Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - NPC to hold 60 courses in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: The National Productivity Corporation (NPC) Sabah will be organising 60
Productivity and Quality (P&Q) Enhancement training courses in the State next year.
Its Director Datuk Nik Zainiah Nik Abdul Rahman said several new courses would be introduced in 2008 such as HACCP Implementation, Security, Taxation, Lead Auditor For ISO 9001:2000 EMS 14000 and the GMP & Halal Certification.

Until October this year, she said, the NPC had organised 73 similar training courses involving 1,506 people. Nik Zainiah was speaking to reporters during the NPC Hari Raya open house here yesterday.

In 2006, she said, the NPC conducted 77 training courses which benefited 1,095 people.

Nik Zainiah also said that the NPC is planning to implement P&Q programme for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) during the current Ninth Malaysia Plan.

“This is in line with the Government’s efforts of developing the SME sector as one of the main contributors to the country’s economy,” she added.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - Seminar on uses of radio identification technology

KOTA KINABALU: A half-day seminar on the uses and benefits of deploying radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for public and private sectors will be held at the Beverly Hotel here on November 20. Entitled “RFID Technology for Business: Potential Uses, Benefits and Opportunities”, the seminar is organised by IDS Infotech Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah).

IDS Infotech Managing Director Datuk Dr Mohd Yaakub Haji Johari in a statement said RFID is gaining growing interest, awareness and importance today.

“It is increasingly being deployed for many applications worldwide because of its immense benefits of being able to identify, track and manage goods seamlessly and effectively, in particular in supply chain management,” he said.

Mohd Yaakub said the use of RFID technology in a supply chain allows effective tracking and tracing of goods and products of different forms and sizes.


“Thus, the technology is being deployed in many areas such as in inventory/asset control and monitoring, access and security management, retail line management, health care, food traceability, and customer service.”

Mohd Yaakub noted that Malaysia was among the leading RFID user countries in the world. RFID technology, he said, was first in introduced in Malaysia in 1997 in the Touch ‘n’ Go System - Malaysia electronic toll payment system. Subsequently, in the following year, Immigration Department Malaysia used RFID for passport issuance, he said, adding, “In fact, Malaysia is the first country to implement electronic passport (e-passport),” he added. He said the adoption of REID technology in the country has increased ever since and it is also used by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in evidence management.


Mohd Yaakub said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was also reportedly contemplating to use RFID technology to address the problem of timber theft in certain states.

“Furthermore, an RFID system that will improve the management of blood banks is undergoing testing by local medical institutions,” he added.

Mohd Yaakub said the upcoming seminar will be conducted by two RFID specialists from Peninsular Malaysia who have substantial expertise and experience in RFID business including business development, project management, RFID centre operations, training and consulting.
The RFID industry in Malaysia was given a further boost with the launching of the Malaysia Microchip (MM) by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Identification (RFID) microchip with a built-in antenna, which took two years to develop under the Malaysia Microchip(MM)Project.

“With the availability of the multi-band MM chip locally, it adoption is expected to increase further,” said Mohd Yaakub.

He said participants will learn, among other things, how RFID can benefit retailers, manufacturers, distributors, suppliers logistics and service providers. As part of the seminar, a display cum demonstration of RFID equipment will be held. The seminar is particularly useful for IT managers and executives, systems engineers, software/applications engineers, systems integrators, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, logistics/operation/transport managers, and those who are interested in the emerging RFID technology. For further information about the seminar and registration, please contact Ms Ooi or Ms Veronica at telephone number 246166 or 246167.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - Govt agencies need complaints mechanism

KOTA KINABALU: There is a need for the Government to establish a mechanism for its agencies to bring forward their problems for evaluation and correction, said Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) vice chancellor Tan Sri Dr Nordin Kardi.

He said there are certain situations where the level of service offered by an agency would depend on support and assistance from other agencies.

“At the moment there is no avenue for Government agencies to make complaints against other agencies. The Government needs to create a mechanism where problems faced by an agency can be raised with a mediator agency,” he said.

Nordin said this in his speech at the launch of the 5th Workshop on Financial Management for Statutory Bodies, officiated by Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai on behalf of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman at the Promenade Hotel here, yesterday.

He noted that civil servants must at the same time strive to improve their performance and commitment in line with various changes implemented in the structure, system and procedures to improve the service delivery of Government departments.

“While there are various new efforts that have been introduced, there is still room to improve the performance and commitment of civil servants so they become enablers and not disablers in the achievements of Government development programmes,” he said. Nordin proposed for formal and informal training to be made compulsory for civil servants, as commonly practiced by professional bodies.

He said this would make it the staff’s responsibility to achieve the required number of CPD hours for a post unlike the current situation where the employer is left with the responsibility of planning courses for their staff to attend.

Meanwhile, Musa, in his speech delivered by Yee, said that financial management is an important aspect as it is tied in with the Government’s strategy to spur the country’s economic development.

“Government agencies need planning to ensure all projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) can be implemented according to plan and the cash flow for the implementation of these projects will speed up economic development,” he said.

Musa also urged Government agencies to improve themselves in view of the recently-announced Audit Rating System (ARAS), which will rank agencies after audit on an accountability index.

“We hope this will encourage each department and agency to pay more serious attention to the financial management and an organised, neat-and updated administration,” he said.

The twice-yearly workshop is organised by UUM’s treasury department and supported by the State Government.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - ICT a new challenge for civil servants: State Sec

KOTA KINABALU: The various changes that have come with the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) have become a new challenge for the civil servants in providing efficient services to the public, said State Secretary Datuk Sukarti Wakiman.

As such, he said, civil servants, the senior officers in particular, need to constantly enhance their ICT knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of not only the local people but the global community.

Sukarti made the call when opening the ICT Sabah 2007 seminar which was organised by the INTAN Sabah Branch.

Also present were INTAN Saban chief Muhammad Mentek, State Computer Services Department Director Dr Minggu Haji Jumaan: and State IT Development Unit Director Bruno Vun.

Sukarti also advised civil servants to be responsive to the ever increasing needs and expectations of the public for efficient and quality services.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Mentek said various efforts would be taken in increasing the access of ICT in the country.

He said the usage and application of ICT has been encouraged among the people in their daily life.

The theme of the seminar was “Enhancing the ICT Competency Towards Excellence Delivery System”.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - West Coast are overall champions

KOTA KINABALU: West Coast were crowned the overall champions in the State-level Community Sports League 2007 competition held in Likas from Nov 3-4.

Four sports - badminton, sepak takraw, volleyball and futsal – were held in the Malaysia Youth and Sports Ministry-organised event in association with the State Youth and Sports Ministry and Sabah Federal Youth and Sports Department. The teams were representing Tawau, Sandakan, Keningau, Kudat and West Coast which sent their A and B squads.

West Coast A, who were represented by the Pantai Manis State Constituency won the badminton event while the other title was won by the West Coast team represented by Api-Api Constituency in futsal event.

Sulabayan Constituency, representing Tawau, won the volleyball competition while Sekong Constituency of Sandakan took the honour in the sepak takraw event.

Sabah Federal Youth and Sports Department Director Haji Hashim Sintol said during the closing ceremony that the programme attracted participation from all 60 State constituencies.

Among the objectives of the Community Sports League, which was launched by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Aug 6, 2006, is to promote sports culture among the community apart from unearthing talents.

The champions in the respective categories walked home with RM1,000, followed by RM700, RM500 and RM300 for the second to third-placed teams. The teams also won trophies and medals.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - Judgment-writing course for Sabah, S’wak judges

KOTA KINABALU: Judges from Sabah and Sarawak are going back to school for two days from yesterday to learn how to write judgments that all parties can understand.

James C Raymond, Prof Emeritus of the University of Alabama, who is conducting the course, said judges all over the world had problem writing judgments because it was not taught in law school.

“Law schools are only to groom would-be lawyers, not judges. Therefore, judges present their judgments using jargon that only those familiar with the law could understand.

“What the course is trying to do here is to help judges write judgments using words and phrases that would be easy for people to understand the judges’ reasonings in court hearings,” Raymond told reporters after the first session of the course organised by the Judicial and Legal Training Institute. Raymond said court hearings had a complex audience which included members of the press and people who either knew or knew nothing about the case. Therefore, it was crucial that judgments avoid ambiguity of the legal language and be presented using the simplest of words, he said.

Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum said it was difficult to determine the quality of judgments as each judge had his own way of writing judgments.

‘Judgment-writing is an art whereby judges determine how to present their reasonings. However, continuous training is needed so that judges can better serve the people and uphold justice,” he said.

Seventeen high court and sessions court judges are attending the course, the first of its kind in Malaysia.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - 100 KKIP factory workers protest non-payment of wages

KOTA KINABALU: More than 100 workers of a plastic bag factory in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, near here, yesterday held a demonstration over unpaid salaries.

The workers gathered outside the factory to show their anger and disappointment with a banner reading ‘Kami mau gaji kami!’ (We want our salaries!), claiming that their employer had failed to pay their last month’s wages.

They said the factory’s management had also forced them to take a two-month unpaid leave following some financial problems late last month.

“We were told to stop working on Oct 24 after the electricity supply to the factory was disconnected. No proper explanation was given to us. We were just told to take unpaid leave and that there was no money to pay our wages,” said one of the workers, Lilitia.

The 26-year-old woman said she had just started working for the factory early last month and has not even received her first salary.

“This is not fair. They cannot simply refuse to pay our salaries and force us to take unpaid leave. We are from poor families and we have to support ourselves,” said the young mother who joined the protest with her five-year-old daughter.

Another employee who introduced herself as Ayang, 46, said the employer should be more responsible and considerate towards the workers.

“If they are facing problems and about to close down, they should pay us some sort of compensation or retrenchment benefit,” she said.

Ayang, who has been working at the factory since early this year, said they usually received their salary on the fifth day of every month and as usual they went to the administration office to claim their pay yesterday.

However, they were shocked when the management told them that there was no money for them this time, she said.

An officer from the company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that the were facing problems paying operational expenses and the electricity was cut off last month after the board of directors stopped approving cheque for the purpose.

The officer said the company, which is a joint-venture with a Government-linked company and financed by Taiwanese investors, has four directors, one of whom oversaw the operation of the factory.

“Any payment of more than RM1,000 required the joint approval of the other three directors. But for some reason, they have stopped signing cheque for us. So we don’ have money to pay the electricity as well as the salaries,” said the officer.

He said the director at the factory has limited power and has yet to decide on any mitigation measure or whether to continue operation.

“The board of directors will be meeting soon. We certainly hope this can be resolved as soon as possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the factory is operated by Kinabalu Polybag Sdn Bhd (KPB), which is jointly owned by Perkasa Trading Sdn Bhd (PTSB),a Government-owned trading company that holds a 49 per cent stake, a Taiwanese investor Mr Yang Kai Hsiung (46 per cent) and a woman who has a five per cent stake.

According to Yang, PTSB is also the sole marketing agent of the poly-bags produced by the KPB, and the supplier of the main raw material, resin, to KPB.

Apart from him, he said, the three other directors of KPB are Penampang Member of Parliament Donald Peter Mojuntin, who is Chairman of Perkasa Trading Sdn Bhd; Maisuri Bin Besri, who is also the Group General Manager of Sabah Economic Development Corporation and Joseph Wong Chen Hee, General Manager of Perkasa Trading Sdn Bhd.

The managing directors of KPB are Donald, Maisuri and Joseph, he said yesterday, adding that he could sign cheque for up to RM1,000 only.

According to Yang, disputes arose concerning payment of sales tax between the shareholders as a result of which, the three managing directors refused to sign any cheques of KPB.

He said this had somewhat resulted in non-payment of electricity bills and disconnection of electricity supply to the factory, which was forced to cease operation on Oct 25.

The managing directors also refused to sign any cheque for payment of salaries to more than 100 employees.

Yesterday, when the employees pressed him for payment of their salaries, Yang said that Joseph Wong was on leave for a week and Maisuri was on outstation duties for a week, while Donald could not be reached.

The workers have contacted Assistant Industrial Development Minister Jainab Ahmad, who is also the Karambunai Assemblywoman, for help, later in the evening, he added.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - Fishing boat crew held for bid to smuggle eight illegals

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency detained a fishing boat skipper and two other crew along with eight illegal immigrants they were suspected of trying to smuggle into the country.

The Agency Operation Director for Sabah and Labuan, Captain Mohd Amir Hamzah yesterday said the illegal immigrants are Filipinos, who include a 10 months old girl.

All the suspects would be charged under the Immigration Act in the court after investigations
have been completed, he said.

Mohd Amir said the boat skipper is a 28-year-old local man, while the two crew are Filipinos,
aged 25 and 22.

He said the three men were arrested together with their eight passengers on board the boat in the waters near Usukan Island, off Kota Belud two days ago.

The foreigners were found hiding in the cargo hold of the boat, said Mohd Amir, adding that
they did not hold any valid travel document.

He said the fishing boat was heading towards the main land when it was intercepted by the Agency’s patrol boat skippered by Lt Mohd Zulfadi Nayan. There were eight fellow personnel on board.

Tuesday 6th Nov 2007 - 100 AIDS deaths in Sabah

Over 700 HIV, 238 AIDS cases reported in two decades since 1986: Director
PENAMPANG: More than 700 HIV and 238 AIDS cases, including 100 deaths, were reported in Sabah as at July this year, State Health Director Datuk Dr Rahimah Mohd Said said.

Speaking at the launch of state-level “World AIDS Day” here yesterday, Rahimah said the cases were recorded from 1986 when the first HIV/AIDS case was reported.

According to her, there were 42 HIV cases and seven AIDS cases reported in Penampang district until September this year, including five fatalities.

Rahimah said 85.4 percent of those infected with HIV/AIDS in Sabah got it through heterosexual relationships while only two percent were from homosexual relationships.

She said four percent of those infected were drug addicts who had shared needles, while the rest got it through other means.

“The statistics showed that Sabahans are more exposed to HIV/AIDS infection via heterosexual relationships,” she said.

Nationwide, Rahimah said, a total of 78,784 HIV cases and 13,121 AIDS cases were reported from 1986 to June this year, and these included 9,586 deaths.

“In the two decades since the first case was reported, the increasing, number of cases is alarming and the ‘Government, in realizing the threat and risk the country faces, has implemented several programmes to curb the number of new cases,” she said.

Among the programmes were tests on expectant mothers since 1998, the Anonymous Voluntary Test since 2003 as well as making it compulsory since 1998 for those diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and tuberculosis (TB) to undergo HIV tests.

The Health Department is also continuing its educational and awareness programmes with the hope that more people will realize the dangers of HIV/AIDS and take the necessary steps to avoid being infected.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Khoo, who officiated at the launching ceremony, stressed the need for the community to disseminate information about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

“Parents have an important role to play in not only educating their children about the threat but also making them understand that HIV/AIDS can lead to death,” he said.

“They must make sure their children know well enough to stay away from HIV/AIDS related risks.

“I am sure that if we work closely and support each other, we can keep a check on the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state and country,” he said.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Vote for your favourite dogs

KOTA KINABALU: Customers of Asia City Complex will be able to vote for their favourite dogs in the Dog Model Competition 2007 which was held at the shopping centre here yesterday.

According to the organiser, Song Chi Peng of GF Puppy House, the competition was divided info three categories, which were best grooming, best fashion and funny look.

GF Puppy House, which will be opening soon at Asia City Complex, will sell various kinds of pet accessories and food.

The event was fully sponsored by Nutri Source.





According to Song, the pictures of the dogs would be put up at the Asia City Complex for the public to judge through votes.

“Anyone can vote for the dogs. Those who want to do so must purchase an item at Asia City Complex. They can redeem the purchase receipts for voting coupons,” he said, adding the results of the contest would be based on the public votes.

“The results will be released on December 23 and the winner will get an attractive price from us. Voters also have the opportunity to win lucky draws,” he added.

Song hoped the event would be held continuously so that the pet lovers could exchange ideas on how to care for their animals.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Study of viability of cultivating bio-diesel crop

KOTA KINABALU: The State Government is currently studying the viability of large-scale cultivation of jatropha curcas as a cash crop, said chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
He said the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) had already launched a pilot project on jatropha cultivation as another branch to their poverty eradication programme.

“If we find that it is feasible, then why not? The Government can look into it seriously because the crop has potential in producing biodiesel,” he said at a press conference at the SLDB Hari Raya open house at Le Meridien Hotel here yesterday.

“This pilot project is to see whether it (jatropha) is economically viable or not... of course we can grow it but we have to look into other areas like labour, cost and maintenance.

“We will study (the potential). The State Government is in the process of looking into it and if it is feasible then I think they (SLDB) will proceed to plant in big acreage,” he said.

The SLDB recently launched three trial and research centres for jatropha cultivation in the State, including a two-acre plot in Binakaan, Keningau, a joint venture project with the Agriculture Department in Lugud Sebrang, Tenom and a 15- acre joint venture with Borneo Alam Ria in Sinua, Sook.

Musa said the SLDB’s efforts are a good step in diversifying help for poor people in improving their socioeconomic status and standard of living.


“This is one way of helping our people, especially in rural areas, to give them work and income. It is important to uplift the standard of living of our people, especially in rural areas,” he said.

Musa meanwhile said that the SLDB, which is also involved in the oil palm industry, remains relevant to the State’s socio-economic situation after the establishment of Sawit Kinabalu.

“There are different functions (for both entities) ... Sawit serves more as a commercial arm while SLDB focuses more on socio-economy, helping settlers opening up new land and setting up joint ventures with settlers.

“This is what they are doing and to us both are relevant and important to the socio-economic state of Sabah. They complement each other,” he said.

Musa added that he is happy with SLDB’s performance in the oil palm industry, where the Board made a revenue of RM10 million in 2006.

“This year with the good price of CPO (crude palm oil), we expect they will make RM20 million or even more than double that of last year and this is a good sign.

“This means the management is on the right track ... I have asked them to be very prudent and there must be transparency, accountability and efficiency in the management of SLDB,” he said.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - RM32 million goes up in smoke

191 building fires recorded nationwide: Azizah

PAPAR: One hundred and ninety-one cases of fire that caused damage to structures or buildings have been recorded nationwide with losses amounting to RM32 million, said Deputy Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun.
She said the Government is taking proactive measures to address such tragedies, including organising awareness campaigns through the Fire and Rescue Services Department to impress on the public the importance of minimising the risk of fires.

“Among these campaigns is this fire prevention campaign which is held nationwide,” she said in her speech when officiating at the State-level fire prevention campaign at the Papar community hall here yesterday.

Azizah said the nationwide campaign’s main target group is the children, in efforts to form a generation with greater intellect and awareness to danger.

In line with this effort, she said the Fire and Rescue Services Department has introduced the Fire Safety Club (3K) in kindergartens nationwide.

Azizah, who is also the Beaufort Member of Parliament, noted that the State department had so far registered 10,244 children from 222 kindergartens a members of the club statewide.

“The club provides basic knowledge to children on the dangers of fire and also introduce them to the ‘stop, drop and roll’ technique in putting out fires by themselves.

“Hopefully with this kind of exposure we will create a generation that places more emphasis on fire safety in all aspects,” said Azizah, adding that she hoped in future the club will include all kindergartens here, including Tadika Kemas, Tadika Perpaduan and private kindergartens.

Azizah said it is also important to incorporate knowledge on fire risks and safety at secondary schools and higher education levels to develop a society which practises a culture of fire safety awareness.

Meanwhile, Azizah presented certificates to members of the volunteer fire brigade and prizes to winners of a fire prevention children drawing contest during the launch of the event.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Borneo Eagles lift title

Victory sweet for Sabah clubside who avenged defeats by strong opponents
KOTA KINABALU: The SRC Borneo Eagles showed their pedigree when they beat some of the best teams from around the world to win the Cup Championship title in the 7th Borne Cobra Rugby l0’s at the Likas Stadium here, yesterday.

The team, made up of all Fijian players, mesmerized Penguins International of the United Kingdom with swift attacking moves to clinch a 24-15 victory in the Cup final.
The victory was sweet for the Borneo Eagles as it avenged their defeat by the Penguins in last week’s 38th HSBC-Cobra l0s in Petaling Jaya.



“I’m very happy and proud of the team. They did very well and won on home ground... it was an excellent achievement,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who presented the prizes to the winners.

An equally happy Sabah Rugby Union (SRU) president Velayuthan Tan said the victory enabled the Borneo Eagles to settle some old scores.


Tan, who is also the organising chairman, was referring to the team’s 12-7 semifinal win over defending champions Davetalevu of Fiji, who edged the homesters in the 2006 final.

“It was payback time. We defeated Davetalevu in the semifinal and the final victory also enabled us to gain revenge on the Penguins who beat us (5-24) in the Group Stage of the 38th HSBC-Cobra 10’s,” he said.

“All in all, it was a proud moment for us, as we last won the title in 2004.

“In fact, it was a very fulfilling achievement as the tournament this year was of high standard with some of the top-notch foreign teams taking part.

“A lot of efforts have been put into the team and we are very happy to have won,” said Tan, adding that the tournament turned international last year.

In the final, the Borneo Eagles did not take long to draw first blood as they took a 7-0 lead in the second minute of the 15-minute per-half game.

Flyhalf Apenisa Vasutoga scored the first try of the game before Taniela Lovovou made an easy conversion.

There was no stopping the Borneo Eagles as Apenisa earned his second successive try in the ninth minute followed by another try by Viliame Tuinivanua and conversion by forward Eparaina Navale in the 13th minute to enable the home team to lead by 19-0.

Mania Parkinson scored a try for the Penguins International to make it 19-5 in the last minute of the first half.

The teams came out recharged in the second period Which saw the Penguins International scoring their second try through Toby Arnold in the 21st minute.

Semi Sovunidakua ensured the Borneo Eagles had one hand on the trophy with a try five minutes from time.

The Penguins International scored a late try through Steve Alfeld but it was no more than a consolation as the Borneo Eagles went on to win 24-15.

Meanwhile, COBRA thrashed Aotearoa Maori of New Zealand 17-0 to take the Plate Championship title, while the Armed Forces ‘A’ beat Armed Forces ‘B’ 34-7 to emerge as the Bowl Championship winners.

Apart from trophies, the respective whiners also received cash prizes that totaled USD15,500.

Among those present yesterday were Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Jahid Jahim and Deputy Permanent Secretary Suzannah Liaw, Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim and Sabah Tourism Board Chairman Datuk Sen Tengku Zainal Adlin.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Six paintings auctioned for RM21,500

KOTA KINABALU: Proceeds totalling RM21,500 were raised in a charity auction of six paintings during the Palliative Care Association of Kota Kinabalu’s (PCAKK) annual charity dinner and concert 2007 at the Magellan Sutera here recently.

The event, attended by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman as the guest of honour, was a rousing success with a full house of some 1,000 people in attendance at the gala dinner.

The six paintings were contributed by several Sabah based artists, including Tina Rimmer who donated “A Mother’s Love and Discipline”, Zaimie Sahibil (Pasak Bumi), Edoen Kang (Lion Fish), Francis Cheong (Embrace), Suzani Suhaimi (Ethnic Unity) and Christianne Goonting
(Precious Life).

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Rumours of Bernard to be dropped shock constituents

KENINGAU: Rumours of Datuk Bernard S Maraat to be dropped as the parliamentary candidate for Pensiangan in the general election has come as a big surprise to his constituents and members of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).

“It will be a big loss for the Barisan Nasional if Bernard is dropped in the coming general election,” said Kampung Inakaak Pensiangan Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) chairman Martin Galoi here on Saturday.

He said the Pensiangan people want the BN leadership in State and Federal levels to retain the incumbent member of parliament.

Martin said if the PBRS leadership, especially its president, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, wanted to see BN win easily in Pensiangan, he must retain his secretary general in the area.

“If the rumours were true that Kurup will contest in Pensiangan, PBRS will be buried in the constituency in the coming election,” said the PBRS Pensiangan member at the Hari Raya open house of Bernard’s family at the community centre here.

Kurup and PBRS Deputy President Datuk Elron Angin were not present at the function which was attended by the wife of the Chief Minister, Datin Seri Faridah Haji Tussin.

According to Martin, Bernard is a true Murut leader who has brought many changes to
Pensiangan, including changing the Murut community’s mindset.

“His leadership has been accepted by a majority of this community here. We describe
Bernard’s leadership as our daily breakfast and food.

“The people in this area become confused when they heard rumours that Bernard will be dropped in the coming general election,” he said when commenting on the news reported in the local papers last month.

Kurup had declined to comment on the rumours which said that the PBRS president would contest in Pensiangan while Elron would be fielded in Kurup’s current state constituency of Sook.

It is noted that Kurup has increased his visits to Pensiangan, particularly Nabawan, Pagalungan and several villages in Nabawan constituency.

During his Hari Raya Open House held in Sook last month, Kurup declined to comment whether he is going to replace Bernard in Pensiangan. He just smiled and said, “I will answer the question the next time.”

Martin said the rumours were spread by certain people in PBRS to unseat Bernard.

“It is conspiracy within the PBRS family which could destroy the party’s unity, especially in Pensiangan if the party president failed to handle this problem,” he said.

To calm down the members and settle this problem, he said Kurup should make his stand openly whether he is going to contest in Pensiangan.

Kampung Mempulut Sook Umno branch chief Charles Ambaras Ambirau here also called for the retention of Bernard as the candidate for Pensiangan.

Charles said it would be a big mistake if Bernard is dropped because he is good leader.

“They should come to Pensiangan and ask the people what Bernard has done as the MP for the past three years,” he said.

“Leaders who have worked hard and visited the villages regularly, like Bernard, are becoming victims of conspiracy. Elected representatives who have done little for the people should be dropped in the coming general election instead,” he said.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Senior citizen killed after boat crashes

KOTA K1NABALU: A senior citizen who went offshore fishing with his son, was killed after the boat they were in crashed into a reef and sunk near Dinawan Island off western Papar Town yesterday morning.

The victim, a 75-year old retiree from Kampung Gersil, Labuan was drowned after the boat cracked and flipped over while on their way back to Kampung Laut, Kinarut around 10.30am.

The victim who is a former Maritime Department employee was said to have faced difficulties staying afloat but managed to swim to a nearby rock with assistance from his son.

Both victims tried to cling onto the rock but strong waves smashed them onto the sharp surface of the rock and pulled them back into the water.

According to a source, the two left Kampung Laut Kinarut to fish near the island but decided to return home after the deceased complained of a serious headache.

“A big wave tossed them away from the rock. The son managed to find his father again and this time tried to get him to the island. But as they reached the shore, he found his father was already dead,” he said.

Resort operator at the island helped send the survivor and victim’s body to Kampung Laut. The body was then sent to the hospital for a post-mortem.

A police report has also been lodged on the incident, said the source. However the District Police Chief was not available for confirmation

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Seats issue can come later: Musa

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is tight-lipped about the allocation of seats for the next general election.

“It is not the time to comment (on seats allocation) as it is not election time yet.

Election is still a long way to go,” said Musa who is also Sabah Barisan Nasional Liaison and Sabah Umno Chief.

Musa who was met after officiating the 7th Borneo Cobra Rugby 10’s was asked to comment whether Umno would consider not taking the lion’s share of state legislature seats in the coming elections.

According to an article, Umno gets to contest most of the seats in Sabah, be it State or Parliament, and it questioned the fairness and power-sharing principle in which Umnoled Barisan Nasional subscribes to and upholds.

The article also posed a question if the State Umno would be prepared to sacrifice some seats for other BN components in the true spirit of the BN.

The ideal spirit of Barisan Nasional (BN) in power-sharing would be a more equal and fair allocation of the state’s 60 seats among its component parties instead of one party getting the lion’s share, according to the article.

Umno is holding 32 of the 60 seats in the State Legislative Assembly and 13 of the 25 parliamentary seats.

Meanwhile, Musa said the State BN has yet to decide whether to accept into their fold leaders who opposed them in the previous elections.

Musa neither denied or confirmed that the State BN would accept leaders formerly opposed to the coalition, saying that they will “look into special cases”.

“For now we will look into each it when the time comes. We have to look into each case and the situation. So far there is no decision yet now... when the time comes, then we will make the decision,” he said at a press conference at the Sabah Land Development Board’s (SLDB) Hari Raya open house at Le Meridien Hotel here, yesterday.

Musa was asked to comment on PBRS’s recent acceptance of Martin Tommy, the political rival of party secretary-general and Pensiangan MP Datuk Bernard Maraat in the 2004 elections and the possible reentry of independent Kuala Penyu Assemblyman Datuk John Ghani into the BN.

PBRS President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said there is nothing wrong with accepting support from leaders who had gone against them in the past.

“We have accepted him (Martin). Even if they are from the opposition, if they come and support us, the BN, then why not?” said Kurup, who is also SLDB Chairman, at the open house.

He said the situation had not strained relations between himself and Bernard, despite the reported absence of his secretary-general in protest at the membership certificate presentation ceremony for Martin by Kurup.

“There is nothing wrong with Bernard. I think he himself mentioned it that there are no problems so we have no problem, no problem,” said Kurup.

On rumors that he would contest the Pensiangan seat and pass his Sook seat to party deputy president Datuk Elfron Alfred Angin, Kurup laughed off the suggestion saying that it had ‘not occurred to him”.

“It has not occurred to my mind so far. I have not decided, as my priority is to do my job as an assemblyman who becomes the calon (candidate) later 1or not, I have not thought about it,” he said.

Monday 5th Nov 2007 - Seats issue can come later: Musa

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is tight-lipped about the allocation of seats for the next general election.

“It is not the time to comment (on seats allocation) as it is not election time yet.

Election is still a long way to go,” said Musa who is also Sabah Barisan Nasional Liaison and Sabah Umno Chief.

Musa who was met after officiating the 7th Borneo Cobra Rugby 10’s was asked to comment whether Umno would consider not taking the lion’s share of state legislature seats in the coming elections.

According to an article, Umno gets to contest most of the seats in Sabah, be it State or Parliament, and it questioned the fairness and power-sharing principle in which Umnoled Barisan Nasional subscribes to and upholds.

The article also posed a question if the State Umno would be prepared to sacrifice some seats for other BN components in the true spirit of the BN.

The ideal spirit of Barisan Nasional (BN) in power-sharing would be a more equal and fair allocation of the state’s 60 seats among its component parties instead of one party getting the lion’s share, according to the article.

Umno is holding 32 of the 60 seats in the State Legislative Assembly and 13 of the 25 parliamentary seats.

Meanwhile, Musa said the State BN has yet to decide whether to accept into their fold leaders who opposed them in the previous elections.

Musa neither denied or confirmed that the State BN would accept leaders formerly opposed to the coalition, saying that they will “look into special cases”.

“For now we will look into each it when the time comes. We have to look into each case and the situation. So far there is no decision yet now... when the time comes, then we will make the decision,” he said at a press conference at the Sabah Land Development Board’s (SLDB) Hari Raya open house at Le Meridien Hotel here, yesterday.

Musa was asked to comment on PBRS’s recent acceptance of Martin Tommy, the political rival of party secretary-general and Pensiangan MP Datuk Bernard Maraat in the 2004 elections and the possible reentry of independent Kuala Penyu Assemblyman Datuk John Ghani into the BN.

PBRS President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said there is nothing wrong with accepting support from leaders who had gone against them in the past.

“We have accepted him (Martin). Even if they are from the opposition, if they come and support us, the BN, then why not?” said Kurup, who is also SLDB Chairman, at the open house.

He said the situation had not strained relations between himself and Bernard, despite the reported absence of his secretary-general in protest at the membership certificate presentation ceremony for Martin by Kurup.

“There is nothing wrong with Bernard. I think he himself mentioned it that there are no problems so we have no problem, no problem,” said Kurup.

On rumors that he would contest the Pensiangan seat and pass his Sook seat to party deputy president Datuk Elfron Alfred Angin, Kurup laughed off the suggestion saying that it had ‘not occurred to him”.

“It has not occurred to my mind so far. I have not decided, as my priority is to do my job as an assemblyman who becomes the calon (candidate) later 1or not, I have not thought about it,” he said.

SUNDAY-4TH NOVEMBER 2007-BERNARD WANTS TO ERADICATE POVERTY, IMPROVE PEOPLE'S SOCIO-ECONOMY AND DEVELOP EDUCATION

BERNARD WANTS TO ERADICATE POVERTY, IMPROVE PEOPLE’S SOCIO-ECONOMY AND DEVELOP EDUCATION

SINCE he was elected as the Pensiangan Member of Parliament three years ago, Datuk Bernard Maraat continues to work towards resolving the problems of the people in his constituency. If the Parliament sitting is adjourned, Bernard can be found visiting the villages in his constituency to find out what they need in terms of basic infrastructure and facilities. Relating to The Borneo Post of his experience since winning the parliamentary seat in 2004, the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) Secretary General said he first drew up a development blueprint for the constituency.
“I visited all the villages in my area and to see that the villagers earn just enough to barely survive was a culture shock to me,” he said.
Bernard thus made poverty eradication, and improving the people’s socio-economy as well as education development his top priorities.
He told of villages which can only be accessed via river transportation while others which take about 10 hours walk from the landing point along the river, to reach. Some are a little easier to reach provided you have a four-wheel drive vehicle as there are roads for logging trucks leading there.
“I felt I had travelled back in time to the colonial era because of the lack of development and infrastructure in these remote villages,” he said, adding that things are now looking up for these people as he has managed to resolve about 50 percent of the problems which were brought to his attention.
Bernard is also very passionate about the development of education in his constituency and he wants to see the younger generation obtain an education so that they can improve their and their family’s standard of living.
According to him, “kebilangan” is the word used to describe a person who is knowledgable such as local warriors like Antonom, Mat Salleh, Korom Anduat who were “kebilangan” with knowledge, courage, determination and well versed with war strategies to fight for the people’s freedom.
“I want this ‘kebilangan’ concept to continue and in this modern era, it is about overcoming competition and challenges in order to succeed. So for the younger generation to be ‘kebilangan’, they must first obtain an education,” he stressed.
Bernard wants to see rural folks make full use of the infrastructure facilities provided by the Government, especially in the education sector so that they can soon catch up and be on par with their peers in the urban areas.
He agreed that many of the villages in his constituency are still backward in terms of development but pointed out that the Government is aware of the matter and doing its best to change the situation. Included in his blueprint for education development is the repairing, upgrading and construction of school buildings, including teachers’ quarters and hostels for students from remote villages.
Some of the students have to wake up as early as 4. 30 am everyday as the nearest school is miles away and they have to walk there, he said, adding that some of the parents are so poor that they are unable to send their children to school daily as they need the latter to help out around the house and fields.
According to him further, some of these children are only able to study up to Primary Five as they do not have any identification documents and are therefore unable to sit for the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination in Primary Six. He urged the Education Ministry to seriously consider constructing hostels in schools which cater for remote villages in Pensiangan and that quarters must also be built for the teachers so that they will accept postings to remote areas.
“If no drastic action is taken by the Government, the situation will remain unchanged and children in Pensiangan as well as other remote areas will be left out,” he said, adding that during a visit to Kampung Binanon recently, he was shocked to find out that many of the children there did not go to school or had dropped out at an early age.
“When I asked a Form Four student why he dropped out of school, the boy simply replied ‘no money’ but this is not the reason not to continue studying,” he said and urged parents in his constituency as well other remote areas not to use poverty as an excuse not to send their children to school.
Bernard said he came from a poor family but had never let that fact stop him from getting an education and getting himself to where he is now.
He said that children should look at poverty as a challenge and not a hindrance to success and with that in mind, work hard towards achieving their goal of a better future.
Bernard also reminded the school management and teachers to always monitor any building construction to ensure that everything is done according to specifications. They must report to the relevant authorities anything not done accordingly.

SUNDAY-4TH NOVEMBER 2007-POWER THEFT AFFECTS SEWERAGE TREATMENT

SANDAKAN:

POWER THEFT AFFECTS SEWERAGE TREATMENT

The theft of power from the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) transformer in Mile 3 Jalan Bomba by nearby squatters is disrupting the operations of the adjacent sewage treatment station.
“The pumps at the treatment station cannot function due to inadequate electricity and the culprits of the problem are the power thieves,” the head of the Public Works Department Sewage Unit here, Stanley Mohd Omar, disclosed on Saturday. Stanley said he and a team of SESB staff carried out checks on several locations after receiving complaints on clogged sewage system in the SEDCO Light Industrial Area, Sri Taman, Taman Lucky and Bandar Kim Fung.
“The sewage system in these areas has been blocked for three days. We later managed to trace the source of the problem to the power thefts at the SESB transformer in Mile 3 Jalan Bomba,” he said.

SUNDAY-4/11/2007-SUPPLY DROPS DUE TO LACK OF POWER FOR PUMPS SAYS ENGINEER

SANDAKAN:

Water supply to the whole of Sandakan is likely to be affected in the following days due to a generator problem at the Bukit Garam Treatment Plant in Kinabatangan. “The daily production has been reduced byat least eight million litres because of insufficient power to keep the pumps functioning at the Bukit Garam Treatment Plant,” Water Department Divisional Engineer Jeffrey Chong told reporters after the official opening of the department’s Payment and Customer Service Centre in the town on Saturday. Chong said the Water Department was waiting for the report on the extent of the problem from water concessionaire Timatch Sdn Berhad. “We are studying the measures to be taken to address the matter but presently we are still waiting for the report from Timatch. The problem was detected at 3pm on Friday,” he said. Chong advised consumers in Sandakan to use water wisely during this period. Meanwhile earlier in his speech during the opening ceremony, Chief Operating Officer of Salcon Engineering Berhad, How See Hock, said his company is proud to be a partner of the Water Department in setting up and running the first ever customer service centre right in the town centre. “The centre will allow customers easy access to various services such as bill payment, bill enquiries, new account application, water reconnection, termination of accounts, report of water quality and pipe bursts,” he said. He said consumers could also contact the friendly customer service representative at the toll free number 1300888855 for information on water bills, water disruption or to lodge complaints on their water services. a According to How, Salcon being the turnkey contractor of the Non Revenue Water (NRW) reduction a project since 2003, has successfully reduced physical losses in the existing distribution system through strategic NRW reduction and asset replacement and improvement programmes. “In conjunction with our NRW programme, we are launching an awareness programme to conserve our environment by giving away mugs to the public, to create awareness among the society not to waste water and to protect our rivers,” he said. The opening ceremony of the Water Department Payment and Customer Service Centre was officiated by Assistant Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Haji Aklee Haji Abbas who represented Deputy Chief Minister cum Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan.

SUNDAY 4/11/2007-ITALIAN TV TO SHOW TAWAU ISLAND, A FISHING VILLAGE

TAWAU:
The highly acclaimed Italian travel reality TV series, “Donnavventura”, will feature Mataking Island and a fishing village in the district. Donnavventura, which means ‘the woman in adventure’, is in its 19th year of production. It features six young and charismatic Italian ladies who were chosen from some 40,000 applicants to act as aspiring journalists and share their travel experiences with viewers. Five of the Italian ladies - Chiara Babilani, Michela Guizzon, Chiara Baselice, Stefania Donati and Elisa Grazzini - were on a three-month expedition to eight South-East Asia countries, shooting 12 episodes of exciting and exhilarating adventures. The TV series will show a stroll across the Mataking Island and some of the neighboring islands, a visit to the Kalapuan fishing village to show how the other side of the world lives and a night jungle trek. The Italian ladies also tried out the Mangunatip bamboo dance during their stay at Mataking from October 6 to 9. The producer of the television series, Maurizio Rossi, 54, said their visit to Mataking was one of the highlights of their trip to Sabah. “The resort island is truly ‘El Paradiso’. Mataking Island will be aired in Italy towards the end of this year or early next year,” he added. The crew had so far travelled to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. This was their second stop in Malaysia as they started out in Kuala Lumpur on July 19 this year. Rossi disclosed that they looked forward to completing the Asian leg by mid October before returning to Kuala Lumpur.

SUNDAY 4/11/2007-PLANT USED BY ELDERS IN OLDEN DAYS TO CAST SPELL

THE ‘Rolok”, a local flowering plant which is planted in most house compounds or backyards because of its natural and aesthetical beauty, actually has an evil past. Apparently, the plant was used by elders in the olden days to cast spells on people though some have talked about its medicinal attributes too. The Rolok plant can be found in two forms, one that grows as shrub and the other which can grow up to 10 feet tall. According to Hasnah Bousun, in her 40s, the Rolok plant was believed to possess a mystical power which could uproot a big tree or trigger a massive landslide in a single voodoo-induced natural disaster. “According to my grandfather, Pagans in the olden days would use the Rolok branch to cast an evil spell on somebody’s property. “What they would do is to dig a hole, put an egg in it and plant the Rolok branch on top. Thus the spell is cast and the area will be affected by natural disaster such as flooding or landslide,” she said. “This evil ancient rite is not practised anymore as most people have now converted to either Islam or Christianity. Furthermore it is not good to cast spells as it is against the teaching of God and also morally wrong,” explained Hasnah. Meanwhile, the leaves of the Rolok plant were said to have medicinal value and used to treat fevers. The preparation is simple. Boil a handful of Rolok leaves and leave them to cool. Bath in the leaf solution and it will lower your body’s temperature.

SUNDAY 4/11/2007-CASH SAYS TO INTRODUCE DEBT COLLECTION LEGISLATION

KOTAKINABALU:

The Consumer Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash) has urged the Government to introduce a debt collection legislation to protect consumers from being abused by debt collectors in order to unfairly pressure them into paying their debts. Its deputy president, Nordin Thani, said these abuse tactics are often intended to scare or intimidate consumers, sometimes with threats of violence or will try to pile on illegal interest or fees to make the debt seem larger than it actually is. “Harassment by moneylender debt collectors is nothing new to us but the existing law to protect consumers are insufficient. With the introduction of the law all debt collectors would follow certain guidelines, rules and procedures. Most importantly the consumers would be protected and be able to know what are their rights as borrowers are,” he pointed out in a statement yesterday. Nordin said the legislation should also cover vehicle repossessors. Some of them are acting like gangsters when trying to repossess vehicles that are overdue for payment. They even charge vehicle owners certain fees which they are not supposed to. At the moment, there is no such act or legislation to protect consumers which bars all forms of unfair, abusive and deceptive collection practices by debt collectors in this country. According to him, in certain
developing countries, a law of this kind has already been introduced and enforced which provides a general prohibition on any form of deception, abuse or unfair treatment to consumers when come to debt collection. With this kind of law enforced, at least all debt collection businesses or collectors would behave and are more disciplined when collecting their debts and would prevent unwanted incidents that we normally read, heard or see on television. Nordin also called for frequent check on health products that are sold openly on the streets and at open market in the City vicinity and towns throughout the state. “These products are not even approved by the Ministry of Health. There is no ministry logo or any other approval agency registration number on its label. Some are imported products and others produced locally. Amongst the products sold are weight-loss tablets which promise customers to look slim and Tongkat Ali special capsules which promises sex drive for men,” he said. “We believe a majority of the salespersons are foreigners knowing from their accent when trying to convince customers to buy. These products have not been tested and proven to be working by the authorities. It could be a fraud that could cheat consumers of their time listening, money and most importantly their health.

“They even assured customers that if the product doesn’t work, their money would be returned but didn’t inform the customers where and how to reach them except for a mobile number that’s even not active given on a pamphlet,” he pointed out. Nordin stressed that a special surveillance and enforcement team is needed from the relevant agency to combat all these misleading and deceptive advertising and to confiscate the products for testing of their true and actual contents. Perhaps a seminar or campaign could be organized to prevent innocent consumers from becoming victims of fraud by educating them on how to recognize authorized health products that are approved by the Health Ministry, he said.

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER 2007-BREAK-IN AT TAMAN KENDARA

KOTA KINABALU:
In just half an hour, police here detained two suspects who broke into a house at Taman Kendara, thanks to the quick action of the house owner and police.
City Police Chief, ACP Ahmad Sofi Zakaria, said the 42-year-old lorry driver quickly alerted the police, providing them with the registration number of the suspects’ car after seeing them dashing out from his house.
The lorry driver was said to have just finished his shift on Oct 25 and got home at about 9. 3Oam when he noticed the men rushing out of the house and escaping in a Proton Iswara car.
“The man stayed calm, taking down the necessary information and alerted the police immediately,” he said.
“Because he did not panic and was table to take down the (registration) number, we were immediately able to inform our patrol units to be on the lookout for the vehicle,” said Ahmad.
He said police located the car at Sinsuran here about 30 minutes later and detained two local men, both in their 50s, and recovered several jewellery items and cash from the suspects.
In an unrelated case, two locals aged 29 and 27 were detained for robbing an 18-year-old local college student of his cellphone and RM25 cash at Likas on Oct21.
Ahmad said the student was waiting .for a bus near a secondary school in the area at around 7.2Opm when he was approached by four men, one armed with a screwdriver.
“It was through a public tip-off that we managed to detain the two suspects at Mile 5, Likas and seized a Kancil car from them,” he said.
Police are still looking for the remaining accomplices.
In another incident, a teenage robbery suspect smashed a window of a minibus in his desperate bid to evade arrest.
The 18-year-old youth and his 15- year-old accomplice, both former convicts, had chartered the bus, believed with the money they took from another 18-year-old and his younger brother earlier near Menggatal town on Oct 20, said Ahmad.
On seeing police intercepting the busat Kampung Tebobon in Menggatal at around 6.3Opm, the youth shattered the glass window and fled.
“The police personnel from the city crime prevention unit gave chase and apprehended him soon after,” he said, adding that the younger suspect was too scared and made no attempt to escape.
Initial investigation revealed that the suspects had robbed the victims of their cellphone and RM200 with a pair of scissors at about 1.45pm.
Ahmad said police believe they have solved at least three robberies involving the same modus operandi with scissors and one break-in in Menggatal.
He said police also seized two mobile phones, a pair of scissors and heaps of SIM cards from the suspects’ bag.
Meanwhile, Penampang police detained 16 illegal immigrants in a predawn operation in Putatan and Petagas on Friday.
District Police Chief DSP Madang Usat said the three-hour operation was led by District Traffic and Public Order head, Chief Inspector Edward Kondokor, and involved 16 policemen and 10 Rela members.

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER 2007- CONSUMERS BE PREPARED TO PAY MORE FOR ESSENTIAL GOODS NEXT YEAR-Fomca

KUALA LUMPUR:
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) yesterday asked the people to be prepared to face rising prices of goods following an increase in the prices of basic items such as wheat and petrol in the world market. Its adviser, Prof Datuk Hamdan Adnan, said it was important for the consumers to prepare themselves mentally and by way of their spending to face the inevitable rising prices of essential goods next year.
“This is because the price of petrol has risen to almost double that when the fuel price in the country was reviewed more than a year ago,” he said in a statement following the rise of world oil price to US$100 a barrel.
“The people have to be thankful to the Government for continuing to subsidise the fuel and ensuring no price hike of the commodity this year,” he said.
Prof Hamdan said, however, he did not think that the Government could accommodate the existing price next year in view of the steep rise in the world oil price. He said the rise in the price of fuel would have an effect on the cost of transportation but added that Fomca hoped the Government could ensure that any rise in the prices of essential goods and public transportation fares would be within the means of consumers.
Elaborating on the need for consumers to be prepared for a price hike, he said the people should resort to measures such as eating out less and bringing meals from the home to the office or workplace. On the rise in the price of a loaf of bread following the rise in the price of wheat, Prof Hamdan urged the Government to enforce regulations on the existing standard loaf in accordance with the Food Act.
“Bread manufacturers should be subjected to a quota on the making of the standard loaf besides producing the more expensive high- fibre bread,” he said.
On complaints by the people on the rise in the price of “roti canai” and its varying sizes, he said the authorities and traders should discuss and come up with regulations on standard roti canai to determine the ingredients and weight as it has become a routine food. Prof Hamdan also suggested that the Government revive the Green Book programme, of the people cultivating their own vegetables, as a measure to reduce the impact of rising prices of essential goods.

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER 2007- ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO RURAL FOLKS BY 2010

KOTA KINABALU:

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) is confident of supplying electricity to’90 per cent of rural people in the State by the year 2010, compared to only 67 per cent presently.
Its Managing Director Baharin Din, in disclosing this yesterday, explained that one of the contributing factors that hamper the effort to provide electricity to these areas is the distribution problem faced by those appointed to channel electricity supply to the houses.
“We have set up generators in each area and it is up to the appointed parties to do the distribution of electricity supply, where currently some are enjoying the utility while others have yet to get it,” he said. “This is one of the reasons why a big portion of the rural folks have yet to get electricity supply,” he said during the SESB Raya Open House at the Dewan Karamunsing, yesterday.
Also present were Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie, Mayor Datuk lliyas Ibrahim and SESB Senior Corporate Communication Manager Chenderamata Sinteh.
Asked about the construction of the coal-fired electricity plant at Silam, Lahad Datu, which is expected to be completed soon, Baharin explained that it would be able to generate 300 megawatts of electricity.
He said once the project is completed in 2011, it would be able to supply power to over 100,000 people in the East Coast which covers Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna and Kunak.
For a start, the RM1.2 billion plant would be able to generate 40 megawatts of electricity supply, starting 2010, he added
‘Baharin said they have met the Environmental Impact Assessment at (EIA) requirements concerning the construction of the plant.
He is confident that the power plant will be able to benefit the people, particularly economically, apart from solving the frequent power disruptions in Sabah.
In addition, he said, the Sabah Grid in Kolopis, Penampang, will be launched on Nov 26.
“We have managed to reduce by 50 per cent the power disruptions in the State,” he said, adding that as at yesterday,, SESB had generated 624.9 megawatts throughout Sabah, which is an increase of 3O percent compared to only 500 megawatts during the same period last year.

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER 2007 GRANTS FOR 121 CHINESE MISSION SCHOOLS

KOTA KINABALU:
A total of 121 Chinese independent and mission schools yesterday received grants amounting to RM7,879,490 from the Government, which was an increase from last year’s allocation of RM5,445,000.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman, who presented the assistance, said that in February last year, the State Government decided to extend early grants for schools that are deemed to be in need of financial assistance.
“At the same time, the State Government also handed out financial assistance to schools in the interior that were badly affected by the floods last year,” he said at the presentation of the grants at Le Meridien Hotel here, yesterday.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan, several cabinet ministers and assistant ministers.
Musa, who is also Finance Minister, said the provision of the yearly allocations as well as the early grants and disaster relief clearly reflects the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government’s commitment towards helping these schools as part of the overall development of education in the State.
“In this respect, the State Government will within its capacity, continue to support schools in its effort to create educational excellence,” he added.
Musa said the State Government will do its level best to assist schools towards raising the level of education among the people, especially those from the rural areas and the underprivileged.
He said this is very much in line with the emphasis on education under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9-MP), which is clearly reflected in the huge allocation given to Sabah by the Federal Government.
He said the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in launching the Educational Development Action Plan earlier this year, stated that the generation of students produced today must not only be literate but also intellectually capable.
“Intellectually capable students will make up the pool of human capital required by the nation to face an ever increasing competitive world,” he added.
In view of this, Musa said, all quarters involved in the educational development programme should focus on nurturing students with the objective of developing quality human capital, which is one of the major thrusts of the national mission and an important agenda in achieving the successful implementation of the 9MP.
“With this in mind, I hope that educational institutions including Chinese independent schools will tailor their teaching methods and curriculum towards this education direction.”
Musa said the State Government will also be allocating RM1O.48 million to Christian organizations and temples in Sabah, an increase from last year’s RM9.66 million.
“I understand that 15 Christian organizations and 39 Chinese temples as well as one Hindu and one Sikh temple will receive their respective allocations,” he added.
He said the provision of these allocations shows the State Government’s commitment to uphold religious freedom and encourage religious and spiritual development of the people irrespective of their race and belief.
“Houses of worship, including churches and temples. will continue to get State Government’s support,” he added.
He said churches and temples have a role to play in complementing the Government’s efforts in creating a moral and caring society and curbing social ills such as drug abuse and other criminal activities.

Friday 2nd Nov 2007 - Bus passenger, driver robbed

Four men stop bus and relieve victims of phone, wallet

TAWAU: Four unidentified men stopped a bus at Mile 4 Apas Road on Wednesday and robbed a passenger of a cellphone and the driver’s wallet.

Acting District Police Chief Superintendent Hj Ramli Ali Mat said the bus driver in his 30s was travelling from the town to Mile 5 Apas at 7.30pm. There were five passengers on board the bus.

“When they reached Mile 4, four men stopped the bus and boarded it. They pointed a knife at one of the passengers and took the cellphone before alighting,” he said.

Ramli said after the four suspects had gone, the driver realized his wallet which he placed on the dashboard was missing along with his MyKad and driving licenses. In another incident, a man in his 50s reported a theft at his workshop in Kampung Titingan.

Ramli said the man went to the workshop about 8. 3Opm on Wednesday and found three boxes of welding rods, an Italy-made grinder and Italy-made electric hand-drill, drill bit, air filter equipment, several menthols and two sets of spanners missing. The victim estimated his losses at RM7,000.

Ramli said the police had questioned the workers of the workshop and had yet to make any arrest.

Friday 2nd Nov 2007 - Bridge project to benefit 7,000 islanders

KOTA KINABALU: The 7,000 people living on Lthak-Lihak island in Semporna will be able to travel faster to the mainland once construction of a RM30 million bridge is completed.

Bugaya Assemblyman Datuk Basalie Abdul Hamid said the bridge project, which started early last month, would enable locals on the island to transport their commodities to Semporna town faster.

At the moment, they have to use boats which would take them about two hours.

For 40 years, the islanders have problem transporting their commodities to the mainland, especially during rainy season or low tide, thus hampering our effort to eradicate poverty.

“They are also in a dilemma, especially when sending sick patients or women in labour to the district hospital. Everything will be settled once the bridge is up,” he said.

Basalie said the Lihak-Lihak villagers were blessed with economic development from the Federal Government through the rubber planting project by Feldra Berhad and the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS).


The Lihak-Lihak bridge is one of the two projects to link Semporna to the nearby islands. The other bridge is at Bum-Bum Island under the Sulabayan constituency.

Lihak-Lihak is the only island under the Bugaya constituency while Sulabayan has others such as the Sipadan and Mabul, known to many divers for their beautiful underwater world, and Ligitan.

The Sabah Barisan Nasional executive secretary also said the people were also provided with asphalt roads, electricity, water and telephone lines.

Basalie, who is also the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park Sdn Bhd chairman, added 70 per cent of the Bugaya
constituency is enjoying clean water supply while the rest of the area will receive the facility soon.

Apart from the district library, a marine police post and court, schools are also provided.

“We have homestay and handicraft industry to lure people to come and visit us in Bugaya,’ he said.

Friday 2nd Nov 2007 - Six children return after successful heart surgeries

KOTA KINABALU: Six of the 16 children suffering from congenital heart defect (CHD) have returned home after undergoing successful heart surgeries in South Korea.

The healthy-looking children, aged one to eight, arrived with their parents at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport just after midnight Wednesday, some three weeks after they left for the operations.

They were in the first group of eight patients who flew to South Korea on Oct 10 for the surgeries and treatment programme at Bucheon Sejong Hospital in Seoul.

All their expenses, including travel and accommodation cost, were borne by several Korean charity bodies who carried out the Heart Treatment for Children project in collaboration with a number of local organisations.

The remaining children are scheduled to return next week after their recovery procedure is fully completed.

All selected patients were from poor families who were on the Institute Jantung Negara (IJN) waiting list.

The Seoul hospital carrying out the operations is well known for opening its door to a healthier life for poor patients.

Affecting approximately one in every 125 babies born, congenital heart defect is the most common birth defect. Forty thousand people are born each year with CHD and 4,000 will not survive their first year.

Present to receive the children at the airport were Community Development and Consumer Affairs Assistant Minister Jornah Mozihim, SOS Heart Fund Secretary Eva Susau, Korea Food for the Hungry International representative to Malaysia Simon Lee, Sabah Agape Counselling Association president Louis Yong and members of the Lions Club of KK Damai.

Friday 2nd Nov 2007 - Sabah almost make clean sweep of golds

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah dominated the competition as they swept seven gold medals at the PKM-MSN-PSM East Malaysia Zone Sepak Takraw Championship 2007 at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex multipurpose hail.

The host contingent over-powered their opponents in all the team and doubles events in the 11, 14 and 16 years old categories while their seventh gold medal came from the regu event of the Under-11 years old category.

Sabah missed out on only two gold medals in the four-day event which ended yesterday, with Sarawak adding some sparkle to their medal tally through the regu event for the 14 and 16 years old categories.

The Sarawakians also managed to haul in seven silver medals while FT Labuan ended their run with nine bronze medals.

State Education Department, Sabah Sports Board and the Sabah Sepak Takraw Association (Astaka) jointly organised the championship aimed at selecting the best regu to represent the East Malaysia Zone at the national championship.

The new competition format was introduced through a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, National Sports Council and the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM).

State Education Department Human Development Sector head Md Nor Md Sharif, on behalf of State Education Director Normah Gagoh, presented the prizes during the closing ceremony yesterday.

Friday 2nd Nov 2007 - Firefly mulls flights from KK to BIMP-EAGA towns

KOTA KINABALU: Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), is considering operating flights from Kota Kinabalu to major towns within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BMP-EAGA), said MAS managing director and Firefly chairman Datuk Idris Jala.

He said the Sabah Government has given its green light to make Kota Kinabalu as one of its hubs to operate a domestic and international network.

Idris said Firefly has ordered 10 Italian turboprop aircraft, a smaller aircraft capable of carrying 72 passengers in a move to expand its network.

“We have also made an option for another 10 turboprop aircraft and when they arrive gradually over the next five years, we can position some of the aircraft in Kota Kinabalu to cater for BIMP-EAGA sub-region,” he said.

“We cannot make money using jet but certainly turboprop maybe possible,” he told reporters after meeting Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun, here yesterday.

Friday 2nd Nov 2007 - Post offices now collect Yayasan loan payments

KOTA KINABALU: Graduates can now pay their Yayasan Sabah (YS) educational loans at 45 outlets of Pos Malaysia throughout Sabah.

To make payment even easier, students can also pay their loans from home or anywhere they want through Pos Malaysia’s online portal, PosOnline.

Yayasan Sabah and Pos Malaysia yesterday sealed a strategic partnership for the Integrated Collection System (ICS) which was made fully operational since Oct 1.

YS Deputy Director Dr Johan Ariffin said with ICS now in place, YS is targeting to collect a total of RM5 million in repayment of loans for this year, surpassing the initial target by one million ringgit. He said the target is achievable due to the increasing trend in amount collected shown this year. He noted that RM3.6 million had been collected as at October this year compared to RM3 million collected for the same period last year.

Group Managing Director cum Chief Executive Officer of Pos Malaysia Berhad, Datuk Idrose Mohamed, said the partnership with YS is part of their continuous efforts to explore various new services that can be offered through post offices as well as through PosOnline.

“We are honoured by this alliance with YS as it reflects on their trust and confidence in Pos Malaysia’s capacity and capability in managing payment of the Yayasan Sabah student loans at our post offices as well as through our online transaction portal.

“In addition to our network of post offices, our move to extend the convenience through cyberspace via PosOnline makes it possible for Pos Malaysia to reach out to students in both urban and rural areas, hence facilitating their payment of Yayasan Sabah loans in a more efficient manner,” he said.

The MoU was signed by the YS Deputy Director and Pos Malaysia Deputy General Manager Mearia Hamzah.