RM1.90 Petrol Price Stays If Crude Oil Price Not Higher Than US$83 Per Barrel

KAPAR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The current retail price of RON97 petrol at RM1.90 per litre can be maintained if the world crude oil price does not exceed US$83 per barrel, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said.
"The ministry is in the midst of coming up with a mechanism to mantain the current retail price of RON97 at RM1.90 per litre and I can assure you that there will be no increase if the world crude oil price continues to be lower than US$83 per barrel," he told reporters after launching Econsave Cash and Carry supermarket's price reduction campaign here Thursday.
The campaign involves 2,120 products and will stretch till Feb 28 next year at all the company's 28 stores nationwide.
Shahrir said the demand for petrol now was domesticallly driven and added that the ministry would find ways to help consumers to have disposable income.
"The real issue here is how much the price should be so that consumers have more money to spend or save and how much should go to the government's coffers for development and other purposes," he said, adding that the government was now in the process of educating consumers on the rationale behind the fluctuation of petrol prices recently.
He added that the proposed mechanism to determine fuel prices would be brought to the Cabinet at its meeting tomorrow or next week.

tunku : i hope the goverment will stick to its promised that the price of petrol won't be more that RM1.90 if world crude oil price continues to be lower than US$83 per barrel and we hope at the current price that is below us$50, our domestic price should be lower , at least at RM1.50 - RM1.60.

PPP reiterates its call for ISA amendment

KUALA LUMPUR: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has reiterated its call for the government to amend the Internal Security Act (ISA) before the next general election. Otherwise it would have “no reason to remain” in Barisan Nasional.
PPP supreme council which held an emergency meeting on Thursday voiced its full support for party president Datuk M. Kayveas.
The deputy president Datuk Lee Heng who chaired the meeting said Kayveas had urged the government to amend the ISA following calls from the party’s Wanita and Youth wings recently to abolish the act altogether.
“The president’s response to that was to meet half way that is to ask for an amendment. If there is not even an amendment, then PPP would have no reason to remain in Barisan,” he said at a press conference.
Kayveas was not present at the emergency meeting as he was overseas.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he had no plans to amend the ISA and that PPP was free to leave Barisan if it wanted to.
Earlier, Kayveas had called on the government to amend the ISA or PPP would pull out of Barisan.
Lee Heng said PPP’s stance was very clear that the government should amend the ISA to prevent it from being used against civilians who posed no security threat.
“This is line with the desires and sentiments of the rakyat. We feel there is no point in us staying in Barisan if the ISA is not amended before the next general elections,” he said.
He said there was still a lot of time before the next general election and thus PPP would only cross the bridge when it comes to it.
“We will not give up. There is still time. We have already seen some changes (in the government),” he said citing the upcoming Barisan Nasional convention in February and the Anti-Corruption Commission Bill and the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill that was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday as examples of some of the changes the government was making.
Lee Heng said Abdullah never asked PPP to leave Barisan, adding that the Prime Minister’s comment that PPP was free to leave the coalition was merely in response to questions from the media.
PPP also announced Thursday that it had sacked former president S.I. Rajah from the party for calling on Kayveas to step down as president.
The disciplinary board chairman Datuk Maglin D’ Cruz said Rajah could not appeal against the decision.
He said he had initially thought that Rajah was no longer a PPP member but upon checking found that the former president had rejoined the party in March 2007.
“For him to approach the Prime Minister and say that PPP is not leaving Barisan and for him to ask the party president to step down is a serious matter,” he added.
Maglin said the decision to sack Rajah was unanimously endorsed by the supreme council.
On Wednesday, Rajah, claiming to be an adviser to the party said he had met the Barisan chairman and secretary-general at Parliament and gave them the assurance that PPP would not pull out of the coalition.
He called on Kayveas to step down instead of issuing an ultimatum to Barisan to amend the ISA.

tunku : bn had made it clear that they would not amend the ISA and i guess ppp should quit bn now as they had said earlier that if there is no amendments, there's no reason for them to stay, SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ? i guess with ppp going out bn, kimma and ipf can be accepted in bn.what ppp doing is blackmailing and bn doesn't need a partner that like to blackmail.ppp can always do it in proper way but chose the wannabe popular way.nowadays it seems that no one can go against the president of a party, you go against them you face being sacked from the party.

99 hillslope projects approved by Khir Toyo, says S'gor MB

A total of 99 hillside projects had been approved by the Selangor government under then menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, Parliament was told today.
Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim (PKR-Bandar Tun Razak) said of the projects approved, 64 are on-going, 21 have yet to begin construction and three have since been abandoned
According to Khalid, 21 of the on-going projects are under the jurisdiction of Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, with 10 in Bukit Antarabangsa - the upmarket suburb which was hit by a deadly landslide on Saturday - and 11 in nearby Taman Melawati.
However, he said that since the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition took over the state government in March, no hillside development project has been approved.
Khalid revealed the information today during the hour-long debate on an emergency motion proposed by the opposition in the wake of the deadly Bukit Antarabangsa landslide.
House speaker allowed debate
Earlier today, House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, in a rare move, accepted the motion tabled by Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), who is also the state assemblyperson for Bukit Antarabangsa.
In tabling his motion this morning, Azmin said the previous BN-led Selangor government leaders should be held responsible for the latest tragedy and argued that Parliament is the best venue to debate the matter.
The massive landslide which occurred at 4am on Saturday buried 14 bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama in Bukit Antarabangsa, near Hulu Kelang.
Between 3,000 and 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate after the incident.
During the debate, both opposition and government MPs expressed their dissatisfaction with Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Chuan's explanation on the tragedy.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said that the 48 lives lost in the collapse of the Highland Towers in 1993 were in vain because of the government “sheer negligence has continued unchanged in the past 15 years”.
Lim called for the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry to probe Saturday's tragedy and examine the reasons why the authorities have failed to learn from the Highland Towers incident.
Dr Hatta Ramli (PAS-Kuala Krai) demanded all projects be stopped until investigations are completed to ensure that the construction of houses in the area abide to existing guidelines.
Ong: Wait for report from special committee
However, Ong kept reiterating that a report is being done by a special committee under the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Public Works Department.
The committee, headed by the Public Works Department, includes Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia, Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Malaysian Centre of Remote Sensing (MACRES), Department of Environment, Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (JUPEM), the Meteorological Department and Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram).
It will also comprise of geologists from private institutions and universities and is to submit a detailed report on the incident in three months, said Ong at a press conference in the Parliament lobby.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Ali (Independent-Pasir Mas) said instead of pinpointing who was at fault, both the state and the federal governments should allocated RM50 million fund to help those affected by the landslide.
Ismail Kasim (Umno-Arau) stressed that permits should not be freely given to developers who do not abide by the regulations set by the ministry.
At the end of the session, Azmin, who proposed the debate, requested that the House be given more time to discuss the issue as more than one ministry are involved in the investigation of the tragedy.
However, this was rejected by the House speaker, who said only 60 minutes have been allocated to debate the emergency motion.

tunku : i think the previous administration need to answer to this.they must tell the public on how those projects were approved with all the consultant's reports.if khalid ibrahim really wants the hillslope development to stop its easy.though they have been approved by the authority and nothing can stop them from building now, they can still persuade the people not to buy those properties, i'm sure no developer will build it too. those who still want to buy the property there, do not blame anyone if disaster happens.the only problem now is the existing houses.may be the state government can help those people there by asking pkns to build new houses for them at other locations with special price or even at cost price.pity them too.

PPP Will Not Leave BN, Says Advisor

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- People's Progressive Party (PPP) advisor S. I. Rajah said Wednesday the party would not leave the Barisan Nasional (BN).
"I met the BN chairman and the secretary-general at the Parliament House today, and gave them an assurance that PPP would not leave the BN coalition," he said in a statement.
Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said yesterday that it was up to PPP to leave the coalition, following its threat to do so if the Internal Security Act (ISA) was not abolished before the next general election.
The government sticks to its decision not to abolish the ISA as it was deemed necessary in safeguarding the country's security.
Rajah said PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas should have obtained the consensus of the grassroots members' support first before issuing an ultimatum to BN.

tunku : will ppp follow the footstep of sapp? like sapp, most of it's members and it's deputy president were against the president's decision to quit bn.now we can see the same with ppp.we will wait for kayveas's statement now,what he has to say,whether he will stick to his words or not.

Umno Youth To Make Amends In Kuala Terengganu By-election - Hishammuddin

KLUANG, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election has given Umno Youth the opportunity to redeem itself following Barisan Nasional (BN)'s defeat in the Permatang Pauh by-election in August.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the movement would ensure that it was well-prepared for a stiff challenge from the opposition.
"We will garner the support of the younger generation in our quest to defend the seat.
"The by-election has presented us with the opportunity to make amends our debacle in Permatang Pauh," he told reporters after launching the Aidiladha sacrificial slaughter rite organised by Umno Youth at Felda Bukit Tongkat here, Tuesday.
The Kuala Terengganu seat fell vacant following the death of the incumbent, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail, while playing badminton at Aminuddin Baki Institute in Genting Highlands on Nov 28.
The by-election has been fixed for Jan 17, with its nomination day set to fall on Jan 6.
Hishammuddin, who is also Education Minister, said the BN had the edge in Kuala Terengganu as the political scenario was different from that of the March 8 general election.
"BN was beaten in the Permatang Pauh by-election as the seat was the opposition's stronghold. The considerations and strategies unleashed during the last general election and the Permatang Pauh by-election are no longer suitable now," he said.
Urging the opposition not to mar the by-election by creating troubles, he said, "Let us fight like gentlemen."
Present were Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, its executive committee member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Johor Umno Youth chief Razali Ibrahim.

tunku : it is sensible statement by hishammuddin. bn did wrong tactics of campaigning in permatang pauh,especially by bringing jokers like nalla and ezam and the biggest blunder was with khairy talking big that bn came to bury anwar in his stronghold which at last buried bn.we need new approaches that are accepted by the majority of people.we hope that the kuala trengganu's by- election won't be a battle ground for the umno's election candidates as it would make easy for opposition to win there. instead the candidates for march should join hands to campaign there to show unity and sincerity,can we see that?

Component Parties To Suggest Improvements At BN Convention

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties will submit feedback and suggestions on improvements at the BN Convention scheduled to be held next year.
MCA vice-president Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the BN members were looking forward to the BN Convention as the grassroots would be able to make suggestions and give their feedback directly to the BN top leadership.
"The convention is crucial to the BN as it can ensure that the coalition is relevant to the people of various races. The MCA has many suggestions...Let all these be discussed during the convention," he told reporters after attending the BN Supreme Council meeting here.
The meeting, which lasted three-and-a-half hours, was attended by representatives of all the BN component parties and chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the BN chairman.
Liow, who is also the Health Minister, said the MCA held many brainstorming sessions among its members shortly after the 12th general election on March 8 and had gathered several suggestions aimed at improving the BN.
"We will present these suggestions at the convention," he said.
Meanwhile, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the BN Convention would enable discussion to be held on the effectiveness of the BN in fulfilling the aspiration of the people.
"This is an indication that the BN top leadership continues to respond to the aspiration of the people, particularly the young generation. Many suggestions would be presented by various parties so that the BN would be more sensitive to the needs of the people," he said.
Dr Koh also said the BN conceded that it still had weaknesses or inadequacies and hoped that these could be overcome after the convention.

tunku : we hope that this convention will be use to strengthen the party not a party bashing event.it will be better if it will be held after march but never mind.all the component parties should utilise this convention to the fullest for the betterment of the party and its future.they must get rid of all the dirt's in the party and stop blaming each other.the 12th GE result was actually a blessing in disguise for bn, it is a wake up call for them, to put their act right.

Arif Shah at PKR’s Aidiladha feast

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Seberang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah has set tongues wagging again after he was spotted at an Aidiladha kenduri (feast) organised by PKR here.
The Umno assemblyman was leaving the kenduri at Permatang Rawa near here when Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived with his entourage.
Also present was Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, the man Arif Shah was rumoured to replace.
After exchanging smiles, both Anwar and Arif Shah shook hands.
When Arif Shah was asked to pose with Anwar for a picture, he declined saying that he was rushing to another kenduri.
”This is just a coincidence and not a planned meeting. I am just meeting up with my constituents,” he said.
Arif Shah explained that the chairman of the Permatang Rawa surau had invited him to the kenduri and he had no idea that the event was organised by PKR.
Asked if PKR was reaching out to Arif Shah, the PKR de facto leader said the party would reach out to the entire community.
He added that it was good of Arif Shah to come and it was the first time he was meeting Arif Shah after the Permatang Pauh by-election.
It has been rumoured that Arif Shah was being wooed by PKR to replace Mohammad Fairus as deputy Chief Minister but Anwar has denied that.
Earlier this month, Umno sacked former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim for attending events organised by opposition parties.

tunku : i don't think in this case arif shah was wrong. he has not breach the party ethics.what zaid did was wrong, attending political function by the opposition. arif attended hari raya function in his constituency.there's diffrence between the two.

PPP Free To Leave BN, Says Abdullah

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- The People's Progressive Party (PPP) is free to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) if it chooses to do so, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
"If that is their choice, what can we do?" he told reporters after chairing the BN supreme council meeting at Menara Dato' Onn, here, Tuesday.
PPP has called for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act (ISA) before the next general election or else it would leave BN.
Abdullah, however, said the government had no plans to amend the Act.
Kayveas did not attend the meeting but sent his representative.
Asked whether the meeting deliberated on sensitive issues, Abdullah said several sensitive issues were discussed but he would not elaborate.
"We are open and appreciate that we are all (BN component parties) under the ambit of BN and we are also collectively responsible for many things.
"The government exists on power-sharing based on consensus, that is, we practise collective responsibility, thus there is no sensitive issue which we will not discuss," he said.
Abdullah said nobody raised or made a statement wanting to leave BN at the meeting.
He said the BN Convention in February would discuss the views of the people, non-governmental organisations and community leaders on issues, as well as the last general election.
"Actually, the BN Secretariat is making the preparations. It has conducted a survey and came out with many findings from the community leaders.
"It takes time. Some people say BN has been very quiet, not doing anything whereas the preparations we are making have to be meticulous and not haphazard.
"We notice that different groups are making different demands, thus we have to study them thoroughly. The BN committee has met before to consider dominant views on BN," he said.
He said the plan to hold the convention did not come solely from Umno but from all component parties and it was conveyed at the BN supreme council meeting today.
Abdullah said the BN supreme council members had made their views known and the subjects to be discussed at the convention would be fine-tuned.
These included ways to strengthen BN, he added.
He said the convention would be held either over one or two days, depending on the subjects to be deliberated.
The component parties were encouraged to have their own retreats after the convention to get feedback from their members, he added.

tunku : when the head is weak this is what happened.anyway in this matter, ppp is free to leave bn, any component party who finds blackmail as a tool for gaining popularity or demanding something can leave bn. maybe kayveas can dissolve ppp and joins pkr.now that pak lah said that bn will not abolish nor amend the ISA, its for kayveas to act and prove that he was serious with his statement earlier.

Riz Khan with Tun Mahathir @ AlJazeera

Malaysia wants OIC countries to reconsider gold Dinar for trade

Malaysia wants Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries to reconsider the use of the gold dinar for trade, especially with uncertainties in the international currency market.
In stating this today, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Malaysia would attempt to hold discussions with the OIC countries so that the issue of using the gold dinar could be studied indepth.
“At this time when the currency market is uncertain and challenging, maybe it will be good for the OIC countries to look again at the role of the gold dinnar in increasing trade among members,” he told reporters here today.
Earlier he officiated the opening of Wisma Yayasan Ekonomi Sejagat here.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed the use of the gold dinar in global trade in 2002.
Nor Mohamed said with the challenging economic conditions and weaknesses in the financial system, the use of the gold dinar could be reconsidered.
“Before this, our suggestion was not well accepted by the OIC countries.
But now with the weaknesses in the financial system, maybe we can look at the gold dinar proposal again,” he said.

tunku : malaysia should have been more pro active in pushing the OIC countries and asean countries especially when pak lah was the chairman for oic/nam but fails to do so.Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad suggested the idea of using gold in international trade for settling bilateral and multilateral trade balances among countries. The success factor here requires trade to be both quoted and settled in gold. Gold, therefore, acts primarily as a unit of account for measuring international trade. This mechanism is expected to bring about some degree of stability and justice in the international monetary order.

Two Killed, Eight Feared Buried In Bukit Antarabangsa Landslide

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- A landslide occurred at about 4 am today in Bukit Antarabangsa, Hulu Klang, near here and police confirmed that a woman and her child were killed in the incident which buried 14 bungalows in two housing estates.
Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said at the scene that 93 people escaped unscathed in the mishap which affected bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama.
A spokesman of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society had said earlier that four people had died in the incident.
He also said that 15 injured people had been sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
A Fire & Rescue Unit spokesman said eight bungalows in Taman Bukit Utama and six bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah were affected.
One of the affected bungalows is owned by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
The landslide cut off access by the main road to the residential areas at Bukit Antarabangsa, trapping hundreds of residents.
A search and rescue operation has been mounted involving personnel from the military, Civil Defence Department, Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue (Smart) team, Fire & Rescue Unit and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.
The injured were given first aid at the Addinniah surau before being sent to the nearest hospitals in ambulances, at least 12 of which were seen at the scene.
Bukit Antarabangsa State Assemblyman Azmin Ali said at the scene that earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.

Relative Tranquility Of Bukit Antarabangsa Again Shattered By Landslide

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- The relative tranquility of Bukit Antarabangsa, a hilly township comprising upmarket and middle class bungalows, condominiums and terrace houses was broken this morning following a landslide that originated from Jalan Wangsa Ukay 9 at Taman Wangsa Ukay.
Tonnes of earth and boulders rolled down several houses just before dawn, at 4am, today, in an area about 1.5 km from where one of three blocks of the Highland Towers collapsed on Dec 11, 1993 taking 48 lives.
The landslide happened so fast but word got around through SMSes, radio or tv, and many people made a beeline to the disaster area.
The town centre, comprising a supermarket, a petrol station and two rows of shophouses, was unusually jam-packed with cars of curious onlookers, ambulances, and vehicles from the police and civil defence.
At daybreak, this writer joined a group of onlookers at a row of abandoned houses at Jalan Wangsa 9 overlooking the disaster area.
They decided to circumvent a security tape which had been put up by security officials to prevent people from going near the edge of the slope.
The group of us was about 15 to 20 metres from where it all started.
Suddenly the earth started to move slightly and many of the uprooted Flame of the Forest trees resumed their descent.
The onlookers, many of them armed with camera phones, then ran helter-skelter.
Come to think of it, we were precariously near where disaster struck.
Many of the people there said the landslide must have been caused by the heavy rains over the past few days. This was just at Jalan Wangsa Ukay 9 today.
At the main road leading towards Bukit Antarabangsa, a handful of workmen were seen putting concrete reinforcement against a giant boulder which appeared to be tilting towards the road. A stone's throw away, water was trickling from the crevice of another boulder.
Last week this road was temporary closed for a day when some boulders fell on to the road.
The workmen appeared to be racing against time. Another disaster could be in the offing if this giant boulder were to give way when more rain falls.
It would mean that one of the main arteries connecting Bukit Antarabangsa to the Middle Ring Road II could be cut again, just as it happened last week and a few years ago.

Massive landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa

KUALA LUMPUR: A massive landslide occurred in Bukit Antarabangsa at 4am Saturday. As of 10.45am Saturday, four people are confirmed dead and 15 injured.
The landslide cut off access by the main road to the residential areas at Bukit Antarabangsa, trapping hundreds of residents.
A total of 3,000 to 5,000 residents in the vicinity of the landslide are going to be evacuated, said Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.
He said the military has been roped in to create a slip road to enable trapped victims to be evacuated from the area.
Among the dead are a 30-year-old mother, her two-month-old baby and her maid.
A total of 93 people have been rescued while seven are still reported missing.
Also affected are 14 houses in Jalan Bukit Mewah and Jalan Mewah Utama.
The injured and the remains of the dead have been rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
A total of 160 police, army, Ampang Jaya City Council (MPAJ) and medical personnel are involved in the search and rescue operation.
According to BERNAMA, the injured were given first aid at the Addinniah surau before being sent to hospital. At least 12 ambulances were spotted at the scene.
One of the affected bungalows is owned by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
Thajudeen and his family are safe. They were not at home at the time.
Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali said at the scene that earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.
The site of Saturday's landslide is believed to be 1.5km from the Highland Towers apartment building which collapsed on Dec 11, 1993, killing 48 people.


Bukit Antarbangsa : Landslide tragedy: 4 killed, more buried
A massive landslide at 4 this morning buried eight bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama, Four bodies have been found and eight to 10 people are still feared buried.
Three of the four bodies recovered were women. They are a 30-year-old mother, her two-month-old baby and her maid.
According to fire and rescue officials at the scene, they are expecting the worst. The bodies recovered and some 15 others who were injured have been rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
The landslide has cut off the access road to the residential area, trapping hundreds of people at Bukit Antarabangsa in Hulu Klang
Azmin Ali, the state rep for Bukit Antarabangsa told Malaysiakini over the phone that rescuers are now fighting against time to reach those trapped under the mud and rubble.
He said earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.
The politician said he rushed over to the scene at 4.30am soon after he received words of the landslide.
Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar who was at the scene to direct rescue efforts told reporters that a total of 3,000 to 5,000 residents in the vicinity of the landslide have to be evacuated.
According to Bernama, a total of 160 police, army, Ampang Jaya City Council (MPAJ) and medical personnel are involved in the search and rescue operation. More than 10 ambulances were spotted at the scene.
The news agency also reported that one of the affected bungalows is owned by Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
Thajudeen and his family are safe. They were not at home at the time.

Mukhriz: Razak said it first

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 - Umno Youth chief candidate Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir continued to defend his proposal to unify the education system today, stating that it is an idea that was first mooted in the Penyata Razak (Razak Report) of 1956.

He made reference to the report by former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the then Education Minister, which was to "unify students from all races with one education system that covers all races. We are of the opinion that to carry this out, we need to integrate the syllabus of all schools."

"Of course, it did not set a deadline for this. But it has been 52 years, so when are we going to do it?" Mukhriz said as part of a panel on local television channel Astro Awani's Analisis Awani show this evening.

Mukhriz had on Monday suggested that the current dual-stream system of national and vernacular schools be scrapped and be replaced by one which would use Bahasa Malaysia as its medium of instruction in all subjects except science, math and other language subjects.

It came under heavy fire from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat parties, to the extent of being accused of sedition with a police report filed against him.

The Jerlun MP added today that to an extent, the Wawasan schools idea could achieve the integration that was the objective of his suggestion as at the very least, the shared field, canteen and other facilities would allow the students to play and mix with each other.

Mukhriz, the son of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, also hit back at DAP for saying that he should be charged under the Sedition Act for questioning a sensitive issue that is protected under the Federal Constitution.

"In fact, all languages are protected not just Mandarin and Tamil. But while the opposition continues to criticise the allocation for vernacular schools, Ibans and Kadazans get no allocation at all," he said, implying that the opposition was playing to the gallery.

Mukhriz concluded by saying that his suggestion should be taken with an open mind and discussed together between various political parties and NGOs to come up with a policy that is accepted by all to be tabled in Parliament.

Another panellist, Mental Development Institute (Inmind) chief executive Norizan Sharif , said that the reason Mukhriz had come under heavy criticism was due to the ongoing roiling debate on the social contract and Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy) and his suggestion was immediately viewed from a racial viewpoint.

tunku : we just hope that people understand the concept before opposing it blindly. this is an alternative to vision school (sekolah wawasan).anyway we need to at least start building more vision schools for a start. this is for the benefit of our future generations.

MIC All For Vision Schools( Sekolah Wawasan)

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- The MIC will support the implementation of the Vision School or "Sekolah Wawasan" concept and urged the government to speed up the project, its president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu said Friday.
He said the party was puzzled over the delay in the project's implementation although the MIC was in favour of it since it was mooted by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad almost a decade ago.
"It has been 10 years since the project was started, but up till now, only five or six such schools have been built," he told reporters after opening a forum to discuss the use of English in the teaching of Maths and Science in Tamil schools, here.
The one-day forum was attended by Tamil school headmasters and Education Ministry officials.
The Vision School concept involves the integration of national and vernacular schools under one roof or compound, although each school would its identity and name.
Dr. Mahathir mooted the idea to allow for children from all races to interact as a means fostering unity while maintaining the respective school's status.
Samy Vellu said although some quarters were against the Vision School, the MIC felt it was "a good and beneficial project" as Tamil schools would be equipped with new buildings and equipment since the project was funded totally by the government.
Presently, 329 of the 523 Tamil schools in the country are partially-aided and require funding from the government on an annual basis.
He also said the project would ensure the survival of Tamil schools which currently has a total enrollment of almost 110,000 students.
The government had recently allocated RM50 million under the stimulus package to rebuild Tamil schools for 2009.
Samy Vellu also said a special forum with Parents Teachers Association (PTA) will be held on Dec 14, 2008 from 1pm to 6pm in Kuala Lumpur to get the parents' feedback on the teaching of Maths and Science in English in Tamil schools.
"Only after that, we will submit to the Government our decision as the parents are the most important stakeholders in this matter," he said.
PTAs are advised to contact MIC Education Committee Chairman Datuk Dr. T.Marimuthu at 016-2019466 or K.Manikam from the Social Strategic Foundation at 03-40415958.

tunku : it was a brilliant idea by tun mahathir but some quarters especially the dong ziong group opposed this concept totally.for this i have to say that samy and mic had always supported the vision school (sekolah wawasan) idea but mca and gerakan show lack of interest and of course the opposition was against it..the malay, chinese and tamil schools under one campus, with their own way of teaching but sharing canteens, sharing morning assembly, participating in social activities together like the scouts etc and in the sports activities by mixing all the races.i don't understand why there are some quarters opposing to this idea.the schools will have their own teachers and their own headmasters, so what is the problem?

Malaysia will not slip into full recession, says Dr M

Malaysia will not slip into full recession next year if the country’s economy is well managed by the government, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
He said the impact of the full-blown recession could be eased as the country was linked to the world’s economy only by trade.
“We can offset the full impact of the recession from affecting us as we are linked to the world’s economy only by trade, but we have not invested much in the world’s economy outside the country,” he told reporters after launching the BrandLaureate Awards 2008-2009 at a leading hotel here.
Winners of the awards will be announced on March 31, 2009. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, will be the guest-of-honour at the award presentation.

tunku : again, we will not slip into FULL recession IF the country's economy is well managed.so najib as the finance minister should not make any mistake and must strive hard to avoid a FULL recession.

Reform of Umno doubtful, says sacked ex-minister

Sacked Umno member and former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim is doubtful if the ruling party is capable of reform as pledged following its dismal showing in the March 8 polls.
Zaid, who was given the boot on Tuesday for having close ties with the opposition, lamented that some leaders in Umno could not accept his open-minded approaches and views.
At a press conference in Petaling Jaya today, the former minister was asked if Umno is capable of reforms, to which he replied: "I doubt they (the leaders) can.
"But Umno will have a new leader in March... I may be wrong," he added in reference to the transition of power plan which will see Najib Abdul Razak succeeding Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as number one.
On the same note, Zaid stressed that his sacking underscored the fact that Umno leaders are not open to the ideas of change which he has advocated.
"The criticism against me was because they cannot accept these ideas of change. (Otherwise) why are they so angry with me? What have I done? They can't accept these changes," he said.
Among others, he said, certain party leaders could not accept his stand on wanting to make the Malays more independent.
These party leaders, he added, considered such a view as a 'betrayal' of the Malay race.
'Stop belittling me'
Although he did not name the leaders, Zaid, when responding to another question, called on Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin, information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib and supreme council member Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz to stop "belittling" him.
"Umno leaders like Nazri, Muhyiddin, Mat Taib (Muhammad) and others always made fun of me and said all sort of things. I think they should concentrate on doing their work and resolve the country’s problems.
"Like they said, since I am a nobody, there is no need for them to belittle me all the time, focus on your work," he added.
Zaid said his attempt to articulate a new vision for the party which was less communal had been misconstrued as being ‘rebellious’.
He also warned that if Umno did not adopt a more inclusive approach, race relations in this country would be further affected.
"Umno has become more ethno-centric, more communitarian but that is not our role. Umno’s role is to be the provider for everyone [...] that is where we differ," he said.
'Pak Lah a nice man'
Zaid also disagreed when asked if his sacking was a move by Abdullah to boost his popularity in the party.
"No, I think Pak Lah is a nice man. He wouldn’t sack me on his own [...] but then Pak Lah couldn’t even maintain himself..." he said.
Zaid's resignation from his ministerial post in September and his sacking this week render a blow to the Abdullah administration.
The 58-year-old politician had left a successful legal practice to serve in Abdullah’s government in March and his appointment was lauded as a sign of the premier’s resolution to push for reforms.
Zaid was entrusted with the task of reforming the judiciary, one of the major areas of reform promised by Abdullah.
Nevertheless, Zaid travelled on a bumpy road during his short tenure in government. He was faced with internal criticism on several counts such as the setting up of the judicial appointment commission and the issue of apologising to six affected judges in the 1988 judicial crisis.
He finally resigned in protest over the use of the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial, against an opposition politician, a blogger and a journalist.

tunku : no one is belittling you zaid as you are to little to be belittled. i agreed with zaid on one thing that is umno till now under pak lah has failed to reform. he is 100% right. pak lah asked extension for few months (now march 2009) to reform umno and the country's administration but till today ZERO. nothing has been done. i guess what Tun Dr Mahathir said is absolutely right. we hope after pak lah has resigned the new leadership will not only reform but transform umno and get rid of all those dirts in umno.the first step is during the march party' election.do not vote for corrupt leaders if you wish umno to survive in the next GE.

Che Khalib Dismisses Talks He Is Moving To Petronas

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Tenaga Nasional Bhd president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh today dismissed talks that he is moving to Petronas as its president.
"This country, there are too many rumours. Let's concentrate on serious work and do real serious tasks. Forget about rumours," he said during a media briefing on the Central Area Reinforcement Project here, Thursday.
He said this when asked to confirm if he was eyeing the job in Petronas as speculated in the market and by several bloggers.
Che Khalib was appointed as the president/CEO of TNB on 1 July 2004. Prior to joining TNB, he served as a member of the board and also the executive committee of Khazanah Nasional Bhd from 2000 till 2004.

tunku: we hope what che khalib said is the truth as we don't want tan sri hassan merican to be replaced. he had done a terrific job at petronas and should continue doing so.

Sarawak CM Dismisses Possibility Of Early State Election

KUCHING, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud Wednesday dismissed the possibility of calling for an early state election.
The state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman said that calling for an earlier state election was ridiculous, particularly during economic downturn and uncertainties.
"All governments of the world will say economic uncertainties are not the right atmosphere to call for an election.
"If someone else has a different formula, probably he does not know about economics," he told reporters after receiving Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Abang Salahuddin on his return from Kuala Lumpur at the Kuching International Airport here.
Taib, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president, was asked to comment on whether the state government would call for early state election.
Sarawak had its state elections in May 2006 and the next election is due in 2011.
Last month, Sarawak PKR deputy chairman Wan Zainal Abidin Wan Sanusi predicted that the 10th state election would be held by middle of next year, following the latest political development in the state which saw Ngemah state assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong and former Sri Aman Member of Parliament Jimmy Donald, together with almost 12,000 supporters, joining PKR.
Last week, PKR vice-president Azmin Ali said PKR was focused on wresting Sarawak from BN in the next state election which expected to be held in the second quarter of next year, and that all PKR MPs and assemblymen would be in Sarawak from the second week of this month to "do battle" to win the state.

tunku : i think what taib said is true, that all governments of the world will say economic uncertainties are not the right atmosphere to call for an election. so it is wasting time and money which we suppose to spend on the people and development at this bad times. for pkr they damn care about the economy, they are just power crazy. if sarawak has till 2011, why it should do election in 2009, let the term finish or earliest is in 2010.

Dr M Glad Demonstrations In Bangkok Over

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday said he was happy and glad that the protest demonstrations in Bangkok are over.
"It could not have come at a better time as today is also the 81st birthday of the Thai king," he said when met at Thailand's National Day Celebration organised in conjunction with the Thai king's birthday by Thai Embassy at a hotel here.
Dr Mahathir, who was the guest-of-honour, told reporters that he was confident that the Thai people would surely work harder together to bring glory, peace, harmony and prosperity to the country.
Asked to comment on the sacking of former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim from UMNO, he said:"Well, he is no longer an UMNO member like me... But he doesn't seem to be loyal to UMNO... So I suppose UMNO has the right to expel him."
"If you go against the party, you cannot expect to be in the party," he added.
Also present was his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

Rais: Sacking Of Zaid Should Serve As Lesson For Other Umno Leaders

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The sacking of former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim from Umno should serve as a lesson for other leaders in the party, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said Wednesday.
He said party members and leaders should understand the party's struggle and not resort to actions deemed to be extreme.
"If the council did not act, it would be seen to be toothless because the demeanour (of Zaid) was actionable," he said when asked to comment on Zaid's sacking from Umno.
Zaid was sacked from Umno yesterday for several actions which went contrary to the party principles, including attending opposition meetings and having talks with opposition leaders.
In KOTA KINABALU, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said Zaid's actions of late did not reflect the qualities of an Umno leader genuinely championing the party's cause.
"I feel there is no place in Umno for anyone who plays the double-crossing game. Our struggle must be clear even if we have differing views on any issue," he said.

tunku : zaid has helped the opposition candidates in kota bharu during last election by 'donating'.as an umno leader during the election he was on holiday in australia, he joins the function held by the opposition so it is best for him to be sacked from umno.he need not worry as a garbage truck named pkr will come to his rescue.

Khir: Broom award for officials a success

SHAH ALAM: Former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo has claimed that the controversial broom award he introduced proved successful in providing the necessary push for local councils to perform better.
He said his actions, which was later slammed by many for being humiliating, had brought positive results when the council that received the “award” last year became the best performer this year.
“I was accused of humiliating the officer and now, the same officer got the best performance award. It shows that what I did was right,” Dr Khir told a press conference after the Shadow Executive Council meeting here yesterday.
Last year, Dr Khir presented a broom to Hulu Selangor District Council chief Tukiman Nail and Hulu Selangor Land Office’s former district officer Mislan Tugiu for failing to collect assessment above the 50% mark required for 2006.
Dr Khir said the performance of the council had improved from 47% to 94%.

tunku : well , i don't think it was a bad idea but some people just can't accept it.what say you?

Mukhriz Defends Suggestion, Refuses To Withdraw Statement

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said he would not withdraw his statement on his suggestion for the government to create a single school system in the country.
Defending his suggestion, Mukhriz said he did not think that what he said was wrong as it was only a suggestion to strengthen racial unity in the country.
"I don't understand this withdrawal thing. When you've already said it, how can you withdraw it? I don't see that what I said was wrong as I touched on unity.
"Everyday, I hear people talk in the Dewan Rakyat about unity. It has only been just talk, mere rhetoric but not wanting to do anything about it.
"We should not be politicising important issues like unity, but there seems to be no solution that can bring about real unity among the people," he said.
Mukhriz was asked to comment on the objection from various quarters to his suggestion and they also urged him to withdraw his statement regarding it.
Mukhriz had suggested that all schools come under a single national education system with Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction except for Science and Mathematics which should be in English, while pupils would also learn their mother tongue or opt for another language so that they could master at least three languages.
He believed the single school system could help realise the nation's aspiration of creating a more united multiracial society and preventing racial polarisation which had become worse of late.
He rejected claims that he had made the suggestion to fish for votes in his bid for the Umno Youth chief post in March.
"I'm just giving a suggestion...I don't have the power to make it a reality. It's up to the government whether to consider the suggestion," he said.

tunku : i support the idea as it is the best for all of us. everyone in one school. we learn about each other language and culture.then only there will be solid unity in this country.those who are opposing to this idea should not be talking about national unity as they don't walk the talk.

'Wanita bout won't affect KT by-election'

The highly-anticipated contest between the incumbent Umno Wanita chief Rafidah Aziz and her deputy Shahrizat Abdul Jalil will not disrupt Barisan Nasional's preparations for the forthcoming Kuala Terengganu by-election.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a six-hour BN Wanita meeting at the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, Rafidah said that the upcoming tussle between her and her deputy was the ‘last thing on her mind’.
Pointing to Shahrizat who was also present at the 25-minute press conference, Rafidah said she did not even notice the person sitting besides her was the challenger for her position as Wanita Umno chief in the party polls next March.
"The matter (of Shahrizat’s challenge) is at the back of my mind. It was not mentioned or thought of. We are thinking of BN and the nation. You have to understand between a contest of two individuals and the bigger contests.
"We have to understand and differentiate between the two. The last thing on my mind was Shahrizat. For the whole many hours (today) we forgot that we are contesting as we talked about many national issues pertaining the coalition," she said.
Umno’s Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail died of a heart attack while playing badminton in Genting Highlands last Friday paving the way for the by-election. He was a two-term Kuala Terengganu parliamentarian.
The Election Commission will announce on Friday the dates for the constituency’s nomination and polling days.
‘We in BN are family’
On the BN Wanita meeting, Rafidah said the focus was mainly on the coalition’s plan towards winning back the support of people for the next general election.
"I do not deny we have to work hard to defend the Kuala Terengganu seat. We will concentrate on that and would not let the (Umno Wanita) contest affect our preparations."
"God willing, BN will prevail," she said.
Rafidah, who is BN Wanita chief, also advised BN component party members to resolve any issues they have with their respective parties through meetings rather than running to the media.
"It is of no use bringing the matter to the media as this would disrupt relations. Resolve them within these four walls and do not involve the media or any another party no matter what our grouses are."
"We in BN are family and whatever problems should be resolved amicably. If we bring matters to other parties like the media, you may be provoked," she said.
"When individuals in BN provoke either consciously or unconsciously other component party members which will require them to respond, this interaction is very negative. Any interaction should be done behind closed-doors," added Rafidah.
On Umno’s chances of retaining the Kuala Terengganu seat, the ‘Iron Lady’ of Umno said BN had a good track record and ‘don't anybody forget this’.
"What is important is winning back the hearts of the people in this by-election and all of Wanita are united on this," she said.
Five new BN Wanita bureaus
Pressed on her working relationship with Shahrizat following the latter’s challenge, Rafidah deftly parried questions, saying:
"No need no need [...] Any more questions about BN? We are here to talk about BN. In fact, if we do not talk about BN theres no point in us contesting."
Rafidah, however, had scathing remarks when asked to comment on rumours that she may resign from her post in Umno because of a knee problem.
"My knee might be better than yours, young man. In fact next week my husband and I have agreed to play golf," she said, adding such rumours were the work of ‘idle minds which were the devil’s workshop’.
Rafidah also announced that BN Wanita had agreed to form five bureaus to address issues pertaining to women.
They were for Leadership, Unity, Law, Economy and Education and Nation-Building.
Leaders for each bureau will be selected from BN component parties with the Leadership bureau being headed by Umno, Unity (PPP), Law (MIC), Economy (MCA) and Education and Nation Building by Gerakan.

tunku : very good gesture by rafidah, both shahrizat and rafidah are in good spirit and they have put the challenge for ketua wanita umno election aside and concentrating for the by election.this is what we expect from leaders.

Umno sacks Zaid

Umno Supreme Council today sacked Zaid Ibrahim from the party for attending opposition events.
Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the announcement at about 11.30pm after chairing the supreme council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Abdullah did not give any details of the opposition events that Zaid had attended.
The supreme council meeting started at 8.30pm and Zaid's participation in the opposite camp was among the main agenda for the day.
To a question by reporters, Abdullah said that Zaid had no avenue to appeal against his dismissal.
"Once he has been sacked, there is no opportunity to appeal," said the prime minister during the 10-minute press conference. Also present at the press conference were his deputy Najib Abdul Razak and party secretary general Tengku Adnan Mansur.
When asked if Zaid had provoked this sort of action from the party by being seen with the opposition, Abdullah said:
"There were wrongdoings by Zaid as he was seen in the company of the opposition leaders. This is something which is against Umno ethics."
Abdullah said that Umno had no choice but to take that drastic action against Zaid.
"The party must be consistent in these sort of matters," he added.
The former de facto law minister has been toying with the opposition ever since he stepped down from his government post in September over his disapproval of the Internal Security Act.
Last Saturday he made a shocking appearance at the PKR national congress opening. He however had denied that he had joined any of the opposition parties.
"Yes, yes, I am still in Umno. I have not been sacked yet," he had told reporters on Saturday.
And on Friday night, he was seen at the DAP victory dinner in Penang.

tunku : well now you are sacked zaid, go and join pakatan , they will be waiting for you with open arms though once they were cursing you.pakatan will swallow any 'throw out' of umno and bn.if the person we previously seen as bad before but once the person joins pakatan he is clean like a sheet of white paper.same like anwar, when he was in umno, he was the most dirtiest, corrupted , no moral etc leader to the opposition,they are the one who accused anwar first for his sodomy activities but when anwar joins the opposition he became their god.

MIC urges A-G to take action against Mukhriz

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC has urged the Attorney-General to institute action against Umno Youth chief aspirant Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir for uttering allegedly seditious words by suggesting that vernacular schools be closed down.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu claimed that Mukhriz had violated provisions in the Federal Constitution which protected the position and rights of vernacular schools.
“He has issued a seditious statement and we want the Attorney-General to take appropriate action against him,” Samy Vellu said in a statement here on Tuesday, accusing Mukhriz of raising “sensitive issues” to canvass for votes in the upcoming UMNO Youth elections.
“He can contest the UMNO Youth chief post but he should not point a dagger at the hearts of the other communities to win the post,” he said, adding that the MIC had never questioned the rights of the Malays as enshrined in the Constitution.
“I am surprised by his statement. Even the great leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mukhriz’s father who was prime minister for 22 years, strictly adhered to the Federal Constitution and provided assistance to vernacular schools,” he said.
He said unity comes from the heart and mind of each Malaysian, and closing down vernacular schools did not mean unity would prevail.
MIC Youth coordinator T. Mohan urged Mukhriz to go to the ground and visit Tamil and Chinese schools to understand the real situation.
“It is easy for one to issue statements to become popular but it should not be at the expense of the feelings of the other communities,” he said.
Mohan said that it has been the practice of some politicians to use sensitive issues to garner cheap publicity in their bid to be seen as champions in their parties.
These politicians, including Mukhriz, should understand that the MIC and MCA -- which represent Indian and Chinese interests respectively -- would not remain quiet on this, he said.
He said Barisan Nasional should come out with proper guidelines to prevent leaders contesting in party elections from using controversial issues to gather support.
Meanwhile MIC Youth advisor S. Vell Paari, Samy Vellu’s son, described Mukhriz’s statement as “irresponsible.”
“This is a totally irresponsible view of a leader who aspires to the highest position in UMNO Youth, the largest Youth component in Barisan Nasional,” he said.
He said Mukhriz did not understand the significance of vernacular schools to their respective communities, adding that children not only learn to read, write and speak their language, but also learn the cultures, traditions and the heritages of their race.

tunku : first of all its not a demand from mukhriz , its just a suggestion. second, it was suggested as nowadays everybody wants to talk about 'bangsa malaysia '. i can't see any seditious act in this suggestion. samy vellu is trying hard to be champion again but he fails to understand the reality that people hates him.that is why i have said earlier we have to mind our words as our words could hurts the feeling of others, and if others retaliate you have to accept it.

Tun Mahathir's Visit To Iran

Iran-Malaysia sign cooperation agreements on oil and gas

Iran-Malaysia-Cooperation
Iran and Malaysia signed 3 cooperation agreements on oil and gas here Monday.
One of the documents was " Framework Agreement (FA) which was signed to determine cooperation framework between National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Malaysian Petrofield Company."
The second document was "Project Development Agreement( HOA PDA) which was signed between National Iranian Gas Export Company( NIGEC) and Petrofield Company.
The third document was "Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement ( HOA GSPA) which signed between NIOC and Petrofield.
The agreements were signed by Managing Director of Petrofield Company Shahoul Hamid and Hossein Hosseini, a member of Board of Directors of NIGEC as well as Director of International Affairs of Oil Ministry Mr. Arashi.
In the signing ceremony, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad and Iran's Ministers of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki and Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari were present, too.

Former Malaysia PM urges expansion of ties with Iran

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohammad in Tehran on Monday called for further expansion of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a meeting with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he said the Western economic sanctions on Iran have been to the interest of the Iranian nation.
Mahathir and Ahmadinejad discussed the ongoing economic crisis.
Referring to the two countries' joint projects and investments, President Ahmadinejad said Iran-Malaysia extensive cooperation proved that leaders of the two countries are determined to further strengthen ties.
He further called for materialization of the joint projects signed by the two sides so far.
The two officials also discussed Iran-Malaysia joint oil and gas projects.

Mottaki, Mahathir Mohammad confer

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki held talks with former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohammad on issues of mutual interest on Sunday.
During the meeting, Mottaki referred to the growing bilateral cooperation, citing Iran-Malaysia ties as vital.
The Iranian FM also emphasized the strong will of the two countries for boosting bilateral economic ties.
Mohammad, for his part, said that the Malaysian government favors expansion of bilateral ties in all fields.
He also discussed mutual cooperation in the fields of oil, gas and joint projects.


University confers golden badge on Mahathir

Martyr Beheshti Medical Sciences University conferred a golden badge on the Malaysian former President Mahathir Mohamad.
Addressing the ceremony, chancellor of the university, Mohammad Sadeqi described Mahathir Mohamad a self-built believer and promoter of unity among Muslims.
Stating that Mahathir Mohamad is a physician, he further said that the university is keen on cooperation with the Malaysian universities.
Martyr Beheshti University has made many scientific achievements in various fields such as heart transplant and will increase its scientific collaboration with Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Mahathir Mohamad said that he feels at home while he is in Iran.
Muslims made considerable scientific progress when the West was in ignorance, he said, noting that they attained highest positions in different sciences such as medicine.

MCA slams Mukhriz's suggestion to abolish vernacular schools

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 - MCA president Datuk Ong Tee Keat has wasted no time in condemning Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's suggestion to abolish vernacular schools.
"Mukhriz is just one of the many who are now repeating the same polemics that are a few decades old, simply because of the advent of their party's poll," the Transport Minister said.
"It is saddening because politicians cannot think out of the box," he wrote in a blog posting.
In a press conference in Parliament today, the candidate for Umno Youth chief in the March party elections said that all schools should teach subjects in Bahasa Malaysia except for language subjects.
He said the proposal to have one unified school system could help address the problem of non-Malays misunderstanding the concept of "Ketuanan Melayu," or Malay Supremacy, which has become a source of tension between Malays and non-Malays.
Mukhriz argued that such misunderstandings were a result of a lack of national unity, which he blamed on the existence of vernacular shools.
Also in Parliament, MCA vice president Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said there was no reason to change the education system as the current one was accepted by all.
"The present system is still the best to ensure unity and harmony in our multiracial country," the Health Minister said.
He added that it was an old fallacy that vernacular primary schools caused unity problems.
He reasoned that at secondary level, the students were still able to integrate.
"He might not understand that teaching in your mother tongue is more effective at the primary level," Liow added.

tunku : ong tee kiat said that because of umno party polls, mukhriz repeating the same polemics that are a few decades old.ok, let us agree with tee kiat, so what about when mca doing the same thing, repeating the same polemics that are a few decades old simply because of the advent of their party's poll? when it come to you you jump up and down.that is why before we make any remarks or statements when must see the situation and must not hurt the feelings of the other side just to be popular. but for me what mukhriz suggestion was a good one for malaysia and it's future.if we can't do that then we must not bring up the race issue anymore. let it be like what it is now.stop talking about it.we can't accept other people suggestion so we must not force4 other people to accept ours.i'm still waiting for a school that teaches all languages so that my children will be multilingual children.hope that tee kiat and tiong lai could advice their own party leaders to stop making statements that can hurt others.

Differences Within BN Should Not Be Openly Discussed, Says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak advised all Barisan Nasional (BN) component party leaders not to publicly discuss differences, problems or engage in polemics on issues like Malay supremacy.
"Actually, when we formed the BN structure, one of the aims was for any differences or problems or polemics to be discussed behind closed doors through special channels the coalition has made available.
"But of late, these channels are not being utilised. Some quarters are more interested in discussing things openly," he said when asked to comment about component parties of the BN openly raising issues concerning Malay supremacy.
He said this to reporters after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Sports Development at Parliament Monday.
Najib said openly discussing such matters did not bring any benefit to the BN.
"It is counter-productive as the people will view the BN as having so many problems all the time. I do not deny the component parties have the right to voice out their grievances but it must be done properly.
"It can also lead to other component parties that are not involved to feel uneasy," he added.

tunku : this is najib biggest challenge, to have firm control on bn and umno. if he can do it, then bn will be in power again with big majority other wise very very tough times ahead for bn and umno.najib should not make the mistakes done by pak lah, he needs to learn from the mistakes fast.

Mukhriz: Close down vernacular schools

Jerlun member of parliament Mukhriz Mahathir today slammed MCA and Gerakan leaders for ‘overreacting' over the Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) issue.
He blamed the vernacular school system for the polarised society which caused the poor understanding of the Malay supremacy concept among the non-Malays.
He was of the opinion that the disunity in the community arose from the different education system and proposed that a single education system be implemented to foster greater unity.
The son of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the issue of Malay supremacy was blown out of proportion due to the poor understanding of both those who spoke in favour and against the concept.
"I still hear statements are being made about the Ketuanan Melayu concept by BN component party leaders and this have hurt Malay hearts, especially Umno," he told a press conference in Parliament.
"When these leaders are making this kind of statement it shows that they know nothing of our history or maybe they are trying to act as heroes to their community," he added.
Both MCA and Gerakan are senior partners in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition headed by Umno.
According to Mukhriz, the term Ketuanan Melayu simply meant the sovereignty of the Malay rulers as well as the special position of the Malays in the country.
"The term Ketuanan Melayu simply refers to the sovereignty of our Malay rulers. When we address them, we call them Tuanku (your highness) and all the races do acknowledge this and they practice it.
"The concept does not indicate that we Malays are the masters and other races are slaves. The Malays, especially in economy, do not feel like they are the masters," reasoned Mukhriz.
'Component party leaders inviting backlash'
Mukhriz, vying for the Umno Youth chief post in the March party elections, was referring to the Chinese-based MCA's deputy president Chua Soi Lek who had described the Ketuanan Melayu as a Malay supremacy concept that implied a master and servant relationship that he felt was unacceptable.
Delivering a speech last week, Chua had also said that the Chinese community can accept "Malay leadership but not Malay supremacy".
Chua was then backed by the president of another Chinese-based BN component party Gerakan, Dr Koh Tsu Koon who had issued a statement calling for Umno to replace the concept of Ketuanan Melayu with the "Malay special position" concept.
Mukhriz blasted both Chua and Koh for making such statements and said that these leaders were only inviting strong criticism from their Malay counterparts.
"That kind of statement shouldn't be coming. They are inviting reactions by making such statements and we should be focusing on fostering unity instead of making such divisive statements. We have our limitations," he said.
He further said that it was prerogative that Umno spoke up against "such exaggeration".
He added that the Ketuanan Melayu concept has been widely practiced and accepted as exemplified by the special Malay position enshrined in the federal constitution and other government policies.
He also blasted the president of another BN component party, PPP's M Kayveas for issuing a threat to leave the coalition should the Internal Security Act not amended before the next general election.
"What he said is disrespectful towards the spirit of BN and I am very disappointed with his behaviour," said Mukhriz.

Close down vernacular schools
Mukhriz, who had previously come under fire from his own party for criticising the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, also offered an explanation on why the misunderstanding about the Ketuanan Melayu existed.
He attributed this to a polarised society caused by the current education system.
The Umno Youth chief aspirant suggested that the best way to handle this was to foster greater unity and integration of all races at a young age and it has to start with the schools.But he is bound to invite criticism from various quarters with his suggestion that the government did away with the vernacular school system which he felt was divisive.
He wanted all students to be streamlined under the Education Ministry and a singular education system be introduced.
"The government can foster greater unity by streamlining all the schools under one education system where the medium of teaching, besides Science and Mathematics, are taught in Bahasa Malaysia.
"We can make it compulsory that the Chinese and Indians study their own language in their mother tongue while these two languages can be optional for Malay students to learn or we can make it compulsory for students to learn at least three languages," he suggested.
When suggested by reporters that his proposal would most likely invite resistance even from leaders and members of BN, the Umno Youth chief aspirant said that he was only proposing in the name of unity.
"My suggestion has no other ulterior motives apart from to unite all races," he said.

tunku : those remarks from chua soi lek@film actor, koh tsu koon and kayveas are desperate remarks from leaders wants to gain back their popularity.kayveas should know before ppp joins bn regarding the ISA. for me they should get out now rather than waiting. if today the bn government is a strong government, i bet kayveas wouldn't dare talking about leaving bn. as for the so called ketuanan melayu, there is nothing wrong for a race telling the whole world that their race is a supreme one. every race talk big about their own race, so why can't the malays talk big about their race? by saying malay supremacy, it doesn't make other races as coolie. in fact till today there are more malay's coolie compare than other races in malaysia.i feel shame though when they said about malay supremacy but actually it is not the real situation in malaysia.let us stop talking about races.now that everyone wants the government and public stop talking about race and be racist, why don't we close down vernacular schools? with one schools for all malaysian,it will make us integrate well with each other and we can really be true malaysian. when obama won as usa president, lots of malaysian said , see usa can elect a black as their president. mind you usa has only one type of school for all americans.there's no vernacular schools there.this vernacular schools has divided the malaysian very badly. those older generations under british regime was so close to each other and they can speak well with all races because that time there was only one type of school. my grandparents knows how to speak hokkein and tamil well because of their neighbours and school mates.their friends of other races too knows how to speak malay very well.they enjoy watching each other movies together. with one school like what mukhriz said,we can make it compulsory that the Chinese and Indians study their own language in their mother tongue while these two languages can be optional for Malay students to learn or we can make it compulsory for students to learn at least three languages.so before those people who only talk about being MALAYSIAN, try to do away with the vernacular schools first, other wise don't confuse the public with your rhetorics.

Reformis to stalk Selangor MB and bare all ... literally

SHAH ALAM: Eight members of Gerakan Reformasi Rakyat Malaysia (Reformis) will stalk Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and strip naked when they come face to face with him.
The men, aged 33 to 50, are from the movement’s “Dare to be Nude Squad.”
They have decided to go ahead and bare all in protest against the state government’s decision to raise the rental of low-cost houses.
“Our struggle is to keep the rental rate for government low-cost houses under the People’s Housing Scheme from going up.
“We wanted a police permit to strip in front of the State Secretariat as a sign of protest but we were denied it, so, now we will stalk the Mentri Besar and go butt naked when we get the chance,” said movement president Ramlan Abu Bakar.
He said the movement could not accept the state executive council’s decision in July to raise the rental from RM124 to RM250 a month for about 6,200 homes.
“We will go naked to get the message across. Our act is to humiliate or embarrass the Mentri Besar for not keeping to his general election promises to help the low-income earners,” he said.
On Nov 29, Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar had said that the police would reject applications for permits of such nature.
Ramlan said the act of going naked was similar to pie throwing, where pies are thrown at politicians or others as a means of protesting against political beliefs or against perceived arrogance in the person.
On Monday, Ramlan, together with nine other members, lodged a police report and also filed a report with the state Anti-Corruption Agency here against Khalid for alleged misuse of funds in organising a rakyat’s (citizens’) dinner at the PKR national congress last week.
“We want Khalid to vacate his post while the investigations are going on,” he said.

tunku : why khalid ibrahim can't keep pakatan's promise during election? may be at that time they did not expect to win.anyway this butt naked thing only happens where pakatan is ruling especially pkr. i hope anwar is not following khalid ibrahim day and night just to see the butt naked protest.who knows he is.

Zaid Ibrahim Must Explain Presence At PKR Congress, Says Muhyiddin

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim must explain his presence at Parti Keadilan Rakyat'S national congress in Shah Alam yesterday to Umno's disciplinary board before action is taken against him, Umno vice president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
Muhyiddin, who is also International Trade and Industry Minister, said Zaid's presence at the congress yesterday was not the first time he had attended a gathering by the opposition and this proved his disloyalty to Umno.
"It doesn't make sense that he attended a gathering by the opposition. This (Zaid's presence) is seen as giving moral support to the opposition.
"He must explain why he went to the congress. He has to be responsible for his actions," he told reporters during a meeting with editors-in-chief and bureau chiefs of national and local media in Sabah here, Sunday.
According to the Malaysian Insider website, Zaid claimed he was still an Umno member and did not see the opposition as enemies.
Zaid also said his presence at the congress showed that he was still interested in politics and did not expect to be sacked from Umno.

tunku : in this case, no explanation needed, just sack him.

Anwar Asks PKR Leaders To Make Weekly Trips To Sarawak

SHAH ALAM, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today asked the party's leaders to make weekly trips to Sarawak to meet its aim to unseat the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the state.
"Sarawak will be our next battleground before the Pakatan Rakyat takes over the federal government," he said at a rally held in conjunction with PKR's national congress here yesterday.
He stated this when explaining to those present why the PR could not meet its deadline of Sept 16 to unseat the federal government.
He further said it (taking over of federal government) did not materialise because a letter to negotiate the matter sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was not entertained by him.
Another reason, he said, was that BN MPs wanting to defect had laid a condition that their names not be revealed until they were ready to do so.


Anwar's Credibility Doubtful, Says Taib

KUCHING, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib today questioned the credibility of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who aims to unseat the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next state election due in 2011.
In raising doubts over Anwar's credibility, especially as his September 16 deadline in which he had promised to form a new government did not materialise, Taib said, even the former's attempt to concentrate on wresting power in the peninsula had yet to produce results.
"I don't want to comment on people like that. Well, his (Anwar's) credibilty is not that high when he said September 16 is his target date which he promised to be the date to form a new government," Taib, who is also state BN chairman told reporters after chairing the weekly state cabinet meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia at Petra Jaya here.
"Are you going to put that in printing or you don't want to put it in printing. Isn't it true?," he said when asked to comment on Anwar's statement in his keynote address at the PKR national congress held in Shah Alam yesterday that his next takeover target was Sarawak.
The cabinet was unable to convene its meeting last Thursday because Taib had to be in Kuala Lumpur for an official function and it was instead held today as many of the state ministers are expected to go on leave soon.

tunku : before 16th september he said he has the numbers but now he's asking his party leaders to attack sarawak and sabah. where are the numbers? i hope pkr/pakatan will also set their agenda well and show proof of their success in those 5 states under them before wasting time and money.people want to see progress for them not politicking all the time.