Petrol up 30 sen?? YAU MOU GAU....CHOR!!

KUALA LUMPUR: The price of petrol and diesel is up by 30 sen a litre effective today, the highest increase in the past two years.
However, the Prime Minister's Department, in a statement, said that this would be the only increase for the year.
Public transport and commercial vehicle operators only face a 15 sen rise for diesel.
“The Government has decided to introduce a direct subsidy for these operators, making up 84% of diesel users, through a fleet card scheme,” the statement stated.
“With the card they will be able to buy diesel at 15 sen less per litre than the new price.
“The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has sent out letters to the operators who qualify for this scheme.”
The Prime Minister's Department also said the savings from the price increase would be used “to pay for development projects and improving the public transport system for the benefit of all people.”
The decision to increase the price of fuel was to overcome the impact of rising crude oil prices and to curb the increase in subsidies paid by the Government.
The announcement was made in a statement from the Prime Minister's Department at 10.30pm yesterday.
The retail price for petroleum products is being raised because last year the amount of subsidy borne by the Government was RM7.41bil whereas tax exemption stood at RM7.85bil.
“The burden of subsidy and tax exemption borne by the Government from January to February this year was RM1.19bil and RM1.44bil respectively,” the statement said.
The statement said that without the government's subsidy and tax exemption, the retail price of these products in March would have been higher.
Without the subsidy and tax exemption, the price of RON 97 in the peninsula would be RM2.46 a litre, RON 92 RM2.37 a litre, diesel RM1.98 a litre and LPG RM3.21 a kg.
In Sabah, RON 97 petrol without subsidy and tax exemption would be RM2.45 a litre, RON 92 RM2.37 a litre, diesel RM1.97 a litre and LPG RM3.35 a kg.
In Sarawak, the price of RON 97 petrol without subsidy and tax exemption would be RM2.45 a litre, RON 92 RM2.36 a litre, diesel RM1.97 a litre and LPG RM3.34 a kg.
“Although the Government is raising the price of petroleum products, diesel and LPG, the price of petrol and diesel in Malaysia is still cheaper than in other Asean countries except Brunei,” the statement said.

Related Stories:
Higher fares expected
More worries, say many

Comments:
Another round to go!!! Tight up your belt please!
YAU MOU GAU....CHOR!!!

Chaos in Shah Alam?? YAU MOU GAU....CHOR!!!

Unusually heavy rain made worse by a swollen tide resulted in one of the worst floods to hit the city early today.Waters rose so rapidly in the pre-dawn thunderstorm that more than 2,000 people had to flee their homes with just the clothes on their backs while several cars, many of them brand new models in a Proton dealer’s yard, were submerged.Sections of the Federal Highway and the New Klang Valley Expressway had to be closed to traffic.

The three affected areas were Kampung Kebun Bunga and Taman Mesra in Batu Tiga, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Kampung Melayu Subang near the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. KTM Komuter services were also disrupted as the Batu Tiga station was flooded.According to a PLUS Expressways Bhd spokesman, the stretches at Km9.2 of the NKVE and Km15 of the Federal Highway were closed to all vehicles since morning as they were under one metre of water.The NKVE stretch between Subang and Bukit Raja was closed at 4.53am while the Federal Highway was closed at 5.55am. This caused a major jam as traffic was backlogged for several kilometres. Many were seen turning back as PLUS officials opened U-turns for the stranded motorists. The NKVE was reopened at 2.20pm while the Federal Highway was reopened at 1.30pm.He said the toll plazas in Shah Alam, Batu Tiga and Bukit Raja were also closed in the morning.KTMB said its commuter service from Sentul to Port Klang terminated at the Subang Jaya station and trains returned to Sentul, while the service from Port Klang to Sentul terminated at the Shah Alam station and turned back. However, all train services resumed at 2.03pm after waters receded.In Kampung Kebun Bunga in Batu Tiga, about 800 families fled their homes after the Sungai Damansara, which flows behind their village, overflowed and a section of the bund gave way.Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence personnel arrived at the village with five boats and managed to evacuate the villagers.Senior Assistant Superintendent Borhan Madon from the Shah Alam fire station said many of the villagers were sitting on their roofs, awaiting rescue as the waters had risen rapidly."Many were trapped in their homes and in some places, it rose to the ceiling. However, there were no casualties."According to the villagers, the waters rose to about six metres in some places.Among those badly affected by the flood was a Proton dealer. He said there were about 60 brand new and unregistered cars in the yard when the waters rose."My workers could only push 30 cars out but the rest are all in the water now. The models include Perdana, Waja and Wira." Batu Tiga state assemblyman Datuk Salamon Selamat said about 1,500 people were evacuated from the village and had been housed in three nearby community, school and district council halls.


In TTDI, more than 1,000 homes were affected as waters rose to about 1.5 metres.However, only about 150 people were evacuated to a nearby mosque as many opted to remain on the first floors of their homes.Welfare Department officials were present at all the evacuation centres to monitor the situation.

Video: Nanyang


The Star
Related Stories:
Floods give folk a tough time
Residents caught unawares
Samy takes exception to this kind of messages

More reports from Metro:
Flood takes its toll on motorists
The worst in years, say Shah Alam residents
They just keep happening

Photo Gallery: Floods in Shah Alam

Map - Shah Alam floods

Comment:
ARE YOU OKAY??
YAU MOU GAU.....CHOR!!!

Find out more about this news, and there is an interesting UNTOLD stories FOUND over here!
http://kdwetland.blogspot.com/

KEEPING THE FAITH PM puts reputation

KEEPING THE FAITHPM puts reputationon the line

Feb 14:
YESTERDAY was not about the ebullient Datuk Effendi Norwawi being hoisted onto the political mainstage once again, two years after his health scare. It was not about International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz proving that there is life after the Approved Permits fiasco. It was not about Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor showing that there is no such thing as political oblivion in Malaysian politics. It was about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi putting his reputation on the line and banking on 33 ministers and 39 deputy ministers to deliver big over the next two years.The stakes are high for the ruling coalition, and for the man who currently occupies the top job in the country. Fail, and the consequences will be grave.He knows that the reservoir of goodwill which followed the Barisan Nasional’s grand election victory in 2004 is emptying. He knows that after the pundits and armchair critics have exhausted all their arguments in coffee houses, the only thing that would really matter in Malaysia is this — whether the economy is humming.He is aware that the next 24 months will define how well he is judged and how well the BN fares in the next election. There will be little wiggle room for Abdullah and his band of ministers. Day One of their task will be on March 31 — the day the Ninth Malaysia Plan is tabled. Privately, Abdullah likes to use this analogy when describing the challenge that lies ahead for him and his team.He says that Malaysia is at the base camp. His Government will have to provide the impetus to drive the country all the way to the peak by 2020. Several new initiatives will be announced as part of the 9MP. But Malaysia has come unstuck in the past because the best plans have remained just that — plans. It is this concern that has influenced several of his Cabinet choices.Rafidah scores poorly in the popularity stakes and will never lose that streak of abrasiveness. But she can work. Abdullah mulled over the possibility of appointing another senior politician to the portfolio but she has an in-built advantage over the other candidate — she can hit the ground running.


"I don’t think there is anyone as capable as her at the moment. She also knows the mechanics of FTAs better than anyone else," said a government official.Effendi was brought out of retirement because he has a track record of getting things done. During his tenure as a minister between 2000 and 2004, he carved a reputation as someone who preferred action to poring over feasibility studies. It also helps that he is from Sarawak.Why? Because geographical considerations played a significant role in Abdullah’s choices. With Natural Resources Minister Adenan Satem returning to state politics and Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad returning to family life, there was a need for a representative from the East Malaysian state.Let’s face it. Every Prime Minister operates within certain constraints when selecting his Cabinet. By convention, he has to include the head of component parties, even if some of them have been around forever. For political considerations, he has to include some members who will do the grunt work — not only will they be aggressive in their respective ministeries but they will be his enforcers on the ground. For sentimental reasons, he may have included some politicians who have been with him through thick and thin. Three names come to mind — Datuk Azmi Khalid, Datuk Radzi Sheikh Ahmad and Datuk Aziz Samsuddin.For practical reasons, he stuck with several veterans. If it ain’t broke, don’t change it. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin fall into this category. The PM views their portfolios as too important to be given to greenhorns. For his Government’s well-being, he must hope that all his ministers and deputy ministers implement the 9MP and help him create a buzz in the country. Do that, and the election down the road will take care of itself.


Saya hargai kepercayaan PM - Rafidah

KUALA LUMPUR 14 Feb. - Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz cukup menghargai kepercayaan tinggi yang diberikan oleh Perdana Menteri ke atasnya untuk meneruskan portfolio yang telah dipegang sejak 1990.

Katanya, selagi diperlukan, beliau akan berusaha sedaya upaya menjayakan misi kerajaan, lebih-lebih lagi dalam tempoh menghampiri pelancaran Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan (RMK-9) yang memerlukan dedikasi penuh.

``Saya amat menyanjungi pandangan Perdana Menteri dan akan berusaha untuk terus mengekalkan keyakinan beliau (terhadap saya) yang jelas berada pada tahap yang tinggi.

``Saya akan pastikan tidak akan menggagalkan atau menghampakan beliau,'' katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Semasa mengumumkan rombakan Kabinet hari ini, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata, Rafidah dikekalkan dalam jawatannya kerana pengalaman dan kebolehannya diperlukan untuk memandu kementerian tersebut, apatah lagi negara akan berusaha meningkatkan pelaburan dan perdagangan antarabangsa tahun depan.

Apabila diminta mengulas dakwaan bahawa beliau `terselamat' dalam rombakan kali ini, Rafidah enggan memberi sebarang komen kerana ia telah dijawab oleh Abdullah sendiri.

``Anda telah mendengar jawapan Perdana Menteri di dalam televisyen petang tadi, itu saja yang boleh saya katakan.

``Saya bersedia, kalau rasa tidak diperlukan, tidak menjadi masalah. Ia adalah fakta kehidupan,'' ujarnya.

Dalam pada itu, beliau memberitahu bahawa beliau tidak terkejut dengan rombakan Kabinet kali ini.

Ini kerana, beliau selama ini tidak pernah meramalkan sebarang pergerakan di dalam barisan Kabinet.

``Adalah tidak betul untuk menjangkakan siapa yang akan tersungkur atau terjatuh. Saya memang tidak pernah mencatur siapa akan ke mana kerana ia adalah hak mutlak Perdana Menteri.

``Percaturan sebegini adalah sia-sia,'' tambahnya lagi.

Pengalaman, kebolehan Rafidah diperlukan - PM

PUTRAJAYA 14 Feb. - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi menjelaskan, Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (MITI), Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz yang dilanda kontroversi permit import kenderaan (AP) tahun lalu dikekalkan dalam Kabinet kerana beliau memerlukan pengalaman dan kebolehannya menerajui kementerian itu.

Perdana Menteri berkata, peranan Rafidah di peringkat antarabangsa khususnya berkaitan dengan kerjasama ekonomi dan perdagangan banyak memberi faedah kepada kerajaan.

``Sebenarnya peranan beliau selama ini adalah baik dan diterima elok oleh masyarakat dan antarabangsa.

``Cuma masalahnya beliau baru-baru ini dikaitkan dengan isu AP. AP bukan segala-galanya berkaitan MITI. Isu AP kini adalah satu subjek yang diletakkan di bawah satu jawatankuasa yang dipengerusikan oleh Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

``Apa-apa masalah berkaitan dengan AP akan ditentukan oleh jawatankuasa itu. Rafidah adalah salah seorang anggotanya,'' katanya pada sidang akhbar mengumumkan rombakan Kabinet, di sini hari ini.

Perdana Menteri menjawab soalan mengapa beliau masih mengekalkan beberapa menteri kanan terutama yang telah berkhidmat lebih 20 tahun.

Isu AP yang bermula pada 26 Mei tahun lalu menjadi begitu `panas' dengan berapa kenyataan terbuka antara Penasihat Proton Holdings Berhad, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad dan Rafidah.

Ia bermula dengan rasa tidak puas hati Dr. Mahathir berikutan `kebanjiran' kereta import yang dilihat menjejaskan industri automotif tempatan dan bekas Perdana Menteri itu mengaitkan situasi itu dengan pengeluaran AP yang banyak.

Bagaimanapun Rafidah selaku menteri terlibat menjelaskan keadaan sebenar dan menolak dakwaan Dr. Mahathir.

Isu tersebut bagaimanapun tidak berakhir di situ apabila tidak lama selepas itu Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Proton, Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff mengkritik dasar kerajaan secara terbuka dalam sebuah akhbar berbahasa Cina.

Kabinet kemudiannya campur tangan dengan mengarahkan supaya Rafidah membuat penjelasan secara bertulis kepada Dr. Mahathir yang kemudian Perdana Menteri menyifatkannya sebagai telah selesai.

Menurut Abdullah lagi, khidmat Rafidah masih diperlukan kerana pada tahun ini kerajaan akan melaksanakan pelbagai rancangan bagi meningkatkan pelaburan di peringkat antarabangsa selain meneruskan usaha-usaha berkaitan kerjasama ekonomi serta perdagangan bebas.

Utusan Malaysia 15th FEB '06
Utusan Malaysia 15th Feb '06 part 2

Comment:
What a bad news from PM? Rafidah arr, You think PM got choice? Percaya YOU?
This Fat Women should be OUT too!!
YAU MOU GAU...CHOR!!

Mahaleel bawa kes tamat kontrak Proton ke IRD?? YAU MOU GAU....CHOR!!

Mahaleel bawa kes tamat kontrak Proton ke IRD

KUALA LUMPUR 8 Feb. - Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff hari ini mengemukakan kes penamatan kontraknya sebagai Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Proton Holdings Bhd. (Proton) ke Jabatan Perhubungan Perusahaan (IRD), Kementerian Sumber Manusia.
Tengku Mahaleel mengesahkan terdapat pertemuan tiga pihak antara beliau, wakil IRD dan wakil Proton di sini, hari ini tetapi enggan mengulas lanjut apabila dihubungi Utusan Malaysia.
Menurut sumber yang mengetahui mengenai perkara itu, Tengku Mahaleel mengemukakan `representasi pembuangan kerja' berikutan penamatan kontrak kerjanya sebagai CEO oleh Lembaga Pengarah Proton dan berkaitan bentuk pampasan, bonus dan gratuiti.
``Perjumpaan hari ini membolehkan wakil IRD mendengar keterangan daripada kedua-dua pihak, dan mencari kaedah penyelesaian diplomasi.
``Jika sebaliknya berlaku, IRD akan mengemukakan cadangan untuk memanjangkan kes itu untuk didengar di Mahkamah Perusahaan,'' kata sumber itu lagi.
Tuntutan
Sumber itu menambah, tiada jumlah khusus dikemukakan oleh Tengku Mahaleel mengenai pampasan, bonus dan gratuiti yang hendak dituntutnya.
``Pertemuan mereka hari ini merupakan yang pertama diadakan, selepas notis mesyuarat pertama tidak menerima reaksi dari Proton manakala pada notis kedua, Proton meminta penangguhan.
``Keputusan IRD akan diketahui dalam beberapa minggu ini iaitu untuk memanjangkannya ke mahkamah.
``Mungkin juga Proton akan memilih penyelesaian luar mahkamah bagi mengurangkan kesan publisiti negatif daripada kes berprofil tinggi itu,'' kata beliau.
Tengku Mahaleel memulakan kerjaya di Proton sebagai Naib Pengerusi, Strategi dan Operasi pada tahun 1996 dan pada April 1997, beliau dilantik sebagai CEO Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn. Bhd. dan kemudiannya sebagai CEO Kumpulan Proton Holdings Berhad.
Beliau yang bertanggungjawab menjadikan Proton sebagai sebuah entiti yang memiliki aset tunai bernilai lebih RM5 bilion, termasuk kilang pemasangan canggih di Tanjung Malim, Perak telah ditamatkan secara rasmi kontraknya pada 30 September 2005.
Laporan-laporan akhbar ketika itu mengaitkan kes Tengku Mahaleel itu sebagai `tidak sehaluan' dengan aspirasi Lembaga Pengarah yang dipengerusikan oleh Datuk Azlan Hashim.

Masalah reka bentuk -- Samy akui antara punca keretakan jejambat MRR2??? YAU MOU GAU....CHOR!!

Masalah reka bentuk -- Samy akui antara punca keretakan jejambat MRR2
Oleh: SAIFULIZAM MOHAMAD

KUALA LUMPUR 7 Feb. - Menteri Kerja Raya, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu hari ini mengakui masalah reka bentuk merupakan antara punca keretakan jejambat Lebuh Raya Lingkaran Tengah 2 (MRR2) di Kepong.

Beliau berkata, perkara itu terkandung dalam laporan berhubung masalah keretakan yang berlaku di jejambat berkenaan.

Jejambat MRR2 sepanjang 1.7 kilometer itu dibina oleh konsortium SUKMIN-Bumi Hiway-KKM (Wilayah) berdasarkan kepada reka bentuk firma perunding Maunsel, Sharma & Zakaria.


Hasil kajian juruperunding bebas, Halcrow Group Limited dari United Kingdom yang dilantik bagi mengkaji masalah itu mendapati 31 daripada 33 tiang atau topang jejambat itu retak.


Esok, Kabinet akan diberi taklimat mengenai `kecacatan' jejambat itu.

Laporan itu disediakan oleh Ketua Pengarah Kerja Raya, Prof. Datuk Dr. Ir. Wahid Omar.

MRR2: Kementerian perjelas laporan akhbar
KUALA LUMPUR 8 Feb. - Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu pernah melaporkan tahun lalu mengenai aspek kelemahan reka bentuk dan pemasangan tiang yang tidak betul menjadi punca keretakan jejantas Lebuh Raya Lingkaran Tengah 2 (MRR2) di Kepong.
Setiausaha Akhbar menteri itu, E. Sivabalan berkata, Samy Vellu membuat kenyataan media itu di lobi Parlimen 30 September 2004 bagi menjelaskan laporan konsultan bebas Halcrow Group Ltd. yang menyiasat keretakan tersebut.
``Laporan (hari ini) telah memberi gambaran bahawa Datuk Seri Samy Vellu telah menyimpan maklumat tersebut (keretakan berpunca dari reka bentuk) daripada diketahui oleh pihak umum selama ini,'' katanya.
Akhbar hari ini memetik Samy Vellu sebagai mengakui masalah reka bentuk merupakan antara punca keretakan jejambat MRR2 di Kepong.
Samy Vellu turut mengakui bahawa sesetengah kelemahan pada reka bentuk dan faktor cuaca telah menyumbang kepada keretakan pada jejambat itu.


More news: Utusan Malaysia 1 9th FEB 06 & Utusan Malaysia 2 9th FEB 06

Comment:
YAU MOU GAU...CHOR!!! Need to pay another RM 3 million for repair work??
Really SEMI VALUE project but price is not SEMI, but FULL plus plus ++++++!!

GONG XI FA CHAI to everybody!

Medical colleges churning out sub-standard doctors with no clinical skills?? YAU MOU GAU....CHOR!!

EXCUSE ME DOC,
DO YOU KNOW WHAT
YOU'RE DOING?

Doctors incapable of diagnosing disease? Shocking as it may seem, some doctors who handle patients have no clinical skills. Bluntly put, the patient is something of a guinea pig in their hands.

These doctors may have sufficient theoretical knowledge, but they lack practical experience.

Another shocker: Some of these doctors are products of medical colleges operating out of shoplots, with no proper facilities such as laboratories and insufficient lecturers.

The main problem is the mushrooming of private medical colleges. Of the 17 medical colleges in the country, only eight are public medical universities.

There are simply not enough places at designated government hospitals for medical students to undergo practical training. The problem is expected to worsen as more colleges are approved by the Ministry of Higher Education.

Director-general of Health Datuk Dr Ismail Merican acknowledged that government hospitals were unable to accommodate the increasing number of students needing clinical training.

"There are simply too many of them," he said. "Whom do we blame when we get doctors who do not have the necessary clinical skills?"

Expressing concern, Dr Ismail said he had come across doctors in hospitals who did not have clinical skills such as patient care, familiarity with the signs and symptoms of diseases, diagnosing illnesses, and doctor-patient communication.

"Theory is okay, but what about clinical skills? We have the same problem with allied healthcare staff such as pharmacists, radiologists and nurses," he told the New Straits Times.

Students are required to start their clinical skills training from day one, but this does not always happen due to the shortage of places.

"Although we need lots of doctors and allied healthcare staff, we need them to be of quality," Dr Ismail said, adding that he was also aware of private medical colleges not having enough lecturers.

"My advice is, consult the Health Ministry before setting up medical colleges. This is because invariably they would want to use the ministry’s hospitals. When we say there are no more places, they get upset."

He said to meet the pressure for places, the ministry had opened up some of its district hospitals to medical students.

University Malaya Medical Centre director Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin said the programmes run by private medical colleges had to be closely monitored so that standards defined by the National Accreditation Board were met.

"If the standards are not met, we will not have quality doctors. We want safe and quality doctors for Malaysians," he said, adding Universiti Malaya set high standards and offered excellent infrastructure, curriculum, teaching staff and facilities.

While more medical colleges would grant Malaysians better opportunities to pursue medicine locally and reduce cash flow out of the country, Dr Mohd Amin said, it should not mean "mass production and compromising on standards and quality".

He feels having more medical colleges would only dilute the academic staff. He said he was aware of private medical colleges employing expatriates to teach, with some having difficulty getting lecturers for certain programmes.

UKM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Salleh Mohd Yassin agreed that there were not enough teaching hospitals in the country. He said some colleges might not be able to cope with the high turnover of lecturers.



Saying those wanting to start medical colleges had to be responsible, he added: "There is no shortcut. I have been in the medical faculty for 22 years and I know the biggest problem is getting the proper teacher-student ratio. Can private schools afford this requirement? Do they have the required infrastructure?"

Dr Mohd Salleh called for the consolidation of medical colleges.

Medical lecturer Dr Kuljit Singh said: "Private medical colleges should not be built just because of demand or because the business is lucrative."

Saying it was difficult to get experienced teaching staff, he added: "The majority of doctors in government hospitals are juniors and lack teaching experience. We seriously lack a good teaching force and thus end up getting foreign lecturers."

Dr Kuljit said private hospitals should allow medical students to do clinical training at their centres as part of their social responsibility.

Comment:
YAU MOU GAU...CHOR!! Why?
Do you have the same experienced before?