community MARCH 30 — APRIL 01, 2012/ issue 67

Plight of the old folk

Trekking To save BukiT gasing

p 2 p 10

‘Fishy’ hike in new voTers

p 12–14

(From left) Former Human Rights Watchdog group

Suaram member Badaruddin Ismail, Batu member of

Parliament Chua Tian Chang, Hulu Kelang

state assemblyperson Saari Sungib and activist

Hishamuddin Rais holding up transcripts of their

interrogation statements at the High Court in Kuala

Lumpur on Monday. The four, along with Badrolamin Bahron (not in picture), are

suing former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Norian Mai for reportedly

saying in April 2001 that they were detained under the

Internal Security Act (ISA) for attempting to topple the government by force. They

are also suing Putrajaya and Tun Abdullah Ahmad

Badawi who was then Home Minister.

By Brenda Ch’ng

shah aLaM: The value of directly negoti-ated contracts has dropped nearly 99 percent from RM396 million in 2007 to RM4.7 mil-lion last year, the Menteri Besar told the state assembly on Tuesday.

“Some of the contracts are continuous and it takes time to phase (them) out,” Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim explained at a press conference after the sitting.

Khalid disclosed the figures to refute con-troversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s claim that the state had dished out over RM250 million worth of contracts without open tender.

The state’s records showed that only 168 directly negotiated contracts amounting to RM116 million were awarded since Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took over Selangor in 2008.

In addition, the RM116 million worth of contracts granted over four years was lower than the annual value of contracts Barisan Nasional (BN) was giving out from 2005 to 2007.

The BN-led administration had approved contracts amounting to RM190.7 million in 2005 and RM171.9 million in 2006 without open tender.

The amount spiked 130 per-cent to RM396 million in 2007 in the run-up to the 2008 general election.

However, the amount was reduced to RM60 million in 2008 when PR came into power.

The value of directly negotiated contracts further declined to RM24.3 million in 2009, increased to RM27.1 million in 2010 but dropped to RM4.7 million last year.

Khalid insisted that direct tenders are still needed, especially during emergencies “If there is a landslide, we’ll have to select the right person to handle it immedi-ately. It’ll be hard to ask for a price quote or go through the ten-der process,” he said.

Khalid had prom-ised on March 7 to disclose the docu-ments, which were classified under the Official Secrets Act, in the interest of transparency.

Drastic drop in direct tenders

Higher Education Supplement

Selangor Times, a community newspaper with a distribution of 100,000 copies weekly, will be publishing a higher education supplement to help school leavers decide on the crucial question of their tertiary education.The supplement will be targeted especially at SPM, STPM, O-Level & A-Level students who will need to determine the best course for their future.

It will also be a platform for universities and colleges to get their message across on what they have to offer and at what cost.Our experienced editorial team will also be on hand to further promote what institutions of higher learning have to offer.

OR

Timothy 019 267 4488

Tony 016 978 2798

Benny 012 2611 828

Ivan 014 9366 698

Samantha 019 382 7121

Kenneth 012 906 2523

To advertise, call us

03 5510 4566marketing@selangortimes.com

(6% GST applicable)

Publication Date• 20 April , May 18 & 22 June 2012

Story/ Booking Deadline• 06 April , 04 May & 08 June 2012

Material Deadline• 16 April , 14 May & 18 June 2012

Full Color Normal Rate Education Supplement RateFull Page RM 15,000.00 RM 12,000.00Half Page RM 8,250.00 RM 6,600.001/4 Page RM 4,950.00 RM 3,960.00

Black & White Full Page RM 9,000.00 RM 8,288.00 Half Page RM 4,950.00 RM 4,032.001/4 Page RM 2,475.00 RM 2,016.00

2 March 30 — april 01, 2012

news

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

email editor@selangortimes.com

EDITORIALCHIEF EDITOR KL Chan

COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville SpykermanPRODUCTION EDITOR C. Gunasegaran

WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling, Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ng

COPY EDITORS James AngDESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man Yen

PHOTOGRAPHER Victor ChongADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Samantha Sim, Ivan Looi, Tony Kee

ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz

By Brenda Ch’ng

SHAH ALAM: Selangor recorded the highest number of new vot-ers registered between 2008 and the third quarter of 2011, raising concern of electoral fraud in the upcoming general election.

“The normal increase of new voters is usually between 4,000 to 5,000. However most constituencies in Selangor recorded an increase of over 10,000 new voters,” said Seri Andalas assemblyperson Dr Xavier Jayakumar on Tuesday

Subang has 27,765 new voters while its neighbouring parliamen-tary seat Kelana Jaya recorded a 13,714 increase.

“We’ve our suspicions about the increase. We looked into it and found 100 voters registered under the same house address,” he said.

Subsequently they found 300 other houses with 100 new voters registered for each.

New voters have also been found registered with “Green” MyKads with expiration dates printed on them.

“We’ve seen it used by voters before in Sarawak and we fear it may be used here in the upcoming general election, too,” he said.

Joining him was Meru assemblyperson Dr Abdul Rani Osman, who urged the Election Commission to investigate these discrepancies.

Concern over influx of new voters

By Gan Pei Ling

KLANG: Angry residents, fed up with flooding and cracked walls, yesterday held a protest against developer WCT Bhd in Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2.

They claim that dozens of homes were built too close to Sungai Aur, resulting in cracked floors and walls due to soil movements.

 “The riverbanks are eroding. There should have been a 50-metre buffer zone between the houses and the river, the developer must take responsibility,” said Bukit Tinggi 2 Residents’ Action Committee secretary Ravi Rajoo.

Ravi was among 60 residents who

gathered in front of the guardhouse in Jalan Batu Nilam 22 to stage the protest. They held banners and placards accusing the developer of cheating them.

Homemaker Ng Lay Ming showed the media the sinking ground behind her home located right beside Sungai Aur and a broken wall after the protest.

She said the tiled floor behind her kitchen had cracked two years ago, and her family had to fork out their own money to fix it.

“I’ve also had snakes coming into my house (from the riverbank bushes) and ending up in my washing machine,” said the resident, who moved in four years.

Councillor Yew Boon Lye said 72 s e m i - d e t a c h e d units and 97 double storey houses were built a long the river.

“Among these, 30 homes have their back directly

Angry residents protest against developer

Morning

Friday Saturday Sunday

afternoon

night

Selangor WeaTHer

Source: Malaysian meteorological department

facing the river,” he noted.He said the project was approved in

2001, and according to Department of Irrigation and Drainage guidelines, there should have been at least a 40-metre buffer zone considering the width of the river.

“I’m still investigating the matter with the local council and DID to find out why the developer was allow to build the homes so near to the river,” said Yew.

Meanwhile, the residents want WCT and the Klang Municipal Council to solve the flood problem that has plagued them for the past few years.

Ravi also urged the developer to replace the temporary incomplete divider in Jalan 21/H, which has been blamed for causing accidents, with a permanent one.

  “Last month, a woman was hospitalised after suffering chest and head injuries in an accident,” he said.

He added that minor accidents occur weekly and called for traffic lights to be installed at the junction.

Yew (second from left) and residents looking at the ground that is sinking below Ng’s home.

Ravi says the riverbanks

are eroding.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ March 30 – april 01, 2012 ⁄ 3

4 March 30 — april 01, 2012

News

EvEntsEnglish Tai Chi Class

A Tai Chi class for English speakers will be held at SRK La Salle, Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, on Tuesdays and Thursdays in April from 7.15pm-8.15pm. The class is organised by Tai Chi Huang Malaysia. For more information, call 017-3018013 (Peggy) or 016-3184173 (Dr Wong).

Public Health Forum

A free health talk will be held from 10am to 1pm on April 7 at the Tropicana Medical Centre auditorium. A panel of doctors will provide tips on eating healthy and keeping one’s gut, heart and bones healthy. Call 03-62871106 to register or email your full name and contact number to allee@tropicanamedicalcentre.com.

Earth Hour

Everyone is invited to support Earth Hour by participating in an event organised by WWF-Malaysia and Sunway Pyramid on March 31 at the shopping centre. Green booths will be located on LG1 Floor (between Sakae Sushi & Pappa Rich) and G Floor (between Esprit & Guess) at Sunday Pyramid. There will also be booths at G Floor North Boulevard Sunday Giza (near CamyBabyland). On March 31, countdown to Earth Hour starts at 8.29pm with dance-in-the dark at Sunday Pyramid. Participants are also encouraged to buy glow-in-the-dark Earth Hour T-shirts sold at Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Giza.

Fishing Competition

The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) and Wakjali Event Management will organise a fishing competition titled “Cabaran Tanjung Harapan 2012” on April 15 from 8am to 2pm at Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang. The first prize is worth RM35,000. There will also be a concert and a bazaar. Those interested can register at MPK’s Corporate Department.

MIA Open Day

The Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) will hold its open day on March 31 and April 1 from 9.30am to 4pm at the MIA multi-porpose hall, 294-299 Jalan Bandar 11, Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur. For those who cannot make it this weekend, their extended counselling hours will be held from April 7-29 and May 12-13. Opening hours are Monday to Friday (9am-5pm) and weekends (9.30am-4pm). For more information, call 03-4108 8100 or visit www.mia.edu.my.

Workshop for the deaf

A film workshop titled “Basic Short Film Workshop” for the deaf will be organised by Silentshout from April 14-15 from 1.30pm-6pm at the Brickfields Rukun Tetangga. A sign language interpreter will also be present. For details, call 017-943 3406 (Chee) or 019-318 4173 (Dr Wong) or 017-301 8013 (Peggy).

Holy Walk

Come join the 33rd KL to Maran Holy Walk organised by Srimath Pamban Swami Patha Yathra Group from March 31-April 3. The 180km walk, which starts from the Batu Caves Temple at 3am, stops over at the temples in Karak, Mentakab and Jengka before reaching the Maran Temple. The walk is held in conjunction with the Pangguni Uthiram Festival at the Sri Maranthandavar Temple in Pahang. Participants of all ages are welcome. For more information, call 012-6789265 (Bala) or 016-223 9231 (Muthu).

Discover the Secrets of Sleeping Beauty

There will be a talk on beauty tips by Glow & Glamour Studio Sdn Bhd.at Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur from April 6-8, 10am till 10pm. Visitors will receive free skin analysis and body diagnosis and hand spa along with being entertained by performances by celebrities. There will also be beauty sharing sessions by the celebrities afterwards. First 100 visitors will also receive a free beauty product

Dengue hotline in KlangKLANG: A dengue operations room manned by personnel from the Klang District Health Department and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) has been set up in the wake of three deaths and 723 cases in the municipality.

“This (operations room) was formed to help combat dengue and to prevent more people from dying,” said Klang member of Parliament Charles Santiago.

He said the deaths, reported between January and March this year, along with the number of patients admitted and di-agnosed for dengue in Klang, was alarm-ing. 

Overall, Selangor, recorded 1,581 dengue cases in the period between Feb 18 and March.

“This figure is high and it’s increasing everyday. More people should be aware of ways to combat dengue if we want the figure to decrease,” he said during a press conference on Thursday.

Klang residents down with a fever and who are worried it might be dengue are urged to call the hotline at 03-323 9304 for advice.

Alternatively, they can reach personnel manning the hotline at 016-3864459 (Zakaria) and 012-3162933 (Afika).

Open daily, the operations room was launched in February.

Staff from the operations room will also help patients find the closest hospital and eradicate breeding sites of the aedes mos-quitoes. 

To raise awareness, Santiago and a

group of volunteers are handing out flyers to the public at morning markets, schools and low-cost apartments in Klang.

Printed on the flyers are steps to follow to ensure houses are clean and free from aedes mosquitoes.

In addition, the public is urged to at-tend an anti-dengue forum on March 31 from 10am to 1pm at the MPK audito-rium.

Illegal dump to be cordoned offKLANG: Two owners, whose land in Sungai Pinang had been converted into an illegal dump site, will be told to fence up their property to prevent further abuse of the plot.

“Councillor Lee Sack Choon said the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) has been in talks with the owners. 

He added that third parties were renting the one-acre agricultural site along Jalan Kapar and nearby factories were responsible for dumping waste including paper and rubber gloves.

“The waste isn’t hazardous but it

should be sent to a proper landfill,” said Lee after the MPK monthly full board meeting on Wednesday.

He said MPK had issued three com-pounds to the land owners.

In addition, Lee had approached the factories to persuade them to manage their waste responsibly.

In another development, MPK has issued a warning letter to 108 solid waste removal contractors to advise them against sharing staff and lorries.

Councillor Lim Lip Suan said one of the contractors at his zone around Ta-

man Eng Ann and Berkeley had failed to collect the rubbish for two consecu-tive weeks in March.

“He only started hiring workers after he received the tender, which was too late.”

MPK had ticked off the contractor, who resorted to borrowing workers from other contractors to fulfil his du-ties.

However, Lim said the council does not encourage such practices as it is akin to the contractor sub-contracting his work to another contractor.

By Gan Pei Ling

KLANG: Thousands of homes and three schools were hit by flash floods on Tuesday as more than half of the eight water gates in the area failed to open in time to channel the rain water away.

“The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) is sup-posed to maintain the floodgates,” said councillor Lim Lip Suan after Klang Municipal Council ‘s full board meeting on Wednes-day.

Councillors complained during the meeting that no DID staff was manning the manual gates when they rushed to the scene after a downpour from 8.15am to 9.30am.

Two out of the three gates in Sungai Aur were unattended to while the third automatic barrier had broken down.

In addition, one of the two floodgates in Sungai Sireh and one of three floodgates in Sungai Jati also malfunctioned.

Klang DID engineers were absent at the monthly full board meeting to provide explanation.

MPK acting president Ikhsan Mukri said only one gate was opened at 1pm. As a result, flood water could not recede in some areas, even after 6pm that day.

Another councillor, Azmizam Zaman Huri, blamed de-velopers for failing to maintain their retention ponds. “Maybe we should get them to help clean up the affected

residents’ homes,” he said

M P K had a l so sought RM50 mil-lion from the state to upgrade the drain-age system in south-ern Klang last year to reduce flash floods.

Areas hardest hit on Tuesday included Taman Sentosa, Bandar Puteri, Taman Chi Liung, Taman Petaling, Taman Palm Groove, Taman Bayu Perdana, Pandamaran, Port Klang, and Kampung Johan Setia.

The schools affected were SMK La Salle, SMK Tengku Ampuan Rahimah and SRK Methodist ACS Klang.

A reader, Clarence Shashi, 38, wrote to Selangor Times on Wednesday to urge the authorities to solve the long-standing problem.

“This cannot go on. Please do the necessary and help the people here. The floods have caused us lots of distress and damage to property,” said the Bandar Puteri resident.

He said property prices around the area have plunged as the surrounding neighbourhoods have gained a reputation of being prone to floods.

Faulty floodgates main cause of floods

Santiago handing out dengue flyers to hawkers at the Taman Chi Liung night market on Wednesday.

SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ march 30 – april 01 2012 ⁄ 5

Loh (left) and Ishak holding a sample of a wraparound advertisement from PKNS showcasing its property development in the state.

New market for Seri Kembangan traders

6 March 30 — april 01, 2012

NewsLicences go online in Subang JayaSUBANG JAYA: Residents can now visit Subang Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPSJ) website to renew dog licences, book municipality halls or even seek permits to put up banners or buntings.

“We are improving our web sys-tem and are encouraging people to go online rather than come to MPSJ,” said council president Da-tuk Asmawi Kasbi.

Applications can be made at mpsj.gov.my from April 1. Payments for applications made online can be made via credit card.

But those who apply to get ap-provals for banners and bunting will still have to collect permits from MPSJ’s Licensing Department.

Residents can request dog li-cences to be posted to them or col-lect them from Counter 1 at the MPSJ headquarters.

Online hall and court bookings can only be done for certain sports.

By Basil Foo ShAh AlAm: Chaotic traffic conditions in Seri Kembangan are set to improve with the re-location of illegal traders at the market along Jalan Besar and Jalan 10/3.

The traders will be legalised and moved 500 metres away to Pasar Rakyat (People’s Market) along Jalan SK6/1 which will be opened for busi-ness next Monday.

“We are still discussing the rental rates with the traders,” said Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi.

Asmawi, who spoke to the press after the MPSJ full board meeting yesterday, said the market would contain 104 bazaar units and 80 wet mar-ket units.

“Enforcement Department personnel will be sent to the old market on April 2 to ensure that the traders move to the new market,” he said.

Asmawi added that the price for annual li-cences would depend on what types of goods are being sold by the traders, with a range of RM120 to RM240 per licence.

Also present was Seri Kembangan assembl-yperson Ean Yong Hian Wah, who dismissed rumours of the market having problems acquiring a land title.

“The land is owned by the state and the mar-ket is run by MPSJ. There is no issue,” he said.

PKNS officials’ courtesy visit toSelangor TimesShAh AlAm: The Selangor Times office here received an entourage from the corporate affairs unit of the Selangor State Development Corpo-ration (PKNS) who were briefed on the newspaper’s operation.

“They came to see our newsroom, the marketing department and our operations,” said Selangor Times general manager for marketing Timothy Loh.

PKNS press relations manager Ishak Hashim was briefed on the contents and pages printed in the weekly, which includes food and theatre reviews.

The one-hour meeting also touched on Selangor Times’ readership, namely on the 100,000 circulation which goes out to the Klang Valley every Friday morning.

Loh said the state-government linked company (GLC) was invited to visit the newspaper as it is a valued advertiser with Selangor Times.

“PKNS is one of our biggest advertisers and we appreciate their support,” he said.

He added that Selangor Times is looking forward to continue working together with the property developer.  

PKNS was set up in 1964 to take charge of building single-storey afford-able housing that cost less than RM20,000 in Petaling Jaya.

It was also given the authority to plan and develop Shah Alam in the 1960s as the administrative capital of Selangor.

It is also the lead agency and partner developer in all the state’s afford-able housing scheme projects.

Besides building affordable, low and medium-cost housing, PKNS also develops and sells high-end residential property in the state.

Hotel operator in trouble over apartment planSUBANG JAYA: A hotel which is allegedly offering buyers service apartment units may be violating its Planning Permission (PP) obtained from the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

“I received brochures in my email about the hotel inviting people for a

property preview this weekend,” said Subang Jaya (MPSJ) councillor Dr Loi Kheng Min.

He made the revelation during the MPSJ full board meeting yesterday and called for the council to take ac-tion against the hotel.

If found guilty, the hotel could

have its PP forfeited and would have to refund any deposits made by guests during the property preview.

A PP needs to be acquired from the local council before any develop-ments are carried out.

The main difference in the PP requirements of a hotel from a service

apartment is the allocation of parking space.

Earthworks are being carried out for the alleged service apartments.

Council president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi. said MPSJ will be meeting hotel officials next week for clarifica-tion.

7March 30 — april 01, 2012

news

Heart girl to get live-saving surgery

By Brenda Ch’ng

PETALING JAYA: Mawar Nur Farisya, a two-year-old toddler with a hole in her heart, will undergo surgery after her family received RM30,000 on Wednesday.

“I’m so thankful for the financial help. She has been waiting to do this surgery since she was eight months old,” said mother Sahida Kamli.

Her family received RM10,000 from State Develop-ment Corporation (PKNS), Permodalan Negeri Selan-gor Berhad (PNSB) and Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) each.

Puan Sri Salbiah Tunut (Menteri Besar’s wife), PKNS general manager Othman Omar, PNSB chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Omar and MBI head administrator Rohany Talib handed over a mock cheque to the family.

The 29-year-old mother of three said the surgery, scheduled for April 4, will cost about RM35,000.

She is expected to admitted for another seven days, with each day expected to cost RM1,000. 

Mawar was born with narrow heart valves which pre-vent her from breathing normally.  

The lack of oxygen caused her to turn blue two weeks after she was born and she occasionally loses consciousness. 

“She was so blue that it didn’t look like there was blood flowing through her. We took her back to the doctors and she was diagnosed with a hole in a heart,” said the civil servant at Angkasapuri.

Mawar is currently under the care of her father, Farid Alsuwad, who quit his job after she was diagnosed.

“Our nanny couldn’t look after her any more as she cries non-stop and often passes out,” said the stay-at-home dad who used to work as a bill collector.

Farid, aged 34, said Mawar almost died when she was a year old from choking due to too much crying.

“We hope she will get better after this surgery and grow bigger and healthier,” he said.

Apart from receiving RM30,000, the family also received public donations totalling RM9,000 after their story was published in Malay daily Sinar Harian last week.

Sahida Kamli with daughter Mawar Nur Farisya.

Temple gets RM10,000 for renovationsBy Gan Pei Ling PUCHONG: A Buddhist association will finally have the means to purchase a signboard and replace its aging air-conditioners after receiving a RM10,000 grant from the state on Sunday.

First-time visitors to the Puchong Bodhi Buddhist As-sociation have found it difficult to locate the premises at Bandar Puchong Utama due to the lack of proper signage.

In addition, most of its facilities such as air-conditioners and public address system are second-hand items donated by good Samaritans when it was set up five years ago.

“We rely on public contributions to sustain our RM1,500 monthly operations cost including rent and utilities,” its president Ong See Kim told Selangor Times.

He said as a signboard could cost RM2,000 to RM3,000 – more than the association’s monthly income from public donations – the group has delayed setting up the signboard for years.

Besides that, Ong said the association planned to use the grant to replace a few of the air-conditioners that have been breaking down.

Puchong member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo presented the cheque to Ong after the association’s bi-weekly Buddhist class for children on Sunday morning.

Ong said the association has also applied for a half-acre land in Puchong Jaya to build a temple.

“Our location right now (a fourth-floor shoplot) is not accessible to senior citizens and people with disabilities,” he noted.

However, the application is still pending at the Land Office.

Gobind (centre) speaking to the students after their bi-weekly religious class at Puchong Bodhi Buddhist Association at Bandar Puchong Utama on Sunday.

Every month, the family has to spend over RM1,500 for Mawar’s physiotherapy, milk powder, Nestum cereal and medication.

“She has to go for physiotherapy three times a week, with each session costing RM80 per hour,” said Farid.

In addition to caring for her, the family has to provide for their two boys aged six and eight.

Donors can call Farid at 019-393910.

Wife of the Selangor menteri besar Puan Sri Salbiah Tunut (second from right) with PKNS general manager Othman Omar (right) handing over a mock cheque to Mawar Nur Farisya and family, while Kota Damansara assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim looks on.

8 march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

news

AT THE SELANGOR STATE ASSEMBLY

By Gan Pei Ling 

SHAH ALAM: Former executive coun-cillor Dr Hasan Ali (Gombak Setia-In-dependent) spent the most amount of money to revamp his office from 2008 to 2011, the Menteri Besar disclosed on Tuesday.

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told the state assembly that Hasan used RM329,327 to refurbish his office for the past four years.

Other executive councillors like Ean Yong Hian Wah (RM146,535) and Rod-ziah Ismail (RM119,048) spent less than half of Hasan’s figure.

Khalid was refutting Hasan’s allega-

tions that Dr Xavier Jayakumar and Dr Halimah Ali used even more funds to renovate their offices.

The state’s record showed that Dr Jayakumar only spent RM69,992 during the past four years while Dr Halimah Ali did not renovate her office at all.

The controversy over the executive council lors’ office renovations was sparked by Azmin Ali’s (Bukit Antara-bangsa-PKR) criticism of Hasan last Friday over his “wasteful” expenditure.

However, Khalid said no action would be taken against Hasan as he had com-plied with the state’s Treasury proce-dures.

MB: Hasan Ali’s renovation expenses highest among exco

Name Cost (RM) AreaHasan Ali 329,327 3,889Ean Yong Hian Wah 146,535 1,112Rodziah Ismail 119,048 1,869Dr Xavier Jayakumar 69,992 3,167Iskandar Samad 61,232 2,231Ronnie Liu 53,538 1,441Yaakob Sapari 32,039 1,575Teresa Kok 26,624 2,999Elizabeth Wong 23,045 3,224Dr Halimah Ali - -

SHAH ALAM: Selangor is in the process of appoint-ing information officers in its state departments, statu-tory bodies and local governments to enforce its Free-dom of Information Enactment.

“All the appointed officers must go through a train-ing run by the state legal department to understand the enactment,” executive councillor Elizabeth Wong told the state assembly last Friday.

Civil servants, if found intentionally giving false or misleading information to the public, can be subjected to a maximum fine of RM50,000 or five-year imprison-ment under the FOI Enactment.

Selangor was the first state in the country to pass the FOI Enactment on April 1, 2011.

Gazetted on Aug 25, 2011, the law allows the public to access information from 24 state agencies, 12 local councils and six statutory bodies.

She said the information officers must be existing permanent staff at the state entities and local authorities,

adding that a RM500 monthly allowance will be given to them as they would have to take on extra responsi-bilities under the enactment on top of their existing job scopes.

She said the state treasury has set aside RM162,000 a year for the payment for information officers under the state departments.

Local authorities and state statutory bodies such as Selangor State Development Corporation and Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation will bear their own costs.

When questioned by Ismail Sani (Dusun Tua-Umno) if the FOI Enactment was unconstitutional, Wong said the federal government had not challenged the sunshine law.

“I welcome the opposition to use the enactment to scrutinise the state government. Freedom of informa-tion benefits everyone. “We’ll defend the enactment if challenged by the federal government,” she said.

Staff being recruited for freedom of information law

SHAH ALAM: Former waste management con-tractors are raising fees for renting out their garbage compactors to new con-tractors, contributing to a disruption in waste collec-tion. 

Rentals for compactors increased from RM8,000 to R M10,000 before March 2012 to RM16,000 after the former contrac-tors were dismissed in the open tender process.

New contractors who are relying on rented gar-bage compactors and lor-ries have been left in the lurch as a result.

“We’ve ordered 50 new compactors, which are due to be delivered in April and maintained by a state-owned company,” said Ronnie Liu (Pandamaran - DAP).

Liu, who is also state executive councillor for local governments, was responding to a question from Dr Shafie Abu Bakar (Bangi-Pas) during the state assembly on Monday.

Many new contractors could not afford to pay monthly rental for compactors.

The state is spending between RM250,000 and RM300,000 for each new compactor and leasing them to contractors at lower rates compared to other private compa-nies.

The state hopes the move will ease the financial burden of contractors while increasing their efficiency. 

Liu added that local council’s would be making public the names of their contractors so that residents

can contact them directly.The list will be available online at all 12 local au-

thorities. 

Higher rental for garbage compactors affecting services

SHAH ALAM: Lee Kim Sin (Kajang-PKR) was reappointed chairperson of Selangor’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday.

Lee, who headed the PAC from 2008 to 2010, urged the govern-ment to allocate more funds and manpower to support the com-mittee’s work.

“We need more supporting staff,” he told the House.The seven-member committee will monitor state agencies’ ex-

penditure under Standing Orders 68 to ensure public funds are spent prudently.

Lee replaces Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias (Sungai Burong-Umno), who was the first opposition member to head the PAC in July 2010. However, Shamsudin resigned a few days after the ap-pointment but remains a member.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdul Rani Osman (Meru-Pas) has also been appointed a PAC member to re-place Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, who is now an executive councillor.

The motion on appointments was passed unanimously by Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers as Bari-san Nasional repre-sentatives were ab-sent from the assem-bly after staging a walkout in protest against the Speaker earlier.

Meanwhile, Hannah Yeoh (Subang Jaya-DAP) has also been appointed a member of the Special Select Committee on Compe-tence, Accountability and Transparency to replace Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing-DAP), who died on Dec 20 due to cancer.

Another opposition member, Datuk Raja Ideris Raja Ahmad (Sungai Air Tawar-Umno), was named in the select committee on local governments ( JP-PBT) to take the place of Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal (Taman Templer-Umno).

Kim Sin reappointed as PAC head

Dr Abdul Rani Osman

Liu

9march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

news

PEMBINAAN SEBATO SDN BHD (106888-W)

No. 52B, Jalan SG 1/5, Taman Sri Gombak68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.Tel: 03-6189 3521/3/4/6 Fax: 03-6185 3543/6188 3315

untuk Dijual Kepada

Unit-unit

BumiputraPemilik Tanahuntuk Dijual Kepada

Unit-unit

BumiputraPemilik Tanah

Hartanah

Hakmilik Kekal

& Hampir

Menerima CF

Hartanah

Hakmilik Kekal

& Hampir

Menerima CF

Rumah Teres 2 Tingkat

Dari

RM520,000

Rumah Berkembar

Dari

RM968,500

Rumah Teres 2 1/2 Tingkat

Dari

RM715,000 Berminat, sila hubungi

03-6189 3521

AT THE SELANGOR STATE ASSEMBLY

SHAH ALAM: Selangor State Assembly speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim has dismissed the Opposition’s claim of bias in the legislature and pointed out that he  dispenses advice and rebuke to lawmakers from both sides of the po-litical divide. 

“I’ve told off (executive councillor Dr) Xavier ( Jayaku-mar) when he went off topic speaking about the Election Commission and electoral roll in his winding-up speech (on Monday),” he said.

In addition, the speaker taught Opposition lawmaker Datuk Subahan Kamal (Taman Templer-Umno) to use Sec-tion 31(6) of the Standing Orders on the spot against Dr Jayakumar.

Teng had cited the above examples to rebut Barisan Na-sional lawmakers’ challenge against his neutrality on Tuesday.

Six BN assemblypersons had staged a walkout after reveal-ing a text message that Teng had sent to executive councillors, advising them to highlight the successes of Pakatan Rakyat in their winding-up speech.

The text message reads: “This is possibly the last winding-up session for exco, opportunity should be fully used to talk about our successes in the last four years like what Yaakob (Sapari) is doing now.”

Teng said he had sent out the message via his BlackBerry to all executive councillors on Monday as some of them had sought his advice on what to say during their winding-up speech.

He refused BN lawmakers’ demands to apologise, adding the assemblypersons can table a motion to debate the matter in the House if they are not satisfied with his conduct under Section 87 of the Standing Orders.

“I’ll come down from the speaker’s seat and debate with them.”

Teng speculated that the text message was forwarded by sacked executive councillor Dr Hasan Ali to the BN assem-blypersons.

He had forwarded the message to Hasan as he had not removed his name from the executive councillor list in his

phone contact. Teng added that he was not chairing the assembly when

he sent out the text message.

Speaker refutes bias claims

SHAH ALAM: Local councils have been directed to close down illegal budget hotels before they start operating in order to nip the problem in the bud.

“The most effective way to prevent more budget hotels from mushrooming is to close them immediately,” said state executive councillor Ronnie Liu on Monday .

Liu, who is in charge of local governments, said there were 500 licensed budget hotels in Selangor, with the most in Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya and Klang.

In Kajang, there are only eight licensed budget hotels, with hundreds of others operating illegally. 

“Budget hotels are mushrooming due to tourist demand. Most backpackers cannot afford expensive hotels so they choose to stay in more affordable ones,” said Liu.

These hotels help develop the tourism industry in Selan-gor but shouldn’t be allowed to operate without a licence.

He did not deny that some were vice dens which must be shut down.

However, he added that those who adhere to the proper operating guidelines can appeal to the councils for a business licence.

“Even after enforcement officers raid and close down the premises, owners can apply for a proper licence.”

He also urged other authorities like the police to join local councils during their raids and arrest budget hotel operators as local councils do not have the power to arrest them.

Call to clamp down on illegal budget hotels

SHAH ALAM: Compulsory contribu-tions to the state’s Cemetery Trust Fund have been increased to between RM300 to RM500 since April last year to meet the demand for public burial grounds.

Home  owners renewing leases or changing property ownership and devel-opers changing the status of their land banks have had to fork out the money to the respective district land offices.

Replying to a question from Hannah Yeoh (Subang Jaya-DAP), Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (Ijok-PKR) said the contribution will help the state ac-quire and provide the public with more burial grounds in Selangor.

Owners in Klang , Gombak, Hulu Langat, Sepang, Kuala Langat and Petal-ing are required to pay RM500 per lot, while those in Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Hulu Selangor pay RM300. 

Contribution to the fund was first imposed in October 2001 and home owners were required to pay RM62.50 per lot.

However the fees were increased last year based on valuation by the State Department of Valuation and Property Services.

“We agreed to charge RM500 because the value of land increases every six months and RM62.50 is too low,” he said.

Currently, there is a shortage of cem-eteries for Muslims and non-Muslims in the state.

Developers who applied for conver-sion of land use are also required to pay the contribution of RM500 per lot.

“The responsibility of ensuring there are enough burial grounds here falls not only on the state but on developers and land owners as well.”

The state has also requested district land offices to identify suitable plots of land and re-acquire them under the Land Acquisition Act 1960.

“Cost for the land acquisition will be paid for with funds collected from the Cemetery Trust Fund,” said Khalid.

A total of RM16 million had been collected since January last year .

Hike in Cemetery Trust Fund payment

Khalid

Teng

10 March 30 — april 01, 2012

News

Residents ready for uphill struggle

Candlelight vigil to carry on until land returned

By Brenda Ch’ng

PETALING JAYA: About 100 trekkers showed up at Hutan Pen-didikan Bukit Gasing after receiving a virtual call on Facebook to save the hill from development last Saturday.

The walk, titled Gasing Hill Fun Walk, was organised by nearby resi-dents and regular hikers who want the hill to be preserved as a green lung.

“We hope City Hall (DBKL) will hear our pleas and halt plans to build 69 bungalow units on the 15ha land along the hill slope,” said Joint Action Group for Bukit Gas-ing committee member Gary Yeoh.

The 57-year-old Bukit Gasing resident pointed out that deforesta-tion and development might lead to landslides, endangering nearby resi-dents.

Early this month, residents claimed that a landslip occurred on the hillside development after a downpour, but the claim was denied by the developer.

Residents say a similar incident occurred almost at the same spot shortly after Chinese New Year.

These incidents are also raising fears among residents living directly below the project site, which com-menced work last August.

“If this keeps happening , we won’t have a green lung and a place to exercise any more,” said Yeoh.

He pointed out that the hill at-tracts more than 1,000 hikers every weekend, along with at least 50 new walkers everyday.

Joining him for the walk was another committee member Daniel Tang , who was glad that many

Trekkers showing their support for a cause.

Guna (centre in white) with current students and former students of SRJK (T) Effingham at the candle-light vigil last Saturday.

showed up in support of the cause.“It’s a good turnout, but more

people should come out to show their support,” said the 50-year-old resident.

The committee, which has cam-paigned against the project since 2006, recently appealed to the Federal Court for a public hearing with DBKL.

However, the Court of Appeal ruled against the public hearing on March 6.

The public hearing was not re-quired under the Federal Territory

(Planning) Act 1982 as the project does not involve changes in land use.

“I hope Bukit Gasing will be protected as it is the only hill I can exercise in near my home,” said Subang resident Ivy Chong, 60, who made her first climb last Saturday and is looking forward to coming back every weekend.

“There are no hills or forests near my home in Subang. The nearest place to exercise is Bukit Gasing,” she said.

Joining her was Shirley Tan, who also came all the way from USJ2 to show her support.

“This is my fourth time here and I really hope this green area will be protected and preserved for the public,” said 55-year-old Tan.

Both Chong and Tan came together with family and friends to spend an hour climbing Bukit Gasing.

Petaling Jaya City Councillor (MBPJ) Derek Fernandez also joined the residents for the climb.

KUALA LUMPUR: Parents and students from SRJK (T) Effingham have vowed to continue holding candlelight vigils every Saturday until MIC returns land allocated to the school.

Some 50 parents and students held the vigil at the water fountain in Brickfields last Saturday. 

“We will be here for an hour every Saturday until MIC returns land that rightfully belongs to SRJK (T) Effingham,” said the school’s Board of Governors president S Gana.

The three-acre plot in Bandar Utama was originally given to the school by the developer, but was later transferred to then MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu and others to hold in trust.

According to plans submitted to the Petaling Jaya Land Office, MIC

had proposed to build a party office and an orphanage there.

“The land is currently vacant and if handed back to us, we can expand our existing school and solve exist-ing space constraints,” said Gana.

The 42-year-old said the school’s enrolment is dropping annually, and now only has 480 students and 35 teachers.

The 75-year-old school is housed in a three-storey building with just 18 classrooms, a small canteen and toilets located on the ground floor.

He said students spend nearly six to seven minutes for toilet breaks as it’s too far from their classrooms on the upper floors.

In addition, the school has been forced to have two separate recess periods as the canteen cannot ac-commodate all students at once.

The school has no computer lab

and three teachers have to share a desk in the staff room.

“We are planning to build a new canteen and multi-purpose hall for the students and also a new field,” said Guna. Their current field is only 75 metres long.  

“We’ve been pushing for the re-turn of the land since 2007,” said Return Effingham Land Action Team (REFLAX) chairperson Ma-nivanan Gowin.

He hopes the candlelight vigils will make people aware that some school lands are being held by po-

litical parties.“This does not only affect Indian

schools as I’m sure other schools are facing the same problem,” said Ma-nivanan.

Also at the vigil were Batu mem-ber of Parliament Tian Chua, Sub-ang MP R Sivarasa and Bukit Lanjan assemblyperson Elizabeth Wong.

“All Malaysians are affected as the taking of school land will cause problems for future generations,” said Tian Chua, adding that the land should be returned to Effing-ham immediately so that the school

can expand.“The future of the students is at

risk here. They aren’t studying in a conducive environment as the school is too small and cramped,” said Sivarasa.

Last week, REFLAX handed over a memorandum to MIC calling for the party to hold a dialogue with the parents.

“They gave MIC until April 1 to respond. If they still fail to do so, another memorandum will be handed over to the Prime Minister on April 4,” said Wong.

11march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

views

It looks like we are rather conscious these days of lowly incomes and lofty inequalities.

The new civil service pay scheme (SBPA), maligned for turbo boosting salaries of crown officials while softly nudging the pay of most government staff, has given way to a reversed set of increments that is basically more palatable.

Our path to minimum wage passed an-other turning point, with the announcement of the rates to be enforced in the not distant future: RM900 per month of basic wage for the Peninsula, RM800 for Sarawak and Sabah.

How far we have come. In April 2010, the New Economic Model (Part 1) firmly objected to minimum wage in principle and in practice.

By December 2010, the New Economic Model’s Concluding Part was telling us to “consider a minimum wage policy”. In July 2011, Parliament gave brief consideration to that suggestion and ushered through the Na-tional Wage Consultative Council Act.

The council’s deliberations, incorporating recommendations of its technical committee, arrived at a settlement on our inaugural legal wage floor.

Whether due to political expediency or socioeconomic enlightenment, the govern-ment’s about face is welcome. I should add that politicising minimum wage is fine, indeed necessary, because this is an issue that must be on the political agenda.

How far we have still to go. Questions re-main, on whether sufficient resources have been allocated to monitor and enforce mini-mum wage, and whether other complemen-tary labour institutions will be formed that foster welfare and productivity.

But now that the minimum wage rates have been publicised, reactions have centred on the amounts and interested parties have expect-

edly staked out positions. More vocally, employers’ groups warn of

the rate being too high, workers being dis-placed, and productivity being too low. They ask for minimum wage to be closer to market levels, so that implementation does not cost much.

There is never a unanimously happy time to start minimum wage, since it sets out to redistribute from one side to another.

The policy rests on an acknowledgement that a section of workers are paid below a level that provides for basic needs, and that skewed power in wage bargaining represses earnings, especially among the lowest paid.

These conditions have afforded dispropor-tionate benefits to employers for many dec-ades. It is therefore inevitable that introducing minimum wage asks employers to bear dispro-portionate costs of adjustment.

They raise the spectre of unemployment. Yes, that is a reality that workers are facing, but they are the ones who have pressed hardest for minimum wage. They have undertaken the risk.

In the learned judgment of Professor Rich-ard Freeman, a distinguished scholar of labour economics, the effects of minimum wage are on the whole modest.

It helps low wage workers earn more but does not by any means solve poverty; it dis-places some workers but not to a grave extent.

He reminds us to put the policy in perspec-tive: minimum wage is first and foremost a redistribution programme. We can hope and plan for, but should not expect too much of, other benefits.  

Will minimum wage catalyse technological upgrade and replacement of foreign workers with local workers? To some extent, but I would not put too much stock in the capacity of minimum wage to induce technological change.

Other supportive policies need to fall into place to encourage the shift.

Will minimum wage trigger substitution of foreign workers with domestic workers? I’m also not persuaded this will happen to a mean-ingful extent.

Much of our floor or field production is characterised by high work intensity: long hours per day, many days per week, few holidays per year.

The availability of foreign workers to bear with these conditions will continue to incline employers to hire foreign workers for tough jobs.

More limits on manual intensity, such as redefining full-time work closer to the inter-national standard of 40 hours per week instead

of our current 48, are also important for compelling companies to increase productiv-ity per hour.

Laws that grant more freedom for workers to form and join unions can facilitate more secure employment, lower turnover, and thus more investment in training and up-skilling.

On this front, though, Malaysia has re-gressed, through amendments to the Employ-ment Act made in October 2011 that offi-cially sanctions labour contractors, driving a wedge between workers and their principal – the owner-operator of their workplace.

Also, shifting toward more conducive part-time work conditions, and focusing on raising hourly wages, has the potential to draw in more youth to some jobs in the service sector.

In fact, Malaysia’s minimum wage is stipu-lated as an hourly wage, although we are not hearing much clarification on this.

So, minimum wage grows out of infancy. But various progressive labour policies are not yet born.

Minimum wage still in infancy

wit pleasureLee Hwok Aun

Just a few days ago I was driving past the Umno building in Kuala Lumpur. It was raining and the infamous bottle-neck traffic jam in that area of the city was worse

than normal. I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic right beside the Umno building.

Some of you might know that 2 sides of the tower of the Umno building have now been converted in what I think might be the world’s largest television screens!

Okay so there isn’t anything wrong with that except that drivers too engrossed with the streaming TV images might forget that there are vehicles in front of them and drive right into an accident.

Anyway, since I was not moving anywhere fast I looked up at the screens. And this time they were screening pictures of Malaysia’s prime ministers with those “Bapa” titles that we seem to be so fond of tagging to our leaders. The screened flashed all the photos of the prime ministers from the Tunku to our present Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Tunku Abdul Rahman was tagged as Bapa Kemerdekaan (father of independence). Tun Abdul Razak was Bapa Pem-bangunan (father of development). Tun Hussein Onn was Bapa Perpaduan (father of Unity). Tun Dr. Mahathir Mo-hamad was Bapa Pemodenan (father of modernization? Modernity?) and Najib Razak is proclaimed as Bapa Trans-formasi (father of transformation).

I am not sure if I want Najib Razak to be my bapa of any-thing but as I sat there in traffic gridlock I could not help but think of all the titles given to our leaders.

Tunku’s title is well deserved. He did work with others to initiate the first steps on our road to independence. Tun

Razak? Well, he had noble ideals about the development of the country although in my opinion he didn’t live long enough to ensure that his original vision of the New Eco-nomic Policy (NEP) was kept pure and able to achieve what it set out to do instead of being hijacked to become a crutch and tool for corrupt practices.

Tun Hussein Onn. Bapa Perpaduan. Father of Unity? Hmmm…I thought about it for about 10 meters in the traf-fic jam and still couldn’t quite understand the title. Finally, I concluded that if Tun Hussein Onn had done anything for Malaysian Unity his efforts have been more than adequately dismantled by those that followed him. But that’s just my personal view la.

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed. Bapa Pemodenan. Father of modern…something or other. I didn’t understand that. Unless it was to mean that he brought us the Twin Towers which stood for a little while as the world’s tallest buildings. And the Sepang F1 race circuit. Which put Malaysia on the map. For a short while. A very short while until those pesky flies from Singapore aced us with their first ever night-race F1 circuit. And the ability to party without the need to deal with traffic jams for 75 km into KL city.

What else? Oh yes Proton, the Malaysian national car. Although to put Proton and the word modern together in one sentence is not really logical. Oh, of course Dr. Mahathir could have also been titled Bapa Wawasan 2020 (father of Vision 2020) as he was the one who dreamed of guiding Malaysia to developed nation status by the year 2020.

Although nobody these days remembers what the vision was really about or what a developed nation really means.

After all, somebody declared Selangor a ‘developed’ state some years ago only because Selangor had more money than the others. Anyway, I digress.

And then came the HUGE photo of a smiling Najib Razak under which was the caption, “Bapa Transformasi” (father of transformation). Ever since he became prime minister, Najib has promised to transform the country and set it back on the path to the ultimate goal of Vision 2020.

Transformation. As I sat there in the traffic jam I began to think what effects of these transformation programmes so often shouted about in the media I have experienced or benefitted from as a Malaysian. And my mind turned to our infamous Malaysian traffic. And the work of the Malaysian police.

I know it really has very little to do with the big transfor-mation ideals of the prime minister but my thoughts couldn’t help but turn to the obvious ineffectiveness of the police when it comes to our traffic problems. As part of Malaysian life that is being transformed the police still have not managed to control even simple stuff like illegal parking!

And worse, have you noticed that running red lights has now become a common everyday occurrence? And I have seen such practices happen right in front of police patrol cars and traffic policemen on duty. And when such things happen, our police flers do transform la. They develop temporary blindness. So, at least there is transformation what! Can’t say the title Bapa Transformasi is for naught.

And as the traffic began to inch its way past the giant TV screens I wondered what other titles are in store for future prime ministers of this country. You have any ideas?

Transforming to what?teohlogy pAtrick teoH

12 march 30 — april 01, 2012InsIght

By Brenda Ch’ng

Afraid of growing old in an empty at-tap house somewhere in Jenjarom, a father-of-six checked himself into an

old folks’ home after bidding farewell to his late wife six years ago.

“I felt so alone and I had no where else to go so I came here. It wasn’t an easy decision to make but I didn’t want to feel lonely,” said Khoo Ah Bee.

The 77-year-old grandfather spoke with tears in his eyes as he recounted memories of a family he once had.

“I have three boys and three girls. I tried my best to give them everything as they were growing up but now not even one comes to visit me,” said the former electrician.

Khoo used to do multiple odd jobs like being a plumber and fixing electric cables to earn enough money to make ends meet for his family.

Now, he is left alone in a 58-year-old home, living with 15 other men who are either abandoned or alone in this world.

Every day, Khoo wakes up hoping to see a familiar face, but is disappointed as his children fail to visit.

“They don’t even take me home for Chi-nese New Year. Every year I wait, but not even one drops in to say hello,” he said.

Even so, Khoo never fails to keep his chil-dren in his prayers, hoping they are healthy and doing well with their own families.

Khoo’s housemate, Gan, is in a similar predicament. The former nasi lemak seller is

so desperate that he is willing to fall sick so that his daughter will visit him.

“She only comes if she gets a call that I’m sick or dying. Sometimes I wish I’m dying so I can see her and my son more often,” said Gan.

The 86-year-old, whose nickname is ‘Asam Kari’, used to give his daughter some of his welfare money every month so that she would not go hungry.

Having lived in the home for over 10 years, Gan said he is grateful that he still has a roof over his head, a full stomach and friends around him.

“I came here after having stones removed from my kidney. I had no one to look after me, so I came here to this home,” he said. 

These men are looked after by a caretaker named Vijayakumar, who tends to their needs every day between 7am and 5pm.

“Sometimes when some fail to return in

Old, abandoned and alone

Laws around the region Maintenance of Parents Act

Country: SingaporeYear: 1995Objective: To provide a safety net for neglected parents who are 60 and above and unable to maintain themselves.Entitlement: Senior citizens can claim maintenance either in a lump sum payment, or a monthly allowance from their children. The amount is decided by the Ministry of Community and is based on financial needs, earning capacity and physical health of parent and child.Can be dismissed if: Children can prove they were abused, neglected or abandoned by parents when young.Penalty: Fines of up to S$5,000 (RM12,190) or imprisonment of a term not exceeding six months.

Maintenance of Parents Act

Country: TaiwanYear: Was proposed end of 2011 and modelled after Singapore.Objective: To ensure the senior citizens aged 60 and above are provided for and taken care of by their children. An estimated 2,000 people in Taiwan are abandoned by their children every year.Entitlement: Abandoned parents can seek mandatory financial support through automatic salary deductions or a one-off payment decided by the court.Can be dismissed if: Children can prove they were abused, neglected or abandoned by parents when young.Penalty: Fines of up to T$200,000 (RM20,860) or imprisonment of up to a year.

Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

Country: IndiaYear: 2007Objective: To provide provisions for maintenance and welfare of parents, especially those who can no longer work to earn money.Entitlement: Abandoned parents can seek mandatory financial support through court. A tribunal will study the case and if found that the children have refused support, order them to make a monthly allowance not exceeding INR10,000 (RM610) per month. Children must pay the amount stated within 30 days.If law disobeyed: Will be fined up to INR5,000, imprisonment of up to three months or both.* Children include son, daughter, grandson and grand-daughter, except

minors.* Maintenance includes provision for food, clothing, residence and medical

treatment.

Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly

Country: ChinaYear: 1996Objective: To protect the lawful rights and interests of the elderly who aged 60 and above.Entitlement: • Stateorgans,publicorganisations,enterprises

and institutions shall in compliance with their own functions and responsibilities protect the rights and interests of the elderly.

• Neighbourhoodcommitteesandtheorganisations of the elderly established according to law shall make known the demands of the elderly, safeguard their lawful rights and interests and serve them.

• Seniorswillbenefitfromallorganisationsmentioned above and receive welfare aid.

To date there isn’t any Maintenance of Parent’s Act passed in Malaysia to oblige a child to pay for maintenance of their parents.

Although it was proposed by member of Parliament for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh last year, the National Council of Senior Citizens’ Organisations Malaysia (NACSCOM) argues that the law will not prevent seniors from being neglected.

Karpal said a survey showed that there were 675,000 citizens aged 60 years and above who were abandoned by their children.

The survey was done last year by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN).

In addition, these seniors are not receiving financial support from their children and are often left by the roadside, hospitals or at the doorsteps of old folks’ homes.

No Maintenance of Parent’s Act in Malaysia

Caretaker Vijayakumar (in blue)

Chik Sin Thong Klang & Pantai chairperson Lee

so desperate that he is willing to fall sick so that his daughter will visit him.

“She only comes if she gets a call that I’m sick or dying. Sometimes I wish I’m dying so I can see her and my son more often,” said Gan.

The 86-year-old, whose nickname is ‘Asam Kari’, used to give his daughter some of his welfare money every month so that she would not go hungry.

Having lived in the home for over 10 years, Gan said he is grateful that he still has a roof over his head, a full stomach and friends around him.

“I came here after having stones removed from my kidney. I had no one to look after me, so I came here to this home,” he said. 

These men are looked after by a caretaker named Vijayakumar, who tends to their needs every day between 7am and 5pm.

“Sometimes when some fail to return in

the evening, I’ll search for them around the neighbour-hood. Usually they’ve either lost their way home or they fell into a drain,” he said.

The 51-year-old, who has been working there for 18 years, lets them go out during the day to have coffee with friends and exercise.

By having some form of freedom, the men can still lead a normal social life outside the home and stay healthy and active.

“ We only take in men who are alone or abandoned

by their children. They don’t pay us to look after them and we depend on donations to run the home,” he said.

The home in Jenjarom recently admitted a homeless man whose house was burnt down in a fire three years ago.

Gan and Khoo’s situation is not unique in Malaysia. In a survey conducted by the National Department of Statistics last year,

there are 1.1 million men and 1.2 million women aged above 60 years in Malaysia.

Out of this, nearly 30 percent (675,000) are estimated to have been abandoned, making it nearly one in three senior citizens neglected by their children.

Currently, the Social Welfare Department operates nine registered homes, housing about 2,000 senior citizens.

Apart from taking in the homeless, an-other senior citizens’ home in Klang cares for the mentally challenged, disabled and sick, abandoned or otherwise.

“Working as a medical assistant in a psy-chiatric ward for over 15 years has made me realise the number of mentally challenged senior citizens out there who need a caring home,” said VJ Balan.

Balan started the Pusat Jagaan Permai in Klang four years ago to cater for elderly people who are suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, stroke and cancer.

However, as the years went by, more and more old folks started showing up on his doorstep.

The home now has 20 female patients,

Old, abandoned and alone

To date there isn’t any Maintenance of Parent’s Act passed in Malaysia to oblige a child to pay for maintenance of their parents.

Although it was proposed by member of Parliament for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh last year, the National Council of Senior Citizens’ Organisations Malaysia (NACSCOM) argues that the law will not prevent seniors from being neglected.

Karpal said a survey showed that there were 675,000 citizens aged 60 years and above who were abandoned by their children.

The survey was done last year by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN).

In addition, these seniors are not receiving financial support from their children and are often left by the roadside, hospitals or at the doorsteps of old folks’ homes.

According to the National Department of Statistics, there are 1.1 million male and 1.2 million female senior citizens aged 60 and above in the country.

Out of this, nearly 30 percent (675,000) have been abandoned, making it nearly one out of three senior citizens neglected by their children.

Currently, the Social Welfare Department operates nine registered homes, housing about 2,000 senior citizens.

It is unclear how many private old folks’ homes are in Malaysia as many are not registered with the Social Welfare Department.

However, the department recorded 16 new private non-governmental organisation welfare homes in Malaysia last year. These homes are expected to house about 900 seniors

No Maintenance of Parent’s Act in Malaysia majority of whom suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s. The centre has three full-time caretakers.

“This is my first job after studying medi-cine. At first it was really challenging to care for them but I’ve slowly gotten used to it,” said caretaker Roxane Fernandaz.

“It’s difficult to handle mental cases, espe-cially when it comes to old people. They will act out or even be too demanding at times

“Not many have the time or the experi-ence to handle them and so they send their parents here,” said the 25-year-old Filipino.

One of the residents, suffering from

Balan with a 65-year-old abandoned Down’s syndrome patient.

• Turn To page 14

14 march 30 — april 01, 2012

InsIght

• From page 13

dementia, has only one thought running through her mind, which is to leave the home and return to her family.

However, even when she is back home in familiar surroundings, she has the urge to run away.

“It’s impossible to leave her alone at home as she keeps wanting to climb over the fence or main gate and escape,” said the patient’s daughter, Lee Lay Wah.

Lee, aged 65, decided to put her 88-year-old mother in the home in 2009 after ex-hausting all means of caring for her at home.

“Sometimes she even cries non-stop and my sister can’t handle her either. I’m worried

that if she runs out, she won’t be able to find her way home,” she added.

Now, Lee can sleep better knowing that her mother is safe in a home with people to care for her.

Joining her mother in the home is a former English teacher who only wants to be known as Yee.

Suffering from a broken hip with no one to care for her, except her daughter who is residing overseas, the 87-year-old checked herself into the home two years’ ago.

“I have two daughters, one died here in this home and the other visits me once a year,” she said.

Her daughter, who used to be a pia-

nist, died of a nerve disorder at the home recently.

Yee, who now walks with a walker, broke her hip while washing her hands in the bathroom. She was taken to the home sub-sequently by her nephew as she lived alone.

Despite the difficult situation, its not all dark and gloom at the senior citizens’ home. At the Chik Sin Thong Klang & Pantai, residents get treated to birthday celebrations and meals outside the home once a month.

“We have very good donors who take them out once a month for ‘bah kut teh’ and even dim sum,” said the home’s chairperson, Lee Yew Lan.

The 76-year-old has been caring for the

20 old folks there since the place opened in 1983 and keeps them company every day from 7am to 5pm.

“Most of them feel so comfortable that they don’t want to leave. They want to stay here until they die,” said Lee.

The home has strict rules to only take in senior folks above 60 who have no sons, unmarried or are abandoned by their daughters.

The youngest resident is 62 while the oldest is 101.

“We made a pledge to care for them in sickness and in health and we intend to honour the promise and care for them until they pass on,” she said.)

Social life outside can still be active and healthya patient resting in her room at the Chik Sin Thong home.

Balan with a 76-year-old patient who suffers from depression.mentally-challenged orphan Tew gua Thong, 32, and dementia patient Lim Swee Lian.

22 January 21 — 23, 2011

Gallery

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ)Tel: 03-4296 8000; Toll-free: 1-800-22-8100Garbage collection schedule: www.mpaj.gov.my/34

Hulu Selangor District Council (MDHS)Tel: 03-6064 1331SMS: Type “mdhs aduan (complaint details)” and send to 15888. To checkcomplaint status, type “mdhs semak (complaint reference number)” andsend to 15888.Website: www.mdhs.gov.my

Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj)Tel: 03-8737 7899 / 1789 / 8343 / 8428 / 0171 / 4253 / 0112 / 1714Toll-free: 1-800-88-6755Website: www.mpkj.gov.my

Klang Municipal Council (MPK)Garbage collectionNorth Klang: 016-2720406 (Kamachy); South Klang: 016-2506796 (Razif )Public cleaning (streets and drains)North Klang: 019-2245387 (Haji Nasirun); South Klang: 016-3824471(Loganathan)General: 03-3372 4820 / 6781 / 1-800-88-23826 (Toll-free)Website: www.mpklang.gov.my

Kuala Langat District Council (MDKL)Tel: 03-3187 2825SMS: Type “MDKL ADUAN <complaint details>” and send to 15888. To check complaint status, type “MDKL SEMAK <complaint reference number>” and send to 15888.Website: www.mdkl.gov.my

Kuala Selangor District Council (MDKS)Tel: 03-3289 1439Website: www.mdks.gov.my

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ)Tel: 03-7954 2020 (24-hour hotline) / 03-7956 3544 (General)SMS: Type “MBPJ ADUAN [complaint details]” and sent to 33213Website: www.mbpj.gov.my

Sabak Bernam District Council (MDSB)Tel: 03-3224 1655 / 1000Website: www.mdsb.gov.my

Selayang Municipal Council (MPS)Tel: 03-6126 5800 / 6120 4903 / 04 / 05 / 06Website: www.mps.gov.my

Sepang Municipal Council (MPSp)Tel: 03-8319 0200 / 0300Website: www.mpsepang.gov.my

Shah Alam City Council (MBSA)Tel: 03-5510 5811 (Hotline) / 5133 (General)Website: www.mbsa.gov.my

Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ)Tel: 03-8026 3131 / 5637 6545Website: www.mpsj.gov.my

Want to report uncollected garbage or clogged drains in your community but unsure how and where to go to? We’ve compile the local governments’ contact below for your convenience.

15march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

views

Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com) where all your profound,

abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thaesaurus-described queries are answered!

Lord Bobo has yet to return from his inter-galactic travels. LoyarBurok instead wraps up the story previously found in the 29th edition of Selangor Times

entitled “The Long Struggle for Trial” where Gan Pei Ling wrote about Arif, Rafe and Ramadhan – three boys who were “banished” for allegedly being involved in a stolen motorcycle gang. They were recently released from their restriction orders.

Pusat Rakyat LoyarBurok and SUARAM were instru-mental in drawing attention to the boys’ predicament and appointing the lawyers to free the boys. More interestingly, the case was also used to try and end the state of emer-gency we were then living under. The government ended the three Emergency Orders last year.

A day in court simply means the right to present one’s side of the matter before an arbiter. But stop for one minute if that right, which we now take for granted, is taken away.

Instead of getting the opportunity to answer the charg-es preferred against you, be it theft, murder or illegal park-ing, you are banished to another place. Sent away from family and friends, work and hobbies, the exile is like a sentence away from life itself. Unimaginable for most of us but that is what happened to three youths last year.

Muhamad Arif Abu Samah, and brothers Mohamad Rafe Mohd Ali and Mohamad Ramadan Mohd Ali, were three ordinary boys aged between 19 and 21. Sometime in March 2011, they were arrested for motorcycle theft under. The boys were then served with detention orders under the Emergency Ordinance 1969 (EO) placing them in police detention for 60 days.

All three boys complained that they were assaulted by a group of policemen during their detention. They said that they were forced to confess, and sign blank documents. When the families were given a limited amount of time to visit (under heavy supervision), the boys had injuries on their bodies and appeared fearful.

In addition, Rafe and Ramadan’s family claim that they were conned by a man claiming to be In-spector Zulkifli from Bal-ai Polis Gombak, Se-layang. The man said that the family must pay RM30,000 into a CIMB Bank Account in the name of one Ponnan a/l Sa-baratnam to bail the brothers out. The family was poor – they could only manage to collect RM13,000 after negotiating and deposited this sum into that account. (RM5,000 of that money was withdrawn before the f a m i l y discovered this was all a fraud.)

Lawyers from the Pusat Rakyat LB filed a habeas corpus application to release them from their detention. But right before it was heard in court, the boys were “released” but immediately slapped with Restriction Orders under the EO.

Those Restriction Orders (ROs) forced them to live for the next two years in Mukim Lenggor, Daerah Mersing, Johor (Arif ); Mukim Chenor, Daerah Maran, Pahang (Ramadan) and Mukim Sungai Ular, Daerah Kulim, Kedah (Rafe) respectively.

These areas are as their names suggest in the middle of nowhere, and were miles away from the boys’ homes in the Klang Valley. The ROs prevented them from leaving the districts and they had to report to the nearest police station every day. They were not allowed to leave their homes between 8pm and 6am.

The reason for all this: The police and Home Ministry said the three had apparently been involved in stealing five different motorcycles at various different places between

December 2009 and March 2010. No evidence was given for these allega-tions. The boys had never even been

arrested or questioned before ei-ther.

As the three had never been charged in court, there had been no trial. The police had

not produced any evidence to the boys either. No wit-

nesses were called to be cross-examined

b y lawyers for the boys. The boys were not given

an opportunity to present their case. An independent judicial officer had not found that the prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the boys had stolen the motorcycles.

If someone does not want to give evidence, the only inference one can draw is that the someone was making an accusation without evidence.

The use of the EO for situations such as this was a gross abuse of the powers entrusted to the Govern-ment during times of Emer-gency. Emergency provisions exist for situations like May 13, 1969 (when our Emer-gency was implemented). Immediately after normal life resumes, the Emergency is meant to be lifted. Not so in Malaysia.

We had been living in a totally fictitious state of Emer-gency for more than 40 years when the boys were arrested. The boys and their lawyers therefore decided to use this case to end the Emergency. They wrote to the Prime Min-

ister and told him that unless the Cabinet advised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to end the Emergency, they would ask the court to force them to do it. This was in May 2011.

Of course, no response was given to the lawyers and so an application for judicial review was filed asking for the Restriction Orders to be quashed and also asking for an Order to force the prime minister and cabinet to advise the King to revoke the Emergency.

But before the application was heard, on Sept 15, 2011, the prime minister in his Malaysia Day speech announced the government’s long-delayed repeal of the state of Emer-gency. Eventually, in November and December 2011, the two Houses of Parliament passed resolutions to end the Emergency.

Despite all this, the boys were still not released. The Government had accepted that the basis of the boys restric-tion was no longer valid but still insisted on keeping them away from their families.

It was only after their lawyers wrote again that the boys were released on March 6, 2012, after 11 months under the Restriction Order.

A year of their lives has been wasted, all without charge, without trial, without the government prov-ing the a l leg ations against them, without an opportunity for them to show their innocence.

W h y d i d t h e s e three boys have to be detained? Why were

they then forced to live far away from their families in very remote areas? Why did all this happen when they were never charged and convicted for any crime?

And why has the Home Ministry failed to release others like them, and instead of waiting the full six months for Emergency laws to end?

(from left) Rafe, Ramadan and Arif had almost a year of their lives taken away from them.

EO Trio : The Journey Home

A day in court simply means the right to present one’s side of the matter before an arbiter. But stop for one minute if that right, which we now take for granted, is taken away. ”

16 march 30— aPrIL 01, 2012

news

Crevel holding a puppet of Plop the owl, surrounded by admiring fans after the show at PJ Live Arts.

selangortimes_overalprog_2703201Page 1 3/27/2012 12:25:11 PM

By Alvin Yap

petaling jaya: It’s not easy trying to keep 300 children in their seats during a stage performance but the Blunderbus Theatre Company had their young audience laughing to their heart’s content.

The UK acting troupe, consisting of Mark Collier, Helen Crevel and Chloe Phillips. performed The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark based on a best-selling children’s classic of the same name by Jill Tomlinson at PJ Live Arts last Friday.A blend of storytelling, musical, puppetry and stage special effects, the show which lasted over 70 minutes had its audience - aged six to 10 - taking part in the sketches.  

The tale is of Plop, a fat, fluffy baby owl with big round eyes, who is unfortunately afraid of the dark – which is ironic for, well, a night owl.

Since the scared owl doesn’t leave the tree house because of the night, he hasn’t learnt to fly.

“Plop is the sound he makes when he falls to the ground,” narrated Collier in the beginning, who also operates the puppets along with his colleagues Crevel and Phil-lips.

The story proper starts when Plop’s mother (Collier) tells the scared owl (Crevel) to fly downwards into the world beneath the trees and find out just what the dark is all about.

Learning to fly, Plop tries to jump off his perch.

Except, the almost grounded owl doesn’t fly but falls out of his tree and ends up “tumbling” into the audience, eliciting laughter from them.

And thus, Plop’s adventures begin when he meets a host of other characters, played superbly by the three acting school gradu-ates.

Crevel later holds a huge shaggy Golden Retriever puppet, chasing after Plop and both owl and canine character swoop into the aisles, bringing excited screams and fits of giggles from the young children.

The Shakespearean actor also flings glit-ter paper into the crowd during a scene where he plays with fireworks.

This is during the part when the timid owl meets humans on the ground, and he finds that the night-time is not so scary, but fun.

“Remember, the night is... exciting,” says Crevel’s character to Plop, as the story draws to an end.

The play debuted last year in England, when the company director Bill Davies decided to come up with a stage production of the book which he had always enjoyed as a child.

The show, presented by Gardner and Wife Theatre, will play on until April 1, at the PJ Live Arts at Jaya One.

For inquiries, call  017 2289 849.

petaling jaya: Students of KBU International College held a charity bake sale with the help of 15 under-privileged children from Rumah Kasih on March 13.

Laughter and chatter filled the air as they worked together to bake 200 large cookies which were sold out within an hour.

The proceeds from the bake sale, along with other items which were donated before-hand, went to Rumah Kasih.

The event was part of the Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management (DHTM) students’ events management module.

The students were given the freedom to choose an event they would like to organise to fulfil the module requirement.

The DHTM 2012/13 intake, headed by team leader Windy Novatrin, decided to organise a charity bake sale.

Event advisor and lecturer Bashirah Arifin said she was pleasantly surprised by the dedication, hard work and creativity of the students .

Not only did the students and children bake together but they also took part in a two-hour fun-filled ice-breaking session and cookie decorating competition while waiting for the cookies to bake.

The ice-breaking session was conducted by Discovery House – a children learning and training centre which specialises in children character building.

As the students’ learning experience re-quired them to work with event players in the industry, they managed to enlist the help of Discovery House director Hank Khoo.

Lunch was also prepared for the children by the students at the Café de One – an on-campus student-run café.

The College’s School of Business, Hos-pitality and Tourism Management offers Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Man-agement and BSc (Hons) in Tourism and Hospitality Business Management (3+0) in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam Univer-sity of UK.

The April intake is in still on while stu-dents who wish to proceed to degree level can apply for the September intake. KBU is located just 0.3km away from Centrepoint, Bandar Utama.  

For more information, call KBU Interna-tional College, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya at 03-7727 3200, fax 03-7727 2733, email enquiry@kbu.edu.my or visit www.kbu.edu.my and http://facebook.com/kbuinterna-tional

Plop the owl wows crowd

KBU students hold bake sale

HTM 2012/13 students with children from Rumah Kasih.

17march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

news

PETALING JAYA: Residents at low-cost flats in Selangor are appealing to the state against the burden of having to pay both assessment tax and maintenance fees.

Fifty representatives from Joint Manage-ment Bodies ( JMBs) and low-cost flat Resi-dents’ Associations (RAs) raised their concerns during a meeting last Sunday.

Most low-cost flat residents have to pay monthly maintenance fees between RM30 to RM50 while also having to pay yearly assess-ment tax between RM80 to RM140.

They said these payments are a burden to them as most of them are low-income earners.

The residents called for assessment taxes to be abolished and replaced with a lump sum payment which would also include mainte-nance services within and around their flats.

Local councils were also urged to take over the maintenance of the flats so as to allow for

stricter law enforcement towards maintenance fee defaulters.

On hand to address their concerns was Kamaruzaman Ahmad Nor, who is an assistant to state housing exco Iskandar Samad.

Kamaruzaman  said the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) will draw up a study to evalu-ate their requests and the report would be pre-sented to the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES).

The meeting at the Petaling Jaya City Coun-cil (MBPJ) community library was organised by Oppressed People’s Network ( Jerit) and the office of Kota Damansara assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim.

A talk on the facilities provided for low-cost flats residents by the federal and state govern-ments was also presented to the residents.

The residents also planned to form a pressure group to push through their needs. 

Low-cost residents seek financial relief

Residents at the meeting last Sunday.

SHAH ALAM: In conjunction with Earth Hour, all lights at the state secretariat and other state-owned buildings will be turned off for an hour from 8.30pm this Saturday.

“Turning off the lights for an hour will not solve global warming, but we believe that this symbolic move will help increase public awareness,” said state executive councillor for environment Elizabeth Wong.

She said this at a press conference during the state assembly meeting on Monday.

Wong also urged the public to join the state in an Earth Hour event organised by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) on March 31 at Dataran Ke-merdekaan Shah Alam.

The highlight of the evening is cycling around the city with Shah Alam mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan at 9.30pm.

About 1,000 cyclists of all ages are expected to take part in the 10km ride starting from Dataran Kemerdekaan.

In addition, there will be a colouring competition for children, performances and free T-shirts for the first 300 participants.

The city council will also be organising a night cycling activity at the Shah Alam Lake Gardens on Satirday.

The event, which will start at 8.30pm, is open to all people of ages. Adults will cycle for 10km and children 2km. 

There will also be a colouring contest for children and an environmental talk by a speaker from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Among those scheduled to join cyclists are state executive councillor for youth and sports Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Mohd Jaafar.

A thousand people are expected to take part in the event.

For more information on the event, call MBSA’s youth and sport department at 03-5522 2733, 03-5522 2743 or visit their website at www.mbsa.gov.my.

Lights off in Shah Alam

Wong (centre) with Kajang assemblyperson Lee Kim Sin (left sitting) and MBSA corporate department head Asmah Mohd Zin together with representatives from MBSA.

KLANG: The public has been urged to be the eyes and ears of the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) to curb operations of illegal massage parlours and cybercafés in the municipality.

“Information from the public has helped the council tackle illegal massage parlours in the area,” MPK enforcement department director Andry Arman Masrom said after a raid on an illegal massage parlour in Taman Bayu Perdana.

The parlour had been operating for several months undetected until information from the public resulted in an investigation.

It was found that the parlour even had a special door for customers to flee in the event of a raid.

Confiscated were pillows, mattresses, and curtains after 19 MPK enforcement officers descended on the premises.

Andry said the parlour was shut down under the council’s bylaws concerning beauty and daycare centres.

“We will increase operations like this to ensure no parties conduct illegal businesses, especially those involving massage parlours.”

He added that the operation included the licensing department and focused around the Port Klang, Bukit Tinggi and Bandar Baru Klang areas.

Andry encouraged people with information regarding massage parlours, cybercafés, and any illegal activities to call 1-800-88-23826 or 03-33714404.

Be eyes and ears of council, people urged

MPK enforcement officers confiscating items from an illegal massage parlour in Taman Bayu Perdana.

18 March 30 — april 01, 2012

News

Teo (right) and Nurul.

Ong and Sudarak

Pact to tackle sand mining corruption

MP lodges complaint over lewd MMSCYBERJAYA: Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching lodged a report at the Malaysian Communications and Multi-media Commission (MCMC) over receiving lewd multimedia messages (MMS) on Monday.

“I received three lewd MMS-es depicting someone who looks like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and a lady,” she said.

She said the first two messages from the phone num-ber 017-2959028 were picture-form – one at 10.28pm on March 19 and another at 10.55 the same night.

They came on her phone entitled “Anwar tidak ber-moral” (Anwar is immoral) and “Anwar pembohong” (Anwar is a liar).

“The third MMS was a short two to three second video which I received the next day at 7.52am,” she said.

She made the report with the commission’s Public Complaints Bureau officer Shaharliza Mohd Saman and urged MCMC to trace and take action against the sender.

Teo wanted action to be taken soon to protect the public, especially children, from also receiving such messages.

“I was told that I may have to leave my phone with MCMC during the course of their investigation, should they decide to hold one.”

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was also present, said withholding Teo’s phone was a punitive ac-tion by the MCMC against a whistleblower, which would deter other complainants from voicing out.

She called for the Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, who is in charge of MCMC, to ensure a prompt and proper in-vestigation.

“There is a lot of talk in Parliament about fostering a better, cleaner culture. If that’s the case, what is he (Rais) going to do about this?”

She added that Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh had re-ceived similar MMS-es on March 20

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: Thirty-five sand mining contrac-tors have signed an integrity pact with the state’s sand-mining subsidiary  - Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) - to end claims of graft in the industry.

“The purpose is to do business the correct way and to ensure an element of openness in the tender pro-cess,” said Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim at the signing ceremony at the Shah Alam Convention Center on Monday.

He said the pact, the first to be inked by a state GLC, would be a prerequisite for other sand-mining contractors to be considered in future tender pro-cesses.

He added that the pact would help introduce in-tegrity to the state and start changing a culture of bribery.

An estimated 90 per cent of sand-mining activities in the state from 2005 to 2007 previously went un-recorded.

“That means for every 10 lorries, nine were not counted. The state didn’t get the profit,” he said, add-

ing that Selangor’s sand production was much larger than the payments made to the district offices during those years.

Khalid said the loss of royalties, which should have been paid to the state, caused the formation of KSSB to manage sand mining after 2008.

“We will choose those who can do the job. They get profit, KSSB gets profit. Less bribery will also mean more profits,” he said.

“Everyone has a vested interest in this because we are ensuring the state’s resources belong to the peo-ple.”

Also present at the ceremony was Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Paul Low.

Low said the pact required contractors to abide with all regulations and laws required of them, not give bribes to KSSB employees, and to submit ac-curate data.

“They will be required to report any acts of cor-ruption. If they violate the pact, there will be certain sanctions. They may be barred from doing future business with KSSB.”

Hard work pays off for young pianistsPETALING JAYA: Years spent honing her natural gift of music has paid off for teenage pianist Audrey Siew Sze Yen who won the Steinway Ma-laysia Youth Piano Competition last Friday.

“I usually practise 18 hours a week, but for this competition, I had to increase the number of hours,” said the SMJK Katholik student, who turns 17 this year.

Her studies had to be put on the back burner in preparation for this competition but the young musician said it was worth it as she planned to pursue music as a life goal.

Siew’s performance of Debussy’s Reflets Dan L’eau and Franz Liszt’s Paraphrase de Concert Sur Rigoletto at the Bentley Music Auditorium that night won her RM8,000.

“Piano was not something I originally wanted to

play but I fell in love when my mom introduced it to me,” said the young maestro, who started playing when she was six.

She will represent Malaysia against pianists from Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore at the Steinway regional finals in the island state in July.

Yoh Hao Zi and Chiew Zhi Hong, the first and second runners-up respectively, won RM5,000 and RM2,000.

The competition’s youngest semi-finalist, 11-year-old Vincent Ong, said going up against older opponents was a fun experience for him.

“I joined to get more experience, to open my eyes and see other players. I’m quite happy,” said the pint-sized pianist from Penang.

Ong’s mother, Sudarak Seephai, said was proud

of her son who started playing the piano when he was four and now is a Grade 7 pianist.

One of the competition’s three judges, Jamie Smith, said he found the technical and musical qualities of the participants in the under-17 compe-tition surprising.

“The level was very high. The pieces they chose were not very easy,” said the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Malaysia na-tional coordinator.

He added the main issue during the competition was that the young performers were not used to playing in large halls and allowed their nerves to get to them.

Smith advised musicians to work on their confi-dence to perform in any hall, no matter how large the stage, in order to attain future success.

Khalid (left) greeting Emmina Best Corporation managing director Samsuddin Ab Ghani, who signed the integrity pact.

Sand mining contractors signing the integrity pact with KSSB on Monday.

19march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

media

By Brenda Ch’ng

SHAH ALAM: Naza TTDI is offering rebates of up to 10 percent for those purchasing residential and commercial units during a week-long promotion.

“Our offer of 10 percent for Bumiputras and three per-cent for other buyers ends on Saturday (March 31),” said Naza TTDI Customer Service senior manager Rosmin Wan Mohamed.

Buyers are invited to visit their showroom in Section 13 to view the 276 residential and commercial units on sale.

Buyers will only need pay RM3,000 for housing down payments instead of the normal RM10,000.

Buyers of commercial units will only pay an initial nominal fee of RM10,000 instead of the usual RM50,000.

These freehold properties are located at various locations in Shah Alam, Kajang, Equine Park Seri Kembangan and Ampang.

The contemporary-designed homes are spacious amid a secure neighbourhood, with clubhouse facilities, lifestyle amenities and social activities.

In addition, TTDI Properties is also the first pilot town-ship project to be Green Building Index (GBI) certified.

“Our designs and construction materials are carefully selected to ensure they are made of green materials,” said Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd Marketing senior manager, Bernard Yong.

Yong explained that the landscape for each residential area is carefully designed and include hardy plants which

do not need much water to survive.Walkways and pedestrian crosses are also lighted with light

saving bulbs and decorated with green recycled materials.Also, all toilets in houses are designed to use minimal

water.Units in Kajang are also have lake front view and are ac-

cessibility to a nearby park.Bigger families can opt for seven-bedroom houses in

Ampang which are surrounded by water, hills and moun-tains.

Interested buyers can visit their showroom at Section 13 Shah Alam, call 03-2787 7969 or visit www.nazattdi.com.

Naza TTDI offers attractive discounts

Bernard Yong (centre, white) showing the model houses of their properties.

KUALA LUMPUR: Publika Shopping Gal-lery in Solaris Dutamas here is organising a host of environmentally themed events to celebrate Earth Hour on Sunday.

“Publika is taking the first step to cultivate sustainable practice and educating the public through the Earth Hour event,” said advertising and promotion manager Frennie Boey.

She added that the global event held every last Saturday in March has shown that great things could be achieved when people come together for a common cause - in this case, to save the planet.

The shopping mall runs on sustainable prac-tices such as operating environmentally friend-ly air conditioning in its premises.

“The design concept reduces the need for lights which reduce total energy usage,” she said.

She added that recycled items were turned into art sculptures, such as the Robot Project which uses reusable items and old mechanical parts.

For the Earth Hour event, Publika is organ-ising an eco-bazaar with Earthfood from March 28 to April 1 at the Boulevard of Publika.

Shoppers and visitors are also encouraged to learn about recycling solid waste at the bazaar.

Drinks carton manufacturer Tetra Pak Ma-laysia is also supporting the event with an edu-cation booth with fun games for adults and children.

“Do not forget to bring in your empty bever-age cartons for recycling and get organic tea lights for free under the ‘Cartons for Candles’ programme by Tetra Pak,” said Boey.

She added that free UHT drink packs will be given to those who hand over every five empty beverage cartons.

Members of the public are also welcome to join the Tetra Pak Trivia Game to win a limited edition “Earth Hour Kit”.

Publika’s Earth Hour Celebration from 5.30pm until midnight also features live performances by An Honest Mistake, Avant Garde, Darren Ashley, The Metaphor, Seconds to Collide and Dichi Michi.

The event will also flag off a 9.5km cycling con-voy for eco-awareness co-organised with Switch-blade.

Those wishing to volunteer can register with the management of Publika at 03-6207 9426.

Mall makes recycling fun

PETALING JAYA: Bolton Bhd’s first build-then-sell resi-dential development in Setapak will offer buyers  70 units of houses with an estimated gross development value of RM80 million.

“Although this is our first build-then-sell concept develop-ment, we are confident Bolton’s good reputation has garnered us a strong following to ensure the sale-ability of the houses,” said Bolton executive chairperson Datuk Mohamed Azman Yahya.

The property developer has entered into an agreement with CRSC Property Sdn Bhd to develop the three-storey superlink terrace houses in Taman Sri Rampai.

Mohamed said the project, as a landed development, would ensure that the property enjoys a healthy capital appreciation upon completion.

Mohamed added that the development’s strategic location in the matured township would also enhance the attractiveness of the properties.

“Taman Sri Rampai enjoys good accessibility to the city centre via several major highways,” he explained.

He also expected the project to be a quick turnaround for them as the land is currently vacant and ready for immediate development.

The 2.34-hectare development site is part of an ongoing 26.97-hectare mixed residential and commercial development in Taman Sri Rampai.

Under the agreement, Bolton will construct the superlink terraced units by Feb 2015.

Bolton has had a lengthy track record as a developer since 1964 with developments across seven states.

Several of its past projects include Taman Midah, Cheras; The Tijani, Kenny Hills; The Warf, Tasik Prima Puchong; and The Surin condominiums, Penang.

Bolton’s first build-then-sell project in Setapak

20 march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

leisure

Every year in the month of March, Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur plays host to hundreds of participants who

come from all over the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak to promote and sell their handicraft and traditional art works.

This year, just like in 2011, there are about 500 participants. It is one of the most interest-ing exhibitions on local arts and crafts of the entire year.

From beautiful batik materials, metalware to pottery and traditional tools and ancient weapons, Hari Kebangsaan Kraf elevates the splendour of Malaysian heritage a few notches higher.

Improvements have been made to the or-ganisation of the national event annually. This year’s parking issue has been well organised and clearly it has been improved.

Visitors to the National Craft Day have several venues near the complex to park their vehicles. Parking is not only free, there is also a free shuttle service to ferry visitors to the main site.

Several vans shuttle at regular intervals to and from those parking sites. All you have to do is to get the parking ticket authenticated at one of the numerous counters at several entrances.

This is to ensure that you have proof of visiting the Craft complex. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the National Craft Day or Hari Kebangsaan Kraf.

The event has become bigger with each passing year. The national craft event is held from March 21 to April 2. Opening hours are from 10am to 10pm.

The two objectives of the National Craft Day are first to give recognition to local crafts-men for their contribution to the promotion of national crafts and their support of the local handicraft industry.

Second, the gathering of so many tradi-tional skilled artisans in the capital is to help provide a financial boost to these people. Their fields of specialty are often not well publ ic i se d and their survival hing-es on public sup-port for their fin-ished products.

Presently, pot-tery, leather goods, wooden furniture, batik pieces and ceramic wares are generally found in handicraft centres throughout the

country.However, outside these premises the works

of art and items that demand a high level of skill are often hidden from the public eye.

Locals usually take for granted these handicrafts because they are sold in limited quantities at sou-venir stalls locat-ed at various rest stops along the North-South Ex-pressway.

The p e op le who are most keen on buying Malaysian crafts and art objects are usually foreign tourists. Some of the more re-fined art pieces fetch high prices abroad among discerning collectors.

I have been to the National Craft Day in Jalan Conlay for the past four years. There are new things to learn with each annual visit. I continue to be amazed at the rich heritage that has escaped the eyes of so many city folk over the decades.

Native costume accessories, especially from East Malaysia, are all painstakingly hand-made and are extremely attractive. Beads and other natural by-products from the environment are

used to make hats, belts, pendants, bags and earrings.

The indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak are very proud of their handi-craft and every year, they come in droves to display their handiwork. Usually, by the tail-end of the na-tional event, most of their products or wares would have been sold out.

There are some entrepre-neurs with connections in Kuala Lumpur who indulge

in bulk purchases on the first and second days.One blade vendor admitted that on the

opening day, a KL businessman bought 21 of his native blade encased in a wooden sheath.

Selling at RM120 each, the Sarawak parang was obviously targeted as a lucrative souvenir item which would later be re-sold to foreign tourists at a much higher price.

A new visitor to Hari Kebangsaan Kraf 2012 will be pleased to learn that there are display boards detailing the five major tents that house various special-

ised crafts.The tents are marked A, B, C, D and E.

Forest-based crafts and products are in “laman seni A” or Tent A. Then there are the ceramic items, batik and textile products which are specially designed to attractive young and mature women.

Batik is such a versatile material that it is also used for paintings. Its use has also been extended to embroidery and songkoks.

There are also cultural performances for the benefit of the older generation who like the melodious sounds of keroncong and dondang sayang.

When I was at the main house around lunchtime, I heard strains of keroncong music which triggered nostalgic memories of my childhood and friendly neighbours whom I have long forgotten.

The singer on the low-level stage sang most beautifully for the benefit of a few admirers who cared to sit and appreciate her lovely voice

She was accompanied by musicians in blue baju Melayu adorning the purple-coloured tarbush, reminiscent of a time when Old Ma-laya was much loved by our grandparents.

The National Craft Day wouldn’t be com-plete if knife-makers from the various states

did not participate in the event. From Sabah, Sarawak to Kedah in the Peninsula, the blade-smiths came to show off their hand-forged utility and ornamental pieces.

Naturally, most of their customers are men who often fancy themselves as arm-chair war-riors with one or two of the beautiful hand-made weapons mounted on their walls or on display in a glass shelf at home.

The multitude products for sale this year seem to be in larger quantity than last year. Each vendor normally bring as much as they and their relatives can carry.

Hopefully by the last day, they would have sold most, if not all, of their products. Some visitors make repeat visits to the KL Kompleks Kraf because one day is not nearly enough to absorb all the sights and sounds of Malaysian traditional crafts.

Those who have more enterprising inten-tions normally show up on the final day to pick up items of their choice at hugely discounted rates.

Most participants do not relish the idea of lugging home some of the heavier items which would only take up unnecessary space in their MPVs or luggage space on flights home.

The National Craft Day is like none other as far as handicraft souvenirs, gifts and décor objects are concerned. It is almost unequalled in terms of information, education and per-sonal illumination.

The master craftsmen are backHari Kebangsaan Kraf is currently being held at Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur. LIN ZHENYUAN shows up again to invest his time and money.

The display banner that has relevant information for visitors to the National Craft Day at Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur.

Delicately hand-made costume accessories for collectors and those who like to buy them as gifts.

These are some of the more beautiful pieces that have been successfully made by highly skilled craftsmen.

Cups, sauces, and mugs made by local pottery experts.

Blue baju Melayu and the tarbush worn by the musicians give a traditional feel to the traditional craft event.

21march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

food

By Brenda Ch’ng

Nothing beats a hearty breakfast after a night of partying on Saturdays. But with most places only serving the first

meal of the day till noon, finding a good breakfast is not easy.

The problem is solved with Antipodean Cafe, a little shop tucked in a corner along Jalan Telawi 2 in Bangsar, which serves all-day breakfasts.

Antipodean, which means inhabitants of Australia and New Zealand, exudes vibes from Australian suburban cafes, promising patrons a carefree weekend, whilst sipping coffee at one’s own pace.

With both indoor and al fresco sitting available, patrons can either sit in the air con-ditioned room or bask in the sunny day out-side.

For those seated outside, they would have to order from the menu penned with white chalk on a black wall at the right side of the cafe.

On it are a long list of coffees, juices, break-fast assortments, lunch specials and dinner delights.

As we wanted to try their highly talked about breakfasts, we opted for the croissant with scrambled eggs and chicken sausages.

A bite into the buttery soft pastry and eggs brought us memories of the many brunches we had in Melbourne.

The croissant tasted home made and noth-ing like those sold at some bakeries or super-markets, which are either hard or tasteless.

It was served with a huge helping of pun-gent green leaves, also known as Rocket leaves, buried under a sizable amount of well scram-bled eggs.

Grind a little pepper and salt onto the eggs and you are in heaven. The scrambled eggs, seasoned to taste, was just nice, neither too runny nor hard.

The chicken sausage topped above the eggs was marinated with various herbs and spices and tasted just right.

If you aren’t a fan of chicken sausages feel free to choose from the two other selections available, bacon or beef sausages and wash it all down with a cup of coffee.

Like their Australian counterparts, the proportion was fairly large and sufficient for one, but if you fancy only a taste, share it with a loved one.

And if pastry with eggs isn’t your cup of tea, try the Big Breakfast, served with a slice of multigrain toast, hash brown, sausage, scrambled eggs and sauteed mushrooms.

The thing we always find tricky about sa-vouring a big breakfast is the question, what

do we eat first?With the many different

choices on offer, it’s hard to avoid wanting to try eve-rything at once.

The white button mushrooms, or better known as champi-gnon mushroom, was prepared with a sprin-kle of salt and herbs, just enough to retain the original tastes of the mushroom without it over-powering your senses.

Unlike the hash browns you find outside, the ones at Antipodean is slightly different in shape and texture.

It’s smaller, with the potatoes mashed and compacted into a rec-tangular shape, baked and pan fried to give a slight crisp to the surface.

Additionally, one can order themselves the all day big breakfast, which comes with roasted tomatoes and baked beans.

Similar to the previous dish, you can choose to have either chicken or beef sau-sages or bacon.

Despite being full, we didn’t want to leave the cafe without trying their desserts.

Thinking that the cakes would be too much indulgence in a day, we went for the banana pancake with butterscotch, served with a side of fruits.

No regrets there, as the thick pancakes dipped with the sweet, brown milky but-terscotch was the perfect way to end our brunch.

For those who haven’t tried it out yet, do head on down to No 20, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar.

Howe v-er, be pre-pared to wait for seats as the cafe can g et p r e t t y busy on w e e k -ends.   Do g o w i t h small groups of two to four as the chances of getting a table is quicker compared to bigger groups.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 7.30am to 7pm, Saturday 7.30am to 6pm and Sunday 7.30am to 5pm.

An Aussie breakfast

The menu penned with white chalk on a black wall at the right side of the cafe.

Tthe Big Breakfast, served with a slice of multigrain toast, hash brown, sausage, scrambled eggs and sauteed mushrooms.

Cafe Latte

The croissant with scrambled eggs and chicken sausages.

The banana pancake with butterscotch, served with a side of fruits.

22 March 30 — april 01, 2012

Gallery

More than 10,000 people attended a rally at New Era College in Kajang on Sunday to protest and urge the Education Ministry to solve the long-standing and worsening problem of teacher shortage in vernacular schools.

Gombak MP Azmin Ali presenting medals to the finalists of the Hulu Kelang Futsal Super Series at the Kampung Klang Gate futsal court last Sunday. Team Liquala beat team Psycho Touch 4-3 in a penalty shootout after drawing 2-2 in the final. Looking on is Hulu Kelang assemblyperson Saari Sungib (in blue).

Hulu Kelang assemblyperson Saari Sungib (left) looks on as a doctor checks the blood pressure of Hamzah Abdul Rahman, 88, at his house in Jalan AU3/1 Taman Sepakat. The Home Medic Visit programme to residences at AU3 was organised by Saari’s service centre in conjunction with Pakatan Rakyat’s fourth anniversary administration in Selangor.

A trekker adding his signature to the Save Bukit Gasing petition after his walk. About 100 trekkers showed up at Hutan Pendidikan Bukit Gasing last Saturday after receiving a virtual call on Facebook to save the hill from development and possible landslides.

23march 30 — aPrIL 01, 2012

culture

Dare to document

Independent film: April 1 (12pm); www.facebook.com/freedomfilmfest.

2012 is a big year for democracy with protests such as the Occupy movements, BERSIH 2.0, Himpunan Hijau and not forgetting the upcoming general elections.Hence the theme for the FreedomFilmFest 2012 proposal competition is “DEMOCRACY: WHO’S THE BOSS?”.Are principles of democracy being practised in our daily lives? What

would be a meaningful way to consult the rakyat in decision making? Are our leaders transparent and accountable enough? The organizers of Freedom Film Fest 2012 are now calling for film proposal submissions based on this theme. Send them to freedomfilmfest@komas.org and stand a chance to win RM6,000 and technical support to make that film a reality.

Rhythm – Percussion Concert

Performance: Mar 31-April 1; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10 Roof Top; www.theactorsstudio.com.my; RM28-RM38.

With the critically acclaimed “Rhythm – Percussion Concert”, Beat Percussion is returning with another highly energetic Chinese percussion concert. This concert will feature new compositions, world & local premiering acts, giving it a new look and feel. Prepare to experience world class choreography combined rhythmic beats. Rhythm 2 directed by Joe Koo is sure to ignite your passion for percussion.

The Sandpit: Womensis

Play: Mar 30-April 1; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, KL; 03-40479000; www.fiveartscentre.org/; RM23-RM35.

Two Wives; Two Strategies and A Missing Husband is a play brought to you by actor KS Maniam. Part mystery, part love story with a tale of love, betrayal and human survival in a world where only the fittest survive, The Sandpit: Womensis is produced by Pocketsize Productions Penang & Five Arts Centre Kuala Lumpure. Directed by Penang-

based Chee Sek Thim with music by Johan Othman the play will feature Anne James and Ho Sheau Fung.

Precious Little Pieces

Art: Mar 9-Apr 10; Wei-Ling Gallery, No 8 Jalan Scott, Brickfields, KL; 03-22601106; www.weiling-gallery.com; Free.

30 Malaysian artists will be exhibiting their work at the Wei Ling Gallery for the month of March. The exhibition, which celebrates art in the miniature form, is to draw viewers into artworks that need a deeper look. A work of fine art in miniature is a personal object that draws the viewer into an intimate, concentrated little world that is breathtaking in its execution.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark

Play: Mar 15-April 1; PJ Live Arts Theatre @ JayaOne; www.pjla.com.my; RM50-RM89.

Join Plop, the baby barn owl as he journeys into the night-time world of campfires, fireworks and moonlit adventures! Based on the bestselling children’s classic by Jill Tomlinson and performed by the Blunderbus Theatre Company (UK), this gentle, reassuring tale is brought to life with an irresistible blend of live music, puppetry and storytelling. Written especially for children aged 3 - 7, and grown-ups who still sleep with the lights on. Plop was a baby Barn Owl. He lived at the top of a tall tree, in a field. He was fat and fluffy. He had big round eyes. He had very knackety knees. Plop was exactly the same as every barn owl that has ever been – except for one thing. He was AFRAID of the DARK. “I don’t like it” said Plop. “I do not like it AT ALL!” One day, Mrs Barn Owl suggested that Plop fly down into the world and find out about the dark for himself. So, Plop climbed out of his nest-hole, peeped over the edge, wobbled a bit, and fell off his branch. And so, began Plop’s adventure...

caLENDar

By Dominic Luk

Malaysians are generally known to be serious people. We don’t like

to laugh, we hate smiling, and don’t waste our time joking around.

Yes, tha t was a lo t o f nonsense. Because we all know just how much we Malaysians enjoy laughing at the silliest things and making current issues into viral jokes that spread all over the net.

Talking about laughing and giving your abs a good workout, here’s Projeck Disko Baldi (PDB).

PDB is parked under Playground Productions, an entertainment content provider and talent management company in Malaysia founded by three friends. In a nutshell, PDB aims to entertain through random and zany sketches, as well as the use of original and re-arranged songs. You may have heard of this comedy group when their latest show “PDB in LOVE” in February created a huge buzz around town. And because it was such a great success and the laughter got so contagious, “PDB in LOVE” will be restaged in April.

So who exactly are the people behind PDB?Playground Productions was founded by Redza

Minhat, Megat Sharizal, and Tuan Faisal Azmy (Tapai). These three musketeers have been working together in TV and theatre for more than a decade. Together with Iedil Putra, Shamain Othman, Farah Rani and Ashraf Zain, they form the PDB team.

When PDB hits the stage again from April 27-29 at the PJ Laugh Fest, we can expect a 90-minute sketch show with themes inspired by love and other current issues. The bilingual performance will also feature Sherry Abdullah as a guest performer.

Artistic Director of Playground Productions Megat Sharizal said, “This time we chose love as a theme as we all know matters of the heart are funny or often get us into funny situations”. He also added: “After our first performance, we were happy that many audiences

could accept ou r b rand of humour that is quite r a n d o m . We’ve also m a n a g e d to bu i ld a strong fan base on our Facebook, Twitter and Y o u t u b e p a g e s . Seems like the perfect time to give our fans another show.”

So if you’re in the mood for a good laugh, or two, or just plain non-stop laughter, check out PDB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/projekdiskobaldi where you can also get information on how to get tickets for their show.

PROJEK DISKO BALDI – Laughter all the way!

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.