Who is Selangor PKR Youth chief? - NST

Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin's appointment is not recognised by the state's PKR information bureau.

SHAH ALAM: Jun 10, 2008


Selangor's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth division is said to be in a leadership crisis when its chief was removed without explanation.

Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Selangor chief Halimey Abu Bakar, who held the position for the past two years, was suddenly replaced by Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin but the appointment was not recognised by the state PKR's information bureau.

Khairul Anuar, who contested in Pekan against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the last general election, was elected by the central AMK as Selangor AMK chief at a meeting on May 11.

However, the appointment was not valid because the state PKR liaison chief, who is also Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was not informed about it first.

Therefore, the state PKR still recognises Halimey as the Selangor AMK chief but at the same time, Khairul Anuar who is also the central AMK deputy chief is recognised by the central AMK as the new state chief.

The conflict has confused many Selangor AMK members, with Halimey claiming that he is still the chief while Khairul Anuar is claiming that he has already taken over the position.

State PKR liaison secretary Mohd Yahya Mat Shari said according to the constitution, the central AMK has the right to appoint a new state youth chief but must first get the approval of the state liaison chief.

"The central AMK has never informed nor discussed with the PKR state liaison so we could not confirm nor recognise the appointment and for us Halimey is still the state youth chief," he said on Sunday.

He said the matter would be resolved after a meeting between the central AMK and the state soon.

When contacted, Halimey said he was willing to let go of the position if he got a confirmation letter.

Meanwhile, Khairul Anuar could not be reached for comment.

Ban on development projects on hillslopes - The Star

Jun 10, 2008 By SALINA KHALID

THE Selangor government has put a cap on applications for new development projects on hillslopes in the state.

The ruling covers projects on slopes that have a gradient of 25° and above, technically referred to as Class 3 and Class 4 slopes.

All the projects approved by the previous state government are, however, allowed to continue but under strict monitoring by the authorities.

“The projects were approved by the previous state government and it is our duty to monitor them,” Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said.

Khalid said the new measure was part of efforts to make the state a greener, cleaner and safer place to live in.

Khalid: The state believes there is sufficient land for development elsewhere in the state.

He said the main reason in imposing the cap was to prevent landslides.

“The state believes that there is sufficient land for development at other places,” he said.

Khalid said the move was also to preserve the environment as most of these hillside sites had water catchment areas and developing them would cause floods.

He said preserving and maintaining these natural sites would also give a greener state for all residents to enjoy.

According to state tourism, consumer affairs and environment committee chairman Elizabeth Wong, the new ruling will go in tandem with the state’s aspiration to retain at least 30% of its land as green lungs.

“Now, what is left of the land barely meets the figure. Allowing further development will reduce the size of green area.

“The ruling gives us a clear-cut instruction in giving the approval. It means that any application for development involving Class 3 and Class 4 slopes is automatically rejected,” she said.

According to a planning officer of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), the ruling is across the board.

The officer said previously, there was no ban across the board, and her department had to view each application to develop such areas on case-to-case basis.

There are several related laws on such developments. Among them are the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the Environmental Quality Act 1974, the Street, Drainage Act 1974, the Hillslope Development regulations issued by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, and the Guidelines for Highland issued by the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry.

For residents staying near hillslope areas, the ban is a relief.

They will not need to worry about whether or not the slope near their residential area would be developed.

The ruling will also ensure they enjoyed the greener view they were promised when they bought their property.

Above all, it will also reduce the chance of disasters like landslides.

Oh U-Chen, a resident of Taman Kelab Ukay, said his family bought the property because of its green location.

“But over the years, we were worried that the natural wealth we are enjoying would be gone over night due to overzealous development.

“The new ruling will ensure us that the green environment is here to stay, for everyone of us to enjoy,” Oh said.

According to another resident Rozali Osman, unless such a ruling is enforced, the people, especially the future generations, may not have such natural wealth to enjoy.

“When we used to go up the Klang Gate, we could enjoy a breathtaking scenery of the whole area.

“Now the scenery has changed. There are patches of unsightly cleared areas.

“Not only has the natural wealth been taken away, it is also an eye sore,” he said.

Selangor govt to embark on 'no plastic' policy - The Sun

KUALA LUMPUR (June 8) : By Tan Yee Liang

The Selangor state government is embarking on a 'no plastic' policy from this week as part of its efforts to care for the enviroment.

State environment committee chairman Elizabeth Wong said this was part of the state's short and medium-term response to global warming.

"I think it is really time to act. As policymakers, we have to be very firm. The carrots have been dangled for too long, so it is time to use the stick," she said after launching Green Every Day 2008 , an environmental campaign, at Taman Lembah Kiara June 8.

Of the state's plan to phase out the use of plastic, Wong said the state government will start with the local councils.

"Drinking water, for example. If you look at the state and the local councils, at every function and meeting, there are plastic bottles everywhere," said Wong, who is also Bukit Lanjan assemblyman.

"We are trying to stop this and phase it out. We are also trying to stop using styrofoam in cafeterias and encourage people to bring their own food containers," she said, citing examples of other environmentally friendly efforts including recycling.

"I do recycle, my paper, my plastic, and I try not to buy anything in plastic."

Wong lauded the Green Every Day 2008 campaign as a good opportunity for the public as they can learn what to do to help conserve the environment.

Wong also said the Selangor government would be trying to mitigate the impact of price hikes in the wake of the sharp petrol price increase announced by the federal government recently.

"We are providing things like free water, and we have approved a budget to buy rice and distribute it as soon as we get the stock," she said.

She said the state government is also expecting an increase in people applying for welfare.
"People are now expecting all prices to go up by 20-30%. The problem is that there is no good safety net.

"We also do not have good public transport facilities. Many people can't claim for their travel expenses, and salaries are not going up. So, the overall effect on the economy is not good," she said.

Wong said the state government would be registering its "strongest protest" with the federal government

Syabas to issue water bills without rebates - The Star

PUTRAJAYA: June 5, 2008

Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) will continue to issue utility bills to consumers without any subsidy or reduction at the end of this month.

This is because the company had yet to receive any written order or undertaking from either the state or the federal government to pay for the 20m cubic of free water promised to consumers.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Ruslan Hassan said so far, Syabas had had only limited discussions with the Selangor Government on the matter of free water.

"We also haven't had any discussion with the federal government on it. At the same time, discussions with the Selangor Government have not produced any result relating to legal matters, costs and approval from the federal government.

"Therefore, until Syabas receives a written order from Selangor and the federal government or an undertaking from Selangor or any state agency to pay us for the 20m cubic, we will continue to issue water bills to consumers like usual, without any reduction or subsidy," he said Thursday in a statement here.

Ruslan was responding to a statement from Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim that the water rebate, which went into effect on June 1, was on and that it would be reflected in this month's bill.

The Mentri Besar had also said on Sunday that Syabas had already agreed to abide by the decision.

Ruslan said Syabas' policy on this matter was clear in that the water it supplied was governed by the privatisation agreement it had signed previously with the Selangor and federal governments.

"According to this agreement, Syabas is only allowed to supply water to consumers based on water rates that have been gazetted.

"So, any action that will be taken by Syabas will not only need approval from the Selangor government but the Water Services Commission and the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry on the federal government's behalf," he said.

Ruslan said Syabas' billing operations would continue as usual and that consumers were advised to pay their bills according to the sum stated.

"We will inform the public of any change from time to time," he said.

He said those who had enquiries could contact the company's 24-hour customer service centre at 1-800-88-5252 for further explanation.

JKKK diarah sabotaj S'gor, kata PKR - Malaysiakini

Jimadie Shah Othman | Jun 5, 08 1:57pm

Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib didakwa mengarahkan sekumpulan ketua kampung dan ahli Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK) di Selangor "mengacau" pentadbiran kerajaan negeri.

Senator itu, yang juga ketua penerangan Umno, didakwa mengadakan sebuah pertemuan dengan kumpulan ini di sebuah hotel di Shah Alam tidak lama selepas dilantik sebagai menteri kemajuan luar bandar dan wilayah pada Mac lalu.

Dalam pertemuan itu, beliau menggariskan beberapa langkah yang perlu dilakukan oleh ketua kampung dan ahli JKKK untuk mengganggu kerajaan negeri yang kini ditadbir Pakatan Rakyat, kata satu sumber PKR kepada Malaysiakini hari ini.

"Muhammad berkata, (dalam pertemuan itu) jangan terima arahan daripada setiausaha kerajaan dan pegawai daerah.

"Jangan letak jawatan. Dapat elaun, (tetapi) buat bodoh saja. Kalau (kerajaan) negeri tidak bagi duit, (kerajaan) pusat akan bagi," kata sumber itu, dengan mendakwa maklumat didedahkan kepadanya oleh seorang penghulu yang hadir.

Kelmarin, Muhammad memberitahu Dewan Negara bahawa kerajaan persekutuan terpaksa mengadakan Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung Persekutuan (JKKKP) di empat negeri Pakatan "bagi memastikan keberkesanan pelaksanaan projek-projek pembangunan kerajaan persekutuan di peringkat kampung."

Beliau juga mendakwa empat negeri yang dikuasai Pakatan sejak pilihanraya Mac lepas "bertindak agresif" dengan menukar pegawai dan menghalau agensi kerajaan keluar dari bangunan yang ditadbir mereka.

Menurut sumber itu lagi, Muhammad juga merancang membuat penyelarasan pengurusan JKKK di peringkat persekutuan dengan mewujudkan jawatan baru – penyelaras daerah di negeri-negeri Pakatan.

"Pusat akan melantik penyelaras daerah di negeri-negeri pembangkang, di bawah kementerian beliaulah," kata sumber.

Ditanya tujuan jawatan itu diwujudkan, sumber itu berkata: "mungkin untuk menyelaraskan dana daripada pusat kepada JKKK."

Muhammad, yang juga ketua perhubungan Umno Selangor, turut meminta ahli JKKK "mengacau" setiausaha politik kepada menteri besar negeri itu Nik Nazmi Nik Nik Ahmad, tambah sumber.

"Kacau Nik Nazmi. Dia (masih) bujang, muda dan dia setiausaha politik Tan Sri Khalid (Ibrahim)," katanya, yang juga seorang pembantu wakil rakyat PKR.

"Tidak tahulah kacau macam mana, … tidak tahulah, tetapi beliau sebut bujang, muda, setiausaha politik Tan Sri Khalid," kata sumber.

(Nik Nazmi, juga ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Seri Setia, telah berkahwin selama lebih dua tahun. Isterinya dilaporkan sedang menuntut dalam bidang perubatan di Universiti Newcastle dan dijangka pulang bulan depan.)

Merampas kembali Selangor

Menteri itu didakwa meminta semua ahli JKKK bekerja untuk mengambil semula Selangor yang kini jatuh kepada Pakatan.

"Muhammad membuat kesimpulan bahawa semua JKKK mesti bekerja keras merampas kembali Selangor daripada Pakatan," kata sumber.

Muhammad juga didakwa berkata Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tidak seharusnya dibiarkan menjadi perdana menteri kerana ketua umum PKR itu "mahu menjual negara".

"Muhammad juga berkata, jangan bagi Anwar perintah (Malaysia) sebab Anwar mahu menjual negara. Sebab itu dulu (Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) pecatnya.

"Beliau sebut, contohnya, macam (ketika krisis kewangan 1997) Anwar nak IMF (Tabung Kewangan Antarabangsa)," kata sumber.

Pemimpin Umno itu juga menuduh PKR berfahaman sosialis dan tidak memperjuangkan Melayu seperti Umno.

"PKR parti sosialis, sebab itu bergabung dengan Parti Rakyat (Malaysia). PKR bukan parti nasionalis macam Umno," kata sumber, yang mendakwa maklumat dalam taklimat itu diberikan kepadanya sehari selepas pertemuan tersebut.

Semalam, Khalid menyatakan Selangor bersedia melantik ketua kampung dan JKKK, termasuk anggota Umno, jika mereka sanggup berkhidmat kepada masyarakat tanpa mengira fahaman politik.

"Pada pandangan kerajaan negeri, ketua kampung sepatutnya mesti menjadi ketua kampung untuk semua masyarakat di kampung tanpa kira fahaman politik.

"Pada saya kalau orang itu sanggup kerja untuk semua masyarakat, ia memenuhi kriteria yang kita perlukan," beliau dipetik sebagai berkata, sambil menambah kriteria itu akan dijadikan kayu ukur oleh pegawai daerah yang mencadangkan calon-calon yang layak mengisi jawatan tersebut.

Khalid turut menafikan dakwaan Muhammad bahawa kerajaan Selangor "bersikap agresif" apabila menghalau keluar operasi sebuah stesen radio dari bangunan setiausaha kerajaan negeri itu.

"Kami tidak halau tetapi mereka yang merajuk. Saya cakap kalau kita tak boleh guna Radio Selangor untuk beri penerangan tentang pembangunan di negeri ini, jadi buat apalah mereka dipanggil FM Selangor," katanya.

Selangor land task force to start work next week - The Sun

SHAH ALAM (June 4): By Tim Leonard

The Selangor government's land task force, headed by Federal Territory Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, will start work next week.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said Tan and former Land and Co-operative Development Ministry secretary general Dr Nik Mohd Zain Nik Mohd Yusof have agreed to lead the task force and their priority will be to sort our land development issues in the State.

"The task force will set the scope of work to be done and the issues that need to be sorted out immediately. The task force will also be involved in integrating the online and manual land systems. The current online e-Land system has many bugs," he said, referring to the glitches in the computer system.

"We need to come up with a better and more useful system," he said after an exco meeting this evening.

Khalid said the task force will also meet all relevant land department and district officers to sort out land issues affecting them.

"In future, we want to create a system whereby all submissions and anything relating to land development can be done online," said Khalid.

In another development, Khlaid said local councillors will be given their appointment letters.

"They comprise new faces, especially those from NGOs. MCA members who were councillors have tendered their resignations and UMNO members will also do so," Khalid said. "The new councillors will be have to carry out their duties effectively," he said

State CCTV project on hold - NST

SHAH ALAM: Jun 4, 2008 By Mazlinda Mahmood

The plan to install 414 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras throughout the state is on hold.

State executive councillor for local government and research Ronnie Liu said the project would continue if the supplier could convince the state government that the project is viable and cost efficient.

"The supplier has not been able to convince us and it is now on hold," he said.

Liu said the government had given the supplier ample time to explain but it still could not come up with a satisfactory explanation.

"We can not lease 414 cameras for RM6 million a year for 20 years. There are people who claimed that it could be done for RM3 million a year and still make a handsome profit."

He said experts had been appointed to look into the matter.

"We want a good system that is also cost effective. If we have video of a crime but the footage is not clear, it's no use," he said.

On a separate matter, Liu brushed aside rumours that many projects had stalled because a local authority had stopped operating after the March 8 election.

"There was a miscommunication because the department head was not present during the briefing.

"Ongoing projects can continue but major new projects must wait until the appointment of the new council for approval," he said.