Council to spend RM19,000 to get rid of illegal posters in Sungai Chua

This is from the The Star. Well further to the earlier post/news about the war on illegal posters, I am happy to hear that the Majlis Perbandaran is fighting back. I am sure if proper action is taken against these people, then the problem will stop. If they know they can get away with it, of course they will continue. It's simple as that. Having said that, just painting with the chemical will by itself, not be enough. Don't you think so?

Until the next time, cheers.

Tuesday August 23, 2011

Council to spend RM19,000 to get rid of illegal posters

THE Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) will be spending RM19,000 in its pilot project to get rid of illegal banners and posters in Sungai Chua.
 

Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman said the cost included the chemicals to remove the stickers and non-stick paint.

“We have been testing the chemicals for a month,” he said at the monthly public complaints monitoring meeting, Councillor Steven Chan called for stern action to be taken against culprits and order them to do community service.

“The culprits will have to remove the illegal stickers. It is better than issuing a fine,” he said.

Councillors suggested the local authority provide the chemicals and non-stick paint to residents during gotong-royong.

Hassan said they would work hand-in-hand with the police to nab those involved putting up illegal posters.

“Under the council’s Advertisement By-laws, we can issue summonses, We will obtain the person’s name and address from the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to serve them a notice.

“There are those who try to look for loopholes in the law by giving false addresses. We need the police’s involvement to obtain the culprit’s name and address,” he said.

Study on abolishing one of two tolls on Cheras-Kajang Highway: Najib

The General Elections must be very near when you get this type of suggestions from the Government. Previously from Kajang, one had to pay 3 tolls but since then the Metramac toll had run it course and we are now paying 2 tolls, making it the cheapest route to KL. If one of this is abolished, then it will save a lot of people more money.

Well, what would you expect from politicians? They will only work hard when elections are coming.

Until the next time, cheers.

Study on abolishing one of two tolls on Cheras-Kajang Highway: Najib 

HULU LANGAT, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- The prime minister today asked the Works Ministry to study the possibility of abolishing one of the two toll collections on the Cheras-Kajang Highway.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the study should then be tabled to the Cabinet for perusal before the government could decide on the issue which had for long been a woe for residents living around the area.

"I mention this because I want to show to you that when we say 'people first', we really want to do whatever possible to lighten the people's burden," he told the crowd at the prime minister's breaking-of-fast with Selangor residents at Dataran Usahawan, Batu 14, Hulu Langat town, today.

"On the Grand Saga toll, I will ask the Works Ministry to study the matter in depth and bring it up to the Cabinet for us to see whether we can afford to do something about the toll issue here.

Also present at the function were Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar and Semenyih assemblyman Datuk Johan Abd Aziz, who is also Hulu Langat Umno division chief.

The prime minister said he could not simply approved any application (to abolish toll) put forward to him as it could have a major financial implication.

Najib who is also Finance Minister, said as a responsible leader, he needed to study such an application thoroughly before making any decision and if the request was reasonable, it would be approved eventually.

"I know if I make an announcement now (on toll abolishment), I will get a thunderous applause. But as the finance minister responsible, I will have to study the matter thoroughly and if it can be considered favourably, an announcement will be made in due time."

Najib made the statement following the Semenyih assemblyman's request, as residents around the area have to pay toll twice to highway concessionaire Grand Saga Tol Sdn Bhd at RM0.90 and RM1.10 within a distance of two kilometres.

In his speech to the crowd of more than 5,000, Najib also assured that the government would consider upgrading Kajang Hospital which had been operating for over 100 years and could no longer cope with the rising number of patients due to increased population in the area.

"Many applications are made to the government and as a leader, I am willing to consider and its also my job, so that the Barisan National (BN) government is seen as one that really gives priority to the people."

Najib who is also Selangor Umno liaison chief, said Malaysians should be grateful as the BN-led government had proven to be effective in bringing change and tackling economic issues when many developed countries including the United States were facing an economic crisis.

"As Malaysians, we should feel fortunate and appreciate that we are living in a country where we can feel that the future will be brighter.

"If we ask the people, they will feel that their life will get better and have the confidence that if the government continues with the direction and plans like the GTP, ETP and 10MP, God willing they will have a brighter future."

He said the people should also realise that this situation did not happen on its own unless they voted in a government that had proven capable of administering and transforming the country.

The prime minister said the public confidence factor was there, otherwise they would not dare put forward any request to be fulfilled by the government.

He said this situation was different from that in some developed countries where the allocations and pensions were cut, and they were forced to depend on assistance from other countries for financial injections to solve their financial crisis.

"In Malaysia, we are not only able to pay salaries, but even bonus of half-month salary to civil servants and RM500 to the pensioners. This is the good thing about living on this blessed land under the BN government," he added.

Najib had earlier handed over Ramadan contribution from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Foundation to the poor, orphans and senior citizens, as well as 1Malaysia laptop computers to selected residents in the Hulu Langat parliamentary constituency.

Najib later performed Maghrib prayers at the Hishamuddin Alam Shah Mosque here before going to Kg. Pasir Baru Jamek Mosque in Semenyih, about 25km away from here, for Isyak and Tarawih prayers and moreh with the congregation.

"Family living in fear daily" - developer problems again!!!!!

Time and again we hear of poor workmanship that local authorities don't seem to bother about. The bulk are for low cost housing where the poor cannot afford the repairs and again are taken for a ride for their ignorance. The government never seem to take action on any developers or even black list the companies and its directors/shareholders. They always seem to get away scot free whilst the blame is being shifted round and round. Don't you think that this has to stop?

Until the next time, cheers.

Friday August 19, 2011

Family living in fear daily

LIFE has been miserable for the Tamilarasu family from Taman Bukit Mutiara in Kajang.

 

S. Tamilarasu, his wife and children have been having sleepless nights after their house started to show signs of cracking up six months ago.

After his two daughters narrowly escaped being injured when a part of the plaster ceiling in the dining room fell, Tamilarasu’s worries had increased.

He said part of the wall tiles at the kitchen had collapsed and cracks had appeared all over the house.

Empty section: Tamilarasu showing the section of the wall where the tiles had collapsed.

 

“The cracks on the floor and the walls are widening,’’ he said.

Tamilarasu said he realised that part of his house had tilted and the flooring had become uneven.

He said he was worried for the safety of his family especially the children aged 14 and 10 years.

“My wife and I are out until late night as we are selling fish at night markets and the children are alone at home.

“I have been worrying about their safety every night,’’ he said, adding that he bought the house seven years ago from the first owner.

Yong Han Holdings spokesman William Ong said the project had been sold to another company and they were not responsible for the cracks.

He said the project was completed 13 years ago and the warranty period was over.

“There is nothing we can do about it,’’ he said, adding that the project was built on a landfill.

Lucky escape for family in Taman Bukit Kajang Baru

Well, here goes another landslide in Kajang. This time in Taman Bukit Kajang Baru as reported in The Star. Fortunately, there were no casulties. There are also a few other areas in the vicinity that have complaint so many times to the local authorities but have felled on deaf ears. Wonder what it takes for them to move their butts.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Friday August 19, 2011

Lucky escape for family

IT was a close call for a family in Taman Bukit Kajang Baru when a retention wall of their house collapsed on Wednesday evening.

 

House owner Loh Wei Chao said his father-in-law was in the compound when the wall crashed and damaged the front part of the house. The eight adults and three children were not at home when the incident took place.

“We have been staying in the house for 15 years and nothing like this has ever happened.

Exposed: The wall collapsed on Wednesday evening at about 7.30pm.

 

“There is a housing project nearby and we can feel the vibrations from the machines,” he said.

He said he had complained to the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) but to no avail.

However, council president Datuk Nawawi Hassan Abdul Rahman said the house owners had flouted the law by building the driveway on a road reserve.

“They have to bear the consequences. Initial findings showed that the wall collapsed due to the owner carrying out earth work. We are still investigating,” he said.

Loh admitted that the driveway was built on a road reserve but they had not received any notice from the council for the past 15 years.

He said an MPKj officer had given him the green light verbally on the earth work in his house,MPKj councillor S.T. Chandramohan said council engineers went to the scene that night and placed tarpaulins over the building as a temporary measure.

This article apeared in The Star and I have always had the view that we have too many layers giving contracts and these people do not do anything. We need to stop this to lower the costs. The local councils must also start to earn their keeps. Let's hope with this, we can keep cost lower and also do a better job.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Tuesday August 9, 2011

The cleaning begins

Effective Aug 1, the local authorities have taken over cleaning services from Alam Flora. StarMetro speaks to the various councils and some residents about the change.

KAJANG Municipal Council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman said the council would take over the management of public cleaning contractors from Alam Flora.

Not complete: Only a part of this drain in Kajang has been cleaned.

 

“The current 116 contractors will continue to work for an interim period of three months.

“Some 2,158 contractors, including the existing ones, have applied for public cleaning duties during the open tender,” he said.

He added that the contractors would be monitored during the three months and those not up to the mark would be replaced.

With the change of management, Mohamad Nazrin Mohd Ibarin, a supervisor for cleaning duties in Kajang, hoped they could receive their payments on time.

“Alam Flora did not pay us on time, there were times when the payment was delayed for two to three months.

“I have five workers under my supervision and all I can do is to ask them to be patient when the payment is late.

“We hope the council can have a fixed date for payments and adhere to it,” he said.

However, many residents are unaware of the change.

Taman Sungai Chua resident Eric Seow was in the dark over the transition and hoped the contractors would perform better under the council’s management.

“The grass in front of our houses are properly cut but our backlanes are overgrown with grass. Maybe the grass-cutters don’t feel comfortable with the residents’ dogs in the backyard.

“Only time will tell if the change of management will lead to better results,” he said.

Fellow Kajang resident Chan Yong Niok, 57, was also unaware of the change and hoped the contractors could clean the drains thoroughly instead of cleaning only part of the drains.

“Drains overflow during heavy downpours. I have told them to clean it thoroughly but to no avail,” he said.

Magnificent Magnificat Choir from Medan

Last Sunday evening (7 August 2011), some of us had the opportunity to watch an amazing group of young people from Medan, Indonesia perform at the Holy Family Church Kajang. The performance was organised by the St Francis of Assisi and the St Thomas More church. They performed at the Divine Mercy Church on the Friday.

The group is 80 strong and is led a Capuchin priest, Fr Redemptus Benedictus Simamora. He started the choir in 1998 and the youngest to perform that night was 13 years old. We were promised a good performance but I believe most of us were overwelmed by their sheer talent and dedication. The church that night was full although I believe the majority were from outside Kajang.

Sections of the crowd before the concert

Another section of the crowd

The concert started with a rendition of two songs by Father Valentine Gompok of St Francis of Assisi. he too has a good voice and was well received by the crowd.

The choir coming taking their place

The choir performed some classical songs such as Bach's Ave Maria and compositions by Vivaldi and Tom Fettke. They also performed folk songs from the island of Sumatera, Indonesia where they come from.

A very fascinating dance

The traditional dances which they perform is also of very high quality. There is one dance from Acheh which warrants special mention and it is very very hard to do. Kudos to them for doing it so well. Apart from this, there were many other dances.

A group singing some modern songs

There were also modern gospel songs and a performance by Maria, a member of the group who won a national singing contest in Indonesia.

Maria, a member singing

An unfortunate incident happened to the group and a number of members lost their belongings such as mobile phones and cameras. There were appeals of donations to the crowd to assist them. I hope the appeal was successful.

The group is mainly made up of Batak people who is known to love singing. Most of them come from humble background and for them, this is a tough sacrifice for them as they have to undergo so much hardship to be part of the group. The determination and pride in their performance can be clearly seen and I hope that they will continue to achieve greater success.

When speaking of the group, one cannot ignore the contribution of Father Redemptus. When he leads the choir, one can see the passion and love that he has for the music as well as for his members. It is strange how God makes his calling sometimes.

For the final performance, they did Handel's Messiah, a difficult piece but executed well. It is no wonder, they received a standing ovation from the crowd. For the encore, the did Abba's Mama Mia.

Standing ovation given to them

Group photo

It was a truly amazing evening and those who did not attend have missed a great performance. It is their first performance outside of Indonesia and I get guarantee that it will not be their last. I managed to get  a clip from Youtube of their performance. The sound quality does not do justice to them. 

The clip can be watched here, http://youtu.be/-9BVOcRp4Mo.

Until the next time, cheers.