Tsunami: At least 34 dead in Samoa

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PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP): Towering tsunami waves spawned by a powerful earthquake swept ashore on Samoa and American Samoa early Tuesday, flattening villages, killing at least 34 people and leaving dozens of workers missing at devastated National Park Service facilities.

Cars and people were swept out to sea by the fast-churning waters as survivors fled to high ground, where they remained huddled hours later. Hampered by power and communications outages, officials struggled to assess the casualties and damage.

The quake, with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3, struck around dawn about 20 miles (32 kilometers) below to ocean floor, 120 miles (190 kilometers) from American Samoa, a U.S. territory that is home to 65,000 people, and 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Samoa.

A main road in the downtown area of Fagatogo, is seen flooded by water from a tsunami located in the main town area in American Samoa on Tuesday.

Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, was quoted as saying four tsunami waves 15 to 20 feet (4 1/2 to 6 meters) high roared ashore soon afterward, reaching up to a mile (1.6 kilometer) inland.

Holly Bundock, spokeswoman for the National Park Service's Pacific West Region in Oakland, California, said Reynolds spoke to officials from under a coconut tree uphill from Pago Pago Harbor and reported that the park's visitor center and offices appeared to have been destroyed.

Bundock said Reynolds and another park service staffer had been able to locate only a fifth of the park's 13 to 15 employees and 30 to 50 volunteers. The National Park of American Samoa is the only national park south of the equator, a scenic expanse of reefs, picturesque beaches, tropical forests and wildlife that include sea turtles and flying foxes, a type of fruit bat.

Residents in both Samoa and American Samoa reported being shaken awake by the quake, which lasted two to three minutes. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a general alert from American Samoa to New Zealand; Tonga suffered some coastal damage from 13-foot (4-meter) waves.

Mase Akapo, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in American Samoa, said at least 14 people were killed in four different villages on the main island of Tutuila, while 20 people died neighboring Samoa. The initial quake was followed by at three aftershocks of at least 5.6 magnitude.

An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies of about 20 victims in a hospital at Lalomanu town on the south coast of the main island, Upolu, and said the surrounding tourist coast had been flattened, with the dead including those who hesitated to leave right after the quake.

A boat from Malaloa Marina is seen on the edge of the main highway in the village of Fagatogo, in American Samoa on Tuesday.

An unspecified number of fatalities and injuries were reported in the Samoan village of Talamoa. New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale was leveled.

"It was very quick. The whole village has been wiped out," Ansell told New Zealand's National Radio from a hill near Samoa's capital, Apia. "There's not a building standing. We've all clambered up hills, and one of our party has a broken leg. There will be people in a great lot of need 'round here."

The Samoan capital was virtually deserted with schools and businesses closed.

Local media said they had reports of some landslides in the Solosolo region of the main Samoan island of Upolu and damage to plantations in the countryside outside Apia.

American Samoa Gov. Togiola Tulafono was at his Honolulu office assessing the situation but was having difficulty getting information, said Filipp Ilaoa, deputy director of the office.

Rescue workers found a scene of destruction and debris with cars overturned or stuck in mud, and rockslides hit some roads. Several students were seen ransacking a gas station/convenience store.

Rear Adm. Manson Brown, Coast Guard commander for the Pacific region, said the Coast Guard is in the early stages of assessing what resources to send to American Samoa. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. John Titchen said a C-130 was being dispatched Wednesday to deliver aid, assess damage and take the governor back home. A New Zealand air force P3 Orion maritime search airplane also was being sent.

One of the runways at Pago Pago International Airport was being cleared of widespread debris for emergency use, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said in Los Angeles.

A car is seen pushed up against a bridge after strong sea water from the tsunami filled a small stream in the village of Fagatogo, located in the main town area in American Samoa on Tuesday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was deploying teams to American Samoa to provide support and on the ground assessment.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of American Samoa and all those in the region who have been affected by these natural disasters," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said.

The ramifications of the tsunami could be felt thousands of miles away, with federal officials saying strong currents and dangerous waves were forecast from California to Washington state. No major flooding was expected, however.

The earthquake and tsunami were big, but not on the same large scale of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami that killed more than 150,000 across Asia the day after Christmas in 2004, said tsunami expert Brian Atwater of the U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle.

The 2004 earthquake was at least 10 times stronger than the 8.0 to 8.3 measurements being reported for Tuesday's quake, Atwater said. It's also a different style of earthquake than the one that hit in 2004.

The tsunami hit American Samoa about 25 minutes after the quake, which is similar to the travel time in 2004, Atwater said. The big difference is there were more people in Indonesia at risk than in Samoa.

Former Negri MB picked as Barisan Nasional's candidate

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PORT DICKSON: Barisan Nasional has chosen former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Isa Samad as its candidate for the Bagan Pinang by-election.

His candidacy, which was announced by Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin here yesterday, was greeted with thunderous cheers and applause.

Barisan’s man: Muhyiddin and Isa surrounded by journalists and supporters after the announcement by the Umno deputy president in Port Dickson Tuesday.

He said the decision was made based on a detailed study on the wishes of the local community.

Nomination day is Saturday while polling will take place on Oct 11.

This is the first time that Isa, who is Teluk Kemang Umno division chief, is contesting in his kampung.

Meanwhile, PAS named its Negri Sembilan commissioner Zulkefly Mohamad Omar as the Pakatan Rakyat candidate.

Mahathir: Switch strategy to achieve Vision 2020

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should be less dependent on foreign investments to achieve its aim of developed nation status, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“These foreign firms benefited us less than we expected. Ask Bank Negara, if they are honest, they will tell you there is no capital inflow.

“Foreign investors bring in 10% of their money, 90% is our money which they borrowed,” he said in a talk entitled “Vision 2020 Revisited: How we have fared so far? What to do next?” at the 14th Civil Service Conference here yesterday.

He said the benefit of foreign direct investments (FDIs) to Malaysia was not maximised as foreign investors often received tax exemptions and low interest loans.

“It is possible to achieve Vision 2020 if we change the strategy of attracting FDIs to become an industrialised nation,” he said.

With countries like China, the country could not rely on FDIs and continue to be low cost.

“Of course we won’t become attractive to foreign investors. Wages go up and the cost of living will also go up slightly,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said the Govern- ment could help propel local private companies by providing low interest loans and facilitating licensing.

“This will provide two sources of revenue for the Government. The Government gets back interest (from the loans), and when the company makes a profit, 25% belongs to the Government (through corporate tax),” he said.

Sharing 1Malaysia at UN

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NEW YORK: The 1Malaysia concept has been brought to the attention of the largest world forum – the United Nations General Assembly.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman gave the assembly a glimpse of how a small multiracial country can draw strength through its diversity.

He said Malaysia, with its multi-ethnic and multiracial society, was conscious of the need to continuously promote interaction between its people of different religions, races and beliefs.

Global affairs: Anifah addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday night.

“For this reason, the Malaysian Government has introduced the 1Malaysia concept, which builds on previous efforts at promoting national unity, yet takes into account present realities.

“It aims at fostering appreciation and respect for all races, seeing diversity as a source of strength. It envisages unity that arises from true acceptance instead of mere tolerance,” he told the 64th UN General Assembly on Monday night.

Anifah noted that the United Nations had been in existence for over 60 years, yet peace and security continued to elude many parts of the world.

He described Malaysia as a country in the middle, “not too large nor too small, not too rich nor too poor, not too strong nor too weak.”

“We do our part knowing that our actions have consequences on ourselves and our children. We do so believing that hope will triumph over adversity,” he said.

Anifah also called for the global governance structure to be improved, noting that decisions were still made by “the few for the many”, and spoke on non-proliferation and disarmament, describing them as cornerstones of peace and security.

The agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear stockpiles was also hailed.

On the Palestinian issue, Anifah said it epitomised everything that was unjust and unfair in international relations.

“We must do all that we can to address the Palestinian issue, as resolving it will have a major impact in our efforts to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and beyond,” he said, hoping the United States would play the role of an honest broker.

Anifah also called on the developed world to play the leading role in global effort to combat climate change.

Efforts by the developing world in tackling global challenges, he said, would be far more effective if done in tandem with the developed world.

“Give us fair terms and we will seal the deal. Give us the tools and we will help to finish the job. Invest in our common future and all our children and humanity henceforth will reap the rewards.”

Government to cut back on spending

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is looking at ways to cut back on its expenditure but this will not affect its performance, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

“There might be a slight reduction of the operating expenditure but it will not affect the efficiency of the Government,” the Prime Minister said.

He was speaking at a press conference after a two-hour briefing by Bank Negara’s Board of Directors about the current economic situation here yesterday.

Najib said the Government’s expenditure reached RM1bil a month following the measures that were introduced to stimulate the economy.

He also said the Government was committed to this expenditure until the end of next year.

“Beyond 2010, we hope that the external economic environment would improve considerably, with enough momentum domestically and internationally to ensure Malaysia is on a much more positive trajectory in terms of economic growth,” he said.

The Government was planning to cut its operating expenditure ahead of the Budget which would be tabled next month.

Najib said it would continue to ensure that subsidies given to the rakyat would benefit only deserving people.

The Government has to be more prudent in its spending to ensure value for money including its procurements, he said.

The budget deficit is forecast to hit 7.6% of the gross domestic product this year.

Asked whether the Budget would be people-friendly, he said: “It will be within the scope of our means. It will be rakyat first, yes certainly.”

Prisons Dept waiting for order to cane

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KAJANG: The Prisons Department is ready to cane Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno for drinking beer in July last year.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said, however, that the punishment could only be executed after the department received the order from the Syariah Court.

“The department has trained officers to carry out the whipping and they are just waiting for the directive to do so,” he told a news conference after a Prisons Management Course certificate presentation here yesterday.

Kartika, 32, of Sungai Siput, Perak, was fined RM5,000 and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane by the Kuantan Syariah High Court on July 20, after she pleaded guilty to consuming beer at the Cherating Bay Lounge, Hotel Legend, Cherating, on July 11.

PD now known as Army Town

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PORT DICKSON: This popular beach resort will be known as “Port Dickson — Army Town” in recognition of the services of the army in defending the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who made the announcement, said that as a beachfront town, Port Dickson also housed a large concentration of army camps and training centres, which had produced many recruits.

“The armed forces, especially the army, has made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of national peace. The new term Army Town should be given to Port Dickson, which houses tens of thousands of army personnel,” he said at the Hari Raya gathering at the Army Basic Training Centre (Pusasda) headquarters here yesterday.

Najib said the Government would implement a number of major development projects for the army in Port Dickson, to make the name Army Town more meaningful.

He called on Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the top brass in the army to provide ideas on how to develop the Army Town.

Najib said historically, as the largest partner in the armed forces, the army had carried out their duties well and exhibited professionalism in fighting off the threat of the communist terrorists and the Confrontation.

He reminded the people that the threat of communist terrorism still existed in countries such as the Philippines and Nepal, adding that the Government appreciated the army’s duties. Najib said he had been Defence Minister for 14 years and had implemented many programmes for the benefit of the armed forces — including increasing their remuneration and providing new equipment.

He hoped Ahmad Zahid would continue to provide his best service to the soldiers in his capacity as Defence Minister.

Suspended policeman steals uniform and extorts from public

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PETALING JAYA: An errant policeman suspended from the force stole another policeman’s uniform to impersonate an active officer to extort money from the public.

The impersonator, suspended from the force in 2005 for disciplinary problems, was arrested on Saturday.

The 34-year-old man was apprehended at a restaurant here when he turned up to collect extortion money.

It is learnt that the man had smashed a police officer’s car window and escaped with the uniform and other belongings.

He then donned the uniform and tried to extort money from the public.

The restaurant owner, suspecting something amiss, lodged a police report.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed confirmed the incident and said the man had been remanded until today.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, two teenagers impersonated policemen and robbed a group of teenagers playing futsal at Kelana Jaya early yesterday morning.

The two, aged 17 and 18, approached the group and asked them to show their identity cards before robbing them of their cash and valuables in the 3am incident.

Thirty minutes later, the two then tried to robbed another group of students in a hostel in Ara Damansara but the tables were turned on them when the students asked for their authority cards, said ACP Arjunaidi.

“The two tried to run away, but one of them was caught after the students chased them. One escaped,” Arjunaidi said in a press conference yesterday.

Initial investigations revealed the two as school dropouts.

Police reported recovering some of the stolen items.

Lim: Records on Kg Buah Pala will not be declassified

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has admitted that there are Pakatan Rakyat state executive council minutes regarding Kampung Buah Pala, but says they will not be declassified.

In a statement issued yesterday, Lim said he had “refreshed his memory” by going through the minutes of all exco meetings which he chaired.

“The minutes reaffirm that the present state government did not give approvals to alienate the land to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang Bhd or development approvals to the developer, or issued eviction orders against the residents.

“During the Pakatan exco meetings on Kampung Buah Pala, the only conclusion reached was that nothing could be done because the Barisan Nasional government signed away all the residents’ rights.

“Therefore, there is no reason to declassify the Pakatan minutes when no approvals to the cooperative and developer were given by Pakatan,” he said.

Lim said the transfer of the Kampung Buah Pala land on March 27, 2008, was consequential after Barisan had given approval to the developer and cooperative to develop the land.

Lim’s stand on declassifying the exco minutes, however, differed from statements he gave on Monday where he said there were no minutes on the Kampung Buah Pala issue.

Meanwhile, state Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said although Lim did not sign the land transfer documents, it was done under his leadership.

“Who signed the documents is immaterial because as a chief minister he is 100% responsible for what is going on under his leadership,” he said.

Regular complaints of defects should be a wake-up call, construction industry told

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PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has a relatively matured construction industry but the quality of the finished product should not be overlooked, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said.

“The recent spate of building failures and regular complaints of defects of completed properties should be a wake-up call for all stakeholders of the construction industry,” he said, adding that improving quality entails enhancing efficiency and productivity.

He said this after officiating The Star’s first “Property Fair Kuala Lumpur - Stylish Living” at Menara Star here yesterday.

Serious business: (from left) Ngiam, Kong, Wong and Hii at the official launch of Star Property Fair KL at Menara Star Tuesday.

“The Star’s effort is a good contribution not just for the property market’s growth, but also for the whole construction industry. It can drive the whole supply chain of the building industry,” Kong said.

Also present at the event were Star Publications (M) Bhd executive deputy chairman Datuk Clement Hii, executive director Ng Beng Lye, group managing director/chief executive officer Datin Linda Ngiam and group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

Ngiam said The Star has been holding annual property fairs in Penang over the past seven years.

“The amazing response from both exhibitors and visitors to the property fair explains why it is currently the leading property fair in Penang,” she said in her speech at the event.

“With such growing success each year, it only seems right that we should hold a similar one in Kuala Lumpur. But in saying that, there are more compelling reasons that influenced our decision to start one here,” she added.

The property fair will be held from Nov 27 to 29 at the KL Convention Centre in Halls 4 and 5, from 11am to 8pm. Admission is free.

Visitors will get to view the latest offerings by renowned developers involved in building luxury bungalows and exclusive condominiums.

Representatives from participating financial institutions and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will also be around to provide assistance.

Ngiam said there will also be talks and forums conducted by industry experts on topics like property investment, feng shui and home inspirations. The fair will be fully supported by The Star’s print, radio and on- line media.

Meanwhile, Ngiam also officially introduced The Star’s StarProperty portal – www.starproperty.my.

This site features the latest on auction listings, news and reviews of local and international properties and lifestyle articles.

“The site which is barely two months old has over a million hits and over 47,000 property listings,” she said.

‘Tainted politicians should exit quietly’

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PETALING JAYA: Politicians with a “tainted image” should leave quietly, said Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Wanita chief Alice Lee.

“Leaders must know when to step down,” she said.

Politicians, apart from being capable and talented, must also uphold morality, she added.

Suspended MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, with a tainted image, should not lead the party, Lee said.

Citing an example, she said Jeffery Archer, a member of the British Parliament and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, had to resign after he reportedly paid for the services of a prostitute in 1986.

“Even though his wife said that he was a good husband, Archer still had to leave to prevent him from becoming the burden of the Conservative Party,” she said.

Lee said Dr Chua had admitted he was the one in the sex video clip.

“With such baggages, can he still lead MCA?

“Do you think Dr Chua can still bring glory to the party with such an introduction?” she asked.

Police probe death of millionaire

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GEORGE TOWN: Police are investigating if there was foul play in the death of a millionaire who is an executive director of a flour mill company in Bukit Mertajam.

Al. Mathivanan Pillai Kr. Alagappan Pillai, who is the executive director of Alagappa Flour Mills Sdn Bhd & Group of Companies, died on Saturday at 6.55am. He was 61.

Acting OCPD Supt Gan Kong Meng said police had initiated an investigation into his death after they received a police report from one of his relatives on the circumstances surrounding his death.

He declined to elaborate details of the report.

It is learnt that Mathivanan was found with burn marks on his body at his Free School Road house on Saturday morning.

A source said his family members rushed him to a private hospital but was then referred to the Penang Hospital.

Mathivanan succumbed to serious burns, the source said.

A family member, when contacted, refuted the claims and said Mathivanan had died of a heart attack instead.

The Bukit Tengah-based flour mill started out as a small backyard business grinding spices 66 years ago.

Popularly known as ‘Curry King’, the company also has established markets in major cities such as Melbourne, London, South Africa and Mauritius.

We are confident Isa will do well, says Muhyiddin

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PORT DICKSON: Former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Tan Sri Isa Samad is the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Bagan Pinang by-election on Oct 11.

Deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, before making the announcement, teased the thousands of Barisan supporters and local Bagan Pinang folk by asking who they wanted as the by-election candidate.

Wide support: A large crowd of people turned up during the announcement of Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the Teluk Kemang constituency Tuesday.

The crowd shouted out Isa’s name and Muhyiddin said: “Yes, it will be Isa.”

The moment Isa’s name was announced at a Hari Raya do in Batu 6, Teluk Kemang here, the crowd cheered and roared in approval.

Muhyiddin, the Barisan election director, said the decision was made based on a detailed study on the wishes of the local Bagan Pinang community.

“We are confident that with his qualifications and support from the local community, Isa will do well for Barisan,” he said.

Muhyiddin added that Isa had contributed greatly to the local community and never stopped his services despite challenges that he faced over the years.

He later told reporters that Isa, like himself, had also encountered political problems in the past.

“Voters know Isa’s aspirations and we must acknowledge the wishes of the constituents here who want Isa to be their elected representative.

“We want to continue providing development in Bagan Pinang and Isa can help because he has been here for a long time,” he added.

Isa, in an immediate response, said with the support of the Barisan leadership, he would defend the seat and win it with a bigger majority.

Isa added that he expected the Opposition to “invent” issues in thei r attempt to wrest the seat from Barisan.

This will be the first time Isa is contesting in his own backyard although he has been the Teluk Kemang Umno division chief for 30 years.

“Throughout my political career, I had always contested in Linggi,” he said. Linggi is a neighbouring state seat under the same PKR-controlled Teluk Kemang parliamentary constituency.

Isa advised those working for the Barisan by-election machinery not to be complacent and over-confident.

Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said it was unfair to criticise Isa’s nomination because of his party disciplinary problems.

“He is like a stained shirt that had been cleaned. He has already been punished in the political sense and we should move forward,” he added.

The state seat became vacant after Barisan’s Azman Mohammad Noor died on Sept 4.

Isa was the Negri Sembilan mentri besar for 22 years.

With Isa’s candidacy for the by-election, most political commentators said Barisan was widely expected to win the seat.

Zulkefly picked to stand against Isa

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PORT DICKSON: Negri Sembilan PAS commissioner Zulkefly Mohamad Omar has been named as the Opposition candidate for the Bagan Pinang state seat by-election.

This was announced by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang at the Teluk Kemang PAS headquarters, about 2km away from the site where former mentri besar Tan Sri Mohamad Isa Samad was named as the Barisan Nasional candidate a few hours earlier.

Zulkefly, 45, said he hoped the voters would give him a chance to lead the constituency.

“We want to bring change to the state constituency. If I am elected, I will put in my best service for the rakyat, according to their needs,” he told reporters after Abdul Hadi made the announcement.

“We are contesting this seat only to bring change to the people and it is up to the wisdom of the voters to choose who they think can best bring this change,” Zulkefly said.

Zulkefly, who holds a Master of Science degree from Universiti Putra Malaysia, is currently the managing director of his own consultancy, L & R Enterprise Sdn Bhd.

Meanwhile, Abdul Hadi said voters in Bagan Pinang must choose change to “free the next generation of Malaysians from the culture of corruption”, and that Zulkefly was a suitable candidate as he was a “professional, and highly-educated person with corporate experience.”

Pakatan now the underdog

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Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad is Umno’s controversial choice as candidate for Bagan Pinang, but he looks set to end the Opposition’s winning streak.

TAN Sri Mohd Isa Samad’s Hari Raya open house this year was a different story from the last two years.

The crowd that thronged his kampung house in the heart of Bagan Pinang yesterday seemed to sense that he would be the candidate for the by-election.

Making a comeback: Barisan supporters congratulating Isa in Port Dickson Tuesday.

They were right. A little after 4pm yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced Isa as the one who would defend the state seat for Barisan Nasional.

“It had to be seen to be believed,” said a senior editor of the scene at the Port Dickson venue where the announcement was made.

Almost everybody who was somebody in Umno seemed to have made his way into town, the road was lined with cars and streams of people had to make their way on foot because of the jam.

It was, as the editor noted, a show of force.

Umno has never lost in Bagan Pinang, and the massive gathering was a major political statement that Umno intended to hold on to the seat.

But it was more than just about Umno. There was an undeniable multiracial atmosphere to the event, and this was important because Bagan Pinang is categorised as one of those mixed seats where Indian voters make up about 20% of the voters and Chinese about 10%.

Isa can easily win on the strength of Malay support, but to do really well he needs the non-Malays to root for him also.

This will be one of the most riveting by-elections for several reasons.

Bagan Pinang is an extremely crucial by-election for Umno. It really needs to nail this seat.

Losing in this particular stronghold will have disastrous implications for the party, particularly given that voting will take place just a few days before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak makes his first presidential address at the Umno general assembly.

Najib and Umno seriously need this political turning point to move ahead to the next general election.

That is the context for the choice of Isa, in spite of the fact that he was sacked from his Umno vice-president’s post after being found guilty of money politics during the 2004 party elections. It was a long fall from grace because it also cost him his Cabinet post.

Powerful voices such as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had argued that such political expediency will let Umno win the battle but not the war.

However, as some senior figures in Umno have pointed out, this is not just any old battle, it is a do-or-die battle for Umno. If Umno loses this particular battle, then it can forget about the war because it is not going to win the war either.

“This is politics, we want to win and it is a necessary compromise,” said former deputy minister Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

Moreover, as Muhyiddin said in Port Dickson yesterday, Umno had conducted several surveys to gauge who the people on the ground wanted as the candidate. The surveys were not only among Umno members but also among the different groups who make up the constituency.

“We went through the trouble because we want to give the people what they really want,” he said.

Muhyiddin, who will be in charge of the by-election, told the gathering that all the surveys came back with the same answer.

At this point, he asked the crowd: “Who do you want?”

They roared back: “Isa!”

By now, the normally serious-faced Muhyiddin was in tune with the mood on the floor. He put one hand to his ear and said: “Who? I can’t hear you.”

This time there was an even bigger roar: “Isa!”

Then with a big smile, Muhyiddin said: “Since you all want Isa, we will give you Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad.”

Isa, 59, will be entering this contest riding on a wave of popularity. It is evident he has a cult-like following among Umno members, not only in his own division but from all over.

A lot of it has to do with his personality and political style. Besides, he has touched the lives of many people in the state in his 21 years as Mentri Besar.

But he must also know that political expediency has its pluses and minuses – that his history is bound to be an issue in the campaign, even though his opponents have indicated they want to run a “classy” campaign.

Pakatan Rakyat will unveil its candidate today. This will be one of the few by-elections where the Pakatan is going in as the underdog. There will be no shortage of issues and colour in this high-stakes campaign.

The former strongman of Negri Sembilan is out to prove once again that he is a politician for all races.

But more than that, Isa is now charged with putting the brakes on Pakatan’s string of by-election wins.

Muhyiddin: New growth model needed

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must have a new economic model based on balanced growth and distributive justice to unite Malaysians, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

“A new economic model is not an option for Malaysia but a must. The economic model that we want to develop must satisfy and fulfil the hope of all Malaysians.

“It must unite the different ethnic groups into a cohesive society,” he said when opening the 14th Civil Service Conference here.

Muhyiddin added that the new model should, among other things, make rural development an important part of the national economy, reduce dependence on government assistance, and help redistribute financial assistance through local investment.

He said three more principles should be considered: broad-based development, economic empowerment and bottom-up growth.

Elaborating further, he said policy formulators must rethink rural development.

“This is because rural areas comprise a large percentage of the land area in Malaysia. It represents a large share of the national economy and thus is an economically viable and environmentally feasible component of balanced national development,” he said.

Muhyiddin added that the way to breathe new life into local economies was to increase the vitality of the agriculture sector.

“The rural economy should no longer be taken simply as a means to eradicate rural poverty, but also for its high earnings potential,” he said.

On the principle of economic empowerment, he said the approach should avoid the misguided philosophy of dependence built on differences of education, regional origins, languages, religions, income inequalities or social class that lead families to rely on continuous government assistance.

“The families are trapped in a dependency culture and live a life of non-productive labour. Empowerment aims at expanding economic and socio-economic opportunities supporting individuals and families in becoming enterprising and self-reliant,” he said.

He added that another important instance of broad-based growth was in food production.

‘Rat traps’ to curb vice at Heights of passion

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GEORGE TOWN: Police are setting “rat traps” at the Majestic Heights flats in Paya Terubong to nab foreign women providing vice services.

Acting OCPD Supt Gan Kong Meng said police personnel will pose as clients seeking sexual favours in order to catch the women.

“Such a method is definitely more effective than conducting raids at the flat as these women do not conduct their activities in their units,” he told reporters after a joint raid codenamed Ops Rantau with the Immigration Department and Rela members at the flats on Monday night.

Supt Gan said an Indonesian woman, in her 30s, was arrested for not having travel documents or a work permit, adding that over 300 foreigners were screened in the two- hour raid that started at 9pm.

The raid by 70 personnel took place following reports by The Star that the flats have become a favourite haunt of locals looking to pick cheap and easy foreign women up, he said.

Some of the vacant units in the 23-storey blocks, he said, have been broken into and turned into prostitution dens.

New law needed to give coroners more power

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should have specific legislation on the procedure and power of the coroner in inquest proceedings, said a coroner.

Mohd Faizi Che Abu, who presided over actress K. Sujatha’s death inquest, said currently the duty of the coroner was bound by Section 337 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

The section stated that a magistrate who sits as a coroner, shall inquire only on when, where, how and the manner in which the deceased had died; and whether anyone is criminally involved in the death.

He added that there were case laws where a coroner was reminded not to make any comments or observations as it is not under the purview of the coroner’s court.

“It is important for me to say that the law is silent on the standard of proof a coroner is to apply when dealing with the evidence presented before him.

“For example, when there are two conflicting statements on oath, who should the coroner believe and what test is to be applied is not discussed in the decided cases,” he said.

Mohd Faizi said in Australia and Britain, a coroner may give his recommendations if he thinks it is necessary to prevent future fatalities.

The 28-year-old Sujatha, who had worked as Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s son, Vell Paari’s personal assistant and head of corporate department, had acted in several Tamil dramas, movies and commercials.

“While I have my reservations as to the practice and procedure of the medical treatment in this case (Sujatha’s), I shall not give my comments as it would run afoul of Section 339 of the CPC (power of Public Prosecutor to require inquiry to be held),” he said.

DPP Geethan Ram Vincent agreed that it was necessary to have specific legislation to guide coroners holding inquests.

CAP: Stop eating dried cuttlefish

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GEORGE TOWN: Consumers must refrain from eating dried cuttlefish as tests by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) revealed that it is contaminated with a highly toxic metal known as cadmium.

CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said random tests conducted on cuttlefish samples found that the level of cadmium exceeded the safety standard.

“The amount of cadmium detected in the samples tested ranged from 0.33 to 4.33 parts per million (ppm) when the Food Regulations 1985 states that it should not exceed 1.00 ppm.

Poisonous product: Mohamed Idris showing some of the contaminated dried cuttlefish during a press conference in Penang Tuesday. With him is research officer Hatijah Hashim who is holding a poster showing the effects of eating cuttlefish with high cadmium levels.

“This is not the first time high levels of cadmium is detected in dried seafood. In 2004 and 2006, out of nine dried cuttlefish and seafood samples, six were found to contain cadmium above the safety standard.

“Cadmium is used in galvanising and electroplating batteries, the manufacture of alloys, pigments and plastics, and in the stabilisation of phosphate fertilisers.

“It is also a prevalent environmental contaminant due to its release from metal smelters,” he told a press conference at the CAP’s office here yesterday.

Mohamed Idris added that it had been suggested that exposure to cadmium could result in an increased rate of breast and prostate cancers.

“CAP calls upon the Health Ministry to test all types of dried cuttlefish for cadmium content and ensure that those which contravened regulations are not sold.”

PAS and DAP to meet to air differences

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PETALING JAYA: PAS and DAP, currently at loggerheads in Selangor over several issues, have agreed to come together to discuss their differences on Oct 7.

Selangor PAS information chief Roslan Shahrir confirmed this with mStar Online yesterday.

The effort is seen as the latest move to repair the “bad blood” between PAS and DAP leaders in Selangor, where both parties were lashing out against each other over various issues.

“This roundtable meeting is to prove that there are no problems concerning trust within Pakatan Rakyat, especially between DAP and PAS.

“The idea for this meeting is that we can still sit down and talk, and differences of opinion should not be misconstrued by any party as a crisis,” Roslan said.

The meeting will be attended by 10 leaders representing each party. The Selangor PAS delegation will be led by PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali.

Dr Hasan has been at the centre of most of the feuding between the parties.

He has been involved in issues like the restriction of alcohol sales in the state and the conduct of the state assembly’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency.

Roslan added that a second roundtable meeting would be held if needed.

Retreat to chart Umno strategies

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KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak leads the party top brass in a special three-day retreat beginning today in Janda Baik, Pahang, to chart strategies for the party and an action plan for the next general election.

The retreat, themed Kursus Orientasi Perdana (Prime Orientation Course), is specially targeted at the 191 division heads.

Supreme council members and heads of the Wanita, Youth, Putera and Puteri wings are also required to attend.

For the pow-wow, they will be divided into several groups focusing on specific topics and issues.

The event at the Umno training institute will have a “SWOT analysis” to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by the party, according to a Sept 14 notice issued by party executive secretary Datuk Abd Rauf Yusoh.

Another session focuses on the party’s constitutional amendments.

Loophole over licence renewals

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KUALA LUMPUR: The existing practice of allowing drivers to renew their licences once every five years will be reviewed, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

He said there was a weakness in allowing for five-year renewals, as drivers could not be found easily if they were involved in accidents until they renewed their licences.

“This is the loophole in law enforcement that we must study thoroughly,” he said after launching the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) Malaysia Report at Hilton Hotel here yesterday.

Ong added that the ministry wanted to know how many of those involved in accidents actually paid their fines, and what their general attitude was when they were served with summonses.

Earlier in his speech, Ong said the iRAP report showed three key cost-effective countermeasures with the biggest potential to save lives and reduce injuries.

They were the removal of roadside hazards, installing central hatching on undivided roads to separate high-speed opposing flows, and setting up exclusive and non-exclusive motorcycle lanes.

“The full iRAP Malaysia programme has the potential to prevent almost 32,000 deaths and injuries over 20 years, equal to more than a 30%-reduction in trauma levels on the initial iRAP network of 3,700km of roads,” he said.

iRAP is an initiative to help improve road infrastructure safety in low-and-middle income countries in an effort to reduce global road fatalities.

Ong also said that the Government had formulated the Zero Fatalities Vision and the Road Safety Plan of Malaysia 2006-2010.

These two initiatives addressed a wide range of road safety issues, besides setting out a comprehensive and balanced approach in implementing road safety initiatives around the 4E’s: Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Environment.

Make Roads Safe Campaign global ambassador Datuk Michelle Yeoh, who was also present at the launch, said she was very proud that Malaysia had carried out the iRAP programme.

“We need our roads to be safe for our people, for our children, for our breadwinners.

“A few seconds of road accidents will cause them a lifetime of grief,” she said.

Permata gets RM150m to upgrade centres

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PORT DICKSON: The Government has allocated RM150mil to the Permata Negara early childhood care and education programme this year to upgrade the quality of 478 centres.

The Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said the programme had been expanded to cover 18,000 children nationwide and was supported by 1,200 teachers implementing the Permata curriculum.

“However, this is only 0.5% of the 3.4 million children under four years old. We hope the Government will continue to give an allocation for 2010 so that we can expand the Permata programme,” she said when visiting the Bagan Pinang Permata Negara centre in Taman Desa Pinang, near here, yesterday.

Rosmah is policy chairman of the Permata Negara programme.

Those present included Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil, Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Hasan Malek and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and wife Raja Datin Seri Salbiah Tengku Nujumuddin.

Rosmah added that the Port Dickson District Council had given three terrace houses in Taman Desa Pinang to be used as Bagan Pinang Permata Negara centres.

“Some RM400,000 will be spent on upgrading them. We hope to operate by early November after the upgrading by the Public Works Department is completed.

“The Negri Sembilan State Secretary has said that upgrading works will be completed in three weeks,” she said.

A-G’s challenge to Selangor circular to be heard on Nov 24

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SHAH ALAM: The High Court here has fixed Nov 24 for case management of the Attorney-General’s application challenging the Selangor Government circular directing government servants to assist in Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations during office hours.

The circular adds that civil servants should do so in the presence of their lawyers.

Deputy registrar Mankiranjit Kaur fixed the date in chambers to enable the A-G, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, to get sealed copies of the application and affidavits filed by the Selangor government on Sept 4 to strike out his originating summons.

The state government’s counsel Yusmadi Yusoff told repor-ters that his client had not yet received the sealed copies of the legal papers to serve on the A-G.

On Aug 20, Abdul Gani filed an originating summons in the High Court registrar’s office here for an order to declare as null and void the circular dated July 28, issued by State Secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud.

Abdul Gani also named Ramli as a defendant.

On Sept 4, the Selangor state government filed an application to set aside the originating summons, together with a supporting affidavit to oppose the AGs application.

It argues that the A-G has no locus standi to initiate the proceedings and that the proper party to do so was the MACC.

Bogus cop’s scam bid fails

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GEORGE TOWN: Police are looking for a man who impersonated a senior police officer and tried to withdraw RM2.3mil in cash belonging to a 52-year-old Datuk currently facing the death penalty for drug-trafficking.

The bogus Bukit Aman officer handed a letter bearing the Royal Malaysian Police letterhead to a bank officer in Jelutong on Sept 10, claiming that it was an instruction from the narcotics department to hand him the cash.

State Commercial Crime Investigations Department chief Asst Comm Roslee Chik said the bank officer subsequently checked with the state narcotics department only to be told that there was no such instruction.

A scam: ACP Roslee showing pictures of the man who impersonated a cop.

“The suspect, in his 30s, even gave the bank officer a business card of his supposed superior officer, saying he could call him if there were any questions.

“The name card was that of an Assistant Commissioner complete with a handphone number. We subsequently checked and found that the number was registered with a MyKad reported stolen last year,” he told a press conference yesterday.

ACP Roslee said they called the number but it could not be reached, adding that the bank officer had since lodged a police report over the matter which had been classified as cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

“We believe that more than one person was involved in the attempted scam. Those with information on the matter are urged to call Insp Mohd Shah (019-344-1056) or Deputy Supt Zuhairi (016-345-9096).”

It was reported in August that the Datuk, who has five previous convictions for theft, firearms possession and corruption, was charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act for trafficking 300kg of Eramin pills worth RM20mil with four others.

The five were arrested during a drug bust in Jalan Sungai Dua on July 28 at about 11.30pm.

33 cities pledge to tackle climate change

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KOTA KINABALU: Some 33 Asia-Pacific cities from eight countries are coming together to do their bit to tackle climate change.

The cities – comprising members of the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asia-Pacific (TPO) – signed a four-point joint declaration pledging, among others, to promote the use of buses with limited carbon dioxide emission.

Kota Kinabalu mayor Datuk Illiyas Ibrahim led the signing of the declaration in which the cities also promised to award recognition to green hotels that measure up to international standards.

The cities, which include Malacca, George Town and Ipoh, pledged in the declaration to provide education programmes about climate change for tourism workers and the public.

Members of TPO also pledged to help tackle climate change by actively exchanging information about the issue.

“We in the city government recognise that we have an important role to play in reducing climate-related risks for tourism,” said Illiyas after the signing ceremony that marked the end of the three-day 4th TPO general assembly here.

Indian issues to be looked at urgently

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KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has directed the relevant government departments and agencies to address several long-standing social, economic and educational issues affecting the Indian community.

“We raised several issues for approval and many of them received the nod from the Prime Minister,” said MIC vice-president Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said in a statement that Najib, who chaired the special Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs on Monday, had directed the relevant departments and agencies to deal with the issues urgently.

Dr Subramaniam, who is also Human Resources Minister, said his ministry, as secretariat for the Cabinet committee, would take follow-up action immediately.

On the redevelopment of Tamil schools, he said Najib had approved in principle an extra allocation in view of the increased costs incurred.

He said the Prime Minister had directed the relevant ministries to discuss with the Economic Planning Unit ways to meet the extra RM65mil spent above the RM100mil that had been initally allocated for the purpose.

He said Najib had also asked the Higher Education Ministry to consider recognising other existing pre-university courses to enable more Indians to enter public universities.

He said that the target of a 7.4% intake of Indians into the civil service would be expedited, adding that more employment and promotional opportunities would be created for Indians in government-linked companies (GLCs).

MIC president plans to go on leave for two months

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KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu plans to go on leave for two months, once he sorts out certain party matters.

“The date has not been decided yet,” he said.

On whether this would provide a training opportunity for his deputy to take over the party, Samy Vellu said Datuk G. Palanivel did not need any training.

“He knows how to carry out his responsibilities. When I go on leave, he will be the acting president,” Samy Vellu told reporters after chairing the party’s central working committee (CWC) meeting here yesterday.

His break is expected to signal the start of a leadership transition in the party.

During his leave, Samy Vellu said he would focus on obtaining more infrastructure projects from India for Malaysian companies.

This was the first CWC meeting after the party polls on Sept 12.

On another matter, he said the disciplinary committee had agreed to take legal action against former vice-president Datuk V. Govindaraj for tarnishing the party’s image in the media.

“We have not made any decision on former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam who also tarnished the image of the party in the run-up to the polls,” Samy Vellu said.

On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak agreeing to launch the Makkal Sakthi Party on Oct 10, Samy Vellu said he did not want to comment.

“We will carry out our work to get Indians to vote for Barisan Nasional in the Bagan Pinang by-election. We are confident of doing that,” he said.

Dapsy slams proposal to rotate CM’s post

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GEORGE TOWN: The proposal by Penang PKR Youth that the chief minister’s post be rotated between parties in Pakatan Rakyat has been criticised by the state DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy).

Its secretary, Ng Wei Aik, said the three component parties of Pakatan had not agreed to any new formula to rotate the post.

“This is a racial formula created by (Penang PKR Youth chief) Mohd Yusmadi. He is power crazy,” Ng said yesterday.

He was commenting on a statement by Mohd Yusmadi that a new formula be implemented so that leaders from all races could be appointed Penang Chief Minister.

Mohd Yusmadi, the Balik Pulau MP, said a new formula was needed to replace the Barisan Nasional formula, which gave the Chief Minister’s post to the Chinese and the Deputy Chief Minister’s post to the Malays.

Ng said Dapsy felt that the time was not ripe to rotate the post, adding that the appointment must be decided by the Pakatan component party which has the most number of seats.

Oct 22 decision on Sivakumar’s application

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KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has set Oct 22 to deliver its decision on the application for leave by former Perak speaker V. Sivakumar and six others to compel the Election Commission (EC) to hold by-elections in three of the state’s constituencies.

High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) Justice Lau Bee Lan set the date in her chambers yesterday after hearing submissions clarifying the powers of the Speaker.

On March 10, Sivakumar filed a suit against Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang).

He said the House had received resignation letters from Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin on Feb 1, and from Hee, two days later.

Sivakumar wants the three assemblymen to show the grounds on which they were continuing to carry out the responsibilities, functions and duties of assemblymen.

He is also asking the court to quash the commission’s decision not to hold by-elections for the three state seats and to issue an order compelling it to call for by-elections.

Sivakumar and six others are applying to the court for leave to declare the Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang seats vacant after the assemblymen quit their respective parties.

The other applicants are three Pakatan former executive councillors and three voters from the constituencies.

Yesterday, lawyer Razlan Hadri, one of the counsel acting for Sivakumar and others, said the judge had heard clarifications on whether the Speaker has the right to accept the resignation letters from the trio or whether he only had to tender their letters to the commission.

“It was on whether the Speaker is a merely a postman or otherwise,” he said.

Razlan said the defence team had tried to convince the judge that Sivakumar had the right to come to court to enquire how the EC had come to the conclusion that the three state seats were not vacant.

“To us, it is an irrational decision,” he added.

Cops: Rise in road fatalities should serve as wake-up call

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KUALA LUMPUR: The increase in the death toll during Ops Sikap XX, which ended on Sunday, should serve as a wake-up call to the country’s road users, police here said.

“The increase reflects the attitude of Malaysian drivers, who have yet to change their habits on the road,” Federal traffic police chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof told a news conference yesterday.

He said there were still many road users flouting traffic laws, with 80% of fatal accidents resulting from recklessness.

During the Sept 13-27 operation, 265 deaths were reported compared to 208 for the previous operation, while the number of accidents increased to 17,335 from 15,996, and 152,745 summonses were issured compared with 124,581.

However, SAC (II) Abdul Aziz said the increased death toll did not mean the operation had failed. He added that despite an increase in fatalities, they averaged slightly lower at 17.7%, compared with 17.8% in 2008.

This, he said, was despite more vehicles using the North-South Expressway this year. The number of vehicles totalled two million, compared with 1.5 million last year.

“Therefore, we cannot just look at the statistics but need to look at the whole picture,” he added. SAC (II) Abdul Aziz said education, engineering and emergency feedback, not just enforcement, were important in reducing traffic accidents.

“Ops Sikap is conducted to change the attitude of road users. As long as they are still keeping to old habits, we will keep seeing a rise in fatal accidents, despite all the efforts.”

The future of MCA hangs in the balance

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The decision of the 2,377 central delegates at the landmark Oct 10 EGM will determine the direction of the party for years to come.

THE fate of the MCA - a party founded in 1949 to save the Chinese from repatriation to China in the aftermath of a communist insurrection - is in the balance with its delegates deciding who should lead the party at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Oct 10.

Only one winner will be left standing. It has been a year since Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was elected president of the party and he has reformed and strengthened the party for the biggest battle of all – the next general election.

The MCA has weathered numerous internal and external crises – from the May 13 race riots, severe economic recessions to overcoming the challenges of providing education, business and employment opportunities for the Chinese community.

Despite occasional setbacks, the MCA has fared reasonably well until a combination of factors, some beyond its control, saw a political tsunami in the March 8, 2008 general election.

Compared with other Barisan Nasional component parties like the People’s Progressive Party, the MIC and Gerakan, the MCA also suffered defeats but held its own in traditional strongholds across the country.

Unlike other parties, the MCA is on a stronger footing to reform and reinvent itself, given the opportunity.

But herein is the paradox – the party is finally united under a strong and committed leader in Ong and yet it has been plunged into a crisis.

Should the MCA be led by the strong-willed incumbent president or should leadership pass to Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who was sacked but later suspended for four years?

Dr Chua, who is married with grown children, was a rising star in the party and community until his fall from grace with the emergence of video showing him having sex with a woman in a hotel room in Johor in December 2007.

He admitted that he was the man involved and quit all posts but later decided to claw his way back as deputy president of the party against the odds.

Now he wants not only to be reinstated but is asking the delegates to pass a vote of no confidence against Ong, thus igniting the current crisis.

Considering the weakened state of the Barisan and that the MCA, like the other Barisan political parties are desperately fighting for survival, the party could certainly do without the in-fighting.

The fate of the party rests squarely in the hands of the 2,377 central delegates who would seal the future of the MCA for years to come.

They have to decide whether to give Ong a resounding vote of confidence or allow the leadership to go to Dr Chua, whose sexual indiscretion, as in any other society, would have disqualified him as a leader. The delegates have to choose – a quick and decisive end to the crisis or a long-drawn out struggle within the party.

The MCA has travelled that path before and paid the price for it.

But in the past, the Barisan was strong. Today neither the MCA nor the Barisan has public support for the MCA to pull out from the coalition, although temporarily.

Dr Chua, despite his obvious handicap, has refused to bow out of politics. If the resolution to reinstate him as deputy president is carried, it will automatically trigger an upheaval in the MCA. Ong has said he would resign along with others in the Presidential Council if the delegates pass the resolution of no confidence against him.

He wants a resounding show of support from the delegates for him to remain as president.

For Ong, it is either him or chaos.

That is the choice the delegates will have to make.

If Ong is defeated, there will be major risks for the MCA, the Barisan and the Chinese community, Ong’s supporters say.

The party will have to go through the throes of fresh elections.

With Ong out of the picture and Dr Chua declared unfit, neither the party nor the Chinese community would be represented in the cabinet for months, if not years, until the leadership crisis is resolved.

When there is a crisis in the MCA, the Chinese community will be affected and this give the Pakatan Rakyat an upper hand in the next general election.

If the crisis is not ended decisively the next general election may well be a coup de grace for the MCA.

That’s why the fate of the MCA is squarely in the hands of the delegates probably more so now than at any time in the party’s history.

Phee: Penang may fine hawkers using polystyrene

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GEORGE TOWN: A proposed “polluters must pay” policy in Penang suggests imposing higher licensing fees on hawkers using polystyrene materials.

The policy was considered as polystyrene bowls, plates, cups and containers were found to be major sources of mosquito-breeding grounds, said State Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh.

Those caught polystyrene littering will also be slapped with heavier fines under this policy.

“We found 2,807 mosquito-breeding grounds in 130,000 places from Jan 1 to June 6.

“The biggest culprits were plastic bags and the polystyrene items, much of which were found on road sides, near dustbins and fields,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Phee said there were 814 confirmed dengue cases from Jan 1 to Sept 26 this year – a 72.46% increase compared to the 472 cases recorded during the same period last year.

He said hawkers and the public should opt for other alternatives such as reusable containers or bringing their own tiffin carriers for take-aways. “This may sound harsh but we care for the people.

“The alternative may be more expensive but the consumer has to decide which is cheaper: tiffin carriers and reusable containers, or going to the doctor?

“If one gets dengue, there’s always the possibility of death,” Phee warned.

He expected the “polluters must pay” policy to be discussed at the Seberang Prai Municipal Council full council meeting today.

He had also suggested to councillors from the Penang Municipal Council to bring up the matter at their next full council meeting.

Duo held after high-speed chase

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KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested two men after a high-speed chase from Kepong to the Sungai Penchala toll plaza yesterday. Police also fired a warning shot in the 7.15am incident.

Sentul deputy OCPD Supt Zainuddin Ahmad said policemen in a patrol car were on their rounds at Laman Rimbunan Raya 1 in Kepong when they spotted a Proton Wira car with three suspicious-looking men in it.

He said the policemen ordered the men to stop but they sped off.

The suspects, in their 20s, are believed to have been planning a break-in based on the equipment found in their car.

Thieves grab RM250,000 in daring heist

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KLANG: Armed with revolvers and parang, four men on two motorcycles smashed the car window of a textile merchant and robbed him of RM250,000 kept in a briefcase.

Businessman R. Ragumoorthy, who was seated in the passenger seat while his friend drove, was startled when the four men smashed the windows on both sides of the car before grabbing the briefcase from his lap.

He sustained a slash on his left hand and had a piece of glass embedded in his left eye, while his friend received minor bruises.

The incident took place in front of the Klang Municipal Council office yesterday as the car was in a bumper-to-bumper crawl. Klang OCPD Asst Comm Mohamed Mat Yusop said no arrest had been made yet.

Burglars nabbed within seven minutes of police call

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SHAH ALAM: Using some 30-odd pieces of simple wire hair clips, two young thieves had been able to pick expensive and secure locks of several houses around TTDI Jaya here.

The two youths, aged 19 and 20, were arrested after neighbours at Jalan Sastera 10, U2/1K spotted them and informed the police at 11.38am on Monday.

Police detained the two inside a Proton Wira car. In the back seat, police recovered four laptops worth RM11,600 stolen from a house rented by students of a nearby polytechnic.

Police also discovered the hair-clips, sets of keys for grille gates, screwdrivers and spanners.

Shah Alam acting deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Anuar Mohammad said both men were arrested within seven minutes after a neighbour called the police.

The arrest was made possible as the caller had given many details such as the suspects’ car and the colours of their t-shirts and even of their shoes, he said.

DSP Anuar said both the thieves were remanded for four days until Oct 2. “In this case the neighbours played a crucial part in the arrest of the suspects.

“We believe the duo are slick characters who are able to break in and leave the house within 15 minutes without arousing suspicion,” he said.

Initial investigations revealed that the men were from Cheras in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Tinggi in Johor.

The Proton Wira used was borrowed from one of the suspect’s sister.

Sarawak hit by thick haze

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MIRI: Sarawak has been badly hit by a wave of thick haze from forest fires raging in Kalimantan.

Almost the entire state, except for Kapit Division, saw visibility drop to dangerous levels yesterday morning.

Northern Sarawak appears to be the worst-hit, with Bintulu recording visibility of only 1km, Limbang 3km and Miri about 4km yesterday morning.

“The Department of Environ-ment (DOE) has carried out checks and found there are no hotspots within northern Sarawak.

“The haze we are seeing here is from foreign sources,” DOE chief for Miri Division Siva Nathiran said when contacted yesterday.

“There are many hotspots in Kalimantan now.” he said.

Yesterday, a dense veil of grey haze lay low over Miri City like a shroud, blotting out the South China Sea. Even the shorelines located just 1km from the city could no longer be seen.

On a normal day, one can see the offshore oil-rigs located 10km away in the South China Sea, from Canada Hill overlooking the city.

A check with the Sarawak Meteorological Department head-quarters in Kuching showed that the entire state was just as hazy yesterday, except for the Kapit Division in central Sarawak.

A weather forecaster said there were almost 200 hotspots detected in Kalimantan.

Two months ago, local fires ravaged more than 3,000 hectares of land in Kuala Baram near the Sarawak-Brunei border, resulting in the Air Pollutant Index (API) reaching a high of 186.

Hindraf name being exploited by MMSP, says Waytha

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HINDU Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P. Waytha-moorthy is angry over news that there are plans to connect the movement with the newly-registered Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party (MMSP), reported Malaysia Nanban.

He said in a statement that MMSP, to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Oct 10, is capitalising on the term Makkal Sakthi (people power) that was popularised by Hindraf in November 2007.

Hindraf supporters took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur in the thousands to press for the rights of the Indian community, he said.

Waythamoorthy added that Hindraf was instrumental in the political tsunami that resulted in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition coming to power in five states in the March 2008 general elections.

> Makkal Osai quoted Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk T. Murugiah as saying that the number of cases resolved by the Public Complaints Bureau had raised public confidence in the effectiveness of the agency.

> AirAsia will spread its wings to other destinations in Southern India namely Kochi, Trivandrum and Kolkata in December, reported Tamil Nesan.

The current Tiruchirappalli sector has received an overwhelming response from the people of South India.

Umie: Datuk K’s charm won me over

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POPULAR actress Umie Aida has dismissed rumours that she chose Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan to be her husband for his wealth and status, reported Utusan Malay-sia.

She said the businessman managed to “steal her heart” as he was a humble and responsible man.

“It is his charming personality. Honestly, his wealth does not matter,” she said during a meeting at her posh condominium in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.

Umie, whose real name is Umie Khalsum Rahmad, 36, said her soon-to-be 47-year-old fiancee, changed her views of men.

She had almost given up looking for love after several failed relationships.

Khairuddin, a divorced father of two, who is from Bukit Mertajam, Penang, heads two companies listed on Bursa Malaysia.

Umie, who acted in the movie Embun, directed by her sister Erma Fatima, has two adopted sons.

About 50 of Khairuddin’s family members from Penang will attend the betrothal ceremony today.

The couple plans to get married early next year.

> The Selangor Religious De-partment (Jais) has given followers of Abdul Kahar Ahmad, who proclaimed himself a prophet of the Malays, three months to come forward to undergo rehabilitation and avoid the same punishment given to their leader, reported Harian Metro.

Jais’ strategic planning division assistant director Shahrom Maarop said the department did not want them to die as apostates.

It is understood that there are 32 loyal followers of Abdul Kahar, including six of his children, living in the Klang Valley.

Memorable birthday bash for Andy Lau

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HONG Kong superstar Andy Lau cried at his birthday party celebrations last Tuesday and Wednesday night, reported Nanyang Siang Pau. His birthday was on Sunday.

Lau, whose marriage to Malaysian Carol Chu was exposed by the media recently, posted an article on his official website, thanking God for blessing him and expressing appreciation to his loyal fans.

Lau said his 48th birthday was full of grace and that he was touched by fans who had showered him with presents.

It has been a tumultuous couple of months for Lau.

First, Chu’s father passed away, then the couple’s marriage registration in Las Vegas was discovered.

He received flak for lying about his marriage. On Sunday afternoon, a van delivered a birthday cake to Lau’s home in Hong Kong.

Two female fans also went there to take photos.

> Two Chinese businessmen donated money to construct a huge Hindu temple at Section 7, Shah Alam, China Press reported.

The businessmen, one from Kuala Lumpur and another from Shah Alam, said they lent a hand as “we are living in a multi-racial country.”

Located near Sungai Rasah plaza toll, the RM5mil Sri Mahama-riamman Hindu temple will comprise five blocks of buildings and is expected to be completed in three years.

Once completed, it would be the largest Hindu temple after the one in Batu Caves.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held on Tuesday with a big group of devotees turning up.

There was also a lion dance performance.

The woes of the disabled

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IT takes K. Bathmavathi some time to manoeuvre herself out of her car with some assistance and she is used to this. But what she dreads is going round and round looking for a parking bay designated for the disabled.

“Time is wasted looking for a place to park and it is frustrating to find that others are using lots meant for the disabled.

Bathmavathi, wheelchair-bound since 19, said life was tough as very little was being done for people like her.

StarMetro went along with her recently and saw just how bad facilities for the disabled are.

Dangerous: A disabled person using the road to get about as the kerb is just too high to go over.

Some had been vandalised while others were not done in accordance to the needs of a disabled person.

Even going to the banks is a problem as the buildings are not disabled-friendly - with high entrances and some without ramps.

So how do they do their banking?

“We usually wave from outside the glass door and if the security guard notices, he will come over and help carry the wheelchair up the kerb or stairs,” said Thomas Yeo.

When going out with friends, Yeo who uses a motorised wheelchair, said he could only go to a few cafes or restaurants in SS2 as not all were disabled friendly.

“Every shop has its own design and it is like travelling on a rocky road,

Not disabled-friendly: A wheelchair-bound person needs help to access buildings like this one.

“Our wheelchairs cannot go up a kerb and it is not easy to push yourself up without assistance,” said Yeo, who lives with some friends at the Beautiful Gate home near SS2.

He said the journey home was also a scary one at night when cars speed past without noticing them.

He added that most of them had an emergency light attached to them or wearfluorescent vests to be noticed.

While the council has allocated parking lots for the disabled, extra space would help as they need this to get out with their wheelchairs.

StarMetro found only certain areas had allocated parking lots for the disabled but the signages had been vandalised.

The residents would be compiling a list of recommendations that the council could look into implementing to make the city a disabled-friendly city.

“We will compile a list and send it to the mayor so that he could look into it and make the necessary changes,” said Bathmavathi who is also in the sub-committee for the All Petaling Jaya Residents’ Asso­cia­tion Coalition (APAC) as well as the Association of Women with Disabi­lities Malaysia.

Razali Adom, who lives in Taman Medan, said disabled people were always looking for places to meet with their friends, sometimes for small gatherings.

“Having to organise such events in community halls is difficult as most are not disabled-friendly.

“Sometimes we want to hold gatherings with friends in larger areas but this is a problem. We have no choice but to hold this events in our houses where we are more comfortable,” said Razali who is also a member of the Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association.

Sam Foong said she only obtained her driving licence recently and realised that getting around on her own was much easier in the city.

However, just like the rest, Foong hopes the council would make available better public facilities for the disabled as they, too, want to move around and enjoy various activities like everyone else.

During a recent council fullboard meeting, PJ mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman said all building plans would have to comply with the MS1184:2002 code of practice of Access for the Disabled People Outside Buildings and urged the departments involved to look into planning guidelines for disabled facilities.

He said several aspects that the council would be looking into seriously were the accessibility of ramps, connectivity, tactile and guilding block, lift, railings, pedestrian crossing, hand rails, grab bars, toilets and signages.

Guidelines for toilets for the disabled

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THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has come up with design guidelines for toilets meant for the disabled.

According to a statement issued by the MBPJ public relations department, the guidelines were prepared as a result of a site visit by the MBPJ Disabled Technical Committee to several old folk’s and handicapped children’s homes in Petaling Jaya.

The committee had discovered that the toilet facilities provided by many of these homes did not comply with the specifications set by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim).

Among the problems identified were that the size of the toilets were too small, there were no hand rails, the toilet bowls were too high or too low and some cubicles were not equipped with emergency alarms.

The MBPJ guidelines were drafted according to the exist­­ing Malaysian Standard (MS 1184 : 2002) - Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings by Sirim, the Guidelines on Buildings Requirements For Disabled Persons and overseas design samples.

The design requirements for the toilets are:

·The size of the toilets should be at least 4.5 sq metres and the minimum size should be 2.13m by 2.13m;

·Toilet doors should be at least 900mm in width;

·Toilet seats should be 475mm from the floor;

·Wall mirror should be 1.15m from the floor and at a slant of between 5° and 10° (this requirement is not mentioned in the MS 1184 guideline)

·Hand rails by the toilet seat should be at 800mm from the floor and should be adjustable;

·Door handles must be 500m from the floor and the length of the handles should be 900m and fixed at the edge of the door;

·Emergency alarms must be fitted, with one emergency cord next to the toilet seat and one by the sink, an emergency siren and light beacon fitted inside of the toilet;

·Tissue holders should be next to the toilet seat, at a distance of 500mm

Syabas plan for a dam in Ampang

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SYARIKAT Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) has submitted a proposal to the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry for a dam to be built in Ampang, its chief executive officer, Datuk Ruslan Hassan, said.

“This will serve as an alternative water source for the Salak Tinggi water treatment plant and other areas during the dry season,” he said during a site visit to the Salak Tinggi water treatment plant (WTP) following its shutdown on Sunday.

This is the third shutdown due to raw water pollution this year. The first occurred on June 26 resulting in a shutdown for 49 hours and the second incident happened on July 6 and only resumed operations on Aug 19 after 47 days.

According to information provided by Syabas, the shutdown was due to objectional odour, foam and high ammonia content.

It’s high: Puncak Niaga manager Basser Ismail (left) showing Ruslan (right) and Puncak Niaga chief operating officer Datuk Lee Miang Koi the ammonia level at the Salak Tinggi water treatment plant.

At the press conference, Syabas general manager (Water resources and environmental surveillance department, Operations division) Roowina Merican said the latest test showed that the ammonia content measured 1.72 parts per million (ppm) at 2pm on Monday. The permissible level is below 1.5 ppm.

Since 2005, this plant has been shutdown 14 times and 2006 recorded the highest number so far, which is a total of six times.

Ruslan said Syabas was concerned if the treatment plant could function properly as the shutdowns occurred frequently.

“It (ammonia content) depends on the rain. If there’s no rain then the water level will not be high enough to be treated and it is also more concentrated.

“There’s a possiblity that the Salak Tinggi WTP may be shut down for good. The Jelutong and Pusu treatment plants have been returned to the state government as it cannot be treated any more. We hope that we do not have to reach that state,” he said of the Salak Tinggi WTP.

“We hope to come up with a permanent solution because right now the shutdown is just a temporary solution,” he said.

He said the best and most cost-effective solution was to raise awareness about water conservation.

“We will have a meeting with the relevant parties that operate in this area once we compile a list to discuss the solutions,” he said.

Businessman sees red over stinking mess

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A FAULTY pipe under the road along Lorong Tunku Abdul Rahman has caused a sewerage tank of a shoplot to overflow on to the streets, causing much distress to road users and tenants of the building for four months.

Pedestrians heading towards Jalan Masjid India could be seen jumping across puddles of filth with a look of disgust on their faces.

“My business has been slow and many of my customers complain of the smell and the dirty water,” said tenant Atan Maarof.

Atan, 49, a traditional medicine practitioner said he had complained to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as well as Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) several times. However, both parties have not taken his complaint seriously.

Smelly: A pedestrian looking at the puddle of filth.

“They keep passing the baton around and both said the problem does not lie with them so what can I do?” asked Atan.

He said he would pour buckets of water onto the contents that flow out in order to keep his area as clean as possible.

Atan also said he believed the pipes underneath the road was clogged, forcing the water to backflow and spill out of the sewerage tank in the shoplot.

According to the owner of the building Kamal Kishor, he has lodged several complaints with the IWK and DBKL but both the agencies decline to pursue the matter.

“I believe the pipe outside my shop has either collapsed or blocked so I lodged complaints with both the departments,” Kamal said.

He believed since the pipe concerned leads outside his building, the responsibility of fixing it would fall on IWK.

“They (IWK) say it is not under their purview and it should be mine,” added Kamal.

He added that in the past few months, IWK workers would use a high jet power pump to push the blocked contents down the pipe.

This, he said, would ease the congestion for awhile.

When contacted, IWK’s head of communications Amin Lin Abdullah said the pipes were indeed the responsibility of the owner.

“We have gone to the site again and confirmed that the sewerage problem is within the premises,” he said.

Hence, the premises owner or tenant would have to undertake the repair work, which is probably caused by broken pipes.

Delayed flyover project to be completed in mid-2010

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THE flyover and upgrading work at Serdang Raya that was supposed to have been completed at the end of last year is now scheduled to be ready by the middle of 2010.

Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching and Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah said land disputes and the redesigning of the flyover were the main causes for the delay.

Both of them said they had received many complaints on the construction and the traffic congestion in the area.

According to Teo, the upgrading work started in 2006.

However, in 2007 there was a land dispute between JKR and Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), with the latter claiming the land was theirs.

Highly inconvenient: The delay has been causing traffic congestion in the area.

Later the contractors, who were not happy with the design engaged another consultant to redesign the flyover.

“What should have taken only two years is now delayed to three and a half years. In my opinion, this is unnecessary,” said Teo.

“Most importantly, the road users are affected by this.”

Ean Yong added that the federal government had allocated RM19mil for the project.

“However, the actual cost is only about RM14mil,” he told reporters at the construction site.

Also at the press conference were MPSJ councillors Ng Sze Han, Tai Cheng Heng, and Chong Hoon Ming.

Ng said once completed, the flyover was expected to ease congestion along Jalan Utama Serdang Raya.

“It will connect roads users to Jalan Utama Serdang Raya and the Sg. Besi-Puchong bypass,” he added.

Kampung Baru Sungai Chua folk hope for better services

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THE community clinic in Kampung Baru Sungai Chua in Kajang, Selangor, re-opened recently following its abrupt closure on July 23.

Kampung Baru Sungai Chua Village Safety and Development Committee (JKKK) chairman Yong Swan Khong said before its sudden closure, the operating hours of the clinic had been shortened.

“The clinic used to operate weekly on Thursdays and the staff attended to an average of 50 patients. However, it began operating once a fortnight from 8am to 10.30am, limiting the crowd to 30 patients,” he said.

“The notice announcing the closure cited upgrading as the reason but I believe it was the serious lack of medical staff that prompted the closure,” he said.

Recently reopened: Yong at the clinic which is now back in operation.

The clinic had been operating from a rent-free section of the JKKK building in Kampung Baru Sungai Chua for a number of years.

Now that operations have resumed, senior citizens like Low Kim Suan, 63, and Kuan Bok Seng, 65, who used to visit the clinic for various health problems, are greatly relieved.

“For the few months after the clinic closed, I had to find my own way to the community clinic in Sungai Ramal and the crowd was too big at times,” said Low.

Kuan hoped the clinic would employ doctors instead of medical assistants who could only offer limited help.

“The medical supplies are also limited, so only basic services can be offered. I hope this can be upgraded and the range of medicines expanded.

“I need blood pressure medication and can only obtain a limited supply.

“My friends who also come here have complained of similar problems,” he added.

Kuan also said he was thankful the clinic had reopened as the charge was only RM1 per patient while private clinics charged an average of RM25.

Only a temporary measure

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THE metered parking system implemented by operators Suasa Efektif Sdn Bhd in Cyberjaya since May 1 is not a permanent feature.

The Sepang Municipal Council (MPSp) president Azizan Mohd Sidin said metered parking was only a temporary solution, which would be phased out eventually.

“We are aware that the system is not very popular with the motorists but our focus now is to improve the parking system in the area,” said Azizan adding that the council had been monitoring the parking problems in Cyber-jaya.

“We have certain roads designated for metered parking. However, we still keep a look out for illegal parking along other roads and the tow-trucks are always ready to tow away illegally parked cars,” said Azizan.

On guard: Enforcement officers and tow-truck operators waiting to tow away vehicles parked illegally along road shoulders in Cyberjaya.

He said an average of 140 vehicles were towed away each month for illegal parking.

For the record, there are 1,149 free parking bays at the MSC Innovation Centre, Cyberpark, Sports Arena and Cyberview.

Suasa Efektif had added another 238 parking bays along designated roads namely Jalan Teknokrat 3 to Jalan Teknokrat 6 with their Pay and Display system.

In an unrelated matter, Azizan said the council would be collaborating with the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) in an effort to add more greenery to Cyberjaya.

He said the “Pledge and Plant a tree Programme”, which would be held on Nov 8 on a 9ha site in Cyberjaya would involve the planting of more than 500 species of trees including meranti, pokok sepang and cengal.

Azizan added that the residents were encouraged to contribute by adopting a tree.

Cousins brave the odds to set up German restaurant

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SHARING a passion for German cuisine, three cousins with no previous experience in the food and beverage industry decided to venture into business.

“We love German food especially the pork knuckles and we used to go out with our spouses to the different restaurants in town,” said Berlin Biergarten director Dr Kunalan, 37.

“Since we enjoy it so much, we thought why not just open up our own restaurant?” he said.

Together with his cousins Dr Loganathan and K. Vijayendran, the trio toyed with the idea of setting up a German restaurant with a more casual ambience that people could bring their family to.

For the family: The owners of the Berlin Biergarten aim to create a casual environment suitable for family dining

“We usually bring our children with us and we wanted a place that looked more like a restaurant than a drinking place. We want people to come and appreciate the food,” said Dr Kunalan.

“Our wives thought we were crazy at first and they didn’t believe that we would do it. None of us have any experience in the business so we started learning as we went along,” said Dr Loganathan.

Dr Kunalan said they created the menu based on what they liked with input from their executive chef S. Panneer, 33, who is experienced in Western cuisine.

The roasted pork knuckles is synonymous with German cuisine and at the Berlin Biergarten, chef Panneer cooked up the Berlin Speciality Crispy Pork Knuckle, which is roasted with garlic and herbs. instead of being marinated with German beer.

What was intriguing about the dish was the bulb of roasted garlic served with the knuckle.

Traditional fare: The Bratwurst is almost an essential item on the menu of any German restaurant and at Berlin Biergarten, the sausages are served with sauerkraut and herbed button mushrooms

“Yes, the garlic can be eaten,” said Dr Kunalan with a laugh at my puzzled expression.

Instead of the pungent taste one would expect from biting into a whole clove of garlic, the roasted one was surprisingly soft to the bite and has a sweet fragrant taste.

Panneer explained that the garlic was also roasted with herbs together with the pork knuckle.

There was also a variety of German sausages to choose from like the traditional Bratwurst, which was served with sauerkraut and herbed button mushrooms, and the Chicken Black Pepper Sausage.

“We want to offer variety to our customers so they will also find chicken, beef and lamb sausages on our menu,” said Dr Kunalan.

For those who do not fancy digging into a meat dish, there was the vegetarian Berlin Pasta.

“It is cooked with five types of mushrooms with a vegetable broth,” said Panneer.

Dr Kunalan also recommended the Berlin Salad, which features the slightly bitter rocket leaves.

The bitterness was countered by a tangy honey and mustard garlic sauce, served with deep-fried Camembert cheese, feta cheese and roasted walnuts.

For dessert, Panneer recommended the Peach Cream Caramel, which was served with a scoop of ice-cream.

“The cream caramel is quite a common dessert and I added peach into it to give it a twist,” said Panneer.

Of course, for those who want to pair their food with a cold German beer, the outlet carries a few brands on draft and in bottles like the Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr and Thurn und Taxis.

Coping despite the struggle

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THE Cornerstone Home in Taman Bukit Semenyih is struggling to run its programme as well as feed the children while depending on aid from well-wishers.

Former nurse and Malaysian Care employee Angie Retnam, 56, said unless the home received extra funds and aid from the Welfare Department, the expansion plans for the 14 children under her care were constantly put on hold because the money she received was spent on feeding and educating the children.

Despite all the setback, the centre housed in a two double-storey units is home to 10 boys and four girls aged between two and 15 years.

My passion: Angie is both a teacher and mummy to the 14 children.

“I have children who are introduced to my centre but I had to turn them away as it will only add up to the overall cost.

“There is no compromising on that although I can still accommodate 16 more,’’ said Angie, whose passion is to be surrounded by children.

According to Angie, the Cornerstone Home needs RM10,000 monthly and while the rental of RM1,000 for both the units is taken care by a church, the centre which started operations in 2003, is managing with just RM3,000 a month.

“We are running on a low budget each month. The children do not make a fuss and understand when simple meals are provided. Sometimes we have well-wishers coming forward to give the children a hearty meal of chicken and beef,’’ said Angie.

Smart kids: (From left): Nelson Ramesh, 4, Esther Velayutham, 8, and Simon Jeyakumar, 7, putting their palm imprints on a wall

She believes in giving the children plenty of love as she feels they are short of it as some of them are separated from their parents early in their lives.

“Giving them love and making them feel loved will make the early separation from their parents disappear. This is a perfect volunteer project for me. I have dedicated my life to serve humanity and make children’s lives better,’’ she said.

Christian fellowship is so much a part of Cornerstone that Angie has given each of her “children” — many of them non-Christians — a Christian name to identify herself better with them.

Although there are those who wanted to adopt the children, Angie is not ready to part with any of them but would consider the offer of foster-parents to them.