Posts Tagged ‘Selangor’

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Selangor State Govt Chinese New Year Dinner on Thaipusam Eve

February 2nd, 2012
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This is being compared with last year’s Parliament sitting on Deepavali eve by MIC and MIC-friendly folks.

The Parliament sitting was cancelled by Cabinet after some noise were made by various groups (and DAP reps sent a memo), as it was considered a disrespectful and insensitive move.  Read about it below:

http://poobalan.com/blog/borninmalaysia/2011/10/11/parliament-sitting-on-deepavali-eve-issue/

http://poobalan.com/blog/borninmalaysia/2011/10/21/parliament-sitting-on-deepavali-eve-cancelled/

This time, its Selangor state government which is organising its Chinese New Year Dinner on 6th February (6pm till 11.30pm) at Rawang, which is on the eve of Thaipusam.  Refer here:

http://www.selangor.gov.my/main.php?Content=vertsectiondetails&VsItemID=423&VertSectionID=373&CurLocation=481&IID=

The difference between the two events are clear:

- one is an official “serious” event, the other is a official celebratory dinner.

- One involves all elected reps, govt staff and media, while other involves elected reps in Selangor and also includes public in addition.

- One is covering whole nation (imagine MP Bagan Serai balik kampung after parliament sitting) while the other is covering Selangor state. Probably the number of Hindus involved is very small (even the Selangor state EXCO don’t have Hindus).

- Deepavali eve is important as most Hindus will travel back to hometown. Thaipusam is not necessarily celebrated at hometown as some Hindus make pilgrimage to certain temples while other take opportunity to visit different temples for the celebration. Also, not all temples have chariot procession on the eve.

- Parliament sitting is usually arranged at beginning of the year. The dinner, was probably arranged few weeks ago.

- Deepavali came midweek, thus many other people will be working. Thaipusam this time around is on the end of a long weekend holiday (4 days if Saturday is off day), thus most people would have already made plans to travel elsewhere if they intend to celebrate Thaipusam.  The dinner may not be of consequence to them.

- Note that the last day of CNY would be on 6th February, thus the state could have organised the dinner on 23rd Jan, 24th Jan, 28th Jan, 29th Jan, or 4th Feb (maybe 4 is not lucky number?). 5th is Prophet’s birthday, so that’s definitely a no-no.  Those who are fasting (like for 10 or 30 days) would not be attending, so its likely that whichever day the dinner is organised, you’ll see lesser Hindus.

Similarities:

- both fall on the eve of a religious event.

- both are organised by governments.

- both are considered insensitive due to proximity to religious festival.

For me, even though the function is a non-compulsory “fun” event, the organisers could have chosen another day to do it, as perception of public is important. It would seem like the CNY dinner did not take into consideration participation of Hindus as majority Hindus are not expected to attend. Maybe its just targeted at the Chinese community.

Again, this maybe due to the lack of sensitivities among the officers in state government. Being from the majority race, probably they lack proper exposure to cultures and religious beliefs of others.  None may have thought of asking a fellow Hindu colleague/friend about the suitability of the date.

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New Sikh temple in Section 18 Shah Alam

January 13th, 2012
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 Happy to hear that a Sikh temple is being built. Interesting to note that it took them 21 years to get the application approved after several rounds of negotiation. Quite fast eh? :-) Good luck to the community in building the gurdwara. Hope they will get sufficient funds from federal and state governments. Election coming soon, so better squeeze them for much fund as possible.

Also I hope the gurdwara doesn’t become an issue since I believe about 90-over % of the population in Shah Alam are Muslims.

 

SOME 400 Sikh families in Shah Alam can soon look forward to performing their prayers and carry out other related activities in a more conducive environment once their long-awaited new place of worship in Section 18 is completed in November.

The community, who had been holding their religious activities under cramped conditions at a corner unit of a low-cost double-storey house in Section 25, Taman Sri Muda since 1993, will no longer have to travel all the way to other gurdwaras in Klang or Petaling Jaya as the new premises will be sufficient to accommodate larger congregations.

The New Building Fund committee chairman Patminderjit Singh said work on the new place of worship began last month and some RM1.1mil had been raised to-date.

For a smooth-sailing project: Priests performing prayers before the commencement of the construction of the new Gurdwara Sahib Shah Alam project in section 18.

“The Sikh community desperately needs a new gurdwara as the present premises is unable to accommodate us. We have had to put up tents outside the present premises whenever the crowd was big,” he said.

Patminderjit said Sikh families were also unable to hold weddings or other major events such as Vaisakhi, which was the most important event in the Sikh calendar on a big scale at the present premises due to this.

“The residents here had also complained to the authorities several times particularly when we put up a tent to allow the congregation to partake in langgar (vegetarian meals),” he said adding that the Sikhs had never intended to inconvenience their neighbours but were left with no choice.

Patminderjit said the new gurdwara would be able to serve the growing Sikh community with more new townships opening up in surrounding areas.

Apart from Shah Alam, Sikhs from Taman Sri Muda, Bukit Rimau, Kota Kemuning, Bukit Kemuning, Bukit Jelutong and other nearby areas in Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya, Subang Jaya and Klang thronged the present premises during religious celebrations.

Soon to be ready: An artist’s impression of the new Gurdwara Sahib Shah Alam.

Patminderjit said the community would also be able to hold Punjabi language and music classes, particularly for the children once they moved to the new premises.

Sikhs, he said, first submitted an application for a parcel of land in 1984. After several rounds of negotiations with the state government, the present site was approved on Dec 20, 2005.

Patminderjit said the committee had also written to the Inland Revenue Board to seek tax exemption for those who donate to the cause.

“Piling work has been completed and work is in full swing now.

“We have now invited tenders for the main building and are hoping that more donors would come forward to help us,” he said, adding that the Sikhs had also written to the federal and state authorities for financial aid.

Those who wish to know more about the progress of the construction or to make donations can visit www.gssabuildingfund.com.

source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/1/6/central/10190913&sec=central

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RRI Indian workers for generations!

November 29th, 2011
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Just imagine this, generation after generation working away, and now left with nothing. All this while, quarters provided, got salary, and enjoyed at relaxing environment, but their future is very bleak without ownership of house nor any suitable skills for uplifting their economic status. Can you imagine what is the fate of their kids?  Did the previous generations ever thought of getting out of the vicious cycle or were they ever given a chance to do so?

Can imagine similar scenario happening for estate workers.

Hopefully in this case, the government is able to provide the families a piece of land or other award for their hard work and loyalty.

 

THE 86-year-old Rubber Research Institute of Malaya (RRIM) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, will soon make way for a new integrated development in the Klang Valley and the 300 workers out of the 660 are worried that they would be forced to relocate to other research stations in various states.

The 1,348ha site, owned by the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) since 1925, is expected to be become a commercial, residential and transport hub under a joint venture between the Federal Government and the Employees Provident Fund.

The workers will have to be relocated to other research stations in Sungai Sari in Kedah, Bukit Kuantan in Pahang and Kota Tinggi in Johor.

Solid foundation: One of the oldest houses still standing within the grounds of RRIM. The 70-year-old house is now abandoned after the family moved out.

Some 243ha would be retained for RRIM facilities, which will include the headquarters, Centre for Excellence that houses latest research and development amenities, a business cluster to encourage foreign investments, the Royal Commodity College trains workers for the industry and a museum.

The site is one of the federal assets to be redeveloped under the Greater Kuala Lumpur Strategic Development Project, an initiative under the 10th Malaysia Plan to revitalise the city.

A. Vellaiamah, 70, worked as a rubber tapper at RRIM for 41 years.

The mother of four is suffering from an enlarged thyroid and doctors had advised her not to go ahead with the surgery as there might be complications.

Three of her children have died of cancer.

Her father Ayamuthu was the only chief security guard at RRIM in the 1940s. Vellaiamah’s husband, Kandhasamy, was a chief driver here who died 26 years ago.

Her son, Gunasegaran, who represents the family’s fourth generation, now works at RRIM.

“My paternal grandmother worked as a rubber tapper, too. I have spent most of my life in this estate. I am sad with the impending development as that would mean we would be displaced to other states and my grandchildren won’t have the opportunity to work at RRIM.

“This place holds sentimental values for me because the Indian community are the ones who made RRIM what it is today. I consider my family to be one of the pioneers of RRIM,” she said.

For Vellaiamah, she will mostly miss working in the serene environment as well as the freedom for her three grandchildren to play at the football field and spend time with other kids at the RRIM quarters.

Rubber estate takes up 939ha while the remaining area houses nurseries, laboratories, midstream and downstream pilot plant factories and staff quarters, two schools (a Tamil and Islamic religious school), a mosque, a Hindu temple and recreational facilities.

All in the family: Janaky (back row, left) and her grandchildren S.Sangeetha (from left) S. Thanabalan, S. Tines, S. Thineswary and S. Arnin who are living at the RRIM quarters.

R. Janaky, 58, who works as a general worker, will be retiring next year but wants to extend her employment until the age of 60.

“I don’t know where they will post us to next. I have worked at RRIM for 31 years. My husband. a supervisor, has also just retired. My son works as a general worker at RRIM, so you can see the tradition we maintain in the family because we love working here.

“It is close to impossible to find a beautiful green lung like this in Klang Valley in this day and age. We would like to remain here and I hope the management will listen to our plight,” said the mother of five and grandmother to nine.

P. Chinna has a year before he retires from RRIM as a field recorder.

The 58-year-old is a third generation from his family working at the estate.

“My grandfather and father both worked at the RRIM experiment station in Sungai Buloh.

“I was born within the grounds of RRIM,” he said.

The father of three brought up his children on the estate.

“There are a lot of good memories and we have built precious relationships with the people here.

“I am just worried that couples who both work at RRIM will be relocated to different states which could disrupt their family union.

“The management should at least consider retaining about 80ha to house the workers. The relocation move could prove stressful to a lot of us,” said Ramasamy.

source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/11/26/central/9964591&sec=central

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52 aspirants for one state seat?

November 9th, 2011
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52??? Can’t believe so many people interested to stand for election in one state seat. It  means either:

1. plenty of candidates whom think they have the support from locals (maybe PKR presence is strong until got so many “qualified” candidates) OR

2. they think voters will vote for party instead of candidate and they want to try their luck.

I would like to believe its 1, but I think reality is 2.

 

Fifty-two PKR members have indicated their interest in contesting the Bukit Melawati state seat in the next general election.

The rush for the seat started about six months ago after a rumour was circulated within party circles that incumbent assemblyman Muthiah Maria Pillay, 63, would not stand.

Out of the 52 aspirants, it is believed that about 30 have sent formal letters to PKR headquarters offering themselves as candidates.

Party insiders say a senior party leader is also believed to be eyeing the seat for his daughter.

Although Bukit Melawati was regarded as an “Indian seat”, those who had shown interest were from all races, said the party insider.

He said the rumour could have been started to oust Muthiah as some felt that it would be easy to grab his seat as the assemblyman was not the confrontational type.

Muthiah said he had not indicated that he would not be contesting in the next general election.

“But I will not ask for the seat as it is against my principles to demand to contest because I feel it’s the party leadership’s decision,” he said.

Muthiah said there was even talk that he was gravely ill.

“Some people called to ask me if it was true that I was very ill and I jokingly told them that I was already dead,” Muthiah said.

Muthiah, who is an engineer by profession, said he had also not lobbied to contest in the 1995 general election where he won the Pasir Panjang state seat in Lumut under the Barisan Nasional ticket.

“Even then, I never asked to contest but was selected by the MIC,” said Muthiah, who was the MIC Youth chief between 1996 to 1999.

He left the MIC to join PKR in 2006.

source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/8/nation/9855589&sec=nation

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Indian Cultural Centre in Klang?

October 20th, 2011
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 Interesting news indeed. Wonder when this Indian cultural centre will be completed and how exactly the state government plans to source additional funds from private sector.

BTW, what happened to proposal to set up Indian Cultural Centre in Batu Caves in 2008?

 

An Indian cultural centre will be built in Klang, Tamil Nesan reported.

The paper quoted Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar as saying that the state government had allocated RM2mil for the centre, with added funds to be sourced from the private sector.

A plot of land of about four to six hectares by the Klang river had been earmarked for the project, he said after attending the Navarathiri religious prayers at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kota Kemuning.

The event marked an auspicious Hindu festival to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.

Dr Xavier said discussions were being held with the Indian High Commission as well as various cultural and religious organisations to ensure that elements of Indian culture and identity were reflected in the making of the centre.

source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/13/nation/9684400&sec=nation

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