PM's speech a firm reminder not to be complacent: Musa

 






Sabah Umno Chief Datuk Seri Musa Aman described the policy speech of party President Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a firm reminder to the members not to be complacent in their preparations for the coming 13th General Election.

He said such reminder was also in tandem with Najib's call for the members to remain vigilant and be fully prepared for the extraordinary forthcoming national election.

"I am very impressed and proud with the policy speech of Najib, who is also our beloved Prime Minister, which will highly motivate and uplift the morale and spirit of the delegates as well as party members," he said.

Musa, who is also Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman, also called on party members and BN component parties to continue working hand in hand to ensure a resounding victory for BN.

"Let us all close ranks not only among the party members but also in BNÉ let us all take heed of the message and reminder of party President to stay united, which is the key to a BN victory in the election," he said.

Meanwhile, Musa said Sabah Umno has sent the biggest number of delegates to the assembly as well as having the highest number of party members in the country.

He cited the Libaran division, which has the most number of party members among all the branches in the State, as a result of the initiatives and hard work of the members in the division.

Meanwhile, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) President Tan Sri Pairin Joseph Kitingan said Najib's policy speech has not sidelined the importance of BN component parties as well as the voters in the coming polls.

"Considering that the coming general election is perceived as very important and all technologies are being used by the opposition that has created a different political landscape, Najib has emphasised on having strong cooperation not only in Umno but also the people and BN component parties.

"He conveyed such strong reminder to the people because he does not want repercussions and negative impact of casting the votes to the wrong party and jeopardise the future of the people and our next generations," he said.

Pairin, who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, said Najib also highlighted the importance of sincerity of struggle among the members in the party and coalition as part of being united and fostering strong unity among them.

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Election Commission identifies 18 local NGOs, Asean observers to monitor 13th GE

 The Election Commission (EC) has identified 18 local nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) as domestic observers, besides observers from Asean countries to monitor the upcoming 13th General Election (GE). Its deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the EC had met with the NGOs from throughout the country to discuss the conditions for appointment and the monitoring framework.

He said these NGOs were selected as they are independent organisations and not siding with any political party. “The EC has identified six NGOs from the peninsula, nine from Sarawak and three from Sabah for the task. The selection and appointment of the NGOs will be finalised next week.

All the NGOs must abide by the conditions set and are also required to sign the ‘Aku Janji Kerja’ (I Promise to Work) pledge”. Wan Ahmad said the EC would brief the NGO representatives involved so that they would be responsible and understand the legal process of the general election in the interest of the nation’s future. “The EC will give flexibility to the local NGOs in monitoring the elections from the time Parliament is dissolved until the election results are announced and to make reports based on facts, and not based on assumptions, perception and hearsay. If we find any of them violating the ‘Aku Janji’ conditions, campaigning for any party or interviewing voters, we will terminate the observer’s appointment,” he said.

He said observers from countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines would be invited to monitor the Malaysian elections in a professional manner and understanding its election process and respecting its laws.

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Sabah’s financial performance ‘extraordinary’ – DPM

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday described the Sabah’s financial performance as “extraordinary”, and attributed it to the good leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
He said the Federal Government will continue to support the rural transformation programmes, especially in Sabah.
This year alone, some RM255.7 million, which is 26 per cent from the overall figure, is channeled towards executing over 2,000 transformation projects statewide,” he said.
Under the New Economic Model, civil servants would act as mediators to ensure the private sector continue to be competitive in the challenging global economy, Muhyiddin said.
“In the National Transformation Policy context implemented now, we need to understand the bigger picture which is that our nation is facing a challenging and competitive scenario. If we do not act fast, we will be left behind in the race towards achieving the developed country status,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the nation’s private sector investments went up to RM94 billion last year, an increase of 19.4 per cent compared to 2010, while the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose by 12.3 per cent to RM32.9 billion, compared to 2010′s RM29.3 billion.
“The Economic Transformation Plan has created 110 projects with potential investments amounting RM179.2 billion, and we have also recorded the highest revenue collected with a historical amount of RM100 billion, which enables the government to channel allocations towards the people’s welfare programmes,” he said.
He said Malaysia earned global and international recognitions, such as from the AT Kearney 2011 FDI Confidence Index, after receiving five-fold increase in investment or 537 per cent to RM27 billion in 2010.
Malaysia was placed 12th, up from its previous 18th position, in the Doing Business 2013 Report by the World Bank, better than developed countries such as Sweden (13th), Taiwan (16th), Germany (20th), Japan (24th) and Switzerland (28th).
“In terms of global competition, the Global Competitiveness Report has listed Malaysia as the second best among the Asean countries, fifth best in Asia Pacific and 21st among the 142 nations worldwide, which is a five-notch improvement from the previous year.
“With all these achievements, this would be the best time to call for election,” he quipped.
On a more serious note, Muhyiddin reminded the civil servants of their heavier roles and responsibilities.
“It is through the hard work and concern from the civil servants that we are able to carry out various touch point programmes for the people, such as RM2.6 billion 1Malaysia People’s Assistance (BR1M), which benefited close to 390,000 Sabahans (RM1.95 million); RM500 million 1Malaysia People’s Trust Scheme (SARA 1Malaysia); the RM260 million allocation for the RM100 School Assistance involving 5.3 million primary and secondary students; the setting up of 13 1Malaysia Clinics which offer a fee of RM1 and free service for senior citizens; and the !Malaysia People’s Shop (KR1M), of which 24 outlets are expected to be operating next year. To date there are only two are in operation.
Meanwhile, Musa congratulated the civil servants in the state for the good performance in implementing the development programmes under the Ninth and 10th Malaysia Plans.
“Under the 9MP (between 2006 – 2010), the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was five per cent annually, and the highest was 7.7 per cent in 2008. While Sabah’s trade surplus increased over three-folds from RM4.8 billion in 2006 to RM15.7 billion (2010).
“Infrastructure development and facilities in the state improved, as well as the poverty eradication efforts with the improvement of the people’s socio-economy,” said Musa.
Last year, Sabah was awarded the Clean Bill Certificate, 12th year in a row, and the state was given the AAA rating by the RAM Rating Service Berhad for three consecutive years.
“The state reserve is stable and exceeds RM3 billion, while the revenue stands at RM4 billion. The surplus is RM730 million while the development expenses amount to RM1.17 billion,. We have no outstanding payment for any loans from the central government. And I believe this will remain,” said Musa.

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SABAH’S FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ – DPM

November 21, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday described the Sabah’s financial performance as “extraordinary”, and attributed it to the good leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

He said the Federal Government will continue to support the rural transformation programmes, especially in Sabah.

This year alone, some RM255.7 million, which is 26 per cent from the overall figure, is channeled towards executing over 2,000 transformation projects statewide,” he said.

Under the New Economic Model, civil servants would act as mediators to ensure the private sector continue to be competitive in the challenging global economy, Muhyiddin said.

“In the National Transformation Policy context implemented now, we need to understand the bigger picture which is that our nation is facing a challenging and competitive scenario. If we do not act fast, we will be left behind in the race towards achieving the developed country status,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the nation’s private sector investments went up to RM94 billion last year, an increase of 19.4 per cent compared to 2010, while the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose by 12.3 per cent to RM32.9 billion, compared to 2010′s RM29.3 billion.

“The Economic Transformation Plan has created 110 projects with potential investments amounting RM179.2 billion, and we have also recorded the highest revenue collected with a historical amount of RM100 billion, which enables the government to channel allocations towards the people’s welfare programmes,” he said.

He said Malaysia earned global and international recognitions, such as from the AT Kearney 2011 FDI Confidence Index, after receiving five-fold increase in investment or 537 per cent to RM27 billion in 2010.

Malaysia was placed 12th, up from its previous 18th position, in the Doing Business 2013 Report by the World Bank, better than developed countries such as Sweden (13th), Taiwan (16th), Germany (20th), Japan (24th) and Switzerland (28th).

“In terms of global competition, the Global Competitiveness Report has listed Malaysia as the second best among the Asean countries, fifth best in Asia Pacific and 21st among the 142 nations worldwide, which is a five-notch improvement from the previous year.

“With all these achievements, this would be the best time to call for election,” he quipped.

On a more serious note, Muhyiddin reminded the civil servants of their heavier roles and responsibilities.

“It is through the hard work and concern from the civil servants that we are able to carry out various touch point programmes for the people, such as RM2.6 billion 1Malaysia People’s Assistance (BR1M), which benefited close to 390,000 Sabahans (RM1.95 million); RM500 million 1Malaysia People’s Trust Scheme (SARA 1Malaysia); the RM260 million allocation for the RM100 School Assistance involving 5.3 million primary and secondary students; the setting up of 13 1Malaysia Clinics which offer a fee of RM1 and free service for senior citizens; and the !Malaysia People’s Shop (KR1M), of which 24 outlets are expected to be operating next year. To date there are only two are in operation.

Meanwhile, Musa congratulated the civil servants in the state for the good performance in implementing the development programmes under the Ninth and 10th Malaysia Plans.

“Under the 9MP (between 2006 – 2010), the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was five per cent annually, and the highest was 7.7 per cent in 2008. While Sabah’s trade surplus increased over three-folds from RM4.8 billion in 2006 to RM15.7 billion (2010).

“Infrastructure development and facilities in the state improved, as well as the poverty eradication efforts with the improvement of the people’s socio-economy,” said Musa.

Last year, Sabah was awarded the Clean Bill Certificate, 12th year in a row, and the state was given the AAA rating by the RAM Rating Service Berhad for three consecutive years.

“The state reserve is stable and exceeds RM3 billion, while the revenue stands at RM4 billion. The surplus is RM730 million while the development expenses amount to RM1.17 billion,. We have no outstanding payment for any loans from the central government. And I believe this will remain,” said Musa.

(Source: The Borneo Post)

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ICAC letter shows Musa Aman cleared of graft last December

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Hong Kong’s anti-graft authority had written privately to Datuk Musa Aman last December to inform the Sabah chief minister that he was no longer under probe for corruption for a RM40 million donation to the state Umno chapter, according to the letter sighted by The Malaysian Insider.

In the December 22, 2011 letter, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) explained to the long-serving state chief minister that it had started the probe after receiving a complaint against him, saying that this was required by Hong Kong’s laws on corruption.

But the agency said that upon completing investigations and filing a report with its Operations Review Committee (ORC), both the committee and the ICAC Commissioner had agreed not to take further investigative action “on the basis of the facts now known”.

The letter, which bore the ICAC’s letterhead, was signed off by principal investigator Tso Wai-Yan and was addressed solely to Musa at his office in Kota Kinabalu. No other individual was carbon copied on the document.

Sabah BN secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who showed The Malaysian Insider a picture of the letter on his iPad, said the one-page correspondence could vindicate Musa and the ruling Umno against the firestorm of allegations from opposition leaders here of a major scandal cover-up ahead of the coming polls.

The state Umno leader is also expected to face a barrage of questions at the Umno general assembly starting tomorrow, despite issuing a denial over the weekend.

Abdul Rahman pointed out that the letter was strictly private and confidential as it was only addressed to Musa, indicating that the agency had acted independently without any interference from outside parties.

“The ICAC are professionals. No one else was copied on that letter. They respect the right of an accused to confidentiality,” Abdul Rahman told The Malaysian Insider.

The Kota Belud MP had initially promised to reveal the letter at a press conference last Thursday but said that on advice from lawyers, the physical copy of the document would be kept under wraps for now and used as Sabah Umno’s “trump card” to prove Musa’s innocence.

He said the chief minister and Sabah Umno are currently mulling legal action against PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli, who returned last week from a two-day mission in Hong Kong to dig up information on Musa’s case.

“I promised to reveal this letter but after discussing the matter with lawyers for the chief minister and Sabah Umno, they advised me not to reveal it because it will be used should there be legal action against Rafizi.

“It is definitely an option on the table. Rafizi has violated some laws,” Abdul Rahman said.

As examples, the Sabah lawmaker said that apart from defamation, Rafizi had likely violated section 29(4) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which protects the identity of an accused.

The section stipulates that a report lodged to the commission “shall be kept secret and shall not be disclosed by any person to any person other than officers of the Commission and the Public Prosecutor until an accused person has been charged in court for an offence under this Act or any other written law in consequence of such report, unless the disclosure is made with the consent of the Public Prosecutor or an officer of the Commission of the rank of Commissioner and above.”

Rafizi has been lobbying the ICAC to reopen its RM40 million probe against Musa, alleging a possible conspiracy by the MACC and the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government here to shelve the matter for fear of an electoral backlash.

Musa was recently cleared of a RM40 million money-laundering allegation linking him to Sabah timber trader Michael Chia.

But according to Rafizi, who is currently facing several court cases for his whistleblowing work, fresh evidence recently found in Musa’s case could warrant a reason for the renowned ICAC to start a new investigation.

Rafizi and three other PKR lawmakers lodged a report with the ICAC last Thursday listing three reasons to encourage the agency to reopen the probe against Musa and Chia — separate claims from two Sabah MPs that the RM40 million from Chia was an inducement for corrupt gains and not a political donation to Umno as previously claimed; and the receipt of a luxury vehicle from Chia by Umno minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, possibly for corrupt reasons.

The team plans to return to Hong Kong in two weeks’ time to furnish more evidence to the agency.

Rafizi has also claimed of rumours that the ICAC’s decision to close the case was due to a lack of co-operation from the MACC.

But Abdul Rahman said the letter from the ICAC clearly refuted this as it states that it had conducted its own separate and independent investigation before deciding to close its file on the case.

“I believe the ICAC investigated this thoroughly. Remember, the money in question had allegedly come from Hong Kong and the ICAC is a Hong Kong agency.

“They have full power and access there,” he said.

He accused Rafizi of insulting the ICAC and MACC’s reputations as credible and independent law enforcement agencies, saying that the latter was likely using the controversy to gain political mileage ahead of the coming polls.

“The elections are coming and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) needs Sabah badly.

“They know that Musa has done very well in Sabah and they need to kill of this guy politically by putting enough doubt on his reputation,” he said.

But when asked if Sabah Umno was ready to co-operate with the ICAC should it come knocking again for a second probe, Abdul Rahman said Musa and the party would be willing to do so.

He pointed out that during the first probe, the ICAC’s investigators had quizzed Musa in Sabah and had not conducted a “remote-controlled” probe from Hong Kong.

“They travelled to Sabah and met with him (Musa),” he said.

Musa’s alleged link with Chia first exploded in the media following an April article by whistleblower site Sarawak Report, which had claimed that latter was caught trying to leave the Hong Kong International Airport with the RM40 million in Singapore currency.

At the time, Chia had allegedly told the authorities that the money was meant for Musa, kicking off a probe on the series of fund transfers from Malaysia to Hong Kong that was then believed to be the possible laundering of monies generated from illegal logging activities in Sabah.

The issue hit the headlines again last month when Nazri told Parliament that Musa had been cleared of corruption in the matter after Malaysian and Hong Kong anti-graft authorities found that the money was a “political donation” to Sabah Umno and was not meant for Musa’s personal use.

But in the ensuing debates on the issue, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers chided Nazri for declaring Musa innocent without providing proof that the ICAC had cleared the chief minister of its own accord.

According to Nazri, the ICAC had closed the case after the MACC discovered in its probe that the money in Chia’s possession was meant for Sabah Umno and not Musa.

After Nazri’s denial, Rafizi held a press conference in Parliament revealing what he said was photographic proof that Nazri had allegedly received kickbacks from Chia to clear his name, in the form of a RM459,000 Hummer given to his son.

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Opposition only good at carrying tales

SANDAKAN: Opposition parties are only good at carrying tales each time they attempt to touch base with the people.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said the rakyat must realise that they have no concrete ideas or solutions for the people.

“That’s why they carry tales for the people so that they look good. They keep on telling lies after lies just to gain the sympathy of the people.

“Don’t be influenced by these tactics. They come and visit the people in the village and have empty talks,” he said at a meet-the-people session at Kg Nelayan Tengah, Sungai Batang, at Mile 10 here yesterday.

Musa who is Sabah Barisan Nasional and State Umno chief, said the rakyat should turn around and ask the opposition what have they done for them.

“We in BN are giving solutions for the people and solving their woes whether they are in rural areas or elsewhere,” he said.

The people of Sabah are mature enough to differentiate between the opposition and BN parties.

He cited an example of an opposition-ruled state which is now in disarray as the people are seeing for themselves that they have not fulfilled their promises.

“The people in the State have realised that they would be better off if the state is under BN rule,” he said.

Unlike the opposition, the BN government is sighted and committed in providing proper infrastructures for the rakyat.

“We must not gamble our future and the future of our children away. As opposition parties, they cannot do anything other than talking and enjoying wishful thinking,” he said.

Musa said that the people of Sabah must defend the state so that it remains a BN stronghold in the coming elections.

He reiterated that the country is in safe hands and on the mainstream of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who has introduced so many programmes and various types of assistance for Malaysians.

Present were Libaran MP Datuk Juslie Ajirol, Gum-Gum assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Hj Mohd Edris and State Wanita Umno chief Datuk Armani Mahiruddin.

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Leong optimistic Sabah Chinese will vote for BN in general election

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Gerakan chief Datuk Gordon Leong is confident that Sabah’s Chinese community would make a wise decision when casting votes in the coming general election.

He said the community would vote with wisdom, and not with emotion or be easily swayed by the opposition’s empty promises.

He said this when asked to comment on a call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday that those in the Chinese community who liked his  leadership should give solid support to Umno and BN, if they wanted him to bring more successes to the nation, via the national transformation programme.

The prime minister said this in a special interview, prior to the 66th Umno General Assembly next week, when asked to comment on remarks by political observers that some quarters in the Chinese community liked Najib’s leadership, but not his party and BN, and were divided over giving support. — Bernama

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Orang utan population up by 20% in Sabah’s protected forests

 

KOTA KINABALU: Orang utan population within totally protected areas has increased by over 20 percent in Sabah's lower Kinabatangan since the first census was done seven years ago.

The number of orang utans orang-utans living within totally protected areas (TPA) increased from 38 percent to 60 percent, an orang utan conservationist Dr. Marc Ancrenaz said.

Dr Ancrenaz, who is co-director of the HUTAN Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme (HUTAN-KOCP), said the increasing population reflected a commitment by all, especially the state government, to protect more forest areas.

However, he did not disclose the number of orang utans within the totally protected forest areas.

The Sabah Forestry Department had recently increased the areas deemed totally protected forest reserves to help further in the conservation of orang utans and other species such as the Borneo pygmy elephant, Sunda clouded leopard, Sunbear, and hornbills and others.

“The recent areas regazetted as Class I (totally protected forest reserve) are lowland forests which are favoured for agriculture development. But the state government has shown that they value the environmental security in the long term by making them TPAs instead of going for short term profits,” Dr Ancrenaz, a wildlife veterinarian who has been working on wildlife issues in Sabah since 1998.

However, the biggest issue for orang-utan conservation in Sabah remains the problem of isolation and fragmentation of protected forests, primotologist Dr. Isabelle Lackman, who is a co-director HUTAN KOCP said in a statement.

“While the Kinabatangan has been protected by the Sabah Wildlife Department since gazetting in 2005, the Sanctuary is very broken up with some protected forests being totally isolated and this is not healthy for the long term survival of orang utan in the area,” Lackman explained.

“Our studies have shown that we need to reconnect patches of forest to ensure that we have a viable orang utan population for the future and this can be achieved by reconnecting these forest either by having patches of forest that orang utans can travel through or a contiguous corridor of forest,” Lackman added.

She felt that all planned and future conversion of even small forest patches needs to be stopped to ensure the viability of the long-term survival of the orang utan population in the lower Kinabatangan.

 

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Sabah to stop issuing permits for Filipina masseuses after complaints from locals

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will freeze work permits for Filipina masseuses from Jan 1 as Malaysian wives here are blaming them for breaking up families.

Sabah Immigration Depart-ment director Datuk Mohammad Mentek said the decision not to allow spas and reflexology centres to hire women from the Philippines came about after discussions with the state government on social problems.

He said they had received many complaints from local residents about Filipinas having affairs with their husbands. Some of the marriages have ended in divorces.

There have also been reports about some reflexology centres being fronts for vice, providing sexual services to customers.

“This is why we have decided to freeze the work permits of women from the Philippines,” he said yesterday.

Mohammad said there were 807 registered foreigners working at spa and reflexology centres statewide 531 of them from China, 188 from the Philippines, 72 from Thailand and 16 from Indonesia.

Mohammad also disclosed that starting next year, operators of spa and reflexology centres would have to fill in their foreign workers quota within six months instead of the current practice of two years.

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Venture aggresively into wellness industry: Musa

Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman hopes to see more studies conducted on traditional wellness systems in Sabah and also documented for the public through books.
Sabah is blessed with plant diversity as well as the traditional knowledge of its over 30 indigenous groups which can be promoted and popularised, he said, adding there is value in promoting local knowledge on wellness, not just for economic reasons but also for further protection of the State's natural resources.
"There is no reason for us not to popularise what we have locally.
We can also safeguard and even strengthen local culture and heritage through the practice of wellness from the traditional perspective," said Musa.
In some parts of the world, high value is placed on traditional ways that lead to wellness and such knowledge has expanded beyond the region of its origin, he said at the opening of a two-day Wellness Journey Conference and Exhibition at the Sabah Trade Centre in Likas, here, Saturday.
Advances in the wellness industry, both modern and traditional, are in line with Sabah's focus on promoting health-based tourism, as envisaged through several initiatives including the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP).
In wanting to see higher participation of local entrepreneurs in health-based tourism, Musa encouraged them to form joint ventures with those in the know in order to create opportunities that not only benefit the State but also help create quality jobs for Sabahans.
He hoped those keen to venture into this will make full use of the event to learn from the exhibitors.
He was also pleased to note the presence of a number of non-governmental organisations like Befrienders KK, Pink Ribbon, Sabah Cancer Society and Palliative Care Association at the exhibition, as well as invited experts from Canada, Australia, Austria, Singapore as well as local experts as speakers at the conference.
The event, jointly organised by Maxx Media Sdn Bhd and Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (Swepa), features vendors and exhibitors who specialise in beauty and health industries (spa, health, beauty and academy).
A new highlight for this year's Wellness Journey, the second after last year, is a Wellness Garden, a central gathering area that will allow visitors to rest and recuperate.
Designed to look like a lush, verdant garden, it serves as a small stage area with attractions such as a regular lucky draw as well as buy-and-win contest, which rewards visitors who make purchases at the exhibition.
A variety of super deals will also be on offer, providing heavily discounted products and services, in addition to activities such as a blood donation drive by the Likas Women and Children Hospital.
This year's Wellness Journey also sees the return of the Wellness Conference, a two-day forum centred on presenting information and talks delivered by a number of prominent players in the health and wellness industries.
The talks are presented by six international speakers, namely Singaporean wellness coach and consultant, Julina Halim, Australian traditional and complementary medicine specialist, Professor Gerard Bodeker, Canadian founder of bioessentials, Joanne Bruce, Malaysian herbal medicine expert, Dr Sivakumar Kumaresan, Austrian health and wellness consultant, Karina Lipold, and Singaporean wellness magnate Michael Loh.
The event is open from 11am-8pm.

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Employers urged not to overwork employees

25th November, 2012

JOHOR BAHARU: Employers have been urged not to force their employees to work excessive long hours and outside job tasks which contravene the Employment Act 1955.

Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said under the act, employees were required to work for eight hours per day and an additional four hours would be considered an overtime.

“Employers should not squeeze the life of their employees. Usually, employees are willing to work longer hours to earn more to feed their families.

“Treat them fairly,” he said when met at an international research seminar on Tamil education here yesterday.

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No room for disloyal members in Umno

25th November, 2012

BEAUFORT: Disloyal Umno members can expect actions to be taken against them including expulsion for not serving the interest of the party.

Commenting on a report on the expulsion of two Semporna party members, Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman who is also Sabah Umno chief said every party member is expected to serve the party loyally and sincerely as failure to do so will create unrest within the organisation.

Musa was speaking to reporters after officiating Bagandang Festival in Beaufort yesterday.

In his speech, he commended the effort of organising the event as it can showcase talents of the locals especially youths. According to him, he is delighted with the better reception of the event this year as it registered more participations and visitors.

Read more: New SabahTimes

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Participate aggressively in wellness industry: Musa

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 24, 2012): Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has called on local entrepreneurs to participate aggressively in the wellness industry in the state.

In making the call, he said this was because advances in the wellness industry, both modern and traditional, were in line with Sabah's focus on promoting health-based tourism as envisaged through several initiatives including the Economic Transformation Plan (GTP).

"I wish to see higher participation of local entrepreneurs in health-based tourism, and I encourage you to form joint ventures with those in the know in order to create opportunities that not only benefit the state but also help create quality jobs for Malaysians in Sabah," he said.

Musa said this when launching the Wellness Journey Conference and Exhibition organised by the Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professional at the Sabah Trade Centre, Likas, near here today.

He said in a fast paced and competitive world, "wellness is a topic that is constantly on the radar and an issue that we hear more of".

"Wellness is a wide topic, and one that can be viewed from different perspectives and thoughts. When we talk about wellness, we need to understand how this term covers not only our physical health but our mental and emotional health.

Read more : m.thesundaily.my/node/126855

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Musa: Sackings, suspension show Umno’s seriousness

BEAUFORT: The recent sackings and suspension of errant Umno members shows the party’s seriousness in combating indiscipline in the party, said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

“We must always take heed of the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Umno president to party members to be disciplined, sincere and loyal.

“Members who are insincere and resort to sabotaging the party will be expelled,” he said when asked to comment on the disciplinary action taken on three party members in Umno’s Semporna division.

Two of them were expelled and another handed a three-year suspension for sabotaging the party.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/25/musa-sackings-suspension-show-umnos-seriousness/

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CM plays key role for Sabah RCI – Pairin

PENAMPANG: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan touched on 20 issues in his policy speech at the party’s annual delegates congress here yesterday.
The Deputy Chief Minister spoke at length about the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah, its responsibilities, the panel appointed and the Terms of Reference (ToR) that had been agreed on.
According to him, the opposition had accused PBS of keeping mum about the illegal immigrant issue in Sabah but they did so because they had forgotten that the setting up of the Commission was through the hard work and determination of PBS in addressing the matter.
“There is also no denying the important role Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had played and his support for the Commission. He (Musa) had allowed roundtable discussions on the issue of foreign workers between relevant agencies and stakeholders. It is through these brainstorming sessions that many approaches, strategies and solutions were formulated and referred to both the state as well as the federal governments,” he said.
Pairin also advised the public not to be easily swayed by opposition’s allegations against Barisan Nasional (BN) but instead evaluate what the ruling government had done for them with an open heart.
“We understand that the BN government is not perfect but no one can deny that BN has maintained the religious and racial harmony, provide peace and stability to the country since Independence.
“Compared to BN, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is only capable of acting because in reality, they are not capable to bring peace, stability, harmony and prosperity to Malaysia,” he said and was of the opinion that opposition parties had come together based on politics of convenience as they hate BN, and their leaders have dreams to be the prime minister of Malaysia.
Pairin said the only thing binding them together was their political ideologies, and while they might agree on the name ‘Pakatan’, they differ in all other areas such as registering the coalition, what symbol and flag to use; they have no shadow cabinet and no future prime minister or chief minister.
He added that the public must also be wary of a local opposition party that only cropped up during election time.
He disclosed that this party had borrowed the name of a party from Sarawak and claimed that it was using sensitive racial issues to garner support from the people.
On the power sharing issue among BN component parties, Pairin expressed hope that the matter could be discussed in a workshop so that a solution could be found for all issues raised by Coalition members in the past.
“I urge that the issue be given full attention and discussed openly so that it reflects the BN consensus and the 1Malaysia concept. We can reach a consensus if we can sit together with mutual respect and determine our future in the context of BN’s agenda.
“I propose that the power sharing concept includes political appointments in the state administration, statutory bodies or GLCs as well as government departments at district level. The government should be guided by the power sharing concept under the BN work frame,” the Infrastructure Development Minister stressed.
According to Pairin, in the past few years, there had been numerous accusations made against PBS by individuals or groups who did not understand the party’s politics and struggles all this while.
“They are questioning if PBS is still relevant for Sabah, and although the party is disappointed with the talks, there is no way to avoid the accusations,” he lamented.
“I would like to stress today that what PBS is fighting for since the day it was formed is still relevant. I see that there are some Sabahans who are still set in their old ways because to them PBS is still outside the government and they want our political style to remain as it was when we were in the opposition.
“However, our struggle in defending the welfare of the rakyat in Sabah is not solely dependent on our political style. PBS had chosen the opposition path but we realized that the rakyat’s welfare is more important,” he stressed.
Pairin pointed out that it is important for the BN government to be given the mandate in the coming election so that it can continue with its transformation programs effectively.
He wants PBS to work hard to ensure that BN is victorious and warned its members of expulsion from the party if they are found to have sabotaged the Coalition.

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Nothing wrong for agencies to be under one roof: Musa

Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman on Wednesday defended the move to have state-owned company Sawit Kinabalu operate at the State Administration Complex which is under construction in Likas.
He said there is nothing wrong for government agencies and state-owned companies to operate under one roof, as this would make it easier for the public and government officers who need to deal with one another.
It would cost a huge amount of money if all the government agencies and state-owned companies were to build their own administration building, said Musa who is also Sawit Kinabalu Group Chairman at its annual dinner at the Magellan Sutera, here.
Musa, who is also State Finance Minister, was responding to queries by certain quarters who asked why Sawit Kinabalu is given a place to operate at the said administration complex.
Sawit Kinabalu is also contributing RM100 million for the construction of new State Administration Complex, which will place all divisions under the Chief Minister's Department (CMD) and Finance Ministry under one roof.
This was based on a plan since the 1980s.
In explaining the administration complex before this, Musa had said that it was not economical for state agencies and state-owned companies like Sawit Kinabalu and Warisan Harta (Sabah) Sdn Bhd to have their own buildings.
If they are in the same building, he said, they can share the facilities provided, besides it will also be convenient for the public if the CMD, Finance Ministry and other agencies operate under one roof.
Apart from Sawit Kinabalu, Warisan Harta Sabah is also contributing RM50 million to the 30-month long project. Several statutory bodies and state agencies have also come up with RM100 million in the form of dividends to the State Government.
Musa, meanwhile, was pleased with Sawit Kinabalu's achievement of nearly RM300 million in profit last year, which was its highest to date, and hoped it will continue to achieve more success and contribute more to the State.
Sawit Kinabalu Group Managing Director Haji Othman Walat, in his welcoming speech, said the impressive achievement last year will become an inspiration and confidence booster for the company to continue striving hard and not be complacent with past successes.
He also gave an update on the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) in Sandakan, one of the company's projects, saying the site and basic infrastructure constructions for Phase One development is now almost complete.
To be equipped with modern facilities and logistics support, the POIC Sandakan phase one development will be launched and promoted as a target for those investing in oil palm downstream and relevant activities.
"Sawit Kinabalu is also ever ready to face with optimism the challenges brought about by the present decline in oil palm commodity price and that is expected to emerge in future through suitable planning and strategiesÉ we are optimistic to be able to prevent any potential crisis," he said, adding the company is constantly doing improvement on its systems and relevant processes.

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Industrial Development : Solar panel manufacturing at KKIP in Sabah

The delegation went to the Sohar Industrial Port and industrial complex located in the Sultanate of Oman to see what the Port of Rotterdam had succeeded to do for the Sohar Industrial Port in a joint-venture between POR and the Omani government that began in 2002. The delegation later went to the Port of Rotterdam, which led to the signing of a Framework of Agreement on a joint -venture between Port of Rotterdam and POIC on 20th October 2009 in Rotterdam. Known as the POR-POIC framework the agreement is aimed at replicating the Sohar model in Lahad Datu to hasten the palm oil-based industrial development within the Lahad Datu palm oil industrial cluster. Under the agreement the Port of Rotterdam (POR) will design, develop and manage the POIC port at Lahad Datu. It will also use its extensive network influence (about 200 countries have business establishments in Rotterdam) to bring in investors to Lahad Datu. The framework agreement is the culmination of more than one year of intensive study and negotiations between POR and POIC. In January 2010 the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman held a discussion with Lee Holt Judd, chairman of SunBear Solar Sdn. Bhd. on the proposed manufacturing of float glass for solar panels at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park. Also present at the discussion were the Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Raymond Tan, KKIP Sdn. Bhd. Chairman Datuk Basalie Abd. Hamid, KKIP Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ir. Chong Hon Len and MIDA KL Non-Resource Division Senior Director, Azman Mahmud.

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Industrial Development : POIC-POR link-up

Sohar, Oman - Sohar International Port Complex Officials greeting Datuk Musa on his arrival at the complex for a tour of the facilities in Sohar Oman.

POIC has done particularly well. It has successfully attracted investments worth RM1.8 billion from 24 local and foreign investors in the field of bio-diesel, processing of oil palm, fertilizers, energy and logistics. As there is much room for further expansion, the Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman led a trade and investment mission to the Port of Sohar in Oman and Port of Rotterdam (POR) in Holland in October 2009 to promote Sabah’s palm oil and other palm oil related products. The delegation went to the Sohar Industrial Port and industrial complex located in the Sultanate of Oman to see what the Port of Rotterdam had succeeded to do for the Sohar Industrial Port in a joint-venture between POR and the Omani government that began in 2002. The delegation later went to the Port of Rotterdam, which led to the signing of a Framework of Agreement on a joint -venture between Port of Rotterdam and POIC on 20th October 2009 in Rotterdam. Known as the POR-POIC framework the agreement is aimed at replicating the Sohar model in Lahad Datu to hasten the palm oil-based industrial development within the Lahad Datu palm oil industrial cluster. Under the agreement the Port of Rotterdam (POR) will design, develop and manage the POIC port at Lahad Datu. It will also use its extensive network influence (about 200 countries have business establishments in Rotterdam) to bring in investors to Lahad Datu. The framework agreement is the culmination of more than one year of intensive study and negotiations between POR and POIC.

Rotterdam - 31 October 2009
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman together with other members of Sabah's delegation being briefed by Port of Rotterdam
Senior Project Capt Kess Weststrate. Also in the delegation are Minister of Industrial Development cum Chairman of POIC Sabah Sdn
Bhd, Datuk Raymond Tan, Rural Development Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin, President of Federation of Sabah Manufacturers Datuk
Wong Khen Thau and POIC Sabah Chief Executive Officer, Dr Pang Teck Wai and other businessmen and officials.

Muskat, Oman -29/10/2009
Selling palm oil to the Arabs CM with members of the Sabah delegation meeting with Oman Minister of Commerce and Industry, Maqbool Ali Sultan.

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Insdustrial Development : Manpower training for agriculture

To upgrade the cultivation of food crops and agriculture generally the Government has allocated RM9.3 million under the 9 Malaysia Plan (9 Malaysia Plan) to further improve training quality at the Sabah Agriculture Institute (IPS) in Timbang Menggaris. Of this amount RM5.5m comes from the State Government while the remaining RM3.8m is federal allocation. At the same time, the University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is also setting up the UMS School of Sustainable Agriculture in Sandakan to meet the future manpower needs of Sabah’s agricultural sector. On the marketing and distribution side, the Federal Agriculture Marketing Agency (FAMA) has its FAMA Sabah Marketing Complex at KKIP to step up its effort in marketing locally produced agriculture and agro-based products. The Chief Minister said the setting up of distribution centres in certain districts is also likely to assist in boosting marketing efficiency and to become a supporting factor in promoting value-added activities for agriculture products in the State. As one of the three pillars of the state government’s “Halatuju” agenda for development, the industrial sector is in the forefront of Sabah’s efforts to spur the State’s economic growth. Rich in natural resources, Sabah has in recent years increased the value-added contents of its commodity exports. Value of exported manufactured
goods increased from RM2.6 billion in year 2003 to RM4.3 billion in 2008, with annual average growth of 8.7 per cent. Investment promotion programmes in manufacturing industry involving Small & Medium Industry (SMI) in Sabah includes the Sabah International Exhibition (SIE), Borneo International Trade Fair (BITF) and Buy Sabah- Made Product Expo. In the state government’s 2010 budget a sum of RM136.64 million has been set-aside to support the state’s technology-oriented Industry in Sabah to add value in the existing industries. An additional RM20.0 million has also been allocated for the expansion of POIC in Lahad Datu and a further RM30.0 million and RM4.0 million as equity investment in KKIP and POIC respectively. As the star performer of Sabah’s commodity exports oil palm offers much room for the manufacturing sector.
Currently Sabah has 1.4 million hectares planted with oil palm. In the past few years, the agricultural sector contributed about 29 per cent towards Sabah Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sabah is still the leading producer of palm oil in Malaysia contributing 32 per cent of the nation’s total production of oil palm, and 15 per cent of the world’s total production of oil palm in 2008. Oil palm growers including smallholders earned
enormous profits in 2007 and generated export incomes of RM45.1 billion for the country, 41.8 per cent more than in 2006. The government will continue to contribute RM30.00 million to the palm oil smallholders’ special fund to help the smallholders. To optimize the huge investment potentials of taking our primary commodities up the value-chain, the government has given a great deal of support to the main industry players, especially the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) and Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC).

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