Mohd Zin finally dares to meet BMC residents

After years of protest, the Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) road dispute finally gained attention from the cabinet. It is clear that only with several violent clashes involving residents, bystanders, police and the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and landing a few people in hospitals for fatal injuries would we see effective actions from the government.

Over 38,000 thousand residents had been fighting for years against toll contractor Grand Saga to remove the barricade built by Grand Saga to force the residents to use its tolled Cheras-Kajang highway since 2005.

Today, Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed finally decided to go to the site and play his part as a minister. He arrived at 3.30pm to make his highly-anticipated announcement to the residents who had gathered there waiting for him.

Using a loudhailer, Mohd Zin announced:

“As the case is still awaiting a decision in court, I’ve agreed to open this road and I hope we as responsible citizens will respect and abide by the law. I promise to all to resolve this issue permanently but I will need more time.

“With the opening of this road, Grand Saga has agreed not to re-erect the barricade and assured they will not initiate third party action against the government.”

“This is a decision made based on what has happened, we will review this matter again after the court decision. For now, the road will be opened as usual. I will instruct them (Grand Saga) to repair this road.”

Mohd Zin also said that Grand Saga has agreed to work together with the government so that this road will be opened. He expressed the hope that all parties can accept this decision “responsibly” because this matter has become an issue of public importance.

Source: Malaysiakini

Why must it take some bloodied events and clashes to happened before the government is prepared to act? Is this the type of government the citizens wanted?

It is truly sad for Malaysians. No one can cry for you, dear Malaysia.

Oh, by the way, there is one other good news: Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi announced yesterday that Malaysia's film industry will be doing better than Bollywood due to our country's unique multiracial and multicultural diversity.

"This country's performing arts can even be better than India and its Bollywood," Pak Lah told his audience at the National Artistes Day held to honour local artistes.

PM also said that local artistes should be given greater recognition and encouragement for the sake of development of the arts.

To show the government's support for the industry, PM announced that 70% of advertisements have to be local content to provide job opportunity to local artistes.

Source: NST: 'We can rival Bollywood'

Onlookers beaten and then charged for attempted murder?

Four onlookers caught unawares in the Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) scuffle on the night of May 27, are being investigated for attempted murder and rioting, said Kajang police chief ACP Shakaruddin Che Mood.

According to the police chief, the four can be charged under Section 148 (for riot) and Section 307 (attempted murder) of the Penal Code.

The four are being probed for allegedly attempting to cause injuries to several police personnel near the barricaded toll-free access road in Bandar Mahkota Cheras.

Source: Malaysiakini

On May 27, Chang Jiun Haur, Chan Siew Meng and two others were curious about the Bandar Cheras Mahkota gatherings of the residents and decided to have a good look over the fracas. However they decide to leave when the police field force arrived at the scene. While trying to leave the scene in a hurry the police claimed that they had attempted to run over several members of the riot squad guarding the disputed barricade near BMC with their Proton Wira.

Chang was then beaten up by about 20 riot police personnel on that night.

He was admitted into the intensive care unit at Kajang general hospital by the police. Chang was battered until he suffered grievous body and head injuries and was deeply traumatized by the incident.

The picture on the left is Chang Jiun Haur.

He was beaten up by about 20 riot police.

Now, the police may charge him and his sister and boss for attempted murder?

I thought the police should be investigating whether the excessive use of force by the police personnels on an ordinary citizen, causing a person to suffer severe physical injuries and psychiatric injuries, would be classified as an attempted murder. Instead, this pitiful victim will now be investigated for attempted murder.

What kind of justice system did we have? Is this nation a democratic country? Do we practice the rule of law and the rule of natural justice?

Deputy Home Minister cooking lies

Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung told parliamentarians today that he did not receive any news or report about police using too much force but I assure you that the police will always act in accordance with the law.

According to Chor, the residents were beaten up by unidentified thugs and they decided to use more force by using a car to knock police officers over.

Chor's report shows that a Proton Wira driven by three men and a woman tried to knock several police officers. They were subsequently detained by the police.

"I believe in the confusion, many accusations have been made against the police and thugs.

Source: Malaysiakini


My goodness, Chang Jiun Haur was only a curious onlooker and how can he and his sister and boss decides to knock several police officers? Chor Chee Heung must be a mad minister or a psychopath as he tries so damn hard to relate a malicious intent on the part of the young boy to commit a treacherous act of crime.

Our ministers have become great liars. To cover up the police brutal act on ordinary citzens the ministers is willing to sacrifice human integrity and become a snakeman.

Grand Saga is an associate company of KPSB

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has now only discovered that the Selangor State government indeed is a shareholder in Grand Saga, the highway concessionaire involved in the dispute at Bandar Mahkota Cheras. Selangor owned State corporation Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd owns 20% of Taliworks Corp Bhd who holds a 55% stake in Cerah Sama Sdn Bhd that wholly owns Grand Saga Sdn Bhd. As such, Taliworks Corp has the majority control over Grand Saga and KPSB is a substantial shareholder of Taliworks.

The question now is who owns the balance of the 80% of Taliworks Corp?

As reported in The Edge Daily on 17th July 2007, before the acquisition of a controlling stake in Grand Saga by Taliworks, Peak Synergy Sdn Bhd owns 44.45% of Grand Saga, Europlex Consortium Sdn Bhd (33.33%) and Cerah Sama Sdn Bhd (22.22%). Datuk Lim Ah Bak, Ahmad Ishak Haron and Minhat Mion were listed as substantial shareholders of the three holding companies.

The Lim family is the controlling shareholder of Taliworks. Datuk Lim Chee Meng owns a direct and indirect stake of 52.62% in Taliworks. Lim Chee Meng is the son of the late Datuk Lim Ah Bak.

As listed in the 2006 Annual Report, the single largest shareholder of Taliworks is Datuk Lim Chee Meng who holds 224,700,000 shares (direct and indirect); Datuk Hj Abdul Karim held 6,450,000 shares (direct and indirect); Datuk Wan Puteh holds 520,000 and Datuk Hj Mohd Sinon holds 225,000.

In July 2007, Taliworks acquired a 55% stake in Cerah Sama Sdn Bhd for RM107.8mil. Cerah Sama owns Grand Saga Sdn Bhd, which operates the 11.5km Cheras-Kajang highway under a concession that expires in 2027. Taliworks bought the controlling stake in Cerah Sama from Bunga Abadi Sdn Bhd, a company in which Lim has substantial shareholding.

According to Taliworks corporate information at www.taliworks.com.my Dato' Haji Abd. Karim Bin Munisar is their chairman and the CEO is Tuan Haji Abdul Rahman bin Hj. Siraj; Datuk Lim Chee Meng is its executive director who is also the director of Central Industrial Corporation Berhad.

The registered office of Taliworks as published in their website is Level 17, Menara Milenium, Jalan Damanlela, Pusat Bandar Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur. But according to their Annual Report 2006 the registered office is 10th Floor, Wisma Havela Thakardas, No. 1, Jalan Tiong Nam, Off Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Kuala Lumpur; and their principal place of business is No. 28, Jalan Wan Kadir 1, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.

In 1987, Taliworks was awarded the first water supply privatisation contract in Malaysia with the privatisation of the Operations and Maintenance of the 545 million litres per day (mld) nominal capacity Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Works in Selangor.

Since then, Taliworks has expanded its core business in the privatised water supply sector to include the operation and maintenance of the Sungai Selangor Water Treatment Works Phase 1 (SSP1), which supplies to large parts of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and the water supply and distribution system in Langkawi, Kedah.

There are two main companies in Taliworks, namely Sungai Harmoni Sdn Bhd and Taliworks (Langkawi) Sdn Bhd, which hold long term contracts for the privatised water supply operations above.

Taliworks currently manages a total of 6 water treatment plants with a combined design capacity of 1,039.5 mld that serve more than 2 million people in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Langkawi, Kedah.

Toll Up & then No Up?

Deputy PM Najib promised that there will be no toll increases next year, at least not until the Cabinet had discussed the matter.

“Why do you speculate? Wait until the Cabinet decides,” Najib told reporters when questioned on the toll increase that was announced by Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu on Sunday.

But, DPM, we didn't speculate! It's Samy's statement that was published by NST. Why blame us? We are facing anxieties, you know?

EPU & Samy Sparring Tollgate Scandal

Samy Vellu ‘to fight’ EPU on toll issue

Samy Vellu, fed up of being blamed for toll increases, said that it was the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) that should be in the line of fire, not the Works Ministry.

Samy said he would no longer accept decisions on tolls without questioning the EPU "on every single detail".

"It is time ... I am going to fight them ...".

Samy Vellu said the EPU was the final decision-maker on tolls and concessions and that he had found himself the scapegoat each time any announcement on toll was made.

"My ministry is just a tool of the EPU but I cannot allow this anymore. I will question them on every single detail," Samy Vellu told opposition leader Lim Kit Siang.

"I am going to question and check everything including whether the costs of construction as claimed by the concessionaires are accurate," he said, adding that every toll hike proposal would be fully reviewed.

What? Only now you want to question and check? You mean, the Works Ministry never ever check all those years? You mean, we had been fools all these years and that they were suckers? You mean, nobody have to take the blame so far? Will EPU please stand up!!!

Samy on TOLL

Samytoll-18th.June

"The Cabinet has decided not to subsidise the toll rate for New Pantai Highway which charge $3.20 one way," said Datuk Seri Samy Toll.

Well, pay for it my friend if you choose to use it - that's the Doctrine of Laissez faire, a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights.

Let the market decides the survival of the wisemen. There are already a number of highways that had sufferred badly due to insufficient revenue from toll collection, such as Port Dickson-Seremban Highway, Kulim-Butterworth Highway, etc.

The people should teach those suckers a lesson by abstaining from the use of those highways that overcharge the users and let time decide their demise. Then Samy vellu will be back to save them by proposing to the Government to save them. Look at Putra Monorail and Star monorail; Khazanah save them from extinction and save Renong Billions of dollars for that failed privatization project.

In the first place, why did Samy agreed on the rate for the toll when he knows from his historical experience that the Rakyat cannot afford it? Just abort the proposed project, and the interested concessionaires will come running to reduce the rates.
Isn't this SANDIWARA SAMY?