Penans erect more blockades, stage protests

MIRI: More protests and blockades have flared up all over Sarawak following escalating land disputes between natives with the state government and timber and oil palm companies.
On Wednesday, a series of simultaneous anti-logging and anti-oil palm plantation blockades happened in five different locations in northern Sarawak: Simpang Empat, Long Bangan, Long Belok and Long Nen in ulu Baram district and in interior Suai in the Niah district south of Miri.
The sudden flare-up in the number of simultaneous protests has made it difficult for even the environmental activists to keep track.
The protests in Ulu Baram are against four timber giants while those in Niah are against an oil palm consortium.
In Ulu Balingian in central Sarawak, another major protest is also being organised against an oil palm project.
In Kuching, a group of Penans staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the Chief Minister’s Office, to hand over a memorandum to protest against the construction of the Baram and Murum dams in northern and central Sarawak.
As at 2pm, they failed to hand over the protest note to Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
In northern Sarawak, anti-logging protests by the Penans in Simpang Empat, Long Bangan, Long Belok and Long Nen resumed after another attempt by Telang Usan state assemblyman Lihan Jok to find a peaceful solution failed.
There was a previous meeting three weeks ago that also failed.
The Penans in Ulu Baram are trying to stop logging in jungles that they claim belong to their ancestors.
In interior Suai in Niah district, some 100 plus Penans and other natives living in Suai staged a blockade across a road leading into an oil palm estate measuring some 20,000ha.
A protester named Jadam said villagers were angry that the oil palm company continued to bulldoze its way into areas where the natives have customary rights status.
It is learnt the company had sent two senior managers to negotiate a peaceful settlement with the Suai natives.
In Ulu Balingian, some 500km south of here, a major protest that was supposed to be staged Wednesday, will instead be held within the next few days after a group of villagers decided not to go ahead with their protest yet. The Star

Free toll at KL-Karak Highway, East Coast Expressway on Sept 18, 24

KUALA LUMPUR, Tues: Motorists using the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and the East Coast Expressway will enjoy free toll from midnight to 5am on Sept 18 and 24.
MTD Group executive chairman Datuk Azmil Khalid said the free toll which applied to all class of vehicles including commerial was the its gift and way of thanking users in conjunction with Aidilfitri. He said motorists using the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway would save RM8 while East Coast Expressway users would save RM29 in toll for one way trip. "The free toll took into account peak travel hours between Kuala Lumpur and the east coast. Motorists still need to return their transit tickets when exiting.
"MTD expects about 200,000 vehicles will use the East Coast Expressway daily. It starts from Gombak in Kuala Lumpur and ends at Jabor in Terengganu. "Our records show that 60 per cent of motorists will travel during daytime," he told a press conference in Batu Caves near here today. The free toll is a first by a highway toll operator. PLUS had offered discounts of up to 20 per cent to those using the North-South Expressway during Aidilftri. Azmil said MTD had also introduced a time advisory to help motorists avoid "choke points" during traffic congestion. Additional booths would be set up to cater for the high volume of traffic while the staff leave has been frozen. -- BERNAMA

Chua confident of support at EGM

KUALA LUMPUR: Sacked MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is confident of garnering the support of delegates at the party's upcoming extraordinary general meeting (EGM) where he hopes to be reinstated.
He hoped the EGM would resolve the internal rift for the party to move on to strengthen itself."This internal conflict within the party is causing a lot of harm to the party. We hope the EGM will settle the internal conflict so that we can move on to strengthen the party and to restore our credibility and image," Dr Chua said in a "live" forum with the public by a local daily today. Dr Chua said party leaders must abide by the delegates' decision as the agenda for the EGM was reached yesterday.
Party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has agreed to the five motions proposed by Dr Chua's supporters which include moving a vote of no confidence against Ong and to reinstate Dr Chua.Dr Chua was expelled on Aug 26 for tarnishing the party''s image after a sex video scandal.Chua said he was not ashamed to own up to his past mistake and reiterated that he would not join the opposition, "I want to die as a MCA member"."Whether I'm a good leader is up to people to judge me. I always try to do my best and people who work with me know that I'm a workaholic. For calling a spade a spade, I do invite controversy," he said.On the prime minister''s decision not to interfere in the MCA issue, Dr Chua believed that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was letting the members resolve the conflict without outside interference. He also said that with the EGM in place, it was too late for a mediator. - Bernama

Five ISA detainees released, only nine remain

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has released five Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees, all allegedly from the Jemaah Islamiah militant group.
With this, there are now only nine ISA detainees remaining, of which four are Malaysians. The rest are from Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Singapore.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the five were released conditionally after they were found to be no longer a threat to the country.
Of the five, Mat Shah Mohd Satray and Abdullah Daud had been in detention since 2002, while Mohd Nasir Ismail, Mohd Kamil Hanafiah and Mohd Amir Hanafiah had been detained since 2007.
Hishammuddin said they would be able to spend Hari Raya with their loved ones as their release came into effect immediately.
“All five detainees have shown positive response during the entirere habilitation period and have shown remorse for their actions in the past and is no longer a threat to the country,” he said.
Of the nine still in detention, Hishammuddin said six were allegedly involved in militant activities while the remaining three were detained for forging documents.
Terror suspect Mas Selamat Kastari, who was arrested in Johor Baru earlier this year, is the most infamous name among the nine.
In April, the Government released 13 ISA detainees, and another 13 in May. Among those released were five leaders of the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force movement.
Hishammuddin was speaking to reporters after meeting representatives of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, or Suhakam, and the Bar Council over the review of the ISA.
He said the groups were concerned over the possible abuse of the ISA and hoped in the interim that the Government would alleviate the people’s concern.
“The balance between national security and national interest and civil liberty is not easily achieved,” he said. The Star

1Malaysia F1 team to be formed

PUTRAJAYA: The 1Malaysia F1 Team, a joint venture between the Government and private sector, will participate in the F1 race beginning next year, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister said the project involved the combined expertise of Proton and Lotus with the support of the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), Motorsports Association of Malaysia, Naza Motor and AirAsia.
Najib, who is also the Finance Minister I, told reporters when making the announcement at the Finance Ministry that leading corporate figures such as Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and S.M. Nasarudin S.M. Nasimuddin were also involved in the initiative.
“This is the Malaysian team. The car was designed at the SIC, manufactured at the SIC, tested at the SIC and the car is Malaysian-made. Even the pit-stop team consists of Malaysians,” he said.
He said the 1Malaysia Team would identify a suitable Malaysian driver, adding that the project could lift the country’s image in the international arena.
Najib said the FIA had received Malaysia’s application to participate in the World F1 Championship next year.
Asked on the budget and the total investment by the Government, Najib said: “The Malaysian government’s investment is through Proton.”
Najib said the project was not a waste because it would provide a strong marketing element to the country when it competed in the F1 championship.
“If we want to export the Proton, we must ensure that the brand is strong. There is a strong element of marketing.
“It is not merely a sporting activity because there is an element of marketing for Proton and Malaysia while at the same time, the AirAsia and Naza brand names can be popularised,” he said.
According to a press release issued by a local public relations company for the 1Malaysia F1 Team, the national team will be based at SIC.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Petronas as well as Composite Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM), a leading local composite manufacturing expert, have already been engaged to participate in the project.
The statement said the national F1 team would integrate the Malaysian technical and pit crew totalling 200 people to be managed by one of Formula One’s most respected technical director, Mike Gascoyne.
He had already recruited a core team of international experts with a proven record in the various engineering, design and manufacturing disciplines needed to ensure that the 1Malaysia F1 team was of international standard, readiness and capable of competing with the world’s greatest drivers.
Currently, six local and international drivers have been shortlisted for evaluation and the team is expected to announce its two drivers by end of next month.
The statement quoted Najib as saying that the country’s participation in Formula One with the national team had far reaching objectives, mainly the advancement of the country’s automotive industry development from the technological aspect including initiatives in green technology.
“By establishing our racing centre within the country, we hope to also attract more foreign investments and the best technical minds which, in turn, will spur the growth of our automotive industry where we hope to see more R&D into lighter, safer and more cost-effective cars,” he said.
“We further anticipate higher commitment by organisations and attendance by individuals during the F1 Petronas Malaysian GP which will be coupled with increased tourism related returns,” Najib said.
He claimed that by creating a national F1 team, the country was taking “its motor sports to its pinnacle, thus ensuring its place in this internationally embraced sports that had scaled the heights of entertainment.”
The 1Malaysia F1 Team takes its name from the “1Malaysia People First, Performance Now” policy mooted by Najib in June this year as the unifying foundation for all Malaysians to come together in celebrating cooperation among its multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society for the betterment of the nation.
Petronas, the national oil giant, has also made advancement in this arena via its sponsorship of the BMW-Sauber Team for the last four years. -- Bernama

A(H1N1): 34 new cases, 12 locally transmitted

PUTRAJAYA: There were 34 new cases of Influenza A(H1N1) recorded Tuesday, of which 22 were imported while 12 others were locally transmitted, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said 335 or 72% of the total 468 patients infected with the virus had recovered and discharged from hospital.

“Currently, 133 patients are still hospitalised,” he told a press conference after witnessing a handover ceremony of the Mobile Blood Donation Vehicle to the National Blood Bank here on Tuesday.

Later in a statement, Liow said the new cases involved 24 Malaysians and 10 foreigners -- five Indonesians, three Australians, one American and one Danish.

“Of the 22 imported cases, the number of patients who had visited affected countries were seven to Indonesia, six to Australia, five to Singapore, and one each to Britain, China, Denmark and the Philippines.

He said all 12 local transmission cases involved Malaysians and one of the patients was among the participants at the Asia Pacific Pharmaceutic Conference, which was held in Penang from June 27 to 30. Previously, it was reported that 25 participants of the conference had contracted the virus.

Liow said currently, 1,031 people were undergoing home quarantine and none of them showed any flu symptoms.

“As of 8am today (July 7), no new schools are closed due to the outbreak,” he said.

Najib hopes for friendly contest between PAS and Umno

LABIS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hopes for a friendly contest between PAS and Umno in the Manek Urai by-election.

He said that both sides should not be involved in insults or mudslinging.

Both parties should just convey their agendas to the voters and let them decide, Najib said, adding that Barisan would do its best in the by-election.

He added that Barisan was committed to campaigning in a clean manner with the election machinery being supervised by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin and directed by Datuk Mustapa Mohamad.

“We have a new method to move our election machinery. Also our candidate is getting encouraging response based on his background and presently there are also no major issues in this by-election,” Najib said, adding that Barisan was promising change and a new era for the people of Manek Urai.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the Felda settlers day celebrations in Felda Maokil here Tuesday.

Unity talks: DAP says no, PKR to wait and see

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman Karpal Singh said his party has no intention to join in any “unity talks” with Umno, while his Pakatan Rakyat partner PKR has adopted a “wait and see” attitude.

Karpal called for PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa to withdraw from the unity talks.

He said if Nasharuddin continued to insist on talks with Umno, he should quit PAS.

“DAP has no intention to join the unity talks. Hadi should scrap the idea.

“(PAS spiritual adviser) Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat spoke with wisdom,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby here Thursday, referring to Nik Aziz’s outburst Wednesday in which he said Nasharuddin should quit the Islamist party if he persisted with such talks.

Karpal said PAS was once with the Barisan Nasional coalition back in the 1970s.

“The party never learns its lesson,” he said.

PKR’s Saifuddin Nasution and R. Sivarasa however that they would wait until Monday for a full Pakatan Rakyat presidential council meeting, in which Hadi Awang is expected to brief the alliance on the unity talks, before commenting.

PKR adviser and Pakatan leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to meet with Nijk Aziz in Kota Baru this Sunday to discuss the issue, they added.

Meanwhile in KOTA BARU, Nik Aziz said he would be calling for a meeting soon with all pro-unity talks leaders in his party, including Hadi Awang and Nasharuddin, to resolve the issue, reports SYED AZHAR.

65yr-old grandpa among 47 busted for drug abuse

ALOR SETAR: A 65-year-old grandfather was among 39 fishermen who were arrested by police after testing positive for drugs, while another eight were nabbed for related offences.

They were arrested at two fishing jetties between 4am and 10am Thursday.

Kota Star OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Ghafar Rajab said 40 policemen were involved in the operation.

The 39 tested positive for drugs including heroin, morphine and ketamine, he told a press conference here Thursday.

ACP Abdul Ghafar said that the two of the men were Thai nationals with valid travelling documents.

He said police recovered a stolen motorcycle and drug paraphernalia, but did not find any drugs on them.

“The two jetties were among three spots that we have identified as being frequently used by drug addicts and we will continue to monitor these areas to curb drug abuse among fishermen,” he said.

He said that the men would be remanded for further investigation

Unity talks only if PKR and DAP included: Mustapha

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS will hold talks on the “unity government” with Umno only if DAP and PKR are included in the process, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said.

He said PAS would not leave its Pakatan Rakyat allies behind as it was un-Islamic to break a promise.

“If the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) wants to hold talks on government unity with PAS, he must include DAP and PKR.

“Otherwise, there will be no talks,’’ he told a press conference on Wednesday.

Asked if the alliance with PKR and DAP would ever be reviewed, Mustafa said in politics there was no “permanent seal.”

However, PAS was prepared to hold talks with Umno on certain issues of national interest, he added.

“Even back in 1989 and 1990 during the era of Tun Dr Mahathir, PAS held talks with the Barisan Nasional on issues of national interest,’’ he said.

He was responding to Najib’s statement on Tuesday that he was open to unity talks with PAS and that he believed the Islamist party was sincere in its desire for such talks.

The “unity government” issue was brought up at the recent PAS muktamar (annual general assembly) by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, to the chagrin of many party members as well as PAS’ allies DAP and PKR.

Others however, such as PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, supported the move.

Join Umno
In KOTA BARU, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat told Nasharuddin to quit the party and join Umno if he was so interested in unity with the Barisan Nasional party.

He should also relinquish his seat as Bachok Member of Parliament, where he was elected under the PAS ticket in last March’s general election, Nik Aziz said.

“He is causing a lot of problems in PAS with all this rubbish talk about the unity government with Umno.

“It has never been on the agenda for PAS nor Pakatan Rakyat, and this is just his personal opinion and not a stand of the party,” he told reporters after chairing the weekly state executive committee meeting at Kota Darul Naim Wedsnesday.

Reiterating his allegations that those in PAS behind the unity talks were merely “puppets of Umno,” he described what Nasharuddin was doing as “immoral.”

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Hadi Awang remained committed to the Pakatan Rakyat alliance and would fully explain his talks on the unity government with Umno at the upcoming Pakatan meeting next Monday.

The lack of unity on the Pakatan front has Barisan treading gently. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that there has to be a united stand from all three Pakatan parties before Barisan can respond to talks on the unity government.

"The Barisan stand is clear, but they keep moving the goalposts," he said.

Haze: Air quality gets worse

PETALING JAYA: The air quality in the country deteriorated slightly on Wednesday, with only 23 areas posting good Air Pollutant Index (API) readings of between zero and 50 as at 5pm.

This is compared with 31 such areas on Tuesday.

Some 26 areas had moderate air quality reading of between 51 and 100 while Tanjung Malim was declared unhealthy (between 101 and 200) with an API reading of 116.

The area with the best air quality Wednesday was Limbang with a reading of 19.

A total 41 hotspots were recorded in Sumatra while 74 were found in Borneo.

Most parts of the country recorded visibility readings of above 10km while Sandakan had the lowest at 4km at 8pm Wednesday.

Several Pakatan MPs ordered to leave Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR : Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (PAS) was kicked out of the Dewan Rakyat minutes after he took his oath as the new MP for Bukit Gantang.

Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia ordered him out as he was the person who started putting on black headgear bearing the words " bubar DUN" (Dissolve state assembly).

Several other opposition Pakatan Rakyats MPs followed suit by donning the headgear. Visitors at the public gallery, believed to be Nizar's supporters, also put on the headgear amidst shouts of "Bubar, bubar” while the Backbenchers shouted "Keluar, keluar ......"

Nizar, after his oath taking, put on the black headgear and shouted "Hidup rakyat, bubar dewan!" raising his left arm.

Pandikar ordered Nizar to remove his headgear. Nizar obliged but Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP - Beruas) and Nga Kor Ming (DAP - Taiping) who stood up and refused to remove their headgear, were ordered out by Pandikar. When both Ngeh and Nga left the House, Pandikar also ordered Nizar out as he had started it.

This was followed by Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PAS - Pokok Sena), N. Gobalakrishnan (PKR - Padang Serai) and Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS - Kuala Selangor ) leaving the dewan as well.

Shouts of “samseng, keluar” were heard amidst shouts of “bubar.”

“This is not a market place Please sit down, don't join him,” said Pandikar.

"This is how children argue in the streets. We have many issues to discuss for the rakyats' interests,'' he said.

The fracas took up 25 minutes before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak could stand up to answer Question 1 on 1Malaysia.

All in all, seven Pakatan MPs have been suspended for two days, DAP's Lim Kit Siang said in Twitter.

Ngeh returned inside the House when Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein answered about the Perak state assembly, which was after Najib's reply.

Pandikar spotted Ngeh and ordered him out again, saying : " If I have not told you how long the suspension is, now I am telling you that it is two days under Standing Order 42."

Later when approached by reporters, Pandikar said headgear was not allowed in the House and not part of the attire.

MPs must wear proper attire to attend a sitting inside the house.

"They (the MPs) were ordered out because they refused to heed the Speaker's order. They were shouting. Headgear is not part of the proper attire."

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR - Permatang Pauh) said Pakatan Rakyat would be writing to Pandikar to reconsider the decision to evict Nizar and other Opposition MPs earlier Monday.

In a press conference at lobby, he said Parliament had too many rulings that restricted MPs from performing their tasks and that it was the right of MPs to voice their stance.

"The right of MP to wear marks of protest or support is allowed in any parliament around the world.

"If they can't show protest in parliament, where else could they show it? They will be restricted to gaining public support by going to the streets," he said.

He said Parliament did not allow the latitude required for MPs to perform their tasks.

"You don't expect us to take what happened in Perak as irrelevant to the proceedings of this parliament and outside its purview,'' he said

Zaid has joined PKR, says Anwar

KAJANG: Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who made the announcement during the party’s special convention to amend the party constitution, said Zaid’s inclusion will boost PKR’s agenda to promote democracy and freedom of expression.

He added that Zaid was known to be vocal against the Government’s arbitrary use of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Zaid had resigned from the Government last year due to dissatisfaction over the use of the ISA on a reporter, a web portal editor, and a Selangor state executive council member.

In welcoming Zaid on Saturday, Anwar commended him for his bravery in fighting for human rights, democratic principles and for the independence and reform of the judiciary.

“Zaid’s close friendship with colleagues from PKR, DAP and PAS will help strengthen the inter-party relations in the Pakatan Rakyat.

“His role in PKR will be formalised by the leadership later. Due to his experience Zaid may be given a seat in the supreme council and head the political bureau,” he told reporters.

Zaid said he had decided to join PKR and not the DAP or PAS as his political ideals were similar to PKR which he described as a multiracial party that fights for the rights of Malaysians.

“I choose this day to join because this is also a historical day for PKR (to amend its constitution). I’m offering my services as I also have friends in Pakatan Rakyat component parties, and I know Anwar is a good man,” he added.

Zaid resigned from the Government in September last year in protest after he criticised the arrests of DAP MP Teresa Kok, online portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin, and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA.

The former Kota Baru MP was also seen mingling with Pakatan leaders at their functions before he was sacked from Umno in December last year.

DOE reports healthier and clearer skies

PETALING JAYA: Air quality in the country shows a general improvement as rain brought a brief respite from the haze.

Although satellite pictures showed an increase in hotspots in Sumatra from 49 to 86, API readings from the Department of Environment showed an improvement in air quality.

On Friday, there were three areas in the Klang Valley that had unhealthy air quality levels but this was reduced to zero on Saturday.

The highest API reading was recorded in Port Klang (89) as at 5pm. Port Klang had an API reading of 136 on Friday.

Overall, 24 areas recorded good air quality (API 0-50) while 25 areas recorded moderate air quality readings (API 51-100).

As for visibility, most parts of the country recorded readings of 10km and beyond.

Subang had the lowest visibility level at 6km.

Bernama reported the API report released by the DOE on its webpage as at 11am showing no area reaching the unhealthy API level.

The readings for Cheras, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam were at 83, 81 and 81 respectively.

Of the 48 locations monitored, 24 showed good API readings, including Langkawi (29), Kangar (23) and USM, Penang (30).

Allow Chin Peng to come home, says Anwar

KAJANG: Despite strong objections from various quarters on the return of former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng to Malaysia, PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim supported the move.

He said Chin Peng should be forgiven and allowed to return to Malaysia on humanitarian grounds.

Anwar added that the Government was being inconsistent in allowing former PKM Malay leaders such as Shamsiah Fakeh and Rashid Maidin to return.

“We stress that we oppose the militant actions of the communist terrorists on Malaysians and we are not supporting communist ideology.

“If Shamsiah Fakeh and Rashid Maidin can be allowed to return, why not Chin Peng. “If we are friends with China, which is a communist state, why is it we cannot have peace with Chin Peng?

“Is it because he is a Chinese that he should not return, while the others who are Malays can?,” he told reporters during the party’s special convention to amend the party’s constitution here Saturday.

Anwar said Indonesia, which is a Muslim country had already rehabilitated its communists who were involved in atrocities against its people.

He added that when Prophet Muhammad entered Mecca, he decided to forgive the infidel Quraish tribe who had fought and killed Muslims.

The Government should also do the same in Chin Peng’s case, he said, adding that he believed the mainstream media will manipulate his comments, by accusing PKR of acting as a “fifth column” for CPM.

On another matter, Anwar said the Pakatan Rakyat will not form a unity government with Umno but was prepared to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to discuss several issues including the political impasse in Perak but on several conditions.

“Such talks can be held if the Government agrees to stop its cruelty against the people, and reform the judiciary, the Election Commission and other important institutions. “This idea is also supported by PAS,” he added.

On the meetings by Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew with the Malaysian Government and opposition leaders, Anwar said it can strengthen relations and the understanding between both countries

Hotter and drier days ahead with El Nino

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians can expect hotter and drier days till September as an El Nino phenomenon is forming.

While the real extent of the El Nino impact could only be gauged sometime in August, more open burning was expected to contribute to more haze, the Meterological Department said in a report.

Malaysia experiences a hot and dry season in the months of June, July and August and temperatures range between 33C to 34C.

It is understood that temperatures could soar another 3C during El Nino.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) satellite report had identified 125 hot spots in the country since May 25 to June 7.

“The ministry has taken a pro-active measure by reviving the committee which monitors hot spots.

A national haze main committee meeting was held in February and June 8 and local government agencies have been ordered to be on a stand-by for any eventuality,” he said after launching the ‘Genting Goes Green’ at First World Plaza, Genting Highlands Resort Tuesday.

In a further preventive measure, the ministry has continued to increase its monitoring on the situation via daily aerial surveillance with co-operation from the police air unit and private airline companies, said Douglas.

“Emphasis is given to areas that are prone to fires such as Selangor, Pahang and Johor, especially peat swamps and garbage landfills.

“We have also roped in commercial airlines such as Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia to help report open burning cases that they spot while up in the air,” he said.

The ASMC report also showed that there is an increase of hot spots in Sumatera and Kalimantan, Indonesia, totalling to 996 and 108 hotspots.

Douglas added that the country’s Air Pollution Index (API) has slightly deteriorated and now stands at 51 to 100, which is moderate.

“This has caused it to be slightly hazy. This hazy situation happened because of a stable atmosphere with a high humidity level of above 85%.

“This leads to air pollutants such as dust and emissions from vehicles and industries to collect and continue increasing in the air space, thus causing poor visibility,” he said.

According to a Meterological Department report on June 8, visibility at certain areas in Prai, Bayang Lepas, Subang, Petaling Jaya, Malacca and Kuantan has deteriorate to between 6km to 9km

Shahrizat defends Sisters in Islam

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has come to the defence of Sisters In Islam (SIS), which PAS wants banned if its activities were against the religion, saying the Islamist party should learn to accept differing views.

The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said if PAS could not even accommodate the differing views of some Muslim women activists, “how can they tolerate the dissenting non-Muslim voices?”

Although the ministry did not always see eye-to-eye with any non-governmental organisations or individuals on certain matters, it had never called for any punishment against them, she said in a press statement Monday.

PAS adopted a motion on Sunday at its 55th muktamar, urging the National Fatwa Council to declare SIS haram if its activities were found to be contrary to the Islamic teachings and principles.

The party alleged that the group’s activities were “dangerous” as it could cause confusion among the Muslims.

The motion also urged the council to introduce special programmes to rehabilitate the group’s members so that they could come back to the “right religious track”.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP - PAS’ partners in the Pakatan Rakyat - are also disturbed by the motion.

PKR voiced its disagreement, particularly with the call for SIS members to be rehabilitated.

“Freedom of speech and association are cherished principles under a modern and democratic state. Differing and dissenting views (and association) are not only allowed but should be protected as these are the essence of a democratic and fair society,” said its vice president Mustaffa Kamil Ayub.

He said the correct way was to engage and debate with any organisation in a mature and civilised manner rather than seeking to ban it and punish its members.

DAP lambasted PAS over the motion, saying that it wanted the Islamist party to hold on the principle of democracy and freedom of speech of which the two parties has agreed upon.

Its Women National Secretary Teresa Kok said such a ban would be against human rights, adding that SIS was free to express its opinion.

“To ban or declare it haram means an iron fist way of doing things that should not be allowed to be turned into a culture,” she said in a statement.

Malaysian Bar president Ragunath Kesavan expressed alarm over the motion, also saying dialogue and debate should be the way and not silencing differing views.

“We call on PAS to move away from the typical Malaysian political approach of imposing a ban merely because of disagreement over differing viewpoints,” he said.

Wanita Gerakan secretary general Jayanthi Devi Balaguru said such a motion was a glaring reminder that the state of women’s affairs in Malaysia was still in its infancy.

She expressed disappointment that in this case, religion had apparently been used to divide and coerce.

Meanwhile, Selangor Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jais) director-general Datuk Muhammed Khusrin Munawi was supportive of PAS’ call, noting that the group was too liberal when it came to issues relating to Islamic family law.

He said most of SIS members were not qualified to comment on Islam as they did not have an Islamic studies background.

Selangor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid agreed, saying SIS’ activities and efforts were contradictory to Islamic teachings

Kamarudin: Decision to retire made before Muktamar

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, who relinquished his PAS secretary-general post immediately after the party’s Muktamar, is not seeking reappointment.

Kamarudin said that even if the party leadership wanted to retain him in the post, he would have to decline.

“I need to spend more time with my family. My wife is not well,’’ he said Monday.

Kamarudin, however, said that he would remain as central working committee member as he was elected to the post by the delegates.

He also denied talk that he was stepping down because his close ally Datuk Husam Musa had lost in the race for the deputy presidency.

“My decision to retire was made even before the Muktamar. The outcome of the party elections has no bearing on my decision,’’ he said.

Kamarudin, 58, said party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would be appointing a new secretary-general and other office-bearers soon.

He said major changes was likely in the new line-up of office-bearers and that he was “confident the party has enough capable leaders to be appointed to the posts.”

Kamarudin, who is also Tumpat MP, served as PAS secretary-general for two terms from 2005. PAS holds elections biennially

Jaya Supermarket Collapse: 4 dead, search on for 3

PETALING JAYA: Another body was recovered from the rubble of the collapsed Jaya Supermarket building at 4pm on Friday, taking the death toll to four.

Indonesian Annuaruddin, 38, was the excavator operator and was found trapped under the machine, said OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed.

Early Friday morning another body - that of Muhamad Maskur, an Indonesian national aged 31, - was found at 3.30am pinned under a concrete slab in the car park.

On Thursday, after the building collapse, Alsuki Nahru, 58, and a yet to be identified man were the first two victims recovered.

He said that rescue personnel were trying to get to three more workers trapped under the debris of the collapsed Jaya Supermarket located by search dogs and a scope.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the trapped workers were near the bodies pulled from the rubble earlier.

He told reporters after visiting the site that rescuers were being hampered by the large amount of debris.

"I would like to get an explanation from the contractor involved in the demolition on the methods the company has used.

"I am going to put a working paper on this incident. A task force will also be formed to probe the collapse involving the local council, police and the Fire and Rescue Department," he said.

On Thursday, the building collapsed at 5pm while demolition work was going on, killing four Indonesian workers.

Two other workers were pulled out alive.

Bernama reported Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Lajim Ukim as saying that initial investigation indicated that overloading caused by heavy machines used in demolishing the former Jaya Supermarket building may have triggered the collapse.

He said eight heavy demolition tractors were in the building when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the Selangor government has issued a stopwork order on the project site.

This is to allow the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) to study and report on the incident.

"The stopwork order is for seven days from today," Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said when asked to comment on the incident after chairing the Selangor Economic Action Council meeting, here, Friday.

Meanwhile, in Petaling Jaya Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said in a statement Friday that the building collapse was another stark reminder that safety at the workplace should not be taken for granted.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman stressed the importance of carrying out risk assessments before construction work was done.

“The collapse of the old Jaya supermarket building highlights once again the consequences of not implementing good occupational safety and health practices at the workplace.

“It is sad that it takes another tragedy for people to realise what is going to happen if one takes safety at the workplace for granted,” he said in a statement Friday.

“Proper risk assessment is the most fundamental issue of commitment to safety. Unless and until this issue is addressed, accidents such as this will continue to happen in the future,” he said.

Sabah to get a heart centre ahead of schedule: Liow

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will get a heart centre almost five years ahead of schedule following the purchase of the private Sabah Medical Centre building at Jalan Damai here.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the cardiology and cardio thoracic services would be available almost immediately after the inking of the sales and purchase agreement for the takeover of the private hospital building.

“We expect the agreement to be signed very soon and the cardiac centre will be in place ahead by three to four years of the original plan,” he said, adding that the new building would be equipped with a cathlab, operation theatres and an Intensive Care Unit.

“Sabah will have its own heart centre and people need not travel to Kuala Lumpur or Kuching for operations as all facilities will be available locally,” Liow told reporters after a working visit to the SMC building Friday.

The government had agreed to buy the private hospital building at a cost of RM280mil to overcome the shortage of beds and other service problems following the closure of the unsafe Queen Elizabeth Hospital tower block.

Liow also clarified that the cost was RM280mil and not RM245mil as initially announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said another RM90mil would be spent on upgrading works for the establishment of two additional operating theatres on top of the three already in the building.

Liow said the Health Ministry would also look into the limited parking area at the SMC building and other issues that might crop up.

He also slammed opposition Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) for putting up billboards allegedly claiming that “the state has no general hospital following the Queen Elizabeth closure”.

“They are trying to gain political mileage through health issues. It is wrong to say that there is no general hospital here.

“The ministry has taken a lot effort to continue providing health services through commitment from all staff,” he said, adding there now 502 beds available at various hospitals in the state.

Liow said the ministry would also go ahead with plans to demolish the unsafe QEH tower block and construct a new twin tower block