TNB deal in Sabah raises eyebrows

Why is Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd paying a TNB subsidiary
RM18 million annually for routine services when it can
do the job itself?

TAWAU: The yearly payment of RM18 million to a subsidiary of national utility company Tenaga National Bhd for routine services of a power station in Sabah has come under the spotlight.

Sabah DAP chairman Jimmy Wong said state utility company, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, which is itself a subsidiary of TNB, must explain the rationale for the multi-million ringgit bill for maintenance checks by TNB Remaco on the Kubota Power Plant at Taman Millennium.

Wong said SESB should be able to handle the routine task without having to engage TNB Remaco for the job as has been done in the past.

“The RM18 million is only used to conduct routine operation and service. Any major breakdown is still paid by SESB.

Shafie’s wooing Yong back into BN

In a bid to unseat Musa Aman, Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal
is allegedly brokering deals with SAPP's Yong Teck Lee.

Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal is allegedly masterminding the return of former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee into the Barisan Nasional and claiming he has the tacit approval of party president Najib Tun Razak to negotiate the return.

This is despite the fact that Sabah BN components distrust Yong, who is Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president.

Yong, Shafie and Joseph Ambrose Lee were partners in crime at one time. They allegedly took over the RM30-billion timber wealth of Yayasan Sabah through a share-swap. The “swap” had allegedly taken place when Yong was chief minister and Shafie a directer in Yayasan Sabah.

Hands off Gaza! Stop the massacre!

The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) condemns Israel for its latest brutal assault on the Palestinian people.

Israel has once again intensified its aggression against the Palestinian people of Gaza, by launching airstrikes since 14 Nov 2012. Israel has amassed troops on the border and threatened a ground invasion on the Gaza Strip. More than 100 Palestinians including at least 23 children have been killed since the new massacre called “Operation Pillar of Defense” began.

East Malaysia's oil will pay huge RM45bil PTPTN bad debt

With only about half of the money owed to it collected, one may think that it is time for the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to start tightening the screws.

However, according to its chief executive officer Agos Cholan, PTPTN still wants to do things "the nice way".

"We have the nice way and the harsh way. So far, we have been quite nice and moderate. We advertise in newspapers, on billboards and hold awareness campaigns to tell the people ‘pay back, lah', and so on.

Orang Asli students slapped for refusing to recite islamic doa !

GUA MUSANG: Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo wants the education minister and the attorney-general to explain why no action has been taken against the teacher who slapped four Orang Asli children for not reciting the doa (Islamic prayer).

Such delays allow abuses to take place, Gobind said, such as the alleged attempts by teachers to pay the families of each student RM300 if they withdraw their police report.

"This is what happens when there is delay on part of the authorities in taking action. Investigations in this case would be complicated.

SELEPAS RCI, NAJIB KENA UMUM PATI VALI?

Oleh : MUTALIB M.D

SEMALAM, saya telah disiasat oleh DSP Ahmad Asmadi Hj Muhammat Salim dari Pasukan Siasatan Suruhanjaya Siasatan Di Raja (RCI) selama lebih kurang 3 jam 14 minit yang di Bilik 405, Hotel Grand Pacific, Jalan Tun Ismail, Kuala Lumpur di bawah Seksyen 16 (2) (a) Akta Suruhanjaya Siasatan 1950 (Akta 119).

Siasatan berkenaan diperlukan bagi membolehkan Panel RCI membuat keputusan sama ada saya perlu dipanggil sebagai saksi untuk memberi keterangan di hadapan Panel RCI yang akan mengadakan sidang pertama pada 14 Januari 2013 di Mahkamah Tinggi Kota Kinabalu.

Untuk makluman rakyat Sabah, saya dijemput untuk memberi kenyataan awal kepada Panel Siasatan RCI kerana saya telah menulis empat buah buku berkaitan kerakyatan songsang iaitu IC Palsu Merampas Hak Anak Sabah; Pengundi Untuk Disewa; IC Projek Agenda Tersembunyi Mahathir (?) dan 007-Lelaki Malaysia Terakhir; serta peranan saya sebagai Penulis Blog IC Palsu dan Pengendali Portal Sabahkini.net; yang sering mendedahkan isu PATI dan kerakyatan songsang.

Menurut peruntukan Seksyen 16 (2) (a) Akta Suruhanjaya Siasatan 1950 memberikuasa kepada Pendakwa Raya untuk membantu Pesuruhjaya;

‘Virgin Mary’ image handed over to Church

The removal of the window panes was carried out by
professionals with due care, safety and caution.

PETALING JAYA: The Sime Darby Medical Centre Subang Jaya (SDMC SJ) has removed and handed over two window panes from the North Tower of the hospital complex to the Catholic Church.

One of the panes has on it marks that some claim resemble artistic depictions of Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

“SDMC SJ had agreed to hand over the window panes at the request of the Church. ”

“The removal of the window panes was carried out by professionals with due care, safety and caution exercised throughout the process, which started at 10 am and ended without incident at 11.35 am,” the medical centre said in a statement today.

Jeffrey paints bleak scenario on Sabah

The STAR chairman doesn't buy the BN propaganda that
the state is not in the grip of grinding poverty.

By Joe Fernandez

Sabah strongman Jeffrey Kitingan isn’t buying the increasingly shrill propaganda barrage emanating from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition… that the influx of foreign labour into Sabah provides the clearest proof that there’s continuing development in the state and that it isn’t the poorest in the country as depicted by recent figures.

It’s an issue being flogged to death by both sides of the political divide in Sabah and Sarawak.

Jeffrey surprisingly waxed more eloquently than usual late this week in the local media on a nightmare scenario in the state. He hesitated in the temptation, for once, to go as usual all over the place. The opposition, he hastened to add, wasn’t being blind to the reality and accused the state government of being in a state of denial on Sabah’s “grinding poverty”.

PBS preparing for Pairin’s last stand

By Calvin Kabaron

If Pairin gives up public service, the Kadazandusuns could
pick someone with a family connection to take over.

PENAMPANG: There’s a certain nervousness in the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) ranks in the run-up to next week’s three-day party congress. It could well be the final one for its founder, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, at least as president.

With others in the party hierarchy expected to either shore up their positions or jockey for them, the congress is also expected to be closely monitored by many in the state hoping for a hint of what course the party will take.

Drafts of Pairin’s policy speech are being vetted by the top leadership, said sources who revealed that it focuses on pressing issues facing Sabah, such as the illegal immigrants, preparations for the general election and eventual change of leadership.

STAR: CM Must Take Responsibility for Sabah’s Poverty

Musa must take responsibility for 

Sabah’s poverty

It was very disturbing to read in the local papers on Thurs 15 Nov, 2012 that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman continues to remain in a state of denial on the grinding poverty situation in Sabah.

This is really unbecoming on the part of the Chief Minister. His high-handed attitude should be deplored and roundly condemned by all Sabahans especially the vast majority who has been suffering for so long under the BN Government since 1994.

We are by no means entirely blaming Musa for the plight of Sabah but he must share a large part of the blame. He has been the Chief Executive for a good many years and shows no signs, if any, of going away anytime soon and giving others an opportunity to do a better job.