PENANG, WED:
Investments in Penang for the first ten months of this year increased to RM9.47 billion from RM4.77 billion in the same period last year. Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, said according to the report by the Malaysia Industrial Development Authority, domestic investments of RM4.9 billion in Penang were the highest in the country.

“Foreign investments increased to RM4.6 billion compared with RM3.1 bilion during the same period last year,” he told a media briefing here today.

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RSN RAYER'S STATE ASSEMBLY SPEECH - PART 1


RSN RAYER'S STATE ASSEMBLY SPEECH - PART 2
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RSN RAYER'S STATE ASSEMBLY SPEECH - PART 3
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THE Penang Government will promote the use of garbage enzyme, a method that could improve the environment.
Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said they would facilitate the non-governmental organisations’ education campaigns to create awareness on its usage.

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PENANG, MON:
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today urged the federal government to tell the United States to stop its blind support of Israel.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said the Israeli fighter jet attacks on Gaza, Palestine killed 200 people while hundreds more were injured.
“On behalf of the DAP, I strongly condemn the Israeli attacks on civilians and urge Israel to stop its savage attacks and find peaceful ways,” he said in a statement here today. Lim said the best way to resolve political problems was through peaceful negotiations and there was no need to have bloodshed towards finding peace in the Middle East.

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PENANG: The Penang state government on Wednesday said it has issued a stop-work order effective Friday to MMC-Gamuda Joint Venture Sdn Bhd following the company’s failure to submit a layout plan for the 63km of track in Penang of its Ipoh-Padang Besar electrified railway double track project.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said that if the company failed to abide by the Dec 26 stop-work order, action could be taken against it under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974. The penalty under the act was a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a five-year jail term or both, and for subsequent offences the fine could be RM500 per day, he said.

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THE flood-prone area in Jalan Tun Dr Awang, Penang, will be “mostly” solved soon with the upgrading of the drainage system costing RM1.12mil, state Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Law Choo Kiang said.

“The project will not fully solve the flood problem but it will solve 70% of it. The area may still be affected by floods during heavy downpours but it will not be as bad.

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REVELLERS are welcome to join the countdown party to usher in the New Year to be held at the Esplanade in Penang from 6pm to 1am on Dec 31.

The event named ‘PG2009 Rock The Fort – The Year End Countdown’ is organised by CreatiVision D.C. Sdn Bhd with Celcom (M) Berhad as main sponsor and supported by the state government.

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PENANG: The state government will issue a stop-work order on two development projects in Tanjung Bungah if the developers do not take prompt steps to ensure the people’s safety, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

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PENANG: The state has set up the Halal Logistics Working Committee with the aim of coordinating and developing logistics initiatives to promote Penang as an international halal hub.

Chairman of the state committee for domestic trade and consumer affairs, Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, said the working committee will also act as the coordinator in the recognition of halal logistics in Penang.

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Penang government has taken a swipe at Gamuda Bhd for alleging the state’s inability to relocate squatters as the major reason for the substantial delay to the RM12.5 billion double-tracking project which should be completed by January 2013.

Its chief minister Lim Guan Eng slammed the construction giant for the lame excuse that the state government was slow to relocate the squatters in the area of which some 63km of the total 329km-track would run through.

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KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP is against the privatisation of the National Heart Institute or Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), which has been speculated to be taken over by Sime Darby Bhd soon, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.

He said the party would not agree to have IJN taken private as government medical centres were built with the public in mind and not meant to be commercialised and have profitability as its priority.

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THE Penang Government wants to help hardcore poor families to be self-reliant rather than depending on handouts from others.

State Health, Welfare and Ca-ring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said it was more practical to help find jobs for those who could work.

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THE Penang Government have been using effective micro-organisms (EM) more commonly known as ‘friendly bacteria’ to overcome foul smells in animal farms since August.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said this was the part of its move to rid the state of the Darul Sampah (rubbish haven) tag.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Municipal Council, fed up with the continuous snub by the aborted Kings of Tennis organiser, will restore the damaged Esplanade field and bill the company later.

Council president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman said the deadline given to the organiser was today and if the company representative does not call the council by 5pm, it would do the job for them.

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GEORGE TOWN: The year-end party mood in Penang has set in with chingay troupe members busy honing their skills in balancing the towering flag poles for the annual performance this Sunday.
Although there will not be any competition following the controversial contest last year, the 10 teams taking part in the event promise to give their best.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang will consider asking developers of hillslope projects to set up a fund to tackle remedial works which arise after their projects are completed.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state will hold discussions with developers to come out with a formula on the setting up of such a fund.

“This fund will be specially set up for the treatment and remedial works of hillslope projects.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang will liaise closely with the Selangor government before implementing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

“Both states intend to implement such an act but there are many things that must be done first.

“I am committed to making information more accessible to the public in accordance with Pakatan Rakyat’s competency, transparency and accountability (CAT) governance,” he told a press conference on Tuesday.

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GEORGE TOWN: Residents living next to a hillside condominium development fear a repeat of the Bukit Antarabangsa disaster after rock-blasting caused damage to their homes. They want the Delima Palace Island Glades project to be stopped immediately, claiming their landed and high-rise property had become structurally unstable.
Delima Palace is a 21-storey, 113-unit condominium project which started last year and is slated for completion in 2012. Among the residents' complaints are cracks on the walls and falling debris.

Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer urged the developer to conduct a geotechnical study to ensure the rock-blasting procedures complied with the requirements of the Geoscience Department.

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THE Penang Government will continue to ask the Federal Government to increase development allocations to the state, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said it was the state government’s opinion that the allocations should be equivalent to the tax paid by the people of Penang.
Lim, who is also Bagan MP, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum informed him in Parliament that the allocations channelled to Penang from 2000 to 2008 amounted to RM8.965bil.

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PENANGITES would be able to enjoy free WiFi access in public areas around Komtar starting next week.
This was part of the state’s effort to make it a WiFi state in two years.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said two companies had offered its packages to make Penang the first WiFi state in the country.

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HIGHER domestic investments are crucial to complement state government initiatives to stimulate a healthy state economic growth, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.

In facing the current economic uncertainties, he said, focus must be given to domestic investments that could propel the local economic cycle, expand local companies’ activities and create more jobs for the people instead of expecting foreign investments which were uncertain.
The higher domestic investments in Penang between January and September were a good indicator towards the government’s efforts to draw up pre-emptive measures to ride out the bleak economic outlook predicted next year, he said.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang will be the first Malaysian state to conduct a full audit of its public transport facilities while it develops a comprehensive blueprint to improve the access and mobility of people with disabilities by 2010.

The initiative to boost the economic and social independence of those with disabilities, will be done through a two-year pilot project by the state’s Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) to study how to create a barrier free public transportation in Penang.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Go­­vern­­­ment has defended its RM17mil water rebate to some 170,000 families.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said: “The water rebates were given to the people to show that the state government is aware of their hardship due to the current economic situation.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will take preventive measures including issuing stop-work orders for hillside developments in the wake of the landslide tragedy that killed at least three people at Bukit Antarabangsa, Selangor, early Saturday morning.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said on Saturday he would personally request Penang Municipal Council president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman view and inspect the hillside areas again, especially those in Batu Ferringhi.

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THE Eco-Stream Walk project at the Penang Botanic Gardens is expected to be completed end of this month after five months of work since July 10.
Penang Tourism Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang said the Walk, which was a Ninth Malaysia Plan project funded by the Tourism Ministry, was for the benefit of the Waterfall River in the Botanic Gardens.

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GEORGE TOWN: The five Pakatan Rakyat states will have regular joint meetings next year to address issues together.
The leaders of Penang, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan and Selangor will come up with a “common plan” to handle challenges and work together more closely, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a press conference Friday.

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GEORGE TOWN: If all goes well, tourists visiting Penang Hill will be able to enjoy the funicular train ride all the way to the upper station starting next Sunday.

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GEORGE TOWN: No matter how flattering it may be, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said action would still be taken against those who put up illegal banners with his face on it.

“It doesn’t mean that if you put my face up, you can break the law,” he said about his instructions to the Penang Municipal Council to bring down an illegal banner put up at Magazine Road to wish him a happy birthday.

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Penang DAP Youth today lodged a police report against Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir for allegedly suggesting that the vernacular school system be abolished and that all schools come a single education system.

Its head Yeoh Soon Hin said the movement was worried that Mukhriz’s statement could be seditious and affect racial harmony in the country.

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PENANG is set to announce the entry of a foreign halal investor this week.

State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim yesterday said the Dubai-based Al-Jawhara Group of Hotels and Apartments is keen to talk to the state authorities about setting up a hotel management academy and hotel school.

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BUTTERWORTH: Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) president Farizan Darus has been told to go on leave pending investigations into the council’s plunging reserves.

The Penang Government also announced the appointment of state financial officer Datuk Supiah Md Yusof as acting council president. Supiah will also head a committee to investigate MPSP’s financial fiasco. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Supiah would be given two weeks to complete investigations and identify any wrongdoings and those responsible for the council’s financial plight.

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GEORGE TOWN: Companies in Penang are not closing down despite the global economic challenges.
The Human Resources Ministry has not received any reports of closures although some companies in the state were downsizing, said its deputy secretary-general (Policies) Mohd Shariff Hussin.

“Companies that want to close down must inform us but we have not heard anything so far. There are companies downsizing but the situation is not worrying,” he said.

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GEORGE TOWN: If all goes well, Penangites will be able to cross the second Penang bridge to a new world-class golf resort in Batu Kawan, modelled after the famed resort town of Santa Monica in California.

Representatives from the bridge contractor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and South Korean company DK Enc Company Ltd expressed the hope for closely-timed launches as both projects are scheduled for completion in 2012.

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Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today asked Penang Gerakan to prove that the RM84 million Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) headquarters in Bandar PERDA was mooted by the then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.


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PETALING JAYA: George Town and Malacca will officially get the Unesco World Heritage Site recognition tonight at 8pm, when the letter of commission is handed over by the world body.
The Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry’s Heritage Department said the handover ceremony at Kuala Lumpur’s Dataran Merdeka will be conducted with pomp and splendour in traditional Malay custom, complete with warriors, horses and elephants.

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BOTH living and architectural heritage are key factors drawing in tourist dollars that will ultimately enhance the state’s economy, said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Speaking at the recent Night of Nostalgia charity gala dinner, Lim said that George Town’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site was not only for the unique cluster of pre-war buildings, but also for the city’s multicultural diversity.

“Both the government and residents of Penang should continue playing their part to preserve these unique cultures. Hopefully, the listing has raised awareness of our distinct cultural heritage and given us a renewed appreciation of George Town’s identity and future potential,” he said.

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COMPANIES with research and development (R&D) and design and development (D&D) will have little difficulty recovering from the pending global recession, said investPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon.
He said sectors that would do well included equipment manufacturing, high-end test machine products, electronics and medical devices.
“In Penang, we have encouraging news, especially from the medical devices sector which is recession-proof,” he said.
Lee said the manufacturing industry would normally “ride it out through good and bad times”.

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GEORGE TOWN: While the status of George Town’s World Heritage Site hangs in limbo, developers, heritage watchdogs and experts here have started questioning the part played by the previous state administration.

Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Penang chapter chairman Datuk Jerry Chan said stakeholders, including landowners, developers and businesses were not consulted on the formation of the heritage guidelines.

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GEORGE TOWN: There is no plan to turn Penang into a free port as the status does not guarantee an improved economy.
State Domestic Trade and Con­sumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim (PKR – Batu Maung) said Penang, with its free industrial zones and licensed manufacturing warehouses status, did not need to be a tax-free port.

“Current practices allow tax exemptions for exported goods and imported raw materials and ma­­chines for manufacturing purposes.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang will continue to implement the 30% quota for bumiputras.
“In housing, the state aims to speed up the quota release process to ease the financial burden of developers,” Deputy Chief Minister I Mo­hammad Fairus Khairuddin (PKR – Penanti) said in a written reply to Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah (BN – Seberang Jaya).
He also said the quota was also to enable bumiputras to take part in the economic sector with emphasis on capacity-building.
“Bumiputra entrepreneurs will be offered financial aid and training to help them master information and communications technology, management, accounting and marketing skills.

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PENANG: The Penang government will proceed with its decision to use multilingual road signs and street names to promote Georgetown as a World Heritage Site.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said it was merely adding English, Tamil, Chinese, Arabic and Jawi in the signboards while retaining Bahasa Malaysia in deference to it being the national language.

He said the multilingual road signs could assist many foreign tourists in exploring Penang as a multiracial, multicultural and multireligious city.He said multilingual signboards had been put up in many cities, including Kuala Lumpur, which had added Arabic and Jawi on its road signs.

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A BACKBENCHER yesterday called for the banning of Utusan Malaysia from covering state assembly proceedings because of inaccurate reporting.

R.S.N. Rayer (DAP Seri Delima) cited a Nov 14 article in the Bahasa Malaysia daily as example where the newspaper had twisted what deputy chief minister II Prof P Ramasamy had said during proceedings into something with racial overtones. He said this had led to a police report being lodged against Ramasamy.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) has been likened to a “healthy man ending up in intensive care unit.”

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who described the MPSP as “nearly insolvent”, said the state government was now trying very hard to reduce the council’s budget deficit and go through the auditor’s report.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang is expected to rake in over RM8bil investments this year, nearly double the amount of RM4.77bil in 2007.
InvestPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon said from January to August, the state had attracted RM6bil in investments.
“About 77%, or RM4.77bil of the amount, came from local investors. These investments were mainly in the manufacturing sector,” he said at the opening of Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) conference.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Pakatan Rakyat-led state government’s inaugural Budget saw the tabling of a RM477.24mil Budget for next year with a deficit of RM39.4mil.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this was an increase of 8.2% or RM36.15mil from this year’s RM441mil.

He also said the deficit was an increase of RM3.7mil compared with this year’s RM35.7mil. He said next year’s Budget included two social programmes introduced by the state to help the poor and schools here, such as the RM17mil aid in water subsidy to 170,000 poor families and an RM8.5mil allocation for 172 government-aided schools.

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PENANG: The Penang government will ensure all races have the same rights and opportunities to join the public sector and that the recruitment of state employees is not dominated by a particular race.
Deputy Chief Minister II P.Ramasamy said that as of Sept 30, 7,092 people worked for the state government, its statutory bodies and local authorities and, of the total, 81.95 percent were Malays, 12.92 percent Chinese, 5.05 percent Indian and 0.08 percent other races.

Replying to S.N. Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday, he said the state government would carry out a thorough study so that certain actions could be taken to balance the situation.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state legislative assembly will table an administrative enactment on Thursday to create the official position of Opposition Leader.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the move was long overdue and the enactment would include a RM1,000 monthly allowance for the position.

“Even though this move is 50 years late, it’s better late than never.
“The enactment is in line with the spirit and concept of democracy which requires a constructive Opposition to provide checks and balances in the state.

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GEORGE TOWN: To celebrate George Town’s living heritage and cultural diversity following its inclusion in the Unesco World Heritage List in July, the state government is organising the inaugural Penang Cultural Fest 2008 (PCF2008), from Dec 4 to Dec 8.

The event will involve collaboration among the state government, heritage specialists, non-governmental organisations and individuals, local and foreign corporations, artists, musicians and chefs to deliver Penang’s cultural diversity at its best.

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GEORGE TOWN: A newspaper vendor was robbed and slashed several times with machetes (parang) while delivering newspapers in Solok Tembaga 2 in Seri Delima here.

Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer said a policeman told him at the hospital that three robbery cases were reported in his constituency on the same day.
“Apart from the newspaper vendor, two hawkers were robbed by the same gang.
“We are appealing to the Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaacob to increase police patrols in Seri Delima and other constituencies as newspaper vendors and hawkers are easy targets for robbers,” he said in a press conference Saturday.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government will proceed with a free state-wide WiFi initiative under its Wireless@Penang project.
Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi said the state would proceed with the project as long as there was no conclusive evidence of health risks posed by the initiative.

“There will always be dissenting views and it is only fair that we engage them and share our information. From our perspective, it is a measured risk but we have to do things for the larger group of society.

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YB R.S.N. Rayer giving Rm1000 as emergency aid from Tabung TYT Negeri Pulau Pinang, at 1.30pm 25/10/2008 to fire victim Mr. Lio Chee Ming and Ms. Yew Mei Yeang.
Their apartment at Jalan Gangsa, Island Park was razed by fire caused by a short-circuit at 10.30am 25/10/2008.

PENANG may be able to mitigate the effects of the current global economic uncertainties as foreign investments are still flowing in.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Penang remained a destination of choice for investors and the announcement by American automation company, National Instruments (NI), to invest RM280mil in Malaysia with their manufacturing and research and development facilities to be built in Bayan Lepas earlier this week, only reaffirmed the state’s position.

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THE Penang Municipal Council is expected to implement the coupon system for parking by June next year.
Council financial management subcommittee alternate chairman Tan Hun Wooi said the subcommittee had approved the proposal in a special meeting held on Oct 29 and it would go to the full council for final approval.
“Once it’s approved in the full council, we will draw up a mechanism and work on the details on how the coupons are going to be sold,” he said when contacted yesterday.

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GEORGE TOWN: German-based company Pac Tech Asia Sdn Bhd will invest a total of RM30mil in Penang by 2010. To date, the company which is involved in wafer bumping processes and the design and manufacturing of advanced packaging equipment, has invested RM20mil to set up its facility in Asia, Pac Tech Group president and chief executive officer Dr Elke Zakel said Tuesday during the opening of Pac Tech’s new facility at the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park.

“This new facility provides state-of-the-art wafer bumping and back-end processing for semiconductor companies within the Pacific Rim. The building has 40,000 sq ft of remodelled production floor space and clean room area equipped with the latest facility for producing 300mm wafers.

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KUALA LUMPUR: US-based National Instruments is investing RM240mil initially in Bayan Lepas, Penang to set up an integrated manufacturing plant.
The company said on Monday the plant would also undertake research and development and operations.

The RM240mil would be invested in the first and second phases to manufacture and service test, measurements and automation hardware and software products. Work on the plant would start next year and create 1,500 jobs when completed.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang has accused the federal government of double-standards when it comes to road signs, after the state was criticised for its plan to put up signages in various languages.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said road signs in Jawi had been in use in Johor over the past 20 to 30 years.Lim had announced that road signs in different languages would be put within the heritage enclave to depict the historical significance of the particular area.

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PENANG is attracting many foreign patients because of its high quality medical services and competitive costs, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Last year, 210,000 of the country’s total of 300,000 foreign patients derived from Penang, he said.

“Penang is fortunate to have one of the highest doctor-population ratio in Malaysia. The standard of healthcare provided by private hospitals here is second to none,” he said at the 76th Penang Medical Practitioners Society’s Annual Dinner and Dance in Bayview Beach Resort, George Town, on Saturday.

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Wishing all Malaysians a HAPPY DEEPAVALI.
Lets celebrate this festive and holiday season, in a joyful and safe atmosphere, not forgetting the sacrifices made by others.

- YB. R.S.N. Rayer - ADUN Seri Delima

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s plan to leave office in March next year may further delay the completion of the second Penang Bridge project, said Lim Guan Eng (DAP - Bagan).

The project, scheduled to start construction next month was deferred to end of 2011, he said.
“Penang needs the bridge and the state government is worried that the Prime Minister’s departure may cause more delay. Now it is already delayed for a year,” he said this while debating Budget 2009.

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THE state government has asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to consider allocating RM970mil in funding to ensure flood mitigation projects in Penang can be executed.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said RM670mil from the allocation would be used for seven flood mitigation projects in the state.

The projects are the Phase Two Sungai Junjung flood mitigation project (RM125mil), Phase Two Sungai Pinang project (RM125mil); Sungai Juru, Bukit Mertajam catchment area, Permatang Rawa, Sungai Ara and Sungai Rambai project (RM300mil); Bayan Baru Cyber City project (RM30mil); Bukit Panchor, Byram, Transkrian and Jawi project (RM30mil); Bukit Tambun/Tanjung Ketupat project (RM20mil) and Valdor project (RM20mil).

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Narrow river: Sungai Pinang will be widened and deepened under a RM100mil project.

THE Penang Government is looking at several flood mitigation options to introduce near Sungai Air Itam and Sungai Pinang.Among the options considered are retention ponds, bunds and higher dam walls.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said one of the suggestions to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) was to build a 1.5m high retaining bund at Sungai Air Itam to ‘straighten’ the riverbank and mitigate floods.

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BANGI: The DAP has called on the government to ease the burden of the people by reducing the various taxes and help the hardcore poor.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister, said the country had sufficient funds through corporations like Petronas to provide for the people.
Lim also called on the government to revise the price of petrol on a daily basis as is being done in other countries, rather than fortnightly or monthly.
"With global oil prices dropping, it is time for the prices to come down, including the electricity tariff.

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THE Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) has saved about RM300,000 by scrapping a study tour of George Town’s sister cities and the purchase of laptops for the 24 councillors.

Councillor Tan Hun Wooi said the councillors would continue to use the existng laptops and save the council at least RM100,000.

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GEORGE TOWN: About RM800mil investments are coming to Penang from foreign electronics amd healthcare companies, says investPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon.
He said about RM500mil would be from multinational corporations (MNCs) involved in the manufacture of electronic components.

“One of the MNCs is from the US, a public-listed company. The company will set up a manufacturing facility on the island,” he told a press conference yesterday.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government must prioritise and expedite Phase II of the Sungai Pinang Flood Mitigation project, which had been put on hold by the previous administration.
Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo said work to deepen and widen Sungai Pinang under Phase II was important to prevent floods during the current rainy spell.

There had been three recent cases of floods in the area which had caused major inconvenience, financial losses and damages to residents.

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GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not want to follow the previous state government’s policy of circumventing the National Land Code (NLC) 1965 by converting reclaimed land to freehold status.
He said Section 76 of the NLC prohibited the state authority from converting reclaimed land to freehold, or for any period exceeding 99 years in order to protect and reserve coastal areas.

“I have been advised that after a piece of land has been reclaimed, it ceases to be seabed and foreshore factually, physically and legally; leaving it within the state’s right to convert its status to freehold. “But this state government will not choose to exercise its powers to make such conversions,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

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THE Penang Government has instructed Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to submit a report on the conversion of the reclaimed land in Pantai Jerejak from leasehold to freehold.
The report is to ‘guide’ the state government from committing ‘mistakes’ in the future and ensure that public access to the seafront would not be denied.

Penang Chief Minister’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik said he had spoken to PDC general manager Datuk Rosli Jaffar to prepare the report for Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is currently away on a trade mission.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wants Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to review its tariff since the price of crude oil had dropped in the global market.
Lim said that a review of TNB’s charges for electricity was necessary to help the Government’s efforts in curbing inflation and easing the burden on the people.

“Since the price of oil had dropped substantially in the global market, TNB should reduce its tariff to help the rakyat (citizens) curb inflation.

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PENANG is mulling over a landmark case involving the formation of Joint Management Bodies in leasehold properties.
A special committee has been formed to look into the issue after the state received an appeal to a Commissioner of Buildings’ (COB) decision from residents of a condominium in Tanjung Tokong.

“A request from the Marina Bay condominium residents to form a Joint Management Body (JMB) was rejected by the COB in June after which, they appealed against the decision to the state.

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AFTER putting up with traffic congestion and heavy traffic flow for nearly 20 years, residents of Lorong Delima 3, 5 and 7 in Island Glades, Penang, can now heave a sigh of relief following the implementation of a one-way traffic system in the area.
The Penang Municipal Council has turned Lorong Delima 5, and parts of Lorong Delima 3 and Lorong Delima 7 into one-way since Thursday.

Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer said among the first few requests he received from residents in the area after he became assemblyman was to turn the roads into one-way.

“I applied to the council for the change in April. There was overwhelming support from the public and residents during the one-month period they were given for their feedback,’’ said Rayer who was in the area to witness council workers replace road signs.

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BUTTERWORTH: The state government aims to eradicate hardcore poor families in Penang by March next year.
Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has urged state assemblymen to identify such families in their respective areas for the state Welfare Department to compile the exact statistic.
He added the state had up to now, registered more than 350 families in the hardcore poor category and efforts were being made to identify more.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is willing to cooperate with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his last five months as prime minister on most of the initiatives he outlined on Wednesday.
The DAP, part of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance, said it is willing to work with the outgoing prime minister on some of the reforms, including restoring the credibility of the judiciary, adopting stringent anti-corruption measures and eliminating the abuse of power among Barisan leaders.

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TO mark the March 8 general election results and raise funds for the party’s new headquarters, the Penang DAP will hold a victory dinner at the Han Chiang High School field at 8pm on Nov 28 in Penang.

Dubbed ‘Malam Kemenangan Rakyat Pulau Pinang’ (Night of the Penang People’s Victory), the event aims to raise RM500,000, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who is also the event organising chairman, told reporters at a press conference.

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PENANG Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is leading a delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to woo Middle Eastern investors to the state.
The objective of the five-day visit, which started yesterday, was also to build business networking with the Arabs and other international investors.

Lim is accompanied by his wife, Betty Chew, Invest-in-Penang Bhd (InvestPenang) chairman of executive committee Datuk Lee Kah Choon and MP Jeff Ooi, who is the InvestPenang director coordinating the mission.The trip was at the invitation of a UAE foundation that is linked to the UAE government.

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GEORGE TOWN: Unproven concerns should not impede or delay the state government’s plans to introduce free WiFi and WiMAX services in Penang, said Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Northern branch) chairman Datuk O.K. Lee.

He said there were many reports for and against the possible health risks posed by the electromagnetic transmission caused by WiFi and WiMAX services.“Many of these reports are not scientifically proven and the final conclusion on this health concern may take years or decades to substantiate.

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GEORGE TOWN: The state government has asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to approve a RM58.6mil emergency allocation to help Penang fight crime.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said yesterday he would personally make the request when he meets Abdullah at the latter’s Hari Raya open house today.

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The State Security will call for an emergency meeting today to come up with extra measures to ensure public safety during the Hari Raya holiday period, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government will have an open tender for a tourism development project on Pulau Jerejak by year-end.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced Monday that the project would entail “billions” in investment and take at least 10 years to complete.
He said the state wanted to promote holistic development on the former penal colony, including eco and sports tourism.

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BUTTERWORTH: The Barisan Nasional should not point fingers at other parties for the slowdown in the flow of investments into the country but instead it should look at the problems faced by the Federal Government which the coalition rules, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

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Press Statement by YB Teresa Kok, Member of Parliament for Seputeh, Senior Exco for Selangor State Government and ADUN for Kinrara on 19th September 2008 at Petaling Jaya, after her release from ISA detention

''My ISA Detention Is Without Any Legal or Moral Basis. It Is A Clear Abuse of Detention Without Trial
I HAVE been released after being detained in solitary confinement in a 6'-by-8' holding cell for seven days under the Internal Security Act (ISA). I was informed by the police that they detained me under Sec 73(1) of Internal Security Act 1960, which means I have incited racial and religious tension and conflict.''

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KUALA LUMPUR: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released from detention under the Internal Security Act at about 1pm on Friday, her lawyer Sankara Nair said.
He said she had called him and he was now on the way to the Jalan Travers police station here to meet her.

Kok, 44, is expected to give a press conference at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya at 3pm.

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THE state government is on track to eradicate hardcore poverty in the state before its new deadline, March 8 next year.
State Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the 324 families under this category statewide would soon be given a new lease of life.

“Under Budget 2009, the Federal Government said it would increase its monthly allowances for hardcore poor families from RM400 to RM720.
“The state too will increase its allowances for the families, from the current RM660 to an amount that is higher than the federal allocation,” he said.

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GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has launched “Penang Free WiFi” - the first step in making Penang the country’s first WiFi state.
The initiative, which is the first component of the state’s Wireless@Penang project, is aimed at giving Penangites free wireless broadband services.
“Today, Penang takes a bold step to make the entire state connected through wireless broadband and it’s a journey we want to complete within the next 18 to 24 months.

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IPOH: The DAP prefers fresh elections than defections to decide on the new government.
Its national vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran said this has always been the stand of the party which was fair to the voters.
“This is because elected representatives who won in elections under their party banners should stand by them,” he told reporters after a vigil outside the Ipoh Barat DAP office on Tuesday evening.

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PETALING JAYA: The DAP will take the arrest of Seputeh Member of Parliament and Selangor senior executive councillor Teresa Kok to court.
The party will let the court decide whether the detention is justifiable and lawful, said party legal bureau chairman Gobind Singh Deo.
He said the party would meet to discuss the formation of a legal team, which would submit a habeas corpus application to the court for her release in the next few days.

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Anti-corruption activist Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, who recently joined DAP, still sees his role as one to fight graft and now also to ensure a fairer place for all Malaysians.
Malaysia’s most prominent anti-corruption and good governance activist, Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, raised many eyebrows recently when he announced his new role as a politician by joining the DAP.

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GEORGE TOWN: About 10,000 civil servants in the state departments and agencies will receive their one-month bonus at the same time as those under the Federal Government, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

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GEORGE TOWN: The proposed RM25bil Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) has been rejected by the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and is "as good as dead," said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim said the developers had failed to submit planning plans as required by the state.
"It did not come as a surprise to me, but of course we did not interfere in the council's decision. When we took over the state government on March 8, we clearly expressed that the developer must follow the law.
"If they had not submitted the layout plans on time and as required, how do you expect the project to get approval? The PGCC project in the original inception is dead," Lim said at a press conference at the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) on Tuesday.

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GEORGE TOWN: Komtar assemblyman Ng We Aik has lodged a police report against Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail, who allegedly called the Chinese pendatang (immigrants) during a ceramah in Permatang Pauh on Aug 25.
"DAP divisions in Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Malacca have been told to lodge police reports against Ahmad, whose statement is liable to cause disharmony in a united society," he told reporters after a lodging a report at the Patani Road police station on Monday with Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N Rayer, DAP national Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Bukit Mertajam chief Tan Khong Chong and Dapsy national executive committee member Teh Lai Heng.

Rayer said that while the DAP supports freedom of speech, this did not mean that one could make statements that insulted other races.
"We had asked Ahmad to retract his statement and issue an apology but till now he just kept quiet about it. He has also been missing and no one has seen him over the past few days," Rayer said.



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GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government would definitely make Sept 16 a public holiday.
He, however, said the day would probably only be made a holiday next year.
“We probably cannot have it this year as we already declared a public holiday on Aug 26. We have to take the business industry into consideration, as a day off would greatly impact the sector,” he said Monday after attending a drainage cleanliness campaign in Tanjung Bungah near here.

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MULTI-CULTURAL unity took centre stage during the state-level National Day celebrations in Penang on Sunday.
Clad in traditional costumes, 150 cultural performers added a dash of colour to the coastal road in front of Queensbay Mall.
The mall’s front entrance on Persiaran Bayan Indah was filled with students, avid photographers and Penangites keen on catching the National Day parade.



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GEORGE TOWN: Five states kicked off their first National Day celebrations this year under Pakatan Rakyat.
With seven inspired shouts of “Merdeka!”, Penang kicked off the state-level National Day celebrations.
Celebrating 51 years of independence, more than 10,000 participants and onlookers gathered at the seafront area along the Bayan Lepas coastal road to watch the culturally-themed Semarak Merdeka show and parade.
Together with Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas and his consort Toh Puan Majimor Shariff were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and elected representatives.

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PETALING JAYA: The DAP has revealed a 14-point proposed Budget 2009 which, among others, aims to protect oil revenue, invest in education and create an efficient transport system.
It said it would also renegotiate contracts, implement a fair wage policy, have an open, competitive and transparent tender system as well as for auctions and to revitalise Malaysian small and medium industries.
The budget proposed to restructure personal income taxes, introduce green taxes and to revive the information communications and technology sector.

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) will reject any proposal to turn Malaysia into a theocratic state.
In reaffirming the party's secular state policy, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said, "whether an Islamic or a Christian state, it is contrary to our vision of a civil society that is multicultural and multi-religious.
"(It also) violates the Federal Constitution,” he said in his speech at the 15th DAP National Congress here on Saturday.

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Taking on the role of ruling party is not as easy as the DAP once thought, as a surge in interest swells its ranks and a new crop of young leaders vie with veterans for top positions.
SUCCESS brings its own challenges as seen in the sharp rise in members and branches in the DAP and now candidates contesting for a place in the party’s Central Executive Committee over the weekend.
About 70 candidates filed to contest for the 20 CEC positions but with withdrawals, the numbers are down to about 60 – still a big number for a small opposition party that after March 8 was suddenly transformed into a ruling party directly in Penang and in coalition in Perak and Selangor, the three richest and most developed states in the federation.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Two father and son teams were voted into the 20-member central executive committee of the DAP in the party elections.
There was a loud applause when speaker Sim Tong Him announced yesterday that party adviser Lim Kit Siang had received the highest votes – 624 while his son, Guan Eng, the Penang Chief Minister, garnered four fewer votes.
Chairman Karpal Singh obtained 471 votes to be in the ninth spot while his son Gobind Singh Deo with 305 votes was placed 20th.

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KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP has amended its constitution to prevent those with less than two-years membership to contest state and parliamentary seats and also for party positions at state and national levels.
However, the central executive committee (CEC) has been given the power to make exceptions.
Another amendment provides for the CEC to set up state committees, parliamentary liaison committees and branches for state and parliamentary constituencies.

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THERE was stunned silence when delegate Azahari Ismail walked to the rostrum at the 15th DAP national congress on Saturday and recited Islamic verses before launching into a spirited speech in Bahasa on how to consolidate and expand on the DAP victories of March 8.

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The afternoon session ended in a ‘deadlock’ when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga) refused to answer each other’s questions on the three shelved mega projects in Penang.
Lim had tabled a motion and asked all state representatives, including those from the opposition, to unite in defending the rights of Penangites and seeking justice and equal treatment from the Federal Government.

During the arguments, RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) lashed out at Azhar for urging the Federal Government to pull back the mega projects shortly after Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang and questioned the opposition’s sincerity in representing the people.
Rayer also said the opposition was berdolak-dalih (beating about the bush) and bersandiwara (putting up an act), and Azhar was controlling the other opposition state representatives, preventing them from speaking their own minds.

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GEORGE TOWN: The state assembly yesterday passed a motion urging the Federal Government to reinstate the RM4.7bil “people-centric” mega projects in Penang.

All 29 assemblymen from the DAP, PKR and PAS voted in favour of the motion while the 11 Umno assemblyman voted against it.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he would refer the motion to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“The state assembly is the highest body and its views should be respected,” he told newsmen after the passage of the motion at the state assembly here yesterday.
The projects are the RM2bil Penang Monorail, RM1.5bil Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) and the RM1.2bil expansion of the Mengkuang Dam.
Lim also claimed there was a split in the Opposition in Penang since

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GEORGE TOWN: The state government under the previous administration sustained losses estimated at RM84mil from questionable land deals, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
He said although land acquisitions were carried out under Section (1)(a) of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, there was misappropriation in the land acquisition process.

Lim told the State Assembly yesterday that several lots of land were added to the acquisition list without justifiable records.
“It can be considered that the lots were placed on the list for the owners’ profit,” he said.
He also said that 18 lots of land identified for acquisition changed ownership from one company to another, adding that he strongly believed that the transaction was planned to influence the value of the land and the compensation.

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A BARISAN Nasional assemblyman got brickbats when he claimed that the Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen who went to the 12th Sukma in Terengganu to support the Penang team had used the trip as a holiday.
Several backbenchers insisted that Datuk Jasmin Mohamed (BN – Sungai Dua) withdraw the statement. He did so grudgingly after being told to do it by Speaker Abd Halim Hussain.
It all began when Jasmin lamented the poor performance of the Penang Sukma contingent. He asked if any Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen went to support the Penang athletes in Terengganu, following which several backbenchers said they did.
Jasmin then claimed they went there for makan angin (sightseeing).
An uproar erupted with R.S.N. Rayer (DAP – Seri Delima) insisting that Jasmin withdraw the statement.

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SPARKS flew when R.S.N. Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) targeted oppo-sition members for their sandiwara (drama) in the House when debating the motion of thanks on the Yang di-Pertua Negri’s opening address.

Rayer repeatedly used the word sandiwara to describe opposition members who said one thing but did another thing.
“Many of the opposition members have titles such as Datuk and Datuk Seri. These leaders want to project themselves as humble but this is all a sandiwara,” he said.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penangites will have the opportunity to watch the 12th State Assembly proceedings live via the Internet from July 21 to July 31.

State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said the eight-day session would be aired via the portal http://dunpenang.ipglobal.tv or linked through www.penang .gov.my.
“The full coverage is consistent with the state’s aim of operating a CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) government.
“Penangites will have the opportunity to judge the performance, quality and credibility of their 40 elected representatives,” he said, adding that there would be no censorship.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government needs to be daring in embarking on private initiated mega projects, said the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber president Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping said this measure might be the state’s solution to postpo-ned federal projects.
“If the Federal Government has decided not to subsidise and fund the state in these initiatives, the state government needs to be brave enough to enlist the help of private companies,” he said yesterday during courtesy call on Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Tan cited the stalled Penang Hill funicular train and shelved Pe-nang Outer Ring Road (PORR) as examples of projects that could be handed over to private companies.

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GEORGE TOWN: The state government has launched the ePerolehan system to ensure transparency in the tender awarding process.
The system is equipped with an eBidding site for interested contractors to place their bids and eBantahan for the public to voice objections.

"We want to award projects using computer cables, not political cables. Penang is the first to produce such an application to enhance efficiency, save cost, reduce red tape and reduce risks in decision-making," Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Thursday when launching the system at Dome Komtar here.

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PENANG, MON:
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will table a motion urging the federal government to proceed with development projects planned for the state at the State Assembly sitting beginning July 21.
According to a statement issued by his press secretary, Cheong Yin Fan here today, if the projects were to be shelved, the state government wanted the federal government to replace them with a cash payment of RM4.7 billion to continue with the economic development of the state.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang wants to be the first state in the country to broadcast its state assembly proceedings live over RTM.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said a formal request would be made to RTM.
Speaking after the investiture ceremony at Dewan Sri Pinang Sunday, he said the state government had informed the station verbally.
“Of course if they feel that it is too long, they can show parts of it. The purpose is to allow the public to see democracy in action,” he said, adding that the live broadcast was in line with the state government’s practice of CAT policy (competency, accountability and transparency) initiative.

““This is Pakatan Rakyat’s first sitting. My hope is that everyone will unite regardless of political leanings so that we can work for the benefit of all Penangites.

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PENANG: Penang’s long wait for a convention centre for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) may end soon as it has received three proposals, each worth more than RM1 billion to undertake such a project.
State tourism committee chairman Law Heng Kiang said the three proposals were for a MICE centre along the coastal road near the Penang Bridge, another in George Town and one more for Bayan Mutiara.

While the first two proposals are from local companies, the Bayan Mutiara project is to be a joint venture between a local company and a Middle East party. Law said all the proposals were for a convention facility to accommodate between 5,000 and 8,000 people.

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GEORGE TOWN:
The Penang-based Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) has given its thumbs-up to the state government for introducing various initiatives for the benefit of the people.

Its president Jamaludin Abdullah yesterday said JIM was impressed with the CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) approach of the new administration.
"We are also pleased with the state government's efforts to call for tenders and its cost-saving practices," Jamaludin said.
In a statement congratulating the state government's 100-days in office, Jamaludin said focus should be given to development and the people's welfare.
He pledged that JIM, as an Islamic non-governmental organisation, would continue to support the state government's effort in bringing benefits to the people.

GEORGE TOWN: An unemployed man has filed a summons at a High Court here challenging the conversion of his deceased stepbrother to Islam.
S. Selvam, 48, a former mee goreng (fried noodles) seller, filed the summons at the High Court registry here on Wednesday, naming the state Islamic Religious Affairs Department, the Perak Islamic Religious Department and the Parit Buntar Hospital director as defendants.

He is seeking a declaration that B. Elangesvaran, 34, was a Hindu when alive and when the latter allegedly committed suicide four days ago.
He is asking the court for an injunction to restrain the defendants, their workers or agents, from claiming Elangesvaran's body.
In his statement of claim, Selvam represented by R.S.N. Rayer, said Elangesvaran had committed suicide by hanging himself at a house in Bagan Serai, Perak on June 22.

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DIABETIC A. Athappen, 61, whose left leg was amputated last year due to gangrene, could not contain a smile of gratitude when fitted with a prosthetic leg courtesy of the Lions Club of Butterworth Host.
The former school gardener was eager to try out his new prosthesis following a period of curtailed movement since the amputation at the Penang Hospital.
Obviously touched by the club’s generous gesture, Athappen said everything moved quickly after he was approached by club vice-president Suppiah Manikam.


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MOVED by a newspaper report on a two-month-old baby who needs funds to undergo a heart operation, a tourists donates RM18,000 towards the surgery.

Penang Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the philanthropist, who wished to remain anonymous, first knew about Mohamed Rizwan Mohd Saber’s plight upon reading The Star last Wednesday.

“The kind donor, from a foreign country, was staying at G-Hotel Penang when he read about the boy’s plight in StarMetro.
“The donor quickly wrote a cheque for the boy and passed it to the hotel general manager Marco G. Battistotti,” Phee said at the Penang Hospital on Saturday.

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GEORGE TOWN: Tempers flared when residents confronted workers from a developer’s firm as they tried to transport building materials into a cattle-rearing village.
The standoff in Lorong Buah Pala here between the 300-odd villagers and 10 workers, who arrived at about 10.30am, lasted about two hours. Police managed to calm the angry crowd and prevented any untoward incident.

Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd managing director Thomas Chan, who arrived at about 11am to monitor the situation, was not spared as the villagers turned their anger on him. As he was about to leave the area in his car, a resident blocked his path with his motorcycle.

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FEDERATION of Malaysian Manufacturers (northern branch) chairman Datuk O. K. Lee said generally, the new Penang Government was proactive and obviously trying to do its best.

“As far as its policies are concerned, they are quite sound and acceptable in line with a democratic practice. The CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) principle is good.
Lee gave the government 80 marks out of 100 for its practices and 70 to 75 marks for performance.
He said the government should also be commended for appointing non-political people in the municipal councils, adding that this would lead to “a better check and balance in the system.”

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PENANG will work closely with Pakatan Rakyat-led state governments to promote youth and sports activities.
State Youth and Sports, Woman, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Ong Kok Fooi said she would be meeting with her counterparts from Selangor and Perak as well as Kedah and Kelantan to discuss the matter.

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TWO-MONTH-OLD Mohamed Rizwan Mohd Saber has to undergo four heart operations and his father, an odd-job worker who is a Myanmar national, is unable to raise the money for the surgery.
Mohd Saber Kala San, 27, said doctors at the Penang Hospital told him that the surgery would cost more than RM18,000.
“The hospital bill has come up to RM2,197 because of the fees imposed for foreigners,” he told a press conference recently.



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ALOR STAR: PAS Youth's proposal to implement an Islamic administrative system in Pakatan Rakyat states is totally unacceptable, said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

Lim said it was not in line with Pakatan Rakyat’s promise to uphold the secular concept.
“There should be no attempt to introduce Islamic state or hudud laws,” he said.
Lim, who is the Ipoh Timur MP, was responding to a proposal by PAS Youth vice-chief Azman Shapawi to implement Islamic administrative system in the Pakatan-governed states if PKR and DAP agreed to it.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government will temporarily put on hold applications by owners of units in multi-storey buildings to obtain freehold rights.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said strata holders who sought freehold status should exercise patience until the state government resolved legal matters with the Federal Government.
“There are legal problems when changing strata ownership to freehold status which have to be referred to the Federal (Government) and it is expected to take time to resolve,” Bernama reported that he told reporters at his office yesterday.

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GEORGE TOWN: The cost of the second Penang bridge has ballooned from RM2.7bil to RM4.5bil within a year and the Penang Government wants an explanation.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said there was no reason for such a huge increase as the official inflation rate in 2007 was 2.3%.
“The Federal Government says there is a 2% inflation rate but they have allowed a 60% increase of about RM1.6bil for the second bridge

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang has formed an ad-hoc committee tasked with setting guidelines on information that the public and the media can access directly from the government departments without hassle.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the committee’s aim was to create a culture of freedom of information at a level that was comfortable for all.
“We want to provide an avenue and opportunity for the mass media and the public where information that is not sensitive or classified as secret can be obtained freely and for free,” he told a press conference after chairing the state executive council meeting yesterday.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Members of DAP called for the Government to withdraw the new fuel prices and electricity tariffs, which they said were "extreme and unjust".
Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said that the "steep" fuel hike and increased electricity tariffs would cause people from all walks of life to be affected.

"We want the Government to announce that the increase will be halted immediately.
"If they don't, it will be a nightmare. The public anger is already at its peak," he told the press Thursday during a peaceful protest at the Pudu market here.

Tan added that if the increments were not halted, it would lead to "runaway inflation".
He also said that the Government was not "leading by example" when asking the public to have a change of lifestyle.

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A NUMBER of property projects in Penang, especially those on reclaimed land of the island and township developments by state agencies, can look forward to higher property value if the land tenure of these projects is converted to freehold from their current leasehold status.

According to Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Penang chairman Datuk Jerry Chan, while most privately owned pieces of land are on freehold status, projects on state reclaimed land are mostly on leasehold land.

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GEORGE TOWN: Leaseholders of state land must "return" their properties to the state before the land can be converted into freehold status or the lease extended.
The National Land Code (NLC) states that all land matters come under the state's purview but it is silent on the issue of land conversion and lease extensions, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

"Legally, we can do it but it must be in accordance with NLC procedures. As there are no NLC provisions on the matter, we have to consider all conversion and lease extension applications as a new land alienation application.
"Before we can give you a fresh title, you need to return the land to us," he said, admitting that there was no "black and white" guarantee that once the land was transferred back to the state, it would be returned to the owner.

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GEORGE TOWN: A magistrate's court here has cancelled the warrant of arrest issued on March 17 against Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnan for failing to turn up for his trial for obstructing a police officer.
Magistrate Ainul Bashirah Dona Don Biyajid on Thursday accepted the explanation by Gobalakrishnan's counsel R.S.N. Rayer and allowed his application for the warrant to be cancelled.

Rayer explained to the court that Gobalakrishnan was on sick leave on March 17 and apologised to the court for the absence of his client and his bailor on that date. He also produced Gobalakrishnan's medical certificate from the Kulim Hospital.

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AN American high-tech company will announce its multi-million dollar investment in Penang this week, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
He said that he would leave it to the new investor to reveal the details of the investment plan, adding that more foreign investments were expected to come to the state later.
“I hope the inflow of foreign investors to Penang will attract local investors including small and medium industries to the state,” he told newsmen after opening Hu-man Rights Training Programme yesterday.

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THE Penang Government has appointed four state assembly-men from different religions to the Non-Muslim Worship Com-mittee, a state body that deals with complaints and disputes regarding non-Muslim institu-tions.

They are state Town, Country Planning and Housing Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai (Air Itam), state Local Government, Traffic Management and Environ-ment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow (Padang Kota), Penang Hindu Endowment Board chair-man A. Tanasekharan (Bagan Da-lam) and Jagdeep Singh Deo (Da-tuk Keramat).

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KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh received an envelope with a death threat and a live bullet enclosed on Tuesday afternoon.

The death threat and bullet, sent in a yellow envelope, were hand delivered to the DAP chairman's office by a man at about 12.30pm. Karpal lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters and handed over the bullet and letter to the police.

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THE Penang Hindu Endowments Board has taken a BOLD STEP of announcing that from next year onwards, the CHITRAI-POUNRNAMI festival will be carried-out solely by the PHEB because the HINDU MAHAJANA SANGAM committed a sacrireligous act of placing the MURUGAN diety in the GANDHIJI MANDAPAM this year, unlike the past where the deity was carried/placed at the hilltop temple all along the duration of the festival.

We have made this conclusion after considering the feedback from devotees and standardization of festival procedures.

I am glad to say that we have also resolved the predicament facing the fishermen in the Sg. Gelugor village, who were facing relocation problems (ie. relocating to the Bakau Street Pier 10km away from current location) and non payment of compensation promised by the previous state government.

The fishermen have been assured of being relocated to the river mouth in Sg.Gelugor (in the vicinity) and the compensation to be paid immediately.

I was honored to be invited to join the WESAK DAY celebrations at the Jalan Gangsa Residents Association, organized by The Malaysian Fo Guang. I urge the association to organize more events of this nature to increase and inculcate religious awareness amongst Malaysians in general and children in particular.

I believe that events of this nature would instill spirit of fostering and enhancing stronger neighbourhood ties while also exposing children to co-curricular activities such as drawing, singing.

Relating oneself to events like Wesak Day celebration would enable us to remind ourselves of the spiritual aspects of our lives, when we seem to get carried away by finance, technology and many more aspects which takes up most of our daily affairs.

I also took this opportunity to request and remind those present, to observe a minute of silence’ and pray for the victims of the earthquake in China.

Last but not least, I savored the vegetarian food which reminded me of the need to maintain a healthy and hygienic lifestyle, in the path of DHARMA.

OMI TO FU...

A TOTAL of 7,642 welfare aid recipients will receive free rice at five districts in Penang tomorrow.
Penang Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the rice would be distributed at various places.
He said 2,013 people would receive the rice at the Caring Society Complex in Jalan Utama, 1,149 at the Southwest district office, 1,333 at the North Seberang Prai district welfare office, 1,809 at Dewan Yayasan Aman Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Penanti in Bukit Mertajam in Central Seberang Prai and 1,338 at Dewan Serbaguna Jawi in South Seberang Prai.

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GEORGE TOWN, WED:
THE PENANG state government will consider applications from anyone keen on applying for unused land for agricultural purposes.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said those interested should submit their applications to the relevant land offices.
"Penang is well known for its scarcity of land, but we are willing to give due consideration to those keen on utilising unused land for agricultural purposes.
"We view this as an important way to increase food production and to solve the food woes," he said after receiving a courtesy call from the Federation of Association of Ex-students of Chinese Schools in Penang at his office in Komtar today.

The 24-member delegation was led by its president Loh Poh Lim.
Lim said the state government would seriously look into issuing temporary occupation licences (TOLs) for such purpose.
He was responding to a news report yesterday that the government plans to get states to issue more TOLs for agricultural purposes as one way to increase national food production.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has urged Malaysians to move beyond the spectre of May 13 1969 and called for a Truth and Reconcilliation Commission to be set up so that questions surrounding the incident could finally be put to rest.

In a statement read out by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, he said that the commission could study and then tell the people the real story behind what had happened.
He also pledged that the PR would maintain peace and hate racial violence as well as speak out against anyone who encouraged racial tensions, maintain the supremacy of all Malaysians and reject extremism, urge the authorities not to side anyone and always act fairly and also that it would support the continued use of democracy and the constitutional monarchy where the desires of the people were championed without discrimination.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh said he did not make any specific allegation against the Sultan of Selangor and that the Royal Court of Selangor should not be over-hasty in making remarks against him.
"I never did; there was no specific allegation against him," he said.
Karpal Singh was referring to a rebuke by the Royal Court on Monday which said that his statement was baseless, unfounded and irresponsible.

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“The discussions are on. They are very real. Over 30 Barisan MPs have decided to join the opposition coalition. The opposition only need 30 more MPs from Barisan to form the federal government. It is only a matter of time,” said PKR Sabah liasion chief Ansari Abdullah.
He dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s claim that PKR was only playing politics with their statements about Barisan MPs ready to cross over to the Pakatan Rakyat.
“At this very moment, there are Barisan MPs in discussion with our leaders in Kuala Lumpur and some have also talked to me,” Ansari told reporters here yesterday.
He said that Najib’s claims that PKR statements was just a political gimmick was his own reading, unlike former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who had a better understanding of the political situation in the country.

On the issue of DAP chairman Karpal Singh questioning the powers of the Perak Sultan, Ansari said it was impolite to raise the matter.
However, he asked why no action was taken against Umno leaders who questioned the Perlis and Terengganu rulers during the confusion before the appointments of their respective Mentris Besar.
“If they want to take action, they should also act against those Umno leaders who publicly voiced their unhappiness over the Rulers’ decisions,” he said, adding that Karpal, who should not have voiced it publicly, was only discussing the powers on points of law.

PENANG: In disciplinary cases involving civil servants, the perpetrators often escape unpu-nished due to government procedures, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Citing a recent example, he said officers in the land scam involving “tens and tens of millions of ringgit” were still working in the state Land Office.
“No action was taken against them. Isn’t that a travesty of justice or a breach of public trust? This is just the tip of the iceberg.
“I will reveal other cases as time goes by,” he told newsmen after flagging off the Rotary Charity Golf Tournament at Bukit Jambul Golf & Country Club yesterday.

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