community January 6 — 8, 2012/ issue 56

Obey or Disobey bad laws?

TTDI TraDers seek publIc supporT

p 11 p 8

keDb To replace unwIllIng conTracTors

p 6

By alvin Yap and basil Foo

sHaH alaM: Rogue contractors, threats and garbage on street corners in Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam are raising concerns of a deliberate move to soil the state.

The Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) have to date lodged four po-lice reports after their garbage contrac-tors were prevented from carrying out their tasks in Sections 7, 9 and 17.

“Their lorries were not allowed to enter some areas and the drivers were verbally threatened,” said MBSA mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan on Tuesday.

Sri Muda assemblyperson Mat Shu-haimi Shafiei added that the contrac-tors were warned that their lorries would be burned if they went into the areas to do their work.

These incidents are believed to be connected to disgruntled Alam Flora Sdn Bhd contractors who lost lucrative contracts after Selangor discontinued the services of the solid waste conces-sionaire (see accompanying story).

“This is an act of sabotage to show that the state cannot handle rubbish collection,” said Mat Shuhaimi on Wednesday.

Meanwhile Petaling Jaya City Coun-cil (MBPJ) has been receiving an up-surge in complaints about uncollected garden and household waste since Oc-tober.

MBPJ public complaints director Tengku Nazaruddin Zainuddin told Selangor Times on Wednesday the council now receives around 500 com-plaints per month from the previously

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim informing nursery operators and Yayasan Selangor officials that the state government will not hand out TOL for Green Lane.

• Turn To page 2

100.“Petaling Jaya City Council

(MBPJ) has collected more garden and bulk wastes dumped along roads and alleys than it has from homes,” said MBPJ health department chief  Dr V Chithra.

MBPJ's monthly collection of bulk and garden wastes has spiked to 3,000

Hulu Kelang assemblyperson Saari Sungib (left), Zone 4 residents Committee member Zulkifli asnawi (right) and Saari's assistant Helmizan abdul Karim monitoring garbage woes at a dump site near shops in ukay perdana on Dec 29.

tons per month from just 1,800 tons.Dr Chithra said the amount repre-

sented the wastes that had been left ly-ing in the public areas alone.

“After we have collected the bulk and garden wastes, a new pile will ap-pear a day later. Are there many people

Sabotage!

phone (603) 5510 4566fax (603) 5523 1188

email editor@selangortimes.com

EDITORIALCHIEF EDITOR KL Chan

COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville SpykermanWRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,

Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ngCOPY EDITOR James Ang

DESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man YenADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi, Tony Kee, Samantha Sim

ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz

2 January 6 — 8, 2012

news

TNB told to meet residents

Contractors failed to manage rubbish collection

trimming trees in the city,” she asked.She said this has been happening

since October 2011, two months af-ter the state handed garden waste collection (which used to be man-aged by Alam Flora) over to 12 local governments in August.

Dr Chithra said the disgruntled contractors, whose services have been terminated, may be collecting tree trimmings and discarded furni-

• From page one

Morning

Friday Saturday Sunday

afternoon

night

Selangor WeaTHer

Source: Malaysian meteorological department

By Basil Foo and Tang Hui Koon

SHAH ALAM: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has been told to brief Cheras residents and allay their fears over the  controversial high-tension cable project.

“TNB will have to meet with the people to explain and convince them that the structure they are going to build is safe,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibra-him.

The Menteri Besar said this after chairing a weekly state executive coun-cil meeting on Wednesday.

TNB and the state have drawn flak from residents for failing to attend a Dec 26 briefing organised by the Am-pang Jaya Municipal Council Zone 24 High-Tension Cable Action Commit-tee.

Five-hundred residents attended the briefing on Boxing Day hoping to receive more information about the

275kV transmission lines project that would affect about 25,000 residents.

The committee's chairperson, Da-tuk Eadon Ching, has urged Selangor to hire an independent consultant as it did with the high-tension cable project in Rawang to find the best route for TNB.

Meanwhile, resident groups from six apartments in Taman Bukit Segar and Kempas have dissociated them-selves from the committee.

Five of them claim they were roped into the action committee without their knowledge after attending the Dec 26 briefing.

Taman Bukit Segar Joint Manage-ment Body chief Kelvin Ong said while the groups are against the pro-ject, they did not want to be part of the committee.

But Ching denied that his commit-tee had included Ong and the other four in the group without their con-

sent, adding he would not stop them from leaving.

Meanwhile, the action committee has threatened to hold a 10,000-strong protest to voice their objection against the current route.

On Dec 19, about 200 residents from 14 neighbourhoods protested at the state secretariat and TNB head-quarters over the health impact of the power lines’ close proximity to housing estates.

However, TNB says the project complies with World Health Organi-sation’s standards for electro-magnetic field exposure.

The public has also expressed fear over the project’s impact on Bukit Sungei Puteh Tambahan’s slope stabil-ity, but TNB has cited a study by the Public Works Institute of Malaysia to show that the construction of the 42-metre-high pylons would strength-en the hill slopes.

ture from households and then dumping them in public areas.

Contracts to dispose of bulk and garden waste are lucrative.

From 2007 until the handover in Aug of last year, MBPJ was paying Alam Flora RM700,000 a month for their services.

Dr Chithra said there could be contractors who wanted to see MBPJ fail in managing the rubbish

collection.She added that she would not be

surprised if the domestic wastes are being deliberately left in public areas to discredit the council.

The situation poses a danger to public health if it gets out of hand, she added.

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Pakatan ready for Free Anwar rallySHAH ALAM: Pakatan Rakyat Selangor will be mobilis-ing its members to attend the Free Anwar rally at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday ( Jan 9).

Anwar Ibrahim was charged in 2008 with having sex with a male former aide and a verdict in the long-running trial is due to be handed down by the court on Monday. If found guilty, the 64-year-old politician faces up to 20 years in jail.

“It's our responsibility to attend and witness a decision that will change the political landscape of the nation,” said Keadilan Selangor information chief Shuhaimi Shafiei.

He said any decision made by the court against Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar might even affect the political and economic mood of the region.

Shuhaimi, who is Sri Muda assemblyperson, said this at a press conference at the state secretariat on Wednesday ( Jan 4).

He said Pakatan Rakyat Selangor information chiefs had decided to fully support the rally.

He stressed that business would not be adversely affected as he believed shops which stay open during rallies usually experience higher sales.

Pas information chief Saari Sungib said his party would be gathering its members in a peaceful manner.

“It is the people’s right to follow things that will have a major impact on the nation,” said the Hulu Kelang assembl-yperson.

DAP publicity secretary Jenice Lee expressed hope police would maintain the peace during the rally.

(from left) Lee, Shuhaimi and Saari.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 6 – 8, 2011 ⁄ 3

4 january 6 — 8, 2012

News

EvEnts

The vacant lot in Selayang.

Residents voice their demands for a recreational park last Sunday.

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Chong Wei to defend title

The Maybank Malaysia Open 2012 will see four-time defending champion Lee Chong Wei in action against top badminton players from China, Denmark and Korea. The tournament is part of the Badminton World Federation Super Series which offers a total prize money of RM1.2 million. The tournament will be held at the Bukit Jalil Putra Indoor Stadium from Jan 10-15. Tickets can be purchased by visiting ticketpro.com.my.

Musical day

Astro Vannavil will hold a musical day on Jan 7 from 9am-12.30pm at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) library hall at Lot 389, Jalan Selangor, Section 3, Petaling Jaya. Admission is free. For details, call 012-2100481 (Ching Hooi).

Food donation drive

In conjunction with the Ponggal Festival on Jan 14, the Sri Lanka Tamil Refugees Humanitarian Programme calls on the public to donate food to Sri Lankan refugees here. Items needed are rice, brown sugar, milk sugar, cashew nuts, ghee, and anything else you wish to donate. For more information, call 016-6880455 (Eashvara Lingam).

Malaysia Food Fair 2012

The Malaysia Food Fair 2012 will be held at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC) from Jan 6-8. Opening hours are from 10am- 9pm and admission is free. There will be a wide variety of dishes available for guests such as foods and beverages, sweets and confectionery, sauces and seasoning, tea and coffee, and canned and frozen food. Visitors will also stand a chance to win prizes from the lucky draws and “Buy and Win” promotions.

Back to school

Rukun Tetangga Taman Desawan Klang will hold a “Back to School 2012” event to provide poor and underprivileged children withschool bags, att i re, shoes and notebooks. The event will be held on Jan 26, and is targeted at children within the vicinity of TamanDesawan, Taman Klang Jaya and Taman Desa Utama. Call Rukun Tetangga chairperson Puvananderan Ganasamoorthy at 012-2652751 or email gpuvan@rocketmail.com.

By Tang Hui Koon

PETALING JAYA:  Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is being accused of failing to disclose that the cost of its new airport would double as a result of shifting its terminal to its current location.

Tony Pua said the cost of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) had ballooned to RM3.9 billion as a result of MAHB withholding the information from Transport Ministry officials.

“I can only conclude that MAHB has in-tentionally chosen not to disclose this crucial information to the relevant ministry officials,” said the Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament on Wednesday.

Pua said MAHB had chosen to build the terminal despite findings – in the original KLIA Master Plan in 1992 – that soil condi-tions to the west had “poor bearing qualities and is not suitable for airport construction without undertaking significant engineering

measures.”The project on peat swamp soil would cost

some RM1.2 billion to rehabilitate even be-fore construction can begin.

He said that MAHB, a subsidiary of gov-ernment linked corporation Khazanah Bhd, had disregarded the original KLIA Master Plan 1992 which stated that the soil in the west was too soft to support the terminal building.

It said that the heaviest structure that could be built was a car park.

He said that the Federal government, had they known about the ill-suited site, would have intervened in the plans to shift west.

This, Pua said, would have cut down the cost overruns from RM2 billion when the project was first announced, to the current RM3.9 billion.

Last month, the first term lawmaker pro-vided documents to prove that that the earthworks to rehabilitate the poor soil condi-tions accounted for RM1.2 billion of the

RM1.9 billion cost overrun incurred so far in the KLIA2 project.

He said the Transport Ministry should take action against MAHB’s managers for being “economical with the truth”.

However, Pua also trained his guns on the Transport Ministry for letting MAHB make crucial decisions and its lack of monitoring of the project.

He urged transport minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha to take action against his sub-ordinates for failing to keep him and the cabinet informed of MAHB’s decisions.

MAHB had said the inflated cost of KLIA2 was due to its decision to increase the terminal’s capacity to 45 million passengers per annum from 30 million.

This is to accommodate budget carrier Air Asia’s projections of 45.3 million passengers by 2020.

KLIA2 is touted to be the world’s largest low-cost carrier terminal upon completion in April 2013.

MAHB kept ministry in the dark, says Pua

By Brenda Ch’ng

SELAYANG: A peaceful protest was held by residents here on Sunday to voice their demands for a much needed park in Selayang Baru.

“There’s no park for us in Selayang to relax or exercise. All we want is a green lung near our home,” said resident Wong Tham Hong.

Wong, 76, was among a dozen residents who gathered at a vacant plot on Jalan 26 to voice their request.

Having lived in the neighbourhood since the late 1960’s, Wong told reporters that he never had the luxury of having a park or enjoy-ing park facilities.

“We seniors are poor, and don’t have much money. So we can’t travel far to other recreational parks to exercise,” he said.

The three-acre plot, which partly belongs to the Land Office and the Drainage and Irrigation Department was previously a 30-year-old residential area.

But in 2006, 42 houses there were demolished and the residents were relocated. But the land remains vacant.

“We don’t know why it was demolished in the first place as nothing has replaced it,” said resident U Shunmugam.

The 56-year-old said a sign was put up shortly after the demolition saying that the land cannot be used for residential purposes.

Since then, residents have been requesting for the land to be turned into a recreational park.

Instead the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has given traders’ three-month permits to set up stalls there.

This has not gone down well with the residents who have high-lighted the issue to both Selayang member of Parliament William Leong and the municipal council.

“The council is currently in the process of acquiring the land from both departments and turning it into a park,” said MPS councillor

Lee Sew Hong.Lee said MPS

had also issued an order to stop hawkers from trading there af-ter their licences expired on Nov 29.

But residents are urging the council to speed up the process and build the recreational park before more illegal hawkers set up stalls there.

Residents want park for Selayang Baru

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 6 – 8, 2011 ⁄ 5

6 January 6 — 8, 2012

news

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB) will replace solid waste contractors who are unhappy with the new terms offered by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).

MBSA mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan said the state subsidiary was being brought in after 45 former Alam Flora Sdn Bhd  contractors rejected a deal with MBSA last Friday

“KDEB will take charge of 39 zones for rubbish col-lection. Another 26 will be managed by former Alam Flora contractors,” said Mohd Jaafar.

Another six zones will be managed by new waste management contractors hired by the council as backups.

“We called a meeting to inform them (contractors) that we would be extending their trial period for two months from Jan 1-Feb 29,” said Mohd Jaafar.

The former Alam Flora subcontractors, who came under MBSA after Alam Flora’s contract was not re-newed by the state, were supposed to have undergone

a trial period until December to evaluate them before negotiating longer term contracts of between three and five years.

However, 45 out of the 71 contractors rejected the two-month extension and instead requested a year-long trial.

“I told them I did not have the mandate to allow for such a long trial period as the state government had already decided on this matter,” Mohd Jaafar explained.

He was speaking at a press conference with KDEB director Raja Idris Raja Kamaruddin at MBSA head-quarters on Tuesday.

KDEB, which previously carried out waste manage-ment services under Alam Flora, will now be offering their services to MBSA through their subsidiary, Hebat Abadi Sdn Bhd.

 “With some new contractors coming in, there may be problems with waste management zones,” Mohd Jaafar acknowledged.

He called on residents to contact the city council if they faced problems with waste collection.

KDEB to replace unwilling garbage contractors

PetALing JAyA City CounCiL wASte MAnAgeMent SySteM

Mohd Jaafar (left) and Raja Idris.

LiSt oF MBPJ gARBAge CoLLeCtoRS

LiSt oF MBPJ wASte BuSteRS

SCHeduLe FoR wASte CoLLeCtion

SHAH ALAM: A complaints hotline is being set up by the state to tackle the problem of uncollected gar-bage, including deliberate mass-dumping on street corners.

“We hope the public will fully utilise the hotline to report the activities of these irresponsible parties who purposely dump rubbish,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim at a press conference after a state executive council meet-ing on Wednesday.

The Menteri Besar said the toll-free number would be announced once the state makes the necessary ar-rangements with Telekom Malaysia.

“Callers will have their grouses recorded and local councils are expected to act within 48 hours of the complaint,” he said.

Khalid revealed that there had been instances of deliberate rubbish dumping by certain parties in areas that were just cleaned.

He said these subversive acts were part of a coordinated effort to show that the state, especially local coun-cils, was not able to manage waste collection effectively.

“Truckloads of rubbish have been found strewn in several areas. We are

thinking of catching the culprits and seizing their lor-ries,” he said.

He added that these incidents had been reported by the Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya city councils along with the Klang and Subang Jaya municipal councils.

Residents can also complain to the hotline about delays in rubbish collection by local councils.

Through the hotline records, the state will be able to determine the percentage of complaints solved and the response time.

  “The local councils will use this information to improve their collection services,” he said.

Hotline to tackle rubbish-collection sabotage

7January 6 — 8, 2012

news

Residents fearful of apartment collapseBy Alvin Yap

AMPANG JAYA: Residents who fear their apartments could collapse due to erosion next to their build-ings want an independent study done to avoid the same fate as High-land Towers.

However, the Mutiara Apartment Joint Management Body ( JMB) is saddled with debts and has no money for the study.

At the same time, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) claims there is no erosion and is un-willing to pay for the study.

“We won’t send an engineer or pay for one,” said MPAJ councillor S Supiramany on Monday.

He said MPAJ’s Engineering Department had conducted their

to dispute the local council’s engi-neering reports by engaging its own consultant.

However, she said neither MPAJ nor the state would pay for the con-sultant’s fees or provide the engi-neers.

But resident Chang Heng Meng said MPAJ was putting financial considerations in front of residents’ safety by refusing to foot the bill for

an independent study.“Do you want a repeat of High-

land Towers?” the 46-year-old sales manager asked.

He was referring to the collapse of an apartment building in late 1993 which caused the deaths of 48 resi-dents in Ulu Kelang, Selangor.

It was later found out that the building’s collapse was caused by soil erosion.

New vernacular school in Rawang

By Gho Chee Yuan

RAWANG: Overcrowding at vernacular schools here has eased, thanks to the opening of SJK (C) Kota Emerald this week. Around 330 pupils reported to school on Tuesday.  

Costing RM6.5 million, the third Chinese primary school in Rawang is sits on a six-acre piece of land.

“Now parents can opt to send their children here instead of SJK (C) Kundang and SJK (C) San Yuk in Rawang town,” said Rawang assem-blyperson Gan Pei Nei.

She said SJK (C) Kota Emerald would cater to residents in Emerald West, Bandar Country

Homes and Taman Desa Mas.The school has 10 classes ranging from Stan-

dard One to Standard Five, 16 teachers and four administrative staff.

Selayang Member of Parliament William Leong and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong also attended the opening of the school.

Meanwhile, Wee refuted media reports that there is a shortage of teachers in vernacular schools.

He said 861 qualified teachers will join the public service on Jan 9 while the Education Ministry has another 1,200 temporary teachers on standby.

own study of the slope and ascer-tained that there was no erosion near Blocks C and D.

“I’m not an expert, but our engi-neering department has said that the soil is not in danger of erosion,” he said.

He said the council’s file on the matter was closed.

However, the JMB is unwilling to accept MPAJ’s ruling, and is ada-mant that there’s soil erosion due to the presence of sinking soil at the bottom of the slope.

JMB chairperson Sow Long Khoon said the evidence of the soil settlement was proof enough for MPAJ to engage an engineer and conduct more tests.

He claimed that cracks started to appear on the walls of the apartment

NSD ends Ampang Pecah camp contractSHAH ALAM: Yayasan Selangor’s contract with the National Service De-partment (NSD) has been terminated abruptly despite spending around RM4.04 million to renovate the Ampang Pecah camp.

The request to upgrade the Ampang Pecah camp was made by NSD last year.

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the re-quest was made a year ago and the deci-sion not to renew the foundation’s con-tract, despite the costly revamp, are raising eyebrows.

“I was surprised to hear about it,” the Menteri Besar told reporters on Wednes-day.

Khalid said a special meeting will be held with the camp’s staff and manage-ment, along with Yayasan Selangor’s board of directors to determined why the contract has not been renewed. 

NS Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said on Tuesday that the department is

not obliged to renew the contract, with-out giving any reasons for its decision.

As a result of this, Khalid said Yayas-an Selangor will have to think of other ways to recover its investments.

NS was first launched by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Ampang Pecah camp in 2004. The NS 1Malaysia Alumni gather-ing was also held at the camp last No-vember.

Meanwhile, Khalid said Selangor will meet with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) this week to find out the commission’s plans to solve the problem of bus operators halting ser-vices at unprofitable routes.

Konsortium Transnasional Bhd’s bus fleet Cityliner stopped its services for 21 bus routes in Selangor due to rising transportation and maintenance costs that have far exceeded fare collections.

Bus fares nationwide are controlled by the federal government.

blocks in November, pointing to the presence of an impending landslide.

Residents believe the soil erosion was caused by a burst sewer pipe running beneath the hill slope.

Sow claimed that MPAJ had failed to detect the leak further in-side along the pipe(deeper under the slope) when it carried out repairs last November .

He claimed that the council had failed to ensure the safety of the residents, saying MPAJ must bear the cost of engaging the engineer.

“MPAJ should pay for the con-sultant. They’re negligent in failing to detect the crack which caused water to seep out and erode the soil,” he said.

Earlier, Teratai assemblyperson Jenice Lee said the JMB had the right

Supiramany (left) and Lee say MPAJ’s engineering report has ascertained that there is no danger of a landslide.

Children attending

the new school.

8 january 6 — 8, 2012

News

quotable quotes

Loo: TTDI traders were relocated from Central Market.

TTDI market traders launched a signature campaign last week.

By Basil Foo & Alvin Yap

KUALA LUMPUR: Traders whose livelihoods are in jeopardy following City Hall’s (DBKL) de-cision to proceed with the demoli-tion of Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) Market have launched a signature campaign to garner sup-port.

 “We expect to reach our target of 20,000 signatures in one to two weeks without any problems,” said TTDI Market Traders Association chairperson Jenny Loo.

She said they were turning to Resident Associations (RAs) across the Klang Valley and the public who regularly shop at the 25-year-old market.

The market will make way for a mixed development project which includes serviced apartments that will be linked to the proposed Sg Buloh-Kajang Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station nearby.

DBKL plans to go ahead with the move despite uproar among traders and residents who want the market upgraded instead.

TTDI traders seek public supportThe proposed development has

been valued at RM60 million and City Hall estimates the revenue from the project will help improve facilities for ratepayers.

According to Loo, the current 200 traders in the market were previously relocated from the for-mer Central Market in Jalan Hang Kasturi.

Some 100 traders and residents protested against DBKL’s decision on Saturday.

“After the protest on Saturday, we will still wait for the DBKL mayor to make a statement,” she had said on Saturday.

Following the protest, Federal Territories and Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zain-al Abidin has asked DBKL to postpone the demolition.

He said the demolition should not go ahead until residents are consulted.

“To all Malaysians, do you want would-be leaders behaving like this? To parents, do you want to see your children being

involved in such activities? To university students, do you want to destroy the future ahead of you by participating in such activities?” – Statement in a PDRM video uploaded to Youtube to counter claims they had roughed up demonstrators at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim last Saturday.

“His allegation that there is corruption in Selangor, ‘duit kopi’ (under-the-table cash) involving Chinese businessmen,

is a serious allegation.” – Selangor Menteri Besar’s political aide Faekah Husin on fugitive

blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin recent claims of corruption within the Selangor government.

“He need not have made so many invites. He had me at ‘hello’” – Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua on defense minister

Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s first invitation for talks on the latest multi-billion ringgit arms deals.

“We have decided on the leadership during elections or

post-elections in the event I’m imprisoned.” – Opposition Leader Datuk

Seri Anwar Ibrahim on who will lead the coalition if he’s found guilty next week at his sodomy trial.

“You don’t need to be an expert to see the root of the problem.

I f MPAJ had done i ts part, the drain would not have cracked.” – Mutiara Court joint management body chairman Sow Long Khoon on Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) being negligent in repairing a drain nearby the apartment, thus causing soil erosion at a hilllslope.

SUBANG JAYA: Hawkers trading under the jurisdic-tion of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) will continue to pay a licensing RM1 per day this year.

Kinrara assemblyperson Teresa Kok said MPSJ will not raise the fee to RM4 per lot this year, which is the standard rate across other city and municipal districts in Selangor.

However these hawkers in Subang Jaya, Puchong, Serdang and other areas within the municipality will have to manage their own waste disposal.

Kok said last year, the council spent an average of RM2.43 per lot to clean up morning markets and RM3.50 per lot for night markets.

She said that the cost of the clean-up far exceeded the RM1 per lot traders paid and MPSJ had to fork out an additional RM1.6 million to cover the cost in 2011.

Councillor Pooi Weng Keong said it is unfair for MPSJ to continue to subsidise the traders using ratepayers’ money.

MPSJ had intended to raise the licensing fee from RM1 to RM4 per lot starting last year to cover the rising cost of waste management.

The move was in line with the state’s policy to stand-ardise licensing fees in Selangor as the fee had ranged from RM1 to RM6 across different municipalities previ-ously.

However, MPSJ traders had protested against the 300% hike. From RM360 per year, they would have to pay RM1,440 with the fee hike.

Subsequently, the state granted MPSJ an exemption to retain the licensing fee at RM1 per lot in 2011 and have now extended it to 2012.

MPSJ fee stays at RM1

9January 6 — 8, 2012

news

Clogged drains at Taman Desa Karunmas on Thursday.

Councils alert over acts of foul playBy Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: Local govern-ments in Selangor are remaining vigilant over moves to discredit the councils over their manage-ment of solid waste.

The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) has stepped up monitoring of illegal dumpsites and are prepar-ing to deploy personnel to carry out checks in hotspots.

“We will tackle the situation. We have plans to create teams to monitor the situation,” said MPK press officer Norfiza Mahfiz on Thursday.

The monitoring group will in-clude personnel from the Environ-mental Health Department.

Norfiza added that MPK is also increasing the frequency of gar-bage collection to deal with the possibility of rogue contractors

Homes to stay dry with better drainageBALAKONG: Residents of flood-prone Ta-man Desa Karunmas can look forward to dry homes with improvements to drains in their neighbourhoods.

“The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) will be levelling the drains for better water flow. Work will be completed by the end of January,” said Serdang Member of Parliament Teo Nie Ching.

The floods were caused by drains along a slip road which were unable to channel water out of the forest into higher level drains along the main road. Teo visited the slip road leading into a forest near the housing estate, which borders Jalan Karunmas 3, yesterday ( Jan 5).

Two underground drain pipes were previ-ously built to channel water from the slip road drains to the main road drains, but they have been clogged with rubbish and mud.

One of the underground drain pipes was found to have been partially blocked by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) cables and

Syariakat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas)  pipes.“MPKJ has allocated RM24,000 to TNB

to relocate the cables. They will also request Syabas to realign their pipes to free up the flow of water,” said Teo.

Balakong assemblyperson Yap Lum Chin, MPKJ councillor Lee Kee Hiong and MPKJ Engineering Department officers also visited the site.

Lee said she will instruct the council’s Town Planning Department to monitor the site and to clear rubbish and mud from the drain to ease water flow.

Resident Yap Chow Yin, who has lived in the area for eight years, expressed hope work will be completed without delay as they have been living in fear of flash floods which can reach up to two feet.

“Every time we see the sky getting darker, even if we are in shopping malls, we have to rush back home to prepare for any eventuality,” said the 67-year-old.

Councillors’ term extended till Jan 31SHAH ALAM: Councillors at all local governments in Selangor, whose terms were supposed to expire on Dec 31, will continue to serve till the end of this month.

Selangor executive councillor for local government Ronnie Liu said the term of the current batch of 288 councillors’ had to be extended as the state has yet to finalise the new list. 

Shah Alam City Council president Datuk Jaafar Mohd Atan confirmed that the city council had received the state’s directive. 

Other municipals councils had also announced the one-month extensions at their respective full board meetings last month.

Currently, there are two city councils, four district and  and six municipal councils in Selangor. Each council has 24 council-lors.

who might be dumping bulk and garden wastes at roadsides.

The council’s precautions come in the wake of garbage dumping in Petaling Jaya and intimidation faced by contractors in Shah Alam.

Meanwhile the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) is stepping up its efforts to monitor contractors.

MBSA, in a statement, said that it would not hesitate to take ac-tion against operators who were late or missed their schedules.

The city council is also boosting its own in-house capacity to col-lect garbage in the city, by pur-chasing lorries and equipment.

The statement also called on the public  to cooperate with MBSA by separating their trash into paper, plastic and glass refuse before placing them in their household bins.

“The city council is asking rate-payers to work together to ensure that Shah Alam is kept clean, beautiful and peaceful.”

Meanwhile, the Selayang Mu-nicipal Council (MPS) said that it has not registered any spikes in complaints over the collection of bulk and garden waste.

“We’re actively monitoring the situation, but for now we don’t have any reports of such activities,” said MPS public relations officer Mohd Zin Masoad.

He said they were told by the developer that it will now cost RM24 million for the re-demarca-tion of the plots.

“They should have realigned the plots before the building was built,” said resident and former JMB member Harun Mizam.

He revealed that the cost for demarcation of the plots was in-

cluded in the initial purchase price, and wondered why they paid for something that has ended up not being done.

At the press conference was Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who said he will be

writing to the Commissioner of Buildings and the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

“I will also be notifying the Selangor Housing and Property Board of the issues highlighted by the residents,” he added.

Teo (middle), Lee (second right), Yap and MPKJ engineering officers visiting clogged drains at Taman Desa Karunmas on Thursday.

10 January 6 — 8, 2012

news

MP: Explain Duke’s contract extensionBy Chong Loo Wah

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya must explain its ra-tionale for extending the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway’s (Duke) concession agreement for another 30 years, said a lawmaker on Monday.

Segambut Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng said Duke’s toll collection was supposed to end by 2039, but the Public Private Partnership Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department had in April 2011 extended the contract to 2069.

“This would affect another three generations of road users. The government must explain,” the lawyer said at a press conference.

Under the original agreement, the current toll fees for Class I vehicles (cars) is only RM2 but is expected to increase progressively to RM5.40 (170%) from 2030 until 2039.

With the 30-year extension, Lim said private car users would be expected to pay up to RM13.20 – a 560% hike from its current fee – from 2060 to 2069.

Lim said Putrajaya had agreed to extend the toll col-lection period for 30 years as the concessionaire would be spending RM1.39 billion to widen and expand the highway to accommodate more traffic. 

The expansions include a 7.1km extension to connect Sungai Buloh to Jalan Segambut, another 9km stretch to connect Jalan Tun Razak to Jalan Gombak, and a 5.2km extension to connect Kuala Lumpur to a new development project.

In addition, two new tolls will be set up at the Sungai Buloh–Jalan Segambut and Jalan Tun Razak–Jalan Gombak extensions.

“If the federal government can spend up to RM250 million on the National Feedlot Corporation cattle project, why can’t it fork out RM1.39 billion to upgrade Duke. It’s only 5.5 times the cost?” said Lim.

He added that the move would spare road users the burden of having to pay high toll fees for three more decades.

He cited the example of the Damansara-Puchong Expressway, which cost RM1.327 billion to build, but has earned the concessionaire profits of more than RM18.8 billion over the years.

Lim said Putrajaya should stop highway conces-sionaires from making massive profits at the public’s expense.

Lim had also sought further clarification from the Works Ministry in Parliament last November , but has yet to receive a written reply from the ministry.

Period Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 (Cars) (Lorries (Lorries (Taxis) (Buses) with with 3 or 2 axles) more axles)

2010 - 2.00 3.00 4.00 1.00 1.302014

2015 – 2.50 3.80 5.00 1.30 1.702019

2020 – 3.30 5.00 6.60 1.70 2.202024

2025 – 4.20 6.30 8.40 2.10 2.802029

2030 – 5.40 8.10 10.80 2.70 3.602039

2040 – 7.30 10.90 14.50 3.60 4.80 2049

2050 - 9.80 14.70 19.50 4.80 6.502059

2060 – 13.20 19.80 26.20 6.50 8.702069

By Basil Foo

KLANG: The Public Works Department ( JKR) and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) have been told to stop passing the buck to each other on the issue of Teluk Gong industrial area’s pothole-ridden roads.

“They must be proactive in solving this long-standing problem. Industrial areas should not be neglected as they contribute to the nation’s economy,” said Charles Santiago.

The Klang Member of Parliament said the damaged roads, which have been a bane to commuters for the past 15 years, would cost RM24 million to repair.

He spoke during a press conference with factory repre-sentatives and MPK officers along Jalan Udang Galah in the industrial area last Friday (Dec 30).

He said JKR had shirked their responsibility by claiming they had insufficient funds for repair works.

“If the government can afford to give rebates to everyone,

for example low-income earners, how can they claim there is no budget for road repairs,” he said.

MPK did not offer any solutions either when the council absolved themselves from any responsibility as the roads in question falls under JKR jurisdiction.

MPK councillor Nalan M Muniandy @ Balan, who was also at the press conference, said he has created a log book to document the affected roads.

“I have sent the book to JKR, the Works Ministry, and appropriate agencies. I hope either the state or federal govern-ment will step in to help with this issue,” he said.

Also present was Teluk Gong Factories Association presi-dent SS Wong who said about 30 factories were affected by the damaged roads.

He added that some of the factories were illegal and their lorries had also contributed to the wear and tear of the

roads further raising the ire of legal operators.“The roads are so bad that my workers got into several ac-

cidents when their motorcycles drove into potholes filled with water,” said factory owner Chin KS.

He cited several accidents in the past week alone and the problems seem to worsen due to heavy rains which turn the bumpy road into a mass of mud.

Having opened his factory in 1994, he said he felt ashamed every time foreign investors came to visit his factory.

“They see the road conditions and don’t feel confident in investing in me. They ask me what my government is doing to help the situation,” said Chin.

Holey roads, who’s to blame?

Santiago (second left), Nalan (third right), and Wong (second right) showing the damaged road along Jalan Udang Galah.

SHAH ALAM: The proposed Daman-sara–Shah Alam Highway (DASH) concessionaire will have to take into ac-count the objections of nearby residents before proceeding with the project.

“Town hall meetings should be con-ducted with those affected,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim during a press conference on Wednesday.

The Menteri Besar said that there were many issues the highway construction project had to tackle including the acqui-sition of land which will affect nearby housing areas.

DASH will link Puncak Alam in Shah Alam to the Sprint and Damansara-Pu-chong highways in Petaling Jaya.

The proposed highway, which is part of a federal government economic stimu-lus package, passes through the Kota Damansara Forest Park (KDCFP).

Residents of Bayu Damansara and

Mutiara Damansara have objected to the project which would come close to their homes at best and cut through their neigh-bourhoods at worse.

As such, Khalid added that the project cannot be given a blanket approval with-out considering those affected.

He said that, if need be, adequate com-pensation should be offered to the resi-dents, should their homes and land be acquired for the project.

While the proposed highway still has some way to go before being approved, Khalid said that the state is supportive of all efforts to alleviate traffic conges-tion.

“We are committed to projects like the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT) and additional highways to ensure Klang Valley has all the neces-sary infrastructure it needs to make it more livable,” said Khalid.

Don’t DASH through the project, says MB

11January 6 — 8, 2012

views

Which is worse, disobeying or obeying bad laws?

S ince Nov 26, people have been gathering in yellow at some parts of KLCC at 2pm on Saturdays. They stage a series of “Malaysians can …. at KLCC without police permit” protests. You can fill in the blank

while walking in KLCC park, reciting poems, posing with Christmas trees, picnicking, and celebrating birthdays.

It seems harmless and innocent, but the KLCC management tries ways and means to chase these people away, from sealing off the park, sprinkling water to even threatening court injunction. Why does the mall have to overreact?

Because this group called Killthebill.org – of which I am a proud member – is deemed illegal under both the current Police Act and the Peaceful Assembly Bill which have been passed by both houses of Parliament and will be law within weeks.

Under the Police Act, any gathering of three or more persons is a public assembly and requires police permit. 

Under the new bill, assembly is defined loosely as “an intentional and

another question: how do you draw the line when it comes to complying or not complying with the law?

Who will decide? The discretion will eventually lie with every OCPD. A great deal of discretion means “rule of man”, vis-a-vis “rule of law ”. It means ine vitable inequality and inconsistency in law enforcement.

This is a main reason why Killthebill.org and the wider civil society oppose the Bill and want to kill it. The continual weekly illegal assemblies even after the bill is passed by the Parliament have now have spread beyond KLCC to many cities and towns. This is a campaign of civil disobedience to defy the law and show it is unenforceable.

This is also where I differ substantially with Mr Roger Tan, a prominent lawyer who opines that civil disobedience is only justifiable “under the most exceptional circumstances and that also, only if it is absolutely necessary in the interests of justice and nation”.

And “failure to recognise this is

itself a threat to the rule of law upon which every modern society is founded, and this can transform into a perfect recipe for anarchy and tyranny”.

We certainly have a very different understanding not only of civil disobedience, but of rule of law too.

If rule of law is to be the basis of modern society, then the law must only be enforceable in an equal and non-arbitrary manner, it must also be reasonable. 

In other words, even if there is enough police force to deal with notifications of tentative picnics, such notifications must not be in the law because it is simply ridiculous.

To appreciate this, one needs to ask the fundamental nature of g o vernm ent or s tate wh i c h formulates laws. Humans can organise collective life in three basic forms: market, society and state, with distinctive operating principles.

Market supplies private goods based on profits or self-interests, while the other two supply public goods which should not or cannot be optimally supplied by market, from defence, law and order, public health, to social welfare.

What is the difference between state/government and society? Society is based on free will while

state/government is based on coercion or violence. If all members of a community can voluntarily abide by a set of common rules, no enforcement agency will be needed and state/government can cease to exist.

That is why Thomas Paine, the English thinker who inspired the American Revolution, said: “Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices.” 

It is for that reason Paine famously pronounced this true voice of reason: “Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.” 

In that sense, what is core to state is not judges or lawyers who represent reason, but police who represent force. 

Uncritical obedience of law is to subject our society to, ultimately, violence than reason.  

We therefore must ask, before abiding by the Police Act or the new Peaceful Assembly Bill, why is it that a shopping crowd – no matter how organised – will not get policed, but

police will give full attention if the same group of shoppers express their love for their community or country? 

What is being policed? Is it the body or the mind? Can we have freedom of speech without freedom of assembly? 

Mr Tan’s criteria for justifiable civil disobedience, “the most exceptional circumstances” and “absolutely necessary in the interests of justice and nation”, cannot withstand the historical examination. 

When Rosa Parks refused to give away her seat to some white passengers but rather pay the fine in protest of the segregation law in 1955, how many Americans then would think that ending the apartheid system was an absolute need for justice and nation? Was defying that rule in anyway ‘a most exceptional circumstance’ before Mrs Parks’ act of defiance?’

Had Ms Parks followed Mr Tan’s advice, African-Americans would have remained second class citizens. Forget about becoming president or secretary of state. 

To critically assess a law before abiding by it is both intellectually and morally demanding.  But sometimes, that is what keeps us as free citizens rather than slaves of laws.

MAN IN BLACKwong chin huat

temporary of a number of persons in a public place, whether or not the assembly is at a place or moving”. 

All assemblies will have to notify the police 10 days ahead and can be prohibited, with seven exceptions: rel ig ious assemblies , funera l processions, wedding receptions, open houses, family gatherings, family days held by companies, general meetings of associations.

Under this new bill, does a picnic among friends constitute a public assembly which needs police notification? You bet.

Strictly speaking, a picnic cannot be organised by anyone below 21 years of age. It cannot be held within 50 metres from 12 categories of prohibited places, including schools, places of worships, petrol stations, hospitals, bridges and ports, train and bus stations. Lastly, parents who bring their children to join a picnic which is not religious or familial can be fined up to RM20,000.

If this ridiculous bill is strictly enforced, even your pasar malam trip will need police notification 10 days in advance. If that is the case, there won’t a single police officer left to patrol the streets.

So, why should we be bothered if we know that this law will not be enforced fully? The answer is

Fighting for the rights of overseas voters

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!

Dear Lord Bobo, what is #MOV that @PusatRakyatLB has been tweeting about? Something about an overseas voters’ case? Is it im-portant? (Exiled Malaysian, via email)

#MOV is the hashtag (as you referred to tweets, presumably you know what a hashtag is) for MyO-verseasVote, a test case challenging the Election Commission’s (EC) refusal to allow certain Malaysians living abroad to register as “absent voters” and therefore be eligible to vote as “postal voters”.

Elections to Parliament and state assemblies must take place at least once every five years. Every Malaysian over 21 of sound mind and not in prison can vote in person, but only if he or she has registered to vote. How-ever, if a voter is away from his or her constituency, then the voter must travel all the way back on polling day to vote. More than 700,000 Malaysians residing overseas are affected.

Certain classes of voters are entitled to cast their votes by post – those serving in the military, civil servants working abroad, and those studying abroad (and their respective

spouses). However, the Appli-cants in the #MOV case did not fall within those categories but still want to vote from overseas by post. They argue that they were being discriminated against by the EC, since there was no rational basis on which to dis-criminate between them and other classes of voters who are allowed to vote by post.

The EC say they are just fol-lowing the law. But the Appli-cants say that in this case, it was the EC themselves who made the law! It is like a club fixing a rule stating that no one with white hair can enter the club, and when

people with white hair say that this rule is discriminatory, the club replies, “But I’m following the rule, so it is not discrimi-natory!”

The Federal Constitution and Elections Act allow the EC to make regulations as to registration of absent voters, and the EC selectively defined who would constitute absent voters while excluding others. In other words, if you are serving in the armed forces, not a civil servant and not a student but are

residing overseas, you are unable to vote by post. You must buy an airline ticket, hop on a plane, take the bus to you constitu-ency and on election day, vote in person. The EC contends that they are not excluding people, just not including them, and anyway people who work overseas are doing so by choice – as opposed to those in the civil service who have no choice.

The case was heard before the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Jan 3 this year, and the decision is expected to be announced on Jan 6. Counsel K. Shanmuga (for MyOverseasVote UK), Syahredzan Johan (for the Bar Council), James Khong (for the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism & Human Rights) and Nizam Bashir (for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) as friends of the court supported the case against the EC. They all also happen to be LoyarBurokkers. Lord Bobo’s minions are everywhere. Because it’s fun, as we keep telling you.

12 January 6 — 8, 2012InsIght

Paper-less system for Selayang ratepayers

The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) is expected to promote their E-Billing system to reduce red tape and bring greater convenience for ratepayers.

This online payment system, which was made avail-able on the MPS website in 2011, was created by the council’s IT Department in a bid to also improve revenue for the municipality.

The system will allow ratepayers to pay their assess-ment, arrears, and other bills online without having to go to the council office.

MPS estimates that up to 100,000 households in the municipality have internet connection and will benefit from signing up and using the E-Filing system.

MPS has to date approved 6,000 applications but there are only 2,600 active users at the moment. The council is also preparing to offer incentives to ratepayers who settled their assessments promptly.

Title wait over soon

In Kuala Selangor, 111 Kampung Seri Aman settlers in Ijok will receive their land titles after a decade-long wait.The state had promised to grant each settler 4,000 sq ft of land on Dec 23 last year. Those who are not

among the 111 listed can apply to the Kuala Selangor Land Office to buy the land at RM20,000.The community had been left in a lurch due to the previous state administration’s flip-flop on the

village’s land status from 2001 to 2007.The Barisan Nasional-led administration had approved Westmine Development Sdn Bhd’s plan to

develop the area in January 2001 but revoked its decision in October 2005.It changed its mind a year later and allowed the developer to proceed with its development plan, only

to cancel the project again in 2007 and approved the settlers’ application for land titles.However, the community never received the official land titles.Subsequently, Westmine Development sued the state in July 2008. The state could only proceed to

solve the settlers’ land woes after the Shah Alam High Court ruled in favor of Selangor last year.

Klang – a city by 2015

With a population of around 1 million people spread over 573 km2 of land and home to one of the world’s busiest seaports, Klang has almost all the criteria for city status.

Starting this year, the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) will work towards achieving city status by 2015.

For a start, the council said it will work towards improving the delivery of its public services.MPK has also launched a massive gotong-royong campaign last month and is proceeding to beautify

the Klang River by planting trees and flowers along its riverbanks.The royal town is looking to emulate Xiamen, well-known as one of the cleanest cities in China, and

has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese city in Nov 2011.“We want to learn from them, especially in the aspects of cleanliness and landscaping,” MPK deputy

president Ikhsan Mukri told the press on Dec 28 last year.One of the oldest towns in Malaysia, Klang is also promoting its rich history via its Heritage Walk,

which include Little India ( Jalan Tengku Kelana), historical places of worship and the 155-year-old Gedung Raja Abdullah.

Ikhsan said the only other thing the municipality needs now to upgrade to city status is a university. 

Cycling fun in KKB 

Kuala Kubu Bharu will become the first town in Selangor with designated bike lanes this year.

The Hulu Selangor District Council had ap-proved a proposal to construct bike lanes around Kuala Kubu Bharu in July 2011. Executive councillor Eliza-beth Wong said the state would fork out RM800,000 for the project that aims to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours in town and its carbon footprint.

Hulu Selangor district councillor Chua Yee Ling said currently many local residents choose to drive even for short journeys to schools or town.

“With designated bike lanes (separated from the main road), it’ll be safer for children to cycle to schools and residents to cycle to town,” said Chua last year. Pu-trajaya, Jonker Street in Malacca and Georgetown in Penang also have their own bike lanes but local residents do not make use of them due to lack of promotion. To avoid this, Chua said the district council will launch a strong public campaign to encourage residents and school children to cycle once the lanes are ready. Selan-gor is mirroring a worldwide trend where major cities including London, Paris and Washington DC are taking various steps to promote cycling as the preferred mode of transport.

Happenings in Selangor

By Selangor Times team

Busy road year ahead

2012 is expected to be a busy year in Klang Valley as two major highways are scheduled to begin while a third will commence land acquisition plans this year.Construction of the 298-km-long West-Coast Expressway (WCE) from Banting to Taiping, Perak is expected to early this year.Costing RM3.54 billion alone for the length in Selangor, the highway will run from Banting in the south to Tanjung Karang, Sekinchan and Sabak Bernam

in the north before crossing into Perak.“The project is still under the planning stage, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) is finalising the details before construction begins early 2012,” said state

executive councillor Datuk Hassan Mohd Ali during last year’s state assembly session.The mammoth highway project cuts through the jurisdiction of six local councils and the cost in Selangor includes the acquisition of 31 hectares of state land and

616 hectares of private land.Slated to be completed by 2015, the WCE will run parallel to the North-South Expressway and is expected to have nine tolls with interchanges in Selangor.The project under the 10th Malaysia Plan was initially suppose to begin in 2009 but was delayed due to costing and realignment issues to ensure the highway did

not encroach into river and forest reserve land.Konsortium Lebuhraya Pantai Barat (KLPB) Sdn Bhd – had inked a deal with the Federal government in 2009 for a concession period of 33 years including three

years for construction.In July of last year Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the highway, which

was estimated to cost around RM6.5 billion, would enhance connectivity and cut travelling time between the south-west areas of Selangor and the northern part of Perak.

Upon completion, the highway is expected to be a catalyst for the towns in the northern part of the state, namely Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang.

KLORR to begin

This year will also see the start of construction of the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR), a 39.5km expressway from Sungai Pusu, Gombak and Bandar Sungai Long in Kajang.

KLORR, an orbital ring road within the Greater Kuala Lumpur area, is being offered as an alternative to the congested Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).

Motorists will be able to bypass the congested MRR2 to travel from one suburb to an-other within the greater KL metropolitan area using the KLORR network.

The highway, which costs RM2.2 billion, is expected to cut through Hulu Klang, Ampang, Hulu Langat before joining Kajang.

Terengganu based construction giant Ahmad Zaki Resources Berhad (AZRB) is the conces-sionaire for the project, and has finalised details of the project with Putrajaya in August.

However, there is no information yet on the toll charges motorists would have to pay using KLORR.

SUKE on the horizon

This year will also see the addition of a new highway in Klang Valley – Sungei Bes i -Hulu Kelang Expressway

(SUKE).The 31.8km SUKE, with 12 interchanges,

will run from Sungai Besi to the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) in Setiawangsa to reduce traffic snarls on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).

SUKE will also serve as an alternative route to the MRR2.

“The highway will cut across Sri Petaling, Taman Connaught (Cheras), Cheras Harta-mas, Taman Putra, and Taman Melawati,” said Ampang Jaya Municipal Council presi-dent Datuk Mohamad Yacob during a full board meeting last December.

The engineering plans for the proposed RM4.75 billion highway have been finalised, except for toll charges. The concessionaire for the project is Lintasan Shah Alam Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), which also operates the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) and the Shah Alam-Kemuning Highway or Lebuhraya Kemuning-Shah Alam (LKSA).

The concession agreement is expected to be inked later this month while land acquisition plans are sched-uled to begin in February. Construction is expected to begin in 2013.

The project is expected to cover 385.6 hectares of land involving 283 buildings. This includes private land amounting to 200 hectares and 152 hectares of government land. The remaining 34 hectares will be from forest and river reserves.

The government is expected to fund 20% or RM950 million of the project while the remaining RM3.8 billion will be financed by Prolintas.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor in 2010 said SUKE was needed as traffic volume at the MRR2 has reached 180,000 to 200,000 vehicles, exceeding the original 120,000 daily capacity.

Subang LRT to commence construction

In Subang J a y a , residents

will see the construction of a 17-km t r a c k t o e x t en d th e L i g h t R a i l T r a n s i t (LRT) from Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights.

The Prasarana Negara Bhd project will see 13 new stations built through Subang Jaya (between Saujana Residency and Empire Shopping Gallery), SS18 and USJ.

The project is due for completion in 2014, but in the meantime residents will have to put up with soil tests, pilling works and construction.

“We are looking into solutions to prevent these problems which will may cause distress to the residents,” said Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi.

Some residents at Saujana Residency are also worried that the LRT track (five metres away from the units) will emit loud screeching sounds when it turns the corner.

However, the MPSJ president has assured residents that Prasarana will build an extra 50m sound barrier, in addition to the proposed 100-metre barrier.

Happenings in Selangor

By Selangor Times team

Busy road year ahead

2012 is expected to be a busy year in Klang Valley as two major highways are scheduled to begin while a third will commence land acquisition plans this year.Construction of the 298-km-long West-Coast Expressway (WCE) from Banting to Taiping, Perak is expected to early this year.Costing RM3.54 billion alone for the length in Selangor, the highway will run from Banting in the south to Tanjung Karang, Sekinchan and Sabak Bernam

in the north before crossing into Perak.“The project is still under the planning stage, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) is finalising the details before construction begins early 2012,” said state

executive councillor Datuk Hassan Mohd Ali during last year’s state assembly session.The mammoth highway project cuts through the jurisdiction of six local councils and the cost in Selangor includes the acquisition of 31 hectares of state land and

616 hectares of private land.Slated to be completed by 2015, the WCE will run parallel to the North-South Expressway and is expected to have nine tolls with interchanges in Selangor.The project under the 10th Malaysia Plan was initially suppose to begin in 2009 but was delayed due to costing and realignment issues to ensure the highway did

not encroach into river and forest reserve land.Konsortium Lebuhraya Pantai Barat (KLPB) Sdn Bhd – had inked a deal with the Federal government in 2009 for a concession period of 33 years including three

years for construction.In July of last year Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the highway, which

was estimated to cost around RM6.5 billion, would enhance connectivity and cut travelling time between the south-west areas of Selangor and the northern part of Perak.

Upon completion, the highway is expected to be a catalyst for the towns in the northern part of the state, namely Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang.

KL-SEREMBAN

KESAS

BESRAYA

CHERAS/KAJANG

SG. BESI

KLCBD

PANDAN-INDAH

GRAND SAGA

JLN AMPANG/KLORR

MR

R2

AKLEH

DUKE

MRR2

AMPANG

ALAMDAMAI

BKY. INDAHAMPANG

WANGSA MAJUSELAYANG

KLORR to begin

This year will also see the start of construction of the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR), a 39.5km expressway from Sungai Pusu, Gombak and Bandar Sungai Long in Kajang.

KLORR, an orbital ring road within the Greater Kuala Lumpur area, is being offered as an alternative to the congested Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).

Motorists will be able to bypass the congested MRR2 to travel from one suburb to an-other within the greater KL metropolitan area using the KLORR network.

The highway, which costs RM2.2 billion, is expected to cut through Hulu Klang, Ampang, Hulu Langat before joining Kajang.

Terengganu based construction giant Ahmad Zaki Resources Berhad (AZRB) is the conces-sionaire for the project, and has finalised details of the project with Putrajaya in August.

However, there is no information yet on the toll charges motorists would have to pay using KLORR.

14 January 6 — 8, 2012

Views

Tripping Zero 3 Sharyn Shufiyan

Reaching new heights

Walking into the concourse of Batu Caves, one is greeted by majestic structures of Hindu deities, temples

and swarms of pigeons flapping just inches above your head. Macaques blend into the landscape amongst worshippers and tourists, making their way up the 272 steps to the Temple Cave.

Located in the Gombak district, Batu Caves is a significant religious site for Hindus and a major tourist attraction. An impressive limestone chunk at the edge of Klang Valley, Batu Caves is believed to be about 400 million years old. Dedicated to the deity Murugan,  it was established as a place of worship in 1891 by an Indian businessman by the name of K Thamboosamy Pillai, and since 1892, has been serving as a major congregation centre for Thaipusam celebrations.

For extreme sports enthusiasts, Batu Caves serves another, lesser known purpose - it is also the hub for outdoor rock climbing. My first visit to Batu Caves was in fact to climb its ridges. I was introduced to Blocx in 2003 and had my first go at outdoor rock climbing. Rock climbing is quite a challenge for me as I’m acrophobic. I was literally shaking to my wits as I climbed up the routes bolted by the Blocx guys who also started the climbing gym, Camp5 in One Utama. Unlike indoor rock climbing where the boulders are pretty much ready for you to grip, outdoor climbing requires you to find a crack or protruding edges anywhere possible to slip your fingers in or to grip. It was much more challenging and the treat you get once you’ve climbed high enough for a bird’s eye view of Kuala Lumpur beats indoor climbing hands-down. Perched like a lizard on the limestone walls, cooled by the breeze that washes over your sweat, the experience was unforgettable.

My friend Zee is an avid climber who discovered his passion for climbing while on a family vacation to Thailand. Zee also indulges in other outdoor sports such as sea kayaking, hiking , cycling and running marathons. “Different sports teach different lessons to different people. Kayaking and drifting into the open sea reminds me how small my worldly concerns are. Cycling and marathons over long distances teach me to persevere and ignore distractions. Climbing teaches me to focus my mind, silence doubt and to not hesitate. It teaches you to have faith in yourself.”

Having faith is an integral part of climbing as it is a risky sport not to be taken lightly. There

are many routes now charted on Batu Caves, but not all are safe and fallproof. These routes are just accidents waiting to happen. Routes on Batu Caves are installed with bolts and anchors for rappelling and lowering the climber to the ground. Bolt types and bolting techniques must be specific to the type of rock and the conditions of the environment in which they are used. Batu Caves, being a limestone, is porous in nature, thus a specific method must be used to ensure safety of the climbers. An improperly-placed bolt or an improper bolt type can result in failure of the bolt to catch someone’s fall. Zee explains, “For limestone, glue in bolts should be used. This involves drilling a hole in the rock, and injecting a chemical mixture into it and then inserting the metal bolt. The chemical mixture will harden into a cement-like hold around the bolt. The minimum length of bolts for limestone is said to be 90mm.”

“However lots of routes now at Batu Caves are bolted using compression bolts that are only 60mm long. This technique involves torquing the bolts in the drilled holes in the rock, which makes them expand into the rock thereby gripping them. For limestone, these are not recommended as limestone, being porous, gives way to this pressure and so these bolts do not function optimally. Also their short length of 60mm further diminishes their ability to hold a fall from a climber. There is also a lack of maintenance on these routes, and some routes that have had bolts in them for over 10

years are worn and c o r r o d e d a n d o f questionable strength.”

In many countries where extreme outdoor activities are established sports, safety is a high p r i o r i t y a n d associations are formed to regulate and provide standardization of the s p o r t s . C l i m b i n g associations ensure the safety of climbers by carrying out continuous m o n i t o r i n g a n d maintenance of routes and replacing worn-out bolts. However, we do not have such associations in Malaysia and thus there are pirated routes charted by inexperienced and untrained climbers.

The Youth and Sports Ministry has encouraged youths to be involved in extreme sports, but Zee feels that it is a half-hearted intention. “The ministry has built youth and sports complexes all over the country and some of them include facilities for climbing, biking and skate boarding. But when all the ribbon-cutting and media hype recede, maintenance rarely meets the mark and so the facilities

descend into a decrepit state. I think it’s great to introduce and support climbing as a sport, but provisions should be in place such as keeping it independent of politics and race quotas to ensure that i t i s ma na g e d properly by trained and capable individuals . There is a dire need to establ ish a properly or g an i s e d c l im b ing association to regulate the sport.”

I feel that extreme sports shouldn’t be in the same camp as other type of sports or activities

because there are added risks and dangers that without proper guidelines can be fatal. Without regulatory bodies, Malaysians who are extreme sports enthusiasts have to go the extra mile and do a little bit of research to gauge how trustworthy and capable a sports operator is before making the decision to use their services. As a scuba diver, I’m careful of which dive operator I go to, checking out websites or asking other divers for advice before I decide to dive with them. But essentially, trusting your skills and capabilities and trusting your buddy, be it rock climbing or scuba diving, is ultimately ideal. After all, it is your life that’s on line.

With that being said, extreme sports is one hell of a fun thing to do! Regardless of the risks, there are no words to aptly describe the experience and the discovery of new worlds. And you cannot imagine the feeling of finally overcoming your fears until you try. I’m still fearful of heights, but having rock-climbed and bungee-jumped made me realise that your limits are just mind tricks and all you’ve got to do is to make that one step forward...or upward. Because unless we push ourselves, we can never unlock our abilities.

So as we inch closer towards the New Year, if you’re not already a sports extremist, why not make a New Year’s resolution to try something new? Who knows, you might discover a new love. Just be critical and do your research beforehand, make a decision and then, go for it and just have faith.

Happy New Year to all!

15January 6 — 8, 2012

news

The road to greatness begins at home

By Chan Jin Ai

When I was invited to share some thoughts and personal experiences

on stay-home motherhood in conjunction with International Volunteers Week, I was some-what perplexed because, to many, stay-home motherhood defies logic, let alone ideas of social responsibility or volunteerism. For good or bad, the culture in which I live is preoccupied with work, education and achievement.  Not infrequently have I met people who ask, “But what do you do all day?” or “When are you going to start working again?” as if much of the time I have is spent watching my toenails grow, or as though the tasks I do cannot be properly considered work precisely because it is unpaid and home-based.  Worst of all, I have “wasted” my learning, not to mention my parents’ hard-earned money.

This kind of pressure can be somewhat daunting.  And in my context, void of domestic help, stay-home motherhood to three young children aged 5, 3 and 10 months is intense labour.

Additionally, stay-home mother-hood is a multi-faceted and demand-ing experience.  In the sentiments of Kate Harris, another stay-home mother, I am now a professional hy-giene attendant with “an advanced degree in banana-mashing”, plus a poo-cleaning portfolio guaranteed to impress.  Also, I am the family’s CEO with razor sharp management and multi-tasking skills because cooking, cleaning, baby-carrying and training my children in dining etiquette and alternative dispute resolution techniques must happen all at the same time.

So, while this quiet, nurturing lifestyle is borne predominantly out of an instinctive sense of respon-sibility to my children, there are moments in which I ask: “Why did I sign up for this gig?”

For me, volunteering for this simple life has been worth it because it affords me and the children the thing we treasure most – time to be with each other.

This time has enabled me to breastfeed my children for as long as possible and give them the best nutritional start in life through healthy, home-cooked meals eve-ryday.  I am able to focus on being a hands-on parent without the dis-tractions of a full-time job.

For various reasons, mostly de-velopmentally and financially, I have been home-educating my 5-year-old and 3-year-old and so am a kinder-garten teacher of sorts.  The beauty of home-education is that learning happens naturally throughout the day and there are plenty of oppor-tunities for field trips.  There are sit-down times for the 3R’s but we also focus on other subjects our family feels as important: music, history, art, social responsibility.

Here is where being home, teach-ing my children, affords me unique ways to apply my education, inter-ests and previous work experience in creative and intentional ways.  As far as the children are concerned, this has yielded interesting results.

About five months ago, my

daughter and I finished a riveting book as part of our school cur-riculum. Set in the context of World War II, Claire Huchet Bishop’s Twenty and Ten is based on a true story that occurred during the Ger-man occupation of France.  Twenty French children are sent to a refuge in the mountains.  They take in, and hide, 10 Jewish refugee children.  It’s a book you can’t put down, especially from the part when Nazi soldiers arrive.

There is a touching scene at the beginning, when a Jewish boy gives his one-and-only treasured piece of chocolate to a French boy in grati-tude to the latter for having given to him the remainder of his meal.

We poured over our world map and looked for all the locations mentioned in the book.   We had an interesting time discussing the story.  I learned that 5-year-olds are

capable of understanding a great deal of things.

On the very same day we read that chapter, our family had lunch with several young friends. One of them, a refugee girl, was reluctant to join in as she didn’t have money to pay for her meal.   We wanted her company, so we told her not to think of money.  As we left the restaurant, she slipped something into my daughter’s hand.

Guess what it was?   A piece of chocolate.

I looked at my daughter and said, “Remember that story?”  Her face was shining.

Some time later, my mother came visiting.  As I washed the breakfast dishes, I overheard my girl said to her, “Do you know the Nazis?”

There was a short silence.  Then my mother said, “What?”

“The Nazis,” my daughter said.

“They killed Jews. And they wanted to kill the Jewish children.”

It was then I thought about the things my daughter and I had talked about – human rights, rac-ism, equality and courage.  I thought about our refugee friend and about how I, as a parent, am privileged to invest in the life of my children throughout the day.

Thus, although I receive no financial remuneration for my job and find it exhausting, I have found stay-home motherhood to be a meaningful part of society as a whole. 

It offers real value for families and the world at large.  I do my work with the conviction that I am fulfilling a social responsibility, that I am promoting and improving a particular quality of life, that I am teaching the importance of Truth lived out in human relationship.

So, while I hesitate to define stay-home motherhood in terms of its market value, it is important to place stay-home mothers on the same playing field as other nation builders and culture-shapers. 

Lest anyone persists in thinking that stay-home motherhood is not as important as the work of lawyers, doctors or accountants, I echo with Kate Harris, in her observation of G. K. Chesterton who, in his book What is Wrong With The World, asks, “How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the rule of three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and nar-row to be everything to someone? No. A woman’s function is labori-ous, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness.”

Volunteerism carries with it the notion of rendering aid or perform-ing a service beyond one’s basic obligations.  Many of the aspects of stay-home mothering are funda-mentally elementary and lie within the reasonable expectations of being a normal family member and re-sponsible citizen. And so, stay-home motherhood for me is not quite the same as volunteerism although it encompasses many aspects of the definition.  At its heart, stay-home motherhood is a vocation.

When I am faced with the Day of Small Things, wherein I am smeared with spit-up for the 10th time and inundated with requests for tooth-picking services and butt-wipes simultaneously, I remember that throughout human history, millions of women have given themselves to – or volunteered for, if you will – this timeless vocation that is stay-home motherhood.

They have done so willingly, without financial reward, and their nobility lies precisely in acting out of a sense of duty towards the little people entrusted to their care, not because they have the extra time, energy or money on their hands.

The simple, yet multi-faceted and busy life that is stay-home motherhood is a challenging one, and there are many valid factors for which some mothers desire to, or are compelled to, work outside the home.  

For all of the above, however, my passion is to see women – who want to stay home with their little ones – empowered to embark on this journey with their children, and find intentional and creative ways to apply their education, work experi-ence and skills alongside and within their role as mothers.

The road to greatness begins at home ~ Chinese proverb.

Note: This article was written in conjunction with International Volunteers Week (Dec 2-8) and first appeared on loyarburok.com on Dec 8, 2011.

16 January 6 — 8, 2012

news

Know Your Councillor – Muzammil HafizPETALING JAYA: Getting his hands dirty to help the rate-payers has become part and parcel of  Muzammil Hafiz daily routine.

The Petaling Jaya City Coun-cil (MPBJ) councillor recalled an instance when he had to drive his own pickup truck to help remove garden waste from a resident’s home.

“He was going to have a recep-tion for his daughter the next day and called me for help,” he ex-plained.

The 44-year-old councillor, who serves Zone 21 which in-cludes SS5 and SS6, said while MBPJ’s collection of domestic waste was smooth, garden waste collection is still problematic due to huge loads involved.

Mu z a mm i l s a i d h e w a s shocked at the amount of garden waste being generated from homes in Petaling Jaya.

“Even on monitoring rounds with the mayor, we were sur-prised at the amount of garden waste all over the city,” he said.

But he attributed the mount-ing uncollected waste to the current transition period when MBPJ selects new contractors to tackle the problem.

Local councils in Selangor have retaken solid waste manage-ment from Alam Flora Sdn Bhd, but the concessionaire’s former sub-contractors are being re-evaluated by MPBJ.

“Under-performing contrac-tors who fail to deliver services will have their wages cut or their contracts terminated,” he said.

Muzammil, who is serving his third term as a councillor, said that the situation should improve

by February after new contrac-tors are brought in.

He added that the areas under his care are aging neighbour-hoods, founded in the 1970s, and the concern of elderly residents is mainly cleanliness and security.

Apart from being a councillor, Muzammil also runs his own ac-countancy firm - a business he started two decades ago.

He said he kept his own job to ensure regular income so there is no temptation to dip his hands into the public purse.

“As I am the chairperson of the good governance committee, I also struggle with changing the mindsets of the council officers,” he explained.

Despite carrying out many internal audits, he believes it would take time to improve the conduct of the officers, citing Kelantan as an example.

Muzammil can be reached at his service centre at 49, Jalan USJ 2/4, or at 03-56375150, or email muzammil@mbpj.gov.my.

Affordable homes for middle-income earners

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Demand for af-fordable homes from those who need them most in Selangor, rather than rigid quotas on developers, will soon determine where these homes are built.

Currently, developers are re-quired to build a certain percentage of low-, medium-low-, and medi-um-cost units for every new devel-opment exceeding 4.0468 hectares.

But the new policy shift is to help fresh graduates and young families who are trapped in a middle-income gap.

“They don’t earn enough to buy more expensive homes, but they are also ineligible to buy low-cost homes,” Iskandar Abdul Samad explained.

The state executive councillor for housing said this middle-in-c o m e g r o up e a rn s b e t w e en RM2,500 and RM5,000 a month and could not afford to buy homes

House of Joy staying put in PuchongBy Brenda Ch’ng and Alvin Yap

SHAH ALAM: An offer to temporarily house resi-dents of the House of Joy at Welfare Department homes after a fire destroyed their premises in Taman Tenaga has been rejected.

“The Welfare Department homes are too far. We prefer the children to be closer to school,” said House of Joy chairperson Pastor Tang Chee Sing on Tuesday.

The offer was extended to the home by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil on Monday when she visited the residents at their temporary shelter on Monday.

Tang said many of the caregivers are staying in the Puchong area and could not bear to be separated from the inmates, especially during this time of need.

The late night blaze, blamed on a short circuit, left 35 children and youths aged between six and 17 home-less.

The premises have been declared unfit for habitation by the Fire and Rescue Department.

The residents are now staying in rented houses in Taman Kinrara which are paid for by donations.

“We’ve separated the younger, older children and old folks and placed them in different houses,” said Tang.

The residents had been staying at the Subang Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPSJ) community hall in Taman Kinrara since the fire on Friday, but moved out due to the cramped conditions.

Tang, 46, said the home had lost everything, but was fortunate no lives were lost.

He said they owed their lives to a seven-year-old resident, who alerted the adults before the home was evacuated.

The child, who was only referred to as Daniel, ran back into a burning room after his friends had left just

costing over RM240,000.The installment for such homes

could come up to about RM2,000 a month, requiring buyers to earn three times that amount to service their loans.

“At the same time, they do not qualify to purchase low-cost homes as they do not meet the require-ment of earning less than RM2,500 a month,” he said.

Iskandar said a study by the state carried out with Universiti Malaya would determine where affordable homes should be built.

“The study will be completed by

January and will help us create a new basis for allocating affordable home construction based on dis-trict and sub-district,” he said.

He said Hulu Selangor, Kajang, Klang and Shah Alam have so far recorded a high demand for afford-able homes.

In the first step to include private developers in this initiative, the state executive council approved a developer’s application to build affordable homes on Nov 30.

“Developer Sin Heap Lee will build 536 affordable home units in Section U10, Shah Alam by the

middle of next year,” he said.These units, which will come

with a price tag of RM89,000 at 850 square feet each, will replace the low-cost units which the devel-oper was supposed to build at the same location.

While the Selangor Housing and Property Board has said the demand for affordable homes is greater than low-cost flats in the U10 area, Iskandar said they are not phasing out low-cost homes, but just meeting the demands of the people.

He added that some areas in Shah Alam and Bangi still recorded a high demand for low-cost homes.

He expressed hope more private developers would assist the state’s aim of producing 10,000 affordable home units in the next five years.

“We are involving private devel-opers now because this target can-not be achieved with only the Selan-gor State Development Corpora-tion (PKNS),” he acknowledged.

For example, PKNS had planned to build 450 affordable home units in Kg Seri Temenggong in Gombak, a site which was identified a year ago, but has yet to begin construc-tion.

The corporation is currently building 124 affordable homes in Bangi.

to save his new toy car.Luckily, he came out unharmed just before the build-

ing collapsed. Tang is looking for a proper home to rent in Puchong

while they rebuild the damaged building in Taman Kinrara.

“I’m not sure how long the repairs will take. The re-pairs will cost at least RM2 million, but we don’t have the money to spare now,” he said.

The Social Welfare Department has provided mat-tresses, clothing and RM18 worth of food per child per day.

“So far most of the children seem to be coping well, but about six of them, aged six to12 are traumatised,” said S A Ramesh, the Welfare Department’s assistant counselling director.

MPSJ councillor Pooi Weng Keong is also helping the home to apply for a permit to build a three-storey home.

He has been told that the home is too small to house more children, but they will be able to take in more children with the extension.

Also helping them are MPSJ, Kinrara assemblyperson Teresa Kok and Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo.

Kok has contributed RM10,000 to the home while Gobind has donated RM4,500.

“I will be offering more help in the future. For now I’m urging Puchong residents to volunteer their time to help these children,” said Kok.

“I’m also trying to get sponsors to come forward and give the children school uniforms and school necessi-ties,” said Gobind.

Those who would like to contribute to the home can call 019-3392847 (Lesley Mah), 012-2246396 (Tang) or 012-9200141 (Lee).

Pastor Tang (right) talking to Gobind and Kok.

The children having a meal at their rented house.

17January 6 — 8, 2011

news

By Alvin Yap

KLANG: Discrepancies in the number of voters between the Electoral Commission (EC) database and records given to Klang member of Parliament Charles Santiago have raised alarm bells.

EC’s latest electoral roll showed that there were 87,752 registered voters but Santiago’s records show 82,537 voters.

He said his office had arrived at the 82,537 figure by

calculating the number of voters in each state seat under his constituency.

“The 5,215 extra voters in the list is worrying. Is this a case of phantom voters or are migrants included in EC’s rolls?” said Santiago during a press conference last week.

He added that any discrepancy is unacceptable.The Pelabuhan Klang state seat, which falls under his

parliamentary constituency, registered some 5,510 new voters between end of 2010 and third quarter of 2011.

Santiago is questioning the sudden influx of new voters in the area as there has been no new housing developments in the area since 2009.

The first-term lawmaker is concerned about the additional voters and plans to file objections over the discrepancies.

Santigo also asked whether foreigners are being given the right to vote because several Indonesian names have appeared in the voters’ list.

He said that there are already allegations that citizenships for migrants were being expedited to allow them to vote.

He has requested for a meeting with EC officials in Putrajaya to get an explanation.

Klang municipal councillor (MPK) R Veerasamy confirmed during the press conference that the Pelabuhan Klang state seat did not have any new residential developments to support the influx of new voters.

Klang councillors Ivan Ho and Robert Choo were also present to show their support for Santiago during the press conference.

Influx of new voters in Klang

By Basil Foo

SUBANG JAYA: First-term assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh has moved to a bigger and service centre to cater to residents in Subang.

“My office was previously half a shop-lot; now it is a full-sized one. There is more space and new working hours now to better serve the community,” she said.

She spoke to the press after opening her new office at 113A, Jalan SS14/1, Subang Jaya on Monday on Monday.

The office, which opened its doors on New Year’s Day, will open from 10am to 5pm during the week days.

The old office, along Jalan SS14/1a, previously only opened from 1pm to 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The office is also open from 8pm to 10pm on Thursday nights for councillors from the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) to handle complaints.

Contact numbers for the office remain the same. It can be reached by phone at 03-56312768, fax at 0 3 - 5 6 3 1 2 7 5 7 , o r e m a i l a t hannahyeoh@dapsj.com.

Also at the ceremony was state executive councillor Teresa Kok who said Yeoh and herself will be stepping in to help at the Bukit Gasing service centre after the death of state assemblyperson Edward Lee.

“Presently, the full-time staff there will continue to serve. But if constituents there have big issues, Hannah and I will assist further,” said the Kinrara assemblyperson.

Selangor Speaker Teng Chang Khim, Kelana Jaya member

of Parliament Loh Gwo-Burne, Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Muzammil Hafiz were also present at the event.

New office for Yeoh

(L-R) Teng, Nik Nazmi, Yeoh, Loh, and Kok cutting a ribbon at Yeoh’s new office.

copies distributed weekly throughout Selangor & Klang Valley100,000

community

November 11 — 13, 2011/ issue 48

MBPJ budget:

RAs seek more

participationM

Ps and councillors:

distinguishing

their roles

p 9

p 12 & 13

state asseMbly

third sitting p 6 – 8

Cattle challenge accepted By alvin yap

shah alaM: Datuk Seri Noh

Omar’s challenge to the federal

opposition to take over the loss-

making National Feedlot Corpo-

ration (NFC) has been accepted

by the Selangor government.

Yaakob Sapari said the Selan-

gor Menteri Besar has given him

the green light to accept the chal-

lenge by the minister for agricul-

ture and agro-based industry.

Noh had on Wednesday issued

a challenge to the Pakatan Rakyat

to operate one of the 30 satellite

farms under the NFC, and prove

they could produce 600 heads of

cattle as currently done by the cor-

poration.“Th

e state and livestock breed-

ers in Selangor and Negeri Sembi-

lan are ready at any time to take

over,” said the state executive

councillor for agriculture during a

press conference on the sidelines

of the Selangor state assembly yes-

terday. Yaakob said he will contact Pu-

trajaya and assume control of the

NFC in Negeri Sembilan.

Operating on a 5,000-acre plot

in the neighbouring state, the

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim

informing nursery operators and Yayasan Selangor officials that

the state government w

ill not hand out TOL for Green Lane.

Sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah with M

enteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim during a cerem

ony to hand out awards to residents

of the Petaling Jaya Spastic Centre who successfully clim

bed Mount Kinabalu on O

ct 16. Also present were president of the Spastic

Children's Association of Selangor Datuk Dr Lam Peng Chong, Rotary International District Governor Dr S Raveendra Kum

ar, and Rotary

Club USJ chairperson Datuk Jimm

y Lim. Story on Page 2.

• Turn To page 2

community

November 11 — 13, 2011/ issue 48

MBPJ budget:

RAs seek more

participation

MPs and

councillors:

distinguishing

their roles

p 9p 12 & 13

state asseMbly

third sitting

p 6 – 8

Cattle challenge accepted By alvin yap

shah alaM: Datuk Seri Noh

Omar’s challenge to the federal

opposition to take over the loss-

making National Feedlot Corpo-

ration (NFC) has been accepted

by the Selangor government.

Yaakob Sapari said the Selan-

gor  Menteri Besar has given him

the green light to accept the chal-

lenge by the  minister for agricul-

ture and agro-based industry.

Noh had on Wednesday issued

a challenge to the Pakatan Rakyat

to operate one of the 30 satellite

farms under the NFC, and prove

they could produce 600 heads of

cattle as currently done by the cor-

poration.“The state and livestock breed-

ers in Selangor and Negeri Sembi-

lan are ready at any time to take

over,” said the state executive

councillor for agriculture during a

press conference on the sidelines

of the Selangor state assembly yes-

terday. Yaakob said he will contact Pu-

trajaya and assume control of the

NFC in Negeri Sembilan.

Operating on a 5,000-acre plot

in the neighbouring state, the

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim informing nursery operators and Yayasan Selangor officials that

the state government will not hand out TOL for Green Lane.

Sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah with Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim during a ceremony to hand out awards to residents

of the Petaling Jaya Spastic Centre who successfully climbed Mount Kinabalu on Oct 16. Also present were president of the Spastic

Children's Association of Selangor Datuk Dr Lam Peng Chong, Rotary International District Governor Dr S Raveendra Kumar, and Rotary

Club USJ chairperson Datuk Jimmy Lim. Story on Page 2.

• Turn To page 2

Tel: 03-5510 4566 Email: marketing@selangortimes.com http://selangortimes.com/

Your free community paper

For more informationContact:

Timothy Loh 019-267 4488,Ivan Looi 014-936 6698, Tony Kee 016-978 2798

Samantha Sim 019-382 7121

18 January 6 — 8, 2012

Technology

By Edwin Yapp

A very happy new year to you, dear readers! Once again we come to that time of the year

when we look at the up-and-coming technology trends that are expected to hit our shores this new year.

Just to recap: last year, I pre-dicted three trends – the rise of tablet computing, a growing mo-mentum in Android devices in the market, and faster mobile broad-band packages coming to the fore. For the most part, the trends that I predicted came true. Today, there are at least half a dozen notable mobile tablets coming from the likes of Samsung, HTC, Asus and Acer, besides those offered by Apple.

Also, Android handsets continue to dominate the market with all major brands having one form of Android device or another. And mobile operators continue to offer broadband packages that give con-sumers a plethora of deals to choose from.

Of the three trends carried over from 2011, mobile broadband will continue to advance, as network technology will continue to give consumers faster speeds. But there are two other trends that I believe would also impact both consumers and businesses, namely the rise of cloud computing and mobile secu-rity.

Mobile broadband Late last year, the government

said that it had provisionally offered new frequency licences for a new form of mobile technology known as Long Term Evolution or LTE for short. LTE is the next generation technology that boasts network speeds of up to five times faster than what is available with 3G today.

With these new licences, opera-

Tech trends in 2012tors can offer new kinds of services that are not that well supported in today’s 3G environment. But while the government has moved to offer these new air wave licences to mo-bile operators, don’t expect LTE to come to the market anytime soon.

Analysts and industry players have predicted that LTE will only arrive in the market late in 2012 or more possibly in 2013. However, those wanting faster mobile speeds may not need to wait that long as operators today are beginning to upgrade their network to a new technology called HSPA+ (pro-nounced HSPA Plus) that will act as an interim buffer before LTE comes. These upgrades will enable network speeds to hover about three times what 3G is capable of today.

In tandem with these develop-ments on the network side, mobile handsets are also beginning to ac-quire more processing power, mem-ory, better camera, and better reso-lution screen. Already we have de-vices that use dual core processor technology (two brains in one chip) that have come into the market.

Rest assured, you can continue to expect many more phones to come into the market, some of which will begin to support LTE and other cool features such as mobile wallet, where users will be able to use the phone as you would a payment card.

Cloud computing In a nutshell, cloud computing is

a fancy tech jargon that really means you can use your mobile devices to communicate with powerful servers and software that are remotely lo-cated elsewhere via an Internet connection.

By having your data, applications and processing power taken care of on remote servers, everything will be centralised thus making your device an interface for delivery of software and services.

Today, we have many examples of this already happening. Take Google Apps, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, for example. These are all applications that are run from the Internet and accessed via applications on your phone or tablet. No longer do you need to store your data in say a single machine as you can access your file from anywhere so long as you have Internet connection.

With cloud computing , you don’t need to buy any software in

the traditional sense and instal it on your local PC or tablet; all you need is to buy an app to interface with the service provider and you’re good to go.

The advantage of this is enor-mous as not only will you have your data always on the go with you but also you’ll not have to worry about upgrading your software to the latest version to be bug free, and when you need, you can always “buy” more storage or processing power by or-dering it from tour service provider. 

These advantages are not only going to be significant for consum-ers but also businesses, especially small and medium businesses (SMBs). Because of the cloud com-puting delivery model, businesses no longer need to worry about upgrade cycles, licensing issues, and can just pay as you go, for more storage, computing power as well as more software licences. SMBs also won’t need to worry about hardware up-grades as there is no longer the need to buy hardware, just subscribe for more when they need it.

Increased mobile security As more people depend on cloud

and mobile computing, there is a downside that people must take note of – that of mobile security. Already, there are reports that cyber criminals are exploiting smartphone and tablet operating software and writing malware and viruses to take advantage of these vulnerabilities.

For the most part, these vulner-abilities and exploitations are small compared to that experienced in the PC world for now. However, as more and more people begin using tablets, smartphones and cloud computing, users will need to have not only basic software protection but also learn to be aware of the best practices to defend against such threats.

Exacerbating this threat is the fact that many consumers would like to bring their own devices to the workplace and use it as part of their work machine. This potentially brings the security threats to their workplace and companies would

need to establish the right policies and best practices for staff to follow.

Again this is where cloud com-puting can be an advantage. Because data is centrally stored, there are options for a company to only allow users to access corporate data in-stead of having them store it locally.

This way, data is always protected regardless. 

With cloud computing in place, it is also possible to set policies and procedures that can remotely wipe out data or any other sensitive infor-mation should these devices get lost or stolen.

Lawmaker’s blog defaced againBy Basil Foo

HULU KELANG: Pictures of community service and events were replaced with profanity on lawmaker Saari Sungib’s per-sonal website last Friday (Dec 30).

“I was checking the website on my phone at about 8.05pm when I first noticed the changes. I quickly informed my staff to block the site,” said the Hulu Kelang assemblyperson last week.

But the hacking came as no surprise to the Pas politician as this is the third time his website has been hacked since 2008.

He said the attacks always occurred at year’s end and he is now looking to hire more staff

to keep the website updated and running smoothly.

In the latest incident,  three postings were altered before the site was blocked.

The older blog postings were left untouched but remain ir-retrievable by his staff.

Currently, the website only contains published articles from last Dec 26. Blog posts from 2008 up to mid Dec 2011 can-not be accessed.

The website still uses its old domain name but visitors to the site will notice a slight change in their browser address bar: hulukelang.com/v3.

“We have upgraded the serv-er with better protection soft-ware so the site is now in its third version,” Saari said.

19January 6 — 8, 2012

food

Breakfast in some countries like Hong Kong means dim sum. In Malaysia, it could also be lunch as LIN ZHENYUAN finds out

IT was Christmas day in Petaling Jaya and half the popu-lation had decided that it wasn’t a good time to eat at home. So when I showed up at Restoran Jin Xuan Hong

Kong in Damansara Jaya at noon, the place was packed. I learned to my dismay that every table was taken up.

Doesn’t anybody eat at home anymore, I muttered under my breath.

The dim sum restaurant has about 50 tables. Twenty of these were outside and 30 more were inside the air-condi-tioned premises. There must have been at least a dozen workers moving from table to table, serving customers.

  An equal number of workers were busy with their chores inside the open kitchen.

  At the main entrance, a woman was issuing numbers to customers lining up in a long queue. When a table was avail-able, she would announce the number over the PA system.

  I held in my hand No 178. It was a good 15-minute wait before my family and I were shown our table somewhere in the far corner of the large dining hall.

At least, there is an orderly system at Jin Xuan. I recall when I was in Ipoh last year at another popular dim sum restaurant, we had to stare down really hard at seated diners in the hope that they would be intimidated to hurry up with their meals.

Jin Xuan Restaurant in Daman-sara Jaya is one of five branches, in-cluding its headquarters in the Ku-chai Entrepreneurs’ Park. The others are in Jalan SS21/60, Damansara Utama, Jalan Kenari 8, Bandar Pu-chong Jaya and Jalan 1/21, PJ Old Town.

The way Jin Xuan operates is very much like those “yum cha” places in Hong Kong. Everything moves like clockwork, especially those trays of dim sum that move from table to table at regular intervals.

The only problem that any hun-gry customer will experience is or-dering more dim sum than his stomach can handle. Since I like to live dangerously, I gravitate towards the fried stuff.

One or two others at our table preferred the steamed items. In the end, we came to a compromise, which was a combination of steamed and fried items.

We even had one bowl of fish porridge, shared evenly among the four of us. We wanted to sample the quality of the Hong Kong-style por-

ridge. It wasn’t a disappointment, although someone remarked that it was “too tasty for comfort”.

We all understood the meaning of that comment. An estimate of the number of dim sum items available in the restaurant would bring the total to 70 or 80.

It could be more but I stopped counting after 50. Generally, it is not the number of dim sum dishes one could stuff into one’s mouth but the number of quality items that an in-dividual could sample in a single sitting.

As far as I am concerned, the dim sum at Jin Xuan has earned high marks from me. There are lots of dim

sum places in PJ and KL. Not many merit a second visit.

Jin Xuan is one that has earned its position among the Top 10 dim sum restaurants in the Klang Valley.

There are always at least two good reasons why a dim sum restaurant is packed. Granted that it was Christ-mas and naturally a public holiday, that was why Jin Xuan was filled to the brim with customers, but if the dim sum is not above average, the number of customers will dwindle after a while.

As we found out at the end of the dim sum lunch, the total cost of our little culinary outing came to only RM63. We were more than a little

surprised.Now we knew why the

place was bursting at its seams with people. As I recalled, we had more than our share of dim sum plates on our table.

Jin Xuan has been op-erating in Damansara Jaya for more than three years. I have been told that the restaurant is always packed during weekends.

So the rule of the thumb is to ar-rive early, preferably before noon. For those who are having breakfast, 8am seems to be reasonable time. All you have to do is to wake up early. That’s the price of having a reasonably good breakfast Hong Kong style.

Our dim sum orders in a nutshell were stuffed tofu, buns stuffed with meat, siu mai, golden bun, pan fried chive dumpling and har gaw.

Dim sum, as every Chinese knows, is best eaten fresh out of the bamboo basket. That we all did and more. After the sixth plate, the ini-tial spurt of culinary enthusiasm slows down.

    So as not to choke on bits of dim sum that were not properly masticated, a pot of hot Ti Kuan Yin (Chinese tea) with several tiny cups was available to help smoothen the passage from plate to mouth.

One of the dim sum that calls for special mention is the Golden Bun which has a filling of melted salted egg yolk. It is quite heavenly when one sips the gooey delight while chewing the bun.

An unwritten rule while dining at a place like Jin Xuan is not to talk too much when one’s mouth is full. This way, a person gets to enjoy a wide range of dim sum in his own private paradise.

  Once the plates are almost emp-tied, the conversation at the table can resume. Jin Xuan has earned top marks among a number of dim sum connoisseurs, but some may beg to differ as they point to their own favourite places in other parts of the city.

  For me, it is as good as it gets. Anybody can take me along as a guest if he so wishes.

Dim sum paradise

A big industrial-sized fan to help customers cool off outside the restaurant.

The pan fried dim sum that have won over many customers.Fish porridge helps build up the appetite for more dim sum.

Some customers at Jin Xuan prefer the fresh air and sunshine outside.

A section of the items in the takeaway section.

20 January 6 — 8, 2012

fiction

Short fiction by How Han Ming

September 11, 1997The sky was a hue of heavy red, or-

ange and pink all swirling into a deep color. Clouds moved in, filtering the image through their wispy tendrils.

It was this image that was set in my head as I moved across the runway amidst a crowd of strangers. The only truly familiar thing was the growling of the plane’s engines as they whirled about, impatient and insistent, long-ing to move about the sky, to disrupt the churning colors that had seemed pleasing to me. For a moment, my heart was calm as I headed into my new future.

After settling into my seat, I noticed the back page of a magazine sticking out of the seat pocket in front of me. The picture was of an elderly woman smiling at her merry sons. Instantly, I got a brief flash of my family, the family I had left behind.

‘Son… Please don’t leave us… Your brothers need you, and I need you…’ a voice rasped in my mind. The voice, vague and uncertain at first, brought a sense of regret that sent a chill down my spine. I thrust it away but it stub-bornly returned.

‘Anthony, please don’t do this to me. I lost your father, and I cannot afford to lose you again. Please…’ Mother’s voice brought back the pain that had for so long plagued my cold heart. Tears sleeked over her wrinkled face as she begged me not to leave. But my cold heart did not give in as I left them behind.

Deep in my heart, I hated myself for being the good son, the good brother, and the good person I was used to be. I was foolish, spending my life caring for the old hag and her retarded boys. Now, I am free to live without them. This is it. This is the PERFECT moment.

September 11, 1998It has been a year since I left home for this

campus. Everything here is still strange and new. When I used to come home from high school, I was greeted with a warm hug from my mum, followed by my twin brothers’ funny questions about the trees, the sky, the telephones and anything that appealed to them. But now… I am greeted by icy glances from the passing students or a mere nod from my roommates. I began missing the family I used to hate so much. I longed to see the twins laughing at themselves and hear my mum’s constant naggings again.

Living on campus, a tight schedule suffo-cates me; theses and textbooks bury me under mountains of worry and stress. A long, forgot-ten voice has slowly emerged in me: “Mum, I love you.”

September 11, 1999I was unsure of when or how, but somehow

I feel as if I have fallen asleep. It soon becomes unclear what reality is and what imagination is. Amidst the cool September breeze, the course of my fate quietly flows like a river, struggling and unchanging. As I open my teary eyes, I find a pale dawn awakening alongside me. It is the same dawn that has followed me all my life. Somehow this morning, the halo of light somehow feels nearer and warmer than I have ever felt before. My family sits beside me, as if they too have been here with me all along. I awake from a seemingly vague dream, formed by hopes and desires, and there I lie on the balcony, with books and papers around me, my body buried in their blurring words…

September 11, 2000

I sat on the edge of my bed, swinging my legs back and forth. It was very sudden, that thoughts and memories of how many years had lapsed since my decision to leave home to study here had came to me. All I needed now was my family. I found comfort in the photo-graphs brought from home four years before.

It brought a smile to my sullen face. I saw a much younger version of me, my arms slung around my twin brothers, with my mum ca-ressing my hair. Dad was always the photog-rapher; however his imminent death had taken a toll on my life. But now, one thing I truly knew – was how I missed my family, my home. Tears glistened in my eyes; the darkness seemed unfriendly as I huddled under the blankets, holding the photos in my hands. I fell asleep, wondering through a world of dreams, and deep down in my heart’s core, it whispered: Mum… Jack... Jacob… I’ll come home soon…

September 11, 2001Waiting in the wings was overrated for

someone as impatient as me. I tried desper-ately to find a comfortable position in the plastic chairs that lined the corral-type area as I fidgeted and waited for my plane to dock.

Soon, I settled into my seat, thinking about my family whom I had not met for the last four years. Four long years had passed since I boarded the United Airlines Flight 175 that wafted me away from home. At last, I’m com-ing home. This is the perfect moment.

The buoyant craft ascended into the clouds as I sat quiet for a moment, sinking slowly back into the welcoming borders of Dream-land, and relaxed into a perfect ease…

All of a sudden, an announcement from the cockpit echoed through the plane: ‘Attention all passengers of United Airlines Flight 175, this plane has been hijacked and will change its course to New York City. Please remain

calm as we have armed men on board… ’As I sat immobilized on my seat, screams

and cries dispersed through the air. The pas-sengers’ voices faded out when three men in shrouds wielding rifles stormed out of the cockpit, into the aisle, silencing the petrified passengers.

Sweat drenched my body. My heartbeat sped up making it the only thing that was audible. My head felt like it was spinning, like a thousand knives driving into my head. My breathing became quicker and harder as every second passed. My eyes were overwhelmed with tears with every blink. Saliva burned my parched throat.

After what seems hours, tall buildings be-gan to appear through the window. Standing tall and proud at the city centre is the World Trade Centre. The craft I was in evolved into a metal beast that was heading towards the tall structure, as with every breath I took in, my own life unfolded before me and everything became slow... surreal. I gripped the photos in my hand and dialed a series of numbers on my cell phone as my world came crashing down.

‘Hello? Mum? It’s… It’s Anthony here… I’m terribly sorry for not giving you a call all this time. I really miss you, mum. Please say hi to Jack and Jacob for me. Don’t worry, mum, I’m on my way home…’

“Mum, I love you.”

This story won the “Highly Commend-able Award” in the Royal Commonwealth Society International Essay Writing Com-petition 2009.

A Long Way Home

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Students from across the state came away with cash prizes for creating the best blogs about their vision of Selangor on Dec 30.

The “My Dream Selangor” Creative Blog Com-petition, attracted more than 2,500 entries with 500 being shortlisted.

“I’m excited to win thanks to the little advice on blogging from my older brother,” said second-ary school category champion Muhamad Nur Firdaus Hamidun.

The 15-year-old student of SK Rantau P a n j a n g w o n RM1,000, a trophy, and certificate, with his blog dauscool96.blogspot.com which talked about the fu-ture of the state.

Higher Learning category consolation prize winner Ari-vananthan Raja Man-ickam won RM500 with his blog my-neg-eri.blogspot.com.

“I touched on sports, education, tourism and other topics regarding Selangor. I’m glad to have won some-thing as I worked for two months on this,” said the 21-year old.

Arivananthan, who studies at the Institute of Teacher Education Teng-ku Ampuan Afzan campus, also stood in for his brother who was the Higher Learning category champion.

He picked up a cash prize of RM2,000 for his absent brother Arivalagan Raja Manickam, who created the blog selangorku11.blogspot.com for the competi-tion.

The Open category cham-pion was Ikhtiaruddin Md Yasim who won RM4,000, a trophy, and certificate with his blog myselangor.com.

“This competition is part of a programme to motivate youths to participate in posi-tive activities,” said executive councillor Dr Halimah Ali.

Dr Halimah, whose portfolio includes educa-tion, was speaking after the prize giving ceremony, which came at the tail-end of a day-long seminar organized by her office.

About 400 students were bused from their various schools across the state for the seminar at Dewan Jubli Perak, which was followed by a street soccer programme the next day. The seminar was about youths and their state, Selangor.

Also at the ceremony Universiti Selangor (Uni-sel) Academic deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Anuar Ahmad, who was the co-organiser of the blogging competition.

Students win big at blogging contest

NurFirdaus (left) receiving a mock cheque from Dr Halimah and Dr Anuar.

Arivananthan (left) receiving a mock cheque from Dr Halimah.

21January 6 — 8, 2012

Media

Resort living at The Residence @ Sekinchan Perdana

SABAK BERNAM: The Residence @ Sekinchan Perdana will be the latest property development in Sekinchan to offer 280 units of lifestyle apartments in two condominium blocks.

”It is an ideal home for many to start a family, in a resort-like environment with unique lifestyle,” said Bina Variamas operations director CK Yong at the project’s sales office here.

The first round-the-clock gated and guarded residential com-munity in Sekinchan, the condominium brings the advantages and ease of modern comforts of lifestyle city living to the people of Sekinchan and its neighbouring towns.

These two condominium blocks are set to be an icon in Sek-inchan as well as the pride of Sabak Bernam in Selangor when the project is expected is completed in mid-2013 by CLO Ber-sekutu Sdn Bhd.

The developer is experienced and a reputable high-rise build-ing contractor from Kuala Lumpur who has successfully con-structed many quality condominium projects awarded to them.

The Residence @ Sekinchan Per-dana offers residents of the town situated some 90 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur an opportunity to own their dream homes.

The rise in property prices across Selangor over the years has affected this quaint fishing village of Sekin-chan, which has seen the price of two-storey terrace houses fetching from RM400,000 to RM500,000.

With that in mind, Yong said the attractive pricing of Residence @ Sekinchan Perdana will make it eas-ier for families to purchase their first home.

“Our Block A units (Mahsuri)were being offered from RM198,000 to RM250,000, depending on type and floor level but new prices in Block B (Mahlinja) are from RM285,000 onwards averaging RM330,000 per unit” he said.

Subjected to end-financier’s crite-ria for lending to qua l i f ie d buyers,many units fall below the threshold sum of RM350,000 for first house buyers to borrow 100%.

Designed as a two-block apart-ment, the condominium offers 280

units amidst the quiet and pictur-esque surroundings that Sekinchan is famous for, with paddy fields and fishing villages.

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year Sekinchan Street Carnival celebration from Jan 7-21, Bina Variamas will waive the legal fees and

sale-and-purchase agreement stamp duty, as well as provide free kitchen cabinets.

The developer will also arrange for

free bank end-financing interest dur-ing the construction period, and also a cash discount of RM5,000 offset against the 10% deposit payment.

“The goodies package is worth RM25,000 and is limited to first 50 buyers who sign up for the limited remaining units in the Mahsuri block, as well as for the launch of the Mahlinja block where many of its units face the Straits of Malacca,” said Yong.

Prospective house buyers can call the sale office at 03-32415820, visit www.sekinchanperdana.my, or visit the Sekinchan office at 36, Jalan Menteri Besar 2, Sekinchan Business Centre for more details.

A developer’s vision for SekinchanSABAK BERNAM: New homes here will have to be built “skywards” due to scarce land banks, said the developer of the first condominium in Sekinchan.

”Sekinchan is a major paddy planting area in Selangor, where land here is mainly zoned for agricultural use,” said Bina Variamas De-velopment Sdn Bhd operations director Yong Choo Kong.

Slated to be completed in mid-2013, the 280-unit condominium at The Residence @ Sekinchan Perdana is a joint venture with Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS).

The decision to build the twin condo-minium blocks in the heart of town here has been well-accepted by residents.

According to Yong, the Mahsuri Tower (Block A) comprising 172 units has very limited units left and the company is soon launching Block B known as the Mahlinja Tower comprising 108 units.

Yong said the home buyers are excited to take up residence in Sekinchan’s first-ever condominium with 24-hour guards and in a gated community.

He said the resort-style condominium has also attracted buyers from Kuala Lumpur who want to purchase a “weekend getaway” home, so as to be able to take in the sights and sounds of Sekinchan where budget hotels are fast being converted from shophouses.

“Sekinchan is a perfect weekend holiday destination. The seafood is great, the fruits are fresh, and there are quaint fishing villages

along the coast,” Yong said.He said the units are also perfect for inves-

tors to buy and rent out to weekend tourists.“Sekinchan is a hive of activity with tour-

ists from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere over weekends and holidays,” he said.

Yong added that this has resulted in high hotel occupancy rates as “non-Sekinchans” flock to town for its good and cheap seafood and local produce.

He also said Block B (Mahlinja) is set for a soft launch from Jan 7-21, and prices have risen by some 15% compared with the pricing of Block A (Mahsuri).

Designated as a self-contained condo-minium complex, The Residence @ Sekin-chan Perdana will also offer concessionaire services such as launderette and mini market, among other retail outlets.

Anticipating that the residents there will want to hold parties, Yong said the plans in-clude a community hall on the facility floor where many other amenities are located.

He said there will be more than adequate units of parking bays, and each unit will re-ceive a complimentary lot (penthouses get 2 units).

Extra bays are sold at RM15,000 per bay with many additional bays for visitors.

With over 20 years of experience in prop-erty development projects in Malaysia, the management and stakeholders of Bina Varia-mas has already RM1 billion in gross develop-ment value in its portfolio.

(left to right) Yong, Sales Manager Angie Ng, Marketing Manager Kelvin Chan stand next to the model of the Residence@Sekinchan Perdana. Artists impression of the development is behind them

Artist’s impression of the condominium project.

22 January 6 — 8, 2012

Gallery

Kinrara assemblyperson Teresa Kok, member of Parliament for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo, House of Joy chairperson Pastor Tang Chee Sing and the children pose for a picture after their function on Tuesday. Kok contributed RM10,000 to the home while Gobind donated RM4,500 to the orphanage whose house burnt down last week.

Selangor state executive councilor Dr Halimah Ali (centre, in green), Universiti Selangor academic deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Anuar Ahmad (fourth right), and winners of the Selangor Creative Blog Competition on Dec 30.

A young student receiving a schoolbag from Gombak assemblyperson Azmin Ali while Hulu Kelang assemblyperson Saari Sungib looks on at the AU1B Taman Keramat Permai futsal court on New Year’s Day.

(Left to right) Assemblypersons

for Hulu Kelang and Gombak, Saari

Sungib and Azmin Ali turned barbers for

the day, when their office organised the Free Hair-Cut event

on Jan 1 at the futsal court at AU1B Taman

Keramat Permai.

Pandamaran village head Vivien Low (third left) and state executive councillor Ronnie Liu (in white), who is also the Pandamaran assemblyperson, throwing rubbish bags into a large bin to kick-off the Pandamaran Cleanliness Month on Dec 30.

23January 6 — 8, 2012

Culture

The Bat in us

Dance: Jan 7 (8.30pm); Jan 8 (3pm); Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak, KL; 03-40265555; RM50-RM220

Choreographed by Jie Choong Wan-Chin with music by Johann Strauss, The White Bat is a dance performance about something within ourselves. Bella is a repressed housewife while Jonathan is an ambitious architect; and the Bat is the hidden nature of us: moving amongst the shadows and manifesting in the night. Jonathan is so obsessed with his work, that he neglects his wife who is desperate for attention. The Bat envies Jonathan and vies for Bella’s love. He appears in the night and takes Bella to the Nightingale pub where she is transformed into the most beautiful and seductive lady. In the end, Jonathan finds out that love is not a possession and struggle to regain Bella’s love. Only when he is losing her that he realises what love should be like. Finally Bella rediscovers herself, and finds love.

The World’s Best Movies

Film: 9-10 Jan and 16-17 Jan (8.30pm); Indicine, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, KL; 03-40479000; www.klpac.org; Free

With the Oscars just a week away, KLPAC is bringing The World’s Best Movie. Presented by The Actors Studio the series will feature a bunch of great old films across the globe. Kicking off on Jan 9 is a 116-minute film by David O Russell called The Fighter. It features the story of Irish boxer Mickey Ward and his brother who is also his trainer. The real life feature chronicles the brothers’ early days in the streets of Lowell. Other films which will be featured at Indicine are PI (Jan 10), 13 Assassins (Jan 16) and This is England (Jan 17).

Sick and Twisted

Comedy: Jan 12 (8pm); Black Box MAP @ Publika, Solaris Dutamas, MAP @ Publika, KL; RM25

You’ve seen Time Out Comedy Thursday, you’ve laughed at KL’s biggest and best regular stand-up night. Now it’s time to see the unacceptable underbelly of comedy in Kuala Lumpur. These are the acts that Time Out KL can’t show at Comedy Thursday, the men who say what shouldn’t be said. They are sick, they are twisted, and they are out for a night of laughs that WILL offend… or your money back.

Who are these men of sick and twisted minds? No less than social commentator and local icon Patrick Teoh, the outspoken Hishamuddin Rais, and the artist-cum-satirist Jit Murad. And as if that wasn’t enough we’ve got the sickest and most twisted acts from Comedy Thursday, as you’ve never seen them before: Malaysians Phoon Chi Ho and Alfred Loh, and North America’s Joe Christin and Steve Northcott.

African Art Festival

Art: Jan 14 (4pm); AFKL Gallery – Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur, Lorong Gurney; 03 26947880; marine@alliancefrancaise.org.my; RM10

At the Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur (AFKL) and Africa Radio Asia are proud to present the 2nd African Asian Art festival again. The first edition was initiated in 2010 alongside ArtMalaysia to promote art and encourage cultural exchange between 2 continents. It is set to be a full afternoon of music, art, dance, and food, all under one roof. This one of a kind event aims to bring everyone together to have fun and discover new things, once a year, in Malaysia.

Tamilselvi doesn’t speak Tamil

Comedy: 14-15 Jan; Indicine, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, KL; 03-40479000; www.klpac.org; RM18-RM28

Tamilselvi, a Tamil educated Tamil, refuses to speak Tamil! She wants noting to with it! Why? ‘Tamilselvi Doesn’t Speak Tamil’ is not only about Tamil, it is about Malayalam, Telugu, Punjabi, Hindi and INDIANS in general. It reveals SOME secrets about Indians. It looks at the attitude of Indians towards their mother tongues, their love for the English language and for some die-hard Indians, their hate towards Indians who speak only English. It brings out to the open, a topic which is never discussed – the difference between only mother tongues speakers and only

English speakers. ‘Tamilselvi Doesn’t Speak Tamil’ is a standup comedy NOT a drama. it pokes fun at Indians. If you are sensitive, you may cry. If you have a weak heart, you may get a heart attack! It is written, directed and produced by an English theatre activist, Morgan.

SO, it’s already 2012. The world is supposed to end in less than 12 months, according to all sorts of scientific and even more pseudo-scientific sources! Everyone’s going to be talking about it, so it’s definitely going to top the list of the most interesting things to chat about from now on! And, well, you could even write a play about it.

Electric Minds Project (EMP) decided to take this into their own hands. EMP is a Malaysian initiative dedicated to giving opportunities for writers, directors, and actors in Malaysia to get together and work on various performing arts projects.

The ultimate aim is to provide an avenue for these people to work together and to share their thoughts and fresh ideas. The current EMP team consists of Alex Chua as coordinator, Toby Teh as resident writer, Elza Irdalynna as co-coordinator, and Adeline Ong as talent manager

EMP has, in the past, produced Stage Therapy (2009), Things We Have Lost (2009), A Light In KL

City (2009), Jamabalaya (2010), Bars & Bedrooms (2011) and White Trash (2011). LiveShocks, also organized by EMP, is a friendly and laid back reading session help regularly for writers to have their work read, while actors can have a chance to read new material.

This year, EMP will be working on a production with an apocalyptic theme: It’s The End Of The World Now Run Screaming! The production, set to hit the stage in April, is part of EMP’s Open Director Showcase programme, and auditions will take place in February. The show will revolve around six short stories directed by Michael Chen, Dinesh Kumar, Alissa Roslan, and Luwita Hana Randhawa.

If you’re interested in being part of the end of the world and want to work with a team of experienced theatre practitioners, make yourself available for the auditions. Auditions will be held from 3 to 5 February at Sparky Dawg Studio in Phileo Damansara 1.

All you have to do is prepare two English monologues, both between 1 to 2 minutes in length. To book an audition slot, e-mail electricmindsproject@gmail.com and you’ll be given more information on what to prepare.

It’s a great opportunity for those who want to experience what it’s like to work in theatre, and to see how different writers and directors work together. And, this might be the last opportunity you’ll have, if the end is really when they say it is!.

CaLEnDar

www.PuppyTraining.MY

By Dominic Luk

It’s The Beginning of the End!

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.

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Artist’s Impression only

Artist’s Impression only