangan asal. Resolusi wacana Wacana tersebut juga berjaya mencapai 11 resolusi yang mengandungi desakan supaya parti dan pemimpin PAS kembali kepada landasan Islam yang sebenar. “Mungkin kita akan ajukan resolusi ini kepada pemimpin tertinggi dalam masa tersekat. “Harapan kami supaya mereka (pemimpin PAS) agak terbuka menerima pandangan peringkat akar umbi yang sebenarnya sudah lama disuarakan,” katanya. Sebelas resolusi tersebut adalah: 1. PAS mesti mengembalikan kepimpinan ulama untuk meneraju PAS di semua peringkat. 2. PAS mesti menentukan bahawa parti itu terus bergerak sebagai parti politik dan gerakan Islam. 3. Agenda gerakan Islam mesti diutamakan melebihi agendanya sebagai sebuah parti politik. 4. Setiap ahli PAS yang diberi peluang memegang jawatan dalam parti hendaklah terlebih dahulu diberi kefahaman yang jelas mengenai perjuangan PAS untuk menegakkan Islam dan melaksanakan hudud. 5. Pemimpin PAS mesti mencerminkan sifat tawadhu’ dan menghormati pandangan dan cadangan ahli di peringkat akar umbi. 6. PAS harus menimbangkan dengan serius ruang kerjasama sesama Islam dan Melayu termasuk dengan Umno. 7. Dalam sistem tahaluf siyasi, PAS mesti menjadi parti peneraju bukan mengikut telunjuk DAP dan PKR. 8. Pemimpin PAS tidak seharusnya terlalu menyanjung pimpinan DAP dan PKR dalam masa yang sama menghina pimpinan sesama Islam. 9. PAS mesti segera mengkaji hubungannya dengan PKR dan DAP dan sekiranya perlu mengadakan Muktamar Khas memandangkan pimpinan parti-parti tersebut telah menggelincirkan halatuju PAS untuk menegakkan Islam dan melaksnakan hudud. 10. Hubungan pemimpin dan pengikut mestilah berdasarkan kepada kedua-dua prinsip al wala’ wa al barra’ (prinsip kesetiaan terhadap pemimpin dalam Islam). 11. Wacana yang diadakan hari ini hendaklah diadakan di peringkat negeri bagi memberi peluang kepada ahli dan penyokong di peringkat akar umbi menyertai wacana sebegini. |
| Hindraf doubts Najib’s sincerity Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:25 AM PST
The premier’s courtship, said Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, had not left the movement flushed with excitement as it could be related to the coming general election. "We are not exactly excited about this invitation but we have decided to give him the benefit of doubt," he told reporters here. He said the invitation had come late on the part of the government since the Indian poor had been marginalised for decades. Waythamoorthy also urged Najib to lift the ban on Hindraf imposed by his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration. "It does not make sense for the prime minister to meet leaders of a banned organisation. "There is no timeline on when it should be lifted but of course we would like for the ban to be lifted as soon as possible," he added. Hindraf had become a foul word during Abdullah’s tenure after the movement staged a massive street protest in 2007, which was seen as the catalyst for the following year’s political tsunami. Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy also called on Najib to shed his "current box of thinking" in order to facilitate meaningful discussions between them. "He must be able to come far with us to consider our suggested solutions which are permanent, comprehensive and practical," he added. On Aug 29, Hindraf made open requests to both Najib and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to hold discussions on finding solutions to the long-standing problems plaguing the Indian poor. Anwar responded first and talks between them had started, with more meetings in the pipeline. On a related matter, Waythamoorty said Hindraf would unveil its five-year blueprint to bring the Indian poor into the mainstream of national development on Nov 25. This would be its prioritised plan as derived from its 18-point demand given originally to the government in August 2007. Asked for a preview of the blueprint, Waythamoorty said he was not in a position to reveal its contents but gave an example of the condition of 350,000 stateless Indians in Malaysia. "The solution would be for anyone born in Malaysia from Aug 31, 1957 onwards to be declared as citizens of Malaysia. "A statutory declaration by those involved should be sufficient for the National Registration Department (NRD) to issue them with a blue identity card," he added. |
| Veteran Umno digesa bantu menangi PRU13 Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:19 AM PST  KUALA TERENGGANU: Anggota Veteran Umno Malaysia harus sentiasa berada dalam keadaan bersedia untuk membantu parti menghadapi pilihan raya umum ke-13 yang akan diadakan pada bila-bila masa. Pemangku Pengerusi Veteran Umno Malaysia Datuk Mohd Zahid Sirat berkata ini kerana pilihan raya umum akan datang bukan sahaja menentukan ‘hidup mati’ Umno tetapi juga hala tuju bangsa Melayu. “Pembangkang yang diterajui DAP beria-ia untuk menumbangkan kerajaan BN dan merampas Putrajaya seterusnya mengambil alih pemerintahan di negara ini. “Kalau ini berlaku, segala yang dinikmati kaum pribumi selama ini dikhuatiri akan terjejas dan terhapus sama sekali,” katanya ketika menyampaikan ucapan dasar pada Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan Veteran Umno Malaysia ke-5, di sini hari ini. Untuk itu katanya, seluruh anggota veteran perlu bersatu dan memperkuatkan barisan bagi menghadapi satu pemilihan yang paling getir bagi Umno dan Barisan Nasional. “Matlamat kita untuk membantu pucuk pimpinan bagi memartabatkan bangsa Melayu dan mencapai kejayaan cemerlang di dalam dan luar negara,” katanya. Mohd Zahid juga berkata bangsa Melayu akan terus teguh dan digeruni jika bersatu padu walaupun berbeza ideologi dan perjuangan. “Melayu dan bumiputera mesti bersatu dengan mengenepikan segala fahaman atau ideologi demi mengekalkan pemerintahan dan ketuanan Melayu, mendukung tonggak kedaulatan raja-raja serta mempertahankan kesucian agama Islam,” katanya. Beliau turut meluahkan rasa bimbang dengan pelbagai gejala negatif termasuk tindakan cuba menodai kesucian agama Islam oleh pihak tertentu. Sebanyak 545 anggota Veteran Umno dari seluruh negara menghadiri perhimpunan tersebut yang berakhir hari ini. - Bernama |
| Posted: 09 Nov 2012 11:53 PM PST
He said the news portal poll showed that his proposal had caught the public’s imagination as it had become a major political issue of national interest. The FMT poll on "Do you agree with Karpal Singh’s ‘one candidate-one seat’ policy?" showed 2,037 or 78% out of 2,622 readers, who voted as of today (Saturday) backing the formula. Another 499 readers or 19% did not support it while 86 or three percent voters were unsure. "The people overwhelmingly supported the ‘one man – one seat’ proposal. I feel vindicated," Karpal told reporters during his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit here today. Asked on party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s call on members not to discuss the issue in public, he concurred that the public debate should be laid to rest for now. But he conceded that it would be difficult and improper to control the public, especially party members, from airing their views on an issue of such importance. "The FMT poll showed it has become a major public interest issue," he noted. Currently, DAP had nine double seat elected representatives, both as MP and assemblyperson. Apart from Lim, who is Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, Penang has executive councillor and party state chairman Chow Kon Yeow as Tanjung MP and Padang Kota assemblyman and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy as Batu Kawan MP and Prai assemblyman. Perak had party’s state chairman Ngeh Koo Ham as Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman and secretary Nga Kor Ming as Taiping MP and Pantai Remis assemblyman. Selangor's executive councillor and party chairman Teresa Kok is Seputeh MP and Kinrara assemblyperson while DAP’s Negeri Sembilan chairman and Youth chief Anthony Loke Siew Fook is Rasah MP and Lobak assemblyman. In Sarawak, there are Sibu MP and Bukit Assek assemblyman Wong Ho Leng and Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen. CEC approved the formula Karpal also revealed that the party’s central executive committee (CEC) had delegated its power to a three-man special committee to ultimately decide on the "one man – one seat" issue and its exemptions, and choice of candidates for each constituency. The committee consisted of Karpal, Lim and his father, Ipoh Timur MP Kit Siang. Karpal denied that his single seat proposal was shunned by the CEC, saying that the party’s highest decision making body had actually approved the formula early this year. "Only the exemption to rule would be decided on case to case basis," he said. He mooted the electoral formula for DAP to field a candidate for only either parliament or state seat to expand the party's electoral opportunity to fresh, younger, dynamic and energetic members. He had proposed for exemption for the party chief minister candidate in Penang and, in Sabah and Sarawak due to lack of winnable and credible candidates. Party members had argued against preferential treatment to special ones because "all candidates were expendable and not indispensable". Do you agree with Karpal Singh’s ‘one candidate-one vote’ policy? You still have time to take part in the FMT Poll. The poll ends on Monday, Nov 12, at 10am. |
| Generasi baharu Felda dapat durian runtuh RM563.2 juta Posted: 09 Nov 2012 11:17 PM PST
Sebagai menandakan pembayaran itu, Najib menyampaikan cek replika kepada wakil dari 11 Wilayah Felda pada Himpunan Generasi Baharu Felda dihadiri kira-kira 12,000 belia dari seluruh negara di Universiti Teknologi Mara di sini. Berucap pada majlis itu, Najib berkata kini tiba giliran generasi baharu Felda untuk mendapat manfaat itu selepas ibu dan bapa mereka sebelum ini. “Hari ini giliran generasi kedua anak-anak mendapat rahmat daripada durian runtuh, sekali gus membuktikan bahawa sebagai sebuah kerajaan kita tidak pernah mungkir janji,” kata beliau. Sebelas Wilayah Felda itu ialah Raja Alias, Segamat, Gua Musang, Kuantan, Trolak, Johor Baharu, Mempaga, Terengganu, Alor Setar, Jengka dan Sahabat di Lahad Datu. Laporan media sebelum ini menyebut jumlah durian runtuh yang diberi kepada peneroka, isteri peneroka dan generasi kedua ini ialah RM1.689 bilion. Najib menarik perhatian bahawa pihak pembangkang cuba menidak dan menggagalkan segala usaha baik yang kerajaan lakukan, misalnya dengan menyatakan Felda telah bankrap. “Orang yang tak betul sahaja yang percaya Felda bankrap,” tegas beliau. Najib berkata mereka bukan sahaja mengutuk tindakan malah memfitnah kerajaan, dan kalaupun mereka mengemukakan idea, ia bersifat dangkal. Sumber dana kesemua pemberian durian runtuh adalah hasil penawaran awam permulaan berikutan penyenaraian Felda Global Ventures Holdings Berhad (FGVH) di Bursa Malaysia yang merupakan penyenaraian saham kedua terbesar di dunia tahun ini. Sasar dividen 50% FGVH menyasarkan bayaran dividen 50 peratus daripada keuntungan perniagaannya setahun. Najib berkata kerajaan menyediakan pelbagai peluang kepada generasi baharu Felda sehingga ada yang kini menjawat jawatan tinggi, berpendapatan lumayan dan mempunyai tahap kepakaran tinggi termasuk mampu menyelenggara pesawat penumpang terbesar di dunia, Airbus A380. Beliau turut gembira dengan sokongan yang diterimanya hari ini dan berharap ini berterusan sehinggalah ke pilihan raya umum nanti. Seorang wakil 11 Wilayah Felda berkenaan, Yip Seng Lam, 40, berkata beliau selaku wakil 36 tanah rancangan di bawah Wilayah Mempaga, Pahang berterima kasih kepada Felda dan Perdana Menteri atas pemberian kepada generasi kedua Felda hari ini. Yip, yang mengusahakan tanah rancangan Felda Lurah Bilut, Bentong berkata terdapat 616 keluarga peneroka di sana melibatkan 400 keluarga Melayu, 169 Cina dan selebihnya keluarga India. - Bernama |
| SS2 Goreng Pisang: Sinful fried snack Posted: 09 Nov 2012 11:10 PM PST
The ever-friendly owner, Madam Ong has been selling pisang goreng here for more than 30 years. I know I'm not the only one to crave a fresh fried pisang goreng when the afternoon munchies attack. Here in SS2, Madame Ong still mans the giant wok at the back of her little truck, frying batches of pisang goreng for her eager customers. The amount of oil in that wok is pretty scary but amazingly, her pisang goreng are not greasy at all.
Bananas are fried whole here. Madam Ong uses pisang raja because the flesh holds its shape even after frying. The taste is sweet and rich. I love the crunchy bits caused by the bubbling batter during frying. This is a fritter that stays firm which makes it convenient to hold and easy to snack on. The luscious flavour of the pisang goreng is also brought upon by the condition of the bananas she used. She only uses ones with skin that has started to brown. Browning of the skin indicates that the banana has ripened and this will result in the sugary sweet pisang goreng that we love.
Layered with yam and sweet potato, her fried kueh bakul is gooey and delicious. The cekodok here are little round balls of delight. The mashed up bananas are sweet and the flour adds some chewiness to it. The pisang goreng at SS2 never disappoints and when you have a craving for a sinful fried snack, make your way to Madam Ong’s humble truck. The pisang goreng is so good that you won’t even mind the guilt of not sticking to your diet afterwards.
Open: 10am – 6pm (close on Mondays) Pros: Yummy, earnest pisang goreng fit for a king’s tea. Cons: If you’re not familiar with the place, it’s hard to find and parking is a nightmare. Price Range: Pisang goreng is 80 sen each. Parking: Difficult Certification: Pork Free [This content is provided by FMT content partner www.friedchillies.com, "Solving your makan problems since 1997"] |
| ‘Spent force’ Zaid should retire Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:01 PM PST
In view of the uncertainty which Zaid allegedly created following his decision to leave Kita, Perak PPP deputy chairman Naran Singh said the outspoken personality should just leave politics. He said Zaid is showing the reflection of being a “spent force” by making statements that he wants to contest in the Pekan parliamentary seat where the incumbent is none other than Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. This, he charged, showed that Zaid wanted cheap publicity from this episode and many pundits are wondering if the latter is indeed sincere in carrying out his plan. "Zaid should contest against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim or PKR deputy president Azmin Ali if he wants to make a political impact," Naran added. The Kelantan-born political maverick was once considered a rising star in Umno and he was made a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (overseeing law) during former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s last tenure. He quit on principal grounds after disagreeing with the federal government’s move to impose the now defunct Internal Security Act law on a few individuals including a vernacular newspaper journalist. Zaid subsequently joined PKR and was jostling for the deputy president post with the party’s present incumbent Azmin. The lawyer, however, lost his bid for the deputy presidency and later quit PKR, citing voting irregularities as the reason. He eventually formed Kita but was then involved in a spat with one faction which broke away from the party before recently announcing that he was quitting Kita altogether. To this, Naran said Zaid was highly respected at one time, but now, many cannot seem to fathom what he wanted to do. The political leanings of Zaid also seemed uncertain as he seems to side with Pakatan Rakyat, but had previously lambasted PKR, Naran said, adding that the electorate now needed leaders with strong convictions on how to move the country forward. "Zaid must understand that voters prefer leaders who are steadfast in their struggle," he added. Meanwhile, Naran also lent his support to DAP chairman Karpal Singh for calling on the party to only allow its members to contest one seat each during the next general election. Calling it an honorable presentation by Karpal, he said the proposal should also be made into law by the Election Commission. Karpal argued that DAP has matured with many young and talented leaders joining up, therefore there are no shortage of candidates to fill the number of seats in which the party will contest. Contesting in one seat will also show that DAP is serious about serving their constituents, he had added. Naran said it should be a guideline for all political parties. |
| Quadripartite meeting over landslide Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:31 PM PST
According to Edmund Teo, the personal aide of Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, the DID official who was only known as Nazri said the meeting would be held in the quickest possible time. It would involve Kuala Lumpur City Hall, infrastructure solution provider Ikram, contractor to LRT extension project Bina Puri –Tim Sekata and the residents to lay out measures to strengthen the landslide area. Nazri made the announcement after he visited the site with Kok this morning. A landslide struck Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Taman Esplanade at about 10.30pm on Thursday and reduced a 30m-tall concrete perimeter wall to a pile of rubble. The wall was the only thing between a housing area where five double-storey houses situated and the Sungai Kuyoh river, flowing about 20m away.
Fearing for his security, a resident had moved his family to the front part of his house. Teo said it would take just one inch closer for the landslide to hit the houses. "The Seputeh MP is concerned about the matter and would pressure KL mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib to hold the meeting as soon as possible," he added. |
| GST for oranges, but not lobsters Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:23 PM PST
The above example is said to be "illogical" and "unfair", given that the government’s intention for the proposed GST is to only make basic necessities tax free. Customs deputy director GST special unit Wan Leng Whatt explained that such incidents are due to unavoidable “limitations”. "These issues are difficult to answer and there are many more of such examples. Yes, it’s true that lobsters and even abalones and oysters are zero rated. Fruits are generally standard rated," he said during a recent talk on GST. Wan said while the government generally wanted to make all basic food "zero rated", problems arose when certain items do not have a properly defined "code". "We wanted to zero rate basic food. We want people to be able to afford fish and prawn but at the same time we don’t have codings for lobsters, abalone, oysters [to differentiate item types]. These were simply the limitations," he said. However, other gourmet food such as shark’s fin and dried mushrooms are taxed as those items had codings, he noted. As for fruits, Wan explained that the government initially intended to make local fruits — such as papaya, rambutams and mangosteen — zero rated as well but later decided against it. "But the low income group doesn’t really eat these fruits. So now, generally all fruits will be taxed under GST. "And when we talk about low income group, many of them actually have their own bananas, [so] they eat their own bananas, [and] they don’t have to buy. However, we pity those who are urban poor, they will be burdened in these aspects, I acknowledge that," he added. These issues were brought up by GST consultant Derek Wong during the GST talk held at the construction and hardware trade exhibition, OneBuild and OneWare 2012 here. It was jointly organised by One International Exhibition Sdn Bhd and Malaysian Hardware, Machinery & Building Materials Dealers’ Association. Wong, a partner of GBS KAC Advsory Services and speaker during the talk, said that there are several instances where the GST seemed illogical, but agreed with Wan that the tax reform should be implemented to widen the country’s tax base. Where to draw the line? Wan also confirmed that palm oil, peanut oil, and coconut oil are not taxed but corn oil and sunflower oil would be. He explained that this was also due to the absence of coding for the latter two cooking oils. Also highlighted was that medicine bought from a private hospital will be tax-free; and the same item in the pharmacy will cost more with GST. "Generally we wanted to make medicines cheaper. But our problem is that the classification of medicine and food supplements cannot be clearly defined. "For example, Glucosamine, I would take it as a food supplement but my friend takes it after the doctor prescribes it as a medicine for him. Tell me, how to draw the line? "So we took a position that if you got it from the hospital, it would be without GST. But anyway, if you bought it in a pharmacy, it is still a lot cheaper sometimes, as hospitals have other service fees…" he added. The GST was first mentioned during the 2005 Budget speech and it was supposed to be in place by 2007, but the GST Bill was only brought to Parliament in December 2009. A year later, its second reading was postponed. Until today, the only best indication of its implementation date is “after the general election” and “when the time is right”, both said by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. |
| 3 cawangan SUPP sokong Soon Koh Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:06 PM PST
Tiga buah cawangan yang menyatakan kesetiaan terbabit adalah SUPP cawangan Simanggang, SUPP cawangan Lingga dan SUPP cawangan Pantu. Pengerusi SUPP cawangan Simanggang, Datuk Francis Harden Hollis menzahirkan ikrar itu dalam sidang media di sini hari ini. “Kita akan terus ‘sink and swim’ (bersama-sama) kumpulan Soon Koh demi memastikan semua kerusi parlimen milik SUPP berjaya dipertahankan pada pilihan raya umum ini nanti. “Selepas itu barulah kita akan menyelesai masalah dalaman parti bersama-sama dengan kumpulan Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui selepas tamat pilihan raya demi masa depan SUPP,” katanya. Beliau turut menambah bahawa kumpulannya akan tetap menyokong mana-mana calon SUPP Barisan Nasional (BN) yang dipilih untuk mempertahankan kerusi parlimen milik parti itu pada PRU-13 kelak. Menurut Harden, SUPP cawangan Simanggang, Lingga dan Pantu juga membantah tindakan jawatankuasa pemilihan calon SUPP yang memecat keahlian Steven Wong dan Paul Hii dari parti berkenaan pada 2 November lepas. “Kami mendesak agar pihak tertinggi SUPP untuk mempertimbangkan semula tindakan menyingkir kedua-dua bekas anggota parti tersebut hanya disebabkan oleh tindakan melanggar arahan jawatankuasa pemilihan calon parti,” katanya. Terdahulu ahli SUPP cawangan Bintangor Steven Wong, dikatakan sedang berkempen di kawasan Parlimen Sarikei hasil bantuan Peter Hii untuk melobi peluang menjadi calon SUPP bagi kerusi parlimen pada PRU-13 ini. Bagaimanapun Wong dan Peter yang merupakan kumpulan Soon Koh telah dipecat dari menjadi anggota parti SUPP setelah didapati melanggar arahan jawatankuasa pemilihan calon selepas itu. |
| 500 bantah AES di pejabat MP Lumut Posted: 09 Nov 2012 08:52 PM PST
Menurut Koordinator Bantah AES Saifullah Zulkifli dalam satu kenyataan media, mereka berkumpul seusai solat Jumaat di Masjid An-Nasyirah, Sitiawan dan berarak ke Pejabat Parlimen beliau di Lumut. Cho Ha ialah juga menteri pengangkutan. Antara pimpinan yang hadir dan memberi ucapan adalah Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Teja Chang Lih Kang yang mewakili PKR Perak; Dr Raja Ahmad Iskandar yang mewakili Dewan Pemuda PAS Perak; wakil PKR Pusat Siti Aisyah Sheik Ismail dan beberapa pemimpin NGO. Memorandum bantahan terhadap pelaksanaan AES dan empat faktor kenapa AES harus ditolak diserahkan kepada pejabat Cho Ha pada sekitar jam 2.00 petang oleh Saifullah dan diterima oleh kerani pejabat parlimen Cho Ha.
Beliau berkata, pihaknya ingin menegaskan bahawa sebarang usaha untuk menangani masalah kemalangan adalah disokong tetapi di dalam isu pelaksanaan AES ini aspek pelaksanaannya adalah meragukan dan membebankan rakyat. “Pihak Bantah AES dengan ini memberi tempoh seminggu kepada Cho Ha untuk membatalkan pelaksanaan AES dan memberi respon terhadap bantahan ini. “Jika berlaku sebaliknya, satu lagi perhimpunan Bantah AES bersama pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat akan diadakan ke Parlimen,” ujar Saifullah. |
| Standoff over world heritage sites Posted: 09 Nov 2012 08:27 PM PST
The federal government has thrown a spanner in the works by claiming full jurisdiction over the sites but the state government has dug in its heels and refused to hand over the keys to its riches mindful that land is a "sensitive" state matter. The Federal Ministry of Culture, Arts and Information which must endorse World Heritage Site applications has said that it will not do so if the places concerned are not "federalised". The state government has insisted that the demand to handover jurisdiction of the sites was an affront and a less than subtle takeover of state land. This, they said, was against the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement which guaranteed wide-ranging autonomy for the state in all land matters among others. The Barisan Nasional government of Chief Minister Musa Aman is aware that surrendering the administration and management of the iconic sites would mean indirect federalisation of state land, already a sore point among voters in the state. The outcome of the standoff is that full, long-term governmental protection for Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and the world famous Danum Valley remains up in the air. The local press quoted state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun as being angered by the federal ministry’s demands. The state BN government is acutely aware that it is open to attack by the opposition that they are hostage to the federal government on all important matters and this case furthers that perception among Sabahans deeply concerned by the gradual federalisation of the state. Masidi’s comments at this week’s two-day International Conference Heart of Borneo (HoB) +5: Shaping and Nurturing Sabah’s Future Together appeared to show that the state government was confounded that the federal authorities had thrown up a barricade of red tape to thwart its bid to raise the tourism profile of the state. He indicated that the federal government had been dragging its feet on the HoB initiative though it was formalised five years ago. “We want to move forward … it does not matter whether you want to ride a bicycle, bus or car but what is important is we reach the same destination,” he told the around 600 conference participants representing local and international agencies. The other parties involved in the initiative are Kalimantan through the Indonesian government, Brunei and Sarawak. |
| SIS: Recognise freedom to change faith Posted: 09 Nov 2012 07:51 PM PST
Rallying behind PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar's call for freedom of religion for all, the NGO said faith in any religion was based on free will. "How can Muslims demand this notion of religious freedom for those wishing to convert to Islam and at the same time argue the denial of this freedom to leave Islam? "Faith by compulsion may lead to hypocrisy," SIS said in a statement. The Muslim women rights advocate maintained a strong position against legislation of faith, saying that such practice was meaningless. "Islam itself means submission to the will of God – not the will of men. The willing submission of the self to faith and belief must therefore be attained through conviction and reason of the individual, not by coercion and duress. "This is clearly mentioned in the Quran, Surah Yunus 10:99, 'And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed – all of them entirely. Then would you compel the people in order that they become believers?'," SIS added. The organisation also condemned the attacks against Nurul over the latter’s remark made during a forum last week, pointing out that it reflected the shrinking of democratic space for civil public discussion. It noted that Malaysians were routinely reprimanded or attacked for raising issues pertaining to freedom of religion even though the right was enshrined in Article 11 of Federal Constitution. It said problems and conflicts would always arise in a multi-religious society like Malaysia, such as non-Muslims who convert to Islam without resolving their duties to their earlier non-Muslim marriage and born-Muslims who never led a Muslim life as they were raised by non-Muslim families. There are also cases where one converts spouses to Islam unilaterally and coercively and born-Muslims who wish to leave Islam out of their free will. "There have been court judgments allowing Muslim converts to leave Islam. "The Administration of the Religion of Islam (Negeri Sembilan) Enactment 2003 contains legal procedures by which one may do so," it added. SIS noted that the Quran was explicit and consistent in its recognition of freedom of religion. |
| Stop Arab cabbies, say local drivers Posted: 09 Nov 2012 07:30 PM PST
Citing a Nov 5 Harian Metro report, Metered Taxi Drivers Action Group (BBPTB) chairman Amran Jan said these cabbies -termed as "ulat Arab" and around 300 in number- were a bane to their livelihood. As such, he supported the Bestari Taxi Driver Association’s attempts in nabbing these illegal cabbies before handing them over to the police. “We support the actions taken by Bestari, especially its president Mohd Ashraf Abdullah in their efforts to stop the ‘ulat Arab’ activities,” he said in a press statement. He said that the Middle Eastern drivers continued to operate and that the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) was not doing anything to solve the problem. Amran added that SPAD’s inaction meant that taxi drivers had to coordinate their efforts in apprehending the "ulat Arabs". The Harian Metro report said that these illegal cabs were offering “exclusive” packages to Middle Eastern tourists and were operating in KL’s busy Jalan Kampung, Jalan Kamunting and Jalan Bukit Bintang areas. Quoting Mohd Ashraf, the report said that the foreign drivers would approach tourists at restaurants, offer their services and badmouth local cabbies in the process. |
| Work in plantation sectors, Sabah youths told Posted: 09 Nov 2012 07:14 PM PST
Yayasan Kota Belud chairman Salleh Said Keruak indicated that local youths were not even considering these two sectors because they feared the hard work and perceived bad living conditions, thus forcing owners to opt for foreign labour. But the plantation sector today is not the same as in the past as planters are offering better wages, perks and living conditions as well as other social amenities, said Salleh when met after the launching of the Kota Belud Education, Skills and Career exposition here. "Plantation owners enjoying good receipts from high commodity prices and in turn they are offering better salaries to attract good local workers, while farming food crops can be turned into a lucrative venture with today's modern technology," he pointed out. "As such, instead of staying away from such a wonderful opportunity, local youths should boldly enter the plantation sector as the opportunities and rewards are ample and great is the demand". Salleh said Sabah's over dependence on foreign labour in the plantation sector was not to its advantage as engaging workers from its traditional source of Indonesia was becoming difficult given that Kalimantan was seeing more plantations being opened. Salleh said many local youths who were once cadet planters had made good and many have been successfully employed by government agencies such as Sabah Land Development Board and the Sawit Kinabalu Group, apart from the private sector. He also called on planters to engage local youths and to impress upon them that life is not hell in the plantations and that there are ample things to do once work in the field is over. Offer better facilities He also said there should be improved housing for the workers, good health facilities as well as schools so that the children of the workers could get their education close by. Touching on farming, he said Sabah's over-dependence on food imports was also not good as the repercussions would be severe should an international food crisis occur. He said youths could venture into paddy cultivation, growing tropical fruits or even vegetables that could find a ready market in the state. "I must admit that it is hard work, but a successful farmer can earn five to ten times more in the food production sector as compared to someone working in an office," he added. Salleh said that with thousands of vacancies in the plantation sector as well as the service industry, Sabah's unemployment rate should be low and if at all, the unemployment rate was high, it was because job seekers were choosy. Touching on the exposition which was organised jointly by Yayasan Kota Belud and the Distrct Office, Salleh said it was to give school leavers and job seekers a chance to meet face to face prospective employers as well as those involved in tertiary education. Job interviews More than a thousand youths, including those sitting for the fifth and sixth forms, school leavers and job seekers attended the one-day exposition. At hand to advise those keen on pursuing further education were counsellors and advisors from 15 colleges and institutes of higher learning. A dozen companies including three plantation giants, Sawit, Genting and Sabah Softwoods granted interviews to prospective workers. The exposition was officially launched by Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Zainab Mohd Ayid, on behalf of deputy chief minister Yee Moh Chai. |
| The effects of crime on society Posted: 09 Nov 2012 07:12 PM PST
It was an opportunity to present Malaysians Against Rape, Assault & snatcH’s (MARAH) efforts to a global audience. The invitation included a session where each speaker mentored university students in coming up with a realistic and workable solution to the subject they had presented on. Last year you probably would read about crimes in the newspapers or you were remotely connected with the victim…he/she is so and so and so and so’s great grand-niece or friend of a friend of a friend..a hundred friends down the count. Today if you strike up a conversation with someone you will hear a direct account from a victim or the victim is someone known first hand to the person you were speaking with. Today, crime has arrived at our doorstep. Crimes are not committed solely by any single race or class of people. Crime is committed by people of all origins and backgrounds, and its effects are felt by all in society, not just those in direct contact with the crime. In the end, all those who are involved in active society end up experiencing some effect of crime. Thinking that it can only happen to someone else and doing nothing to prepare yourself or not taking the necessary precautionary measures makes you the perfect soft victim criminals are looking for. A crime always happens when an unprepared and unaware victim offers an opportunity and the perpetrator seizes it. It is important to have both a personal and a family game plan to respond to such emergencies. Be responsible citizens What is the effect of crime on society? Trauma, emotional and psychological effects on the victims, their families, loved ones and friends, loss of income, loss of business, loss of property, loss of life, loss of security, anger against the government, politicians more interested to cash in on the issue to gain political mileage than to look for solutions. Then there's the cost of catching/trying to catch the criminals; when caught, the cost of prosecuting them; when convicted, the cost of housing, feeding and providing medical care to them. And then there’s the intangible cost of fear and loss of trust. We fear because we feel we have lost control of our environment. Think about leaving a restaurant or shopping center and walking to your car: you are vigilant and fearful. Think about a knock on your door at 9 pm – you won’t want to open the door without checking to see who’s there first. I ended my talk by asking everyone to play their part as responsible citizens. If people don’t report crime or come forward as witnesses it can be hard for the police to solve cases and bring criminals to justice. I left the audience with this thought – any crime committed is one crime too much. The mentoring session was a real eye opener for me. I learned as much from the teenagers as they did from me. They were very intelligent and inquisitive but they also didn't have a clue on how to deal with a potentially dangerous situation or any awareness on the proper response to a crime in progress. There was this disconnect with the current crime spree. Better to be a loser
Whether it was the influence of TV shows or just the gung ho attitude of youth, many of them said they would actually tackle the perpetrator alone if there was a chance of wresting the parang away and taking him down. I had to explain that crime is usually committed due to desperation and a need for things that can’t be attainted under normal circumstances. When criminals breach such a moral limit, they are liable do anything without a regard for the consequences. This is very dangerous, for when someone has a “nothing to lose” attitude, they lose the sense of reason. The recent incidents where criminals shot at the police attest to this. Our ability to reason is what makes us different from the other species on this planet, otherwise we’re no better than animals. In fact, animals only get violent out of hunger or the necessity to defend themselves and their young so perhaps the human species may be worse than them after all. With that, as we enjoy our upcoming Deepavali festivities and long weekend holidays and gorge ourselves with food, let's remember and thank the people out there working to make this festival break an enjoyable event for the rest of us. Happy holidays and stay safe always. Dave Avran is the founder of MARAH (Malaysians Against Rape, Assault & snatcH) |
| Remembering the 2007 Bersih rally Posted: 09 Nov 2012 07:10 PM PST
The crowd then was estimated to be around 30,000 to 40,000. Who at that time would have thought that there would be two more Bersih rallies to follow? Be that as it may, that historic day on Nov 10 woke up some Malaysian voters just in time for the general election held on March 8, 2008 where for the first time in history BN lost their two-thirds majority and five states in the Peninsular although one of the states gained by the opposition, Perak, was subsequently recaptured by BN. Still, from Nov 10 five years ago till to-date, things have hardly changed but instead have become worst as the electoral roll is now much dirtier despite the Parliamentary Select Committee being set up. The BN government has also requested for an allocation of RM400 million to run the 13th general election whereas in the previous general election the allocation was RM203 million. Opposition Leader and Permatang Pauh MP, Anwar Ibrahim has questioned the high allocation and also highlighted the issue of phantom voters in the ongoing Parliament sitting. According to Anwar, those voters without application date (to be a voter) came up to 4,700 detected cases while 367 voters were granted approval to be inserted into the electoral roll even before they were born! Anwar gave the example of a phantom voter with an identity card number of 7908 from Parit Buntar, Perak who was born on Aug 23, 1979 but applied to be a voter on Jan 15, 1950. “This is a great record of a real phantom voter,” said Anwar in Parliament. He also said there were 282 voters who were given voting rights on their date of birth for example one Nur Khalida of Serdang who was born on Oct 26, 1982 and the application to be a voter was made on the same day itself. There is also the case of one Mohd Najib of Temerloh, Pahang who was born on Aug 18, 1979 and given his voting right on May 16, 1991, just three months short of his 12th birthday. Approvals for voting rights given to secondary school students came up to 1,049 detected cases while approvals for those between age 17 to 20 totalled 12,000 detected cases and those between age 20 but less than 21 years of age came up to 186,000 detected cases. Anwar also gave the example of a teenage voter named Rusiati of Kinabatangan in Sabah who was born on Feb 19, 1978 and became a voter on Nov 27, 1992 at the age of 14. EC’s shenanigans PAS MP, Dr. Mohd Hayati Othman for Pendang, Kedah complained that the Election Commission (EC) was slow to act when it comes to rectifying errors and only took action after being threatened with police reports. He brought up the case of Zakaria Daud, a male voter transformed into a female named Rafzah Muhammad Nasib although the identity card number ended with 5589 (odd number for males). The address on this voter’s MyKad is in Pendang, Kedah but he/she has been transferred to Kelana Jaya in Selangor. The PAS MP voiced his anger that not only has the voter been transformed but also transfered without his/her knowledge. To sum up, EC’s shenanigans are still continuing merrily. And when the citizens take to the streets to demand for free and fair elections, the government tries to portray it as something else. And yet they have the gall to ask the rakyat for another mandate, an extension of their tenure by giving the excuse that continuity will enable them to bring progress to the nation notwithstanding that their credibility has gone down. The awarding of the LRT and highway contracts have raised many questions but the biggest blunder of all is still the NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) saga for the audacity of it. Clearly the electoral roll favours the incumbent government. Many people are fed-up and there are friends of this columnist who are considering migration for a better future for their children. But if everyone thinks of migrating, who will stay on and fight? No, this is our country and we have got to reclaim it and it is up to us to fight for a better future for our children and grandchildren. Everyone has a role to play by doing an election watch. Foreigners with MyKad must be told not to vote while employers must not allow their foreign workers to take time-off if they are working on that particular day. Every informed citizen must come out in full force to prevent electoral fraud because when there is a fraud, we are cheated. There is no way we can trust those who talk about transformation as we have seen that it is all hype to create a feel-good factor. Since five years ago till today – the fifth anniversary of the first Bersih rally, the electoral roll have gotten much, much worst. Do we still want to remain being taken for a ride and getting cheated in the process? We must wake up and wise-up. Selena Tay is a FMT columnist. |
| Religion is something personal Posted: 09 Nov 2012 07:08 PM PST
The antipathy being shown to Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar for her candid and forthright view that everyone is deserving of religious freedom, including the Malays, reveals the feared truth that religion is a personal choice and coercion simply does not work. The truth is Nurul Izzah has done the Malays especially a favour through her remark that religious freedom should be accorded to everyone. It is a different matter that her comments made in a forum entitled "Islamic state? Which vision? Whose responsibility" on Nov 3 came down with a 'Richter Scale'-like backlash. The statements coming from the Prime Minister's Department were typical. Minister Jamil Khir Baharom said Nurul Izzah's remark was "misleading" and "dangerous". His deputy, Mashitah Ibrahim, went further, calling for the young politician's prosecution on the charge of insulting Islam. How could any thinking person conclude that she was insulting Islam when the gist of her remark was her quotation of the Quranic verse that prohibits believers from compelling people to accept Islam? Mashitah even hinted that Nurul Izzah was encouraging apostasy, a claim which the PKR vice-president begged to differ. A pertinent question It appears that there are many in this country that are unwilling to tolerate such ingenuous view of a 'green' politician and that too one who is the daughter of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Granted that it was anomalous for Nurul Izzah to so bravely touch on a topic so sensitive in this country, Islam; sadly, unlike her, the minds of her fellow colleagues, especially in the Barisan Nasional camp, have yet to 'attain' maturity. Thinking out of the box or daring to make a paradigm shift has never been BN's interest nor strength, hence its 'condemn and ridicule' approach in dealing with anything its nemesis, the Pakatan Rakyat pact does or says. Nurul Izzah has posed a very pertinent question, one that forces everyone to ruminate and ask questions in order to penetrate to the essence of any religion. Most people who have even a rough understanding of Islam will agree that asking questions is not a sin in that religion. The outstanding problem in this country, however, is that one is given the impression that anything bearing upon the country's official religion and Malay rights and privileges is not to be questioned. Still, in light of all this, Nurul Izzah dared to state what she believed to be true. She certainly was not trying to ingratiate herself with anyone by speaking her mind. As it stands, the country's constitution says if you are a Malay then you are automatically a Muslim. It is given that the Malays will not go against the constitution, not when it comes to religion. But then what happens if a Malay individual wanst to denounce his religion? These are serious questions that need genuine answers, not rebuke and punishment. Why is there the fear of addressing of even acknowledging the fact that there are some Malays who are unhappy with their religion? Religion is a guide Going by the harsh reactions to Nurul Izzah's 'religious freedom', it pains one's heart to see how mankind has taken upon themselves to play God, determining with an iron fist the faith of their fellow beings. Maybe this is why the saying goes "put your confidence in God and not in man". Life is uncertain and likewise religion too is something that is not carved on stone. Enlightenment comes when one least expects it and with it the decision to embrace the religion of one's choice. It has taken a rookie politician to get the message across that religion is something personal and cannot be dictated by anyone who wants to play God. We should thank her for it. After all, freedom of belief is everyone's birthright, irrespective of which 'skin' forms the dominant race. Or in the words of Dalai Lama: "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness". Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist. |
| How to be liked in the workplace Posted: 09 Nov 2012 06:52 PM PST
Learn the tea orders of your workmates Smile in the workplace Listen to your work colleagues
Stick to your personality Don't be the office flirt Keep strong opinions to yourself LINKS |
| Istanbul Aku Datang: Filem cinta komedi Posted: 09 Nov 2012 06:46 PM PST
Filem ini mempunyai segala ciri-ciri romantik dan komedi yang mampu menarik dan mengusik hati penonton. "Istanbul Aku Datang" menceritakan tentang seorang gadis bernama Dian (Lisa Surihani) yang sanggup ke Istanbul demi mengejar cintanya yang dilakonkan oleh Tomok (Azad). Kedua mereka telah menjalin hubungan lebih lima tahun tetapi terpaksa berpisah kerana Azad melanjutkan pengajian. Namun, kedatangannya ke Istanbul hanya menyebabkan diri lebih merana apabila rahsia Azad telah terbongkar. Disebalik kedatangannya ke Istanbul, perkenalan Dian bersama seorang pemuda bernama Harris (Beto Kusyairy) telah menyentuh hatinya. 'Mimpi ngeri' Dian bermula apabila dia ditipu ketika mencari rumah sewa dan tanpa diketahui, rumah yang sudah pun dibayar deposit selama tiga bulan itu sebenarnya sudah pun mempunyai seorang lagi penyewa iaitu Harris. Perkara ini menyebabkan dia terpaksa duduk serumah dengan seorang lelaki yang tidak dikenalinya. Filem ini disiarkan dipawagam pada Nov 8, 2012. [This content is provided by FMT content partner galaxtar.com, hiburan informasi terkini dan sensasi] |
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