theSun | WEDNESDAY JANUARY 21 2009
news without borders
Cooperate or allocations
will be withheld: Khalid
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SHAH ALAM: The RM400,000
allocation for assemblymen
can be withheld if they do not
cooperate with local municipal
councillors, says Selangor Mentri
Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Khalid, who spoke to the me-
dia after closing a forum between
Selangor municipal councillors
and the state government, said
this was the only disciplinary
move the state government
could take to motivate coopera-
tion between assemblymen and
local councils.
We cannot sack assembly-
men, but we have the right to
block (their allocations). If they
want the approval for the alloca-
tion, they can get the approval
from the Mentri Besar’s Office,
and the mentri besar can deter-
mine what is given,” he said.
Explaining that the state gives
an allocation of RM400,000 to
each assemblyman, Khalid said
for every request made, the as-
semblymen must send a claim,
which would be checked before
he certified it.
He said claims for ”reason-
able” projects would be ap-
proved.
“Say it’s a sensible project,
like organising a futsal competi-
tion for youth, and we find it is
reasonable, we will approve it.
Or, we could ask with whom it
is organised, and if it is being
organised with municipal coun-
cillors, we will give the grant.
“We will guide them (to work
with local council), and if not,
they won’t get the grant. This is
their incentive for it,” he said.
When asked about the con-
flict between Port Klang assem-
blyman Badrul Hisham Abdullah
and local municipal councillors,
Khalid said the dispute was a
“personality issue” between
Badrul and the councillors.
“He was ‘missing in action’
because he felt the councillors
did not show him respect. He
expected them to come to
him, and not him having to go
to them. So it is a personality
issue,” he said.
On the potential layoff of fac-
tory workers in Selangor, Khalid
said, “We have regular meetings
with companies and in fact,
there has been an announce-
ment by Lembaga Zakat that in
case there are problems with
Muslim workers, they are willing
to give financial support”.
He said the state would
contribute funds for non-Muslim
workers if necessary to balance
the contributions given to Mus-
lim workers.
He also said the factories
have given assurances that
they will try to maintain their
workforce.
When asked about a replace-
ment for Kapar MP S. Man-
ikavasagam, who left Keadilan
on Jan 1, Khalid said the meeting
to appoint a replacement will be
held at the end of the month.
He mentioned Subang Jaya
MP R. Sivarasa or Andalas as-
semblyman Dr Xavier Jayakumar
as examples of possible replace-
ments for Manikavasagam.
The closed-door forum was
held to foster dialogues be-
tween the state administration
and municipal councils. Among
those who presented papers
were chairman of the Coalition
for Good Governance Maria Chin
Abdullah, theSun special inves-
tigative editor R. Nadeswaran
and Petaling Jaya City Councillor
Derek Fernandez.
» Closeted minds need
heavy-duty cleansers – P14
Car theft suspect dies in police custody
by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA : A car theft suspect who was
arrested with two others about a week ago col-
lapsed and died in police custody yesterday.
The 23-year-old man, identified as Kugan
Ananthan and held under remand at the Puchong
police lock-up, was brought to the Taipan police
station at USJ, Subang Jaya about 11am for
questioning.
Selangor police chief DCP Datuk Khalid Abu
Bakar said the suspect had asked for water
during questioning and was given some by
investigators.
He said soon after, the man vomited and col-
lapsed. He said police brought in a doctor from a
nearby clinic to treat the suspect.
However, Khalid said the doctor found the
man was already dead.
Ex-cop loses bid to challenge demotion
PUTRAJAYA: A retired police officer will only
receive the pension of an inspector after losing
in his bid to challenge the Police Force Com-
mission’s decision that demoted him for failing
to take action against another police officer for
taking a bribe.
The three-member panel of the Federal Court
led by Justice Datuk Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman
unanimously denied T. Ganeswaran leave to ap-
peal to the Federal Court over the said decision.
Nik Hashim, who sat with Justices Datuk Hash-
im Yusoff and Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin,
ruled that Ganeswaran’s case was not fit and
proper for the court to grant leave under Section
96 (b) of the Courts of Judicature Act.
Ganeswaran’s rank of assistant superintend-
ant of police (ASP) was reduced to inspector
when he was found guilty by the commission on
Sept 11, 1992 for allegedly being irresponsible for
failure to take action against Insp Mohd Azman
Abd Manap for receiving RM2,000 bribe from
9
He said police had learnt from the suspect’s
family that he was asthmatic.
Police have sent the man’s body to the Ser-
dang Hospital for a post mortem to determine
the cause of death.
“We will wait for the outcome of the post
mortem and decide our next course of action.”
he said.
Meanwhile, Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam, who
went to the mortuary last night, expressed regret
over the incident and urged federal police to step
in to probe if there was any foul play involved in
the death.
“I discovered that the deceased had breath-
ing difficulties prior to his death. How is it that the
police did not rush him to a hospital on seeing
this? This is most disappointing especially when
it is happening just weeks after an earlier incident
where a detainee was splashed with hot water at
the Brickfields police station,” he said.
one Jaw Lak Chai to release Jaw’s wife, who was
arrested on suspicion of being involved in illegal
gambling.
Ganeswaran joined the force as a probationary
inspector in 1967 and served for 25 years before
leaving the service in 1995 on optional retirement.
He now works as a second-hand car dealer.
The commission did not accept Ganeswaran’s
representation that, among others, gave the rea-
son that he had reported the matter to the Anti-
Corruption Agency (ACA) which subsequently
took action against Azman.
Ganeswaran, a former prosecuting officer
in Kuala Lumpur, initiated legal proceedings at
the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 1995 against the
commission and the government of Malaysia
seeking a declaration that his demotion was
unlawful.
On July 31, 1996, the High Court dismissed
Ganeswaran’s claim. Ganeswaran also failed in
his appeal at the Court of Appeal. – Bernama