Police Story

Gang of snatch thieves comprising students arrested
By STEPHEN THEN
MIRI: Police have uncovered a gang of lower secondary school students who are snatch thieves and house-breaking “experts”.
The gang, aged between 13 and 15, calls itself the Kumpulan Elias Ayah and police suspect that it has committed at least 31 cases of snatch theft and house-breaking since Jan 1.
Police arrested eight members of the gang, all Form One to Form Three students, early Monday and late on Sunday following intensive investigation after receiving tip-offs from the public.
Miri OCPD Asst Comm Abang Abdillah Abang Othman said yesterday police believed they had solved 15 cases of snatch thefts following the arrest of the eight and identified three others who are still at large.
“We recovered handphones, watches, wallets, cash, computers, fax machines, audio sets and other items. Initial probes showed that this group may also be connected to gangs of school dropouts,” he said.
ACP Abdillah said police had reason to believe that the eight students were from broken homes

Police seize RM5.8m and arrest 19 after raid
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have seized RM5.8mil cash and 67kg of syabu from a house used as a drug processing lab in Klang
Ninteen people, including a woman, were arrested.
This success on Sunday came less than 48 hours after the Narcotics Crime Investigating Department busted a syabu producing laboratory and arrested more than 30 people.
NCID director Comm Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai said police found RM5.8mil stashed inside the single storey house which was raided.
"This if by far the largest ever syabu processing lab that we have busted and we believe that this syndicate has dealings with the syndicates busted a day ago by our men in Johor," he added.

Police investigating allegations businessman threatened two security guards
KOTA KINABALU: Police are investigating an allegation that a prominent Sabah businessman threatened two security guard at a new shopping complex here five-days ago.
The businessman, who is a Datuk, is alleged to have threatened to shoot the two guards at the Warisan Square Shopping Complex here after the duo asked him to park his car properly.
Kota Kinabalu City deputy chief Rowell Marong said on Monday that investigations were but no arrest or statements had been recorded from the suspect.
Asked if they had seized the pistol from the accused, Rowell, who is acting city police chief, said that he will be seeking the advise of his superior officer before taking the next step.
In the 10.30am incident on April 4, one of the shopping complex security guard Erwan Raodi and a colleague claimed that they approached the Datuk requesting him to park his Mercedez Benz properly.
However, the businessmen opened his hand pouch that purportedly contained two pistols and in a loud voice said: "which one of you fellows want me to put into your head."
He also claimed to be a police officer and could get them arrested.
The businessman, a Sarawakian and long time resident in Sabah, got back into his car and left, Erwan told a press conference facilitated by his boss Nizam Lee.
Erwan, who claimed that he was shaken by the whole incident, lodged a police report immediately.

IGP wants more stations in populated areas
SUBANG JAYA: There are plans to have more than one police station in places with high population, Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said.
He said this was among the suggestions in the force's five-year plan that was recently introduced.
“Then more investigation officers can be placed there. Presently, these officers are stationed at district police headquarters,” he said at a dinner to commemorate 200 Years of Police last night.
Musa also said that the plan was for every police station in the highly populated areas to have between 150 and 200 police personnel.
Some procedures rules would also be changed including allowing reports to be lodged at all stations, he said. Presently, people can only lodge reports at the stations in the areas where the incident had happened.

Crazy pas supporter

Shots Fired During Trade Expo, Trader Remanded
ALOR STAR, April 9 (Bernama) -- A trader who became too excited after listening to a lecture given by several speakers including Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, fired four shots into the air.
The 59-year-old man from Lorong Terang of Jalan Teluk Wan Jah, here, fired the shots using a semi-automatic rifle at about midnight last night during a trade exposition organised by the party at Km 8 of Jalan Langgar.
Police arrested him on the spot and had placed him under remand for five days for investigations, Kota Star OCPD ACP Zainal Abidin Kasim told reporters here Monday.
He said the man sold herbal drinks and tonic at the three-day exposition which ended last night.
"On Saturday night, the man fired four shots and intended to fire eight more last night but no reports had been lodged with the police on the first incident," he said.
Sunday night, he was seen carrying a Binelli 12-bore semi-automatic rifle over his shoulder and a bullet belt around his waist, Zainal Abidin said.
He said police who were there, had asked the event organiser to warn the man not to fire any shot but he did not take heed of the advice.
There were about 300 people at the expo when the man fired four shots, prompting the police to apprehended him and seized the rifle and nine bullets, he said.
Zainal Abidin said the trader was taken to the Jalan Langgar Police Station and when questioned, he replied that he fired the shots for fun.
Police later seized another 171 rounds of ammunination from his house.
Investigations revealed that the trader had a valid licence to own the rifle and bullets to protect his orchard since 1993.
The case is being investigated under Section 39 of the Arms Act 1960 for firing shots at an unauthorised location. If convicted, he is liable to a maximum of a year's jail or RM2,000 fine.


tunku : just imagine if he had a bomb, he would have blasted everyone there including nik aziz. this is a typical die hard supporter of pas act.

Sepang track is 'shabby' says F1 boss

Gulf Daily News
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone was quoted saying the Sepang circuit was getting "shabby" from lack of care just hours before yesterday's Malaysian Grand Prix.
"It has become, if you don't mind, like an old house that needs a bit of redecorating," the New Straits Times quoted him as saying in an interview. "It's starting to get a little shabby and looks a bit tired."
His remarks come with wealthy neighbouring Singapore making noises about trying to host a Formula One race, something that has already drawn a sharp rebuke from Malaysia's ministry for sport.
Ecclestone acknowledged that it was difficult to keep Sepang tidy because of its large 260-hectare size but said the circuit had to put its best face forward.
"The circuit itself is fine, it's the general structure around," he said.
"There is rubbish all over the place and it's not really a good sign for Malaysia. We're on worldwide television and it needs to look good, much like in the beginning."
Malaysia hosted its first F1 Malaysian Grand Prix in 1999 and last year promoters Sepang International Circuit (SIC) renewed the contract for another five years.
The Star daily meanwhile said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had met with Ecclestone on Saturday to discuss extension of the Formula One contract beyond 2010.
SIC chairman Mokhzani Mahathir said Ecclestone's Formula One Management would hand over a draft agreement soon, and that the ball was in Malaysia's court.
"We will study the draft agreement and see whether it is feasible to extend," Mokhzani was quoted as saying.

tunku : i hope the SIC and the ministry concern really look into the complaint of the F1 boss as it is very shameful that he complaints it's sepang general structure in bad shape and dirty. Our track is very good but outside it's rubbish everywhere.It's unpleasant view.now that singapore is trying their best to host one we should make sepang circuit the best is asia so that sepang will be in the F1 calender all the time.

Request For CCTV's At Highway Rest Areas Unreasonable, Says Samy Vellu

SUNGAI SIPUT, April 8 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu today described as unreasonable the Pan-Malayan Lorry Owners Association's request for close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be placed at rest and recreation (R&R) areas along the North South Expressway (NSE).
He said the lorry owners should take steps to ensure the safety of their valuable goods and protect their businesses.
"When you are conducting a business, you must be prepared for all that. You should not ask the government to do this and that.
"The next time, (even) the people who sell their products at supermarkets will also ask for CCTVs because they want protection. If we were to extend the facility to the whole country (all highways and shopping complexes), it will cost billions of ringgit," he told reporters after opening Perak MIC's annual convention here today.
He was asked to comment on the association's request to Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Bhd (Plus) to fix CCTVs at the R&Rs to monitor the safety of lorries laden with goods owned by about 10,000 members of the association that ply the highway on a regular basis.
The association's president Er Sui See last Saturday said it had asked Plus to take the step since two years ago to protect the lorries and drivers from robbers and hijackers.
Samy Vellu said the safety of the lorry drivers and goods they ferried were the responsibility of the owners and not the highway's concessionaire and the government.
"It is their business not our business. Its your business so you must take care of your business.
"They should pay for the GPS (Global Positioning System) service to track their lorry movements instead of asking others to look after their property, this is very inconsiderate... business people must fork out some money to protect their assets," he said.
In another development, he said that the MIC had applied for an allocation of RM100 million from the federal government to help Indians engage in micro and small enterprises.

tunku : another hp6 remarks from samy vellu. even with GPS the lorry still can be rob.this is not just for the lorry drivers safety but the safety of all the highway users.the highway is not free, we pay to use it, so why the PLUS can't install CCTV at this R&R area?there are thousands of lorries using highway and the amount of toll collected from them alone is hundred of million in a year. after all they are not asking the government to install it, so why are you jumping samy? the PLUS have to make sure the safety of it users in all aspect.

No F1 racing in the streets and at night PLEASE

Motor racing-Singapore night racing a turn-off for Alonso
SEPANG, Malaysia, April 7 (Reuters) - World champion Fernando Alonso spoke out on Saturday against plans for Formula One to race at night on city streets.
The McLaren driver was responding to a question on Southeast Asian city state Singapore's bid to stage a Grand Prix under floodlights. A decision is expected after this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix.
"I think for me, it is impossible," the Spaniard told reporters after qualifying on the front row for Sunday's race at Sepang circuit. "I think there is a huge safety issue racing in the streets.
"We are trying to develop tracks to make it safer. We are changing corners in Barcelona for safety reasons and now we want to go to the streets. Something is going wrong there."
Alonso said he was surprised few people had addressed the technical issues concerned with having so many floodlights trying to mimic daylight.
"Racing at night requires a huge amount of light," he said. "No one has thought that something might happen if the lights go out. It is not a football match.
"I think there are many, many things to sort out before night racing becomes a reality."
McLaren team boss Ron Dennis said he was keeping an open mind on the prospect of night racing but advised world governing body, the International Automobile Federation, against making the sport a testing ground.
"I would hope that any venue considering (night racing) would probably first host a GP2 race or some other race that brings out the validity of that concept," said Dennis.
"I don't think it should go directly to Formula One. That would be irresponsible."

Public And Private Sectors Can Foster Ties Through Golf, Says PM

Public And Private Sectors Can Foster Ties Through Sports, Says PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today that friendly sports like golf can foster ties and understanding between the public and private sectors.
He said the two sectors were vital to national development and meeting informally for a round of golf could do a lot of good.
The two sectors must forge an understanding for mutual benefit because through understanding, contacts and ties, many problems could be solved, he said.
"This is the idea and philosophy behind the friendly golf game today," he said at the presentation of prizes to winners of the Prime Minister's Cup Golf Tournament here.
Among those who took part were Abdullah, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohamed Sidek Hassan, senior government officials, corporate figures and businessmen.
The tournament is aimed at fostering the spirit of camaraderie and cooperation between officers from the public and private sectors and the proceeds will go to the national disaster fund.

tunku : yea lets play golf to foster ties and understand each other, let us waste company's and government(tax payer) money to foster ties thru golfing. expensive game,high cost so what not our money. what prime minister, what about the poor,the middle income group too can't afford to play golf,and they have no time too.golfing and patting has become the culture of the government today.why don't we make things that people from all level can participate.how productive can the meeting be at the range.it is just place where people use for opportunity to use others to get what they want, for lobbying etc.please mr prime minister, come and meet the public more and see what are their grievance. come foster the ties with the public.

New Muslim Generation Needs Inner Strength, Says Najib

PEKAN, April 7 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak called on the Muslim community to work together with the government to mould a new generation of Muslims who would have the inner strength to ward off undesirable and destructive elements.
"Our new generation must have the inner strength to protect them from involvement in detestable activities which still plague the Muslim community in our country," the Deputy Prime Minister said at the closing of a seminar and thanksgiving for religious teachers in Pahang, here.
He said this was a major challenge to the government because there were still numerous social problems that were affecting the Muslim community in the country.
"Such problems can be seen from the endless cases of drug abuse by the Malays where I was recently told that the number of Malays who are addicted to drugs has now reached about 300,000 or 70 per cent of the total number of addicts.
"When we look at the other problems whether pertaining to rape, abandoning of infants or indecent behaviour, it is also regrettable because of the number of young Malays involved in such activities," he said.
As such, Najib said, the government hoped that there would be strong commitment from all strata of society to overcome such problems as it was difficult for the government to stop the people from using information technology or the internet in the globalisation era.
He said a strong understanding of Islam would help to build the Muslims' inner strength and achieve Islamic excellence.

tunku : najib is indeed right.the new muslim generation do needs inner strength to face all the challenges coming their way. the family have to play a very important role to mould the new generation. if the family take care of each other and are taught good moral i'm sure there will be less social problems.the government too have the role to play, early education for example, campaign,forum,consultation etc.

Missing Boy - Parents need public help

MUHAMMAD Nazrin, who has been missing since Saturday, took the escalator down from the second floor of the Sogo complex alone before exiting the shopping centre and wandered towards Jalan Raja Laut.
The movement of the fiveyear- old boy on the ill-fated day was captured by the shopping complex’s closed circuit television cameras.
Yin was filmed playing at the escalator on the second floor where the men’s department was located.
He then followed the crowd and took the escalator to the ground floor.
Moments later, he exited the complex on his own.
The 17-minute footage of Yin in the complex was shown to his father, Shamsul Ghazali Shamsuddin, at the Sogo security office by the administration of the complex yesterday.
Yin’s movement was recorded between 2.48pm and 3.05pm on Saturday.
“I was called by the security department to confirm that the boy in the footage was my son.
“I will view the footage again tonight and tomorrow morning,” Shamsul told The Malay Mail at his sister-in-law’s house in Hulu Langat yesterday.
“The footage showed him playing at the second floor escalator near the men’s department.
“I was told that Yin was seen walking out of the complex, heading towards Jalan Raja Laut,” said Shamsul.
Sogo’s security department is also conducting an investigation to help find Yin.
“I hope the CCTV footage will shed some light on Yin’s whereabouts.
There could be clues from the footage that could help police find him,” said Shamsul, who has been having sleepless nights since Yin’s disappearance.
Sogo’s security officers spent eight hours on Sunday reviewing the tapes but failed to spot Yin.
Shamsul then sought police permission to view the footage as he would be able to recognise Yin.
Yin was with Shamsul in the men’s department on the second floor when he disappeared.
Shamsul, a 34-year-old bank officer from Medan Klebang Restu, Chemor, Perak, visited the complex with his 25-yearold wife and another son, Mohd Nazmi, aged four.
Apparently, this was not the first time Yin had gone missing.
The last time was at the Tesco supermarket in Ipoh.
Shamsul had offered a reward for information on Yin.
The public can contact him at 012-5090451 or call nearest police station.
Yin is about 100cm tall and was last seen in a grey-boxed short sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
He has a crew cut.

Nallakarupan to stand in Ijok ?

PKR wants to contest in Ijok by-election
KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) wants to contest in the upcoming by-election for the Ijok seat, which fell vacant following the death of incumbent state assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam.
The party has short-listed five prospective candidates.
Selangor PKR deputy chief P. Krishnasamy, who is one of the nominees, said the decision to contest the seat was made by its political bureau.
“The name of the candidate is expected to be announced next week,” he added.
It is learnt that among the other names submitted to the party leadership are PKR treasurer Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, former Youth chief Ezam Mohd Noor and vice-president nominee Datuk K.S. Nallakaruppan.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had requested for a meeting to discuss the Ijok by-election.
Lim said party members had expressed their wish to see an opposition candidate from the Indian community to face the Barisan Nasional in the by-election.

tunku : let nallakarupan stands in Ijok, it will show what strength this tennis partner of anwar has.

Politically-motivated Blogs Must Be Monitored And Registered

SINGAPORE, April 6 (Bernama) -- Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin Friday lent his weight to a proposal to register blog sites, especially those which are politically-motivated.
He said the mainstream media were subjected to registration, monitoring and specific laws, and as such, there was no reason why the same should not apply to blog operators.
"We must know who they are. So there must be laws that will facilitate their identification," he told reporters here.
However, he said, the need to register blogs with entertainment and social commentary contents might not be as great as politically-motivated ones.
"When people involved in politics want to use blogs for their political interest or when blog operators are politically-motivated, we have to know who they are.
"Politics is meant to gain influence among the people, politics is meant to obtain power. When it comes to power, it's the people who are in control.
"When the people use the power, they'll have to identify themselves. They are dishonest if they hide themselves when talking about politics," he said.
Zainuddin said in the quest for political power, people were willing to resort to slander, disseminate lies, use unauthorised sources or choose not to verify the source of the information.
"This is very dangerous as they are writing and taking steps to gain power. Their objective is to topple the government, widen the reach of their political doctrine and assist any parties for political purposes," he said.
Zainuddin said he concurred with the monitoring and registration proposal forwarded by the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry.
Zainuddin discussed the blog issue and how the island republic was approaching the matter in a meeting this morning with his counterpart, Information, Communications and the Arts Minister Dr Lee Boon Yang.
The Malaysian minister said Singapore had formulated a mechanism for the registration of blogs which consistently churned out articles on politics.
He pointed out that Singapore had a class licensing framework to supervise new media forms such as blogs, subjecting them to certain code of ethics under the supervision of the Media Development Authority.
A class licence involves the gazetting of the terms and conditions of a particular industry, and anyone who provides the services within the scope of the class licence will be deemed to have read and agreed to the terms and conditions, and would be considered licensed.
Zainuddin felt that the method implemented by Singapore was practical and it could possibly be modified for use in Malaysia.

tunku : this minister went to singapore to learn how to control blogs,i guess. he's trying to follow singapore which is a undemocratic country though it's a democracy country. just see how the jailed the opposition leader who talks against them.mr zam,you are a changed man now compare to last time, but that's different story. as a anonymous blogger i do not seek for power or seeking political gain nor trying to be a politician or to topple the government. i just blog for myself. what i think is right i express it, it's open to discussion, anyone who don't agree can give their comments, not like the government, any MP have any different view are not allowed to speak, if they speak they will be suspended.i don't see any freedom in the government.some of us (the blogger) are from the ruling party like myself but we are not hypocrites. if we don't agree with the leadership we voice out as only thru the internet are voice are heard. the mainstream media had blacked out our voices.if you talk good about the government then only they will publish it.just imagine our former prime minister concerns are blacken out, what about ordinary people like us.if the government is doing right thing we support it but if not then we will voice out as we are not coward public or "yes sir" type.same goes with our leaders,they are not the untouchables that no one can say anything to them.as for bloggers there are 2 types, one who blogs with responsibility and the other one without, so let the public decide whom they want to trust.again i repeat if you(the government) have done nothing wrong why worry.i guess if all the bloggers are with the government then the government won't suggest this registration thing.be brave government, if you are in the right path, AFRAID NOT.you can answer any allegation.the only thing is when you are in the wrong side and can't answer, then you people will use your POWER try to shut it up.

Govt not out to censor bloggers, says deputy minister

PUTRAJAYA: The Government's plan to register all bloggers using locally hosted websites is merely to collect a data rather then to censor the contents, Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said.
He said the Government's move should not be misconstrued as hindering bloggers from continuing with their activities.
"The plan to register bloggers is merely to assess the situation and keep track on how many bloggers there are in the country and on the information provided by them.
"It has nothing to do with censoring the contents in the blogs," he said, adding that the plan to register had yet to be finalised by the Government.
Shaziman also said Singapore had started registering its bloggers while Thailand, China and Middle East countries practiced censorship of its local blogs.
He was clarifying his statement made in Parliament earlier this week that the plan to register bloggers was a measure by the Government to prevent the spread of negative or malicious content on the Internet.
Shaziman was speaking to reporters after launching Putrajaya Express which is Pos Malaysia Berhad's express delivery service of documents from the Klang Valley to Putrajaya or Cyberjaya within the same day while guaranteeing a full refund of the delivery costs in the event of service failure.
Pos Malaysia Berhad managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Idrose Mohamed said one unique feature of the new product was the pick-up service from customers door to the doors of the companies and government departments in the administrative capital and Cyberjaya.
"Trends and customer needs in delivery services have evolved greatly over the years and in keeping up with business demands, PosLaju is challenged to provide customers with value-added services," he said

tunku : very smart shaziman, only register, you wont censor it.when register then you don't like the content, send SB over. what a smart guy. why you want to compare with singapore,china,middle east and thailand when you know that they are not "democratic" country. why don't you see the other countries.talk shit

can't afford to die???

dying should be easy by right but because of custom it make life difficult for the poor, can't live and can't die.......In malaysia i believe that the cheapest funeral cost for chinese people is about RM7000-10000, just imagine how the poor people have to suffer.for the rich and famous their funeral sometimes more than RM100,000.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese celebrated the annual tomb-sweeping festival on Thursday, but state media said soaring funeral costs were leading to people complaining they can no longer afford to die.
In Beijing and Shanghai, a proper send-off can cost between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan ($1,300-$2,600), Xinhua news agency said. Funerals for family members cost the average Beijing resident three months' salary.
"Funeral costs have surged from hundreds of yuan in the 1980s to tens of thousands of yuan. I'm afraid I cannot afford my own death," the report quoted 89-year-old Li Chengxian as saying.
For decades after the 1949 Communist takeover, China forbade burials in order to conserve badly needed land and insisted instead on cremations. The rule was poorly enforced in its vast countryside, though, and now has effectively been abandoned.
Earlier this week China announced it was to outlaw the trade in tomb futures -- speculating on the business of selling graves -- after it bankrupted many investors, as the government steps up regulations on a lucrative but poorly regulated industry.
Funeral providers rarely charge for services but make money by marking up the cost of products, sometimes as much as 20 times the original price, and mourning relatives are loath to bargain, Xinhua said.
In some areas the cost of a grave per square meter can be twice as much as an apartment.
An official at the Civil Affairs Ministry criticized the practice of some cemetery owners of setting up special graveyards that offer "oversized and luxurious graves", Xinhua said in a separate report
"It's a severe violation of China's funeral regulations and a waste of land resources," it quoted the official as saying.
Some tomb owners also encroach on farmland by building groups of tombs for family members and ancestors who want to be reunited in the afterworld, the official said, condemning the practice as "outdated and superstitious".

Big Terrorist supporting small terrorist

U.S. supports "terrorists", Iranian speaker say

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The United States is putting pressure on Iran by supporting anti-Iranian militants operating from the Pakistani border region, the speaker of Iran's parliament, Gholamali Haddadadel, said on Thursday.
But Haddadadel, speaking to reporters after talks with Pakistani leaders, said Pakistan was not involved in helping the militants.
"There is no doubt in our minds that the United States spares no effort to put pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran," Haddadadel said, speaking through an interpreter.
"The best indication of United States' support to a particular terrorist group is that one of the leaders of this terrorist group was given the opportunity to speak on VoA after committing the crime," he said, referring to a Voice of America radio broadcast after an unspecified attack.
The U.S. channel ABC News reported on Tuesday the United States had been secretly advising and encouraging a Pakistani militant group that had carried out a series of guerrilla raids inside Iran.
ABC, citing U.S. and Pakistani intelligence sources, said the raids had resulted in the deaths or capture of Iranian soldiers and officials.
The group, called Jundullah and made up of members of the Baluchi ethnic group, who live in both Pakistan and Iran, operated from Pakistan's Baluchistan province on the border with Iran, ABC said.
The group took responsibility for an attack in February that killed at least 11 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on a bus in the Iranian city of Zehedan, ABC said.
"ABSURD AND SINISTER"
ABC cited Pakistani government sources as saying the secret campaign against Iran was on the agenda when U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in February.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as "tendentious". It said the suggestion Pakistan was involved in a secret war against Iran was "an absurd and sinister insinuation".
Haddadadel said Iran had to step up cooperation with Pakistan on the border.
"Some of the militants, the rebel forces are active in our border areas and we should work with Pakistan in order to increase security cooperation," he said.
"There is no news, no evidence, and we don't have any reason to believe that the military establishment in Pakistan is also supporting such militants groups," he said.
Asked if he thought the United States would attack Iran over its nuclear program, he said: "I think it is highly unlikely. We do not see any reason for military action against Iran and we do not do anything to encourage military action."
He also said he hoped work on a gas pipeline, from Iran, through Pakistan to energy-hungry India, would begin in July. The United States opposes the pipeline.
"The pipeline has political messages that there is security in the region and the three countries - Iran, Pakistan and India - decide on their own without foreign, external influence."

Free Access Zone under IDR scrapped

JOHOR BARU: The proposed Free Access Zone (FAZ) under the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) has been scrapped.
Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said that the issue of the FAZ did not arise at all as there was no reason for it.
"Earlier, there was a suggestion to have a FAZ where foreigners would be able to enter the area without Immigration clearance, but that plan has been scrapped.
"But we hope (entering Johor) will be made more easy, maybe through smart cards," he said.
Abdul Ghani refuted suggestions that the decision was made because of strong opposition to the idea from several parties or in response to the fear over the possible loss of state sovereignty.
"Not bantahan, not fear, nothing. We just see no reason for that particular area," he said.
He was speaking to reporters at a press conference after delivering his keynote address at the start of the two-day Iskandar Development Region: Planning and Investment Opportunities seminar at Persada Johor.
Abdul Ghani also said that Johoreans did not need to be concerned about the waiver of the 30 percent Bumiputera equity participation as it only concerned some 1,780ha of land in two areas - Nusajaya (Nord 1) and the area near the Danga development (Nord 2).
"Investment situated only in these two areas are eligible for the Incentive Support Package (ISP) and one of the conditions for investment here is that the investors must have business dealings with other countries, not within Malaysia," he said.
He also said that a meeting had been scheduled to address some 1,000 people including Bumiputera businessmen and Umno division chiefs on April 14 to further explain the IDR.

tunku : A VERY GOOD MOVE BY THE GOVERNMENT. otherwise just imagine any tom dick and harry can enter our country without any documents.the rest is still the same, hopefully the government really think about NATIONAL AGENDA. as the government is to serve the public, give them better life not doing business ONLY

Penang Brideg hoax not connected with unrest in Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR: The bomb scare at the Penang Bridge was a hoax and has nothing to do with the unrest in Southern Thailand or Indonesia said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Najib, who is also Defence Minister, was asked whether there could be any connection between the incident with regional unrest.
“It is not possible to make such a connection. It was the work of irresponsible people and we should not overreact or it would encourage others to do the same,” he said.
“Bomb explosions regionally would have no effect on Malaysian security and bomb hoaxes do occur here from to time,” he told reporters at a press conference after attending a Conference of the Heads of Missions here on Thursday.
On Wednesday, police received a call that there was a bomb scare on the Penang Bridge.
Police closed the bridge and this resulted in a massive traffic jam lasting two and a half hours.


tunku : hope that the home security people should be more alert, we don't want this situation turns to reality.let us pray that malaysia will always be a safe place to live in.

Power of bloggers - Government is getting crazier

Bloggers may have to register
AT THE DEWAN RAKYAT
BLOGGERS using locally hosted websites may be asked to register with the authorities, Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said.
He said registration was one of the measures the Government was considering to prevent the spread of negative or malicious content on the Internet.
Shaziman said this while winding up the debate on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address for his ministry.
He added that the ministry did not have any problem with bloggers who identified themselves, and he welcomed blogging activities.
However, he said there were about 50,000 websites registered under the .my suffix and There were a lot of avenues for anyone to host websites with malicious content which could harm the country’s security.
Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, who interjected when Shaziman was speaking, said the negative comments of several ministers about bloggers reflected their lack of understanding about information flow in cyberspace.
“They should be educated on the vast benefits of blogging, which will help them to interact more with the people. Many politicians overseas already have their own blogs,” he added.
Asked to comment on the matter, Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said bloggers were very aware of their own ethics and responsibility for content on their sites.
While agreeing that there were bloggers who had inflammatory content, he said unidentified bloggers could still be traced through their website addresses.
He added that the problem was also about inflammatory comments by unidentified visitors to the blogs.
Ahirudin Attan of Rocky's Bru said the move to compel local bloggers to register was effectively the Government trying to control what Malaysians were writing online.
“This violates the Government's no-censorship policy with regards to the Internet,” he said.
He added that the move would just create fear among the bloggers and would encourage them to host their blogs overseas.
Marina Mahathir, a blogger and activist, said the Government really should “get real.”
She said the move “is just going to make Malaysia look ridiculous in the eyes of the world.”
Blogger Jeff Ooi wondered why the Government was pursuing this course of action.
He said the Government had already set up the Content Forum to deliberate on complaints by any party.

tunku : they(the government) had failed to counter the bloggers so they want to strict the laws on bloggers. what is there to be so scared of bloggers? if the allegation is false/wrong just prove it.i repeat again and again. people are smarter nowadays, they can think for themselves whether to believe or not with news they read.the government have to answer at any allegation thrown at them,it's the government duty. if you had done nothing wrong why worry????? but i'm against bloggers who instill racial/religion hatred.

The best proton can do ???

Proton On Track To Downsize Sales Network By 20 Pct

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- National carmaker, Proton Holdings Bhd, is on track to downsize its sales network throughout the country by 20 percent by end-June 2007 following commendable progress in its dealer rationalisation exercise.
In a statement here Tuesday, managing director, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, said the rationalisation was part of Proton's initiatives rolled out to enhance operational efficiency, cost competitiveness and value to customers.
"A long-term rationalisation is important as a strong dealer network and improvements throughout the business value chain are vital to move Proton's business forward," he said.
Syed Zainal Abidin said in order to improve sales and fulfil market requirements, Proton would continue to organise aggressive marketing campaigns and develop new models in the future.
"Proton had been emphasizing on the need for its dealers to increase productivity and achieve business sustainability," he said.
He said Proton also constantly evaluated performance of the dealers in meeting the challenge of improving sales and customer satisfaction.
"We will continue to explore all possibilities to satisfy customers and market demand," he said.

tunku : instead of thinking and implementing plans and strategy to increase the sales, they are downsizing the distribution channel.BRING BACK MAHALEEL in.

A MB that knows nothing

sudahlah tok, letaklah jawatan,
dah tenat dah tu.


Nik Aziz enggan komen isu pencemaran Lojing
PASIR MAS: Mungkin disebabkan isu pencemaran alam sekitar di kawasan tanah tinggi Lojing di Gua Musang "agak panas", Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat enggan memberi sebarang komen ketika dihampiri pemberita hari ini.
"Cari orang lain," katanya sebelum terus menaiki kereta meninggalkan kumpulan pemberita yang menunggu untuk mendapatkan ulasannya selepas beliau menghadiri majlis perasmian Pertandingan Seni Suara Burung Ketitir (Merbuk) Antarabangsa Kelantan 2007 di Lubok Jong di sini.
Ini adalah kali kedua Nik Aziz menolak daripada menjawab pertanyaan pemberita berhubung isu berkenaan.
Isu pencemaran di Lojing, melibatkan kawasan seluas 32,000 hektar, menjadi hangat apabila ditimbulkan oleh Setiausaha Parlimen Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar, Datuk Sazmi Miah, yang mengarah Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) mengambil tindakan segera untuk menghentikan kerosakan alam di tanah tinggi itu.
Kerajaan negeri menjelaskan sebelum ini bahawa kelulusan kepada syarikat pemaju di Lojing sebahagian besarnya telah diluluskan pada zaman Barisan Nasional memerintah Kelantan.
Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kerja Raya, Infrastruktur dan Alam Sekitar Mejar (B) Md Anizam Abdul Rahman berkata kerajaan negeri tidak menerima sebarang laporan mengenai pencemaran yang berlaku di kawasan terbabit, dan jika ada, tindakan sewajarnya akan diambil. BERNAMA

tunku : nik aziz should resign immediately as he is not fit to be a MB any longer. first of all he never answer question from reporters unless from harakah correctly, second, he will ask someone else to answer it and third he knows nothing.his brain has stop working.he should answer question from reporters as kelantan is his responsibility not others.

Possible merge of RHB and CIMB

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Reuters) - The new owner of Malaysia's fourth-largest lender, RHB Bank, sees larger rival CIMB Bank as a likely merger partner and that together they could become a regional heavyweight, a source close to the situation said.
RHB banking group is being taken over by Malaysia's state pension fund (EPF)after it won a $3.68 billion bid battle last month. The fund has said it aims to sell down its stake and bring in strategic investors to help run and expand the business.
"CIMB and RHB would be a very good fit and a very good consolidation," the source told Reuters, noting that RHB was strong in retail banking, with about 200 branches nationwide, while CIMB was strong in investment and wholesale banking.
"They have a very strong investment bank which RHB can supplement."
The Employees Provident Fund, which manages assets totalling around $80 billion, declined to comment. A CIMB official also declined to comment.
The source described a possible merger with CIMB, Malaysia's second-largest lender and a unit of Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd , as a more medium-term consideration.
The fund's first priority was to sell down a minority stake in RHB Bank to strategic partners, the source said, adding that it could sell the first 5-10 percent tranche by year-end.
The fund hopes to reduce its holding to 35 percent by the middle of 2008, including at least 25 percent that would be re-floated on the Malaysian stock exchange, the source added.
The fund aims to hire an international investment bank within two months to start a world-wide search for potential partners, the source said, adding that the fund would also need to seek central bank approval to begin multiple-party talks.

British sailors to fly home after Iran ordeal-NEXT TIME DON'T DO IT AGAIN

TEHRAN (AFP) - Fifteen British sailors freed by Iran after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dramatically pardoned them for violating the Islamic republic's waters were to fly home Thursday, ending a two-week ordeal.
The sailors and marines were expected to fly out of Tehran at 8:00 am (0430 GMT) after Ahmadinejad on Wednesday deflated a growing diplomatic crisis by pardoning them as a "gift" to the British people.
Friends and relatives of the captured men and one woman spent much of the night popping champagne corks in Britain after the surprise announcement by Ahmadinejad, later seen on state television chatting with the former prisoners.
"Although Iran has the right to prosecute them by following the model of the prophet the 15 people were pardoned and their freedom given as a gift to the British people," Ahmadinejad said at a Tehran press conference.
The announcement was welcomed by Britain and governments across the world as well as joyous relatives of the captives, some of whom had been paraded on state television "confessing" to trespassing in Iranian waters.
Later on Wednesday, the group met with Britain's ambassador to Tehran Geoffrey Adams, after having been denied consular access for the duration of their detention, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP in London.
The spokesman added that the naval personnel had not been transferred to the British embassy. The eight sailors and seven marines were seized at gunpoint while patrolling the northern Gulf between Iran and Iraq on March 23.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday hailed the release and thanked "our friends and allies in the region who played their part" amid unconfirmed reports that Syria and Qatar helped bring about a peaceful resolution. He said Britain, which took the issue to the UN Security Council last week, had taken a "firm but calm" approach, "not negotiating but not confronting either".
The families of the detainees erupted in joy and relief at the news, which came after 13 days of a sometimes heated propaganda war. "We've been absolutely devastated these last 13 days, it's been the longest of my life. I'm just so happy today," said April Rawsthorne, grandmother of 21-year-old Nathan Summers, clutching a bottle of champagne.
Iranian state media said the 15 had "shouted for joy" on news of their release. "We are grateful for your forgiveness," one sailor was heard telling Ahmadinejad, who in turn wished them good luck. The men were wearing suits while the sole woman captive, Faye Turney, was in trousers and a headscarf.
The BBC broadcast footage originally aired by Iranian television following Ahmadinejad's announcement showing Turney telling an interviewer that the group "apologise for our actions, but many thanks for having it in your hearts to let us go free."
The standoff had further damaged ties between Tehran and the West already frayed by Iran's controversial nuclear programme, and had sent jitters through world oil and financial markets.
Oil prices had surged to near seven month highs on fears Iran could disrupt supplies and fell on news of the release. However, Iran's hardline president -- who saved his dramatic announcement until nearly the end of the press conference -- still lashed out at Britain over its handling of the crisis and decorated a Revolutionary Guards commander who had seized the Britons. "The British government, in a letter, has vowed not to repeat such incidents. But this release is not linked to this letter. It is due to Islamic goodwill," he said.
His announcement came after Iran had applauded a "change of tone" from Britain following talks between top security official Ali Larijani and Blair's chief foreign policy advisor Sir Nigel Sheinwald on Tuesday. Syria -- Iran's top ally in the region -- had announced it was mediating in the crisis after a call from Sheinwald.
Iran had insisted the key to resolving the crisis was an admission from Britain that the sailors and marines violated its territorial waters. Britain maintains the group was carrying out routine anti-smuggling operations in Iraqi waters in line with a UN mandate, but Iran says the sailors' Global Positioning System (GPS) devices show they intruded on Iranian waters.
US President George W. Bush welcomed the release of the Britons but Washington denied any link to the sudden granting of consular access to five Iranian officials held in Iraq for allegedly stoking unrest. The crisis had come at a perilous time for Iran's relations with the West, with the United States refusing to rule out military action over its nuclear drive and the United Nations imposing tough new sanctions.

Earlier News
Iran to release British sailors as 'gift'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today announced that his government would release the detained 15 British sailors and marines as a gift to the British people.
He pardoned the sailors and announced their release minutes after he gave medals of honour to the Iranian coastguards who intercepted the sailors and marines, saying Iran will never accept trespassing of its territorial waters.
“On behalf of the great Iranian people, I want to thank the Iranian coastguard who courageously defended and captured those who violated their territorial waters, the president told a press conference.
He then interrupted his speech and pinned medals on the chests of three coastguard officers involved in capturing the British sailors and marines in the northern Gulf on March 23.
“We are sorry that British troops remain in Iraq and their sailors are being arrested in Iran,” Ahmadinejad said.

Tun Mahathir don't need the opposition

Anwar, Mahathir dan Ku Li disaran bentuk Gagasan Baru

Atas dasar menyelamatkan kepentingan negara dan membela nasib rakyat jelata, ketiga-tiga tokoh ini disarankan supaya membentuk satu 'Gagasan Baru' bersama parti-parti politik yang lain untuk memastikan kepincangan yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan dapat diperbetulkan semula.
"Dan jika Gagasan Baru ini berjaya dibentuk, PAS akan menghulurkan tangan untuk bersama-sama demi menjaga kedaulatan negara dan membebaskan kemelut yang menghimpit kehidupan rakyat jelata selama ini,"kata Mahfuz

tunku : again pas trying to fish Tun Mahathir. If he wanted that, he had done so long time ago. Tun Mahathir will always be in UMNO. and for God sake mahfuz, anwar eeyakkks.this opposition seems have no confidence to fight Umno.what a pity.

Another by election - MIC vs ??

Selangor Exco Member Sivalingam Dies Of Heart Failure In Chennai

NEW DELHI, April 4 (Bernama) -- Selangor State Executive Councillor Datuk K. Sivalingam died, Wednesday after collapsing at the Chennai Airport upon arriving from Malaysia.
Sivalingam, 59, who is also Ijok state assemblyman, is said to have died of a heart failure at 10.40am (India time) (1.10pm Malaysia time).
Chennai-based Malaysian High Commission official told Bernama Sivalingam arrived this morning and collapsed at the airport.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, the official said.

tunku : i would like to express my deepest condolence to Datuk Siva's family. hopefully this time no fighting during nomination day

Government offices to open from 7.30am to 5.30pm

PUTRAJAYA: All government offices will open half-an-hour earlier and close 30 minutes later from June.
However, civil servants will not be required to work longer hours. Instead, they will clock in for work at three different times – from 7.30am till 4.30pm, from 8am till 5pm, and from 8.30am till 5.30pm.
In effect, the offices will be open from 7.30am to 5.30am.
The timetable is the same for those working in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, except that they will observe Friday and Saturday as the days off.
Public Service Department corporate communications unit chief Hasniah Rashid said the decision to implement the system nationwide was taken after it was found that staggered working hours had contributed to higher productivity among civil servants.
“Civil servants found that they were able to make better use of their time. We also found that longer opening hours for our offices benefited our clients and helped improve the public delivery system,” she said.
Currently, government offices in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya open from 7.30am to 5.30pm with a lunch break between 1pm and 2pm. On Fridays, the lunch break is between 12.15pm and 2.45pm.
Staggered working hours from 7.30am to 6.30pm were introduced 10 years ago in departments such as the National Registration and the Immigration Departments, to provide longer hours of service to the public.
About a year later, the working hours were revised to 5.30pm and implemented in government offices in Kuala Lumpur.
Cuepacs welcomed the plan but said the Government should consider problems faced by civil servants.
“For instance, staff whose houses are far from their offices, who have transportation problem or who have to rush their children to school or the babysitter in the morning should not be forced to work at 7.30am. They should be allowed to choose working hours suitable for them. Otherwise, it will be a torture for them,” Cuepacs president Omar Osman said.
He also expressed regret that Cuepacs was not briefed so that it could explain the matter to its 850,000 members.
MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohd also said the welfare of civil servants should be taken into consideration.
“The staff should be comfortable with their working hours. If they face problems coming to work on time, the counter service will be affected. We should not compromise the quality of service,” he said.
Fomca secretary-general Mohd Shani Abdullah said the Government should create public awareness of the new working hours. It should also consider opening counters during lunch hour, he said.

tunku :A good move but still a lot of improvement needed. I hope that the head department to monitors their staff closely.nowadays you go to government office at 9-10.30 hardly can find the staff, if you ask where so and so guy, oo he/she at the canteen, so do at 3-4pm. Another big problem is when you call government office, hardly anyone to answer your call, and if answered they will transfer you to several people till you get exactly to the right person.people a fed up with this situation. the head department should make sure all these thing are tackle once and for all.

EPF's move on RHB not a bailout

KUALA LUMPUR (April 3, 2007): The Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) acquisition of RHB Bank is not a bailout, says Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.
He said the purchase of 32.8% of the remaining RHB shares from Utama Banking Group "is purely a commercial transaction".
"The question of bailout does not arise. It is purely a commercial transaction," he told Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP- Ipoh Timur).
"Believe me Yang Berhormat there is no bailout," he added.
In his winding-up speech on the Motion of Thanks on the Royal Address in Parliament today, Nor Mohamed said the acquisition was EPF's long-term strategic measure as well as the need to protect the rights and interests of EPF contributors.
Nor Mohamed said the market price for the shares was RM6.50 per share but the other party was only willing to pay RM4.80 per share.
"Is it so easy to sell it at RM4.80? We should criticise them (EPF) if they allowed the shares to be sold at the lower price," he said, adding that EPF already owned 30% of the shares prior to the deal.
"It is a decision which should be praised instead of being criticised," he said on the RM10 billion deal which has raised much criticism.
"EPF has also stressed that it would not interfere in the running of RHB," he added.
On investments in the country, Nor Mohamed said domestically sourced funds contributed RM25.7 billion of direct investments last year while foreign direct investments (FDIs) contributed RM20.2 billion.
"The advantage of sourcing domestically is funding from local banks are used and this creates downstream investment industries," said the minister.
On credit cards, Nor Mohamed said bad debts were not at a worrisome level despite an increase in the number of cards issued.
"The non-performing loans (on credit cards) is under control. In fact, it has come down to 3.7%. It was a high at 16% during the financial crisis (in 1997)," he said.

tunku : it's definitely not a bailout kit siang, every time some transaction this kit siang would say a bailout, setup a royal commission bla bla bla.

Increase the retirement age asap

Mandatory Retirement Age Extension Still Under Study
KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- The proposal to extend the mandatory retirement age of civil servants is still being studied as the government needs to address differences in retirement ages involving several services such as the Malaysian Armed Forces.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Abdul Raman Suliman said the government would make a decision once all problems were ironed out.
"The government is very positive about extending the mandatory retirement age but when this sort of thing crops up, we can't make any announcement for the time being," he said to a supplementary question from Datuk Firdaus Harun (BN-Rembau) at the Dewan Rakyat here Tuesday.
Firdaus wanted to know how the government planned to address the retirement age differences involving the military if the extension proposal was to be implemented.
Responding to Firdaus' original question, Abdul Raman said such extension would benefit the government in terms of reducing its expenses like pension payments.
However, Abdul Raman said such savings would depend on the number of civil servants opting to work beyond the mandatory retirement age as well as their grade and monthly income.
He noted that the extension would not affect the chances for promotion for those who chose to extend their service or other staff.
This is because promotions are based on merit and the performance of each government employee rather than their length of service or age, he said.
Abdul Raman also said the implementation of the age proposal would not jeopardise the chances of joining the civil service among the younger generation as vacancies would continue to exist due to optional retirement, resignation and death.

tunku : i hope the government would implement this asap. 55 or 56 is too early to retire nowadays.most of the people at this age still have children going to school,colleges.and to live with a pension it's hard unless with huge pension.government can make it optional, the staff can retire at the age of 55 if they want it or else the retire age should be at 60.for me the ideal retirement age would be 65

DAJAL REMPIT

Caning for Mat Rempit proposed
THE Government is considering imposing heavier penalty on those caught in illegal motorcycle races. Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum said this is because illegal racers, or Mat Rempit, have become bolder and in some instances, have attacked the police.
“Apart from confiscating their bikes, we may propose that heavier penalty be imposed, including caning,” he said when replying to a supplementary question by Datuk Hashim Jahaya (BN-Kuala Kedah) at the Dewan Rakyat today.

tunku : kay jay and azeez had given these dajal rempit so much face that they start thinking they are the king on the road.these idiots should be jailed till they rots there.just imagine they had start attacking our police force, what about ordinary people like us.these dajal rempit should be hang by their balls.

Govt denies RM3m allocations for Umno division chief

KUALA LUMPUR (April 2, 2007): The government has denied it allocated RM3 million for each Umno division head to implement small-scale projects in their areas.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said the RM3 million is part of the additional RM600 million allocated for development projects in parliamentary constituencies.
"The projects have already been implemented," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Barat) in Parliament (Dewan Rakyat) today.
Lim had asked why there was a RM3 million allocation for every Umno division (parliamentary constituency) which was meant to enrich the respective Umno heads.
He also asked why the RM600 million was allocated without parliamentary approval.
The RM600 allocation was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the eve of last November’s Umno annual general meeting and the RM600 million was disbursed by the Finance Ministry on Dec 22.
Awang Adek said the allocations were channeled to the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department and disbursed to the federal development departments and state development offices.
To an original question from Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim (BN-Parit) on payments to contractors, Awang Adek said the new payment system, introduced last October, has reduced government arrears from RM2.7 billion last September to RM796 million within two months.
"Steps have also been taken to improve payment to contractors and through a Finance Ministry Circular dated Oct 31, 2006. Any payment or claims must be processed and disbursed in 14 days.
"We are also monitoring the payment schedule of bills submitted. Every ministry is required to submit a monthly report on the matter directly to the Treasury," he added.
To a supplementary question from Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan), Awang Adek said the Treasury currently had 148 claims to settle of which 141 would be paid within seven working days and the remaining within 14 days.
"However, there are still agencies which have failed to adhere to the 14-day period," he said.

tunku : so the money already disbursed by the MOF in december, can the government show us what are the projects implemented with this RM600million if they are saying it's for each constituency.we the public wants to know about it.as at umno's GA, the president said that it was for each bahagian umno and wants the division head to identify what project they wanted to implement.i guess the money is given to each bahagian to shut their mouth.

after scomi, TUNE is BIG in present business world

KUALA LUMPUR: No-frills financial services provider Tune Money Sdn Bhd has named CIMB Structured Investments as a strategic and financial investor with 25% equity stake.
Chief executive officer Tengku Zafrul Aziz told a press conference yesterday that CIMB's investment represented a vote of confidence in Tune Money's business.
Chairman and founder Datuk Tony Fernandes, when asked on CIMB's role, said: “We thought it would be useful to have a partner in the financial services sector and be able to tap into such expertise.”
Tune Money now expects to be operational and available on the web in the fourth quarter, as opposed to June as the company had previously publicly stated.
“The deadline is not important. I will tell when the deadline is once we are ready.
“The important thing is to ensure that we have the right products and able to serve an underserved market,” Fernandes said.
The company expects relevant Government approvals by September and operations to begin before year-end.
Tengku Zafrul said Tune Money was currently in negotiations with Visa and MasterCard on the issue of a debit card but it was “too early to say” who it would partner.
He said the company was also in talks with several insurers, including the “majors”, but did not elaborate.
Fernandes said Tune Money planned to issue simple products to meet the needs of the currently underserved market rather than competing with existing financial services.
”We will take away some of the complexity of investing and show the mass market how they can get a better return for their money and utilise their funds better,” he said.
The company would structure its own products and also look at being an aggregator and carry third-party financial products.
It also unveiled its new tagline Looking After You yesterday.
Tune Money, which has a paid-up capital of RM15mil and an authorised capital of RM25mil, is 44.83% owned by Tune Ventures Sdn Bhd.
The balance is held by CIMB Structured Investments (25%), Tengku Zafrul (10%), Datuk Kalimullah Hassan (8.21%), Lim Kian Onn (8.21%), Kaneswaran Avili (1.5%) and Tune Money Employees Sdn Bhd (2.25%).
Tune Ventures is a privately-owned entity, with Fernandes holding 40% stake with the balance held by Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (30%), Dennis Melka (25%) and Tune Strategic Investment (5%).

tunku : the Tune group coming very strong nowadays, one after one. tune that tune this.starting from airasia now with tune money.who is behind these companies?(the actual person).it started with tony and co but then came in kalimullah (the hindu god n muslim priest)hope anyone with info can comment please.

Poor sales hit Proton dealers

Depleting sales over the past year may force about 70% of the national car sales and service dealers to go out of business.
Proton Edar Dealers’ Association president Wan Ahmad Sepwan Wan Abdul Rahman, who said this, added that besides lacking new models, sluggish sale of the national car models was attributed to buyers’ preference for vehicles more suited for the family.
He claimed that dealers suffered a nine per cent drop in sales with losses amounting to RM240,000 last year, with 115,546 cars sold.
“Every dealer has to sell between 35 and 40 cars a month to sustain their operations but since last year they could sell only between 10 and 15 cars a month,” he said.
Wan Ahmad Sepwan said there were almost 400 Proton dealers nationwide, which was far too many for a single brand, causing the sales to be spread thin.
He said that if Proton wanted to reduce the number of sales centres, it should start by changing the function of Proton Edar sales centres to service centres.
Only then can Proton focus on the effort to enhance customer satisfaction through more professional and quality after-sales services, he added. – Bernama

tunku : this is what happened when you asked the wrong person to manage proton.and our pm was asked about this by some reporter, his answer was we will ask proton to take necessary action. hello MR PRIME MINISTER, we want to know what are you going to do about it, what are the action should be taken or you don't know how to answer.before you came in pak lah, proton was cash rich company.and now the pm wants the dealer to sell other cars , proton is finished.

Abdullah Says New ACA D-G To Be Announced Soon

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- The new director-general of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) will be announced as soon as possible, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday.

The ACA deputy director-general would be acting ACA chief for the time being, he told reporters after opening the Heads of Malaysian Missions conference here.
The agency has two deputy directors-general -- Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan is Deputy Director-General I while Datuk Zakaria Jaffar is Deputy Director-General II.
Abdullah was queried on who would become the new director-general following the government's decision not to renew the contract of Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor which expired on March 31.
On police investigation into allegations of corruption and abuse of power levelled against Zulkipli, Abdullah said: "Investigation papers are not to be revealed."
Police have set up a special team of 10 officers from Bukit Aman and the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent to conduct the probe.
It has so far recorded statements from 21 witnesses.
The allegations against Zulkipli was made by former ACA Sabah director Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan.


tunku : i saw the tv3 news regarding the above, a reporter asked pak lah on who will be the new DG of ACA, and pak lah arrogantly answered DON'T ASK NOW,WHEN IT IS DONE I'LL ANNOUNCE. the pm now is not the mr nice guy we used to know when he was a deputy pm.now HE IS THE PRIME MINISTER,totally different human being. people can't ask him, wait till he is willing to tell. by right when the reporter asked him, he should answer, WE WILL ANNOUNCE IT ONCE WE HAD FINALISED IT but this arrogant pm said DON'T ASK NOW.

Malays won't lose out with Johor project, says Khairy

THE Iskandar Development Region (IDR) is not a sell-out to foreigners, deputy Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said yesterday, in a stout defence of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's vision of remaking South Johor into a modern metropolis.
He was referring to the government's recent announcement of a slew of incentives which would remove conditions placed on foreign investors to offer equity to Malay bumiputeras.
Such a move did not mean that Johor would lose its independence to foreigners, said Mr Khairy, who is son-in-law to Datuk Seri Abdullah.
Under the incentives, foreign investors in specific zones of the IDR would not have to fulfil current rules requiring a certain percentage of bumiputera equity participation.
'Surprisingly, the incentives have not generated too much debate on the Malay ground, yet. But it will come,' he wrote in his regular column in the New Sunday Times.
Pre-empting such a debate, the deputy Umno Youth chief predicted that critics of the incentives would claim that Malays would become slaves and servants again.
'The argument will paint a picture of Singaporeans and other undesirables building skyscrapers in Johor and employing Malaysians as servants,' he said.
Defending the incentives, he pointed out that the waiver of the bumiputera rules was only for a small part of the IDR and not for the entire region itself.
He added that only certain sectors would be open to such foreign participation.
These are in the creative industries, educational services, financial advisory and consulting, health care, logistics and tourism.
Mr Khairy also pointed out that foreign investors given the bumiputera waiver would be allowed to conduct their business activities only within the zone and outside Malaysia, ensuring no competition with local businesses.
'If they set up in these zones to capture the Malaysian market they will not enjoy the incentives.
'By providing these incentives, we are actually taking the fight to places like Singapore which has been a favourite pick as a base for regional operations,' he wrote

tunku : he is given in every mainstream media to voice out,to give his opinions, to explain government policies.i just wanted to ask who is this kayjay in the government? is he the p.a of the pm? in todays world SIL is very powerful.according to him the incentives have not generated too much debate on the Malay ground, yet.hello kayjay, you fools the nst readers, the incentives is talk of the town nowadays, otherwise why shahrir is shouting up and down about it when Tun Mahathir comments on that issue.
to another point, you said that this incentives to foreigners are given only in certain part of IDR and their business activities only within the zone and outside Malaysia, what logic is this? Foreigners come and invest here but cannot do business in Malaysia? why do they want to come here than? maybe this is oxford thinking level....i guess.

Solomons hit by tsunami after powerful Pacific quake

HONIARA (AFP) - A tsunami spawned by a strong 8.0-magnitude undersea earthquake pounded the Solomon Islands Monday, sweeping over villages and leaving several people dead or missing, officials and locals said.
Witness reports spoke of waves washing up to 200 meters (yards) inland and destroying houses, triggering landslides and forcing residents to evacuate to higher land.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami warning for a series of countries in the region. Japan's Kyodo News, quoting Solomons officials, said some 60 buildings had collapsed in and around the town of Gizo, just 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the quake's epicentre.
A spokesman for the Solomon Islands Office of Emergency Management said there were reports of several people missing after two villages were flooded or hit by associated mudslides in the far west of the archipelago.
"We have unconfirmed reports of a tsunami washing parts of the most western end of the Solomons, where two villages ... near Bougainville are reported to be completely inundated," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The UN-funded communications project Solomon Islands People First Network quoted one of its workers saying villages on the western island of Simbo had been destroyed. "(The worker) estimated waves washed inland a distant of about two hundred meters from the shoreline," the People First Network said. "He estimates almost every building of Tapurai village on the island has been washed away," it added, as well as houses in Marusu village and a school classroom.
It said Gizo was reported to have been inundated by the tsunami. The town has reported unconfirmed deaths, while a female is thought to have been killed in a landslide.
In the capital Honiara, news of the quake and tsunami sent people running screaming from waterfront markets, said Daniel Evans, an Australian lawyer. "I just saw everyone on the street start to run and scream," he told AFP in Sydney. "But people are just back to normal now. People are down along the shoreline looking at the water but everyone's fine. No one is panicking."
The Solomon Islands, 2,575 kilometres east of Australia, has a little over half a million people living on dozens of islands.
It is part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates meet and frequently experiences volcanic and seismic activity. The US Geological Survey reported a series of aftershocks measuring up to 6.7.
A resident from Noro, near Gizo, reported further tremors, causing high seas in the affected areas, People's First Network said. Boats had been swept up on to nearby roads, it added.
A news report in Japan said three people were dead following the tsunami, but officials could not confirm the toll. The Office of Emergency Management's deputy director, Janet Batee, told AFP officials were having trouble contacting the stricken area. "We haven't got solid information from the affected area because of communication problems," she said. "We are still waiting for reliable casualty and damage reports."
A state of emergency was expected to be declared later Monday, Batee said. Solomons police spokesman Mick Spinks said the town of Taro had been hit by a large wave and there were reports of buildings being damaged. The settlement of Lofung also reported being hit with residents evacuating to higher ground, Spinks said.
The quake struck at 7:40 am local time (2040 GMT Sunday) centred about 350 kilometres west-northwest of the capital Honiara at a depth of 10 kilometres, the US Geological Survey and Hong Kong Observatory said. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicentre within minutes to hours," the tsunami warning centre said.
The warning covers the Solomons, Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Nauru, Chuuk, New Caledonia, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, with countries as far away as Japan on alert. Australia issued urged residents on its northeast coast to move to higher ground, while authorities in New Caledonia, some 1,000 kilometres south of the Solomons, evacuated schools in threatened areas.

A moron

Dr M’s suggestion an insult, says Shahrir
JOHOR BARU: It is insulting to suggest that Johor Malays are weak and incapable of competing with others in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR), said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad.
He was commenting on a recent statement by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said that he was not confident that the Malays could compete with the people coming into the IDR.
Shahrir said it was not fair to say that Johoreans were weak.
While he has respect for Dr Mahathir’s views, he felt that the former premier had himself created such a situation and was now complaining about it.
“This is the result of his own strategies and policies. The present Government is just building upon what he has created.
“I don’t understand why he thinks that Johor Malays are weak and I think it is an insult to the Johor Malays,” Shahrir told a press conference after officiating Umno Youth’s sponsorship of books.
Shahrir noted that Kedahan Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary had control over much of the logistic hubs in the IDR with his ownership of the Johor Port, Senai airport and 70% of Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
“Maybe its true that we are weak and since he (Dr Mahathir) is Kedahan, maybe that is why he decided to give the ports to a Kedahan.
“That’s why he has always taken advantage of us, but we intend to prove him wrong,” he said.

tunku : shahrir you should listen and understand what Tun had said in the first place before jumping into conclusion that johor's malays are weak.you had shown your true colours under present government when your lip are sealed when it comes to ECM Libra issue.that shows how credible are you.as politician you should not bring up issue like a kedahan having business in johor, why there are no johoreans owning business in kedah? because of your self interest do no put the johor malays future at stake.
a free zone access in IDR would mean any tom dick and harry can come in.does this mean even a terrorist can come in? all the mafia will come in with their black money and setup a mock up business to hide the illegal business.the israel people can come in freely. will the bumis be able to compete with them? next time use your brain shahrir.

APRIL FOOL DAY

recently an article was out in utusan malaysia saying that april fool day was a day where muslims were fooled by the chrisian in spain when the conquered spain. how true this story? let us not be fool.

Now as regards the incorrect story circulating amongst the Muslims on the Internet saying that April Fool's Day is the celebration of the kufar over the conquest of Muslim Spain. I felt that it was necessary to clarify a few points in the interest of truth, inshallah.
Bismillah Al Hamdulilah was Salat wa Salam ala rasoolulah. Allahu Alim. In the Name of Allah, I praise Allah and ask for His Peace upon Muhammad, ameen. Allah Alone is The All-Knower.
To continue: Once again, Muslims are circulating a fabrication on the Internet trying to claim things which can easily be proven incorrect by Christians and non-Muslims who rejoice in watching us play the part of Everyday Fools.
The most recent story says that Christians could not conquer the Muslims there and sent spies to discover why. According to the story, they found that the Muslims there were on the 'Taqwah' (God Fearing and Pious) of Islam. Then the story says the Christians sent in alcohol and cigarettes which the Muslims used and lost their 'Taqwah' and then the Christians defeated the Muslims on April first and began celebrating 'April Fool's Day' ever since. This story is not correct in many aspects.
1.) First, let us consider the historic fact that Muslim Spain ended on the 12th of January in the Christian year of 1492 A.D. yet 'April Fool's Day was not heard of until over fifty years later. Once upon a time, back in 16th-century France, before computers, people celebrated New Year's Day on March 25, the advent of spring. It was a festive time. They partied steadily until April 1. In 1564, when the calendar reformed and became Gregorian, under the influence of Pope Gregory, King Charles IX proclaimed, perhaps
pompously, that New Year's Day should be celebrated on January 1st instead of in the spring. Diehard conservatives resisted the change (or perhaps didn't hear about it due to the absence of e-mail) and continued to celebrate New Year's from March 25 to April 1. During this period of spring festivity, the more flexible French mocked the rigid revelers by sending them foolish gifts and invitations to nonexistent parties. The victim of an April Fools' Day
prank was called a "poisson d'avril," or an "April fish," because at that time of year, the sun was leaving the zodiacal sign of Pisces. April Fools' Day hit its stride (avoiding the banana peel) in England in the 18th century, and was brought to colonial America by the English, Scottish, and French.
2.) Second, we should know that cigarettes were not even invented until AFTER the time of the fall of Muslim Spain (January 1492). According to the State College in Framingham, the Human Biology course by Dr. Roger Morrrissette, Ph.D., smoking of any kind did not exist in Spain until after it was brought back from the New World AFTER King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella had come to rule Spain. This is from their website:
Introduction to Human Biology Framingham State College
Roger N. Morrissette, Ph.D.
I. The History of Smoking.
900: smoking is referred to on a Mayan stone carving.
1492: Columbus notes the natives of the New World smoke leaves.
1550: Spaniards begin cultivating tobacco in the West Indies to export to Europe.
1880: Tobacco use is widespread but people only use small amounts.
3.) Muslim Spain began to deteriorate at the time of Ibn Seenah and others who were beginning to use their logic in place of Divine Revelation of Allah. Some were very interested in the Greek and Roman philosophies and concepts and began to try to 'rethink' Islam much the same as some 'modernists' are doing today. It was right after this that Muslim Spain began to divide up into small kingdoms and fight against each other for control and gold. They employed mercenaries from amongst the Christians and killed and destroyed each other for a number of years. When the Christians came against them the first time, they appealed to the ruler of Maghrib (Morocco) across the Mediterranean Sea who sent troops to quell the attacks. He stipulated that the Muslims must stop fighting each other and go back to the Islamic system of rule under one leader. They did not do it. When they began fighting each other again, the Christians came in very strong against them and this time the ruler of Morocco refused to help them. They lost battle after battle against the Roman Christians and finally the last stronghold of Islam fell to the Christian King, Ferdinand, in January of 1492. [for details order the video "Muslim Spain"]
So regarding the email claiming that April Fools Day is a celebration of the take over of Muslim Spain, it is clear the whole thing is a made up lie. This is totally unacceptable and should be brought to the attention of the one who sent you this lie in the first place. A good Muslim would never accept to repeat lies and fabrications especially in presenting facts about the history of Islam.
If you have received such a letter it is your duty in front of Allah to write back to those who also received it and ask them to contact all of those on their lists and email the truth about this issue. And we should all fear a Day when we will stand in front of Allah and be asked about these matters.
If we don't do something about correcting the education of our beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, then everyday on the internet is MUSLIM FOOLS DAY.
Again, it is only Allah who has All Knowledge. May He forgive me my mistakes and guide us all to the right way, ameen.
Yusuf Estes
http://www.islamtoday.com

Malaysia vows not to give up on free trade talks with U.S.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia said it would not to give up negotiating a free trade agreement with the U.S. even with the passage of a deadline for striking a deal under special measures that make it easier for a pact to win U.S. Congressional approval.
Washington has reportedly ruled out a successful conclusion to trade talks by July 1, the expiry date for U.S. President George W. Bush's special "fast-track" authority to submit a trade deal to Congress for a straight up-or-down vote without amendments.
Various legal requirements, however, mean an agreement must be completed 90 days before, or by March 31.
In Seoul, South Korean and American negotiators were striving to forge an agreement by the Friday deadline.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said trade talks with the U.S. were ongoing, stressing that there remains "a lot of understanding on both sides" despite disagreements — such as over the way Malaysia awards government contracts.
"I don't think we should look at it (the March deadline) as if that is the end game," Syed Hamid told reporters. "Instead, let us continue to work on something that would bring mutual benefit to both sides."
Malaysia media reports said U.S. officials have acknowledging that forging an agreement before of the expiration of Bush's "fast-track" authority was no longer possible.
The two countries are looking at 18 areas in the talks, including industrial goods, customs procedures, intellectual property rights, agriculture, financial services and telecommunications.
Two-way trade between Malaysia and the United States totaled US$44 billion (€33.6 billion) in 2005, which officials say will double by 2010 if a free trade pact is signed.
The key obstacle to the talks is Malaysia's affirmative action program that awards government tenders to Malay-owned companies to give them an advantage in competing with the wealthier Chinese minority. While some government contracts are open to bids from foreign companies, Washington wants more clarity and transparency in the bidding process.
Syed Hamid reiterated Malaysia's stance that "the bottom line is to ensure our national interest is at all times protected." Other government ministers have said the government will not alter the affirmative action policy.
Other sticking points in the negotiations are differences over liberalizing Malaysia's services sector and highly protected car industry, its ban on majority foreign ownership of banks, its poor protection of intellectual property rights, and labor and environmental issues.
Malaysian rights activists and political analysts say the trade agreement would put local farmers out of work, lead to job losses, erode workers' rights and end the availability of cheap generic drugs for those with AIDS and other diseases.

tunku : so malaysia VOWS not to give up the FTA talks with usa.well best of luck to our nation. the said that the trade currently is about 44billion usd with usa. 70% of it is by the american company operating in malaysia.so with fta or no fta the trade will continue. so syed hamid aka kodomo lion no need to put our nation's neck to them.