Stop-work order issued to developer at Candi 11

Stop-work order issued to developer at Candi 11

Stop-work order issued to developer at Candi 11

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 08:02 AM PST

04 December 2013| last updated at 11:34PM
By ILI SHAZWANI | shazwani.ihsan@nst.com.my

ALOR STAR: THE Tourism and Culture Ministry has issued a stop-work order to a developer at an ancient temple site in Lembah Bujang.

Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said the ministry had agreed to consider the state government's proposal to gazette sites with heritage value in the state.

Pointing out that the state government took efforts to preserve all types of heritage seriously, Mukhriz said the ruined temple tomb, Candi 11, would be rebuilt according to its original design and structure.

However, the location for the temple would be discussed further.

It would be either rebuilt on the original site, if approved by the developer, or moved to another location, such as near the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) excavation site.

"The state government regrets the destruction of Candi 11 at Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang, which is a structure rebuilt in 1974 on the original site of the temple tomb.

"As such, excavation and revival activities at the site will be continued by archaeologists from USM to develop the site as an international tourism attraction," he said yesterday.

Mukhriz was responding to the uproar over land-clearing activities by a private company in Lembah Bujang to make way for development in the area.

He said the company had received approval to develop the privately-owned plot of land in Lembah Bujang in 1993, but only commenced the land clearing in August this year.

The state government's proposal to gazette heritage sites in Lembah Bujang, as well as other parts of the state, was well received by MIC.

The party's Youth leader, C. Sivarraajh, described the act as crucial to preserve and protect national heritage from being destroyed.

"It is everyone's responsibility to protect historical monuments and artefacts for our future generation.

"The heritage will help the next generation learn and understand their roots and origins better," he said after submitting a memorandum to Senior Private Secretary to Menteri Besar Abd Ghani Zainuddin at the menteri besar's office here yesterday.

The memorandum includes suggestions to conserve and revive historical monuments and artefacts, especially Candi 11, deemed as a national treasure.

Sivarraajh was joined by some 100 MIC and non-governmental organisation members, who were eager to see the country's heritage and culture preserved.

A spokesman for the developer's company, Saujana Sdn Bhd, said the company had yet to receive a stop-work notice.

However, she said the company would give its full cooperation to the state government for the sake of the people.

It was reported that the company's project manager, Saw Guan Keat, had claimed that they were unaware that the 1,200-year-old tomb in Lembah Bujang had historical value.

The site of Candi 11 in Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang, yesterday. The structure was destroyed after land clearing activities were carried out by the developer. Pix by Omar Osman

Sabah Parks helps to perform customary ritual

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

04 December 2013| last updated at 11:32PM

The two-day programme was organised with the help of Sabah Parks.

Kakapan Id Gayo Ngaran, which in the Dusun language means "visiting a great name/Mount Kinabalu", kicked off on Monday with an age-old ceremony called monolob (worship) where a Bobolian (shaman) sacrificed white leghorn hens before participants scaled the mountain.

In the past, the ritual was meant to bless climbers as well as to protect villagers living in villages surrounding the mountain.

Sabah Parks vice-chairman Datuk Patrick Jilan, who launched the annual event at the starting point before the Timpohon gate, said they revived the tradition in 2010 and only communities from Kg Kiau, Kota Belud and Kg Bundu Tuhan and Ranau were then involved.

"This year the communal visit has representatives from villages in Ranau, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Kg Poring, Kg Tambatuon, Kg Rantai Rosok, Kg Kalibungan, Kg Gonok, Kg Losou Minunsud and Kg Lahanas.

"Our aim is to ensure harmony among the communities."

A shaman and his assistants carrying out the 'monolob' ceremony to kick off 'Kakapan Id Gayo Ngaran' in Kundasang yesterday.

Floods worsen, claim 1st victim

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: SOME 18,000 people have been evacuated in Pahang, Johor and Terengganu as floodwaters claimed its first victim.

Water levels in several areas in the three states continued to rise as the number of victims continued to increase since Monday.

Relief centres in affected areas began filling up in tandem with the number of flood victims evacuated.

In Kuantan, flooding in the state worsened yesterday with more than 9,000 people evacuated to 69 relief centres here, Rompin, Maran, Pekan and Jerantut.

State police flood operations centre spokesman said as at 8pm, Kuantan was the worst-hit district with 3,672 evacuees followed by Rompin (3,249), Maran (1,124), Pekan (932) and Jerantut (62).

Several stretches were closed, including Jalan Kuantan-Sungai Lembing at Sungai Charu bridge, Km36 of Jalan Gambang Lama, Km16 of Jalan Nenasi-Pekan.

Due to a landslide, the stretch at Km72 of Jalan Kuantan-Segamat was closed to all vehicles.

The situation in the state capital turned chaotic as water rose to 1.5m in several areas, causing traffic jams that left hundreds of motorists stranded for hours.

"We left our relative's home in Kempadang at noon, but had to take shelter at a petrol station when part of Jalan Gambang was flooded," said Norhayati Hassan,40, whose family of four were on their way back to Kuala Kangsar.

When the water subsided slightly at 5pm, the family decided to return to their relative's home as they were afraid that the floods may worsen later.

Several colleges ceased operations when the water rose fast, resulting in some of their students stranded in the buildings for several hours.

Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad advised people to be patient and take steps in case the floods worsened.

"People must follow the advice given by the authorities. The intensity of rain is more than usual, resulting in the water rising in just a few hours," he said after visiting the flood victims at Sekolah Menengah Abdul Rahman Talib here.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the 400mm of rainfall within 24 hours since Sunday was equivalent to 15 days of rain.

He also advised people to maintain hygiene levels to ensure they did not contract water-borne and soil-related diseases such as leptospirosis and Burkholderia cepacia.

In Johor, more flood relief centres opened in several districts in the state to house the increasing number of victims.

As of 8pm yesterday, the National Security Council portal recorded 5,659 victims evacuated to 42 relief centres state-wide.

Muar and Kota Tinggi are the two additional districts to be flooded.

The districts to first evacuate flash flood victims were Mersing, Segamat and Kahang, after non-stop rain since Sunday.

In Kampung Sekijang, Segamat, a bridge used by the villagers to cross over Sungai Segamat was swept away by raging waters.

However, there were no injuries reported and the 30 families from the village are using an alternative route.

Segamat evacuated 1,116 victims to its eight relief centres, Kluang has 187 victims in three centres and Kota Tinggi has 74 victims in two centres.

Muar has 35 people evacuated from their homes and Mersing has 4,247 in 18 relief centres.

In Kemaman, a teenager was the first flood victim after he fell into Sungai Plantoh near Air Putih here on Monday.

District police chief Superintendent Che Suza Che Hitam said the victim, Mohd Ashraff Mohd Noor, 17, a Form Five student, went fishing with his father and an elder brother in a boat.

Kemaman is the hardest-hit district with 1,842 people from 454 families evacuated to 29 relief centres.

The floods in Terengganu worsened with 2,811 people evacuated in Kemaman, Dungun and Hulu Terengganu as of 8.30pm yesterday.

A view of the floods in the centre of Kuantan. Pic by Mustaffa Kamal

Party gives youth a strong voice

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

04 December 2013| last updated at 11:42PM

TERENDAK Permai Umno Youth chief Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen  turned heads during the party polls. At  27, he is the youngest Umno Youth leader elected to the wing's executive committee (exco). He shares with the New Straits Times his future plans for Umno Youth and the party at large.

Question: How does it feel to be the youngest person to be elected, considering most of the others are all above 30?

Answer: I am very happy. The role of an exco member is an important one and carries many responsibilities. I am grateful for the support and trust in me by the grassroots members. My achievement is a reflection of the party's openness towards the younger generation, regardless of their background. It is proof that Umno has pulled out all the stops in order to rejuvenate and make the party more appealing and accessible to the masses, including youth and professionals. Umno has always opened its doors to youth. The party was established in 1946 and formed its youth wing a year later to galvanise support and champion the aspirations of the younger generation. The first Umno Youth leader was the country's third prime minister, Tun Hussein Onn, and he was 26 when he led the movement. This is a clear sign that Umno has always catered to the youth.

Question: Do you feel intimidated dealing with members who are more senior?

Answer: A person's age does not define their maturity. I have experience dealing with people who are more senior than me. As president of the Young Thinkers Organisation, I have to mingle with some 3,000 members who are older than me. I had also served as the Malacca chief minister's resource centre division director between 2011 and 2012. And now, I am the higher education institution director of the CM's Department. My work requires me to deal with staff who are mostly in their 40s and 50s. My working experience has helped me to adapt and mingle with people who are older than me. Thus, I believe that age is not a hindrance.

Question: You are also president of the Young Thinkers Organisation. What is its role?

Answer: It is a non-governmental organisation that organises programmes and activities to counter misconception against the government and the party. We found that there are a lot of youngsters who are anti-establishment because they were fed blatant lies against Umno, but were deprived of real facts and information. Our aim is to address the wrong perception and restore their faith towards the government. We organised a Young Thinkers Convention at Universiti Teknologi Mara last year, which was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. It was a historic event and the response to the convention was overwhelming. About 5,000 young people from 30 sectors attended the event, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, farmers and taxi drivers. They came and shared their views on how the government can assist the people.

Question: How has life changed since you were elected to become Umno Youth Exco member and appointed to lead the education bureau for the movement?

Answer: As a leader, we have to make a lot of sacrifices. I have been a member of the wing since I was 18. I have to admit that my leisure time with family and friends is now limited. What drives me are my mentors. I admire the leadership style of the country's second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, and look up to the charisma of our fourth prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I am also driven by the openness of present party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who have made significant efforts to endear themselves to the people.

Question: There still remains the perception that Umno Youth is not close to the younger generation, who are perceived to be more opposition-friendly. What has Umno Youth done and should do to attract these youths?

Answer: The party's top leadership has undertaken many initiatives to rejuvenate Umno. For example, members who could not enrol in Umno branches can now submit their admission form to party headquarters at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). They will be temporarily placed under the PWTC branch before they are dispatched to other branches. The party leadership has also moved to attract youth by appointing prominent figures into the Umno supreme council, including independent Islamic preacher Ustaz Kazim (Mohammad Kazim Elias). The Umno Youth movement, through Barisan Nasional Youth, has also made efforts to get more support from youth. Events like the BN Youth Job Carnival have helped those who are unemployed to secure jobs. The government has also made an effort to resolve issues affecting the younger generation. Two years ago, the government launched the My First Home scheme (SRP), which enables individuals earning less than RM3,000 a month to obtain full loans from chosen financial institutions.

Umno Youth executive committee member Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen says the party has pulled out all the stops to make itself appealing and accessible

Malaysia shows improvement in Maths and Science

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

04 December 2013| last updated at 12:05AM
By AKIL YUNUS | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR:  MALAYSIA has improved its educational performance in Mathematics and Science in the past three years, the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2012 report revealed yesterday.

The global assessment, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) once every three years, tested more than 510,000 15-year-old students from 65 countries on their reading, Mathematics and Science abilities.

The report was released via the OECD website at 6pm yesterday.

From the findings, Malaysia performed better in Mathematics with a mean score of 421 compared with 404 in 2010, moving up five spots to 52nd in the rankings behind Thailand and Chile but ahead of Mexico.

Meanwhile, the performance of Malaysian students in Science remained consistent with a reading of 420, putting the country ahead of Montenegro, Uruguay and Mexico.

However, the reading ability of the assessed group decreased from a mean score of 414 to 398.

As a result, Malaysia dropped five spots to 60th in the category.

There was an improvement in the performance gap between boys and girls in Mathematics, with the gap narrowed to an average score which was better than the OECD benchmark.

According to the report, the overall performance gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged was also reduced, bettering the OECD average.

Overall, the Pisa report revealed that Malaysia still remained in the bottom one-third of all the countries assessed, and well behind its closest neighbour Singapore, which was ranked in the top five across all categories.

However, the OECD singled out the country, together with Qatar and Kazakhstan, as having shown a significant increase in competency in Mathematics, albeit at the lower level.

The Education Ministry said on Monday that it was hoping Malaysia would show a significant improvement in the 2015 report, which would reflect the education reforms initiated under the National Education Blueprint launched this year.

Malaysia first participated in Pisa in 2010 and was among 10 countries which were assessed on a reduced and delayed timeline to the original study, known as Pisa2009+.

 

More healthcare options

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

04 December 2013| last updated at 11:31PM
By DENNIS WONG | dennis@nst.com.my

KUCHING: THE growth of private hospitals in the state has indirectly opened up extra rooms for public hospitals.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said more local people could afford private medical services these days.

"The demand for more personal care is higher now as many can afford it. And personal care is something public hospitals cannot provide," said Taib at the launch of the Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) in Jalan Simpang Tiga here yesterday.

The Federal Government has invested heavily on healthcare than many of its regional neighbours.

This year alone, it spent RM19.3 billion on healthcare, but despite this investment, public healthcare still needed improvement because of higher living standards and changes in lifestyle.

Taib said encouraging the private sector to invest in healthcare was the right thing to do as it gave the public a choice.

"The Sarawak General Hospital has 931 beds and it has nearly 100 per cent occupancy despite being the largest public hospital in the state."

"The state's population is expected to double over the next 20 years and with the rapid growth from the Sarawak Corridor for Renewable Energy initiative, additional medical infrastructure will be necessary.

"The private health sector in the nation is is worth RM8 billion."

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud visiting the maternity ward of the newly opened Borneo Medical Centre in Kuching yesterday. Pic by Nadim Bokhari