4 theSun | THURSDAY OCTOBER 30 2008

news without borders

Malaysia to be an Accounting firm probes RM4.6b PKFZ loan

‘Island of Peace’ PETALING JAYA: After about
five months of delay due to pro-
members, including a senior
manager, would help raise public
erate with the auditors,” he said.
“The auditing started this
the development of the project.
Ong said details of repayment
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is set to gain cedural requirements, the RM4.6 confidence on PKA. month and is expected to would be properly audited and
global recognition as an “Island of Peace” with billion controversial government “PKFZ engaged the services be completed by year’s end. disclosed at an appropriate time
several key initiatives such as the hosting of the soft loan given to Port Klang of PwC by direct appointment Whether or not the report will be to avoid any misconception of a
18th World Peace Congress and the inaugural Free Zone (PKFZ) is finally being instead of calling an open tender made public will be decided by government bailout.
International Martial Arts Festival 2008. “dissected by an international and the approval was sought the Transport Minister (Datuk Seri PKFZ, initially estimated to
The two events, held simultaneously in accounting firm Pricewater- from the finance ministry.” Ong Tee Keat),,” said Lee. cost RM1.85 billion to build, was
the Sunway Resort and Convention Centre till houseCoopers (PwC)”. Lee said the auditors were Ong had announced the conceptualised as a regional hub
tomorrow, will also set the stage for Malaysia to Port Klang Authority (PKA) given the authority to interview auditing in the wake of news for export and transhipment of
become the leading voice of world peace in the chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng all staff, including former employ- reports on the RM4.6 billion soft manufactured goods. However, it
Asian region and lead the way for global harmony. said the probe conducted by ees and board members. loan provided by the Federal ballooned to RM4.6 billion by the
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail an independent entity with six “We hope everyone will coop- Government to PKFZ to finance time the project was completed.
Sabri, who represented Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the official opening
ceremony yesterday, said several measures are
» removed in the “paramount interests of

Suhakam: Enact
being drawn up to ensure Malaysia becomes
a prominent voice for peace and it includes the child”; and
the proposal for a broad-based national peace » Article 37, on Criminal Justice for
education policy. Children be removed, and the article
He said the fundamental tenets of the organiser be implemented in the relevant laws in
of the congress, the International Association Malaysia.
of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), include Raj said while Suhakam also has

laws to protect
nuclear disarmament, safeguarding the reservations over Article 13 ( Freedom
environment and protecting human rights. On the of Expression) and Article 14 (Freedom
objective of incorporating the martial arts festival of Thought, Conscience and Religion),
with the peace congress, Ismail said: “Martial arts research still had to be done before it
can be put to good use, especially to defend oneself could form a stand.
or the people around them. So its not about fighting “For this (freedom of religion),
but to maintain peace and order.” Suhakam has been carrying out studies

children from porn

in the last three years which is not
conclusive, as we have not got together
to review the studies which are taking
longer than expected because of the

briefs
nature of religion in Malaysia,” Raj
added
“We hope this report will enable
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Article 1 of the CRC, which defines a more people to read the logic or
Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) child as anyone under 18, be accepted reasoning behind Suhakam’s call to
Fatwa on yoga out soon yesterday urged the government to as the legal definition of a child, and remove the reservations, so that by the
PENANG: The National Fatwa Council will come out enact new laws to protect children that the discrimination in the age of time Malaysia presents its next report
with a ruling relating to yoga exercise soon. from pornography. marriage, which is 16 for girls, and 18 to the UN Committee of the Rights of
The announcement would be made by the council’s Suhakam commissioner Datuk for boys be brought in line with the the Child, we will be able
chairman, Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin, said Dr Raj Abdul Karim said the CRC; to present
Deputy Director-General (Operations) of the Depart- widespread use of information and » Article 2 on the Principle of Non- a better
ment of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) Othman communications technology (ICT) Discrimination be removed as there picture,”
Mustapha.
Student necessitated this as children could be said Raj.
is no reason for it to exist as it is
He said this after opening a seminar on Islamic killed exposed to the scourge easily through already enshrined in Article
Jurisprudence and Eternal Islamic Thinking at Universiti chasing mediums like the Internet, digital video 8 of the Federal
Sains Malaysia jointly organised by the Islamic Studies discs (DVDs) and handphone. Constitution,
Division of the university and Jakim here yesterday.
robbers “The government must view this » Article 7, the Right
On Tuesday, lecturer Prof Zakaria Stapa of Universiti pg 10 matter seriously and enact appropriate to be Registered at
Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Islamic Studies Centre advised laws that conform to international Birth, to a Name
Muslims who have taken up yoga to stop practising it standards,” Bernama quotes her as and to Acquire
for fear that it could deviate their belief. – Bernama saying after launching a book titled Nationality be
Report Of The Forum On Malaysia’s removed, as there
Umno division meetings Reservations to the Convention On The is no obstacle
Rights Of The Child, at her office here. for Malaysia to
declared invalid She said countries like Australia, remove it;
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Umno monitoring New Zealand and Thailand have laws » Article 15,
committee has declared the Batu Sapi division to the effect and Indonesia is in the midst the right of
delegates’ meeting on Oct 18 invalid as it was not of doing so, but Malaysia does not have Freedom of
carried out in accordance with party constitution. specific laws to address the situation. Association
Sabah Umno secretary Datuk Yahya Hussin said Raj also said certain reservations and Assembly be
the committee had instructed the Umno division needed to be removed for Malaysia withdrawn as such
to set a new date for the meeting. to fully ratify the United Nations a reservation “is of
It had also ruled that the Beluran Wanita Convention on the Rights of The Child no basis”; Suhakam official Juliana
delegates’ meeting on Oct 20 null and void as the (CRC), reports Tan Yi Liang. » Article 28(1)(a), Rozali shows the report
committee had yet to dispose of objections raised She explained that Suhakam had the Right to Primary on the Rights of the Child
against several Wanita branches. – Bernama reservations over the following articles: Education be convention.