Appeal on Yong Vui Kong's case to International court of Justice (ICJ)

(Sources: SAPP official website)


KUALA LUMPUR, June 16, 2011: Mr. M Ravi, Counsel for Yong Vui Kong (Singapore), YB Datuk Chua Soon Bui ( MP Tawau) Miss Ngeow Chow Ying' (Lawyer for Save Vui Kong campaign), Miss Sharmila Sekaran (Voice of the Children) handed over the memorandum to the Pegawai tugas-tugas Khas of the Minister of foreign affair, Mr. Ahmad Nordin.

YB Datuk Sri Anifah Hj Aman , Minister of Foreign Affair was not in the parliament during the visit of Mr. M Ravi who had earlier gave a press conference at the Parliament regarding the appeal to the Foreign Ministry to bring the matter to the the ICJ.

After the clemency appeal from the people of Malaysia, including people of Sabah, also the NGO and individuals from Singapore, Mr. M Ravi, the Singapore counsel for Vui Kong Made an application on 4th April 2011 for the Chief Justice, Mr. Chan Sek Keong, to disqualify himself from hearing the appeal, premised on the grounds that:-

a) requests the court to decide on whether the President of Singapore must act on the advise of the cabinet on the matters relating to the President's prerogative power on clemency ;

b) the Chief Justice who was the AG from 1992-2006, was in the position to advise and ought to have advised the President or the cabinet relating to the President's prerogative power on clemency during such period ;
c) thus there is a conflict of interest when the Chief Justice is to now decide on the matter which he had or ought to have advised the President and or cabinet about the clemency powers of the President.

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POVERTY IN SABAH, AN ILLUSION?

(Sources: Sabahkini.net Thursday, 09 June 2011 00:15)


By : MELANIE CHIA

THE fact that Sabah is still one of the poorest state in Malaysia cannot be denied by the Sabah State Government. No matter how the State Government refuted this status, it remains a fact that Sabah still has the most poor people in Malaysia, and not just poor, but hard core poor.

The revelation of the destitute family of widow Rosnia @ Annie Marambal brings to light the tip of the iceberg of the poverty situation in the State. And more disturbing is the acknowledgement by the Kota Marudu Member of Parliament YB Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili that there are over 2,000 hardcore poor households in Kota Marudu according to the e-Kasih statistics.

According to Maximus, who is also the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, the government is trying to resolve the problem under the National Key Results Area (NKRA) and he hopes to take Kota Marudu out of poverty within the next five years.

We hope the Government can be more concerted in the poverty eradication program. So much money has been allocated and spent over the 8th and the 9th Malaysia Plan but we still get reports of abject poverty in the State.

There has been so many good reports and revelation by the media on poverty related cases in the past years: the many social visits by NGOs, and even a visit by the Crotian Ambassador to Kampung Morion in Kota Marudu.

The Kota Marudu MP should appreciate the contributions by the various sectors of society who show concerns in his constituency. Even Rosnia was quoted as saying that if not for the media help, she would not be getting all the attention when the relevant authorities entrusted with poverty eradication efforts failed. After the recent media reporting, Rosnia was registered under the e-Kasih programme.

"The plea of Rosnia and her family revealed that the delivery system is not reaching the people who most needed help! Which also means that the billions of dollars spent may not be reaching the target group. And Rosnia and few others reported in the media are just the few who get reported but there are still so many who are not reported but in equivalent destitute condition. What about our youths from the northern region who have to go and find work in KL and some even got stranded!," lamented Melanie.


The least the Kota Marudu MP could do is to appreciate the contributions by the civil society and all quarters in helping and heeding to the pleas of the needy. Perhaps he could also help to ensure that there is a greater degree of efficiency and accountability of the public spending.

Read more >> SAPP official website

(Sources:Thestar news)


Thursday June 9, 2011
KOTA KINABALU: The multiplying population of rats in the city will pose a threat to the tourism industry, the state's main income earner.

The ciy's mayor, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, said the presence of the vermin might give an impression of a community that did not care for cleanliness or was ignorant of diseases spread by rats.

"The average number of rats caught by City Hall every month at the central market is 160 compared to 80 a month last year. This rat control campaign is a continuity of previous and ongoing programmes by DBKK (Kota Kinabalu City Hall), albeit more intensively and aggresively," he said, while launching the Rat Control Campaign here Thursday.

He viewed the situation as worryng in regard to facts that rats were linked to leptospirosis and carry 230 thousand salmonella germs in their droppings, which can cause food poisoning and bubonic plague, Aujesky's Classical Swine Fever and rat bite fever.

According to him, the campaign themed, "No food leftovers, no rat" was targeted at food and drinks operators, hawkers, shopping centre management corporations, as well as departments, and government and private agencies.

Abidin said DBKK was preparing to introduce a food-leftover isolation system and a pilot project for its rat control programme.

Suhakam begins native land enquiry

(Sources:NewSabahTimes)


2nd June, 2011
KOTA KINABALU: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is expected to have its hands full this month when it hears complaints on native land tussles in Sabah in a national inquiry.

It has recorded more than 800 complaints on infringement of native land between 2002 and the first quarter of this year.

In a statement yesterday, Suhakam said it received more than 1,000 such complaints in the country during the period with Sabah recording 834 cases followed by Sarawak with 229 and peninsula, 45 cases.

The inquiry is called to review the cause of the problem and its magnitude as well as ensure that it did not violate human rights.

Suhakam will then put forward recommended measures to the government to solve the problem.

The inquiry in Sabah will be held from June 17 to July 5 in 15 locations throughout the state.

The first consultation will be held in Keningau in relation to cases occurring in Keningau and Tambunan followed by Tenom on June 18.

On June 19, another session will convene in Nabawan and Pensiangan before returning to Keningau on June 20 to hear complaints from Sipitang. The sessions in Keningau will be held at the community centre.

Complaints from Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Tuaran will be heard at the Dewan Tun Fuad, Penampang on June 22.

This will be followed by cases from Ranau and Kota Belud on June 23 and Papar, Kuala Penyu and Beaufort on June 24. The two sessions will be held in Penampang.

Suhakam will convene the Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas and Paitan sessions on June 26, 27, and 28 respectively at the Kota Marudu community centre.

From the northern region, the land inquiry will move to the East Coast with a stop in Tawau to hear complaints from the district and neighbouring Semporna on June 30.

Complainants from Lahad Datu and Kunak will have theirs heard on July 1. The inquiry for the four areas will be held at the Tawau community centre.

Complaints from Sandakan, Kinabatangan and Beluran will be heard at the Industrial Training Institute hall in Sandakan from July 3-5.

Suhakam reminded complainants to bring documents to prove their case such as land titles or land applications, pictures, maps and related correspondence.

Further details of the inquiry can be made either by sending an email to inkuirinasional@ suhakam.org.my or logging on to www. suhakam.org.my.

They can also follow developments on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

No reason to revise electricity tariff in Sabah

(Sources: SAPP official website)


By Melanie Chia

Electricity supplies is a utility, which in most countries, is the responsibility of the government. It is a necessity in this modern day society. The government of the day therefore cannot devolve itself of this responsibility, be it to ensure adequate and consistent supply or to ensure the affordability of this utility.

The just revised electrify tariff by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) starting on 1 June is only the beginning to further burden of rising costs to the people in the country. This would be so despite warning by the government authorities to the business communities that prices cannot be increased indiscriminately.

It is understood that where electricity is a component to the production costs, the rising of the electricity tariff inevitably increased the cost of production and therefore the costs of goods. It has also been reported that even hawkers in West Malaysia may consider price increase because of the increased burden of the utility to their income!

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Kaamatan a platform to strengthen unity

(Sources:NewSabahTimes)


(L to R) Dr Maximus, Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence Bongkos Malakun, 
Musa, Pairin and Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan

1st June, 2011
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the Harvest Festival celebration has provided a platform not only for all communities to come together but also to bury any hatchet and differences.

“It is time for forgive and forget our past and move forward,” he said at the closing ceremony of the State-level Kaamatan Festival celebration at KDCA Hongkod Koisaan here yesterday.

Pairin who is also the main organising chairman, said apart from the merriment, the celebrations has also provided a platform to strengthen the unity and understanding of the state diverse races, culture and ethnic groups as well as to appreciate the sacrifices of Huminodun while enjoying a bountiful harvest.

Sabah United Bisaya Association president Datuk Lajim Ukin who was present at the ceremony said: “There are more than 31 ethnic groups in Sabah who have their own custom, culture and dance respectively.

“So with this festival, we have the opportunity to highlight their culture and traditions to the public as well as become an attraction for the tourists,” said the Deputy Minister of Housing & Local Government.

“Our diverse cultures should be promoted to the visitors and when you understand our cultures, the international communities will recognise us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Head of State Tun Haji Juhar Haji Mahiruddin and wife Toh Puan Hajah Norlidah Datuk RM Jasni accompanied by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and wife Datin Seri Hajah Faridah Haji Tussin also attended the closing ceremony.

They were greeted on arrival by Pairin.

Others who were present were State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said, Federal Cabinet Ministers such as Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili and Datuk Seri Anifah Aman as well State Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Ministers, elected representative and heads of departments.