4 theSun | WEDNESDAY MARCH 4 2009

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MPs’ guests shouldn’t be making statements in Parliament: Nazri

MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s
Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz
has “advised” all MPs not to bring
guests to Parliament for press
conferences.
When met in the Parliament
lobby, he said MPs should coop-
erate with security personnel to
enhance the level of security.
“Members must respect the
rules and sanctity of the House.
For example, it is okay for an MP
to make a statement, but how can
you allow others to do so here?”
he asked.
Nazri described as irresponsi-
ble N. Gobalakrishnan’s (PKR-
Padang Serai) move in inviting
former Maju Institute of Educa-
tional Development (MIED) chief
executive officer P. Chitrakala
Vasu to speak at a press confer-
ence in the Parliament compound
on Monday.
“Be careful. She’s not an MP
and she is not supposed to hold a
press conference here. If they flout
the rules, what can we do? There’s
nothing we can do. There are no
specific rulings in the Standing
Orders that disallow MPs from
bringing in guests or holding press
conferences,” he said.
Security in Parliament has been
stepped up following a scuffle
between Selangor Umno Youth
members and opposition MPs in
the House last week.
Chitrakala told reporters that
two police reports had been lodged
against MIC president Datuk Seri
S. Samy Vellu on a dispute over the
management of the party’s charity
fund.
Gobalakrishnan when ap-
proached by reporters admitted
that Chitrakala had contacted
him.
“I had informed the security
guards that she was coming to see
me and asked that they ‘please
allow her in’.
“We met in the cafeteria behind
the Parliament building,” he said.
“What is wrong in Chitrakala
coming to the House? Hundreds
of people come to Parliament
peacefully. We are all like broth-
ers and sisters here, so why
question me about a person who
came to see me?” Gobalakrishnan
asked.
“Is Samy Vellu trying to inter-
fere in the affairs of an MP? The
minister (Nazri) has also asked
me the same thing. Does that
mean someone is trying to stop
her (Chitrakala) from coming to
Parliament because she is expos-
ing bad things ... ?”

Giam Say Khoon at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday

2nd Penang bridge to be briefs

No compromise in
investigating bullies
Abdul Samad (PAS-Shah Alam) who
had asked about steps taken by the
government to break a monopoly by
importers of commodities like sugar
and flour.
Shahrir said the government was

completed on schedule
THE government will not compromise
on investigations into cases of bullying
involving students, Education Minister
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.
“The ministry treats the issue of
also in the final phase of drafting a
Fair Trade Bill that would give the
government more powers to resolve
issues that may arise when producers
abuse the market. – Bernama

DATUK Bung Moktar Radin
(BN-Kinabatangan) wants the
RM4.3 billion second Penang
bridge project suspended and the
allocation used to help the rural
poor.
Bung Moktar in a supplemen-
tary question said he was disap-
pointed to see the government
continue to press for the mega
project despite a global recession.
“If the money can be distrib-
uted to the poor in suburban
areas, they will live happily. The
people of Kinabatangan and Bin-
tulu had requested only RM3 mil-
lion to build roads, but it is very
difficult to get the money. Is it so
important to build the bridge?” he
asked.
“We need development projects
in suburban areas,” he said.
Deputy Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Datuk
S.K. Devamany said in his reply:
“The honourable Kinabatangan
must note that the private sec-
tor is funding the project and its
viability is vast. The offshoot will
affect hundreds of sub-contractors
and thousands of workers.”
Earlier, replying to a question
from Penang Chief Minister Lim
Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan), he
said a second package relating to
the bridge’s superstructure was
awarded to UEM Builders Ber-
had based on a final agreement
with Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd
(JKSB).
“The package has been
awarded to UEM and the third
package will be called for open
tender only in mid-2010 as JKSB
is in the process of preparing the
tender documents.”
Devamany said the imple-
mentation of the project had
been delayed owing to the federal
government finalising compensa-
tion negotiations with the state
government and five affected
cockle breeders.
“Once the breeders are
compensated, the construction
site can be cleared to allow the
contractor to begin work in early
March. The delay will not affect
the bridge’s completion in mid-
2012,” he said.
Devamany said the construc-
tion cost would be maintained at
RM4.3 billion despite
a drastic drop in fuel
price due to a varia-
tion in the prices of
construction materi-
als.
In the Parliament
lobby, Lim told
reporters the com-
pletion of the bridge
should be brought
forward as it was
crucial not only to the
people of Penang but
as a catalyst for the
development of the
Northern Corridor
Economic Region.
“Penang has been
picked as one of 31
outsourcing hubs
for the future … So
if we want to bring
in benefits to the
country, the state’s
contribution would
definitely help as
there would only
be two outsourcing
hubs in Southeast
Asia, the other being Ho Chi
Minh City in Vietnam,” he said.
“Penang’s growth is also im-
portant to the country’s growth
as it contributes about 30% of
Malaysia’s exports. So taking
political revenge will not help, not
Penang nor Malaysia. Penang is
also coming to be known as the
country’s Silicon Valley, and we are
upgrading it to a Software Valley.
“We are transforming the state
from a sweat shop into a smart
shop by providing free wifi so that
it can in two years be the first wifi
state in the country.”
student discipline as important and
appropriate action will be taken,” he said
in reply to a supplementary question from
Nasharudin Mat Isa (PAS-Bachok).
Nasharudin had asked about meas-
ures taken by the government to ad-
dress the problem of bullying in schools
which was becoming more serious and
had given the education system a bad
image.
The latest case highlighted by the
media was the distribution of a video
recording which showed a Form Three
student being bullied by 10 of his seniors
at SM Oya Dalat in Mukah, Sarawak.
Earlier, in replying to Datuk Dr Mo-
hamad Shahrum Osman (BN-Lipis) on
features that needed to be upgraded to
raise the status of day schools so they
are on par with fully residential schools,
Hishammuddin said the ministry would
create clusters of excellence involving all
schools including secondary day schools.
– Bernama
Sugar and flour imports
may be liberalised
THE government may soon liberalise
the import of sugar and flour by lift-
ing a control ban on the import of the
two commodities and allow healthy
competition in the market.
Domestic Trade and Consumer
Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul
Samad said the government had
abolished controls on the import of
cement and steel last year.
“It is the government’s wish to
determine the price for consumers
instead of allowing others to de-
termine the prices. We have been
monitoring the situation since last
year and for the benefit of consumers
we may allow free trade to encour-
age healthy competition among
importers,” he said in reply to Khalid
108 public housing
projects last year
A TOTAL of 108 public housing projects
involving 77,636 units were imple-
mented last year, Housing and Local
Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong
Ka Chuan said.
He said that up to last year, a total of
50,820 public housing units were built
to be rented.
“Of the total, four projects involving
3,416 houses, costing RM210 million,
were completed last year,” he said in a
reply to Matulidi Jusoh (BN-Dungun).
Matulidi had inquired about the
number of low-cost public housing
projects built last year and the total
allocation for these projects according to
state. – Bernama
Training centre for
immigration officers
THE Temporary Detention Centre
in Semuja, Sarawak will be used as
a training centre for Immigration
Department officers nationwide.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed
Hamid Albar said the centre had a
large compound and adequate facili-
ties for the purpose.
He said the centre was built on
a 32.7ha site and could accom-
modate 400 male and 100 female
inmates.
In addition, Syed Hamid said, the
centre had a sessions court spe-
cifically to hear charges against illegal
immigrants.
“The Immigration Department
will utilise the centre to the optimum
by using it as a training centre for
officers,” he said in reply to Datuk
Richard Riot anak Jaem (BN-Serian)
who had asked about plans to expand
the use of the centre.

Stiffer penalties for poachers, traders Most applicants not qualified

KUALA LUMPUR: The Wild-
life Protection Act 1972 is to be
amended to increase by between
10 and 30 times the penalty for
offences against wildlife and to
protect more species considered
endangered.
Natural Resources and Envi-
ronment Minister Datuk Douglas
Uggah Embas said the ministry
would try to table the amendment
in the ongoing parliamentary ses-
sion.
“It is now in the final draft,” he
said in his opening speech, read
out by the ministry’s secretary-
general Datuk Zoal Azha Yusof,
at the Asean Judiciary Workshop
on Wildlife Crime and Prosecu-
tion here.
Embas said the Wildlife and
National Parks Department had
done a good job in combating
smuggling and the indiscrimi-
nate exploitation of wildlife res-
ources.
“In 2008, 45 cases of crimes
against wildlife were brought to
court where offenders were fined
or imprisoned,” he said.
Deputy chief of mission of
the United States Embassy in
Kuala Lumpur, Robert G. Rapson,
said that according to a 2008
US Congressional Report, global
illegal trade in wildlife was a
growing economy estimated to
be worth at least US$5 billion
(RM18.5 billion) and potentially
in excess of US$20 billion (RM74
billion) annually.
“Demand for illegally obtained
wildlife is ubiquitous, and some
suspect that illicit demand may
be growing. We are pleased to be
working with Malaysia to elimi-
nate this pernicious activity,” he
said.
The two-day workshop,
jointly organised by the and the
Federal Courts of Malaysia, is
co-sponsored by the US Agency
for International Development.
The Asean Wildlife Enforce-
ment Network is the world’s
largest and comprises Brunei
Darussalam, Cambodia, Indone-
sia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam. – Bernama
for disability pension
SUNGAI PETANI: Four out of five ap-
plicants for disability pension from the
Social Security Organisation (Socso) do
not qualify.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr
S. Subramaniam said this was due to
applicants misunderstanding the function
of the organisation.
“The decision to award disability pen-
sion is based on the report of a panel of
doctors who examine the applicant,” he
told reporters after meeting with clients
at the Sungai Petani Socso office here
yesterday.
He said that if the panel decides an
applicant qualifies owing to the loss of 60%
of his or her bodily functions, Socso will
award pension with no questions asked.
“The issue facing Socso now is that
many people apply for disability pension
as they know that after 55 years of age,
they will no longer have an income.”
Subramaniam said Socso’s function
was not to award pension but protection
when there is an accident or if an em-
ployee is stricken with illness.
On the subject of Hindu Rights
Action Force leader P. Uthayakumar who is
being detained under the Internal Security
Act, Subramaniam said he had discussed
Uthayakumar’s medical treatment with
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Abdul Razak on Monday.
“The deputy prime minister accepted
my view that Uthayakumar should get
professional treatment to alleviate nega-
tive perceptions by the people,” he said.
– Bernama