theSun | THURSDAY JUNE 11 2009
news without borders
Stop-work order
on Jaya stays
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SHAH ALAM: The state government has
rejected a request by the owners of Jaya Su-
permarket to be allowed to clear debris and
demolish a wall remaining in the aftermath
of the May 28 collapse which killed seven
workers.
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said
the mayor of Petaling Jaya informed the state
executive council meeting that Jaya Section
Fourteen Sdn Bhd asked for the stop-work
order to be lifted.
“The state government cannot withdraw
the stop-work notice without proper planning,
and we have directed MBPJ to get detailed
information from the owners and consultants
on the planned demolition works,” he said
yesterday.
“The state will withdraw the stop-work
notice only when MBPJ and the Malaysian
Public Works Institute confirm that the demo-
lition works are safe,” he said, adding that all
parties concerned met yesterday to discuss
the issue.
“Local authorities are reminded to exam-
ine and re-evaluate any project that involves
the six blacklisted companies to ensure the
safety of the projects. They will be blacklisted
until we are satisfied they have done their best
to resolve the Section 14 tragedy,” he said.
Pig price talks end abruptly
with walkout
A DIALOGUE aimed at thawing the ice between
pig farmers and pork sellers ended abruptly when
one party left the meeting room in a huff after a
bitter exchange.
According to a report in Sin Chew Daily,
barely 20 minutes into the dialogue held at the
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry in
Putrajaya on Tuesday, reporters waiting outside
the closed door heard barbs being traded and
someone shouting “samseng” before Federation
of Livestock Farmers Association pig unit chief
Beh Kim Hee and 10 other representatives of the
federation walked out of the dialogue.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister Datuk Tan Lian Hoe, who called the
dialogue – the first in five years between the two
feuding parties – continued with the meeting with
representatives of pork sellers before holding a
separate meeting with the federation’s delega-
tion later.
The pig farmers and pork sellers were at each
other’s throat again lately after the ex-farm price
of pigs were raised four times in less than two
months to a five-year high of RM700/100kg and
pork sellers threatened to pass on the additional
cost to consumers.
Tan told reporters after the meetings that both
parties were overly emotional and the dialogue
went out of control.
She said the ministry has proposed for a
mechanism to determine pork prices but would
Datuk loses RM800,000 to robbers
by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: A businessman who is a Datuk
was robbed by three parang-wielding men at his
house in Pandan Indah, Ampang early yesterday.
The businessman, 56, his wife who is in her
40s and niece were asleep when the men broke
into their house through a glass door in the front
at 3.45am.
Ampang Jaya acting police chief Supt Amirud-
din Jamaluddin said the robbers ransacked the
house after tying up the victims and bundled
luxury watches, jewellery and cash before escap-
ing in a Mercedes Benz belonging to the Datuk.
He said the businessman called the police
after freeing himself and the other victims. All
three were unharmed.
9
On another note, Khalid said the councillor
who made allegations regarding the award of
waste management contracts should prove his
claims. “We have been experiencing quite a lot
of allegations, including allegations against me
with regard to cows and cars. Allegations are
not enough, you must show us facts,” he said.
Khalid said contractors may be limited to
a specific area. “For example, contractors in
Shah Alam can serve Shah Alam but not go
to Kuala Selangor or Sabak Bernam, where
other people will be given the opportunity,”
he said.
However, he pointed out that the problem
of closed tenders cannot be solved overnight
“It will take time, as a problem half a cen-
tury old cannot be solved in one year,”said
Khalid, who was asked about the state’s plans
to buy back water concessions.
“We are in serious discussions, and we
have a timeline for this,” he said.
He also said the state was looking at other
water resources should existing resources be
affected due to the extended dry season.
On the matter of planned restrictions on
the sale of beer and alcohol, Khalid said while
it was still being studied, the status quo would
remain.
Khalid also said Klang River reserves
had been gazetted for river cleaning, and all
development approvals would be frozen until
the project was completed.
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
allow market forces to determine the prices for
the time being.
On a proposal by pork sellers to allow pork
to be imported, Tan said she would convey the
message to the Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Ministry, which is the approving
authority.
Explaining the walkout, Beh said: “The moment
we touched on production cost, the pork sellers
shouted ‘liars, liars’. This is an act of gangsters.”
He said his delegation was at the dialogue
to negotiate, not quarrel, and that was why it
decided to leave the dialogue session. He said
the delegation later had a separate meeting with
Tan out of respect for the deputy minister.
Beh said from now on, pig farmers would
leave the ex-farm prices of pig to market forces
and would stop the practice of making weekly
announcements on the prices, a decision the
National Pork Sellers Association deemed
“irresponsible”.
Association chairman Goh Chui Lai said the
walkout by the federation’s representatives
showed their lack of sincerity for a meaningful
dialogue.
Amiruddin said the businessman’s losses are
estimated at RM800,000.
In another unrelated case, a 22-year-old
woman who was waiting for a taxi at a bus stop
after an outing with friends at about 3am in
Pandah Indah was abducted and gang-raped by
three men last Friday.
Amiruddin said a Proton Wira with five men in
it pulled over next to the woman who was alone
and forced her into the car.
He said the woman was taken to a cemetery
in Cheras where three members of the group
sexually assaulted her.
He said the men left the victim at the place
and fled.
Amiruddin urged those with information on
both cases to contact the Selangor police hotline
at 03-2052 9999.