Cham Kee Rest and Old Man Rest moves......

I went to the Kajang market area for breakfast and noticed some changes. The Cham Kee Rest has moved further in (near the curry noodles store) and the Old Man Rest has moved to behind Maybank (Mendaling Street).

Apparently these two stall are to be demolished to build a bigger and higher bridge linking the stalls with the market. This is one of the steps taken to prevent future flooding.

The Old Man Rest with a banner telling where they went

Cham Kee also moved with a sign to show where they are now.

Surprisingly, next to the Old Man Rest, the noodle stall with yong tau foo has also closed. When I enquired with the next door stall, the owner told me that they have moved to Damansara as they were worried that business here might not be getting better. 

I wonder what do they know that we don't?

Until the next time. cheers.

The Star, Thursday August 30, 2012

Kajang to host grand Taoist procession

THE Shun Nam Gong Temple Committee Association is organising a procession in conjunction with the birthday of Taoist deity Fazhu Gong and the temple’s 20th anniversary.

The procession will be held on Saturday (Sept 1) at 6pm.

Organising chairman Lee Kee Boon said the procession in Kajang would be the largest in the area.

“This is a joint effort by the temple’s masters for devotees to celebrate the festival together.

The planners: Lee (front, left), master Kan Fatt Seong (front, second from left) and temple chairman Chok Kon Lin (front right) detailing the route of the procession as other temple committee members look on.

 

“This is also the first time we are organising it and members of the public are welcome to join the procession,” he said.

It has taken the temple committee three months to prepare for the procession.

They are expecting more than 800 devotees from other temples and participants of cultural dance groups to join the event.

According to Lee, there will be a series of activities and cultural performances, including lion and dragon dances as well as a fashion parade of ancient dynasty costumes.

The procession will include six floats accompanied by a group of 30 to 50 Chinese mediums.

“We have also invited two groups of Indian mediums to join the procession,” Lee said, adding that he expected a turn-out of about 2,000 people.

The procession will start from the temple in Jalan 3, Taman Pasir Emas, then to the Kajang market before heading back to the temple. The 7km-journey is estimated to take three hours.

There will be ambulances standing by in case of emergencies while Rela members will be managing traffic.

“This event will expose the public and nearby residents to the Taoist culture and practices.

“It is also vital to let the next generation know and understand these practices to preserve the culture and rituals for generations to come,” he said.

The Star, Tuesday August 28, 2012

Inefficient garbage collection

HEAPS of rubbish can be seen everywhere in Taman Kasturi in Cheras, Selangor, attracting flies and causing a nasty stench in the area.

Serdang MCA Public Complaints bureau chief Allan Liew Sin Kim said the residents and business operators in the area have resorted to throwing rubbish in public places, such as the road side and parking lots to keep their compounds clean.

“This illegal move is caused by the inefficiency of the rubbish collection contractors, who have reduced the number of collection days and do not follow a strict schedule.

“The people here do not know the exact days when rubbish will be collected. How are they to plan when to clear their rubbish?” he stressed.

Liew also commented that the move by Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) to reduce the cost of waste management by reducing the number of collection days was a bad decision.

“Before the council took over the rubbish collection, the contractors collected rubbish in residential and commercial areas three and five times a week, respectively, but now they only collect two and three times a week.

Health risk: Liew showing one of the many heaps of rubbish left to rot in Taman Kasturi, Cheras.

 

“Although MPKj would save cost with the reduction in the number of collection days, clearly it is not benefiting the people.

“The dumping ground is an eyesore and poses a health risk.

“Bulk wastes have also not been collected for more than a month and have been left to rot by the side of Kasturi Tiara apartment.

“The apartment’s rubbish area is also overflowing with waste because the contactors have not made their collection in the last four days,” he said.

Liew said MPKj should not try to cut cost in waste management but instead invest more because it concerns the wellbeing of the public, which should be made a priority.

“I urge MPKj to ensure that the contractors increase the number of collection days and follow a schedule of the collection days strictly, depending on the area for the convenience of the people.

“Manpower should also be increased to improve efficiency,” he said.

I must say that Datuk Yap is very hardworking even though he was not elected at the last election. He was caught up in the last storm. I wonder how he will do this time.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Tuesday August 28, 2012

Upgrading to begin this year

THE 8.35km stretch of Jalan Reko from Kajang town to the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) campus in Bangi would be upgraded to a four-lane dual-carriageway at a cost of RM60mil under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Traffic on Jalan Reko is building up and cannot cope with the volume as the stretch is categorised as substandard with parts of it at a single lane and opening up to two and then three lanes on either side.

The road upgrading and widening will see the current stretch converted to the JKR U4 dual-carriageway standard.

Serdang parliamentary liaison officer Datuk Yap Pian Hon said he had forwarded the request to the Government to upgrade the road during his tenure as the Serdang MP.

“The request was forwarded and upgrading of Jalan Reko was promised under the Ninth Malaysia Plan but had to be deferred due to lack of funds.

Good news for road users: Yap showing a news report on the Jalan Reko upgrading works, which is expected to start at the end of the year.

 

However, the local community are happy the road would finally be upgraded to ease traffic congestion in the area,”added Yap.

Yap said the tenders were called on June 3 and they are now before the Tender Board.

“As the infrastructure is a matter of urgency, the first part of the upgrading works would start this year, costingRM3mil.

“The entire project is expected to be completed in 30 months,” said Yap.

Two bridges at Sungai Tangkas and Sungai Rekoh would also be widened to facilitate the project works.

Yap added that the drainage would also be improved and more parking bays would be provided to complement the project.

Among the other scope of project works include upgrading of junctions, relocation of street lights, retaining earth structures and relocation of existing services.

Meanwhile, Yap said a primary school would be built in Taman Bukit Mahkota at a cost of RM16mil and a secondary school in Sungai Ramal at a cost of RM30mil.

Both schools would be completed next year in April and June respectively.

He also added that the Education Ministry has allocated RM2mil to improve the classroom facilities at SJK (T) in Bangi Lama, a RM2.3mil for a new block of six classrooms for SJK(T) West Country Estate and a RM4.5mil allocation for a new Chinese school in Kajang Utama under the Serdang parliamentary constituency.

The Star, Tuesday August 14, 2012

Director nearly fleeced by hackers

CYBER crime is on the rise and the public must be vigilant when they receive e-mails asking them to bank money into some given account or receive messages via Facebook requesting a loan.

A furniture company director in Kajang, who only wanted to be identified as Cheong, said she only realised that her company’s account was hacked into when she was notified by one of her customers recently.

“My client received an e-mail stating that my company had problems with our bank account. My client was told to bank into another account soon or we would have to stop production.

Warning: Cheong hopes to spread the word about hackers who hack into company’s e-mail accounts and con customers into giving them money.

 

“Thankfully, we were able to stop the transaction in time. Besides the e-mail, our clients also received calls from a person claiming to be our employee, asking them to pay up fast,” she said.

The hacker also hacked into her company’s Facebook account, requesting loans from clients.

“When I checked the Facebook page, many chat windows popped up. The hackers were chatting with a few of my clients simultaneously,” Cheong said at a press conference at Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) councillor Eddie Ng’s service centre.

Cheong has since put up a notice and e-mailed her clients, warning them about the scam.

She, however, did not call every one of them as there were too many.

Cheong said most of the business transactions were conducted via e-mails and that her customers did not suspect anything amiss.

She also lamented that she was made to run from pillar to post when she wanted to make a police report.

“I went to the Kajang IPD but was told to go to the branch in Bandar Teknologi Kajang as my company is situated there.

“I have also filed a report with the CyberSecurity Malaysia an agency under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry but have yet to receive a reply,” she said.

Robbers are getting bolder and finding more ways to get their money...snatch thiefs, ATMs, houses, lorries, cars, shopping malls, factories....so where is safe for us? Government says crime rate is down.....do we feel that?

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Thursday August 9, 2012

Robberies on the rise in Selesa Jaya Industrial Park in Balakong

TWELVE factories in the Selesa Jaya Industrial Park (Taman Industri Selesa Jaya) in Balakong were broken into recently despite the presence of security guards.

One of the factory owners, Hew Meow Loong, lost RM100,000.

“There have been petty thefts when the factory first began operations five years ago but this is the first time a robbery like this has occurred.

Caught on camera: A CCTV footage of the robbery in progress.

 

“I will take more safety measures to prevent this from happening again,” he said.

The chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Balakong, Selangor as well as Association of Trade and Industry Owner of Balakong Jaya, Selangor, Jason Ow Yang, said there are five industrial parks and about 3,000 factories in Balakong.

“The industry is one of the country’s economic generators and we want a safe environment to conduct business.

“We hope heavier penalties can be meted out to the criminals,” he said.

He added that the police could not be blamed entirely as some victims did not report break-ins and as such the police were unaware of these cases.

“We want the police to protect not only residents but also factory owners and workers.”

A CCTV footage showed several robbers beating up a foreign worker who was sleeping in one of the factories.

Taman Industri Selesa Jaya factory owner and businessman association chairman Lew Hoi Yin said they were angry and scared after watching the footage.

“We are angry that the robbers attacked the unarmed worker and fearful after seeing the brutality of the robbers.

“I hope the authorities will look into the security of factories as well,” he said.

Kajang Municipal Council councillor Eddie Ng said he will inform the Kajang OCPD about the problem and ask for more police patrols.

“Since 2010, every council received an allocation of RM1.5mil for the Safe City programme which involves installing street lights, barricades and mirrors to boost security.

“There are 60 CCTVs in Kajang,” Ng said.

Councillors Evonne Lee and Lai Wai Chong were also present at the press conference.

   

The New Straits Times, 03 August 2012

Black magic Indon gang busted in Kajang

KUALA LUMPUR: Police showed that black magic was no match to painstaking investigations after they busted an Indonesian robbery gang with the arrest of five suspects just hours after they pulled off another robbery in Kajang.

Kajang police chief Assistant Commissioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said a police team led by Assistant Superintendent Sofian Abu Bakar moved in on the suspects following a tip off recently and nabbed the five at a kongsi near a sawmill in Semenyih. The robbers allegedly used “magic oil” supplied by the “guru” in Java, who also gave them a “schedule” on when it was safe for them to commit the robberies. -- NSTP/Yazit Razali

The robbers allegedly used “magic oil” supplied by the “guru” in Java, who also gave them a “schedule” on when it was safe for them to commit the robberies.

They allegedly followed the schedule strictly but intelligence gathering by the police proved to be more effective than the black magic used by the robbers.

Kajang police chief Assistant Commissioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said a police team led by Assistant Superintendent Sofian Abu Bakar moved in on the suspects following a tip off recently and nabbed the five at a kongsi near a sawmill in Semenyih.

The raiding party also seized a large amount of valuables including jewellery and handphones from the suspects.

“We also seized several sharp weapons including a samurai sword,” he said.

But what surprised police more were two small cards which resembled a timetable. Days and times, from 7pm onwards, were marked with “o” or “x”.

Rashid said “o” meant that they could commit the robbery while “x” meant to stay clear of the intended target. Also found on the suspects was a small bottle containing what was claimed to be “magic oil”.

“They followed the schedule strictly while the oil was for their protection,” 

Police believed that the gang was responsible for at least five robberies in the district with losses amounting to RM60,000.

Their latest victims were a family of five in Bandar Tech, Kajang where the suspects armed with knives broke into the victims’ house and tied the family members with wires before ransacking the premises.

The suspects, between the ages of 22 and 32, have been remanded to facilitate investigations for armed and gang robberies.

Well done to the motorist. Looks like we have to get into the act ourselves to combat crimes. Be careful though.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Saturday August 4, 2012

Motorist rams car into thieves

KAJANG: Two snatch thieves, who were preying on a woman near Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, had their criminal act stopped when they were rammed by an alert motorist.

The motorist, a 25-year-old factory worker, was passing by an aluminium factory when he noticed the woman struggling with two armed men.

One of the men had a parang, and they were trying to steal the woman's handbag as she walked home from the factory.

Fearing for the woman's safety, the good samaritan rammed into the two men and their motorcycle, stunning both of the suspects.

The man got out of his car and apprehended one of the suspects, but the other individual escaped.

Factory workers, who overheard the commotion, gathered around the suspect and beat him up before a police patrol car came and took him into custody.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Ab Rashid Ab Wahab told a press conference yesterday the suspect suffered injuries to the head, hands, ribs and right leg from being rammed by the car and as a result of the beating.

He said investigations revealed that the 32-year-old suspect, who tested positive for opiates, was from Seri Kembangan, had prior records for vehicle theft and was only recently released from prison.

Police seized the suspect's sling bag, which contained a number of foreign currencies, a knife and a mobile phone.

ACP Ab Rashid added that the suspect had confessed to 22 snatch thefts around the Klang Valley. Police are now hunting for a 19-year-old accomplice.

In an unrelated case, police detained four Malaysians and 10 foreign nationals believed to be part of a lorry theft syndicate here.

“We got wind of the syndicate following the theft of a lorry near Pekan Batu 9 early this year,” he said, adding that police raided a quarry at around 10pm on Wednesday.

He said police recovered a Mitsubishi Fuso and three Nissan lorries, which were believed to be stolen.

“The chassis and engine number of the lorries were tampered with. Among the four locals arrested was a 64-year-old mechanic who is an expert in such cases,” he said.

Well done and wishing them great success in the new home.

Until the next time, cheers.
 

The Star, Thursday August 2, 2012

Phase 1 of children’s new home begins with much fanfare

THE foundation work for the first phase of Rumah Keluarga Kami’s additional building in Jalan Bukit, Kajang has finally begun.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held recently and was attended by Kuala Lumpur Catholic Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam, Rev Fr George Harrison, Rev Fr Peter Betradeau, Holy Family Church members, well-wishers and donors. The project will be carried out in two phases.

As reported in StarMetro (“New complex for home”, Jan 19, 2011), the construction was supposed to be completed last year.

Impressive: The children from the home looking at the model of the two-phase project.

According to Rumah Keluarga Kami board of directors president Emmanuel Culas, the delay was due to a lack of funds.

“The home currently houses 36 children but with the new building, the home can accommodate 60 children,” he said.

St Vincent De Paul (SVDP) Society of Malaysia national president Datuk Watson Peters said the home was still in need of funds.

“We have collected a substantial amount but still need approximately RM400,000.

“The first phase will take about a year to complete. After that, we will start the second phase,” he said.

Phase 2 will see one of the two buildings demolished and a two-storey building built in its place.

For details, email rumahkkm@gmail.com or call 03-8736 7877 (Rumah Keluarga Kami).