Opposition calling for Johor to rebuild 150-year-old mansion

JOHOR BARU: The Opposition is calling for the state government to rebuild the demolished 150-year-old Wong Ah Fook mansion.

Stulang assemblyman Andrew Cheng said on Tuesday that while it would not restore the true value and sentiment of the mansion, it would at least be a record of Wong's huge contribution to the state's development.

He added that the demolition of the mansion was a valuable lesson for the federal and state government to ensure that protection of historical sites are done promptly so that no such incidents would happen again in future.

"This is partly due to the negligence and ignorance of the relevant authorities because there were talks that the state government wanted to gazette the piece of land two years ago but no action have been taken so far," he said in a press conference.

The mansion, which once belonged to Wong Ah Fook, who was the chief contractor who built many iconic buildings in Johor Baru was torn down by contractors at 11pm last Wednesday night.

SYARAT & PERATURAN BARU BAUCAR BUKU BB1M MULAI 1 MEI 2014

Peraturan baru guna Baucar Buku 1Malaysia (BB1M) mulai 1 Mei 2014. Kerajaan telah memutuskan bahawa syarat penggunaan BB1M akan diperketatkan mulai tarikh tersebut. Ini berikutan dari penyalahgunaan Baucar Buku seperti penukaran kepada wang tunai dan membeli barangan bukan akademik seperti alat elektronik dan sebagainya. Berikut adalah peraturan baru penggunaan BB1M kepada pelajar dan juga peniaga.

Peraturan Baru Baucar Buku BB1M Mulai 1 Mei 2014 (Pelajar)

• ·         Pelajar hanya boleh membeli buku akademik, ilmiah, jurnal, peralatan tulis dan sebagainya atau berkaitan dengan bidang pengajian.
• ·         Pelajar tidak boleh menukar baucar kepada wang tunai atau dijual pada pihak ketiga.
• ·         Pelajar juga tidak boleh memiliki lebih dari 5 keping baucar buku.
• ·         Penyalahgunaan boleh dikenakan tindakatan undang-undang seksyen 403 kanun keseksaan atas salah guna harga dengan curang.

Peraturan Baru Baucar Buku BB1M Mulai 1 Mei 2014 (Kedai)

• ·         Mulai 1 Mei 2014, kedai wajib menampal poster ” Baucar Buku BB1M Hanya Untuk Buku Akademik dan Peralatan Tulis Sahaja”
• ·         Tidak menjual bahan bukan akademik kepada pelajar.
• ·         Peniaga yang gagal mematuhi peraturan akan disenarai hitam dan tidak akan dibenarkan untuk menyertai program baucar buku selama tiga tahun berturut.

MISSING MH370 : MAS 'lost contact' with plane carrying 239 people

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airline officials are now contacting the next of kin of the passengers of flight MH370.

A Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing has lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 2.40am, today.

The plane was carrying a total number of 227 passengers including two infants and twelve crew members.

Malaysia Airlines said in a statement that the B777-200 aircraft had departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am today and was expected to land in Beijing at 6.30am the same day.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft," the statement said.

The airline said they will provide regular updates on the situation.

Meanwhile AFP reported, a spokeswoman said she could not immediately provide further details.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) planes have had few accidents.

One of the smaller Twin Otter aircraft, operated by MASwings, crashed upon  landing in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island last October, killing a  co-pilot and a passenger.

A jet crashed in 1977 in southern Malaysia, killing all 93 passengers and  seven crew.

China's CCTV said 160 Chinese nationals were onboard the flight, according to microblogging website Weibo.

Chinese state TV also reported there had not been any reports received yet about any aircraft crashed in Chinese waters.

State news agency Xinhua reported radar contact with the flight was lost while it was in Vietnamese airspace.

If the plane is found to have crashed, the loss would mark the second fatal accident involving a Boeing 777 in less than a year, after an unblemished safety record since the jet entered service in 1995.

Last summer, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash landed in San Francisco, killing three passengers.

AP reported, “Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew. Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support,” Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.  

 “Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members,” he added. 

1,000 expected to participate in Sabah's Purple Walk on Mar 29

KOTA KINABALU: Approximately 1,000 people are expected to participate in the 'Purple Walk' programme organised by the Sabah Women Affairs Department at the Perdana Park, Tanjung, near here, on March 29.

The department's director, Fatimah Jaafar, said the programme, being organised in conjunction with the World Women's Day, would begin at 7.15 am and to be launched by Sabah Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid.

"Participants will start walking from Perdana Park heading to Tanjung Aru Plaza and around the SMK La Salle before returning to the main stage area at the Perdana Park," she said in a statement here today.

Fatimah said among the objectives for the programmes were to enliven the state-level Women's Day celebration and to encourage the public to live a healthy lifestyle, besides nurturing unity among the people.

Other activities include aerobics, lucky draw and a mini concert, she said.

All are welcome to enliven the programme.

Lembah Kelang hadapi masalah air jika panas berterusan

HULU SELANGOR: Penduduk Lembah Kelang termasuk Putrajaya bakal berhadapan masalah bekalan air bersih yang kritikal jika cuaca panas yang melanda negara ketika ini berlarutan tiga minggu lagi.

Timbalan Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid berkata jika berterusan, paras air di Empangan Sungai Selangor dan Klang Gate yang ketika ini mempunyai simpanan air kurang daripada 60 peratus akan terus merosot, sekali gus memberi kesan besar kepada kira-kira dua juta pengguna yang bergantung kepada sumber air dari kawasan tadahan itu.

“Ketika ini simpanan air di Empangan Sungai Selangor hanya berbaki 57.63 peratus manakala Empangan Klang Gate sebanyak 58 peratus dan jika tiada hujan dalam masa 16 hari, takungan air boleh menurun sehingga 45 peratus.

“Walaupun kedudukan baki simpanan air masih terkawal, namun kementerian perlu melakukan sesuatu kerana jika keadaan kemarau berterusan kita akan memasuki tahap kritikal dan catuan air mungkin perlu dilakukan,” katanya dalam sidang media selepas melawat Empangan Sungai Selangor, di sini hari ini.

Empangan Sungai Selangor yang terletak di Kuala Kubu Bharu, Hulu Selangor mampu menampung ketinggian air maksimum 220 meter dan membekalkan 60 peratus sumber air di Lembah Klang.

Bagi menangani masalah itu, Mahdzir berkata berkata beliau telah mengarahkan kementerian, kerajaan negeri Selangor serta operator pengagihan air di kawasan terlibat bermesyuarat selewat-lewatnya minggu depan bagi merangka tindakan yang perlu diambil jika paras air di kedua-dua empangan terus merosot.

Beliau berkata selain catuan air, langkah lain yang boleh diambil ialah melaksanakan pembenihan awan bagi meningkatkan lagi kadar hujan.

“Pembenihan ini akan dilaksanakan di kawasan tadahan Empangan Sungai Selangor dan kawasan lain sekiranya simpanan empangan tersebut mencapai tahap 45 peratus iaitu 103.50 juta meter padu,” katanya dan menambah penurunan itu turut disebabkan peningkatan dan penggunaan air di Lembah Klang.

Dalam perkembangan sama, beliau memaklumkan paras air di empangan di Kedah, Perlis dan Pulau Pinang masih terkawal dan tidak kritikal walaupun cuaca panas dan kemarau sedang melanda negeri berkenaan

Rasuah Pembinaan UMK, Jeli

KUALA LUMPUR: Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) telah mengemukakan kesemua 18 kertas siasatan yang dibukanya berhubung salah laku dan kecuaian penjawat awam dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2012 kepada Pejabat Peguam Negara untuk tindakan lanjut. 

Ketua Setiausaha Negara, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, berkata antara 18 kes yang disiasat oleh SPRM setakat 21 Februari lepas ialah tuntutan palsu pengarah di Kementerian Kerja Raya membabitkan dua projek Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). 

Pengarah itu mengesahkan Sijil Perakuan siap bagi kerja -kerja pembinaan asrama UMK di Jeli dan kampus di Bachok yang masing-masing bernilai RM23.6 juta dan RM100.4 juta sedangkan kerja tidak mengikut spesifikasi serta tidak disiapkan sepenuhnya oleh kontraktor