Thesun 2009-01-09 Page06 No Gag Order On Bureau Chiefs Tee Keat

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theSun

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| FRIDAY JANUARY 9 2009

No gag order on bureau chiefs: Tee Keat by Giam Say Khoon [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: There is no gag order on MCA bureau chiefs over comments regarding the party stand on breaking news, said MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. “There is no gag order. Was that the exact directive or did you pick

up from other sources? We are not short of spinners’ sources but the fact remains that we want our bureaus to play our role professionally. “When it comes to the party’s stand, the bureau chiefs know the party stand and it should not be a problem when they state the party’s stand or respond to a report in the media,” he told a press conference

after launching the Sunway Pyramid’s Chinese New Year celebration yesterday. Ong was responding to a report on Malaysiakini three days ago that the party’s presidential council decided last week that bureau chiefs are required to get the council’s approval before making any press statement. He said it would be unwise to go through the presidential council just to respond to breaking news. However, he said, when certain bureaus needed to comment on government policies whether new or existing ones, it is only fair and professional to have a position paper prepared. “If you talk about existing policies, you must assess the current position

and how it will affect us. “Do an assessment and based on that we can elaborate our argument rather than just issue a statement without any back-up information or worse if we choose not to solicit the input from the authority concerned. “If someone tells me to observe some healthy diet, does it mean that I should take it as a blanket warning or directive to starve? It is not,” he said. On grouses by some party members that the “directive” was to silence party deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who is the bureau chief for government policy monitoring, Ong said: “This is the spinners’ version. Someone wanted to spread rumours and confuse the people.” Citing the example of MCA’s

response to the declassification of highway contracts, Ong said: “Wong Nai Chee (the party’s public services and complaints bureau chief) and the MCA Youth had spoken on the issue and they had managed to coordinate on the issue well. “Since they could do it, why not the others?” According to the Malaysiakini report, Chua, who was a health minister, has in recent weeks stepped up his criticism of certain government policies, seemingly against the health ministry as a key target. Some party members had also believed that Ong’s move is purely tactical to limit Chua’s hidden agenda – to attack MCA-led ministries for the sake of personal publicity.

Cops opting for EPF have no ulterior motive: Police by Maria J. Dass [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: The police force is disheartened by accusations made by the director of post-service division, Datuk Yeow Ching Kiong, that police personnel who have opted for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme have the intention to commit crime. In a statement issued yesterday, police assistant director for public affairs, ACP Lai Yong Heng, dismissed Yeow’s statements as baseless, saying: “It has always been the right of civil servants, including the police, to make their own judgment to either opt for the EPF or pension scheme.” Yeow said last week that questions are raised when a policeman opts for EPF because if a civil servant loses his job for committing a crime and is sentenced to even a day’s jail, he would lose

his right to a pension. However, an EPF contribution is theirs and no one can touch it. Because of this, Yeow expects no more than half of civil servants currently under the EPF scheme to take the opportunity to switch to the pension scheme being offered by the government. Currently, there are 4,435 police officers who have opted for the EPF scheme, representing 4.4% of the total police personnel. Lai said in the early years of their career as police officers, officers who opted for the EPF scheme kept their career options open in anticipation of leaving their police careers for various personal reasons such as family business, inheritance, commitments or for better challenges and opportunities in the private sector. Eventually, most of them chose to continue their career with the police

force until retirement. “Some opted for EPF because they were attracted to the scheme which allowed them to cash out their contribution in one lump sum upon reaching the age of 55. “This enables them to amass enough capital to start a family business,” Lai said. He said other reasons to opt for the EPF scheme include the flexibility to invest their EPF funds in approved unit trust funds and the annual dividend of at least 5% from their contributions which would mean increased EPF savings for their retirement. “We believe some of the current EPF holders would prefer to switch to the pension scheme. “We would like to affirm that the intention of our personnel to opt for the EPF scheme is not with the intention to commit any crime,” Lai said.

Coca-Cola: US goods boycott will affect jobs, local communities PETALING JAYA: Coca-Cola, which has been the target of “boycott calls” as part of an unofficial global boycott campaign against American goods, said the move was not an appropriate way to further any cause, as it would hurt the local economy, businesses and citizens. The boycott call was made on Monday by former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamed who said people should stop buying American products and stop using the greenback as an accepted currency. In a media statement issued yesterday, Coca-Cola Malaysia public affairs and communications director Kadri Taib

briefs Ex-GM charged with receiving bribe KANGAR: A former general manager of the Jayadiri Simpang Empat area farmers organisation (PPK) board was charged in the sessions court here yesterday with five counts of receiving bribes totalling RM8,000. Sabri Ahmad, 44, is alleged to have received the money from contractor Baharuddin Yusoff as inducement to propose to the board to award a contract to build a warehouse in the PPK building to Baharuddin.

said the company and its bottling partners have direct investments in various countries around the world including Malaysia and employs 20,000 people in the Middle Eastern region, including 250 employees in Lebanon and 200 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. He said the company and its local partners do not support or oppose individual countries, governments or any political or religious causes. “Like everybody else, we are deeply touched by the human side of the situation in the Middle East,” Kadri said. He said F&N Coca Cola has been in Malaysia for 72 years and employs

The offences were allegedly committed on five occasions between June 22 and July 5, 2006. Judge Wan Norzanuar Wan Ahmad allowed bail of RM4,000 with one surety and fixed April 9 for mention. Sabri was represented by counsel Yagoo Subramaniam while prosecuting officer from the Perlis Anti-Corruption Commission Ishak Taib appeared for the prosecution. – Bernama

Housewife, daughter on trafficking charge PENANG: The magistrate’s court here yesterday fixed Feb 2 for mention of the case of a housewife and her daughter who are charged with trafficking in heroin which was kept

some 1,700 Malaysians, of whom 60% are Muslims. The Coca-Cola company is one of the most diverse organisations serving 200 countries of diverse cultures, religions, histories and governments and employs one million people worldwide including many Muslims, he added. Kadri said: “Independent studies also document that for every direct job, our businesses indirectly generate employment for up to 10 additional people from local businesses that either sell goods and services to the Coca-Cola business (suppliers) or sell the company products (retailers).”

in a bank safe deposit box. Magistrate Noor Fadzila Ishak fixed the date pending decision on a representation made by the defence on Monday. Lim Ah Mooi, 50, and her daughter, Hwei Wen Chui, 27, are both charged with trafficking in 882gm of heroin at the RHB Bank in Lebuh Pantai at about 11.20am on Dec 5 last year. The offence carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction. No plea was recorded from the duo. Jagdeep Singh Deo applied for his client, Hwei, to be sent to hospital for a stomach complaint. The court allowed the application. – Bernama