Archive - 22 September 2005

The agreement with highway concessionaires is pretty much cast in stone, says the works minister.

A survey shows that more than 90 percent of them want training for handling the M-16 rifle as proposed under the National Service programme.

Penduduk Kampung Tanjung Lima di Narathiwat di mana dua anggota marin tentera Thai ditahan, kemudian dibunuh semalam, diarah oleh "ketua" mereka agar jangan bercakap dengan wartawan Malaysia.

Lelaki yang dipercaya menggunakan telefon awam, membangkitkan laporan yang ditulis mengenai seseorang dan mengancam untuk datang ke rumah, membakar pejabat dan membunuh mereka.

Local authorities seem to have made up their mind to demolish the squatter settlement despite residents' pleas that their new low-cost flats will only be ready in three months time. 'Why the rush?', they ask.

Their ISA detention orders expire within the next 24 hours. Will PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's son and eight others be released?

Berikutan siasatan yang dijalan, Timbalan Speaker Dewan Rakyat menegaskan bahawa pengedaran buku tulisan Timbalan Menteri Penerangan, tidak dibuat mengikut peraturan.

Shown the red card for breaking ranks with the government, the deputy minister returns from his suspension. Topping his agenda, is the haze.

The 'Integrity in the construction sector' two-day forum held recently saw the spilling of beans in public.

Suhakam wants the media to push the government to review a host of restrictive media laws as per its recommendations which has largely remained ignored.

He rejects an opposition motion for such an action, but in a departure from the norm, his decision was not at all welcomed by even government backbenchers.

Following an investigation, the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker states that the book, penned by the deputy information minister, was not distributed according to procedure.

Ketidakpuasan hati ahli Parlimen terhadap penjelasan Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri mengenai isu AP dan ketidakhadiran menterinya menjawab sendiri soalan itu, dimaklumkan kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri hari ini.

Jabatan Kastam menjadi sasaran kemarahan ahli Parlimen kerana sikap pegawainya yang dikatakan tidak menjalankan tugas penguatkuasaan hingga negara kerugian RM7 juta dalam tempoh seminggu.

Rafidah Aziz steals the limelight on the Approved Permits (AP) issue yet again, this time in Parliament, as her cabinet colleagues accuse her of 'arm-twisting' MPs into silence.

"Kalau moralnya mahu mengajar wanita kita mencari 10 orang lelaki dan kemudian menilai mana yang baik dan mana yang tidak, kita minta program ini diberhentikan serta-merta," kata Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan).

A Cambodian court has given two Vietnamese long prison terms after convicting them of trafficking two Vietnamese women who were due to become prostitutes in Malaysia.

Kedudukan Malaysia yang semakin merosot dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah memerlukan perhatian pihak kerajaan, terutama perdana menteri, yang berulangkali berikrar untuk membasmi rasuah.

Surely Suhakam was familiar with Dr Mahathir's record. Yet, they still saw it fit to invite him to speak at its recent forum.

Since many are confused about the functions of the fledgling ministry, a private firm has submitted a proposal to give it greater exposure.

There is an urgent need for Malaysia to arrest its continuous slide down the corruption perception index especially when other developing countries have done more to walk the talk.

So long as the NEP exists, Malaysia will neither eliminate corruption nor achieve developed status, says the writer in concluding a two-part series.

Malaysia steps up efforts to avert a bird flu outbreak, tightening border security and planning to punish bird smuggling after neighbouring Indonesia went on alert.