Public fears Malaysia needs Temple

over nuclear equitable land issue

plans healthcare unresolved
p 6 system p 12-13 p9

community March 25 — 27, 2011/ issue 17

A father and child

celebrating the festival
of Holi at Shree Lakshmi
Narayan Temple on Jalan
Kampung Kasipillay, Kuala
Lumpur on Saturday
(March 19). Hindu devotees
celebrate this spring
religious festival by
throwing coloured powder
and coloured water on one
another. – Picture by Loy Seng Kit

End in sight for

By Gan Pei Ling

SUBANG JAYA: Attempts to resolve the Subang Ria

Park dispute between residents and Sime Darby have reached
a stalemate, but the state is expected to intervene to break
the deadlock.

Subang Ria issue

“Sime Darby is not interested to meet and they insist on
valuing the [29.4-hectare] park at RM165 million, so we’ve
briefed the Menteri Besar and are waiting for his further
direction,” said Hannah Yeoh on Wednesday.
The Subang Jaya assemblyperson said Tan Sri Khalid
Ibrahim is expected to meet residents, many of whom are
opposed to the company’s plans to
develop the park, at a town hall Sime Darby had declared the park’s their share within eight months to commercial area.
meeting tomorrow. book value at RM3.6 million in its show the state that they are serious In 2009, it amended its plan to
Yeoh, who is part of the Subang 2010 financial report. However, when in buying back the park. develop a quarter of the park into a
Ria taskforce, said they had written taken into account the potential de- “It was clear from the letter they low-density residential area and
to Sime Darby on Feb 7 to seek a velopment value of the 29.4-hectare were only interested to sell it at upgrade the remaining areas before
meeting to discuss the acquisition park, valuation figures from the state RM165 million,” said Yeoh. handing it back to MPSJ.
of the recreational park. But the and private sector have ranged from When contacted by Selangor MPSJ had rejected Sime Darby’s
company refused to meet them. RM15 million to RM165 million. Times, a Sime Darby property proposal in May 2010 before the
Instead, Sime Darby, in a written The six-member Subang Ria spokesperson said the land must be developer appealed.
reply on Feb 21, reiterated their taskforce led by Yeoh was supposed sold at market price as the company The state has since halted all de-
stand that the land belongs to them to meet with Sime Darby to agree is accountable to its shareholders. velopment at the park while it seeks
and they have the right to develop local council. on a price acceptable to all parties. “We also want to resolve this is- to resolve the three-year impasse
the park as the property owner. Sime Darby said they would only During a dialogue with residents sue as soon as possible,” said the between residents and the developer.
The developer also said that they consider selling the park at the market in January, the state had promised spokesperson yesterday. The Menteri Besar will be meet-
only plan to develop 7.7 hectares of price of RM165 million, as valued by to pay for half of the purchase price Sime Darby faced strong public ing residents for the third time over
the land, and would upgrade the an independent consultant appointed if the residents could raise the re- opposition when it first submitted the Subang Ria park dispute tomor-
remaining 21.7 hectares of the park by the Subang Jaya Municipal Coun- maining half. However, residents a proposal in 2007 to develop the row at 3pm at the Kenanga Hall of
before surrendering it back to the cil (MPSJ) last year. would have to raise one-third of Subang Ria Park into a high-density MPSJ building in USJ 5.
2
news
March 25 — 27, 2011

Selangor WEATHER
Friday Saturday Sunday Selangor targets
RM10bil in
Morning

investments for 2011

Afternoon

Night

Source: Malaysian meteorological department

Selangor hits
out at sex video
SHAH ALAM: The state has slammed the sex video
purportedly featuring Selangor Economic Advisor Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim as shameful and damaging to both the Muslim
faith and unity.
“This act is ethically wrong, it goes against the teaching of
any religion that emphasises justice, peace and goodwill,” said
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim after chairing Wednesday’s executive
councillor meeting.
The Menteri Besar also questioned the “moral fitness” of the Khalid
individuals behind the creation of the video who have admitted presenting
to keeping, watching and showing it to others. an award
Khalid said while these individuals claimed to represent to Petaling
Muslims in the country, the actions were both desperate and Jaya mayor
Datuk
politically motivated to garner support from Malay voters. Roslan
“But I am sure Malays are smarter than this and would not Sakiman
be taken in by this slanderous act,” he said.  while Hasan
Khalid also called on the police to carry out a transparent and Khusrin
and impartial investigations. look on.
Meanwhile, former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Rahim
Tamby Chik, businessperson Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, By Basil Foo stay in the state and also add invest- sewerage management project, the
and Perkasa treasurer Datuk Shuib Lazim have admitted ments,” he said. Klang River of Life project, and the
to showing the sex video to journalists at Carcosa Seri Negara SHAH ALAM: The Selangor State He related the story of a business trip underground MRT project.
on Monday. Investment Centre (SSIC) is targeting to France, where a company com- Representatives from 61 technical
According to the three, the moniker “Datuk T” stood for RM10 billion worth of investments for mended Selangor’s short two-week wait departments – comprising local au-
Datuk Trio or Three Datuks. the state this year after exceeding their for business approval. thorities, land and district offices, and
The three, who have asked for a royal commission of inquiry goals in 2010. The targeted amount of RM10 bil- state departments – received the ap-
to be set up to investigate the video, came out in the open after “We achieved RM10 billion in 2010, lion investments this year would be preciation awards.
Sungai Petani Member of Parliament Datuk Johari Abdul while our targeted investment for that achieved with the approval of four “With our efforts to provide service
exposed their identities at a press conference on Wednesday. year was RM8 billion,” said SSIC chief projects which are “in the pipeline”, for investment approvals, Selangor is
Police have also begun investigations into the sex video executive officer Datuk Mohammad Jabar added. sure to attract more investors from both
scandal following a report lodged by Anwar on Tuesday. Jabar Ahmad Kembali. Also at the appreciation ceremony the manufacturing and service sectors,”
He announced the new target in a was Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Khalid Khalid said.
To place your Advert in speech at an appreciation ceremony for
officers from the state’s technical depart-
Ibrahim, who gave a speech and pre-
sented plaques to representatives of the
The Menteri Besar reminded the
technical officers that their knowledge
ments at the Shah Alam Convention state technical departments. and expertise should continue to in-
Centre on March 21. “One of the things that makes Se- crease in order to improve the quality
In his speech, he thanked the techni- langor an investment destination is of their work.
cal officers for ensuring sufficient safety, sufficient infrastructure for investors,” Also at the event were state executive
infrastructure, security and strategic he said. councillor Datuk Hasan Ali and state
Contact Timothy Loh at 019-267 4488 locations for the investors. He also alluded to investment proj- secretary Datuk Mohamad Khusrin
“We want to ensure that investors ects worth several billion ringgit like a Munawi.
or Ivan Looi at 014-936 6698

MBPJ slammed for

phone (603) 5510 4566
monopolising parking bays
fax (603) 5523 1188
email editor@selangortimes.com By Alvin Yap He said the city council was depriving other workers and
residents of parking for “eight hours”.
EDITORIAL PETALING JAYA: City council staff who park for free Furthermore, he is miffed that the city council has
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan are being accused of depriving the paying public of parking reser ved the first floor of a multi-level parking lot
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman space at New Town. situated behind Standard Chartered bank in New
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling, “I drive around New Town many times because there’s Town.
Basil Foo, Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan no parking,” said Johan Tung. “The parking bays on the first floor say ‘khas for MBPJ’.
COPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang The Petaling Jaya Residents Association Coalition (Apac) The city council is making ladies and old people walk the
DESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man Yen president said he had counted 45 cars with Petaling Jaya two floors,” he said.
PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong City Council (MBPJ) passes and without parking tickets He was questioning the “privileged” treatment towards
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi on Wednesday. MBPJ staff.
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz
Speaking at a press conference at the city council’s office, Johan claimed that he brought the matter up with an
Tung provided a list of cars and number plates. MBPJ councillor seven months ago but had  yet to get a
He also asked reporters to verify his claims.  response.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ March 25 – 27, 2011 ⁄ 3
4
news
march 25 — 27, 2011
Events
Giant bowl of asam laksa
In conjunction with the introduction of its latest variant
of alcohol-free Plax mouthwash, Colgate Palmolive will
be attempting to create Malaysia’s biggest bowl of asam
laksa. The attempt will be created by celebrity chefs
Ismail Ahmad and Florence Tan, and is inspired by the
new Colgate Plax Ice mouthwash. The official launch,
adjudication and verification by the Malaysia Book of
Records will begin at 10.30am tomorrow, and will be
witnessed by Petaling Jaya major Datuk Mohamad Roslan
Sakiman. After the adjudication, visitors will be able to try
the asam laksa for free for the rest of the afternoon. The
feat will be held at Giant Hypermarket Kota Damansara.
SMI Alumni annual meeting
The St Michael’s Institution Alumni Association, Klang
Valley, will hold its Annual General Meeting at the La Salle
University Hall, Lorong 5/15B, (behind the Provincialate
on Jalan Chantek, off Jalan Gasing), Petaling Jaya at
10.30am on April 9. The annual dinner will be held at the
Tropicana Ballroom, Tropicana Golf and Country Club,
on April 15 at 7pm. Former students of St Michael’s,
association members, as well as those who are not yet
members are welcome to attend, Tickets cost RM90
per person or RM900 per table of 10. For details, email
smiaakl@gmail.com or call Michael at 019-2225660,
Helen at 016-2737808, Wei Seong at 016-2120322, or
visit http://smialumnikv.blogspot.com.
Fundraiser for Japan
Hands Percussion will be joined by Wadaiko Syo, Tugu
Drum Circle and Dhol Federation to help raise funds for
Japan following the catastrophe that hit the nation on
March 11. Performances are scheduled for tomorrow and
Sunday at 5pm and 7pm respectively at Pavilion shopping
mall, Kuala Lumpur. Similar performances were held last
weekend, where about RM10,000 was raised.
MIA Open Day
Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) will hold an open day on
the art design college’s activities tomorrow and Sunday
from 9.30am to 4pm at the MIA Multipurpose Hall, 294-
299, Jalan Bandar 11, Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur.
Extended counselling will be held from March 19 to May 8,
2011, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and Saturday
and Sunday, from 9.30am to 4pm. For more information,
call 03-41088100 or visit www.mia.edu.my.
Earth Day activities
In conjunction with Earth Day, which falls tomorrow,
Carrefour Tropicana will observe the annual event by
switching off all non-essential electrical appliances for
one hour. Shoppers are, however, invited to continue their
shopping in the “Shop in the Dark” event. Non-essential
lights will be switched off at 8pm.
Meanwhile, YTL Corporation will organise trucks to collect
recyclable items at the KL Performing Arts Centre from
8.30am-10am. Recyclable newspapers will fetch 25 sen
per kg while mixed paper (books, magazines, computer
forms etc) will earn 20 sen per kg. Aluminium cans brought
in will earn RM2.50 per kg while plastic containers can
fetch up to 20 sen per kg.
School holiday workshop
The Department of Extra-Mural Studies of the Malaysian
Institute of Arts (MIA) will be holding a series of workshops
during the school holidays. They are Batik Workshop for
Beginners (March 20-April 10) and Bead Jewellery Workshop
(March 26). The workshops will be held at the MIA Art
Centre on Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur (near KLCC).
More workshops such as Art Clay Silver Workshop, Shibori
Tie and Dye Workshop, and Acoustic Guitar Workshop will
be offered soon. For registration, contact MIA Art Centre
at 03-21632337 or email mia.ems@gmail.com or log on to
MIA’s website at www.mia.edu.my.
‘Yayasan Selangor
not bankrupt’
By Basil Foo
shah alam: Yayasan Selangor’s
accounts were made public on
Wednesday to finally lay to rest claims
that the state education foundation
was on the verge of bankruptcy.  The foundation’s 2010 accounts,
“Although there was a deficit in
2010, we can still continue opera-
tions for a long time because there
was a significant surplus in previous
years,” said Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim.
Khalid, who is also Yayasan Selan-
gor chairperson, said the foundation
still had more than RM100 million
in its coffers and cash deposits of
RM50 million.  a chartered accounting firm, a gen-
Annual accounts since 2005
showed the foundation’s highest
deficit was RM9.9 million in 2005,
and the highest surplus was RM127
million in 2008.
Councillors get slight rise in allowances
By Alvin Yap
petaling jaya: City council-
lors here who wanted their allow-
ances to be increased to RM3,000
will have to make do with a RM250
increment.
Datuk Roslan Sakiman said the
MPSJ’s wastage on computer rental
By Tang Hui Koon
subang jaya: The local coun-
cil here has to spend more than RM1
million to continue renting 600
computers in the next two years due
to its tardiness in reviewing its com-
puter rental contract.
Subang Jaya councillors, including
Pooi Weng Keong and R Rajiv, raised
the matter at the local council’s full
board meeting on Wednesday.
They urged the local council to
review similar contracts earlier next
time around to prevent wastage of
ratepayers’ money.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council
He refuted allegations that
Yayasan would be bankrupt due to a
RM7 million expenditure.
“I would like to see the expertise
of those who made the reports,” he
said.
which were a subject of dispute,
would be released before June, he said
at the State Secretariat.
“We have drafted a report on our
status and have decided, after a board
meeting [yesterday], to have a gen-
eral meeting by May to pass the ac-
counts,” he said.
It was learnt that the foundation’s
auditing process had to pass through
eral meeting and the Companies’
Commission of Malaysia.
Khalid revealed that the annual
accounts since 2005 were only
passed in general meetings through-
increase from RM750 to RM1,000
will be backdated to Feb 1.
“Some of the councillors are doing
this full-time, and even at RM1,000,
it is ‘salary’ that is below poverty
level,” said the Petaling Jaya City
Council mayor.
The city councillors had earlier
(MPSJ) has already spent over
RM2.98 million in the past three
years to rent the 600 computers.
The councillors had reminded the
municipal council to review the com-
puter rental contract last year to ad-
just the monthly rental rate of
RM138 per computer or terminate
the contract. However, Rajiv said, the
local council delayed dealing with the
matter until this year.
As a result, it was too late to re-
negotiate with the contractor, and
the local council had to renew the
contract in fear that the contractor
might take back all the 600 comput-
ers, which would affect the local
Khalid
presenting
Yayasan
Selangor’s
past annual
accounts
while Selangor
financial
officer Datuk
Mohamad Arif
Abdul Rahman
looks on.
out last year.
“So for those who said Yayasan’s
accounts were audited every year,
their statement would be incorrect.”
He explained that deficits and
surpluses over the years were not a
strange occurrence, but they would
still be assessing the reason for the
fluctuating income.
He said the fate of Yayasan Selan-
gor general manager Ilham Marzuki
would depend on his performance as
the board decided to let him see out
his contract.
“As he just became general man-
ager in 2010, we must give him a
chance until his two-year contract
ends,” he said.
On a group of former Yayasan
Selangor staff filing suits against Il-
ham and the foundation, Khalid said
the due process of the law would not
be obstructed.
this year submitted a proposal to the
State Economic Planning Unit to
raise their allowance to RM3,000,
but this was rejected.
Roslan added that  district and
municipality councillors in Selangor
will also receive allowance incre-
ments.
council’s operations.
Consequently, MPSJ now has to
continue renting the computers at a
rate of RM79 a month for the next
two years, amounting to a total of
close to RM1.14 million, before the
computers are theirs.
In other words, the local council
would have spent around RM4.12
million to purchase the 600 comput-
ers at the end of the contract, at a cost
of RM6,864 per computer.
Pooi and other councillors urged
the local council to review similar
contracts half a year before the end of
the contract period to prevent such
cases from recurring.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ March 25 – 27, 2011 ⁄ 5
6
news
March 25 — 27, 2011

Public fears over nuclear

By Alvin Yap

PETALING JAYA: A forum has

raised widespread concern about
Malaysia’s plan to build nuclear
plants.
Safety concerns on the lack of
government transparency and a less-
than-perfect track record in
constructing large-scale projects are
making citizens dead set against the
country’s nuclear ambition.
“We need to develop a non-
nuclear movement for Malaysia
within all levels of our lives,” said
anti-nuclear activist Dr Ronald
McCoy at the forum on Tuesday.
“Claims that being exposed to
low-level radiation does not pose a
risk to health are a myth created by Panellists
governments and the nuclear (from left)
industry,” McCoy said. Tian Chua,
Nuclear energy is neither cheap, Wong, McCoy
clean nor safe, said the president of and Gurmit.
Malaysian Physicians for Social
Responsibility.
He said no nation, not even those He said there was an increased enhance “green power”. Malaysia, being one of the world’s
that possess the technology, could risk of getting cancer and being “ Where solar power is con- largest producers of solar panels,
dispose of nuclear waste safely. rendered infertile. cerned, we do not have enough was manufacturing them for export
“Nuclear waste takes 20,000 He also said children born in sunshine in Malaysia, and the wind and not domestic use.
years to ‘degrade’ to a safe level. areas with nuclear plants suffered is neither strong nor continuous for “If homes in Malaysia were
“Imagine if our cave-dwelling from birth defects and mental and us to generate wind turbines,” said covered with solar panels, the total
ancestors 20,000 years ago had had growth retardation. blog g er and activist Charles power output would be higher than
nuclear power – we would be the “This is not a legacy we should Moreira. the power generated by the proposed
ones saddled with their waste,” leave to our future generation to deal Centre For Environment, Tech- nuclear plant at 2,000MW,” he said.
McCoy said. with,” McCoy said. nology and Development Malaysia State environmental executive
Earlier, in response to questions Participants at the forum shared (Cetdem) founder Gurmit Singh councillor Elizabeth Wong said a
on “nuclear safety”, McCoy said McCoy’s views, voicing their said there were new “low-wind combination of wind, hydroelectric
participants must ask if the potential concern over Malaysia’s plans to go speed” turbines which could be and solar with non-renewable
risks of any nuclear mishap nuclear. used to generate electricity. energy like gas power plants would
outweighed the gains from nuclear Most acknowledged that re- On solar energy, Gurmit said increase electricity output.
power. newable energy did not create high the challenge was to lower the costs “If we depend on one source of
“What level of exposure is safe? amounts of electricity compared of generating electricity as solar energy, we might not get the power
Would we get vital information in with nuclear power, but urged both panels were still expensive at output,” said Wong.
time [if a nuclear plant were to leak the federal and Selangor govern- RM20,000 a panel. The forum was attended by some
radiation]?” ments to further explore and He said it was ironic that 100 participants. Charles Moreira

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Study Medicine
March
18 — 20,
2011/
issue 16

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Workers To
preparin HIT THe SKI
air balo g eS:
on in the to launch a
War sha hot
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Kursk State Medical LRT Stations (Distribution by Empire

Subang
University,
hand) – Morning
Unversity, Russia Ampang – Sentul Timur
Ampang
Amcorp Mall
Klang Centro
By Gan
Pei Ling

MPSJ t
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films, liter jaYa:
dedicate ature and even There are

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Kelana Jaya – Terminal Putra Kajang, Mutiara,

begin the area in USJ uct the ble loca-
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• Turn
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 news
March 25 — 27, 2011 7

PSM lawmakers,
By Brenda Ch’ng

PETALING JAYA: Assets, expenditure and report cards of Parti

Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders were made public on Wednesday as

leaders disclose assets

part of the party’s efforts to promote accountability.
“We have been doing this for the past three years, and this year
shouldn’t be any different,” said Kota Damansara assemblyperson Dr
Nasir Hashim.
Nasir, together with Sungai Siput Member of Parliament Dr Michael
Jeyakumar Devaraj and PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan, was
among the leaders who made the public disclosure at a press conference.
“As a lawmaker, I have to be responsible with the funds given to me
by the state for projects and people. So by declaring my assets, there is
no hiding from the public. There is transparency,” said Nasir.
MPs or state lawmakers are not required to disclose their assets, but Dr
Michael said the move should be made mandatory under the law.
“I believe that power over money corrupts. What we need is a move
towards transparency where checks and balances are shown and proven.
“This is to ensure that things that concern money don’t go wrong,”
he said.
The PSM leaders also took a step further by signing statutory
declarations to prove their financial disclosures are genuine. 
The sworn statements included total assets, inclusive of life savings,
cars and houses.
The leaders
making
  Nasir’s assets amounted to RM51,500, excluding his monthly
public their earnings which total RM9,812.79.
assets The declarations can be found on PSM’s website.

Obstruction
on five-foot
ways to be
regulated
By Tang Hui Koon

SUBANG JAYA: Shops using

public corridors and five-foot
ways to display their goods will be
required to obtain licences from
the municipality next month.
The decision to regulate the
practice and make owners pay for
obstructing public access was
made at the Subang Jaya Munici-
pal Council’s full board meeting
on Wednesday.
MPSJ acting president Abdul- Poison Stars in traditional garb. Amelia Lee as the Little Mermaid.
lah Marjunid said the ruling was
passed in response to public com-
plaints about crowded five-foot
ways hindering passageway. Young residents SUBANG JAYA: The talent
quest audition on March 12 saw
promising performances by young
years and below.
“This is the first time we are hav-
ing it, but judging from the amazing

shine in
He said the council would issue residents of Subang Jaya. talents these young people possess,
a written notice to all shopowners Organised by the service centre we should have this more often,”
soon. “We hope they will cooper- of state assemblyperson Hannah said Yeoh.
ate and apply for licence(s) as soon Yeoh, the event provided a platform Apart from singing and dancing,
as possible,” said Abdullah.
A RM100 licence fee will be
imposed and must be renewed
every six months. 
talent quest for budding talents to shine.
One of the rules of the audition
was that every group performance
had to be multiracial.
Madeline Ashlee Lok, who turns 16
this year, shared her breathtaking
talent on the Chinese zither, or gu-
zheng.
Shopowners can be fined “We joined this [talent] quest to Lok only learnt to play the in-
RM1,000 for failing to comply. put our talents to the test, and at the strument five years ago, but already
Shops selling groceries, furni- same time to improve ourselves,” she has performed at the Malaysian
ture, electrical appliances, shoes, said Siti Amelia, head of dance Philharmonic Orchestra concert
clothing, pets and flowers will be group Poison Stars. hall. Her other achievements in-
affected by the ruling. Poison Stars was one of the many clude finishing eighth at the 2nd
Shopowners can only use up to groups that came together and per- International Zheng Qualification
one-third of the space of five-foot formed despite differences in age, Contest Open last week.
ways to place their goods. race and dance style. “I joined this [talent quest] to
However, restaurants will not Another eye-catching display challenge myself, and to also see
be affected because they are regu- was four-year-old Amelia Lee Zi where traditional music stands in
lated by other by-laws. Yuen, who put on a cute self-taught modern dancing and music,” said
MPSJ assistant public relations dance to the tune of Under the Sea Lok.
director Azfarizal Rashid said from The Little Mermaid.  The contestants have a week off
shopowners could only place Dressed as the Little Mermaid before the finals this Sunday at the
lightweight goods such as news- herself, her mother proudly shared Sunway Pyramid main concourse
papers and flowers in corridors. her other achievements such as win- at 5pm, where they will again per-
Abdullah said the council ning the Most Talented Dancer title form and hopefully be a beacon for
would give sufficient time for busi- in the Little Miss Santarina pageant other aspiring talents out there.
nesses to comply with the latest last December. Celebrities Juwita Suwito, Fahmi
guideline. “The talent quest is open to resi- Fadzil and John Oomen will judge
Poison Stars following a zombie routine. dents of Subang Jaya who are 17 the contest.
8
News
March 25 — 27, 2011
Councillor
denies allegations
Tiew (right) and Pua (second right) with market vendors and disabled members of the Beautiful
Gate foundation at the Taman Megah wet market on March 15.
Quick
Reaction Team
not so quick
PETALING JAYA: Councillors have slammed
Petaling Jaya City Council’s Quick Reaction Team
(QRT) for being too slow.
The QRT, tasked with responding to emergencies,
repairing potholes and faulty traffic lights, and replac-
ing missing grates, ironically is not living up to its
name, said councillors on Wednesday.
“QRT took a few days to a week to clear a fallen
tree in my zone,” said Cynthia Gabriel, who first
raised the issue at the MBPJ full board meeting.  work,” Yeoh said.
Fellow councillor Derek Fernandez also pointed
out that the QRT was slow in carrying out mainte-
nance and repair work on traffic lights in the mu-
nicipality.
“Can’t we even take care of [more than] 90 traffic
lights in our area?” he asked.
The QRT was set up last year to speed up repairs
and maintenance. Mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman had
said the team would be given 48 hours to attend to
complaints and remedy problems.  leadership and faith-based principles in
Public complaints director Tengku Nazaruddin
Zainuddin said the slow response was caused by hav-
ing to coordinate the landscape and engineering
departments to remove trees or repair potholes.
He said road repairs could not always be carried
out within 48 hours if a road was flooded after a
downpour.
“The engineering department has to travel to
Sungai Long depot to get asphalt pre-mixtures,” he
said at a press conference.
He acknowledged that they did not have enough
contractors to carry out repair and maintenance
work.
At the same press conference, Roslan said MBPJ
was “wary” of removing trees due to objections from
residents.
“We have to decide if we want to remove [the
trees] totally, and if we want to grow them back
later. People love trees,” he said.
Bathmavathi Krishnan, from the Association of
Women with Disabilities Malaysia, was also not
impressed with the team.
“Two wheelchair-bound people near Beautiful
Gate foundation for the disabled were knocked
down by a car last November. The traffic lights were
working, but the pedestrian-crossing button wasn’t,”
she said.
By Alvin Yap
PETALING JAYA: The City Council
(MBPJ) showed its support for the work
done by an orphanage and other non-gov-
ernment org anisations by donating
RM20,000 on Wednesday.
“We honour the hard work and their vi-
sion in starting their respective organisa-
tions,” said councillor Richard Yeoh.
Yeoh, with colleagues Cynthia Gabriel
and Terence Tan, combined the balance of
their previous year’s allocation to make the
contribution to groups involved in social
work after getting the green light from
mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman.
“Some development budget wasn’t
spent, so the mayor said we could donate
it to show MBPJ’s support towards social
The recipients were Growing Emerging
Leaders (GEL), Protect and Save the Chil-
dren (P.S. The Children), Our Home, and
All Petaling Jaya Residents Association Co-
alition (Apac).
GEL founder Jasmine Ng said she was
touched by the city council’s support.
Founded in 2006, GEL started as a group
of youths gathering every Monday to apply
their lives.
Run to promote health and tourism
By Basil Foo
KLANG: Competitive runners and fami-
lies who want a weekend together will not
want to miss the Klang Historical Run at
Centro Mall, Klang, on July 24. The run
will be limited to 2,500 runners.
“The run will pass through several his-
torical places in Klang like Little India and
Klang Museum,” said Centro Properties
Group centre manager Catherine Ng at a
press conference to launch the registration
of the run on Wednesday.
Centro Mall and the Klang Pacers Ath-
letics Club are joint organisers of the event.
The run, which is limited to 2,500 run-
ners, comprises the men’s open, men’s vet-
eran, men’s senior veteran, women’s open,
women’s veteran, schoolboys, schoolgirls
and fun run.
Participants of the first five categories
have to run 12km with a qualifying time of
By Basil Foo and Alvin Yap
PETALING JAYA: A city council-
lor who came under fire for attempting
to get disabled traders to shift to the
back of the Taman Megah market
stood by her decision during a Petaling
Jaya City Council (MBPJ) internal
inquiry last week.
Tiew Way Keng said on Wednesday
(March 16) that she had done nothing
wrong. “I’ve done my best as a facilita-
tor for residents and traders who have
made complaints and also MBPJ. Our
job and duty is not to make life difficult
for anyone,” Tiew told the inquiry.
Tiew explained that her decision to
shift the vegetable stalls outside to the
back of the market was made because
some female shoppers had complained
of being “groped”, apart from the other
issue of congestion among the stalls.
During a visit to the market the day
before,  Tiew had said she was more
than happy to face the internal audit
committee because it would give her an
opportunity to clear her name.
She also denied allegations of abuse
of power in the move, in response to a
report in theSun.
“Will theSun care to let me know
MBPJ donates
RM20,000 to NGOs
P.S. The Children executive director
Madeleine Yong said the money would be
well spent in providing assistance and run-
ning its programmes.
Founded in April 1999 as a project in
response to the need for a voice for sexu-
ally abused children, P.S. The Children
actively promotes treatment and support
services.
Our Home founder and director Dr
Paul Rajendran said he was “motivated
Ng (middle in red), Heng (middle in orange) and sponsors at the Klang
Historical Run launch.
two hours and 30 minutes. The race will
start at 6.45am.
The other categories are run over 6km,
with a qualifying time of one hour. Runners
who finish the races will be awarded
goodie bags.
“We hope to spread the practice of hav-
ing a healthy lifestyle by exercising because
nowadays people are getting very stressed,”
what I stand to gain personally from
shifting a few hawker stalls to improve
traffic flow in the market?” she said.
The issue became controversial when
a disabled vendor alleged she had been
harassed when she refused to move. 
“She (the disabled vendor) should
come to us or go through proper chan-
nels to name the people who are harass-
ing her,” said Tiew.
Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua,
who also visited the market, said the
vendors had initially been supportive
of the move, but subsequently changed
their minds.
“Of course they have the right to
change their minds, and their objec-
tions will be taken into consideration,”
he said.
Pua called the allegations of dis-
crimination against the disabled
“baseless”, as MBPJ had promised to
build ramps and remove obstruction
at the proposed new site of the vege-
table stalls.
However, during a press conference
last Wednesday (March 23), mayor
Datuk Roslan Sakiman said the traders’
stalls would remain where they were.
“They are status quo and will not be
moved,” he said.
Apac founder
Johan Tung
(second from
left) receiving
donations
from Yeoh
(second from
right) and Tan
(far right).
further” by MBPJ’s recognition.
“Our Home is based on giving quality
care. We have only eight children, but we
nurture them and care for them,” he said.
Founded in August last year, the or-
phanage is sustained financially by Paul’s
friends and relatives.
“I can only say to MBPJ, thank you very
much for this cash assistance,” he added.
Apac’s Johan Tung said he was touched
by MBPJ’s donation.
said Klang Pacers Athletic Club president
John Heng Swee Peng.
“My club even has members who are ac-
tively competing at [age] 67. I expect some
of them to take part in the run.” said Heng.
Registration fees before April 30 are
from RM20-30, while those registering
from May 1 to June 30 will have to pay
RM25-40.
 NEWS
MARCH 25 — 27, 2011 9

Temple
land issue
unresolved
By Basil Foo
PETALING JAYA: A longstanding land
ownership issue has left devotees uncertain
about the future of their temple at Lagoon
Perdana, Bandar Sunway.
“At a meeting last month, the land office
told us this land is under the Malaysian High-
way Authority (MHA),” said temple commit-
tee member Thanapakiam Krishnan.
During a Hindu festival on Friday night,
Thanapakiam said the Devi Sri Sam-
undieswary temple is sitting on land gazetted
as a road reserve.
Situated next to the Sunway toll along the
Damansara-Puchong highway (LDP), the
temple was moved 20 years ago.
“The temple used to be in an area where the
LDP is now. When we were moved here, we
were promised that we wouldn’t be disturbed.
“But 20 years ago, a circular was issued by
Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ)
saying that this is private land and they want
to demolish the temple,” Thanapakiam said.
The 70-year-old temple has been located Temple members listening to speeches after the ceremony.
on a piece of land at the end of Jalan PJS 9/1
for the past 40 years, of which it has yet to be land gazetted as highway reserve. Yeoh assured temple-goers that since the
given ownership. “The meeting recently was called by the beginning of her term, the state had issued a
Thanapakiam said a follow-up meeting is land office, but the highway authorities guideline for all issues regarding temple land
to be held with MHA to decide on the issue didn’t turn up,” said Yeoh. ownership to be resolved.
in the next few weeks. She added that the land office will con- Kelana Jaya Member of Parliament Loh
Also at the festival was Subang Jaya assem- tinue to seek the highway authority’s attend- Gwo Burne, who was also at the temple, said
blyperson Hannah Yeoh, who was briefed by ance, and hoped that all parties could sit he would be working with Yeoh to resolve the
MHA. She confirmed that the temple sits on down to resolve the issue. land issue.

Know Your Councillor:

Lim Lip Suan
By Basil Foo
KLANG: Introducing a competition to get
markets here to clean up their act is among
the novel ideas by Lim Lip Suan of the Klang
Municipal Council (MPK).
The three-term councillor, who has given
up his career as a sales manager in a listed
company to serve his community full time,
said the competition will start in May.
“The competition will run until Decem-
ber, and we hope to change the public’s
perception that morning and night markets
are dirty and untidy,” said Lim.
With RM1,500 awaiting the first prize
winner, Lim hopes his brainchild will boost
tourism to his district, which he says has the
most number of hawkers in the country.
His daily rounds include visiting his ju-
risdiction, Zone N48C, which includes
Taman Selatan, Taman Palm Grove, Taman
Chi Leung, Taman Petaling, Taman Bayu
Perdana, and Taman Radzi.
“I try to anticipate and solve any rubbish
problems, potholes, clogged drainage, and
malfunctioning streetlights before residents
complain,” he said.
A major problem his area and almost half
of Klang has been facing for 10 years is fre-
quent flash floods, which has yet to be
remedied.
“The expansion and deepening of mon-
New president
to strengthen
council’s finances  
By Tang Hui Koon
SELAYANG: Further
improving the Sepang Mu-
nicipal Council’s (MPS)
soon drain systems is a mega project which financial standing is among
cannot be solved so easily due to budget the top priorities of Datuk
constraints,” he said. Zainal Abidin Aala.
He adds that the most challenging aspect “About 40% of the MPS
of his job is making residents aware of their annual budget goes to rub-
own responsibilities when it comes to rub- bish collection ... so there is
bish clearance, as it is a shared duty between a need to get more revenue
them and MPK. for the council,” said the
A resident of Klang himself, he said peo- municipality’s new presi-
ple have a big role to play in any problem dent.
concerning rubbish, and can contribute The former Hulu Langat
through conscientious acts like recycling. district officer, who clocked
“As Klang is the second largest city in in on Monday, said  MPS
Malaysia with a population of more than one had managed to collect up
million, it should be cleaner and greener to 90% of the assessments
than it is now,” he said. in 2010.
Lim, who is married, enjoys reading sev- But he urged staff to
eral newspapers a day to keep abreast with work with him to improve
current issues, and attributes his level of the council’s financial posi-
commitment to the fact that he does not tion by further improving
have any children. the collection assessment
rate and other sources of
income.
Zainal said he would
also focus on ensuring that
public complaints are
promptly attended to by
MPS.
“We receive 8,000 com-
plaints on rubbish collec-
tion, faulty streetlights,
dirty drains, floods and
potholes,” he said.
He pointed out that
while the majority of these
complaints have been
solved, there was still room
for improvement.
“My aim is to make Datuk Zainal Abidin Aala 
MPS the best local council
in Selangor,” he said, adding residents.  
that this included improving The 57-year-old father of
the level of service to rate- five is from Perak, and has
payers to ensure they get also served in the Immigra-
value for money. tion, National Registration
MPS jurisdiction covers and Public Services Depart-
564sq km and has 680,000 ments.

Court rules Selcat legal, sets aside opposition suit

SHAH ALAM: The High Court
here ruled the Special Select Com-
mittee for Competency, Account-
ability and Transparency (Selcat) a
legal entity, and set aside a suit by
three state opposition lawmakers.
Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng
Chang Khim said the decision of
Justice Datuk Zaleha Yusof on
Monday affirmed the legal standing
of the select committee, which was
established to keep a check and
balance on the state administra-
tion.
In the suit filed on Nov 9, 2009,
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Raja
Ideris Raja Ahmad (Sungai Air Ta-
war), Hasiman Sidom (Morib) and
Wong Koon Mun (Kuala Kubu
Baru) sought a declaration that
Selcat was in breach of standing
orders, state laws and the Federal
Constitution.
They also asserted that the state
watchdog, established by the Sel-
angor legislative assembly, had
acted in excess of its jurisdiction.
The assemblypersons also want-
ed the court to declare that the
formation of Selcat and its pro-
ceedings were null and void.
Teng said with the decision, he
hoped the Attorney-General would
initiate legal actions against indi-
viduals who were summoned but
failed to attend Selcat hearings.
“This includes Datin Seri Zah-
rah Kechik, wife of former Menteri
Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo,”
said Teng.
A police report was lodged
against her when she failed to tes-
tify in an inquiry on the misuse of
funds by a state-funded charity she
headed.
10
NEWS
MARCH 25 — 27, 2011
Seeking an end to water woes
By Basil Foo
SHAH ALAM: Residents of Pelangi Da-
mansara met Elizabeth Wong on Monday to
discuss ways of preventing another water
disruption at their apartments due to out-
standing arrears.
The Bukit Lanjan assemblyperson, who
had helped resolve the crisis last week,
brought together the affected residents and
apartment management to settle the problem
once and for all.
Several steps were planned during the
meeting to repay the amount owed by the
apartment owners and to ensure no water bill
backlog accumulates again.
“The developers have begun an application
process with Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor
(Syabas) to change the water meters from bulk
meters to individual,” said Wong.
The executive councillor, who met the
parties at her office in the state secretariat,
said while some units in Pelangi Damansara
owed RM50 to RM100, others owed
RM5,000 or more.
As such, the water cut might not have been
justified for the residents who owed less.
She also said residents who have not
changed from bulk to individual meters
Litterbugs
to pay dearly
PETALING JAYA: The Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) will not spare giving litter-
bugs a hefty fine to ensure the municipality stay
green and clean, said mayor Datuk Roslan
Sakiman.
He said the city council will take stern action
against business operators and restaurant own-
ers to stop illegal dumping, which he described
as a “persistent menace”.
“We organise neighbourhood gotong-
royong, but the rubbish piles up again after two
days,” he said after the launch of a herb garden
in Kota Damansara.
He said MBPJ will issue a RM500 fine on
the spot for littering – be it bags of rubbish or
something as small as a cigarette butt.
Roslan lamented that the neighbourhood
clean-ups are not effective as residents continue
to litter and dump rubbish illegally.
He also said residents only came out to clean
their neighbourhoods during gotong-royong,
but reiterated that keeping their area clean was
“full-time” work.
MBPJ enforcement unit officers would
make the rounds and monitor areas that are
being used as illegal dumpsites.
He added that the MBPJ was trying to cre-
ate green areas that are clean and free of rubbish
in the city.
“Green areas are very important, and we’ve
a part to play in caring and restoring [such]
areas. The public shouldn’t just rely on the city
council, but instead be involved in greening
their environment,” he said.
Roslan commended Friends of Kota Daman-
sara (FOKD) chairperson Dr Jeffery Phang and
his group for creating the herb garden at the Kota
Damansara community forest reserve.
The 343-hectare forest park was re-gazetted
as a reserve by the state in March last year after
requests from nature groups such as FOKD to
preserve the forested area.
Roslan said he would be asking the Selangor
Forest Department to deploy rangers at the
forest to guide visitors.
could contact the Selangor Housing and
Property Board.
“The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ)
will also check the apartment units as there
have been reports of 10 to 20 people in one
unit,” she said. This could have driven the
amount owed higher than what would nor-
mally be owed by a single unit.
Apartment units can only have six tenants
by law, and if the number is found to have
exceeded the limit, MBPJ will contact the
apartment unit owner.
Another step which would be taken by the
Commissioner of Buildings is to seize the
apartment units of those who do not clear
their arrears within six months.
Wong said a schedule had been discussed
with Syabas to complete the collection of ar-
rears within the next six months, with at least
RM100 per month from each unit.
She also warned of fraudulent money col-
lectors and said only the developers with of-
ficial receipts should collect the arrears and
payment for the meters with a deposit of
RM100 and RM30 for each meter.
“A total of RM200,000 is owed by an aver-
age of 50% of 1,128 units in Block A, B, and
C of Pelangi Damansara,” said apartment
management representative Joseph Alphonso.
Herb garden in Kota Damansara.
Gotong-royong in progress.
Wong, Alphonso (fourth from left), and Petaling Jaya councillor Chan Chee Kong
(third from right) with the mock cheque for free water.
During a press conference after the meet-
ing, he related how the apartment experienced
a four-day drought when their water was cut
off on March 9.
A resident of Block B and the apartment’s
surau chairperson, Haji Abu Bakar, thanked
Wong and the team for helping to restore
water to Pelangi Damansara.
MBPJ to showcase role
of disabled women
Bathmavathi (second from right) with other representatives at the press
conference on Tuesday.
By Alvin Yap
PETALING JAYA: Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) is celebrating Interna-
tional Women’s Day by organising a forum,
handicraft workshop and exhibition with
disabled women’s advocacy groups on Sun-
day.
“MBPJ is the first local council to cele-
brate Women’s Day with disabled women in
mind,” said  Bathmavathi Krishnan of the
Association of Women with Disabilities
Malaysia (Pewakum).
Bathmavathi said the event, Disabled
Women Leading in Sustainable Community
Development, would showcase the role
disabled women play in society.
She called on disabled women to attend
the half-day event on Sunday, starting at 8am
at the MBPJ Operations Room.
Participants will receive a MBPJ Clinic
card for free treatments, and the city council’s
health teams will also conduct breast cancer
awareness check-ups with blood tests. There
will be video presentations and exhibitions
on disabled women in various occupations.
Participants are asked to bring their own
food containers in line with MBPJ’s environ-
ment-friendly policy.
“On our part as residents, I would also like
to extend my thanks for the free water cou-
pons,” he said.
Under the state government’s scheme,
RM11.40 in water, which adds up to 20
cubic metres, was given to each apartment
unit for those who have not changed from
the bulk meters.
During the press conference on Tuesday,
Bathmavathi said nearly half of Petaling
Jaya’s population consisted of women, with
5-10% of them being disabled.
Disabled women have the same responsi-
bilities and abilities as other able-bodied
women, she said.
“Disabled women are working as librari-
ans, in management, and as students. They’re
in every walk of life,” she said.
Sia Siew Chin of the Beautiful Gate foun-
dation for the disabled said the group will
assist in providing transportation with its
two disabled-friendly vans.
The vans will pick up participants from
their homes on the day of the event. Partici-
pants can call 03-78750943 or 012-4230604
or email beekeanng@gmail.com to register
for the free pick-up.
Similarly, MBPJ will also use its Orang
Kurang Upaya (OKU) Transit vans to pro-
vide transportation for the disabled partici-
pants, said councillor Tiew Way Keng.
“We want all the women with disabilities
who work and stay in Petaling Jaya to attend
this event,” said Tiew.
The event is jointly organised with other
disabled advocacy groups. Tiew said it is
targeting some 100 participants.
 Views 11
March 25 — 27, 2011

Malaysia’s
would be that the potential disaster is so bad,
no one will let it happen. Actually, everyone
wit pleasure will hope that the disaster happens to some-
one else first. 
Lee Hwok Aun Wikileaks’ release of cables from the US
embassy in Tokyo is now widely known.

M
“Me, too!”
urderously deforested Sarawak goes Taro Kono, a member of Japan’s Lower
to their state polls soon. The world House, claimed that “Japanese electric com-
remains transfixed on the frenzy to panies are hiding the costs and safety prob-
cool down Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power lems associated with nuclear energy”, and
plants. And the Malaysian government re- have suppressed development of alternative
fuses to impose a moratorium on its plans for energy sources.

mentality
nuclear energy. Further compounding the problem, nu-
Er, what’s the link? clear power contains a lethal mix of huge
Exploiting nuclear energy, like pillaging costs – to build, operate and dispose waste
our forest, is a trouble-sure, self-destructive, – and political protection. Greg Palast, an
“Me, too!” project. Others have done it, and investigative journalist and former regula-
so shall we. This is the line spun by our fed- tory agency researcher, reports that Ameri-
eral government on our “right” to deforest as can power company Stone & Webster lied
much as fast as we please, most vehemently about its “Seismic Qualification” at its
by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, while Shoreham plant in New York in 1988 – two
Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has The nuclear industry has grown in years after Chernobyl!
preferred to conspire in the shadows.   sophistication and extensively engages in They were failing that requisite test, and
Malaysia holds the dishonourable distinc- it would have cost a financially calamitous
tion of being the world’s largest exporter of
politicking, through lobby groups like the one billion dollars to change that result, so
tropical logs, mostly from Sarawak. In 2006, academically named Nuclear Energy Institute. It the company fraudulently passed itself. Two
we exported more than Indonesia, which, in makes you wonder what may be shrouded from engineers blew the whistle on their employ-
second place, has a forest cover that is four us about current hazards.” ers. If not for them, and for the existence of
times ours; and number three Brazil, which regulatory oversight and intrepid journal-
has 23 times more forested area.  Egypt, and Bangladesh – peers as well as grounds to reject nuclear power. Anything ism, we might have never found out.  
We could have said “not me” and done subordinates in terms of national income related to nuclear fission is exceptional – ex- The nuclear industry has grown in sophis-
things differently: managed our forest re- level. Perhaps a greater itch is caused by the ceptionally dangerous to humankind. We are tication and extensively engages in politick-
sources responsibly and sustainably from the nuclear ambitions of neighbours Thailand, dealing with radioactive material that can cause ing, through lobby groups like the academi-
start. Instead, we pointed to countries that Indonesia and Vietnam.   untold damage – and the worst hit will be cally named Nuclear Energy Institute. It
have had their glory days of deforestation and Many are saying, if the Japanese can’t avert communities who cannot afford to live safe makes you wonder what may be shrouded
huffed that we will have ours, too. Then we crisis, what more us? While that has elements distances from the power plants. from us about current hazards. 
will get rich and declare ourselves developed.  of truth, it misses the fundamental problems Only two atomic bombs have ever been So what do we do? Halt this hurried lurch
The Najib administration has not convinc- and systemic risks associated with nuclear detonated on human settlement, in Hiroshima toward nuclear power. Like rampant log-
ingly demonstrated that future energy needs energy.   and Nagasaki. Does that make nuclear weapons ging, don’t do it just because others have
offer no alternatives to nuclear power, or One argument that will be trotted out is more palatable? The cold war doctrine of “mu- done it or are doing it. 
come up with a credible plan for reducing that nuclear energy is “safe”. The number of tually assured destruction” (splendidly acro- Emulate the right things. Why don’t we
power usage and investing in cleaner and major crises is few, most prominently Three nymed MAD) held that nobody would be the look at advanced economies’ energy-saving
safer technologies.   Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and first to use it because the enemy will retaliate measures, efficient transport systems, excel-
One cannot help but notice the growing now Fukushima. and both sides will be annihilated. Yup, that lent education institutions, democratic
list of countries planning to go nuclear. But even if Japan escapes catastrophic melt- worked – as long as there was an arms race.   practices, and high levels of critical and
There’s Turkey, United Arab Emirates, down and mass fatalities, there are solid A parallel logic applied to nuclear power creative expression, and scream, “Me, too!”?

Tracking the pulse of Penang

jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun
2009

20 10

20 11

Penang Economic Monthly is a monthly magazine dedicated to socio-economic issues in

Penang, offering reliable socio-economic data as well as informative articles on the arts,the
industry, culture and social issues that are relevant to today’s generation of Malaysians.
Available nationwide at bookshops and newsstands.
www.penangeconomicmonthly.com
 Insight
12 MARCH 25 — 27, 2011
By Toh Kin Woon
A
few years a g o, the
government announced
its intention to restructure
the countr y’s health system,
particularly the financing and delivery of
health services. But is the increasing privatisation and
marketisation of health services desirable? How can
Malaysia’s healthcare system be made more equitable?
Any humane society must adopt the principle that
healthcare is a right of all its citizens. The Universal Dec-
laration of Human Rights recognises “the right of every-
one to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard
of physical and mental health.”
A system that provides for universal and comprehen-
sive health benefits to all must be put in place. Access to
healthcare should be based on need and not ability to pay.
Until the mid-1980s, the government did a reasonably
good job of providing a satisfactory healthcare service for
all. This was achieved through the setting up of rural
health clinics, including maternity clinics and hospitals,
which were all publicly funded, except for a few not-for-
profit private hospitals and private clinics in urban areas.
The emphasis then was on the provision of primary
healthcare. There was also an effective public health sys-
tem. Public health activities included disease control,
family health, school health programmes, food quality
control and health education.
The improvement of Malaysian health standards since
Merdeka was recognised by the World Health Organisa-
tion and held out as a model for other developing coun-
tries to emulate. We were able to keep costs down, while
at the same time provide relatively equitable and adequate
healthcare.
Although there were some private sector health service
providers, the government was the main provider. Ser-
vices rendered were financed out of general taxation, so
that for the bulk of patients, health services were obtained
for almost nothing.
It is important to note that the overutilisation of special-
ists (which regularly occurs today) was averted as general
practitioners played an effective role as gatekeepers.
Partial privatisation of healthcare services
Since the mid-1980s, problems and challenges began
to emerge as a result of increasing privatisation and mar-
ketisation of health services.
Likewise, the burden of financing the total costs of
health services is now shared between the public and
private sectors – where co-payment of certain services has
now been introduced, instead of the government financ-
ing it all.
Under the principle of co-payments, patients are now
required to pay high collateral payments for the treatment
of several procedures, including orthopaedic procedures
that require plates and nails, lenses for cataracts, clips for
surgical procedures, drug-coated stents for angioplasties,
Malaysia needs
equitable
healthcare
system
and
certain anti-cancer drugs. This
jeopardises the principle of equitable access
to health services for all Malaysians, some of whom
may not be able to afford these treatments.
Liberal economic ideology advocated by the
International Monetary Fund and World Bank
Hospital services such as cleaning, laundry and clinical
waste management have been outsourced to the private
sector. Ironically, such privatisation has increased the cost
of servicing the health system.
Private hospitals have proliferated over the last two
decades, adding to the supply capacity of private health-
care delivery, which now comprises GPs, specialist clinics,
hospitals, diagnostic and dialysis centres, dental clinics
and pharmacies.
While most of these are for profit, there are some that
are run on a voluntary and charitable basis. The contri-
butions of these not-for-profit private healthcare service
providers towards helping improve access, especially by
the poor, to critical life-saving services, have been im-
mense.
But the establishment and operation of these not-for-
profit health centres also highlight the need for critical
life-saving services that have been largely unmet by the
public sector health system.
Meanwhile, the government continues to subject the
provision of more and more health services to market
forces; for instance, the establishment of private dispen-
saries and private wings in government hospitals, promo-
tion of health tourism in several private hospitals and
raising the fees for foreign workers.
Part of the capacity in the Putrajaya and Selayang
Hospitals has been utilised for the provision of services
to patients who will be charged according to what they
can afford. Meanwhile, private clinics (after 5pm) have
been set up at Universiti Hospital and a few other public
hospitals in several parts of the country.
Problems arising from partial privatisation of
health services
Equitable access to healthcare is no longer assured, and
increasingly, the government is shifting part of the burden
of financing the costs of health services to the public. The
excuse is that costs have escalated and may reach levels
beyond the means of the government.
Currently, the federal government’s spending on health
(as a percentage of gross domestic product [GDP]) is less
than what the World Health Organisation has proposed
for developing countries.
The continued expansion of private healthcare provid-
ers has led to a distortion in the allocation of resources.
Under the two-tier system, which has come to character-
ise our country’s health system, such allocations are
driven increasingly by profit. Medical specialists and
other para-medical staff continue to leave the public for
the private sector as more and more patients seek treat-
ment and care in the public sector.
This has led to a mismatch of supply and demand. It
is estimated that 75% of all admissions are to government
hospitals, but only 25% to 30% of the total number of
medical specialists work in these hospitals. This mismatch
has led to a relatively poorer quality of healthcare, as the
capacity to treat critical illnesses in public hospitals is
unable to match the demand for it.
The victims of this increasingly distorted system are of
course, the poor, irrespective of race and gender.
Meanwhile, the richer segments of society enjoy better
treatment in private hospitals. This has no doubt further
widened the divide between rich and poor in Malaysian
society, a divide that is fast growing due to the unequal
distribution of income, and unequal access to basic needs
such as housing, transport and education.
In the private sector, where service is premised on the
ability to pay, consumers who can afford to pay for access
to costly medical check-ups and treatments do not need
to be screened by GPs (performing the role of gatekeep-
ers). This is unlike the public sector where patients have
to be carefully screened over a few rounds by medical
officers before they can get to see specialists. Long waiting
lists in the public healthcare sector are not uncommon.
How does Malaysia’s healthcare become more equita-
ble?
Illnesses and healthcare should not be viewed as com-
modities and hence as a source of huge profits. When
healthcare is viewed as a commodity, there will be pressure
for its rationing through the price system which tends to
yield unequal access.
Those in favour of increasing marketisation of health
services will no doubt argue that consumers ought to have
some freedom of choice as to whether to seek healthcare
in the public or private sector. But this freedom is
clearly only enjoyed by those with the ability
to pay while those who cannot afford to will
find this freedom of choice to be bereft of
any practical meaning.
For those of us who want universal access
to healthcare, not just quantitatively but quali-
tatively, we must respect the fact that all Malaysian
citizens and residents are equal, and that greater
wealth cannot buy more or better health.
A more equitable system can only come about through
a national health system that is financed out of general
taxation. I have to be quick to point out my opposition
to the use of value-added tax (VAT) as a source of financ-
ing healthcare as VAT is largely regressive and can be
burdensome to the poor.
It has been suggested that the poor can be
exempted after passing a means test. How-
ever, experiences in other countries have
shown that means tests lead to delays and
more often than not exclude the poor from enjoying this
exemption. An alternative is a social insurance scheme
providing cover to all Malaysians, with the government
being the sole payer.
The government should remain the key provider of
healthcare to be financed out of income taxation. It has
to assume the responsibility of ensuring that effective and
equitable healthcare be delivered to the entire population.
As such, allocations for healthcare can and must con-
tinue to rise until we achieve at least the standard set by
WHO – 5% of GDP. The financing of this can easily be
raised from income tax and corporation tax (which in-
cludes contributions from Petronas).
Conclusion
Developing countries need to learn one important
lesson – that controlling health expenditure, while hop-
ing to provide universal coverage and equal access to
healthcare, cannot be achieved through the market
mechanism.
A public insurance system for the financing of health-
care services that is largely funded through general taxa-
tion can improve access to healthcare and also play an
important role in “nation building” and community
solidarity, as it emphasizes a fundamental equality among
citizens.
On the other end of the scale, private health insurance
is not a viable option for financing healthcare as it often
engages in “cream skimming”, which excludes the very
people most in need of protection – the poor and the un-
healthy – while providing protection to the rich and healthy.
Finally, the government ought to involve representative
civil society groups, political parties and consumer groups
representing the interests of the poor and marginalised
in any reformulation of the country’s health system. Only
by taking their views seriously can there be a chance of a
new health system that is just, equitable, efficient and
cost-effective. – This article first appeared in the March
issue of Penang Economic Monthly.
All images:
sxc.hu
By Dr David Quek, president,
Malaysian Medical Association
WHILE the government is determined to im-
prove access to healthcare for more and more
Malaysians, underlying logistical problems and
manpower constraints appear to hamper a
smoother implementation of a more comprehen-
sive cohesive system.
Perhaps one issue that has not been adequate-
ly addressed or debated is that of healthcare costs.
Improving and modernising healthcare systems
and enhancing remuneration benefits incur huge
costs. Finding the funding needed will pose a
serious problem, if not now, then surely in the
near future.
The emphasis on medical tourism as another
engine of growth for the economy is also over-
stated, given the small potential addition to the
country’s coffers – the forecast growth to the
RM2bil target by 2015 (from RM399mil in
2008) will only be a very small percentage of the
country’s overall gross domestic product of more
than RM700bil.
What is the Malaysia Medical Association’s
stand on the issue of full paying patients (FPPs)?
The MMA has always supported better remu-
neration for doctors and specialists in the public
health sector, although in this particular issue of
FPPs, the MMA has some reservations.
We have always been working closely with the
Ministry of Health (MOH) and the government,
including the Public Service Department, for
better conditions and wages and other perks for
our doctors. We recognise that doctors who opt
to remain in service often place a lot of their
potential earnings on hold and sacrifice a lot for
their civic duty and responsibilities.
So in this context, should the MOH allow
specialists in public hospitals to be given a choice
to have private practice?
Earlier, this was in the form of limited private
practice at private medical centres and the uni-
versities to help make their service conditions
more attractive, and perhaps to help retain their
much-needed services in the public sector. While
this has possibly helped to stem the outflow of
experienced staff to the private sector, this ap-
proach has been criticised for some abuses.
It has been pointed out repeatedly that some
specialists appear to spend more time in private
practice than in the public health facilities, thus
Malaysia’s two-tier health system
By Datuk Seri Dr T Devaraj, chairperson,
Malaysian Hospice Council
“THE trickle of doctors to the private sector is now a flood which takes
place at the expense of the public sector. Encouraging health tourism is
a sure way to further encourage this internal brain drain. But is health
tourism a priority for this country?”
Healthcare
costs
and
challenges
undermining the services provided for the less
privileged. Some poor patients have also been
asked to go to private wings or centres for
quicker access to surgeries or procedures, which
has caused complaints of unfair rationing, pres-
sure and preferential treatment.
Therefore, the MMA feels that better regula-
tory limits be put in place to clearly define how
many hours doctors can work in the private sector
versus the public institutions, where the patient
load is far more onerous.
The approach of using public hospitals for
FPPs may put the pressure on doctors to subcon-
sciously prefer these patients and may encourage
queue jumping, and even undermine natural
justice of fair waiting times and queues for lim-
ited resources. This may be a natural human re-
sponse to immediate “reward” for services, but is
unfair in the context of a public sector expecta-
tion, where equitable care should be the standard.
So we hope the MOH and government will
seriously reconsider this move. Particularly at this
time when the economy is far from being healthy,
and many people are still reeling from the finan-
cial crisis. Perhaps a better system of healthcare
financing or insurance can be put in place before
embarking on this sort of “luxury” or “Cadillac”-
buying move for healthcare services.
Nevertheless, the MMA has always been worried
about our very heavily subsidised healthcare, so
much so that our rakyat does not seem to under-
stand that healthcare is not free, and that someone
has to pay for it! Having a system where the poor
pay only RM1 for clinic visits and medications is
not sustainable in the long term, no matter that this
seems to be politically correct and popular!
So the government has painted itself into a
corner. We recognise that the government would
love to continue to provide nearly free medical
and healthcare for everyone, but the mechanism
for financing is far from adequate or structured
sufficiently well. We do not have enough alloca-
tions for such a heavily subsidised system of
healthcare. There has to be a form of tax or insur-
ance buying that is big enough and purely allo-
cated for healthcare for this to work.
But is the rakyat ready for this new form of tax
or social insurance scheme? Perhaps the time has
come to bite the bullet and expose the reality
behind the healthcare costs: there are no short-
term measures just for political grandstanding
moves which cannot be sustained.
“When you have a hammer in your hand, everything looks like a
nail. Rather than going to GPs for annual health checks, patients are
turning to private specialists who can offer a wide range of sometimes
unnecessary tests.”
“Although medicines in Malaysia are regulated carefully, there is no
regulation for the import of medical devices – there are more MRI scan-
ners in the Klang Valley than in the whole of Australia!”
14
VIEWS
MARCH 25 — 27, 2011

Casting votes for Lord

Bobo to lead Malaysia?
D
ear Supreme Being, when I vote in
the next general election, do I vote
based on person, party, or policy?
Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by
pool fans need that blind loyalty now?) Does your head, and then make a proper decision LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)
their political vision for our country accord on where your vote is going to go. where all your profound, abstruse,
with your own views? Do they even have a erudite, hermetic, recondite, saga-

How to decide? @izmil_amri, via Twitter
FIRSTLY, you should reject any candidate
who resorts to bribery or threats as a form of
political persuasion, whether or not you take
the money. If you do take the money for what-
ever reason, that sum and the circumstances
under which you receive it should, of course,
be reported to the police because it is a crimi-
nal offence under Sections 9 and 10 of the
Election Offences Act 1954. The offence is
punishable with two years’ imprisonment and
a fine of between RM1,000 and RM5,000
pursuant to Section 11 of the same Act.
And, surprisingly, this includes promises or
guarantees that certain acts would be done.
Surprising not because it is included as an of-
fence, but because it is obviously not enforced.
Next, avoid partisanship. That means not
being blindly loyal to one party or the other.
There is no place for blind loyalty when it
comes to political parties and politicians.
Save the blind loyalty for football. Espe-
cially if you’re a Liverpool fan, you’ll need lots
of that stuff. So what if you have been voting
for the same party for last 50 years or more?
As a voting citizen, you are not there to
serve a political party’s interests. It is – or
rather, should be – the other way around. A
political party is there to serve your interests.
Ask yourself: has your favourite political
party been performing? (You see why Liver-
political vision? What is their stand on issues
on issues that matter to you?
This is what it means to think deeply about
your political choice – asking the right ques-
tions and searching for the answers in a po-
litical party’s performance. When you do so,
it becomes clear that your consideration of
whom you should vote for in the coming and
future general election is based on their stand
on issues that matter to you.
If, for example, you find the quality of se-
curity in the country to be unsatisfactory, and
that there has been no improvement despite
much moaning, groaning, grumbling, and all
sorts of other complaining noises, you should
consider what the other parties’ stand on that
issue is. The party that most closely agrees with
your view is naturally the party you should
consider favourably.
It is easy to get caught up in the hoopla and
spin-doctored wizardry that surrounds any
elections. But don’t allow yourself to be con-
fused by the cult of personality of any indi-
vidual, or pledge blind loyalty (and your votes)
to a particular party.
Consider the issues. Consider the interests
of the rakyat. Consider your interests. And
don’t get distracted by hidden-camera footage
of elderly men performing impressive acts of
dexterity and stamina – well, you can watch
those videos if you’re into that kinda thing,
but when you’re done, have a cold shower, clear
O
h Lord Bobo, if you were “elected”
prime minister of Malaysia, what would
you do? @derekqiren, via Twitter
TO be honest, this question doesn’t really
excite the imagination of His Supreme Emi-
nenceness. I mean, we’re talking about a
wonder typewriting monkey who has sailed
with Marco Polo, dined with Pachacuti in
Macchu Pichu, jammed with Jeff Buckley, and
bedded Marilyn Monroe. Being elected prime
minister of Malaysia? Meh. But Lord Bobo is
nothing if not munificent, so we will deign to
partake of this question.
First, we will set up a Swiss bank account
to collect all the perks that come with the job.
Second, as a favour to a close friend, we will
set up a division within the “Special Police” to
assist VVIPs in  dealing with problematic
partners from extra-marital affairs.  His Lordship will enact a Human Rights
Third, when faced with complaints by the
public about inflation and stagnant income
levels, we will gently advise them to change
their lifestyle, but at the same time approve
multi-billion-ringgit mega projects.  Lord Bobo will drag this country kicking
Fourth, appoint an international public
relations company to come up with a spirited
but ambiguous slogan to mesmerise and per-
plex the public at the same time, so that they
will not notice His Lord and Ladyship taking
more overseas trips (ostensibly for work, but
really for shopping) than all the former prime
cious, and other thesaurus-described
queries are answered!
ministers combined.
Fifth, come up with a recipe for power-
grabbing a state from the enemy. Main ingre-
dient? Frogs. Sixth, if there is any free time left
and there is something in it for our relatives
or friends, do something for the little people.
Err, sorry, wrong script.  That was the Road
To Tunisia.  Let’s start again.
The administration of His Supreme Emi-
nenceness will have at its core a policy of re-
spect for the life, liberty and dignity of the
individual. This is the basic foundation which
gives birth to all principles of human rights
– for example, equality, freedom of expression,
and freedom of religion. 
Act, outlaw all discrimination on racial and
religious ground and at the same time set up
a Racial Reconciliation Council and an Inter-
faith Council.
and screaming into the 21st century, from
third world to first world. Recalcitrant mem-
bers of society will be sent to an all expenses
paid holiday retreat at LoyarBurok Assimila-
tion Centres, which will be set up throughout
the nation. From alpha to omega, you will be
made one of us.

Speaker upset with book on Dewan Rakyat

the speaker to be given such
wide powers unless “the speak-
er’s independence and impar-
tiality can be convincingly
demonstrated”.
Usually speakers are ap-
pointed by the ruling coali-
tion, but due to the nature of
the appointment, their neu-
trality has often been ques-
tioned as well.
However, Pandikar Amin
defended himself by elaborat-
(From right) Loh, Pandikar Amin, Thomas Knirsh from ing on the challenges of being
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Bar Council president Lim a speaker, stressing that the
Chee Wee, and Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu publisher should have got his
Zahar Ujang. side of the story.
One of the editors of the
KUALA LUMPUR: Parliamentary book, The Nut Graph assistant news editor
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia went Deborah Loh, said the article merely stated
on the defensive in the face of critical com- the observations of the writer on the speaker.
ments levelled against him in a chapter of “It’s up to the readers to decide for them-
newly launched book Understanding the selves [whether they perceive the speaker to
Dewan Rakyat. be independent and impartial],” said Loh.
“I always consider [this when sitting in Edited by Loh and The Nut Graph editor
the Dewan]: ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ … Jacqueline Ann Surin, the book contains the
I don’t want to be a laughing stock [too],” profiles of all Members of Parliament and their
said Pandikar at the book launch in Parlia- stand on six key issues, including the Internal
ment on Wednesday. Security Act (ISA) and the Islamic state issue.
He was responding to a particular chapter, “You might think that Barisan Nasional
The Speaker: Functions and powers, written by MPs would steadfastly defend the ISA, but
lawyer Norshila Shahar, on the wide discre- we’ve found that several disagree with it in its
tionary powers provided to the speaker by the present form and are open to reviews.
Standing Orders. “There are [also] BN MPs who wish that
Norshila writes that it is problematic for the party whip would be used less so that they
could vote freely on matters of conscience,”
Loh said.
The book is an expansion of online news
site The Nut Graph’s MP Watch: Eye on Parlia-
ment project, sponsored by German founda-
tion Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
All 222 MPs were invited to take part in
the project, with 113 responding and the re-
maining 109 choosing not to participate.
The MPs were also asked if they would
support a Freedom of Information Act to
reflect on their roles as MPs, and suggest ways
to improve parliamentary democracy in
Malaysia.
Lastly, the MPs had to state if they believed
in the separation of powers among the execu-
tive, legislature and judiciary.
Analyses of their responses on the six key
issues are also in the 564-page book.
The Bar Council’s MyConstitution team
contributed to the chapters on the introduction
to the country’s parliamentary democracy.
A series of public forums will be organised
in the coming months to promote discussion
on the issues raised in the book. The first fo-
rum, The Roles and Challenges of an MP, will
be held on Sunday at Leonardo’s Dining
Room and Wine Loft in Bangsar at 3pm.
The panellists are Chua Tian Chua (PKR-
Batu), Nancy Shukri (PBB-Batang Sadong)
and Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Serdang).
Published by ZI Publications and priced at
RM95, the book will be available  at public
Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng
forums and major bookstores in the middle receiving complimentary copies of the
of next month. book for Penang MPs.
 news 15
March 25 — 27, 2011

Papa Orang Utan’s

surprise guest appearance
KUALA LUMPUR: Celebrated
deejay of Radio Free Sarawak, better
known as Papa Orang Utan, made a
surprise online appearance at a
political forum here last Friday
night to the delight of the 200-odd
audience.
Papa Orang Utan, whose real
name is Peter John Jaban from
Kuching, appeared to be in tears
when the line was first connected via
internet chatting programme Skype.
A staunch opponent of Sarawak
Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib
Mahmud, Jaban shared his experience
on operating the guerilla radio station
from London with the audience.
Jaban said he used to work in a
land office in Sarawak. He further
claimed that he stole the documents
before he left in order to expose how
the Sarawak government was steal-
ing the natives’ land.
“I met Clare (Brown, his partner
in Radio Free Sarawak) at the
Panellists (from left) Bujang, Sui, moderator and political scientist Wong Chin Huat, Mujah and
Minggat.
Batang Ai by-election (in April
2009),” he said, explaining that was
how he started the station with her.
Jaban claimed he would continue
to expose Taib’s misdeeds in Sar-
awak.
The Sarawak state assembly was
dissolved on Monday, paving way
for the state’s tenth state elections.
Taib, who has been in power for
three decades, also announced last
Saturday he might step down at the
mid-term of next state assembly, but
did not specify a date.
Also at the forum titled Sarawak:
Land, Adat and Election were
prominent Sarawak indigenous ac-
tivists Nicholas Mujah, Mark Bu-
jang and Abun Sui.
Sui said Sarawak natives were
better off under former British
Brooke family as they had recog-
nised the indigenous peoples’ native
customary land boundaries and re-
spected their tanah adat.
On the contrary, the current
Sarawak government only recog-
nised selective portions of the native
land customs.
As such, land conflicts often arise
between logging or oil palm compa-
nies and the natives.
Mujah said there are currently
307 land conflict cases, of both
civil and criminal nature, pending
in the Sarawak courts.
Minggat Nyakim from Sarikei
and Suin Saleh from Ranggung Sah,
Ulu Niah also spoke at the forum.
Minggat, 60, alleged that he and
his son were beaten by employees of
a logging company that was en-
croaching on his land.
Both were hospitalised and had
just recovered recently.
Suin claimed that two buses of
men were sent to his village by an
oil palm company encroaching on
their land to intimidate them.
He said the gang leader was ar-
rested for possessing explosive ma-
terials after the villagers lodged a
police report.
The forum was jointly organised
by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 and
LoyarBurok at Kuala Lumpur and
Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
last Friday.

Saujana Rawang house buyers receive keys

By Alvin Yap
RAWANG: Seven house buyers
received the keys to their newly
built low-cost homes here at Saujana
Rawang from Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim on Sunday.
“The buyers will get good value
from their purchase. This is a good
investment for them,” Khalid said.
“For other buyers, you’ll receive
good value for your houses at below
RM300,000. I’m sure you’ll get
good capital gain of RM80,000,”
Khalid handing over a mock
key to a house buyer.
Khalid told prospective house buy-
ers at the launch of Glomac Rawa-
ng’s 140-hectare development.
The seven home owners are ex-
pected to move into their homes
within three months.
He said property purchase is a
huge investment for families, and
that the state would step in to ensure
that developers are on track in com-
pleting their housing projects.
“From the state’s records, I see
there are 100 buyers so far. Thirty-
three of them have their loans ap-
proved, with seven of them today
receiving their keys today,” said
Khalid.
He also said he was satisfied with
RM300,000, an amount that can
only get you a condominium in
other areas,” he said.
He said the up-and-coming
township, located next to Rantau
Panjang Forest Reserve, is a 30-min-
ute drive from Kuala Lumpur via the
Jalan Duta toll.
The centrepiece of the develop-
ment is a lake with jogging track and
Balinese theme parks around it,
Ezwn said.
The township also includes a
primary and secondary school and
a mosque.
Saujana Rawang is offering five
phases, with houses from 1,050 to
1,620sq ft built-up area.

Park in Klang to be upgraded

Glomac Rawang’s progress, adding During the launch, group execu-
that the developer has completed tive vice-chairperson Datuk Rich-
25%, to date, of its low-cost house ard Fong presented a RM3,000
construction as required by the cheque to Saujana Rawang resi-
KLANG: Recreational park state. dents to construct a surau and
Taman Rakyat in Taman Seri Some 250 visitors attended the other amenities.
Andalas will be upgraded this two-day launch, said sales and mar- Also present at the event was
year after the local council keting manager Ezwan Zainal. Selangor Housing and Property
received several complaints “The prospective buyers are look- Board director Datin Alinah Ah-
about its maintenance. ing to buy landed property for mad.
Klang councillor P
Sundarajoo said only portions
of the park would be closed
during upgrading work.
“The public will still be able
to access the park,” Sundarajoo
told Selangor Times on Monday.
Representatives from mosque, surau and residents’ associations
He added that tender for the with Dr Xavier (front, third from left) after receiving donations from
upgrading works, including on him.
the jogging track, staircase and
earthwork, was opened two weeks ago. for repairworks.
He said the cost of upgrading the park is estimated He also donated RM2,000 to Surau Islamiah and
at RM100,000. Tenders will be awarded next month RM2,500 to Masjid Jamek Ar Rahimiah within his
and construction scheduled to start soon after. constituency.
Seri Andalas assemblyperson Dr Xavier Jayakumar Three other residents’ associations also received
said the cost would be borne by the state and chan- RM500 each. They were the Taman Raja Nong
nelled to the Klang Municipal Council. Residents’ Association, Seri Proton Apartment
Dr Xavier was speaking at an event at Surau Da- Residents’ Association, and Persatuan Rukun Tet-
rul Najihin, where he donated RM5,000 to the surau angga Desawan. Showhouse unit at Saujana Rawang.
16
NEWSMARCH 25 — 27, 2011

Potholes posing danger

to motorists
By Basil Foo
SERI KEMBANGAN: Bad road condi-
tions, malfunctioning traffic lights and an
uncompleted interchange project have put
drivers in Taman Serdang Raya at risk.
“I have received complaints from motorists
that the potholes are causing accidents which
damage their vehicles,” said Serdang Member
of Parliament Teo Nie Ching during a site
visit last week.
She said the problem had been occurring
for many years, and although the road would
get patched occasionally, the potholes would
resurface.
She has complained to the Public Works
Department ( JKR), but no concrete action
has been taken.
“Another issue is the traffic lights, which
have been malfunctioning since March 8,”
she said.
The traffic lights lie at the junction of Jalan
Serdang Raya and the Bukit Jalil highway,
which she said is one of the busiest junctions
in Serdang.
“Because there is an interchange project
going on in this area, we believe the road
conditions always deteriorate due to heavy
machinery using the roads,” she said.
The Jalan Serdang Raya-Jalan Puchong-
Sungai Besi Highway interchange project
started in December 2006 and was supposed
to have been completed within two years.
Costing RM14.4mil, the project has been
stalled since July 2010 when JKR dropped
the contractor due to incompetence.
“The deputy minster of works told me then
that it required four months to appoint a new
contractor through an open tender process,”
Teo said.
She was also told that it would take an-
other six months to complete the project.
However, eight months after the project was
stalled, nothing seems to be moving.
“There have been many complaints from Teo (in red) and Chong (second from right) inspecting the potholes on Jalan Serdang
the public who are worried the interchange Raya.
might collapse if a vehicle accidentally runs
into the supporting scaffolding,” she added. When contacted, a spokesperson from JKR cover them back. We should not be blamed,”
MPSJ councillor Chong Hoon Ming, who Selangor’s engineering department said the he said.
also visited the site, said he faced standard frequent damage on Jalan Serdang Raya was He said JKR would repair the traffic lights,
answers when bringing up road issues during the fault of utility companies. and that a team was checking the cause of the
monthly meetings with JKR. “They dig holes in our road but don’t malfunctioning traffic lights.

Free embroidery Flash flooding unresolved

class for women By Alvin Yap
KLANG: While residents
are grateful that the Drain-
age and Irrigation Depart-
ment (DID) is finally ad-
dressing problems that cause
flash floods in Taman Chi
Liung, they point out that
more needs to be done.
Speaking on their behalf,
Klang MP Charles Santiago
said the drains that were
widened in recent upgrading
works were “short term”.
He said the DID needs to
construct a “loop drain” to
end flash floods in the area.
“When it rains heavily,
the area is flooded by the
volume of water as it doesn’t
flow smoothly because right
(From right) Lo, Pee, Helen Lee and Bong at the free beginner-level embroidery now it’s a 90-degree bend,”
class organised by Lee’s office. Charles said on Sunday.
He sa id the affe cte d
drains flow through Taman
Chi Liung, Palm Grove and
Harbour Place. There are
some 1,000 homes that
would be affected by flood-
ing from the drains.
Charles said the depart-
ment should consult with
residents there as they knew
the situation “intimately.”
He said there were a few
retired DID engineers in the
area whose homes had been
inundated in recent floods.
“It was these retired DID
engineers who proposed to
me to bring up to the Taman
Chi Liung Task Force com-
mittee the idea of building a
loop drain to ensure smooth-
er drainage flow,” Charles
said.
He said DID had also
cleared the drain of fallen
branches and other debris,
but reiterated that these
were short-term measures.
He said with the current
heavy downfall, the drains
would be clogged in the fu-
ture.
“DID needs to realise a
design that makes sure the
drains flow smoothly and are
not clogged by large debris,”
he said.
He added that a monsoon
drain should be built around
Harbour Place for water from
the other drains to flow into.
Charles also blamed the
flooding on some “large-scale
development” in the area.
He said the residents’ sug-
gestions will be forwarded
to DID officials at a later
meeting.

Deutsch to head Carrefour

PETALING JAYA: A free embroidery
class was held for women at the Bukit Gas-
ing assemblyperson’s service centre last
Saturday.
Eighteen women attended the full-day
beginner class sponsored by Edward Lee’s
office.
Lee said this was the first embroidery
class his office has organised. In future
classes they hope to attract more women
from the lower-income group to join, so they
may learn an extra skill to earn more income
from home.
Single mother Foo Woei Ing, 33, found
out about the embroidery class from her
friend. The mother of three earns a living
by making her own cards.
Foo thinks she will be able to incorpo-
rate her new embroidery skill in her card-
making.
Seventy-one-year-old Josephine Bong
from Section 17 loves sewing. She told Se-
langor Times that she looks forward to
employing her newly learnt skill to sew
items for her children and grandchildren.
Young women like 18-year-old Amy Lo
and 20-year-old Pee Kui Ying were also at
the workshop. They found out about the
training class through word of mouth, and
joined out of curiosity.
The 18 participants were trained by
Rosli Baharuddin and his wife from Noriz
De Fashion. The couple have been in the
embroidery business for 15 years.
Rosli said they also organised similar
classes in Taman Medan assemblyperson
Haniza Mohamed Talha’s and Petaling Jaya
Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian’s constituencies.
They said of the 70 women they have
trained, 25 have either set up their own
businesses or are taking embroidery orders
from boutiques.
Malaysia, Singapore
SUBANG JAYA: Carrefour Malaysia and
Singapore announced on Tuesday that new
chief Stephane Deutsch will take over from
Guillaume de Colonges with immediate effect.
De Colonges will be moving to Carrefour
Turkey as its new chief executive officer.
Having served as vice-president of Carre-
four China and general manager of the South-
ern Territory, Deutsch spearheaded the opera-
tions in four Chinese provinces, including
steering 29 stores.
With 21 years of experience in retail, of
which 11 were spent in Asia, Deutsch has been
instrumental in the strategic growth of Car-
refour in China and holds the reputation of
more than 20 new store openings per year.
“I am extremely proud that Carrefour was
the first hypermarket in Malaysia, and I believe
that our expansion plans will give confidence
to our customers that we will always be here
for them.
“Already, our commitment in NKEA with
the government, through the Tukar project to
modernise the smaller formats, is testimony
that we are very serious in continuing to par-
ticipate in the growth of the country,” said
Deutsch in his maiden speech to his new team
at Carrefour Malaysia and Singapore.
The 45-year-old is a French national with a
background in finance.
 Review 17
March 25 — 27, 2011

By Basil Foo

W
anting something to warm us up on a rainy night,
we decided to try a new steamboat place that had
just opened in Bandar Puteri Puchong.
Situated on Jalan Puteri 2/5, Olivenz Steamboat
seemed to be holding its own despite being smack in the
middle of restaurant-saturated shoplots.
As it was a weekday night, it was surprising to find
almost all 50 tables in the restaurant occupied by
people of all ages.
Yet the waiters gave us prompt attention and
seated us within seconds of entering.
The décor was far from your usual steamboat
outlet: a deep red motif and low-hanging lights
lent an oriental air to the restaurant.
Costing RM23.80 per adult and RM13.80
per child, the restaurant featured a buffet-style
layout with its centrepiece being a long display of
raw foods.
We were given a list of several soup combinations
to choose from, like chicken, herbal chicken, fish head,
drunken prawn, tom yam, spicy Sze Chuan, and por-
ridge which we could boil food in.
The boilers could be digitally controlled to a specific
temperature, on top of which sat a large pot divided into
two sections for the separation of
soups.
We chose the chicken and tom

Steamboat delight
yam soups, and found the latter to
be the right combination of spicy
and sour, which was satisfyingly
stomach-warming.
There was a wide variety of
seafood like clams, crabs, cockles,
prawns, and squid, meats like
chicken, beef, pork, and fish, and
frozen goods like fish balls and He also talked about a special
crab cakes. offer of barbequed dishes from
The ingredients were fresh and Fridays to Sundays, with Australian
succulent, especially the freshwater lamb and beef on the grill at no
crab, which was popular among the additional cost.
customers and ran out quickly. “We are planning to offer bar-
There were also readymade bequed dishes every day from
foods like fried rice and chicken April, because we have received a
wings, the latter of which also lot of requests from customers,”
needed frequent replenishment. Cheong said.
Then there was the standard The bill for a table of three came
steamboat fare, like an assortment up to RM78.55 including the
of vegetables, dried noodles and standard service charge. This was an
eggs. acceptable amount as other steam-
Co-owner Jack Cheong said the boat outlets usually charge around
outlet offers over 100 different the same price or slightly higher.
items on top of drink choices like Overall, I would recommend
jasmine tea and fruit punch, jellies this steamboat outlet for its prompt
like Guiling Gao, fruits, and sev- replenishment of food, quick and
eral ice-cream flavours for dessert. friendly service, wide variety of
Originally from Ipoh, Cheong ingredients, and generally pleasant
got together with several friends to atmosphere. The environment was uncluttered and pleasant enough to relax in after a filling dinner.
open a café back in their home-
town. They have now decided to
It was
try their hand at another type of impossible to
food outlet. try the wide
“We were deciding between variety of food
Japanese, Thai, and Western, but in one visit.
finally decided on steamboat be-
cause there is an increasing demand
for it,” he said.

Chicken wings: a crowd favourite.

 review
18 March 25 — 27, 2011
Indian restaurants are common
throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
LIN ZHENYUAN introduces two
such establishments he has
been on friendly terms with for
some time.

T
here was a time when dinner meant either going to
Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, for Ipoh chicken rice, or
to Section 5 for banana leaf rice. Those were the two
main venues in my then uncomplicated life.
Eating Ipoh chicken rice is no fun when there are only two
people at the table, because the menu clearly states that we
can have as many as five different side dishes. So on a number
of occasions, we zeroed in on the Sri Paandi restaurant in
Section 5, Petaling Jaya.
The name “Sri Paandi” refers to an Indian deity and may
be linked to Paandi Munisvaran, a South Indian god. There
is a temple dedicated to this deity on the fringes of the city
of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
The proper name of the Section 5 outlet is Restoran Sri
Paandi Corner. It has existed for as long as anyone can re-
member. The customers are mostly Indian regulars, but
Chinese patrons do show up now and then.
Sri Paandi stands on its own as the only Indian restaurant
in the area of some repute. It has few competitors, which are
Chinese restaurants. The tussle among the restaurants every
evening after 6pm is the limited parking space.
My Indian friends used to enjoy introducing me to various
exotic dishes. The Sri Paandi restaurant in Section 5, PJ.

A tale of two
Once, they recommended short,
dried chillies that seemed to have
been grilled. One bite later, my eyes
were watering and my mouth Both Sri Paandi
burned due to the spiciness. I learnt restaurants have snack
quickly that it was an acquired taste.
At the Section 5 outlet, there are items that are sold after
lunchtime. These include

Sri Paandis
about nine tosai and roti items,
seven different varieties of rice, five samosir, hard and soft
varieties of noodles, and five ver- vadai, curry puffs, sweet
sions of fried rice. potato balls, and some
There are also different kinds of other sweetmeats.”
naan, claypot fish head curry, kamb-
ing kampung and ayam kampung.
Sri Paandi is serious about its policy
of aiming to please. than one occasion given me a silent Both Sri Paandi restaurants have
Then there’s the other Sri Paandi glare. Well, it wouldn’t do to ask for snack items that are sold after lunch-
that I now frequent regularly. This chopsticks! time. These include samosir, hard
outlet is in Section 11, near Univer- The selection of dishes at Sri and soft vadai, curry puffs, sweet
siti Hospital. It enjoys large crowds Paandi is not only wide, the dishes potato balls, and some other sweet-
during lunchtime and dinner hours. are above par. If you like South In- meats.
The banana leaf rice comes with dian Chettinad food, this place is In 2005, there was some contro-
the usual curries and a selection of gastronomical heaven. versy over the issue of two restau-
vegetarian dishes. Anything else like The curries are fresh, warm, and rants sharing the same name. Appar-
grilled fish, curry prawns, beef or roast seemingly in inexhaustible supply. ently there was business rivalry over
chicken will be considered extras. So So if you like to flood your rice with the usage of “Sri Paandi”, which was
you should bring along a party of four three kinds of curry, you are wel- claimed to be a franchise name.
or five people, so that there will be come to do so. But this seems to be water under
more selections on the table. You can neutralise the spiciness the bridge now, and the flavour of
Some customers are inclined to by ordering yoghurt or lassi. My Chettinad food has since reached
ask for cutlery when eating banana family also likes Milo with fresh the nostrils and tastebuds of many Vadai is
leaf rice. When I have done it, my cow’s milk, which they say has a bit curry lovers residing in Petaling great when
eaten fresh.
Indian colleagues have on more of a kick. Jaya.

Curry puffs, samosir

and vadai – just
what you need for a
Malaysian high tea.
A banana leaf meal that will take all your blues away.

Roundabouts
Fiction by Ahmad Hafidz
Baharom Alam Shah
W
e drive around aimlessly
for hours. It’s nig ht.
Weather forecasts pre-
dicted a high chance of rain, yet the
clouds just cover the moon without
shedding a single drop.
He calls it luck. I remind him
that they never said when the rain
would fall, if at all. It was called a
“chance of rain”. A probability and
nothing more.
He just smiles.
I’ve always been cynical about
luck. I won’t say I don’t believe in it,
but I believe we all create our own
luck. You weren’t lucky you met the
man of your life in a supermarket.
You were driven by routine. A crea-
ture of habit. Just so happens that he
was there at the salad section the
same time you were.
Chances are you were always at
the same place at the same time, and
just this one time, your eyes met.
A smile kindly and shyly rescind-
ed. And the rest, they say, is history.
At least, that is my version of how
we met. His version was that some-
thing drove him to seek out salads
first and saw me wandering around
the dressing section looking for
Thousand Island sauce.
That led to a talk about a wish for
the ability to cook, a few quiet lines
of how to serve fish and chips, which
finally led to a personal lesson on
A Last-ing impression
Review by Nick Choo
American composer Jason
Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years
(TL5Y) has been a musical theatre
favourite of mine since I first heard
the cast recording in 2003. So I was
thrilled, and apprehensive, when the
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts
Centre (KLPac) announced it would
be staging the show in its Pentas 2.
Apprehensive because TL5Y,
chronicling the relationship of a
young couple over five years, only
features two performers, and has a
score that is as contemporary as it is
complex and demanding.
The relationship between Jamie,
a successful author, and Cathy, a
struggling stage actress, is told from
two distinct points of view: his from
the start of their romance ending
with their break-up; hers from the
end, culminating in their first date.
This means many of the songs
comprise solo performances by
either character, and the couple only
really interact in the middle when
their storylines intersect during the
poignant proposal scene.
Dire ctor Chris L ing and
performers Jon Chew and Tabitha
Kong pulled off TL5Y with aplomb.
While Kong proved to be the
stronger singer, Chew held his own
even if his spoken lines were
occasionally unclear.
He shone in songs like Shiksa
Goddess – a Latin-infused number
how to know if someone was asking
you out. I am pretty clueless about
these things.
He takes me away from my
thoughts describing how he loves
roundabouts.
It’s my one annoyance that I have
with him. Coming up with state-
ments that would guarantee a fol-
low-up question of why, with a long,
definitive explanation waiting.
He loves roundabouts because of
how they compare with real life. The
ability to go three separate directions
or back the way we came. The way we
get to choose what we wish to do,
take a chance on a road less travelled,
a longer journey, or a direct one, de-
pending on our own curiosity and
navigational skills. A navigation sys-
tem based on trust, experience, inter-
est and curiosity. Decisions solemnly
placed in our hands.
But most of all, he loves the abil-
ity to retrace our steps, to turn back
when we have done a mistake and
go down another path, in hope of
finding the right one. And if you
don’t, just turn around from whence
you came and try again.
It is time consuming. It is costly,
especially with petrol prices rising
every month. But in the end, it is a
wonderful and memorable journey
that will be talked about for months
or even years to come.
I ask how many times one can go
through a roundabout without be-
ing reminded about Einstein stating
expounding Jamie’s thrill of rebellion
in dating a non-Jewish girl – and
Moving Too Fast, his paean of self-
praise as he contemplates his triumph
in career and love. And in portraying
Cathy’s struggles in maintaining a
stage career Kong convincingly
conveyed her character’s emotions:
her sadness in the opening song Still
Hurting; her anger as she lashes out
at her husband in See I’m Smiling.
Ultimately it is his success and
her failure that leads to the
dissolution of their relationship.
And when he says goodbye just as
she says hello, the show is as moving
as I had always hoped it would be.
Fiction 19March 25 — 27, 2011
✂
that insanity is doing the same thing
over and over again expecting differ-
ent results.
In my experience, roundabouts
are a hazard. A piece of distraction
placed in between two places that
allow a divergence from the main
goal. A constant circle that tells me
there are other distractions that can
lead to wasteful results.
A reminder that people who do
not know where they are going will
just continually end up driving in a
circle, endangering others. Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at
But most of all, a roundabout is the nearest police station to have regular checks
nothing more than a reminder that at your house while you are away.
if we do not know what we seek, we
will always, always end up where we Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya
began.
Like Einstein said. Insanity.
Tel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815
He pulls over at a roundabout Borang maklumat
with a park in the centre. He asks me Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk
to join him, pulling my hand. The bercuti.
lights in the centre are dim, allowing
us to note that the clouds are still Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis
above us. We’re surrounded by the
roars of singular cars making their ..............................................................................................
way without stopping.
We stand in the centre of the Butiran penduduk:
park. Just quietly enjoying each
other’s company. Nama: ..................................................................................
For a moment there is some
measure of tranquil peace in our Alamat: .................................................................................
lives, littered with the sounds of
crickets. ..............................................................................................
He quietly asks if this was ever an
expected result of Einstein’s, before ..............................................................................................
giving me a quiet peck on the cheek.
It finally starts to rain. Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................
Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................
..............................................................................................
Ling’s staging had the characters Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................
predominantly occupying their own
respective sides of the stage as the Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ...........................................
show began, with images and
multimedia projected on either side Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar
of the stage as backdrops and kenderaan).
snapshots of their relationship.
The characters moved as the 1. ..........................................................................................
story unfolded, so that they ended
up on opposite sides of the space by 2. ..........................................................................................
the time the musical concluded – a
physical representation of the 3. ..........................................................................................
conceit of storytelling that Brown
cleverly employs in his musical. Lain-lain maklumat:
The intricate score was performed
with finesse by pianist and musical ..............................................................................................
director Stephen Tok. But I was
mildly disappointed that Tok had
decided to remove the bass and the
guitar from the ensemble, which
lessened the “pop” sound of the ............................................... .......................................
show. The reduced ensemble Tandatangan Tarikh
featured piano, violin and two
cellos. Regrettably, the frequent off-
pitch of the strings threatened to Have you checked
mar the show, but the strength of
the vocalists managed to lessen the your electrical
impact of off-tune instruments.
All in all, TL5Y was a plus for switches before
Malaysia’s musical theatre scene: an
intimate Broadway show performed leaving home?
with skill and care by two young
performers; which managed to move Before ieaving your home for a holoday, have you
and entertain, and which, presumably, checked all your electrical switches and turned off
would have struck a chord with your gas tanks?
theatre-goers due to its universal
themes of life, love and heartbreak. Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at
The Last Five Years ran at Pentas 2,
KLPac, from 10-20 March 2010. 03-5634 9444
20
FEATURES
MARCH 25 — 27, 2011

Lim, Nur Nabila Get smart!

Play chess!

bag Closed titles By Peter Long

peterlong@aol.asia

By Peter Long And there was little surprise as Lim

Zhou Ren and Nur Nabila Azman Hisham

L
ike a flood of hungry locusts, almost 400
aspiring chess champions from all parts of
Malaysia descended on last-minute host
University Teknologi Petronas in Tronoh, Perak,
for three short but intense days of competition.
UTP hosted for the first time the National Age
Group Championships, which had categories for
open and for girls from ages eight to 18.
Besides a cash award provided by the president
of the World Chess Federation, the Malaysian Chess
Federation also announced that only the top four
finishers would have the right to represent Malaysia
in the World Youth Championships to be held in
Brazil later this year.
Each national champion from the respective
age groups will receive free entry and board and
lodging.
As always, the favourites were all known to one
another, being regulars in the various local tourna-
ments held in the Klang Valley.
emerged as the 2011 National Chess
Champions.
In the men’s event, Lim bested a field of
peers who have all become national champi-
ons in recent years – defending champion
Tan Khai Boon, and top-seeded veteran In-
ternational Master Jimmy Liew, who last won
it in 1984.
S Subramaniam ended the tournament
half a point behind in second place, while
Liew tied with Fong Yit Ho for third/
fourth place.
In the women’s category, Nur Nabila put
aside her recent disappointment of losing in
the playoff to Tan Li Ting in the under-14
category of the recent National Age Group
Championships to emerge as the winner.
Her sister, women’s Fide master Nur
Najiha, finished second with seven points,
while Fong Mi Yen claimed third place.

Results – National Closed Championship (Men): 1. Lim Zhuo
Ren 8 pts; 2. S Subramaniam 7.5 pts; 3. Jimmy Liew, Fong Yit
Ho 7 pts; 5. Yeap Eng Chiam, Loo Swee Leong, Fong Yit San,
Elgin Lee 6.5 pts; 9. Edward Lee, Yeoh Li Tian 6 pts. National
Closed Championship (Women): 1. Nur Nabila Azman Hisham
7.5 pts; 2. Nur Najiha Azman Hisham 7 pts; 3. Fong Mi Yen 6.5
pts; 4. Tan Li Ting 6 pts; 5. Azhar Puteri Rifqah Fahada, Camilia
Johari, S. Sarika, Azhar Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahra, Tang Kar
Khei, Haslindah Ruslan 5.5 pts.
Boys’ Age Group Under-8: 1. Tan Jun Ying 7 pts; 2. Lye Lik
Zang 6.5 pts; 3. Muhd Faqih Aminuddin, Ng Shi Yang, Teh De
Yong 5.5 pts. Under-10: 1. Teh De Juan 7.5 pts; 2. Wong Yinn
Long 6.5 pts; 3. benjamin Lee, Kong Dak Nam, Max Wong 6
pts. Under-12: 1. Ooi Zhi Yang 7 pts; 2. Mohd Noor Azam Mohd
Noor, Tan Yong Zhao 6 pts. Under-14: 1. Roshan Ajeet Singh,
Aron The 6.5 pts; 3. Tan Wei Hao, Muhd Irfan Haqqim Azhar, S
Subramaniam 6 pts. Under-16: 1. Wong Jianwen 8 pts; 2. Yeap
Eng Chiam 6.5 pts; Elgin Lee, Jeff Tan 6 pts. Under-18: 1. Muhd
Nabil Azman Hisham 7 pts; 2. Mark Siew, Low Jun Jian 5.5 pts.
Girls’ Age Group Under-10: 1. Teh De Zen 8 pts; 2. Puteri
Munajjah Az-Zahraa 6.5 pts; 3. Teh Ming Min 6 pts. Under-12: 1.
Nur Najiha Azman Hisham 7 pts; 2. Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar
6.5 pts; 3. S Nithyalakshmi 6 pts. Under-14: 1. Wendy Tan, Nur
Nabila Azman Hisham 7 pts; 3. Camilia Johari, Hoh Tjin Hui 6
pts. Under-16: 1. J Pavitranayagi 6.5 pts; 2. S Sarika, Hoh Tjin Li
5 pts. Under-18: 1. Latifah Kaiyisah Mohd Latib 5.5 pts; 2. Adele
Lau 4.5 pts; 3. Fatin Nur Nadirah Mat Rahim, Winnie Hong 4 pts.

FEATURED GAME
This game is typical of the play of under-14 winner Roshan Ajeet Singh. Imaginative and highly tactical in
a somewhat “trappy” fashion.
Taman Sentosa
Teoh Ern Tek-Roshan Ajeet Singh declared Zon Bersih
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. f3 Qc7 7. Bd3 d5 8. Nd2 Nc6 9. c3 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 KLANG: Taman Sentosa was de-
11. Rc1 Bd7 12. f4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Rad8 14. Kh1 e5 15. fxe5 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Qxe5 17. Qf3 Bd6 18. g3 clared Zon Bersih last Saturday in a
bid to clean up the area.
Around 200 volunteers, includ-
ing Taman Sentosa residents and
employees of Panasonic and Klang
Municipal Council (MPK), joined
the gotong-royong.
Executive councillor Dr Xavier
Jayakumar and Panasonic Manufac-
turing Malaysia managing director
Yamaguchi Masahiko launched the
event in the morning.
Panasonic also sponsored around
RM10,000 in signage for the area
to inform residents that Taman
Sentosa is now listed as Zon Bersih.
Zon Bersih started in 2008 and
is the state’s initiative to identify the
dirtiest areas in each local council
and clean them within a year.
Special focus is given by the local
council on areas declared Zon Ber-
sih, including stricter enforcement
on litterbugs, increasing the number
of garbage bins, and upgrading the
drains and landscape.
Dr Xavier, who is also the Seri
Andalas assemblyperson, said Pekan
Meru and Pandamaran in Klang had
also previously been declared Zon
Bersih.

Dr Xavier (with glasses) and Yamaguchi (on his right) painting a Zon
18. …Rde8 19.Bf4 Qxe4 20.Bxd6 Nxd4 21.Qxe4 Rxe4 22.Bxf8 Ne2 23.Rcd1 Bc6 24.Rg1 Rd4+ 0-1. Bersih sign in Taman Sentosa.
 Media 21
March 25 — 27, 2011

Russian option for

By Basil Foo

PETALING JAYA: For aspiring

medical practitioners, there are

more choices besides the traditional
medical schools in United King-
dom, Australia or India.
Those without a place in public
universities or the funds for local
private universities can look
8,000km north for an opportunity.
The Kursk State Medical Univer-
sity (KSMU) is among five other
medical universities in Russia to
have been recognised by the Malay-
sian government.
Of the five, KSMU is the only
one which conducts its classes fully
in English, with faculties like den-
tistry and pharmacy.
“The university was recognised in
August 2001, and since then the
student rate has been going up every
year,” said Maggaram Sdn Bhd man-
aging director Datuk M Varatharaju.
Maggaram is the sole representa-
tive for KSMU in the Asia Pacific
region. To date, it has enrolled
1,200 students, of which 450 have
graduated and work in Malaysian
hospitals.
A competitive cost plan for stu-
aspiring doctors
dents is offered by the company,
which Varatharaju explained in an
interview with Selangor Times.
The yearly cost of a medical de-
gree in local universities can be be-
tween RM40,000 and RM60,000,
whereas a medical degree in Kursk
costs only RM17,000 yearly.
“The course in local universities
is five years, while in Russia the
overall tuition fee is RM103,000 for
six years,” he said.
On top of the tuition fees, Mag-
garam arranges accommodation,
transport, life insurance, visa appli-
cation and other documentations
for Malaysians to study there.
They will also register students as
undergraduate doctors with the
Malaysian Medical Association
(MMA).
Counting the added services of-
fered and an RM7,000 average for
yearly food and personal expenses,
the total cost of study for six years is
RM213,000.
“This is the best fee structure
which is offered by any medical
university, so more people can af-
ford to go,” Varatharaju said.
Legal fees will also be charged for
students to sign an agreement with
the university to keep the fees paid
by them unchanged throughout the
six years of their study there.
Accommodation will be fixed at
a nearby hostel for a year in order
for students to acclimatise to their
surroundings.
“Our staff will accompany the
students on their flight and will be
on hand in Kursk to give them
guided tours of the town,” he said.
Students will have to take Rus-
sian classes in Malaysia
either through the Rus-
sian embassy or through
a pre-university pro -
gramme.
“We have signed an
agreement with Winfield
College in Kuala Lumpur
to teach foundation in
science. After that, the Maggaram managing director
Datuk Varatharaju.
students can start their
first year in Kursk,” he said.
Students will also get to use their “Then they would go to the Pub-
Russian, especially when speaking lic Services Commission to be given
with patients after their third year a job in a local hospital for two years
when they serve time in Russian as a houseman,” he said.
hospitals. “After the two years they would
Once students graduate and re- become medical officers, and they
ceived their medical degrees, they can choose to become a general
can come back to Malaysia to regis- practitioner or a postgraduate doc-
ter with the Malaysian Medical tor specialising in specific fields,”
Council as doctors. Varatharaju added.

Little chefs learn to cook at Sunway Pyramid

SHAH ALAM: Nori, kani and
tamago were among the few new
words parents and children at
Sunway Pyramid learnt during the
recent school break.
The shopping mall, together with
Robot Sushi and Cupcake Chic,
designed a sushi-making class and
cupcake-decorating workshop for
80 children aged between five and
12 in conjunction with the one-
week school holiday.
During the sushi-making class,
children learnt the names of the
ingredients used such as nori
(seaweed), kani (crabstick) and
t a m a g o ( Japanese sweet eg g
omelette).
They also learnt how to roll
different types of sushi such as maki
sushi (sushi rolls), temaki sushi
(hand-rolled sushi), nigiri sushi
(hand-pressed sushi) and gunkan
sushi (ship-shaped nigiri).
With the help of Robot Sushi
chefs, the children used the
can enjoy,” said Phang Sau Lian,
marketing director for Sunway
Pyramid.
As both classes were free of
charge and space was limited, it was
no surprise that parents were quick
to enrol their children. Both classes
were held only during the weekends
of March 12-20.
Apart from vouchers, each child Cupcake
also automatically became an Chic
official Leo Cub, a club newly provided the
formed for children ages 12 and ingredients
below. and tools
for these
“Children love our mascot, Leo,
children
and we thought it’s the right time to create
now to create a children’s club with their own
Leo as the main attraction. cupcakes
“We will organise more children’s (left), while
events and workshops in the near kids learnt
future and Leo Cubs will be given how to roll
priority. Parents of Leo Cubs will their own
also be able to enjoy discounts in favourite
several children’s outlets and sushi with
Robot Sushi.
restaurants in the mall,” said Phang.

ingredients provided to roll their
own sushi. They were each given the
chance to roll all four types of sushi
before getting the chance to roll
their favourite throughout the one-
hour class.
During Cupcake Chic’s cupcake-
decorating workshop, the children
were given a cupcake each and
edible decorative elements such as
colourful sprinkles, chocolate
sprinkles, chocolate balls, heart-
shaped sugar icing and more.
Different sizes of icing bags were
also provided so each child could try
decorating their cupcakes with icing
before sprinkling their favourite
toppings.
“Sushi and cupcakes are usually
favoured among children, hence we
decided to have workshops involving
these two food items this school
holiday.
“It’s not a long school break, but
we thought we should still prepare
activities both parents and children
Dr Kong steps in
SHAH ALAM: Hong Kong-based
footcare specialist Dr Kong Footcare
has finally arrived in Malaysia.
Dr Kong Footcare opened its first
retail outlet at Tropicana City Mall
last Thursday with a grand ceremony
officiated by the founder and CEO of
Dr Kong Footcare Ltd (Hong Kong)
Raymond Ng and the managing
director of the Malaysian chapter,
Edmund Lee.
To help step up the event were
local celebrities like MyFM DJ and
actor Jack Lim, violinist Dennis Lau,
actress Liza Othman, and a special
guest from Hong Kong, Purple Lee.
Lee, a trained United Kingdom-
registered orthotist and prosthetist,
said that proper footcare is especially
Representatives and guests at the launch of Dr Kong important for young children as ill-
Footcare. fitting shoes can result in foot
problems like flatfoot and rearfoot
valgus.
“The original Check & Fit service
ensures that products are fit to a tee for
customers’ health protection,” said Ng.
According to him, surveys have
shown that over 60% of schoolchildren
have flatfoot syndrome but their
parents do not know it.
Purple Lee, who specialises in
children song s, performed the
signature “exercise” song for Dr Kong
Footcare.
Dr Kong Footcare has 54 retail
outlets in Hong Kong and 65 retail
outlets in China.
Customers are able to have their feet
assessed at the Check & Fit foot
examination machine by a team of
health assistants before selecting and
inserting suitable insoles for their shoes.
22
Gallery
March 25 — 27, 2011

A temple member ties a headband on Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne during a ceremony
at the Devi Sri Samundieswary temple on Friday (March 18). Looking on are Subang Jaya
assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh and MPSJ councillor Edward Ling.
Two participants
apply lipstick on each
other during a press
conference on Tuesday
announcing the
celebration of Women’s
Day for disabled women.
The event will be
organised by the
Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) on
March 27.

Hindu devotees at
the Devi Sri
Samundieswary
temple lifting a
flag during the
ceremony on
Friday to honour
their patron deity.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk

Roslan Sakiman (front, third
from left), Kota Damansara
MP Dr Nasir Hashim (far
right), Pakatan Rakyat
representatives, and Friends
of Kota Damansara
chairperson Dr Jeffery Phang
(far left) at a tree-planting
ceremony to commemorate
the launch of a herb
garden in Kota Damansara
last Saturday.

Children
enjoying
themselves
at the Snow
Walk at
i-City, Shah
Alam, last
Saturday
(March
19). The
Snow Walk
features a
50,000sq ft
area filled
with snow
and ice.

ART
Plonk & Replonk:
Postcards From
Another World
Exhibition; Embassy of Switzerland;
The Annexe Gallery, Central Market;
March 22-27, 2011; free admission;
03-2070 1137; www.annexegallery.
com
Plonk & Replonk is a series
of postcards that takes old
photographs and turns them into
irreverent, humorous tableaus: a
family during the “terrible moustache
epidemic of 1980”; a mansion-
side lake invaded by a giant squid;
the blurred faces of a hyperactive
pre-school class. A good chuckle,
courtesy of the Switzerland-mari
Froivedaux Brothers. In conjunction
with French Language Week 2011.
INTERVIEW
A veteran social activist and budding
abstract painter, Norhayati Kaprawi
has also been making kick-ass
documentaries for the past year or
so. Her first movie, Mencari Kartika,
looked at the public, official, and
intellectual reactions of Malaysians
at the caning of Kartika Sari Dewi
Shukarno for drinking alcohol. It
included a rare, candid interview
with Kartika herself – whose
articulate defiance starkly contrasted
with the more demure portrayals of
her in the media.
Norhayati’s second film, Aku
Siapa, is about the relationship
Malaysian Muslim women have
with their hijabs. It premiered last
February to a full theatre and critical
praise.
As we’ll be getting another
chance to catch it on March 28
courtesy of Kelab Seni Filem
Malaysia, I asked Norhayati about
Aku Siapa, using the documentary
as a medium, and fighting
misinformation about religious
issues.
What is Aku Siapa about? Why
make a film about the hijab?
I was inspired to make this
documentary after I noticed the
current trend of women taking off
their tudung, or loosening up in the
way they wear their tudung.
I wanted to explore the reasons
why women wear the hijab. Has it
always been popular in Malaysia?
If not, when did it start to become
popular? Who or what popularised
it? If the tudung is a “new” trend,
how did Muslim women dress in
the past, and what was our ulema’s
views at that time?
You interviewed both the public
and scholars for your film. What
does the Quran (and Islamic
law) say about covering aurat,
especially when it comes to
women? Is there diversity in
terms of scholarly opinion?
Apart from women’s
lived realities today, and
the historical aspect, Aku
Siapa also puts forward
the diverse religious
views on the issue. Many
of the people who watch
this documentary were
surprised that some of
the religious opinions it
contained were not so
known to them – and
this wasn’t because
these views are very
new or not valid, but just
because they haven’t
been made popular.
This is where
The audience during the February screening.
Editor’s
Pick
CINTAKASIH
Exhibition; House of
Matahati, Ampang;
March 19-April 9, 2011;
free admission; 03-9285
6004; houseofmatahati.
blogspot.com
Superstar painter Bayu Utomo Radjikin is best known for figurative
work: portraits that channel the Malay warrior archetype. This latest show
takes a slightly different track. CINTAKASIH is a series of 10 charcoal
drawings and four paintings that take the classical Odissi dancer as its
subject, “the artist’s first serious attempt at representing the fairer sex”.
Also featuring the work of figurative painters Marvin Chan and Kow
Leong Kiang, with curatorial essay by Anurendra Jegadeva.
Norhayati during the screening of Mencari Kartika.
independent documentary filmmakers
need to play a role: to help bring
the marginalised to the centre, and
to highlight unheard voices – which
includes the voices of “silenced” texts.
Why make documentaries?
Audio-visual forms like film are
undeniably a popular medium. Writing
books or pamphlets is also good,
and holding workshops and forums is
also important. Whatever the medium
is, what’s important to me is how
memorable the message is, and how
it can invite people to start to critically
reflect about our own issues.
Both your films have tried to
convey the wide variety of public
opinion about their subjects. Do
you have any overarching goals in
making your movies?
My documentary films deal with
issues faced by Malaysians – and
Malaysian Muslims, in particular. It
is my small attempt at adding colour
to our film industry, and the religious
discourse in Malaysia.
I wish to promote the
democratisation of knowledge. In the
course of making and screening these
documentaries, I’ve found that there is
a lot of misinformation about religious
issues.
Mencari Kartika, for example – when
it was shown, it was the first for most
of the audience to understand the
motivations behind Kartika issuing the
statements and making the decisions
that she did.
Information on religious matters
should be openly discussed, and not
be the monopoly of certain figures only.
The religious and political leaders have
their views, but these should remain as
opinions that are open for debate. The
experiences of laypersons like us are
as important, and need to be heard.
In fact, there have been many
occasions where religious authorities
(or religious political parties) have
changed their stand on certain issues
after receiving feedback from civil
society groups or from the public. I
want to invite people
to start questioning
and keep reflecting
– to ensure that the
interpretations and
actions that are made
in the name of religion
provide justice to us, the
people.
Aku Siapa, March 28,
2011 (8.15pm) at the
HELP University College
Theatrette. Presented by
Lensa Srikandi and KSFM.
Limited spaces; contact
lensasrikandi@ymail.com
Culture 23
March 25 — 27, 2011
Compiled by Zedeck Siew
THEATRE / MUSIC / DANCE
LAT Kampung Boy: Sebuah Musikal
Musical; Tall Order Productions; Istana Budaya; March 16-April
3, 2011; RM40; www.istanabudaya.gov.my
A star-studded musical-theatre take of cartoonist Lat’s beloved
Kampung Boy and Town Boy – graphic novels about growing up
in rural Perak and Ipoh in the national adolescence of the 1960s.
This stage adaptation doesn’t really capture the tone of the
books – simultaneously funny, optimistic and quietly filled with
pathos – but still manages to be an entertaining romp. Featuring
Awie (as Lat), Atilia, Datuk Rahim Razali, Douglas Lim, and
Sandra Sodhy. Music by Michael Veerapen and choreography by
Pat Ibrahim.
I Am Not My
Pimples
Theatre performance; KL
Performing Arts Centre;
March 24-26, 2011; RM33;
03-4047 9000; www.klpac.
com
Mark Beau de Silva’s work
has always been about the
melodrama of family and
growing up. His current
method of delivery (Hokkien-
language comedy) is
relatively fresher – and more
successful: last year’s Big
Head & Potato Head won
big at the 9th ADA Drama
Awards early this year. The playwright’s new work, I Am Not
My Pimples, is about a 35-year-old woman still struggling with
acne; her skin problem prompts her to embark on flashbacks
into her family history. A “comedy about growing up with spots,
and digging deeper to heal them from within”. Part of KLPac’s
Resident Directors Season. In Hokkien with English subtitles.
Muzik Ku: Muzik Mu
Music festival; Kakiseni; The Celebrities Club, Solaris Mont
Kiara; weekends, March 11-April 2, 2011; free admission; www.
kakiseni.com
One of the main events of Kakiseni’s Women:100 festival
(ongoing throughout March) is Muzik Ku: Muzik Mu, a music
platform with an all-women line-up. This weekend, listen to
music of Chinese musical and drama stars Z Yan and Yeh Foong
(March 25), and folk/indie/blues singer-guitarist Zalila Lee (March
26). Free admission through online booking only.
She Moves at a Deliberate Pace
Dance performance; Lapar Lab; Panggung Bandaraya; March
24-26, 2011; free admission; www.kakiseni.com
The Lapar Lab dance company is a busy little outfit, putting
on one show a year since its founding in 2006. Their works
are earnest examples of contemporary dance: not always
conceptually rigorous, but always excellently performed and
engaging to watch. This new work features choreographers Amy
Len and Jonathan Poole (UK) exploring the “superiority of being
a woman … and to celebrate womanhood as it is the true worth
of humanity”. With artistic direction by Leng Poh Gee. Part of
Kakiseni’s Women:100 festival. Free admission through online
booking only.
Cracking in
Progress
Dance performance; Rimbun
Dahan; The Actors Studio
@ Lot 10; March 27, 2011;
admission with RM10
donation; 03-2142 2009;
www.theactorsstudio.com.
my
Crack, a performance about
the “developing individuality
of a new generation of
Cambodians after their
civil war”, is a collaboration
between Brussels-based
choreographer Arco Renz
and the Cambodia-based
Amrita Performing Arts
company. Both are in
residence at Rimbun Dahan,
developing this work for the Singapore Arts Festival 2011.
Crack’s KL showing is a work-in-progress demo, in which Renz
will present and explain the movements created so far. With
support from Goethe-Institut Southeast Asia and the Flemish
Authorities – International Projects.
Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.