Here comes 2009, all hands on deck!

Ship captain will shout “All hands on deck!” to warn all crews of an imminent storm.

In the year 2009, we have to prepare ourselves for a severe storm of economic recession. A storm of joblessness, poverty and steep hike in crime rate. But if we unite ourselves with persistence, refuse to slide deeper into a crisis of confidence, we will surely get over the fiscal storm and will be able to achieve with whatever is left for further development.

Lim Lip Eng

2008 Best Actor and Actress

2008 Best Actor goes to Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin

5 Nov-Tajuddin’s act in Parliament on “Bustard…, bloody bustard”


2008 Best Actress goes to Wanita MCA chairman
Chew Mei Fun(photo taken from Sin Chew Daily)
21 Dec-Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun having fun washing toilet at SJKC Chung Hwa (formerly SJKC Damansara)

DBKL took 6 months to reply a letter

I wrote to DBKL on 20.6.2008 to inquire into Glomac Damansara development project. I only got the reply this morning by post dated 17.12.2008. I suppose it’s the fault of the snail mail.

Lim Lip Eng

Building of a Telco Transmission Towers at Taman SPPK Segambut

Early this week, the residents of Taman SPPK Segambut discovered that contractors started to put 20m-high piles, erected at a playing field which is nearby a mosque just across the street from their homes, for a telecommunication tower.

When I visited the site, the residents present reiterated that they strongly object to any telecommunication tower at the field due to fear that the resulting radiation is health hazardous and there were worries that the construction might injure children as no hoarding is built. A large section of the field was seen dug up which may cause injury to children when they fall.

To me, the piling work is illegal even if it has got all relevant approvals because first, the neighboring residents were not consulted before the construction and second, there was no signboard informing the public about the tower and no information was forthcoming about the company responsible for it.

I have asked DBKL for a stop work order and also to look for those responsible.


Lim Lip Eng

Assessment, Fines But No Basic Service

Businessmen at Segambut Pusat, Segambut Tengah have been paying assessments annually to city hall but their requests for basic municipal services were ignored.

According to them, there is no collection of garbage by the authority in the area for almost 20 years, drains are all clogged up as no cleaning in 5 years. Every month, they are paying RM120-RM150 to hire private contractors for the work.

City hall enforcement teams come and go once a while to fine shop owners whose back lane are dirty. RM300 per fine they have to fork out unless they wish not to renew their trading licenses.

For months, I’ve been writing letters to city hall’s deaf ears.

New city mayor, I will write to you.

Lim Lip Eng

Natural Disaster? I don't think so...

Once again, our beautiful country despite being spared of fearful natural calamities has witness a disaster of "great" magnitude. Bukit Antarabangsa descended in chaos and ruins as the very earth itself raise up in protest hauling buildings and car into the air as toys. Millions are lost and worse still innocent blood has been shed! My heart grieves as I read in the local dailies that some children will not have a mother to hug from this day on.

Very quickly I heard many politicians pointing the finger to the Earth, blaming her for being evil and destructive. No, to them the previous government wanton over development of the sensitive slopes and ridges at the Northern Edge of the capital was never at fault, the earth or perhaps God is. I’m speechless when they claim they are not to be blamed at all for all that happened despite the were ruling government since the formation of the country and are the sole parties approving and allowing the hills to be raped! They are not to be blamed for demarcating the dangerous slopes for development. They are not to be blamed for allowing trees to be fell. They are not to be blame for the haphazard buildings. They are not to be blamed for not ensuring water is flowing to the river the right way. They are not to be blamed, bloods were shed yet they are not to be blamed.

As usual, after such disaster, the entire sleeping government wakes up. Tongues waggle, finger start pointing and the various "caring" leaders surveyed the disaster areas. My question is why Malaysia must only act after things has happened and lives were lost, including having the gall to say "we are not to be blamed"! I can think of so many incidences Penang Jetty, Highland Tower, Gua Tempurung rest area and the list goes on. What are the people who hold lofty position and titles are doing when they are suppose to ensure a safe nation?

Well, my Pakatan Rakyat colleagues at Selangor Government would rather not say "we are not to be blamed" but act. Early after forming the government, one of the first measures for Selangor is to halt further development of such slopes. No more development, period. Rich tycoons screamed and rant yet my colleagues held their ground. For them, the way forward is clear, no hillside development so there can't be any more disaster.

My advice to those in direct responsibility for this issue, to have some honor, resign and just leave. I am sure the people have enough of those who never act and yet never want to take the responsibility. Thorough inspections on all existing development must be ordered to identify potential problems there. To me, I don't blame God on this disaster, I blame men. Men and the other minor lackeys who worship mammon are definitely to be blamed.


Thomas

Medan Damansara Residents say NO to "Damansara 21" hillside project

Datuk PG Lim

Declare war to hillside project

FT Deputy Minister & DAP MPs

MBPJ Councillor Derek Fernandez

Medan Damansara RA Assitant Secretary & FT Deputy Minister

Medan Damansara RA Committee

Medan Damansara RA President

MP Puchong Gobind Deo

MP Bangsar Nurul Izzah

Praying for Bk Antarabangsa landslide victims

Datuk Nicol Davids

From left: Teresa Kok, Nicol Davids, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri and Lim Lip Eng

Nicol Davids, the undisputable best female squash player in the world, won her third World Open title in Manchester last October. She visited parliament last week.

Sadly, the National Sports Council, though millions of taxpayers’ money spent, has yet to show signs of producing young talents who are able to follow Nicol’s footsteps.


Lim Lip Eng

Encore please, Pak Lah and Najib

We have heard many statements coming from PM, DPM, Ministers, deputy ministers and to local officers after the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy. They sang in one tune: “No more hillside housing projects”. How long will the music last? When it stops, how many more victims will fall off the musical chair?

Today, Medan Damansara residents and I band together to put up banners crying out encores from PM and DPM to stop the “Damansara 21” hillside project.

Here’s our lyric:

6 Major Landslides, 8 Killed in Klang Valley Since October

At about 4am this morning, a landslide occurred at Taman Bukit Mewah in Bukit Antarabangsa that buried at least 14 houses and claimed 4 lives. After the mishap, Deputy Prime Minister Najib says no to new application for hillside projects. However the Drainage Department, as of Saturday, had listed Bukit Antarabangsa as facing no risk of landslides from rain.

On Thursday, 6 cars were buried in the landslide while 5 other vehicles were damaged and more than 300 people were forced to evacuate 2 buildings when a landslide caused part of the retaining wall of a car park to collapse in Jalan Semantan, Segambut.

The above latest 2 counts add to a total of 6 major landslides, 8 killed in Klang Valley since October.

My immediate concern is for the hillside project of 21 luxury bungalows at Medan Damansara where the residents’ association has filed a corruption complaint against the mayor and the DBKL over the project. The residents are already worried for their safety when the development is still on earthwork stage. In the wake of the recent series of landslides, will the authority cancel the permit for the development?

The government has to conduct thorough investigations and declare whether Bukit Antarabangsa, the areas at and below Jalan Sri Semantan 1, “Damansara 21” project and all other completed or approved hillside developments are still fit for occupation, so that future victims will know which party to sue for damages. The government is responsible if after declaring the project is safe yet it collapses during downpours.

Lim Lip Eng

MCAC Bill

Anonymous wrote:

I think there will be a constitutional issue with regard to the draft MCAC bill which is currently debated in the Parliament. Based on the extracts of newspaper that I have read, it appears to me that the DG of ACA will be empowered to prosecute certain case while certain cases will have to be referred to AG for sanction. In the Star newspaper, it is said that such power to prosecute by DG of ACA will not usurp the powers of AG.

I cannot understand nor fathom how such power to prosecute given to the DG of ACA will not usurp the powers of the AG. It will be, in my honest opinion, interfere or usurp the powers to prosecute accorded to the AG under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution. Article 145(3) gives the power to AG to among others 'institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence'. Therefore, it is clear that the exercise of powers of DG of ACA, if the Bill is passed by the Parliament, will usurp the powers of the AG.

While the intention of allowing DG for ACA some powers to prosecute is novel, let us get back to the basics. Please propose an amendment to the Federal Constitition first to allow such powers to be given to DG of ACA before even talking about the MCAC Bill. I am totally surprised that this issue is not even advised by the persons drafting the MCAC Bill at all. Even if the MCAC Bill is passed, if there is no amendment made to the Federal Constitution to allow such powers to be given to the DG of ACA, I am afraid that such MCAC Act will be useless piece of paper as any persons convicted under the new MCAC Act will raise the very basic point on the Powers of AG accorded under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution as being usurped. If that happens, that will be a travesty of justice as after having convicted under the new MCAC Act, this person may get away free.

I hope you will voice out your concerns on the MCAC Bill during parliamentary session or even during any of the press conference if you have a chance. I take this point as quite a serious point.