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No to de- Do we get Montfort a

gazetting what we place for


of forest youths
reserve p 4 pay for?
p 11 p 12–13

community March 4 — 6, 2011/ issue 14

Kajang residents
looking through
the MRT plans
during a meeting
at the Kajang Local
Council office on
Tuesday. – Picture by
Victor Chong

• Story on page 6

By Gan Pei Ling

SHAH ALAM: Register your


pet turtles, birds, frogs, spiders or
any species regulated under the
new Wildlife Conservation Act
Register your
exotic pets
by June or risk being fined or im-
prisoned.
Many pets, including certain ter-
rapins, sparrows and toads, are now
listed as “protected wildlife” under the wildlife they owned, and if their
the new wildlife act that came into pets would be confiscated if their
force on Dec 28, 2010. applications were rejected.
Owners have been given a grace Selangor senior assistance wild-
period of six months to apply for pant wildlife trafficking, other pet life officer Abdul Rahim Abdul
licences from the Wildlife and Na- owners and traders are highly con- Other pet owners were worried whether Hamid assured the public that
tional Parks Department (Perhili- cerned by its implications. Perhilitan would approve their applications Perhilitan would usually approve
tan). After the grace period, indi- Anxious owners and business if they declared the wildlife they owned, and the applications. “It’s not a prob-
viduals possessing protected wildlife operators showered Perhilitan with lem,” he said.
listed under the new act without a questions during a public briefing in if their pets would be confiscated if their The state department issues
licence may be charged and fined up Shah Alam on Monday. applications were rejected.” around 3,000 licences a year for
to RM50,000, or face two years in   keeping of wildlife, and around 300
jail or both if convicted. Tarantulas and Darren Chow from the Malaysian fore enacting the law. permits for trading. The number of
Highly endangered species such amphibians now listed as Tarantula Society. The biotechnology undergradu- licences is expected to soar as many
as tigers, leopards and Sumatran “protected” As one licence usually costs ate owns 12 tarantulas and a red other species, including amphibians,
rhinoceros are listed as “totally pro- Owners of tarantulas are re- RM10, Chow was concerned that mountain racer. “It’s a very common are now protected under the new
tected wildlife”, and a special permit quired to apply for licences as 11 he would have to fork out a large local snake and can be found in any wildlife act.
is required to keep, display or con- species of the spiders are now listed amount of money to acquire the li- pet shop, but now it’s listed as a  
duct research on such animals. as protected wildlife under the new cences. protected species. How did they Religious practices and
Convicted individuals may be fined act. Many other members from the decide which species should be Chinese medicine
up to RM100,000 or sentenced to “We didn’t need a licence previ- Malaysian Tarantula Society were ‘protected’?” Dayalen asked. Traders who sell turtles and spar-
three years’ jail or both. ously…Spiders breed by the thou- present at the briefing. Dayalen Other pet owners were worried rows to the public for certain reli-
While some acknowledge that sands; does this mean I have to apply Mathavan, 23, said Perhilitan should whether Perhilitan would approve gious purposes were also worried
the tougher law will help curb ram- for thousands of licences?” asked have held a public consultation be- their applications if they declared • Turn to page 6
2
news
March 4 — 6, 2011

Follow rules Desperate plea for water


to avoid tragedy By Gan Pei Ling 

By Neville Spykerman SHAH ALAM: Desperate residents of


Ruvena Villa Apartment in Taman Putra
SHAH ALAM: Gated communities must comply with all Perdana are resorting to alternative
guidelines to avoid a recurrence of the recent tragedy in measures to get water since their supply
Kepong  where a locked barrier delayed firefighters from was cut a week ago.
reaching a fire. Hundreds of family take showers at
“Although the incident happened in Kuala Lumpur, it serves highway rest stops and wash their laundry
as a lesson to all Resident Associations (RA) and local at petrol stations while others get water
governments in Selangor that regulations must be followed,” from fire hydrants.
said state executive councillor Ronnie Liu. “We go wherever we can find water,”
Last week, 33-year-old Annie Ong Yen and her two-year-old Hayati Hussain, 39, said yesterday. The
daughter Artina Loke Xin Yu died in a blaze in Taman Sri Sinar housewife had come to Selangor Times’
when firefighters had to cut a lock on a barrier before they could office with three other anxious residents
reach them. to seek help.
(From left) Azizah Mohd, 40, with her child, Hayati, and Kamisah
Liu, whose portfolio includes local government, listed five Hayati said this was the third time Saidin, 42, at Selangor Times’ office to relate their woes.
rules that needed to be followed and enforced with immediate their water supply had been cut.
effect: Last November, they approached their
• All RA must apply and get approval from their respective
local government before putting up any barriers.
management company, LT Sdn Bhd,
Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas)
To place your Advert in
• A minimum of 85% consensus is needed from all residents and the Sepang District Council when
before it can be implemented.  their supply was cut for three days.
• No permanent structures will be allowed, and roads cannot LT, a subsidiary of Talam Corporation,
be sealed permanently. did not attend the meeting although they
• The barriers or boom gates must be manned at all times. were invited.
• Roads must be accessible to emergency and utility services However, Syabas restored their water Contact Timothy Loh at 019-267 4488
vehicles.  Liu said the issue was turning contentious because supply after the residents collected about or Ivan Looi at 014-936 6698
these rules were being ignored. RM30,000 to settle part of their arrears
“I will be meeting the heads of local authorities soon to seek of RM50,000 with LT, which then paid
their views, and a forum will be held with communities to allow the amount to Syabas. The insurance agent said it was metre by LT, with bills going as high as
them to voice their concerns,” he said. unfair that those who paid their water
“We don’t know who else we can turn RM200 a month for some families.
bills also suffered from the water cut.
to this time,” said resident Alice Nurul- They said other apartments in the
zila, 35. “We have individual meters. The same area included Kiambang Apart-
management com- ment, Siantan Apartment and Ke-
Selangor WEATHER pany should punish nanga Apartment.
phone (603) 5523 2288
only those who “We try to be patient, but some of
fax (603) 5523 1188
Friday Saturday Sunday don’t pay their the residents, including pregnant
email editor@selangortimes.com bills,” said Alice. women, have had to walk up five floors
Morning She said even to transport their water,” Alice added.
EDITORIAL though they are Se- Selangor Times could not reach LT
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan langor residents, at press time.
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman the apartment Meanwhile, Syabas corporate affairs
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling, Basil
Afternoon units’ occupants do executive director Halem  Mat Som
Foo, Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin, Alvin Yap
not enjoy the 20 said Syabas was prepared to meet the
COPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang
cubic metre free management company to resolve the
DESIGNER Jimmy C. S. Lim water from the Se- problem.
PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong langor government. “The management company can
Night
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi She said they come forward to discuss with Syabas
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz were being charged ways to settle this problem,” said
RM1.38 a cubic Halem.
Source: Malaysian meteorological department
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ March 4 – 6, 2011 ⁄ 3
4
news
March 4 — 6, 2011

No to de-gazetting
By Gan Pei Ling

Events BESTARI JAYA: Environmentalists


have much to cheer for as Selangor has
rejected a controversial proposal to
de-gazette a 6,908ha forest reserve in
Kuala Langat to plant oil palm. of forest reserve
Selangor will also, by amending a
Women’s Conference state enactment, become the first state Wong planting a red
Kingdom City Church is organising a Women’s t o m a ke p u b l i c c o n s u l t a t i o n palm at Raja Musa Forest
Conference in September. “United For Such A Time compulsory before de-gazetting a Reserve last Saturday in
As This” is an inter-church women’s conference forest reserve for any development. conjunction with World
which will be held at Sunway Convention Centre In another effort to protect its Wetlands Day.
on Sept 9-10. Guest speakers include Pastor Sam forests, the state will be producing a
Evans, Pastor Debbie Prescott from Planetshakers blueprint to conserve all its peat
Church in Melbourne and Irene Fernandez from
Tenanganita. Tickets are priced at RM99 for super
swamps and mangrove forests, totaling “We also need to get local
early bird (Jan 1–Mar 31), RM119 for early bird (Apr around 99,000ha, in Selangor. communities involved [so that
1–Jun 30) and full price RM139 (Jul 1–Sept 10). The three announcements were they realise there is] more value
Walk-in delegates will be charged full fees. To made by executive councillor for in keeping the forests than
register visit www.kingdomwomenconference.com. environment Elizabeth Wong last cutting them down to plant oil
Saturday in conjunction with Word palm,” said Wong.
Tribute to John Williams Wetlands Day. Although Selangor still has
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, with Richard “The state has decided to shelve the 30.5% forest cover, Wong
Kaufman as conductor, welcomes back movie proposal [by the Selangor Agricultural noted that the forests are always
music maestro Richard Kaufman in a programme Development Corporation] to de- under stress from development.
celebrating John Williams, the most famous and gazette the Kuala Langat South Forest For instance, the proposed
popular film music composer of our day and the man Reserve [to plant oil palm],” said Wong Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring
credited with bringing symphonic music back to the to loud applause from 300 volunteers Road is expected to cut through
big screen. Hear music from Star Wars, Superman,
Jurassic Park, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and many at a tree-planting event at the Raja the S elang or State Park
more. The concert will be held today and tomorrow Musa Forest Reserve. gazetted in 2005.
at 8.30pm and on Sunday at 3pm. Admission today She said endangered species like “ We need to have more
and tomorrow is RM95, RM75, RM55, RM25. On tapirs were found in the forest reserve protection mechanisms in
Sunday, it’s RM85, RM65, RM40, RM20. Dress code during a biodiversity audit conducted place to protect the green
today and tomorrow is long-sleeved batik or lounge in December 2010. encroachment and degradation. spaces,” she said, adding that 30% forest
suit and on Sunday, smart casual.
Venue: Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Level 2, Tower
Wong added that her office will be For example, more than 1,000ha of the cover is the bare minimum to maintain
2, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC, K. Lumpur. producing an amendment to the Raja Musa Forest Reserve has been the stability of ecosystems. The national
National Forestr y Act Selangor encroached upon and has suffered from target for forest cover is 50%.
Jay Chou (The Era) 2011 World Tour Live Enactment. degradation. In 2008, Selangor had announced a
“If any forest reserve were to be de- “Forest reserve lands were sold by 25-year moratorium on logging to
With more than 350 music awards under his belt, gazetted, [we will] inform the public unscrupulous people to unsuspecting conserve its remaining forests.
Jay’s songs fuse R & B, rock and pop genres and hold public consultation…This is buyers…Drains and roads were built into Selangor Forestry Department director
covering issues such as domestic violence, war and
urbanisation to subjects such as tender love. This to avoid backdoor deals [where] the forest reserve,” said Wong. Borhanudin Arshad and environmental
world tour named “The Era World Tour” continues suddenly a large part of forest is gone,” With limited human resources, Wong NGO Global Environment Centre
to earn rave reviews as the most impressive she said. said the Selangor Forestry Department director Faizal Parish were also present at
concert production ever launched in Asia. The Wong said the amendment is part needs the public to be their eyes and ears Saturday’s event.
unprecedented stage design uses more than 2000 of the state’s effort to uphold the and alert them of forest encroachment. Over 300 volunteers, including
strips LED screens, complete with sophisticated 3D public’s right to information. She added that the wetlands conserva- students and working adults, planted 800
animations and stunning lighting and action effects.
The concert is today and tomorrow at 8.30 pm. They hope to table the amendment, tion blueprint was still in conceptual seedlings in an ongoing effort to
Admission prices from RM130 to RM760. Venue: which is also recommended by the stage, and the state would rope in non- rehabilitate the 1,000 degraded areas in
Putra Indoor Stadium Bukit Jalil, KL National Land Council, at the state governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Raja Musa Forest Reserve, the largest
assembly sitting this month. related experts to help draw it up in the peat swamp in Selangor and second
Antenatal Class On top of that, Wong said her office next three months. largest in Peninsular Malaysia.
had been instructed by the Menteri Wong said the blueprint would likely Since December 2008, the Selangor
An antenatal class will be held tomorrow at Pantai
Hospital Ampang from 10.30am to 5pm. Admission
Besar to come up with a “workable include the formation of a public trust Forestry Department has been working
is free for expecting parents while registration is on a blueprint” to conserve wetland forests fund, where the public may become together with the Global Environment
first-come, first-served basis. The class will provide in Selangor. shareholders of the forest reserves and Centre, an NGO, to rehabilitate the peat
couples with basic information about pregnancy, “[This is to protect] the very little contribute funds for conservation. swamp. The two signed a memorandum
self-help measures, advice and treatment before that we have left in the state,” she said. In addition, the state would be explor- of understanding in December last year
and after delivery. For registration, call Racheal at Currently, Selangor has around ing international funding opportunities to continue the community-based forest
03-4289 2877. 81,000ha of peat swamps and 18,000ha via a new United Nations mechanism rehabilitation programme in Raja Musa
Family Health and Wellness Day of mangroves forests, but these wetland called REDD (Reducing Emissions from and expand it to other wetland forests in
forests are frequently under threat from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). Selangor.
An intense two hour free seminar on how you can
improve your health, protect your wealth and some
parenting tips will be held tomorrow at 2pm. All
areas are covered by experts in their fields. Among
the attractions are free goody bags, cash vouchers
and an opportunity to enter the special bring-along-
A safer Millennium Park
a-friend lucky draw. There are limited seats and is By Basil Foo nights are to cater for working people also,” she said.
on a first-come-first-served basis. Venue: Canteen She thanked MPSJ for the lights, which made the park a
Caf, Putra World Trade Centre. SUBANG JAYA: Residents of SS13 and its surrounding safer place and provided residents with a walking area as the
areas can now look forward to better lighting and an increase park is mostly surrounded by highways.
Language course in exercise programmes at the refurbished Millennium Park. “We used to find handbags left here, probably after snatch
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman is offering a Korean
“I came here for the exercise programmes with some friends, thefts. But once the lights were installed, we didn’t face that
language short course at its Centre for Extension and through word-of-mouth, more of them are interested in problem any more,” Yeoh added.
Education, Petaling Jaya, campus. The course joining,” said Evelyn Low, 60. Exercise instructor Noel Chelliah explained that the exer-
starts every Monday and Wednesday from 6.30pm A resident of nearby housing area SS14, she said this was cise routines comprise regular aerobic workouts, which is
to 9pm. Registration is now open. For details, call her first time here as previously the park had no attractions. mainly for people to have fun.
03-7957 2818/7955 5181/016-223 3563 (Fui Mee/ Millennium Park has undergone several refurbishing efforts, “Even if you have knee problems or any other injuries, this
Eileen). with the Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) planting exercise routine is still acceptable as it is not very intense,” he
Sign language course trees in 2009 and installing floodlights last year. said.
“The two floodlights were installed last October and cost The trainers work in health clubs around town and have
The new intake for a basic sign language course RM23,000,” said MPSJ engineering director Ismail Shafie. been contracted by Yeoh for the whole year.
organised by Pusat Majudiri ‘Y’ For the Deaf Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh said for six “Many of the trainers have seven to eight years’ experience
spanning eight weeks will start on Monday and months last year, the exercise programme was held from and are all certified lifesavers. In the event that someone has
Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9pm as well as on 7.30am to 8am on Saturday mornings. This year, the pro- chest pains or injuries, we are always prepared with first aid,”
Saturday from 10.30am to 1.30pm. For enquiries or
registration, call Chee Huay Woon at 03-2274 1439 gramme will be extended to include Wednesday nights from said Noel.
or e-mail huaywoon@ymcakl.com 8pm to 830pm. “Many people think exercise is hard and boring, but by
“It is a bit hard for young people to wake up on Saturday incorporating music and making it friendly for all ages, it can
mornings, especially those who are working, so Wednesday be fun and easy,” he added.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ March 4 – 6, 2011 ⁄ 5
6
news
March 4 — 6, 2011

Shop owners against MRT in Kajang


By Gan Pei Ling Most shop own-
ers raise their
KAJANG: Shop owners in Kajang hands when
old town are against the Mass asked if they
Rapid Transit (MRT) proposed line object to the
that will cut through their town. current MRT
They have urged the developer to alignment which
will displaced
change the alignment to protect them.
businesses and preserve the old
town’s heritage.
“We welcome the MRT, but the
current alignment will cut through
our town and a long row of shop-
houses on Jalan Besar will have to
make way for it,” said Kong Hock
Monk at a meeting with Kajang as- Lee: Current alignment will cut
semblyperson Lee Kim Sin and through town.
Prasarana representatives on Tues-
day. Besar junction will be reduced to
The proposed Bandar Kajang two lanes during construction ac-
station with park and ride facilities cording to the detailed environmen-
is the second last station along the tal impact assessment (DEIA) re-
MRT first line before the line ends leased on Feb 14.
at Kajang’s KTM commuter station. “This will significantly reduce the
More than 80 concerned shop capacity of this junction … It is es- they could not respond to the resi- He said the Kajang Municipal gestions, to Prasarana and SPAD.
owners along Jalan Besar and neigh- sential not to reduce the capacity of dents’ concerns immediately, but Council might consider giving up The railway scheme for the Sun-
bouring streets of Jalan Tengah and this junction as all major arterials of they would submit the complaints the town hall for the MRT station gai Buloh-Kajang line, the first of
Jalan Sulaiman attended the meet- Kajang town intersect at this junc- and suggestions to their superiors. to be built there. three MRT lines, is currently dis-
ing. tion,” the DEIA stressed. Prasarana, owned by the Finance “That way it wouldn’t affect local played in seven locations for public
“The three main streets are where “ Why do they have to cut Ministry, is the owner of the MRT shop owners but would bring in feedback from Feb 14-May 14.
the township originated; you de- through our town? There are a lot project. However, the project is also more business. Accessibility to the Construction is scheduled to
stroy them, you destroy the history of vacant lands along the river near supervised by the Land Public station will not be a problem either,” begin in July and end in 2016.
of Kajang,” said Kong Hock Yew, the stadium,” said Kong Hock Transport Commission (SPAD). said Lee. Another public briefing will be
who has a retail business on Jalan Monk, who suggested a change of Lee suggested that shop owners He also feels that one of the shop held on March 10 at Dewan MPKj
Besar. alignment. form a working group to compile all owner’s suggestions to change the at 8pm. All residents affected by the
Shop owners are also worried He said the developer could their feedback and suggestions to be rail line alignment to go along Sun- MRT under the Kajang municipal-
about noise pollution and traffic change the current alignment which submitted to Prasarana and SPAD. gai Langat instead of along the roads ity are encouraged to attend the
congestion during and after con- is along the road to go along Sungai Lee also said he had discussed the could be further explored. session. Prasarana and MRT project
struction, which would affect busi- Langat instead. MRT plan with Kajang councillors He said MPKj would be submit- delivery partner MMC-Gamuda
ness. The existing four-lane section The two Prasarana representa- and they “strongly object” to the rail ting feedback, taking into account representatives have been invited as
of Jalan Semenyih approaching Jalan tives who attended the meeting said line cutting through Kajang town. local residents’ complaints and sug- well.

Perhilitan
• From page one
that they would now have to apply for li-
cences for their clients.
“They usually release the animals back into

Study Medicine
the wild after a few hours of buying them,”
said one of the traders, who only wanted to
be known as Lee. “needs to
monitor”
She said it was impractical for the clients
to acquire licences to as they did not intend
At to keep the animals. “A receipt should be
sufficient,” she said.
Kursk State Medical However, Selangor Perhilitan senior as-
sistant director Khairi Ahmad said the clients
University,
Unversity, Russia should apply for licences as well. He ex-
plained to Selangor Times that Perhilitan
“needs to monitor” the locations and num-
bers of animals being released to ensure that
they did not disturb the ecosystem.
Chinese-medicine business owners also
expressed concern over the new species now
listed under “protected wildlife” as many
Chinese medicines include wildlife ingredi-
ents. Products involving any parts of wildlife,
Malaysian graduates of June 2010
including meat, bones, blood or venom, are
• Established in the year 1935 (75 years old)
• Recognised by JPA & MMC, GMC (UK), CANADA and 40 countries Globaly
regulated under the Wildlife Conservation
• LISTED IN DIRECTORY OF MEDICAL SCHOOL OF WHO Act. public that the procedure would be practical.
• Choice of more than 1100 Malaysian students to study in KSMU Nurul Nabiah Tan Abdullah from a Chi- He also said no action would be taken as long
• 450 have graduated since 1999 are employed in government hospitals nese medicine retailer wanted to know if her as owners and traders registered with Perh-
• Halal food and Surau for Muslim students company would need to apply for new per- ilitan for the licences by June 27.
• Course fee with Hostel fees for 6 years only RM 103,284.00 mits. She said birds’ nest, deer horns and Selangor Perhilitan is currently on a road
• Taught fully in English medium since 1994
• Two intakes in a year FEB / MARCH and September/ October
python powder were some of the common tour to alert the public on the implications
• Entry requirements : Students with STPM, A’Level, SAM, SSAM.CPU, Indian PU, UEC and wildlife ingredients used in Chinese medi- of the new wildlife act. Apart from Monday’s
other equivalent qualification can apply for direct entry to 1st year medicine cine. briefing in Shah Alam, they will be going to
• Entry requirements : SPM students with Full results and forecast can apply to join
Foundation study in Windfield International College to oin 1st year KSMU in Sept 2011
“Many manufacturers or retailers get into Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam and Hulu Sel-
or Feb 2012 trouble because they think they don’t need a angor.
• Assistance for loans and others provided permit as long as they are using the ingredi- The public can contact Selangor Perhilitan
ents for medical purposes,” she said. at selangor@wildlife.gov.my or call 03-5519
For Further Information Contact www.ksmu.com.my
When asked by Selangor Times, she said 3915 / 03-5510 1830 for any enquiries.
MAGGARAM SDN BHD (P – 825616) Contact :
she has had no trouble dealing with Perhilitan The full list of protected wildlife can be
Sole And Exclusive Representative For KSMU In Malaysia DATO’ M.V.RAJU : 019 3520249
C-19-02, Dataran 3 Two, No .2, Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, MRS.RENUGA : 017 3661578 over the years. found in the Wildlife Conservation Act
46300 Petaling Jaya, selangor Darul Ehsan OFFICE : 03 79568006
EMAIL : v_magaram@hotmail.com FAX : 03 79577006
Although Perhilitan has yet to iron out 2010, which can be downloaded at www.
many licensing details, Khairi assured the wildlife.gov.my.
news
march 4 — 6, 2011 7

Ray of hope for addicts


By William Tan

petaling jaya: The Break-


through house, located at 568, Jalan
17/18, held a party last Sunday for
its residents, volunteers and staff,
past and present. The home is a
place of refuge and restoration for
people thought lost to drugs.
Currently housing 18 residents,
all of whom arrived on referral, the
home is a better alternative to prison
or a public rehabilitation centre as
the residents do not risk obtaining
a criminal record.
“The centre is particularly invit-

Know Your
ing for parents of young drug ad-
dicts, who don’t want their children
charged with a record of drug

Councillor:
abuse,” said Pastor Samuel Krishnan,
who manages the home.
He believes the service they pro-
vide is vital in saving and restoring
the youths. Often, he said, he has
found that the fault lies in parents
who are neglectful and absent. The
Cheah
home therefore acts as a bridge be-
tween parents and children to re-
store their relationship.
A 17-year-old resident said al-
Sang Soon
though the role of his parents was a Top: A party held for staff, By Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin
volunteers and residents,
major factor, it was not what led past and present.
him to drugs. SUBANG JAYA: Although he lives in
“[It] was peer pressure. I was 14 Right: Pastor Samuel Shah Alam, Cheah Sang Soon (pix) serves as
when I was pressured into trying Krishnan. a Subang Jaya Municipal (MPSJ) councillor
cigarettes. From then on, it slowly because his office is located there.
upgraded to drugs,” said the teen, Far right: Charan Jeep “I help people in two ways. One as a poli-
who is not named for his protection. Singh, 42, a graduate cymaker, making sure I help create policies
He said once he got into drugs, of the home’s drug which will benefit the residents. And on the
it was hard to stop. Nothing gave rehabilitation programme. administrative side, I act as an intermediary
him greater joy, or put an end to his between the people and the council,” said the
boredom or frustration, than the third-term councillor.
drugs, he said. In charge of Zone 18, which covers
The resident said before entering Bandar Kinrara, Taman Bukit Kinrara, Ta-
the home, he would wake up won- neighbours, under supervision. This is physically symbolised by achieved a 100% recovery rate man Puncak Kinrara and Taman Perindus-
dering how he was going to get high “We are taught how to live upgrading through four rooms through the programme. trian Bukit Kinrara, the common complaints
that day – a scary thought now that without drugs, to be at peace that represent the different traits. Charan, who is now a delivery in his area are garbage collection,  unre-
he is on the road to recovery, having without them,” said Chandra Their studies are also com- person, credits his time in the paired roads and licensing issues.
completed two months of a two- Darshanan, 33. bined with a focus on faith in home for giving him a strong “For immediate problems which I can
year rehabilitation and restoration “Eventually, we become like God. foundation, and said he doesn’t handle myself, such as garbage collection, I
programme. family as we sleep, eat and play After two years, it is hoped think of or desire drugs anymore. will contact the contractor, Alam Flora Sdn
What is scarier is how quickly sports with [one another].” that each resident will be re- Six people have graduated Bhd, to deal with the matter.
drug use is becoming a trend among Chandra got into drugs be- stored to being a contributing from the programme since the “However, for problems which require a
the young, and how easy it is to get cause it was the norm back home. member of society, and to set an home was established in 2004. It bigger budget, such as road repairs or creation
hold of the more popular drugs such He has been in the programme example for all. is mainly funded by Damansara of parks, I will have to apply for the budget
as Ketamine, he added. for two months. The time spent at the centre Utama Methodist Church from MPSJ,” said Cheah.
The rehabilitation programme is The residents follow a very stays with those who have grad- (DUMC), and works closely Another common issue for Cheah is li-
compulsory for all residents. Other strict schedule, with no access to uated. with and receives contributions censing of illegal hawkers. As far as possible,
requirements are that the potential television or newspapers. They “Here we are at peace, a fam- from Agensi Anti-Dadah Ke- he tries to get them licensed if they fulfill the
resident has to be between the ages do their laundry by hand to build ily, protected and well loved. It is bangsaan (AADK). conditions, such as if the site they are situ-
of 17 and 45, and must not have any character and discipline, and to such a contrast to the rest of the It is hoped that the home will ated on is convenient and not in the way.
serious criminal charges such as avoid idleness which could tempt world out there,” said Charan expand to have a separate house Cheah said the most challenging aspect of
murder or robbery. them back to drugs. Jeep Singh, 42. for female residents. Currently it his job is dealing with unhappy ratepayers
Residents live a communal life, The largest part of their life in Charan got into drug addic- is only able to offer consultation, over policies or decisions the council has
helping one another with house- the home is the study and prac- tion by experimenting with “soft” due to the close quarters and made. According to him, there will always be
hold tasks such as cooking, clean- tice of virtues to adopt seven key drugs before getting into harder male population of the home. a small group who will be unhappy no matter
ing , plumbing and gardening , characteristics: forgiveness, obe- substances, which led him into a For more information on the what policy or decision is made.
which teaches them self-sufficiency. dience or respect for authority, downward spiral. He was in the Breakthrough house, call 03- “An example would be if we issued a li-
Some of them are now skilled sincerity, self control, truthful- home from 2007 to 2009, and is 7954 2027 or email Samuel.k@ cence to a kindergarten operator so they can
enough to take on small jobs for ness, patience and responsibility. an example of someone who has ces.org.my open their kindergarten in a residential area.
Some residents don’t like this, but we cannot

Klang council raids entertainment outlets do anything about it because the by-laws al-
low for  kindergartens  to operate in corner
lots in residential areas,” said Cheah.
Despite the grouses, he still finds it satisfy-
By Brenda Ch’ng locations for illegal drugs and prostitution massage parlour, while the men, who tested ing to serve as a councillor as he feels that he
have already been identified,” said Andry positive for drug use, were picked up at enter- is contributing to the development of the
klang: A suspected sex worker and two Aman. tainment outlets. township in the MPSJ area.
drug addicts were among those arrested dur- The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) MPK said on Tuesday the raids were car- When not busy with his own engineering
ing ongoing operations to curb vice activities enforcement director headed the joint opera- ried out to curtail vice activities among youths company, spending time with his wife and
at entertainment centres here last week.  tions with officers from the National Anti- in the town. Urine tests were also carried out three children and his job as councillor,
“This raid will not be the last but the first Drug Agency. on both staff and patrons of the outlets that Cheah enjoys reading, playing badminton
of many more. In fact, several other possible The suspected sex worker was arrested in a were raided. and football, and travelling.
8
news
march 4 — 6, 2011

Newgate back on track


By Alicia Mun giran Setia in 2006.
The property developer won the
Subang jaya: White Knight open tender that was facilitated by
property developer Sumbangan PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Lagenda has secured a court order Advisory Services, who was ap-
to resume construction of Newgate pointed by creditor RHB Bank in
Avenue USJ 21, which has been December 2008 to resolve the situ-
abandoned for a decade. ation.
The news was announced to own- In December 2010, almost all the
ers of the serviced apartments by buyers voted to allow Sumbangan
their committee chairperson Pritpal Lagenda to rehabilitate the project.
Singh at a press conference at the site State executive councillor Teresa
of the project last Sunday. Kok congratulated the owners as
“We appreciate the support of all their hard work of searching for a
the parties who have helped us to new developer has paid off.
revive this project, including the “I hope the house buyers will now
state as well as the house buyers,” fulfil their responsibility of paying a
said Pritpal, who added that more top-up of 25% of the original price
than 1,300 house buyers were af- of their units to cover the escalated
fected when the project stalled, cost of the construction,” she said.
and  many are still servicing bank House buyers who choose to sur-
loans for their units. render their units will receive an
Pritpal also urged authorities to 80% refund of their total payment
widen the access road at Jalan Aman made to date.
from two lanes to four as increased The serviced apartment units
traffic is expected in the area. were originally sold at RM70,000 to
Sumbangan Lagenda is the third RM150,000.
developer to take over the four Sumbangan Lagenda managing credibility and integrity of the abandoned for 10 years.
blocks of 24-storey apartments and director Jason Yam assured the structure. Also at the press conference were Pritpal Singh briefing
However, he added that the de- house buyers at the
three-storey retail podium. The house buyers at the press conference Puchong Member of Parliament
press conference.
project was initially abandoned by that the same architect would be sign of the apartment would be Gobind Singh Deo and Subang Jaya
Solarglow in 2000 and then by Ping- employed in order to uphold the upgraded as the project had been assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh.

Expect garbage
collection glitches,
residents told
By Gan Pei Ling the system.
  To ensure fairness, concerned
Subang jaya: Residents here parliamentarians like Dr Siti Ma-
have been warned to expect some riah Mahmood (Kota Raja) and
disruption  during the transition Khalid Samad (Shah Alam) sug-
period when new sub-contractors gested a lottery system for MPSJ to
take over garbage collection services select shortlisted companies with
this month.  the same pricing.
“Please bear with us, the transi- Rajiv expressed hope that Sub-
tion period shouldn’t take too long,” ang Jaya residents would be patient
Rajiv  Rishyakaran told Selangor while the state and the council at-
Times. tempted to resolve the issue as soon
The councillor, from the Subang as possible.
Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), MPSJ is the first local council to
said some existing contractors, un- carry out an open tender exercise
happy at not being selected via the for its waste disposal services in Restaurant owners receiving their rubbish bins.
new open tender system, had al- Selangor.
ready stopped providing services in
Zone Bersih launched in  Kota Damansara
The council initiated the exercise
February.   after consulting the state and solid
At the USJ 11/3 Residents As- waste management company Alam
sociation’s third anniversary celebra- Flora, as it estimated that it could
tion recently, Rajiv said residents in save them RM3.5 million a year. petaling jaya: In a bid to promote cleanliness, cleanliness.
USJ 2 and USJ 6 had complained Previously, Alam Flora appointed Kota Damansara has become the newest township to According to Roslan, selection of the clean zones is
that their rubbish had not been col- the sub-contractors at its own dis- be earmarked as Zone Bersih by the Petaling Jaya City based on several criteria issued by the Selangor state
lected for a week.  cretion. MPSJ was spending RM70 Council (MBPJ). government, including cleanliness observation, infra-
He  urged those facing similar million out of its RM200 million “Cleanliness must not only be enforced by the local structure maintenance, landscape maintenance, public
problems to alert MPSJ or its coun- annual budget to pay Alam Flora. authorities, but it must also garner the support and facilities maintenance, complaints management, and
cillors so they could help resolve it. Although MPSJ now selects the commitment of all the residents and restaurant owners community involvement.
Rajiv added that MPSJ is likely sub-contractors, Alam Flora will in the area,” said Datuk Mohamad Roslan  Sakiman. There are 368 units of shop lots, including 115 res-
to extend the service of existing sub- continue to manage the sub-con- The MBPJ mayor opened the programme at Data- taurants, in Dataran Sunway.
contractors until the new ones se- tractors and receive commission for ran Sunway last Saturday. “Restaurant owners must realise that cleanliness is
lected via open tender could take its services. Earlier this year,  SS2 was also designated as Zone important. Opening a restaurant is not just about mak-
over. The local council received more Bersih in the city.  ing profits,” he said.
The state had suspended the than 7,800 applications from 1,124 Roslan said he was proud of the initiative by prop- Kota Damansara assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim,
council’s  open tender exercise on companies for 241 contracts, in erty developer Sunway City Berhad to keep the city Petaling Jaya city councillor Kandeah Subramaniam
Feb 17 after allegations surfaced that which 61 are for rubbish collection clean.   and Sunway City Berhad (Property Development,
certain council members with links and the rest for cleaning jobs. The aim of the programme is to create awareness Malaysia) managing director Ho Hon Sang were pre-
to bidders might attempt to abuse All tenders are now closed. and educate the community on the importance of sent at the launch.
news
march 4 — 6, 2011 9

Living in fear on Jalan Kastam


By Yasleh Rita Ayu Mat dents have formed an ad hoc commit-
Yassin and Alvin Yap tee to tackle the problem.
Santiago said he would be contact-
PORT KLANG: Claims of 40 ing the Klang District Police Chief to
break-ins on Jalan Kastam within two ask for an increase in police patrols and
months, including a recent incident for a temporary police beat base to be
where two residents were injured, have set up in the area. 
the community living in fear. He also promised to arrange a dia-
Last Sunday, Klang MP Charles logue between the police and the resi-
Santiago and two local councillors met dents as soon as possible. 
with residents who made the claims Santiago said only with the coop-
and who wanted better protection. eration of everyone – community,
One resident, Charles Benedict, police and government bodies – could
related his experience of being held off the problem be addressed.
with a machete when his sister’s house “The residents have to take control
was broken into last month. The rob- of the problem and the solution as
bers threatened him and locked him well,” said Santiago. 
in a room before ransacking the house When contacted,  Klang police
and making off with RM16,000 in chief Assistant Commissioner Mo-
jewellery and RM4,000 cash. hamad Mat Yusop denied the resi-
Santiago also visited the home of dents’ claim that there have been 40
the two residents who had been in- house break-ins in the last two months
jured. One of them, who only wanted on Jalan Kastam.
to be known as Joanne, described how “From our records, there were two
she was hit unconscious with a crow- cases of break-ins from January to
bar when she went to investigate a February,” he told Selangor Times over
noise she heard upstairs at around the phone.
4.15am on Feb 15. He, however, said that there had
She woke up to see one of her sisters been five other cases in the last two
bleeding from being hit on the head months, comprising snatch theft and
with a baseball bat, and her brother car break-ins, among others. The fig-
tied up.  ure, he explained, was not only for
She managed to called a neighbour Jalan Kastam but included the sur-
for help, and the police arrived 20 rounding areas.
minutes later. Joanne ended up with There were 38 cases of break-ins for
four stitches on her forehead and five the whole of last year, he said.
on the back of her head. “I will want to meet the residents
A resident who refused to be iden- to see the situation there for myself,”
tified at the dialogue claimed there was he said, adding that he wanted to allay
an average of seven robberies every the public’s worry about the crime rate
Santiago (right) during the meeting with the residents week. Tired of living in fear, the resi- as reported in the media.

Authorities keep Staggering stories of abuse


close eye on market By Yasleh Hasni Mat Yassin

Life Sdn Bhd 6: Abuse, which ran from


SELAYANG: The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has joined Feb 22-27 at the Actors Studio in Lot
forces with police and immigration officers to patrol the Selayang Utama 10, Kuala Lumpur, highlighted the
wet market round-the-clock to catch illegal traders. issue of abuse in Malaysia. Directed
So far 60 illegal traders have been arrested, including 25 illegal im- by Datuk Faridah Merican, it fea-
migrants, and 100kg of vegetables were confiscated during their first raid tured brave individuals such as
last Sunday. Amelia Tan, Dave Avran, Malik
Selangor Times previously reported that the local council has not been Taufiq, Nitia, Nooreen Preusser,
able to catch these illegal traders, who are competing with locals, as they Rosheen Fatima, Shirin Jauhari, Su-
usually operate “after hours” when MPS enforcement officers are off- san Lankester, Tria Aziz, Veronica Ng
duty. In addition, MPS only has the power to seize their stalls and goods and Will Quah, who willingly
but not arrest them. stepped forward to share personal or
By teaming with the police force and immigration department from secondhand accounts of abuse.
this month, MPS acting president Jaid Ehsan believes they will finally be The show opened with the cast
able to effectively address the problem of illegal traders at the wet market. introducing themselves while stating
Up to 150 illegal stalls, mostly set up by Burmese and Bangladeshis, that they were against abuse of any
can usually be found from 8pm to 8am the next day. These hawkers have kind. Preusser then talked about her
been undercutting local traders as well as causing traffic congestion as work with Protect and Save the
their stalls are set up along five foot ways and even on the road. Children, an organisation promoting
The problem has persisted for more than two years, and the Selayang and protecting the rights of children
Hawkers and Traders Association has lodged many complaints with the to be free from sexual abuse and ex- and moving, were interspersed with of how she found her human caretak-
authorities. ploitation. songs by local singer-songwriters Ian ers was really amusing despite the fact
Jaid noted that Rela members have not joined their 24-hour patrolling The show progressed with each Chow and Khairil M. Bahar, three of that she had been abandoned; it left
operations as Rela has asked for a RM16,000 allowance. cast member sharing their stories of which were commissioned for this me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Avran
“The amount is too high. We hope they can reduce it,” said Jaid, who abuse – mental, physical, sexual and show, and one of which featured even brought Dawn out on stage at
added that the matter would be discussed in a local committee meeting emotional. The accounts were stag- dancer Stephanie Chantelle Lim. the end of the narrative.
before they brought it up again at the next full board meeting. gering, demonstrating the nature of These provided a welcome relief from All in all, the show left a great
Meanwhile, MPS is still facing problems in recovering government certain kinds of people whose actions what could otherwise have been an impact on me. It took great courage
lands that have been used by political party members of the previous are far removed from humanity: in- exhausting progression of stories. for the survivors of abuse to come
administration to build multipurpose halls. cest, "creative" forms of parental The show ended on a lighter note out and share their experiences for
MPS has been liaising with the Gombak land office to recover the punishment, and even abuse of with Avran portraying his dog Dawn, the enlightenment of others and to
lands and halls. The council has recovered two but is still facing problems power where a rape case was made to who shared "her" story of being res- raise the awareness on the issue,
with six others, five of which are being used by MCA and the other by be as if it never was. cued from a pound a day before she which Life Sdn Bhd 6: Abuse suc-
MIC. These anecdotes, both shocking was due to be put to sleep. The tale ceeded in doing.
10
news
march 4 — 6, 2011

MPK eyes
parking
concession
takeover
By Alvin Yap

KLANG:  Local councillors who


are seeing red over a lopsided park-
ing concession say the Klang Mu-
nicipal Council (MPK) should
collect its own parking fees.
A proposal to take over the conces-
sion was raised again at a MPK full
board meeting by councillors who
opposed the contract, which allows
Suasa Efektif Sdn Bhd to take 70 sen
to the ringgit for every parking fee
collected in the municipality.
“We have to pay our enforcement
officers to go around giving parking
summonses and collecting coins, while
Suasa Efektif takes 70% of the parking Caption
fees,” said councillor Lim Lip Suan. 
The proposal was first suggested Lim spoke to reporters after the
two years ago. Lim said MPK’s Finan- full board meeting.
cial and Infrastructure Department The Section 17 wet
market houses
was studying the move.  She said the council had to study some 100 hawkers
The council, he said, would have to whether it was more efficient to let and traders,
spend RM7million to take over the Suasa Efektif continue managing the and has been in
concession. concession. operation since
MPK press relations officer Norfi- She also said the Legal Department mid-70s.
za Mahfiz said the council would make would study the contract with Suasa
a detailed study of the proposal. Efektif, adding that the company had
She said it could cost the council not breached any contractual terms.
more than the quoted RM7 million MPK councillor Ivan Ho, a law-
to take over the management of yer, said MPK had to establish if it

Wet
parking in the Klang municipal area. has the legal provision to terminate
The additional cost, she said, the contract with Suasa Efektif.
might come from having to replace He said it was unfair of the com-
faulty parking machines. pany to collect 70 sen for every
“That is why MPK president
(Datuk Mislan Tugiu) directed the
respective committees to make a
parking fee.
According to an MPK official on
Wednesday, the period of agreement market
to be
study. We don’t want to waste between MPK and Suasa allows the
money if it doesn’t benefit the coun- concessionaire to collect parking fees
cil and ratepayers,” said Norfiza. for 20 years.

Work with us to keep improved Lee speaking to hawkers and traders on plans to refurbish the wet
market last Thursday.

Klang clean, says MPK PETALING JAYA:  A long overdue refurbishment of


traders, but in the long run it’s better for everyone,” he said.
MBPJ engineering director Cheremi Tarman said work
the Section 17 market here will be carried out soon.  was expected to take up to three months to complete.
KLANG: The Klang Municipal civic awareness are fundamental for Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Edward Lee said fund- However, he said MBPJ would try to speed up the work to
Council (MPK) is urging the com- this matter to be dealt with effec- ing would come from the RM1 million allocated by the cause minimum disruption.
munity to work with them to clean tively, and that public perception on Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to improve wet The traders were informed that they would have to re-
up the town. the issue, especially with regard to the markets in the city. locate to the adjacent parking lot once work started but
"The issue with trash in Royal habit of littering, needs to change. Lee, who visited the market on Jalan 17/38 yesterday most were receptive. Section 17 Wet Market Hawkers’
Town is nothing new. [It] has be- “The garbage problem is a com- morning, said work would be carried out in stages. Association chairperson Lim Keh Seng said they welcomed
come [part of the town's] identity munity issue," Norfiza stressed. "As “No doubt the upgrading works will inconvenience the the move.
which is hard to erase from the the local authority, MPK has done
public eye, especially those setting
foot here for the first time," said MPK
its best to ensure that this area is as
clean as other areas." New pro-chancellor for Unisel
communications and public com- She added that public complaints
plaints director Norfiza Mahfiz. are being addressed by both MPK
She said ratepayers should not be and Alam Flora Sdn Bhd, and that SHAH ALAM: Former Malaysia Tun Raja Uda, who was previously The Menteri Besar said Ismail
quick to "point fingers" at the au- the council welcomes information Public Service Director Tan Sri Is- selected as Unisel chancellor. “The was chosen because of his wide ex-
thorities as the community, too, has on sites that have been turned into mail Adam has been appointed as appointment of Ismail was decided perience in the public services sec-
a role in addressing the problem.  illegal garbage dumps so that im- Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Selan- by Unisel’s Board of Directors and tor, and has held various key posi-
She said the public's attitude and mediate action can be taken. gor (Unisel) effective Feb 21. was approved by the Selangor Rul- tions until his last appointment as
He replaces Raja Tan Sri Arshad er,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. Director of Malaysia Public Service. 
Views 11
March 4 — 6, 2011

Teohlogy
patrick teoh Do we get what
T
more.
he old saying goes that you get what you pay
for. Or there’s the other one that says when you
pay peanuts you will get monkeys, although at
today’s prices that may not altogether be true any-

Do we really get what we pay for these days? I have


been thinking about this the past couple of days.
we pay for?
Why did my thoughts suddenly For years and years we’ve been
go to this topic when there are obvi- paying or not paying by not wanting
ously more earth-shattering (sorry) For years and years we’ve been paying or not to get involved. Not wanting to vote.
things happening elsewhere in the Not wanting to fork out more than
world, like the New Zealand earth- paying by not wanting to get involved. Not wanting a cursory acknowledgement that we
quake and the toppling of govern- to vote. Not wanting to fork out more than a cursory need to “pay” for good “services” and
ments in the Middle East? acknowledgement that we need to ‘pay’ for good get it.
Well, it started last Sunday. My ‘services’ and get it. And so for all those years of And so for all those years of “not”
family and I went for lunch at a ‘not’ paying we get MPs who disappear from view paying we get MPs who disappear
Japanese fast-food restaurant. You once the elections are over.” from view once the elections are
know, one of those in a shopping over.
mall with the revolving belt bearing We get roads repaired, electricity
little plates of sushi inside clear to say the least, sloppy. ingly it has become the rule in life this I read that the proposed MRT connected, schools built only when
plastic domes. A good Japanese sushi chef would in Bolehland. is doomed to fail before it even an MP dies and by-elections are
The meal for the four of us came gladly have put a knife to his belly How many times have you called starts. The Association for the Im- held. Or, as it is more popular these
to RM107 something. This may and committed hara-kiri rather than for a) people to come and repair a provement of Mass Transit claims days, for an elected representative to
seem like a lot to some, but it is serve what we were given as Japanese faulty air-con unit? Did the guy/s that it is impossible for the MRT to hop over to the other side.
quite the norm for those discerning cuisine. The staff were all grumpy ask you for a ladder? Or b) have achieve its passenger-load targets But as 2008’s tsunami proved, we
or foolish enough to eat at such and less than welcoming. people come to deliver and assem- based on its fleet size and passenger actually can get what we pay for. If
places. Looking at their faces I could ble a knock-down wardrobe, and capacity. we pay the right price. Of involve-
No, toro (tuna belly, the most believe that they were made to work then ask you if you had a screw- Wow! How much are we paying ment. Of caring. Of acting.
expensive sashimi) was not on the late the night before. It would have driver? Or c) service your fish tank, for that? RM36-plus billion!!! Now So what are you going to do? Pay
menu. With a 10% service charge been Saturday, and the place would and then ask to borrow a bucket or that’s not peanuts! or not? And please remember, pea-
and government tax, the total bill have been busy. The same crew were a piece of rag to clean the aquari- Get what we’re willing to pay for? nuts still get monkeys one ah.
came up to RM122 something. For probably up early that morning to um? Hardly. More peanuts get you more mon-
lunch. prepare for the Sunday rush. All these people expect to be paid Well, except when it comes to keys. And more monkeys mean they
Okay, so we knew it was going to Whatever the reasons, I felt we good money for their “services”. And politicians, that is. For that particu- will one day come into your peanut
be pricey. Eating Japanese is pleasur- didn’t get what we paid for. And the it’s not even a case of paying peanuts lar bunch of “service providers” you store and steal all your peanuts.
able to the palate but never cheap. 10% “service charge” was just to slap and getting monkeys. These days it’s do get what you pay for. Really. And then they will only give you
So we paid good money. But did we us in the face one more time before like paying cashews and getting si- Think about it. For the last 50- some peanuts during election time.
get good value? Well, the fish was we left the premises. mians. plus years we’ve been getting the And then YOU will be the monkey
fresh. But the sushi presented was, Is this an exception? No. Increas- And guess what? While writing government we deserve or “paid” for. lor. Get it?

Tracking the pulse of Penang

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2009

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Penang Economic Monthly is a monthly magazine dedicated to socio-economic issues in


Penang, offering reliable socio-economic data as well as informative articles on the arts,the
industry, culture and social issues that are relevant to today’s generation of Malaysians.
Available nationwide at bookshops and newsstands.
www.penangeconomicmonthly.com
Insight
12 March 4 — 6, 2011
By Alvin Yap

T
urning underprivileged youths into a proficient and skilled
workforce may not sound like the best method to instill
character formation in an age where paper qualifications
are prized, but Montfort Boys Town (MBT) has been successful
A turning
point in life
in transforming them into graduates who are in high demand.
For over 50 years, the welfare home in Shah Alam has taken in
youths who might not have benefited from a more academic course
of study, or might have missed out on a chance for higher education
due to financial problems.

for youths
Started as an orphan welfare home in 1957, Montfort’s youths
come from dysfunctional families and economically challenged
households who might not be able to afford private education for
their children. The enrolment also includes youths from Orang
Asli tribes.
“They are the youths at risk,” said Montfort Boys Town director
Brother John Albert.
Receiving these youths has inadvertently given Montfort a Brother John Albert
reputation for taking in “naughty boys”. ance”.  The programme, of their campus. for the workforce.
“Montfort has a stigma, that it’s a added Brother John, is Being a welfare home and skills- Through a series of on-the-job-training
naughty boys’ school,” said Brother John, The youths are referred to as “stressful.” training “academic centre”, Montfort is and appraisals, the trainees move up the
adding that he does not deny that the 16- ‘diamonds in the rough’, and while Through tasks and governed by the Ministry of Welfare and difficult path of mastering increasingly
to 18-year-olds who arrive at Montfort’s the students may have disciplinary on-the-job -training its legislation, and the Human Resource harder skills.
gate have disciplinary problems. issues, they are capable of (Montfort, after all, is a Ministry. The former is responsible for giv- This is because the instructors at
The youths are referred to as “diamonds mastering trade skills.” technical higher educa- ing food subsidies worth over RM400,000 Montfort prepare the students for prac-
in the rough”, and while the students may tion centre of learning) a year to feed 362 trainees. tical skills competency, and not paper
have disciplinary issues, they are capable being turned into a skilled, licensed and that feature heavily in the course, trainees Montfort lays claim to being one of qualifications.
of mastering trade skills. highly sought tradesperson. are constantly monitored and evaluated by the oldest accredited technical training “The trainees are not going into the real
Some have become millionaires, and To this end, youths who enrol every peers and staff. centres in Malaysia. world with a certificate that one gets to
are key players in the engineering and May receive a regimented life of rules, but They also “own the community”, as “We hold the National Vocational hang on a wall,” said Brother John.
manufacturing industries. more importantly, they have the place and Montfort is indeed a self-sufficient town- Training Council (MLVK) licence No The instructors know that their stu-
Youths are trained physically, academi- space to grow by taking on ever-increasing ship. MLVK L0002,” said Brother John. dents are not “dream students”, said
cally and – most importantly – technically responsibilities. It is not a private or even public campus The instructors are themselves techni- Brother John. The instructors, he added,
in the two-year Montfort course. Brother Upon graduation, the disadvantaged where maids or staff are on hand to serve cally proficient licence holders in addition teach and impart knowledge to students
John refers to it as “character formation”. background will be something of the past the needs of the trainees. Indeed, the 33- to holding Vocational Training Officer who have various difficulties in their stud-
The core of the Montfort Boys pro- for many graduates. They move on, said acre compound is maintained mostly by qualifications. ies due to their “emotional brokenness”, or
gramme in Malaysia is its Residential and Brother John. the youths. There is hardly a need to call Competent in theory and practical self-esteem problems.
Vocational Skills Training course, a two- The programme moulds the trainee in a a plumber, electrician and welder as the knowledge, the staff are given the impor- Currently, Montfort offers Electrical, who can carry out ship welding,” said The trainees are so highly sought that budget of RM6 million. also meant the sacrifices of its staff are
year stint that sees a fresh school-leaver holistic way and is geared towards “endur- trainees apply their skills for the upkeep tant responsibility of preparing trainees Machining, Motor Mechanics, Weld- Brother John. a few months before graduation in May, Parents who enrol their children all the more treasured.
ing, Printing, Computer Maintenance, In the same way, the Graphic Design some 70 companies will set up booths at contribute with a minimum donation Due to the nature of charitable fund-

History of Montfort
Graphic Design & Multimedia, Bakery & Multimedia department invites exter- Montfort’s lobby to interview them, he of RM150 on top of admission fees ing, the staff give up an opportunity to
The best place to and Pastry and Hospitality.
The industrial-based skills take place in
nal speakers to deliver courses on the
current industry software for computer
said. The trainees have the pick of which that cover safety gear like boots, gloves, earn yearly bonuses and overtime pay.
industry they want to enter. goggles and ear plugs. “We’re not certain how much money

Boys Town learn practical skills factory floors in fully fledged workshops. graphics manipulation. On students who drop out, he said But true to its founding figure’s vi- we will get next year and beyond,” he
Alarms bells, klaxon horns together with This is done to ensure that trainees some 10-20% opt to quit for various sion, Montfort waives both admission said. But the staff are unfazed because
the din of tools and machines underscore are marketable. reasons. fees and donations for poor students. they come to the gates to realise the
the fact that the trainees are on their way Similarly, the Motor Mechanics However, the staff strive to minimise Students must demonstrate that vision of the Brothers – that Montfort
By Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin K S ivaku mar maintenance work on the press, he said. to being tradespeople. department collaborates with Bosch the number of students who quit mostly they qualify for assistance provided by Boys Town be dedicated to the develop-
( p i x ) left Penang Sivakumar graduated in 1989, and after In the Electrical faculty, each batch of automotive engineering to provide due to academic reasons. Montfort. Trainees are not bonded but ment of youths.
The history of Montfort Boys Town begins with St Louis Marie de island in 1986 to working for four years, started his own printing trainees is allotted a makeshift cemented additional study modules. In this case, For those who cannot keep up with are made to sign commitment
Montfort, who was born in France in 1673 and died in 1716. He
founded three religious congregations of which the Brothers of
atten d Montf o r t company. room complete with fuse box, electrical Bosch operates a Diesel Fuel injection theory and academic studies, instructors letters.
Saint Gabriel is one of them. Boys Town through a The machines in his factory such as Heidelberg sockets and wiring to hone their electri- engineering course. Trainees learn to will motivate them to make up with He said financial problems
The Brothers of Saint Gabriel is a religious congregation in the recommendation by a relative who graduated a are well known in the printing world. Montfort cian’s skills. They draw and design wiring service and overhaul parts of a diesel practical skills.
Catholic Church dedicated to the education and welfare of children few years before him. boasts four Heidelbergs, which are manufactured circuits in the room. engine. “The industry is ever
and youth, especially those abandoned by society. In light of this, He wanted to join the motor mechanics in the United States. They are “monstrously” huge Graduates enter the workforce at ap- Not many people know this, but willing to accept people
de Montfort founded a free school for poor boys and girls on the department but instead was streamed into printing machines and might be considered old, prenticeship level or higher. This is due Montfort receives vehicles for servicing, who can weld, operate
streets in 1711 in the town La Rochelle. printing. The mastery of the technical skills stayed but Sivakumar swears the 32-year-old machines to the exposure the trainees are given at
It was his love for the poor that moved him to inscribe the saying
giving the students a chance to hone a machine. They might
that is found in every Montfort town in the world: “Those whom with him, and in 1994, he started his own are the best out there. Montfort. their skills while under their instructors’ not read or write reports,
the world rejects must move you the most!” printing press. That’s why Sivakumar knows he can rely on For example, in the welding depart- supervision. but can get the work
“Their mission was to take care of boys and girls on the streets, Montfort, he said, is the best place to learn Montfort graduates, for apart from the right ment, trainees master their skills up to the The level of training the trainees done as skilled techni-
and for three centuries now, their work has been in education,” said practical skills. attitude, any graduate he employs is already adept technical category called Special Quality receive ensures that they are snapped cians,” said Bro John.
Montfort Boys Town director Brother John Albert. Industries using machinery, he added, will in operating a press. Welding, where professional welders from up by the industry.   The major struggle
The Montfort mission came to Malaya through schools set up always need skilled workers who can operate “Any employer wants a worker who can hit the oil and gas industry will verify the “We receive calls from companies for the administrators of
in Batu Pahat, Muar and Segamat.
On Oct 1, 1959, Brothers Henry, Roberge, Evariste and Fernand
them. the ground running, that is he can start working welding quality. asking if Montfort has trainees who are Montfort Boys Town has
from The Brothers of Saint Gabriel established Montfort Boys Town A technically competent printer is not only with little or no training. That is why Montfort “Our students can actually join as weld- are ready to graduate. After all, these been finance. The centre
by buying a tract of land in an abandoned rubber estate located able to print large quantities of high-quality work, will always be the organisation many employers ers in the shipyard industry. They are not are skilled trainees,” said Montfort depends on public fund-
at Batu Tiga in Shah Alam. but should have the capability to carry out will look to when hiring new staff,” he said. your normal welders, but professionals public affairs and fundraising manager ing for almost up to 85% Acquiring practical skills in the motor
The four Brothers had a special dream of setting up a home that Jamie Loo. of its yearly operating Students in the computer class. workshop.
would take care of the welfare of boys, mostly orphans.
“It was the post-World War period, and a lot of boys were made
orphans,” said Brother John.

Montfort taught me discipline, says Tan


The cost was RM50,000. Apart from the funds provided by
the local business community, the four founding Brothers also
contributed with savings from their salaries as teachers.
The Brothers’ mission was to equip poor boys with living skills
so that they would be independent, provide for their families, and In 1981, then 16-year-old Francis Tan (pix) left his family in who were poor, and that they would help me,” Tan said.
become useful citizens. Gemas, Negeri Sembilan to attend Montfort Boys Town. He credits Montfort with instilling in him discipline and,
The initial batch took up vegetable farming, livestock keeping,
fish farming and also tapped rubber. Tan decided to attend Montfort to receive training in of course, teaching him technical skills.
Later, the Brothers set up classes, training the initial batch with technical skills as he was not academically inclined, and his At Montfort, he excelled in Motor Mechanics as he was a
technical skills. family had limited financial means. natural at tinkering with car engines. He graduated Montfort
“The Brothers were technically proficient. For example, Brother “My Form 3 result wasn’t good and my family wasn’t well- with a Malaysia Skill Certificate (SKM) Level 3 in Automotive
Roberge was a machinist,” said Brother John. to-do,” said the founder and managing director of Engineering.
Montfort took in boys from 1959 until 2001 when it expanded TOPSPEED, an established chain of 14 motor vehicle In 1986, he set up his first car maintenance centre, and
its doors to include girls. The request came from families that had
seen their sons gain from the programme.
maintenance centres in the Klang Valley. grew it to a chain of 14 workshops.
“The families saw that their sons were benefiting from the Church workers counselled him on his plans after Form Tan recognised the potential in school leavers as
course, and they wanted their daughters to be given the same 3, and together with his older brother, Francis decided on technicians, and in 2002, he set up TOPSPEED Academy
opportunities to learn technical skills,” he said. Montfort. to teach mechanics in line with the ever increasing need for
An initial batch of 12 girls was followed by another 22 in 2003. “A friend in church told me that Montfort assisted students automotive workers in the country.
Students are taught how to operate lathes. Girls also get a chance to learn new skills.
14
views
march 4 — 6, 2011

Of Crime, Statistics,
and Silly
People Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by
LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)
where all your profound,
abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite,
sagacious, and other thesaurus-
described queries are answered!

acting as processing clerks to key in those police reports.


4. REALLY dealing with crime. As in prevention. Or inves-
tigation and crime-solving. But this obviously only takes
place if there is any free time leftover from the three main
functions above. After all, they’re not paid very well.
What of the prosecution then? The biggest priority of the
prosecution is currently the anus of a former political aide,
which recent evidence has suggested to be polygamous.
The mass of corruption allegations against senior police
officers and the Attorney General himself over the internet is
a matter of public record.
However, no serious effort to investigate those allegations
has been made, adding to the public perception that the police
and the AG’s Chambers are covering each other’s backs (no
link to the aforementioned political aide), and calling into
question the integrity of both institutions.

W
hen will we be able to take a walk in our own But the public perception of the police force is very, very In the meantime, the prosecution of high-profile cases has
country without having the fear of being low. It is not unreasonable to suggest that the average man-in- consistently been unsuccessful, which inevitably leads many
robbed, mugged, etc? @kennethwpl, via Twitter the-street is only slightly less fearful and suspicious of the to conclude that — contrary to what Hollywood tells us -
If you were to believe the statistics that have been bandied police than he is of criminals. perhaps crime does pay.
about by the official channels over the past few months, you This is hardly surprising. The priorities of the police force We need to inject professionalism and integrity into the
would think the crime rate in Malaysia has gone down tremen- seem to be the following, from highest to lowest: police force and the AG’s Chambers. The key measures to be
dously. 1. To provide outrider service to an unbelievably long list of taken towards this end must be to make both institutions more
If you were to believe the statistics that have been bandied ministers, officials, and anyone with a vague semblance of accountable to the people, and not merely have them answer
about by the official channels over the past few months, you a link to these so-called “VIPs”. It is of national importance to the Government of the day.
would be very silly indeed. that these individuals do not get stuck in traffic, obviously. Two solutions come to mind — set up the Independent
It is undeniable that crime is a major problem in Malaysia. 2. To obstruct citizens from exercising their constitutional Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, and make
Some say that crime is prevalent because the police and the right to express themselves and to freely assemble by clamp- the AG’s Chambers answerable to Parliament. Unfortunately,
prosecution are largely incompetent and corrupt. ing down on peaceful and legitimate protests against the the present Federal Government is unwilling to do either.
Any discussion about the competency or otherwise of the policies and actions of the Federal Government, the latest On the other side of the coin, the level of unemployment
police force will inevitably distill down to the underlying issues example of which is the Hindraf march on Feb 27. must be reduced. There is a direct correlation between rising
of low remuneration, poor training, and major systemic flaws 3. Dealing with crime. When we say “dealing with” we obvi- unemployment and petty crime. To reduce unemployment,
that are not the fault of the individual officers. ously mean manning the computers at police stations and the Government has to teach people how to fish, and create
jobs.
To teach, there has to be a revamp of the education system,

Speedy processing of
and abolition of the many laws that restrict thought and ex-
pression. To create jobs, there must first exist a proper environ-
ment that nurtures business and entrepreneurship.
In order to carry out both successfully, there must be

land grant applications


meritocracy, equality, non-discrimination on the basis of race
or religion, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
Apart from being the hallmarks of any progressive society,
those values are necessary and indispensable. Unfortunately,
the present Federal Government does not think so.
By Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin To answer your question then — we do not know. What
we do know is that it is a serious problem that needs to be
GOMBAK: Selangor will ensure that 100,000 outstanding ever, the emphasis of the exercise will be on the districts of addressed, immediately.
applications for land grants are processed quickly. Sabak Bernam and Kuala Selangor.    Although Lord Bobo already knows your question before
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said his administration is target- "We have instructed all staff at the land offices to go to you even knew you had a question, as a practical display of
ing to settle between 700 and 800 cases each week. How- the ground to help residents fill in application forms," said your true desire to have your query answered, His Supreme
the Selangor Menteri Besar. Eminenceness has graciously allowed you to communicate
The staff will explain the procedures involved, he said, your questions by –
adding that applicants would not need to travel to and from • emailing asklordbobo@loyarburok.com, stating your full
the land office. name, and a pseudonym if you wish the question to be
Khalid made the announcement on Sunday, Feb 27, after published anonymously (and a good reason for anonym-
handing out letters of approval to 164 villagers of Kampung ity).
Melayu Sri Kundang to receive their land grants. • tweeting your questions by mentioning @LoyarBurok and
He urged these residents and others in the process of using the hashtag #asklordbobo. The first 100 questions
applying for grants to cooperate with the authorities.  published will receive LoyarBurok’s ONLY merchandise
The provision of land grants in Kampung Melayu Sri you ever need (worth a lot for humankind) courtesy of
Kundang started in 1999 with more than 700 applicants, Selangor Times. Now, what the hell are you waiting for?
of which 571 have received ownership. The rest were delayed Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (although trembling is
Khalid handing out approval for land grants to a due to technical issues that needed to be resolved, Khalid optional if you are somewhere very warm)!
resident from Kampung Melayu Sri Kundang. said. Liberavi Animam Meam! I Have Freed My Spirit!
news 15
march 4 — 6, 2011

Win cash, car in Fishing GP


SHAH ALAM: Anglers who The first prize winner will be
compete in Selangor’s first Fishing awarded RM30,000, second prize
Grand Prix stand to win lucrative R M 1 2 , 0 0 0 a n d th i rd p ri z e
cash prizes of up to RM30,000 each RM6,000. Fourth to 20th place
round, and the Grand Slam cham- winners will also receive consolation
pion will bring home a Proton Saga. prizes.
The first of nine competitions For each round’s winners, points
will kick off on Sunday at Tasik Kota will be awarded according to their
Komuning, Shah Alam, and will be placement from first to 100th. The
opened by Menteri Besar Tan Sri contestant with the most points at
Khalid Ibrahim. the end of the ninth round will be-
“Contestants are encouraged to come the Grand Slam champion
bring their families along,” executive and win a Proton Saga. The runner-
councillor Yaakob Sapari said on up will receive RM10,000, and the
Monday after releasing one tonne of second runner-up RM5,000.
fish into the lake. In addition, there will be a lucky
“There will be a colouring contest draw for a Modenas Kriss motorcy-
for kids,” he added. cle and 20 other lucky prizes in each
Jointly organised by local coun- of the nine rounds.
cils and the state, Yaakob said the The registration counter will
Grand Prix is an effort to centralise open at 12pm tomorrow and the
annual fishing competitions to pre- first 600 participants will get a free
vent them from clashing as they have shirt. Registration fee is RM80.
previously. The competition is open The Fishing Grand Prix will be
to all, and the organisers are expect- held Tasik Kuis, Bukit Mahkota in
ing around 2,000 participants. Bangi next in April.
The contestant with the heaviest For more information, call 016-
catch within the fastest time will 2937741, 013-3838655 or 013-
win each round. 3588206. Yaakob (second from right) and MBSA officers releasing fish into Tasik Kota Kemuning.

Non-Muslim places
of worship
need more help
IT is time the Selangor state government
gave more financial allocations and
assistance to non-Muslim places of
worship. Pre-sently, the annual al-
location of about RM3 million for
roughly 9,000 houses of worship is
simply not enough to go around
considering the number of applica-
tions for aid. 
Selangor is the most religiously diverse state in the
country, with large numbers of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists,
Executive councillors with committee members of the USJ 16 Residents Association at the function. Sikhs, Taoists and other denominations apart from the majority

Festive joy for residents


Muslims.
Being the nation’s richest state with a first-world socioeco-
nomic development status, the state needs to be more generous
with regard to requests for financial assistance. A sum of RM10
million would be more in keeping with today’s needs.
In the past two years, the state government has commendably
By Alice Mun a five-storey commercial complex on a 0.16ha site be- gone on a registration drive and issued land titles for most of these
tween Jalan USJ 16/2F and USJ 16/2D. places of worship. 
Subang jaya: More than 1,000 residents at- The residents were also informed that MPSJ has al- The people now feel more secure about their religious premises,
tended the Lunar New Year celebration of Subang Jaya located RM200,000 to build a futsal court in the area. and many have applied for planning permission from municipal
Municipal Council (MPSJ)’s Zone 6, comprising USJ Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu an- authorites to extend the premises to cater to an increasing number
16 to USJ 29, at the USJ 16 Residents Association ga- nounced that a property developer has agreed to fund of worshippers. This is an area where the state can help, especially
zebo last Sunday. the other half of the cost of the new futsal court. in speeding up planning approvals.
USJ 16 Residents Association committee chairper- “It is the responsibility of MPSJ to provide a futsal The issue of cemeteries for non-Muslims needs to be addressed
son Bob Goh said the open house was organised for all court for the residents,” he said. urgently. Most of the existing cemeteries are closer to the maximum
residents of MPSJ’s Zone 6 in conjunction with the Liu also said that MPSJ has decided to use allowed, and some are already experiencing “full house”, which
festive season. RM100,000 to repair and refurbish the 15-year-old means only re-burials in previous graves are allowed. 
Despite the hot weather, the residents gathered at basketball court in USJ 16, and that a tender for this Needless to say there is a dire need for an extension of existing
the gazebo with their families and friends to enjoy a project would be closed soon. cemeteries or the opening of new burial grounds.
buffet lunch while being entertained by a lion dance Selangor state executive councillor Teresa Kok ex- Additionally, there is a need for a separate fund for charitable
performance, and to catch up with their neighbours. pressed her concern over recent proposals for the de- and social institutions in Selangor catering for the aged, single
At the celebration, Puchong Member of Parliament velopment of open spaces in Subang Jaya into com- mothers, orphans, the handicapped, the hardcore poor, etc. The
Gobind Singh Deo said his team was looking into the mercial lots. state needs to be more generous in contributing to the fund. 
traffic issue plaguing USJ 16 as well as the whole of “Subang Jaya is now a precious area for commercial Presently, much of the operational and other costs are covered
Puchong. development, but the Selangor government is not en- through public donations and contributions from philanthropists. 
“What we require in Selangor and Puchong to re- couraging any moves to transform open spaces into During the current pressing times, the state can help ease the finan-
solve our traffic congestion is a master plan, especially commercial lots because in the end, the people who cial burden of these institutions through numerous ways.
in terms of the many tolls surrounding the area of Pu- would suffer are the residents of these areas,” she said.  
chong,” he said. Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh and MPSJ V Thomas
He also congratulated the residents on their success- councillor of JKP Zone 6 Ismail Kamal Abdul Rahman Sungai Buloh
ful protest against the proposal for the construction of were also present at the event.
16
Technology
March 4 — 6, 2011

Demystifying HDTV
By Edwin Yapp
The only other
I
n my last column, we considered
what are the fundamental differ- source of HDTV
ences between plasma, LCD and is through Bluray
LED-backlight TVs. All these new discs, which are
generation TVs are able to present
brilliant images and moving pictures
currently limited and
primarily because of the pixel detail expensive (RM80-
they are able to process and display. RM160 per movie),
For the most part, most of the and must be played
programmes and video available on over a Bluray disc
terrestrial and satellite TV are con- player (RM800-
fined to what is known as standard
definition TV (SDTV). So really, RM1500).”
buying these new generation TVs
would only be meaningful if you buyers are “HD Ready” and “Full
have high definition (HDTV ) HD.” In a nutshell, the term HD
content to go along with it. Ready refers to a minimum standard
This is where there seems to be a for high definition content but is not
lot of confusion over what HDTV necessarily the top-end specification.
is, and we shall attempt to unravel A HD Ready TV has 720 lines (verti-
the mystery behind HDTV. cal), while Full HD comprises 1080
lines (vertical) per screen.
Back to basics Also related to this is the term
To appreciate HDTV, we need 1080i or 1080p. The “i” refers to
to learn about the basics of how “interlaced” and the “p” refers to
TVs display their images. TV images “progressive.” The two terms refer to
are made up of lines that appear on how the TV draws the lines on the
a screen. Logically speaking, the screen. Interlaced scanning means
more lines that appear, the more the lines are drawn alternatively
details your eye can perceive. Con- between even and odd line num- can differentiate between the two. or a dining room, you may want to The only other source of HDTV
ventional TVs or SDTV content bers, while progressive means that consider something larger, either an is through Bluray discs, which are
have 480 lines per screen (vertically the lines are drawn line by line in Size and type of TV LCD, or plasma. currently limited and expensive
measured). This is where HDTV sequence with each other. Progres- As a general rule of thumb here Personally, I’m rather partial to (RM80-RM160 per movie), and
trumps SD as HDTV has at least sive scanning essentially gives better are the guidelines: If you’re planning plasma TVs as the ideal image I look must be played over a Bluray disc
720 lines per screen. picture quality over interlaced scan- to put your TV between five to eight for in a TV is that it must reflect player (RM800-RM1500).
The next two terms that confuse ning but in reality, not many buyers feet from you, then aim for a 40-42 real life and I find that LCD and LED T Vs today are priced
inch screen. If you LED-backlight TVs are too bright between RM4,000 and RM8,500
have the space for 10- for my taste. Of the three types of depending on sizes as compared to
12 feet, you can aim technology, plasmas have the most conventional LCD TVs which are
for 50-inch upwards. natural looking visuals. between RM3,000 and RM7,000.
So which should Plasmas can range between
you buy ? Plasma , Final words RM2,500 and RM6,000.
LCD, or LED-back- In Malaysia, HDTV is currently In the final analysis, whether you
light? If you’re plan- only available through Astro, which choose an LED-backlight TV or a
ning to buy a TV for began broadcasting through its conventional LCD TV or even a
a small room, say a new Astro Byond packages last Plasma TV depends on your budget
bedroom, an LCD March. Telekom Malaysia also has and how comfortable you feel
TV is currently the a limited number of HDTV chan- about the images you’re watching.
m o st e c o n o m i c a l nels through its recently launched Remember one person’s preference
as you can get HD Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) but is not the same as another’s, so it’s
Ready ones for less they are only available to subscrib- important to compare all technolo-
than RM2,000. If ers via specially installed fibre optics gies and take your time in making
you’re equipping a hall into your home. your decision.

Subang Jaya
Talent Quest
SUBANG JAYA: Subang Jaya is set to get Yeoh added that talented young singer
its first entertainment idol this month. Juwita Suwito will be the competition’s judge.
The Subang Jaya Talent Quest, organised The winner will win RM3,000 cash.
by Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Contestants must be residents within
Yeoh’s office, will showcase creative perfor- Yeoh’s constituency and amateurs in their
mances from youth aged 17 and below. talent field.
Participants can choose to sing, dance, play The talent quest is open to individual and
a musical instrument, juggle, perform magic group performers but group performers must
tricks, impersonate a celebrity or perform any be multi-racial, with a mix of two or more
other talent they have to win the contest. races.
“Audition is on March 12 and the final Interested participants must send in their
showdown will be on March 27 at Sunway registration forms by March 10 to sjtal-
Pyramid,” announced Yeoh last Saturday entquest@gmail.com.
during USJ11/3 residents’ association For more information, please visit www.
gathering. facebook.com/sjtalentquest.
Fiction 17
March 4 — 6, 2011

Chicken Chicken Bang Bang


Fiction by Zen Cho distance like a mirage. “Whenever I’m stuck in a jam, “Take that!” said Ko. “You guessed correct. 100%!”
Eileen pressed her face against I always think, wah, nice if our car The car rose and dropped like a The car squashed a man on a

E
ileen knew she shouldn’t have the window and stared out at the can do that hor,” said Ko. ship riding the waves. Far below motorcycle. Eileen closed her eyes,
listened to her brother. world. He lifted a flap next to the radio, them horns blared; people were nausea rising in her throat.
Confucius should have The cars rumbled unpeaceably. revealing a large red button. Eileen screaming. The Proton smashed She had always known there was
included a get-out clause in the Exhaust smoke clouded over the had never seen it before. another car underfoot. something crazy living inside her
Analects, she thought. Respect fragile sweetness of the morning air. Ko slammed the button with the “That was just a Kancil!” Eileen brother. This something was his
your elders – except when they are In every car each driver sat in im- butt of his palm. protested. brain.
idiots. pressive solitude, like a man keep- “That’s why I did this!” “The driver was probably an ass “Is it slowing down?” she said,
“Come, I drive you to work,” Ko ing watch in a lighthouse, or a He had to yell to be heard over anyway,” said Ko. swallowing.
had said in the morning. “I fixed the regicide on a stolen throne. the huge tearing noise that shook “What the hell did you do to our Ko looked annoyed.
Proton last weekend. Want to see “Do you realise,” Eileen said to the car. car?” said Eileen. “We’re running out of frustra-
whether it works or not.” her brother, “I know the streets The Proton juddered and rose “You know how Ma ordered tion,” he said. He frowned down at
Eileen had demurred: “No, it’s of London so much better than into the air. The heads in all the chicken feet when we went for dim the crowded road. “Only one per-
OK. I’ll take the LRT.” the streets of PJ? Even though other cars turned to look at them. sum last week?” said Ko. “She son per car, means there’s not
“Come lah,” said Ko. “No point I was born here, and I study Eyes went round. Jaws dropped. didn’t finish because she’s dieting. enough feelings in the air. People
you drive to the LRT station and then in UK three years only. But all I see “What did you do?” screamed Nobody else wanted them. I should carpool. But look,” he
have to wait for the train. Might as of this city is through this pane of Eileen. She looked out of the thought, so wasted to throw away. crowed, “we’re there already!”
well I drive you all the way.” glass. Not like the glass is very clean window and regretted it. Their Why not use them?” They had reached the toll
“But you know I hate the jam,” also.” distance from the ground was “But how–?” booths. Chicken Chicken chose a
said Eileen. Her brother was not much of a dizzying. “Jampi lah then,” said Ko. “You lane and settled down with a happy
“Don’t worry. We’ll go by high- philosopher. He said, “ You Legs extended from the bottom think this is science meh? cluck.
way,” said Ko. “I know a special way remember that show we used to of their car: yellow, scaly legs, with “It’s very green, though,” he “One more step, and we’re on
to get there. Very fast one! I tell you, watch when we were small? British sharp witch’s talons on the ends of added. “Those legs don’t run on the highway,” said Ko. “Good old
you won’t even notice the jam.” movie. There was a car that can fly, their thin curving toes. petrol, know! They’re powered by ayam – wait! Basket!”
Now here they were, stuck in you remember? When you pressed “I pimped my ride,” said Ko pure frustration. You know or not Eileen somehow knew what was
an unmoving car, in a sea of un- the button, suddenly got wing and exultantly. “I call it Chicken Chick- how much of the atmosphere is coming. Any girl with a brother
moving cars. They hadn’t even got propellor come out.” en Bang Bang!” made up of frustration?” knows what stupid looks like.
to the toll. “Hah! Yes,” said Eileen. “Chitty The car crushed a Mercedes “On a Monday morning on the “I forgot the Touch ‘n’ Go card,”
The toll booths wavered in the Chitty Bang Bang, right?” under its foot. way to KL?” said Eileen. said Ko.

Scuba diving in PJ
By Alicia Mun 40 and above,” she said.
She added that the project aimed at
PETALING JAYA: You do not need to go to increasing the statistics of divers in the country
the East Coast to learn how to be a diver. by reaching out to 1% of the population, or over
Over the weekend, three organisations – 280,000 citizens, to be certified divers by the
Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE), year 2013.
AsiaEvents Exsic (AEE) and the Petaling Jaya “We want to make a name for Malaysia as a
Municipal Council (MBPJ) – jointly held a diving hub since our country is blessed with so
scuba-diving clinic to raise awareness, and to many beautiful islands such as Sipadan in Sabah,
motivate and educate young Malaysians on what East Malaysia, which has been rated by many
scuba diving is all about. dive journals as one of the top dive destinations
“As part of the project, we will be having in the world.”
roadshows and scuba-diving clinics that are Members of the public are welcome to join
open to the public for free every first and third the upcoming roadshows and clinics to learn
Sunday of the month, from now until the end about the fundamentals of scuba diving.
of the year within the PJ vicinity,” said MIDE Participants will gain hands-on experience in The mobile pool for participants to gain hands-on experience.
and AEE director Ness Puvanes. the basics of diving , including breathing
The first roadshow was conducted at the techniques, how to use the apparatus, knowledge brought her son and two of his
Arena PJ sports complex last Sunday. of the underwater world, information on marine friends to the scuba-diving
“ With over 28 million in population, life, and much more, in a mobile pool under the clinic, said she has always
Malaysia currently has approximately only guidance of certified diving instructors. encouraged her son to try out
120,000 certified divers from the age of eight to Single mother Faridah Mahfodz, who new activities as she believes
that children and teenagers
should be given opportunities
to learn different skills.
This community project is
supported by Tourism Selan-
gor, Bukit Gasing assembl- Brothers Muhd Ryzam bin Abdul Azis, 10 (left),
yperson Edward Lee, the Pro- and Muhd Raflis bin Abdul Azis, 11 (right), with
fessional Association of Div- their friend, Muhammad Faiz bin Ramle, 11
ing Instructors, and Scuba (centre), listening intently to their instructor.
Schools International.
For details on the up-
coming events, log on to
www.mide.com.my.

The first
roadshow and
clinic of the
year at Arena
PJ. Excited about their first lesson underwater.
18
Features
March 4 — 6, 2011

Works of our
The history, culture and traditions
of the people in this country are
seen in their traditional handicraft.

master craftsmen
LIN ZHENYUAN gains an insight
into what is truly Malaysia at the
current National Craft Day at
Kompleks Kraf KL.

E
very year in March at Kom-
pleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur,
the National Craft Day or
Hari Kraf Kebangsaan is held. It
goes on for about 12 to 14 days.
The halls of the venue are filled
with dozens of stalls exhibiting some
of the finest works of art by some of
Malaysia’s most talented craftsmen
in a variety of fields.
Their special skills include batik
printing , musical instruments,
blade-making, cake-making, sculp-
ture, wood-carving, ceramics, bam-
boo craft, basket weaving, hand-
woven textiles, etc.
This annual affair is an extrava-
ganza of the multi-cultural influ-
ences in Malaysia over the centuries.
It provides a showcase of the differ-
ent arts and crafts which exist in a Keroncong
long heritage trail that stretches music from
traditional
from Perlis to Sabah. instruments
Malaysia is one of the luckiest fills the
nations in Southeast Asia. We have hall where
incorporated some of the best tradi- fabric
tions and crafts from almost every materials
country in the region. are sold.
The beyond-our-shores influ-
ences can be seen in the way our that were homes of offered price if your ments filled the hall with the sound
different headgears are made. The some of our ancestors.  Craftsmen, artisans and smile is wider and of music from the unforgettable
agricultural tools we used have his- The theme of this masters of special trades from matches theirs. yesteryear. It made me recall the
torical roots that can be traced to year’s Craft Day is Craftsmen, artisans Malay weddings in my old neigh-
Thailand,   Philippines and a few “Craft Generates the Perak, Malacca, Johor, Pahang and and masters of special bourhood which also had music and
other countries. Economy”. From across Negri Sembilan have all assembled trades from Perak, Ma- impromptu dancing.
Our batik material and patterns the South China Sea, at Kompleks Kraf to display their lacca, Johor, Pahang At Tent A where the forest-based
reveal glimpses of an ancient past from the States of Sa- products. Their dexterity and and Negri Sembilan products are on display, the artistry
that go back to Indonesia and be- bah and Sarawak come expertise in using tools have resulted have all assembled at of craftsmen is evident in the home
yond. Even our wind musical instru- some finest craftsmen in handiworks of outstanding quality.” Kompleks Kraf to dis- deco objects and the ornamental
ments carry with them the rhythmic exhibiting an amazing play their products. garden pieces.
echoes of a heritage shared by so range of skills. hand-made crafts, we come to the Their dexterity and expertise in us- On the ground floor and at Tent
many people from faraway lands. From basket-weaving to the mak- realisation that sometimes we know ing tools have resulted in handi- F, traditional weapons and souvenirs
These beautiful crafts and other ing of goloks, parangs and beads, so little about their generations-old works of outstanding quality. are exhibited and are also for sale.
cultural decorative items are pres- Sabahans and Sarawakians seem to handicraft skills. The fine art of making wau or Most men will gravitate towards
ently on display at Kompleks Kraf have few equals. Their intricate I have a particular fondness from kites is in its full splendor at the these areas because of the latent
in Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur on baskets made from tree extracts from our brothers and sisters from across venue. There is even a craft museum “warrior spirit” embodied in their
the occasion of Hari Kebangsaan the jungle are as elaborate as they are the seas. They are a gentle lot. Their for visitors who want a quick lesson ancestors.
Kraf 2011. functional. eyes shine with kindness and with in Malaysian crafts. In Tent C & D, including ground
It is an opportunity not to be Their blades with carvings on the an innate understanding of human When I was there recently, there floor, fabrics are in their splendid
missed by those Malaysians who sheaths and handles are astound- nature. was a cultural performance showcas- and colourful excellence. Batik ma-
wish to get a deeper insight into our ingly beautiful. We in the Peninsula Some of them are shy but they are ing some memorable tunes from the terials from the different states show
multi-layered culture and follow the share a common heritage with them, never unfriendly. They are given to fun-loving keroncong era. that in a small country like Malaysia,
trail that leads to different regions and yet when we see and feel their easy laughter but will lower their The traditional musical instru- the clothing materials are not only

An assortment of keris that demand a high level of skill to make. Ceramic art objects for the home or office.
Features 19 March 4 — 6, 2011


Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at
the nearest police station to have regular checks
at your house while you are away.

Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya


A tableful of small blades and other wood art objects made in Sabah. Tel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815
Borang maklumat
Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk
bercuti.

Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis

..............................................................................................

Butiran penduduk:

Nama: ..................................................................................

Alamat: .................................................................................

..............................................................................................

..............................................................................................

Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................

Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................

..............................................................................................
Carved wood panels that can enhance the beauty of a home.
Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................
varied, they are also breathtakingly birthday of a relative will appear tion started on Feb 23 and will end
beautiful. next on the calendar. on March 7. It is a must-see trip for Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ...........................................
With strength of wallets and Visitors who are more inclined the entire family because of the
purses permitting, there are also towards traditional cakes and cook- multitude of crafts and art objects. Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar
wide selections of decorations, gifts ies can treat themselves to demon- It will take an entire day to see, kenderaan).
and takeaways that you can purchase strations of the making of these cu- feel, touch and purchase the items
for friends, office colleagues and linary items. at Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur. 1. ..........................................................................................
family members. Opening hours of the Craft Day You will regret it if you miss the
You will never know when the are from 10am to 10pm. The exhibi- once-a-year opportunity. 2. ..........................................................................................

3. ..........................................................................................

Lain-lain maklumat:

..............................................................................................

............................................... .......................................
Tandatangan Tarikh

Have you checked


your electrical
switches before
leaving home?
Before ieaving your home for a holoday, have you
checked all your electrical switches and turned off
your gas tanks?

Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at


Accessories consisted of beads for women, young and old. 03-5634 9444
20
review
March 4 — 6, 2011

A slice of
Italiannies
By Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin

S
tepping into Italiannies – located on the first floor of 1
Utama’s new wing – for the first time, I immediately felt as
if I had been transported to a restaurant in Italy. The
atmosphere was quintessentially Italian thanks to the decor.
Impressed at face value, I couldn’t wait to see if the food was as
Italian as the setting. However, having to rush for time, I only
managed a cursory glance at its extensive menu. Even with that
short perusal I could see that the menu really paid homage to ole
Italia.
Having placed our order, I took in my surroundings. The tables
were covered with parchment paper, which I thought was practical
for the upkeep of the restaurant. Once the patrons left the table, Pan-fried fish served with a side of warm vegetable salad and covered with creamy Bechamel sauce.
the parchment dirtied with food stains could
be removed and replaced with a fresh one, our order with the wait-
while the tablecloth remained pristine. The fish was light and er. Luckily, the main
On each table were bottles of herb-infused dishes were spectacular
olive oil, black vinegar, pepper and salt. The fluffy on the tongue, cooked and were worth the
moment we settled into our seats, the waiter at the perfect temperature, wait.
poured the olive oil and vinegar on a plate for and was a delight to eat.” The pan-fried fish
us. While waiting for our appetisers, we nib- (RM27.90, inclusive of
bled on a complimentary serving of bread. with minced tomato topped with fresh aru- the pasta soup) was
There were two types: a soft wholemeal bread gula and drizzled with olive oil. I found this to served with a side of
and a rather crunchy white dinner bread. Dip- be really refreshing as the fresh ingredients and warm vegetable salad
ping the bread in the olive oil and vinegar olive oil really invigorated the appetite. How- and covered with a
mixture made for a really tasty beginning of ever, I found the bread to be toasted to a too- creamy Bechamel sauce.
our Italiannies journey. tough consistency. The fish was light and
Not long after, our  appetisers  arrived. The pasta soup was disappointing for it was fluffy on the tongue,
Choosing from the regular menu instead of too watery and  contained  too little pasta. It cooked at the perfect
the set two-course meal menu, I ordered Br- tasted like a watered-down version of minestro- temperature, and was a
uschettona (RM17.90) while my friend had ne. I would not recommend this. delight to eat. The
the pasta soup. The main course took quite a while to arrive, warm vegetable salad
The Bruschettona is a toasted bread served so much so that I had to resort to checking on complemented the fish Shrimp linguine: Pasta with plump and juicy shrimps, mixed
beautifully, making with marinara sauce.
palatable what could
have been – thanks to the sauce – too rich a It should be noted that the serving size of the
dish. dessert meant it was made for sharing; it
The shrimp linguine (RM24.90) really would be too much for one person to finish,
highlighted the shellfish, as it was dotted with especially after a full meal.
a lot of plump and juicy shrimps, which re- Italiannies is the perfect place to go to if
ally made the dish memorable. The marinara you want to experience an authentic Italian
sauce also gave the dish a wow effect. dining experience without going all the way
Feeling the full effect of the appetisers and to Italy. However, you should be warned that
main courses, we almost regretted asking for it is on the pricier side, and the service is quite
dessert. However, the deliciously warm raisin slow. Also, be prepared to feel really stuffed
bread pudding (RM11.90) was just heavenly. after a visit there.

Bruschettona: Toasted bread with minced tomato topped with fresh arugula
drizzled with olive oil.
Media 21
March 4 — 6, 2011

Hasfahlinda
Pizza party
for orphans
Mohamed
Hassan (right),
marketing
manager of
Domino’s
Pizza, By Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin acrobatic moves. The children were
presenting also encouraged to play with the
pizzas to M
Selvarajan,
KUALA LUMPUR: Domino’s two multicolored “lions”.
warden of Pizza brought cheer to the residents M Selvarajan, warden of the
Sinthamani of Sinthamani Divine Life Ashram home, said, “It was wonderful to
Divine Life when they organised a traditional have Domino’s Pizza and  the lion
Ashram, Chinese lion dance and pizza party dance troupe visit us. The kids very
together with here recently. much enjoyed both the performance
the children The children were captivated by and the delicious pizzas. For some,
and lion the lion dance performance, which it was their first time experiencing
dance troupe. took place in different areas of the both!
orphanage and featured intricate “It was great to see the smiles on
everyone’s faces as we usher in this

Lifebuoy launches Little Doctors’ Challenge Year of the Rabbit,” he concluded.


An orphanage for children as
well as a home for single mothers
KUALA LUMPUR: Lifebuoy, a brand of as the three Federal Territories will be selected. good hygiene habits thanks to the efforts of and old folks, the  Sinthamani
germ-protection soap, launched a unique Each of the 16 selected schools will then their team of Little Doctors. The school with Divine Life Ashram cares for 65
nationwide  inter-school competition on choose five pupils from Standard Four and the most noticeable change in habits, judged individuals comprising 45
Monday with the aim of instilling good hygiene Standard Five along with a teacher. These pupils on a pre-selected list of criteria, will see its children, some as young as one year
habits among the young. will become Lifebuoy’s Little Doctors or toilets and hand-washing facilities renovated old, and 20 adults, with some
The competition, Lifebuoy Little Doctors’ health ambassadors for the respective schools. at the cost of up to RM20,000, as well as a one- approaching 70 years of age.
Challenge, is part of the brand’s ongoing large- The Little Doctors, along with their teach- year supply of Lifebuoy soap for its toilets. In Domino’s Pizza’s visit to the
scale social mission campaign centred on ers, will attend an exclusive three days/two addition, two other schools will receive a one- Sinthamani Divine Life Ashram
ensuring that all Malaysians make it a habit to nights interactive hygiene camp organised by year supply of Lifebuoy soap for its toilets as a was part of the brand’s an-
wash with soap daily during five key occasions, Lifebuoy. At the camp, they will learn how to consolation prize. nual corporate social responsibility
namely when bathing, after using the toilet, creatively and effectively encourage their fellow Lifebuoy Little Doctors’ Challenge is part (CSR) effort to bring cheer and joy
and before breakfast, lunch and dinner. students to embrace good hygiene habits, par- of the brand’s Malaysia, Jom Lebih Sihat! to the less fortunate  during
Lifebuoy Little Doctors’ Challenge is open to ticularly washing with soap during the five key campaign, which aims to promote a healthier Malaysia’s major festive celebrations.
all primary schools nationwide under the Min- occasions. Malaysia by affecting  positive change in This CSR tradition has seen
istry of Education. Schools are invited to sub- Over a six-week period, each participating hygiene habits. Dating back to 1894, Lifebuoy Domino’s Pizza organise pizza
mit a contest entry form published in lead- school will be evaluated on how well their soap continues to be widely available parties in more than 43 orphanages,
ing dailies. One school from each state as well entire  student population is able to embrace and affordable. touching the lives of more than
4,000 children.

YB Ronnie Liu & the family of the

Late Madam Lee Yon Moi


wish to extend their heartfelt appreciation
to all well-wishers
during their recent bereavement
22
Gallery
March 4 — 6, 2011

State executive councillor Yaakob Sapari (fifth from left) releases fish into Tasik Kota Kemuning on
Monday in preparation for the first round of Selangor’s first Fishing Grand Prix on Sunday.

Concerned residents watch as a fire breaks out at a neighbouring


rubber glove factory last Saturday morning at Batu Belah, Klang.
Three foreign workers were injured in the 9.30am fire while 200 to 300
workers were left homeless as their hostel was burnt down.
Residents of Jalan Kastam, Klang, holding up a banner to plead for more police
patrols in their area. According to the residents, there were about 40 break-ins in the
last two months. But police say there were only two reported break-ins from January
to February and 38 cases for the whole of 2010.

Young volunteers from Ipoh planting trees to rehabilitate degraded areas in the
Klang residents registering at a voter registering exercise organised by the Intan Raja Musa Forest Reserve in northern Selangor last Saturday. In an effort to protect
Mutiara Residents Association last Sunday. Election Commission officials were its forests, Selangor will produce a blueprint to conserve all its peat swamps and
on hand to assist the residents at the Bukit Tinggi housing estate. mangrove forests, totaling around 99,000ha.
culture 23 MARCH 4 — 6, 2011

PLAYS ❚ COMPILED BY ZEDECK SIEW

This Cannot, That Cannot


Theatre performance;
KL Performing Arts Centre;
2 — 6 March 2011;
admission by RM20 donation;
REVIEW
03-4047 9000;

R
www.klpac.org eadings From Readings (RM29, at decent book-
The powers that be (politicians, religious stores), a handsome volume of short fiction and
authorities, your mom) keep telling us poetry from Readings, one of the city’s oldest and
we can’t do certain things. “Don’t go most regular platforms for writers to share their work, was
for the street protest!” “Don’t have a launched on Feb 25.
date on Valentine’s Day, because it’s You need to pick it up.
haram!” and so on. This collection of
short plays — based on texts from the
The book is a solid piece of literature, with stories in both
English and Malay — sometimes in the same story. Brian
Kakiscripting Playwriting Competitions of
2007 and 2009 — promise to deal with Editor’s A Modern Woman Gomez’s a/p has shining examples of this linguistic syncre-
“cannot” culture and the coping methods
Malaysians resort to. “It’s bound to make
Pick Called Ang Tau Mui
Leow Puay Tin is one of theatre’s funnest voices.
tism, which so accurately reflects the Creole we use today:
Aishah didn’t blame Mama for being angry with [Ayah] or
you laugh, think, question.” Theatre performance Her coolest works explore randomisation and
Five Arts Centre chance, and their capacity to shape texts onstage.
for saying the things that she didn’t mean. She also hated the
Featuring Rosheen Fatima’s titular Ini Tak kencing syaitan, because it made Ayah forget her name.
Boleh Ni; Ho Sui-Jim’s Bird Flu — A Love The Annexe Gallery Take, for example, Leow’s Tikam-Tikam series,
Story; Julya Ooi’s Breakfast With The Central Market which features short vignettes whose order is Sometimes, he called her Asha. On the nights when he me-
Dogs; and Angeline Woon’s Panacea. With 10-13 March 2011 determined by the audience via a tikam-tikam mang really-really had too much to drink, he called her
a brand new piece, Shamaine Othman’s I free admission board. Anusha.
Am, You Are; and a restaging of Beautiful www.kakiseni.com But the playwright/academic is most well known On her first day of school, Aishah discovers she is not
Mine by David Lim, who also directs. for Ang Tau Mui, an earthy and incisive look at Malay: “Mana ada Melayu hitam-legam macam tu?” She
the lives, aspirations, and deaths of Chinese
really is Asha, separated from her twin Anusha by her con-
ARTs
Malaysians.
The titular Ang Tau Mui sold red bean soup at vert father — who, in a drunken flight from his first mar-
a dessert stall, got married at sixteen, washed riage, was seeing double, and thought he had already suc-
toilets, loved Hong Kong actress Lin Dai, and is cessfully abducted both his daughters.
now dying. As dramatic portrayals of a contentious social issue
“She talks to us about what makes her happy (unilateral religious conversion, in this case) go, Gomez’s
and sad, who she sees herself as, what her
favourite food is, and what her longings are. But in piece is one of the truest, most human I’ve read.
the end, does she find what she’s looking for?“ A fair number of Readings From Readings stories are
A Modern Woman Called Ang Tau Mui, part of surreal fables. The best is Cat, by prolific BM writer Uthaya
the new Kakiseni’s Women: 100 mega-festival, is Sankar SB. In it, a cat named Cat, with impressive creden-
actually a double bill. This weekend’s performance, tials, attends a job interview for a civil-servant managerial
directed by Chee Sek Thim and featuring Ho position:
Sheau Fung, is presented by Five Arts Centre;
next weekend, experimental theatre group Pentas
Anehnya keputusan temuduga menunjukkan Cat gagal.
Project presents the same text with their very Kononnya semasa Cat bercakap bahasa Itali, Jerman, Per-
own interpretation. My advice? Catch both. Free ancis, Jepun dan Hindi, bunyinya sama sahaja: miew-miew-
admission through online booking only. miew.
Bodoh betul penemuduga itu. Bukankah kucing Itali
berbunyi miew-miew-miew?
Cat soon learns. He is dipped into a can of cat (paint),
changing the colour of his fur; at the second interview he
Pekan Frinjan 18 keeps quiet. He immediately gets the job.
Street festival; Frinjan; Laman Menara Heh. We all know that’s how things work in Malaysia.
Jam, Dataran Shah Alam; It’s not just the prose that’s excellent; Readings From
5 March 2011; free admission; Readings also presents a serving of the excellent poetry
frinjan.blogspot.com Malaysian writers are turning out today: by Jerome Kugan,
Those busy bees from the Frinjan Priya K, Azwan Ismail.
collective return! This month, the Liyana Dizzy’s two-stanza Grand Parents is a heart-
Shah Alam street-fest fixture presents
a spectacular line-up of music, in
breaking portrait of her aging progenitors: if their love was
conjunction with the soft-launch of a sentence / he is the comma, she / a period, waiting for it to
Radio Demokratika, a compilation end.
record about “the fundamental rights
we are all guaranteed under the Federal FILM This anthology’s editors are veterans of the scene. Sha-
ron Bakar edited Silverfish Books’ fiction anthology, Col-
Constitution”. 12 Malay Movies lateral Damage; Bernice Chauly, a long-time writer and
Sound heavy? Have no fear. Just like, and how they reverberate with us poet, had a story in the inaugural Silverfish New Writing
check out this list of performers: pop Film screening; today.
sensation An Honest Mistake; rocking Five Arts Centre, Taman Tun Dr Ismail; Now here’s an opportunity to volume — possibly the first anthology of contemporary
shoe-gazers The Maharajah Commission; 26 & 27 February + 5 & 6 March 2011; experience (a fraction of) the Malaysian English-language fiction — back in 2000.
Thin Izzy; Lord Bobo’s Minions; and the free admission; 03-7725 4858; movies Amir saw. This weekend’s One only needs to compare the relatively juvenile entries
appropriately named Barcode, a music www.fiveartscentre.org screenings include Bayangan di in those books to the great stuff in Readings From Readings
outfit made out of lawyers. The title of Amir Muhammad’s 2010 Waktu Fajar (1963) a co-production to see how far we’ve come.
Also featuring music from Amirah book, 120 Malay Movies, doesn’t lie: with Indonesia; Kaki Kuda (1958), an
Ali, The Casual Passengers and Moi to write it, the writer sat down and entire film about horse-betting; and
Last Won; poetry and prose from writers watched 120 Malay-language films, Nora Zain Agen Wanita 001 (1967), a If you need more convincing, attend Readings From Readings @
Perewa Muda and Andenn Hassan, and all made between 1948 and 1972, fabulous James Bond clone. “This is No Black Tie, a prose and poetry reading night by writers from
much more! Accompanied by book stalls in chronological order. To what end? a very girly action movie; there’s even the book. No Black Tie, Jalan Mesui, KL; 7 March 2011;
and a fashion bazaar by Bijou Bazaar. To see what our past fantasies were a violent ambush on a beauty salon.” RM20; 03-2142 3737; thebookaholic.blogspot.com
Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

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