2 theSun | MONDAY FEBRUARY 23 2009

news without borders

Samy points finger at

senior MIED exec
PETALING JAYA: MIC president Datuk Seri
S. Samy Vellu yesterday alleged that a senior
executive of Maju Institute of Educational Devel-
opment (MIED) was responsible for mismanage-
Penang to get more emphasis will be placed on getting
more connections on routes to Singa-
pore, India and China. Priority will be
given to home-grown airlines.
Ong said that in spite of the Penang
government’s posturing about its suc-

international flights
cesses, the state’s economic condition
ment of funds in the party’s education arm. has been wanting during the current
He also said MIED was not investigated by global financial crisis.
Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Division per-
He said the idea to expand air con-
taining to the construction cost of MIC’s Asian
nections came about following feed-
Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology
back by MCA Penang during the fourth
(AIMST) in Kedah.
He said MIC had actually asked the police to
quarter of last year.
probe the alleged mismanagement of funds in “Although MCA does not have any
MIED. “We lodged a report against two people parliamentary and assembly seats in
for a missing amount of RM5.2 million so far,” Penang, the party feels it should forward
he told reporters before presenting the MIED its proposal and agenda,” he said.
excellence awards to UPSR pupils yesterday. Penang MCA chairman Datuk Liow
Clarifying media reports that police were Tiong Lai criticised Chief Minister Lim
investigating MIED which runs AIMST through Guan Eng for “conveniently pushing
MIED Capital Sdn Bhd on the construction cost the responsibility for managing many
of AIMST, he revealed certain facts related to economic problems to the federal gov-
AIMST’s establishment and stressed that its ernment”.
cost had not escalated as reported. “We want to see a more concrete
He said the police had interviewed him last economic agenda from the Penang
week on the mismanagement of funds in MIED government,” he said.
and this “was natural as I am the chairman of Liow, who said Lim had been
MIED.” – Bernama “displaying the mentality of an opposi-
tion figure”, urged MCA divisions and
branches in Penang that are not sup-
porting Ong to back the party leader-
ship to close ranks during the present
economic crisis.
He said grievances should be relayed
Ong (right) to the party through internal channels.
and Liow
by Himanshu Bhatt boost the state’s economy. applaud the
newsdesk@thesundaily.com “We can bring several more airline participants
companies to set up operations and at the MCA RM11.87bil
GEORGE TOWN: Calling Penang’s connections here,” Ong, who is also the Penang joint
economic scenario “worrying”, Trans- MCA president, said at a press confer- convention. invested in
port Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is
exploring avenues to increase interna-
ence after officiating at the MCA Penang
joint convention at a hotel here. Selangor last year
tional air connections to the state. “My ministry is discussing the mat-
He said his ministry has taken upon by Tan Yi Liang
ter with airlines and hopes to finalise
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
itself to expand the number of planes the new flights as soon as possible.”
flying here as such a move would help Declining to reveal names, he said
PETALING JAYA: Selangor is second
after Sarawak in terms of investments
attracted, drawing over RM11.87 billion

BN nothing to do with MACC worth of investments last year.

State executive councillor Teresa
Kok said yesterday that according to the

disclosure, says Muhyiddin records of the Malaysian Industrial Devel-

ALOR STAR: Umno vice- On Friday, MACC Chief
president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Commissioner Datuk Seri
Yassin yesterday reminded Ahmad Said Hamdan said the
the Opposition not to impli- commission had completed its
cate Barisan Nasional (BN) in investigations into allegations
disclosure by the Malaysian of abuse of power against
Anti-Corruption Commission Khalid over the maintenance
(MACC) about its investigation of a luxury car and purchase
on Selangor Mentri Besar Tan of sacrificial cattle, and it was
Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. now up to the attorney-general
BN had nothing to do with to take further action.
it, he said. Muhyiddin said that person-
Hold Abdullah in high regard: Mukhriz
KOTA BARU: Umno members have been
urged to accord their utmost respect to
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after
he steps down as the prime minister
next month.
Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir
said yesterday he hoped Abdullah would
continue to be accorded the respect
befitting his stature and “not ill-treated”
like Mukhriz’s father, former prime min-
ister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Do not treat Pak Lah like (Umno had
been treating) Tun Mahathir, otherwise
the people will hate Umno. Hold Pak Lah
in high regard,” he told reporters after join-
ing Umno Youth candidates to introduce
themselves to Kelantan Youth delegates.
Mukhriz, who is vying for the Umno
GMP to stage gathering outside palace
JOHOR BARU: The Movement Opposing
the Teaching of Science and Mathemat-
ics in English (GMP) has assured the
police that a mammoth gathering being
planned outside Istana Negara on March
7 will be non-violence.
“We have yet to obtain a police per-
mit but we believe it will be approved
as it will be a peaceful gathering,” its
chairman, Emeritus Prof Dr Abdullah
Hassan told reporters yesterday.
National laureate Datuk A. Samad
Said said the implementation of the
policy contravened Article 152 (1) and
152 (6) of the Federal Constitution on
ally, he was quite surprised
with the MACC statement but
believed that it was probably the
commission’s new approach
since it was no longer just an
agency but a commission.
Previously, the Anti-Corrup-
tion Agency did not reveal its in-
vestigations before referring the
cases to the Attorney-General’s
Chambers and taking someone
to court, he said. – Bernama
Youth chief post, said being grateful to
leaders for their deeds was an integral
part of the Malay culture but it was not
the case when it came to Mahathir.
“The people of Kedah were angry with
the way Tun Mahathir was treated and
voiced their displeasure by voting the
Opposition in the last general election”
On a proposal that Mahathir be ap-
pointed an Umno adviser or a govern-
ment adviser, Mukhriz said it was up to
the party and the government and it
would be unwise for him to comment.
Speaking to reporters in Bentong on
Saturday night, Mukhriz urged Barisan
Nasional to field an Umno candidate in
the Bukit Selambau state by-election on
April 7. – Bernama
the use of Bahasa Melayu for all.
“We are not opposing the use of
English in the pursuit of knowledge
but are upholding what is enshrined in
the Constitution on the use of Bahasa
Melayu to unite the people,” he said.
GMP committee member Ainon
Mohd said the implementation of the
policy did not justify the teaching and
learning of English as a language.
She said to improve the command of
English among students, the government
should provide every school with an Eng-
lish laboratory while enhancing teachers’
English teaching skills. – Bernama
opment Authority, there were 302 invest-
ment projects ongoing in Selangor.
They consist of 202 new investment
projects valued at RM6.353 billion
and 100 expansion and diversification
projects valued at RM5.517 billion, Kok,
the chairperson of the industrialisation,
investment and trade committee, said.
The majority of the foreign invest-
ment came from Germany.
“Germany is the country that has
brought in the highest value of invest-
ments to Selangor, namely RM3.2
billion from eight projects in 2008.
It was followed by Japan, the United
Kingdom, Denmark, the United States
and Singapore,” she said.
Kok said the metal and fabricated
metal industry were the highest money
earners for Selangor last year.
“In 2008, the metal and fabricated
metal industry attracted the highest
amount of investments in Selangor,
namely RM3.93 billion with 18 invest-
ment projects,” she said.
The majority of the investment in
the industry is from local investors.
However, Kok pointed out that the
non-metallic mineral industry was
dominated by foreign investments.
“The second largest investment is
the non-metallic mineral industry with
eight projects. Most of the investments
in this industry have been from foreign
investments,” said Kok, adding the elec-
trical and electronics industry, worth
RM1 billion ranked the third highest in
terms of investments in Selangor.
She said the food manufacturing
sector created the largest number of
job openings in Selangor.
“The food manufacturing sector has
created the highest number of employ-
ment opportunities, as 4,740 jobs have
been created in this industry,” she said,
detailing investments by districts in the
state.
Responded to questions on Bukit
Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong,
Kok said the issue would be decided
at a meeting between Mentri Besar
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and the Sultan
of Selangor this week.