Lease extensions to 99 years

By Izatun Shari
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2010/12/2/nation/7543012

KUALA LUMPUR: State governments can approve applications for renewal or extension of leasehold land for a period of not more than 99 years unless they require the land for public purposes.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said all state governments had agreed to adhere to the new policy.

“The implementation of this policy would fulfill the needs of the rakyat who are worried about losing their land titles,” he told reporters after chairing the 66th National Land Council meeting here yesterday.

Tackling land matters: Muhyiddin (left) getting ready to chair the 66th National Land Council meeting at Parliament House Wednesday. On his right is Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas. – Bernama

He said the policy, which was decided during the meeting, would be used as a guide with several conditions which include:

> leasehold land under the categories “building”, “industrial” or “agriculture” for which owners can apply at any time to extend their lease and are not bound by the remainder of the lease period;

> applicants are required to make simultaneous applications in order to surrender their land in accordance with Section 197 of the National Land Code and apply for alienation using Form Schedule 1 of the respective State Land Rules and existing rules and procedures under the National Land Code 1965;

> extension of the new lease is not more than 99 years if the land is not required by the government for public purposes;

> it is subject to imposition of relevant fees;

> the new period of the lease is effective from the date of the registration of the new title; and

> it is not contrary to any written laws that are enforced.

Asked about cases of 999 years’ lease being given by some state governments, Muhyiddin said: “This policy has been decided by the National Land Council and must be adhered to by all state governments.”

In 2008, when Perak was led by Pakatan Rakyat, the state government had awarded 999 years’ lease to some new villagers.

On another matter, Muhyiddin denied that the Umno supreme council’s decision to postpone the party elections was a sign of snap polls.

When asked whether the move was to prepare for an early general election, he said: “I never said that. The media can speculate. As far as the party is concerned, it is an appropriate decision.”

Selangor government out to address issues relating to land lease

By Yip Yoke Teng
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/12/2/central/7539734&sec=central

The Selangor government will soon launch an awareness campaign on land lease renewal to address the many issues that have surfaced.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the state could understand the anxiety of residents in Section 1 to 4 of Petaling Jaya Old Town pertaining to renewal of their lease.

“We are formulating the policy and we are looking at ways to lessen the people’s burden especially those who are facing financial difficulty,” he said.

He was responding to StarMetro’s cover story on Monday on the drastic increase in premium that residents in Petaling Jaya Old Town had to pay to renew their leasehold titles expiring in three to 15 years.

Left to rot: Some houses in Section 3, Petaling Jaya Old Town, have been abandoned by their owners who cannot sell or renovate the property due to the many issues involving lease extension.

They had been asked to pay between RM80,000 and RM100,000 to renew the lease but those who did it four years ago paid only RM40,000.

Residents were crying foul because many of them were retirees and hawkers who could not afford the huge sum. They also noticed that there were discrepancies in land premium, even though location, floor area and duration of lease were the same.

Khalid said the state government would give due consideration to house buyers based on their financial background and duration of ownership.

“We are looking at how the calculations should be done and we will make the formula public when we have finalised everything,” he said.

Selangor to announce policy on land ownership by year-end

By Yip Yoke Teng
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/11/30/central/7523252&sec=central

THE Selangor government has been researching on the legal and historical aspects of land titles in Petaling Jaya and will announce a policy statement by the end of the year.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee urged residents in Petaling Jaya to give the state a little more time to deal with the city’s land ownership matters. In other words, they should wait for the answer before applying for lease extension and paying the land premium that had doubled compared to four years ago.

“The state is aware of the anxiety and fears of the local population with regard to the impending expiry of land leases.

“We have been conducting an in-depth study into the legal and historical aspects in dealing with this issue, as well as its impact on the state. It is not confined to PJ Old Town, but also other areas in the city where they qualify,” he said.

Lee was commenting on StarMetro’s cover story yesterday on the drastic increase and discrepancies in premium that residents in Petaling Jaya Old Town had to pay to renew their leasehold titles expiring in three to 15 years.

He said he and other elected representatives, including Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and deputy speaker Haniza Talha, had on previous occasions stated that the state would issue a policy statement on land ownership in Petaling Jaya by the end of this year.

“It is therefore desirable that residents wait for the decision of the state and not politicise the issue in the mean time.

Section 4 Rukun Tetangga chairman Dr K. Muthukumarasamy said the community hoped the state and federal governments could look into the matter with the evidence presented.

“Documents we discovered suggest that there might have been an oversight. Residents in PJ Old Town, which could have been privately-owned, should have freehold titles. We are not fighting with the government, we just hope they will investigate,” she said.

Petaling Jaya City councillor Derek Fernandez said that it was high time that the state government reduced the lease renewal rate.

“The issue is serious as property values have skyrocketed, making it very hard to renew leases as per formula based on the market value especially for residents in PJ Old Town who may have difficulty securing bank loan due to their age.

“It would have a tremendous impact if the state would consider announcing a reduction in the lease renewal rate from the current 0.25 market value of land to 0.125 as a recognition of the contribution of Selangor citizens who helped build the state.

He commented that the formula based on market value actually discriminated against responsible citizens who kept their properties in good condition, as they would have to pay a higher premium due to the properties’ better market value.

Selangor to make policy on land ownership

http://www.starproperty.my/PropertyScene/TheStarOnlineHighlightBox/8703/0/0

Petaling Jaya: It is better for residents in Petaling Jaya Old Town not to pay the premium to renew their leasehold titles now, as the Selangor government will soon make a policy statement.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee said the state was scheduled to make the statement on land ownership in Petaling Jaya by end of the year, after researching extensively on legal and historical aspects of the matter.

Residents in the oldest part of the city had a rude shock recently after learning that they had to fork out between RM80,000 and RM100,000 to extend their lease which was expiring in three to 15 years, but their neighbours paid only RM40,000 four years ago.

There is also talk that the leasehold titles held by PJ Old Town might be invalid due to an oversight decades ago.

“A special task force on land lease in Selangor was established under the office of the State Secretary to draw and execute the state’s policy to rectify anomalies currently present in land leases.

“It is therefore desirable that residents wait for the decision of the state,” he said.

Fate of hockey stadium undecided

By Tan Karr Wei
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/10/15/central/7228343&sec=central

TWO weeks after the one-week deadline given by Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, no decision has been made on the fate of the Petaling Jaya hockey stadium.

MBPJ public relations officer Zainun Zakaria said the council had not reached a decision and that the committee was scheduled to meet today.

During the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) full board meeting in September, councillor Latheefa Koya had asked for the decision to upgrade and maintain the stadium in Jalan Selangor to be brought back to the Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sport sub-committee.

The issue went back to the August full board meeting when Latheefa and Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee debated on the issue.

Subject of controversy: The Petaling Jaya hockey stadium along Jalan Selangor.

Latheefa was in favour of turning the stadium into a multi-purpose sports complex while Lee said the stadium should be retained.

Because the stadium was a public facility, councillor Cynthia Gabriel suggested that the discussions should not be limited to the councillors and assemblymen in the area but should involve everyone in the council.

On Sept 20, the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) wrote to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to appeal for the stadium to be retained.

In the letter signed by MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and copied to the mayor, the association appealed to the state to retain and upgrade the stadium instead of changing it into a multi-purpose sports complex.

He said the stadium was badly needed for the development of the sport since there were currently only two stadiums in Selangor, with the other in Pandamaran, Klang.

If the stadium was not retained, there would not be enough facilities to support the sport as the stadiums have been widely used by hockey clubs, schools and the Selangor Hockey Association.

When contacted, Lee said he was invited for today’s meeting and would fight hard for it to be retained.

“I see no reason why it should become a multi-purpose complex. It would cost the ratepayers a lot of money and does MBPJ even have the funds for it? If they do have funds, they should be using it to upgrade existing sports facilities around Petaling Jaya,” he said.

Lee added that the meeting was initially scheduled for last week but he was only given a six-hour notice to attend it.

No answers yet to list of illegal billboard sites

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2ph2/Article

PETALING JAYA: "How many illegal billboards are there in Petaling Jaya and where is the full list?"

The questions was raised at the Petaling Jaya city council (MBPJ) full board meeting yesterday by Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee.

However, mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman refused to answer the question although the assemblyman repeatedly raised the question.

Instead, Roslan said a complete report on the illegal billboards in the city would soon be made public.

Lee said some billboard owners recently received notice to demolish their billboard structures.

However, there were questions raised on the full list of unsuitable billboard spots in the city.

"Why can't the council disclose the real number of the illegal billboards todate? Why is there a secret ?"

Lee told the press that there were two law suits against the council by different billboard operators. He said the billboard agreement needed to be restudied and the process in approving billboards should be revamped.

He also hoped that there would be no injustice to the public and the billboard operators.

"I will not take sides but I don't like what I see. When matters are brought to the court it will certainly expose the wrongdoings of all parties. My advice to the council is to be open and to reveal the details to the public."

Councillor Latheefa Beebi Koya, meanwhile, told reporters that there should not be any attempt to undermine the decision and implementation made by the council.

"All the decisions were made collectively and had gone through the various stages. In fact, it was also reviewed by the state government," said Latheefa.

Still many illegal structures despite new guidelines

By Tan Karr Wei and Christina Low
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/8/6/central/6804319&sec=central

MORE than a year after the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) introduced guidelines for billboards, such structures are still springing up at every nook and corner.

The new guidelines was launched a year ago amid protest from industry players who did not agree with the calculation of licensing fees based on 30% of revenue generated from the billboard.

Petaling Jaya residents were hoping to see their city rid of illegal billboards and for a more controlled approval of new ones.

With a high concentration of middle- to high-income residents, Petaling Jaya has become a gold mine for advertisers and sites for billboards have become a highly sought-after real estate.

Too close: A billboard along Persiaran Surian that was erected less than three metres from the kerb.

While the MBPJ has recently done its part in taking down a number of illegal billboards, some that were recently put up did not comply with the guidelines.

The erection of a billboard inside the compound of the MBPJ Landscape Department in Kelana Jaya, along the busy Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) in December last year is a good example of how council’s billboard site inspection committee has approved sites which were not suitable.

StarMetro has been receiving letters of complaints about billboards that seem to contravene the guidelines.

Some of the letters were anonymously sent while the rest had different names on them and usually addressed to various people like the Selangor state executive councillors, Petaling Jaya assemblymen and even Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

One of the letters highlighted a billboard in Persiaran Surian, Kota Damansara, which was built less than three metres from the kerb, which was against the guidelines.

Another highlighted a board along the LDP in Bandar Sunway, erected near the road on a traffic island.

No care for the environment: A complaint was received regarding three billboards put up in a green lung in Damansara Utama.

In a recent letter, a reader questioned the legality of three billboards that were constructed in Jalan SS21/42, Damansara Utama.

The reader questioned if it was right to construct such billboards on land slated to be a green lung.

The billboard which he mentioned was built in December last year and more had been put up since then.

There are no clear guidelines of whether a billboard could be placed on a green lung but Section 5.1.2 (vi) did mention that a structure should not be built in a roundabout, around the roundabout, road islands or on an empty piece of land where the landscape of the area was being emphasised.

There is even a billboard erected in a school compound in Bandar Utama and one within a traffic island across the road from the SMK Kelana Jaya.

Not allowed: A unipole billboard was spotted within the compounds of SMK Bandar Utama 4.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee confirmed that he had also received letters complaining about billboards.

“It’s troubling that after more than a year, the MBPJ and the committee that was established cannot get their act together.

“Billboards that are clearly in conflict of guidelines have been allowed to be put up and I have received complaints about them,” said Lee.

He added that to his knowledge, some of the operators had not signed the agreement offered by MBPJ because it was one-sided.

In one letter addressed to Roslan, a company stated that they had been “intimidated, harassed, threatened and forced to accept unfair terms and conditions” and were requesting for Selcat to investigate billboard issues in MBPJ.

The company also questioned why it was contributing 20% of the revenue purportedly being collected from billboard licensing fees when they only had 1% of the total billboards in the city.

Former All Petaling Jaya Residents Association (Apac) chairman Liew Wei eng, who has been invited to join the MBPJ billboard site inspection committee, said the MBPJ should be getting rid of all illegal billboards before approving new ones.

‘Unfortunately, there are still many around that do not follow the guidelines and the council has been slow in taking action against them,” he said.

MBPJ public relations officer Zainun Zakaria have yet to give a reply on the legality of the Damansara Utama billboards and the number of newly-approved billboards and illegal billboards that has been taken down.

The history of billboards in Petaling Jaya goes back to 2005 when residents exposed how billboard companies who wanted to put up billboards on public land were required to donate to the then Petaling Jaya City Council (MPPJ) Football Club to get an approval from the town planning department.

Soon after, leaked documents revealed that approval was given to one company for a 15-year outdoor advertising licensing deal.

Residents have been making numerous calls to rid Petaling Jaya of its “billboard city” reputation.

Chronology of events

Jan 2006 - Petaling Jaya residents start questioning the then Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) over a football club formed in 2000 when the council had wanted to raise the assessment rates by 10%. Allegations that the club was spending some RM15mil from billboard advertising started to surface.

Feb 14, 2006 - Residents request for full set of accounts for the years 2000 to 2005 and other relevant documents. Among those vocal in speaking out on the issue were then Section 5 Residents Association legal advisrr Derek Fernandez (current MBPJ councillor), Taman Mayang Jaya Residents Association chairman Liew Wei Beng (recently stepped down as All Petaling Jaya Residents Association chairman) and Section 5 Residents Association chairman Edward Lee (current Bukit Gasing assemblyman)

March 2, 2006 - Then MPPJ president Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh was quoted as saying that the football club was sponsored by various companies and the council spent RM5mil for the club in 2005, with sponsors contributing RM4mil.

March 8, 2006 - Residents produce evidence of impropriety where the MPPJ Sports and Cultural Club issued receipts for a book that was produced by MPPJ.

March 23, 2006 - Residents reveal that MPPJ does not have a clean bill of accounts as shown in the auditor-general’s website and the council’s accounts have not been published in the Gazette since 1999.

March 29, 2006 - MPPJ finally reveals their summarised accounts to residents for a brief period of two hours and 30 minutes. Photocopies were not allowed. Residents made handwritten copies of the accounts.

March 31, 2006 - Residents reveal the facts they gleaned from the accounts, which includes RM38.6mil in arrears that was accrued from 1999 to 2004. They also could not find any trace of the football club’s monies or revenue from billboard advertising.

May 31, 2006 - Termizi confirms a newspaper report that the council was mulling over the possibility of awarding a single consortium advertising rights for areas under its jurisdiction.

June 8, 2006 - PJ residents reveal that unknown people have leaked out council documents. The documents reveal that approval for a proposed privatisation of outdoor advertising licensing to Seni Jaya Sdn Bhd for 15 years was given to the company, despite the councillors not having signed their approval.

June 28 2006 - A search at the Registrar of Societies (ROS) revealed that the MPPJ Sports and Cultural Club had not disclosed its accounts and other relevant documents since 2001 while there was no information on the football club.

June 29, 2006 - Sources claim that media contractors seeking to build billboards on public land are required to get an approval from the town planning department, with a minimum donation of RM10,000 to be made to the MPPJ Football Club before they are allowed to pay for the licence.

June 30, 2006 - During the fullboard meeting, the MBPJ rejected the privatisation proposal

April 16, 2007 - Seni Jaya Sdn Bhd threatened the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) with a lawsuit for the breach of contract of a deal worth RM379mil in total and demanded unspecified damages.

May 9, 2007 - MBPJ had asked Seni Jaya to produce documents that would show that the council had such an agreement with the company but did not receive any.

July 25, 2007 - Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman considered the billboard case closed with the closure of the MPPJ Football Club and the MPPJ Sports and Cultural Club despite.

July 2008 - New councillors appointed by Pakatan Rakyat sworn in.

Aug 2, 2008 - After councillors appointed by Pakatan Rakyat sworn in, MBPJ announced that it would obtain temporary occupational licences (TOL) for billboards and lease out these approved pieces of land to billboard operators to generate income for the council

Sept 12, 2008 - Residents question why new billboards were being erected despite freeze by state government in July and Selangor State local government committee chairman Ronnie Liu then asked for billboards erected after March 8 to be taken down.

Nov 17, 2008 - MBPJ hold consultative dialogue with stakeholders on the formulation and implementation of a new billboard policy, chaired by councillor Derek Fernandez. Tempers flared as industry players object to the new licensing fee structure where they will be charged 30% of the billboard revenue.

March 5, 2009 - The new billboard guidelines finally launched by MBPJ after months of feud between the council and industry players.

Parking area for joggers in Bukit Gasing

By Tan Karr Wei
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=central&file=/2010/7/20/central/6688575

AFTER four years of waiting, residents near Bukit Gasing in Petaling Jaya finally succeeded in getting a car park for joggers and jungle trekkers.

“There are many morning joggers and jungle trekkers using Bukit Gasing especially during weekends and parking is a big problem,” said Friends of Bukit Gasing (FOBG) member H.J. Lim.

Lim and several volunteers gathered recently at a 0.5ha site in Jalan Tanjung 5/4, Section 5, with Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee.

More than 20 Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) officers were also present with three bulldozers to help clear the area of undergrowth and shrubs.

Lim said they had identified 26 trees at the place that would not be cut.

Lee said he had discussed with the MBPJ and the District Office to convert the piece of land owned by the Public Works Department to be used as a car park.

“Parking has always been a problem at Bukit Gasing so we have been talking about the need to have proper parking facilities for quite some time. There is also a need for a toilet and shower facilities for park users,” he said.

Lee said the FOBG would identify someone to maintain the facilities by collecting a minimal fee from the public.

He added that work to clear the undergrowth and pave the surface were expected to be completed within two weeks and the toilet would be ready within two months.

Kumpulan Semesta chairman defends company pay-out

By Shahrim Tamrin
http://www.mmail.com.my/content/38621-kumpulan-semesta-chairman-defends-company-payout

SHAH ALAM: Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) non-executive chairman Abdul Shukor Nagor today defended the company's decision to give two months bonus in 2008 and four months bonus end of last year as due reward for hard work and the "threats" they had to endure.

"We took into consideration that our staff have been working diligently despite the work hazard, stress and threats received while performing their duties," he told the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) inquiry this morning.

Abdul Shukor said 45 KSSB personnel had received RM503,613.59 for financial year June 2009, and RM137,500 at the end of 2008, which included top management as well as the directors.

But Selangor State Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Kim, who is the inquiry's chief panellist, was not impressed with Abdul Shukor's answer that the bonuses were given because of work hazard and threats.

"Did you receive the four months bonus?" Teng asked. Abdul Shukor replied, "Yes."

Abdul Shukor admitted he received a bonus of RM48,000 while KSSB executive director Ramli Abdul Majid received RM82,000 for the duration from September 2008 to June 2009, respectively.

But when Teng asked Abdul Shukor if he himself had received any threats while working, the latter replied "no".

Teng also requested for Abdul Shukor to justify why the board of directors and three senior managers received four months' bonus payout while the rest of the KSSB frontliner staff were only given one-and-a-half month bonus.

"You mentioned yesterday that sand-mining industry is difficult, shouldn't bigger bonuses be given to frontliner staff?" asked Teng. To this, Abdul Shukor kept mum.

The chairman later said KSSB officers have been working hard and able to contribute dividends of RM5.7 million and RM10.1 million in profit to the state government via the Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) after KSSB generated RM31 million in revenue for 2009.

"We were able to increase the operations year after year. In 2002, it was only at 446 tonnes (of sand) per day, then in 2009 it was 4,922 tonnes daily," said Abdul Shukor.

"This year, we recorded per day at 8,417 tonnes in January; 12,508 tonnes in February; 19,677 tonnes in March, and 18,912 tonnes in April."

Abdul Shukor also reiterated that there is no monopoly in the sand-mining industry in Selangor.

Responding to a question from Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari Sungib, if KSSB had exclusive control on sand-mining operations in Selangor, Abdul Shukor said: "I strongly disagree with your question and the people's perception. Please bear in mind, we were not the ones issuing the permits, controlling the transport sector and setting the market price for sand."

Abdul Shukor is the third witness to speak before the Selcat inquiry. Yesterday, State chairman for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Entrepreneurial Development Yaakob Sapari, as well as KSSB director Ramli Abdul Majid, took centre stage.

Aside from Teng and Saari, other panellists in the Selcat inquiry are Haniza Talha (PKR-Taman Merdan), Azmin Ali (PKR-Bukit Antarabangsa), Edward Lee Poh Lin (DAP-Bukit Gasing), Ismail Sani (BN-Dusun Tua) and Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN-Permatang).

KSSB staff given bonuses after only 4 months in operation

Azreen Hani

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/38408-kssb-staff-given-bonuses-after-only-4-months-operation

SHAH ALAM: The staff and directors of Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB), a subsidiary of the Selangor government and a sand-mining concession holder, were given two months' bonus in December 2008, four months after it started its operation, an inquiry here heard today.

The company's non-executive chairman Abdul Shukor Nahor, who testified before an inquiry conducted by Selcat, said they also received an additional four months' bonus between January and June last year.

There was nothing wrong with giving bonuses to the staff, he said, because the company made profits.

"Sand-mining is a difficult industry and our employees work very hard despite receiving threats regularly," Abdul Shukor, the third witness to testify in the inquiry, said.

Selcat or the Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency, is probing into the allegations by Kapar Member of Parliament S. Manikavasagam that there were corrupt activities involving senior officials of KSSB.

The three-day inquiry started today.

Selcat has seven members namely Selangor State Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Kim, who is the chairman, Haniza Talha (PKR-Taman Merdan), Azmin Ali (PKR-Bukit Antarabangsa), Saari Sungib (PAS-Hulu Kelang), Edward Lee Poh Lin (DAP-Bukit Gasing), Ismail Sani (BN-Dusun Tua) and Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN-Permatang).

Teng questioned the move by KSSB in rewarding its staff with six months' bonus altogether, saying the company had just been formed in July 2008.

"How come KSSB can reward its staff with this hefty sum when the company only operated two mining areas at that time?" he added.

Abdul Shukor also said that 40 police reports had been lodged by KSSB staff over the threats they received since the time the company started its operation.

He also said that KSSB did not have sand-mining monopoly in the state.

Selcat hearing starts with Yaakob Sapari as first witness

SHAH ALAM: This morning’s public hearing by Selcat saw State chairman for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Entrepreneurial Development, Yaakob Sapari, as the first witness for the probe into Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB).

Yaakob, who is also Kota Anggerik State assemblyman, appeared calm when questioned by the panel headed by Selangor State Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Kim.

Among the issues raised were the involvement and authority of KSSB towards sand-mining activity in Selangor and the progress that has been made by the company which was set up in June 2008.

Yaakob said as a wholly-owned state subsidiary, KSSB only had jurisdiction over state-owned land and the rivers in the state.

"KSSB had not issued permits for sand-mining activities in privately-owned land and as such, did not have the power to do anything when private land was encroached into," Yaakob told the panel.

In one of the sessions, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani questioned the credentials of four people from the KSSB board of directors which led them to be appointed in the state-owned subsidiary company.

“They are all professionals. Ramli Abdul Majid, for example, was among the first degree holders in mining engineering in the country,” Yaakob replied.

Ismail then asked if it was true that one of the directors was related to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, to which Yaakob immediately replied that the question was malicious.

Yaakob also told the panel that the selection of the directors was made and agreed in the Selangor State Exco meeting.

He said as such, the appointment of Abdul Shukor Nahor as the company's non-executive chairman, and Wong Su Kok and Mohamad Khairuddin Othman as the director and executive director respectively, was made by the state government based on their experience and qualifications.

Teng also asked if Yaakob was aware of how bonus payments were made in KSSB, to which he said "no".

“Do you agree that you should monitor this to ensure the efficiency of the company and the State governance in the matter?” asked Teng. Yaakob said he agreed.

Teng then elaborated by saying such activities needed to be monitored as not to risk the State government from being doubted and criticised at.

Landslide on hill temple

By Meena L. Ramadas
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=47478

PETALING JAYA (June 1, 2010): A landslide at the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple in Bukit Gasing last night startled some 20 devotees who were in the midst of prayers, but fortunately did not cause any injuries.


Sri Maha Kaliamman worker S. Aridharan, 28, shows the area where
the landslide occured. The store room's zink roof and wall backed
by the hill was destroyed by the landslide. Sunpix: Sharil Amin.


Sri Maha Kaliamman temple two workers clean up the debris
caused by the landslide. Sunpix: Sharil Amin.

The landslide, which occurred at 9pm, damaged the back portion of the temple, resulting in the temple committee deciding to close the house of worship until further notice.

A temple worker S. Aridharan, 25, told theSun devotees who were sitting on the floor in the main prayer hall when the landslide occurred. A fridge nearby toppled over, narrowly missing the devotees.

Temple chairman P. Puharasan, 29, said the landslide affected the newly extended section of the temple and damaged the store room.

"We spent more than RM200,000 to on the extension and it was supposed to be opened this year," said Puharasan, who was clearly disheartened by the incident.

He said this is the third time a landslide has occurred at the temple in recent years. The temple is backed by a small hill. The first two landslides occurred in 2006 at the old section of the temple.

"That is why we extended the temple to make it more safe for the devotees," he said.

"And now, the landslide has occurred at the new section."

He said between 300 and 500 devotees pray at the temple weekly and feared for their safety if more landslides occurred.

Puharasan said the temple should be relocated in view of the landslides.

"We are appealing to the state government to offer any sort of assistance," he added.

He said he had made several requests to the state government on it, but has not received a reply.

When contacted, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee said the temple committee has agreed to identify a suitable location for relocation and pledged to assist them. -- theSun

Stakeholders set to oppose new development in Section 52

By TAN KARR WEI
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/5/27/central/6321280&sec=central

THE PKNS headquarters at Section 52 Petaling Jaya, has already been earmarked for development.

Interestingly, a notice board has been erected to announce the proposed new development and get feedback from the people in the area.

The joint development between Puncak Wangi Sdn Bhd and PKNS consists of four-and-a-half levels of basement parking, six-storeys of business podium and a car park.

The rest are as follows;

— one block of 27-storey offices;

— three blocks of offices/institution between 27 and 37 storeys;

— two blocks of 22-storey hotels; and

— two blocks of 22-storey serviced apartments.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee said many residents who found out about the proposed development were not happy with the prospect of having such a massive project in the area.


Sneaky move: This signboard was put up to inform the public about the proposed development with a May 25 deadline for written objections.

“The developers and PKNS should have had prior discussions with the residents and stakeholders in the vicinity before planning such a project that will inflate the traffic flow which will result in congestion, possible new undesirable activities and overcrowding.

“The sentiments of PJ residents towards development and the restrictions on infrastructure are well known to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and they should have cautioned PKNS from planning such a massive project, knowing very well that there will be opposition and limitations,” said Lee.

He said MBPJ should be more transparent and should have announced these massive projects well in advance instead of springing surprises on the people at the eleventh hour.

“If I had not passed the corner of Jalan Yong Shook Lin last Sunday, seen the notice board and brought the project to the notice of the people, the project would have gone ahead without any consultation.

“The board was erected at a sharp corner and I doubt if anyone would have noticed it and raised objections as there was only one week left to the objection period.

“Work would have started and the public would be denied the opportunity to object as the project gets the go-ahead due to the developers having spent money already. Would it not be better if the developers of projects of this magnitude proudly announce their project to residents earlier if it was all good and appealing?

“Besides the road systems, the current infrastructure in the area like drainage, water, sewerage and electricity does not seem to be able to cope with such a big development,” he said.


Residents are worried that the roads in the area will not be able to cope with the traffic density.

All Petaling Jaya Residents Association (Apac) chairman Liew Wei Beng said that residents have been calling for the MBPJ to conduct a comprehensive traffic study but none has been done so far.

“We are very concerned about the alarming rate of development in Petaling Jaya.

“We’ve been protesting several other projects like the PJX and V Square but it was allowed to go ahead,” said Liew.

He said MBPJ should be aware of the traffic congestion in the Section 52 area which has a high concentration of office buildings.

“And there are many buildings there that are still under construction or have not been fully occupied yet so that would bring in additional traffic as well,” he said.

Liew was in agreement with Lee in calling for the MBPJ to put up a centralised list of proposed developments so that it was easier for the public to know about.

“Some of these signboards for proposed developments are put up in places that people can hardly see,” said Liew.

When contacted, a PKNS spokesman confirmed that the agency’s headquarters would move from its present site at Section 52, Petaling Jaya to a new building to be constructed at Shah Alam.

Councillor reveals misuse of allocation

By TAN KARR WEI
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/5/20/central/6288709&sec=central

MORE than 500 Petaling Jaya council employees illegally own low-cost flat units, a city councillor was told.

MBPJ councillor Mak Khuin Weng said he received a tip-off last month on alleged misuse of low-cost flats allocation in Petaling Jaya and wants an investigation conducted as soon as possible.


"I have received no official word that Selcat would pursue the matter since my first statement was made" MAK KHUIN WENG

“I received an anonymous letter last month which stated that these officers were not eligible to purchase these houses as their household income was above RM2,500. I want the council to do an audit so we can find out if the allegations are true,” said Mak.

He said that the letter further alleged that the information on these employees could be traced using the following methods:

· A search through the assessment tax records for details of property owners available from the MBPJ valuation department.

· A search through the records of individual certificate of fitness issued to each low-cost flat unit purchaser by the MBPJ building department.

· A search through the records of a named bank that provided most of the loans for low-cost flat unit purchases.

“As proof, the anonymous writer provided a copy of a bank loan statement for a low-cost unit. The copy of the loan allegedly bore the names of persons who were related to a senior MBPJ officer,” he said.

As a result of the allegation, Mak has written a request to the MBPJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman on April 29 to conduct an investigation to ascertain the relationship of these persons to the senior officer.

“I have requested, in the same letter, that an audit of all low-cost housing ownership be done using the prescribed method in the letter to trace these staff members and that the results of the audit be forwarded to the Select Committee for Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) for further investigation and action.

“The request was copied to all MBPJ local councillors, the MBPJ secretary Puasa Md Taib, Selangor Exco Ronnie Liu, Selcat chairperson Teng Chang Khim, Selcat deputy chairperson Haniza Mohamed Talha and Selcat committee member Edward Lee.

This was Mak’s second statement on the matter of improper ownership of low-cost flat units following his statement in February revealing two senior MBPJ officers owning low-cost apartment units despite drawing a salary of more than RM2,500 at the time of purchase.


Prime target: A number of units at this low-cost apartment block in Petaling Jaya are allegedly owned by senior MBPJ officers.

“I have received no official word that Selcat would pursue the matter since my first statement was made. The mayor had also given assurances to the media after the March full board meeting that the matter would be investigated by the MBPJ disciplinary committee but the matter has not been tabled to date either,” said Mak.

He added that he had in the past received complaints from former squatter village residents who were promised a chance to purchase a low-cost unit yet never received the offer once the construction of the low-cost flat was completed.

“These former squatter residents have shown me proof that they were interviewed and given alternative accommodation prior to waiting for the demolition of their village to make way for development and subsequent relocation to the completed flat in their former locale.

“The plight of these former squatter residents may be related to the purchase of low-cost flat units by MBPJ officers who may not be qualified to do so, thereby depriving these legitimate qualifiers from getting their rightful homes. That is why I am requesting for an audit and for thorough investigations to be done,” he said.

As of press time, the MBPJ has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Both Selangor Housing and Property Board (LPHS) and the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) websites states that those who want to apply for low-cost housing must be Malaysians above 18 years old, do not own any houses, and do not have a combined household income above RM2,500.

Face to Face with IGP: Residents and police in dialogue in Petaling Jaya

http://1mytomyam.blogspot.com/2010/04/face-to-face-with-igp-residents-and.html

Petaling Jaya residents had the opportunity to meet and speak to the nation’s No. 1 police officer - the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan in a “Face-to-Face with IGP” dialogue session held on Saturday 6th March 2010 at Dataran Petaling Jaya (opposite Amcorp Mall).

In meeting face to face with many Petaling Jaya residents, the IGP aims to increase public confidence and build closer rapport between police officers and the community, reduce the fear of crimes, and ressure the people that their concerns are being dealt with.

The turn out by the residents were excellent. Although some people were afraid about meeting face to face with police officers, many residents who came were very excited and felt privileged for having this opportunity to meet face to face with the IGP and other senior police officers. It was an effective and meaningful meeting judging by the large number of residents who participated in the dialogue session.

Also present at the dialogue session were Petaling Jaya city mayor Dato' Haji Mohamad Roslan Bin Sakiman, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, senior police officers, the All Petaling Jaya Residents Association Coalition (APAC) president Liew Wei Beng and committee members of Residents Association (RA) and Rukun Tetangga (RT) in Petaling Jaya.

Spotted among the crowd were state assemblymen YB Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) and YB Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku), who although both not officially invited came anyway to show their support.

Before the dialogue session began, there were police band performance, police cadet marching, and wushu demonstration among others. Later the Police K9 (canine) unit thrilled the crowd with the police dogs displaying their skills and abilities.



Arrival of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.


Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA) chairman Gan Keng (left) greets the arrival of Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar.


Committee members of Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA) greet the arrival of Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar.
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Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar extend greetings to all present.x
x

Arrival of Petaling Jaya Datuk Bandar (city mayor) Dato' Haji Mohamad Roslan Bin Sakiman.


A tiger mascot representing the Year of the Tiger 2010 welcomes Petaling Jaya Datuk Bandar) Dato' Haji Mohamad Roslan Bin Sakiman.

(city mayor

Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar (left) chatting with senior police officers.
x

Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar chatting with Datuk Bandar (city mayor) Dato' Haji Mohamad Roslan Bin Sakiman.


A senior police officer chatting with committee members of Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA).


Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA) chairman Gan Keng (in yellow shirt & vest) with Balai Polis SEA Park Officer-in-Charge of Station (OIC) Chief Inspector Mohd Sahar Bin Yunus (centre) and another police officer.


Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA) committees: (From left) Cliff Yin, James Chan, Gan Keng (chairman), Susan Chan, Jimmy Tee, tiger mascot and Wendy Khoo.


Arrival of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan (right).


Senior police officers greeting the arrival of IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan (left).


Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA) committee members Susan Chan greets IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan.


Section 21 SEA Park Residents Association (RA) chairman Gan Keng (in yellow shirt & vest) greets Tan Sri Musa Hassan. x
X

A lion's welcome to IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
xxx

The lion unveil the scroll with the 1Malaysia logo to signify the support for the 1Malaysia concept and principles.

IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan shaking hands with the lion.
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(From left) Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar, IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Datuk Bandar (city mayor) Dato' Haji Mohamad Roslan Bin Sakiman stand to attention when the national anthem Negaraku is being played.


IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan (left) and Datuk Bandar (city mayor) Dato' Haji Mohamad Roslan Bin Sakiman watching performances on the field.


A colourful smoke screen to start the launch of the event.


The show started off with the Royal Malaysian Police Band with entertaining tunes.


The Royal Malaysian Police Band was clearly the crowd favourite with their rendition of catchy tunes.
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A police cadet performing a marching drill.
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A wushu demonstration.


A large crowd watching the performances under a make-shift tent.


Bukit Gasing state assemblyman Edward Lee (first from right) and representatives of Residents Associations (RA) watching the performances on the field.


Speech by the IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan.


(From left) Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar, IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Datuk Bandar


All Petaling Jaya Association (APAC) chairman Liew Wei Beng raised some issues of concern to the IGP.


IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan answering questions raised by the residents.


Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lau Weng San making his hand print at one of the booths at the event.

Used-car dealers want to stay put in Taman Kanagapuram

By Jade Chan
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/4/18/central/8494872&sec=central

THE Selangor MCA Public Complaints Bureau handed over a memorandum to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s office requesting to look into the plight of used car dealers in Taman Kanagapuram in Petaling Jaya.

Bureau deputy chairman, Kelvin Chong, said the used-car dealers were appealing to Khalid to help resolve their plight.

“This would mean overriding the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) eviction notice for the dealers to move out.

“We urge the mentri besar to provide an opportunity for the dealers to continue their business.

“Some of the dealers who approached our bureau for help even came crying as they have invested their savings into their business and have no money left to relocate.

“We hope the state government would consider allowing the dealers to operate their business out of residential premises, just like the operators along Jalan SS2/24 and Jalan Gasing.”

Highlighting traders’ plight: Chong (right) and Hanipuddin (second from right) holding copies of the memorandum that they handed over to Khalid’s office. With them are (from left) bureau committee member Lim Yong Han, bureau deputy chairman Allan Liew and PJ Selatan Umno committee member Raja Azman Raja Aidros.

Taman Medan state liaison officer Raja Datuk Hanipuddin Raja Datuk Nong Chik said evicting the dealers would result losses in millions, but legalising them would earn the council some revenue.

The used car dealers said they were in a dilemma because they have been operating their used- and new car dealership businesses for years, and had invested a big amount, including property purchase.

They said their numerous attempts to apply for a business licence had been to no avail, and that more than 200 employees would be affected by the eviction.

However, the Taman Kanaga-puram Residents’ Association (RA) wants the used-car dealers to move out because none had approval from the local authority to operate in a residential area.

Besides contravening Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 which prohibits any use of land or building other than those stipulated in the local plan, the RA attributed the used-car businesses to the increased congestion and crime rate in the residential area.

Of the 119 lots in Taman Kanagapuram, the RA said 42 lots (about 35%) were illegally converted to business premises.

Twenty-four of the 42 lots are used for car dealerships and the others comprise scrap metal businesses, old folk’s home as well as places of worship.

The MBPJ confirmed that the used-car dealers had committed an offence for misuse of building because the houses they are operating from had not been converted into business premises.

The council also said enforcement action had been delayed numerous times despite several notices due to the traders’ appeals.

Yuen Mun Wai and Mohd Gafil Mohd Fauzi, who are both Taman Kanagapuram business operators and house owners, questioned the legality of the RA and whether the association truly represented all the residents.

“We are also residents but the RA has not made any attempt to engage us. When the traders attend meetings with the council, only a handful of the residents turn up,” said Mohd Gafil.

“The properties facing the Old Klang Road and New Pantai Expressway are not ideal for residential anymore due to their proximity to the main roads and high volume of traffic.

“If the properties in which the traders are operating from are vacated, they would either be left empty or be used as drug haunts,” he said.

Yuen said since the traders were carrying out business activities there, the value of the properties would also go up.

He said they would look into forming their own RA.

Trader Tan Hai Chuan said the dealers had approached Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee for assistance, but he only helped them extend their eviction deadline and not resolve the relocation issue.

When contacted, Taman Kanaga-puram RA president S. Selvaratnam said the association was registered in October 2006.

“We send out notices about our meetings and functions to residential properties,” he said.

He added that when they attended the meetings with the council,the assciation only sent three committee members.

“However, a meeting was later held with the residents, MBPJ heads of departments and councillor Latheefa Koya.

“Eviction notices were sent out after the residents voiced their concerns and the MBPJ verified the facts.” he said.

While he empathised with the dealers, Lee said the law was such that they had been operating illegally.

“They have been given ample time to thrash out their issues with the MBPJ and find a place to relocate. Their other option is to take the MBPJ to court.

“I did suggest a site for them to relocate to, but the land owner was not interested in the deal,” he said, adding that it is not the MBPJ’s or elected representative’s responsibilities to find an alternative site for the traders.

New turf for hockey pitch

By Tan Karr Wei
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/4/5/central/5986544&sec=central

HOCKEY players using the Petaling Jaya hockey stadium could look forward to a new turf soon with the RM2mil budget by the Petaling Jaya City Council.

StarMetro highlighted the bad shape of the pitch inside the stadium which was built in 1995.

Located along Jalan Selangor, the stadium is home to the MBPJ junior hockey development programme.

Still in use: The juniors may get injured training on the worn out turf at the PJ Hockey Stadium.

The MBPJ hockey team was also using the field as their home venue until the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) withheld its approval after inspecting the turf three years ago.

Parents of the young hockey players had also expressed displeasure at the turf condition and felt that it was time that the MBPJ looked into upgrading the stadium.

Citing the high cost of maintaining the stadium, the council had in early last year announced that the stadium could be turned into a multi-purpose sports complex catering for futsal and indoor hockey.

During the recent MBPJ full board meeting last week, councillor Derek Fernandez had again suggested for the stadium to be turned into a sports complex.

He said RM2mil was too high to spend on upgrading the turf in a stadium that was hardly used and that the council should instead consider privatisation, like how the Kelab Syabas swimming pool was operated.

By turning the stadium into a sports complex, Fernandez said Petaling Jaya would then have a complete facility that would also cater to other sports like futsal.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee, who was also present at the meeting, objected to the proposal and said there were many junior players and schools who used the stadium.

“My service centre is located there and I see people there every evening. I have even spoken to some of the parents and suggested that they give MBPJ a proposal on how they can work together with the council to manage the field,” said Lee.

He added that it was the council’s responsibility to provide facilities for the people and not focus on money-making ventures.

For the time being, the hockey players and their parents would just have to wait and see how long it would take before a proposal is tabled, a tender awarded and the RM2mil budget translated into a new pitch.