commnty

September 9 — 11, 2011

issue 40

New hope forfamilies ofmassacre victims

CelebratingMalaysiaDay

12 & 13

Pet hotels – a DisturbingtrenD

• Turn To page 2

‘Ghost’ bus-stopsin Subang Jaya

bd Ch'

subang Jaya:

Public busstops with no buses are a eaturehere, thanks to the lack o coordi-nation between the local counciland the Land Public ransportCommission (SPAD).Dozens o bus-stops, each costing RM40,000 and built throughoutthe municipality over the years bythe Subang Jaya Municipal Council(MPSJ), remain redundant.Councillor R Rajiv blames SPADor what he describes as “ghost bus-stops” along the streets o MPSJ.Tese bus-stops were built basedon requests by residents, who hopedthat public buses would comethrough, but this remains a pipedream.“Tey (SPAD) are neither work-ing with us to solve public transport woes nor providing us with inorma-tion on bus routes and schedules,”Rajiv said.MPSJ has been repeatedly re-questing a list o bus operating routes and time schedules romSPAD, but to no avail.Rajiv pointed out that without alist o routes rom SPAD, MPSJ isat a loss as to how to proceed withthe bus-stops.In response to his letter writtenover a month ago, Rajiv was in-ormed by SPAD that MPSJ shouldtake the initiative and request all pertaining inormation rom variousbus operators.“Teir reply le me speechless.Tey are in charge o bus operators,and they should be the one asking bus companies to send schedules tous,” said Rajiv.He explained that since the coun-cil has no authority over bus opera-tors, it would be hard to attain in-ormation.Furthermore, the council doesnot even know how many buses havebeen licensed to operate by SPAD,and it would be impossible to re-quest or the schedule.Rajiv, who is part o MPSJ’s in-rastructure committee which over-sees public transport and trafc, also wrote to the commission aboutadding taxi-waiting areas.His concern is that taxis are stop- ping illegally at hotspots like JalanSS15/8 and Mydin USJ1, narrowing three-lane roads to one lane.“Enorcing the law shouldn’t bele to SPAD ofcers entirely. MPSJhas the powers to summon vehiclesthat cause obstruction, too,” claimedthe Land Public ransport Commis-sion in their email reply to Rajiv.Rajiv disputes those claims, say-ing MPSJ does not have enorce-ment powers to summon taxis orbuses that stop illegally.“MPSJ is only authorised to sum-mon cars which park illegally, nottaxis waiting to pick up customers,”said Rajiv.SPAD urther claims that theirenorcement division managed toinspect 52,413 vehicles throughtheir daily operations.O that, more than 1,500 noticeshave been issued to vehicle operators

Selangorku, Idamanku

Tch Lim Wi L shi f ltswith h six-y-ld s d tw-y-ld dht t  sdy sh i TmKl utm  Thsdy f th LtFstivl. Th clbti, ls kw sth Mid-atm  Mck Fstivl, ishld  th 15th dy f th ihth mthf th Chis cld, which flls Mdy (St 12) this y.

‘Consult local councils,residents for master plan’

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EDITORIAL

CHIEF EDITOR

KL Chan

COMMUNITY EDITOR

Neville Spykerman

WRITERS

Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ng

COPY EDITORS

Nick Choo, James Ang

DESIGNERS

Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man Yen

ADVERTISING

Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi, Tony Kee

ADVISORS

Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz

September 9 — 11, 2011

news

based on their various misconduct.“Issuing notices just isn’t goodenough. Tey should rectiy it by con-sulting MPSJ and come up with a planto add more taxi stands at hotspots,”said Rajiv.He pointed out that MPSJ has o-ered to help SPAD design their publictransport master plan, which is due tocome out this month.he move would allow SPAD togain a better insight into the transpor-tation needs o the public here and addit into the master plan.However, SPAD said in responsethat MPSJ could reer to the master plan to ully understand the bigger picture, and that the commission wel-comes all specic eedback and sugges-tions or their micro/local plan.“But how can they have a master plan without consulting all the localcouncils and residents to understandthe needs? What is the master plangoing to be based on?” Rajiv rebutted.SPAD’s master plan is supposed toimprove public transportation withinKuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.Tis include improvements in the lightrail transit (LR) extension, and morebus coverage to plug gaps in routes.

• From page one

New hope for familiesof massacre victims

Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM:

Families o Batang Kali massacre victims may see justice with the British High Court decisionto allow a judicial review to challenge Whitehall’s reusal to re-investigatethe killings.“I wish my mother, Tam Yong, who survived the massacre, couldhave lived to see this,” said Chong Nyok Keyu, 51, rom Ulu Yam.Chong hopes the truth o the 1948killings o 24 unarmed rubber tappers, whom the British claimed were com-munists, will nally be exposed inthe upcoming court hearings.Chong and three other claimantsrepresenting the victims’ amiliesled or a judicial review on Feb 25this year against the UK government.Te other three claimants are LimKok, whose ather was beheaded bythe Scot Guards; Wooi Kum Tai, whose ather was also killed; and LohAh Choi, who claimed to have wit-nessed his uncle being shot dead.he UK government had lastNovember rejected the victims’ ami-lies’ request to reopen a public in-quiry, and their demands or anapology and monetary compensation.Despite being the colonial rulerin Malaya in 1948, the UK govern-ment claimed the Scot Guards wereonly present in Selangor “in support”o the Selangor ruler at that time, andthereore should not be held respon-sible or the killings.British judge Silber J granted theour claimants permission or judi-cial review last month as he observedthat the case raises “arguable issueso importance”.he our claimants are repre-sented by John Halord rom Lon-“How will they know how manybuses to license, which routes to take,and the requency o the buses i theydo not consult local councils?” saidRajiv.He said it was impossible or SPADto regulate public transport routes in alllocal councils efciently without con-sulting stakeholders.Rajiv has urged SPAD to organise adialogue session between MPSJ andresidents and ne-tune the master planbeore it is publicised this month.“Public transport is supposed to helpthe public, and I think they should playa role in drawing up this master plan,too. SPAD should take in their eed-back,” said Rajiv.SPAD did not respond at press time when contacted by

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Selangor WeaTHer

Source:

Malaysian meteorological department

o f thuusd bus-sts iSub Jy.

don-based law rm Bindmans. Tey were also granted legal aid unding by the UK Legal Service Commis-sion to pursue the case.Te claimants were present at the press conerence yesterday, withtheir Malaysian lawyers Firoz Hus-sein Abdul Jamaluddin, DatukDominic Puthucheary and QuekNgee Meng.Quek urged the UK governmentto release all ofcial documents re-lated to the massacre as well asaborted attempts to investigate theincident in the past ew decades.“Te British judges have sent anunequivocal message to the govern-ment that there can be no cover upo massacres committed [during thecolonial period],” said Quek.He pointed out this is the secondtime the UK courts have allowed judicial review sought by victimsrom ormer colonised states againstthe UK government or allegedcrimes committed during the colo-nial period. In July, the British HighCourt allowed our elderly Kenyansto sue the UK government or al-leged torture 50 years ago.Te Batang Kali massacre was rstexposed by UK newspaper

he People

in 1970, leading to an investi-gation commissioned by the UKgovernment, but the probe was ter-minated midway due to a change ingovernment.Te BBC highlighted the killingsagain in 1992 in a documentary ti-tled

In Cold Blood

, in which ormerScot Guards admitted the incident was a massacre.On our own shores, the MalayanAttorney-General had conducted aninvestigation into the incident in1949 and concluded that the 24unarmed men would have escapedhad the Scot Guards not opened re.But only the soldiers were inter- viewed and the amilies’ statements were excluded.UK daily

Te Guardian

reportedin April that the police had reopenedinvestigation in the 1990s, but theUK government had pressured Ma-laysian authorities to halt the probe.

(F lft) Clits Wi Ku Thi, Lh ah Chi, Li Kkd Ch nyk Kyu.

September 9 — 11, 2011

News

New highwayto ease snarl

SERDANG:

A new 17kmhighway linking Serdang, Kinraraand Putrajaya is expected to bebuilt by 2016.Te Serdang-Kinrara-Putrajaya(SKIP) Expressway, with seveninterchanges and three toll plazas,is expected to beneit at least100,000 motorists.Construction is expected tobegin in early 2012.“Once the highway is com- pleted, Serdang residents can useit instead o Jalan Besar to enter and exitSerdang,” said Seri Kembangan assemblyper-son Ean Yong Hian Wah.He said residents have long appealed tothe ederal government to solve the traccongestion on Jalan Besar.According to Serdang MP eo Nie Ching,over 60,000 cars use Jalan Besar daily.She said the road is classied as “F” class, which is the worst trac rating.eo said the new highway is expected toimprove Jalan Besar’s trac rating rom “F”to “C” based on a trac impact assessment.rac congestion will also be reduced insouthern Puchong as Serdang residents canuse the SKIP Expressway instead o theDamansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) toaccess Putrajaya.Te highway will start upnorth at Bandar Kinrara 5, passby Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve,and subsequently split into twodirections near aman LestariPerdana.From there, motorists cancontinue travel down southtowards Putrajaya, Cyberjayaand the South Klang ValleyExpressway, or head east to- wards aman Universiti Indahand Serdang.Meanwhile, Subang Jaya municipalcouncillor Ng Sze Han

(pic)

said the localcouncil has instructed the highwayconcessionaire to conduct a detailed studyon the impact o the construction on theAyer Hitam Forest Reserve and its watercatchment areas.He said the local council has requested theconcessionaire to align the highway along theorest border to minimise ecological impacton the orest.he concessionaire and the MalaysianHighway Authority brieed the Subang JayaMunicipal Council on the highway construc-tion plan two weeks ago.It is expected to be constructed as an ele- vated highway along old roads to minimisethe need to acquire land.

Nostalgic reminder of M’sia for Aussie veterans

Alvin Yap

PETALING JAYA:

Former Australiansoldiers who served in Malaysia got anostalgic reminder rom the PhilharmonicSociety o Selangor

(pic)

during their recenttour to Perth.“It was a poignant event, and the ormerDiggers came up and told us it was touching or them to hear Malay songs being sung,” saidconductor and musical director Cheryl eh.eh and the 60-member choir perormedbeore a 100-strong audience comprising war veterans and distinguished guests at theMerdeka Day 2011 Commemorative Ser viceor the Malaya and Borneo Veterans’ Asso-ciation (Western Australia branch).Te ormer servicemen ought World WarII battles in Malaya, Borneo, Singapore, Javaand imor, apart rom playing a major rolein the Malayan Emergency and the Malaysian-Indonesian Conrontation.Te ormer soldiers conversed with thechoir in Malay and even Hokkien, with manyasking them about amous landmarks and places in the peninsula during their deploy-ment rom the late 1940s to 1960s.“hey talked about these places withnostalgia and ond remembrance,” said ehafer the group’s return rom Perth.During the opening speech, the presidento the veterans’ association said the armedorces were called to deend Malaya in the years leading to nationhood.“We glimpsed the sun going down on anempire, and indeed the birth o the Malaysiannation, protected by its Commonwealthneighbours,” Bill Adamson told the audiencethat also included Malaysian Consul-GeneralHamidah Ashari and Western AustraliaGovernor Malcolm McCusker.Te Phil sang a medley o classics, notablythe late crooner P Ramlee’s

Getaran Jiwa

, andthe national anthems o Malaysia andAustralia.he choir also perormed at theInternational Spring Choral Festival inBunbury, with the women’s baju kebaya andmen’s batik shirts attracting attention.Te Western Australia tour is the Phil’s rstoverseas concert since its ounding in 1958.Te choir will be presenting a thanksgiving concert called

Return from Oz

next monthand a Christmas choral perormance in lateDecember.Tey will also open their membership tothe public next month in time or theirChristmas production.