Fostering of religious understanding while feasting

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/17829/fostering-of-religious-understanding-while-feasting.html

In Malaysia, during the fasting month of Ramadhan, the evenings were filled with lots of Jamuan Buka Puasa (Open-Fast receptions). Some are organized by corporations to foster better relationships between their staff force, by families to enhance further family ties, and also by communities to foster better religious understanding between their multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious residents. One such event was organized by the PAS Segambut Division at the Surau Silatulrahim, Taman SPPK Segambut, Kuala Lumpur. Citizen Journalist, R. Vijay Kumar learned that Yang DiPertua of PAS Segambut, Saudara Anuar M. Alim and his team had also invited the DAP Member of Parliament, Saudara Lim Lip Eng and his colleagues to join in this very Malaysian-like tradition. Wanting to cover this episode, he put on his C.J.'s gears, along with his camcorder and a hungry stomach, arrived at this surau, which is a short distance from his residence. Arriving early, he was able to meet up with some of his neighbours. There was an earlier ongoing Tadarus Al Quran (reading of the Quran in turns) and Ceramah Agama (Religious Sermon). Upon the Azan (call to prayer), the jemaah Islam (Muslim congregation) broke their fast with some light food like kurma (dates), kuih (cakes) and Bubur Lambuk (special porridge served during the fasting month). The jemaah proceeded to perform their Solat Maghrib (sunset prayer). After the prayers, they invited the Member of Parliament together with his friends to join them to feast the variety of the Malaysian food. It was indeed exemplary to see both the regional PAS and DAP leadership, and their colleagues, to sit together with the people of the community, cross-legged on the mat, and helping themselves to the sumptuous food. They exchanged pleasantries while digging into the food. After the meal, the two leaders and their colleagues bid farewell, and Saudara Anuar and the jemaah continued with the Solat Isyak (evening prayer) followed by Solat Tarawih (special prayers during the fasting month of Ramadhan).
Events like this, amongst others, can play a very significant part in a multifaceted and plural society like Malaysia, where we should learn to foster religious understanding. Yes RELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING, and not just observing religious tolerance which really means to tolerate or put up with or endure something that is irritating or unpleasant or somebody difficult. Why should you tolerate? Why not understand your fellow Malaysians and their various beliefs and customs? There is a great saying: Seek to understand rather than seek to be understood. In this pursuit, we will definitely create a harmonious society, a Malaysian Malaysia.
Video by R. Vijay Kumar, Citizen Journalist, http://cj.my/EnvironsEagles

Court rules in favour of Medan Putra residents to form Joint Management Body

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/central/, 23.9.2009, by STEVEN DANIEL

Residents and the Joint Management Body (JMB) of Medan Putra Condominium in Bandar Manjalara can now breathe a sigh of relief after a court decision ruled in their favour against the developer, said Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng. He said the residents claimed that the condominium when run by the developer for almost eight years, was dirty, had poor security, faulty lifts and cracked walls. “To solve their woes, the residents formed a Joint Management Body (JMB) in June 23, 2008 to take over the management of the building but was stopped by a court injunction by the developer,” he said.
Medan Putra JMB spokesman Gary Chan said the JMB was sanctioned on April 14. 2008 by the Commissioner of Buildings. The JMB was registered on June 22, 2008 but the developer failed to attend a meeting with the residents even after sufficient notice was given. Chan said High Court decision on Aug 10 clarified that under Section 4(1)(a) of the Building and Common Property (Maintaince and Management) Act 2007, the existence of the Management Corporation (MC) in April 12, 2007 does not relieve the developer of its mandatory obligation to establish a JMB “To put it succintly, a developer must set up a JMB before forming a Management Corporation, otherwise it is considered illegal and a new JMB must be formed. He said some developers tried to challenge the new Act because they refused to hand over control of the management to the residents because the money collected for maintenance was lucrative. Meanwhile, the developer of the project, Debir Desa Development Sdn Bhd said they would be appealing for a stay at the Appeals Court on Oct 1. Its director, Lim Khoon Ong, said they sought for a judicial review on several sections within the Building and Common Property (Maintaince and Management) Act 2007 (also known as Act 663) because they had other interpretations of the legislation. “Under normal circumstances, most councils won’t consent to the formation of a JMB after MC is formed but in our case, the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) recognised JMB. “This was the main reason why we challenged the COB and JMB as well as seek a clarification from the court on how the new act works,” he said.

Concern over vacant flat units

Unoccupied: Some of the units at the Jalan Kuching PKNS Flats.

The flats have been vacant since the army officers moved out earlier this year. — Picture by Goh Thean Howe from New Straits Times © 2009 NST Online

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/central/ (23 September 2009, by JADE CHAN)

Some 380 vacant units at the Jalan Kuching PKNS Flats that belong to the Defence Ministry are a cause for concern for the remaining residents and nearby business community.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said he wrote to the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) to enquire about the status of the flats after noticing that its tenants, comprising army personnel, were moving out in phases early this year. He said the flats were built by the PKNS in the 1970’s, when the land was still part of the Selangor.

A written reply by the PKNS stated that of the 602 units at the Jalan Kuching PKNS Flats in Kuala Lumpur, 10 blocks comprising 380 units had been sold to the Defence Ministry on Dec 24, 1975. Of the remaining five blocks comprising 220 units, 216 were sold to the public, two units are still being rented and two units serve as the PKNS site office. “The maintenance of the five blocks comprising Blocks E, F, G, H and J are still the PKNS’ responsibility, while the 10 blocks comprising Blocks A, B, C, D, K, L, M, N, P and Q are under the Defence Mininstry’s jurisdiction,” the letter stated. “The strata titles were issued by the Federal Territories Land District Office in 2008, and the PKNS is now transferring ownership of the units that were sold to the buyers in stages.” Lim said the residents of the remaining five blocks and traders operating various businesses nearby had appealed for his help to bring in more tenants. “The traders, who operate businesses like a sundry shop, salon, motorcycle workshop, general insurance and restaurants, claimed that their livelihood have been affected since the army personnel moved out. “There are also concerns that the abandoned flats are now a haunt for drug addicts, criminals and young couples conducting their own activities,” he said. Lim added that there was water wastage due to leaking or burst water pipes at most of the unoccupied blocks, and that the unkempt area is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes. He said he would ask the ministry about their plans for the flats during the next Parliament session in October. Lim said some of the suggestions brought up were that the flats could be rented or sold to the poor or be converted into hostels for teachers or college students or even be used as homes for orphans or senior citizens, subject to the residents’ approval.

A China dissident holding a Malaysian passport - a typical case of kautimism

Zhou Yongjun, a former student leader of China's 1989 pro-democracy movement and the first student leader elected to lead the Autonomous Students' Federation of Beijing Universities, has been arrested for the 3rd time by the Chinese government since the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square incident.

It was reported in today’s Sin Chew Daily and on OpEdNews an internet news portal that Zhou was detained using a Malaysian passport which bore the name Wang Xingxiang by the Chinese authority while in his attempt to enter China in September, 2008.

In this case, several answers from Malaysian immigration department are immediately obvious.

Is Zhou’s Malaysian passport genuine?

How did he obtain it?

Does Wang Xingxiang exist?

Are Zhou and Wang Malaysians?

If the Malaysian government fails to explain these questions, I have no doubt our country will again and for the 3rd time find itself blacklisted in the next year’s US State Department Trafficking in Persons report.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri from Lim Lip Eng

Listen! I have no access to RM1m special allocation

After I was elected as MP, I have received so many calls for financial aid from schools, temples, churches, community associations, physical challenged people, the poor and etc… Some of them insist that I have an annual RM1 million special allocation of fund from the government and I should disburse it for the poor and the needy.

The truth is I have no say over the fund and yet people do not believe me. It annoys me when people believe what they want to believe and major dailies do not cover us.

I say this because my office saw an increase of this demand during Hari Raya season. Let me repeat again what government said in Parliament:
“Ahli Parlimen dari mana-mana parti termasuk dari Pakatan Rakyat tidak dibenarkan akses kepada Peruntukan Khas. Ini kerana peruntukan disediakan untuk kawasan Parlimen dan diurus oleh Pejabat Pembangunan Negeri.”

The Police are doing what is required by law

A prince was whacked by another prince and police did nothing and I don't doubt that it is. As the Negeri Sembilan prince revealed today his bewilderment after a night out 11 months ago (http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/113110), I say some heads at PDRM must roll today and somebody should be charged with a criminal offence. For reasons I think I already knew a long time ago, Police decided to yet to decide what further action should be taken against the assailant.

Some questions must be answered. Or this could happen again to another not a prince but an ordinary person like you and me. Why didn’t culprit arrested, interrogated, detained under remand and charged in court as required by law? That's the first and most obvious question.
Well, again I think I know the answer to that question. The Police are waiting for instruction as is required by law. The next question is: Whose instruction? Is it the Attorney General’s instruction or instruction from even higher authority? And that’s for us to keep our comments to ourselves for our personal safety. The best person to answer it would be our country newly reappointed Police Chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

Kitchen damaged by storm-felled tree

Low Kim Gok clearing the debris caused by a fallen tree which damaged the roof of the kitchen. — Picture by P.C. Lim

Source: streets@nstp.com.my. Halim Said

Kuala Lumpur: On Aug 27, around 3pm, Low Kim Gok was busy at Sri Putramas II condominium where she worked as a cleaner. As she carried out her duties, she had an uneasy feeling that something bad was going to happen. Not far away from the condominium, Low's husband Tong Heng Heng, 48, and her 16-year-old son Tong Kok Kit were asleep in their home in Batu Estate Sentul Post settlement in Jalan Segambut. There was a thunderstorm and strong winds were blowing outside the house. Heng Heng and Kok Kit were jolted out of their slumber by a loud crashing sound from the kitchen. Rushing to the kitchen, Heng Heng was shocked to find it flooded with rainwater and a gaping hole in their roof where a tree had crashed onto it. Low rushed home after being informed by a neighbour about the incident.

"When I got home, I was trembling and could only watch helplessly," Low told Segambut member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng during the latter's visit recently. Low said City Hall workers removed the fallen tree on the same night but she was left without a kitchen. "The house is in bad shape and with the damage to the roof, we can no longer live here. I don't have a kitchen anymore and now I have to cook outside. The area is infested with mosquitoes, rats, and even cobras," said Low. Lim said the family had sought his help to secure a City Hall low-cost flat for them. "I have contacted City Hall on the matter but they have yet to confirm the availability of the flat. I will get back to them by next week," he said.

Meanwhile, MIC Segambut branch chairman S. N. Segaren said he had called City Hall on the night of the storm to clear the fallen tree and debris from the victim's house. "I am looking at helping the family get RM300 in aid," said Segaran, adding that the family needed to lodge a police report so that he could request financial aid from the Welfare Department for them.
Copyright © Tech&U . New Straits Times Press Sdn.Bhd . All rights reserved.

Sand-washing activities upset residents

Work in progress: Residents say the drains are clogged because of the sand washing, and the lorries and machinery also cause noise pollution.

Source: The Star Online >Central, 7.9.2009. By BAVANI M

Residents living in and around Jalan Udang Kepai in Taman Segambut Dalam are questioning the legality of a company that is conducting sand-washing activities in their neighbourhood. They claim that the sand-washing work is polluting the air in the area and the nearby Sungai Keroh. A resident, Mohamad Ishak, said the work was also causing a foul smell to pervade the neighbourhood due to stagnant rain water trapped in drains. “The drains are clogged because of the sand and the trapped water smells bad after several days,” he said, adding that he was worried that this would contaminate the river as well. Azlan Abdul Majid, a committee member of the nearby Masjid Al Qurtubi, said the smell would worsen right after a downpour. “The machines used to wash the sand also create a lot of noise and this is disrupting the peace in the neighbourhood,” he added. “The lorries moving in and out of the area bearing sand, too, are very noisy and the work goes on from 7am to 7pm daily,” lamented Nurul Izzah Ishak, another resident.

The residents had sought help from Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng to resolve the issue and at a press conference on Friday, Lim invited a representative from the sand-washing company to address some of the concerns raised by residents. The representative from the company, Soh Bok Woo, said the activity was legal as he had got a permit from the Land Office to carry out work at the site. “Our permit is renewed every two months and we pay a royalty of RM9,000 each time we renew it. “Let’s be clear here. We are not doing sand mining; we are doing sand washing,’’ Soh said, adding that the sand was mined elsewhere. Soh insisted that work was only conducted from 8am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays.
The residents, however, were not convinced and wanted Lim to find out more about what was going on at the site. Lim promised to look into the matter and said he would write to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as soon as possible for further details. “We need to clear the air on this issue. I had written a letter to the DBKL last month, requesting for details of the work, but only received an acknowledgement letter from them and no details were given,” Lim said, adding that he would try to find out more in order to come up with a win-win solution for all parties concerned.

DAP to file complaint over status of probe

Source: Sun2Surf. Article's URL: http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37779

By: Hemananthani Sivanandam and Eva Yeong (Mon, 07 Sep 2009)

PETALING JAYA (Sept 7, 2009): DAP Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng will file a complaint against the police with the public prosecutor for failing to reveal the status of an investigation pertaining to the detention of Ooi Leng Hang for allegedly having leaflets that contained seditious content regarding the Perak state assembly fiasco. According to Lim, several non-uniformed officers raided the party’s headquarters in Taman Paramount on May 23 and confiscated items such as a computer, keyboard, portable hard disk, monitor, 19 CDs and headphones. The computer and other items were used by Ooi, the party’s election bureau executive director, who was arrested on May 21 and accompanied the officers during the raid. The headquarters' IT manager, Goh Kheng Teong, who was present, lodged a police report at the Sea Park police station. Ooi was released four days later on police bail but has not been charged.

At a press conference today, Lim said he wrote a letter to Selangor police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar three weeks ago on the status of the investigation and asked for the items to be returned. “I received a reply from the department head of the Selangor commercial crime division on Sept 4 (Friday) and it stated that they were unable to fulfil our request for the items to be returned," he said. “This is because the items were still needed for the investigation, and it was also at the discretion of the deputy public prosecutor’s office to return the items. Lim said section 107A (3) (b) of the Criminal Precedure Code (Revised 1999) Act states that after a police report is lodged and a request for the police investigations status is made, the police have to tell the complainant the status of the investigation within four weeks, failing which the complainant has the right make a report to the public prosecutor. “So we will make the report to the public prosecutor by tomorrow (Tuesday) on behalf of Goh," he said. "We are in the dark as to his alleged crime and we are puzzled over the delay of the investigation."

Ooi, who was present at the press conferece, said he was only questioned for 30 minutes during his In his police report, Goh said "about 11" non-uniformed men claiming to be police officers went to the party’s headquarters at 6.25pm on May 23 with Ooi. “When I asked them for a warrant, they said a warrant was not needed for the raid,” Goh said. He immediately called the party’s leaders, including Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, Lim and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Loon, who arrived 30 minutes later.
Lim said he and the other MPs questioned the officers and were satisfied with their explanation. He said the police wanted to find out who designed the leaflets possessed by Ooi when he was arrested. “We didn’t want to be seen as hindering the police from carrying out their investigation," he said. “But now I think we made a wrong decision because it has been almost four months and they have not provided us with any details of the investigation nor returned the items confiscated."

Residents worried over development project

Cause for concern: Work in progress at the site, which is worrying residents of Taman Sri Kuching and Taman City.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/ By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ 26/8/2009

Fear of possible sand-mining activity and issues over a development project in Taman Sri Kuching, off Jalan Kuching, are worrying residents of Taman Sri Kuching and Taman City in Kuala Lumpur. The project, which is set to be completed in 2012, includes apartments, retail lots and offices. The site, located along Jalan Matang 3, was fenced up last year. Tony Yap, 47, said the residents were worried about sand-selling activities behind the fences, as ‘Sand For Sale’ signboards were recently put up in the area. “The row of houses along the road is just 6m away from the development site and residents are worried about the safety of their houses should there be soil excavation. “By right, the fence should be 6m away from the kerb, but it starts from our gate. “We are also subjected to noise and air pollution from the site, as we live just across the street,” he said during a press conference held by Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng on Saturday. Due to the activities at the site, Yap said mud washed down by the rain got deposited in front of their homes, and residents feared the condition could become worse in future. The Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) lack of transparency in handling the matter also adds to the residents’ concern.

Resident Y.C. Yong, 43, said when he called the DBKL two weeks ago, an officer from the planning department claimed there was no such project in the area. However, Yong said, the plan was approved and the developer was carrying out work on it. “There is so much discrepancy in the information we get from the DBKL regarding this project. “The project is a high density development in this area. By right, this area should have 64 people per acre but looking at the plan, it will have to accommodate about 400 per acre. “How is that possible when the zoning is classified as non-commercial?” Yong asked, adding that the developer did not have any meeting with the residents in the area to discuss the development project.

Meanwhile, site supervisor Alvin Choong said all the legal documents for the project were in order and they were now removing earth for the foundation work. He said they were not selling sand or earth but were just transporting the excavated earth to another site in Selayang. “We have all the documents to prove that this is a valid project approved by the DBKL. “But, I understand that we cannot stop residents from voicing their grouses concerning the project,” he said during a visit to the site. Choong added that the developer’s land extended to the gate of the houses along Jalan Masang 3, but the developer was not making an issue of it.

Lim said he had written a letter and sent photos of the place to the DBKL, requesting that the local authority look into the matter closely.