KL mayor angry at disruption

KL mayor angry at disruption

KL mayor angry at disruption

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

He said the celebration on Tuesday  was not only important to the city but also to the nation, as it marked the new year and  kicked off   Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

  "Protesters  took the opportunity of the public gathering at the New Year's Eve celebration to hold the rally to express their dissatisfaction on certain issues," he said.

  The celebration also broke tradition  because,  for the first time in history, there was no countdown or fireworks display to mark the new year at Dataran Merdeka.

  "It was not possible to make the countdown as the protesters kept interrupting the event.

  "Instead of wishing revellers a Happy New Year, I had to change my address into advice and calls for the protesters to stay calm so the celebration could continue smoothly."

 Phesal said it was unfortunate the concert had to be stopped after plastic bottles were hurled at the stage.

  "We had to stop the performance to ensure the safety of the musicians and their equipment. The unused fireworks  will be recycled for other future events."

 Phesal was quoted by Bernama as saying the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would hold a special meeting with the police to discuss the  appropriate action that could be taken against  the rally's organiser, Turun Kos Sara Hidup (Turun).

  "We have yet to identify  the appropriate action to be taken, whether to sue the organiser or any other form of action.".

  Asked about the chorus of boos which greeted him while he was giving his speech,  Phesal said he  thought only about his responsibility to the public, and this gave him the strength to remain on stage until the event ended.

  "While I was on the stage, I could see elderly folk, women and children with their parents, waiting patiently  for the New Year celebration.

  "As the mayor and event organiser, I felt it would have been irresponsible of me to leave  as it could have turned ugly," he said, adding that  he was relieved the celebration ended without any reveller being injured or damage to property.

  He said DBKL enforcement officers and the police were told not to react to any provocation  by the protesters.
 
Phesal said there were some who protested peacefully.

  He said 700 DBKL officers and more than 1,000 police personnel were in position to monitor and control the situation.

  Although he did not think  the protest would affect the tourism industry,  Phesal urged the authorities to stay on their toes.

  "I would like to thank the police, City Hall and members of the public for coming to Dataran Merdeka although they knew about the protest."  

  Preparation for the celebration was done in less than a month with a total cost of RM48,000.

  On Tuesday, about 5,000 protesters gathered at various locations before walking towards Dataran Merdeka. They  breached three barricades to enter the site.

  Two policemen were injured. Police also found a parang and three knives at the Dayabumi complex. No arrests were made.

 Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor lambasted those who took part in the  rally.

   Tengku Adnan described the protesters as a  misguided lot and warned that their follies might hinder the country's vision to emerge as a developed nation by 2020.

   The Federal Territories minister said it was uncalled for  for the disgruntled group to converge in the city and harass others,  including foreign tourists, who had gathered to celebrate and usher in the new year.

   He urged the people to make a proper evaluation of matters and not to be easily swayed by the agenda of certain quarters.  Additional reporting by Adib Povera

Anti-government protesters breached barricades put up around Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, and invaded the area cordoned off for VIPs on New Year's Eve. Pic by Yazit Razali

Rubber tapper's wish for sons

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

02 January 2014| last updated at 11:27PM

His eldest son, Musmin Sirun, a student of SMK Ulu Sugut, will enter Form Three, while the younger one, Kaprin, will be in Year Three at SMK Malinsau.

They are among 4.9 million schoolchildren going back to school today.

Sirun is worried about the many challenges that he and his sons will face.

"I am worried that Musmin may not be able to catch up with his studies and face pressures a teenager will face.

"As for Kaprin, he is shy and not used to mixing with others, except for a few relatives or neighbours."

The family lives in Kampung Linapasan, about two hours' drive from here.

Their house is a unit of a small cluster of four homes occupied by relatives, and accessible by a jungle path only.

"I have to rely on what the school can offer my children.

"Otherwise, I don't think I can be of much help, except to feed them."

Sirun taps rubber, does subsistence farming and sometimes, odd jobs for a living.

His wife, Mosini Silimpau, used to help him. However, after giving birth to their youngest child, Alisah, last year, she had stopped doing so.

Sirun, who is illiterate, said he attended school once when he was about eight or nine, but it was for a year only.

"I am determined to do all I can to get the best education for my boys so that they can lead better lives."

Sirun does not know there is a programme to elevate the academic achievement of students in rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak.

There are 814 rural schools in Sabah and Sarawak -- 373 in Sabah and 441 in Sarawak.

Launched last year, a series of projects will be introduced to ensure the success of the Rural Education Transformation Programme.

To kickstart the 12-year transformation process that is part of the National Education Blueprint, the first wave of developments had begun last year.

Sirun Duroi helping his sons, Musmin and Kaprin, pack their school bags yesterday. With them is Sirun's wife, Mosini Silimpau, who is cradling their daughter, Alisah. Pic by Lano Lan

Boy to be on medication for life

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

02 January 2014| last updated at 11:29PM

His mother, Saadiah Shamsudin, 40, said her son had to undergo surgery to remove his spleen and a kidney.

"His condition is stable after the surgery, but doctors say he will be on medication for the rest of his life," she said after receiving contributions from the state Umno Youth at Penang Hospital here yesterday.

She said it was heart-breaking to know that Mohamad Khairul Naimme, 7, would not be able to start school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kebun Sireh, Bukit Mertajam, today.

Saadiah said she had bought school supplies for her son, who is the fourth of five children, and he had been excited to try on his school uniform and shoes before the incident.

"He is an active and cheerful boy, but now he can only lie down and drink through a tube," she said with tears flowing.

In the incident on Sunday, Khairul was found unconscious by his father after he vomited blood. He is believed to have fallen off a Ferris wheel at 12.50pm.

His father, a trader at the fair, lodged a report at the Sungai Nibong police station.

Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abd Rahim said the movement sympathised with the family and were ready to provide assistance from time to time. Bernama

Saadiah Shamsudin with her son, Mohamad Khairul Naimme, at Penang Hospital, where he was admitted after falling off a Ferris wheel at the Penang Pesta fairground in Sungai Nibong on Sunday. Pic by Muhammad Mikail Ong

Campaign gets positive response

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

02 January 2014| last updated at 12:05AM
By A. AZIM IDRIS | news@nst.com.my

SEPANG: VISIT Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014) is off to a good start with more than 200,000 advanced bookings from foreign tourists.

Tourism and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng said based on the ministry's correspondence with overseas tour agents, high volumes of bookings had been made since July last year.

He said a survey conducted by popular online travel web portal, Globetrotter.com, had found that Malaysia was among the top 10 countries that generated travellers' interest.

"The ministry has developed 600 tourism packages and the advanced bookings, which are until November, is an encouraging response from the tourists," Ong said after welcoming 69 tourists from Beijing and 20 from Shanghai as a symbolic gesture indicating the start of VMY 2014 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) arrival hall here yesterday.

Organised by Tourism Malaysia, the event served to give tourists a warm and rousing welcome in conjunction with VMY 2014. Similar welcome receptions were also held concurrently at 37 entry points throughout the country.

KLIA was among one of the main entry points to host the welcoming. Other entry points included the Subang Skypark Terminal and Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

Tourists arriving via cruise ship at the Port Klang Cruise Centre (PKCC) were also given a special welcome.

"Apart from welcoming tourists, the special reception is intended to spread the excitement of VMY 2014."

The ministry is targeting 28 million tourist arrivals with RM76 billion in tourist revenue expected.

Ong said the Proboscis monkey was chosen as VMY2014 mascot to raise awareness for wildlife and nature, while instilling tourists' interest in nature's gift.

The first batch of tourists arriving at KLIA's and LCCT's entry points were greeted with cultural presentations of traditional music and dancers, such as gamelan, cempuling and kompang, and a teh tarik demonstration.

Tourism and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng welcoming a group of tourists from Beijing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport arrival hall yesterday. Pic by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

Tourists nationwide receive warm welcome

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

State Tourism Committee chairman Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said the target was realistic as 5.8 million tourists visited the state last year.

"We are hoping international events like the Royal Belum World Drums Festival and Pangkor International Development Dialogue will increase the number of foreign and domestic tourist arrival Perak this year," she said after welcoming passengers of a Firefly flight from Singapore that landed at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here yesterday.

Nolee said Perak had allocated RM8 million for the state's tourism programmes.

It would be utilised as efficiently as possible in drawing up activities to attract tourists, she added.

"An allocation of RM8 million is a very small amount but we will make do with it to get maximum results.

"We are working with the private sector to help us with programmes expenditure.

"We hope the Tourism and Culture Ministry will assist us by providing much-needed allocation."

Nolee said several airlines had expressed their interest to operate at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport despite news reports that the airport's newly extended runaway was not able to accomodate bigger aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-400.

"We have to wait until remedial works at the airport's runaway is completed before such flights can begin," she said, noting that tourist arrivals was expected to grow significantly once the airline started operating at the airport.

In Kota Kinabalu, the Sabah government will focus on tourists from Japan and Europe to meet its 3.4 million tourist arrivals target.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the ministry would be spearheading efforts to ensure flights between Kota Kinablau and Tokyo would resume soon.

"We see a potential of visitors from Japan judging from the increase in arrivals of 26 per cent to Sabah last year.

"It is going to be the first project for the ministry to visit Japan on Jan 13 until 16 (to promote the state)," he said, adding that direct flights had been halted a few years back because of low-passenger traffic.

Masidi said the ministry would be taking part in the International Tourism Exchange (ITB Berlin) in Germany in March.

"Malaysia, particularly Sabah, is among top choices destination of people from cold countries.

"Therefore, we should leverage on this to promote the country."

Masidi pointed out the lack of accommodation and proper infrastructure to access potential tourism products as setbacks to tourism in Sabah.

He hoped more hotels would be built and the various agencies involved work together to develop places of interest.

Present to welcome tourists at Kota Kinabalu International Airport yesterday were Tourism Malaysia chairman Senator Datuk Maznah Mazlan, Tourism Malaysia board member Datuk Seri Dr Zainal Adlin Mahmood and Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin.

In Malacca, Bernama reports that the state government has planned 96 tourism programmes, including 15 main events, to boost tourism in the state.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said the programmes included the Raptor Watch Week 2014 from March 8 to 9, 17th Archipelago Drum Festival (April 9 to 17) and Malacca River Invitational Festival 2014 (May 22 to June 22).

He said the programmes were drawn up to lure 15 millions tourists to Malacca.

"We are confident of meeting the target with the help of numerous parties, especially industry players," he said at the New Year's celebration at Warrior Square in Bandar Hilir.

His speech was read by state Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Green Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Md Yunos Husin.

In Johor Baru, there is a need for an additional 16,000 hotel rooms to cater to the expected surge in demand and tourist arrivals in the state over the next three years.

State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said Johor needed 11,550 three-star to five-star hotel rooms and 4,350 budget hotel rooms by 2017.

He said Johor had its own tourist attractions like Legoland Malaysia Theme Park in Nusajaya that had attracted about three million visitors since its launch a year ago.

Mei Lum Song, 4, from China, posing for a photograph at Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport in Kuantan, Pahang, yesterday. Bernama pic

Kelantan allows 'menora' shows for non-Muslims

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

02 January 2014| last updated at 11:31PM
By SULAIMAN JAAFAR | news@nst.com.my

KOTA BARU: The Kelantan  government will continue its ban on public performances of cultural dances like makyong and menora, which are deemed  un-Islamic, said Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.

However, he said menora can be performed and watched by non-Muslims, especially the Siamese community who could stage menora among themselves as they enjoyed the traditional performance.

"We understand and respect their culture.

"We allow menora to be staged but it is restricted only to non-Muslims and at their own venues," he said after welcoming visitors at the Sultan Ismail Petra airport here in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

Ahmad said the state was not against culture but it had laid down guidelines, which included restrictions on the mixing of male and female performers and shows with un-Islamic practices and storylines based on fantasies and folklores.

"The decision was made to safeguard Muslims and nothing else.

"The performances can be made in public if those involved are aged below 12 years old.

"We have allowed wayang kulit to be performed again after an earlier ban when its practitioners agreed to follow a new version with stories based on current issues."

The state government imposed a ban on wayang kulit, menora and makyong when it regained power in the 1990 general election.

In another matter, Ahmad said the state government would continue to give priority on cleanliness, especially at all major towns and public places.

"We will continue to assist local government authorities in their efforts to keep the state clean.

"The state government has recently spent RM1.6 million to buy garbage trucks for several local councils."

The Siamese community in Kelantan enjoying a 'menora' dance.