10 theSun | FRIDAY OCTOBER 24 2008

news without borders

Stench in the city

NEVER in their wildest dreams did the
denizens of Jalan Alor of the 50s and
60s think their colourful street, hardly
a stone’s throw away from the cabarets
of the roaring BB or Bukit Bintang Park
– where Sungai Wang Plaza now stands
– would one day be the subject of debate by
lawmakers.
Jalan Alor had a certain notoriety then
and few mentioned its name in polite
conversation till not too long ago. It was
already famous for its food stalls even then,
but they were there mainly to serve those
who came for the other “hot dishes” on
offer.
While the name had been synonymous
with good restaurants and bars, second-
time visitors love to regale new ones with
all kinds of stories about the street and
its vicinity. They were excited when told
that the place was a favourite haunt of the
European planters of old.
Now, why did Kuala Lumpur City Hall
suddenly change the name of the famous
street to Jalan Kejora – on the excuse that
it was to attract tourists – when the original
name is already famous throughout the
world, asked Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit
Bintang).
At the Dewan Rakyat
by Zainon Ahmad
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
The other explanation from City Hall was
that the change would make the place look
and smell clean. But the contrarians point
to Jalan Bunga Tanjong somewhere in the
city which is neither clean nor devoid of the
usual stench of rotting rubbish.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee
Ka Siong, who is MCA youth chief, also
received many complaints from hawkers
of the famous street who wanted the old
name to be reinstated as it is already well
known among many foreign tourists as a
must-visit.
Criticising the move, he said tongue-in-
the-cheek, that hopefully, those in City Hall
would not decide to change the name of the
city when they suddenly decided that Kuala
Lumpur (muddy confluence) no longer
sounded nice.
And that is not all that was said about
Kuala Lumpur. Many other things about
the country’s premier city, whose budget
is bigger than some of the states in the
country, were also aired in Parliament
– the congested roads, poor public transport
system, the rise in crime rate, and poor
housing that have resulted in social
problems of all kinds.
The House was also told that mayor
Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan had spent about
RM1.5 million in travelling expenses and
allowances on 11 overseas trips since taking
office last year. Federal Territories Minister
Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique told Tan Kok
Wai (DAP-Cheras) the trips were made so
that the mayor could observe best practices
in other cities of the world.
Wee Choo Keong (PKR-Wangsa
Maju) spoke of a Kuala Lumpur City Hall
delegation of several officials to two cities
– Berlin and Vancouver – to study their best
practices. He said that after leaving Berlin,
the delegation – which included the family
of one of the delegates plus the maid – rested
for three days in London before proceeding
to Vancouver.
A lot stinks in Kuala Lumpur – not just
the recently renamed Jalan Kejora and Jalan
Bunga Tanjong – and it is probably because
of that that the queue of people wanting to be
its next mayor is about a mile long.
After eight days of boring debates on
Budget 2009 which began on Oct 13, the
week ended yesterday with an explosion of
sorts after Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin
Mulia suspended veteran MP Karpal Singh
(DAP-Bukit Gelugor) for two days.
There was an uproar in the House as
Pakatan Rakyat MPs stood up to shout
their protests, while those across the floor
applauded the Speaker for his decision as
according to them, Karpal had been less
careful with his words of late.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) and former
opposition leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh
Timur) tried to intercede on the DAP
chairman’s behalf.
For a while it looked like Pandikar Amin
might retract his decree, but after Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk
Seri Nazri Aziz reminded him that he was
the target of Karpal’s remark “jangan main
main” (don’t play the fool), he stood his
ground.
The Speaker said he had been very
tolerant of the language used by MPs when
asking questions or criticising their opposite
numbers, but said he drew a line at remarks
aimed at him.
From among those who rose to debate
Budget 2009, Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai
Petani) stood out. He excoriated the
government for widespread corruption
and abuse of power, naming the Tourism
Ministry as an example, and asked how there
could not be leakages of funds when loans
could be converted into grants.
Johari said that if there were no leakages
– described by Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as serious – the
30% equity target for bumiputras would have
been achieved a long time ago.

Ling slammed for saying Final decision mine: Ong

MCA president Datuk Ong Tee
Keat has decided that he has had
“I understand that a lot of
people have differing views and

it’s OK to cheat
FORMER MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong
Sik came under fire from female leaders
for saying that it is alright for men to cheat
on their wives as long as they are not
caught, China Press reported yesterday.
Ling made the remark at a press
conference at Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday in
which he defended newly elected MCA
deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi
Lek over a sex VCD scandal, when asked
whether Chua should be appointed a
cabinet minister.
“Men have to release their extra en-
ergy, and as long as they don’t talk about
it (cheating on their spouses) and are not
caught, there is no problem,” he said.
Ling’s remark riled female leaders from
both sides of the political divide.
Bukit Mertajam DAP MP Chong Eng
said Ling is a typical male chauvinist. She
said he must know that Chua was elected
as the MCA No. 2 not because his extra-
marital affair had been accepted (by the
delegates), but because he had admitted
his mistake and apologised.
MCA Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Mei Fun said Ling was sending the wrong
message on moral values to the public.
She urged leaders to mind what they say
to avoid setting the wrong example.
Chew said Ling had not only attempted
to rationalise immoral behaviour, but had
also insulted men who are faithful to their
wives.
Gelang Patah MCA MP Tan Ah Eng
said she did not agree with Ling that men
could cheat on their wives to release extra
energy.
“Women can also be full of energy,
does that mean they can go out and cheat
on their husbands. Will their husbands be
able to accept that?
“We have to uphold good family values.
Men who commit adultery will hurt both
their wives and mistresses in the end,
resulting in family tragedies.”
She said she believed that men who
cheat on their spouses are a minority
and that the majority are faithful to their
wives.
The chairman of the women’s wing of
the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall,
Lee Sok Wah, said she was surprised at
Ling’s remark.
She said adultery was not acceptable,
whether kept under wraps or not, what
more Ling saying that “men have to let off
their extra energy” to justify the act.
Lee said the behaviour of prominent
persons or politicians has social implica-
tions.
Although Chua had been given a man-
date by the central delegates, who could
guarantee that when he is appointed a
minister, his moral lapses would not be
used against him when it came to fighting
for the rights of the Chinese, she asked.
However, the head of Hua Zong
(Federation of Chinese Associations of
Malaysia)’s women’s wing, Ooi Siew Kim,
said Ling was entitled to his opinion as he
does not represent any organisation.
She said one should look at his remark
with an open mind.
enough of talk within the party
on who should be appointed its
secretary-general.
On Tuesday, he reminded party
members that he has the final say
and would make his choice known
at the appropriate time.
‘Why should bosses hold
workers’ passports?’
KUALA LUMPUR: Human Res-
ources Minister Datuk Dr S.
Subramaniam has questioned the
rationale behind employers hold-
ing the passports of their foreign
workers.
He said that under the law, no
one should keep another’s pass-
port.
“Fortunately or unfortunately,
most foreign workers in the coun-
try agree to hand their passports
to their respective employers due
to security reasons. But it’s up to
the employees to decide whether
they wish to do so,” Subramaniam
said.
have made various speculations
on their choice of secretary-gen-
eral.
“But I want to remind them that
the power to decide rests with me,”
Ong was quoted by Sin Chew Daily
as saying.
“The ministry will work closely
with the Home Ministry to study
the matter,” he told reporters after
launching the School of Informa-
tion Technology of the Nirwana
Academy Group of Colleges here
yesterday.
There are currently three mil-
lion foreign workers in Malaysia, of
which about 1.1 million are illegal
workers.
Advising foreign workers not
to give their passports to their
employers, Subramaniam said
the ministry would draw up a
plan to prevent such abuse.
– Bernama