10
news without borders
Stay out of dispute,
Hua Zong urged
A GROUP calling itself the def-
ender of Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ)
has urged Hua Zong (Federation
of Chinese Associations of Mal-
aysia) to stay out of the New Era
College dispute.
Responding to reports that
Hua Zong was calling for a
meeting today of 50 Chinese or-
ganisations to mediate the lead-
ership dispute that has plagued
the college for six months, the
“Protect DJZ Action Committee
of Perak” said in a statement on
Monday that the dispute had in
fact ended and the college was
waiting to receive its new dean,
Prof Pua Eng Chong, when the
new semester begins.
Van driver burnt
to death in crash
SEREMBAN: A van driver was
burnt to death when his vehicle
burst into flames after hitting the
back of a lorry laden with gravel
at Km245.6 of the North-South
Expressway near here yesterday.
Police have yet to identify the
victim and the van’s registration
number could not be made
out, Negri Sembilan traffic staff
officer ASP Halil Hamzah said.
He said both vehicles were
heading south when the acci-
dent took place at 6.50am.
“The van’s driver was
trapped in his seat and was
burned beyond recognition. We
There is no reason for Hua
Electronics, electrical goods
makers cut production
Zong to create another dispute,
the Perak committee said after
consulting similar committees
in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kedah
and Perlis.
The statement reminded Hua
Zong president Tan Sri Lim Gait
Tong of his agreement with Dong
Zong president Dr Yap Sin Tian
not to meddle in the dispute.
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
It also warned Hua Zong that
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
it would bear the legal conse-
quences of trying to “mediate”
in the dispute uninvited.
The committee said the
controversy would end when
“a small group of people stops
creating more trouble”.
The man
who
conned
the world
pg 14
have sent his charred remains
to the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in
Seremban for a post mortem.”
Firemen in two engines from
Rembau and Seremban put out
the fire.
The lorry driver V. Tirumalai,
43, said he stopped when he
heard a loud bang from the back
of the lorry. “When I got down,
I saw a van engulfed in flames.
I tried to pull the driver out but
couldn’t as he was trapped in his
seat and the heat was intense.”
Witnesses to the accident
should call 06-603 3222. –
Bernama
THE financial tsunami is
hitting Malaysia and the export-
based manufacturing sector,
particularly electronics and
electrical goods manufacturers,
are the first to feel its impact.
According to a report in
Nanyang Siang Pau yesterday,
manufacturers of electronics and
electrical goods started cutting
down production last month,
some by as much as 40%.
With orders from both local
and foreign companies slashed,
many electronics factories have
reduced the number of shifts,
with some even temporarily
stopping production.
However, manufacturers
interviewed by the daily empha-
sised that initial cost-cutting
measures would be the reduction
of overtime, as well as transport
and other allowances. Lay-offs
would be a last resort.
It is estimated that more than
200,000 people are engaged in
the electronics industry, of which
about 30% or between 55,000 and
theSun
65,000 are employed by the 17
American multi-nationals.
Exports of the 17 companies
totalled RM73.8 billion last year,
or 28% of the country’s total
electronics exports for the year.
Preliminary figures of
an economic survey by the
Federation of Malaysian Manu-
facturers (FMM) show that orders
received by the country’s export-
based manufacturing sector fell
30-40% last month, forcing a
reduction of output by up to 40%.
The figures show that the
global economic slowdown has
clearly affected the manufacturing
sector and FMM believes the
situation will worsen next year.
Malaysia is the world’s sixth
largest exporter of semi-conductors,
and a US-led drop in consumption
will have a direct and deep impact
on the electronics sector.
Datuk Lee Ow Kim, FMM
council member and its northern
branch chairman, said the steep-
est output cuts are seen in the
electronics and car sectors and
their downstream industries.
He told the daily that prod-
uction lines in these plants have
generally reduced the number of
working days. Employees have
also been asked to take annual
| WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17 2008
leave to cut production costs.
Lee said he was told by foreign
investors that they had slashed
output by 30-40%. “Some of those
who deal only with the Americans
have not received a single order
for the next three months.”
Malaysian American Elec-
tronics Industry Association, a
member of the American Malay-
sian Chamber of Commerce, said
most of the country’s electronics
factories have either temporarily
suspended production or reduced
it by one to two weeks a month.
Association president Datuk
Wong Siew Hai said to his
knowledge no factory had totally
stopped production for now, but
that it is any one’s guess what
would happen next year when the
full effects of the meltdown are felt.
FMM’s Lee said if financial
results do not improve in five
months, manufacturers will have
to force workers to take unpaid
leave. He said production workers,
who enjoy 20-30 days’ annual
leave, are being asked to clear one
day’s leave a week. “Nevertheless,
they still get their salaries.”
Malaysia Motorcycle and Scoo-
ter Dealers Association president
Wee Hong said sales had dropped
33-44% since July.