In March, 2008, YB Sim Tze Tzin revealed a letter written by UEM Managing Director Dato Ahmad Pardas Senin to Director of Economic Planning Unit of Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr. Sulaiman Mahbob. The letter dated August 2007, titled “Projek Jambatan Kedua Pulau Pinang – Analisa Kewangan” was sent to Parti Keadilan Rakyat by a whistle-blower.

There were several main points in the letter.

- Concession period 45 years.
- UEM requested the Government to provide Soft Loan (GSL) at 4%.
- UEM asked as high as RM22,872 million government assistance from the Government including Investment Tax Allowance (ITA), Government Grant, JBIC Loan and Soft Loan.
- Construction price was RM4,068 million.
- Projected Toll charges would amount to RM7,065 million Read the rest of this entry »

V42P Pulau Tikus-Koay Teng Hai, Air Putih-Lim Guan Eng, Bukit Bendera-Liew Chin Tong & Tanjong Bungah-Teh Yee Cheu (Pic.Guang Ming Daily)

150 DAP members gathered at the compound of a house in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, on Tuesday to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The members, mainly from the Bukit Bendera division, were seen helping themselves to the steamboat dishes prepared by host Batu Ferringhi DAP deputy chairman Tan Yong Bee.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was the guest of honour, said in his speech that the country must retain more talents to curb brain drain.

“If we lose the best talents, how are we going to develop the country?” he asked.

Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said the party hoped more youngsters aged 21 and above would register themselves as voters.

“The Election Commission has announced that Malaysia has 11.2 million voters but there are still about four million eligible voters who have yet to get registered,” he said.

Also present were Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai and Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu.

The Star

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)

Unhappy with the readmission of Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail, DAP parliamentarians challenged Gerakan and MCA to quit the BN coalition over the matter.

Ahmad, who referred to the Chinese community as “pendatang” (immigrants) was readmitted into Umno last week after he was suspended as division chief for three years last year.

Ahmad did not deny making the statement that the “Chinese were immigrants squatting in this country” at a ceramah during the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign.

Bukit Bendera parliamentarian Liew Chin Tong pondered on the message Umno is trying to convey by lifting the suspension.

“I want to know the views of Koh Tsu Koon, the minister tasked to overlook matters of unity and the key performance index (KPI). What message is Umno sending?” asked Liew. Read the rest of this entry »

It has become a nightmare for residents of St Nicholas Home to cross the road at Bagan Jermal Road, Burmah Road and Gottlieb Road as irresponsible motorists are choosing to ignore pedestrian traffic signals at these roads. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear all,

You are invited to join us for an English FORUM on “REFORMASI GENERATION” this Sunday 8th November, 2009 at 2.00 pm. Please help circulate the news. Hope to see you and friends there!

Topic: REFORMASI GENERATION SPEAKS… “Dialogue with Young Leaders”
Date: 08 November, 2009 (Sunday)
Time: 2.00 pm
Venue: Multi Purpose Hall of Penang Han Chiang College, Lim Lean Teng Road, 11600 Penang, Malaysia.
Panelists: Nurul Izzah binti Anwar (MP for Lembah Pantai) & Liew Chin Tong (MP for Bukit Bendera)
Moderator: Sim Tze Tzin (ADUN for Pantai Jerejak) Read the rest of this entry »

The Penang Education and the Fire and Rescue Departments have been urged to jointly conduct safety checks on the wet riser system at all schools in the state.

Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said many schools in the states had malfunctioned wet riser water tanks, pipes and pumps.

“The system is vital during an emergency such as a fire but it is sad to find out that many schools have dry tanks or spoilt motor pumps,” he said after a visit to SK St Xavier yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »

On Sunday 4th October, DAP International Secretary and Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera Liew Chin Tong attended the Celebration of United Nations International Day of Non-Violence and Commemoration of the Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhiji Ashram in Waterfall, Penang. Read the rest of this entry »

The office of the Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera wished to spread some love in conjunction with the spirit of Hari Raya. Sponsored by goodwill donor with packets of goodies which includes cooking oil, rice, sugars and other daily consumables, we embarked on the journey of distribution with the aid of a list of under privileged residents in our constituency obtained from the welfare department.
On the 17/9/09, Thursday, I and the DAP Bukit Bendera Team arrived at UDA Flats, Tanjung Tokong to visit the less privileged families as well as deliver the goodies to them. Among them were the elderly, the bedridden, and those with special needs.
In total, the team has distributed 100 packets of goodies.