WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- SABAHANS AMONG MOTHER'S AWARD RECIPIENTS

Sabahans among Mother’s Award recipients

KUALA LUMPUR:

Two Sabahans were among 10 Malaysian mothers who received the inaugural ‘Malaysian Mother’s Award 2008” from the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Nur Zahirah. The award, organised by the Islamic Dakwah Foundation of Malaysia (Yadim) and the Malaysian Muslim Women Consultative Council, is aimed at raising the awareness among the society on the roles played by mothers in creating and moulding quality human resources. Lim Sai Khim, 77, of Kuala Lumpur; Anis Abdullah, 65, of Johor Baharu and Zaharah Mahmoodin, 66, of Perak are the recipients for the Mothers of Distinction category. Sajarah Latip, 72, (Sarawak); Rumunah Nodo@Haji Mustaffa, 64, (Johor Baharu); Prito Kaur @ Habibah Abdullah, 62, and Raseni Suparno, 58, (both from Sabah); and Alice Santha Abishegam, 59, (Kuala Lumpur) received the Mothers of Excellence category. Dayang Rakiah Abang Ali, 62, from Sarawak and Lam Boon Lun @ Dr Helen Gan, 61, from Kuala Lumpur are the recipients for the Special Jury Award. In her speech Tuanku Nur Zahirah praised Yadim for the initiative and paid tribute to Malaysian mothers for their roles in moulding the young, which she said, was the country’s hope for the future. The Mothers of Distinction recipients receive trophies and RM5,000 each while Mothers of Excellence receive RM3,000 and Special Jury Award (RM1,500) as well as trophies. - Bernama

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- JUNE DEADLINE TO PAY ASSESSMENT FEES

June deadline to pay assessment fees

KOTA KINABALU:

The Kota Kinabalu City Hall has urged ratepayers in the State Capital to pay their assessment fees and the overdue amount before the end of this month. Those who have not received their assessment bills can go to the Housing Tax Unit, Ground Floor, Kota Kinabalu City Hall or call Lonnie at 088-52 1760 or Michael Kung at 088-521758.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- MINISTRY URGED TO STATE STAND ON TRAINING CENTRE

Ministry urged to state stand on training centre

KOTA KINABALU:

The Rural Development Ministry has been urged to firmly state its stand on the Community Development Training Centre at Kampung Mansiang, Menggatal which has been left idle for many years. In making the call yesterday, Sepanggar Member of Parliament Datuk Eric Majimbun said it is important for the Ministry to make a stand on whether it wants to revive the Centre or give it to the village. He said he had written several times to the Ministry regarding the matter but there was never any reply until today. “Three years ago we were told that the Rural Development Ministry wanted to revive the Centre but no action has been taken until today,” said Eric during a visit to the Centre yesterday. He was accompanied by former Community Development Department Director Datuk Paul Wong. Eric said he was prepared to allocate the money from his MP funds if the Centre is handed over to the village to be used for training youths with multi-skills and knowledge. Meanwhile, Paul said that the Centre, located about 1.5km from Menggatal town, was set up during the Berjaya Government in 1979 and placed under the Chief Minister’s Department. He said it was used for training People Development Leaders and other community leaders. The centre was never utilised during the nine years of the Parti Bersatu Sabah Government and when the Barisan Nasional came to power in 1994 until today.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- SABAH ECOSYSTEM HEALTH PROJECT WILL TAKE YEARS TO COMPLETE

Sabah Ecosystem Health Project will take years to complete

Project will start with sampling at sanctuary, reserves: Director

KOTA KINABALU:

The implementation of the Sabah Ecosystem Health Project would take several years to complete, according to Sabah Wildlife Department Director Laurentius Ambu. He said the project would commence with sampling in and around the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Kabili-Sepilok Virgin Jungle Reserve and Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the East Coast. “Information on transmission risk is needed in Sabah, and such data is absolutely necessary in order to ensure the long-term survival of our wildlife and those animals of particular importance for ecotourism,” he said at a workshop on “Ecosystem Health Monitoring in Wildlife Tourism Areas” at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park yesterday. The Sabah Ecosystem Health Project was initiated by Professor Michael Muehlenbein from Indiana University, USA. Laurentius said that Professor Muehlenbein’s project would provide the international community with an outstanding example on how to properly manage healthy human-animal relations. Some 50 people attended the workshop sponsored by the Sabah Wildlife Department and Indiana University. The participants included senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah Wildlife Department, Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Health, University Malaysia Sabah, Sabah Tourism Board, Sabah Parks, State Environment Protection Department, Forestry Department, Sabah Foundation, WWF-Malaysia, Borneo Conservation Trust, UK Orangutan Appeal and HUTAN. The objective of the seminar was to discuss the importance of health monitoring of human-wildlife interactions in Sabah, an understanding of which will function to ensure the sustainability and growth of ecotourism as well as human and animal health. Specific prevention measures were discussed to minimize these risks to wildlife in Sabah during the workshop. Muehlenbein provided an informative lecture on responsible ecotourism, with particular reference to prevention measures to minimize negative impacts on animal populations. He said that ecotourism functions to facilitate awareness of cultural and natural histories in diverse environments, creating financial benefits to those local populations which invest in conservation of their cultural and natural histories. Such nature-based tourism can certainly serve as an important potential tool to assist conservation efforts in preserving populations of wildlife, particularly primates A natural consequence of expanding tourism at wildlife sanctuaries is increased human-wildlife contact, which must be properly managed in order to prevent infection transmission between these groups, according to Muehlenbein. Muehlenbein also described the Sabah Ecosystem Health Project as a proposed collaboration designed to better understand risk of infection transmission between humans, wildlife and livestock in Sabah. Despite the presence of known infectious diseases within cohabitating human, wildlife, livestock and domestic pet populations throughout the world, and the emergence of novel infectious diseases in ecological hotspots where human- wildlife contact is substantial, he noted that very few surveillance programs exist to specifically describe and monitor the risks of human-animal infection transmission. Humans (tourists and local populations), wildlife (orang-utans, macaques, small mammals, birds and bats), domestic dogs and cats, and livestock will be sampled to determine the distribution of various infectious diseases, and prevention strategies will be developed, added Muehlenbein.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- CHINA LEARNS LESSON FOR NEGLECTING ENVIRONMENT

China learns lesson for neglecting environment
Consul-General urges developing nations to avoid mistakes made by his country

KOTA KINABALU:

The Republic of China known for its vast development, has learned its lesson, as far as conserving the environment is concerned. The country which started its open economy policy way back in 1978, is now suffering from the effect of neglecting the importance of environment protection, thus calling on developing countries to act fast before similar destruction is done on their land. This was a simple reminder from the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching, Xie Fugen, who was in town for an official visit. “We have learned our lesson. We admit that in our effort to boost our economy, we forgot and neglected the importance of conserving and protecting the environment. As a result, today we are paying double for the damages done,” he told the media during a courtesy call on Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong here yesterday. Xie said under the 1978 open economy policy, the China Government had carried out development projects in the east coast area. “We have done well in economy but we lost so much as far as the environment is concerned. We had to spent lots of money to rectify the problem, therefore we are reminding and advising other countries to avoid the mistakes we made,” he said. After seeing the destruction caused to the environment, the China Government has imposed stricter policy to ensure the environment remained protected despite the vast development projects. “We are currently developing the middle, west and northern part of China and have listed environment protection as a top priority. We do not want to repeat the mistakes we have done in the past. Corporate companies are free to do business but they must make sure that the environment is protected,” he said, adding had pollutions on China’s two main river had forced the Government to act fast. “We are already seeing positive results on the river protection policy and hope it can be maintained for generations,” he said. During the meeting, Xie and Liew exchanged views on the business opportunities available in China and Sabah, as well as other issues such as those concerning illegal immigrants and food supplies. “The tourism industry in Sabah is developing very good. I often see a lot of tourists from China whenever I come here for a visit. This is probably due to the many direct flights available from the State to many major cities in China,” he said. he added that the China Government is also currently boosting its Neighbour Friendly Policy and is extending it to Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and The Philippines. Liew, on the other hand, introduced the on-going Sabah Development Corridor, encouraging investors from China to venture into businesses in Sabah. “We welcome any groups wishing to come and visit Sabah and see for themselves potential businesses available here, and we hope to do vice versa to improve and ensure sustainable business links between China and Sabah,” he said. Currently, there are seven China- based companies operating in Sabah, of which six are related to construction while one is a shopping complex.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- DOWNPOURS AND EROSION AFFECT HOUSES AT RIVERBANK

Downpours and erosion affect houses at riverbank

KOTA KINABALU:

Heavy downpours the last few days sent shivers down the spine of Zainuddin Binbang. Somehow, he knew that the worst was coming. Looking across the river, Zainuddin could see the construction works for a new bridge, which is part of the flyover project along Putatan-Kepayan Road, actively taking place. Part of the river was covered with soil to allow the construction company’s heavy machineries to do piling, but that had impeded the water flow, which was slowly eroding the riverbank along Kampung Muhibbah Lama in Petagas, Putatan. “The erosion was like a ticking bomb. The water currents had slowly eroded and caused a small section of soil at the corner of the next door’s kitchen to cave in. I knew it was just about time that my 32-foot kitchen and bathroom would collapse,” said the 39-year-old Zainuddin, who had been staying in the house for the last 10 years. True enough, at 7am yesterday, the concrete built bathroom collapsed, followed by the kitchen about half an hour later amidst the downpours which also caused flash floods elsewhere in the City and outskirts. “I was prepared for the worst and knew this was going to happen. Worried for my family’s safety, I sent my wife and eight children to stay with my father-in-law, while I stayed back for any eventuality. “We had contacted the Village Development and Security Committee and they in turn had notified the construction company about the bad effects of the erosion. But somehow, our grouses had fallen on deaf ears. “I was so worried about my house and could not get to sleep the whole night. I just sat and waited for the worst to come,” he said. They had exhausted all efforts to draw attention to their plight and predicament, which was by far his worst experience, according to him. “We had gone through floods before and compared to the 1996 Storm Greg incident, this was the worst. Now my kitchen is gone, we have no food left.,. I had just bought our food supplies recently,” said Zainuddin, who is a barber. The destructive erosion had affected at least three houses built near the river. Sudin Ahmat, 43, who was born and bred in the village also agreed that this was his worst experience. “Things happened. I do not want to say much but hope the relevant authorities and would do something to help us,” he said. His younger sister, Rina, 40, recalled that the river used to be clean and safe. “We used to jump into the river to bathe. It was smaller before but the river has now become wider and dirty ... it is no longer safe,” she related. She said they had lodged a police report over the contractor’s, action for covering part of the river to carry out its construction works. “For many years, we have also requested the authorities to build retaining walls along the riverbank to prevent erosion, but this has yet to be done. We hope this incident would finally send a message to the authorities concerned. “Honestly, we are not against any development as it would also benefit us somehow. But we just hope that while actively carrying out the development projects, the welfare of the people should not be neglected,” she stressed. Putatan Member of Parliament, Datuk Marcus Mojigoh, who visited the site said an emergency meeting was called immediately to discuss matters pertaining to the problem, yesterday. “I have sat with the District Officer and a representative from the construction company. The company has removed the pile of soil from the river to allow the water to flow unimpeded. They have also agreed to compensate, whether to reconstruct the damaged houses or in monetary terms. “Secondly, we are also looking at building embankment on the riparian reserve. Actually these houses were not supposed to be built by the riverbank as it is within the river reserve, which is meant to allow erosion. But since there are houses involved, and things had happened, we will try our best to help the victims,” he said. On the requests for retaining walls, Mojigoh said he had written to the relevant ministry but to date, it was still considered as low priority. “After all, it was supposed to be a river reserve and there should be no structure built on it,” he said.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- OVER A MILLION RINGGIT RAISED BY SABAH CHINESE BODIES FOR VICTIMS

Over a million ringgit raised by Sabah Chinese bodies for victims

KOTA KINABALU:

A total of RM1,065,043.96 in donations have been raised by Chinese community organizations and companies throughout Sabah to assist the earthquake victims in China. The money was handed over to the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China based in Kuching, Mr Xie Fugen, during a presentation ceremony at the Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall at Kampung Air here yesterday. Among the 39 donors were the See Hua Group of newspapers - The See Hua Daily News and The Borneo Post (RM280,000) which collected the donations from their readers; Che Sui Khor Moral Uplifting Society (RM119,076.60), Taiwan Alumnus Sabah (RM80,000), Kunak Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM55,213), and the United Association of Private Chinese Secondary Schools Committee Sabah (RM40,176.76). The massive earthquake which shook Si Chuan Province of China, killed more than 69,000 and left nearly 18,000 people missing and scores injured. Other organizations which handed their donations to the Consul-General were Gabungan Persatuan Hokkien Sabah, Wanita (RM21,770), Young Malaysian Movement (RM13,986.10), Tanjung Aru Youth Association (RM5,000), Persatuan Pengurusan Yu Huang Tuaran (RM5,123), Persatuan Masyarakat Tai Poo Sabah (RM11,000), KK Zhang Clan Association (RM9,000), SZCA Association (RM6,000), Kota Kinabalu Hakka Association (RM10,890), Sabah Ann Koai Association (RM11,000), The Sabah Northern Association (RM7,000), Persatuan Eng Choon Sabah (RM4,050), and Sabah Amusement Association (RM16,000), Semporna Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM21,250), Gabungan Dewan Perniagaan Tionghua Sabah (RM6,000), Sipitang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM13,500), Lahad Datu Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM22,850), Tuaran Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM8,300), Keningau Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM2,000), Kota Marudu Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM4,315), Kota Belud Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM7,200), Pertubuhan Amal dan Pendidikan Akhlak Ji Her KK (RM52,965), Kung Yin Ting Temple (RM4,000) and Persatuan Masyarakat Cina Bersekutu Sabah KK (RM14,500), Ever Win Tyres Accessory Sdn Bhd (RM1,000), Kota Kinabalu Teo Chew Association (RM7,000), The Yongs Nga Khi Welfare Association of Sabah (RM8,000), Kian Kok High School (RM16,733.50), Chung Hwa Likas Kindergarten (RM3,000), Gabungan Persatuan Cina Sabah - Youth Section (RM4,000), Foe Chow Association Sabah (RM1 1,650), Gabungan Persatuan Cina Sabah - Women Section (RM15,000), Labuan Foe Chow Association (RM15,000), Beaufort Chinese Chamber of Commerce (RM16,195) and The Lung Yen Association (RM5,000). During the presentation of the donations, Xie thanked all the organizations for their kindness, and assured that the donations would be distributed to earthquake victims in China. “I’m really moved today because a lot of people have donated and it doesn’t matter how much they donated, what matters the most is that they have shown their kindness to help our people in China,” he said. According to Xie, the Embassy will try their best to transfer the money to the victims in China, which is quite hard, especially for those who were affected in the remote areas. “We have already received a lot of donations from various organizations and the most important thing is to build homes for the affected victims there,” he said. Xie said that Malaysia is one of the countries which always extends international aid to China since both countries had developed a good relationship in every area. According to him, the China Consulate in East Malaysia had discussed with the Government to set up a new consulate here to strengthen relations between both countries and to develop a better relationship in every area. Also present during the presentation was Sabah United Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Datuk Seri Panglima Sari Nuar and See Hua Group Area General Operations Manager Mr Ngu Ngiong Hieng.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- RM75 MIL BOOST FOR PADI

RM75 mil boost for padi
Sabah Govt also requesting KL for more allocations for food production, say Musa

KOTA KINABALU:

The State Government has requested the Federal Government to increase the allocation for food production, especially for padi cultivation, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said. “We are also asking for more allocations to open up new land for food production,” he said when Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed called on him at his official residence in Sri Gaya here on Tuesday. Among the topics discussed were the issue of food supply in Malaysia, particularly Sabah and steps taken to address them. According to Musa, Sabah wants to play a key role in resolving issues involving food production in the State and the Nation in general. “We still have tracts of land that should be opened up, especially for rice cultivation,” he added. Mustapa meanwhile said the Federal Government has approved an additional allocation of RM75 million this year to boost padi production in Sabah. He said RM32 million of the allocation was for agricultural inputs such as providing fertiliser assistance. Another sum of RM25 million is for drainage and irrigation development, RM7 million for farm mechanisation, RM5 million for maintenance of drainage and irrigation system and RM3 million each for land flattening and pest control. “Malaysia has enough land for agriculture, so there is no reason for us not to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. For Sabah, the priority is to increase rice production,” he told reporters after visiting a goat rearing farm in Tuaran near here yesterday. Mustapa said the food production sector was expected to receive an additional allocation under the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, to be announced on June 26. He said the move is in line with the new policy of the Government to give priority to the food production sector in the wake of the global food crisis. He said under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, his Ministry was allocated with RM7 billion. Another RM10 billion was allocated for the agricultural sector undertaken by other Ministries and agencies. On measures to lighten the burden borne by padi farmers following the fuel price hike, Mustapa said the Government would provide assistance totalling RM140 per hectare to plough their land, with RM100 of the amount coming from the State Government. He said the Government is in the process of registering farmers nationwide for the food production incentives totalling RM513 million, to be given to farmers who ventured into farming other than padi.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- CEOs CONFERENCE WILL HELP ATTRACT INVESTMENTS, SAYS CM

CEOs Conference will help attract investments, says CM

KOTA KINABALU:

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the International CEOs Conference 2008 to be held here next week will yet again put Sabah in the international spotlight so as to attract more investments, especially in the manufacturing, tourism and agriculture sectors. “This is indeed in line with the economic objectives under the State Development Agenda and the Sabah Development Corridor, which was launched by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) early this year,” he said, when chairing the main organising committee meeting for the conference here yesterday. The International CEOs Conference will be held from June 15 to 17, and among the objectives are to provide intellectually stimulating, constructive and healthy exchange of views among the role-players and delegates; make available opportunities for companies to broaden their contact bases and networks with industry leaders and delegates, and to give updates on the business and investment opportunities available as well as the policies formulated. Musa said Abdullah had consented to be the guest of honour at the closing ceremony on June 17, while Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak is expected to officiate the opening ceremony on June 16. Realising the magnitude of these events, Yayasan Sabah Group has appointed once again the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) as the Event Manager for ICC2008. The Chief Minister said more than 500 delegates had confirmed their attendance, coming from countries like USA, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, Ireland, Dubai (UAE), Kuwait, Syria, Japan, India, Pakistan, Singapore, The Philippines and Brunei. “It pleases me to note that the number of confirmed participants is more than that of ICC2005. I also note that some 12 foreign dignitaries comprising Ambassadors and High Commissioners will be gracing this conference,” said Musa. He said the essence of this conference is concisely reflected in its theme ‘Managing Sustainable Growth and Competitiveness In the Globalised Era’. This theme has been chosen as it is considered the most prevailing issue in the light of the present economic and social environments of this region. “Hence we have strategically designed the Conference to cover topics that are pertinent to the world today. On top of that, we are bringing in experts and leading players to discuss significant global issues such as climate change and global warning. In a nutshell, environmental problems will become one of the most difficult issues faced by mankind, because if unresolved, it could directly threaten the future existence of the human race,” said Musa. He said another subject of great significance and one of the most notable realities today is the rise of Asian Giants - China and India. “The rise of such large economies within a short time span is unprecedented and this undoubtedly will present both opportunities as well as challenges for Asia and the world. “I truly believe that sustainability, especially in a world characterized by rapid unpredictable change cannot be overstated. As such, we hope this Conference will provide all of us with the ideal platform to analyse and comprehend key issues as well as find practical and achievable solutions to some of the more pressing problems that require timely attention,” Musa added.

WEDNESDAY-11TH JUNE 2008- SUHAKAM WELCOMES TUANKU MIZAN'S SPEECH ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Suhakam welcomes Tuanku Mizan’s speech on human rights

KUALA LUMPUR:

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has welcomed the speech by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on the occasion of His Majesty’s birthday last Saturday. Its Vice-Chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said Tuanku Mizan had spoken in some concerns relating to human rights, like the establishment of the Judicial Appointment Commission and the amendment to the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1964. “Suhakam welcomes this statement from His Majesty which reflects the King’s concern for human rights in Malaysia,” he said in a statement. Sipaun said these issues had been part of Suhakam’s recommendations as contained in the Commission’s various annual reports tabled to Parliament. - Bernama

TUESDAY-10TH JUNE 2008- GOVT SEROIUS IN OVERCOMG OF FUEL PRICE HIKE: MUHYIDDIN

Govt serious in overcomg effects of fuel price hike: Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR:

The move to slash the entertainment allowances of Ministers and other proactive actions show that the Government is serious to overcome the problems following the increase in fuel prices. Minister of International Trade and Industry, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said the Government was concerned about the problems faced by the rakyat, especially the poor and low income group. “The members of the administration, in line with the concept of leadership by example, must be prepared to sacrifice together with the rakyat by being thrifty to face the effects of the rise in fuel price and the move to restructure the subsidy scheme,” he said in a statement here yesterday. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday announced several cost-cutting measures such as the 10 percent cut in the entertainment allowances of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers effective July 1. Other steps include limiting the use of hotel facilities to international events and functions, and prohibiting the renovations of office and freezing the purchase of office assets such as cars, furniture and computer. - Bernama

TUESDAY-10TH JUNE 2008- MINISTERS' ENTERTAINMENT ALLOWANCE REDUCED BY 10%

Ministers’ entertainment allowance reduced by 10%

PUTRAJAYA:

The entertainment allowance for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will be reduced by 10 per cent effective July 1, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday. Announcing the austerity measures which would save the Government RM2 billion annually, the Prime Minister said the Government would announce other measures from time to time in an effort to cut down Government expenditure following the oil price hike. Abdullah said the austerity measures included freezing paid leave for Ministers and Deputy Ministers and limiting their vacation to the Asean region only and the duration should not exceed one week. Previously, this group enjoyed paid vacation borne by the Government to any destination once a year. Speaking to reporters after chairing the first meeting of the Council on Tackling Inflation, Abdullah said he had also told the Council that the austerity drive should include restricting travels by Ministers, Deputy Ministers and civil servants abroad. In addition, he said Government departments were not allowed to make office renovations while postponing any purchase of assets as well as holding functions and entertainment activities. “The Government too feels the hardship faced by the people and felt that the leadership must show a good example in facing this challenge,” he said. Currently, the monthly entertainment allowance for the Prime Minister is RM18,865, Deputy Prime Minister (RM15,015), Federal Ministers (RM12,320) and Deputy Ministers (RM6,000). Abdullah said the austerity drive in Government spending was being carried out following the rise in prices for fuel and food. The price of petrol reached USD138 per barrel in the world market which forced the Government to restructure the fuel subsidy and raised the retail price for petrol by 78 sen to RM2.70 per litre, effective last Thursday. He said the Government was considering an increase in several allowances for the people to widen the social security net. “The income threshold will be raised so that more Malaysians will benefit from these allowances,” he said, adding that detailed information on the matter would be announced within a week. Referring to the directive to restrict overseas travel, Abdullah said it would only be allowed for official duties involving important international conferences and meetings only or intergovernmental meetings. He said the officers attending such meetings should also be those who were directly involved in the task concerned and the number of such Ministry or department officials should not exceed three. Under the directive, a Minister was only eligible to bring three Ministry officials on official duty abroad while a Deputy Minister could only bring two officers. The Prime Minister said the use of hotel facilities was only allowed for international meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops. “All courses, trainings and workshops organised by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies must be restricted using existing facilities at the Ministries, Departments and Agencies concerned including the Putrajaya International Convention Centre,” he said. Abdullah said the renting of new and additional office space, moving to another building or making renovations to the existing office were also prohibited. He said any expenditure for the purchase of assets including the buying of cars, furniture, computers and other office equipment which had yet to be committed should be postponed. In addition, the purchase of minor items for office use such as printing materials and stationery must be reduced, he said. The Prime Minister said that f the existing Government assets, maintenance work must be carried out in an optimum manner to save resources and expenses during the period. “Functions such as the official opening of offices, conferences, meetings, workshops, courses and prize giving should be restricted,” he said. If necessary, he said these functions must be held on a modest scale without incurring much expenses to ensure there was no wastage The expenditure on decorations and food must be modest and wherever possible, the functions must be held in existing government facilities, Abdullah said. “There’s no need to make special shirts merely to be worn for the official opening, for just a day. Thereafter, the shirt cannot be worn because of the writing on the shirt, and it is kept only for remembrance,” he said. He said the giving of souvenirs was not encouraged but if it was necessary, it should be confined to books, local handicrafts and food items. The Prime Minister also announced the freezing of new posts in Government Departments to cut down on public expenditure except for certain and critical posts in the fields of education, health and enforcement as well as posts that could directly increase national revenue collection. Abdullah said the restructuring of organisations involving Ministries, Departments and Statutory bodies was prohibited except for those aimed at improving the structure of the organisations without involving the creation of new posts or to reduce the manpower strength. - Bernama

TUESDAY-10TH JUNE 2008- DO AWAY WITH SERVICE TAX AND GOVT TAX CALL

Do away with service tax and Govt tax call

KUALA LUMPUR:

The Government should abolish the service tax and Government tax of five per cent respectively, charged by restaurants and eateries, including fast-food outlets, to lighten the burden of the lower income group. In making the suggestion, Malaysia Airlines System Employees Union (Maseu) Executive Secretary Mustafar Maarof said the move would enable these people to enjoy a better life. “As consumers, we ask the authorities to make surprise visits on food outlets all over the country to see if they are really paying the taxes,” he said in a statement yesterday. Mustafar said food businesses now raised prices at will, and by displaying a copy of the Government’s approval to charge the two taxes amounting to 10 per cent, the situation would only worsen. “For example, lunch that costs RM9 goes up by 10 per cent to become RM9.90. “Imagine a family with two children eating at a fast-food outlet, a RM45 bill will go up by RM4.50 to become RM49.50,” he said. -Bernama

TUESDAY-10TH JUNE 2008- CASH REBATES FROM SAT

Cash rebates from sat
Abdullah brings forward payment to ease people’s burden with fuel prices hike

PUTRAJAYA:

The Government has announced that cash rebates payment to qualified private car owners, previously scheduled for July 1, has been brought forward to this Saturday to lighten the burden of the people following the massive increase in the prices of fuel. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said car owners who had renewed their road tax in April and May this year would also be able to get their payments at the Post Office on that day. The detailed information on the matter would be disclosed soon, he told reporters after chairing the first meeting of the Anti-Inflation Committee at his office here yesterday. Owners of cars up to 2,000cc, as well as pick-up trucks and jeeps up to 2,500cc, will get RM625 for each vehicle while motorcyclists with vehicles up to 250cc will receive RM150 each. Abdullah said to further ease the burden arising from the fuel prices hike, the fleet card quota, which enabled public transportation companies to buy diesel at a subsidised price, would also be increased. “Public transports which have fleet cards facility will still be able to buy diesel at the old price of RM1.43 per litre. “To ensure that public transportation fares are maintained, the Government decided that the diesel quota, which can be bought with the fleet card facility, will be increased,” he said. The types of vehicles qualified for the fleet card facility would also be expanded to cover factory buses, and taxis which are powered by petrol he said. The fleet card quota would be determined by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, he added. The price of petrol shot to US$138 per barrel in the global market, forcing the Government to restructure the fuel subsidy. The retail price of petrol is now at RM2.70, up by 78 sen effective last Thursday. - Bernama

MONDAY-9TH JUNE 2008- CONVERSATION MEASRURES TO PROTECT SABAH ELEPHANTS

Conservation measures to protect Sabah elephants

KOTA KINABALU:

Several conservation measures were recommended to enable the future viability of Bornean elephants in Sabah at an international workshop held at Shangri La’s Rasa Ria Resort last month. Issues such as human-elephant conflict, elephant management, habitat management, research and education, fund raising and tourism were discussed and priority actions were set. First, the conference identified four major elephant areas and urged their declaration as ‘managed elephant ranges’: Lower Kinabatangan, Tabin, Deramakot-Sebuku, Ulu Kalumpang. These four elephant ranges should ideally be maintained under natural forest management and all necessary measures to re-establish connectivity within and between these ranges need to be investigated. Other major recommendations included the establishment of a Borneo Elephant Conservation Alliance (BECA) to encourage collaboration and communication among all stakeholders involved in elephant management in Sabah. This alliance will help coordinate fundraising, conservation, research, education and information sharing; produce urgent basic biological information on the Bornean elephant to better understand the dynamics and the ecology of this species in Sabah; decide for and implement a moratorium on new oil palm development within 500m on both sides of the Kinabatangan River and include all State lands covered with forest and adjacent to the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS) into the LKWS, more attention to be given to the problem of elephant crop raiding and conflict mitigation; and create a management committee for Responsible Elephant Tourism(RET), chaired by the State Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment.As stated by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun at the closing ceremony on May 23, “Time is running out fast and there are not many animals left in the wild. If we do not do something urgently I think we are going to lose these animals. This wildlife, as part of the State natural heritage, is the very reason why people come to Sabah. We need to protect wildlife and its natural habitat!” The workshop was hosted by the State Government and co-organised by the Sabah Wildlife Department, Cardiff University, the NGO HUTAN, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and WWF-Malaysia. Funding was provided by the Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species (UK), the US Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Conservation Fund (USA), Borneo Conservation Trust (Sabah) and Rasa Ria Resort itself. Around 150 participants from around the globe attended the workshop, including elephant experts from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Gabon in central Africa, UK and USA. The aims of the workshop were to present the results of the works carried out during the last eight years and to discuss the results with all stakeholders involved in the conservation and the management of elephants in Sabah. The objectives were to provide a forum for presenting and discussing the results of ongoing studies about the Bornean elephant ecology, its distribution, movement and habitat use, the population genetics, and human-elephant conflicts; to provide sound management recommendations for securing elephants’ long-term survival in Sabah; and to produce a resolution endorsed by all workshop participants and to be tabled before the Sabah State Government in the near future. The workshop was opened by Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Bolkiah Haji Ismail and closed by Masidi, to whom the resolution was presented.

MONDAY-9TH JUNE 2008- UMS MEDICAL SCHOOL READY IN THREE YEARS

UMS MEDICAL SCHOOL READY IN THREE YEARS

KOTA KINABALU:

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has created history again as it will soon have its own Medical School building worth RM259 million. It will be among the nine higher learning institutions in the Country to have a Medical School. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled b Nordin in his speech during the ground breaking ceremony of the building yesterday, said that the Federal Government had approved 19 selected projects for the development of UMS under the Ninth Malaysia Plan involving a sum of RM644.389 million. The Medical School which is to be built on 35 acres of land in the main UMS campus, is among the 19 approved projects. “The cost of constructing the school includes the administration office, teaching and learning laboratory, cost related to biomedical, family health, surgery and research centres,” he said. Khaled added apart from being a centre of knowledge, the school could also help to meet the manpower needs. He said one of the Government’s main focuses on developing human capital is to produce more doctors to ease the shortage in the Country. According to him, the current ratio of one doctor to 1,350 people shows that the country still needs doctors. “The Government is aiming to have a ratio of one doctor to 650 people. Now we have about 21,000 doctors in the country. We still need 20,000 more,” Khaled said, adding the school would take three years to complete. Upon completion, the intake of medical students will be increased to 150 a year from the current intake of 71. UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin, who was present at the ceremony, said that opportunity for the University to develop new programs, especially in the medical fields and other related fields, would be opened widely once the building is completed. This can also help to enhance the level of health in community as well as the level of medical services in Sabah and generally in Malaysia, he said. He hoped that more studies could be done, especially on the problem of thalassaemia faced by villagers in Kudat. According to Mohd Noh, to date UMS has a total of 329medicalstudents and has 61 lecturers, including from overseas. Mohd Noh who is going to retire next week, also said that they are waiting for the completion of the Rural Medical Centre in Sikuati, Kudat which is being built at a cost of RM15million on 10 acres of land. He is confident that the University’s desire to have its own teaching hospital will be materialized soon under the Higher Education Ministry’s leadership. Mohd Noh also said that UMS students are using the Likas and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals and other nearby hospitals to do practical training. Also present at the ceremony were Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahimand deans and department heads of the UMS.

MONDAY-9TH JUNE 2008- GRAB OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED AT 1 BORNEO, SAYS JAINAB

Grab opportunities provided at 1 Borneo, says Jainab

KOTA KINABALU:

Locals, especially the younger generation, have been urged to grab employment and business opportunities provided to them with the opening of 1Borneo, the largest hypermall in East Malaysia. “Of course we are proud with the opening of a hypermall in the Karambunai State constituency but we cannot just stand and watch the success of others,” Assistant Industrial Development Minister Jainab Datuk Ahmad said. The Karambunai Assemblywoman said that about 3,000 job opportunities of all levels are offered by l Borneo and urged locals, especially the unemployed graduates, to apply and fill in the vacancies. Local entrepreneurs should also jump on the bandwagon and take up the business opportunities offered by the hypermall so that they do not lose out to others. “1Borneo has many products and services such as hotels, entertainment, food and beverage and handicrafts to offer and all these need down streaming services,” she said, adding that she is ready to assist those who are interested. Jainab suggested that those involved in the cottage industry take up 1Borneo’s offer to set up stalls there to sell their products. “I know that these entrepreneurs are not ready to take up the offer because they are worried about the high rental and they would not be able to afford it. “But I will help them work something out with l Borneo so that they will not be burdened by the cost of rental,” she said, adding that she would be organising a meeting with the people who are interested to brief them about the opportunities available. The hypermall, she added, was prepared to assist these people by providing them with the necessary training so that the quality of their products is maintained and also teach them how to market the products.

MONDAY-9TH JUNE 2008- NO POWER RATE HIKE YET

No power rate hike yet
Musa says SESB has not informed State Govt that it wants to increase tariffs

KOTA KINABALU:

The State Government has yet to be informed by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) if it has any intention to increase electricity tariffs in Sabah. The issue of an increase has yet to be discussed between the State Government and the utility company, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said. And SESB has also yet to make any announcement if it plans to increase the electricity tariffs in the State, Musa said. “So far there has been no announcement and the matter has not been discussed,” he told reporters after officiating the 1Borneo soft opening and launching of RHB Bank Berhad’s branch at the hypermall yesterday. “If SESB is thinking of increasing the rate, we hope that it will not be too high as it would mean additional burden to the rakyat,” Musa added. When asked about the fuel price hike announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last week, Musa said it was unavoidable due to the escalating global oil price. The Government, he pointed out, however will do its best to ease the burden felt by the people by implementing steps to help them, especially groups such as farmers, fishermen and those in the low income bracket. “The rakyat have their responsibility also and that is to be thrifty with their spending,” he said adding that the Government will take all necessary steps to ease the people’s hardship. Commenting on 1Borneo, the Chief Minister said the hypermall that houses internationally and regionally- recognised brands, is poised to place Sabah on the map and elevate Kota Kinabalu’s status as a premier shopping destination in the region. Musa said with world-class and regional reputable brands, the establishment of Tune Hotel and Golden Screen Cinemas, this hypermall would certainly emerge as a new, exciting tourism product for Sabah. “1 Borneo is indeed a positive development for Kota Kinabalu city. The outlets in 1Borneo reflect the tastes and lifestyle of the people here. “Of course this is a good start for developing Sabah as a premier shopping destination, thus complementing the State’s tourism attractions,” he said. Musa, who is also State Finance Minister, thanked l Borneo’s developer Sagajuta (Sabah) for being able to complete the project in three years. Earlier, in his speech, the Chief Minister said the State Government was actively promoting tourism to further boost the local economy and create opportunities for the people. “Our State is one that is blessed as we have a range of natural sites and rich culture for travellers from all over the world to enjoy. “We have one of the best diving spots in the world at Pulau Sipadan and we also have Mount Kinabalu for the adventure seekers. However, there are some tourists who prefer shopping holidays and l Borneo is one such product that caters for them.” Musa said tourism receipts were projected to increase from RM2.88 billion in 2006 to a whopping RM48.5 billion in 2025. “We are confident that by diversifying our tourism products, this figure is within reach at the end of the 18-year Sabah Development Corridor period,” he said. Later, Musa officially opened RHB Bank Berhad’s new branch at 1Borneo. Meanwhile, Giant Hypermarket at 1Borneo, a world-class hypermarket that was set up at a cost of RM20 million, opened its doors to Sabahans yesterday. Giant, an anchor tenant at 1Borneo, stocks over 100,000 items of fresh food, daily essentials and consumer goods while being committed to offering low prices, big variety and great value. GCH Retail Sdn Bhd Marketing Director Ho Mun Hao said its investment in 1Borneo created 350 jobs as well as generated business opportunities for traders and small and medium enterprises.

SUNDAY-8TH JUNE 2008- GET TRUE PICTURE: PM

Get true picture: PM
Abdullah hopes people will receive correct information on global fuel price hike

KUALA LUMPUR:

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday he hoped the people will get the correct information on the global fuel price hike phenomenon so that they can really understand what the country was facing. “Each and everyone of us has a role and responsibility in facing these trying times. As such, let’s together face this challenge with resilience for the greater good of the nation and our future generations,” he said. The Prime Minister said this in his speech at an investiture held in conjunction with the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s birthday at Istana Negara here. “The Government has held out for as long as possible to protect the people from fuel price hikes but the price of oil has risen steeply and rapidly in the world market,” he said. Abdullah said in January2007, the price of crude oil in the world market was only around US$50 (USD1=RM3.29) a barrel. Now, 18 months later, it had risen to almost US$130 a barrel and analysts were predicting it would continue to rise up to US$200 a barrel, he said. “In this situation, the fact is Government expenditure will not be able to meet the difference between controlled selling prices and of that in the world market despite higher revenues gained by Petronas,” stressed Abdullah, adding that this was a challenge that all Malaysians had to bear. The Prime Minister also said the Government was aware that the fuel price hikes had caused uneasiness and worry among the population. The Government would do all it could to alleviate the burden experienced by the people, especially by those in the lower income group and among the steps to be taken was increasing direct aid to them apart from assuring prices of essential goods remained affordable, he said. He said the Government would also take steps to save on public sector expenditure, increase the range of goods under the price control scheme, improve public transportation and postpone projects that are not urgently needed. Nonetheless, he said many challenges still needed to be tackled to ensure the nation continued to move forward. He said among these was the slowdown in world economic growth as a result of a stagnant United States economy, which had spill-over effects on Europe besides emerging and developing economies. In spite of all these, Abdullah said the national economy experienced encouraging growth last year proving the nation was on the right track. “Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth last year was at 6.3 per cent despite a challenging world environment. “All sectors recorded strong growth in particular the services, construction, mining and plantation sectors. Consumer demand growth also was healthy at 11.8 percent,” he said. He said the Government had also succeeded in reducing the national deficit to 3.2 per cent, achieving economic growth that was supported by a resilient domestic economy and having a more diversified economic structure. “These achievements clearly show the Government is always implementing policies and economic 4 management strategies that are flexible and pragmatic,” stressed the Prime Minister. In his speech Abdullah also touched on the Government’s commitment on efforts to further improve the quality of living of the people. “Average household income of Malaysians increased from RM3,249 in 2004 to RM3,686 in 2007, an average increase of more than 4.3 per cent a year,” he said. On poverty, Abdullah said the poverty rate had also been further reduced, from 5.7 per cent in 2004 to 3.6 per cent in 2007 while for hardcore poverty it dropped from 1.2 per cent to 0.7 per cent during the same period. On efforts to combat corruption, the Prime Minister said reforms were being undertaken to make the Anti-Corruption Agency a full-fledged commission while a Parliamentary Select Committee on Corruption Prevention had also been set-up.:- Bernama

SUNDAY-8TH JUNE 2008- CHIEF JUSTICE HEADS KING'S BIRTHDAY AWARD RECIPIENTS

Chief Justice heads King’s birthday award recipients

KUALA LUMPUR:

Chief Justice Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Mohamad led 37 recipients of federal awards, decorations and medals at the investiture in conjunction with the birthday of the Yang di Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, at Balairong Seri of Istana Negara yesterday. He was bestowed the “Seri Setia Mahkota Malaysia” (SSM) which carries the title “Tun”. Gerakan Adviser and former Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and former Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid also received the same award. Seventeen people received the “Panglima Setia Mahkota” (PSM), which carries the “Tan Sri” title, 15 were awarded the “Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) and two people the “Panglima Setia Diraja” (PSD). The PJN and PSD carry the title “Datuk”. Leading the PSM recipients were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz, MCA Deputy President and former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Seri Dr Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah, Director-General of the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob. Deputy Secretary-General (Cabinet) in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mazidah Abdul Majid, Universiti Sains Malaysia Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Dzulkffli Abdul Razak, International Trade and Industry Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Abdul Rahman Mamat, Deputy Inspector- General of Police Datuk Ismail Omar. Historian and Suhakam Commissioner Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim, Malaysian Qualifications Agency Chairman Datuk Dr Muhammad Rais Abdul Karim, former Syariah Judiciary Department Director-General and Syariah Court Judge Datuk Sheikh Ghazali Abdul Rahman. Former Air Force Chief Air Vice Marshall (Rtd) Datuk Sulaiman Sujak, Kelantan Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman Datuk Seri Annuar Musa, Malaysia Airlines Chairman Datuk Dr Munir Majid, Gadang Holdings Bhd Chief Executive and Managing Director Datuk Kok Onn, Tomei Consolidated Group Bhd Executive Chairman Datuk Ng Teck Fong and RAM Holdings Bhd Deputy Executive Chairman Datuk C. Rajandram. Among the PJN recipients were Public Service Department (development) Deputy Director Datuk Abdul Khalil Abdul Hamid, Deputy Senior Secretary-General in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohtar Abas, Human Resources Ministry Secretary- General Datuk Thomas George, Royal Malaysian Air Force Deputy Chief Lt-Jen Datuk Bashir Abu Bakar, Permatang Pauh MIC Division Head P. Subbaiyah and WSA Capital Corporation Group Sdn Bhd Managing Director Dr Wan Mohamed Wan Embong. The two people who received the PSD were Armed Forces Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Mej-Jen Datuk Abdul Aziz Ibrahim and Datuk Awang Kechik Abdul Rahman. A total of 1,862 people have been honoured with federal awards, decorations and medals on the occasion of the King’s birthday this year. Present at the investiture were Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and their wives, Cabinet Ministers, dignitaries and foreign diplomats. Meanwhile, Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps Aifredo Raoul Morelli, who is also Argentine Ambassador to Malaysia, in his speech, hoped that Malaysia would continue to scale greater heights under the patronage of Tuanku Mizan. -Bernama