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Perak mulls elderly-
friendly homes
by Humayun Kabir
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
IPOH: The Perak government is studying
the possibility of providing elderly-friendly
homes for senior citizens similar to the
successful housing venture undertaken by
the Singapore government in 1998.
The island republic launched a studio
apartment scheme for the elderly as a
housing option consisting of customised
apartments with elderly-friendly features
such as lever taps, non-slip tiles, easy-
to-use switches, wider door frames for
wheelchair access, level flooring from one
floor to another, and handle bars and pull
cords linked to an alert system in case of an
emergency.
The studio apartments are sold on
30-year leases and built in two sizes of
35sq m and 45sq m.
State education, local government,
housing and public transport committee
chairman Nga Kor Ming said current
housing schemes in Perak were not
elderly-friendly, with many incidents of
senior citizens injuring themselves at
home, for example as a result of slippery
floors and uneven flooring, or falling down
stairs.
Like Singapore, Perak also wants to
get more people to own houses instead of
renting.
Singapore, with a land area of 699 sq
221 Indonesian inmates freed
JAKARTA: Indonesia marked Christmas day by freeing
221 prisoners for good behaviour.
Another 7,024 had their sentences reduced by
between 15 days and two months, Untung Sugiono of
the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights was quoted
as saying by the Detikcom news website yesterday.
Inmates must have a record of six months’ good
behaviour to have their sentences cut. Death row
prisoners and those serving life are not eligible.
| FRIDAY DECEMBER 26 2008
km, has housed 81% of its 3.6 million
population in apartments located in
comprehensively planned housing estates.
Of this, 79% own the apartments, with
just 2% renting, as at March 2007.
“This is a long-term housing project
which ensures that people are stakeholders
in our economic building efforts,” Nga said.
“We are also studying the possibility
of encouraging more tenants to buy up
their state rented premises which will
make them responsible for the proper
maintenance of the buildings.”
Perak is expected to help the lower
income group own their rented premises
through easily obtainable bank loans.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad
Nizar Jamaluddin and fifty local govern-
ment officials and staff, including Nga
and Ipoh Mayor Roshidi Hashim, left
for Singapore on Dec 18 for a three-day
working visit to study the island republic’s
local government system with a view to
improving the efficiency of Perak’s local
government administration.
The delegation also gained information
on how to address squatter problems,
maintain heritage and historical buildings,
improve and maintain water catchment
areas, improve the quality of drinking
water and reduce water wastage due to
leaks, purify waste water for industrial use,
desalinate sea water and clean up rivers to
turn them into tourist attractions.
Indonesia grants sentence reductions
of up to six months twice a year – to mark
Independence Day on Aug 17, and on major
religious holidays when they are decided
according to a convict’s faith. – AFP
UN to join Commonwealth
in Fiji mediation
NEW YORK: The United Nations said on
Wednesday it had agreed to a request
from Fiji to join the Commonwealth in
mediating a dialogue to agree the tim-
ing of elections to restore democracy
in the South Pacific state.
Military coup leader Frank Baina-
mara promised neighbouring countries
last year to hold elections in Fiji in the
first quarter of 2009 but earlier this
month ruled that out.
He says Fiji must first change its
racially based electoral system, which
he blames for past instability in the
coup-plagued nation.
In response, Australia raised the
possibility Fiji could be expelled
from the Pacific Islands Forum, a key
regional body that has its headquarters
in Fiji’s capital of Suva.
“UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
has written to Fiji to accept its request
for the UN to work with the Common-
wealth in mediating a political dialogue
aimed at reaching an agreement on the
timing and modalities of a parliamentary
election to return Fiji to full democracy,“
a UN statement said. – Reuters
Sex shop attacked by
disgruntled customer
MOSCOW: A man shot and wounded a
saleswoman in a Russian sex shop on
Wednesday after the impotence tablets he
bought failed to have the desired effect,
Russian media quoted police as saying.
The man walked into the “Intim” shop in
a Moscow suburb on Wednesday evening
and demanded a refund for the tablets he
had bought there a day earlier, Interfax
news agency quoted law enforcement
sources as saying.
He shot the shop assistant with a pistol
when she refused to give him back his
money, the agency said. – Reuters