Thesun 2009-08-14 Page07 Penang Govt Comes Under Fire

theSun

7

| FRIDAY AUGUST 14 2009

news without borders

Penang govt comes under fire Sepang set to turn back the clock pg 27

Police separated the two parties amid intense jostling and shouting. As a stand-off ensued, an FRU brigade arrived, and by about 10.20am Nusmetro director Gary Ho, shielded by police, managed to get past the villagers’ barricade. A commotion broke out when a court bailiff began sticking demolition orders on the home of residents association secretary J. Steven. Assistant secretary C. Tharmaraj was seen pleading with the bailiff and police, saying residents had a court case (mention of an application to revise a decision of the Court of Appeal) pending on Aug 18. In the ensuing melee, a few women were taken away. One said she was prodded by a policeman wielding a baton. She was later taken to a hospital. A bailiff and Ho then visited three houses, giving each family a time frame of 15 to 30 minutes to vacate. The occupants however defiantly shouted at the bailiff and police. “We have lived here for 200 years, and you think we will just go off in 15 minutes?” a resident asked. At about 12.40pm, lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira, who represents the residents, arrived at the scene and tried to march to one of the houses to

see the bailiff but was blocked by police. Darshan later told reporters there was no need for Nusmetro to use force in light of the case mention on Aug 18. “If a case is pending in court, they can’t just come and demolish … they can negotiate and wait for another day,” he said. As the stand-off continued, the contractors appeared weary and were seen moving back to have lunch.

No bridge toll hike for now by Opalyn Mok [email protected]

GEORGE TOWN: There are no immediate plans to increase toll rates for the Penang bridge despite its expansion having been completed and the third lane on both sides now fully open to traffic. Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the ministry was still awaiting the results of a study on the bridge toll rates before making a decision on the matter. “The study is soon to be completed and then we will decide. For now, there will be no increase,” he said at the official opening of the third lanes at the Malaysian Highway Authority’s northern region office here yesterday morning. Shaziman said the bridge’s daily capacity was now 155,000 vehicles, compared to 120,000 previously. “It also has a motorcycle lane but we will not gazette the lane as it is about 1.75m, which is too narrow to be gazetted as a motorcycle lane. So it is has just been set aside for motorcyclists to use,” he said, adding that the lane could not be widened as the mid-span area, due to cable-stays, could not be widened. “This additional lane, although not gazetted, is needed as about 23,000 bridge users are motorcyclists.” The RM586 million bridge expansion which started in December 2005 was scheduled for completion in September this year, but was completed ahead of schedule. On discounted Touch ‘n Go cards for bridge users, Shaziman said these were still on sale to those who use the bridge frequently. The discounted cards allow bridge users to pay toll of RM5.60 instead of the full RM7.

Just when it seemed there would be no resolution, Malaysian Makkal Sakti party leader R.S. Thanenthiren arrived with supporters at about 1pm. He went into the mobile police beat to meet with the bailiff and George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abdul Hamid. He later emerged to say that the bailiff had agreed to deferring the demolition deadline to the end of the month to avoid bloodshed, and to allow the court process to take its course.

Residents scuffle with anti-riot police.

GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his state administration came under renewed fire after residents of Kampung Buah Pala were left on their own to fend off bulldozers yesterday despite an assurance that he would work to stop the demolition of the village. At the heart of the criticism was Lim’s failure to invoke section 116 of the National Land Code, which allows demolition of alienated land only with the permission of a relevant authority. Lim had first announced his decision to act on the clause more than a month ago on July 8. Malaysia Makkal Shakti Party head R.S. Thanenthiran questioned the state government’s apathy and inaction in the matter. “We do not see any one of them here ... What are they doing?” he asked, questioning if the government wanted to save the villagers or have them killed. “Lim Guan Eng should answer to the people. Don’t play politics with the Kampung Buah Pala issue,” said Thanenthiran, who arrived at the village in the early afternoon and brokered a compromise. He accused Lim of backtracking on his promise and wanting to wash

his hands clean of the land controversy and the villagers’ plight. “The clause should have been immediately applied. Lim should not wait for court action as this is an urgent humanitarian matter for the survival of some people.” Thanenthiran said he would help the villagers convey their grievances to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak for an alternative solution. The arrival of the bulldozers yesterday was particularly surprising in light of a press conference the day before by Thomas Chan, executive director of the developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd, in which he indicated the company would not be coming in so early. George Town OCPD ACP Azam Abdul Hamid said the tense situation between the villagers and the developer warranted an extension of the deadline for the demolition to the end of the month. “(Based on) a decision made this afternoon, the developer has postponed the work and will not enter the place until September,” he said. Azam expressed hope that all quarters would abide by the agreement. “I hope no political party or NGO will try to take advantage of the situation for everyone’s safety.”

Press Digest

Chambers not happy with ‘big brother’ Hua Zong

by Kong See Hoh

[email protected]

ASSOCIATED Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) president Tan Sri William Cheng says ACCCIM has directed its members to end their affiliation with Chinese assembly halls because it is not happy with Hua Zong for regarding itself as the “big brother” of the Chinese community. Hua Zong, or the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia, is the umbrella body for the Chinese assembly/town halls from 13 states. According to reports in the Chinese press yesterday, Cheng said ACCCIM does not recognise Hua Zong as the “big brother” of the Chinese, as it deems both groups of equal status.

“ACCCIM does not wish to be the ‘big brother’, but to emphasise that both parties should play their roles for the overall development (of the community),” he said. Speaking to the press in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday in the presence of several ACCCIM executive council members, Cheng stressed that ACCCIM’s decision to direct its members to part ways with Chinese assembly/town halls is not because he wants to compete with Hua Zong chief Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong to be the de facto leader of the Chinese community, but because problems facing the community regarding politics, economy, culture and education need to be handled separately by organisations equipped for the corresponding jobs, and

not by putting them all under Hua Zong. “If all the areas are to come under the jurisdiction of Hua Zong, would MCA, Gerakan, DAP (Chinese-based political parties) not be under Hua Zong too?” he asked. Cheng said ACCCIM would stick to its decision. On Lim’s fear that the decision would split the community, he said the two groups still have a good working relationship. “How we go from here depends very much on the mentality of the two groups’ leadership,” he said. Asked if he would direct other organisations to leave Hua Zong, Cheng said his main concern is the six ACCCIM members still affiliated with Chinese assembly/town halls.

Dong Zong baffled at Education Ministry’s flip-flop DONG Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) president Dr Yap Sin Tian says he is both irked and confused at the Education Ministry’s “flip-flop” on its decision to scrap the use of English to teach science and mathematics in schools. He said Dong Zong is strongly against

the delay in the switch back to the use of Bahasa Malaysia or pupils’ own language to teach the two subjects despite the knowledge that “there are more cons than pros (in the policy to teach science and maths in English)”, as it only makes more guinea pigs out of students. “Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin

Yassin earlier announced that the policy to teach science and maths in English would be scrapped by 2012, but now it has been postponed to 2016. Why? “Since the cabinet has already agreed to abolish the policy, why not speed up the switch? The flip-flop by the ministry is baffling,” Yap told Sin Chew Daily.