SO MUCH FOR BN'S PROMISE OF FAIR POLLS! Anti-Pakatan leaflets start flooding Kajang

Malaysian Chronicle, Friday, 14 March 2014

KAJANG As the Kajang by-election entered its fourth day today, the presence of some BN-friendly and anti-Pakatan leaflets are becoming more prominent in the campaign.

A leaflet titled ‘Selangor Hari Ini’ (Selangor Today) was sighted by Malaysiakini at an Umno operations centre recently.

Another leaflet titled ‘Sate Town’ was distributed during a Mesra Rakyat programme at Taman Kota Cheras Fasa 1, which was attended by over 500 people last night.

Both the leaflets, however, did not have the names of the publisher and printer on them.

The ‘Selangor Hari Ini’ leaflet, which was 16 pages thick, had articles and commentaries running down opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for being “eager” to become the Selangor menteri besar and forcing a by-election.

It also contained quotes attributed to PAS Youth objecting to Anwar’s possible appointment as MB.

The controversy surrounding the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) was also touched upon, followed by a caricature depicting a man stepping on the heads of his three friends in order to get to Putrajaya.

The ‘Sate Town’ leaflet, meanwhile, made comparisons between the by-election candidates, BN’s Chew Mei Fun and PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The comparison highlighted the “lies” of Anwar in the past and also his alleged manipulation in coming up with the ‘Kajang Move’.

It listed the seven “failures” of PKR’s former assemblyperson for Kajang, Lee Chin Cheh.

The leaflet even used the lyrics of a song sung by popular dangdut singer Herman Tino to criticise Anwar.

Herman, who contested the Tanjong Karang parliamentary seat in the general elections as an independent and lost his deposit, initially planned to contest the Kajang by-election against Anwar but did not nominate himself.

The by-election attracted many possible independent candidates, including former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim, when it was announced that Anwar would contest the seat in a bid to enter the state legislative assembly.

This was a move to eventually install Anwar as the next MB, but this was soon curtailed when the Court of Appeal found Anwar guilty of sodomy against his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, last week.

This disqualified Anwar, who is appealing against the decision, from becoming a candidate for the by-election, leading to PKR nominating Anwar’s wife, current PKR president Wan Azizah instead.

Interest of Independents dropped

This eventually dropped the interests of the host of Independent candidates to contest the seat, leaving it to be a straight fight between two women.

Meanwhile, PKR Sri Muda assemblyperson Shuhaimi Shafiei said that a police report will be lodged at 3pm today.

“It is a breach of Section 11(1)(c) of the Election Offences Act as the printer’s name is not disclosed on the materials,” he said.

He said that PKR “agents” had collected the newsletters, leaflets and a booklet collating alleged accounts of Anwar’s “former friends”, at BN operation centres in Sungai Kantan, Saujana Impian, Sungai Sekamat and Sungai Chua.

PKR supporters in the constituency also told the party that they had received the material in their letterboxes last night.

“As the items were found at the BN operations centre, BN is the suspect,” he said, adding that the materials are “libellous”. -Malaysiakini

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Fighting the dengue menace in Kajang

The Star, Friday March 14, 2014

by christina tan

Squad members cleaning up the streets of Sungai Chua new village.

A GROUP of volunteers in Kajang who have been providing community services to the public in the Hulu Langat district have extended their services to fight the dengue menace.

Wong Fa Tuo Voluntary Service chairman Jackie Cheng said they decided to provide some assistance instead of solely relying on the Health Department to control the mosquito population in the area.

He said the recorded number of dengue cases was quite high in the district.

“We went for training organised by the department to learn about fogging techniques and the handling of chemicals,” he added.

Cheng said they would have to spend about RM200 for each fogging operation, adding that the expenses were provided by donors.

“Most of the places that we cover are schools and residential areas,” he said.

“The voluntary service, formed five years ago, currently has about 20 members.”

Cheng hoped to see all Kajang residents play a role in preventing the spread of dengue.

“What we are doing now is too small.We hope all residents will work as a team and clean up their own premises and not throw rubbish indiscriminately,” he said.

MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said dengue remained a major concern among the people in Kajang, which is one of the worst-hit areas in Selangor.

As of February, she said the district had recorded 2,438 dengue cases with four fatalities.

The Barisan Nasional candidate for the Kajang by-election expressed hope that everyone would work together to clean up their areas.

“We have to pay more attention to cleanliness, especially clogged drains with stagnant water that become breeding ground for mosquitoes.

“We can never solve the dengue issue if we do not clean up our own areas,” she said during a gotong-royong at Sungai Chua new village in Kajang.

The activity was participated by MCA’s Crisis Relief Squad members from various states.

Dissatisfied with fee hike

The Star, Thursday March 13, 2014 

by oh ing yeen, vincent tan, AND edward rajendra

Inconvenient: Lim feels that while the hike is reasonable, he lamen ts the additional charge and the hassle of having to change his company’s name.

BUSINESS owners in Selangor affected by the hike in business licence fee found that it did not commensurate with the services provided.

Most traders and business associations met by StarMetro recently expressed their dissatisfaction over the lack of improvement in services although they had started paying the new fee.

The increase was between 20% and 180%.

There were also some who were happy with the improved services by their council, since the hike was implemented.

The increase is provided for under the Trade, Licence, Business and Industry By-Law 2007.

It was reported earlier that the increase was needed to pay for the councils’ services such as daily solid waste collection from commercial areas.

The businesses run by traders interviewed fell under the jurisdiction of the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj), Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and Klang Municipal Council (MPK).

MPKj

Soong Heng Hin, who owns a medicine hall in Batu 14, Kajang, said the current level of services by MPKj did not justify the increase in his licence fee that increased from RM100 to RM200.

“The drains outside my shop have been clogged for ages and nothing has been done.

“Just because the council had not increased the fee for 27 years, it is no excuse for the sudden drastic hike. Plus, no ample notice was given before the implementation,” he said.

C.Y. Lim, who owns a hardware and stationery business in Bandar Mahkota Cheras was surprised to discover that he was being charged separately for the businesses he ran, despite operating from just one shop.

“I can accept the RM50 increase for operating a hardware shop, but now I’m being charged a separate RM200 for also selling stationery.

“I had planned to stop selling stationery after I clear the stock, but I still have to pay because my company name bears the words ‘hardware and stationery’,” he said.

He hoped that for such special cases, MPKj officers could check his shop to verify that he was not selling stationery anymore instead of going through the hassle of changing his company name.

“It is troublesome to go to the Companies Commission of Malaysia to change my company name. I will also have to change my signboard, invoices and other documents,” he said.

Bandar Mahkota Cheras Business Association president Henry Chin said he had received many complaints about the sudden increase.

“In such trying times, when prices of petrol and goods have increased, the business licence hike is an extra burden.

“As we were not informed earlier, those who sent an employee with the exact amount of money for the fee had to make a second trip to the payment counter,” he said.

While he felt that the amount increased for his business (air condition and electrical services) was acceptable, others who faced a 100% increase were not so happy.

One such person was Ho Chou Fong, who owns a car workshop. The increase was from RM150 to RM400.

“Why the sudden increase and such a high rate?” he questioned.

When contacted, MPKj public relations head Kamarul Izlan Sulaiman said the council was currently busy with the Kajang by-election and could not comment.

Chew Expresses Concerns On Taxi Drivers' Welfare, Vows To Help Solve Problems

KAJANG, March 12 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun today expressed concerns on Kajang taxi drivers' welfare, saying that she would help solve their problems if given the mandate in the upcoming by-election.

She said several suggestions to improve the wellbeing of taxi drivers in Kajang would also be brought to the attention of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and the Transport Ministry for consideration.

"The issue concerning taxi drivers' welfare cannot be sidelined because apart from having to work odd hours with uncertain income, they were also facing high risk of road accident," she told reporters after visiting the Kajang Taxi Terminal here.

Among the issues raised by taxi drivers here were the parking issue at the Kajang KTM Komuter station, rental car insurance and the special Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefit for taxi drivers.

"I have also agreed to become the patron of Hulu Langat Taxi and Rental Car Drivers' Welfare Association if elected as the state assemblyman after the by-election," she said.

Chew also visited the parking area at Kajang KTM Komuter station to get the clearer picture of the complaints made by taxi drivers in the area.

Also present were Hulu Langat Taxi and Rental Car Drivers' Welfare Association president Karnail Singh.

Meanwhile, Chew also rapped certain quarters who sabotaged the campaign for the by-election by tearing up posters of the contesting candidates put up by BN and the opposition pact.

"That is a dirty tactic. It shouldn't happen to either BN's or opposition's posters because were are focusing on healthy campaign measures," she said.

The Kajang state seat fell vacant after the sudden resignation of PKR assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh last January 27.

The by-election, scheduled for March 23, will see a straight fight between Chew, who is also MCA vice-president, and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

-- BERNAMA

Chinese NGOs want fair polls, end to discrimination

Free Malaysia Today, March 9 2014

K Pragalath

 

The groups of NGOs making these demands however have lost all hopes on the MCA.

KAJANG:  A group of three Chinese NGOs have put forth four demands and want the Kajang by-election candidates to endorse them. The by-election is on March 23.

The three NGOs are Sahabat Rakyat Working Committee, Melaka Chinese Assembly Hall’s youth division and the youth wing of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

A group of 15 individuals also have endorsed the demands.

They are calling for an end to religious discrimination, free and fair elections, an end to the New Economic Policy (NEP) and quotas favouring the Bumiputras and equivalent treatment for mother tongue education.

“We have seen how the Selangor Islamic Religious Department manipulated the the Allah name in the Bible issue.

“Hence we are calling upon the candidates to support moves to amend the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 that was suggested by three DAP lawmakers in January,” said Sahabat Raya working committee spokesperson, Choo Shin Chei.

The NGOs are also calling for the preservation of all faiths and religions practiced by the minorities and want equal treatment to be given to all places of worship.

On the call for free and fair election, they are supporting election watchdog, Bersih’s demands.

Speaking about their third demand, Choo said that the implementation of the NEP and quotas for Bumiputera have only served to enrich the elite capitalist Malays.

On calls for mother tongue education, the group are supporting demands by Chinese educationist group Dong Zong.

Dong Zong wants all parties to give the Unified Education Certificate (UEC) its due recognition, land for the construction of additional building for Yu Hua secondary school in Kajang and resolve land issues that is confronted by New Era College in Sepang for the past 14 years.

No hopes on MCA

The group of NGOs are also calling for the revocation of Education Act 1996, equivalent allocation for vernacular schools and land allocation for 60 private Chinese independent schools.

They are also supporting calls for the setting up of a Tamil secondary school.  The NGOs however do not have hope on the MCA.

“We don’t want to have high hopes on MCA. Even if they endorse our demands, their words are equivalent to garbage,” said Choo.

Another member, Tan Seng Hing added: “For the past 50 years we have experience working with the MCA and we are not harboring hopes on them.”

The Kajang state seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent assemblymen Lee Chin Cheh of PKR on Jan 27. The Election Commission fixed March 23 as polling date and nomination day on March 11.  Early polling would be held on March 19.

The state seat comprises 39,728 registered voters. At the last general election in May 2013, the seat saw a voter turnout of 87.9% with 541 spoilt votes.

While PKR is currently in limbo over its candidate due to Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction on sodomy charges, MCA is pitting its vice president, Chew Mei Fun.

Former Kita party founder Zaid Ibrahim and Herman Tino are also interested in contesting the by-election as independents.

In Kajang, a tale of two campaigns

Malaysian Chronicles, Saturday, 08 March 2014 

THE end-lot terrace house near Pearl Avenue in Sungai Chua, which is MCA's main operations centre for the Kajang by-election, is a hive of activity from early morning till late night for the past weeks.

Yesterday, election workers, many in their early 20s, were seen arranging posters and party flags while others were briefing party members in the living room, which had been turned into a makeshift conference hall.

On the wall outside, there were two buntings which have no direct political element, capable perhaps of attracting the immediate attention of visitors. One promotes an anti-dengue campaign while the other offers of free medical check-ups.

At one corner of the porch, young party workers man a public services and complaints booth.

Every few minutes, residents, many of whom are elderly, turn up to ask for help in matters ranging from clogged drains to loss of land title documents.

The workers record the complaints before channelling them to party officials for action.

Barisan Nasional candidate and MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun was, meanwhile, busy making her rounds in Kajang.

Early yesterday morning, she had a walkabout at Pasar Pagi in Taman Ceras Mas, followed by an appearance at the education and career fair at Kompleks Metro Point. Later in the evening till late at night, she had meet-the-people sessions at several locations in Kajang.

It is a typical MCA style of campaigning -- low key and down to earth with emphasis given to providing services for the people and keeping it all very community-oriented.

Chew's daily schedule mostly consists of visits to public places and functions in the daytime, and meeting voters in small groups in the evening.

Not known for giving fiery speeches, she is calm and collected when she explains to those present at her meet-the-people functions about her plans if elected.

She may not have the eloquence of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PKR's candidate, but Chew holds the advantage when it comes to offering sensible touches to the campaign which is hotting up as nomination day on March 11 draws near.

Perhaps her lack of aggressive posturing may even turn out to be the crucial ingredient, which could possibly turn the tide come polling day on March 23.

Still, the underdog tag worn by Chew and the rest of the BN campaign crew seems to be obvious considering PKR's intense activities in Kajang since day one.

Anwar, on the other hand, has obviously been preparing for the engineered by-election for quite some time as his party workers appeared to be well coordinated, down to the minutest details on how to carry out their campaign.

Operating from a four-storey building in Sungai Sekamat, they appeared confident, particularly in winning an overwhelming bulk of votes from Kajang's Chinese voters in a repeat of the outcome of the 13th General Election in May last year.

PKR won the Kajang state constituency of more than 38,000 voters in that election by an almost 7,000-vote majority.

Political observers estimated that up to 90 per cent of the Chinese voters in Kajang had given their support to PKR. Malays make up 48 per cent of the voters; Chinese, 40 per cent; Indians, 10 per cent; and others about one per cent.

Anwar has, so far, been obvious about his campaign strategy; he is going all out for the Malay votes, believing that votes of the Chinese community are already in his pocket.

Most of his scheduled ceramah, all the way to nomination day, are concentrated in Malay areas, where they draw a few hundred strong crowd per night.

PKR's campaign in areas with a sizeable Chinese community has, so far, been led by its vice-president, Tian Chua, during the day.

Anwar would, on most days, only turn up later in the evening, first for maghrib prayers at one of the mosques or surau in areas where there is a concentration of Malay voters, before proceeding to another venue nearby for his ceramah.

While Chew may talk about improving healthcare services, traffic flow and basic needs of Kajang folk, the opposition leader mainly focuses on accusing the BN government of being responsible for all the problems afflicting Malaysian society.

It is a total contrast between the two potential candidates in a contest, which could be dubbed David versus Goliath.

The outcome, which will have far-reaching consequences, especially for Selangor, could, however, still go either way, depending on what the folk of Kajang want -- a good service-oriented wakil rakyat with a track record of hard work in her previous constituency in Petaling Jaya Utara, or a smooth-talking populist leader who fashions himself as the country's alternative prime minister. -NST

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StarMetro hits the streets with Chew Mei Fun, BN's candidate for Kajang polls.

The Star, Saturday March 8, 2014 

by foong pek yee AND christina tan

A family in need of help: Chew paying a visit to Lee Man Keow (right) and her son Chin Zhi Ming at their house in Taman Muhibbah, Kajang.

IT WAS slightly past 11pm on Tuesday.

After almost 16 hours on the move, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun was finally back at MCA’s main operations centre in Taman Berjaya, Kajang.

Waiting for her was deputy president Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, director for the party’s campaign for the Kajang state by-election and several party members.

Dr Wee, who clocks in at least 18 hours in the constituency daily since two weeks ago, was ready with the list of programmes for Chew the next day.

They went through the programmes, and by the time their discussion ended, it was almost midnight.
Chew, who started her day at 7.30am, showed no signs of fatigue.

In fact, she was as bubbly as she was at the start of the day when she settled down for this interview.
We had followed her the entire day to see her in action.

“I am okay,” she said with a smile when asked how she coped with her hectic schedule, hot weather and haze.

She said party leaders at all levels were working very hard to help her campaign, and this has also kept her spirits high.

For those who know Chew, she has always been an active and energetic person who takes an interest in whatever is happening in society.

Most of all, she is willing to go all-out to help when she sees a genuine case that needs help.

Born to hawker parents, the 50-year-old former two-term Petaling Jaya Utara MP has the passion and experience to serve the people, particularly the underpriviledged.

She has been moving around with ease in the Kajang state constituency since Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced her candidacy for the March 23 by-election two weeks ago.

Buoyed by the encouraging response from the ground, Chew, also an MCA vice-president, said the people had started to realise the importance of having an elected representative who is accessible to them and able to help them.

She said the people were plagued by many local problems, and she had pledged to help them when she got their mandate.

Chew said having an MCA voice in the Selangor state assembly would make a difference as the party did not have any representative there after the general election last year.

She said she had been explaining the political situation to the people while making her rounds in the constituency to take a closer look at the situation on the ground.

Chew’s already hectic routine is set to get on high gear after the Nomination Day this Tuesday.

The spotlight is on Chew and PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is contesting the seat under a Pakatan Rakyat ticket.

The seat fell vacant after its assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh resigned in January.

The interview ended at 12.20am and Chew was back at her rented apartment in 10 minutes.

She had her shower, supper, did her laundry and went to bed at 1.30am.