Figuring out Calling for JURy and

electricity more civic a little

bills red book
12–13 spaces 14
p p 11 p

community January 21 — 23, 2011/ issue 9

Selayang Hawkers and Traders Association chairperson Chin Chan Kam (right) and a colleague point to the mountain of rubbish allegedly
caused by immigrant traders. – Picture by Tang Hui Koon

Foreign invasion
By Alvin Yap

SELAYANG: Immigrant traders at the market here are

robbing local hawkers of business while authorities turn a
blind eye despite numerous complaints. There are even sus-
picions that some officers might be extorting protection
money from the illegal traders.
Chin Chan Kam, who sells vegetables at illegal traders could come back
the Selayang Utama wet market said the illegal the next day.
traders, who are mostly from Myanmar, are Lim also suspects that the Security guards working at the
under-cutting them at every turn. illegal traders are somehow be- market overnight have reported
“We can’t compete against them, they don’t ing “protected” from having seeing some people go from stall
incur overhead from electricity and water and their stalls and goods seized as to stall collecting money from the
rental. We sell our vegetables at RM2, they can they have been seen giving illegal traders.”
sell at RM1,” said Chin, who is chairperson of money to unidentified people.
the Selayang Hawkers and Traders Associa- “Security guards working at
tion. the market overnight have reported seeing Anti Corruption Commission.
Pek San Cha, whose vegetable business has some people go from stall to stall collecting MPS had plans to allocate more funding
been hit by the illegal traders, echoes Chin, money from the illegal traders,” he said. to the enforcement unit to stop the illegal
saying local hawkers were getting a raw deal. unload produce from trucks because the shop The traders themselves are tight-lipped traders from operating overnight but Lim
The illegal hawkers operate “after hours” pavements are blocked, while customers who about it, but Lim does not discount the pos- expressed concern for the officers’ safety.
when Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) find it hard to make their way to his stall opt sibility of corruption. He said a more permanent solution to the
enforcement officers appear to be off duty. to buy from the illegal traders instead. “We think that there might be corruption problem was needed and suggested a joint
Up to 150 stalls mushroom from 8pm to Selayang Municipal Councillor (MPS) on the ground among our officers. I’ve raised operation between Kuala Lumpur City Hall
8am the following day. These stalls operate Lim Ching How said that the MPS was well the issue that some form of monitoring is (DBKL), the police and the Immigration
“extra hours” till 12pm on Saturdays and aware of the problem. needed to the MPS full board meetings,” he Department.
Sundays. “This issue has been brought to us by the said. Besides causing massive traffic jams along
Their stalls are set up along five-foot ways traders since March 2008. The council is seri- “I hope that the local traders will come Jalan Selayang Utama, which leads into the
and spill on to the road, causing traffic conges- ously looking into it,” said Lim. forward and give proof if officers are taking Selayang new Chinese village, the illegal hawk-
tion and blocking access to stalls run by local Lim said the municipality did not have bribes,” he added. ers are also blamed for starting an illegal rub-
traders. powers to arrest illegal traders. At the most, Lim said he was ready to present any evi- bish dump which falls under the jurisdiction
Pek said traders like him find it difficult to MPS could seize their stalls and goods but the dence to the MPS president and the Malaysian of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
2
news
January 21 — 23, 2011

Selangor WEATHER
Friday Saturday Sunday Elected village heads
Morning

Afternoon
to get state funds
By Alvin Yap not as a political party candidate,” said This move, Ean Yong said, would put
Ean Yong. “Represent yourself and not to rest the issue of a village having two
S H A H A L A M : L e a d er s o f your party.” chiefs.
Night Pandamaran New Village, Pulau Ketam He explained that elected village Most importantly, Ean Yong said,
and Jenjarom who are elected by heads must be a representatives of their direct elections are a “small step” to-
popular vote in first ever direct elections community, and must therefore be re- wards reviving local government elec-
Source: Malaysian meteorological department will receive funding from the state sponsive to the people’s needs and tions that have been suspended since
us
Curioof
regardless of their political affiliations. wishes, and not to their political parties. 1965 by the then ruling Alliance party,
“We will accept the results of the Ean Yong said the candidate must be said Ean Yong.
Ca se
Yellow back ss
power n 3 p 14
in actio p 12–1
elections for the village heads, and they Selangor residents, with a Selangor ad- The suspension followed the out-
a
sg Lim Les
strugg
to surv
ive p 9

liver y to will get funding from the Pakatan dress on his MyKad.
8

break of hostility arising from Confron-

/ issue
14 — 16, 2011
January

Free de
JMB. Rakyat state government even if they’re The deposit required to stand in the tation, an undeclared war between
RA and
community
new Year
Chinesed Tan Suan

from Barisan Nasional. elections will be announced at a later

a bleak

Malaysia and Indonesia over the future

52-year-ol was
awaits his poultry farm day.
Ji after lished on Tues

t:
demo e 4

Contac
on pag
• STorY

“Which political party the village date, he added. He said there would be of Borneo.
t o r @
edi s. head comes from or represents is irrele-
ortime
a week of campaigning. However, local elections were not
sel a n g vent. The state will allocate funding for The elections are set to take place reinstated after Confrontation.
r call:
com o 8 them to develop the villages,” said state around March, the latest date being Civil society activists have called for
23228
03-55
lives. Many
e of their sleep less

executive councillor Ean Yong Hian around the middle of the year, he added. Pakatan Rakyat to fulfil its promise to
the prim gh
youths at are going thou ad-
children’s
fami lies se of their
nights becau bers
ittee memTimes
Loo Wah diction.  r village comm gor
Chong Othe from Selan a relative
Yap and reporters knew
as who met of them either or daughter is

Drug
By Alvin Jenjarom h

Wah. Eligible voters must be local residents

said mostbour whose son t.

revive local elections that it made during

: Kampung d between addic
BaNtiNg a battlegroun and drug or neigh former drug g the harsh
into
turned ished community s or was a families are facinto send their
ng its youth Some have
an angu
who are
keepi they may rehabilita-
pushers suicidal. deaths and reality thatdaughters to drugfrom home.
high and have been threethe past four cide.  sons and e for years awaythe “last but
“There es in   herbi mayb
said tion,Tan said that
it was
left to many
Ching Han. to the toxic

haven
pted suicid

When met at the State Secretariat based on the Election Commission’s the 2008 general election if the coali-
four attem illage head Tanyoung men in vocal cords due can’t even talk,” recourse see their child
oidab le” ed to
years,” said vcases involved ages of 23 and “Some of them d by unav ies if they want
All the between the are cause ed
, Tan. es, Tan said,
famil addiction. ber receiv
their prime hanged The suicid effects. saved fromcommittee memwho was torn
was found had re- victims “One bour
30. t victim er drug’s side that some her neigh son to po-
The oldes after his moth market in the He also claimeddamage.  call from nder’ her g while the
and a having to ‘surre
in his room the morn
ing ed brain damage at er was cryin her to

building on Wednesday, Ean Yong said

had suffer be both brain g the victims lice. The moth ber was advising addic-

electoral roll as of 30 June 2010. tion was voted in.

in new
from
turned last year.  ed to “It could are drivin mem his
had refus
October the mother suspected he depression thatsaid. in committee up to police, asgot worse,”
Tan said money as she de,” he
use her son had
.  “She said
he
to  suici pread drug in give and criminal acts
son
give her it to buy drugs e his death,” the widesd its ugly head tion ea
befor Tan said reare in petty Tan. incid ent wher on
was using y and angry e first rise said led an
the villag h also saw a becoming house
Tan recal vacated their n. In this
was mood consumedis 2007 whic snatch thefts y of four from priso
added Tan. victims had the

it was the people’s right to be able to

ndered

Those who had registered to vote

which ing familson’s release

There is support from the public for

e with
The otherstrong herbicide and sun- crim on.  er had surre

village
of walk the e6
a are comm s are wary g day time. the moth Turn To pag
paraquat, ased in hardwfact that the Resi dent e even durin bers are case, •
easily purch , owing
to the
ltural land.
  villag mem
around the e committee criminals are
dry shops g area is agricuwho survived The villag because the
surroundin victim s per- ed
the e and worri
Some of pts suffer sever and very
throats

choose their leaders in a direct election.

suicide attem

after that date will probably not be the direct elections, said Ean Yong,
dama ge to their
manent

The voters, he explained, are able to
MB unveils proposed choose their leaders who would listen
to them. Ean Yong said the winners in
eligible to vote in this round of elections.
Ean Yong said procedures would be
similar to state and national elections.
based on media reports.
He said that if the direct election was
carried out successfully, the state would

amendments the direct elections would work with

the state and not be entrenched in
“petty politics”.
The initiative to conduct direct elec-
tions for village heads is yet another
effort to address the deadlock in govern-
implement it gradually in the other 78
Chinese new villages and fishing villages
in Selangor.
By Rahmah Ghazali The Sri Kembangan assemblyman ing the state, at least on the local level.
said candidates must campaign on their Since the takeover of Selangor by
SHAH ALAM: Proposed amendments to the State
Constitution to allow Selangor to appoint its own top civil
servants were unveiled by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim
individual ideas, strengths and vision for
their community - and not on the plat-
form of the political party they represent.
Pakatan Rakyat, villages in the state
have seen “two” chiefs – one appointed
by the Federal Government and the
Public rally
on Wednesday.
“I have presented the amendments to His Highness and I
“Contest as an ordinary citizen, and other by the state. against SS
am grateful the Sultan has given his consent for us to proceed
with the state sitting,” he said. State lashes out at threat appointment
The Jan 24 sitting seeks to amend Article 52 to restore the
powers of the ruler and menteri besar to choose who should be
appointed to the positions.
against Serdang MP PETALING JAYA: A movement
against the recent appointment of
Clause (1) in Article 52 will be substituted with the SHAH ALAM: The state government Datuk Khusrin Munawi as State
following clause : “His Royal Highness shall on the has condemned the death threat against Secretary is urging the public to
recommendation of the appropriate Service Commission by Serdang Member of Parliament Teo Nie come to voice their protest on
instrument under His Sign Manual and State Seal appoint a Ching which they described as a Sunday.
person holding whole time office in public service to be the perversion of the true meaning of The 4pm rally at the Kelana Jaya
State Secretary, State Legal Advisor and State Financial Officer Islamic jihad. Stadium is being organised by
respectively. Provided that before acting on the recommendation Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim criticised Hormati Suara Rakyat Selangor
of the Service Commission, His Royal Highness shall consider those who placed the threat, describing (HSRS).
the advice of the menteri besar and may once refer the their actions as “irresponsible”. The movement hopes to pressure
recommendation to the commission in order that it may be “Their action will not resolve any Federal Chief Secretary Tan Sri
reconsidered.” problems and will also limit Teo’s Mohd Sidek   Hassan to declare
Khalid said the changes restored the procedure that was freedom to go about in her constituency,” Khusrin’s appointment null and
provided in the State Constitution before earlier amendments said the Menteri Besar. void.
in 1993. The first-term MP received the death Both Shah Alam and Putrajaya
The proposed changes come in the wake of an on-going threat early Wednesday morning, with are deadlocked over the appointment
dispute with Putrajaya, which controversially appointed Datuk a dead and bloody chicken hung on the which remains controversial because
Muhammad Khusrin Munawi as the new state secretary door of the DAP branch office in Sungai the Menteri Besar was not consulted.
without first consulting Selangor. Chua. “The fact is Tan Sri Khalid
A note also was also found with the Ibrahim did not receive the
carcass. It said, “Ingat! Ini satu peringatan The dead chicken hung on the door recommended list from the Public
Teo Nie Ching, Tentera Jihad”. (Take of the office. Services Department,
note! This is a reminder Teo Nie Ching, because this criminal act is not helping “Since this has been revealed, it
the Jihad Army). anybody. is imperative that Sidek declares the
phone (603) 5523 2288 Teo was accused of inappropriate State executive councillor Halimah appointment of Khusrin as null
fax (603) 5523 1188 dressing when speaking to an audience Ali also condemned the attack, especially and  void, as due process and
email editor@selangortimes.com
in the prayer area of Surau al-Huda in the use of the word “jihad” in the note. convention were not followed,” said
EDITORIAL Kajang last year. More recently, she was She said the use of the word in such social activist Haris Ibrahim.
criticised for the T-shirt and track pants a manner was a deviation from Islamic Haris is among civil society and
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan
that she wore during an aerobic exercise teachings where “jihad” is specifically political leaders slated to speak at
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman
session at a mosque compound in used to safeguard the mission of the event.
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Rahmah Ghazali,
Gan Pei Ling, Basil Foo, Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin
Cheras. spreading Islam as practiced by the late Others include former Malaysian
COPY EDITORS James Ang, Deborah Loh
Regardless of the opinions about prophet Nabi Muhammad. Bar Council and present Bersih 2.0
DESIGNER Jimmy C. S. Lim
Teo, the act of issuing a death threat was “Those who have used those words c ha ir p er s o n Dat u k Am b i g a
“unacceptable”, said state executive on a politician elected by the people, are Sreenevasan and Shah Alam MP
PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong
councillor Teresa Kok. [committing ] treason against the Khalid Samad.
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi
“In my opinion, using a dead chicken Prophet,” she said, adding that Selangor HSRS is a coalition of  civil
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz as a death threat is uncivilised and society organizations.
Islamic Religious Department ( JAIS)
should be condemned by everyone should investigate it.
 PKNS for Selangor Times FA.pdf 1 1/18/11 2:44 PM
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 21 – 23, 2011 ⁄ 3

CM

MY

CY

MY

K
4
news
January 21 — 23, 2011

Events Gated scheme

Proton Malaysian Open Super Series 2011
The world’s leading players from China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, South Korea, Denmark, England, and other
member countries play for the US$400,000.00 purse
from Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets are from RM5 to RM45.
cap stays at 85%
By Chong Loo Wah and Gan Pei Ling
Venue: Putra Stadium, National Sports Complex, Bukit New security tariffS
Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. effective Jan 1, 2011
shah alam: The state has objected to Putrajaya’s recent
guidelines which have lowered the percentage of residents’ Unarmed armed
guard guard
Princely Wedding Fair
support needed to set up a gated and guarded community. Areas (per person/ (per person/
State executive councillor Ronniu Liu said the state had hour) hour)

Back by popular demand, Prince Hotel & Residence
Kuala Lumpur is once again organising its Annual
Princely Wedding Fair for the 9th year on Jan 22 and
Jan 23. In collaboration with Carven Ong Couture &
Wedding Specialist, WeddingsMalaysia, Association
of Wedding Professional Malaysia, the event will
feature offers for specially tailored wedding packages,
ballroom settings with contemporary style decorations
and wedding gifts at the Prince. The Wedding Theme,
“The Romance of Princely Garden” at Prince Hotel &
Residence Kuala Lumpur will be featuring more than 15
professional wedding partners and a host of wedding
showcases, consultations and fashion show. The fair
will be on from 11am to 6pm. Venue: Prince Hotel &
Residence Kuala Lumpur.
Youth and Maturity
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra presents Kees
Bakels as conductor and Tengku Ahmad Irfan on
piano. Framed by a piano concerto by a 20-year-old
and the final composition of an ailing 68-year-old,
the founding father of the MPO and Malaysia’s latest
piano prodigy (aged 12) introduces us to the rarely-
heard original version with orchestra of one of Chopin’s
most dazzling virtuoso piano showpieces and one of
Rossini’s most captivating overtures. The concert will
be on Jan 22 at 8.30pm and Jan 23 at 3pm. Admissiion
on Jan 22 is RM95, RM75, RM55, RM25 and on Jan
23 is RM85, RM65, RM40, RM20. Dress code on Jan
22 is long-sleeved batik or lounge suit and on Jan 23 is
already set the cap at 85% more than a year ago.
“The Federal Government’s cap at 51% is insufficient and Zon A Penang, Selangor,
Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and RM7 RM15
is likely to be problematic,” he told Selangor Times. Southern Johor 
The Pandamaran assemblyman explained that some com-
munities had been unable to set up a gated and guarded com-
Zon B Malacca, Negeri
munity as they were not able to secure 85% support from the Sembilan, Perak, Pahang,
residents in the past. Terengganu and Northern
RM6 RM15
Lowering the limit to 51% may result in the mushrooming Johor
of gated and guarded communities in Selangor in the short-
term. Such security schemes are more likely to fail as well, due Zon c Labuan, Sabah and
RM5.50 RM15
to lack of adequate community support. Liu said that gener- Sarawak
ally, only residents who agreed to the security scheme would
be committed to paying the monthly fees. Zon D Perlis, Kedah and RM5.2 RM15
The state has also rejected the federal guidelines because Kelantan
security tariffs have been raised since Jan 1 due to the increase
*The above rates do not include 6% government service tax
in security guards’ minimum wage.
Liu said he had received several complaints from resident
associations following the announcement of the security fee RM5.20 to RM7 per hour for an unarmed guard (depending
hike.
on area; see table).
As fees are increasingly expensive, he said Selangor would For an armed guard, the fee increase is from RM12 to
be maintaining its 85% cap to ensure that private security RM15 per hour.
schemes garner sufficient commitment from residents before Security Services Association of Malaysia president Datuk
they are approved by local councils. Shaheen Mirza Habib said the increase in security guards’
Minimum monthly wages for security guards have been wages was delayed from July 2010 to this year to give time for
increased from between RM300 and RM500 to between the market to adapt.
RM500 and RM700 from this year. He said residents should be willing to pay a reasonable price
Following this resident associations have to pay between for quality security services and a safe neighbourhood.

Tamil monthly launched

smart casual. Venue: Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS,
Level 2, Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC, Kuala
Lumpur.

Hospital Open Day

Columbia Asia Hospital Cheras will be organising an
Open Day for the public on Jan 23 from 8.30am to
4pm. There will be free health screening tests including
tests for high blood pressure; blood sugar tests; body
mass index; bone scan, hand grip assessment. Other
activities involve a blood donation drive, colouring
contest, health quiz, magic show, face painting and
sand art. Venue: Columbia Asia Hospital Cheras, Jalan
Suakasih, Cheras, Selangor.
KLPAC open day
Visit Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre’s (KLPAC)
By Gan Pei Ling
shah alam:: The state’s own Tamil monthly paper,
Selangor Indru, is expected to hit the streets this weekend.
“The first edition will be an evaluation of Pakatan
Rakyat’s performance in Selangor since 2008,” said executive
councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar. Although Selangor Indru’s
first issue would be political, he said subsequent editions
would focus on community issues.
Dr Xavier added that the paper would have a circulation
of 100,000, with 50,000 copies printed twice every month
and distributed free in areas with significant Indian com-
munities. He cited Kapar, Banting, Klang, Damansara and
Batu Caves as examples. “We also plan to bring it to Tenang
( Johor),” quipped the Seri Andalas assemblyman.
Tenang by-election’s nomination day will be held tomor-
row and voting day is on Jan 30 (Sunday). The paper was
approved by the state executive council last December and
a yearly budget of RM800,000 was allocated for it.
Three experienced writers who were previously from the
mainstream media and a graphic artist will helm the eight-
page paper.

Teng graces badminton tourney

open day on Jan 23 from 10am to 5pm. The programme
includes Theatre & Dance performances such as Green
& White by Nyoba Kan, Jom Dance by Lex Lakshman
Balakrishnan, Balinese Dance by Max Roswell,
Through the Looking Glass by Balletbase (Bilqis Hijjas
and Ng Bee Bee), and Standup Comedy in Chinese by
Joker Duo. There will also be indie film screening, drum
jamming by Drumclix, Afro Sahara & Drum Simfoni, arts
and crafts market, live painting by Marta and treasure
hunt (recommended for 12-year-olds and above). For
details, call 03-4047 9000 for more info or visit www.
klpac.org
Malaysia IT Fair
Malaysia IT Fair is an inspiring digital lifestyle event
that caters both to consumers and the ICT (information
and communications technology) industry. It is not
only about value bargains but more. It encompasses
a learning platform packed with activities for the
modern generation to get acquainted with the latest
IT happenings and consumer electronic offerings in
the market. The fair will be on from Jan 28 to Jan 30,
2011. Admission is free. Venue: Mid Valley Exhibition
Centre, Level 31 The Gardens South Tower Mid Valley
City Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur.
The champs: Kwan Beng Hong and Chandran
with Teng (second from left).
By Alvin Yap
klang: A badminton doubles championship named after
State Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim saw shuttlers
playing their hearts out . The two-day event at Taman Eng Ann
in Klang was divided into four age groups.
“The players worked and struggled together. It is like a
community working together to solve problems,” said Teng.
He added that community sports championships brought
people together. “It’s hard work, to think, to struggle and es-
pecially to work with someone else.”
He said the state supported initiatives to bring communities
closer, citing the championship as a catalyst for more sports
meets in future.
Lim Zhan Lee and Wong Man Hung beat Liow Chee Yea
and Ng Kean Kaa in the Under-15 final. Puah Chen Hao and
Tan Jin Shen took the Under-17 title, while Kwan Beng Hong
and Chandran won the Senior Open by beating Lim Ee Qin
and Muhammad Hashim. The event was organised by the
Sungai Pinang State Assembly seat service centre.
 news
January 21 — 23, 2011 5

41 factories get reprieve

By Basil Foo

RAWANG: Factories operating on

a road reserve here who have been
told to make way for the widening of
Jalan Batu Arang have been granted
a reprieve.
The owners of the 41 factories,
some which have been operating at
the site for past two decades, sought
and received an extension of the
deadline to move, at a meeting on
Wednesday with Rawang assembly-
woman Gan Pei Nei.
Gan, who met the owners and
representatives from the Public
Works Department and the Selayang
Municipal Council, said they now
had until the end of February to
move to new premises.
The owners, who held Temporary
Occupation Licences ( TOL),
claimed they only received eviction
notices in December.
The new deadline was also to en-
able authorities to decide how many
factories should receive compensa-
tion.
The Gombak Land Office had
included another 13 factories to an
initial list of 28 which were to receive
compensation but JKR is against the
move.
Gan added that JKR was also
concerned about the additional costs
due to delays and wants the issue to
be settled as soon as possible.
So far, only a handful of factories
have moved to new locations, with
the rest to follow soon.
A local council officer said 16
To place your Advert in
factories collectively owed
RM85,000 in assessment arrears and
this would be deducted from any
compensation.
The planned construction in-
volves road-widening projects along
Jalan Batu Arang and a 1.6km elevat-
Contact Timothy Loh at 019-267 4488
ed highway connecting the Rawang or Ivan Looi at 014-936 6698
toll with Bandar Baru Rawang to ease
worsening traffic conditions.

Cheras residents want their school By Chong Loo Wah and Gan Pei Ling

CHERAS: Residents of Bandar Sungai Long and

Bandar Mahkota Cheras want Putrajaya to honour an
election  promise to build a new Chinese primary school
here.
The residents, along with their elected representa-
tives, gathered yesterday at the site reserved for the
primary school to remind the Federal Government that
it was time to deliver.
Tan Kok Wai, who was among those gathered,
pointed out that seven new Chinese primary schools,
including one in Bandar Sungai Long, was supposed to
be built under the Ninth Malaysian Plan.
The Cheras Member of Parliament added that devel-
opers had reserved three pieces of land in Bandar Sungai
Long and two in Bandar Mahkota Cheras for schools
over two decades ago.
Selangor has also been waiting for Putrajaya to change
the lands’ status from ordinary school reserve land to
Chinese primary school land.
Hulu Langat MP Dr Che Rosli Che Mat added that
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said
in Parliament that his ministry did not have sufficient
funds.
He urged the federal government to prioritise educa-
tion and building schools in their budget.
Also at the event was Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching and
Residents stating their stand at the site.
state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah.

Calligraphy competition attracts all ages

SERI KEMBANGAN: Over 500 contestants, both young and
old, took part in a Chinese New Year calligraphy competition at the
Serdang Community Hall yesterday.
“As I like drawing, calligraphy is not very difficult for me,” said
Joyce Cheong, champion of the open category.
Having started calligraphy lessons since she was 12, the 34-year
old systems analyst took up the art form after being persuaded by
her mother.
“I became interested in calligraphy because it is one of the Chinese
traditions, which sadly nowadays many children don’t enjoy,” she
said.
First runner-up in the secondary school category, Loo Jia Qian
from SMJK Kwang Hua, has been taking calligraphy lessons for
seven years.
“Calligraphy helps me to be more patient, and I like it because it
is very beautiful,” said the 18-year-old.
Her father also expressed pride with his daughter’s success and
remarked that calligraphy is a good hobby for youngsters.
Also present were state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah
and Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching.
“There was a good response today. I am surprised we attracted so
many local residents to join as this is our first competition,” said Ean
Yong.
Consisting of primary school, secondary school and open catego-
ries, the competition began at 9am and ended with the prize-giving
ceremony at 1pm.
6
news
January 21 — 23, 2011
Tan Boon Heong (right) and Koo Kien Keat (left) together with the children from
Lighthouse Children Welfare Association.
By Alvin Yap
PETALING JAYA: It was all smiles
for children from Lighthouse Children
Welfare Association when they got
training tips from national badminton
champions Koo Kien Keat and Tan
Boon Heong at the 1Utama shopping
mall last week.
Koo and Tan, who were once the
world’s top men’s doubles pair, are cur-
rently ranked third in the world.
Eleven children from the shelter
home took turns to receive person-
alised training from Koo and Tan as
they learned how to serve properly and
how to deliver drop shots, and even
play a short match against the cham-
pions.
“We’re glad to be here to play bad-
minton with the children,” said Koo.
Children realise dream of
“training” with champs
The older children, being taller than
the rest, also learned the art of deliver-
ing “smash” shots that hit the oppo-
nent’s court with pinpoint accuracy
from the World Championships run-
ner ups.
Some of the children demonstrated
exceptional skills when they returned
difficults shots from the pair.
They had a chance to put whatever
they had learned to the test when Koo
and Tan squared off with them in a
doubles and singles match.
After the “strenuous” workout, the
children were also treated to afternoon
LEE LANDSCAPE SDN BHD (Company No. 433709-X)
46-1, Jalan 8/62A, Bandar Menjalara,
Kepong, 52200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-62731913 (Hunting line) Fax: 03-62750496
E-mail : leescape@yahoo.com
Contact person : Ms Brenda Lai
tea comprising sandwiches, desserts
and fruit juices at O’Brien’s.
The event on Sunday was hosted by
OSIM in conjuction with their spon-
sorship of the Badminton World
Federation Superseries circuit which
started on Wednesday.
When asked if he would consider
coaching in the future, Koo said that
his immediate plans was to further
develop his skills.
“To the children here today, I want
to tell them that being a world ranking
badminton player means giving your
best to your chosen career,” said Koo.
LEE LANDSCAPE SDN BHD
Know Your
Councillor: Lee
Kee Hiong
By Yasleh Hani Mat Yassin
KAJANG: Being a local coun-
cillor is a privilege because of the
opportunity to shape policies
for services delivered to the com-
munity, says Kajang Municipal
(MPKJ) Councillor Lee Kee
Hiong (pic).
Lee, who was appointed
councillor in July 2008, believes
that municipal services are com-
plex and must continuously
evolve in order to remain at a
high standard to meet the de-
mands of the local community.
To know their needs, Lee
firmly believes in building good
relationships with community
members. “My team and I dedi-
cate ourselves to talk and listen
to people from all walks of life.” 43200 Batu 9, Selangor.
She finds that the main com- Lee holds a Bachelor of Sci-
plaint from residents is rubbish ence (Resource Economics) and
collection, which is not carried a Master’s degree (Master in
out according to schedule. Library and Information Sci-
Lee receives these complaints ence). She was a business re-
at her service centre at No. 33-2 porter before working as a spe-
Jalan Temenggung 9/9, Seksyen cial assistant to Lim Kit Siang
9, Bandar Mahkota Cheras, from 1993 to 1997.

Luxury development
plagued by pollution
By Basil Foo
PUCHONG: Unsightly rubbish and foul
smelling air have upset residents of the ex-
clusive Lake Edge housing area, who aired
their grouses with local authorities at a
meeting last Friday.
Residents voiced their displeasure over
garbage in the lake, which is the main sell-
ing point for the luxury neighborhood of
375 houses.
“Garbage from the other side of the lake
falls into the water here when there are
rainstorms or strong winds,” said resident
Denzil Albert, 36.
“There have been incidents where the
whole surface of the lake is covered with
garbage,” he added.
The other side of the lake where a dump-
site is borders the Puchong Industrial Park
where land reclamation work is ongoing. It
is believed that the garbage is used to fill
land in the reclamation project.
The Subang Jaya Municipal Council’s
(MPSJ) regulations stipulate that the de-
veloper should only use construction debris
like rock and soil for the land reclamation,
but Albert said garbage was being used to
reclaim the land.
“We can see that it is actually all sorts of
garbage, like organic waste, [being used],”
said Albert.
MPSJ issued a summons and stop work
order on Dec 21 last year to developers
doing the land reclamation but the order
went unheeded.
“Residents have observed that after the
Malaysia, warts
and all, in Teohlogy
Dubbed the “Voice of Malaysia” due to
his years as a mainstay presenter on the
local airwaves, Patrick Teoh is now launch-
ing a diatribe on the Malaysian experience
in trademark acerbic wit with his book,
Teohlogy.
Teohlogy – The Word According To Pat-
rick Teoh will be launched with an appear-
ance by the author himself tomorrow from
2pm at Popular Book Store, IKANO
Power Centre, Mutiara Damansara.
The book comprises Teoh’s previously
published articles which
were carried by the now
defunct Off The Edge mag-
azine from 2005 to 2010. In
his pieces, Teoh expounds
on the trials and travails
faced by ordinary Malay-
sians in this multifaceted
country.
From the wealth of ob-
servations made during his
time as a radio personality,
television presenter, voiceo-
ver talent and actor, Teoh
provides an insider’s insight into the intri-
cacies and idiosyncrasies that a young na-
tion like Malaysia is learning to go through.
Expanding his writing presence online
by blogging at his website, Teoh is no
stranger to sharing his views in a candid,
no-holds-barred manner. He presents
Malaysia, warts and all, in a way that will
have readers either chuckling in recogni-
tion or sighing in resignation.
Teohlogy presents a Malaysia with the
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 21 – 23,2010 ⁄ 7
news
stop work order was issued, trucks were still
coming in to dump rubbish. I don’t believe
the stop work order is actually helping,”
Albert added.
Local councillor Ng Sze Han acknowl-
edged the complaints and agreed with some
of the residents’ suggestions to erect barriers
at the reclamation site.
“[Concerning the] dumping of the rub-
bish at the reclamation area of the lake…
MPSJ will take immediate action to block
access to this project,” said Ng who is also
a resident here.
“We will also do a cleanup of the rub-
bish. Once there are any updates, we will
call for another meeting with the residents,”
he added.
Residents also raised the issue of a foul
smell believed to be caused by improperly
functioning water treatment plants.
“The smell is acrid, it burns your nose,
and it gets into your house. It started from
the first week of December and happens
intermittently, mostly during the evening
and after rain,” said Albert.
“We are not sure where the smell comes
from, but we suspect it’s from the sewerage
plants because we have seen them overflow-
ing,” he added.
Representatives from Indah Water Con-
sortium at the meeting urged residents to
call their hotline when the smell occurs so
that they could investigate its source.
Councillor Ng also urged Indah Water
to investigate the source of the smell by
checking the water treatment plant at Jalan
Bandar.
farcical antics of its politicians, the perils
of its public transport, digs at the powers-
that-be and Malaysians themselves – hop-
ing we will not give up trying to understand
the nuances of this beguiling country.
Some call him a cynic or an old grump
but Teohlogy is an authentic Malaysian voice
telling it as it is with a generous sprinkling
of realism, humour and provocation.
Currently, Teoh is a full-time actor and
member of the Instant Café Theatre Com-
pany. Among many other roles, he has also
appeared alongside Chow Yuen-Fatt and
Jodie Foster in Anna and the King in 1999.
He is also continuing Teohlogy as a col-
umn in the Selangor Times.
Being restaurateur of the Damansara
Village chain of restaurants, he also prides
himself most as being husband, father,
grandfather and, in his own words, “a gen-
erally misunderstood person”.
The book Teohlogy will retail for RM38
per copy.
8
news
January 21 — 23, 2011

Annual
experience
for devotee
By Basil Foo

KLANG: The traditional rituals of penance

and sacrifice are nothing new to Navin Kumar,
who has been bearing the kavadi at Batu Caves
since he was 11.
“Thaipusam is the day Lord Murugan came
down to earth. On that day, all will get his
blessing,” said the 25-year old quality control
officer.
Navin learnt to carry the kavadi from his
grandfather, and said the significance of the
ritual is further heightened during the prepa-
rations made before he set off on his journey.
This includes a month-long vegetarian fast
as part of his special prayers before Thaipusam.
The process of preparing to carry the ka-
vadi involves the spiritual cleansing of the
body which has to be done at a specific loca-
tion.
For devotees, this includes sleeping daily Khalid (centre) and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman and Gombak MP Azmin Ali and executive councillor Dr Xavier
in the “god room” – a room in their homes Jeyakumar arriving at Batu Caves on Wednesday night. – Pictures by Victor Chong
where deities are placed.
“In order to carry the kavadi, our body
must be very clean, so we don’t sleep in other
places,” he said.
According to Navin, carrying the kavadi is
not limited to only Hindus.
“Even those from different religions also
take up the kavadi because they believe in it
or because their prayer to be healed from sick-
ness was answered,” he said.
Thaipusam, which was officially held on
Thursday, also draws spectators from all walks
of life who congregate at the caves to observe
devotees and the procession of Lord Muru-
gan’s chariot.
Navin, who bore his kavadi a few days be-
fore Thaipusam, said devotees had to walk
much further this year, due to a new flyover
which had been built.
Starting from the Batu Caves railway sta-
tion, the procession would have to cover a
distance of about two kilometres in order to
reach the foot of the cave stairs.
A young child has his hair shaved at
one of the many stalls in Batu Caves. A devotee picking out the best garland at a stall.

By Alvin Yap

Ira, Julien and Sarrah are from Canada. They Tourists

soak in
have never seen anything like this - meaning
the sights, sounds and feel of Thaipusam at
Batu Caves.

“It’s crazy and unbelieveable,” said Ira,
who hails from Toronto.
A suggestion to come to Batu Caves on
the eve of Thaipusam, Ira said, was the best
thing he and his friends did.
Julien, who has been staying in Malaysia
for four years, had not been to any Thaipusam
celebration before.
He said he was not prepared for what he
would be witnessing.
“It’s intense, up inside the cave. We’ve seen
the devotees dance around carrying the thing
(kavadi) on their shoulders,” said Julien, who
studies in an international school in Kuala
Lumpur.
He marvelled at the kavadi, a wooden
cross like structure weighing 30kg that
devotees carry on their shoulders. “It must
be exhausting to carry the kavadi.”
He said he respected the participants for
their devotion to their faith, adding that
tourists must make the trip to Batu Caves on
From left: Ira, Julien and Sarrah experiencing Thaipusam in Batu Caves. a night like this.
spectacle
“It might be outside the comfort zone, I
mean to see scenes of people who pierce the
hooks into their flesh,” said Sarrah, who
comes from Montreal. “It’s about faith, isn’t
it?” she said quietly.
Sarrah is taking a year off after finishing
college. Her world journey has brought her
from Mexico to Malaysia. Australia is next.
“This place must have lots of history, I
bet,” she said. She stared at the massive
crowd inside the temple grounds in Batu
Caves. A devotee passed by barefooted.
“Why do they go barefoot?” she asked.
It had been memorable for the three
friends.
“The hypnotic thumping of the proces-
sional drums and the chants have been in-
tense, “ said Sarrah.
 news
January 21 — 23, 2011 9

MB promises
temple upgrade
By Rahmah Ghazali
BATU CAVES: In the spirit of
Thaipusam, Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim has promised that
Sri Maharamariamman Temple will
be developed and upgraded to cater
to millions of devotees who throng
the popular shrine every year.
“To me, this suggestion is very
important because tonight we can
see that a lot of devotees, many even
coming from other countries, and
tourists visit Batu Caves,” he said on
Thursday.
Khalid, who visited the site with
executive councillors, assemblymen
and parliamentarians, said discus-
sions with the temple committee
and the local authority would take
place after Chinese New Year.
He praised Sri Maharamariam-
man Temple president Datuk R.
Nadarajah and his committee for
contributing a lot to the state and
nation.
“I hope we will have bilateral
talks as the committee has played a
significant role in bringing in ben-
efits, not only to Selangor but to the
country. That is why we need to
exchange views on how to take the
temple to greater heights,” said
Khalid.
He said the state was aware of the
Indian community’s welfare and
needs.
“In 2010 alone, we spent RM3
million to upgrade and repair exist-
ing Hindu temples. Meanwhile, out
of 103 land applications to develop
non-Muslim places of worship, 56
were given to Hindu temples,” he
said.
Later, Khalid presented a RM3
million grant to develop Sekolah
Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil)
in Ladang Midlands, Section 7 Shah
Alam. Petaling Jaya City Council
(MBPJ) and Tadika Rakyat were
given RM470,000 each while Sri
Mariamman Temple in Rimba Jaya
received RM300,000.
Also present at the event were
Gombak Member of Parliament
Azmin Ali and Batu Caves assem-
blyman Amiruddin Shaari.
Hindu devotees had earlier car-
ried the statue of Lord Murugan in
a 10km procession from downtown
Kuala Lumpur to Batu Caves to Millions of devotees climb 272 steps to reach the main temple in
mark the beginning of Thaipusam. Batu Caves.

A family of devotees bring milk offerings in Batu Caves.

One of the many colourful kavadi groups at the yearly Thaipusam celebrations.

Brotherly love and faith

Hardip Singh (wheelchair) and his brothers making their annual
pilgrimage to Batu Caves.
BATU CAVES: Hardip Singh Gill, 45, is disabled
with cerebral palsy but year after year, he makes his an-
nual pilgrimage to the temple here for Thaipusam
without fail.
The devotee was seen being wheeled around by his
big brother Amer on the eve of this year’s celebration.
“We have been coming to the temple for the past 11
years,” said Amer.
The 48-year-old businessman, who has been looking
after Hardip since their parents died more than a decade
ago, said they did not have problems with the huge
crowds at the temple.
Arriving at 7pm, A Rela officer escorted them
through the throng.
“When they see me and my brother in his wheelchair,
they blow their whistles to make way for us,” said Amer,
who hails from Teluk Intan, Perak.
At 10.30pm, amid the milling crowd and the thump-
ing drums, the brothers were seen sitting quietly at a
special site reserved for the handicapped as they soaked
in the celebrations. 
The highlight was receiving blessings from the
temple priests inside Batu Caves.  
` Ameer said Hardip’s caregiver, who also made the
pilgrimage with them,  climbed many stairs to receive
the blessings on his behalf.
He said this kept them coming back year after year. “It’s
all about faith, that my brother will be blessed,” he added.
10
News
January 21 — 23, 2011

Abandoned project
SHAH ALAM: Owners of the Suri Puteri Com-
merical Centre, which was delayed for almost six
years, finally received the keys to their properties
from Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on Sunday.

successfully revived
The Menteri Besar officiated at a ceremony at
Section 20 with Shah Alam City Council
(MBSA) Mayor Datuk Mazalan Md Noor.
Mazalan said the abandoned project, which was
privatised by MBSA, was revived  thanks to the
intervention of the state.
He thanked Khalid for helping find the new
developer,  Semangat Ulung Sdn Bhd, to rescue
the project in 2009.
“The development, consisting of 67 shop/office
lots and 312 serviced  apartments  which was
started in 2003, should have been completed and
occupied by 2005,” said Mazalan.
He pointed out that close cooperation between
the state, MBSA and Semangat Ulung made it
possible for the first phase to be completed.
Mazalan added that MBSA was monitoring the
construction of serviced apartments and will en-
sure construction is completed according to
schedule.

RM10 million for

Muslims to find
alternative work
SHAH ALAM: Muslims who choose to
leave their jobs at entertainment outlets which
serve alcohol can opt for entrepreneur training
and grants from the state.
Selangor has set aside RM10 million for
the programme to help these workers.
The Syariah Criminal Enactment forbids
Muslims from serving alcohol. The state is
conducting a feasibility study to determine if
local councils can restrict entertainment out-
lets from hiring them.
Those interested to apply for the training
or grants can do so at the State Economic
Planning Unit (UPEN) at the state secretari-
at or call 03-5544 7115 or 03-5544 7965. From left: Mazalan handing over a souvenir to Khalid as executive councillor Rodziah Ismail and Shah Alam MP Khalid
Samad look on last Sunday.

Single mums By Alvin Yap

SEPANG: On Saturday evening,

“Work-maker, home-maker...ev-
eryday, they work in the jobs that
they’ve chosen, to support their
ridge for her children’s lunch-time
meal.
The next morning, she gets out

feted to
it was as if the single mothers from
Seputeh had left the weight and
worries of being the sole breadwin-
ners at home as they gathered for
dinner at Sepang Gold Coast.
family...and then they go back and
cook, take care of their family’s
needs. I salute them,” said Pascal
Pringent, the general manager of the
award winning luxury resort located
of her home at Taman Seputeh at
6am, well before her children wake
up.
She then walks for about 30
minutes to the KTM commuter

luxurious
The event was organised by the
Malaysian Spring Single Mothers’
Society (MSSMS) and hosted by
Golden Palm Tree Resort to recog-
at Sepang’s Gold Coast. station at Seputeh to take a 40-min-
Marianne Sandanasamy said she ute ride to Klang. She says this is the
was honoured to sit with her fellow best time for her to catch up on some
single mothers at the dinner func- sleep.

dinner
nise the sacrifice and hard work of
single mothers as they work hard to
maintain their jobs in the workplace
and at home.
tion.
“I think we single mothers know
that we work hard to provide for the
physical and mental needs of our
children,” said the 42-year-old
mother of two teenaged children.
Chee said that she does not
worry about her son and daughter
at home. Even though they are not-
yet 13 and 14 respectively, they are
independent. “My neighbours look
into my children from time to time

Deplorable conditions To the laughter of the other single

mothers, Marianne, who works as
an administration officer in an ac-
and they send food over. Sometimes
they help them get ready for school,”
said Chee.

at public housing flats counting firm, said that she was

PETALING JAYA: Selangor has instructed the
City Council (MBPJ) here to act or even termi-
nate the contract a company that has allegedly
failed to maintain the Kota Damansara Public
Housing Project.
“The failure of the management company
in carrying out their duties properly is among the
source of problems in the housing project,” said
Selangor executive councilor for housing Iskandar
Samad.
Iskandar, who visited the area on Tuesday, saw
widespread problems which included cleanliness,
vandalism, security as well as problems with lifts.
He said garbage could be found on stairs, al-
leyways and even on top of the main water tank.
Iskandar said he was concerned that refuse
could seep into the water supply for the flats.
He has suggested that MBPJ hold a cleaning
operation with the management company, resi-
dents and relevant authorities.
taking time off from work and her
children.
The others nodded their heads as
33-year-old Chee Poh Suan said that
she did not look back at “the circum-
stances” that caused her to raise her
children single-handedly.
“I have my children to look after;
I have them to look forward for me
to provide for them,” said the pint-
sized lady who works as a factory
assembler in Klang.
For Chee, the preparations begin
the night before as she cooks por-
The Malaysian Spring Single
Mothers’ Society is a non-govern-
ment organisation which was
founded in 2002 to provide finan-
cial aid, community support and
counselling to more than 500 single
mothers.
Ng Yoot Kuen, as the organisa-
tion’s president, said the single
mothers consisted of those who have
been widowed, divorced, or sepa-
rated from their husbands and those
facing marital problems.
Its advisor is Seputeh member of
Parliament Teresa Kok.

Tripping Zero 3
Sharyn Shufiyan
W Civic Spaces
hen I had to make the ul-
timate life-changing deci-
sion, or so it seems when
you’re 18, of which college to fur-
ther my studies, I chose aesthetics
over academic reputation as I
couldn’t be bothered to spend more
than a day mulling over my future.
I was instantly attracted to Tay-
lor’s College because it had a nice
name and the campus looked well-
designed, like a real campus. Not to
mention that it is one of the oldest
private colleges around. So the
older it is, the better, no?
The Taylor’s College campus in
SS15 had a lively student vibe. The
gates opened out to a courtyard and
the rush of students going in and out
was an exhilarating feeling for a
young woman embarking on her
academic journey.
I had never been studious in high
school and had long been jaded with
teachers’ play of authoritarianism,
so my transformation from a high
school student to college freshman
was a precious moment for me.
I had loved the campus feeling
where students hung about min-
gling freely and I could roam around
changing from one lecture hall to
another. But that feeling didn’t last
long.
Before our first semester ended,
we were given notice that the Di-
ploma programmes would be moved
to the Leisure Commerce Square
campus in Kelana Jaya. We were
disappointed with the decision, and
I took it especially hard because one
of the reasons I chose Taylor’s was
for the campus experience!
And now, we were “moving” to
an office building?
So we exercised our rights and
signed a petition against the move.
Needless to say, the power of corpo-
ration prevailed over petty student
voice and the next semester, we
found ourselves - students in t-shirt
and jeans, battling for space in the
elevators with corporate employees.
Seven years later, I came back to
SS15. The student vibe has probably
amplified threefold since.
Taylor’s has now acquired univer-
sity status; next door INTI College
had annexed a new building; and
there seemed to be a rise in interna-
tional students flocking to these
private colleges.
In the nearby areas, new malls
popped up in addition to the neigh-
bourhood malls like Subang Parade
and The Summit.
Sunway Pyramid had opened P-2
since 2007 and a short walk from
SS15 will take you to Empire Gal-
lery, a massive new mall opened last
April. SS15 is becoming, or already
is, a bustling commercial centre.
SS15 and its surrounding areas
are increasingly becoming commer-
cialised because not only is it a resi-
dential area but a magnet for middle
to upper class students with spend-
ing privileges and international
students.
It makes perfect business sense to
set up pop franchises like Starbucks
and Pappa Rich in the area, and the
nearby malls provide consumer ca-
Calling for More
Are colleges pushing intellectual and personal growth, besides
academic performance?
tharsis after a “hard day” spent in
lectures.
Various shops line the streets and
lanes of SS15, and it is a convenient
place for education centres.
I didn’t notice as many cyber ca-
fes now as compared to my short
stint here. They seemed to have been
replaced by new convenience stores
instead. Not that it’s a shame though
as I’ve always thought that it’s dis-
tracting to have cyber cafes right
outside colleges.
But what I did notice was that the
area didn’t have any cultural or social
spaces, still. Which is a shame be-
cause, being the higher education
hub in Selangor, Subang Jaya could
potentially develop into a resources
and knowledge centre, a significant
yet often sidelined facility com-
monly absent in the Malaysian civic
sphere.
It is my concern that our students
are not engaged and increasingly
disinterested in current affairs.
We seem to lack social and cul-
tural spaces for students to gather
and discuss – spaces that are com-
fortable enough for them to gather
and hang out with friends while
accessing information and resources
that would be useful for their studies
or for their own general knowledge.
Instead, entertainment outlets
are easily accessible. What about li-
braries, archives, galleries and youth
centres that host books, artworks,
documentaries, films, documents
and activities apart from the conven-
tional lectures spoon-fed by some-
times unqualified lecturers? Or
bitter spinsters in my case.
There are no public libraries in
the area in which students can access
further readings that are not avail-
able in the college libraries. I remem-
ber resources were appalling during
my time at Taylor’s and being a Mass
Communications student, there was
not even a media archive.
What about the space for forums,
debates and discussions?
I assume most discussions take
place either in the nearby cafes or in
the limited spaces within the col-
leges itself. Do we still fear equip-
ping students with a mind of their
own? Are we still nurturing a culture
of spoon-feeding? Do we still expect
students to study as they’re told and
regurgitate word for word in their
essays?
If so, then we will suffer a great
setback in quality graduates, I’m
afraid.
I am a staunch believer that cul-
tural and social spaces are important
for developing bright and intelligent
minds.
Colleges should provide spaces for debate and exchange of ideas.
Intelligence goes beyond books.
One should be able to articulate
opinions well, generate ideas and
engage in discussions. But the ques-
tion is – who carries the onus to
provide such facilities?
We have many times depended
on municipal councils to fix every-
thing for us. The police beat base
that was set up by the municipal
council was a positive step towards
combating crime in the area but I
think we should also move forward
and start thinking about developing
the area into an active and vibrant
cultural space, because it is a lacking
aspect of our ‘urban’ areas.
But here’s a thought: perhaps the
private colleges should collaborate
and establish a cooperative that
would provide such spaces. One
such model we could aspire to is the
partnership by the various schools
and colleges of the University of
London, which have established
common spaces for students to
converge to and make use of.
An example is the Senate House
Library, a common library that all
students of the University of Lon-
Bustling commercial centre near private colleges.
Views 11
January 21 — 23, 2011
don can use, even if their own school
or college have their own libraries.
The idea is that students from
other colleges can have the space to
share, to engage with each other and
to access resources that may not
necessarily be provided in their own
campuses. It can even be a collabora-
tion between the private colleges
and the municipal council to de-
velop these spaces.
I personally think that Klang
Valley, a cosmopolitan it may be, is
only partially developed as such. The
arts, philosophy and humanities are
relegated to being the stepchildren
of development.
Development should not just be
about physical structures such as
gigantic malls and skyscrapers. It
should include intellectual develop-
ment. But then again, this might just
be a rant suppressed for seven years
after I was kicked out of SS15.
Sharyn Shufiyan works with an organisa-
tion working to promote environmental
and social sustainability. Sometimes you
can find her sitting in a coffee shop with
her nose plastered to a book.
 Insight
12 January 21 — 23, 2011
Things we should
know about our
electricity bills
By Rahmah Ghazali
H
ave you ever felt like you have been paying
more than you should for your electricity
although there are only a few of you living
in the house?
Have we ever calculated the power usage re-
flected in our bills, or do we even bother to look
into the details and just pay the amount stated?
For those who take their bills seriously, they
can go to the extent of taking legal action against
issuers of the bills.
In this case, it is Tenaga Nasional Berhad
(TNB), the electricity provider, that is usually the
party responsible, and often times, put under the
spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
There is an explanation, nevertheless, as to why
the consumers feel they are overcharged, said the
Energy Commission, whose role is to regulate the
energy sector in Malaysia.
The commission’s head of electricity pricing,
Marlinda Mohd Rosli, said many complaints from
the public concerned the O (office) bill.
The O Bill is an estimated bill that is sent out
through Pos Malaysia to All Ordinary Power
Consumers (OPC), and this means TNB will only
conduct meter reading once every two months.
But this causes problems to most consumers,
she said, as TNB calculates the bills based on the
consumer’s monthly usage trend.
“For example, if my usage for the first month
is RM60 and if this trend continues, my bill for
the month after will reflect RM120 as the total
amount I have to pay,” she told Selangor Times.
As this seems to be a basic mathematical calcu-
lation, things could turn complicated as the power
usage still depends on two tiers under TNB’s tariff
category, implemented in 2009. (Refer to Table
on the left).
The two tiers indicate that power usage be-
tween 0-400 kWh (first tier) per month would
enjoy a lower electricity tariff compared to the
second tier.
“The problem arises when the consumer ex-
ceeds even one kWh (1 kWh) of 400kWh a month
and they will be automatically charged under the
second tier.
“That is why we have received many complaints
from the public regarding this matter,” she said.
However, those who use less than 400kWh a
month will be granted a “life land band”, which
means its tariff will be at the lowest rate of 21.8
sen per kWh.
“For instance, those who have only used 200
kWh a month still pay on average RM40 but this
crosses the board,” said Marlinda.
“As long as you maintain your minimum usage,
you can enjoy this rate,” she added.
She also revealed that such issues had become
common among the public, until it caught the
attention of the Public Complaints Bureau.
“The Chief Secretary also knew about this and
asked TNB to settle the issue,” she said, adding
that the Government was also reviewing the tariff.
Meanwhile, the Energy Commission’s Mohd
Nawawi Said Abdullah shed more light on com-
mon complaints, which usually involve TNB’s
termination of electric supply because of out-
standing bills.
“This normally happens when the owner of
the house rents it to other people who fail to pay
their bills. In the end, it is the owner who should
be held responsible,” said the supply and services
monitoring head.
To prevent that from happening, he said it is
the owner’s duty to transfer the electricity account
name to the tenant during the rental period.
“If there is an outstanding bill, TNB can always
sue the tenant instead of the owner, although it
involves the same premises,” he said.
As complaints vary, Mohd Nawawi explained
that solving a particular case is time-consuming.
“Sometimes, the consumers are not happy with
our solutions. When we decide that they have to pay
the bills, they would prolong the issue, and someone
has even taken TNB to a tribunal,” he said.
And this was all over claims that TNB had
miscalculated his monthly bill by RM8 extra.
“Although it was an issue of only RM8, as a
matter of principle, he went ahead with the legal
action. In the end, the tribunal decided that TNB
was right in calculating the bill based on gazetted
tariff, and the consumer ended up paying the bill
and also the legal cost,” said Mohd Nawawi.
There have also been complaints about double
billing, he said, which usually affects condomin-
ium owners or tenants.
This happens when TNB has a main meter
where it reads overall power usage of one block of
the condominium and there is also an individual
meter for each of the units.
“Double billing occurs when the owner or
tenant pay the bill to TNB without knowing
that the management has also paid the overall
amount. This can be avoided if the management A high-tension issue: Maybe it’s time for a simpler billing.
company only pays the balance of the usage of con-
dominium owners from the main meter,” he said. took part,” he said. major part of electricity consumption in the
Mohd Nawawi also recalled an incident when Consumers who would like to lodge home, about 40 percent compared to other
TNB had to repay RM400,000 to a condominium complaints with the commission can go to parts of the house.
in Petaling Jaya due to double billing. The reason? www.st.gov.my under the ‘Consumer’ tab. It said an average family in a low-cost
The management overlooked the matter. “But it is advisable if they resolve the issue house spends about RM65 per month, while
“The management usually paid the bill every with TNB first. If it comes to a dead end, then the electricity bill in a medium cost house is
time they got it, so did the owners. They only they can come to us,” said Marlinda. about RM110 a month.
discovered the error when the management con- How is your electricity consumption But bungalows consume more energy
ducted an internal audit,” he said. at home? with their monthly bills going up to RM350
And it is TNB’s responsibility to compensate Many are unaware of how they consume a month.
the management company as it is not allowed to energy at home, be it from a hairdryer, iron, What is the cost of using your electri-
charge twice in one month as stipulated under the microwave, television or air-conditioner, cal appliances?
Electricity Supply Act 1990 and Licence Supply until they receive a “shocking” bill at the end The booklet further states that many
Regulation 1990, he added. of the month. people are unsure of what kind of appliances
In cases where TNB failed to terminate the According to a booklet titled “Your guide contribute to their bills.
electric supply despite the owner having outstand- to energy efficiency at home” released by the However, they can actually do their own
ing bills, Mohd Nawawi said this was due to many Energy Commission, it says that the kitchen energy audit and control consumption..
factors. is a good place to start the hunt for the ben- Below is general information of average
“First of all, it is TNB’s duty to cut the electric efits from wise use of energy. electricity consumption cost a month in low-
supply if the consumer failed to pay after 30 days This is because the kitchen consumes the cost house, medium cost houses and bungalows
(after the first bill came out), but a notice should
be issued to them first. However, failure to do so
(cut the supply) could be due to the TNB workers’
limited authority to execute their duty.
“For instance, they might have trouble cutting
the supply if the meter box is located inside the
house. Unless they get permission, they could be
considered trespassing,” he said.
Terminating the electric supply is not an easy
task, added Mohd Nawawi, especially if the elec-
tric source distributes to many houses.
“Sometimes they can’t just cut the electric sup-
ply as it might affect other places,” he said.
However, he gave an assurance that they took
every complaint from the public seriously by con-
ducting regular dialogues with interested parties.
“Last year alone, we conducted a number of
dialogues with them. Even the Chief Secretary
14
views
JANUARY 21 — 23, 2011

The jury
and a Little
Red Book Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by
LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)
where all your profound,
abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite,
sagacious, and other thesaurus-
described queries are answered!

W
hy isn’t there a trial by jury
system in Malaysia when it
comes to criminal proceedings,
etc., and how does the current system
affect the judiciary? Sesha Atchiah aka
Franky, via email
The idea of a jury trial came in tandem with
the abolition of the notorious 15th century
“Star Chamber” in England that exercised
wide civil and criminal jurisdiction. This court
gained infamy because the judges had unlim-
ited discretion in how they decided a case.
This meant the judges could decide as and
how they liked, without regard for anything
or anyone. In such an environment, it is not
hard to envisage things getting completely out
of hand to the point it became intolerable.
The Star Chamber is now a common short
hand for a court marked by arbitrary, oppres-
sive, and secretive procedures — so a few
touches different from the current Federal
Court of Malaysia.
When the Star Chamber was abolished,
the people of England insisted that judgments
be rendered not by a judge but by the “judg-
ment of his peers, or by the law of the land.”
Jury trials used to exist in Malaysia, but it
was limited to capital offences. The govern-
ment abolished the jury system on 1 January
1995 citing, amongst others, a danger with lay
jurors delivering verdicts coloured by emotion
or popular perception, instead of the facts of
the case.
This criticism is valid, more so in a develop-
ing country where the pace of development
and level of education is uneven in various
parts of the country. The current system for
almost all criminal cases is for a single judge
to hear and decide on the case.
Although the present system is more vul-
nerable to political and corrupt influence —
because only one person needs to be “bought”
to achieve those corrupt aims — it is not
without its benefits.
A judge is likely to be more learned in the
law and its application as compared to a juror,
and would, in the ordinary course of things, — that of the citizen. Firstly, if the policeman If, however, you see the cop hesitating,
decide based only on the admissible facts is not in uniform, you have the right to see his pulling up his pants when there is no neces-
before him, and not based on emotions. authority card. Always note his name and sity to, or holding your driving licence and
More importantly, a judge has to explain authority card number, whether or not he is doodling on his clipboard, or repeatedly
his judgment whereas jurors do not. The in uniform. Take note of the card’s colour. threatening to issue you a ticket despite you
benefit of a jury system would be that influ- Secondly, if asked for identification, tell asking for it — “I’m going to write you a
encing or corruption would be far more ex- him your name and show him your IC. He is ticket now ah. Right now ah. Okay, now ah.
pensive because now you had to deal with only entitled to inspect it, but not take cus- Like right this instant okay? Are you ready?
seven different people instead of one. They are tody of it (unless you are arrested) — taking Sure? I’m going to…” — be very careful. He is
also less likely to be controlled by the state. your IC from you is illegal under the Na- very likely looking for duit kopi (literally
Though the jury system is an translated as “coffee money” although you
excellent concept, its practical- could afford the cheaper selection of Moets
ity severely hampers its imple- More importantly, a judge with it). LoyarBurok strongly condemns of-
mentation. has to explain his judgment fering a bribe to a corrupt public official.
Another criticism is that You should immediately note his name and
most jurors would not able to whereas jurors do not. The number, and lodge a report with the Malay-
understand more scientific or benefit of a jury system would sian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
highly technical matters. In a be that influencing or corruption Don’t worry about ending up dead after that
multi-cultural environment would be far more expensive because you would be considered a complain-
like Malaysia, there is also a because now you had to deal ant as opposed to a witness — just try to stay
strong likelihood that racial on the ground floor.
and religious bias and partial-
with seven different people If the cop informs you that you did not
ity may enter into their deci- instead of one. ” commit any offence, you can politely tell him
sion. that you are going to leave. If he tries to detain
If you were on trial, and had or stop you, you should ask whether you are
your life on the line, would you really want to tional Registration Regulations 1990. being arrested. If he declines to answer and
be judged by a jury of your peers in Malaysia? Thirdly, the police must inform you of the still detains you, congratulations, you have a
reason you were stopped you. If you are not cause of action for unlawful detention/arrest
I have read the Bar Council’s Red Book, informed, ask — you have a right to know. If against the police.
and found it useful. However, could you the police say you have committed a traffic Do make it a point to mention this to them
please tell me what are my rights, and offence, you have several options. You could as sweetly as possible and give them your big-
the rights of the police, if I am stopped try to plead for leniency with the cop. Make gest “I’m so gonna open a can of whup-ass on
at a roadblock in a situation where I am sure you come up with a very good excuse. you lot when I see my lawyer” smile. That
not put under arrest? I intend to write Claiming to be a lawyer and doing a bit of the should see an increase in the damages recover-
an article to highlight this issue for the nudge-wink is not a good excuse. This is where able, though be warned that it is directly re-
education of the general non-law public, the many theories come in. Some say greeting lated to the amount of physical injury you
and would appreciate any guidance. an officer by calling him “cikgu” is a “secret sustain.
Phoon Kar Yue, via email code” that indicates you or a member of your Have fun at your next roadblock!
Roadblocks are an important thread in the family are linked to the police force. Some
socio-cultural fabric of Malaysia. Everyone swear by the “acting clueless” method. Others Although Lord Bobo already knows your
has a theory about what the best strategy” is claim that requesting that a summons be is- question before you even knew you had a
at a roadblock. Even the frequency of road- sued quickly as you’re in a hurry will confuse question, as a practical display of your true de-
blocks is predictable by the seasons — “oh, the cop. If you do have ones that work, please sire to have your query answered, His Supreme
Raya soon mah, sure got a lot of roadblocks email them over to LoyarBurok for compila- Eminenceness has graciously allowed you to
one lah!” tion. If that doesn’t work, we advise you to just communicate your questions by –
Let us first deal with your rights and duties take the ticket. • emailing asklordbobo@loyarburok.com,
stating your full name, and a pseudonym
if you wish the question to be published
anonymously (and a good reason for ano-

Port Klang seat vacant, says Teng

By Rahmah Ghazali
shah alam:: Badrul Hisham Abdul-
lah has ceased to be Port Klang assembly-
man after being absent from the state as-
sembly for six months.
Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim an-
nounced on Wednesday that the seat fell
vacant on Jan 16.
The former first-term state lawmaker
was last seen in the house on July 15 last
year. Teng pointed out that Badrul, who
quit PKR in 2009 before joining Umno
last year, was absent for all six days of the
third assembly sitting from Nov 8-15, 2010
without seeking leave from the Speaker.
Article 69 of the State Constitution
provides that if a member of the legislative
assembly is without leave of the Speaker
absent for a period of six months, the seat
shall be declared vacant by the Speaker.
Teng added that the Election Commis-
sion (EC) has to call for an election after
it receives notice of the vacancy.
nymity).
• tweeting your questions by mentioning
@LoyarBurok and using the hashtag
#asklordbobo. The first 100 questions pub-
lished will receive LoyarBurok’s ONLY
merchandise you ever need (worth a lot for
humankind) courtesy of Selangor Times.
Now, what the hell are you waiting for?
Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (al-
though trembling is optional if you are some-
where very warm)!
Liberavi Animam Meam! I Have Freed
My Spirit!
 news 15
January 21 — 23, 2011

Financial aid
By Gan Pei Ling

SEMENYIH: Families whose homes

here were ravaged by a storm and flood
inOctober received a total of

for storm victims

RM20,700 from the state on Tuesday.
State executive councillor Dr Xa-
vier Jayakumar gave out RM300 each
to 69 families from six different vil-
lages in Beranang.
 “RM300 may not be much, but the
state is doing what it can to ease the
families’ financial burden,” said Hulu
Langat Member of Parliament Dr Che
Rosli Che Mat. He visited the villages
with district officials after what some
villagers described as the worst storm
they had ever experienced. Roofs were
blown away and floods damaged
houses and crops.
Thirteen families from Kampung
Indah PKNS, 25 from Kampung
Sesapan Batu Rembau and 28 families
from Kampung Sesapan Batu Minang-
kabau received aid. Three families each
Dr Che Rosli: State
repairing drains.
from Kampung Sesapan Kelubi, Kam-
pung Rinching Hilir and Kampung Sg
Jai were among the recipients.
“The water level was up to my
knees, most of my furniture, including
the mattresses, were damaged,” said
Azura Anzan, 30, from Kampung In-
dah PKNS.
  Although Azura was eight
months pregnant then, the
mother-of-three had to help
clean up the mess in the house.
Dr Che Rosli said the state
was repairing the drains in Seme-
nyih and drawing up measures to
prevent similar floods in future.
The state also built a new
brick house for rubber tapper
Rohani Maamor, 60, who is cur-
rently staying with her mother
and younger sister.  Rohani said
her family’s old house was built
in the 1960s and was infested
with termites.
Kampung Sesapan Batu
Minangkabau village chief Waris Xavier
Amal said the state only had to presenting

NGO proposes
bear the construction cost for the RM300 to a
house as the land, located in victim.
front of the village’s surau,

spay and release

originally belonged to Rohani’s
Azura and her baby.
family.

Home buyers should to reduce strays

I recently purchased a house in
Glenmarie. Approximately two
years after the keys were handed
over, 75 per cent of my ground
floor tiles heaved.
The damage covered areas of my
be better protected By Alvin Yap

living room and dining room.
It is hard to believe that
this could happen in a
high-end project by a
prestigious developer.
I was told that the
developer has no respon-
sibility to me for this la-
tent defect, for two rea-
sons.
Firstly, the defect liability peri-
od of one-and-a-half years, had
lapsed.
In countries like Australia and
United Kingdom, home buyers are
offered a longer warranty period.
For instance, in the United King-
dom, the home warranty period
offered by the National House
Building Council against major
structural defects is for 10 years.
The 18 months of warranty
period does not adequately cover
homebuyers from defects as some
defects occur after the warranty
period, for example due to land
settlement.
Are Malaysian housing develop-
ers not confident of their build-
ings?
In my case, I had purchased this
house from the first buyer very
early after the keys were
handed over. From the
time I purchased the
house till the time of
the damage, no ren-
ovation was done to
the damaged area.
I also cannot help but
reflect on the poor quality of
houses nowadays and compare
them against the quality of houses
of old.
For example, I grew up in Petal-
ing Jaya and my family lived in that
same house for 20 over years. The
floor of that house has survived not
only 20 years of everyday use but
also two cycles of renovation to
other parts of the house.
We homebuyers lack protection
where developers are not con-
structing quality houses profes-
sionally and where they do not use
quality workmanship and materi-
als.
Due to this, homebuyers are left
having to fork out more money to
rebuild already completed homes.
Secondly, I am the second buy-
er of the Glenmarie Cove house.
There are no laws to protect
housing developers from being
responsible to second buyers for
defects.
However, this doesn’t change
the fact that the house was still
constructed by the developer. Why
are there no laws to protect subse-
quent homebuyers in this aspect?
Should housing developers be al-
lowed to constantly deny responsi-
bility of sloppy work?
If the warranty by vehicle man-
ufacturers covers subsequent own-
ers, I don’t see why the housing
developers cannot do the same for
house purchasers. Houses do not
even suffer as much abuse as vehi-
cles from everyday use.
It is therefore, my humble yet
reasonable opinion that Malaysian
homebuyers are not adequately
protected.
Ultimately, it is the home buyers
who are the victims. If we as home-
buyers do not stand up, we indi-
rectly encourage housing develop-
ers to continue to build substand-
ard houses on the assumption that
home buyers will renovate and
rectify the defects anyway.
Hoping to make a difference,
Resident at Glenmarie
PETALING JAYA: Sterilising strays before re-releasing them has been
suggested by Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) as a more humane
way to deal with the perennial problem of controlling strays.
“Currently strays are placed in pounds that are unhygienic and breeding
grounds for many of the canine related diseases,”  said Wani Muthiah, one
of the founding members of MDDB.
The non-government organisation believes that sterilisation before re-
leasing them can reduce the number of strays over time because the dogs
will be unable to breed.
Wani pointed out that this would also mean that local governments will
not have to resort to euthanasia or putting down animals which are caught.
She also claimed that stray dogs are currently trapped in a manner that
is causing them injuries, adding that many strays have suffered cuts and
bruises while being chased and caught.
MDDB wants the state to direct local councils to carry out the move
and allow dogs to be released to their  “natural environment”.
Under the “experimental system”, stray dogs would be caught with
minimum physical harm before getting their ears surgically marked. The
dogs are then released to the areas where local residents will take care of
them and feed them.
She added that feeding points will be established in the areas for local
residents to feed the stray dogs.
“In short, that is the ‘release’ part of the system we want the local coun-
cils to try out,” said Wani.
She said that MDDB was set up after a story that came out in the media
in Oct 2008 of Russel, a mixed breed dog that was injured when he was
trapped by local council workers.
Wani said the public started to write in to the blog that was created to
highlight Russel’s plight.
“I thought to myself that Malaysian dogs do deserve better,” said Wani
on Sunday at the MDDB’s monthly adoption centre at Jaya 1, adding that
was how the group got its name.
16
NewsJanuary 21 — 23, 2011

Donate old furniture to charity

By Basil Foo
HULU LANGAT: Families looking to re-
decorate their homes this Chinese New Year
could consider donating their old furniture to
charity.
The Seri Sinar Charity operates a free col-
lection service of recyclables like paper, plastic,
and electronic waste, as well as old furniture
and other unwanted goods.
“Usually collection increases four-fold
about one month before Chinese New Year
and during the year end,” said the organisa-
tion’s president, Datuk Dr Eadon Ching, at
his office here on Wednesday.
The old furniture is brought to Seri Sinar’s
storage facility for refurbishment before they
are donated to other charity organisations.
Recyclable items and those which are be-
yond repair are sold to nearby recycling centres
and scrap dealers at market rate.
“We try to reuse whatever we can but if
there are too many irreparable furniture items,
we will have to charge residents a minimum
of RM60 for disposal costs,” said Ching.
Proceeds from the sale of collected items
are donated to poor students, schools and
charitable homes while reusable items like
books will be donated to libraries.
“Most of the clothing we receive come
from fashion houses and expatriates who are
returning home,” he said. Seri Sinar, which
started in 2003, employs 70 truck drivers,
item sorters, carpenters, collection workers
and administration staff.
“We have 300 recycling bins in Klang Val-
ley and 24 trucks which collect items daily
from the bins and residents who call us,” he
said.
Ching said Seri Sinar had moved premises
four times since their beginning due to space
constraints following an increase in demand
for their collection services over the years.
“During peak season, the collection bins
are filled every day,” he added.
Seri Sinar’s collection services are available
by calling 03-90211888, or find out more at
www.recyclecharity.org.

Saving the
environs
and
helping
the poor
HULU LANGAT: Recycling for
charity was initiated by Seri Sinar
Charity’s founder Datuk Dr Eadon
Ching due to his twin passion for
the environment and helping those
in need.
“I worked for more than 20 years
as a social worker in other non-
g overnmenta l org an isations
(NGOs) before stopping in 2001 to
do my car business for two years,” he
said.
Ching recalled how Tan Sri Ong
Ka Ting, a minister then, encour-
aged him to take up the environ- Ching showing
mental cause which led to the electronic waste and
unsorted items in
charity’s formation in May 2003. the storage area.
Seri Sinar Charity has faced its share
of difficulties in dealing with its
workers. corporations and my own company,” some even using their collection
“The main setback we faced is he explained. bins.  Seri Sinar has started using
[human resources] because we have According to Ching, the inabil- different coloured bins, but Ching
a manual workforce. It is a tough job ity to keep a strict rein on workers is laments that the damage has been
with low wages and long hours,” a reason why other organisations done and public perception of recy-
Ching said. have not been able to succeed. cling collection services has eroded.
The organisation’s 70 employees “Even foreign NGOs have failed The best environmental advice Ch-
are mostly truck drivers, collectors, here. We have to be strict with our ing can give the public is to reduce
and sorters, who manage 24 trucks, workers so they do not damage their consumption of new goods.
300 recycling bins in Klang Valley, items that they cannot be sold, or “We must ask ourselves if we re-
and a 1.3 acre storage facility. sell items for their own pockets,” he ally need to buy an item. Most waste
“During festive seasons when said.  money by buying new things and
donations are at their peak, the The charity has also faced issues throwing old things away,” he said.
workers could be at the warehouse with some opportunists who take “This would use up our natural re-
until late at night,” he added. advantage of their recycling services sources faster. If we reused old things
Ching said volunteer groups for their own benefit. like furniture, we could reduce de-
would occasionally visit the ware- “There are unscrupulous environ- forestation,” he added.
house to help sort out the col- mentalists who collect items to sell Home owners could start com-
lected goods but cannot cope with but keep the money. They are abus- posting their organic waste for use
the physical labour. ing the public’s concern for the as garden fertiliser.
“I cannot rely on volunteers, I needy,” said Ching. “60 per cent of waste from
need dedicated workers. So our He said such groups of people use households is organic so I encourage
workers’ wages are sponsored by the same methods as Seri Sinar, with the use of composting,” he said.

Hampers for senior citizens

klang: Sungai Pinang assem-
blyman Datuk Teng Chang Khim
distributed ang pow and hampers
to 23 senior citizens at an old folk’s
home on Wednesday.
One of the recipients was Lim
Heng Loong, who turned 100 last
September. She is the oldest resi-
dent of Chik Sin Thong Old Folk’s
Home.
Teng said the state was consid-
ering allowing senior citizens
registered under Selangor’s Mesra
Usia Emas scheme to draw a por-
tion of the fund for medical pur-
poses.
Under the scheme, senior citi-
zens’ selected beneficiaries will
receive RM2,500 for funeral ex-
penses upon the elders’ deaths.
Teng urged the state to make a
decision fast. “RM2,500 may not
seem much, but for the poor the
amount could be a significant.”
The recycling bins for residents to dispose of their unwanted goods.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ January 21 – 23, 2011 ⁄ 17

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18
technology
January 21 — 23, 2011

By Edwin Yapp

T
echnology pundits always adopt the
beginning of the year as a time to look
into their crystal balls and try to predict
what’s on the horizon for the coming year.
Some of their predictions do come true, while
others don’t.
Despite these uncertainties, there are some
trends that are probably more obvious than
others and this week, I’ll try to capture some
of them.
The first trend that will stand out is what
pundits and analysts term as the continuing
“consumerisation” of IT. What this basically
means is that more and more electronic de-
vices and gadgets will be designed and tar-
geted at consumers – average Joes including Motorola Atrix.

IT consumerisation
mums and pops – whose chief interest is just
to use them as they are without having to
tweak or modify their gadgets.
This trend is simple to comprehend. As
technology consultant Ovum noted, informa-

set to dominate 2011

tion technology (IT) today is being trans-
formed as an everyday tool for the common
man, or plainly put, this is known as the “iP-
hone effect.”
Gone are the days when computers are the
domain of geeks and techies. With the advent
of the Apple iPhone and iPad, more and more
people can get connected in the simplest of
ways without having to struggle to learn the
technology.
The rise of tablet computing
Nowhere else will you be able to see this trend
of consumerisation of IT best at work than
the recently concluded Consumer Electronic
Show (CES) held in Las Vegas from Jan 6–9.
Among the interesting announcements
made on the first day was Taiwanese comput-
ing maker Asus making inroads into the tablet
computing game.
Asus announced four new tablets designed
for a wide range of users and applications.
They are the Eee Pad Slider, Eee Pad Trans-
former, Eee Pad MeMO, all running Google’s
Android operating system software, and Eee
Slate EP121, which runs the Windows 7
Home Premium software.
Each of them has its own pros and cons but
the main selling point of the Eee tablets is that
it comes with the option of having a full QW-
ERTY keyboard, which to date, is the sorest
point of most tablet computers.
Arguably the biggest tablet computing
announcement was made by Motorola in the
form of its Atrix. This new Android-based
device is actually a smartphone but with the
capabilities that can extend to making it a
tablet.
The hardware spec is very impressive; it
sports a NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 chipset,
a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, a
front facing VGA camera, 1GB of RAM and
16GB of internal storage, a fingerprint reader
and a 4-inch display with a resolution of
960x540.
Now what’s interesting is that the Atrix has
the option of docking to a netbook-like shell,
which sports only an 11.6-inch screen and a
three-cell battery. This netbook-like docking
station serves to merely extend the computing
experience already available on the handset
from one of a smartphone to that of a tablet.
The netbook shell has a docking area in the
rear with an HDMI plug and a micro-USB
plug that slide into the ports on the phone
when it is placed in the dock. The phone can
charge itself from the netbook shell’s battery.
A pretty cool device for those who want the
option of having the portability of a smart-
phone and the practicality of a tablet-size
computer.
That said, it’s unclear if the Atrix will be
available here in Malaysia anytime soon.
Android to the fore
Another big trend that is easy to spot is the
rise of Google’s new operating system — the
Android. There was much talk at the CES
about the fact that the next major iteration of
its system, dubbed Honeycomb or Android
3.0, is really going to change the playing field
of tablet computing.
Already as it is, Android has grown phe-
nomenally with one analyst noting that it
spiked more than 3,000% growth in Decem-
ber alone. Another firm predicts that in 2011,
Android device shipments are expected to
grow twice as fast as devices running rival
operating systems.
So what’s so special about the up-and-
coming Android Honeycomb? To begin with,
it is an operating system that has been de-
signed from scratch with codes that are opti-
mised to work on tablets. Many of the An-
droid tablets today are using older versions of
the Android such as the Froyo and soon-to-
be-launched Gingerbread but these software
are much more suited to powering smart-
phones rather than tablets.
Not wanting to be left out, Apple has also
slated a strike back with the introduction of
the so-called iPad2, touting faster processor,
more battery life, and a slicker operating sys-
tem interface.
What else?
Complementing the two trends above will be
the upgrade of the local mobile broadband
networks in order to take advantage of smart-
phones and tablets.
In this respect, UMobile, a little known 3G
service provider is the first operator to fire the
salvo touting to give its subscribers mobile
broadband speeds of up to 42 megabits per
second (Mbps) through a technology known
as HSPA+.
On the heels of this are existing players –
DiGi, Maxis and Celcom – who would in-
variably also upgrade their network speeds.
Not forgetting existing WiMax players includ-
ing recently rebranded P1 4G and new entrant
YES 4G, the biggest benefit to these develop-
ments are that consumers will get more choice
because of increased competition and hope-
fully, better services.
One other noteworthy mention is that
2011 will see the rise in high-definition (HD)
content hitting us more. With Astro Byond
already having introduced us to HD and
other Internet Protocol-based video, such as
TM’s UniFi and YES’ Sezmi hybrid digital
TV on the horizon this year, consumers can
expect prices of HDTVs to also drop as supply
of these devices increases.
So 2011 is a year to look out for great
technological changes. So here’s to a great year
ahead for technology!

Asus Eee Pad

Google’s new operating system — the Android. Slider.
 REVIEW 19
January 21 — 23, 2011

By Basil Foo

M
iddle Eastern food outlets are
gaining popularity, thanks to the
growing number of students,
workers and tourists from these countries.
Tarbush is one such outlet, and boasting
a selection of Arabic and Lebanese cuisine,
it’s for diners looking for something dif-
ferent in the heart of the city.
We chose the Ampang Point branch.
Tarbush also has a branch in Sunway
Pyramid which is dubbed as a “fine din-
ing” restaurant, and is priced accordingly.
A waft of grilled meat and baked bread
greets you the moment you enter the
premises due to the open grilling station
and kebab stand.
When it came to ordering food, the
waiter was helpful in recommending
crowd favourites from the menu and was
even helpful in pointing out which dishes
may not be favoured by the Malaysian
palate.
For an appetizer, we chose the Hom-
mus Tahina (RM10), made up of mashed
chickpeas, olive oil, and sesame sauce,
served with pita bread. It’s suitable as a
light snack for a quick lunch.
  Those who are not fans of olive oil
could be turned away by its astringent
taste so it is recommended that the hum-
mus be thoroughly mixed like a dip before
eating.

Rich Middle Eastern

The Mixed Grill (RM28) we ordered
next was a combination of a few meat
dishes available on the menu: lamb chops,
lamb shish kebab, and shish tawook,
which were chicken cutlets.
The lamb chops were juicy and had a

flavours at Tarbush
freshly char grilled taste while the shish
kebab and shish tawook were laced with
spices, adding to the foreign dining expe-
rience.
The helpings of meat came with a side
of fries, fried onion slices, and what
tasted like sour cream which when
all mixed and eaten together made The cook at
for an addictive treat that seemed Tarbush can whip
like ideal food for a movie or foot- out a variety of
ball game night. grilled Middle
Eastern dishes
The Chicken Sharwarma (RM6) with ease.
looked like the usual meat sandwich
that is the norm at most roadside
markets but held its own in the taste
department due to the special Tar-  If the
bush garlic sauce. heavy
Filled with grilled chicken, gen- dose of
erous helpings of onion and other
veggies, the dish is an affordable, meat in the
tasty choice for a quick meal or a Lebanese
takeaway lunch. repertoire
A selection of salads was also leaves you
available, one of which was the Fe- longing
tush (RM10) which was made up of for some
romaine lettuce, cucumber, radish,
and topped with crunchy Lebanese familiarity,
bread. Tossed with a lemon vinai- the Lamb
grette, it is recommended that this Briyani
dish be eaten immediately when (RM19)
served to enjoy the crispness of the would
vegetables.
If the heavy dose of meat in the sate your
Lebanese repertoire leaves you long- appetite for
ing for some familiarity, the Lamb some rice.”
Briyani (RM19) would sate your
appetite for some rice. pot RM6).
This dish could have been better Served with sugar on the side for
as the lamb cutlets were not as meaty taste, the mint tea ended the meal
as the ones in the Mixed Grill, and on a refreshing note.
the rice was slightly dry. Overall, the relaxed ambience
To remedy this, some side orders and good food in Tarbush made for
of Tarbush garlic sauce would be an enjoyable dinner session for four
recommended to complete the fla- with the bill ending up somewhere
vours in this heavy dish. in the RM80-90 region.
There were many generic drinks Families or even groups of Arabic Tea
on offer but the most eye-catching friends wanting a hearty meal with Mint – a
of them was of course the tradi- should check it out for an exotic refreshing end to
tional Arabic Tea with Mint (small twist on a night out. a hearty meal.
20
FICTION
January 21 — 23, 2011

The
Fiction by Uthaya Sankar SB

✂
D
AD came home one night
and woke us from our sleep.
We rushed out of the house.

Painted
Then, we took out a match and
burnt down the house. The whole
family stood staring as the flames
brought down the house to ashes..
Since then, we have been moving
from place to place without a house
to stay in. This situation is better,

Cat
said Dad. We don’t have to crack our
heads to think about what colour to
paint the walls, what brand of paint
to use, hire someone to paint or
paint it ourselves, how many cans of
paint would be needed, and so forth.
That is only about the paint. Dad
Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at listed tens, hundreds and thousands,
the nearest police station to have regular checks of problems that we would be able
at your house while you are away. to avoid all together by not owning
a house.
Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya “But, Dad,” said one of us while
we were seated inside a peanut shell.
Tel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815 “Which address shall we use for
Borang maklumat official purposes? What about
Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk school registration; which address
bercuti. to use? What if someone wants to
send us a letter; a fan perhaps?”
Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis We don’t know why we named
him Cat. Perhaps since – to the best
.............................................................................................. of our knowledge – there has never
been a cat called “Kucing”. We
Butiran penduduk: spontaneously named him Cat.
Cat is bright. Not very long ago,
Nama: .................................................................................. a government department advertised
an opening for the Head of
Alamat: ................................................................................. Department. Word was that all the
previous heads were too old and
.............................................................................................. retired merely a week after being
promoted to the post. So, the
.............................................................................................. Government decided to hire a
younger Head of Department who
Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................ would last longer.
Cat applied for the job. He was
Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................ called for an inter view. The
interviewer had no reason to deny
.............................................................................................. Cat’s right to apply for the advertised
position. Cat seemed to fulfil each
Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................ an d e ver y re qu irem ent an d
qualification to be the head of a
Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ........................................... government department. Indeed
that was the reason why, said Cat,
Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar the Public Services Commission
kenderaan). called him for an interview.
“We are looking for a candidate
1. .......................................................................................... who is fluent in more than two
foreig n lang ua g es,” sa id the that the paint which we bought had you still have eight lives, right? So,
2. .......................................................................................... interviewer while using a pen to a five-year guarantee. If used after a the Government hereby appoints
circle the requirement which was general election, the paint is assured you, Mister Cat, as the Head of
3. .......................................................................................... inde e d clearly state d in the to last until the next general election, Department until you, Mister Cat,
newspaper advertisement. five years later. die for the eighth time,” the
Lain-lain maklumat: Cat began to deliver a speech in We poured the paint into the interviewer decided.
Italian, German, French, Japanese glass container containing Cat. Cat is bright. Cat made it possible
.............................................................................................. and Hindi. Cat spoke about the We let Cat soak in the paint for for us to buy a residence by means
Kinder, Kuche, Kirche – “children, a few hours. Later we took him out. of his salary as the head of a
kitchen, church” – concept which Of course Cat had changed colour government department.
was implement when Adolf Hitler according to the colour of the paint. Cat is often referred to as the
ruled Germany. Cat told us that he was actually candidate with the most potential
............................................... ....................................... Strangely enough, the interview dead. But he was still alive, he said, to become a prominent national
Tandatangan Tarikh result – which was received three because cats have nine lives. leader. But the fact still remains that
months later – said Cat was “Miew-miew-miew,” said Cat. Cat is a cat which was once dumped
Have you checked unsuccessful. It seems that when Cat
spoke Italian, German, French,
Meaning: Take me to the govern-
ment department which rejected my
into a glass container and soaked in
paint – God knows what colour!–
your electrical Japanese and Hindi, it sounded the
same: Miew-miew-miew.
application to become the Head of
Department.
that is guaranteed to last five years
only.
switches before What a stupid inter viewer!
Doesn’t he know that cats in Italy
“What for?” asked someone
among us.
Dad came home one night and
woke us from our sleep. We rushed
leaving home? say miew-miew-miew, cats in
Germany say miew-miew-miew, cats
“Miew-miew-miew,” said Cat.
Meaning: Do not ask!
out of the house. Then, we struck a
match and burnt down the house.
in France say miew-miew-miew, cats Cat demanded a second inter- The whole family stood staring as
Before ieaving your home for a holoday, have you in Japan say miew-miew-miew and view. Throughout the interview, Cat the flames brought down Cat to
checked all your electrical switches and turned off cats in India say miew-miew-miew?* said absolutely nothing. Not even ashes.
your gas tanks? One day, we caught Cat and miew-miew-miew. Ten questions
dumped him inside a glass container. asked, zero answered. Hundred Translated from the Bahasa
Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at Then, we bought a can of paint. We questions asked, none answered. Malaysia short story, “Cat”, first
were not sure of the colour. We don’t “Great! This is the sort of Head published in Mingguan Malaysia, 21
03-5634 9444 even recall the brand. But word was of Department we want. Mister Cat, Dec 1997, by the author.
 Travel 21
January 21 — 23, 2011

The village that time forgot

Life sometimes tastes a
little sweeter when the Free and easy parking
for vehicles in this
unexpected happens. LIN sleepy hollow.

ZHENYUAN takes a wrong

turn and comes face to
face with a friendly village.

T
here was a time when Kampung Baru in
Sungai Buloh received the attention that it
never wanted. It took place on May 7, 1991.
A massive explosion occurred at the Bright
Sparklers factory which claimed 26 lives and injured
103 people. That was 20 years ago.
The memory of that tragic incident at Kampung
Baru has receded into the recesses of everyone’s
mind.
Kampung Baru today is still the shanty town that
it once was. In fact, it is close to being a village. Many
of the houses are half wooden and half mortar.
Life in this sleepy hollow moves on a low gear.
Part of it consists of light industrial factories. About
25,000 people call Kampung Baru their home.
If you never venture further than Kota Damansara
or travel only along the Sungai Buloh trunk road,
you will probably not see this village.
An accidental travel excursion ended on a back
road which led me straight into this new village.
Initial impressions brought back memories of
Malaysian villages reminiscent of the 1950s and
1960s.
Any stranger would quickly be aware that the
village is one of those “out-of-sight, out-of-mind”
places. The business sector is predominantly
Chinese.
A pit-stop at a Toto outlet evaporated hopes of
a quick fortune a day after the results came out.
Apparently, there’s no such thing as beginner’s luck
even in this friendly place.
Back in the bad old days, as the old timers
describe it, this area was teeming with communist
elements. To curb the undesirable activity, Kampung
Baru was created.
The agrarian livelihood then was vegetable and
fruit farms, followed by rearing of pigs. A short The stall worker prepares the hot plate buns for sale. Special markings denote the different types of buns.
distance away, plant and flower
nurseries began to mushroom.
In the early 1990s, the Selangor The size of the foreign migrant
State Economic Development population and the persistent influx
Corporation started developing a of illegal foreign workers led to social
193-hectare section of Sungai Buloh
for the benefit of the people living
problems and the sprouting of vice dens.
in the district. Residents complained to the authorities
The master plan was to create when matters began to get out of hand.”
four sectors: hi-tech industries,
standard factory structures, handi- out in red. they have been staying there for
craft industries and support indus- Restaurants that promote their decades. So if you are a Hakka, you
tries. chicken rice, fish head curry and will feel as if you have returned
Presently, Kampung Baru Sungai “Rawang talapia” put up big banners home.
Buloh shows clear evidence that the advertising their local cuisine. Kampung Baru fits the “cowboy
master plan has succeeded to some In Jalan Besar, a small stall outside town” description very nicely. If you
degree. There are lots of small and a shop called Sin Sang Loong which don’t know about this new village,
medium sized plants. sells Chinese religious artefacts was you probably won’t know how to get
However a few years ago, this A house with long clothes lines are common at this village. doing brisk business selling its oil- there, unless you have a GPS.
village got back into the news, again that three quarters of them were Currently, there is hardly any less vegetarian buns. It is sandwiched between Kota
for the wrong reasons. Illegal illegal immigrants. evidence of their presence. Perhaps At 80 sen a piece, the buns which Damansara on one side and the
immigrants begun to flock into the Local residents also became quite the media coverage has driven them come in assorted fillings of red bean, main Sungai Buloh town on the
place because the village was worried when Myanmar and to seek more “peaceful” zones. peanuts and coconut are apparently other. Some of the road names are
relatively secluded and factory jobs Vietnamese call girls begun to A police beat base in the centre a hot item in town. Customers who Jalan Walfare, Jalan Besar, Jalan
were plentiful. appear in large numbers and of the town could have also drive up in their cars to park, buy the Union, Jalan Middle and Jalan
The size of the foreign migrant apparently the local men were contributed to the alleviation of the buns in batches of 50 and 60. Public.
population and the persistent influx succumbing to their charms. problem. Some roads leading out of I bought a few because I have not The nearest village next to it is
of illegal foreign workers led to There was great concern at that the area have obviously been seen this “hot plate bun” sold Kampung Paya Jaras Hulu. The
social problems and the sprouting of time that family harmony in the new widened to accommodate the anywhere else. Fresh from the big, trunk roads of Jalan Kuala Selangor
vice dens. Residents complained to village would be severely affected by increasing traffic. round hot plate, the bun tasted very and Jalan Sungai Buloh run along its
the authorities when matters began this licentious activity. Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh of nice. It would have been better if borders.
to get out of hand. At the height of the illegal late has acquired an inchoate there was a hot kopi-o to go with the Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh
These foreign workers were migrant presence issue, an estimated reputation for some fine restaurants. buns. doesn’t look very inviting but the
mainly from Myanmar, Bangladesh, 50,000 of them reportedly conver- Since it is the Chinese New Year The Kampung Baru Chinese are numerous Chinese restaurants look
Vietnam and Nepal. It was alleged ged in Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh. season, many of the shops are decked mostly Hakkas. They looked like very promising.
22
Gallery
January 21 — 23, 2011

TRAVEL HUNTERS:
Selangor Menteri
Besar Tan Sri Khalid
Ibrahim visits the Iran
Show Room at the
MATTA International
Fair Selangor Umrah
& Muslim Travel 2011
at the Shah Alam
Convention Centre last
Friday.

Sungai Pinang assem-

blyperson Datuk Teng
Chang Kim giving out
exercise books spon-
sored by the state to
students from SJK (T)
Jalan Meru, Klang last
Friday. RM30 vouch-
ers were also given to
79 students from low-
income or single par-
ent families to reduce
the family’s financial
burden at the start
of school year. Teng
also pledged to give
the 75-year-old school
five new computers.

Selangor exco Teresa Kok discuses the Pulau Meranti project at Majlis Perbandaran Sepang on Monday.

Indian
dancers
performing a
folk dance at
the Sangaman
Pongal
Ceremony
at Stadium
Melawati,
Shah Alam
,last Friday.

The Malay Haritage

Band performs tra-
ditional music at the
MATTA International
Fair Selangor Umrah
& Muslim Travel 2011
at the Shah Alam
Convention Centre
last Friday.

Koo Kien Keat

demonstrating the
right way to hold a
racquet at a badminton
clinic organised by
Osim at 1Utama
shopping mall last
Sunday.
 culture 23
JANUARY 21 — 23, 2011

REVIEW ❚ COMPILED BY ZEDECK SIEW

Bakat Muda
Sezaman 2010
I
n his statement for a work called “Messenger @ Pas-
senger”, artist — and Bakat Muda Sazaman (BMS)
2010-prize hopeful — Mohamad Hafiz Yahaya quotes
critic Ooi Kok Chuen: “The BMS is a traditional incubator
of creative talents as well as a springboard for the artists to
greater achievements”. No joke: with a grand prize worth
RM20,000, the National Art Gallery (NAG)’s big compe-
tition — begun in 1974 — is the juiciest financial carrot
for art in Malaysia. Young talents could go far with that sort
of cash.
Unfortunately, the ongoing exhibition of BMS 2010
finalists presents a sorry lack of talent. Hafiz’s work, a pull-
cart that he invites visitors to use in viewing the show (cur-
rently occupying the NAG second- and third-floor galler-
ies), is a disappointing metaphor: if you’re the one pulling
the cart, you’re an artist, working to bring culture to the
public; if you’re the one being chauffeured around, you are
a “passenger”, a member of the hoi polloi “yang cuma duduk
berpeluk tubuh”, expecting art to
be spoon-fed to you. Art and its
Art relationship to the public is a big,
and its complex subject. Reducing it to a
relationship binary is lazy — not to mention Some of the finalists try. Mohd Fariazal Puadi’s “Don’t sions for the competition opened August 2010; artists had
to the public patronising. Touch!!!!” is a chair, divided in little blocks and encased in glass: until November. A paltry five months for artists to conceptu-
Other works are similarly shal- an exploration of democratic principles like voting and parlia- alise and execute their work. That suggests that the competition
is a big, low. Daud Rahim’s “Sapuan Berus mentary representation. Still, the work itself falls short of the mechanism, itself, wasn’t well thought-out. Is it surprising that
complex dan Kereta Idaman” depicts a artist’s intent. Why arrange the “seat of power” so neatly? That’s its results were slipshod?
subject. Ferrari crushed by “a very bright hardly true to the reality of Malaysian democracy. Once a beacon in the arts community, the NAG today has
Reducing it and expressively-bold brush In the end, the strongest works of the BMS 2010 showcase become a by-phrase for government -- bureaucratic bloat, official
to a binary stroke”; it represents a clash be- are the ones that are content to tackle personal subjects. Haslin callousness, the squandering of public funds. The dear old
Ismail’s “The Way It All Works” (the grand prize winner, inci- Balai is in the midst of a reformation: it now puts out a fairly
is lazy — not tween materialism and spiritual-
ity. Goh Chi Kuan’s “Aiyah …It’s dentally!) is a fun assemblage of cut-up, collaged books and excellent newsletter, Senikini; it’s hired a bunch of exciting
to mention Not Mine Lah” uses the gory illustrations; it concerns the artist’s family, his father, and a love young curators; it was recently empowered, legislatively. But it
patronising.” warnings on cigarette packs as a of reading. My favourite piece in the show is Issarezal Ismail’s has to re-learn how to do things well.
way to criticise our general reluc- “Bill - Is Hero”, a mixed media print of a tiny toy figure contem-
tance to do the right thing because “it’s not their veins that plating a school of giant anchovies. It is a strange, wonderful, The Bakat Muda Sezaman 2010 grand prize (worth RM20,000)
are clogged, not their homes that are destroyed … not their completely unpretentious image. It also did not come with a was awarded to Haslin Ismail for “The Way It All Works”. Three
own children suffering”. Again, these are hefty issues — and sanctimonious artist’s statement. jury prizes (worth RM10,000 each) were awarded to Tan Nan See,
art is an opportunity to explore subtleties, not bulldoze The big question: why are the new BMS works so weak? A Diana binti Ibrahim, and Helmi Azam bin Tajul Aris. The awards
over them. NAG curator I spoke to hazarded institutional failure. Submis- were announced on 18 January 2011.

playS
Model Citizens
Play
The Necessary Stage & KLPac
KL Performing Arts Centre
19 - 22 January 2011
RM33
03-4047 9000
www.klpac.com
Singapore-mari The Necessary
Stage (TNS)’s resident playwright,
Haresh Sharma, has a personal
axiom: “If you are not producing
work, any reason you might give
for not doing work is an excuse.”
Like clockwork, TNS manufactures
theatre that is both fun and
newspaper-headline topical.
Model Citizens, TNS’s latest
offering, is no different. Check
out its premise: a man stabs a
Singaporean Member of Parliament
at a “Meet the People” session.
Three women are caught in the
fallout: the attacker’s girlfriend, an
Indonesian maid seeking marriage
and citizenship in the island nation;
said girlfriend’s employer, also
coping with personal tragedy; the
MP’s wife, who has to cope with
the subsequent media attention.
Immigration, such a big topic in
Singapore at the moment, is sure
to feature prominently.
Model Citizens, which
premiered in March 2010, will be
performed in KL by Goh Guat Kian,
Siti Khalijah and Karen Tan. Written
by Haresh Sharma and directed by
Alvin Tan.
Editor’s
Pick
The Art Instinct Series
2011: Episode 1
Artist Talk
Instant Café Theatre
Leonardo’s Dining Room & Wine Loft
Bangsar; 25 January 2011
RM10
03-2096 2226
www.instantcafetheatre.com
The philosopher and academic Dennis
ARTS HEADLIGHTS 2011
Exhibition
Dutton passed away last month. His Valentine Willie Fine Art
career was quietly stellar: he co-founded 19 - 31 January 2011
Arts & Letters Daily, a website that free admission
compiles thought-provoking essays from 03-2284 2348
across the interwebs; his Bad Writing www.vwfa.net
Contest in the journal Philosophy and
Literature was a righteous stick that With branches all over the
he used to beat academics for their region, Valentine Willie Fine Art
is one of the most powerful
unreadable legalese; his 2009 book, The
Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure and Human commercial galleries in
Evolution, argued that art appreciation Southeast Asia. It has a long
isn’t culturally learned, but is a deep history of incubating the careers
instinct humans evolved from adaptations of regional up-and-coming
during the Pleistocene. artists; many of these individuals
The Art Instinct Series is a lecture have since made names for
platform in honour of Dutton; in it, themselves! Headlights is
artists and intellectuals will deliver lively VWFA’s annual showcase of
presentations about “being creative and its current artist-collaborators.
what it means”. This first episode will This year’s exhibition features
work by Agus Baqul Purnomo,
feature talks by playwright and comedian
Jit Murad and director/performer Jo Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Don
Salubayba, Gan Chin Lee, I
Kukathas. Jit argues that the self — not
issues or ego — is “the most trustworthy Nyoman Agus Wijaya (aka
Koming), Jalaini Abu Hassan
engine for any impulse for creativity”. Jo
presents lessons she has learned from a (aka Jai), Kaloy Sanchez, Kow
Leong Kiang, Phuan Thai Meng,
cockroach.
Putu Sutawijaya, Yogie Ginanjar
and Yustoni Volunteero.
Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.