KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Tomorrow is the final date, for employers to submit their income tax return forms or E Forms for 2009, to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
In a statement on Tuesday, LHDN reminded employers to meet the dateline or face a possible fine of RM2,000, six months jail or both, if found guilty under the Income Tax Act 1967.
LHDN also urged employers to use the e-Filling system which offers an alternative way to submit their tax returns.
For information, tax payers can contact the toll free LHDN customer service hotline at 1-300-88-3010.
Making Ipoh the most liveable city in Malaysia
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Notice of Annual General Meeting for 2010
By Steven Lee (Acting Secretary)
Greetings.
It is again that time of the year for Ipoh City Watch to hold its Annual General Meeting. Details are as follows:
Date: 28 March 2010
Time: 9.30am (for registration)
Venue: Old Andersonian Clubhouse
Agenda:
1. Call to Order/President's address
2. Tabling and passing of Minutes of the previous AGM
3. Matters arising
4. Tabling and passing of Treasurer's report
5. Any other business
Please make an effort to come for the AGM to find out what are in store for ICW this year. Also please come early so that the AGM can start on time and end early for refreshments and fellowship afterwards.
Should you have any questions, please direct it to the President Augustine Anthony at 012-5161334 or Steven Lee at 016-5052848
Greetings.
It is again that time of the year for Ipoh City Watch to hold its Annual General Meeting. Details are as follows:
Date: 28 March 2010
Time: 9.30am (for registration)
Venue: Old Andersonian Clubhouse
Agenda:
1. Call to Order/President's address
2. Tabling and passing of Minutes of the previous AGM
3. Matters arising
4. Tabling and passing of Treasurer's report
5. Any other business
Please make an effort to come for the AGM to find out what are in store for ICW this year. Also please come early so that the AGM can start on time and end early for refreshments and fellowship afterwards.
Should you have any questions, please direct it to the President Augustine Anthony at 012-5161334 or Steven Lee at 016-5052848
Friday, January 15, 2010
Woman loses RM1,900 from online account - Star
Jan 15 2010 By LIM CHIA YING
ONLINE banking is a convenience to many busy people. However, it brought misery to a 26-year-old woman, who wished to be known only as Jenn, who lost RM1,900 from her one-month-old account on Dec 2.
Jenn said the amount was transferred to a third party account without her knowledge after she had logged into the bank’s system using her logon and password.
“One morning in early December, I received an email from Maybank stating that I had a login with an incorrect password in the Maybank system.
“After closing the email, I logged into the system and entered the correct password that it needed.
“However, on the afternoon of the same day, I received an SMS from Maybank2u.com that RM1,900 from my account that I had opened at the Maybank Taman Midah branch had been transferred to a third party account,” Jenn said at a press conference called by Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun.
She has since lodged a police report at the Batu 9 Cheras police station.
In the police report, she said when she went to the branch at 2pm the same day, a bank officer named Raymond Lim had given her the funds transfer statement in which she saw that her money had been transferred to an account belonging to a Malay woman named Mayana Muhamad.
Jenn called up the Maybank headquarters to seek an explanation on the issue, and was disappointed that the personnel were not helpful and only provided a written reply to her one month later.
“I had been using another bank, where security was much tighter, before using Maybank’s online banking when I changed job,” she said, adding that she had created the account only in November.
“The RM1,900 was almost all my savings! The officer in the headquarters told me that the police investigation must be completed before action could be taken.
“He also told me that although the bank had contacted the third party, the woman was not cooperating so they could not do anything. Would she cooperate if she is the culprit?” asked the frustrated Jenn, claiming that the bank personnel had even told her there was a queue of other fraud victims.
In Maybank’s written reply to Jenn, virtual banking cyber security manager Baizura Ahmad wrote that following a comprehensive investigation of the said transaction, they had found that a valid user name and password were used to access her account via Maybank2u.com.
“Our findings revealed that the internet banking username and password were used on Dec 2 to successfully make a login to your Maybank account via Maybank2u.com,” Baizura had stated.
“A Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) was requested through your Maybank2u.com account and a valid TAC was successfully sent to your mobile number. This TAC was then used to create a favourite third party account, and subsequently, the amount of RM1,900 was made to the favourite third party account from your account on the same day.
“Based on our investigation into our system, our records showed there was no system failure, problem or any breach of security of Maybank2u.com in processing the above activities at the mentioned date and time involving the above account.
“In view of this, we very much regret to inform that the bank is unable to accede to your request of the said amount,” the reply said.
In the reply, the bank reiterated that it does not send any email, SMS or make telephone calls to customers to request for personal details, account details of TAC number.
“Customers are also reminded never to disclose their account and banking information to anyone. The bank provides safety information and alerts in Maybank2u.com as well as through our other delivery channels,” the reply stated.
Jenn said she felt helpless on the issue and had since terminated her online account with the bank.
Fong said he would be writing to Bank Negara on the urgent need to monitor the security of online banking.
“Since the matter involved a transfer within the same bank, and the person’s name and account number are known, there is no reason why the bank is unable to do anything.
“The money was transferred without the victim’s knowledge, so it is only right that settlement is made to her.
“I also hope the Finance Minister will respond to this as such a case can result in the public losing confidence in online banking,” he said.
ONLINE banking is a convenience to many busy people. However, it brought misery to a 26-year-old woman, who wished to be known only as Jenn, who lost RM1,900 from her one-month-old account on Dec 2.
Jenn said the amount was transferred to a third party account without her knowledge after she had logged into the bank’s system using her logon and password.
“One morning in early December, I received an email from Maybank stating that I had a login with an incorrect password in the Maybank system.
“After closing the email, I logged into the system and entered the correct password that it needed.
“However, on the afternoon of the same day, I received an SMS from Maybank2u.com that RM1,900 from my account that I had opened at the Maybank Taman Midah branch had been transferred to a third party account,” Jenn said at a press conference called by Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun.
She has since lodged a police report at the Batu 9 Cheras police station.
In the police report, she said when she went to the branch at 2pm the same day, a bank officer named Raymond Lim had given her the funds transfer statement in which she saw that her money had been transferred to an account belonging to a Malay woman named Mayana Muhamad.
Jenn called up the Maybank headquarters to seek an explanation on the issue, and was disappointed that the personnel were not helpful and only provided a written reply to her one month later.
“I had been using another bank, where security was much tighter, before using Maybank’s online banking when I changed job,” she said, adding that she had created the account only in November.
“The RM1,900 was almost all my savings! The officer in the headquarters told me that the police investigation must be completed before action could be taken.
“He also told me that although the bank had contacted the third party, the woman was not cooperating so they could not do anything. Would she cooperate if she is the culprit?” asked the frustrated Jenn, claiming that the bank personnel had even told her there was a queue of other fraud victims.
In Maybank’s written reply to Jenn, virtual banking cyber security manager Baizura Ahmad wrote that following a comprehensive investigation of the said transaction, they had found that a valid user name and password were used to access her account via Maybank2u.com.
“Our findings revealed that the internet banking username and password were used on Dec 2 to successfully make a login to your Maybank account via Maybank2u.com,” Baizura had stated.
“A Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) was requested through your Maybank2u.com account and a valid TAC was successfully sent to your mobile number. This TAC was then used to create a favourite third party account, and subsequently, the amount of RM1,900 was made to the favourite third party account from your account on the same day.
“Based on our investigation into our system, our records showed there was no system failure, problem or any breach of security of Maybank2u.com in processing the above activities at the mentioned date and time involving the above account.
“In view of this, we very much regret to inform that the bank is unable to accede to your request of the said amount,” the reply said.
In the reply, the bank reiterated that it does not send any email, SMS or make telephone calls to customers to request for personal details, account details of TAC number.
“Customers are also reminded never to disclose their account and banking information to anyone. The bank provides safety information and alerts in Maybank2u.com as well as through our other delivery channels,” the reply stated.
Jenn said she felt helpless on the issue and had since terminated her online account with the bank.
Fong said he would be writing to Bank Negara on the urgent need to monitor the security of online banking.
“Since the matter involved a transfer within the same bank, and the person’s name and account number are known, there is no reason why the bank is unable to do anything.
“The money was transferred without the victim’s knowledge, so it is only right that settlement is made to her.
“I also hope the Finance Minister will respond to this as such a case can result in the public losing confidence in online banking,” he said.
Friday, December 18, 2009
In hard times, extravagant signs in Ipoh - Malaysian Insider
By Clara Chooi
One of the large ‘Hollywood-like’ sign of Ipoh erected along the North-South Expressway that can be seen from the northbound lane, just 1km after the Gopeng exit. — Picture by Clara Chooi
IPOH, Dec 18 — Despite running a deficit budget, the Ipoh City Council this year built two giant signs spelling the city's name at entry points on the PLUS expressway for RM800,000.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians blamed the Perak palace for the signage, modelled on the famous Hollywood sign in the United States, saying they managed to reduce it to two from the initial four when it was built early this year.
The Ipoh City Council confirmed with The Malaysian Insider the whopping cost, which amounts to RM100,000 for each letter that spells out the words "Ipoh".
It is understood that the signs were erected in January this year for two reasons — to mark the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah's silver jubilee celebration and to turn the city of Ipoh into a significant landmark to entice more tourist stopovers.
The RM800,000 spent on the two signs does not include maintenance work and the cost of electricity used to power up the spotlights at night.
A source from the ousted PR state government revealed to The Malaysian Insider yesterday that the proposal to erect the signs had come from the palace last year and the initial suggestion was actually to put up four such signs along the main arteries entering the city.
"The PR government rejected the idea when it was mooted because it was clearly a terrible waste of public funds," said the source, who declined to be named.
The source added that the signage also bore little aesthetic value and would not have helped to boost the city's economy in any way.
"In the first place, there are enough road signboards on the highway to inform people where Ipoh is.
"Not only that, before they allowed the continuous travel between Kuala Lumpur and Penang on the highway, motorists had to pay their toll in Ipoh before they proceeded on their journey.
"Everyone knows where Ipoh is," said the source.
The PR government was toppled when three of its lawmakers resigned to be independent, prompting the Perak royalty to name Barisan Nasional Pangkor assemblyman Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir as mentri besar.
When contacted yesterday, Ipoh Mayor Datuk Roshidi Hashim admitted to The Malaysian Insider the cost of the two signs.
He said that the reason why the signs were so expensive was because each letter had to be lifted up to be erected on its lofty perch up on two separate hills.
"They had to bring in a skylift crane from Kuala Lumpur to erect the letters and this cost us quite a bit," he said.
He said however that the PR government had not completely rejected the idea but had merely voiced some disapproval.
"I also discussed it with (former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad) Nizar (Jamaluddin) and he did suggest putting it up along the Ipoh-Lumut highway," said Roshidi.
Meanwhile, the signs, which spell out the name "Ipoh" using white letters, already seems to be stained with dark blotches.
Roshidi said he was aware of this and had already assigned a city engineer to be in charge of maintaining the signs.
The maintenance work, he added, would include cleaning the letters as well as ensuring that the spotlights to light up each letter at night were working well.
"We also have to clean the undergrowth of the hills behind the signage and keep the place neat," he said.
Roshidi also agreed that the city was currently still running on a deficit budget of between RM7 million and RM10 million.
"But still, our arrears collection has improved tremendously by up to 36 per cent this year alone.
"We also have a huge reserve so we can run without collections for at least six months," he said.
Before the giant Ipoh signs, motorists on the old federal road would know they were near the capital of the tin-rich state from the giant Mercedes Benz three-pointed star logo at the city's southern approach, signifying the wealth of its residents who favoured the German marque.
The only other city with a giant signage is Kuala Terengganu which has the word “Allah” on the hill after Pulau Duyong.
One of the large ‘Hollywood-like’ sign of Ipoh erected along the North-South Expressway that can be seen from the northbound lane, just 1km after the Gopeng exit. — Picture by Clara ChooiIPOH, Dec 18 — Despite running a deficit budget, the Ipoh City Council this year built two giant signs spelling the city's name at entry points on the PLUS expressway for RM800,000.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians blamed the Perak palace for the signage, modelled on the famous Hollywood sign in the United States, saying they managed to reduce it to two from the initial four when it was built early this year.
The Ipoh City Council confirmed with The Malaysian Insider the whopping cost, which amounts to RM100,000 for each letter that spells out the words "Ipoh".
It is understood that the signs were erected in January this year for two reasons — to mark the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah's silver jubilee celebration and to turn the city of Ipoh into a significant landmark to entice more tourist stopovers.
The RM800,000 spent on the two signs does not include maintenance work and the cost of electricity used to power up the spotlights at night.
A source from the ousted PR state government revealed to The Malaysian Insider yesterday that the proposal to erect the signs had come from the palace last year and the initial suggestion was actually to put up four such signs along the main arteries entering the city.
"The PR government rejected the idea when it was mooted because it was clearly a terrible waste of public funds," said the source, who declined to be named.
The source added that the signage also bore little aesthetic value and would not have helped to boost the city's economy in any way.
"In the first place, there are enough road signboards on the highway to inform people where Ipoh is.
"Not only that, before they allowed the continuous travel between Kuala Lumpur and Penang on the highway, motorists had to pay their toll in Ipoh before they proceeded on their journey.
"Everyone knows where Ipoh is," said the source.
The PR government was toppled when three of its lawmakers resigned to be independent, prompting the Perak royalty to name Barisan Nasional Pangkor assemblyman Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir as mentri besar.
When contacted yesterday, Ipoh Mayor Datuk Roshidi Hashim admitted to The Malaysian Insider the cost of the two signs.
He said that the reason why the signs were so expensive was because each letter had to be lifted up to be erected on its lofty perch up on two separate hills.
"They had to bring in a skylift crane from Kuala Lumpur to erect the letters and this cost us quite a bit," he said.
He said however that the PR government had not completely rejected the idea but had merely voiced some disapproval.
"I also discussed it with (former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad) Nizar (Jamaluddin) and he did suggest putting it up along the Ipoh-Lumut highway," said Roshidi.
Meanwhile, the signs, which spell out the name "Ipoh" using white letters, already seems to be stained with dark blotches.
Roshidi said he was aware of this and had already assigned a city engineer to be in charge of maintaining the signs.
The maintenance work, he added, would include cleaning the letters as well as ensuring that the spotlights to light up each letter at night were working well.
"We also have to clean the undergrowth of the hills behind the signage and keep the place neat," he said.
Roshidi also agreed that the city was currently still running on a deficit budget of between RM7 million and RM10 million.
"But still, our arrears collection has improved tremendously by up to 36 per cent this year alone.
"We also have a huge reserve so we can run without collections for at least six months," he said.
Before the giant Ipoh signs, motorists on the old federal road would know they were near the capital of the tin-rich state from the giant Mercedes Benz three-pointed star logo at the city's southern approach, signifying the wealth of its residents who favoured the German marque.
The only other city with a giant signage is Kuala Terengganu which has the word “Allah” on the hill after Pulau Duyong.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
On the fast track to Ipoh - Star
Dec 15 09 - By SARBAN SINGH
SEREMBAN: Rail commuters will be able to travel from here to Ipoh in less than three hours when Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) introduces its inter-city express train service (ETS) from April 1.
The premium service, which will among others have wi-fi services, will only stop at major stations along the way.
A source said KTMB had already received a new set of the trains from South Korea and trial runs were expected to begin in the coming weeks.
“Since the train has a maximum speed of 120kph and is built based on the latest technology, commuters will be able to get from one point to another quicker,” he said.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is scheduled to launch the service in Kuala Lumpur today.
The source said KTMB would get four more train sets by February.
“Each train will have six coaches which can accommodate some 300 sitting passengers,” he said.
KTMB introduced the normal Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh shuttle service beginning December last year. The journey between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh takes about three hours.
However, the new train set has a diesel-run locomotive with inter-city coaches.
It is understood that the ETS will, among others, stop at the Nilai/KLIA, Bandar Tasek Selatan, KL Sentral, Tg Malim, Tapah, Kampar and Batu Gajah stations.
With the ETS, the travelling time from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur will be 45 minutes while the KL-Ipoh route will take about two hours and 10 minutes.
The source said the new train set will look like an upgraded version of the present KTM Komuter trains.
“It will have comfortable seats and brightly lit coaches.
“The seats will also be spacious,” he said.
The source said since it was a premium service, commuters must be prepared to pay more to travel on the train.
“This is a departure from the old mode of rail travel.
“We want commuters to feel even more comfortable and to be able to do work while in the train,” he said, adding that the proposed fare had yet to be approved by the Transport Ministry.
It is understood that the service will begin at 5am with the last being at 10pm at two-hour intervals.
SEREMBAN: Rail commuters will be able to travel from here to Ipoh in less than three hours when Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) introduces its inter-city express train service (ETS) from April 1.
The premium service, which will among others have wi-fi services, will only stop at major stations along the way.
A source said KTMB had already received a new set of the trains from South Korea and trial runs were expected to begin in the coming weeks.
“Since the train has a maximum speed of 120kph and is built based on the latest technology, commuters will be able to get from one point to another quicker,” he said.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is scheduled to launch the service in Kuala Lumpur today.
The source said KTMB would get four more train sets by February.
“Each train will have six coaches which can accommodate some 300 sitting passengers,” he said.
KTMB introduced the normal Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh shuttle service beginning December last year. The journey between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh takes about three hours.
However, the new train set has a diesel-run locomotive with inter-city coaches.
It is understood that the ETS will, among others, stop at the Nilai/KLIA, Bandar Tasek Selatan, KL Sentral, Tg Malim, Tapah, Kampar and Batu Gajah stations.
With the ETS, the travelling time from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur will be 45 minutes while the KL-Ipoh route will take about two hours and 10 minutes.
The source said the new train set will look like an upgraded version of the present KTM Komuter trains.
“It will have comfortable seats and brightly lit coaches.
“The seats will also be spacious,” he said.
The source said since it was a premium service, commuters must be prepared to pay more to travel on the train.
“This is a departure from the old mode of rail travel.
“We want commuters to feel even more comfortable and to be able to do work while in the train,” he said, adding that the proposed fare had yet to be approved by the Transport Ministry.
It is understood that the service will begin at 5am with the last being at 10pm at two-hour intervals.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Why you should have sex everyday - Star
Nov 28 2009 By timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Heard that song called Sexual Healing?
It's not just a metaphor. Sex can actually heal. It can heal your body and mind and also prevent lots of diseases.
Some say it's the first medicine ever known to man and it should be administered daily. Sounds too good to be true? Let's discover the five reasons to have sex each day.
Great form of exercise
Making love is a form of physical activity. During intercourse, the physiological changes in your body are consistent with a workout. You must have noticed that the respiratory rate rises, which means you get tired. Hence, you burn calories.
If you have sex three times a week for 15 minutes you'll burn about 7.500 calories in a year.
That's the equivalent of jogging 120km! Heavy breathing raises the amount of oxygen in your cells, and the testosterone produced during sex keeps your bones and muscles strong.
Pain relief
The "Honey, not today, I have a headache" cannot be an excuse any more.
During sex, both male and female bodies produce endorphins, hormones that act as weak painkillers.
A study conducted by reknowned sex theraphist Gina Ogden showed that during sexual stimulation and especially during orgasm, we don't feel pain.
If she finds another excuse, remind her that sex is good for her entire reproductive system, because it trains the PC muscle, which keeps the reproductive organs in shape.
In women, sex can also increase fertility, postpone the menopause and relieve PMS symptoms.
Prostate protection
Most of the fluid you ejaculate is secreted by the prostate gland. If you stop ejaculating, the fluid stays in the gland, which tends to swell, causing lots of problems.
Regular ejaculation will wash those fluids out and ensure the well being of your prostate until old age. Problems may also occur when you suddenly change the frequency of ejaculations.
Prevents ED
Fifty per cent of men older than 40 suffer from erectile dysfunctions and all young men fear the moment when they won't be able to get it up any more. The best medicine against impotence is...sex.
An erection keeps the blood flowing through your penile arteries, so the tissue stays healthy. Plus, doctors compare an erection to an athletic reflex: the more you train the more capable you are to perform.
Stress relief
It's a scientific fact: sex can be a very effective way of reducing stress levels.
During sex your body produces dopamine, a substance that fights stress hormones, endorphins, aka "happiness hormones" and oxytocin, a desire-enhancing hormone secreted by the pituitary gland.
Heard that song called Sexual Healing?
It's not just a metaphor. Sex can actually heal. It can heal your body and mind and also prevent lots of diseases.
Some say it's the first medicine ever known to man and it should be administered daily. Sounds too good to be true? Let's discover the five reasons to have sex each day.
Great form of exercise
Making love is a form of physical activity. During intercourse, the physiological changes in your body are consistent with a workout. You must have noticed that the respiratory rate rises, which means you get tired. Hence, you burn calories.
If you have sex three times a week for 15 minutes you'll burn about 7.500 calories in a year.
That's the equivalent of jogging 120km! Heavy breathing raises the amount of oxygen in your cells, and the testosterone produced during sex keeps your bones and muscles strong.
Pain relief
The "Honey, not today, I have a headache" cannot be an excuse any more.
During sex, both male and female bodies produce endorphins, hormones that act as weak painkillers.
A study conducted by reknowned sex theraphist Gina Ogden showed that during sexual stimulation and especially during orgasm, we don't feel pain.
If she finds another excuse, remind her that sex is good for her entire reproductive system, because it trains the PC muscle, which keeps the reproductive organs in shape.
In women, sex can also increase fertility, postpone the menopause and relieve PMS symptoms.
Prostate protection
Most of the fluid you ejaculate is secreted by the prostate gland. If you stop ejaculating, the fluid stays in the gland, which tends to swell, causing lots of problems.
Regular ejaculation will wash those fluids out and ensure the well being of your prostate until old age. Problems may also occur when you suddenly change the frequency of ejaculations.
Prevents ED
Fifty per cent of men older than 40 suffer from erectile dysfunctions and all young men fear the moment when they won't be able to get it up any more. The best medicine against impotence is...sex.
An erection keeps the blood flowing through your penile arteries, so the tissue stays healthy. Plus, doctors compare an erection to an athletic reflex: the more you train the more capable you are to perform.
Stress relief
It's a scientific fact: sex can be a very effective way of reducing stress levels.
During sex your body produces dopamine, a substance that fights stress hormones, endorphins, aka "happiness hormones" and oxytocin, a desire-enhancing hormone secreted by the pituitary gland.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Perak to increase NGO involvement in local councils - Malaysian Insider
By Clara Chooi
IPOH, Nov 25 — The Perak government plans to increase the participation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the running of local councils by invoking provisions under Local Agenda 21.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said that the current system, which the Barisan Nasional administration had adopted from the previous Pakatan Rakyat government, did not optimise the use of NGO talent because of the 30 per cent quota.
Under the PR system, 30 per cent of local councillor posts are given to professionals and non-political appointees, mainly representatives of NGOs.
“However, we are aware that there are many more NGO representatives out there who are willing to participate in local government administrations but because of the quota system, they may not make the cut.
“If we use Local Agenda 21, however, we can capitalise on this,” he told a press conference after chairing the weekly state executive councillor meeting here today.
Zambry said that under Local Agenda 21, the state government could form a “second layer” to the councillors, comprising only of NGO representatives.
According to state executive councillor for local government matters Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, the “second layer” would be involved in council matters and would play a pivotal role in aiding the local governments in sustainable development of the state’s 15 districts.
“They will also sit in during local council meetings,” he said.
Agenda 21 is an action plan towards global sustainable development that was amongst the five papers presented during the 1992 Earth Summit or United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
Zambry said the Housing and Local Government Ministry had already commissioned the setting up of Local Agenda 21 in Malaysia several years back.
“We might as well make full use of this and come up with a modus operandi on how to improve the effectiveness of our local councils by expanding the involvement of these NGOs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zambry said that the state government had already identified several problematic councillors currently serving the local councils but has yet to finalise the list of names.
“We will not hesitate to discontinue their services during the new round of appointments. There will be no compromise on this,” he said, adding that the new team of local councillors would be appointed by early next year.
Zambry also issued a stern warning to all present and aspiring councillors to make sure they performed well or face the boot.
“Enough is enough. We do not care which political party they represent — if they fail to perform, we will discontinue them.
“We do not want these people to think that the appointments are merely privileges bestowed upon them by their leaders or given to them because of their unfaltering support to a certain leader. They must consider themselves as the people’s representatives too,” he said.
He added that the each councillor was subjected to key performance indicator (KPI) evaluations, which would value their services based on their achievements, attendance and effectiveness.
“If they fail, they will go,” warned Zambry.
On a separate matter, Zambry said the Health Ministry had given its thumbs-up to the state government’s request for allocations under the 10th Malaysia Plan to build new hospitals.
Among the state’s requests was an expansion for the present Tuanku Bainun Hospital here which will add a maternity and cardiology wing costing some RM200mil, as well as a brand new hospital in Parit Buntar, also costing some RM200mil.
IPOH, Nov 25 — The Perak government plans to increase the participation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the running of local councils by invoking provisions under Local Agenda 21.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said that the current system, which the Barisan Nasional administration had adopted from the previous Pakatan Rakyat government, did not optimise the use of NGO talent because of the 30 per cent quota.
Under the PR system, 30 per cent of local councillor posts are given to professionals and non-political appointees, mainly representatives of NGOs.
“However, we are aware that there are many more NGO representatives out there who are willing to participate in local government administrations but because of the quota system, they may not make the cut.
“If we use Local Agenda 21, however, we can capitalise on this,” he told a press conference after chairing the weekly state executive councillor meeting here today.
Zambry said that under Local Agenda 21, the state government could form a “second layer” to the councillors, comprising only of NGO representatives.
According to state executive councillor for local government matters Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, the “second layer” would be involved in council matters and would play a pivotal role in aiding the local governments in sustainable development of the state’s 15 districts.
“They will also sit in during local council meetings,” he said.
Agenda 21 is an action plan towards global sustainable development that was amongst the five papers presented during the 1992 Earth Summit or United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
Zambry said the Housing and Local Government Ministry had already commissioned the setting up of Local Agenda 21 in Malaysia several years back.
“We might as well make full use of this and come up with a modus operandi on how to improve the effectiveness of our local councils by expanding the involvement of these NGOs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zambry said that the state government had already identified several problematic councillors currently serving the local councils but has yet to finalise the list of names.
“We will not hesitate to discontinue their services during the new round of appointments. There will be no compromise on this,” he said, adding that the new team of local councillors would be appointed by early next year.
Zambry also issued a stern warning to all present and aspiring councillors to make sure they performed well or face the boot.
“Enough is enough. We do not care which political party they represent — if they fail to perform, we will discontinue them.
“We do not want these people to think that the appointments are merely privileges bestowed upon them by their leaders or given to them because of their unfaltering support to a certain leader. They must consider themselves as the people’s representatives too,” he said.
He added that the each councillor was subjected to key performance indicator (KPI) evaluations, which would value their services based on their achievements, attendance and effectiveness.
“If they fail, they will go,” warned Zambry.
On a separate matter, Zambry said the Health Ministry had given its thumbs-up to the state government’s request for allocations under the 10th Malaysia Plan to build new hospitals.
Among the state’s requests was an expansion for the present Tuanku Bainun Hospital here which will add a maternity and cardiology wing costing some RM200mil, as well as a brand new hospital in Parit Buntar, also costing some RM200mil.
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