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MRT project: Chinatown traders slam SPAD for broken promise

By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 01, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Jalan Sultan traders, who risk losing property to the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT), have slammed the public transport regulator for going back on its promise to leave their buildings intact.

Spokesman Judy Tan said the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should not have reneged on its promise to allow landowners to return to their buildings once construction of the planned station and tunnel under Jalan Sultan is finished.

“From what I understand, SPAD has no right to imply that the affected owners in Chinatown will stand to lose their properties,” she told The Malaysian Insider via e-mail.

“This should be said directly to our Jalan Petaling/Jalan Sultan committee at the recent closed-door dialogue with SPAD and not 24 hours later at another unrelated event.” Continue reading “MRT project: Chinatown traders slam SPAD for broken promise”

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Letter to Tan Sri William Cheng by Idris Jala

August 27, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

AUG 27 — Pemandu is arguing that a report by The Malaysian Insider, “Pemandu admits land acquisition only way to recoup MRT cost”, is misleading.

In public interest, The Malaysian Insider is publishing the letter by Datuk Seri Idris Jala on which the report was based, and asking Malaysians to read it and let us know what you think.

****************************************************************

YBhg Tan Sri,

I refer to your letter entitled “Unfair Rail plus Property Model for MRT Development” dated August 8m 2011. YBhg Tan Sri has raised some concerns regarding the rail and property model including the acquisition of the Jalan Sultan shoplots. Continue reading “Letter to Tan Sri William Cheng by Idris Jala”

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MRT Jalan Sultan land acquisition – who is telling the truth: Chua Soi Lek, Hamid Albar or Idris Jala?

“Flip flop in a matter of days” has become the byword for the present Najib government, whether on its mishandling of the Bersih 2.0 peacefull rally for free and fair elections on July 9 or the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms.

There is now the latest addition to the Najib government’s “Flip Flop List” – the controversy over the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) land acquisition of Jalan Sultan properties.

Only three days ago, the MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek had announced that the government had backtracked from its decision to acquire the land and 31 buildings around Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur to make way for the MRT mega project.

Chua said that after discussion with Land Public Transport Commission (SPAN) chairperson Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, “an understanding and agreement” had been reached whereby as a “compromise”, the government will only acquire the strata title for the property 100 feet below ground required for the MRT tunnel, while the buildings, many of which are nearly a hundred years old, and land above ground will remain in the current owners’ hands.
Continue reading “MRT Jalan Sultan land acquisition – who is telling the truth: Chua Soi Lek, Hamid Albar or Idris Jala?”

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Pemandu admits land acquisition only way to recoup MRT cost

By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 26, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Putrajaya’s powerful efficiency unit has admitted that the Najib administration needs to acquire and develop land along the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) route as it cannot afford the multi-billion ringgit project otherwise.

In a letter sighted by The Malaysian Insider, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala told Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (ACCCIM) president Tan Sri William Cheng that the government was pursuing a “rail-and-property” model as it would not be able to recover the cost of the first line between Sungai Buloh and Kajang through fares alone.

“For the government to manage the project efficiently and sustainably, fare box revenue will not be sufficient to finance the high capex and opex for the MRT network,” Idris said in the letter dated August 23, written in response to Cheng’s queries about the acquisition of Jalan Sultan land.

“Increasing the fares is not an option as the government wants to act responsibly by providing the rakyat with an affordable means of transport. Instead, the government is adopting a prudent approach towards a sustainable financial model for the MRT through a modified rail-plus-property model.” Continue reading “Pemandu admits land acquisition only way to recoup MRT cost”

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Chinatown land buy: ‘Prasarana abusing law’

By Teoh El Sen | August 16, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, a 100% government-owned transport company, is abusing the law for the purposes of profit in making “unnecessary” property acquisitions in Chinatown, the DAP alleged today.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said the National Land Code 1965 was specifically amended in 1990 to allow for the acquisition of underground land without affecting surface property.

“This was done by inserting Part Five (A) (section 92A to 92G) under Clause 3. The amendment enables the disposal of ‘underground land’, which can either be alienated or leased or be subject to right of use,” he said.

“Clearly then Prasarana is attempting to hijack the above pieces of land which affect the heritage shoplots in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown for the purpose of making profit and not with the aim of undertaking the MRT project 100 feet underground,” said Pua, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
Continue reading “Chinatown land buy: ‘Prasarana abusing law’”

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There are options available to save Chinatown

By Moaz Yusuf Ahmad | August 15, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The members of The Association for the Improvement of Mass-Transit (Transit) have been following the MRT proposal since it was mooted (in fact even earlier than that).

One of our biggest complaints about public transport projects is that we have public displays, not public consultation.

In the case of the MRT project (or any other railway) must follow certain “fixed points” (many of which are also put in place without public consultation) and the operator is only required to share the “optimal” alignment with the public.

This was the way that the LRT and KL monorail were designed, according to the Railways Act.
Continue reading “There are options available to save Chinatown”

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When politicians plot, public gets shafted

By Mariam Mokhtar | August 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The fly-by-night people in charge of MAS are no better than a posse of cowboys. Why do we continue to tolerate the wasteful antics of our politicians who indulge in a game of real-life Monopoly and who use taxpayers’ money to bail out ailing companies?

In a perverse reversal of the saying “King Midas and his golden touch”, it appears that whatever BN-Umno politicians “touch” will always turn to dust and ashes.

This deal that is struck with MAS and AirAsia is another smack in the face for the public. What sort of responsible government allows such a merger to take place? By agreeing to this merger, the government has neglected to address healthy competition which in essence should benefit the airline customers, companies and the Malaysian economy.
Continue reading “When politicians plot, public gets shafted”

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Will Idris Jala please return the millions?

— Gomen man
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 08, 2011

AUG 8 — So the turnaround specialist, or best thing to happen to Malaysia Airlines, did not do such a good job after all.

But Datuk Seri Idris Jala pocketed a few million short of RM20 million when he left Malaysia Airlines to become the Najib administration’s transformation czar.

This money was either a bonus or compensation for his glorious achievement of “turning things around” at MAS. I am sure major shareholders at MAS — Khazanah Nasional and EPF — will be happy to enlighten Malaysians on this reward scheme.

That is the problem with us Malaysians; we are so quick to praise people and put them on a pedestal. We called Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a reformer early on and look how that turned out. We still didn’t learn. Continue reading “Will Idris Jala please return the millions?”

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We’ll derail BN, railwaymen warn Najib

By Patrick Lee | July 28, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: In a letter to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the Railwaymen Union of Malaya (RUM) warned him of protest votes against the Barisan Nasional in the next polls.

The letter penned by union secretary-general Jaafar Alias in his capacity as the Tampin Umno information chief also panned the Najib admnistration’s tagline.

“They (KTMB staff) said the slogan of ‘people first, performance now’ does not seem to be relevant… where the views of union members and KTMB employees have been ignored,” he said.

Jaafar also reminded Najib that there were nearly 2,000 KTMB employees in the Lembah Pantai Parliamentary constituency, where PKR’s Nurul Izzah Anwar reigned.
Continue reading “We’ll derail BN, railwaymen warn Najib”

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Fernandes blames ‘silly press’ for relocation talk

Free Malaysia Today | July 25, 2011

TOKYO: AirAsia has chosen Jakarta to be its regional headquarters in an effort to be seen as a Southeast Asian airline rather than just a Malaysian one.

The region’s largest low-cost airline plans to open its base in the capital at South Jakarta’s Equity Building in October, group chief executive Tony Fernandes told the Jakarta Globe yesterday.

It plans to take advantage of easy access to the Asean secretariat in advance of the “open skies” agreement that will go into effect in 2015, he had said.

That agreement will lower barriers for air travel between the region’s capitals.
Continue reading “Fernandes blames ‘silly press’ for relocation talk”

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LRT lobbying tests Najib’s resolve to push public tenders

The Malaysian Insider | May 27, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The award of a contract to upgrade the light rail transit (LRT) line to European engineering powerhouse Balfour Beatty has sparked intense lobbying which is testing Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s commitment to public tenders.

According to a report in today’s Singapore Straits Times, the intense lobbying over the contract could also delay the PM’s plans to upgrade the chaotic transport network and inject fresh vigour into Malaysia’s economy.
Continue reading “LRT lobbying tests Najib’s resolve to push public tenders”

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Perkasa: Najib ‘listened’ to our MRT requests

By Clara Chooi | May 20, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Perkasa praised Datuk Seri Najib Razak today, saying it was the prime minister who influenced Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (SPNB) to relax its criteria for contracts under the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project.

The party’s economic director, Dr Zubir Harun, told The Malaysian Insider that Najib had “listened” to concerns raised recently by Malay rights groups on how Bumiputera contractors were being excluded from opportunities in the multibillion ringgit rail project.
Continue reading “Perkasa: Najib ‘listened’ to our MRT requests”

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8 motions to dock ministers’ salaries next week

S Pathmawathy
Malaysiakini
Nov 27, 10

Several opposition parliamentarians have vented their displeasure at certain targeted ministers and two high ranking civil servant by filing motions to slash their salaries by RM10. One was RM100, the set limit.

The current parliament sitting saw eight pay-cut motions being tabled, several being high-profile ministries.

So far two such motions filed by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) had named attorney-general (AG) Abdul Gani Patail and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Abu Kassim, both shot down by the Dewan Rakyat.

Lim’s motion against Abdul Gani claimed that the AG stood accused of fabricating evidence in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s “black eye” case in 1998.

Meanwhile, he wanted the House to punish Abu Kassim (below) because for the last 16 years Malaysia’s score had been the worst in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index for the Asia-Pacific region.

“It’s my impression that the these are the highest number of salary deduction motions in one sitting,” said Lim, a veteran legislator.

The sitting is now debating the next Budget or Supply Bill 2011 is in its committee stage, so the remaining six motions filed under Standing Orders 66(9) will be dealt with from next week.

According to accepted practice these motions ultimately mean a vote of no confidence in the ability of the respective ministers. Continue reading “8 motions to dock ministers’ salaries next week”

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Proton car prices in Saudi Arabia – raw deal for Malaysians

Letters
By an angry Malaysian

FROM ANGRY RAKYAT …..! TO OWNERS OF PROTON VEHICLES….VERY SAD !!!!
SO NOW YOU KNOW THE ACTUAL VALUE PRICE OF PROTON !!!! CHEAP METAL !!!

1 MALAYSIA SENTIASA DITIPU…
Kenapa Proton tak jual harga macam kat Arab Saudi ?
Apa istimewanya orang Arab?

Kata “Rakyat didahulukan”..
Kenapa orang Arab lebih diutamakan?

Haaaa..Jawapannya ialah..

Pemilik Proton di Malaysia semuanya dah kena tipu…Hahaha

Harga Persona kat Saudi = SR36,100
Harga Gen2 kat Saudi = SR33,600
Harga Waja kat Saudi = SR37,950

1 Saudi Riyal = RM0.94

Maknanya harga Persona kat Saudi = RM33,934 aje
Maknanya harga Proton Gen2 kat Saudi = RM32,256 aje
Maknanya harga Waja kat Saudi = RM35,673 aje

1 Malaysia bayar RM 66,799.97 untuk 1 Waja di Msia! RM31,126.97 lebih MAHAL! Continue reading “Proton car prices in Saudi Arabia – raw deal for Malaysians”

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Tweets on Aminulrasyid killing, Subang airport closure and whether a non-Malay can be PM

@limkitsiang

Anger against police over Aminul’s death building up on Facebook http://bit.ly/b7apG9 5:09 PM May 3rd

1wk since police killing #Aminulrasyid Najib has spoken Y UmnoYouth @Khairykj MCAYouth still silent though @weekasiongmp support Hanif RCI 5:15 PM May 3rd

Full support 4Sgt Roslan fractured leg rammed by motor-cyclist @roadblock Police shd catch n mete out most severe punishment agnst culprit Have always supported police injured in course of duty But IGP irresponsible w fallacious equation n argument as if condemnation of trigger-happy killing #Aminulrasyid equivalent 2disregard 4legitimate rights of police 2proper welfare n compensation 4injuries or even lives lost suffered by policemen in course of duty RT @syafiqjosen: @limkitsiang I m in support of azamuddin but would appreciate if u would also stand by the police when they are victims. about 23 hours ago via UberTwitter

Powerless SpecialPanel into#Aminulrasyid’s police killing neither fish nor fowl even w/ TunHanif as member.. http://ow.ly/1GDA1 about 20 hours ago via HootSuite

Appears 2b d case Off stmts have conspicuously omitted dis pt RT @thamss: @limkitsiang The Brunei oil issue,we signed away our oil field? about 19 hours ago via UberTwitter
Continue reading “Tweets on Aminulrasyid killing, Subang airport closure and whether a non-Malay can be PM”

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Fastest withdrawal of Bill thanks to HS by-election – proposal to increase traffic compound fines from RM300 to RM1,000 pulled back after 48 hrs

It is an adverse reflection on the mediocrity of the Barisan Nasional Cabinet that the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill tabled in Parliament for first reading on Monday will now be withdrawn after 48 hours because of pressures from the Hulu Selangor by-election on Sunday.

When speaking in Batang Kali last night for the Hulu Selangor by-election campaign of the Pakatan Rakyat candidate, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, I had spoken specifically to censure the Transport Minister and former MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, other MCA Ministers and the MCA national leadership, as well as the entire Barisan Nasional Cabinet for tabling an amendment Bill to the Road Transport Act to increase compound fines for traffic offences by more than three-fold from RM300 to RM1,000.

I described this as “the act of a Transport Minister and government which are completely unconcerned and unsympathetic about the plight of the ordinary people in these difficult times”.

During the ceramah, the crowd in Batang Kali unanimously asked me to speak on their behalf in Parliament to demand that the proposal to increase compound fines for traffic offences from RM300 to RM1,000 should be withdrawn altogether or this would be one reason why the Barisan Nasional should be taught a lesson on the by-election polling day on Sunday, April 25, 2010.
Continue reading “Fastest withdrawal of Bill thanks to HS by-election – proposal to increase traffic compound fines from RM300 to RM1,000 pulled back after 48 hrs”

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Withdraw or Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat should be censured for tabling a more than three-fold hike in compound fines for traffic offences from RM300 to RM1,000 under Road Transport (Amendment) Bill

Former MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat should be censured for tabling a more than three-fold hike in compound fines for traffic offences from RM300 to RM1,000 under the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill.

This bill was presented for first reading yesterday (Monday) and meant for passage by Parliament this week.

This is the act of a Transport Minister and government which are completely unconcerned and unsympathetic about the plight of the ordinary people in these difficult times.

This is also the voice of the people of Hulu Selangor and we want to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Transport Minister and the entire Cabinet that this Bill should be withdrawn and dropped altogether or this will be one reason why the Barisan Nasional should be taught a lesson on the by-election polling day on Sunday, April 25, 2010.

What is the position of the other MCA Ministers and the MCA national leadership as they cannot keep quiet at such an oppressive amendment to the Road Transport Act especially as the Transport Minister is from the MCA.
Continue reading “Withdraw or Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat should be censured for tabling a more than three-fold hike in compound fines for traffic offences from RM300 to RM1,000 under Road Transport (Amendment) Bill”

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UMNO MPs’ “ambush” for OTK foiled by Minister’s absence

The ambush by several UMNO MPs for MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat last night during his Ministry’s reply in the government winding-up of the 2010 budget debate was foiled when the Minister was absent.

The reason given by the Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Robert Lau, who stood in for the Minister, that Ong was “busy” with the official visit of the Chinese President Hu Jintao as Ong is the “Minister-in-attendance”, did not go down well with the UMNO MPs concerned as Hu’s visit would only begin the next day.

Led by Umno MP for Sri Gading, Datuk Mohamad Aziz, at least three UMNO MPs questioned Ong for the RM28 million purchase of second-hand DMUs (diesel multiple units) by Keretapi Melayu Bhd (KTMB) instead of EMUs (electrical multiple units).

Mohamad even asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the Transport Minister for the DMU decision, which is the first time a Barisan Nasional backbencher had called for anti-corruption investigation into a Barisan Nasional Minister. Continue reading “UMNO MPs’ “ambush” for OTK foiled by Minister’s absence”

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Proton should respond to the shocking report from New Zealand where Proton Jumbuck turned in worst crash test ute performance and adjudged not fit for the road

Updated with video

The Proton management should respond to the shocking report from New Zealand where Proton Jumbuck turned in the worst crash test ute performance and adjudged not fit for the road.

The two-door Jumbuck utility vehicle (ute) was given dismal safety ratings by independent crash test organisation Ancap (Australasian New Car Assessment Programme) in New Zealand, awarded the lowest possible one-star rating after its performance in frontal offset and side impact crash tests.

Ancap scores vehicles from zero to five stars, depending on the safety features and protection of the driver and passengers.

The ute’s cabin was severely deformed in the 64km/h offset crash test. It offered poor head protection for the driver and passenger, and poor leg protection for the driver.
Continue reading “Proton should respond to the shocking report from New Zealand where Proton Jumbuck turned in worst crash test ute performance and adjudged not fit for the road”

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Ops Sikap Degenerating Into “Oops! Silap!

by M. Bakri Musa

It is now a practice that with every festive season the authorities would go into high gear aimed at reducing the horrifically high rates of traffic accidents and fatalities. Judging by the results however, these initiatives are more show than substance. These “Ops Sikap” (a contraction for Operasi Sikap – Operation Attitude, as in changing the attitude of road users) are now more “Oops! Silap!” (Oops! I goofed!)

There has been no change to the dreadful trend since the series was stated over eight years ago. That should not surprise anyone. We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect to have different results. The surprise is that the authorities have not yet figured this out; this latest Ops Sikap essentially replicated what was done during previous twenty operations. There is minimal effort at learning from earlier experiences; the program lacks innovations.

This latest edition began on September 13 and just ended two weeks later today. It registered 238 fatalities. As with past years, the overwhelming victims were motorcyclists. Continue reading “Ops Sikap Degenerating Into “Oops! Silap!”