theSun | TUESDAY MAY 12 2009 œ5

news without borders

Najib tells banks not to pull back on loans

by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak called
on banks yesterday to continue lend-
ing during these challenging economic
times and “not pull back loans” from
hitherto viable customers.
“Banks must not withdraw credit
without justifiable cause,” he said in
his keynote address on “Strengthening
the economy, sustaining the banking
and finance industry” at the 13th
Malaysian Banking Summit 2009.
He stressed that without credit,
businesses and companies will not be
able to survive.
Najib said banks should build their
capabilities to provide credit to the
new growth areas, including the serv-
ices sector, IT, life sciences and other
knowledge-driven investments.
“Rural banking services must also
be improved so that people in rural
areas can also benefit from modern
banking and financial services and
have access to credit,” he said.
Najib said Malaysia’s banking sec-
tor is well buffered with the capacity
to provide credit to the private sector.
Thus, it needs to proactively support
viable economic activities by channel-
ling sufficient funds to businesses and
individuals.
He said loans to small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) should not be cur-
tailed in this challenging period.
Banks must work with the govern-
ment to promote economic growth
and support the private sector as the
primary engine of growth.
“In this regard, banks need to
continue to fund productive activities
such as housing and construction and
provide trade financing for manufac-
turers and exporters,” he said.
Taking note of the concerns of
the business community on loan ap-
proval speed and efficiency of banking
services supply, Najib urged banks to
expedite loan approvals so as not to
impede economic recovery.
“Banks have tended to become
over-cautious today. This has resulted
in delays in the approval process when
more unnecessary steps that require
more information are adopted,” he
said.
The prime minister said it bears sig-
nificant impact on economic activity.
Despite the challenging environ-
ment, Najib said the banking sector is
well capitalised with a risk weighted
capital ratio of 13.4% at end-of March
with RM44.6 billion as buffer against
loss.
“There are no systemic risks identi-
fied to our banks. As at March 2009,
the net Non-Performing Loan (NPL)
ratio is 2.2%,” he said.
He also said there is better risk
management in the sector.
“Today, our three largest banks
have even higher market capitalisation
than the largest US bank. Therefore,
with these large capital buffers, our
financial sector remains resilient,”
Najib said.
Malaysian financial sector con-
tinues to showcase a high degree of
resilience and remains well positioned
to weather the effects of heightened
vulnerabilities on local economy.
However, he said, the total ap-
plications for new financing in the
first quarter of 2009 declined by 3.5%
due to lower applications from busi-
nesses, which could be scaling back
or delaying large-scale investment
and expansion plans because of the
weaker outlook.
“Total approvals granted for new
financing also moderated slightly to
RM58.9 billion for the three-month pe-
riod while disbursements declined by
2.3% to RM148.1 billion,” Najib said.
He said outstanding loans and
financing have expanded by 10.9% to
RM733.9 billion.

Karpal unhappy
A-G representing
Pandikar
by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: DAP chairman and Bukit
Gelugor MP Karpal Singh says Dewan Rakyat
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia should
not be represented by Attorney-General (AG)
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail in the law suit filed by
Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, against Pan-
dikar to declare his decision to suspend Gobind
for a year in the Parliament null and void.
In a statement yesterday, Karpal said Pan-
dikar was under a complete misconception
in having retained the AG to represent him
in the proceedings in court as the AG is the
legal adviser to the government which is the
Executive under the Federal Constitution.
“Having regard to the doctrine of separa-
tion of powers, the speaker should not have
appointed the AG, who is legal adviser to the
Executive, to represent him,” he said.
“The House of Commons in the United
Kingdom appoints its own lawyers, which
is certainly in keeping with the doctrine of
separation of powers as a speaker cannot
and should not be obligated to the Executive
and he is no man’s man. He is the man of
the House.
“I regret that the speaker has brought the
Dewan Rakyat into disrepute and shame by
appointing the AG to represent him. The dig-
nity and honour of the august House should
be preserved at all times.”
Fire poser on Bukit Gasing
A hiker by Terence Fernandez
walks newsdesk@thesundaily.com
through
the area PETALING JAYA: Campers, drug
destroyed addicts, smokers or developers? This
by the is the question the authorities from
fire on the Fire and Rescue Services Depart-
Saturday. ment as well as the Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) are asking as to who
caused Saturday’s fire, which singed
about 2ha of forests in Bukit Gasing.
MBPJ councillor Derek Fernan-
dez, who took reporters up the hill
yesterday, said that while the council
did not discount that the searing heat
could have caused the dried leaves to
catch fire, fire officials said it would
still need a source of ignition.
“Right now, it is too premature
to point fingers at anyone but we
are still investigating,” said a fire
official.
Burnt pieces of paper were spot-
ted among the debris on the site,
located about a 10-minute hike from
the entrance of the Bukit Gasing
Educational Forest.
The fire, which started at about
3pm, was put out only at 7.30pm by
a team of about 30 firemen.
Fernandez said the fire had
destroyed trees, bushes, shrubs and
ANWAR FAIZ/THESUN
the destroyed area, and he would
request additional allocation in the
next budget towards re-greening the
scorched areas.
He also said the fire rekindles
concerns as to the future of Bukit
Gasing, parts of which have been
earmarked for development.
Gasing Meridien is in a deadlock
with the council over the construc-
tion of five-star bungalows while
YTL Corp is set to develop high-rises
on the Kuala Lumpur side.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)
has also earmarked several plots for
development proposals.
Fernandez said the lack of com-
mitment from City Hall is a matter of
concern as the 2020 Local Draft Plan
proposes 280 acres of Bukit Gasing
to be developed.
“We want to meet with the Kuala
Lumpur mayor for a dialogue on the
future of Bukit Gasing,” he said.
“What happens on the KL side
also affects PJ.”
He said the draft plan proposes
2ha for every 1,000 people – land
which City Hall clearly does not
have since the population of Kuala
Lumpur is over two million.
He said the mass development

Karpal also urged Pandikar and Dewan plants on both the Selangor and of the hill is evident by the fact that
Rakyat secretary Datuk Roosme Hamzah, who Kuala Lumpur side of the hill. wildlife such as civet cats and mon-
is the third defendant, to make arrangements “Together, I would say that the keys are finding their way into the
to be represented by lawyers appointed by damage is 50-50 (on either side),” homes of nearby residents.
the House and they should not be lawyers he said. He noted that a fire took place at
from the government or the Opposition. He said MBPJ would replant the same spot 12 years ago.

Ex-PKR Wanita chief to contest in Penanti Malaysia chairman from May 6.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen

by Opalyn Mok the people. “about five times” in the past

newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: Former Pen-
ang PKR wanita chief Aminah
Abdullah, who plans to contest
in the Penanti state seat as
an independent, collected her
nomination forms at the Election
Commission office in Komtar here
yesterday.
Aminah, 56, who went to the
office and paid RM20 for the
forms, said she is determined to
contest in the by-election, sched-
uled for May 31, even if it means
going up against her former party
and Barisan Nasional.
“My aim is to serve the people
of Penanti and to help them, not
to play politics like the political
briefs Yen said yesterday Wee was appointed
based on his experience and understand-
Asked if she was being weeks. ing of the industry.
sponsored by top PKR leaders to “We are now fully prepared Police to get arrest warrant Wee, 57, was the ministry’s secretary-
stand as an independent, Aminah to start the campaign for the general from 2004 to May last year.
denied it. Penanti by-election. That’s why for Ahmad Ramzi He is also an economist and had served
“Those are just rumours with I have collected the nomination KUALA TERENGGANU: Police will obtain a as the micro-economic planning director
no truth in it at all. I am not being form early,” she said. warrant of arrest for Datuk Dr Ahmad Ramzi in the prime minister’s department before.
paid or sponsored by anyone. The Penanti state seat was Mohamad Zubir for not to turn up to assist in – Bernama
I am doing this on my own ini- left vacant when former Penang the investigation on a threat made through
tiative,” she said, adding that her deputy chief minister (I ) Moham- SMS against three Barisan Nasional state Customs seize red
supporters are mainly her family mad Fairus Khairuddin resigned. assemblymen last month.
members, her close friends and Nominations will be held State deputy police chief SAC II Hamzah sandalwood at port
other former PKR members. on May 23 but Barisan Mohd Jamil said yesterday Ahmad Ramzi, the PORT KLANG: Selangor customs seized 2.98
“I hope to use the key symbol Nasional will decide former political secretary to former Tereng- tonnes of red sandalwood worth RM1.49
as my logo for the by-election to whether to contest ganu mentri besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, million during a raid on a warehouse at the
signify freedom or not on Monday. had yet to give his statement when the 3pm Westport free trade zone on Friday.
for the people deadline passed yesterday although he had State customs deputy director (enforce-
of Penanti,” she been given three days to do so. ment division) Chik Omar Chik Lim said
said. He said police would seek the cooperation yesterday the consignment was believed to
As for of the Immigration Department and Interpol have arrived from Kolkata, India, on Nov 6 last
whether she to trace his whereabouts. – Bernama year and had been declared as 600 bags of
MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN

parties. That’s why I am contest- has been to iron sponge.

ing as an independent,” she said.
Aminah said she left PKR in
2007 when she found that the
party had veered from its main
goals of ensuring justice for
Penanti, the Wee appointed Tourism Trade in red sandalwood is controlled
by the Convention on International Trade in
housewife
said she has Malaysia chairman Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
visited the Aminah shows her nomination KUALA LUMPUR: Former Tourism Ministry and the goods had been exported to Malaysia
constituency form for the Penanti by-election. secretary-general Datuk Dr Victor Wee without a permit from the Indian government,
Eng Lye has been appointed the Tourism he said. – Bernama