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news without borders
Mandatory content code
compliance lauded
by Hemananthani
Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Com-
munications and Multimedia
Content Forum (CMCF) chair-
man Datuk Borhanuddin Os-
man (pix) has welcomed the
move by Energy, Water and
Communications Minister
Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
to include compliance with
the content code as a licence
condition for content applica-
tion service providers.
“It will reinforce the role
of the content code and the
content forum in ensuring
that the Malaysian public is
safeguarded from unsuitable
content,” said Borhanuddin.
He said globalisation and
growth of the web, satellite
television, penetration of the
mobile phone and the insa-
tiable demand for content
will result in the emergence
of new forms of delivery of
content.
“Self-regulation is a
double-edged sword. On the
one hand, it allows individual
companies to run ahead,
experiment and innovate. On
the other hand, it leaves the
field open to unfair business
practices,” he said in a state-
ment.
In order to reap the most
from self-regulation, industry
players must work out the
rules of fair play with each
fundamental shift in the
field.
He said mandatory com-
pliance with the content
code is a timely inclusion as
it provides the content forum
with more authority to take
action on unsuitable content
on behalf of consumers.
The Communications and
Multimedia Act 1998 defines
offensive content as “content
which is indecent, obscene,
false, menacing, or offensive
in character with intent to
annoy, abuse, threaten or
harass any person”.
The national objectives as
outlined in the act form the
basis for the implementation
of a regulatory framework of
social regulation.
The purposes of social
regulation are to promote
growth and development
of content applications and
services which represent
Malaysian culture and na-
tional identity.
It is also to develop the
local content and production
industry.
More govt funds to
guarantee home loans
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The government
will increase the allocation to act
as a guarantor for loans from RM80
million last year to RM100 million
this year to allow more people
in the low-income group to be
homeowners, Housing and Local
Government Minister Datuk Seri
Ong Ka Chuan said yesterday.
“This year, we will increase it
(the allocation) to RM100 million
to guarantee that all lower income
groups can get bank loans so that
they can own property,” he said.
“Some of the poor might not
be able to get a loan from the bank
to buy a low-cost house. Under
the Finance Ministry’s guarantee
scheme, the government will take
over the loan and act as a guaran-
tor,” he explained.
On the call by the Malaysian
Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA)
to have all property managers reg-
istered solely through them, Ong
said more study is needed before
a decision could be made. “They
(MIEA) have suggested that they
are the only profession that can
become property managers. I have
heard objections from property
owners that they want to ap-
point a property manager who
is capable, and do not wish to be
limited to just from one field.”
He also said the ministry will
work closely with the private
sector to achieve the target of
25,000 low-cost homes for the
poor.
“On average, we have built
over 100,000 houses every
year and they comprise mainly
medium and high-cost houses.
Police believe escaped drug
accused still in Malaysia
SHAH ALAM: Police believe a
Singaporean drug accused who
escaped while being escorted to
the Shah Alam court lockup on
Friday have not left Malaysia.
Shah Alam police chief ACP
Nor Azam Jamaluddin said Jay
Chia Shao Kiat, 32, who was fac-
ing trafficking charges had not
returned to his home country or
Thailand where his Thai wife is
believed to be staying.
“We have informed all police
stations to find the accused but
we have not yet heard anything
theSun
Ong distributes
essential provisions at
the Sri Lankan Buddhist
Temple yesterday.
With the economic downturn, I
don’t think we can sustain this
rate any longer,” he said.
He said a slowdown in the
housing industry will affect
other industries such as manu-
facturing.
Ong, who earlier launched
Yayasan Maha Karuna Senior
Citizen’s Appreciation 2009 at
the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple,
praised the efforts of the more
than 700 volunteers who help
the aged and poor.
positive,” he told a press confer-
ence here yesterday.
Kiat’s identification card
number is S7777149B, and his
last known address is Block
743, 03-03, Jurong West Street
73, Singapore.
Azam said that based on
information gathered by police,
Kiat was an English teacher in
Thailand.
He urged the public who
have seen Kiat to contact
the Shah Alam police at 03-
55102222. – Bernama
| MONDAY FEBRUARY 23 2009
Fomca
concerned
over delay
in water
deal
KUALA LUMPUR: Forum
Air Malaysia and Federation
of Malaysian Consumers
Association (Fomca) are con-
cerned over the delay in the
conclusion of negotiations
between the Selangor gov-
ernment and private water
concessionaires.
The Selangor government,
which has minority shares in
the concession, wants to buy
out the other partners and re-
structure the water treatment
and delivery system, but the
hitch is the quantum.
“The delay will affect the
water tariffs in Selangor,
Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya,”
the organisations said in a
joint statement to Bernama
yesterday.
Forum Air Malaysia is an
advisory body on consumer
issues to the National Wa-
ter Services Commission
(SPAN).
The statement was signed
by the secretaries-general of
Forum Air Malaysia and Fo-
mca, Piarapakaran Subrama-
niam and Muhammad Shaani
Abdullah respectively.
It noted that if the negotia-
tions were not concluded by
March 31 – the deadline set
by the federal government
– the water tariffs in the three
territories would be raised by
37%.
Since the negotiations
had not been conclusive,
SPAN had indicated that it
would negotiate directly with
the concessionaires to speed
up the deal.
The state government has
opposed the move, saying
this was inconsistent with
the federal government’s
decision to allow the state
government to take over
operation and maintenance
of water assets from the
concessionaires in a joint
exercise. – Bernama