theSun | TUESDAY APRIL 14 2009 7

news without borders

Shahrizat to improve
New initiatives to enhance It’s all
smiles as Ng
hands over
her duties
to Shahrizat.
delivery system
KUALA LUMPUR: Women, Family and Community De-
velopment Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is
determined to improve the ministry’s delivery system

tourism industry
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Min-
ister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen
said yesterday her ministry will
embark on several initiatives to
enhance the tourism industry
and its products.
“We will have our ears on the
ground and constantly consult
with industry players. We hope to
have our first round of dialogues
with industry players soon.
“Next, we will be going to
each state. We definitely have a
role to play in each state, and we
will focus on tourism products,”
she said, adding that it includes
states led by the Opposition.
“We also have to study
(tourism) products which have
aged and find ways to add value
to these products. Whatever that
can be solved must be solved
immediately,” she said, referring
to any problem faced by the
ministry and the local tourism
industry.
Ng also said the Homestay
programme will also be studied
She said it is important for the
ministry to be respected locally
and abroad and it must stay
transparent and accountable.
“The tourism industry is a
‘people’ industry. We can’t be
too bureaucratic but must have
some flexibility.”
She also said an inter-minis-
terial task force will be set up to
enhance the ministry’s delivery
system.
On theSun’s report about
the RM18 million failed taxi
management venture
Tourism Malaysia’s business arm
Pempena Sdn Bhd, she said this
is a ‘highly technical issue’ and
she will wait for ongoing probes
to complete before deciding on
the next course of action.
Speaking to reporters after
chairing her inaugural ministerial
meeting yesterday, Ng said: “My
stand is to allow investigation
by audit firm PriceWaterhouse-
Coopers and a special committee
to do their work first. Whatever
must be done must be done …
so that we (ministry) can move
forward.
to resolve problems faced by the target groups under
the ministry.
“We have allocations and various programmes; it’s
just that we now need to act fast and effectively for
the benefit of those who need our help.
“Many of them complain that they don’t get any
assistance. It’s not that we are not giving, but we don’t
know what kind of help they need,” she told reporters
after the handing over of duties by former minister
Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen here.
Shahrizat said the 13 months during which she had
become an “ordinary citizen” before returning to head
the ministry yesterday had given her much exposure
on the needs of these people.
“It was a golden opportunity for me to learn and to
observe as an ordinary person the aspirations of the
target groups, their hopes of getting aid, guidance and
other rights,” she said. – Bernama
by
briefs
Manikumar made exco man
ALOR STAR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s S. Maniku-
mar, who won the Bukit Selambau state seat
by-election last Tuesday, was appointed a state
executive councillor in charge of domestic trade
and consumer affairs yesterday.
He filled the portfolio left vacant by former
exco member V. Arumugam, who had resigned
as the Bukit Selambau assemblyman.
Manikumar, 35, will also be in charge of
Siamese and Indian affairs, plantation workers
BERNAMAPIX

to determine its effectiveness “We must not repeat the

and the study will be headed by
her deputy Datuk Seri Sulaiman
Taib.
Welfare main focus of new defence minister
KUALA LUMPUR: New
Defence Minister Datuk Seri
Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said
yesterday the ministry would
give priority to the welfare
of military personnel and
former servicemen and their
families.
He said the emphasis on
the three groups would be a
continuity of the efforts under-
taken by Prime Minister Datuk
same thing and there must be
greater accountability as well as
transparency.”
Seri Najib Abdul Razak when
he held the defence portfolio.
He was speaking to re-
porters after officially taking
over the helm of the Defence
Ministry here.
Ahmad Zahid said he would
also assimilate Islam-based
elements into the administra-
tion but would not neglect the
rights and interests of people
of other religions.
He said his experience
of having been the political
secretary to Najib when the
latter was the defence minis-
ter from 1990 to 1993 would
give him some advantage in
helming the ministry.
On events organised by the
ministry, he said the Langkawi
International Maritime and
Aerospace (Lima) exhibition
and the Defence Services
Zahid inspects a
guard-of-honour
mounted by officers
and men of the 1st
Battalion, Royal
Malay Regiment.
BERNAMAPIX
Asia (DSA) conference and
exhibition would continue to
be held.
Ahmad Zahid said Deputy
Defence Minister Datuk Dr
Abdul Latiff Ahmad would also
take charge of the National
Service Training Programme.
“We will cooperate with
the Education Ministry in
producing school cadets to
enlighten students on mat-
ters pertaining to defence
and, at the same time, identify
excellent school cadets for
absorption into the armed
forces later,” he said.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid took
the salute and inspected a
guard-of-honour mounted by
officers and men of the 1st
Battalion, Royal Malay Regi-
ment.
Present were Abdul Latiff,
ministry secretary-general
Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah,
Chief of Defence Forces Gen
Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal
and unity.
He took his oath of office before the Sultan
of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah,
ahead of an investiture ceremony held in
conjunction with the Sultan’s 81st birthday at
Istana Anak Bukit here.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak,
Speaker Datuk Dr Abdul Isa Ismail, all the other
state exco members and senior state govern-
ment officials were among those present.
– Bernama
Granny dies of heart attack
in break-in
TELUK INTAN: An octogenarian died of a heart
attack, following a break-in at her house in Jalan
Tech Laxamana here, early yesterday.
Mahindra Low Koon Eng, 81, had just called her son to say
that three masked men armed with machetes had
wins ransacked the house but fled empty-handed in the
Satyam bid incident about 3am.
pg 16 However, upon finishing the conversation, she
fell unconscious on the floor and died.
Hilir Perak police chief ACP Goh Kok Liang said
a post mortem revealed that Low died of a heart
attack.
He said the burglars fled empty-handed as
RM11,000 was found intact in one of the rooms.
Goh said Low was in her bedroom with an Indo-
nesian maid when the burglars confronted them
after gaining entry through a wooden wall separat-
ing the room and the family’s coffee-processing
factory. He said the two women were tied up before
the burglars ransacked the house. – Bernama

and the chiefs of the three

Kong confident despite heavy responsibility
KUALA LUMPUR: New Housing and
Local Government Minister Datuk
Kong Cho Ha is determined to enhance
the quality and service of the ministry.
This is line with the aspiration of
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Razak, who wants all ministries to give
the best service and be people-oriented.
For a start, he said, he would sit at
the same table as the secretary-general,
senior officers and department heads
and listen to their briefings so that
he gets a comprehensive view of the
ministry.
Kong said the ministry, under his
predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan,
had put in a lot of initiative to drive the
ministry forward.
“I think all these will continue,” he
told reporters after the handing over of
duties at the ministry here yesterday.
Kong praised the hard work and
programmes that have been put in
place by Ong and promised that he and
his deputy, Datuk Lajim Ukin, would
continue to work hard to provide the
best service to the people.
“I come to this ministry with an
open mind. Together with our officers,
we will work as a team to continue all
services of the armed forces.
– Bernama
the work that is ongoing,” he said.
In a speech earlier, Kong said Ong
had emphasised the need for him to
render the best service although Ong
did not hold the post long.
“When I was named to this post,
many friends asked why I didn’t smile.
I said this appointment is a heavy re-
sponsibility and the road ahead is long
and surely not easy because many new
tasks have been planned and need to be
implemented,” he said.
Kong, who is an MCA vice president,
previously served as a deputy finance
minister. – Bernama
Ong wants better rail
facilities for disabled
KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry has ordered rail op-
erators under its agencies to provide better facilities for disabled
users.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said yesterday
that although the operators had provided adequate facilities for the
public, they had neglected the disabled.
He was speaking to reporters after launching the Ampang Jaya
Agility Club here.
Ong said he had reminded agencies like Keretapi Tanah
Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to look into the design of the coaches, the
floor and platform.
He said, however, remedial works at rail stations to cater to
disabled people were not easy as each station was built by a dif-
ferent contractor.
Ong said he had entrusted KTMB with the responsibility to
provide better facilities to make rail travel easier for disabled
people. – Bernama