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PM’s open house on
1st day of Raya
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak has invited the
public to his Hari Raya open house in his
official residence, Sri Perdana, Putrajaya,
on the first day of Aidilfitri.
A statement from the Prime Minis-
ter’s Office here said all cabinet minis-
ters were also expected to be present
at the open house from 11am to 3pm.
To avoid traffic congestion, a bus
service will be provided from Putrajaya
Sentral to Dataran Masjid Putra while
buggies will be available for use by the
disabled and senior citizens along the
Selcat
main route to Sri Perdana. – Bernama praises
district
No lapse in border
office for
security during festival detailed
SANDAKAN: There will be no lapse in records
security in the waters off Sabah and
along the border with neighbouring
pg 4
countries during Aidilfitri, said Joint
Force Commander Lt-Gen Datuk Al-
latif Mohd Noor.
“Air surveillance will be con-
ducted as usual. There will be no
interruption in our duty during the
celebration,” he said after handing
over Hari Raya cakes to soldiers on
the Pulau Berhala Camp here yester-
day. – Bernama
No decision on Kelantan
RM1b oil royalty claim
IPOH: The federal government has yet to make a
decision on the RM1 billion royalty claimed by the
Kelantan government as its share of the revenue from
the oil extracted from two offshore areas in Kelantan,
said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek
Hussin yesterday.
“The two areas are located far from the Kelantan
coast. As such, it is more appropriate that the revenue
from the oil should go to the federal government for
use in national development instead of expending it
only on Kelantan,” he told reporters after presenting
Tun Hamdan Foundation aid in Sekolah Tuanku Abdul
Rahman (STAR), here.
Awang Adek said one area was in international
waters close to Vietnam and 250km off the Kelantan
coast while the other was in the common waters of
Malaysia and Thailand.
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of a country
extends up to 200 nautical miles (about 370km)
offshore. Kelantan staked a claim for the oil royalty
in June when it sought RM1 billion from the federal
government for what it said was arrears owing since
2004. – Bernama
Jawi not discounting virtual education
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territory Islamic
Department (Jawi) does not discount the pos-
sibility of implementing a virtual education
system in primary and secondary schools
governed by the Federal Territory Islamic
Council.
Its director, Datuk Che Mat Che Ali, said Jawi
Bagan Pinang polls on Oct 11
by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission
(EC) yesterday fixed Saturday Oct 3 as
nomination day for the Bagan Pinang by-
election and Sunday Oct 11 for polling.
It will be the country’s ninth by-elec-
tion following last year’s March 8 national
polls which is now dubbed the “political
tsunami” because Barisan Nasional (BN)
lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for
the first time ever.
The by-election is forced by the death of
assemblyman Azman Mohd Noor of the BN
(Umno) on Sept 4.
Bagan Pinang has 13,664 registered vot-
ers, including 4,604 postal voters, compris-
ing 8,577 Malays (62.77%), 2,834 Indians
(20.74%), 1,498 (10.96%) Chinese and 755
others (5.54%).
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd
Yusof said the Port Dickson Municipal
Council hall would be used as the nomina-
tion and official tallying centre. Eight polling
centres will be opened in eight schools.
He reiterated that the EC would fully
enforce the regulation prohibiting political
parties from setting up booths to help voters
and to canvass for votes on polling day.
“From our experience in Permatang Pasir,
political parties set up operation rooms near
Perak, Selangor coasts used for people smuggling
PENANG: The Perak and Selangor coasts
are being used to smuggle foreigners into
other countries in the last nine months.
Marine Operations Force Region 1 com-
mander ACP Zainul Abidin Hasan said the
coasts were preferred due to the proximity
from the borders of neighbouring countries
and international waters.
He said many foreigners had valid pass-
ports to enter Malaysia and used this coun-
try as a transit point to enter other countries
illegally, especially Australia.
would not face problems, including finance, if it
decided to adopt a virtual education system.
He said the government had allocated
RM2.6 million for ICT programmes in 86 pri-
mary religious schools under Jawi starting with
six schools next month.
“Jawi also received an allocation of RM2.3
the polling centres. These later were turned
into ‘barong’ (booths to canvass votes).
“This time, please don’t do this. We do
not want any form of campaigning and
canvassing of votes on that day,” he told a
press conference in the EC headquarters
yesterday.
He said he would be meeting all political
parties at the end of this month to explain
the ruling which is stated in Section 26(1) of
the Election Offences Act 1954.
Under the act, offenders can be jailed up
to a year or fined a maximum RM5,000 or
both, and this can result in the victory being
declared null and void if it was found that
the candidates or their agents were guilty.
However, when pointed out that no
action was taken against those setting-up
such booths in the last by-election, Abdul
Aziz said it was because it took some time
to change a habit which had been practised
for more than 50 years.
“If we take strict action straightaway,
don’t come out and say we are very cruel.
But don’t be surprised if we take action. We
have reminded all about this many times
before,” he added.
Asked why polling was conducted on a
weekend, he said the EC hoped for a bigger
voter turnout compared with the last one
in Permatang Pasir which was held on a
weekday and only 73% of voters came out
“Based on the number of detentions in
waters patrolled by the Region 1 Marine
Operations Force, Perak and Selangor reg-
istered higher numbers than the coasts of
Kedah, Perlis and Penang,” Zainul Abidin
told reporters on Sunday on a marine boat
for the breaking of fast.
He said the nationals of three countries,
namely, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan were
identified as mostly using the services of the
syndicates to reach other countries.
“We have detained 28 Iraqis, 65 Afghans
| TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 2009
million to provide five of nine free textbooks
to 36,000 pupils next year,” he told a media
conference in Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan
here yesterday.
Earlier, Che Mat presented certificates to
4,000 year six pupils who completed Alquran
and Fardhu Ain (Kafa) classes. – Bernama
to cast their ballots.
“Actually, not only in Permatang Pasir
we chose a working day for polling. We did
that in many places and many people did
come out to vote. For example, we had 88%
turnout in Manek Urai.
“Except in Permatang Pasir, we do not
know why, there was only 73% turnout.
So, being sensitive to feedback, we reacted
and changed it to the weekend this time
around,” he said.
When suggested polling day was fixed on
weekend because it was a BN stronghold,
he said: “No. That is mala-fide. No. Not at
all. It has never crossed our mind.”
On calls by certain parties, including PAS
Youth, for the EC to stop using the “Borang
2” as they claimed it can be used to cross-
check who the people voted for, Abdul Aziz
said during the counting process, the EC
officer would remove the form from the
ballot paper.
“We never check who the people (indi-
vidually) voted for,” he said.
During the press conference, the EC
distributed a book titled “The Transparency
in Issuing, Polling, Opening and Counting
of Postal Votes” whereby Abdul Aziz said:
“I can guarantee 100% that there can never
be any incidences of additional votes be-
ing included in the ballot boxes for postal
votes.”
and 24 Pakistanis in two operations from
January till now,” he said.
Zainul Abidin said the duties of patrolling
and guarding the country’s coasts would
still be conducted as usual during the fasting
month and Hari Raya Aidiln Fitri.
He said 12 marine vessels with three of-
ficers and 69 other ranks would be involved
in patrolling during the period.
“They will be on duty during these pe-
riod as the security of the nation’s waters is
important,” he said. – Bernama