Clogged
drains cause
of floods
p 4
community
Volunteer fire fighters of Taman Sri
Serdang strike a pose before their
training session. The multi-racial
group has members ranging from
ages 18-56. – Picture by Victor Chong
• Story on page 8
By Chong Loo Wah and Gan Pei Ling
SHAH ALAM: Leaking and peeling ceil-
ings, among other problems, have delayed
the Petaling District Land Office’s move to
its new building  at Section U5, Shah Alam.
“We’re very dissatisfied with the new build-
ing’s condition,” said Sekinchan assemblyman
Ng Suee Lim, who inspected it recently.
The building, which was completed in
2009, is also ill-equipped with lack of security
facilities and inadequate furniture and parking
spaces.
Ng said the storeroom which would be
used to store important documents like land
titles did not have sufficient protection against
fires and floods.
“The state would be at risk of suffering great
losses in the event of an accident. The build-
ing’s warranty period ends this month so we’ve
asked the contractor to fix the problems soon-
est,” said Ng.
To add insult to injury, the lop-sided land
transaction for the office has already cost the
state millions.
The building’s problem was highlighted by
civil servants to the special select committee
on land and district offices headed by Ng.
He added that the contractor was ap-
Tourism
synergy in
the pipeline p
Move delayed
pointed without open tender in 2004 to
construct the new home for the Petaling
District Land Office and other local depart-
ments by the previous administration.
“We still don’t understand why the previ-
ous administration wanted to move the Petal-
ing Land District Office from its strategic
location in Subang Jaya to a remote suburb in
Shah Alam,” said Ng.
He said the move was
likely to inconvenience the
public as the new office is
not easily accessible com-
pared to the current office
which is near KTM and
bus stations.
In 2006, the Barisan
Nasional-led Government
swapped 1.68ha of land
the Petaling Land District
Student
power
6 p 12–13
January 7, – 9, 2011/ issue 7
Office is currently occupying in Subang Jaya He added that the select committee on the
for the new office in Shah Alam. district and land offices would continue to
Gapurna Builders bore the construction probe and report their findings to the State
cost of RM24.6 million for the new office and Assembly.
its adjacent four housing quarters for senior The controversial deal was first reported
district officials in 4.51ha of state land. by English daily theSun in 2006 and raised
In return, the developer obtained 1.23ha again in the State Assembly in 2009.
of land at Jalan Kemajuan SS16/1 and 0.45ha Former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mo-
of Land District Office quarters along Jalan hamad Khir Toyo had refused to comment on
SS19/2 estimated to be the issue when contacted by Selangor Times.
worth more than RM100 The Social Welfare Department has moved
million now. into the new building but the Petaling Land
 Ng said even though District Office, Irrigation and Drainage De-
the lands were worth less partment, and Public Works Department will
in 2004, the manner in only start to move in this month.
which the developer was They are expected to start operating in the
appointed and the land new office in March. The state may provide
swap lacked transparency buses for taxpayers to reach the new office
and smacked of crony- until the public are familiar with the new
ism. location.
2
newsJanuary 7 — 9, 2011

Selangor WEATHER
Friday Saturday Sunday
MB, Exco attend ceremony;
Morning
appointment still disputed
Afternoon

Night

Source: Malaysian meteorological department

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purp
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auth the 154-a only 28 acres new burial groun Fairy and had
settle fines,” said 5,000
nt probing for led that up to land RM136,000 in onses for RM2 engi-
and arreacouncillor Ronnto take into accou in Selcat was h had approval . the state.inqu iry also revea ged y ing to de five summ by MBS A’s
, whic 1991 rted char rt-
executive the state had buried at the site in Meru te graveyard in legally conve The Park 0 for a famil , These inclu ,000 issued cement depa
Liu said were already sold other for a priva acres have been her 136 acres are RM316,30uring 48’ x 80’ and 11 for RM1ing and enfor
peop le comp any had Only 19 Anot plot meas est plot ng, build that must
that that the e use. cheap neeri ium
Meru and local from agricultur ultural while the ,000. . the prem the  land
inclu des to fied as agric t ment ever, he said any to convert is still
lots. se port folio r had applied classi comp any was RM9 s a i d t h a How comp ercial use
the g
Te n to RM82 per be paid by the e into comm Mines
Liu, who t, said the
owne land andgot approval to
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agricultural 1990 s. They . away plot s, 报》 He also
since the 0 for family plotsging director,
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g need that Fairy 《雪州时
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a social servicSelect Com
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Selangor’s ility and Trans

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Accountab
from
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Constitutional
experts to The Sultan reading his speech at the swearing-in.

advise State 
By Rahmah Ghazali and Yasleh
Hani Mat Yassin
SHAH ALAM: Menteri Besar Tan
By Alvin Yap Sri Khalid Ibrahim has maintained that
his administration will not recognise
SHAH ALAM: Two experts will be roped in to help the appointment of the new state
Selangor’s legal advisor draft changes to the State Constitution secretary despite attending Datuk
on the appointment of top state civil servants. Mohd Khusrin Munawi’s swearing-in
Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari and Datuk Param Cumaraswamy yesterday.
will help advise on proposals to amend the constitution to In a statement issued before the
enable the palace to appoint the State Secretary, Treasurer and ceremony, Khalid said he had informed
State Legal Advisor,”. Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah
Abdul Aziz is a law lecturer at the International Islamic that the State Government was seeking
University while Param was the chairman of the Malaysian Bar a resolution with the Public Services
Council from 1986 to 1988 and United Nations Special Commission (PSC) as advised by the
Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers by the Sultan.
UN Commission on Human Rights from 1994 to 2003. “The state has sent a letter to the PSC
The move follows the ongoing dispute between Shah Alam informing them of our displeasure with
and Putrajaya over the appointment of Datuk Mohd Khusrin the appointment of the new state sec-
Munawi as state secretary. retary. We stress that their actions have
In a statement to the press on Wednesday, the office of the gone against the spirit of the Constitu-
Selangor menteri besar said the move would be carried out tion.
legally and according to procedures. “The attendance of the whole state
It also said that the palace would be notified of the proposed
exco at today’s ceremony is to show our
affection and loyalty towards His High
Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor,
as well as His Highness, the Selangor
Regent.
“...(but), it does not mean that we are
willing to accept PSC’s arbitrary actions
against our administration. We stand
by our argument that the state secretary
appointment is not final and needs a
proper solution,” said Khalid.
He further added that the state
would convene a state assembly session
by the end of the month to amend
the  State Constitution which will re-
turn the power of the state to the ruler
and menteri besar in appointing the
three executive officers – state secretary,
finance officer and legal advisor.
Meanwhile, the Sultan maintained
that Khusrin’s appointment is lawful
under the State Constitution, saying it
should not be politicised and sensa-
tionalised as it could confuse the peo-
ple.
Speaking at Khusrin’s swearing-in at
Istana Kayangan, the Sultan stressed
that he remained apolitical, while
maintaining a good relationship with
the menteri besar.
“Selangor menteri besar always has
an audience with me at least once a
week where we would exchange views
for the benefit of this state,” he said.
Later at a press conference, the Sul-
tan’s private secretary, Datuk Mohamad
Munir Bani, refuted Khalid’s remark
that his defence of Khusrin’s appoin-
tment did not reflect the Sultan’s views.
He asserted he was just acting under
the instruction of the Sultan who had
consented to all press releases written
by him.
Despite the disagreement with the
state, Munir said as a civil servant he
would remain non-partisan and main-
tained that the Palace will not interfere
in any political issues.

State makes RM9b offer

amendments before they are deliberated in the upcoming State
Assembly sitting.
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, at Wednesday’s state executive
council meeting, said Selangor speaker Datuk Teng Chang
Khim had also been notified.
By Alvin Yap is because they do not have a stake in the deal, and would be
fair to both parties,
SHAH ALAM: A fresh offer has been laid on the table by “We only ask that these concessionaires cooperate with
the State to four companies in a bid to end the impasse over the state government even if they disagree on the share price.
the restructuring of the water services industry in the We ask them to have this brought to the court of arbitration,”
phone (603) 5523 2288 Selangor. Khalid said.
fax (603) 5523 1188 Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the state was offering to He added that Selangor would agree to the decision of the
email editor@selangortimes.com
assume 100 percent of the assets and liabilities of Puncak arbitrator. 
EDITORIAL Niaga Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, ‘We nonetheless feel that the price we’re offering for the
Konsortium Abass Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Pengeluar Air shares of each concessionaire is fair,” said Khalid, explaining
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan
Selangor Sdn Bhd. that he was optimistic that the arbitrator would find Selan-
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman
The offer price per share is at RM64.62, RM20.78, gor’s offer as being “more than reasonable”.
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,
Alvin Chin, Lee Choon Fai, William Tan, Alvin Yap,
RM5.95 and RM9.39 respectively and will cover the debts He stressed that shareholders would not incur a loss in the
Rahmah Ghazali, Basil Foo, Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin incurred by the concessionaires’ bonds. The total offer is RM9 returns to their investment as a result of the share price offer
COPY EDITORS James Ang, Deborah Loh billion. for the takeover. “The shareholders will get a fair return to
DESIGNER Jimmy CS Lim Khalid reiterated his stand to both the federal government their share investment,” he added.
PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong
and the water concessionaires that international arbitrators At the same press conference, Khalid ‘unveiled’ a redrafted
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi
be given the power to decide how much Selangor should pay “Document of Offer” that lists the offer price for the shares.
to take over the water industry. “We will make this document available to anyone in the
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz
The rationale of having international arbitrators, he added, public who wants to check the details,” Khalid said.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 7 – 9, 2011 ⁄ 3

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4
news
January 7 — 9, 2011

Clogged underground drains

cause floods
By Basil Foo

KLANG: Poorly designed mon-

soon drains may be the cause of flash
floods which have plagued Taman
Palm Grove residents for over a
decade.
Roads and parking lots have been
built over the length of some 200
metres of monsoon drain in the
area, state executive councillor for
housing Iskandar Samad said during
a site visit to Taman Palm Grove and
Harbour Palace on Tuesday.
The design of the monsoon
drain, which has several right-angle
turns, may also be a factor in affect-
ing water flow. Iskandar
  “Majlis Perbandaran Klang and
their consultants would have to estate had experienced floods for the
check again to see if the right-angle past 12 years. “I am told that due to
is the cause of the water not being the flooding, the prices of houses
able to flow directly and causing here have dropped,” said Santiago.
backflow upstream,” Iskandar said.   “Palm Grove alone has about
  “ There was another suggestion 200 affected houses and adjacent
that we take over an adjacent land housing estates have an additional
and reroute the drain to straighten 3,000 houses which are also affect-
it. But it is private land and the land ed,” he added. Residents handing over a memorandum to Santiago over their flood woes.
price would amount to more than

Address parking No
RM1 million,” he added.
Straightening the monsoon

1Malaysia
drains could only be a long term
plan for the local government.
Keeping the drains clear of debris
and rubbish remains the only im-
mediate solution to the floods.
“There is also the possibility that
one of the causes of flooding is the
problem, Selayang billboard ban
By Basil Foo

Hospital urged
clogging up of the monsoon drain SHAH ALAM: Selangor has
beneath the roads,” said Iskandar. clarified that only state government
“We have also seen some man- linked companies (GLCs) are
holes here that have been shut by barred from displaying 1Malaysia
building owners probably to avoid logos while restaurants and business
rubbish or debris falling into the By Tang Hui Koon Double and even triple parking have become a com- premises would not be stopped
monsoon drain,” he added. mon sight at the hospital. from displaying them.
  During the site visit, local coun- SELAYANG: The Selayang Hospital has been urged Ooi submitted a memorandum to the hospital’s as- “There has been confusion here.
cil workers were brought along for to address its parking shortage for the sake of patients sistant director Venothini Retnam on Monday. We only bar GLCs from using state
a cleaning operation but that was who need immediate medical attention. They urged the hospital to build a multi-storey car money for promoting 1Malaysia.
postponed as Iskandar said they did “If the situation continues to worsen, it would park on the vacant land between the hospital building There is no 1Malaysia billboard
not come equipped with special affect ambulances from entering and leaving the and staff quarters. ban,” said Menteri Besar Tan Sri
gear. “It might be too dangerous at hospital in time, thus delaying rescue work,” said   Ooi added that the public had also suggested to Khalid Ibrahim.
this time to clean without special Selayang MCA Public Complaint Bureau chief Johnson the hospital to remove the 14 boundary embankments On Wednesday, Khalid said
equipment in case there are poison- Ooi. in its open-air car park and turn them into parking Selangor GLCs were only supposed
ous gases underground.” Ooi said although there were already over 1,000 spaces. to promote state policies.
  Klang Member of Parliament parking lots available, traffic would begin to be con- Patients are advised to get a family member or friend The state has maintained that
Charles Santiago said the housing gested as early as 8am and would reach its peak at 10am. to drive them to the hospital whenever possible. 1Malaysia logo was a political sym-
bol of the Federal Government and
state funds cannot be used to pro-
mote it.
SHAH ALAM: The state has expressed
disappointment with the results of the Teoh
Beng Hock inquest and called for a Royal
State calls for RCI to get Instead, they want to promote
their “Merakyakkan Ekonomi Sel-
angor” policies.
Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to be estab-
lished.
“The open verdict points to the fact that
the death was not investigated thoroughly
truth over Teoh’s death Khalid added the state would not
have any problem if private prem-
ises displayed the 1Malaysia symbol
but they could only do so with
and the State leaves it to the police and the Corruption Commission (MACC) to carry sible for his death have still not been identi- conditions.
Attorney-General to continue further inves- out their responsibility to ensure the safety of fied,” said the Selangor Menteri Besar. “Local authorities have the rights
tigation,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in a detainees and witnesses during investigations. Selangor said that an RCI was needed in to approve the symbol for use on
statement on Wednesday. The political secretary to executive coun- order to determine the truth and restore private premises as long as they use
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas on cillor Ean Yong Hian Wah was found dead at public confidence. it for business reasons, not political
Wednesday ruled out suicide. He also said Plaza Masalam on July 16, 2009 after being “We are not surprised at the decline of the purposes,” he said.
that there was insufficient evidence to prove questioned overnight by the MACC. people’s confidence in the integrity of the Several business owners were
that the political aide’s death was due to The Selangor MACC was previously based MACC,” he said. previously issued with notices to
homicide. on the 14th floor of the building. He added that his government was com- remove the logo from their sign-
He added that the coroner’s findings also “This decision that Teoh Beng Hock did mitted to helping Teoh’s family in their pur- boards by local governments which
reflect the failure of the Malaysian Anti- not kill himself means that the parties respon- suit for justice. considered the symbol as political
advertising.
 news
January 7 — 9, 2011 5

Power to Orang
Asli village
By Gan Pei Ling
SHAH ALAM: A remote Temuan
village in Hulu Langat will soon get
regular electricity after a micro-hydro
project funded by the state and Shell
Malaysia is completed.
“We are now at the last stage of the
project – the wiring of the 16 houses,”
The system is environmentally-
friendly as it does not need construc-
tion of dams that would submerge
large areas.
It merely converts the kinetic en-
ergy of river water flow into mechani- A competitor
cal power via a turbine. busy writing
Nicholas said technician Adrian her essay.
Lasimbang, from Jaringan Orang Asal

The young
said Colin Nicholas from the Centre Semalaysia-Tonibung, provided the By Alvin Yap
for Orang Asli Concerns(COAS). technical expertise.
The village, accessible by road, is However, progress and speed of the HULU KELANG: A vision of free education as

located about an hour from Kuala
Lumpur and 25 families currently have
to rely on oil lamps or generators, if
they can afford it.
Nicholas said the Tanjung Rambai
community had successfully built the
small embankment in the river and
installed the pipes leading to the tur-
bine.
“The villagers were involved in all
stages of construction. This will make
them  competent enough to do their
own repairs,” he added.
The first of its kind in Selangor, the
project was launched in September
2010 and funded by the state and Shell
Malaysia.
A renewable energy source, micro-
hydro systems are increasingly popular
in rural areas in Malaysia.
project is dependent on the availabil-
ity of the Sabah-based expert.
“The villagers are enthusiastic and
want to see the light in their houses
soon,” said Nicholas.
Fortunately, they found a local
electrician to assist the villagers with
the wiring of their homes recently.  ised by executive councillor for education Dr
In fact, he visited the village on
Wednesday and wired up the first
house.
“The villagers are enthusiastic and
want to see the light in their  houses
soon,” said Nicholas.
They hope to complete the project
by the end of January.
Kampung Songkok, also in Hulu
Langat,  is the next village in Selangor
to benefit from the micro-hydro sys-
tem.
a gift for students in Selangor won 17-year-old
Nabihah Ahmad Rosdi first prize at an essay-
writing contest last Saturday.
“I hope the State Government will be an admin-
istration that educates the youth, so that we bloom
like flowers,“ she wrote.
The contest, held at Surau Al-Ehsan, was organ-
Halimah Ali and Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari
Sungib.
Saari said the state always welcomed views and
opinions of the public. Penning the essays was a
chance for people to make their views known to the
leaders.
“That is the pulse of the people. We want to
know what people think, their dreams for Selangor,
welfare and their rights,” said Saari.
He added the state would adopt these aspirations
while shaping policies for the welfare of the people.
express hopes
for Selangor
Abdul Kodir Shaharudin won the 13-15 year-
old category. “We hear so much about Malaysia
affected by natural disasters. I want our citizens to
make Selangor an advanced, yet caring state,” wrote
the 15-year-old.
The adult category was won by Norsaidah Za-
karia. “Selangor has achieved low deficit, and I ask
the State Government to use the money to fight
corruption,” wrote the 24-year-old.
Among the prizes were children’s bicycles, elec-
trical appliances and boxes of confectionaries.

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6
news
January 7 — 9, 2011

Events Tourism synergy

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM:: Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-

City Golf American Pool & Darts Tourney
Join the monthly contest hosted at City Golf and win
exclusive prizes. This month’s competition includes
“Nearest the Pin” for Golf, American Pool and Darts.
Prizes include exclusive RM150 dinner vouchers from
the Pressroom Bangsar Shopping Centre! Event is on
Jan 15 from 6pm to 10pm. Admission is free. Venue:4th
Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 285, Jalan Maarof,
Bukit Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur
Book sale
Book distributor and publisher GB Gerakbudaya
Enterprise Sdn Bhd is organising a new year sale this
weekend at its office. The sale, held from 10am to
7pm, offers books on arts and literature, current affairs,
economics, environment, globalisation, labour and
migrant workers, politics and international relations,
religion and culture, social science, and women and
gender studies, with discounts from 30% to 100%.
For details, call 03-7957 8342/ 43 or visit gerakbudaya.
com. Venue: Gerakbudaya Enterprise, No. 11, Lorong
11/4E, Petaling Jaya (opposite Restoran Banana Leaf
Cuisine Grand City and Sri Pandi PJ).
Visual forum
Pantai Hospital Ampang (PHA) is organising a public
forum entitled Visual Correction for All Ages – What’s
New? tomorrow at 1.30pm at the hospital’s auditorium.
PHA ophthalmologist Dr Khaw Hoon Hoon will touch on
the causes of visual impairment and the latest reflective
correction options available. Admission is free. For
registration and details, call 03-4289 2877 (Racheal)/
2900 (Adrian). Venue: Pantai Hospital Ampang, Jalan
Perubatan 1, Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur.
Fighting diabetes
The Ti-Ratana Penchala Community Centre is host-
ing a Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days
documentary screening, followed by a mini raw food
demonstration tomorrow at 10am at its premises at
21, Jalan Penchala, Petaling Jaya. The programme
is aimed at those fighting diabetes or want to prevent
getting diabetes. Proceeds from the event will go
towards charity. For details, call 03-7784 9002 (Honey/
Irene) or visit www.ti-ratana-penchala.com.my.
Viva La Inpendencia
A concert by Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra lead
by Marques Young and featuring the distinctive style
of Latin music. Join Young as he pays tribute to Latin
America – in particular, the nations of Mexico, Colombia,
Bolivia and Argentina as they proudly commemorate
their bicentenary of independence. The concert will on
Jan 12 at 6.30 pm. Tickets are sold at RM85, RM65,
RM40 and RM20. Dress code is smart casual. Venue:
Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, Level 2, Tower 2,
PETRONAS Twin Towers, KLCC, K. Lumpur.
Don Quixote & International Ballet Gala
The Istana Budaya will hold these two separate events
from Jan 14-16. The full length classical ballet “Don
Quixote” will be performed on Jan 14 at 8.30pm and
Jan 16 (Sunday matinee) at 3pm while the “International
Ballet Gala” will be on the Jan 15 (Saturday) at 8.30 pm.
These two programmes will showcase 25 international
dancers (including international award winners) from
the US, Australia, Japan, Thailand and Germany as
well as more than 30 Malaysians. Tickets are priced
led states will join forces officially to
promote tourism in their states starting
this year, said Selangor executive council-
lor Elizabeth Wong.
“We’ll organise tourism activities that
cover the four states (Selangor, Penang,
Kedah and Kelantan),” Wong told Selan-
gor Times.
She added that the four states had
agreed in principle on the cooperation
during the PR Menteri Besar Summit last
December and would be signing the
memorandum of understanding (MoU)
in Penang this month.
Wong said Selangor would team up
with budget airline Firefly and the Kelan-
tan Government to offer joint tourism
packages.
“Selangor’s strengths are in eco-
tourism and shopping. So for example,
tourists can stay one night in Selangor to
experience the urban lifestyle and fly to
Kelantan the next day to experience its
traditional culture,” she explained.
In addition, interested tourists may
opt for Muslim travel packages to experi-
ence for instance, different Hari Raya
celebrations in Selangor and Kelantan.
Tourism Selangor promotions and
public relations manager Md Saad Mah-
sah said both states have been working Wong ... tourism activities to cover four states.
together to promote tourism since last
year. agencies to offer joint packages to Pen- equally, or on separate capacities,” she
“It’s a win-win situation,” he said. ang and Langkawi,” said Penang state said.
As of October 2010, Selangor has tourism bureau Penang Global Tourism Apart from offering joint packages,
received close to five million visitors. The managing director Ooi Geok Ling. Kedah executive councillor on tourism
state has allocated RM6 million from its Ooi added that the MoU is expected Manikumar Subramaniam said he ex-
2011 budget to boost the industry. to strengthen the alliance between the pected the four states to cooperate on
Besides Selangor and Kelantan, travel four states but further details of the advertising and promotional activities.
agencies in Penang and Kedah have also collaboration have yet to be ironed out “We can further advertise each oth-
been offering joint packages. as they have different strengths in tour- er’s destinations,” he said, adding that
“The Penang and Kedah state govern- ism. tourism is the second largest industry in
ment haven’t work together on tourism “It’s not clear yet if Penang would Kedah. The state receives three millions
officially, but it’s common for travel cooperate with the other three states tourists annually.
Release of audit reports put off
By Basil Foo both bodies at our meeting next week,” brate its 40th anniversary.
he said on Wednesday. Khalid said the state would imple-
SHAH ALAM: The public disclosure Both reports were originally sched- ment an integrity pact together with
of audit reports on the Selangor Deve- uled to be released this week. their subsidiary companies under the
lopment Corporation (PKNS) and Both state subsidiaries had come guidance of Transparency International.
Yayasan Selangor has been delayed to under fire over allegations of exorbitant “We will invite several accountants
give the subsidiaries a chance to explain spending in two separate events which who have no ties with the state to form
themselves. had triggered the State Government to an audit panel for PKNS and Yayasan
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibra- order a full probe. Selangor. The panel will comprise part-
him said both entities requested more PKNS is alleged to have sponsored ners from accounting firms,” he said.
time due to “insufficient information in RM520,000 for the wedding dinner of “This way we will have a panel that is
the reports”. astronaut Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, free and professional to help the State
“We will only release the audit re- a claim they have vehemently denied. Government ensure that the administra-
ports after the state executive councillors Yayasan Selangor is accused of spend- tion of both subsidiaries followed the
are done discussing the explanations by ing RM300,000 on a luncheon to cele- outlines of the integrity pact,” he said.

Hawkers reassured over licence renewal fees

at RM220, RM180, RM140, RM100, and RM50 and
is purchaseable at the venue. Venue: Istana Budaya,
Kuala Lumpur.

Baby & Junior Fair 2011

Baby & Junior Fair offers extensive selection of
exhibitors on latest products and services for expectant
parents and families with young children. There will be
activities and contest held daily for the visiting parents,
parents-to-be and their young children. The fair will be
held on Jan 14-16 from 11am to 9pm. Admission is
free. Venue: Hall 3, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Kuala
Lumpur .
By Chong Loo Wah
 
puchong: Renewal of hawker li-
cences in Subang Jaya will be halted
until the state standardises fees for all 12
local governments.
“The council is issuing a circular to
inform traders to pay a three-month fee
first,” said Subang Jaya councillor Pooi
Weng Keong.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council
(MBSJ) president Datuk Adnan Md
Ikshan will meet representatives of
hawkers from morning and night mar-
kets soon to explain the adjustment.
Taman Kinrara 1 Morning Market
Traders Association complained to
MCA recently that MBSJ had refused
to renew their licences without any
reason.
The association’s chief, Tee Huat
Hock, said the vendors were worried
they would be penalised by enforcement
officers for trading “illegally” as their
licences had expired on Dec 31 last year.
Pooi assured traders that MBSJ
would not act against them for the next
three months, or until the new fees are
standardised.
Selangor first standardised fees for
all local councils at RM4 a day in March
2010 but the plan was shelved due to
public objections.

CNY calligraphy competition at Seri Kembangan
By Basil Foo
SERI KEMBANGAN: The ancient art
of calligraphy is celebrated this Chinese
New Year with a competition that is open
to all ethnic groups.
The competition will be held at the Seri
Kembangan Multipurpose Hall from 9am
to 1pm on Jan 20.
  Participants can choose to take part in
the primary school, secondary school, or
open categories with a limit of one category
per participant. Participants should bring
their own ink and calligraphy pen.
  “Some students may feel that they are
good enough to join the open category and
Know Your Councillor:
Kamarudzaman Sanusi
By Lee Choon Fai and William Tan
SHAH ALAM: A member of Parti
Keadilan Rakyat since the day it was
formed, Kamarudzaman Sanusi (pic) is a
veteran in politics.
“I have always been critical of the way
the ruling g overnment [uses] the
opposition as a punching bag ,” said
Kamarudzaman.
Born in Sungai Besar, he studied there
they are encouraged to do so because the
prizes are more attractive,” said organising
committee member Tong Chee Kuan.
  As the date of the competition will held
on Thaipusam, a public holiday, Tong
hopes people of all ethnic groups will
participate.
  “It is open to people [of all races] who
know calligraphy. They are welcome to join
also, like Malay children who may have
attended Chinese primary schools,” he
added.
  The competition is meant to showcase
Chinese culture and to cultivate an interest
in calligraphy among people.
  “ Traditionally, calligraphy was writing
at an English school, Sekolah Rendah
Inggeris Sungai Besar, before it became a
national school. He then pursued a degree
in communications engineering from
University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in
1983.
He worked as an engineer in Motorola
(M) Sdn Bhd for 18 years until he resigned
in 2001 as a senior manufacturing head.
He took up work as an insurance broker,
which he still does for a living while
well wishes vertically on pieces of paper in
Mandarin,” Tong explained, “People would
stick them on the front door of their house
or office.
  “ Nowa day s , l e ss p e o p l e kn ow
calligraphy so they prefer to buy from
calligraphy artists at markets. This is a
chance for them to do some personal
writing for themselves,” he said.
Tong said that the competition was free
for participants who register before the date
of the event.
  For registration or enquiries concerning
the competition, contact Bryan at 016-
3239577, Tong at 016-2123950, or email
adun.serikembangan@gmail.com.
news
January 7 — 9, 2011 7
serving as a councillor.
“I have to juggle my work and my duties
as a councillor. So much that I often don’t
have time for myself!” said Kamarudzaman.
As a councillor, Kamarudzaman has a
tight schedule to keep. He tries to be
present at all events but will appoint a
representative in his stead for the times that
he can’t.
The councillor is in charge of Zone 10,
a highly industrialised area that includes
Section 26, 27, and 28. Common
complaints in the area are about potholes,
clogged drains, and illegal hawkers.
Such problems are usually brought up
at the full board meeting of the Majlis
B a n d a r a y a S h a h A l a m ( M B S A) .
Sometimes, however, not all roads and
drains belong to the municipality and in
those cases the MBSA will have their hands
tied, Kamarudzaman said.
His councillor’s office is located at the
MBSA Pulai Hall, Jalan Sungai Gapis
27/71, Section 27, 40400 Shah Alam.
Residents with queries and concerns can
see him there.
Although Kamarudzaman enjoys
working for the people, he often finds
himself missing the simple pleasures of life.
“One thing I would like to do more is
to participate in treasure hunts. I have
missed them so much ever since I became
a councillor,” he said.
8
news
January 7 — 9, 2011

TRAINING HARD: Volunteers attaching a hose to a hydrant during an evening practice session recently.

Risking life
By Basil Foo

SERI KEMBANGAN: A multi-

racial volunteer fire brigade in Ta-
man Sri Serdang is selflessly serving

and limb
as guardians to the neighborhood
despite the risks involved.
The unsung heroes, whose mem-
bers include teenagers as young as
18 and senior citizens as old 56,
work and train tirelessly to be ready

to be the first to respond to emer-
gencies.
“Our role is to be first on the
scene so that we can assist the Fire
and Rescue Department and mu-
nicipalities during emergencies,”
said Lim Chee Keong, who has been
a volunteer firefighter for 16 years.
The deputy chairman of the vol-
unteer fire brigade said the team
comprises 40 Seri Kembangan resi-
dents, including six women.
While the volunteers may all be
from Seri Kembangan, they have
responded to emergencies as far
away as Puchong, Semenyih, Kajang
and Desa Petaling.
The volunteers usually get calls
directly from residents or are told
about incidents by the Fire and
Rescue Department.
“It usually takes us five to ten
minutes from getting the call to ar-
riving at the scene if the places are
near us,” said Lim.
Volunteers who live closest to the
emergency are usually alerted and
called to respond using their motor-
cycles or cars.
Then, depending on the in-for-
mation about the extent of the fire,
for others
up to two more cars, with two vol-
unteers each, will be sent out with
equipment from the team’s make-
shift headquarters in Taman Sri
Serdang.
Those first on the scene are re-
sponsible for clearing the way for the
ensuing fire trucks and locating
nearby fire hydrants and other
sources of water like rivers.
“This is so that the operations
are more efficient and no time is
wasted looking for a hydrant or
moving vehicles which are blocking
the hydrant,” he explained.
Lim said chemical fires at facto-
ries are the most dangerous emer-
gencies they have faced along with
furniture factories where thinner is
used.
“The biggest fire we saw was at a
Seri Kembangan furniture shop in
2009,” he said.
For beginners who
have just joined our
group, it would take
them around five to
six months of training
once a week to be fully
operational.”
He said the blaze was too big for
the volunteers to handle and those
who responded did not have the
necessary specialised training.
“We were not allowed to enter
the area of operations. Otherwise,
we would have assisted in retrieving
people trapped inside the building,”
he added.
Shortage of funds is the main
problem faced by the volunteers.
Lim, who owns his own car repair
shop, sometimes has to pay out of
LIM: Usually takes us 5-10 minutes to get to scene.
his own pocket to keep the volun-
teers operational.
“We have a Proton Arena spon-
sored by the government and a
Russian truck which is from me. I
have also bought fire retardant jack-
ets, helmets and air filter masks for
the members,” he said.
The full set of a firefighting uni-
form, which includes fire retardant
jacket and pants, costs about
RM2,000. A new helmet would cost
RM600 but Lim got second hand
helmets for the group to reduce
costs.
“We didn’t receive any contribu-
tions last year. In 2009 we received
pumps, jackets and equipment from
the government. But government
grants can only cover for what we
actually need,” he lamented.
The Sri Serdang volunteers un-
dergo volunteer firefighter training
every Wednesday at their service
centre.
“We have permission to use only
part of the centre for meetings and
training because the hall is open for

OSC at your fingertips

By Rahmah Ghazali
KUALA LUMPUR: Developers and con-
tractors spend hours to submit their applica-
tions to local authorities through their One
Stop Centre (OSC) but fret no more - it is now
conveniently at your fingertips.
The online OSC, which was launched by
Minister of Housing and Local Government
Datuk Chor Chee Heung at Putrajaya Interna-
tional Convention Centre on Tuesday, kicked
off its service in 10 local authorities nationwide.
Interestingly, the launch was witnessed by
all the 10 local authorities at different venues
through online video conferencing, and Petal-
ing Jaya City Council (MBPJ) was among the
authorities chosen to be part of it.
Speaking at Menara TM on Tuesday, MBPJ
deputy mayor Puasa Md Taib said the online
OSC could help the authorities go through
hundreds of applications virtually, which used
to be tedious and mired in weaknesses.
“OSC MBPJ was launched in 2007 to im-
prove our service and administrative work, at
the same time aiming to reduce the application
process to three months, sometimes more.
However, with the online service we have now,
we are aiming to reduce it further to 40 days,”
he said, adding that the contractors and devel-
opers would now have access to OSC system
anytime, anywhere.
A project architect from CY Foo Architect
was among the first two developers who had
successfully submitted their applications on-
line.
“Soon after we submitted our application,
we received immediate response from MBPJ
and the process was smooth compared to last
time which was quite a hassle,” said Mastura
Masri.
Not only that, she said, the online applica-
tion also helped the environment as it reduces
the use of paper.
“We used to submit our thick and huge
plans but now we can just scan them and put
them in PDF format. And submitting our ap-
plication is only a click away,” she said.
The other nine local authorities which have
access to the new service are Shah Alam City
Council, Johor Bahru City Council, Kuala
Terengganu City Council, Kuantan Municipal
Council, Alor Gajah Municipal Council, Sun-
gai Petani Municipal Council, Sepang Mu-
nicipal Council, Kuala Kangsar Muncipal
Council and Nilai Municipal Council.
The Federal Government aims to have the
online OSC at all local authorities by year-end.
“However, we are giving the local authorities
one month to maximise the online service.
After that, they are expected to receive and
process the applications in real time,” said Chor.
public use,” said Lim. While he
spoke to Selangor Times, a line danc-
ing group was practising in the hall.
The volunteers are trained by
firemen from the Seri Kembangan
Fire and Rescue Department as
well as those from Cyberjaya and
Bangi.
“For beginners who have just
joined our group, it would take
them around five to six months of
training once a week to be fully
operational,” he said.
He said they hope the state
would assist them in getting bigger
fire trucks for the volunteers to
make it easier for them to respond
to emergencies.
He added that public sponsors
and more volunteers are always
welcomed.
Those wanting to contribute
donations to the group, or make
further enquiries, can call Lim at
013-3391414
 news
January 7 — 9, 2011 9
By Tang Hui Koon

PETALING JAYA: Despite criticism from some parties, Mayor to move into
RM1.5m residence
Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman will
move into his RM1.5 million official residence once construc-
tion is completed in February.
“Everything related to the rebuilding of the official residence
was discussed and approved at a MBPJ (Petaling Jaya City
Council) board meeting.
“We’ve nothing to hide. I welcome any inquiry from the
public. They can even visit and inspect the residence if they
want to,” said Mohamad Roslan.
He stressed that the six-room bungalow on the 10,000 square
feet council land in Jalan Tinggi 6/12 was not his, but MBPJ’s
property.
MBPJ originally allocated RM900,000 to rebuild the ter-
mite-infested residence in 2008. Construction was supposed
to be completed last year.
However, work was delayed as the contractor wanted extra
payments for higher building material costs, with the total cost
ballooning to RM1.5 million.
Some Rukun Tetangga members and resident associations
have expressed concern that the increased costs would affect
the MBPJ’s operating budget.
Last month, Mohamad Roslan had to clarify the matter due
to public pressure. He had said those who were still unhappy
could propose to MBPJ to sell it, and he would continue to
live in his double-storey terrace house in Shah Alam.
Mohamad Roslan will be the first mayor to move into the
official residence.

Learning from the Alcatel-Lucent case

The settlement of US$137 million (RM413
million) by Alcatel-Lucent SA (AL) with the
US Securities and Exchange Commission and
the Justice Department of charges of bribery
of government officials in Costa Rica, Hon-
duras, Taiwan and Malaysia, is damaging to
the image of Malaysia. There are many issues
of governance and corruption to observe.
It is alleged that AL had paid bribes to
employees of Telekom Malaysia Berhad
(TM), a GLC (government-linked corpora-
tion), to obtain confidential information
relating to a public tender for a contract
worth US$85 million that AL won. AL had
paid US$200,000 and US$500,000 to two
consultants but they “did not appear to ren-
der any legitimate services to Alcatel Malaysia
recently on Dec 9, 2010, by the heads of losses of PLCs and government enterprises ics and law at Columbia University, said “but
chambers of commerce and industry/trade like those at Sime Darby Berhad and Port where substantial corruption can be unam-
associations. This pledge is a commitment to Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) highlight the urgent biguously be found, as it often can, one must
comply with a set of good business principles, need for stronger good corporate governance. recognise that it is not a cultural given. On
including the implementation of an anti- The regulators, boards of directors, CEOs, the contrary, it is the result of policies that
bribery policy in accordance with global and political leaders must take heed. If not, have fed it.”
standards. there may be more scandals to come!
Furthermore, the enterprise shall do a Finally, in an article that appeared in our Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan
periodical self-assessment as to its level of local media entitled “Getting corruption President
compliance, preferably using an independent right”, Jagdish Bhagwati, professor of econom- Transparency International Malaysia
third-party assessor and the result of which
should be made public.
(2) Implementing a public and open ten-
der system for procurement and a set of in-
tegrity compliance tools, especially the use of
TI’s Integrity Pact (IP) and a whistle blowing
policy. An IP is a legally enforceable agree-

in connection with these payments.”
If these consultants did not provide le-
gitimate services of value to AL then what
type of “services” did they provide? The
use of “consultants” or middle-
men/facilitators, especially in
closed or negotiated tenders, raises
strong suspicion of corrupt practices.
Many of them are RM2 companies
with no relevant expertise or experience
or even the resources to offer the services
which they are supposed to provide.
In addition to possibly being conduits for
bribes, in some cases, there are several layers
of consultants and/or sub-contractors. The
actual contractor doing the work gets a frac-
tion of the contract value and middlemen/
facilitators get significant portions for facili-
tating the contract. The consequences of such
procurement practice are highly inflated
prices, shoddy work, goods not delivered to
specification in quantity and quality, etc.
Although the regulators have espoused
good governance, especially for public listed
companies (PLC), and while many have
published beautifully drafted statements of
good governance in their annual reports,
actual measures to implement good govern-
ance may still be lacking, especially in pro-
curement. Transparency International Ma-
laysia (TI-M) advocates a set of integrity tools
that are often missing from PLC compliance
measures. These are:
(1) Each PLC, GLC and government-
owned enterprise to make a public anti- cor-
ruption pledge similar to the pledge signed
Study Medicine
ment signed between both the buyer and
the sellers with severe sanctions
for defaults, such as termination
of contract, black-listing, dam- At
Kursk State Medical
ages to the buyer and unsuc-
cessful bidders.
University,
Unversity, Russia
In IPs, the buyer com-
mits not to solicit bribes and to
put in place all possible measures to
ensure its officials comply and the sellers
commit to not paying bribes. All commis-
sions and other payments paid directly or
indirectly by the sellers must be disclosed to
the buyer.
The best practice of IP requires all stages
of the procurement process, including tender
specifications, prequalification, appointment Malaysian graduates of June 2010
of consultants, tender evaluation and award,
contract performance and post-contract • Established in the year 1935 (75 years old)
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Although regulations and governance
measures may not completely eliminate fraud For Further Information Contact www.ksmu.com.my
and corruption, TI’s experience is that the
MAGGARAM SDN BHD (P – 825616) Contact :
measures mentioned above together with top Sole And Exclusive Representative For KSMU In Malaysia DATO’ M.V.RAJU : 019 3520249
management setting the tone of integrity and C-19-02, Dataran 3 Two, No .2, Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, MRS.RENUGA : 017 3661578
46300 Petaling Jaya, selangor Darul Ehsan OFFICE : 03 79568006
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risk significantly. Recently, multi-billion
10
news
January 7 — 9, 2011

Bandar Sri Damansara residents

bag top prize By Rahmah Ghazali

PETALING JAYA: Being runner-up five years ago did not

The Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association receiving their award and prizes from Khalid.
stop the Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association from
continuing their hard work to become the best neighbourhood
at this year’s Petaling Jaya City Council’s Sustainable Commu-
nity Awards.
Shocked by the good news, the association’s president RK
Ravindran did not expect that his committee would bag the first
prize of the award, bringing home RM50,000, a trophy and
certificates.
“We certainly couldn’t believe that we had won. But we owe
it all to the residents for their hard work and cooperation to make
our neighbourhood the best place to live in,” he told reporters.
Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association defeated 16
other residents associations under the Petaling Jaya district at a
grand ceremony in Petaling Jaya Civics Hall on Tuesday night.
Each community was assessed by a panel of judges on, among
others, cleanliness, administration, security and entrepreneur-
ship.
Ravindran said their win was not an individual achievement,
as the association had cooperated with various authorities such
as the local authorities, police, Alam Flora, Indah Water, Works
Department and Road Transport Department.
“With their help and cooperation, 60,000 residents in Bandar
Sri Damansara feel peaceful and secure,” he said.
When asked what they would do with the cash prize, Ravin-
dran said the money would be used to upgrade computer systems
to manage complaints by residents more effectively and effi-
ciently.
“And we will continue our hard work for the next year to
come by inviting more residents to join a lot of interesting ac-
tivities organised by the association,” he said.
The ceremony was officiated by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan
Sri Khalid Ibrahim, and also attended by Petaling Jaya City
Council Mayor Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

u l a t i o n s
C o n gr a t
to

Weiron Tan
for winning the
2010 Yamaha SL
International Challenge
Championship Title

from

Committed to CSR
 Views 11
January 7 — 9, 2011

T Daulat Tuanku! Long live

wo key pillars of our political
system are constitutional
monarchy and federalism,
both of which are at stake now in

Democracy! Hail Federalism!

the on-going constitutional crisis in
Selangor. They are at stake because
some quarters through words and
deeds make them seem contradic-
tory, resulting in a trade-off.
A democratic defence for Consti-
tutional Monarchy
More than being an ethnic cham-
pion, as some quarters in Malaysia
like to stress, the principal role of
constitutional monarchy is to be a
political symbol for national unity.
English constitutional theorist
Walter Badeghot argued that the
British-style constitutional monar-
chy is superior to a presidential re-
public ala America because the
former allows a separation between
“the dignified” and “the efficient”
elements of government.
“The dignified” refers to the head
of state which gains authority, while
“the efficient” means the govern-
ment that uses the authority to
govern. Put simply in our context,
the Prime Minister, or Menteri Be-
sar, often need to get his hands dirty
to get things done while the King or
Sultan will remain reverent by stay-
ing above the fray.
This is not possible in American
presidentialism. President George
W Bush was both the head of state
and head of government. If you
hated him for his Iraq war, it would
be emotionally challenging to be
loyal opposition to such a highly
divisive head of state. In UK, you,
however, might hate PM Tony Blair
When it comes to “check and
balance” in democracy, many would
only think of the horizontal “separa-
tion of power” between the three
branches of government: the legisla-
tive, the executive and the judiciary,
ignoring two very important con-
texts.
One, in a parliamentary system,
we actually have “fusion of power”
rather than “separation of power”
because the legislative (directly) and
the executive (indirectly) are elected
in one election. Second, the check
and balance between the Parliament
and the Executive actually lies on the
possibility of the Government being
overthrown by Parliament, and
hence its non-existence in Malaysia.
For a country which has never
experienced party alternation at the
Centre, the other option for “check
and balance” mechanism is then the
vertical “division of power” between
What’s missing in public
transport planning
MAN IN BLACK
wong chin huat
the federal, state and local govern-
ments.
It is greatly problematic if the
State Secretary is to be appointed by
the Federal Government. The un-
derlying logic of federalism is that
there can be conflicting interests
between the Centre and the consti-
tuting states, hence the governments
are meant to be rivals, in coopera-
tion and competition at the same
time.
Unlike what advocates of au-
thoritarianism would tell you, inter-
governmental rivalry or even con-
flicts are good for democracy. It
prevents emergence of absolute
power and absolute corruption. It
allows the citizens to “divide and
rule” politicians.
We must be thankful for federal-
ism and we should thank the Mon-
archy historically. Federalism was
chosen over a unitary state in 1948
to preserve the sovereignty of the
Malay Rulers.
In brief, there would have been
no federalism without the monar-
chy. Today, the opposite is also true.
If the power of the states is eroded,
then monarchies will inevitably be
in decline. A monarchical defence
– even only in intent – of state rights
is therefore the only logical choice.
The right equation
The very core of the Malaysian
political system is elected govern-
ment (democracy), which is su-
preme subject only to the Constitu-
tion. Upon its rest the two key pil-
lars: monarchy and federalism.
The three can and should be in
blissful harmony. The Federal and
State Constitutions must reflect this
and be amended where this intent is
not effectively expressed.
Those who hope to pit the Mon-
archy against elected governments
and federalism are undermining all
three key elements of our political
system.
Through shouting out aloud
“Daulat Tuanku”, these trouble-
makers do not mind scarifying
constitutional monarchism in their
zest to build a unitary dictatorship
or oligarchy in Putrajaya. Just re-
member, Francisco Franco of Spain
who called himself a monarchist too.
Malaysians must show their will
to chuck out trouble-makers into
the dustbin of history. One Perak is
too many.
Daulat Tuanku! Long live de-
mocracy! Hail Federalism.

for the Iraq War but still love Queen
Elizabeth II who represents the
country.
Phrased otherwise, constitu-
tional monarchy is relevant in the
modern world because the monar-
chy can cover for and complement
elected government, hence making
democracy work better.
And this is done by being a cer-
emonial leader, not in any way re-
placing or outsmarting the elected
politicians.
Technically, the role of a consti-
tutional monarch can be replaced
by a non-executive president like
those in India and Singapore, but if
you venerate history and traditions
like Bagehot, constitutional monar-
chy would again be a superior alter-
native.
In brief, a universal, democratic
defence for constitutional monar-
chy is not only possible, but indeed
the only valid one. Constitutional
monarchy rests on its “protection”
of elected government from dis-
loyal opposition.
Any ethno-nationalist justifica-
tion for monarchy is not only anti-
democratic but also anti-national,
as it will both undermine the “digni-
fied” role of the monarchy and tear
apart Malaysia’s multicultural social
fabric.
A monarchical defence for feder-
alism
Unlike the United Kingdom
which is a unitary state, the monar-
chical institutions have another
important role in democracy, that
is, to defend the states and federal-
ism, or check the concentration of
power at the Centre.
W
hat’s the greatest form of public
transportation? Not the MRT, not
the LRT, not trains, or even buses.
It’s your legs.
We all walk, or move around on wheelchairs.
Anyone who’s taken a bus, train or taxi, stands
or sits around waiting for the vehicle to arrive.
Any effort to generate mass participation in
public transport will falter unless we make our
streets and stations safer and more comfortable
for walking and waiting.
Trouble is, we are mired in a mindset that
development means owning more cars, then
building more roads and lanes (shoulders and
kerbs maybe, if there’s leftover space), then
building some elevated or tunneled rail transit
when roads become choked. And wait for the
public to stream in.
We make plans to spend RM36 billion or
more to construct an MRT while driving past
derelict bus stops, and don’t bat an eyelid at the
contradiction. According to the Government
Transformation Programme Roadmap, about
40 percent of bus stops in the Klang Valley have
no shelter or signage. Building and refurbishing
transit points offers a fairly simple and highly
visible means for raising the profile of public
transport. And it won’t hurt to raise the com-
fort of walking or waiting for those who cur-
rently bear with the heat, rain and other hos-
tilities.
Much opposition to the MRT points out
the exorbitant cost, but even if it is much less
expensive we undermine potential gains by not
doing things in the right order.
Is it not logically obvious that to expand
public transport, we must first make it easier
to get to transit points and improve the bus
system, as the mode of transportation with the
widest coverage? And then, figure out if we
need mass transporting trains and if necessary,
build them?
Class mentalities pervade official, as well as
popular, thinking and handling of transporta-
wit pleasure
Lee Hwok Aun
tion issues.
Policy is being made out of desire for other
people to use it and free up the roads for the
rest of us. Policy is written by people who drive
or are driven from door to door, so the focus is
always on the ride, not the shuffle in between
rides.
Transport woes are viewed from above, by
people who seem to think that the MRT and
LRT are for middle class folks who will drive
or be driven to stations. Down the pyramid,
walking and taking the bus are for people who
are poor or young, who don’t mind the heat,
grime and chaos.
Plans were laid in early 2010 to increase the
bus fleet, improve connectivity and upgrade
bus stops, but since the MRT’s confirmation
the common modes of walking and bussing
have to compete for the remaining scraps of
funds, not to mention being so out-glamour-
ised.
These days public transportation morning
rush hour usage in the Klang Valley is around
12 percent. Eighty-eight percent of commuters
drive private motorised vehicles.
Current drivers are probably not going to
abdicate easily, especially when it continues to
be cheap to rule the roads. Petrol prices will go
up, but we tolerate the squeeze and keep rev-
ving, unencumbered by congestion charges or
single occupancy penalties.
There’s also a treacherous possibility that
success can undo itself here. If public transport
usage increases, won’t this reduce congestion
and make driving more appealing again?
Consider too, how we get away with driving
with utter disregard for pedestrians and public
transport users. Zebra crossings are usually
meaningless, sometimes dangerous for giving
a false sense of security. Drivers barge past with
impunity. The steering wheel is a status symbol
and power charm.
I’m not sure how much of these realities
factor into the grandiose target of increasing
public transport usage to 50 percent by 2020.
But I’m sure there is no escaping the pros-
pect that many more people will have to walk
and take the bus. The Brazilian city of Curitiba,
paragon of green urban development, operates
an enviably efficient and sleek bus-based public
transport system and preserves abundant walk-
ways and lush spaces. They’ve been at this for
over 40 years – it takes time, patience and in-
tegrated planning.
Surely various measures must be taken in the
Klang Valley, in sequence or simultaneously,
and customised to conditions here. Getting the
bus system to operate smoothly and comfort-
ably, though, is the best way to demonstrate
that we can efficiently and reliably transform
public transport.
We have a long way to go. The Pan Malaysia
Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) re-
cently lamented the lack of coherent policy for
their industry, and an exasperating array of
government agencies they have to deal with.
One of Malaysia’s pastimes is complaining
about rude drivers. We cannot just wait for
drivers to magically turn nice. We need some
regulation that tilts the balance of road power
from vehicles to pedestrians.
If not congestion or other monetary charg-
es, at least driving should cost more time.
People who sit and press pedals should be made
to slow down or stop more frequently to make
way for people who walk.
Then maybe we’ll stop thinking of walking
as backward a means of getting around. Maybe
we’ll even see it as a step forward. 
Dr Lee Hwok Aun is a lecturer in the Faculty
of Economics and Administration at the Uni-
versity of Malaya.
12
insight
january 7 — 9, 2010
Student
50
Power:
Student movements
have been on the
frontlines of
social change.
THEY WERE ONCE A
FORCE FOR CHANGE
IN MALAYSIA IN
THE 1960s. WHAT
HAPPENED, AND
WHAT’S BEING
DONE TO REVIVE
STUDENT
POWER.
By Alvin Yap
J
ust a few months ago, scenes of angry students protest-
ing the British government’s plan to triple tuition fees
became world headlines.
In 1986, The People Power and its non-violent revolution
in the Philippines saw students picketing at the gates outside
Malacanang palace. That event restored democracy to
the Phillipines, and led to the downfall of then
President Ferdinand Marcos.
In May 1998, Indonesia’s Suharto fell from
power following daily student protests after he
was re-elected for a fifth consecutive term by a
rubber-stamp legislative.
Another student power movement was the
May 1968 student uprising in Paris. From May
to July of that year, Paris and almost all of
France was nearly shut down by students who
stood with workers as they protested against
the De Gaulle adminstration, to the point that
it nearly fell.
Is there student power of this kind in Malay-
sia? To begin with, documentary filmmaker and
student movement historian Fahmi Reza says that
the current generation of students do not realise that
they are a “force to be reckoned” with.
There are almost a million students in local public and
private institutions of higher learning. Fahmi believes these
students have the power to “mobilise” the rakyat in any civil
society initiative given their sheer numbers alone.
He stresses, Malaysian student power is not about violent
protests or about overthrowing the government. Student power in
the Malaysian context, Fahmi says, is about students being conscious
about the lack of autonomy in campus affairs.
He wants the students to regain their independence that was lost
in 1971 due to the Universities and University Colleges Act
(UUCA).
The UUCA was enacted to curtail the autonomy and independ-
ence of campuses that flourished in the 1960s. Fahmi wants to
show students that there has been a history of student activism in
the 1960s– especially in Universiti Malaya – with his documen-
tary lecture titled “Student Power”. He hopes that students will
find inspiration in their predecessors and realise that “radicalism”
in Malaysian campuses was mainstream.
years
on
But not all agree with Fahmi’s direction, and those
who don’t are using the same Act he wants repealed to
bar him from delivering his lecture on campuses.
Fahmi says that he cannot quit pushing campus
authorities to let him in. What is at stake is the student
community, he explains, and the ability of the students
themselves to think and act independently.
“What is so threatening about my lecture”, he asks.
It is, he says, about a part of Malaysian history. He
smiles cryptically and asks, “Could it be that while the
students themselves are ignorant about student activ-
ist history, the authorities are not?”
He says that the government fears student radical-
ism and for that reason, UUCA was enacted. Educa-
tion and critical thinking have always been a dangerous
mix, he says.
Student power a part of history
He points to the student activism of the 60s and the
various initiatives that the Universiti Malaya Students’
Union (UMSU) set up; they published a paper, the
Mahasiswa Negara, and also ran a bus service and
canteen.
He says that is a far cry from the current conditions
in public institutes of learning.
“Students don’t know that they have the right to
organise, to start their own initiatives. If the campus
authorities insist on controlling them with the UUCA,
treating them like school-children, they will never
mature and be able to make [good] decisions,” Fahmi
says.
Campus autonomy and independence should be
encouraged and treasured, he says. A campus is the
perfect place to test new ideas.
He says that those ideas should deal with promoting
democracy, good governance and help students deal
with pressing issues. An autonomous and independent
campus is beneficial to society, he adds.
“A campus is just like a ‘mini’ country, it has its own
constitution and populace where students should
experiment with other forms of democracy,” Fahmi
says. What form does he mean? “[One that] replaces
political representation that is elitist and which takes
power away from the people.”
The political system inside campuses mirrors that
of society, he continues. If students can successfully
solve problems and organise themselves politically on
campus, they will be able to contribute at national
level, Fahmi reasons.
To that end, he says to student activists: “Design
new democratic institutions. Popularise power and
give sovereignty back to the students.
“If it is successful, bring that model to the rakyat so
that the decision making process is back in their hands,”
he concludes.
If such ideas sound alarming, Fahmi responds: “If
the students’ experiments fail, it fails within the con-
fines of campus and is contained inside it.”
One problem student power in Malaysia faces is the
lack of credibility – people today associate the idea of
a student movement with student riots elsewhere, like
the recent ones in London recently.
Fahmi says that there will be a small number of
student protestors who resort to violence to vent their
anger. But the media is also to blame, and he believes
the media’s fixation on violence is a method to dis-
credit students’ grouses.
“People who have risen up in history and spoken
up are seen as troublemakers because they dared to
question the status quo,” he notes.
Small start
What should Malaysian students be addressing? Fahmi
says some issues are not too different from what stu-
dents in other countries face, such as the fee increase
in Britain. University fees here are on the increase too,
he observes, with government pushing the provision
of education to the private sector.
“Currently, there are already students graduating
Fahmi Reza
Empowering and
Uniting Students
With just a few days left, preparations for the Students’ Parliament
at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Jan 11 are at fever pitch.
More than 170 students from private and public institutes of higher
learning have registered to participate in the assembly, organised
by Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Negara (PMN) or National Student
Assembly.
Each participating student will get three minutes to speak about
campus administration issues.
“There will be no unheard voices on that day. No issue is too small
or too big, or too irrelevant for us to discuss,” said PMN media officer
Dineshweri Puspanadan. Some of these issues might be about
personal safety on campus, or the lack of transportation after night
classes.
“Students feel that they aren't able to reach the campus
authorities over issues as small as a lack of parking,” said Dinesh.
The Students’ Parliament is seen as a step towards uniting
students from campuses around the country. “Students, unite!” is
PMN’s rallying cry to those attending the assembly.
PMN hopes that public and private university students can find
common ground, and revive the idea of students as change agents
in society, just like the Universiti Malaya student movement of the
1960s.
“We've seen Fahmi Reza's documentary on the 60's Universiti
Malaya student movement. They were united, and they were even
able to mobilise the public over critical issues in their time,” said
Dinesh.
“The students who raised issues of poverty and defended farmers’
rights were united regardless of ethnicity,” said Dinesh. “That is the
legacy of the ‘60s student movement that PMN wants to continue.”
She outlines other positive consequences expected as a result of
the Students’ Parliament.
For one, it will be an exercise in participatory democracy. Not only
will students get to speak but they will also decide on solutions to
problems together and vote on them.
Secondly, it is hoped that the event can help remove prejudices
between private and public university students.
“Public university students say that private university and college
students are arrogant,” observed Dinesh. Through the assembly, she
hopes that students from both types of institutions will find that they
have common ground, and will learn to trust each others’ approach
to solving problems.
And perhaps most importantly, PMN hopes that students will learn
how to think for themselves.
“We [have been] taught what to think and what not to think, but
not how to think,” she said.
PMN is happy with the response from students nationwide.
Thirty percent of those attending are from private institutes of higher
learning.
Dinesh is hopeful that the students who attend the assembly will
return to their campuses and empower their fellow students.
from public universities saddled with study
A campus loans, some as much as RM15,000. Education,
is just like a however, is a right, and not a privilege by eco-
‘mini’ country, nomic status,” he says.
it has its own What then is stopping students from being
paragons of student power?
constitution Fahmi admits that there is a long way to go
and populace before students can even reach the goals of hav-
where ing unfettered public space on campuses to re-
students alise their potential.
should Not many students are even aware of the
experiment oppressive atmosphere in national campuses.
“Most students do not ask hard-hitting ques-
with other tions,” he says.
forms of Besides the UUCA, students have been
democracy,” conditioned to think of education as a “com-
modity”, or as a pursuit for paper qualifications.
“A wholesome education should be about
developing the spiritual side of any student. It
shouldn’t be [just] about getting a degree and a
job after that.”
But Fahmi still believes there is a growing
momentum towards student power in Malaysia.
There is a group that will be holding an assembly
at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on the
11 January. The Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Ne-
gara (PMN) or National Student Assembly will
give each student who turns up at the meet a
chance to talk about issues close to heart. Each
student also gets to vote on resolutions to the
issues raised.
“[This] initiative gives hope for democracy
in campuses and Malaysia,” Fahmi says.
14
VIews
January 7 — 9, 2011

S The business of
hould governments be
involved in business? Con-
stipated Baboon, via email
Of course! Governments which

are not involved in business are not
doing a good job of “governing”
are they? Rules, regulations, licens-
ing, budgeting all sorts of other
governing-esque doo-dads need to
be done. But the question is, to what
degree should this involvement be?
Governments can be part of
the business market in two general
ways – to participate in the market,
or to protect the market. Both are
commonplace, worldwide.
Governments participate in the
market via their investment arms, in
which they hold substantial stakes,
and have control over the what,
where, which, who, why, and how
of the investment considerations.
Problems arise when govern-
ments, or these government-linked
companies are seen to have an unfair
advantage due to either privileged
information, favouritism when it
comes to licensing or infrastruc-
ture, or in the process by which
tenders for government projects
are awarded.
Malaysians are, sadly, all too
familiar with these issues.
Some would argue that, in a
capitalist market, it’s all about the
survival of the fittest. On the surface
level, one of the most publicly com-
petitive businesses is the telecom-
munications industry.
The major telcos wage price wars
governing cakes
People eat cake all
the time. How do you
tell if they are eating
to protest, or eating to
enjoy the cake? What if
it is both? This guerrilla-
like method must be
very disturbing to the
cake monitors, who
make it their business
to obstruct any public
action questioning the
status quo and the
powers that be.”
and uncovers the murky depths of
issues such as bandwith allocation,
licences and tender process for all
things telco-related.
It is then that one realises that
the government’s control over which
companies have an easier ride than
others makes it anything but a level
playing field.
bail out such corporations,
they may go under, or be
purchased by a foreign entity.
The collapse or loss of
control of such mega cor-
porations would not only
affect other companies in
their industry, it would affect
other industries as well, and
cause a nationwide economic
downturn.
There is a balancing act
to be achieved – companies
cannot keep expecting gov-
ernments to bail them out
with taxpayers money, and
decisions need to be made
fairly, and properly.
Yes, if companies do not take care
of themselves, then they should be
allowed to fail, but – and it’s a but
which is bigger than that rainbow
one on Lord Bobo’s Aunt Mildred –
governments cannot be expected to
simply let economies, markets and
nations crumble because a company
doesn’t deserve a handout.
Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by
Here, it is only apos- LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)
tasy from Islam that is un-
doubtedly the concern of
where all your profound,
abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite,
our intrepid questioner. sagacious, and other thesaurus-
Article 11(1) of the described queries are answered!
Federal Constitution en-
shrines the right of “every
person” to profess and practice his or their identity cards between 2000
her religion. The 9th Schedule per- and 2005. Other sources confirm
mits States to make Islamic law to be that the actual numbers are very
applied only to “persons professing small, and more often than not
the religion of Islam”. involve those who had converted
Yet, the 2-1 majority Federal to Islam for reasons of a marriage,
Court decision in Lina Joy (2007) and now wish to revert to their
requires any person considered a former religion once their marriage
“Muslim” by such State law to go had failed.
to the Syariah authorities for per- All fa ithf ul are natura lly
mission to “renounce” Islam. This concerned when one of their own
exposes those wishing to convert chooses to renounce a religion
out to criminal sanction. they believe to be perfect and
In Melaka a few years ago, AlJa- true. But the disappointment felt
zeera covered the story of a woman cannot be an excuse to subject that
called Revathi who went to the other person to live trapped in an
Syariah court in its civil jurisdiction unwanted official religious identity.
to get an order to leave Islam, saying All should be concerned at the
that she was now Hindu, had mar- government determining what
ried a Hindu man and had a baby religion a person is.

Why does cake-eating

appear so threatening?
@Adriene, via Twitter
You must be referring
to the g overnment
monitoring Universiti
Tunku Abdul Rahman
(Utar) students who
protested against the
1 0 0 - s t o r e y Wa r i s a n
Merdeka project by eating
cake at McDonald’s on
Nov 16, 2010.
E ating ca ke when
upset is a well known
p h en om en on . At an
individual level, it is not
an act of protest but more
of finding comfort and
escape from one’s troubles.
This phenomenon
has now been adapted
by those creative students
on a daily basis, in terms of their Of course, government interven- And this is where the good gov- with her husband. and applied in the political sphere.
devices and voice and data packages. tion is sometimes needed in times ernments differ from the half-past- The Melaka Syariah High Court Eating cake as a sign of protest is a
Consumers benefit from open, of crisis – which seem to be a dime six governments. exercised its criminal jurisdiction in new form of dissent.
fair competition! Brilliant right? a dozen these days – such as when Good governments formulate ef- that case and sent the woman to be People eat cake all the time.
But that surface-level view be- major companies collapse, creating a fective measures and sets of sensible detained at a rehabilitation centre in How do you tell if they are eating to
comes immeasurably muddied domino effect on the market. rules and regulations in order to Ulu Yam, Selangor for six months. protest, or eating to enjoy the cake?
when one takes a look underwater, If governments do not step in to avert a major economic or financial At the end of her rehabilitation What if it is both?
catastrophe. period, she still maintained that she This g uerrilla-like method
Although Lord Bobo already knows your question before you Good governments create min- was a Hindu but the Syariah Court must be very disturbing to the
even knew you had a question, as a practical display of your true istries staffed by responsible leaders refused to allow her to renounce cake monitors, who make it their
desire to have your query answered, His Supreme Eminenceness who ensure that these measures, Islam and ordered her into the cus- business to obstruct any public
has graciously allowed you to communicate your questions by – rules and regulations are actually tody of her father (even though she action questioning the status quo
• emailing asklordbobo@loyarburok.com, stating your full enforced, and applied fairly. was 28 years old). and the powers that be.
name, and a pseudonym if you wish the question to be Negeri Sembilan is the only State However, the students were
published anonymously (and a good reason for anonymity). Dear Lord Bobo, what is with with a procedure within its legisla- only exercising their rights to freely
• tweeting your questions by mentioning @LoyarBurok and this apostasy law business? How tion permitting conversion out, associate and express themselves as
using the hashtag #asklordbobo. will it affect us Muslims? @la- which imposes mandatory coun- guaranteed under Article 9 of the
The first 100 questions published will receive LoyarBurok’s dymissazira, via Twitter seling (but without any detention), Federal Constitution.
ONLY merchandise you ever need (worth a lot for humankind) In common to many other spe- but ultimately still leaves a discretion And by no stretch of the imagi-
courtesy of Selangor Times. Now, what the hell are you waiting cies in the galaxy, humans too have to the Syariah court to say no to the nation can eating dessert be classi-
for? a natural affection for their own person who wants to leave. fied as a threat to public order.
Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (although trembling is religion. Most of Earth’s religions Lord Bobo has learnt that the Among the many trivial pursuits
optional if you are somewhere very warm)! Liberavi Animam have persecuted those who wish to National Registration Department of the PDRM, expending their lim-
Meam! I Have Freed My Spirit! convert to another religion, calling received a total of 873 applications ited resources by sending 14 officers
it apostasy. to remove the word ‘Islam’ from to this event surely takes the cake.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 7 – 9, 2011 ⁄ 15

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16
news
January 7 — 9, 2011

Hi-tech Students push for role

monitoring
to go online
in nation-building
PETALING JAYA: The absence of a how students

in Selayang police permit did not stop 450 undergraduates

By Alvin Yap
SELAYANG: Twenty-four new closed
circuit cameras have been installed at
crime-prone hot spots in the municipal-
ity here in a bid to step up public secu-
rity.
“We want to ensure the safety of our
citizens,” said Selayang Municipal Coun-
cil (MPS) acting president Mohd Jaid
Ehsan.
He said MPS would start operating
the CCTVs around Bandar Baru Selay-
ang , Selayang Utama and Kepong
within a month.
“Each location has five CCTVs that
are spread out in different areas,” said
Mohd Jaid.
He said the locations were strategi-
cally chosen to enable the authorities to
monitor crime in a larger area. The
Gombak district police headquarters
selected the sites for the cameras.
The CCTVs will be monitored by
MPS officers at their office in Bandar
Baru Selayang and police at their district
headquarters.
Three CCTVs are already operating
24-hours at the Municipal Council,
Selayang Mall and   Selayang Capital
shopping centre.
from gathering to demand for a greater
political say at Padang Timur last Saturday.
The Himpunan Mahasiswa Malaysia’s
(Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic
Movement) gathering was held to support a
series of declarations that would see students
asking for a larger role in national politics. It
was attended by pro-democracy student
bodies.
“In other countries, in Europe for example,
students have been able to change government
policies,”said Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razak,
president of the Political Council of
Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia, or
Gamis.
He said Malaysia’s student movement still
“had some distance” to go before it could
influence government policies. “There are
more students now with greater political
consciousness, more than before, but it’s still
not enough,” he said.
He said student movements must be given
an opportunity to speak out against “unfair
practices” in campus elections. He was refer-
ring to universities which favour pro-
establishment student bodies and their can-
didates.
“Isn’t having dialogues and giving views
and opinions a part of education?” asked
Ahmad Syukri on the sidelines of the gather-
ing which was held from 10am to noon.
“But most of all we agree that the Univer-
sities and University Colleges Act must be
abolished,” he said. He said the act dictates
should partici-
pate in campus
elections. He
added that the
act barred stu-
dents from be-
ing involved in
national poli-
tics, and hence,
are prevented
from contrib-
uting to nation-
building.
He said it
was natural for
students to be
involve d in
politics or mass
political move-
ments as they
wanted to be
critical of unjust state and federal government on one condition: no political speeches by
policies. In view of this, he said the move- the students.
ment would judge the Barisan Nasional and Yeoh said he disagreed with the condition.
Pakatan Rakyat fairly. “Every speech, especially in matters relating
“We are sensitive to the people’s plight, to student elections and aspirations, is po-
and we are ready to defend them by being litical. How can police say ‘no political
critical of bad policies and governance. We speech’?”
will of course contribute to better policies Deputy Higher Education Minister
that benefit the people,” he said. Saifuddin Abdullah, who expressed support
The student organising committee had for the gathering, said there was a need for
applied for a police permit for the gathering students’ voices to be heard, and that their
two weeks ago, said Petaling Jaya City coun- role in nation-building was important.
cillor Richard Yeoh. He said police did not Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya
approve the application but finally relented Utara Hee Loy Sian was also present.

Tracking the pulse of Penang

jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun
2009

20 10

20 11

Penang Economic Monthly is a monthly magazine dedicated to socio-economic issues in

Penang, offering reliable socio-economic data as well as informative articles on the arts,the
industry, culture and social issues that are relevant to today’s generation of Malaysians.
Available nationwide at bookshops and newsstands.
www.penangeconomicmonthly.com
 Review 17
January 7 — 9, 2011

The bizarre and the exotic

By Alvin Chin

T
here’s no doubt   the Irish love their
spuds but Ireland’s Potato offers bizarre
or exotic (it depends who you ask)
flavours for those looking for more than or-
dinary fries.
While it would be impossible to taste all
the flavours offered in Ireland’s Potato in one
sitting, but for the readers’ benefit, I gath-
ered a group of non-professional gluttons to
put their taste buds to the test.
Fortunately we managed to try 10 differ-
ent flavours from the outlet. The “special
cheddar cheese” flavour’s name says it all. Its
cheesy cheese has a rich texture, causing it
to be sticky. While consuming, let the cheesy
fries melt in your mouth as the satisfaction
can be very addictive. It is better to consume
it while it is still warm as the cheese and fries
will glue together when it turns cold.
If you want to try spaghetti bolognese on
fries, then order the “Ireland chicken meat
sauce potato chips”. It definitely would not
taste as good as the spaghetti but it is worth
trying. Different people have different pref-
erences but this flavour is not as appetising
as it looks on the picture.
Ever wondered how would Pringles taste
like freshly baked from the oven? Then try
the “sour cream potato chips” flavour. I
promise you this flavour will not disappoint
your expectations. Imagine biting a warm
Pringles crisp and you will feel the urge to
grab another piece.
I can say that “honey mustard potato
chips” might sound appetising but not eve-
ryone would fancy this flavour. I personally
have tried this flavour twice and I find it
good but my partners-in-
crime thought otherwise. Our rating for your convenience of making a choice
They complained about the
excessive amount of honey Special Cheddar Cheese 2.5/5 Titillating snacks from Ireland.
covering the mustard. If you Ireland Chicken Meat Sauce Potato Chips 2/5
place an order for this fla- Sour Cream Potato Chips 4/5
vour, do tell them to be a Honey Mustard Potato Chips 2/5
little more generous with Wasabi Mayonnaise Potato 2.5/5
their mustard. Pickle Mayonnaise Potato 2.5/5
The “wasabi mayonnaise Garlic Powder Potato 5/5
potato” flavour is a great ex- Nori Powder Potato 3/5
ample of an east-meets-west Plum Pepper Powder Potato 2/5
combination. Combining Cinnamon Icing Potato 2/5
two of the countries’ oldest
cultures can only mean one was perfect. There was not much grumbling Crab Delivery Expert
thing; a very different, yet exotic flavour. The about this flavour as everyone agreed this was www.FattyCrabs.com
only catch is the lack of pungency from the the best of the night.
wasabi. Perhaps it is caused by the thickness To be honest, we did not know what an
of the mayonnaise. People who are afraid of ordinary nori taste like but while trying out
the power of the wasabi can fear not as the the “nori powder potato”, we could only notice
pungency is only very mild. the similarity with the garlic taste. Maybe we
RM10 off
The flavoury “pickle mayonnaise potato” were not accustomed to the flavour but it was on oders above RM120
had a unique mixture. The mixture of salty still worth trying. Valid till Feb 28, 2011
and sour flavour lived up to its pickle com- The “plum pepper powder potato” flavour
bination with the potato. lived up to its name as it falls under the crazy
The champion of the night went to the flavour category. Who would have thought of
“garlic powder potato” flavour. Although it including plum flavour in an ordinary looking
looked ordinary with garlic powder sprinkled potato? Nonetheless, we could hardly taste the
on the fries, the adjustment of garlic flavour plum flavour on this choice.
Close your eyes and imagine
eating a warm and sweet French
fries. I know it sounds a little
weird but you can try the “cin-
namon icing potato” flavour.
This is a bad combination as
warm fries already carry a little
salty taste in it and with the
mixture of sweet cinnamon, it
only makes it taste weirder.
Some of the flavours have too
complicated combinations,
making it sound exotic but Have Crabs Delivered To You And Eat In The Comfort of
sometimes the taste can go bad. Your Own House/Office In KL & PJ
But then again, it’s up to an No Service or Delivery Charges
individual to decide his or her
choice of flavour.
Ireland Potato outlets are Call us now (between 4.00 pm to 10.00 pm daily)
located at Sunway Pyramid, Toll Free: 1-300-222-100
Berjaya Times Square and The 03-22733100 and 03-22739100
Gardens, Midvalley. Order online: www.fattycrabs.com
18
Features
January 7 — 9, 2011

Of tyres, helmets
and pedalling away
By Alvin Chin two-year-old.
But now budding cyclists can put The idea of a bunch

H
ave you ever wanted to relive
a childhood moment when
you used to cycle around the
neighbourhood? We watched mountain
bikers manoeuvring around the jungle,
dodging potholes and branches on
television, and wondered why can’t we
be like them.
Cycling has been a part of every
child’s life but the habit seems to die
off as a child grows older. Safety issues
and lack of places to cycle could be the
reasons for the disinterest.
“Back in my childhood days I used
to cycle around my kampung, but now
because of traffic concerns, I rather not
be bothered to cycle at all,” said Koe
Houi Yun, an accountancy graduate.
According to Choo Shi Jin, the lack
their safety concerns behind. They
can join the Kuala Lumpur Mountain of people (“bashers”
Bike Hash (KLMBH) to challenge or “hounds”) cycling
themselves and wander into the forest. around an area
A good opportunity to relive the adven- (typically an oil palm or
turous spirit of our childhood. rubber estate here in
The KLMBH started in 1994 when
a group of 20 riders got together and
Malaysia) following bits
started venturing into forests. It has of paper (the “paper
gained in popularity through the years, trail”) laid earlier by
and it now has 230 members . the “hare” may sound
“When I first started mountain crazy, but not to these
biking about six years ago, there were adventurers. They just
only about 100 riders but the numbers
have increased strongly over the years,” love it.”
said Stanley Ng, who is president of last Sunday of the month and prepare to
KLMBH. endure the adrenalin flow in your body. Kuala Lumpur Mountain Bike Hash (KLMBH) member
Ng, 36, who is an IT technical man- wandering into the forest.
If you worry your body cannot
ager, has been an active mountain biker handle the punishment of the

Favourite bashing spots in Selangor

of place for him to cycle ended his cy-
cling days. “It’s boring to cycle around
the neighbourhood over and over again
and there are also limited safe places to
cycle in Petaling Jaya” said the twenty-
Stanley Ng: president of KLMBH.
for six years. He believes people should
take up mountain biking regardless of
their age, gender or occupation.
The idea of a bunch of people
(“bashers” or “hounds”) cycling around
an area (typically an oil palm or rubber
estate here in Malaysia) following bits
of paper (the “paper trail”) laid earlier
by the “hare” may sound crazy, but not
to these adventurers. They just love it.
To make things more exciting, the paper
trail includes a system of checkpoints
and false trails. A bit like treasure hunt-
ing and orienting.
Part of the attraction of the bike hash
is that it allows you access new trails, as
no two hashes are ever the same. If the
hare is particularly adventurous, you
may even be biking in an area totally
new to mountain bikes. Bike hashing
is ideal for those who find racing on a
closed loop antithetical to the mountain
biking spirit of adventure.
For those who have a bike that is kept
in the store room, it is time to take it out,
wipe away the dust and pump your tyres
with air. Then join a bike hash on the
trails set by KLMBH, have no
fear. There are two categories in
every bash. The beginners’ trail
is fairly easy with no big hills in Bukit Kiara
between and the length is only
10 to 12 km. This is recom-
mended for first time bikers. The
intermediate trail varies from big
hills, fast down hill and requires
knowledge of technical riding.
Riders are expected to complete
20 to 25km in the trail.
Do keep in mind that every
bash is not a race. There are no
competitions but the common
goal is to complete a course in
each bash. Every participant
must work together to complete
a loop.
If you are tired of the same old MTB course.
routine, then try something new.
Grab your old bike and start ped-
alling away. Forget about cycling
in parks or housing neighbour-
hoods, push yourself into cycling
in a new environment where you
will be surrounded by nature.
Brilliant network of technical trails smack in the middle of
the KL-PJ conurbation. Certainly one of the most enjoyable
and demanding collection of trails that Speedy has ever
wagged her tail at. All these trails require a minimum level
of fitness to overcome the initial climbs, but those who
persevere are rewarded with such sweet and technical
single-track that you will wonder why you would ever want
to ride elsewhere.
Sungai Buloh/Rubber Research Institute (RRI)
Many veteran mountain bikers cut their teeth here when
they were just starting out. Although slightly lacking in the
back-to-nature department (being fodder for mosquitoes
doesn’t count), the RRI area has a sufficient variety of trails
to cater for beginners and advanced/deranged riders alike.
The site of many races, including the 2001 Sea Games
FRIM
The Forest Research Institute in Kepong has a number of
interesting and scenic trails set in the forest reserve. The
tall canopies of dipterocarps (literally, “two-winged seed”,
a family of tropical hardwood forest trees) provide ample
shade and ensure a pleasant, even if not hardcore, ride.
The main trail is the Rover Track, with other subsidiary
(and sometimes overgrown) trails branching off it.
Klang Park
A little park in Klang, located off the Banting road, across
the road from the main Klang hospital, has interesting and
surprisingly technical singletrack trails. The trails will be
worth the effort. From the infamous 7-way roundabout in
Klang, head towards Banting. Look out for a yellow-domed
mosque on your left, across the road from the hospital.
A tarmac road just after the mosque (and just before a
Petronas station) leads uphill to the park. The park is
infested with joggers and hikers in the early morning and
evenings.

How to be a part of KLMBH?

Log on to www.klmbh.org
Find out when and where the next bash is.
Show up on that particular day with your bike and helmet.
Sign up on the spot.
When and where is the next bash?
Jan 30, 2011 (Sunday) at Rubber Research Institute
What does it take to be a member?
Fill in an application form and submit on the next bash to-
gether with membership fees of RM70, or pay RM15 for a bash
you are attending if you have not decided that you want to be
a member yet.
Who to contact?
Exciting trails across palm oil estates.
Stanley Ng @ 012-2937720

Storing data in
the clouds
By Edwin Yapp
W
hat is your new year wish?
I’m sure you have many, but how
about a wish for more computing
storage without having to carry around thumb
or pen drives? After all, with the amount of
data a typical consumer holds on to today, it’s
no wonder many of us would have at least a
few thumb drives and one portable hard drive
to store our data in.
But in recent times, the notion of having
our valuable data with us anytime, anywhere,
has become more appealing, and so has the
idea of storing data in the so-called storage
cloud.
The advantages are obvious. The first is that
you have your data with you everywhere you
go. All you need is an Internet connection and
a computer with a browser. Secondly, you can
publish your data for those who want to access
it, which eliminates having to circulate your
storage devices from one person to another.
However, online storage services do come
with some drawbacks. Because you’re depend-
ing on Internet connectivity to download and
upload your files, your service is only as good
as your Internet access.
Security is another important thing to
consider. Given the amount of breaches in
security on the Internet these days, you may
want to consider only uploading information
that is not the most private. Still, storage
services do have credible security protection
protocols, so you’re not totally vulnerable.
So if you’re able to live with some of these
challenges, online storage today has become
a viable option. Most of these online storage
services have basic packages that are free to
use and can be further upgraded should you
need more space.
Here’s a compilation of some storage ser-
technology 19
vices that you may want to consider with
various configurations and packages for dif-
ferent needs.
Windows Live SkyDrive
The world’s largest software company makes
it easy for beginners to store data. All you need
to kick start SkyDrive is a valid Windows Live
ID, which you would already have if you have
a Hotmail, Messenger, or Xbox LIVE account.
SkyDrive’s biggest selling point is that it’s
free and that it’s pretty generous with the free
storage space provided — 25GB to be exact,
which is more than any other equivalent free
storage service.
This service is easy to use and well laid out.
From the get go, you already have four folders
on your drive: documents, favourites, shared
favourites, and public. These are default fold-
ers that you can’t delete.
With SkyDrive, you can assign permission
from your address book and authorise who
can have access to view your folders. It also
supports photo tagging, slideshows and you
can easily share photos with your friends by
sending them a link. Your guests can sign in
without a Windows Live ID and still view
your pictures.
SkyDrive supports drag-and-drop file
transfers from your desktop but only with the
Internet Explorer browser.
For more, check out http://explore.live.
com/windows-live-skydrive
SugarSync
If you’re looking for an online storage that
synchronises your data to your PC, try Sug-
arSync. It offers a 30-day free trial, after which
Pothole hazard for m-cyclists
By Basil Foo
SERI KEMBANGAN: A pothole in
Jalan Utama, Serdang Raya, has caused four
accidents so far.
A victim has called on the authorities to
act before someone is killed.
“The car in front of me swerved sud-
denly to avoid the pothole but I ended up
hitting the hole and falling off my bike,” said
Chong Voon Fei.
JANUARY 7 — 9, 2011
you have various plans to choose from. Plans
start from US$49.99 per year for 30GB of
storage.
The best feature that SugarSync possesses
is that it can synchronise your data across
multiple PCs that you own. For example, once
you’ve installed the SugarSync manager on
your work and home PCs, any changes (edit,
delete, rename) that you make to the files
stored on one computer will be reflected in
other PCs. You can also access your files using
your friend’s computer via a browser and make
changes there. These changes will also be re-
flected across all PCs.
One neat feature that is that you can store
your media files online and access them via
applications on popular smartphones such as
the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Win-
dows Mobile.
For more, surf www.sugarsync.com
Dropbox
This service is gaining in popularity chiefly
because it’s easy to use and it’s mostly free. It’s
suitable for most people who do not have that
much to store, and has simple interfaces.
Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage, with up
to 100GB for paying customers.
Users of Windows, Mac or Linux platforms
can use the application and it automatically
syncs when new files or changes are detected.
Like the other storage clouds on offer here,
Dropbox lets you share folders, allows several
people to collaborate on the same files, lets
you see other people’s changes instantly, and
allows your Public folder to link directly to
files.
For more, go to www.dropbox.com
The 26-year-old photographer sustained
injuries to his elbows and knees while the
tyres and rims of his motorcycle were badly
damaged in the accident on Dec 28.
Petrol attendants from a nearby kiosk
rushed to his aid and told him he was the
fourth accident victim within a month.
“The rest were also motorcyclists who
suffered similar injuries,” he said.
Chong suspects the pothole was caused
by shoddy road works.
20
FICTION
January 7 — 9, 2011
The dance lesson
✂
Fiction by Hazlan Zakaria
S
omething wonderful happens
when unstoppable force meets
immovable object. So I
thought, lost in her embrace. Danc-
ing away, awkward-stiff arms and
two left feet, struggling to pace her
languorous, seductive dance. to teach each other what the other
Her eyes sought me, as mine tried
looking away, for an excuse to run.
The thick liquor-music drowned me
in its beats, its caressing melody,
intoxicating.
Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at Highly conscious of her reassur-
the nearest police station to have regular checks ing hands and seductive body
at your house while you are away. against mine. Her graceful gyrations
exquisite, mine clumsily keeping
Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya time. It was stupid, bordering on
insane. But we tire of the roles we
Tel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815 play. Inducted since infancy into
Borang maklumat opposing philosophies, the San-
Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman guine Stoics and the Clan of Dance.
untuk bercuti. Paragons of our orders, I a dedi-
cated Brother Stoic and she an un-
Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis restrained Sister of Dance, finding
solace in each other.
............................................................................................. It was natural, for orders to come
. down that we contend to prove the
ascendancy of our faiths. A fight to
Butiran penduduk: the death.
We have contested many times.
Nama: ................................................................................ Members of my coterie and her en-
.. tourage cut down in fierce battles,
which left us yet unscathed.
Alamat: ............................................................................... But something blossomed, as we
.. met upon roof tops in lonely duels,
wary of losing too many acolytes,
............................................................................................. developing into intimate chats, as we
. fall into a strange trap.
I know not what it is, love, cama-
............................................................................................. raderie or friendship. Something
. grew out of our opposites, echoing
ancient rumours, a third option for
Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ..................................... our race. An in-between, she and I
... gleaned.
But for warrior-philosophers that
Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ............................ we are, our elders ordered a final and
.... fatal confrontation, under threat of
.............................................................................................
. Unisel gets
Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: .............................................
...
grant
SHAH ALAM: Universiti Industri
Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ........................................... Selangor (Unisel) has received a
half million ringgit research grant
Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar from the state to develop green
kenderaan). technology for Selangor.
“As we are among the most pol-
1. ........................................................................................ luted states in the country, a research
.. on green technology will go a long
way towards a cleaner environment,”
............................................. ....................................... said Unisel president and vice-chan-
.. Tarikh cellor Datuk Dr Rosti Saruwono.
Green technology is an applica-
tion of science and technology to-
Have you checked wards preserving natural resources
and environment.
your electrical Rosti received the cheque from
state executive councillor Dr Hali-
switches before mah Ali on Tuesday.
leaving home? MPK extends discount for parking fines
Before ieaving your home for a holiday, have you
checked all your electrical switches and turned KLANG: Traffic offenders have
off your gas tanks? until Jan 16 to settle their overdue
parking fines at a discounted rate of
RM20 at the Klang Municipal
Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at Council (MPK).
03-5634 9444 Its president, Datuk Mislan Tu-
giu, said the council decided to ex-
lethal excommunication.
We met one last time, at the
dance hall we observed from our
rooftop hiatus. Where she danced
as music drifted aloft, baring me her
soul, as I struggled to show why si-
lence and tranquility is mine.
We made a pact, before the end,
meant. My coterie and her entou-
rage incognito, philosopher veterans
trying to fit in the crowd of partying
lessers.
I couldn’t assemble any logic
from this. Overwhelmed by some-
thing I am inexperienced with. She
said, it’s okay, called it “feelings”.
I was unsure, how can something
be both so good and painful at once?
Doubting myself, I wondered if the
elders were right. Is there evil in this?
One look into her eyes and the
squeeze of her fingers on my shoul-
der and waist, answered me this. I
wouldn’t want it undone.
A buoyancy filled me, happy
warmth flooding. The happiest I
have ever been, encircled in the arms
of my dancing queen.
Life is not fair, bound by contra-
dictions. I must show her true stoi-
cism, the only way to ensure she and
our child within, survive the day.
She looked up as thoughts dis-
tracted me from her eyes. Steeling
myself, I placed a kiss upon her
forehead. Lips paused by her ear, I
tightened my embrace and whis-
pered. “Be well my love, for your
lesson in steadfastness begins.”
“Now?” her expression quizzical.
“My love... I like the sound of that...”
she said, caressing the words with
her pronunciation.
I closed my eyes and kept newly
acquired emotions in check.
“Soon my love. After the music
ends,” I assured, forcing myself out
of her embrace. As the music died
Dr Halimah handing over the cheque to Rosti.
In addition to green technology,
the grant will also be used to study
integrated technology.
He said Unisel would use the
funds to research projects at lakes
tend the original Dec 31 deadline to
Jan 16 due to overwhelming re-
sponse. The council has collected
more than RM600,000 from park-
ing fines since the promotion began
on Dec 1.
A special counter has been set up
my Katana slid out of its scabbard,
her twin stilettos emerging from
their sheaths.
We took our places in the scheme
of things, across that immutable line
between those who chose not to live
and those who pursued living to the
fullest.
The hiss of cruel metal resounded
as my faithful coterie and her loyal
entourage followed suit.
Blades akimbo, we threw our-
selves into the dance as musicians
and patrons ran pell mell into the
dark, away from the quickening
onslaught.
We were evenly matched, neither
could prevail in a straight fight. But
we both risk death, if we do not. I
waited until she was caught up in the
throes, her whirling stilettos surging
in lightning fast stabs.
Judging the moment right, I let
down my guard and surrendered to
her stilettos. Titanium tips punc-
tured my chest in organ-shredding
rush, as motorised blade ripped into
unarmoured flesh. My chain mail
undershirt deliberately not in its
place. Time stopped as blinding
pain exploded. I crumpled towards
the floor in a bloody heap.
Everything blurred, a compressed
single moment. Lifeblood seeped
out of me, as cold numbness fol-
lowed.
She cradled me in her lap, an-
guish coloured her face. I looked in
her eyes and smiled. Her tears flow-
ing as sobs wracked her.
“It’s the only way. My lesson to
you. Be steadfast... be stoic”, I gur-
gled in between gasps.
“At our rooftop hideout, is a
package. Travel papers for you and
some cash. Flee, stay safe...remember
me to our child,” I uttered at the last.
Another blinding flash of pain fol-
lowed and then... darkness.
and land on its campus in Bestari
Jaya.
He said Unisel would ensure the
projects generate income and be
self-sustaining .
at the MPK lobby. MPK said it will
take court action against offenders
who failed to settle their fines by Jan
16. The council is also setting up
an additional counter at its office for
business owners to renew their busi-
ness licences by today.
 Feature 21
January 7 — 9, 2011

Some people do get hungry two

hours after lunch. But if time is
precious and you can’t afford to
cruise around in search of snack
food, let LIN ZHENYUAN point the
way to the ‘yew char kueh” man
in an older part of Petaling Jaya.

B
lack coffee drinkers know that “yew char kueh” or
crullers are like jam on toasted bread. There are vendors
and stalls scattered all over Petaling Jaya selling this oily
delicacy.
SS2 has a crullers stall in Medan Selera that has proven its
staying power over the years by selling just this one item. Section
17, near the market place, also has a mobile van that sells yew
char kueh in the afternoons. And if you are in Selayang Baru,
there’s a stall, just around the corner from the Selayang Baru
Mall. That particular hawker who parks his mobile stall next
to a big drain has an awesome reputation for yew char kueh,
too.
But my personal favourite is the guy who sells the fried
pastries from his van in PJ Old Town. I speak only for myself
when I say the yew char kueh in PJ Old Town is one of the best
I have ever come across. Ultimately, it is up to the individual.
This guy is a middle-aged man who normally comes after
lunchtime and parks in front of the dim sum shop. Customers
will drop by to pick up a bagful or two for their friends or
families.
Considering that there’s a very popular bak kut teh stall
around the corner from where his van is stationed, it is not The varieties of yew char kueh and hum cheen penh on sale.

One bite and

surprising that some bak kut teh patrons will make the yew
char kueh van their second stop after eating at the Heng Kee
Bak Kut Teh Restaurant.
Business is usually brisk immediately after the driver-cum-
seller starts to heat up the wok of oil and begins to pile up the
yew char kueh.
The types of yew char kueh for sale range from the yam-filled

you are hooked!

type to the five-spiced “hum cheen penh”. Depending on your
preference or your wife’s liking, you could end up paying close
to RM10 for two bagfuls.
There’s really nothing like fresh yew char kueh straight out
of the wok. I have been a true believer in this Chinese delicacy
for decades.
Our Malay friends apparently char kueh and ham
have also taken a liking to this stuff cheen penh vary bet-
as they, too, also have stalls spread ween 80 sen and RM1. For variety, length of time it takes for the crullers stalls that are fast vanishing from favourite tong shui, you can hop into
all over PJ peddling this snack food. there’s also the pandan lotus buns to sell out. Each time I have fre- our Malaysian streets. Among your car and make a beeline for PJ
The Malay word for yew char and the coconut-filled buns. A quented the van, I’ve noticed that them is the “tong shui” or sweet Old Town.
kueh is “cha kueh” or something popular side-order is also “Mah business is brisk and the man has a soups, for want of a better descri- Anyway, be sure to pay the yew
that’s phonetically similar. Keok” or “horse shoe”. It doesn’t hard time keeping up with demand ption. There are two tong shui stalls char kueh man here a visit if you
If you are curious as to the exact really look like a horse shoe but as people of all races walk up to his opposite the yew char kueh van. So happen to be in the vicinity of PJ
whereabouts of this van that sells the somehow someone must have stall and start placing their orders. if your mum is tired of going to the Old Town. It will certainly bring a
crullers, it is about 100 metres along imagined that it looked like one, so PJ Old Town still has some food kitchen to come up with your smile to your face.
the main road from the cross-road that description has
traffic lights, coming from the stuck.
Assunta Hospital. It faces the Yew char kueh is
roadside stalls just outside some normally sold while
restaurants. If you don’t like the yam it is being made. This
crullers or the red bean type, there van is no exception.
are other options like sweet corn, An indication of the
lotus paste or glutinous rice. popularity of this
Prices for the various types of yew mobile stall is the

Prices for the various

types of yew char kueh
and ham cheen penh
vary between 80 sen and
RM1. For variety, there’s
also the pandan lotus
buns and the coconut-
filled buns. A popular
side-order is also “Mah
Keok” or “horse shoe”.
It doesn’t really look
like a horse shoe but
somehow someone
must have imagined that
it looked like one, so that
description has stuck.”
The vendor tries to keep up with demands of loyal and first time customers.
22
Gallery
January 7 — 9, 2011

GREETING THE NEW

YEAR: Selangor
Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim (centre)
and his wife Puan Sri
Salbiah Tunut attending
the i-City New Year
celebrations on Dec 31.

Teratai assemblyperson Janice Lee (fifth from left) posing with the families who re-
ceived free exercise books as part of a state initiative. School-going children from
12 families received the books in Cheras on Dec 30.
One of the bands performing ahead of the ‘Spiced up countdown’ at the Shah Alam
Convention Centre on Dec 31. The maiden New Year event is a joint collaboration
between Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam Music Academy and the Akademi
Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan.

Hulu Kelang assemblyperson Saari Sungib and his wife Aliza Jaafar at an essay Teoh Beng Hock’s family showing the “Justice for Beng Hock” banner before the Cor-
writing competition at the AU community centre on Jan 1. Writers were asked to oner’s Inquest on Wednesday. The Coroner announced an open verdict on the death
write essays on their vision for Selangor. of the former political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah.

PLAYS
Someone Who’ll
Watch Over Me
Theatre
The Actors Studio@Lot 10
5 -16 January 2011
RM48; 03-2142 2009
www.theactorsstudio.com.
my
In 1986, Irishman Brian
Keenan was abducted while
on his way to work. Part
of the Lebanon Hostage
Crisis of the 1980s and
1990s, his kidnapping would
last four and a half years,
birth an award-winning
memoir, An Evil Cradling
— and an award-winning
piece of theatre, Someone
Who’ll Watch Over Me,
by playwright Frank
McGuinness.
Instead of dealing with the
politics — Jihadists meeting
the West, etc — this play
focuses instead on the
“remarkable resilience of the
human spirit and humanity”,
as played out between
three characters — an
Englishman, Irishman, and
American, respectively — in
a windowless cell in Beirut.
The KL staging of Someone
Who’ll Watch Over Me is
directed by Joe Hasham,
and features Charles
Donnelly, Kingsley Judd and
Gavin Yap. It will later tour to
Singapore.
Don’t think that Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Negera is a spin-off from the student
rallies happening elsewhere around the world, either. We usually forget that
the UM student movement of the 1960s was so powerful that its road-show
during the 1969 General Election attracted crowds in the tens of thousands.
Hopefully, this new congress will see a return to youthful, intellectually rigorous
ideals. This is history in the making; if you are a student at a public or private
institution of higher learning, you have no excuse for not attending.
ART
Editor’s GB GerakBudaya & SIRD 2011
New Year Book Sale
Pick Run out of a quaint PJ bungalow, book distributor
Sale GB GerakBudaya is one of the main channels for all
GB GerakBudaya Enterprise, that heavy thinking going on about Malaysia today. It
11, Lorong 11/4E peddles out tomes that “embody social awareness,
46200 Petaling Jaya critical and alternative perspectives, and hidden
7 - 9 January 2011 histories” from UKM, ISEAS and Institut Kajian
free admission Dasar. Its publishing arm, SIRD, puts out memoirs
03-7957 8342 by Shamsiah Fakeh and James Puthucheary; titles
www.gerakbudaya.com like Social Roots of the Malay Left; and the awesome
comic history Where Monsoons Meet.
So if you’re interested in the Malaysian Condition at
all, you won’t miss GerakBudaya’s new year sale. Get
books on topics — ranging from fiction and the arts, to
religion and gender studies — at discounts from 30%
to 100%. Yes, they are giving stuff away for free.
Perhimpunan Mahasiswa
Negara 11.1.11 MUSIC
Student Rally A Shameless Covers Night 2
Chinese Assembly Hall
11 January 2011 Music Gig
free admission PJ Live Arts, Jaya One
7 & 8 January 2011
www.pmn2011.com
admission by RM35 donation
University students in Malaysia are 014-264 8457
proverbial for being intellectually
lacklustre and socially apathetic (blame
shamelesscovers@gmail.com
Groundbreaking innovation in music
that on the Universities and University
can be awfully ponderous. Sometimes,
Colleges Act). Even when they do get
organised, said student organisations you just want to lean back, head-bob,
tend to act as stooges in partisan and sing along to classic pop anthems.
politics. This new initiative, sparked Not to say that A Shameless Covers
Night 2 will be your bog-standard
by documentarian Fahmi Reza and a
loose coalition of undergrads, seeks to cover-band gig at the neighbourhood
change all that, by providing a platform old-uncle club; this gig features Mia
for uni students to voice their concerns Palencia, Melina William, Reza Salleh
and Zalila Lee — all luminaries in
about issues like tuition fees, academic
the KL live scene. Watch the quartet
autonomy, and social justice.
perform together as an acoustic
band, swapping roles as the night
progresses. “Expect good music,
nostalgia and laughs as these singer-
songwriters cook up a tribute to the
songs they grew up with.” Sweet
indulgence!
Dis-Chromatic
Exhibition
Small Talk With The Moon
23 December 2010 - 8 January 2011
free admission; 03-7955 0800
www.smalltalkwiththemoon.com
A little gallery in the heart of PJ run by a
passionate husband-wife couple, Small
Talk With The Moon is slowly gaining
traction as a venue for new, interesting
happenings. This group exhibition brings
together paintings that take a minimalist
approach to colour, to better emphasise
the essence of their subject — hence the
name. Featuring work by five fresh-faced
artists: Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj, Mohd
Hirzaq Harris, Khairul Arshad, Kahirul
Izham and Anisa Abdullah. This show is
in its last weekend, so don’t miss it!
culture 23 JANUARY 7 — 9, 2011
❚ COMPILED BY ZEDECK SIEW
REVIEW
21 Immortals
Y
ear-end parties and fireworks aside, the last week of
2010 saw a dearth of cultural experience, so I was
stuck at home, catching up on reading. Roslan Mohd
Noor’s 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang
Murders (Silverfish Books; RM35) isn’t new — it debuted
last September — but it was one of the past year’s more
interesting offerings, in terms of literature. And, as I finished
it over the weekend, I found it to be revealingly timely. If
you’re worried about the peren-
nial bad press Polis Diraja Malay-
It is not sia deservedly gets — what with
so much robbing foreigners and beating up
about crime, businessmen like Chia Buang
Hing — this is a book for you.
as it is a Don’t be fooled by the packag-
meditation ing. Part of the new Silverfish
about the Pulp imprint, this novel is decid-
reaction edly un-genre-like. Rather, 21
Immortals falls squarely into the
of official emerging subgenre of the ponder-
systems ous police procedural, which in-
towards cludes stuff like David Fincher’s
crime.” 2007 film Zodiac and Corneliu
Porumboiu’s Police, Adjective. It
is not so much about crime, as it is a meditation about the
reaction of official systems towards crime.
The novel’s title is a reference to Petaling Street secret
societies, but old-style triads drop out of the plot about
halfway through. 21 Immortals’ central felony — the
ghastly triple murder of a fashion tycoon and his family,
whose bodies are then embalmed and posed around a din-
ner table, served with yee sang — is surrounded and obfus-
cated by endless nasi kandar lunches, daily briefings (or
“morning prayer”, as the inspectors call it), and inter-de-
partmental stone-walling. The book’s true conflict is be-
tween two camps: protagonist Mislan Latif and his inves-
tigative department; versus that of the press-conference-
loving Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigation,
Burhanuddin Sidek, who prioritises screen time and kissing
the asses of shady Higher-ups. At one point, Mislan’s boss,
Samsiah, tells him:
“If there’s to be a face-off between Major Crimes and
other departments, please remember I’ll do the fighting.
That’s my shit; yours is to solve crimes.”
Of course, all this internal strife means that Mislan ul-
timately falters at getting the truth. The dénouement of 21
Immortals doesn’t disappoint - in that it does: the book’s
conclusion is as disappointing, and as true to life, as the
result of Teoh Beng Hock’s inquest. 21 Immortals has the
mark of verite; author Rozlan Mohd Noor was a career cop
for 11 years, and you can see his experience and frustrations
with the system shining through.
Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.