Lajim removed as Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, has consented to revoking the appointment of Datuk Seri Lajim Ukim as Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister with immediate effect, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

On July 28, Lajim, who is Beaufort MP, had announced that he was quitting as an Umno supreme council member, Beaufort Umno division chief and Beaufort Barisan chairman to cooperate with the opposition.

However, he had chosen to remain as an Umno member and Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the party had sent him a show-cause letter and he had 14 days to reply to the letter after which Umno would consider action against him as provided for under the party's constitution. - Bernama

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S'pore reshuffles Cabinet, three new ministries created

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make several changes to the Cabinet and other appointments, effective Wednesday.

Further changes will be made effective from Nov 1, 2012 when the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts are restructured to form three new ministries.

These will be the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Communications and Information, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's office.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam will relinquish his post of Minister for Manpower. He will remain as DPM and Minister for Finance and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Lui Tuck Yew will relinquish his post of Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

S.Iswaran will remain in his current appointments. In the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), he will have specific responsibility for industry-related research and development, energy and tourism, while continuing to assist Lim Hng Kiang in other areas of MTI's work.

Grace Fu Hai Yien will be promoted to full minister. She will become Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs. She will also assist Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on population matters.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim will become Minister for Communications and Information from Nov 1, 2012. He will also continue to be in charge of Muslim Affairs.

Chan Chun Sing, BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, Lawrence Wong, Lee Yi Shyan and Masagos Zulkifli will be promoted to Senior Ministers of State (SMS).

Chan Chun Sing will relinquish his appointment in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and be appointed as SMS in the Ministry of Defence concurrent with his existing appointment as Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

He will become Acting Minister for Social and Family Development when the Ministry of Social and Family Development is established on Nov 1, 2012.

Tan Chuan-Jin will become Acting Minister for Manpower and SMS in the Ministry of National Development.

Lawrence Wong will relinquish his appointment in the Ministry of Defence and be appointed SMS in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

He will continue as SMS in the Ministry of Education until Nov 1, when he becomes Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and SMS in the Ministry of Communications and Information.

Lee Yi Shyan and Masagos Zulkifli will remain in their respective ministries.

Indranee Rajah will be appointed SMS in the Ministries of Law and Education with effect from Nov 1. This is a new appointment.

Dr Amy Khor will be appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Manpower, concurrent with her present appointment as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health.

She will also remain as the Mayor of South West CDC.

Halimah Yacob will be appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Social and Family Development with effect from Nov 1, 2012.

Sam Tan Chin Siong will be posted to the new Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth as Senior Parliamentary Secretary on Nov 1. He will concurrently be the Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mayor of Central CDC.

Sim Ann will relinquish her appointment in the Ministry of Law, and be appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Information on Nov 1. She will continue as Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education.

A/P Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will be appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministries of Health and Transport. - Bernama

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Sabah Annual Art Selection Programme To Promote Multi-ethnic In Sabah

KOTA KINABALU, July 27 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Annual Arts Selection programme is capable of highlighting the uniqueness of the multi-ethnic way of life in the state through works of art which could become a documentation of the community's way of life.

Sabah Board of Culture chairman Datuk Seri Wences Angang said the activities could encourage the involvement of visual arts activists through the differences in the diversified themes that had been determined.

Read More :  http://www.bernama.com

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Kopeks Offers Special Loans To Civil Servants During Raya Period

KOTA KINABALU, July 27 (Bernama) -- The cooperative for civil servants in Sabah, Koperasi Pekerja-Pekerja Kerajaan Sabah Bhd (Kopeks), is offering up to RM15,000 in loans to the state government staff in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations this August.

Announcing this Friday, Kopeks Chairman, Datuk Maznah Abdul Ghani, said the loan facility was open to all government staff who are members of Kopeks including non-Muslims.

 Read More : http://www.bernama.com

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New Political Party In Sabah?

KOTA KINABALU, July 25 (Bernama) -- A group of Kadazandusuns is said to be forming a new political movement that may align itself with Pakatan Rakyat, sources said here Wednesday.

To be known as the "Sabah Reform Front" (SRF), its establishment is expected to be formally announced in Dalit, Tuaran on Sunday.

Read More : http://www.bernama.com

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Yokogawa to supply control systems for Sabah power plant

KUALA LUMPUR: Yokogawa Electric Corp has received an undisclosed order from CTCI Consortium to supply control systems and field devices for the Kimanis combined cycle power plant, which is being built for Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd in Sabah.

Read more: Yokogawa to supply control systems for Sabah power plant http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/kimagawa/Article/#ixzz21ns9dhNA

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Prince William and Duchess Catherine to visit Borneo rainforests

William and Catherine - who was known as Kate Middleton prior to her wedding - will arrive in Singapore on September 11 before heading to the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur and then onto the province of Sabah, Borneo.

Read More:  http://www.monstersandcritics.com

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TANKER FIRE: ONE DEAD, FOUR MISSING

27th July, 2012
LABUAN: A major fire broke out on board a tanker while it was loading methanol.
A Malaysian crew member was killed, one injured while four others were missing.
The deceased has been identified as Sharil Azmi Baharudin, 28, from Melaka and his body has been sent to the hospital here for a post-mortem.
The vessel, MT Bunga Alpinia which is owned by MISC Berhad, caught fire at about 2.30am yesterday when it was loading methanol at the jetty of the Petronas Chemicals Methanol Sdn Bhd terminal near Pulau Enoe in the Rancha-Rancha Industrial Zone.
The fire also caused three explosions on board the 25,079-tonne and 180-metre long tanker and one of them could be heard some 10 kilometres away.
A major operation involving the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), police, Marine Department, Royal Malaysian Air Force and Health Department has been mounted to search for the missing persons.
The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) operation chief Lt. Commander Nor Azmi Daham said the four missing crew members – three Malaysians and one Filipino – were said to have jumped into the sea to save themselves during the fire while 26 others were rescued.


Read More : http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

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Malaysia’s sea-food curry laksa one of ten international foods “to try before you die”

26th July, 2012

NEW YORK: Your average American might never have heard of it, but Malaysia’s sea-food curry laksa ranks among one of the ‘top 10 foods to try, before you die,’ according to the U.S. based newspaper Huffington Post.

This list of the world’s most mouth-watering dishes was recently released by the newspaper.

Though the sea-food curry laksa is still a rarity in many Asian restaurants, barring those that specialise in serving Malaysian or Singaporean cuisine, the newspaper seems to have done a thorough job investigating the finer attributes of a dish that remains a hot favourite, at least, amongst Asian food-lovers frequenting Malaysian restaurants on the east coast.

Whether the list will help popularise the Malaysian sea-food curry laksa amongst local food connoisseurs, however still remains to be seen. Still the dish will certainly complement and strengthen efforts made by the New York office of the Malaysian External Trade Development Corp (Matrade), which had recently launched the Malaysian Kitchen Programme in its third consecutive year.

Read More :  http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

Ba they should also try the Sabahans food, like hinava, pinasakan, bambangan, etc... Who agree?

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Have curbs on mobile phone use in schools, says Masidi

Published on: Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said there should be restrictions to the usage of mobile phones among students in schools.
He said this after handing over goodies to orphans from an orphange in Ranau known as Rumah Putera Harapan at the Square, Novotel 1Borneo, here.
"Parents send their children to school to study, not play games on their mobile phones. It's as simple as that." He added that if they are allowed, then there should be restrictions in terms of when they can use it such as during recess or after school.
"If the usage of mobile phones is allowed freely, there will be possibilities of abuse and will give impact to their concentration."
This includes the usage of Facebook and ring tones in the middle of class.
On the issue of AirAsia moving to Terminal One, Masidi commented that Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAB) and AirAsia should come to a mutual understanding and agreement that moving there is for the growing need of passengers.
"The Federal government has invested large sums of money for Terminal One, so it should be fully utilised."

Read More : http://www.dailyexpress.com.my

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PM declares half-month bonus for civil servants, pensioners get special payment

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced a half-month bonus with a minimum payment of RM500 for civil servants and a special payment of RM500 for pensioners.
The payments will be made on Aug 9, he said. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected to fall on Aug 19.
The bonus and special payment will benefit 1.27 million civil servants and 657,000 government pensioners.
Najib said the payments were being made in view of the financial capability and fiscal position of the Government.
He said the payments would involve an estimated cost of RM2.2bil.
“The Government always has deep concern for and gives much emphasis to the welfare of civil servants,” he said, adding that he hoped the payments would help the people celebrate Aidilfitri.
The bonus has traditionally been paid out at the end of the year to help civil servants buy school essentials.

Read More :  http://thestar.com.my

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Ministry ponders proposal for social websites

THE Information, Communications and Culture Ministry is considering a proposal to register content published in social websites in an effort to resolve various issues that had cropped up of late.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Joseph Salang said this in reply to a supplementary question from Senator Muhamad Yusof Husin at the Dewan Negara yesterday.
Muhamad had asked about measures the Government had taken to register websites or blogsites.
Salang said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim had said on Wednesday that there was a need to set up a social media council.
“It should not be assumed that the council is a government initiative to curb Internet activities,” Salang said.
Dr Rais had said that the council, with the involvement of social media practitioners, could become a medium for the discussion of relevant issues.
To a question by Khoo Soo Seang who wanted to know what steps would be taken in addressing the symptoms of finger-pointing in cyberspace without strong evidence, Salang said his ministry was cooperating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to educate the public on social media issues faced by Internet users.
He said the ministry had carried out various efforts and activities to create awareness on the positive use of the Internet and social websites.
The campaigns, he said, have been carried out in several locations since July 1, including in Permatang Pauh, Penang.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the chairman and members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate problems related to illegal immigrants in Sabah would be named soon.
“The Government is waiting for the green light to make the announcement as only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can make the appointment,” he said in response to a question from Senator Datuk Paul Kong Sing Chu.
Liew said members of the RCI would be made up of people with a deep understanding of the Sabah’s illegal immigrant issue and its terms of reference were in the final state of formulation.
The setting up of the RCI was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last month. — Bernama

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Upko deputy president Bumburing quits as Tuaran Barisan chief

KOTA KINABALU: Upko deputy president Datuk Wilfred Bumburing (pic) has resigned as Tuaran Barisan Nasional division chairman.

In a statement issued late Monday, Bumburing said: “I have hereby effective July 23, 2012, resigned from the post as Barisan Nasional chairman for P-170 Tuaran."
He said his letter of resignation to the Barisan secretary-general was faxed to the Barisan headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and a copy was also faxed to the office of the Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Musa Aman.
Bumburing did not disclose the reasons for his resignation, although in his letter he asked that a leader from other Barisan component parties take over as chairman for the Tuaran division to prepare for the coming general election.
Speculation has been rife over the last six months that the Tuaran MP was planning to join the opposition PKR along with another Umno MP for Beaufort Datuk Lajim Ukin later this week.
“I will be making an important announcement with regard to the future direction of my political struggle during a special gathering at Dalit, Tuaran this Sunday at 1pm," said Bumburing, who did not indicate if he has resigned from Upko.
The 60-year-old Bumburing called on people who were “free and have the time” to join the gathering.
PKR sources indicated that Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be in the state for the weekend and is expected to receive the two MPs in separate functions in Tuaran and Beaufort.

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Lajim is seeking another alternative?

Hey guys, what do you this picture indicates for? Share your thoughts.

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Sandakan Memorial Day

Hi all,

Today i want to share about the remembrance day of the fallen heroes on the marches happened in second world war 1945.

http://blog.malaysia-asia.my/2010/02/sandakan-war-memorial-park-sabah-borneo.html

Some info i get from Wikipedia :

The Sandakan Death Marches were a series of forced marches in Borneo from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of more than 3,600 Indonesian civilian slave labourers and 2,400 Allied prisoners of war held captive by the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II at prison camps in North Borneo. By the end of the war, of all the prisoners who had been incarcerated at Sandakan and Ranau, only six Australians survived, all of whom had escaped. It is widely considered to be the single worst atrocity suffered by Australian servicemen during the Second World War.

As to remember and appreciate their effort to protect the land, every years all the family and friends from afar will be touch down to Sandakan. Those who want to join the ceremony, below is the details :

Sandakan Memorial Day

Starts: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 at 07:00

Ends: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 at 16:00

Where: Sandakan Memorial Park, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Contact Person: Catherin Chua

Contact Number: 016 848 8866 http://sabahbah.com/events/sandakan-memorial-day/

http://blog.malaysia-asia.my/2010/02/sandakan-war-memorial-park-sabah-borneo.html

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Minimum wage to be implemented once gazetted, says Jainab

18th July, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: The government has prepared an implementing mechanism to ensure the minimum wage set for the private sector does not unnecessarily burden employers or incur loss for employees.

Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad said the mechanism would, among other things, allow allowances or regular cash payments in the calculation of a minimum wage.

Further, the date of implementation for the minimum wage is six months after the order is issued.

“However, to make way for small-time employers to be fully prepared so their business won’t be jeopardised, the date of implementation for this category of employers is 12 months from the date of order when the minimum wage is gazetted,” she said.

Jainab was replying to Luyang assemblywoman, Melanie Chia, at the assembly yesterday.


Read More :  http://www.newsabahtimes.com

18th July, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: The government has prepared an implementing mechanism to ensure the minimum wage set for the private sector does not unnecessarily burden employers or incur loss for employees.
Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad said the mechanism would, among other things, allow allowances or regular cash payments in the calculation of a minimum wage.
Further, the date of implementation for the minimum wage is six months after the order is issued.
“However, to make way for small-time employers to be fully prepared so their business won’t be jeopardised, the date of implementation for this category of employers is 12 months from the date of order when the minimum wage is gazetted,” she said.
Jainab was replying to Luyang assemblywoman, Melanie Chia, at the assembly yesterday.

18th July, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: The government has prepared an implementing mechanism to ensure the minimum wage set for the private sector does not unnecessarily burden employers or incur loss for employees.
Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad said the mechanism would, among other things, allow allowances or regular cash payments in the calculation of a minimum wage.
Further, the date of implementation for the minimum wage is six months after the order is issued.
“However, to make way for small-time employers to be fully prepared so their business won’t be jeopardised, the date of implementation for this category of employers is 12 months from the date of order when the minimum wage is gazetted,” she said.
Jainab was replying to Luyang assemblywoman, Melanie Chia, at the assembly yesterday.

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Good News to the folks in Sandakan

Harbour Mall in Sandakan opens for business

Sandakan, Sabah - 16 July 2012: Harbour Mall opens its door for business following today's open house in Sandakan Harbour Square. This is Sandakan's FIRST air-conditioned modern lifestyle mall offering unparalleled shopping, dining and leisure experiences - all under ONE ROOF. Predicted to be the next shopping haven in Sabah, Harbour Mall kicked off with much excitement with a large scale PC Fair which runs from 16 to 22 July 2012.

Located in Sandakan's new Central Business District, this harbour shopping mall is the first-of-its-kind to front the coastal shores of Sandakan Bay. Amidst gastronomic and shopping indulgences, Harbour Mall promises ultimate convenience with 978 covered parking bays and a valet parking service.
Harbour Mall is part of Sandakan Harbour Square, an award-winning urban renewal project with GDV worth approximately RM510 million (USD170 million). Developed by ICSD Ventures Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of London-listed Aseana Properties Limited), together with joint venture partner Sandakan Municipal Council, Sandakan Harbour Square is managed by Ireka Development Management Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of Ireka Corporation Berhad).

Read More : www.4-traders.com

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More than 1,300 street children rescued since 2007, says Azizah

KOTA KINABALU: Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun disclosed that a total of 1,392 street children had been rescued since 2007 to May this year.
However, she said, most of them have been released and only 65 children are still at the Kota Kinabalu Children Protection Home.
“My ministry, through the Sabah Welfare Services Department is not involved with the training for job placement of the street children. The department is only involved in providing services from the welfare aspect of street children, in addition to providing basic education such as 3M learning classes, religious and moral education classes, self-management, exercise and overall development of children,” she said.
Azizah said this when replying to Kiulu Assemblyman Datuk Louis Rampas during the question and answer session at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister, Datuk Herbert Timbun Lagadan said, so far, a total of 2,350 people have been appointed as Price Monitoring Volunteers or Consumer Squad in the state.
“The target for Consumer Squad throughout Sabah is about 5,000. They will be given training on consumer awareness as well as to have an understanding of the eight consumer rights and responsibilities.
“The function of the Consumer Squad is to act as an observer and report to the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs (Ministry) on the current price trend,” he said, when replying to Gum-Gum Assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Mohd Idris.
Herbert said the team would also report any offences or wrongdoings committed against the Act or regulations under the ministry.
”Consumer Squads do not have the authority to take any action on any offence committed by the dealer but they will be the eyes and ears of the government through the ministry,” Herbert said.

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Tourist arrivals in Sabah have increased, says Masidi

KOTA KINABALU: Tourist arrivals in Sabah for the first five months this year went up 3.7 per cent in comparison to the same period last year
.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun, said during the same period this year, a total of 1,134,149 visitors came to Sabah, generating an estimated revenue of RM2.02 billion. Last year 1,093,578 arrived between January and May.
The most significant increase was tourists from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, that numbered at 71,152 or 41.4 per cent more than last year.
Masidi disclosed this when replying to Likas assemblyman, Datuk Liew Teck Chan at the assembly yesterday.
The minister said based on expenditure per capita of tourists in Sabah, those from China averaged at RM2,768.40.
“For the first five months this year, revenue from Chinese tourists is estimated to be RM197 million. Last year it was RM139.3 million, indicating an increase of 45.6 per cent,” he said.
Meanwhile, on a query from Kuamut assemblyman, Masiung Banah, on a new building for SMK Entilibon, Masidi said the Ministry of Education had issued a tender for the construction last March.
“At the moment, the process of evaluating the tender is ongoing to pick a qualified contractor. The contractor’s appointment letter will be issued as soon as the evaluation is completed,” he explained.

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Security guards at shopping centres trained by police

PUTRAJAYA: More than 25,000 security guards working at shopping centres throughout the country will be given training by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) at the police training camps in efforts to tackle criminal cases at such premises as reported by the media lately.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said a training module would be developed as soon as possible based on the module used by the police and the Ikatan Relawan Rakyat (Rela) so that it could be implemented in the near future.
“The main thing is to change the mindset and the willingness to work together because the security personnel is already there and they are being paid by the owners of the mall, so by upgrading it, it will only be better,” he told reporters after a meeting with police top brass, the ministry’s National Key Result Area (NKRA) unit, owners of shopping centres and other stakeholders to overcome criminal cases, at his office, here yesterday.
Hishammuddin said at the moment, three large shopping centres had already stated their commitment to join in the programme.
He said, however, participation in the training programme would not be compulsory but he would expose the names of shopping centres that wished to join the programme and those that did not.
“Let the public decide because it is one thing asking the police to do this and that, but what is their responsibility and here we are not asking them to employ more people, we are just asking them to come for training,” he said.
Hishammuddin also refuted that the measures were taken because of the high crime rate, but more towards convincing the people that the ministry was serious in tackling criminal cases that occurred in the country.
“It is not the issue of the crime rate being high or low. The question is the public must feel safe. The index of crime is there for anybody to see, but if the people do not perceive it to be safe enough, we may have to reduce the index even further.
“The beauty of our approach under the transformation programme is getting all the stakeholders on board and this time we are getting the private sector,” he said.
Asked on the statement by former inspector-general of police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, on the crime rate, Hishammuddin he said he accepted it with an open mind and welcomed his views and ideas on tackling criminal cases in the country.


Personally I think this is a great move since unemployment people are getting merrier and merrier every year. What say you? 

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Nod for handphones in schools

PUTRAJAYA: Students will be allowed to bring mobile phones and IT gadgets to school from next year after rules and regulations under the Education Act 1996 are amended.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the move was in line with the implementation of the virtual teaching and learning programme, dubbed “1Bestari” which offers free WiFi.

“We want to provide a virtual learning environment so that students can use their gadgets to learn.

“The world is totally different now.

“This is a trend. We can't stop it,” he said after chairing the student discipline committee meeting here yesterday.

Currently, students are not allowed to bring mobile phones to school.

However, many parents have expressed their disagreement as they wish to communicate with their children after school.

Dr Wee also invited the public to give their views via the Education Ministry's official Twitter account @1KemPelajaran.

He said the draft of the amendment would be submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers within a week and that “stringent” guidelines on the use of electronic gadgets in school would be put in place.

“The guidelines will spell out how and when the students can use the gadgets,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to the ministry, 47,421 students were involved in disciplinary cases from January to June this year compared to 61,437 students during the same period last year.

The main cases included crime, porn, truancy, bullying and smoking.

Truancy was the main disciplinary problem, with 8,361 students playing truant from January to June this year.

Dr Wee said the police and Rela have begun to patrol schools located in areas which have been identified as crime hotspots.

This involves 537 day schools and 71 international schools.

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Liow: Time to provide incentives for staying healthy

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is looking towards promoting healthy living by rewarding Malaysians who stay hale and fit.

Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said it was about time for an incentive-based system to encourage Malaysians to adopt healthy lifestyles.

“It could be something like the car insurance policy where one gets NCB (no-claims bonus),” he said.

For a start, he suggested that employers reward employees who did not take sick leave.

“They could be given a bonus. Give them such incentives to live healthily. It is all about using a positive approach,” he said.

Liow said giving rewards was better than the “punishment” approach that had been suggested to him, under which those whose waistlines exceed 74cm to 76.2cm (29 inches to 30 inches) would be subject to certain kinds of action.

In Japan and South Korea, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle is “enforced” by employers who shun the overweight in favour of those who look healthy and fit.

In the United States, some insurance companies and Medicare programmes pay doctors for achieving specific health goals with their patients.

Liow said Malaysians were aware of the need to lead healthy lifestyles but needed to translate it into action, adding that the ministry was now looking at how such incentives could be given to its own staff.

He said statistics for non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Malaysia had not improved as reflected in the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011.

Liow said the ministry was considering various ways to reduce the risks of NCDs, including addressing causes rather than consequences and cutting risk factor exposures such as tobacco, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) lauded the new approach.

MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said that although the reward system was already adopted by some employers, the ministry's promotion would encourage more bosses to follow suit.

“When attendance incentives have been introduced, employers are sometimes accused of trying to encourage employees to come to work even when they are sick. But the incentives are aimed at reducing the abuse of sick leave,” he said.

He said that before policies on medical leave were implemented, companies lost an average of more than 4% of man-days a year.

“However, with implementation, the percentage of man-days lost has been less than 0.1%,” he said.

(A man-day is an industrial unit of production equal to the work one person does in a day)

Shamsuddin hoped that more employers would implement such rules because they would lead to a win-win situation.

“The employees will be reward- ed for their attendance and employers can recover lost man-days.

“This will also raise awareness among employees to cultivate healthy lifestyles,” he added.

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New method to counter fake degrees

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- To safeguard degrees from being forged, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and the leading online job portal JobStreet.com have developed a system that enables the job portal to obtain validated degree qualifications of UTAR graduates in their system.
With this new system, employers with JobStreet.com can now verify degree qualifications of UTAR graduates quickly and effectively. Information obtained from UTAR's registry includes name, class of the degree holder and convocation date.


UTAR President Ir. Professor Academician Dato' Dr. Chuah Hean Teik said, "This system is a fruition of the collaborative efforts between the university and JobStreet.com since the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two parties in January 2010 and a research agreement in March the same year".
"There are more than 20,000 UTAR graduates and graduating students who are currently using JobStreet.com to find their next job. By validating their degree, it will give assurance for companies in Malaysia to hire UTAR graduates who will contribute to the country's economy," Mark Chang CEO & Founder of JobStreet.com said.


The database linkage for verification of graduates is part of a collaborative research effort by the two organisations to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the hiring process by employers.

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Folklore 2012

 Hey guys, just want to share some info about the 7th Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012 which is already started on 8th July and 17th July will be the closing of the event.

 

Those who have time to visit the event, are very welcome. Please bring along your friends and family. Sabah Borneo Aramaii!!

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22,119 ACTIVE FIRMS IN SABAH IN 2010

11th July, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah had a total of 22,119 active business organisations in 2010, according to the 2011 Economic Census Report.

Chief Statistician Dr Abdul Rahman Hasan said of this figure, 18,047 or 81.6 per cent were in the services sector, 1,443 (6.5 per cent) in manufacturing, 1,284 (5.8 per cent) in construction, 1,311 (5.9 per cent) in agriculture and 34 (0.2 per cent) in mining and quarrying.

Overall, there are 662,939 business organisations in Malaysia – 591,137 in the service sector, 39,699 in manufacturing, 22,140 in construction, 8,829 in agriculture and 418 in mining and quarrying, he said.

The manufacturing sector’s gross output was reported at RM836.5 billion, services sector (RM281.5 billion), construction (RM91.3 billion), agriculture (RM53.5 billion) and mining and quarrying (RM4.5 billion).

Read More :  http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

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26,299 yet to collect new MyKads

11th July, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: As many as 26,299 applicants in Sabah have yet to claim their new MyKads, said National Registration Department (NRD) Sabah director, Ismail Ahmad.

He said the total of unclaimed MyKads, from 2009 until now, includes applications for the previous version of the MyKad, 19,639, and 6,660 for the newest MyKad.

Besides that, as many as 1,589 Permanent Resident applicants approved by the NRD have yet to claim their MyPRs.

“Although the Sabah NRD has made the effort to track down the applicants many times including appointing special officers to contact them, there is still a number of Sabahans who have yet to collect their identity cards,” he said when interviewed by New Sabah Times here, recently.

He also noted that a number of folks, especially those living in rural areas, are late in registering the births of their children.

Read More :  http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

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Yee: Stop harping on KK Court House issue

11th July, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai ticked the Opposition off yesterday for continuing to harp on the issue of the Kota Kinabalu Court House.

“The Opposition has the habit of misleading the people by coming up with all sorts of interpretations about what would happen to the site of the Kota Kinabalu Court House in future,” he said after officiating at the Human Resource Development Department’s 24th anniversary celebration at a hotel here.

He was asked to comment on the latest criticism by the Opposition that the Kota Kinabalu Court House was to be relocated from its present site in the city to Bukit Punai because a shopping complex had been planned for the area.

Dr Yee, who is also the Resource and IT Development Minister, was earlier reported to have said that the existing site of the court house belonged to the Federal government and the court house building was undergoing renovation.

Read More :  http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

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SARAWAK MUSIC DIVERSITY SHOWCASES AT RWMF 2012

July 9th, 2012 by Erivina

Monday, 9 July 2012 – Forming the largest group members of the festival, the Sarawak Percussion & Ensemble from Sarawak will showcase purely ethnic music of Sarawak ranging from the ethnic community of Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau. 78 group members lined up, their music and instruments are as diverse, lush and poly-layered as the Sarawak’s rainforests.
Headed by home-venue Musical Director, Mr Narawi Rashidi, these local musicians and artists will perform a host of rare forms of traditional music and dance on stage as well as on the audience ground at the same time. Their musical beat is expected to instantly transport the listeners to a beautiful and magical land of Sarawak.
Make a date with them on the second and third night of the festival, where the group will entertain you will all metal based music instrument (second night) and all drums and bamboo-based instrument (third night). Other than showcasing Sarawak’s famous warrior dance, seldom heard tunes such as the ethnic chanting and melodies from various communities will also take place.

Read More :  http://m.rainforestmusic-borneo.com

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Sabah government goes into oil palm

SANDAKAN (Sabah) - Sabah's forestry director Sam Mannan calls it the 'devil's recipe'.
But he said it was out of desperation that the state opted to become the operator of a massive oil palm plantation carved out of degraded forests.
A total of 100,000ha in southern Sabah - an area almost twice the size of Singapore - was turned into plantations to generate revenue to conserve a much larger adjacent forest of 1.1 million hectares.
With Sabah fast running out of money, Datuk Mannan said, the authorities had no choice. Timber revenue last year was at its lowest in 40 years.
He feared there would be temptation to log even more intensively without new funds coming in. 'We can't always be green beggars,' he said.
About 60 per cent of the 100,000ha has now been planted with oil palm, and is starting to generate returns in terms of revenue as well as political capital.
Several green experts see it as indication of Sabah's commitment to reversing the trend of rapid deforestation that plagues the Malaysian Borneo states, especially Sarawak.
The oil palm plantation and adjacent forest bank, collectively about 20 times the size of Singapore, both belong to the state through its wholly-owned Sabah Foundation.
As the single largest concession in Sabah, this forest bank makes up almost one-third of the state's total forest reserves of 3.9 million hectares.
About half is protected forest, while the other half is to be logged sustainably.
The tract includes the world famous Maliau Basin, Danum Valley and Imbak Canyon.
'It's the most biodiversity-rich forest in one large contiguous area,' said Mr Mannan.
But it came under severe threat as the area became more and more intensively logged while generating lower and lower revenues as the forests became depleted. Last year, timber revenue fell to RM200million (S$79.8million), the lowest since 1970.
The state used to rake in an average RM500 million a year.
The Sabah Foundation was set up in the 1960s to manage this vast tract of forest sustainably but this soon went out of the window.
In the last 10 years, the state government has tried to restore the forests to a level where they can be sustainably logged. This controversial oil palm project is one part of it.
This year, another 150,000ha were added to the totally protected category.
The efforts have won some kudos. Mr Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay.com, a popular conservation site, said the intention of reversing deforestation was good but it was still an open question whether it will succeed.
Some critics say the Sabah Foundation is playing up its conservation work while quietly continuing to log elsewhere.
They also worry that the project is a precursor to turning more areas into oil palm.
Ms Cynthia Ong, who leads the Land Empowerment Animals People organisation, which works on grassroots initiatives, calls it a move to buy time.
'How do we make a case to stop logging and put food on our tables at the same time?' she asked. 'We wish there are other answers but...'
She noted that Sabah has become a lot more willing to work with international organisations, which demand a certain level of transparency in forest management.
This is undoubtedly helped by Sabah's growing environmental movement, which a few years ago, succeeded in forcing the government to cancel a coal plant.
This green movement may prove a force in the next general election; Sabah is expected to be one of the most hotly contested states.
But Mr Mannan said it is not about external pressure. 'We simply cannot afford a reversal, we have no more buffers.'

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EC: Only 20,000 Malaysians abroad have registered as voters

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) said that only 20,000 Malaysians abroad have registered as voters for the 13th General Election and not half a million as claimed by certain parties.

EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar categorically denied the claim that more than 500,000 Malaysians overseas did not have the opportunity to register.

He said the claim was baseless as the registration turnout at Malaysian representative offices worldwide did not match the alleged figure.

"Although we hear people say more than half a million Malaysians abroad are queuing to vote but the numbers who actually registered were much lower," he said on a 'Hello Malaysia' programme titled "EC: The 13th General Election Challenge" on BernamaTV on Monday night.

Wan Ahmad said Wisma Putra records showed the overall number who registered at embassies abroad at about 20,000.

He stressed that those who left the country for job opportunities were actually normal voters compared to diplomats and government officials who were duty bound and full-time students abroad.

As Parliament had decided to allow them voting rights, he said the EC had discussed the matter with Wisma Putra and the Immigration Department to ensure only those who had returned home at least once in five years be eligible to vote.

Wan Ahmad said upon registration, they must request for postal voting in order to vote in the general election. - Bernama

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Royalty, VIPs get first choice of free vanity reg numbers

July 09, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The government will accord priority to royalty and dignitaries in their request for free vehicle registration number.

Transport Deputy Minister Jelaing Mersat said the tender process for vehicle registration numbers was open to all parties, including corporations and organisations, but there were conditions attached.

“However, there are seven categories of notables that qualify for a free registration number.

“These are the Sultans, includng the Raja of Perlis and the Yang DiPertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan, Heads of States (Yang DiPertua Negeri), Raja Muda/Tengku Mahkota, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Federal Territories minister, mentri besar and chief ministers,” he said replying to Senator Lee Cheam Choon.

Lee had requested an explanation of the vehicle registration tender system, and the parties eligible, or who did not have to go through tender to obtain a specific number.

Jelaing said there were a number of procedures and conditions under the Road Transport Department (RTD) Order (Bill 8 Year 2009/L) that needed to be adhered to.

“The bidder must submit the tender form, together with a 50 per cent deposit payment of the reserved bid and the original receipt of the RM10 service fee payment.

“A letter on the decision will be issued not later than seven working days from the date of the evaluation committee meeting, and the notice of decision must be displayed at the relevant state RTD office,” he said. — Bernama

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Property Search for Property Nation Sarawak World Updates Courts Parliament Columnists Opinion Honours List Tuesday July 10, 2012 Good tourism prospects for Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah can become a regional tourism centre in the East Asean Growth Area (EAGA).

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjunsaid Sabah was in the right position to be a centre for tourism in the EAGA region.

The group comprises Indonesia’s Kalimantan, Brunei, southern Philippines, and Sabah and Sarawak.

He said there was a wide variety of attractive destinations and products which could draw tourists into the region.

“I am sure with the good working relationship with other players in the grouping, Sabah can become the regional centre in developing the tourism industry, he said after opening the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) meeting here.

Having more direct international flights into Sabah would definitely help boost the state’s tourism prospects in the region, said Masidi.

“The BIMP-EAGA area can become a major tourism destination,” he added.

Earlier in his speech, Masidi said EAGA should move forward as one voice to become an active, successful and relevant sub-regional centre.

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