theSun | MONDAY OCTOBER 19 2009
news without borders
MTUC: Revert to 11%
EPF deductions
PETALING JAYA: The
Malaysian Trades Union
Congress (MTUC) has called
on the government to allow
the 2.2 million workers, who
opted for the 8% Employees
Provident Fund (EPF) deduc-
tions, to revert to 11% with
immediate effect.
Saying that the economy
was recovering, MTUC vice-
president A. Balasubrmaniam
told Bernama yesterday that
EPF contributions were old-
Group off to Australia for solar car race
KUALA LUMPUR: A 16-mem-
ber Universiti Tenaga Nasional
(Uniten) team left for Australia
yesterday to compete in the
2009 World Solar Challenge
from Oct 25 to 31.
The team, known as “Solar
Ranger”, is led by the universi-
ty’s vice-chancellor Prof Datuk
Dr Mashkuri Yaacob.
age savings for private sector
workers and it was important
that the saving percentage be
maintained.
Due to the economic
downturn, the government,
in November last year, gave
employees the option to either
maintain the deductions at
11% or reduce it to 8% for a
period of two years from Jan
1 this year.
According to the EPF, a
total of 2.2 million or 40% of
Uniten’s home-developed
solar car, “Solar Ranger 1”,
bearing the 1Malaysia logo,
was flown to Darwin on Oct 8
ahead of the race, which covers
a distance of 3,021km between
Darwin in the Northern Ter-
ritory and Adelaide in South
Australia.
Uniten said the car took two
workers opted to reduce it to
8%.
Balasubramaniam said
MTUC was concerned for
these 2.2 million workers as
they were losing in terms of
dividends and final payout
when they reach retirement
age.
He said although the op-
tion was for two years, the
government should allow
them to revert to the previous
deductions now. – Bernama
years to complete and has un-
dergone a series of test drives
since April this year.
Team manager Associate
Prof Halil Hussain said the race,
which is aimed at promoting
sustainable energy, would be
the university’s first after win-
ning the World Solar Cycle Chal-
lenge six years ago. – Bernama
40 skydivers jump off Komtar
by Himanshu Bhatt
newsdesk@the sundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: The highest
building in the northern region,
the 65-storey Komtar tower,
was the centre of attention
yesterday when 40 men took
turns to leap off from its top in a
rare extreme sports stunt.
The daredevil act was part of
the Komtar International BASE
Jump 2009, in which 28 para-
chutists from around the world
joined 12 Malaysian jumpers in
taking off from a height of
about 230 metres.
Pedestrians and
shopkeepers spilled
out on to the pave-
ments in the city
to watch as some
of the jumpers let
themselves free fall
for a good distance
before pulling on their
harnesses.
Some of the for-
eign parachutists were
seen circling in the air
above a panoramic
spread of old rooftops
in George Town’s herit-
age city, with a view of
the blue sea beyond and
the green hills on the
island’s western side.
The event featured
some of the world’s veteran
BASE jumpers, including Gary
Cunningham from Australia,
who has clocked about 1,700
BASE jumps and more than
2,000 skydives, and New
Zealand’s Dan Vicary who has
recorded 200 BASE jumps and
4,000 skydives.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng,
who officiated the opening of
the event, said the programme
was part of the state’s initia-
tive to renew the attraction of
Komtar which was
5
built in 1986. He said the state
was also working on promoting
extreme sports in Penang to
lure tourism.
The event was organised
by the Penang Development
Corporation (PDC) and Menara
Kuala Lumpur.
Also present were Penang
Tourism Committee chairman
Law Heng Kiang, PDC general
manager Datuk Rosli Jaafar and
Menara KL CEO Datuk Zulkifli
Mohamad.
MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN
An experienced
Capt (R) Mohd
Noorizan Yunus
making a
graceful descent
after jumping off
from the top of
the tower.