Tamparuli fire: MP urges temporary shoplots

Tuaran: The District Council here has been urged to identify a site to build temporary business premises for shop owners who were affected by the fire in Tamparuli last Tuesday.

Towards this end, Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Wilfred Bumburing said the process should be speeded up to ensure the operators have a place to ply their trade for the time being.

"We have asked the District Council to ascertain a site suitable for the business owners," he said.

He said this in a ceremony where the fire victims received donations at the District Office in Tamparuli, here, on Friday.

Tamparuli Assemblyman Datuk Jahid Jahim said the livelihood of the shop owners would be disrupted if the setting up of the temporary premises was delayed.

Also present were Assistant Tamparuli District Officer, Edip Abun, and Kapitan Cina Tamparuli, Soong Ket Siong.

Meanwhile, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor, who had previously visited the site where an entire row comprising seven units of two-storey wooden shophouses was razed, had urged owners of old buildings to repair their electrical wiring to prevent short-circuits, which could cause fire.

The wooden shophouses, one of five 50-year-old buildings built just after the war by the colonial administration, were destroyed in a fire at 5.10am.

14 December, 2008 - Daily Express

Big Penampang x'mas 'do'

Penampang: A large-scale Christmas celebration would be held at the Buhavan Square in Donggongon on Dec. 20 - the first time in the district's history.

The event is jointly organised by the Penampang Tourism Council and the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

It is supported by the Huminodun Foundation, Penampang JCI, Sabah Credit Corporation, Penampang District Council, Lion's Club of Penampang, Penampang Rotary Club, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Rafflesia Medical Centre and Rafflesia Medical Diagnostic Centre.

Organising Chairman Ladislaus Maluda said various programmes have been lined-up for the event such as colouring contest, magic shows, Christmas music and songs and lucky draws.

"The programme will start with a blood donation drive and health screening cum health awareness campaign to be conducted by QEH and Rafflesia Medical Centre," he told a press conference, Tuesday.

He said five veteran singers namely Evelyn Ebin, Ivy Bakansing, Justin Stimol, Irene Thadeus and Datuk Pat Michael would perform in the evening where Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok would be guest of honour.

Winner of the 2007 National Choir competitions, "The Suara Bayu" including The Evergreens Band and The Copycat Band would also be performing. He hoped the event would attract visitors to the heartland of the Kadazandusun.

"We would be setting up 50 tables at the Buhavan Square while restaurants would probably set up more than 100 tables outside," he said. A huge screen would be set up to enable the people to watch the performance on stage.

Penampang Tourism Council Chairman-cum-District Officer William Sampil said the event would be a big boost to the district because the Council is planning to organise the Pesta Angpow in January as well as other events to enhance tourism in Penampang.

Dr Roland Chia, Executive Chairman of Rafflesia Medical Centre said the organisation was happy to be a part of the event through its promotion of healthy lifestyle to the people.

He said there would be the usual exercise such as blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) check-ups, among others.

"We will also be calling our regular donors to participate in the blood donation drive," he said. Also present were RMC Manager Liza Estolas and KCCI vice-president Pius Jaua.

10 December, 2008- Daily Express

SABAH TO BE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS BY 2010

Bobbey (right) presenting a certificate to a recipient watched by state fisheries director Rayner Stuel Galid (centre)

28th November, 2008 - New Sabah Times

TAWAU: Sabah has the potential to become the biggest producer of aquaculture products in the country by 2010.

Disclosing this, Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Yahya Hussin said this was based on the forecast on the output of aquaculture products by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia of 207,200 metric tonnes valued at RM2.5 billion for the period.

Yahya who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister said by 2010 Sabah was expected to produce 33,000 metric tonnes of seawater prawns worth RM1.06 billion, marine fish (30,700 metric tonnes; RM1.23 billion), freshwater fish (12,700 metric tonnes; RM125 million), cockles (6,000 metric tonnes; RM28 million) and seaweed (125,000 metric tonnes; RM24 million).

He said the targets set by the department are expected to make the state the biggest producer of aquaculture products by 2010.

‘Sabah, with vast areas that are suitable for aquaculture, has the potential to become the centre for aquaculture and this potential has been recognised by the department,” he said at the launch of state Aquaculture Licensing Programme here yesterday.

The text of his speech was read by the minister’s assistant, Datuk Bobbey Suan.

Yahya said based on the study by the Fisheries Department, 491,359 hectares in the country were suitable for aquaculture, of which 182,260 hectares or 37 percent, were in Sabah.

He said the state fisheries department would formulate various policies and strategic plans to achieve the targets.

“One of the plans is to set up a 63,342-hectare aquaculture industrial zone,” he said.

Yahya also said 24,400 hectares would be used to cultivate seaweed, rearing of marine fish in cages (4,380 hectres), mollusc, including cockles and invertebrates (14,700ha), crustacean, including seawater prawns (17,212ha), brackish water fish (2,390 hectares) and freshwater fish (260 hectares).

UPKO Persoal Rasional JPN Keluarkan Semula MyKad Hijau

PENAMPANG, 21 Nov (Bernama) -- Pergerakan Pemuda Pertubuhan Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Bersatu (UPKO) menganggap pengeluaran semula MyKad hijau oleh Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) kepada orang yang tidak mempunyai taraf kewarganegaraan Malaysia debagai sesuatu tekanan mental dan politik baru kepada penduduk tempatan Sabah.

"Belumpun selesai isu kebanjiran pendatang asing di Sabah, isu dakwaan pemberian taraf warganegara Malaysia kepada puluhan ribu pendatang asing di Sabah, isu dokumen kewarganegaraan palsu, dan pemegang IMM13 yang tidak berkurang tetapi bertambah, kini muncul lagi isu baru iaitu pemberian MyKad hijau yang boleh menggugat hak rakyat Sabah," kata Ketua Pemuda UPKO Arthur Sen, di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas laporan akhbar tentang gerakan JPN di seluruh negara yang akan mengeluarkan Mykad hijau kepada pemegang sijil kelahiran Malaysia dan pemegang Mykad hijau sedia ada.

Ekoran itu, pejabat JPN Kota Kinabalu dan Tawau diserbu oleh ribuan pemohon.

Arthur berkata Pemuda UPKO mempertikaikan rasional di sebalik keputusan JPN mengaktifkan semula pemberian MyKad hijau yang sudah dibekukan sejak tahun 2004.

Pengeluaran MyKad hijau hanya menguntungkan pemiliknya yang sememangnya warga asing yang dilahirkan di Sabah dan diberi sijil kelahiran tanpa warganegara, katanya.

"Menurut maklumat yang diterima MyKad hijau ini akan laku dan sah sehingga lima tahun. Persoalannya ke mana pula arah tuju kerakyatan mereka dan juga anak-anak mereka selepas itu," kata beliau.

Arthur berkata pemegang MyKad hijau suatu hari berkemungkinan menjadi pemastautin tetap dengan memegang MyKad merah dan seterusnya melayakkan dirinya atau keturunannya memperoleh MyKad biru atau warganegara Malaysia.

Tindakan JPN itu mungkin akan memberi kesan buruk terhadap demografi penduduk Sabah pada masa akan datang, tegasnya.

-- BERNAMA

21 November, 2008 18:28 PM

Projek gas Kimanis-Bintulu bawa kesan berganda untuk rakyat dan ekonomi Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Pemilikan, kuasa dan hak-hak meneroka, mengguna dan memperolehi sumber petroleum di Malaysia adalah dalam bidang kuasa Petronas secara eksklusif di bawah Akta Pembangunan Petroleum, 1974.

Menteri Di Jabatan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Nasir Tun Sakaran berkata, walau bagaimanapun Kerajaan Persekutuan telah memberi jaminan bahawa projek Sabah Oiland Gas Terminal (SOGT) tidak akan menjejaskan bekalan minyak dan gas untuk keperluan dalam negeri ini, serta pembayaran royalti ke atas minyak dan gas yang dihantar ke Bintulu, Sarawak.

“Projek Sabah- Sarawak Gas Pipline (SSGP) merupakan salah satu komponen Projek Bersepa-du Minyak dan Gas yang sedang dijalankan oleh Petronas di negeri ini,” katanya ketika menggulung perbahasan Bajet Negeri 2009 bagi Jabatan Ketua Menteri di Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) kelmarin.

Semasa sesi perbahasan Bajet Negeri 2009, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Luyang, Melanie Chia Chui Ket menggesa kerajaan membatalkan projek penyaluran gas Petronas dari Kimanis ke Bintulu.

Nasir berkata, projek bersepadu itu melibatkan pembangunan medan-medan minyak dan gas yang baru ditemui di luar pantai Sabah, pembinaan SOGT di Kimanis dan pembinaan SSGP dari Kimanis ke Kompleks LNG Petrnoas di Bintulu, Sarawak.

Beliau berkata, melalui projek SOGT itu, sumber gas yang dikeluarkan daripada luar pantai Sabah akan didaratkan di SOGT, Kimanis.

“Sebahagian daripada gas yang dikeluarkan akan dibekalkan untuk kegunaan sektor-sektor tenaga dan perindustrian di Sabah dan selebihnya akan disalurkan ke Kompleks LNG Petronas di Bintulu, Sarawak melalui SSGP,” katanya.

Menurutnya, projek-projek yang dijalan-kan Petronas di Sabah pada masa ini telah dan akan membawa banyak kesan penggandaan (multiplier effect) kepada rakyat dan pertubuhan ekonomi negeri Sabah.

Antaranya pertumbuhan kawasan-kawa-san bandar dan pusat-pusat perindustrian baru, peluang-peluang perniagaan dan pekerjaan serta pembangunan modal insan bagi menyo-kong industri berasaskan minyak dan gas di Sabah.

“Kerajaan negeri menyedari bahawa industri hiliran berasaskan minyak dan gas wajar diwujudkan di Sabah seperti termaktub dalam Pelan Induk Perindustrian Sabah (SIAP) dan telah mengambil inisiatif serta langkah-langkah sewajarnya,” katanya.

Katanya, Kerajaan Negeri melalui Unit Peran-cang Ekonomi Negeri (UPEN) juga telah menu-buhkan satu jawatnkuasa sementara yang dianggotai oleh Pejabat Pegum Besar Negeri, Pejabat Setiausaha Hasil Bumi, Kementerian Kewangan, Kementerian Pembangunan Perindustrian, Jabatan Pembangunan Perindustrian dan Penyelidikan dan Perbadanan Tenaga Sabah bagi merangka strategi dan langkah-langkah bersepadu untuk membangunkan industri hiliran minyak dan gas di Sabah.

Menurutnya, pada 1 Januari tahun ini, rezab gas di luar pantai Sabah adalah berjumlah 12.7 trilion kaki padu atau (kira-kira 14 peratus daripada jumlah rezab gas Malaysia).

“Medan-medan gas yang terdapat di luar pantai Sabah adalah kecil dan berselerak, tidak seperti medan-medan gas di luar pantai Semenanjung Malaysia dan Sarawak,”katanya.

Oleh yang demikian katanya, pembangunan rezab gas di luar pantai Sabah perlu dijalankan secara berkelompok dan ini melibatkan kos yang tinggi.

Katannya, kos pelaburan pembangunan loji minyak, gas dan petrokimia pada masa ini adalah terlalu tinggi berikutan peningkatan harga pasaran bahan-bahan binaan dan peralatan.

Walau bagaimanapun katanya, sebahagian daripada gas yang bakal didaratkan telah diperuntukkan untuk kegunaan sektor tenaga dan perin-dustrian di negeri ini.

“Petronas dan Yayasan Sabah telah mengadakan usaha sama bagi pembangunan sebuah Loji Janakuasa Elektrik dengan kapasiti sebanyak 300MW di Kimanis,” katanya..

Pembinaan loji itu dijangka akan memperkukuh lagi sektor tenaga di Sabah dan menjadi pemangkin kepada pembangunan industri-industri lain di Sabah.

21st November, 2008 - New Sabah Times

Tindakan k’jaan keluarkan KP hijau tidak harus disalahtafsir, kata Ghapur

TAWAU: Tindakan kerajaan yang memutuskan untuk mengeluarkan semula kad pengenalan hijau bermula 15 November 2008 lepas, tidak seharusnya disalah-tafsirkan oleh mana-mana pihak kerana dokumen terbabit hanya dikeluarkan kepada mereka yang layak dan setelah tapisan dibuat.

Ahli Parlimen Kalabakan, Datuk Ab-dul Ghapur Haji Salleh, berkata tindakan itu juga adalah bersesuaian dengan tuntutan beberapa pemimpin termasuk beliau sebelum ini, yang meminta kerajaan me-nyelesaikan masalah mereka yang tidak mempunyai status warganegara.

Justeru yang demikian ujarnya, beliau berharap tindakan terbaru kerajaan itu tidak dijadikan satu isu negatif, apatah lagi dijadikan sebagai isu perkauman.

“Kita harus sedar, JPN (Jabatan Pen-daftaran Negara) bukanlah pasar. Kad hijau ini cuma dikeluarkan kepada mereka yang benar-benar layak sahaja. Saya pun tidak mahu kalau ada yang tidak layak, mendapat kad ini,” tegas beliau.

Dalam hal berlainan, beliau menjelaskan bahawa dari segi rasionalnya, pemberian kad itu secara tidak langsung jga dapat menyelesaikan masalah identiti mereka yang terlibat, sekaligus memudahkan pihak berkuasa untuk mengesan mereka sekiranya berlaku sesuatu yang tidak diingini.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemubual selepas mengadakan pertemuan dengan Pengerusi dan beberapa ahli Persatuan Hakka Tawau dan Badan Perhubungan Ketua Masyarakat Cina Tawau, di pejabatnya di Bangunan Umno di sini, kelmarin.

Menyentuh hal berlainan, Ghapur memberitahu yang pihaknya amat mengalu-alukan pihak pentadbiran sekolah-sekolah Cina dan tokong di kawasannya, untuk mengemukakan sebarang masalah atau apa-apa perkara yang diperlukan oleh mereka.

Sebagai pemimpin di kawasan terbabit jelasnya, beliau akan berusaha memberikan bantuan yang sewajarnya termasuklah dari segi peruntukan ataupun dengan mengemukakan permasalahan yang mereka hadapi kepada pihak kerajaan.

“Kita mengamalkan sikap terbuka dan akan terus berkhidmat kepada seluruh masyarakat tanpa mengira kaum atau la-tar-belakang. Kita juga kini sedang me-rangka satu sesi dialog dengan sekolah-sekolah Cina, bagi melihat keperluan dan mendengar permasalahan yang mereka hadapi,” katanya lagi.

Pada majlis itu, Ghapur turut me-nyampaikan cek sumbangan beliau sebagai Ahli Parlimen bernilai RM10,000 ke-pada Pengerusi Persatuan Hakka Tawau, Datuk Lim Yen Ngiap dan RM5,000 ke-pada Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Ketua Masyarakat Cina Tawau, Yap Kin Vun.

Hadir sama pada majlis ringkas itu ialah Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Sebatik, Haji Abdul Muis Haji Picho; Adun Merotai, Pang Yuk Ming dan Adun Tanjung Batu, Datuk Hajah Hamisa Samad.

23rd November, 2008 - New Sabah Times

Upko: Green MyKad a new stress on the people

Kota Kinabalu: The re-issuance of the green MyKad to "stateless" people in Sabah is putting new stress on local people in the State, said Upko Youth chief Arthur Sen.

"We in Upko Youth are questioning the rationale behind the National Registration Department's decision to reactivate the issuance of the green MyKad, which had been frozen since 2004," he said.

He claimed the exercise will only benefit foreigners who were born in Sabah and who had been issued birth certificates without citizenship.

According to information received, he said the green MyKad is only valid for five years and asked what will happen to the temporary citizenship status of these green MyKad holders and their children after that period was over.

"There is a big possibility that these green MyKad holders will one day become permanent residents and then qualify themselves or their subsequent generation to obtain the blue MyKad as citizens É in the long run it would change the population demography of Sabah," he said.

This must be prevented from now by stopping the NRD exercise, he stressed. "Another negative effect will be that the green MyKad holders will compete against the genuine locals in economic activities É this is already happening now, and what more when they already get the green MyKad," he said.

Also in terms of access to public facilities, he said the local people will also be forced to compete with the immigrants like for medical treatment and wards at the public hospitals, recreational parks and so on.

"All these are saddening. Government agencies like the NRD need to be more attentive to the feelings and political sentiments of the genuine locals in Sabah," he said.

22 November, 2008- Daily Express