While observers on both sides of the political divide are eagerly awaiting the verdict on who is the legitimate Menteri Besar of Perak tomorrow, the question remains whether both sides will accept the decision and put to rest the issue. Read the rest of this entry »
February 6th, 2010 (5 hours ago) by Teresa Media.
Our political enemies are not only creating websites, Facebook accounts/groups, Twitter accounts to impersonate DAP or DAP leaders but also using email addresses.
The latest case which came to our attention involves the following email address “dap.watch@rocketmail.com“. For your information,rocketmail.com is owned by Yahoo.
A DAP member of parliament has called on the Pakatan Rakyat leadership to act quickly and resolve internal problems it is facing in the light of scathing attacks on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said the Pakatan leadership must act fast to prevent the problem from being used as political fodder against the Penang leadership.
Liew, who is also DAP strategist, said enemies of Pakatan had embarked on a vicious campaign by relying on lies and playing up racial sentiments to attack Lim.
“The people must reject this kind of despicable politics, journalistic ethics and propaganda.
“At the same time, the Pakatan leadership must act quickly to resolve the internal problems it is facing,” he said in a statement yesterday.
NST
THE DAP’s unveiling of “Middle Malaysia” couldn’t have been at a better time. But with the ongoing “Allah” debate and the defiance by Parti Keadlian Rakyat (PKR)’s Zulkifli Noordin, an apt question is, just who are Middle Malaysians?
From party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s description, Middle Malaysia indicates a state of mind or a set of values based on moderation and mutual respect. However, the DAP’s new catchphrase is also an electoral strategy. Lim’s confidant, parliamentarian Liew Chin Tong, says in an interview: “We’re responding to the leadership vacuum left by the Barisan Nasional (BN), which has no middle-ground leadership. There has been no effort to create space for ordinary people, who may not be ideologically inclined, but who just want a government that works.” Read the rest of this entry »
On the morning of 11 January 2010, YB Mujahid Yusof Rawa, MP for Parit Buntar, called me asking if my office could organise a dialogue for him as a representative of PAS with the church leaders in Penang. The main objective was for Mujahid to speak to leaders of the Christian faith where PAS stands in the recent issue of the word ‘Allah’.
YB Liew Chin Tong the MP for Bukit Bendera and I then decided that the date would be 2 days from then and to be held at DAP Bukit Bendera MP’s office for the small gathering of about 10-15 people.
I was thinking of contacting the Catholic churches, hoping to meet and invite the Bishop but God led me to the parish priest instead. He was very supportive of the idea and without much delay, work was in progress….phone calls, invitation, sms, arrangements, etc. Everything went so smoothly and news of the dialogue just spread like a wild fire.
On the actual day at Dewan Holy Spirit, 4 speakers were up on the stage. They were YB Mujahid Rawa from PAS, YB Chow Koon Yeow from DAP, YB Abdul Malik from PKR and Mr. Anil Netto, a social activist and a blogger. Despite the short notice, a total turnout of about 300 people came and took part in the dialogue. The entire session was a closed door event with no coverage from reporters (although they were there)and taking of photographs being disallowed throughout the session. It ended well without any interference from the authorities.
The dialogue session was indeed like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being put together by a pair of unseen hands.
Martin Lim
SPecial Assistant to Bukit Bendera MP
Roszita & Carol
It is with great anger and frustration, I am writing this in the hope that changes be made to ensure that effective and fast procedures are put in place for EPF Withdrawal for Health Care.
The recent incident of the late Ahmad Nazri should be the last.
Can his death be avoided? Had EPF issued the required Guarantee Letter on their visit on 23 December 2009, Nazri will probably still be around.
Today we had lost Ahmad Nazri, aged 49, a husband and a father of 5, tomorrow who will be the next if this matter is not immediately looked into?
Having gone through the most crucial and final journey of Nazri together with his beloved wife Cik Roszita, I strongly feel for their frustration and anger they went through. Today Cik Roszita, a housekeeping staff at Shangri-la Rasa Sayang Resort is now left alone to care and fend for her 5 children. Life will never be the same again for her and her children.
She is adamant in bringing her predicament to press with a selfless mind of helping others not to go through what she had gone through. It is not easy on her but she braved herself to come forward.
The late Ahmad Nazri, a critical heart patient with 3 blockages needed money for his immediate heart procedure and his only source of fund is from the withdrawal of his and his wife’s EPF Account 2. Even with full documents provided to EPF as claimed by Cik Roszita, their application/request on 23 December 2009 for a Guarantee Letter from EPF to Hospital Pulau Pinang couldn’t be issued. A “Surat Penyesahan” which acts only as a statement of fund with a Disclaimer Clause that EPF holds no responsibility of payment whatsoever was issued instead.
When the “Surat Penyesahan” was rejected by Hospital Unit Hasil, both the Late Ahmad Nazri and his wife were in dire need. It was the employer of the late Ahmad Nazri, E&O Properties that came to aid by issuing a Letter of Guarantee to the supplier of the stents. En Nazri was admitted on 27 December 2009 but was not in the condition for the procedure and was discharged.
After going through much publicity, EPF finally issued the Guarantee Letter to the stents supplier on 15 January 2010 as advised by them in a meeting at YB Liew’s office on 18 January 2010. On this date, Ahmad Nazri’s condition had deteriorated into an unstable condition and he was on sedation and life support in the CCU. The late Ahmad Nazri passed away on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 in the Hospital Pulau Pinang CCU without gaining consciousness.
If the process had been nipped at the bud on 23 December 2009, would he still be here with us today? What they cannot accept most was these are their own money. He just wanted to use his own money to save his own life.
The late Ahmad Nazri had said when we first met on 23 December 2009, “Tak ada wang pun mati, ada wang di EPF pun mati. Ini adalah wang sendiri bukan nak minta wang EPF!”
Is this the failure of system, the people or what? Where is the human factor in the government agencies nowadays? Do paper/documents and norm overrides the need to save lives?
Serious attention has to be given to the ‘Surat Penyesahan” which is the ultimate document for acceptance of admission when fund is available in EPF. The letter must be a Guarantee Letter and not merely a Statement of Account. Secondly, documents required for the withdrawal of EPF should not be the ultimate basis for the issuance of the ‘Guarantee Letter’, flexibility must be given to emergency and crucial cases where immediate medical care is needed.
Carol Lim
Chief of Staff to Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera (YB Liew Chin Tong)
A HOTEL employee is upset that her late husband did not get the chance to go through a procedure to insert two stents for a heart problem due to red tape.
Roszita Ahmad, 47, alleged that the Penang Hospital and the EPF office had delayed the operation.
“I am so upset with the attitude of the hospital staff and EPF for delaying the whole operation process. Only if they had taken better care of my husband he would have been alive today.
“I hope such a thing does not occur again to anyone facing a life and death situation,” she said in between sobs at a press conference called by state Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh at his office in Komtar yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »
Setting up a Penang Technology Centre modeled after the famed San Jose Tech Centre in the US and recalibrating Penang’s education agenda were among the ideas put forth by industries and academia to spur students’ interest in science and technology.
During the protem Penang Science Council meeting chaired by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, CEOs from multinational companies located in the state shared their views on how to encourage young children and students to pursue a career in science and technology. Read the rest of this entry »
Lim Kit Siang said the Middle Malaysia concept mooted by DAP stresses national transformation in bracing future economic challenges while more effectively uniting all Malaysians.
He said we must not interpret the new economic model purely from economic perspectives, but must first put in place a new model of governance. Read the rest of this entry »
Penang has generally been overwhelmed by deep sorrow over the tragic loss of a teacher and 5 students of Chung Ling National Type Secondary School during the dragon boat training mishap in waters off Macallum Street Ghaut on Sunday 17 January 2010. These are no ordinary students and teacher.
Goh Yi Zhang, 17, Brendon Yeoh, Wang Yong Xian, 16, Jason Ch’ng, 17, and Cheah Zi Jun, 17 were top students, the creme de la creme who excelled in academic studies, extra-curricular activities and social involvement. The teacher Chin Aik Siang, 28, was even more outstanding scoring straight As in STPM. Living in a low-cost flat in Bagan, Chin qualified to study medicine but switched a few weeks later to his love, teaching.
And this is no ordinary school. Chung Ling is amongst the top schools in Penang and still produces some of the top students. Its alumni rank amongst the captains and leaders in economics, education, politics and industry be it manufacturing or services both in and outside Penang. And the school dragon boat team is the top in the state. Read the rest of this entry »
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Liew Chin Tong was elected on ticket of Democratic Action Party (DAP) as the Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera, Penang in the March 2008 Malaysian election. He is a Member of DAP Central Executive Committee, serving as its International Secretary.
