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NFC boss says twin cattle condos are rental cash cows

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 17, 2011

GEMAS, Nov 17 — Dogged by claims of irregularity, the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) finally broke its silence today to defend its purchase of multi-million luxury condominum units in Bangsar as a “good business decision”.

In a press briefing opened to selected mainstream media organisations, its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh reasoned that the investment had helped yield better returns for the NFC project compared to keeping the money in a bank.

It was also revealed then that the NFC owns two units at the upmarket condominium, as opposed to one as previously reported.

According to Berita Harian Online, however, Mohamad said the condominium units had cost over RM6 million each, instead of the RM9.8 million originally alleged by PKR.

Mohamad reportedly claimed that the money, if held in a bank, would have only yielded 2.6 per cent in annual returns. Continue reading “NFC boss says twin cattle condos are rental cash cows”

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DAP says toll extension punishes Penang folk

By Shannon Teoh | November 17, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — The DAP said today PLUS Expressways is “cheating” the public especially Penang folk by extending toll collection on three highways as part of a deal that sees the highway concessionaire waive RM6.5 billion in compensation from the government.

Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the 17-year toll extension on the Penang Bridge to 2038 was “in fact a toll increase.”

“What waiver? They are cheating. I thought only my children will pay the toll but now even my grandchildren will pay. This deal punishes Penangites,” the island’s chief minister told a press conference.

Publicity chief Tony Pua also said that with two of the three extensions affecting Penang specifically, “most of the burden of covering the waiver falls on Penangites.”
Continue reading “DAP says toll extension punishes Penang folk”

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Malays feel Penang under Chinese rule, survey shows

By G. Manimaran, Bahasa Malaysia Editor | November 17, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — Malay voters in Penang say the state is being run by the Chinese despite backing Lim Guan Eng over other leaders.

A survey of 720 Malay voters by researchers Ilham Centre found that when the island was under a Gerakan-led administration until 2008, Malays saw the Barisan Nasional (BN) government as being led by Umno.

“Lim Guan Eng (picture) is popular and respected for being humble, approachable and being on the ground. But because of the sentiment and prejudice from Umno, he is seen as a Chinese who is threatening Malays,” said the study on perceptions of Malay voters towards Penang and its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government.

It said this showed the media has indoctrinated Malays to see the current administration as “a Chinese or DAP government.”

“It is seen as a DAP, not a Pakatan Rakyat government,” the study concluded, despite nearly 30 per cent of respondents picking current Chief Minister Lim as the most popular and respected leader in the state.
Continue reading “Malays feel Penang under Chinese rule, survey shows”

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Koh’s sacrifice, BN’s future

The Malaysian Insider
November 17, 2011

Fact is, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s fate was sealed the day Gerakan lost all its state seats and the government in Penang on March 8, 2008. It took him more than three years to realise that.

The Gerakan president’s announcement today that he will not contest in the next general election has been a foregone conclusion in Barisan Nasional (BN) circles for some time now. Both the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia and MCA-owned The Star have been harping on the party’s poor leadership and performance over the past few months that there is nothing shocking about Koh’s decision.

So what use is it to hold on to his political posts? Why remain Penang BN chief and state Gerakan boss?

In explaining his “ultimate sacrifice” today, Koh said he meant that he would continue devoting his time and energy to campaign for his party’s candidates in the coming polls. “When I talk about sacrifice, I am talking about time and energy for the party,” he said.
Continue reading “Koh’s sacrifice, BN’s future”

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Pakatan Rakyat MPs are the real heroes fighting for the interest of Malays and poor Malaysians

By Tony Pua

Pakatan Rakyat members of parliament have over the past 2 weeks exposed the fact that many of the goods sold in Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) were not only substandard, illegal and unhealthy, many of these products were also not cheaper than products sold in existing hypermarkets.

We were criticised by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister, Dato’ Ismail Sabri as being unfair by not comparing “apple to apple”, that is we should not be comparing 1Malaysia products with house-branded products from Tesco, Giant or Carrefour.

However, we have proven that the comparison was indeed not “apple to apple” for products such as the “oyster sauce” because the sauce from Tesco contained real oyster extracts, the 1Malaysia product had only flavouring and no oysters.

At the same time, the comparison of 1Malaysia milk powder with that of Nestlé’s Nespray 1+ demonstrated not only that the former is a far inferior product but also the fact that the latter was 24% cheaper. The 1Malaysia milk powder was short of at least 15 legally required vitamins and minerals, deficient in calcium and iron and provided a 802% overdose of Vitamin A, putting at real risk our very young children.
Continue reading “Pakatan Rakyat MPs are the real heroes fighting for the interest of Malays and poor Malaysians”

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Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan RM100

By P.P.

The purpose of this note is to share my thoughts with you.

Today my daughters received a notice from their teachers at school. My younger daughter studies at SK Taman Perling 1 and my elder daughter studies at SMK Dato Usman Awang (Perling 2). This notice was in reference to Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan where my daughters are entitled to RM100 each.

My younger daughter only received the note today and my elder daughter did not even receive a note but a mere announcement of the same.

This exercise requires the parents to be present with the child when the monies need to be collected. This is hardly fair given that the notice only comes the day before the event. What then happens to parents who cannot come, the school will not give the monies to the children alone.

My point is that due notice must be given to parents knowing that almost every household on the average has both parents working to support their families. This being so when due notice is given, parents can take time off to be with their children to collect these monies which can be useful.
Continue reading “Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan RM100”