| Philosophy Politics Economics Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:03 AM PST
| SYABAS Sues Me! Posted: 20 Feb 2011 08:15 PM PST Obviously the Selangor state's campaign against water price hikes and the return of the water concessions to the state have hit a nerve, for Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor has filed a defamation suit against me. They found an article in the Chinese daily, Nanyang Siang Pau on 16 November last year which quoted me as saying (as translated by Syabas lawyers): "Tony Pua Kiam Wee mendesak SYABAS untuk mengembalikan hak pengurusan pembekalan air kepada Kerajaan Negeri Selangor. Kerajaan negeri telah melancarkan kempen "Kembalikan Hak Air kepada Rakyat"... Beliau berkata bahawa selepas perundingan bagi Kerajaan Negeri Selangor untuk membeli 4 syarikat konsesi air tidak berjaya, ini telah membawa kepada kempen untuk menghalang kenaikan tarif sebanyak 37%... Beliau berkata bahawa jika syarikat-syarikat konsesi air tidak mempunyai wang yang cukup untuk membayar hutang mereka, mereka perlulah memulangkan hak pembekalan air kepada kerajaan negeri. Kalau mereka tidak mempunyai keupayaan untuk menukar paip air baru, mereka perlu menghentikan atau menamatkan servis pembekalan air mereka..." You decide if it was defamatory.
Anyway, Syabas served the Writ of Summons dated 28 January 2011 on me claiming:
- (a) an injunction be granted to restrain YB Tony Pua Kiam Wee whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever or wheresoever from further publishing or distributing or causing or permitting to be published or distributed, the defamatory words complained of as set out in the Statement of Claim filed or any similar defamatory words of and in relation to SYABAS (the Plaintiff);
- (b) general damages;
- (c) interest at the rate of 8% p.a. from the date of judgment to date of full payment;
- (d) costs; and
- (e) such further or other relief as deemed fit and proper by the High Court.
Syabas sues Khalid Ibrahim, Pua for defamation
UPDATED @ 04:20:12 PM 15-02-2011By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal February 15, 2011
SHAH ALAM, Feb 15 — Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) has filed defamation suits against Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and the DAP's Tony Pua over recent statements against the water utility company.
Both Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders were served with a writ of summons on February 11, they confirmed today.
The first mention for the case was heard yesterday at the High Court here, where Pua (picture) and Khalid were each given a month to prepare their statement of defence. Gobind Singh Deo will represent Pua while Edmund Bon will act as counsel for the Selangor MB.
"Our lawyers have been directed to prepare our defence," Khalid told reporters here today.
Khalid is being sued over statements made last year, where he claimed that Syabas' Tabung Budi fund was in violation of its water concession agreement.
The fund allows Selangor residents who wish to waive their right to free water to pay for the 20 cubic metres they receive gratis from the state every month, worth RM11.40.
The sole water distributor then uses the money collected to help other residents who lack access to clean water.
A total of 11 households in Selangor have received assistance from Syabas since the fund's inception on August 24 as an internal Syabas and Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd initiative. The fund has collected over RM350,000 to date, according to Syabas.
"This suit does not change our stand in the Tabung Budi issue. Syabas has not right to ask water users to surrender their funds because these funds were given by the state government through the free 20 cubic metres of water programme," added Khalid.
He said that state officials have already written a letter to Syabas to ensure that all legal fees in this suit would be borne only by Syabas directors and not the company, as the case has "nothing to do" with Syabas' function as the water supplier to Selangor residents.
The Selangor MB maintained that his administration would still push for Selangor's takeover of the four concessionaires including Syabas.
Pua, on the other hand, is being sued over recent media statements made to Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau Press.
He had said that if the water concessionaires could not settle their debts, the state government should take over the rights of management of water supply in Selangor.
"I don't understand what is defamatory in my statement.
"The action by Syabas is an act of intimidation and comes at a time where the state is in the process of restructuring the management of water supply in Selangor," said the Petaling Jaya Utara MP who was also present at the press conference today.
The Malaysian Insider understands that Syabas has sent a letter of demand to another Selangor PR federal lawmaker over remarks against the water utility.
Syabas has already sued Selangor for RM472 million on November 10 last year for preventing the water distributor from increasing water tariffs in 2009 as provided for in its concession agreement.
The deal involving Syabas, the Selangor government and the federal government allows for conditional tariff hikes every three years.
Selangor's water players — Syabas, Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) and Konsortium ABASS — are at risk of debt payment default as water bonds approach their maturity dates.
The debt service problem started when Syabas was barred from implementing a 37 per cent tariff hike agreed upon in January 2009 after the Selangor government claimed the sole water distributor had not done enough to reduce leakages which cost the state millions.
This, in turn, led to payment problems between Syabas and water treatment concessionaires PNSB, Splash and Konsortium ABASS, who supply it with treated water.
Selangor, which already owns 80 per cent of the state's water assets, is in the process of taking over the remaining assets from the concessionaires to fulfil a statutory restructuring which will see water supply across the peninsula centralised under the federal government.
Selangor's latest RM9 billion offer for the assets and liabilities of all four concessionaires fell through after it was rejected by three of the four water players.
A project to obtain water from Pahang has also been delayed due to the issue.
The state government has made two previous offers for the water assets.
But privatisation plans under a federal water agency have been put in deep freeze as federal and state governments engage in what industry watchers have called "excessive politicking".
PR wants to control the state's water assets so it can fulfil its promise to keep water cheap for Selangor residents by controlling tariffs. | |
| Lim Lip Eng Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:20 AM PST
| Bad roads and potholes are the bane of road-users Posted: 20 Feb 2011 05:57 PM PST   Less than perfect: Jalan Duta Kiara in Mont Kiara recently went through some roadwork but the bad patchwork has led to an uneven road. Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro (Story and photos by FAZLEENA AZIZ and PRIYA MENON, 21/2/2011)
Almost everyone has a story to tell when it comes to the bad road conditions and potholes in the Klang Valley. Often drivers are caught by surprise as their tyres plunge into a pothole or when a smooth ride turns bumpy as they cruise along city roads. One of the notorious spots is Jalan Ampang, which is marred by uneven patch-up work and potholes. Adding to the problem are ongoing construction projects along the stretch, which brings heavy vehicles to one of the busiest roads in Kuala Lumpur. Other areas such as Ampang, Petaling Jaya, Sentul and Bangsar also have roads that need to be resurfaced and repaired due to the deteriorating conditions. Some are caused by utility companies that do no carry out proper resurfacing work after digging up the roads for repair works. Most councils require a deposit from companies before they are allowed to carry out any roadwork. If the council finds the resurfacing job has not been done properly, resulting in sedimentation on the road, the deposit is then forfeited. It has been reported that RM500,000 per kilometre is needed to carry out road resurfacing. Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said the two causes for the bad road conditions in the Klang Valley were the old method of patching the holes as well as underground water leakage. "There are also contractors who take the easy way out to save money," he said. However, there is not enough enforcement to check on the quality of roadworks. In his constituency alone, there are holes from digging work that have been left as they are for months, especially in Segambut Dalam, Mont Kiara and Hartamas. Retiree Tan Lim Beng said the condition of roads were really bad, especially near his house in Cheras. "The roads have been in a bad condition for years and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is not pro-active in solving the issue," he said. He said on a previous occasion, it was only after he complained to a newspaper about a pothole that DBKL called him to get details of the location and repaired it. He said the various local councils ought to have a special team to monitor and check on the condition of roads in the city and get potholes patched up before the public complained. Fruit and drink seller Mohd Johari Abdullah, 27 feels the authorities needed to do a better job of maintaining the roads in the city. He said the bad condition of roads added to the problem of traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur. "It is worse when it rains because motorists are not aware of deep potholes when they are filled with water. They are dangerous especially for motorcyclists and people driving small cars," he said. "Potholes and bad road surfaces seem to be a national problem; my friends in Penang have also complained about them," he added. Mohd Johari also complained that it was bad for his business when companies dug up roads, kicking up dust, and after that failing to resurface the road properly, leaving an uneven road that might cause injuries to pedestrians. Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said 80% of the potholes and uneven roads were caused by utilities and telecommunication companies digging up the roads to install and repair their cables. He said there were so many of such roadworks that it had become an embarrassment to DBKL because the blame was often laid at its door. "The utility companies do not do a proper job of resurfacing and sometimes they do not even ask for our permission before digging up the road. "Most of the time they do the work at night and rush to get it done by morning, so there isn't enough time to do a thorough job," he said. Other causes are cement mixers and heavy vehicles from cement plants and construction sites. Construction companies are required to place sturdy bricks on the road to protect it from the wear and tear brought on by the heavy vehicles but some do not ensure this step is done properly. Meanwhile, cement mixers drop blobs of cement on the road, which result in a bumpy ride for other road users and may be a potential road hazard. Fuad said DBKL might have to resort to drastic measures to stem the problem of potholes and uneven roads. "We may have to change the materials used to resurface the road, this may increase the cost by 20% or 30% but we will get better results like Singapore," he said. He said the local authority might also revise the charges imposed on errant contractors to ensure future jobs were well done. He added another long-term solution would be to have common trenching that allowed all companies to begin work at a special designated area. Fuad explained there were three types of contractors in charge of fixing potholes. The first are contractors hired through open tenders for long distances of 5km or more. Smaller companies are selected through a ballot system to repair potholes outside the city centre, while DBKL resurfaced roads that did not fall into either category. | |
| 魏宗贤文打烟之声 Gwee Tong Hiang for Bentayan Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:37 AM PST |
| Lim Guan Eng Posted: 21 Feb 2011 01:39 AM PST
| Documentary About My Father-Lim Kit Siang (Part 4) Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:18 AM PST | | Documentary About My Father-Lim Kit Siang (Part 3) Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:18 AM PST | | Documentary About My Father-Lim Kit Siang (Part 2) Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:19 AM PST | | Documentary About My Father-Lim Kit Siang (Part 1) Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:12 AM PST | | The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) 5.8 % Dividend Or RM21.61 Billion Payout For 2010 As Compared To 2009’s 5.65% Is Inadequate And Not Commensurate With The 40% Increase In EPF’s Gross Investment Income. Posted: 20 Feb 2011 09:05 PM PST DAP expresses disappointment at the declaration by EPF of a mere 5.8% dividend or RM 21.61 billion payout for 2010 as inadequate and not commensurate with the 40% increase in EPF gross investment income of RM24.06 billion as compared to 2009’s RM17.22 billion. As compared to 2009's 5.65% dividend, this increase of only 0.15% to 5.8% dividend does not reflect the economic recovery of Malaysia in 2010 with an expected growth rate of 7.2% Despite Malaysia suffering a recession in 2009 with negative growth rate of -1.7%, EPF could still pay 5.65%. It does not make sense that with an expected growth rate of 7.2% there is only a marginal increase in dividend rate to 5.8%.
EPF chairman Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said the higher dividend came partly from the good performance of the stock market last year. If so, then there should be a higher dividend as the stock market rose by 19.3% from 1,272.78 points at end of 2009 to 1,518.91 points at end of 2010. In contrast to the 19.3% rise in the performance of stock market, the 2010 dividend rate only rose by 2.7% from 5.65% to 5.8%. The EPF dividend is one of the few direct benefits programs that can benefit Malaysians especially the 11 million working Malaysians. Looking at Singaporeans who were given cash directly from between $100-$800 cash under the 2011 Singapore budget costing S$3.2 billion to lower and middle-income families. DAP hopes that EPF can explain why the dividend rate rose by only 2.7% in 2010 as compared to 2009 when the stock market expanded by 19.3% and the economy rebounded from -1.7% growth rate in 2009 to 7.2% in 2010. Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 21.2.2011 | |
| Piow With You 文标与你 Posted: 21 Feb 2011 01:34 AM PST
| 怡保市政厅必须把民生问题优先处理 MBI tidak ada konsep "Rakyat Diutamakan" Posted: 20 Feb 2011 09:00 AM PST  图：黄文标（右）观察市政厅委派的承包商进行沟渠维修工作。Gambar: YB Ong (kanan)meninjau proses pembaikan longkang oleh kontraktor MBI di Jalan Batu Bungkal,Taman Victoria. ADUN Tebing Tinggi YB Ong Boon Piow menggesa pihak MBI harus mengutamakan penyelesaian masalah-masalah yang dibangkitkan oleh rakyat. Dan bukan semata-mata bekerkasama dengan pihak kerajaan sahaja untuk menganjurkan program yang tidak memberi manfaat yang nyata kepada rakyat. Beliau menyatakan secara purata setiap bulan beliau sendiri termasuk penbantunya dari pusat khidmat menerima aduan orang ramai 100 kes. Dan kebanyakan kes-kes yang melibatkan MBI beliau akan menggunakan e-aduan yang disediakan oleh MBI. Tetapi malangnya setelah aduan dibuat boleh dikatakan masalah dibangkitkan seperti batu dibaling di dalam laut tanpa diurus atau tindakan diambil selepas setengah tahun dan lebih, "Ini menunjukkan pihak MBI adalah gagal dari segi KPI dalam pengurusan e-aduan, dan secara tidak langsung ini akan menyebabkan orang ramai salah faham pihak saya tidak mengambil tindakan sewajarnya kerena masalah masih tidak diselesaikan" kata YB Ong. Sekali lagi beliau ingin menegur pihak MBI agar bersikap adil dari segi menerima aduan dari pihak PR, dan menunjukkan kesungguhan untuk menguruskan e-aduan. 行动党德彬丁宜区州议员黄文标呼吁怡保市政厅必须把民生问题优先处理，而非使用多数时间配合执政单位进行对人民没有建设性的宣传活动。 黄氏是在自己选区里维多利亚花园Jalan Batu Bungkal观察沟渠维修工程后，表示怡保市政厅处理网上投诉的效率超低的问题表达不满。而对于他本人和服务中心每个月平均近百种透过电话，短讯，电邮，书信，面子书甚至匿名信的民声投诉信，部分是以网上投诉来通知市政厅。 但他说市政厅往往把问题投诉了超过半年，甚至最长两年后才问题已在他协同居民私底下解决后当局负责人才来拨电来问问题的地点。这难免会是少部分的市民会误会他本人和助理没有处理问题。而实际上是有关当局故意选择性处理问题，或只配合国阵领袖或市议员来解决问题，制造民联无法处理问题的假象。 他指国阵做事市政厅肯定会配合执政的主人，但是也应该一视同仁，公平处理民联提出的问题。 | |
| Charles Santiago Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:24 PM PST
| இந்தியர்களின் பிரச்னைகள் ஒரே மாதத்தில் தீர்க்கப்பட வேண்டும், சந்தியாகு Posted: 20 Feb 2011 09:13 PM PST மூலம் :- மலேசியா இன்று 18 Feb | செய்தி.  மலேசியாவில் பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான இந்தியர்கள் தங்களைப் பற்றிய அடையாளப் பத்திரங்கள் எதுவும் இல்லாமல் வாழ்ந்து வருவது வேதனைக்குரிய விசயம் என்கிறார் டிஎபி கிள்ளான் நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் சார்ல்ஸ் சந்தியாகு.
இம்மாதம் 19 முதல் 26 ஆம் தேதி வரையில் "மை டாப்தார்" எனும் பதிவு இயக்கம் பத்திரங்கள் ஏதுமற்ற இந்தியர்களை பதிவு செய்யும் என்று மனிதவள அமைச்சர் டாக்டர் எஸ். சுப்ரமணியம் செய்துள்ள அறிவிப்பை விவேகமான செயல் என வரவேற்ற சார்ல்ஸ், பதிவு செய்யப்படும் அனைத்து இந்தியர்களுக்கும் குடியுரிமை, பிறப்பு பத்திரம் மற்றும் அடையாள அட்டை கிடைக்கும் என்பதை இவ்வியக்கமும் அரசாங்கமும் உறுதிப்படுத்துமா என அவர் வினவினார். "குடியுரிமை பெற முடியாமல் போனதற்கு மக்களின் அறியாமை மட்டும் காரணமல்ல. மலேசியாவில் பிறந்த எத்தனையோ இந்தியர்கள் குடியுரிமைக்கு பல முறை விண்ணப்பித்தும் தேசிய பதிவு இலாகா பல காரணங்களைக் காட்டி அவர்களின் விண்ணப்பங்களை நிராகரித்துள்ளது ஊரறிந்த உண்மை. "மலேசிய குடியுரிமைப் பெற பல ஆண்டுகள் தவம் இருக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது. விண்ணப்பித்திருந்தும் அவர்களுக்கு குடியுரிமை கிடைக்கவில்லை என்பது அசைக்க முடியாத உண்மையாகும். இக்கதிக்கு ஆளானவர்கள் பலர் என்னுடைய அலுவலகத்தில் புகார் செய்துள்ளனர். "ஆகவே, குடியுரிமைப் பெற விண்ணப்பித்துள்ள இந்திய மக்களை அல்லல் பட விடாமல், அவர்களின் பிரச்னைக்கு உடனே தீர்வு காண வேண்டும். காலத்தை வீணடிக்காமல் அவர்களின் விண்ணப்பங்களை குறைந்தபட்சம் ஒரே மாதத்திற்குள் பரிசீலனை செய்து ஆவன செய்யப்படுவதை மனிதவள அமைச்சு உறுதிப்படுத்த வேண்டும்", என்று சார்ல்ஸ் கேட்டுக்கொண்டார். முன்பும் இவ்வாறான நடவடிக்கைகள் பற்றிய அறிக்கைகள் அரசாங்கத்தால் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளன என்பதைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டிய அவர், இம்முறை அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள நடவடிக்கை மக்களை ஏமாற்றுவதற்காக இருக்கக் கூடாது என்பதை வலியுறுத்தினார்.         | |
| Lim Kit Siang Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:21 PM PST
| Long Live LKS! Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:33 PM PST By Martin Jalleh You have dared to continue to differ in spite of your double ISA detentions and the "dangers" that come with voicing and doing what is right and just. You have made a difference whilst others dance to the tune of the status quo and become self-serving servile lap dogs to the dominant [...] | | The Najib position on pluralism Posted: 20 Feb 2011 07:55 PM PST By Thomas Lee Another religious controversy is brewing over the Prime Minister’s warning to Muslims last week that religious pluralism is un-Islamic because it places Islam on an equal footing with other faiths. Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also asked government Islamic agencies and religious teachers to explain the issue of pluralism to the Muslim [...] | | Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #54 Posted: 20 Feb 2011 07:08 PM PST By M. Bakri Musa Chapter 7: Enhancing Human Capital Enhancing Human Capital Through Better Health Good health is good for the economy. A National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) paper showed that a one-year improvement in a country's life expectancy (an index of health) contributes to a four percent increase in its economic output, and [...] | | Who’s off the rails, Bernama? Posted: 20 Feb 2011 08:18 AM PST John Malott | Feb 20, 11 Malaysiakini Bernama news agency recently commented that I have “gone off the rails” because of my article in the Asian Wall Street Journal. Because Bernama is owned by the Malaysian government, it is no surprise that they would feel obliged to say something critical. But who really is off [...] | |
| LEE GUAN AIK for KOTA DARUL AMAN 李源益州议员 Posted: 20 Feb 2011 09:37 PM PST
| Sdr. Lim Kit Siang's 70th birthday dinner, Hotel Equotorial, Penang on 20th Feb. 2011 Posted: 20 Feb 2011 03:55 AM PST Razaleigh's open letter to Kit Siang 2011-02-20 04:21 By TENGKU RAZALEIGH RAZALEIGH HAMZAH Dear Kit, After a long journey in your political career, weathering the often rough and tumble of Malaysian politics, you somehow managed to survive and carve a popular name, an icon among your admirers and a 'political bug', so to speak, among your opponents. So, you are now 70 years of age — not too young but not too old either — to go on treading the political journey. You have consistently upheld and stood your ground on matters relating to the fundamental rights of all the rakyat, irrespective of race, to free and responsible speech, the rights to enjoy a just and fair distribution of the economic and social wealth of the nation, and to political, judicial and legal justice. You have consistently and courageously spoken up against the corruption and the various misdeeds and defaults of the government and demanded actions, both in Parliment as well as outside it, depite the possible reprisals, the threats and even possible punitive actions that might be taken against you, which in fact you have suffered in the past. But you have not kept your silence; you continue to grow bigger and speak even louder. In the end, it seems to me you are the winner because, despite what your opponents say about you, as long as you know and believe what you stand for is good for the poeple and the country, you are on the right path. Politicians, and especially those who have been given the mandate to 'rule' or 'govern' the country, must be honest, trustworthy, clean and efficient. They must have PRINCIPLES and be consistent in their upholding and promotion of the principles for the good of the rakyat and the country and not be swayed or swerved by their personal interests and greed. The rakyat look up to a Wakil Rakyat or to a government leader not because he or she is a Malay, a Chinese or an Indian, an Iban or a Kadazan; they look up to you because of your principles — principles that they can respect, trust and emulate. On this auspicious day, may I quote Georges Pompidou who once said: "A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of the nation. A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service". Let me now say "Selamat Menyambut Hari Jadi Yang ke-70", in other words "Happy Birthday to You". Wishing you good fortune, good health and long life. May you continue to tread the rough and tumble of the Malaysian political road with even greater tenacity and thrust in the years ahead until we can all together ensure that no one in the country is allowed to create a situation of disaster of the type we have just seen in Tunisia and Egypt. href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf75FsBm7n9L7q8LsYNOpnaEn3Mq8YcFJrXxKoH6ZZFXgKBIysvvNGkQK2lu7V_2hMbvvFpfmeOiSi83B7gqUx2f_6CAYZy4sow8ddjO4hJWavdWTHMpqTqKEx31E2hP8xZX0fr8mnZcLE/s1600/DSC00904.JPG">       | |
| Blog@Wengsan...博客@永山 Posted: 20 Feb 2011 09:33 PM PST |
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