Fire leaves 25 families homeless

Fire leaves 25 families homeless

Fire leaves 25 families homeless

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

23 March 2014| last updated at 12:55AM

Luckily, no once was injured in the 2.30am incident. The fire was believed to have started from one of the wooden houses and rapidly spread to the surrounding homes.

Villager Asmah Daung, 44, said her daughter woke her up after realising their house was on fire.

"I am thankful that my family is safe but now we have no roof over our heads as our house is burnt down," she said.

District welfare officer Rugayah Isa said at least 25 families were affected by the fire and assistance was being distributed to ease their plight.

"At the moment, we are distributing milk and diapers as well as some groceries," she said, adding the victims were sheltered at a temporary relief centre at the town's Youth and Sports Hall.

District Fire and Rescue Department chief Jamaludin Hussin said they were still investigating the cause of the fire.

He said they received the distress call at 2.52am and deployed three fire engines to the scene.

"The fire was put out at 4.30am and there are no casualties."

Children standing close to the charred remains of their homes in Kampung Pasir Putih, Putatan, Penampang yesterday. Pic by Mohd Adam Arinin


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Zahid tells Pakatan to 'stop daydreaming'

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

23 March 2014| last updated at 12:59AM
By ADIV POVERA | news@nst.com.my

KAJANG: THE opposition should stop daydreaming of making PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail the first female prime minister should it form the government in the next general election.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the opposition's hope would remain a dream as Barisan Nasional (BN) still garnered strong support from the majority of the population.

"Their hope is not based on reality," Zahid said after a meet-the-people session with policemen and their spouses here yesterday. "This press conference is conducted during the day, so, I hope no one is daydreaming."

Zahid, who is also Home Minister, was responding to a statement by DAP's Lim Kit Siang that Dr Wan Azizah could be the prime minister if the opposition succeeded in its bid to take over the Federal Government.

In a press statement on Friday, Lim had said that the country might see its first woman prime minister if Pakatan won the 14th General Election.

Lim repeated the same call during the opposition's rally at the Kajang stadium on Friday night.

Zahid said there was positive response to the campaign by BN election machinery.

"The response from the people here has been positive.

"I believe constituents in Kajang would like to see changes following the failure of their previous state assemblyman (PKR's Lee Chin Cheh) to execute his responsibilities and promises after the last general election."

He said BN's candidate Datuk Paduka Chew Mei Fun would be able to deliver her promises.

The Kajang by-election, which was engineered following the resignation of Lee on Jan 27, will see a straight fight between Chew and Dr Wan Azizah, today.

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (centre) and his wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis (right) watching a demonstration by policewomen during a meet-the-people session with policemen and their spouses in Kajang yesterday. Present is Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (left). Pic by Mohamad Shahril Badri Saali

'Pray for MH370' T-shirts a hit

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

23 March 2014| last updated at 01:08AM

They were custom-made by the Putrajaya Media Club to show support for the families and next of kin of passengers and crew members aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft.

Several reporters, who were wearing the T-shirts, were interviewed by TV3 and international media networks, including 7 News from Australia, TV Globo (Brazil) and Univision (Spain).

The idea to produce the T-shirts came from Bernama photographer Harry Salzman.

It was designed by Berita Harian reporter Zanariah Abdul Mutalib.

Putrajaya Media Club depu-ty president Norliza Abdul Rah-man said the idea materialised as members wanted to show their support aside from providing news and the latest updates to the public.

Norliza, who is also Utusan Malaysia Putrajaya bureau chief, said: "It is a way to show our support by donning the T-shirts while providing accurate reports and news."

She thanked Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman for sponsoring the cost of the T-shirts.

The club was established in August last year.

It has 60 members, comprising reporters, photographers and videographers.

'Berita Harian' reporter Zanariah Abdul Mutalib, who designed the T-shirt, being interviewed by TV3 in Putrajaya yesterday. Pic by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

Smaller win 'disastrous for PKR'

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

23 March 2014| last updated at 01:06AM
By ADRIAN LAI | news@nst.com.my

KAJANG: A REDUCED majority for PKR candidates in today's Kajang by-election could spell disaster for  the party and the Pakatan coalition as a poorer performance would display an erosion of  support for the loose opposition bloc.

Political analysts told the New Sunday Times yesterday that even though a win for PKR candidate Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was on the cards, the party needed to win with a bigger majority or risk suffering a dip in morale.

If independent surveys are anything to go by, a recent poll by UCSI University's Poll Research Centre indicated that PKR may see its 6,824-  majority shaved today as support for Barisan Nasional (BN) is beginning to see growth here.

The survey concluded that 34.5 per cent of Chinese voters in Kajang will vote for BN, an  increase from  18.8 per cent in the 13th General Election last year.

"If BN slashes PKR's vote majority, it is time for the Pakatan leaders to return to the drawing board and figure out what went wrong. The possibility of PKR winning is big, but a lower vote majority constitutes  a loss," said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng.

In the last general election, PKR candidate Lee Chin Cheh retained the Kajang state seat after beating BN's Lee Ban Seng by a 6,824-vote majority.

Kajang has since been seen as one of Pakatan's strongholds in Selangor after it wrested the seat from BN in 2008.

In February, Lee vacated the seat, presumably to allow PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over the former's position as Kajang state assemblyman and subsequently become the next Selangor menteri besar.

In a  turn of events, Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah was chosen to replace him after Anwar withdrew from the race, after the Court of Appeal overturned his acquittal in a sodomy case on March 7.

Khoo   said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang's recent statement, in which he said Dr Wan Azizah could become Malaysia's first woman prime minister in the event that Anwar is incarcerated, was a tell-tale sign that the balance of power within Pakatan was shifting.

"Now that Lim is saying that Dr Wan Azizah could become the prime minister should Pakatan win in the 14th General Election, there are signs that its leaders don't mind pushing Anwar aside... there would be a transition period."

Another political analyst, who wished to remain anonymous said  PKR might find it difficult to reach out to  jaded voters who are  preoccupied with other national issues, including the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

"Even if PKR wins, the voters feel that nothing much will change, as far as the status quo is concerned. Pakatan will still rule Selangor as it holds the most number of seats.  There is no surprise if the voter turnout drops tomorrow (today).

"However, a BN victory could help bring check and balance in the state.

"This will also show that the constituents in Kajang are warming up to MCA's new set of leaders," said another political observer Associate Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian.

Yesterday, PKR central committee member Elizabeth Wong admitted the party was anticipating a reduction in the number of voters turning up to cast their ballots, thus resulting in a smaller margin of victory for PKR in the event it wins the by-election.

Election Commission employee Mohd Yusri Mohamad making preparations for the Kajang by-election at SK Seri Sekamat in Kajang yesterday. Pic by Sairien Nafis

Debris not from MH370, says passenger's father

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

23 March 2014| last updated at 01:07AM

PUTRAJAYA: "I am certain that the objects found in the southern Indian Ocean by the Australian authorities are not debris from the plane."

Zamani Zakaria, 56, believes that his son, Mohd Razahan, 23, and his wife, Norli Akmar Hamid, 33, are safe.

"My family performs solat hajat every night, praying for their safe return. I believe they will return home to us safely."

Razahan and Norli Akmar were en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 for their honeymoon after Norli suffered a miscarriage recently.

Zamani and his wife, Kamariah Sarie, 55, have a strong instinct that their son and daughter-in-law would be found by the Malaysian authorities during the search-and-rescue operation.

He said not only his family held solat hajat nightly but the surau in his neighbourhood also held prayers for the safe return of the passengers and crew members.

"I get updates from the daily press conferences and also from officials from MAS who call us daily with the latest information."

He said many of his relatives had visited his family to offer words of encouragement and moral support.

Zamani said he called Norli's father, Hamid Ramlan, to check on his and his family's well-being.

Asked how his wife was coping, he said she was emotionally stable although feeling sad.

"However, regardless of the outcome, both of us are ready and we will accept it."

PKR not expecting big win

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

23 March 2014| last updated at 01:01AM

Party president and by-election candidate Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said she was unperturbed by the possibility that she might fail to win big against BN candidate Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

"I am not concerned about the vote majority. A win is a win," she said at a press conference at PKR's main operations centre here, flanked by party leaders.

She was responding to claims that there was a significant number of voters unhappy with PKR's engineered polls.

It is widely believed that the by-election was triggered to pave the way for PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to become the new Selangor menteri besar.

Wan Azizah was chosen to contest the seat on her husband's behalf, following his acquittal of a sodomy case being overturned by the Court of Appeal on March 7.

Present were PKR central committee member Elizabeth Wong and Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin.

"There is a possibility that the number of voters may be less tomorrow (today), and it will affect the vote majority. (However), we are trying to persuade everyone to come out and vote," said Wong, who is also a member of Selangor's state executive council.

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says she is not worried about vote majority


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