community OctOber 21 — 23, 2011/ issue 45

community
October 21 — 23, 2011/ issue 45
Little India
emerging in
Rawang
p
8
Temple not
spared by
thieves
p
13
The rising
cost of
living
p
10 & 11
community
October 21 — 23, 2011/ issue 45
Government’s Vision
Schools neglected
By Brenda Ch’ng
Bride-to-be M Umamaheswary (seated, second left), 26, and her future husband R Muthukumaran, 32, shopping for tailored traditional
costumes for Deepavali and their upcoming December wedding, at one of the shops on Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang on Wednesday
evening.
SUBANG JAYA: Sekolah Wawasan USJ15 was meant to integrate students from national, Chinese and Tamil schools through
the sharing of facilities, but the
vernacular schools have gone neglected.
“The three primary schools
– SJK (C) Tun Tan Cheng Lock,
SJK (T) Tun Sambanthan and
SJK Dato Onn Jaafar – comprise
the first of five Vision schools in
the country.
The idea was mooted by former
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad to promote racial integration.
But despite being “fully funded”, the vernacular schools are
still hard-pressed to even pay for
infrastructure repairs with the
money they receive annually from
Putrajaya.
“We are labelled as a government-funded school, but we have
not received any additional funds
requested for over the years,” said
SJK(C) Tun Tan Cheng Lock Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG)
chairperson Wong Kuan Yu.
To make matters worse, Chinese societies and associations refuse to help.
“We can’t get financial help
elsewhere. People think we are already getting all the money we
need,” Wong said.
Though divided and operating
as three separate entities, the
schools share facilities such as the
field, multipurpose hall, canteen
and exercise courts.
Over the years, the PIBG of
SJK (C) Tun Tan Cheng Lock has
had to struggle to get RM400,000
• Turn to page 2
2
news
October 21 — 23, 2011
By Alvin Yap
SHAH ALAM: Selangor has denied that RM55 million in
federal grants was lost through financial mismanagement and
described the accusations as a slur to the integrity of public
servants in the state.
“Public trust is the core of the state government’s administration. We are working hard to ensure that trust is discharged with full responsibility,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim
in a press statement on Tuesday.
The Menteri Besar pointed out that the RM55 million left
in the 2009 State Road Maintenance Fund was carried
forward to 2010.
He said the grants were neither “lost nor misappropriated”
as claimed by Selangor Umno liaison secretary Datuk Seri
Mohd Zin Mohamed, as the amount was reflected in the
state’s 2010 financial accounts.
A record of the State Road Maintenance Fund from 2005
to 2011 was provided in the press statement.
Khalid explained that in 2009, the state initially had
RM383 million in the fund. This is from RM315.6 million
in federal grants, in addition to the RM67.5 million balance
from the year before.
Of the RM383 million, the state had used RM78.8 million
on road maintenance, while the remaining RM250 million
was transferred to the Consolidated Revenue Maintenance
Account.
Khalid said the remaining RM54.4 million – which the
former works minister claimed is unaccounted for – was
carried forward to 2010.
He pointed out that the State Road Maintenance Fund
financial transactions were recorded and allocations were
Selangor WEATHER
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Morning
Afternoon
MB: No RM55m loss
held in trust, as required by the National Finance Council
since 1994.
The maintenance fund has strict accounting procedures
set by the Treasury.
He pointed out that the Auditor-General had reviewed
the books in 2009 and given it a clean bill of health.
Khalid hoped the allegations would cease as the state has
already provided the records and explanations to put the
matter to rest, but added that the state would not hesitate
to take legal action.
He further said he has directed the state civil service, especially the top-level financial officers, to give detailed ex-
planations if parties are not satisfied with his explanation.
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UM academia objects Abdul Aziz’s suspension
SHAH ALAM: Academic staff of the
country’s oldest public higher learning
institution, University Malaya (UM),
has expressed objection over the suspension of a law professor of the International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM) on Thursday.
The University of Malaya Academic
Staff Union (PKAUM) said the action
taken by IIUM is a gross violation of Prof
Dr Abdul Aziz Bari’s academic freedom
as well as his general right to expression.
“From our understanding of the Sedition Act, a criticism of a Ruler is valid if
it is intended to constructively show that
the Ruler has erred.
“In the case of Abdul Aziz, what he
has done is merely to suggest that a
Ruler has acted beyond his constitutional bounds.
“This is a legitimate comment with no
statement, direct or implied, made to
incite hatred against the Ruler,” said
PKAUM president Prof Dr Azmi Sharom in a statement on Thursday.
Abdul Aziz (left) is
currently being investigated under the Sedition Act for statements he made regarding the Sultan of Selangor in an online
news website. It has
also been reported
that he has been asked for a show-cause
letter by IIUM regarding his statements.
“These actions taken by the government and by IIUM will instill fear in the
academic community.
“It is an indication that there is no
academic freedom in Malaysia and
when there is no academic freedom it is
impossible for any development in our
nation’s intellectual capacity,” said
Azmi, who is also the Associate Professor of Law Faculty of UM.
Meanwhile, Selangor executive
councilor Elizabeth Wong has described
IIUM’s decision to suspend Abdul Aziz
as “very disappointing” and wants the
university to withdraw the suspension.
“As an international institution of
higher learning, IIUM should be defending the right of its academics to voice
their opinions and ideas,” said Wong in
a statement on Thursday.
“Universities ought to be encouraging
debate and the sharing of ideas and opinion for the benefit of society as a whole.
If a respected academician such as Abdul
Aziz is punished for commenting on a
matter related to his expertise, then all
academics will be cowed into silence.
“The suspension of Dr Aziz clearly
proves why the rankings of our institutions of higher learning continue to
drop. I call on IIUM to withdraw the
suspension immediately. Academic
freedom must be defended,” said Wong.
Students falling into uncovered drains
Night
• From page One
Source: Malaysian meteorological department
phone (603) 5510 4566
fax (603) 5523 1188
email [email protected]
EDITORIAL
CHIEF EDITOR
COMMUNITY EDITOR
KL Chan
Neville Spykerman
Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,
Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ng
COPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang
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Independent owner and operator of
to repair the shared dilapidated halls, pathways, canteen,
field and exercise courts.
“This is still not enough as there are over 2,000 students
from three schools sharing the same facilities. There are
many major repairs that have to be done,” said Wong.
This includes metal covers for drains and additional steel
railing for staircases, as well as leaks that need to be fixed.
The school’s former PIBG vice-chairperson, Victor Ho,
said Putrajaya keeps telling them they have no budget.
But these repairs need to be done urgently because children have been falling into the uncovered drains and tripping on staircases.
“We are here to look after the students’ welfare, and we
hope the federal government will prioritise our needs and
come forth to support us financially,” said Ho.
Pupils at SJK (T) Tun Sambanthan are worse off.
Since 2005, their computer classes have been conducted
without computers but with books, while most of their class-
rooms and walkways are leaking.
“One of the classrooms was even shut down three years
ago due to the badly cracked floor and walls,” said SJK (T)
Tun Sambanthan PIBG chairperson S Murali.
The classroom was declared unsafe, and the government
promised to repair it three years ago. But it remains in the
same condition today and is used as a storage room instead.
Murali said the school was also promised new computers
by the Selangor Education Department ( JPS) in April this
year. He said 40 old computers were given to the school in
2002, but they broke down after three years and the pupils
have gone without since.
Both schools received some funding from Hannah Yeoh
on Monday.
“I’ve decided to pledge RM20,000 from my allocations
to build a shaded walkway from the schools to the main
gate,” said the Subang Jaya assemblyperson.
The 280-metre walkway will also benefit pre-schoolers
at a kindergarten located between the schools and the
main gate.
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october 21 — 23, 2011
Temple gets to stay,
own land
By Basil Foo
PUCHONG: A 135-year-old Hindu temple here will not be
force to relocate, thanks to an agreement reached through the
intervention of the Selangor government.
“We have met landowner IOI (Holdings), and they have
agreed, through a letter of undertaking, to give the plot of land
to the temple,” said Teresa Kok.
The state executive councillor and Kinrara assemblyperson
said IOI’s decision to preserve the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple was part of their corporate social responsibility and not for any reward.
But she said there had been extensive negotiations before
the agreement was reached to allow the temple to remain in
Bandar Puchong Jaya. “They (IOI) understood the community’s needs and suggested alternate sites for the temple. But the temple committee
refused as it was not suitable,” said Kok.
The landowner finally relented because they still had many
development projects in Puchong and wanted to keep religious
harmony intact.
At the press conference was state executive councillor Dr
Xavier Jayakumar, who said the process would take up to 60 days. “Work to gazette the temple land can begin once IOI hands
the land over to the state,” he said.
IOI Holdings must inform the Land Office of their intention to give up the 0.31-hectare plot to the state, which will
then allocate the site for religious purposes.
The temple committee will then have to apply for the land
before it can be gazetted and preserved. “This is not a new procedure. The state government has taken
up issues like this with other places of worship,” he added.
Dr Xavier said more than 120 plots of land have been gazet-
Poobalan (seated left) and Yugapuriyan (seated right).
ted by the state government for places of worship of various
religions in the past three years.
Temple secretary K Poobalan thanked the state government
for their efforts in retaining the location of the temple, which
has seen several different land owners in its long history.
“The history of this temple goes back to when it was surrounded by the Castle Field Estate, which was owned by Europeans,” said temple committee member P Yugapuriyan.
The land was bought over by IOI in 1992.
He stressed on the importance of the temple, which he said
caters to tens of thousands of devotees and is also an education
centre for schoolchildren and the needy.
Also present were Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo and
Subang Jaya Municipal (MPSJ) councillors K Arumugam and
T Michael.
Gobind, whose office is situated on the same road as the
temple, said the steps to solve the land dispute had been carried
out despite the long and complex history of the issue.
He also congratulated the temple committee for their persistence in pushing for their temple to remain at the site, where
it has been located since the 19th century.
USJ12 park an eyesore
By Brenda Ch’ng
SUBANG JAYA: Rampant acts of vandalism on park facilities and indecent behaviour by youths on the USJ12 field
at night are leaving residents and authorities at a loss for
answers.
“At least once a fortnight, youths will be seen drinking
whiskey and brandy from midnight till early morning under
the trees, near the gazebo,” said resident W K Tan.
Tan, who has been living in USJ12 for over 16 years, said
the situation is getting worse.
After nights of drinking, the youths will smash the alcohol
bottles on the jogging tracks, filling the place with broken
pieces of glass.
Tan has even seen them setting the rubbish bins on fire.
Despite having eight spotlights installed to deter crimes, the
youths easily darken the park by breaking into the locked fusebox to cut off power supply.
“All this happened two years ago when the gazebo was built
in the park,” said Tan.
The youths also spray graffiti on benches, gazebo walls and
around the basketball court.
“There is nothing much the council can do as it is hard to
catch these culprits,” said the Subang Jaya Municipal Councillor (MPSJ) R Rajiv.
He said police officers have agreed to patrol the area at night.
However, no one has been caught so far.
“I hope the police will look into this more seriously and
patrol the area every
night,” said Rajiv.
MPSJ has also been
receiving complaints
about the bald football
field adjacent to the park.
“Residents have been
calling for new grass to be
planted as it’s hard to play
football on the grassless
pitch,” said MPSJ’s Department of Youth, Sport
and Culture senior assistant director, Muhammad Zaki Yusoff.
He said the complaints have been so overwhelming that MPSJ Graffiti on the basketball court.
decided to upgrade the
turf by planting new grass, changing the football goal nets and
drawing lines on the field.
After two months of refurbishment that cost MPSJ
RM15,000, the field is finally open to residents.
“To make sure the field is in good condition, MPSJ will do
a monthly maintenance costing about RM4,000,” said Zaki,
Among maintenance works needed are cutting of grass,
fertilising, pulling out weeds and drawing lines on the field.
He added that MPSJ also allows residents to book the field
for tournaments.
Application forms are available at the council, with applicants expected to pay a cleaning deposit of RM250.
“If the field is dirty after a tournament, we will deduct the
money. But a full refund will be given if the field is clean,”
said Zaki.
There are only five football fields in Subang Jaya, at SS15,
USJ11, USJ2, USJ4 and USJ12.
“We don’t have that many fields or parks in the area. I hope
people will start learning how to take care of it,” said Subang
Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh.
“To keep repairing the facilities every time we receive complaints is just too costly. Every repair costs taxpayers money,”
said Yeoh.
EVENTS
Charity at Fairview
Fairview International School Subang will hold an
open day to raise funds in conjunction with Breast
Cancer Awareness Month today (Oct 21). The
school’s Interact Club will sell home-baked cakes
and put on performances, with proceeds going to the
Breast Cancer Awareness Society. The school will
also showcase works by the International Baccalaureate programme. The event will be held at 2A Jalan
TP2, Sime UEP Industrial Park, Subang Jaya, at 2pm.
Call 03-41420888 ext 199 for details.
Creative writing for children
English Champ @ Literacy World in Petaling Jaya is
offering a writing programme titled “Hello Writing” for
children aged 8-14. The programme includes funfilled activities such as role-play and photography
to sharpen their writing and analytical skills. This is
an ongoing programme, and free transportation will
be provided for certain areas. For details, call 0378802460, 016-2091989 or visit www.englishchamp.
com.my.
Summit treasure hunt
Summit Subang will hold a Hantu Hunt tomorrow (Oct
22) from 8am-2pm, with prizes worth RM15,000 up
for grabs. Entry fee is RM70 per person. Call 0162772909 (Black Hawk), 016-6861107 (Tiger Swan) or
019-2632708 (Jack Swallow) for details.
Support Sarawak Brunch
Non-profit organisation Barefoot Mercy invites the
public to take part in its Sarawak Awareness brunch
tomorrow (Oct 22) at 11am at The Annexe Gallery,
2nd Floor Central Market Annexe, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur. The brunch will highlight problems facing native rural communities in Sarawak
and to raise awareness among West Malaysians and
propose projects to address the issues. Tickets are
priced at RM50. Visit [email protected] for
details.
Henry Butcher auction
An array of affordable art, sculptures and decorative items will be auctioned off by Henry Butcher
Asset Auctioneers on Sunday (Oct 23) at 11am.
Over 200 artworks will be on sale, including works
by renowned artists David Kwo, Yusof Ghani, Rafiee
Ghani and Maamor Jantan. The art pieces can be
viewed today (Oct 22) from 10am-7pm at the Wisma Bentley Music Mutiara Damansara. For more
information, visit www.henrybutcher.com.my or call
016-2980852, 016-3085825 or email [email protected].
Fundraising jumble sale
The Church of Shekinah Glory is holding a jumble
sale to raise funds for the poor. They welcome
donations such as IT hardware products, clothes,
shoes, household appliances, cutlery and decorative
accessories. All donated items will be sold at a jumble
sale. For details, call 03-33240957, 016-6133955 or
email [email protected].
World Animal Day
In conjunction with World Animal Day, SPCA Selangor
will organise an event for animals in collaboration with
the Sunway Volunteer Society on Nov 13 at 3pm. Call
016-4451007 (Helen), 017-3739391 (Ying Zhao) or
017-6940668 (Li Jean) for details.
Free health screening
Head on down to Masjid Al-Husna Bandar Sunway
for free medical check-ups this Sunday from 8.30am.
Free checkups include pap smear and breast check.
The public can also get information about alternative
treatments for diseases and sickness during the
event. Among alternative treatments promoted are
traditional chinese medicine, homeopathy, leech
cupping and reflexology for the disabled. This free
health check is open to all. For more information,
contact 019-2882412 (Farah).
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ October 21 – 23, 2011 ⁄ 5
Penyerahan Sijil
MPP
ZON 21
SEMPENA
SABTU
22
OKTOBER
SAMBUTAN UL
AM KE 11
ANG TAHUN BANDAR RAYA SHAH AL
MASA
5:00 petang
Tapak Pasar Malam
Setia Alam
Jalan Setia Prima A U13/A,
Shah Alam, Selangor
23
OKTOBER
7:30 PAGI 2:00 PETANG
TAMAN TASIK
KOTA KEMUNING,
SEKSYEN 31
SHAH ALAM
MAJLIS DISAKSIKAN OLEH
YAB DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR
kepada
TEMPAT
WALKATHON
AHAD
PASAR MALAM
TERPANJANG
DI MALAYSIA
PASAR MALAM
SETIA ALAM
ORANG RAMAI
DIJEMPUT HADIR
KEMPEN KESEDARAN DAN
KENDERAAN KOMUNITI PEMERIKSAAN KESIHATAN
MBSA
WARGA EMAS
PELANCARAN
PERSEMBAHAN GONG
SKJ (C) CHUNG HUA,
KOTA KEMUNING
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MBSA
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COLUMBIA HOSPITAL
SPECIALIST
T E R I M A
PEMERIKSAAN PERCUMA
DEMENTIA TEST
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FASTING GLUCOSE BLOOD TEST - DIABETES TEST
BLOOD ANALYSIS - CHOLESTROL LEVELS SCREENING
DIABETES / NUTRITION CONSULTATION
EYE EXAM - GLAUCOMA TESTING & CATARACT DETECTION
VISUAL ACUITY & INTERNAL PRESSURE / GLAUCOMA
AUDITORY, HEARING CONSULTATION
BONE DENSITY SCAN
TCM - TREATMENT
K A S I H
ATAS SOKONGAN ANDA KEPADA KAMI
SEMPENA
SAMBUTAN UL
AM KE 11
ANG TAHUN BANDAR RAYA SHAH AL
PADA
10.10.2011
URUSETIA, JABATAN KORPORAT, MAJLIS BANDARAYA SHAH ALAM
6
news
october 21 — 23, 2011
Residents oppose plan
to develop green lung
By Gan Pei Ling
PETALING JAYA: Residents at Kampung Tunku
have started a campaign to protest against a private developer’s plan to convert a green lung for commercial
development.
“We’ll approach the school, kindergartens and residents. We target to collect 1,000 signatures by midDecember,” said Save Kampung Tunku Green Lung
Committee chairperson Datuk Dr M Rajen.
He said the signatures will be given to Kampung
Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San and relevant authorities such as the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
The green lung concerned is a 2,989.89 metre sq triangular lot located opposite SK Kampung Tunku on
Jalan SS 1/22.
Residents are concerned that traffic congestion would
worsen, especially during peak hours, if a multistorey
commercial building is built right next to the traffic
junction.
Rajen added that there are 38 trees in the park, some
of which are over 40 years old as they were planted when
the housing estate was established.
Lau, who was also at the press conference on
Wednesday, said the land is classified as an “open space”
in the Local Plan, but the land title is commercial.
Originally owned by Malaysian Government Officers’
Co-operative Ltd since 1981, the freehold property was
sold to a private developer in December 2011.
However, the space has always been managed by
MBPJ, and Lau said Malaysian Government Officers’
Co-operative Ltd should have returned the land to the
city council.
“This is an open space, they shouldn’t have sold it,”
said Lau.
Rajen said residents were alerted to the proposed
development when the developer fenced off the area
three months ago.
Last month, residents received a letter from MBPJ
seeking their views to convert the area from “open space”
to commercial land.
Lau said MBPJ would have to hold a public hearing
before it could amend the Local Plan.
In 2007, there was another proposal to build a three- A private developer has proposed to develop this green lung,
storey private hospital at the same location, but the plan located opposite a primary school and within a residential area,
into a multistorey commercial building.
was later shelved.
High-tension cable study
ready this month
New bridge to improve LDP traffic
RAWANG: An independent consultant engaged to evaluate Tenaga
Nasional Berhad’s (TNB) controversial high-tension cable and tower
project here is expected to conclude
its studies this month.
The company is also determining
the viability of alternative sites to
avoid building the towers in the highdensity Kampung Sungai Terentang.
Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei
Nei told the press on Tuesday that
the Australian company had conducted an onsite survey in Rawang
from Sept 4-14.
“The consultant was surprised that
a high-tension cable project is being
proposed at a densely populated area
like Rawang,” said Gan, when asked
to comment on the initial observations of the consultant.
She said the consultancy was very
experienced, but the state has refused
to identify the company involved to
avoid political interference in the
outcome of the report.
Selangor had earlier this year engaged another Australian consultancy
to conduct an independent study on
TNB’s Central Area Reinforcement
PUCHONG: Motorists will experience smoother
traffic flow with the new flyover bridge along the
Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) which
opened early this morning (1am, Friday).
The two-lane bridge, connecting IOI Puchong
to Putrajaya, the Puchong Intan Interchange and
Shah Alam, is meant to alleviate the evening peakhour congestion on the LDP.
“Now road users can avoid congestion at the
Puchong Intan Interchange heading towards Putra- Sazally on the new bridge.
jaya and Shah Alam,” said Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn
Bhd (Litrak) CEO Sazally Saidi.
Puchong Intan Interchange.
The project, which commenced in September
Meanwhile, upgrading works from the Petaling
2009, cost Litrak RM105 million and was com- Jaya Toll Plaza at Sunway heading towards Puchong
pleted two months ahead of schedule.
are underway and are scheduled to be completed by
Measuring 550 metres, the bridge is part of the early 2013.
RM312 million highway enhancement project an“This upgrading is meant to complement the new
nounced by Litrak in 2009.
bridge, to further ease traffic flow,” said Sazally.
Litrak also upgraded the traffic lights at the PuFor more information, call the LDP Helpline at
chong Perdana Interchange intersection, and wid- 03-74947333, or visit their website at www.litrak.
ened the lanes between Kg Bharu Puchong and com.my.
project in Kampung Sungai Terentang.
But they cancelled their trip to
conduct an onsite survey in April a
week prior to arrival, citing political
pressure from certain parties warning
them against working for a Pakatan
Rakyat-led state.
Gan said the independent consultancy would also evaluate the feasibility of two alternative proposals submitted to the state.
The first proposal involves moving
the proposed high-tension towers
away from homes so that none of the
houses would have to be vacated.
The second proposal involves rerouting the high-tension cables to
TNB reserves on Jalan Perdana Rawang instead.
The issue has been in a deadlock
for three years, and residents have
taken TNB to court.
However, the Federal Court ruled
in November 2009 that TNB can
continue the project as planned by
paying RM10.4 million to compensate the residents.
Residents have vehemently opposed the project due to public health
concerns.
By Brenda Ch’ng
New lane proposed to ease gridlock
By Basil Foo
SERI KEMBANGAN: A bottleneck at the tail
end of Jalan Besar is causing daily traffic snarls for
thousands of motorists in the township.
The 50-metre gridlock stems from
a traffic t-junction to and from the
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INDUSTRIAL EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA
hour just to get through this short
stretch,” said Yap Kok Weng.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (LV CHARGEMAN, AO, A1, A4)
The resident from Serdang Perdana
5 was among those who met Ean Yong
BOILER ENGINEERING (BOILERMAN GRADE 1 & 2)
Hian Wah to express their grouses.
WIREMAN (PW1, PW2, PW3, & PW4) Tempoh: 6 – 12 bulan
The Sri Kembangan assemblyperson pointed out that traffic studies
Tempoh: 12 bulan (sekali seminggu)
Untuk maklumat lanjut sila hubungi:
* Potongan
Yuran pengajian (bayaran):
give the route a Service Level F rating,
50% Yuran
03-3325 1568/69
• Tajaan Syarikat
Pendaftaran
which indicates that it cannot cope
SMS
Pegawai
Akademik:
KEMASUKAN
jika bawa
• KWSP
with the traffic volume.
R
OBE
OKT
016-351
9068
keratan ini.
• Bayaran Bulanan
He proposed that additional lanes
* Sah sehingga Oktober
010-948
4833
Persediaan untuk peperiksaan
& November 2011
be built to ease traffic flow onto the
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Suruhanjaya Tenaga & DOSH
http://sunriseacademyedu.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post.html
Section of Jalan Besar prone to congestion,
leading onto the Sungai Besi Highway.
Sungai Besi Highway.
However, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council
(MPSJ) and state can only offer advice as the stretch
is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Public Works
Department ( JKR).
Ean Yong and MPSJ councillor Ng Sze Han said
the problem was highlighted to JKR at a meeting
after visiting the area on Monday.
Ng said JKR needed time to conduct further studies before deciding what to do in the next meeting in
a month’s time.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ October 21 – 23, 2011 ⁄ 7
8
News
October 21 — 23, 2011
By Alvin Yap
SHAH ALAM: Syarikat Bekalan
Air Selangor (Syabas) accounts and
operations will be audited by two
international firms appointed by
the state, which is disputing claims
of an impending water crisis.
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the
audit needs to be carried out to
determine how much Non Revenue Water (NRW) is actually lost
by Syabas.
Both Putrajaya and Shah Alam
are at loggerheads over the urgency
of the Langat II water treatment
plant, which will treat water channelled to the state from Pahang.
“Claims by Datuk Seri Peter
Chin that we should not delay approval for Langat II as we could have
a water supply crisis by 2014 are not
true,” said the Menteri Besar on
Wednesday.
Syabas subject
to audit
He was referring to the Energy,
Green Technolog y and Water
Minister, who had recently said the
Klang Valley would face shortages
in three years.
However, the Selangor Water
Management Board (LUAS) has
determined that the state’s seven
dams provide enough water for future consumption.
Khalid said if there was a water
supply problem, it would be because of Syabas’s inability to produce enough clean water and to
contain NRW.
“The existing water treatment
plants operated by Syabas are poorly maintained, and they currently
do not produce enough treated
water,” he said.
He said the auditing firms will
go through Syabas operations with
a fine-toothed comb, and if the
latter is found to be negligent, then
action will be taken to rectify the
situation.
Khalid further said that Selangor will not be compelled into ap-
proving the new water treatment
plant as the project would not
benefit the people but only profit
“interested parties”.
He added that Putrajaya must sit
down with his administration and
conclude the restructuring of the
water services industry in Selangor
before Langat II is approved.
Selangor is seeking to regain
control of water services, and has
promised to reduce tariffs and continue its free first 20 cubic metres
water policy for households.
Little India emerging in Rawang
By Gan Pei Ling
RAWANG: Indian traders on Jalan Welman in Rawang old town
want to turn the area into a thriving
business hub that rivals Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang and Brickfields.
““We want to create our own
Little India. We want to attract
locals and people from Selayang,
Serendah and Batang Kali to come
here to shop instead of going all the
way to Klang or Kuala Lumpur,”
Rawang Indian Businessmen Association vice-chairperson R Ananthan told Selangor Times.
Ananthan said there are over 25
Indian traders and shops selling a
variety of products including
sweets, religious items, clothing
and accessories on Jalan Welman.
Both the association and the
local authority here are already
working to promote Jalan Welman
ahead of the Deepavali celebration.
“This is the first time we’re organising a carnival from Oct 5-25,
with the help of the Selayang Municipal Council,” he said.
He added that most of the shops
have been around for more than a
decade.
Canopies have been set up in
front of the shophouses on Jalan
Welman, and businesses are offering various promotions and discounts ahead of the festival.
“You can see the crowd after
4pm and especially on weekends,”
said Ananthan. He said local council enforcement officers and traffic police have
been helping to regulate traffic flow.
Ananthan said this association
Ananthan showing some of the prayer and altar items for sale at
one the shops on Jalan Welman.
is considering organising cultural
performances in conjunction with
Hindu festivals next year.
Meanwhile, Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei said the
state is holding a celebration in
Rawang on Nov 7 to celebrate
Deepavali.
The public can look forward to
cultural performances and good
food from 7pm to midnight on
Jalan Maxwell in Rawang old town.
Chinese
schools:
Ean Yong
slams
MCA
SUBANG JAYA: Selangor
has refuted MCA’s allegation
that the state has not approved
land for Chinese schools in
Serdang.
“My office and the state
have not received any request
to reserve land for the building
of Chinese schools,” said Seri
Kembangan assemblyperson
Ean Yong Hian Wah yesterday.
The state executive councillor for new village development and Serdang Member of
Parliament Teo Nie Ching
held a press conference on
one of the empty lands in
Puncak Jalil here, which the
state has earmarked to build
a Chinese school.
Ean Yong said MCA Serdang division chairperson
Datuk Liew Yuen Keong’s
claim was “baseless”.
He also furnished proof
that the state has approved
seven plots of empty land in
Serdang and Seri Kembangan
to build Chinese schools.
He pointed out that the
Ministry of Education should
forward its request to the state
for the reserved land, saying
there is a need for Chinese
schools in the area.
“The population here is almost 150,000 with the majority ethnic Chinese,” he said.
Ean Yong reiterated that if
the Ministry approved the
building of the schools, the
state would speed up the handing over of the land to them.
Aid for fire victims
Hotel owned and managed by:
Pasti Mulia Holdings Sdn Bhd
Alami Garden Hotel Shah Alam
1–13 Blok 1, Presint Alami,
No. 2 Persiaran Akuatik,
Seksyen 13, 40100 Shah Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Tel: 603-5518 1223 Fax: 603-5518 1226
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.alamigardenhotel.com
SERI KEMBANGAN: Two
families, whose homes here were
damaged in separate fires only hours
apart two weeks ago, received state
assistance on Monday.
“The fire in my unit started at
around 10pm on Oct 5. Thankfully there was no one at home
when it happened,” said Mohd
Zahrain Zakaria.
The 32-year-old resident of Taman Muhibbah low-cost flats here
received RM500 from Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian
Wah during a visit on Monday.
Mohd Zahrain said he was grateful for the aid. His total repair bill is
estimated to be more than RM3,000.
“We had to repaint the whole
interior as it was charred, and change
the wiring, electrical appliances and
doors,” said Mohd Zahrain.
The fire is believed to have been
caused by a short circuit in his
kitchen.
Mohd
Zahrain
receiving
the financial
aid from
Ean Yong.
Looking on
is Ng (right).
Living two floors above him was
Senthamarai Dewi Munusamy,
whose unit caught fire at around
1am on Oct 6.
“I don’t know what happened.
The fire just came. I was scared because another fire had just happened
a few hours before,” she said.
Senthamarai said she did not
know the cause of the fire in her unit
because her husband, who is out of
town, had the report. Her neighbours helped to douse
the fire, but the blaze destroyed almost everything, including her
daughter’s school uniforms.
“She hasn’t gone to school since
the fire, but the teachers understand
our situation,” Senthamari said.
The family is temporarily renting
another unit at the flats, and she,
too, expressed gratitude for the
RM500 assistance.
Also at the visit was Subang Jaya
Municipal Council (MPSJ) councillor Ng Sze Han.
views
Judicially reviewing
New Kamasutra
D
ear Lord Bobo, what’s a judicial review? Is it reviewing
the judiciary? Also, can a judicial review be reviewed?
What’s that called? Rearviewmirror, via email
JUDICIAL review is the name given by lawyers and the courts
to give the illusion that some semblance of the rule of law remains in Malaysia. Okay, sorry, we should take off our cynic’s
hat for this. Let’s start again.
Judicial review is the mechanism for the judiciary to review
the actions of the Executive branch of government (meaning
the prime minister and cabinet, or civil servants) or laws passed
by the Legislature. It is sometimes confused by laypersons
(which is not people who like to lie down a lot, it is just a poofy
way of referring to “normal folk”) with the process of reviewing
a judicial decision, which is technically an “appeal” or “revision”.
In Malaysia, to judicially review governmental action, you
must file your application for leave to apply for judicial review
within 40 days of the decision you are aggrieved by. If the
government refuses to make any decision, you’re better off
peeling bananas than hoping to find some way to appeal.
If you miss the 40-day deadline, too bad for you, Mr Aggrieved Citizen, as the courts seem to have forgotten that they
have the discretion to extend time (not in an altering the spacetime continuum sorta way, we mean they can extend that 40-day
deadline). Oops, sorry, that cynic’s hat slipped on again – taking it back off.
The Attorney General’s Chambers can choose to come and
object to leave (meaning they can ask that someone not be
allowed to judicially review a decision) if they feel the applicant
is a trouble maker. The AG is meant to be acting in the public
interest rather than as lawyer for the government. Of course,
that is based on the assumption of having an AG who understands there is a difference between the public interest and the
government’s interest.
Malaysia does not have such an AG. Hence, the AG will
always come and object to your leave application if you are
actually seeking to review government action, and 8.5 times
out of 10 the courts will buckle under and dismiss your application for leave on grounds that it is frivolous. The 10th
time, the Court of Appeal will dismiss your application for
you. That 0.5 is where the court will begrudgingly give you
leave for a part of your application.
Wait, are we wearing that cynic’s hat again? As what we are
saying is based on solid fact and not mere theory or hypothesis,
perhaps it is not a cynic’s hat after all, but a realist’s one.
Anyway, if you by random chance happen to be in that 0.5
position, once you have your leave, the AG will come back as
lawyers for the government department and by reason of a
plethora of legal machinations (all legitimate, of course), be
able to convince a judge that the government did no wrong.
It is curious – most Malaysian judges are incapable of finding that the government has ever done anything wrong. Perhaps
we should all chip in and buy them some glasses?
M
y husband wants me to buy a copy of that new sex
book by the Obedient Wives Club. But I think it’s
degrading to women, don’t you? Gertrude Tham,
via email
FIRST of all, His Supreme Loveship does not think sex is
degrading. Through sex, Sir Alex Ferguson was born so that
legions of men around the world may eat and sleep football
and thus escape from their responsibilities quasi-legitimately.
Through sex also, George Lucas was born and bestowed upon
us a good Star Wars trilogy. (Ok, so the bad Star Wars trilogy
was later conceived and tortured us with terrible CGI and Best
Performance by a Piece of Wood Playing a Human Being in
the form of one Hayden Christensen. But still.) Sex is a bio-
October 21 — 23, 2011
Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly
column by LoyarBurok
(www.loyarburok.com)
where all your profound,
abstruse, erudite, hermetic,
recondite, sagacious, and
other thesaurus-described
queries are answered!
logical necessity for both the survival and progress of humankind (and monkeykind as well, mind you).
Yet, humans, particularly those occupying Asia and that
famous middle belt of North America, get all flappy and flustered whenever the topic of sex is discussed both brazenly and
publicly. Perhaps some of us still have conservative views about
sex. We coyly believe it’s a private matter best confined to the
bedroom where it’s experienced by two people (or more, based
on that OWC book), in whatever gender permutation, or man
to animal ratio preferred. Even though we have probably done
more things with a glow-stick than a Jacky Cheung fan.
But what if religious law says you can have four wives? What
if the law – at least according to the OWC – also suggests that
sex on demand is the best way for women to prevent their
husbands from straying? We don’t have to subscribe to the
same laws or even the interpretation of such laws.
But surely, we can allow ourselves to be awed by the openness
to sex by a bunch of supposed fundamentalists who have even
created an alternative to the great Kamasutra? His Supreme
Awesomeness is, for sure. And this is coming from the ape-x of
awesomeness. The title alone blew us away: Islamic Sex, Fighting
Jews to Return Islamic Sex to the World – holy banana muffins!
As to the reason your husband would want this book – well,
perhaps he’s researching wars and wonders if “sex” here is a
metaphor for “sleeping enemies”. Or perhaps he’s recently found
interest in contortions after befriending a fakir. And he now
wants to push his body to the limit – with some help.
Or perhaps he just wants some good old-fashioned TLC
– with a twist or two. Whether you want to satisfy his curiosity is entirely up to you – unless of course you’re actually an
Obedient Wife who happens to be a bit on the rebellious side.
In this case, maybe you could start the Disobedient Wives
Club. That way, every time your husband asks for some, you
can ignore him or point him to the cactus.
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9
Insight
10 October 21 — 23, 2011
Surviving tough times
Aileen Tan Lai Mooi is a programme officer
in a non-governmental organisation, while her
husband Ricky is a bank manager in Klang.
The Petaling Jaya family has to plan a
monthly budget as they spend too much on
food and household bills.
“We find that we’re using almost 60%
of our combined salary for food and other
payments,” says Tan, 31, who was originally
from Kajang.
She has also seen her monthly take-home
pay slashed, as the economic downturn
has also affected funding for the non-profit
organisation she works for.
“Times are tough”, says Tan, who has just
returned to the workforce after a four-month
maternity leave. The couple have a six-monthold baby who is taken care of by Ricky’s
mother when they are working.
She has embarked on a plan to cut down
on spending for food and household items,
and plans her shopping to take advantage
of offers from hypermarkets and warehouse
clearance sales.
She keeps track of food prices and knows
how much an item costs. For example, she
knows that long beans cost RM1.50/kg on
average in hypermarkets in Petaling Jaya, or
that a whole chicken now costs RM6.70/kg.
“My daily chores include reading the
newspapers and listings from hypermarkets
to look for offers,” the social worker says,
adding that she has tried to reduce food
and utility expenditures to below 50% of
the couple’s combined salary.
Tan takes care of the family budget
and is always looking for the “best deal”
in town.
She proudly shows off her fridge,
which is stocked with packets of carrots,
spinach and other greens, purchased in
bulk from a hypermarket.
“Yellow stickers” are Tan’s must-buy
item when she is shopping for groceries:
they are food or even non-edible items
that are marked to clear.
“I look for vegetables that have been
on the shelves for more than a few days,
or shampoo or soap that is less than a year
away from its expiry date,” she said, adding
that the savings from purchasing such items
can add to a substantial amount.
She reiterates there are many ways families
can save on monthly expenditure.
Tan also looks out for warehouse clearance
sales, where prices for items such as soap,
detergent, toothbrushes and washing liquid
are marked down.
Her budget and no-frills shopping habits
mean that she stays away from upmarket
grocery stores.
On the other hand, the family is comfortable
with its spending on utility bills.
Tan says the recent hike in electricity tariff
has not affected the family as their usage
is below the amount below the price hike
bracket.
However, Tan hopes there will not be an
increase in the petrol prices as Ricky has to
drive daily from PJ to his new workplace in
Klang.
“I don’t know much about economics or
how inflation works, but housemakers like me
have to budget if we are to survive in tough
times,” she concludes.
By Alvin Yap
H
omema ker Ann L o oi
budgets RM1,500 at the start
of every month to purchase
food and other items.
The 35-year-old housewife and
mother of two, however, finds it increasingly difficult to get by with less than
RM2,000 to place food on the table every
month for her family of four. The Johor Baru native does not care
about keeping up with her neighbours’ lifestyle, explaining that she has her hands full
keeping up with dearer food prices.
Families in urban centres are finding it hard
to get by on the wage levels that have stagnated for
a few years now, says the part-time dressmaker.
Economists and consumer groups like the Federation
of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) say that
middle-income groups in urban centres are being hit hard by
stagnant wages and increased living costs.
Inflation, they say, is as certain as death and taxes.
But what is inflation? Economists define it as the rate at which
the general level of prices for goods and services rise, and, subsequently, purchasing power falls.
“Inflation is a general increase in the prices of items so that we
buy less with our money compared to a time, say, five years ago,”
explains lawmaker Charles Santiago, who says that Malaysian wages
have not increased to keep up with
the rising cost of living.
The Klang MP explains that
as prices increase for items, each
ringgit unit buys fewer goods and
even services.
Consequently, the former economics and finance lecturer points
out that inflation reflects a “lowering” of purchasing power of money.
He explains that an increase in
inflation means that the ability of
our ringgit to buy specific quantities
is lessened.
Giving an example, Santiago says
that in 2000, RM10 could buy three
chickens, while the same unit of
money today can only get the shop(Source: thehindu.com)
T
c
Santiago: Malaysian wages
have not increased to keep up
with the rising cost of living.
per one and a half chickens.
To put it another way, he says a
prospective car buyer would have to
fork out, for example, RM50,000
to buy a compact-sized car this
year, when it was only RM47,000
last year.
The first-term MP explains that
price increases are a burden to every
worker whose salary is not only fixed
but also stagnated.
Malaysians are getting a raw deal,
he points out, as inflation is exacerbated by wage levels that have stayed
flat over the years.
“Increasingly, businesses are passing on the costs of goods to consumers whose wages are the same
as it was 10 to 15 years ago,” says
Santiago, a trained economist.
He says economists unflatteringly
call inflation the “Big Squeeze”, and
the description, while unsophisticated, is quite apt.
Families, he explains, are facing
the brunt of rising costs of living,
with wage increases nowhere near
enough to keep up with dearer goods
and services.
Santiago, who heads a non-governmental organisation think tank,
says that families “feel the squeeze”
The Big
Squeeze:
The rising
cost of living
when they fill the fuel tank in their
car, or when they go shopping for
clothes, food, or when they pay their
utility bills.
What causes inflation?
Santiago says supply and demand – that is, that a greater
demand for items will push prices
up due to limited availability – can
no longer account for a marked
increase in prices.
He takes the most essential item
– food – to illustrate how inflation
is no longer solely caused by supply and demand, but by external
factors.
Santiago says the public at large
does not know that food prices
globally have skyrocketed due to
climate change, monopoly on food
production, and agriculture policy
that is weighed towards producing
cash crops.
“Firstly, climate change is destroying land that is suitable for agriculture. There is less arable, fertile
land for planting paddy, wheat and
other staple food source,” Santiago
explains.
He says monopolies and cartels
are also selling essential food items
like rice, wheat and soy at higher
prices to maximise profits.
International agriculture corporations, Santiago says, have put profits
ahead of feeding “a hungry world”, as
they, instead of governments – who
should do more to eradicate hunger
and poverty – determine the prices.
In Malaysia, the problem of ballooning food prices is due to dependence on food imports as agriculture
is slanted towards producing cash
crops like oil palm and rubber.
“We are net importers of rice,
vegetables and other staple food
ingredients as we don’t produce
sufficient amounts,” Santiago says,
adding that Malaysians are at the
mercy of foreign food producers and
their profit-oriented prices.
A reduction in our food import
bill, he says, can only be addressed
(Source: ~ezs @ Flickr)
(Source: MyLifeStory @ Flickr)
Inflation: when the general level of prices for goods and services rise, and, subsequently, purchasing power falls.
by a return to food-producing agriculture.
Fomca says middle-income and
lower-income families are increasingly in debt due to outstanding
payments incurred from paying for
essential items such as food, petrol
and utility bills.
According to the centre’s research
and policy advisory committee,
inflation touched 3.3% in August
2011, making essential items dearer
to purchase.
According to Fomca’s Datuk
Paul Selvaraj, households now use
more than a third of their income
just to purchase food, fill the car
with petrol, and pay electricity and
water bills.
“In some households, families
are using half of their income to pay
off debts incurred from mortgages,
rental, car ownership and food purchases,” says the consumer advocacy
group’s chief executive officer.
Selvaraj says it is alarming to note
that inflation, among other things,
has caused households to spend
more to purchase essential items.
According to Bank Negara’s An-
nual Report 2010, household debt
at the end of 2010 was RM581
billion, or 76% of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP).
Selvaraj says the figure is worrying, as it signals that households
are using as much as half of their
incomes to pay off debts.
According to the central bank’s
statistics, the Malaysian household
debt service ratio was 39.1% in 2006,
rose to 49% in 2009, and dropped
slightly to 47.8% in 2010
“This means that after paying off
the debt there is not much left to
spend on education, and especially
during medical emergencies and
savings,” he says, adding that homes
will find it hard to make ends meet
if breadwinners fall sick or lose
their jobs.
“That is the issue with inflation. It affects everyone, especially
wage earners and households,” says
Selvaraj.
He says the federal government
should do more to ensure that basic
items such like food, petrol, telecommunications and transportation
charges do not rise too much due to
inflation and profiteering.
A nuclear family of four, Selvaraj
says, spends a lot on food, adding
that petrol and transportation costs
also factor in household spending.
Fomca updates its weekly record
of prices for essential items, and
Selvaraj notes that a whole dressed
chicken now costs RM6.70/kg at
hypermarkets, while green vegetables cost around RM1.50/kg.
Selvaraj says consumer groups
like Fomca want to educate and
inform the average consumer to
spend wisely.
Like Santiago, he acknowledges
that market forces of a global nature
are driving prices up. He urges the
public to do their part in spending
wisely.
Selvaraj says prices were “very
much influenced by external factors”,
but nonetheless wants the people to
play their role in facing inflation.
He says the short- to mediumterm plan is to educate the public
on sustainable purchases, explaining that people have to practise an
economical way of life and strive to
be frugal.
However, the government should
not abdicate its responsibility to
protect the poorest from the burden
of price increases.
He says the government needs to
take action, including using the Price
Control Act and Anti-Profiteering
Act, to curb profiteering.
Recently, he called on the government to take stern action against
traders who raise food prices following last month’s increase in egg price
by two sen.
Fomca and other advocac y
groups, notably the Malaysian
Trades Union Congress (MTUC)
– which speaks out on workers
and wage issues – have said the
government must do more to tackle
inflation.
Selvaraj says the 2012 Budget
tabled recently in Parliament chose
to continue with subsidies, as their
removal would hit the middle- and
lower-income groups the hardest.
He points out that rising inflation
cannot be kept at bay, and the government should implement a wage
floor of RM1,500 so that the public
can cope with living costs.
views
12
october 21 — 23, 2011
Of schooling
and the Budget
I
n my conversation with Malaysian parents, the topic almost
always steers back to the issue of the country’s education
system. They are most often in a dilemma about which
schools they should place their children in, and which system
to opt for.
Most parents who have been through the national education
system in their youth, and benefited from its multiracial atmosphere, want their children to experience the same thing,
yet fear the consequences of the combined effects of poor
syllabus content, low-quality teachers, and an atmosphere that
just does not encourage critical thinking, growth and development of the child.
As a result, parents of different ethnicities have gravitated
towards national-type Chinese schools, national-type Tamil
schools, and other types like government-assisted religious
schools, mission schools, private schools, international schools
and the new kid on the block: home schooling.
The government is surely aware of the urgency of the matter,
that if we do not correct the education system that produces
unemployable graduates with a poor command of English, this
will be the major source of economic slowdown, no matter the
sophisticated infrastructure that Malaysia already possesses.
And what has the budget got to show for improving the
quality of education in Malaysia?
The government will spend RM50.2 billion in education
in 2012, out of which RM1.9 billion will be contributed to
national schools, national-type Chinese and Tamil schools,
mission schools and government-assisted religious schools; as
well as RM1 billion for construction, improvement and maintenance of schools.
One of the interesting announcements was the removal of
primary and secondary school fees, which will cost the government RM150 million in total (schoolchildren currently pay
Just selangor
Tricia Yeoh
(Pic by esharkj @ Flickr)
RM24.50 and RM33.50 annually for primary and secondary
school fees).
And then, a slew of incentives for private and international schools (if registered with the Ministry of Education
and in compliance with regulation): income tax exemption of
70% or investment tax allowance of 100% on qualifying
capital expenditure for five years; double deduction for overseas promotional expenses to attract more foreign students;
import duty and sales tax exemptions on all educational equipment.
It is all well and good for the government to increase incentives for private and international schools – they have in recent
years been given greater liberalisation to operate on home
ground. And there have been an increasing number of such
schools, which raises the variety of options available to parents.
On the one hand, this may seem a positive thing, which
allows private and international schools the option to price
down (with their incentives and such, but only if the school
chooses to do so), thereby making quality education available
to a wider spectrum of people.
But on the other hand, let’s not kid ourselves. Ultimately,
only those in the highest income categories would be able to
afford private education, whereas 60% of Malaysians have a
household income of less than RM3,500 on average.
This creates silos of the educated, a fundamental problem with
greater liberalisation of the education sector, where you have the
rich and educated layer of society versus the less well-to-do having no choice but to receive education in national schools.
Sure, a budget on its own accord would not be able to solve
all of the country’s education policy problems. But it does seem
as if more efforts have been channelled to boosting the popularity of private education this time round.
Education is one of the National Key Results Areas under
the helm of Pemandu in the Prime Minister’s Department.
The four sub-areas are focused on pre-school education, literacy and numeracy, high-prestige schools (a target of 20), and
giving achievement-based incentives to school leaders (headmasters in particular).
These four sub-areas, combined with the lack of description within the 2012 Budget on how to actually improve
the quality of syllabus and of educators itself, are of great
concern and worry. The country does need a severe overhaul
of the national education system, right from its roots of the
teachers’ training colleges. (The flip-flop policies on English in Science and Maths are an added problem, but much
has been said about this).
In short, parents want to feel secure in the knowledge
that when they drop their children off at school every
morning, the kids are maximising their potential, absorbing
knowledge and being enthusiastic about learning, being
exposed to the right material and being developed as better
human beings.
If the current national school system fails to deliver on this,
we will get a situation of increasing fragmentisation, where the
poles draw slowly apart in the contexts of not just race and
religion, but of socioeconomic status.
Malaysia should focus on education
2
011 will have
to go down as
the year of the
occupied square. The
Lee Hwok Aun
Occupy Wall Street
month-long encampment at Zuccotti Park in Manhattan follows a motif painted
from Tunis’ Kasbah Square to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, among
the more epic places of revolutionary gathering.
Of course, we must press the comparison lightly. Protesting
an economic injustice, corporate greed and unaccountable
power is not as dangerous and momentous as fighting – and
triumphing over – vicious tyrants.
But who can deny they got the world’s attention? The spread
of Occupy Wall Street to American cities, and to tributary
gatherings at symbolic places around the world (including
Dataran Merdeka), shows that people around the world share
the movement’s evoked sentiments.
A Time magazine survey found Americans’ impressions of
the protests to be 54% favourable and 23% negative. According to an NBC/Wall Street Journal survey, 37% “tend to
support” while 18% “tend to oppose” Occupy Wall Street.
The public square settlers chanted, “We are the 99%!” Not
the top 1%, who in the United States take a fifth of national
income and a third of national wealth, who live plushly while
the unemployed worker and underfunded student grope for
scraps, and who recently had the expiring Bush tax cuts renewed. Not the top 1%, who spend lavishly in political lobbying to secure tax breaks and lax regulations, discredit and
defund public institutions, and who escaped penalty after
causing the financial crisis.
This is really a battle of access to political power and control
of the policy agenda. The choice to take to the streets befalls
those barred, by lack of money, crony connection or party
representation, from the corridors of power.
Lower- and middle-class people are feeling the financial
squeeze and government budgets around the world are straining.
In response, should countries raise revenue or slash expenses?
The response in the US, and more severely in the UK, is to
wit pleasure
Occupy Wall Street protest in New York. (Pic by David
Shankbone / Wiki commons)
cut spending and to let finance loose, again.
How about increasing tax rates? Notably, billionaire investor Warren Buffett implored the government to tax him
higher and stop coddling rich folks. His message has not
gained critical mass.
Away from much of the media spotlight, throughout JuneAugust, students in Chile rallied around public education,
boycotting classes, occupying schools and protesting in the
streets. They demanded more, and better targeted, funding
for public education.
Here in Malaysia, the financial sector’s power may not be
as widespread, visible and entrenched as it is in the US, and
we have sustained public funding for education.
But there are indications that financial interests dominate,
and not in the most productive ways. We continue to ignore
potentially large and socially productive public revenue
sources. Education expenditure, while substantial in quantity,
fails to meet the challenges of declining quality.
Manufacturing’s share of debt securities issued in Malaysia
fell from an average of 21.0% over 1990-1997 to 2.2% over
2007-2010. Across the same interval, the share of the finance
and business services rose from 15.3% to 52.2% – mostly in
the form of asset-backed bonds. Parlaying money to make more
money is alive and growing.
Between 1990-2001 and 2009-2011, the average annual
amount of loans disbursed for manufacturing activities increased by a mere 30% in real terms, compared to 460% for
credit cards and 280% for property purchases. Our system is
veering towards buying inflatable assets rather than making
things of real value and innovation.
Pre-budget chatter every September-October, it seems,
ponders whether the upper bracket’s income tax will be reduced. In recent years, we’ve tangoed with the goods and
services tax (GST).
Throughout all this, we retain zero capital gains tax on equity. In Malaysia, you can earn income buying and selling shares
and pocket all the difference. The absence of a capital gains tax
is not only a foregone legitimate source of government revenue,
it also inclines investment to short term horizons. The rationale
of a tax to penalise rampant profiteering underlies the real
property gains tax – is there any reason it should not apply to
equity? The top 1% will be happy with the status quo.
Our 2012 federal budget allocates funds to cover remaining
bits of standard school fees. This is welcome, but how about
delivering not just free schooling but also good schooling?
How about recruiting and retaining a mass of good teachers?
Of course, the budget speech mentions “quality education”,
but devotes little toward rejuvenating public schools. For
teachers, there is an exit policy for deadwood and a retention
policy for the perseverant, but no entry policy to attract the
brightest and best into the profession. There are plenty of
incentives for private schools. The 99% will not have much to
do with private schools.
Occupy Dataran’s peaceful, community-building Oct 15
congregation – just half a day from afternoon to late at night
– was prematurely broken up by police.
I wonder what will be sadder in 10 years: youth being
unable to do write a decent sentence, or being too indifferent
and intimidated to occupy a public square to protest the
deficient public education they’re dealt?
news 13
october 21 — 23, 2011
Temple not spared
by thieves
By Gan Pei Ling
RAWANG: Thieves made off with nine bronze censers and
in the process desecrated the Kim Ying Temple here last
Thursday (Oct 13) despite security cameras.
The images of the two culprits hauling away the 40kg pots,
which devotees use to place joss sticks, was captured on two
close-circuit television cameras (CCTV).
“The censers are worth around RM20,000 in total. This
is the second time the temple has been robbed,” temple
spokesperson Tong Ming Kong said on Tuesday.
He said the first theft happened in September when five
oil lamps made of bronze, each worth around RM800, went
missing.
As a result, the temple committee decided to spend
RM3,000 to install CCTVs around the temple.
collection, which the local council took
over from Alam Flora on Oct 16.
He said most of the applicants who
came for the one-day walk-in interview
were former Alam Flora workers.
Lim said successful applicants would
receive RM1,500 a month, inclusive of
salary and allowances, from MPK, and
are expected to start work next week.
PKNS mulls expanding
Virtual Office
SHAH ALAM: Good demand for Selangor Development Corporation’s
(PKNS) Virtual Office (VIO) here is
spurring plans for new outlets in other
cities.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said PKNS general manager Othman
Omar.
Othman said VIO has amassed over 50
clients since it commenced in November
2010.
“All of our 13 executive suites are occupied, so we’re focusing on promoting
our virtual office package which is available from RM300 a month,” said Othman.
Located on the second floor of PKNS
Biz Point in Shah Alam Section 7, Othman said PKNS is considering expanding
VIO to the first floor, as well as the possibility of opening VIO in Petaling Jaya
and Kuala Lumpur as it has properties in
both cities.
Othman said emerging entrepreneurs
or existing companies looking to expand
their businesses in the Klang Valley can
reduce traditional office costs by renting
a virtual office.
VIO provides fully furnished work
stations, meeting rooms, telephone, fax,
internet services, as well as administration
and receptionist support for businesses.
Businesses will so have a dedicated business address and telephone number for
their company.
PKNS expanded its reach by signing a
memorandum of understanding with
FAA Corporate Advisory and the Selan-
2)
3)
4)
The footage also showed the men using bolt
cutters to cut open temple’s side door entrance at
around 4am before carrying out the censers
from the 48-year-old temple.
To add insult to injury, the men dumped the
ashes from the pots inside the temple.
“They should have taken it with them – we had
to clean up after them” said Tong, who was visibly CCTV footage showing the criminals at work.
annoyed. The temple committee was alerted by joggers
against the suspects,” said Gan.
who discovered the theft, and subsequently lodged a police
She pointed out that the Gombak district police headreport.
quarters had in 2009 applied for Rawang to set up its own
Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei urged police to use police district because of the rapid population growth.
the CCTV footage to nab the culprits. “We’ve over 200,000 people living in Rawang now. We
“Crime is on the rise here; robberies are happening even need more police to tackle rising crime and increase patrols
during daytime. The police should take immediate action around the area,” said Gan.
Overwhelming response
to job openings
KLANG: More than 1,000 people
showed up to apply for 50 vacancies for
garbage collection workers at the Klang
Municipal Council (MPK) on Tuesday.
Klang councillor Lim Lip Suan said
the overwhelming response was “surprising”.
Lim said they only wanted to hire
another 50 workers to handle garbage
1)
New hotlines for rubbish complaints
By Brenda Ch’ng
KLANG: Ratepayers can call Klang Municipal
Council’s (MPK) new hotlines to complain about
garbage collection and cleaning services.
MPK secretary Ikhsan Mukri said the council
has set up hotlines for ratepayers to complain
about uncollected rubbish and street cleaning
after it takes over from Alam Flora Sdn Bhd.
Solid waste management concessionaire Alam
Flora’s contract with local governments was
originally supposed to end in Jan 2012.
Ikhsan said residents can call in to report
cases of disruption to garbage collection after
Oct 16.
All 12 local governments in the state are now
responsible for handling garbage collection
from that date.
The move is expected to save the local governments some RM20 million annually.
“We are prepared and ready to take over the
services. Contractors have also been chosen to
ensure the whole of Klang is rubbish-free,” said
Ikhsan.
He also urged local leaders and residents to
help the council monitor rubbish collection in
their respective areas.
He said North Klang ratepayers can lodge
garbage complaints by calling 016-2720406
(Kamachy), while South Klang residents can call
016-2506796 (Razif ).
For cleaning services complaints, North Klang
residents can call 019-2245387, while South
Klang ratepayers can call 03-33726781.
Bedridden patient gets wheelchair
By Basil Foo
(From left) Ami, Yaakob, Fawzi and
Othman signing a memorandum of
understanding to collaborate with
PKNS on Monday.
gor branch of the Malay Businessmen and
Industrialists Association (Perdasama) on
Monday.
PKNS will be giving promotional VIO
rates to FAA Corporate Advisory’s clients
and Perdasama Selangor’s members.
FAA Corporate Advisory will be available at VIO to provide corporate advice,
while Perdasama Selangor will organise a
free social media marketing seminar every
week for VIO customers.
“We want to provide a conducive environment for entrepreneurs to exchange
ideas and share success stories at VIO,”
said Othman.
FAA Group managing director Fawzi
Abd Aziz and Perdasama Selangor chief
Ami Mohd Salleh were present to sign
the memorandum, witnessed by state
executive councillor Yaakob Sapari.
PUCHONG: Life for
Mohamad Rosli Abdul
Rahman, who suffered a
stroke while working at a
printing factory in Shah
Alam in 2008, has now
become easier.
Bedridden since, the
50-year-old can leave home
for the first time in three
years after a wheelchair was
delivered to his doorstep
on Tuesday.
“We are thankful for
the donation as he has
been inactive for a long
time and we cannot afford Gobind (left), Ahmad Idzam (second left), and Hashina (right)
a wheelchair on our own,” next to Mohamad Rosli’s bed.
said his sister, Hashina
Abdul Rahman.
she said.
She received the wheelchair from Puchong
Haslina, who receives RM300 in aid monthMP Gobind Singh Deo, who had heard about ly from the Social Welfare Department, is lookthe family’s plight from their neighbours.
ing to donors for a medical bed.
Gobind said he hoped the contribution will
“It is hard to change his diaper and move him
ease the burden of the family.
from side to side to alleviate the rashes on his
The 45-year-old single mother, with five back. A medical bed will help,” she said
schoolgoing children, has been struggling to also
Those interested in making contributions to
look after her elder brother’s basic needs.
Haslina’s family are urged to contact Gobind’s
Hashina, who is unable to carry him, also has service centre at 03-58850616.
to feed, clothe and bathe him.
With Gobind during the visit was PAS mem“He hasn’t been able to go outside at all in ber Ahmad Idzam Ahmad, who donated
three years. The neighbours have never seen him,” RM300 to the family.
media
14
october 21 — 23, 2011
Bolton brings cheer
to disabled children
PETALING JAYA: Property developer Bolton Bhd
reached out to bring cheer and colour to the children of Pusat
Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Taman Megah (PPKKCTM)
SS3 branch through its corporate social responsibility (CSR)
programme recently.
More than 40 Bolton management and staff turned up in
full force on Saturday (Oct 8) to transform the home, which
was in need of a facelift.
PPKKCTM is a non-governmental, non-profitable home
for the disabled and underprivileged. The SS3 branch houses
40 children with various disabilities.
The employees turned up in the morning and spent half the
day scraping and repainting the walls in order to transform
and improve the façade and compound of the home.
After the painting session, they took the opportunity to
spend time and interact with the children and residents over
lunch sponsored by Bolton.
Bolton Executive Director Chan Wing Kwong,
who led the team of staff, said: “It is heartwarming
to see our people taking part in this noble cause
and supporting Bolton’s CSR efforts …
“Bolton has a full calendar of CSR activities and
there will be many more.”
Bolton staff also donated food provisions, basic
necessities, gifts and a wheelchair to the children.
PPKKCTM president R Umah Devi said: “We
are thankful to Bolton for their effort in transforming our home. The bright colours provide a more
comfortable environment for the children.
“I am also glad that today’s activity brought a
lot of joy and cheer to the children.”
The main sponsor for the painting activity was
Nippon Paint Malaysia, one of the major paint
manufacturers in the country.
Bolton staff with PPKKCTM children and residents.
Mines Wellness Hotel
bags culinary
awards
inning
Muhammad Ramli’s prize-w
fillet.
fish
cod
ntic
atla
ted
rina
ma
SHAH ALAM: Three food and beverage
staff from Mines Wellness Hotel brought
home a Silver, Bronze, and Diploma awards
for their participation in Culinaire Malaysia
2011, held in conjunction with Food &
Hotel Malaysia (FHM).
Muhammad Ramli Mohd Shamad won
the Silver award in the Hot Cooking – Fish/
Seafood Main Course category, with his
delightful marinated atlantic cod fish fillet
with ginger buerre, prawn avocado custard
and sweet vanilla balsamic vinegar.
The Bronze award in the same category
was won by Mohd Fauzan Denan, a Chef De
Partie, for his seared red snapper fillet with
potato prawn drumpling and stir-fried
crunchy vegetable dragon fruit salsa served
Seared red snapper fillet,
Mohd Fauzan’s winning dish.
with cranberry sauce.
Khairul Azmi Abdul Aziz won the Diploma award in the Mocktail category with
his Dizzling Green creation.
Mines Wellness Hotel general manager
Eusebius Samm said: “We are very proud to
have our food and beverage staff to be rewarded with such honours.
“We hope that this motivates more of our
staff to participate and compete in competitions to come”
FHM is an international exhibition that
features a wide range of products from
around the globe, designed specifically for
the hotel and catering industry, including
technologically advance machinery for the
food production and packaging industry.
(From left) Winners Muhammad Ramli Mohd Shamad and Mohd Fauzan Denan with
their mentors, Chef Hasnor and Chef Saiful.
Andaman raises RM100k
for school, foundation
Winnie Ho
By Chin Man Yen
DAMANSARA: Good music and a good
cause seldom come together as one. But last
Friday, musical lovers of the Seventies went
home happy thanks to a stroll down memory lane with Teresa Teng’s music and the
satisfaction of having done a good deed.
Organised by the Andaman Group, a
charity concert in aid of SMJK Sam Tet and
Yayasan Pendidikan John Moh was held at
the Bentley Music Auditorium in Mutiara
Damansara.
The two-hour concert, themed The Jazzy
Sounds of Teresa Teng, was led by pianist and
music director Tay Cher Siang and accompanied by guitarist Roger Wang.
The icing on the cake was 2000 Astro
Talent Quest champion Winnie Ho, who
is known as one of the best Chinese jazz
singers in Malaysia. During the musical
treat, Ho gave a jazzy and modern interpretation of Teng’s hits.
The concert, which drew almost 400
patrons last Friday, managed to raise around
RM100,000.
According to Andaman Group, the
funds will be shared equally between the
two organisations, and will go towards
upgrading educational facilities and helping
underprivileged students.
The next charity concert themed In the
Mood for Love will be held at Syuen Hotel
in Ipoh on Nov 25. This concert will be led
by vocalists Lydia Chew and Z Yan.
For more details, call ticket hotline 0122083790 or log on to www.airasiaretix.com.
New food court
at Subang Parade
By Brenda Ch’ng
SUBANG JAYA: A fusion cuisine
food court called the Market Place is now
open for business at the lower ground
floor of Subang Parade.
The Market Place offers dinners
both local favourites and western delights.
“It’s all about fusion, bringing in the
right mix of Subang Jaya, Malaysia, Asia
and the world to one purposeful place,”
said Subang Parade centre manager Chay
Siew Mun.
Among the selections are JM Bariani
House, Kafe Bawang Merah, Noodle
Express and Siam Express.
Western food lovers will also get a
chance to indulge themselves at Capriciossa, an up-and-coming Japanese Italian
restaurant.
It also houses the Country Farm Organics store, located right opposite Rosie Melaka Snacks and Dessert, which
offers a delectable selection of kuih and
coffee.
“Since our tenants started operations
last week, the response has been encouraging.
“ We saw a demand for more F&B
outlets in our centre, and we feel that
Market Place is the perfect response to
meet what our shoppers want,” said Chay.
Market Place was officially launched
on Tuesday by Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh, along with representatives from Hektar Group and Hektar Property Services.
Yeoh also sampled what was on offer
from each stall.
fiction/news 15
october 21 — 23, 2011
The Skeleton in the Closet
Fiction by Anusha Bai Paramasivan
T
here’s a skeleton hiding in my closet. Then
again, when you think about it, skeletons
of all shapes and sizes have the tendency to
hide in people’s closets – although I can assure
you, if I placed a bet that no one’s skeleton would
ever even remotely come close to mine, I’d win the
bet hands down.
The only thing preventing me from winning the
bet is that once won, the skeleton has to come out.
That certainly seems to beat the purpose of having
a skeleton in the closet in the first place. So, no. I’m
not placing any wagers. The skeleton stays in the
closet for as long as it possibly can!
As you can see, the skeleton is all I seem to be able
to talk about these days. You could say that like most
skeletons, it all began with a stupid idea, which
seemed like The Greatest Idea on Earth at that time.
They all start that way – a stupid bet, for instance:
“I bet you can’t hotwire that bright orange Myvi
over there.”
“Oh really? Watch me.”
Next thing you know, you are branded a car thief,
albeit the stupidest one that ever lived because you
were caught. And that’s your skeleton right there. If it
gets out, no one will want to have anything to do with
you. Ever. True story? Not really – it’s perhaps closer
to a bad example. But still.
This whole skeleton in the closet thing scares the hell
out of me. People who still care – about three and a half
of them altogether – have told me that I’m acting like a
paranoid lunatic. But they don’t know what it’s like to
live through each day fearing that your closet door might
finally open at any given moment.
There’s a skeleton in my closet, and it’s like no other out there.
Why? Because it is not your average reference to a bloody secret
– it’s an actual skeleton.
Remember The Greatest Idea on Earth? I had one a long,
long time ago, when I had single-handedly and secretly
discovered a flawless and complete Neanderthal skeleton.
Greatest Idea on Earth #1: Let’s
keep it. Don’t ask me how I pulled such a
stunt off. Carting off an archaeological find halfway
across some undisclosed location without ever being
found out by the authorities was one thing; doing it without
your colleagues knowing while fooling them into helping you
had enough adventure in it to give Harry Potter and his friends
a run for their money.
As if The Greatest Idea on Earth #1 was not enough, the
mad scientist in me decided that is was appropriate to call upon
The Greatest Idea on Earth #2. Can we resurrect a Neanderthal
person from their complete bones?
Only one thing stood in my way of successfully pulling off
the idea: osteoporosis. Don’t worry, I’m still youthful
enough to escape it for the moment. Not the Neanderthal, though. His bones were insanely brittle.
In the name of science, I filled long, exciting
nights tinkering with the bones, drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley and Dolly the Sheep,
although she did die eventually.
When things didn’t progress, I sat up and
watched Bride of Franknstein, wondering if
my Neanderthal skeleton would someday
want a bride himself, and where was I going
to find one when the time arrived.
Now I have a skeleton in my closet and I think
it’s alive. The small skin tissue sample on the back of
its hand has started spreading around,
slowly covering the fingers on one side,
working its way up its right arm, skin
as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
While it looked as though The
Greatest Idea on Earth #2 was
about to become a reality, the insane
reality of the situation hit me. What on earth
do you do with a Neanderthal after resurrecting
one? And no, The Greatest Idea #3 – whatever it
might be – did not arrive to rescue me from this
predicament. In a state of panic, I picked up the bones
and stuffed them in the closet, closing the door carefully and locking it up.
Curiosity drives me to check on the skeleton
every single day. Some days, growth is pretty much
stagnated; other days, it progresses rather well. This
morning, I swear that the skull grinned at me like it had
this big plan I was not privy to. I’m sure it’s up to no good.
And I’m scared. Help!
Temple gets
financial assistance
By William Tan
(From left) Temple Association President R Subramani, Subang Jaya
assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh, and councillor Loi Kheng Min at the Sri
Varatharajah Perumal Temple last Saturday.
SUBANG JAYA: The Sri Varatharajah
Perumal Temple here received RM12,000 in
financial assistance from the state in conjunction with Deepavali last Saturday. “It is the second year that the state has
given us money and we are very appreciative
of the gesture,” said temple president R Subramani.
The temple received RM 20,000 last year.
This year’s aid will be used to pay for renovations.
Subramani said the temple wanted to build
a Rajagopuram, an elaborate entrance usually
found with larger Hindu temples, which will
cost an estimated RM1.2 million.
“It is our main goal, but we may have to deal
with some of our local issues first, such as a
poor pedestrian crossings and unpaved roads,”
said Subramani.
He received the cheque from Hannah Yeoh
during a simple ceremony.
The Subang Jaya state lawmaker said the donation was inclusive of RM2,000 from her
allocation, while the rest was from the state.
Shock visit for irresponsible resident
SUBANG JAYA: Homeowners who unwittingly left
their addresses in piles of trash got a visit from an irate
Hannah Yeoh last Saturday.
The Subang Jaya assemblyperson, accompanied by Subang
Jaya Municipal councillors Dr Loi Kheng Min and Rajiv
Rishyakaran, decided to confront the culprits in an effort
to curb the irresponsible behaviour.
The culprits were identified by addresses on letters and
receipts found in garbage bags tossed on sidewalks in SS18
and SS19.
The man who greeted them at the first house was confused and then embarrassed when told of the purpose of
their visit.
“I didn’t even know about this, it was probably my wife.
I am really sorry, I will talk to her,” said the man.
However, the next visit was less successful because the
residents refused to answer the door.
Undeterred, they called the house using the phone number on a receipt found a few streets away, but were told that
the people responsible for dumping the trash had all recently passed away.
“It seems that a call from us was like a call to heaven,” said
Rajiv.
He pointed out that illegal dumping was due to the lack
of civic-mindedness by sections of the community and not
because of lack of action by MPSJ.
“If you doubt they are doing their job, come to me; I want
everyone, especially the residents, to play their part in solving this issue,” he said.
Yeoh said she hoped the culprits realise that their actions
Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh pays a visit to
affect the whole community.
an illegal dumper, accompanied by MBSJ councillors Rajiv
“Confronting them will make them think twice,” she said. Rishyakaran (left) and Loi Kheng Min.
travel
16
october 21 — 23, 2011
Deepavali lights,
gifts and joy
In parts of Klang Valley, the Deepavali celebrations have already
started. LIN ZHENYUAN visits a carnival in Brickfields and returns
with a few souvenirs
D
eepavali is just around the corner. In Brickfields, the celebrations have kicked off in the form
of the 10th Deepavali Carnival, which
began on Oct 14 and ends on the eve of
the Festival of Lights, on Oct 25.
Business begins at noon and stretches until 10.30pm, Monday to Sunday,
at the KL Sentral open car park.
Apart from the sarees, costume accessories and 101 varieties of kacang putih
(some from Ipoh), there are scores of
entrepreneurs from different states in
India plying their wares.
The celebrations that are going on
full steam ahead in Brickfields are generally divided into “two zones”.
The official site is the Deepavali
Carnival. However, other traders and
shop owners along the main thoroughfare, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, have also
set up their own stalls.
This year, the traders have gone that
extra mile to generate interest with their
myriad products. With the Monorail Operators putting the final touches on their stalls inside the air-conditioned
hovering overhead opposite KL Sentral, tent.
the flow of pedestrians in the area is
constant and strong for the better part of the day.
There was one exception – a particular booth that offered
Over at the air-conditioned tents in the KL Sentral open spiritual enlightenment. It was knowledge pertaining to the
car park, there are dozens of stalls offering a very wide range awakening of Krishna consciousness.
of products. Many of these Indian traders come annually
The young lady who responded to my discreet inquiries
during the Deepavali season to promote and sell their goods said Lord Krishna is the central being in Bhagavad Gita.
in Brickfields.
Krishna is the prime figure of Hinduism and an avatar of
The biggest advantage that the air-conditioned carnival Vishnu.
tent has over the street stalls is the cool atmosphere, which
Being one who believes that all spiritual paths eventually
would be appreciated deeply by many Malaysians given the lead to one final destination, I quickly accepted her offer to
present sweltering conditions.
wave the lamp of light seven times in front of the altar.
Imran, a 20-something enthusiastic young man from
In Hinduism, as it is with other major religions, when
Rajasthan, India, is here with his elder brother Fahmi. Both the heart seeks nothing, everything is possible. With that
siblings are selling handmade bejewelled handbags, festive intention, my spiritual path and that of Amrita, the kind
dresses, and trinklets like necklaces, jewel boxes and iodised soul who attended to me, runs along parallel lines.
silver walking sticks.
Deepavali or Diwali is not solely about celebrations and
Like most of his countryfolk, Imran speaks excellent family reunions. It is also a spiritual event that is highly
English. He also has the gift of the gab, which he uses to his significant in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.
maximum advantage.
Besides Malaysia, Deepavali is also a public holiday in
This is Imran’s third time taking part in the Deepavali Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Mauritius, Nepal,
Carnival. When he noticed my keen interest in one of two Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Singapore, India and Fiji.
engraved silver walking sticks, he remarked: “Sir, this stick
I conducted a walking tour of both Deepavali shopping
is designed for the pleasure of Maharajahs!”
zones and came across a stall that was plying, among others,
I quickly responded with: “I am a simple peasant who posters of the late MGR or MG Ramachandran, who was
does not entertain thoughts of living like royalty.”
probably the most famous Indian film star of his time.
Imran flashed a big smile and urged me to take a few steps
MGR, as he is more popularly known, was also a director
with the cane to “feel the elegance of the handmade walking and producer, and later became the chief minister of the
stick”.
state of Tamil Nadu.
We quickly got into a haggling session about its price,
Deepavali for many of MGR’s fans and admirers is somewhich Imran claimed he normally doesn’t offer any cus- times never the same without the pictorial presence of the
tomer below RM200. However, since he had just set up his
stall and I was his first customer, he was willing to accept a
small reduction.
He exploited my passion for walking sticks by urging me
to “name my price”. When I replied that I could only afford
RM100, he almost fainted.
Half an hour later we struck a deal. For the sake of friendship and a bond between two brothers across the Indian
Ocean, the final price shall remain a secret.
This is what I always like about the Deepavali Carnival:
every year, I return to make new friends and learn new and
interesting facts.
This year’s carnival has a preponderance of women’s clothing. It is ample proof that women are much better shoppers
than men. Perhaps the foreign entrepreneurs knew this from
experience, and set up more stalls selling products and cos- Imran, looking confident, shows signs of being a
tume jewellery that would catch the eye of the fairer gender. successful trader.
Costume jewellery and
accessories that bedazzle
many customers.
Pictures and posters of Indian
film stars are hot items.
Rows of women’s clothing.
great Indian actor.
I do not know how Deepavali is celebrated in other coun
tries, but over in Brickfields, there is a sense of merriment,
quiet joy and high expectations.
Our Indian brothers and sisters will make the occasion
last as long as possible. Other Malaysians, like me for example, will try their best to keep up with their Indian friends
and share their joy as they open their houses and hearts to
everybody.
The engraved silver walking stick that started a haggling
session.
technology 17
Getting yourself online
october 21 — 23, 2011
When designing your website, always begin
with the end in mind as it’s important to visune of the best things about
alise what pertinent information needs to go
the World Wide Web is
onto your website.
that it is bidirectional in
Questions you must ask yourself include the
nature. This means you can not only
“what, when, who, why, where and how”, as
get information off it, but you can
these questions form the basis of a good website.
also publish your own information.
One of the most frustrating things about
There are many free options for
many websites is that you can’t get the relevant
you to put up your website such as
information you want, when you want it. For
blogs or service providers, which
instance, if you’re a service-oriented company,
provide free web hosting services.
ensure that your customer service phone
However, if you own a business,
number is clearly posted for your customers
be it small or large, you would need
to get to.
to build a website that is secure and
And speaking of relevant information, always
reliable.
ensure that your “About Us” page has informaAlso, you will need proper custion like the history of the company, biographies
tomer service support, so you’ll
of the founders, contact numbers etc.
probably be better off choosing a
It’s also a good idea to include a Site Map/
web hosting provider to host your
Navigation – a one page map of all the URL
site and a web designer to design
links on your website – clearly marked on your
your website.
website so that your visitors can find the information they need at the click of a button.
Choosing a web hosting
Always ensure that the information preprovider
sented is relevant for your audience and not
Web hosting companies are a
what you think should be on the website. For
dime a dozen these days. So how
example, if your business is supplying toys for
do you choose one? It’s good to
children, your information must make sense to
begin by understanding that a web
parents and/or potential mums and dads.
hosting company is only as good as
If you’re selling something on the website,
the service it provides. So it’s imyou must know the demographics of your
portant to note that it’s not just
visitors. Are they youths, young adults, midabout getting the cheapest package
dle-aged adults or senior citizens?
on offer so that you can save a few
It’s also important to try to anticipate quesbucks but later live to regret it.
tions your visitors may ask so that you can
Get started by asking if the
provide FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
company you’re considering is
so as not to leave your visitors wanting more
reputable. Ask questions like,
information.
“What is its track record?” “How
If you have a lot of products and services,
long has it been in service?” “Who
try organising them by laying them out with
are its customers?” “Do other peotabs instead of putting everything onto one
ple recommend its services?”
page. Also, try to use visual thumbnails to ilNote that there are basically two
lustrate your products instead of just using
types of hosting providers – budg- Screenshot of a now-defunct website that just might be the worst-designed site ever.
text.
et players and corporate players. (Source: webpagesthatsuck.com)
Another important point is to always enMost basic hosting packages for
sure that your website is updated, as a dated
small businesses start from RM200, while larg er and the ability to scale up when you need to. For instance, website only tells your visitors that if you have no time to
businesses pay up to RM2,500 for advanced packages. you may want to do e-commerce on your website at a later pay attention to your own business, you can’t be of service
Generally, a corporate web hosting provider stage, so your provider must have the ability to do so when to them.
might charge anywhere from the time comes.
As for creativity and design, feel free to make your site
15% to 25% higher than budget
Next up is to get a personal domain that reflects your visually exciting but pleasing at the same time. For instance,
hosts.
name or your company name. Again, a good hosting pro- don’t use psychedelic colours on your website because it
The advantage of a vider will help you apply for your domain. Domain name turns people off. Also, it’s a good idea not to use highly
corporate hosting provider is prices range anywhere from RM55 to RM170, depending contrasting colours such as bright red and blue on the same
that you get peace of mind on the type of registration.
page as they are the opposite ends of the colour spectrum.
as they do give a
You also have the option to buy a domain online, and this
Other creative tips include being consistent with your
lot of value can be as cheap as US$10. Shop around online for some of look and feel, such as font sizes and types, and ensure that
-added ser- these name providers and see what others are saying about your colour schemes are consistent throughout the website.
vices such as them before committing.
One up-and-coming trend is to embed video links onto
good customer service
your website using YouTube. Others might want to try podDos and don’ts of a good website
casting – an offline voice recording that can be downloaded
Now that you’ve chosen the web hosting by your visitors. Still others might want to use Flash animaprovider the next thing to do is to design your tion to illustrate graphics.
website. Because your website is very much
Whatever you do, don’t overdo your website by using
the “face” of your company, these fancy features ad nauseam as they are only a means to
everything you do, or an end. If you’ve ignored the aforementioned basics, your
don’t do, reflects on you as website will not resonate with your readers no matter how
the business owner.
many cool features you’ve used.
By Edwin Yapp
O
Website design of the Yale School of Art. (Source: art.yale.edu)
Gallery
18
October 21 — 23, 2011
Homemaker and mother of eight B Vithiyamala, 31, from Taiping, Perak,
shopping for accessories ahead of Deepavali (Oct 26) with her sister
Greethamala, on Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang on Wednesday evening.
State executive councillor Yaakob Sapari trying out the receptionist system of Selangor
Development Corporation’s (PKNS) Virtual Office in Shah Alam on Monday.
Gobind Singh, Teresa Kok, Dr Xavier Jayakumar, K Arumugam, and T Michael after
being given floral and traditional garlands as a gesture of gratitude by the committee
of the 135-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple in Puchong, which,
following intervention from the state government, is allowed to remain in its current
location.
Hulu Kelang assemblyperson Saari Sungib (in blue shirt) giving out Skim Mesra Usia
Emas donations worth RM1,000 to beneficiaries of the late Mohamed Idriss Yasik.
Brisk business on Jalan
Welman in Rawang in the
lead-up to Deepavali on
Oct 26.
Staff of Bolton Bhd giving a facelift to the Pusat
Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Taman Megah in SS3
Petaling Jaya on Oct 8 as part of the property
development company’s CSR activities. The home
houses 40 children with various disabilities.
Culture 19
October 21 — 23, 2011
Editor’s Pick
CALENDAR
Short+Sweet Theatre
In Perfect Harmony
Theatre; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre;
26-29 Oct; 03-40479000, www.klpac.org; RM28
WEEK two’s line-up of 10-minute plays comprises:
Echo – What happens when you can’t see where
your dreams will take you? You follow your heart.
Significant – A late-night cigarette prompts two
women to ponder their significance.
Failing Elijah – Elijah has been a very naughty
girl and now she is called in to see the headmistress
– a meeting that will decide her fate in the school.
These Things We Talk About – Moments
captured through unadulterated conversations that
explore the ambiguity faced in our everyday lives.
Cargone – Life as it could be living between the
reality of the stage and reality itself.
Birthday – Man, and his illusion of true love.
Sh*t Gets Too Personal – The struggles of a
woman who has decided to come out of the closet.
But with so many skeletons in her closet, will this
prove to be a haunting experience instead?
Thank God We’re Italians – A comedy of errors
with prima donnas, mama’s boys, padres and
godfathers.
The Rise of the Kaiser – In order to eliminate
the Juice, sometimes all you need is a beer hall
putsch. Sometimes a shove. And for dessert:
Luffwaffles.
Malaysia’s First Catholic Hippo – An
unexpected visitor throws a church into disarray.
Is he a visitor or a curse?
Cast Adrift – Water, water everywhere, not
a drop to drink. Ocean-stranded four are there,
pushed on to the brink.
Rupert and the Seven Email Russian
Brides – When Petra meets Rupert one day at
work, he seems quite nice. Maybe they could go
out sometime. But first she has to fight off the
competition: Darya, Tatyana, Vera, Alena, Sabryn
B, Natalia and Olga!
REVIEW
By Dominic Luk
DAMA Orchestra, which recently
staged Glitz And Glamour and
I Have A Date With Spring,
has once again captivated the
Malaysian audience with an
outstanding production: In Perfect
Harmony – A Malaysian Musical
Journey – a show that was both
memorable and educational.
Patrick Teoh played the narrator,
and he brought the audience
through a chronological musical
journey starting from the Seventies
to today. The audience was
reminded of events in each decade
that have impacted on our country
and the rest of the world. The
performers then sung songs that
were popular during each decade.
The song selection was
entertaining, with the likes of
YMCA and Lennon’s Imagine.
It would have been better if the
singers had been tighter on all
their entrances and endings
for each phrase of the songs;
perhaps this was because
the conductor was placed on
stage behind all the singers.
Regrettably, the singing was
inaudible at some points as
the music from the orchestra
drowned out everything else.
Fortunately, many of the songs
were well known, allowing the
audience to sing along.
The show was made even more
memorable thanks to comedian
Douglas Lim, who played a radio
DJ who starts off in the Seventies,
and finally retires at the end of the
show when the new millennium
arrives. His wit, coupled with
Teoh’s humour, left the audience
smiling and laughing.
A highlight of the show were
the special-guest celebrities who
would perform on different nights
throughout the run, including
Zainal Abidin, Sean Ghazi, David
Arumugam, and The Seasons 4.
Compiled by Nick Choo
Send your events to: [email protected]
Theatre/Music; until 23 Oct; Kuala
Lumpur Performing Arts Centre;
www.klpac.org, 03-40479000, www.
damaorchestra.com; RM93-RM303
Set against the backdrop of a radio
broadcasting station, this musical
concert production pays homage to the multitude of popular music that
tugged at our heart strings in the last four decades. It’s a showcase of
fabulous songs and dances. Exquisite vocals. Great music. Superb fun
and entertainment all the way. Featuring Chang Fang Chyi, Tria Aziz and
Tan Soo Suan, with special guest appearances by David Arumugam
(19-23 Oct) and The Seasons 4 (12, 16, 19, 23 Oct). Presented by Dama
Orchestra.
The Selfish Crocodile
Theatre; until 22 Oct; PJ Live Arts @
Jaya One; 017-2289849, www.tix.my;
www.gardnerandwife.com/11_croc.
asp; RM48-RM78
A funny forest adventure about a
snappy crocodile and a brave little
mouse. This bestselling children’s
story by Faustin Charles and Michael
Terry comes to life in this delightful stage adaptation by UK’s Blunderbus
Theatre Company. The 50-minute show tells the story of a crocodile
who terrorises the frightened forest animals who attempt to get near the
river, and how one kind and courageous mouse changes everything! The
Selfish Crocodile teaches positive messages like honesty, compassion
and the importance of friendship, while reminding kids that sometimes the
smallest acts of kindness are the ones that often have the greatest impact.
This story is written especially for children aged four to seven, but adults
will find the show thoroughly entertaining, too. Presented by Gardner and
Wife Theatre.
MaYa: Gong Illusions
The cast performing Madonna’s Like A Virgin.
History through Harmony
On the night I attended, Zainal
Abidin did a splendid performance
of his signature song, Hijau.
Special mention should go
to the three leading ladies who
brought life and colour to the
production: Tria Aziz, Tan Soo
Suan, and Chang Fang Chyi.
They played three very different
roles, interacting with one
another at different points of the
musical journey. Each brought
a unique feel to the stage: Tria
did an excellent job singing in
Cantonese and Hindi, displaying
her amazing vocals; while Tan and
Chang, too, were fabulous as they
crooned many well-loved Chinese
tunes from the Seventies and
Eighties. I am sure the Sam Hui
medley they performed brought
back memories for many in the
audience.
Further, Tan did a good job
with her rendition of Gemilang
(even though I still take my hat
off to the original singer, Jaclyn
Victor). But for all their vocal
strength, it’s sad that we hardly
got to hear the three of them sing
together at any point in the show.
The choreography was
generally nicely done, staying
true to the styles of each decade.
The performers could have been
sharper and more confident with
their movements, but this was
understandable seeing how many
of them might not be trained
dancers. In most cases, the
songs stayed true to their original
styles and arrangements, which
was good as this is how everyone
remembers these songs to be.
The musical journey ended
with hits by Michael Jackson.
Interestingly, Wacko Jacko’s
songs, which should have been
part of the 80s or 90s segment,
were included at the culmination
of the performance – perhaps
in commemoration of his death
in the new millennium. The new
millennium also included Bad
Romance by Lady Gaga, much to
everyone’s enjoyment. In Perfect Harmony was also
inspiring: a patriotic outreach
that didn’t try too hard to be
one. It reminded Malaysians of
the struggles that our country
has had to go through – with
the mention of Ops Lalang and
the economic crises that took
place over the last four decades,
among others – and ended up
being a good historical lesson
by inviting the audience to walk
with the narrator through each
decade. In that regard, a sense
of nationhood could, indeed, be
developed overnight.
When the performers and
crew members came on for
the curtain call, each of them
featured a different single word
printed on their white t-shirts. The
words uniquely described each
person – among them, “shy”,
“adorable”, “awkward”, “abused”.
This was a beautiful way to end
the show, not just because of the
visual impact, but also because it
emphasised the fact that we are
all different – and yet we all want
to live in perfect harmony.
Concert; 20-23 Oct; Shanthanand
Auditorium, Temple of Fine Arts, Brickfields;
RM53
“Tapping into the world of dreams, MaYa
opens an unexpected door into the
surreal and inspiring realm of the gong
resonance. It is a beautifully bizarre
journey between the world of light
and shadow, and the embracing of its dualistic nature. It is through
this mystical dual path that Rhythm In Bronze would like to invite
their audience to explore with them, the many facets of their music
style, performance and even views.” Featuring collaborations with
choreographer Joseph Gonzales, artistes Reza Salleh, Zailan Razak,
Batteryheadz Percussion and many more.
Life Sdn Bhd 7: Refugees
Theatre; 24-30 Oct; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10; www.theactorsstudio.
com.my, 03-21422009
“What’s it like to be a refugee? To witness your family torn apart by war
and conflict? To lose everything you value – family, friends, your home
– and be forced to flee in order to save your life? To travel hundreds
of miles, on foot through dense jungles and in leaking boats across
dangerous seas?” Actors as well as non-actors share true stories, on
stage, on issues that affect people living in Malaysia; featuring songs
by local singer-songwriters, which were specially commissioned for
this show. Presented by The Actors Studio, in collaboration with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); directed by
Faridah Merican.
Syncopated Simulacra
and Other Hallucinatory
Flashbacks
Exhibition; until 28 Oct; The Annexe
Gallery @ Central Market; free
admission
“Don Salubayba continues his
investigation on unfamiliar tableaux.
These new works feature proverbial plates from the Western Art
tradition and turn-of-the-century photographs, exploring the tenuous
nature of reading historical precedents, the vagaries of personal and
collective memories, and the unmistakeable allure in finding methods
of reconciliation with existing institutions of thought.”
Irresistable Wear
Exhibition; until January 2012; Galeri Petronas,
Suria KLCC; galeripetronas.com.my, 0320517770; free admission
Showcasing 48 new artwear pieces designed
by Malaysian artists and fahion designers,
namely Datuk Radzuan Radziwill, Datin
Sharifah Kirana, Edric Ong, Faizal Abdul Hamid, Adnan Hassan, Akma
Suriati, Asliza Aris, Zainol Salleh, Eddie Yap, Fion Poon, Associate
Professor Hasnul Jamal Saidon and Abdul Hamid Hassan. “A form of
expressing art about clothing the human body; the notion of ‘wearing
art’ instead of just looking at it.”.
20 ⁄ October 21 – 23, 2011 ⁄ SELANGOR TIMES
Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.