4 theSun | THURSDAY MARCH 5 2009

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from the gross sale income to the local

briefs
Selangor launches
government. This payment comprises
the land rental, permit structure fee,
planning fee and licence fee.
The applicants may choose to pay
MACC has power to investigate a lump sum or a percentage-based
model.
speaker, says director “One of the advantages under the

ALOR GAJAH: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commis-
sion (MACC) has the power to investigate allegations of
misconduct against Perak State Legislative Assembly
Speaker V. Sivakumar.
“He is not immune from action under the law. Inves-
tigation can be made if he had acted beyond the scope
of his official duties,” MACC’s Legal and Prosecution
new guidelines
percentage payment structure is, if
Stunned you are unable to rent out that site for
three to six months, then you don’t
Pakistan need to pay. If times are hard, and you
hunts are able to show proof of that, we will
gunmen not charge you,” Fernandez said.
Previously, the billboard operators

Division director Datuk Abdul Razak Musa told reporters
yesterday.
On Tuesday, Sivakumar called an “emergency ses-
sion” of the state legislative assembly about 100m from
the Perak Darul Ridzuan building, which houses the
assembly.
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said
Hamdan said the commission had completed its in-
vestigation into claims of money politics in Umno and
found no cases so far.
He said this in reference to a call by two Umno
members on Tuesday to postpone the party general
assembly until all allegations of money politics and
misuse of power are investigated by the MACC. – Ber-
nama
Restraining order served on
Sivakumar’s office
IPOH: A High Court order restraining Perak State
Legislative Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar from
convening any unlawful assembly meetings was
served on his office yesterday.
Faizul Hilmy Ahmad Zambri, the lawyer of Ba-
risan Nasional Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul
Kadir, first tried to serve the order on Sivakumar
but his office was closed. Faizul Hilmy then served
the order on State Legal Adviser Ahmad Kamal
Shahid at 3.15pm.
Later, when Sivakumar’s office opened, Faizul
Hilmy returned to serve the order on Sivakumar’s
political secretary, A. Wasu, at 4.15pm. Sivakumar
was not in his office.
on billboards
pg 10
by Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: The Selangor
government launched a set of guide-
lines for billboard owners yesterday,
replacing hazy procedures that have
given rise to allegation of corruption
and irregularities in the industry in
the past.
There is no hassle, no more hidden
cost ... You don’t need to get any letter
of recommendation from anyone.”
The guidelines, drawn up by the
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to-
gether with industry players, residents
and relevant parties, came into effect
yesterday. They will be used in all the
12 local councils in Selangor.
State executive councillor Ronnie
Liu, who launched the guidelines,
said it was time a positive measure
was taken to deal with the billboard
problems, especially in Petaling
Jaya.
“There is no hassle, no more hid-
den cost, and we mean it. You don’t
need to get any letter of recommenda-
tion from anyone,” Liu said.
It is estimated that there are 700
billboards in Petaling Jaya.
MBPJ councillor Derek Fernandez,
who headed the committee to handle
the billboard issues in the city, said of
these 700 billboards, 351 were located
in suitable sites and another 50 were
on sites awaiting approval.
“These sites are deemed suitable
and there are existing operators. We
will issue the licences and rental
agreement and if the operators take
up our offer, we will sign a contract
with them,” Fernandez said.
“In the next few weeks, the op-
erators will be getting a letter from
us, offering the site to them at the
stipulated rate. They have an option
to take it up.”
He said the council will auction off
sites that are not taken up.
Under the new set of guidelines,
the applicants will have to pay 30%
had to pay the licensing fee for the
whole year regardless of whether the
site was rented or not.
“Some industry players might find
it cheaper to pay the 30% rate for the
site. Some new industry players, on
the other hand, would not mind pay-
ing the lump sum to secure the sites.
It is up to them,” he said.
Fernandez said the council did not
want to be too rigid in the payment
method as it wanted to give more op-
tions and allow business to thrive.
The new guidelines also stipulate
that future billboard applications will
need to get approval from the One-
Stop Centre (OSC) and the operators
with proper documentation will have
their applications approved between
two weeks and a month.
Asked how the council would be
able to differentiate between the legal
and illegal billboard operators, Fern-
andez said there will be a “specialised
board with reference number”.
“The advertising association has
been cooperative and has given us a
list of their members. Those who are
applying for licences have also given
their list to us. We will compare their
lists with the list that we have. If we
find the billboards are not in our list,
then they are illegal,” he said.

Police to install CCTVs in all

interrogation rooms
by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Police said all interrogation
rooms at district police headquarters nation-
wide will be installed with close-circuit TV cam-
eras (CCTV) over the next five years to monitor
and record the questioning of detainees.
Federal police CID director Datuk Seri Mohd
Bakri Zinin said yesterday CCTVs are now avail-
able in such rooms at state contingent police
headquarters only.
He said the new plan will enable more ef-
ficient scrutiny of the questioning of suspects.
The plan was initiated following reports of
detainees being tortured and manhandled in
extremity, allegedly resulting in the death of
several of them.
On the second post mortem report of lock-
up detainee A. Kugan, Mohd Bakri said police
will get a copy of the report and submit it to the
Attorney-General’s Chambers for a decision on
the next course of action.
Police will also interview the University Ma-
laya Medical Centre (UMMC) pathologist who
carried out the second post mortem.
However, the lawyer representing Kugan’s
family, N. Surendran, who had made shocking
revelations of the second report at a press
conference on Tuesday, said a copy of the
autopsy report had been submitted to the AG’s
Chambers yesterday.
He said Kugan’s mother had handed over
the documents to deputy public prosecuter Tun
Majid Hamzah at 2.30pm.
He said Tun Majid assured the family he
would look into the report and keep them
informed on their next move.
The second post mortem, requested by the
Kugan’s family, revealed findings that were in
stark contrast to the first one conducted by
Serdang Hospital.
Serdang Hospital found Kugan had died of
fluid retention in his lungs, but UMMC found
that Kugan was starved and had died of kidney
failure following injuries he had sustained from
repeated assault all over his body over six
days.

Hold inquiry, says MCA

by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: The MCA yesterday pressed
for an inquiry into the case of the “watered-
down” post mortem report on lock-up detainee
A. Kugan which had “obvious” differences with
the second report.
“MCA wishes to know what sort of inquiry or
action will be taken by the medical authorities
against the pathologist at Serdang Hospital,”
central committee member Wong Nai Chee
said in a statement.
He urged the medical authorities to
investigate the first pathologist on issues of
thoroughness and integrity in performing the
post mortem.
Wong said the MCA is outraged over the
alleged brutality inflicted on the 22-year-old car
theft suspect and is “horrified at the manner he
died in police custody”.
The second autopsy report revealed that
Kugan died of kidney failure caused by muscle
injury, whereas the first stated that his death
was caused by pulmonary oedema or retention
of fluid in the lungs.
It also revealed that Kugan’s body was
bruised throughout the front and back of the
body and that he suffered “multiple V-shaped
imprint burnt wounds” on the skin, burns, con-
tusions, abrasions and extensive haemorrhages
to his internal organs.
“MCA does not and will not condone any
form of criminal activity. However, having said
that, while the police have a right to carry out
their investigation against Kugan as a suspected
car thief, it should have been done in accord-
ance to police procedure for investigations,”
he said.
Gerakan national vice president A. Kohilan
also described the matter as “atrocious, ludi-
crous and shameful”.