6 theSun | THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20 2008

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MCA: Ali Rustam’s statement irresponsible and myopic

PETALING JAYA: The MCA yesterday
described Malacca Chief Minister
Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam’s
statement that “it is only proper for
Umno to control the government” as
irresponsible and myopic.
MCA Information and Communica-
tion Bureau chief Lee Wei Kiat said: “We
view with alarm the statement alleg-
edly made by Mohd Ali at the 6th an-
nual delegates conference of Koperasi
Kontraktor Melayu Malaysia Berhad as
reported in an online news portal.”
Mohd Ali is alleged to have said
“Umno must take control of the
government to ensure Umno policies,
especially the New Economic Policy
(NEP), are being implemented effec-
tively at all levels across the nation”.
Lee said: “Ali must bear in mind
that Umno is not the sole party in the
Barisan Nasional coalition govern-
ment. All other BN component parties
also contributed to the BN’s success in
forming the federal government after
each of the 12 general elections.
“It is irresponsible and myopic of
Ali to deny the efforts of all other BN
component parties in successively
forming the Cabinet since 1957.”
He added that Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
had on various occasions said many
discussions and a consideration of the
views of all BN parties had taken place
at Cabinet meetings.
“Ali has painted a misrepresenta-
tion of the NEP’s objectives. It should
always be remembered that the NEP
was formulated to eradicate poverty
irrespective of race, and to remove the
economic identity with race. The NEP
was never intended to be misused as a
zero-sum game where one race mov-
ing forward could only be achieved at
the expense of others,” Lee said.
He voiced his disappointment at
several politicians resorting to political
posturing in the run-up to the March
Umno elections.
“Politicians and public figures
should refrain from spewing partisan
statements with racial connotations
that polarise society to score political
mileage. They should recognise that
we are all Malaysian citizens and chan-
nel their energies to jointly develop the
nation, instead of uttering remarks that
smack of superiority and dominance
over others.”

Husna Yusop and Tim Leonard at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday

China
holds briefs
Toll agreements do not key to
stabilising
global
economy
pg 17
Essential goods prices study
AN ANALYSIS of daily and weekly reports com-
piled by 2,000 officers monitoring prices is being
used to study price trends and draft plans for the

cover ‘congestion’
THE government cannot take action against
highway concessionaires or stop them
collecting toll just because the highways are
congested as it was not a condition of the
concession agreement.
Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin
Mohamed said that when highways are
placed under the management of private
companies, the concessionaires have
financial and other obligations to fulfil.
“Whether the government has the power
or not is another matter. But the issue
is, what are the obligations between the
government and the concessionaire under
the agreement? That must be the main
consideration.
“If it was stated in the concession
agreement that once traffic on a highway
has reached a certain level, there should
be some kind of revenue sharing, we can
look into the matter. But this is not in the
agreement,” he told Gobind Singh Deo
(DAP-Puchong).
Gobind then asked whether the
ministry had made any effort to ensure
that the concessionaires undertake a
social responsibility to check congestion
on highways.
He was referring to Mohd Zin’s
statement on Tuesday, encouraging a
corporate social responsibility initiative
among concession companies as a new
consumer approach.
Gobind said that although the
Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP)
is congested at all times, there is no
alternative route to Puchong.
“There is no untolled road to
Puchong. We have to pay toll on all
roads leading there. In Putrajaya, the
roads are wide but not tolled. I don’t
know why there are so many toll plazas
in Puchong.
“Can’t the government do anything
about it? Why do we have to pay toll here?
Does the government have the power
to stop concessionaires from collecting
toll until they have solved the traffic
problem?”
distribution and channelling of essential goods.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister
Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said weekly reports are
also sent to the National Economic Council for use
in the formulation of strategies to check inflation.
The 2,000 graduates appointed by the govern-
ment to monitor prices did not have the authority
to make arrests, he said in replying to a question
from Hamim Samuri (BN-Ledang).
Employed on a one-year contract from March
1, they monitor the daily prices of essential sundry
goods at wet markets, dry markets, supermarkets
and sundry shops nationwide, Shahrir said.
“They monitor eight types of essential goods
and 350 non-essential goods, including fresh and
dry goods and ready-to-cook items.” – Bernama
Three more seismic stations
MALAYSIA will build three more seismic
stations to increase the effectiveness of real-
time earthquake detection.
Deputy Science, Technology and Innova-
tion Minister Fadillah Yusof said the stations
would be located in Kota Gelangi, Pahang;
Bakun, Sarawak and Sepulut, Sabah. Malaysia
currently has 14 seismic stations.
“The ministry had also placed two ‘strong
motion’ equipment units in Putrajaya to
study the impact of earthquakes on building
structures. Ten more such units will be set up
in the Klang Valley early next year,” he said
in reply to a question from Datuk Kamarul
Baharin Abbas (PKR-Telok Kemang).
Kamarul had inquired about government
studies on the effect of earthquakes on
Bukit Tinggi, Pahang and Lahad Datu, Sabah
recently. – Bernama

Syed Hamid declines debate

HOME Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar has
declined to engage in a public debate with Lim
Kit Siang on the crime situation in the country.
Syed Hamid said Lim was just trying to gain
political mileage by raising the issue. “He likes
publicity. I am not going to go into a debate with
him as he has already made up his mind (on the
crime rate). If he wants to discuss the police with
us, no problem,” Syed Hamid said in the Parlia-
ment lobby.
Lim threw down the gauntlet at a news con-
ference on Tuesday. – Bernama

MB angry at dept’s silence

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu Mentri
Besar Datuk Ahmad Said lashed out at the
State Religious Affairs Department yesterday
for having kept him in the dark on a recent
brief appearance in the state of deviant “Sky
Kingdom” cult leader, Ayah Pin.
“I was not given any report. I don’t know,
that’s the weakness of the religious office,” he
said after chairing a weekly state executive
council meeting at Wisma Darul Iman here.
Ahmad said none of the department’s of-
ficers had approached him to date despite the
matter being a hot topic of conversation.
Last Friday, Inspector-General of Police Tan
Sri Musa Hassan said Ayah Pin had snuck into
Terengganu for a short period. He said the
police were about to pick him up when they
were told by the department not to.
Ahmad said the department should have
detained Ayah Pin and left the question of his
innocence or guilt to the law enforcement
authorities. – Bernama