8 reports lodged against assembly

8 reports lodged against assembly

8 reports lodged against assembly

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

24 December 2013| last updated at 11:57PM

Selangor Youth Council Klang division chairman Haiziee Mohd Salleh urged police to investigate those behind the assembly and prevent them from rallying for support.

"This is an event that may compromise our peace.

"Given so, police have to make sure that the event does not happen."

He said this after lodging the reports against the assembly at the South Klang police station here.

Haiziee said even if the organisers were to promise to conduct the assembly peacefully, past events similar to it had proven otherwise.

"Promising that it will be a peaceful assembly is just rhetorical."

He said he would advise youth to distance themselves from such events.

Gerakan Belia 4B Kota Raja division chairman Muhammad Ali Zakaria said those who had issues with government policies should use the right channels to voice their complaints.

Instead of resorting to rallies, he said those who had issues to bring up could refer to members of parliament and state assemblymen.

Ali said this way, their representatives could bring up the issues in Parliament and the state assembly.

The other NGOs that lodged reports were Umno Desa Utama branch, Umno Taman Sri Menegon branch, Klang Jaya Apartment Residents Association and Kelab Bell Belia Tamil Klang division.

Haiziee Mohd Salleh (centre), flanked by Muhammad Ali Zakaria and Beliawanis Kota Raja division chairman Nadiah Md Jauhari, after lodging the police reports in Klang yesterday. Pic by Asyraf Bokhar

Najib: Uphold our country's image

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

24 December 2013| last updated at 12:00AM

The prime minister said the government's desire was to make Malaysia a successful, modern and progressive Islamic nation based on Islam's sanctity and rules.

He said among the successes achieved were the participation of Malaysians in mammoth projects overseas, including here where they were involved in the Masjidil Haram (Grand Mosque) extension project and building of the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, at a height of 602m.

"If we remain a cohesive and united Islamic community, we will achieve excellence in future," he said when meeting Malaysians at Felda D'Saji Restaurant here yesterday.

He hoped Malaysians here on business or pilgrimage, would uphold Malaysia's good name and image.

"They (people here) have placed us on such a high position in terms of their views of us. Just mention Malaysia and we can see that we are warmly welcomed," he said on Facebook yesterday. Bernama

Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (second from left) and pilgrims circling the Kaabah while performing their umrah in Mecca yesterday. Bernama pic


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Toll fare discounts for Xmas

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

24 December 2013| last updated at 11:49PM

ECE starts from Gombak, on the Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway, and ends in Jabor, Terengganu.

ANIH executive vice-president for toll business Wan Razali Wan Muda said the discount was part of the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives.

"We hope that motorists will have a comfortable and safe journey during the Christmas period," he said yesterday.

Motorists can follow traffic reports on ECE's Twitter account, LPTTrafik.

Kesas Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire of Lebuhraya Shah Alam (LSA), is offering a 20 per cent toll discount to road users as well.

The discount is for class one vehicles and will be effective tomorrow, starting from 12.01am until 11.59pm.

During the discount period, the toll rate for LSA road users will be RM1.60, compared with the usual RM2. Bernama


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Settlement lights up for Christmas

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

 MALACCA: The  serene Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir, Bandar Hilir, here has a lively Christmas mood with dazzling lights, decorations and songs to welcome the festive season.

Houses were decorated with Christmas paraphernalia, a mesmerising sight for tourists and visitors. A white house was spotted in a sea of green and red as the boundaries of the house were aligned with garlands shimmering from lights, baubles, and red poinsettia leaves creating a classic Christmas atmosphere.

Its owner, Manuel Sta Maria, 66, said the decorations were the idea of his wife, Carol Sta Maria, 64, who started decorating their house two weeks ago with the help of friends.

"There is no specific theme in our decorations but my wife always has her own taste and preferences. We reuse the decorations and try to be creative to give a different twist every year.

"We believe decorating the house is a gesture to welcome Jesus into our home on His birthday."

He recalled his house winning the second prize when the settlement held a contest four years ago.

People will also not miss the house of Monalisa Alberto, which has seven lighted reindeers coming down from the rooftop.

Monalisa, 47, said the lights were installed into the reindeers by her youngest son, Cyril Junior, 22, who arranged and pinned six reindeers in line on a piece of wood, before placing them on the roof.

"It took my son an hour to fix the reindeers on the roof.

"My husband, Cyril de Mello, 50, is a man of all trades. Not only did he help with installing the lights in the house, he also built a drummer boy out of styrofoam."

A walk into the house also found a Christmas tree beautifully decorated with baubles of various shapes, sizes and patterns, as well as ribbons and lights.

Monalisa said her tree was unique because she decorated it with real pine nuts that she collected in Holland four years ago.

"I love to collect decorative items from overseas. I also placed limited edition reindeers made from wood barks that were bought from Mexico on the mantelpiece.

"There is also 'the last supper' candle given by my cousin from the Philippines, which I place on my dining table," she said as she explained the story of the 12 disciples feasting in Jerusalem before the crucifixion of Jesus.

For Richard Hendricks, 40, the decorations follow European culture.

"Decorating the house with ornaments is a celebration but Christmas has nothing to do with snowmen and snowflakes. People tend to associate snow with Christmas. The truth is during December, European countries are having snow because it is the winter.

"That is why you see snowmen in Christmas decorations in houses today," he said, pointing at a snowman displayed in his house.

Hendricks, who is the settlement's village and security development committee secretary, said the settlement was unique with a variety of rich cultural and religious festivals taking place here.

"Every year the settlement turns into a fairyland with thousands of tourists thronging here. We would like to maintain this atmosphere so that more tourists will come to Malacca and also to inform the world that the Portuguesecommunity still exist in Malacca and Malaysia."

The settlement expects about 100,000 visitors on Christmas Day. There are also stalls selling Christmas toys, food and beverages.

Santa Claus and carollers going from house to house spreading Christmas joy in the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir, Bandar Hilir, in Malacca yesterday. Pic by Muhammad Hatim Ab Manan

A shopper admiring a Santa Claus toy, part of a Christmas decoration, at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. Pic by Muhd Zaaba Zakeria

Waste contractors to face action

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

24 December 2013| last updated at 11:52PM
By ROBIN AUGUSTIN | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: THE contractors who dumped tonnes of rubbish along a stretch on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) here last week are facing a fine of between RM10,000 and RM100,000 or a six-month to five-year jail sentence, or both.

Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib said the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (PPSPPA) would take action against the rubbish collecting contractors under Section 71 of the PPSPPA Act, also known as Act 672.

He was commenting on the incident in which more than 150 tonnes of rubbish were dumped by contractors a few hundred metres from the Taman Beringin waste transfer station here.

The dumping took place between last Friday night and in the wee hours of Saturday as compactor lorry drivers transporting collected garbage found the transfer station's gates locked.

This led to congestion along stretches near Batu Caves, MRR2, Jalan Duta, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Kepong and Jalan Ipoh

The transfer station was managed by Umpan Jaya Sdn Bhd. Following the incident, City Hall had sought the help of Alam Flora to clear the rubbish and manage the transfer site as a temporary solution.

Phesal said City Hall and PPSPPA enforcement officers were monitoring illegal rubbish dumping hot spots around-the-clock to ensure there was no repeat of the incident.

PPSPPA officers from other states had also been roped in to monitor hot spots, including the Razak Mansion in Sungai Besi, Cheras, Kepong, Salak South and Jalan Peel.

"On Sunday, a contractor was caught red-handed dumping construction waste in Sri Petaling," he said during a press conference at the Taman Beringin waste transfer station yesterday.

He thanked Alam Flora for their efforts in clearing the city's only waste transfer station and getting it up and running.

It was previously reported that none of the four compactors in the station were functioning.

Alam Flora repaired two compactors and cleared more than 3,000 tonnes of rubbish by Sunday evening.

However, there is still much to do at the transfer station, which is now under the purview of the the Department of National Solid Waste Management (JPSPN), as there are two other compactors, trucks and containers that require repairs so that rubbish can be compacted and sent to the Bukit Tagar landfill near Rawang

1,000 new MR1M eateries next year

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

24 December 2013| last updated at 11:45PM
By Rahmat Khairulrijal | news@nst.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: The number of eateries participating in the 1Malaysia People's Menu programme (MR1M) will be increased by about 1,000 to more than 5,300 outlets next year, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Hasan Malek said.

He said this was possible due to the overwhelming support from many eatery operators who supported the government's initiative to lighten the food expenditure of the people, especially the poor.

"MR1M is a success because it has been helping the poor and underprivileged as well as in providing jobs.

"Since we started the programme in July 2011, there are now 4,329 MR1M eateries.

"Between January and November this year alone, we had 1,101 new MR1M outlets.

"We are confident the number will increase by at least another 1,000 eateries next year," he said after a walkabout at the Gurney Plaza shopping complex here yesterday.

Hasan was also confident that prices for breakfast and lunch sets served by MR1M outlets would remain at RM2 and RM4 respectively next year.

"It may not be a fancy meal, but at least the money saved on food by the patrons could be used for something else important."

Hasan said the ministry would allocate RM40 million for the Small Retailers Transformation Programme (Tukar) next year.

He said Tukar, aimed at transforming and assisting sundry shops, had also helped build a stronger network of small retailers nationwide.

"We have helped transform 518 sundry shops under Tukar and Penang has the highest number of outlets with 79 shops.

"We hope to transform another 500 sundry shops nationwide next year."

He added that Tukar participants were enjoying up to 50 per cent increase in sales compared with business previously.

Meanwhile, Hasan said the ministry had yet to receive complaints on price hikes on essential food items.

He said his officers were keeping close tabs on the matter and he encouraged the public to report on any indiscriminate increase in prices of any food items.

Asked to comment on a complaint from Consumers Association of Penang that the prices of some vegetables had increased by up to 300 per cent over the past two weeks, Hasan said his ministry had yet to receive a report on the matter.

Hasan said complaints against errant trader could be made by sending emails to e-aduan@kpdnkk.gov.my or calling the toll free line at 1-800-886-800.

Complaints could also be sent by SMS to 15888 by typing "KPDNKK ADUAN" or reporting to the ministry's offices nationwide.