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Don’t discuss Fairus issue
publicly, PKR tells Lim
PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president
Dr Syed Husin Ali asked Penang Chief
Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday not to
discuss Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin’s
resignation as the Penanti assembly-
man in the media “as it would only
benefit the opponent”.
“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (the PKR
de facto leader and adviser) and Lim
spoke to each other today (Monday)
and I believe all confusion about the
matter has been solved,” Syed Husin
said in a statement.
He called on the Pakatan Rakyat
leaders and members to unite to en-
sure victory if there is a by-election in
Penanti.
Syed Husin said Fairus had officially
resigned last Thursday, following a dis-
cussion with Anwar the day before, and
that it was his own decision.
He said the Penang state assembly
speaker had sent Fairus’ letter to the
Election Commission and he hoped the
EC would act “professionally according
to the law and not be influenced by
certain authority, who do not want a
by-election”.
In Penang, state PKR chief Datuk
Zahrain Mohamed Hashim has taken
Lim to task for using the media to voice
out his dissatisfaction towards the party
and Anwar, Bernama reports.
He said that as a partner in the ruling
coalition in Penang, it was not proper
for Lim to voice out his dissatisfaction
in the media over the appointment of
the deputy chief minister (I) and the
resignation of Fairus as the Penanti
assemblyman.
Zahrain said there were internal
mechanisms to discuss the matter.
“As a member of the pact, why
can’t he discuss directly with Anwar
on Fairus’ successor as DCM (1) and
Penanti assemblyman?” he asked.
He said the DCM’s appointment and
the issue pertaining to the Penanti seat
were PKR’s internal affairs.
In a separate statement, Penang
Gerakan secretary Ong Thean Lye
said the party was surprised Lim has
appeared “too subservient” to Anwar,
even on issues relating to the state
administration.
He said that when Lim was in the
Opposition, he used to criticise Barisan
Nasional component party leaders,
saying they should not “bow” to Umno
leaders.
“But now Lim himself is kow-tow-
ing to Anwar, especially relating to the
latest incident on the appointment
and replacement of the deputy chief
minister (I),” Ong added.
» See also Next Page
theSun | TUESDAY APRIL 21 2009
Sacked staff take
case to HR Ministry
by R. Nadeswaran bank account.
and Terence Fernandez “To lump SSM together with other losing
newsdesk@thesundaily.com ventures is wrong,” he said.
Pempena, by its actions, becomes the first
PETALING JAYA: Twenty staff of the finan- government-owned company to terminate
cially-troubled Tourism Malaysia subsidiary staff, despite calls that government-linked
Bloggers Pempena Sdn Bhd were given the boot and companies (GLCs) refrain from doing so,
now more not retrenched as there are no provisions using the current economic climate as an
divided for “retrenchment” in the employees’ hand- excuse.
book. Two SSM staff have been retained but the
pg 6 Furthermore, there is no necessity to give other nine plus six other Pempena employees
reasons for terminating their services, says will have their cases heard on April 28.
the company’s chief executive officer, Datuk Contacted for his response, Idros said they
Idros Mohd. had to be released
Among those as Pempena has
who were served no money to pay
termination no- them, and that
tices on March SSM had been
31 are nine returned to the
employees of the ministry.
Shopping Ma- On top of that,
laysia Secretariat Pempena’s sub-
(SSM), which is sidiaries have
not involved in been cut from 24
any business to 10.
activity. It merely “We have no
promotes the shop- need for these
ping carnivals and excess staff,
its expenses are so why keep
reimbursed by the them?” he said.
Tourism Ministry, “If we, as
which gets an an- a GLC, employ
nual grant, specific people we don’t
for this purpose. need, the public
Some of them, will come after
who turned up at Our report yesterday
us.”
theSun office yester- Idros said he
day, said they were not responsible for the anguished over terminating the services of
failed business ventures and other extrava- these employees as he did not want to throw
gances which have caused a once healthy sand into people’s rice bowl.
company to almost insolvency. “I laboured over it and thought about it
“The decisions on investments and since last December on how to salvage these
ventures were made by the board and the jobs,” he said.
senior management. Why are we being held On the fact that many of these were
responsible as down-liners?” asked former junior staff without any decision-making
manager Noor Ahmad Hamid, who acted authority, Idros said although no one claimed
as the spokesman for the 15 staff who are responsibility, an on-going audit will show
taking their case to the Industrial Relations otherwise.
Tribunal. He said although the employees’ handbook
To illustrate his point, Noor Ahmad said does not require giving reasons for termina-
one of those given the boot was a dispatch tion, he had met some of these staff on April
boy. 1 to explain the reasons.
They were responding to theSun’s page 3 “Apart from one month’s notice, the em-
report yesterday on the cleaning up of Pem- ployees’ handbook does not give any other
pena which involved the laying-off of 20 staff benefits, including retrenchment benefits, so
and suspension of two senior executives. I go by the book,” he said.
The SSM, he said, was set up upon a “As far as I’m concerned, salaries were
directive from the cabinet in 2002 and had paid and they received their dues.”
diligently promoted Malaysia as a shop- On the April 28 hearing, Idros said he will
ping paradise. As a matter of convenience, be present.
SSM was placed under Pempena but, for all “I’m prepared as I know that I acted with
intents and purposes, it operated independ- a clear conscience. There was no malice
ently with its own programme, budget and involved,” he said.
Pilgrims banned from entering Israel
by Tim Leonard following the invasion of Palestine, especially
newsdesk@thesundaily as the government had strongly condemned
the invasion, which killed hundreds of innocent
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian pilgrims who wish women and children.
to visit Israel have been prohibited from doing Then Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid
so, at least for the next few months. Albar had ordered the freeze.
This follows the Home Ministry’s freeze on Malaysians are prohibited from entering
application for visits to and from Israel effec- Israel but pilgrims are allowed to do so with a
tive Jan 15 this year, following Israel’s invasion special permit issued by the Home Ministry.
of Palestine. Pilgrims often visit the city of Jerusalem,
An official from the Home Ministry’s which is considered a holy site for Christians,
Department of Safety and Public Order told and they often enter the city through Syria and
theSun the ban was not expected to be lifted Jordan.
for at least a few more months. The Tourism Ministry had issued a letter to
“There are various safety concerns that the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel
caused the government to prohibit pilgrims Agents (Matta) on Feb 6, informing it of the
from Malaysia to enter Israel. Based on the freeze on applications for visits.
circular issued, the ban will be in force for an Several pilgrims have expressed unhappi-
indefinite period,” said the official. ness over the ban and have requested for it
theSun learnt that the ban came into effect to be lifted soon.