Thesun 2009-04-01 Page04 Recognise Role Of Chinese In History Tee Keat

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theSun

| WEDNESDAY APRIL 1 2009

news without borders Convert MIED study loans to scholarships: Ex-MIC Youth chief KLANG: The Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED), the MIC’s educational wing, was yesterday urged to convert the study loans disbursed to almost 10,000 students into scholarships to help students from the Indian community get proper tertiary education and change their lives. Malaysian Indian Youth Development Foundation (MIYDF) chairman S.A. Vigneswaran, who made the call, said converting the loans into scholarships would ease the burden of the

parents and students to repay their loans. Vigneswaran, a former MIC Youth chief, told a news conference here yesterday that close to RM100 million had been disbursed by MIED as study loans with interest rate of 6% per annum and repayment to commence six months after the students had completed their studies. “From 2008, an additional interest of 2% per annum is charged from the time the loan is disbursed and 6%

Proposal to buy PLUS shares viable, says MCA PETALING JAYA: The MCA has found a DAP proposal for the government to acquire the remaining shares in PLUS Berhad to solve the once-in-three-year toll hikes viable. “We have completed our own detailed study on all 22 toll concession contracts which were declassified on Jan 1. We, therefore, voice our approval for the government to take over PLUS,” the MCA Youth Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Bureau said in a statement yesterday. The DAP had urged the government to buy out the remaining 26% of PLUS shares which would also resolve the high compensation that the government needed to pay for deferring toll hikes. The government currently owns 74% of PLUS. “Assuming a share price of RM3.50 to RM4 per share is offered for the remainder of the shares, the total acquisition price is between RM4.55 billion and RM5.2 bil-

lion,” said the statement jointly issued by MCA central committee members Lee Wei Kiat and Wong Nai Chee. They said MCA had put forward four issues to the cabinet for deliberation: the propriety of direct negotiations which MCA feels are no longer infrastructure projects requiring special skills; the rationale of granting loans to private concession companies without security by the federal government; the compensation payable by the government; and the verification of traffic volume. They also pointed out that if the situation was left as it was, the toll rate was expected to double by 2038. “The toll rate is currently set at 14.96 sen per km and by 2038, the toll rate is expected to double to 29.16 sen per km. As such, a trip from KL to Penang costing RM86 one-way would cost RM168 by 2038,” they said.

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upon completion of the course until the loan is settled,” he said. He said according to the Memorandum of Association of MIED, which was incepted in 1984, it was not authorised to give any study loan, only scholarships. The provision of any loan with interest, whether study loan or otherwise, required a money lending licence from the Housing and Local Government Ministry under the Money Lenders Act 1951, he said, adding that MIED

failing which the income was deemed taxable. He said he would lodge a report on the matter to the Inland Revenue Board. By converting the loans into scholarships it would somehow correct the misperception among the Indian community that the government did not help them when actually the aid for the Indians in terms of grants had been allocated through vehicles like MIED. – Bernama

Recognise role of Chinese in history: Tee Keat

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did not have a money lending licence to date. Furthermore, Vigneswaran said, all monies collected with interest were taxable and failure to pay tax was another breach of law and failure to declare the interest as an income was evading tax and was illegal. He said an institution such as MIED which had acquired tax exemption status must disburse all funds (like donations and grants) received for the intended purposes within 18 months,

Penang freezes operations of three quarries pg 6

by Tan Yi Liang [email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: The role of the Chinese community in Malaysian history should not be “diluted”, says MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (pix). “Historical facts are historical facts. We cannot add to them or put a spin on them or ignore them. I speak generally of the commitment of MCA in its efforts to inform of the efforts of the Chinese community in the fight for Independence and in nation building,” said Ong, who pointed out that the struggle for Independence ultimately involved all races. “All parties are aware that in the struggle for Independence, some communities rose up first, and others followed. This is a fact. But at the same time, the outcome of the struggle for Independence was a united effort. If all the races were not involved, it would have been impossible for us to achieve Independence. “Whether we like it or not, many historical facts, especially those that involve our multiracial society and the Chinese community look more diluted (on record and books).” Ong, who spoke to reporters after launching the Dongfeng BISON2 60 & KINLAND 420 heavy vehicles here yesterday, said MCA was working actively to preserve the history of Chinese’s contributions to the Merdeka struggle and nation-building. “As part of my role as MCA president, I appointed a MCA leader to head the Historical Documentation Bureau. At the time, there were those who made fun of it, and questioned its priority. But history is important to a community and a nation,” he said, adding that

studies had been conducted on the matter. “Last year, we conducted an in-house study on our own initiative, and this year in April, we will be having a meeting on this involving historians and non-partisan academics, and the results will be announced,” said Ong, adding the results of the in-house study had already been presented to the Education Ministry. “(The presenting of the facts) has already been done some months ago, after I took over the helm of MCA. When I said that MCA conducted such a study, it was last year, and it was based on existing textbooks. “This was done after we received suggestions and complaints from scholars, parents and intellectuals. This triggered the study,” he added. Asked whether this was in response to statements made yesterday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that it was the Malays who first sought for Independence, Ong said: “I have already made similar statements in the presence of Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when asked by the press. “In a way, yes, this is a response to the PM’s statement. But I said this even earlier when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and I were asked while campaigning in Bukit Gantang.”

IGP worried over student involvement in crimes KUALA LUMPUR: Murder, rape, armed robbery and rioting. It appears that over the past two years, these were no more the domain of seasoned criminals. Since 2007, police have detected an increase in the number of cases involving students aged between 13 and 18, who have been linked to the crimes. Understandably, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan is alarmed over this phenomenon. Of the 3,383 people detained for various crimes in 2007, Musa said 3,241 were aged between 13 and 18. Last year, 3,725 students were nabbed, with 3,629 of those involved aged between 13 and 18. “The cases comprise murder, rape, robbery, rioting, theft, break-in and others,” he said in a speech in conjunction with the Police Cadet Corps 39th anniversary celebrated nationwide yesterday. The speech was read out by Kuala Lumpur Deputy CPO Datuk Abdul Samah Mat at the Kuala Lumpur contingent-level celebrations here. Musa said results of a joint study by the Malay-

sian Institute for Research in Youth Development and the Centre of Education for Psychology and Development Malaysia found that 87% of “Mat Rempit” were made up of those aged between 14 and 25. The study revealed that 48.1% of “Mat Rempit” attributed their activities to boredom, while 38% said it was to while away the free time. About 27.8% said they were influenced by peers. “These activities can be prevented if students are given exposure and clear information on the effects and consequences of being involved with crime,” said Musa. He said members of the corps, which currently had almost 89,110 members nationwide, could act as the eyes and ears of the police and play a main role in reducing problems in school, especially gangsterism. The police chief said the corps should give input and information to the police as that would help solve cases. Established on March 2, 1970, the corps is a co-curriculum programme in secondary schools coordinated by the Education Ministry and the police. – Bernama