Johor tables amended property bill, sultan’s power limited or removed entirely

The Johor government today tabled the controversial Housing and Real Property Board Bill 2014 in the state assembly, with amendments that either limited or removed the Johor Sultan’s power in the proposed housing board.

The amendments no longer give the sultan the power to determine the remuneration or allowances of board members in the Johor Property and Housing Commission (JPHC).
The sultan’s power to direct any person to investigate the books, accounts and transactions of the board has been removed, and he no longer can direct the board to be wound up and dissolved.
The board no longer has to submit to the ruler the accounts, an estimate of the expenses the following year or a report of its activities in the preceding year. Nor does it require the sultan’s approval to establish a corporation.
Instead, all those powers are vested solely in the state authority.
Similarly, the sultan can only appoint members of the board on the advice of the menteri besar. The sultan’s approval for the appointment of the director is also on the advice of the menteri besar.
Meanwhile, either the sultan or the menteri besar can decide to revoke a member’s appointment, as opposed to the sultan having the sole authority to do so.
The bill was tabled today by executive councillor Abdul Latiff Bandi. – June 9, 2014.

Utusan says will snub Johor palace over criticism on new bill

Utusan Malaysia today said it would not answer any royal summons to appear before the Sultan of Johor, following the paper's criticism against a controversial plan to include the ruler in the state's administration.

"It is not right for the Sultan to besmear the august position he occupies by dealing directly with a media editor," said Awang Selamat, the pseudonym for the paper's collective editorial.
"Even Awang as an editor would not want to answer any summons to appear before the Sultan," he wrote, adding that it was different if the invitation was to others palace events "where all parties are comfortable".
The Umno mouthpiece said if the Johor palace was unhappy with the criticism and wanted to reprimand or clarify, it could send a representative to meet the daily's editors.
Utusan said it was improper for Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar to deal directly with a paper's editor.
The daily, however, denied that it had received any such order from the royal household.
"Awang does not think that Sultan Ibrahim will cheapen his status as a ruler by calling Utusan Malaysia to appear before him.
"Awang believes that Sultan Ibrahim, although known to be firm, is a gentleman. Moreover, times have also changed," wrote the paper, adding that the media must stop being "overly worried about criticism" involving the rulers.
"This is the common question among media practitioners every time a sensitive issue arises regarding the Johor palace.
"The anxiety of media practitioners towards this issue should stop immediately," said Utusan, adding that "there is no reason for such anxiety" in today's new media landscape.
Awang said there was no reason for high-ranking palace officials to reprimand reporters and editors.
Instead, he said in other countries with monarchies, it was a common practice for the media to send their representatives to the palace.
"That is how it is done in palaces in Europe, Japan and Thailand, even the royal institutions in other states in Malaysia. This is to avoid misunderstandings as if parties are being bullied."
Last week, Utusan Malaysia reported that the Johor state government would propose a bill for the establishment of the Johor Property and Housing Commission (JPHC), which effectively allows the Johor ruler to be directly involved in the state's administration.
The bill has been criticised by many quarters including constitutional experts, who argue that it is against the Constitution and parliamentary democracy. – June 8, 2014.

Deputy minister’s directive to GLCs to advertise in Utusan Malaysia unacceptable, says opposition MP

Opposition MPs have flayed Putrajaya over a directive for government-linked companies (GLCs) to advertise in Umno-controlled newspapers, stressing that members of the administration did not seem to know what the policy on the matter was.

Their comments follow deputy finance minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan's admission that he had written to heads of GLCs to spend more of their advertisement budget at Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.

His remarks contradicted that of a parliamentary reply by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim at the end of last month, who had said the federal government had never recommended that Utusan be given priority for advertisement purposes.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (pic) said such flip flopping is unacceptable and a blatant interference of GLCs financial affairs.

“The fact that various ministers are saying different things on the same issue proves that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.

“The prime minister must state his position on this,” he said.

"The government only stressed that advertisements be placed in main newspapers in Malaysia so that the message can achieve its objective," Shahidan had said in a written reply to Sim Tze Tzin (PKR-Bayan Baru).

This came on the heels of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pitching for companies and government agencies to advertise in Utusan Malaysia during the opening of the Bahasa Malaysia daily's new headquarters on September 13.

Najib had said newspaper companies cannot rely solely on circulation to stay in business and that advertising was needed to keep the 75-year-old newspaper afloat.

"I hope all government agencies, GLCs and private companies, especially those owned by Bumiputeras, will show their support by giving more advertisements to Utusan. Only this will help keep Utusan on track," the premier was reported as saying.

Pua said it is completely irresponsible to direct GLCs to advertise in the dailies.

“Government money is not meant for party-owned newspapers, especially one that had proven to repeatedly defame and provide inaccurate reports to the public,” he said in referring to Utusan Malaysia.

Sim said the latest call by Putrajaya is clearly an attempt to bail out Utusan Malaysia, which is suffering from falling circulation.

He reminded GLCs to be aware that their responsibilities are towards the people and making its operations profitable instead of listening to demands from Umno.

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership has been wary of the Umno mouthpiece's style of reporting and several have sued it for its reports.

Among the Pakatan leaders who had taken Utusan Malaysia to court for defamation and won are opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Seputeh MP and former Selangor exco member Teresa Kok from DAP, and former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin from PAS.

Last January, Anwar won a suit against Utusan Malaysia after High Court judge Datuk V.T. Singham found that the daily had defamed him in two articles.

The court ruled that the articles, which had implied that Anwar had intended to legalise homosexuality, was a gross mistaking of facts in complete disregard for Anwar’s reputation.

The court also found that the news articles were lacking in responsible journalism and that the newspaper took high risk in publishing them on the front page, without verifying the truth.

In February, the Court of Appeal upheld a High Court decision ordering Utusan Malaysia to pay RM200,000 in general and aggravated damages to Lim over a defamatory article.

Lim, who is Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, had sued Utusan for defaming him in an article entitled, “Kebiadaban Guan Eng” published on December 20, 2011.

Utusan Malaysia columnist Datuk Chamil Wariya and Utusan Melayu openly apologised to Teresa Kok in the High Court in June as part of a settlement in a defamation suit filed by Kok.

The court also ordered Utusan Melayu to pay costs of RM50,000 and to publish an apology in the daily.

Kok had filed a RM30 million defamation suit against Utusan Melayu, which publishes Utusan Malaysia, and Chamil on December 12, 2008.

The suit was over a short story written by Chamil, who is also Malaysian Press Institute CEO, which allegedly referred, either directly or by innuendo, to Kok. The story titled YB Josephine was published in Utusan Malaysia on October 12, 2008.

In July, the Kuala Lumpur High Court awarded Mohammad Nizar RM250,000 in damages in his suit against Utusan Malaysia over the WWW1 car registration number issue. In his statement of claim, Nizar said the defendant had implied that Nizar had tried to incite the people to hate the Sultan of Johor. - November 10, 2013.

Pembunuh pegawai Ambank ditahan PDRM

KUALA LUMPUR: Pengawal keselamatan yang menembak mati pegawai Ambank Norazita Abu Talib, 37, dalam kejadian rompakan di Ambank cawangan Subang Jaya pada 23 Okt lepas, telah berjaya ditangkap polis pagi ini.

Perkara ini disahkan oleh Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar dalam laman Twitternya apabila beliau mengucapkan tahniah kepada pasukan Ops Cantas Bukit Aman yang dikatakan telah berjaya menangkap suspek di Johor Baharu.

Pasukan Cantas PDRM berjaya menangkap suspek pada jam 7.00 pagi 10 Novemver bertindak atas maklumat awam di Kampung Belungkor, Kota Tinggi, Johor. 


Dalam kejadian pada pukul 6.18 petang itu, Norazita, maut ditembak oleh suspek ketika beliau membuka peti besi di dalam bilik kebal bank berkenaan, bersama-sama seorang lagi pegawai wanita.

Mangsa yang sudah berkerja selama 16 tahun di bank itu meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian susulan kecederaan parah pada bahagian kepala akibat ditembak dengan 'pump gun' oleh suspek.

Suspek kemudian melarikan sejumlah RM450,000 dari bilik kebal itu.

Rakaman video selama 32 saat, yang dipercayai sedutan CCTV memaparkan insiden itu, telah tersebar dengan meluas di laman sosial ekoran kejadian tersebut..

2 beradik warga emas huni rumah dhoif

PONTIAN – Melihat keadaan sebuah rumah usang dan dikelilingi dengan semak samun di Kampung Permas Kelapa, di sini, pasti tiada siapa yang menyangka kediaman itu berpenghuni.

Namun rumah itulah menjadi tempat berteduh pasangan adik beradik, Mian Subari, 86, dan adiknya Noriyah, 56, sejak bertahun lamanya.

Difahamkan, Mian yang tidak pernah mendirikan rumah tangga sehingga kini masih menjaga adik perempuannya itu yang mempunyai masalah lembam.

Tinjauan Sinar Harian ke rumah terbabit mendapati, keadaan dalam kediaman itu perlu diperbaiki dan terdapat banyak takungan air hujan susulan keadaan bumbung rumah yang bocor.

Mian berkata, dia yang kini sudah tidak lagi bekerja amat bersyukur kerana masih mempunyai tempat tinggal meskipun dalam keadaan serba kekurangan.

Bagaimanapun, dia mengakui memasang impian supaya rumah didiaminya itu dapat dibaiki untuk keselesaan hidupnya dan Noriyah.

“Saya dan adik bersyukur kerana kami masih lagi mempunyai tempat berteduh dan berlindung dari hujan dan panas,” katanya.

"Kami hidup pun dengan bantuan bulanan RM300 dari Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM), mana mungkin saya dapat membaik pulih rumah ini. Saya juga tidak lagi mampu membuat kerja-kerja berat atas faktor usia. Oleh itu, saya amat berharap ada pihak yang dapat membantu sekurang-kurangnya membaiki rumah ini,” katanya.

Mian berkata, keadaan rumah yang usang, bocor dan berlubang itu menyebabkan dia dan Noriyah sering kesejukan pada waktu malam.

Menurutnya, keadaan bertambah buruk sekiranya hujan lebat kerana hampir keseluruhan zink rumah bocor dan dinding rumah berlubang.

"Bila lihat awan mendung sahaja, saya dan adik sudah mula runsing memikirkan memikirkan keadaan rumah,” katanya.

Mian berkata, semak-samun yang sudah menjalar di atas bumbung rumah membuatkan dia dan Noriyah semakin bimbang mengenai keselamatan diri.

“Bimbang juga sekiranya terdapat haiwan liar seperti ular di atas bumbung. Dulu ada orang datang melihat kawasan sekitar rumah dan mereka beritahu akan cuba mendapatkan bantuan baiki rumah.

“Pada ketika itu, saya amat gembira, tetapi sampai sekarang tiada khabar berita,” katanya.

Justeru, Mian bersama Noriyah amat berharap supaya rumah berkenaan dapat dibaiki segera bagi membolehkan mereka hidup lebih selesa

Via: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200222574360404&set=a.2307497300247.2122493.1633745966&type=1&theater