8 theSun | FRIDAY JULY 17 2009

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MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN

Jui Meng resigns as

Bakri MCA chief
MUAR: Former health min-
ister Datuk Chua Jui Meng
(pix) last night resigned
as chairman of the Bakri
MCA division which he had
helmed since 1988, but
dismissed talk that he was
also quitting the party to
joining the opposition Parti
Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
Instead, he urged all
committee members of
the division to give their
undivided support to MCA
president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
“The time has come for me to give way
to a younger person. In the history of the
MCA, rarely has any chief handed over his
post to an opponent after a fierce contest
the previous year.
“I have forgiven those who have chal-
lenged me in last year’s elections. I want
them to look ahead. I do not want them
to oppose again due to trivial matters,”
he said at a news conference at the Bakri
MCA division office, here.
Chua had earlier held a closed-door
meeting for about an hour with his sup-
porters at the hall of the division office.
He had also handed over the post of
divisional chairman to the deputy chair-
man, Sia Ka Tuan.
Replying to questions, Chua said this
was not the first time that there had been
talk of him joining the opposition.
“At the last general election, I was made
an offer to contest as an
opposition candidate but
I rejected it,” he said.
He said that at the
meeting with the divisional
committee members he
had asked them to sup- A curious crowd
port Ong whom, he said, gathers to catch
he had invited twice to a glimpse of
visit the Bakri division. The time the dead whale
“By this (resignation), has come shark.
I have acted to reunite for me to
the party members,” he
said, emphasising that his give way to
a younger
resignation did not mean that he would
remain silent.
In the MCA elections last year, Chua
person. In
the history
Whopper of a catch by fishermen
lost in his bid for the presidency. He had SEBERANG PERAI: Four fishermen who went to Fisherman Salleh Husin who was on the
also lost in his first bid for the post in of the MCA, check on their trawler off the coast of Penang in the trawler said his crew members were shocked
2005. rarely has pre-dawn hours yesterday got a big surprise when when they saw it at about 2.15am.
He was not picked to be the BN can- any chief they found a 5.36m whale shark entangled in it. “At first we took pity on it and thought of
didate for the Bakri parliamentary seat in handed The whale shark, an endangered species releasing it, but then realised it was dead,” he
the general election last year. The seat was scientifically known as Rhincodon typus, was said. “Our trawler had such a hard time pulling
captured by the Opposition. over his found dead, trapped in the net some 50 nautical the shark to land. The boat tilted a few times.”
On his future, Chua said he would post to an miles off the coast of Kuala Muda here. He said the fishermen would surrender the
continue with his vision, as stated in his opponent Hundreds of villagers gathered around the shark to the Fisheries Department as it was an
manifesto when contesting the MCA after a whale shark, estimated to weigh 1.5 tonnes, as endangered species.
presidency in 2005 and 2008, of wanting it lay at the Kuala Muda pier after being towed to A department official, who declined to be
the government leadership to review the fierce
land at about 7am. named, arrived at the scene at about 10am.
New Economic Policy (NEP) and champion contest the
the people of all races in the country. previous
“I belief Malaysia can become a wealthy year.”
country, much wealthier than Singapore,
and I want the wealth of the country to be
returned to the people of all races in the
Kg Buah Pala residents file writ
country,” he said.– Bernama by Himanshu Bhatt developer Nusmetro Ven- title was subsequently registered
newsdesk@thesundaily.com tures (P) Sdn Bhd, Sri Delima and issued to the cooperative.
assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer The villagers, who claim to
GEORGE TOWN: Residents and Deputy Chief Minister (II) have resided on the land for 200
of Kampung Buah Pala have Prof Dr P. Ramasamy. years, contend that the land is
applied to the Penang High “We hope the state rightfully theirs as it was bequeath
Court here for a stay of the government will support us to them by the colonial estate
demolition order for their vil- as the fraud was committed owner Helen Margaret Brown.
lage, which is set to be torn by the previous government,” Meanwhile, elderly resident K.
down on Aug 2. They also filed said the residents’ asso- Muniandy, 73, showed reporters
a writ to claim ownership of ciation assistant secretary a photo of former Brown Estate
the land and to set aside its C. Tharmaraj, who applied manager H.R. Watts and his wife.
transfer on the grounds of as plaintiff on behalf of the Muniandy said he attended a
fraud and illegality. residents. meeting between the residents
This follows the deci- “The application for stay and Watt in 1951 when Watt
sion of the court yesterday is filed on a certificate of announced that the land would
afternoon to dismiss the urgency (and) has yet to be be bequeathed to the workers
residents’ application to set fixed for hearing and will be who resided there. The current
aside the writ of possession served on the defendants residents are mostly descendants
held by the developer. when the sealed copy is given of these workers.
The new writ, filed yester- to our lawyers,” he said in a
day, names the state govern- statement yesterday.
ment and federal government The villagers were served EXPRESS BUS
as two of the defendants. eviction notices by Nusmetro, NOW FROM AUG 1
The other defendants are and have until Aug 2 to move
6.5 sen/km 8.5 sen/km
the representative of the Trust out.
of the late David and Helen The land which the village
Margaret Brown, the Fed- sits on in Bukit Gelugor was STAGE BUS (in KL)
eral Land Commissioner, the alienated to KPKPP by the 75 sen – RM1 –
Koperasi Pegawai-Pegawai previous Barisan Nasional RM2.40 RM3.10
Kanan Pulau Pinang (KPKPP), state government, and a land
STAGE BUS (outside KL)
48-72 sen/ 62-94 sen/
first 2km first 2km
TAXI RENTAL CAR 7.2 sen/km
Klang Valley, JB, Malacca, 9.4 sen/km
(Non-air cond) subsequently subsequently
Kuala Terengganu
NOW FROM AUG 1 Mini BUS (one way)
NOW FROM AUG 1
11.5 sen/km 21.6sen/km+
RM2/first km RM3/ first km 75 sen – 90 sen –
50 sen RM2.40 RM1
10 sen/150m 10 sen/115m additional
subsequently subsequently charge for every
Penang passenger
SCHOOL BUS (urban)
RM21.10/ RM27.43/
RM3/first km RM4/ first km first km
10 sen/150m 10 sen/115m
(Air-cond) first km
RM1.55/km RM2.02/km
subsequently subsequently 13.3 sen/km 25sen/km+
subsequently subsequently
50 sen
AIRPORT TAXI additional
To KLIA, LCCT (standardised) charge for every SCHOOL BUS (rural)
RM29 – RM32.20 – passenger RM15.85/ RM20.61/
RM543 RM602.70 first km first km
RM1.55/km RM2.02/km
To other airports: subsequently subsequently
RM14 – RM15.50 –
RM20 RM22.80
TAXI

K.L. TAXI