Anything & Everything About Malaysia/Johor/JB [Archive]

KatoeyLover69

10-02-2006, 12:27 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 9 February 2006 :-

69m use Causeway every year, traffic choking Johor Baru, says expert

By Ravi Nambiar

JOHOR BARU, Wed.
------------------

Some 69 million people use the Causeway every year, and the traffic is choking Johor Baru.

A transportation Planning and Traffic Management Consultant warned today that if the problem was not immediately attended to, the future growth of the city would be affected.

Dr Tai Tuck Leong said the number of people using the Causeway exceeded those passing through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Changi Airport combined.

This is one reason why a new bridge is needed to replace the Causeway.

Tai, who undertook a traffic management study of Johor Baru, said the Causeway could well be one of the busiest crossings in the world.

The study was commissioned by Gerbang Perdana, the contractor building the RM2.5 billion Southern Integrated Gateway (SIG) project, encompassing a bridge, a new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, JB Sentral (public transport terminal) and ancillary facilities.

Tai told the New Straits Times: "The annual throughput at the KLIA is 20 million persons, while Changi receives 30 million. But the Causeway beats them all with 69 million."

Tai, who is managing director of Perunding Trafik Klasik Sdn Bhd, said the Causeway, built in 1924, did not have the capacity to handle the massive growth in traffic in the 82 years since then.

On a typical 16-hour weekday, he noted, more than 114,000 vehicles use the Causeway, with motorcyclists topping the list with 71,772.

"Cars come next, with nearly 33,500. But nearly 75 per cent of these are foreign-registered cars, namely Singaporean."

Tai said with virtually all the Causeway traffic now entering the central business district (CBD) here, the city was choking with vehicles and congestion.

"The only way out of this gridlock is to build an integrated new bridge and CIQ complex to divert traffic away from the CBD," he said, adding that work on the bridge had to commence immediately as the traffic volume in the city was growing by about seven per cent a year.

"Traffic from Singapore may then be dispersed directly from the new CIQ via the Inner Ring Road, without having to enter town.

"Consequently, major roads in the CBD like Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Air Molek will experience a substantial relief in traffic volume."

Tai said the traffic woes were being compounded by vehicles coming off the North-South Expressway (NSE), which ends at Kempas, about 8km short of the city centre.

This has exacerbated the situation here, with NSE traffic forced to use city roads to make up for the "missing link" in the expressway.

For this reason, the Government has decided to build an Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL), which will carry all traffic from the new CIQ direct to the NSE to relieve inner-city traffic.

As the EDL will run almost parallel to Jalan Tebrau, it will also provide substantial relief for the congested Jalan Tebrau residential corridor.

Tai said with the new multiple traffic management system under the SIG development, Johor Baru would have one of the most efficient traffic dispersal systems in the country.

"Now we are the backyard of Singapore, with the traffic choking our arterial roads and congesting the city centre.

"With the breaking of the Causeway to make way for the new bridge, we will create a new frontage for Johor Baru along the waterfront."

The elevated bridge with a draught of 25 metres will allow ships of up to 4,000 tonnes to use the waterway, including yachts, pleasure craft and even minesweepers.

Tai said the present traffic split between the Causeway and the 2nd Link was 9:1.

"The Causeway is still more appealing to motorists because it offers a direct link to the greater JB metropolitan area. The 2nd Link, on the contrary, only appeals to those on long-distance travel to the north."

He noted that only slightly over 20 per cent of all traffic on the Causeway now was northbound. "The bulk heads direct to JB for business, shopping, entertainment or for social visits," he said.

KatoeyLover69

10-02-2006, 12:32 AM

KatoeyLover69

10-02-2006, 12:43 AM

Report from The Straits Times (S'pore) dated Thursday 9 February 2006 :-

'Don't let KL-S'pore rows affect the people'

MUAR - THE opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) has urged the Malaysian government not to let disputes between Malaysia and Singapore affect the people, a newspaper has reported.

'Johor has a very close relationship with Singapore where economic and people-to-people exchanges are concerned,' Nanyang Siang Pau on Sunday cited the Muar DAP Services Centre as saying.

'We are well aware of this umbilical cord between both sides, which cannot be easily severed,' it said.

'Due to its small population, (Singapore's) development has also benefited Johor Baru in terms of employment and business opportunities, as well as investments.'

The centre said Singapore investors are Johor's key investors - more than 60 per cent of Singapore's investments in Malaysia are concentrated in Johor.

'Between 1995 and 2000, Singapore invested...RM5.7 billion (S$2.5 billion) in Johor, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the state's total foreign investments,' it said.

Singaporeans also make more than 10 million trips to Malaysia every year, it noted.

It pointed out that ties between the two governments have become a business 'indicator'. When both governments get along well with each other, the Causeway, restaurants and retail stores will be crowded on holidays.

It urged the government to discard its political prejudices and step up exchanges to iron out differences.

KatoeyLover69

10-02-2006, 11:32 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Chap Goh Meh extravaganza at Danga Bay, Johor Bahru

JOHOR BARU, Thurs.
-------------------
About 100,000 people are expected to attend the state-level Chap Goh Meh celebration at the Festive Street Mall in Danga Bay on Sunday.

Organised jointly by the Johor Tourism Action Committee and Danga Bay Sdn Bhd, the Chap Goh Meh celebration, which marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities, promises to be a colourful tourism extravaganza.

Organising chairman Freddie Long said the Chap Goh Meh tradition goes back some 4,000 years.

He said thanksgiving ceremonies were usually held in temples with devotees making last requests for prosperity, since it was on Chap Goh Meh that the God of Prosperity was believed to depart for heaven.

"Marking the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, the event is highly significant to the community and the five main clans will come together to showcase various traditional activities.

"Visitors will get a rare chance to see a Teochew Opera, Golden Lion dance, Wushu demonstration, drum show and Chinese calligraphy," he said.

Long, who is State tourism and environment committee chairman, said in keeping with the multiracial nature of Malaysia, visitors would also see performances of zapin, kuda kepang and others. Popular local singer Winnie Kok and Astro artistes Faye Goh and Amy Wang will entertain.

The highlight of the celebration will be the ritual throwing of Mandarin oranges into the sea by young women to show they are available for marriage.

kelvintay

10-02-2006, 01:45 PM

General

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 10, 2006 11:59 AM

S'pore To Cease Accepting M'sia Restricted Passports From July 1

By Jackson Sawatan

SINGAPORE, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Effective July 1 this year, Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will cease accepting the Malaysia Restricted Passport (MRP) as a valid travel document.

The move was following Malaysia's decision to stop issuing and renewing the MRP in January last year. Malaysia had also declared that such travel documents would not be valid for travel after Dec 31 this year.

"In line with the international practice requiring all travel documents to have a validity of at least 6 months upon arrival, the ICA will cease accepting MRP as a valid travel document to Singapore with effect from 1 July," ICA said in a statement.

Malaysian travellers who intend to travel to Singapore or those who intend to apply for any immigration facilities on and after July 1 would be required to produce valid Malaysia international passports, ICA said.

Singapore permanent residents and long term pass holders currently holding MRPs are required to have the valid re-entry permit or pass endorsements in their MRPs transferred to their international passports.

Malaysia decided to stop the issuance of MRPs, introduced 37 years ago, after detecting numerous cases of forgery to the documents.

Meanwhile, ICA also announced that it would conduct thorough checks at its checkpoints.

"ICA now conducts 100 per cent checks on persons, cargo and conveyances that pass through our checkpoints. These enhanced security checks have been effective in helping to detect cases of smuggling illegal goods and illegal immigrants," it said.

ICA said that it recognised the fact that security checks take time and have put in all efforts in smoothening the traffic flow at land checkpoints.

Travellers themselves could help ease the congestion by making sure that they do not bring prohibited goods into Singapore or adjusting their travel plans and avoiding peak periods as far as possible, ICA said.

-- BERNAMA

six_2

10-02-2006, 07:52 PM

I am starting a new thread for Samsters to post articles/comments/compliments/complaints about Malaysia, with special emphasis about Johor / Johor Bahru.

This will cover the entertainment / crime / business / political / social / news-worthy items.

Hi bro, can find any happening like HC or FL in Mersing (Johor) ?
Tks in advance...

KatoeyLover69

11-02-2006, 12:55 AM

Hi bro, can find any happening like HC or FL in Mersing (Johor) ?
Tks in advance...

I don't think there are any HC or FL in Mersing

Any bro with any info on Mersing "happenings" please post here.

KatoeyLover69

11-02-2006, 01:22 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Panel to co-ordinate ‘Bigfoot’ expedition, Johor liaising with scientists

By R. Sittamparam

JOHOR BARU, Thurs.
-------------------
The State Government has set up a steering committee to co-ordinate the proposed Johor " Bigfoot " expedition.

State Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Freddie Long said the committee, which he chairs, comprised representatives from government departments and non-governmental organisations and scientists.

He said the committee had identified the scientists and was liaising with them on the most suitable time for the expedition.

He said requests from foreign groups interested in joining the search for Bigfoot would be looked into after his committee had created a database of evidence.

The committee will carry out the verification process by first scrutinising local and foreign media reports, periodicals and books on Bigfoot sightings and alleged evidence.

This will be followed by the expedition into areas where the creatures had allegedly been sighted.

Interest in the Johor Bigfoot phenomenon was sparked off by a report in the New Straits Times on Dec 23 quoting three workers building a fishpond in Kampung Mawai, Kota Tinggi, as saying they had seen a Bigfoot family of two adults and a child.

The report also carried a photograph by a Johor Malaysian Nature Society member of what was claimed to be Bigfoot’s footprints.

Meanwhile, the American based Bigfoot Field Researchers Organisation (BFRO) has advised Malaysia not to create pressure, or feel pressure, for regular media updates to keep the world Press interested.

In the latest advisory to Malaysia on its website, BFRO stated that the world Press would remain interested as the subject was considered "evergreen" in the West.

"The investigation in Johor will not become ‘old news’ just because there are no regular updates. It’s a timeless story. World media will be interested whenever the updates are released.

"Malaysian media organisations must take charge of the reporting on this story. The stories coming out on the international wire services must originate in Malaysia, so Malaysia can set the tone of seriousness and intelligence," it added.

The BFRO also urged the Malaysian Bigfoot researchers to stay focused on the investigation as this would produce developments worthy of media updates soon enough.

"If the focus is on the investigation and research and there is a lot of co-operation among scientists, the government and media, there will be significant developments eventually that will be interesting to all.

"The ‘global-ness’ of an update will depend largely on the images or videos that are released with the story."

The BFRO said the first image (in the NST), of the Orang Asli tribesman doing a witness sketch, was powerful.

"That photo did not get reprinted around the world because the first wave of Press interest happened before that photo came out. It’s not a bad thing, though, because the next photo like that will have an even better chance of going global."

KatoeyLover69

11-02-2006, 01:28 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

A ‘well-kept secret’ market in Kota Baru

KOTA BARU, KELANTAN, Thurs.
-----------------------------
Kelantan is a well-known destination for domestic tourists, with most shoppers heading for the duty-free zones at the border towns of Rantau Panjang and Pengkalan Kubur.

In Kota Baru, the favourite haunts are the Siti Khadijah market and the Kedai Buluh complex. Most guests, however, bypass the Wakaf Che Yeh market here, probably because it is one of the well-kept secrets here.

Business at the market is on 24 hours daily, with the busiest time from 8pm till midnight.

The peak day is Friday, when over 200 traders ply their trade from morning till night.

Visitors can expect to find a wide selection of household goods, fruits, vegetables, batik, cosmetics, second-hand shoes, local delicacies, handicraft and clothes.

Locals swear that prices here are among the lowest in the State.

Kota Baru Municipal Council president Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said the market was probably the only one in the country combining the best of a wet market with night, farmers’ and wholesale markets.

He said the market had been a catalyst for development in the area, with numerous buildings coming up, including supermarkets.

The present market will undergo a change in the middle of the year, with a multi-million ringgit project planned on a four-hectare site.

"We will build more shophouses and the landmark will be a covered area for the traders, very much bigger than Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur.

"The area will showcase Islamic architecture in line with the theme of Kota Baru as an Islamic city."

KatoeyLover69

11-02-2006, 01:38 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Students opt to expel the unborn

AN average of 90 women go for illegal abortions each month, and about 40% of them are undergraduates, China Press reported.

Quoting sources, the paper said these young women opted for illegal abortions, as they were worried about being expelled from their universities if they were found to be pregnant.

However, some of these students regarded abortions as perfectly normal and did not feel guilty killing their own babies. Some of them have had more than one abortion.

A 22-year-old undergraduate interviewed by the paper confessed that she had gone through two abortions.

Zula (not her real name) nearly went for a third operation last October.

“I wanted an abortion when I was pregnant for the third time, even though the doctor said it would be dangerous. My baby was already four months old then.

“At the time I thought giving birth to the baby would shame me, but the doctor gave me a week to consider my decision,” she said.

She changed her mind after that and agreed to keep the baby.

Determined this time to give birth, Zula has learnt to deal with people’s perceptions of her under the guidance of experienced counsellors.

KatoeyLover69

12-02-2006, 02:47 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 12 February 2006 :-

Pasir Gudang international kite festival draws 173 participants

PASIR GUDANG, SUN:
--------------------
FOR SIX-days, from Tuesday, Bukit Layang Layang in Pasir Gudang, Johor, will be abuzz with kiteflyers from around the world gathering for the 11th International Kite Festival.

The annual event, scheduled for six days, has attracted 173 participants from 26 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Germany, China, India, the UK and several Asian nations.
About 300 locals will also join the annual gathering, representing local kite flying clubs.
The event will feature traditional kite making workshops, contests and kite showcase. The festival is jointly organised by Johor Corporation, the PGLA and the Johor Government.

KatoeyLover69

12-02-2006, 02:56 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 12 February 2006 :-

Holiday package to Johor that ended in a vice den

JOHOR BARU, Sat.
-----------------
She promotes holiday packages with free accommodation. Four Thai female undergraduates, who took up the offer, found themselves forced into vice when they arrived here.

Luckily, two of the girls managed to escape and alert their embassy in Kuala Lumpur, which in turn contacted the police.

A police party stormed the third floor of a shophouse in Meldrum Walk here on Wednesday night and rescued the other two students aged 25 and 26, who were locked in a room.

A Chinese national and three Thai women were found in other rooms.

The raid by the Federal police anti-vice, gaming and secret society unit, led to the arrest of a 35-year-old Thai woman, who had lured the four undergraduates here with the promise of free lodging.

The suspect, who entered the country on a tourist visa on Feb 4, injured her leg when she tried to evade police arrest by leaping out of her room.

She is believed to be responsible for duping Thai women into coming to Malaysia for holidays and forcing them into vice.

Police investigations revealed that the suspect "sold" the women to local pimps after taking away their passports.

She would force the women to wear tight revealing clothing and pose as waitresses in a restaurant opposite the premises, where clients picked them.

"Investigations revealed that the 35-year-old woman had a local partner, also a woman. They are believed to own an employment and travel agency in Thailand," said a police source.

The 10 women picked up during the raid are now being held at the Larkin police station. The Thai embassy is making arrangements for the four undergraduates to fly home.

KatoeyLover69

12-02-2006, 03:00 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 12 February 2006 :-

Three bridges to spur growth in Johor

MUAR, JOHOR, Sat.
------------------
Bridges are set to change the landscape in Johor. Besides the RM600 million "scenic bridge" spanning the Johor Strait, work on at least two other bridges are due to start soon.

They are the RM400 million bridge across the Sungai Johor and the RM300 million bridge over Sungai Pulai.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the bridges would help accelerate development and open up marginalised areas.

He said the economic spillover of the projects would be tremendous and urged the people, particularly Bumiputera entrepreneurs, to prepare themselves for the change.

"Johor needs these bridges to spur progress and development and create vibrant and exciting towns," he said after attending the MCA Johor Chinese New Year celebration at the Dewan Jubilee Intan Hall. Also present was MCA Johor chairman Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The elevated 900-metre proposed scenic bridge on Malaysia’s side of the Johor Straits, will have a draught of 25 metres to allow ships of up to 4,000 tonnes to use the waterway, including yachts, pleasure craft and even minesweepers.

More importantly, the bridge will rejuvenate Johor Baru city centre with waterfront development along the Lido beach stretch.

The 4km long bridge across Sungai Johor is expected to be ready in 2008. It is an integral part of the RM1.48 billion Senai-Desaru Highway project.

The bridge over Sungai Pulai will benefit Pontian district, which is home to several major infrastructure projects, including the fast growing Port of Tanjung Pelepas and the RM5.1 billion Tanjung Bin power plant project, which is now under construction.

The bridge will also cut travelling time to PTP and Tanjung Bin and help spur development in Johor’s southwest. He said with the completion of all three bridges, Johor would be well positioned to become a regional logistic hub.

KatoeyLover69

12-02-2006, 05:00 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 12 February 2006 :-

Still missing in the ‘Bermuda Triangle of Johor’

MERSING, JOHOR, Sat.
---------------------
Ten years ago, Customs officer Mohamed Salleh Buang, 48, went fishing with relatives near the mysterious Pulau Sri Buat and never returned.

Also never to return were his son Najib, 19, brother Mohamed Buang 45, and cousin Abdul Wahid, 48.

June 17, 1995, is etched in the mind of his wife Hamidah Maarof, 51, who cannot forget the day when her husband failed to return from a regular fishing trip.

She remembers him as a careful fisherman who took every safety precaution.

"He was used to the waters around the island, reading the weather by looking at the sky. I had been on a few trips with him and know that he was a sensible fisherman," she said.

Hamidah recalls that the Saturday afternoon was like any other when her husband, her son, brother and cousin set off on their fishing ship.

"He told me not to wait up but to save some dinner as he would be back by 1am," she said.

It was a clear day when the four departed from Kampung Triang jetty about 4pm in a fibreglass boat to the island which has been dubbed the "Bermuda Triangle of Johor".

When her husband did not return the next morning, the kindergarten teacher in Endau lodged a police report.

"The authorities did everything they could. I was devastated that my husband and son could be lost at sea. For a year I prayed for their safe return but eventually I lost hope and decided that life had to go on," she said.

Salleh’s boat was found five days later with all the fishing equipment intact at Nenasi, a fishing village in Pahang about 45km from the island.

Hamidah was left to raise nine children on her own, her youngest then at 18 months old.

"I sought solace and strength from my children. Although we grieved for our loss, we also helped each other to come to terms with our fate," she said.

As Mohamed Salleh was categorised as a missing person, Hamidah only started receiving his pension after a six-year wait.

"It was a difficult period for us, emotionally and financially. Nevertheless, I am grateful that the Customs Department looked after our welfare," she said.

She managed to raise her children, Noorainee, 24, now working in Kota Tinggi; Salwahidah, 22, a second-year Universiti Utara Malaysia social science student in Sin+++; Salehah, 21, second-year civil engineering student at UiTM in Jengka and Ahmad Nor Safiuddin, 19, who is self-employed in Endau.

The others Nabilah, 16; Syawalluddin, 15; Sheila Siti, 14 and Nurul Hasanah, 13, are studying at SMK Ungku Hussin Endau.

Her sister-in-law, Habsah Amrah, 54, has still not given up hope for Salleh’s return.

"I think they are missing. I still hold prayers and strongly believe they will return home one day," she said.

Habsah still keeps the boat at her home in Kampung Triang, Endau.

KatoeyLover69

12-02-2006, 05:04 PM

Report from The Sunday Star dated Sunday 12 February 2006 :-

Chua: Boom expected once bridge opens

MUAR: Areas near the Johor Strait will enjoy a boom when the new bridge to replace the Causeway is built, Johor MCA chief Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.

Once the Causeway is removed and the water in the strait could flow freely, there would be less pollution, he added.

This would boost tourism and other businesses as well as promote the growth of resorts and marinas.

“For this reason, we support the Government’s plan to build a bridge to replace the old Causeway,” he told reporters after the Johor MCA Chinese New Year dinner held here on Friday.

Dr Chua, who is also the Health Minister, said almost 70 million tourists used the Causeway every year.

The number could increase with the new bridge and an improved traffic system in Johor Baru.

KatoeyLover69

12-02-2006, 05:07 PM

Report from The Sunday Star dated Sunday 12 February 2006 :-

Tua Pek Kong declares a good year ahead for Malaysia

PENANG: Forget the analysts and the economists. Or the central bank even.

As has been the tradition for as long as Penangites can remember, the faithful gathered at the Hai Choo Soo (Sea Pearl) Temple in Tanjung +++ong here last night to find out what Tua Pek Kong or the God of Prosperity has to say about the country's economy.

According to the deity, the last eight months of the Year of the Dog will see Malaysia enjoying a good economy.

The deity predicted that the year would start with an average trimester (February to May) and progressed to good until January 2007.

Thousands of people, mostly businessmen, converged at the temple to witness this annual event, the 116th chneah hoay or flame-watching ceremony.

Poh Hock Seah Temple president Datuk Lim Chooi Beng said the embers from the burning joss-sticks were ignited after about seven minutes of first fanning, signifying that the economy was slow in taking off.

“The second flare came in the next minute, while the third was after three minutes,'' he said, adding that the second fanning brought strong flames, which were about the same for the third fanning.

He said the predictions for this year were better than last year's.

KatoeyLover69

13-02-2006, 02:52 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 13 February 2006 :-

Restaurant at Kuala Selangor raided for vice activities

KUALA LUMPUR, Sun.
---------------------
A seafood restaurant in Kampung Pasir Penambang in Kuala Selangor which offered more than meals was raided by police last night.

A team from the anti-vice, gaming and secret societies division, led by Assistant Superintendent Nik Roshdi Nik Yahya, found eight Chinese women believed to be involved in vice at the premises.

The women, who had valid passports and student visas, were aged between 20 and 28.

The owner of the restaurant was also detained for investigation.

Nik Roshdi said the restaurant was raided after police received information from the public that it had been offering other services, besides serving food.

"We believe the flesh trade has been going on for some months," he said.

Nik Roshdi said during the raid, four of the women were found entertaining clients in several huts behind the restaurant.

Statements have also been taken from the clients, mostly fishermen.

KatoeyLover69

13-02-2006, 03:05 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 13 February 2006 :-

1,000 picked up in disco raid in Sectio 16

PETALING JAYA, Sun.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some 1,000 people were picked up during an early morning raid on a disco in Section 16 here, and 38 of them tested positive for drug abuse.

The revellers tried to flee when police, assisted by enforcement officers from the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council, moved in at 2.30am, but police blocked the exits.

The raid was led by state anti- vice, gaming and secret society division chief Superintendent Azman Ayob.

Due to the large number of detainees, police decided to conduct the urine tests at the police station.

The revellers were taken in police trucks to the Damansara police station. Because there was so many of them, the trucks had to make several trips, with the last one at 6am.

Azman said police found 35 Eramin 5 and Ecstasy pills strewn on the discotheque floor by patrons trying to evade arrest. Four men were also arrested for obstructing the police.

He said the 38 patrons, including 18 women, who failed the urine tests had been remanded.

The owner of the discotheque was also served with a notice for operating after permitted hours.

KatoeyLover69

13-02-2006, 03:12 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 13 February 2006 :-

Bigfoot lives in Johor jungles, says Ghani

Does Bigfoot really exist?

“Yes! Bigfoot exists in Johor,” said Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, adding that there was truth in recent reports that some orang asli had sighted the hairy giant brown ape near Kota Tinggi several months ago.

“The orang asli have the ability to sense the presence of Bigfoot by smelling the air and following the tracks. They are not known to make up stories,” he said when launching the Johor edition of the tabloid Kosmos! at Danga Bay on Saturday, according to Mingguan Malaysia.

“Backed by our own research, we are positive that Bigfoot exists in the jungles of Johor,” said Ghani.

Media reports of the creature, said to be furry and 24m to 30m tall, surfaced months ago when several orang asli workers claimed to have seen a family of Bigfoots lurking in the jungle.

KatoeyLover69

13-02-2006, 03:19 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 13 February 2006 :-

850 rounded up in discotheque raid

PETALING JAYA: Police rounded up 850 people in a pre-dawn raid at a discotheque here.

The group was among 2,000 people in the discotheque in a hotel when the raid was carried out jointly by police and the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council at 2.30am yesterday.

They were taken to the Damansara police station for urine tests.

Selangor anti-vice, gaming and secret society division chief Supt Azman Ayob said 20 men and 18 women tested positive for drugs.

He said police arrested four youths for obstructing the raiding parties from carrying out their duties.

Supt Azman said the 42 people detained, aged between 19 and 30, would be remanded until Thursday to assist in investigations.

The other 808 were released.

The local council also issued a summons against the discotheque operator for operating beyond the stipulated hours.

DRUG SCREENING: Some of those who were rounded up at the raid on the discotheque sitting on the ground at the Damansara police station as they await their turn for a urine test yesterday :-
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/13/nation/n_pg28damansara.jpg

KatoeyLover69

14-02-2006, 10:40 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 14 February 2006 :-

Johor Strait ‘a giant toxic sink’

JOHOR BARU, Mon.
------------------
Pollution in the Johor Strait is so bad that it could pose a health hazard unless concerted efforts are made to break the Causeway and flush out the "dead water".

Hydrologist Dr Low Kwai Sim, who has done extensive studies on water quality in the strait, described the waterway as "a giant toxic sink", filled with heavy metals and foul-smelling sewage and leachate.

She said the pollutants accumulated over the years and trapped on both sides of the 82-year-old crossing could not be flushed out to the open sea.

Consequently, the two "dead water" bodies flanking the Causeway will have the worst ecological conditions of any waterway or rivers in the country if left in the present state. The danger is that if the Causeway is not demolished to allow for the free flow of tides and currents, the pollution level could begin to impact people’s lives.

"There will be health hazards such as skin irritation and other ailments, including hair loss, if we sit back and do nothing to improve the water quality," Low told the New Straits Times.

She noted that the deteriorating water quality in the strait had been acknowledged by Malaysia and Singapore, which had jointly commissioned a scientific study in 1994.

Known as the Murray- North Report, it had recommended that the Causeway be broken to improve water quality by freeing harmful algal booms, bacteria and pollution now ensnared in the waters.

Although some of the ideas were eventually adopted and implemented, there has been no action since to do away with the Causeway.

"That was more than 12 years ago. Imagine how bad the water quality is now," said Low, a former Universiti Malaya professor and now the director of Asia Pacific Environmental Consultants Sdn Bhd.

Low said these conditions were due not only to pollution from rivers such as Sungai Segget, Sungai Pulai and Sungai Johor here, but also from across the strait in Singapore.

The Murray-North Report found conclusive evidence of discharges into the strait from the Kranji sewage plant. Warm-water discharge from the Senoko plant, it noted, had also contributed to the deterioration of water quality in the strait.

Low described this as Singapore’s "backyard syndrome", with activities there having a direct impact on Johor.

She pointed out that the five culverts under the Causeway on Malaysia’s side have been completely blocked and sealed by sediments over the years since the Causeway was built in April 1924.

"The only way out now is to demolish the Causeway and release the water," she said. "This will lead to oxygenation of the water, which is good for marine life."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Water quality ‘extremely low’

JOHOR BARU, Mon. — Dr Low Kwai Sim was commissioned by Gerbang Perdana, the contractor building the RM2.5 billion Southern Integrated Gateway (SIG) here, to undertake two environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies on the project, in March 2000 and February 2003.

The SIG comprises a bridge to replace the Causeway, a new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, the JB Sentral public transport terminal and other ancillary facilities.

Low said the EIA studies, which have been approved by the Department of Environment, showed the water quality near the Causeway to be "extremely low", with readings of dissolved oxygen between 3.4 and 5.5 milligramme per litre.

Low said some fish sampled found in the strait had also mutated due to ingestion of toxic materials.

She also found E.coli, which is faecal bacteria mainly from sewage, and ammonia and nitrogen levels to be very high in the water near the Causeway.

KatoeyLover69

16-02-2006, 12:16 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 15 February 2006 :-

Woman 'hunts' girls for boyfriend in JB

JOHOR BARU, Feb 14:
--------------------
First, the woman befriends teenage girls. Then she sweet-talks them into accompanying her to a hotel where her boyfriend rapes them.

At least two cases have been reported here against this deadly duo who also rob their victims of cash and valuables. Both the recent victims were salesgirls.

State CID chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said the suspects in both cases were believed to be the same couple as they had used the same modus operandi.

He said the latest victim was an 18-year-old sales assistant from Batu Pahat.

"The victim alleged that a woman friend had asked for a favour last Saturday. She wanted the victim to accompany her to Johor Baru in a Perodua Kembara driven by the former's boyfriend.

"When they reached Johor Baru, they dined together. Then all three checked into a budget hotel.

"After they checked into the hotel, the woman claimed that she had an urgent matter to attend to at the hotel lobby and left the room.

"That was when the man raped the teenager before robbing her of a handphone and bag," he said today.

Last week, a similar case was reported by a sales assistant in Ulu Tiram who claimed that she was duped by a young couple into following them to a hotel where she was raped and robbed.

"We are mounting a search for them. The man is in his early 20s while the woman is slightly younger."

He advised young women to be wary of strangers and refrain from accepting invitations for meals or trips.

KatoeyLover69

16-02-2006, 12:51 PM

Report from The Straits Times (S'pore) dated Thursday 16 February 2006 :-

S'pore rejects claim about pollution of Johor Strait

SINGAPORE'S High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has refuted claims by a hydrologist published in a Malaysian newspaper that discharges from the Republic had contributed to deterioration of water quality in the Johor Strait.

In an article headlined 'Johor Strait 'a giant toxic sink' in the New Straits Times (NST) on Tuesday, hydrologist Low Kwai Sim claimed that a report jointly commissioned by Singapore and Malaysia had found conclusive evidence that discharges from the Kranji sewage plant and Senoko plant had polluted the water.

'The only way out now is to demolish the Causeway and release the water,' she was quoted as saying.

In a letter to NST yesterday, Mr Gerald Ho, press officer of the Singapore High Commission, said Dr Low's claim was 'untrue'.

He said: 'The Murray-North report identified the main sources of pollution as Sungei Segget, Sungei Skudai, Sungei Tebrau, Pasir Gudang and Sungei Johor.

'It noted that to improve water quality in the strait, it was necessary to remove pollution in the form of untreated sewage, and wastewater from industries and agriculture at source.'

He added: 'On the Singapore side, the only source of pollution identified was treated effluent from two water reclamation plants.

'Singapore is diverting this treated effluent away from the Strait of Johor and into the Strait of Singapore through a deep tunnel sewerage system, which is now under construction.'

In addition, he noted that Singapore's major rivers have been, or are in the process of being, dammed up to form reservoirs to collect water for drinking.

The Causeway was not identified as the cause of pollution in the Strait of Johor in the Murray-North report. It said: 'Indications from the study are that Causeway opening could not be justified in benefit/cost terms in either the short or long term. Benefits are restricted to a marginal improvement in dissolved oxygen levels.'

The Singapore and Malaysian environment ministries had jointly engaged Murray-North Pte Ltd to undertake a hydraulic and water quality study in the Strait of Johor in 1993.

NST said Dr Low, a former Universiti Malaya professor and now the director of Asia Pacific Environmental Consultants, had conducted two environmental impact studies for Gerbang Perdana, the contractor for the multi-billion-ringgit Southern Integrated Gateway project, which includes replacing the Causeway with a bridge.

KatoeyLover69

16-02-2006, 04:15 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 16 February 2006 :-

Works Ministry launches 24-hour public complaints bureau

KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs.
----------------------
The Works Ministry has launched a 24-hour public complaints bureau which will operate seven days a week to solve problems that arise, its minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said today.

He assured the public that "no matter how trivial the complaints are" they would get the Ministry's attention, reported Bernama.

He said the bureau, chaired by the Ministry's secretary-general, would meet every fortnight to solve problems lodged by the public.

The public can lodge their complaints via toll free numbers 1-800-88-5004 or 1-800-88-7752, by e-mail to [email protected] and via SMS by typing JKR and send to 37278 (DAPAT).

The setting up of the bureau is part of efforts to beef up the Ministry's performance.

Samy Vellu said the Ministry would also set up a committee to monitor the implementation of projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

"The ministry does not want problems which arose in the implementation of the Eighth Malaysia Plan to recur," he told a Press conference after the Ministry's monthly assembly here.

zhivago

17-02-2006, 08:08 AM

To Singaporean Samster who intended to come in JB tomorrow nite (18/02/2006), be noted that some of the major roads will be closed for the Chingay Procession from 6.00pm to 12.00am.

Cheers.

KatoeyLover69

17-02-2006, 01:47 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 17 February 2006 :-

Growing interest in Bigfoot

JOHOR BARU, Thurs.
-------------------
With just the Causeway separating Johor from Singapore, it is no surprise that there is growing interest in the republic about the "Johor Bigfoot".

While the State Government is preparing its scientific expedition in April to track down the creature, a group from Singapore has conducted a Bigfoot experiment in Batam.

Members of the Singapore Paranormal Investigators group had planned a search in the jungles of Johor earlier this month, but their request to the Johor National Park Corporation for permission was turned down.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had announced that local scientists would carry out their own study to verify any Bigfoot evidence and compile data before inviting foreign groups wishing to explore the phenomena.

Worldwide interest in the Johor Bigfoot was sparked by a report in the New Straits Times on Dec 23 of three workers building a fishpond in Kampung Mawai, Kota Tinggi, who claimed to have seen a Bigfoot family of two adults and a child.

The report also carried a photograph by a Johor Malaysian Nature Society member of what was claimed to be Bigfoot’s footprints.

International Bigfoot websites such as the Bigfoot Research Organisation and Cryptomundo are running online discussions and advisories on the Johor Bigfoot.

Cryptomundo recently ran an interview with Bangkok- based travel correspondent and author Harold Stephens.

He claimed to have mountted the first Bigfoot expedition in the Endau-Rompin jungles in the 1970s.

In the interview, Stephens said he first entered Endau- Rompin on the invitation of a member of the Johor royalty for a fishing trip.

At a village on Sungai Endau, he heard talk of a hairy jungle giant and a prehistoric carving of an elephant on a mountain top. He searched libraries on Bigfoot sightings dating back three centuries in the country, before mounting his expedition with a team that included Orang Asli.

His group found giant footprints measuring 30cm in length and half that in width on a sandbar near a river.

He said a great deal of Press publicity came of his group’s discovery, including a cover story of Argosy magazine in 1971.

Relating the details of his expedition, Stephens said: "After reaching the 12th rapids beyond the tributary of the Kimchin River, we began exploring the riverbanks, looking for tracks.

"The banks were a maze of tracks: deer, pig, turtle, monitor lizard, elephant, tiger, leopard, rhino. Tiger tracks were the most frequent, some the size of a man’s hand."

It was then that he saw the enormous human-like footprints, which ex-combat photographer Kurt Rolfes shot.

Stephens said the creature that had made them had come down from the jungle and entered the water where the tracks disappeared.

EVIDENCE ? The giant footsteps discovered by Stephens' group during the expedition in Endau-Rompin in the 1970s
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Friday/National/bigfoot.JPG

KatoeyLover69

17-02-2006, 02:05 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 17 February 2006 :-

JCorp ups investment in convention centre

JOHOR Corp (JCorp) has doubled its investment in the development of the Persada Johor International Convention Centre (PJICC), located in Johor Baru, to RM100 million to optimise the PJICC's potential.

The developer and manager of the convention centre is Puteri Hotels Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JCorp.

"The investment is now at RM100 million (compared with RM50 million earlier) for bigger space which includes additional wings and additional car park facility," Puteri Hotels managing director John J. Roozemond said.

"During the construction we realised (PJICC) has more potential and we wanted to absolutely maximise the space," he said.

"The built-up area is 1.74ha, of the total 2.43ha available. Earlier it was 1.42ha," Roozemond said, adding that the PJICC is half the size of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The extension includes widening the entire convention and exhibition space as well as increasing the car park bays to 16,000 from 11,000 initially.

As such, the convention centre can host up to 2,100 delegates in classroom style with its column- free facility, 2,000 in seated banqueting and 2,500 in theatre style.

As a result of the expansion and heavy rains late last year, the opening of the convention centre has been delayed by a few months to October, from its earlier scheduled opening in August this year.

"Sixty per cent of the superstructure is complete, and we will be targeting to open in October this year," Roozemond said during a preview of the PJICC's progress in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

KatoeyLover69

17-02-2006, 02:12 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 17 February 2006 :-

Malaysia's 20 Richest Men

“Sugar King” Robert Kuok Hock Nien has topped Malaysian Business' 40 richest men list for the third consecutive year, beating his closest rival, T. Ananda Krishnan, by a wide margin.

As in previous years, the wealth of the top 40 individuals was assessed based on the value of their stakes in listed companies as at Jan 20.

According to Malaysian Business, on the whole, more tycoons see their paper wealth decline in 2006, due largely to the lacklustre performance on Bursa Malaysia.

It said that in 2006, thanks to Kuok, the combined wealth of the 40 richest Malaysians increased marginally to RM79.42bil, compared with RM78.23bil a year earlier.

Malaysia's 20 Richest Men :
http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/17/business/list.jpg

KatoeyLover69

18-02-2006, 02:53 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 18 February 2006 :-

Web designer to hang for killing Russian girlfriend

KLANG, Feb 17:
--------------
An Internet web designer was sentenced to death by the High Court today for stabbing a Russian woman 19 times when she rejected his expression of love and proposals for marriage.

Chian Swee Ong, 36, was charged with murdering the 22-year-old woman he knew as Sara at his home in 11/a Jalan USJ 13/5B in Subang at 5am on Dec 13, 2002.

He merely nodded when an interpreter asked if he understood the verdict and told the court he wanted to call his sister to tell her the news.

Judge K.N. Segera, in handing down the sentence, said he had no choice but to reject the defence of sudden and grave provocation because of the lack of evidence.

"I have no doubt that you loved the deceased but there is no indication that she reciprocated the love," he said, adding that the relationship was one of customer and client.

Segera said his hands were tied despite finding the accused to be honourable by surrendering to the police and honest during his testimony.

"Your lawyers have fought very hard for you, but the law is clear and must run its course. There is only one sentence for the offence, which is death by hanging," he said.

During his own testimony, Chian (right) said he met Sara at the Lisa De Inn Spa in Petaling Jaya where she worked as a prostitute in August 2002 and he used her services between 10 and 20 times, paying RM260 on each occasion.

Chian said he also paid between RM800 and RM1,000 to take her out to a hotel or back to his house six and seven times.

He said he started to fall in love with her in late October that year. He told her so and proposed to her. He said Sara promised to marry him but had asked him to wait.

In November 2002, Sara moved to Kim Lady, an entertainment centre in Puchong where she worked as a guest relations officer. Chian said he went there often after work to meet her.

On Dec 12, he went to Kim Lady where he proposed to her again and asked her to stop working but she refused and an argument ensued.

Chian admitted slapping her during the argument and she slapped him back before he left. He said he was remorseful for hitting her and called her numerous times on her handphone but she refused to entertain his calls.

In desperation, he returned to Kim Lady at 3am and paid the establishment RM800 to take her home for the night.

Chian said at his house he apologised profusely to her and repeatedly declared his love before they had sexual intercourse in the hall.

He said Sara told him he did not really love her because he had hit her but he told her he loved her and would die for her. In an attempt to prove his love, Chian said he consumed 19 Uphamol pills but Sara only laughed at him. He took a knife from a cupboard in the house and slashed his own hand but again, Sara only laughed at him.

He said Sara then told him that she had come to Malaysia for the sole purpose of making money and was nice to him because of his money.

Chian said by this time, he had already spent RM20,000 and he felt angry. He lost control of himself and stabbed her multiple times.

He said everything happened so fast that he was unclear what actually happened. When Sara fell to the ground he panicked and attempted to kill himself.

Chian said he stabbed himself several times in the chest and consumed Harpic and Jif toilet cleaners but he only fell asleep at 10am the next day.

He said he left the house and checked himself into a hotel in Klang where he tried to kill himself by consuming rat poison, Dettol and Clorox.

Chian said he only returned to his house on Dec 16 and saw Sara lying motionless in his hall. He went to see his sister in Taman Eng Ann in Klang and she advised him to give himself up. He then surrendered to police.

When the body of the deceased was recovered, it was so badly decomposed that a positive identification was never established.

For the first time, the court ruled that the identity of a deceased was immaterial and called for the accused to enter his defence.

Chian was defended by Lee Cheng Theng and S. Ramesh while deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin prosecuted.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Saturday/National/20060218082802/Article/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/kill.jpg

KatoeyLover69

18-02-2006, 02:54 PM

KatoeyLover69

18-02-2006, 02:56 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 18 February 2006 :-

Bigfoot’s 4am howls?

KOTA TINGGI, Feb 17:
----------------------
Did residents of Kampung Lukut at the foothills of Gunung Panti wake up over the past four mornings to the call of the "Johor Bigfoot"?

Some believe the spine-chilling howls they heard about 4am could be coming from the creature.

Dicky Darwis Abdul Rahman, whose family owns a 40- hectare oil palm plantation at the foothills of the mountain, said plantation workers had reported the phenomenon to him.

He said they had described it as a cross between the cry of a monkey and a wild pig.

"The workers who regularly go hunting in the nearby jungle know how to differentiate the calls of the various animals in the jungle and they are convinced that the roars were unlike that of any known animal."

Dicky Darwis said some of the workers had gone into the jungle to investigate and found many large footprints, especially at a nearby riverbank and hilltop.

They also found branches and leaves of trees in the area stripped clean up to a height of about 3m.

He added that before his father set up the plantation, the area was virgin jungle, where tigers and elephants used to roam.

"All the recent sightings of the Bigfoot and cases of elephants in this area, which is connected to the Mawai area, could be due to logging activities in the jungles."

He said his father, a former Johor Baru city councillor and retired factory manager, was excited about the new Bigfoot evidence and felt the whole area should be protected.

Dicky Darwis’ family had a visit today from a television crew from the British Broadcasting Corporation, which wanted to interview him for a preview of a television documentary.

The crew was led by BBC's Kuala Lumpur-based correspondent, Jonathan Kent.

The crew had earlier visited the adjoining Kampung Temening Lama area where villagers found 50cm-long footprints last month, believed to be that of the Johor Bigfoot .

There were also many footprints found in the jungle, where the creature was believed to have climbed a hill and disappeared into the interior.

The NST had earlier reported Dicky darwis’s account of how a search for Bigfoot conducted in the 1990s at Air Hitam by his late game warden brother had produced faeces samples and cement casts of the creature’s footprints.

He said the analysis of the faeces indicated that Bigfoot survived on leaves.

He added that the search party led by his brother, Abdul Jalil, had found an area in the jungle which was unusually clean with most trees bare of leaves up to a certain height.

Despite the announcement by the State Government that foreign media would only be invited to cover the Bigfoot story after local scientists had established a proper databank on the creature, two foreign media groups besides the BBC arrived here today.

They included a seven-man crew from a United States-based firm producing documentaries for television networks, and a cameraman from KBS 2TV, South Korea.

Malaysian Datuk

18-02-2006, 03:02 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 17 February 2006 :-

Malaysia's 20 Richest Men :
http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/17/business/list.jpg
I just missed the list.....I at lumber 21 :D

KatoeyLover69

18-02-2006, 10:32 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 18 February 2006 :-

Fresh 'Bigfoot' footprints located near a stream in Panti Forest

JOHOR BARU, Sat:
-----------------
PHYSICAL evidence of what could have been Bigfoot's was today found at the foothills of Panti Forest by bio-diversity researchers and media who investigated claims by villagers that they heard the creature's spine-chilling calls on Tuesday.

Following a three-hour trek into the jungle near Kampung Lukut in Panti, the team saw giant footprints and broken foliage two metres above ground which could only have been reached by a tall creature/s.

It was reported yesterday that residents of Kampung Lukut had been rudely awakened by the howling over the past four days.

Local biodiversity researcher Vincent Chow who led the group, including the NST and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) media crew, said although wild buffaloes in the area had trampled over the tracks found at a stream, the group managed to find some untouched footprints believed to have been made by Bigfoot.

Plantation worker Yazid Jaafar, 29, said he first saw the footprints on Tuesday while investigating the source of the early morning howling.

"We could clearly see the large human like footprints with four toes and big toe bent about 90 degrees away from the other toes like a monkey's foot. The footprint tracks stretched along the banks of the stream.

"The creature appeared to have walked along the bank, probably feeding on leaves growing there before returning into the jungle," he said.

CONCRETE EVIDENCE: Researcher Chow (right) and Yazid measuring the freshly made giant footprints by the stream.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Saturday/NewsBreak/bf1.jpg

BIGFOOT: Look at the size of the footprint compared to the one made by a human (left).
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Saturday/NewsBreak/bf2.jpg

MORE EVIDENCE: A trackker showing a twig that could have been broken by the creature or creatures.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Saturday/NewsBreak/bf3.jpg

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 09:04 AM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

SHOCKING PLUNDER[/COLOR]: Looters turn posh condo resort into an empty shell

By Lau Meisan

JOHOR BARU, Feb 18:
---------------------
Thieves have reduced a once up-market condominium resort in Bandar Seri Alam to a shell, carting away residents’ belongings, furnishings and even doors by the lorry loads.

The[COLOR="DarkOrange"] Anjung Seri Resort is in such a sorry state that many would be excused for thinking it was slated for the wrecking ball.

The sad truth is this: the 11-year-old property is barely recognisable as the prime neighbourhood that once drew droves of Malaysians and Singaporeans looking for their dream apartment.

Today, many of the 190 units, developed by Resort Habitat Sdn Bhd, are without doors or windows with expensive fittings, appliances and furniture, having gone missing over time.

Even Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s generator and compressor have not been spared.

It all began in October last year when residents returning over the weekend found that their units had been broken into and belongings missing.

But their problems really started from Dec 18 when large-scale looting was believed to have been carried out.

The single security guard on duty daily posed no deterrent to the thieves.

The residents had lodged 40 police reports since October last year.

According to residents’ committee spokesman Jackson Chia, things were great in the first two years after the resort was completed in 1994.

"Most of the units were occupied by expatriates and my family enjoyed our weekends here," he said at a Press conference today attended by 40 owners.

But their woes began in 1997 during the Asian financial crisis when Singaporeans and other foreigners moved out.

Most of the units were left vacant with owners, including locals, unable to find new tenants or buyers.

"Since then, it has been neglected. Over time, thieves started breaking in. Numerous police reports have been lodged but to no avail.

"Although we complained to the management, the break-ins became more frequent late last year with nothing being done to stop them."

The last straw was in January when some owners who visited their units found them completely stripped.

Chia said the sole security guard claimed to have seen people ferrying resident’s belongings in lorries.

"When I asked him why he did not stop them. He just told me that there were too many of them and he dared not confront them alone."

Committee chairman Lim Chin Hoe wants the Housing and Local Government Ministry to look into the matter.

He said it was hard to ascertain the total loss incurred which many feel could run into hundreds of thousands.

A resident, who declined to be identified, said he could not believe that the management had allowed the thefts to occur.

"How could thefts on such a massive scale occur? Didn’t anyone care?’ he asked.

According to resident S.S. Goh, who paid RM240,000 for his unit, some residents had been paying the RM140 monthly management fee.

Robert Gomes, a 64-year-old retiree who bought his unit for RM370,000, was shocked to find his unit empty of everything, even the doors and windows were missing.

"I visited the place two months ago and the doors and windows were intact. Today, there is nothing left," he said.

Residents had another problem awaiting them today. The lift could not be used as the stolen generator had not been replaced.

"I had to walk up the stairs to my eighth floor unit," said an angry Gomes.

Teng Kwok Kheong, one of the 37 Singaporean owners, was shocked to find the front door to his unit missing.

"They plundered my unit. They took everything ...television sets, sofas and expensive paintings," he said.

According to Perpetual Gain Sdn Bhd, which stopped managing the resort last October, the property was in the hands of a liquidator, S.C. Corporate Sdn Bhd.

Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Roslan Ahmad said police were aware of the matter which was under investigation.

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 09:11 AM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

RM44.5b target from tourism during Visit Malaysia Year 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18:
-----------------------
The Tourism Ministry has set an ambitious target — RM44.5 billion in revenue during Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

"Revenue from tourism in 2005 was around RM30 billion, and it should surpass that this year, but 2007 is a special year, it’s also the nation’s 50th anniversary," said Datuk Dr Victor Wee, the secretary-general of Tourism Malaysia.

Wee said this at at a Chinese New Year gathering jointly organised by the Kuala Lumpur Tourist Association (KLTA) and the Ministry of Tourism at the National Museum today.

He said the biggest segment of tourists was still from Singapore, but the number of tourists from Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, China and the Middle East was fast increasing as well.

"Increased efforts to promote Malaysia as a ‘meeting, incentives, conference and exhibitions’ (Mice) destination is also our top priority."

Wee said Mice-related tourists spend at least double the average tourist, and the Ministry wanted to increase the numbers to at least eight per cent from the present two per cent of the overall tourist numbers.

He also said the "Malaysia Welcomes the World" campaign was a key factor in making 2007 a successful year for the local tourism industry. "The campaign involves everyone, from government officials to taxi drivers and basically all Malaysians. We hope all frontliners will be ready to welcome all tourists with our gracious hospitality."

Datuk Shamsul Falak Kadir, the chairman of KLTA, said, "promoting Malaysian cultural experiences and our warm hospitality to tourists is our main objective today".

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 09:14 AM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

Adnan's twin tourism targets

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 18:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wooing Chinese tourists and promoting rural tourism are among the top priorities for newly-appointed Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

These are among the strategies to boost tourism revenue to US$10 billion (RM37.09 billion) by 2010. The figure at present stands at US$7.9 billion (RM29.3 billion), he said.

Tengku Adnan said he had met former Tourism Ministers Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad and Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, to get a better understanding of the industry.

"The top priority is to increase tourist arrivals," he said at Sekolah Menengah Kebangssan Putrajaya Precinct 9 today.

Tengku Adnan, who is the Putrajaya MP, was attending the school's Deepa-Raya-Gong Xi Unity Day celebration.

"I have also met my deputy, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, to talk about attracting Chinese tourists. We will have to have PR (public relations) strategies for China as it is a big country,"

Tengku Adnan also wants to meet the Menteris Besars, Chief Ministers and state executive councilors in charge of tourism to discuss ways to promote the rural attractions of each State.

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 09:23 AM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

Khoo Kay Kim - The 'lonely bridge builder'

Feb 19:
--------
Datuk Khoo Kay Kim, one of the architects of the Rukun Negara after the riots of May 13, 1969, is clearly unhappy with the fabric of racial unity today. The historian tells WAN HAMIDI HAMID that race relations between Malaysians are at their most fragile in nearly 40 years.

HE is one of the few who can lay claim to being an active member of the prospective, but elusive, Bangsa Malaysia.

Coming from rural Teluk Intan, he is fluent in Bahasa Malaysia, loves P. Ramlee songs, is married to an Indian lady, and has three sons who share his love for culture, the arts and people.

Yet, Khoo is unhappy. He believes that he may be one of just a few in this seemingly exclusive club in a nation that appears to be generally pulling in opposite communal directions after 49 years of independence.

The Professor Emeritus at Universiti Malaya's History Department has just cause to sound depressed after nearly a lifetime of championing racial unity.

He points to lacklustre achievements in racial unity as proof that communal ties are at their most delicate in nearly four decades.

The root of the problem, as he sees it, lies in:

* a national school system that has become more communal despite its supposed non-ethnic and non-religious status;

* the participation of political parties in national unity committees; and,

* Malaysians ignoring the fifth tenet of Rukun Negara: good behaviour and morality.

He blames the education system which has become more communal despite its supposed non-ethnic and non-religious status for the growing division between the races.

Khoo, 69, says politicians planned their strategies according to the actual situation and hence fed on the problem.

"They feel that if they strengthen the position of the Malays, the Malays will think as one, and then they will always get votes from the Malays," he said.

This takes him to the second reason behind the problem: politicians who worsen the situation through their participation in national unity panels.

"Each political representative always feels he must fight for his own party.

"Since we have mostly ethnic parties, they are fighting for their own ethnic groups. It is very difficult to achieve any kind of consensus.

"For ethnic champions to survive, society must always be in a state of flux.

"If you don't do anything positive, things will get worse and worse. You have to address the problem."

Khoo understands that for a politician to get mass support, he must be seen as a champion of his ethnic group.

However, Khoo, who yearns for a day when Malaysians will share a single identity, warns that racial unity would continue to elude the nation if politicians persisted in harping on racial lines.

Khoo, a Human Rights Commissioner, is more than qualified to speak about racial unity.

He was called upon to help mend differences between the races as the nation lay smouldering after the May 13 race riots.

Khoo did not hesitate when the National Action Council asked him to sit on the committee to find ways to prevent the clashes from recurring.

The council, chaired by Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, was the governing body during the 1969 emergency.

"Prior to May 13, I was deeply disturbed by the kind of political campaigning that was going on. It was very ethnic; one ethnic group attacking another."

Headed by Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, the committee's membership comprised prominent Malaysians such as the late Tan Sri Zain Azraai and Tan Sri C. Selvarajah.

During the emergency, Parliament was suspended and the committee met at Parliament to discuss issues.

Among other things, they formulated the Rukun Negara, based on Indonesia's Pancasila. It was not a state ideology as in Indonesia, but more a guideline for citizens to live by.

They formulated the principles of Rukun Negara in such a way that common people would understand, as it would express the tenets of nationhood.

"For example, the first principle of belief in God does not mean we have to have a faith but since the majority of Malaysians are religious believers, it was only fair to make it the main tenet of the Rukun Negara," he said.

Khoo feels that a third reason for diminishing racial ties is the general disregard among Malaysians for the fifth tenet of the Rukun Negara: good behaviour and morality.

He feels that the races would be pulling together if more Malaysians practised the fifth tenet.

The affable academic, who has also helped shape the National Culture Policyhas been through two racial disturbances.

He was eight years old when he witnessed his first race riot.

It was 1945 and the mostly-Chinese Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) were exacting revenge on Japanese collaborators in the aftermath of World War II.

The CPM and its military wing, the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army, had no mercy for Chinese miners and traders, and some Malays, seen as "enemies of the people" for helping the Japanese during the Occupation.

It was a matter of time before the Malays retaliated.

Khoo still remembers the violent clashes in Teluk Intan which had a profound effect on him.

"I always see myself as a bridge builder rather than a champion of any ethnic group.

"If I were very much a champion of the Chinese, how could I get across to the Malays? What we need today are more bridge builders, not ethnic champions."

His schooldays, to a large extent, shaped the way he saw society.

"During my schooldays, the most important thing in our football team was that we must win.

"We didn't care if the players were Malays, Chinese or Indians. If you're the best player, you're in the team."

Is there a way out of the ethnic quagmire?

"Teach cultural history," says the man who has been teaching history for a good 40 years.

Khoo believes the teaching of history in Malaysia is too political, preventing children from learning more about other cultures.

"Of course I don't like the idea of interfering with history. But if you teach cultural history, you don't have to shape it to what you want. You can expose the children to cultural reality."

For example, many Malaysians do not know the difference between a Punjabi and a Bengali.

Some have strange ideas about the religions of their friends and neighbours. All this is due to ignorance.

How does he feel that almost 37 years after he helped formulate the Rukun Negara and other basic principles of national unity, Malaysians are still polarised?

"What we have tried to do, unfortunately, never got through to the people. We were fighting against obstacles which were more potent.

"We called for national unity, understanding and tolerance, but at the ground level, we did not promote this idea.

"We didn't teach the children in such a way that they can begin to know one another's culture."

Is he satisfied with what he has achieved?

"I always feel that I have achieved very little. My conclusion is that when you're a true Malaysian, you're a very lonely person.

"It is because we're all divided by cliques. And when you're not with one, you're left out."

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 04:34 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

Bigfoot existence still in doubt

JOHOR BARU: The existence of Johor’s Bigfoot continues to be shrouded in mystery despite two sets of revelations by different groups here.

The Johor Wildlife Protection Society claimed that up to 40 Bigfoot creatures were living in the jungles in the state, including one that is supposedly 60 years old and nearing death.

At the same time, an expedition led by bio-researcher Vincent Chow said they had found two strands of hair embedded in dry clay in the jungles of Panti which could hold the key to prove the creatures exist.

The society called for a press conference to say that one of their members, who has been living in the jungle for the past six years, has seen a group of Bigfoot and knows where they live.

But when pressed for more details, society secretary Tay Teng Hwa claimed that the evidence, including images, were “locked away in a safe”.

“We cannot give everything out all at once, or there won’t be anymore story,” he said.

He said the press conference was called to put pressure on the state government to disallow foreigners to enter the jungle for the purpose of looking for Bigfoot.

Tay said it would be embarrassing if foreigners, instead of Malaysians, discovered Bigfoot.

Chow told The Star that members of his expedition came upon the hairs near shoots that the creature might have been feeding on.

He said the strands would be sent for DNA testing to ascertain what sort of creature they belonged to.

“At this point, we don’t know for sure what it is, but we hope that it might belong to the Bigfoot,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 04:49 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

164 picked up at ‘mainly male pub’

KUALA LUMPUR: Police raided a “mainly male pub” in Bukit Bintang area here and rounded up 164 people, including 11 workers, for drug tests.

Of those picked up, 142 were male customers, aged between 19 and 60.

Dang Wangi deputy OCPD Supt Mohd Rodzi Ismail said seven people tested positive for drugs during the crime prevention operation that began at 1am yesterday.

“We recovered two rolls of ganja cigarettes and five Ecstasy pills on the floor of the premises,” he said.

In another raid at the spa centre of a hotel in the same area yesterday, police arrested six foreign women suspected of being involved in vice activities.

The women, aged between 24 and 36, were nabbed at a staircase near the centre.

Police believed they were trying to escape to the higher floor of the building to evade arrest.

TAKEN INTO CUSTODY: A plainclothes officer (right) escorting the foreign women nabbed at the hotel’s spa centre to a police car yesterday. They are believed to be involved in vice activities.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/19/nation/vice.jpg

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 04:58 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

Bridge over troubled waters

It has been called the scenic bridge and crooked bridge, but Malaysia has decided to go ahead and build its half of the controversial bridge over the Johor Strait. JOCELINE TAN looks at the arguments behind the decision that caught the Singapore side off-guard.

DATUK Ghani Othman must have felt that he had come full circle when he learnt that Malaysia was going ahead with the bridge project.

Ghani had been Johor Mentri Besar for barely a year when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad arrived in Johor Baru to launch a waterfront project.

That was when the idea of a bridge was mooted, and in quite typical Mahathir style, the former Premier told the media that, yes, it was his hope that one day, the causeway would be replaced by a bridge.

He had said it rather casually but, as folk on both sides of the causeway know all too well, nothing is ever really casual about Dr Mahathir.

“I remember being quite excited. Knowing Dr Mahathir, the willpower is always there,” said Ghani.

That was in July 1996. Now, close to a decade on, Malaysia has decided to go ahead with or without Singapore’s agreement.

Malaysia intends to build its portion of the bridge and, more significant, Putrajaya recently gave the green light for work to start on the bridge.

Ghani’s response to the news was plain relief.

“It's been 10 years of waiting,” he said.

The structure curves in a soft V-shape from the Johor side to the mid-point of the existing causeway. It has also been called a variety of names –crooked bridge, half bridge and, more recently, scenic bridge.

Ghani, not exactly famous for a sense of humour, said: “I prefer to call it the bridge.”

But Dr Mahathir, rather cheekily, asked whether the scenic bridge was spelt as “c-y-n-i-c.. "

Still, the elder statesman was pleased as punch.

“If you want to wait (till Singapore agreed) you can wait till kingdom come,” he had added

Said a Johor Umno figure: “I think Putrajaya got fed-up. The talks seemed to be going on forever.”

Singapore has asked for official clarification on the situation but it is evident the island state was caught off-guard by the Malaysian decision.

Talks between the two countries were still going on when Malaysia took the unilateral decision.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Albar has indicated that talks for a full bridge over the Johor Strait would continue.

And meanwhile, there was no reason why Malaysia could not build its end of the bridge. It is Malaysia’s right and sovereignty, Syed Hamid said, to carry out work in her own territorial water and land area.

“The scenic bridge is not a subject of negotiation,” he said referring to Singapore's request for the sale of sand from Malaysia and the use of Malaysian airspace as trade-offs.

So why does Malaysia want the bridge whereas Singapore does not seem so keen?

Malaysia’s reasons revolve largely around the fact that the bridge is part of the mega-infrastructure that includes the customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex that is nearing completion.

The project would help ease cross-strait traffic congestion as well as that in Johor Baru, boost economic growth, ease pollution in the straits and make it more accessible to sea vessels.

Singapore’s reluctance is reportedly connected to the cost of financing a project which it finds less than necessary.

They are not convinced about the argument behind the pollution in the strait. They also claim that they are not worried about greater access to Johor’s Tanjong Pelepas port because efficiency is still the key factor in port growth.

“It’s not as though it’s the Isthmus of Kra,” one Singapore official had said.

But it is no secret that both countries are keen rivals in the modern world especially when it comes to foreign investments, commercial growth and tourism.

The circumstances of the 1965 separation continue to bring a touchy edge to almost everything that happens between the two countries, including discussions on the bridge.

Malaysians find Singaporeans patronising whereas Singaporeans think Malaysia is trying to play the “big brother.”

After so many years, both sides are still learning how to live with each other.

“It’s not a question of one-upmanship. They are still not sure of who we are. We appreciate their need for water but they have to learn to respect what we want,” said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad.

Shahrir, who had been against the bridge, seems to have come around to the idea.

“I’m happy to be proven wrong,” he said.

The outspoken MP was invited to join the annual “golf diplomacy” meet of the two foreign ministries in Singapore earlier this month.

In between the fun and games, Shahrir told some of his golf partners what he thought of Singapore’s sand and airspace request in exchange for agreeing to a full bridge.

“It’s like saying, okay, we’ll cooperate to build a garden fence between our homes but you have to let me use your toilet and allow me to park my car in your driveway.”

Former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Musa Hitam said it a little more humorously during a talk in Singapore last month.

“Please believe me, those kampung fellas over there, they have become very clever, they know how to count and strategise. Don’t talk down to them, stop patronising them and, most of all, don’t mistake their politeness for submissiveness,” said Musa.

There was a moment of stunned silence before the audience burst into applause.

But perhaps the most encouraging sign that ties are on a new level is the public civility despite the bumps and humps – there were alleged reports of tall poppy behaviour and walk-outs – during talks between the two countries.

Much of the credit has to go to the top leadership of the two states.

The impeccable décorum on the part of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has helped to forge the civility.

He has made a very clear stand on the half-bridge but he has not tried to score political points by fuelling debate on it.

Government ties aside, the ordinary citizens on both sides have a much more symbiotic relationship than their leaders would care to admit.

The spending power of Singaporeans is important to the local economy of Johor whereas the islanders benefit from the value-for-money shopping and dining-out in Johor.

“We can’t run away from it. They eat here, shop here and even buy property here. Local businesses feel it when things are tense between us. You can immediately see fewer Singapore number-plates in JB,” said Ayer Itam MP Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Both sides watch each other's TV stations so much so that Astro reportedly had difficulty penetrating the Johor market.

“We used to joke that some Johorians watch Singapore channels so regularly that they can probably sing Majulah Singapura (the Singapore national anthem) as well as our own Negaraku,” said Dr Wee.

And if Dr Wee seems particularly sensitive to the state of bilateral ties, it is because his constituency produces agricultural goods which are exported to Singapore.

“Yes, some of the so-called ‘Singapore lychee’ (rambutan) and orchids that Singapore re-exports as its own comes from my constituency,” he said with a laugh.

The Malaysian side is unfazed by talk that a half bridge will be an awkward testimony to the often testy relations between Malaysia and Singapore.

“But I still hope it will be a straight bridge otherwise it'll be the Eighth Wonder of the World,” said Dr Wee.

At the same time, there are many Malaysians who would not mind an Eighth Wonder.

SCENIC BRIDGE: Malaysia has taken the bull by the horns and decided to go ahead with its half of the bridge across the Johor Strait. Abdullah and Ghani (far left) being briefed by bridge consultant Datuk Yahya Jalil. — STARpic by KENNETH WONG
http://thestar.com.my/archives/special/columns/2006/2/19/joceline/n_22paklah.jpg

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 05:00 PM

KatoeyLover69

19-02-2006, 05:19 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 19 February 2006 :-

Private zoo at Saleng, Johor with lots to offer

In a private zoo in Johor live two rather unlikely friends, a small two-year-old macaque and an old retired racing horse.

According to Pak Sakur, one of the workers at the Saleng Zoo in Kulai, it was love at first sight for little Mary, a female berok, when she first set eyes on staid old Sandang.

He said Mary would follow the horse around everywhere it went, and insisted on riding Sandang as the horse went on its walks.

“If Sandang didn’t want her on its back, Mary would kick up a fuss until Sandang gave in,” he said laughingly.

Mary and Sandang are just two of the animals to be found in this private zoo, about 37km from Johor Baru town, that boasts of about 2,000 animals from over 68 species.

Caretaker and animal trainer J. Siva Priyan who had Jim, the gibbon hanging from his neck, said it was common for the animals in the zoo to have pet names.

“Sometimes I name them, sometimes my friends and visitors suggest names.

“For instance, Mamat and Minah are our two orang utans, while our bears have names like Bobo, Pancho, Kiki, Ah Boon and Ah Siong. We also have Misai, a wild boar,” he said, adding that a tapir that weighed more than 100kg was named Baby.

Siva said Saleng Zoo is also home to 18 tigers and two lions.

“We also have something rather unusual, an enclosure that is shared by the Raja brothers, both of which are tigers, and Simba and Elsa, which are lions,” he said.

One visitor, Liang Gold Sun, 43, an operations manager said he first started going to the zoo 10 years ago.

“I like coming here because the zoo operator takes care of the animals and the place looks cosy and clean,” he added.

Liang who had come with his wife, three daughters and his maid said that his children enjoyed looking at the tigers the most.

“Every year you come, you can see the improvement, especially in the tiger enclosure,” he said.

Opened by owner Chai Sip Yee of T.C Arapaima & Tropical Fish Sdn Bhd 12 years ago, the zoo also houses a 200-year-old alligator snapping turtle, the world’s largest freshwater turtle.

The zoo opens daily from 9.30am to 7pm. The entrance fee is RM12 for adults and RM6 for children.

The zoo is located at Lot 3777, Batu 17 1/2, Jalan Raya, Saleng, 81400 Senai, Johor.

Tan Kim Leong, 32, cradling his son Zhi Heng, three, and Jim the gibbon as animal trainer Siva watches.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/18/southneast/p8tan.jpg

Zoo owner Chai stroking one of the tigers as they play with each other, while Simba the lion tries to join in the game.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/18/southneast/p8tigers.jpg

Pak Sakur feeding the long-horned Angoli cattle from Africa.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/18/southneast/p8angoli.jpg

The Arapaima fish (centre) and children playing with ostriches.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/18/southneast/p8ostriches.jpg

KatoeyLover69

20-02-2006, 04:45 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 20 February 2006 :-

'Bigfoot' also spotted in Endau-Rompin forests by Orang Asli

ROMPIN, Mon:
--------------
APPARENTLY the so-called ‘Bigfoot’ has not only been spotted in Gunung Panti in Johor but also by the Orang Asli living near the Endau-Rompin State Park and the Lesong forest reserve located on the Johor-Pahang border.

The New Straits Times spoke to several Orang Asli who lived in the area and was told that there were at least two species of giant ape-like creatures in the jungles.

Alias Kuwi, 32, of Kampung Kedaik Orang Asli resettlement scheme here said he had seen two species of the ape-like creature known to locals as Siaran Gigi. His last encounter with the creatures was in 1999.

"I've seen two types of Siaran Gigi before. One has red hair while the other, black.

Most Orang Asli fear the Siaran Gigi, he said, as they believed it to be a type of spiritual being or ghost they nicknamed ‘Hantu Mawas ’.

KatoeyLover69

22-02-2006, 02:54 PM

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 22 February 2006 :-

Man hacked into KTB card base – DSI

The Department of Special Investigation arrested a Malaysian man yesterday for allegedly stealing credit-card information from Krung Thai Bank by using telephone wiretaps to hack into its database.

Director-general Sombat Amornwiwat said Lee Kian Sin had caused more than Bt100 million in damage to the bank, which had kept the information theft a secret to avoid causing panic among its cardholders.

Sombat did not say how the hacking or phone bugging had been carried out but warned that people using KTC cards in the region south of Hat Yai district in Songkhla were at risk of having had their credit-card details stolen.

Sombat said bank customers who regularly ran up card balances of more than Bt100,000 were prime targets of the Malaysian suspect, who, he said, was part of a racket operating in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The ring included store clerks who took down shoppers’ credit-card numbers and others who then sold items obtained through payments charged to an unsuspecting shopper’s credit card.

The DSI chief added that the Malaysian suspect had also sold at least one fake credit card with a ready-to-use number for Bt10,000.

He said Lee could face a prison term of up to seven years and six months as well as a fine of between Bt30,000 and Bt150,000 under a new anti-cyber-crime law.

Colonel Yannapol Yangyuen, chief of the Police Information Technology Centre, said gang members sometimes put fake cards back in place of the real ones they stole in order to stave off the cancellation of the card.

================================================== ==========================================

MALAYSIA BOLEH !!!!!!

KatoeyLover69

22-02-2006, 03:57 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 22 February 2006 :-

JOHOR BARU, Tues.
------------------
Foreign journalists tracking "Bigfoot" in the jungles of Johor have made a plaster cast of a fresh footprint measuring 60cm by 30cm.

Almost three times the size of a human foot, they feel the evidence indicates they are close to finding and filming the creature.

"This is very close to an actual sighting," said Joshua Gates, 28, who is part of a seven-member expedition to the jungles of Kota Tinggi.

Gates, who found the foot, is the host of Destination Truth, a new television programme to be shown over the Sci-Fi Network in the United States.

The Sci-Fi Network is an NBC Universal television network dedicated to programmes exploring the mysterious, paranormal, fantastic and unexplained.

Gates and his crew have been in Kota Tinggi since yesterday to shoot a documentary on the creature.

The group travelled deep into the jungle and found the footprints in Kampung Lukut after searching an area covering 30 sq km.

"One of the footprints, showing five toes, was especially well preserved in the mud. We made several plaster casts of it.

"This is most credible evidence to date that the Bigfoot might indeed be roaming the jungles of Johor," he said.

"We believe we are on the trail of something really big.

"The size of the footprint doesn’t match that of any primate or animal we have ever seen.

"This is bound to stir a great deal of interest in the US when the documentary is shown.

"It might prompt more researchers and journalists to come to Johor in search of Bigfoot."

CREDIBLE EVIDENCE ? Gates with a plaster cast of the footprint :http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Wednesday/National/bigfoot.JPG

KatoeyLover69

23-02-2006, 10:19 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 23 February 2006 :-

Indonesia AirAsia adding more flights

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PT Indonesia AirAsia is adding more domestic and international flights between Indonesia and Malaysia to stimulate more travel between the two nations.

The airline company is introducing daily flights between Medan and Penang as well as between Surabaya and Kuala Lumpur from March 10.

Indonesia AirAsia will also start domestic flights between Balikpapan and Surabaya following the recent addition of its fifth Boeing 737-300 passenger plane to its operations.

The number of flights between Jakarta and Surabaya will also increase from 21 flights per week to 28. Indonesia AirAsia’s president director Sendjaja Widjaja said the additional routes are aimed at linking more places of interest.

Indonesia AirAsia has served seven destinations for its hub in Jakarta and to date has carried over 840,00 guests.

The introductory prices for a one-way ticket from Medan to Penang is RM9.99 and a one-way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Surabaya is RM79.99 and the offer is applicable only on Indonesia AirAsia flights bearing flight numbers QZ 7614 and QZ 7613.

Tickets can be purchased from Feb 13 to March 15 for travel period between March 10 and Oct 28.

KatoeyLover69

23-02-2006, 10:28 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 23 February 2006 :-

‘Creature prefers cool spot’

KOTA TINGGI, Feb 22:
---------------------
The search for the elusive Bigfoot continues to throw up bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.

In the latest evidence of the creature’s presence at Kampung Lukut Cina in Panti, a local scientist has found two piles of tree branches and saplings which showed no sign of having been cut.

Bio-diversity researcher Vincent Chow said it appeared that something powerful had pulled them down from a height of about 3m besides uprooting the 3cm thick saplings.

Chow said it was interesting to note that the creature had chosen a cool and shady area for the pile.

The area is where a group comprising an American filming crew from Mandt Bros. Productions, members of Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI), filming crew from Makim Abad Sdn Bhd and the Southeast Asia correspondent for The Independent of London found fresh footprints on Monday.

One of the 60cm by 30cm footprints about 10cm deep was so clear the group managed to make plaster casts of it.

The find will be seen on Destination Truth, a television programme to be shown on NBC Universal’s Sci-Fi Network in the United States and NTV7’s Seekers series.

Jan McGirk, the correspondent for The Independent, reported seeing broken tree branches more than 3m above the spot where the deep footprint was found.

She said it appeared that the creature had grabbed the branches for support when it lost balance as its left heel sunk into a muddy puddle adding that a stick was also seen snapped beneath one of its toe depressions.

"Australian Tony Burke, who was with the SPI, estimated that to make such a print, an animal would have to weigh at least 240kg," she added.

Meanwhile, Chow said the cleared areas were less than 20 metres from the road leading to rubber and oil palm smallholdings at the hills of Panti.

"The clearing work seems to have been done by some intelligent being but for what purpose, we don’t know yet.

"We know of wild pigs making a nest to deliver their young but this is different and looks more like a resting place."

Chow said the only explanation was that the spot must have been a traditional rest stop for the creature which it instinctively returns to, despite the area now being encroached by human habitations.

"This find is important as at this stage of our Bigfoot search, we need to collect information on the habits of the creature.

"Based on the information we have accumulated so far, there is hope we will soon get a good chance to actually sight the creature and photograph it."

MASSIVE: Documentary film-maker Joshua Gates (left) and his associate, Neil Mandt casting the print to be brought home as proof.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/National/20060223075234/Article/Current_News/NST

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Experts to analyse Bigfoot’s footprint

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22: A plaster cast of the "Bigfoot" footprint will be sent to the forensics department to be analysed by experts.

The footprint will be examined for the creature’s DNA.

It was discovered by a 16-member international team of paranormal researchers, bio-diversity experts and journalists at the Bukit Lintang rainforest.

"There were other footprints in the area, but most were washed away by the rainfall earlier in the day," said paranormal researcher Syed Abdullah Syed Hussein Al-Attas.

He was speaking to reporters at a Press conference at the headquarters of Seekers, a popular show on paranormal activities.

"To us, the prints seemed to show that the creature was walking stealthily in search of food.

"There were small broken branches as high as five metres from the ground," he said adding that the print measured 60cm by 30cm.

Joshua Gates, 28, who found the print, said ground conditions surrounding the footprint had helped preserve it.

"It was not covered in as much leaves as the other prints that we found. The soil was soft enough for the depression of the footprint to be very distinctive.

"We couldn’t make casts of the other prints as we did not bring enough plaster with us."

Gates, a documentary film-maker from USA, said the footprints led to a deeper and rougher section of the jungle.

"We could not follow the trail as it was getting dark, even though we were tempted to. We were actually about to leave the place when I spotted the broken branches and the footprint."

The team strongly feels that the creatures were beginning to emerge from the jungle because of the thinning vegetation and the intermittent rainfall which may have disturbed its habitat.

Syed Abdullah said the cast would be handed over to the Johor Government after it had been thoroughly analysed by the forensics team.

"We understand that this belongs to the Johor State Government, and we will hand it over as soon as the forensics team is done with it."

Other members of the team were allowed to make a copy of the cast.

KatoeyLover69

23-02-2006, 10:35 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 23 February 2006 :-

Facelift for Muar waterfront

MUAR, one of Johor's oldest towns, will get a major facelift with the launch of a RM68 million development project in the centre of the town.

Called Maharani Ayu, the project is coming up on 12ha of waterfront land along the Muar River.

Developed by Pulai Springs Resort Bhd (PSRB), it is scheduled for completion by 2008.

This is the company's first foray into Muar, after its successful Pulai Springs golf resort in Johor Baru.

Maharani Ayu, a mixed development project featuring residential and commercial units, will be the first major real estate development in Muar, which is often referred to as the "Pensioners' Town".

A stone's throw from the second Muar bridge and the newly-opened Muar outer ring road, the development is also the first to offer guarded and garden community living in the district.

PSRB general manager for property development Teo Thian Eng said the project would also include 1.7ha of landscaped gardens and a jetty.

He said the residential component of the project will comprise 152 cluster homes, 20 bungalows and 14 semi-detached houses. Also coming up are 37 shophouse units.

"Already, 40 units of houses and shophouses have been snapped up since the sales launch in September last year," he said.

The cluster homes are selling from RM220,000 onwards while the semi-detached units are pegged at RM330,000 and above.

KatoeyLover69

23-02-2006, 11:14 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 23 February 2006 :-

Gunung Panti 'bigfoot' could be swamp dweller, says expert

JOHOR BARU, Thurs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE shape of the giant footprints believed to be that of the Johor Bigfoot discovered near Gunung Panti over the past week shos that that the creature could be a swamp dweller.

The splayed toes as compared to joined toes of the Sasquatch (Bigfoot) of America could imply that the Johor Bigfoot had evolved separately to adapt to the wet and muddy conditions of swamps and river banks of Malaysia.

Universiti Putra Malaysia's Animal Science Department head Dr Azhar Kasim said the creature, obviously being bulky and heavy, required a large and widely spread foot to move about in the soft ground of the Malaysian rainforest.

He was asked to comment on the plaster cast of a large footprint believed to be that of the Johor Bigfoot that was found by a team of local and foreign media and researchers at the Panti foothills on Monday.

Dr Azhar said the foot formation of the gigantic creature which was seen to be basically a land dweller, was consistent with the areas where the footprints were found, at river banks and muddy spots.

Commenting on yesterday's find of mysterious clearings in the secondary forest area close to where the Bigfoot footprints were, Dr Azhar said it was common animal behaviour to keep its nesting area open and clear.

"This will enable the animal to easily escape when faced with any threats. However in this case there is no nest in the area."

Dr Azhar said another logical explanation could be that the area served as a courtship space for mating couples.

SWAMP DWELLER: Notice the splayed toes as indicated in this plaster cast of the giant footprint - pictures courtesy of Vincent Chow
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/NewsBreak/kaki

KatoeyLover69

23-02-2006, 11:18 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 23 February 2006 :-

Gunung Panti 'bigfoot' could be swamp dweller, says expert

JOHOR BARU, Thurs:
--------------------
THE shape of the giant footprints believed to be that of the Johor Bigfoot discovered near Gunung Panti over the past week shos that that the creature could be a swamp dweller.

The splayed toes as compared to joined toes of the Sasquatch (Bigfoot) of America could imply that the Johor Bigfoot had evolved separately to adapt to the wet and muddy conditions of swamps and river banks of Malaysia.

Universiti Putra Malaysia's Animal Science Department head Dr Azhar Kasim said the creature, obviously being bulky and heavy, required a large and widely spread foot to move about in the soft ground of the Malaysian rainforest.

He was asked to comment on the plaster cast of a large footprint believed to be that of the Johor Bigfoot that was found by a team of local and foreign media and researchers at the Panti foothills on Monday.

Dr Azhar said the foot formation of the gigantic creature which was seen to be basically a land dweller, was consistent with the areas where the footprints were found, at river banks and muddy spots.

Commenting on yesterday's find of mysterious clearings in the secondary forest area close to where the Bigfoot footprints were, Dr Azhar said it was common animal behaviour to keep its nesting area open and clear.

"This will enable the animal to easily escape when faced with any threats. However in this case there is no nest in the area."

Dr Azhar said another logical explanation could be that the area served as a courtship space for mating couples.

SWAMP DWELLER: Notice the splayed toes as indicated in this plaster cast of the giant footprint - pictures courtesy of Vincent Chow
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/NewsBreak/kaki

KatoeyLover69

24-02-2006, 11:34 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

Figurine in bottle attracts visitors

PEKAN, Feb 23:
---------------
Many curious visitors flocked to the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum today to look at a bottle with a small human-shaped figurine inside.

The bottle was found on the beach near Kuala Pahang yesterday evening and has been temporarily placed at the museum.

What sparked the interest were claims by locals that the figurine was probably a toyol (an evil spirit known in Malay folklore to serve its human master by stealing from others).

Some of the visitors waited at the museum entrance before it was opened at 8am.

Businessman Shaik Alaudin Mohd Ismail, 43, who came from Kuantan this morning after being informed about the object by a friend last night, said he just had to see what it was.

The museum, which normally received less than 100 visitors on weekends, was packed today.

There were at least 600 people vying to have a closer look at the figurine at any one time.

Nurul Hidayah Mohd Shahidani, 21, of Alor Akar, Kuantan, who came with her mother, said she was not sure whether there was anything special about the figurine after viewing it.

"We got to know about it after my grandfather, who lives here, called us last night saying that someone had found a toyol inside a bottle."

The figurine, which is slightly smaller than an adult’s fist, has its torso wrapped in black cloth tied with string and its eyes painted red.

Museum director Ahmad Farid Abdul Jalal said a group of fishermen found the figurine and handed it to the museum for safekeeping last night.

However, he said the figurine would be "returned" to the sea after a consultation with several local bomohs this afternoon.

"They claimed that the figurine was not a toyol but an object used in black magic which was probably thrown into the sea in a spiritual healing ritual."

Ahmad Farid added that the figurine was most likely washed ashore.

KatoeyLover69

24-02-2006, 11:35 AM

KatoeyLover69

24-02-2006, 11:46 AM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

Toyol drawing them in

PEKAN: Is the toyol – long regarded as a mythical supernatural creature – for real?

Hundreds of visitors who thronged the state museum here think so as they scrutinised a figurine kept in a bottle that was on display there.

A curious fisherman had found the bottle on Tuesday on the shores of a coastal village, believing that what he saw in it was a toyol.

In Malay folklore, a toyol is a goblin-like creature that steals money and commits other mischief or evil at the instruction of its guardian.

Not wanting to have anything to do with it, the unidentified fisherman from Kampung Kuala Pahang rushed to nearby Kampung Siong, about a kilometre away, and passed it to a bomoh.

The bomoh, in turn, handed it to the state museum.

Word of its discovery spread like wildfire and hundreds of people waited at the doorstep of the museum before it opened at 8am, eager for a chance to see the strange item.

They came in buses, cars, and bicycles and on foot.

Museum director Mohd Farid Abdul Jalal said the large number of people who had come to see the figurine surprised him.

He said it looked like a puppet or marionette and was about 20cm tall. The figurine, kept in a wide-mouthed bottle, is cloaked in black and has red eyes and mouth.

“The bottle also contains some sand, a yellow string and slices of onions,” he said.

“We believe it was used in some kind of spiritual rite or medication and thrown by someone into the sea several days before the waves washed it ashore.”

He said the object would be displayed in the museum until he discusses with his officers on the next course of action.

KatoeyLover69

24-02-2006, 11:49 AM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

Abdul Latiff has big plans for Johor Baru

JOHOR BARU: Newly-appointed Johor Baru City Council Mayor Datuk Abdul Latiff Yusof ’s main aim is to make the city the first choice destination for locals and foreigners.

To achieve this, Abdul Latiff said people would have to be given a sense of security, andpublic amenities must be provided.

“MBJB plays a role in ensuring that there is continuous economic growth to create confidence in investors to make Johor their first choice when it comes to investment, work and for settling down,” he said after he had been sworn in as the city’s fourth mayor here yesterday.

Abdul Latiff was the Muar district officer before taking up this post, and had previously held the post of secretary in the council.

He had also held other government posts, including in the state economic planning unit and in the Mentri Besar’s office.

“I know this is a heavy responsibility but I take it as a challenge to fulfil the state government’s wishes and its faith in me,” he said.

He said Johor was where visitors would form their first impression when they entered from the south.

Abdul Latiff is married to Datin Safiah Aris, 52, and they have four children.

KatoeyLover69

24-02-2006, 11:53 AM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

Johor Baru mayor stumbles while inspecting drain

JOHOR BARU: The city’s new mayor Datuk Abdul Latiff Yusof experienced first-hand how dangerous some of Johor Baru’s public amenities can be if poorly maintained.

He slipped and fell while inspecting a drain at Jalan Serampang in Taman Pelangi here yesterday.

However, he took it all in his stride and laughed off the matter.

“It’s nothing ... just part of the job,” he said, adding that this was one of the first things he planned to address.

He also intends to mend potholes, and to keep the city’s streets, homes and rivers clean.

The new mayor was sworn in on Wednesday and was on his first field visit to check out the city infamous potholes and cleanliness.

Abdul Latiff, 52, who said he would adopt a “back to basics” approach to mend the city, felt that the most effective way was to ensure that all public amenities were completed on time and properly maintained.

For the pothole problems, he said the Johor Baru City Council had allotted RM10mil to maintain and upgrade the roads. Last month, the council spent RM1.2mil on repairs and road improvement works.

He said many factors contributed to damaged roads, including rain, bad patch-up jobs and weighty vehicles like lorries.

Asked about Panjang, the city’s “pothole hero” who had used his bare hands to patch up potholes with concrete, Abdul Latiff said: “We appreciate his concern for the public but this is not the correct way because he is endangering himself.

“Hopefully in future, when he sees any potholes, he will call the council.”

On cleanliness, Abdul Latiff said the council spent RM3mil a year to maintain some 22 rivers passing through the city, and added that there were currently two rubbish traps at Sungai Sengkuang and Sungai Segget.

Abdul Latiff said the Sungai Segget trap “produced” some five tonnes of domestic waste each day, and warned households without a rubbish bin or an unsuitable one that they could be fined up to RM250.

“I always have a camera in hand so that when I move around, I can take a photo of whatever I feel needs to be repaired,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

25-02-2006, 02:20 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 25 February 2006 :-

D'Piazza Mall to spice up Penang property scene

PENANG island's property market continues to sizzle with a RM250 million mall to be built in Bayan Baru.

Privately-held developer X-Scan Penang Sdn Bhd is launching what is believed to be the largest food and beverage and lifestyle mall in the state.

Construction of the ' D'Piazza Mall ' in the Bayan Baru town centre is set to take off by the middle of this year, the project's marketing agent, Henry Butcher Malaysia (Seberang Perai) Sdn Bhd, said yesterday.

Touting the project as the state's first specialist mall dealing in food and lifestyle, Henry Butcher Seberang Perai's director Ooi Gim Chor said the project will serve the Bayan Baru population and those working for multinationals in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.

"We want to create a lifestyle for the Bayan Baru people who now total 200,000, along with the expatriates and others working in the industrial zone," he told a media briefing at the company's office in Penang.

Targeted branded operators for the mall, Ooi said, included fast food and fine dining operators, luxury car dealers and technology providers.

"We are also approaching several international brands such as an American popular steakhouse, a celebrity entertainment outlet and a 24-hour breakfast/lunch and dinner restaurant," he added.

D'Piazza, which will be sited on a 6.4ha, will offer 90 three-storey shop lots priced from RM860,000 to RM2 million.

Ooi said the developer is offering investors of the project a leaseback option for five years, for a guaranteed return of 7 per cent of the purchase price.

"This option is to ensure the overwhelming success of D'Piazza so that the landlord is able to design the best tenant mix which will come from a targeted pool of 500 of the best brands fast food, restaurants, banks, fashionable goods and 20 others to serve the 650,000 residents of Penang island," Ooi said.

KatoeyLover69

25-02-2006, 02:24 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 25 February 2006 :-

Rope in foreign experts to track Bigfoot

KOTA TINGGI, Feb 24:
---------------------
Foreign experts should be invited to help in the search for the Johor Bigfoot.

Foreign Affairs Minister and Kota Tinggi MP Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said this was necessary as the search had attracted international attention.

Speaking after opening an award ceremony for teachers here, he said reported sightings of the hairy creature had benefited the district, especially in attracting foreign visitors.

Syed Hamid added he was inclined to believe in the existence of the Bigfoot, as there had been many sightings of the creature.

Meanwhile, zoologist Amlir Ayat said it would also help if a common name was used for the Bigfoot.

He felt it would be a good idea to adopt the name "Orang Dalam" used by the Orang Asli, like the name Sasquatch for the American Bigfoot, which originated from the Red Indians. Amlir said there was also a need to clear the confusion among villagers of mawas or orang utan and the Johor Bigfoot.

According to the book Natural History of Primates, mawas is used in the Southeast Asian region to refer to the orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus) which can grow to a height of 1.8m.

Villagers in Kampung Mawai Lama in Kota Tinggi said they were familiar with mawas and were sure it was not the same as Bigfoot.

"The mawas’ feet are not as big as the footprints that have been discovered so far. I have seen the giant footprints myself and am certain it was not made by mawas," said fisherman Islah Midi, 62.

His nephew, Ariffin Ali, 38, said he had seen a footprint of the Bigfoot measuring more than 60cm in the jungles of Endau while searching for timber a few years ago.

He said he was positive the footprint was not that of a mawas.

KatoeyLover69

25-02-2006, 02:38 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 25 February 2006 :-

Sex video featuring Singapore Poly student on sale

PENANG: A homemade sex video featuring a 17-year-old student of the Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) in Singapore, which had been circulating in the Internet for sometime, is now available on the VCD and DVD and being sold by roadside vendors for between RM10 and RM20 a copy.

Some “enterprising” retailers had downloaded two sex video clips, totalling about 16 minutes, of “Tammy”, an NYP cheerleader, and her 21-year-old boyfriend onto CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, which can be obtained at relatively cheap prices if bought in bulk from any computer accessories shop.

Penang deputy CID chief Supt Razali Basri said the police were aware of this, adding that they have been instructed to seize the items. .

“Those caught selling such items can be jailed up to three years and possibly fined if convicted.”

KatoeyLover69

27-02-2006, 02:46 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 27 February 2006 :-

Police bust wild party, detain 15 youths

KUALA LUMPUR, Sun.
---------------------
Police cut short a wild party in an apartment in Jalan P. Ramlee early today and detained 15 youths after they tested positive for drugs.

A team from the Dang Wangi police inspected the unit at 2am following complaints of loud music blaring from the premises.

There, they found 78 people — 48 males and 30 females aged in their 20s — drunk and dancing wildly.

Liquor bottles and beer cans were strewn all over the place, while Ecstasy pills were found in the toilet.

Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Kamal Pasha Jamal said the youths were taken to the Dang Wangi police headquarters for urine tests.

"Fifteen of them, including six females, tested positive for drugs," he said.

Kamal Pasha said the party started out as a birthday celebration and could have descended into a wild sex fest had police not broken it up.

KatoeyLover69

27-02-2006, 02:47 PM

KatoeyLover69

27-02-2006, 02:53 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 27 February 2006 :-

Bigfoot website lauds Chow - credits researcher with creating awareness

JOHOR BARU, Sun.
------------------
An international Bigfoot research website has paid tribute to Johor biodiversity researcher Vincent Chow for his success in lobbying the authorities to take the Bigfoot sightings in Johor seriously.

The Bigfoot Research Organisation (BFRO) website, which has a main page posting titled "Malaysian Government Investigates Sightings", said: "There is an individual’s story in the background of the Malaysian Bigfoot story.

"For some time, Malaysian environmentalist Chow had lobbied Malaysian authorities to take the sightings seriously and speak openly about them. Chow eventually succeeded, where no man (in other countries) had done before.

"We wish we could have been a ‘fly on the wall’ during that divine moment when Chow finally made officials see the light, and think rationally about the sightings, and the enormity of what they may point to."

Many, including senior state government officials and the media here, recognise 58-year-old Chow’s contributions in highlighting the story of the elusive hairy creature.

It was Chow who tipped off the New Straits Times on its breaking story on Dec 23 of the trio in Kampung Mawai, Kota Tinggi, who claimed they had seen a Bigfoot family of two adults and a child.

The story, backed by a picture of a big footprint, sparked off worldwide interest.

Chow has, over the years, carried out various studies on biodiversity in the jungles of Johor under the Malaysian Nature Society Johor branch and Johor National Park Corporation.

His interest in the Johor Bigfoot started as a child when he followed his father into the jungles near Kluang to check out reports of sightings.

The BFRO also advised the State Government team searching for the creature to consider installing a dozen or so wireless, live microphones in the primary search area.

It said the acoustic monitoring could be less intrusive, require very low maintenance once set up and would help to pinpoint where cameras should be installed.

It said the audio feed could also be enjoyed on the Net.

"Live streaming audio of forest sounds is a relatively low-cost way to allow many people around the world to make an emotional and intellectual connection with Malaysia."

KatoeyLover69

27-02-2006, 02:54 PM

KatoeyLover69

01-03-2006, 04:34 PM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 1 March 2006 :-

Malaysian clients list hot item for China dolls

THOUSANDS of copies of contact numbers of Malaysian men who had sought the services of prostitutes are being distributed to young women in China.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the “clientele” list was to make the job of these women easier when they reached Malaysia.

The daily also said that more than 100 Chinese nationals, believed to be involved in vice activities, had obtained the list, which had more than 500 handphone numbers.

The report said the prostitutes, who would normally operate in the Klang Valley, would make numerous calls or send lewd messages to the men.

A 37-year-old businessman who went to a prostitute in the Klang Valley two years ago claimed that he had been inundated with calls from the so-called China dolls – more than 30 calls per day.

KatoeyLover69

01-03-2006, 05:07 PM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 1 March 2006 :-

Yellow noodles contain highest level of boric acid

Yellow noodles contain the highest amount of boric acid at 70.4%, said the Health Ministry.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said in a recent statement that after yellow noodles is wantan noodles with 14.8% boric acid content, then koay teow, laksa, loh see fun and spring roll with 3.7% each.

Negri Sembilan recorded the highest percentage of boric acid misuse for food preservation, followed by Perak, Johor, Penang and Selangor.

A person who consumes food with a lot of boric acid could vomit, suffer from dysentery, dermatitis, kidney failure and damage to the blood vessels.

Boric acid is used to preserve wood in the furniture industry and is also used in medication.

The use of boric acid as a food preservative is banned in the country and those who flout this law can be fined up to RM100,000, jailed 10 years or both.

Dr Chua said the ministry launched a boric acid operation last year and of the 668 samples tested, 27 (4.04%) were found to contain the acid.

He said the ministry's enforcement division would launch a special operation throughout the country this month and next month to nab those who misuse boric acid. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

01-03-2006, 05:17 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 28 February 2006 :-

Petrol and diesel up : LPG also up 30 sen

KUALA LUMPUR, Mon.
---------------------
The price of petrol and diesel will go up by 30 sen per litre tomorrow — the highest-ever single hike in the price of fuel.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas will go up by 30 sen per kilogramme.

The last increase was on July 31 last year, when the Government increased the price of petrol by 10 sen, diesel by 20 sen and LPG by five sen per kg.

But there is also good news: The Government has assured that there will be no fuel price hike for the rest of the year.

A Press statement from the Prime Minister’s Department announcing the price increase said that the money saved in petrol subsidies would be used to improve public transportation and for development projects.

According to the statement, the new rate for unleaded or RON 97 petrol in peninsular Malaysia is RM1.92 per litre, while leaded petrol or RON 92 will be sold for RM1.88 per litre.

The price of diesel will be RM1.58 per litre, while LPG will cost RM1.75 per kg.

In Sabah, RON 97 will be sold at RM1.90, RON 92 at RM1.88 and diesel at RM1.58. LPG will cost RM1.83 per kg.

In Sarawak, RON 97 will be sold at RM1.91, RON 92 at RM1.88 and diesel at RM1.58 per litre. LPG will cost RM1.83 per kilo.

The price hike is not totally unexpected. The Government had hinted at a possible increase if world oil prices kept spiralling.

The statement said the increase was inevitable — given that for 2005 the amount in subsidy paid out by the Government was RM7.41 billion, while tax exemption totalled RM7.85 billion.

The subsidies and tax exemption burden for last month and this month amounted to RM1.19 billion and RM1.44 billion respectively.

As a comparison, without subsidies, the price of RON 97 petrol would cost RM2.46 in peninsular Malaysia, and RM2.45 in Sabah and Sarawak, while RON 92 would cost RM2.37 in the peninsula and RM2.36 in Sabah and Sarawak.

Similarly, diesel would cost RM1.98 in peninsular Malaysia and RM1.97 in Sabah and Sarawak. LPG would cost RM3.21 in the peninsula, RM3.35 in Sabah and RM3.34 in Sarawak.

To ease the burden on certain sectors, the statement said, a subsidised system would be introduced for 84 per cent of diesel-powered vehicles on land, including those in public transport and commercial services.

Using a fleet card, operators will be able to buy diesel at pumps for 15 sen less.

The price of oil has been going up aggressively over the last few years. The price per barrel of oil is now over US$60 (RM222.80)

KatoeyLover69

02-03-2006, 10:38 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 2 March 2006 :-

UTM’s novel invention

JOHOR BARU, Wed.
------------------
Four undergraduates believe they have come up with a novel invention which the police could use to bring to book errant traffic offenders.

The final-year electrical engineering students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the iReader and CarID that they had invented could track down the 1.2 million errant motorists and make them pay their outstanding summonses.

The iReader is a gadget about the size of a personal digital assistant (PDA) which can read data about motorists and their vehicles stored in a CarID, which is a Radio Frequency Identification Product (RFID) tag attached to the vehicles’ windshield.

The iReader will contain the vehicle owner’s data and can be updated with information on outstanding summonses and road tax expiry dates.

The CarID can substitute for the present road tax stickers.

"Whenever a vehicle is stopped for inspection, the traffic policeman only needs to scan the CarID with an iReader to get full information about the vehicle and its owner.

"The iReader also features an embedded printer to print out summonses on the spot," said the team’s leader, Lau Yau Kok, whose members included Lee Jin Yee, Kuan Yu Zhi and Lim Shin Huey. Their adviser is Lim Cheng Siong.

Information in the iReader will be updated regularly to enable the traffic police to keep track of offenders.

The system is aimed at tackling the problem of outstanding summonses and loss of man hours in the police force due to the time taken to check data on traffic offenders.

Lau said the iReader cost about RM800 to produce, while the CarID cost only 50 sen.

"This is not expensive, considering the amount of money the gadget will help the traffic police recover," said Lee.

Besides this, the iReader and CarID technology can be applied in other areas such as parking management and toll collection.

Lau and his team were among 12 undergraduates who will represent UTM at the finals of this year’s annual Philips Young Inventors’ Challenge this month.

In all, 15 teams from throughout the country have been shortlisted for the finals.

The event is aimed at encouraging students to combine creativity and imagination through the application of science and technology to invent a device capable of performing a practical function.

Each of the teams should either use a Philips micro-controller or RFID, or both, in their inventions.

KatoeyLover69

03-03-2006, 11:44 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Penang hawkers charging more for food

GEORGE TOWN, Thurs.
----------------------
Hawker food in Penang has become more expensive.

A plate of char koay teow at popular outlets on Lorong Selamat and Jalan Macalister now costs 30 sen more, while coconut water at stalls on Jalan Perak is dearer by 20 sen at RM2.20.

Roti canai in Jalan King near here also costs 10 sen more.

A quick stop at a restaurant in Jalan Cantonment also showed an average 10-sen rise for its food spread.

A taxi driver who wished to be identified only as Tan said taxi associations on the island would meet soon to determine a new fare structure following the 30 sen per litre increase in fuel prices.

A resident, Andrew Lee, 28, said he was not surprised by the hike in food prices.

"It’s only to be expected," he said.

"The increase in fuel price is always followed by an increase in the cost of other items too.

"I don’t see how the authorities are going to control hawkers raising their prices."

Lee added that consumers could only respond to such hikes by being more prudent in choosing the eateries they patronised.

KatoeyLover69

03-03-2006, 11:51 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Damansara Realty enters JB's premium housing mart

PROPERTY Developer Damansara Realty Bhd, through subsidiary Damansara Realty (Johor) Sdn Bhd, has gained a foothold in the premium residential property segment in Johor Baru with the launch of Aliff Puteri.

Aliff Puteri is located in Taman Damansara Aliff, a 90ha of exclusive residential-cum-commercial development with residential components covering 26ha, commercial 18ha and public facilities 39ha.

Taman Damansara Aliff is located in the vicinity of Bandar Baru Uda and Taman Perling, about 10km away from the city centre.

It is accessible through the Pasir Gudang and Skudai highway, as well as Jalan Tampoi.

Aliff Puteri comprises 192 units of 22x75 double-storey terrace houses which will be launched in three sub-phases, with a total gross development value (GDV) of about RM70 million.

The first 65 units were released for sale on February 25, with a GDV of RM23 million.

Kamaruzzaman Abu Kasim, the executive director of Damansara Realty, said the company aims to make Taman Damansara Aliff on par with upmarket residential areas like Bangsar and Desa Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur.

"We want to make this an exciting place for living, entertainment, shopping and recreation ... in short, a modern and prestigious suburbia," he said.

Kamaruzzaman said a 2.4ha Damansara Square will be pedestrian-orientated and house retail shoplots catering for food and beverage outlets like cafes, speciality hobby shops, as well as a market place.

Another 3.6ha site allocated for a community park is 60 per cent completed. It comprises a man-made lake, outdoor facilities such as jogging tracks, cyclists pathways and facilities for the disabled, as well as exercise workstations.

The park also serves as a flood mitigation measure with two detention ponds in place. Damansara Realty (Johor) has allocated RM8.8 million for the development of the park.

Kamaruzzaman said the launch of Aliff Puteri is the sequel to the successful launch of the first phase of two-storey terrace houses in 2003.

He said 409 units under the maiden launch have been completed and more than 95 per cent of them have been sold.

KatoeyLover69

03-03-2006, 11:56 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

AirAsia jet fuel usage to rise 33pc

SINGAPORE, Thurs: Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd will use 4 million barrels of jet fuel, or 11,000 barrels daily, in 2006, up over a third from last year, as the budget carrier expands its fleet and destinations to meet growing passenger demand.

AirAsia will increase its fleet from 38 aircraft to nearly 50 by the end of the year, as it widens Asian destinations by four to 68, chief financial officer Raja Azmi Raja Razali said today. It owns four Airbus 320 carriers and seven Boeing 737s, and the rest are leased.

"There are more Airbus 320s coming in and with more planes and higher frequency, the function of volume in jet fuel demand will increase," Raja Azmi said in a telephone interview.

The airline, which describes itself as one of the world's top three low-cost carriers, sees passenger numbers rising to 8.5 million in 2006 from 6.2 million last year on a growing appetite for travel in South-East Asia if airfares are low enough.

Having hedged 100 per cent of its fuel needs - locking in benchmark US crude futures at between US$50 and US$62 (US$1 = RM3.71) a barrel - until the financial year ending June 2006, AirAsia feels insulated from a surge in fuel prices.

"We will always try to hedge as much as possible as we did for the last four years," Raja Azmi said.

"At this point, oil prices are higher than what we like - after prices hit US$62 a barrel we get a US$12 discount off the market price."

Benchmark jet-kerosene prices in Singapore were 19 per cent higher than year-ago levels at US$74.80 a barrel today, while US crude futures gained 20 per cent in the same period to US$62.57 a barrel.

AirAsia gets its physical jet fuel stocks from local suppliers such as Petronas in Malaysia, Shell in Singapore and PTT in Thailand. - Reuters

KatoeyLover69

03-03-2006, 12:07 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Singapore: It won’t be wise for Malaysia to replace bridge

SINGAPORE: Singapore has reiterated yesterday that any unilateral move by Malaysia to demolish its half of the causeway and replace it with a half-bridge will bring about serious implications, “however scenic” the bridge may be.

Foreign Minister George Yeo said the republic had explained the matter to Kuala Lumpur through a third party note.

Yeo made the remark in Parliament in response to the issue raised by MPs during the debate on the 2006 budget.

In January, Malaysia said it was going ahead with the plan to replace its side of the causeway with a crooked half-bridge, to be known as the “scenic bridge”, after talks between the two countries had dragged on without any conclusion.

To a suggestion that both sides tackle first the “the low hanging fruits” in resolving the outstanding bilateral issues between Malaysia and Singapore, Yeo said: “Some are on our tree and some are on theirs. We have to decide what is the correct balance of fruits to be plucked, otherwise no fruit can be plucked at all”.

Yeo said Singapore’s relations with Malaysia were good as they rested on “a bedrock of common history and common interests”.

KatoeyLover69

03-03-2006, 12:17 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Tips on stretching your ringgit

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/3/3/nation/stretch_2.jpg

KatoeyLover69

03-03-2006, 12:29 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 2 March 2006 :-

Prices remain unchanged ‘for now’ except for Johor Bahru & Alor Star

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed.
---------------------
Except for some places in Johor and Alor Star, the price of food, fish and vegetables remained the same today.

However, most traders and food sellers interviewed said they were taking a wait-and-see attitude.

Worried customers were seen asking traders at markets whether there were any increases and sighing with relief when told prices remained unchanged.

In Johor Baru, food prices at most hawker centres shot up overnight following the fuel price increase announced on Monday.

Normal hawker food such as chicken rice, wantan noodles and fishball noodle soup now costs 50 sen more — up from RM3 to RM3.50.

The price of beverages has also gone up, with a glass of coffee, tea or Milo now costing RM1.10 per glass — up 10 sen.

Johor Baru Small Business Association secretary Koh Teng Chia said it was inevitable that the fuel price hike would have a ripple effect on the retail food sector.

In Muar, a spokesman for the Parit Jawa Fishermen's Association said consumers should brace themselves for a 20 to 25 per cent increase in fish prices because of higher diesel prices.

In Alor Star, checks at several wet markets showed a slight price increase in certain types of fish and vegetables.

In Kuala Lumpur, checks at two wet markets showed no signs of an increase in prices. Most traders at the Pudu and Taman Tun Dr Ismail markets are adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

In Penang, residents sighed with relief today when they found food prices unchanged. Checks at the Chowrasta Market showed there was no change in the prices of vegetables and fish.

In Kota Kinabalu, restaurant and supermarket operators said they were "monitoring" the situation.

In Kota Baru, checks at the Siti Khadijah wet market showed that the per kilogramme prices of long beans was still RM4, ikan kembung (RM7) and Chinese cabbage (RM3.80).

In Ipoh, traders said any price increase would depend on suppliers of the goods.

KatoeyLover69

04-03-2006, 10:57 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 4 March 2006 :-

Johor's scientific expedition to look for Bigfoot, finally

JOHOR BARU, Sat.
----------------
Is the Johor Bigfoot a product of Orang Asli/Malay folklore or is it part of the rich bio-diversity of Johor’s 240 million-year-old rainforests?

Although there have been reports of numerous Bigfoot sightings since the early 19th century, no effort has been made to organise a scientific study.

Earlier media reports indicate that the Wildlife Department and other authorities had collected physical evidence such as footprints and faeces samples of Bigfoot in the 1900s.

But probably the fear of being ridiculed had stopped the relevant authorities from pursuing the matter.

Records of this evidence could possibly be lying in the department’s archives.

It is therefore timely that the Johor Government, through the Johor National Park Corporation (JNPC), has finally decided to launch a full-scale scientific expedition to ascertain the existence of the elusive humanoid creature.

KatoeyLover69

04-03-2006, 11:04 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 4 March 2006 :-

10 minutes with Vincent Chow: Driven by close encounter with creature

March 4:
---------
The Bigfoot story has its fair share of sceptics and believers. But Vincent Chow, a biodiversity researcher and Bigfoot enthusiast, is one person who is steadfast in his belief that the creature does exist. He speaks to R. SITTAMPARAM.

Q: What is your response to being dubbed by the Bigfoot Research Organisation (BFRO) as the man who successfully lobbied the Johor Government to take Bigfoot sightings in the State seriously and speak openly about them?

A: It is a one-sided view. This opening for Bigfoot research in Johor is due to the fact that we have a very responsive Menteri Besar who sees beyond the Bigfoot phenomena in safeguarding and promoting Johor’s rich biodiversity. Given his academic background Abdul Ghani Othman could see the potential of the Bigfoot phenomena which is part of Johor’s unique fauna, in putting the State on the world map.

Q: Do you personally believe that the Johor Bigfoot exists?

A: Yes, based on my personal experience as a young boy when I have seen enough Bigfoot footprints and had a frightening close encounter with the creature.

It was during an evening hunting trip with my father and his friends at the edge of the jungle near my hometown in Kluang, when I was 13 years’ old. We suddenly saw the trees shaking as if something big was passing through the area. An old and experienced hunter I knew as Panjang told me it was not any common mammal like the elephant.

The following day on checking the area where the movement was seen we found evidence like broken twigs and branches that showed something big had passed through. Since then I have always been curious.

I have followed my father who was also fascinated by the Bigfoot to check out several sightings in the early 60s in Air Hitam, Machap, Simpang Renggam and Kulai and saw giant footprints. The older generation in these towns can remember these sightings.

Q: Can you clear the air on the confusion over the Mawas and Bigfoot?

A: I think the confusion was caused due to the adoption of the name Mawas for the Bigfoot by early settlers from Indonesia, where the orang utan is called Mawas. So when the settlers, especially at Kota Tinggi, saw the Bigfoot they thought it was some type of orang utan and even named their village Kampung Mawas which later came to be known as Kampung Mawai.

Q: What is your answer to the cynics who say that the Bigfoot story is pure fiction and that the Bigfoot was actually an orang utan?

A: Again it is due to the confusion caused by the name, Mawas. Village people who have sighted Bigfoot refer to it as Mawas but the description they give does not fit that of the orang utan.

Yesterday I talked to an old man at Kampung Mawai where many of the recent Bigfoot sightings have occurred. He told me that he saw a hairy creature of about two metres tall, catching fish at a swamp just like a human being. It was upright all the time.

The old man said he was about 40m away and could see the orange coloured hair, upturned nose and slight hunch of the creature which I believe to be a juvenile Bigfoot.

This cannot be an orang utan which are tree dwellers and walk on all fours. Their footprints would also not be so big and deep.

Q: What do you feel about the wide foreign interest in the Johor Bigfoot?

A: It will benefit Johor but we have to screen foreign groups who arrive here to look for the Bigfoot to see where their interest lies. We should not entertain those with doubtful reasons especially those who come to take scientific evidence back to their countries to claim as their own finding. That kind of ownership must go to Malaysia.

The foreign media who arrived here so far including the British Broadcasting Corporation, have only made short documentaries based on interviews with eye witnesses and the creature’s footprints in secondary jungles.

However a blanket ban would not be conducive for the State’s eco-tourism.

Q: Based on the evidence so far, can the Johor Bigfoot be found soon?

A: A full-scale scientific expedition with scientists equipped with state-of-the-art equipment will have a good chance of capturing its sounds or visuals but they have to be very stealthy as from what we know of the creature, it is intelligent enough to evade humans.

KatoeyLover69

06-03-2006, 06:14 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 6 March 2006 :-

HIV/AIDS: Odd-job workers top list

KUALA LUMPUR, Sun.
--------------------
Ask anyone on the street which occupational group has the largest number of HIV/AIDS sufferers and, invariably, the answer will be sex workers. That is the wrong answer.

According to Health Ministry statistics only 455 sex workers are HIV/AIDS sufferers. Topping the list are odd-job workers with 25,726 sufferers followed by 13,973 sufferers, who are unemployed.

The other sufferers according to occupational category are: factory and industrial workers (3,843), fishermen (3,066), private sector staff (2,394), housewives (1,932), uniformed bodies (669), government staff (502) and students (154).

There are also 22,912 HIV/AIDS sufferers whose occupations are unknown.

Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) president Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said the Government’s campaigns to create awareness among Malaysians of HIV/AIDS is paying off, with people, including women, coming forward to be screened for the affliction.

"Many are not coming out due to shame and fear of being stigmatised. They also fear discrimination against them and their family," she told the New Straits Times.

Dr Adeeba, who heads the Infectious Diseases Unit at University of Malaya Medical Centre, said it was important for every Malaysian to know about HIV/AIDS and how it was transmitted.

"Everyone is a potential victim, not just the drug addict or sex worker," she said, adding that the Government was fighting hard to reduce transmission through its campaigns.

She said until infection among drug users was controlled, it would be a tough battle. A total of 50,303 HIV and 5,956 AIDS sufferers were intravenous drug users as at June last year.

The ministry’s statistics show 25 blood transfusion recipients are suffering from HIV and another 17 have AIDS. Three organ donation recipients have been infected with HIV while three others have AIDS.

The breakdown of those with HIV and AIDS: homosexuals and bisexuals (930 HIV and 232 AIDS) heterosexuals (9,417 HIV and 2,751 AIDS), and mother to child transmission (500 HIV and 124 AIDS).

There is no clear information on how 6,260 HIV and 961 AIDS sufferers became afflicted.

The racial breakdown of sufferers from 1986 to June last year: Malays (48,976 with HIV and 6,007 with AIDS), Chinese (9,893 HIV and 2,751 AIDS), Indians (5,522 HIV and 735 AIDS), Bumiputera Sarawak (185 HIV and 77 AIDS), Bumiputera Sabah (233 HIV and 79 AIDS), Orang Asli (39 HIV), others in Peninsular Malaysia (392 HIV and 115 AIDS) and foreigners (2,040 HIV and 271 AIDS).

KatoeyLover69

06-03-2006, 06:21 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 6 March 2006 :-

Marriage? No Way!
80 per cent of Malaysian women will wait after 30, says survey

KUALA LUMPUR, Sat.
-------------------
The results of this survey are sure to bring forth a howl of protests from many women.

They may not find fault with the finding that 80 per cent of women professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 prefer to marry after 30 or not at all.

But they are likely to take umbrage at the reasons given for this: A lack of sexual desire, career priorities, infertility and a search for rich husbands.

And that while they want their husbands to spend on them, they refuse to share their salaries with their husbands.

This is what a survey of 200 women professionals by the University of Malaya’s Centre for Family Development (UMCFD) shows.

But, there is no reason for the men to smirk.

A Universiti Malaya lecturer and licensed counsellor not connected with the survey says the reason women are not interested in marrying is because there is a lack of "men of quality" in the country.

UMCFD director Professor Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul Rashid said the reason professional women lacked sexual desire was that they were very tired after work and were too preoccupied with their careers.

"Our survey shows that sexual desire in professional women is rather low," he added.

Rahim said a shift in priorities from marriage to education and career as well as the lack of suitable marriage candidates was another factor.

"More and more women pursue educational and career development. As a result, when they are ready for marriage, there are very few available single professional men.

"As everyone knows, there are more women in institutions of higher learning than men. So naturally there are fewer professional men than women, which is another problem.

"The practical thing would seem to be to allow professional men to marry more than one, but this would definitely not be a good solution."

A career, he said, meant a lot to women as it symbolised independence. "Among the Malays, the women chase careers to be able to help out their families.

"Eighty per cent of Malay women feel an indebtedness to their parents and feel the need to be financially secure to be able to contribute to the family."

Another factor, said Dr Rahim, was the professional woman’s expectation that the future husband’s income be in the RM10,000 to RM20,000 bracket.

However, he said, the women did not believe in sharing their salaries with their husbands.

"Eight out of 10 women surveyed said they will refuse to share their money with their husbands, saying it was their money, while the husband is still expected to take care of all the household expenses.

"This will lead to men starting to wonder if they can afford to do so. In fact, there is a trend developing where professional men are starting to stay single.

"There are many unmarried women around who they can hook up with as it is common in urban societies for couples to practise free sex without the strictures and morality of marriage."

He said feminist movements had also become more vociferous, with women more aware of their rights.

The study also found that women in Kelantan and Terengganu felt sexually superior if they had been married a few times.

"Most women there marry two or three times," he said, adding that one reason women in the two states divorced and remarried was because men were not able to provide financially for their wives.

He said women also chose not to marry because of medical problems — including infertility — social status and frustration due to previous failed relationships.

The practice of same sex relationships, said Rahim, also contributed to this problem.

If these issues were left unchecked, he said, the country would be beset with social problems and the population would decline.

Meanwhile, University Malaya lecturer and counsellor Hushim Salleh said women were not interested in marrying because "men of quality" were lacking in the country.

"Many men now are involved in drugs and are gay or soft. I do marriage counselling and 80 women have registered with me to help them find husbands, but only three men registered to find wives."

Hushim said parents must bring up their male children properly and ensure they did not engage in "disruptive gender activities".

Another problem for professional women, he said, was that men had inferiority complexes and did not like marrying women more qualified than them.

The absence of family pressure was another reason women were choosing to marry late or not marry, said Hushim.

"Parents are now more understanding when their daughters don’t marry as they know they will be able to take care of themselves."

Both Dr Rahim and Hushim will be among more than 30 local and international speakers at a "Philosophy of Marriage" seminar on March 29-30 at University Malaya.

KatoeyLover69

06-03-2006, 06:27 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 6 March 2006 :-

Survey findings irritate women’s associations

KOTA BARU, KELANTAN, Sun.
----------------------------
Some women’s associations in the State have taken exception to survey findings that Kelantan and Terengganu women felt " sexually superior " if they had been married a few times.

Mastura Muhammad, who heads an NGO called Nisa, refuted the survey’s conclusion that 80 per cent of Malaysian women do not want to marry till after age 30 due to career priorities and the lack of rich husbands.

"The truth behind this purported trend is that men prefer younger women," she said.

"More male professionals wait till they are financially secure before looking for a life partner.

"When they achieve this when they get into their 30s, they discover that they cannot find women of the same age. So they start looking for younger women."

Mastura rejected the claim made in the survey, conducted among 200 women professionals by Universiti Malaya’s Centre for Family Development, that 80 per cent of Malaysian women wait till after 30 before tying the knot.

"The number is much lower," she contended. "Also, no details were given on where these women were from."

The survey also said women were delaying marriage due to infertility and a lack of sexual desire.

State Puspanita secretary Rosaini Razali said such studies were not necessarily accurate. "I don’t think all Kelantan women who have been married more than once feel sexually superior," she said.

Kelantan Dewan Muslimat chief Senator Siti Zailah Yusof said that if this trend among women in the two States were true, then it would also be true of women throughout the country.

Siti Zailah said it was normal for career women not to marry until after 30.

"They have their reasons, which are not due to the difficulty of finding rich husbands."

KatoeyLover69

06-03-2006, 06:34 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 6 March 2006 :-

Corridor boon to Port of Tanjung Pelepas

A centre-piece in the proposed creation of the South-West Johor Development Authority is the designation of a logistics/maritime corridor that will leverage on the world-class Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).

The corridor will cover the area around PTP that would be developed to support various maritime industries over the next five years, in line with efforts taken for the integrated development of southern Johor project.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said recently that the port and its surrounding areas have been identified as the core area and a key driver in the implementation of the project covering the International Petrochemical Centre, Maritime Industrial Centre and Regional Bunker Supply Centre.

"Various developments would be carried out in the area and PTP itself would continue to be developed as a transhipment hub and a logistics and manufacturing industrial centre through its free zone areas," he said.

PTP is expected to n a major beneficiary of the move to create the new development covering the south-western part of Johor, especially in boosting its prospects to emerge as a regional logistics hub.

PTP, which has abundant land bank, was accorded Free Zone status in March 1998 and has been attracting a steady stream of regional distribution companies setting up international procurement centres.

The Government also appointed PTP as a Free Zone Authority (FZA) on June 16, 1999, to administer both the Commercial Free Zone and the Industrial Free Zone.

Pelepas Free Zone is located adjacent to the port and terminal and covers an area of about 405ha This is segmented into different zones depending on the type of activities carried out.

Of this, about 162ha has been designated as Free Commercial Zone reserved for distribution, logistics, and warehousing activities ideal for consolidation, international procurement centres, regional distribution centres, and distribution services. - PortsWorld

KatoeyLover69

06-03-2006, 06:45 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 6 March 2006 :-

Five million light up daily

There are about five million smokers in the country – four million of whom are males and one million, females.

“This is the greatest challenge of the Tak Nak campaign – the sheer volume of smokers,” said Federal Territory public health deputy director Dr Sallehudin Abu Bakar.

He said that the Government had spent about RM20mil on the campaign, in contrast to about RM300mil to RM500mil a year spent by tobacco companies on promoting cigarettes.

“The tobacco industry’s target are youngsters and non-smokers. Once these victims have been influenced, they will be addicted for many more years,” he said during Cigarette Slayer seminar at Subang Jaya Medical Centre here yesterday.

Dr Sallehudin said that for every two seconds a cigarette was inhaled, one billion micron size particles were spread throughout the body, causing health defects such as chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent cough and lung cancer.

“But once you stop smoking, you’ll be able to witness the health dividends almost immediately,” he said.

“This includes a lesser chance of a heart attack, a normal pulse rate, higher energy level, higher blood pressure and a chance to recuperate.”

The bad news, he said, was that certain damage was more permanent.

“A smoker’s lungs, once tainted, may never be healed,” he added.

“But the most important thing here is not cancer or death, but the quality of life.”

“If you can climb a flight of steps without the shortness of breath you’ve experienced before, then you’ve achieved a small victory by quitting smoking,” he added.

KatoeyLover69

07-03-2006, 05:06 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 7 March 2006 :-

Findings in women survey true, says panel head

GEORGE TOWN, PENANG, Mon.
-----------------------------
Some women professionals do not marry because they are not interested in men of low education background or status, State Women and Family Development Committee chairperson Datuk Jahara Hamid said.

Commenting on a survey by University Malaya’s Centre for Family Development (UMCFD), she said it was true that high-achieving women generally have difficulty finding a husband.

Asked about the trend of many women not wanting to share their money with their husbands, Jahara said that it was true to a certain extent, especially when their husbands wasted money on clubbing.

"Who wants to share money with such husbands? But in general, I believe that women do share money for family expenses, though they may not give the cash directly to their husbands," she said.

The survey concluded that 80 per cent of women professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 prefer to marry after 30 or not at all.

Among the reasons cited were education and career, which made them difficult to find male partners of equal status.

KatoeyLover69

07-03-2006, 05:15 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 7 March 2006 :-

Mi racun tempts many

JOHOREANS and even those from Kuala Lumpur are going crazy over the mi racun (poisonous noodles) in Jalan Rotan Tunggal, Taman Seri Jaya, reported Utusan Malaysia.

The dish has been named so since the 1970s because of the unique gravy made from a mixture of tomato sauce and goat's soup.

Japar Naina, the 63-year-old shopowner, said although yellow noodles were used in the dish, it was safe for consumption.

“My mi racun is not connected to the recent incident of poisonous yellow noodles. I started the business in Jalan Sultanah 30 years ago,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

08-03-2006, 01:47 PM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 8 March 2006 :-

Cold feet over hunt for Bigfoot

JOHOR BARU: With all the hype about Bigfoot, one would have thought that the Forestry Department would be swarmed with people wanting to track down the mystical creature.

The department even printed 500 forms for people to apply to enter the forest in search of Bigfoot.

But there are no takers.

“We thought that with all the interest in Bigfoot, we would have a lot of enquiries from the public. However, this is not the case,” State Forestry Department director Che Hashim Hassan said.

Asked if it was possible that people were entering the forests illegally, Che Hashim said his forest rangers had not seen anyone.

“At any time, we have 25 rangers patrolling the area in Kahang, even at night,” he said.

“They have neither spotted Bigfoot nor trespassers.”

The department has not organised tours to take adventure seekers into the forest with the hope of seeing Bigfoot.

“We have not seen compelling evidence on the existence of Bigfoot. I don’t think we will be organising such tours,” Che Hashim added.

He also said that those interested in entering the state's permanent forest reserves totalling 368,821ha would have to apply for a permit at the cost of RM150 per entry.

The applicant is allowed to bring as many people into the forest as long as the names of those entering as well as their IC numbers are submitted at the time of application.

Bigfoot stories began appearing in the media in December and several expeditions had been organised since.

People claimed to have heard distinctive howling emanating from the jungle in the wee hours of the morning and to have seen the creature’s footprints.

KatoeyLover69

08-03-2006, 03:53 PM

Report from The New Paper (S'pore) dated wednesday 8 March 2006 :-

They were CRAMMED in secret room for hours : JB police discovers 44 women hiding behind wall at nightclub

IT would have been the perfect hideout.

Until nearly two hours later, when their small, dark and cramped secret room got too hot and stuffy.

That's when the 44 suspected prostitutes, weary and dripping with sweat, started complaining in low tones.

Their grumbling gave them away.

On the other side of the partition, puzzled police officers, who had been searching high and low for the women, pricked up their ears.

They eventually arrested the girls.

The raid at the Johor Baru nightclub took place at about 11.30pm last Saturday.

Police officers found mattresses and used condoms in rooms on the second floor of the nightclub, reported Guang Ming Daily. The rooms were in a state of disarray, but there was something strange: Not a single prostitute was in sight.

The police did not give up searching despite finding only two men on the second floor.

SECRET DOOR

After more than an hour, the police heard what sounded like voices coming from within a wall.

Putting their ears to the wall, the officers discovered that there were people talking to one another.

They followed the sound to a point along the wall where, hidden behind a sofa, there was a door to a secret room.

But the frightened women refused to surrender themselves.

So civil defence officers had to be called in to break down the door.

One by one the women streamed out.

Until there were 44 of them.

The fact that so many women could squeeze into such a small and poorly-ventilated room shocked the police.

Of the women arrested by the police, 27 were Thais, eight Indonesians, eight locals and one was a Chinese national.

Only seven Thai and six Indonesian women had passports, while the rest had no legal identification documents.

The head of Johor's crime investigation department, Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar, had led the raid, which ended at about 5am on Sunday morning.

He said that the nightclub's owner, seven employees and 14 customers were also arrested for suspected involvement in vice activities.

The nightclub had been raided for illegal vice activities in September last year.

The women were taken to the south district police station in Johor and will be investigated for violating anti-vice or immigration laws.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2006-03-07/NP_3656784_07_03_2006t.jpg

KatoeyLover69

08-03-2006, 04:03 PM

Report from The New Paper (S'pore) dated Wednesday 8 March 2006 :-

Pop princess Siti Nurhaliza finally admits : Yes, I'm seeing someone now, but...

SHE had been very coy about it in the past.

But yesterday, Malaysia's pop icon Siti Nurhaliza admitted that there is someone special in her life.

Who is this man? She wouldn't tell.

'Yes, I am seeing someone right now,' was all the 27-year-old would say, reported The Star.

Recently, the Malaysian media had been carrying reports linking her to a Malaysian businessman known only as 'Datuk K'.

Last week, she set tongues wagging at a charity event when she and Ace Group chairman Datuk Khalid Mohd Jiwa were seen wearing matching outfits.

Datuk Khalid wore a purple batik shirt while Siti donned a purple gown.

Yesterday, Siti made her feelings known at a function in Kuala Lumpur organised by Star TV.

A reporter asked her: 'Do you have anyone special in your life?'

'Yes,' came the answer from a visibily happy Siti.

When she was pressed to reveal the name of the new man in her life, she said: 'No, I am not going to tell you who the person is.

'The person is very significant in my life. Well, it could be a journalist, you know.'

She giggled often during her media session. 'You can say that I am very happy now. But I am not settling down or making any wedding plans.' In the past, Siti had refused to talk about her private life.

'I know people have commented that I am quite open lately. I guess it comes with age. Wisdom comes with maturity,' she said.

Ace Group chairman Datuk Khalid Mohd Jiwa is rumoured to be the man in Siti Nurhaliza's life.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2006-03-07/NP_3656836_07_03_2006t.jpg

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2006-03-07/NP_3656843_08_03_2006t.jpg

KatoeyLover69

08-03-2006, 10:19 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 8 March 2006 :-

15mil tourists visit Malaysia from January to November 2005

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed
--------------------
Malaysia recorded 15 million tourist arrivals in the first 11 months of 2005, a 4.3 per cent increase from the 14.4 million in 2004.

November recorded 1.43 million visitors, a 7.7 per cent increase from 2004’s 1.33 million tourists, a statement from the Tourism Ministry said.

The top 10 tourist markets for Malaysia were Singapore (8.8 million), Thailand (1.73 million), Indonesia (896,330), Brunei (438,959), Japan (313,787), China (302,213), Australia (244,492), UK (220,790), India (208,605) and West Asia (141,586).

KatoeyLover69

09-03-2006, 10:33 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 9 March 2006 :-

Syariah Court jails couple for incest

KOTA BARU, Wed.
-----------------
A taxi driver was today sentenced to five months’ jail and fined RM3,000 by the Syariah Court for practising an incestuous marriage by having two sisters as his wives at the same time.

Aziz Mohamad pleaded guilty to marrying Aishah Mohd Taib, 26, in Narathiwat province in southern Thailand last December while he was still married to Aishah’s sister Zainab.

Aishah, who was also charged, was sentenced to four months and fined RM2,000 when she pleaded guilty to marrying Aziz knowing he was her sister’s husband.

The offence carries a maximum two-year jail sentence and a fine of not more than RM3,000 under Section 10 (incest) of the Kelantan Syariah Enactment.

Muslims are prohibited from marrying certain members of their spouses’ families.

In mitigation before judge Abdullah Man, Aziz said he had six children to support from his marriage with Zainab. He also said he earned around RM400 a month selling vegetables and driving a taxi.

Aishah, appealing for a lesser sentence, said she was unclear of the penalty if convicted. Aishah said she had no children and had not been married before.

Syariah prosecuting officer Abdullah Abu Bakar Kutty said a heavy penalty should be handed down, as both Aziz and Aishah demonstrated consciousness of their actions in deciding to marry abroad.

He said according to the facts of the case, their relationship was discovered by Zainab in her house, after witnessing Aziz and Aishah engaging in a "husband-and-wife-like manner" in a room.

"This action (marrying the wife’s sister) can bring disharmony and animosity to the family," he said. "By marrying Aziz, Aishah has also betrayed her sister’s love and trust.

"I ask the court to annul their marriage and order them to stay apart."

KatoeyLover69

09-03-2006, 11:25 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 9 March 2006 :-

Asia's first no-frills terminal set to open in Malaysia on 23 March 2006

SEPANG (AP) - Malaysia said Thursday its low-cost budget terminal would begin operations in two weeks, becoming Asia's first - just days before neighbouring Singapore is scheduled to opens its own budget terminal.

But Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy denied that the 108 million ringgit (US$29 million; euro24.5 million) terminal in Kuala Lumpur was in direct competition with rival Singapore.

"Why should we (compete)? We are doing quite well,'' Chan said.

The no-frills airport will open March 23, Chan said, while Singapore's budget terminal is scheduled to start operations March 26.

Construction on the terminal, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the main Kuala Lumpur International Airport, only began in June 2005.

It will use the main airport's runway and other technical facilities.

The main tenant will be Southeast Asia's no-frills leader AirAsia.

Chan also denied that construction of the terminal was rushed to beat Singapore's opening, saying it was only to ease congestion at the main airport.

"That's the main consideration. Not what others are doing in other parts of the world,'' he said after touring the 35,000 square meter (375,000 square feet) facility in Sepang, about an hour's drive from downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are in direct competition for Asia's cutthroat and booming budget airline business, which analysts say is likely to grow rapidly in the next few years.

The government decided to build the dedicated terminal to help Kuala Lumpur International Airport compete as a regional hub and counter competition from Singapore and Bangkok, which is slated to open a new airport in the middle of the year.

"We are confident it (the airport) will enhance our position as the low-cost hub in this part of the world,'' said Chan.

Malaysia's terminal will be able to handle up to 10 million passengers yearly, while Singapore's is built for just a fourth of that.

KatoeyLover69

10-03-2006, 10:48 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 10 March 2006 :-

Gifts from Siti’s mystery man?

KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs.
----------------------
Here’s more to Siti Nurhaliza’s storybook romance with her Prince Charming — gifts of a dream bungalow and a gleaming luxury car.

And Datuk Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, the mystery Datuk "K" said to be her heart-throb, has finally surfaced to say that he and Siti Nurhaliza are close friends.

But he stopped short of confirming that he is actually the man Siti Nurhaliza is in love with.

"Siti Nurhaliza is well-mannered and carries herself well," said the businessman. And when asked whether there were romantic links, he refused any more comment.

Since making the big announcement that she is seeing someone, the 27-year-old singer is said to have been presented with a house worth more than RM1 million in the suburbs and an elegant Mercedes Benz CLS350 said to cost RM888,888.

The talk of the town has it that Siti Nurhaliza is romantically-linked with the 47-year-old businessman.

It is believed that Khalid purchased the property for her and is spending a few million ringgit for renovations and the car is an alluring black.

However, a check with the Road Transport Department revealed that the car is registered under a certain Siti Zainab Hanafi, believed to be a close relative of Khalid’s.

And when is the big day? It seems although the couple initially planned to have a June wedding, it has been postponed to August.

"Khalid is attending two big weddings involving his close friends in June. Hence, the postponement," said a source, adding that the wedding would be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Another reception is also scheduled in Kuantan, Pahang.

It is said that the couple met at a function about two years ago. Siti Nurhaliza, who has been linked to a few celebrities in the past, however has declined comment on their romance.

In a reply via the short messaging service (SMS), Siti Nurhaliza said: "I’ve given my full co-operation with regards to this issue and hope that my previous statements are sufficient for now.

"God willing, I hope to update everybody at an appropriate time. Please be patient."

According to another source, Khalid is rumoured to be meeting Siti Nurhaliza’s parents to ask for her hand in marriage sometime this week.

The Press was "alerted" at the recently-concluded Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian when Siti mentioned that her win in the Most Popular Female Singer category "was dedicated to someone special".

At an event billed, Breakfast With The Stars held at the Ritz Carlton here earlier this week, she did not deny the rumour of her relationship with a VIP.

KatoeyLover69

11-03-2006, 01:24 PM

Report from The STAR dated aturday 11 March 2006 :-

Ayer Hitam : A town full of goodies

Located less than an hour’s drive away from Johor Baru, lies a quaint little town bustling with travellers weaving through endless rows of shops selling pottery, handicraft and home-made chips.

Ayer Hitam was once known as the town that never sleeps, because of the number of cars and people stopping by on their way north and south. However, nowadays business has slowed down for traders, and many choose to close shop at around midnight.

With almost everything under the sun, it is no wonder travellers from as far as Kelantan, Trengganu and also Singapore throng to this place for a shopping spree.

This transit town is popular for it’s the several roadside stalls hawking knick-knacks, ceramic ware and home decoration items.

With such variety, the prices for the items are unbelievable competitive, especially when most of the items are imported from China.

Ayer Hitam is also a good place to sample some of the local delights such as crunchy kerepek (crackers), steamed corn, and freshly steamed otak-otak (spicy steamed fish paste).

Hanging on the sides of the shops are rows of plush toys of different shapes, sizes and characters that are sure to delight children, especially when they can be obtained at a very reasonable price; a bargain compared to those sold in big cities.

As one walks down the stretch of shops, more often than not there will be a few women strolling along, with hands full of bags of freshly harvested vegetables such as sawi (mustard leaf), bitter gourd, French beans and lady’s fingers.

Shop owner +++ Kim Hea, 53, who has been in business for over 30 years, said in the past, more people stopped over during their travels as many used the old trunk road. However, with the construction of the highway, many travellers just bypass the market.

“Nowadays most of the customers are regular customers who have been here over the years and sometimes new faces drop by after hearing recommendations from others.

“We have Singaporeans coming here occasionally, but most of the customers are domestic tourists, including those from Kelantan and Terengganu,” said +++.

+++’s shop was bursting with an assortment of products, including pottery, ceramic ware and stuffed toys.

Another shop owner, Wang Ah Hie, 54, who sells traditional handicraft such as handy woven hats and pretty straw bags, said the market started with traders selling pottery, but over the years, the shop owners had expanded to include other items such as soft toys, which are a great favourite with the kids.

“My items are all handmade and are popular with tourists seeking traditional souvenirs for their loved ones,” said Wang, adding that most of his items came from either Indonesia or East Malaysia.

First time visitor Mohammad Saat, 49, from Port Klang, Selangor said he decided to drop by after hearing some of his friends talking about it at work, adding that while the prices were very competitive, the quality of the products were not compromised.

Engineer Nazri Mohd Nor, 25, and his father Mohd Nor Abu Bakar, 63, said they visited the market twice a month to check if there were any new things in stock and always loved to purchase the porcelain items at the stalls.

“We are from Johor Baru and whenever we travel, we stop by to see if there is anything new to get our relatives or friends.

“The prices here are really reasonable and on top of that you can also bargain with the shop owner to sell it to you for an even lower price,” said Nazri, adding that there were a wide variety of products that could make fine wedding or birthday gifts.

Another customer, Anne Albans, 36, said she had been shopping at the market for the past five years and usually dropped by at least once a year to check out new items, especially pottery.

“There is always something new. It’s a new experience each time I come here,” said the production operator from Skudai, Johor.

KatoeyLover69

11-03-2006, 01:29 PM

Report from The STAR dated aturday 11 March 2006 :-

Shopping made easy for urban folks

A NEW online shopping portal has been launched which will respond to the needs of urban folks who are looking for speed, quality, reliable services and convenience in this digital age.

The eGroceries online shopping, the brainchild of MnEBay Technologies Sdn Bhd CEO Eng Ging Kiat and Wah Kong group managing director P.Y.Choy, is all about getting much more out of our daily routine.

“For busy consumers, this online shopping will allow them to spend quality time on other activities that truly matter,'' said Choy.

The new portal offers shopping service of frequently purchased household goods at competitive prices with free door-to-door delivery within specific areas in the Klang Valley.

For a start, residents in Bandar Utama, Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Sri Hartamas and Petaling Jaya will enjoy the services.

“The free door-to-door delivery comes only with purchases of more than RM100,'' said Choy.

He said the idea for this new portal is to create a new market place for the future of grocery shopping and that they are expecting to generate a turnover of RM6mil in the first year of operation

Eng said online shopping was a hit in America and Europe and he was confident that it would be a trend here as well.

He said eGroceries.com.my materialised based on one simple objective and that is to create convenience when shopping for groceries.

On top of competitive pricing and free door-to-door delivery, eGroceries also offers a variety of special deals, flexible payment options which include credit card payment at one's door step, “Tel-A-Friend” programme and Loyalty Programme.

For details on the online shopping, go to www.egroceries.com.my

KatoeyLover69

12-03-2006, 10:30 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 12 March 2006 :-

76 tested positive for drugs in raid on unlicensed nightclub

KUALA LUMPUR, Sun:
---------------------
TWO foreign women were among 76 people who tested positive for drugs in a police raid on an unlicensed nightclub in Jalan Loke Yew early today.

They were among 202 patrons and staff at the nightclub, where the raiding party found drugs such as ganja, syabu, Eramin 5, ketamine and Ecstasy scattered all over the floor.

Apart from the foreign women - a Singaporean and a China national - four Indonesian men and a male China national were also detained but later released after testing negative.

Six employees of the nightclub also tested positive in the 5am raid by a 31-member team from Bukit Aman’s anti-vice, gaming and secret society division.

KatoeyLover69

13-03-2006, 02:29 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monsay 13 March 2006 :-

Airport tax set to rise on Wednesday 15 March 2006

KUALA LUMPUR, Sun
--------------------
An increase in airport tax appears imminent.

For international flights, a traveller is expected to pay between RM60 and RM65. On domestic flights, the tax will be between RM10 and RM12.

The present rate is RM45 for international flights and RM6 for domestic departures.

Sources say the Government is expected to give the go-ahead to airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to raise the tax as early as Wednesday.

At the same time, the Government is likely to allow budget carrier AirAsia Bhd using the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in Sepang to pay lower airport tax when the terminal opens on March 23.

The rates are said to be comparable with Singapore’s new LCCT, expected to be S$7 (RM16), or 54 per cent lower than the tax at Changi’s main terminal.

A source said other airports had been increasing their rates since 2001, but Malaysia had not done so.

Hwang-DBS Vickers Research Sdn Bhd senior analyst Wong Ming Tek said it was highly probable that the airport tax at the LCCT would be lower than the main terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, given the potential discrepancy in Singapore and the imminent increase in airport tax at Malaysia’s full service airports.

"We think there is justification for an increase given the cost increases over the years and Malaysia’s relatively lower airport taxes compared with regional airports.

"Also, I don’t think an additional RM20 will dent air travel significantly. The impact will not be as widespread as a hike in electricity or water tariffs," he said.

It is now uncertain whether the Government will approve MAHB’s request to raise the landing, parking and aerobridge charges at the full service airports, seeing that Malaysia Airlines is struggling to cope with record losses. The landing and parking charges were last raised in 1982.

MAHB has proposed to increase those charges to cover rising operating costs as well as to be in sync with regional airports.

It is learnt, however, that MAHB’s proposed increase is still significantly lower than those of regional airports.

Malaysia’s landing and aerobridge charges are the lowest in the region. For example, landing charges for a B747 in Singapore and Manila are RM9,000, a 53 per cent premium over KLIA’s RM4,200.

The next lowest landing charge, of RM5,750 in Bangkok, is still 30 per cent higher than that of KLIA.

KatoeyLover69

13-03-2006, 02:33 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monsay 13 March 2006 :-

New bridge moves a step closer to reality

KOTA TINGGI, JOHOR, Sun
-------------------------
Malaysia and Singapore have agreed in principle to build a bridge to replace the Causeway.

The agreement was reached at the conclusion of the fifth round of negotiations between senior officials from the two countries in Putrajaya yesterday.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, who confirmed this, said an official announcement on the accord could be expected soon.

"We have agreed on the main points of agreement for the building of a full bridge," he said.

It is learnt that some minor technical details have yet to be resolved. Once these are cleared, an official announcement will be made, followed by the signing of the agreement by the two Prime Ministers.

Syed Hamid, who is MP for Kota Tinggi, was speaking after launching Umno Kota Tinggi division’s annual Family Day here today.

The Singapore delegation at yesterday’s talks was led by its Foreign Affairs Ministry permanent secretary Peter Ho, while the Malaysian side was headed by ambassador-at-large Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, former Wisma Putra secretary-general.

While Syed Hamid declined to elaborate on the salient points of the agreement, it is learnt the protracted negotiations have finally reached a settlement for the building of a straight bridge.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong last met in Putrajaya in February last year, but no decision was reached.

Prior to Saturday’s talks, officials from both sides had met four times in Malaysia and Singapore without making any headway.

The negotiations had all along been based on the principle of quid pro quo, with Singapore wanting the right to use Johor airspace for training flights by its Armed Forces jets.

The republic, in addition, had sought a long-term concession for the supply of sand from Johor for its massive on-going coastal land reclamation work.

Malaysia, apparently, acceded to both these requests.

Syed Hamid explained that airspace for Singapore’s military jets would not infringe Malaysia’s sovereign territorial rights.

"The airspace can be used only for specific purposes like holding joint military activities. We are not compromising on our sovereignty, territorial rights or national interests," he said.

The need to open Johor airspace to Singapore jets was also warranted by the fact that Malaysia was a party to the five-nation joint air exercise with Singapore, Australia, Britain and New Zealand.

He said Singapore and Malaysia were already sharing intelligence information on terrorists and pirate activities through their "eye-in-the- sky" facilities.

Asked about the "scenic bridge" under construction now, Syed Hamid said this was merely a contingency measure in the event the talks failed.

It was announced on Monday that construction of the bridge was under way and due to be completed by April 2009.

Singapore had previously delayed an agreement on the bridge because it claimed there were no clear "balance of benefits" to proceed with the project.

KatoeyLover69

13-03-2006, 02:48 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monsay 13 March 2006 :-

Cop among two hurt in disco stampede

KUALA LUMPUR: Two people including a policewoman were injured when dozens of patrons stampeded the two exits of a discotheque in Jalan Loke Yew here in an attempt to flee a police raid.

The policewoman, who was manning the back exit during the operation, sprained her ankle when a group of people tried to rush out from the premises while a customer sustained minor injuries in the stampede.

A total of 202 people were picked up for a urine test in the raid, conducted by the anti-vice, gaming and secret society division as well as the narcotics department of the Federal Police Headquarters, at 5am yesterday.

Police said after screening, only 76 people, including 28 women, were arrested for drug abuse at the unlicensed dance club.

The others including an artist and five policemen, who were based in the Klang Valley, were released.

Police found various drugs such as psychotropic pills, Ecstasy, ganja, ketamine and syabu on the floor of the premises.

They also confiscated audio equipment from the entertainment outlet.

Police said the detainees, aged between 20 and 56, were sent to the Tun H.S. Lee police station's lockup here for further action.

6" boy

13-03-2006, 03:51 PM

From the newspaper report, the wind seen to be very big recently.

Good luck.

KatoeyLover69

14-03-2006, 03:01 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 14 March 2006 :-

Midnight shopping opens in KL

THE unique Midnight Bazaar in Danau Kota, Setapak, has been attracting customers in droves even though it operates from 11pm to 3am. It is closed on Thursday nights.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hasan said there was positive feedback from both the traders and visitors.

“The traders are happy to get a place to trade,” he said. “Visitors are equally pleased to have a place where they could buy things cheap.”

The market has about 300 stalls that sell products usually found at other night markets, such as shoes, clothes, handbags, trinkets, food and fresh produce.

Stretching through four streets in Danau Kota, the market is lively and crowded on weekends.

Yunus Junoh who sells slippers and caps, said the market was especially packed from 1am onwards.

“I suppose most businesses in the city close by midnight and our market provides an alternative for after hours shopping,” he said.

“In the weekends, we get people who have just returned from a night out at the bar or the club,” he added.

Shopper Ija Wan Nor Azizah said she decided to visit the market after hearing word that the traders from Damansara Uptown have relocated to Danau Kota.

“The location is good as there are enough food establishments for the young to hang out,” she said.

Carpet and towels trader Mohd Azimi bin Yusoff is pleased with the operations at the market.

“The times are good for working people,” he said. “They can go home after a day at the office, relax, then come out again to shop. The ambience is relaxing.”

Mohd Azimi said many customers preferred to shop at the market as it was not congested like at the shopping malls. “It is accessible to the locals who do not wish to travel far for their needs.”

He added that the Uptown traders had brought with them their regular customers.

Azie Aziz likes the products sold at the market as they are cheap and suitable for the people. “I am pleased to see the traders make the effort to keep the streets where they operate clean as soon as they have closed shop,” he said.

Trader Rosmah Rahmat has no qualms about the unusual operating hours. “We are used to different hours and the Midnight Bazaar is no different,” she said.

“The customer base could see more improvement though,” said Rosmah. “I suppose we need to promote the market more as it is still new.”

Ruslin said City Hall wanted to provide more opportunities for petty traders, especially housewives and for those who wanted additional income.

“This is the first midnight market in Kuala Lumpur,” he said. “It is a win-win situation for both the traders and their customers.”

Last year, City Hall announced in its newsletter City News that the local authority would be setting up more morning, night, midnight and Sunday markets. It also planned to set up sites for mobile vans, all of which were to provide petty traders with more opportunities.

For the morning market, licences will be issued to hawkers to operate for a few hours at designated locations where they can sell nasi lemak, cakes and other food items.

Hawkers will also be given sites to conduct flea markets where they can sell food, clothes, beauty products and accessories between 1am and 4am.

Under the Sunday market plans, a few sites where only dry goods are allowed to be sold had been proposed at places like Velodromme, Hockey Stadium, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Merdeka Stadium and Air Panas.

As for night market policies, City Hall will open up to 120 sites while more areas near Semua House in Jalan Masjid India and Medan Tuanku will be opened up for mobile operators in vans to operate.

Under the midnight market policies, there will be more sites in Medan Tuanku and Jalan Mahmakah where hawkers can sell dry goods and other stuff from midnight to the wee hours of the morning.

KatoeyLover69

14-03-2006, 03:12 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 14 March 2006 :-

Johor convention centre to open by October 2006

JOHOR BARU: Nestled in the heart of the city, Persada Johor International Convention Centre is 60% complete and expected to be ready by October 2006.

As the first convention centre in Johor and south of Kuala Lumpur, the centre owned by Johor Corp aims to boost economic growth in the state.

Puteri Hotels Sdn Bhd managing director John Roozemond said the strategic location at the border of Malaysia and Singapore was ideal for those with business dealings in both countries.

“I must point out that hotel rates are also lower in Johor Baru,” he said after the preview of the progress of construction at the convention centre recently.

Puteri Hotels acts as the management company of Persada Johor.

Roozemond said statistics provided by the Immigration Department and Tourism Malaysia showed a 24% increase in arrivals into Malaysia for international conventions and exhibitions from 2002 to 2005.

“For years, the international conventions and exhibitions have been centred within Kuala Lumpur itself. Many foreign convention travellers would welcome a change of venue,” he said.

He said the convention centre had the capacity to accommodate up to 6,600 delegates. Its neighbour, The Puteri Pacific Hotel (formerly known as Puteri Pan Pacific Hotel), has 500 rooms.

“The convention centre and the hotel will be linked by a covered bridge as the hotel is situated just next door,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

14-03-2006, 03:12 PM

Delete double postings ...........

KatoeyLover69

14-03-2006, 10:57 PM

Malaysia names candidates to train in Russia in space bid

Subang, Malaysia - Malaysia on Tuesday named four astronaut candidates, including one woman, who will be sent to Russia in a bid to become the country's first citizen to blast into space.

The four, chosen from a field of nearly 900 candidates, were unveiled in a dramatic ceremony where organisers dimmed the lights as Defence Minister Najib Razak announced their names and hailed their efforts.

"May their dreams to become the country's first astronaut become reality and chart a new page in Malaysian history," said Najib, also deputy prime minister.

The four were Mohammed Faiz Kamaluddin, 34, a pilot with Malaysian Airlines; S Vanajah Siva Subramaniam, 35, a female senior quality engineer; Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 34, a medical officer; and Faiz Khaleed, 26, a dental surgeon with Malaysia's armed forces.

All were dressed in bright blue overalls embossed with the Malaysian flag on their sleeves. They will leave for Russia at the end of the month or in early April.

There, they will spend two weeks undergoing medical tests and evaluations at a Moscow space centre, after which Russia will select one astronaut and one back-up candidate. The two chosen will spend 18 months training.

Russia plans to send Malaysia's first astronaut into space in October 2007 as part of a scientific mission aboard the International Space Station.

S Vanajah told reporters stress and mental tests, including a night walk in a swamp, were among the more difficult challenges.

"I kept telling myself, I do or I die," she said. "I told myself, I cannot stop."

She said she had no problem being the only woman chosen and was comfortable with the men.

Dental surgeon Faiz said he hoped his army background would give him an edge.

"I've been through a lot of military training, both physically and mentally, so I think that would be to my advantage," he told reporters.

The agreement to send the Malaysians aboard Russian spacecraft was part of a billion-dollar deal in which Russia will sell Malaysia 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets.

Agence France Presse

KatoeyLover69

17-03-2006, 03:06 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 17 March 2006 :-

Airport tax for KLIA's low-cost- terminal

The Airport tax at KLIA's low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) has been fixed at RM6 for domestic flights and RM35 for international routes

KatoeyLover69

17-03-2006, 03:11 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 17 March 2006 :-

City status for PJ in June 2006

SHAH ALAM: Petaling Jaya will officially become Selangor’s second city when the proclamation is made on June 20. State capital Shah Alam was the first city.

“The Cabinet gave its approval in August last year after Petaling Jaya passed the city-status criteria set out by the Federal Government,” Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo told reporters yesterday.

Dr Khir had earlier read out a motion in the state assembly to allow the change in status for Petaling Jaya.

The Petaling Jaya City Council Enactment 2006 was approved by the state assemblymen present at the state assembly sitting yesterday, including opposition member Ng Suee Lim (DAP - Sekinchan).

Dr Khir said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting would present the proclamation letter (watikah) on June 20.

He noted that Petaling Jaya was the first satellite town created after Kuala Lumpur became too crowded.

“Petaling Jaya has grown by leaps and bounds, both in population and quality of administration. It has become a model for other municipalities,” said Dr Khir.

“The municipal council has received 33 quality awards for administration and innovative management.”

He added the city status meant the local administrators would have to work hard to ensure “the people are happy and the quality of living good.”

Earlier, in the state assembly, Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Datuk Wong Sai Hou said local authorities must be able to handle challenges such as urban poverty, traffic chaos, an explosive population, social problems and pollution.

When contacted, state opposition leader Teng Chang Khim said the proposal to turn Petaling Jaya into a city was mooted some ten years ago.

“Everything is there, all the government department offices and also all the commercial needs. However, there is room for improvement,” he said.

“For instance, the court in Petaling Jaya only handles criminal cases. If one wants to file a civil case, one needs to go to the court registry in Shah Alam.”

He added that the soon-to-be city could also do with a government hospital. The University Malaya Medical Centre is situated in the Federal Territory, just outside the Selangor border.

KatoeyLover69

17-03-2006, 03:16 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 17 March 2006 :-

Man who ate dog suffers blurred vision

A 21-YEAR-OLD man's vision mysteriously deteriorated after he ate a dog that he killed in a fit of anger, reported Tamil Kural.

The report said the man, identified only as Selvam, from Kudiyatham in Tamil Nadu, had returned home for lunch and became angry when he found that the dog had gone into the kitchen and knocked down the meal prepared by his wife.

He beat the dog to death with a stick, then cooked and ate it.

A while later, he started vomiting and had diarrhoea. The family rushed him to a nearby government hospital.

Selvam, who regretted killing the dog and eating it, said his vision had blurred while his hands and legs had become weak.

KatoeyLover69

17-03-2006, 03:20 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 17 March 2006 :-

Enjoy set lunch, a cruise and a land tour at PutraJaya Lake

VARIETY is the spice of life and Cruise Tasik Putrajaya (CTP) is well aware of it.

Hence, in addition to tea and dinner cruises around Putrajaya Lake, CTP is offering a set lunch cruise packaged with a two-hour land tour starting this month. CTP is working with Putrajaya Corporation (PJC) for the land tour.

CTP senior operations manager Chin Mun Chip, who accompanied StarMetro on the cruise vessel, said response to the lunch cruise had been encouraging since its soft launch on Jan 28.

“We are working with Putrajaya Seafood Restaurant for the set lunch cruise as we do not have cooking facilities on board. We settled on set lunch as the cruise is only for an hour, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm,” said Chin.

After leaving the jetty, the vessel made a pit stop at the Putrajaya Seafood Restaurant where the set lunch was brought on board piping hot.

The restaurant’s chefs decide on the menu for the day and it consists of soup, main course, dessert and coffee or tea. There is also free flow of soft drinks.

As we sipped hot soup, the vessel took us on a brief tour of the sights located along the lake. By the time we finished our main course, the vessel had reached the Putrajaya dam and was heading back.

According to Chin, the whole vessel may be booked for the lunch cruise for a party of 20. Guests may opt for a long table or individual settings for an intimate rendezvous.

The land tour, from 2pm to 4pm, takes guests from Dataran Putra to the Boulevard, Putrajaya International Convention Centre, Taman Warisan Pertanian, Taman Putra Perdana, Seri Perdana Bridge, Seri Wawasan Bridge and back.

The whole package is priced at RM55 nett.

Besides the new package, CTP offers a sunset cruise. CTP is expecting a bigger dining boat by June to cater to the rising demand for its cruises.

For more information, call CTP at 03-8888 5539.

KatoeyLover69

18-03-2006, 03:23 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monsay 13 March 2006 :-

RM35 tax to fly abroad from low-cost terminal ( LCCT )

PUTRAJAYA, Fri.
---------------
Passengers flying to international destinations from the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) will pay RM35 in airport tax.

The RM10 reduction over the rate at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport main terminal is aimed at encouraging more Malaysians to fly from the LCCT.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the tax for domestic destinations would remain at RM6 at both terminals.

"Not only do we want more Malaysians to fly, but we want the LCCT to attract budget carriers from neighbouring countries.

"We want the LCCT to be the regional hub for budget carriers," he said here today.

Chan said the LCCT would open its doors at 4pm on Thursday.

The first day of operations will only see incoming flights, with departures beginning on Friday.

The RM108 million LCCT, 20km from KLIA’s main terminal, is specifically built to cater to the growing number of passengers on budget carriers, especially Malaysia’s first no-frills airline, AirAsia.

Asked if Singapore’s low-cost carrier terminal, to open on March 26, would be a threat, Chan said the terminals would complement each other.

"I do not view it as competition. We are merely providing the opportunity for more Malaysians to fly. There is a huge demand for such a terminal in the country."

Chan said the LCCT was expected to attract five million passengers in its first year of operations, with an increase to 10 million in the next five years. "If the need arises, we can expand to cater to 15 million passengers."

On accessibility, Chan said a dedicated shuttle bus — Skybus — would ferry passengers from KL Sentral to the LCCT and vice versa every 15 minutes for a mere RM9 per trip.

"City taxis are also allowed to cater to the needs of those using the terminal. Passengers can also take the Express Rail Link to Salak Tinggi where they can board a bus to the LCCT.

"KTM Komuter passengers can also exit at Nilai station as there will be buses travelling to the terminal from there."

Shuttle buses would also ply the route from the KLIA main terminal to the LCCT every 20 minutes for RM1.50.

On parking facilities at the LCCT, Chan said it would be free till the end of the month.

"From April, the parking fee will be RM1 for the first two hours and RM2 for each subsequent hour."

Asked if there were other budget carriers besides AirAsia which had shown interest in the LCCT, Chan said there were at least three airlines keen to use the terminal.

"However, they are taking the wait-and-see approach. They are waiting for the LCCT to be up and running before making a decision."

KatoeyLover69

18-03-2006, 03:31 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monsay 13 March 2006 :-

Bridge delay costs RM70m

JOHOR BARU: The 23-month delay in starting the new link to Singapore to replace the causeway will cost the Government an additional RM70mil by the time it is completed in April 2009.

Besides RM50mil to build a temporary access road from the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex, the additional cost will cover claims that include rising cost of steel, raw materials and fuel charges incurred by the contractors.

Under the RM1.113bil agreement signed between the Government and Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd for the 1.2km link in May 2003, the cable-stayed bridge – which will reach only halfway across the waterway – was to have been ready at the end of last year.

However, after Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as Prime Minister, he allowed a cooling period from February 2004 to January this year to allow room for negotiations with the republic.

Malaysia is trying to persuade Singapore to build a full bridge jointly.

The republic has only agreed in principle that any deal made would be on the basis of a balance of benefits for both sides.

Their formal discussions had been mainly on a 0.85km stretch on the republic's side while the Malaysian project, which resumed on Jan 18, covers the so-called scenic bridge.

An official familiar with the project said although parts of the temporary access at Tanjung Puteri could be reused for the bridge, a “couple of millions of ringgit” would definitely be lost.

It is learnt that Gerbang Perdana wrote to the Government last year indicating its intention to claim additional charges incurred as a result of the delay.

Negotiations with Singapore were first carried out at Putrajaya in July 2002, followed by four more formal meetings.

Talks were also held this year – in February and early this month in Malaysia.

It is learnt that leaders from both countries will meet again soon to make a joint statement on the project.

KatoeyLover69

24-03-2006, 03:09 PM

Report from The STAR dated Friday 24 March 2006 :-

KL low-cost terminal opens for business

SEPANG: The region’s first and largest low-cost carrier terminal opened for business yesterday, receiving its first flight just minutes after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi opened it.

AirAsia Flight AK6315 from Penang came in with 130 passengers who were warmly greeted by Abdullah at the tarmac after the plane touched down at 4.40pm.

This was the first of 19 AirAsia flights to land at the terminal yesterday.

In his speech, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the 35,290 square metre terminal was equipped with 72 check-in counters and had enough parking bays for 30 aircraft at any one time.

“Even though this is a low-cost terminal, the facilities are far better than average. Similar terminals in other places have the open-air concept but in Malaysia we have built one that is fully air-conditioned,” he said.

Among the first to arrive at the newly opened terminal was Bruneian Suhar Idris and her family, who did not expect to be greeted by the Prime Minister.

“I knew the terminal would be opened today (yesterday) and we would be among the first to arrive but I was shocked to find Datuk Seri Abdullah and other dignitaries waiting for us on the tarmac,” she said.

The 39-year-old housewife said it was an unforgettable experience.

Deborah and George Martin from Northern Ireland said they were told onboard that they would be given a “warm reception at the terminal”.

“But we didn’t expect to be greeted by the Prime Minister himself. The facilities are great and very good,” said Deborah.

Earlier, Abdullah said the Government would go along with any mutually beneficial agreement that Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia reached on domestic routes.

“I believe the chief executive officers of MAS and AirAsia are engaging in discussions in a warm atmosphere and I am confident a good decision will be reached.”

The Government decided last Thursday that MAS and AirAsia be allowed to fly major domestic routes together, with the national carrier providing the premium service and the budget airline providing the low-cost trunk services.

Both airlines had until Monday to submit details of their discussions to the Government before a final decision is made.

He also stressed the importance of good maintenance for the terminal and its facilities, adding that care should be taken to ensure facilities were well maintained at all times.

He said he would direct Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat to ensure immigration services were smooth, efficient and friendly to match services given to passengers on their flights.

KatoeyLover69

24-03-2006, 03:27 PM

Report from The New Stratis Times dated Friday 24 March 2006 :-

Johor serious about search for Bigfoot

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Government is fully committed to investigating the Johor Bigfoot phenomenon and will not condone any destruction of "evidence" that could prove the creature’s presence.

State Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Freddie Long said it was therefore wrong to accuse the State Forestry Department of destroying purported Bigfoot footprints found in secondary forest at Kampung Temening in Kota Tinggi.

Long said the bulldozing of a 10m stretch of forest, where giant footprints and "evidence" were found on a tarred road and muddy forest floor last month, could have been done by the land owner.

"The land on which this evidence was found is private land and we have no jurisdiction to do anything there," he said in response to a New Straits Times article yesterday, which reported that authorities had plugged the unregulated tourist influx from Singapore to the village area by bulldozing the secondary forest where the Bigfoot evidence was found.

Asked why the State Government had not advised villagers in the area on ways to optimise on the eco-tourism potential of interest in Bigfoot, he said this was difficult as the villagers themselves did not believe the creature existed.

Long said he and officials from the Johor Wildlife and Forestry departments had together visited the spots where the Bigfoot footprints and "evidence" were discovered.

"We could not find solid evidence of Bigfoot there and we found that the people there remained unconvinced.

"As the Bigfoot ‘evidence’ is largely on private land in Kota Tinggi, there is little we can do to promote Bigfoot tours."

Long said the state Bigfoot research steering committee was searching Johor jungles for evidence.

He said since Dec 30, the Johor National Park Corporation and state Wildlife and Forestry departments had carried out short expeditions in the jungles of Kahang, Endau-Rompin, Lenggor, Padang Temumbun and Sungai Semerong.

"The Bigfoot research steering committee, which I chair, has decided to organise the state’s official Bigfoot expedition on May 15 to 20.

"A total of seven scientists from local universities in various disciplines such as zoology, primatology and IT will join the expedition together with relevant government agencies and representatives from non-governmental organisations."

Long also clarified that the State Government had not banned foreign Bigfoot experts and enthusiasts from investigating the Bigfoot phenomenon in Johor.

"They can send in their applications to us and we will arrange for them to carry out their studies as soon as the local expedition is completed by the end of May," he said.

He urged those with information on Bigfoot to contact the committee’s hotline at 07-2222221. He said the committee would promptly investigate any sightings.

KatoeyLover69

27-03-2006, 05:58 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 27 March 2006 :-

Chakra Restaurant, J.B. : From home to restaurant

OVER the past six months, a double-storey bungalow in the Inner Ring Road (IRR) of Johor Baru and painted in hues of tangerine and mustard has undergone some transformation.

The colonial-style bungalow was among the few left in Jalan Yusof Taha, while others had to make way for the construction of the IRR.

It was the family home of former Johor MIC vice-chairman K.R. Nadesan Chettiar who also the party’s Central Working Committee member from 1971 to 1975.

This 1930s house with eight rooms once had 25 people living under its roof and welcomed many famous guests.

Among them were legendary Tamil silver screen actor, the late Sivaji Ganesan, Indian classical dancer Padmini and poet Kannadasan.

Now, this 73-year old pre-war building has been converted into an Indian dining outlet – Chakra Restaurant.

The word chakra in Tamil means chariot wheel while in Sanskrit it refers to the seven points of the body associated with the practice of yoga.

“Many thought the place was an ayurvedic massage centre or yoga learning centre,” said restaurateur and co-owner N. Shanmugam.

He said many that motorists stopped by out of curiosity and were surprised to find that place was actually a restaurant.

Sultan of Johor Sultan Iskandar Alhaj is a regular at the outlet. Others include politicians, businessmen, expatriates, foreign tourists and Singaporeans.

Shanmugam said his family has been involved in businesses such as supplying food products to sundry shops, operating canteens and food catering for 20 years.

Apart from Shanmugan, his brother Venu, wife G. Sheyamara Thevi, sister-in-law Vasugi Ratnam and daughter S. Priyadarshini are involved in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant.

Instead of specialising in only one style of Indian cooking, the outlet offers both south and north Indian food.

Shanmugam said this would give diners the opportunity to sample both south Indian cooking which was curry-based and north Indian dishes which were creamy.

“It is the only Indian restaurant in Johor Baru offering a la carte menu and special dishes. The others are all pre-cooked,” he said.

Shanmugam said the two cooks from India prepared the spices for their cooking to suit the taste of diners instead of using ready mixed spices found the market.

Apart from the menu dishes, the restaurant catered to special orders from patrons, but the orders must be made in advance, he said.

Among the dishes are tomato chilli rasam, onion pakora, koli varuval (chicken sautéed with special herbs and coconut), velvet soup (cucumber blended with milk, cashew nuts and coriander leaves) murgh saagwala (chicken coated in spinach) and chettinand mutton curry (cooked with spices and flavoured with black pepper).

Others include meen kolambu (Spanish mackerel cooked with onions, garlic and spices), fish meetha (fish cooked with fenugreek) and panjapooram baigan (squid with sautéed eggplant, onions, ginger and five special spices).

“Diners can ask our cooks to prepare Malaysian-Indian dishes or a mix of southen, northen and local Indian dishes,” said Shanmugam.

The rooms on the top floor of the bungalow were demolished to create a spacious dining area and three bedrooms downstairs were turned into private dining chambers.

The three rooms are named after Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini and Kannadasan in remembrance of their visits to the house.

The restaurant comfortably seats 80 to 100 diners and will soon have al fresco dining with open booths to cook Indian breads and tandoori.

Also in the offing is hi tea where patrons can enjoy the drink with Indian snacks, sweets and savouries prepared at the spot.

Except for the dining tables and chairs, which are new, most of the furniture such as curio cabinets, side tables and console tables are the family’s antiques.

“We are going to redecorate the place with fittings from old palaces in India and replace the louvres with stained glass windows,” said Shanmugam.

The restaurant is open from 11am to 3.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm daily.

For details, call 07-223 9991

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:15 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

Malaysians spend RM40.9bil via credit cards last year

KUALA LUMPUR, TUES:
---------------------
MALAYSIANS racked up RM40.9 billion on their credit cards last year, a jump of 17.3 per cent from RM34.9 billion in 2004.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said 60 per cent of the amount had been repaid.

This, he said, showed that Malaysians were generally using their credit cards as a means of easy payment and not for credit.

“Non-performing accounts for credit cards amounted to only 4.31 per cent last year compared to 16 per cent during the financial crisis of the late 1990s,” he said.

There are more than 7.8 million credit-card holders in Malaysia, and spending has been rising steadily over the years.

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:21 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

MAS gets 19 domestic routes and AirAsia, 96

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has carved up the domestic air route pie, with Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia having substantial stakes under a sharing arrangement.

MAS will operate 19 trunk routes under the rationalisation exercise. AirAsia has been entrusted with 96 other low-cost operations.

But the decision to grant MAS the limited number of routes comes at a price: the national carrier will no longer receive subsidies from the Government. Neither will AirAsia’s domestic routes be subsidised.

But AirAsia will get financial assistance to operate rural air services in Sabah and Sarawak.

MAS will also not be allowed to sell tickets below the full economy fares.

The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement yesterday, said the plan would come into force soon, possibly by Aug 1.

The statement said both airlines would be given the flexibility to determine fares, capacity, frequency of flights and the type of aircraft to be used on domestic routes.

MAS and AirAsia would enhance competitiveness not only in the domestic sector but at regional and international levels, it added.

"Apart from that, the Government will ensure the interest of consumers is safeguarded."

The statement also said both airlines were working out an agreement for the no-frills airline’s fleet of aircraft to be maintained by MAS’ engineering unit.

On March 16, the Government had requested Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia to conclude their talks on rationalising domestic air services and submit their decision for final consideration.

The statement said the KLIA, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu international airports would be the main hubs for the trunk routes.

"The trunk routes are based on international connectivity and business traffic," it said.

They are KL-Penang, KL-Langkawi, KL-Kota Kinabalu, KL-Kuching, KL-Johor Baru, KL-Miri, KL-Sibu, KL-Kuala Terengganu, KL-Kota Baru, KL-Alor Star, KL-Kuantan KL-Labuan, KL-Bintulu.

Also, Kuching-Kota Kinablau, Kuching-Miri, Kuching-Sibu, Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan, Kota Kinbalu-Tawau and Kota Kinabalu-Labuan.

The statement said the Government felt that MAS and AirAsia should concentrate on their respective market segments.

MAS would provide premium services based on its price structure and related services.

"Meanwhile, AirAsia will provide low-cost and no-frills services."

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:25 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

MAS to share local flights with AirAsia

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines will only fly to 19 domestic destinations, including all state capitals with airports except Ipoh, under a scheme to share local flights with AirAsia.

Besides these 19 domestic destinations, AirAsia will also service 96 other local routes, which are now termed as non-trunk domestic routes.

These flights are expected to commence on Aug 1.

MAS, however, is not allowed to sell its tickets at a discount and the price must be not less than the “full economy fare.”

The Government said the definition of a domestic trunk route was made after considering the joint report submitted by the two airlines.

“The definition of trunk routes is based on two criteria – international connectivity and business traffic,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office late yesterday.

The statement said that the KLIA, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu airports would be the main hubs for the trunk routes.

The Government, as part of its rationalisation of the domestic air services sector, had given the two airlines until yesterday to come to an agreement on the definition.

On March 16, the Government announced that both MAS and AirAsia would be allowed to fly major domestic routes.

The Prime Minister’s Department reiterated yesterday that MAS would provide the premium service and the budget airline, the low-cost domestic trunk services.

The Government also decided that both companies would be given the flexibility to decide on the frequency of flights, capacity distribution, type of aircraft and airfare under the supervision of the Transport Ministry.

“MAS must restructure its domestic operations by then and AirAsia must have built up capability to operate all domestic routes, including ensuring connectivity where MAS does not fly to.

“The Government will offer a fitting compensation for the domestic business unbundling agreement between MAS and Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad,” the statement said, adding that profit and loss for MAS’ domestic operations is now its own responsibility.

Stating that neither MAS nor AirAsia would be given a subsidy to operate their domestic operations, the Government would, however, pay the low-cost carrier to operate social routes like the rural air services in Sabah and Sarawak.

The Prime Minister’s Office also revealed that the two airlines were negotiating an agreement for AirAsia’s entire fleet of aircraft to be maintained by the MAS Engineering Unit.

At present, AirAsia’s planes are being serviced in Singapore.

“The Government hopes that this rationalisation process will mean greater cooperation between MAS and AirAsia not only on the domestic sector but also on the regional and international levels.”

MAS managing director Idris Jala said the national carrier analysed all its domestic routes and identified the 19 routes as key to ensuring its future success.

“We are confident that we will be able to work closely with AirAsia to ensure that connectivity and interlinking issues are addressed in a timely manner and that international passenger traffic in and out of Kuala Lumpur will not be affected,” he said.

AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said the long-awaited decision would finally enable the two airlines to set their differences aside and move forward to bring their services closer to the people.

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:27 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

Foreign Minister: Bridge debate going overboard

KUALA LUMPUR: Cut down on the debates, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar told MPs and other parties who have voiced their concern about the delay to build the new bridge across the Johor straits.

While conceding that MPs have a duty to voice the concerns of the people, he said nobody should comment on half-facts that could create misunderstandings.

"Our negotiators know what things to discuss and we want people to understand that it’s not only for the interest of Johor, but for Malaysia too.

"We also want the bridge to be used by Singaporeans," Syed Hamid told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Tuesday after meeting MPs to explain the issue.

"The details of the negotiations cannot be disclosed to the public because such matters will impede the on-going talks and can be used against us.

"The less we debate openly about the matter, the easier the topics can be finalised, including the technical details," he added.

Malaysia is trying to persuade Singapore to build a full bridge jointly to link both sides and to replace the current Causeway.

In the meantime, Malaysia was going ahead with a RM620mil so-called "scenic bridge" that would go only halfway across the channel. It is scheduled to be completed in 36 months and will start operations by April 1, 2009.

Syed Hamid reiterated that the Government would not stop the construction of the new bridge and neither would it end its negotiations with Singapore.

He said Malaysia had not reached a stage where it had to choose between stopping the construction work and stopping the negotiations.

He said there was no question of Malaysia giving up its dignity or sovereignty in its discussions with Singapore and neither would Malaysia negotiate from a position of weakness.

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:30 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

Donation for Singapore education

JOHOR BARU: The 10,000-odd Malaysian students studying in primary and secondary schools in Singapore will have to fork out a donation once every two years to an education fund.

The S$1,000 (RM2,310) donation is to be paid to the fund administered by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE).

According to the MOE’s website, foreign students have to make the donations if their applications to study in Singapore were approved.

Four years ago, Malaysian students were required to pay S$3,000 (RM6,930) while students from other countries paid S$5,000 (RM11,550). These amounts were paid during Primary level and their secondary level respectively.

It is learnt that the donations were “contributions” to help in the cost of running the schools.

“In Singapore, as in Government schools of any country, we know that fees are heavily subsidised. Therefore, foreigners will have to give some sort of donation to the respective education funds,” a source revealed.

Statistics from the Singapore Education Statistics Digest 2004 showed that for the financial year 2004/05, the Singapore Government’s recurrent expenditure on education per student was S$3,541 (RM8,979.71) for primary students and S$5,390 (RM12,450.90) for secondary students.

The digest also revealed that Singapore had 131 primary and 110 secondary Government schools with enrolment of 296,419 and 213,534 respectively in year 2004.

A Singaporean teacher, who declined to be named, revealed that in his years of service, he had observed an increasing number of Malaysian students studying in the Republic.

“In fact, if you ask me, in certain schools, especially those in the Woodlands area, Malaysian students make up almost 10% of the total enrolment,” he said.

When asked the reason why parents sent their children to Singapore schools, the teacher, who had served in the education system for several years, said the feedback he received was that Singapore's education had worldwide acceptance.

“With English as the medium of instruction, parents feel their children will be able to adapt well wherever they go.

“They also feel the Singaporean education system is more holistic in terms of extra-curricular activities and helps the child be independent in his or her thinking,” he said when contacted.

Besides Malaysian students, Singapore has over 66,000 international students from over 60 countries.

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:34 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

Win-win for MAS and AirAsia

KUALA LUMPUR: The rationalisation of the domestic routes is seen as a good compromise for both Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia Bhd even though they did not get what they wanted at the onset.

Both airlines wanted full control of domestic routes but, in the end, a middle ground was reached where MAS preserves the important connectivity aspect of its business and frees the airline from the bleeding non-trunk routes.

For AirAsia and, apart of the additional monopolistic routes, the establishment of a floor price for MAS domestic tickets not only removes the competition MAS was giving the airline in terms of pricing but also gives AirAsia additional wriggle room in terms of pricing their tickets.

“The change is quite dramatic for MAS and AirAsia,'' said an analyst.

The rationalisation of the domestic routes is seen as a transitional stage for MAS and, instead of forcing MAS out of the domestic arena immediately, AirAsia would gradually take over the 96 routes from MAS.

The 96 routes that MAS was giving up were unique in terms of capacity for the airline but, with the rationalisation, MAS will shed 6,500 from a current 23,000 employees since it would only be operating 19 of the 115 routes that it currently operates.

Apart from reducing manpower costs, MAS will also dispose of its assets, such as machinery and property, from the stations it would not use anymore and the cost of that displacement is estimated to be between RM800mil and RM1bil, sources said.

In a statement yesterday, MAS noted that the Government has committed to provide financial assistance in order to compensate it for the cost involved in restructuring its domestic sector.

With the rationalisation, MAS will restructure its domestic operations through 19 trunk routes and each of these routes currently generates an annual average load of 15,000 international connection passengers, and/or 13,000 front-end (business/first class) passengers.

“Applying these two dimensions, MAS will now operate seven routes between KL International Airport (KLIA) and Peninsular Malaysia cities, six routes between KLIA and Sabah/Sarawak, and six routes within Sabah and Sarawak,'' said the airline.

The rationalisation would see the required aircraft for the domestic routes being reduced from 40 to 21, and stations right-sized from 32 to 16.

“The planes will be excess requirement and that will need to be addressed,'' said an analyst.

While some may say MAS will end up with less than what it had previously, sources within the airline said it is a “win-win for MAS'' given that it does not have to operate all domestic routes, including rural air services, and can now focus on building its international business.

While the plan should help MAS, it is potentially lucrative for AirAsia should it gain market share as a result of an increase in the demand for no-frills flights.

And with a floor price for domestic airfares by MAS, it is wasting no time to ensure that happens.

In a separate statement yesterday, AirAsia said it would be expanding its operations in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru while new hubs will be set up in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

In the peninsula, AirAsia said it would add frequency on all current routes and commence new flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan.

“Low-fare travel will also become a reality on all intra-East Malaysia routes from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching,'' it added.

AirAsia said its appeal to the Government had been for the opportunity to operate in a free and fair environment.

“We have always emphasised that both airlines can co-exist as they each serve very different market segments. MAS' goal is to connect Malaysia with the rest of the world, while AirAsia has taken on the challenge of making air travel a mass commodity accessible to as many people as possible,'' it said.

“AirAsia has always advocated healthy competition on all routes as we stand firmly by our belief that consumers should always be given choices. With shared operation of domestic trunk routes, MAS will be assured of connectivity between its international and domestic networks while AirAsia focuses on serving point-to-point markets.''

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:37 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

MAS plans to reduce aircraft, manpower

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines will reduce the number of aircraft in the domestic sector from 40 to 21 and stations from 32 to 16 in the "beginning of a new era for the airline industry in Malaysia".

MAS managing director Idris Jala said this would also result in a manpower reduction to around 16,500 from the present 23,000.

Each of the 19 trunk routes allocated to the airline generated an annual average load of 15,000 international connection passengers, and/or 13,000 front-end (Business/First Class) passengers.

MAS will now operate seven routes between KL International Airport and peninsular Malaysia cities, six routes between KLIA and Sabah/Sarawak, and six routes within Sabah and Sarawak.

He said MAS’ original intention was to take back the P&L for the domestic sector from Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd next year and build this out as a viable business unit.

"Having said that, we understand the Government’s vision to establish two national champions in the international aviation sector — one full-service and the other low-cost."

Idris was confident of working closely with AirAsia to ensure that connectivity and interlining issues are addressed in a timely manner and that international passenger traffic in and out of Kuala Lumpur will not be affected.

"Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia will use the current framework to build a strong platform for launching an airline powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region."

AirAsia Bhd said it was looking forward to working with MAS under the domestic route rationalisation exercise. In a statement, group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes described the arrangement as "a historic day for Malaysian aviation".

It will be expanding operations in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru while new hubs will be set up in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

The statement said AirAsia would add more flights on all current routes and start new ones between Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan.

He said with shared domestic trunk routes, MAS would be assured of connectivity between its international and domestic networks while AirAsia focused on serving point-to-point markets.

KatoeyLover69

28-03-2006, 06:40 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 28 March 2006 :-

Dec 31 deadline for prepaid phone users

GEORGE TOWN: Prepaid mobile phone users who do not register their lines by the end of the year risk having them cut.

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said the law requiring all prepaid users to register their lines would be gazetted next month.

"The Cabinet has approved it and I will sign the order to gazette the law next month.

"We will give prepaid mobile phone users until the end of this year to register. After that, service providers will have to terminate the lines of those who do not comply."

Dr Lim said only 1.2 million of the total 14 million prepaid users had registered their lines.

"Enough is enough. Telcos should not drag their feet any more and should register all prepaid users quickly."

The move to register prepaid mobile users followed abusive and threatening messages sent by users of prepaid services.

KatoeyLover69

31-03-2006, 01:21 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 30 March 2006 :-

ERL plans link to low-cost carrier terminal

EXPRESS Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL), which ferries air travellers between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the KL International Airport (KLIA), plans to extend its railway tracks to the newly-built Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

ERL chief executive officer Dr Aminuddin Adnan said the train operator plans to lay 11km of additional railway tracks which will take between 12 and 18 months to complete. ERL is currently 57km long.

"ERL submitted its proposal to the Transport Ministry three weeks ago and the contractor will probably be local.

"We are keen to construct the link between the main terminal and the LCCT but we do not know yet when we can start," Aminuddin told Business Times in a phone interview yesterday.

He, however, declined to reveal the cost involved but sources said the project is expected to cost RM10 million and some of its technology such as light trains will be provided by German engineering giant Siemens AG.

Siemens chief executive officer Rainer Althoff told Bloomberg over the weekend that it was prepared to build the rail link to the RM108 million LCCT which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earlier this month.

Launched four years ago, ERL has a 30-year concession to operate. It carried its 10 millionth passenger in September last year and targets to ferry 6,000 passengers a day by the year-end.

ERL is 50 per cent owned by YTL Corp Bhd, with Tabung Haji Technologies Sdn Bhd holding 40 per cent and Nadicorp Holdings Sdn Bhd 10 per cent.

KatoeyLover69

31-03-2006, 01:25 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 30 March 2006 :-

Siemens clinches KLIA contract worth RM100m

SIEMENS Malaysia Sdn Bhd has been awarded a RM100 million contract to supply and install a high-speed baggage handling system at the KL International Airport (KLIA).

The project, awarded by the Transport Ministry, will extend baggage handling from the satellite terminal at KLIA to the Express Rail Link (ERL) platform at the main terminal of KLIA.

The project is due for completion in September 2007, after which KL Sentral can facilitate prompt and convenient baggage reclaim.

The baggage handling system will result in a more efficient and faster baggage handling for the convenience of passengers connecting direct to KL Sentral upon their arrival to KLIA, Siemens said in a statement.

Speed of baggage transfer is expected to increase by fivefold. The additional conveyor line will also increase the capacity of the ERL baggage handling at KLIA, it added.

"Passengers today, especially frequent and business travellers, want minimum connecting time. Siemens' new system allows for baggage transfer at an impressive speed of 36km per hour," president and chief executive officer of Siemens Malaysia Rainer Althoff said in the statement.

The present baggage handling system transfers passenger baggage at 7.2km per hour.

KLIA will be the fourth airport in Asia to be equipped with a baggage handling system from Siemens after Hong Kong, Incheon (Seoul) and Beijing International Airport.

Similar systems have been installed by Siemens in Dubai, Frankfurt, Madrid and other major airports in the world.

In Malaysia, Siemens was also the system and solutions provider of the ERL linking KLIA to the city centre and the MASkargo Handling System at KLIA.

KatoeyLover69

31-03-2006, 01:31 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 30 March 2006 :-

Shangri-La to open Traders Hotel in KL

THE Shangri-La Group, which will open its flagship business Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, expects to make gross operating profits (GOP) within a month from its opening in July 2006.

Thanks to Traders Kuala Lumpur's link to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the four-star 571-room hotel is projecting an average occupancy rate of between 50 per cent and 60 per cent and an average room rate (ARR) of RM270 in the first six months of its opening.

Coupled with the hotel's strategy of working efficiently without compromising on the Shangri-La standard of service, the hotel's general manager Reto Klauser is certain of showing GOP in such a brief period.

"We are hoping to deliver GOP in August this year. Looking at the structure of the hotel, there are certain services which help us to have an economical cost structure," Klauser told Business Times.

The hotel is owned by Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KLCC (Holdings) Sdn Bhd.

The hotel owner has signed a 15-year management contract with Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd Hong Kong.

According to Klauser, Traders Hotel's services are very focused on the core needs of travellers.

"We deliver exceptional products," he said, adding that these include selling "sleep".

"We want to deliver the best sleep option ... (and) we will offer one of the most technologically advanced rooms in the market.

"It is a hotel for people who are used to the advancement of the digital age," he added.

Further helping Traders achieve its GOP is its low ratio of employee to per available room of 0.6, especially since the hotel will only have four food and beverage outlets and has no banquet facility.

"We will have a relatively low head count but we are efficient enough to provide the legendary Shangri-La hallmark service," he said.

Industry players say that the employee-to-room ratio for five-star hotels in Malaysia is around 1 for 1, while for four-star hotels it is between 0.8 to 1 employee for each room.

"We are spending big bucks on essentials and not on things like gigantic lobby - where the entire place would need to be air-conditioned, flowers be placed and have people around," he said.

As business travellers especially from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan are expected to be the bulk of its 50 per cent to 60 per cent room guests, Traders has equipped the room with little extra services like automatic muting of the television when the telephone rings.

Meanwhile, the convention and leisure crowd will make up 30 per cent, between 10 per cent and 15 per cent respectively of the hotel's guest composition.

Together, these travellers are expected to help the hotel reach an average occupancy of 70 per cent and an increase of between 10 and 15 per cent in ARR in 2007.

This 34-floor hotel, which is 95 per cent completed, expects the bulk of its revenue to come from the rooms and food and beverages to make up the remaining 15 per cent.

The hotel will also have a health club, a gym and a one-and-a-half storey space allocated for its business centre.

Klauser said something to watch out for is its unique roof-top spa.

KatoeyLover69

31-03-2006, 01:36 AM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 30 March 2006 :-

Taxi touts turn up at KLIA’s budget terminal

SEPANG: The Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) that began operations only five days ago, has already been tainted by the presence of taxi touts.

They approach passengers coming out of the arrival hall to offer their service in full view of the authorities.

Passengers who agreed to the fare would be taken to their vehicles at the nearby carpark.

Some ignored the touts and bought coupons to board authorised taxis.

Bernama also saw many people standing up or sitting on the floor because there were not enough seats for them.

The check-in counters for several destinations like Kuching and Kota Kinabalu were packed with people standing in long queues in a rather small area.

Although the LCCT is meant for passengers of low-cost carriers, the prices of food sold there is the same as in KL International Airport.

In addition, there is limited choice because there are only two restaurants at the terminal.

People met at the terminal said the LCCT management should provide a baggage storage area for transit passengers.

Mohammad Asmawi, 36, said he and his family were heading home to Penang from Labuan and wanted to have their baggage stored while waiting for their transit flight.

But there was no such service, he said.

The LCCT management should also act against drivers who park their vehicles haphazardly.

KatoeyLover69

01-04-2006, 07:00 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

MAS move dismays Johor

JOHOR BARU: Johor is "shocked and dismayed" at news that the Senai Airport might be dropped as a main hub for Malaysia Airlines under its new route rationalisation plan.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the State Government would lobby hard to reinstate Johor Baru as an important destination for MAS.

"The Federal Government is committed to making south Johor a regional logistics hub and reposition Johor Baru as an international destination.

"MAS cannot pull out now. It will only scuttle our plans," he told the New Straits Times.

Ghani said Johor would push hard to convince policy-makers in Putrajaya to include Johor Baru as one of MAS’ international and business hubs.

It was announced on Tuesday that the KLIA, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu international airports would be the only main MAS hubs for trunk routes.

Under the domestic route rationalisation exercise, MAS will operate 19 trunk routes, while AirAsia has been entrusted with 96 other low-cost operations.

If the plan goes through, MAS will stop flying to Johor Baru, with all services being taken over by AirAsia.

Ghani said there were several compelling reasons why the MAS service to Johor Baru should not only be reinstated but improved:

• The Senai Airport handled 325,000 passengers who flew on MAS last year, compared to 100,000 on AirAsia. Most company executives and businessmen preferred to fly MAS.

• Unlike AirAsia, MAS is permitted to run a bus shuttle service from Singapore to Senai Airport, a major attraction to Singaporeans because it is cheaper to fly from Senai.

• MAS now carries perishable goods from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching for the Singapore market, which AirAsia does not.

• AirAsia cargo rates are three times higher than those of MAS, a major put-off for exporters.

• The passenger baggage weight limit for MAS is 20kg, compared with 15kg for AirAsia.

• AirAsia flights are frequently delayed or rescheduled because of technical problems and limited aircraft.

Ghani said another major consideration was that Senai Airport, now privately owned and operated by Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATS), is being developed to become a key passenger, air cargo and logistics hub in Asia.

SATS is spending RM1 billion over a 10-year period to realise this goal.

MAS now operates daily flights from Senai to KLIA (five), Kuching (three) and Kota Kinabalu (one).

AirAsia has 11 flights in and out of Senai daily.

KatoeyLover69

02-04-2006, 01:16 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Appeal to rethink plans on Senai Airport

JOHOR BARU: The State Government has sent an appeal letter to the Federal Government to reconsider the decision to drop Senai Airport as a main hub for Malaysia Airlines under its new route rationalisation plan.

State Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Freddie Long said Johor stood to lose millions in tourism revenue if the plans were implemented.

He said passengers should be given the choice to choose between the services provided by the national carrier and no-frills operator AirAsia, which had been given 96 low-cost routes to operate under the domestic route rationalisation exercise compared to 19 trunk routes by MAS.

It was announced on Tuesday that the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu international airports would be the only main MAS hubs for trunk routes.

Long said a recent study showed that of the 1.24 million passengers who flew last year, 801,000 opted for MAS while 400,000 chose AirAsia.

Tourism industry players and business groups are also concerned over plans to downgrade Senai Airport as it ran contrary to efforts by the State Government to promote Johor Baru as an international destination.

It could lead to more "leakage" of passenger and cargo traffic to Singapore via Changi Airport. With only three KLIA-JB flights daily, it can be said that MAS has effectively pulled out from Senai Airport.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman on Thursday said any move to keep out MAS from Senai would scuttle plans to position Johor as a logistics hub and Johor Baru as an international city.

The sentiment was echoed by the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce Johor branch which said MAS should make Senai its hub for strategic reasons.

"Already Johor Baru is plagued by the border town syndrome. The MAS pullout will only serve to confirm this," said a spokesman. "This is sending mixed signals to tourists and investors and will affect Johor’s growth potential."

Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary-general Ng Yeow Song concurred, saying that AirAsia alone could not cater to the increasing demand for flights out of Senai.

The Malaysian Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar said Johor Baru was the southern gateway to Malaysia, which was good enough for MAS to not only remain but also improve services from Senai Airport

Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said tourism would be badly affected.

"AirAsia is a no-frills airline, but there are people who want to fly with a full-service airline. It means we are denying them their choice."

KatoeyLover69

02-04-2006, 01:26 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Old items put to good use by house-owner from Pontian

The facade of a three-room single-storey house in Taman Saujana stands out from the other 100 terrace houses in the housing estate.

While the others look more comfortable with modern patios, houseowner Ahmad Ali decided to go for an old-world style.

Building materials salvaged from old kampung and colonial houses around Batu Pahat were used to transform his patio into what it is today.

“I’m actually recycling old materials still in good condition and putting them to better use,” he said in an interview recently.

The materials used are clay roofing tiles, glass skylight tiles, wooden lattices, timber stills, timber roof trusses, iron grilles and wooden louvres.

The roofing tiles came from 50-year old Government quarters while the rare skylight tiles from Marseilles, France, were from an abandoned old bungalow.

Ahmad meticulously installed 1,400 pieces of the clay tiles over the timber roof trusses supported by timber pillars once used in a 90-year-old kampung house.

“This is the favourite place for my family and guests during afternoon tea as the patio is cool despite not having a ceiling fan,” he said.

Ahmad, who teaches visual arts at SMK Pekan Nenas Pontian, said his academic background in Fine Arts acquired at UITM Shah Alam helped him with his project.

He is also an avid collector and his house is filled to the brim with antiques, collectibles and paraphernalia such that residents have nicknamed it as “Mini Museum”.

Ahmad, 45, said his interest in antiques and old items started when he was posted to SMK Ahmad in Pekan, Pahang, from 1986 to 1990.

His wife, bank employee Siti Mardiah Sheikh Hashim, 38, sons Syabil, 12, Riyad, nine, Fathal Arfan, seven and Haidar, two, also share his passion.

He said a sleepy hollow like Pekan, which was rich in history and culture, held many “surprises” for antique collectors like him.

Ahmad said there were many good finds in small towns and rural areas but one must be friendly with the denizens.

He said that Batu Pahat and Muar districts in Johor were the best places for antique collectors.

Ahmad said these towns might not have shops selling antiques like Jonker Street in Malacca but there were many antiques waiting to be discovered.

He said he preferred to search for antiques at houses and pre-war shophouses in small towns or villages, instead of buying them from antique shops.

He said it was easier to deal with the Chinese as they were willing to part with their belongings if the price was right.

He said that Malays, on the other hand, were sentimental and could not make up their minds readily.

He found it more exciting to look for antiques on his own and paid much lower prices than what antique shops would charge.

Visitors to his house will be astonished by the number of antiques, collectibles and paraphernalia he has collected over the years.

Ahmad loves teak furniture and has four curio cabinets, wardrobes, five kopi tiam marble tables with chairs, three console tables, one Straits Chinese tall display cabinet and planter-style lounge chairs.

There are 15 wall clocks, 52 gasoline lamps, 22 table stand and ceiling fans, bicycles, old movie cameras, tea sets, glasses, decorative plates and vintage toys.

The list goes on including dollar notes of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei, old signboards, posters, land titles issued during the British Malaya era and many others.

“I will continue to collect and my ambition is to open an antique gallery-cum-restaurant in an old bungalow offering kampung dishes,” he said.

Those interested in viewing Ahmad’s collection can visit him at 333, Jalan Saujana 13, Taman Saujana Pontian or telephone him at 07-686 7018 or 013-743 4755.

KatoeyLover69

02-04-2006, 01:33 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Foreign cars to pay extra for petrol/diesel

PUTRAJAYA: The Government may impose “additional charges” on foreign-registered vehicles so that foreigners do not enjoy the fuel subsidy meant for locals.

“We are definitely planning something, but I do not want to elaborate because Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be making an announcement once everything is finalised,” said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal.

He declined to say whether the charges would be paid upon entry to Malaysia or when foreigners purchase petrol for their vehicles.

The Government was aware that motorists from neighbouring countries would cross the border just to fill up their vehicles, he told newsmen.

KatoeyLover69

02-04-2006, 03:21 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 2 April 2006 :-

End of an era for fans of ‘Tiga Lima’

KUALA LUMPUR: The writing was on the wall for the State Express 555 brand of cigarette well before the decision was made to phase it out of the market this month.

Fewer smokers were asking for the brand, which was also becoming increasingly rare in shops as smokers went for brands that were marketed more aggressively.

In the end, British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd decided to stop marketing the brand Malaysians had been familiar with for 40 years.

In its heyday, State Express 555, better known here as the "Tiga Lima" brand, was popular with many.

The international version, which came in a double compartment packet, was sought after by those travelling abroad. But over the years, it lost out to newer and better promoted brands.

According to the company, State Express 555 is being phased out as part of an overall marketing strategy linked to portfolio consolidation.

A company spokesman was reported as saying that it wanted to redirect investment to other brands.

Launched in 1895, State Express 555 is sold in more than 55 countries. A 20-stick packet here costs RM7.

Regular purchasers were shocked recently to find a card inserted in the packets explaining the decision to quit the local scene.

The New Straits Times interviewed several smokers who had bought the brand for years.

Retired engineer Hoh Ah Siew, 86, of Petaling Jaya remembers it as the last cigarette he lit up before quitting the habit 15 years ago.

"I spent about RM20 every 10 days back then to buy a carton of State Express 555."

Hoh said the 555 brand was among the more expensive ones in the 1960s and 1970s.

"It was like eating a good chocolate. That was the experience of smoking a 555 cigarette."

As for Selva Nayagam, 62, the 555 brand was his first choice 40 years ago.

"My father used to smoke that brand and I followed suit." He said he was loyal to the brand until it became difficult to obtain.

In Kuala Terengganu, the decision to stop production of State Express 555 came as a blessing in disguise to fish monger Abu Hassan Yusof.

After 10 years of trying to quit smoking, the 52-year-old said he had been forced to do so by circumstances .

The two-packet-a-day smoker is happy that he will not be able to buy the cigar- ettes anymore.

"I have tried using will power to quit but that lasted only three days.

"Over the years, I have tried nicotine-laced chewing gums and nicotine patches but they proved of little use.

"It is a good thing for me that they won’t be making the State Express cigarette brand anymore," said Abu Hassan.

The father of five began smoking the brand when it was 60 sen a packet in 1969.

"I was a school dropout earning RM10 a day at a construction site, and smoking was my way of proving my independence," he said.

KatoeyLover69

02-04-2006, 03:33 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 2 April 2006 :-

Gag order on using bahasa rojak

KUALA LUMPUR: In less than two months, bahasa rojak (Bahasa Malaysia mixed with other languages) will no longer be heard on television and the airwaves.

Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Government wanted to see all 32 radio and television stations using the national language correctly.

He said this clean-up exercise, which started two weeks ago, would run for 60 days.

“Warning letters will be sent to broadcasters and producers of the programmes if they are found misusing the language,” he told reporters yesterday after launching Fiesta 60, RTM’s 60th anniversary celebrations, at Angkasapuri here.

He said the way Bahasa Malaysia was used in the broadcasting industry would have an effect on the younger generation.

As chairman for the committee to monitor the usage of Bahasa Malaysia in broadcasting, Ahmad Zahid also urged broadcasters to pronounce the names of states and places in the country – such as Malacca and Klang – correctly.

KatoeyLover69

02-04-2006, 03:35 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 2 April 2006 :-

Honda announces new prices for its cars

KUALA LUMPUR: Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd has announced the new prices of its car models in response to the Government’s announcement of the National Automotive Policy.

The company said in a statement yesterday that the new prices were effective from March 23 this year.

The models and their new on-the-road prices are Honda City 1.5L iDSI (RM79,800), Honda City 1.5L VTEC (RM84,800), Honda Civic 1.8S (RM113,800), Honda Civic 2.0S (RM124,800), Honda Accord 2.0 VTi (RM135,800), Honda Accord 2.4 VTiL (RM154,800), Honda Jazz 1.5L iDSI (RM94,800), and Honda Jazz 1.5L VTEC (RM102,800).

The prices are for peninsular Malaysia, inclusive of insurance.

The new prices for its CRV, Odyssey, Stream iV and Stream iVS models will be announced later. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 11:06 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Vice restaurant in Jenjarom, Selangor

BANTING, SELANGOR: Eighteen Chinese nationals were nabbed at a seafood restaurant in Jenjarom that hid a vice den during a police raid on Saturday night.

The restaurant, situated next to an oil palm plantation, was found to be equipped with 20 small cubicles where women were believed to have entertained clients.

For added privacy, the cubicles were fitted with light bulbs that could be dimmed.

Clients also had the option of being served with seafood prior to being "entertained".

A team from the Selangor police anti-crime, gambling and secret societies division raided the restaurant after receiving complaints from the public of vice activities there.

Sixteen of the women from China were caught as they tried to flee into the plantation during the raid. Two others were nabbed hiding in a car.

Police also arrested the restaurant operator, who had been running the business for a month, and five other men.

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 11:12 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Johor police step up street patrols

JOHOR BARU: Police here will deploy more men and step up patrols to deter robberies and car thefts, including those involving Singaporeans.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Amir Sulaiman said the additional deployment would involve some 100 men and 45 patrol cars.

He said it was hoped the measure would help alleviate fears of a rise in crime here, where some of the victims were Singaporeans.

Amir said police did not distinguish between foreigners and locals when investigating reports, adding that all cases were investigated impartially.

"We have put in place a strategy to upgrade the quantity and quality of police patrols to make Johor safe, especially for visitors from Singapore.

"Closed-circuit TV cameras linked to the state police headquarters are being installed at strategic locations here, which we hope will help reduce crime."

Amir was responding to an editorial in the Singapore Sunday Times yesterday, which addressed car thefts in Johor Baru. It advised Singaporeans travelling here to take steps to secure their vehicles.

"Car theft in Johor is an old problem which most Singaporeans take in their stride," the editorial said. "But the violent ways by which visitors are relieved of their one treasured possession is a fairly new occurrence.

"Singaporeans have been shot at, mugged, slugged and dragged along with their cars. Motor insurers here say about 100 Singaporeans a year on average are robbed of their cars in Malaysia, with most incidents reported in Johor."

Amir said public feedback, which was sorely lacking now, could become the most important factor in helping police curb crime.

He said the people could play their role by sending information by SMS to police.

Another area of focus, he added, was the weeding out of black sheep from the force, which had met considerable success.

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 12:09 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Entry fee for Thai and Singapore vehicles

PETALING JAYA: Vehicles from Singapore and Thailand will not be allowed free entry into the country anymore.

The Cabinet has decided that a fee – probably about RM20 – be levied soon on these cars to offset some of the petrol subsidy that is lost to these vehicles.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal Shafie said the Government was looking at how much the levy should be and whether they should differ according to the type of vehicle.

“We need to look at the mechanism, how we are going to collect this payment and which authority should be in charge of the collection.

“There is going to be a meeting between my ministry and the relevant authorities including the Customs Department and the Road Transport Department to discuss this next week,” he told reporters after launching a direct-selling product at Armada Hotel here yesterday.

The Government, he said, was also looking into whether the charges should be imposed as a one-off payment or whether it should be based on the number of days the vehicles remained in Malaysia.

On Saturday, Tourism Minister Datuk Tengku Adnan Mansor said tourists who drove into the country would be imposed with a RM20 entry permit.

Several years ago, Singapore authorities introduced an entry permit of S$20 (RM45) for foreign vehicles and S$4 (RM9) for foreign motorcycles entering the republic.

The Backbenchers Club has expressed its support for the move to impose the fee, MARSHA TAN reports.

President Datuk Shahrir Samad said the move came at the right time, especially with the rising cost of providing and maintaining public facilities.

“Even airplanes which use our airports have to pay airport tax. This has to do with maintenance of the public facilities. I don’t think it would affect the tourism sector,” said Shahrir, who is also Johor Baru MP.

Shahrir was speaking to reporters after launching the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) and Johor Baru-Singapore Taxi Owners and Drivers Association annual general meeting in Johor Baru yesterday.

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 12:15 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Man held over Senai Airport bomb hoax

JOHOR BARU: It was an April Fool's prank that came a day too late. But it was a scary joke as the captain of a Tawau-bound plane was forced to abort the flight and evacuate all 91 passengers and five crewmembers on board.

An official of the Sultan Ismail International Airport in Senai said a flight steward was carrying out a safety demonstration just before the plane was about to take off at 4.40pm when a passenger suddenly got out from his seat and told him he wanted to get off.

He said there was a bomb on board.

The steward immediately alerted the captain, who then radioed for help, including from the airport’s bomb disposal unit.

The captain then taxied the plane to the edge of the runway and airport security staff rushed to the plane and detained the 31-year-old man.

The other passengers of Flight AK5632 were then told to leave the aircraft, which they did so without panicking.

The disposal unit then searched the plane but did not find any bomb on the aircraft. There were also no casualties.

“This is the first time such an incident has occurred in over five years,” said the official.

He assured that security was tight at the airport and it was difficult for anyone to smuggle any dangerous items into planes.

As a result of the incident, it is learnt that all in-coming flights were delayed for about two hours.

At least two Kuala Lumpur-bound flights were also delayed.

Flight AK5632 was allowed to resume its journey at 8.30pm.

Police are investigating the man under the Civil Aviation Act and Regulations, 1969 for endangering the lives of those on board.

Johor Baru (North) OCPD Asst Comm Johari Yahya said the bomb disposal unit rushed to the scene as soon as they were alerted.

“We searched the aircraft but did not find anything suspicious,” he said, adding that two fire engines had been put on standby

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 12:25 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Ferry travel to Sarawak & Sabah expected to cost half as much as flying

TAIPING: The cost of going to Sabah and Sarawak will be much cheaper once the ferry service is re-introduced between the peninsula and the two states.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the ferry fare could be about half the cost of the airfare.

He said the proposal to re-introduce the service was at the final stage of study.

He said users could bring along their vehicles and use them upon disembarkation.

“The ferry service will be based in Tanjung Pelepas, Johor,” he told reporters.

Each ferry trip, he said, would take about two days and a night.

“It’s meant for families with time on their hands and who want to bring along their vehicles,” he said.

“The airfare to Sabah now is about RM884 and we are hoping that the ferry service will only cost about RM400 per user,” he said, adding that the ferry fare between Sabah and Sarawak would be slightly over RM200 per trip.

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 12:33 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Back to square one for buyers

PETALING JAYA: It’s back to square one for car buyers, it appears.

The money they are going to save from the recent reduction in prices as a result of the National Automotive Policy (NAP) is going to be “lost” because of higher financing rates.

Car dealers said the new interest charges, to be raised by between one and two percentage points from the existing rates for new and second-hand cars, would be effective from today.

Prior to this, car buyers paid between 2.25% and 2.99% interest for their loans while the second-hand car market interest rates stood at between 3.25% and 3.75%, depending on the age, vehicle model and the bank providing the loan.

Dealers said the revised rates were introduced following the new overnight policy rate announced by Bank Negara two weeks ago.

For example, if a borrower took a RM80,000 loan with an interest rate of 2.65% for seven years to buy a new RM96,500 car before the price reduction was announced, he would end up repaying a total of RM94,840.

For the same model and loan but at 3.4% interest, the borrower would have paid RM99,040 over the same period.

Even if the car manufacturer gave a RM5,000 discount under the NAP, the buyer would not gain much.

Consumer advocate Billy Toh said that if buyers compared the reductions given by car manufacturers in line with the tax reduction under the NAP, the move would not be in their favour.

“In some cases, buyers may end up paying more even if they buy new vehicles which have their prices slashed by between 2.5% and 7%,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Car Dealers and Credit Companies Association vice-president Dave Lim said: “There is no reason for finance companies to increase their rates as they already did so two months ago.

“The rate quoted by one bank went up from 2.3% to 2.8% for new cars then. Now the same bank is imposing 3.35% to 3.5%.”

Lim said it would definitely affect the sales of new and second-hand cars as consumers would have to fork out more money to own a vehicle.

A source said banks were also introducing stringent measures for borrowers in the wake of the new interest rates and the growing number of defaulters.

“There are more defaulters for such loans now. More people are unable to service their loans and more cars have been repossessed in the past three years,” he added.

Previously, he said, it was easy for borrowers to obtain car loans without their backgrounds being thoroughly checked.

“Banks now look into the credit ratings of the applicants. They scrutinise their current outstanding loans with other financial institutions, credit card spending and payments, salary and other details pertaining to their financial status.”

KatoeyLover69

03-04-2006, 12:41 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

‘We need MAS as an ally’ : Air Asia Group CEO

SEPANG, SELANGOR: Low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia Bhd admits that it cannot expand alone. It needs a strong ally in Malaysia Airlines.

"We need a strong full-service carrier to become an aviation powerhouse. We would want them (MAS) to fly everywhere (which will benefit AirAsia as well)," AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said in an interview.

As it is, he said, Singapore held an advantage over Malaysia in terms of serving as a hub, as LCCs such as Tiger Airways could tap into the global route network of Singapore Airlines (SIA), which offers more international routes than MAS.

"If we want to build a hub, it is important that we provide good connectivity with the rest of the world.

"So we hope MAS will become strong (as a long-haul and full-service carrier) and that, one day, its route network will mirror that of SIA."

Last Monday, the Government had entrusted AirAsia to take over from MAS 96 non-trunk routes while it would share capacity with MAS on 19 domestic trunk routes.

At the same time, MAS had said the exercise would see its aircraft reduced from 40 to 21, and current manpower reduced by 6,500 from its existing strength of about 23,000.

Fernandes said with up to 100 A320s lined up over the next five years, AirAsia might not need to take on any of the aircraft that MAS planned to cut from its fleet.

Instead, AirAsia is likely to delay its expansion plans into Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam as it brings its new planes to serve the domestic market.

"Our preference is not to take them (the MAS planes) because we will then have three types of aircraft in our fleet (B737-300s, B737-400s and A320s).

"It will be costly to maintain and operate them. However, if we are not able to obtain our new A320s quickly enough, then we may have to buy some B737s from Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd."

Fernandes said AirAsia should also decide by the end of the week how many MAS staff it could absorb to support its expansion plans.

"We definitely need more people but I don’t know how many. At a very rough estimate, we need about 50 employees for each new plane that we bring in and that’s excluding setting up new stations in places such as Kuantan and Kota Kinabalu."

Fernandes said many of AirAsia’s existing staff had previously worked for MAS, which was also testimony to the quality of the national carrier.

"AirAsia has given a lot of unemployed pilots and cabin crew jobs. It is not that we have not created new jobs.

"We started with 200 people and now have 4,000 people within the group. We have created a lot of employment in Malaysia."

Meanwhile, Fernandes did not discount the possibility of AirAsia owning the new LCC terminal in Sepang.

"If we are given a chance to own our own base, why not? In many ways, we could maybe grow quicker if we own our own base. We hope we will be allowed to build our own LCC terminals in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu."

KatoeyLover69

04-04-2006, 12:34 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 3 April 2006 :-

Now you can file your tax returns online

KUALA LUMPUR, Mon:
--------------------
TAXPAYERS can now use the paperless e-filing system by collecting a digital certificate registration slip from the Inland Revenue Board.
The registration slip has a pin and serial number to get into the e-filing system online.

IRB public relations assistant director Rahimah Abdullah said taxpayers would no longer need to use their MyKad and purchase a card reader to use the e-filing system.

“It is free for the public to use as long as they come in and collect the digital certificate,” she said.

Details at https://e.hasil.org.my/

KatoeyLover69

06-04-2006, 01:37 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 5 April 2006 :-

JB malls: We are shocked

JOHOR BARU: Four shopping malls here want Singapore’s Sunday Times to explain the basis of its allegation that they are hotspots for theft of cars from the republic.

Holiday Plaza, Plaza Pelangi, Aeon Tebrau City and Giant Plentong management representatives said the unfounded claim had tarnished their image among Singaporeans.

In an emergency meeting yesterday, Malaysia Shopping Complex Management Association (Southern region) spokesman K.C. Loh said members were shocked by the groundless accusation.

"However, I do not think our members want to blow up the matter or take legal action against the paper.

"After all, most of our customers come from Singapore. Unlike the newspapers, it is not our intention to develop the matter into an issue and hurt our neighbour’s feelings."

Committee member Jenny Chan said damage control measures would be taken.

"It is our duty to inform everybody, including shoppers from across the Causeway, that we are not car-theft prone shopping malls. This message is very important," she said.

Johor Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Freddie Long said he would bring the matter up at the State Executive Council meeting tomorrow to decide on the next course of action.

Sunday Times, a paper in the stable of Singapore Press Holdings, reported that Singapore cars were the target of car thieves here, and warned its people to exercise extra caution when driving into Malaysia.

A similar report was published that same day (Sunday) by The New Paper, which is also in the stable of Singapore Press Holdings.

Titled "Why they target S’pore Cars: The Inside Story", the report claimed that "car thieves in JB eye our cars because (Singapore cars are) so new, so well-kept and so tempting".

Next to the article was an advertisement by a vehicle-tracking device company, which quoted five Singapore Straits Times reports that thefts of Singapore cars were on the rise in Malaysia.

Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry deputy president Datuk Soh Poh Seng said car theft was also a problem in Singapore but not given prominent coverage in the republic’s media.

"It is misleading for them to say that Singapore’s ‘new and well-kept’ cars are the reason for the thefts.

"Their statement reflects their level of ignorance. Why are they blowing this matter out of proportion when the number of cases involved in Johor Baru is negligible? Worst still, their facts and figures are all wrong.

"They are so eager to play up stories about crime in JB. Yet, they sweep everything under the carpet when it is crime in Singapore," he asked.

Singapore cars are not the target of thieves here, Johor Criminal Investigations Department Chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar reiterated.

KatoeyLover69

06-04-2006, 01:41 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 5 April 2006 :-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR : Study the repercussions

By ONG S.K. Masai, Johor

April 5:
IT came as a shock to me that the Malaysian Government may impose a levy on foreign-registered cars, especially those from Singapore and Thailand, because they use subsidised fuel while in Malaysia.

It’s a fact that Johor Baru depends heavily on visitors from Singapore. Their own Government has imposed a three-quarter tank policy on all Singapore-registered cars before they enter Malaysia to discourage them from coming to Johor Baru to fill up.

Based on this, how much do you think a Singapore-registered car can top up in Malaysia? RM15 at the most.

The rest of the fuel that they burn will be due to their travelling in Malaysia spending their Singapore dollars on food and other things.

I am sure their Government is more than happy that the Malaysian Government is going to impose the fuel levy as they want their citizens to spend their money in their own country rather than in Malaysia.

It would be understandable if the levy is imposed on Thailand-registered cars as they do not contribute much to the economy up north and they can come in with empty tanks.

With the current high crime rate reported in Johor Baru, a lot of Singaporeans are already reluctant to come to Johor Baru unless really necessary. What will be the impact of this levy?

The levy will also affect many Malaysians driving Singapore-registered cars or bikes. The last I heard, there were over 30,000 vehicles travelling in and out of Singapore and Johor Baru.

There are many Malaysians working in the republic but prefer to stay in Johor Baru to be with their families.

The levy, the high crime rate and bad Causeway jams might be reasons for some not to return home and stay in Singapore instead.

These people are bringing in Singapore dollars every month to spend and stimulate the economy in Johor Baru.

How about the Malaysia My Second Home programme? I believe a lot of Singaporeans are considering this but will they consider it now if they have to spend an extra, say, RM20 every day on a levy just to travel into Malaysia? Remember that all these people are retirees trying to save money by staying in Malaysia.

Then, there is the implementation. Is the Malaysian Government going to invest in millions of dollars in electronic devices to implement this levy system? Singapore can do it because they have established their Electronic Road Pricing system and the tracking of Malaysian cars in Singapore is just a small portion of their larger system. Is it wise for our Government to spend so much on this?

And don’t forget that one of the main objectives of the 9th Malaysian Plan is to woo more tourists, not to discourage them.

KatoeyLover69

06-04-2006, 01:45 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tiesday 4 April 2006 :-

Johor takes exception to report

JOHOR BARU: The rebuttals came from all sides — the shopping malls, the police, non-governmental organisations and the State Government.

All are upset that a Singapore newspaper had identified Johor Baru, especially its shopping centres, as "hot spots" for car thefts involving Singapore-registered vehicles.

Johor Criminal Investigations Department Chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said of the 264 car thefts reported here in the first two months of this year, only three were Singapore-registered.

Last year, only 52 cars belonging to Singaporeans were stolen out of a total of 1,394 cases, he added, refuting a Sunday Times report.

"There are no hot-spots where the vehicles are stolen. Most car thieves are opportunists who take advantage of careless owners," Rahim said, adding that most of the cars were left at undesignated parking lots, especially along roads and in housing estates.

Rahim said the Johor police, who had set up a special taskforce to combat car thefts, previously reported 22 Malaysian-registered stolen cars being driven through the Causeway into Singapore.

The task force had also arrested 18 suspects, including two Singaporeans, believed to be members of a syndicate that stole cars in Johor and drove them into Singapore, before disposing them off to Indonesia and Thailand.

Investigations also showed that Singapore was a transit-point for stolen vehicles from Johor before they were disposed off or cannibalised for their parts.

Rahim said older models were normally cannibalised while newer makes — especially the Toyota Hilux, that had a high demand in the black-market — were sold as complete units.

Early this year, two Malaysian-registered cars reported stolen in Johor were recovered in a godown in Jurong, Singapore.

State Executive Council member Freddie Long said the newspaper publisher, Singapore Press Holdings, had a hidden agenda in splashing the article on its front page and spreading it over two full pages inside.

"Although the issue is an old one, the newspaper has purposely rehashed it and blown it out of proportion," Long said at a joint Press conference with police, representatives from shopping complexes and Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) and NGOs here yesterday.

Long said he was unsure whether the newspaper’s agenda was to stop Singaporeans from entering Johor, disrupt Johor Baru’s economy or divert the minds of Singaporeans from domestic problems, in view of the coming General Elections there.

Meanwhile MBJB’s traffic engineer, Zainuddin Abdul Samad said the council had advised several shopping complexes located in crime prone areas of the city, to set up Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in their buildings.

The malls, represented by the Malaysia Shopping Complex Management Association (Southern Region), said the Sunday Times report was an exaggeration and not based on facts.

They said since last year there had been only two reports of stolen Singaporean cars from the shopping complexes.

Association spokesman K.C. Loh said: "I do not know their motives in blacklisting us when the number of stolen cars reported last year was negligible.

"They even included Aeon Tebrau City in the list when it only opened for business in January, with no reports of car thefts."

Also upset by the report was Holiday Plaza Shopping Complex security manager Hashim Jalaludin, who was quoted by the newspaper.

He said the reporter had put words in his mouth.

"The reporter came to see me last Thursday about a stolen car case involving a Singaporean vehicle last September.

"I was shocked at what was published. I did not say the things they attributed to me. It was a pack of lies," he said.

Meanwhile, all shopping complex management departments said they followed a standard operating procedure with regard to car repossession in shopping centres.

KatoeyLover69

06-04-2006, 01:49 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tiesday 4 April 2006 :-

'Imposing entry levy will hit Johor tourism'

JOHOR BARU: Johor’s tourism earnings of nearly RM5 million a day from Singaporean visitors will be in jeopardy if the Government goes ahead with plans to impose foreign vehicle entry permits to defray fuel subsidies.

The move, said State Tourism Committee chairman Freddy Long, if adopted by the Cabinet would have far-reaching implications on the local economy here.

About 23,500 Singaporeans visit Johor daily, with each spending an average of RM200 on food, shopping and entertainment.

The majority of the visitors drive into Johor with the number of foreign cars averaging 20,000 per day, according to traffic consultant Dr Tai Tuck Leong, who undertook a major traffic management study here recently.

Long said a more practical option to the blanket RM20 entry levy would be a cap on the amount of fuel foreigners can buy here.

"We can limit this to about 10 litres per car. This way, we can enjoy a better balance of benefits without jeopardising Johor’s tourism earnings."

The plan to impose a RM20 fee (S$8.77) on Singaporeans who drive into Malaysia is part of the move to defray the petrol and diesel subsidies shouldered by the Government.

Vehicles entering from Thailand would be subject to similar charges.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shafie Apdal said the Cabinet was still debating the rate to be imposed.

He added that the Cabinet Committee on Fuels was fine-tuning the implementation of the charge, including the type of vehicles that would be involved, how it is to be imposed and who will collect the money.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be making an announcement on the matter soon.

Meanwhile, South Johor Small- and Medium-scale Industries Association president Teh Kee Sin said the RM20 levy could backfire and hurt local businesses tremendously.

He said the surcharge would be viewed as a "hostile gesture" by Singaporeans and deter them from coming here for shopping and food.

Engineer Lee Keat Wei, 35, said the Government should also consider locals who work across the Causeway and drive Singapore cars.

"We are Malaysians who contribute to the local economy by bringing in foreign exchange. What about our rights to fuel subsidy?" he asked.

Researcher Darryl Chong, 30, a Malaysian who also works in Singapore, agreed with Long that instead of the levy, anyone driving foreign cars should be restricted in their purchase of fuel.

"If the Government wants to save on subsidies, then limit fuel supply to foreigners. This is a better solution," he said.

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:24 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Rain wreaks havoc in KL City

KUALA LUMPUR: Heavy rain caused havoc in the city yesterday evening, with some 300 houses in Jalan Klang Lama inundated by flood waters which only receded after several hours.

There were reports of malfunctioned traffic lights and lamp posts toppled by strong winds. Several cars were reportedly damaged in the incident.

Traffic congestion was reported in various parts of the city, exacerbated by office workers rushing home.

The worst affected area was the 4th Mile, Jalan Klang Lama where water rose waist-high.

The stretch near a hotel and shopping complex was impassable as the road was submerged.

Residents caught off guard scrambled to save their belongings. Some who were unable to reach higher ground sought refuge on top of submerged cars.

A resident said the river overflowed not long after the rain started at 2.30pm.

"We were caught by surprise. The water rose quickly and many of us did not have time to do anything."

He said the flood was among the worst to have hit the area in years.

Among the areas where traffic came to a standstill were the Besraya Highway near the Salak South toll plaza, Jalan Shamelin, the roundabout near Taman Billion, the Sg Besi-Seremban highway near the TUDM air base, Jalan Peel, Jalan Tun Razak and Kampung Pandan roundabout where work to build the SMART tunnel was underway.

A city traffic police spokesperson said two traffic lights at Jalan Pudu and the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka building broke down.

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:28 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Oh Boy, It's Amber!

By Amy Chew in Jakarta

MALAYSIAN model Amber Chia has posed for Playboy.

She is featured across eight pages in the first long-awaited Indonesian edition of the magazine, which raised temperatures long before it hit the news-stands yesterday

Amber appeared in the "Celebrity" section and showed more sensuality than flesh in the photo spread.

The first few pictures showed her in a micro mini skirt, lacy orange bra with a white shirt tied round it.

In the subsequent pictures, she is dressed in low-cut denim jeans and black bra with black beads hanging over her neck.

The Guess Timeless Beauty and Malaysian Best Female Model of the Year looked absolutely sultry and sensuous, a far cry from her fresh-faced youthful image when she first hit the public eye.

Headlined "Hardworker Amber", the magazine described her as fresh, beautiful and sexy.

Amber told Playboy she had to work very hard to get what she wanted in life.

"Nothing comes easy. I have to work hard to get what I want," Amber was quoted as saying.

On her good looks, the model said beauty was "30 per cent a gift from God and 70 per cent work to maintain it".

The model has also set her sights on an acting career and admitted to being approached by a Hollywood director of Taiwanese descent.

"It is still at the casting stage, but I hope we can work together," she said, adding that she would like very much for the chance to enter Hollywood.

After Jakarta, Amber will be flying off to Shanghai to shoot a kung fu film.

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:32 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

‘Stop this Johor bashing’

JOHOR BARU: Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk N. Parameswaran has told newspapers in the republic to stop Johor bashing, saying the sooner they did this the better.

He said "insulting" and "over-exaggerated" reports on crime in Johor not only reflected an ignorance of the actual situation here, but had also put bilateral relations at risk.

In a letter to Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) editor-in-chief Cheong Yip Seng, he said reports that Singapore cars were the target of car thieves in Johor did not make sense.

Such unsubstantiated reports, he added, had also served to fuel speculation that there was more than meets the eye.

"Johor bashing should stop. The sooner, the better," he said in the letter, a copy of which was made available to the New Straits Times here.

"We should not stand in the way of forging more and even closer interaction between Johor and Singapore in the days ahead," he wrote.

SPH, Singapore’s biggest media conglomerate, is the publisher of The Sunday Times and The New Paper — both of which ran lengthy reports and an editorial on April 2 that depicted Johor as a crime-infested city.

The newspapers had not only exaggerated the actual situation on the ground, but also portrayed four major shopping malls here — Holiday Plaza, Plaza Pelangi, Aeon Tebrau City and Giant Plentong — as "hot spots" for car thieves.

This evoked strong and swift reaction from the Johor Government, police, Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Malaysia Shopping Complex Management Association (Southern region) and others.

The reports had raised questions about whether there was a "hidden agenda" behind the stories.

"Singaporeans should be assured that the Johor Government and police are constantly taking steps to reduce criminal activities, including car thefts, and improve public safety for both its people and visitors, including those from Singapore," Parameswaran said.

For instance, he said police would deploy an additional 100 men and 45 more patrol cars while closed-circuit TV cameras linked to the State police are also being installed at strategic locations.

"Singaporeans should dispel the often heard view that Johor is merely a place for cheap food, fuel, provisions and entertainment. Johor is much more than these," said the High Commissioner.

He said any continued insulting reference to Johor Baru as a "cowboy town", as mentioned in a letter published by The Straits Times on April 4, only reflected ignorance of the situation here and the direction the State was heading.

In Kuala Lumpur, statistics released by police showed car thefts involving Singaporeans since January last year had been negligible.

Federal CID director Datuk Fauzi Shaari said during that period, there were only seven cases involving Singaporean victims in Johor Baru.

He said of the seven, only one took place in a shopping complex.

"These thefts are isolated incidents and are in no way targeted at Singaporeans," he said at the Federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman yesterday.

Fauzi said while it could not be denied that cars had been stolen, Johor Baru was generally a safe city and Singaporeans should not fear visiting it.

"We have taken all possible measures to deter crime. So there is no basis to say that Johor Baru is crime-prone."

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:36 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

175 on Johor Sultan’s honours list

JOHOR BARU: A total of 175 people will receive awards and medals in conjunction with the Sultan of Johor’s birthday celebrations tomorrow.

Heading the list is the Ruler’s second oldest daughter — Tunku Besar Zabedah — who has been bestowed the Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati, Pangkat Pertama (DK1). His grandson — Tunku Ismail Idris — will receive the DKII.

The DK (The Most Esteemed Family Order of Johor), is normally bestowed on royalty, but is also occasionally given to commoners who have given valuable service to the Ruler and the State.

Five will receive their Datukships this year. They are State Mufti Datuk Nooh Gadot who will receive the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia, Pangkat Pertama (SPMJ), Customs director-general Datuk Abd Rahman Abd Hamid, Johor Customs director Datuk Sarmin Md Hussin, the Sultan’s son-in-law Mizan Datuk Yahya and Johor Botanical Gardens supervisor Chanthrasothy Sivapakiam who will all receive the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia, Pangkat Kedua (DPMJ).

The awards list includes four who will receive the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia, Pangkat Ketiga (SMJ) and 13 who will get the Pingat Kerana Lama Dan Baik Dalam Pekerjaan (PLP).

A total of 132 others will also receive the Pingat Ibrahim Sultan Pangkat Kedua (PIS II), while 19 the Pingat Ibrahim Sultan Pangkat Ketiga (PIS III).

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:48 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Kluang’s famed roti bakar now in Ipoh

IPOH: Roti Bakar Kluang, a shop located at the railway station in Kluang, Johor, is famous for its flavourful coffee and scrumptious, mouth-watering charcoal toasted bread or roti bakar spread with kaya and butter.

Customers from near and far have made their way to Kluang to fulfil their cravings – and now they can do so at Kafe Kluang Railway Station here.

The new outlet which began operating on March 16, is located in Bandar Ipoh Raya. It offers the same signature roti bakar and coffee.

Manager Amri Lim said: “From this May, our operating hours will be extended to midnight.”

The cafe also serves Hainan chicken rice and “coffee float”. Kafe Kluang Railway Station also has a branch at the 1 Utama shopping complex in Petaling Jaya.

“Another branch will be opened at Ikea in Bandar Utama in June.

“The Kafe Kluang Railway Station management is also in the midst of identifying a suitable location in Shah Alam,” he said. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:52 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Mistress exposes medium’s love ploys

A 53-YEAR-OLD temple medium has been accused of preying on two women by telling them that, according to a deity, they were destined to be his mistresses.

One of the victims is his own sister-in-law, who was only 19 when she became his mistress.

Nanyang Siang Pau, China Press and Sin Chew Daily front-paged the scandal, quoting the younger sister, known as Loo, 32, as saying that she has had enough of the medium.

She said the affair started about 11 years ago while he was still married to her sister.

“My three children aged 10, nine and five are suffering. I am prepared to fight all the way to gain custody of my children,” said Loo, who exposed the scandal at the Cheras MCA service centre in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

The medium has since been detained to facilitate investigations.

Her elder sister, 44, was the medium’s lawful wife and the couple have three children. However, they divorced in 2001. Loo claimed that she was raped by the medium one day while staying in the latter’s house.

The medium, said Loo, also stressed that she was destined to be his second wife, according to a deity. She subsequently became his mistress and had they three children.

Loo said the medium then took advantage of a 22-year-old woman.

“Again, he resorted to using the same old tactic, telling the woman that a deity said she was destined to be his,” she said.

KatoeyLover69

08-04-2006, 09:57 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

LETTER to The Editor : Is there no law against sticker spam?

I AM an owner-occupant of a shoplot in Sri Sentosa, Kuala Lumpur.

Like many other commercial areas in the Klang Valley, the walls of our shoplots and common passageways are pasted with sticker advertisements.

By this I mean the multi-coloured palm-sized sticker adverts offering mainly loan-shark credit, pawnshop gold trading, plumbing works, renovation services and tuition.

Like Internet spam, these junk advertisements are becoming more frequent and more obnoxious by the day.

There is no respect for private property, with even shop windows pasted over with these stickers. Small PVC pipes and tree trunks are also not spared.

If there is an unoccupied shoplot, the roller shutter becomes an immediate poster board for this trash.

Unlike Internet spam, there is no junk mail software for this nuisance.

Stickers require physical labour to remove and often leave persistent glue and paper stains.

If someone were to methodically sprinkle our shoplot walkways with litter daily, he would be arrested because there are laws against littering.

Is there no law against sticker spam?

SHOPKEEPER,
Kuala Lumpur.

KatoeyLover69

09-04-2006, 05:30 PM

Report from The New Sunday Times dated Sunday 9 April 2006 :-

Tunku Ismail is Raja Muda of Johor

JOHOR BARU: Sultan Iskandar of Johor yesterday proclaimed his grandson, Tunku Ismail Idris Tunku Ibrahim Ismail, as the Raja Muda of Johor.

He made the announcement after bestowing State awards at an investiture ceremony held in conjunction with his 74th birthday at Istana Besar here.

At the same ceremony, Tunku Ismail was also conferred the Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati Pangkat Kedua (DKII).

Tunku Ismail, born on June 30, 1974, is the eldest son of Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar and Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah.

He received his military training at the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun, India, where he passed out as a lieutenant in December, 2004.

Former Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn and former Chief of the Armed Forces, Jen (R) Tun Ibrahim Ismail also graduated from the same academy.

Tunku Ismail is currently an officer with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in Jaipur, India.

At the ceremony, the Sultan’s daughter, Tunku Zabedah Sultan Iskandar, headed the list of 175 recipients. She received the Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati Pangkat Pertama (DKI).

The Mufti of Johor, Datuk Nooh Gadot, was the sole recipient of the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia Pangkat Pertama (SPMJ) which carries the title Datuk.

Four others received the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia Pangkat Kedua (DPMJ).

They were Customs director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid, Johor Customs director Datuk Sarmin Md Hussin, the Sultan’s son-in-law, Mizan Datuk Yahya, and Johor Botanical Gardens supervisor Chanthrasothy Sivapakiam. The award also carries the title Datuk.

There were four recipients of the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia Pangkat Ketiga (SMJ). They are Radin Juariah Radin Sudiro, Nor Aini Juffery, Mahmudin Salim and Mohd Alies Mohd Ayub.

The Sultan’s birthday is being celebrated at State level in Johor Baru and at all districts with traditional folk games, cultural shows and charity events.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report from The STAR dated Sunday 9 April 2006 :-

Tunku Mahkota’s son named Raja Muda of Johor

JOHOR BARU: The Tunku Mahkota of Johor’s eldest prince Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar Ibni Tunku Ibrahim Ismail has been appointed Raja Muda Johor.

The Raja Muda was appointed in conjunction with the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar’s birthday yesterday. The appointment and investiture ceremony were held at the Istana Besar here.

He was also conferred the Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati Pangkat Kedua (DKII) while the Sultan’s daughter Puteri Tunku Besar Zabedah Sultan Iskandar received the Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati Pangkat Pertama (DK1).

Born on June 30, 1984, Tunku Ismail Ibrahim is the eldest prince of Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ibrahim Ismail and his consort Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah and received his early education in Sekolah Sri Utama and SRK St Joseph here.

He subsequently received secondary education at the Australian International School Singapore and in 1999, pursued his studies at Hale School, in Perth, Australia, until 2002.

In July 2003, he followed in his grandfather's and father’s footsteps in undergoing training at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, India.

Tunku Ismail Ibrahim was given the rank of a Lieutenant in December 2004 and was absorbed into the Indian Army as an officer in the Regiment 61st Cavalry in Jaipur, and is still serving in the Indian Army.

Tunku Ismail Ibrahim, a skilful horse rider and polo player, was bestowed the “Best In Riding” award among cadets for year 2003-2004. He was also the polo player for his regiment and has won many trophies.

KatoeyLover69

09-04-2006, 05:45 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 9 April 2006 :-

Unforgettable Rose Chan

Stories by TOMMY LEE, CHOONG KIM KWEE, TAN SIN CHOW AND FLORENCE A. SAMY

Dead but certainly not forgottten. The final resting place of Rose Chan at the Beow Hong Lim Columbarium in Air Itam, Penang draws the occasional visitor, more so during Qing Ming, though no one knows if fans or loved ones came to pay their respects. Sunday Star revisits the legend of the striptease on this special news focus.

ROSE Chan’s last public appearance drew both crowd and controversy, even though it was just a series of photo exhibitions and the striptease queen was dying of breast cancer.

The lingering mix of curiosity and fascination continues to draw the occasional visitor to her final resting place at the Beow Hong Lim Columbarium, despite it being nearly 20 years since her death.

The Rose Chan exhibitions were held in 1986 at Komtar and the Sungai Nibong pesta site in Penang and the Sungai Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur.

Peter Soon, who organised the exhibitions, remembered the huge crowds that turned up, especially at the Kuala Lumpur venue.

Recalling events that led to the exhibitions, the former jeweller said: “Rose Chan was known for being charitable but towards her final days she had no money. She asked me to help sell her jewellery.

“So I suggested the exhibitions to raise funds for her medical treatment,” said Soon, 48, who knew the strip artiste through her love for jewellery.

The exhibitions, featuring revealing photos of Rose Chan in her element, raised RM25,000 through the RM5 entrance fee collection.

“Although weak from the chemotherapy treatments, she turned up at the Komtar exhibition, wearing a wig and accompanied by her young daughter,” said Soon, who owns the Pinang Peranakan Museum (of Nyonya-Baba and mixed heritage).

Antique collector Michael Cheah, who helped to run the exhibitions, remembered that the front part of the exhibition featured peranakan antiques while the back portion displayed the photos of Rose Chan.

“But many people who came were not interested in the antiques. They asked straight away for Rose Chan. Some were disappointed there were no striptease shows,” he said, recalling that he had to cut out paper stars to stick over the stripper's breasts following complaints from the public.

Penang Development Corporation property division assistant manager Chew See Jan said due to Rose Chan’s controversial reputation, the PDC, which owns the Komtar shop lots, had to advise the organiser to cut short the exhibition.

Retired history lecturer Dr Leong Yee Fong, 65, said the social transition from colonial rule to independence had allowed striptease entertainment to thrive in the 1950s and 1960s.

The former Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer, who had seen Rose Chan peeling off her dress “piece by piece” at the New World amusement park in his younger days, said she was a legend in her own time for being not just a good dancer but skilled in her exotic stunts.

“Rose Chan made stripping an art form,” said Dr Leong.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was a woman who loved life, says Teoh

AS a young boy in Ipoh, he heard many stories about the legendary Rose Chan. His parents and others used to talk about her.

But it was not until many years later that multi-talented Patrick Teoh had a chance to watch her perform. The former radio deejay also had a one-on-one interview with the celebrity stripper.

The two encounters were enough to leave a lasting impression in him about the strip queen of yore, who was well known both on and off stage.

She was famous for her erotic dances, including a sequence with a live python. Off-stage, she was known for being generous and charitable.

“She struck me as a women who loved life,” said Teoh, who wears many hats – talk show host, comedian, actor and others.

“When I was little, small towns had amusement parks. For Kuala Lumpur, it was the Bukit Bintang Park and in Ipoh it was the Jubilee Park.

“Rose Chan was a regular performer at the Jubilee Park. My father and his friends used to talk about how wonderful her shows were, especially about how she writhed with the python and what she could do with her private part,” he recalled.

The first time he watched her was many years later at a farewell luncheon for a colleague.

The show at Wisma Central in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, featured Rose Chan in her natural glory in her late 40s.

“Some people in the audience laughed at her because she was no longer the young stripper. I thought she was still deliciously cuddly.

Years after that, Teoh interviewed her over the airwaves and even then, he said, she exuded charm and grace despite her ill health and age. At that time, she was managing a health centre in Chow Kit Road.

“She was a chatty and friendly woman. Rose said she had no regrets and if she had a chance to live it all again, she would do things the same way. She is truly a woman who loved life.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose Chan’s niche still a draw

LEGENDARY striptease queen Rose Chan is “resting” quietly in Beow Hong Lim Columbarium in Air Itam, Penang, but is still occasionally receiving visitors who are either curious about her or dearly miss her companionship.

As millions of Chinese worldwide observed the Qing Ming (All Souls Day) last week, Chan, whose real name is Chan Wai Chang, had a few visitors paying homage to her at the niche located on the second floor of the columbarium.

Caretaker Y.T. Woo said many visitors, whom he believed were Chan's secret admirers and fans, visited her niche and placed flowers last week, though not on the day itself.

“I do not know whether the visitors were her relatives or admirers. They just came and left.

“Even on other days, people come and ask where her niche is located.”

Woo, however, noted that Chan's niche was not as “popular” as that of local singer Lee Yee, who popularised hits such as Chun Tian Li (Spring Time).

KatoeyLover69

09-04-2006, 05:52 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 9 April 2006 :-

A cut above the rest with her daring acts

BEFORE Rose Chan dominated the striptease scene in the 1950s, the local audience was already enjoying foreign belly dancing acts at cabarets and nightclubs.

Businessman James Cheah, 59, said his late father used to bring in foreign belly dancing acts to entertain local rubber and tin businessmen who frequented the former Green Parrot nightclub (at the Bagan Jermal end of Gurney Drive) that opened from 1956 to 1961.

“Rose Chan came after the belly dancers but her earlier shows at the Green Parrot and the New World amusement park were tame.

“Encouraged by the good response from the locals, she went further and became more extreme in her stunts in the 1960s. But these were often performed behind closed doors in private clubs and hotels,” he said.

Cheah said there was another famous local stripteaser Annie Cheah but Rose Chan was far more popular due to the boldness of her acts.

Former All-England badminton ace Datuk Eddy Choong said Rose Chan was successful because she was “the champion in her time.”

“She was enterprising and started a troupe of strippers to perform what was not commonly seen by locals then.

“Others saw and imitated her but none could measure up to her prowess.”

“Her suggestive moves and unhurried way of removing her veils were ho liau (fantastic) to the local audience then, although by today’s standard, I have seen better dances,” said Choong, 75, who saw Rose Chan perform at the New World amusement park.

He admitted to active nightclub hopping only after Rose Chan’s retirement in the late 1970s, thus missing her more erotic “private party” stunts during her heydays in the 1950s and 1960s.

“But if what I heard about her (erotic) stunts were true, then she must have been one of a kind since I’ve never seen such acts in the nightclubs I visited overseas during my badminton career,” said Choong, adding that a friend of his from Kuala Lumpur was one of Rose Chan’s ex-husbands.

Retiree James Tait, 88, said he and his group of friends would gather at the New World park to enjoy the numerous attractions there, including Rose Chan’s shows.

“Money was hard to come by. So, instead of paying for seats inside the hall, we used to see her shows from a distance outside the hall.

“People admired her for being brave enough to do what she did,” he said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Story behind stage name

By TOMMY LEE

TOMMY LEE recalls his encounter with Rose Chan as a rookie reporter

DESPITE her name, her life was far from rosy.

She was sold by her mother for RM3,000 at the age of 16, two-timed by her own sister and fiancé, and had five failed marriages.

But few people know why Chan Wai Chang adopted the stage name Rose Chan.

As a rookie reporter some 19 years ago, I had interviewed her for the untold story.

Chan said: “It all began when one of my sisters visited me in Singapore where I was working as a cabaret girl. I was 18 then. One night, my sister wanted to make a phone call and asked my fiancé to accompany her.”

That phone call must have been “a long and difficult one” as they only came back at 4am the next day, she said.

“There were lipstick marks smeared all over my fiancé’s shirt. I could see those disgusting red marks very clearly as he was wearing a white shirt which was looking very crumpled,” she said.

“My assumption was very obvious – that they must have had a very rough and, perhaps, wild night.”

She was so angry she grabbed her fiancé by the shirt and hit him. The next morning, she sent her sister packing.

Three days later, the postman delivered a letter addressed to her fiancé at her home and suspecting that it was from her sister, Chan opened it.

She was right.

The sister had written to ask the fiancé to meet her in Kuala Lumpur. Her sister signed off as Rose Chan.

She was so mad that, from that day onwards, she adopted the stage name Rose Chan.

She told The Star then that the striptease act that launched her to fame was accidental.

She was dancing at a theatre when her bra strap snapped and her assets were exposed. Instantly, the audience roared their approval.

Chan, who had been a cook, masseur and businesswoman, said she was so thrilled and captivated by the crowd’s response that she stripped each night in front of hundreds, although she was a bit bashful, initially.

At 61, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and given just a few years to live.

Chan said she wanted to donate between RM500,000 and RM1mil to charity.

She talked about how an American publishing company had wanted to write her life story and make a film about her.

They supposedly offered her US$3mil (RM11.3mil) for copyright and on accepting the offer, they would contact her when she turned 65.

The publishers told her that she would have more things to relate then. But she died the next year at the age of 62.

KatoeyLover69

09-04-2006, 05:56 PM

Report from The Sunday STAR dated Sunday 9 April 2006 :-

Singapore: We have not rejected MyKad

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore has not rejected the use of smart cards to facilitate travelling between Malaysia and the republic, said its High Commission here.

Its press officer Gerard Ho said Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) last held discussions with Malaysia's Immigration Department in 2004.

“ICA is still waiting for (the) Malaysian Immigration's reply to conduct testing.

“It has been working and will continue to work with its Malaysian counterpart to resolve the technical issues so as to facilitate travelling between the two countries,” he said yesterday in a statement.

On Wednesday, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad had said the proposal to allow the use of Malaysia's MyKad to facilitate the entry of Malaysians into Singapore was turned down by the republic due to security matters.

He said Singapore made the decision two months ago and both countries would discuss the alternatives, including the use of an e-passport. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:02 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Disco-dancing maids nabbed for not having documents

KUALA LUMPUR: They work as maids for six days and on Sundays head to a nearby disco to dance away the evening before returning to their employers’ homes.

Yesterday, five Filipino women were nabbed in a raid at Liquid De Disco, behind the Central Market here, for not having proper travel documents.

In the 4.15pm raid by the City police anti-vice, gaming and secret society division, four men — three Pakistanis and a Nepalese — were also nabbed for a similar offence.

The raid was conducted after police surveillance found that the owner of the disco began operations at 2pm although his permit stipulates operating hours commences at 7pm. The disco owner was issued with a summons.

Superintendent Mohd Zaki Masroh said the disco was frequented by foreign workers, especially Filipino women.

"During the raid, there were 86 people in the disco and 60 of them were foreign workers including Pakistanis, Indonesians, Nepalese and Filipinos."

Zaki said one of the arrested women, employed at a house in Petaling Jaya, told police that she and friends had visited the disco every Sunday for the past few months and would usually return home by 6pm.

"Those arrested will be placed under police custody until we verify their travel documents," said Zaki.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:06 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Singapore’s reluctance to accept MyKad puzzling

PUTRAJAYA: The National Registration Department is puzzled over Singapore’s reluctance to accept the MyKad as a travel document when its use in Brunei had proven successful.

A senior officer said the MyKad’s security features were good with no problems for either Malaysian or Brunei officials.

"We feel the MyKad will eventually be accepted by Singapore as it contains information available in the international passports of Malaysians," the official said.

He said the MyKad was a smart travel card of the future for journeys to neighbouring countries.

An Immigration Department officer said the department was prepared for use of the MyKad for travel to Singapore.

"We are awaiting the green light from the NRD under whose purview the MyKad comes," he said.

They were commenting on Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad’s statement last Wednesday that Singapore had rejected the proposal to use the MyKad instead of restricted passports.

Singapore High Commission Press officer Gerard Ho had subsequently replied that the republic had not rejected the use of smart cards to cross the Causeway.

He was quoted as saying that Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) last held discussions with its Malaysian counterpart in 2004 and was still waiting for Malaysian Immigration’s reply on the issue of tests.

Meanwhile, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Hoi said Malaysia would waste no time in meeting Singapore authorities over the use of the MyKad.

He said the Immigration Department would hold discussions soon with the ICA on the matter.

Tan said this would be done before July 1 when Malaysian workers would not be able to use restricted passports to cross the Causeway.

"We are running out of time.

"Meetings with ICA must be held before July 1. I will make sure they are held as soon as possible," he said.

More than 100,000 Malaysians travel to Singapore daily to work in the republic.

Passports cost workers RM300 (32 pages) or RM600 (64 pages) compared with RM150 for restricted passports.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:25 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Thumbs up for budget hotels in KL

MANY budget and backpackers' hotels in Kuala Lumpur have received good reviews in travel blogs and online booking websites. Topping the list in Lonely Planet are Hotel Chinatown Inn in Petaling Street, Number Eight Guesthouse in Tengkat Tong Shin, Le Village in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and Rainforest Bed & Breakfast near Lorong Ceylon.

The rest includes Backpackers Travellers Inn, Ben Soo Homestay and Travellers Service, Green Hut Lodge, Coliseum Cafe & Hotel, Pondok Lodge and Red Palm, mainly in Chinatown and Bukit Bintang.

In www.hostelworld.com, several others like Anjung KL Guesthouse and Hostel, Travellers Palm, Hotel Chinatown 2, Trekker Lodge and Comfort Inn scored high marks among budget travellers.

A traveller, in one of the forums, described a newly-opened budget hotel in Tengkat Tong Shin as “a great place to be''.

“The dorms (about six people sharing only) are fairly big with air-con. Lots of showers and the staff are extremely helpful and friendly.

“It is only about a 10-minute walk from Puduraya station.”

In his review, another traveller described a backpacker’s hotel in Tengkat Tong Shin as “a classic traveller's choice.''

“Complete with towel-draped rooms, notice boards ... bustling with people checking in, storing stuff in the lockers, checking their e-mails or kicking back on the lounge with the hotel guitar.

“The tiled rooms do echo with traffic but it's clean ? plus the Golden Triangle's strip of pubs and clubs are a short stroll away,” he said.

Of a budget hotel in Bukit Bintang, another traveller said: “There are amazing communal areas to read, play cards, relax, watch TV ... Above all, it was one of the cleanest places we stayed in over our three-month travel in South-East Asia.”

While there is positive feedback on the hotels, some travellers passed comments like: “KL has lots of hostels in the Chinatown area. They all seem to be pretty much the same - a cubicle-style room, no bathroom.”

Others commented that a hotel in Pudu did not have fan, window or air-conditioner and another few hotels have reasonable facilities but their rooms were like “concrete coffins.”

There are 150 budget and backpackers’ hotels in Kuala Lumpur registered with the Malaysia Budget Hotel Association

The budget hotels offer rooms for between RM20 and RM80 per night.

In view of the growing trend of online reservations, many budget hotels have begun to provide such services.

They go through agents via the latter's websites, where overseas travellers can pay a fee (commission for the agents) for their rooms by credit card. When they check in at the hotel's counter, they pay the remainder.

Some of the operators even have their own websites that offer such booking services.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:31 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Panjang sparks off boom in business in Johor Bahru

JOHOR BARU: It may seem that businesses are cashing in on the nickname of celebrity pothole patcher Panjang.

Shamsudin Mohd, a mechanic at Panjang Auto, said business had noticeably increased in the months after Panjang's selfless act of patching up potholes on roads here were highlighted.

“The first thing our customers ask is whether Panjang is the owner.

“There have been cases of people getting disappointed when I tell them that the workshop has no connection with the famous Panjang,” he explained.

Panjang Auto is located on Jalan Tun Abdul Razak here, along with Panjang Car Care Centre and Haji Panjang Tomyam.

The shops have nothing to do with the pothole patcher nor were these outlets set up to cash in on his fame. The outlets, operating for several years now, belong to different owners who found it convenient to use the same registered name.

Shamsudin said customers wanted to meet Panjang to congratulate him on his work.

He said his shop was named Panjang as it was the nickname of the owner's brother.

He said he read about Panjang and admired the man for his selfless act in helping others.

“We need more people like him. He risked his own safety for the sake of others. How many people would do that nowadays,” Shamsudin asked.

Workers at the Panjang carwash centre said cars had been coming in steadily ever since Panjang’s stories were published.

“People really admire him and it is amazing that this man has many fans in the state,” said customer Sulaiman Ahmad.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:34 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Zam: Report accurately Don’t harm ties, Singapore media told

SUNGAI PETANI: Malaysia has reminded the media in Singapore to report accurately on issues concerning Malaysia so as to not jeopardise relations between both countries.

Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin said media relations between both countries should be fostered to enable media organisations to work together in publishing news articles.

Zainuddin was commenting on recent reports published by the island republic’s media on the rise in thefts of Singapore-registered cars in Johor.

Zainuddin said the news reports on car thefts were not accurate and were contrived by the Singapore media to portray a negative image of Johor.

“The news may have been written to divert Singaporeans from coming to shop in Johor.

“But it's clear the attempts by the Singapore media have been unsuccessful in stopping the influx of Singaporeans to Johor where things are cheaper.

“In fact, Singapore's media should emulate the Malaysian press which does not resort to publishing articles which might cause a rift between the two countries,” he added.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:46 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Budget Hotels : Out with frills, in with comfort and facilities

By ESTHER CHANDRAN and CHOW HOW BAN

LIVING within a budget is important for cash-strapped travellers and most opt for cheaper accommodation so that money can be stretched for shopping, eating and other forms of leisure.

A savvy traveller scours through the World Wide Web or seeks the help of travel agents for accommodation within the central business district.

Location, price, cleanliness, services and facilities are among the factors budget travellers take into consideration before deciding on a place of rest.

In answer to these, budget hotels are booming in the Klang Valley. They cater not just to foreign travellers, but domestic tourists, too.

The well-known budget hotels are located at stretches along busy Kuala Lumpur, such as in Jalan Bukit Bintang, Tengkat Tong Shin, Jalan Alor, Petaling Street, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Jalan Berangan, Jalan Angsoka, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and the Chow Kit and Masjid India areas.

Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MBHA) Kuala Lumpur/ Selangor chairman Denis Ong said budget travellers were a boost to the food, travel, transportation and shopping industries.

“Many people have a misconception about such hotels as sleazy joints, but those registered under MBHA are reputable, clean, comfortable and reasonably priced,” said Ong, owner of Green Hut at Tengkat Tong Shin.

The association, he said, was working with the Tourism Ministry to educate front liners and managers to stamp out vice activities at budget hotels.

“We are working towards gaining public confidence,'' he said.

Ong said modern day budget hotel operators were serious about their clean image.

“As such, we get the message across to pimps and prostitutes that we do not do their business and our rooms are not for day-use,” said Ong.

The budget hotels at Petaling Street have been around for a longer period than those at Tengkat Tong Shin. Some are more than 20 years old.

But these are the more conservative ones, unlike the new generation budget hotels at Tengkat Tong Shin.

Number Eight is one such hotel that infuses Straits Chinese elements with the elegance of dark wood while maintaining its pre-war exterior.

Perhaps the priciest (RM135 for a room with attached bathroom), Number Eight’s elegance, good style and comfortable setting would convince guests who are on the look-out for a good stay.

Managing director Rudy Shaff hoped to set up a boutique hotel some day and has started with his pet project at Number Eight.

“Here, I am able to put my ideas to work and offer guests comfort and style for a reasonable price,” he said.

Green Hut, with its ethnic interiors reflective of the Sarawak cultural heritage, has bold colours on its second and third floors.

On the walls heading upstairs are handpainted sceneries that give guests a feel of being in green surroundings.

Rooms are priced below RM100.

Green Hut, Number Eight and another one, Trekker Lodge, have twin sharing, single rooms and dormitories for those who don’t mind sharing a room with strangers.

The one-star Comfort Inn appears like a normal hotel, except that it is scaled down in size.

Owner of Hotel China Town (2) in Petaling Street, Sam Ng, said there was a market for budget hotels.

“Even if they are old, these hotels should have clean and comfortable rooms,'' he said.

The Internet, Ng said, was an important facility.

Most budget hotels have this besides air-conditioned rooms, lockers, laundry and telephone services.

Backpacker Englishman Graham Lines searched through websites for places to stay during his recent trip around the world.

For Lines, a place with Internet accessibility and reasonably priced accommodation within the city were his criteria.

His choice in Kuala Lumpur was Green Hut.

Lines, 31, previously stayed at star-rated hotels, but this time, he wanted the experience of backpacking.

“It is a different experience because a normal hotel room guarantees privacy while a budget accommodation, if you opt for shared rooms or a dormitory, doesn’t afford you your privacy.

“However, you meet a lot of people,” said Lines, a former operations manager with a finance and leasing company.

He said most budget hotels in Malaysia did not have kitchen facilities, but was not concerned about it.

“Living at Tengkat Tong Shin is great because I can eat along the streets as the food is great and cheap.”

Law student Laura Dalton, 22, from South England has taken a year off to travel before continuing her post-graduate studies next year.

For Dalton, staying at a central location was important, as she preferred getting around on foot.

“I usually do not hang around at one location too long, maybe only a night but if I like the place I stay a little longer,” said Dalton, who stayed in Kuala Lumpur for five days.

The MBHA represents properties of two- and one-star rating and Orchid-rated places like bed and breakfast inns, motels, boarding houses, lodges, hostels and guesthouses.

It presently has 1,200 members with about 150 in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor alone.

The figures do not reflect the actual number of budget hotels in the country.

MBHA assistant secretary-general P.K. Leong said no one really knew the actual figure.

Ong said there should be more than 500 budget hotels in the Klang Valley.

MBHA is on a recruitment drive. It is situated at 52, Tengkat Tong Shin. For details, call 03-2141 2313 or visit www.budgethotel.org.my

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:51 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

1 Utama is best shopping complex in Malaysia

GOOD business ethics, retail excellence and integrity, and attention to customer safety and satisfaction bagged 1 Utama Shopping Centre the Platinum Award for ‘Shopping Complex of the Year’ at the recent Retail World Excellence Awards 2006-2007.

The shopping mall (new wing), which opened in 2003, won over five other contenders, including Mid Valley Megamall which won the Gold Award.

Among the winning features of 1 Utama Shopping Centre are ample parking bays, disabled-friendly amenities, good maintenance and well-lit areas with clean washrooms.

The Rainforest area, which is a conservatory that has over 100 species of flora and fauna, waterfall, koi ponds, freshwater fish aquarium and the Rainbow suspension bridge, also worked in its favour.

“The Rainforest is a bonus point. With something unique like the Rainforest, the complex offers customers much more than just a shopping experience,” said Retail World publisher and World Asia Publishing (Wap) chief executive officer Jennifer Ong.

Held once every two years, the award is endorsed by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry together with the Malaysian Retail Association (MRA), Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia (BEIM), Branding Association of Malaysia (BAM), Persatuan Pengurusan Kompleks Malaysia (PPK), Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and the Malaysian Retailers Chain Association (MRCA).

It is aimed at acknowledging and honouring retailers that practise good business ethics.

Ong said the judging process took about two-and-a-half months and required much legwork of the judges to fill up the score sheets.

She said good business ethics referred to professionalism in terms of business conduct between the shopping complex and its tenants.

“In the judging process, we had to establish if the shopping complex was delivering what was promised to both tenants and customers.

“The tenants must be happy and customers, satisfied. To verify this, we had various interview sessions with the management and tenants, and even conducted random chats with customers.

“Good business ethics is not a one-way relationship,” said Ong, who was one of the judges.

Meanwhile, 1 Utama Shopping Centre manager Kenny Chin said competitions such as the one organised by Wap created healthy competition among shopping complexes to improve what they offered to customers.

“We have always striven to provide a first-class environment for shopping, dining and entertainment for all visitors and we will strive to uphold this in the years to come,” said Chin.

Last year, the mall won the National Creativity and Innovation Award 2005 organised by the Malaysian Creativity and Innovation Centre.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 10:56 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

‘Sugar ban’ ‘notice not up, Singaporeans unaware of ruling

JOHOR BARU: It was sweet sorrow at the Causeway checkpoint. Singaporeans who bought sugar here were stopped from taking it home.

“Is there a ban?” they asked Customs officers who confiscated their packets of sugar.

The Singaporeans said there were no signboard to tell them they could not bring along the item when they travel back home across the Causeway.

Sugar costs RM1.40 per kilo in Malaysia while in Singapore the same amount is sold at between S$1.05(RM2.37) and S$1.60(RM3.60).

The hordes of Singaporeans who come here usually put sugar on their shopping list.

Motorist Jeremy Ng, who regularly shops and plays golf here, said he was not aware of the sugar ruling, as there were no notice at the checkpoint about the matter.

“I don’t know that we are not supposed to take sugar out of Malaysia,” he said, adding that he often shops for groceries in Johor though not necessarily for sugar.

Technician Johari Mohd said he had heard something about a ban but brushed it aside as he thought it was just “empty talk.”

“I did not pay much attention to it, especially when there was no signage at the checkpoint when you enter or exit the causeway,” he said.

“I always buy sugar here as it is considerably cheaper.

“Now, I have to cross it out from my grocery list,” said Johari, 28.

Another Singaporean, who only wished to be known as Kit, said he was stopped at the checkpoint on Saturday as he was sorting out several packets of sugar.

“I did not know about the ruling and there was no signage to inform me about the ban,” he said, adding that he buys about 10kg of sugar from Johor each week.

Asked about the matter, state Customs director Sarmin Md Hussin said the department would put up the signage before April 21, when those who bring sugar out of the country would be fined.

On Friday, Customs director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid announced that from April 21, those caught bringing out sugar from the country would be fined RM100 per kilo.

He said that at the moment there would be no fines, just seizures, to give people time to adjust to the new ruling.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said the Government was stepping up enforcement against those hoarding sugar and raising the price of the controlled item.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 11:08 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 8 April 2006 :-

Mid Valley set for more excitement

TRENDY and happening places are becoming a familiar sight around the Klang Valley, especially Kuala Lumpur. Exciting developments are taking place in the retail, office and hospitality sectors.

Despite being a prominent landmark in the Klang Valley, Mid Valley City is not resting on its laurels and has some vibrant plans. StarBiz assistant news editor ANGIE NG caught up with Mid Valley City Developments executive director Antony Barragry and Mid Valley City Gardens executive director David McCracken on their plans to spice up Mid Valley City

MID Valley City will be drumming up more exciting happenings with new additions to both the commercial and residential precincts.

This is to keep with its image as one of the world's most modern and integrated mixed-use developments.

A repositioning programme to offer more innovative and upmarket products is underway to give Mid Valley City a higher profile.

The 50-acre project has become one of the most successful urban re-development in the Klang Valley since Mid Valley Megamall opened its doors in 1999.

It is part of the city’s decentralisation initiatives to reduce congestion in Kuala Lumpur.

Mid Valley City has a good mix of retail, leisure, dining, entertainment and hospitality. Besides Mid Valley Megamall, there are two hotels - Cititel Hotel and Boulevard Hotel; as well as the office precinct, which consists of Boulevard Offices and Menara IGB.

So far, some RM1.7bil worth of real estate projects have been completed at RM3.5bil Mid Valley City.

A new component to be added is The Gardens, a five-star retail and commercial precinct that comprises a high-end shopping centre, two class-one office towers, five-star all suites hotel and a five-star hotel.

According to Mid Valley City Developments Sdn Bhd executive director Antony P. Barragry, The Gardens would herald another new dimension of retail and hospitality experience for Klang Valley folks.

“Mid Valley City is essentially appealing to the mid-market customer group and The Gardens will complete the city’s offerings by adding a five-star development, transforming it into a quality, full range alternative Kuala Lumpur city centre,” he told StarBiz.

Mid Valley City Gardens executive director David McCracken said with The Gardens, Mid Valley City would be able to offer a range of customised environment for different market segments and become the destination for work, stay and entertainment.

The 4½-storey shopping centre, with 800,000 sq ft of net lettable area, will have more than 200 retail shops and four anchors, including Isetan Department Store, when completed by September next year.

The hotels and office towers will be ready by 2008. Another 4,300 car parking bays will be added to the existing 6,500 bays at Mid Valley City.

Located on 9.7 acres, The Gardens will provide a total gross floor area of 5.9 million sq ft and have a gross development cost of RM2bil.

McCracken said The Gardens would have a place for the staging of performing arts and other artistic talents.

Continuous upgrade is being made to optimise the value of Mid Valley City. The infrastructure network to spruce up accessibility will also be enhanced via road and rail.

An additional RM150mil will be spent on a new overpass and four underpasses, bringing the total road infrastructure investment in Mid Valley City to RM400mil.

The project is linked to the southbound KTM commuter line and plans are underway to enhance the connection with the Port Klang-Sentul line, Putra LRT and KL Monorail. These lines are expected to have a stop near the Putra LRT Abdullah Hukum station, which will become an integrated station with a direct bridge link to Mid Valley City.

KatoeyLover69

10-04-2006, 11:32 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 10 April 2006 :-

RM5mil extreme sports arena for Bandar Nusajaya, Johor Bahru

JOHOR BARU , Mon:
THE developer of Bandar Nusajaya, the Johor Government's new administrative capital, is building a RM5 million centre for extreme sports in the area.

Called the X-treme Zone and spread over 30ha, the centre would have a strip for drag car racing, an airstrip for ultralight aircraft and model jets, futsal court and tracks for go-kart and pocket bike racing.

"It will be the first of its kind in the south," said Nusajaya Development Sdn Bhd senior manager for marketing and sales, Khaidzir A. Rasip.

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 12:07 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 10 April 2006 :-

Spotlight: At home in faraway city of Kuala Lumpur

April 10 : These days, Kuala Lumpur has taken on an even more cosmopolitan feel. While we have grown used to Chinatown in Petaling Street, Little India in Jalan Masjid India (where everything from the latest Bollywood music video to the most up-to-date styles in bangles can be had) and Little Japan in Sri Hartamas and well, each and every Isetan supermarket, there are now more communities springing up all over the city. Welcome to Little Myanmar, Little Nepal and Arab Square, write ANITA ANANDARAJAH and SAM CHEONG.

LITTLE MYANMAR

JALAN Silang in downtown Kuala Lumpur is the meeting point for buses passing through the city, bringing with them hordes of immigrants. Walk along this street and one will be besieged by signboards in Urdu, Burmese and Nepali.

Walk along this street on a Sunday and you may well think you are in Bangladesh.

Shops hawking IDD phone cards, mobile phones, film processing and sundries dominate a landscape already choked with fumes and deafening honking from indiscriminately parked buses.

This is nonetheless where the homesick come to get their fix of home. At Kham Myint Sdn Bhd, items from a home far away adorn the shelves.

The Myanmar Times and 7 Day News Journal bring news from home once a week while 90:00 Minutes and First Eleven sports journals are also popular.

Traditional herbal concoctions for ailments ranging from sore throats to spotty skin are also sold here. The yellow thanaka paste used by Myanmar folk to protect their skin from the sun is also sold here for RM3 a jar, while a 10cm piece of the thanaka wood found in the dry northern region of Myanmar goes for RM3.50.

Also on sale are the lung ji, the equivalent of our sarong, chaw (leather slippers), music CDs and books.

One longing for some native music can choose from original music CDs by popular artistes like Iron Cross, Tun Eaindra Bu and Ane Nge.

Books are also aplenty, ranging from those on Buddhism to languages (English and Malay) and education (car engines, Windows XP, etc) and fiction.

The proprietor of Kham Myint is U Tin Myint. He set up shop six years ago and imports his stocks from Yangon. His two young daughters attend a Chinese medium primary school here and he speaks fluent Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Then, there is Tway Tway Tun Latt, who arrived here in 1999. She and her husband own a mini market, the Theid Di Win restaurant and a hair salon, which they set up a year ago in Lot 11 along Jalan Silang.

The restaurant serves traditional Myanmar cuisine including mohinga (fish broth noodles) which is Myanmar’s national dish. During the two visits we made to the shop — between 10.15am and 11am — we found it packed with Burmese enjoying their lunch.

"Our prices are cheap; only RM4 for a meal because the workers can’t afford much," said Tway. That RM4 fetches a handsome meal of one meat dish (pork, mutton, fish or chicken), rice, soup, vegetable (boiled angle beans and cucumber slices with sambal dip) and free Chinese tea.

Burmese cuisine is a curious blend of Chinese, Malay and Indian food. The pork dish we sampled tasted like pork in soya sauce stew (tau eu bak) and the vegetable was just like ulam.

On the top floor of the same building is the hair salon where hair-cuts go for a surprisingly steep RM10 for men and RM12 for women. Despite this, customers stream in especially on Sundays and public holidays.

Tway explained why: "Here, they are comfortable. They can speak Burmese."

Apart from these shops, there is also a medical clinic, a dental clinic and a supermarket catering to this community in the nearby Bangunan Cahaya Suria.

Most shops owned by these immigrants are situated on the first, second and third floors with the exception of Kham Myint. Rent is RM6,000 for the ground floor and upwards of RM1,500 for the rest.

An observer mentioned that come Sundays, thousands of foreign workers throng Jalan Silang. They congregate to catch up with friends.

Entertainment in malls can be expensive; sitting along the five-foot way is free. They take photographs, buy budget IDD cards to place telephone calls home, and buy cheap clothes at her shop.

"Just before they return to their home country, the Burmese buy blankets. They also come here to buy nice clothes as gifts."

Most Burmese nationals reside in the Imbi area. A spokesperson from the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar estimates that there are 40,000 legally employed Burmese in Malaysia.

LITTLE NEPAL

When Nepali Jhamsay Gurung came to Malaysia as a foreign worker last year, he suffered from homesickness.

Without a single clue on how to get around the city, the 28-year-old learned two words which brought him "closer" to home: Jalan Silang. After all, this is where several Nepali grocery stores and restaurants are located.

Here at "Little Nepal", Gurung can get a taste of home-cooked food and buy sundry goods specially imported by his countrymen, who have set up shop in the city. Not many people who live and work in Kuala Lumpur realise that some of these Nepali shops have been around for as long as three years.

The influx of more than 80,000 Nepali workers into Malaysia was seen as an opportunity by local traders here who have formed an alliance with their Nepali counterparts to import some essential goods into the country.

Gurung, a line operator in an electronics factory in Puchong, makes regular trips to Jalan Silang every weekend to meet up with fellow Nepalis and catch up with the latest development back home via newsletters and magazines flown in by the traders.

"Ini saja ada, makan pun bagus, barang juga beli," he said in broken Malay. (Only available here, the food is good and there are things to buy.)

Needless to say, the whole area feels very foreign. When you walk into Himalaya Restaurant, which is on the first floor of a multi-storey building on Jalan Silang, the Nepali customers will look up in surprise. Their looks seem to say, "Are you lost? What are you doing here?"

On weekends, the place is packed but weekdays also seem to attract a steady crowd of Nepali customers.

Highly recommended, according to a waiter there, is the mutton-bhat or Nepali-style meat curry with rice. A basic serving of rice and mutton, chicken or pork costs about RM6.

The waiter, a young Ghurka from the Himalayan foothills, said mutton was the favourite choice followed by pork. And no meal was complete without a serving of fried momo, a popular pastry in Nepal as well as Tibet.

Besides food, the customers here are also treated to Nepali music videos shown on a large-screen television. This, said the Ghurka youth, made most of the diners feel at home.

Across the street from the restaurant is a Nepali general store called Bhijaya Export. It’s located on the first floor and this is where Gurung and his fellow Nepalis get their groceries and other personal grooming items.

Here, you will find toothpaste, soap and shampoo, which have been imported directly from the homeland. Prices range from RM2 to RM10 for these essentials.

"A packet of instant noodles costs as much as 15 rupees (RM1.20) in Nepal. We price it slightly higher here because of the exchange rate," said a worker.

----------- continued --------------

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 12:15 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monday 10 April 2006 :-

Spotlight: At home in faraway city of Kuala Lumpur

----- continued --------

AIN ARABIA

There is a curious little pocket off Jalan Bukit Bintang; a concrete arch next to Finnegan’s Irish pub that beckons with the words Ain Arabia.

The literal translation is Eye Arab (the grammatically correct version should read al Ain Arabiya which would translate to "The Eye of Arabia").

Since Ala H. Salih set up the Sahara Tent restaurant at the Fortuna Hotel five years ago, tourists, embassy officials and students have been making a beeline to al Mantaga al Arabiya or "the Arabian area".

Hotel manager A. Selvarajah acknowledged the draw of the restaurant may be due to the 20 per cent increase in tourist arrivals from the Middle East between the third week of June and September.

"This is the school holiday season. Incidentally, it is also the mega-sale period here. Half of these arrivals are from Saudi Arabia; others are from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt," he said.

According to Selvarajah, the guests are mostly families who stay five to 10 days.

Ala’s plan was to provide for the needs of Arabs. "I wanted to give them service in one place," explained the mustachioed Iraqi.

He brought in fellow countryman Mahmood Mahdi to cut hair the way Arab men liked it.

"Not many barbers here are good at trimming beards. We have many styles — and some men need to have their facial hair removed by threading. For some, this has to be done every three days," said Ala, who acted as a translator for Mahmood.

Apart from the hair salon, the other four shops adjacent to the Fortuna Hotel are a mini market, a travel agency, two souvenir shops and the Hay-al Arab Restaurant, which serves Yemeni cuisine.

Naab’s mini market stocks products like canned tomatoes, bottled olives, Lebanese bread, a variety of cheeses and dates.

The Jet Connections travel agency’s clientele is 90 per cent Arab. They opt for local tours to Penang, Langkawi and Genting Highlands.

The al-Khaima souvenir shop stocks Arabic music CDs, VCDs, shisha pipes, tobacco, perfume oils and incense wood chips.

Fronting Hotel Fortuna and Sahara Tent is a small plot of land, dotted with concrete benches, stalls (not yet operational) and monuments, popular in the evenings with Malaysians and Middle Easterners.

Be mindful that an excursion to Jalan Berangan should take place after noon. The shops and restaurants operate from 12pm till 1am.

"When Malaysia sleeps, the Arabs wake up," Ala said.

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 06:52 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 11 April 2006 :-

Information on Bigfoot comes at a price

JOHOR BARU, Tues:

You want to know about Bigfoot? No problem. How much are you willing to pay?

Information about Bigfoot, according to biodiversity researcher and Bigfoot enthusiast Vincent Chow, is coming at a price as more people clamour to learn about the creature said to be lurking in the jungles of Johor.

Chow claimed that villagers were not as forthcoming with information as before but the minute they were paid, they became very helpful and vocal.

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 06:57 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 11 April 2006 :-

EPF now allows withdrawals from housing account yearly : Great news for members of the Employees Provident Fund.

KUALA LUMPUR: They can now withdraw money annually to settle their housing loans. In addition, an EPF contributor can help his or her spouse settle or reduce the housing loan even if the member is not a joint owner of the house.

Contributors can also withdraw savings to pay for diploma, degree and postgraduate courses for themselves and their children.

The EPF said in a statement yesterday all 5.8 million contributors could withdraw money from their Housing Account (Account II) once a year to reduce or settle their housing loans.

It said withdrawals of a minimum RM500 could be made annually from the last date of withdrawal.

EPF contributors were also given the flexibility of helping their spouses to reduce or settle their housing loans even if the member is not a joint owner, a requirement prior to the relaxation of rules.

Among conditions for withdrawal are the spouse must be the purchaser and borrower of the housing loan, the property should be mortgaged with the bank and there must be proof of marriage.

"Members who intend to withdraw their savings to reduce or settle their housing loan or to further their education have more to smile about now," said the fund’s public relations senior manager, Nik Affendi Jaafar.

"This follows the Finance Minister’s approval to EPF’s proposal of implementing changes to the housing and education withdrawals as part of the fund’s initiative to be more flexible and customer- friendly."

Prior to the amendment, members were only allowed to withdraw their Account II savings once every three years to reduce or settle their housing loan. Also, members could only withdraw their savings to fund diploma courses for themselves, while withdrawals for degree courses and above were only for their children.

Nik Affendi said the fund was constantly studying the viability of its withdrawals and benefit schemes to meet the changing needs of its members.

"We are confident these changes will be welcomed by members who are at an important milestone of their lives," he said.

In an immediate response to the changes, National House Buyers Association honorary secretary-general Chang Kim Loong said: "Although it may be seen as a good move by all contributors, we may be treading on dangerous ground.

"Look at the computer scam fiasco where we saw cases of doctored documents used to make EPF withdrawals for non-existing computers."

Chang said such a move would be seen as an easy source of funds for desperate contributors.

"The more you give leverage, the more they will find ways to circumvent EPF’s good intentions," he said, adding that the fund must find a foolproof mechanism to check such problems.

He said while the annual withdrawal could, in the short term, reduce housing loan repayment burden, contributors’ funds would be depleted in the long run.

Contributors might have problems during retirement, he said.

"Personally, I don’t mind paying the loans without making any withdrawal from my Account II for now because I feel the BLR (base lending rate) is still low. The seven per cent BLR these days is still lower than the 11 per cent rate a few years back," he added.

************************************************** ************************

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 11 April 2006 :-

Yearly EPF withdrawals to settle housing loans

PETALING JAYA: Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributors can now withdraw their Account II savings yearly to reduce or settle their housing loans.

They can also now make withdrawals to fund tertiary education starting at diploma level for themselves and their children under the Education Withdrawal scheme.

Prior to the changes, members were only allowed to withdraw their Account II savings once every three years to reduce or settle their housing loans.

Under the Education Withdrawal, they were only previously allowed to withdraw savings to pay for diploma courses for themselves and for degree courses and above for their children.

The housing withdrawals, according to a statement yesterday, can be made annually from the last date of withdrawal, with a minimum amount of RM500.

“In addition, members are now given the flexibility to help their spouses reduce or settle their housing loans even if the member is not a joint owner, a requirement prior to this new amendment to the EPF’s procedure,” the statement said.

When helping spouses reduce or settle loans, several conditions have to be complied with. The spouse must be the purchaser and borrower of the housing loan, and the property is mortgaged to a bank.

Proof of marriage is required.

EPF senior public relations manager Nik Affendi Jaafar said the changes, approved by the Finance Ministry, were part of the EPF’s initiative to implement more flexibility in withdrawals.

“We are constantly studying the viability of our withdrawals and benefits to meet the changing and diverse needs of our 5.2 million active members.”

“We are confident that these changes will be welcomed by members,” he added.

Meanwhile, MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, when contacted, said members must practise discretion when using such facilities so as to not jeopardise their old-age savings.

“The life expectancy for a male and female is the early and mid 70s, respectively. When a person retires at 55, he still has 15 to 20 years more and I’m concerned about how he can take care of himself if his savings is used up,” said Syed Shahir who is an EPF board member.

Cuepacs president Datuk Nordin Abdul Hamid, who is also an EPF board member, concurred with Syed Shahir and said that contributors had to be smart and careful, and that their savings would not be affected.

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 08:52 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 11 April 2006 :-

New extreme sports centre at Bandar Nusajaya, Johor Bahru

JOHOR BARU: An RM5 million centre for extreme sports will be built in Bandar Nusajaya by the developer of the Johor Government’s new administrative capital.

Called "X-treme Zone" and spread over 30ha, the centre will have a strip for drag racing, a runway for ultralight aircraft and model jets, a futsal court, and tracks for go-kart and pocket bike racing.

"It will be the first of its kind in the south," said Nusajaya Development Sdn Bhd senior manager for marketing and sales Khaidzir A. Rasip.

The new 9,720ha township, touted as the "City of Tomorrow", is being developed in phases over 14 years.

Khaidzir said Phase One of the X-treme Zone, due to open by the end of this month, would see a 1km-long strip for drag racing and a landing site and hangar for ultralight aircraft.

Also included in the project are separate tracks for drift racing, go-karting, motocross and associated facilities such as an arena for drift racing, a pit area and a grandstand.

He said the futsal court, hobby shack, cafe and paintball park would be built under Phase Two.

Khaidzir said a private operator would be appointed to manage the facility.

There will also be a sprawling "green lung", spread over 260ha, with a botanical garden, cultural village and rainforest reserve.

Nusajaya Development is also building 2,297 single and double-storey houses on a 101ha site called Taman Nusa Idaman.

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 08:56 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 11 April 2006 :-

RM300 fine likely for losing MyKad

KUALA LUMPUR: Fines for losing MyKad might go up to RM300 to encourage Malaysians to look after their cards.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho said the penalty was proposed because of the high number of cards reported lost.

From 2001 to last year, an average of 348 MyKad were reported lost daily, causing the Government a loss of RM4.8 million a year.

More than 80 per cent of the cards lost were due to carelessness.

The rest were lost in snatch thefts, fires and burglaries.

At present, those who apply for a replacement pay a handling fee and a compound fine of RM10.

The fine is RM30 for the second replacement, RM50 for the third and a cap of RM100 for the fourth and subsequent replacements.

"As a result of the large numbers of MyKad lost in the past five years, we are thinking of doubling or tripling the fines after the fourth replacement," Tan told the New Straits Times.

He said the Government had no choice but to consider such a move because of Malaysians’ tidak apa attitude on safeguarding their MyKad.

Tan said the increased fines might be implemented within the next three months.

KatoeyLover69

11-04-2006, 09:04 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 11 April 2006 :-

No to Indonesian Playboy

THE Indonesian version of Playboy may not contain nude pictures but the magazine brought in by Malaysians and travellers will be confiscated by the Malaysian Customs.

Customs director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid said those who smuggled in the magazine, which was considered pornographic material, were liable to a fine of up to RM20,000 or three years' jail, or both, under the Printing Presses and Publication Act.

Berita Harian quoted him as saying that no exemption would be given to anyone to bring in the material.

He gave the warning in anticipation of some people trying to smuggle in copies of the magazine which had aroused much interest in the country since it was launched last week.

The first edition of the Indonesian version of the adult magazine featured Malaysian model and Guess girl Amber Chia in its Celebrity section.

***********************************************

Kosmo! reported that a foreign couple continued to kiss and cuddle during a police raid at an illegal pub.

According to the newspaper, the couple remained oblivious to the police officers checking the travel documents of other patrons at the pub at Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur.

They only stopped after being told to do so by the police.

The couple were among 26 foreign workers arrested by the police during the 6pm raid for not having valid travel documents.

KatoeyLover69

12-04-2006, 11:27 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 12 April 2006 :-

Beware the ‘doctors’ at large

JOHOR BARU:Prominent politicians, association heads and businessmen are the prime target of companies offering honorary doctorates, from US$4,000 (RM14,680) upwards. And the price is negotiable!

The companies phone their targets and praise their achievements in society before telling them that a special select committee has shortlisted them for a doctorate.

Sukumaran (not his real name), who is the head of an association, said he got a call two months ago from a company in Kuala Lumpur offering a doctorate at a price.

He said he rejected the offer as he did not want to contribute to the proliferation of dubious doctorate holders.

A businesswoman who wanted to be known only as Carol said: "I received a call last December. I don’t know how they got my number. I rejected the offer as I was doing a master’s degree."

Acknowledging the problem, Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat said: "This malpractice has been rampant for years. It is not easy to track down the culprits who play a hide-and- seek game with the authorities. Some targets are attracted by the title without knowing what is it about. Since it is for sale, they are willing to pay.

"Worse still, they print the title ‘Dr’ before their names on business cards to show it is an earned title although the title is actually awarded to them. And they insist that you call them Doctor. It is wrong."

"This explains why there are so many self-proclaimed doctorate holders," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

KatoeyLover69

12-04-2006, 11:38 AM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 12 April 2006 :-

Maid: Boss told me photos were for Playboy

SEREMBAN: A Javanese maid here willingly posed semi-nude for photographs after her employer claimed the pictures would appear in the Indonesian version of Playboy magazine.

But the deal turned sour after the female employer allegedly disappeared.

The 25-year-old maid from Bandar Baru, Nilai near here, yesterday lodged a complaint with the newly set-up Malaysian Indian Youth Council's (MIYC) public complaints bureau for not receiving payment for the photographs.

The maid said she agreed to pose for the photographs last week after her employer claimed to have connections with Playboy and promised payment. She had posed in 25 different positions at her employer’s home and outside the house, with some shots featuring her in her underwear.

Her employer had advised her not to expose her face fully but to pose seductively so that she could “sell” the photographs to the magazine. The pictures were snapped while her employer’s family were away.

The maid said her employer promised to pay her RM1,000 on Saturday as she was to leave for Java next week. When she did not receive the money, she lodged a complaint with MIYC after a neighbour gave her the contact number.

State Human Resource, Science and Public Complaint committee deputy chairman Datuk Dr L. Krishnan said the employer and the maid could face charges for producing lewd materials.

Bureau chief M. Ganesha said he would try to talk to the maid’s employer to get the photographs destroyed.

“I don’t know whether the pictures have been distributed,” he added.

KatoeyLover69

12-04-2006, 11:42 AM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 12 April 2006 :-

Eight more McDonald’s outlets this year: CEO

KOTA KINABALU: McDonald's Malaysia, operator of the McDonald's fast food chain, plans to open eight more outlets throughout the country this year, said chief executive officer and country manager Robert Beard.

“This year we have opened two new outlets, one at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang, and another in Ampang, while the next one will be in Cheras next month,” he told reporters after the launch of its drive-thru restaurant in Jalan Sulaman by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Beard said most of the new outlets would be located in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru, Penang and Kuantan.

McDonald's Malaysia deputy general manager Azmir Jaafar said the company was looking forward to expand its outlets in Sabah, especially in high-growth areas like Kota Kinabalu.

It was also considering opening outlets in other major towns in the state like Tawau and Sandakan, he said.

At the moment, there are four McDonald's outlets in Sabah, all of which are in Kota Kinabalu.

The drive-thru restaurant, which has been operating since September last year, has 98 seats for dining and opens from 6am to 12 midnight.

It also offers TMnet's HotSpot Service, providing customers with wireless broadband connectivity. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

12-04-2006, 11:47 AM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 12 April 2006 :-

Letters to the Editor : Fast way to poor health

THE RECENT newspaper coverage on the poor health status of youth today is a poignant reflection of modern-day consumption pattern which, unfortunately, is unhealthy and promotes over-consumption.

Malnutrition among young people is becoming more apparent with the influx of foreign foods and western culture influence.

The popularity of processed and fast food is gaining momentum, particularly in the urban areas.

People nowadays are complaining of having less time and thus, want more convenience. Gone are the days when people would visit the wet markets daily to buy their groceries and cook at home.

Urbanites today virtually cannot live without processed and packaged foods. The convenience, mobility and versatility of fast, processed, and packaged foods are considered essentials for the active urban lifestyle.

Food manufacturers are promoting the notion of convenience with the concept of “food on the go”, which is essentially pre-packaged processed foods targeted at urbanites.

Regrettably, young people are the victims who are trapped in such lifestyles. They are so caught up in pursuing their careers, earning a living or studying that they often neglect their health in the process and end up having poor diets and an inactive lifestyle.

A proper, balanced diet is often neglected and taken for granted, as the health impacts from poor diets are not seen until later in their lives.

Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, a sizeable sum is allocated for promoting preventive healthcare. Strategic plans are laid out to carry out awareness campaigns to educate the people to change the unsustainable lifestyle of the society to a healthier one.

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations firmly believes education efforts must be focused largely on the young, particularly school children in kindergarten, primary, and secondary schools.

When we can nurture the seeds of healthy living in their younger years, we can mould a discipline and healthy lifestyle throughout their lifetimes.

CHEAH CHEE HO,
Research Manager,
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations,
Petaling Jaya.

pomrakthai

12-04-2006, 02:25 PM

[QUOTE=KatoeyLover69

"Worse still, they print the title ‘Dr’ before their names on business cards to show it is an earned title although the title is actually awarded to them. And they insist that you call them Doctor. It is wrong."

"This explains why there are so many self-proclaimed doctorate holders," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.[/QUOTE]

They will also doubt my Doctorate too :o

BTW, let me share an episode:

There was a Mr Tan [not maliciously using this name, it was real!] that had only primary schooling in Melaka but had amassed a substantial amount of money. He wanted something that he could use to add to his name card for glamour and boastings. He "subscribed" for a PHD from a Hawaiian based bogus Uni.

He arranged for a convocation just to allow the "dean" to confer the purportedly prestigious "doctorate" on him. It was lavish dinner cum ceremony! Just like his second wedding dinner with friends and saudara-mara invited.

After that kwai-low "dean" had conferred him his "PHD", he was cajoled to give a speech, which he proudly did!

He said proudly: "Tong-kim ah, lu beh sai gong wa boh tak-chik! Wa gin-na si dok-tar liao!" [Now, dont say I did not study, I am a doctor now!]

Wowee, a US doctorate could not speak English?? Luckily I can speak English otherwise people will doubt my US PHD was also a bought item :p

KatoeyLover69

12-04-2006, 11:00 PM

Prof. Pomrakthai,

I believe that thare a lot of 'bogus Doctors' around in Malaysia.

I have a friend by the name of 'Mr Tan' (real surname) who completed and was awarded a MBA by The Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM). The next time I met him he proudly gave me a business card with the 'Dr' attached to the front of his name. I seriously doubt that he really earned his PhD from the US University and that the 'Dr' was 'bought' but was very 'paiseh' to ask him about this matter

KatoeyLover69

12-04-2006, 11:05 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 12 April 2006 :-

Making a fast buck from info on Bigfoot

JOHOR BARU: You want to know about Bigfoot? No problem. How much are you willing to pay?

Information on Bigfoot, according to biodiversity researcher and Bigfoot enthusiast Vincent Chow, is coming at a price as more people clamour to learn about the creature said to be lurking in the jungles of Johor.

Chow claimed that villagers were not as forthcoming with information as before but the minute they were paid, they become very helpful and vocal.

He said villagers were asking for between RM20 and RM200, depending on the kind of information they had or the length of time they spend with the interviewer.

"I think it is reasonable because these villagers are mainly farmers and we need them to bring us to the spot where the footprints are found," Chow said.

He said he had forked out much of his own money researching Bigfoot.

He said the villagers also lashed out at the media for making use of them to get information which sold newspapers without paying them a cent.

"Not even a cup of coffee," was one complaint Chow had heard.

Chow also said he could not understand why some people were complaining of virgin jungles being raped by researchers searching for evidence of Bigfoot.

"The discovery of the Bigfoot footprints is enough to boost tourism, and not every tourist is going to venture into the jungle," he said.

Citing an example, Chow said the published accounts of a 15-metre-long "monster" in a lake near the city of Inverness in northern Scotland had attracted droves of tourists since the 1930s.

"Scotland remains a big tourist draw even though the Loch Ness Monster was proven to be a hoax 12 years ago," he said.

Chow said Kota Tinggi could be turned into a "Bigfoot Haunt", where tourists could buy souvenirs of the creature.

"Homestay programmes which never really took off in Johor can also do with a little Bigfoot publicity," he said.

Chow, incidentally, believes that Bigfoot is a colony of descendants of prehistoric Man, as their unique footprints were reportedly commonly found at the height of jungle-clearing activities in the 1960s.

nike1to6

13-04-2006, 08:08 AM

hello,
are u a reporter or what??

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:04 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

The 'No Go' Bridge - PM: We took into account the people’s sentiments

KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has scrapped plans to build the proposed new bridge across the Johor Straits, to replace the Causeway.

The decision was made after negative public sentiments following Singapore’s condition that Malaysia supply the republic with sand and allow it the use of Johor airspace.

Yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, after lengthy discussions on the issue which has dragged on for more than seven years, decided to stop all negotiations with the island republic on the bridge issue and defer to public sentiment.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in a statement, said: "The Government’s decision was made after taking into account the voices and sentiments of the Malaysian people, especially on the supply of sand and airspace."

Singapore had objected to the construction of the bridge and had sent protest notes to the Malaysian Government.

Malaysia, however, initially decided to pursue with the plan to build the bridge within its own waters after attempts at negotiations failed to find a resolution.

At a Press conference after leading the National Implementation Task Force on a visit to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry in Putrajaya later, Abdullah described the Cabinet’s decision as a "political decision" made after considering all angles and listening to the views of the people.

"This is a political decision and the matter was discussed thoroughly at the Cabinet level. We have considered everything in detail and discussed whether future negotiations (on the project) should be held.

"The people’s sentiments were also considered. Many of them have expressed unhappiness over the conditions imposed (by Singapore).

"It is important for the Government to listen as whatever we do should be for their benefit. This is one issue that can result in misunderstandings and conflicts. So, there is no point for us to continue the project."

Bernama quoted Abdullah as saying the decision was also made because of its legal implications and complications.

"Problems will arise when we have to cut the Causeway, the water pipes and railway track and connect them to the new bridge. The problems will continue," he said.

It is understood that the Cabinet was briefed on legal opinions on the agreement to build the original Causeway.

The view was that either way — straight bridge or "scenic" bridge — the consent of both countries was needed before the Causeway could be demolished to make way for the new bridge.

"Even if we were to build the crooked bridge on our side, we would have to get Singapore’s consent before we even touch one brick of the Causeway to link it to the bridge," one source said.

"What would happen if we had gone through the process and built the crooked bridge and Singapore demanded that before we linked it to the Causeway, they wanted the same conditions: sand and airspace?

"Either way, the new bridge would come at that same cost and we cannot compromise on our sovereignty. The best decision was to scrap the bridge altogether," the source said.

Asked whether Singapore pressured Malaysia to scrap the bridge, Abdullah said even Singapore was not aware that Malaysia would come to the decision.

"George Yeo (Singapore Foreign Minister) has been informed and he was surprised.

"We are not pressured by anybody. We think of what our people want.

"If they don’t want, there is no need to go ahead ... there will be a lot of problems. What’s the point? I have decided to listen to the people. I know for a fact that the majority of the people are very happy (with the decision).

"This is a very serious matter and we must know the feeling of the people, whether it is not good, not right.

"It is the Government of the people, for the people, by the people. (If) they are not prepared to accept (the conditions), (there is) no need to force. There are other issues that we should be giving attention to," he said.

He also said bilateral ties with Singapore would not be affected. "Ties between the two countries do not depend on the bridge. It is not the bridge that can solve bilateral problems between us. Our ties do not focus just on one issue but plenty of other matters. This is just one issue."

Abdullah said compensation of RM100 million would be paid to Gerbang Perdana, the contractor of the project.

There were other projects in Johor that could be implemented by Gerbang Perdana. "Johor, especially southern Johor, is poised to become a new development hub for the southern corridor."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Singapore surprised at move

SINGAPORE: Singapore is surprised at Malaysia’s decision to scrap its plan for a bridge to replace the Causeway linking the two countries.

"We are surprised at this sudden decision when negotiations for a full bridge were ongoing," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a one-paragraph statement to Bernama. The statement followed Malaysia’s announcement that it was not proceeding with the bridge project.

Officers from both countries had met five times since September to negotiate on Malaysia’s proposal that the 81-year-old Causeway be replaced with a bridge, with each country bearing the cost of construction on their side.

The republic was, however, reluctant to participate in the project, citing the huge financial costs with no benefits for Singapore.

It had said it would agree to the bridge if there were a balance of benefits for both sides.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:17 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Negotiations will stop

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, after a briefing for Members of Parliament yesterday on the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the building of the new bridge between Johor Baru and Singapore, answered questions at a Press conference. SHAMINI DARSHNI reports.

Q: The stopping (of negotiations) is only with regard to the building of the bridge?

A: All these issues were discussed at length at the Cabinet meeting (yesterday). Whatever negotiations we have on the bridge will stop.

Whether negotiations on other matters will stop, that’s a different matter. We have told Singapore. I called my counterpart and told him this is the Malaysian Cabinet’s decision.

Maybe they felt it was out of the blue. But when we study the history, from the beginning, Singapore didn’t want Tambak Johor to be torn down and replaced with a bridge.

So what Singapore wanted before, they got it.

We will continue working on our relationship with them in other areas.

Q: Does this mean that there will be changes to the CIQ (Customs, immigration and quarantine) complex?

A: The CIQ will be connected to the Causeway. We have completed the CIQ and we are going to make sure that it is used.

Q: Why the policy change?

A: There is no policy change. All the time while negotiating, we have been monitoring public sentiment. We cannot go on with this matter as it will impede our focus on the Ninth (Malaysia) Plan. We want the Ninth (Malaysia) Plan to succeed.

There has been so much feeling about giving airspace and taking our sand, even in the north. We’ve been going around and listening to feedback. We think that the best way for us is to stop the project.

We still have the Causeway and the second link. The second link is underused and it can be fully used.

We hope that these things will bring a new dimension to the story of our bilateral relations with Singapore so we don’t have to go on with this thing hanging over our heads.

Singapore said it would be difficult to justify to its people building a new bridge to replace the Causeway.

So now the Government of Malaysia decided, "okay, we will not do it", and also since our public is not in favour of it.

Q: Do you think the decision serves the national interest of Malaysia?

A: The Government never makes a decision if it doesn’t serve our national interest. At the Cabinet discussion, we were clear on the best interests of Malaysia.

Q: What about Malaysia’s right to build the bridge on its side of the Causeway?

A: We have that view and Singapore may have a different view. We will be involved in many things. At the same time, our public does not seem to be happy. Under the circumstances, this is the best decision that we could make.

Q: What about the cost incurred by Gerbang Perdana?

A: Whatever cost that is incurred will be looked at in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract document.

Q: What were the MPs’ reactions when you briefed them?

A: Some looked shocked. Others looked satisfied. As a whole, our MPs are aware and understand why the Government made such a decision and they gave their whole support and that is a good thing.

Q: Will our bilateral relationship with Singapore be affected?

A: As the Foreign Minister, I hope that this would not affect our relations. Singapore didn’t want us to replace the Causeway.

Now we have agreed and said we will not replace the Causeway. This should not in any way mar or cause tension in our bilateral relationship.

Q: What was the feedback when you told your counterpart?

A: I think they were surprised. That’s all that I can say. Thank you.

When approached by reporters before he left, Syed Hamid said the contractor would not be made to lose in terms of compensation.

Asked how much the contractor would be compensated, he said it was "quite a sum".

"We are waiting for a report by the Public Works Department which should come out soon," he said, adding the amount of compensation was being calculated.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What the MPs say:

Singapore’s demands that they be allowed to use our airspace for its military aircraft and supply them sand for 20 years are justified reasons for the project to be cancelled.

It shows that the Government is taking a tough stand. Singapore’s demand that Johor provide sand is a long term one over a period of 20 years. Based on previous long-term dealings like the supply of water to Singapore, we have always encountered problems. However, some kind of planning should be done for the Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex to be used in some other way and not become a white elephant. We will have to wait for the Public Works Department and the Government to study how it will be used fully. This is the main hindrance. - Johor Baru MP and Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad

- We welcome the decision of the Prime Minister which is for the good of the country. - Lim Kit Siang (DAP — Ipoh Timur)

- This is a decision we have been waiting for. I am glad that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet took the decision that was similar to what the people wanted. We don’t have to build a bridge if it means letting go of our pride, our sand and airspace. We don’t need all that. This is a good decision. I have debated this before in Parliament and opposed it because it meant that we had to give up our pride. Besides, the bridge would benefit Singaporeans. Kalau dia tak nak, sudahlah (If they don’t want it, fine). Let them line up in a three or four-hour traffic jam. Singaporeans want to come to Johor because we have sales. What can they do? Whether they like it or not, they have to come to Johor. It is the prime destination of Singaporeans. - Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamed Aziz

- I support fully the decision of the Cabinet. This decision will also be explained to Umno Youth. I have informed the Umno Youth secretary to explain (to them). - Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein

- I believe the decision is for the best — and it is to solve a problem more important than other problems that arise such as pollution and traffic on the Johor Causeway. The decision was made by the Government to maintain good bilateral ties. - Ledang MP Hamim Samuri

- Generally, everyone knows that the people of Johor do not want our sand and airspace to be exchanged for a bridge. The Government has made a decision that takes into account the stand of the people of Johor and Johor Umno — and for that I thank them. However, I hope that the project will not just be left abandoned. Let us learn from what happened so that we can be careful and ensure such things do not happen under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. We have to think deeply before making a decision. - Gerakan Belia Johor chairman and Parit Sulong MP Syed Hood Syed Edros Alhaj

- I am really happy with the announcement to discontinue the new bridge. We cannot think too much about something that is more beneficial to one party. The decision shows that the Government cares about its people more than anything else. - Muar MP Razali Ibrahim

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:22 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: This was the only option open to the Government

Comment by Brendan Pereira

SHOCKED. Surprised. Perplexed. Don’t be. Nixing the plan for the bridge to replace the Causeway was the only option for the Abdullah administration once it became clear that doing any deal with Singapore would be as popular as a seven-day work week.

Members of Parliament and Umno politicians were dead set against allowing Singapore air force jets use of Malaysian airspace or selling even a scoop of sand to the republic.

They sent this message out loud and clear to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during a closed-door session with him and the Foreign Minister recently.

Their argument was anchored in the notion that offering these two concessions to Singapore would make for a poor deal: a selling out of national interest.

Despite persuasive arguments by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, many MPs left the meeting believing that national dignity was far more important than a bridge.

From then on, any talk of a scenic, crooked, half or straight bridge was academic.

The Prime Minister had to respect the wishes of his MPs and ministers, or more importantly, the wishes of the people who put them in power.

Sure, he could have bulldozed his way through but it would have been politically too costly.

And it would have gone against what he believes in, that a democratically-elected government has to listen to its constituents.

Once the extent and the tone of the opposition was known, it became pointless returning to the negotiating table with Singapore. Why? Because Malaysian negotiators were aware that Singapore’s demands for use of airspace and sand were non-negotiable.

But what about the scenic bridge? Couldn’t Malaysia just have ignored the republic and gone ahead and built the half-bridge as it had planned. The short answer is no.

Building a half-bridge in Malaysian territory would have involved dismantling some of the structures of the Causeway, namely the pipeline that sends water from Johor to Singapore.

Under the separation agreement, any decision to disrupt the flow of water or the railway service or remove any of the structures on the Causeway would have required Singapore’s consent.

And getting Singapore’s consent would have come at an unacceptable price, as space and sand.

So where do Malaysia and Singapore go from here? No matter what spin is put on this episode, one fact is indisputable: Both countries have left the table as losers.

For both countries, building a new bridge together would have been a breakthrough, a seismic change in relations after years of unresolved issues.

For Singapore, it was a lost opportunity to deal with a Prime Minister who has been willing to go the extra mile in keeping bilateral relations on an even keel.

Now we are in familiar territory again. Examining the reasons for failure rather than celebrating success. Now we are in familiar territory again. Wondering whether it will ever be possible for Malaysia and Singapore to do a deal with each other.

Talks on the package of outstanding bilateral issues are still on the cards and officials say that anything is possible.

Not in this climate.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:25 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Ghani: We accept the decision

JOHOR BARU: Johor "accepts entirely" the Government’s decision to scrap the bridge project to replace the Causeway.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the Government had the prerogative to decide on the fate of the bridge as it was a Federal project.

"This is a Federal project. We will wait for further instructions from Putrajaya," he said after the weekly State Executive Council meeting here yesterday.

Ghani believed the Prime Minister made the decision after considering reaction on the ground, especially in Johor.

Umno Johor had objected to Malaysia giving sand and opening air space in Johor to Singapore fighter jets as a trade-off for the republic’s participation in the bridge project.

"We accept and appreciate the Government’s decision. I believe they took into consideration the sentiments on the ground, especially in Johor, as many are not happy with Singapore’s demand of sand and air space," he said.

Asked how the decision not to proceed with the bridge construction will affect the nearly completed RM700 million Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, he replied:

"We will make the necessary adjustments in road alignments to the CIQ complex to ensure it is fully used."

He said the temporary roads linking the complex to the Causeway would be adjusted to become a permanent access.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:30 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: JB residents disappointed

JOHOR BARU: Johor folk are disappointed that the second bridge will not be built to replace the 82-year-old Causeway.

Manufacturing assistant M. Jene, 27, who works in Singapore and has been commuting daily for the past five years, had high hopes that the bridge would become a reality.

Jene boards a factory bus at 4am daily to arrive at her workplace across the Causeway by 9am.

"It is really disappointing that the bridge will not be built now. I was hoping for smoother traffic and less travelling time to my workplace," she said.

Office assistant Samilah Osman, 50, who was born and raised in Johor Baru, was one of the original residents of the Bukit Chagar flats which were torn down to make way for the new CIQ complex.

She questioned if it was worth it to tear down the flats and resettle the residents elsewhere.

College student Hayati Jamal, 20, believed that the bridge would lift Johor Baru’s image as a fast growing city.

"I am very disappointed because the bridge would have given the city a better image, improved traffic flow and ensure the city was cleaner and more organised," she said.

Sungai Melayu village head Pandak Ahmad said people were only against the offer of sand and airspace to Singapore — not the bridge.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New road to Customs complex

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd has been asked to construct a permanent road from the new Customs, immigration and quarantine complex to the Johor Causeway.

Gerbang Perdana, which is the contractor for the "scenic bridge", has also been instructed to immediately stop all work on the bridge.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said that the road and the CIQ complex were expected to be completed by September.

"All vehicles will have to use the road to enter and exit Singapore via the CIQ complex and the Causeway," he said in a statement yesterday.

"We have also ordered all work on the ‘scenic bridge’ to stop immediately."

Samy Vellu said he had instructed Public Works Department director-general Datuk Dr Wahid Omar to issue a notice to Gerbang Perdana.

In the notice, the contractor had been asked to clear the construction site of waste and debris and to withdraw all its machinery from the site.

It had also been asked to notify the PWD of the amount of compensation payable to it for works that had started.

"I have also ordered the PWD to ensure that the temporary road used to connect the CIQ complex be widened and made into a permanent road," added Samy Vellu.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:36 AM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Hopes of many dashed

JOHOR BARU: The scrapping of the much-touted “scenic” bridge has shattered the hopes of many Malaysians.

They said the effort, time and money spent on the proposed bridge – which was to be built halfway across the channel on the Malaysian side if Singapore refused to chip in – had all been wasted.

“It is a waste of all our hard-earned money, especially since business has been very bad,” said businessman Lee Chuen Seng, 29.

He said he had hoped the new bridge would draw more visitors here “but it’s now gone”.

Johor Consumers Association president S. Gunapati said he was shocked when he heard about the cancellation of the bridge project.

He appealed to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) to review the decision, as the bridge would have been ideal for the development of Johor Baru city.

He also asked how the almost-completed customs, immigration and quarantine complex would now function without the bridge.

Cleaner A. Kwthiae, 53, said he was concerned with the fate that awaits the construction workers of the aborted project.

Bandar Baru Tampoi MCA branch chairman Michael Tay said the decision was a major blow to everyone.

However, he added: “The prime minister probably has his reasons for the decision.”

Singaporeans contacted here said the decision would not have any impact on them. But, they added, there was concern about the money that had gone to waste.

A Malaysian permanent resident of Singapore, who did not want to be named, said that instead of building a new bridge, the existing causeway should be broadened and improved.

However, Singaporean lecturer Ahmad Zahir Saini, 43, said Malaysia should continue with the construction of the bridge as it would be a waste to stop when so much work had been put into the project.

“Regardless of Singapore’s decision, I think Malaysia has every right to continue with the bridge,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:44 AM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Chronology of events of bridge project

July 1996: The idea to replace the Causeway with a bridge was mooted by then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The bridge was aimed at easing traffic congestion in Johor Baru, and to improve water quality and reduce pollution in the Johor Straits.

December 1999: Gerbang Perdana submitted a privatisation proposal for the Southern International Gateway project to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU). The proposal was to replace the Causeway with a bridge and redevelop the existing Customs, Immigration and Quarantine facilities, including improvement to the existing road network in the Johor Baru central business district.

October 2002: When the water issue was separated from the package of bilateral issues, Singapore called off talks on the bridge plan.

August 2003: Malaysia announced it would unilaterally build its half of the bridge.

January 2004: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia would present a new bridge proposal to Singapore. He said Malaysia was still interested in building a straight bridge instead of a “crooked” one.

February 2004: Singapore said it could only agree to the bridge if there was a balance of benefits for both sides. Singapore reportedly wanted Malaysia to sell sand for its reclamation works and to allow its jetfighters to use Malaysian airspace as a trade-off for it to agree to the proposal.

January 2005: The Government gave the go-ahead to resume works to build the bridge. The target was for it to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.

October 2005: Singapore’s lukewarm response prompted Malaysia to pursue the idea of a “crooked bridge” on the Malaysian side.

Jan 27, 2006: Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the Government was expected to issue a letter of intent to the Gerbang Perdana consortium to proceed with the project. He said the instructions came from Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

Jan 31, 2006: Abdullah said Malaysia was going ahead with its plan to build a bridge across its half of the Johor Straits as any delay would incur more cost. He said that while the construction of the RM640mil bridge was going ahead, negotiations to get Singapore to complete the project would continue.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:48 AM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

People with fake PhDs give country bad name

KUALA LUMPUR: Individuals who flaunt fake doctorates to promote themselves or their businesses are conmen who create a bad image for the country, said Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat.

“These people, when they come into contact with foreign businessmen and foreigners, will display their fake doctorates together with their names, or print them on calling cards,” he said.

“Such action will give the impression to foreigners that our doctorate standard is low and locals with such qualifications are not up to par.”

With the Government aiming to make Malaysia the hub of educational excellence for the Asean region, the action of these unscrupulous people would only serve to jeopardise the country's reputation, he said.

“We are now getting feedback on individuals, business entities and syndicates involved in these bogus qualifications,” he said, adding that action would be taken accordingly.

Ong also said a Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) would be introduced by December to ensure that higher education qualifications in the country conformed to international standards. The MQF is a merger between the National Accreditation Board and the Quality Assurance Division of the ministry.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:51 AM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Maid’s boss tells her side of story

SEREMBAN: An employer who had snapped semi-nude pictures of her maid claimed that she did so after her Javanese maid was fascinated by a news report about pictures of Malaysian model Amber Chia in the Indonesian version of Playboy magazine.

The 36-year-old woman, who works as a manager in a Selangor factory, told Malaysian Indian Youth Council bureau chief M. Ganesha that she had no malicious intention when snapping her maid’s semi-nude pictures.

The employer met Ganesha late yesterday afternoon to give her side of what had happened.

Ganesha said the woman told him that her 25-year-old maid was very impressed by Chia when she was shown the article. And when the employer suggested she could pose like Chia, the maid agreed.

He said the employer admitted that she told the maid her semi-nude photographs would be featured in the magazine and promised payment.

“But the employer is remorseful for doing so as she was merely joking with her maid,” said Ganesha.

The maid from Bandar Baru, Nilai, near here, lodged a complaint with the council's public complaints bureau claiming she had not received payment for the photographs.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:55 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Terminal running out of space

PUTRAJAYA: Launched barely three weeks ago, the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang is running out of space for its increasing number of travellers. Many were seen taking a nap outside the LCCT yesterday.

However, Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd has given the assurance the problem will soon be rectified and first on its list are increasing the number of chairs in the terminal and having more food outlets.

Its general manager, Azmi Murad, said 500 chairs had been ordered and would be delivered soon.

"This is in addition to the 1,500 chairs now. We will place the new chairs in the appropriate areas, especially the lobby and departure hall.

"We are also in the process of offering tenders to interested parties to operate food outlets," said Azmi.

The LCCT started operations on March 23.

KatoeyLover69

13-04-2006, 11:00 PM

Report from Today newspaper (Singapore) dated Thursday 13 April 2006 :-

Bridge project dies unborn :Malaysia cites legal problems, calls off talks on airspace and sand supply to Singapore

IN A move that caused ripples on both sides of the Causeway, Malaysia yesterday scrapped plans to build a half-bridge across the Johor Strait and put a halt to bilateral talks on giving Singapore access to Malaysian airspace. It also said that it would suspend negotiations on supplying sand to Singapore for land reclamation projects.
.
The decision was an abrupt about-face by the Malaysian government, which had repeatedly insisted it would go ahead with its half of the project to replace the 81-year-old Causeway — even though Singapore had not agreed to build its half of the bridge.
.
Malaysian ministers had said last month that the orders to begin construction on its half of the project had been issued, and that it could be fully completed by as early as 2009 at a cost of RM620 million ($272 million).
.
Officials had said that the bridge would improve the quality of water in the area and ease congestion on the Causeway, which is used by up to 100,000 commuters daily.
.
Yesterday, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the protracted negotiations — which involved giving Singapore access to Malaysian airspace for military training and sand for land reclamation if the Republic built its half of the bridge — would have triggered strong public opposition.
.
"We thought it was a project we should do, but there were conditions — sand and airspace — which are not acceptable to Malaysians," he said. "If we continue, it will be a project not liked by the people and it will be a controversial project."
.
Later in the night, he released another statement explaining his Cabinet's decision, citing legal implications.
.
"Problems will arise when we have to cut the Causeway, water pipes and railway tracks and connect them to the new bridge. The problems will continue," he told Bernama news agency. He added that Malaysia had not been pressured by Singapore or any other body to make the decision.
.
"We made our decision on our own. It is a political decision. Singapore did not even know about our decision. We take into consideration the feelings of the people," he said.
.
"We can't ignore the feelings of the people because we are a government elected by the people, for the people."
.
The Prime Minister said the newly-built Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex would not turn into a "white elephant" as it still could be used after the roads linking the Causeway to the complex are completed. He added that new roads would be built to divert traffic to the CIQ complex.
.
He denied that the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia, which has seen a marked improvement since he took over from former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, had gone into a tailspin.
.
"Our relations with Singapore will continue as normal. Our relationship is not based just on one issue," he said.
.
Johor Baru Member of Parliament Sharir Abdul Samad said the public was against the idea of selling sand and allowing Singapore to use Malaysia airspace due to noise pollution and security reasons.
.
"They made it clear that they feel those demands are unreasonable and that acceding to it would be against our best interests," he told Today.
.
Singapore's position, which has been conveyed to Kuala Lumpur in the past, is the cost of building the bridge is too expensive and that it will agree to Malaysia's proposal only if there is a balance of benefits for both sides.
.
In 2003, the International Tribunal for Law of the Sea ruled that both sides have to cooperate in the management of the common marine environment in the Johor Strait.
.
Singapore has also made it clear that it has to be consulted before Malaysia goes ahead with any of its bridge proposals.
.
The Malaysian leaders yesterday noted that lesson learnt from the saga had been painful.
.
"Plan first. Think ahead," Mr Sharir said.
.
However some political watchers, such as Mr Steven Gan, a writer with news website Malaysiakini, said that national projects of such a large scale should cover all grounds from the start.
.
The Malaysian government said that it could now focus its energy on other projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Under the plan, the coastal area of Johor is to be transformed to become a marina, entertainment and exhibition hub.
.
Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo told reporters that he was informed of the Malaysian decision at about 1pm yesterday.
.
Mr Yeo said the issue was not one of whether it was a victory for Singapore's stand on replacing the Causeway with a bridge.
.
He added he believed both sides would continue to cooperate in many other areas bilaterally and within Asean.
.
"We respect this decision of the Malaysian government. I am sure our bilateral relations will continue to be very good. There are so many areas we are cooperating and I have a very good working relationship with Syed Hamid and I hope …I hope between the two of us we can continue to promote good relations between our two countries," said Mr Yeo.
.
Mr Yeo added: "He (Mr Syed Hamid) did not give me details but he said that it concerned their domestic political considerations…This has got nothing to do with victory or defeat. Whatever we work on should be to our mutual benefit. And we negotiated on the full bridge on the basis of mutual benefit for both sides. And I am quite sure we will be able to find other areas where we can cooperate to our mutual benefit."
Malaysia cites legal problems, calls off talks on airspace and sand supply to Singapore

KatoeyLover69

14-04-2006, 10:25 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 14 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: 'Plan wouldn't have worked anyway'

PUTRAJAYA: Nobody knows more about the nuts and bolts of the plan to replace the Causeway with a bridge than Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

He was the Foreign Minister when the idea was conceived and he was the man who telephoned his Singapore counterpart George Yeo on Wednesday to tell him that the plan had been dropped.

So it pays to listen to him when he declares that the scenic bridge would have been dead in the water, literally.

He said yesterday that even if Malaysia had gone ahead and built a half-bridge, Singapore would not have consented to it being linked to its side of the Causeway.

Then there were the water agreements to contend with.

Both countries, he noted, were tied to the water agreements of 1961 and 1962, which required Malaysia to provide undisrupted water supply to Singapore at least until 2061.

"There are legal implications if Malaysia were to bulldoze through with its ambitions.

"Water is a security issue to Singapore. Any problems in that department may result in repercussions, including an injunction being placed on us," he told the New Straits Times.

The original plan called for Malaysia to build a temporary ramp to link the scenic bridge with Singapore’s half of the Causeway.

Also in the pipeline if Singapore had agreed to the proposal was the construction of undersea water pipes to ensure undisrupted water supply of 350 million gallons a day to Singapore.

So if Malaysia was aware of all the legal implications, why did it even venture into talking about a scenic bridge?

Syed Hamid said the Government had hoped that Singapore would eventually give its nod for the bridge to be connected.

But Singapore did not accept that Malaysia had a right to unilaterally replace its side of the Causeway with a half-bridge, and had raised the fact that Malaysia stopped Singapore from undertaking reclamation works within Singapore’s sovereign territory in 2003.

Singapore had said Malaysia’s actions then were guided by the principle that any major work in the Johor Strait, even if done within the sovereign territory of Singapore, could affect Malaysia.

It reminded Malaysia that any decision to demolish the Causeway had to comply with the principles in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea order and must also be consistent with the requirements of international law.

Singapore also said that any major work related to the Causeway, which carried pipelines supplying water to Singapore, would affect both Singapore and Malaysia in a variety of areas of vital importance to both countries.

Syed Hamid said since the decision was made to scrap the plan to replace the Causeway with a bridge, he had received several proposals on resuming the construction of the scenic bridge.

"However, the proposal to resume while sustaining the existing Causeway was just impossible. It beats the purpose of having a new bridge altogether."

But ever the optimist, he said Malaysia was not discounting the possibility of having a new full bridge to link it with its southern neighbour, someday.

KatoeyLover69

14-04-2006, 10:32 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 14 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Strong backing for 'timely decision'

KUALA LUMPUR: The voices in and outside Parliament rang loud yesterday, with the majority patting the Government on its back for a timely decision.

Leading the way was Datuk Jawhar Hassan of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, who said the decision to abandon the Causeway-replacement bridge plan was "a sound one and perhaps the only decision the Government could make".

"We could not have a straight bridge as the conditions set by Singapore were unacceptable. It would have been politically untenable."

Going it alone would not have been productive, he said, as there were agreements in place which required Singapore to be consulted if anything was done to alter the water supply or railway service.

"We would have had to sit down with Singapore even if we went ahead with a half-bridge. Since the conditions were not acceptable to the majority of Malaysians, it made sense to end it sooner rather than later."

Ayer Keroh Member of Parliament Wee Ka Siong said scrapping the bridge was the best decision the Prime Minister could make.

"We have bulldozed the project since (former Prime Minister Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad)’s time.

"If you want to build the bridge, you have to get the consent of Singapore because it is not unilaterally decided by us. That is the complication."

Asked about Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s plan for a six-lane flyover connecting the Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex to the Causeway, Wee said: "I’m from Johor Baru and I know the limitation and constraints.

"With limited space and road reserve, I don’t think you can do it. Theoretically, it’s very easy but when you come to implementation, you have to demolish certain buildings."

Batu Kawan MP Huan Cheng Guan said as neighbours (with Singapore), there was no point in continuing the quarrel.

"Especially on Singapore’s side, we don’t know what’s going to happen as they are inconsistent.

"If the Government scraps the bridge there, they can build a nicer, more beautiful second link connecting Penang island to the mainland."

Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng felt the project should never have taken off.

On whether she thought the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister had given adequate explanations, she said: "We can’t know all there is to know. We would like to see more transparency and fewer mistakes in diplomacy."

Padang Serai MP Datuk Lim Bee Kau said at the end of the day, the Government had to make the right decision no matter how unpopular.

"The PM has decided to listen to the voice of the people and that is very important. Pak Lah’s decision augurs well for the people."

Lipis MP Mohamad Shahrum Osman said there were some things not worth giving up, like the nation’s dignity.

"We cannot gadai (pawn off) our sand, our airspace, our water and our electricity."

KatoeyLover69

14-04-2006, 10:34 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 14 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: 'Not a blow to bilateral ties'

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk N. Parameswaran said the decision to abort the bridge to Singapore is not a blow to bilateral relations.

He said this would not stop the neighbours from working towards building "bridges of friendship" in the future.

"Malaysia-Singapore relations are based on strong fundamentals. This decision, although unfortunate, will not affect bilateral relations."

Parameswaran, a key player in the Malaysian team involved in the protracted bridge negotiations with Singapore, said the decision was an option Malaysia could have exercised from day one.

He said although the Government tried to keep the project afloat, in the end it had no choice but yield to the will of the people, who were not happy with the trade-offs demanded by Singapore.

On Singapore’s reaction, Parameswaran said the news had understandably caused ripples across the Causeway.

"Singapore understands our position. It has also reaffirmed that this will not put a halt to bilateral talks on other outstanding issues."

Meanwhile, Senator Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, a senior Umno politician from Johor, said claims that the State had asked for the bridge to be scrapped were untrue.

"As far as Johor is concerned, the bridge is of strategic economic importance to the nation, and will contribute to plans to transform south Johor into the country’s new growth corridor," said the Umno Johor information chief, who was speaking in his personal capacity.

"We never said no to the bridge. What we opposed was the sale of sand and giving Singapore access to our airspace. People need to understand this."

Parti Rakyat Malaysia secretary-general S.K. Song, in a Press statement issued here, said the Johor Government must now move fast to clean up the mess created by construction work on the bridge.

"The project has resulted in a traffic mess. The whole city looks dirty and poorly maintained.

"The State Government must move fast to bring Johor Baru to normality and not allow residents to suffer further."

KatoeyLover69

14-04-2006, 10:38 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 14 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: PM: Future talks will depend on situation

KUALA LUMPUR: Negotiations in the future between Malaysia and Singapore on a bridge to replace the Causeway will be contingent on prevailing conditions.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said new circumstances would require new considerations and this would determine the nature of such talks.

"I don’t want to talk about later," he said when asked if negotiations would open later between the neighbouring countries regarding the bridge, plans for which have now been scrapped.

Abdullah, however, went on to say that the dynamic relationship between Malaysia and Singapore would bring about new needs that would require new ways of thinking.

"Any action taken will be in accordance with the situation at that time," he said, adding that for now, the requirement for a new bridge need not be fulfilled.

The Cabinet decided on Wednesday to scrap plans to build a new bridge across the Johor Strait to replace the Causeway, in deference to public sentiment.

Singapore’s condition that Malaysia supply the republic with sand and allow its jet-fighters the use of Johor airspace was met with much unhappiness from Malaysians.

The Prime Minister said the decision was the best approach to stop the issue, which had been going on for seven years, from carrying on.

"People can understand what we are doing," he said, adding that the relationship between Malaysia and Singapore would go on as usual.

Abdullah also said the nearly-completed RM700 million Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex in Bukit Chagar would not be "a waste".

"The complex will not be a white elephant," he said, adding that it would be fully utilised as it would replace the current CIQ complex at the Causeway.

He added that the new CIQ complex was much bigger and this would ease traffic congestion and provide faster service.

"I believe the traffic flow will be a lot smoother in the new CIQ."

Abdullah also said that if the State Government wanted to renovate or change the old CIQ building to meet new needs, it was free to do so.

KatoeyLover69

14-04-2006, 10:41 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 14 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Johor unfazed over scrapping of project

JOHOR BARU: While most ordinary people here are reeling from the shock announcement that the bridge to replace the Causeway will never materialise, Johor officials are still upbeat about prospects for the State.

They are undaunted because the bridge was never meant to drive development in Johor Baru. Instead, it was mooted for environmental and aesthetic considerations.

"Admittedly, a signature bridge would have been a great landmark for Johor Baru as we are the southern gateway to Malaysia.

"But Johor can do without the bridge to spur growth," said a senior official, who requested anonymity.

He said while the decision to abort the bridge would dent the State Government’s ambitious development plans for south Johor, the impact would be minimal.

"This is because the development blueprint has not been finalised. It means we can still make adjustments to realise the goals we have set."

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman drove home the point on Wednesday when he said Johor would review the plans to minimise any negative impact from the bridge debacle.

He has already got cracking, with a high-powered meeting scheduled early next week to revitalise the development programmes despite this setback.

Ghani has also directed the State Executive Council and heads of department to remain unfazed by the latest turn of events and instead double efforts to achieve the targets that have been set.

This includes short and long-term plans to develop the Lido waterfront here into a major leisure and recreational belt in line with the vision to make the State capital a dynamic, vibrant and lively modern city.

A host of other world-class facilities and services are also planned here, including a theme park, convention and exhibition centre, financial centre as well as residential and commercial facilities.

"These plans will not be scuttled by the Government’s decision to abandon the bridge to Singapore. This is because the bridge was never designed to become a catalyst to spur growth," said the official.

He pointed out that the bridge idea was primarily mooted for environmental considerations — to flush out the highly polluted waters of the Johor Strait by demolishing the Causeway.

Proponents of the project were also of the view that such a looming elevated crossing, by its sheer design and strategic position, would be a boon for tourism and add aesthetic value to the city.

Even without the bridge, note many here, Johor has continued to woo quality foreign direct investments and tourists.

"We are confident this trend will proceed unabated. Johor’s strategic position and inherent assets are strong enough to weather any negative impact from the decision to scrap the bridge to Singapore."

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 06:56 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Najib: We did not give in to Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government did not give in to Singapore. "Our negotiations failed but we stood our ground," said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said the Government’s move to scrap plans to build the new bridge across the Johor Strait was well thought out.

"It is better for us to take a stand now than have legal wrangling with Singapore later," Najib said.

The Cabinet made its decision after negative public sentiments following Singapore’s condition that Malaysia supply the republic with sand and allow it the use of Johor airspace.

"We wanted a positive response from Singapore. We won’t meet their demands," Najib said after closing a seminar for village heads in Bangi.

When asked if the Government knew Singapore would make demands, Najib said they did not think Singapore would take a hard line.

"We thought through negotiations, the plans to build a bridge would go smoothly," Najib said.

"Sooner or later Singapore will come to realise that the bridge would have benefited both countries but for now the plans are off," he said.

When asked why the Government did not just go ahead with the plans to build the bridge, he said: "As Singapore has said, Malaysia does not have a sovereign right to unilaterally replace its half of the Causeway with a new half-bridge, because the structure will affect both countries."

Singapore had objected to the construction of the bridge and had sent protest notes to the Malaysian Government.

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 07:01 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Scrapping the bridge the best solution

Comment by Wong Chun Wai

IT WAS the best solution. Enough time and energy have been wasted by Malaysia and Singapore officials on the proposed RM1bil controversial bridge to replace the 82-year-old Causeway.

We have been talking about it since 1996, when the idea was mooted by then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

A decade is a long time and after the endless rounds of negotiations it does make sense to call it off if both sides are heading nowhere.

Let’s be honest about it.

The idea to build the bridge sounded like a good idea, at first.

It was supposed to have helped to ease traffic congestion in Johor Baru, as well as improve water quality and reduce pollution in the Tebrau Straits.

A modern bridge that would allow ships to pass underneath, it seemed attractive and many Malaysians liked the idea, hoping it would bring more economic benefits to the state.

But too many demands have come into the picture, clouding the issue at hand.

Singapore has long wanted a decision on the bridge to be part of a package deal on unresolved bilateral issues.

In 2002, when the water issue was separated, Singapore called off talks on the bridge plan.

The following year, Malaysia announced that it would build its half of the bridge unilaterally.

Despite the posturing of some Malaysian politicians, it is unlikely that Malaysia could simply start to build a bridge through unilateral actions.

It would have invited serious legal implications.

We can expect Singapore to take the case to the International Court of Justice, and despite Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s optimism, not many legal experts share his views.

Threatening to go ahead with the construction could well be a negotiating tactic on our part to pressure Singapore but the facts were staring at our faces.

We are not sure whether our gung-ho politicians knew what they were talking about when they flexed their muscles, but Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is just being practical.

Bilateral negotiations to build the bridge, yes, but to proceed with unilateral action does not seem possible.

Building a bridge or demolishing the Causeway is a bilateral decision, it is that clear.

Whether the Malaysian part was called a “scenic” or “crooked” bridge, it would be built on half of the 900m Causeway.

Although it involves a mere 450m, the bridge had to be curved and extended more than thrice the distance, to 1.4km, so that heavy vehicles could cope with the maximum incline of 4.2 degrees.

Suddenly it wasn’t so attractive anymore from a political, scenic or engineering perspective.

Presumably, the negotiations had proceeded because Singapore was prepared to talk “if there was a balance of benefits for both sides.”

In the end, the benefits seemed to tilt heavily to the island republic. The conditions were just impossible to be met.

No Malaysian can accept the sale of sand to Singapore for a reclamation project for 20 years or to allow its jetfighters to use our air space as a trade off for it to agree to the proposal.

It is like asking Malaysia to give up its sovereignty.

There are sections of Malaysians who are angry at the decision to cancel the proposal, with some implying weaknesses on the leadership. But even if the Malaysian part of the bridge was built we would have the other half of the Causeway problem to deal with.

No one would be surprised if more demands were imposed by Singapore later.

What is the point of spending billions in taxpayers’ money only to end up with more problems?

Let’s not forget that there is still the RM2bil Second Link, which was opened with much fanfare in 1998.

Then Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said “the construction itself is testimony to the achievements that we can attain by putting our hearts and minds together.”

In the case of the bridge, there were obviously no hearts and no minds together.

It is unfortunate that Singapore has still not learned to be a good neighbour, continuing to be preoccupied with its uncompromising attitude on only gains. Sometimes you have to lose a bit to gain.

In the case of dealing with neighbours, one must sometimes be prepared to sacrifice more in the interest of the long run.

If Dr Mahathir had adopted an unfriendly attitude towards Singapore, Abdullah took a different approach.

He was determined to mend ties, but Singapore has not seized the opportunity.

The bridge issue should also serve as a lesson to our politicians. They should think before they speak.

Clashing statements, indecisiveness, back-pedalling and constant change of policies does not help our image as a serious, efficient country.

The public should not be left confused or even caught unprepared on major issues affecting the nation.

Building a bridge between two countries is not as straight-forward as it looks.

Singapore can talk about the environmental impact of the proposed bridge but extracting a huge amount of sand can also be environmentally disastrous to Johor.

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 07:03 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Out Of The Cage: It turned out to be a bridge too far

By Khairy Jamaluddin

GOVERNMENTS the world over will only consider a volte-face in policy as a last option. The one thing that political leaders want to avoid is a U-turn, a track back, a change of mind. The public consequently attaches great value to politicians who stubbornly stick to their guns come what may.

Perhaps hardheadedness is an overrated political virtue. The British economist John Maynard Keynes, who was famous for not holding the same opinion for long, once remarked: "When the facts change, I change my mind."

Similarly, a leader must be bold enough to change his mind if the premise upon which his decision was made has changed.

This is evident in the decision made by the Government not to proceed with a bridge of any kind to replace the Causeway with Singapore after months of political signalling that we would go ahead with a new structure on our territory.

Why the about-turn, especially after some very strong and categorical statements from senior government leaders that work on a curved half-bridge would commence shortly?

We knew the Singapore Government was not keen on a bridge replacing the Causeway. The last thing they want is easier access across the Johor Strait for Singaporeans to spend their money in Malaysia.

They know that a new bridge combined with the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex would considerably alleviate traffic woes for the 70 million users of the Causeway every year and make the trip up north all the more palatable.

A bridge would have also been a catalyst in promoting Johor as a cargo, logistics and transshipment gateway.

They have also been aware for some months that the Prime Minister has earmarked southern Johor as a new growth centre for services, strategically positioning it as a competitor to Singapore which has natural limits to growth and a richly valued property market.

With this in mind, they could not allow any project — like the bridge — that would accelerate the development of southern Johor. But obviously they couldn’t afford to be so obvious in showing their hand. Instead, they strung us along for the ride, feigning interest and even talking about a "balance of benefits" for both sides.

Of course, Singapore’s idea of a "balance of benefits" is the scale tipping over on their side. In return for agreeing to co-operate on a straight bridge, they literally asked for our bumi and langit.

They knew their request for sand and airspace was a politically loaded proposition which would be met with tremendous resistance by the Malaysian public.

They knew that in the case of airspace, for instance, there was no "balance of benefits" — Malaysians would regard it as encroachment into our sovereign territory while for Singapore it would be, in the words of their media, merely a "good-to-have convenience... like (a) sheltered walkway".

With Singapore’s hemming and hawing on the straight bridge, the only conceivable way forward was to build the curved bridge in order to replace the Causeway on our side, provide a sea lane through the Johor Strait and link traffic with the new CIQ complex on Bukit Chagar. And for a few months, that was our default position that precipitated a war of words across the Causeway.

All that, of course, changed with the announcement on Wednesday that there would be no bridge. Many have attributed this to public sentiment — that Malaysians did not want to have to bargain with their territory for the new bridge. Even the Prime Minister said that he listened to the views of the people before making this decision.

That is, of course, true. But public pressure does not fully explain the strategic importance of the decision to abandon the curved bridge. By definition, the curved bridge is a unilateral decision. If there was a bilateral agreement the bridge would be straight.

Any unilateral decision involving another country would have exposed us to a reaction from the other side.

In this case, unilaterally building a bridge, even on our side, would have most probably resulted in Singapore bringing this matter to the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, arguing that it is a demolition of a common facility joining two countries.

While the Foreign Minister is confident that we would have a strong legal case, it would serve to delay construction, with the possibility that the millions of ringgit spent on works would be wasted if there were an unfavourable decision. The unilateral option would have also eventually led to a bilateral face-off because cutting and relocating the pipes that take water from Johor to Singapore would require the latter’s consent.

Imagine building the bridge and not getting an agreement to relocate the pipes. Another potential waste of money.

Finally, apart from the road and pipes that are built onto the Causeway, there is the matter of our railway line. As with the water pipes, a new railway connection requires Singapore’s agreement.

If we fail to get an agreement with the Singaporeans on a new railway connection, our trains will be forced to stop at Johor Baru.

This could possibly lead to the closure of the Tanjung Pagar railway station and the loss of other Malaysian railway land in Singapore based on the Points of Agreement signed in 1990.

In other words, the unilateral option would have not just exposed us to the possibility of international arbitration, but it would have compromised our national interest and given Singapore leverage over us.

If they can ask for our bumi and langit for a straight bridge, imagine what their demands would have been had we begun spending money on building a curved bridge only to find that their agreement was needed for the water pipes and railway to be connected.

By then, we would not be able to simply walk away from the project by merely compensating the contractor. By then the sunk cost would be considerable, effectively strait-jacketing us in our negotiations with Singapore.

So yes, it was a case of our leaders listening to us. But much more significantly, it was a strategic decision based on careful reconsideration.

It was an about-face because doing otherwise would have meant negotiating from a position of weakness on other outstanding issues.

When dealing with slippery opponents, hardheadedness is the worst strategy. Call their bluff, change your mind, walk away, even float like a butterfly. Now they know it’s game on.

The writer is an investment banker and deputy head of Barisan Nasional Youth.

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 09:03 PM

Report from The Business Times (Malaysia) dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Ninth Plan seen a fillip to property mart in Johor, Penang

THE property market in Johor and Penang is due to get a boost from the Government's plan to improve infrastructure in the two states under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), said Citigroup Global Markets Malaysia.

The research house said several developments in the recently-announced 9MP could spur the property market in the two states.

The developments include the South Johor Economic Region, Bandar Nusajaya, a logistic and education hub in Johor, an outer ring road and a second bridge for Penang.

Besides the 9MP, Singapore's plan to set up two integrated resorts in its country is also a potential long-term driver for Johor's property market, which has the second highest unsold residential units as at March last year.

The Singapore Government estimates that the two integrated resorts could create 35,000 jobs.

"We expect the employment opportunities created here to be a driver for stronger housing demand in Johor," Citigroup Global Markets Malaysia analyst Andrew Chow said.

The research house selected SP Setia Bhd its top pick among property stocks should the Johor and Penang property markets recover.

The group has 594ha of development land in Johor and 45ha in Penang with total gross development value of more than RM4 billion.

It is also present in the Klang Valley via Setia Alam development of 1,572ha, the land value of which is expected to increase when the construction of the link road to the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) is completed.

"We reiterate our buy rating as we believe Setia's prospects and valuations look compelling.

"We expect a three-year earnings per share (EPS) compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent. The shares are trading at a 29 per cent discount to our restated net asset value (RNAV) estimate of RM5.41 per share.

Citigroup has set a target price of RM4.90 for SP Setia. The stock closed 2 sen higher to RM3.86 yesterday.

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 09:12 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

KLIG proposes four new lines for KL monorail system

KUALA LUMPUR: KL Infrastructure Group Bhd, the company which operates the monorail here, has submitted a proposal to construct four new lines in the Klang Valley with a total length of 71km.

KLIG chairman Datuk Ahmad Sa’adi said the project was estimated to cost RM4.5bil and would take six years to complete.

“We presented this proposal to the Government two months ago,” he said yesterday.

Ahmad said the four new lines were the 21km Petaling Jaya line, 18km Subang Jaya line, 19km Sungai Buloh line and 13km Cheras line. The four lines will have 47 stations.

The Sungai Buloh line will directly link up with the existing KL Monorail system at the Titiwangsa station while the Subang Jaya line will link up with the existing system at the Tun Sambanthan station in Brickfields.

All four lines will integrate with the existing light rail transit (LRT) and the KTM Komuter rail systems.

“We expect the new lines to ferry some 400,000 passengers per day,” he said.

He added that when the entire network was completed, the existing lines would also experience an increase in usage because more people would find it convenient to use public transport.

“We should see another 320,000 passengers using the entire rail system daily on top of the current 340,000 passengers,'' he said.

He said this would help the Government achieve the Ninth Malaysia Plan target of a 30:70 public to private transport ratio for the Klang Valley.

Ahmad said under the proposal, MTrans Holdings Sdn Bhd, the holding company of KLIG, would manufacture 62 new monorail trains for the new lines.

“The new trains will have four cars each and carry at least 400 people,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 09:17 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

MAS going ticketless for travel within the country

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines will go ticketless for domestic travel transactions at all its offices in Malaysia effective from May 1 in line with one of the five thrusts of its business turnaround plan.

Through the extended reach of its ticketless capability, the national carrier expects an estimated 15% savings annually in its distribution cost.

In a statement, MAS said such transactions were also expected to increase from the current annual average of 5% to 30% over the next one year.

To ensure the ticketless system is fully functional and ready for operation, various user-testing and fault rectifications had been conducted.

MAS staff were also being trained to handle the various transaction processes which include booking, payment and check-in.

MAS would cease all conventional ticketing at its offices for domestic travel, the statement said.

However, passengers dealing with travel agents will still be issued with conventional tickets.

Customers now have the option of booking and making payment via its corporate website, its 24-hour call centre and at both airport and city ticketing offices throughout the country.

Apart from these e-ticketing modes, MAS plans to introduce further service enhancements to its direct distribution channel in the near future to leverage on cost benefits while engaging in greater customer ownership.

MAS said customers could now look forward to higher service levels as it continued to provide improved products and services announced in its business turnaround plan. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

15-04-2006, 09:23 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Trishaws : Relics of historical Muar

MUAR: Kings of the roads! Yes, they were indeed. But those days are gone and the trishaws in this historic town are fast turning into “relics”.

Only a few are willing to “hire” the trishaws as there are other faster and more comfortable public rides on buses and cabs.

Decades ago, there were hundreds of trishaws in this town, but now only about 25 are left plying the streets.

A Bernama check found that all the “surviving” trishaw pedalers here are elderly men living under the poverty line.

Atan Said, despite reaching the age of 72, still has to earn a living as a trishawman.

Atan said his days as a trishawman began during the Japanese Occupation.

“At one time, there were 600 to 700 trishawmen in Muar. We sent passengers to any place they wished,” said the Muar-born senior citizen, who charges RM3 for a trishaw ride.

“Now, it is hard to earn even a small sum as people prefer buses and taxis. On some days, I take home only less than RM10. On other days, it is nothing at all,” he said.

Eighty-year-old Atan Mohamad admits that life is difficult working as a trishawman.

“I have been working since 1942. Each of us can earn up to RM20, a princely sum in the old days.

“Nowadays, we can hardly earn RM10 a day. Sometimes nothing at all. How to earn a living?,” said the Johor Baru-born who has been living alone since the death of his wife not long ago.

All the trishawmen in Muar are members of the older generation.
Atan admits that the years to come are “bleak” and sadly acknowledges that the trishaw is also his home.

“The trishaw has been my home all this while. I have no house, no fixed income. We trishawmen are living from hand to mouth,” he said.

It is a different story for 60-year-old Shukri Zuhani, who hails from Rengit, Pontian. He is a trishawman during the day and sells satay in the evening.

“The earnings of a trishawman is seasonal. When a festive season is approaching, I can earn RM20 a day,” he said.

Shukri hoped the recent rise in fuel prices would tempt more townfolk and tourists to use the trishaw to move around.

Muar’s unique trishaws have prompted local authorities to build a 7m replica of the vehicle at the Kesang Recreation Park near here. It has become a favourite among tourists.

State Legislative Assembly representative for Maharani, Datuk Mohd Ismail Mohd Shah, called for the state government to assist trishawmen in efforts to preserve their existence as part of the town’s unique history.

“Trishaws of Muar are unique and have their own colourful history.

“It will be a waste if we allow them to fade into extinction, swallowed by modernisation. No other district in Johor has these vehicles.

“They exist only in Muar,” said Mohd Ismail. – Bernama

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 08:34 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

Tourism Ministry’s move to attract tourists

PUTRAJAYA: The Tourism Ministry has proposed some changes to AirAsia’s operations to attract more tourists for Visit Malaysia 2007.

AirAsia has been urged to consider increasing the number of flights between Malaysia and Asian cities, changing the flight times of certain routes to maximise passenger loads, and adopting a code-sharing arrangement with Malaysia Airlines.

"I suggested these to AirAsia CEO Datuk Tony Fernandes at a meeting on Friday and he seemed receptive," Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said here yesterday.

The proposals are aimed at improving connectivity between long-haul and inter-Asian flights and to capitalise on routes popular with European tourists.

"Flights from Bangkok, Haadyai and Siem Reap to Kuala Lumpur are popular with Europeans. Perhaps the number of such flights could be increased," he said.

On code-sharing, he said it would be ideal for European tourists planning trips to Asia as they would be able to buy connecting tickets under MAS, using AirAsia as the carrier.

He said he would forward to the Government AirAsia’s request for a rail link to be built between its Low-Cost Carrier Terminal and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 08:38 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

RM10b to expand Klang Valley’s light rail system

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will spend RM10 billion to improve the light rail system network in the Klang Valley over the next five years.

The job has been given to state-owned Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, which will start by identifying routes in densely-populated areas.

The biggest chunk, RM4.5 billion, will go towards building a 30km line running through these areas.

Shaipudin Shah Harun, the CEO of the company, said: "We are looking at densely-populated areas, including Puchong, Kepong and Cheras."

Money will also be spent to buy hundreds of light rail coaches.

Shaipudin said the new line would connect residential areas with commercial districts.

"This is one way of encouraging people to leave their cars at home and use public transport, especially to and from their workplace."

Shaipudin said the company will hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study.

It will also spend another RM2 billion to extend the existing Putra line to Subang Jaya and the Star line to the Old Klang Road.

"To attract more train users, the existing rail services will be extended by 10 to 15km," he said.

An additional RM2 billion will go towards purchasing more light rail coaches to accommodate the increasing demand along the Putra LRT routes.

Currently, 190,000 people take the Putra LRT daily, exceeding its capacity by 40 per cent.

According to the company, 180,000 people commute by bus, and another 120,000 by Star LRT, which is under-utilised by 66 per cent.

Company statistics show that about 1.5 million people still choose to drive to the city centre daily.

Shaipudin said part of the RM10 billion would come under a Ninth Malaysia Plan allocation while the rest would be raised from the capital market.

Under the 9MP, the Government has allocated 15.9 per cent or RM30 billion of the budget to upgrade ports, airports and the public transport system.

"The allocation is adequate to upgrade the public transport system and furthermore, through the capital market, we will raise money for the company."

The state-owned company, which has been given the job of streamlining the public transport infrastructure, owns both Kuala Lumpur’s light rail transit companies and buses under the name RapidKL.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 08:44 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Telcos go on price war to deliver best SMS package

PETALING JAYA: There is an all-out war for mobile phone subscribers and the price feud is great news for Malaysians.

In the battle for new customers and the building of customer loyalty, the country's three major mobile phone service providers – Maxis Communications, Celcom Malaysia and DiGi Telecommunications – have been slashing the prices of their services or throwing in added incentives, especially when it comes to Short Messaging Service (SMS).

Mobile phone subscribers can now send messages for as low as 1 sen and the cut throat competition is set to trigger a huge jump in the volume of SMS being sent.

Last year, Malaysians sent a massive 21.03 billion SMS last year, averaging 666 SMS per second.

More and more Malaysians also used SMS to send greetings during festivities, with a total of 9.53 billion texts sent out during Hari Raya Puasa, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Deepavali in 2005.

The Handphone Users Survey 2005 conducted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) also showed that 84.9% of cellphone users send at least one SMS message a day while 49.6% send out at least five daily.

This is an increase from the previous year where only 74.9% of mobile phone users sent one a day and 31.7% sent at least five SMS messages a day, according to the report.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 08:48 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Text when you can’t talk

PETALING JAYA: For some, SMS-ing has become a part of life. For others, it’s merely a convenience.

“I’d rate SMS a nine out of 10 in terms of importance,” said Maureen Tan, 26, a brand planner in advertising.

“It’s cheap and convenient, especially since I need to keep in touch with people overseas all the time in my job.”

Tan started using SMS almost 10 years ago, while she was still a college student.

Engineer Ho Wei Chong, 28, admitted to starting late.

“I only started SMS-ing after I got a phone capable of T9 predictive text input, which made it a lot easier.

“Now I SMS very often, but only for personal matters. I don’t use it for work because it’s faster to just call a person, especially if it’s urgent.”

Ho said the only time he ever sent a work-related SMS was when he did not really want to talk to the person.

“Sometimes, it’s better to SMS your boss if you want to call in sick. I’d rather not have him interrogate me about why I’m unable to come to work,” he said with a grin.

Generally, Ho did not think much about SMS-based information services but liked the one offered by his bank, which sent him text notifications if cheques had cleared.

“I don’t really believe in other SMS-based information services because some of them are expensive while others don’t provide clear instructions on how to unsubscribe.”

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 08:53 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

SMS junkie tells of his love affair with text-messaging

PETALING JAYA: As the interview was about to begin, Hezli Imin Halim , a producer for a local production house, excused himself.

“Sorry, I just received an SMS,” he said and typed in a reply to the sender.

Hezli, 25, started using SMS when it was first introduced by a telecommunications company in 2000. It was then marketed as text messaging.

“It was costly then and only limited to a few users,” Hezli noted.

But since the service was opened up to all mobile phone users and phones were upgraded, Hezli cannot live without it. He now spends an average of RM150 a month on texting alone.

Hezli said he preferred sending an SMS to making a phone call or sending e-mail because he felt it was a more intimate communication tool.

“It allows for longer and more-intimate conversations with your loved ones. With SMS, you can talk until the cows come home and not worry about the cost,” he said.

“I live alone and if I didn’t SMS my friends, I think life would be difficult.”

Hezli said he had grown so accustomed to SMS-ing that he even learned to reply to messages while attending to other tasks.

“I know where every key is, I don’t have to look at it anymore while keying in.”

Despite being a compulsive “text-er,” Hezli said he had never suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive-use injury in which the median nerve of the wrist compresses, causing tingling, weakness, numbness and muscle loss in the hand and fingers.

The only way to hurt him, he said, was to take his phone away.

“That would be similar to isolating me from the rest of the world,” he quipped.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 08:57 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

One sen SMS is heavenly for teen

PETALING JAYA: Many youngsters who survive on a limited allowance love to send SMS because it is cheaper than making phone calls.

But what happens when it costs only one sen to send an SMS? It's heaven, said Jacky Tan, 18, who sends about 2,000 text messages every month.

“Two thousand SMSes and it only costs me RM20. That’s a bargain,” he said.

“I love to receive and send SMSes and I am also very particular about how I write my SMS messages,” said Tan. “I tend to write full-length messages which can really convey my feelings and thoughts.”

Tan, who was finding it hard to concentrate during the interview as it was punctuated by beeps from his cellphone, said he only started using a cellphone last October.

But by the second month, he said, he had already achieved his highest personal record – sending more than 3,000 text messages in a single month.

To him, SMS is a daily ritual.

Every night from 9pm onwards, he would be fully engaged in an SMS marathon, spending four hours chatting non-stop with about 19 of his friends via SMS.

One might think he leads a very active social life.

The opposite is true, he said.

Apart from his SMS habit, Tan spends most of his time playing computer games and basketball and he is actually a very shy and reserved person.

“Almost all the friends that I correspond with through SMS are people I befriended online,” he said.

Is he “addicted” to SMS?

“Well, when I run out of money to top up my credit, I feel very frustrated, but not to the point of being driven to borrow or to steal,” Tan said.

He is currently earning RM800 a month working with a footwear wholesaler while waiting to enrol in university.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 09:02 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Najib: Nation’s interest and rights come first

PEKAN: Malaysia will never compromise the nation’s interest in seeking a resolution to outstanding issues with Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

He said that while Malaysia wanted to resolve outstanding bilateral issues and would continue to schedule meetings in the spirit of neighbourliness and mutual co-operation, the country would not compromise by sacrificing its basic rights.

Najib said Malaysia would continue reiterating its stand and negotiations on the outstanding issues with the republic.

He said Malaysia entered these negotiations with the hope that both countries could reach a consensual solution.

"As neighbours, it would be beneficial for us to co-operate with each other."

Najib added that Malaysia would abide by the principle of co-operation but would not sacrifice "our basic rights which involve our national interests".

Najib, who is the Pekan Member of Parliament, was speaking after attending a meet-the-people session at Kampung Temai near here.

Asked if Malaysia would adopt a new approach in future negotiations with Singapore, Najib said: "Negotiations will proceed on things which we can hope to agree upon."

Malaysia had on Wednesday scrapped plans to replace its side of the Causeway and broke off negotiations with the republic on the matter.

Both countries still have a number of unresolved issues, including the price of raw water sold to Singapore, the dispute over Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd land and the withdrawal of Central Provident Fund contributions by peninsular Malaysians.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 09:08 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: 'Bridge project should have gone ahead'

JOHOR BARU: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday that the Government should have gone ahead with the plan to build the scenic bridge, believing that the public would have supported it.

"Let me say it frankly that I do not agree with the Government’s view that the people do not want the crooked bridge," he said after visiting the site of the Southern Integrated Gateway (SIG) project here.

The prearranged visit came three days after the Government announced that the bridge project had been aborted because the people were not in favour of giving up airspace and sand to Singapore.

Dr Mahathir noted that Singapore had opposed the bridge from the start, which was why just before he retired in 2003, he proposed the building of a "crooked bridge" to replace half of the Causeway.

He maintained that despite Singapore’s threats of legal action, Malaysia should have proceeded with building a bridge on its side of the Tebrau Strait.

"We should have taken the issue to the international court, just as we did with Pulau Sipadan-Ligitan in Sabah, which we eventually won.

"But in the case of Singapore, we have conceded defeat without putting up a fight."

Dr Mahathir also said fears of a face-off with Singapore because of the relocation of pipes carrying water from Johor to Singapore were unfounded.

"Under the Separation Agreement, Malaysia can move the water pipes by giving Singapore six months’ notice, after which Singapore would have to comply at its own expense.

"This has already been done with Singapore’s Public Utility Board moving some of the water pipes on land near the Causeway to facilitate work on the CIQ complex."

He also said that now that the bridge project had been aborted, everyone should ensure that the RM1.1 billion Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex was optimally utilised.

"The CIQ is a sophisticated complex, designed to accommodate and rapidly clear a large number of people at any one time.

"This is a national project. It is yet another testimony that Malaysians can build and operate such a massive complex with sophisticated facilities."

Dr Mahathir also hit out at Singapore for depicting Johor as a place infested with criminals.

"They say JB is full of crimes. If no bridge, no Causeway, Singaporeans won’t come to Johor. So there won’t be crimes," he said.

************************************************** ***********************************

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

Dr M: We could have gone to ICJ

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia should have brought the dispute over the construction of the “scenic bridge” to the International Court of Justice if it has legal implications, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The former prime minister believed many Malaysians wanted the bridge and he proposed a referendum to get public views.

“We backed off from the project as if we have surrendered. I was told we couldn’t carry out any projects in the Tebrau Straits even if it is on our side.

“I was involved in the (bridge) project from the start, and I know our position. When Singapore did not agree to a bridge, we decided to build a crooked one,” Dr Mahathir said after visiting the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex here yesterday.

He added that the relocation of water pipes was not an issue as the cost would have to be borne by Singapore if they were given six months' notice.

“We should have referred the matter to ICJ, just like how we handled the Sipadan and Ligitan islands.”

In Kota Tinggi, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said there was no need to publicise the discussions on outstanding matters such as water price.

He said with this approach, negotiations and its solutions could be achieved in a rational manner.

Syed Hamid, who is Kota Tinggi MP, was speaking to reporters after a Majlis Pemimpin Bersama Rakyat at Felda Lok Heng Selatan yesterday.

He added that the Central Provident Fund (CPF) was also no longer an issue as in 1995 the Singapore government amended its laws to exempt foreigners from contributing to the CPF.

“I was told that only five Malaysians have savings in the CPF which is equivalent to our Employees Provident Fund,” he said.

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 09:13 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Muhyiddin: Better a painful decision now

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government would rather take a painful decision now than suffer Singapore’s further manipulative tactics over the bridge issue.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday said he understood how difficult it was for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to scrap plans to build the new bridge to replace the Causeway.

He said some Malaysians had accused the Government of being soft on Singapore and that it had made a U-turn about building the bridge.

"We can’t help it if our people are upset with the decision. But this shows a Prime Minister who is willing to listen to the people.

"Our PM knows the people’s views. But whatever it is, he has to make the best decision for the country."

Since Singapore did not want to compromise, Muhyiddin said there was no point in discussing the bridge because it would lead nowhere, even four or five years from now. When that happened, he said, Malaysians would be more upset with the Government.

"Some of us may then ask why the Government continued the discussion with Singapore, or why we didn’t stop negotiations earlier. That’s why this decision now was necessary."

The Government, he said, was not willing to sacrifice land, water and air rights to Singapore to build a bridge. "It’s not worth it... it’s not the end of the world for us."

Muhyiddin said that from his meetings with leaders of the republic, he knew Singapore would never agree to the bridge although Malaysia did not have any hidden agenda when it proposed the project years ago.

But when both countries agreed to discuss it, the city-state began to add conditions, such as demanding that Malaysia supply sand and allow its jet fighters the use of Johor airspace.

Muhyiddin said Singapore’s demand for one billion cubic metres of sand could be used to create an area one-sixth the size of the island.

"And they want us to supply for the next 20 years. We are already supplying them water at a very cheap rate and we will have to continue to do it for 60 years."

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 09:17 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

'Time to move on to domestic matters'

KOTA TINGGI: Too much time has been spent on Malaysia-Singapore issues and it is time to move on, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

"The people should focus on discussing domestic developments, such as the coming South Johor Development Authority plan, which will benefit everyone."

The water issue and several trade agreements with Singapore were the only outstanding issues remaining after the Government’s decision to scrap the scenic bridge project.

"We are yet to reach the point of agreement with Singapore on such discussions," Syed Hamid said after attending a meet-the-people session at Felda Lok Heng yesterday.

In Alor Star, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin said many unresolved bilateral issues between Malaysia and Singapore would remain on the backburner as long as its leaders refused to be a good neighbour.

He said if Singapore’s stance on the bridge was anything to go by, the movement believed very little could be done to resolve the issues.

"What makes me sad is the republic’s leaders’ attitude towards our Prime Minister," he said after launching Kedah Umno Youth’s "Menteri Besar’s 100 Days Challenge" street soccer tournament here yesterday.

"Since Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over the country’s leadership, he has started a new phase in the countries’ relationship."

He said despite the Prime Minister’s "openness" with Singaporean leaders, they remained "un-neighbourly".

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 09:24 AM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 16 April 2006 :-

Comment: It’s ultimately about sovereignty

by Datuk Deva Mohd Ridzam

AT the end of the day, it was the people and democracy that saved Malaysia from being taken for a ride. And with the announcement to call off the bridge project, the air of bemusement and confusion that pervaded years of negotiations to replace the Causeway has now cleared up.

A vast majority of Malay- sians from all walks of life welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement that it was time to call it a day and cease negotiations with Singapore on the subject.

Sovereignty, in any country — be it Malaysia, Singapore or elsewhere — can summon deep emotions. Nobody, therefore, ought to be shocked or surprised about any suggestion to tinker with it. This is for the simple reason that sovereignty speaks to, and about, the very identity, character and pride of a people and a nation. Simply put, sovereignty is about the will of the people. And the Prime Minister has responded to that expression of the people.

A country’s sovereignty is also indivisible. It embraces land, water/sea, airspace — and in, some cases, ice as well (the Canadian Arctic). There is no such thing as sharing a bit of sovereignty here and a bit there, without reciprocity.

Former Canadian secretary of state and Deputy Prime Minister Joe Clarke, defending Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic, said: "Sovereignty is in fact a concept in law. It is the legal condition necessary for the inclusion of particular land and waters within the boundaries of a particular country. It gives that country, within those boundaries, the right to exercise the function of a state, to the exclusion of any other state."

In other words, a country is not expected to cede any aspect of its sovereignty, nor is it prudent that a country demand it from its neighbour.

In the Bridge-Causeway saga, Singapore was essentially seeking an agreement to extend its writ to Malaysia. But, in return, Malaysia was to gain nothing in equal measure in terms of sovereignty over Singapore’s airspace and/or its resources.

Furthermore, negotiations with Singapore had nothing to do with the concept of sharing of sovereignty. Countries share or pool sovereignty when they gain greater sovereignty by doing so. In the Malaysia-Singapore saga, it was about replacing the 82-year-old Causeway with a new bridge that would serve the long-term interests of both countries: a pollution-free movement of water in the Johor Strait as well as greater flows of trade, investment, people and much more — friendship and goodwill.

Lord Chris Patten (former commissioner for external relations of the European Commission and currently chancellor of Oxford University) had this to say about the European project of sharing and pooling sovereignty: "(European) nations by sharing de jure sovereignty, gain de facto sovereignty or far greater mastery of their (collective) sovereignty." He added that two or more countries, such as the European Union (EU), engage in a "sharing and enlargement of individual national sovereignty in the general interest".

In the EU, the sharing of sovereignty is essentially about the single market, in particular regarding trade policies and trade agreements, and it is not applied in respect of foreign policy or defence.

In a nutshell, at the heart of the problem is Singapore wanting Malaysia to cede a bit of our sovereignty over our airspace for all time. In addition, Singapore wants sand (read: land) for 20 years. In other words, after what it got over our water until 2061, Singapore, this time around, made demands over our airspace and natural resources (sand) for a long time to come.

Sovereignty is also a very slippery issue. No country should tamper with it. The trouble is, when you begin to bargain or accommodate, hoping that time will wish things away, the greasy slope opens up in front of you.

Indeed, Malaysians began to increasingly believe that, by stealth, Singapore was seeking an erosion of Malaysia’s essential national sovereignty — the subordination of Malaysian interests, including national defence, to that of Singapore’s, and that the so-called "balance of interests" was stacked too much in Singapore’s favour.

Malaysians had the impression that because our airspace in part was to be ceded for all time and land (sand) in part for 20 years, our sovereignty was being whittled away. Singapore’s trade-off demands would only lead to a diminution, not an enhancement, of Malaysia’s sovereignty.

The vast majority of Malaysians also viewed Singapore’s negotiating stance as less about seeking a "balance of interests" and more like "what is yours is mine, now let’s negotiate". Here again, it was seen as an attempt to chip away at our sovereignty — that is, Malaysia’s ability to defend and rule itself.

They feared that it would reshape the security of Malaysia and much more: the very character of the nation, something that is deeply felt and instinctively understood by the common man. It would be like giving up part of his birthright.

There is much about Singapore one needs to understand. The weaker its case, the harder it fights for it, and whatever little it has by way of its right it maximises out of all proportion. After all, it has nothing much to lose in agreeing to a new bridge besides "nostalgia" over the Causeway. But nostalgia is no basis for policy.

All told, both countries have lessons to learn from this saga. Singapore’s negotiating stance appeared to have been conducted before an increasingly sceptical Malaysian public. On Malaysia’s part, our negotiators seemed to have been running before the wind.

It is now for the people of both countries to make their own judgments as to which side was wise but slow-witted, and the side that was clever but lacked wisdom. In diplomacy, as in life, there is a huge difference between being clever and being wise.

Be that as it may, what is important now is for both countries to recognise the importance of the historical and contemporary links that bind them and, more importantly, that those ties need to be preserved and further strengthened. Both countries need to leverage on those valuable assets for their own sakes and that of Asean as well.

Both countries have now to also move on to focusing on what they need to do to improve the lives of their people. This is particularly important in a world of competitive challenges. Malaysia and Singapore need to seek opportunities and identify threats they cannot cope with on their own.

This is why bridging the gap in thinking about the bridge was and remains so important. It is hoped that one day, hearts and minds will meet.

Datuk Deva is a former Malaysian ambassador to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg (1999-2005) and to Cambodia (1991-1996).

KatoeyLover69

16-04-2006, 09:35 AM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 15 April 2006 :-

RM30 MyKad reader on the way

PETALING JAYA: A local company has introduced a MyKad reader to provide an update on your cash balance in MEPS (Malaysian Electronic Payment System) accounts for RM30.

In addition, the reader can also provide details on your MyKad (name, card number, religion and six other items), as well as driving licence and passport information.

Another local company using another gadget had quoted thousands of ringgit for their reader.

The Government opted instead to order the more affordable reader.

With this, the Government saved millions by getting the local IT company to develop and upgrade a MyKad reader for Malaysians instead of importing readers which were tendered at about RM8,000 each.

It has placed an order for 30,000 readers for all government offices from IST Smart Technology Sdn Bhd which developed the product last year, enabling more information to be displayed on the MyKad reader LCD display.

Home Affairs Ministry secretary general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat said that his ministry had ordered the readers for its enforcement officers in the Immigration Department, Rela and staff in the National Registration Department (NRD) as they were much cheaper.

The reader can read and display the MEPS Cash balances on MyKad and also Bank Card (all Bank Cards issued in Malaysia with e-cash function) balances.

Its key chain design is very suited for mobile usage. The reader will be sold at convenience stores and retail shops.

KatoeyLover69

17-04-2006, 04:12 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monsay 17 April 2006 :-

Letter to the Editor : LCCT - Consider plight of elderly passengers

I COULDN’T agree more with Steven Chan’s comments on the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in “Improvements needed” (NST, March 30).

While travelling to Kota Baru on April 1, I was dismayed at the poor infrastructure available at the LCCT, though it has just been opened to the public.despite the terminal being newly constructed.

The whole concept of the terminal is unfriendly and is a cause of distress to passengers.

I had a tough time pushing my trolley from the lower part of the road to the elevated floor.

I had to unload my luggage before pushing the empty trolley over, and then had to reload first followed by reloading the luggage onto the trolley. It was a hassle for me. So how on earth one can one expect an elderly person travelling alone to handle it?

When the time came to boardingboard the aircraft we were made to walk quite a distance.

I asked one of the ground staff why the plane was parked so far, and why a bus hadn’t been didn’t bus being provided. for us. What would happen if we were caught in a downpour?

The reply was that all passengers would get wet but since I opted for the low-cost flight and paid peanuts, for it therefore I should not expect too much. I told the woman ground staff that I had paid RM264.99 for the return flight. Could that be considered peanuts? She couldn’t answer that.

Whoever is managing the LCCT should consider complaints from its customers promptly and seriously. Above all, the LCCT should endeavour to improve its facilities as soon as possible.

J.C.L.
Petaling Jaya

KatoeyLover69

17-04-2006, 04:16 PM

Report from The STAR dated Monsay 17 April 2006 :-

Letter to The Editor : LCCT lacking many important facilities

I REFER to the letter “Operators doing their best at the LCCT” (The Star, April 11).

I flew from the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Clark Field (Diosdado Macapagal International Airport ), Philippines on AK 032 on April 11.

It was a long walk to the aircraft as it was parked a distance away from the terminal. Even an expectant mother and the elderly were not provided any assistance.

The flight which was scheduled to depart at 7.20am was delayed 17 minutes.

As the operator and manager of LCCT, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad has to improve safety of passengers at the apron before an accident happens.

The designated pedestrian walkways that are marked on the apron for passengers to follow during embarkation and disembarkation are not a full-proof safety measure.

With several ground vehicles moving around the apron area, including the Petronas tankers, passengers have to look out for these vehicles.

The situation when it rains could be worse as passengers would want to make a dash either to the aircraft or to the terminal to avoid being drenched. The umbrella is no protection in a heavy rain.

As an enhanced safety measure, passengers should be transferred to the aircraft or to the terminal by coach. Stands should be positioned at the respective gates at the departure hall to indicate the flight numbers.

Indicating just the terminal number on the boarding pass is insufficient. What happens when a gate for a particular flight is changed due to some reason or the other?

LCCT handles both domestic and international flights but for the latter passengers, there is no facility of a money changer or even an ATM.

At the departure gate there are insufficient chairs for passengers.

MAHB should have anticipated the need for these requirements when the decision to build the terminal was made.

As this is the first time MAHB is operating a LCCT, it should visit Diosdado Airport to see how the terminal is operated and the facilities that it has.

I travelled from Cark to Cebu on April 12. I noticed that flight numbers at the respective gates at the departure hall are clearly stated.

There are also ample chairs for departing passengers and three security personnel taking full control of the departure hall.

There was not even one MAHB security personnel present at the departure hall including boarding on April 11.

William Dennis
Subang Jaya

KatoeyLover69

17-04-2006, 04:19 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Monsay 17 April 2006 :-

‘No need for referendum on bridge project cancellation’

KUALA LUMPUR: There was no referendum when the Government decided to build a bridge across the Johor Strait. So there shouldn’t be any reason to have one now to scrap the bridge.

Government Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad said this yesterday in commenting on a suggestion by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that there should be a referendum to get Johor residents’ views on the decision to cancel the bridge project.

Shahrir said it was also the same Cabinet that decided to build the bridge and later reversed the decision.

"When the idea was mooted, the majority of current Cabinet members agreed to build the bridge," he said.

He added Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting were the ministers who agreed with Dr Mahathir on building the bridge.

"Although there is now a different Prime Minister, the same ministers agreed to scrap the plan to build the bridge," he said.

The last official referendum in the country was in 1962 to determine the views of residents in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei pertaining to the formation of Malaysia.

Shahrir, who is also the MP for Johor Baru, said the allocation for the abandoned project should now be used to upgrade facilities in Johor Baru, particularly to ease traffic congestion.

He said residents of the city were facing a myriad problems, including poor public transportation and a lack of housing.

He said Malaysians in general could not accept the many conditions imposed by Singapore, especially on supplying sand on a long-term basis and the use of air space by its military.

KatoeyLover69

18-04-2006, 05:10 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Tuesday 18 April 2006 :-

Scenic Bridge Saga: Troubled waters over bridge

PUTRAJAYA: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched another blistering attack on the Government following its decision to scrap the building of a new bridge to replace the Causeway.

Dr Mahathir had mooted the bridge idea in 1996. However, the Cabinet unanimously decided last week to call it off, after Singapore, whose consent is required for the Causeway to be dismantled, had asked for one billion cubic metres of sand over 20 years and the use of Johor airspace for its military aircraft as a condition for building the bridge.

Dr Mahathir has several times expressed his unhappiness over the Cabinet decision although the public reaction, including that of Members of Parliament sitting in the current session, has been supportive of the Cabinet.

Yesterday, he asked the media not to suppress his comments and said he would continue to air his views.

Dr Mahathir also claimed that some newspapers had received phone calls asking them "not to print this and that. Where is the Press freedom? I know the reporters are also unhappy because what they report is not published.

"Broadcast what I have to say. What I say is not even accurately published in the Press," said Dr Mahathir, who was also Home Minister for nearly 15 years during his tenure as Prime Minister.

"During my time, (Anwar Ibrahim) demonstrations were reported. We never rang up the Press to tell them not to report. We do not ring up the Press."

Dr Mahathir, who retired in October 2003 saying he would not interfere with the running of the Government under the new administration, was asked whether he was going back on his word by repeatedly attacking the Government’s decisions.

He said: "They think just because I gave that assurance, therefore they can do what they like. I may give that assurance, but if somebody wants to sell Malaysia to other people... because selling sand is tantamount to selling land to other people as the sand will be used for reclamation.

"We made a mistake of giving Singapore to the British. You want to give some more?"

(The Cabinet scrapped the decision to build the bridge because it did not want to supply sand to Singapore or allow its use of Johor airspace.)

Dr Mahathir said he would continue to give his opinion as "I never thought in my lifetime that this country would surrender its sovereignty to anybody.

"We fought very hard for independence, not these people, of course... we try to restore Malaysia’s honour. It took a long time to restore maruah bangsa.

"Today, people respect us. But if we do this and surrender to Singapore, then you lose your honour."

Dr Mahathir maintained there was "no legal reason for us not to (go ahead with the bridge)".

"The reason we cannot talk with Singapore is because they want to link everything to everything. One thing cannot be resolved, everything cannot be resolved, that is how they do things."

Dr Mahathir claimed that in a letter written to him by former Singapore prime minister Goh Chok Tong, "he said if we wanted to build bridge on our side, he would respect it even if it was not ideal to him. No conditions imposed".

Dr Mahathir, who himself did not brook much opposition when he was prime minister, cautioned the present administration that "if you don’t listen to other opinions, you will go wrong. If you only listen to your supporters, they will not say anything and you will get the wrong idea".

"Please remember what happened to Tunku for not listening to the people. The most recent example would be Thaksin. They did not listen to the people and they got into trouble. Suppress people’s opinion and you may get away with the idea that you are right but you will find out one day that you are wrong," he said.

Dr Mahathir was a strong critic of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country’s first Prime Minister. However, shortly after he became Prime Minister, in a highly publicised event, Dr Mahathir kissed the Tunku’s hand and sought his forgiveness.

(Thaksin Shinawatra stepped down as Prime Minister earlier this month following street protests in Bangkok. He remains popular among Thailand’s majority rural population who have continued to support him. Thaksin’s party, Thai Rak Thai, won freshly held elections in Thailand this month — boycotted by the opposition — and remains in power.)

Asked whether he wanted to be a senior minister like Goh Chok Tong since he was continuously giving his opinions, Dr Mahathir said: "I am not going to be some senior minister or minister mentor. I am an ordinary citizen and as an ordinary citizen, I will voice my opinion.

"It is up to the Government to accept my views or not. It does not matter to me."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'We beg to differ. We would never sell the country off. What the Government did was the best decision in the existing circumstances.’

PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had this to say about former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s criticisms of the Government over the decision to scrap the second bridge to Singapore:

“We beg to differ. We would never sell the country off. What the Government did was the best decision in the existing circumstances.”

Responding to Dr Mahathir’s argument that the bridge project should have continuedgone ahead, Syed Hamid said each administration had its own approach in dealing with issues.

“(Dr Mahathir) must give a chance to the current leadership to do what is best in the circumstances.

“In the first place, it is not proper for us to go into a debate with a former prime minister, a senior statesman, for whom we all have great respect.”

Syed Hamid also disagreed with Dr Mahathir’s reiteration that it was Malaysia’s sovereign right to build its own portion of the bridge. on the Malaysian side.

“We had gone through it very carefully and thoroughly, we just cannot act unilaterally.

“Just as when Malaysia submitted its objections over Singapore’s reclamation work for international arbitration; if we had gone ahead and referred Singapore to the international court for this matter, it would be unending for years to come,” he said

As for statements by Dr Mahathir on “selling off the country”, Syed Hamid said this would never happen as the administration would do everything within its power to ensure the nation is not “sold off”, even if its decisions were “unfavourable to some”.

Syed Hamid Albar said if the Government had not scrapped the bridge project, it would have failed in its duty to the people.

He reiterated that the Cabinet “unanimously decided” to scrap the project bridg only “after much deliberation, including on legal implications”.

He said in making the decision, the Cabinet members had participated in a lengthy discussion to weigh all matters concerned.

The Cabinet, he said, was also briefed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers on the legal consequences had it gone ahead with the project, mooted some 10 years ago by Dr Mahathir.

Syed Hamid refused to comment further on the issue as he did not want to be “entangled in a debate” with the former prime minister.

KatoeyLover69

18-04-2006, 05:15 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 18 April 2006 :-

PM: Decicion to scrap bridge project was unanimous

The Cabinet decision to scrap the bridge project to Singapore was unanimous, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Tuesday.

He added it was also the right decision.

Meanwhile the AP reported that Malaysia said on Tuesday it will not return to talks with neighbouring Singapore over various disputes for the time being.

"There is nothing to discuss as yet,'' Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

"We have just terminated negotiations. I don't think we should start to talk about any issues.''

Syed Hamid's remarks came days after Malaysia abandoned plans to build a bridge over the two-kilometer-wide (mile-wide) strait separating the two countries.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced last week that the Cabinet has scrapped the bridge idea.

Syed Hamid said that the two countries were "not quarreling,'' but have both taken positions they consider beneficial to their citizens.

The decision not to resume talks on any pending issues has been taken "in what we consider the best interest of the country,'' Syed Hamid said.

He gave no indication as to when he thought talks could resume.

Malaysia had said it would build half the bridge, and let Singapore complete the link later.

KatoeyLover69

18-04-2006, 05:18 PM

Report from The STAR dated Tuesday 18 April 2006 :-

E-filing system yet to catch on

JOHOR BARU: Only 128,306 individual taxpayers nationwide have signed up for tax assessment via the new e-filing system.

At the Internal Revenue Board’s (IRB) Johor Baru branch, only 6,515 people had signed up so far and received their digital certificate registration slips. There are more than 280,000 individual taxpayers here and four million nationwide.

The registration slip has a PIN and serial number to access the e-filing system online, and can be obtained at any IRB branch.

Johor branch public relations assistant director Nor’azam Sulaiman said the slow response to e-filing was mainly because of the people’s habit of doing their tax assessment at the last minute.

“Another reason is probably the fact that people are slow to adopt new technology and are concerned over security.

“But there is nothing to worry about. The system is secure.”

He said the e-filing system was in fact simpler and more convenient.

“For example, if your home address is the same as your postal address, you can just click 'Same as above.' But with the printed forms, you have to fill in both columns.

“Also, if a taxpayer is single, the spouse’s section in the form will automatically be blanked out. There will be less confusion in filling up the form,” he said.

Nor’azam said through the e-filing system, taxpayers would get immediate acknowledgement once they submit the forms.

On the requirement for taxpayers to personally obtain the registration slip from IRB branches, Nor’azam said the IRB was prepared to go to companies for the convenience of their employees.

“If organisations or companies submit early requests, we can send the registration slips to their offices. But because of manpower shortage, we cannot handle last-minute requests.”

To cope with the heavy workload at IRB counters as the deadline for submission of forms draw nearer, Nor’azam said personnel from other departments would help counter staff on a rotation basis.

From Monday until April 28, the Johor Baru branch will extend its operating hours from 8am to 9.15pm on weekdays and from 9am to 9.45pm on weekends.

When contacted in Kuala Lumpur, public relations chief assistant director Rahimah Abdullah said other branches in the country might open night counters soon.

The closing date for individual taxpayers to submit their tax returns is April 30. The website for e-filing is at https://e.hasil.org.my and taxpayers can call 1-300-88-3010 or e-mail their enquiries to [email protected].

KatoeyLover69

19-04-2006, 03:28 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated ednesday 19 April 2006 :-

The Scenic Bridge Saga: On unfamiliar and shifting ground, Leaders disagree with Dr M’s views

KUALA LUMPUR:Several MPs found themselves in unfamiliar territory yesterday: Having to disagree with a man they had either served or had grown up admiring.

Those who chose to go on record with their views on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s stinging attack on the Government for scrapping the bridge project did so in polite language.

One of them was Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former minister in Dr Mahathir’s Cabinet. He found it strange that someone who did not endear himself to the Opposition during his two decades as prime minister was now asking the public to criticise the Government.

He was also surprised that Dr Mahathir had become a strong advocate of Press freedom.

"I read that Dr Mahathir said the media did not want to publish or broadcast his views, yet during his time, I never had a chance to say anything to the media. But I did not complain about it."

Tengku Razaleigh challenged Dr Mahathir unsuccessfully for the Umno presidency in 1987.

Following that, he formed Semangat 46 and contested two elections as a member of the Opposition before rejoining Umno in 1996.

"I also heard that Dr Mahathir had accused Umno members of being mute because they didn’t dare criticise the Government.

"During his time, criticism was not tolerated at all," he said, adding that the Government’s decision to abort the plan to build the bridge was good for the country.

On Monday, Dr Mahathir cautioned the current administration that "if you don’t listen to other opinions, you will go wrong. If you only listen to your supporters, they will not say anything and you will get the wrong idea.

"Please remember what happened to Tunku for not listening to the people. The most recent example would be Thaksin. They did not listen to the people and they got into trouble. Suppress people’s opinions and you may get away with the idea that you are right, but you will find out one day that you are wrong."

Malaysian Civil Liberties Society chairman Datuk Zaid Ibrahim noted that accepting diverse opinions was a sign of a tolerant and open Government. "It’s only fair for the Prime Minister to accept criticism from others. This shows his openness towards views and ideas of the people," said the Kota Baru Member of Parliament.

Kemaman MP Ahmad Shabery Cheek recalled the unease people felt in the late 1980s when former Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman began to publicly criticise Dr Mahathir.

"I’m afraid the sentiment will prevail if Dr Mahathir continues to do the same to our Prime Minister. The Malays have a saying that it is not smart to spit when you’re looking up at the sky."

Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim argued that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi paid heed to public sentiment.

He noted that Abdullah had been going to the ground to get views and feedback from various segments of society. One clear example was that the Prime Minister listened to different groups before putting together the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

"I do see Pak Lah as a good listener. Dr Mahathir is also the same.

"Both are great listeners of the people. Otherwise, they could not be Prime Ministers," he said.

"If the Government went ahead with the crooked bridge, it could later face the consequences as Malaysia does not have a sovereign right to unilaterally replace its half of the Causeway with a new half-bridge.
"If we went ahead, and work on the bridge was stopped halfway, the country would have to bear the costs."

However, Hishammuddin said there would be no strain in the relationship between the two countries.

"We will continue to build ties with Singapore."

Asked to directly comment on Dr Mahathir’s criticism, Hishammuddin echoed Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s views that the former premier "has the right to comment".

"Pak Lah is a fair person. He allowed the Cabinet to make its decision after considering the sentiment of the people. The Government is listening to the people," Hishammuddin said, again apparently referring to Dr Mahathir’s comments that the people wanted the bridge to be built.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'‘The Sun’ blames it on Mahathir administration'

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sun newspaper, which distributes 230,000 copies free throughout the country daily, yesterday criticised former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his attacks on the Cabinet over the decision to scrap the proposed bridge to replace the Causeway.

In a strongly worded editorial yesterday, The Sun said scrapping the bridge was "the only decision the present Government could make under the circumstances.

"We are stumped by Mahathir’s insistence that we should have gone ahead (with the bridge).

"The fact of the matter is that Malaysia’s awkward and clearly detrimental situation with respect to negotiating with Singapore over the bridge was brought about because of decisions taken by the Mahathir administration."

The Sun said the most glaring of these decisions was the construction of a Customs, immigrations and quarantine complex "estimated at a whopping RM1.2 billion even before Singapore had agreed to build the bridge from their side".

The paper suggested that the crooked bridge was an afterthought after Singapore proved to be intransigent over the bridge negotiations.
"The main reason for building a bridge when there is already the Causeway is to increase capacity, the number of lanes going in and coming out of Singapore.

"Clearly, building a crooked bridge would clearly bring about no such capacity increase as there will be a bottleneck at the Singapore end," the newspaper said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Syed Hamid: No bilateral talks with Singapore for now'

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will not return to talks with Singapore over outstanding bilateral issues for the time being.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said: "We have just terminated negotiations. I don’t think we should start to talk about any issues."

He said the two countries were not at odds with each other, but have both taken positions they considered beneficial to their citizens.
His comments follow a Cabinet decision to abort building a bridge to replace the Causeway.

The Government said Malaysians could not accept Singapore’s pre-conditions for the project — that Malaysia supply it with sand for reclamation projects, and give Singaporean military jets access to Malaysian airspace.

Malaysia and Singapore have made glacial progress in trying to resolve various bilateral issues, including the price of water Malaysia sells to the republic and questions over Malaysia-owned land in Singapore.

Asked if Kuala Lumpur would hold negotiations on these outstanding issues, Syed Hamid said it had no intentions to begin any talks.

"There is nothing that we can discuss. For now, we have not planned anything, we will let you know as soon as we have something to talk about," he said.

KatoeyLover69

19-04-2006, 03:31 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated ednesday 19 April 2006 :-

The Scenic Bridge Saga: Umno Youth backs scrapping of bridge

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth today backed fully the Government decision to scrap the bridge project to replace the Causeway.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, a member of the Cabinet which made the decision to scrap the bridge, said Umno Youth leaders would explain to the grassroots why the Government scrapped the bridge project.

Without referring to the criticism against the Government by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Hishammuddin defended the current administration’s decision to negotiate with Singapore on building the bridge.

Dr Mahathir had criticised the current administration for negotiating with Singapore to build a straight bridge. Instead, he argued that the Government should just have proceeded to build a crooked bridge and link it to Singapore’s half of the Causeway.

The former prime minister argued that because the administration negotiated with Singapore, the island republic had come up with unreasonable demands such as supplying sand and use of Johor airspace by the republic’s military aircraft.

Hishammuddin said: "All agreed that a straight bridge was the ideal situation. Even if we had only one per cent chance of a straight bridge, it was sensible for the Government to negotiate this long.

"But Singapore’s self-interest and calculative nature caused negotiations to fail.

"This, however, does not mean the Government’s decision to negotiate was wrong," he said after chairing an Umno Youth executive council meeting.

He said if negotiations with Singapore had succeeded, the bridge would have become a strong reminder of the binding ties between both countries.

Hishammuddin, without naming Dr Mahathir, also referred to the latter’s arguments that Malaysia should have proceeded with a crooked bridge without Singapore’s agreement.

"If the Government went ahead with the crooked bridge, it could later face the consequences as Malaysia does not have a sovereign right to unilaterally replace its half of the Causeway with a new half-bridge.

"If we went ahead, and work on the bridge was stopped halfway, the country would have to bear the costs."

However, Hishammuddin said there would be no strain in the relationship between the two countries.

"We will continue to build ties with Singapore."

Asked to directly comment on Dr Mahathir’s criticism, Hishammuddin echoed Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s views that the former premier "has the right to comment".

"Pak Lah is a fair person. He allowed the Cabinet to make its decision after considering the sentiment of the people. The Government is listening to the people," Hishammuddin said, again apparently referring to Dr Mahathir’s comments that the people wanted the bridge to be built.

As a rejoinder to Umno Youth’s support for the Cabinet decision, Hishammuddin concluded: "Umno Youth is happy the Government took a strong stance after considering negative public sentiments over Singapore’s conditions."

Singapore wanted Malaysia to supply one billion cubic metres of sand and allow its military aircraft use of Johor airspace in return for its agreement to build the bridge.

KatoeyLover69

19-04-2006, 03:35 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated ednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Ex-S’pore premier Goh expressed support for new bridge

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Singapore prime minister Goh Chok Tong had, in 2002, expressed his support for a bridge to replace the Causeway.

In a letter to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on April 11, he said:

“Between the new bridge to replace the entire Causeway, and one to replace just the Malaysian side of the Causeway, I like the former better.

“Once the new bridge is completed, the Causeway can be knocked down, which I prefer to be done after 2007.”

Goh added that if Malaysia wanted to replace just its side he would accept it although he did not think it was ideal.

A senior aide of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad showed two letters written by Goh that indicated his support for the proposed bridge.

Lawyer Matthias Chang, who was a political secretary to the former prime minister, said another letter was written on Oct 14, 2002.

In the other letter, Goh said:

“I have instructed my officials to deal with water and other issues individually and separately, on their stand-alone merits, and no longer as a package.”

The letters had also been re-produced in a book published by the republic’s Information, Communications and Arts Ministry in 2003 – Water Talks? If only it could.

Chang said that with these letters, Singapore could not leverage one issue against another.

“Through the course of the negotiations then, sand never came into the picture,” he said.

Chang said Dr Mahathir had asked him to carry out research on the bridge proposal, adding that he had detailed knowledge of the issue.

“I was also tasked to get extensive legal opinions from lawyers on this matter. So, I am thoroughly aware of the legal issues as well.”

Dr Mahathir had questioned the Government’s decision to cancel the RM1bil bridge project.

KatoeyLover69

19-04-2006, 03:38 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated ednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Letter to The Editor : Budget travel is surely minus the frills

I REFER to the comments on the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal by J.C.L. of Petaling Jaya (NST, April 17). The writer asks that further improvements be made to the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal where Air Asia operates.

The writer says that the whole concept of the terminal is wrong and unfriendly.

I can only say that the writer’s response is typically Malaysian. We want the best of everything at the lowest cost.

When AirAsia was operating from KLIA, their check-in counters were right behind the counters reserved for the premium fare paying passengers of Malaysia Airlines.

Imagine, the RM1.99 fares and the five-digit (before the decimal) fares were separated by only the baggage conveyor.

The "low cost" passengers had it all — a beautiful terminal with several amenities, a multitude of shops and air-conditioning right up to the aircraft door.

Now that all the frills are missing, the whining has begun — there is no trolley ramp, the aircraft is parked far away and we have to not only walk all the way but walk up the steps, we are exposed to the elements, etc.

Yet we only want to pay peanuts.

Of course, the airline personnel could have been more tactful instead of saying this is what you get for peanuts, but I would think that even that would come at a price.

What is not mentioned though is that it is a mere RM9 for a bus ride to the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal from KL Sentral. The departure tax for international flights is RM35.

Welcome to the real world of budget air travel. Now everyone can not only fly but also walk!

KatoeyLover69

19-04-2006, 03:41 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated ednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Letter to The Editor : LCCT - Disorderly from the word go

LEAVING well before the start of the traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur for an early morning flight out of the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang, our first impression was positive.

Roads were well posted and the brightly-lit terminal building was surrounded by reasonably-priced parking. But we never realised how chaotic things were to be.

Instead of the orderly queues outside the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, pick up and drop off lanes reminded one of a jumble of dominoes. Motorists stopped wherever they pleased to let off passengers. Alighting from the taxi, we manoeuvred our luggage though the maze created by the haphazardly parked cars (yes, some had no drivers!) and entered the terminal.

Here, we had another good impression. Although bustling with people, it looked clean and bright. It was easy to see the message boards with arrival and departure information, and everything was well marked.

Next stop was the baggage screening, which completely undid our positive impressions. Although it was a busy terminal, only one of the two screening machines seemed to be operational.

We were directed to screen everything we carried. But, that was as much direction as passengers received.

In the rush to check in, there was no queue as people jostled to place their luggage on the belt. I was literally pushed aside by a woman who proceeded to dump her suitcase on top of my handbag. My heart sank as it contained my new digital camera.

Once past baggage screening, check-in was a breeze. Those same boorish passengers queued in an orderly fashion and were attended to efficiently by the airline. With plenty of time until boarding, we decided to take a bathroom break before heading to the Immigration checkpoint.

That was a big mistake. The ladies restroom was not clean; the toilet seats had footprints, there was no soap in the dispensers and no paper towels.

The entry to the Immigration hall reminded us of the Puduraya bus terminal on a public holiday. The officers tried their best to direct passengers, but there was jostling, pushing and queue-cutting even inside the Immigration hall.

The queue for foreign passports was extremely long, taking 40 minutes to process. My husband, with a machine-readable passport, was done in about five minutes, but I (who had been directed to the wrong queue) took considerably longer and arrived to board the flight just 10 minutes before flight time.

On our return, our initial impressions were reinforced. Although we cleared Immigration quickly due to being in the correct queue, groups of people were squatting in lines on the floor in the hall.

Also, baggage handling was slow and the queue for taxis was chaotic. Perhaps I should say there was no queue as there seemed to be several at once.

All in all, I think the LCCT has a lot of potential but those responsible must learn to manage the large numbers of people more efficiently. They need to ensure people form queues for screening points and taxis. I have seen airport officials in other countries send queue jumpers back to their places.

They also need to provide benches in the Immigration halls if they plan to process large groups of people together and make sure the bathrooms are usable.

KatoeyLover69

19-04-2006, 03:45 PM

Report from The STAR dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Water and CPF talks with Singapore dropped

PUTRAJAYA: Talks with Singapore on issues such as water tariffs and the return of Central Provident Funds money to Malaysian workers are now off.

This follows Malaysia’s decision to call off the “scenic bridge” project to replace the Causeway to Singapore.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said now that Malaysia had terminated discussions with Singapore on the bridge issue, it has no plans to start any negotiations.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:27 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

AirAsia offers fares at less than cost of a cuppa

KUALA LUMPUR: Imagine travelling to Johor Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Penang or Kota Baru from here for less than the price of a glass of teh tarik.

The 99-sen one-way trip is no longer a figment of the imagination with AirAsia making it possible under its super deals promotions.

The fare does not include airport fees or fuel surcharges.

One can choose to travel to as many as 30 domestic and international destinations from here and Johor Baru for up to RM79.99.

Bookings to these destinations can be made for travel up to March next year.

For RM9.99, one can fly to Langkawi, or to Bali for RM49.99.

Fares to Bangkok and Jakarta start at RM39.99, tickets to Chiang Mai, Solo and Phnom Penh are going for RM49.99 and flights to Macau start from RM79.99.

AirAsia is also offering the "Go Holiday Travel Packages" available from RM78 per person.

The packages include air fare and a three days/two nights stay with breakfast at hotels.

The Super Deals promotion is only valid for online purchase at www.airasia.com and available for bookings until the end of this month for travel from June 15 to March 24, next year.

AirAsia Bhd Commercial Arm vice-president Kathleen Tan said this would be Air-Asia’s biggest online promotion this year.

"We would like to encourage our guests to plan and book early for the year-end holidays," she said.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:44 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Bigfoot capture a tall tale

JOHOR BARU: The story of a baby bigfoot being captured in Kota Tinggi appears to be just that: A tall tale.

Enquiries with the State Government, state wildlife department and national wildlife department drew a blank on the issue.

State Environment and Tourism Committee chairman Freddie Long said he read about the alleged incident in a newspaper yesterday.

"We are not sure if wildlife officers really caught a baby Bigfoot. I only came to know about it from a newspaper report," he said after the weekly State Executive Council meeting here yesterday. State Wildlife director Abdul Razak Majid also denied knowledge.

A Bahasa Malaysia daily reported that a baby Bigfoot had been shot with a tranquiliser gun and transported to Kuala Lumpur.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:48 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Shopping Complex in Kuantan sued

In Kuantan, the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) filed a suit against a shopping complex for allegedly renting its premises to VCD pirates.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry said it was the first time that such an action had been taken against a shopping complex in the country.

This was not the only action taken by the authorities against copyright pirates.

In Kuala Lumpur, three directors of a firm producing optical discs were charged in a Sessions Court with possessing 1,480 VCDs of Siti Nurhaliza in Concert – Royal Albert Hall, London.

The case is another first as never before has a group of directors been charged with possession of pirated copies of the works of local artistes.

In Putrajaya, the ministry stopped an attempt to export 8,000 pieces of pirated DVDs, including latest box office hits such as Basic Instinct 2, Ice Age 2 and V for Vendetta, to Johannesburg, South Africa.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:51 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Kit Siang and Anwar praise PM

KUALA LUMPUR: It took courage for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to call off the bridge project, said Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

“I fully agree with the Prime Minister and applaud him for his courageous decision to cancel the construction of the ‘crooked half-bridge’,” he said.

Lim, the DAP MP for Ipoh Timur, however said that the nation had the right to know when and why the Government changed its mind about the bridge.

“Parliament and the nation must be told what and when legal advice was given by the Attorney-General’s Chambers that international law is not on the side of Malaysia,” he said yesterday.

He said if the AG’s opinion had been consistent from the start, Parliament and Malaysians should be told why former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the previous Cabinet overrode the opinions of the A-G.

Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also voiced admiration for Abdullah’s bold move to scrap the bridge plan.

Anwar, who was a member of Dr Mahathir’s Cabinet when the latter mooted the idea to build the bridge, claimed that there was nothing he could do then.

“He assigned Daim (former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin) to deal with Singapore on the matter without referring to the Cabinet,” Anwar added.

On April 12, the Cabinet unanimously decided to call off the bridge plan because Singapore, whose consent is required for the Causeway to be dismantled, had asked for one billion cu.m of sand over 20 years and the use of Johor airspace for its military aircraft as a condition for building the bridge.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:55 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Shopping Complex in Kuantan sued for renting shop to CD pirates

PUTRAJAYA: A shopping complex in Kuantan, Pahang, is the first establishment in the country to have a civil suit filed against it for allegedly renting out its premises to VCD pirates.

In announcing this yesterday, deputy director of operations at the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry Iskandar Halim Sulaiman said this was the first time such action had been taken by the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) against a shopping complex in the country.

“We welcome this news. Our ministry had, on many occasions, warned that copyright-related laws would be amended to make landlords liable for criminal offences if they continued to allow their premises to be used for selling or distributing pirated CDs or VCDs,” he said, adding that landlords must not abet such illegal activities.

“Landlords, who have been notified of their tenants’ illegal activities, must take all necessary action to stop such activities in their premises”.

RIM chief executive officer Tan Ngiap Foo said the suit was filed at the Kuantan High Court against the landlord and owner of Berjaya Megamall there, Cempaka Properties Sdn Bhd.

The suit was filed on March 29 but served on the defendant only on Tuesday, he added.

He said RIM had issued four notices to the shopping mall in the past six months.

“In addition to this suit, we will also continue to file civil suits against pirated VCD traders,” Tan said, adding that the association also had plans to file similar suits against three shopping complexes in Johor, two in Penang and one in Malacca.

“We have written to some 200 landlords, seeking their cooperation to ensure that their premises are not used to sell pirated wares.”

In KUANTAN, the manager of the Berjaya Megamall, known as Yong, said he was surprised, as no one had ever approached the management about the sale of pirated VCDs in the shopping complex.

“We decline comment and will leave it to our lawyers,” he added.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:57 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Bid to export 8,000 pirated DVD discs foiled

PUTRAJAYA: An attempt to export 8,000 pieces of pirated DVDs, including latest box-office hits such as Basic Instinct 2, Ice Age 2 and V for Vendetta, to Johannesburg, South Africa, was thwarted by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement officers during a routine check on Tuesday night.

Deputy director-general (operations) Iskandar Halim Sulaiman said the pirated goods, worth about RM80,000, were discovered at the cargo area in KL International Airport at 9.30pm.

“Our officers became suspicious on noticing that the cargo was wrapped and marked as computer parts. They ordered the wrapping to be removed and found the DVDs in seven cartons,” he told reporters here yesterday.

“This is the latest in a series of raids on such exports in recent weeks.”

Iskandar said the ministry’s export unit had also foiled an attempt to ship 7,000 pieces of VCDs and DVDs worth some RM45,000 to Cambodia on April 13, and 36,000 pieces of DVD games to Montevideo, Uruguay, on April 8.

“In the first four months of this year alone, we seized 363,000 pieces of pirated DVDs, music CDs and games software worth RM3.3mil,” he said.

“This is a huge number because we only seized 712,000 pieces of such goods worth RM5.9mil marked for export during the whole of last year.”

Iskandar said the unit had identified the international airports in Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Baru as “gateways” for such exports in addition to KLIA.

“In total, the enforcement division confiscated close to RM51.3mil worth of pirated ware in the first four months of this year, compared with RM100.4mil for the whole of last year,” he added.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 04:59 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Three directors charged with piracy

KUALA LUMPUR: Three company directors were charged in a Sessions Court here with having 1,480 pirated VCDs of pop icon Siti Nurhaliza’s debut concert in London.

The case is the first in which a group of directors is charged with possessing pirated copies of works of local artistes.

Datuk Soh Chun Seng, 52, his brother Choon Meng, 46, and Siew Mee Er, 44, claimed trial to having illegal copies of Siti Nurhaliza in Concert –Royal Albert Hall, London, early this year.

The offence allegedly took place at the company’s premises at Empayar Canggih Sdn Bhd, IKS Mukim Batu Phase 1 industrial area here at about 1.30pm on Jan 17.

Empayar Canggih is licensed to produce optical discs, but did not have the copyright to produce VCDs of Siti Nurhaliza’s concert.

The accused faced a maximum RM20,000 fine, five years' jail, or both for each infringed copy under Section 41(1)(d) of the Copyright Act 1987.

They also claimed trial to a second charge of having three units of stampers (master units to produce the VCDs) at the same place and time, thus violating the copyright given to Siti Nurhaliza Production (M) Sdn Bhd.

The stampers are said to have contained the same titles as the concert.

This offence carries a maximum RM40,000 fine for each infringed copy, 10 years' jail or both under Section 41(1)(g) of the same Act.

Prosecuting officer Nazarrudin Zainuddin asked for RM100,000 bail for each accused, but defence counsel Gooi Soon Seng urged the court to settle for RM10,000.

Judge Mohd Nasir Nordin set bail at RM30,000 bail in one surety each.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 05:02 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

AirAsia launches online campaign

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s largest low-fare airline AirAsia has launched this year's biggest online campaign of fare promotions with prices from 99 sen.

Travellers can now look forward to booking flights to more than 30 domestic and international destinations, with fares ranging from 99 sen to RM79.99 one-way.

The fares exclude airport taxes and surcharges.

Flight departures are from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru.

The fare to Langkawi is just RM9.99 and that to Bali is RM49.99 one-way.

Travellers can also fly to shopping paradises like Bangkok and Jakarta for RM39.99.

For destinations like Chiang Mai, Solo and Phnom Penh, tickets are available at just RM49.99 one-way.

The promotion is only valid for online purchase and is available for bookings from April 18 to 30 for travel from between June 15 and next March 24.

For more information, visit www.airasia.com.

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 05:05 PM

Report from The STAR dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Bigfoot a hot topic again

THE locals around Kota Tinggi are again intrigued by talk of Bigfoot.

This time around, the talk revolves around rumours that a group of men have caught a baby Bigfoot.

The baby of the thickly furred animal, according to the locals, was caught near the Tanjung Leman Jetty, situated about 70km from Kota Tinggi after it was shot with tranquilliser darts about two weeks ago.

The rumours, reported Berita Harian, started when the men who claimed to be from the Wildlife Department stopped at a stall in Felda Tenggaroh and related their experience in catching the baby Bigfoot which they later took to Kuala Lumpur.

Several locals claimed that the men told them that they had camped overnight in the jungle before coming across three of the animals, including a baby that seemed to belong to a family.

They then shot the baby using tranquilliser darts and took it out of the jungle.

A stall helper Halida Limat claimed that the men did not allow her to take a look at the animal which they kept in the back of a four-wheel drive vehicle bearing the Wildlife Department logo.

Another stall owner, who declined to be named, however claimed that he had a glimpse of something that was very hairy and quite big lying in the back of the vehicle.

Johor Wildlife Department director Abdul Razak Majid, however, said he was not aware of any operations by the department's officials to track Bigfoot in the area.

pomrakthai

20-04-2006, 07:08 PM

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 10:45 PM

It is a farce. Only one way [thats one way] is cheaper. Eg. I checked out on KLIA ~ Clark ~ KLIA flight...only 02 JUL is RM 49.99 but all the return flghts go for at least RM 149.99 !! so how to come back if dun pay extra???

Now everyone can fly...if they can afford it..hehehe

Prof,

Agree with you 100% !

It is a BIG SALES GIMMICK !!!

They are working on the principle : " What goes up must go down "

In other words, if you go from Destination A to Destination B, then you would have to go back to your original Destination A - so 'ketuk' you and charge you a higher fare for the return-fare as you have no choice

KatoeyLover69

20-04-2006, 10:50 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Deputy Home Minister: MyKad chip cannot be cloned

THE MyKad chip cannot be cloned, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Paduka Abdul Rahman Ibrahim said yesterday.

He said the references to “fake” or “forged” MyKad only meant those that had their surfaces or photographs altered.

“When the cover of the MyKad is altered, the information on the surface is changed,” he said in reply to a question by Datuk Chor Chee Heung (BN-Alor Setar).

KatoeyLover69

21-04-2006, 03:45 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

RM250m more to improve CIQ complex in JB

KUALA LUMPUR: More money will be spent on improving the new customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor Baru now that the Scenic Bridge project has been scrapped.

Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, the contractor of the bridge which was ordered to stop work last week, has been awarded the new RM250 million improvement project.

The company will design and landscape the area for the new CIQ complex at the present Johor Baru railway station at Bukit Chagar as well as construct a few more buildings in the area.

It will refurbish the existing CIQ centre at the Causeway.

However, the Government has yet to decide on monetary compensation for Gerbang Perdana following the cancellation of the project.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the Cabinet had decided on Wednesday to engage Gerbang Perdana to undertake the projects, including to build an eight-lane permanent elevated road connecting the Causeway to the new CIQ complex.

The new CIQ complex is expected to be fully operational early next year.

KatoeyLover69

21-04-2006, 03:48 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Pirated CDs: New law to punish building owners

KUALA LUMPUR: The full wrath of the law awaits building owners who allow compact disc pirates to operate on their premises.

First it was civil action as announced on Wednesday by the Recording Industries of Malaysia. Now a new law is being proposed to make it a criminal offence.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry Datuk Shafie Apdal said at present, the ministry was powerless although they were aware that shops were selling counterfeit items under the table.

This year, enforcement officers seized RM50 million worth of counterfeit items while in 2005, it was RM104 million.

"We have managed to seize a large amount of items but they are still doing it and the new law will force building owners to carefully pick their tenants," he said.

The new law is expected to be implemented by next year.

"I have discussed it with the Attorney-General and we are looking into it now," he added.

Shafie said although pirated DVDs and VCDs are found overseas, the country was not considered a big exporter of these items.

"In the past, Malaysia has been perceived as a leading exporter of pirated VCDs and DVDs and I am deeply concerned about this allegation," he said.

To overcome this misconception, the Government had set up scanner machines to trace the movement of the illegal activity at all the main airports.

"As a result, 188 cases worth RM6 million was reported last year while in 2004 there were 184 cases worth RM1.7 million," he said.

Shafie said Intellectual Property owners must play their part in helping the ministry combat this menace.

"IP owners should take civil action against violators."

KatoeyLover69

21-04-2006, 03:50 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Poser over baby Bigfoot poachers

KOTA TINGGI: Could the people in four-wheel-drive vehicles and a truck purportedly carrying a baby Bigfoot, who dropped in for dinner at a restaurant at a rest area at Felda Tenggaroh 2 here last month, be poachers?

This is the question on the minds of people at the rest area who saw the group of about 20 men and their vehicles bearing the Wildlife Department licence plates.

The Wildlife Department has denied that such an operation was carried out by its officers.

They are now asking if the group, which had also been seen at two other rest stops along Jalan Mersing and the town area around the same time, could be Bigfoot poachers.

According to people at Felda Tenggaroh 2, it was raining at the time and the casually-dressed men who arrived in their mud-splattered vehicles were sitting near the shop after having their dinner.

Some of the men were seen chatting with a couple of salesgirls at a shop, and when asked where they came from, they said had come from the jungle further up Jalan Mersing.

The men also told the girls that they had come from Kuala Lumpur and had camped in the jungle for the past two or three days, adding that they had shot a baby Bigfoot using a tranquiliser gun.

When the girls asked if it was a mawas (orang utan) they had shot, the men confirmed that it was indeed a Bigfoot creature and volunteered to show it to them.

However, when the girls went outside the shop with the men, the truck where the baby Bigfoot was believed to have been kept, was just being driven away.

Met yesterday, the girls said following a newspaper report on their story about the Bigfoot hunters on Wednesday, officers from the district Wildlife Department had quizzed them on the validity of their story.

The girls, who did not wish to be named, said they told the officers what they had seen and heard from members of the expedition group last month.

A businessman at the Kota Tinggi town area, who had also met the expedition members, claimed that he had taken a peek into the truck purportedly containing the Bigfoot and saw something big lying inside.

However, as the window screen of the truck was tinted, he could not see the creature clearly.

He added that the group members had turned down his request to photograph the creature with his camera phone.

Meanwhile, bio-diversity researcher Vincent Chow said there was absolutely no protection for the Johor Bigfoot and, therefore, it was easy for poachers to capture them.

"The Bigfoot, which has been frequently sighted at the fringes of the jungle here recently, has not been placed on the State’s list of endangered species and no law has been drawn up to protect them.

"This is a dangerous situation and if nothing is done, the Bigfoot population in our jungles could be wiped out," he said.

KatoeyLover69

21-04-2006, 07:42 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Fake MyKad syndicate crippled

PUTRAJAYA: Immigration officers believe they have crippled a syndicate, responsible in producing and selling fake MyKad and work permits for illegal immigrants in the country, with the arrests of its mastermind, a 31-year-old Bangladeshi, and his brother, 35, at their rented condominium in Bandar Sunway yesterday.

Also arrested was the mastermind's 24-year-old Indonesian girlfriend.

An assortment of paraphernalia used to produce the documents, including a scanner, a printer, a personal computer and "Immigration" rubber stamps were seized in the raid mounted at about 4am.

The officers also recovered 71 fake work permits, including two "gold cards" meant for expatriates, seven "incomplete" MyKad, one "complete" MyKad, one fake driving licence, an international driving licence, fake immigration receipts and two passports that did not belong to any of them.

They also seized a briefcase containing the mastermind's academic certificates and an expired passport.

KatoeyLover69

22-04-2006, 12:32 PM

Report from The Nation (Thailand) dated Saturday 22 April 2006 :-

Brunei sultan's Malaysian wife rumoured to be pregnant: report

Kuala Lumpur - Oil-rich Brunei is abuzz with rumours that its wealthy ruler Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's second wife, a former Malaysian television journalist, is pregnant, a report said Friday.

The Kosmo Malay-language tabloid published a front-page photograph of Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, 26, in loose clothing that did not hide a noticeable midriff bulge.

The Brunei Information Department released the picture of Azrinaz wearing a pink outfit and a pink head scarf taken on Tuesday at a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Mohammed.

Kosmo said that the main topic of conversation in Brunei ever since had been speculation that Azrinaz, who married Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah last August, was now about five months pregnant.

The sultan remains married to first wife Anak Saleha, whom he wed in 1967. In 2003 he divorced former flight attendant Mariam Abdul Aziz after more than 20 years together.

His latest marriage came almost a year after his son and heir Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah, 30, wed half-Swiss commoner Sarah Salleh, 17, in a glitzy ceremony.

Azrinaz spent several years as a broadcast journalist and later as a newscaster with private station TV3 before resigning weeks before her marriage.

Their union caused much excitement in Brunei and Malaysia, which share a long religious and cultural heritage.

Brunei opted out of the Malaysian federation in the 1960s, enabling it to keep its oil wealth and sustain a cradle-to-grave welfare system for its 350,000 people. Royal families on both sides remain closely linked.

Before the emergence of technology billionaires such as Bill Gates, the Sultan of Brunei was once rated the world's richest man, although in Brunei there is no clear distinction between state and royal family wealth.

Agence France Presse

KatoeyLover69

22-04-2006, 02:12 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 22 April 2006 :-

Fake MyKad ring busted

PUTRAJAYA: Immigration officers believe they have smashed a gang responsible for producing and selling fake MyKad and work permits to illegal immigrants with the arrest of its mastermind, a 31-year-old Bangladeshi, and his brother, 35, at their rented condominium in Bandar Sunway on Thursday.

Also arrested was the mastermind’s 24-year-old Indonesian girlfriend.

A scanner, a printer, a personal computer and "Immigration" rubber stamps were seized.

Immigration enforcement chief Datuk Ishak Mohamad said the raid followed months of surveillance. The mastermind was a computer graduate from a university in Bangladesh.

"The MyKad produced by this gang is 90 per cent perfect. They were sold at RM500 each and the permits at RM50 each. The equipment seized is worth RM15,000."

The gang is believed to have been active for six months and had raked in RM500,000 in profits.

KatoeyLover69

22-04-2006, 02:14 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Saturday 22 April 2006 :-

Johor gives Bigfoot full protection

JOHOR BARU: News of the alleged capture of a baby Bigfoot in Kota Tinggi last month has started an international debate on the need to protect the mythical creature.

Following this, the Johor Government has announced total protection for the Bigfoot, as a State heritage, which cannot be injured, captured, transported out of the State or killed.

This has won the praise of the American based Bigfoot Research Organisation (BFRO), which said: "The proactive step by Johor to declare the Bigfoot totally protected has disproved the assumption that no government would ever declare the species protected until at least one specimen was obtained by a hunter.

"Given the rarity of the species, it would have been a sadly ironic event if the world’s first declaration of protection would have required the death of one of these rare animals."

BFRO in its website said Johor had thus taken another bold, historical step that other countries could only follow.

It added that the governments of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, China, Russia, America or Canada did not collect information on Bigfoot sightings from their citizens for the purpose of government-sponsored scientific research.

"Sightings in all of those countries do not get documented by any government agency. In the US and Canada, sightings reported to police and forest rangers are ignored and denied, even if the witnesses are the police and rangers themselves," it said.

"Malaysia is the only country that attempts to collect information on sightings from its citizens. Although sightings and track finds are not frequent, the Malaysian Government is still the only government in the world that will not hesitate to disclose any sighting information to the media.

"Laws regarding endangered species are typically set this way to provide for situations where a newly-discovered species with a very limited habitat is in need of immediate legal protection to prevent its extinction."

The only previous ‘law’ enacted that prohibits the killing of the Bigfoot is the 1969 ordinance in Skamania County, Washington.

KatoeyLover69

22-04-2006, 02:20 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 22 April 2006 :-

Longer hours at IRB to help people file returns

PETALING JAYA: The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) will be extending the opening hours of its branches throughout the country in view of the April 30 deadline for taxpayers to submit their 2005BE Forms.

The board said taxpayers could visit the branches to get assistance in filling their forms.

It said the Jalan Duta, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, and Cheras offices and Pandan Indah processing centre in Kuala Lumpur would be open from 8am to 10pm between April 24 and April 30.

So will the branches here, Shah Alam, Klang, Johor Baru, Ipoh, Taiping, Teluk Intan, Kuching, Sibu, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau and Kuala Terengganu.

The Kuantan, Temerloh and Raub branches will open from 8.30am to 10pm while the Kluang branch will open from 8am to 9pm.

Between April 26 and April 30, the Alor Star branch will open from 8am to 10pm while the Seremban, Muar, Penang, Bukit Mertajam and Malacca branches will open from 8am to 10pm on April 29 and April 30.

The Kangar branch will open from 9am to 5pm on April 29 and April 30, while IRB branches in Keningau and Kota Baru will open from 8am to 10pm between April 28 and April 30.

The branch in Sungai Petani will open from 10am to 10pm on April 28 and April 29, and between 9am and 11pm on April 30.

KatoeyLover69

22-04-2006, 02:26 PM

Report from The STAR dated Saturday 22 April 2006 :-

Letter to The Editor : Tips to improve AirAsia service

I FLY frequently on AirAsia for business, golfing and family holidays.

The main reason I use AirAsia is that it is much cheaper than other airlines.

There are a few inconveniences, which Air Asia can easily remedy at little additional cost.

Free seating encourages disorderly embarkation. My family and I have been separated and not seated together. I have also witnessed the same dilemma with other families.

If the seat allocation system is not practical, perhaps AirAsia should value early check-in passengers by allocating priority block-boarding passengers with a simple colour sticker code on their boarding pass. This will allow passengers to board in batches based on check-in times.

In Malaysia, the qualifying age for senior citizens is 55. I am 58. On my last trip to Thailand, I was deeply mortified when told to leave the senior citizens queue as the senior age in Thailand starts at 60. Can AirAsia standardise this to prevent unnecessary embarrassment?

My suggestion is that AirAsia provides priority boarding passes that are distinguishable to qualified passengers.

While AirAsia is a low-cost carrier, cleanliness of the toilet must not be compromised.

With the improvements, AirAsia can include another word to its tagline, “Now Everyone Can Fly CONVENIENTLY”.

By Capt (Rtd) Kung Boon Chin
Shah Alam.

KatoeyLover69

22-04-2006, 02:34 PM

Report from The Malay Mail dated Saturday 22 April 2006 :-

‘Loan sharks forced my girl into vice’

KUALA LUMPUR: A mother has claimed that her daughter was forced into prostitution by loan sharks after her boyfriend failed to settle his debts.

“I didn’t know that my daughter signed as her 32-year-old boyfriend’s guarantor until loan sharks came in four cars a month ago and on a motorcycle the following day to ask me to settle the debt,” said Tan Yew Ying, 40, who resides in Ampang here.

“They were looking for my daughter to negotiate payment of the debt.”

Tan claimed that her daughter, Chung Vee Ying, 19, the oldest of three siblings, is now confined by loan sharks to a room in Skudai, Johor Baru.

One of Tan’s friend, who happened to be Chung’s customer, told her about it. Initially, Tan didn’t believe him.

On March 30 this year, Chung and her boyfriend were detained over a drug offence but she was bailed out by a friend.

Chung tried to bail out her boyfriend, Lam Then Mun, but was unable to do so. He was released 14 days later.

“The loan sharks asked me to pay RM5,000 to settle the debt but I didn’t have any money. I last saw my daughter during Chinese New Year, After March 30, she hid from me,” said Tan.

She said her daughter has been staying with Lam, a former air conditioner technician, since she was 14 years old. She dropped out of school when she was in Form 3.

“In her last phone call to me on April 13, she told me that the loan sharks had confined her to a room.

“Chung also told me that hopefully, by the end of this year, she would be able to settle all the debts.”

On April 19, Lam and Tan sought help from MCA Public Services and Complaint Department head Datuk Michael Chong after filing a police report at the Ampang Jaya police station.

“Lam told me that if I really love my daughter, I should save her from the loan sharks. That’s why I came to see Datuk Chong,” said Tan.

Chong said yesterday, Lam had claimed that the money borrowed was for Chung to live up to her mother’s demand for household expenses, which was about RM800 per week.

When Chong questioned Tan on this, she refused to say anything.

However, yesterday, Tan revealed her side of the story to Chong.

“He threatened to slap me in front of you (Chong) twice if I dared to deny the statement,” said Tan, adding that the money was borrowed by Lam.

“He told me that he owed the loan sharks RM60,000.”

Lam was supposed to attend the Press conference yesterday but he did not show up.

Chung’s uncle, who only wanted to be known as Lim, said that his niece called him up two nights ago.

“She told me not to force her (to leave the loan sharks) otherwise she would commit suicide. She pleaded with me and asked me not to publicise the matter. She is determined to handle the matter herself. She also said that the loan sharks would do something nasty to her if her mother reported to the police,” said Lim.

Chong said: “I want to tell the loan sharks to release the girl because she is only 19. She is only a guarantor. If you want the money, go after Lam.”

Chong said if the girl is not released, her photograph will be displayed in newspapers so that the public can help locate her.

He added that he will work with the police to settle this case.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fellow Samsters, if you happen to come across this girl ( Chung Vee Ying Age : 19 years old ) while 'cheonging' please do a good deed by reporting to the Police straight away

KatoeyLover69

23-04-2006, 12:09 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 23 April 2006 :-

Ghafar Baba passes away

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Ghafar Baba, 81, passed away at Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre at 7.34 am today.

He was warded at the medical centre since Jan 24 after suffering an asthma attack.

He died because of heart, lung and kidney complications.

His family members were with him when he passed away.

Ghafar's remains will be burried at the Masjid Negara after Asar prayers today.

KatoeyLover69

23-04-2006, 12:12 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 23 April 2006 :-

The ‘Sunday Mail’ bows out

KUALA LUMPUR: The last issue of the Sunday Mail in its present form was published today.

A weekend paper catering to the changing market demand will be published in its place.

It is hoped that readers will continue to support it with the same fervour they have shown over the decades.

The Sunday edition of The Malay Mail has been very much a part of the weekend leisure reading scene for almost 47 years.

It first hit the streets on Aug 16, 1959 with a feature on Queen Elizabeth II, so it is only fitting that the Sunday Mail ends its run with an issue chronicling Queen E’s 80th birthday celebrations.

KatoeyLover69

23-04-2006, 12:14 PM

Report from The New Straits Times dated Sunday 23 April 2006 :-

Students watch porn as teacher’s punishment

MUAR: Newspaper reports that a teacher had ordered 10 Form One students to watch a pornographic movie for failing to do their homework has the Education Minister enraged.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has ordered an investigation into complaints by several parents here that their children were forced to watch a pornographic video on Friday at 4pm in the audio-visual room of Sekolah Menengah Jalan Junid.

A Chinese daily had reported that the teacher ordered the students of both sexes into the room, closed the curtains and told them to watch the movie, saying it was their punishment for not doing their homework.

"I will order the Johor education director to investigate. We will take stern action if the complaint is true," he said after opening the Maulidur Rasul celebrations organised by the Johor Umno Youth yesterday.

He said there was no room in the education service for teachers who resorted to such immoral forms of punishment.

"We condemn such actions."

Hishammuddin said his ministry had set up several committees to look into indiscipline among students and teachers.

"If there is concrete evidence of misconduct, we will not hesitate to mete out the appropriate punishment, including the sack."

Hishammuddin said most teachers were dedicated and were doing a great job in shaping the minds of students.

"I have no problem with most of the teachers. But my ministry has identified some black sheep and are dealing with them accordingly,"

The principal of the school declined to comment on the incident.

KatoeyLover69

23-04-2006, 12:19 PM

Report from The STAR dated Sunday 23 April 2006 :-

JB gets Bukit Aman attention

JOHOR BARU: Bukit Aman is placing a lot of emphasis on Johor and particularly this city, which accounts for about 70% of the crimes recorded in the state, said Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow.

The Johor police, he said, faced a shortage of manpower and facilities.

“They are trying their best to bring the crime rate down, but are held back by these problems.

“The average ratio of a policeman to residents in the country is 1:411 but in Johor, it is 1:568.

“The number does not include the floating population or people who move in and out of the state.

“If we take these into account, the ratio could be as high as 1:800,” he told reporters after visiting the state police headquarters here yesterday.

“As such, the police are deploying personnel from low crime rate areas to those with a high rate to counter staff shortage.”

Fu said the police had received approval for recruiting another 24,000 personnel into the force nationwide but so far, only 10,000 were recruited due to limited training capacity.

He said Johor had received an additional 170 patrol vehicles.

“We cannot keep adding vehicles if there is no one to man them,” he said, when asked how many more patrol cars would be made available to the police here.

He added that two new police district headquarters would also be built to replace the current ones.

On another matter, Fu said many people who claimed that the police did not act on their reports could have misunderstood matters.

“After lodging police reports, it is hard for the people to get feedback on the action taken by the police. They think the police are not doing anything about it,” he said.

Fu said some of the cases reported were civil cases, and did not fall under the purview of the police.

“In future, people who lodge such reports will be advised to file civil suits,” he said.