Starbucks@Malaysia?

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Pemangkuan tidak dibenarkan selagi jawatan YDP MPPP tidak dikosongkan

PENJELASAN MENGENAI AR. PATAHIAH ISMAIL UNTUK MENANGGUNG KERJA YANG DIPERTUA MAJLIS PERBANDARAN PULAU PINANG
Oleh Dato' Zainal Rahim bin Seman
Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang

Sr. Encik Tan Cheng Chui telah mengemukakan permohonan untuk bersara secara pilihan pada 1 Mac 2010. Pencen pilihan ini adalah dibenarkan dibawah Seksyen 12 Akta Pencen Pihak-Pihak Berkuasa Berkanun Dan Tempatan. Selanjutnya, Sr. Encik Tan Cheng Chui telah memohon untuk menghabiskan cuti rehat beliau selama 63 hari bermula dari 23 November 2009 hingga 28 Februari 2010.

Sehubungan ini, Pejabat Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri (PSUKP) telah meluluskan permohonan cuti rehat tersebut. Manakala permohonan bagi persaraan pilihan ianya perlu dirujuk kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) untuk diluluskan. Jika tidak diluluskan, pegawai berkenaan tidak dibenarkan untuk bersara. Pada ketika ini permohonan pencen beliau sedang disediakan oleh MPPP dan akan dikemukakan kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam untuk pertimbangan. Pada ketika ini, status Sr. Encik Tan Cheng Chui adalah masih sebagai seorang pegawai awam. Beliau tidak pernah mengosongkan jawatan yang didudukinya. Beliau adalah masih sah sebagai Yang DiPertua MPPP.

PSUKPP telah merujuk secara lisan kepada JPA. Penjelasan yang diberikan ialah sekiranya jawatan tersebut tidak dikosongkan pemangkuan tidak dibenarkan. Ini disebabkan pegawai berkenaan masaih berkhidmat dalam ertikata yang sebenar dan bercuti. Kaedah yang tepat dan munasabah ialah memilih seorang pegawai lain yang layak untuk menanggung kerja tersebut. Pemangkuan adalah tidak sah disebabkan Yang Pertua masih menerima emolumen, elaun dan kemudahan sebagai Yang DiPertua. Jika dilantik secara pemangkuan maka faedah-faedah pemangkuan pula akan diterima oleh pegawai yang memangku. Ini bermakna seseorang pegawai tidak boleh memangku kerana jawatan tersebut tidak dikosongkan. Kaedah menanggung kerja adalah tepat dan mematuhi syarat-syarat dalam perkhidmatan kerajaan.

Satu kaedah yang boleh dibenarkan ialah dengan mencadangkan satu jawatan sentara atau secara penepatan jawatan khas kepada JPA dimana bagi membolehkan Sr. Encik Tan Cheng Chui disandarkan kepada jawatan ini bagi tempoh beliau bercuti sehingga permohonan pencen pilihan diluluskan. Maka jawatan hakiki Yang DiPertua boleh dipangku oleh pegawai yang dicadangkan.

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Baseless tirade against Penang

Message from Jeffery Chew, Special Investment Officer to Penang Chief Minister:

I refer to the MalaysiaKini article by Ong Eu Soon "Foreshore land: 'Special circumstances' hardly special on Penang's land conversion", I wish to draw to your attention that the law relating to foreshore land as stated in the National Land Code is upheld and is not affected by the conversion of PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd (PHH)'s land to freehold status. Clearly Ong Eu Soon was barking up at the wrong tree and going off tangent to launch his baseless tirade against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the PR government.

This prime state land was sold to PHH by the previous administration with state agency Penang Development Corporation (PDC) owning only 49% with YTL Hotel & Properties taking 51%. To protect public interest, the present PR government had successfully increased PDC's stake in PHH to 50% to ensure that the private company can no longer own and control the land and project. Further all costs of increasing the equity stake and land conversion fees of RM 8.3 million is borne by YTL H&P, a boost to state revenues. Bear in mind that the freehold land is now owned 50-50 by the state agency PDC as a result of the successful intervention of the present state government as compared to the previous administration that "lost control" over this valuable state land land.

JEFFREY CHEW
SPECIAL INVESTMENT OFFICER TO PENANG CHIEF MINISTER
Investment/Manufacturing

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Thief falsely shouting thief

Media Statement by Y.B. Ng Wei Aik, Penang State Assemblyman for KOMTAR on 17th of November, 2009 in Georgetown, Penang:

Penang’s UMNO is running scared following the decision by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to declassify decisions made by the Penang State EXCO and Land Committee minutes on PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd (PHH) status following UMNO false and baseless attacks to try to undermine the Pakatan Rakyat state government's credibility. Instead of welcoming this declassification in line with the state government’s CAT principles of competency accountability and transparency, Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad is not interested but continues to harp on false allegations whether Lim had lied.

Why is UMNO so frightened of the truth being told from declassifying minutes? Or are they afraid that the truth from declassifying the minutes will expose UMNO and BN’s tactics of using their control over the mass media by repeating a lie 1,000 times until it becomes the truth? Like the Malay proverb, the public can now see “who is berani kerana benar” and “who is takut kepada salah”.

This is probably the first time in history that an irresponsible and an undemocratic oppostion party like UMNO does not welcome declassification of minutes to throw light into an issue. The PR state government's initiative to declassify decisions made on PHH without any pressure from the opposition clearly shows that it not only upholds transparency but that it has nothing to hide. If even Transparency International can praise Penang for its anti-corruption efforts, a party like UMNO that has an ingrained culture of corruption accusing the Penang PR government is no different from a “thief falsely shouting thief”.

The state government regrets that UMNO-controlled media like NST continues to falsely accuse Lim of evading questions when he is willing to answer them after the minutes of decisions made are declassified to comply with the laws on secrecy and give a complete picture of the entire PHH project. Why has UMNO or NST not questioned BN for never declassifying minutes on projects approved to protect public interest and accountability?

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促黄秀金与陈来庭挺身向全民交待！

民主行动党槟州社青团秘书黄伟益于2009年11月14日（星期六）在槟城乔治市发表的声明：

民主行动党槟州社青团促请马华峇央峇鲁区会前任主席黄秀金及现任主席陈来庭，敢胆站出来向全民交待槟城峇都茅新路文开小学5万5千令吉的建校基金到底去了哪里？

社青团认为，不管是前任主席或现任主席，都有义务针对这笔拨款不知所终的疑问，公开向全民作出交待。否则，社青团准备针对此事跟马华纠缠到底，要求马华领导人在7天内公开作出交待，否则将采取进一步的行动。

马华峇央峇鲁区会于2007年10月26日通过双庆晚宴，为文开小学所筹获的3万令吉，最终一分钱都无法汇入文开小学建委会的户头，显然被不明人士所干捞了。

既然这笔款项向社会人士征募而来，而且当时的卫生部长蔡细历医生亦宣布拨出公款2万5千令吉予文开小学，马华不能逃避向全民交待这笔基金的去向，否则就有亏其宣称要作为华社权益捍卫者的地位和角色。

随着文开小学如今展开建校工程，预料将在明年5月完工，建委会极度需要这笔建校基金。因此，黄秀金与陈来庭绝不能为了应付马华当前的党争，而把这个跟华社利益息息相关的事情置之不理。

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New National Organising Secretary and Acting National Secretary for DAPSY

The DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) National Executive Council at its meeting last night had elected committee member Teo Kok Seong as the new National Organising Secretary, replacing Chang Teck Chee who had earlier resigned. Teo is also the State Assemblyman for Bahau in Negeri Sembilan.

Meanwhile, Assistant National Secretary Tey Kok Kiew was made acting National Secretary until April 2010 as current National Secretary Loh Chee Heng would be taking a six months’ leave starting from this November. Tey is also the State Assemblyman for Bandar Hilir in Melaka.

The DAPSY National Executive Council has also decided to hold a Special Congress in Ipoh on 16th January 2010 to amend the DAPSY Statute to fine tune its provisions in order to bring DAPSY to greater heights.

Besides, the DAPSY National Executive Council also pledged its full support to the Pemuda Pakatan Rakyat National Convention on 18th December 2009 in Shah Alam. We will send a full delegation to the convention and work harder to achieve a more cohesive Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

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No Plastic Bags Awareness Campaign @ Prangin Mall

Speech by Y.B. Ng Wei Aik, the State Assemblyman for KOMTAR for launching “No Plastic Bags Awareness” Campaign @ Prangin Mall on 6th of November, 2009 at Atrium A, Prangin Mall:

Mr Alex Heng, Chairman of Prangin Mall Joint Management Committee,
Mr Ang Thean Hock, Chairman of Prangin Mall Merchants Association,
Members of Joint Management Committee,
Distinguished guests,
Tenants/Traders of Prangin Mall,
Our fellow journalists,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good afternoon to everyone of you!

First of all, I would like to record my heartiest appreciation for inviting me to be part of your effort in launching “No Plastic Bags Awareness” Campaign @ Prangin Mall.

On behalf of the State Government of Penang, I would like to commend such an effort as Prangin Mall is the second multi-ownership shopping complex after KOMTAR to encourage all its traders/tenants to take part in the “No Plastic Bags Awareness” Campaign initiated by the State Government.

As you have seen, Prangin Mall has printed 2,000 recyclable shopping bags to be free distributed to their customers and also put up quite a lot of banners in every corner of the mall, as a way to promote the idea of “No Plastic Bags Awareness” Campaign and also to increase the public awareness over this campaign.

Based on the data provided by 45 participating super/hypermarkets and other retailers, Penangites have saved about 1 million plastic bags on “No Plastic Mondays” for the past 4 months, starting from 6 July, 2009.

Last year alone, the 6 major groups of super/ hypermarkets in Penang distributed as much as 25.2 million pieces of plastics bags or 2.1 million pieces monthly. We have become the first state in Malaysia that had cut down the usage of plastic bags through such voluntarily program.

We have also collected more than RM 10,000 from the charges of 20 cents per bags. These charges have been donated to the Partners Against Poverty (PAP) fund to assist in eradicating hard-core poverty in Penang.

Penang became the first state in Malaysia to ensure that every family receives at least RM500 per month. The hard-core poor is defined as families receiving monthly income of less that RM 430.

And for the constituency of KOMTAR, we are now the first constituency in the state of Penang where all the shopping complexes, including Prangin Mall, KOMTAR and Gama Supermarket has taken part in the No Plastic Bag Awareness Campaign. I will ensure the Times Square and the 1st Avenue to follow suit when they are fully operational sometimes this year or next year.

I would like to bring you a good where the Selangor State Government has recently emulated our effort to introduce such a campaign to all its shopping complexes in Selangor.

The attendees of the meeting called by the Selangor Exco incharge of the campaign even praised the effort by the State Government of Penang. I think we are right in setting such a direction to make Penang as the first Green State in Malaysia as well as a role model for other states to emulate.

Like what Mr Alex Heng said, Our Children also share the same earth with us!

Yes, I do agree with your view and once again, I would like to urge everyone of us, please:

Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

Let us together support the Penang State Government’s effort to increase No Plastic Bags Day, to double it up or triple it up from Monday to more and more days in a week.

Thank you very much.

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促民青团不要再做戏

民主行动党社青团全国宣传秘书黄伟益于2009年11月1日（星期日）在槟城乔治市发表的声明：

随着巫统四加亭区国会议员莫哈末阿兹日前在国会下议院，发表指许子根应该辞职下台的言论后，民青团成员趁民政党召开常年代表大会之际，在会场外高举大字报炮轰莫哈末阿兹“倒米”！

然而，身为民政党全国主席的许子根却反过来促请党员，不必要因为这种“负面声音”自乱阵脚。他强调民政党将会横眉冷对这种负面声音，并坚持自己的立场继续改革。许子根的这番反应，再次暴露其永远不敢硬对巫统的书生本质。即使一而再、再而三被巫统领袖当众欺负与羞辱，他始终不敢正面跟巫统对抗，甚至间接影响民青团撤回原本通过其代表大会提出“吁请民政党慎重考虑，是否要在未来一年内退出国阵”的提案。

在担任槟州首席部长期间，许子根曾经在陪同首相兼巫统主席出席巫统丹绒区部党所开幕时，遭一批巫青团团员当场拉布条羞辱，但许子根却始终不敢吭声；即使许子根的肖像遭槟州巫统领袖当众撕毁，民政党还不是在巫统领袖未道歉之前，急不及待就跟巫统修复旧好。

如果许子根只会选择冷对巫统领袖当众羞辱他和整个民政党的行为，那么不管民青团再发动100次抗议行动，即使全党上下皆发表力挺许子根的言论，都不可能改变许子根永远只会给巫统领袖看贬的宿命，甚至难免有“做戏给自己人看”之嫌！

不管民政党领袖认不认同，莫哈末阿兹指许子根无法有效胜任首相署部长一职，并且形容许子根只会奉承首相纳吉，确实是一针见血、一语道破许子根的能力与角色局限。

早前，首相委任曾任马航总执行长兼董事经理的依德利斯为首相署部长，讲好听是铺佐许子根处理关键绩效指标的事务，说难听则是架空许子根的部分职务，让许子根今后只能偏重处理国民团结事务，难以拥有作为首相署部长的实职与权力。

莫哈末阿兹的言论不能看作只是羞辱许子根，甚至还羞辱了整个民政党。如果民政党唯一内阁部长的能力都被质疑，那么民政党在国阵还有什么角色可扮演？看来，民政党如今只有出走国阵，才可挽回其一党的尊严。

否则，再多的抗议行动与“挺根”言论，根本无法改变许子根与民政党在巫统领袖眼中，以及国阵其他成员党领袖心中的定位。就像民政党顾问林敬益这种“老鸟”所指，莫哈末阿兹的言论显然是获后台支持的。那么，除了出走国阵之外，民政党难道还有更好的选择吗？

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