Solaris Dutamas tenants, owners face multiple problems with retail area

In unison: Tenants and owners have joined forces to voice their problems. (Photos by DANIL ROSLAN)
Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/10/25/central/9748626&sec=central (By PRIYA MENON, 25.10.2011)
TENANTS and owners of commercial units in Solaris Dutamas Kuala Lumpur have joined forces to voice their problems against the joint management of the retail and office. Some 200 affected tenants and owners from Block C and D have signed a petition to the four different management offices of the development. They organised a press conference with Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng recently to highlight the issue.
Most of them said there are several things that have hampered their business in the area. One of the most pertinent problem was the delay in the completion of Publika shopping mall and the commercial units. According to them, works at Solaris Dutamas should have been completed two years ago but the construction is still on going.
Spidy Aktifan, a tenant said, it was dangerous for people walking around with construction debris flying around.
Basil Joseph, the owner of Comida restaurant, said he had started a comments form for his customers and most of the 200 forms are about the condition of the place. “Once customers declined to come into the restaurant because the front was dirty and dusty from all the construction work,” he said.
Another tenant Florence Lambert said many of her customers found it difficult to find parking spots inside the building. The lack of signages also makes it difficult for people to find their way to the retail units. “Most of the time, I have to go down to the carpark and bring them up. We put so much effort to make it look nice and it is a shame if we cannot welcome our customers properly,” she said.
The parking rates have also increased to RM1 for the first hour followed by RM2 for every subsequent hour. The stakeholders feel that this would not encourage customers who will resort to other malls because of the high rates. They are also unhappy that their units are not given proper publicity and are treated as a separate entity from Publika that has received numerous advertisements and articles in local media.
Deciding to take matters into their own hands, the business operators printed their own buntings and banners along the corridors and the car park. However, they were told they could not do that. During the weekend, security guards would go around collecting the banners and place them in the carpark to be picked up by respective owners. They were upset with the management, who have turned a deaf ear to the cries, despite their efforts to improve the situation.
Lim said the developer and management, Sunrise Bhd, had been sold off to a government linked company several months ago. “I will try to speak to the former owners and see if they still have control over Solaris Dutamas and request that they meet up with stakeholders. If that fails I will write in to the new owners requesting a meeting,” he added.
One of the tenants who started the idea for the meeting, Leong Hoo-Yin, said all the affected parties are also looking at setting up an association to deal with the problem professionally.

Dewan Rakyat: New coins, banknotes to tackle counterfeiting

A picture of Lip Eng carrying the Auditor-General Reports at the Parliament after it was released. ORIENTAL DAILY PIX
Source: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/187285 (24 October 2011)
Bank Negara Malaysia decided to issue the the new third series of the Malaysian coins and the fourth series of the ringgit banknotes with improved security features to overcome counterfeiting.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai told the Dewan Rakyat the move would help Bank Negara Malaysia to reduce the cost of producing the new coins by 49% a year through the use of base metals and other technical specifications.
"The appointment of suppliers for the new series of Malaysian coins and banknotes is made through an open tender," he said in response to a question by Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) who wanted to know the government's rationale in producing the new series of the Malaysian coins and banknotes.
He said all the contracts for the supply of the new series of Malaysian coins and banknotes had been tendered to international companies of high reputation and credibility.
"The supplier which has been selected to supply the coins is Poogsan Corporation, South Korea, and the coins are minted at the Bank Negara Malaysia mint in Shah Alam.
"The suppliers for the new series Malaysian banknotes are Crane AB, Sweden; Giesecke & Devrient GmbH, Germany; Oberthur Technologies, France, and Orell Fussli, Switzerland," Donald added.
On the decision by the United States of America to limit its debt rate, he said it did not give any impact on Malaysia. – Bernama

Dustbin lids act as covers for manholes

No cover: A resident showing how dangerous the manhole can be without the proper lid. Looking on is Lim (second left, in white shirt) and other park patrons. (Photos by PUTRI NUR ELLIS)
Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/10/18/central/9709900&sec=central (By PRIYA MENON, 18.10.2011)
Joggers risk serious injury at a park in Taman Manjalara Kepong because 11 manholes only have dustbin lids as covers.
Yab Fong Yoon, 63, said many senior citizens jog at the park in the mornings and it could be dangerous for them. “The park is full from 6.30am to 8.30am and some of the lights are faulty so you can hardly see anything,” he said.
Liam Tiam Soon, 68, a regular at the park, said he feared for the lives of the children who could fall into the manholes. “There are no guards in the park so no one can keep an eye on the people,” said Liam.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said he brought up the matter at a meeting between Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail and the MPs in August.
There are two other issues that needed immediate attention — a faulty man-made waterfall and a broken platform at the edge of the pond. “The mayor promised to carry out repair work and instructed the directors to deal with the matter within a month,” he said. Two weeks later Lim received a call from a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officer asking him to list out the problems in the place. Lim in turn urged DBKL to visit the park to see the extensive damage for themselves.
They fixed the fountain and removed the platform permanently. “However, they have failed to replace the missing manhole covers and it has been already been three months, ”Lim added. He said he would ask Fuad about the matter again.

Malaysia and China to recognise mutual varsity degrees

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/14/parliament/9693744&sec=parliament (14.10.2011)
MALAYSIA and China have agreed to certify Bachelor’s degrees, Masters and doctorates awarded by higher learning institutions from both countries. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the decision was based on the Malaysia-China Mutual Recognition Agreement signed on April 28.
“Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s and PhD holders certified by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency would automatically be recognised in China,” he said in a written reply to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut). Lim had asked the ministry to state which higher learning institutions from China and Taiwan had been given the accreditation. Khalid said the accreditation of higher education programmes between Malaysia and Taiwan was still being discussed.
Meanwhile, those who had borrowed from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) will see their administrative loans reduced from 5% and 3% to 1% if they convert their study loans to the ujrah system.
Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung said as of Sept 30, 565,427 borrowers have converted their conventional study loans to the Islamic loan system and 435,160 qualified applicants had been asked to convert their loans to the ujrah system.

'Stealthy EC rule changes hampering voter registration'

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/178304 (Hazlan Zakaria, 11.10.2011)
The DAP today questioned the "sudden changes" in rules for voter registration by the Federal Territory Election Commission (EC), describing this as “unreasonable” and a hindrance to its efforts to register new voters. The most recent rule change, without notice, led to the rejection of more than 500 new voters by the the Federal Territory EC because their forms were not accompanied with copies of their identity cards.
“This is very unreasonable,” said Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who explained at a press conference at Parliament House today that it would be difficult for them to follow up with all the 500 registrants to chase for copies of their identity cards.
Forcing them to do that is unfair, said Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, who joined Kok at the press conference. “Our job was to help get those who want to register as voters fill in the forms for the EC. Verification and getting the voters' credentials is their job, not ours,” he said.
The need for a copy of the MyKad was never a requirement before, said DAP leaders, adding that this sudden rule change "is an ambush by the commission" as it was the fourth in the last six months and done without prior notice.
“There was no prior notice,” said Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, who was also at the press conference. As the party often opened its registration booths in many places other than its service centres, the leaders argued that requiring them to attach a copy of the MyKad for each person registering as a voter would require them to lug around a photostat machine, which would make the job of their volunteers all the more difficult. Earlier, the EC had sent back forms submitted by the DAP, asking for a statement to be attached to each form, a time-consuming process that had to be repeated for each registrant. Later, Tan explained, the party was told that the EC had changed its voter registration form, which forced party volunteers to fill up the forms all over again - which was further hindered by the smaller columns in the new forms.
The latest rejected batch was sent after complying with all the previous requirements, only to be rejected out of hand for another unannounced rule change.
Related news: EC urged to inform asst registrars of policy changes http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/12/parliament/9680006&sec=parliament