6œ theSun | WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19 2008

news without borders

Husna Yusop and Tim Leonard at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday

Focus on Malaysian
Bus fares to go up We have
culture and lifestyle
RADIO Television Malaysia (RTM)
is ready to support the production
Discovery Channel.
Ahmad agreed that the

despite fuel price drop

to consider of ethnic Malaysian programmes beauty and richness of the diverse
the based on current need, Informa- cultures and lifestyles are inter-
problems tion Minister Datuk Ahmad Shab- esting subjects which should be
ery Cheek said. documented and shown to the
faced “I wish there were more films public.
by bus or dramas portraying the beauti- Earlier, he said RTM would add
AN INCREASE in express new rates as the government operators ful scenery of the country as RTM to its TV channels from the current
and stage bus fares would understands that users of bus because would be keen to market them to two in line with its digitalisation
be unavoidable next year services come mostly from other countries,” he said. project and based on contem-
despite the drop in fuel prices, the lower income group.
if they Ahmad told Datuk Dr Marcus porary need. The station would
Entrepreneur and Cooperative “Still, we have to consider don’t make Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) Malaysia also air more ethnic-oriented
Development Minister Datuk the problems faced by bus profits, and South Korea had entered programmes, in addition to exist-
Noh Omar said. operators because if they eventually into agreements to facilitate an ing slots like Panorama and Galeri
This is due to the operators don’t make profits, eventu- it is the exchange of materials and content Perdana, and programmes for
demanding higher fares – not ally it is the people who will to be aired by the state TV stations festivals such as Pesta Kaamatan
revised since 2005 – as a result suffer. Bus companies would people of both countries. and Hari Gawai which were aired
of higher maintenance costs have to sell off their buses, who will “I have instructed RTM to make live on the Selamat Pagi Malaysia
such as that for batteries, tyres reduce the number of trips, suffer. Bus dramas with Sabah and Sarawak segments.
and insurance, he said. and worse, would not be able companies as the background. I have asked To another question from
“It has been more than to settle their loans,” Noh them to give priority to producers Saifudin Nasution Ismail (PKR-
three years now. So, while we added.
would have who are willing to make such Machang), Ahmad said the
looked into their demands, Bus operators in the to sell off dramas or films,” he said. ministry’s agenda would continue
the government agreed to country, through their asso- their buses, “For example, many people to focus on local content even if
allow them to increase their ciations, have requested a reduce the visited South Korea after the RTM were to have 18 or 19 new
surcharge before the recent 100% increase in fares. number Winter Sonata drama series was channels.
Hari Raya and to give them However, Noh had gone first aired on TV. They wanted to “Content is important. Two
several incentives in relation on record as saying “I do not of trips, see the bench on which the hero channels are not enough. We
to road tax and toll under Budget 2009. foresee a 100% hike as requested by some players in and worse, had sat, the place and things like have about 400 content produc-
“So we will consider all these, and feel that an the industry”. would not that.” ers in the country, but our two
increase in fares would be unavoidable early next year,” Earlier, he told Abdul Aziz Abd Kadir (PKR-Ketereh) be able to Mojigoh, in a supplementary channels can accommodate only
Noh told Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) in that 9,664 summonses had been issued for various of- question, asked about the minis- 50 to 60.
reply to a supplementary question. fences involving express buses in the peninsula in 2005,
settle their try’s initiative in filming cultural “Even institutions like the
However, he as- 9,223 in 2006, 15,817 last year and 8,067 until August loans.” programmes featuring the tradi- Limkokwing University of Crea-
sured the public this year. Noh said nine express bus companies were tions, sport, legends and histories tive Technology and Multimedia
they would not be operating on the Kota Baru-Kuala Lumpur route, with 157 of the country’s different ethnic University produce students who
burdened by the buses, each bus making an average 30 trips a week. groups like that shown on the can generate content,” he said.

Lim to lodge police report against Pempena Constituencies

LIM KIT SIANG (DAP-Ipoh Timur) is to lodge a to act. spent
police report today over the alleged misuse of
funds by the Pempena Group of Companies, a
He also asked if Tourism Minister Datuk Aza-
lina Othman was prepared to table the ministry’s RM900,000
subsidiary of the Tourism Ministry.
Speaking at the Parlia-
internal audit inquiry into the various financial
scandals involving Pempena in Parliament. each on events
ment lobby yesterday, he “The Pempena scandals can be divided into
called for the full force two categories, those which occurred before TEN parliamentary constituencies
of the law to be brought Azalina became tourism minister for which she spent more than RM900,000 each
on people found guilty of does not need to assume personal responsibil- on festivals and open houses last
misusing public funds. ity, and those committed after the 2008 general year, Deputy Minister in the Prime
Lim (pix) quoted election for which she must bear full responsibil- Minister’s Department Datuk
excerpts from R. ity,” Lim said. Johari Baharum said.
Nadeswaran’s col- “It appears that it is not just incompetence Top of the list was Tenom with
umn “Let them rot and ineptitude, but criminal breach of trust 58 events incurring a total cost of
in jail” (Citizen Nades, and even corruption are in play in the financial RM988,475, followed by Dungun
Monday) which he scandals of Pempena, as revealed by the internal (87 events) at RM977,000, Putatan
said prompted him audit report,” he said. (86) at RM971,000, Tawau (66)
at RM948,575 and Silam (40) at
RM946,420.
The others were Kuala Nerus
I have recording of what CJ said: Karpal (248) at RM946,115.30, Sepanggar
(54) at RM918,480, Kuala
KARPAL SINGH (DAP-Bukit fication was carried in the NST chairman, said. Terengganu (304) at RM917,588,
Gelugor) says he is in pos- on Nov 9. He said he would give Zaki Parit (137) at RM916,407.50 and
session of an audio recording Zaki’s clarification said: seven days to step down, Marang (186) at RM914,250.
of what Chief Justice Tan Sri “Your reporter must have failing which he would move Johari disclosed this in a
Zaki Azmi had said in Kuching, interpreted what I said as, a motion against Zaki under written reply to Tan Kok Wai
Sarawak on Nov 7, reported during that period, there was Article 127 of the Federal Con- (DAP-Cheras) who asked for
in the New Straits Times the corruption in order to get stitution for having misled the the number of programmes and
next day under the heading things done at the court reg- country with his clarification. total cost incurred by Barisan
“Stop it now, corrupt court istry, I myself having done so. Karpal said he spoke in his Nasional parliamentarians last
staff warned”. I have never in my life bribed capacity as chairman of the year for festivals and open houses
The report quoted Zaki as or received any bribe.” Parliamentary Caucus on the using the Special Allocation for
saying “it took me six months Karpal urged Zaki to step Integrity and Independence of constituencies.
to be nice, to bribe each and down from the judiciary’s top the Judiciary and urged mem- He also asked for the 10 areas
every individual to get back post in light of his statement bers of the Barisan Nasional with the highest spending.
into their good books before on Nov 7. Backbenchers Club to submit Johari said 196 BN MPs had
our files were attended to”. “Rest assured, there is an the names of those interested used the allocation to celebrate
He subsequently denied audio recording of what Zaki in joining the caucus to make events such as Ramadhan, Hari
what was reported and a clari- said,” Karpal, who is also DAP it more representative. Raya Aidilfitri/Aidiladha, Chinese
New Year, Deepavali, Gawai,
Dayak, Kaamatan Fest, Christmas,
Good Friday, Wesak and National
SD can’t be used in place of BC Book not banned: Syed Hamid Day.
STATUTORY declarations (SD) cannot be accepted THE book IC Palsu Merampas Hak Anak Sabah (False “The expenditure incurred
in place of birth certificates (BC), Deputy Home Min- ICs steal right of Sabahans) by Abdul Mutalib Mohd covered the cost of preparing food
ister Senator Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh Daud has not been banned, Home Minister Datuk and drinks, rental of camps and
said. However, they could help people without birth Seri Syed Hamid Albar said. The book, first published equipment, donations to the poor,
certificates or whose births were registered late in January 1999, and then in April the same year, and aid for orphans and the disabled
to apply for one, he said in responding to Datuk in a special edition, is about the BN’s victory in Sabah and related services during the
Siringan Gubat (BN-Ranau). To a supplementary during the election which was purportedly due to events,” he said.
question from M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), phantom voters or false identity card holders. Syed In response, Tan said the
Wan Ahmad said a task force had been set up Hamid told Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai Petani) in a expenses were lavish, adding that
to help people without BCs to apply for one. “An written reply, the book’s allegations had never been “in everyone’s mind, the special
operation to issue green cards to these stateless investigated, but said any wrongdoing by the Elections allocation should be spent on small
people started on Saturday,” he said. – Bernama Commission would be investigated by the ACA. projects, and instead, BN MPs spent
it on feasts”.