PANDU CERMAT, SAYANGKAN NYAWA

PANDU CERMAT, SAYANGKAN NYAWA
INGAT ORANG YANG TERSAYANG

INGAT ORANG YANG TERSAYANG

INGAT ORANG YANG TERSAYANG
PASTIKAN ANDA DAN SEMUA PENUMPANG MENGGUNAKAN TALI PINGGANG KELEDAR

20091223

Skim persaraan 1Malaysia diperkenal

22 Dis.2009 – Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) hari ini memperkenalkan Skim Simpanan Persaraan 1Malaysia bagi menangani ketidakcukupan simpanan semasa bersara bagi golongan yang bekerja sendiri.

Cadangan Skim Simpanan Persaraan 1Malaysia yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri ketika pembentangan Bajet 2010 pada Oktober lalu, sebagai satu tanggungjawab sosial untuk mengambil berat kebajikan semua peringkat rakyat yang bekerja sendiri iaitu kategori individu yang tidak mempunyai skim simpanan persaraan secara formal.

Skim itu yang mula ditawarkan 3 Januari ini, bertujuan memberikan perlindungan kewangan kepada individu yang tidak mempunyai pendapatan tetap apabila mereka mencapai usia tua.

Menurut Jabatan Perangkaan, bilangan rakyat Malaysia yang berkerja sendiri adalah seramai kira-kira 2.5 juta.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif KWSP, Tan Sri Azlan Zainol berkata, kerajaan sentiasa prihatin terhadap ketidakcukupan simpanan sewaktu persaraan yang menjadi kebimbangan sebahagian besar rakyat Malaysia terutamanya golongan bekerja sendiri tanpa pendapatan tetap bulanan.

“Skim Simpanan Persaraan 1Malaysia menawarkan golongan terpilih berkenaan fleksibiliti dalam menentukan berapa jumlah yang mampu disimpan untuk simpanan persaraan mereka,” kata beliau dalam kenyataannya di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata, tidak seperti skim simpanan KWSP yang biasa, jumlah yang dicarumkan ke dalam Skim Simpanan Persaraan 1Malaysia bergantung kepada tahap kemampuan pencarum.

Beliau menjelaskan, ahli boleh memilih untuk mencarum jumlah minimum antara RM50 dan RM5,000 sebulan sebagai simpanan persaraan mereka.

“Caruman adalah secara sukarela dan pencarum juga tidak perlu membayar caruman setiap bulan, ia bergantung kepada tahap kemampuan mereka.

“Bagaimanapun, ahli digalakkan untuk mencarum sejumlah wang secara berterusan tidak kira berapa jumlahnya ke dalam skim persaraan ini kerana disiplin amat perlu apabila menyimpan untuk persaraan,” ujarnya.

Simpanan di bawah skim itu akan menerima dividen tahunan mengikut kadar yang diumumkan KWSP sebagai tambahan kepada sumbangan kerajaan sebanyak lima peratus dan tertakluk kepada jumlah maksimum sebanyak RM60 setahun, selama lima tahun bermula dari tahun depan hingga 2014.

Skim itu terbuka kepada individu bekerja sendiri seperti penjaja, peniaga pasar malam, ejen hartanah, deejay, pengajar di pusat kesihatan dan kecergasan, penyanyi dan pelakon, serta pemilik perniagaan dalam talian.

Individu yang berminat menyertai skim itu perlu mengisi Borang KWSP 16G(1M) yang boleh diperoleh di cawangan KWSP seluruh negara atau memuat turun borang itu menerusi laman web myEPF di www.kwsp.gov.my mulai 3 Januari tahun depan dan mengembalikannya ke cawangan KWSP yang berhampiran atau melalui serahan mel.

Bagaimanapun, individu yang berminat tetapi bukan ahli KWSP perlu berdaftar sebagai ahli terlebih dahulu dengan mengisi Borang KWSP 3 dan mengemukakannya sebelum memohon untuk menyertai skim itu.

Simpanan boleh didepositkan secara tunai atau cek menggunakan Borang KWSP 6A(2) di kaunter bayaran KWSP seluruh negara.

Ahli KWSP sedia ada yang bekerja sendiri juga layak menyertai skim baru tersebut.

24-hour JPJ operation in Sibu from Jan 4

SIBU: It’s round-the-clock operation for Road Transport Department (JPJ) enforcement officers from Jan 4 next year, an intensified effort to curtail the number of road accidents.JPJ Sibu chief Rosilan Md Sari said the new arrangement would hopefully bring down the number of traffic offenders as well.

“Towards this goal, our enforcement ought to be carried out 24 hours a day and on seven-day weeks,” he said, adding that enforcement on festive season only was not enough.

“Our operations include setting up of roadblocks and patrolling,” he told reporters after the launching of a road safety campaign near the Lanang bridge yesterday.

The campaign, organised by the Resident’s Office and the National Road Safety Council, was officiated by Resident Sim Kok Kee and witnessed by, among others, traffic police chief ACP Vincent Tang.

Rosilan said his officers would be working on shifts to overcome the problem of manpower shortage.

For this year until Dec 11, JPJ Sibu has issued some 8,600 summonses for various traffic offences.

Offenders who settled their compound fines promptly were given discount up to 30 per cent.

“Those who paid up within the 15 days after the issuance of the summonses got 30 per cent discount while those who paid up within the next 15 days got 15 per cent discount.

“No more discount after the 31st,” he said.

On pirate taxi operation, Rosilan said his men were still going after these illegal operators though the number of pirate taxi operators seemed to be dwindling.

Under Section 33 of the Road Transport Act 1987 and/or Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board Act 1987, a convicted pirate cabby is liable to a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or one year’s imprisonment or both.

More than 100 goody bags were distributed to motorists during the campaign yesterday.

20091221

FACE BOOK CRAZE - ITS THE TREND AND COMMUNICATION BRIDGE TODAY

I am on Facebook, therefore I am?

OK. This is a youth talking. If you ain’t got no Facebook account, go live in a cave. With more than 200 million strong followers worldwide and still counting, Facebook has and continue to entice just about any men and women, old or young, working adults or even school children. Currently ranked as the leading social networking site, Facebook is a force to be reckoned with.What is so compelling about Facebook is its entertaining Features that offers everything under the sun.

Feel the need to proclaim your love to someone today? Status Update is just what you need.

Long to reunite with your high school clique? Then invite them for a spanking good night out through Events.

Want to share some Kodak moments with your distant relatives or long lost friends? Uploading yesteryears or current photos into Photos would be both nostalgic and fun at the same time.

You know those games Applications? I’m not averse to all those. I don’t get the whole brouhaha about people’s fascinations for these Applications.

Are you one of those games addicts who are guilty as charged? Squander all your time on harvesting, levelling up or feeding, getting completely engrossed with the adventure that these games have to offer?

There’s FarmVille for the failed farmer gone awry.

There’s also Mafia Wars. No, we’re not talking about the first high-profile conflict between Mafia clans in post-war Italy. We’re talking games that offer inspiring Mafia to play Don Vito Corleone at the comfort of their home or workplace.

For those with ultra deep motherly instinct, Baby Adopter trains you to become a good mother in the future. We do hope virtual training helps.

Apart from the youth, the Facebook community today includes professionals, politicians, celebrities, businesses, and just about any sector of the society.

The plus points are that constituents are getting more connected with their Yang Berhormats, as so are fans with their favourite Idols, students with their teachers and, clients with their service providers. It’s also been amazing to witness old schoolmates who have been out of touch for decades suddenly updating each other on just about any aspect of their lives; cousins who barely had the time of day for each other in real life suddenly have tonnes to say to each other. The possibilities seem endless.

These are all acceptable and within the norms of Facebooking. But what happens when Facebookers, particularly as employees, cross the boundary of work ethics conventions?

Addiction to social networking has never been so pronounced. It is the cutting-edge kind of addiction, if I could put it that way that has caused the enslavement of our society, so much so that for many, everything but Facebook has taken a back seat in their lives. People are spending less quality time with their family and friends; forget how important it is to socialise outside of the virtual world, neglecting outdoor activities and worse still, paying less attention to work.

England’s top Catholic bishop once issued a warning on the downsides of social networking sites. It could lead to the decrease in work productivity, damage relationships between family members and friends.

The challenge at the workplace is that we have two personas. One is our personal persona and the other, a work persona. Managing this in online networking is tricky.

While some establishments banned ‘Facebooking’ at the workplace, there are those who chose to invest in the positive potentials of the facility for larger and longer term goals of the organisation. The issue is whether the staff has the integrity to ensure that the facility is utilised to create added value to the work of the organisation. After having taken the position to allow online networking at the workplace, employers cannot entertain the illusion that it will be used for work-related activities 100 per cent of the time. While employers need to exercise some flexibility, the onus is on each employee to ensure that the trust given is justified through at least high work productivity.

Ultimately Facebook may follow Friendster, and other early online social networks that have become saturated and stale. Whatever the next new thing may be, the rules of engagement will remain similar and there will always be pitfalls. Although online networks and their influence on the modern society are here to stay, genuine happiness cannot be pursued through such networking alone. I’m sure too much Face

booking can leave one feeling jaded and lethargic. So, be smart in managing your virtual life, and get in touch with reality. Get a life already!

By Marcella Gider and Rosalind Yang

‘Panic buying’ of sugar goes on

SIBU: There seems to be no end to ‘panic buying’ of sugar here as several supermarkets had their stock gone barely hours after getting their fresh supply.

A brief market survey yesterday observed that several outlets in town had their stock of the commodity had run out as early as 11am.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a staff of a supermarket here told thesundaypost that their stock of sugar was gone shortly after getting the supply.

“There seems to be a lot of demand for sugar these days and I have not seen anything like this before - not even during festive celebrations,” she said.

She added that their stock of sugar was gone in a matter of hours.

Meanwhile, a bulk shipment of 586 metric tonnes of sugar arrived here earlier this week. Asked for clarification on the situation, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism here figured that this could be due to the panic buying spree spawned by the fear of possible sugar shortage.

“Wholesalers here had distributed their stock of sugar to supermarkets, retailers and so forth for public consumption.

“My guess is that people here are still worried despite the repeated assurance given about the availability of
the commodity in the market.

“This perhaps, prompted them to stock up sugar at their homes,” he said.

Towards this end, he advised the public to refrain from panic buying as there was no need to purchase sugar in bulk.

He reiterated that this would deprive others of the opportunity to obtain their supply of sugar. He also warned traders from manipulating the situation through
hoarding, refusing to sell or even hiking the price of sugar.

“We will not hesitate to mete out stern action against them if they are found to be guilty of such an offence,” he cautioned.

bp21/12/09

20091218

SUGAR PRICES GONE UP TO RM1.80 PER KILO??

Sugar are getting scared in Sibu town and most shops are known to be out of stocks. But some who have are selling only 2 kilos per customers but at a 'special price'that is RM1.80 per kilo. Is this a 1Malaysia price or had the sugar price gone up or government fixed new price ??

Elektrik percuma bawah RM20 dilanjut Disember 2010

17 Dis. - Berita baik untuk rakyat berpendapatan rendah apabila kerajaan bersetuju melanjutkan program pengecualian pembayaran bil elektrik berjumlah RM20 dan ke bawah untuk tempoh setahun lagi iaitu sehingga Disember 2010.

Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air, Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui berkata, secara purata seramai 1.05 juta pengguna domestik yang kini menikmati pengecualian itu setiap bulan terus menerima manfaat.

Jelasnya, program itu sepatutnya tamat pada hujung bulan ini, namun disebabkan kedudukan ekonomi yang belum pulih selain keprihatinan kerajaan terhadap rakyat berpendapatan rendah, ia dilanjutkan setahun lagi.

''Program ini telah diperkenalkan pada Oktober 2008 iaitu semasa pembentangan Bajet 2009,'' katanya dalam satu kenyataan yang dikeluarkan di Parlimen, hari ini.

Menurutnya, sejak program itu diperkenalkan kerajaan telah menanggung kos purata sebanyak RM11.95 juta setiap bulan.

''Sehingga September tahun ini, sebanyak RM143.4 juta telah dibayar oleh kerajaan untuk menampung kos pengecualian bil ini.

''Dengan persetujuan kerajaan melanjutkan program ini, ia bermakna kerajaan akan menanggung sejumlah kos tambahan iaitu sebanyak RM143 juta lagi," katanya.

Police identify mastermind behind prostitution ring

SIBU: The police have identified the mastermind behind a prostitution ring that they smashed on Tuesday.When contacted yesterday, acting police chief Supt Zamani Hamdan said the man is a foreigner.

He also disclosed that this was the first time they came across such a ring whose members were all foreigners.

He said the leader brought young women from his country to work as prostitutes here.

The police stormed his den on Tuesday at Jalan Tuanku Osman where a pimp and 10 foreign call girls in their 20s were arrested.

“But the ring leader was not there because he was taking his pregnant wife back to his country.”

Zamani said police would launch a hunt for the leader using information they had received.

He confirmed that when the foreign call girls were brought in using social visit passes, the leader hid them on the upper floor of a shop where the women were placed under the care of an elderly foreign woman.

He further confirmed that the pimp, a local youth in his early 20s, was hired by the ring leader.

He was arrested together with the 10 call girls.

The police are expected to charge the pimp and the call girls, but Zamani would not confirm what possible charges would be at this stage of the investigation.

“After our investigation is completed, we shall hand the case to the deputy public prosecutor.”

Zamani said the police did not regard the case as human trafficking because the women were not forced to come.

“They willingly followed the ring leader into Sarawak and willingly got involved in the flesh trade. They were not smuggled in.”

He said the police were also investigating the allegation that these women had violated their social passes.

It is said that when the women arrived here, they would stay at a rented place in Jalan Tuanku Osman, and the pimp would take them to meet their clients in budget hotels.

Chinese dailies reported yesterday that the pimp charged the clients RM60 each for an encounter with one of the women.

On whether there were other foreign call girls in Sibu, Zamani said some had been arrested before.

“But we have not arrested such foreigners in a group like what we did on Tuesday.”

On complaints by women in Sibu about their husbands having relationships with call girls from China, he said the police were looking into the matter.

“On cases like this, we must establish the evidence of their involvement in immoral activities, like what we are doing in the current investigation.”

20091216

WATCH OUT! : Pet crocodile released into Rajang River


FREE AT LAST: The crocodile prepared for release into the river

A man at Jalan Lada yesterday finally decided to set free a young crocodile that he has been rearing in his backyard for eight years.

According to snake catcher Lai Lee Siew, the man sought his help to release the reptile into Rajang River.

And so with a group of ten men, they accomplished the task yesterday morning.

He said the man was given about 30 newly hatched crocodiles to keep as pets eight years ago, and he kept them in his backyard pond.

“Over the years, some of the reptiles disappeared during extremely high floods. Eventually only one was left and that was the one we just released into the river.”

Lai said after tying up the eight-foot-long reptile, he took it to Rantau Panjang where it was released.

Bp Online 16/12/09

‘Increase free electricity rate from RM20’

One would think that Sarawakians would be jumping with glee when it was announced that electricity bills of less than RM20 would continue to be borne by the government.They are happy, but they are not jumping, preferring, it would appear, to reserve the celebration for something better – if it does happen, although the chances are slim.

They are urging the government to increase the free electricity rate from the current RM20 to a higher rate because, according to them, the majority of the people’s power usage bills are above RM20.

If the government can do that, then there is every reason to celebrate, they said.

Recently, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin stated that those with monthly power usage of RM20 and below per month would continue to benefit from the free electricity till the end of next year.

Seruji Tahip, 56, who is vocal about increasing the RM20 rate, said only the truly poor people have bills less than that.

“But I can tell you for sure there are many poor people who use up electricity worth more than that,” Seruji said when asked to comment on the government’s decision to extend the period of free electricity to end of 2010.

Seruji’s opinion is supported by entrepreneur Norshiah Rajow, 39, who said that bills below RM20 are not a burden to the people, not even the poor.

“What can be burdening are bills more than RM20!” Norshiah said.

“Below RM20 ruling is not a good step because only a few would benefit as the use of refrigerators, lamps and television alone runs bills well beyond RM20,” Norshiah said.

Meanwhile, Leslee Ronjig, 35, from Kampung Punau of Jalan Puncak Borneo said extending the ruling is a welcomed step which should be applauded.

Leslee said it has made him more determined to save on electricity usage and as a result he has enjoyed several exemptions already.

He, however, admits that he has to forego a lot of things to be able to enjoy the exemption. He also said he would certainly welcome a higher exemption rate so that he could watch the TV or be at the computer longer.

Alsie Sia, 27, a teacher also said the ruling has been of great relief to many poor people and any length of extension will certainly bring more relief. She said saving on electricity usage will hopefully contribute to slowing down the global warming rate.

She, however, admitted that even how much she tries to save on electricity usage she is still burning a big hole in her pocket paying for her power bill.

Apparently, she forgets that it would seem that only the poor are expected to help slow down global warming while the well to do continue to do what they can pay for at the expense of the environment.

Like Alsie, Edna Dungi, 35, is also happy with the extension decision, saying: “Even though we are a developing nation, there are still many people who are poor and need help from the government. Such incentive will definitely make the people happy.”

The extension will benefit up to RM1.5 million consumers or house owners after the government agreed to allocate about RM11.9 million per month to support the ruling.

20-litre ruling takes effect now

THE ban on the sale of petrol and diesel over 20 litres to foreign cars within a radius of 50km from any point of entry into the country will take effect today.

Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ban, which was aimed at preventing the smuggling of petrol and diesel, would be in place until a new mechanism for the management of oil subsidy is implemented in May next year.

“Directives have been issued to all petrol stations in the stipulated areas on the new ruling. We have also issued notices to all foreign-registered vehicles in the country informing them of the new regulation,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

With the ruling, he said, only Singapore-registered vehicles were allowed to leave Malaysia with more than 20 litres in their tanks as the authorities in the republic had already imposed a ruling that all vehicles crossing its borders must have their tanks at least three-quaters full of fuel.

However, he said, if these vehicles needed to refuel within the 50km radius of the Singapore-Malaysia border, they were allowed to buy not more than 20 litres of fuel.

“There are almost 500 petrol stations operating near the borders in the north and south of the country. We will place our officers in these areas and if any of the stations is found to have violated this regulation, stringent action will be taken against it,” he said.

Under the Supply Control Act 1974, any individual who violate its regulations could be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed for up to three years or both while for a company (petrol station), the penalty is it could be a fine of up to RM250,000 and/or its licence revocation.

20091214

PNB umum dividen ASB 7.30 sen

Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) hari ini mengumumkan agihan pendapatan skim Amanah Saham Berhad (ASB) sebanyak 7.30 sen bagi tahun kewangan berakhir 31 Disember 2009 berbanding 7.00 sen tahun sebelumnya.

Demikian diumumkan Pengerusi PNB, Tun Ahmad Sarji, di sini sebentar tadi. Ia membabitkan pembayaran dividen RM4.95 billion kepada pemegang unit, meningkat 19.56 peratus berbanding RM4.14 bilion tahun kewangan sebelumnya.

PNB juga mengumumkan pembayaran bonus 1.25 sen, membabitkan nilai RM537.65 juta. "Pembayaran itu akan memberi manfaat kepada 6.78 juta pemegang unit yang kini melanggan RM70 bilion unit ASB," katanya.

20091207

Penduduk Bario minta bina jalan raya

Penduduk kaum Kelabit dan Penan di Pa Lungan, Bario yang tidak mempunyai akses jalan raya sejak berpuluh tahun lalu merayu kerajaan agar membina infrastruktur itu untuk menghubungkan mereka dengan dunia luar.

Mereka memberitahu, ketiadaan sistem jalan yang baik menyebabkan kira-kira 150 penduduk di situ terpaksa menggunakan laluan kecil yang dibuat sejak zaman penjajah.

''Ramai yang tidak mengetahui kos sara hidup di Bario antara yang paling tinggi di Malaysia dan daripada 14 kampung di kawasan tersebut, Pa Lungan paling kritikal,'' kata seorang penduduk, Maran Radu, 69, ketika ditemui Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Misalnya, katanya, harga sekampit simen untuk setiap 50 kilogram ialah RM280, kerosin, petrol dan diesel (antara RM8 hingga RM10 seliter), satu selinder gas untuk kegunaan memasak RM240, sebiji telur RM1, satu tin minuman ringan RM3 dan gula RM5.

Namun, harga itu tidak termasuk caj tambahan sebanyak RM20 hingga RM40 untuk mengangkut barangan tersebut dari kedai runcit di Bario ke Pa Lungan dengan setiap kilogram barang yang diangkut sama ada menggunakan kenderaan atau kerbau dicaj RM1.

Beliau memberitahu, untuk pergi ke Pa Lungan, penduduk perlu menyewa kereta dari Bario ke Pa Ukat terlebih dahulu dengan perjalanan memakan masa kira-kira 45 minit dan kemudiannya terpaksa melalui laluan kecil dengan memakan masa tiga jam sebelum tiba ke perkampungan berkenaan.

Katanya, perkampungan itu juga hanya dapat dikunjungi menggunakan bot dengan masa perjalanan selama dua jam melalui Sungai Debpur dengan kos sehala sebanyak RM300, sebelum berjalan kaki selama satu setengah jam.

''Oleh kerana laluan ini tidak dapat dimasuki kenderaan, kami terpaksa menggunakan kerbau untuk mengangkut barang-barang keperluan.

''Namun, bagi yang tiada kerbau, caj antara RM20 hingga RM30 dikenakan untuk 'mengupah' kerbau kepunyaan orang lain," katanya.

Beliau berkata, bukan satu perkara menghairankan jika harga minyak petrol, diesel atau kerosin melambung sehingga RM40 satu gelen kerana mereka terpaksa membayar kos pengangkutan kerbau, selain kos kereta sewa dan kos pengangkutan pesawat udara.

Ketua Kampung Pa Lungan, Matius Litah pula berkata, beliau berharap wakil kerajaan melawat kampung mereka untuk melihat realiti sebenarnya.

Menurut beliau, penduduk di situ memerlukan jalan yang baik kerana itu sahaja yang dapat menghubungkan Pa Lungan ke Bario dengan kos yang lebih murah berbanding perjalanan menggunakan bot.

''Dengan adanya jalan, mudah untuk kami memasarkan produk seperti beras Bario, sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan," katanya.

Sarawak: Bantuan bencana lebih RM50j disalur

20 bot bernilai RM54,880 sebuah turut diserah

Kerajaan Persekutuan sudah menyalurkan bantuan bencana berjumlah lebih RM50 juta kepada Sarawak sepanjang tahun ini, dengan bantuan terkini membabitkan 20 bot diserahkan secara rasmi semalam. Bot bernilai RM54,880 setiap satu itu dilengkapi enjin dan peralatan perlu, diserahkan oleh Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz kepada Timbalan Ketua Menteri Sarawak, Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam.

Nazri adalah juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengurusan dan Bantuan Bencana Pusat, manakala Dr Chan adalah Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengurusan dan Bantuan Bencana Negeri Sarawak. Nazri berkata, bantuan lain yang diberikan tahun ini termasuk RM41.57 juta untuk pengurusan bencana, seperti pemberian wang ehsan kepada mangsa bencana. Selain itu katanya, RM6.9 juta digunakan bagi membina lima jambatan di Ba'Kelalan, manakala RM633,548 dibelanjakan bagi tujuan membina dan membaik pulih infrastruktur di Baram yang rosak akibat banjir.
Bagi 20 bot yang diserahkan semalam, beliau berharap ia digunakan untuk menyelamatkan mangsa banjir dengan cepat dan lebih berkesan. "Ia juga sebagai tambahan kepada bot sedia ada yang dimiliki pelbagai agensi seperti Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat, Polis, Jabatan Pertahanan Awam serta pertubuhan sukarela. "Semua bot ini akan diselenggara Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat," katanya sambil menambah bantuan itu membuktikan keprihatinan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) Pusat kepada masalah rakyat di Sarawak selari dengan pendekatan Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan. Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap di Majlis Penerimaan Bot Penyelamat Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) Untuk Pengurusan Bantuan Bencana Negeri Sarawak di Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sarawak di sini, semalam.
Hadir sama, Speaker DUN Sarawak, Datuk Seri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar; Timbalan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri, Datuk Ose Murang dan Setiausaha MKN, Datuk Mohd Tajuddin Abd Wahab. Terdahulu, Nazri mendengar taklimat persiapan menghadapi bencana banjir negeri Sarawak dan melawat bangunan DUN baru. Nazri juga meminta Jawatankuasa Pengurusan dan Bantuan Bencana Negeri Sarawak supaya memberikan senarai keperluan lain untuk menghadapi banjir, supaya beliau boleh berunding bagi mendapatkan peruntukan. Pada masa sama katanya, MKN juga akan menghantar antara 50 ke 100 tandas bergerak untuk kemudahan di pusat pemindahan banjir di negeri ini kerana masalah kekurangan tandas sebelum ini antara kesulitan yang telah dibangkitkan. "Tandas bergerak ini akan diletakkan di bawah tanggungjawab Pejabat Daerah bagi kemudahan di pusat pemindahan banjir," katanya. Nazri berkata, bantuan diberikan kepada Sarawak bagi menghadapi bencana berbeza sedikit berbanding negeri lain kerana keluasan negeri ini. Kerajaan Persekutuan katanya perlu mengambil kira saiz Sarawak dalam memberikan bantuan, dengan kes di negeri ini dianggap sebagai berbeza dengan di Semenanjung. Beliau juga memberi jaminan bantuan wang ehsan RM300 setiap keluarga akan diberikan kepada mangsa banjir yang dipindahkan ke pusat pemindahan dengan bantuan akan disegerakan. Sementara itu, Nazri turut mendengar taklimat projek Tebatan Banjir di Pejabat Daerah Bau dan melawat Pusat Pemindahan Banjir Dewan Sebuku Bau serta Dewan Siniawan Bau, pada sebelah petang semalam.

20091204

Dividen KWSP lebih tinggi

Pelaburan suku ketiga tahun ini melonjak RM5.5 bilion

Kira-kira 12 juta pencarum Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) dijangka menerima bayaran dividen lebih tinggi bagi 2009 susulan prestasi memberangsangkan dicatatkan pengurus dana persaraan itu tahun ini.

KWSP dalam kenyataannya semalam mengumumkan pendapatan pelaburannya dalam suku ketiga tahun ini melonjak 52.71 peratus kepada RM5.5 bilion daripada hanya RM3.6 bilion dalam tempoh sama tahun lalu.

Jika dibandingkan dengan RM4.8 bilion yang diraih pada suku kedua tahun ini pula, ia adalah peningkatan 14.51 peratus. Berikutan itu pendapatan pelaburan terkumpulnya bagi tempoh sembilan bulan pertama tahun ini adalah berjumlah RM13.56 bilion.

Ketua Eksekutif KWSP, Tan Sri Azlan Zainol, berkata keadaan pasaran saham tempatan yang semakin kukuh membantu meningkatkan pendapatan pelaburan dana persaraan itu pada suku ketiga itu.

“Justeru, jika pasaran terus menunjukkan prestasi yang baik sehingga akhir tahun ini, ahli boleh menjangkakan dividen lebih tinggi bagi 2009 ini berbanding tahun sebelumnya,” katanya.

Bagi 2008 KWSP mengumumkan dividen 4.5 peratus. Dalam tahun berkenaan ia meraih pendapatan bersih RM14.26 bilion selepas ditolak peruntukan susut nilai ekuiti dan hutang ragu, bayaran dividen untuk pengeluaran, perbelanjaan pelaburan, perbelanjaan operasi dan bayaran manfaat kematian serta hilang upaya.

Azlan berkata, pelaburan dalam saham terus menjadi penyumbang utama pendapatan pelaburan KWSP dalam tempoh suku ketiga lalu, iaitu RM2.34 bilion, naik 34.67 peratus daripada RM1.74 bilion yang di raih pada suku sebelumnya.

Katanya, selain saham, pelaburan dalam pinjaman dan bon turut menjadi antara penyumbang terbesar apabila ia meningkat 4.07 peratus kepada RM1.89 bilion daripada RM1.81 bilion pada suku sebelumnya.

Kenaikan itu, katanya, susulan meningkatnya semula momentum dan keyakinan terhadap pasaran bon korporat tempatan.

Tegasnya, ia juga sejajar dengan dasar risiko rendah KWSP, iaitu melabur hanya dalam bon syarikat bergred tinggi dengan penarafan kredit AAA atau AA. Azlan berkata, pelaburan dalam Sekuriti Kerajaan Malaysia pula meraih pulangan RM1.14 bilion, naik 2.54 peratus daripada RM1.11 bilion pada suku sebelumnya, sementara pendapatan daripada pelaburan hartanah meningkat 2.69 peratus kepada RM21.37 juta daripada RM20.81 juta.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, pendapatan daripada pelaburan dalam Instrumen Pasaran Wang susut 7.38 peratus kepada RM87.31 juta daripada RM94.27 juta. Azlan menegaskan, sebagai pemegang amanah kepada dana persaraan lebih 12 juta pencarum, KWSP akan memastikan prestasi keseluruhan portfolio pelaburannya sentiasa diuruskan dengan berhemah bagi melindungi ahlinya.

“KWSP akan berusaha gigih untuk meraih pulangan lebih baik bagi keselesaan persaraan ahlinya,” katanya sambil menambah, saiz dana keseluruhan KWSP setakat akhir suku ketiga lalu ialah sebanyak RM361.09 bilion.

Sarawak: Bario tidak terpinggir

Sering terputus hubungan dengan dunia luar adalah masalah utama kerap dihadapi penduduk di kawasan tanah tinggi Bario, di kawasan utara Sarawak, terutama ketika musim tengkujuh berikutan ketiadaan pengangkutan darat.

Setiap tahun kawasan yang semakin terkenal sebagai destinasi pelancongan itu hanya boleh dikunjungi menggunakan laluan udara. Belum ada laluan darat dibina menghubungkan tanah tinggi itu menyebabkan kehidupan penduduk majoritinya kaum Kelabit di situ agak terpisah dengan kawasan lain.

Namun, pengumuman peruntukan RM1 bilion sebagai kos untuk membina laluan menghubungkan Bario dan Ba’kelalan, ternyata memberi nafas lega bagi penduduk di kawasan itu yang sudah mengharapkan kemudahan itu sekian lama.

Menteri Perancangan dan Pengurusan Sumber Kedua, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan ketika mengumumkan demikian berkata, pembinaan jalan sejauh 152 kilometer bermula daripekan Lawas akan direalisasikan secara berperingkat.

Menteri itu yakin pembinaan jalan yang dapat menghubungkan kedua-dua destnasi pelancongan berkenaan penting ke arah menyelesaikan masalah perhubungan antara Ba’ kelalan dan Bario, selain diharap mampu meningkatkan ekonomi kedua-dua kawasan.

Justeru, beliau mahu penduduk di kawasan itu menyokong usaha membina kemudahan itu dengan memberi kerjasama menyediakan infrastruktur berkenaan.

“Projek pembinaan jalan berkenaan membuktikan kesungguhan dan keprihatinan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam membawa pembangunan kepada masyarakat luar bandar di negeri ini. Ia juga hadiah kepada penduduk Bario dan Ba’ Kelalan yang setia menyokong kerajaan. Ia terbukti melalui setiap pilihan raya yang memberi mandat kepada BN untuk menang,” katanya.

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Ba’kelalan, Nelson Balang Rining berterima kasih kepada kerajaan Negeri dan Pusat yang prihatin terhadap masalah penduduk di kawasan tanah tinggi berkenaan.

“Sudah sekian lama penduduk di Bario meminta dibina rangkaian jalan darat yang boleh digunakan menghubungkan kawasan mereka. Sekarang mereka boleh menarik nafas lega dengan pengumuman peruntukan untuk membina laluan menghubungkan penempatan mereka dengan Ba’kelalan,” katanya.

Perjalanan meredah hutan dari Bario melintasi kawasan penempatan penduduk Pa' Lungan, Long Repun, Pa Rubai, Long Midang menuju ke Ba’kelalan mengambil masa sekurang-kurangnya dua hari untuk sampai ke kawasan yang terkenal dengan tanaman epal itu.

Bagaimanapun, jika menggunakan perahu melalui Sungai Pa’Mada, perjalanan mengambil masa sekurang-kurangnya tiga jam bergantung kepada keadaan air sungai berkenaan.

Nelson berkata, sekiranya ada rangkaian jalan darat, penduduk Bario boleh mendapatkan barangan keperluan asas di pekan Lawas, berbanding menggunakan laluan udara seperti sekarang.

Katanya, banyak barangan seperti bahan api sukar untuk dibawa ke kawasan Bario menggunakan pesawat udara melainkan perlu menggunakan pesawat yang disewa khas.

“Jika sudah ada laluan darat menghubungkan Bario dan Ba’kelalan, penduduk boleh menggunakan laluan berkenaan untuk mendapatkan pelbagai barangan di pekan Lawas dan pekan lain berdekatan,” katanya. “Secara tidak langsung semua ini akan meningkatkan lagi ekonomi dan memudahkan penduduk membeli pelbagai keperluan harian mereka,” katanya.

Sementara itu, penduduk Bario, James Suli, 53, yakin penduduk di kawasan itu memberikan kerjasama sepenuhnya dalam usaha merealisasikan pembinaan kemudahan jalan itu.

“Lagipun sebelum ini, setiap tahun terutama pada Disember, pesawat sering membatalkan penerbangan ke Bario akibat cuaca buruk,” katanya. “Jika ada kemudahan jalan darat, penduduk termasuk pelancong ada alternatif lain dan boleh menggunakan kemudahan berkenaan,” katanya.

20091203

RM300 ‘wang ehsan’ on the spot

Nazri says payment for flood victims to be made to every household evacuated; no need for name-list

Flood victims will now receive ‘wang ehsan’ of RM300 per household from the compassionate fund as soon as they are told to evacuate.Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Tan Sri Abdul Aziz, in announcing this yesterday, said the government was implementing this new mode of disbursement to ensure that the money truly reach the victims.

“We want the money to reach those deserving of it as fast as possible, so we are now trying to give out the money as soon as these victims have to evacuate,” he told reporters at the new State Legislative Assembly complex while on a working visit here yesterday.

Nazri, who is also the National Disaster Relief and Management Committee chairman, said under the new system, the government would not have to wait for the name-list of the victims.

All that would need to be done would be to identify those in need of the ‘wang ehsan’ as soon as they arrived at evacuation centres, he said.

However, he said, the new system would call for strong cooperation from district offices for it to work effectively.

He said without such cooperation the system could still be manipulated by fake beneficiaries claiming they were victims of floods.

According to Nazri, for the flood earlier this year, RM49 million was spent for Sarawak alone, of which RM41 million was ‘wang ehsan’, RM633,548 for re-construction works in Baram and RM6.9 million for five Bailey bridges in Ba Kelalan.

He said for future floods, the government would provide 50 to 100 mobile toilets to the state’s evacuation centres to improve sanitation.

He said schools and community halls were often used as evacuation centres and the toilet facilities might not be enough, therefore, mobile toilets would definitely help a lot.

He said he would also look into fulfilling the wish-list of Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee on essential things and equipment that would be of great help to the state greatly during a flood.

He conceded that Sarawak needed more help since it was a vast state and that the federal government understood the state’s predicament especially where logistics was concerned.

Yesterday’s working visit saw Nazri presenting 20 rescue boats costing about RM1.1 million to the state government.

Each boat is said to cost RM54,880.

He said the Fire and Rescue Department would be responsible for the maintenance of these boats made available through the National Safety Council.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said that his committee would submit its wish-list straight away and had briefed Nazri on it earlier on.

“We have briefed him already, among which was on the cost to equip some of the operation rooms and also some emergency funds. These are the two main things,” he said.

He said one of the worrying things the committee wanted strengthened was the distribution of food and essential items during flood.

He said the government could not simply depend on the Welfare Department to do this and had roped in the army for help.

“We find that in some areas, it takes a longer time for food to reach centres (evacuation) so whoever reaches there fast, we get them to distribute,” he said.

Dr Chan said hopefully all mechanism would be in place before the next round of flood occurs.

By Puvaneswary Devindran

Borneo Post 3/12/2009

20091202

P1 to enter East Malaysia starting mid-2010

Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd’s (P1) broadband service, P1 Worldwide Interoperability for Micro­wave Access (WiMAX) is expected to make its presence into East Malaysia starting from the middle of next year.The good news was announced by Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Green Packet Bhd, a member of the WiMAX Forum recently.

P1’s chief executive officer, Michael Lai explained that the company has exceeded the expecta­tions, having covered over 25 per cent of the populated areas in Peninsular Malaysia, a cornerstone that sets sail for its East Malaysian expansion.

“The greenlight to operate in East Malaysia will further attest P1’s technological prowess in enriching the digital lifestyle of all Malaysians. We are greatly honoured that P1 can now offer high-speed wireless broadband internet services to more Malaysians of different corners.

“According to the statistics released by MCMC for year 2008, both Sarawak and Sabah registered 13.6 per cent and 9.6 per cent respectively for the broadband internet access against their household populations. Take Sabah for example, only some nine households out of 100 had broadband internet access. This only suggests that there is enormous potential to fulfill the market needs,” Lai said.

Lai hinted that major towns in Sarawak such as Kuching, Sibu, Miri, and in Sabah for instance Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan are among the first to enjoy P1 WiMAX services by the middle of next year if everything goes according to plan.

He said P1 commands an encouraging market pre­sence in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, accounting for two-thirds of its subscriber base.

The company is making inroads into Johor, Kedah and Penang, among others.

P1 keeps accelerating its momentum towards implementing its master plan of providing WiMAX access to at least 45 per cent of Malaysian households by the end of next year.

The company is already executing a RM1 billion, five-year investment plan that aspires to cover 65 per cent of populated areas across Malaysia by 2012.

“WiMAX plays an important role in both emerging markets and mature markets. And broad­band is becoming a necessity for many residential and business subscribers worldwide. WiMAX is certainly the next ‘in’ thing, Lai added.

Commenting on the future of WiMAX technology, Lai is positive that the fourth generation of wireless technology will only narrow the gap of digital divide among all walks of life and shorten the distance among remote places.

“WiMAX seeks to serve users’ increasing demands for high data throughput (broadband) services such as streaming media on the internet, live video confe­ren­cing, and mobile TV on computers as well as handsets and PDAs. WiMAX is expected to be integrated into the next generation mass market consumer devices. And this trend is unstoppable.

“Broadband is not a privilege, it’s a right for all,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, P1 offers WiMAX Office Standard, WiMAX Office Premium, WiMAX Home Plus, WiMAX Home Pro, WiMAX Home Lite and WIGGY.

P1 is also targeting the startup market and first-time broadband users by offering the ‘stimulus package’ at RM49 per month for a 5GB plan.

Find out more about P1 offerings at www.p1.com.my.


Masterskill to give students RM10m worth of netbooks

Masterskill University College of Health Science is offering over RM10 million worth of netbooks to students who enrol with the college starting from the January 2009 intake.Masterskill chief operations officer Alicia Nathan said in a press release that the college has come up with a simple and fair method to every student, as the college is unable to allocate netbooks to everyone.

“Students who confirm their enrolment in Masterskill’ programme since January 2009 will be eligible for the netbooks, subject to terms and conditions,” said Alicia.

Meanwhile, Masterskill group chief executive officer Datuk Edmund Santhara said the college realised the importance of netbooks as basic tools for students.

“After all, we care about our students and we want them to do well in their studies,” said Edmund.

He said that the netbook giveaway will enable more people to have equal opportunities to access information and encourage knowledge-sharing for everyone, as technology plays a crucial role in the progression of the healthcare industry.

“With this programme, we hope that we can build a capable and professional nursing and allied health workforce to meet increasing demands of the country as well as worldwide,” said Edmund.

Edmund added that Masterskill puts great emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as the college aims to nurture wholesome individuals who not only excel academically but in other aspects as well.

“Our CSR exercises are aimed at helping to inculcate positive values among our students and staff, while at the same time contribute ultimately towards cultivating a caring society,” he said.

Masterskill was incorporated in 1997 and attained university college status in July last year, offering vast variety of health science programmes at foundation, diploma, degree and masters levels.

Information and details of the netbook giveaway programme and the institution’s academic programmes can be obtained by calling 1-300-88-9080 or from www.Masterskill.edu.my.