Power game in Selangor puts grid at risk

New Straits Times, 2008/09/26

PUTRAJAYA: If the Klang Valley plunges into darkness in the future, it will be due to politics.

At the heart of the issue is a tussle between the Federal and Selangor governments over how to complete the Central Area Reinforcement project to upgrade the power transmission grid.

With just two per cent left to be completed, the project is being held up by the reluctance of Kampung Sungai Terentang residents to give up their land.

Energy, Water and Communication Minister Datuk Shahziman Mansor said the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government was continuing to hold the Federal Government to ransom over the CAR project.

He predicted a repeat of the blackouts of January 2005 blackout, which caused billions of ringgit in losses, if the impasse continued.
He said Selangor had proposed impractical and costly alternatives to Tenaga Nasional Berhad's plans..

"The situation looks bleak as the Selangor government continues to hold the Federal Government to ransom on the project," he said.

The 6,000 villagers are not willing to surrender their land for the project despite a High Court decision handing the land, once owned by TNB, back to the company.

Shahziman said Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had asked that high voltage underground cables be laid in the village.

He had also suggested an alternative route that would add another 7km to the length of the grid.

Shaziman said the first option would take a minimum of two years to complete and cost an extra RM120 million.

The second would require more land acquisitions, offered no guarantee of success and would cost RM70 million extra.

TNB's original plan, where the grid would be built across the village, would take only three months to complete with construction costs amounting to RM12.2 million.

Kampung Sungai Terentang residents had been promised compensation if they were to move to a new location, as well as public facilities such as a library and a community hall

Shahziman said he had submitted a letter to Khalid to allow the power grid project to be speeded up.

"This matter was brought up during the State Economic Action Council meetings over the last two months.

"However, the state government has yet to come to a decision on the matter."

In a meeting with ministry representatives in July, Khalid had pledged that the problem would be resolved within three weeks.

"However, until today, the state government is dragging its feet in finding a solution."

The RM324 million CAR project began in July 2005. It was to be completed in August last year.

It involves the laying of 60km of 275kV transmission lines from Bukit Tarek in Rawang to Kampung Chubadak in Sentul.

Race Relations Act gets Cabinet nod

STAR, September 19, 2008

PUTRAJAYA: The proposed Race Relations Act to strengthen ties among the different races in the country has been approved by the Cabinet, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

He said various issues had to be discussed and proposals on race relations needed to be studied before the Act could be drafted and tabled in Parliament.

He added that the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry and the Home Ministry would gather information and data to draft the Act.

Speaking to reporters after addressing ministry staff at a monthly gathering yesterday, Syed Hamid said both ministries would also have to collect input from non-Governmental organisations and individuals on the contents and scope of the Act.

The Act would include provisions on punitive action while using the Federal Constitution as the guideline, he said.

He added that the Act would also touch on race relations through the economic, education and distribution systems.

“There is a great need to work on the mindset of Malaysians and ways to strengthen the relations among all races in the country,” said Syed Hamid.

“We need to give priority on our diverse cultures and on the sensitivity of each race in order to create an ideal environment to live in,” he said, adding that similar Acts in other countries would be used as reference in drafting it.

He said Britain had the Act for many years while some other European countries were working on similar laws too as they were also becoming more multiracial.

When asked to comment on a suggestion by MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai that the Act could replace the Internal Security Act (ISA), Syed Hamid said Liow could submit his proposal during discussions on the Act in the Cabinet.

On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s statement that the ISA was good but its enforcement must be seen to be rational and fair, Syed Hamid said it was wrong to interpret his statement to mean the enforcement was improper.

He said enforcement of any law should be fair and just, adding that no one including the police and ministers enforce the law without being fair.

“The law is meant to do justice to the people,” he said.

Malaysia's 'worst in the world' taxis tarnish national image

AFP, 18 September 2008

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — The ads promoting "Malaysia: Truly Asia" aim to welcome visitors with a warm smile to a prosperous and modern nation, so the taxi fleet branded "the worst in the world" can come as a bit of a shock.

Even the locals are not spared the shabby service of unkempt and hostile drivers behind the wheels of decrepit vehicles who refuse to use the meter, overcharge and pick-and-choose which destinations they will travel to.

At the popular KLCC mall under Kuala Lumpur's iconic Petronas Twin Towers is a typical scene, as a gang of cabbies negotiate with a young Norwegian couple just metres from a signboard warning against "taxi touts".

"Flat rate, flat rate, no metre," one driver insists as the tourists try to find a cab to take them to their hotel, less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) away.

Anxious to escape the baking heat, they agree to pay 25 ringgit (7.22 dollars) for a trip that would have cost less than three ringgit on the meter.

"Is it expensive? We don't know, we thought it is normal here," said the woman as they piled in with their shopping bags.

More frequent visitors, however, are vocal in their criticism and say that aggressive and unprofessional drivers are tarnishing the nation's image as a squeaky clean and hospitable destination.

"I first visited Malaysia in 2006 and I was impressed by everything I saw except for the worst taxi service I have endured," said Kabir Dali, an Indian tourist waiting in vain for a metered taxi at another mall.

"I paid a whopping 260 ringgit (74 dollars) from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to town and was later told that was twice the proper amount."

Complaints about taxis are common in many countries, but in Malaysia it has escalated to an outpouring of frustration, on blog sites and in letters to newspapers.

In a survey by the local magazine The Expat, some 200 foreigners from 30 countries rated Malaysia the worst among 23 countries in terms of taxi quality, courtesy, availability and expertise.

The respondents lashed the fleet as "a source of national shame" and "a serious threat to tourists -- rude bullies and extortionists".

Salvation is in sight though, as a number of smaller, up-scale operators enter the market to provide a more expensive but quality taxi service for frustrated visitors and locals.

The uniformed drivers, behind the wheels of smart new multi-purpose vehicles and sedans, switch on the meter as a matter of course and do not refuse destinations -- surprising and delighting commuters in the capital.

Abdul Razak, operations manager for Dubai-based Citicab which launched here in January, said that even in poorer nations such as Thailand and Indonesia, taxis are smarter and the drivers far more courteous.

"I would say it is the worst in this region, undoubtedly. I have travelled to all countries in this region and our company operates taxis in many parts of the world. The situation here is the worst I have seen," he told AFP.

"The vehicles are in shabby condition, the driver will take you if he likes your face -- that is, if he agrees with where you want to go for the price he insists on."

The government has called on taxi firms to lift their standards, but various campaigns have achieved little, and many blame the lack of enforcement on rampant corruption in the police and bureaucracy.

"It is difficult for the roads and traffic department to take stern action," said a security officer at one city mall as he watched the touts swoop.

"Taxi operators and the company which hold the licences are all linked to some politician or another," he said. "Drivers here are ruthless because they are unchecked by authorities who are almost non-existent."

John Koldowski, from the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said that "less than desirable" taxi drivers have an outsize impact on a nation's image.

"The first contact a tourist gets with locals is often during airport transits to hotels and it creates a very, very strong first impression, either be good or bad," he said.

"Authorities certainly need to do their jobs and act upon any complaints strongly, quickly and visibly."

MB: Free water deal is ironclad

STAR, September 11, 2008

SHAH ALAM: Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has reassured the people in the state that the 20 cubic metres of free water per month given to them will be a permanent arrangement.

He was responding to Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri Rozali Ismail’s statement on Tuesday that the free water arrange­ment was valid only till December next year.

In addition to refuting Rozali’s statement, Khalid also advised him not to concern himself with matters not relevant to his company and its subsidiary Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), which distributes water in Selangor.

“Syabas should concentrate on giving the best service in distributing water to customers.

“The issue of reorganisation of the water industry in Selangor is being actively discussed between the federal and state governments and the Rozali’s statement is not relevant from our point of view,’’ added Khalid.

He also said Rozali and Syabas had nothing to do with the free water arrangement.

Khalid said this after chairing the weekly exco meeting, also advised Syabas executives not to assume that they were part of the decision-making machinery in the matter.

Shahrir: Don’t give petrol as prize

STAR, September 8, 2008

JOHOR BARU: Private companies have been requested to stop giving out petrol as a prize as it is subsidised by the Government.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said although he understood the rationale behind the prize, petrol was not a suitable gift when companies were trying to promote their products.

“I hope that oil and car companies will stop giving out free petrol as each litre of petrol is subsidised with money from taxpayers,” he told reporters after handing out bubur lambuk at Masjid Jamek in Bandar Baru Uda yesterday.

Shahrir distributing bubur lambuk at Masjid Jamek on Sunday.

Shahrir said he had already informed his officers to pass the message to the relevant companies and that a “reasonable” deadline would be given.

“Those that have already announced their contests can finish them or they may be sued for misrepresentation, but must desist after that.

“Other companies should not attempt to offer such prizes in future,” he said.

Shahrir pointed out that action could also be taken against the companies as petrol was under the list of controlled goods.

“We probably won’t take immediate action, as these companies probably are not doing it intentionally,” he said.

More incentives for bus operators this Raya

STAR, September 4, 2008

PUTRAJAYA: The Government is providing 9,000 litres of subsidised diesel for each additional bus the operators are willing to put on the road, to avert a shortage for the Hari Raya rush across the country.

The Cabinet decided to offer this incentive following fears that school and factory bus operators might refuse to lease out their buses, if they were not offered a diesel subsidy.

To ward off such a crisis, an additional 2,000 express buses can be expected to be put on the roads for the balik kampung exodus this Hari Raya.

This optimism takes into account the Government’s offer of a diesel subsidy of 9,000 litres for each additional express bus used between Sept 15 and Oct 15.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said the decision would cost the Government between RM100mil and RM150mil in subsidy.

“This is in addition to the 30% surcharge and discounted toll charges to ensure Malaysians have enough transportation to get home,” he told reporters after attending the launch of Bernama’s web television.

Prior to the announcement, bus operators had said that the 30% surcharge allowed by the Government for the Hari Raya season was inadequate for them to lease more buses.

Shahrir added that Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar would give more details on the Cabinet decision.

Asked if there would be a fuel price revision this month, Shahrir said he hoped that there would be a Hari Raya gift, as the world oil price had dropped recently.

Budget airline, Firefly, said there would be extra return flights from Subang to Kota Baru on Sept 29-30 and Oct 3-6, while AirAsia had also arranged for extra return flights on other domestic routes.

Govt offers 2,000 permits and subsidised diesel to avert balik kampung travel crisis

STAR, Thursday September 4, 2008

PETALING JAYA: It is still uncertain whether all of the 2,000 temporary bus permits will be taken up despite the Government’s latest diesel subsidy offer to bus operators.

Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said he could not comment on whether school, factory and charter bus operators would lease out their buses, even with the subsidised diesel allocation.

Bus rush: An official of a bus company at the Hentian Putra bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur making a ‘time out’ sign with his hands as he tries to control the crowd rushing to buy bus tickets yesterday to balik kampung during the coming Hari Raya festive period. — AZMAN GHANI / The Star

“Some are willing to take on shorter routes while others are not willing at all,” he said.

He said he would have to study the details of the move announced by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad before commenting further.

Some 1,900 temporary licences were issued to school, factory and charter buses last year to cope with the Hari Raya crowd, but this year, there had been few takers so far despite the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar setting aside 2,000 temporary permits.

Today, Noh is meeting with bus operators in Kuala Lumpur to resolve this looming crisis that could leave tens of thousands of people who travel by bus back to their hometowns to celebrate the Hari Raya Aidilfitri in a quandary.

Bus operators had earlier said that it was “not economically feasible” to lease school, factory and charter buses, as the costs of operations were high.

Ashfar, prior to government's announcment assured there would be 300 to 400 extra buses to cater to the balik kampung crowd, but it was insufficient to meet the demand.

“Usually, we have about 21% extra buses to fill in for buses that are undergoing maintenance. We roll out all of them during festive periods,” said Ashfar.

It is learnt that many express bus operators were previously unhappy that they are only receiving between 4,000 and 5,000 litres of subsidised diesel per bus on average.

SKMM: M'sia Today block order stands, probe underway

STAR, Thursday September 4, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (SKMM) directive to internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to the Malaysia Today portal still stands pending an investigation to determine if its editor should be charged.

SKMM chief operating officer Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, when contacted Wednesday, said an investigation was underway to determine whether or not to charge the portal's editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin under Section 211 or 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Section 211 states that no content applications service provider, or other person using a content applications service, shall provide content which is indecent, obscene, false, menacing, or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person.

Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi - Filepic

A person who contravenes this is liable to a fine of not more than RM50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both, and shall also be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

Section 233 is on improper use of network facilities or network service and related to communication that is obscene, indecent, false, menacing of offensive with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person.

The offender is liable to a fine not more than RM50,000 or not more than one year's jail or both, and shall be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

Mohamed Sharil said that access to website was blocked after the Commission deemed the postings had contravened the Act for inciting and being insulting against Islam.

He claimed the commission had received several complaints from the public, adding that the preventive measure was taken under Section 263 of the Act.

On criticisms that blocking access to the website was against freedom of the Internet, he said that SKMM was merely “doing its job."

“We want to promote ethical and responsible blogging. We want to make the online space better still, with fervent debates, but in a civil and responsible manner."

Raja Petra has said that blocking access to his portal was a breach of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) charter and that he would turn it into "a big issue."

Under MSC Malaysia's 10-Point Bill of Guarantees, it is stated that that Government promised to “ensure no Internet censorship” as part of its commitment to ensuring the success of MSC status companies.

Section 3 of the Act states quite explicitly, "Nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting the censorship of the Internet.”

It is understood that only TMnet, the No 1 ISP in the country, has complied with SKMM's directive. Malaysia Today meanwhile has set up an alternate site that can still be accessed by TMnet users.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, while denying that the Government had instructed SKMM to issue the block order, claimed the site was being blocked because it had posted articles deemed insulting to Islam.

Mohamed Sharil meanwhile said that the Commission strongly advised members of the public not to forget that the law also applied in cyberspace.

MB: Takeover won't affect water quality

2008/08/28
New Straits Times

SHAH ALAM: The takeover of Selangor's water supply by Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad from Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) will not affect the service and quality of water in the state, said Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Abdul Khalid was responding to a memorandum by the Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Consumers Association to the prime minister, protesting the restructuring of the water industry in the state.

On Monday, the association presented a memorandum which included a petition signed by some 53,000 people in the three states asking the Federal Government to intervene in the state government's plan.

Abdul Khalid also maintained that the service and water quality would remain the same as Syabas would supply water to Selangor.

"The state government's restructuring of the water industry involves Syabas. Syabas will remain in the water industry and though the shareholders may be different, the duties of the company remain the same," he said after the weekly exco meeting here yesterday.
He said to ensure that water quality and services would not be affected, regular assessments of the industry would be done by the state government and relevant bodies under the Energy, Water and Communication Ministry.

"I'm sure the ministry is experienced in comparing the performances of water providers of all states. If they are efficient, it will be reflected in the revenue and operations cost."

Pahang to ask for broadband licence

2008/09/04
New Straits Times

KUANTAN: State government-owned Pahang Technology Resources Sdn Bhd (PTR) is going ahead with its application to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission for a high speed broadband operating licence.

Chairman Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, who is also the menteri besar, said PTR should be given the opportunity to get involved in the sector even though the Federal Government had awarded the RM11.3 billion high speed broadband project to Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM).

"We will write to the the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to provide us a licence to operate like TM," he said after chairing the state exco meeting yesterday.

Adnan was responding to newspaper reports yesterday that the Federal Government had given the tender to implement the high-speed broadband project to TM.

"We are not upset with the decision by the Federal Government to offer the tender to TM. However, we hope the Federal Government would provide us an opportunity to be involved in preparing the infrastructure to be used by all the service providers."
Adnan said what upset him was that PTR was asked to brief the Federal Government on Aug 21 on its proposal, only to learn that the Ministry of Finance had already offered the tender to TM.

"Sources told me that the letter of offer was given to TM on July 25."

Adnan still hoped that the Federal Government would give PTR a licence, like it had to TM.

"This licence is not for me, but for the state government, as a source of revenue," he said.

Asked whether PTR would be competing with TM if it were given a licence, Adnan said that was not an issue. He said competition in an open market was not bad, but just the opposite in fact as it would result in better services to users.

Adnan also said he may contest the Umno Youth chief's post at the party elections in December after receiving support from members and friends.

Auditor-General's Report 2007: 70pc of govt agencies rated 'good' or better

2008/09/02
BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: The financial management of the majority of government agencies at the federal and state levels is good, says the National Audit Department in the Auditor-General's Report 2007.

According to a statement by the auditor-general yesterday, of the 212 agencies that were given the Accountability Index (IA) assessment, 4.7 per cent were categorised as "very good", 66.5 per cent were "good" and 28.7 per cent were considered "satisfactory".

Federal agencies with "very good" financial management were the Prime Minister's Department, Public Service Department, Coordination and Implementation Unit, Sarawak Manpower Department, Attorney-General's Chambers and and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit.

Federal statutory bodies which obtained a similar assessment were Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd and the Malaysian Deposit Insurance Corporation, while the state agencies were the Johor Corporation and Pahang Geoscience and Mineral Department.

Aspects of financial management assessed included operational management control, budget control, receipts control, expenditure control, trust funds and trust accounts/deposits management, assets and inventory management, investment management, loan management and financial statements.
The statement said the agencies were told of aspects of their financial management that needed to be improved.

"If the agency heads are fully committed to and consistent in implementing improvements, the prospect of them receiving a better rating is very bright," it said.

The government agencies can also make use of the IA rating system as a benchmark when assessing the progress of improvement efforts in their financial management from time to time.

The statement said the auditor-general had issued the audit certificate without reprimand on the financial statement of 115 federal statutory bodies and 44 state statutory bodies and 47 local authority financial statements.

Audit certificates with a reprimand have been issued for nine federal statutory body accounts, three state statutory body financial statements and two local authority financial statements.

In general, the preparation of financial statements of the Federal Government, state governments and federal statutory bodies was improving.

"However, it is still too early to give a view on the financial statements of state statutory bodies and local authorities because not all financial statements have been submitted for auditing."

There were delays in the submission of state statutory body and local authority financial statements for 2006 and last year.

The delays were caused by bodies not maintaining a proper accounting record. For local authorities, the law does not specifically fix a period when they have to submit their accounts for audit.

Fifty-seven performance audits have been done at the federal level and 76 at the state level to assess how far government activities and projects have been planned and to assess their effectiveness.

The Audit Department is urging government agencies to learn from their weaknesses in planning, implementing and monitoring the activities raised in the performance audit.

According to the statement, most issues raised in the Auditor-General's Report 2006 had been dealt with. -- Bernama

Move to block blog 'not govt directive'

NST, 30 August 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to block access to the Malaysia Today news website was not politically motivated.

Instead, it was done as the website had contravened Sections 211 and 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Both sections provide that a website's contents would be considered an offence if it was deemed to be indecent, obscene, false, menacing or offensive with intentions to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any persons.

Minister of Energy, Water and Communications Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said although the law states that there will not be any censorship of the Internet, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had to act as the sections were not adhered to.

"The MCMC swung into action after receiving numerous complaints about the site's contents," Shaziman said yesterday.
The website editor, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, already faces criminal defamation and other charges for his postings.

The decision to cut off access to the website was made on Wednesday and by late afternoon orders had been issued to all local Internet Service Providers (ISP).

"There's no specific directive from me or the government to block any website. I leave it to MCMC to run things on their own.

"I only told them that any action taken by them must be in accordance with the Act," he said.

Shaziman said this year alone, 127 blogs and websites were blocked by MCMC for contravening the Act. Among them were get-rich-quick schemes sites.

He, however, could not say if Malaysia Today, was the first political blog or website to face such action by the MCMC.

He said the commission would have studied all the implications before deciding to block access to the website.

"No point if they (MCMC) are around but they don't exercise what needs to be exercised. This action is not something new," he said.

Asked whether the commission informed him of their decision, he said it was mentioned to him.

"To be honest, I don't read the blog every day," he said.

Switch telco but keep your number from next month

2008/08/12
BERNAMA

KUCHING: From next month, mobile phone users in Kuala Lumpur will benefit from the "Mobile Number Portability (MNP)" system which allows them to switch service providers while retaining their numbers.

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said users in the rest of the country would enjoy this benefit from October.

Telecommunication companies are allowed to charge a maximum of RM25 for the service.

Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, Australia, South Korea and Taiwan are among countries which have implemented this system.

Shaziman said the government intended to enhance mobile phone coverage from the present 92 per cent to 97 per cent by the end of 2010 through the "Time 3" programme.
Felda and Felcra sites, Orang Asli settlements, federal roads and new tourist spots will be covered.

Shaziman said through the "Time 3" programme, 1,250 telecommunication towers would be built in two phases.

Work on the first phase began last month and will be completed in December next year with 600 towers.

The second phase will involve the construction of 650 towers starting next July.

Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.

In the case of Sarawak, Shaziman said 39 towers would be built under the first phase and 614 in the second at a cost of RM244 million.

"Mobile phone coverage in Sarawak will be enhanced to 85 per cent by the end of 2010." -- Bernama