States of Malaysia [Archive]

nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 05:55 AM

Malacca

by Tony

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 05:59 AM

Negeri Sembilan

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Negeri Sembilan meaning "nine states" in Malay, is a state of Malaysia. It is located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur.

The name is believed to derive from the nine districts or "nagari" (now known as "luak") settled by the Minangkabau, a people originally from West Sumatra (present-day Indonesia). Minangkabau features are still visible today in traditional architecture and the dialect of Malay spoken. Unlike the hereditary monarchs of the other royal Malay states, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan - known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar - is selected by the council of undang who lead the four biggest districts of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol and Rembau.

The capital of Negeri Sembilan is Seremban.

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:01 AM

SEREMBAN

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:03 AM

Pahang

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Pahang is the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia, and as a result contains quite a large range of geography and industry. Its state capital is Kuantan

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:08 AM

Kuantan

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by Brian Scott

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state mosque

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:10 AM

Perak

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Perak is one of the states of Malaysia.Perak also means silver in Malay language. The name comes most probably from the silvery colour of tin, the main output of Perak a long time ago.
The capital city of Perak is Ipoh and the royal town is Kuala Kangsar. Other major cities include Taiping and Teluk Intan (formerly known as Teluk Anson).

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:14 AM

Ipoh

Ipoh railway station

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:15 AM

Perlis

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Perlis in full Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Thailand on its northern border.
The capital of Perlis is Kangar and the royal capital is Arau. Another important town is Padang Besar, at the Malaysian-Thai border. Perlis has snake farm & Gua Kelam as tourist attraction.

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:19 AM

Kangar

Kangar is a town in Malaysia, with a population of 48,898 and is the state capital of Perlis. It is in Peninsular Malaysia and is situated on the Perlis River.

by rgen

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JABATAN AKAUNTAN NEGARA CAWANGAN PERLIS

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by Ken Keoh

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Post office

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:25 AM

Penang

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Penang is the second largest city of Malaysia, after Kuala Lumpur. It consists of an island of 293 sq. km. on the north-west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and a strip of 760 sq. km. on the mainland.

It has a total population of 1.4 million. The city of Penang has the highest population density in Malaysia with 2031.74 people per square kilometer on the island and 865.99 people per square kilometer on the mainland (statistics in 1998).

Penang is also one of the states of Malaysia (state capital: George Town), which consists of the island and a strip of land on the mainland known as Province Wellesley (also known as Seberang Perai; principal town: Butterworth). The island is named after the pinang, or betel nut tree (Areca catechu). Penang is surrounded by several satellite towns in Kedah state, forming a large urban area in the northern part of Malaysia.

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:31 AM

George Town

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:32 AM

Penang bridge

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:35 AM

Selangor

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Selangor is a state in central Peninsular Malaysia. It surrounds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The capital city is Shah Alam and the royal capital is Klang. The name Selangor is said to come from the Malay word selangau, 'a fly' (Musca vicina), most probably due to the abundance of flies in the marshes along the Selangor River in the state's north-west. Selangor is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan ("Abode of Sincerity").

The state is a hereditary monarchy and has been ruled since 2001 by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. The Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) is currently Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Khir bin Toyo, of the Barisan Nasional coalition, who is a dentist. Its main cities are Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang.

Selangor is Malaysia's most populous state, largely thanks to the rapid economic growth taking place there, mostly propelled by industry, and the growth of the Kuala Lumpur conurbation (known as the Klang Valley, due to its sprawl within the floodplain of the Klang river).

Kuala Lumpur was the capital of Selangor, but the city was made a federal territory in 1974, separating it from the rest of the state. Putrajaya also became a federal territory, in the mid-1990s.

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:43 AM

Shah Alam

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 06:44 AM

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:00 AM

Terengganu

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Terengganu (formerly spelled Trengganu) is a state of Malaysia. It is located on the north-eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, near but not adjacent to the Thai border. The Perhentian Islands are also a part of the state. The state has a total area of 12,955 sq. km.

The capital of Terengganu is the coastal city of Kuala Terengganu,

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:01 AM

Kuala Terengganu

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KT Airport runway

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:02 AM

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:04 AM

Sabah

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Sabah is one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Situated on the north-east of the island, Sabah is smaller than its sister state, Sarawak. The southern part of the island called Kalimantan belongs to neighbour country Indonesia. The state capital is Kota Kinabalu.

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:06 AM

Kota Kinabalu

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Kinabalu Mountain

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Sabah foundation building

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:08 AM

Sarawak

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Sarawak is one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Situated on the north-west of the island, Sarawak is the largest state of Malaysia, the second largest being its sister state, Sabah. The administrative capital is Kuching (pop. 423,800 in 2000) which literally means 'cat'. Major cities and towns also include Sibu (pop. 166,322), Miri (pop. 167, 535) and Bintulu (pop. 102,761). As of last census (July 5, 2000), the state population was 2,071,506. For more details about the population see Demographics of Malaysia.

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nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:10 AM

Kuching

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TYW

March 8th, 2005, 07:25 AM

nice thread nazrey!! great work

i like those introductions:D

nazrey

March 9th, 2005, 08:49 PM

Pahang To Review Project Details Before Implementation, Says Adnan
March 09, 2005 18:44 PM

KUANTAN, March 9 (Bernama) -- The state government will review details of development projects before implementing them to ensure development projects in Pahang do not pose a threat to the environment, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said Wednesday.

He said the review comes into force with immediate effect to address the problem of development projects endangering the environment.

"From today, we want local authorities to send back (full details of development projects) to the state government before implementing them," he told reporters after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting.

Applications for land conversion of a project are approved by the state executive council while local authorities okayed details of a project like the number of storeys, building size and design.

Adnan said the latest directive did not mean the state government was not practising delegation of powers to locate authorities.

He said the directive was to ensure development projects did not jeopardise the environment or harm the people's living conditions in a area.

"Selangor's experience is a lesson to other states that the people, leaders and the media are equally responsible to preserve the environment," he said.

On construction of a RM40 million marina on Tioman Island which was opposed by the islanders, Adnan said the project would be continued with some amendments.

The project, to be implemented only after the environment management plan was ready, would consider efforts to minimise damage to the coral reefs on the tourist island, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 9th, 2005, 09:08 PM

Lim Calls For Faster Completion Of Sabah's East-West Link
March 07, 2005 18:19 PM

KOTA KINABALU, March 7 (Bernama) -- Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, Monday reminded contractors carrying out the East-West Interconnection project in Sabah to complete the project as soon as possible.

Delay on the project, which is now four months behind time, is said to have been caused by weaknesses from the main contractor of the project.

Lim said the interconnection project was very important and critical to ensuring the turnaround for Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) as it would form the backbone for Sabah's grid system which is due to start operations in 2006.

"I wish to remind the contractors of their promise to me during my visit to SESB in 2004 that the interconnection project would be completed in July 2005.

"If the contractors have a solid reason for the delay, we would give them until end of this year but after this deadline, strong action would be taken," he said in his speech at the officiation of the Sabah North Grid and the handover of the Labuan-Beaufort Interconnection from the concession holder, LBI Sdn Bhd, to the Malaysian government, here Monday.

In line with this, Lim also called on SESB as the owner of the project to go through with the said contractor all the set conditions under the project.

If the delay has been caused by the contractor, it will only be appropriate for SESB to take action including the imposition of a fine on the contractor, he added.

Lim said the government was aware of the need for electricity in Sabah, especially in the rural areas and hoped to ensure that the majority of the state received electricity in the next two years.

On the handover of the North Sabah Grid and Labuan-Beaufort Interconnection link, he said that it was an important milestone in the development of the power industry in Sabah.

This is because the North Sabah Grid would be part of the Sabah Grid System, which would begin operations next year, ensuring secured and robust electricity supply for the whole state, he said.

He said the government had also decided to shut down in stages all diesel power supply stations in Sabah which were not viable economically.

The closure is aimed at reducing the cost of providing electricity and subsidized diesel by the government.

He said electricity supply in Sabah was expected to increase from 500MW to 1,000MW by 2010.

-- BERNAMA

Magician

March 11th, 2005, 10:27 AM

That's very comprehensive of Malaysia's introduction!!!

Magician

March 11th, 2005, 10:30 AM

Oh I think Penang's old buildings and Ipoh's have a lot in similarities...

nazrey

April 9th, 2005, 01:22 PM

Sarawak Appreciates Federal Govt Support For Rural Development
April 09, 2005 18:45 PM

SIBU, April 9 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government appreciates the federal government's support for rural development in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said Saturday.

The close attention given to the state by the federal government was amplified by the many visits of federal leaders to the state within the last three months, he said.

"They came to see for themselves how their relevant departments could play a bigger role in assisting the state," he said in his keynote address when officiating a development seminar for more than 300 Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) members from eight divisions at a hotel here.

Jabu identified some of the ministers as Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (Rural and Regional Development), Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (Education), Datuk Mustapha Mohamed (Prime Minister's Department) and Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy (Transport).

"Tomorrow, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamad Yakcop and next week Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be our guests," he said.

"We are very thankful to the federal government for taking a very constructive approach to solve our problems and limitations," he said.

"If we had made many complaints to the federal government, they are based on founded grounds," he said.

Jabu said the state had to intensify its rural development to enable its comparatively backward rural population to catch up with the rest of the country in achieving the objectives of Vision 2020.

On politics, he said the state had little need for people whom he described as "political quarrel experts", adding that it was disturbing that political quarrels of some Dayak leaders that began 23 years ago had shown no sign of abating.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 9th, 2005, 01:31 PM

Sabah Aims For 60 Pct Self-sufficiency In Rice Production By 2010
April 09, 2005 16:25 PM

KOTA BELUD, April 9 (Bernama) -- The Sabah government has set a strategic target of 60 per cent self-sufficiency in rice production by 2010.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Saturday that the target took into account various factors, including the economy and the unpredictable weather conditions.

"Although it's quite difficult, I feel opinion that it is not impossible to achieve 60 per cent self-sufficiency as the average padi production has shown an increase since 2002," he said.

The state's rice production had risen from 86,324 tonnes in 2002 to 91,975 tonnes in 2003 and 101,984 tonnes last year, he said.

"Our priority is to raise domestic food production to reduce the high import bill," he said in his speech delivered by State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail after closing the state-level international rice year celebration near here.

Musa also supported the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry's plan to open a mini padi growing area in Kota Belud with proper infrastructure to overcome the irrigation and drainage problem.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 9th, 2005, 01:35 PM

Penang Govt Seeks Public Feedback On Physical Development Plans
April 08, 2005 19:16 PM

PENANG, April 8 (Bernama) -- The Penang government is holding a month-long public hearing beginning April 23 on the State Structural Plan survey report to get public feedback on the state's physical development plans.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the report on the state's planning policies, proposals on land development and land use would be put up for public display and scrutiny.

He said the survey report contains measures to improve physical living environment, communication, traffic, socio-economic prosperity and to promote sustainable economic development.

The public and organisations could give their feedback, views or comments on aspects contained in the report, including on matters deemed necessary in the surveys conducted by the State Urban and Rural Planning Department, he told a media conference.

Their views would be analysed and considered in preparing the draft of the next State Structural Plan and findings from the survey report would be used as the basis in drafting the policies, proposals and strategies of the State Structural Plan, he said.

Sixteen study sectors were prepared by the State Urban and Rural Planning Department. Among them are the importance of regional communication, urban and rural settlements, agriculture, forestry, industry, housing, tourism and the environment and natural resource management.

Dr Koh said the Penang and Seberang Perai municipal councils had prepared their local structural plans but after the amendments to the Urban and Rural Planning Act 1976 in Sept 2001, the State Urban and Rural Planning Director was required to prepare an integrated planning for the state.

In Oct 2002, the state government agreed to adopt the amendments and Penang was the first state to enforce them, he said.

He said several locations had been identified to hold the public hearings.

Among them are the Datuk Ahmad Badawi Hall in Butterworth, Komtar concourse, Seberang Perai municipal council, district offices and State Public Library in Seberang Jaya, he said.

The public can buy the report in the CD-Rom format at RM20 per unit. The feedback form will be given out for free.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 11:38 AM

Original Alignment For East Coast Highway Phase II Stays - Samy Vellu
April 10, 2005 19:27 PM

IPOH, April 10 (Bernama) -- The original alignment for Phase Two of the East Coast Highway will not be amended as the move will be a disservice to Terengganu which will lose the opportunity to develop new growth areas.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the alignment was planned in such a way that it passed through interior areas which have potential to be developed.

"The existing alignment will open up ample opportunities to develop new areas...pave the way for flourishing of new growth areas," he told reporters after opening the 59th Perak MIC Convention here Sunday.

Samy Vellu, who is also MIC President, was commenting on a proposal by the Terengganu government to amend the alignment for Phase Two of the highway linking Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu in order to pass through coastal areas.

He said the alignment was planned to be a straight highway to speed up travelling time.

"If the alignment is winding and crooked, it's not a highway," he said.

"If the alignment is almost the same with existing roads, the public will not use the highway...I believe this will give rise to problems," he said.

He said a good highway is a road whose alignment is straight with not much interruptions like too many entry and exit junctions.

Samy Vellu said he would explain the matter to Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh in a meeting with him soon.

"This matter (alignment) was discussed before...it has been decided but now there are requests for the alignment to be redrawn to be near to the existing roads," he said.

Samy Vellu said Terengganu development aspects were among the important criteria of the federal government in planning the highway.

"I'm confident the state government will accept his ministry's decision (to retain the original alignment).

"Terengganu is a vast state...this alignment will help bring development to new areas. If we follow the old road, it will not encourage growth of new areas," he said.

Phase II of the East Coast Highway will be built at RM2 billion, inclusive of land acquisition cost.

The 174km highway, passing through Jabor, Bukit Besi and Kuala Berang, will be linked to Phase One in Pahang.

The project is slated for completion in 2007.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 12:02 PM

THE PRESIDENT OF SINGAPORE TO MAKE STATE VISIT TO MALAYSIA
Thursday, April 7, 2005

Putrajaya,April 7,2005 -- S R Nathan, President of Singapore, will be making a State Visit to Malaysia from 11 to 15 April 2005, at the invitation of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

During the visit, President S R Nathan will be accompanied by Mrs S R Nathan, Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health, and Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, as well as two Members of Parliament,
and several senior officials from the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

President S R Nathan and delegation will be arriving in Kuala Lumpur on 11 April 2005 at 1330 hours. A State Welcoming Ceremony will be held at the Parliament Square upon arrival and a State Banquet will be held in Istana
Negara in the evening of 11 April 2005 to honour President Nathan and delegation.

During the visit, H.E. President Nathan will also visit Sarawak from 13 to 15 April 2005.

This is the first State Visit by President Nathan to Malaysia since he was elected President of the Republic of Singapore on 18 August 1999.

The visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries.

President S R Nathan will depart for Singapore from Kuching at 15 April 2005 at 2105 hours.

DATE OF RELEASE :APRIL 7,2005
RELEASED BY BERNAMA PRWIRE MALAYSIA*GLOBAL

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 12:05 PM

DPM To Visit Sarawak Thursday
April 11, 2005 14:21 PM

KUCHING, April 11 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will make a two-day visit to Sarawak beginning Thursday, according to the Information Department.

In its advisory issued here Monday, it said that Najib's visit is at the invitation of Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

During the visit, Najib, accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is scheduled to attend a dinner with the rakyat in Mukah.

Najib, who is also Defence Minister, will be in the state capital the following day to open the Armed Forces Career Expo at Padang Merdeka.

He is scheduled to perform his Friday prayers at Masjid Jamek in Petra Jaya.

He leaves for Kuala Lumpur in the evening.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:17 PM

JPJ To Introduce E-Ownership In Johor And Melaka From July
April 11, 2005 19:15 PM

SITIAWAN, April 11 (Bernama) -- The Road and Transport Department (JPJ) will implement the E-Ownership system in Johor and Melaka under a pioneer project beginning in July, said Transport Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy.

He said the project was expected to be extended nationwide in September or October after all the weaknesses of the pioneer project were identified and rectified.

He said the electronic system of registering vehicle ownership would enable finance companies, hire-purchase companies and RTD customers to do transactions on ownership annulment and transfers online.

"It saves lot of time and is convenient for the public. It's free of charge to the customers and comes at no extra cost to the government," he told reporters after launching the vehicle registration facilities at Seri Manjung JPJ branch, here Monday.

Also present were the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations who is also the member of parliament for Lumut, Datuk Kong Cho Ha, JPJ Director-General Datuk Emran Kadir and Perak JPJ director Datuk Abu Hasan Shaari.

Chan said at the moment, the transfer or vehicle ownership claim could only be done at the JPJ office where the vehicle was registered but with the new system, it could be done at any of the state headquarters and 14 branches.

He said the system would ease the burden of JPJ in processing manually 8,000 applications daily and hopefully would prevent any forgery.

Chan said finance and hire purchase companies would set up their own database through the "service provider".

Earlier in his speech, Chan said the JPJ would upgrade its small branches at the Pertama Complex (Kuala Lumpur), Petaling Jaya, Batu Pahat, Segamat, Temerloh, Gua Musang, Teluk Intan, Kemaman and Batu Uban (Penang).

Furthermore, the JPJ planned to open six more branches in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, which are in Serting (Negeri Sembilan), Benta (Pahang), Kerian (Perak), Masjid Tanah (Melaka), Sungai Petani (Kedah) and Mersing (Johor).

About the new facilities at the Seri Manjung branch, Chan said additional transactions such as new registration, ownership transfer and annulment of vehicle ownership claims could be processed here without any need to go to Ipoh as was done previously.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:40 PM

Perak Expects Six Pct Economic Growth This Year
April 05, 2005 20:44 PM

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/AZLAN_SPEECH.jpg

ASSEMBLY… Sultan Azlan Shah speaking at the opening of the 11th state legislative assembly in Ipoh. Also present is the Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Bainun (seated right) Pix: Dusa Abas

IPOH, April 6 (Bernama) -- Perak is looking forward to achieving six per cent economic growth this year despite global setbacks such as a rise in crude oil prices and political and security problems in West Asia, Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak said Tuesday.

He said the co-operation of all parties in strengthening competitiveness and pioneering of new frontiers could help the state's economy to grow at a faster pace.

Good economic growth could only be achieved through hard work by all parties, especially in the aspect of improving performance in specific areas, including administration and the public delivery system, he said when opening the first meeting of the second session of the 11th state legislative assembly, here.

"Perak is still able to record a good performance although several global issues affected the nation's economy, like the rise in crude oil prices, and political and security problems in West Asia," he said.

Sultan Azlan Shah said that in striving to improve the nation's economy, the government would provide an environment that would enable the people to capitalise on opportunities in various economic activities.

He said the Perak government would propose various programmes and development projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) valued at RM21.6 billion, including projects worth RM2.8 billion from state allocations.

A total of 20 projects were being and would be implemented by the private sector, like the Bandar Sunway Ipoh project, Lembah Beriah Mixed Development project, Bukit Merah Laketown project and the Proton City in Behrang, the sultan said.

He said the financial position of the state continued to be strong with revenue for 2004 standing at RM465.5 million, more than the estimates of RM440.9 million.

However, he reminded everyone to be prudent in spending so that the state's finances could improve further.

Revenue for 2004 also increased by RM11.9 million from that of 2003, with RM172.9 coming from taxes, RM181.1 from non-tax revenue and RM113.5 from non-revenue receipts, he said.

The sultan also said that Perak recorded encouraging investments last year although foreign direct investment in the country had showed a downtrend.

For 2004, the manufacturing sector recorded investment commitments valued at RM1.3 bilion, RM911.5 million of it from domestic investors and RM404.5 million from foreigners, involving 54 new projects and expansion of existing projects, he said.

Of the total, 31 new projects valued at RM366.6 million, representing 56 per cent of investment commitments had been approved.

Taiwan was the biggest foreign investor followed by Indonesia and China.

The projects would create at least 3,900 job opportunities when fully implemented, the sultan said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:41 PM

People's Info Centres To Begin Functioning Next Month
April 10, 2005 17:04 PM

KOTA KINABALU, April 10 (Bernama) -- The Information Ministry will activate in the middle of next month 138 People's Information Centres located in the district information offices nationwide, Deputy Information Minister Datuk Zainudin Maidin said Sunday.

The centres, 23 of which are in Sabah, would serve as multipurpose information centres that can disseminate up-to-date information quickly to people in the locality, he said.

The centres would have available information on government policies, educational facilities, banking or finance, economic opportunities, employment opportunities, health and public amenities, he told a news conference here.

Zainudin said the establishment of the centres was in line with the vision of the ministry to enhance the function of the district information office as a disseminator of up-to-date information using information technology.

"We are making adjustments at every district information office involved, so as to create a people-friendly environment at the counters of these centres," he said.

Zainudin said there was no necessity to increase the number of staff at the district information offices to handle the information centres.

"They (the staff) have been informed of the people's information centres, and they have to adapt themselves to the requirements of the additional duties," he said.

Zainudin said the ministry would monitor the performance of each of these centres to ensure that the information disseminated was up-to-date and fulfilled the needs of the people.

He also said that the Broadcasting Department (RTM) had the capacity to extend television broadcast to 24 hours in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a tsunami.

"We have the mechanism to broadcast 24 hours as we have the backup in the engineering division and newsroom," he said, adding that RTM wanted to disseminate information quickly and accurately.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 04:33 PM

Massive Development Causing Flash Floods In Tg Malim
April 09, 2005 11:36 AM

IPOH, April 9 (Bernama) -- The massive development projects taking place in Tanjung Malim have caused flash floods in the town, affecting schools, the mosque, housing areas and even the police station, Behrang state assemblyman K.R. Naidu said Saturday.

He said the residents were having sleepless night whenever it rained as it often caused flash floods.

He said the existing drainage system was not sufficient to cope with the development taking place in Tanjong Malim, which is home to national carmaker Proton's second plant and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.

He said the worst affected areas were in the town centre, the mosque and nearby police station, Kampung Berop, Jalan Ketoyong, the Methodist primary and secondary schools and roads leading to Proton City in Behrang Hulu.

He told reporters here that among the main reasons were the construction of the billion-ringgit double track railway project between Rawang and Ipoh and an overhead bridge in the town.

"The culverts are too small to allow free flow of water. This has resulted in drains being clogged by rubbish and mud washed down by the flood waters," he said.

Besides that, he said, many housing areas were being developed on higher ground and hillsides to accommodate thousands of workers and students also contributed to the problem.

He said the district office and other relevant authorities had taken several short-term measures to overcome the problem but it was not sufficient.

"We hope the federal and state governments will allocate some funds to improve the drainage system. Otherwise, the problem will prolong and affect Tanjong Malim's image as an automotive city," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 04:43 PM

MIC Inc In The Making
April 09, 2005 11:36 AM

KANGAR, April 9 (Bernama) -- The MIC is set to become the first political party in the country to embrace the key performance indicators (KPI) to gauge the performances of its leaders, party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Saturday.

He said the direction of the party's management would be on the philosophy of MIC Incorporated enshrining performance management and leadership development.

"It will be our guiding principle and tool to achieve the established goals," he said when opening the 59th Perlis MIC Convention here.

The party would conduct leadership and management training for more than 4,900 branch leaders throughout the country, beginning with Perlis, soon.

"Training is to be institutionalised as an important element in the mainstream of party management," he said, adding that it would give equal importance to party indoctrination and corporate culture.

The Works Minister said the training programme would focus on structural changes regarding performance management.

Under the system, every organ and leader would have goals and targets to achieve.

Samy Vellu said the goals and targets would be measured and documented in the performance executive forms and evaluated periodically by him.

"The objective of the training programme would be for leaders to understand that they are servants, and not bosses, as propagated by our prime minister who says 'Work With Me and Not Work For Me'," he said.

He believed that through the programme, the party could create more thinkers, planners, doers and winners at all levels of the party.

Most importantly, the programme would reinvent the MIC and open a new chapter in the management of the party," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 10:56 PM

MyKad entry into Sarawak
Friday April 8, 2005

LIMBANG: By early next year, Malaysians from the peninsula and Sabah only need show their MyKad to enter Sarawak.

Announcing this yesterday, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the trial period for the use of the identity card would begin in June.

“We’ve designed the equipment and software for it but there will be some administrative procedures that need to be streamlined first,” he told reporters after officially opening the new Limbang Airport with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy.

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid said on Tuesday that the Cabinet had agreed in principle on the proposed use of MyKad for entry into Sabah and Sarawak and that it needed the approval of the two state governments.

Earlier in his speech, Taib said the state government had agreed to facilitate the entry of Malaysians from the peninsula and Sabah as this would forge closer relations and co-operation between the state, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.

The RM150mil-airport, with the capacity to handle up to 250,000 passengers a year, can now accommodate Fokker 50 aircraft. The old airstrip could only handle Twin Otters.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/4/8/nation/n_pg20arrival.jpg

OFFICIALLY OPENED: Taib and Chan visiting the arrival hall of the new Limbang Airport in Sarawak Thursday. --Bernamapic

The new airport, situated seven kilometres from the town, was previously a Short TakeOff and Landing Port.

Chan, in his speech, said the Government would continue to give priority to building airports in Sarawak under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

He said the Limbang Airport, which was completed and fully operational in July last year, had recorded an increase in air traffic by 15.2% to 96,209 passengers compared with 83,459 passengers the previous year.

“Consideration should be given to increasing the frequency of direct flights, particularly from Kuching and Sibu.

“I am certain this would become a catalyst for downstream industries and create job opportunities for the local residents,” he said.

The Limbang Airport is the fourth new airport in Sarawak after Bintulu, Miri and Mulu. – Bernama.

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 10:59 PM

Kuching Airport Redevelopment Work 15 Pct Complete, Says Chan
April 09, 2005 00:12 AM

KUCHING, April 8 (Bernama) -- Redevelopment work at the Kuching International Airport is 15 per cent complete, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Friday.

"We expect it to be fully completed earlier than scheduled," he said after being briefed on the project. Present was Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The RM620 million project, fully financed by the federal government, began in September 2003 and slated for completion in 2008.

"I'm sure when the new airport is completed, it can contribute to the economic and tourism development in Sarawak," he said.

Chan is in Sarawak for a three-day visit beginning Wednesday. Before coming to Kuching, he was in Miri, Limbang, Bintulu and Sibu.

The airport's redevelopment project includes the extension of the present runway from 2,400 meters to 3,780 meters. The taxiway and apron are also being extended to accommodate four A330s or B747s, five Boeing B737s and four Fokker 50s at any one time.

The present terminal building will undergo a major facelift with a floor area of 46,500 sq metres, more than double its present size.

More significantly, the new terminal building will have separate arriving and departing lounges to smoothen passenger movements and at the same time bringing the experience of air travel in Kuching to a new level, similar to that at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang.

A new and separate cargo apron will be constructed to cater for the rapidly increasing demand for air cargo services in Kuching. The platform will be large enough to accommodate one B747 and two B737 aircraft at any one time.

At another function, Chan witnessed the presentation of Aerodrome Certification for the Kuching International Airport by the Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Kok Soo Chon to Malaysia Airports Bhd Managing Director Datuk Bashir Ahmad.

With the certification, he said, all five international airports - KLIA, Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching -- in the country are now certified.

The certification acknowledges the airports met the stringent requirements -- facilities, equipment and operational procedures are in compliance with the standard and recommended safety practices specified in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

"This shows all international airports in Malaysia have been audited and given the Aerodrome Certification. It showed Malaysia is one country that emphasised on safety," he said.

To a question, he said, the 33 domestic airports would also be audited and given the certification.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 07:06 AM

Naim Cendera gets RM550m construction jobs
Tuesday, April 12, 2005

NAIM Cendera Holdings Bhd has secured two construction contracts, said to be worth RM550mil, in Kuching.

The company told Bursa Malaysia yesterday it received letters of intent to construct a police camp and a dam. In addition, it received a letter of intent to prepare a feasibility study on a privatisation of water supply for Kuching.

A Bloomberg report quoted Naim Cendera chief financial officer Ricky Kho as saying the police camp project was worth RM300mil and the dam, RM250mil.

Naim Cendera, an engineering-based company, was collaborating with the local housing commission to build low-cost homes.

''But we have yet to ascertain the precise value of the job,'' said Kho. In its filing to Bursa, Naim Cendera said the police camp will be undertaken on a design and build turnkey basis for the Internal Security Ministry. The camp will consist of administrative buildings and other facilities and amenities.

The contract for the Bengoh Dam will be awarded by public works department, Sarawak on a negotiated basis. The feasibility study for the privatisation of raw water supply for the greater Kuching region will be prepared for Sarawak's Finance and Public Utilities Ministry.

Trading in Naim Cendera shares, which was suspended at mid-day yesterday, will resume today.

Meanwhile, Naim Cendera Sdn Bhd (NCSB) has teamed up with Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd and Sarawak Housing Development Corp to develop affordable houses in Sarawak. The three parties signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding on the tie-up.

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 08:20 AM

Foreign Scientists Must Register Before Doing Bio Research In Sarawak
April 12, 2005 14:21 PM

KUCHING, April 12 (Bernama) -- All foreign scientists must register with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre here before undertaking any research on the rich biodiversity resources of the state, State Secretary Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said Tuesday.

This would enable the authorities to monitor their research to ensure that the state derived benefit from it, he said.

Abdul Aziz said Sarawak had enforced rules and regulations on the control of the state's biodiversity to enable it to benefit from any development of products from genetic materials taken from the state.

"I am not very much concerned about it (biodiversity theft) because it is not easy to just steal something (genetic materials and plant and animal species) to develop into something commercially viable to make money out of it because research takes a long time and needs a lot of facilities and funds," he told reporters after launching the "Books Alive" book and publication donation project organised by the Azam and Sarawak Development Institute (SDI) Knowledge Centre (ASK centre) here.

He said even the clinical trials on the Bintangor tree, which was expected to be commercialised as a vaccine for AIDS, had taken a lot of money with more than RM80 million being spent on the second phase of the research.

Asked to comment on recent concerns over the possible theft and smuggling of highly valued natural treasures by unauthorised foreigners, Abdul Aziz said the State Forest Department through the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) had been empowered to safeguard the state's natural resources, including all biodiversity areas.

He said the people could assist by reporting to the authorities any suspicious foreigners "coming in and taking out" any flora or fauna species from the forests.

On the ASK centre, he said the niche resource centre targets to obtain 2,000 volumes of books and publications, especially in the development communication field related to Sarawak.

Set up in July last year, it now has about 1,000 collections such as compilations of papers of seminars and conferences organised by Azam/SDI, journals and articles on development communication, books and audio visual resources.

-- BERNAMA

Pablo

April 12th, 2005, 09:14 AM

Good Job..Nazrey..I really enjoy viewing this thread:okay:

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 11:51 AM

Penang May Get Between RM6 And RM9 Billion Under 9MP
April 12, 2005 18:00 PM

PENANG, April 12 (Bernama) -- The State government is expected to get between RM6 and RM9 billion under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) although it had requested for an allocation of RM17 billion.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that from past experience, the state would receive an allocation of between four and six per cent of the ceiling of the initial allocation.

"Based on the ceiling of the overall initial allocation of the 9MP totalling RM150 billion, the state government hopes to get an allocation of between RM6 and RM9 billion," he told the 11th State Assembly sitting, here, Tuesday.

Replying to Ong Thean Lye (BN-Datuk Keramat), Dr Koh said, however, the allocation would not prevent the state government from developing the state as there were projects with potentials that were being implemented under the privatisation concept or through cooperation between the public and private sectors.

He said the state government had submitted 1,395 programs and projects for implementation under the 9MP to the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department on Jan 31.

Dr Koh said that in the economic sector, the government would promote high-technology industries which would involve the expansion of the Penang Cybercity Phase 1, 2 and 3 at Bayan Baru, Bayan Lepas, Bertam in Kepala Batas and Bandar Cassia in Batu Kawan.

In addition, the government would focus on the setting up of the Penang Bio-tech Park at Bukit Minyak and the bio-pharmacy and natural products excellence centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and the marin bio-technology excellence centre which would encompass the USM, World Fish Centre and the Fisheries Research Centre.

In terms of infrastructure, the state government planned to build the Second Penang Bridge from Batu Kawan to Batu Maung as well as the traffic dispersal system between the first and the second bridge.

Dr Koh said the state government also planned to introduce the Light Monorail Transit System (LMT) for the metropolitan area, the integrated public bus service program, the smart transport system for the whole state, and the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) Project, among others.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 11:52 AM

Mykad Entry Procedure Trial Begins May 1 In Sarawak
April 12, 2005 17:09 PM

PORT DICKSON, April 12 (Bernama) -- The use of MyKad by Malaysians in the peninsula to enter Sarawak will be tried out for three months from May 1, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid said Tuesday.

The Immigration Department would install 12 special gadgets linked to the National Registration Department to read the MyKad at eight points of entry in the state, he said.

The machines would read the MyKad and issue a receipt that would be valid for a three-month stay in the state, he told reporters after a parade to mark the completion of two training courses at the Immigration Academy near here. Also present was the Director General of Immigration Datuk Mohd Jamal Kamdi.

Those who want to stay for longer than three months have to obtain special approval, he said.

Azmi said that after it has been determined that the entry procedure during the trial period ran smoothly, the procedure would be implemented for the whole of Sabah and Sarawak, with 27 of the machines installed at all entry points of the two states.

The governments of Sabah and Sarawak, which have been granted autonomy in certain aspects including immigration under the agreement by which they joined Malaysia in 1963, decided recently to enable Malaysians from the peninsula to enter the two states by using the MyKad instead of producing the identity card and filling out the IMM14 immigration form or showing their passport.

Azmi also said that the government decided to recruit workers from several more countries after only a trickle of the illegal immigrant workers who had returned to their home countries under the amnesty programme came back to work in Malaysia legally.

-- BERNAMA

Pablo

April 12th, 2005, 06:10 PM

When will the 9mp start? I means which year?

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:17 PM

Minister Promises To Complete Repair Of Operating Theatres By June
April 12, 2005 22:32 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, April 12 (Bernama) -- Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek has sent a SMS to Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh promising to speed up repair work on five operating theatres in Kuala Terengganu Hospital which were damaged in a July 2001 fire.

Idris said Dr Chua assured that the operating theatres would be reopened for use in June.

"This is something very praiseworthy. Immediately after the problem was highlighted in the newspapers, the Health Minister himself sends me a message promising speedy action.

"As a result, we can see work to repair the operating theatres is being actively implemented," he told reporters at the State Assembly Tuesday.

Delays in repairing the operating theatres have forced patients in the state to wait as long as eight months to undergo operations since only five of the 16 operating theatres in the hospital and the Day Treatment Complex were operational.

The contractor appointed by the ministry failed to complete the repair work on the damaged theatres involving RM7 million.

The problem was compounded by the failure of another contractor to complete building six operating theatres in the Day Treatment Complex by the April 2002 deadline.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:19 PM

Penang Bridge Can Withstand Tremors Measuring 7.5 On Richter Scale
April 12, 2005 22:37 PM

PENANG, April 12 (Bernama) -- The structural design of the Penang Bridge can withstand tremors measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale with the epicentre located 360 kilometres from the bridge, the State Assembly sitting was told Tuesday.

State Exco for Public Works, Utility and Transport Datuk Koay Kar Huah said investigation and detailed study had been carried out on its structure following the tsunami which struck on Dec 26 last year and the tremor that occurred on March 29.

"To date, the structural condition of the bridge is safe and there is no serious problem. The government and the concession company, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), are deeply concerned about the safety and strength of the bridge," he said at the State Assembly sitting.

Replying to Phee Boon Poh (DAP-Sungai Puyu), Koay said the state government had announced that the Penang Bridge was safe for use despite the cracks found on the pillars after a thorough study was carried out.

"The cracks were inspected by expert consultants, T-Corp Engineer Sdn Bhd, and their report was presented to the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA). The MHA had instructed PBSB to intensify inspections on the bridge structure from time to time," he said.

Koay said the state government felt that there was no necessity for the report to be tabled at the State Assembly sitting as the consultants had stated there was no serious problem to the bridge.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:21 PM

States May Need Assembly Nod To De-gazette Park Land
April 12, 2005 22:48 PM

PUTRAJAYA, April 12 (Bernama) -- State governments may be required to get the greenlight of their State Assembly if they wished to revoke the status of land gazetted as national or recreational parks.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Adenan Satem said his ministry would submit the proposal to the next meeting of the National Physical Council chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He said the revocation of such land or reduction of its area was being carried out at will without first obtaining the views of the federal government and Forestry Department.

He was speaking to reporters after opening an international conference on challenges in using energy here.

He said land could now be gazetted as national parks and recreational parks through the powers of only one member of the state executive council.

Adenan asked state governments to reserve more land as permanent forest reserves as they were better protected.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:38 PM

Kedah Distributes RM6.5 Mln To Victims Of Tsunami
April 11, 2005 19:21 PM

ALOR STAR, April 11 (Bernama) -- The government has distributed RM6.594 million as aid to people in the state affected by last year's tsunami, the Kedah state assembly was told Monday.

Chairman of the State Committee for Housing, Local Government and Environment Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said the state government had provided RM1.66 million of the sum and the federal government the rest.

Replying to a question from Azizan Abdul Razak (PAS-Sungai Limau), Ahmad Bashah said the aid included special payment of RM1,000 each to next-of-kin of 11 people killed in the disaster and compensation amounting to RM500,000 for 25 people who had lost their loved ones.

Aid was also given to people who were injured, families who had to move out of their homes, fishermen, people whose houses were destroyed or damaged, owners of boats and fish breeders.

Replying to another question, from the same assemblyman, Ahmad Bashah said the permanent low-cost houses for the resettlement of the victims were expected to be ready in April next year and that the victims would have to pay only RM13,333.33, one-third of the cost of construction. The remainder would be borne by the government

Chairman of the State Committee on Industry, Science, Technology, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Datuk Chong Itt Chew said the government had stepped up inspection and surveillance of petrol stations and diesel distribution centres to prevent subsidised diesel from being sold those ineligible to enjoy the benefit.

Replying to a question from Abdul Razak Hashim (BN-Guar Chempedak), he said a directive had also been issued to all stations not to sell more than 250 litres of diesel to any single vehicle, not to sell the fuel to vehicles carrying additional fuel tanks and not to sell more than 20 litres of fuel to vehicles from abroad.

The assembly also approved the selection of Chua Kim Chuan as a senator to succeed assemblyman for Tanjung Dawai Datuk Arzmi Abdul Hamid and the selection of Datuk Yaakob Mohammad for a second term as senator.

Chua is the Kedah MCA Youth chief as well as National MCA Youth vice-head while Yaakob is the National Barisan Nasional executive secretary.

The assembly also approved the Poultry Farming (Kedah Darul Aman) Enactment 2005 which seeks to control and supervise poultry farming and related activities in the state.

The assembly adjourned sine die.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:41 PM

Sarawak's Pioneering Padi Farmers Eye Gov't Aid
April 07, 2005 21:39 PM

By Edward Stephen Subeng

SIBU, April 7 (Bernama) -- Despite her reputation as the country's biggest state, large scale commercial padi cultivation is less known in Sarawak until a few years ago.

Although large-scale padi growing is long in the book of the state policy makers in an attempt to make Sarawak as the country's other "rice bowl" after Kedah, the plan has remained largely on the drawing board.

It was only in early 1999 that a pioneer project of 1,940 hectares took shape in Loba Paloh, a sprawling peat soil terrain situated between Sungai Paloh and Sungai Belawai in the Mukah Division near here.

Started by one of Sarawak's prominent tycoon Datuk Hii Yii Peng, it was a joint-venture outfit known as Delta Padi Sdn Bhd.

Hii's Enterprise Sdn Bhd holds 70 percent equity in the venture, while the other two partners, the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA), a state agency, and a bumiputera firm, have 15 percent each.

The project was the first step in the long journey by the state toward achieving the aim of 70 percent self-sufficiency in the staple food by the year 2010 and the modernization of its agriculture sector.

EXPENSIVE START-UP

Hii regarded his foray into the sector as sailing into an uncharted waters. "Being totally new, there is no terms of reference. The initial phase was an absolute challenge as large scale cultivation had never been done before on sulphate and soft peat soil conditions with high salinity and acidity.

"Then there was the issue of finance. It was and is very expensive," he said.

He however soldiered on, while help came in from LCDA, the state and federal Agriculture Departments.

To-date, he had spent about RM20 million, among others, on its feasibility study, basic infrastructure developments, the drainage and irrigation system, flood-gates and soil treatment

He has even set up his own mill, the biggest private mill in the country at the cost of RM8 million, with an initial four tonnes per hour capacity.

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:44 PM

Tobacco Board Moves To Address Tobacco Farmers' Woes
April 11, 2005 18:25 PM

A Special Report By Syarifah Hunaini Syed Ismail

KOTA BAHARU, April 11 (Bernama) -- Old habits diehard. This is what the National Tobacco Board is facing as it tries to persuade tobacco farmers not to be too dependent on tobacco for a living, but to diversify into planting of maize, padi, or other economically viable crops.

Some of the farmers were cynical.

Hussein Haron, 53, said: "The board should take over the marketing of maize if I fail to do so."

He was advised to plant maize, watermelons, vegetables or any other crops which can be marketed easily.

Hussein, from Kampung Bujuk, Pasir Mas, was convinced to make the change and opted to plant maize under the integrated crop programme. However, he was not sure of the market for the new crop.

Other crops the farmers could choose include beans, groundnuts and herbs.

The farmers could also opt to rear goats or freshwater fish.

Although he had been planting tobacco for the past 17 years, Hussein was finally convinced that the future for tobacco farmers was not that rosy as the tobacco industry was in the crossroads.

The industry was facing too many obstacles, including the government's policy to reduce the output quota of tobacco leaves, implementation of marketing reforms to suit the requirements of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the dumping of smuggled cigarettes.

Hussein realised the sale of tobacco would continue to decline in view of the "Tak Nak" anti-smoking campaign launched by the Health Ministry.

Hussein is now a happy man after discovering the returns from maize was quite lucrative. He had offered to participate in other planting programmes initiated by the board.

Under the programme, the board, with the co-operation of the Malaysian Agriculture and Marketing Authority (FAMA), provided aid such as seedlings, fertilizers and advice to the farmers.

According to Hussein, the first harvest he reaped was on Feb 22 which netted 35,000 maizes. They were sold in Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah.

He also sold boiled maize and earned about RM50 a day.

Hussein said he made RM13,300 in three months from his 1.6ha plot of land while another project carried out on an integrated basis with three others netted RM24,000.

State National Tobacco Board director Hussin Abdullah said the project was financed by the board under the special fund set up to help the 10,000 tobacco farmers in Kelantan.

An integrated committee had been set up to assist implementation of the programme.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:51 PM

House Becomes Shaari's Stage To Preserve Glory Of Makyong
April 11, 2005 18:25 PM

A Special Report By Syarifah Hunaini Syed Ismail

KOTA BAHARU, April 11 (Bernama) -- Old habits diehard. This is what the National Tobacco Board is facing as it tries to persuade tobacco farmers not to be too dependent on tobacco for a living, but to diversify into planting of maize, padi, or other economically viable crops.

Some of the farmers were cynical.

Hussein Haron, 53, said: "The board should take over the marketing of maize if I fail to do so."

He was advised to plant maize, watermelons, vegetables or any other crops which can be marketed easily.

Hussein, from Kampung Bujuk, Pasir Mas, was convinced to make the change and opted to plant maize under the integrated crop programme. However, he was not sure of the market for the new crop.

Other crops the farmers could choose include beans, groundnuts and herbs.

The farmers could also opt to rear goats or freshwater fish.

Although he had been planting tobacco for the past 17 years, Hussein was finally convinced that the future for tobacco farmers was not that rosy as the tobacco industry was in the crossroads.

The industry was facing too many obstacles, including the government's policy to reduce the output quota of tobacco leaves, implementation of marketing reforms to suit the requirements of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the dumping of smuggled cigarettes.

Hussein realised the sale of tobacco would continue to decline in view of the "Tak Nak" anti-smoking campaign launched by the Health Ministry.

Hussein is now a happy man after discovering the returns from maize was quite lucrative. He had offered to participate in other planting programmes initiated by the board.

Under the programme, the board, with the co-operation of the Malaysian Agriculture and Marketing Authority (FAMA), provided aid such as seedlings, fertilizers and advice to the farmers.

According to Hussein, the first harvest he reaped was on Feb 22 which netted 35,000 maizes. They were sold in Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah.

He also sold boiled maize and earned about RM50 a day.

Hussein said he made RM13,300 in three months from his 1.6ha plot of land while another project carried out on an integrated basis with three others netted RM24,000.

State National Tobacco Board director Hussin Abdullah said the project was financed by the board under the special fund set up to help the 10,000 tobacco farmers in Kelantan.

An integrated committee had been set up to assist implementation of the programme.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 10:58 PM

Mapex 2005 Good Time To Buy Houses, Says REHDA Chairman
April 12, 2005 16:54 PM

ALOR STAR, April 12 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Property Exhibition (Mapex 2005) which will take off nationwide this April 14 would be a good time for house buyers to buy their house, says an industry figure.

Chairman of the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (REHDA) Kedah/Perlis branch, Ricque Liew Yin Chew, said that there was possibility that house prices could go up by the middle of this year, following the rise in oil prices and building materials.

"Developers cannot help but increase the price of houses due to rise in the prices of the materials but the rise may not reach 10 percent," he told a press conference here Tuesday.

Liew, who is also a member of the REHDA national committee, said that MAPEX 2005 was the country's largest property exhibition which gave consumers the choice and the opportunity to assess the house most suited for them to buy.

He said during MAPEX 2005, house buyers would also be given special savings and other perks by the participating developers.

In Kedah, MAPEX 2005 would be held in Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Kulim and would involve the participation of 25 housing and property developers as well as six financial institutions.

"A total of 8,222 houses and shophouses worth one billion ringgit would be offered to consumers during the expo in Kedah," he said.

He said Kedah was the only state that would be holding the MAPEX 2005 in three different locations while other states would keep to one locality, their capital town.

In Alor Star, MAPEX 2005 would be held at the Star Parade here from April 14 to April 17, the same time the national level event will be held in Kuala Lumpur and other states.

Following that, the event would be held at the Tesco Hypermarket in Sungai Petani from April 28 to May 1 and at Medan Citarasa in Kulim from May 26 to May 29.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 13th, 2005, 11:07 AM

Pasir Salak Riverine Resort To Become Training Centre
April 13, 2005 17:07 PM

IPOH, April 13 (Bernama) -- The Pasir Salak Riverine Resort, which was built to provide accommodation to tourists visiting the Pasir Salak Historical Complex, will be turned into a training centre for government servants, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali.

The resort, which has 40 chalets with 100 rooms, was no longer viable as a tourist resort because the number of visitors was dwindling, he said.

"Sometimes there are only two or three people who take up the rooms. The resort can actually be successful but there are no suitable offers from any party," he said after chairing the Exco meeting, here Wednesday.

Tajol Rosli said the resort, previously managed by the Yayasan Perak and a private company, would be handed over to the State Secretariat for management.

He said the resort, located about 70km from here and built beside the Perak River, would be turned into a training centre for civil servants from Perak as well as the other states.

The complex, covering 17.36 hectares and built in 1986 at a cost of RM35 million, represented a historical record depicting the Malay opposition to British colonialism and it was also the site where the first British Resident, J.W.W. Birch was killed.

There were talks earlier that the state government planned to hand over the resort to M.K. Land for management but this did not materialise.

Tajol Rosli said, however, tourists coming to visit the Pasir Salak Historical Complex could still stay at the resort if there was no training session at that particular time.

He said the area was expected to become a popular attraction in future when the Changkat Jering-Banting highway was completed.

He said if there was an increase in the number of tourists, it would be turned back into a resort later.

-- BERNAMA

Magician

April 14th, 2005, 02:43 AM

TYW

April 14th, 2005, 06:48 AM

Sounds very impressive... but do we have to wait another 10 years to see those products>?

10 yrs, 20 yrs.....i wouldn't be surprised.

but if it is built like straight away, i'll be surprised :D

Magician

April 14th, 2005, 07:20 AM

I totally 100% agree with you

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:26 AM

Perlis Airport, Malaysia
12 February 2002
© Space Imaging

http://www.sisea.co.th/images/gallery/perlis_airport_malaysia_big.jpg

Malaka Straits, Malaysia
1 June 2002
© Space Imaging

http://www.sisea.co.th/images/gallery/malaka_straits_malaysia_big.jpg

From : http://www.sisea.co.th/gallery.html

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 04:48 PM

Perlis Airport, Malaysia
12 February 2002
© Space Imaging

http://www.sisea.co.th/images/gallery/perlis_airport_malaysia_big.jpg

This is Airport in Langkawi what!
See Langkawi International Airport (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=597585&size=L&sok=JURER%20%20%28pbhagel%20%3D%20%27Znynlfvn%27%29%20NAQ%20%28cynpr%20%3D%20%27Chynh%20Ynatxnjv%20-%20Vagreangvbany%20%28YTX%20%2F%20JZXY%29%27%29%20%20beqre%20ol%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=17)

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 06:31 PM

Kulim Hi-Tech Park To Open New Area For Local, Foreign SMIs
April 14, 2005 17:31 PM
www.khtp.com.my/

KULIM, April 14 (Bernama) -- The Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) will be opening an area, covering five hectares, in the first quarter of next year for small and medium industries both from the country and overseas.

Datuk Ahmad Shukri Tajuddin, the chief executive officer of Kulim Technology Park Corp (KTPC), which operates the KHTP, said that SMIs could take advantage of this opening and become suppliers to many of the high technology companies there.

He said the opening of the SMI area was already within the masterplan of the KHTP set up, except that it would be implemented next year.

KHTP has allocated 120 hectares as SMI area but initially only five hectares would be open and the development of the rest would follow later.

He said this to reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum between KHTP tenant, Fuji Electric (M) Sdn Bhd with three main vendors of the company, namely Organo (Asia) Sdn Bhd, T.T.E Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd and Kejuruteraan Bintai Kindenko Sdn Bhd, at the Fuji Electric plant in KHTP, here Thursday.

The agreement today was for the expansion of the production line in Fuji Electric's plant in the hi-tech park.

Ahmad Shukri said that he was not sure of the amount of potential investment that would be made by SMIs in the 5-hectare area allocated to them. The investment would depend on the kind of industry that the companies venture into, he said.

On the part of KHTP, he said the technology park would be meeting up with several local and foreign SMIs to get them interested in participating in the high technology park.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 06:32 PM

Cambridge University's unit for Kulim High-Tech Park
16 February, 2005

Kulim Technology Park Corp Bhd Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ahmad Shukri Tajuddin said Cambridge University's spin-out company Metalysis Ltd is a potential investor in the park.

The company has earmarked a RM22 million investment for the completion of research and development on high-technology tantalum to produce material for super-capacitors (a capacitor is an energy-storing device) in mobile phones, computer laptops and personal digital assistants.

Ahmad Shukri said Metalysis' second phase of operations at Kulim (from 2006 onwards) would see commercial production with targeted revenues of RM300 million per annum.

"About 50 jobs are expected to be generated along with technology transfer," he added.

The KHTP which was granted Multimedia Super Corridor-status jointly with Penang last year, was launched in 1996. It has 35 companies sited on its 1,440ha to date and has attracted capital investments exceeding RM20 billion, Ahmad Shukri said.

Adapted from "Business Times", 16 February, 2005

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 09:32 PM

CAREER OPPORTUNITY… A soldier passes by a poster on Ekspo Kerjaya ATM (Career in the Army Exposition) at Padang Merdeka in Kuching. The three-day exposition will be open by the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak who is also Defence Minister in Kuching. Pix: Hairul

http://foto.bernama.com/foto/Photo/130405_2.jpg

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:38 PM

Can Terengganu Continue To Be Called "Turtle State"?
April 14, 2005 10:57 AM
A Special Report by Hisham Abdul Hamid

KUALA TERENGGANU, April 14 (Bernama) -- Nicknamed "turtle state", Terengganu at one time used to get tens of thousands of local and foreign visitors each year who head for the main beaches where turtles would land, especially Rantau Abang, near Dungun.

The peak season for the influx of tourists is from June to September when hundreds of giant leatherback turtles would come ashore each night to lay their eggs.

It was said that Rantau Abang was one of the very few locations in the world chosen by the leatherback turtles as their nesting ground.

Regrettably, since the 1980's, the number of leatherback turtles landing at Rantau Abang has declined sharply so much so there were years when not a single leatherback came ashore.

As a result, Rantau Abang is becoming more of a mere seaside village that has lost its lustre. Most of the houses or rooms operated by individuals at the beach have been abandoned and neglected as there were no visitors.

VARIOUS EFFORTS IN VAIN

Now, the question is whether Terengganu can still be called "turtle state" as various efforts, including the incubation of tens of thousands of eggs since the 1960s, have not shown any result.

The situation became critical since 2001 when all the eggs from the leatherback turtles that were incubated, including 299 eggs last year, failed to hatch.

This phenomenon has pushed researchers to intensify their studies to find an answer to the question why the eggs failed to hatch.

Besides the Turtle and Marine EcoSystem Centre (TUMEC) which has its office in Rantau Abang, experts from the Malaysian Science and Technology University College (KUSTEM) and several private companies are also involved in the research.

Head of TUMEC, Kamaruddin Ibrahim, said research showed that the incubation process failed for the leatherback species because the eggs were not fertilised.

According to the research, the non-fertilisation of the eggs was due to the fewer number of male turtles compared with females, he added.

INCUBATION TECHNIQUE

He said that what happened "might be due to the incubation technique which was carried out in the past at the incubation centres located on an open beach."

A study discovered that temperature was a main factor in determining the gender of the hatchlings.

He said if the temperature at the beach was 28 degrees Celcius or higher, the hatchlings would be females and a lower temperature would result in male hatchlings.

The usual temperature for beaches in Terengganu is more than 28 degrees Celcius, especially on open beaches.

"As a result, nearly all the turtle eggs hatched in Terengganu were females. That is why the population of male turtles has shrunk," he said.

KUSTEM Head of Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prof Dr Chan Eng Heng, agreed that the temperature factor played a role in determining the gender of baby turtles.

He explained that as the incubation centres in Terengganu were 100 percent exposed to sunlight, this would result in all the eggs incubated to hatch as females.

INCUBATION PROCESS

Chan, who is also Head of the KUSTEM Turtle Research and Preservation Unit, felt that it was better that the incubation be done "in-situ" or at the spot where the turtles laid their eggs compared with shifting them to other locations.

They discovered that on-site incubation would result in producing a balanced between the genders of hatchlings besides a higher rate of eggs being hatched, he said.

As a result of the findings by the experts, TUMEC proposed to enhance in-situ incubation this year to ensure a higher number of eggs being hatched and a better ratio of male and female hatchlings.

Kamaruddin said TUMEC also plans to build a special incubation centre where the temperature can be controlled during the incubation period.

The 20 X 20-metre centre, estimated to cost RM50,000, would be located in the vicinity of the existing TUMEC building.

TUMEC also plans to incubate up to 50 percent of the turtle eggs found or bought from leaseholders at the incubation centre to produce male hatchlings, he added.

Normally, turtle eggs take 60 days to hatch. To get male baby turtles, the eggs would be incubated at the centre for 40 days in a controlled temperature of between 25 and 27 degrees Celcius.

The eggs would then be taken out and incubated at the incubation centres on the beach until they hatched and are released into the sea.

Chan said another method that may help to increase the population of leatherback turtles in Terengganu was to fertilise the female turtles by injecting the sperm of male turtles from another place. This method is similar to artificial insemination that is normally carried out on mammals.

The same incubation and fertilisation methods should also be considered for other species of turtles that used to land along the 240km shoreline of Terengganu.

The species include the Hawksbill, Olive Ridley and the Green turtles.

New methods also need to be sought as the turtle landings in Terengganu has declined even though tens of thousands of eggs have been incubated since the 1960's.

The cause of this must also be studied.

Or, can we hope for the 500,000 baby turtles hatched and released into the sea over the last four years to return to Terengganu beaches in the next 10 or 20 years?

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:39 PM

Transport Minister Tells M'sian Ports To Combine Their Strengths
April 14, 2005 21:26 PM

JOHOR BAHARU, Apr 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysian ports should combine their strengths by co-operating with each other and compete with other ports in the region, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Thursday.

Local ports should also work closely to complement each other and avoid fierce competition, he said.

"We have seen the emergence of new ports and bigger-sized ships in the last decade. The trends in the port industry call for mega alliances, mega networks and mega hubs. Such worldwide shifts in the ports industry are dictated by customers.

"They want faster services which will help to reduce time and cost. Therefore, it is time for Malaysian ports to synergise their strengths to compete with regional ports," he told reporters here after attending a handing over ceremony of Kalmar Smartrail System to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).

The PTP has retrofitted 67 of its rubber-tyred gantry cranes with Kalmar Industries's Smartrail System, which employs the reliable satellite Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) for improved automation and safety for container handling operations in the staging yard.

The system will help to increase equipment travel speed of up to 30 percent, enhancing productivity by up to 25 percent, reducing equipment collisions to zero and eliminating loss of container boxes.

Chan disclosed that the ministry's port competitiveness committee was looking into increasing the competitiveness of Malaysian ports.

"We are aware of the need to provide consistent, world class facilities and services, speed, efficiency and productivity. This is because carriers value all these. To compete in this (competitive) environment, ports must invest in the right cranes, loaders, quay expansion and information technology," he said.

PTP, he said, had followed the right formula in port management and operations, all of which had enabled it to become the 16th top container port in the world.

PTP has also become the fastest growing container terminal in the world within six years.

Last year, PTP set a new throughput record by handling 4.02 million TEUs, an increase of 15.2 percent as compared with 3.49 million TEUs in the previous year.

The Chief Executive Officer of PTP, Datuk Mohd Siddik Shaik Osman, said the port had been recognised as one of the most efficient ports in the region by customers following its gross crane moves of over 33 moves per hour.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:41 PM

The Tsunami Cannot Be Forecasted
April 13, 2005 18:57 PM

KUANTAN, April 13 (Bernama) -- The occurrence of the tidal waves or tsunami cannot be forecasted although it can be detected several hours earlier, the State Assembly sitting was told Wednesday.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said he learnt that the federal government was endeavoring to create a tsunami warning system to enable safety measures to be taken several hours before the disaster struck.

"The state government also needs to alert the people of an impending tsunami so that the people can make preparation to save themselves," he said when replying to Datuk Tengku Paris Tengku Razlan (BN-Batu Talam).

Meanwhile, State Exco for Health, Social Welfare and Orang Asli Affairs Datuk Ishak Muhammad said the claims by certain groups that the dengue epidemic was getting out of control was absolutely not true.

He said the Health Ministry was very concerned about the health of the people and as such, the dengue situation was being monitored every week so that necessary measures could be taken in the event of an outbreak.

He said the dengue fever was caused by the aedes mosquitoes and eliminating their breeding grounds was an effective way of preventing the spread of the disease.

"The dengue fever is closely related to the aspect of cleanliness and neglecting this aspect would make it easier for the aedes mosquitoes to breed," he said replying to Datuk Ti Lian Ker (BN-Teruntum).

Ishak said fogging was also being carried out in high-risk areas besides intensifying enforcement activities.

He said that 921 dengue cases were reported in Pahang as of March 19 this year, with three fatal cases.

The State Assembly will sit again on Friday.

Meanwhile, Adnan acknowledged for the first time that the state was now facing a serious problem of drug addiction, particularly in Felda land schemes.

The Menteri Besar said that the problem was so critical that he and the State Executive Council were at a loss as to how to overcome the problem.

All efforts by the state government had been futile and the problem remained rampant as though it was getting out of control, he told reporters when met after the question and answer session.

He said this when asked to comment on press reports about the situation in Felda Jengka which was said to be facing the most serious problem of drug abuse.

However, he said the state government was certainly not giving up in the fight against drug abuse and would find new ways of tackling the matter.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:46 PM

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:48 PM

1st Silicon Wins Award
April 14, 2005 13:11 PM

KUCHING, April 14 (Bernama) -- A Sarawak-based semiconductor company, 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has been awarded British Standard (BS) and Malaysia Accreditation of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for its Information Security Management System and Environmental Reporting, respectively.

The company has accomplished in building a world class fab facility through its recent Information Security Management Systems for compliance under the BS7799-2:2002 certification.

1st Silicon chief executive officer, Dr John Nelson said: "The security standard of international accreditation certificate named 1st Silicon as the first semiconductor company in Malaysia to have received this award."

"This comprehensive specification defines the requirements for establishing, implementing and documenting an effective information security management system," he said in a statement, here Thursday.

1st Silicon completed the BS7799-2:2002 certification process through an intensive security audit conducted by Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

DNV's certification services are designated by the United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) as the qualified auditor for compliance to the BS7799 standard.

On the ACCA Award, 1st Silicon had been awarded for innovative environmental reporting in the Malaysia Environmental and Social Reporting Awards (MESRA) 2004.

The company achieved four winning criteria covering the conceptualised environmental objectives and impact on business and performance, reader friendliness, innovative graphics as well as minimum usage of jargon.

This is the second consecutive year that 1st Silicon won an ACCA commendation for environmental reporting. The company received both awards end of last month.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:49 PM

Sarawak Mulling Over Giving Land To Unemployed Graduates
April 12, 2005 13:03 PM

KUCHING, April 12 (Bernama) -- Unemployed graduates in Sarawak will stand a better chance to become agro-entrepreneurs once the Sarawak government approves the idea to give them land to farm on.

With the vast land waiting to be developed, such a move will not only solve the problem of unemployed graduates but will also spur the agricultural sector as the engine of economic growth in Sarawak.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said he was seriously studying the idea.

"This may be the best way to alleviate the problem as well as to encourage them to venture into the agricultural sector," Dr Chan, who is also state Agricultural Modernisation Minister, told Bernama Tuesday.

He said the ministry would also study the seriousness of the unemployed graduates problem before bringing it to the Cabinet.

"First, we have to find out how many unemployed graduates there are in Sarawak. I think it may not be many but if there is a substantial number, this (giving them land) may be one way to encourage them to go into farming...sophisticated farming, not the ordinary type," he said.

Dr Chan said the ministry would also brief unemployed graduates on the importance and the vast potential of the agricultural sector.

"I hope they will take this up. It's a quite an exciting industry as far as farming is concerned, not using the cangkul anymore, but a lot of modern utilities," he said.

Meanwhile, Bank Pertanian Malaysia (BPM) manager for Sarawak Subri Mohamed Noh said there were few applications from Sarawak graduates for loans under the bank's Commercial Graduate Farmers Scheme (SUTKS).

He said none had been successful so far but did not give the reason for the failure.

He also could not say whether the small number of applications was due to graduates from Sarawak not being interested in farming.

The scheme, introduced in 2002, is aimed at reducing the number of unemployed graduates besides producing commercial graduate farmers.

It focuses on production and processing of plant, fisheries and livestock products and fast-yielding projects.

Subri said that not even half of the RM10 million allocated for the scheme had been used so far.

He said that in the context of Sarawak, the production of vegetables and fruits had huge potential for development because the state still depended a lot on food imports.

Sarawak also needed meat producers and unemployed graduates could seize this opportunity to run cattle and goat farms, he said.

He advised unemployed graduates wanting to apply for SUTKS loans to acquire basic knowledge on farming and to get the advisory service of departments like the Agriculture Department to increase their chances of getting their applications accepted by the bank.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:55 PM

Rafflesia Medical Centre Aims To Make Sabah Health Tourism Hub
April 10, 2005 22:39 PM

KOTA KINABALU, April 10 (Bernama) -- Newly opened Rafflesia Medical Centre aims to play its role to turn Sabah into one of the health tourism hubs in this region.

Its Director Dr Ramesh Kumar said the hospital, which started operations in January, provided comprehensive healthcare at affordable rates.

"You will find that we have one of the most reasonable price for everything. This is because the way we do it, bringing down our overheads and that's important to run any business," he said.

Among the services available are paediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, dentistry, orthopaedics, anaesthesiology and 24-hour emergency treatment.

The hospital, with 14 beds, one main operating theatre, one mini-operating theatre and a labour room was opened by State Minister of Resources Development and Information Technology Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai.

Dr Ramesh said once the occupancy rate reached 80 per cent, the medical centre would open another 16-bed ward and this could be possible within a month.

He, however, said the medical centre would only expand according to market demand in order to maintain the affordability of its rates.

The hospital, currently operating with six doctors, is expected to have three or four more doctors by year-end, he said.

-- BERNAMA

TYW

April 15th, 2005, 10:21 AM

i love those sat pics, nazrey :eek2:

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 01:47 PM

Sabah's Financial Standing Getting Stronger, Says Ahmadshah
April 15, 2005 19:42 PM

KOTA KINABALU, April 15 (Bernama) -- The financial standing of the Sabah state government is getting stronger, and moves to identify new sources of income have also gained momentum, the Sabah State Legislative Council was told Friday.

Presenting the state government's policy speech at the council's first day of sitting, here Friday, State Governor Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah said that the Sabah government's income in 2001 was around RM1.2 billion but it had gone up to RM1.78 billion last year.

With this stronger financial position, the state government has reviewed the ceiling on allocation for development from the region of RM1.9 billion under the Mid Term Review of the Eighth Malaysia Plan to RM2.1 billion as at January 2005.

From this amount, he said a total of RM1.52 billion or 72.4 percent have been spent on development purposes in the state.

Ahmadshah said that this was supplemented by spending from the Federal Government in Sabah which had used up RM6.3 billion or 78.5 percent of the allocation of RM8.1 billion allocated for the 2001-2004 period.

"Overall, the state government and federal government have spent about RM7.82 billion for development in the last four years.

"This is not a small amount and I am very confident that the big spending on development has helped to boost development in Sabah under the 8MP to a level that is better, not only in economic terms but also in the aspects of convenient facilities and infrastructure to raise the living standards of the people."

Ahmadshah said the real Gross Domestic Growth of Sabah had also gone up from RM12.2 billion in 2001 to RM13.9 billion in 2003.

The impressive performance is higher than the rate of growth reached at the national level during the same period, he said.

The increase brought on a rise in the state income per capita from RM6,410 in 2001 to RM8,659 (at the current price) in 2003, he said.

He said foreign trade also registered a good growth with its export value going up by 52.8 percent to RM19.1 bilion in 2003 from RM12.5 bilion in 2001.

At the same time, state imports registered a big growth from RM11.4 billion in 2001 to RM13.4 billion in 2003.

Private sector confidence has also gone up in the same time, he said.

Ahmadshah said the state government had a well organised plan and objectives under the Ninth Malaysia plan to realise its direction in the state development and progress of two-way trade.

In order to achieve its objectives, he said the state government has underlined several development strategies and these included the expansion and modernisation of the agriculture sector, developing the tourism sector and reactivating its manufacturing sector.

The Dewan will continue on Monday.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 01:54 PM

Tax-Free Complex At Kenyir Lake Soon
April 15, 2005 13:05 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, April 15 (Bernama) -- A tax-free complex will be established at the Kenyir Lake end of this year to attract more tourists to the resort.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Tengku Putera Tengku Awang said the government was negotiating it with Nikaniaga Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah).

He told this to reporters yesterday after launching the new logo of the Petang Island Resort (PIR) here.

PIR is also a subsidiary of Ketengah which offers 122 rooms in Pulau Petang, Tasik Kenyir.

Tengku Putera, who is also the Member of Parliament for Hulu Terengganu, said a Tourist Information Centre had been set up in Kuala Berang.

At present there are 142 hotels and resorts with 6,000 rooms in the whole of Terengganu which are not enough to meet the tourists' demand during the holidays.

On the intention of the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Datuk Mohamad Hassan to seek a RM250 million loan from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for the state, Tengku Putera said such applications would be studied by the the EPF's Investment Board.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 02:03 PM

http://img76.echo.cx/img76/3900/map29mo.gif

Kenyir Lake, Malaysia's largest man-made lake

Location

Tasik Kenyir (Kenyir Lake), located in the heart of Terengganu spans over 260,000 hectares, making it the largest man-made lake in South East Asia. Terengganu, located in the East Coast of Malaysia, is also famous for its beautiful beaches and is also a nesting site for 4 species of sea-turtles. Tasik Kenyir is so large that it shares its borders with Kelantan in the west and Pahang in the south, serving as a gateway to Taman Negara National Park, one of the world's oldest rainforest enclaves. For more on Taman Negara.

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 02:24 PM

Kenyir Lake View Resort
(Formerly known as Tasik Kenyir Golf Resort)
Visit : http://www.kenyirlake.com/kyrlake_viewrst.htm

Pictures from webshot community.

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http://img35.echo.cx/img35/4471/491687gb.jpg

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 03:14 PM

Sarawak Among Top States In Tax Payment Compliance
April 15, 2005 20:11 PM

KUCHING, April 15 (Bernama) -- Sarawak is one of the top states in complying with payment of income tax, with a compliance rate of 83 per cent against the national average of 80 per cent, retiring Sarawak Inland Revenue Board (IRB) director Abdul Rahim Abdullah said.

Unsurprisingly, Sarawak last year had no high profile tax dodgers that required the IRB to order the withholding of their passports to prevent travel overseas, he told reporters after handing over his duties to Kuching branch director Zaharah Mokhtar here Friday.

He described tax evasion in the state as "manageable".

Last year, IRB collected RM2.1 billion and expected to increase the amount to RM2.25 billion from about 250,000 taxpayers this year.

On the April 30 deadline for submission of tax returns, he advised tax payers to submit their forms earlier to avoid traffic jams in front of the IRB office due to the last-minute rush as happened in previous years.

Kelantan-born Abdul Rahim, 56, who retires from the civil service on Monday, had served as the state IRB director since January last year.

He has 30 years of service in the department, including working with the teams that planned the setting up of the International Offshore Financial Centre in Labuan.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 05:51 PM

10,000 Tourism Signages, Commercial Boards To Be Erected Nationwide
April 15, 2005 22:32 PM

KUANTAN, April 15 (Bernama) -- A total of 10,000 road signages with the tourism concept and commercial advertising boards will be built in town and rural areas nationwide before the year-end.

Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the mega pioneer project would be handled by two companies picked by the ministry.

The cost of building and installing the signages would be fully borne by the companies, he told reporters after the launching of the Ortolux tourism boards and road signages here Friday by the Tengku Muda of Pahang, Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah.

More than 100 convoy participants from the Superbikers Association of Malaysia (SAM) took part in the launch.

Ahmad Zahid said Pahang would be the first state to install the tourism signages with terra cotta colour, being used worldwide.

Through the colour symbols, he said, local and foreign tourists would know the places they were visiting have interesting attractions and products.

He said the signages would assist the state government to promote its tourism products.

"We hope the state government, through the local authorities, will support this effort by giving permission to them to put up the signages at strategic locations," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 17th, 2005, 09:32 AM

RM78 Million Face-lift Plan For Tanjong Malim
April 17, 2005 12:14 PM

IPOH, April 17 (Bernama) -- Tanjong Malim town, home to national car maker Proton's second manufacturing plant, will be given a face-lift at a cost of RM78.3 million over 10 years.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said part of the development costs had been included in the state's application for allocations under the 9th Malaysia Plan.

Projects earmarked for the town would be based on the Tanjong Malim Redevelopment Plan, he said Saturday.

Among the proposed projects are a lighted and covered stroll path, a pavilion at the public padang, four community halls, expansion of the Slim River Resthouse from 10 to 40 units, a bridge over Sungai Bernam and a hotel by a private company.

Tanjong Malim's inadequate facilities were highlighted last week by Behrang assemblyman K.R. Naidu who urged the state government to give the town a new image.

Naidu said frequent flooding affected the mosque, police station and a school, and gave a poor impression of the town which is also home to Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris and a polytechnic.

The flooding was blamed on construction work on the Rawang-Ipoh rail double-tracking project and a flyover in the town and the outdated drainage system.

Tajol Rosli said the Drainage and Irrigation Department had applied for RM10 million under the 9th Plan to tackle the flood problem by improving the river's water flow.

As a short-term measure, he said, the Tanjong Malim District Council and the rail project contractor DRB-Hicom, had cleaned up clogged drains and ditches at a cost of RM50,000.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 17th, 2005, 09:41 AM

Perak state

http://ipoh.com.my/map/perak/pk_img/pkdistrict.gif

Tanjung Malim is in Batang Padang

http://ipoh.com.my/map/district/district_img/BATANG.GIF

nazrey

April 17th, 2005, 09:43 AM

Pulau Indah Halal Hub To Be Monitored By Agencies
April 16, 2005 16:41 PM

http://www.abcmalaysia.com/maps/images/selangor1.jpg

Selangor state

SHAH ALAM, April 16 (Bernama) -- The Selangor Halal Hub in Pulau Indah, near here, will be closely monitored by various agencies to determine that the products produced adhered to the halal standard.

SSIC Bhd general manager Datuk Mhd Jabar Ahmad Kembali said that among the agencies involved are Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim), Selangor Islamic Religious Department, SIRIM Bhd, Health Department and Veterinary Services Department,

He said the agencies involved would stationed their officers at the halal hub to facilitate production and marketing operations.

"This way, investors can produce and market their products more faster," he told Bernama.

Mhd Jabar said investors at the Selangor Halal Hub need not necessarily be Muslims but their products must be halal.

At the moment, he said a Malaysia-Thailand joint venture company, Golden Palmolina Sdn Bhd has given their commitment to start operations at the hub to produce palm oil-based product.

They will start operations in six months time, he said.

The Selangor Halal Hub has also received enquiries from Indonesian and Japanese investors.

Mhd Jabar said the Selangor state government hoped about 30 investors would operate at the 60ha hub in three to four years time.

SSIC is the investment arm of the Selangor state government.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 17th, 2005, 09:45 AM

Five Downstream SMI Projects Created To Boost Farmers' Income
April 14, 2005 17:13 PM

PASIR PUTEH, April 14 (Bernama) -- Five downstream Small and Medium Industry (SMI) projects have been established here to boost the income of the local farmers, while helping them to reduce their dependency on padi.

The Assistant District Agriculture Officer here, Yahya Yaacob, said the projects were being carried out by five farmers with two of them involved in the processing of all-time popular snack food, "keropok", or crackers in Kampung Telaga Papan, and the production of preserved guava, mango and papaya in Kampung Belah and Gaal.

Three other farmers meanwhile have undertaken the production of Malay cookies like "bahulu", peanut biscuits, and sweets in Gong Kulim, tomato and other sauces in Kampung Telipot and the processing of roselle in Kampung Wakaf Bunut.

The processing of roselle which includes the production of roselle juice concentrate, cordial drinks, and chilli sauce, is the biggest project with the potential of becoming a highly profitable industry for the farmers around the area, Yahya said.

He said Nik Mud Wan Megak who had undertaken the roselle project, was successfully producing 10,500 kg per month with a value of RM26,000.

He said the farmer received his supply of the raw material from 20 farmers growing the roselle trees in a eight-hectare area in Kampung Gong Kulim and Alor Hijau.

Yahya said Nik Mud received orders for his products from the Armed Forces of Malaysia, Education Ministry, Kemas and the company that produces the Besta brand of food products.

He, however, did not disclose the detals of the other farmers' operations.

The Pasir Puteh Agriculture Department helps the farmers with the supply of processing equipment, marketing, production technology and advisory services, he said.

He said the farmers also marketed their products through the Internet with the help of Mimos.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 19th, 2005, 10:31 AM

Negeri Shelves Plans For Stadium Corporation
April 19, 2005 15:45 PM

SEREMBAN, April 19 (Bernama) -- The state government has shelved plans to set up a Stadium Corporation due to the high cost including the recruitment of additional manpower.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the Seremban Municipal Council and Nilai Municipal Council would instead be asked to continue with the task of managing the state's main sports facilities.

The state government had earlier planned to set up the corporation to manage the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, Centre Court (which has tennis courts and a swimming pool), State Aquatic Centre, Indoor Stadium in Nilai and Shooting Range in Mantin.

Meanwhile, the new Gymnasium Rakyat situated next to the Negeri Sembilan Football Association building at Medan Rahang here has been completed and is being equipped.

The gymnasium is expected to be opened to the public in June.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 12:42 AM

Shah Alam Imposes Tough New Conditions For Pet Dogs
April 22, 2005 22:40 PM

SHAH ALAM, April 22 (Bernama) -- Residents in this city who want to keep dogs as pets must fulfil tough new conditions, including getting prior written permission from their immediate neighbours, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) announced Friday.

The council has also banned certain breeds of dogs from being kept as pets, MBSA Deputy Datuk Bandar Za'ba Che Rus told a media conference after the full council meeting.

He named the breeds as Akita, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Braziliero, Japanese Tosa, Neopolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier and Rottweiller.

The ruling came after a recent public outcry over a savage dog attack on a nine-year-old boy, Muhammad Hazman Seh Zahidi, in Putrajaya last month.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council also recently introduced a ruling requiring dog owners in the municipality to get the permission of their neighbours to keep dogs as pets, but it was revoked after protests by residents.

Za'ba also said there would no longer be automatic renewal of licences for pet dogs to ensure the owners met the additional conditions.

One new condition required a dog owner to fill a form for licence renewal before Dec 31 each year.

The renewal form must be submitted with a payment of RM2, a service fee of RM50 and RM10 for the licence.

Za'ba said a resident who wanted to keep a dog as a pet must apply for a licence after obtaining the written permission from his neighbours "in front, behind, left and right" of his house by means of a specially prepared form.

He said the application would be rejected if any of the immediate neighbours did not agree to him keeping the dog.

Applicants for a licence or renewal must include pictures of the dog, its kennel and the surroundings of the applicant's house.

In addition, a health certificate for the dog issued by a veterinarian must also be submitted with the application.

Applicants living in a bungalow or semi-detached house will be allowed to keep two dogs but those in a terraced house can only have one.

If a licence was approved, the dog owner must display a sign to show the presence of a dog in the premises and its breed.

If the dog is taken out of the house for a walk, it must be put on a leash and muzzled to ensure the safety of the public.

Asked about dog owners who took their animals into playgrounds and recreational parks, Za'ba said it violated the council's bye-laws and offenders risked being fined up to RM300.

"All animals, and not just dogs, are barred from being taken into playgrounds or parks," he said.

On a proposal to require dog owners to fit a "poo bag" to their pets when they take them outside their house, Za'ba said the council would study the effectiveness of such a measure.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 12:43 AM

Typhoid In Kelantan Under Control
April 22, 2005 22:20 PM

KOTA BAHARU, April 22 (Bernama) -- The typhoid situation in Kelantan is under control, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said Friday.

He said immediate action taken by the State Health Department, including opening an operations room and in promptly informing the ministry, helped prevent an epidemic.

"There is better awareness among the public of the disease. They go to the clinics or hospitals immediately when they are not well and this can help prevent the spread of the disease," he told reporters.

Dr Abdul Latiff, accompanied by State Health director Datuk Dr Ahmad Razin Ahmad Mahir, had earlier visited typhoid patients at the Kota Baharu Hospital.

Since the typhoid outbreak in Kelantan two weeks ago, two people have died from the disease.

Dr Abdul Latiff advised the people not to be unduly worried about typhoid since the disease could be cured if treated early.

He said that as at noon Friday there were 282 cases reported with 127 of them confirmed as typhoid fever.

A total of 92 patients are being treated at the Kota Baharu Hospital, 16 in Tumpat, two in Pasir Mas, 11 in Bachok, three in Machang and one patient each in Pasir Puteh, Tanah Merah and Kuala Krai.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 12:45 AM

FLOATING MOSQUE… Tanjung Bungah floating mosque currently in use since three months ago is fast becoming a new Islamic landmark in Penang. The construction of the RM15 million mosque is completed two months ahead of schedule. Located on a water surface about 30 metres away from landmass, it can accommodate about 1,500 people. The mosque is designed by Works Department architect, Fisol Osman. Pix: K.Ganeson

http://foto.bernama.com/foto/Photo/200405_4.jpg

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 12:47 AM

Petronas To Continue Investing In T'gganu, Especially In Petrochemical
April 20, 2005 20:11 PM

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/bu/HASSAN%20MERICAN.jpg

Petronas President and Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican

KERTIH, April 20 (Bernama) -- Petroleum Nasional Bhd (Petronas), which has invested RM70 billion in Terengganu since 30 years ago, will continue investing in the state, especially in the petrochemical downstream industry.

However, its President and Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, said that the investment would be carried out in stages.

He said that Petronas, which has a close relationship with the state government and other agencies, held frequent discussions on investment possibilities.

"We have always had good news for the state government and we will invest if there is a need for such investment," he said

"Currently we are talking with the state government and other agencies on such possibilities, ..this is done stage by stage," he told reporters after the launching of Petronas Rantau Commercial Centre project by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, here Tuesday.

The project, located on a 11 ha land, is expected to be completed in June 2006.

The commercial centre is divided into two zones -- commercial zone with facilities like shops, food stalls, supermarket, restaurants and others, and recreational and sports zone with a mini cinema, futsal court, bowling centre and squash court.

When asked on the possibility of Petronas building a "Mini KLCC" in Terengganu, Hassan said: "We will not make any announcement which we will cannot implement."

Meanwhile, Idris said that the construction of the one-storey integrated commercial centre, the largest in the state, would provide 800 to 1,000 job opportunities for the locals.

He said that the centre would also become Rantau's latest landmark and the catalyst to other greater developments in the area specifically, and Terengganu generally.

"We believe that the residents, especially those in this area will benefit, especially in terms of enhancing their standard of living," he said.

Idris said that since Petronas started investing in the petrochemical industry in the state, it had created more that 20,000 job opportunities either on its own or with companies which are related to the industry.

He said that the RM25 million investment pumped in by Petronas in the commercial centre reflected the good relationship between the state and the national oil corporation.

The state government also hoped that Petronas would continue to invest in the various sector in the state, he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 12:50 AM

Work To Expand North-South Expressway To Start Next Month
April 21, 2005 00:32 AM

MELAKA, April 20 (Bernama) -- Expansion work on the Seremban-Senawang stretch of North-South Expressway (NSE) spanning 6.7km will begin next month, said Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu Wednesday.

Similar work on three other sections of the NSE -- Senawang-Ayer Keroh (61km), Rawang-Tanjung Malim (45km) and Tanjung Malim-Slim River (27km) -- would begin in August, he said.

The third supplementary concession agreement to facilitate the projects would be signed with PLUS Expressway Bhd, the operator of the highway, in Kuala Lumpur this Friday, he told reporters after opening the 59th Melaka MIC Convention at the Melaka International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh.

"The total cost of the projects including the relocation of the Jelapang toll plaza will be more than RM900 million," he said, adding that the projects would take two-and-a-half years to complete.

He said the projects to expand the highway were crucial as congestion often occurred at the stretches especially during weekends and public holidays.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 09:07 PM

Sarawak Moves Into Electronic Patient Care
April 23, 2005 20:05 PM

SIBU, April 23 (Bernama) -- Sarawak healthcare took a step into electronic patient care Saturday with the launch of the Teleprimary Care (TPC) project linking Sibu General Hospital to 16 rural clinics via satellite communications.

The clinics, all in central Sarawak, are provided with the hardware, local area networks and satellite communications to enable them to hold teleconsultation with specialists.

Initially, six disciplines are covered in the project -- obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, internal medicine, dermatology, family health and epidemiology.

Support services such as laboratory, imaging and prescription are also part of the system.

The RM27 million TPC project was launched by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and witnessed by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The two tested out the system by holding a teleconference with state Minister of Land Development Datuk Sri Dr James Masing and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department Fatimah Abdullah who were stationed at the Belaga and Mukah district hospitals respectively.

TPC will increase the availability of specialist care for the rural people and reduce the professional isolation of health staff serving in rural areas.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 09:10 PM

Perlis Moves To Woo Investors
April 23, 2005 13:59 PM

KANGAR, April 23 (Bernama) -- Perlis will send missions overseas to attract more investment for the state's industrial sector, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said Saturday.

He said the state government had never neglected efforts to woo investors to the state but steps taken thus far had not given significant results.

"We cannot wait any longer for investors to come. I myself will have to do something," he said when opening the 29th general meeting of the Perlis branch of the Malaysian Malay Chamber of Commerce here.

"The state government will also provide the widest opportunities possible to new entrepreneurs to improve on their activities," he said.

He said they would be given assistance to grow and be on par with the successful entrepreneurs.

Shahidan said he was disappointed with some small contractors in the state who had not shown any effort to progress even though they had been provided with assistance.

Sometimes, they took the easy way out to make a quick profit by giving projects awarded to them to others to implement, he said.

"We want the projects to be implemented by them so that they can grow to become successful entrepreneurs," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 24th, 2005, 02:33 PM

Melaka, Cuba To Enhance Co-operation In Biotech, Tourism, Medicine
April 24, 2005 20:33 PM

MELAKA, April 24 (Bernama) -- Melaka and Cuba will explore opportunities for co-operation in various fields, particularly biotechnology, tourism and medicine, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam said Sunday.

He spoke to reporters after Cuban First Vice President Raul Castro Ruz called on him at his residence, Seri Bendahara, in Ayer Keroh here.

Raul Castro, younger brother of Cuban President Fidel Castro, and his delegation were accompanied by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk M. Kayveas. They spent about an hour with Mohamed Ali.

Mohamed Ali said Raul Castro had expressed Cuba's desire to co-operate with Melaka in the field of biotechnology which was being developed in the state.

He said the Melaka Biotechnology Institute had held preliminary discussions with parties in Cuba.

"At the moment, the talks are at the stage of information exchange. I hope there will be some positive developments," he said.

On tourism, Mohamed Ali said the Melaka government would organise tourism promotions in Cuba to draw its people to visit Melaka which had a rich history.

He also said that he was informed by Raul Castro that Cuba had many home-trained specialist doctors and invited Melaka to have bilateral co-operation in the field of medicine.

Mohamed Ali also said that Melaka could expect new investments from Japan and South Korea following his visit to the two countries from April 17 to 23.

"A Korean company is interested in manufacturing plasma television sets in Melaka," he said, adding that Melaka was prepared to provide a 10,000 sq ft site for the company's factory here.

He said the state government, through Melaka ICT Holdings, had recently sealed an agreement with a South Korean company to produce light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the state for the domestic and Asean markets.

He also said that several companies in Japan were interested to open car assembly plants, vehicle components factories and electronics factories in Melaka.

Mohamed Ali said more tourists from Kobe, Japan, hitherto drawn to Sabah, would be enticed to visit Melaka.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 24th, 2005, 02:35 PM

S'wak Launches 'Cleanliness Habit Challenge' Project
April 24, 2005 20:43 PM

KUCHING, April 24 (Bernama) -- A pre-pilot project of a programme to be called the "Cleanliness Habit Challenge" and aimed at making cleanliness and recycling a culture will be launched in Sarawak next May 7.

Assistant Minister for Environment, Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen said the pre-pilot project would involve residents of kampungs in Tabuan here.

Speaking to reporters after launching an anti-drug campaign and a HIV/AIDS awareness programme in Kampung Tabuan Lot here, Abdul Rauf said a sum of RM100,000 had been allocated for the project involving some 200 houses.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 24th, 2005, 10:22 PM

Cable car project expected to start end of the year
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2005/4/12/10660023.asp

CONSTRUCTION of the proposed RM200mil Penang Hill-Teluk Bahang cable car project is expected to take off by end of the year, Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas said.

He said the state was now drawing up the development plans for the project, which would be modelled after Queensland’s skyrail cableway.

In July 1999, The Star had reported that the state government was studying a proposal for the world’s second longest cable car link stretching 7.5km from Air Itam to Penang Hill via Western Hill and across Teluk Bahang Dam.

The proposal was however, shot down by many environmentalists, non-governmental organisations and nature lovers, who feared it would affect the green lung and ‘overload’ Penang Hill.

Abdul Rahman said Teluk Bahang and Batu Ferringhi would continue to be developed as an important tourist attraction.

“We will upgrade our existing tourist products such as the Butterfly Farm, Teluk Bahang Forest Reserve, Tropical Fruit Farm, Tropical Spice Garden and the facilities around the Teluk Bahang Dam,” he said.

He said construction of an administration office, information centre and an arch at the Penang National Park in Pantai Acheh would be completed by 2006.

“There are also efforts to further develop the seafood industry in Bukit Tambun, Batu Kawan and Sungai Dua in Seberang Prai and the ‘homestay’ programmes in Juru, Mengkuang Titi and Sungai Chenaam.

“We are also actively promoting eco-tourism in Pulau Aman, Pulau Gedong, Pantai Kamloon and the Air Itam Dalam Recreational Park in Seberang Prai,” he said.

Abdul Rahman added that the state would continue to promote the Penang Bird Park and Japanese Park in Seberang Jaya, the golf resorts in Bertam, Jawi and Sungai Bakap as well as the Auto City in Juru.

nazrey

April 24th, 2005, 10:23 PM

Councils spent RM7.8mil last year to beautify Penang
Friday April 15, 2005

THE Penang and Seberang Prai municipal councils spent RM4.03mil and RM3.74mil respectively to beautify the island and the mainland last year.

State Local Government, Traffic Management, Infor-mation and Community Relations Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said both councils paid RM4.80 for every polybag of flowering plant which were replaced once every four weeks.

He told Ooi Chuan Aik (BN - Bagan Jermal) in a written reply that the Penang Municipal Council had cut down on the number of plants from 876,000 last year to 508,800 this year.

Dr Teng said the Seberang Prai Municipal Council was also reducing its number from 720,905 plants last year to 600,000 this year.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon told Lim Gim Soon (BN - Komtar) that two public housing projects with 1,441 units had been completed while four other projects with 1,712 units were under construction.

He said those being built were in Mukim 2 Ampang Jajar, Central Seberang Prai (250 units), Lorong Selamat and Jalan Zainal Abidin in George Town (320 units), Jalan Thamby Kechil, Bagan Ajam (382 units) and Section 3, Ampang Jajar, Butterworth (760 units).

He also told Lim that a comprehensive public transportation hub for taxis, public buses and tour buses might be located in Komtar's Phase Five, which was still in the planning stage.

Dr Koh said there would also be a car park to encourage the public to park their vehicles there and use public transport.

“Space will also be allocated for a light monorail transit or another system,” he said.

He said other needs to be considered included the building of small trading lots for rent at reasonable rates for bumiputra and small traders

nazrey

April 24th, 2005, 10:26 PM

State focuses on second bridge and LMT
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2005/4/12/10659041.asp

The Second Link Bridge and the Light Monorail Transit (LMT) top Penang’s list of proposals in the state’s bid for allocations under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas said the state had also submitted a proposal to upgrade the federal road in Seberang Prai between the Perak and Kedah borders.

The state through the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) has been actively mapping out the projects to be included in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, he said.

“We have also included a proposal for an integrated public transport system,” he said at the opening of the state assembly sitting.

http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2005/4/12/tyt.jpg

Abdul Rahman being greeted by state assemblymen
Ooi Chuan Aik and Tan Cheng Liang(second left)on his arrival.
Also present are Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon(right)
who is talking to state executive councillor Datuk Koay Kar Huah
and Padang Lalang assemblyman Tan Teik Cheng (third left).

Abdul Rahman said Penang’s economic growth for next year was expected to be between 5% and 6%, which he described as a healthy level.

The state's economy growth dipped to 2.5% in 2001 due to the global electronics slump and after the September 11 incident, he said.

“But it picked up and rose to 4.3% in 2002, 4.2% in 2003 and 6.6% in 2004,” he said.

Abdul Rahman said Penang had spent RM3.3bil (67.6%) of its total allocation of RM4.9bil under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, which ends this year.

utopia0

April 25th, 2005, 01:44 AM

naz, good job on the news report on the State. so far i only notice your posting, not sure if there are others, but anyway great job.

sort of an archive of old good news.

just wondering any news on Extension on the Klang Valley LRT or rail system? there was a plan to build 2 more lines, one of which is damansara - cheras. it was publish in the KL masterplan 2 years back i think. but no news since.

hope the gov make someannouncement soon on new LRT, MRT or Kommuter line.

maybe end of the year during the 9th malaysia plan :)

nazrey

April 25th, 2005, 08:01 PM

just wondering any news on Extension on the Klang Valley LRT or rail system? there was a plan to build 2 more lines, one of which is damansara - cheras. it was publish in the KL masterplan 2 years back i think. but no news since.

hope the gov make someannouncement soon on new LRT, MRT or Kommuter line.

maybe end of the year during the 9th malaysia plan :)

I hope so... :)

nazrey

April 25th, 2005, 08:02 PM

Sabah To Implement RM194.5 Mln Sports, Youth Projects In Ninth Plan
April 25, 2005 19:07 PM

KOTA KINABALU, April 25 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Youth and Sports Ministry plans to implement 10 sports and youth projects valued at RM194.5 million under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the ministry applied to get the allocation from the federal government through the Youth and Sports Ministry last month.

He said the three projects proposed for sports development were the construction of the Beaufort and Ranau sports complexes as well as a sports science centre here.

The youth infrastructure projects proposed were the state's training and recreation centre and seven skills training centres, he told reporters after attending a dialogue session on youth and sports development.

Masidi said the ministry also planned to upgrade several existing sports complexes, including in Tenom, Keningau, Penampang and Kota Belud.

"These complexes were built in the 1980s and it is about the right time to upgrade them.

"However, the expenditure to upgrade the complexes was quite large, with about RM2 million each where we have to replace the bitumen track with a rubberised one," he said.

Masidi said he was satisfied with the level of usage of the existing sports complexes in the state and believed that the upgrading works could increase the percentage of use.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 26th, 2005, 01:36 AM

Georgetown still facing office building glut
Monday, April 25, 2005
By DAVID TAN IN PENANG

GEORGETOWN today still has an oversupply of office building space.

The excess was about 20% in 1997. Last year, the oversupply was estimated to hover around 30%, given the average occupancy rate of about 67.9%.

In 1997, total supply of office building space in Georgetown was about 4.5 million sq ft and in 2003, the figure increased to 7.7 million sq ft. Total supply last year was estimated to be about the same as in 2003.

For 2005, due to the unavailability of the latest statistics from the National Property Information Centre (NAPIC), an accurate assessment was not available officially.

On an annual average, the take-up rate of office building space since 1997 has not been exciting. From 1997 to 2004, the annual average occupancy rate of office building space was about 300,000 to 400,000 sq ft per year on the basis of 7 million sq ft total supply.

Henry Butcher Malaysia deputy president Teoh Poh Huat said based on the average take-up rate per annum between 1997 and 2004, and given that the total office building space in 2004 was about 7 million sq ft, it would take about five years to fully take up the excess supply.

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/04/25/p16teoh.jpg

Teoh Poh Huat.

In Penang, during the peak of the country’s economic growth in 1992 and 1993, the occupancy rate reached 90%, he added.

The rental of office building space since 1997 has been stable and is expected to remain so in the next few years, given the existing glut.

''The average rental of offices is currently about RM2 per sq ft for space in modern buildings. The rental is not expected to drop further as it has already decreased to around RM2 per sq ft from RM2.50 when the economy peaked,'' he said.

Depending on the location, the types of buildings, availability of modern facilities and parking bays, the rentals range between RM1.50 and RM2.50 per sq ft.

''The better-equipped buildings in prime locations categorised under grade A can fetch rentals of between RM2 and RM2.50 per sq ft.

''Rentals of buildings categorised under grade B, with limited facilities and parking bays, fetch between RM1.50 and RM2 per sq ft,'' he explained.

A quality office building should also have food and beverage outlets and be close to a central transportation hub, he said.

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/04/25/p16peh.jpg

Peh Seng Yee.

''Currently, there is a trend of developing office buildings in the suburbs. Recent examples are the Krystal Point Corporate Park completed in 2003, and the almost completed e-Gate project near the Penang Bridge in the southern district of the island,'' he added.

Teoh said local developers should understand the needs of the market.

Scientific and rigorous market research into the types of demand for office buildings is no longer an option.

According to Teoh, developers of office buildings today should consider incorporating differentiators or unique elements that would set their projects apart from conventional types.

''For example, building offices that are equipped with Internet broadband facilities can appeal to entrepreneurs in the knowledge-based business, whose numbers are growing rapidly due to the transformation of Penang’s economy into knowledge-based.

''Or developers could provide professional office property management including concierge services to ensure that their office buildings stand in stark contrast to those that are badly managed. They can also look into incorporating smart banking halls into their projects,'' he said.

According to Raine & Horne International Zaki + Partners Sdn Bhd partner Michael Geh, the availability of pre-war houses in Georgetown would ensure that the occupancy rate of office buildings stayed at around 70%.

''There is no 100% occupancy because not every businessman will want to have an office inside a building. There are advantages which a pre-war building can provide that an office building is not able to. For example, a signboard can be visibly displayed to the public at a pre-war house.

''On top of this, the office can also have the advantage of fronting the main road and easy access to parking bays,'' he said.

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/04/25/p16Michael.jpg

Michael Geh.

Geh said a renovated pre-war house, depending on its location in Georgetown, could fetch rental of between RM1,000 and RM5,000 monthly.

He said there was a trend now to develop strata-titled office properties close to the Penang Bridge.

''Over the past several years, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah has become the alternative site for offices, formerly located at Beach Street, once considered the central business district of the island,'' he added.

According to Intra Harta Consultants (North) Sdn Bhd manager Peh Seng Yee, there was generally an improvement in occupancy rates, rentals and market prices of office accommodation in purpose-built office buildings over the past two years.

Peh said this improvement could be seen in newly-completed buildings in prime locations.

''The increase in the overall take-up rate is slow. As occupancy in new buildings picks up, some older ones are being vacated,'' he said.

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/04/25/b_p16total.jpg

Peh added that purpose-built office accommodation faced competition from shop offices and residential houses, which were convertible for commercial use.

''Many small- and medium-sized local companies still prefer to buy shop offices or houses in commercial locations for their office or investment purposes.

''Well-located and maintained purpose-built office buildings with well-written leases have recorded some increases in rentals and prices,'' he said.

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/04/25/b_p16office.jpg

nazrey

April 28th, 2005, 04:51 AM

MB wants better public transport system
Thursday, April 28, 2005
By SIMON KHOO

The Negri Sembilan government has directed local councils in the state to conduct a study on ways to improve the public transportation system in Seremban and Port Dickson.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the Seremban Municipal Council and the state Public Works Department had been given two months to submit a report to him.

He said a review of the system was long overdue as there had been an increase in the number of public complaints regarding the poor standard of public transport.

“I knew that local folk have been complaining for some time about irregular bus services and the condition of the vehicles.

“I don’t blame them as who likes sitting on a boneshaker,” he said when met at his office in Wisma Negri on Monday.

Mohamad said in order to encourage more people from the Klang Valley to live in Seremban and and commute to work, the public transportation system must be upgraded.

He said all public transport such as buses and taxis must also upgrade their fleet of vehicles.

“The operators cannot continue to use dilapidated buses or old Datsun 120Ys as taxis,” he said.

Mohamad acknowledged that public transport was not a lucrative money-making industry but it was necessary for the state government to maintain a good and integrated public transport system.

He said he would meet with the transport operators soon to find ways on how to improve the system.

nazrey

April 28th, 2005, 04:51 PM

From webshot community

Seremban tallest building,Panji Timur

http://img172.echo.cx/img172/7931/306161018ghsajuph7tx.jpg

http://img129.echo.cx/img129/9160/223434698jxshljph17ml.jpg

nazrey

April 28th, 2005, 04:53 PM

http://img129.echo.cx/img129/2733/305246937ndvmqiph10zi.jpg

nazrey

April 29th, 2005, 12:20 PM

T'ganu To Introduce Battery-Powered Trishaws
April 26, 2005 20:24 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, April 26 (Bernama) -- About 80 trishaws in the state will be fitted with the battery-powered Human Power Booster (HPB) gadgets in a move by the state government to increase their speed and enable the pedlars to earn more income.

Chairman of the Welfare, Health, Social Development and Women's Affairs Committee Rosol Wahid said that initially 20 trishaws would be fitted with the machines and they would be operational by the end of next month.

He said a total of 80 trishaws would be ultimately fitted with the gadgets with the co-operation of the Terengganu Trishaw Association.

"Our primary aim is to help the trishaw peddlers who are mostly poor," Rosol told reporters after presenting excellence awards to students of Sekolah Menengah Agama Sheikh Abdul Malek, here Tuesday.

Rosol said the trishaws would be sent to Rawang, Selangor, to be modified and fitted with the HPB at a cost of about RM6,000. He said the modification and fitting of the gadgets would be undertaken by a company, Zul Design.

Rosol said the modified trishaws would be patented as other states were also interested in adopting the modification technique.

He said the "new" trishaws could move at seven km an hour and take steep gradients.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 29th, 2005, 12:22 PM

Berjaya Told To Look Into Possible Direct S'pore-KT Flights
April 28, 2005 20:11 PM

PULAU REDANG, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu state government, Thursday called on Berjaya Air Sdn Bhd (Berjaya Air) to look into the possibility of providing direct flights between Singapore and Kuala Terengganu.

Chairman of the State Committee for Industrial Development and Tourism, Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera said that carrying out the study would be important for the private airline to enable it to provide such a direct flight service.

Currently, 70 percent of foreign tourists coming into the state are Singaporeans, he said.

"At the moment, tourists travelling by land from Singapore take 12 hours to reach Kuala Terengganu and this is a very long travel time.

"We feel that if there is a direct flight between the Seletar Airport in Singapore and Lapangan Terbang Sultan Mahmud in Kuala Terengganu, the number of visitors to the town could rise," he told reporters after a ceremony to mark the first flight from Seletar to Pulau Redang, here Thursday.

Today, Berjaya Air made its maiden direct flight from Seletar Airport to Pulau Redang, bringing with it a total of 33 passengers.

Mohamed said that for a start, Berjaya Air could provide flights on a rotational basis from Seletar to Pulau Redang and to also Kuala Terengganu before fixing a definite flight schedule to Kuala Terengganu.

Alternatively, flights could be also made when there is a demand, he said.

"For now, it would be more suitable for Berjaya Air, which operates the 48-seater Dash-7 aeroplane, to start off with such flights and add on more flights if the demand goes up.

"This arrangement would be better than using a larger aircraft that could end up with operations being closed due to a lack of passengers," he said.

Meanwhile, the chief executive director of Berjaya Group Azlan Meah Ahmed Meah said that the group was ready to look into the request made by the Terengganu government.

However, whether the plan becomes a reality would depend on the demand from passengers for the destination, he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 29th, 2005, 12:26 PM

Umno Determined To Make Kelantan A Developed State By 2015
April 29, 2005 17:47 PM

KOTA BAHARU, April 29 (Bernama) -- The State Umno Liaison Body will endeavour to help Kelantan become a developed state by 2015 even though it is not the ruling party, said its chairman Datuk Annuar Musa.

He said Kelantan had the potential to be a developed state and contribute towards a balanced development in the country.

However, he said the current state leadership failed to use all the advantages that Kelantan had at the moment.

"Kelantan has the ingredients and capability to be a prosperous and respected state. Through Umno, Kelantan will become a developed state by 2015 with innovations and transformation in several aspects such as physical, economy, humanity, environment, social and education," he said.

He said in his speech at the Progressive Kelantan Convention at the Universtiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian, near here Friday.

The convention, organised by the Kelantan Progressive Council (MKK), saw at least 1,500 particpants comprising corporate figures, academicians, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and politicians from Kelantan.

MKK, which is acting as consultant for the state Umno liaison body, has drawn up short, medium and long-term plans which will need allocation under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Annuar, who is also the MKK chairman, said Kelantan lacked the technology, infrastructure and utilities, capital and allocation and the current leaders failed to provide these.

The resolution of the two-day convention will be handed over to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is scheduled to close it.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 30th, 2005, 04:53 AM

Boost for Kota Murudu
Saturday, April 30, 2005

THE parlimentary constituency of Kota Marudu in northern Sabah is determined to move out of the list of “poorest districts” in Sabah by the end of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said.

He said all efforts must be focused on ensuring the constituency derived maximum benefits from development programmes to be implemented by the state.

He said this when closing a two-day workshop aimed at formulating a district development blueprint for Kota Marudu and the Matunggong sub-district in Ranau.

The workshop was the third in the series and attended by about 100 government officers, entrepreneurs, non-government organisations and community leaders from Tandek and Matunggong.

Dr Ongkili, who is Kota Marudu MP, said the Barisan Nasional was targeting the elimination of absolute poverty in the country within the next five years and would implement specific development packages under the Ninth Plan.

“It is therefore imperative that Kota Marudu and Matunggong get a fair share of development funds so that the constituency can be among those which will move out of the “poor district” status.

“Hence, it is urgent that a district development blueprint be prepared to map the socio-economic needs, economic potential and action plans for the area,” he said.

Dr Ongkili also said that district planning alone would not solve all problems.

One of the factors he identified as an essential ingredient of an effective poverty eradication strategy was the provision of basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supply, and medical and education facilities.

Apart from this, changing the mindset of the people, improving household incomes through increased farm productivity and better employment opportunities, and proper co-ordination of implementing agencies were effective for the purpose, he said. – Bernama

nazrey

May 1st, 2005, 05:39 PM

Smooth Start To MyKad Entry Into Sarawak
May 01, 2005 20:53 PM

KUCHING, May 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysians entering Sarawak through the Kuching International Airport (LTAK) found immigration clearance to be a breeeze Sunday. There was no need for passports or forms to fill, all they had to do was to present their MyKad identity document.

A trial period for three months allowing use of the smart identification card to enter Sarawak began Sunday. Under the new procedure Malaysians from the peninsula and Sabah wanting to enter Sarawak for less than three months need not fill social visit pass forms or use passports.

A visit to the airport found that there were no hiccups to the new entry format. Eleven immigration counters in operation were equipped with MyKad readers to smoothen the process.

The computerised readers recorded visitors details and printed out the Sarawak immigration's IMM114 forms for them as proof of entry.

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid last April 13 announced that the trial of the new system would begin in Kuching from May before being introduced at all other airports throughout Sabah and Sarawak.

Visitors who arrived Sunday expressed their happiness with the new system which they said was more efficient than previously.

-- BERNAMA

http://foto.bernama.com/foto/Photo/mykad.jpg

MORE EFFICIENT… Student Noraizan Ahmad
from Kelantan sign a immigration's IMM114 form at
the Kuching International Airport, Sunday after
inserting her identity document into a computerised
MyKad readers which recorded visitors details as
proof of entry. Pix: Hairul

nazrey

May 1st, 2005, 05:40 PM

Remote-control Car Racing Track Planned For Shah Alam
May 01, 2005 16:50 PM

SHAH ALAM, May 1 (Bernama) -- The City Council will build a remote-control car racing track at the Shah Alam Sports Complex soon.

Deputy Datuk Bandar Za'ba Che Rus said the RM200,000 track to be built beside the go-kart circuit would be among steps being taken to upgrade the complex.

"We want to make the sports complex a regional primary facility centre that will offer sports, recreational and community facilities," he told Bernama.

The track should be completed by next year, he added.

The facilities at the track would include an exhibition kiosk, spare parts workshop, shelter and seats for spectators, besides toilets, cafe and stalls.

City Council planned to organise remote-control car racing at the track to popularise the activity.

Za'ba also said there were plans to build an endurance sports park near the sports complex.

"It is still at the proposal stage," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 1st, 2005, 05:45 PM

Kelantan-born Intellectuals Can Help In Kelantan's Robust Growth - PM
April 30, 2005 21:14 PM

KOTA BAHARU, April 30 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi believes Kelantan can enjoy robust growth with the combined initiatives and ideas of Kelantan-born intellectualls.

The intellectuals' willingness to impart their ideas during the two-day Kelantan Development Convention showed they had confidence in the state Umno leadership to pull Kelantan out of the doldrums, he said.

He gave an assurance the federal government was prepared to support the aspirations of the state Umno to make Kelantan a developed state by 2015.

"Hopefully, the ideas can be turned into a pragmatic development plan and be implemented. We will carry out the plans for the future of the people and the state," he told over 5,000 people who attended the closing ceremony of the Kelantan Development Convention.

The convention, attended by 1,500 participants including Kelantan-born academicians, politicians and corporate leaders, came out with a 59-point resolution.

Before Abdullah took to the rostrum, State Umno chief Datuk Annuar Musa presented him with the resolution.

The resolution covers aspects of education; economy and entrepreneurship; infrastructure facilities; agriculture and agro-based industries; Islamic understanding and implementation; culture, arts, heritage and tourism; youth and sports development; and women, family and community development.

The resolution, among others, calls for the setting up of Universiti Kelantan and community and matriculation colleges as well as an English and Mathematics learning centre in every district in the state.

While congratulating the state Umno leadership for holding the convention to discuss approaches that should be taken to develop the state, Abdullah urged them to get down to work immediately after a pragmatic plan had been drawn up.

"The time to get down to work has come without any excuse until we have succeeded," he said.

What had been planned must be implemented without delay to ensure the people received what was due to them, he said.

Abdullah said the success of a plan depended largely on the attitude of the leaders.

"A convention of this size requires the congruence of the leaders. I am amazed with the co-operation shown by them and this must be followed up with a greater solidarity to carry out the plans.

"If we want to unite, we can be united; if we want to work together, we can work together to improve on our struggles; it all depends on us," he said.

Abdullah also touched on the newly launched National Biotechnology Policy which he said could strengthen the agriculture sector, especially in the rural areas, and help the farmers who were still living in poverty.

"Many of our people are involved in the agriculture sector. We must develop the sector to make it a new source of wealth," he added.

Earlier, in his speech, Annuar expressed his confidence the federal government would not neglect Kelantan which lagged far behind than other states governed by the Barisan Nasional (BN).

He said Kelantan had enough "ingredients" to be a developed state by 2015 and towards this objective, Umno and BN would not forget their responsibility entrusted upon them by the majority of the people in the last general election.

"The wish of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to see a developed and prosperous nation will be translated by Kelantan with undivided support.

"We have the strength and Kelantan wants to get out of the current difficulties. For that, we must pool our efforts," he said.

He said Kelantan Umno had received strong support from people of all walks life in the state who wanted to see changes although they might take time to be accomplished.

Present at the convention were Adviser to the Thai Prime Minister Wan Mohamad Noor Matta, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohamed Salleh and state Umno leaders, including state Umno deputy chairman Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin who read out the resolution.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 1st, 2005, 05:49 PM

Brunei Sultan Made Honorary Life Member Of Paratrooper Regiment
April 30, 2005 15:53 PM

MELAKA, April 30 (Bernama) -- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei has become the first foreign head of state to be made an honorary life member of Malaysia's elite Royal Rangers Paratrooper Regiment.

He was presented the paratrooper's wings and maroon beret of the regiment during his visit to its headquarters at the Terendak Camp here Saturday by Army Chief Jen Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Zainal.

Also present were Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Melaka Chief Minister Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam and Armed Forces Chief Admiral Datuk Seri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.

Shortly after his arrival, the Sultan took the salute and inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by three officers and 103 men of the 15th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.

He attended a briefing on the operations of the camp by Third Division Commander Mej Jen Datuk Abdullah Babu before being taken on a tour of the camp.

He also watched a demonstration by the paratroopers which included abseiling and free-fall parachuting.

The Sultan, who is on a five-day official visit to Malaysia, is expected to leave for home tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 1st, 2005, 05:50 PM

Four More University Campuses For Johor
April 30, 2005 17:19 PM

JOHOR BAHARU, April 30 (Bernama) -- Three private universities and a branch campus of a public university will be built in Johor.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said land for the campuses had been identified at Kulai, Pasir Gudang and Gelang Patah.

"Construction work on the campuses will begin next year," he told reporters after opening the Open University of Malaysia's (OUM) Learning Centre for the Johor region in Jalan Ibrahim Sultan here Saturday.

He declined to name the universities, saying it was premature, but added that the campuses were approved by the government.

Meanwhile, OUM Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Anuwar Ali told reporters OUM was offering opportunities to the disabled to pursue higher education at the university from next month.

As an incentive to encourage the disabled to seek knowledge at a higher level, the university would reduce entry fees by 50 percent for them.

"So far 30 disabled students have registered for the May semester," he said.

Anuwar said the disabled would also be able to choose any study programme offered by OUM at the diploma, degree and doctorate levels.

"They won't face any problems studying with us as we use the distance learning method and also electronic means," he said,

"We also plan to lower minimum entry requirements to allow more people to further their studies at OUM."

He said opportunities were also provided for senior citizens and government pensioners to study at the university.

OUM now has 30,000 students and targets an enrolment of 100,000 by 2010. The university has 32 learning centres to cater to students' needs throughout the country.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 3rd, 2005, 10:14 PM

Seremban taxi drivers in 'territorial dispute' with outsiders
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
By SIMON KHOO

ABOUT 50 taxi drivers in Seremban staged a noisy demonstration outside Wisma Negri recently, urging the authorities to take action against their counterparts in Klang Valley who they claimed were pinching their customers.

Led by Seremban Taxi Drivers and Taxi Owners Welfare Association chairman Mahadi Rakib, the group held a banner and some placards, denouncing the inconsiderate action of the Klang Valley taxi drivers.

The group claimed they were representing some 500 members, from four associations. Besides Mahadi's association, the others are the Seremban Taxi Drivers and Car Rental Association, Seremban Taxi/Limousine/Car Rental Operators Association and Seremban Car Rental of Ex-Servicemen Associa-tion.

Mahadi said nearly 200 taxis from Klang Valley came into the town centre and housing estates to pick up customers every day.

He said as a result, their members suffered at least 30% loss in income as they could not compete with them.

“The cabbies from the Klang Valley are using radio communication to pick up customers while our members are stationed at depots such as bus terminals.

“The actions of the out-of-towners have caused uneasiness among our members and several skirmishes have also broken out in the past,” he said.

Seremban Taxi Drivers and Car Rental Association deputy chairman Tang Chong Yew said they had brought up the matter to the authorities two years ago.

“Up to now, nothing has been done to safeguard our livelihood,” he said, adding that they had forwarded a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Minister Datuk Mohd Khaled Nordin.

He said their members had also attended a meeting with state exco member in charge of public works and transport Datuk Ismail Lasim, but the problem still persisted.

“We have been patient for far too long and decided to take up the matter in the open,” he said, adding that the Klang Valley taxi drivers charged passengers fixed rates that depended on distance, without utilising their meter system.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said there was nothing wrong for taxis from the Klang Valley to come into Seremban and pick up customers.

“I believe the disgruntled taxi drivers can do likewise as Seremban is already being gazetted as the Greater Klang Valley.

“What they should do is to change their ways of operating and also their fleet of vehicles,” he said when asked to comment on the protest by the taxi drivers.

Mohamad said some of the taxis were old. “Frankly, I have seen some of the taxi drivers sitting at depots and playing chess just to while time,” he said, adding that they should change their attitude and gear up to compete in today's borderless world.

nazrey

May 3rd, 2005, 10:17 PM

Good Western food without high price tags
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Story and photos by R.S.N. MURALI
BARNEY'S CAFE
102, Jalan Toman 5
Kemayan Square
Seremban Negri Sembilan
Tel: 06-763 8679

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/5/m_pg31barney1.jpg

Cafe Barney's at
Rasah Kemayan in Seremban.

Business Hours: Tues-Sun (noon-10pm). Closed on Monday

TUCKED in a corner of the bustling commercial hub of Kemayan Square in Seremban, Barney's Cafe should appeal to connoisseurs of Western food.

Serving a fine selection of food and beverages, Barney's is styled after a typical Californian eatery, with a cosy and pleasant ambience.

Diners will be pleasantly surprised by the array of Italian, American, Spanish and English delights offered at the cafe.

The cafe's operations manager, Karen Thong, said the idea of setting up the outlet in Seremban was to offer locals a taste of authentic Western dishes.

“We serve exquisite Western dishes and we live up to our tagline, 'great food good time',” she said.

Thong said Barney's was named after Barnabas Lim Jit Tong, an eminent restaurateur from Kluang, Johor.

“We wanted to set up an outlet in Seremban with Lim providing his expertise and fine recipes, adding the right ingredients to turn our dishes into savoury masterpieces,” she said.

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A selection of the Western
dishes served at Barney's in Rasah
Kemayan, Seremban.

Thong said red meats and fish used in the dishes were bought from the local market daily to ensure freshness.

The cafe offers a good selection of a la carte dishes, including appetisers and soups.

“Our intention is to offer a place where corporate people can meet to discuss business while enjoying a sumptuous meal, although we target a cross-section of society as our potential clients,” she said.

Those who perceive that dining at such a cafe would surely burn a hole in their pocket are in for a pleasant surprise as Barney's prices are reasonable.

A premium imported tenderloin costs RM30.90, Grilled Rosemary Chicken, RM11.90; Chicken Chop, RM9.90, Grilled Lamb Shoulder, RM15.90, and Fish and Chips, RM9.90.

Diners can also enjoy a selection of pizza, like the Chicken Nanas Malaysian Delight, American favourite Beef Pepperoni, Chicken Salami with Veggie and Cheese Pizza.

Finally, there is also a range of pasta, like Spaghetti Bolognaise, Spicy Garlic Chicken Mushroom Spaghetti, and Lasagna with Chicken Salami and Button Mushroom, to delight the taste buds.

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 01:46 AM

FUTURE RESCUE TEAM… Children from Padang Balang Kemas Kindergarden, Klang wearing the fire and rescue costume waving Jalur Gemilang in conjunction with Firefighters' Day 2005 celebrations in Shah Alam, Friday. Pix: Razali Nordin

http://foto.bernama.com/foto/Photo/bomba.jpg

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 01:47 AM

Johor MB Hosts Hawker-Style Dinner For Indonesian Vice President
May 07, 2005 00:33 AM

JOHOR BAHARU, May 6 (Bernama) -- Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman Friday night hosted Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla and his wife Mufidah to a dinner with a difference -- an offering of foodstall fare at his official residence Saujana here.

Among the traditional Johor dishes on the menu were mee bandung, laksa Johor and beriani gam.

The other dinner guests included Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Ghani took Jusuf and Najib for a tour of the food stalls before dinner and then put on a show of local cultural offerings that included the ghazal, zapin and keroncong, with popular Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza making an appearance.

Saturday, Jusuf and his wife will have an audience with the Sultan of Johor Sultan Iskandar at Istana Bukit Serene before they leave for home.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 01:48 AM

East Coast Highway To Reach Kelantan-Thailand Border
May 06, 2005 18:56 PM

KOTA BAHARU, May 6 (Bernama) -- The East Coast Highway will stretch right up to Kelantan's border with Thailand and will not terminate at Kuala Besut in Terengganu as originally planned, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced Friday.

However, the planning of the stretch through Kelantan would only be done after the second phase of the highway from Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu is completed by the end of 2008, he said.

"After the completion of construction of the highway in Terengganu, we will begin planning the stretch up to the border just like (the North-South Highway) in Kedah. The plan is there but it (the project) has to wait," he told reporters after opening the 59th annual convention of the Kelantan MIC here. Also present was Kelantan MIC Liaison Committee Chairman M. Kuppusamy.

Kelantan Umno had recently lobbied to have the East Coast Highway constructed right up to PAS-ruled Kelantan's border with Thailand as a measure to spur economic development in Kelantan and reduce the road travel time to Kuala Lumpur for people from the state.

A resolution was approved at a convention organised by Kelantan Umno calling for the highway to be extended from Kuala Besut through Pasir Puteh, Bachok and Kota Baharu up to the border with Thailand.

The resolution was submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he closed the convention on April 30.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 11:18 PM

12 wonders to boost tourism
Saturday, May 07, 2005
BY K. SUTHAKAR

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/5/p49KuangAjil.jpg

Part of the pleasant park
in Taman Kuang Ajil, Terengganu.

Terengganu has come up with a pamphlet on its “12 Wonders” to boost tourism.

State Industrial Development and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera said the sites were a “must visit” for tourists.

“It is part of our efforts to attract tourists based on the state’s natural beauty, tradition and cultural heritage,” he told newsmen after presenting prizes to winners of a squid-jigging competition off Pulau Redang recently.

He said that among the wonders was a 1,300-year-old tree in Hulu Dungun, the biggest and oldest chengal tree in Malaysia.

Other attractions are the firefly sanctuary in Malaysia at Sungai Yakyah in Kampung Ibok, Kemaman, the oldest tropical rainforest in the world at Tasik Kenyir, the biggest museum in Kampung Losong, Kuala Terengganu, the highest waterfall in Malaysia (305m) in Chemerong, Hulu Dungun, the traditional boat-making industry in Pulau Duyong, Kuala Terengganu and songket-making and wood-carving in Setiu and Besut.

Completing the list of attractions are the state's pristine beaches, the islands of Redang, Perhentian, Lang Tengah, Kapas and Gemia, and Taman Kuang in Ajil, Hulu Terengganu.

Mohamed said the state was not ready to promote Tenggol for tourism, as the island located off Dungun lacked infrastructure facilities.

“Since there is only one resort there, we have to improve facilities before promoting the island,” he said.

He said Tenggol was ideal for professional diving.

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 11:24 PM

Quarry poses a threat to museum
Saturday, May 07, 2005
By SIRA HABIBU

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/5/p46quarry.jpg

Part of Gunung Jerai that has been
cleared for a quarry project.

Terengganu has come up with a pamphlet on its “12 Wonders” to boost tourism.

The proposed quarry in the Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve in Kedah poses a serious threat to the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum where several ancient candis (temples) have been reconstructed, according to Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).

SAM community-education co-ordinator Mohd Shahrul Anuar Mahmood said the museum was located only 3km away from the proposed quarry.

“Tremors from quarry activity can affect the historical structures at the museum,’’ he said.

He said the quarry would also be a threat to the tourism industry.

“The people in Yan are depending on the homestay programme to supplement their income.

“It is vital to preserve the eco-system to promote eco-tourism.

“The land-clearing activity on the mountain has already affected water resources in the area.

“It is clearly stated in the Yan Municipal Council Structure Plan 1995-2010 that activities that have adverse effects on water resources are not allowed,’’ Mohd Shahrul said.

He also said silt from the quarry would be a threat to orchards in the area.

Residents said the mountain water used to be crystal clear but was now murky.

SAM is also calling on the authorities to reject the EIA report submitted for the quarry project.

“After reading the report available at the Kedah DOE, SAM has concluded that it is unreasonable for the developer to proceed with the project.

“The report is flawed. There is no basic information on the environment and no socio-economic study on the affected population,’’ Mohd Shahrul said.

SAM research co-ordinator Mohd Nizam Mahshar said 39.93% of the area proposed for the quarry had a gradient of 35° and above.

“Under the Federal hill development guidelines, development activities are strictly prohibited in areas where the gradient is 35° and above,’’ he said.

He said socio-economic experts were not consulted although the livelihood of folk in the area could be affected as they were mostly dependent on farming and tourism

Protest Against Singkir Quarry Project Action Committee secretary Md Yusop Chin said the Kedah Government had stated in a written answer during a recent state assembly sitting that the developer had paid compensation to residents affected by mud floods which occurred in June last year.

He claimed that the residents did not receive any compensation.

nazrey

May 8th, 2005, 03:20 AM

Abdullah Wants Costly Projects To Be Postponed
May 07, 2005 19:00 PM

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/jbt.jpg

BRIDGING THE GAP… Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi looking at
an artist impression of Sungai Muda bridge shown by CEO of Lejadi Group
of Companies, Datuk Lim Ewe Jin (left) during his visit to the project site
of Sungai Muda bridge in Permatang Bendahari, Kepala Batas. Also present
is Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (second from right).
Pix: K. Ganeson

KEPALA BATAS, May 7 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to postpone all costly projects if they were found to be of little benefit to the people.

All projects involving high costs should be postponed in line with the government formula of ensuring that all development projects were cost-effective and gave an impact to the people, he said.

If it was found that the high-cost project had to be implemented, the PWD would then be asked to find an alternative so that it would be cost-effective.

"If it (the development project) is of no benefit, don't carry it out even if it (the cost) were cheap and all projects must be planned to ensure that they were suitable in terms of cost," he said when visiting the project site for the Sungai Muda bridge, here Saturday.

The bridge project, spanning about one kilometre, costs RM29.82 million and links Seberang Perai Utara in Penang to Kuala Muda in Kedah.

The Prime Minister said the PWD must stick to the construction deadline to fulfil the formula for cost-effectiveness.

"The PWD must undertake case studies on projects which are behind schedule as well as those which were completed ahead od schedule to determine their weaknesses and use them as a guide in project construction," he said.

Abdullah said as an example, the PWD could take the case of the small bridge project in the Bayan Lepas International Airport area in Penang which took too long to complete to the extent that the Penang Bridge was completed earlier than the Bayan Lepas bridge.

From this case study, the PWD was able to learn about factors that caused delays in any project and how they could be overcome

Abdullah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas, praised the planning for the Sungai Muda bridge which was expected to be completed ahead of schedule.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 8th, 2005, 03:24 AM

MPPJ Edge Penang 3-2 To Move Out Of Relegation Zone
May 08, 2005 00:38 AM

PENANG, May 7 (Bernama) -- Despite playing away, Selangor MPPJ showed their mettle to edge out Penang 3-2 in a Super League football encounter at the City Stadium, here Saturday night.

Argentine midfielder Fabricio Franceschi turned hero for the visiting clubcide as he scored a brace including the winning goal in the 65th minute.

Franceschi capitalised on an error by Penang goalkeeper Azuan Othman who went out of his line to cover his goalmouth but instead the Argentine robbed the ball from him and tapped it in easily.

The homesters, who remained in third spot despite the loss, their sixth in 13 matches so far, however were more aggressive in the opening half and opened accounts four minutes before the interval.

Their Brazilian import Jose Marcio Barreto had no difficulty to beat Selangor MPPJ goalkeeper Yazid Yassin to put his side one-up at halftime.

Stunned by the goal, MPPJ bounced back with a better organised game and just two minutes into the second half, Franceschi netted his first goal of the night to equalise.

Winger Zaidi Zaing then put the visitors 2-1 ahead with a superb header in the 60th minute.

Barreto however levelled back for the islanders with his second goal and the team's second in the 63rd minute.

With the victory, MPPJ moved up two rungs to fifth and out of the relegation zone after collecting 16 points, three points behind Penang in third place and 10 points adrift of the leaders Perlis.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 9th, 2005, 12:49 PM

Selangor to be biggest starfruit exporter
Monday, May 09, 2005
By ELAN PERUMAL

Selangor's Fruits Valley is set to become Asia's biggest starfruit farm, with about 10 million fruits produced annually.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo this would also make the state the biggest exporter of starfruits in the world by the end of this year.

He said the starfruit farm was in the 800ha fruits valley in Berjuntai Bistari, Kuala Selangor, which the state government began developing in July 2002.

The fruits valley was being developed in three stages and the state had allocated RM3mil for the first phase. ”The state has allocated 80ha for the cultivation of starfruits,” he said, adding that the starfruit farm had been planted with 17,000 bio-variety saplings.

There has been great demand from European countries for the fruits, which are marketed under the “Selangor Pride” trademark.

“The first harvest reached the European market in March and the feedback has been encouraging,” he told reporters during a visit by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, to the fruits valley on Friday.

The fruits were also being sold in Hong Kong and China.

Papaya, pineapple and mango saplings had also been planted in the valley.

Dr Khir said 40ha would be turned into a tourist attraction where various tropical fruits that were available in the valley would be cultivated.

The area would be provided with proper infrastructure and various facilities for tourists.

According to Dr Khir, Sultan Sharafuddin had requested that the state provide facilities for research and development (R&D) at the valley during his visit.

“We will do the necessary so that the valley will become the state's centre of R&D for agriculture,” he added

nazrey

May 9th, 2005, 12:51 PM

RM84mil bridge to be ready by end of month
Monday, May 09, 2005

The long-awaited bridge to connect Kuala Kurau to Kuala Gula in Perak will be completed by the end of this month.

Residents on both sides of Sungai Kurau have been using ferry services provided free of charge by the Public Works Department.

A check by The Star recently showed motorists have begun using the 1.25km-long bridge built at a cost of RM84mil.

The amount included the cost of constructing an 8km access road to the new bridge.

State Public Utility and Infrastructures Committee chairman Datuk Ho Cheng Wang warned motorists not to use the bridge yet.

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/5/m_18bridge.jpg

A motorcyclist using the yet-to-be-completed
bridge linking Kuala Kurau to Kuala Gula.

“There will be problems if an accident occurs on the bridge as it is still not open to the public,” he said.

Residents of Seberang Jetty, located over the Kuala Gula side of the bridge, are hoping the ferry services would not be discontinued.

“The new bridge is not suitable for cyclists as many of the residents here, especially school children use bicycles to go to their schools which are located in Kuala Kurau,” said fisherman Ali Ishak.

Ali's view was shared by engineering student M. Siva, 22 and retail shop assistant R. Lamloo, 28.

“The ferry service is not only free-of-charge but also save the bother of students having to cycle over the high bridge,” said Siva.

Lamloo said although school children could use a school bus to get across the river via the bridge, their parents would have to fork out additional monthly expenses for school bus fares.

Kuala Kurau assemblyman Mohd Salleh Mat Disa said a pedestrian bridge should be built to link Seberang Jetty and Kuala Kurau town for the convenience of residents.

“I have brought up the problem during the last state assembly sitting.

“I have also discussed with the district JKR about the matter and JKR estimated that the cost of building the pedestrian bridge is less than RM2mil,” he said.

Mohd Salleh said before the pedestrian bridge was built, he would ask JKR to continue providing ferry services.

nazrey

May 9th, 2005, 12:52 PM

Befrienders setting up call centre in JB
Monday, May 09, 2005

Befrienders volunteers are setting up a call centre in Johor Baru, the fifth of its kind in the country.

Lily Toh, in her 40s, a core group member of the project said she needed assistance, funds and volunteers for the centre.

The idea of setting up the centre started 10 months ago, when Toh, a businesswoman and the other members of the core group tried to help a friend who had some problems.

“We found out that we have no proper knowledge about helping people then. We did not know what to say or what to do,” said Toh.

They then came across a newspaper cutting about a charity dinner organised by the Befrienders and decided to get in touch with the contact person in Malacca, said Toh.

She and her friends have since attended meetings with Befrienders representatives from other centres, and also visited their four centres to know more about helping people in need of emotional support.

“Suicide cases among the youth and elderly are on the rise, some because of peer pressure, some because they have problems fitting into society and some because of relationship problems with family members and friends,” said Befrienders National chairman Sarras Pillay after attending a national meeting in Malacca with Befrienders representatives from all four centres in Malaysia.

Befrienders is a non-profit, non-religious and non-political organisation, which provides emotional support to the public through the phone.

Soh said although no qualification was necessary to be a volunteer, one had to be willing to commit one's time, be compassionate, open-minded, non-judgemental, and most importantly, have a big heart and be willing to listen.

nazrey

May 11th, 2005, 12:04 PM

Challenging drive up Crocker Range
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
By RUBEN SARIO

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/5/p28expedition.jpg

Participants of the Lanun Darat expedition
taking a dip in the cold waters of Sg Kiulu.

Finding a slab of rock the size and shape of a reclining chair along a fast-flowing stream, Sabah Tourism Board chairman Tengku Datuk Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahmud quipped: “That’s just right for my bed.”

And that was where Tengku Adlin, as he is more commonly known, slept that night under the stars in the remote Kampung Sungoi in Kiulu district during an expedition recently.

Some 130 people in 34 four-wheel-drive vehicles took part in the two-day Ford Lanun Darat off-road expedition to Kampung Sungoi, located at the end of a steep and rocky track 60km from Kota Kinabalu.

The trip to Kampung Sungoi, one of the numerous hamlets along Sabah’s Crocker Range, was also a trip down memory lane for Tengku Adlin, a former deputy director of Yayasan Sabah.

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/5/p28rangers.jpg

Two Ford Rangers crossing a rocky stream
that forms the headwaters of the fast flowing Sungai Kiulu.

It was during his tenure in 1978 that Tengku Adlin organised the flying doctor service to complement a similar service carried out by the Health Department.

One of the destinations of the Yayasan Sabah flying doctor service was Kampung Tudan, neighbouring Kampung Sungoi.

“We had to have the flying doctor service there because there were no roads to the area then. Now, there is at least a track running right through,” said Tengku Adlin.

For villagers of Kampung Sungoi, like housewife Rita Gukon, a trip to town to sell her farm produce such as cured tobacco leaves would entail boarding a Land Rover four-wheel-drive vehicle for three hours to Donggongon town.

The steep and rocky dirt track to Kampung Sungoi proved to be a challenging experience for some Ford Ranger or Everest vehicle owners who took part in this third Lanun Darat expedition in Sabah.

The event also provided an insight for Ford Malaysia officials, including managing director Mike Pease who was among the expedition participants, on “improvements” done by Ford owners on their vehicles.

Among these are the installation of larger intercoolers and changing the suspension system of Ford Rangers.

“These are definitely food for thought for us. It is this kind of feedback that enables us to know the needs of our customers and their ideas on how our vehicles can be made better,” said Pease.

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:06 AM

Manufacturing Projects In S'wak On The Rise
May 11, 2005 17:44 PM

KUCHING, May 11 (Bernama) -- The manufacturing sector in Sarawak has registered a positive growth in the first quarter of this year with the number of new projects approved increasing by 60 percent compared with the corresponding period of last year.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said for the first quarter of this year, 37 projects with a total capital investment of RM335 million were approved.

"The number of projects approved recorded an increase of 60 percent as compared to 23 projects registered during the same period last year, "he said in his speech at the presentation of offer letters to companies for the Phase IIA Demak Laut Industrial Land, here Wednesday.

As for the potential employment generated, Dr Chan who is Industrial Development Minister said, it nearly tripled from 720 to 2,023 while the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased from RM3 million last year to RM64 million this year.

Dr Chan said most of the FDI for the first quarter were from woodbased industry, transport equipment/repair from shipping industry and electrical and electronic industry.

So far, Dr Chan said a total of 847 industrial lots have been developed by the ministry of which 649 lots or 76 percent have been allocated to 366 companies and 198 lots were still vacant.

"Only 151 companies or 41 percent are currently operating, the other 189 companies or 52 percent are still at various levels of project implementation while 26 or 7 percent offers had lapsed, "he said.

He also advised those who have been given a offer letter for the industrial lot to start their operation immediately or risk their offer being taken back by the state government.

"We would like all the successful land applicants to indicate their acceptance to the offers in writing within one month from the date of the letter," he said.

For companies that wanted the 30 percent discount on the land premium, Dr Chan said the companies involved must implement their projects within 36 months from the registration date of the provisional lease issued by the Land and Survey Department.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:08 AM

Grow More Local Plants In Landscaping Projects
May 11, 2005 20:05 PM

SIBU, May 11 (Bernama) -- Local councils in the state should explore the possibility of planting more local plant or flower species in their landscaping projects.

They should also not forget to include the national flower - the bunga raya (hibiscus), which has been recommended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself.

Minister of Environment and Public Health Datuk Michael Manyin Jawong said this after opening a four-day landscaping seminar and workshop for local council staff in the state, here Wednesday.

He said landscaping was just not about planting plants or flowers to beautify any places but was now an integral part of the tourism industry and in environment conservation.

Manyin suggested that councils with insufficient fund for landscaping to emulate the Sibu Municipal Council which had pioneered the sponsored gardens concept.

He said under it, some 11 organisations had created their own gardens in the council areas through full or partial sponsorships.

The Deputy Director General of the National Landscaping Department Mohd Taib Zain said Sarawak had targeted to grow 350,000 trees under the current Malaysia Plan.

"So far its local authorities have managed to plant only 71,914 trees, but there is ample time for them to catch up on this," he said.

Mohd Taib said the country expected to have 20 million trees planted by 2020 and under the current development plan, some 3.2 million out of the targeted 3.5 million trees had been planted.

He said his department was in the process of coming with a technical guideline on the planting of bunga raya.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:09 AM

Sabah To Promote Tambunan As Gateway To Interior Heritage
May 01, 2005 17:50 PM

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/pairin.jpg

TRADITION… Sabah Chief Minister Sabah
Datuk Seri Musa Aman (right) with his deputy Datuk
Joseph Pairin Kitingan who is also Huguan Siou
(Paramount Leader) of the Kadazandusuns at the
launch of the Pesta Kaamatan at Tambunan, Sunday.
Pix: Zamain Singkui

TAMBUNAN, May 1 (Bernama) -- Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman Sunday launched the month-long Pesta Kaamatan (Harvest Festival) here and directed the Sabah Tourism Board to promote this interior town as the gateway to the rich heritage of the state's heartland.

He said the board should promote the district more aggressively, especially to foreign tourists.

At the same time, the Tambunan District Office and other agencies should cooperate by identifying local attractions that could be developed for tourism, he said at the launching ceremony at the Tambunan tamu (traditional market) ground.

The Pesta Kaamatan, celebrated in May each year by the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, is one of the most important festivals in Sabah.

The Huguan Siou (Paramount Leader) of the Kadazandusuns is Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan who represents Tambunan in the State Assembly.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:10 AM

Date For Trial Use Of MyKad To Sabah To Be Known Soon
May 02, 2005 13:34 PM

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/MAXIMUS_ONGKILI.jpg

Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili

TUARAN, May 2 (Bernama) -- The date for the trial use of MyKad to enter Sabah from other parts of Malaysia will be known soon, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said Monday.

The trial run on the use of MyKad for entry into Sarawak, which was started in Kuching Sunday, had received encouraging response from the public, he said.

"For Sabah, we are guided by the progress of the system in Kuching. We will trace the progress in Kuching for two weeks and after that I shall discuss the situation at the state and federal levels," he told Bernama after launching Kiulu 4M - Manangkus (Running), Memangkar (Bamboo rafting), Manampatau (swimming with a bamboo), Mamarampanau (Bamboo stilt-walking) Challenge 2005 at the SK Malangang Padang, in Kiulu, near here.

He would then submit a report to the Cabinet to formalise the regulations to be used, he said, expressing the hope that the trial runs in the two states could completed in two months.

Under the new system, Malaysians who wish to enter Sabah and Sarawak for a period of less than three months will no longer be required to fill a visit form or produce a passport.

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:11 AM

All Set For A Colourful Sabah Fest 2005
May 02, 2005 15:58 PM

KOTA KINABALU, May 2 (Bernama) -- Sabah Fest 2005, the most anticipated cultural event of the year, will feature a scintillating presentation of colourful and vibrant music, fashion and dance at its grand launch here on Thursday.

According to a statement from Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd here, Sabah Fest will provide visitors the opportunity to witness a colourful and lively mixture of cultural assemblage that is definitive of Sabah.

Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah is expected to launch the event.

This year's Fest will feature famous classical folks songs such as Jambatan Tamparuli (Kadazandusun) and Daling-Daling (Bajau), a mock wedding presentation of the Bajau of Kota Belud, also dubbed "Cowboys of the East," and the largest and most widespread of Sabah's Murut people -- the Tagal Murut community, it says.

Daily cultural shows will also be held from May 6 to 15 at shopping complexes in Kota Kinabalu.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:12 AM

Sabah To Get Sipadan Designated As World Heritage Sites
May 05, 2005 16:45 PM

KOTA KINABALU, May 5 (Bernama) -- The Sabah government is taking steps to get Pulau Sipadan and other designated marine areas in Semporna, in the eastern part of the state, to be designated as World Heritage Sites.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Tan Sri Chong Koh Kiat said the move would help Sabah to further protect Sipadan and other islands and their rich seas.

"Steps towards the full protection of these islands have been taken. Among the measures are to shut down and remove the Sipadan's resorts with tourists no longer allowed to stay overnight on the island.

"The jungle will be allowed to return to its natural state with beaches cleared for nesting turtles, and I hope that Sipadan's reefs will be able to return to the their former glory," he said when launching a book entitled "Sipadan-Mabul-Kapalai", Sabah's underwater treasure, to be sold at RM228, here Thursday.

Chong said that "conservation begins with observation, learning and understanding", and the 196-page book writen by Jason Isley, Simon Christopher, Simon Enderby, Matthew Oldfield and Roger Munns reflected the many hours they had spent underwater, recording the beauty of the Sabah reefs and learning about the intricacies of the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants.

Through their spectacular photographs and textual descriptions, he said: "they provide a window to the wonder of the marine world".

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:13 AM

Sabah To Become Main Supplier Of Dairy Products And Meat
May 07, 2005 14:36 PM

TAWAU, May 7 (Bernama) -- Sabah has the potential to be a main supplier of beef and dairy products in the country, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He said the state has vast land and grazing ground for the purpose adding that the government had identified about 15,000 hectares of land in Sabah suitable for dairy cattle rearing.

The site identified included an area owned by the Sabah Forest Development Authority (Safoda) and at Nabawan.

Speaking to reporters after attending a meet-the-people session at the residence of Balung State Assemblyman Syed Abbas Syed Ali, here, last night, Muhyiddin said the matter was discussed during his meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and the State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail, recently.

He added the Ministry and the state government were negotiating to lease the sites for dairy cattle rearing projects.

Muhyiddin said the federal government would assist the state by bringing in investors to Sabah.

"The government will assist those who venture into livestock rearing. We have to further develop this industry because, at present, we are only able to meet 19 percent of the country's needs. The remaining has to be imported," he added.

He said Sabah was also free from the Foot and Mouth disease and this would aid the development of livestock rearing in the state.

With proper planning, Muhyiddin is confident that Sabah would be able to contribute about 10 percent of the country's beef supply.

He said the setting up of the dairy cattle rearing farm would lead to opening of factories to process meat-based products which would create more employment opportunities for the people in Sabah.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:39 AM

Ajil Bird Park Has Largest Collection Of Pheasants In M'sia
May 11, 2005 20:30 PM
By Tuan Azam Johan

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 11 (Bernama) -- Visitors to Terengganu are usually fascinated by its beautiful beaches, islands, batik and silk handicrafts and food.

However, there is one more specialty, which has been less showcased to tourists, local or foreign, namely the largest pheasant park in the country located in Ajil in Hulu Terengganu.

At a distance of approximately 32km from Kuala Terengganu when heading towards Kuala Berang and Kenyir Lake, the Ajil Pheasant Park has more than 600 birds of various species, especially pheasants and peacocks.

The 1.7-acre park currently has 38 out of the 49 species of pheasants in the world, some of which like the green peacock are on the brink of extinction.

The presence of the pheasants, which is among the most beautiful birds in the world, at the park is bound to attract locals and foreigners alike.

When entering the caged park, the visitor will be able see mynahs and a riot of parakeets as though they were in their natural habitat.

Stepping into the pheasant area of the park, recognised as the biggest bird park by the Malaysia Book Of Records, we will be feasted with a colourful array of pheasants.

The operator of the park, Oh Siong Lai, 39, who was met by Bernama recently, said many of the pheasants found at the park were brought in from Europe.

Narrating how the park came to be, Oh who works as a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Peroh in Ajil in the Hulu Terengganu district, said his keen interest in pheasants and desire to ensure they don't become extinct made him establish the park.

"Initially, I just bought three pheasants for only RM100. However, later I felt that it was my responsibility to ensure the species grew, as several of them (species) were facing extinction," he said.

He began establishing the park nine years ago, raising several pheasants bought from Kelantan in pens he made by himself. He said his interest grew through research on the birds via the Internet until he had learnt how to breed them.

Through the Internet, he also learnt that there was an international association for the birds based in Britain and he joined as a member, paying 35 pounds sterling (RM250) in yearly fees.

"By becoming a member, where each European nation has it's own association for pheasants, I got more information, especially in saving the birds for future generations," he said.

The father of four said most of the pheasants at his park were imported from countries like Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.

He said in Malaysia there were only six species of pheasants, red golden, ripoon silver, lady ambrest, lady cross, wood partridge and germain peacock pheasant.

Oh said the park also had five green peacocks imported form Germany solely for breeding purposes.

"Malaysia's green peacock has long been extinct. The government now has a programme to increase the population of the birds," he said.

For foreign tourists, the entrance fee into the park is RM10, local adults are charged RM6 while children have to pay only RM4. School children are given a special rate of RM2.

Oh, however, said the monthly collection of RM1,000 from entrance charges was not enough bear the cost of maintaining the park which required at least RM2,000 a month.

He also expressed the hope that the park could be further expanded to house several small mammals like foxes and porcupines to complement the deer and several species of monkeys already there.

He said that he also planned to plant herbs in unused areas in the park so that they could be studied by scholars and researchers.

"I hope to bring the Menteri Besar of Terengganu and the state Exco for tourism to see the park for themselves so that it can be made into another major tourist attraction in the state." added Tan.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 02:37 PM

Melaka To Set Up World's First Media Museum
May 13, 2005 19:43 PM

MELAKA, May 13 (Bernama) -- The world's first Media Museum will be set up in Melaka to display cherished information and objects connected with Malaysia's media industry since its beginning.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the museum would form a component of the RM10.7 million Media House Complex to be built on 1.33ha of land by the Melaka government.

He said the museum, to be administered by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI), would also show the contributions of the most prominent Malaysian journalists, such as Tan Sri A. Samad Ismail and the late Datuk Melan Abdullah.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the complex at the Melaka International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh near here Friday, Mohd Ali said the complex was expected to be completed in September next year.

He said the Media House Complex, based on the concept of Media City in Dubai, would house the offices of all the print and electronic media operating in Melaka.

Besides offices and business lots, the complex will also have an auditorium, a news conference hall, studio, exhibition room and an information resource centre.

The Media House, which will serve as a learning and information centre for the people, is part of the state government's initiative towards realising the objective of creating an information-rich society in Melaka in 2010.

Meanwhile, MPI chairman Datuk Ahmad A. Talib said the setting up of the Media Museum by the Melaka government represented an immense recognition of the work of media practitioners.

He said the museum would serve as a referral centre, especially for university students pursuing studies in mass communications.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 08:14 PM

Najib Opens Felda's First Hot Spring-based Park
May 12, 2005 14:01 PM

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Wife of Deputy Prime Minister Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor
dipping her foot in a hot spring while her husband Datuk Seri Najib
Tun Abdul Razak (standing on her right) looks on. Earlier, the Deputy
Prime Minister opens the Felda Sungai Klah Taman Reakreasi Air Panas,
(Hot Spring Recreation Park) in Sungkai, Perak, Thursday. Pix: Dusa Abas

SUNGKAI, May 12 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Thursday officiated Felda's hot-spring based recreational park, offering therapeutic facilities, the first of its kind ever developed by the nation's federal land development authority.

The park, sited at Felda Sungai Klah, is 90 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur and 10 km from the Sungai toll plaza, at the North-South Expressway.

On arrival, he was received by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali, and later briefed by Felda chairman, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor, on the facilities at the park.

Strategically sited near the Titiwangsa mountain range and designed to provide therapeutic bath facilities, the park is fully equipped with all kinds of leisure and recreational amenities, such as hot spring pool, hot spring baths and hot spring paths for reflexology treatment.

Others include a food court, souvenir shops, egg boiling activities, traditional massage and bathrooms.

Zainuddin Marzuki, who manages the park, said the hot spring's heat level in the area exceeded the normal boiling temperature, which is more than 104 degrees Celcius.

Besides those already developed, hundreds of natural sources of hot spring in the area remained untapped, he noted.

Hot springs are known for their medicinal value, such as improving blood circulation treating injuries, back pain and breathing problems.

Besides Sungai Klah, Felda also manages other tourism spots such as Sungai Tekam and Fraser's Hill in Pahang, Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan and Lahad Datu in Sabah.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 03:22 AM

Exco status for Negri muftis
Saturday, May 14, 2005

MUFTIS in Negri Sembilan will now enjoy the privileges and status of state executive councillors.

The muftis will also be entitled to all allowances given to exco members.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the decision was reached during the state exco meeting in Gemas last Monday.

“However, muftis are not required to attend the weekly state exco meetings,” he said.

Negri Sembilan is probably the first state in the country to accord such status to muftis.

On a related matter, Mohamad said the state government was studying the possibility of upgrading the status of syariah judges and officers and staff of the Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Department (Jains).

Mohamad noted that many officers and staff in Jains were still in Grades 44 and 41 and had not been promoted for a long time, while the department was facing a shortage in manpower.

“Most religious schools in the state are also facing an acute shortage of teachers,” he said, adding that he would discuss the matter with the Public Services Department to find a solution.

nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 01:16 PM

On the way to Melaka
by Raymond Leung

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nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 01:38 PM

Melaka City

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nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 02:03 PM

M'sia To Tap Dutch Technology In Floriculture, Dairy Farming
April 30, 2005 16:46 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is keen to tap Dutch technological expertise particularly in areas such as floriculture, dairy production and diary farming, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said here Saturday.

Muhyiddin, who would visit Holland next month to look into these aspects, said with the expertise, Malaysians could develop flower growing into a multi-billion business.

They could also embrace new ways to raise dairy production and enhance capacity in the dairy sector, he told reporters after the launch of "Window on Holland 2005," here today.

Netherlands is one of the world's largest markets in these two sectors.

The "Window on Holland" exhibition from April 30-May 8, which highlights the economic, educational and cultural aspects of the European country, is organised by the Royal Netherlands Embassy and Malaysian Dutch Business Council.

"Malaysia is even well-placed to produce temperate flowers because we have highlands like Cameron Highlands, Borneo Heights and certain areas in Sabah" which have cool climates.

"These are the areas which could be designated for flower growing. Currently only Cameron Highlands is the largest producer in the country and number one in producing chrysanthemums, he said.

Tulip was among another of the temperate flowers which Malaysia could grow all year round, he said.

"We need to work closely with Dutch business and maybe work on joint-ventures" in areas such as dairy production, livestock rearing, floriculture and even fisheries.

He said the ministry was looking into ways to apply some of the dairy production technology. "I don't think, we can produce as much as Holland or New Zealand."

He said Malaysia needed to improve its dairy production capacity as it was still small.

Muhyiddin said the Netherlands was Malaysia's 12th largest trading partner accounting for 2.3 percent of its total trade last year.

Two-way trade last year amounted to RM19.19 billion from RM15.16 billion a year earlier.

Malaysia's exports to Netherlands rose to RM15.76 billion last year from RM13.01 billion in 2003, making it the 10th largest export market, with major exports comprising machinery and fabricated goods, palm oil, raw materials, seafood, fruits and chemicals.

Imports from the Netherlands totalled RM3.43 billion in 2004 from RM2.15 billion in 2003 with major imports last year comprising machinery and fabricated goods, chemicals and foodstuffs.

In terms of investment, he said the Netherlands is an important investor in Malaysia, ranking 8th with approved investment amounting to RM315.2 million.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 02:13 PM

Cameron Highlands
by Yip WC (Pictures (http://www.pbase.com/ywchuen/camerons01012004))

Scenic drive

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nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 03:57 PM

Genting Highland

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Genting cable car

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nazrey

May 14th, 2005, 04:49 PM

Mt Kinabalu,Sabah

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nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 07:33 AM

X-Treme thrills at Genting
Friday May 13, 2005
By ALLAN KOAY

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At the Pavilion in First World Plaza up in Genting Highlands, where there used to be a “dewan serbaguna” (multi- purpose hall), there now stands the largest set ever built for a live show in that resort. And there, every night from now till Oct 30, audiences will be entertained by acrobats, stuntmen, dancers and clowns in the stunt showcase-cum-musical called X-Treme!: Push the Limits.

And it took merely three months for the 5,075 sq m stage to be built. The short construction time does not mean any lack of care for details in the visually impressive set.

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This dance sequence is an introduction
to the motorcycle stunt in the Globe of Doom.

Built to resemble a high-tech factory, the set nicely opens as a toy factory where the performers all come to life like clockwork as a clock above them strikes the hour and the lights come on. From there on, it is an 80-minute, non-stop medley of Spanish and modern dances, breathtaking stunts and death-defying feats.

There is the Globe of Doom, where four motorcyclists ride around at high speed in a globular metal cage, their well-choreographed moves the only thing preventing them from deadly collisions.

The Russian Pole Act sees a seven-man team performing all sorts of balancing acts on 12-metre poles balanced on the shoulders and heads, their tour-de-force a two-way vertical balancing act while walking a balance beam supported by two men.

Possibly the most popular performance is the Wheel of Thrill where one man walks and runs inside and outside of a wheel that rotates on a beam 360°, leaving just enough space for him at the ceiling and on the floor. Not only that, he also juggles torches, skips rope and walks blindfold!

X-Treme! consists of more than 40 artistes from countries such as Spain, Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Australia, Belarus and Ukraine.

The show was specially conceived and produced for Genting Highlands by renowned producer Jim Huntley of the Nevada-based Huntley Entertainment Inc.

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The X-Treme! live stunt and musical show is performed
on the biggest stage ever built in Genting Highlands.

Huntley, who has many years of experience in show business, even creating opening shows for Frank Sinatra, said although it took only three months to physically create X-Treme!, it took nine months of careful planning prior to that. And that made all the difference when it was time to build the huge set. They already had everything ready to go.

But finding the right acts for the show was not an easy task, he admitted.

“It’s never easy to find good talents,” said Huntley. “I feel we have found tremendous talents for this show. We can create a concept that we like, light a beautiful stage, build a beautiful set, and the choreographer can put together wonderful choreography. But if you don’t have the artistes and the dancers to do what you want to showcase, then it will never materialise the way you envision it to be,” said Huntley.

In fact, everything about X-Treme! started with Huntley’s dream, said stage designer Robert Walter Rang.

Rang’s industrial look for the stage, with its gears and buttons and other moving mechanical parts, stemmed from Huntley’s vision for an engaging introduction to the show.

“He said ‘What do you think of an introduction with all these acts in a high-tech toy factory?’” Rang recalled. “I said ‘I love it!’ I mean, it’s a great universal way to introduce a variety of acts.

“They’re like many different types of toys all over the place. It made perfect sense to me. And because of the short time we had, going high-tech meant it was easier to build.

“We had the materials, which were building materials. As you know, Genting is always building, so we had all the resource materials! (laughs)”

Turning a dream into reality

After Huntley made an initial visit to Genting to survey the area for the show, he returned with some electronic drawings for Rang’s perusal.

“He told what his dream was, and basically a designer is a dream interpreter,” Rang explained. “I took his dream and I turned it into reality. And then, I came (to Genting) and saw ‘reality’ (laughs) and the problems that would have to be solved. We took it from there and we worked very fast.”

Most of the problems Rang faced were structural, because it was like “trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It’s an arena and they wanted to make it into a theatre”.

It was a different story altogether for lighting designer Patrick Murray; he did not have a chance to visit the stage area before creating the lighting for the show. He worked solely from photographs and drawings supplied by both Huntley and Rang. Since the scene on stage never changes, Rang left the mood changes to Murray’s lighting design.

But the topmost priority of a show with dangerous stunts would surely be the safety measures, for both performers and audience.

“All has to be done professionally and you have to know what you’re doing, because you’re dealing with people’s lives,” said Rang. “Everything is checked prior to every show. The safety of the performers means that your audience is safe. It’s as simple as that, to the point where you could put the audience so close to the stage, and it would be perfectly safe.”

Diverse talents

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Daring motorcycle feats in the Globe of Doom are
among the many highlights in the live show X-Treme! at
Genting Highlands.

Apart from the dangerous stunts, one of the intriguing things about X-Treme! is that its talents form a real melting pot of diverse cultures and languages. Since not everyone in the show can speak English, surely they must have communication problems. But Huntley said it is not so.

”I am able to speak Spanish and English, and that helped me somewhat,” said Huntley. “It was very interesting that during the rehearsals, we would take a break and I found myself speaking to one of the girls from Russia and a Brazilian fella who spoke only Portuguese. I speak enough Spanish and the young lady speaks enough Italian. So the three of us were having a conversation, with her speaking Italian, me speaking Spanish and him speaking Portuguese.

“And somehow we understood each other!” he said with a laugh.

Tickets for X-Treme! Push the Limits are priced from RM50 onwards for adults and RM20 onwards for children.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 09:18 AM

Call To Songket Producers To Copyright Their Creations
May 14, 2005 21:30 PM

KUANTAN, May 14 (Bernama) -- Songket (fine silk) producers were today urged to copyright their creations so that legal action could be taken against those who copied their designs.

In making the suggestion, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the government encouraged the move as it gave them full protection for their designs.

He hoped the suggestion would get a good response as songket was among the highest quality handicrafts produced in the country.

"This call, however, has not been made at the Cabinet level but I am prepared to discuss the matter in more detail with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs if it needs laws to be amended.

"Copyrighting will not only allow them to earn incomes according to their produce, but will also help protect the genuineness of songket manufactured by locals," he told reporters after opening the Pahang Wood Crafts Innovation Centre here Saturday.

The centre is an initiative by the Malaysian Handicrafts Development Board to be a reference point for entrepreneurs in wood craft and also help the industry compete globally.

Rais said more such centres would be set up under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) so that wood craft could be marketed on a wider scale.

"What the ministry is worried now is that there is a glut of foreign wood craft. We are cannot stop it, but are monitoring closely to ensure the local industry is not affected," he said.

Rais also said that under the 9MP, several policies for wood craft producers had been outlined, including supplying them with the necessary tools to come up with products of quality.

"We will give them all the machines and equipment they need, but if they fail meet the quality we expect, we will take them back and give to others who are able to do better," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 09:20 AM

Mega Prestasi Planning To Export Fish Based Products In 2006
May 12, 2005 20:22 PM

PASIR PUTEH, May 12 (Bernama) -- Mega Prestasi Sdn Bhd which runs its operations at the Tok Bali fish landing base here, expects to export fish based halal food products worth RM1 million to several countries, beginning next year.

The company's project coordinator, Zukri Yusof, said the products which would include crackers, fishcakes and paste, and sardine, would be exported to places like India, New Zealand and several Arab countries.

Apart from this, the company also expects to open up a pasar tani here to provide diesel, sundry goods, and fresh water for fishermen going out to the sea.

He said the company began operations last July and had allocated RM3 million as initial capital outlay for its basic facilities including the operations site, factory, office and workers' quarters.

"Todate, more than 50 percent of the buildings have been completed," he told reporters who met him here Thursday.

He said the company had already taken in 13 workers and was planning to add on 30 more people by the end of this year. As and when required, more staff would be taken, he added.

On another note, Zukri disclosed that special fishing boats from China, costing RM3 million each, would be also soon arriving at Tok Bali.

He said the boats were intended to attract the attention of local fishermen who could use such boats in the future for their fishing activities.

It would offer an important alternative to the fishing boats currently in use which are built using local wood materials, he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 09:21 AM

Littoral States To Discuss Armed Escorts In Melaka Strait
May 14, 2005 17:30 PM

JOHOR BAHARU, May 14 (Bernama) -- The meeting of littoral states -- Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore -- in Batam Island, Indonesia, on tripartite cooperation to ensure security in Melaka Strait will also discuss the presence of privately-owned armed escort vessels in the world's busiest waterway.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia wants the issue of armed escort vessels paid to provide security protection to merchant ships plying the strait to be addressed immediately before it "develops into a bigger problem."

"We do not want such private escort services to continue. If every ship starts carrying weapons, it can lead to an uncontrollable situation which is very dangerous.

"Before this unhealthy development becomes a very big problem, it's better we nip in the bud by making a quick decision," he told reporters after the Kota Tinggi Umno division delegates meeting.

The meeting was opened by Federal Territories Minister and Umno Vice-President Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad.

Recently, Malaysia and Indonesia objected to the presence of armed escort vessels in the 900km-long Melaka Strait to guard merchant ships.

Police Internal Security and Public Order Director Datuk Othman Talib warned recently that the marine police would detain such boats if they entered Malaysian waters and would consider the crew as terrorists.

He had said the crew were more mercenaries paid to carry out certain duties.

Syed Hamid said the Malaysian security forces, in an incident last month, detained an armed escort vessel which was escorting a logistics ship but released it later.

Declining to elaborate on the incident, he said, the crew claimed they had permission to provide escort services for the logistics ship.

He said the meeting, initially scheduled to be held yesterday but was deferred to an indefinite date, would work out a cooperation plan among the three countries to ensure security at the strait.

"We want to ensure security in the Melaka Strait is beefed up to give confidence to any party that has security concerns in the sealane.

"The meeting of the littoral states will show our seriousness to guarantee that the strait is safe for ships," he said.

The meeting, he said, would also deliberate on plans by certain countries to help Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore to enforce security in the strait besides coordinating activities of the three countries in the strait being used by not less than 50 ships in a year.

On Thailand's proposal that Myanmar skipped its chairmanship of Asean next year, he said whatever suggestions on Asean chairmanship would be tabled at the Asean meeting in Vientiane, Laos, in July.

"The July meeting will be the right forum to discuss the issue again with Myanmar. I believe the situation will be clearer at the meeting," he said.

He said Myanmar was aware of Asean members' views and that of the international community on the issue.

"We want Yangon to make its own decision on the matter taking into account the views expressed," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 19th, 2005, 01:32 PM

Sabah Fest a tourist lure
Thursday, May 19, 2005
By RUBEN SARIO

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Constance Lim Ambrose of Kota Belud showing
his skill in making Bajau traditional baskets at an exhibition.

SABAH has become the place to visit this month as it is the Kaamatan or Harvest Festival celebrations.

Being held in conjunction with the festival is the 10-day Sabah Fest cultural extravaganza that became an annual event in 1988.

State Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Karim Bujang said Sabah Fest had become so entrenched in the state tourism sector that hoteliers were using the event to market their products overseas.

“Tourists will know that if they come to Sabah in May, they will have many opportunities to experience the unique performances of our ethnic communities,” he said.

Karim said daily cultural performances were held at various shopping centres in Kota Kinabalu during Sabah Fest.

“Visitors will have the opportunity to witness handicraft demonstrations as well as sample local food and drinks, which will make their visit to Sabah a unique experience,” said Karim.

The Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah launched this year's Sabah Fest on May 5, which kicked off with a showcase of costumes worn by the indigenous communities such as Kadazan-dusun, Rungus, Bajau, Tidong, Murut and Suluk. The cultural extravaganza continued with traditional dances performances such as the sumazau, daling daling, mogigol, magunatip and the rarely seen bolak-bolak by about 300 performers in colourful costumes.

Interspaced among the dance performances were mock traditional weddings of the Murut and Bajau, two of the largest ethnic groups in Sabah.

A treat for the hundreds of visitors and locals who were at the Sabah Fest launch was a performance by members of the Kota Kinabalu Symphony Orchestra garbed in traditional Kadazandusun costumes.

nazrey

May 23rd, 2005, 06:26 PM

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nazrey

May 23rd, 2005, 07:43 PM

Tropical sanctuary at Setia Eco Park
Monday May 23, 2005
BY ANGIE NG

THOSE who love the sights and sounds of nature will find Setia Eco Park in Shah Alam a welcoming change from the hustle bustle of the city.

Planned as an eco-friendly sanctuary within a resort ambience, the RM2.3bil development is set to become a showpiece of tropical living grandiose.

Bandar Eco-Setia Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Koe Peng Kang said efforts were being expended to source for the right flowering plants, foliages and shrubs to attract birds and insects, including butterflies, to the tropical sanctuary.

“We are in consultation with the various experts to create the right nature-friendly atmosphere and habitat. There will be 15 species of butterflies, 30 types of plants, swans and mandarin ducks that will liven up the place and create the right natural ambience for the residents,” Koe said.

The residents can also take off to the many escapades in the township, including a 56-acre forest park, a hill park, wetland sanctuary, a feature park and a parkland. A clubhouse that provides a wide range of recreational activities will be ready in three years.

Visitors to the project site can have a feel of Setia Eco Park homes at the Precinct 3 Show Village that showcases 16 semi-detached homes and bungalows.

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An exquisitely-designed Setia Eco Park
bunglow with a fountain.

Koe said each of the three residential precincts would have its own show village to exhibit the types of homes being offered.

The semi-detached homes have land sizes of 3,500 to 4,400 sq ft while the bungalows are from 5,500 sq ft to more than 10,000 sq ft. The price tags of the semi-detached units start from RM600,000 to close to RM700,000 while the bungalows are from RM900,000 to RM2mil.

For those who prefer to design their own homes, they can opt for the bungalow land that are from 8,300 sq ft to more than 10,000 sq ft, at prices from RM65 to RM70 per sq ft.

“What we are offering are affordable high-end homes that are suitable for those looking to upgrade to a more prestigious address. About 61% of the buyers are from Subang Jaya, Damansara and Kota Kemuning,” Koe added.

According to SP Setia group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Liew Kee Sin, although the properties have price premium of 5% to 10%, buyers would enjoy many extras such as good infrastructure network, quality design and a pleasant environment.

“To build up Setia Eco Park into an upmarket address, we will continuously improve on the infrastructure, product range and amenities to attract the right crowd of residents here,” Liew said.

Being the country’s largest enclave of semi-detached homes and bungalows, it will not be too difficult to turn it into a well-sought-after address for the Klang Valley folks.

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From left: Bandar Setia Alam Sdn Bhd GM Noryahati Subali,
Datuk Seri Liew Kee Sin and Koe Peng Kang, checking the progress
of the NKVE-Jalan Meru Link.

Residents can also look forward to the many shops and amenities coming up in the proposed 200-acre commercial enclave in the adjacent Setia Alam township that is set to be launched in the next three to four years.

The soon-to-be-completed NKVE-Jalan Meru link that is being built at a cost of RM150mil will make the development even more accessible when it is open to traffic by the first half of next year.

About 90% of the 124 semi-detached homes and 40 units of the 50 bungalows launched under phase two in precinct 3 have been sold. The total sales to-date is valued at RM220mil.

At the adjacent development, Setia Alam is shaping up well with the first few batches of completed homes to be delivered to the buyers by June next year.

nazrey

May 24th, 2005, 01:13 PM

Fireworks fly as fans pack stadium
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
By STUART MICHAEL

AFTER a long absence, the Selangor football fans are back. The comeback was evident when a capacity crowd of 80,000 turned up at the Shah Alam Stadium last Sunday to witness the Sultan of Selangor's Cup.

Not only that, another 5,000 fans were locked out after the stadium was filled to the brim. The crowd was so big that fans outside the stadium took almost half an hour to get to their seats.

Singapore brought 6,000 of their own fans but they proved no match to the army of “merah kuning'' (red and yellow) who filled almost every corner of the stadium.

It was clear that the atmosphere and the ensuing fireworks that brighten up the sky before the match, would drift down to the field.

Results aside, what took place that night must certainly have pleased the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who made this heart-warming event possible.

The fact was that the football fans were back again.

“I don't mind losing so much when I can get to see the fans coming back,” said Selangor veteran defender Santokh Singh, who still proved to be a popular figure despite his portly 53-year-old frame.

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Part of the capacity crowd of 80,000 who came and watch
the Sultan of Selangor's Cup at the Shah Alam Stadium last Sunday.

“My legs are not like what they are used to be. I have put on a lot of weight. But, when I heard the fans cheering, I didn't want to leave the pitch.

“In fact, I just couldn't believe my eyes when I stepped into the stadium and saw so many Selangor fans clad in red and yellow.

“It was a great honour to play in the Shah Alam Stadium again, especially in front of so many fans and the Sultan of Selangor.”

Santokh, who had once formed one of the best central defence combinations in Asia with Soh Chin Aun, had planned to play for only five minutes. Instead, he stayed on the pitch for 15 minutes marshalling the midfield.

Chin Aun, known as the “towkay” (boss) during his heyday, played up front.

Despite their efforts, the Selangor Veterans lost 2-1 to Singapore for the first time since the series started in 2001.

However, the Selangor Selection took revenge when they defeated the Lions 3-1 and maintained their unbeaten record. The Selangor Selection took the RM50,000 top prize money while the Singapore Selection had to settle for RM25,000.

Fandi Ahmad scored both goals for the Singapore veterans in the 8th minute, through a penalty, and 43rd minute. Selangor's goal was scored by P. Maniam in the 45th minute.

“It was a competitive and interesting match. But the best thing was seeing the fans back at the stadium,'' said Fandi.

For the main match, Selangor won through goals from Bambang Pamungkas (13th and 33rd minute) and Mohd Noor Derus (38th minute). Singapore's goal came from Baihakki Khaizan in the 17th minute.

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The Selangor players celebrating after beating
the Singapore Selection 3-1 in the Sultan of Selangor's Cup.

”The crowd was so big that many of our players could hardly believe it,” said Dollah, coach of the Selangor Selection who also played for the veterans.

“On the pitch, I almost blacked out. Like the other veterans, because of the fans, I was pushing myself hard.”

The fans, who came for the match, included families.

Among them was Mohd Zalani Said, 36, who came with his wife Rozimah Yusoff and his younger brother Rohizal Yusoff. Rohizal brought along his four children – Mohd Amirul Hafiz, Nur Amira Hanis, Nur Aisya Hanis and Mohd Aimran.

“I have been a Selangor fan for the past eight years. Of late, I have been coming back to watch the Selangor team as I can now see some quality,” said Mohd Zalani.

“I brought my wife, brother and his kids to the stadium as I did not want them to miss this match.”

Norasyidah Abdul Jais, 17, a Form Five student from SMK Taman Sea, said she came with a group of 150 pom-pom girls, in three buses.

“As a Selangorian, we just want to cheer for Selangor,” said Norasyidah.

nazrey

May 24th, 2005, 01:14 PM

Shah Alam stadium

The Shah Alam main stadium is built of pre-cast post-tensioned concrete in which the seating bleachers double as structural spans. The maximum structural span is 80 meters. The stadium meets all Olympic standards and provides 80,000 seats and another 5,000 standing spaces. Three quarters of the seats are protected from weather by the space frame supported polymer roof. The roof is opaque to minimise the lighting contrasts for daytime television transmission.

The highest safety and security standards for crowd control were followed, with huge ramps for quick evacuation and a moat between the crowd and the playing field. Athletes, officials and VIPs have separate access and facilities at the lower levels. The latest intelligent facilities for the mass media and telecommunications made the stadium the most technically sophisticated in South East Asia.

Adjacent to the Main Stadium, the Olympic standard Indoor Stadium accommodates sports such as badminton and gymnastics. A seating capacity of 12,000 in four galleries overlooks the square arena. Towers for media coverage at each corner also anchor the roof. The green copper dome relates to the arcs of staircase/ramps outside the building, and the curves of the larger outdoor stadium.

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nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:00 AM

Upgrading Customs Officers' Skills Top Priority - Halil
May 30, 2005 14:43 PM

KANGAR, May 30 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysia Customs Department will give top priority to upgrade skills of customs officers and personnel to tackle transboundary smuggling.

Its Director-General Tan Sri Abdul Halil Abdul Mutalib said the nation would incur huge losses if it did not have skillful and efficient customs personnel.

He, however, said the capabilities of customs officers and personnel have improved over the years with the availability of latest infrastructures at the entry points and ports.

For instance, five attempts to evade paying tax were detected at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Gelang Patah, Johor, in a month through the use of scanners, he told reporters after opening of the state customs directors meeting.

The meeting was opened by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

Halil said the department would also increase cooperation with its counterparts in neighbouring countries to deal with transboundary smuggling cases through various activities and programmes.

The latest activity was a friendly golf tournament between the Malaysian and Thailand customs authorities at Black Forest Golf and Country Club in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, yesterday, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:02 AM

Ministry To Have Mini-Complexes In All States
May 30, 2005 20:37 PM

IPOH, Feb 30 (Bernama) -- All state capitals can expect to have mini-complexes housing departments of the Home Affairs Ministry under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Home Affairs Ministry secretary-general, Datuk Seri Aseh Che Mat, Monday said building of the complexes was aimed at providing "one roof centres" for the people in their dealings with the ministry.

"At the moment only Pahang, Perak and Melaka have such facilities," he told reporters after handing over keys to the ministry's seven departments here at its new mini-complex in Bandar Meru Raya about 10km from here.

The seven departments under the ministry are the Immigration Department, National Registration Department, RELA, Registrar of Societies, the D Division (Film Control), National Drugs Agency and the Civil Defence Department.

"These complexes have been purpose built away from urban areas to relieve people from traffic congestion," he said.

The ministry's various departments here will move into the new premises over the next three months.

The RM40.7 complex, built on a 2.6-hectare site, besides having modern department offices, also has a surau, hall, meeting room, penthouse, auditorium, library, sports club, vending kiosks, canteen, kindergarten and parking areas for staff and the public.

Aseh added that the were also plans to build such complexes in districts that had all its departments, among them were Lenggong and Muar.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:02 AM

Be Careful When Approving New Projects - Tengku Abdullah
May 31, 2005 18:28 PM

KUANTAN, May 31 (Bernama) -- The Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Tuesday urged the state government to be careful when approving new development projects to ensure they will not harm the environment.

He said the state government must be prudent in making decisions to ensure projects were approved not solely for profits at the expense of the environment.

"I don't want to see forests being cut and hills levelled indiscriminately and cause adverse effects, especially to the next generation," he said when opening Taman Mahkota Putra here.

He also censured greedy housing developers who damaged the environment in their lust to make profits.

The state government and developers must understand their responsibilities so that the people benefited from every development project.

He also hoped developers would build affordable homes for the people of all races.

"I don't want to see only one race living in a housing estate.

"Developers must be sensitive and take into account the affordability of buyers, especially Bumiputeras. I want Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli and other races residing in a residential area," he said.

If one housing area was monopolised by a race, it would not reflect the spirit of goodwill and harmony of various races in the state, he said.

Earlier, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said Pahang's economic growth was lower than five per cent that had been forecasted by the federal government.

In view of this, Adnan hoped the development of new housing schemes and townships would help boost the state's economy.

Every construction project approved by the state government could contribute to 104 other businesses and create more employment opportunities, he said.

"I hope each new housing project launched will help the state government's plan to provide houses to the people as most of them do not have own houses," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:04 AM

Bring Back Perak's Premier Status Through ICT, Says Regent
May 30, 2005 15:20 PM

IPOH, May 30 (Bernama) -- Perak's move towards a knowledge state through information and communications technology (ICT) will bring back its status as one of the country's premier states, said the Regent Raja Nazrin Shah.

He added that Perak need to "fast forward" and play "catch-up" as in the information age, economic advantage could migrate to other locations with unprecedented speed and ease.

"Emerging powers like China and India are challenging the manufacturing-led growth our people have relied on over the last 35 years," he said when launching the Perak 2010 ICT Strategic Blueprint and Perak ICT Week at the Perak Techno Trade Centre in Meru Jaya here Monday.

Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali and Multimedia Development Corporation chairman Tan Sri Halim Ali.

Raja Nazrin said Perak was the cradle of Malaysia's early economic development and intellectual growth, having been supplying 55 percent of the world's requirements in tin and then rubber.

He said early educational institutions in Perak like the Malay College Kuala Kangsar were noted for their quality while the first teacher's training college in Malaya was also established in the state.

"ICT in Malaya took early shape in the form of the first telephone -- installed at the British resident's office in Pasir Salak in 1875," he added.

Raja Nazrin said the internationalisation of services was setting the stage for new economic relationships.

In 2000, two percent or RM3 billion of the RM150 billion worth of trade was attributed to merchandise trade while the remaining 98 percent was in the form of services and royalties.

"Only if we are able to transform ourselves into a knowledge-based performance-driven society can we remain relevant and competitive in the new global economy. This is our strategic imperative... our growth strategy must focus on knowledge acquisition and productivity enhancement," he said.

Raja Nazrin said the convergence between ICT has provided the catalyst for industries such as telecommunications and software design as well as giving birth to new industries such as edutainment, infotainment and high value-added communication services.

"We must seize these opportunities or risk being left behind," he added.

The Regent, however, said there was no need to abandon long-standing businesses that have served Perak well, adding that ICT should be utilised to enhance current economic and business models.

He also said that in developing the knowledge state, efforts must be made to ensure the rural and less affluent groups are not left behind as balanced developments are important in overcoming the widening digital divide.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:05 AM

Perak Launches ICT Blueprint To Become K-State By 2020
May 30, 2005 15:18 PM
By Arul Rajoo

IPOH, May 30 (Bernama) -- Perak Monday launched its ICT Strategic Blueprint that signifies the former world's biggest tin producer's move into a Knowledge State by 2020.

Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said that over the next 15 years, the K-State development would take place in two phases, focusing on three strategic areas, namely Knowledge Infrastructure, Knowledge Economy and Knowledge Society.

He said a total of 25 programmes and projects would be implemented to support these three areas, with the end vision to draw ICT as the foundation to remake Perak's economy and thereby improve its socio-economic standing.

"The launch of the ICT Strategic Blueprint and the five-day activity-packed ICT Week will bridge the foundation laid in the past two years to enable us to make the transition over the next five years," he said.

The blueprint was launched by the Regent of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah at the Perak Techno Trade Centre in Meru Raya here, which is part of the K-Infra project.

At the launching, Tajol Rosli handed over application for MSC Cybercentre Status to Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) chairman, Tan Sri Halim Ali.

Later at the Perak ICT Forum, Tajol Rosli said MSC Cybercentre Status for the 100-hectare Bandar Meru Jaya would help jumpstart ICT technopreneurs' initiatives in the state.

Other K-Infra activities planned are the setting up of a string of wireless cities starting with Ipoh-Lumut corridor to the rest of Kinta Valley, providing wireless hotspots connections within 20km radius.

He said the State Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) had signed a memorandum of agreement with MDC to spearhead and implement a creative content hub on a 28-hectare land in Meru Raya.

Tajol Rosli said SEDC had also acquired a few potential tenants, including a well known American distribution company to produce animated titles.

He said that Perak aims to establish itself as a destination of choice for companies that wanted to outsource "offshore" while an International Call Centre would be opened here too.

MDC estimates that by 2010, the shared services and outsourcing will provide some 100,000 high value jobs and that many higher institutions in the state will be able to produce knowledge workers.

To attract technopreneurs and investors, Tajol Rosli said four types of incentives would be offered, namely financial, technology, business assistance programmes and marketing and land.

He said SEDC's Perak e-Organisation and Malaysian Debt Venture had signed an MoU to create a security debenture of RM70 million that would provide the initial funding for ICT development in the state.

Under the K-State plan, Perak hopes to have 100 percent virtual broadband network in all government agencies by 2006, computer and internet by state executives by 2007 and 40 percent SMI web presence in portal by 2008.

Other goals targeted within 2010 include 63 percent internet penetration, 80 percent e-Government, all 72 mukims ICT enabled, internet kiosks in all town centres and 40 percent e-mail usage in rural areas.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:46 AM

IJM stakes up in 2 new highway concessions
30-05-2005
By Jimmy Yeow

IJM Corporation Bhd is taking up equity interests in two new highway concessions involving the 200km West Coast Expressway from Banting to Taiping and the 48km Kajang-Seremban highway.

It is buying 25% comprising 118.37 million shares of Kumpulan Europlus Bhd at 28 sen per share for a total RM33.14 million cash.

It also proposes taking up a stake in the Kajang-Seremban concession, now under KASEH Lebuhraya Sdn Bhd, an Antah Holdings Bhd unit.

In a statement, IJM said it was buying 39.13 million Kumpulan Europlus shares from Intelbest Corporation Sdn Bhd, 33.44 million shares from Pengurusan Bersistem Sdn Bhd, 33.68 million shares from Ambang Sepakat Sdn Bhd and 12.13 million shares from Kumpulan Europlus chief executive officer Tan Sri Chan Ah Chye.

IJM had been granted a call option to buy a further 5% of Kumpulan Europlus at an agreed formula exercisable within one year.

In a separate statement, IJM said it had signed a memorandum of agreement with KASEH to participate in the Kajang-Seremban highway measuring about 48km, by way of subscription via a new company. They will enter into a definitive agreement on the detailed proposals.

A year ago, IJM was awarded a RM693 million contract by KASEH to construct the remaining works of the dual three-lane highway after the services of Brem Holding Bhd subsidiary Brem Maju Sdn Bhd were terminated by KASEH.

IJM closed six sen higher at RM4.76, while Talam was down five sen to 35 sen on May 30. Kumpulan Europlus closed 3.5 sen up at 35 sen before it was suspended for the afternoon session.

nazrey

June 2nd, 2005, 10:23 PM

Klang still bustling - for better or for worse
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Stories by FREDERICK FERNANDEZ,
LOONG MENG YEE and EDWARD RAJENDRA
Photos by K.K.SHAM

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APART from being a royal town, Klang has always been a special and privileged place for Selangor as it has served as state capital from 1880 to 1977 before being replaced with Kuala Lumpur and later Shah Alam.

The early settlers, mostly of Bugis, Javanese and Minangkabau origin, arrived in droves and lived in settlements along the Klang River. Some made their homes near smaller rivers such as Sungai Pinang, Sungai Binjai, Sungai Putus and Sungai Jati.

Most of the early Malay settlers were farmers, boatmen and fishermen. They sold their produce to traders from other parts of Malaya then and to merchants who pass through the Straits of Malacca.

The strong historical and economic background of the town gradually drew more migrants who took up work at Port Klang harbour, Malayan Railways, rubber estates and factories. They transformed the town into a metropolis of Malay, Chinese and Indian dwelling soon after World War II ended in 1945.

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An aerial view of Klang shows the town’s magnificence
that has lured traders and residents to the royal town.

Although civilisation and community living in Klang begun about 2,000 years ago, the first writings on Klang could only be traced in the annals of the Majapahit Emipre of Indonesia about 600 years ago.

The growth of Klang then had much to do with the Klang River where centuries ago local headmen made a living collecting taxes from the merchant ships, particularly from India, China and the Middle East, passing through the waterway.

Many people only know of Klang for its link with Port Klang, the nation's premier port. It is also popular for its fresh seafood and pork rib stew, popularly known as bah kut teh.

There is also the famous Indian street in the heart of town called Jalan Tengku Kelana that attracts shoppers in the droves during Deepavali each year.

Unfortunately, Klang sometimes is popular for the wrong reasons. People from other areas consider it to be dirty and a town with a high crime rate.

If that's not enough, the mushrooming of housing schemes, some haphazardly planned, contributed to an on-going problem – traffic congestion.

More than 50% of the land area under the Klang Municipal Council’s jurisdiction has been used for housing and industry, leaving little space for recreational and public facilities.

The 700,000 residents only have three venues - Padang Sultan Sulaiman, Taman Rakyat and Kompleks Sukan Pandamaran – for a healthy living. Clearly these aren’t sufficient for a town that is seeking city status. Nor, does it look good for Selangor that is on the verge of being declared a developed state in a couple of months.

Recreational facilities aside, Klang’s serious problems are its choking traffic congestion, road accidents and mounting road rage incidences.

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Klang has mushroomed into a modern place with
numerous facilities for businessmen and residents.

“I chose Klang to settle down years ago because the traffic condition was not as bad as it was in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya and Puchong,’’ said Edwin Edward from Taman Gembira. “Sadly, the authorities have allowed developers to build houses just about everywhere without considering the plight of everyone who had to go through the daily traffic congestion,’’ said the 41-year-old.

Among the worst areas are Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, Persiaran Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Jalan Meru, Jalan Kapar, Shapadu Highway and Jalan Kampung Jawa.

As if things aren’t bad enough, more housing and commercial development projects are being carried out in Jalan Meru, North Klang Valley Expressway, Westport highway, Persiaran Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Jalan Kapar and Jalan Batu Unjur.

Opting for public transport is a bad choice. Buses ply fewer routes and are less frequent compared with the old days.

The refusal of taxi drivers to use meters to charge fares only adds to the residents’ plights.

Another common complaint is the poor garbage collection service and clogged drains. Rubbish is often dumped at undesignated places while drains are clogged because they have not been cleaned.

Bank officer Lim Teck Soon said the cleaning of drains was satisfactory when the Klang Municipal Council handled the task years ago. “With individual contractors taking over the work, the result is far from satisfactory,’’ he said.

“I gather that supervision of council officers isn’t adequate and as such the contractors take the easy way out,’’ he said. Lim said this was also the reason for the high number of dengue cases in Klang.

Klang residents deserve more as they pay one of the highest assessment rates in the country.

nazrey

June 3rd, 2005, 12:41 PM

Keriang limestone hill.

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nazrey

June 4th, 2005, 06:37 AM

Johor Port Confident Of Improved Dry Bulk Performance This Year
June 03, 2005 19:41 PM

PASIR GUDANG, June 3 (Bernama) -- Johor Port Bhd (JPB) is confident that the performance of the dry bulk sector, which was on the downtrend last year would pick up in the financial year ending Dec 31, 2005, its executive chairman Datuk Mohd Taufik Abdullah said.

He said that the sector's five percent fall last year was temporary and is expected to increase this year.

The rise is due to the construction of a new wooden chip processing plant at the port by a local timber concession company, he told reporters after JPB's 12th general meeting here Friday.

"JPB will also place some new equipment to increase the rate of cargo handling in the sector," he said.

Apart from that, Mohd Taufik said that JPB's listing on the London Metal Exchange (LME) as well as general cargo had contributed to the growth in cargo handling in the sector.

He said that LME cargo handling contributed 22 percent of the total cargo handled in the sector. He did not reveal when JPB was listed on the LME.

For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2004 JPB registered higher turnover of RM352.3 million from RM313.4 million in the previous year.

Overall, Mohd Taufik said that JPB was optimistic and believed that the current expansion activities at the port would spur the group revenue and performance.

The company was also expanding its commercial activity and enhancing its port facilities to generate business opportunities towards making JPB one of the major ports in Malaysia and internationally.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 6th, 2005, 02:20 PM

Kedah Sees Further Investment Of RM500 Mln From Japan This Year
June 06, 2005 16:52 PM

ALOR STAR, June 6 (Bernama) -- The Kedah state government is projecting a further RM500 million investment from Japanese investors in the state's various sectors this year.

Exco member and chairman of the State Industry, Science and Technology, Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee, Datuk Chong Itt Chew, said that more than RM570 million worth of investments in Kedah were those made by Japanese companies throughout the period from 2000 to 2004.

The amount is expected to further rise this year, he said.

"The Kedah state government promises to upgrade the infrastructure while at the same time help investors from Japan resolve their problems and any difficulties faced by them in carrying out business in the state," he said during a progress briefing held here Monday in conjunction with the visit of Japan's Ambassador, Tadashi Imai, to the state.

Chong said that Japan was the second largest investor in Kedah, and therefore the excellent trade link established between the two parties should be maintained well.

"Recently two more companies from Japan had signed up memoranda of understanding with a company in Kedah to carry out business here and this further raises the possibility of reaching our target," he said.

Meanwhile, Imai in his speech expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the rapport enjoyed by the Japanese investors and the state government and hoped that it would continue.

Besides being an investment focus, Kedah's beauty also holds a very special attraction for the Japanese people, particularly the Langkawi Island which is very popular among the people in Japan, he said.

Imai said that he would continue to promote Kedah to Japanese investors and he would not be concentrating on the electronic sector alone but would also promote other areas in which Japanese investors would be interested in, including the tourist sector.

"When I met up with the Japanese investors here yesterday (Sunday) the feedback from them was very good. They expressed that they were happy carrying out their businesses in the state," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 8th, 2005, 02:57 PM

State eyes CCTV for memorial
Wednesday, June 08, 2005

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The Cenotaph, which was erected to honour
those killed in action during World War I, has been defaced.

THE PENANG Government will ask the Penang Municipal Council to set up closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor the Cenotaph at the Esplanade, a war memorial built to honour those who fought and died in World War I.

State Tourism Development and Environment Committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow said the state wanted the council to look into the matter as the Cenotaph had been defaced recently.

“Since the council is installing CCTV at the Esplanade, it should also brighten the surrounding area.

“They could also consider setting up CCTVs at other war memorial sites and historical monuments on the island,” he said.

Teng said the state would look into the extent of the damage done to the Cenotaph and how best to restore and beautify it.

Checks would also be carried out on other historical structures and monuments.

Recently, it was discovered that the circular laurel wreath and hilt had been damaged and broken off from the bronze sword, which adorns the face of the Cenotaph.

Teng said he had instructed the state museum to produce brochures on historical monuments and heritage memorial sites in Penang to promote tourism.

nazrey

June 10th, 2005, 10:40 PM

Phase Two Of Jelutong Expressway Ready In 2007
June 10, 2005 21:29 PM

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ALTERNATIVE ROUTE… View of Phase One of the Jelutong Expressway stretching 3.6 kilometres from Jelutong to Bayan Lepas. Pix: K. Ganeson

PENANG, June 10 (Bernama) -- The second phase of the Jelutong Expressway, stretching three kilometres from the Penang Bridge to the ferry terminal here is expected to be completed in 2007.

State Local Government, Environment and Traffic Management Committee Chairman Dr Teng Hock Nan said it would provide an alternative route for motorists to the Penang Bridge and Bayan Lepas.

They don't have to enter the town centre, he added.

Phase One of the expressway, which links the Penang Bridge to Georgetown, was opened last year.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 10th, 2005, 10:46 PM

2,200 Property Development Plans Approved In Penang Since 1994
June 10, 2005 22:14 PM

PENANG, June 10 (Bernama) -- The State Government had approved 2,200 property development plans for the island over the past 11 years, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Friday.

He said the plans, approved since 1994, were for construction of 121,000 units of houses of various sizes with an average of 11,500 units built annually.

He said the plans also involved the construction of more than 5,000 commercial units of a total of 14 billion square metres as well as 15,000 hotel rooms of a total of 1.9 million square metres.

In his speech at the opening of the Malaysia Property Exhibition (Mapex) 2005 here, Koh said half of the more than 300 square kilometres of the island had been developed with various real estate projects with most of them centred in Georgetown.

He said the approval of the plans showed that the State Government did not practise bureaucratic red tape in approving development plans.

"Some issues need to be solved at certain levels like the executive council or the local government authority and this may cause delay in the plans being approved," he added.

Last Monday, real estate and hotel developer Tan Sri Low Yow Chuan had said he would no longer invest in Penang because of the bureaucratic red tape of the state government in approving plans.

Koh said various factors had to be considered before a development plan could be approved, including its impact on the environment and whether it involved highland areas.

The three-day exhibition, which began Friday, sees the participation of 34 property developers and 10 financial institutions.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 10th, 2005, 10:48 PM

Jelapang, Ipoh Selatan To Be Removed In 2007
June 10, 2005 17:56 PM

TAPAH, June 10 (Bernama) -- The Jelapang and Ipoh Selatan toll plazas on the North-South Expressway (NSE) will be removed in 2007 after widening of the NSE to three lanes and construction of two alternative roads adjacent to the NSE stretch between the two toll plazas.

"We cannot remove the toll plazas just like that because there are works to be done," said Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu Friday.

The works would begin next month and were expected to be completed in 18 to 20 months, he said after attending a ceremony at the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple here.

He said motorists from Kuala Lumpur could then go straight to Penang without having to pay toll or get a transit ticket as they now did at the Ipoh Selatan plaza and Jelapang plaza.

Motorists from Ipoh who now use the 15-km stretch of the NSE between Ipoh Selatan and Jelapang without paying toll can take the alternative toll-free two-lane roads adjacent to the NSE, he said.

Plus Expressways Bhd -- the operator of the NSE -- and the Malaysian Highway Authority had agreed to build the two alternative roads along the left and right side of the NSE to prevent Ipoh residents from paying toll along that stretch.

The construction of the alternative roads and two new toll plazas for road users to use to enter or exit the NSE at Ipoh are expected to cost RM280 million, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 10th, 2005, 10:49 PM

Penang To Participate In New York's Biotech Convention
June 10, 2005 18:28 PM

PENANG, June 10 (Bernama) -- Penang would be participating in the Biotech Convention and Exhibition 2005 in New York, this June 13-23, as part of its moves to attract new investments into the state's biotechnology industry.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon told reporters here Friday that the state government through its investment company, Invest Penang Sdn Bhd, would be sending a delegation to the event.

The team, to be led by the company's Chief Operations Officer, Zalina Noordin, would be studying and sourcing for new investment opportunities.

Penang would be occupying one exhibition lot at the convention, which would also be participated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, to enable participants at the convention to get information on the investment opportunities available in the country's biotechnology industry.

He said the state government was aiming for investments in the area as it was a new industry that was progressing fast and trade in the industry had reached RM900 billion worldwide in 2004.

"We see the potential of the industry particularly in the area of design creation of medical hardwares which could be produced in this country with the collaboration of foreign investment companies," he said.

Koh said that he himself would be accompanying the delegation to New York coming Tuesday to meet and discuss with several US medical hardware manufacturers.

"Penang already has the basic investments in the field of medical hardwares and there are several foreign companies such as B.Braun who have been operating in this state for more than 30 years now," he said.

He said the development of the biotechnology field would also push the information technology and electronic industries as medical hardwares now basically used the latest information technology and electronic equipment.

Earlier in his address at the opening of the Annual General Meeting of the Neurosurgical and Pediatrik Association of Malaysia, he said that the government was giving high priority to the development of science and medicine in the country as it was a new source of economic development for the state.

"We are concentrating on three main areas in the development of the state economy, namely biomedical, biopharmacy, marine biotechnology - all of which could generate new income for the state," he said.

Koh said that Penang's ability to offer medical specialist services had also helped the tourism industry as many foreign patients have had come to the state to receive medical treatment.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 12th, 2005, 06:52 PM

Penang Residents Must Maintain Good Health
June 12, 2005 21:27 PM

PENANG, June 12 (Bernama) -- The people of Penang have been urged to take steps to maintain their health at peak level to counter diseases.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon Sunday said any disease could affect their focus and productivity at work.

He said the government had been spending vast sums of money on health measures and the people should ensure that they fully benefited from such programmes, he said at the launching of Penang Hepatitis Day at a shopping complex here.

In this context, he urged the people to constantly monitor their health.

According to him, cases of hepatitis A and B had reduced in the state due to greater awareness of the people on these diseases.

Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated food and water, while the number of Hepatitis B carriers now numbered about one million.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 12th, 2005, 09:07 PM

Perak To Develop Desert Theme Park
June 12, 2005 19:38 PM

IPOH, June 12 (Bernama) -- The Perak state government is ready to help any investor who wants to turn former tin mining areas in the state into desert theme parks.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said if it became a reality, the desert theme park would be the first such park in the region.

"Apart from the water theme park, we have sand areas which are former tin mining areas suitable for desert theme parks," he said during the launching of "The Lost World of Tambun" theme park by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, here Saturday night.

Also present were Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah and Sunway Group chairman, Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah.

Tajol Rosli said he was confident the tourism industry in the state would progress further with the existence of new tourism locations including the RM60 million Lost World of Tambun.

Tajol Rosli said Perak had great potentials as a tourist destination as it had various natural resources.

He said the beauty of Pangkor Island beach, Royal Belum Forest, the most beautiful swamp forest, waterfalls, lakes, Gua Tempurung and several historic sites were the state's assets.

"I hope the effort by Sunway will be emulated and private investors can collaborate with the state government to develop Perak into a world class tourism destination," he said.

He said tourist arrivals to Perak also increased from 1.7 million in 2003 to 2.26 million last year.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 13th, 2005, 07:49 PM

Selangor to step up efforts to improve people’s health
Monday, June 13, 2005

THE Selangor Government is planning to embark on campaigns to ensure that the population’s health as well as the state’s “health” statistics improve. This is in line with the Selangor Maju (Developed Selangor) status, which the state is aiming to achieve by August.

State health department officials will be going to the ground twice a month to highlight health issues that they feel are important to residents.

During these visits, the officials will also be taking note of problems that the people face.

“The main issue is to tackle cleanliness,” said Selangor state exco for health, tourism and consumer affairs Datuk Dr Lim Thuang Seng.

Inspection teams, he said, would target eateries and drains and improve cleanliness of public areas.

One of the main objectives of the cleanliness campaign will be to get more people to work together.

“It is about changing people’s mindset to thinking ‘we do not throw rubbish indiscriminately in Selangor’,” he added.

The cleanliness and health campaigns, he said, would involve all assemblymen, who would chair their own health committees to get people to work together.

Schoolchildren would be involved in the future, as the state government planned to instil healthy habits in the young as well, added Dr Lim.

In the future, seminars on cancer, diabetes, heart disease and tuberculosis will be organised for the public.

nazrey

June 13th, 2005, 07:58 PM

Sabah studying audit on ports
Updated : 13-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : N/A

SABAH Port Sdn Bhd is currently looking into the findings of a study carried out by a local audit consultant together with Transport College Group Rotterdam companies on its seven ports namely Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Lahat Datu, Sandakan, Kudak, Sepandar Bay and Kunak.

¡§The operational audit on Sabah ports at end of last year was mainly aimed at substantiating company policies, standard operating procedures and compliance with state, national regulation and international operational standards and engineering practices,¡¨ said Suria Capital Holdings Bhd chairman Tan Sri Ibrahim bin Menudin.

Presenting Suria Capital Holdings 2004 annual report, Ibrahim said that the group is currently undergoing an organisational restructuring to enable the firm to take on the challenge of the changing business environment and position itself to meet the ever-changing and demanding expectations of its shareholders.

Apart from continuing to enhance the efficiency of its core business, i.e. the port operations, the group is also venturing into other port and related businesses which are in synergy with its core business. ¡X PortsWorld

nazrey

June 14th, 2005, 03:20 PM

Sarawak To Help Put BIMP-EAGA In Tourism Map
June 14, 2005 17:07 PM

MIRI, June 14 (Bernama) -- Sarawak would provide the necessary infrastructure and flexible policies in putting the East Asia Growth Area under Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP-EAGA) into the 'Tourism Map', said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan, Tuesday.

He said the state government was always supportive of the role played by the private sector, particularly BIMP-EAGA in promoting the sub-region of Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan, Sabah, Mindanao and the provinces of Kalimantan-Sulawesi.

"The government has put a lot of energy and efforts to transform Miri into what it is now... promoting Miri, recently elevated to city, as the gateway to the northern region. Moreover, Miri is situated in the middle of the BIMP-EAGA Region," he said.

The importance of tourism in the region is undeniable as the industry provides direct employment opportunities and has the multiplier effect on other sectors.

"Tourism will act as a catalyst for growth and generate employment as well as revenue in this sub-region," he said.

Dr Chan, on behalf of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, earlier opened the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) Tourism Cluster Inaugural meeting here, which is being headed by Malaysia.

Dr Chan said that the potential of the sub-region as a tourist destination can be further enhanced through the focus on Eco-tourism and Bio-tourism packages.

"As such, I would like to emphasise that eco-tourism and venture travel will be important growth areas with the world's growing concern for the rainforest and the green environment," he said.

Sarawak, he said, with her tourism products centering on nature and the natural environment, would benefit from this travel trend.

He suggested that key players in the tourism industry looked into proper branding and packaging to promote the products to tourists.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 17th, 2005, 05:54 PM

UEM Land, Gamuda to develop Johor land
Friday, June 17, 2005

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/06/17/p3-uemi.jpg

Datuk Ahmad Pardas (left) exchanging documents with
Datuk Lim Yun Ling. Witnessing the event are UEM World
chairman Datuk Abu Hassan Kendut (second from left)
and Gamuda chairman Tan Sri Talha Mohd Hashim.

UEM LAND Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned unit of UEM World Bhd, and Gamuda Bhd have entered into a 50:50 joint venture (JV) for the development of 1,200 acres in Bandar Nusajaya, Johor, into a mixed residential development.

UEM Land, through its subsidiary, Bandar Nusajaya Development Sdn Bhd, is the master developer of Bandar Nusajaya that spans more than 23,000 acres. Some 4,500 acres have already been developed with 12,000 homes completed to-date.

The JV agreement was signed in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. UEM Land was represented by UEM group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Pardas Senin while Gamuda was represented by managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling.

According to Ahmad Pardas, the JV would further strengthen UEM Land’s position as a developer and help realise the potential of the group’s biggest asset, Bandar Nusajaya, that still has some 17,000 acres undeveloped.

''The whole development will be about eight to 10 times the size of Subang Jaya and will be worth some RM5bil to RM6bil upon completion,'' he added.

The development with Gamuda, to be undertaken in the next 10 to 15 years, will comprise 6,000 residential and commercial units, an 18-hole golf course and a club house, for a gross development value of some RM2.5bil. The project is expected to kick off at the year-end.

Lin said the development would be based on a ''ground-breaking concept'' that would set new benchmarks in luxury, aesthetics and innovative living, with the aim of building a premier resort in the region.

Meanwhile, on UEM group’s construction activities, Ahmad Pardas said the group was negotiating with the relevant authorities to undertake the Penang Bridge expansion. The project is estimated to cost some RM400mil to RM600mil.

nazrey

June 17th, 2005, 05:59 PM

Malaysia's Ranhill Unit Gets MYR1.06B Highway Contract
Updated : 17-06-2005
Media : Dow Jones
Story By : Carolyn Lim

(Dow Jones)--Malaysian construction firm Ranhill Bhd. (5030.KU) Friday said its 100%-owned Ranhill Engineers and Constructors Sdn. Bhd. unit has received a MYR1.06 billion contract to design and build a highway in southern Johor state.

Under the terms of the contract from closely-held Senai-Desaru Expressway Bhd., Ranhill Engineers will build the 77-kilometer Senai-Pasir Gudang-Desaru Expressway in Johor state, Ranhill said in a statement to the stock exchange.

The project will take 36 months to complete, Ranhill said

Senai-Desaru Expressway is a 70-30 joint venture between Rancak Bistari Sdn. Bhd. and Johor state government agency, Yayasan Pelajaran Johor.

As Ranhill Chief Executive Hamdan Mohamad owns 99.99% of Rancak Bistari, the highway building contract is a related party transaction for Ranhill Engineers, Ranhill said.

nazrey

June 19th, 2005, 02:00 AM

India's Biotech Co To Invest In Perak
Updated : 18-06-2005
Media : Bernama
Story By : Mohd Arshi Daud

PHILADELPHIA, June 18 (Bernama) -- India's Bharat Biotechnology is considering opening up a plant and a research and development centre in Perak to produce vaccine for tropical diseases, said Perak state executive councillor Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

He said that talks between the state government and Bharat on the matter was at a final stage and operation of the plant and centre might start before the end of the year.

The planned RM50 million plant and centre would operate in Bandar Seri Iskandar, he told Malaysian journalists covering the BIO 2005 convention, the world's largest annual biotechnology gathering.

Vaccines produced by the joint venture (JV) plant would cater for the international market, he said.

He added that the Perak state government would hold a majority stake in the JV.

On another note, he said that Perak was in the initial stage of formulating its biotechnology blueprint after having recently launched its information communications technology blueprint.

Dr Zambry is a member of the Malaysian delegation for the June 19-22 convention.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis is leading the delegation, comprising over 100 top Malaysian executives representing biotech companies, venture companies in the biotech sector, government departments, scientists and academicians.

nazrey

June 19th, 2005, 02:02 AM

MDC, Perak discuss setting up cybercity this year
Updated : 18-06-2005
Media : Business Times

TALKS are ongoing between Multimedia Development Corp Bhd (MDC) and the Perak state authorities to establish a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) cybercity in Perak this year.

The development comes under the second phase of the country¡¦s information and communications technology (ICT) initiative to promote the use of the technology nationwide for economic development.

The initial phase of the MSC between 1996 and 2003 saw the development of the MSC hub in Cyberjaya.

The second development plan of the corridor, which covers a six-year period from 2004, saw the establishment of a cybercity at the Bayan Lepas Industrial Area in Penang last January. This will be followed by the Kedah-based Kulim Hi-Tech Park by year-end.

This confirms a Business Times report in March, which said that Perak could be the next state to establish a cybercity which will further realise the nationwide rollout plan.

It was reported that the Perak State Development Corp was on course to secure the status to turn the state into an information technology command area stretching from Meru Raya in Ipoh to University Teknologi Petronas in Seri Iskandar.

¡§Every state has its niche areas which can use ICT to boost economic growth. We are in discussion with several state governments, besides federal authorities and utilities, to realise our plan.

¡§We also also aim to include Ayer Keroh, Malacca, in our list this year,¡¨ MDC manager Nur Baidzurah Mohd Ali told reporters in Cyberjaya yesterday.

MDC is an agency under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.

Based on updates on the MSC¡¦s website, as at June 13 this year, there were 1,265 approved MSC-status companies in the country. Total expenditure by MSC entities last year came to RM4.5 billion.

On another matter, Nur Baidzurah said the ministry and MDC will be organising the ¡§MSC Recruitment Fair for ICT Industry¡¨ from June 25 to 26 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre in Selangor, to be followed by another session in Penang in September.

More than 60 MSC-status companies have confirmed their participation for the initial event in Putrajaya, which is expected to attract about 7,000 job-seekers nationwide.

nazrey

June 19th, 2005, 05:49 AM

Perlis To Produce Grapes After "Harumanis" Success
June 19, 2005 11:34 AM

A Special Report By Adnan Jahaya

KANGAR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Farmer Mat Dali Abu sounds excited as he talks about cultivating grapes on his paddy field which has been facing the problem of inadequate water-supply.

The 59 year-old hopes to get guidance from the agriculture department to turn his paddy field in northern Perlis valley into a vineyard.

"I have toiled the soil for years and it is time to try something new by growing grapes," he told Bernama as he looked at his dry paddy field from afar at Kampung Beseri, 14 km from here.

Mat Dali is among thousands of farmers in the state who are following the development closely since Perlis announced its intention to produce grapes on a large scale after finding success with its 'Harumanis' mangoes.

RESEARCH ON CROP SUITABILITY

Grapes may be a new crop for many farmers here but the state agriculture department had been cultivating the fruits on a trial basis as far back as 20 years ago.

The research conducted at Bukit Temiang Agricultural Complex near here found grapes were easy to plant and the hot weather in Perlis suited growing of the vines.

In April, Perlis Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim announced that grapes would become a new commodity for the state and urged farmers to grow the fruits.

He also launched the 72-hectare Ladang Bukit Bintang Dua project, the initial commercial cultivation of grapes.

When the cultivation area reach 10,000 hectares, its downstream industries can also be expected to grow including in the making of grape juice.

Shahidan also announced 2006 as the year for growing grapes in Perlis with the first yield from Ladang Bukit Bintang Dua expected to be produced next year.

GOING COMMERCIAL

Perlis Agriculture Department Director, Baharum Salehuddin said the experiment to grow grapes at Bukit Temiang had shown positive signs that the fruits had commercial value.

"The trees can grow even in extreme hot weather and can live up to between 40 to 60 years," he said.

He said the "IAC", "Black Opal" and "Queen" varieties were suitable for cultivation in Perlis and were expected to yield fruits after one and a half years.

The department's long-term target is not just to sell the fruits for the local market but to export them.

There is also plan to turn the vineyard into tourist attraction.

But while farmers may be prepared to cultivate the new crop, the high cost needed to prepare the plots could be a cause of concern.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 20th, 2005, 12:50 PM

No more squatters by August
Monday, June 20, 2005
Story and photo by SALINA KHALID

http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/6/m_pg12mbsa.jpg

MBSA heavy machinery being used to tear down
squatter houses in Kampung Sungai Renggam Railway Gate,
Section 19, Shah Alam.

ALL squatter houses in the Shah Alam city council area will be torn down by the end of August.

The move is to ensure that the city and areas under its jurisdiction are free from squatters when Selangor attains developed state status.

Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) assistant secretary and town planning department director Ahmad Zamri Kamaruddin said the city council would do all it can to get rid of squatters in its area.

“We will not tolerate them anymore. We have given ample notice and now it's time for us to take action against those who refuse to move out,” he said.

Zamri said there were 3,143 squatter families located in 36 squatter colonies throughout the council area, which covers Sungai Buloh, Paya Jaras, Kota Damansara and part of Klang in addition to the state capital city itself.

Some of the squatter families were given land compensation (706 families) while the rest (2,437) were offered a low-cost house either by the developers of their squatter areas or by the city council.

Under the agreement, those who took the offer would receive a RM7, 000 discount to buy a RM42,000 low-cost house.

MBSA pays the discount for those squatting on government land, while those squatting on private land get their rebate from the developer of the area.

Zamri said it cost the city council RM2.3mil to pay for the discount while the developers involved in the relocation of squatters have been billed RM3.9mil.

“We have served the squatters several notices and gave them until June 10 to take up the offer.

“But until now, even after the deadline, 108 families have rejected the offer,” he said, while reiterating that their houses would be demolished before the end of August.

He said the demolishing would be done in stages.

One of the common reasons given for the rejection was unsuitable location.

Currently, of the 2,437 squatter families who received the offer, 189 have been relocated, 295 have moved to transit homes or rented houses and 1,845 are being relocated to their new homes.

Zamri was speaking after heading the demolishing of squatter houses in Kampung Sungai Renggam Railway Gate, Section 19, Shah Alam, on Wednesday.

The operation at the railway reserve land, which started at 9am, involved about 50 officers from MBSA's enforcement department, police, TNB and the land office.

Also present was Batu Tiga state assemblyman Datuk Salamon Selamat.

Eight houses that were left vacant by the owners were demolished. Four families were allowed to stay on while waiting for the keys to their new homes.

nazrey

June 20th, 2005, 01:06 PM

SARAWAK GOVT EYES BINTULU (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=200366) PORT STAKE - REPORT
Updated : 20-06-2005
Media : AFX
Story By : Chew Lee Fun

(XFN-ASIA) - The Sarawak government is interested in the state-owned investment agency Khazanah Nasional bhd's 20.3 pct stake in Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd, financial weekly The Edge reported.

It gave no indication of how serious the interest is and did not provide other details.

nazrey

June 21st, 2005, 07:04 AM

Govt may take stake in Penang road project
Updated : 21-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : MARINA EMMANUEL

THE Government may take a stake in the RM2.01 billion Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project to ensure no more delays in its implementation.

Observers said the Government may take up the 10 per cent stake held by Setegap Bhd, which is believed to have pulled out of the project.

Setegap is one of the shareholders in Peninsular Metro Works Sdn Bhd (PMW), which is the project¡¦s concessionaire. The other two are Nadi Senandung Sdn Bhd, which holds 55 per cent stake in PMW, and Yayasan Bumiputera Pulau Pinang Bhd (35 per cent stake).

Business Times understands that Setegap has yet to inform the other partners of its intention to pull out of the project.

The three companies had signed a shareholder agreement in 1996 to form PMW, to act as a turnkey contractor for the PORR project, which will be undertaken via the build, operate and transfer concept.

¡§The project is still on and since Setegap only holds a 10 per cent share, they have never been involved in any decision-making relating to the project,¡¨ sources said.

It was reported that Setegap was pulling out of the project because the state authorities had decided not surrender several parcels of prime land in George Town as initially proposed for the company to undertake the project.

On June 4, the Business Times had reported that the Government was due to ink a concessionaire deal with PMW by August.

The 34-year deal comprises a highway agreement with the Works Ministry and a land agreement with the Penang Government with PMW.

PMW had asked to be allowed to impose RM1.30 toll when the Penang Government decided in 2004 that it would not surrender 26ha of prime property in George Town as part of cross-subsidising the PORR.

The State Government¡¦s support for the project now will be to give PMW reclamation rights to 200ha off Gurney Drive and the middle bank off the Penang Bridge and the issue of toll has since been resolved and will stay at RM1.

The PORR will comprise four toll plazas and eight interchanges along a new 17km four-lane dual carriageway stretching from Tanjung Bungah to the Penang Bridge on Penang island.

About 60 per cent of the highway will be elevated and will include single and double decks, to minimise traffic and land acquisition.

Bursa Malaysia Bhd records showed that the second board-listed Setegap is under Practice Note 17, the bourse¡¦s classification for companies with insignificant business operations.

For the year ended December 31 2004, Setegap announced a RM62 million net loss mainly due to thin margins and the lack of new contracts in the construction industry.

Last Friday, the company told the stock exchange that its solicitors had filed an application for the extension of a restraining and stay order it had been granted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court for a period of 90 days effective March 16 2005.

nazrey

June 21st, 2005, 07:05 AM

SP Setia to launch project in Johor by Aug
Updated : 21-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : HO SIEW YEE

SP SETIA Bhd will launch a mixed development project in Johor Baru, called Setia Tropika, by August this year.

The project, which will see some 2,500 houses, will have a gross development value of RM2.5 billion.

Group managing director- cum-chief executive officer Datuk Seri Liew Kee Sin said the project will take some 10 years to complete.

¡§It will have the normal SP Setia trademark with visual landscaping, affordable homes, some bungalows and semi-detached houses,¡¨ he told reporters after the company¡¦s extraordinary general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Setia Tropika will be built on freehold land in Tebrau, which was sold by the Employees Provident Fund to the company last August for RM227.3 million.

Liew said that for the first half of the company¡¦s financial year ended April 30, the company made RM639 million in sales and RM1.3 billion in yet-to-be-built sales.

¡§Last year, our sales totalled RM1 billion. We have already achieved 60 per cent of last year¡¦s (sales) by now. We expect to do better than in 2004 by October,¡¨ he said.

SP Setia has a gross landbank in the Klang Valley and Johor Baru amounting to 3,212ha, with an undeveloped landbank of 1,887ha.

For those six months, SP Setia achieved a net profit of RM79.1 million on the back of RM462.8 million revenue.

Its plan to return up to RM164.4 million, or 25 sen per share, in excess cash to shareholders under a capital repayment exercise was approved during the meeting yesterday.

The payment is expected to be made in October.

nazrey

June 21st, 2005, 07:06 AM

Nusantara to build health city in JB by mid-2006
Updated : 21-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : AZLAN ABU BAKAR

A RM50 billion International Health City (IHC) will be built in Johor by middle of 2006, the first of its kind in South-East Asia.

The large-scale project will be developed by a multinational consortium known as Nusantara Eco Trust Group (NET) comprising several Malaysian and foreign-based companies.

Among those in the consortium are AJM Planning Urban Design Group, Core Competencies Sdn Bhd, IBS Technology Sdn Bhd, Ridaa Associates Sdn Bhd, Sigma Olio Sdn Bhd, PT CRN International and PT Putrabakti Energy.

In a statement, the consortium said it plans to host more than 100 companies focused on developing and promoting biotechnology, healthcare and eco-tourism.

About 4,000ha will be acquired for the eco-synesis urban city development project in the south of Johor.

¡§This eco-city will be a major player in the regional health and eco-tourism scenario.

¡§Together with the country¡¦s current reputation for providing the region¡¦s most competitive priced healthcare, the eco-city is expected to attract many eco-tourists,¡¨ it said.

NET said being an intelligent city, it will use the latest technologies and advances in information, computer, telecommunications and directly linked to 30 other eco-urban cities around the world.

It said the eco-city will also function as a regional centre for clinical medicine, medical and health research, and higher learning institutions plus research and development initiatives in fields such as biotechnology and stem cell research.

NET has appointed CAEDZ LLC, a Silicon Valley-based conglomerate to assist in the planning, building and financing of the IHC project.

The company is involved in the construction of 30 of the 300 eco-synesis urban cities worldwide envisioned and planned by the United Nations.

As part of its commitment to help build eco synesis development in the South-East Asia region, CAEDZ has signed a memorandum of understanding with Limkokwing University to establish the region's first centre for Eco Urban Research.

nazrey

June 21st, 2005, 07:09 AM

Glowing attractions in Kijal for tourists
Tuesday, June 21, 2005

The“City of Light” and the firefly colony in Kemaman are hits among tourists staying at Awana Kijal Golf, Beach and Spa Resort in Kijal, Terengganu.

The 342-room resort, which is the largest in the state, organises trips to petrochemical industries in nearby Kerteh at night.

“Visitors are amazed by the brightly-lit sky from lights decking the industries and the open burning of spec gas,” said resort general manager Ruddin Salim in an interview.

Petrol refineries burn poor quality gas from onshore gas terminals for safety reasons.

Ruddin said the resort also organises daily trips to view the firefly colony in Kampung Ibok, about 20km from the resort.

“Our guests are mesmerized by the glowing lights along the Sungai Yakyah riverbank and some feel the view is better than the colony in Kuala Selangor,” he said.

He said the nine-year-old resort, a member of Genting Group, was enjoying better business this year compared to last year.

There was more than 90% occupancy during the school holidays, which coincided with holidays in Singapore, Ruddin said.

nazrey

June 21st, 2005, 05:13 PM

Govt Urged To Expand Pulau Kambing LKIM Complex
June 21, 2005 15:25 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, June 21 (Bernama) -- The South Kuala Terengganu Fishermen Association today called on the government to expand the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) Complex at Pulau Kambing.

It chairman Hasan Ismail said the complex built 20 years ago at a cost of RM8 million, could not accomodate the landing of bigger catch because it lacked space.

"When the catch is abundant, a number of boats have to call at other jetties to unload their catch," he told Bernama.

He said 500 fishing boats of various sizes operated in Kuala Terengganu but only 232 of them managed to land their catch at the Pulau Kambing LKIM Complex last year.

The handling of catch at the complex had decreased to 8,271.60 metric tonnes last year from 8,368.43 metric tonnes in 2003 but its value had risen to RM25,723,168 from RM21,225,078, he said.

Hasan said his association, which took over the management of the complex from the LKIM last year, had proposed to the government to purchase the land next to the complex to facilitate the expansion.

It also suggested a fishing township be built in the area, he said.

"We hope the government will consider our application and realise our dream," he said.

He said the LKIM had no plans to build a new jetty like in Pulau Duyong because the state government had planned to turn the island into a residential area.

Hasan said the lack of space at the Pulau Kambing LKIM Complex had prevented the association from building an ice factory and storage for use by the fishermen.

Presently, the association relied totally on the National Fishermen Association (Nekmat) to get its supply of ice from Cendering, he said.

Problems emerged when Nekmat's ice factory was damaged while the catch landed at the Pulau Kambing LKIM Complex was too much or when the catch was too little as there was no place to store ice at the complex, he said.

Hasan also said the complex was often congested with traders getting their fish supply especially in the morning.

He said fish barrels that were scattered around the complex also caused problems for the association as there was no place for them unless the complex was expanded.

"Because of this, the association cannot control and keep the cleanliness in the complex as instructed by the LKIM," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 22nd, 2005, 08:27 AM

Penang Takes Steps To Stay Competitive
Updated : 21-06-2005
Media : Bernama

Penang has taken giant steps to sustain its economic and industrial growth and is moving ahead towards k-economy in order to stay competitive.

Penang hopes the move will serve to attract more foreign direct investments (FDIs).

With increasing globalization, the manufacturing sector in Penang is focussing more on research and development (R&D), design, software development as well as new and emerging technologies including life sciences.

"Studies by Social Research Institute of Frankfurt showed that Penang has taken the necessary steps in order to stay competitive as compared with other countries like Mexico and Eastern Europe," said State Economic Planning, Education, Human Resource, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman, Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon, here Tuesday.

He said after more than 30 years of enjoying the less competitive period in getting the FDIs and more than a thousand manufacturing establishments, Penang was now facing a hard time to attract FDIs especially in the past two years.

Dr Toh said Penang had done well and the state's economic growth of 6.6 percent last year was higher compared to 4.2 percent in year 2003 and 4.3 percent in year 2002.

However, he said for the first four months this year, Penang felt the pinch of the downsizing process by the manufacturing sector where 1,276 workers lost their jobs.

In order to compete with other countries, he said Penang needed a more focused vehicle to drive technology and industry for a sustainable economic growth.

"In line with this vision, investPenang has been established by the state government to promote Penang as the location of choice for industrial and technology, related business and services globally," he said.

He said it was also in line with the initiatives taken by other countries, which had also set up their investment promotion arms like Invest Hong Kong, Invest Korea, China Invest, Invest Northern Ireland and Invest in Sweden Agency.

In order to retain and attract foreign direct investments, he said, Penang Cyber City (PCC), the first nation-wide roll-out Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Cybercity was launched on Jan 29 this year.

He said via PCC higher value products and knowledge-based services were encouraged and promoted with emphasis on R&D and design and development (D&D) on information and communication technology (ICT) and multimedia.

Besides attracting and retaining multinational corporations (MNCs), MSC also helps local small-and-medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to move up the value chain and compete globally.

Dr Toh said currently, 42 Penang-based companies and those Penang-based MSCs had been accorded MSC status like Intel, Motorola and Inventec.

nazrey

June 23rd, 2005, 05:27 PM

Penang state

http://img106.exs.cx/img106/4385/luchtfotopenang18mx.jpg

nazrey

June 23rd, 2005, 05:29 PM

Naluri's RM250m Batu Feringghi project
Updated : 23-06-2005
Media : The Edge
Story By : Nadia S Hassan

Naluri Bhd is planning a high-end residential project in Batu Ferengghi, Penang and phase one is estimated to have a gross development value of RM200 million to RM250 million.

Executive chairman Datuk Seri Adam Sani Abdullah said yesterday Naluri planned to build bungalows and semi-detached houses in Batu Feringghi

¡§Gross development value (GDV) for phase one is around RM200 million to RM250 million and will consist of about 90 semi-detached houses. We hope to launch by year-end while subsequent phases depend on market conditions,¡¨ he said after the AGM in Kuala Lumpur on June 23.

Naluri has a total of 800 acres in three locations -- Batu Ferringhi in Penang, Bukit Kayu Hitam and Petaling Jaya, he said.

Sani said under its growth strategy, Naluri would build up its property development arm while continuing to strengthen its three hospitality, duty-free business and automotive divisions, said

Hospitality, duty free and automotive divisions contribute about one-third to revenue. Later this year, we hope to see returns from our property development sector,¡¨ he said.

Naluri will change its name to Naluri Corporation Bhd to reflect its position as a holding company of a group of diversified businesses, said Sani.

For the first quarter ended March 31, 2005, Naluri made a net profit of RM7.89 million on the back of RM74.53 million in revenue.

Naluri was restructured after the sale of its investment in Malaysian Airline System Bhd in 2001. The exercise comprised of the repayment of RM552.41 million to shareholders and acquisition of property assets and new subsidiaries.

nazrey

June 23rd, 2005, 05:30 PM

Selangor To Spread Out Development To Outlying Areas
Updated : 23-06-2005
Media : Bernama

Selangor plans to spread its development to include areas outside the Klang Valley in order that those areas can benefit from the economic growth, Menteri Besar Selangor Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, said Thursday.

Towards this end, he said, the state government would promote the northern part of Selangor as an automotive belt while in the southern part namely, Kuala Langat and Sepang would be developed as the second Klang Valley.

Dr Mohamad Khir said there would be more exciting prospects and opportunities in Selangor in future.

"We are trying our best to create viable businesses in Selangor," he said when launching "Selangor Investment Seminar", here today.

Dr Mohamad Khir said the state government was planning to develop an area in Sepang as an inland port to support the growth of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The inland port would provide facilities to exporters and importers who could use KLIA as their entry and exit points.

At a press briefing later, Dr Mohamad Khir said the interest and livelihood of the Orang Asli in the vicinity of the proposed inland port would be looked into.

He said the state government would build proper housing units for the community in the relocation exercise to pave the way for the inland port development.

Asked when the project would take-off, he said it would probably take quiet some time as discussions and negotiations were still on-going with the Orang Asli community.

nazrey

June 24th, 2005, 07:20 PM

Penang To Get New Investments In Biotechnology
June 24, 2005 19:21 PM

PENANG, June 24 (Bernama) -- Penang expects to get new investments in biotechnology and biopharmaceutical, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Friday.

He said this was due to the participation by PenangInvest, a state government subsidiary, in the Biotechnology Industry Convention in Philadelphia in the United States last week.

Koh, who also attended the convention, said he had discussions with a few big companies in the industry like Johnson&Johnson, Pfizer Pharmaceutical and GlaxoSmithKline which had responded positively to offers to invest in Penang.

He said he also met the Trade Secretary for New Jersey, Virgina Bauer, who promised to visit Penang either at the end of the year or early next year.

"I invited her to bring a trade mission in biotechnology and biomedicine to the state," he told a media conference Friday.

Koh said the biotechnology industry would be a catalyst for the state's information technology in the development of the biopharmaceutical industry.

"We already have investments in biopharmaceutical like the B.Brown factory which produces medical equipment, and we hope that with new investments, it will further boost the industry," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 24th, 2005, 07:25 PM

Naluri to build houses in Penang
Friday, June 24, 2005

NALURI Bhd plans to build semi-detached houses on its 22ha of freehold land in Batu Ferringhi, Penang with a gross development value of between RM200mil and RM250mil, executive chairman Datuk Seri Adam Sani Abdullah said.

Phase I of the development, which comprises 90 units, was expected to be launched by the year-end, he said after the company's AGM in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The group’s land in Batu Ferringhi as well as its 309.2ha in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah are expected to be developed into high-end residential properties.

In 2004, Naluri became a diversified group with interests in property development, hospitality, duty-free operations and manufacturing following the acquisition of majority stakes in listed Sriwani Holdings Bhd, property assets and the United Industries group of companies.

Adam said the group’s shareholders had approved the proposed name change to Naluri Corporation Bhd.

He said the new name would better reflect Naluri’s position as the holding company for the various businesses.

He said the group also planned to change the name of its 23-storey office block in central Kuala Lumpur, Menara TR to ''Naluri'' this year.

On the group’s outlook, he said Naluri was optimistic of its prospects and the opportunities arising from the robust domestic growth.

He hoped the three business divisions – hospitality, manufacturing and duty-free operations – will contribute a third each to revenue this year, while property development was due to start contributing from next year. – Bernama

nazrey

June 25th, 2005, 02:09 PM

M'sia Land Plans RM1 Bln Development In Klang Valley And Johor
Updated : 25-06-2005
Media : Bernama

Property developer, Malaysia Land Properties Sdn Bhd, plans to embark on some RM1 billion worth of development within the Klang Valley and Johor Baharu comprising residential, commercial and retail projects.

Its chief executive officer, Datuk David Chiu, said that the company currently has about 10 on-going projects in the Klang Valley and Johor Baharu, which are expected to be completed within three years.

Among the projects are Prima Regency Service Apartment, Johor Baharu, The Tower Service Apartment, Waldorf Tower Service Apartment, Windsor Tower Service Apartment, Park View Service Apartment and Sri Putramas Phase II in Kuala Lumpur as well as Taman Telok Gedong Indah Phase II in Port Klang.

"The total sales value for our 10 projects is about RM1.5 billion," he told reporters after the launching of Hartamas Shopping Center, which was launched by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hasan, here Saturday.

On the newly-launched shopping centre, Chiu said that it was 90 percent occupied.

The 200,000 square feet shopping centre has about 80 food and beverages outlets, and a parking lot which could accommodate 2,000 cars, he said.

"We open or soft launched this shopping centre about four months ago. We see good quality customers are coming in," he said.

Meanwhile, Ruslin said that Kuala Lumpur, aspires to be a world-class city by 2020 and an integral part of the vision is to enhance its position as an international commercial and financial centre.

"It is vital to Kuala Lumpur's economy that it provides a wide variety of shopping centres and entertainment outlets throughout the city, it is equally important that we ensure the needs of those who live and work within the outskirts of the city are met," he said in his speech.

Commenting on the development of shopping centres in Kuala Lumpur, he said that shopping centres in the city catered for different types of people, like tourists and selective markets.

nazrey

June 26th, 2005, 09:47 AM

Melaka To Open Two Recreational Forests - Ali Rustam
June 26, 2005 15:15 PM

MELAKA, June 26 (Bernama) -- The state government will open two new recreational forests in the next two years to meet the growing demand from local and foreign tourists, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam said Sunday.

They are the 1,700ha Selandar forest reserve and the mangrove forest in Kuala Linggi, he said. Melaka has another recreational forest in Ayer Keroh.

He said the government agreed to develop the Selandar forest reserve into a recreational area complete with infrastructures, including a network of tarred roads costing RM5 million, to enable the public to explore the forest by car.

"We have applied for the allocation from the federal government so that the public will feel comfortable as they will not worry about getting lost," he told reporters after opening the Sungai Udang recreational forest.

Mohamed Ali said the Forestry Department would provide and maintain the facilities at the recreational forests.

The 100ha Sungai Udang recreational forest, about 28Km from Melaka City, is suitable for outdoor activities like camping and jungle trekking.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 27th, 2005, 07:30 AM

Perak Attracts 20 Hi-tech Japanese Companies
Updated : 27-06-2005
Media : Bernama

A group of 20 hi-tech Japanese companies plan to invest RM5.6 billion in Perak to manufacture computer screens and LCD and LCM television sets, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said Sunday.

He said representatives of the group had expressed interest in locating their factories on about 400 hectares in Klebang here.

"They are satisfied with the area and are now in the process of obtaining pioneer status and licences from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry," he said.

Tajol Rosli spoke to reporters after officiating at the handing over of keys to houses in Phase 1A of Taman Klebang Putra, here.

He said the large investment had the potential to offer about 20,000 jobs.

Tajol Rosli said a network of 20 factories would be developed by the group in the area.

The menteri besar also said that the state government faced difficulty in attaining the target of zero squatters in Ipoh city this year because some squatters were reluctant to move to low-cost houses.

"They demand plots of land, and the state government is prepared to open up more planned kampungs on condition they are prepared to pay for the cost of the infrastructure," he said.

He said that if they were not prepared to pay the RM4,000 to RM5,000 of the cost incurred, the planned kampungs could not be established.

The state government, he said, only provided the infrastructure for housing projects for the hardcore poor but for other settlements the cost of constructing roads and drains were borne by the applicants.

Tajol Rosli said some 6,100 units of low-cost houses had been built to accommodate about 5,000 squatters here but many of the units were still vacant because of poor response from the squatters.

Meanwhile, MK Land Holdings Berhad Executive Chairman Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar said the Taman Klebang Putra project was expected to be completed in 2007.

The project involved construction of 2,613 units of mixed housing and so far 1,060 units had been completed.

The gross development value of the whole project upon completion was RM295.1 million, he said.

An attraction on offer for house buyers was membership at the Klebang Putra Club which has facilities such as a gymnasium, swimming pool and various sports amenities.

nazrey

June 27th, 2005, 07:49 PM

Kedah Organising Trade Mission To Japan In September
June 27, 2005 21:36 PM

KULIM, June 27 (Bernama) -- Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain will lead a trade mission to Japan in September to attract more Japanese investors to Kedah.

State Science, Technology, Industry, Consumer and Community Affairs Committee Chairman Datuk Chong Itt Chew said here Monday that the mission would visit various plants like Hoya, Aicello and Fuji.

"We expect the mission to attract more investors from Japan to invest in the Kedah industrial area and at the same time increase direct investment to the state," he said at a press conference after officiating the additional building of packaging company Aicello Malaysia at the Kulim Industrial Area here.

Chong said that Japan is now at number three in terms of investments in Kedah with RM569 million after Germany (RM4.36 million and the US (RM716 million).

He said that the investments were registered since 2000 to last year.

He said that the state government was currently in the process of upgrading the Kulim Industrial Area and that Japanese plant operators are urged to set up a committee to monitor their welfare.

He said that the committee could also provide more effective feedback to the government in efforts to increase the facilities there and channel the necessary help needed.

Aircello Malaysia was set up at cost of RM25 million while the additional building cost RM15 million.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 28th, 2005, 04:51 PM

AP Land To Focus On Rebranding Exercise In Penang
June 28, 2005 18:44 PM

PENANG, June 28 (Bernama) -- Asia Pacific Land Bhd (AP Land), one of the largest property groups in the country, will focus on rebranding exercise on its established development in Batu Feringghi, Penang this year after being absent from the market for almost eight years.

Its managing director Datuk Jeffrey Ng Ting Lip said that rebranding exercise is a very logical step for the group after being absent since the recession in 1997, so that the market could perceive the group's new development.

The exercise, which will cost about RM1.5 million for the physical projects including showroom, campaigns and marketing, was part of the group's business plan for the next three years in Penang, he told a press conference after the group's annual general meeting, here Tuesday.

"Our rebranding exercise will involve product positioning, in terms of new design and concept and also overall community development. We hope that it will be better well received by the market," he said.

He said that the mixed development project in Batu Feringghi, comprising a resort-styled enclave of condominiums and villas will see a rebranding exercise with a proposed 121 unit condominium tower to be launched this year.

He said that the company still have about 17.6ha of undeveloped land bank worth about RM8 million in Penang.

Ng said that although the group has invested in Penang for many years with about RM108 million worth of assets, in order to move forward in future, it has to depend on the authorities' approval as well as the building plan.

"That is something we will continue to work on, it makes no difference when we are dealing with different authorities whether in Penang, Selangor or Kuala Lumpur. The process that we go through is the same accept the asset size in Kuala Lumpur is more than RM1.36 billion, compared to Penang's RM108 million," he said.

He also said that the group would form joint ventures to develop its assets in order to accelerate the development of its 640ha of land bank nationwide.

To be competitive, the group will continue to focus on supplying affordable houses and reconfiguring its housing lots into more marketable units and expand the products to meet market demand. Ng said that the group's entry into the high-end market segment will be marked by the launch of "myHabitat" serviced residences at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur this year, comprising 300 exclusive apartments priced at between RM500 to RM700 per square foot.

He said that "myHabitat" augurs well with the government's "Malaysia-My Second Home Programme", which allows foreigners to purchase up to two houses in Malaysia costing above RM150,000 each.

"We look forward to a better year ahead with the launch of `myHabitat' although we will be tested by competition from similar product offerings. We will be aggressive in our efforts to gain a share of the high-end market," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 30th, 2005, 07:30 AM

Beekeeping Project For Pulau Sebatik
June 30, 2005 12:36 PM

TAWAU, June 30 (Bernama) -- A beekeeping project will be implemented in Pulau Sebatik, off the east coast of Sabah, for the benefit of the residents who are mostly poor.

Sebatik Assemblyman Datuk Dr Haji Patawari Haji Patawe said the honey-producing project would be carried out with the co-operation of the Koperasi Pembangunan Desa (KPD), a state government agency.

He said the project would apply the beekeeping concept adopted in three northern districts of Sabah, namely Kota Marudu, Kudat and Pitas, which had been involved in the activity for 10 years.

"We want to introduce the project in Pulau Sebatik because it has proven to have raised the social status of the people involved in the activity in Kota Marudu, Kudat and Pitas.

"I was informed that the income of the participants in the three districts is now around RM2,000 a month. This is lucrative," he told Bernama.

Pulau Sebatik is located near the border with East Kalimantan. The majority of the people are farmers and fishermen.

To raise the social status of the residents, a salted fish project was implemented, along with the introduction of modern fishing technology.

Dr Patawari said two officers from the co-operative would come to Pulau Sebatik on July 8 to carry out a study on the proposed project and prepare a comprehensive report.

He said that in the initial stage, the pilot project would involve a certain number of residents and, if successful, it would be expanded to involve more of the residents.

"The project will be implemented on contract with the beekeepers whereby the co-operative will provide them advice and purchase the honey they produce," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 30th, 2005, 05:11 PM

KSL’s Muar project launch next month
Thursday, June 30, 2005
By ZAZALI MUSA IN SEGAMAT

KSL Holdings Bhd will launch its first mixed development property project in Muar next month as part of a strategy to further strengthen its presence in Johor.

Executive director Ku Hwa Seng said the project, spanning 75.67ha next to Tanjung Agas industrial estate along the Muar river bank and facing the Straits of Malacca, was about 1km from the town centre and accessible via the Sultan Ismail Bridge.

''With 1,456 residential and 392 commercial properties, the project will keep us busy for the next five to six years,'' he told StarBiz after the company AGM yesterday.

http://www.star-space.com/articles/news/2005/06/30/b_pg13hwa.jpg

Ku Hwa Seng.

He said KSL would initially launch 195 shophouses on a 11.53ha site while the residential scheme on 64.13ha would be launched within a year.

Ku said property developers, especially the big players, had for many years shunned Muar as they found it to be unexciting.

However, he said people would remember Muar for a few things – producing a number of Mentris Besar and serving tasty mee bandung.

Surprisingly, Muar which had been labelled ''a pensioner's town'' for its slow pace of life, had seen much development in recent years, he said.

''The property market is also picking up with good demand for residential and commercial properties,'' he said.

Ku said Muar had not seen any big-scale property projects in the past decade or so as most schemes were sited in areas of between 0.8ha and 2ha.

For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2004, KSL's revenue increased to RM252.94mil from RM225.95mil in 2003. Its pre-tax profit also went up to RM98.64mil from RM96.55mil previously.

nazrey

June 30th, 2005, 05:13 PM

National athletes chase SEA Games berths in Penang
Thursday, June 30, 2005

PENANG: More than 40 national athletes will be making attempts to win places in the team for the Manila SEA Games at the Penang Open athletics championships at the City Stadium here this weekend.

The Penang Amateur Athletics Association (PAAA) secretary, Paul Subramaniam, said yesterday that they had received confirmation from the National Sports Council (NSC) on the participation of more than 40 athletes who were being prepared for the SEA Games at the end of the year and also the Asian Games in Doha next year.

“I have been told that the majority of them have not qualified for the SEA Games,” he said.

Among the top athletes from the Gemilang 2006 squad who will feature in the championships are sprinters S. Ravindran and S. Narendran; hurdlers Mohd Faiz and Moh Siew Wei; and walkers Mohd Sharrul Haizy and Shabana Khanum.

Promising Selangor high jumper Lee Hup Wei, who created a sensation by matching Loo Kum Zee’s 2003 SEA Games winning mark of 2.15m in the national schools (MSSM) championships at the City Stadium in May, will also be in action.

Paul said the PAAA president, Datuk Mohamed Syed Aidid, who made a personal contribution of RM6,000 as cash rewards for medal winners last year, would fork out the money again.

A gold, silver and bronze will be worth RM40, RM30 and RM20 respectively.

nazrey

July 1st, 2005, 06:08 PM

Selangor Unveils State Structural Plan 2020
July 01, 2005 22:05 PM

SHAH ALAM, July 1 (Bernama) -- Selangor Friday unveiled its State Structural Plan 2020 detailing its policies and plans to develop the land and the state.

The plan was put up for public viewing and comments today until Aug 1 at 23 locations statewide, including at 12 local authority offices and nine district offices, said State Urban and Country Planning Department Director Datin Paduka Dr Halimaton Saadiah Hashim.

The Plan was also displayed at the Urban and Country Planning Department and Land and Mines Department, she said at the launch of the public display of the plan by Deputy State Secretary (Management) Datuk Ishak Ahmad who represented Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.

Dr Halimaton said the public could give their views and suggestions on the plan or raise objections electronically through www.agenda21.net.my.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 2nd, 2005, 10:54 AM

No Specific Toll Rise At Penang Bridge After Expansion Work
July 02, 2005 13:38 PM

IPOH, July 2 (Bernama) -- The government has no immediate plans to increase the toll rate at the Penang Bridge once work to build a third lane on both sides of the bridge is completed in March, 2008.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Saturday that although there were provisions to increase toll after a certain number of years, two scheduled increases were not implemented as the government had paid compensation to the concession holder.

However, the people of Penang could not expect to block a toll increase every time, he said after opening the Tanjong Rambutan Gurdwara Sahib's new hall here.

Samy Vellu, however, gave an assurance that he would consult the Penang government and Chief Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon before making any decision on a toll increase in the future.

He said the work to expand the RM1.25 billion Penang Bridge, which was completed in July, 1985, and regarded as Asia's longest and the world's third longest bridge, would start in September and was expected to take 30 months.

The expansion work, which includes building a special lane for motorcycles, would cost RM402 million, with the government giving RM340 million as loan to Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.

"We are giving the company loan as it's necessary to do the job. There are lot of traffic problems at the moment and we hope to complete the work to ease the problems," he added.

Samy said the entire work would involve a 13km stretch of the bridge and interchanges.

A traffic management system would be put in place to ensure minimal traffic disturbance and smooth vehicle flow.

He said 110,000 vehicles used the bridge daily now and once the additional lanes were completed, the capacity would be increased to 180,000 vehicles.

The government had earlier postponed the plan to build a second bridge linking Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland due to the cost factor and instead decided on expansion of the existing bridge.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 2nd, 2005, 05:36 PM

http://www.magiccarpetjournals.com/Malaysia.htg/penangbanner.jpg

nazrey

July 4th, 2005, 01:21 PM

Keningau Town To Become Town In A Garden
July 04, 2005 13:48 PM
By Newmond Tibin

KOTA KINABALU, July 4 (Bernama) -- Described as a simple, talkative and people-friendly leader, the Liawan State Assemblyman, Datuk Sairin Karno is far-sighted and has the ambition of turning the town of Keningau, which is within the Liawan constituency, into a "Town In A Garden".

Outlining his vision for the more than 20,000 residents of Liawan for the next five years, he said the landscape transformation agenda for the remote town is one of his priorities in efforts to put Liawan in the Sabah tourism calendar, including the homestay programme.

Located near the Crocker Range forest which boasts of various species of herbs, the town of Keningau certainly has the credentials to be promoted as a town in a garden which will turn it into a tourist attraction, he said.

"Incidentally, a major portion of the Crocker Range is situated in the Liawan constituency and this opportunity should be exploited.

"In addition, the town of Keningau is surrounded by greenery which is bound to astound tourists particularly those who like the land's natural beauty," he told Bernama, here.

He will ensure that each village will prepare a blueprint including efforts to ensure a healthy environment.

"This is one way of making the villagers realise the importance of preserving the environment especially those living on the fringes of the Crocker Range...if possible, we want to create more model villages which are exquisite and clean such as Kampung Bayangan," he said.

In addition, Sairin also wants a research and development centre for herbal plants to be set up in Liawan in future for commercial purposes.

He said Malaysia's tropical forests have more than 20,000 species of plants of which, 2,000 species are reported to have medicinal value.

"Although the country has a diversified genetic reserve, it is still a major importer of herbs. Actually, a large part of the herbs are found in Liawan...they are around us and are untouched deep in the Crocker Range forest," he said.

"This means that there is great potential for the herbal industry in Liawan," he said, adding that such industry can raise the standard of living of the local people who are mostly farmers.

As such, the government plans to make the herbal industry part of the development focus in Liawan, he said.

"I believe such a plan can be achieved besides giving emphasis to the other sectors of development including agriculture and animal husbandry," he said.

Sairin said Liawan is currently noted as a major producer of milk, meat, high quality sweet potatoes and rubber in Sabah.

"My initial proposal is that each family in the village should plant at least five acres of oil palm in addition to growing rubber, and construction work on the first rubber factory in Liawan is expected to be completed soon.

"That's why I have always stressed that the new source of wealth for the people in this area is agriculture and animal husbandry, and success in this field will certainly help to reduce the poverty rate of the rural people," he said.

In planning the development programme for Liawan, Sairin has a "special assistant" who does the planning starting from the storing of data up to the blue print for the long-term and short-term development, encompassing education, health, the economy, agriculture, fisheries and community development.

In the field of education, "my objective is that at least one member of each family will be a university graduate besides seeing more professionals such as doctors, scientists and engineers".

"I also want at least one university branch or college to be set up in Liawan, and I will do my best to realise this objective," he said.

On development projects in Liawan, Sairin said various infrastructural projects have already been implemented or are in the process of implementation, these include the construction of the RM200 million Keningau Hospital, SMK Gunsanad II (RM38 million), the Keningau-Nabawan-Sepulut road and the Keningau-Kimanis-Kota Kinabalu road.

On the issue of illegal immigrants which has yet to be resolved here, he said positive steps have been taken including intensifying patrols and checks.

"I wish to give an assurance that the security situation here (in Liawan) is very much under control and Keningau in general is a safe place for local and foreign tourists," he said.

He said solidarity among the various communities in the area, comprising mostly the Kadazandusun and Murut ethnic groups, is strong which certainly makes it easier for the government to implement the development programmes planned.

A University of Malaya medical student, Helen Saminggau, from Kampung Sinulihan, Sook, said that the efforts taken to set up a university branch or college in Keningau is a smart move which should be supported by everyone, particularly the younger generation.

"This is because such a move contributes towards churning out more intellectuals who will determine the future direction of the interior region for better prosperity by the year 2020," she said.

Another Liawan resident, Mamin Nasiri, said proper planning must be made to ensure that the aspirations of the people are achieved, and hopes that Liawan, particularly the town of Keningau, will become the catalyst for growth in the interior areas of Sabah.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 5th, 2005, 01:36 PM

Nusantara Eco plans health city in Johor
Tuesday, July 05, 2005

NUSANTARA Eco Trust Group (NET) will invest RM50bil to develop an International Health City (IHC) in Johor mid next year, making it the first eco-city to be built in South-East Asia.

The company said in a statement a greenfield of about 10,000 acres would be acquired for the eco-synesis urban city in south Johor.

It plans to host more than 100 companies focusing on developing and promoting the biotech and health-related industry and eco-tourism.

The eco-city would leverage on the latest technologies and advances in information, communications and telecommunications (ICT), the statement said.

The city will also be directly linked to 30 other eco-urban cities worldwide, each affording other aspects of the economy thus providing a global synergistic sustainable economy.

It would also function as the regional centre of excellence for clinical medicine, medical and health research, and higher learning institutions plus research and development (R&D) initiatives, especially in the field of biotechnology. The city is expected to attract many would-be international health tourists, especially eco-tourists.

NET said the eco-city would be designed for a low-density and upscale population and large allocation for Carbon Credit farmland, with only 12% allocated for an eco-friendly industrial park that would establish the community’s self-sustaining economy.

Carbon Credit Farm Bank is a programme that reduces or at least offsets carbon pollutant emissions into the atmosphere by replanting trees, bio-diversified vegetation and swarm.

NET is also involved in a Waste to Energy (WTE) project in Jakarta. The project, spearheaded by Sigma Olio Sdn Bhd, plans to generate electricity for Jakarta via burning of municipal waste.

The company is constructing a WTE plant, which is expected to be ready in the next two years. It plans to build nine other such plants in Indonesia.

nazrey

July 7th, 2005, 02:26 AM

US Co Plans To Invest RM95 Mln In Perak To Set Up Internet Telephone
Updated : 06-07-2005
Media : Bernama

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali says that an American multinational company plans to invest some US$25 million (RM95 million) in the state to set up a an Internet telephone service base called "carrier hotel."

He said that if this plan materialised, Ipoh will become the Asian base for the Internet telecommunication system provided by the company.

The company intends to provide the telephone service via the Internet for all international communications and make Ipoh its base, he told reporters after chairing the state Exco meeting, here Wednesday.

"Through this system, it will one day be possible for the public to communicate with those in London at only 28 sen for half an hour or maybe even for free," he said.

He said that the US investor relayed its intention to set up its operations in Perak to state Education, Human Resource and Multimedia committee chairman, Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and state Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Tourism Committee Chairman Datuk Mohd Radzi Manan in Philadelphia where they participated at the Biotechnology exhibition there as part of the Malaysian delegation last month.

Tajol Rosli said that the state government has submitted a proposal to the federal government to study whether or not the set up was viable and its impact on the country's telecommunication industry on the whole.

nazrey

July 7th, 2005, 03:30 PM

Perak set to become regional telecoms hub
Updated : 07-07-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : MIMI SYED YUSOF

A US-based company plans to invest some RM90 million (US$25 million) in a project which could pave the way for Perak to become the telecommunications hub for the South-East Asia region.

The project involves the setting of ¡§carrier hotel¡¨, an infrastructure which enables Perak to be the carrier for international calls via the Internet.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said the service would be the first of its kind in the country and it would be a tremendous boost in Perak¡¦s drive towards a knowledge-based state by 2015.

He said the company would be submitting a proposal on the project soon, and if viable, a working paper would be prepared and presented to the Federal Government for the infrastructure to be sited in Ipoh.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the State Executive Council meeting yesterday, Tajol Rosli said the State Government was planning to have an in-depth discussion with the company at a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next month.

He said it was a golden investment opportunity for the state and the facility would open up Perak and put it on the global map.

¡§We hope the Federal Government will support the proposal.¡¨

Tajol Rosli said the State Government was progressing well with its plan to transform Perak into a K-state over the next 10 years.

He said wireless broadband access is already available between Ipoh and Seri Iskandar and efforts are now being made to establish more ¡§hot spots¡¨ for wireless connectivity.

nazrey

July 7th, 2005, 03:31 PM

Penang to promote contract manufacturing
Updated : 07-07-2005
Media : The Edge
Story By : Regina William

The state government will promote Penang as a contract manufacturing centre for foreign investors apart from making efforts to attract more foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the manufacturing industry.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said on July 7 that as FDIs took time for fruition, especially in view that approvals and planning could take up to two years, investors could get immediate results by securing manufacturing partners in Penang.

He said this after announcing the procurement of products of up to RM1.6 billion by Lucent Technologies from Penang over the past three years for shipments globally via partnerships with Solectron Technology Sdn Bhd and Jabil Circuit.

Present was Lucent Technologies (Asean area) Singapore Pt Ltd chief executive officer Aled R Tien.

"In view of the current favourable investment climate offered by the Malaysian government and vast potential business opportunities in the country, we are pleased to say that we are looking at the possibilities to further invest in Malaysia," Tien said.

"We hope Lucent will continue to deliver "Made in Malaysia" next generation communications solutions to leading service providers in the world," he added.

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next generation communications networks.

Its customers include communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide, and Telekom Malaysia Bhd is among its clients in the country.

Its R&D organisation, Bell Labs, focusses on the communications networking needs of service providers around the world. Its researchers have received six Nobel prizes in Physics, nine US National Medals of Science, eight US National Medals of Technolgy and over 31,000 patents since 1925.

In mid-2002, Lucent won a broadband Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment supply contract in Malaysia and decided to move the manufacturing of ADSL to Penang, which is contracted out to Solectron and Jabil.

In 2004 alone, Lucent procured RM890 million worth of products from Penang, nearly five times the amount in 2002. Lucent, through its agreements with its manufacturing partners, provides employment to more than 1,000 people in Penang.

Lucent has also localised the entire process including testing, failure analysis, as well as downstream activities like packaging and shipping.

It achieved MSC status in 1998 and is one of the MSC International Advisory panel members.

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 02:36 PM

Pantai Malindo - Penang's New Eco-tourism Lure
July 08, 2005 18:14 PM
A Special Report By Noor Hidayah Anuar

PENANG, July 8 (Bernama) -- Pantai Malindo or Kuala Sungai Burung in Balik Pulau, among the hardest-hit coastal areas by the killer tsunami waves on Dec 26, last year, is fast emerging as a new eco-tourism lure.

Plans are ahead to build various facilities for tourists, including for animal and bird watching and camping in the scenic area with lush greenery and quiet ambience.

For animal watching, a telescope would be built with the assistance of Universiti Science Malaysia's Astronomy and Atmospheric Science Research Centre, Pulau Betong state assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad told Bernama.

He said a special site for camping that could accommodate 40 people would be provided for visitors to spend the night and to do jungle trekking to see the various species of animals roaming about and birds singing in their natural habitat setting.

The Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) would also alienate a place for fishermen to sell their catch, he said.

He said the old fishermen's jetty has been upgraded, enabling visitors to have a first-hand look at the routine activities of the fishing community there.

Pantai Malindo covers a one-hectare mangrove swamp area which serves as a wavebreaker while "Malindo" is a name of a tree fishermen seek shelter after a hard day's work at sea.

The beach, when developed, is expected to woo in droves animal and bird watches.

A Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer Prof Chong Hon Yew said development of the area would help inculcate interest among students to take up astronomy.

He said the area was accessible to the public compared to the USM Sheikh Tahir Astronomical Centre at Pantai Acheh in Balik Pulau which was open to the public only at certain hours.

Abdul Razak Abu, 45, a fisherman, said he was happy with the development being carried out in the area as it would attract visitors to the beach.

For couple Hashim Shapie, 57, and Sharifah Omar, 51, who ran a restaurant at the jetty, said it would be good for their business to have the place developed as it would attract more visitors.

Hashim's restaurant is known for its prawn mee.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 02:43 PM

http://www.abcmalaysia.com/maps/images/terengganu_map2.jpg

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 02:45 PM

Pulau Duyong To Be Developed As International Tourist Destination
July 04, 2005 20:38 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 4 (Bernama) -- Pulau Duyong here, famous around the world for its traditional boat building industry, will be developed as an international tourist destination with a marina and holiday chalets, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

He said a National Rakan Muda Water Sports Academy would also be established on the 28ha island.

To kick off plans for developing Pulau Duyong, an international sailing boat competition would be held off the island at the end of the year, he told reporters after a meet-the-people session on the island during his one-day visit to Terengganu, Monday.

Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said.

Abdullah said the island's development would centre on its boat building industry which had produced boats that sailed around the globe.

Asked on the effect of the five-day work week implemented by the public sector on July 1, the Prime Minister said the benefit could only be seen over time but he was sure it would not adversely affect government services.

He hoped government staff would continue to improve their performance to make the country more competitive.

On the action of PAS in organising a public demonstration recently in Terengganu, Abdullah said the opposition party was trying to gain popularity.

"PAS is trying to politicise land and other issues," he said, adding that the Terengganu government would explain the facts to the people.

About 5,000 people, believed to be mostly PAS supporters, held a protest on June 19 outside Wisma Darul Iman which houses state government offices over the non-renewal of temporary occupation licences (TOL) for participants of a cluster land scheme.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 03:20 PM

Durin Bridge Should Be Ready By December, Says Jabu
July 08, 2005 20:25 PM

SIBU, July 8 July (Bernama) -- Sarawak's longest bridge, the Durin Bridge, spanning the Rajang River at Durin, about 37km from here, should be ready by December this year.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said Friday that this was the commitment given by the nominated contractor, the Kuching-based Brooke Dockyard and Engineering Works Corporation.

"I'm quite happy to see that they have taken a lot of steps to increase their pace of work. They are quite serious in wanting to complete it," he told reporters here.

Jabu, who is also state Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications, visited the RM95.84 million project which had been delayed by more than three years.

Work on the project, which was first awarded to a consortium, Galland/Hidrogradnja and Ku-De-En Sdn Bhd, began on March 31, 1999, and was scheduled for completion on Jan 30, 2002, but the federal government had to find a new contractor after the consortium faced problems.

The 1.25km bridge is the last missing link on the state trunk road from Kuching to Miri.

Jabu also said that a ferry service had been proposed at Nanga Balleh in Kapit Division to facilitate the construction of a road joining Kapit town to Sungai Tunoh under the next development plan.

"With this ferry service in place, the first stage of construction the road from the other side of the Balleh River can then proceed," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 03:21 PM

Only Limited Tourists To Sarawak's Turtle Islands - Wong
July 06, 2005 13:46 PM

KUCHING, July 6 (Bernama) -- Tour agencies, with permits to conduct eco-nature tours on Sarawak's Turtle Islands, off the coast of Sematan, are allowed only limited number of tourists as part of conservation efforts.

Sarawak Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said the state government would not compromise on nature conservation even though "nature and adventure" was one of the themes used to promote Sarawak as a tourist destination.

"As such, tour agents conducting the island-hopping package to Pulau Talang Talang and Pulau Satang must ensure that only discerning tourists (of five people) who strictly adhered to the rules and regulations of the Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance are allowed," he said when opening the "Green Turtle Dreaming" exhibition at Sarawak Museum here.

The exhibition, from July 7 to Sept 20, featuring marine turtle conservation and related turtle cultures in the Australia-Southeast Asia context, is organised by the Australian Green Turtle Foundation and the Sarawak Museum Department

Wong said eco-nature tourists could assist the Sarawak Forestry Corporation's park rangers by patrolling and cleaning up the beaches, collecting turtle eggs and releasing young hatchlings into the sea.

Each tourist could also contribute to a trust fund to be set up to help conserve turtles on the islands, located at the Satang Talang Marine National Park, he said.

He said the state government, aware of the need to conserve and protect the environment for future generations, enacted the ordinance in 1998 to protect endangered species, including turtles.

"The people here do not eat turtle eggs or their meat. The turtles are not even used as a tourist icon or attraction in our islands. This shows our seriousness in conserving this rare resource," he said.

A study on turtle conservation on the islands since 1950 by the Sarawak Museum showed only one percent of the hatchlings out of the 100 eggs laid at any one time would survive due to predators like sharks and eagles.

Fifty percent of the matured turtles also returned to the place they were hatched to lay their eggs 30 years later.

He was confident the collaboration would promote goodwill and attract more Australians to come to Sarawak for holidays and visits.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 04:01 PM

Rakyat M'sia Dari Semenanjung, Sabah Guna MyKad Masuki Sarawak
April 07, 2005 17:48 PM

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/newspic/am/SK04_060405_AIRPORTlimbang.jpg

Lapangan Terbang Limbang dirasmikan Ketua Menteri Sarawak
Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud bakal menjadi nadi penggerak ekonomi
Bahagian Limbang. Lapangan terbang yang menelan belanja RM130 juta,
mempunyai landasan sepanjang 1,600 meter bagi membolehkan
pesawat Fokker 50 dan Twin Otter mendarat. Foto: Hairul

LIMBANG, 7 April (Bernama) -- Rakyat Malaysia dari Semenanjung dan Sabah hanya perlu menggunakan MyKad mereka untuk memasuki Sarawak menjelang awal tahun depan, kata Ketua Menteri Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Khamis.

Beliau berkata tempoh percubaan bagi penggunaan kad pengenalan itu akan bermula Jun ini.

"Kami telah merekabentuk peralatan dan perisian untuk tujuan itu tetapi terdapat beberapa prosedur pentadbiran yang perlu diperkemaskan terlebih dahulu," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Lapangan Terbang Limbang yang baru bersama Menteri Pengangkutan Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy di sini.

Lapangan Terbang Limbang, yang terletak tujuh kilometer dari pekan Limbang, sebelum ini merupakan 'Short Take-Off and Landing Port' (STOLport) yang kini dinaiktaraf sebagai sebuah lapangan terbang.

Lapangan terbang berharga RM150 juta itu yang mempunyai keupayaan mengendalikan sehingga 250,000 penumpang setiap tahun, kini boleh menempatkan pesawat Fokker 50 berbanding padang terbang lama yang hanya boleh mengendalikan Twin Otters.

Selasa lepas, Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri Datuk Azmi Khalid berkata Kabinet bersetuju pada dasarnya terhadap cadangan menggunakan MyKad untuk memasuki Sabah dan Sarawak dan ia memerlukan kelulusan daripada kedua-dua kerajaan negeri.

Terdahulu, Abdul Taib dalam ucapannya berkata kerajaan negeri bersetuju dengan cadangan supaya penduduk dari Semenanjung dan Sabah yang ingin berkunjung ke Sarawak hanya perlu menggunakan kad pengenalan mereka untuk memasuki negeri ini.

"Ini tentu sekali akan merapatkan hubungan dan kerjasama antara penduduk serta kegiatan ekonomi antara Sabah dan Semenanjung," katanya.

Beliau, yang menyentuh pembangunan Bahagian Limbang yang mempunyai dua daerah iaitu Limbang dan Lawas, berkata bahagian berkenaan semakin berkembang.

Katanya kerajaan negeri sedang berusaha mendapatkan persetujuan kerajaan pusat untuk membina sebuah lapangan terbang di kawasan berkenaan bagi kemudahan penduduk, termasuk selatan Sabah yang meliputi kawasan Beaufort dan Sipitang.

Katanya dengan perkembangan pesat di Limbang, Lawas dan Sipitang di Sabah, kewujudan sebuah lapangan terbang akan dapat menjana pertumbuhan ekonomi serta pembangunan yang lebih baik.

Mengenai Lapangan Terbang Limbang yang baru, Abdul Taib berkata ia dapat memudahkan proses pembangunan di bahagian berkenaan serta memudahkan penduduk untuk terlibat dan mencapai kemajuan seperti di negeri-negeri lain.

Beliau berkata kedudukan demografi negeri itu yang mempunyai kawasan yang luas dan penduduk yang tinggal bertaburan, memerlukan sistem pengangkutan udara yang baik.

Sementara itu, Chan dalam ucapannya berkata rangkaian infrastruktur pengangkutan yang moden dan menyeluruh adalah penting sebagai penggerak serta nadi pertumbuhan ekonomi negara.

Katanya kerajaan akan terus memberi keutamaan dan pelaksanaan beberapa projek lapangan terbang di Sarawak dalam Rancangaan Malaysia Kesembilan kerana pengangkutan udara merupakan corak pengangkutan yang penting.

Beliau berkata Lapangan Terbang Limbang yang siap dan beroperasi sepenuhnya pada Julai tahun lepas mencatatkan peningkatan trafik udara sebanyak 15.2 peratus iaitu 96,209 penumpang berbanding 83,459 orang pada tahun sebelumnya.

"Berdasarkan kepada perkembangan positif ini, perhatian dan pertimbangan perlu diberikan untuk menambah kekerapan penerbangan terus khususnya dari Kuching dan Sibu. Saya yakin ia akan menjadi pemangkin kepada industri hiliran dan sekali gus mencipta pekerjaan kepada penduduk tempatan," katanya.

Lapangan Terbang Limbang yang dilengkapi sebuah bangunan terminal, kaunter daftar masuk, kafeteria, anjung tinjau, surau dan boleh memuatkan seramai 100 penumpang pada satu-satu masa merupakan lapangan terbang keempat yang baru di Sarawak selepas Bintulu, Miri dan Mulu.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 07:20 PM

Fokker F50 Lands In Limbang New Airport
April 07, 2005 17:48 PM

For folks in Limbang, 15 July 2004 was a significant date for those who get the traveling bugs now and then. The day was special because of the introduction of the twice-daily Miri-Limbang Fokker F50 flights by Malaysian Airlines (MAS).

During the official opening of the new Limbang Airport that day, the inaugural Fokker F50 flight, MH2480, departed Miri at 8:20am and arrived in Limbang at 8:45am. This is the second Fokker F50 service introduced into MAS rural air services network after a similar upgrade to its flights between Miri and Mulu in October 2003.

The new airport is the pride and joy of Limbang, and a long cherished dream of the residents there who have been traveling in smaller aircrafts such as the six-seater Cessna, Norman Islander, Twin Pioneer and Twin Otter since the first Limbang Airport at Jalan Pandaruan, 5 km from Limbang Town, was built in 1963 by the British Army and later taken over by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to handle the commercial flights of Malaysia-Singapore Airways Company (MSA) in 1964.

http://www.myonestopsarawak.com.my/info/rakansarawak/062004/current_image/2-1.jpg

The 1,500 m runway to accommodate
Fokker F50 aircrafts

Background of Project

In view of the above constraints and the confidence that passenger growth and demand will increase in the area, the Federal Government decided in the late 1970 to find a new site to construct a new Limbang Airport. A consultant firm was appointed in 1978 to undertake the Master Plan Study and to recommend to the government a suitable site for the new airport. The study was completed in late 1979. The recommendation of the Consultant was to build an airport to cater for Fokker F27 (now replaced by F50) at a site approximately 13km South-West of Limbang Town. A preliminary design for the selected site was undertaken by the Consultant, which was completed in 1981. In view, however, of budget constraints during the Fourth and Fifth Malaysia Plan, the project was temporary shelved, and a detailed design was not carried out.

Following the mid-term review of the Sixth Malaysia Plan, the project was reinstated with an initial sum of RM8.6 million. Another consultant firm was appointed in 1994 to undertake the detailed design of the new airport. Before the Consultant firm could proceed further, the state government raised some concerns on the site chosen.

http://www.myonestopsarawak.com.my/info/rakansarawak/062004/current_image/2-2.jpg

The information counter is located at
main entrance of the new airport

Revised New Airport Site

Following the objection to the original site, the state government came up with a new proposed site at Rangau, which is approximately 6 km due North of Limbang Town. The site is accessible by road vide Jalan Tujuh Batu Keliling from Limbang Town. A preliminary study was carried out by the Public Works Department (JKR) and DCA, and the new site was found to be suitable for the construction of a Fokker F50 airport. A land area of 263.635 hectares was then acquired for the airport, and Mujatra Bhd from Kuching was appointed as the contractor. The government handed over the site to the contractor on 6 September 2000.

http://www.myonestopsarawak.com.my/info/rakansarawak/062004/current_image/2-3.jpg

Terminal building of the airport

Capacity of New Limbang Airport

The spanking new Limbang Airport could handle up to 250,000 passengers annually. The main terminal building has 1,732.22 sq m of floor space with a 1,500 m runway and an apron that is capable of accommodation two Fokker F50s and one Twin Otter at any one time. Two baggage carousels have been installed at the arrival hall to handle the multitude of passenger luggage. Amenities such as toilets, a surau, canteen and facilities for the disabled are also available. The new airport could handle an average of two Fokker F50 flights and four Twin Otter flights per day. Other general aviation agencies like Hornbill Skyways and Layang-Layang Aerospace are also using the airport on an ad-hoc basis. From Limbang, passengers could fly to Miri, Lawas and Kota Kinabalu.

nazrey

July 8th, 2005, 07:23 PM

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nazrey

July 9th, 2005, 05:07 PM

Look At Pahang For Investments, Najib Tells Investors
July 09, 2005 20:21 PM

KUANTAN, July 9 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Saturday urged local and foreign investors to look at east coast states, especially Pahang, as their choice location for investments.

He said good infrastructures and cheap land provided attractive investment prospects for them as the states have the potentials under phase two of the National Industrial Development.

"If we look at the country's industrial development all these years, we can see that it has been focused in the west coast, especially in the Klang Valley, but the Klang Valley is already choked with industries, housing and so forth.

"The time has come for local and foreign investors to look at strategic areas in the east coast states, more so with the completion of the East Coast Highway.

"There are many advantages, especially lower land costs, to set up factories," he told reporters after opening the Pahang Umno Convention.

Earlier, in his speech, Najib, who is also Umno deputy president, said opening of the East Coast Highway should be seen as a catalyst for development of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.

He said Pahang could be the catalyst for phase two of the national industrial development along the the east coast like the Klang Valley which had spurred the development of the west coast under phase one.

To boost its development, he said, Pahang should take immediate steps to woo investors by making decisions fast, efficiently and orderly.

"I hope the new highway will provide the impetus for development in the east coast. We do not want the highway to be used by the Kuantan folk to go to Kuala Lumpur but I want the other way round, the Kuala Lumpur folk to come here," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 9th, 2005, 05:08 PM

Penang Working On Two-pronged Strategy To Boost Economy - Dr Koh
July 09, 2005 19:14 PM

PENANG, July 9 (Bernama) -- The state government is working on a two-pronged strategy to stimulate economic growth stunted by the global political and economic uncertainties over the past four years.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said under the strengthening and diversification strategy, the state government would strive to maintain, enhance and improve existing economic sectors besides exploring new areas.

Among sectors given emphasis are industrial, agriculture and tourism, he said in his congratulatory and loyalty speech at the investiture in conjunction with the 67th birthday of the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas.

Dr Koh said disease outbreaks and natural disasters have also taken a toll on investments, tourism and trade in Penang.

The world electronics industry crisis in 2001, the Sept 11 terror attacks in the United States which led to the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, terrorism activities, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), bird flu, tsunami disaster and hike in petrol and diesel prices are among challenges which brought changes to the state economic structure, he said.

Dr Koh said development of the industrial, electronics, information and communication technology sectors would be intensified through research and development, designs and developing e-business.

At the same time, he said, efforts would be make to venture into new areas like wireless, medical devices and instrumentation and software applications to further boost the state's economic growth.

On tourism sector, Dr Koh said efforts would be continued to improve cleanliness and landscaping of places of interest besides promoting places like the Penang National Park in Telok Bahang, Pantai Acheh, Inner City Marina at Lebuh Gereja jetty and the International Cruise Centre at Port Swettenham as tourism products.

He said efforts would be made to woo more foreigners to the state, including from Australia, Britain, China, India, Japan, Taiwan and West Asian countries.

A census would also be carried out on the number of people engaged in the agriculture and agro-based industries to draw up a more effective promotion plan, he added.

Abdul Rahman, in his speech, advised penangites, especially the younger set and employees in the economic sectors, to acquire more knowledge and skills to face challenges and competition in the global market.

He said they should learn new technologies to increase productivity and service quality.

He also urged the people to maintain cleanliness at their workplaces, housing estates and public places.

Expressing support for the state government's initiatives in giving priority to the agriculture sector, he said farmers and fishermen should learn to apply new technologies and be business-minded.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 9th, 2005, 05:16 PM

Selangor On The Brink To Be Declared Developed State - Najib
July 09, 2005 18:44 PM

SHAH ALAM, July 9 (Bernama) -- Selangor is on the verge to be declared a developed state, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

He said the state should be allowed to be declared a developed state ahead of others when it met all the criteria.

Congratulating the state government for the achievements, he said Selangor's declaration as a developed state would boost the spirit and morale of the people in the state and bring about more spin-off effects.

The state would also serve as a role model and a catalyst to other states to strive harder to attain developed state status, he said when opening the Urban Malays Convention jointly organised by Selangor Umno and Selangor Malay Chambers of Commerce.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo told Bernama that he planned to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in a fortnight to brief him on Selangor's achievements.

Friday, Abdullah called on state governments, wishing to be declared as "developed states", to fulfil the nine objectives envisaged in the Vision 2020 Charter.

They include sustaining macro-economic stability, eradicating poverty, enhancing quality life, overcoming social ills and instilling moral and ethical values.

To this, Dr Mohamad Khir said: "We are prepared."

He was confident Selangor would have no problems in attaining developed state status and intended to officially declare the state as a developed state on Aug 27.

Earlier, in his speech, the Menteri Besar attributed the state's success to the federal government's assistance, especially in providing various first- class infrastructures like the KL International Airport in Sepang and the major ports in Klang.

"These projects have aided to spur development in Selangor by many folds if one were to compare it with other states," he said.

Selangor's success to emerge as the first developed state showed the aim of Vision 2020 to transform Malaysia into a developed country in the next 15 years was achieveable, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 11th, 2005, 12:47 PM

Penang commission to build complex, ferry terminal
Updated : 11-07-2005
Media : Business Times

THE Penang Port Commission (PPC) will build a complex on its land which housed the previous complex and a ferry terminal, which will be completed in as early as two years.

Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) president Md Aris Md Ariffin said PPC had submitted its proposal to the Economic Planing Unit of the Prime Ministerกฆs Department for approval.

He said the ferry terminal would replace the previous one that was torn down after it collapsed in 1988.

กงConstruction work on the project, estimated about RM85 million, will commence after MPSP approves the plan upon getting the greenlight from the Federal Government,กจ he said.

Md Aris was speaking to reporters in Penang recently after MPSP officials and its councillors were briefed on the project by representatives from the PPC.

He said the six-storey building will have 43 covered bus bays and 28 taxi bays on the ground floor, while the second floor will have food courts and air-conditioned ticket counters for out-station buses.

กงThe third floor will be allocated to department stores while entertainment and recreational centres will be housed at the fourth floor,กจ he added.

nazrey

July 11th, 2005, 12:50 PM

Metrojaya department store to open in Penang
Updated : 11-07-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : MARINA EMMANUEL
http://www.metrojayaonline.com/

http://www.metrojayaonline.com/jpg/mjpurplelogonobrd.jpg

METROJAYA Bhd is set to boost its presence in Penang with the opening of a Metrojaya department store at an upmarket shopping centre in George Town soon.

It is learnt that the company will be the anchor tenant of Island Plaza in Tanjung Tokong and will lease an estimated floor space of 100,000 sq ft.

กงMetrojaya is in the midst of finalising the tenancy terms pending the signing of an agreement,กจ a source told Business Times in Penang.

It is also learnt that part of the tenancy agreement includes the entry of a renowned supermarket chain at Island Plaza.

The Metrojaya group currently has a presence in Penang via its specialty stores กงToys กฅRกฆ Usกจ, กงEast India Coกจ, กงReject Shopกจ, กงSomerset Bayกจ and the Cosmart hypermarket in Bukit Jambul.

In welcoming Metrojayaกฆs possible reinvestment in Penang, State Tourism Development Committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow said: กงIt will definitely create more retail choices for the consumer while helping Penang offer a retail experience of a different level to its residents and visitors since we do not have an upmarket branded department store here yet.

กงWe hope the shopping trends and tastes of the Penang people will now change with this offering.กจ

Henry Butcher Malaysia (Penang) Sdn Bhd deputy president Teoh Poh Huat said Penangกฆs retail scene will be more vibrant if Metrojaya reinvests in the state via its department store.

กงThe presence of an upmarket department store like Metrojaya will give both Penangites and visitors more choices of greater offerings brought to Penang,กจ he said.

If the deal between Metrojaya and Island Plaza goes through, other tenants in the shopping centre can expect a boost to their business, which has been in a slump since the former anchor tenant, Super Tanjung Dept Store and Supermarket, ceased operations less than a year ago.

Ahead of the opening of the new outlet, Reject Shop staff have begun encouraging shoppers in Penang to sign up for Metrojayaกฆs กงMJ Privilege Cardกจ.

The Metrojaya chain of companies began business operations in 1976 with the opening of its pilot department store covering 18,350 sq ft at the Pertama Complex on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur.

Today, the chain boasts of four departmental stores covering a total floorspace of about 600,000 sq ft.

http://www.midvalley.com.my/shop/image/metrojaya.jpg

Lot AT2,
Mid Valley Megamall,
Mid Valley City,
58000 Kuala Lumpur.

nazrey

July 11th, 2005, 09:08 PM

Malacca airport to be expanded
Friday February 25, 2005

MALACCA: The Batu Berendam Airport will be expanded this year with a budget of RM120mil from the Transport Ministry.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the call for tenders for the expansion project would be made soon.

The expansion would allow larger aircraft to land at the airport, allowing it to cater to regional flights, such as those from Medan and Pekan in Indonesia. Chan said an initial budget of RM80mil to expand the airport was insufficient and he had managed to get an additional allocation of RM40mil from the ministry.

The expansion plan, scheduled under the Ninth Malaysia Plan which starts next year, was brought forward after much persuasion from the state government, said Chan.

“This will help attract more tourists to Malacca,” he said, adding that at present, tourists visiting Malaysia by air would have to take an extra one-and-a-half hours to reach Malacca from the KL International Airport.

Chan was addressing some 10,000 people at Jonker Walk where he was guest of honour at the Chap Goh Meh celebrations on Wednesday night.

Among the highlights were cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations and lion dances by 217 troupes. “The celebration of Chap Goh Meh in Jonker Walk here is unique and one of the best in South-East Asia.

“It reflects a blend of various cultures as a Malay boy was one of the performers in the Chinese martial arts and Indians were part of the lion dance,” Chan said.

http://img220.exs.cx/img220/8852/mccad4cw.jpg

Malacca - Batu Berendam Airport

Bigger Airport at Batu Berendam The Malacca Airport located at Batu Berendam is expected to be expanded soon. The Government had approved a budget of RM120 million for the said expansion, which will be tender to the contractor soon.
With the expansion plan the airport can allow larger aircraft to land and offer more connection regionally to other airports such as from Pekan and Medan..

nazrey

July 12th, 2005, 06:22 AM

Sabah gets Japanese offers
Updated : 12-07-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : JASWINDER KAUR

JAPANESE companies and Chambers of Commerce are interested to cooperate with Sabah to explore opportunities in key areas such as agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who returned on Sunday from a week-long working visit to Japan, said one area that would likely be developed is the bio-diesel industry.

¡°Japan is keen to develop our crude palm oil (CPO) into bio-diesel or bio-fuel. We told them that we have 1.3 million hectares in oil palm plantations and, therefore, sufficient CPO supply,¡± he said.

He said Japan has shown interest in Sabah¡¯s Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) and that Sabah hopes to follow-up on this development.

Musa said Yanmar Co Ltd, which is a renowned manufacturer of agricultural tractors, is particularly interested in developing bio-diesel for their next generation of environmental-friendly machines.

He said Sabah is also looking at transfer of technology in agriculture by bringing in farmers from Japan for several collaborations.

During his trip, Musa also visited the Ariake Wastewater Treatment Plant, Panasonic Centre and World Expo in Aichi.

Meetings were also held with several high-ranking Japanese government officials including Japan¡¯s Deputy Chief Cabinet secretary Seiken Sugiura.

Musa said he informed the Japanese about Sabah¡¯s development agenda which has set agriculture, manufacturing and tourism as areas which will bolster growth.

¡°There is interest to develop tourism in Sabah under the ¡®My Second Home¡¯ programme for Japanese senior citizens. I believe they will find Sabah an ideal place for a second home due to our nature, culture and warm people,¡± he said.

Musa said overall, the trip was an eye-opening experience.

He said Sabah could learn a lot from the Japanese, especially in improving its delivery system.

nazrey

July 13th, 2005, 04:43 AM

Shah Alam's high-end mall to open Sept
Updated : 13-07-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : VASANTHA GANESAN

SELANGOR development arm, Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS), has built its first high-end mall in Section 14, Shah Alam, at a cost of about RM80 million.

The six-storey building, known as the SACC Mall, is scheduled to open in early September, sources told Business Times.

The shopping complex, described as a lifestyle/boutique-style mall, targets the middle- to upper-income group in Shah Alam.

It is not like any other mall in Shah Alam. It is finer. It is like having Suria KLCC in Shah Alam on a smaller scale,¡± a confirmed tenant of the mall said.

Among the retailers who are expected to have a presence there are British India, Vincci, Bata, Guess, Body Shop, Gulati¡¯s, Euro Moda, Bonia and England Optical Group.

The Certificate of Fitness was obtained at the end of June. Retailers are currently renovating their premises,¡± the source said.

The mall, which is located next to the old Komplex PKNS and near Plaza Perangsang in Shah Alam, has a gross built-up area of 585,000 sq ft.

Total net lettable area is slightly less than 200,000 sq ft and the mall can house over 100 retailers.

The mall was built by PKNS to give life to the Shah Alam City Centre. Unlike other shopping complexes in Shah Alam that have food courts, the mall has fine dining and al fresco dining. This will allow the food and beverage outlets to stay open till 1am or 2am,¡± the source said.

Moreover, the mall is different from the normal heavy-duty malls like Suria KLCC and Mid Valley Megamall.

SACC Mall is decorated with arches and domes. It has a lot of colour, as opposed to blank walls. It also has windows, which is very rare for outlets within most malls,¡± he added.

The basement will have a car park and a supermarket. The ground, second and third floors will have retailers.

The fourth and fifth floors will have car parking bays. The idea is so that all floors are taken up by retailers, unlike in some shopping complexes where the top floors do not do well,¡± the source said.

dingyunyang179

July 13th, 2005, 05:46 PM

Nice pics!
Thanks for sharing!

nazrey

July 17th, 2005, 05:40 PM

Port Dickson Location Of Third Hard Rock Hotel In Asia
July 17, 2005 19:03 PM

http://www.guomanhotels.com/guomanpd/location/images/map_malaysia.jpg

PORT DICKSON, July 17 (Bernama) -- Port Dickson will be the location of the third Hard Rock Hotel in Asia, after Pattaya (Thailand) and Bali (Indonesia).

The Negeri Sembilan government has approved the development of the five-star hotel at a cost of RM175 million at Km11.2 of Jalan Pantai, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Sunday.

The hotel would be constructed on the 6.8 hectares previously occupied by the Si Rusa Inn and would face the sea, he said, adding that it was expected to be completed in 2007.

http://www.malaysia.com/images/malaysia/maps/large_portdickson.gif

"The Hard Rock Hotel will more or less transform Port Dickson into a seaside resort of repute, alongside Bali in Indonesia and Pattaya in Thailand," he told reporters after presenting prizes to winners of the Port Dickson International Triathlon here.

The private-owned Hard Rock Hotel Port Dickson would have 300 rooms and 50 chalets.

Hard Rock Hotel Port Dickson will be managed by HPL Hotels & Resorts which has its headquarters in Singapore and is wholly owned by Hotel Properties Limited (HPL).

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 17th, 2005, 05:47 PM

Seremban commuter station - Capital city of Negei Sembilan

http://img129.echo.cx/img129/2733/305246937ndvmqiph10zi.jpg

nazrey

July 17th, 2005, 05:54 PM

Port Dickson - Negeri Sembilan

http://www.usj.com.my/gallery/albums/Dreamers-Photo-Album/pd3.jpg

http://www.usj.com.my/gallery/albums/Dreamers-Photo-Album/corus_hotel2.jpg

nazrey

July 18th, 2005, 08:25 PM

121 telco towers illegal in Negri
July 17, 2005 19:03 PM
By SIMON KHOO

THE Negri Sembilan government has identified at least 121 telecommunication towers that have been put up illegally in the state.

Rangkaian Minang (NS) Sdn Bhd chief operations officer Mohamed Adznor Mansor said the figure was derived from its ground surveillance over the last three months.

He said the owners of the towers had been issued with notices to rectify the matter within six months.

“The towers were erected without getting any approval from the local authorities,” he said.

“Besides, it did not adhere to the guidelines stipulated by the Malay-sian Communications and Multi-media Commission (MCMC),” he added at a recent press conference.

Present at the conference were state exco member in charge of Energy, Water, Communications and Rural Development Jamlus Aziz and MCMC Central Region office head Aly Shaharom.

Rangkaian Minang is a state joint-venture company established under Mentri Besar Incorporated to build and maintain telecommunication structures in Negri Sembilan.

Mohamed Adznor said the owners would be issued with a yearly permit once they had rectified and complied with the requirements.

“Otherwise, stern action will be taken against them, including dismantling the structures,” he said, adding that records showed that only 89 towers adhered to MCMC guidelines.

On another matter, he said they had identified rural areas that did not have good telecommunications reception. This, he said, would be upgraded in stages.

nazrey

July 20th, 2005, 05:33 AM

Jusco operator to set up latest shopping centre in Seremban 2
Updated : 23-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : PRESENNA NAMBIAR

AEON Co Bhd, operator of the Jusco chain of stores, is spending RM74 million to set up its latest shopping centre in Seremban 2 by the end of September this year.

That shopping centre would be the first of four new outlets to be opened within the next 12 months and it would also be the first Jusco to open in Negeri Sembilan.

This would be followed by a Jusco store in Johor Baru by January 2006. Openings in Cheras and Equine Park, Cyberjaya would then take place in June and July respectively.

¡§In our business we have to continue to expand and there are many areas outside the Klang Valley which are good markets. We are always evaluating it especially the West Coast right up to Alor Star,¡¨ chairman Datuk Abdullah Mohd Yusof told reporters at a press conference after the company¡¦s annual general meeting held yesterday.

The company also announced the appointment of Nagahisa Oyama as the new managing director replacing the outgoing Soichi Okazaki who will be leaving for Japan after 8 years of service with the company.

The company¡¦s other core business, property management, which makes money from rental and other incomes from its shopping centres, contributed 8 per cent to the company¡¦s revenue of RM1.7 billion last year.

The Jusco stores nationwide has an average occupancy rate of 99 per cent, above the industry standard of around 80 per cent as reported by Bank Negara Malaysia.

¡§We have a very good and steady income from our property management business,¡¨ said general manager of finance Poh Ying Loo.

The company hopes to maintain its market share of 3.4 per cent this year. But with the retail market projected to grow by 30 per cent to RM65 billion in terms of sales from around RM50 billion last year, it would mean an increase in overall sales for Aeon.

¡§Getting more of a market share is one part of the story, the other part is making customers satisfied and coming back,¡¨ said Abdullah.

¡§Right now around 58 per cent of sales is from loyalty customers,¡¨ he said.

Jusco has 430,000 principal loyalty card members known as J-card holders with women making up more than two-thirds of them.

The Jusco store in Wangsa Maju was said to have had a J-card day for its customers this year that managed to rake around RM8 million in sales for just that day. Every Jusco store has at least one members day a year.

Of Jusco¡¦s 11 existing stores, Jusco Mid Valley, Jusco 1 Utama and Jusco Taman Maluri are its best performers contributing some 40 per cent to Aeon¡¦s total sales.

The company is giving out a first and final dividend of 12 per cent per share.

¡§Our policy has been quite consistent in giving fairly reasonable and generous dividends. But of course it depends on its performance in the market place,¡¨ Abdullah said.

nazrey

July 20th, 2005, 05:47 AM

Airport upgrading project delayed
Updated : 19-07-2005
Media : New Straits Times
Story By : Ahmad Fairuz Othman

The completion of the new terminal and extended runway at Sultan Abdul Halim Airport will be delayed by another four months.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the facilities, scheduled to be operational next month, would only be ready in December.

With the new facilities, he said, the airport would be able to accept larger aircraft, including the Airbus 330 and Boeing 737-400.

Chan, who visited the airport today, said it would also be able to handle regional flights to Indonesia and Thailand.

"There are discussions to have flights to destinations such as Medan, as well as several cities in Thailand and other neighbouring countries," he said.

The re-development is costing RM160 million.

The new terminal building will be able to handle more passengers, while the 1,963m runway is being extended to 2,745m.

Chan said the delay was due to technical and engineering problems.

Expansion works began in February 2003.

Airport manager Halim Omar said passenger volume had increased from 357,000 in 2003 to 359,000 last year.

nazrey

July 20th, 2005, 05:48 AM

Proposal to build new airport frozen indefinitely
Updated : 19-07-2005
Media : The Star

A proposal to build an international airport in the northern region has been put on hold indefinitely.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the issue of reviving the proposed project off Kuala Muda in Kedah that was shelved during the 1997 economic slowdown had not been raised.

He said the existing Sultan Abdul Halim Airport, being redeveloped at a cost of RM160mil, could adequately cater to current needs.

Speaking after a briefing here on the progress of the project yesterday, he said the state's request to include international flights to and from here would be looked into.

¡§We will be working closely with MAS and AirAsia. I think it is possible to include regional destinations, including Thailand and Sumatra,¡¨ said Chan.

The airport is at present handling domestic and general aviation flights as well as being used by the Air Force for pilot training.

Chan said the first phase of the airport expansion project to extend the runway from 1,963m to 2,745m was progressing well, adding that it would be completed by next month.

The second phase, for a new terminal, control tower and Department of Civil Aviation office, would be completed by the end of November, he said, adding that technical hurdles had delayed the project.

By the end of the year, the airport is expected to be able to handle 580 passengers an hour compared with 280 at present.

Chan said that with the expansion, the airport would have two departure halls and 300 parking lots compared with the current 180.

The airport recorded a passenger load of 359,000 last year compared with 357,000 the year before.

nazrey

July 20th, 2005, 09:30 AM

Sarawak Aims For Full Electronic Government Status By 9MP
July 20, 2005 12:50 PM

KUCHING, July 20 (Bernama) -- Sarawak hopes to achieve full electronic government status, with major work processes computerised and major services offered online, by end of the Ninth Malaysia Plan period, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Wednesday.

Dr Chan, who is also Sarawak's Industrial Development Minister, said under the state government's electronic government initiative, the main thrust is information and communications technology (ICT) for the public service and the development of a knowledge community and economy that is ICT-literate and skilled.

"We cannot have a situation where the government is far ahead of the economy and the people in the use of ICT. The economy is the domain of the private sector and the government's roles are strictly regulatory and promotional," he said at the opening of the Small and Medium Business (SMB) ICT Solution Campaign Roadshow 2005 here.

Kuching is the third leg of the seven locations of the nationwide roadshow organised by the SMI Association of Malaysia to help small and medium businesses to maxmimise their potential for business growth and to stimulate the adoption of ICT among the SMBs.

Dr Chan said local businesses presently have been quite slow to adopt ICT, with only about 24.5 percent of the SMBs embarking on rudimentary ICT such as Internet access and use of personal computers.

As such, there is a need to generate the momentum and awareness that integrating ICT into their businesses is the key to grow and compete with emerging economies like Vietnam and China, he said.

He added that local businesses must also quickly develop their ICT and e-commerce strategies to address the growing issue of not being left out of the Internet revolution as the government viewed SMBs as one of the bedrocks of the economy.

Dr Chan said SMBs are critical in maintaining the country's commercial and industrial productivity competitiveness as they played an important role in supporting the bigger businesses to provide jobs and the bulk of industrial and commercial output.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 20th, 2005, 10:02 AM

Sabah to seek Federal aid for flood prevention drainage projects
Jaswinder Kaur
20/07/2005

SABAH will seek assistance from the Federal Government to develop drainage projects in flood prone areas so that storm water can be released quickly.

In a statement issued today, State Secretary Datuk K.Y. Mustafa said it had been decided that the projects be implemented as soon as possible, especially near Menggatal, Telipok, Darau and Tebobon rivers.

Mustafa said land acquisition and relocating locals to expedite construction of drainage systems will be coordinated by the Finance Ministry, Land and Survey Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department and the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park.

nazrey

July 23rd, 2005, 08:04 AM

Johor Corp acquires Grand Continental Hotel
Updated : 23-07-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : SITI NURBAIYAH NADZMI

JOHOR Corp (JCorp) has acquired the Grand Continental Hotel (http://www.johorhotels.com/) and renamed it Hotel Selesa Johor Baru.

JCorp chief executive Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim declined to disclose details of the acquisition, but said the hotel would supplement the RM50 million convention centre, Persada Johor, which is now under construction and scheduled to be ready by June next year.

กงThere will be demand for rooms when the Persada Johor is ready,กจ he said.

Before this, the 27-storey four-star hotel with 288 rooms in Jalan Tebrau was a 50:50 joint venture between JCorp and Grand Central Enterprises Johor Sdn Bhd.

กงThe hotel industry is very competitive. It was a question of whether we or our joint-venture partner took over the hotel,กจ he added.

He said the hotel will now be managed by Selesa Johor Baru Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JCorp.

กงWe are keeping the original management team headed by general manager Hon Swee Yee,กจ he added.

On the name change, Muhammad Ali said it was to reflect the new ownership and JCorpกฆs plans to upgrade and reposition the property.

กงWe are looking into areas of improvement,กจ he said, but declined to elaborate.

JCorp owns two other hotels in Johor กX the five-star Puteri Pan Pacific Hotel in Johor Baru and Hotel Selesa Pasir Gudang.

Asked if JCorp was out to build a new hotel chain, Muhammad Ali replied: กงThat sounds too ambitious. But we want to review the management of all three properties,กจ he said.

Currently, the Puteri Pan Pacific Hotel is managed by Tokyu Hotels International Ltd, while Hotel Selesa Pasir Gudang is managed by Inderaloka Hotels and Resort Sdn Bhd.