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More Selcat Pakatan marks revelations four years in selangor

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March 9 11, 2012/ issue 64

By Gan Pei Ling

kuala lumPur: A landslip only days after theappellatecourt ruled against residents call for a public hearing on a hillside development at Bukit Gasing is raising fears of another Bukit Antarabangsa. This isnt the first time this has happened after heavy rain, the authorities must explain to us whats going on, concerned resident Agnes Tan told Selangor Times yesterday. Residents campaigning to halt the developmentsuffered a major blow on Tuesday when the Court of Appeal ruled against their demands in a 2-1 majority verdict. It decided that a public hearing was not required under the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982 as the project did not involve a change in land use or an increase in population density. Tan said they discovered the applied to gazette the neighbouring 52.6ha public land as a green lung in landslip early yesterday morning. She said a similar incident December 2010. Residents have long lobbied City occurred at almost the same spot, on the hill overlooking Jalan 1/132 Hall for a public hearing on the lowdensity project as it is located on the ,shortly after Chinese New Year. We dont know whether there are steep slopes of Bukit Gasing. On Sunday, around 100 residents more further in (the construction site), said the homemaker who has had gathered at Jalan 1/132 to urge D B K L to ma ke p u b l i c th e lived there for six years. She added that her neighbours environmental impact assessment across the road, whose homes were (EIA) report on the proposed directly below the project site, were development. Were not against development. even more worried. D e sp i te susta in e d p u b l i c If they can convince us the project is opposition since 2005, developer safe, we wont be against it, said Joint G a s i n g M e r i d i a n S d n Action Group for Bukit Gasing Bhdcommenced earthworks on the committee member and resident of Sanctuary Ridge Kuala Lumpur City Fraser Towers Mohamed Kamar Mohamed. project last August. Another committee member and It had appointed consultant Ikram Engineering Services Sdn Bhd resident of Maxwell Towers, Gary to monitor the construction of 69 Yeoh, had pointed out that Bukit bungalows on the 15ha land, which Gasing has a history of landslides. We dont want to become the is supposed to put in place mitigation next Bukit Antarabangsa, he said last measures to ensure slope stability. Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Sunday, in reference to the landslide Ahmad Fuad Ismail defended City in Ampang which claimed the lives Halls (DBKL) approval of the of five and destroyed 40 bungalows project on Monday, adding the site in 2008. Lembah Pantai member of belonged to the developer and DBKL would have to spend RM135 Parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar, who million if it were to acquire the land was present at the site yesterday and on Sunday, called on DBKL to to gazette as a green lung. He said DBKL had already release the projects EIA as well.

Gasing landslide fears

P3KU president Jessie Yau handing over a token of appreciation to veteran iron-men (from left) Dr Jagjit Singh Sidhu, Yee Sze Mun and Lee Cheewee Hoe. The trio are off to the Sahara to take part in a desert marathon to raise funds for the charity organisation. Story on Pg 4

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Selangor establishes scholarship fund

SHAH ALAM: Selangor has set aside an initial RM10 million to fund scholarship programmes for civil servants, employees at state subsidiary companies and their children. The Selangor State Subsidiary Education Fund is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in line with the state policy to share its revenue with its citizens, said Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. He said the money for the scholarship will be obtained from state subsidiaries including the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), Selangor Agriculture DevelopmentCorporation (PKPS), Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB), KumpulanDarul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB andKumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad (KPS).

Directly negotiated contracts to be revealed

By Alvin Yap

Selangor WeaTHer
Friday Morning Saturday Sunday

SHAH ALAM: All contracts awarded without open tenders between 2006 and 2010 will be made public by Selangor during the upcoming state legislative assembly meeting next month. The documents will be presented and discussed during the meeting to get approval before they can be made public, said Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahimafter the state executive council meeting on Wednesday. He pointed out the documents were classified under the Official Secrets Actand any disclosure had to be carried out in accordance withprocedures. The move follows claims by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that the state had dishedout over RM250 millionin directly negotiated contracts. We emphasise transparency in our administration

and because of that, we will reveal the tender documents so that the people know and can make their own judgement on the decisions we have taken, he said. Khalid pointed out that direct tendering of contracts for procurement and services was still in practice, especially during emergencies. As an example, when there was a landslide, we had to appoint a consultant like IKRAM to investigate the safety level immediately. In such cases, we cant ask for a price quote, he said. He also explained that Selangor had acted with the knowledge of the state financial officer in accordance with guidelines set by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). It does not violate the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commissions procedures becauseit was approved by state exco members and the state financialofficer.

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New child care scheme for deserving families

By Alvin Yap

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SHAH ALAM: Families whose household income is RM1,500 and below will soon be entitled to a child care allowance of RM100 a month, for a maximum of three children, under a new state scheme. The households and kindergartens must be registered with the state, said executive councillor Rodziah Ismail yesterday. Rodziah, who is in charge of Welfare and Womens Affairs, added that onlychildren below five years of age qualify for the relief.

She said this during Selangors InternationalWomens Day celebrations at the state secretariat yesterday. She said Selangors database showed that there were some 23,000single mothers, with 1,000 hardcore poor among them. Rodziah added that this year, the state had allocated some RM3 millionfor the new programme. Also at the celebrations yesterday were Puan SriSalbiah Tunut (wife of Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim), Lim Soo Ee (wife of state executive councillor Ronnie Liu),Rawang state lawmaker Gan Pei Nei,deputy state assembly speaker Haniza Talha and Kota Raja member of ParliamentDr Siti Mariah Mahmud.

SELANGOR TIMES March 9 11, 2012 3

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Senior Iron Men to take on Sahara

By Brenda Chng

SUBANG JAYA: A senior citizen is among three men who will brave 250km of desert in the Marathon Des Sables next month to raise funds for Persatuan Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Kurang Upaya, Subang Jaya (P3KU), a local disabled children welfare association. Although dubbed the Toughest Footrace on Earth, the trio - Yee Sze Mun, 75, Dr Jagjit Singh Sidhu, 58, and homeopathic practitioner and acupuncturist Lee Cheewee Hoe, 57 - are undeterred. They aim to raise RM100,000 to build a premises for P3KU. Yee, who trains twice a day, said he thinks hes physically fit enough for the week-long desert track, but remains concerned about the mental strain and hauling a 10kg bagpack. Im a 15-time Ironman Triathlon finisher, and have endured a lot of physical strain but I think this marathon will be the longest week of my life. Ive endured 17 hours of swimming, cycling and running but Ive never done a marathon on sand before. This will be very different for me, he said. I hope after this, more Malaysians will be aware of the less fortunate people around them and help in anyway they can. Lee, who was the first Malaysian to complete an Iron Man race in 1990 in Hawaii, said he felt inspired to run in aid of the association after first meeting the members. I was so touched by the children and amazed by their parents that we decided to spend a week walking the Sahara desert to raise funds for them, he said. His training regime includes a daily five-hour walk with a 12kg backpack. Their compatriot, Dr Jagjit Singh, is also both a marathon runner and Atacama Desert run finisher. All three will each be paying RM30,000 to take part in the race and stressed during the launch of the fund-raising, at

Subang Parade, that all funds collected will go to P3KU. The association currently operates from a multi-purpose hall in USJ 2, for several hours from Tuesday to Friday, every week. Volunteers and parents who run the weekday activities, like art, baking and music therapy, Its all smiles at the My Selangor Story 2011 prize giving ceremony on March 5 have to share the hall with as Tourism Selangor general manager Noorul Ashikin (fourth from left) poses other residents in the area and with state executive councillor for tourism Elizabeth Wong (fifth from left), My Selangor Story 2011 winner Chen Tian Chad (sixth from left) and My Selangor cannot occupy it for long. They are also finding it an Story 2011 best photo winner Nigel Low (fourth from right). The event was held inconvenience to transport to promote the state as a premier tourist destination. Chen won the grand prize their activity equipment to and of RM5,000 worth of travel vouchers, a camera, flight tickets, and a Blackberry Torch. He also won a one-year contract to manage Tourism Selangors social from the hall. network. Low, We do not have the funds mediacash vouchers,who blogs at nigellow.wordpress.com,won RM1,500 worth of travel a camera, and flight tickets. to set up a permanent centre for the children and so our only option is to use the USJ2 hall for free, said P3KU president A huge thank you should be given to the three angels who Jessie Yau. are willing to go the extra mile just to help these less fortunate She said all equipment needed for the childrens activities is children, said Yeoh. currently paid for by the parents. She wished all participants a safe and pleasant run and hoped The centre now caters to only 27 children, from as young as more people will come forward and follow in their footsteps. eight while the oldest are in secondary school. I hope this event will create more awareness for the public. With the new centre, we can accommodate more children Parents of disabled children should also join P3KU. and extend our operating hours to seven days a week, said Yau. This centre can be a good support group for those who She said students will also be able to come straight to the need it and also train the children to have special skills, she new centre after school instead of only in the evenings. said. To date, the association has managed to collect RM60,000 The Marathon Des Sables from Morocco to Egypt will be from the awareness created by the three runners under the held from April 8-14. Running the Sahara for Special Kids project. Those wishing to contribute can call 019-3637099, 016Also at the launch was Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah 2162188 or email p3ku.sjaya@yahoo.com.my or race4kids@ Yeoh, who is patron for the event. gmail.com.

SELANGOR TIMES March 9 11, 2012 5

RM90.3mil down the drain

SHAH ALAM: Revelations that Federal loans amounting to RM90.3 million were squandered by subsidiaries of Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) raised eyebrows during the public inquiry, on Wednesday. In 2005, the Ministry of Finance dished out RM40.1 million to PKPS Agro Industries Sdn Bhd to sell fresh salad and fruit juices (RM30.1 million) and composted fertiliser (RM10 million). PKPS Agro Industries Sdn Bhd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PKPS. In 2006, the ministry granted another RM50.2 million to PKPS Agro Industries subsidiary Premium Agro Products Sdn Bhd to set up a herbal extract business. PKPS general manager Ali Ahmad made the disclosures while testifying before Selcat. Ali, who joined PKPS in January 2009, said he found out about the mismanaged projects and the RM90.3 million debts around mid2009. Thats quite a huge debt for PKPS. We try to find ways, on a case-by-case basis, to revitalise the businesses. But in my opinion, there was no hope, he said. Premium Sanitised Products Sdn Bhd, wholly owned by PKPS Agro Industries, was established two weeks after the RM30.1 million federal loan was approved in September
By Gan Pei Ling

news
march 9 11, 2012

2005 to sell fresh salad and fruit juices to Dubai. The company used half of its loan to purchase machinery (RM15 million) without open tenders, and the remaining half to open a factory in Seri Kembangan (RM9.8 million) and for operations (RM5.3 million). PKPS Agro Industries former general manager Md Zahary Malek said rising fuel cost ruined the business as the products had to be transported by air to Dubai to maintain freshness. It was no longer viable to send the products to Dubai, so we only marketed them locally, said Md Zahary. The company ceased operations in February 2010 and its RM15 million worth of equipment have been left idle. Md Zahary admitted that PKPS had no expertise in the business when queried by Selcat chairperson Datuk Teng Chang Khim. In the second case, former PKPS subsidiary Premium Agro Products used a RM10 million federal loan to start a business composting fruit and vegetable wastes to fertiliser in 2005. Ali said the venture failed because a local council did not honour its promise to purchase the fertiliser and the product was inferior. We sent a sample to the lab, the quality was lacking, said Ali, adding that PKPS oil palm plantations production improved after

PKPS deputy general manager Aqmal Azam Ahmad, general manager Ali Ahmad and former PKPS Agro Industries general manager Md Zahary Malek.

they stopped using the composted fertiliser. Ali said they sold all of their 85 per cent shares in Premium Agro Products to its joint venture partner Hidangan Milik Keluarga Sdn Bhd eventually. Another former PKPS subsidiary, Premium Bioherbs Sdn Bhd, used a RM50.2 million loan to start a business extracting components using nano-technology from local herbs such as Tongkat Ali. It spent more than half of its loan, RM27 million, to buy machinery through direct negotiations as well.

Its RM50.2 million debt was taken over by Hidangan Milik Keluarga when the private company bought over Premium Bioherbs. Currently, PKPS is still left with RM40.1 million debts. Ali said the current PKPS management was still looking for business partners to revive its fresh salad and fruit juice business under Premium Sanitised Products. Teng told the press after the Selcat hearing that the select committee would prepare a report on this inquiry but it was unlikely to be ready before March.

No show by whistle blowers, accusers

SHAH ALAM: None of the complainants with evidence of graft in Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) attended Mondays public hearing by Selangors Special Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat). Weve invited those who claimed they can proof misconduct in KSSB to testify but none stepped forward, said Selcat chairperson Datuk Teng Chang Khim after the hearing. Among those missing were Selangor Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar and Selangor Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed. Noh had reportedly said on Feb 14 that he was ready to provide the evidence and witnesses of graft at the state sand-mining subsidiary while Mohd Zin was previously invited by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to attend the public inquiry to expose any evidence he had. There was also no show by the nine whistle-blowers who were reportedly sacked for exposing the companys wrong-doing. KSSB chief executive officer Wan Abdul Halim, who was among three witnesses who testifiedduring the hearing, said only four former staff and not nine, were terminated for disciplinary issues. All went through a domestic inquiry (before they were dismissed), said Wan Abdul Halim, who has led the company since July 2010. The four included a security manager who was sacked for revising payment rates to security companies without his employers knowledge along with appointing an unregistered security company. A senior manager was sacked for arbitrarily extending sand-mining land areas for companies. A marketing executive was fired for behaving disrespectfully towards his co-workers while another marketing executive was accused of breaking into twocabins at two separate sand-mining sites. Wan Abdul Halim also testified that KSSB never received any application from Double Dignity Sdn Bhd, a firm linked to PKR state lawmakers, to carry out sand-mining. Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin had made the allegation against Sri Muda assemblyperson Shuhaimi Shafiei and Batu Caves assemblyperson Amirudin Shari in a Feb 9 blog posting at Malaysia Today. Both Shuhaimi and Amirudin appeared before the public inquiry anddenied the allegations under oath. Shuhaimi reiterated at the public inquiry that Double Dignity was never registered with KSSB. Amirudin, who was a director at Double Dignity from 2009 to 2011, testified that he has never had any dealings with KSSB.

Yayasan Selangor slammed over lavish events

SHAH ALAM: Yayasan Selangor was taken to taskfor spending RM1.41 million to organise lavish events in 2010 by Selcat onTuesday. If a (local) university students fee is around RM7,000 per semester, Yayasan Selangor could have funded over 200 students for a semester with RM1.41 million, said Selcat chairperson Datuk Teng Chang Khim on the second day of public hearings. The state education foundation had spent RM899,020 to celebrate its 40th anniversary on Nov 15, 2010, including a gala dinner, fishing competition and purchase of extravagant attire for its staff. Another half a million was used to organise three banquets in 2010 - RM167,400 for Buka Puasa on Aug 21, RM303,476 for Aidil Fitri on Oct 4, and RM44,452 for Korban Perdana on Nov 18.
Date Nov 15 40th anniversary celebration Gala dinner (cancelled) RM270,750 Fishing competition RM179,000 Souvenirs RM52,900 Other expenses RM396,370 RM 899,020

Nov 18 Korban Perdana banquet *Accounts statement not prepared yet at time of audit Oct 4 Aidil Fitri banquet Budgeted RM281,000 Extra cost billed RM22,476

44,452

303,476

Aug 21 Buka Puasa banquet (2,300 people) Budgeted RM138,000 Extra cost billed RM29,400 TOTAL

167,400

1,414,348

In addition, the event management companies were appointed without open tender. Yayasan Selangors internal audit committee members told Selcat that for any expenditure over RM50,000, an open tender should have been called according to protocol. The foundations general manager, Ilham Marzuki, said the management did conduct limited tenders by calling for quotations from three selected companies. However, Ilham said he was unable to provide the limited tender documents to Selcat as they have been surrendered to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Yayasan Selangor was also found to have paid at least 95 percent of the fees to the event management companies even before the events were held. For example, the education charity paid an event management company RM270,750 (95 percent) to organise its 40th anniversary gala dinner on Nov 15, 2010. However, the dinner was cancelled after the Selangor Sultan refused to attend and Yayasan Selangor has yet to receive any refund from the event management company. Selcat member Sulaiman Abdul Razak (UmnoPermatang) noted that companies would usually pay only 30 percent of the fees to event management companies prior to the occasion. Despite that, Ilham repeatedly assured the Selcat panel that Yayasan Selangor had take immediate steps to stop malpractices in its financial management. There were weaknesses in our financial management but were making sure these mistakes will never happen again, said Ilham.

Yayasan Selangor GM alleges RM500m lost under BN

SHAH ALAM: Yayasan Selangor general manager Ilham Marzuki estimated that the education foundation lost RM500 million from 1991 to 2008, a public inquiry heard on Tuesday. Yayasan Selangor used to enter into joint ventures with private companies [before 2008] but only received 30 percent of the revenue. The return in investment [due to such practice] is less than what were achieving right now, Ilham told the Special Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat). He said Yayasan Selangor currently owns RM300 million worth of fixed assets and the amount would have been RM800 million if it werent for the leakages. He added that he would propose to Yayasan Selangors board of directors to appoint an independent auditor such as Ernst & Young or KPMG to conduct forensic audit to on the matter. Then well know the truth. Even if my estimation was less by 50 percent, Yayasan Selangor still lost RM250 million [during that period], said Ilham, who joined Yayasan Selangor in 2010.

2 March 9 11,2012 SELANGOR TIMES

People come first

W
hat are the underlining principles of your administration and how has that translated into performance? I think we have moved to find solutions as opposed to just developing policy. In managing Selangor, I find, we must also have a hands-on (approach), as opposed to (just being ) a policy-making body. We are also changing the culture of work, in the sense that, we want even our senior officials to know how to solve the problem. In short, we want to create more doers than policy makers. Looking at the trend since 2008, I think we are quite pleased with the performance. Of course, like some of you say, while our basic fundamental performance is good, we are not very good promoters of ourselves. We dont oversell Selangor. There are times where we spend about RM700 million for the Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangr (MES) programme, but it looks like we spent only RM100 million. So we got to learn how to be better (at promotion) than that. But in terms of contribution, I think we contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Malaysia. In terms of growth in 2010, while the Malaysian economy grew by 7.2 per cent, we grew 10.8 per cent. And our contribution to the national economy has consistently been around 21 to 23 per cent in the previous years. That shows that one-fifth of the nations economy is in Selangor. Also, the reserve of the state since 2005 grew from RM813.61 million to RM1.944 billion last year. How has the states financialstrengthover recent years contributed to the peoples welfare? We already spent over RM592 million on our MES programme. The figure also includes the Selangorku grant. The major difference between before 2008 and after is that our programmes are targeted at benefiting people directly. Ourfree water programme, the Selangor Child Heritage Fund (Tawas), the Senior Citizens Scheme to defray funeral costs are all first-time programmes that benefit those entitled to it. The state had also annually allocated RM6 million to both state Chinese and Tamil schools along with RM4 million to religious schools since 2008. UnderSelangorku, this year , we plan to contribute more. If people are talking about consistency in distributing funds, we have been very consistent. We also have a lot of other policies like Jom Shopping, which started after 2008. In addition, we are launching another 17 new programmes to support the concept of minimum wage, to eradicate bribery, empower women, workers welfare, youth entrepreneurship, along with additional funds for education support and infrastructure. This includes providing affordable housing as many cannot buy homes We are now trying to come up with a better programme to ensure those below 40 will have a chance to start owning houses. How do we support them? When we launched affordable homes in Bangi, we had only 300 units. Today we have over 5,000 applications. That means there is demand but we must find ways on how to meet it. Are the states finances and reserves affected by these programmes ? When you say you distribute RM600 million, the first question in your mind: the savings of the state will go down. But in spite of our distribution of over RM600 million, Selangors reserves increased from RM800 million to RM1.9 billion. So we win both ways we got more savings, we got more distribution. What are some of the promises that were made during the elections but have not been fulfilled yet? There are three major areas. One is the reduction of assessment rates. We looked at it. We are now trying to stretch the payments but we cannot afford to reduce the rates. Second, we also wanted to provide support to help children from poor families go to kindergartens. We are trying to work out the numbers and will start introducing some schemes. Third, we indicated, we didnt promise, to recognise the role of homemakers. That means allowances for housewives. But we saw the numbers were quite big. So I think these are the things we have to work on. But as for the rest, we have given a lot more than promised during the election. We also planned to have (limited) local council elections (in PJ) since last September. We stopped it because there were rumours that we were going to have the general election (GE) in December. So why should we have local elections and also GE at the same time.

To mark the fourth anniversary of Pakatan Rakyats rule in Selangor, BASIL FOO met up with Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to find out about his administrations successes, its aspirations and plans for the future.

But December didnt happen. Then it was going to be in February, after Chap Goh Meh. Then after the oranges were finished, Chap Goh Meh was over, it didnt happen either. We are caught to the extent that there were some who argued that we should defer the appointment of councillors. Now we have appointed councillors for the next two years. There are groups who argued we shouldnt do it. Just extend the councillors until GE. But my answer is we wont know when that will happen because the GE is not determined by us. If you can tell me that the GE will be in September or November, then I can assure you, before June, we will have local council elections for Petaling Jaya. What is the state doing to address the shortage of schools in Selangor? We are sorting it out. We are trying to give schools to the people but the powers of the state are only with regards to the land, not anything else. But we hope the Federal government, upon getting our allocations of land, will give grants to set up the schools. There are reports in the papers saying the Federal government is not quite happy with the state for allocating land to Chinese schools but we will do it. Our policy is the choice of education will be left to the parents. We let the people make their choice. These are the minutes of the state executive council meeting. We have to date approved 84 pieces of land for Chinese, sekolah kebangsaan, and religious schools. Thats 84 in four years, compared with less than 20 in 50 years thats the picture.

Turn to Page 4

SELANGOR TIMES March 9 11, 2012 3

4 March 9 11,2012 SELANGOR TIMES

From Page 2
Will Selangor follow suit if the General Elections are called? Wed like to say that we will act independent of the Federal elections. I did say, in my speech in the last state assembly, because we are launching our RM300 million Selangorku grant, plus spending the budget of RM1.6 billion for 2012, we didnt want to have a very short period of time to embark on the programmes. Basically, we can only consider having elections after at least six months into the year. Some people in Pakatan agree with this and even suggested that it should even be extended to October or November. But I will make a decision only after I see an announcement from Putrajaya. But it is unlikely that the state will follow if they announce it in April. After June then I will consider it. At the same time, we also have to see how we have conducted our programmes. There are advantages and disadvantages in joining the election. Pakatans major thrust this time is winning Putrajaya. That means we should concentrate all our resources. In Selangor, we have the most number of state assemblypersons representing Pakatan. We can use the state lawmakers to go around Malaysia, to campaign for parliamentary seats. If we win Putrajaya, the Selangor state election after that will be quite a simple exercise. If we can increase our majority in Putrajaya, it will be a good motivation for us to work harder to retain Selangor. In both cases, we think that it is a good idea to focus on our objectives winning Putrajaya and retaining Selangor.

Are you going to contest in Parliament and state seats again? I am also a party member. All decisions with regards to this will be in the hands of PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. I dont think any of us can make any statement with regards to participating in the elections. I feel that I should be very disciplined in this regard. That s why th e y d i dnt announce the candidates because the moment they do, everybody will go bonkers and fight each other. In the right time, there will be a proper announcement. We have a vision and I came into politics because of Reformasi. So I have to be very disciplined to attain that objective. I have done it for Selangor, I have introduced transparency, accountability, competency, and I always make great effort to ensure there is no corruption in the state, and also I separate politics from government. Im trying to do my best. Thats the reason I think I got elected. What is your view of Datuk Hasan Alis removal from his position in the state administration? Hasan Ali leaving the exco stabilised the association between the component parties. Or maybe everybody has the same objective to win the election so everybody has become more focused. We laugh a lot. We have become more of a team. We laugh a lot, talk a lot, and share a lot. We can have differences but we find amicable solutions for what we want to do. Are you confident of retaining Selangor? I think if (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) thinks he can win, he would already have called the election. But nothing happened. That shows their (election analysis) numbers and ours, show that Pakatan may win a bigger number of seats than what we have now. That means we could even reach a two-thirds majority.

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Congratulations
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YEARS

Administration ofSelangor State

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Lot P7, Jalan Indah 14/12 Seksyen 14, 40000 Shah Alam Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603-5513 2000 Fax: +603-5513 6268

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6 March 9 11,2012 SELANGOR TIMES

Rodziah Ismail
(Welfare, Womens Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation): Rodziah hopes the state will reach out to more needy individuals with its Work-fare initiatives. We dont want to give welfare, but want to provide education, training and micro-business opportunities to needy residents in the state, she said. Similarly, under her Womens Affairs portfolio, her office will implement policies to uplift the financial independence of women through education and entrepreneurial programmes. Rodziah also wants to increase free WIFI coverage for public areas in the state.

Ronnie Liu
(Local Government, Research and Development): Liu says he wants to see a return of local council elections in the 12 local governments, beginning with a test initiative at Petaling Jaya City Council by the third quarter of 2012. We want local governments to reflect the need of the people through local council elections, he said. Meanwhile, hes calling for local governments to rise to the challenge of managing public cleaning and solid waste collection and disposal after a 13-year hiatus. All the local governments have to familiarise themselves with the procedures and discharge their duties well, he said.

Excos vision and wishes

Ean Yong Hian Wah
(New Village Development, Illegal Factory Settlement): His office is looking at bringing planned development to new villages in Selangor. The next few years will see us bringing in amenities such as roads and upgraded sewerage to new villages in Selangor, he said. For fishing villages, he wants to address environmental issues that have been plaguing areas along the states long coastal area. We must find a way to handle rubbish that is dumped into the sea by villagers in the fishing areas, he said, adding that the state was kick-starting a pilot project to teach and set up recycling centres in the affected areas

Elizabeth Wong

(Environment, Tourism and Consumer Affairs): Wong wants to make environmental awareness and protection a top priority in the state. We want to put more land under forest gazette to protect our natural resources, she says. Wong also wants more environmental initiatives such as the successful No Plastic Bag Day campaign, such as setting up bicycle lanes in local government areas. Meanwhile, her office will concentrate on promoting lesser known tourist sites in Kuala Langat, Sabak Bernam and Kuala Selangor. Wongs office also wants the state to resolve Orang Asli land issues and finalise the list of gazetted land reserves. She also wants the state to fully implement the Freedom Of Information Enactment.

Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi

(Malay Customs, Youth and Sports): The newly-appointed state executive councillor wants Selangor athletes to compete in a regional and global sports arena to gain exposure and experience competing against world-class sporting figures. Selangor sportspersons should not only limit their participation in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) but compete abroad to gain experience, said the Sijangkang assemblyperson. He also wants Selangor to fund more sporting events for youths at the local council level, adding that he is considering asking the state in 2013-2014 for more allocations to upgrade community sports complexes in the 12 local governments..

Dr Halimah Ali
(Education, Higher Education and Human Capital Development): Dr Halimah wants Selangor to continue with its life-long education concept by inculcating reading habits with residents. The program we want to have will make reading a habit in public as well as in private homes , she said. She added that she wants state sponsored educational centres to instil creativity and critical thinking skills in students. We are looking at syllabus from other developing and developed countries towards that end, she said..

SELANGOR TIMES March 9 11, 2012 7

(Housing, Housing Management and Squatters): He wants the state to build more houses under the Affordable Housing scheme after an initial 300 units were snapped up when launched in 2011. My vision for the state for 2012 and beyond is the same as it was last year. I want middle-income families to be able to own their own houses, said Iskandar. He is pushing for the construction of an additional 1,000 units of the 950 sq ft houses that will sell for RM100,000. Iskandar also wants to increase the number of low-cost flats to be refurbished under the states Skim Ceria initiative.

Iskandar Samad

Teresa Kok

(Investment, Trade and Industry): Kok wants Selangor to attract more high-tech, low polluting industries into the state. The value from such industries is high, and the technology transfer can benefit the human capital of Selangor residents, she says. She adds that Selangor aims to pull in increasingly higher amounts of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) for 2012-

2013. Selangor is home to the largest number of skilled and trained workers, and the state has the best infrastructure system in Malaysia, she said.

Dr Xavier Jayakumar

(Health, Plantation Workers, Poverty and Caring Government): He wants the government to set aside RM5 million to provide free meals for children who would otherwise go to school on an empty stomach. We want students from poor families to get at least two square meals, that is nutritious for their mental and physical growth, he said. As education is the key to eradicating poverty, he wants the state to increase its spending to provide educational opportunities to needy families. He also wants the state and federal government to upgrade district hospitals.

(Agriculture Modernisation, Natural Resources and Entrepreneurial Development): Yaakob hopes to see an increase in the livelihood of farmers in Selangor. I want to make sure that the income of farmers is increased substantially within these two years, he said, adding that he wants the state to adopt natural farming methods that boost production and are also free from harmful chemicals. Yaakob wants to make Selangor the number one producer of dairy milk as well as become a large-scale fruit growing centre.

Dr Yaakob Sapari

Congratulations
To
To From President, Councillors, Management & Staff

Pakatan Rakyat
on its

YEARS

Administration ofSelangor State

MAJLIS DAERAH KUALA LANGAT

From:

8 march 9 11,2012 SELANGOR TIMES

Four years of PR in Selangor

n the private sector, change management refers to a structured approach to the shifting and transitioning of organisations from a current state to a desired future state. In a rapidly changing environment, it is crucial for companies to react quickly and ensure all players within are single-mindedly focused on achieving a common goal. This concept can be similarly applied to the running of a government. And even more importantly so when it is a new government whose change needs to be wisely managed. Four years ago, Selangor voters chose to end the reign of the only political coalition they had ever known, thereby electing a new government in its place. The Pakatan Rakyat coalition (Pakatan), as it was later named, was made up of its three component parties: the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Se-Islam Malaysia (PAS). Three parties with seemingly disparate views to begin with would now work handin-hand in making their new state government work. (Other state governments that were won by Pakatan Rakyat include Penang, Kelantan and Kedah. Perak was wrested away by the Barisan Nasional coalition (Barisan) some time after). Despite initial challenges, namely learning to work closely with the civil service which had only worked with Barisan, having to face constant political arrows shot from the other side, as well as working out internal differ-

Just selangor
Tricia Yeoh

ences within and amongst the parties, Pakatan has fared well in Selangor. Before we explore the many areas that Selangor has initiated policy and programmatic reform, it is an important reminder that the state of Selangor was and is the most hotly contested state in the country. This is because it is rich in natural and human resources, contributing almost 20 per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP). Hence, a greater, and more intense battle is bound to have taken place. Second, the makeup of the Selangor population is the most representative of that of Malaysia. In terms of ethnic, religious and cultural proportions, Selangor mirrors national statistics. Likewise, its problems and challenges are reflected therein. In fact, national and state issues are sometimes blended together, with locals confusing one with the other. At the forefront of Selangors approach to managing its new government was to develop an environment of greater democracy, a principle embraced by all component parties, and a clarion call during the election campaign trail.
Developing Democracy

Pemangkin GenerPendidikaniSelangor asi Ber lmu Tahun Merakyatkan

Having had a previous government that was always shrouded in secrecy, measures of transparency and accountability were priorities. The legislative assembly formed a Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency which conducted several high-level proceedings to investigate alleged corrupt practices of the previous government. One of the more memorable was the uncovering of how Balkis (Wives of Selangor Elected Representatives Association) misused funds it received from the state government. In line with the transparency approach, the Selangor state government was the first in the country (either at the state or federal level) to enact a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Although this would apply only to state government-linked companies and its subsidiaries, and state bodies, this is a revolutionary move. It certainly sets an example that other states can follow, and more importantly, that the federal government should emulate. For so long the nation has faced the Official Secrets Act, and changing the culture to ensure greater data transparency will ultimately help citizens claim their rights. The Selangor exco has also steadily released information on past deals that were shady, releasing previously classified documents with the intention of ensuring the public was getting access to unfair deals. Selangor has also been in negotiation with

the federal government to restore local council elections, an effort which unfortunately has hit a dead end following negative response from the Elections Commission. Nevertheless, the state has had constant interaction with the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG, a coalition of non-governmental organisations working on various governance issues in Selangor) in order to work out a roadmap toward a potential pilot local election. Despite this hiccup, the state proceeded to carry out local village elections in three Chinese new villages, and is also the first state to conduct mosque committee elections state-wide. Of course, managing government at state and local levels has not necessarily been smooth-sailing given that federal government powers are so strong. The countrys centralisation of power has been one of the banes of any opposition state government. Almost all major policies are decided in Putrajaya, leaving states to handle natural resources, roads, drains, local councils, Islam and a smattering of other affairs. Even something as localised as water services is a shared duty (in the concurrent list of the Federal Constitution), which accounts for the long-drawn water battles still gone unresolved today.
Turn to Page 11

Happy 4th Anniversary Happy 4th Anniversary Selangor State Government Selangor State Government under Pakatan Rakyat under Pakatan Rakyat

Menara Yayasan Selangor, No 18A, Jalan Persiaran Barat, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

SELANGOR TIMES March 9 11, 2012 9

10 March 9 11,2012 SELANGOR TIMES

Congratulations
To
To From Pakatan Rakyat The Management & Staff of

on its

YEARS

Selangor State Investment Centre

No. F1-2-G, Jalan Multimedia 7/AG CityPark i-City Shah Alam 40000 Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel : 03- 5510 2005 Fax : 5519 6403 e-mail: info@ssic.com.my website: www.ssic.com.my

SSIC BERHAD

Administration ofSelangor State

From:

SELANGOR TIMES march 9 11,2012 11

State confidently marches forward

From Page 8 Servicing the Public

As mentioned above, the water saga in Selangor was quite a tell-tale story of previous government errors, where either the past government was unable to work out a fair deal for itself and therefore, its people or it intentionally did so. In either case, the water services industry was left in shambles, needing severe cleaning up by the new Pakatan government. Long story short, the private concession company Syabas was (and is) in debt, but has not been willing to sell its company because it considers the Selangor offer too low. The Selangor government, in wanting to reverse this process of privatisation by returning the rights of water back to a state-run entity, is trying to stop cronies from profiteering at the taxpayers expense. Privatisation can succeed but not the way it was done in the Selangor water industry, where certain concessions were granted without the necessary expertise nor experience required to run the business concerned. Running a state involves all kinds of local issues, where at times the mundane tasks of daily administration may not be exciting but this is where the proof is in the pudding. How well states run their solid waste management, housing, sanitation and environment speaks volumes for their governments. Here, Selangor has made tremendous efforts in resolving housing projects previously abandoned by former developers facing financial difficulty. Managing a multi-religious society is no easy task. Although numerous issues cropped up over the past four years (recall incidents of the Hindu temple relocation, church burning, sale of alcohol), at times testing the state governments ability to handle matters, the issues were eventually managed without a break in power ranks. Economic policy is managed by the federal government in almost all respects, governed by the Economic Planning Unit with other major decisions made at the highest of levels. Selangor as a state, however, is a jewel in the nations crown, and it has been said many times that Selangor ought to be supported. Without adequate support or co-operation, it would be as if one is cutting off ones nose to spite the face. Thus, because of the inability to make very many key policy changes, the state governments are at time relegated to disbursing funds where deemed appropriate. In this case, it is an evaluation of the best bang for your buck is your ringgit being invested or given out to those worthy of it? Here, an increased allocation was given to those previously with relatively little: Tamil and Chinese vernacular schools, sekolah agama rakyat, increased allowanced for kafa religious teachers, and CCTV cameras for safety in the streets. The Pakatan governments economic philosophy is not given a particular label but the most appropriate might be a social democratic one, in which business is thoroughly encouraged to promote fair and rigorous competition. However, this does not mean the weaker and lower-income groups are abandoned on the contrary, they are assisted through financial aid and more importantly through training and empowerment programmes like those
Managing the Economy

offered by the state government. Selangors MES: Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangor, or the Peoples Economy (loosely translated), a slew of nine and growing packages to assist the underprivileged communities have creative ideas, one of which involves investing RM100 into a fund for every child born in the state, after 18 years of which he can claim a larger amount. In the conventions jointly attended by the four Pakatan states, the leaders have often made it clear that they intend to work closely together in formulating common policies and programmes.

Managing the largest and most lucrative state may seem a walk in the park. No matter what you do, investors and businessmen will surely set up shop in Selangor. Even the Kuala Lumpur International Airport is deceptively named since it is located within Selangor. On the other hand, those involved would know for sure the tough challenges that lay in their paths of managing the state government. Selangor has had to contend with the federal government and opposition political parties antics and continuous arrows, baggage from the previous government, a civil service where the bulk still reports to Putrajaya, as well as internal conflict that unfortunately is washed as dirty linen in public. Given this context, it is for all intents and purposes a miracle that Pakatan has achieved this amount for its time in government. Of course, complaints are ever aplenty. Some claim business is slower than before, since previously bribes could be paid to speed things along, whereas this seems impossible now. Although a faster and more efficient administration is always preferred, Malaysians have to also choose between transparency and corruption, the former of which may slow things down slightly to ensure due process is given. As Selangor citizens sit back to reflect on the successes and failures of the Pakatan government, perhaps it will be a useful exercise to imagine what things would be like under a Barisan government all over again. Finally, one crucial point to note is that under Pakatan, the process of getting things done has been a lot more people-oriented. Consider for example the many public hearings organised by the state government during controversial and heated cases such as the Subang Ria incident, the temple relocation affair, Bukit Botak, and most recently University Malaya Medical Centres health metropolis in Petaling Jaya. Obtaining feedback from residents in the geographical area concerned is considered imperative to the state government. Where previously one would have had minimal interaction with their councils or state government, today the state government has set a standard practice to follow. It has also compelled Tenaga Nasional and Prasarana to conduct similar public hearings for federal government projects, an example that surely benefits only the community in the short and long run. After four years of governing Selangor, it is clear the state has had both achievements to be proud of and challenges that caused minor bumps along the way. However, it has also accomplished a whole lot, given the heightened political context and circumstances. Tricia Yeohs book States of Reform: Governing Selangor and Penang will be published and launched in May.

Conclusion

12 March 9 11,2012 SELANGOR TIMES

Congratulations
To
To From Pakatan Rakyat President, Councillors, Management & Staff

on its

YEARS

Administration ofSelangor State

MAJLIS PERBANDARAN KAJANG

From:

news

Women want clean governments

KUALA LUMPUR: White gloves were mailed to all state lawmakers in the country by womens groups asking forclean, corruption-free governments on International Womens Day, yesterday . Donned in white gloves and purple attire symbolising female empowerment, around 20 womens rights activists marched from Little Indias elephant fountain to the Brickfields post office yesterday afternoon. The white gloves symbolise our call for a clean government, and purple is the colour of womens empowerment, used since the 1920s when women demanded for the right to vote, saidorganiser Tania Jo Maliamauv. The group chanted Tolak Rasuah!, Hidup Wanita!, Wanita Mau Kerajaan Bersih! and Wanita Mau Gaji Minima! throughout the procession. The 30-minute rally attracted curious glances from pedestrians and caused a slight jam at Jalan Thambipillay as drivers slowed down to watch what was going on. Tania said they posted the letters, consisting white gloves, to 576 assemblypersons to urge them to endorse the six demands of the Wanita Suara Perubahan coalition. Made up of 18 civil society groups, the coalition calls for clean governments, an end to violence against women, RM1,500 minimum wage, and free and fair elections, among others. She added that the coalition would be giving out white gloves to members of Parliament on March 13. Prominent womens rights activists at the march included Empower chief Maria Chin Abdullah, Womens Aid Organisation president Meera Samanther and executive director Ivy Josiah, and All Womens Action Society chief Ho Yock Lin. Sisters in Islam and Tenaganita members as well as Bukit Mertajam member of Parliament Chong Eng were also present. Wanita Suara Perubahan will be holding a bigger rally on March 18, at 2.30pm at Padang Astaka in Petaling Jaya to demand for clean governments. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ wanitasuperMY and www.twitter.com/wanitasuperMY.
By Gan Pei Ling

march 9 11, 2012

Whistles over flowers for commuters

Shelina, Lee, Bariah, and Loke.

By Basil Foo

Women activists posted 576 pairs of white gloves to assemblypersons nationwide calling for corruption-free governments.

PETALING JAYA: Whistles were distributed to women commuters at the Kelana Jaya LRT station in conjunction with International Womens Day by Jenice Lee on Wednesday. The Teratai state lawmaker said whistles were chosen over flowers to enable women to draw attention should they be assaulted. Some 600 whistles were given out to ladies today. This small device is useful to attract attention if they are attacked, said Lee. Shelina Rusli, a 48-year-old clerk from Sunway who received a whistle from Lee, said she had been robbed before. I was walking in SS2 at night when two men pulled me into a dark alley and grabbed the chain around my neck, she said. The only silver lining to have come out of the frightening experience was that her chain was only costume jewellery. Bariah Shariff, a 48-year old housewife, almost became a victim when her car was blocked by unknown assailants in Bandar Sri Damansara but she managed to escape. I will give this whistle to my daughter, said 63-year-old retiree Violet Loke. Also present at the event was Klang councillor Lim Lip Suan. Lee said crime could be better tackled using an auxiliary police force made up of local council enforcement officers. She said the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) made a request for auxiliary police officers in 2009 but was rejected by the Home Ministry. This is unfair as even areas in KLIA and Sunway can have auxiliary policemen.

DAP Klangs Nancy Lee (third from left) handing out flowers to the traders at the Chi Liung night market in Klang on Wednesday in conjunction with International Womens Day celebration. Also present was Klang member of Parliament Charles Santiago who handed out flyers listing five demands for womens rights. Among them are 30 per cent women participation at council, state and federal levels, and to end all domestic and sexual violence. Local councils are also asked to look into awarding small contracts worth between RM2,000-RM5,000 to single mothers.

Rawang state assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei (right) handing a stalk of rose to a trader at the Rawang town morning market on Thursday. Flowers were given out to women at the market in conjunction with International Womens Day. Gan also launched her International Womens Day questionnaire research project, which aims to create political awareness among women.

news
march 9 11, 2012

Taking housing tips Storekeepers from Aussie counterparts RM40,000 catch

VICTORIA: Selangor state officials will be posted in the Victorian Office of Housing to study methods used by the Australian state to tackle housing issues. The move was mooted by Selangor state executive councillor for Housing Iskandar Samad when he visited Melbourne on March 2. Iskandar met with Victorian Housing Ministry chief of staff Anna Cronin who suggested that Selangor officials be posted in her department for a certain period. Cronin suggested for the officials to be exposed to the implementation of the Victorian governments housing agenda which Iskandar (right) meeting Cronin in Melbourne on March 2. adopted people-first policies. Iskandar welcomed Cronins suggestion as it would port. expose Selangor officials to the inner workings of a The public homes there could be compared to the developed country. Peoples Housing Project (PPR) in Selangor which has He was also confident that the experience will con- developments in areas like Lembah Subang and Kota tribute to making Selangor a world-class state. Damansara. He noted that Victoria not only prepared homes for During the visit, Iskandar and Cronin briefed each young adults and the needy but also had programmes other on the housing programmes, policies and agenda like counselling, skills training, and other forms of sup- of their respective states.

First prize winner Mohd Desa (third from left) receiving his bundles of RM40,000 from Khalid (third from right). Also present are Yaakob (second from left), Roslan (second from right) and Ikhsan.

By Gan Pei Ling

Turning trash to cash

By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM:F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd and the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Recycling Campaign are offering schools here a chance to win attractive prizes while doing their bit for the environment. The campaign, in its sixth year, kicked off last Tuesday and will be helduntil June 20. Both primary and secondary schools in Shah Alam are eligible to take part. The school which collects the most recyclable items, in terms of weight, by the end of the campaign will win the grand prize of RM1,500. Those placed second, third, fourth and fifth will win RM1,300, RM1,200, RM1,100 and RM1,000 respectively. The response so far has been good. Our students and their parents were encouraged to take part, said SK TTDI Jaya senior assistant Salomah Abd Ghafar. She attributed her schools achievement, finishing in first place for three consecutive years, to a recycling area they built in 2009. They reached fourth place a year before that and used the prize money to help build the recycling containment area worth RM3,000. This is not just for the money. After the campaign,

we carry on with recycling all year round, said SK Seksyen 9 co-curriculum senior assistant Ong Eng Too. The school receives regular contributions of plastic, paper, and aluminium from its 1,126 students, their parents, and surrounding residents. SK Seksyen 6 English teacher Noor Azwa Zainal Abidin said her students were spurred to participate after an inter-class recycling competition was held last year. A newcategory has been established this year to enable Shah Alams 24 Residents Representative Councils (MPPs) to also take part. The MPP category follows a similar format to the two school categories. We felt it was time to expand the campaign to the adults, said F&N Beverages Marketing managing director Khalid Alvi, who spoke during the launch. He was positive the adults would join in on the recycling action as they have already been watching and helping their children with the campaign for the past five years. Shah Alam deputy mayor Mohtar Hani, who was also present, said efforts like these which are spearheaded by the community are important. Local percussion group Storm Percussion Line Bandperformed during the launch.

PETALING JAYA: A 4.8 kg patin, caught five minutes into the first leg of the Selangor Fishing Grand Prix 2012, left Mohd Desa Zakaria RM40,000 richer last Sunday. The storekeeper from Sungai Buloh was grinning from ear to ear as Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim handed him eight large bundles of RM50 notes on stage metres from where he caught the common fresh water Silver Cat Fish at Tasik Bandaran, Kelana Jaya. This is the first time Ive won the first prize, said the 56-year-old who only started angling four years ago. Mohd Desa said he planned to celebrate his good fortune by taking family and friends out for a good meal while saving the rest of the purse. Meanwhile, Fazilah Baharani, also from Sungai Buloh and sole participant for the newly-established womens category, caught three fishes and brought home RM300. Her husband, Mohd Yuslan Ibrahim, was placed 29th in the contest and took home RM100 and a hamper. The couple said they were looking forward to taking part in the other 11 legs of the grand prix scheduled throughout the year. The grand slam winner at the end of the series will receive a Proton Persona worth RM55,000. The next leg will be held on March 25 at Taman Tasik Chempaka in Bangi. A motor show, karaoke and info hunt competitions were held concurrently with the fishing competition. Also present at the event were executive councillor Yaakob Sapari, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman and Klang Municipal Council acting president Ikhsan Mukri.

No ban on movie theatres

BANGI: Contrary to news reports, Selangor has not imposed a ban on cinemas here, said the developer of the Sentral @ Bangi Central Business District(CBD) project. We have checked with the state and local council, there is no such ban, said Andaman Property Management sales and marketing head Datuk Vincent Tiew. He was responding to objections by a local lawmakers which made headlines last month. He said the cinema along with the bowling alley at the developments four-storey shopping center was to cater to demands from consumers and residents. We feel that this is for the peoples benefit. We will still cooperate and comply with all requirements for the mall, Tiew said. He added that the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) was a major shareholder in the project and that the peoples welfare was top priority. A joint venture between Andaman Group and PKNS,

Tiew says response to the project has been fantastic.

Sentral @ Bangi consists of a first phase of 86 four-storey shop-offices and the shopping mall as its second phase. Sales have been fantastic with 100 per cent of the shop-offices sold. We are still receiving registration for future phases, he said. Those interested are encouraged to apply to be on the waiting list as they stand a chance to own a unit in Sentral if any current buyers fail to get bank loans. Construction of the 86 shop-offices is scheduled to start in the middle of the year and completed in two years. Regarded as Andamans flagship landmark development, Sentral @ Bangi will feature futuristic designs like a full-glass faade. Each shop will also have its own individual private lift. Such a feature is not available anywhere else in Bangi today, Tiew added.

Other attractions include textile giant Jakel which bought several units with the intention of opening the largest textile city south of Kuala Lumpur. The collection of potential tenant data for the mall is still underway, with leasing activity slated to begin soon. Those interested can drop by the Andaman Bangi sales office, which is open daily, at No. 59, Jalan Medan Pusat 2D, Seksyen 9, Bandar Baru Bangi, or call 03-89222288.

SELANGOR TIMES March 9 11, 2012 9

food 10
march 9 11, 2012

New menu of red and white meat

By Brenda Chng

lip into the rustic surroundings of Capricciosa restaurant and get treated to dinner in Italy, where the pastas are made fresh daily and the pizza dough kneaded fresh as orders come in. With light music reverberating against the veneer of Italian brick wall architecture, the dim lighting and cosy seating exudes nothing but warmth to patrons dining there. From families to couples and big groups of friends to office functions, this Ristorante Italiano is ready to cater to all occasions. For those with the heart for pizzas and pastas, this will be the dining stop for you as their menu features a diverse variety of both dishes. If you are a fan of authentic Italian pasta, feel free to slurp up their creamy carbonara, or be more adventurous and go for their squid ink pasta. Tossed in black squid ink, this pasta will definitely leave you with a precious memento of black stained lips accompanied by a dark smile. Howe ver, if pizza and pa sta arent really up your a l l e y, d o nt b e Rice alarmed and dismiss Croquette, thoughts of dining Sicilian style. there, as youd be missing out on the chef s steak, chicken and seafood specials. For five weeks only, Capricciosa will be introducing their new menu of Grilled Spring Chicken, Fettuccine Bouillabaisse and Rib-eye steak. Our chef s steak, chicken and seafood specials provide our guests with more choices. While they can still enjoy our fresh pastas made al-dente, pizzas and our signature dishes, our promotional specials will be able to cater for different palates, said Capricciosas marketing director Ryan Poh. Three dishes cooked for the first time ever in their kitchen, marinated with authentic Italian herbs and dishing out only the best cuts of meat, sold at an affordable price. Red meat lovers can order a serving of the 200 gram Rib-eye cut, and choose the right temperature for your steak. Be it rare, medium rare or well-done, the chef will ensure the meat is grilled to perfection and served with a side of greens. As a finishing touch, a layer of black pepper sauce will be poured onto the meat to add extra flavour to the juices from the steak. With the rib being the tastiest of all cuts, the marbled and flavourful steak promises patronstender and succulent mouthfuls of meat. Next, get your fingers ready to tear into the whole chicken served and taste the aromatic spring flavour of olive oil, rosemary and garlic. Served as a whole, you are advised to share it out among two to three people, as it might be too much for one person. Topped with tiny slices of browned garlic and Italian herbs sprinkled all over the chicken, its recommended to eat both the skin and meat together to fully taste the juices trapped under the skin. Spring chicken, which normally is young chicken aged between two to 10 months and weighing below 450 grams,

New promotion dishes available until March 25.

Frittelle, vanilla ice cream with honey cinnamon glaze pastry puffs.

has a more tender meat compared to fully grown chicken. Tasting it for the first time, we were amazed by how tender and juicy the white meat tasted, nothing close to the normal farm chickens we get at other restaurants.The dish also comes with a serving of grilled potatoes and mixed vegetables. With it grilled with olive oil, this dish makes for a light and healthy protein packed meal,which will definitely leave you coming back for more. Alongside those two distinct meat dishes, seafood lovers can now revel as the chef introduces his famous Fettuccine Bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse, which is a recipe of rich spicy stew made up of various fish originating from France, resembles a slightly watery tomato soup. Stewed under a slow fire for three hours every morning, this dish is cooked with clams and mixed with their homemade tomato sauce. Once stewed to a perfect richness and thickness, the sauce is drizzled onto the homemade fettuccine pasta, tossed and topped with prawns, calamari and clams. For seafood enthusiasts, this dish is a definite must-try not

only for the shellfish, but for the fresh pasta and tasty ruby red sauce. The three promotional specials are only available until March 25, and priced between RM30.90 to RM43.90. Visit their outlets at Sunway Pyramid, Pavilion KL and Subang Parade from 11am-10pm daily.

The Biggest Little Thing In Town!

By Dominic Luk

culture 11
march 9 11, 2012

or the past few years, playwrights, actors, singers, dancers, directors, and performers have gathered once a year to be part of a festival that takes place in several countries around the world. This annual event, called Short+Sweet, is the biggest festival of 10-minute plays, musicals, and dances you can possibly find. It was first produced in Sydney, Australia, in 2002 but it has become a significant part of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre calendar. Through this festival, aspiring talents get to showcase their work and creativity, and the best part is they get to collaborate with professionals. To add some excitement, this festival is also a competition among the groups that take part. Teams will get judged by invited judges as well as the audience who get to pick the winner for the Audience Choice Award. Basically, anyone can be part of this fun-filled experience. Short+Sweet constantly encourages people to come up with fresh ideas for 10-minute performances. In Malaysia, the Short+Sweet festival is divided into three main categories: Theatre, Dance, Musical. If youre a writer, you could write a script for a short play and submit it to be reviewed. And its usually an overwhelmingly positive experience to work with other actors and direc-

tors and put up a short performance and compete with other groups. Like the previous years, KLPAC will hold a workshop for those who are curious and interested in Short+Sweet next month. During the workshop, sessions will be conducted by experienced playwrights, directors, composers, choreographers and performers who will shed a lot of light on what it takes to be involved in the performing arts, and specifically to be part of Short+Sweet. Its also a great way to meet others who share the same interests and passion as you when it comes to creativity. The workshop will be kick off in Penang from April 6-8 before a second one is held in Kuala Lumpur from April 13-15. The sessions on theatre will be conducted by Alex Broun (award-winning playwright). Those interested in the dance workshop will get to meet Aida Redza (leading Malaysian dancer and choreographer), while Llewllyn Marsh and Onn San (experienced music composers and arrangers) will be conducting the workshops for musical theatre. If youre curious, interested, and itching to be part of the Short+Sweet festival this year, check out www.shortandsweetmalaysia.blogspot.com to see what has been happening over the years (lots of pictures and information there!). You can also check out www.klpac.org for more information, or e-mail Kelvin Tan at tankv1994@hotmail.my.

CIH to invest RM300 million to increase production

SUBANG JAYA: Heavy machine and engineering equipment manufacturer CIH(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is spending RM300 million for its local expansion plans. CIH is committed to invest RM100 million and RM200 million this year and next two years respectively for new premises and infrastructure to be set up locally, said marketing director Siew Weng Hoe. The investments include land acquisition and construction of factories in Dengkil and Sepang. CIH is the sole distributor of machines and equipment from Guangxi LiuGong Machinery in China. Siew said construction of the factories, including research and development centres, would start later this year. He said growth in the mining and agricultural sector was driving demand for heavy machines and engineering equipment in the country. More than 300 CIH machines were sold in 2010 and 2011. Were confident of doubling the sales for 2012 and 2013, he said at a press conference at their office in Puchong. The event was to dedicate the reopening of its recently renovated and extended premises. The company also launched a new line-up of heavy machinery from LiuGong. It was opened by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and attended by CIH and LiuGong board members as well. CIH general manager Ian Wei later handed out cash donations amounting to RM30,000 to selected beneficiaries with LiuGong president Zeng Guanan.

Houses being saved from collapse

Repair works being carried out on the affected homes along Jalan Plumbum.

Khalid (brown batik shirt) with CIH board members and state executive councillor for trade and investment Teresa Kok (second right) at the launch of the companys extended premises in Puchong.

SHAH ALAM: Work has started to shore up 40 double-storey houses which were in danger of collapse due to soil settlement at Section 7 here. We will be putting sand onto the affected areas before compressing it, said a spokesperson for the developer PCM Bina Sdn Bhd in a press statement. The repair works began last Wednesday after receiving the go-ahead from a committee headed by Shah Alam mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan. The repairs, which started at four homes along Jalan Plumbum 7/101A, were carried out under the supervision of soil experts. Interlocking pavers will also be placed on the surface of the area. We expect repairs to take five days for each home, added the spokesperson. The developer also commended their joint venture partner, Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), for providing temporary lodging for the affected residents. PKNS will determine if further action needs to be undertaken by the developer based on on-going monitoring. The study will be carried out by a soil investigation contractor appointed by the state subsidiary and the results will be raised during the next weekly coordination meeting. Jalan Plumbum 101-103 residents task force secretary Zain Wahinuddin Idris, 55, said he was satisfied with the repairs so far and hoped the issue would be resolved soon.

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