Selangor Times 21 Jan 2011

8/8/2019 Selangor Times 21 Jan 2011

1/23

commnty January 21 23, 2011/issue 9

Calling formore civicspaces

JURy anda littleRed book

p 11 p 14

FigURing oUtelectRicitybills

p 1213

Foreign invasionyAlvin Yapselayang: Immigrant traders at the market here areobbing local hawkers o business while authorities turn alind eye despite numerous complaints. Tere are even sus-

picions that some ocers might be extorting protection

money rom the illegal traders.Chin Chan Kam, who sells vegetables athe Selayang Utama wet market said the illegalraders, who are mostly rom Myanmar, arender-cutting them at every turn.

We cant compete against them, they dontncur overhead rom electricity and water andental. We sell our vegetables at RM2, they canell at RM1, said Chin, who is chairperson ohe Selayang Hawkers and raders Associa-on.

Pek San Cha, whose vegetable business haseen hit by the illegal traders, echoes Chin,aying local hawkers were getting a raw deal.

Te illegal hawkers operate aer hourswhen Selayang Municipal Council (MPS)norcement ocers appear to be o duty.

Up to 150 stalls mushroom rom 8pm to

am the ollowing day. Tese stalls operateextra hours till 12pm on Saturdays andundays.

Teir stalls are set up along fve-oot waysnd spill on to the road, causing trac conges-on and blocking access to stalls run by local

raders.Pek said traders like him fnd it dicult to

unload produce rom trucks because the shoppavements are blocked, while customers whofnd it hard to make their way to his stall optto buy rom the illegal traders instead.

Selayang Municipal Councillor (MPS)

Lim Ching How said that the MPS was wellaware o the problem.Tis issue has been brought to us by the

traders since March 2008. Te council is seri-ously looking into it, said Lim.

Lim said the municipality did not havepowers to arrest illegal traders. At the most,MPS could seize their stalls and goods but the

illegal traders could come backthe next day.

Lim also suspects that theillegal traders are somehow be-ing protected rom havingtheir stalls and goods seized asthey have been seen givingmoney to unidentifed people.

Security guards working atthe market overnight have reported seeingsome people go rom stall to stall collectingmoney rom the illegal traders, he sa id.

he traders themselves are tight-lippedabout it, but Lim does not discount the pos-sibility o corruption.

We think that there might be corruptionon the ground among our ocers. Ive raised

the issue that some orm o monitoring isneeded to the MPS ull board meetings, hesaid.

I hope that the local traders will comeorward and give proo i ocers are takingbribes, he added.

Lim said he was ready to present any evi-dence to the MPS president and the Malaysian

Anti Corruption Commission.MPS had plans to allocate more unding

to the enorcement unit to stop the illegaltraders rom operating overnight but Limexpressed concern or the ocers saety.

He said a more permanent solution to theproblem was needed and suggested a jointoperation between Kuala Lumpur City Hall

(DBKL), the police and the ImmigrationDepartment.Besides causing massive trac jams along

Jalan Selayang Utama, which leads into theSelayang new Chinese village, the illegal hawk-ers are also blamed or starting an illegal rub-bish dump which alls under the jurisdictiono Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Security guards working at themarket overnight have reportedseeing some people go from stallto stall collecting money from theillegal traders.

Selayang Hawkers and Traders Association chairperson Chin Chan Kam (right) and a colleague point to the mountain of rubbish allegedlyaused by immigrant traders. Picture by Tang Hui Koon


2/23


3/23

SELANGOR TIMES January 21 23, 2011 3


4/23

4 January 21 23, 2011news

The champs: Kwan Beng Hong and Chandranwith Teng (second from left).

EvEnts

By Chng L Wh n Gn P Lng

shah alam: Te state has objected to Putrajayas recentguidelines which have lowered the percentage o residentssupport needed to set up a gated and guarded community.

State executive councillor Ronniu Liu said the state hadalready set the cap at 85% more than a year ago.

Te Federal Governments cap at 51% is insucient andis likely to be problematic, he told Selangor Times.

Te Pandamaran assemblyman explained that some com-munities had been unable to set up a gated and guarded com-munity as they were not able to secure 85% support rom theresidents in the past.

Lowering the limit to 51% may result in the mushroomingo gated and g uarded communities in Selangor in the short-term. Such security schemes are more likely to ail as well, dueto lack o adequate community support. Liu said that gener-ally, only residents who agreed to the security scheme wouldbe committed to paying the monthly ees.

Te state has also rejected the ederal guidelines becausesecurity taris have been raised since Jan 1 due to the increasein security guards minimum wage.

Liu said he had received several complaints rom residentassociations ollowing the announcement o the security eehike.

As ees are increasingly expensive, he said Selangor wouldbe maintaining its 85% cap to ensure that private securityschemes garner sucient commitment rom residents beorethey are approved by local councils.

Minimum monthly wages or security guards have beenincreased rom between RM300 and RM500 to betweenRM500 and RM700 rom this year.

Following this resident associations have to pay between

RM5.20 to RM7 per hour or an unarmed guard (dependingon area; see table).

For an armed guard, the ee increase is rom RM12 toRM15 per hour.

Security Services Association o Malaysia president DatukShaheen Mirza Habib said the increase in security guards

wages was delayed rom July 2010 to this year to give time orthe market to adapt.

He said residents should be wil ling to pay a reasonable priceor quality security services and a sae neighbourhood.

By Gn P Lng

shah alam:: Te states own amil monthly paper,Selangor Indru, is expected to hit the streets this weekend.

he irst edition will be an evaluation o PakatanRakyats perormance in Selangor since 2008, said executivecouncillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar. Although Selangor Indrusrst issue would be political, he said subsequent editions

would ocus on community issues.Dr Xavier added that the paper would have a circulation

o 100,000, with 50,000 copies printed twice every month

and distributed ree in areas with signicant Indian com-munities. He cited Kapar, Banting, Klang, Damansara andBatu Caves as examples . We also plan to bring it to enang(Johor), quipped the Seri Andalas assemblyman.

enang by-elections nomination day will be h eld tomor-row and voting day is on Jan 30 (Sunday). Te paper wasapproved by the state executive council last December anda yearly budget o RM800,000 was allocated or it.

Tree experienced writers who were previously rom themainstream media and a graphic artist will helm the eight-

page paper.

Gated scheme

cap stays at 85%

Teng graces badminton tourney

Tamil monthly launched

*The above rates do not include 6% government service tax

NeW seCurity tariffscv Jn 1, 2011

areasuNarmed

Guard(per person/

hour)

rm7

rm5.2

rm5.50

rm6

rm15

rm15

rm15

rm15

ZoN a Penang, Selangor,Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya andSouthern Johor

ZoN B Malacca, NegeriSembilan, Perak, Pahang,Terengganu and NorthernJohor

ZoN C Labuan, Sabah andSarawak

ZoN d Perlis, Kedah andKelantan

armedGuard

(per person/hour)

ml it f

Malaysia IT Fair is an inspiring digital liestyle eventthat caters both to consumers and the ICT (inormationand communications technology) industry. It is notonly about value bargains but more. It encompassesa learning platorm packed with activities or themodern generation to get acquainted with the latestIT happenings and consumer electronic oerings inthe market. The air will be on rom Jan 28 to Jan 30,2011. Admission is ree. Venue: Mid Valley ExhibitionCentre, Level 31 The Gardens South Tower Mid ValleyCity Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur.

KLPaC pn

Visit Kuala Lumpur Perorming Arts Centres (KLPAC)open day on Jan 23 rom 10am to 5pm. The programmeincludes Theatre & Dance perormances such as Green& White by Nyoba Kan, Jom Dance by Lex LakshmanBalakrishnan, Balinese Dance by Max Roswell,Through the Looking Glass by Balletbase (Bilqis Hijjasand Ng Bee Bee), and Standup Comedy in Chinese byJoker Duo. There will also be indie flm screening, drumjamming by Drumclix, Aro Sahara & Drum Simoni, artsand crats market, live painting by Marta and treasurehunt (recommended or 12-year-olds and above). Fordetails, call 03-4047 9000 or more ino or visit www.klpac.org

Hpl opn d

Columbia Asia Hospital Cheras will be organising anOpen Day or the public on Jan 23 rom 8.30am to4pm. There will be ree health screening tests includingtests or high blood pressure; blood sugar tests; bodymass index; bone scan, hand grip assessment. Otheractivities involve a blood donation drive, colouringcontest, health quiz, magic show, ace painting andsand art. Venue: Columbia Asia Hospital Cheras, JalanSuakasih, Cheras, Selangor.

yh n m

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra presents KeesBakels as conductor and Tengku Ahmad Iran onpiano. Framed by a piano concerto by a 20-year-oldand the fnal composition o an ailing 68-year-old,the ounding ather o the MPO and Malaysias latestpiano prodigy (aged 12) introduces us to the rarely-heard original version with orchestra o one o Chopinsmost dazzling virtuoso piano showpieces and one oRossinis most captivating overtures. The concert willbe on Jan 22 at 8.30pm and Jan 23 at 3pm. Admissiionon Jan 22 is RM95, RM75, RM55, RM25 and on Jan23 is RM85, RM65, RM40, RM20. Dress code on Jan22 is long-sleeved batik or lounge suit and on Jan 23 issmart casual. Venue: Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS,Level 2, Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC, KualaLumpur.

Pncl Wng f

Back by popular demand, Prince Hotel & ResidenceKuala Lumpur is once again organising its AnnualPrincely Wedding Fair or the 9th year on Jan 22 andJan 23. In collaboration with Carven Ong Couture &Wedding Specialist, WeddingsMalaysia, Associationo Wedding Proessional Malaysia, the event willeature oers or specially tailored wedding packages,ballroom settings with contemporary style decorationsand wedding gits at the Prince. The Wedding Theme,The Romance o Princely Garden at Prince Hotel &Residence Kuala Lumpur will be eaturing more than 15

proessional wedding partners and a host o weddingshowcases, consultations and ashion show. The airwill be on rom 11am to 6pm. Venue: Prince Hotel &Residence Kuala Lumpur.

Pn mln opn sp s 2011

The worlds leading players rom China, Indonesia,Malaysia, South Korea, Denmark, England, and othermember countries play or the US$400,000.00 purserom Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets are rom RM5 to RM45.Venue: Putra Stadium, National Sports Complex, BukitJalil, Kuala Lumpur.

Byalvn yp

klang: A badminton doubles championship named aferState Assembly Speaker Datuk eng Chang Khim saw shuttlers

playing their hearts out . Te two-day event at aman Eng Annin Klang was divided into our age groups.

Te players worked and struggled together. It is like acommunity working together to solve problems, said eng.He added that community sports championships brought

people together. Its hard work, to think, to struggle and es-pecially to work with someone else.

He said the state supported initiatives to bring communities

closer, citing the championship as a catalyst or more sportsmeets in uture.Lim Zhan Lee and Wong Man Hung beat Liow Chee Yea

and Ng Kean Kaa in the Under-15 nal. Puah Chen Hao andan Jin Shen took the Under-17 title, while Kwan Beng Hongand Chandran won the Senior Open by beating Lim Ee Qinand Muhammad Hashim. Te event was organised by theSungai Pinang State Assembly seat ser vice centre.


5/23

5January 21 23, 2011news

41 factories get reprieve

SERI KEMBANGAN:Over 500 contestants, both young andld, took part in a Chinese New Year calligraphy competition at the

erdang Community Hall yesterday.As I like drawing, calligraphy is not very dicult or me, said

oyce Cheong, champion o the open category.Having started calligraphy lessons since she was 12, the 34-year

ld systems analyst took up the art orm aer being persuaded byer mother.

I became interested in calligraphy because it is one o the Chineseraditions, which sadly nowadays many children dont enjoy, sheaid.

First runner-up in the secondary school category, Loo Jia Qianrom SMJK Kwang Hua, has been taking calligraphy lessons oreven years.

Calligraphy helps me to be more patient, and I like it because itvery beautiul, said the 18-year-old.Her ather also expressed pride with his daughters success and

emarked that calligraphy is a good hobby or youngsters.

Also present were state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wahnd Serdang MP eo Nie Ching.Tere was a good response today. I am surprised we attracted so

many local residents to join as this is our frst competition, said EanYong.

Consisting o primary school, secondary school and open catego-es, the competition began at 9am and ended with the prize-giving

eremony at 1pm.

Cheras residents want their schoolBy Chong Loo Wah and Gan Pei Ling

CHERAS: Residents o Bandar Sungai Long andBandar Mahkota Cheras want Putrajaya to honour anelection promise to build a new Chinese primary schoolhere.

Te residents, along with their elected representa-tives, gathered yesterday at the site reserved or the

primary school to remind the Federal Government thatit was time to deliver.

an Kok Wai, who was among those gathered,pointed out that seven new Chinese primary schools,including one in Bandar Sungai Long, was supposed tobe built under the Ninth Malaysian Plan.

Te Cheras Member o Parliament added that devel-opers had reserved three pieces o land in Bandar SungaiLong and two in Bandar Mahkota Cheras or schoolsover two decades ago.

Selangor has also been waiting or Putrajaya to changethe lands status rom ordinary school reserve land toChinese primary school land.

Hulu Langat MP Dr Che Rosli Che Mat added thatEducation Minister an Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had saidin Parliament that his ministry did not have sucientunds.

He urged the ederal government to prioritise educa-tion and building schools in their budget.

Also at the event was Serdang MP eo Nie Ching andstate executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah.

y Basil Foo

RAWANG:Factories operating onroad reserve here who have been

old to make way or the widening oalan Batu Arang have been grantedreprieve.

Te owners o the 41 actories,ome which have been operating athe site or past two decades, soughtnd received an extension o theeadline to move, at a meeting on

Wednesday with Rawang assembly-woman Gan Pei Nei.

Gan, who met the owners andepresentatives rom the Public

Works Department and the SelayangMunicipal Council, said they now

ad until the end o February tomove to new premises.

Te owners, who held emporary

Occupation Licences (OL),claimed they only received evictionnotices in December.

Te new deadline was also to en-able authorities to decide how manyactories should receive compensa-tion.

he Gombak Land Oice hadincluded another 13 actories to aninitial list o 28 which were to receivecompensation but JKR is against themove.

Gan added that JKR was alsoconcerned about the additional costsdue to delays and wants the issue to

be settled as soon as possible.So ar, only a handul o actories

have moved to new locations, withthe rest to ollow soon.

A local council oicer said 16 a c t o r i e s c o l l e c t i v e l y o w e dRM85,000 in assessment arrears andthis would be deducted rom anycompensation.

he planned construction in-volves road-widening projects alongJalan Batu Arang and a 1.6km elevat-ed highway connecting the Rawangtoll with Bandar Baru Rawang to ease

worsening trac conditions.

Calligraphy competition attracts all ages

To place yourAdvert

in

Contact Timothy Loh at 019-267 4488or Ivan Looi at 014-936 6698

Residents stating their stand at the site.


6/23


LEE LANDSCAPE SDN BHD

LEE LANDSCAPE SDN BHD(Company No. 433709-X)46-1, Jalan 8/62A, Bandar Menjalara,Kepong, 52200 Kuala Lumpur.Tel: 03-62731913 (Hunting line) Fax: 03-62750496E-mail : [email protected] person : Ms Brenda Lai

Know YourCouncillor: Lee

Kee HiongByYasleh Hani Mat YassinKAJANG:Being a local coun-cillor is a privilege because o theopportunity to shape policiesor services delivered to the com-munity, says Kajang Municipal(MPKJ) Councillor Lee KeeHiong(pic).

Lee, who was appointedcouncillor in July 2008, believesthat municipal services are com-

plex and must continuouslyevolve in order to remain at ahigh standard to meet the de-mands o the local community.

o know their needs, Leermly believes in building goodrelationships with communitymembers. My team and I dedi-cate ourselves to talk and listento people rom all walks o lie.

She nds that the main com-plaint rom residents is rubbishcollection, which is not carriedout according to schedule.

Lee receives these complaintsat her service centre at No. 33-2

Jalan emenggung 9/9, Seksyen9, Bandar Mahkota Cheras,

43200 Batu 9, Selangor.Lee holds a Bachelor o Sci-

ence (Resource Economics) anda Masters degree (Master inLibrary and Inormation Sci-ence). She was a business re-

porter beore working as a spe-cial assistant to Lim Kit Siangrom 1993 to 1997.

ByAlvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: It was all smilesor children rom Lighthouse Children

Welare Association when they gottraining tips rom national badmintonchampions Koo Kien Keat and anBoon Heong at the 1Utama shoppingmall last week.

Koo and an, who were once theworlds top mens doubles pair, are cur-rently ranked third in the world.

Eleven children rom the shelterhome took turns to receive person-alised training rom Koo and an asthey learned how to serve properly andhow to deliver drop shots, and even

play a short match against the cham-pions.

Were glad to be here to play bad-minton with the children, said Koo.

Te older children, being taller thanthe rest, also learned the art o deliver-ing smash shots that hit the oppo-nents court with pinpoint accuracyrom the World Championships run-ner ups.

Some o the children demonstratedexceptional skills when they returneddicults shots rom the pair.

Tey had a chance to put whateverthey had learned to the test when Kooand an squared o with them in adoubles and singles match.

Afer the strenuous workout, thechildren were also treated to afernoon

tea comprising sandwiches, dessertsand ruit juices at OBriens.

Te event on Sunday was hosted byOSIM in conjuction with their spon-sorship o the Badminton WorldFederation Superseries circuit whichstarted on Wednesday.

When asked i he would considercoaching in the uture, Koo said thathis immediate plans was to urtherdevelop his skills.

o the children here today, I wantto tell them that being a world rankingbadminton player means giving yourbest to your chosen career, said Koo.

Children realise dream oftraining with champs

Tan Boon Heong (right) and Koo Kien Keat (left) together with the children fromLighthouse Children Welfare Association.


7/23

SELANGOR TIMES January 21 23,2010 7

news

Luxury developmentplagued by pollutiony Basil Foo

PUCHONG:Unsightly rubbish and oulmelling air have upset residents o the ex-lusive Lake Edge housing area, who a iredheir grouses with local authorities at a

meeting last Friday.Residents voiced their displeasure over

arbage in the lake, which is the main sell-ng point or the luxury neighborhood o75 houses.

Garbage rom the other side o the lakealls into the water here when there areainstorms or strong winds, said resident

Denzil Albert, 36.Tere have been incidents where the

whole surace o the lake is covered witharbage, he added.

Te other side o the lake where a dump-te is borders the Puchong Industrial Parkhere land reclamation work is ongoing. Itbelieved that the garbage is used to ll

and in the reclamation project.Te Subang Jaya Municipal Councils

MPSJ) regulations stipulate that the de-eloper should only use construction debriske rock and soil or the land reclamation,ut Albert said garbage was being used toeclaim the land.

We can see that it is actually all sorts oarbage, like organic waste, [being used],aid Albert.

MPSJ issued a summons and stop workrder on Dec 21 last year to developersoing the land reclamation but the orderent unheeded.

Residents have observed that aer the

stop work order was issued, trucks were stillcoming in to dump rubbish. I dont believethe stop work order is actually helping,Albert added.

Local councillor Ng Sze Han acknowl-edged the complaints and agreed with someo the residents suggestions to erect barriersat the reclamation site.

[Concerning the] dumping o the rub-bish at the reclamation area o the lakeMPSJ will take immediate action to blockaccess to this project, said Ng who is alsoa resident here.

We will also do a cleanup o the rub-bish. Once there are any updates, we willcall or another meeting with the residents,he added.

Residents also raised the issue o a oulsmell believed to be caused by improperlyunctioning water treatment plants.

Te smell is acrid, it burns your nose,and it gets into your house. It started romthe rst week o December and happensintermittently, mostly during the eveningand aer rain, said Albert.

We are not sure where the smell comesrom, but we suspect its rom the sewerage

plants because we have seen them overfow-ing, he added.

Representatives rom Indah Water Con-sortium at the meeting urged residents tocall their hotline when the smell occurs sothat they could investigate its source.

Councillor Ng also urged Indah Waterto investigate the source o the smell bychecking the water treatment plant at JalanBandar.

Malaysia, wartsand all, in TeohlogyDUBBED the Voice o Malaysiadue to

is years as a mainstay presenter on theocal airwaves, Patrick eoh is now launch-ng a diatribe on the Malaysian experiencen trademark acerbic wit with his book,

eohlogy.eohlogy Te Word According o Pat-

ick eoh will be launched with an appear-nce by the author himsel tomorrow rompm at Popular Book Store, IKANOower Centre, Mutiara Damansara.

Te book comprises eohs previouslyublished articles whichwere carried by the noweunct Of Te Edgemag-zine rom 2005 to 2010. Inis pieces, eoh expoundsn the trials and travailsaced by ordinary Malay-ians in this multiacetedountry.

From the wealth o ob-ervations made during hisime as a radio personality,elevision presenter, voiceo-ver talent and actor, eohrovides an insiders insight into the intri-acies and idiosyncrasies that a young na-on like Malaysia is learning to go through.

Expanding his writing presence onliney blogging at his website, eoh is notranger to sharing his views in a candid,o-holds-barred manner. He presents

Malaysia, warts and all, in a way that willave readers either chuckling in recogni-

ion or sighing in resignation.eohlogypresents a Malaysia with the

arcical antics o its politicians, the perilso its public transport, digs at the powers-that-be and Malaysians themselves hop-ing we will not give up trying to understandthe nuances o this beguiling country.

Some call him a cynic or an old grumpbuteohlogyis an authentic Malaysian voicetelling it as it is with a generous sprinklingo realism, humour and provocation.

Currently, eoh is a ull-time actor andmember o the Instant Ca Teatre Com-

pany. Among many other roles, he has also

appeared alongside Chow Yuen-Fatt andJodie Foster in Anna and the King in 1999.

He is also continuingeohlogyas a col-

umn in the Selangor imes.Being restaurateur o the DamansaraVillage chain o restaurants, he also prideshimsel most as being husband, ather,grandather and, in his own words, a gen-erally misunderstood person.

Te book eohlogywill retail or RM38per copy.


8/23


From left: Ira, Julien and Sarrah experiencing Thaipusam in Batu Caves.

Annualexperience

for devoteeBy Basil FooKLANG:Te traditional rituals o penanceand sacrice are nothing new to Navin Kumar,

who has been bearing the kavadi at Batu Cavessince he was 11.

Taipusam is the day Lord Murugan camedown to earth. On that day, all will get hisblessing, said the 25-year old quality controlocer.

Navin learnt to carry the kavadi rom hisgrandather, and said the signicance o theritual is urther heightened during the prepa-rations made beore he set o on his journey.

Tis includes a month-long vegetarian astas part o his special prayers beore Taipusam.

Te process o preparing to carry the kavadi involves the spiritual cleansing o thebody which has to be done at a specic loca-tion.

For devotees, this includes sleeping dailyin the god room a room in their homes

where deities are placed.In order to carry the kavadi, our body

must be very clean, so we dont sleep in otherplaces, he said.

According to Navin, carrying the kavadi isnot limited to only Hindus.

Even those rom dierent religions alsotake up the kavadi because they believe in itor because their prayer to be healed rom sick-ness was answered, he said.

Taipusam, which was ocially held on

Tursday, also draws spectators rom all walkso lie who congregate at the caves to observedevotees and the procession o Lord Muru-gans chariot.

Navin, who bore his kavadi a ew days be-ore Taipusam, said devotees had to walkmuch urther this year, due to a new yover

which had been built.Starting rom the Batu Caves railway sta-

tion, the procession would have to cover adistance o about two kilometres in order toreach the oot o the cave stairs.

Touristssoak inspectacle

ByAlvin Yap

Ira, Julien and Sarrah are rom Canada. Tey

have never seen anything like this - meaningthe sights, sounds and eel o Taipusam atBatu Caves.

Its crazy and unbelieveable, said Ira,who hails rom oronto.

A suggestion to come to Batu Caves onthe eve o Taipusam, Ira said, was the bestthing he and his riends did.

Julien, who has been staying in Malaysiaor our years, had not been to any Taipusamcelebration beore.

He said he was not prepared or what hewould be witnessing.

Its intense, up inside the cave. Weve seenthe devotees dance around carrying the thing(kavadi) on their shoulders, said Julien, whostudies in an international school in KualaLumpur.

He marvelled at the kavadi, a woodencross like structure weighing 30kg thatdevotees carry on their shoulders. It mustbe exhausting to carry the kavadi.

He said he respected the participants ortheir devotion to their aith, adding thattourists must make the trip to Batu Caves ona night like this.

It might be outside the comort zone, Imean to see scenes o people who pierce thehooks into their lesh, said Sarrah, whocomes rom Montreal. Its about aith, isntit? she said quietly.

Sarrah is taking a year o afer nishingcollege. Her world journey has brought herrom Mexico to Malaysia. Australia is next.

Tis place must have lots o history, Ibet, she said. She stared at the massive

crowd inside the temple grounds in BatuCaves. A devotee passed by bareooted.Why do they go bareoot? she asked.

It had been memorable or the threeriends.

Te hypnotic thumping o the proces-sional drums and the chants have been in-tense, said Sarrah.

Khalid (centre) and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman and Gombak MP Azmin Ali and executive councillor Dr XavierJeyakumar arriving at Batu Caves on Wednesday night. Pictures by Victor Chong

A young child has his hair shaved atone of the many stalls in Batu Caves. A devotee picking out the best garland at a stall.


9/23


ardip Singh (wheelchair) and his brothers making their annualilgrimage to Batu Caves.

MB promises

temple upgradeBy Rahmah GhazaliBATU CAVES: In the spirit oTaipusam, Menteri Besar an SriKhalid Ibrahim has promised that

ri Maharamariamman emple wille developed and upgraded to catero millions o devotees who thronghe popular shrine every year.

o me, this suggestion is verymportant because tonight we canee that a lot o devotees, many evenoming rom other countries, andourists visit Batu Caves, he said on

Tursday.Khalid, who visited the site with

xecutive councillors, assemblymen

and parliamentarians, said discus-sions with the temple committeeand the local authority would take

place aer Chinese New Year.He praised Sri Maharamariam-

man emple president Datuk R.Nadarajah and his committee orcontributing a lot to the state andnation.

I hope we will have bilateraltalks as the committee has played asignifcant role in bringing in ben-efts, not only to Selangor but to thecountry. hat is why we need toexchange views on how to take thetemple to greater heights, saidKhalid.

He said the state was aware o theIndian communitys welare andneeds.

In 2010 alone, we spent RM3million to upgrade and repair exist-ing Hindu temples. Meanwhile, outo 103 land applications to developnon-Muslim places o worship, 56

were given to Hindu temples, hesaid.

Later, Khalid presented a RM3million grant to develop SekolahRendah Jenis Kebangsaan (amil)in Ladang Midlands, Section 7 ShahAlam. Petaling Jaya City Council(MBPJ) and adika Rakyat weregiven RM470,000 each while SriMariamman emple in Rimba Jayareceived RM300,000.

Also present at the event wereGombak Member o ParliamentAzmin Ali and Batu Caves assem-blyman Amiruddin Shaari.

Hindu devotees had earlier car-ried the statue o Lord Murugan ina 10km procession rom downtownKuala Lumpur to Batu Caves tomark the beginning o Taipusam.

BATU CAVES: Hardip Singh Gill, 45, is disabledwith cerebral palsy but year aer year, he makes his an-nual pilgrimage to the temple here or haipusam

without ail.Te devotee was seen being wheeled around by his

big brother Amer on the eve o this years celebration.

We have been coming to the temple or the past 11years, said Amer.Te 48-year-old businessman, who has been looking

aer Hardip since their parents died more than a decadeago, said they did not have problems with the hugecrowds at the temple.

Arriving at 7pm, A Rela oicer escorted themthrough the throng.

When they see me and my brother in his wheelchair,they blow their whistles to make way or us, said Amer,

who hails rom eluk Intan, Perak.At 10.30pm, amid the milling crowd and the thump-

ing drums, the brothers were seen sitting quietly at aspecial site reserved or the handicapped as they soaked

in the celebrations.he highlight was receiving blessings rom thetemple priests inside Batu Caves.` Ameer said Hardips caregiver, who also made the

pilgrimage with them, climbed many stairs to receivethe blessings on his behal.

He said this kept them coming back year aer year. Itsall about aith, that my brother will be blessed, he added.

Brotherly love and faithOne of the many colourful kavadi groups at the yearly Thaipusam celebrations.

Millions of devotees climb 272 steps to reach the main temple inBatu Caves.

family of devotees bring milk offerings in Batu Caves.


10/23

10 January 21 23, 2011News

Abandoned project

successfully revived

SHAH ALAM:Owners o the Suri Puteri Com-merical Centre, which was delayed or almost six

years, nally received the keys to their propertiesrom an Sri Khalid Ibrahim on Sunday.

Te Menteri Besar ociated at a ceremony atSection 20 with Shah Alam City Council(MBSA) Mayor Datuk Mazalan Md Noor.

Mazalan said the abandoned project, which wasprivatised by MBSA, was revived thanks to theintervention o the state.

He thanked Khalid or helping nd the newdeveloper, Semangat Ulung Sdn Bhd, to rescuethe project in 2009.

Te development, consisting o 67 shop/ocelots and 312 serviced apartments which wasstarted in 2003, should have been completed andoccupied by 2005, said Mazalan.

He pointed out that close cooperation betweenthe state, MBSA and Semangat Ulung made it

possible or the rst phase to be completed.Mazalan added that MBSA was monitoring the

construction o serviced apartments and will en-sure construction is completed according toschedule.

Single mumsfeted to

luxuriousdinner

ByAlvin Yap

SEPANG: On Saturday evening,it was as i the single mothers romSeputeh had let the weight and

worries o being the sole breadwin-ners at home as they gathered ordinner at Sepang Gold Coast.

Te event was organised by theMalaysian Spring Single Mothers

Society (MSSMS) and hosted byGolden Palm ree Resort to recog-nise the sacrice and hard work osingle mothers as they work hard tomaintain their jobs in the workplaceand at home.

From left: Mazalan handing over a souvenir to Khalid as executive councillor Rodziah Ismail and Shah Alam MP KhalidSamad look on last Sunday.

Deplorable conditionsat public housing atsPETALING JAYA:Selangor has instructed theCity Council (MBPJ) here to act or even termi-nate the contract a company that has allegedly

ailed to maintain the Kota Damansara PublicHousing Project.he ailure o the management company

in carrying out their duties properly is among thesource o problems in the housing project, saidSelangor executive councilor or housing IskandarSamad.

Iskandar, who visited the area on uesday, sawwidespread problems which included cleanliness,vandalism, security as well as problems with lis.

He said garbage could be ound on stairs, al-leyways and even on top o the main water tank.Iskandar said he was concerned that reuse

could seep into the water supply or the ats.He has suggested that MBPJ hold a cleaning

operation with the management company, resi-dents and relevant authorities.

SHAH ALAM: Muslims who choose toleave their jobs at entertainment outlets whichserve alcohol can opt or entrepreneur trainingand grants rom the state.

Selangor has set aside RM10 million orthe programme to help these workers.

Te Syariah Criminal Enactment orbidsMuslims rom serving alcohol. Te state isconducting a easibility study to determine ilocal councils can restrict entertainment out-lets rom hiring them.

Tose interested to apply or the trainingor grants can do so at the State EconomicPlanning Unit (UPEN) at the state secretari-at or call 03-5544 7115 or 03-5544 7965.

RM10 million forMuslims to fndalternative work

Work-maker, home-maker...ev-eryday, they work in the jobs thattheyve chosen, to support theiramily...and then they go back andcook, take care o their amilysneeds. I salute them, said PascalPringent, the general manager o theaward winning luxury resort locatedat Sepangs Gold Coast.

Marianne Sandanasamy said she

was honoured to sit with her ellowsingle mothers at the dinner unc-tion.

I think we single mothers knowthat we work hard to provide or the

physical and mental needs o ourchildren, said the 42-year-oldmother o two teenaged children.

o the laughter o the other singlemothers, Marianne, who works asan administration ocer in an ac-counting irm, said that she wastaking time of rom work and herchildren.

Te others nodded their heads as33-year-old Chee Poh Suan said thatshe did not look back at the circum-stances that caused her to raise her

children single-handedly.I have my children to look aer;I have them to look orward or meto provide or them, said the pint-sized lady who works as a actoryassembler in Klang.

For Chee, the preparations beginthe night beore as she cooks por-

ridge or her childrens lunch-timemeal.

Te next morning, she gets outo her home at aman Seputeh at6am, well beore her children wakeup.

She then walks or about 30minutes to the KM commuterstation at Seputeh to take a 40-min-ute ride to Klang. She says this is the

best time or her to catch up on somesleep.Chee said that she does not

worry about her son and daughterat home. Even though they are not-

yet 13 and 14 respectively, they areindependent. My neighbours lookinto my children rom time to timeand they send ood over. Sometimesthey help them get ready or school,said Chee.

he Malaysian Spring SingleMothers Society is a non-govern-ment organisation which wasounded in 2002 to provide nan-cial aid, community support andcounselling to more than 500 singlemothers.

Ng Yoot Kuen, as the organisa-tions president, said the singlemothers consisted o those who havebeen widowed, divorced, or sepa-rated rom their husbands and thoseacing marital problems.

Its advisor is Seputeh member oParliament eresa Kok.


11/23

11January 21 23, 2011Views

When I had to make the ul-timate lie-changing deci-sion, or so it seems when

oure 18, o which college to ur-her my studies, I chose aestheticsver academic reputation as Iouldnt be bothered to spend morehan a day mulling over my uture.

I was instantly attracted to ay-ors College because it had a niceame and the campus looked well-esigned, like a real campus. Not to

mention that it is one o the oldestprivate colleges around. So thelder it is, the better, no?

Te aylors College campus inS15 had a lively student vibe. Teates opened out to a courtyard andhe rush o students going in and outwas an exhilarating eeling or aoung woman embarking on hercademic journey.

I had never been studious in highchool and had long been jaded witheachers play o authoritarianism,o my transormation rom a highchool student to college reshman

was a precious moment or me.I had loved the campus eeling

where students hung about min-ling reely and I could roam aroundhanging rom one lecture hall tonother. But that eeling didnt lastong.

Beore our rst semester ended,we were given notice that the Di-loma programmes would be movedo the Leisure Commerce Squareampus in Kelana Jaya. We wereisappointed with the decision, andtook it especially hard because one the reasons I chose aylors wasor the campus experience!

And now, we were moving ton oce building?

So we exercised our rights andgned a petition against the move.

Needless to say, the power o corpo-ation prevailed over petty studentoice and the next semester, we

ound ourselves - students in t-shirtnd jeans, battling or space in thelevators with corporate employees.

Seven years later, I came back toS15. Te student vibe has probablymplied threeold since.

aylors has now acquired univer-

ty status; next door INI Collegead annexed a new building; andhere seemed to be a rise in interna-ional students locking to theserivate colleges.

In the nearby areas, new mallsopped up in addition to the neigh-ourhood malls like Subang Paradend Te Summit.

Sunway Pyramid had opened P-2nce 2007 and a short walk romS15 will take you to Empire Gal-

ery, a massive new mall opened lastApril. SS15 is becoming, or already

, a bustling commercial centre.SS15 and its surrounding areas

re increasingly becoming commer-ialised because not only is it a resi-

ential area but a magnet or middleo upper class students with spend-ng privileges and internationaltudents.

It makes perect business sense toet up pop ranchises like Starbucksnd Pappa Rich in the area, and theearby malls provide consumer ca-

Colleges should provide spaces for debate and exchange of ideas.

Tripping Zero 3

Sharyn Shufiyan Calling for More

Civic Spaces

tharsis aer a hard day spent inlectures.

Various shops line the streets andlanes o SS15, and it is a convenientplace or education centres.

I didnt notice as many cyber ca-es now as compared to my shortstint here. Tey seemed to have beenreplaced by new convenience stores

instead. Not that its a shame thoughas Ive always thought that its dis-tracting to have cyber caes rightoutside colleges.

But what I did notice was that thearea didnt have any cultural or socialspaces, still. Which is a shame be-cause, being the higher educationhub in Selangor, Subang Jaya couldpotentially develop into a resourcesand knowledge centre, a signicant yet oten sidelined acility com-monly absent in the Malaysian civicsphere.

It is my concern that our studentsare not engaged and increasinglydisinterested in current afairs.

We seem to lack social and cul-

tural spaces or students to gatherand discuss spaces that are com-ortable enough or them to gatherand hang out with riends whileaccessing inormation and resourcesthat would be useul or their studiesor or their own general knowledge.

Instead, entertainment outlets

are easily accessible. What about li-braries, archives, galleries and youthcentres that host books, artworks,documentaries, ilms, documentsand activities apart rom the conven-tional lectures spoon-ed by some-times unqualiied lecturers? Orbitter spinsters in my case.

Tere are no public libraries in

the area in which students can accessurther readings that are not avail-able in the college libraries. I remem-ber resources were appalling duringmy time at aylors and being a MassCommunications student, there wasnot even a media archive.

What about the space or orums,debates and discussions?

I assume most discussions takeplace either in the nearby caes or inthe limited spaces within the col-leges itsel. Do we still ear equip-ping students with a mind o theirown? Are we still nurturing a cultureo spoon-eeding? Do we still expectstudents to study as theyre told andregurgitate word or word in their

essays?I so, then we will sufer a greatsetback in quality graduates, Imaraid.

I am a staunch believer that cul-tural and social spaces are importantor developing bright and intelligentminds.

Intelligence goes beyond books.One should be able to articulateopinions well, generate ideas andengage in discussions. But the ques-tion is who carries the onus toprovide such acilities?

We have many times dependedon municipal councils to x every-thing or us. Te police beat basethat was set up by the municipalcouncil was a positive step towardscombating crime in the area but Ithink we should also move orwardand start thinking about developingthe area into an active and vibrantcultural space, because it is a lackingaspect o our urban areas.

But heres a thought: perhaps theprivate colleges should collaborateand establish a cooperative that would provide such spaces. Onesuch model we could aspire to is thepartnership by the various schoolsand colleges o the University o

London, which have establishedcommon spaces or students toconverge to and make use o.

An example is the Senate HouseLibrary, a common library that allstudents o the University o Lon-

don can use, even i their own schoolor college have their own libraries.

he idea is that students romother colleges can have the space toshare, to engage with each other andto access resources that may not

necessarily be provided in their owncampuses. It can even be a collabora-tion between the private collegesand the municipal council to de-velop these spaces.

I personally think that KlangValley, a cosmopolitan it may be, isonly partially developed as such. Tearts, philosophy and humanities arerelegated to being the stepchildreno development.

Development should not just beabout physical structures such asgigantic malls and skyscrapers. Itshould include intellectual develop-ment. But then again, this might justbe a rant suppressed or seven yearsaer I was kicked out o SS15.

Are colleges pushing intellectual and personal growth, besidesacademic performance?

Bustling commercial centre near private colleges.

haryn huyan works with an organisa-tion working to promote environmentaland social sustainability. ometimes youcan nd her sitting in a coffee shop withher nose plastered to a book.


12/23

2 January 21 23, 2011InsIght

Things we shouldknow abouT ourelecTriciTy bills

By Rahmah Ghazali

Have you ever elt like you have been payingmore than you should or your electricityalthough there are only a ew o you living

in the house?Have we ever calculated the power usage re-

ected in our bills, or do we e ven bother to lookinto the details and just pay the amount stated?

For those who take their bills seriously, they

can go to the extent o taking legal action againstissuers o the bills.In this case, it is enaga Nasional Berhad

(NB), the electricity provider, that is usually theparty responsible, and oen times, put under thespotlight or all the wrong reasons.

Tere is an explanation, nevertheless, as to whythe consumers eel they are overcharged, said theEnergy Commission, whose role is to regulate theenergy sector in Malaysia.

Te commissions head o electricity pricing,Marlinda Mohd Rosli, said many complaints romthe public concerned the O (oce) bill.

Te O Bill is an estimated bill that is sent outthrough Pos Malaysia to All Ordinary PowerConsumers (OPC), and this means NB will onlyconduct meter reading once every two months.

But this causes problems to most consumers,she said, as NB calculates the bills based on theconsumers monthly usage trend.

For example, i my usage or the rst monthis RM60 and i this trend continues, my bill orthe month aer will reect RM120 as the totalamount I have to pay, she told Selangor Times.

As this seems to be a basic mathematical calcu-lation, things could turn complicated as the powerusage still depends on two tiers under NBs tarifcategory, implemented in 2009. (Refer to Tableon the left).

Te two tiers indicate that power usage be-tween 0-400 kWh (rst tier) per month wouldenjoy a lower electricity tarif compared to thesecond tier.

Te problem arises when the consumer ex-ceeds even one kWh (1 kWh) o 400kWh a monthand they will be automatically charged under the

second tier.Tat is why we have received many complaintsrom the public regarding this matter, she said.

However, those who use less than 400kWh amonth will be granted a lie land band, whichmeans its tarif will be at the lowest rate o 21.8sen per kWh.

For instance, those who have only used 200kWh a month still pay on average RM40 but thiscrosses the board, said Marlinda.

As long as you maintain your minimum usage,you can enjoy this rate, she added.

She also revealed that such issues had becomecommon among the public, until it caught theattention o the Public Complaints Bureau.

Te Chie Secretary also knew about this andasked NB to settle the issue, she said, addingthat the Government was also reviewing the tarif.

Meanwhile, the Energy Commissions MohdNawawi Said Abdullah shed more light on com-mon complaints, which usually involve NBstermination o electric supply because o out-standing bills.

Tis normally happens when the owner othe house rents it to other people who ail to paytheir bills. In the end, it is the owner who should

be held responsible, said the supply and servicesmonitoring head.

o prevent that rom happening, he said it isthe owners duty to transer the electricity accountname to the tenant during the rental period.

I there is an outstanding bill, NB can alwayssue the tenant instead o the owner, although itinvolves the same premises, he said.

As complaints vary, Mohd Nawawi explainedthat solving a particular case is time-consuming.

Sometimes, the consumers are not happy withour solutions. When we decide that they have to paythe bills, they would prolong the issue, and someonehas even taken NB to a tribunal, he said.

And this was all over claims that NB hadmiscalculated his monthly bill by RM8 extra.

Although it was an issue o only RM8, as amatter o principle, he went ahead with the legalaction. In the end, the tribunal decided that NB

was right in calculating the bill based on gazettedtarif, and the consumer ended up paying the billand also the legal cost, said Mohd Nawawi.

Tere have also been complaints about doublebilling, he said, which usually afects condomin-ium owners or tenants.

Tis happens when NB has a main meterwhere it reads overall power usage o one block othe condominium and there is also an individualmeter or each o the units.

Double billing occurs when the owner ortenant pay the bill to NB without knowingthat the management has also paid the overallamount. Tis can be avoided i the managementcompany only pays the balance o the usage o con-dominium owners rom the main meter, he said.

Mohd Nawawi also recalled an incident whenNB had to repay RM400,000 to a condominiumin Petaling Jaya due to double billing. Te reason?Te management overlooked the matter.

Te management usually paid the bill everytime they got it, so did the owners. Tey onlydiscovered the error when the management con-ducted an internal audit, he said.

And it is NBs responsibility to compensatethe management company as it is not allowed tocharge twice in one month as stipulated under the

Electricity Supply Act 1990 and Licence SupplyRegulation 1990, he added.In cases where NB ailed to terminate the

electric supply despite the owner having outstand-ing bills, Mohd Nawawi said this was due to manyactors.

First o all, it is NBs duty to cut the electricsupply i the consumer ailed to pay aer 30 days(aer the rst bill came out), but a notice shouldbe issued to them rst. However, a ilure to do so(cut the supply) could be due to the NB workerslimited authority to execute their duty.

For instance, they might have trouble cuttingthe supply i the meter box is located inside thehouse. Unless they get permission, they could beconsidered trespassing, he said.

erminating the electric supply is not an easytask, added Mohd Nawawi, especially i the elec-tric source distributes to many houses.

Sometimes they cant just cut the electric sup-ply as it might afect other places, he said.

However, he gave an assurance that they tookevery complaint rom the public seriously by con-ducting regular dialogues with interested parties.

Last year alone, we conducted a number odialogues with them. Even the Chie Secretary

took part, he said.Consumers who would like to lodge

complaints with the commission can go towww.st.gov.my under the Consumer tab.

But it is advisable i they resolve the issuewith NB rst. I it comes to a dead end, thenthey can come to us, said Marlinda.

How is your electricity consumptionat home?

Many are unaware o how they consumeenergy at home, be it rom a hairdryer, iron,microwave, television or air-conditioner,

until they receive a shocking bill at the endo the month.According to a booklet titled Your guide

to energy eciency at home released by theEnergy Commission, it says that the kitchenis a good place to start the hunt or the ben-ets rom wise use o energy.

Tis is because the kitchen consumes the

major part o electricity consumption in thehome, about 40 percent compared to other

parts o the house.It said an average amily in a low-cost

house spends about RM65 per month, whilethe electricity bill in a medium cost house isabout RM110 a month.

But bungalows consume more energywith their monthly bills going up to RM350a month.

What is the cost of using your electri-cal appliances?

he booklet urther states that manypeople are unsure o what kind o appliancescontribute to their bills.

However, they can actually do their ownenergy audit and control consumption..

Below is general information of averageelectricity consumption cost a month in low-cost house, medium cost houses and bungalows

A high-tension issue: Maybe its time for a simpler billing.


13/23

views14 JANUARY 21 23, 2011

W

hy isnt there a trial by jurysystem in Malaysia when itcomes to criminal proceedings,

etc., and how does the current systemafect the judiciary? Sesha Atchiah akaFranky, via email

Te idea o a jury trial came in tandem withthe abolition o the notorious 15th centuryStar Chamber in England that exercised

wide civil and criminal jurisdiction. Tis courtgained inamy because the judges had unlim-ited discretion in how they decided a case.

Tis meant the judges could decide as andhow they liked, without regard or anythingor anyone. In such an environment, it is nothard to envisage things getting completely outo hand to the point it became intolerable.

Te Star Chamber is now a common shorthand or a court marked by arbitrary, oppres-sive, and secretive procedures so a ewtouches dierent rom the current FederalCourt o Malaysia.

When the Star Chamber was abolished,the people o England insisted that judgmentsbe rendered not by a judge but by the judg-ment o his peers, or by the law o the land.

Jury trials used to exist in Malaysia, but itwas limited to capital oences. Te govern-ment abolished the jury system on 1 January1995 citing, amongst others, a danger with lay

jurors delivering verdicts coloured by emotionor popular perception, instead o the acts othe case.

Tis criticism is valid, more so in a develop-ing country where the pace o developmentand level o education is uneven in various

parts o the country. Te current system or

almost all criminal cases is or a single judgeto hear and decide on the case.Although the present system is more vul-

nerable to political and corrupt inuence because only one person needs to be boughtto achieve those corrupt aims it is not

without its benets.A judge is likely to be more learned in the

law and its application as compared to a juror,

and would, in the ordinary course o things,decide based only on the admissible actsbeore him, and not based on emotions.

More importantly, a judge has to explainhis judgment whereas jurors do not. hebenet o a jury system would be that inu-encing or corruption would be ar more ex-

pensive because now you had to deal withseven dierent people instead o one. Tey arealso less likely to be controlled by the state.Tough the jury system is anexcellent concept, its practical-ity severely hampers its imple-mentation.

Another criticism is thatmost jurors would not able tounderstand more scientic orhighly technical matters. In amulti-cultural environment

like Malaysia, there is also astrong likelihood that racialand religious bias and partial-ity may enter into their deci-sion.

I you were on trial, and hadyour lie on the line, would you really want tobe judged by a jury o your peers in Malaysia?

I have read the Bar Councils Red Book,and ound it useul. However, could youplease tell me what are my rights, andthe rights o the police, i I am stoppedat a roadblock in a situation where I amnot put under arrest? I intend to writean article to highlight this issue or theeducation o the general non-law public,and would appreciate any guidance.

Phoon Kar Yue, via emailRoadblocks are an important thread in thesocio-cultural abric o Malaysia. Everyonehas a theory about what the best strategy isat a roadblock. Even the requency o road-blocks is predictable by the seasons oh,Raya soon mah, sure got a lot o roadblocksone lah!

Let us rst deal with your rights and duties

that o the citizen. Firstly, i the policemanis not in uniorm, you have the right to see hisauthority card. Always note his name andauthority card number, whether or not he isin uniorm. ake note o the cards colour.

Secondly, i asked or identication, tellhim your name and show him your IC. He isonly entitled to inspect it, but not take cus-tody o it (unless you are arrested) taking

your IC rom you is illegal under the Na-

tional Registration Regulations 1990.Tirdly, the police must inorm you o the

reason you were stopped you. I you are notinormed, ask you have a right to know. Ithe police say you have committed a tracoence, you have se veral options. You couldtry to plead or leniency with the cop. Makesure you come up with a very good excuse.Claiming to be a lawyer and doing a bit o thenudge-wink is not a good excuse. Tis is wherethe many theories come in. Some say greetingan ocer by calling him cikgu is a secret

code that indicates you or a member o youramily are linked to the police orce. Someswear by the acting clueless method. Othersclaim that requesting that a summons be is-sued quickly as youre in a hurry will conusethe cop. I you do have ones that work, pleaseemail them over to LoyarBurok or compila-tion. I that doesnt work, we advise you to justtake the ticket.

I, however, you see the cop hesitating,pulling up his pants when there is no neces-sity to, or holding your driving licence anddoodling on his clipboard, or repeatedlythreatening to issue you a ticket despite youasking or it Im going to write you aticket now ah. Right now ah. Okay, now ah.Like right this instant okay? Are you ready?Sure? Im going to be very careul. He is

very likely looking or duit kopi (literallytranslated as coee money although youcould aord the cheaper selection o Moets

with it). LoyarBurok strongly condemns o-ering a bribe to a corrupt public ocial.

You should immediately note his name andnumber, and lodge a report with the Malay-sian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).Dont worry about ending up dead afer thatbecause you would be considered a complain-

ant as opposed to a witness just try to stayon the ground oor.I the cop inorms you that you did not

commit any oence, you can politely tell himthat you are going to leave. I he tries to detainor stop you, you should ask whether you arebeing arrested. I he declines to answer andstill detains you, congratulations, you have acause o action or unlawul detention/arrestagainst the police.

Do make it a point to mention this to themas sweetly as possible and give them your big-gest Im so gonna open a can o whup-ass on

you lot when I see my lawyer smile. Tatshould see an increase in the damages recover-able, though be warned that it is directly re-lated to the amount o physical injury yousustain.

Have un at your next roadblock!Although Lord Bobo already knows your

question beore you even knew you had aquestion, as a practical display o your true de-sire to have your query answered, His SupremeEminenceness has graciously allowed you tocommunicate your questions by emailing [email protected],

stating your ull name, and a pseudonymi you wish the question to be publishedanonymously (and a good reason or ano-nymity).

tweeting your questions by mentioning@LoyarBurok and using the hashtag#asklordbobo. Te rst 100 questions pub-lished will receive LoyarBuroks ONLYmerchandise you ever need (worth a lot or

humankind) courtesy oSelangor Times.Now, what the hell are you waiting or?Hear his and remblingly Obey (al-

though trembling is optional i you are some-where very warm)!

Liberavi Animam Meam! I Have FreedMy Spirit!

Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column byLoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)

where all your proound,abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite,

sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered!

The jury

Red Bookand a LiTTLe

By Rahmah Ghazali

shah alam:: Badrul Hisham Abdul-lah has ceased to be Port Klang assembly-man afer being absent rom the state as-sembly or six months.

Speaker Datuk eng Chang Khim an-nounced on Wednesday that the seat ell

vacant on Jan 16.

Te ormer rst-term state lawmakerwas last seen in the house on July 15 last year. eng pointed out that Badrul, whoquit PKR in 2009 beore joining Umnolast year, was absent or all six days o thethird assembly sitting rom Nov 8-15, 2010

without seeking leave rom the Speaker.

Article 69 o the State Constitution

provides that i a member o the legislativeassembly is without leave o the Speakerabsent or a period o six months, the seatshall be declared vacant by the Speaker.

eng added that the Election Commis-sion (EC) has to call or an election aferit receives notice o the vacancy.

Pot Klg st vct, ss Tg

More importantly, a judgehas to explain his judgmentwhereas jurors do not. Thebenet o a jury system wouldbe that infuencing or corruptionwould be ar more expensive

because now you had to dealwith seven dierent peopleinstead o one.


14/23


I recently purchased a house inGlenmarie. Approximately two

years aer the keys were handedover, 75 per cent o my groundoor tiles heaved.

Te damage covered areas o myliving room and dining room.It is hard to believe thatthis could happen in ahigh-end project by a

prestigious de veloper.I was told that the

developer has no respon-sibility to me or this la-tent deect, or two rea-sons.

Firstly, the deect liability peri-od o one-and-a-hal years, hadlapsed.

In countries like Australia andUnited Kingdom, home buyers areoered a longer warranty period.For instance, in the United King-dom, the home warranty periodoered by the National HouseBuilding Council against majorstructural deects is or 10 years.

he 18 months o warrantyperiod does not adequately coverhomebuyers rom deects as some

deects occur ater the warrantyperiod, or example due to landsettlement.

Are Malaysian housing develop-ers not condent o their build-ings?

In my case, I had purchased thishouse rom the irst buyer very

early aer the keys werehanded over. From thetime I purchased thehouse till the time othe damage, no ren-ovation was done to

the damaged area.I also cannot help butrelect on the poor quality ohouses nowadays and comparethem against the quality o houseso old.

For example, I grew up in Petal-ing Jaya and my amily lived in thatsame house or 20 over years. Teoor o that house has survived notonly 20 years o everyday use butalso two cycles o renovation toother parts o the house.

We homebuyers lack protection where developers are not con-structing quality houses proes-sionally and where they do not usequality workmanship and materi-

als.Due to this, homebuyers are lehaving to ork out more money torebuild already completed homes.

Secondly, I am the second buy-er o the Glenmarie Cove house.

here are no laws to protecthousing developers rom being

responsible to second buyers ordeects.

However, this doesnt changethe act that the house was stillconstructed by the developer. Whyare there no laws to protect subse-

quent homebuyers in this aspect?Should housing developers be al-lowed to constantly deny responsi-bility o sloppy work?

I the warranty by vehicle man-uacturers covers subsequent own-ers, I dont see why the housingdevelopers cannot do the same orhouse purchasers. Houses do noteven suer as much abuse as vehi-cles rom everyday use.

It is thereore, my humble yetreasonable opinion that Malaysianhomebuyers are not adequately

protected.Ultimately, it is the home buyers

who are the victims. I we as home-buyers do not stand up, we indi-

rectly encourage housing develop-ers to continue to build substand-ard houses on the assumption thathome buyers will renovate andrectiy the deects anyway.

Hoping to make a diference,Resident at Glenmarie

Home buyers shouldbe better protected

Financial aid

for storm victims

NGO proposesspay and releaseto reduce straysByAlvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: Sterilising strays beore re-releasing them has beensuggested by Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) as a more humane

way to deal with the perennial problem o controlling strays.Currently strays are placed in pounds that are unhygienic and breeding

grounds or many o the canine related diseases, said Wani Muthiah, oneo the ounding members o MDDB.

Te non-government organisation believes that sterilisation beore re-leasing them can reduce the number o strays over time because the dogswill be unable to breed.

Wani pointed out that this would also mean that local governments willnot have to resort to euthanasia or putting down animals which are caught.

She also claimed that stray dogs are currently trapped in a manner thatis causing them injuries, adding that many strays have suered cuts andbruises while being chased and caught.

MDDB wants the state to direct local councils to carry out the moveand allow dogs to be released to their natural environment.

Under the experimental system, stray dogs would be caught withminimum physical harm beore getting their ears surgically marked. Tedogs are then released to the areas where local residents will take care othem and eed them.

She added that eeding points will be established in the areas or localresidents to eed the stray dogs.

In short, that is the release part o the system we want the local coun-cils to try out, said Wani.

She said that MDDB was set up aer a story that came out in the mediain Oct 2008 o Russel, a mixed breed dog that was injured when he wastrapped by local council workers.

Wani said the public started to write in to the blog that was created tohighlight Russels plight.

I thought to mysel that Malaysian dogs do deser ve better, said Wanion Sunday at the MDDBs monthly adoption centre at Jaya 1, adding that

was how the group got its name.

By Gan Pei Ling

SEMENYIH:Families whose homesere were ravaged by a storm and oodnOctober received a total o

RM20,700 rom the state on uesday.State executive councillor Dr Xa-

ier Jayakumar gave out RM300 eacho 69 amilies rom six dierent vil-ages in Beranang.

RM300 may not be much, but thetate is doing what it can to ease theamilies nancial burden, said Huluangat Member o Parliament Dr Che

Rosli Che Mat. He visited the villageswith district ofcials aer what some

illagers described as the worst stormhey had ever experienced. Roos werelown away and loods damagedouses and crops.

Tirteen amilies rom Kampungndah PKNS, 25 rom Kampungesapan Batu Rembau and 28 amilies

rom Kampung Sesapan Batu Minang-abau received aid. Tree amilies each

rom Kampung Sesapan Kelubi, Kam-pung Rinching Hilir and Kampung SgJai were among the recipients.

he water level was up to myknees, most o my urniture, includingthe mattresses, were damaged, saidAzura Anzan, 30, rom Kampung In-

dah PKNS.Although Azura was eight

months pregnant then, themother-o-three had to helpclean up the mess in the house.

Dr Che Rosli said the statewas repairing the drains in Seme-nyih and drawing up measures to

prevent similar oods in uture.Te state also built a new

brick house or rubber tapperRohani Maamor, 60, who is cur-rently staying with her motherand younger sister. Rohani saidher amilys old house was builtin the 1960s and was inested

with termites.Kampung Sesapan Batu

Minangkabau village chie WarisAmal said the state only had to

bear the construction cost or thehouse as the land, located inront o the villages surau,originally belonged to Rohanisamily.

XavierpresentingRM300 to a

victim.

Dr Che Rosli: Staterepairing drains.

zura and her baby.


15/23

16 January 21 23, 2011News

By Basil Foo

HULU LANGAT: Families looking to re-decorate their homes this Chinese New Yearcould consider donating their old urniture tocharity.

Te Seri Sinar Charity operates a ree col-lection service o recyclables like paper, plastic,and electronic waste, as well as old urnitureand other unwanted goods.

Usually collection increases our-oldabout one month beore Chinese New Year

and during the year end, said the organisa-tions president, Datuk Dr Eadon Ching, athis oce here on Wednesday.

Te old urniture is brought to Seri Sinarsstorage acility or reurbishment beore theyare donated to other charity organisations.

Recyclable items and those which are be-yond repair are sold to nearby recycling centresand scrap dealers at market rate.

We try to reuse whatever we can but ithere are too many irreparable urniture items,

we will have to charge residents a minimum

o RM60 or disposal costs, said Ching.Proceeds rom the sale o collected items

are donated to poor students, schools andcharitable homes while reusable items likebooks will be donated to libraries.

Most o the clothing we receive comerom ashion houses and expatriates who arereturning home, he said. Seri Sinar, whichstarted in 2003, employs 70 truck drivers,item sorters, carpenters, collection workersand administration sta.

We have 300 recycling bins in Klang Val-

ley and 24 trucks which collect items dailyrom the bins and residents who call us, hesaid.

Ching said Seri Sinar had moved premisesour times since their beginning due to spaceconstraints ollowing an increase in demandor their collection services over the years.

During peak season, the collection binsare flled every day, he added.

Seri Sinars collection services are availableby calling 03-90211888, or fnd out more at

www.recyclecharity.org.

HULU LANGAT: Recycling orcharity was initiated by Seri SinarCharitys ounder Datuk Dr EadonChing due to his twin passion orthe environment and helping thosein need.

I worked or more than 20 yearsas a social worker in other non-gove r nm enta l or ga nisa t ions(NGOs) beore stopping in 2001 todo my car business or two years, hesaid.

Ching recalled how an Sri Ong

Ka ing, a minister then, encour-aged him to take up the environ-mental cause which led to thecharitys ormation in May 2003.Seri Sinar Charity has aced its shareo diiculties in dealing with its

workers.Te main setback we aced is

[human resources] because we havea manual workorce. It is a tough job

with low wages and long hours,Ching said.

Te organisations 70 employeesare mostly truck drivers, collectors,and sorters, who manage 24 trucks,300 recycling bins in Klang Valley,and a 1.3 acre storage acility.

During estive seasons when

donations are at their peak, theworkers could be at the warehouseuntil late at night, he added.

Ching said volunteer groupswould occasionally visit the ware-house to help sort out the col-lected goods but cannot cope withthe physical labour.

I cannot rely on volunteers, Ineed dedicated workers. So our

workers wages are sponsored by

kLANG: Sungai Pinang assem-

blyman Datuk eng Chang Khimdistributedang powand hampersto 23 senior citizens at an old olkshome on Wednesday.

One o the recipients was LimHeng Loong, who turned 100 lastSeptember. She is the oldest resi-

dent o Chik Sin Tong Old Folks

Home.eng said the state was consid-ering allowing senior citizensregistered under Selangors MesraUsia Emas scheme to draw a por-tion o the und or medical pur-

poses.

Under the scheme, senior citi-

zens selected beneiciaries willreceive RM2,500 or uneral ex- penses upon the elders deaths.eng urged the state to make adecision ast. RM2,500 may notseem much, but or the poor theamount could be a signifcant.

Saving theenvironsand

helpingthe poor

Hampers for senior citizens

The recycling bins for residents to dispose of their unwanted goods.

corporations and my own company,he explained.

According to Ching, the inabil-ity to keep a strict rein on workers isa reason why other organisationshave not been able to succeed.

Even oreign NGOs have ailedhere. We have to be strict with our

workers so they do not damageitems that they cannot be sold, orsell items or their own pockets, hesaid.

Te charity has also aced issues with some opportunists who takeadvantage o their recycling servicesor their own beneft.

Tere are unscrupulous environ-mentalists who collect items to sellbut keep the money. Tey are abus-ing the publics concern or theneedy, said Ching.

He said such groups o people usethe same methods as Seri Sinar, with

some even using their collectionbins. Seri Sinar has started usingdierent coloured bins, but Chinglaments that the damage has beendone and public perception o recy-cling collection services has eroded.Te best environmental advice Ch-ing can give the public is to reducetheir consumption o new goods.

We must ask ourselves i we re-ally need to buy an item. Most wastemoney by buying new things and

throwing old things away, he said.Tis would use up our natural re-sources aster. I we reused old thingslike urniture, we could reduce de-orestation, he added.

Home owners could start com-posting their organic waste or useas garden ertiliser.

60 per cent o waste romhouseholds is organic so I encouragethe use o composting, he said.

Ching showingelectronic waste andunsorted items inthe storage area.

Donate old furniture to charity


16/23

SELANGOR TIMES January 21 23, 2011 17

Taahira Sdn Bhd (875421-H) (AJL 931811)53-1 Jalan SS23/15, Taman SEA, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel.: 03 7805 5598 , Fax: 03 7805 7066 , Email: [email protected]

Website: www.taahira.com

Organic Skincare

Pure From Nature

Here are a few reasons why our products

are dierent from others on the market:-

At least 70% certied organic

and 95% natural ingredients

No dangerous chemicals used in our

formulations such as Glycols, Parabens,

Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fragrances,

Phthalates, Mineral Oils, PEGS, AHAs,

Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroquinone or

Formaldehydes

No Animal ingredients or testing

For more details call us on 03 7805 5598

or visit us at www.taahira.com.

STOCKIST AND

DISTRIBUTORS

WANTED

Let Nature

Take Care Of

Your Skin


17/23

18 January 21 23, 2011technology

IT consumerisation

set to dominate 2011

By Edwin Yapp

Technology pundits always adopt thebeginning o the year as a time to lookinto their crystal balls and try to predict

whats on the horizon or the coming year.Some o their predictions do come true, whileothers dont.

Despite these uncertainties, there are sometrends that are probably more obvious thanothers and this week, Ill try to capture someo them.

Te rst trend that will stand out is whatpundits and analysts term as the continuingconsumerisation o I. What this basicallymeans is that more and more electronic de-

vices and gadgets will be designed and tar-geted at consumers average Joes includingmums and pops whose chie interest is justto use them as they are without having totweak or modiy their gadgets.

Tis trend is simple to comprehend. Astechnology consultant Ovum noted, inorma-tion technology (I) today is being trans-ormed as an everyday tool or the commonman, or plainly put, this is known as the iP-hone eect.

Gone are the days when computers are thedomain o geeks and techies. With the advento the Apple iPhone and iPad, more and more

people can get connected in the simplest oways without having to struggle to learn thetechnology.

The rise of tablet computingNowhere else will you be able to see this trendo consumerisation o I best at work thanthe recently concluded Consumer ElectronicShow (CES) held in Las Vegas rom Jan 69.

Among the interesting announcementsmade on the rst day was aiwanese comput-ing maker Asus making inroads into the tabletcomputing game.

Asus announced our new tablets designedor a wide range o users and applications.Tey are the Eee Pad Slider, Eee Pad rans-ormer, Eee Pad MeMO, all running GooglesAndroid operating system soware, and EeeSlate EP121, which runs the Windows 7Home Premium soware.

Each o them has its own pros and cons butthe main selling point o the Eee tablets is thatit comes with the option o having a ull QW-ERY keyboard, which to date, is the sorest

point o most tablet computers.Arguably the biggest tablet computing

announcement was made by Motorola in theorm o its Atrix. Tis new Android-based

device is actually a smartphone but with thecapabilities that can extend to making it atablet.

Te hardware spec is very impressive; itsports a NVIDIAs dual-core egra 2 chipset,a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED fash, aront acing VGA camera, 1GB o RAM and16GB o internal storage, a ngerprint readerand a 4-inch display with a resolution o960x540.

Now whats interesting is that the Atrix hasthe option o docking to a netbook-like shell,

which sports only an 11.6-inch screen and athree-cell battery. Tis netbook-like dockingstation serves to merely extend the computingexperience already available on the handsetrom one o a smartphone to that o a tablet.

Te netbook shell has a docking area in therear with an HDMI plug and a micro-USB

plug that slide into the ports on the phonewhen it is placed in the dock. Te phone cancharge itsel rom the netbook shells battery.A pretty cool device or those who want theoption o having the portability o a smart-

phone and the practicality o a tablet-sizecomputer.

Tat said, its unclear i the Atrix will beavailable here in Malaysia anytime soon.

Android to the foreAnother big trend that is easy to spot is therise o Googles new operating system theAndroid. Tere was much talk at the CESabout the act that the next major iteration oits system, dubbed Honeycomb or Android3.0, is really going to change the playing eldo tablet computing.

Already as it is, Android has grown phe-nomenally with one analyst noting that itspiked more than 3,000% growth in Decem-ber alone. Another rm predicts that in 2011,Android device shipments are expected togrow twice as ast as devices running rivaloperating systems.

So whats so special about the up-and-coming Android Honeycomb? o begin with,it is an operating system that has been de-signed rom scratch with codes that are opti-mised to work on tablets. Many o the An-droid tablets today are using older versions othe Android such as the Froyo and soon-to-be-launched Gingerbread but these sowareare much more suited to powering smart-

phones rather than tablets.Not wanting to be le out, Apple has also

slated a strike back with the introduction o

the so-called iPad2, touting aster processor,more battery lie, and a slicker operating sys-tem interace.

What else?Complementing the two trends above will bethe upgrade o the local mobile broadbandnetworks in order to take advantage o smart-

phones and tablets.In this respect, UMobile, a little known 3G

service provider is the rst operator to re thesalvo touting to give its subscribers mobilebroadband speeds o up to 42 megabits persecond (Mbps) through a technology knownas HSPA+.

On the heels o this are existing players DiGi, Maxis and Celcom who would in-

variably also upgrade their network speeds.Not orgetting existing WiMax players includ-ing recently rebranded P1 4G and new entrantYES 4G, the biggest benet to these develop-ments are that consumers will get more choicebecause o increased competition and hope-ully, better services.

One other noteworthy mention is that2011 will see the rise in high-denition (HD)content hitting us more. With Astro Byondalready having introduced us to HD andother Internet Protocol-based video, such asMs UniFi and YES Sezmi hybrid digitalV on the horizon this year, consumers canexpect prices o HDVs to also drop as supply

o these devices increases.So 2011 is a year to look out or greattechnological changes. So heres to a great yearahead or technology!

Asus Eee PadSlider.Googles new operating system the Android.

Motorola Atrix.


18/23

19January 21 23, 2011REVIEW

Rich Middle Eastern

favours at Tarbush

By Basil Foo

Middle Eastern ood outlets aregaining popularity, thanks to thegrowing number o students,

orkers and tourists rom these countries.arbush is one such outlet, and boasting

selection o Arabic and Lebanese cuisine,s or diners looking or something di-

erent in the heart o the city.We chose the Ampang Point branch.

arbush also has a branch in Sunwayyramid which is dubbed as a ne din-

ng restaurant, and is priced according ly.A wa o grilled meat and baked bread

reets you the moment you enter theremises due to the open grilling stationnd kebab stand.

When it came to ordering ood, thewaiter was helpul in recommendingrowd avourites rom the menu and wasven helpul in pointing out which dishes

may not be avoured by the Malaysianalate.

For an appetizer, we chose the Hom-mus ahina (RM10), made up o mashed

hickpeas, olive oil, and sesame sauce,erved with pita bread. Its suitable as aght snack or a quick lunch.

Tose who are not ans o olive oilould be turned away by its astringentaste so it is recommended that the hum-

mus be thoroughly mixed like a dip beoreating.

Te Mixed Grill (RM28) we orderedext was a combination o a ew meatishes available on the menu: lamb chops,

amb shish kebab, and shish tawook,which were chicken cutlets.

Te lamb chops were juicy and had areshly char grilled taste while the shishebab and shish tawook were laced withpices, adding to the oreign dining expe-ience.

Te helpings o meat came with a side ries, ried onion slices, and whatasted like sour cream which whenll mixed and eaten together madeor an addictive treat that seemedke ideal ood or a movie or oot-all game night.

Te Chicken Sharwarma (RM6)ooked like the usual meat sandwichhat is the norm at most roadside

markets but held its own in the tasteepartment due to the special ar-ush garlic sauce.

Filled with grilled chicken, gen-rous helpings o onion and othereggies, the dish is an aordable,

asty choice or a quick meal or aakeaway lunch.

A selection o salads was also

vailable, one o which was the Fe-ush (RM10) which was made up oomaine lettuce, cucumber, radish,nd topped with crunchy Lebaneseread. ossed with a lemon vinai-rette, it is recommended that thisish be eaten immediately when

erved to enjoy the crispness o theegetables.

I the heavy dose o meat in theebanese repertoire leaves you long-

ng or some amiliarity, the Lambriyani (RM19) would sate your

ppetite or some rice.Tis dish could have been better

s the lamb cutlets were not as meatys the ones in the Mixed Grill, andhe rice was slightly dry.

o remedy this, some side orders arbush garlic sauce would beecommended to complete the fa-ours in this heavy dish.

Tere were many generic drinksn oer but the most eye-catching them was o course the tradi-onal Arabic ea with Mint (small

pot RM6).Served with sugar on the side or

taste, the mint tea ended the mealon a rereshing note.

Overall, the relaxed ambience

and good ood in arbush made oran enjoyable dinner session or ourwith the bill ending up somewherein the RM80-90 region.

Families or even groups oriends wanting a hearty mealshould check it out or an exotictwist on a night out.

If theheavydose ofmeat in theLebaneserepertoireleaves you

longingfor somefamiliarity,the LambBriyani(RM19)wouldsate yourappetite forsome rice.

Arabic Teawith Mint a

refreshing end toa hearty meal.

The cook atTarbush can whip

out a variety ofgrilled Middle

Eastern disheswith ease.


19/23

20 January 21 23, 2011FICTION

Have you cHecked

your electrical

switcHes before

leaving Home?

Ibu pejabat polIs Daerah subang jaya

T: 03-5637 3722 Fx: 03-5631 9815

T 5 ts t f ths t tth st c stt t hv chcst y hs wh y wy.

Borang maklumaTMmkmk mik m kdim k

ci.

Kd Kw pdi bi pi

..............................................................................................

BuTiran penduduk:

nm: ..................................................................................

am: .................................................................................

..............................................................................................

..............................................................................................

nm f imi/kdim: ........................................

nm f dii: ................................

..............................................................................................

tik mik m: ................................................

tik dik ik k m: ...........................................

Kd diik (i md & m dfkd).

1. ..........................................................................................

2. ..........................................................................................

3. ..........................................................................................

li-i mkm:

..............................................................................................

...............................................td

.......................................tik

B v y h hy, hv ychc y ctc swtchs t y s ts?

Call theSS17 BomBa for advise at

03-5634 9444

The

PaintedCat

Fici Uthaya Sankar SB

DAD came home one nightand woke us rom our sleep.

We rushed out o the house.hen, we took out a match andburnt down the house. Te wholeamily stood staring as the amesbrought down the house to ashes..

Since then, we have been movingrom place to place without a houseto stay in. Tis situation is better,said Dad. We dont have to crack ourheads to think about what colour to

paint the walls, what brand o pa intto use, hire someone to paint or

paint it ourselves, how many cans opaint would be needed, and so orth.

Tat is only about the paint. Dadlisted tens, hundreds and thousands,o problems that we would be ableto avoid all together by not owninga house.

But, Dad, said one o us whilewe were seated inside a peanut shell.Which address shall we use oroicial purposes? What aboutschool registration; which addressto use? What i someone wants tosend us a letter; a an perhaps?

We dont know why we namedhim Cat. Perhaps since to the besto our knowledge there has neverbeen a cat called Kucing. Wespontaneously named him Cat.

Cat is bright. Not very long ago,a government department advertisedan opening or the Head o Department. Word was that all the

previous heads were too old andretired merely a week aer being

promoted to the post. So, theGovernment decided to hire a

younger Head o Department whowould last longer.

Cat applied or the job. He wascal led or an interview. heinterviewer had no reason to denyCats right to apply or the advertised

position. Cat seemed to ulfl eacha nd e ve ry re qu ire m e nt a ndqualiication to be the head o agovernment department. Indeedthat was the reason why, said Cat,the Public Services Commissioncalled him or an interview.

We are looking or a candidate who is luent in more than twooreign languages, said theinterviewer while using a pen tocircle the requirement which wasindeed c learly stated in thenewspaper advertisement.

Cat began to deliver a speech

Selangor Times 21 Jan 2011

Documents

Transcript of Selangor Times 21 Jan 2011