RM60 million more needed for Tamil schools upgrading

/* December 10th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions 2 comments »
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This issue is being dragged since early this year I think. How long does one need to beg seek?

Obviously, in this era of transparency, we will be seeing a full list of school upgraded, the costs involved, the items upgraded, the contractors names and so on. We will right? Would it be published in MOE, JKR or MIC website? Perhaps should take out ads in major newspapers too. I hope the MIC Info chief reads this 🙂

MIC is seeking an additional RM60mil from the Government to make good its promise to the Indian community to upgrade some 70 Tamil primary rural schools nationwide.

Party president Datuk Seri Samy Vellu said an initial allocation of RM130mil from the Government was insufficient to carry out the upgrading works owing to fluctuations in the cost of building materials since the plan was mooted.

The Government had approved RM30mil to upgrade 25 schools under the first phase.

However, the amount was only able to cover 15 schools.

The Government later approved another RM100mil for the programme to upgrade the schools.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the construction of a new RM3.39mil four-storey block at SRJK (T) Alor Gajah here yesterday, Samy Vellu said work to upgrade the 15 schools was schedule for completion next August.

DIY Haircut anyone

/* December 10th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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Going by the sound of it, Malaysia is going to have a serious crisis. The numbers aren’t good. Parents are at a loss. Disciplinary teachers are going to have their hands full. How many people can afford to go for standard haircut at RM25?

So, whose fault is it?

Let’s look at the problem first – barbers are saying there’s manpower shortage and due to that many barber shops may have to close down soon. The request to import barbers from India have been rejected by Home Ministry. I remember that there were plans to build our own human capacity in this industry. So what happened? Some colleges offered hairstyling programmes, but I guess the graduates wanted to work on their own rather than being employed under someone. And, in a way its good that people run their own business. Many barber shops owners actually employ foreign workers while themselves are into other business. So, those that depend on foreign workers will have either take up the jobs themselves or find other business to invest in. This may see the increase of prices and possibly the demise of Indian barber shops in certain areas. The standard price for a normal hair cut is RM9. This may rise as more “graduates’ appear and provide “professional” services.

Another solution for parents/Regular Joe, buy the hair cutter/clipper and DIY at home. Save money and no need to worry about hair style. Just crew cut and repeat every two months!

Back to whose fault – I guess its the barbers and authorities. No proper planning or did not anticipate such an outcome.

RM1000 + meals + accommodation sounds a good deal for beginners. After 5 years of hair-cutting, what’s the prospect and career path like?

The shortage of traditional barbers in the country has worsened and may force many barber shops to close within the next six months.

The Penang Indian Hairstylists’ Association says there is a shortage of 2,000 barbers.

Committee member K. Selva Kumaren said 50 barber shops had ceased operations in Penang in the past three or four months due to the shortage.

Selva Kumaren was talking to reporters at a press conference here yesterday.

He said applications to bring in traditional barbers from India were rejected by the Home Ministry.

Selva Kumaren added that local operators had to depend on barbers from India because Malaysians were more keen to operate their own hair salons rather than work for someone. He said a barber is permitted to work here for five years.

Association member M. Bani said employers were willing to pay locally-trained barbers between RM800 to RM1,000 pus meal allowances and accommodation while barbers from India were paid a maximum of RM800.

Mini market owner goes to court for 3rd time

/* December 10th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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I’m sure everyone’s familiar with the case of  mini market owner Subramaniam who have been summoned few times by the local council. The court ruled recently that the summons are invalid as the local council don’t have authority to haul someone to court via summons (that’s what I understood). Efforts are underway to change the law, so while that is happening, let’s look at the news below.

Questions are abound. Why wasn’t he given license after 2005? Was he offered an alternative place which he declined? Did he commit some crime like not paying fees or duit kopi(!)? Or was the place marked for development? Or did he vote for the other side? Or someone jealous of his business? Was he selling unauthorised items? Or any complaints on cleanliness by residents? Did he cheat customers? Any sane person would like to know why the license was not renewed, but newspaper did not mention it. When the information is not forthcoming, can you blame people like me for guessing all kinds of reasons?

Would it been different if the owner was not an Indian or Chinese? I like to say no, but well, we being Second (or is it Fourth?) Class citizen and all…

I remember the Pahang Indian Chamber of Commerce making some noise, that’s about it.

Mini-market owner Subra maniam Gopal was charged for the third time this year in the magistrate’s court here with the same four offences of operating his business in 2006 without a licence from the Temerloh Municipal Council.

Once again, Subramaniam, 50, pleaded not guilty to four charges of operating the GSM Mini Market on 10A Jalan Besar Lanchang in Lanchang, Pahang, without a licence on March 10, March 17, April 18 and June 6 in 2006.

Magistrate Ida Rahayu Sharif fixed Jan 26 for mention of the case after his counsel Datuk M. Ramachelvam told the court that they would be raising preliminary objections and Deputy Public Prosecutor Ellyna Othman did not object.

On Dec 1, High Court Judicial Commissioner Akhtar Tahir had released the grounds of his judgment for his Sept 11 landmark decision that Section 120 of the Local Government Act, which had been used by the council to prosecute Subramaniam the first time round, was unconstitutional because it empowered the council to institute prosecutions when Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution gave that right solely to the Attorney-General.

It is believed the same objection will be taken against yesterday’s charges.

On Nov 22, the Sunday Star frontpaged the Sept 11 judgment and ramifications for local councils nationwide.

In his oral judgment that day, JC Akhtar had also ordered Subramaniam be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

On the following Tuesday, the council served Subramaniam with fresh summonses from the council for the same offences and he was charged on Nov 25 for a second time.

After his not guilty plea was taken, Ida Rahayu allowed DPP Nurshafini Mustafa’s application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal as the council had applied wrongly for the summonses.

Outside the court yesterday, Subramaniam said he had been running his shop since 1979 and had always had a licence until 2005 when the council rejected his application for a renewal.

“I do not have any alternative to earn a living. I have children studying overseas to support.

“What is happening to me now is not fair as I have been running this business for so many years and I have to continue doing this. Let me live in peace,” he said.

Ramachelvan said his client was in a bind whether to stop or continue with the business because it was his livelihood.

Coalfield Estate problem

/* December 8th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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Another test for Selangor government. People not interested to listen to reasons and excuses, which was dished out in generous quantities by previous governments. Now, keyword is proactive and solve problems. If these people not eligible for loans from banks, then work some way out for them. The children can be transfered to schools in Tuan Mee area, for example. Look for solution, not excuse!

And who cares who sees you. I’m not interested in meeting MB or PM or Donald Duck. I just want my problems solved easily, not waste time chasing for appointment and listening to sweet words, but still end up in square one. The protesters also must think of solutions and suggest it.

The residents have to realise, when Tuan Mee estate closes down, the same thing will happen again.

A group of workers from the Coalfield oil palm plantation in Sungai Buloh are decrying the management’s tactics to ‘force’ them to vacate their houses.

Spokesperson Lobat Rajoo said water and electricity supply have been cut to the quarters occupied by 25 families even though negotiations are pending over the eviction order.

“We have had to resort to bathing in the river,” he told reporters, after he and other affected workers held a meeting with leaders of the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW) in Petaling Jaya.

He claimed that a further source of frustration was that utility supplies remain connected to some of the vacated houses.

The group had been told to move out by Dec 1, as the site has been earmarked for commercial development.

The families have been offered low-cost housing units near the estate, but are unable to purchase these for various reasons.

Following this, the management reassigned them to the Tuan Mee Estate, some 7km away, where they will be given houses.

Lobat said many in the group are third-generation estate workers and resisting relocation because of the costs that will be incurred. For example, their children will have to travel a longer distance to attend school.

Malaysiakini made several phone calls to the Coalfield estate manager’s office to seek comments, but these went unanswered.

‘State did try to help’

Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar, who oversees estate workers’ affairs, said the state has tried to intervene, even though the matter involves an industrial dispute.

However, some of the workers, including Lobat’s group, do not qualify for bank loans to buy the low-cost houses.

He denied allegations that Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the state representative for the area, has ignored the plight of the affected workers.

“Khalid has met them twice – once at his office and once on the ground,” said Jayakumar (right), when contacted.

Hindraf activists and Malaysia Consumer Advisory Association president Varatharajoo Murugan, who accompanied the workers to the NUPW office, had earlier alleged that the state government has not been helpful to the group.

Chinese and Indians are Class two citizens while Malays are Class one

/* December 8th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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So says some intelligent being as below.

Ahmad Mahayuddin said Kulasegaran should not even question the rights of the Malays.

“Our numbers are bigger and we have been on this soil before the other races,” he said.

“Kulasegaran must apologise and we give him two weeks to do so or we will protest in front of his office,” he said adding that the Government should revoke Kulasegaran’s citizenship.

“We Malays have been passive over numerous issues. We do not question the rights of the Chinese or Indians on the economic grounds.

So, we want other races not to question our rights. All must remember the Chinese and Indians are Class two citizens while Malays are Class one, said Ahmad.

Surprisingly, the above was not mentioned in NST or Malaysiakini. Only appeared in Star which carried the Bernama version.

This is what the country have achieved. Creating monsters through various policies, education, and lop-sided views.

Who is this Ahmad? (I’m curious, is “Ahmad” a “Malay” name? Did it exist before 15th century? Anyway, not relevant I guess.) Well, Ahmad was part of a group who were protesting today after the cow head group case was heard. He is from the Section 23 Action Group or something like that.

I remember the DAP people apologised after the door mat photo issue, so I guess these guys will be doing the same? Or am I asking too much from these animals?

The full article is below:

Motorists on the busy Jalan Utama here were startled when a group of men unfurled a banner depicting caricatures of DAP leaders with cows’ bodies complete with horns and started stepping on them

Some of the 30-odd men, including the 12 charged in connection with the ‘cow head’ protest on Aug 26, kicked and stepped on the caricatures of DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Meng.

The protest took place after the 12 had stepped out of the Sessions Court where Judge Hasbi Hassan had fixed their trial for April 12.

They immediately joined the others who were already outside the court for the protest.

The group shouted Jangan Memperbodohkan Orang Melayu (Do not hoodwink the Malays’).

Asked on the reason for the protest, the non-governmental organisation Badan Bertindak Penyatuan Ummah chairman Ahmad Mahayuddin Abdul Manaf said he had no knowledge about the protest but joined in as he walked out of the court.

“What I understand is that the group who unfurled the banner was angry with the recent incident where DAP members walked on the ‘doormat’ pictures of ex-Pakatan Rakyat representatives Hee Yit Foong, Mohd Osman Jailu and Jammaluddin Mohd Radzi,” he said.

He said the group was ‘just expressing their displeasure against such behaviour (by the DAP.’

The group also lodged 19 police reports against DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran at the Shah Alam police department in Section 11, for questioning the rights of the Malays at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

Ahmad Mahayuddin said Kulasegaran should not even question the rights of the Malays.

“Our numbers are bigger and we have been on this soil before the other races,” he said.

“Kulasegaran must apologise and we give him two weeks to do so or we will protest in front of his office,” he said adding that the Government should revoke Kulasegaran’s citizenship.

“We Malays have been passive over numerous issues. We do not question the rights of the Chinese or Indians on the economic grounds.

“So, we want other races not to question our rights. All must remember the Chinese and Indians are Class two citizens while Malays are Class one, said Ahmad

Inside the Sessions Court earlier, judge Hasbi set aside five days for the trial, which will be heard by Sessions Court judge, M. Gunalan.

The twelve are Ahmad Mahayuddin, 36, Ibrahim Sabri, 43, Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 31, Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, 35, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 30, Mohd Hilmi Ni, 40,Jainuddin @ Zainuddin Md Yusuff, 67, Mohd Jurit Ramli, 39, Mohamad Nordin Zakaria, 46, Jamil Mohamad Isa, 40, Rahimuddin Md Harun, 39, and Azhari Shaari, 39.

Ibrahim and Ahmad Mahayuddin are jointly charged with stepping on the head of the cow, Eyzva Ezhar with bringing the cow head to the scene while Mohd Azmir, Ahmad Suhairy and Mohd Hilmi are jointly charged with carrying around the cow head and stepping on it during the illegal assembly.

They are charged under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and face a maximum of RM5,000 in fine, or jail of up to three years, or both. All the six claimed trial.

The six of them also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of hurting the feelings of Hindus at the same place and time and face up to a year in jail, fine, or both, under Section 298 of the Penal Code.

Ahmad Mahayuddin and Ibrahim are the chairman and deputy chairman respectively of the Shah Alam Section 23 Residents Action Committee. They led the demonstration in protesting the Selangor state government’s plan to relocate a Hindu temple from Section 19 in Shah Alam to their area.

The others Jainuddin, Mohd Jurit, Mohamad Nordin, Jamil, Rahimuddin and Azhari Shaari are charged with participating in an illegal assembly.

They are charged under Section 27(5)(a) of the Police Act 1967 and can be fined up to RM10,000 and jailed up to a year, if convicted.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Datuk Razali Che Ani and Harris Ong Mohd. Jeffery Ong appeared for the prosecution while all the accused were represented by counsel Hashim Ibrahim. – Bernama