Thesun 2009-07-13 Page03 Mca Ready For Direct Polls

theSun

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| MONDAY JULY 13 2009

news without borders

Student dies of suspected encephalitis

MCA ready for direct polls KUALA LUMPUR: MCA is ready to implement direct election of the party president during the next party elections scheduled for 2011. Its national organising secretary, Yoo Wei How, said the party has completed a proposal for party re-structuring to enable direct election to be implemented, with the proposal set to be tabled at the next MCA presidential council meeting. At present, about 2,000 delegates elected by divisions pick the president and the top leadership. However, under the proposal, the election of the party president will be extended to all branches and divisional level where the ordinary member can elect the party president directly. “I will present it in the next presidential council meeting, then get the presidential council’s approval where they will pass the message to the state leaders for more brain-storming and obtain feedback from the grassroots. “We have a few proposals on how to restructure our organisation to allow direct election to be implemented.

As we want to do it in a transparent manner and with participation from the grassroots, we will carry out an exercise to get feedback from party members on our proposals,” Yoo told Bernama in an interview. However, he declined to give details of the proposal, saying only that it consists of several recommendations on how the system of direct election should be carried out, and the mechanism to implement it. He said, it cannot be revealed as yet, as it is still subject to approval by the presidential council, as well as the grassroots. Yoo said once the presidential council gives its approval, the proposal would be released to the grassroots for feedback before it is adopted, but is confident the model would be ready by year-end. He said the party is continuing to clean up its membership rolls. “At the moment, our membership stands at about 940,000, from the previous 1.08 million members. We have cleaned up by striking out those who did not pay their annual member-

ship subscription fees,” said Yoo, adding they have come across with “some extraordinary findings” such as more than 200 people sharing the same address and even some without any telephone number to contact. “Now, we have made it compulsory for applicants to provide phone numbers, otherwise their applications will be rejected. Apart from that, we will also verify the information provided, by calling up the applicant, as well as their proposer, before we approve the membership,” he said. Another change that has already taken place in the party is disallowing the opening of more branches in a particular area. Instead, new branches are encouraged to be opened in other areas. “For example, there are more than 10 branches in a ‘kampung baru’ when just two branches are sufficient. You can always set up branches in other areas to serve more people. “What is the point of establishing 10, 15 or 20 branches in one ‘kampung baru’? It’s just a numbers game. So, let there be more focus on the general election.”

Urumqi tense after unrest pg 6

Viewers don masks at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Santubong, Sarawak on Saturday night.

UK govt may reconsider Batang Kali appeal

briefs Anti-piracy drive against ‘big sharks’ RAUB: The Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry is focusing on the “big sharks” in anti-piracy enforcement, minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said. “Our strategy now is to go after the source of pirated goods,” he said after attending a function at SK Kampung Guai in Bera yesterday. Ismail said that from January to June, pirated goods valued at RM21.18 million were seized by the ministry with the biggest success goods worth some RM6 million at an optical disc duplicating factory in Sungai Buloh recently. He urged the public to come forward with information. – Bernama

by Tan Yi Liang

BERNAMAPIX

[email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer representing survivors and the families of people killed in a 1948 massacre by the British Army in Batang Kali, Selangor, yesterday said the British government will reconsider an appeal to reopen investigations into the killing of 24 tappers and the torching of a village. “The meeting with the British government took place in London on Friday and they will tell us on Aug 14 what they are going to do next,” Datuk Dominic Puthucheary said. “We look at this initial opening by the British as something very positive, and we don’t want too much public examination of the past before we have more reactions from the British government,” he said. Puthucheary noted at a press conference here organised by the Action Committee Condemning the Batang Kali Massacre, that eyewitnesses to the massacre were still alive. “We have four eyewitnesses in Malaysia, and in the UK, there are eight Scots Guards soldiers. There have been confessions, and the people who made these are alive. “None of the soldiers have come forward to assist, and we have not approached them. I think it is a sensitive and difficult issue as they belong to a regiment. We hope they will come up if asked.” Meanwhile, lawyer Firoz Hussein said the decision of the British government was a step forward after its rejection of a request by the committee earlier in the year. “We are pleased the British government has agreed to meet us, and it is the first meeting in 60 years to see whether this issue can be resolved. I think they are forcing themselves to reconsider the matter after rejecting the claim on Jan 21,” he said. Firoz said that while no reason was given for the about-turn, it could relate to recent developments in the English law and the Batang Kali incident itself. “Prior to this, the British government had always said all decisions were based on investigations conducted. However, it has now come to light that since 1948 there has not been any completed investigation into the incident. This is crucial because it means the decision of the British government not to investigate, compensate or prosecute the soldiers was not made on the basis of properly considered and completed investigations, whether in 1948, in 1970 or at any time.”

SEREMBAN: A secondary school student died of suspected meningo encephalitis, an inflammation of the meninges and brain, at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital yesterday afternoon. Chan Hui Ven, 16, of Sekolah Tinggi Chung Hwa, was in a semi-comatose state when she was admitted to the hospital on Monday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said. “Initial tests show she died of meningo encephalitis virus infection. However, we have sent her samples to the Institute of Medical Research to confirm the cause of death,” he said after the opening of the Negri Sembilan MCA annual general meeting yesterday. Liow said meningo encephalitis was a rare disease and infection occured only through direct contact with causes. “The disease can be transmitted by water contamination or pollution of the environment. This is the first case of its kind in Seremban,” he said. The ministry was looking into how Chan could have become infected to map out precautionary measures, said Liow, who had visited her family in Taman Seremban Jaya near here. – Bernama

Five squatter houses destroyed in fire

KT school closes for 5 days after 2 pupils test positive by Hemananthani Sivanandam [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: A school in Kuala Terengganu was closed for five days on Friday after two of its students tested positive for the A (H1N1) virus. SK Sulaiman 1 is the first school in Kuala Terengganu to be closed since the outbreak of H1N1 in Malaysia. A class of Form Four students of SM Aminuddin Baki, Kuala Lumpur who were placed under home quarantine will return to school on Wednesday. As of 8am yesterday, 39 new confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) had been reported, of which 22 were imported and 17 were local transmissions, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 710. “Out of the 710 cases, 90% or 637 patients have been discharged, while 73 are still receiving treatment at designated hospitals,” Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said in a statement yesterday. Meanwhile, a ministry official said yesterday the ministry did not wish to become involved in a debate with the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry over the right term for H1N1. The official said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had repeatedly emphasised the use of H1N1 as the standard term of reference for the pandemic, based on the identification provided by the World Health Organisation. WHO had also said the virus was not caused

H1N1 figures as of 8am yesterday

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven families lost their homes and belongings when a row of five squatter houses on Jalan Pudu was destroyed in a fire yesterday. No loss of life or injuries were reported in the 2am incident, Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Azizan Ismail said. The residents were asleep when the fire broke out in one of the wooden houses, he said. Seven fire engines from the Hang Tuah station were dispatched to the scene. A van, two motorcycles and a store were also destroyed in the fire. – Bernama

» New cases:

39

» Imported cases:

22

RM70m in strawberries annually

» Local transmissions:

17

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The 30ha of land in Cameron Highlands planted with strawberries are capable of producing RM70 million worth of the fruit annually. Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Johari Baharum said this was due to measures taken by the ministry to ensure that the quality of strawberries produced was on par with that of imported fruit. “If previously the strawberries grown here were smaller and rather sour, now they are bigger, sweet and more delicious. “Because of their better quality, the fruit has begun to be exported to Singapore,” he said after launching the “One District, One Industry” programme here yesterday. Johari said the strawberry industry would grow more rapidly through downstream activities such as the production of strawberry jam, pickled and candied strawberries, ice-cream, dried strawberries, and strawberry-flavoured tea and cordial. – Bernama

(29 Malaysian, three from Indonesia, two each from Australia and Germany, one each from Britain, Japan and Hongkong)

» Total number of cases:

710

(90% – 637 discharged, 73 under treatment)

» World total:

106,565

(470 deaths in 143 countries)

b y the consumption of pork and that the meat was safe to eat. “We don’t want to be dragged into a controversy nor be seen as going against each other,” the official said. We’ve explained the right terminology and the public is well aware of it.” Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim had said all media should return to the use of the term “swine flu” instead of H1N1.