SUARA WARGA PERAK

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Najib's 100 days in office but he fails to address peoples issues!


At the gathering to mark his 100 days in office, PM Najib has announced a slew of " goodies" .

People like " goodies" and he can expect his approval ratings to go higher than the 65% achieved recently.

But if Najib wants to truly bring about changes, he has to implement more and real changes and not just populist measures or goodies.

For example, I did not see his promise that a Royal Commission of Inquiry will be set up into the PKFZ issue. Should the people be satisfied with just the release of the recent PKFZ Report?

Neither did he promise that he will permanently solve the highway toll rate problem. Should the people be happy with the discount announced? Is this all his government can do ?

There was no promise that his government will abolish draconian laws like the ISA, OSA and the Printing and Press Act.

There are many more promises which the PM has not addressed.

The " what he did not promise"list can go on but what is important is that the people who have voted for change in the last general election must be able to see what the PM did not promise rather than what he has promised.

The nation and the people definitely deserve more than the slew of goodies announced.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Perhaps PM Najib should consider conduting a referendum on PPSMI for primary and secondary schools

The government's decision to reverse the PPSMI for both primary and secondary schools have attracted mixed reactions.

The feedback I have received shows that generally, the reversal for primary schools is accepted by the people , especially educationists who have long insisted that
primary school subjects are best taught in the students' mother tongue.

However, there seems to be some parents of urban schools who prefer that the status quo be maintained for the primary schools, if given a choice.

For the secondary schools, the number of urban parents who support the status quo be maintained for the secondary schools is quite overwhelming.

I am therefore not surprised that in the poll conducted by the former PM Tun Mahathir , majority have voted against the PPSMI reversal. Majority of his blog readers are urban parents or voters..

It will be interesting had Tun"s poll been separated into two sections, one for primary schools and another for secondary schools.

Tun Mahathir has asked his readers to answer yes or no to the question-- do you support the government's decision to teach Maths and Science in BM?

Based on his poll result, Tun has said that it seems that the government is not listening to the voice of the people.

May be PM Najib should seriously consider holding a referendum on the two questions:

1. Should PPSMI be reversed for primary schools?

2. Should PPSMI be reversed for secondary schools?

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Any political consideration in the two year delay of abolition of PPSMI?


Yesterday's Cabinet decision to reverse the PPSMI ( Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Inggeris) policy is not a surprise to many.

Many NGO’s and political parties as well as Chinese, Tamil and Malay educationists and oppositionists had warned before the PPSMI was implemented that it would not be able to achieve its declared objective of improving the standard of English of our students.

Time has proven the policy critics right.

Faced with the fact that the ill conceived PPSMI has failed its objective , the Cabinet was left with no choice but to reverse it.

Like many, I am a little surprised though that the reversal will include the secondary schools.

Many have thought the Cabinet will abolish the PPSMI for the primary schools only.

However, a question that many have asked today is , if PPSMI has made guinea pigs of our students and that the government has admitted it is a failed policy, then why is there a delay of 2 years in reversing it?

Why cant the reversal take effect next year?

Is there any political consideration in the two year delay? Is the general election a factor of consideration?

The Education Minister should know that not many will be convinced by his explanation that the reversal requires a " soft landing".

For a plane that has crashed , no on will talk about soft landing. For a policy that has failed, isn't immediate reversal the answer?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Meeting with the Kg.Buah Pala villagers

Tuesday 8thJuly09
With him being unfairly and inaccurately accused by some people that he is not willing to personally meet the villagers, I have voiced my opinion that the Penang Chief Minister should meet the villagers.

I am glad that a meeting will be held between the residents and the Penang Chief Minister tomorrow morning.

It is the fervent hope of the Indian community and the Pakatan Rakyat supporters that a constructive solution can be achieved.

Tommorrow's meeting has proven very clearly that Guan Eng is not a Chief Minister who will run away from the problem, unlike the Prime Minister who washes his hands so quickly and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Kookn who so irresponsibly passes the buck to Guan Eng.

At about 5pm on Tuesday 7thJuly YB Sivanesan , Sdr Sudagar a local Penang NGO rep and I met the villagers at the Kg.Buah Pala. During the discussion held we were told by the villagers that they want to stay put in the village and they want the state to assist them in this respect. We also made an extensive on hand tour of the village.

We have since then, relayed the above request to the Chief Minister of Penang.

We are given to understand that they were also 5 malay families residing in the village. But all of them have since moved out, as they had accepted compensation from the developer.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Najib washes his hands!


I have never seriously believed that Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon will take responsibility for the Kg Buah Pala issue and make amends by raising the matter in the Cabinet.

So I was not exactly surprised when he said that it was the present Penang state government which must solve the villagers ' predicament.

I was a little surprised though to learn from the news yesterday that the Prime Minister had so quickly washed his hands of the Kg Buah Pala issue.

When asked by the reporters on request by the Penang state government, Najib had said that it was a state matter which should be settled at state level.

How quickly he has washed his hands off the issue, even before Penang Chief Minister's letter requesting Federal intervention has reached him.

I thought the least Najib would have done was to say that the Federal government will study the issue or direct his KPI Minister to propose a solution .

After all, he should know that the former Penang state government led by Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon was the culprit of the problem.

Could the Prime Minister really wash his responsibly of a problem which was caused by a former BN Chief Minister who is now his KPI minister?

Monday, July 6, 2009

The reality of political involvement


An intresting write up by By Baradan Kuppusamy
KARAK, July 5 — While many of her compatriots in DAP celebrated their party's best ever electoral results last March, Kamache Dorai Rajoo counted the cost of her 145-vote loss in the Sabai state seat, and made a life-changing decision.
She decided to leave her husband behind in Kuantan and uprooted the rest of her family — her mother and two children — to this small town at the foothills of Genting Highlands. The 39-year-old would stay back to fight for a chance to be elected by the people of this small town.
More than a year later — she now has a permanent service centre she mans with party volunteers — many locals are behaving like her constituents and flock to her office for help.
With the help of her 68-year-old mother Mariyamal, whom she sees as her biggest inspiration in life, Kamache continues her campaign to get elected.
Although a one street town, Kamache's new home has a Chinese new village, a KFC and MacDonald’s outlet and two police stations one at each end of the town, reminiscence of the days when it was a communist hotbed.
Her husband is putting up in Kuantan where he works as a senior supervisor with an oil palm mill belonging to Sime Darby and although he has applied for a transfer to Karak he has little chance of getting it, says Kamache.
She is determined to stay in Karak despite the odds.
“In Kuantan only my husband needs me but here in Karak the many people need me,” she said.
“They face numerous problems and see me as their Wakil Rakyat and come to me for help even though I lost,” Kamache said. “I can’t let them down.”
“I intend to stay here for good even though it is a struggle to stay afloat,” said Kamache in fluent English.
The 10th in a family of 11 children, Kamache studied in a Tamil school, picked up English working as a receptionist, was a ground staff for a German airline and is currently doing a masters in English with the Open University.
But it has all been downhill since she uprooted from Kuantan and set up camp in Karak in the Sabai constituency with about 10,000 voters.
She gave up a lucrative job teaching English that paid about RM8, 000 a month when she moved to Karak.
“I persuaded my husband to let me go as I was determined. After drifting in life I have found my vocation in life. Politics, serving the people, fighting for justice...these are what I want to do,” she said.
“One day I would want to take a seat in Parliament. This is my dream,” she said. For the moment it is a uphill battle.
After landing in Karak she looked for a job and has yet to land one.
She rents a house in Karak for RM500 a month and her service centre cost RM350 a month.
Unlike in Kuantan where she taught tuition for a handsome fee, in Karak she is teaching English for free as part of the DAP's service to the constituents.
Without a steady job or business Kamache is finding it tough to pay the rent. Her savings is fast depleting.
Her mother is helping out from her pension along with her husband who earns about RM4,000 a month.
He also pays the monthly instalment for their house in Kuantan and for a Chevrolet 1.8 Optra that was bought during the good times in Kuantan.
“I can last another month or two but after that only a miracle can save us,” she said.
To make ends meet the family drastically scaled down their lifestyles.
Her daughter Venosha, 15, has given up on school tuition and Indian classical dance lessons. Before they were chauffeured to school now they take the school bus.
The credit cards have been shelved and a upcoming trip to Budapest, on July 14, for a eight-day political training stint has also been cancelled.
"I tried to raise money for the trip but there’s just not enough,” Kamache said with a trace of regret.
On the personal front, her health is not balmy.
Her asthma has started to act up with the cooler and wetter weather in Karak and in addition she suffers from a live long battle with psoriasis, a skin disease which is suppressed by taking steroids. “Why do you think I always wear longs sleaves,” she joked adding “I have spent over RM200,000 in my life for a permanent cure but without success.”
The amazing thing is that it never crossed her mind to give it all up and go back to the secure and comfortable life she had in Kuantan.
“I am not a quitter and besides I am needed here. There are so many issues and problems I have taken up. I cannot just walk away,” Kamache said.
“I have fought all my life. I have survived one personal crisis after another. I don’t plan to give up,” Kamache said. “I can’t abandon the people here.” It was not always like this with her.
Although the family started poor on her father’s small income as a civil servant, she managed to get educated up to A-levels first in Ipoh and later in Jelapang where they moved on her father’s retirement in 1989.
They lived in a squatter settlement outside town.
“I worked in numerous places — at a hotel in Langkawi, as ground stewardess and as receptionist in Klang,” she said.
Her political initiation came one day in 1990 when she attended a forum on the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Meru, near Klang.
“That forum changed my outlook about myself and the world,” she said.
“That’s when I realised one had to look beyond self and one had to speak up against injustice.”
That realisation made her take an active interest in human rights issues and get involved in the struggle for freedom of minorities.
It was during this period that she got involved in the setting of the Tamil Foundation, an NGO that promoted Tamil education and culture.
Through this activity Kamache met activists lawyers like P. Pasupathy, M. Manoharan (currently Tamil Foundation chairman and Teluk Intan MP) and M. Kulasegaran (MP Ipoh Barat).
In the run up to the March 8 general election the DAP was keen to promote Indian women to stand for election as the party had never fielded one before.
Naturally Kamache, with her speaking talents and experience with grassroots rights activities was a natural choice.
“I was reluctant but was persuaded to take the plunge by YB Kula,” Kamache said. She was presented to the DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and secretary general Lim Guan Eng and they were agreeable for Kamache to contest in the Sabai state seat.
“I arrived with my two children and my mother one day before parliament was dissolved (on Feb 13, 2008),” she said. “This was the first time I had stepped foot in Karak.”
The four of them slept on the floor of the DAP office in Karak for the next 25 days running a chaotic campaign with the help of the local DAP leaders against the well oiled campaign by BN candidate Datuk M Davendran.
On polling day she swept the urban votes but lost the bulk of the votes in Felda Serting. Overall she lost by a narrow 145 votes. “I cried for days, my mother cried, by children cried, DAP party workers cried. We were so close and yet we were defeated,” Kamache said recalling the agony of defeat.
Three days after the defeat she met her husband and told him she had made up her mind to return to Karak, set up office and serve the people and fight on.
Her husband agreed.
Her financial woes are just one of the many battles she faces.
She fights the bureaucracy, headquartered in Bentong about 30 minutes from Karak, for everything — health services to garbage collection, problems with birth certificates and provision of basic amenities.
“I don’t have time even to read the newspapers,” she said adding she is “vaguely” aware about the issues in Buah Pala village in Penang. “I have my hands full here.”
“Unlike before the DAP has to fight on several fronts now. We fight for all Malaysians. We are not perfect but we stay the course,” she said.

1 Malaysia, 1 Kg.Buah Pala or 1 Malaysia, no kg. Buah Pala?

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said that he will write to the Prime Minister to ask him to intervene, by acquiring the Kg Buah Pala land and compensate the developer.

I believe this is one good way that the Kg Buah Pala issue can be resolved and the village can be preserved as an Indian heritage village. That is why I have suggested this, as an option to be put to and decided by the villagers themselves.

It is obvious that the culprit of the problem, Dr Koh Tsu Koon , will not make amends and at least raise the matter in the Cabinet.

The fact that he did not even bother to stand up to reply or rebut me when I had questioned him in Parliament proves his lack of sense of reasonability on a issue which was created by the Administration headed by him.

However, now that the Prime Minister will be given an official letter by the Penang state government, Najib is provided with an opportunity to show the nation
whether it will be " 1 Malaysia, 1 Kg Buah Pala" or " 1 Malaysia, No Kg Buah Pala".

Lets see what it will be from the Prime Minister who can resolve the issue with " a stroke of the pen".

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Kg Buah Pala Controversy

Kg Buah Pala Controversy
----------------------------------------
I have received feedback from fellow Indians who are DAP and non DAP members, following my suggestion that polling be conducted among the villagers to consider 3 options .

It does not surprise me at all that the Kg Buah Pala controversy has become a very emotionally charged issue for many.

While some thought the polling is a democratic exercise which can gauge the actual and true feelings and have welcomed the idea, many have expressed their view that the only right thing for the Penang state government to do is to preserve the village as a heritage village.

This is definitely a good solution which our Sdr Lim Guan Eng will be most willing to adopt if it is a straight forward matter.

However, from what has been uttered by him over the last two days, is is very obvious that he is in a predicament just like the villagers.

I have stressed that the culprit of the controversy is the former administration headed by Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon.

An ideal solution will be for the BN federal government to compensate the developer and take over the land and gazette it as an Indian heritage village.

But it is apparent that Koh Tsu Koon and the BN Federal Government will not want to intervene at all.

Many believe that the federal government will not intervene , especially when even groups or people friendly to the DAP , Penang state government and Pakatan Rakyat have started to demand that the Penang Chief Minister solve the problem.

BN politicians are now "enjoying" reading news reports where DAP is pressured and blasted
Nevertheless, from my earlier feedback, I have sensed the general expectation that a government in power must solve the problem, irrespective of whoever is the culprit and whatever is the cause of the problem.

Sdr Karpal Singh hit the right note when he said in Today's Star that " they are ( the villagers) tired of the blame game and want us to act because we are in power- if I were in their shoes, I would say the same";

The Kg Buah Pala issue is the greatest challenge faced by the DAP and Penang state government since the last general election.

And this is one challenge we must be able to surmount.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Kg.Buah Pala- suggest polling among villagers to consider 3 options

There is no doubt that the cause of the Kg Buah Pala residents' plight is the previous BN state government headed by Tan Sri Koh Tzu Koon.
Our KPI Minister Tan Sri Koh is therefore the culprit who must be held responsible and accountable for his government's decision which created today's controversy.
I had a chance to question him on why he had alienated the Kg Buah Pala land without consulting the villagers as well as at land premium price which was far below the market price at RM10 a sq.foot when he turned up at Parliament on Thursday. The nearly 6 acres of prime land was alienated to a Co-Operative said to be an UMNO stooges. Why the land was not sold or alienated to the residents there?

If he had any sense of accountability, surely he would have stood up to reply or rebut me. But he chose to keep quiet.

Isn't being accountable for one's action and helping the people to solve their problems one of the KPI of a federal minister?

Be that as it may, the Kg Buah Pala I plight should be well and quickly resolved, lest more exploitation by some quarters and the misinformed will continue to happen.

In fact, since the controversy erupted, DAP has been unfairly and inaccurately portrayed as a Party that has abandoned or marginalized the Indians.

I wish to put across my personal view that the DAP state government should conduct polling among the villagers to consider the following options:

1. That the Federal government steps in with the necessary funding to compensate the developer, hence allowing the state government to cancel the project

2. That the state government provides an alternative land for the villagers to build their new homes

3. That the developer's compensation package to include the provision of alternative land for the villagers to build their new homes.

In view of the urgency of the issue as well as to stop the unfair accusation that the Penang Chief Minister is not getting true opinions of the villagers, I will suggest that our Sdr Lim Guan Eng meet the villagers as soon as possible.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

ஈப்போ பாராட் நாடாளுமன்ற அரசியல் செயலாளரின் பத்திரிகை அறிக்கை

குறை கூறுவதை நிறுத்தி, குறையை தீர்க்க முயற்சிப்போம்.

இந்நாட்டில் எது நிழல்தாலும் மற்றவருக்கு நல்லதாகவும் இந்தியர்களுக்கு பாதிப்பு ஒன்றே பயனாக அமைவது வேதனையை தருகிறது.

இப்பொழுது புவா பாலா கிராம பிரச்னையை உன்னித்து கவனித்தால் யார் செய்த குற்றம் என்பதனை தெள்ள தெளிவாக சொல்ல இயலும். ஆனால் அதனை சுட்டி காட்டி நழுவுவதும் மறுபுறம் அதனை கண்டும் காணாததுபோல் இருப்பதும் ஒரு சிலரின் பொறுப்பற்ற கொள்கையாகிவிட்டது.

உதவி புரிந்தவர்களை எட்டி உதைப்பதும் அவர்களை உதாசினப்படுத்துவதும் பல இரக்கமற்ற மனிதர்களின் செயலாகி விட்டது. அன்று இந்நாட்டில் அரசியல் மறுமலர்ச்சியை தொற்றுவித்தவர்கள் இந்தியர்கள்தான். அதன் வாயிலாக பல சமுதாய உள்ளம் கொண்ட சிலர் பல இன்னல்களையும் ஐந்து தலைவர்கள் சிறை வாசத்தையும் அனுபவித்தார்கள்.

இவர்களின் தியாக உணர்வை ஒரு பொழுதும் யாராலும் குறைத்து மதிப்பிட முடியாது. ஆனால் பிறர் அதனை குறைத்து மதிப்பிடும் அளவிற்கு நடக்காமல் இருப்பது சமுதாய உணர்வுள்ள தியாகிகளுக்கு நல்லதாகும்.

இப்பிரச்சனையில் ஒருவருக்கொருவர் குறைகூறி சூழ்நிலையை மோசமடைய செய்தலை தவிர்த்து குறையை தீர்க்கும் ஒரு வலுவான கருத்தை தெரிவிக்க முயல செய்வது அனைவருக்கும் மற்றும் அனைத்திற்கும் நல்ல முடிவை தரும்.

அன்று மக்களின் உரிமையை உதாசினப்படுத்திய ம.இ.க இன்று நல்லவர்களை போல் இந்த விஷயத்தில் நாடகம் ஆட கூடாது. அன்று இந்நில விவகாரத்தில் நடுவில் நின்றுக்கொண்டு சுயலாபத்திற்கு கும்மாளம் அடித்தவர்கள் ம.இ.கவை சேர்ந்தவர்கள் என்று மறந்துவிடக்கூடாது.

எது எப்படி இருப்பினும், தற்பொழுது இருக்கும் பினாங்கு மாநில அரசாகத்தில் இந்தியர்களின் தலை கவசமாக திகழும் பேராசிரியர் ராமசாமி அவர்களை உதாசினப்படுத்தி ஓரங்கட்டி நாம் பகைமையை உருவாக்கிகொல்வதை விட, அவருடன் துணை நின்று இப்பிரச்சனையை தீர்க்க முயலவேண்டும்.


சுகுமாரன் பெரியசாமி

MPs concerned over amendments to laws on religious conversion

Data Source : Thestar.com.my

MPs have raised concerns over the proposed amendments to three laws on religious conversion, saying that the matter must be handled with care.

“In a civilised society, it is essential to have freedom of religion in line with basic human rights,” Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing (BN – Tuaran) said.
“The matter is now back at the discussion table. I hope there will be a good solution to all,” he said when debating the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Amendment) (Amendment) Bill.

The suggested amendments to the conversion laws were not tabled this time around, as more time was required to review them.

M. Kulasegaran (DAP – Ipoh Barat) said the issue of religious conversion had caused problems to the families involved where children were often caught in the tussle. This had led to much heartache, he added.

At the Parliament lobby, Lim Kit Siang (DAP – Ipoh Timur) said the Cabinet should call for an emergency meeting by next month to push through amendments to the religious conversion laws.

The Cabinet, he said, had to resolve the issue fast because unilateral conversions had wreaked havoc on the family structure and affected racial unity.

It had been a very polarising and divisive matter, he told reporters.

On Tuesday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz announced that the Government was putting on hold the amendments to hear the views of state religious councils.

The three laws are the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, the Administration of Islamic (Federal Territories) Islamic Law and the Islamic Family (Federal Territories) Law.

Lim said there could be more cases of family disunity as a result of religious conversion until Parliament sat again in October.

PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz (PAS – Pokok Sena) said time should be given to Rulers for their feedback on the issue.

PAS has disagreed with the Cabinet’s decision, saying that the courts should decide on the children’s religion and not the Cabinet.

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Georgetown On 2.7.2009.

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Georgetown On 2.7.2009.

The State Government Will Not Take A Single Cent Of The So-called “Goodwill Payment” From The Developer Unless The Kampung Buah Pala Residents Agree To The Compensation.
The Penang state government warns Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd, the developer of the proposed housing project in Kampung Buah Pala, for threatening to send bulldozers in by August 2 to forcibly evict residents and demolish their houses as highly irresponsible and inflammatory. It is highly improper to stoke fear into the villagers’ hearts by reminding them that they will have to move out by Aug 2 when the one-month grace period given by the developer expires and there will be “no more extensions". The one-month grace period was negotiated by the state government with the developer to find a solution to the problem.

Nusmetro claimed to have offered the highest compensation in the state from RM140,000 to RM260,000 to the temporary occupation of land (TOL) holders as well as their immediate and extended families. And even offered one of the two cattle ranchers there RM330,000 including a five-year rent-free deal for land in Balik Pulau which was rejected.

To say that the developer has the legal right not to pay anything to the residents just because the developer has a Federal Court order, would not assist in resolving this problem. Instead of all the cruel talk about bulldozers, the developer should continue to seek solutions that works towards a win-win situation for all parties. For this reason, the state government will not take a single cent of the “goodwill payment” proposed by the developer to the state government unless the villagers of Kampung Buah Pala agrees to the compensation.

I wish to reiterate that the state government has nothing to do with the eviction, or the Federal court order and the bringing in of bulldozers to demolish the houses. Instead the state government had intervened to prevent the eviction of the residents since last year. Even though this is a court order obtained by the developer, the state government would continue to work aggressively to try to assist the villagers.
LIM GUAN ENG

தீர்வு காணும் வரை பின்வாங்க மாட்டோம்

பினாங்கு மாநில முதல் அமைச்சர் லிம் குவான் எங் அவர்களின் பத்திரிகை அறிக்கை - 02/07/09

கம்போங் புவா பாலா குடியிருப்பாளர்கள் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட தனியார் மேம்பாட்டு நிறுவனம் வழங்க முன்வந்த நஷ்ட ஈடு தொகைக்கு சம்மதம் தெரிவிக்காத வரையில், அந்நிறுவனம் "நல்லெண்ணத்துடன்" வழங்கும் எந்த ஒரு சல்லி காசையும் மாநில அரசாங்கம் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளாது.

இதன் தொடர்பில் அந்நிறுவனம் வருகிர ஆகுஸ் 8 இல், புல்ல்டோசரை அனுப்பி அங்கிருக்கும் மக்களை வழுக்கட்டாயமாக வெளியேற்ற போவதாக மிரட்டுவதை, மாநில அரசாங்கம் நுஸ் மெட்ரோ (பி) செண்டிரியான் பெர்ஹாத் நிறுவனத்தை வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறது. இதுபோன்ற மிரட்டல்கள் கண்டதுக்குரியவை மட்டுமல்லாமல் அவ்வைகையில் அந்நிறுவனம் அங்கிருக்கும் வீடுகளை தரைமட்டமாக்க நினைப்பது பொறுப்பற்ற செயலாகும்.

இவ்வகையில் மறைவான முறையில் அங்கிருக்கும் மக்கலுக்கு அச்சம் செய்யும் வகையில் நடந்துக்கொள்வது கொஞ்சம்கூட முறையான செயல் அல்ல என்பதனை இதன் மூலம் தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறேன். கொடுக்கபட்ட ஒரு மாத கால அவகாசம் ஆகஸ்ட் 8 இல் முடிவடைவதால், அதற்குள் அங்கிருக்கும் மக்கள் தானாகவே வெளியேற மறுத்தால் அக்கால அவகாசம் நீடிக்கப்படாது என்று மிரண்டல் விடுப்பது முறையான செயலல்ல.

இப்பொழுது நடைமுறையில் உள்ள ஒரு மாத கால அவகாசம், சம்பந்தப்பட்ட நிறுவனத்திடம் பேச்சுவார்த்தை நடத்திய பிறகு மாநில அரசாங்கம் அந்நிறுவனத்திற்கு வழகப்பட்டவை ஆகும். இக்கால அவகாசம் அந்நிறுவனம் ஒரு சிறந்த தீர்வை இப்பிரச்னையில் கண்டறிவதற்கான அவகாசமாகும்.

நுஸ் மெட்ரோ நிறுவனம் அங்கிருக்கும் மக்களுக்கு மிகவும் உயர்ந்த நஷ்டஈடு தொகையான ரிங்கிட் மலேசியா 140,000 லிருந்து 260,000 வரை வழங்க முன்வந்திருப்பதாக தெரிவித்தனர். இது போன்ற சன்மான தொகையை இந்நிலத்தில் தற்காலிகமாக குடியிருப்போருக்கும் அவர்களை சேர்ந்த குடும்பத்தாருக்கும் வழகப்படும் என்றனர். அதுமட்டும் மின்றி, அங்கு இருக்கக்கூடிய ஒரு மாட்டு தண்ணைக்கு சுமார் ரிங்கிட் மலேசியா 330,000 சேர்த்து ஐந்து வருட இலவச வாடகை நிலம் ஒன்று வழங்க முன்வந்ததை, நிராகரிக்கப்பட்டது என்று அவர்கள் தெரிவித்தனர்.

சம்பந்தப்பட்ட நிறுவனம் கூட்டரசு நீதிமன்ற உத்தரவை பெற்றிருப்பதால், சட்டத்துக்கு உட்பட்டு அங்கிருக்கும் மக்களுக்கு எந்த ஒரு நஷ்டீடையும் கொடுக்காமல் செயல்பட முயன்றால் அது போன்ற போக்கு எந்த ஒரு சுமுக தீர்வையையும் இப்பிரச்சனையில் கொண்டுவரா இயலாது.

சம்பந்தப்பட்ட நிறுவனம் ஒரு சிறந்த தீர்வை கண்டறிய முன்வரவேண்டுமே ஒழிய தேவையில்லாத மற்றும் அங்கிருக்கும் மக்களுக்கு அச்சம் விளைவிக்கும் வகையில் பேசுவதை தவிர்த்தல் வேண்டும். ஒரு சிறந்த முடிவு அனைவரின் முன்னேற்றத்தை உறுதிசெய்யும் என்பதனை இந்நிறுவனம் புரிந்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். அதன் அடிப்படையில் புவா பாலா மக்கள் அவர்களுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்ட நஷ்ட ஈடு தொகையை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளாதவரை அந்நிறுவனம் "நல்லெண்ணத்துடன்" மாநில அரசாங்கத்திற்கு வழங்க முன்வந்த தொகையிலிருந்து எந்த ஒரு காசையும் பினாங்கு அரசாங்கம் ஏற்காது என்று இதன் வழி தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறேன்.

ஆகையால் மக்களின் உணர்வுக்கு மதிப்பளிக்கும் வகையில், இந்த புவா பாலா குடியிருபாளர்களை காலி செய்யும் முயற்சி நடவடிக்கைக்கும் மாநில அரசாங்கத்திற்கும் எந்த ஒரு சம்மதமும் கிடையாது என்பதனை மீண்டும் தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறேன். இருப்பினும் கூட்டரசு நீதிமன்ற கட்டளையை கொண்டு எந்த ஒரு தரப்பினரும் புல்டோசெர் கொண்டு புவா பால நிலத்தை காலி செய்ய முயன்றால் அதுவும் பினாங்கு மாநில அரசாகத்தின் செயல் அல்ல என்பதை நினைவில் கொள்ளுமாறு கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன்.

எதுவாகினும் மாநில அரசாங்கம் , இப்பிரச்சனை ஒரு நல்ல தீர்வை காணும் வரை அங்கிருக்கும் மக்களுக்கு துணை நின்று உதவி செய்ய அயராது பாடுபடும் என்பதனை அறிவித்துக்கொள்கிறேன்.


லிம் குவான் எங்

PKFZ report: Longer wait for MPs

At 10am to day i stood up to inform the Speaker that I want to invoke a point of order in relation to the PKFZ.
I cited Standing Order 20 of PArliament which, reads as follows
20(1) Papers shall be presented only by Speaker, a minister or the Chairmman of a Committee, and shall be sent to the Setiausaha.
2) Every paper a copy of which is so received by the Secretary shall be deemed to have been presented to the house and ordered to lie upon the table.

The Minister of Transport stated on 15June that 300 copies of PricewaterhouseCoopers on the PKFZ scandle reports have been served on the Secretary(Clerk) of Parliamnet. Question is why it has not been table to date and as to day is the last day of this session of Parlaiment.

The rest is news from MalaysiaKini

Parliamentarians will not see the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit report and its appendix on the Port Klang Free Trade (PKFZ) until the Public Accounts Committee has completed its investigation on the matter.

House Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee said this today when he was asked when the report would be released to the parliamentarians.

"The PAC has yet to have a final meeting on the matter... they have yet to arrive at a decision. Let them decide and the full report will be revealed," he said.

This revelation means that parliamentarians will only be able to look at the report in full at the next Parliament sitting in December. The current sitting ends today.

Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat last week said that 300 copies of the PwC audit report have been passed to the Parliament secretariat and it was up to the latter's prerogative as to when these reports will be distributed.
The deputy speaker however today said that the copies of the report were attained by the secretariat on its capacity as the secretariat of PAC because the reports were needed by the PAC.

The deputy speaker stressed that he does not want the report to be released in phases but rather be discussed in its entirety when it is ready.

"Trust me, the reports are not locked in a metal chest," he said.

When pressed on the fact that Ong had promised the MPs will attain a copy of the report by the end of this session's sitting, the deputy speaker said that he had already given his explanation on the issue and that whatever that had been reported in the press on the matter was immaterial.

Question posed by Kula

The deputy speaker refused to answer any further questions on
the matter even when asked why the secretariat needed 300 copies of the report.

Kiandee was responding to a question posed by M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat).

Yesterday it was revealed that PAC will be calling in some big names to complete its probe into the PKFZ scandal.

According to the audit report, PKFZ's development cost may eventually balloon to a staggering RM12.5 billion from an initial cost of less than RM2 billion.

Other key issues highlighted in the report include weak project management, cost overruns and conflict of interest.

The report, released in May, had named three top politicians as among those involved in the scandal, with two being cited as having a conflict of interest.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Hindraf Protest infront of DAP Perak

A group of 20 Hindraf supporters gathered staged a peaceful protest in front of the Perak DAP headquarters at Medan Istana at 4.30pm. More update on timely basis available at http://twitter.com/mkula.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

கம்போங் புவா பாலா குறிந்த பத்திரிகை அறிக்கை

இப்பத்திரிகை செய்தி பினாங்கு மாநில முதல் அமைச்சர் லிம் குவான் எங் அவர்களின் அறிக்கை ஆகும்.

Kampung Buah Pala.....who is the culprit?

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Georgetown On30.6.2009.
Hindraf Must Wake Up And Realise That Kampung Buah Pala Is StillStanding Today Because The Penang Pakatan Rakyat State Government HadSuccessfully Prevented Them From Been Evicted In The Middle Of LastYear.The Penang Pakatan Rakyat state government has never consented nor approved any demolition of Kampung Buah Pala.
Any action taken is bythe private developer via a court order issued by the relevant courts.Up to RM 200,000 per family was offered by the developer to the residents which was accepted by many families but not by those remaining in Kampung Buah Pala.
The state government respected thedecision of those remaining in Kampung Buah Pala to reject any compensation offer and to fight it out in courts. If the state government had not been sympathetic to the plight of the residents, then the developer would have evicted the residents in the middle of last year when a court order was obtained.
Only the determined preventive efforts by Penang DCM2 Professor P Ramasamy and Penang State EXCO Abdul Malek stopped the developer from entering thevillage with bulldozers several times last year. All parties must therefore realise that it is only because of the efforts of the present Pakatan Rakyat state government that the Kampung Buah Pala residents are still living there.
Koh Tsu Koon Owes The Public A Full Explanation Why He Sold TheKampung Buah Pala At A Cheap Price Of Only RM 10 Per Square Feet In2007 And Without consulting the residents.The state government land of Kampung Buah Pala was approved toKoperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang twice by the BN Penang stateEXCO led by Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon on 18.8.2004 and 8.6.2005 with apremium of RM 6.42 million or RM 20 per square feet. I can notunderstand neither the rationale of approving this project without consulting the residents nor selling it at such a low price. Worse Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s EXCO reduced the premium further by50% to RM 3.21 million or only RM 10 per square feet on the recommendation of the UMNO Deputy Chief Minister.
Koh Tsu Koon owes the public a full explanation why he sold Kampung Buah Pala at a cheap price of only RM 10 per square feet in 2007 when the market price in this prime area is many times over and without consulting the residents.The Penang State Government Should Not Be Unfairly Victimised And Targeted By Hindraf For Helping The Kampung Buah Pala Residents.
It is BN, Gerakan, MIC, UMNO & MCA that are the main culprits for causing, abandoning and even selling out Kampung Buah Pala residents.The Penang state government regrets the highly irresponsible and irrational actions of Hindraf in targeting the Penang state government over the actions taken by the developer to evict residents in Kampung Buah Pala.
Hindraf wants the state government to act against the court order obtained by the developer to evict the residents. This the state government can not do as Pakatan Rakyat governs under the rule of law and is compelled to respect any court order issued. On the other hand, there have been suggestions that the Penang state government forcibly acquires the land under for a public purpose underthe Land Acquisition Act.
Doing so would play into the hands into the developer who would be able to reap enormous profits without puttingin a single cent. Much as the Penang state government would wish to do, cancelling the project and forcibly acquiring the land would incur costs beyond the financial capability of the state government. We are NOT talking about millions of ringgit or tens of millions of ringgit here! Clearly Hindraf is unable to distinguish who its friends are by likening such actions to UMNO’s tearing down of Hindu temple.
And yetHindraf does not organise nation-wide protests for the recent tearing down Hindu temples in Kuala Lumpur. The Penang state government should not be unfairly victimised or targeted by Hindraf when we have assisted the residents and also not involved with the tearing down ofany Hindu temple in Penang. Why is Hindraf not demonstrating against UMNO or Gerakan or MCA oreven MIC who are the main culprits and perpetrators behind KampungBuah Pala? This begs the question whether Hindraf has now been infiltrated by collaborators of MIC and BN when it should be demonstrating against those who demolish temples and not the Penang state government seeking a fair deal for the Kampung Buah Pala villagers.Hindraf should realise what the Penang state government has done forthe Indian community, temples and Tamil primary schools.
Not only was the first Indian Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang appointed but the28 Tamil primary schools were given a yearly allocation of RM 1.5 million along with other Chinese primary, Sekolah Agama Rakyat, missionary schools and Chinese independent secondary schools. Further Penang put up the FIRST Tamil road signs in the country alongside withArabic, Chinese and English bilingual road signs in Georgetown. Even Hindraf never even raised the issue of Tamil road signs.
By going against the Penang state government, Hindraf is indirectly helping UMNO and BN and putting all the achievements made by the Penang state government at risk. There will be no Indian DCM2, no yearly allocation of funds to Tamil primary schools and no more Tamil road signs or bilingual road signs. Hindraf should use reason not emotions of rage or anger and think again who are the real opponents and the real friends of the Indian community.Most important of all, the Penang state government treats all Indians together with Chinese and Malays as Malaysian citizens, where a Chinese leader can look after Malays a Malay leader can look after Chinese and an Indian leader can look after all citizens.
DAP and the Pakatan Rakyat government will not back down or be cowed by BN, UMNOor Hindraf who continues to look at problems from a narrow racialspectrum of Chinese, Indian of Malays. DAP and the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government believes that the issues of Indians are not Indian problems, the issues of Chinese are not Chinese problems nor the issues of Malays not Malay problems but a Malaysian issue.
We should be uniting together as Malaysians around the principles ofjustice, truth, freedom, democracy and welfare of the people to ensure that we fight corruption to both generate growth and prosperity as well as ensure that everyone shares equitably.However despite regretting the unwarranted targeting of the Penang state government, Hindraf leaders have the right to exercise the basic human rights of peaceful assembly by demonstrating no matter how unreasonable they are.
I have instructed my officials to respect their rights and accept any memorandum submitted in line with non-violent principles of Mahatma Gandhi that, “violence begets violence, an eyefor any eye would leave everyone blind.” I also urge the police not totake any action that would lead to untoward actions.
The state government will also not be affected by the actions of the residents in suddenly turning against the state government despite allthe assistance offered. The state government will continue to assist the remaining residents of Kampung Buah Pala, including if the residents so wish, that the developer of Kampung Buah Pala continues with its offer of up to RM 200,000 compensation per registered familyto the residents. The state government has also not given any consentor agreement to the developer to demolish any buildings as thedeveloper is acting on his own under the court order from the HighCourt and Federal Court.
LIM GUAN ENG

Monday, June 29, 2009

Why the 3 bills have not been tabled in Parliament?

For quite some time over the last few years many families had to under go a lot of pain and uncertainty when it is found a bit too late one of the family member is found to have converted to Islam. No one objects to conversion per se. But the problem starts when only upon death the remaining members of the deceased find out about the conversion. By that time, it is too late and resorting to civil courts delivers little or no help at all.

Worse still are, cases involving minor children of families. The most recent is the case of Indira Gandhi 35 a mother of 3 children. The youngest child is only 14 months old and the mother was still breast feeding her child. But when the marriage was breaking up the father of the children embraced Islam and he converted his 3 children too. The father “kidnapped” the 14 months old child and in the process beat up his wife Indria Gandhi.

The Syariah (muslim) court gave custody of the children to the father. The civil court was of little help but recorded an interim consent order as regards the 2 elder children and as regards the youngest the custody lays with the father.

Many non-muslims know that the civil courts take along time to settle matrimonial matters. In the process some for personal reasons find a easier way out to embrace Islam and complicate the whole issue.

On the 16th of May I raised on my adjournment speech that the cabinet direct on “conversion case” is both ineffective and useless. The cabinet direct was supposedly to bring about a permanent settlement in case of conversion.

When this matter was raised, the de facto Minister of Law YB Dato Seri Nazri replied that the government will present 3 bills to Parliament for all the laws on conversion to be consistent so that innocent parties who are not converted will be accorded protection.

We have only 3 more days for Parliament to sit and to date the bills have not been tabled. This delay are unacceptable more so when Nazri acknowledge that the draft was ready way back in 2007.
I will raise this non tabling of the bills at the earliest opportunity in Parliament. Even if the bill are tabled at such a late hour we are all denied from getting inputs from our constituents by reason of constrain of time.
My adjournment speech and reply can be read here :http://www.parlimen.gov.my.my/hindex/pdf/DR-16062009.pdf

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Latest Update on H1N1 - Is the Malaysian Govt really serious in prevention method?


Data Source : WHO

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases is given in the following map.



Data Source :Thestar.com.my

No wonder A (H1N1) cases are on the rise

I WAS made to understand, through media reports, that health screening has been put in place at all entry points into the country. To my disappointment, this is not true!

Last Sunday, my colleagues and I returned from Singapore via the Second Link. At the Tuas checkpoint, we cleared Immigration and Customs. However, there was no health screening on the thousands who entered Malaysia via the checkpoint.

This was in total contrast with what we experienced when we entered Singapore. The authorities there did their parts right.

The Malaysian authorities need to buck up or we will be faced with more people coming down with the A (H1N1) influenza.

MN,
Kuala Lumpur.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009

Police should drop all unnecessary investigation

On the 26th of May2009 some 21 people were arrested by the police allegedly for breaking the law. On that day the Pakatan Perak had organized a 3 day “hunger strike” against the unlawful seizing of the Perak state Government by the Barisan National(BN)

Of the 21 persons arrested 8 of us are elected representatives. We were all detained for over 5 hours and kept at the Ipoh Police. After the police statements were taken from us we were released. Initially the condition of release was that we have to provide a surety and then only we would be released from Police bail. We refused this condition and demanded we be either released on police bail of we will stay put at the Police station. Finally the some sense prevailed on the investigation officer and we were released on police bail and we were requested to appear in Ipoh court today.

Late yesterday we were informed by the police that our presence at the Ipoh Court has been dispensed and if the need be we would told of the need to appear in court in due course.

If the police proceed to charge us in court we would defend and rebut the charges. But in the event we are found guilty by the court under the Police Act all the elected representatives could loose their seats!

I would urge the police to drop all investigations on this matter.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Memorandum of the BLACK day of Perak submitted to SUHAKAM

On the 26thMay09 the Pakatan Rakyat organized a 3day “hunger strike” a protest to the seizing of power of the legitimate government of Perak by the Barisan Government.

The Hunger strike commenced at about 9am at the Ipoh DAP HQ. Thereafter at 11am many of the participants had to proceed to attend the filing of a court case at the High Court of Ipoh. As we were leaving the building many ordinary people were on the road side and the presence of the police was over whelming.

Suddenly the police announced us to disperse while we were walking on the road or the five foot way near the HQ DAP Perak. Many of us were heading to the High Court, Ipoh. DSP Glen then announced on his microphone 1,2,3 and ordered his men to arrest us.

As a result of the above incident to all the 9 elected representatives who were arrested prepared a memorandum on the event and submitted to the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) to day. On the 26thMay09 a total of 21 individuals were arrested. The memorandum was accepted by the Commissioners Tan Sri Simon and Dato Siva Subramaniaam on behalf of SUHAKAM.

Tan Sri Simon mentioned that although SUHAKAM has been forwarding its recommending and findings to Parliament to date no action has been taken on them. Infact the yearly report to Parliament has not even found it listed for debate.

I said the call for SUHAKAM to hold a public inquiry on the incident of 26thMay09 should be considered seriously. The arrest of so elected reps in Perak is a black day. The Human Right’s body is like a toothless tiger and the government of the day should arm the body with laws for it to act independently. I also lamented that the Police should be a political and should not take side in the present political crisis in Perak. The overwhelming presence of the police all over near the Perak DAP HQ is just a waste of public funds. In fact the police should concentrate on police work like fighting crime rather then be involved in political matters.

On details of the memorandum and pictures kindly visit http://idhamlim.blogspot.com

Jawapan Dari Menteri Di Pejabat Perdana Menteri

Arahan Jemaah Menteri Harus Dilaksanakan Secara Adil Berhubung Isu Pemelukan Agama - Klik disini untuk membaca ucapan penangguhan
Jawapannya
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri [Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz]:Tuan Yang di-Pertua, pelaksanaan sesuatu arahan Jemaah Menteri mestilah selaras dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan undang-undang yang sedang berkuat kuasa. Mengenai isu penentuan agama anak yang berumur di bawah 18 tahun, apabila salah seorang ibu atau bapanya memeluk agama lain, Jemaah Menteri telah bersetuju bahawa penentuan agama anakitu mestilah dibuat selaras dengan Fasal (4) Perkara 12 Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
MenurutFasal (4) Perkara 12 itu, agama seseorang anak yang di bawah umur 18 tahun hendaklahditetapkan oleh ibu atau bapanya iaitu perkataan parent dalam bahasa Inggeris ‘parent’ ataupenjaganya.Dalam kes Subashini a/p Rajasingham lawan Saravanan a/l Tangatori 2008 (2) MLJ 147,Mahkamah Persekutuan telah mentafsirkan perkataan parent sebagai mufrad iaitu singular dan bukannya jamak plural. Oleh itu, seseorang ibu atau bapa yang memeluk agama lain mempunyai hak di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuan untuk menetapkan agama anaknya yangberumur di bawah 18 tahun.
Kerajaan memang sentiasa memandang serius isu pemelukan agama dan penubuhan suatu jawatankuasa kecil oleh Jemaah Menteri yang terdiri daripada beberapa orang menteri untuk menangani isu berkenaan dengan penukaran agama ialah buktikeseriusan kerajaan dalam menangani isu ini bukan macam Yang Berhormat sebutkan tadi ya.
Sebelum jawatankuasa kecil ditubuhkan oleh Jemaah Menteri untuk menangani isu penukaran agama, draf Rang Undang-undang untuk meminda tiga akta iaitu:
(i) Akta Membaharui Undang-Undang iaitu Perkahwinan dan Penceraian1976;
(ii) Akta Pentadbiran Undang-Undang Islam (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan)1993;
(iii) Akta Undang-Undang Keluarga Islam (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan)198.
Akta-akta ini telah disediakan pada tahun 2007. Antara pindaan yang dicadangkan menyentuh pembubaran perkahwinan, resolution marriage, dengan izin, hak jagaan anak, nafkahanak-anak dan isteri serta pembahagian aset perkahwinan.
Jawatankuasa kecil ini telah ditaklimatkan tentang cadangan pindaan kepada akta-akta yang berkenaan oleh Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Peguam Negara pada 5 Mei 2009. Jadi pindaan sedang dilakukan kepada ketiga-tiga undang-undang yang berkenaan dankita sasarkan untuk pembentangan di Parlimen pada Mesyuarat Kedua yang berlangsungsekarang.
Saya harap Yang Berhormat dengan geng-geng semua sokonglah ya kalau hendak selesaikan masalah ini. Okey. Tuan Yang di-Pertua, mengenai dakwaan bahawa negara ini adalah negara sekular, Yang Berhormat sebut tadi negara ini negara sekular Perlembagaan Persekutuan secara jelas mengiktirafkan di bawah Fasal (1) Perkara 3 bahawa Islam adalah agama bagi Persekutuan.
Ini berbeza dengan negara sekular yang lain seperti Amerika Syarikat,India dan Turki yang secara jelas memperuntukkan di bawah Perlembagaan mereka bahawa negara itu ialah sebuah negara sekular.Dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan, perkataan sekular ini langsung tidak disebut dimana-mana bahagian Perlembagaan.
Selain itu, kedudukan istimewa agama Islam di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuan juga turut disebut di bawah Fasal (4) Perkara 11 iaitu berkenaan dengan penyekatan pengembangan apa-apa doktrin atau kepercayaan agama di kalangan penganut agama Islam oleh undang-undang negeri atau Persekutuan. Fasal (2) Perkara 12 iaitu tentang hak berkenaan dengan pendidikan di mana sah bagi Persekutuan atau satu negerimenubuhkan atau menyenggarakan atau membantu dalam menubuhkan atau menyenggarakan institusi Islam atau mengadakan atau membantu dalam mengadakan ajaran dalam agama Islamdan melakukan apa-apa perbelanjaan yang perlu.
Fasal (1A) Perkara 121 berkenaan dengan bahawa Mahkamah Sivil tidak mempunyai bidang kuasa berkenaan dengan apa-apa perkara bidang kuasa Mahkamah Syariah. Butiran 1senarai negeri Jadual kesembilan Perlembagaan Persekutuan iaitu yang antaranya termasuk hukum syarak dan undang-undang diri dan keluarga bagi orang yang menganut agama Islam dan mengawal pengembangan doktrin dan kepercayaan di kalangan orang-orang yang menganut agama Islam dan juga dalam ikrar Yang di-Pertuan Agong dalam Jadual Keempat,semua peruntukan tersebut jelas memperkukuhkan kedudukan Islam sebagai agama bagipersekutuan.
Di bawah Jadual Keempat, Perlembagaan Persekutuan misalnya Yang di-Pertuan Agong semasa dilantik jawatan itu telah bersumpah untuk memelihara agama Islam di negara ini pada setiap masa dan sumpah itu mestilah diterjemahkan dalam setiap dasar yang dibuat olehkerajaan.Kedudukan Islam sebagai agama yang istimewa di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuanjuga telah diiktiraf oleh mahkamah atasan negara dalam kes Kamariah binti Ali lawan Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan iaitu dalam bahasa Inggerisnya Kamariah Ali dan lain-lain versus Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan dalam tahun [2004] 3 CLJ 409 FC. Dalam kes Lina Joy versus Majlis AgamaIslam Wilayah Persekutuan dan yang lain tahun [2007] 3 CLJ 557 FC.1740Ini menunjukkan kedudukan Malaysia sebagai Negara Islam.
Kedudukan Islam dalam perlembagaan yang jelas menunjukkan bahawa Islam itu adalah agama Persekutuan. TuanYang di-Pertua, kedudukan Malaysia sebagai Negara Islam juga telah diperjelaskan oleh Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada tahun 2001 dan 2007, dalam jawapannya di Parlimen pada 27 Ogos 2007, Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi menyatakan Malaysia bukanlah sebuah Negara sekular ataupun negara autokratik. Malaysia adalah sebuah negara Islam yang ditadbir berlandaskan prinsip-prinsip Islam,dan pada masa yang sama berpegang teguh kepada prinsip-prinsip Demokrasi Berparlimen yangberpandukan kepada undang-undang tertinggi negara iaitu Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan keadaan ini, tidak berubah. Terima kasih.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Myanmar refuges need help

I came back fro Chiang Mai late Sunday night.

On Saturday we proceed to meet with Myanmar refuges along the Chang Rai area (bordering Myanmar). We met with also had discussion with the refugees and the local people.
For the refugees what they want are mosquito nets, simple medical drugs and water treatment items. I now write to readers to give me some suggestion to procure these simple items to assist these refugees.

The members of Parliament who represented Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) at the discussion agreed to assist the refugees in procuring the basic drugs required to help those who need it by the refugees

Friday, June 19, 2009

64th Birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi

I am now in Chiang Mai, Thailand representing Malaysian Parliament for the Asian inter-parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC). 
I was invited to speak on the issue of Myanmar which was held at the Changmai University to day.

Write up by Roshan of AIPMC:

Yet another birthday, yet another unwanted ‘gift’ from ASEAN to Aung San Suu Kyi and her fellow Burma citizens

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) calls on ASEAN leaders to urgently meet to deliver new and effective policies and mechanisms that are desperately needed vis-a-vis Myanmar’s military junta that will enable a tangible and lasting solution to the country’s crisis. 
Members of Parliament from various ASEAN countries, at a forum co-organised and co-hosted by the AIPMC, ‘Friends of Burma’, the Regional Centre for Social Science and Sustainable Development, and the Centre for Ethnic Studies and Development of the Chiang Mai University delivered strong messages to ASEAN leaders calling for change in the dire situation in the military ruled nation. 
“There has been a considerable increase in military offensives and armed fighting in ethnic states especially in the Karen State over the past few weeks. Ethnic communities are fleeing their villages into Thailand while some remain as internally displaced persons in Burma,” said AIPMC President Kraisak Choonhavan
“Where is the intervention and assistance by ASEAN’s leaders? Recent reports indicate soldiers in Eastern Burma have recruited up to 200 civilians as slave labourers and more than 4,000 civilians have been forced to abandon their homes while 4,000 more are at risk.”

AIPMC Senior Adviser Loretta Ann P Rosales added that in the Shan State, acts amounting to systematic sexual violence are used by Myanmar’s military as weapons of war
“Testimonies and documentation by Shan people, fleeing their homes, indicate that women and children are subjected to rape and torture by soldiers,” said the former Philippines Congresswoman adding that since 2001 till now, there have been 297 rape cases in Shan State alone. 
“This is outrageous and unacceptable. AIPMC condemns such acts by the regime and armed groups. We insist that ASEAN uses its human rights charter to investigate and put a stop to such atrocities,” stressed Loretta at the sidelines of the event marking Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday.  
Parliamentarians M. Kulasegaran and Charles Chong, from Malaysia and Singapore respectively, reminded ASEAN that its ‘constructive engagement’ with the military regime has failed. 
“It’s all about dollars and cents at the end of the day for governments such as Malaysia whom invest with a military that uses the money to repress and harm its leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi and its citizens and not help them at all,” said Kulasegaran. 
Participants at the event, primarily from Chiang Mai University’s academia, delivered messages of support and solidarity to Aung San Suu Kyi who celebrates her birthday once again in detention.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Teachers: Myth that non-malay don't want those jobs

Letter to NST
By : P. KALIAPPAN, Butterworth
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Thousands, Malays and non-Malays alike, want to be teachers.

I REFER to the statement on teachers by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Aminah Ayob ("Teacher dilemma: Non-Malays and men just not interested" -- NST, June 11).

I disagree with her that many non-Malays do not appear to be interested in teaching. She was quoted as saying that poor remuneration was one of the possible reasons and further stated that the few non-Malays who applied usually did not make the grade.I beg to differ, at least where Indian applicants are concerned, be they male or female. Over the years, I have helped and urged many Indian students, who are more than qualified, to apply for teacher training without much success.

These students had a string of As but were unsuccessful. Of course, they were often told they didn't perform well in the 15-minute interview. It raises questions when these overqualified students keep failing, while we are also told that a lack of applicants is among the main reasons not many non-Malays get to go to teacher training institutes.
I know that good results do not necessarily make good teachers. I am also aware it is most convenient to disqualify a student on the basis of subjective assessments (interviews) rather than on the more objective exam results.

Aminah did not give any data on how many non-Malays applied and how many were disqualified and why. We certainly would like to know whether it was because of poor paper qualifications when applying or poor performance during interviews. It is strange that good students from a particular group are rejected on grounds that they lacked the required soft skills.Finally, I don't think people consider a teacher's remuneration as low. Thousands -- Malays and non-Malays alike -- want to be teachers.

First of all, you are assured of a job if you enter a teacher training institute. Besides, enrolling in the institute comes with an attractive allowance.Nowadays, teacher training institutes do not award teaching certificates or diplomas. It is a straight degree and a job, without any need for a graduate teachers' training qualification or any other diploma in education. If there are too few non-Malays, it is certainly not for want of trying or any misconception about the pay.

MPs to debate conversion amendments

Write up by MalaysiaKini;
Bills to amend three laws in relation to matters of conversion and religion are expected to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat next week, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.The three pieces of legislations are the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993 and Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984."

Among the amendments proposed touch on the dissolution of marriage, right to custody of children, maintenance of children and wife and division of matrimonial assets," said Nazri today in response to a adjournment speech made by Ipoh Barat DAP parliamentarian M Kulasegaran.
Nazri told the House that some changes were being made by Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail before the amendments were ready to be tabled next week."The cabinet has agreed that the determinant factor of a child's religion must be in accordance with Article 12(4) of the federal constitution which provides that the religion of children under the age of 18 will be determined by a parent or guardian," said Nazri.Nazri, who is also the Padang Renggas MP, said the cabinet committee which was formed to handle the controversial conversion matters has been briefed on the amendments needed to be made to three laws.

The minister also dismissed Kulasegaran's claims that the government was not serious about resolving the issue. The cabinet had earlier issued a directive in April to stop parents from secretly converting children to calm strained race relations in the country.

The cabinet acted after a furore erupted over the case of an ethnic Indian woman who faced losing custody of her three children after her estranged husband converted them to Islam without her consent.

No clear direction from the governmentKulasegaran was unrelenting in putting across his views that the government was not serious in solving the issues relating to conversions, especially when it involved minors. "The issue has been raised many times but the government does not seem to take it seriously. Although the decision has been made, the implementation is not there," said Kulasegaran."Until now, no changes have taken place even after the decision was made (by the cabinet)... criticisms were shot at the government but the government failed to give explanation and clarity on the directive," he said.

The outspoken DAP MP had also questioned the progress of the committee formed by the cabinet to examine the issues of conversion.The committee includes Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Unity) and Jamil Khir Baharom (Islamic Affairs) and Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.Nazri responded by saying that the decision by the government to form the cabinet committee proved that the government viewed the matter seriously.

Conversion rows, including 'body-snatching' cases where Islamic authorities have battled with relatives over the remains of the dead whose religion is disputed, are common in Malaysia.The tussles have led to allegations that the country was being "Islamised" and that the rights of ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities were being eroded.

We are not a secular state.Nazri also dismissed Kulasegaran's statement that Malaysia was a secular country.He said that the federal constitution clearly stated under Article 3(1) that Islam was the official religion."This differs from other secular countries, such as the United States of America, India and Turkey, where their constitution clearly states that they are secular states."In the federal constitution, the word secular is not mentioned anywhere," he said.

Moreover, Nazri explained that Islam's special rights under the federal constitution were also stated under Article 11(4), which denied the propagation of any doctrines or religious beliefs among the Muslims.He said the status of Malaysia as an Islamic country had also been explained by former premiers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2001 and 2007 respectively."In his reply in Parliament on Aug 2, 2007, Abdullah said: ‘Malaysia is neither a secular nor a theocratic country. Malaysia is an Islamic country which is administered based on the principles of Islam and at the same time holds strong to the principles of parliamentary democracy guided by the highest law of the land - the federal constitution'," added Nazri.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Ucapan Penangguhan pada sidang Parlimen - 16/06/09

ARAHAN JEMAAH MENTERI HARUS DILAKSANAKAN DENGAN PENTADBIRAN SECARA ADIL BERHUBUNG ISU PEMELUKKAN AGAMA.

Keputusan Jemaah Menteri harus dilaksanakan dengan pentadbiran secara adil berhubung isu pemelukkan agama. Isu ini sudah ditimbulkan beberapa kali dan Kerajaan tidak pernah bercadang untuk meneliti keseriusan isu ini. Negara kita adalah sebuah negara sekular dan Kerajaan harus mengambil satu keputusan yang sah dari segi undang-undang untuk mengelakkan ketidakpuashatian segolongan rakyat.

Apakah yang terjadi kepada jawatankuasa yang ditubuhkan oleh kabinet baru-baru ini serta apakah yang dilakukan oleh jawatankuasa tersebut setakay ini?

Arahan Jemaah Menteri pada 23 April 2009 berhubung isu pemelukkan tidak bergigi dari segi undang-undang. Secara umumnya keputusan itu dibuat secara membuta tuli demi kepentingan agenda politik semasa oleh Kerajaan. Pada masa yang sama arahan yang dikeluarkan oleh Jemaah Menteri itu sememangnya memeranjatkan serta tidak sampai pada akikat yang sebenarnya. Sehingga hari ini tidak ada apa-apa perubahan dilakukan selepas arahan itu dikeluarkan. Kritikkan demi kritikkan dikeluarkan tetapi Kerajaan tidak dapat membuat penjelasan dan pendirian terhadap arahan tersebut.

Arahan sudah dikeluarkan tetapi sistem pelaksanaan masih belum diputuskan, inilah selalunya berlaku dinegara ini. Bilakah Kerajaan “kata dikotakan” dapat dilihat? Sehingga hari ini Kerajaan masih belum menubuhkan Jabatan Bukan Islam bagi mengendalikan segala isu-isu yang berkaitan Bukan Islam termasuk isu pemelukkan agama.

Kerajaan sehingga hari ini tidak berhasrat ataupun serius berhubung isu pemelukkan agama. Apakah yang menyebabkan Kerajaan bersikap sambil lewa dalam hal sebegini?

Pada pandangan saya, kewujudan isu sebegini adalah disebabkan oleh kegagalan Kerajaan dalam Penubuhan Jabatan Bukan Islam dan tidak mahu menghormat kehendak rakyat. Sudah berpuluh-puluh tahun Kerajaan BN mentadbir Negara ini dan kenapakah kewujudan Jabatan Bukan Islam menjadi satu soal yang begitu tidak upaya. Adakah Kerajaan tidak berupaya ataupun berniat untuk menjadi Bukan Islam sebagai kurang upaya dinegara ini?

Suara dan tangisan Bukan Islam dalam isu pemelukkan agama setiap kali diketepikan dan untuk berapa lamakah keadaan akan diteruskan dan bilakah perubahan dari perlembagaan akan diadakan?

Sekian.

M.Kulasegaran

Maika shares returned to shareholders without profit

Maika Shares Returned to Shareholders without Profit?

Referring to the outcome of the article “Government urged to rescue Maika Holdings” in NST on 11th June 2009, it was learnt that Maika Holdings are in plan to return the shareholders investment on 1 ringgit to 1 ringgit without any profit.
The question is on what basis Maika Holdings will revive the community’s interests and regains the confidence of shareholders? By right now, Maika shares should have been distributed to the low-income group to increase their investments and the community’s equity share from 1.1% to 3%. On October 2006, DAP Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran had repeatedly reported that many who bought the shares in 1983 had pawned jewellieries sold their dairies, and came from the down trodden and poor Indian community who all invested on the assurance that their investments would bear fruits handsomely.
On 4th October 2007, Kulasegaran said the works minister then had also not managed to raise the community’s corporate equity from one per cent to 10 per cent as he had promised. He said that some RM100 million was raised to achieve this, but time has shown that Maika Holding has been an empty promise, bogged down irregularities, with an uncertain future.
The shareholders would have better off without investing or an old Indian saying is that ‘we would have better off if each of us has invested for 2 cows; at least would have returned of milk’. We are in a nation of society who has greater mind and soul for nation’s development in competing with global. But all of these problems with repeated manipulations by the Maika Holdings has caused a great uncertainty to the shareholders and brought down the public trust on the company’s strength and capability.
It is time that we need immediate action from Maika Holdings with the force of Government to intervene in and bail out the company for the interest of the Indian community. The government shall be involved urgently to help in settling and close the whole issue amicably by returning the people’s money with handsome returns and continue on the steps of addressing the community’s equity growth.

by Kanesh

Monday, June 15, 2009

Parliament Questikons for June sitting

Tarikh : 25 May 2009

Setiausaha Dewan Rakyat
Parlimen Malaysia, Bangunan Parlimen
Jalan Parlimen
50680

Yang Berhormat Setiausaha Dewan Rakyat


PEMBETULAN - MESYUARAT KEDUA, PENGGAL KEDUA, PARLIMEN KEDUA BELAS

Dengan segala hormatnya ingin saya menarik perhatian Puan kepada perkara diatas.

Untuk makluman Puan, saya telahpun menukar soalan no: 3 yang dihantar sebelum ini dengan soalan baru. Segala kesulitan yang timbul amatlah dikesali.

Berikut adalah soalan-soalan bagi kawasan jawapan lisan dan bertulis :
Sila ambil perhatian, saya pohon jasa baik agar tiada soalan pada bila-bila hari Isnin dalam sessi ini.

Jawapan Lisan

1. Minta Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan menyatakan

i) Langkah-langkah yang diambil bagi mencegah kuasa bekal yang berlebihan pada rumah, bangunan komersil dan kondominium.
ii) Kenapakah projek rumah Skim Bina dan Jual masih belum lagi diimplementasikan?

2. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan kenapakah keputusan yang diberikan oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan dalam krisis perlembagaan Negeri Perak tidak mempunyai apa-apa alasan perundangan?

3. Minta Menteri Luar Negeri menyatakan

i) Kenapakah Malaysia berniat untuk memberhentikan percubaan untuk meneliti dan mencela segala rekod Hak Asasi Manusia di Sri Lanka semasa peperangan menentang LTTE?
ii) Jumlah wang dan lain-lain yang disalurkan oleh Malaysia kepada Sri Lanka serta tahap kepastian dimana wang disalurkan sebenarnya dibelanjakan bagi pemulihan pelarian Tamil?

4. Minta Menteri Pelajaran menyatakan adakah kementerian mempunyai apa-apa rancangan untuk membina Sekolah baru Cina, Tamil ataupun Sekolah Kebangsaan di kawasan Bercham, Ipoh? Jika Ya, dimana dan jika tidak, kenapakah tidak?

5. Minta Menteri Sumber Manusia menyatakan kegagalan untuk mendaftar pelajar serta melantik pekerja pentadbir golongan kaum India secara majoritinya di Institut NTS Arumugam Pillai seperti yang dijanjikan semasa pembubaran South Indian Labour Fund pada tahun 1999?

6. Minta Menteri Sumber Manusia menyatakan kenapakah sektor perkhidmatan awam di Malaysia adalah terbesar jika dibandingkan dengan bilangan penduduk dan adakah pengambilan di sektor awam berasaskan kepujian seseorang individu? Jika tidak, mengapakah sedemikian?

7. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan kenapakah pemimpin-pemimpin HINDRAF ditahan bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri serta nyatakan sebab-sebab kukuh atas pembebasan mereka baru-baru ini?

8. Minta Menteri Dalam Negeri menyatakan,

i) kenapakah wujudnya kegagalan dalam penyampaiaan khidmatnya dalam Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam
ii) Jumlah peruntukkan yang diterima daripada Kerajaan dan nyatakan saluran perbelanjaannya?

9. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan ketidak-effektifan, ketidak-berkesanan keputusan Jemaah Menteri berhubung kes memeluk agama baru-baru ini serta bagaimanakah keputusan ini dapat diimplementasikan mengikut peruntukkan undang-undang?

10. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan ;

i) Jumlah bukan islam yang memeluk agama semenjak 10 tahun yang lalu? ;
ii) Dan adakah kanak-kanak yang berumur dibawah 18 tahun boleh ditukar agama oleh salah seorang ibu dan bapa?



Jawapan Bertulis


1. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan, kenapakah Menteri selalunya mengadakan lawatan ke negara-negara yang sudah wujud hubungan perdagangan dan apakah puncanya rakyat umum tidak diberikan peluang untuk menyertai delegasi selain daripada golongan korporat?

2. Minta Menteri Sumber Manusia menyatakan berapakah jumlah pengambilan pekerja baru di sektor perkhidmatan awam dari tahun 2004-2009 (senaraikan maklumat bagi setiap tahun menurut komposisi kaum) serta jumlah pekerja yang sedang berkhidmatnya (senaraikan maklumat menurut komposisi kaum).


3. Minta Menteri Dalam Negeri menyatakan punca kelambatan serta kos pembinaan bangunan baru Ibu Pejabat Kontijen Perak dan Ibu Pejabat Daerah Ipoh serta apakah rancangan yang disediakan untuk Balai Polis Ipoh yang lama?

4. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan

i) Bila dan bagaimana pendapatan per kapita akan ditambahkan? Adakah Kerajaan berpuashati dengan kadar penjimatan rakyat?

5. Minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan setujukah bahawa kegagalan kaum India enggan membeli saham ASW 2020 adalah berpunca daripada ketidakseimbangan dalam pengagihan saham serta pemilikan punca kekayaan antara kaum terjejas dan tidak dapat dicapai?

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sri Lankan Humanitarian Crisis Deepens. What can ordinary Malaysians do?

How much more should the Sri Lankan Tamils suffer before Malaysian government responds decisively, consistent with its previous efforts in condemning the practises of human rights violations such as :-

1. Apartheid discriminating blacks and coloured in South Africa,

2. Genocide of Muslim population in Bosnia,

3. Atrocities against the Palestinians in the Middle East fighting for their homeland.

Almost three decades of civil war coupled with the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami that displaced more than 500,000 people, the Sri Lankan Tamils had suffered unimaginable hardship.

But what awaits the Sri Lankan Tamils and the world in the aftermath of the Armed Forces perceived victory against the LTTE is about to explode into a major international crisis unless sooner averted.

On May 18th 2009 Amnesty International made the following observations;-

“Humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in the country. Amnesty International has called for key steps to be adopted to ensure civilians and captured fighters are protected. There are more than 200,000 displaced people, including approximately 80,000 children, who need relief but also protection from abuses in Sri Lanka”
Barely a month after the above observations, New York Based Human Rights Watch made the following remarks:-
“The Sri Lankan government should end the illegal detention of nearly 300,000 ethnic Tamils displaced by the recently ended conflict in Sri Lanka. Displaced Tamil civilians have the same rights to liberty and freedom of movement as other Sri Lankans.”
"Treating all these men, women, and children as if they were Tamil Tiger fighters is a national disgrace, Displaced Tamil civilians have the same rights to liberty and freedom of movement as other Sri Lankans."
It is shocking that in less than a month there had been a sharp increase in the number of displaced Tamil civilians in detention camps and one could only conclude that the numbers will continue to increase.
One of the major concerns arising out of the detentions of Tamils in these detention camps is the exercise by the Sri Lankan authorities who are expected to screen persons leaving the war zone to identify Tamil Tiger fighters.
Such screening exercises could most likely lead to serious human rights violations such as physical violence, rape and even murder as seen in the aftermath of many civil wars in other parts of the world.
The world must voice its grave anxiety and fear of these possible human rights violations even before the coming of documented reports.
We, peace loving Malaysians can play a major role in this humanitarian crisis.
So please send or post your comments and suggestions on what we can do for the Sri Lankan Tamils, no matter how unimportant you may think it will be, so that collectively we can do our part in preventing a human catastrophe awaiting.
Augustine Anthony

Friday, June 12, 2009

Taman Merdaka flood problem

Tragedy waiting to happen due to neglect from authorities--If a part of a housing area is in danger of erosion the first thing that the authorities should do is to at least help evacuate the people until a permanent solution is found to assist the residents.

However, nearly 200 families in Taman Merdeka, Ipoh have a lot to say about how the authorities have taken them on a roller coaster ride with no solutions in sight.The residents living in the affected area of Taman Merdeka are owners of houses, part of a housing project since the 60s, where the invert level of a nearby river is higher than the platform level of the houses along Jalan Sungai and Jalan Taman Merdeka, thereby floods are common occurrence and can reach to almost 2metres high!The City Council had already confirmed that the affected two row of houses it is a failed housing project. H

owever, intervention to improve the soil and and viable solutions have not been put forward, while the residents have only come to observe protracted service from the authorities.The problems due to of over 40 years of flooding had caused soil erosion, cracks on walls and had weakened the overall strength of building structure. Water has also burst from the floor when flood occurs, where houses have tilted and sunken below land level.Two pumps (to suck in flooded water into the river again) have been erected near the river bank by the effort of Mr. Bala Marathiah, then secretary of the Rukun Tetangga in 2006. However problems still persisted especially when river water rises as the pumps cannot be operated.The residents then set up a coalition called Gabungan Penduduk Anti-Banjir Taman Merdeka (Taman Merdeka’ Anti-Flood Residents Coalition) where the drainage engineer for City Council Mr. Mustafa Al-Basree who firmly said, “buat longkang, tak akan banjir” (make drains and no more floods) which proved to be totally on the reverse .T

here was a flood when the drainage was undertaken and the Coalition invited Mr. Mustafa to the site and he conceded that drainage is not the solution and he stated that the place is highly dangerous for people to live.The Coalition is urging the relevant authorities to find solutions of this 40 year old problem with immediacy as the residents are clearly having sleepless night worrying over their loved ones and their property while being constantly under the threat of termites.

The simple demands are:1. A Task Force be formed to undertake soil test and determine is necessary (already the Council had spent RM660,000 which the residents feel could have been channelled for the right solution)2. If the authorities are unable to decide on a solution, that the residents are urging that they be evacuated to a safe place until permanent solutions are worked out

The above issue has come to my attention for a long time. The above two suggestions to overcome the predicament ought to be implemented by the local authority the soonest possible.
I have raised the flood problem in Parliament a number of times. I hereby set out the question and answers made by the relevant ministry. Subsequently the matter was raised for further action by the Ipoh City Council.

SOALAN NO 8 : PADA PARLIMEN 10/07/08 Tuan M. Kula Segaran [Ipoh Barat] minta Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar menyatakan rancangan jangka pendek dan jangka panjang dalam mengatasi masalah banjir yang kerap berlaku pada musim hujan di sepanjang Sg. Kinta (Ipoh) terutamanya di Taman Merdeka.

Timbalan Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar [Datuk Maznah Mazlan]: Assalamualaikum, selamat pagi. Terima kasih kepada Yang Berhormat Ipoh Barat. Saya ingin memaklumkan bahawa engikut kajian National Register of River Basin 2003, seluas 9% daripada keluasan tanah negara di Malaysia dikenal pasti sebagai kawasan berisiko banjir termasuk kawasan-kawasan sungai di Lembah Kinta. Taman Merdeka, Taman Kok Hock Ann dan Taman Alkaf adalah merupakan kawasan perumahan yang telah lama wujud dan terletak di kawasan rendah di sepanjang Sungai Pari yang sering dilanda banjir setiap kali berlaku hujan. Kementerian melalui Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran telah mengambil langkah sewajarnya dengan menempatkan tiga buah pam yang berkapasiti 40 kaki padu per saat kemampuannya setiap satu bagi mengeluarkan air banjir dari taman-taman ini ke Sungai Pari.

Bagi menangani masalah banjir secara jangka panjang di kawasan ini, Kerajaan Persekutuan telah melaksanakan projek tebatan banjir Sungai Pari dalam ketiga-tiga Rancangan Malaysia yang terakhir. Dalam Rancangan Malaysia Ketujuh, sebanyak RM3 juta dan dalam Rancangan Malaysia Kelapan sejumlah RM5.7 juta dan dalam Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan RM3.5 juta berjumlah kesemuanya RM12.2 juta telah dan sedang dibelanjakan untuk projek ini. Untuk penyelesaian jangka panjang seterusnya, kementerian melalui JPS telah melantik jurutera perunding bagi menjalankan reka bentuk kejuruteraan terperinci untuk komponen kerja-kerja tebatan banjir yang lebih berkesan. Terima kasih.

Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Yang Berhormat Ipoh Barat.

Tuan M. Kula Segaran [Ipoh Barat]: Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Tuan Yang di-Pertua, mengenai banjir ini bukan satu perkara yang baru tetapi dalam lingkungan 10 tahun dahulu ini kerap kali apabila ada sedikit hujan pun semua taman ini selalu banjir. Satu di antara faktor adalah di mana sungai-sungai itu terlampau banyak pasir yang tidak dikeluarkan dari sungai tersebut dan saya difahamkan bahawa orang-orang di sana telah memberitahu dan telah ada dialog dengan JPS beberapa kali.

Baru-baru ini dua minggu yang lepas, saya sendiri telah mengadakan dialog dengan JPS di mana mereka mengatakan mereka menunggu tender, mereka menunggu wang Kerajaan Persekutuan. Walaupun kerajaan telah memberi beberapa janji tetapi nampaknya tidak diimplementasikan di sana. Adakah dalam hal ini kerajaan akan memberi pampasan kepada penduduk-penduduk di sana supaya mereka dapat sekurang-kurangnya mitigate the lost yang disebabkan oleh man-made. Ini bukan luar biasa dan mengenai dengan pam yang telah ada disana saya difahamkan bahawa pam-pam itu tidak bekerja, Tuan Yang di-Pertua.

Datuk Maznah Mazlan: Yang Berhormat, Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Terima kasih Yang Berhormat Ipoh Barat dia atas soalan tambahan. Memang benar bahawa masalah sungai ini makin lam makin ketara kerana seperti yang kita tahu bahawa sistem pengairan termasuk sungai, tasik dan seterusnya semakin lama berlaku sedimentation dengan izin iaitu pengumpulan pasir-pasir di dasarannya dan meningkatkan atau yang meninggikan dasarannya dan meningkatkan banjir. Oleh itu, selain daripada jangka pendek yang saya cakapkan tadi kerajaan juga mengenal pasti bahawa jangka panjangnya yang perlu dibuat ialah untu.


menjalankan kerja atau membaik pulih Sungai Pari iaitu punca kepada masalah di taman-taman ini. Terdapat panjangnya Sungai Pari ini lebih kurang 40 kilometer dan setakat ini peruntukan-peruntukan yang telah saya sebut tadi sebahagian besarnya dibelanjakan untuk kerja-kerja mendalamkan dasaran sungai tersebut. Selain daripada itu, meluaskan tebing dan juga membina ban dan menaik taraf strukturstruktur berkenaan dan kerja ini akan dibuat secara berterusan dan oleh kerana sungai ini satu yang aktif bahawa kerja-kerja ini akan dibuat saya rasa secara berterusan sehingga bila-bila. Terima kasih.
______________________
Ucapan Penangguhan Pada 23 June 2008
Sistem Infra Untuk Mengatasi Masalah BanjirTuan M. Kula Segaran [Ipoh Barat]: Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Perlunya sistem infra untuk mengatasi masalah banjir. Masalah ini adalah berkenaan dengan perlunya sistem infra yang baru untuk mengatasi masalah banjir sehingga terdedahnya manusia kepada bahaya banjir khasnya di kawasan bandar-bandar besar yang mempunyai taburan penduduk yang padat serta kadar binaan yang tinggi telah meningkat dengan begitu pesat dalam tahun tahun kebelakangan ini. Hal ini terbukti oleh kejadian-kejadian banjir yang serius di sekitar bandar Ipoh khususnya di Taman Merdeka, Taman Hock Onn, Taman Alkaf dan di kawasansepanjang Sungai Kinta, Ipoh.

Punca utama banjir di kawasan ini adalah disebabkan aliran permukaan pesat akibat perubahan guna tanah, alur-alur sungai dan longkang yang tersekat yang menyebabkan berkurangan keupayaan sungai melalui pemindahan kelodaknya. Pada masa yang sama pihak kerajaan harus peka dalam menangani masalah banjir di kawasan Ipoh khususnya di Taman Merdeka dan di kawasan sekitarnya. Jika turunnya hujan lebat ataupun hujan tidak berhentihenti maka ia mengambil masa yang begitu singkat sahaja untuk menenggelamkan Taman Merdeka dan kawasan sekitarnya. Dengan adanya sistem perparitan yang tidak sempurna, maka ia menyebabkan begitu ramai mangsa mengalami kerugian yang besar dan kanak-kanak juga menjadi mangsa dengan penyakit.

Rakyat kini lebih berpendidikan dan lebih sedar akan masalah alam sekitar dan juga mendapat maklumat semasa dengan lebih kerap. Mereka lebih yakin bahawa kejadian banjir ini adalah disebabkan kesilapan manusia dan kegagalan pengurusannya boleh dielakkan jika adanya satu perancangan yang awal daripada pihak kerajaan. Maka dengan itu timbulnya beberapa soalan dalam hal di mana apakah tindakan yang telah pun dirancang oleh pihak JPS dalam menangani masalah ini. Apakah sistem perparitan yang sempurna akan dilaksanakanpada kawasan-kawasan yang disebut dan bilakah ianya akan diimplementasikan.

Selain daripada itu, berapakah peruntukan yang telah pun diperuntukkan bagi mengatasi masalah banjir di kawasan-kawasan ini dan sehingga hari ini berapakah yang telah dibelanjakan. Dalam satu perancangan pembangunan bandar raya, masalah banjir sepatutnya dijadikan agenda utama. Perkara ini tidak boleh lagi dipandang ringan, ditolak dan diketepikan. Ia sudah menjadi lumrah di Taman Merdeka, hujan lebat yang turun sekejap pun boleh menenggelamkan taman ini dan juga kawasan yang rendah sehingga boleh menyebabkan kesesakan lalu lintas. Masalah banjir di kawasan Taman Merdeka dan sekitarnya bukannya satu fenomena yang baru dan adanya bukti-bukti yang kukuh di mana perlunya satu rancangan yang baru untuk membantu penduduk- penduduk kawasan ini.

Pihak JPS dan kerajaan masih tidak mencari satu jalan penyelesaian walaupun sudah lalu 40 tahun. Justeru itu, dengan adanya suasana ekonomi yang baik pada tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini, maka kerajaan tidak boleh menjadikan masalah ini kurang penting jika dibandingkan dengan pembangunan infra yang lain. Terima kasih.

Jawapan daripada Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar.Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar [Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas]: Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Tuan Yang di-Pertua dan makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, mengikut kajian National Register of River Basin 2003, seluas 9% daripada keluasan tanah negara di Malaysia di kenal pasti sebagai kawasan berisiko banjir termasuk kawasan-kawasan sungai di Lembah Kinta. Bagi menangani masalah banjir ini, kementerian melalui Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran memberi khidmat kepakaran dalam pengurusan tebatan banjir serta melaksanakan program tebatan banjir untuk melindungi nyawa dan harta benda.

Di bawah Rancangan Tebatan Banjir yang dilaksanakan oleh Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran, dua bentuk langkah yang diambil iaitu langkah struktur dan langkah bukan struktur. Antara langkah-langkah struktur termasuklah pembinaan empangan tebatan banjir, pembinaan kolam takungan banjir, pembinaan lencongan, rumah pam, melebarkan dan mendalamkan sungai dan pembinaan ban benteng di tebing sungai. Sementara langkah-langkah bukan struktur adalah kajian-kajian lembangan sungai dan tebatan banjir, kajian pelan induk saliran, maklumat dan data yang diperlukan untuk kajian, penyediaan garis panduan dan manual saliran mesra alam, kempen kesedaran dan program pendidikan, ramalan dan amaran banjir dan pengurusan kawasan tadahan air. Tuan Yang di-Pertua, untuk makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, di dalam perancangan permohonan bandar raya, kementerian melalui JPS telah memperkenalkan manual saliran mesra alam, MSMA. Manual ini telah pun diedarkan kepada pihak berkuasa tempatan di samping memberi taklimat kepada mereka.

MSMA merupakan garis panduan yang perlu dipatuhi oleh PBT di dalam meluluskan pelan pembangunan supaya isu banjir dapat ditangani.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua, justeru PBT perlu memainkan peranan dengan menangani isu banjir terutama dalam penyelenggaraan dan penaikan taraf kemudahan-kemudahan perparitan. Di samping itu, PBT juga perlu meningkatkan penguatkuasaan agar semua pihak mematuhi peraturan dan undang-undang berkaitan bagi mengurangkan kesan banjir tempatan. Berhubung isu banjir di Taman Merdeka dan taman-taman perumahan di sekitarnya. Untuk makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, taman-taman ini terletak di kawasan tanah rendah di sepanjang Sungai Pari, anak Sungai Kinta juga merupakan kawasan yang berisiko banjir.Di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Kelapan, JPS telah membelanjakan RM58.8 juta untuk melaksanakan Rancangan Tebatan Banjir Sungai Pari. Bagi meningkatkan keupayaan Sungai Pari untuk mengalirkan air bagi mengurangkan masalah banjir di sepanjang sungai ini.

Skop kerja yang telah dilaksanakan termasuk meninggikan baris Sungai Pari bagi mengelakkan limpahan air sungai, membina semula konkrit seksyen yang telah rosak akibat hakisan air sungai dan menempatkan pam untuk mengepam air dari kawasan banjir di Taman Merdeka ke Sungai Pari. Tuan Yang di-Pertua, seterusnya di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan, JPS melaksanakan kerja-kerja RTB Sungai Pari. Skop kerja yang telah dilaksanakan sehingga kini meliputi pembinaan rumah pam termasuk pemasangan pagar keselamatan dan CCTV, pembaikan dan pembinaan semula benteng L-shape sepanjang Sungai Pari serta kerja-kerja mendalam anak-anak sungai kepada Sungai Pari.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua, bagi menyelesaikan masalah tersebut dalam jangka masa panjang, JPS telah melantik juru perunding untuk menyediakan reka bentuk kejuruteraan terperinci bagi cadangan kerja-kerja tebatan banjir di Taman Merdeka dan persekitarannya di sepanjang Sungai Pari.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua, kementerian berharap Majlis Bandar Raya Ipoh juga memainkan peranan yang sewajarnya untuk menangani isu banjir di Taman Merdeka, Taman Hock Han dan ‘Taman Har Kaf’ ke kawasan-kawasan sekitar m emandangkan ketiga-tiga taman perumahan ini terletak di bawah kawasan perbandaran MBI. Kerja-kerja penyelenggaraan dan penaik taraf sistem saliran dalaman di kawasan-kawasan tersebut adalah tanggungjawab Majlis Perbandaran Ipoh.

Justeru itu, Ahli Yang Berhormat adalah diminta untuk membangkit isu ini terus kepada Majlis Bandaran Ipoh. Terima kasih.