Abuse victims: Dept admits partly to blame

Published on: Thursday, May 10, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: Poor communication among agencies is making it difficult for abuse victims to find help promptly.

Deputy State Health Director (Medical) Dr. Adlan Suhaimi Ahmad who raised this problem here Wednesday cited the case of a four-year-old who was raped over a period of four months to illustrate his point.

"It took about two days for the matter to finally reach our attention after the victim was sent from one place to another, imagine what the victim had to go through and what is saddening is that even on our side we do not respond soon enough," he said.

Dr. Adlan said this at the launching of a three-day seminar organised by the State Health Department in collaboration with the Women and Children's Hospital titled 'Handling of Violence Cases (One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC)) at the Federal Administrative Complex here.

"When a victim comes to OSCC for help, we are in crisis because we don't speak the same language due to lack of coordination within our facility, what more with other agencies and this is not what we want.

"It is therefore our role to establish communication with our local partners, namely the police, village chief, Welfare Department and non-governmental agencies in our respective area to make sure that the victims are swiftly sent to the main centre where there are specialists," he said.

Read more Refer to the link below:

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=81456

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Sabah Tourist Association also against it

Published on: Thursday, May 10, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Tourist Association (STA) Chairman, Tonny Chew has expressed concern over the recent call for taxi and hired car associations to offer attractive packages and to double up as tour guides made by Federal Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen

The call was also objected to by the Sabah Tourist Association Guide (SGTA) and Malaysia Association of Tours and Travel Agent, Sabah (Matta).

"It's understandable that the move may be beneficial for taxi drivers and can boost their business in the transportation services with added advantages of selling travel packages and being guides for each client that they chauffeur. "Alas, in doing so, it renders the services of existing licensed tour operators and licensed car rental companies null," he said.

"It may become a big disadvantage and comes as significantly unfair to guides who have invested time and money to have their skills recognised and certified, during the learning process. "It is also a disadvantage for travel companies that have invested a lot to build their fleet of licensed guides," he said.

Read more please visit  .http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=81459

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CM: U.S. FIRM MULLS RM1bn SABAH STAKE

10th May, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: A U.S. food company, Dole is keen to invest overRM1 billion in the food and fruits industry in Sabah.Speaking to reporters after opening the Putatan Agriculture Expo here yesterday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said further discussions were ongoing to pick a suitable joint venture partner from among the state agencies.A suitable location is also being identified.“They (Dole) – a big company in the food and fruits industry – have already expressed interest to have this partnership,” he added.He said the American firm was keen to invest in Sabah because the state was peaceful and conducive for investment.Musa also said Sabah could become a major food producing state in the country.Earlier in his speech, he said farmers, livestock breeders, planters as well as fishermen needed tointensify efforts and be adept in using technology for the sake of progress.“This is the hope of the state government so as to debunk the perception that they are backward but are people capable of earning a good income and whose socio-economic status has improved,” he said.He said the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry has implemented programmes to raise the socio-economic status of the people and this was made possible with new discoveries which resulted in higher agriculture yields and income for the farmers.Musa also said the government encouraged farmers to develop their land fully as there are many assistance schemes provided by the ministry.The Chief Minister said during the Ninth Malaysia Plan period, Sabah’s economy grew at a rate of five per cent annually, and that the agriculture sector contributed RM7.24 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010 as compared with RM3.8 billion in 2005.Agirulcure, he said, was a major contributor to the state’s economy.It is a key sector along with tourism and manufacturing under the Halatuju which was launched in 2003.And, this economic development plan (Halatuju) is aimed to increase production of food for domestic and export markets, and subsequently to reduce dependence on imported food and raise self-sufficiency.On the agriculture expo, Musa expressed confidence that it would benefit the target groups and all those involved.“The latest information and research discoveries available during the exhibition are useful for the developemnt of the sector,”he added.The Chief Minister also said cooperation from everyone was the key to making Sabah a major food producer in Malaysia.“It is my hope the expo will also be held in other districts so that the potential of these areas can be exploited,” he said matter-of-factly.Also president were Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin and his two deputies Datuk Bonney Suan and Datuk Musbah Jamli, State Secretary Datuk Sukarti Wakiman, the agriculture ministry’s permanent secretary Datuk Ujang Sulani and state agriculture director Datuk M.C. Ismail Salam.

 http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

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Term Of Reference (TOR)

What is TOR (Term of Reference)?
-TOR is the views and suggestion from all the component parties on the objective of Setting up the RCI.

Who is going to present The TOR and to whom?
-Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan will be going to present the TOR to the BN top leadership.

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RM4.4bn for Sabah under Second Rolling Plan

9th May, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has been allocated RM4.416 billion under the Second Rolling Plan (of the 10th Malaysia Plan) to carry out 724 projects.And as of May 3 this year, a sum of RM692 million or 15.6 per cent of the allocation for 2012 had been spent on development projects.Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman made the disclosure after chairing the State Action Committee meeting here yesterday.Musa said he had reminded every ministry and related departments to ensure all government initiatives were made known to the people, especially projects that would benefit the target groups.“This is to prove that the government cares for the people,” he added.Musa also said members of the committee were also told yesterday that what mattered most was the people’s satisfaction towards the initiatives undertaken by the government in terms of services, wealth creation and effectiveness in resolving problems.“I also stressed on the role of civil servants in state development,” the Chief Minister said urging members of the civil service to ensure the projects listed under the Second Rolling Plan achieved their objectives.Meanwhile, Musa urged Sabahans who had gone to the peninsula to look for jobs to return to Sabah.He said there were currently some 20,000 job available in the State.“Those who have experience working in the hotel and service industry should come back as a lot of hotels and resorts are being built throughout the State,” he said.Also present at the meeting were State Cabinet Ministers.

 http://www.newsabahtimes.com

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Good Morning y'all, haven't post anything since last time. Lots of things going on lately, and it certainly choking me to death.(LOL!) Let me share something ( I think is quite funny) about one " occasion " happened lately in the country.  Check it out!

Rally in the eyes of Mat Sallehs

Azman: Did you read the Economist analyses on the Bersih rally?
Wah: What "Economist"? I know nuts about economy. I only know how to look at the market scoreboard and Magnum draws.
Umar: This is a global magazine that talks about major events around the world. In the latest issue it talked about our Bersih rally.
Wah: Wow! You mean our rally is on international magazine?
Prof U: It's interesting to read how the Mat Sallehs look at Malaysia, although many Malaysians will fume up after reading The Economist report.
Azman: Can you elaborate?
Prof U: Well, the Mat Sallehs look at our country from an outsider's perspectives. So they see things differently from us and they do not need to worry what they say will offend some people.
Umar: Offend whom? You mean KDN will black out the sensitive parts again?
Azman: Like what they did to the July 9 rally last year! This thing has now become an international laughing stock.
Prof U: What I am trying to say is that many foreign media are worried about offending the government on the one hand, and the public on the other. So they have many reservations in their reporting. But The Economist is quite unlike the rest. They fear nobody and go straight to the core of the event.
Wah: Marvellous. But what did it say about the rally?
Azman: It said although there were many people at the rally, the effects were not as impressive as those of last year's rally. The Economist also felt that both BN and Pakatan had something to gain and something to lose. While BN has to answer to the excessive use of force by police, Ambiga has to admit the rally participants were out of control, thus the violent outbreaks.
Umar: The magazine also said Anwar had to explain whether he did incite the participants to cross the barricade.
Wah: That doesn't sound anything special.
Prof U: Indeed, nothing much special, but mainstream media in this country are all leaning towards the government, while online media are on the other side. Both have gone their own ways and overlooked some important objective facts. The Economist's simple analyses have made people see what they fail to see, or are unwilling to see.
Azman: I agree that is a draw. While the rally has protruded dissident voices and consolidated the support base of Pakatan, BN's support base is largely unmoved, particularly in the rural areas and among more conservative voters.
Umar: Pro-government media's focus on rally violence has successfully strengthened BN's support in rural areas.
Prof U: But, as a social campaign, we cannot deny that the Bersih 3.0 rally has indeed reawakened civic consciousness and making more people aware of their civic rights as well as public policies. Unfortunately, it has also underscored the widening ideological gap between people living in urban and rural areas. Part of the Malay society is concerned the anti-government wave would alter the existing power structure and impact their vested interests.
Wah: No wonder Mahathir and three former IGPs have said the rally was meant to topple the existing government.

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Social media the way forward, says Ng

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8, 2012): Social media and bloggers must be given all the space they need to progress as they are agents of change especially in the tourism industry, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said today.
"Soon the days of a structured tourism industry, with its traditional marketing and advertising, will be over.
"The 21st century has been completely transformed by social media, and we need to ensure we use it to bring the tourism industry forward," she said in opening the first International Tourism Bloggers Conference and Awards 2012.
More than 10,000 people voted online for the 342 nominees in 16 categories. Ng said many Malaysians were quickly becoming tech-savvy, with 12 million people connected to the internet, compared with 20,000 in 1995.
"The aim is to have 75% of the population connected and using new media by 2015.
"With democratisation of information and speed of communication today, we need to ensure people are connected and that bloggers are talking about us if we want to continue doing well as a tourist destination."
Last year, the ministry spent US$600,000 (RM1.8 million) on digital marketing and branding for six tourism event campaigns, drawing flak from various quarters, who said the expenses were unnecessarily high.
Ng, however, said the decision to turn to social media had yielded positive results.
"The public need to understand that advertising in social media, such as on Facebook and Google, costs money, and even then Malaysia spent much less on social media advertising than other countries did.
"The Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Facebook page now has nearly 500,000 fans with 90% of them aged below 35 years, indicating its success in branding Malaysia as a tourist destination," she told the press after the opening ceremony.
Malaysia is ranked the ninth most visited country by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, with about 24.7 million visitors last year. The ministry is targeting 36 million visitors yearly by 2020 and receipts as high as US$1 billion (RM3 billion) per week.

P/s: So whatcha think?

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Gaji minimum: Jangan naik harga, peniaga diberi amaran

SEBERANG PERAK - Kerajaan memberi amaran kepada peniaga supaya tidak menaikkan harga barang berikutan pengumuman kadar gaji minimum sektor swasta baru-baru ini.

Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob berkata tindakan tegas akan dikenakan terhadap peniaga yang menaikkan harga barang sewenang-wenangnya.

"Kita ada akta yang kawal kenaikan harga barang tanpa sebab yang munasabah," katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis perasmian pasaraya Coop Mart dan Coop Business Centre (CBC) Koperasi Peserta-Peserta Rancangan Felcra Seberang Perak di sini, hari ini.

Beliau berkata tiada sebab untuk peniaga mengambil kesempatan menaikkan harga barang berikutan pengumuman kerajaan itu.

"Harga barang dari Januari tahun ini hingga sekarang masih stabil. Ini mungkin disebabkan kita masih kawal kenaikan harga minyak," katanya.

Ismail Sabri berkata sebanyak 1,200 pegawai pemantau harga dan 2,000 penguatkuasa kementerian akan memantau kenaikan harga barang dari semasa ke semasa.

"Kita juga ada skuad pengguna dan gerakan pengguna siswa di universiti yang akan membantu memantau harga barang," katanya.

Bulan lepas, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengumumkan kadar gaji minimum kebangsaan bagi sektor swasta ialah RM900 sebulan atau RM4.33 sejam untuk Semenanjung manakala Sabah, Sarawak dan Labuan pula pada paras RM800 atau RM3.85 sejam. - Bernama

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Group forms Dusun association

Published on: Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Keningau: A group of indigenous people here has registered a new association known as Persatuan DusunMinamasok Borneo Selatan Sabah (PDMBSS) in their effort to change the fate of the Dusun community in the State which they claimed as going on a blurry and uncertain track.Its protem president Dimie Guntop, 67, said the association aims to uplift the status of their community so as to make it a dominant community in Sabahand not like today where the community is only meant for the political survival of certain groups.The Dusun community is supposed to be far ahead in all aspects, especially economy and education, he said, adding that the association was formed because of their disappointment and dissatisfaction with several existing associations which represent the community.Guntop, a businessman, said their association wants to become an umbrella for the Dusun people who live sporadically in the southern part of the State. Including the Interior.He said the association would be free from any political influence as it aims to unite all members of the community towards a much better and positive direction, adding that once the association's registration has been approved, it would strive towards making the community stands tall by the year 2020.

Taken From Daily Express Online News.

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Sabah Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day

6th May, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: Buddhists in Sabah were told to observe the true teaching of Buddha – to eliminate greed, anger and ignorance.Venerable Kai Yin, the abbot of the Santavana Forest Hermitage in Tuaran, made the call during a brief dharma talk delivered in conjunction with Wesak Day celebration yesterday. He also urged them to perform the ritual with reverence and a purified mind.Hundreds of Buddhists of all ages from all walks of life attended the dharma talk held at the prayer hall, before proceeding to take part in the Buddha-bathing ritual.Earlier, they also took part in the alms-giving ritual involving its Sangha Committee led by Ven. Kai Yin.In his brief speech, Bhikkhu Jotipala, the superintendent of the Hermitage touched on the history of the Wesak Day celebration, and its significance.The scorching heat yesterday did not deter Buddhists state capital from thronging the various Buddhist temples in the city, to pay homage to Lord Buddha to mark Wesak Day.A series of Buddhism rituals and programmes were organised by these temples to celebrate the birth, enlightenment and passing of Shakyamuni Buddha some 2,450 years ago. The highlight of the celebration was the bathing of the miniature statue of Lord Buddha, a symbolic gesture of inner purification and removal of “greed, hatred and ignorance”.

News Online http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/58460

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Rakan Cop help cut crime by 7.6 per cent in Sabah

7th May, 2012

SANDAKAN: Sabah recorded a 7.6 per cent drop in crime index while street crimes declined by 43.6 per cent since early this year as a result of the people’s cooperation with the police in fighting crimes, according to Bukit Aman Special Task Force Department Director, CP Dato’ Mohamad Fuzi Harun.Nationwide, he said the crime index dropped by 10.8 per cent while street crimes plunged by 44.3 per cent during the period.Mohamad Fuzi said through the ‘Rakan Cop’ programme, the people have helped the police to achieve its target of reducing the crime rate throughout the country.

“This integrated approach will be continued to reduce the crime rate to the minimum level possible, be it at the national or state level,” he said.In Sabah, he said the people had responded very positively to the ‘Rakan Cop’ programme of the Royal Malaysian Police.“We will continue to intensify the programme in our effort to reduce the crime rate in the country including Sabah, Mohamad Fuzi said when met by reporters here Saturday night during a walkabout at the Bandar Kim Fung Night Market in conjunction with the High Profile Policing Programme.“The cooperation of the people is very important especially when we carry out an integrated programme such as this which allows the police to know their grievances or problems that need to be resolved quickly.“Just now, I heard public complaints about certain matters. We promise that the problems will be resolved. Moreover, it is now the objective of the police to provide satisfactory service to the community,” he said.Earlier, Mohamad Fuzi mingled with residents who visited the market.

He also distributed leaflets about the programme and the public’s response was very positive.“Members of the public can now forward their complaints to the police online and the police will provide as much feedback as possible to each complaint received,” he said.‘Rakan Cop’ is a medium to bridge the gap between the police and the community. It is an easy and practical concept to build strong alliances with the public through a clearer, simpler, more integrated and orderly approach.‘Rakan Cop’ is a form of community-oriented policing and a smart partnership approach to encourage the involvement of the public in security matters and in fighting crimes.Also present were Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner, SAC Datuk Tan Kok Liang and Sandakan Deputy Police District Chief, Supt. Fadzil Mohd Ali and senior police officers from the Sandakan Police District Headquarters.

Article taken from http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/58488

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Solar power supply in Semporna by mid-2013

7th May, 2012

SEMPORNA: Work to supply solar electricity to seven islands in Semporna is expected to be ready in the middle of next year, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said yesterday.He said the project, costing RM94 million, when completed, would provide 24-hour electricity supply to residents on the affected islands.“The project will be ready middle of next year. It will benefit not only students, but also schools there, involving at least 10,000 students,” he told reporters after launching Semporna branch Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia 13th anniversary here yesterday.Also present was AIM board chairman, Datuk Amihamzah Ahmad.On AIM programme in Semporna, Shafie said, about 2,900 residents in Semporna had benefited from it, adding that last year alone,RM13,772,500 was allocated by AIM for recipients in Semporna.Meanwhile, Shafie expressed confidence that infrastructure problems in schools on islands off Semporna will be resolved soon.He said he had discussed the matter with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister.“We will solve the problems, whether in terms of basic facilities or transportation facility soon,” he told reporters.He said this in response to problems raised by teachers in the district at a dialogue last night which was also attended by Sabah Education Director Datuk Dr Muhiddin Yusin.There are more than 30 islands off Semporna where 21 out of 49 schools in Semporna are located on the islands.

Articles Taken From New Sabah Times Online News. 

http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/58490

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