6 theSun | TUESDAY MAY 12 2009

news without borders

Tee Keat suggests names of

Hindraf leader to late leaders for new schools

come home
KUALA LUMPUR: Hindu Rights
Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P.
Waythamoorthy announced yesterday
his plan to return to Malaysia despite
risks of incarceration after a year-
and-a-half of self-imposed exile in the
United Kingdom
His decision comes after the re-
maining three Hindraf leaders were
released from the Internal Security Act
(ISA) detention facility in Kamunting
over the weekend. The other two
Hindraf leaders were released earlier
in April.
“Now that my comrades have been
released, I have decided that I shall
return to Malaysia to continue and
forge ahead with the objectives and
goals of Hindraf in seeking what it had
originally set out to, even at the risk of
me being arrested under ISA or any
other repressive laws.”
Waythamoorthy left for the UK in
late 2007 after five Hindraf leaders, in-
cluding his recently released brother,
P. Uthayakumar, were detained under
the ISA.
Waythamoorthy said the likelihood
of arrest did not scare him as “the objec-
tive to obtain the release of the Hindraf
lawyers had been achieved and now
it is the time to press forward with the
objectives of the community that has
Murugiah gets death threat
PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Minister in the
Prime Minister’s Department Datuk
T. Murugiah received a death threat
in the form of two bullet casings in his
office here yesterday.
It is learnt that Murugiah, who
found the casings packed in a box
at 2.30pm, had also received a note
warning him to not contest in the PPP
(Peoples’ Progressive Party) elections.
The note read: “Don’t ever contest
Datuk Kayveas, not only president’s
post but don’t contest any post in PPP
party elections. Don’t be a hero. I will
MCA president Datuk Seri
Ong Tee Keat says new
Chinese primary schools
can be named after late party
leaders in memory of their
contributions to the Chinese
community, Nanyang Siang
been sys- Pau reported yesterday.
tematically He said that had it not
discrimi- been for their contributions
nated, mar- and the foundation built by
ginalised the founding members, the
and side- 60-year-old party would not
lined for 52 have achieved what it has
years.” today.
He also Speaking at the Johor
added that state-level MCA 60th anni-
Hindraf
had gained
strong sup- ‘Allow setting up of Confucius Institute’
port and
even if he JIAO ZONG (United Chinese
was ar- School Teachers Association)
rested, there president Ong Kow Yee said
would be the government should adopt
others who a more open-minded policy
would come to allow for the setting up
forward to of the Confucius Institute in
pursue the Malaysia.
causes of the He told Sin Chew Daily
organisation. on Sunday that Hanban, the
This was also executive body of Chinese
echoed by Uthayakumar on his release Language Council Interna-
from Kamunting over the weekend. tional, a non-governmental
“I could see many people are sup- and non-profit organisation
porting the cause as we have been affiliated to China’s Educa-
marginalised and I think we have a tion Ministry, has already set
platform to seek for better welfare of up 256 Confucius Institutes
the Indian community,” he said in a throughout the world in
report by Malaysiakini. collaboration with foreign
universities.
The United States alone
has 53 Confucius Institutes
and four Confucius Schools,
making it an important over-
seas pillar in the propagation
finish you. Don’t fight if not this bullet of the Chinese language and
shells will turn into life (sic) bullet in culture.
your head. Bang! Bang!”
The deputy minister lodged a report
in the Putrajaya police headquarters.
Kuala Lumpur, CPO DCP Datuk
Wira Mohd Sabtu Osman said police
Klang council to help feed
are investigating the case for criminal
intimidation. abandoned strays
It was reported last week that
Murugiah was embroiled in internal by Hemananthani
issues within his party for alleged Sivanandam
money politics and for shirking his newsdesk@thesundaily.com
duties as party division chief.
KLANG: Local authorities have
agreed to feed some 300 starv-
ing stray dogs dumped on two
uninhabited islands near Pulau
Ketam.
They will also trap and spay
the animals on Pulau Tengah
and Pulau Selat Kering.
These were among the
measures agreed yesterday
at a meeting of five NGOs,
municipal councillors, heads
of state departments and as-
semblymen.
The Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals
(SPCA) will work with Furry
Friends Farm (FFF) which has
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
versary celebration in Johor
Baru on Sunday, Ong, who is
also Johor MCA liaison chief,
said the party must go back
to its roots, back to the spirit
of oneness between MCA and
Chinese community in order
to strive for the betterment of
the community.
Going back to its roots
means going back to the new
“But in Malaysia, Dong
Jiao Zong (the collective
name for Dong Zong – United
Chinese School Committees
Association – and Jiao Zong)
has not been successful in
setting up the Confucius
Institute despite its many at-
tempts over the years, mainly
because China (Hanban)
is hesitant (in extending its
expertise in the setting of the
institute) without the green
light from the Malaysian
government,” he said.
He said Hanban’s main
target of collaboration is
universities.
However, he said, as
a community movement
tasked with the development
of Chinese language in the
country, Dong Jiao Zong was
more than willing to help set
up the Confucius Institute if
no Malaysian university was
interested.
been sending teams to rescue
the dogs. Both SPCA and FFF
will be assisted by a Pulau
Ketam resident who wishes to
be identified as Lo.
Lo has volunteered his time
to help the NGOs distribute the
food to the dogs.
Save A Stray founder
Jacqueline Tsang said Lo would
be the right person to help
SPCA and FFF as he knows the
location of the dogs.
The dogs will be trapped by
FFF and the Klang Municipal
Council while the Veterinary
Services Department will spay
the animals.
Veterinary officer Dr Ham-
dan Ahmad said he was glad
a short-term solution was
found for a pressing problem.
villages, the cradle of
the party, Ong said,
adding that the party
has to organise more
activities in new vil-
lages.
Ong, who is also
transport minister, pointed
out that there was a drain
of manpower from these
villages, leaving only the
children and the elderly set-
tlers behind.
He hoped that young
people would return to the
new villages to help develop
them.
Confucius Institute aims
to promote Chinese language
learning and teaching and
the understanding of the
Chinese culture.
Ong said the economic
rise of China had led to a
craze to learn the Chinese
language and culture in
many parts of the world
where governments hoped
to grab a slice of the Chinese
economic pie.
“Hanban provides the
Confucius institutes with
grants and teaching staff.
Setting up such institutes in
the country would also give
non-Chinese an opportunity
to learn the language,” said
Ong.
He hoped that Prime Min-
ister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Razak’s coming official trip to
China would lead to the set-
ting up of the first Confucius
Institute in Malaysia.
“However, a long-term solution
through education needs to be
looked into.”
Kapar MP S. Manikavasa-
gam said: “It’s a good start and
I’m satisfied with the overall
outcome.”
Tsang said it was the first
time activists and NGOs have
come forward to work together
“without competing with each
other” for the purpose of saving
dogs.
“I’m happy that our (SAS)
proposal (to save the dogs) was
accepted. We will find alternate
shelters for the animals,” she
said.
It was announced yester-
day that PAWS (Paws Animal
Welfare Society) had offered to
take in 20 dogs.

Immigration D-G is new Tee Keat’s briefcase missing

Home Ministry sec-gen
KUALA LUMPUR: Immigration Director-General
Datuk Mahmood Adam has been appointed
the Home Ministry’s secretary-general, Chief
Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd
Sidek Hassan announced yesterday.
His appointment takes effect today.
Mahmood, 56, succeeds Tan Sri Abdul Aziz
Mohd Yusof who was appointed Election Com-
mission chairman on Dec 31.
Mahmood, who was appointed Immigration
director-general on July 21 last year, was the De-
wan Rakyat secretary between 2006 and 2007.
Mohd Sidek also announced the appointment
of Immigration Deputy Director-General (Man-
agement) Abdul Rahman Othman, 51, as the new
Immigration director-general. – Bernama
JOHOR BARU: MCA president Datuk Seri
Ong Tee Keat lost a briefcase when his
friend’s Toyota Estima was broken into in
Taman Perling, here.
Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar
Mohd Shariff said police received a report
from Ong’s friend, believed to be an MCA
member, at 5pm on Sunday, claiming his car
was broken into and the briefcase was miss-
ing. “Also missing was a briefcase belonging
to Ong’s bodyguard,” he said yesterday.
Mohd Mokhtar said following the
incident, police arrested 11 people aged
between 25 and 30 to help in the investiga-
tion. He said the briefcase was believed to
contain several important documents, but
police have not yet recorded a statement
from Ong. – Bernama