theSun | MONDAY JULY 27 2009 3

news without borders

Two schools,
ORIENTALDAILYPIX

polytechnic and
hostel closed
KUALA LUMPUR: A primary
school and a polytechnic in
Penang, and a secondary
school and a hostel in Tereng-
ganu were ordered to close
for a week from yesterday
after some students and hostel
occupants were found to have been
infected with Influenza A(H1N1).
Penang state Health, Welfare, Caring
Society and Environment Committee
ROAD COLLAPSE ... chairman Phee Boon Poh identified the
The road alongside a construction site on Jalan San institutions as SJK Aik Keow in Teluk Air
Peng in Kuala Lumpur gives way, forcing about 200 Tawar and the Seberang Perai Polytech-
residents in the area to evacuate. nic in Permatang Pauh.
“The Health Ministry has ordered their
closure after 16 students of the school
and 36 students of the polytechnic were
found to have been infected with the
INFLUENZA A(H1N1) HOTLINE
» 03-88810200/300
» 03-88834414/415
Sabah, and five at SM Agama Perse-
ketuan Kajang. Both will be closed until
Friday.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr
Ismail Merican Ismail urged the public to
report to the Health Department should
they be aware of those around them
showing symptoms of H1N1. “Those
who show heavy symptoms or are at
high-risk must seek immediate treat-
ment at the nearest hospital,” he said.
In Terengganu, Sekolah Menengah

Tee Keat in touch with cops Approval

by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister and
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat says
he “is in touch with the police” on threats made
to his life but that it is inappropriate for him to
elaborate.
“Thank you for your concern. I am more
concerned about the happenings and what has
been taking place. The media have been keen
to know but I choose to stop there,” he said.
Ong said that while he had been acting on
the matter, he would not seek out the press to
reveal the full details of his actions.
“You don’t know what I have been doing at
this point. Of course, I have to be mindful of
my personal safety and have been doing what
needs to be done, but my habit is not to go to
the press with each minor detail. Only when
it is absolutely necessary will I mention such
incidents.”
Ong last week said he had received a threat
that stated: “If you are wiped out from this
world some day, you should know why it hap-
pened.”
He also said the threat was linked to his
move to make public audit findings on the
RM12 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)
fiasco.
Meanwhile, sources told theSun Port Klang
Authority chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng had
also received similar threats in relation to the
PKFZ issue, adding that some arrangements
had been put in place for his protection.
Lee when contacted, however, declined to
comment on the matter.
On Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz
Nik Mat expressing a desire to bury the hatchet
and make peace with the federal government,
Ong said: “We welcome all who approach us
for talks regardless where they are from. We
hope for bonds of warmth between the federal
and state governments, especially those led by
other parties such as the Pakatan Rakyat. But,
‘friendliness’ has its connotations, so we need
to know friendliness to what point.”
Speaking after officiating at the Tunku
Abdul Rahman College (TARC) convocation
yesterday, he pledged to further “develop” the
college.
“In my capacity as the president of MCA, I
pledge to develop the college which has been
an MCA project for the last 40 years. There are
also two more education institutes – Tunku
Abdul Rahman University and Institut Kojadi.
“This does not mean we are politicising
education. MCA as a party and as TARC’s
founder is duty bound to do what is necessary
for the benefit of the students.”
H1N1 virus,” he said when contacted.
Phee said the students had been
quarantined and were in stable condi-
Sains Dungun and a hostel belonging to
the Perkaya foundation in Marang closed
for one week effective yesterday.
to develop tion.As of yesterday, the number of State exco councillor in charge of
Health, Dr A Rahman Mokhtar , told
Kg Buah accumulated H1N1 cases nationwide reporters in Kuala Terengganu that 10
Pala stood at 1,075, with one death reported, suspected cases were detected in the
according to a ministry statement. school and 13 in the hostel.
revoked There were 55 new cases – 54 The people involved have been asked
pg 5 locally transmitted and one imported. to return home and undergo home
Out of the 55 patients, 43 were from quarantine.
seven different clusters. In Kuching, state education
Malacca had a large number of cases department director Dr Julaihi Bujang
with six reported at the Mara Skills In- said he would discuss with the state
stitute in Jasin, four at the Industrial health department its decision to
Training Institute in Bukit Katil and five order the closure of schools, especially
at the Public Service Department camp residential schools in rural areas.
in Tehel, Jasin. “Our concern is that when the
Both the schools are closed and students return
Mara institute to their villages, there is a possibility of
H1N1 figures and the Indus- them spreading the virus there. If this
(as of 8am yesterday) trial Training happens, it will be difficult to contain it
Institute will as the villages are in the interior areas.”
» New cases: 55 be closed un-
til Thursday.
Julaihi said two Sarawak schools
– SM Kubong and SM Patiabun in Lim-
» Imported cases: 1 Nineteen
cases were
bang – were still closed.
In Labuan, eight students from two
reported at secondary schools who returned from
» Local transmissions: 54 SM Sains
Kota Kina-
Malacca yesterday after attending a civil
defence cadet programme had been ad-
» Total no. of cases: 1,075 balu in Bukit
Padang,
mitted to the general hospital here after
they tested positive for H1N1.

Chua hits out at Ong DAP reps lodge report on blog

for sidelining him
GEORGE TOWN: MCA deputy
president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi
Lek yesterday announced he was
not eyeing a minister’s post, and hit
out at party president Datuk Seri
Ong Tee Keat for sidelining him.
Stressing that his name had
been smeared and his credibility
questioned since he was elected
deputy president, Chua said he
was only interested in fulfilling
his role in the party and as Barisan
Nasional (BN) national coordina-
tor.
“Even if he (Ong) invited me
to be a minister, I would tell him
thanks but no,” Chua told a press
conference after chairing a meet-
ing of state BN component parties
at a hotel here.
“I don’t want to be a transport
minister also, he can keep that
for himself,” he added, saying the
MCA leadership risked taking the
party into “self-destruction” with
the rift.
“We give him support as
president. In that same way he
must respect all those who are
elected in the party, whether in
the central committee or in divi-
sions.”
He also said mediation between
the two leaders had not worked,
and was unnecessary.
“This is the second biggest
component party in the BN. The
number one (president) and
number two (deputy president)
should be able to sit and talk.
“In my own party, there are
people who consider me to be
an enemy. People are scared to
be seen with me for fear of being
blacklisted,” complained Chua.
On Ong receiving death threats
over the Port Klang Free Zone
report, Chua said the transport
minister should make a police
report on the matter.
by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SHAH ALAM: Two police reports were
lodged yesterday in relation to a blog
supposedly seeking justice for political
secretary Teoh Beng Hock, which had
allegedly published articles accusing
the DAP of misappropriating state
funds and used doctored documents
to substantiate the claims.
The blog www.t4tbh.blogspot.com
which was created by an anonymous
blogger had claimed that two DAP as-
semblymen – state councillor Ronnie
Liu and Teoh’s boss Seri Kembangan
assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah –
were involved in siphoning state funds
and had awarded 84 state contracts
worth RM200,000 to Kajang councillor
Wong Chuan How. It also claimed that
Teoh’s death was a result of Liu and
Ean pressuring him to be part of the
plot to “steal” state funds.
Ean and Wong, accompanied by
Liu and a group of PKR and PAS sup-
porters, made the reports at the Shah
Alam district police headquarters at
about 3pm.
“It is made up of purely false claims
and baseless allegations.The vouchers
and documents uploaded on the site
were taken from Liu’s website and
doctored to cause unrest within the
Selangor PR government,” Ean said.
“It has come to our knowledge
that there are certain quarters out
to destroy the state government.
They will do anything to achieve their
goals. We urge the police to trace and
investigate the blogger for making
such defamatory claims.”
He also said Teoh had never worked
under Liu as claimed in the blog.
Liu said he had become a favourite
target of such blogs due to his outspo-
kenness on the police, Malaysian Anti-
Corruption Commission and former
Selangor state leaders. He said certain
quarters were out to tarnish his image
by accusing him of issuing licences
to his younger brother for gaming
centres all over Selangor.
“They also said I was giving out
licences for massage parlours in the
state. They target me because I have
been critical of wrongdoings of the
former government. I did no such
things and I can prove it,” he said.
Also present were Shah Alam MP
Khalid Samad and state PAS secretary
Mohd Khairudin Othman.
“The PR government is transparent
and we have nothing to hide. A plot
such as this has been used in Perak
to topple the government and now it
is here in Selangor.
“What the BN government does is
covered up. The Shah Alam Umno divi-
sion head gets RM1 million to spend
but the MP and assemblyman get
nothing. Where this RM1 million goes,
nobody knows,” Khalid said.
Mohd Khairudin said he was baf-
fled at why police have not detained
the MACC investigating officer tasked
with questioning Teoh.
“In other cases, the police are
quick to arrest and remand for inves-
tigations, so why have they not done
so here?”