4896

THE COCA COLA COMPANY
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD
DEPT:COCA COLA AVENUE
STAMFORD BRIDGE LONDON.
SW1V 3DW UNITED KINGDOM

THE COCA COLA COMPANY OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded annualfinal draws held on (25th of January 2007) by Coca-Cola in conjunction with the British American Tobacco Worldwide Promotion.Your email was among the 20 Lucky winners who won £1000,000.00{One million Great Britain Pounds} each in the THE COCA\COLA COMPANY 2007 PROMO.

However the results were released today 30th of January 2007 and your email was attached to ticket number (7PWYZ2007) and ballot number (BT:12052007/20) The online draws was conducted by a random selection of email addresses from an exclusive list of 29,031,643 E-mail addresses of individuals and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet.

To begin the claim processing of your prize you are to contact the fiduciary agent as stated below:

Mr William Carpenter
22 Garden Close, Stamford,
Lincs,PE9 2YP,London
United Kingdom.
Email:winning_claimsagent001@yahoo.co.uk

Yours Faithfully,
Management

Abdullah Denies Buying Executive Jet
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Monday denied news reports that he had bought an executive jet, and explained that the government had only leased the aircraft from Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad.

The prime minister pointed out that the plane was not for his use alone.

"The jet is for use of the government, not the prime minister (only)," he told a news conference at the KL International Airport upon his return from London after having attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Elaborating, Abdullah said: "The aircraft belongs to Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad*; it was (bought with) their money. We just leased it like how MAS (Malaysia Airlines) leases aircraft from them."

Turkish Co Denies Alleged Order For RM30 Mln Yacht
Kobra Yatcilik Turizm ve Turizm Limited Co., a Turkish yachting and tourism company, has denied that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has placed an order for the construction of a RM30 million yacht as reported by a Turkish newspaper recently.

Their blogging has made Malaysian democracy more meaningful although not everyone agrees with their views. They should not be regarded as dissenters because democracy is about tolerance.

They have been bold enough to bring up issues that mainstream newspapers have not done.

An unwelcome gift – expired noodles

Someone donated 9,000 packets of instant noodles for flood victims last week.

The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) should be saying thank you but it is not – the noodles' expiry date was October last year.

“It is bad enough that people often donate worn-out items but giving expired food items is just unacceptable.

“They are only making things worse,” MRCS director of operations Mohd Kamal Omar said. The noodles packed in 300 boxes arrived on Wednesday.

“We noticed very attractive labels placed over the expiry date. We tore them off and saw the (expiry) date was Oct 3 last year.

“Can you imagine what would have happened if the expired food products had reached the flood victims?” he asked.

“They could suffer from food poisoning or diarrhoea.

“They are already victims of circumstances, there is no need to worsen the situation,” he added.

Blogger, NSTP to refrain from publishing content that may prejudice trial.

Blogger Ahirudin Attan and New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd have agreed not to publish any articles or comment on matters that may be subjudice or prejudicial to the libel suit between the two parties.

The statement said both parties agreed to "henceforth not publish any articles, comments or posts regarding the dispute presently before the High Court'' that may prejudice a fair trial.

新海峡时报告部落客案续审 阿希鲁丁同意撤下案件贴文, 双方答应从今以后不再刊登任何关于这宗案件的文章、评论或贴文

新海峡时报集团和4名现任及前任编采高层起诉部落客阿希鲁丁阿旦（Ahirudin Attan）诽谤的案件今日续审，双方已同意未来将不会刊登任何关于此案的评论和贴文。新海峡时报集团和阿希鲁丁律师今早是在吉隆坡高庭的内庭，同意双方从今日开始不会刊登任何足以导致侵害（prejudice）此案的评论和贴文。双方在声明中说，“双方答应从今以后不再刊登任何关于这宗案件的文章、评论或贴文，因为这可能被视为干预司法（sub judice）或侵害到此案的公平审讯”。

PM asks world to stop forces of extremism
Speaking later, Abdullah said the government would not censor bloggers but they had to be responsible and that they could be subject to defamation, sedition and other laws.

"They cannot hide or take advantage of a situation and do something against the law," he said when asked to respond to the suit being taken by the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, its deputy chairman Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, chief executive officer Datuk Syed Faizal Syed Albar and former group editor Brendan Pereira against Ahirudin Attan and Ooi Chuan Aun over their web postings.

He said bloggers could not plead ignorance of the laws as freedom without responsibility would be anarchy.

Bloggers subject to same rules
KUALA LUMPUR: Bloggers are liable for defamation — just as in other forms of communication, lawyers and other experts said.

Kuala Lumpur Bar chairman Lim Chee Wee said statements on the Internet were simply writings in a different medium.

"You can call them blogs, online forums, websites, they’re all subject to the same defamation laws if offending statements are published," he said.

Lim agreed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who said in London on Tuesday that although bloggers would not be restricted, they could be subject to defamation, sedition and other laws.

"They cannot hide or take advantage of a situation and do something against the law," he said.

"I also welcome the prime minister’s statement that blogs will not be censored," Lim said.

Law expert Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi said there was no doubt the rules of defamation applied to blogs and Internet forums.

"The definition of speech covers every form of communication in whatever form, written or symbolic. There is no doubt that bloggers are subject to the same rules."

Asked whether defamation laws in the West were more advanced than Malaysia’s, Shad Saleem said, "In fact we tend to give people much more freedom to defame because we have no privacy laws unlike most Western countries."

Lawyer Datuk Dominic Puthucheary, who has represented a major local publication against defamation, said, "Our laws on defamation should be governed by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which provides for freedom of speech, unless limited by Parliament."

There is no law restricting people on the content of their blogs, he said. But "if something is either spoken or written in a permanent form, it is liable for defamation according to basic common law".

That was his advice to a politician on a statement that had been taken from the Internet and broadcast.

Puthucheary also drew a line between private and public individuals: "A defamatory statement against a private person is actionable," he said.

"When it comes to public interest issues and the conduct of public officers, it is not defamatory in some jurisdictions unless there is reckless disregard for the truth. But it is still an open question here."

The former Member of Parliament said the legislature should draft laws to deal with defamation in the "new forms of communication".

Lawyer Nahendran Navaratnam agreed that legislative changes were needed "to ensure that protection is given both to bloggers and those who are the subject of discussion on the Internet".

National Union of Journalists president Norila Mohd Daud said it was logical that defamation laws would apply to blog postings.

"Right now our laws do not cover blogs or online forums, but I think it’s simple logic that a defamatory statement can reach the public via any medium, by newspapers, magazines or the Internet."

Norila also agreed that bloggers had to exercise caution on their websites.

"It is true that bloggers have to be responsible. You can express your opinions but we have to see it from the point of view of the people who are named," she said.

NSTP wants postings in blogs removed
KUALA LUMPUR: Blogger Ahirudin Attan, who is slapped with a defamation and malicious falsehood suit, continues to display comments from his readers that are prejudicial to the case.

The plaintiffs, New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad, its deputy chairman, chief executive officer, group-editor-in-chief and Brendan Pereira raised the issue before High Court judge Datuk Hishamudin Yunus and wanted the postings removed.

Rishwant Singh, a co-counsel appearing for the NSTP and the other four, said the matter was brought to the attention of Hishamudin, who was scheduled to hear an injunction application yesterday pending the hearing of the suit filed on Jan 4.

Rishwant said the injunction proceedings could not go on because the defendant had filed an application to strike out the suit. "Parties have agreed to first argue on the striking-out application."

The striking-out application has been fixed for Feb 22 but no dates have been set to hear the injunction proceedings.

Counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who is representing Ahirudin, said the defendant wanted the plaintiffs to provide details of the comments in the weblog which were said to be subjudicial to the suit.

Hishamudin adjourned to Monday for the plaintiffs and the defendant to give him an update of the situation.

The suit was in relation to certain articles and posts that have been published, or permitted to be published, by Ahirudin on his weblog. It is part of the plaintiffs’ case that these articles refer to them and are defamatory.

The plaintiffs have also applied for an injunction which, among others, seeks to require the defendant to remove certain articles from his weblog and restrain him from publishing further articles defamatory of the plaintiffs.

The NSTP, its deputy chairman, the group editor-in-chief and Brendan Pereira had also filed similar action against another blogger, Ooi Chuan Aun, on the same day for defamation and malicious falsehood.

The suit relates to certain articles and posts published, or permitted to be published, by Ooi on his weblog to defame the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs applied for an injunction requiring Ooi to remove certain articles from his weblog, which the High Court granted on Jan 11.

The order also restrains Ooi from publishing the same or similar articles about the plaintiffs. Ooi has entered an appearance and is expected to defend the action.

The Cabinet is not prepared to make public the toll agreements inked between the government and highway concessionaires, says Works Minister Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu.

"I have also suggested that the Cabinet take appropriate action against the person (or persons) who had stolen and exhibited an agreement. The agreement is solely between the government and the company and it is a secret document, we have suggested we are going to ask the Attorney-General's office to take appropriate action against those who stole the document and exhibited it without the authority, and they have to pay for it," Samy said.

• Dangers of Misusing blogs
• Dangers of “Abusing” Bloggers
• Dangers of “Abusing” Bloggers (2)

By the way, when the PM spoke about irresponsible bloggers in London, does he also include pro-Adullah bloggers who use pseudonyms?

Blogger urged to remove readers’ comments

Lawyers representing New Straits Times Press (NSTP) today raised concerns over comments left in Ahirudin Attan’s blog, citing sub judice rules. The plantiffs have also applied to the court today to remove comments pertaining to their defamation suit which appeared in Raja Petra Kamarudin’s Malaysia Today blog.

Ahirudin’s lawyer Edmund Bon told the press that the plantiffs - NSTP and four others - wanted comments discussing the merits of the case to be removed as they risked prejudicing the case.

“We were only told about it this morning that they want such comments removed so we will look into these comments and give the plaintiffs an answer on Monday.

“We will decide whether it is indeed sub judice [...] we have not taken a position yet whether we want to leave the comments in the site or remove it,” he told reporters in Wisma Denmark, Kuala Lumpur today.

He stressed the comments were not related to what Ahirudin had written but what his commentators have been saying.

Bloggers must be responsible

Bloggers must be responsible for what they write on the Internet as there are laws on defamation and sedition, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said. The Prime Minister said these laws were enforceable and bloggers must bear in mind that they could not hide or take advantage of the Internet to do something that was against the law. He said bloggers, just like newspaper journalists, must be responsible for what they wrote or risk facing legal action from others.

I am a responsible blogger. Anyone who comes into this blog can click on my profile and know who I am. I do not hide behind any kind of "cover". From the first day I started blogging, I have been using my own name. Not a nickname. And I have always encouraged friends to use their own names for their blogs. There's no shame. No Fear.

Since theSun mentioned nothing about the real threat to the future of journalism as it went to 'define' misused blogs today, I hope someday, there are journalists from Malaysia who are courageous enough to write, or at least chronicle, about responsible journalism, if only just for balance.

Bloggers must be responsible

LONDON: Bloggers must be responsible for what they write on the Internet as there are laws on defamation and sedition, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said. The Prime Minister said these laws were enforceable and bloggers must bear in mind that they could not hide or take advantage of the Internet to do something that was against the law. He said bloggers, just like newspaper journalists, must be responsible for what they wrote or risk facing legal action from others.

“They cannot hope to cover themselves or hide from the laws,” he told Malaysian journalists at the end of his three-day working visit here yesterday.

Any newspaper worth its salt must defend freedom of expression, not curb it, and as such the NST is behaving in a shameful manner. It is shameful because if what these men and their readers said were untrue, then the NST has all the power and facility to oppose it in the best way possible and that is by intelligently and clearly refuting what was said. For God’s sake, they are a newspaper. They are not some poor individual who had been defamed and has no other recourse but the law because he has no other option to defend himself.

The NST can print an entire special edition defending itself, but instead it chooses to use its money to put these men through the emotionally and financially draining experience of a court battle. What is infuriating is that there are so many other options open to the NST to debunk what they see are lies.

The action by the NST and its officials is not simply an attempt at muzzling two prominent bloggers. It is also aimed at stifling critical public comment on key national issues, much of which is regularly purged from the mainstream media. All Malaysians concerned about the freedom of speech and the enlarged space for more independent news and commentary provided by Screenshots, Rocky’s Bru and other citizen bloggers should rally in support of Ahirudin and Jeff.

“We’ll leave it to the experts to define what freedom of expression is but [...] but my focus is to tell a story that the mainstream media is not printing.”

“Bloggers come to give it an intellectual definition how we can get this conversation along. But if you use laws to muzzle bloggers, that is another question,” Jeff Ooi said. (source: Malaysiakini)

“For those individuals, they are all known to me. I have served the New Straits Times more than three of them combined [...] I have more love for New Straits Times than them, oh that could be defamatory,”

“There was name calling, he(Jeff Ooi) used his blog space to criticise and I used my column in the Sunday Times to respond. Had it gone on and on it would’ve been a healthy debate. One thing I didn’t do is to take any legal action against him,” Ahirudin said. (source: Malaysiakini)

A legal fund will soon be set up to provide financial assistance for bloggers who face legal action, such as the defamation suits by the New Straits Times Press (M) Sdn Bhd (NSTP) against bloggers Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin Attan.

22 arrested over unlawful assembly
KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested 22 people for unlawful assembly at the Batu 11 toll plaza of the Cheras-Kajang Expressway.
They were among 100 who had gathered at about 4pm to protest against the recent increase in toll and did not heed police warning to disperse.

Injured protestors allege police brutality
Four people who were injured during yesterday’s anti-toll hike protest at the Cheras Batu 11 toll plaza have alleged that the police used excessive force on them - and have the bruises to prove it

多名昨天在“反对过路费涨价集会”中被捕的集会者今天中午出席在民主行动党雪兰莪州总部召开的记者会，向媒体讲述他们遭警方粗暴对待的经过；昨天在蕉赖11英里皇冠镇路口第一个遭警察逮捕的何其隆说，警方逮捕他后，用手铐将他的双手反铐身后，根本无法反抗， 但警察却不断殴打他，包括猛踢其下体。

昨天在雪兰莪州蕉赖11英里遭警方逮捕的两名集会者揭露，加影警察总部一名伍长对集会者在上个月31日的哈芝节举行集会感到非常生气，不但辱骂“皇冠镇开路行动委员会”秘书莫珠凤“没教养”，甚至还企图在众目睽睽之下殴打另一名被扣留者叶国兴。

• What is Defamation means? MA blog has a good explanation about the definition of Defamation.
• This becomes International headline! Aljazeera.net; BBC News Chinese; Reuters India; International Herald Tribune and Google news have mentioned it. Go to here, here, and here for further information.

Quake strikes off Indonesia coast
An earthquake measuring 7.3 has struck near the Indonesian island of Sulawesi the US Geological Survey said. Indonesian officials put the quake strength at 6.5 and said it could pose a tsunami risk.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's alma mater – the High School Bukit Mertajam (HSBM) – received a big boost when the Prime Minister announced that it would receive a RM20mil development fund.

The allocation under the 9th Malaysia Plan, he said, was for the construction of a hostel, teachers' quarters, a sports pavilion and a laboratory. A further grant of RM3.5mil would be used to carry out repair works on the 80-year-old school.

"I hail from this area. I like the style of administration of the present government. I also know Aziz," Wong Wen Foong, 53, a kindergarten teacher in Kampung Cheroh, told Bernama. Wong, who is known as Minah among her Malay friends, said she did not know independent candidate Ng Chee Pang, 22, a trader, who is challenging Abdul Aziz in the straight fight in the by-election.

Trader Liaw May Loan, 77, said he did not know Abdul Aziz well but expressed his support for the candidate.

Several residents approached said they accepted Abdul Aziz and hoped that he would win with a big majority.

Rubber-tapper Lee Kwee Hin said residents in Kampung Baru Cheroh have been complaining about a smelly rubbish dump for more than 10 years but this has yet to be addressed.

“Whatever promises they make in the election, they will not honour it later. Like this time, they promised (to look into the rubbish dump issue) again. But if you were me, will you believe it?” he asked.

The headmaster for the only Tamil school in Batu Talam is hoping that the school, which has 73 pupils, will see better times.

“The school lacks a lot of basic facilities such as computer labs. We have brought this issue to the education department and state government but it remains unresolved,” said the headmaster, who only wanted to be identified as Sura.

The directive was given by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan to all directors-general during a meeting two weeks ago.

At the meeting with the directors-general, Anti-Corruption Agency officials tabled a report on 585 civil servants allegedly on the take between 2002 and 2006. ACA had recommended that disciplinary action, including demotion, transfer and salary freeze, be taken against those implicated in the cases. However, due to lack of evidence, they could not be produced in court.

Heads of department have been given six months to take disciplinary action against corrupt civil servants.

SHAH ALAM, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Transparency, accountability, comprehensive participation of all stakeholders and predictability -- these are four principles of governance that must be adopted by all Selangor government employees.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said transparency must exist in the decision-making process and drawing up of plans which must be based on existing public interests, laws, policies, guidelines and regulations.

"Not only that the decisions must be fair but they must also be seen to be fair.

"We should not expect it's enough to make a good decision, the process leading to the decision must also be flawless," he said at the state government employees monthly gathering, here Monday.

IN the run up to the Batu Talam by-election in Pahang, the Education Ministry has approved a RM180,000 allocation to the sole Chinese primary school in the constituency.

A state executive councillor, who chose not to be named, confirmed the matter, reported Nanyang Siang Pau. He said the school authorities submitted their request to Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein during the Education Minister’s visit to the constituency on Saturday.

Hishammuddin, who is Umno Youth chief, gave an immediate approval for the allocation. The money would go towards buying and installing a sound system and fans, building a basketball court and repairing the fencing.

The number of flood victims in Johor Baru and Pontian has dipped slightly, but the figures in other districts continued to climb as more people left their homes and moved into relief centres across the state.

As of 10am, some 109,831 people have been evacuated to 344 flood evacuation centres statewide.

Those affected are from Batu Pahat (39,089), Johor Baru (16,417), Kluang (16,024), Kota Tinggi (13,189), Mersing (8,239), Segamat (6,593), Muar (5,611)and Pontian (4,669).

Schoolgirls competing to be No.1 in sex game

A GROUP of female students in a secondary school in Johor Baru are said to be competing among themselves to be the one with the highest number of one-night stands, Nanyang Siang Pau reported. Each of the 10 students in the group, aged between 13 and 15 years old, would fork out between RM50 and RM100 to be in the game. The student with the highest number of sex partners within a month would get a “reward”, which ranged from between RM500 and RM1,000, said the report. Usually, a student would need between 13 and 15 sex partners to claim the “reward”. It was learnt that the school had expelled some students involved in the activity, but the report added that it was still going on.

Those sex partners....hello...they are some body's sisters and daughters who are 13 years old and 15 years old, OK issit?

Hello...where is your brain when it is most required???? I guess all this is not important as it can be brought for RM1,000....How about the possibility of being pregnant and the virus called AIDS?

I am equally shock at the way the school decision to expel them..."cuci tangan" very easily....we are all adults and we(the school and the parents involved) should be giving them counselling and guidance to the students involved....and not push it back to the society...

Parents have the first line of responsibility to teach self respect and responsibility into children and not just emphasize on acedemic excellent only....the school play a equally important role in teaching them the correct values too....

* I cannot tahan when I see sometimes when the parents keep praising the child for how many "A" he/she had when at the same time the child show behavoiur of dis-respect to the parents and the maids....

Academician Dr Lim Teck Ghee speaking at a public forum entitled ‘Imagine Malaysia without New Economic Policy (NEP)’, organised by Youth for Change (Y4C) and the National Young Lawyers Committee in Kuala Lumpur last night.

He said NEP contributed to a growing sense of disunity, a widening gap between the rich and poor; increased corruption, wastage and fraud, the loss of economic competitiveness and public apathy in the nation’s political processes.

“There is a sickness in our society, a cancer. I think we need to recognise it and we need to deal with it. Time is not on our side, our resources are depleting. The world moves on. It’s not going to wait for us to continue returning to the NEP and revisiting this past policy,” he said

“With the oil and gas bonanza in the sixties, we should have forged ahead. We should not be with countries that we are currently labelled with. We should be up there with South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. But we have fallen back, and we are starting to lose out to Vietnam and even Indonesia on some accounts.

“It is time race-based political parties come to an end,” the former World Bank official stressed, adding that the NEP has driven away the nation’s best talents. He said the business community, foreign investors and other key players have formed negative views about the civil service.

The prime minister said the World Bank report stated that a potential investor had to undergo 25 procedures that would take 281 days before setting up a factory in Malaysia, and added that this would surely turn away the investor.

Abdullah said the report also stated that a potential investor was subjected to only 17 procedures in 140 days to do the same thing in Australia, 11 procedures in 129 days in Singapore, 9 procedures in 127 days in Thailand and 14 procedures in 133 days in Vietnam.

He said the government had set up a special task force, headed jointly by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan and a corporate leader to be named, to improve the public sector's delivery system to enhance the nation's competitiveness.

Wednesday January 10, 2007
The National Cancer Institute ground-breaking ceremony by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Tuesday January 9, 2007
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launching the Scientific Excellence in Islamic Civilisation: Islamic Science Ahead of its Time exhibition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Monday January 8, 2007
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched Visit Malaysia 2007 at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa here.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was opening a nasi kandar restaurant in Australia last month, at a time when disastrous floods hit Malaysia’s southern region.

According to a report in the Jan 5 edition of the Perth weekly community free paper, Asia Times, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was in the city to open the ‘Puteri Nasi Kandar’ restaurant on Dec 29.

Abdullah had made a one-day visit to Johor - the worst-hit state - on Dec 23 after an official visit to Venezuela. He then reportedly left on the same day for Australia for a one-week holiday.

“There was no problem. During the floods, Najib discharged his duties and I monitored the situation from abroad. Anyway, I am back now,” he was quoted as saying in Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau yesterday.

"I will bring it up to the cabinet on whether we can allow highway concessionaires to release these figures. If the cabinet agrees, then we will ask the companies involved to come out with the details," he said.

"We cannot deny them that. And if today, the situation warrants that we take action to raise the toll, we have to do it. Otherwise, we'll have to subsidise some more. How much more can we subsidise, how can we subsidise everything" he said.

Asked about claims by an opposition party that it had a copy of an agreement between the government and one of the highway concessionaires, he said the government could take action if the document was classified under the Official Secrets Act.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said the recently increased toll rates for five highways in the Klang Valley should not be as high 60 percent as traffic volumes have increased several fold since the concessionaire agreements were signed.

Mahathir also admitted that toll concession agreements were not well-conceived during his tenure as prime minister and added that he suspected the highway operators were now reaping huge profits from the toll hikes.

“The cabinet is not made up of experts. They are made up by politicians and some politicians like myself can be very stupid. What happens when you have an agreement is that the officers make the agreement and the agreement is sent to the cabinet and usually the small print is not there.

“Cabinet merely passes on the basis of principle. They do not really study the implication of some passages in the agreement,” he said.

“I think the traffic volume has increased quite a lot, but I don’t know. We don’t have the figures. I drive a lot, as you know, I see the traffic jams also. I know that they must be collecting quite a bit of money,” he said.

Mahathir also said a toll hike protest which saw some 2,000 people participating along the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highway on Sunday near Bandar Sunway ‘was fine’.

“Dia ada peaceful demo tak apalah. Masa saya tak berapa peaceful. (If they have peaceful protests it is fine. During my time, it was not so peaceful). We are a democratic country. It’s fine to have a little demonstration,” he said.

source: LensaMalysia

More than 1,000 people from all walks of life today gathered along the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highway to protest against the recent toll hike in five Klang Valley highways. The protest started at about 4pm with about 500 people gathering right outside the main entrance of the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall.

One shopper-turned-demonstrator from Puchong Permai and wished to be known only as Lim, lamented that she was feeling the pinch from the toll hikes.

Everyday, she ferries her two daughters to and fro a primary school at USJ 19, Subang Jaya while she works as a bank clerk in USJ Taipan, using the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) four times.

“The RM6.40 I pay everyday is enough for a hearty meal,” she said. Before the toll hikes on Jan 1, she was paying RM4 daily.

Was she concerned about the overwhelming police presence?

“They are paid to protect us. Why should I be afraid?” quipped Lim, aged 39.

First-time street demonstrator Steve Low, 26, who is a computer programmer and resides in SS18 in Subang Jaya.

“I am not a supporter of any political party. I’m here because I have to travel to Puchong everyday to work. I am only anti-toll hike,” said Low, who found out about the demonstration through the jeffooi.com blogsite.

Another legacy from the old man :) Well, I have no right to say anything as I'm not from KL.

JEFF OOI says: Wrong! You have every right to say. Though you don’t use toll expressways in the Klang Valley, Samy Vellu announced the government will utilise RM2.5 bllion -- taxpayers' money from you and I from Perlis to Sabah -- to pay the five concessionaires. Don't get the figure? Just calculate how many Pentium C2D PCs you can buy with RM2.5 billion, and how many container trucks to carry them to your house. The non-KL folks are subsiding the KL people -- and the rent seekers who milk the cow. Is that fair?

Seven states in the northern and east coast regions of the peninsula have been issued with a yellow alert warning of thunderstorms and strong winds over the weekend.

A “tropical depression” (or cyclone) is also expected to hit Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak in the north, and Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang in the east.

"Although he is known for his soft approach, Abdullah is not a person who is incapable of making controversial decisions if the situation called for it,"

"Abdullah and his team should be given time as many of his goals cannot be achieved overnight,"

“Abdullah had brought much openness and transparency in his administration, while on the international stage, he had established greater rapport with world leaders especially from the superpowers.”

"This new climate has spurred the economy more so with new growth corridors and sectors created,"

"I notice Abdullah is very firm in determining the direction of the country. If some people say he has lost direction, I disagree. Abdullah is very clear in where he wants to go,"

“It might be too early to evaluate Abdullah performance as he had been at the helm for only 38 months but it needed to be done as democracy demanded so.”

”Pursuing the nation's strategic mission in matters of economy, the Third Industrial Master Plan and shrewd financial management, overall the Prime Minister had done well.”

source: Screenshots


source: Malaysiakini

Toll agreement: A money-making machine
Beh Lih Yi
Jan 4, 07 5:52pm

The opposition today charged that the agreement between the government and the concessionaire for the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highway, Litrak, was clearly “lopsided and not done in the best interest of the people”.

The agreement was drafted in such a way that it gives the government very little power but turns Litrak into a money-making machine, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief Tian Chua told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

According to a document revealed by Chua who also claimed that it was the 200-page agreement signed on April 23, 1996 between the government and Litrak, it allows the concessionaire to continue collecting toll irrespective of whether the company is reaping profits of making losses.

“The government has very little power under the agreement. The concessionaire can continue to collect toll irregardless of how much collection it has made.

“This is very different from the old concept of privatisation where the concessionaire was allowed to make certain collections over a stipulated period. After that, the toll gates should be closed down and the concession should be handed back to the government,” he added.

DAP leader Ronnie Liu who was also present said the Umno-linked Litrak had recovered its highway construction cost three years after it started operation and recording profits from 2002 onwards.

According to Litrak’s 2006 annual report, the company had set a new record after collecting RM243 million revenue for its financial year ending on March 31, 2006 while recording a nett profit of RM80 million.

Meanwhile, Chua also claimed that the government was “lying” when it said that it was negotiating with the concessionaire to reduce the toll rates as the rates have been fixed under the agreement for the entire concession period of over 30 years from 1998.

For instance, under the agreed toll payment schedule, Class 1 vehicle using the LDP will have to pay RM1.50 from year 1998 to 2006, RM2.10 from year 2007 to 2015 and RM3.10 for the year 2016 to the end of the concession period.

The PKR leader said the way the costing was done was not transparent and it was also not explained.

“There is no room for adjustment in this agreement. This is another government contract which does not benefit the public,” stressed Chua, adding he believed that other highway concession agreements are similar to the Litrak agreement that he has obtained.

He urged the government to immediately disclose the remaining concession agreements for public scrutiny in order to convince the people that the government has striked a ‘good deal’ with all the highway concessionaires.

Asked on how he has obtained the agreement, Chua did not answer directly.

“People who passed on this contract to us take a lot of risks. The authorities might put the seal of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on this agreement later and the OSA can be enforceable retrospectively. However, we have to take this risk in the interest of the public,” he said.

In this connection, PKR treasurer Khalid Ibrahim who was also present urged the government to enact a Freedom of Information Act to protect a free flow of information and the whistleblower.

Also present at the press conference were PKR leaders Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, Dr Sanusi Osman, PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli and other members of the ad-hoc coalition of ‘Protest Toll Hike’ formed to oppose the recent toll hike at five major highways in the Klang Valley.

On Dec 14, the government announced that the toll rates for the five highways - LDP, Shah Alam Highway, Cheras-Kajang Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and Guthrie Corridor Expressway - will rise between 20 to 60 percent effective Jan 1.

The unpopular move elicited strong reactions from various groups, including the ruling MCA which has staged a protest last Friday along the LDP while the opposition and civil groups have planned for another mass protest this Sunday.

"I was walking in Chinatown," he told the BBC, "when a gentleman in very scruffy type clothes, nothing that you would associate with police or anyone in authority, walked up to me and asked me, "Can I see your passport?". Fearing a scam, Mr Wright refused and tried to move away.

"At that point he essentially lunged at me, grabbed me, put handcuffs on me really tightly and called for a few other people out in the crowd," he explained. Mr Wright, a serving US Navy lawyer, says he protested that he was a US citizen and told the men who had grabbed him that his passport was in his hotel room, a matter of a few hundred meters away. He was taken, shackled, through Chinatown and put into a caged truck used by the Malaysian immigration department.

There he met a second American, who had also been grabbed by men who refused to show any identification, Yahweh Passim Nam. They were taken to an immigration detention centre where for almost 24 hours they say they were fed only bread and water, not allowed to go to the toilet and refused permission to contact the US embassy.

"I was treated inhumanely," said Mr Nam. "I felt like a dog, I felt like something worse than a dog." Mr Wright agrees. "Honestly this was probably the worst experience I have had in my life," he said. Both say that, when they were finally freed, immigration officers treated the matter as a joke, something that incensed them.

A Japanese here told me that they were be informed Malaysia is not really safe to tourist because too many snatch thieves around. Well, tell me what should I answer to him?

The minister warned media can't report or highlight this kind of news on media. However, he forgot the tourists will bring back that information to their countries when something bad happened on them. They just inform the local media about their experiences in Malaysia. Media will alert the public. That is.

Whatever methods used in Malaysia in order to “polish” the crimes news not going to work in those countries which practice well press freedom. You can’t stop other countries press. In this case, normally they will say foreign presses are reported something not fair to Malaysia as their explanation. The fact?

The first day of school for a group of Year One pupils in Bachok turned into a nightmare when they found their names missing from the list. To make matters worse, pupils and their parents found that four of their classrooms were still not completed. And to add insult to injury, the SK Gunong administrators told parents that the teachers responsible for the list were not around as they had gone to a wedding.

Probe transport woes
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20 to train in KKB instead of Sibu
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Training dept needs a shake-up, says Lee
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