Malaysia’s Sea treated last
first pet as rubbish line of
carnival defence
6 dump p 12-13
p 5 p
community
Kept in
the dark
By Gan Pei Ling
hulu kelang: Located a
stone’s throw away from the affluent
neighbourhoods of Ukay Perdana
and Kemensah Heights are homes
of 18 Temuan families who exist
with no electricity.
Despite being relocated to the
site to make way for development in
1963, development and basic
amenities have eluded the villagers
of Kampung Kemensah Orang Asli.
Hidden from view in the Hulu
Gombak Forest Reserve, the 100-
odd villagers rely on candles and
kerosene lamps, as well as generators
for the fortunate few who can afford
them.
Kia Sun, a mother of five, said her
children cannot study at night by
candlelight.
“Not all of us can afford to buy a
generator and petrol,” she said to
Selangor Times.
A plaque in front of Kia’s home
states that it was built by the federal
government in 2009.  Saari said the cost of connecting
Their homes come ready with
electricity circuit boxes, and the
community hall even has fans but
no electricity.
Their plight has caught the
attention of state lawmaker Saari
Sungib, who has been fighting to
get them the power supply they
deserve.
The Hulu Kelang assemblyperson
told Selangor Times that he had
w r i t t e n t o th e O r a n g A s l i
Development Department
( JAKOA) to highlight the villagers’
plight but received no response.
Utility company Tenaga Nasional
Berhad (TNB) had also estimated
that it would cost RM1.06 million
to connect the nearest electric cable
– about 2.5km away – to the village.
Saari has also explored the option
of building a micro-hydro system to
supply electricity to the village as it
is cheaper and more environmentally
friendly.
The first community-based
micro-hydro system in Selangor
only cost RM80,000 and was
Kampung Kemensah Orang Asli resident Kia Sun (left) and her daughter wait for electricity to be
connected to their home which came ready with a electricity circuit box when the house was handed
successfully installed in an Orang
Asli village
over to her in 2009.
april 22 – 24, 2011/ issue 21
in Tanjung Rambai last year.
Unfortunately, experts found the
terrain at Kampung Orang Asli
Kemensah unsuitable for such a
system.
When Selangor Times visited the
site on Monday, electric cables and
street lamps could be seen on Jalan
Taman Zooview, located about
400m down the road from the
village.
The cable supplies electricity to
chalets and the All-Terrain Vehicle
Adventure Park along the road, as
well as Institut Budaya Baru
Malaysia at the end of the road.
power supply to the village should
be cheaper as the existing cable is
close to the village.
Gombak assistant district officer
Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim, who was
also present, said he would instruct
the rural development department
to assess the cost needed to connect
electricity to the kampung. But
village chief Ebak Pulasan and other
residents want the state to expedite
the process.
The 70-year-old farmer pointed
out that the villagers had been
waiting for decades for authorities
to fulfill their promises of electricity
for the village.
When contacted by Selangor
Times, Elizabeth Wong said the state
would be allocating funds for the
village to finally get electricity.
The executive councillor said the
money would be obtained from the
state’s Orang Asli Trust Fund,
which was established to finance
small-scale infrastructure projects
and community programmes for
them.
• Turn to page 2
2
NEWS
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Alam Flora contract cut

to save councils millions
By Basil Foo and Gan Pei Ling
SHAH ALAM: Local governments will save
up to RM20 million annually once they retake
responsibility for cleaning public areas from
solid waste management concessionaire Alam
Flora Sdn Bhd.
“Local authorities were paying exorbitant
fees for the cleaning duties, but the result was
disappointing, and the people [are] dissatis-
fied with the services,” said Tan Sri Khalid
Ibrahim.
The Menteri Besar said this after a weekly
executive council meeting on Wednesday.
He said councils would be saving the 10%
management fee they now pay to Alam Flora
out of the RM200 million annual cleaning
costs.
The move effectively removes Alam Flora’s
role as facilitators, having previously out-
sourced their cleaning duties by appointing
subcontractors.
Khalid said there might be hiccups at the
beginning of the transition, but he expressed
confidence that the local councils will provide
better services to the people.
“The local councils have been handling the
cleaning duties until Alam Flora took over the
job from them 10 years ago.
“This is nothing new to them,” he said.
The duties will include cleaning drains,
streets, roads and cutting grass.
In addition, five local councils are joining
forces to ensure a smooth transition. They are
Shah Alam City Council, Petaling Jaya City
Council, Subang Jaya Municipal Council,
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council and Klang
Municipal Council.
“If there’s a problem reported in Subang
Jaya, MPSJ can ask for help from the other
four local governments to solve [it] quickly,”
said Khalid.
He said they would be assisting other au-
thorities with limited financial resources such
as Sabak Bernam and Hulu Selangor district
councils.
However, Alam Flora will still handle rub- Khalid at the monthly state government on April 18.
bish collection.
Alam Flora, a subsidiary of DRBHicom and Pahang. meeting on Monday.
Bhd, was awarded the concession rights for “They were handling too many things. Sungai Pinang assemblyperson Teng Chang
solid waste management in 1998 for the cen- They had too big a portfolio,” Khalid had said Khim and state secretary Datuk Khusrin
tral region covering Selangor, Kuala Lumpur at a state government departments’ monthly Munawi were also present.

Selangor WEATHER
‘Federal agency’s job to provide basic amenities’
Friday Saturday Sunday
• FROM PAGE ONE
Morning
Wong had also hit out at
JA KOA during S elan-
gor’s  legislative assembly
Afternoon last month for neglecting
the welfare of the indige-
nous peoples.
She pointed out that the
Night state had to step in to pro-
vide basic amenities such as
roads, electricity and water
for the Orang Asli when
Source: Malaysian meteorological department
such matters were supposed
to have been taken care of by
To place your Advert in Village houses located in the Hulu Gombak Forest
Reserve.
the federal agency.
Meanwhile, Selangor JA-
KOA director Azali Mohamed
told Selangor Times yesterday
that the department would be
providing electricity to the six
remaining indigenous villages
in Selangor by 2012.
“Allocation has been pro-
vided under the NKRA (Na-
tional Key Result Areas) by the
Rural and Regional Develop-
ment Ministry,” said Azali.
However, he could not spec-
ify a specific timeline for Kam-
pung Orang Asli Kemensah to
receive electricity as TNB
would need to survey the site
and assess the cost.

Contact Timothy Loh at 019-267 4488

or Ivan Looi at 014-936 6698

phone (603) 5510 4566

fax (603) 5523 1188
email editor@selangortimes.com

EDITORIAL
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,
Saari (left,
Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ng
wearing cap)
COPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang
meeting
DESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man Yen villagers in the
PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong community
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi hall, which
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz has lights and
ceiling fans but
no electricity.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ April 22 – 24, 2011 ⁄ 3
4
NEWS
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

EVENTS Blueprint for

Sudoku convention
The Senior Citizens Association of Selangor
forest conservation
and Federal Territory (Secita) will hold its
monthly Sudoku session on Monday (April
25) from 9am to 10.30am. Members of the
Malaysia Sudoku Society will be on hand to
assist newcomers at their clubhouse, Ban-
gunan Secita, 4A, Jalan SS5D/6, Kelana
Jaya, 47301, Petaling Jaya. Admission is free.
For details, call 019-3118174 (Lim) or 012-
2341492 (Lee).

Korean cultural art

performance
Korean culture can be experienced live at the
Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Academy Auditorium
Kelana Jaya. Ten-member Jang Sueng Eouri
Art Troupe from Seoul will be performing on
May 15 from 2pm to 4pm. Expect traditional
Korean dances, musical presentations, tradi-
tional rhythm percussions and more. Entry
is by invitation only. Call 012-3009968 (Eddy
Loh), 019-3568879 (Dolly Teoh) or 016-
2010853 (Nancy Peng) for details.
Mountain bike jamboree
The Hulu Selangor Mountain Bike Jamboree
will be held on May 15 at 7am. The ride, which
will last about four hours, begins at Dewan
Millenium Bandar Utama Batang Kali, Kuala
Kubu Baharu. Registration began on April 1 and
closes on April 30. Each entry costs RM60. For
details, call 017-6303441 (Zak), 012-6866550
(Nizam) or 012-3533755 (Kishah).
Treasure hunt
Come join Hospice Klang in their Charity
Treasure Hunt in Klang Town at 8am on June
12. The event aims to raise funds and to create
awareness of the services Hospice Klang
provides. Get a team of three to four people
and join the hunt. Entry forms are available
now. Each entry costs RM85. High tea will
be provided. For more information, call 03-
33244740/016-2741178 (Hong).
Pet Finder fair
Pet Finder will be celebrating its third birthday
with a fun-filled charity drive to help raise
awareness and funds for seven leading animal
welfare non-governmental organisations in
Malaysia. There will be public education,
launch of the 100-day adoption drive, and
registration for the “save-a-stray” Sunway
spaying campaign. Join them at Orange Wing
LG2 Sunway Pyramid from tomorrow (April 23)
to Sunday (April 24) from 12pm to 8pm.
Badminton tournament
Badminton Club of Multimedia University
(Cyberjaya Campus) will hold a MSC Team
Championship from May 6 to 8 at the VRC
Sunway Badminton Court. The events are
men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed dou-
bles. There is no age limit, but players can only
take part in one event. Registration is open
now until Sunday (April 24). Registration fee
is RM200 for a team comprising up to seven
By Alvin Yap
KOTA DAMANSARA: How the
Kota Damansara Forest Reserve is man-
aged will act as a blueprint for the role of
local communities in adopting and pro-
tecting green lungs in Selangor.
Under the plan, residents will play a
part in ensuring that development does
not encroach on the gazetted reserves by
voicing their concerns during public
inquiries.
“Every day, there is pressure on the state
as it receives proposals to de-gazette forest
reserves into private land for develop-
ment,” said Elizabeth Wong.
The executive councillor for environ-
ment said the public should utilise the
amended Forestry Act to its full poten-
tial if they want the status quo for their
forest reserves.
The amendment makes public inquiries
mandatory before a decision is made by
the state to de-gazette forest reserves.
The enactment also protects water
catchment areas from being overrun by
property development.
Wong praised the Selangor Forestry
Department ( JPNS) as the lead agency
responsible for suggesting that the once-
alienated Kota Damansara Forest Reserve
be gazetted as a forest reserve.
She said the department has been
successful in convicting illegal loggers
and also tracking illegal timber at mills
in the state.
“The state depends on JPNS to manage
and protect the forest reserves,” she said
at the closing ceremony of a Bio-diversity
Scientific Expedition in conjunction with
World Forest Day.
The expedition, held recently at the
Kota Damansara Forest Reserve, was
participated by biological, geographical
and geological teams from various insti-
tutes of higher learning.
The teams have discovered that the
346-hectare area is “the last refuge for
wildlife” in Klang Valley, and is rich in
flora and fauna biodiversity.
“We encountered foxes, wild boars, and
many more insect species, as well as many
other ferns and fungi species,” said Profes-
sor Emeritus Datuk Dr Latiff Mohamad
at JPNS’s training centre in Sungai Buloh.
The expedition head said the area was
probably part of the Klang Gates hills in
Ulu Kelang.
“We discovered the same quartz and
mineral content here as in Ulu Kelang
Ridge,” he said.
He said the team also discovered a se-
ries of small streams, and more indigenous
settlements than was previously thought.
“The challenge is how to protect the
biodiversity that is contained in this
endangered piece of land,” he said.
“The community [here] will work
with JPNS to care for the forest. It is a
treasure,” he said.
Latiff said he supported the idea of
turning the forest reserve into both an
educational and recreational park, while
balancing it with environmental concerns.
“We can create educational posters of
the different species of insects and plants.
We can come out with a high-quality
coffee-table print of the pictures we
took,” he said.
He said the forest should be enjoyed
by people, and supported the building of
jogging tracks and mountain bike trails
as long as they do not damage the envi-
ronment.
Professor Latiff (left)
being given an award
by Wong, while JPNS
head Burhanudin Arshad
looks on.
JPNS head Burhanudin Arshad said
his department would compile the data
from the expedition to create a working
model to manage other forest reserves in
the state.
Using Kota Damansara as a blueprint,
he said JPNS would involve local com-
munities as stakeholders in caring for
forest reserves.
“We have to ensure sustainability in
managing our forests,” he said.
The Kota Damansara forest reserve
was a part of what was previously the
Sungai Buloh forest reserve.
Gazetted as far back as 1898, the colo-
nial government created 6,590 hectares at
the Sungai Buloh area to make it the old-
est gazetted forest in peninsular Malaysia.
Since its first clearing in 1988 for the
construction of the North-South High-
way, the forest has been slowly affected by
development projects.
In 1992, 1,600 hectares were alienated
for the Kota Damansara township.
Wong planting a Meranti tree.

State to revive Port Klang ghost town

players. For more information, contact 017-
4329872 (Tan Chin Hwa) or visit www.msc-
team-championship.blogspot.com. 

Tamil New Year
The Malaysian Ceylonese Congress will
celebrate the Tamil New Year at the PJ Pillayar
Temple on Sunday (April 24). The gathering
is open to the public. Events lined up are
children’s fashion show, songs and dances
and a flower arrangement contest. For more
information, call 012-2238395 (Kamalanathan),
012-9053030 (K Rasamani) or 013-3312727 (K
Shamini).
SHAH ALAM: Selangor is
looking for ways to revive the
abandoned project Bandar
Armada Putra in Port Klang.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Kha-
lid Ibrahim said the state is
assessing the feasibility of re-
viving the “ghost town” and
the cost it would take.
“We’ll also meet with the
affected buyers,” said the Men-
teri Besar after chairing the
executive council meeting on
Wednesday.
English daily theSun had
reported on Wednesday that
Bandar Armada Putra, for-
merly dubbed the “New Sin-
gapore”, is now an abandoned
town due to poor planning.
The project was devel-
oped by Brisdale Holdings
15 years ago.
Most of its 5,000 units of
shop houses, offices, low-
cost flats and double-storey
terraced houses are unoccu-
pied.
Buyers were left in the
lurch, while looters have
stripped the buildings of win-
dows, doors, grilles, water and
electricity meters, hydrants
and manhole covers.
Property developer Central
Spectrum had proposed to the
Klang Municipal Council to
upgrade the area.
The proposed upgrade
would include a theme park
and other projects, but the
company has yet to receive the
required approval from au-
thorities.

Villagers still
treating sea as
rubbish dump
By Gho Chee Yuan  could still be seen below the
 
PORT KLANG: Old habits die hard, and no one knows
this better than authorities who are trying to get residents of
the Sungai Lima new village to recycle.
The joint effort between the Klang Municipal Council
(MPK) and the fishing village’s committee to get residents
of the island near Pulau Ketam to stop throwing rubbish into
the sea seems to be failing.
The year-long campaign, which started in January, is only
getting a lukewarm response from villagers.
Only a small group has embraced recycling, while the
majority continues to treat the sea as their garbage dump.
“Only the village committee and some students are help-
ing us to clean up,” said village chief Tan Chuee Cheng.
He is disappointed that some villagers have even discred-
ited their efforts without giving the campaign a chance to
take off.
The campaign at the 150-year-old new village was
launched to solve the perennial problem of what to do with
their trash, and transform the village into the first eco-
friendly village in Selangor.
But  Selangor Times found that plastic bags and bottles
NEWS
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011 5
wooden stilt houses during low
tide.  
Old electronic items are also
chucked into the mangroves at
the back of the village.
Tan explained that villagers
from Sungai Lima and Pulau
Ketam have been throwing rub- Village chief Tan pointing to garbage during low tide.
bish into the sea for ages as they
did not have any proper waste disposal system until a few unteers to sort out the recyclable items apart from cleaning
years ago. up the village.
But he is determined to push on with the clean-up and The committee plans to take a year to educate villagers
recycling project as the village’s survival depends on tourists. and raise their environmental consciousness.
“Young people are moving out of the village, and the Tan acknowledged that it would not be easy to change the
government has banned fisher[folk] from hiring migrant villagers’ habits, but the village needs to be cleaned up if it is
workers,” said Tan. to become a tourist destination.
Currently, most of the 200 families in the village depend Meanwhile, Klang local councillor Lim Lip Suan said he
on fishing or related industries for their income. plans to increase the villagers’ participation in recycling
“We have to reduce our reliance on the fishing industry. campaigns.
Transforming the village into a tourist attraction is our only Lim said he would assist the village committee to look for
alternative,” said Tan. sponsors to reward villagers who participate in clean-up and
He added that the village committee was recruiting vol- recycling activities.
6
NEWS
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Huge turnout at Malaysia’s

first pet carnival

Owners and pets lounging and mingling at the carnival. Ivy Lee showing off her dog Moby.

By William Tan event organiser Petz Unleashed.

SERI KEMBANGAN: Malaysia’s first-ever pet carnival
was held last Saturday at the Mines Square, with approxi-
mately 5,000 visitors and their pets taking part in the festivities.
Events included pet fashion shows, dog boat rides and even
an eating competition.
Booths were available to cater to every need, from food and
drinks for owners and pets, to activities to keep children en-
tertained, to special services just for pets, like Malaysia’s first
local pet furniture maker, Petsvilla.
“This is meant to be an outing for the complete family, and
that means including our pets,” said Shoba Mano, director of
Know Your Councillor:
She said there are just not enough venues or opportuni-
ties in Malaysia for pets to meet other humans and animals.
With the success of the event, she said they would be
making it an annual affair.
Visitors who were delighted with the news included
Subash Visvalingam and Kumuthamalar Balakrishnan.
The couple, with their dogs, golden retriever Elmo and
mix-breed Alvin, said such events were really lacking in
Malaysia.
They hoped a greater variety of such events would be
held, with more publicity.
The couple, who are both shipping officers, also keep
birds and fishes.
Other visitors included Millie Lung
with her one-and-a-half-year-old Chi-
huahua, Metta. Subash Visvalingam (left) with Elmo, and Kumuthamalar

V Maneyvannan
“It is really important that he (Metta) Balakrishnan with Alvin.
gets a chance like this to socialise with
other dogs, otherwise they will be really un- loved dog and other pets.
friendly,” she said. Cats were also on site, well separated from their canine
By Brenda Ch’ng

 The teacher lets her dog sleep with her in counterparts. Owners got to show off their felines in an ex-
the bedroom, and has personally toilet hibit and get grooming tips from experts.
EDUCATING the lower-income trained him. The public also had the opportunity to adopt their own
community on their basic rights is Also present was dog lover Ivy Lee with cats from Ominey Home, who offered free adoptions.
one of the roles V Maneyvannan has her seven-month-old toy poodle, Moby. The cat-exclusive adoption home said they normally see 13
taken upon himself as councillor Being a first-time pet owner, she loved out 15 cats adopted through such events.
with the Klang Municipal Council meeting other pet owners, and was seen snap- For more information on future events and product offer-
(MPK).
 ping photos at every opportunity of her be- ings, visit www.petsunleashed.com.
“Many in my area don’t know
how to voice out and fight for their
rights towards improving their liv-
ing conditions,” he said.

Midway into his third term,
Scheme to alleviate funeral costs
Maneyvannan feels his goals for By Brenda Ch’ng payment of RM1,000 was handed out to the fam-
communities such as Kampung Se- ily earlier.  
menta in Kapar are only half done.
 BATU CAVES: Cheques for RM1,500 were “These funds, which are from profits made by
He lamented that his task is made said Maneyvannan.
 handed out to 51 beneficiaries under the Selangor’s state subsidiaries, are given back to the people
more difficult by lack of funds and He hopes that he and his fellow welfare scheme for the elderly (SMUE) to help de- through schemes like this,” said Shaari Sungib.
allocations.
 councillors will be able to better fray the cost of funerals. Despite the benefits, the states assemblyperson
He also struggles to cope with improve MPK.
 “The funds I received will be able to help ease my for Hulu Klang said there are 2,000 senior citizens
complaints about Kapar’s poor in- Topping his wish list for this year burden a little when paying off my father’s funeral in his constituency who have yet to sign up for
frastructure. These range from poor is to improve development in Kam- expenses,” said S Suriy Kalan. the scheme. 
roads, utilities and recreational fa- pung Sementa and Kampung Pere- Suriy was among the beneficiaries from Batu Caves, Since 2009, the state government has given out
cilities to stray dogs.
 pat by bringing more facilities into Hulu Klang and Gombak Setia who attended the RM50 million to all beneficiaries regardless of re-
The 49-year-old businessperson the villages.
 event recently at Dewan Kampung Melayu.  ligion or race.
also feels that MPK staff should step Maneyvannan says the most ex- Another beneficiary, Choi Tack Chee, said he Sungib expressed hope that people will be made
up to better serve the community.
 citing experience he has had being a was pleasantly surprised when he received a call more aware of state welfare programmes and not
“Though there is more trans- councillor was in learning the dif- from the land office to claim the money for the miss out on benefits.
parency now in MPK, more can ferent ways to satisfy and give resi- funeral expenses. The event was hosted by Sungib, SMUE chief
be done to improve standards,” dents what they want. The RM1,500 is the second payment amounting officer Kamsani Nasir, and the Gombak District
to RM2,500 provided under the scheme. An initial Office.

Feline wonder drug
available by next year
SHAH ALAM: Owners of cats inflict-
ed with end-stage Feline Immunodeficiency
Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Vrus
(FeLV) will soon have what’s being described
as “miracle drug” for their pets.
The locally developed drug – currently
on trial – has successfully treated some 14
cats under closely monitored tests, and the
drug developer says owners can expect it on
shelves by early next year.
“We only lost one cat out of the 15 as
the owner did not want to continue with
the treatment regime,” said Ung Eng Huan
of BioSatria, who added that the tests are
ongoing.
The Chief Technology Officer said the
drug, RetroMAD1, has reversed up to 90%
of the symptoms in the felines arising from
FIV and FeLV infection.
Ung said the drug was researched and
created by Malaysians without any foreign
assistance.
BioSatria, a company based in Kota Kina-
balu, invested RM4 million to research and
develop the “wonder drug”.
The drug is unprecedented as it “geneti-
cally modifies” to beat viruses, even those
that mutate into different forms.
Ung said the pricing for the drug has not
been decided upon yet, but pointed out that
it would priced to make it available for all
animal lovers.
He said the federal government has also
approved a grant of RM1.37 million to
BioSatria, which he hopes to use to fund
more research and development on the
miracle drug.
The drug will have to be approved by
Malaysian veterinary departments before it
can be approved for use, said Ung, who is a
visiting lecturer in biotechnology at Univer-
sity of Malaya.
Ung said he want to expand the test cen-
FAQ on FIV
What is Feline Immunodeficiency Vi-
rus (FIV)?
FIV attacks the immune system in cats,
and like Human Immunodeficiency Vi-
rus (HIV), FIV makes it hard for the cat
to fight infections. The FIV-infected cat
may succumb to other diseases caused by
the weakened immune system.
How common is FIV?
FIV-infected cats are found worldwide,
but the prevalence of infection varies
greatly. In the United States, approxi-
mately 1.5-3% of healthy cats are in-
fected with FIV. Rates rise significantly
by 15% or more in cats that are sick or at
high risk of infection.
How is FIV spread?
The primary mode of transmission is
through bite wounds. On rare occasions,
infection is transmitted from an infected
mother cat to her kittens, usually during
passage through the birth canal or when
the newborn kittens ingest infected milk.
Sexual contact is not a major means
of spreading FIV.
What does FIV do to a cat?
Infected cats may appear normal for
years. However, infection eventually
leads to a state of immune deficiency that
hinders the cat’s ability to protect itself
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ APRIL 22 – 24,2010 ⁄ 7
news
tres to Penang and Johor Baru .
One promising outlook is that the drug
may also be a “puppies’ best friend” as it is
shown to combat canine Parvovirus in pup-
pies, which has a 91% mortality rate.
One of the first to try the drug was Sab-
rina Yeap, co-founder of Friends Furry Farm,
an animal rescue sanctuary in Selangor.
“Just before Christmas last year I had
three very small FIV-positive kittens suffer-
ing from eye infections, dehydration and
diarrhoea,” she said.
Yeap, who said the kittens were at death’s
door, dosed them with RetroMAD1, and
claimed the “reverse effect” was almost in-
stantaneous.
“They got stronger, began eating, and the
diarrhoea disappeared.  Within a week I
knew they were going to make it,” said Yeap.
As the antiviral drug is not approved for
sale and is currently available only for test-
ing, cat owners whose felines have FIV or
FeLV symptoms may register their pets as
test subjects.
Currently, the drug test is conducted at
Klinik Haiwan dan Surgeri Wawasan in
Puchong.
Volunteers can call 03-58820755 for
further details.
against other infections.
The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa,
and fungi that may be found in the eve-
ryday environment – where they usually
do not affect healthy animals – can cause
severe illness in those with weakened
immune systems. These secondary infec-
tions are responsible for many of the
diseases associated with FIV.
What are the signs of disease caused by
FIV?
· Poor coat condition and persistent fever
with a loss of appetite are common.
· Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis)
and mouth (stomatitis) and chronic or
recurrent infections of the skin, urinary
bladder, and upper respiratory tract are
often present.
· Persistent diarrhoea can also be a prob-
lem, as well as a variety of eye conditions.
·  Slow but progressive weight loss is com-
mon, followed by severe wasting late in
the disease process.
· Various kinds of cancer and blood dis-
eases are much more common in cats
infected with FIV.
· In unspayed female cats, abortion of
kittens or other reproductive failures
have been noted.
· Some infected cats experience seizures,
behavior changes, and other neurological
disorders.
8
NEWS
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Walking to eradicate blindness

By Alvin Yap sight to some 1.2 million people worldwide.

Participants gathered at the Petaling Jaya City
PETALING JAYA: Blindfolded participants Council(MBPJ) car park at Civic Hall and were
walking in the shoes of the blind learnt to ap- blindfolded before being guided by another “see-
preciate their sight when they completed a 3km ing” participant.

walkathon on Sunday morning.
 “Goodness, I’m dependent on you, Kim,” said
“I was worried that I might walk into a tree or Stephanie Maria, 24, to her friend Kim Boon Kee
lamppost. I am not going to take my eyes, my as the housemate led her out to the five-foot way
sight for granted,” said engineering student Si- opposite Lotus restaurant. 

mon Lam, 25.
 Trainers from the Malaysian Association for
Lam, one of the 150 participants at the Petal- the Blind (MAB) provided “hints” on walking
ing Jaya Lions Club-sponsored Blind Leading blindfolded.

the Blind event here, said he understood better “Can you feel the different tiles under your
the struggles the blind were living with.
 feet? It feels different than the other tiles,” said
The fundraising event, which kicked off at Abdul Samad Shamsul to the participants as they
8.15am, aimed to raise RM250,000 in corporate walked in a single file.

sponsorship to fund its blindness-eradication Abdul was referring to the “tactile tiles” the
programmes.
 city council had installed to help the blind in
The money will be used to pay for eye check- navigating their way along the city’s walkways.

ups and cataract surgery for some 6,000 people, Participants who finished the 3km walk
mostly from lower-income groups, as part of the received vouchers for a comprehensive eye
Lions Club’s Sight First Programme to fund free check at Tun Hussein Onn hospital worth
cataract surgery at Tun Hussein Onn National RM160.

Eye Hospital.
 The walk was flagged off by MBPJ mayor
Blindfolded participants being led by sighted persons.
The international programme has restored Datuk Roslan Sakiman.

More parking bays for USJ Developers threaten

to sue over allegations

Illegal parking in USJ 4 despite available parking bays right outside the
hawker centre.

By Brenda Ch’ng project can be carried out.

SUBANG JAYA: The Subang Jaya
Municipal Council (MPSJ) will pro-
vide between 250 and 300 new parking
bays at the business centre in USJ 9 in
a move to resolve the parking shortage.
The proposal, which was approved
at the end of last year, aims to address
numerous complaints, particularly the
chaos caused by cars which double park.
“It’s near impossible to park [here,]
so I brought up this new idea to legalise
parking in lanes behind and beside
shoplots,” said Rajiv Rishyakaran.
The MPSJ councillor said this was
the first such initiative in Subang Jaya.
But the project is facing delays be-
cause various departments in MPSJ
need time to coordinate before the
However, the plan to maximise
parking bays has already been drawn up
by MPSJ.
The move also includes widening
back lanes by covering drains to enable
cars to park on them.
Twelve to 15 parking boxes can be
drawn in each lane, depending on its
length.
Other parking projects in commer-
cial areas in USJ 2 and USJ 4 have also
been completed.
Last year, there was a 62% increase
of parking space in USJ 2 and a 128%
increase in USJ 4.
“In those areas, I think more parking
spaces can be added, but it is not easy,
especially when shoplots are located
near residential areas,” said Rajiv.
Rajiv showing where
more parking boxes
in USJ 9 will be
drawn.
(Front) Rahim and Yong showing the proposed Sekinchan Perdana apartment project.
By Basil Foo lion to upgrade the plant which is already there,
while upgrading the playground. 
SEKINCHAN:  A condominium developer Young explained that concerns about dirty
whose project is facing objections from residents water being discharged into nearby drains were
has threatened legal action if they continue to also unfounded, as they would be adhering to
protest.  standards set by the National Water Services
“As a business[person] who follow rules, it is Commission (Span).
not fair. If people still cause disturbances [which Bina Variamas Development Sdn Bhd chair-
cause us delays,] we will sue for damages,” said person Datuk Rahim Awang said the water that
Yong Choo Kong. would be released into drains is “Class A”.
The Bina Variamas Development project di- “According to Indah Water standards, this class
rector said accusations against Sekinchan Per- of water is considered clean enough for fish to live
dana have delayed the project for six months since in, but we still can’t drink it,” he said.
it was approved last year. He said previous treatment plants had open air
Yong, speaking to reporters at a press confer- ponds, but the current plants are mechanical in
ence on Monday, hit out at 40 residents who design and would be completely covered to avoid
protested outside the project site the previous any bad smell.
week (April 13).  Other allegations include a breach in the state’s
He said allegations that the residents are being housing-density law, which Yong refuted as their
“robbed” of their playground, where a sewerage plans for the 280-unit apartment only reached
treatment plant will be built to accommodate 70.88 units per acre.
the high-rise apartments, were unfounded. “Based on the local plan of Sabak Bernam
Residents also expressed worry about the [which was gazetted in June 2007], the medium-
stench from the plant. density housing requirement was 51 to 75 units
The playground will be retained and a portion per acre,” he said.
of the land comprising 884 square metres will be Yong said they welcomed all enquiries, and that
used to expand an existing treatment plant.  they can be contacted at their office off Jalan
Bina Variamas will also spend about RM1 mil- Menteri Besar in Sekinchan. 
 news
april 22 — 24, 2011 9

FAS tunnel goes one-way

By Alvin Yap

KELANA JAYA: The move to allow one-way

vehicular flow at PJU 1A today (April 22), in-
stead of totally barring traffic, is being welcome
by residents.
“The decision by MBPJ to make the traffic
one-way is better than closing it,” said Ara Da-
mansara Action Group committee member YK
Lee.
The artery, known as the FAS Tunnel due to
the proximity to the Football Association Sel-
angor building, was earlier ordered closed
permanently because of complaints that it
channeled heavy traffic into surrounding resi-
dential areas.
Lee said the tunnel – which caters to traffic
to and from the Puchong-Damansara Highway
(LDP)  and neighbouring areas such as Ara
Damansara, Taman Mayang, Taman Megah
Mas and Taman Emas – is a vital link.
However, he said MBPJ has not addressed
the problem of fast moving and heavy traffic
along the FAS tunnel road.
Lee said that the city council should instead
install traffic lights to manage the traffic flow.
He also said that MBPJ should erect barriers
to stop lorries and other large vehicles from Road from LDP leading to FAS tunnel will become a one-way road today.
utilising the tunnel, adding that it would ad-

Victims want more protection

dress Taman Kelana Idaman residents’ concerns
about heavy traffic.
“MBPJ decided to allow traffic into the
PJU 1A area,” councillor Khairul Anuar
Ahmad Zainudin told SelangorTimes on
Wednesday.
The eleventh-hour decision is good news, as
closure would mean that motorists would have
to use the entry along Subang Airport road at
PAWS animal shelter.
The tunnel was initially ordered closed due
to complaints by residents whose terrace
houses are located along the route from the
tunnel.
Residents in Taman Kelana Idaman, a hous-
ing scheme situated near the tunnel road, also
claimed that the traffic had caused noise pollu-
tion.
MBPJ mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman had
said many large vehicles and lorries were using
the tunnel daily, disturbing the peace of resi-
dents in the area.
 Earlier, residents complained about the ini-
tial decision to close the FAS tunnel.
“We have to use the longer route to enter
PJU 1A area until MBPJ builds an alternative
link to the LDP. This move will lead to traffic
jams as the road only has a single lane for some
distance,” said Lim, 46, who runs a car repair
shop at PJU 1A.
He said it was unfair of MBPJ to close the
tunnel and make motorists travel the extra
distance to housing and commercial areas there.
The mechanic claimed that commuters
would have to spend an extra 40 minutes to
enter PJU 1A area, compared to the “mere
minutes” now.
Lim further claimed that MBPJ did not
consult residents and business owners before
closing the tunnel.
KELANA JAYA: Victims of robbery
and snatch thefts are urging the police to
step up their presence here to reduce what
they describe as rampant crime.
Khon Weng Joo, whose wife’s bag was
snatched from a café at the Seri Kem-
bangan Business Centre last Sunday, said
he never expected thieves to be so bold.
“We just ordered our drinks at about
10.30pm. Only a few minutes after that,
her bag was snatched from the seat next to
me,” said the 44-year-old pastor.
“We lost RM1,300 in cash, a hand-
phone, credit cards, ATM cards, and keys
to my home, office, and church,” he said.
He called upon residents to watch out
for each other and urged government agen-
cies and the police to educate people about
their safety.
Shopkeeper Ally Tan Hong Hooi, 40,
was a victim of a robbery when her restau-
rant was invaded by a parang-wielding thief
late at night last November.
“My husband hit him with a metal dish
rack and the thief escaped, but he managed
to grab my car keys,” she said.
Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean
Yong Hian Wah said he had personally seen
a snatch theft in his constituency. He urged
the Home Ministry to reconsider their
objection to the Selangor government pro-
posal to set up an auxiliary police unit.

Spotlight on youth issues at forum

By Basil Foo
KLANG: To curb juvenile delin-
quency and keep students in check,
the Malaysian Crime Prevention
Foundation (MCPF) will assess the
effectiveness of Crime Prevention
Clubs.
“As we are in charge of this, we
will look into the Crime Prevention
Clubs in schools to see if they need
(From left) Malaysian Integrity Institute president Datuk Dr Mohd
Tap Salleh, moderator Datuk A Kadir Jasin, Datuk Lee Chee Leong,
Bukit Aman Narcotics Investigation director Datuk Noor Rashid
Ibrahim and Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
help from us,” said Tan Sri Lee Lam
Thye.
The MCPF vice-president said
this during a forum on crime and
integrity in Pandamaran on April 16
to a crowd of about 400.
Lee said over 5,500 clubs have
been set up in various primary and
secondary schools, with only 5% of
schools remaining without a club.
“The frequency and effectiveness
of programmes managed by the
clubs are determined by the teach-
ers, but they can ask for more infor-
mational books and posters from
us,” he said.
He was responding to a query
during the question-and-answer
session in which a participant ex-
pressed uncertainty over the effec-
tiveness of the clubs.
Taman Desawan rukun tetangga
chairperson G Puvananderan said
crime was still occurring in and
Gayathiri: Schools are a good place to promote awareness.
around schools throughout Klang
despite the clubs. can’t really enforce the law or advise addressed the panel, saying schools
“As parents, we ask the police and other people’s children about glue were a good place to promote aware-
other relevant departments to do sniffing,” he said. ness of crime and education on how
more patrols to reduce the crime Also at the forum was Bukit to prevent it.
rates, especially at SMK ACS Meth- Aman Narcotics Crimes Investiga- “But schools are also a place
odist in Klang,” he said. tion Department director Datuk where children can be exposed to
Seri Perantau Apartments Zone Noor Rashid Ibrahim, who said crime, so we need more education
B Residents Association chairper- there was no law against the activity. from teachers,” said Gayathiri Ra-
son Rosli Abdul Razak echoed the He said although there are no jasehar, who is in Form Four.
complaint, and said more enforce- current restrictions against glue Also at the forum was Malaysian
ment is needed to curtail the glue- sniffing, a bill is in the final stages of Integrity Institute president Datuk
sniffing habit. “Although we want planning. It is hoped that it would Dr Mohd Tap Salleh, and Deputy
to help the police by having our own be tabled in Parliament soon. Minister of Home Affairs Datuk
patrols in the early morning, we A student of SMK Andalas also Lee Chee Leong.
10
NEWS
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Daily grind with 10 traffic

lights along 3km stretch
By Brenda Ch’ng

 the lights to escape the congestion.

Fellow councillor Tai Cheng
SRI KEMBANGAN: Grid- Heng said the stretch of road
lock caused by 10 traffic lights on could not accommodate the high
a 3km stretch of main road here volume of traffic.

has municipal councillors scratch- He said while JKR has pro-
ing heads over what to do.  posed widening the road, it isn’t
Long-suffering residents have possible due to development along
put up with daily congestion on the road.

Jalan Besar  Seri Kembangan for To make matters worse, cars
the past two decades. 
 belonging to patrons of a nearby
“I’m stuck for at least half an market are parked daily on either
hour or more every day on that side of the road.

road just to get home. Leaving MPSJ and JKR representatives
my car and walking home would are putting their heads together
be faster,” said Loke Kong Ming, to come up with a long-term solu-
a resident from Taman Sungai tion to ease the traffic flow. MPSJ
Besi Indah.
 engineers and architects are also
Loke is among thousands who drawing up plans, but they are in Residents together with councillors Loka Ng (second from left) and Tai Cheng Heng (third from left).
rely on the clogged federal artery the preliminary stage.

under the purview of the Public “ We w o u l d Jln Raya 1 Jln Raya - Traffic lights
Works Department ( JKR). 
 want to build ei- Balakong Jln Muhibah (Balai Polis SK) 5(UPM)
Besides the congestion, Loka ther ramps or flyo-
Ng Sai Kai pointed out that the vers to ease traffic
narrow dual-lane road in either flow, but unfortu- Klinik Kesiha-
direction is also a hazard.  
 nately, MPSJ does tan SK
The Subang Jaya Municipal not have enough
(MPSJ) councillor explained that funds for the pro-
it was next to impossible for cars ject,” added Ng Sze
in the inner lane to turn onto Han.
 South City
Plaza
other roads along the stretch. 
 Ng was among
Loka Ng added that he had also four MPSJ council- Map of
received numerous complaints lors who made a KL Persiaran Sdg Perdana Jln Utama, Sdg Jln Sekolah Jln SK 6/1 Jln BS 3/1 Jln Indah
Jalan
from residents about being issued site visit with JKR (KL) Raya (KL) (PSK) (Tmn U Indah)
Besar Sri
summonses by police for beating officials last Friday. Kembangan.

Market claims to be longest in country

Aerial view of the Setia Alam night market.
By Basil Foo
SHAH ALAM: A night market in Setia Alam here
applied for the title of “Longest Pasar Malam” with the
Malaysia Book of Records on April 16.
“The records committee came today to carry out
inspections, but we are not sure if we can get the longest
market title or if we have to apply for other categories,”
said Ang Leng Kiat.
The Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) member said
the weekly Saturday night market has been operating
MBSA councillor Ang Leng
Kiat.
Currently, the market is visited
by about 10,000 shoppers every
weekend, with more during sea-
sonal festivals like Chinese New
Year and Ramadan.
With such a volume of custom-
ers, Ang said the market had to take
certain measures to control traffic
flow, prevent haphazard parking,
and curb petty theft.
“We have 13 Rela officers to
along a 0.8km stretch of Jalan Setia Prima A U13/1 guard the market’s eight entrances
since 2009. and also receive help from security
As the market consists of three lanes, its total length officers from nearby gated commu-
is considered to be 2.4km of back-to-back food, cloth- nities,” he said.
ing, and trinket stalls. The market has more than 30
“The current market capacity is 1,000 hawker lots, security officers who are also re-
which are occupied by over 760 different hawkers,” sponsible for directing traffic to
said Ang. park in the back lanes behind
With the award in hand, the market should expect nearby shoplots.
to see an increase in shoppers and tourists wanting a With a steady flow of customers
sample of local hawker fare. attracted by the many choices of
shops, hawker Abdul Hadi finds his
business to be very profitable.
“There is more business here
compared to the Klang area where
I also go. The market here is well
organised, and security is okay
also,” said the 48-year-old nasi le-
mak vendor.
Footwear seller Jessy, who started
her business in the market since its
inception three years ago, said the
area was usually very crowded, with
most of the customers coming from
outside Shah Alam.
“I’ve never seen another pasar
malam as long as this,” she said.
When contacted, a representa-
tive from the Malaysia Book of
Records said they are waiting for
supporting documents from the
MBSA to clarify the length of the
market.
Nasi lemak vendor Abdul
Hadi.

W Country in a hurry
e are a country in a hurry: we
want high-income status by
2020. We are also a KPI-driven
nation: we speedily devise and monitor a
litany of key performance indicators. And
we are an ambitious lot: we set high targets
and want fast results.
There’s nothing wrong with aspiring for
higher income, better material conditions, or
setting quantifiable targets and striving to
meet them.
But in our haste to claim the trophies we
have projected as a future inheritance, or
under pressure to deliver on lofty KPIs, we lull
ourselves into an alternate reality where the
status matters more than the income, impres-
sion trumps knowledge, and new indicators
of development misinform or trivialise the
problems at hand.
I am really perplexed. What does “high-
income status” mean, and at what exactly rate
will we get there?
The “old” metric of economic growth,
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has given
way to Gross National Income (GNI). The
magic number is US$15,000, or RM48,000,
per capita by 2020.
Actually, there is just a minor difference
here, even though replacing the word “prod-
uct” with “income” suggests that the indicator
is a better reflection of well-being. GDP is not
very different from Gross Domestic Product
(GNP), which is basically the same as GNI.
Call it GNI, but we still sum up the
amount produced, dividing it by the popula-
tion, then assume this captures what the
average Malaysian actually receives as in-
come. In international comparisons, GNI
per capita can serve as a convenient means
for demarcating low-income, middle-income
Tracking the pulse of Penang
jan feb mar apr may
2009
wit pleasure
Lee Hwok Aun
and high-income countries, and the average
differences in living standards across these
categories are stark enough.
But when analysing development in one
country over time, it is equally if not more
important to look at the level and distribution
of workers’ earnings.
In 2009, 56.4% of workers earned less
than RM1,500 per month, according to the
Economic Transformation Programme. By
2020, that figure will be reduced, but to a
still sizable 43.2%.
Seriously, we’re going to call ourselves a high-
income nation when almost half the working
population earns RM1,500 a month? However
frugal one tries to live, that’s not much. How
will we get to US$15,000 per person?
The mantra wafting around is that 6% an-
nual growth until 2020 will deliver the Ma-
laysian economy to that level, from US$6,700
in 2009.
Actually, 6% increase per year will raise
average income to US$12,719 in 2020.
Secondary-school mathematics is enough to
calculate that it will take annual growth of
7.6% to reach the high-income threshold.
This basic error dumbfounds me. That it
jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar
2010
shapes our national development template
testifies to appallingly sloppy, fantastically
delusionary or willfully deceptive policy
analysis.
Is it just a computation mistake, or a men-
tality that statistical faith matters more than
truth, or a packaging strategy to sell a growth
rate that we would find more palatable?
I don’t know, but what I do know is that
the 6% story is not false – yet this is the basis
for charging towards high-income status.
Intertwined with the goal of raising in-
come, of course, is the alleviation of poverty,
especially hardcore poverty. The current
zeitgeist, of course, is not content with that
as a KPI. We want zero hardcore poverty, and
that was supposed to have happened by the
end of 2010.
And we made it, apparently. On March 28,
it was reported that 44,600 extreme-poor
households (98%!) were “removed from the
category”, all in the space of last year.
Unlike in the past when we measured pov-
erty by sampling the whole country and get-
ting some estimate, we now have impres-
sively precise numbers.
The new way of counting the poor is to
tally the number registered with the e-Kasih
programme under the Women, Family and
Communit y De velopment Ministr y.
The assistance offered to the poor surely ben-
efited them in some way.
But having met the KPI of zero poverty,
the government should explain further how
apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec
Penang Economic Monthly is a monthly magazine dedicated to socio-economic issues in
Penang, offering reliable socio-economic data as well as informative articles on the arts,the
industry, culture and social issues that are relevant to today’s generation of Malaysians.
Available nationwide at bookshops and newsstands.
www.penangeconomicmonthly.com
views 11
april 22 — 24, 2011
such phenomenal progress was made. Data
indicate that between January 2010 and Oc-
tober 2010, 22,753 were departed from the
hardcore category, and another 21,890 left in
the last three months of the year.
A parallel report on Sabah revealed that in
the last three months of 2010, RM7.3 million
was disbursed through the “temporary allow-
ance programme”.
There seems to have been a lot of payments
to registered poor folks in the latter part of
the year. Does this have anything to do with
meeting KPIs?
More importantly, does striking house-
holds off the list, especially through tempo-
rary allowances, amount to sustainable pov-
erty reduction?
Fundamental flaws in this data must also
be highlighted. The credibility and relevance
of data obtained through voluntary participa-
tion is supremely inferior to the established
approach of randomly sampling every district
to obtain nationally representative data.
The e-Kasih registry conceivably provides
information biased towards more IT-connect-
ed areas, or communities where neighbours
encourage each other to sign up.
Using this data, instead of national house-
hold surveys, to detect the poor and formulate
policy risks marginalising the poor who are
out of reach.
Trouble is, nationally representative sur-
veys and comprehensive evaluations cannot
be done in a flash.
jan feb mar apr may jun
2011
 Insight
12 APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Last line of
defence:
The polling
counting ag
By Alvin Yap Each candidate’s polling agent has the latest elec-
toral roll complete with particulars like age, state and
THOSE who want to play a larger part than just parliament constituency, and other information.

voting during elections can volunteer to help out a The polling agent also has to make sure the ballot
candidate during the campaigning period.
 papers are not pre-marked or tampered with.

However, there are two key positions that many Shaharudin said polling agents can enforce the
volunteers overlook that are very important during Election Act, which specifies that only EC officers
the balloting process. These are the polling agent and can remain in the voting room.

counting agent, who ensure that the entire balloting Thus, he said, polling agents can demand that
and counting process is carried out in accordance with visiting dignitaries do not linger in the voting room.

the relevant laws and regulations.
 He said the polling agent is the only person that
A polling agent is always present in the voting can make objections to the EC polling station officer.

room to watch for electoral fraud during balloting, “An ideal polling or counting agent is someone
while a counting agent is responsible for looking out who is attentive, knows the Election Act by heart, and
for fraud during the counting of votes.
 is not afraid to make objections on those points. He
“Both the polling and counting agent represent or she must be vocal and outspoken,” Shaharudin said.

their candidate’s interest, and must be attentive when This, he said, was important as every discrepancy
polls are open and when the ballots are counted ,” that is not brought forward to the polling officer
said Col (Rtd) Shaharudin Othman, deputy presi- could result in a candidate losing an election.

dent of polls watchdog Malaysia for Free and Fair Apart from spotting and preventing electoral
Elections (Mafrel).
 fraud, a polling agent is also able to determine the
Shaharudin pointed out that candidates in elec- percentage of voter turnout.

tions around the world and in Malaysia can lose, and “If he [or she] feels the number is too low by a
have lost, if their agents ignore voter impersonation, given time, say by 1pm, he [or she] may call for the
spoilt votes and other forms of voting fraud.
 party machinery to go out to the streets and canvass
The polling agent’s day begins hours before the for those who have not voted yet,” Shaharudin said.

start of voting at 8am because he or she has to check A polling agent is on duty for a two-hour shift
that ballot boxes are empty, then locked and sealed before being relieved, and comes back four hours
by the Election Commission (EC).
 later. This is done so that the agents are not tired out.

During voting time, the agent also has to check for In order to become an effective polling or counting
voter impersonation or double voting.
 agent, Mafrel conducts training for volunteers from
“If a would-be voter comes and presents his [or political parties or those from civil society wishing to
her] identity card (IC) and the first two numbers are, ensure free and fair elections.

for example, five and zero, then he [or she] is 60 years The one-day training sees potential agents receiv-
old. However, if the bearer of the IC looks no older ing a history lesson on elections in Malaysia, begin-
than 30 years, then it is a case of voter impersonation,” ning from 1955 to the most recent one.

Shaharudin explained.
 One fact that surprises volunteers is that the cam-
In such a case, the polling agent must make an paigning period was pegged at 43 days in the past, The ballot box, which is verified empty, sealed and locked before polls
objection to the EC’s officer in-charge of the polling but gradually had been reduced to the current nine- start at 8am. It will not be opened again until after 5pm, when counting
station.
 day limit.
 starts.

Ensuring free and fair elections Small sacrifice

ALLISON Yap registered too late to vote in to be a polling agent,” said Yap.
the 2004 general elections. 
She registered for polling agent and count-
In late 2007, she followed her friends to ing agent training with an opposition party.

youth rally in a church in Petaling Jaya, where Yap described the one-day training as a crash
she registered to vote.
 course on “free and fair elections, government
She also sat down to hear a speaker from [and] procedures.”

Mafrel tell her about elections, and how the She explained that she was suited for polling
vote is used to hold accountable leaders in agent work as her work in her office also deals
power.
 with the “same kind of paperwork.”

“He asked me what my aspirations were for “I have to delete line-by-line shipping or-
the country. He also told me about the power ders, much the same as I check for a voter when
of the ballot to change things for the better,” the person comes in to ballot,” she said.

said Alison, 30, who works as a general man- During the 12th General Election, Yap was
ager in a camping and hiking shop.
 placed in the Petaling Jaya North constituency
“I thought that only civil servants moni- as a polling agent.

tored elections. [But] when the Mafrel repre- “You know you are playing a part in ensur-
sentative told me it was the duty of citizens to ing that the country changes government in
ensure free and fair elections, I knew I wanted free and fair elections,” Yap concluded.
f Agents should have best training
STEPHEN Matthew Sudhagaran, 28,
volunteered as a polling agent for a
Penang island seat in the last general
election.
“I wanted to make sure my candidate
won – or lost – the state seat fairly and
without any fraud,” the self-employed
counting agent,” he said.
Stephen comes from a “conservative
family” who finds it hard to understand
his volunteerism.
“They say I volunteer too much of
my time helping out in elections,” Ste-
phen said, who is currently in the inte-
their right. Many countries might not
even have elections,” he said.
Stephen said he wants to gain more
experience as an election agent before
training others.
He added that Mafrel had ap -
proached him to consider conducting

g and
Penangite said.
Stephen volunteered after a church
worker brought him to a Mafrel forum
on Monitoring Elections.
“After the 2008 general election, I
volunteered at Permatang Pauh as a
rior region of Sarawak as a polling agent.
The business owner said Malaysians
should firstly register themselves to
vote.
“There are still too many Malaysians
who have not registered to vote. That’s
training for future volunteers.
“I do not think I will be ready to train
volunteers for the nearest general elec-
tion. I think they should have the best
training , to know all the scenarios
likely to arise,” Stephen said.

gent


“They will learn that the government through the EC
has reduced the campaigning period,” said Shaharudin.

They are also briefed on the electoral system used in
Malaysia – the First Past the Post (FPTP) system, where
the candidate with most votes wins the seat.

“We tell the trainees that because of the FPTP sys-
tem, where a candidate will win by just one more vote,
they better be vigilant, especially counting agents,” said
Shaharudin.

He said the agent must check that ballots are prop-
erly marked with an “X” on the box and not on any
other parts of the ballot paper.

The paper is handed over by an EC official to the
counting agent. There is one counting agent for each
contesting candidate.

A counting agent has to know what constitutes a
spoilt vote, a rejected vote or a doubtful vote.

He or she has the right to demand a recount, espe- A voter casting her ballot during the recent Galas by-election while
cially if the first count comes out with a small margin.
 polling agents from both candidates watch closely.

A recount can also be carried out at the main count-
ing centres in the constituency area. Agents must the courts if necessary.

therefore ensure the box is securely locked and sealed
for transportation to the main counting centre.

To handle such potential scenarios, the agent-train-
ing programme also includes a role-playing session,
Citizens should do their bit
“This is to ensure that there will be no tampering which goes through different situations that may arise
of the ballot boxes and papers inside,” explained during polling and counting.
Shaharudin.
 For instance, agents, like voters, could be “bought”
He cautioned that the work is tedious, repetitive, and over to remain quiet and not object on discrepancies.
demands great concentration from the counting Such scenarios are explored during the training so that
agent.
The agent has to insist on checking suspicious the agent knows what to do come polling day.

votes and must not be afraid to raise objections. Shaharudin said Mafrel will be increasing its train-

“Sign the election returns form and attest to the ing sessions in view of the upcoming 13th General
results if you are sure that the ballots have been cor- Election.
He called on members of the public con-
rectly accounted for. Take your time. This is virtually cerned about the outcome of the elections to attend
the future of the direction of the country in your hands,” the training.

Shaharudin said.
 “You might be someone who identifies with a can-
So what does an agent do if a polling officer does didate’s aspirations, and you want the person to win. Or
not listen to his or her objections? Shaharudin said you want to make sure elections are not rigged.

the agent must stand his or her ground, and know that  “You are the last line of defence against voter fraud,”
he or she has the power and right to bring the case to Shaharudin concluded.

e to ensure electoral integrity HAZNAH Hashim, 46, is a real-

ROBERT Kee, 36, was a polling and count-
ing agent for the last four general elections,
but has consistently voted since he was 21
years old.
“I have always voted because I want to be
able to change the government of the day to
reflect what I want for society,” said the soft-
ware engineer, who hails from Teluk Intan.
In 1995, Kee volunteered with the Demo-
cratic Action Party to become a polling agent
while in Teluk Intan.
“I was too young to vote, but I could be-
come a polling agent,” he said.
Kee stressed that he is not partisan but
simply volunteered as a “civil society ob-
server”.
Kee, who is interested in politics and
governance, admits to being is largely self-
taught in political science.
“I knew that the First Past The Post system
that we use to run the electoral system meant
that one candidate wins with just one more
vote over his opponent,” Kee said.
As such, he took his polling agent duty
seriously.
“I was sombre-looking. I took my time
checking the ballot papers that came to my
desk,” said the father of two.
Kee said being involved as a polling and
counting agent was a way for Malaysians to
participate in the democratic system.
“You stop being a passive supporter when
you volunteer this small sacrifice to ensure the
integrity of the electoral system,” he said.
tor who volunteers as a polling
agent. She just returned from the
Sarawak state election, where she
was in charge of training polling
and counting agents.
According to Haznah, the
training for this round of election
agents was “intensive”, and was the
most comprehensive to date.
“We will use these agents to
train the future election agents for
the upcoming 13th General Elec-
tion,” she said.
The Wangsa Maju resident said
training started on April 2 until
polling day.
The comprehensive training
was needed, she said, because an
agent has to understand election
law and the “mandate” the law
gives to election agents.
Counting agents had to object
to the denying of “automatic re-
counts”.
“If the majority is within a 4%
margin, the Election Commission
officer in charge has to carry out a
recount,” she pointed out.
How important is to volunteer
as a polling or counting agent?
“Regardless of your political
leanings, every Malaysian should
become [an agent] to ensure that
the government is freely and fairly
voted in,” she said.
“As a citizen, make sure you do
your bit to ensure the country has
a credible and transparently elect-
ed administration,” she concluded.
14
views
april 22 — 24, 2011
Party whipping can be more
meaningful
D ear Lord Bobo, what
political ideology do you
most identify with? @
adriene, via Twitter
DEAREST @adriene (for anyone
who sends in an average of 172
questions a week to this column
cannot be anything but very dear to
us), you obviously spend a lot of
time asking what, why, how, when,
where, which, who, and what the…?
His Supreme Eminenceness
expects you must be a highly
intelligent, if not puzzled, indi­vi­
dual – or likely both at the same
time. Lord Bobo has, in our un­
ques­t ionably superior wisdom,
deigned to answer three of your
questions this week, despite their
individual flaws.
With regard to political ideology,
the question is flawed because His
Supreme Eminenceness cannot be
categorised into boxes and labels
conceptualised by feeble humans.
Many of Lord Bobo’s earthly
minions have sought to become
more intimate with Lord Bobo (no,
not in that way) through meditation
scented by roasting purple bananas,
floating on Amazonian rivers in a
banana boat, and even wolfing
down banana splits. And still they
keep trying, for while His Supreme
Emi­n enceness’ ways remain a
mystery, there is much enlighten­
ment in the journey.
To get a peek at the “ideologies”
approved by His Lordship, read the
blawg. Common issues published
there include the fight for individual
liberty (from freedom of expression
to religion to assembly) – some may
interpret this as being a liberal.
Also common are issues con­
cerning the collective good and
social justice (like ethnic discri­
mination, oppression-faced indi­ge­
nous people and the poor) – some
say this reeks of socialism.
But this method is flawed, as it
does not reveal a “political ideology”.
Perhaps the one true defining
principle that His Supreme Emi­
nenceness holds to is the freedom of
expression, and love. That seems the
According to one MP, wives are supposed to drop everything to
fulfill their husbands’ demands.
only common thread that one can
weave through posts on patriotism
and love for Malaysia (#WhyMa­
laysia), football, music, events,
human rights, language, politics,
activism, education, fiction, film,
books, food ... the list truly is endless
– almost as endless as Arsenal’s
search for a trophy.
And so, fret not over such defi­
nitions or labels. For Lord Bobo is
un­classifiable. His Supreme Emi­
nenceness is both darkness and
light; earth, wind, and fire; ebony
and ivory; ape and monkey. Free
your mind. Free your spirit.
W hat’s the point of debate
in the legislatures in
Malaysia when lawma­
kers vote according to the party
line instead of conscience?
PARLIAMENT in Commonwealth
countries often practise a certain
convention in the august house by
electing/appointing an official
called the “whip”.
The function of a whip official
(usually an MP appointed/elected
from the same party) is to enforce
party discipline in legislatures by
making sure MPs from their own
party vote according to party lines.
Whips also ensure MPs are in
attendance when important votes
are taken.
The usage of “whip” comes from
the hunting “whipping in”, i.e.
preventing hounds from wandering
away from the pack.
Different Parliaments have The party whip system can be used to enforce attendance among MPs during sittings.
different practice of the whip
system. Some are more strict and
dogmatic than others. Some Com­
monwealth countries even do away
with such practice altogether
because it tends to breed parti­
led by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh
Timur) to refer allegations of graft
and corruption by an anonymous
MP to the House Rights and Pri­
vileges Com­mittee for inves­ti­g a­
B
any?
y Malaysian law, what role is
the spouse of the Prime
Minister meant to play, if
Analects of the Sith, His Supreme
Eminenceness has distilled the
approach to arrive at the answer into
the following formula: One Minus
One Times Three Million Eight
sanship across the floor and cause tion. He was the only govern­ment THE question is flawed – because Hundred Ninety One Thousand
internal conflicts when MPs within MP in support of the opposition- it assumes that law in Malaysia plays and Five Hundred Twenty Six Point
the party disagree. led motion. a primary role in shaping what Three Three Seven.
A recent controversy regarding It was insinuated by BN party happens in the country. Neverthe­ And no, we did not consult the
the practice of the whip system in leadership later on that he would less, an intriguing query. Federal Constitution. Why bother?
Malaysia was in 2006 when Datuk have been sacked if not for his vo­ Upon applying Pythagorean No one else does these days!
Seri Shahrir Abdul Samad (BN- lun­t ary resignation, for voting theorem, Cartesian geometry, It is arguably more important to
Johor Bahru) decided to vote in against the whip. Umno subse­ Newton’s infinitesimal calculus, refer to a certain (Pasir Mas) MP’s
support of an opposition motion quently issued a formal directive consulting the alignment of celestial recent statement that wives are
that all BN MPs must vote according bodies and the principles of karmic supposed to stop everything to
to party line, regardless of personal astrology, using I-Ching’s system of fulfill their husbands’ demands.
convictions or the merits of the divination, performing Crowley’s That anachronistic view goes against
motions raised. sex magick ritual and examining a a core value which human rights
To Lord Bobo, the practice of plethora of literature including the seek to protect, namely the dignity
the whip system has it merits, but Statutes of Murphy and the heretical of the individual.
it can be practised in a much more
meaningful manner, for example by
enforcing attendance among MPs Question for Lord Bobo?
during house sittings through the
“pairing” of MPs across the floor Have a Call on His Supreme Emi-
for debate and voting of motions nenceness by emailing asklord-
in the house. bobo@loyarburok.com, stating your
This application of the whip full name, and a pseudonym (if you
system will encourage debate on all want), or tweeting your questions
issues in the house, and ultimately by mentioning @LoyarBurok and us-
benefit the interest of the country ing the hashtag #asklordbobo. The
by putting national interests above first 100 questions published will re-
party interests. ceive LoyarBurok merchandise courtesy
of Selangor Times.
 fiction 15
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Making
ends meet
Fiction by Rumaizah Abu Bakar is trying to sell packets of homemade chips. The middle-aged man
“Kerepek! Kerepek!” she calls. As she paces presses his palms against

I
t is the evening rush hour at the Masjid
Jamek Star LRT station. A bald Chinese
artist sits on the tiled floor at the bottom
of the steps, his oversized Bermuda shorts
barely covering his deformed legs.
His expression is intense as he bends over
and rubs a crayon furiously on a piece of pa-
per. His completed pictures lie in a row on
the pavement, each showing a picture of a
train, with different backgrounds.
He remains oblivious to passers-by, who
shuffle about hurriedly in their office clothes,
barely noticing him in their rush. The few
who do see him are generous. The condensed-
milk tin in front of him is full of coins and
notes of small denominations.
He senses company. He stops colouring
and looks up to see a middle-aged man in a
green baju melayu, kain pelikat and songkok
spreading a mengkuang mat next to him. He
watches with interest as the man settles down
cross-legged.   middle-aged man in the songkok shouts.   and the evening rush is almost over. The
The middle-aged man stares at two teenag-
ers in school uniform walking by.
“Mat Rempit is haram!” he spits.
The boys look at him in surprise and walk
away quickly towards the ticket scanner.   I hear the sound of an accordion coming
The middle-aged man notices me watching
him from the side of the pillar. He is about to
say something to me when a woman in her
thirties in a kebaya and hair held up in a sang-
gul appears from the other direction.
Swinging a red plastic basket on her arm, she
back and forth, she accidentally steps on the the floor to push himself
mengkuang mat and bumps into the man’s up. Standing, he shouts
shoulder. “Oh, mak!” she blurts. across at them. “Singing is
He jerks away and grunts loudly. “Exposing haram.” They either ig-
your hair is haram.” nore him, or do not hear.  
The woman glares at him. He keeps firing away
Hands on his hips, he glares back. at anyone who comes
“Pasal la,” she mutters. close.
“Celaka!”   Soon, commuters
When she sees the man struggling to stand, start to take a detour.
the woman steps back, fear on her face. She The Chinese artist no-
quickly lifts the hem of her sarung and runs tices that coins and
across the road before the pedestrian light turns notes have stopped fall-
red. The man continues to abuse her. I quickly ing into his can. Com-
step back behind the pillar before he notices muters are now drop-
me watching him.   ping their change into
An old man wearing a ketayap strolls by. He the uncovered blue
stops when he sees the pair on the floor. Balanc- Tupperware in front
ing his weight carefully on his cane, he puts his of the visually im-
free hand into his pocket and pulls out a few paired duo, instead.  
notes. He is about to approach them when the It is seven-fifteen
“Bribery is haram.” woman continues to sing more Sharifah Aini Making Ends Meet is featured in
Startled, the old man freezes and puts his songs while the man plays his accordion. The The Female Cell, a collection of short fiction
money back in his pocket and walks to the cling-clang sound of coins hitting one another and travel tales by Rumaizah Abdul Bakar,
ticket scanner, his face red with anger.   goes on until I hear the maghrib azan from the published by Silverfish Books.
mosque nearby.   The writer will be present at a book-
from the walkway that connects the two LRT After the call for prayer ends, the middle-aged signing session at the Kuala Lumpur
platforms. The lilting voice of a woman is sing- man stands and rolls up his mengkuang mat, International Book Fair 2011 on Saturday,
ing an old Sharifah Aini song. I turn around to getting ready to leave. The handicapped artist, April 30, from 3-5pm, at Tun Razak Hall 3,
look for the source. A couple in dark glasses sit who has been deprived of his earnings for the day, Putra World Trade Centre.
on low stools next to the wall, the singer hold- looks up at him but does not say anything.   For more information on The Female Cell,
ing a mic in her hands.   I wonder what he is thinking. visit www.silverfishbooks.com/buybooks.

MBPJ staff celebrate

mrt pr
reside oject:
disapp nts
ointed Greater
transp
p 8 with FOarency com
From

Where to get
I bill m
to gh unities
ettos
p 4 p 12-13
commun
ity

Workers

War
reaDY

the
Ballon
To
March

preparin HIT THe SKI

air balo g
sha
during s” character pe of “Sta
Dar
18 — 20,

on in the to launch a

Hot air putrajaya Inte th Vader

Fiesta rnational
– Pictu
yesterda
re by Victo
r Chon
eS:
hot

y.
g
r
2011/
issue 16

Tamil New Year

LRT Stations (Distribution by
hand) – Morning
Ampang – Sentul Timur
PETALING JAYA: The City Council’s With devotees during the celebration
Empire (MBPJ ) Tamil staff and their families was Gasing assemblyperson Edward Lee, who
Subang thronged the  Sree Maha Mariaman Mune- sponsored part of the event. He was honored
Amcorp Mall swaran Temple here to usher in their New with a blessing by the temple priests.
Klang Centro
By Gan

Ampang Year last Thursday. MBPJ councillor Anthony Jayaseelan was

Pei Ling

MPSJ t
su Ba
ng
films, liter jaYa:
dedicate ature and even There are

“mosquo unleash
Cahaya
eat dog d to the old sayin song s
swoop by”, but in an g of “dog

“We hope that by coming together during also present, along with representatives of
a inno
cil, the “dog local municip vative
by a mos ” will soon be al coun-

Hypermar-
quit

Cempaka
replaced
In a pilo o.
taken soon t project to
betw be under-

ito eater celebrations, our fellow Hindus from outside

Municip een

companies who facilitated the renovation of

versiti Sainal Council the Subang Jaya
(MP

kets
Ban k Bhd s Malaysia and Uni- SJ),

Pandan Indah soon be , mosquito

used
CIM
larvae willB

”
The larv to combat
Mosquit ae of the Toxo deng ue.

the area will also join our community. the 53-year-old temple on Jalan 4/46.
species of oe, which prey rchynchites

Pandan Jaya (From Satur- be employe mosquit s on othe feed on

o larva r hum
threat.  d to redu e, will soon The loca an blood but
ce the deng
The pilo ue gether with l council is wornectar.
the univ king to- USM , which
“mosqui t project to project ersity on
a pilot fully sponsoredcost RM60,000,

day noon)
mosquit to release Toxorhy

Sentul Timur “We want to fulfill their spiritual needs,” “It is our social responsibility. We allocate
mosquit to eater” to redurelease the If the trial by CIMB Ban is this
the MPSJ.  oes is bein ce
g carried Aedes USJ 1 tooes at an abandon nchites coun is successfu k. mon
out by pop ulat
see if it ed cil
can redu area in other plans to apply l, the loca mosquit th by monitoring
A Toxo o pop the
up to 158rhynchites larv effectivelion of Aedes mos ce the areas with
in
the method
to
l don
ed area ulation at the Aedes
represen y. oes outHowever, Ada its municipality. Later, in USJ 1.

Tesco
ae can quit aban-

Sentul
dur ing to 400 Aed eat tativ Asked
its life es larv ae with  MPSJ es during a mosquit whether the that Toxo nan also 600 Toxo they will relea

said temple president P Nagaratham. 20% of our profit yearly to charity and other
tim e, said brie rhyn poin
  USM Unlike officials on Mar fing USM oes would distu release of the can only thrive chites mosquit ted the area rhynchites mos se around
Toxorhyn other mosquit ch 11.  said science officer rb ecosystem tion, so in
the met areas with vege
oes fem , with quit
ales in each 100 males andoes in
chites mos oes, it Adanan s,
quitoes adult mosquitwould not as Toxo Che Rus in flats and apar hod cannot be ta- batch. 100

(Puchong,
do not tments. used The enti
oes rhyn “Th six mon re trial will take
This projis a natural specie. chites help is is only one ths to com arou
ect betw curb the of the tool Adanan, plete. nd

Nagaratham said the temple, built in 1958 causes,” said Gidget Lim, general manager of
een MP spread of
SJ and Adanan. dengue,” s to in January who visited Sub
He said said tion to ang
they will s to cond identify suitable Jaya

Kelana Jaya – Terminal Putra Kajang, Mutiara,

begin the area in USJ uct the loca-
trial 1 was chostrial, said the
en because
• Turn
To pag it

for district council workers when it was still Feruni Ceramiche Sdn Bhd.
e6

Kelana Jaya Bukit Tinggi, Setia Alam, Am-

Taman Bahagia pang, Extra Shah Alam, Kepong) under Kuala Lumpur administrative control, The building-materials supplier had do-
Taman Paramount Giant (Puchong, Kajang, today caters to his spiritual needs and those nated tiles and mosaic for the temple’s renova-
Asia Jaya Subang Jaya, Bukit Tinggi, Setia Morning Wet Markets
Taman Jaya Alam, Kota Kumuning) (Saturday morning)
of his fellow employees who work with MBPJ. tion programme.
Universiti Carrefour (Bukit Rimau) Jalan SS2/62
Sri Rampai Jusco (Bukit Tinggi) Taman Medan
Wangsa Maju Metro Point, Kajang Jalan 17/27
GM Klang Taman Kuchai Lama
Sri Petaling – Sentul Timur Taman OUG
Taman Melati Commuter Stations Pasar Taman Megah
Sri Petaling (Distribution by hand) – Morning Pasar Jalan Othman
Bukit Jalil Sentul – Port Klang Pasar Jalan 17/2
Bandar Tasik Selatan Port Klang Pasar Sek 14
Salak Selatan Bukit Badak Pasar Seri Setia SS9A/1
Shah Alam Pasar Kg Chempaka
Shopping Malls Subang Jaya Taman Tun Dr. Ismail
(From Saturday noon) Jalan Templer
1 UTAMA Petaling Hospital
Tropicana Mall Forrest Medical Centre
Sunway Pyramid Rawang – Seremban
The Curve Kuala Kubu Baru Colleges
IOI Mall Sungai Buloh Help Institute
IOI Business Park Kepong Sentral College Bandar Utama (KBU)
Ikano Power Centre Kepong Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia

MBPJ staff and family members offering prayers at the temple.

16
news
april 22 — 24, 2011

Local plan amendments

available for viewing
By Tang Hui Koon

S H A H A L A M : Draft
amendments to local plans for
Klang and Sepang are now available
for public viewing till May 31.

Iskandar Abdul Samad said
members of the public should use
the opportunity to provide feedback
on the proposed changes.

The state executive councillor
said both the Klang and Sepang
municipalities had originally
gazetted their local plans in 2009,
but are amending them to cater to
changes in development patterns.

“The pressure of rapid develop­
ment has resulted in some conflict
between how land has been gazetted
and applications for development,”
said Iskandar.

In Sepang, there are plans to
convert 2,753 he ctares of
agricultural land for the aviation
industr y under the proposed
amendment.

The Klang Municipal Council
(MPK), meanwhile, is revising its
local plan to allow lands along the
fast-developing Jalan Kapar and
Places to view the local plans
Jalan Meru to be converted for Iskandar (right) and MPK president Datuk Mislan Tugiu (far left)
Selangor Town and Country Planning Dept

commercial use.
 unveiling the draft of local plans made available to the public. 
1st floor, Bangunan Darul Ehsan
No 3,
Iskandar, whose portfolios Jalan Indah, Seksyen 14, Shah Alam.
includes Housing and Building and 30% of the Sepang plan are The public can obtain further
Development, said overall, about g oing to be affe cte d by the information during working days at
2% of the original Klang local plan amendments.
 the three locations. Klang Municipal Council

Search for young leaders kicks off

Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah,
Jalan Perbandaran, Klang.



By Basil Foo Sepang Municipal Council

Persiaran Semarak Api,
SHAH ALAM: Undergraduates in the state stand Cyber 1, Cyberjaya.
a chance to win attractive prizes while exercising their
public-speaking skills in the upcoming Selangor
Young Leaders Search.

“Our audition road show will be visiting public and
private universities through out the state until June,” Competition to
name PKNS HQ
said Idris Mokhtar.

The Selangor Information Department representative
said students will have to give a five-minute speech in
Bahasa Malaysia, with additional two minutes given as
leeway, during auditions.
 By Brenda Ch’ng According to her, the new head­
They will be free to speak on any topic except religion Dr Mustafa Kamil Ayub speaking during the quarters will become a prestigious
and politics, but exemptions will be made if the launch of the
Selangor Young Leaders Search SHAH ALAM: The Selangor landmark in Shah Alam. 
participants are in those fields of study.
 competition on April 14. State Development Corporation Applicants should submit the
Idris, speaking during the launch of the competition (PKNS) is organising a competi- name of the new headquarters in
on April 14, said participants must at least hold a (KDEB) board member Dr Mustafa Kamil Ayub, who tion to find a suitable Malay, with an explanation
diploma to qualify.
They must also be between 22 said good leaders name for its new head- for each of the names
and 27 years old.
 are important for a quarters. submitted.
Ten contestants will be shortlisted for the finals during civilisation to “ We would like the The competition will be
a dinner on June 28 at SACC Mall, Shah Alam.
Prizes progress.
 public to come up with split into two categories:
include RM2,000 for the winner, RM1,500 for the As Selangor has creative names for the new the naming of the main
runner-up, and RM1,000 for third place.
  many institutions headquarters, which will building, and the naming
“The top three will also receive laptops and trophies, of higher learning, be ready in early March of four other blocks of the
while the fourth- to tenth-placed contestants will receive he said this pro- 2013,” said AzilahArshad. headquarters
consolation prizes,” Idris said.
 gramme would be a Azilah, public relations Prize money worth
A contestant from the Management and Science channel to show- mana g er of PK NS, sa id the RM3,000 will be awarded to the
University was called up during the launch to present case the leadership competition will be judged based on name chosen for the main building
a speech.
 talent of the youth.
 the “green building” concept. and RM2,000 for each of the other
Nor Leila Zaharah Ngabiah, who studies medical “I hope the con- The winning name should reflect four blocks. 
science, said if she was chosen to win, she would testants would use the new green building, which will The contest starts April 13 and
promote an anti-drug campaign.
 this programme as be built to emphasise the importance ends at 5pm, April 29.
“I hope to encourage youth to take part in state- a bridge to more of preserving the environment.  Entry forms can be obtained
organised events and clubs in their universities, opportunities and The building will have a built-in online from www.pkns.gov.my/
especially during university when they would be exposed not focus just on sub-basement, vertical landscaping, PertandinganNama. For more
to drugs,” she said.
 w i n n i n g ,” s a i d and a roof complete with a green information, contact Azilah Arshad
Also at the launch was Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Mustafa. Nor Leila Zaharah Ngabiah. landscaping. at 013-6296097.

Spicy northern Indian
By Brenda Ch’ng
W
edged between bungalows on
Persiaran Raja Muda Musa in
Klang is the northern Indian
restaurant Govind’s.
The bungalow-turned-restaurant can be
easily spotted while driving on the main
road. Parking, situated behind the house, is
accessible by driving through Taman Gem-
bira.
The restaurant resembles a wooden home
with wooden ceilings and leafy finishings.
We picked a seat on the outdoor wooden
stilted patio, next to the colourfully lighted
waterfall which was cascading down into a
rectangular pool at the centre.
Despite it being a warm night, the mul-
tiple fans lining the ceiling were enough to
ensure that patrons were comfortably cool
outdoors.
Menus were handed out to us as soon as
we were seated. It was just overwhelming to
figure out which dishes to order.
After a few minutes, we finally settled on
the house specialties.
Govind’s Special Naan is stuffed with
chicken and vegetables.
Sunway Rydgeway’s two-and-a-half-storey showcase bungalow
was open for viewing last week.
review 17
april 22 — 24, 2011
After about fifteen minutes or so, our
food came all at once, filling the table as the
mixture of spices tickled our nostrils.
First up were three kinds of naan: the
garlic naan, cheese naan, and Govind’s Spe-
cial Naan, served with dhal that had a tex-
ture resembling cream of pumpkin.
The garlic and cheese naan were rather
ordinary, but one bite of Govind’s Special
Naan will leave you wanting more.
The Special Naan is a sweet-tasting
dough stuffed with chicken and vegetables,
blended with Indian spices and topped with
sesame seeds.
It is recommended for this naan to be
eaten as a standalone dish to be able to get
the most out of its unique blend of flavours.
It should subsequently be eaten with the
other condiments.
Th e n e xt d i s h wa s Pa la k Pan e er
(RM4.50), which consists of palak (spin-
ach) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese).
The Indian cheese, which is made by
curdling heated milk with lemon juice, is Palak Paneer is a combination of spinach with bits of cottage cheese.
cut into cubes and added into the spinach,
which has a smooth, green-curry-like tex- chicken (RM7.50) were impeccable choic- mutton blend together. The juice from the
ture. es from the long list on the menu. meat adds more flavour to the already fra-
This incredibly popular curry dish has a The mildly spicy mutton was cut into grant rice.
pungent flavour and should be eaten with small pieces, and, when bitten into, was This dish can be described as a unique
the mild-flavoured garlic naan. succulent and tender. mixture of flavours dancing on your taste
The next must-try dish was the Aloo The chicken, which was buttery-textured buds as you savour every mouthful.
Gobi (RM4.00), which is yellowish in col- and salty, made a good condiment for any Govind’s is the place to be to feed your
our from the use of tumeric. of the three naans mentioned above. northern Indian cravings. This restaurant
The aloo (potato) and gobi (cauliflower) Finally, we had the mutton Briyani is a place where you get to taste a myriad of
tasted of cumin, garlic and coriander. The (RM10.80), where every grain of fragrant heavenly spices perfectly blended into one.
saltiness and mild sourness of the dish had rice was cooked to perfection. Govind’s is located on Persiaran Raja
new zest when complemented with the Served with an authentic Indian sour Muda Musa, Kawasan 6, 41100 Klang, Se-
sweetness of the Special Naan. yoghurt, the distinctness of this dish lies langor.
Next were the meats: the Mutton Rogan neither in the spices nor the ingredients, It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays at
Josh (RM6.80) and the red-sauced butter but in the way the flavours of the rice and dinnertime.
Rydgeway – the perfect fit
By Alvin Yap
AMPANG: Sunway Rydgeway
held an exclusive by-invitation only
viewing of the latest and pre-loved
haute couture designer items with
retailer Glampot here recently.
Guests strolled through Rydge-
way’s upscale bungalow showhouse
to admire the designer handbags
and fashion accessories which were
laid out in the lush and spacious
master bedrooms and living rooms.
The large walk-in closets fea-
tured in the bungalow highlighted
the quality finishing offered at
Rydgeway.
Meanwhile, at the modern and
elegant kitchen and dining room,
Rydgeway and Glampot tempted
guests with delectable and mouth
watering finger food.
Renowned and exclusive cater- An array of designer items and accessories were displayed at the
ers Just Pie and BreadStory laid out Sunway Rydgeway showhouse.
freshly baked pastries and other
starters for the visitors during after- site products embodying quality perfect “home” for the event show-
noon tea. and style. casing the high-end designer items.
In the luxurious dining room by “Many of the guests were also Lim said the exclusive property
the indoor courtyard patio, guests interested to learn about the attrac- at Melawati here comprised a low-
made new friends and acquant- tive sale packages currently offered density development, offering 40
ances as they dined on the delicious for Sunway Rydgeway,” said Daniel Zero Lot Bungalows and 30 semi-
offerings. Lim, executive director of Sunway- Ds on its 13.8-acre land.
“SunwayMas is pleased to col- Mas Sdn Bhd. Rydgeway has recorded an im-
laborate with Glampot for this He said many of the guests com- pressive take-up rate, and only a
event as we both cater to individu- mented that the tastefully designed limited number of Zero Lot Bunga-
als with discerning taste for exqui- and furnished bungalow lot was the lows is available for purchase.
18
food
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Dry pan mee for connoisseurs

Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur has some
of the best street hawker food in
the city. LIN ZHENYUAN joins some
friends for a special pan mee session

J
alan Tuanku Abdul Rahman used to be called Batu Road. In fact,
there are still some people who refer to this part of Kuala Lumpur
as such. Today it is known as Jalan TAR, named after the country’s
first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Although the long
stretch of road is not as busy as before, there are sections that are still
well frequented by foodies.
Around the corner from the popular nasi kandar shop Restoran
Kudus is a nondescript Chinese eatery that has an uninspiring facade.
Restoran Kin Kin is located on a narrow road, Jalan Dewan Sultan
Sulaiman Satu, diagonally opposite Malayan Arms Sdn Bhd.
Restoran Kin Kin’s specialty is its dry pan mee. For years now, it has
been quietly enjoying full capacity during lunchtime. Officer workers
come in large numbers and occupy all its tables and chairs.
I have no idea why the restaurant is called Kin Kin. Perhaps it means
“quick, quick” in Hokkien.
Some time ago, a friend heaped what I thought was outrageous praise
on Kin Kin’s spicy pan mee. So, one day last year I decided to pay a visit.
It wasn’t difficult to locate the place, although I was a bit apprehensive
about driving in an unfamiliar locality. Batu Road used to have a reputa-
tion that deters PJ middle-class folks from taking evening walks there.
When we got there, people from various walks of life were eating
with great gusto at the other tables. It had to be good, I thought, oth- Watch out for the big yellow sign that says Restoran Kin Kin.

erwise there wouldn’t be such a large
crowd. We ordered herbal drinks to go
with our meal.
The dry pan mee stall looked very “Batu
Road”, that is to say its physical appearance
gelled with the environment.
There were four gas tanks in front of
the stall. Business must be pretty good if
there was an urgency for extra tanks of
cooking gas.
There was a machine in the corner for
making strips of pan mee. At least two
foreign women workers were helping out
at the stall.
If you are wondering what is so unusual
about Kin Kin’s dry pan mee, it is the taste
and texture of the noodles that will make you
a believer. The appearance of the dish itself
would not drive you into ecstasy, but the first
mouthful may make you a “convert”.
When it first arrived at my table, I
stared hard at the small bowl of ordinary-
looking spicy pan mee. It really didn’t look
like anything that was fit for a king.
It had a half-boiled egg on top, and a
The dry pan mee that has a huge following among regulars.
generous spread of fried onion rings. There
was a jar of dry chilli flakes immersed in
oil on the table.
After the second mouthful, I regretted
ordering the small bowl. The ingredient
which gives the pan mee an extra “kick” is
the well-oiled chilli flakes in the jar. The
more spoonfuls you mix with the dry pan
mee, the more sensational the taste is.
You also get a bowl of soup with spin-
ach leaves in it.
I was made to understand that Restoran
Kin Kin is a family business. It has been
operating as long as anyone in the neigh-
bourhood can remember.
Operating hours from Monday to Friday
are 7.30am to 7pm. On weekends, it is from
7.30am to 5pm. The shop is closed on the
last Sunday of every month. One bowl of
spicy pan mee cost RM5.50, but the price
could have gone up recently, especially
around the Chinese New Year period.
Parking isn’t a problem in the area. Just
don’t forget to bring along your friends
and your wallet.

Office workers make a beeline for this shop during lunchtime. The pan mee stall that enjoys roaring business.
 news 19
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011

Food galore at

✂
Vaisakhi celebration

Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at

the nearest police station to have regular checks
at your house while you are away.

Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya

Tel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815
Borang maklumat
Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk
bercuti.

Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis

..............................................................................................
Hannah Yeoh and Gobind Singh officiating the food.
Butiran penduduk:
By Brenda Ch’ng

 said Gobind.

He hoped to see more such events at other gurd- Nama: ..................................................................................
SUBANG JAYA: A total of 150 different vegetar- waras.

ian dishes, prepared by the Sikh community here, “This is the first time I’ve been invited to this event, Alamat: .................................................................................
greeted devotees at Sunway’s Gurdwara Sahib’s Vai- and am glad to see the Sikh community growing and
sakhi celebration on Friday night.
 other races who are present united to celebrate Vai- ..............................................................................................
“All these dishes were prepared in a day by just 13 sakhi,” said Yeoh.

people,” said Jaswant Singh.
 In support of the event and to cover some of the ..............................................................................................
The president of the Sunway Gurdwara Sahib de- cost for food, Yeoh pledged RM3,000 to the gurdwara
scribed this year’s feat as a “record-breaking success”.
 from her annual allocation. Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................
On hand to commemorate the event and partake Yeoh was also invited up on stage to give hampers
of the food were Subang Jaya state assemblyperson to the children from Gurpuri Orphanage located on Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................
Hannah Yeoh and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.
 Jalan Ampang.

“It is events like this that bring people closer, and According to Jaswant, the gurdwara donates basic ..............................................................................................
it also helps other races understand Sikh culture,” necessities to the orphanage several times a year.
Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................

Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ...........................................

Lower crime rate with Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar
kenderaan).

Community Policing programme 1. ..........................................................................................

ting of wires in hawker stalls are 2. ..........................................................................................

The Community Policing team, with chairperson Low (seated far
right).
By Brenda Ch’ng
KLANG: The decreasing crime
rate in Bukit Tinggi 1 has brought
relief to residents and business
owners since the launch of the
Community Policing scheme six
months ago.  if it is at two or three in the morning.
“I know some residents who have
moved out of this area because they
are afraid, but now, after the launch
[of this programme], they feel it is
safer to move back to the neighbour-
hood,” said Low Chwee Kim.
The Community Policing chair-
person said he tries to be on the scene
every time he gets a phone call, even
Low said crimes such as snatch
thefts, shop robberies and the cut-
common in the area.
The policing team comprises 3. ..........................................................................................
Sergeant Manogaran Muniandy,
police personnel and residents. Lain-lain maklumat:
They patrol the area from 9pm to
midnight, three to four times a ..............................................................................................
week.
On Saturdays, patrolling time is
extended to three in the morning.
“A majority of the youths who are
caught are [believed to be] Saba- ............................................... .......................................
hans. They live upstairs in the shop- Tandatangan Tarikh
lots and come out only at night to
steal,” said Manogaran.
He said Lorong Batu Nilam 1C Have you checked
is a hotspot for the crimes.
“Two men recently attacked me your electrical
at my [bicycle] shop with parangs
in broad daylight. My worker man- switches before
aged to call the community police,
but the robbers escaped,” said bi- leaving home?
c ycle shop owner Toh S o on
Chuan. Before ieaving your home for a holoday, have you
His shop on Lorong Batu Nilam checked all your electrical switches and turned off
has been broken into three times.  your gas tanks?
The Community Policing unit is
trying to get more residents in the Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at
area to be involved in the pro-
gramme. 03-5634 9444
20
FEATURES
APRIL 22 — 24, 2011
Much to learn from Thailand
T
wo weeks ago, by visiting Pattaya and helping to
get the event going, I fulfilled a year-old promise
to my good friend Kai Tuorila, mainstay of the
Bangkok Chess Club and organiser of the Thailand Open,
which is now in its 11th edition.
In 2009, I had attended the Thailand Open for the
first time when it was first upgraded from the Bangkok
Open, with some financial assistance from the Thailand
Tourism Board.
I had observed in my blog www.thefidetrainer.blogs-
pot.com that there were many things that even long-
time organisers of major events in the region could learn
from the crew of volunteers from the Bangkok Chess
Club. This time around, I again saw how they have
raised the bar.
Last year I organised the KL Open just before the
Thailand Open to ensure that the professionals playing
had two back-to-back events to help defray expenses and
make it much more financially. But this time around,
Thailand had to go it alone and were equally successful.
What they did to ensure this is worth analysing because
they used their strengths and built a value proposition
that ensured a total of 219 participants from 32 countries,
including 12 grandmasters (GM) and 15 international
masters (IM).
Short (left) against Vallejo-Pons during their fourth-round encounter in the Thailand Open 2011 recently.
The game ended in a draw after nine moves.
Ampang MP Trophy
next month
SHAH ALAM: More than RM2,000 in prize
money is up for the grabs in the upcoming Mem-
ber of Parliament (Ampang ) Cup next month.
The one-day rapid event is open to all Malay-
sians and will be held on May 15.
The tournament will be played with Swiss
time control of 25 minutes per player.
Entry fee is RM25 for adults and RM10 for
students.
The seven-round tournament, which is sponsored
by the Ampang Jaya Chess Club and the MP for
Ampang’s office, is a national rated event. The MP
for Ampang is Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Get smart!
Play chess!
By Peter Long
peterlong@aol.asia
Kai was very clear on what he had to do for his sponsors
and also what he wanted for the event.
Very early on, he had put up a well-publicised Face-
Book page and ensured the website of the Bangkok Chess
Club was regularly updated. He sold the idea of sun and
sand at the five-star Dusit Thani in Pattaya.
And he found sponsors to bring in their first 2,700-rat-
ed player, GM Francisco Vallejo Pons, and three other
Gustafsson deep in thought. The German pipped Short and
big-name players including GM Nigel Short, defending Vallejo-Pons to the title after finishing with 7.5 points.
champion GM Sune Berg Hansen, and German star GM
Jan Gustafsson. Distributor for DGT), and Ian and Cathy Rogers were roped in to
To ensure sufficient international media coverage, generate press releases daily with commentary and photos for syndica-
there was a daily live broadcast of games using the DGT tion to some 40 chess major websites, blogs and newspaper columns.
Boards (disclaimer: Polgar Chess Asia is the Malaysian No harm was done either with the Thailand Open being held dur-
ing the Songkran Festival, which celebrates the Thai New Year. Not-
withstanding having elephants around, I still can’t get over Dusit
Thani letting the organisers have their ballroom for free for a whole
week, including refreshments.
The organisers also had a great deal by paying some RM250 a night
for a suite that could host 10 people comfortably.
There was an added bonus in that the top three seeds – Pons, Short,
and Gustafsson – all went on to the last round on 6.5 points, and so
ensured an exciting photo finish with another eight other players just
one point behind on six points.
Results (9 rounds) – 1. Jan Gustafsson (Ger) 7.5 pts; 2. Nigel
Short (Eng), Francisco Vallejo Pons (Esp) 7.5 pts; 4. Martin Voigt
(Ger), Yang Kaiqi (Chn) 7 pts; 6. Jha Sriram (Ind), Sune Berg
Hansen (Den), Max Illingworth (Aus), Roy Saptarshi (Ind), Somak
Palit (Ind) 6.5 pts.
Here is the Gustafsson’s title winning game, not the win in the last
round but the only decisive result among the top seeds when he took
down Short, who was then leading.
Nigel Short – Jan Gustafsson
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7.
Bb3 0-0 8. a3 Bc5 9. c3 d6 10. d4 Bb6 11. h3 h6 12. Be3 Bb7 13.
Nbd2 Re8 14. d5 Ne7 15. bxb6 cxb6 16. Ba2 Bc8 17. b4 Ng6 18.
Re3 Nh7 19. Kh2 Rf8 20. Rc1 Nf4 21. c4 bxc4 22. Nxc4 b5 23. Na5
f5 24. Nc6 Qf6 25. Bb1 Kh8 26. Qb3 Bd7 27. exf5 Bxf5
The champion stands to pick up RM500, while
there are also prizes for the various groups such as
top veteran, top woman player, top Ampang Jaya
resident, top student, and others.
As the event is registered for national rating,
players will stand a chance to earn valuable rating
points to improve their local rankings.
For more information, contact Abdul Hakim
Noordin at 019-3925828 or email him at abdulha-
kimnoordin@yahoo.com.
Early registration or payment can be made via
Najib Wahab at 016-3382542 or nab.wahab@chess-
malaysia.com. 28. Nxce5 dxe5 29. Rc6 Qf7 30. Bxf5 Qxf5 31. Rxe5 Qd3 32. Qb2
Rf6 33. Rc7 Rg6 0-1
 views 21
april 22 — 24, 2011

Good chi at Garden Residence

By Alvin Yap

CYBERJAYA: Upscale residen-

tial homes are now increasingly
marketed as “resort-style” living,
and Mah Sing Group’s Garden
Residence development is certainly
on the spot.
Choosing Cyberjaya as the loca-
tion of one of their flagship develop-
ments has been a step in the right
direction, according to chief operat-
ing officer Teh Heng Chong (right).
“In many ways, this is the perfect
location for our Garden Residence
property and the resort style we
want to achieve,” said Teh.
The development is near Putra-
jaya’s Precint 11 and offers a low-
density neighbourhood, which suits
the Garden Residence’s “resort-liv-
ing” theme.
The 115-acre development sits
on gently rolling hills and is home
to upmarket commercial and resi-
dential lots.
Garden Residence’s top-notch
offering is its 69 units of 3 ½-storey
bungalows with 7,800 square feet of
built-up living space, called Aspen.
The Aspen bungalows come with
seven bedrooms with their own at-
tached bathrooms, and is priced at
a RM3 million per unit.
However, the price is expected to
rise by 10% to 15% by May.
“Each room is designed as a self-
contained suite, with space that can
operate as a study or a sitting room,”
said Teh.
The spacious bungalow is de-
signed as an “inter-generational”
home, according to Teh.
“The bungalow is designed for
the parents to stay on one floor, and
maybe the eldest son’s family on
another floor,” said Teh, explaining
that there are master bedrooms on
both the first and second floors.
The pièce de la résistance in As-
pen’s amenity is perhaps the elevator
Aspen three-and-a-half-storey bungalows.
that serves the ground floor all the
way to the third floor, which houses
a gymnasium and a rooftop Jacuzzi
at the outdoor deck.   property development.
“Together with the ‘observation-
deck’-style balcony on the second
floor, Aspen bungalows are designed
in the latest townhouse style and fit
the resort theme,” said Teh.
The spacious balcony on the sec-
ond floor and the Jacuzzi deck on the
third floor are perfect for a morning
leisurely breakfast, he added.
Teh pointed out that a similar-
type bungalow in Petaling Jaya or
Kuala Lumpur would be priced at
least RM4million and more.
Teh said Cyberjaya’s location was
perfect for Garden Residence as it
is located away from the busy and
crowded areas associated with
Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.
However, the commute to the
Kuala Lumpur central business
district takes only 15-20 minutes
using the Maju Expressway.
According to Teh, the location
gives Garden Residence one of the
largest “green lung” areas in any
He said the response to the cur-
rent development was positive and
Mah Sing has already acquired
another two parcels of land to build
its Garden Plaza high-rise suites
and shops.  work and at home.
The construction is slated to be-
gin as soon as the company obtains
permission.
Garden Residence will boast a
large body of water with its lakeside
development that fronts its club-
house and niche retail shops, like
bookshops and supermarket.
“We want to be as self-contained
as possible in Garden Residence,”
said Teh.
The rolling hill that stretches
beyond the rear of the the develop-
ment is prized by Feng Shui masters,
said Teh.
Mah Sing has also engaged re-
nowned Feng Shui master Joey Yap
to consult on the present location
for its Garden Residence develop-
ment.
According to Yap, the develop-
ment at Garden Residence contains
two “crucial elements” in generat-
ing positive Chi, a natural “life
force” which can affect people at
Speaking at a forum at Mah
Sing’s launch last Sunday, Yap said
prospective buyers should look into
the natural surroundings in any
property development.
“Look and see if it has hills. See
if it has a body or water nearby,”
he told a crowd of 70 participants
who listened intently to the Feng
Shui coach. 
He said hills and water was cru-
cial in influencing people in both
character and problem solving skills.
Both areas, he said, was impor-
tant in “wealth and happiness”
creation.

Hopping fun at GSC

PETALING JAYA: It was a fun
day out for 32 children as they
hopped away with exclusive movie
premiums when they took part in
the GSC Hop Match Challenge
and showed off their creativity in a
egg-painting contest at Golden
Screen Cinemas (GSC) in 1 Uta-
ma and Alamanda recently.
Some of the first-time partici-
pants were so eager that they turned
up as early as 10am to register for
the games.
The main competition began
with the Hop Match Challenge as
over 16 participants (age 7-12) were
broken up into six groups and given
the task to hop and collect as many
ping-pong balls as they could.
At GSC 1 Utama, 12-year-old
Lee Jasen from Ampang bagged the
top prize in as he out-hopped eve-
ryone else within the allocated three
minutes to take home Hop movie
premiums and Gold Class movie
vouchers.
No stranger to GSC roadshows, Participants
taking part
Jasen said he has kept on coming
inthe Hop
back because of the prizes. Challenge
“It is the prizes that attract me in in GSC
the first place,” he said. 1 Utama
Meanwhile, regular GSC road- recently.
show participant, 10-year-old Sa-
mantha Leong’s persistence was well
rewarded as her family drove all the
way from Section 14, Petaling Jaya
to join in the Hop activities at GSC
Alamanda, Putrajaya.
Her reward was winning the
second prize consisting of a Hop
backpack, Hop stickers, and movie
vouchers in the egg-painting con- mentary passes and Hop movie photographs with the character. Fans can also join the GSC Face-
test. premiums. For more upcoming events and book fan page at (www.facebook.
During the roadshow, moviego- Phil, the character from Hop, also promotions, log on to www.gsc. com/GSCinemas) or follow them
ers were also entertained with Q&A stopped by at both cinemas and com.my or www.gscmobile.com. on Twitter (www.twitter.com/GS-
sessions and rewarded with compli- many took the opportunity to snap my. Cinemas).
22
Gallery
april 22 — 24, 2011

Gasing assemblyperson Edward Lee (in red) with committee members and sponsors of the Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong (left, in batik shirt) talking
Sree Maha Mariaman Muneswaran Temple in Petaling Jaya, during a celebration last to Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation vice-president Tan Sri Lee Lam
Thursday with MBPJ staff and families to usher in the Tamil New Year. Also present was Thye during a forum on crime prevention in schools, held in Klang on
MBPJ local councillor Anthony Jayaseelan (fifth from left). April 16.

Some of the participating dogs

eyeing the camera at the first-
ever pet carnival in Seri
Kembangan on April 17.

The launch of the Blind Leading the Blind event at MBPJ car park last Sunday. Some 150 people Children participating in an egg-painting contest, part of Golden
took part in the walk, held as part of the Petaling Jaya Lions Club’s First Sight programme to raise Screen Cinemas’ Hop Challenge at GSC 1 Utama and Alamanda
funds for free cataract surgery. The event was flagged off by mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman. recently.
 Culture 23
April 22 — 24, 2011
Compiled by Nick Choo

INTERVIEW
Just how civilised are we?
Tell us, in your own words, about
God of Carnage. What struck you
most when you first read the
script?
Will: On a deeper level, the play
deals with the question: just how
civilised are we? One point of view
is that people are just animals with
a facade of polite behavior. Others
believe people are intrinsically good.
The play lets audiences ride along
as social graces and the facades of
expectation are torn down violently,
and the true faces of human nature
are revealed.
I was immediately struck by the
honesty of the play, and more than
that, the comedy that came from
such an uncomfortably true-to-life
look at how people sometimes be-
have.    Why, then, do you think it would
Lina: What appealed to me most is
that the play begins with such a
simple everyday situation – [parents
discussing their children] – which
very quickly and unexpectedly esca-
lates into an extremely absurd and
crazy one.
It makes us take a good look at
how ridiculous we can be sometimes
when we let small matters in our
lives become larger than necessary.  Globalisation has made us more
Tell us about your characters. How
do you relate to them?
Lina: I play Annette, a wealth man-
ager [who] lives in Manhattan with
her lawyer husband Alan. They are
both very career orientated, like the
fast city life, and are always very
busy. She is fairly uptight and used
to dealing with high-pressure cor-
porate situations. She is a complete
control freak. She comes across very
strong on the outside but is actually
very soft on the inside.
There are certain aspects of her
that I can relate to. Being a strong
independent woman, it’s sometimes
THE second annual PJ Laugh Festival
at PJ Live Arts @ Jaya One opens
Editor’s with this 2009 Tony Award-winning
Pick comedy play, which premiered in New
York in 2009 with Hollywood bigwigs
God of Carnage Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James
Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden.
Theatre; April 28-May
Malaysia’s version features Will
8; PJ Live Arts @
Quah, Maya Tan, Megat Sharizal and
Jaya One; RM60; 03-
former Ms Malaysia World Lina Teoh,
79600439, www.pjla.
directed by David Lim.
com.my
God of Carnage is a tale of two
couples who meet to discuss the
very difficult to juggle life between ple are inherently selfish, and greedy.
our careers, husbands, families and It’s both human nature and animal
children. And life can be very de- instinct. And that’s something I
manding and fast-paced at times. So believe in, too – though possibly not
I guess I can relate to her struggle to as extremely as he does.
keep that balance, stay calm and try
to keep everything in control. With a cast of just four, I imagine
that chemistry is an important as-
Will: My character is a hotshot New pect. How do you generate chem-
York lawyer. He has a tenuous grasp istry with your fellow cast mem-
of things such as morality and po- bers? Or is chemistry something
liteness. He has no problem answer- that either just exists or it doesn’t?
ing a business call while in mid-
sentence. I like to think I am a little Lina: Haha! I’m very curious to
diplomatic and classy than that. hear how Will answers this ques-
But we are similar in his view of tion!
humanity. He believes that all peo- I think chemistry is something
misdemeanours of their sons.
“The evening begins quite amicably
with the four parents intending to
resolve the situation diplomatically.
However, as their hopes begin to
splinter and disillusionment sets in,
the evening deteriorates from one of
mild unease and discomfort into a
deluge of accusations, recriminations,
jealousy and rage.”
Readers of Selangor Times can get
a 20% discount on tickets by showing
this article at the box office.
that comes naturally. You either
have it or you don’t. But that doesn’t
necessarily affect your performance.
As actors we have to work with
many different types of people. You
will always get along with some more
than others. The difference is when
you get along with someone, it makes
the whole process much more pleas-
ant and enjoyable, as opposed to
when you don’t get along, and it
becomes frustrating and miserable.
Although in this play our charac-
ters don’t really get along and there’s
a lot of fighting, off stage we all have
a lot of fun. I feel very honored to
be sharing the stage with all of them.
Will: I’m sure that chemistry can
grow over time with rehearsal, but
luckily for us we all just clicked. Lina
and I have always been great friends.
I’ve known Maya for a while, too,
and I’ve known Megat by reputa-
tion. I have enormous respect and
admiration for all of them; they
know themselves and their craft
intimately, are totally confident in
their characters, and work hard to
make the rehearsal space a fun and
nurturing environment.
It’s amazing knowing you can go
on stage and have 100% trust in your
fellow actors and know that no one
is going to drop the ball, no matter
how crazy it gets on stage.    
The show premiered in New York.
appeal to a Malaysian audience?
Will: I’m a firm believer that we are,
nowadays, far more plugged into
American pop culture than that of
the UK. UK culture was a big thing
20 years ago when all the comedies
and TV were British, but these days
we all live and breathe US dramas,
music, movies, sitcoms, brands,
magazines, etc.
American than ever. So I think
people will be able to get right into
the play almost off the bat. It’s also
such a universal piece. The subject
matter is borderless.
Lina: It’s just a really funny, well-
written piece that has universal
themes that I think anyone around
the world can relate to. It’s about
parents, children, relationships,
women, men and much more! I
think everyone will take something
different from it, and that’s what
makes it so clever and interesting.
It’s not often that plays like this
get staged in Malaysia, so I really do
hope people come and watch it.

music theatre
Caipifruta Go Graz, Austria! Love Journey 2
April 28-30; April 27-May 1;
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre;
RM40; RM43/RM23;
03-40479000; www.klpac.org 03-40479000; www.klpac.org

Join singers Tracy Wong, Lai Suk Yin, Aaron Teoh, Joel Wong and Love Journey 2 features Joanna
jazz pianist Wei Zhong for a tongue-in-cheek, colourful evening of Bessey in an evening of comedic
musical exploration. Like the cocktail drink which inspired their name, suspense, jazz, love and blues
Caipifruta! aims to tantalise and relax your senses with splashes of with the Michael Veerapen Trio, Junji
jazz, a dash of pop and a slice of Broadway, all shaken together with a Delfino and Malik Taufiq. Having
twist of humour and a few surprises. All proceeds from this concert go recovered from the blues of the
towards funding Caipifruta!’s trip to represent Malaysia in the Jazz and first Love Journey, Bessey’s Lily
Pop categories of the World Youth Choir Championships. M La Rue is optimistic, in love and
pregnant! Just when she thinks she
dance has finally found happiness, she is
faced with new (and growing) bumps
in her road to love, including her jazz
Masterpiece in Motion works created by four prestigious singing rival, Bianca Devereaux.
Dance; April 28 & 29; choreographers. Programme A on April “A journey back in time with music
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts 28-29 comprises Concerto Barocco from the 1930s through to the
Centre; by George Balanchine, As Above, So 1950s in this unique performance
RM43/RM33/RM18; Below by Edward Liang, and Nameless marring the magical world of the
03-40479000; www.klpac.org by Xing Liang; while Programme B theatre and a snazzy jazz club,
on April 29 at 3pm features Hold the with classics like Give Me the
Singapore Dance Theatre and Fourth by Daniel Roberts; As Above, Simple Life, Cheek to Cheek, All Or
KLPac present Masterpiece So Below by Edward Liang and Nothing At All, Lover Man and Is
in Motion, featuring dance Nameless by Xing Liang. You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby.”