State allocating Reprieve Pandamaran –

suitable land for two Still a village

for orphanage villages at heart
p 4 p 6 p 12 & 13

community May 27 — May 29, 2011/ issue 26

ZERO TOLERANCE:
Shah Alam City Council
(MBSA) enforcement
officers carrying out
seizure operations on
business outlets with
assessment tax arrears.

By Gan Pei Ling • Story on page 9

SHAH ALAM: An alarming

nine in 10 welfare homes in Selan-
gor are operating illegally.
The state has ordered all licensing
authorities to act now before an-
other tragedy recurs.
Only 82 out of the 865 welfare
homes – both charity- and profit-
based – are officially registered with
the Social Welfare Department and
local authorities.
“Most of these unlicensed homes
are owned by private operators,” said
Rodziah Ismail.
The executive councillor, whose
portfolio includes welfare, gave the
figures in response to the deaths of
16 people in a landslide at the unli-
censed Hidayah Madrasah Al-
Taqwa orphanage last Saturday.

Most welfare homes

Its Hulu Langat premises, built
on agriculture land, did not comply
with guidelines, being located next
to a hill with an 80-degree slope.
Rodziah pointed out that more
than a quarter of the 783 unlicensed

unlicensed
homes are located in Hulu Langat.
Petaling, Gombak, Klang and prevent the Hulu Langat tragedy erators might have premise licences
Subang Jaya also have more than from recurring. and business licences from local
100 unlicensed welfare homes She said Selangor would assist governments, many did not obtain
each, according to statistics re- these high-risk welfare homes by operating licences from the Social
leased by the Selangor Social Wel- offering them a nominal premium Welfare Department.
fare Department. of RM1 to relocate to safe and suit- She said the one-stop centre
These homes are not only hous- locate other unlicensed charity trained professionals to take proper able state lands. would assist unlicensed homes se-
ing children, but also offer shelter to homes in their areas within the next care of the children or senior citizens Meanwhile, Rodziah also an- cure licences and permits.
senior citizens, disabled people and three months. to prevent abuse,” she said. nounced this week that Selangor Rodziah assured operators of
single women. “We want to make sure these Rodziah added that the state would be setting up a one-stop unlicensed homes that the state
Rodziah said the state had in- shelters are safe. [Not just in terms] would categorise these unlicensed centre to help unlicensed homes would give them ample time to le-
structed the 12 local authorities to
LB_246806_TheSun_m14.ai 1 of their 11:18
5/20/11 buildings
PM and facilities, but homes and give priority to tackling legalise their operations. galise their operations.
conduct a comprehensive survey to also to make sure that they have those located in high-risk areas to She added that while most op- • Turn to page 2
2
News
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Selangor WEATHER
Friday Saturday Sunday

Morning

Afternoon

Night

Source: Malaysian meteorological department

Selangor remains
investors’
No 1 choice Khalid and Dr Siti Mariah Mahmood with the CDs and write-ups sent by post.

Sex videos distributed

By Brenda Ch’ng

SHAH ALAM: Selangor has attracted investments

worth RM2.5 billion in the first three months of the year,
topping other states while potentially creating 3,880 new

to village heads
jobs.
“Based on statistics from the Malaysia Industrial Devel-
opment Authority (Mida),  Selangor’s foreign investment
value totals RM1.5 billion, doubling Johor’s figure which
is only RM766 million,” said Teresa Kok.
The executive councillor for investment, industry and
trade added that Selangor is the number-one choice of local By Alvin Yap chiefs in the [Rawang ] area,” said received envelopes containing CDs
and foreign investors. Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei and a detailed write-up alleging the
She added that 60% of the investors are foreign. SHAH ALAM: Village heads in at a press conference on Wednesday. male figure in the video was Datuk Seri
Kok said the statistics indicate an increase in local inves- Chinese- and Malay-majority areas in Gan and the village chiefs in the Anwar Ibrahim.
tors’ confidence.  Selangor have received compact disc area had lodged a report at the Rawang “If the original was surrendered to
The state has approved 59 manufacturing projects, (CD) recordings allegedly showing a district police station on Wednesday. the police, where did these copies com-
amounting to 32% of approved projects in the country, prominent politician having sex with She said the scandal, which began on ing from?” he asked.
during the period. a woman. March 21 when businessperson Datuk Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah Mah-
Kok said 43 projects are new, while the rest are an expan- Envelopes with Malacca and Shah Shazryl Eskay Abdullah showed the mood, who was present at the press
sion of existing projects.  Alam postmarks containing four CDs 22-minute video to journalists at Car- conference, said the perpetrators were
“This figure, [which puts us at number one in Malaysia], were sent to village chiefs in Rawang cosa Seri Negara, had not resulted in any going against ethical, moral and Malay
contributes to 32% of total projects approved in the coun- and Shah Alam respectively on Mon- party being investigated and charged. customs in sending the pornographic
try,” she said. day and Tuesday.   At a press conference yesterday, material.
Currently, South Korea is the biggest foreign investor in At two separate press conferences, Shah Alam Member of Parliament She did not discount the move as a
Selangor with RM637 million, followed by Singapore with Pakatan Rakyat politicians con- Khalid Samad said Malay village heads tactic to erode support for Pakatan
RM485 million and Australia with RM102 million. demned the act, calling it a circulation in his area had also received the CDs Rakyat.
of pornography. by post. Khalid said he would accompany
“This is organised. The perpetrators On Tuesday, village chiefs of  Sub- the village chiefs to lodge a police re-
To place your Advert in managed to get the addresses of village ang, Meru, Kota Raja and other places port.

Welfare home operators need

Contact Timothy Loh 019-2674488, to follow guidelines
Ivan Looi 014-9366698, • From page One
or Vincent Boon 012-8902033 “We’re not here to point fingers, but to solve problems. We welfare homes in Selangor
acknowledge the operators’ good intention in setting up welfare
Not
homes, but they need to follow safety guidelines and proper District registered Registered TOTAL
procedures,” said Rodziah.
However, if operators refused to legalise their operations Hulu Langat 221 16 237
within the given timeframe, she said the state would not hesitate Petaling 134 11 145
to act against them.
She said the operators could be fined or closed down. Gombak 124 10 134
phone (603) 5510 4566
Klang 112 16 128
fax (603) 5523 1188
email [email protected]
Proper procedures to set up a shelter
Subang Jaya 108 16 124
1 Inform the Social Welfare Department of your intention to
EDITORIAL set up a welfare home. Hulu Selangor 34 2 36
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan
2 Register with the Registrar of Societies (for non-profit or- Shah Alam 26 8 34
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman
ganisations) or Companies Commission of Malaysia (for
private or commercial operators). Sabak Bernam 10 - 10
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,
3. Apply for premise licences from your local authority. Private Kuala Selangor 9 2 11
Basil Foo, Alvin Yap, Gho Chee Yuan, Brenda Ch’ng
COPY EDITORS Nick Choo, James Ang
or commercial operators will need to obtain a business licence
as well. Kuala Langat 5 - 5
DESIGNERS Jimmy C. S. Lim, Chin Man Yen
4. Invite the Fire and Rescue Department to inspect your build- Sepang – 1 1
ADVERTISING Timothy Loh, Ivan Looi, Vincent Boon
ing and facilities.
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’eza Abdul Aziz TOTAL 783 82 865
5. Apply for an operating licence from the Social Welfare De-
partment. Source: Selangor Social Welfare Department (as of May 2011)
 SElANGOrTIMES
SELANGOR TiMES⁄ ⁄MAY
MAY27
27––29, 2011⁄ ⁄33
29,2011

news
April 1 — 3, 2011 3

BCI AsiA Awards 2011

Top 10 property developers

BCI Asia (Building and Construction Interchange) named Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS) as one of
Malaysia’s 10 most-active property developers on the 20th of May 2011.
The portfolios of these elite developers contain US$5.38 billion worth of projects. Through the BCI Asia Top 10
Awards the industry has a way of knowing who the leading developers in a given region are, and better understand the
importance these firms have in shaping our society and influencing the built environment.
Now into its 7th year, the BCI Asia Awards is a regional event to honour the best in building and architecture in Hong
Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
4
NEWS
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

State allocating suitable

EVENTS land for orphanage
Coaching clinic By Alvin Yap
 
A coaching clinic featuring tennis coach Kuldip
Singh Durbara will be held by the Malaysian SHAH ALAM: The state is locating a
Association of Certified Coaches (MACC) suitable site to house the Madrasah Al-
tomorrow (May 28) from 9.30am to noon at their Taqwa orphanage following last Saturday’s
office at 62B, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman landslide which claimed16 lives.
Tun Dr Ismail. Contact Rachel at 017-2238293 The Hulu Langat district officer has
or 03-62054488 or visit malaysiancoaches.com been directed to locate a plot for the new
for more information.
 
premises as engineers have declared the
current building unfit for habitation.
Home and lifestyle expo “Our wish is to see the organisation
 
The Super Home Ideas 2011 will be held from
continue to provide religious classes as
today (May 27) till Sunday (May 29) from 11am well as house orphans and other children,”
to 9pm. Local and international exhibitors are said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in a press
taking part. Come to the Mid Valley exhibition statement.
centre to check out the home living and The Menteri Besar pointed out that the
lifestyle exhibition featuring interior designers, state would gazette the plot as reserve land,
renovation services, landscaping, kitchen and the welfare group can submit its plans
appliances, bathroom accessories, and more.
The exhibition will showcase more than 350 to acquire it.
booths. Admission is free. “We will arrange for the lowest premi-
  um payable of RM1,” said Khalid.
Book exhibition He reiterated the state’s commitment in
  assisting non-governmental organisations ment (PWD) officials have said the deaths Khalid said other residents would be
Read Malaysia 2011 will be held today (May 27) (NGO) to locate land for their premises, could have been avoided if authorities had placed at schools under the Selangor Is-
till June 5 from 11am to 10pm at the Malaysia and would continue to ask welfare groups known about the orphanage’s existence. lamic Department ( Jais), and added that
International Exhibition and Convention Centre to pay a land premium of only RM1. Several cases of soil erosion in the past the state was paying for their accommoda-
(MIECC) in Mines Resort City. The expo will However, he said NGOs would have to few months had been reported to the tion at the nearby Azwen Resort.
offer a wide range of educational, fictional and
general books, as well as comics, stationery, follow regulations pertaining to the run- authorities. The Menteri Besar’s office and the state
and e-learning products. Expect an interactive ning of welfare homes and orphanages by The orphanage was operating at the administration have donated RM1,000
event with school performances, colouring registering with the relevant authorities. bottom of the unstable hill slope, which and  RM5,000 respectively to each victim.
and spelling contests, and visits by astronaut “This is to avoid a repeat of [this] tragic slid down last Saturday, causing tons of The Selangor Islamic Religious Council
Dr Syed Mustaphar and sportspersons Datuk incident from happening again,” he said. muddy soil to bury its victims at the back (Mais) and the Selangor Zakat Board have
Lee Chong Wei and Datuk Nicol Ann David. Geologists and Public Works Depart- of the building. have also contributed RM217,000.
Admission is free. Free shuttle bus services
will be provided from Bukit Jalil LRT and
Serdang KTM.
 
Blood donation drive
Immediate action Google Earth to help
 
A blood donation drive by University Hospital
will be held on May 29 from 11am to 4pm at
on riverbank collapse prevent disasters
11, Jalan SS26/6, Taman Mayang Jaya. It By Basil Foo “We understand the concerns
is organised by D’Happy Club and Eulogia of the people who are worried SHAH ALAM: Local governments in Selangor
Community Centre. Visitors can also attend PETALING JAYA: Rather about the [collapsed bank], so we will use Google Earth’s real-time satellite images to
health checks and a health talk conducted by
Assunta Hospital and Eye Specialist Centre. than wait for developers, the Pet- will be resolving the problem as monitor soil erosion in their municipalities.
The event is open to the public. Call 03- aling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) soon as possible,” said Datuk Executive councillor for local government
78062635 for details. will repair a collapsed riverbank Mohd Roslan Sakiman. Ronnie Liu said this after announcing that six
  due to the danger it poses to The Petaling Jaya mayor said it local authorities had been instructed to form a
Charity concert nearby residential buildings. would take two weeks to identify hillslope division in their engineering department
  “Due to the severity of the the developer responsible for the within a month.
The Selangor Kuala Lumpur Orchestra and collapse, the council will be re- collapse of the riverbank, which The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) is
Choir (Skoc) will hold a charity concert on June pairing the riverbank first. They has been eroding over the past the only local council with a hillslope division at
12 from 3pm to 5pm at the Petaling Jaya Civic will then claim the repair costs three months. present. It was set up after the Bukit Antarabangsa
Centre. They will be joined by SRJK(C) Lick
Hung Chinese orchestra and SRJK(C) Yak Chee from the developer responsible,” The collapse affects about landslide in 2008 that claimed five lives.
choir group. The concert will be conducted said Ronnie Liu. 10,000 residents of the nearby The Petaling Jaya City Council, municipal coun-
by Xavier Anthony, a veteran with 50 years’ The state executive councillor Ken Condominiums and Jasmine cils in Subang Jaya, Kajang, Sepang, Selayang, and
experience. Skoc aims to raise RM60,000 to for local government, who visited Tower, Bestari and Aminah apart- Hulu Selangor District Council will be the next to
buy music equipment for their practice venue. site along the Penchala river on ments on Jalan SS2/72. form their own hillslope division.
Call 012-295 1245 for details.  Wednesday, said a report would Repairs were initially request- “The division will strictly monitor buildings
be out in a week. ed by MBPJ councillor Mak before, during and after they are completed,” said
UPSR English clinic MBPJ will appoint an inde- Khuin Weng, but were deemed Liu on Tuesday.
  pendent surveyor to determine unfeasible. The announcement was made in the wake of last
English Champ @ Literacy World in Taman
Megah, Petaling Jaya will hold a free UPSR
which developer is responsible for “This is because it involved Saturday’s tragedy at Hulu Langat, where a landslide
English intensive clinic for Standard 4, 5, and 6 the collapse, and who will be foot- too many parties, including the hit Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage and
pupils on June 9. Seats are available on a first- ing the repair bill estimated at Department of Irrigation and claimed 16 lives.
come-first-served basis, with priority given to RM900,000. Drainage,” said Roslan. The unlicensed orphanage was built next to a
Standard 6 pupils. For registration, call Aileen/ hill with a slope of more than 80 degrees on agri-
Christine at 03-78802460 or 016-2091989 or cultural land five years ago.
e-mail [email protected]. Liu said development is forbidden on all
hillslopes above a 35-degree slope in Selangor as
Micro-credit workshop these Class IV slopes are classified as environmen-
A workshop on Selangor’s micro-credit scheme
tally sensitive areas.
will be held on Sunday (May 29) from 9.30am Slopes can be divided into four classes: Class I
to 12.30pm. Come to the office of Klang MP for slopes below 15 degrees; Class II between 15
Charles Santiago to learn more. Micro-credit is and 25 degrees; Class III between 25 and 35 degrees;
an interest-free loan available to those earning and Class IV above 35 degrees.
below RM1,500. The scheme is meant to Liu added that only selected development pro-
assist the poor in Selangor regardless of race. jects are allowed on Class III slopes, and the projects
Remember to bring along your MyKad and a
passport-size photo. For registration, call 03- must be approved by a state-level committee.
33232122. He said MPAJ has been conducting bi-monthly
checks on 28 hotspots prone to landslides.
The collapsed riverbank and its close proximity to condominiums.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ MAY 27 – 29, 2011 ⁄ 5

B.PG K.HQ (JM) 2011/195/2

6
News
May 27 — 29, 2011

Reprieve for
two villages
By Brenda Ch’ng barricaded the entrance of their
homes with vans while  developers
KLANG: Residents of  Kampung and contractors waited in their
Bukit Kerayong, whose homes are respective vehicles before leaving. 
earmarked for demolition, got a Santiago advised the residents to
reprieve thanks to the intervention take precautions and come up with
of Charles Santiago on Wednesday. backup plans to protect their homes.
The Klang MP, armed with “I’m worried this isn’t the end of
letters indicating that the matter was the story. The contractors might
still pending in court, mobilised the come back anytime to kick the
villagers to stand their ground in the residents out of their houses,” said
face of demolition crews. Santiago.
“This case is still an active court He said the residents may seek an Victims of Kampung Bukit Kerayong with Santiago (second left) showing their police report.
case, and before the case is closed injunction from the courts if
and a decision made, the developer contractors attempted to clear the The 40-year-old chairperson of me to wait?” Teow asked. demolition on Wednesday.
has no right to demolish any of the lots again. Kampung Bukit Kerayong’s urban Unlike other residents who He claims that his house had
houses here,” said Santiago. A nearby village, Kampung Jalan pioneers committee said the received notices, Teow was one of been built 70 years ago, and he
The residents of the 70-year-old Papan, has been facing the same developer is refusing to meet them.  the unfortunate ones whose house inherited it from his late father.
village are locked in a battle for their predicament since 2005, with the The residents held Temporary was demolished without his “How can I move out of my
homes with a developer who same developer who has plans to Occupational Licence for the land consent. house when the promised land by
acquired the land in the 1990s. redevelop the villages one section until 1993, when they were told by According to him, the house was the contractors is nowhere to be
Sections of the village had at a time. the Klang Municipal Council to demolished while he was visiting seen? Where can I go?” asked Goh.
already been demolished earlier. “The developer is slowly demo- cease making payments for it. and living with his son for a while. Goh’s neighbour said contract-
Warnings were issued earlier this lishing [the village] part by part, and “Ever yone stopped paying “When I came back, my house ors entered his compound a few
month that two homes and a after clearing Kerayong, they will be because we weren’t allowed to. We was gone,” said Teow, who is now months ago and cleared the grass
shophouse were next. moving on to Kampung Papan,” said were also told that the previous still appealing for what he is due. around his house.
For close to an hour, residents Dominic See Chee Yong. mentri besar had allocated 1,000 Following this, some villagers “I rushed home from work when
plots of land to all villagers in both were even forced out of their house I got a call from my mother telling
villages,” said See. harshly under the Emergency me there were people wanting to
Plans had been drawn and shown Ordinance Act.  demolish my house,” said Ng Cheng
to the residents committee, but Residents who were issued that Leong.
when residents went to claim their notice couldn’t appeal to court and The 29-year- old sa id the
land titles, they were told that the had to sit back and watch their contractors came three times – first
land had already been sold to a houses being bulldozed to the to clear the drains outside his house,
private developer. ground. next to clear his compound, and the
Since 2005, villagers in Kampung When questioned on the status third time to take pictures of the area.
Bukit Kerayong had been issued of the land they are living on, Ng chased them off his property
notices to move out of their homes, residents claimed they are urban when the contractors explained that
with a promise that they will be pioneers, and not squatters as they had to clear the land to make
given new lands and cash compen- labelled by the developers and way for equipment storage that
sation of RM7,000. enforcement agencies. would be used for the development.
However, villager Teow Chin Joo “My house has been part of my Currently there are 25 families in
was denied that compensation and family even before Malaysia gained Kampung Bukit Kerayong and 117
new land, despite his house having independence, and this land is families in Kampung Papan.
Santiago with villagers standing their ground and not letting been already demolished. rightfully mine,” said Goh Ah Soon.
bulldozers through. In the background are a house and car “I’m 78 years old, and I’ve been Goh, who owns a car workshop
workshop, both next on the demolition hit list. waiting to receive compensation for
five years. How long do they expect
and house in Kampung Kerayong,
was one of the victims of the
Crackdown
MPSJ keeping watch on errant
contractors
We are community newspaper which focuses on events and
on landslide hotspots SHAH ALAM: Contractors
happenings in Selangor. If you are interested to join a passionate By Gan Pei Ling who cut corners will be black-
team of young people bent on contributing to Selangor’s develop- listed by the state for two years
ment through the media, join us. SUBANG JAYA: The local council’s hill slope committee is keeping a with immediate effect.
close watch on 124 hotspots prone to landslides in its municipality. “We’ve found contractors
Accounts cum Administrative Executive Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) acting president Abdullah
Marjunid said only 13 are under the local council’s control, while the rest
who have cheated. That’s why
we’re carrying out this measure,”
• Candidates should have a Diploma or Degree in Accounting are private land. executive councillor Ronnie Liu
or LCCI Higher However, MPSJ engineering department director Ismail Shafie said they announced on Tuesday.
• Minimum 1 year experience in keeping full set of accounts are also keeping watch on three private high-risk sites. He added that company di-
• Familiar with accounting software – SQL Accounting Software They are Jalan Puteri 9 in Bandar Puteri Puchong, Jalan Kasawari in rectors of errant contractors
• Computer literate Puncak Kinrara, and Jalan Tiong 2 in Puchong Jaya. would be blacklisted as well.
• Able to speak good Bahasa Malaysia and English A landslide struck Jalan Puteri 9 last Sunday, damaging its retaining He said contractors must
• Self motivated with good communication skills walls. carry out their work in accor-
• Able to work with minimum supervision A natural disaster committee comprising representatives from MPSJ, dance with the specifications set
the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Land Office, residents and the out in their contract.
Job Description developer has been formed to find ways to prevent another landslide. “If [they are] found guilty, no
• Prepare and submit monthly accounts, billing statements, MPSJ has ordered the developer, Flora Developer, to lay plastic canvas warning will be given, and they
monthly payroll and expenses statements, prepare and distrib- on the slope and build an embankment to stop water from seeping into the cannot bid for similar projects
ute employees monthly pay slips and yearly EA Forms. affected slope. in the next two years,” said Liu.
• Monitor and update staff leave Other long-term measures the developer must take include conduct- All contractors are required
• Other administrative functions as assigned ing an investigation, preparing a design, and finding methods to protect to register with the State Eco-
the slope. nomic Planning Unit (Upen) to
Interested applicants must send a resume and letter to The developer will also need to submit its design and methods to MPSJ bid for projects.
[email protected] by June 12, 2011. for review before implementation.
 NEWS
MAY 27 — 29, 2011 7

Berkeley development on hold

By Brenda Ch’ng objection by local residents, who pointed out Federal Highway,” said Datuk Ang Thye Chin. their development guidelines and not approve
that the development would make worse an The chairperson of the Taman Berkeley a high-rise commercial building in the resi-
KLANG: The developers of a proposed high- already bad traffic situation.
 Residents Association thinks that the proposed dential area without consulting residents
rise near the already congested Berkeley Lim assured residents that the OSC has building should not be higher than four storeys. around it,” said Dr Loke Shuet Toh.

roundabout have two weeks to tackle resi- taken their views into account, and that the He said the building shouldn’t be taller The 52-year-old resident of Jalan Rajawali
dents’ objections before the status of the project will not likely be approved if the de- than any of the other buildings in the area as said MPK should study the surrounding area,
project is decided.
 velopers fail to conform to objections and it would stick out like a sore thumb.
 especially the traffic conditions, before con-
“Developers will be asked to join heads guidelines issued by MPK.
 Ang further highlighted several reasons the senting to this project.

with their assemblyperson to solve residents’ He also said it would be great if the devel- building shouldn’t be developed. Among Loke attended a dialogue last Sunday in
complaints, and to come up with a win-win opers and residents could come together and them are the possibility of air, noise and dust Taman Berkeley’s community hall along with
situation that complies with all guidelines discuss the issue.
 pollution during construction, flooding and more than 50 of her neighbours who want the
issued,” said Lim Lip Suan.
 Currently, residents are in the dark about traffic congestion before and after the building development halted.

The Klang Municipal (MPK) councillor development plans for the area, but are con- is up, and possible invasion of privacy due to “I hope residents will set the ball rolling
said the municipality has also determined that cerned about the potential worsening of traffic the height of the building.
 with a signature campaign to make a stand
the building, if approved, can only be nine leading in and out of Berkeley if two major banks Residents are also worried that the building and tell developers we do not want the 25-sto-
storeys high and not 25 as proposed.
 occupythe 25-storey building as proposed.
 construction might damage and crack roads rey building,” said Suzy Sulaiman.
Monday’s decision by the council’s One “This will cause double parking along the busy around the proposed building land.
 The 34-year-old resident of Jalan Unta is
Stop Centre (OSC) comes in the wake of one-lane road leading to the roundabout and “I hope that MPK can be transparent about worried what might happen to the residential
area if a commercial building is built.

Suzy, who has been living in her house
which has been passed down for four genera-
tions, wants Berkeley to remain a family-ori-
ented neighbourhood and not turned into a
congested commercial one.

Of the residents at the meeting, Vincent
Chow is the only one who stood up and de-
manded a chance to meet with the developers.

“I want to hear the developers’ side of the
story, but if they are not willing to come and
share their plans with the residents, this will
forever be a one-sided debate and there will
never be a winning solution,” he said.

The 35-year-old resident of Lorong Bangau
said the developers have the right to develop
the area, but they should have the decency to
do right by the residents who have been living
Residents making their stand clear last Sunday. there for many decades.
8
NEWS
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Residents: ‘No’ to car park

By Alvin Yap But residents are fearful any from the  school’s Parents-Teacher engineering plans closely.
move to clear the Tenaga Nasional Association (PIBG) committee “If it does not meet safety regu-
PETALING JAYA: A proposed Berhad reserve of its foliage could that they will undertake “every lations, then do not build it,”
school car park under high-tension result in a tragedy similar to that at measure” to ensure residents’ safety. Mohd Shukri concluded.
wires in PJU 3 Tropicana has the Hidayah Madrasah Al Taqwa Former PIB G chairperson A town planner engaged by the
sparked concerns among residents orphanage, which claimed 16 lives Wong Siew Sang pointed out school committee also indicated
of Laman Impian Condominium last Saturday. that  engineers had been engaged that the move would reduce traffic.
of a possible landslide if the project “We are the nearest neighbour to “stabilise” the slope bordering The proposed car park is designed
is approved. that will be affected by the con- Laman Impian. to let parents drop off and pick up
The proposed car park is located struction. If the land gives way, we He denied allegations that con- their children during school hours
on a hill slope between Laman Im- might be killed,” said Tengku Baha- tractors had disposed of building without causing traffic congestion.
pian and SJK (C) Damansara, and rudin Mahadi. materials in a haphazard manner. It will consist of 273 bays, with
could reduce traffic congestion in the The 59-year-old retiree was “There is other construction another area for 273 bicycles.
area, according to town planners. among 30 residents who attended work going on in the area. They are SJK Damansara has seen an in- Wong
the heated  public hearing the culprits,” said Wong. crease in students and staff over the
on the issue at the Petaling However, not all the condo- last six years, after it was relocated location indicated that residents
Jaya City Council (MBPJ) minium residents are objecting to from Section 17 to PJU3 here in support the building of the car park.
on Tuesday.  the car park. 2001. The meeting was chaired by
Laman Impian residents Mohamed Shukri Zain said it It has some 3,000 students and MBPJ councillors Tiew Way
also claim that contractors would help to ease the traffic con- 135 staff, and caters to the com- Keng and Chan Chee Kong, who
have indiscriminately dis- gestion in the area. munity in a 10km radius. will refer the views of both sides
carded construction debris “We want the traffic situation A survey conducted among the to the city council before a deci-
in the area, and have also there to be alleviated,” he said. 31 residents associations in that sion is made.
blocked the monsoon drain But he added that the
there. school committee and its
They were adamant that contractor had to address

Tengku Baharudin
the move should be
scrapped despite assurances
safety concerns, and pointed
out that MBPJ must vet the Demolished La Salle
bridge to be replaced
State to fund Kewajipan PETALING JAYA: A two-year

pedestrian bridge
The delay was also due to MB-
wait for a pedestrian bridge to en- PJ’s wait for an insurance claim
able students from two schools to from the bus company.
cross Jalan Gasing safely is almost However, the need for the pedes-
over. trian bridge became too urgent to
Peta l ing Jaya Cit y (M B P J ) ignore, and the city council decided
Councillor Derek Fernandez said to use its own funds first, instead of
work to build the much-needed waiting for the insurance settle-
bridge will start next week. ment.
“It is to encourage the students to Meanwhile, Edward Lee pointed
use the bridge, rather than cross the out that construction work for the
busy road,” he said to Selangor Times. replacement bridge will cause traf-
The previous bridge was demol- fic jams during peak hours.
ished by MBPJ engineers due to The Bukit Gasing assemblyper-
safety reasons after a bus crashed son, together with the MBPJ engi-
into one of the supporting pillars in neering department, met the La
2009. Salle’s Parents-Teachers Association
The ne w mo dern wa l kway, (PIBG) committee recently and
which will be equipped with close- briefed them on the upcoming
circuit television (CCTV) cameras construction project.
so that MBPJ can monitor security, “We told them to expect heavier
will cater to students from La Salle traffic during the construction pe-
PJ secondary and primary schools. riod,” he said over the phone yester-
Construction of the RM700,000 day.
bridge, which will be full-covered Lee said a suggestion has been
Khalid speaking at the Subang Jaya Wihara Buddhist temple. Looking on are Yeoh (second with a glass ceiling and decorated forwarded to the committee to have
left), Chim and Venerable U Nyaramsi. with murals, is expected to take them request for police to direct
three months to complete. traffic during peak hours.
By Basil Foo proved, will be built across the 10-lane It will also have shallower steps He said MBPJ should also cover
Persiaran Kewajipan which connects to facilitate an easier climb. up the monsoon drain on Jalan
SUBANG JAYA: The state government has pledged SS13 with SS14. Parents of students along with Cantek 5/13 to convert it into a car
monetary assistance for a pedestrian bridge across Persiaran “It is inexcusable for the federal gov- teachers of the schools had been park for parents to wait at for their
Kewajipan should approval be granted by the Public Works ernment to say they do not have a budget appealing for the bridge to be re- children after school.
Department ( JKR). to build the overhead bridge,” said Han- built as students are dicing with “It depends on funding and
“The state will help to build the bridge if JKR approves,” nah Yeoh. danger each time they cross the whether it is feasible or not,” Lee
said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. The Subang Jaya assemblyperson busy road. said.
The Menteri Besar was addressing a crowd of 1,000 devotees said this was because Selangor residents Derek said two tenders for the “Furthermore, a restaurant that
at the Subang Jaya Wihara Buddhist temple during Wesak Day contributed RM16 billion in yearly construction of the bridge were is using the area near the monsoon
celebrations on Tuesday. income ta x while only re ceiving advertised in 2010 but there were drain will have to vacate the place,”
The temple, which faces the busy Persiaran Kewajipan and RM408 million for development. no bidders for it. he added.
Kesas Highway intersection, has been petitioning for the She added that the petition, which
construction of the bridge since the widening of Persiaran collected about 2,000 signatures from the
Kewajipan last year. temple and its next-door Hindu temple, was important to devotees which causes congestion, especially during major
“We petitioned JKR and wrote to the Prime Minister. We ensure the safety of pedestrians. festivals.
were told in April that they did not have a budget for building “Currently, it is not safe for devotees [of the temples], The temple committee has requested that the land next to
the bridge,” said Subang Jaya Buddhist Association president students from the nearby universities and members of the the temple, an estimated 1,200 square metres, be turned into
Chim Siew Choon. public to cross the busy intersection,” Yeoh said. a car park, but Yeoh said they were told it was gazetted as an
Chim said they have since sought approval to build the She added that this was due to fast-moving vehicles coming open space.
bridge using their own funds from donations. from the Subang-Kelana link, which was completed in 2009. However, the space could be given to the temple if an-
The bridge is estimated to cost RM1.5 million and, if ap- She also said the temple faces inadequate parking space for other piece of land is found and gazetted as a replacement.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ May 27 – 29, 2011 ⁄ 9

News
Council: Settle
arrears or face
seizure of
properties
By Basil Foo

SHAH ALAM: The Shah Alam City Council

(MBSA) has warned business and home Khairul: The council will hold a
owners with assessment arrears to pay up or confiscation exercise soon for 30,000
accounts.
risk having their properties seized.
“We will hold a confiscation exercise soon being seized.
for 30,000 accounts which have assessment “They were then given seven days to
arrears. Final reminders will be posted to them respond, failing which we will confiscate their
on June 1,” said Khairul Nizam Zainal Abidin. properties,” he said.
The M B SA R e venue Mana g ement Khairul said these operations were provided
Department manager spoke to the press after for under the Local Government Act which
conducting their first confiscation operation allows councils to confiscate items which are
for the year on Wednesday (May 25). mobile and easily removed.
He said 10 shops were raided by MBSA The items would be returned to the business
enforcement officers who carried off tables, owners once they settle their debt with the
chairs, television sets and computers. council, failing which a public auction would
“We will begin our operation on houses be held on July 1.
soon,” he said. “Profits from the sale of confiscated items
Khairul, who showed the shopkeepers the will be deducted from the amount owed [by
warrants for the seizure of properties, said they the business owners],” he added.
were given ample time to pay up. Current arrears amount to RM24 million,
He said officers had earlier visited the outlets and the council plans to collect up to 70% by
to compile a list of items which were at risk of the end of the year.

Computer
equipment
being
confiscated.

Talent competition for youths

By Brenda Ch’ng tional arena must be sent in.
Categories open for nominations are
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Young Talent performing arts, creative writing, visual art
Award (Seyta) is an opportunity for youths to and music.
showcase their abilities in the arts. However, if participants have other catego-
Organised by the Selangor Youth and Sports ries in mind, they can submit an application
Committee, the awards will also be a platform to for the “Special Jury Award”, where entries will
celebrate the works of Malaysian artists. be individually judged and awarded.
This award is open to Malaysian citizens All entries are open to four languages – Ma-
aged between 16 and 35 who have already lay, English, Tamil and Mandarin. All catego-
made a significant mark in the arts world. ries have an open theme.
For example, musicians must at least be Winners will each receive a trophy, certifi-
recognised domestically or internationally, and cate and cash prize of RM3,000.
three copies of their works have to be sent in The Special Jury Award winner will receive
together with the nomination. a RM20,000 grant.
The same goes to all other categories, where For entry forms and more information,
a substantial portfolio which proves their contact Mazir Ibrahim at [email protected].
achievements either in the local or interna- my.
10
News
May 27 — 29, 2011

Daily nightmare
from noise and dust

The turnout at the Mother’s Day luncheon in Ampang last Saturday.

Don’t neglect financial

security, mothers advised
By Basil Foo ficulty faced by single mothers.
Eng Yong (in white) visiting the cement factories with MPS officials. Hanizah said husbands should also
SHAH ALAM: During a Mother’s Day ensure their wives have enough savings to
SUNGAI BULOH: Residents at Kampung Residents had protested before the third celebration here last Saturday, mothers raise their children in the event of an
Desa Aman, Taman Seri Aman and Taman factory was set up last year, but their objec- were advised to include financial secu- emergency.
Suria are outraged that three illegal cement tion was ignored by MPS, which approved rity as part of their responsibility to This is because many single mothers
factories near their neighbourhoods are still the factory’s planning permission before re- their children. depend solely on their husbands for finan-
operating. voking it later. “They have to understand their respon- cial support – a lifeline that is cut in his
Despite being closed down by the Selayang Executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah sibility as a mother. They need their own absence, she explained.
Municipal Council (MPS), brazen operators visited the site with MPS officials earlier this savings,” said Hanizah Talha. “In assisting the single mothers, the
have ignored the council’s orders to continue week, and has instructed the local council to The Taman Medan assemblyperson state has found many turned penniless
running their factories as usual. resolve the problem with the operator within said it would be better if they could stand after a divorce or their husband’s death,”
Former Taman Seri Aman Residents As- three weeks. on their own should their spouses pass Hanizah said.
sociation chairperson Mah Swee Lye said He said the three factories are located on away or they get divorced. She added that the state is continuing
residents have to put up with the noise and agricultural land. “The problem is not only does our to find ways to directly help single
dust pollution from the factories every day. Only one operator has a temporary permit to status drop, our income drops, too,” she mothers, and that those who run small
He said close to 100 lorries travel at high operate, but the permit will expire on June 30. said in her speech to 150 mothers at the shops like food stalls could apply for
speed to and from the factories daily, with the Two operators have agreed to be relocated. Darul Ehsan Club, in describing the dif- loans through the state’s micro-credit
plants operating early in the morning until late However, the third factory, which was only programme.
at night. opened early this year, remains defiant. Rokiah Maulud, a single mother who
attended the afternoon luncheon hosted
by the Ampang Women’s Development
Organisation (Awdo), said she was happy
to be invited.
“I used to work as a housekeeper in a
hotel to support my three children who
were nine, eight and three years old during
my divorce,” said the 58-year old.
Her youngest child is now 24, and
Rokiah, who has since started a fried
banana stall, said she still remains
strong-spirited.
Also at the event was state executive
councillor in charge of women’s affairs
Rodziah Ismail, Ampang Member of
A cement truck leaving one of the Parliament Zuraida Kamaruddin, and
illegal factories. Local singers entertained the moms. Awdo director Salmah Ismail.

Factory workers push for minimum wage

By Brenda Ch’ng orange, who were present at the With that, the state promises to
Buku Jingga congress in support of fig ht for minimum wa g e of
SHAH ALAM: The demand for minimum wage. RM1,500 for all labour workers.
minimum wage echoed through The father of seven children said “The state has made a commit-
the halls of the Selangor Youth and despite being a manager in a com- ment to ensure all workers are duly
Cultural Complex as a thousand pany, his wages are only minimal paid, and we want to honour that
workers came together voice their and just enough to get his wife and commitment,” said Shuhaimi
demand for a fairer deal. children through the days. Shafiei.
The factory workers from major Being the breadwinner of the The Sri Muda assemblyperson
industrial areas in Shah Alam, Pet- family, he can’t imagine what it was one of the many speakers pres-
aling Jaya, Banting and Klang ex- would be like to be in the shoes of a ent at the Buku Jingga seminar.
pressed their support for Buku factory worker earning below mini- Also present were Rafizi Ramly,
Jingga, a book produced by Paka- mum wage and expected to feed a chief executive of the Selangor Eco-
tan Rakyat to outline short- and family of seven. nomic Advisory Office; former
long-term policies, including min- Also present was a 20-year-old Menteri Besar of Perak Datuk Seri
imum wage. factory worker who works a five day Nizar Jamaluddin; and director of
“It is about time labour workers week, earning an estimated RM900 Nurul Hana (far left) with her fellow workmates. congressional labour Abdullah Sani
learn their rights and stand up for a month. Abdul Hamid.
what is rightfully theirs,” said Yu- “My monthly wages is only Hana cannot imagine what it She hopes that all labour workers There to officiate the seminar was
soff Ahmad. enough for my own spendings in the would be like to survive in the city will one day get the pay they deserve state executive councillor Dr Xavier
The 47-year-old manager was village. I can’t even have savings for with living expenses that are con- so that they can keep up with price Jayakumar, on behalf of Menteri
one of the participants dressed in the future,” said Nurul Hana. stantly on the rise. increments. Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
 views 11
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Scandals, property, contracts

and iPad 2
W
hy is it that the “most-read” articles if not immediately upon launching. People
on Malaysian online news sites are complain about the prices on the secondary
always either about gossip, sex market, but there are still willing buyers, and
scandals, or other frivolous issues? @Regina of course very willing sellers.
S, via email The government has tried to rein in the
market in recent months, introducing a limit
We assume that this is because the other news on the margin of financing banks can make
is just too boring, or hopeless. How many available to buyers who are buying properties
times can one be expected to read about for investment (as opposed to as their resi-
promises made by politicians, or proclama- dence). It is a ridiculously unhealthy situation Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by
tions that the Malaysian economy is in amaz- when buyers are allowed to finance up to 95% LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com) where
ing health, when we know as a fact that the of the purchase price for more than 30 years. all your profound, abstruse,
price of our food, drink, rent, clothes, petrol, As to the prices themselves, well, it’s a free erudite, hermetic, recondite,
and very survival is as high as it has ever been? market isn’t it? If someone owns a property, sagacious, and other thesaurus-
So it should be no surprise that the most and wants to sell it, and people are willing to described queries are answered!
read “news” items are usually about tragedies, pay a high amount for it, which seller in his
celebrity gossip, or sex (including sex or her right mind would not want transact on out. Unfortunately, that is as much infor-
crimes). Who knows why headlines like nomenon. But it is not a unique one. His the highest purchase price possible? mation as the lawyer minions were willing
“woman tricked into gang rape” seem to be Supreme Eminenceness has experienced to give. After all, they want to See Mah

L
irresistible to the Malaysian reader? Perhaps many property bubbles in his intergalactic ord Bobo, I’m thinking of setting up Nee too!
they expect photos? travels. In the Malaysian context, it has gotten my own business, but need a business

D
so crazy that even terrace houses which cost partner to provide the capital. What id you queue up to get an

D
ear Lord Bobo, I thought I read last RM500,000 five years ago are now going for are the key points to look out for in our iPa d 2 ? @ St e v e Jo b s , v i a
year that most “experts” were saying close to RM1,000,000. All this makes it very partnership agreement? @See Mah Nee, via em ai l
that property prices had hit the difficult for the aspiring homeowner. email
ceiling, and would soon stop rising. What’s However, look deeper into the reality of Steve! Good to hear from you! (We obvi-
happening? @Homeless, via email the situation, and one finds an even stranger ously know it’s not really you, since the email
fact: properties are still being transacted like was sent using a Yahoo! email account). No,
The seemingly unstoppable rise of property hot cakes. Almost any half-decent property Lord Bobo does not queue, ever. Especially
prices in the Klang Valley is a strange phe- development launch is sold out within a week, for the purchase of earthly products.
His Supreme Eminenceness believes that
any manufacturer or retailer which makes
customers queue for hours to purchase a
product obviously doesn’t understand a basic
rule of retail: always have more products made
than you expect to sell. These Apple folk obvi-
ously don’t know how to make money –
which is why we prefer bananas.

BE
Lord Bobo is only joking, obviously. We
know that the shortage is intentional, and
helps create a hype and exclusivity around
products, which add to their desirability. This

THE
is exactly what happened with the limited
edition ONLY tee. Despite protests, pleas,
petitions and lots of wailing and gnashing of

BOSS!
teeth, no more ONLY tees will be produced.
Instead, LoyarBurok is coming up with
several brand-spanking-new designs. If you’re
interested in snapping up what’s left of the
ONLY tee (selected sizes only), or to be kept
Register To Vote Now up-to-date with the new tees, do drop an
First of all, See Mah Nee, the fact that you’re email to [email protected]. We
Before It's Too Late! writing to ask a monkey in a wig about an promise you won’t have to queue.
agreement that is going to define the success
Who is eligible? or failure of your partnership is alarming. Have a question for Lord Bobo? Call on
Despite appearances, His Supreme Emi- His Supreme Eminenceness by emailing
Malaysian citizen nenceness is not a lawyer – Lord Bobo did [email protected], stating
not manage to obtain any form of official your full name, and a pseudonym (if you
Above 21 years of age education or professional qualifications due want), or tweeting your questions by men-
to the tragic but ultimately happy nature of tioning @LoyarBurok and using the
his childhood. hashtag #asklordbobo. The first 100 ques-
Date: 28-29 May 2011 (Saturday & Sunday) Upon consultation with our earthly tions published will receive monkey-riffic
Where can you register to vote? lawyer minions, we can however tell you LoyarBurok merchandise courtesy of Se-
Kajang • 11am-9pm Petaling Jaya that the most important things in a partner- langor Times. What the hell are you wait-
Metro Point (Old Town) 1Utama (Oval , 1st Floor) 10am-10pm ship agreement – as with a partnership of ing for? Hear This, and Tremblingly Obey
Kepong • 10am-10pm Digital Mall, Sect 14, PJ (Grd Floor) 10am-9pm any nature really – is how (although trembling is optional if you are
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kick the other
Pandan • 8am-11am MIECC, Mines Resort City th
on
one
Pandan Perdana Market (Sat only) Subang Jaya • 10am-10pm
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Enq: [email protected], 03-7957 8022, www.reg2vote.com M or n
f
 Insight
12 MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Pandamara
villag bungalow, Chew Kim Swee is helping to oversee a landmark
event in the annals of KB Pandamaran. This would be the first
basketball court among Selangor’s New Villages to have its own
roof. Chew helped to get support from a local condom manu-
facturer to rubberise the court surface (Selangor Menteri Besar
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim came to officiate this new installation
in an event last weekend).
Chew was six years old when his family was moved from
Banting to Kampung Baru Pandamaran by the British colo-
nial rulers in 1951.
“Each family was given a plot of land, some 80 by 80 feet,
some 100 by 100 feet. We didn’t have property, so we knew
this was our place now.”
From 1950, an estimated 470,000 people (about 10% of
the Malayan population then) were forced to resettle into
452 “New Villages”. This was part of the Briggs Plan during
the Emergency period designed to segregate rural communi-
ties from the communist insurgents, who relied on them for
supplies and support.
KB Pandamaran was divided into four sectors: Sector 1
housed families who were shifted from Dengkil; Sector 2
from Sijiangkang; Sector 3 from Sungai Manggis and Bant-
ing; while Sector 4 came from Tiram Buoh, Tanjung Karang
and Sekinchan.
The plan basically concentrated the dispersed rural com-
munities of western Selangor into a handful of New Villages.
As the population of these new villages was overwhelm-
ingly Chinese, political constituencies were inevitably di-
vided along ethnic lines, ensuring that a race-based political
Welcome to the New Village. paradigm would prevail.
Being shifted to guarded camps ringed by perimeter
fences was not a comfortable experience for these commu-
By Danny Lim known as a hotbed of triad activity. But Lim snorts at the nities. It didn’t help that, according to Chew, they only got
suggestion that the gangs here were taken seriously. electricity sometime around 1959 – after Independence. By

“
This was all swamp land, and all the houses were wooden “There were all kinds of groups here – 24, 16, 18, 36, Ang then curfews had already been relaxed, and people had al-
attap houses,” says Lim Ong Sian, a 60-year-old resident Soon Tong. But they just fight each other, no big deal. It’s ready begun taking down the wire fences after 1955.
of Kampung Baru (KB) Pandamaran. Lim was only eight just to protect their territory and protect themselves. Those who owned estates and property were eager to return
months old when his family was moved from his birthplace of “Most of us were farmers or port workers – coolies. We to their former homes. Desperate to sell off their allocated
Dengkil to the New Village. earned about RM80 a month. There were a lot of pig farms plot of land, they offered dirt-cheap rates. “RM50, at most
“During the British time, there was a military airport before the 80s. Now no more,” Lim recounts in Hokkien be- RM100 for a house,” says Chew.
where SMK Dato Hamzah and SMK Tengku Ampuan Je- tween sips of the dark zesty broth of bak kut teh, a particularly Those who stayed were the landless peasants. Underpinin-
maah is now.” Hokkien variant. ing the dominant Hokkien culture of the villagers is an eco-
The long rectangle of the airstrip land is today home to He sports a deep natural tan on his leathery skin that can only nomic ethos that comes from being granted land of their own
a football field, sports complex, swimming complex, hockey come from spending decades working out under the sun. His to live on. Particularly among the village elders there is a sense
stadium and a clinic right beside KB Pandamaran. checked shirt is left unbuttoned, clad over that classic Chinese of pride from building a closely knit community from the
Like most Chinese New Villages, KB Pandamaran was working-class mufti – a white pagoda T-shirt. His parents were adversity of forced resettlement on unwanted pieces of land.
vegetable and poultry farmers – “What else could they do?” Typically, small villages tend to have their youth siphoned
Sixty years since it was created, KB Pandamaran has changed off into the bigger towns and cities, leaving the old to preside
somewhat. The villagers who went to what was then Port over the inevitable decay. Not so for this Kampung Baru. Even
Swettenham just 2km away to carry goods by hand have been with Klang and Kuala Lumpur just 2km and 30km away respec-
replaced by crane operators and lorry drivers. Pig farms and tively, KB Pandamaran’s population has steadily increased,
rubber plantations were swapped for light industrial factories doubling from 14,524 in 1980 to an estimated 30,000 today.
processing chemicals and imported timber, and churning out While KB Pandamaran remains more
gloves and car spare parts. Lim is now a contractor. sub-rural than suburban, “those
The starkly angular wooden attap houses have gradually been houses” along the village’s major ar-
colonised by gleaming ,
gaudy Corinthian-col-
umned double-storey bun-
galows with curvy balconies.
The surrounding forests
where Lim has seen tigers
prowling, and the swamps
once filled with crocodiles,
have made way for more
urban development. What
has remained constant is the
resilience of people like Lim
to stay in a place that was
forced upon them. And bak
kut teh.
In a basketball court
tightly flanked by a wooden
Bak kut teh. shophouse and a concrete Light industrial factories. Nan Tien Men (South He
an – Still a
ge at heart who is a board member of both school
administrations, the schools are over-
as well as a source of
local pride.
loaded and do not have enough space to For now, life in KB
accommodate such numbers. Pandamaran still em-
“Ideally it should be about 1,500 phasises the “kampung” Chew Kim Swee
students per school,” he says. “Most of over the “baru”.
the students are not from here. They’re “During the [19]60s,
from (Taman) Sentosa, (Taman Sri) 70s, life was very simple,” says Chew. “People don’t close the
Andalas, Port Klang, Bandar Puteri.” doors, because they know each other. The old people are very
Given the village’s origins, there is a happy here, they like the living here. If one person dies, we
certain irony in the root of the school go for donation, they can collect RM50,000 to RM100,000.
capacity problem: “There is not enough Whether we know him or not, we all go and donate.”
land,” says Chew. And everyone insists that this trait has lasted till today.
Not that the area has been developed “Pandamaran is a nice place. Ang pek su (red and white
into an urbanised squeeze. Rather, the matters, i.e. weddings and funerals) … people see, we go and
schools have not been allocated land to help each other, we never demand anything in return.”
expand to meet their needs.
“In the Klang district, there are 22 lots • TURN TO PAGE 14
of land reserved for the Ministry of
Education. We need the land. The fed-
eral government should do something
about this. There will be more develop-
ment near Jalan Papan and Jalan Young,
these two are 100-plus-acre develop-
ments. I’m sure they’re going to build
housing estates. So there will be more
students. It’s going to be a huge prob-
lem,” Chew laments.
What KB Pandamaran has in abun-
dance are bak kut teh restaurants and
temples, both indicative of the village’s
working-class identity. In Sector 1
alone, there are seven temples. A hand-
ful like the Nan Tien Men (South
Heaven Gate) temple are large, well-
maintained and ornately decorated, but
most are small shrines, occupying either
a roadside corner or tucked away in the
fringes of the mangrove forests.
One folk story of the ubiquity of bak
kut teh in this region draws its origins as
the breakfast staple for the Chinese
Children playing basketball. coolies working at Port Swettenham.
This particular meal set of pork ribs in
teries of Jalan Chan Ah Choo, Jalan Young, Jalan Pekan have Chinese herbal broth was supposedly a
now been replaced by the suburban staples of commercial healthy morning boost for the day’s slog.
activity – motorcycle repair shops, coffee shops, sundry stores, Long after the last of KB Pandamaran’s Chinese coolies
bank and telco branches. Traffic congestion has become a had been replaced by containers and cranes, the bak kut teh Homes in the new village.
recent problem. shops have remained, thriving as a widely sought-after dish
The two independent Chinese schools, SJK (C)
Pandamaran A and B, are packed to the brim, enrolling
over 4,200 students combined. According to Chew,

eaven Gate) temple. SJK (C) Pandamaran A.

14
VIEWs
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Girls and subcultures modify her car to reflect her feminine side.
So, why the need to be “one of the boys” in
Youthology subcultures participated by both genders? One
can go with Yench’s vulgar euphemism:
Lee Lian Kong
“Women still have that biological need to get
married and have babies so they don’t act all

D
on’t accept the old order. Get rid of different, while men do whatever they want
it.So says Johnny Rotten, vocalist of the because they have penises.”
Sex Pistols. That’s what subcultures are Ikmal believes women in hip-hop feel no
all about: rejection of mainstream society, need to emulate men. They are not trying to be
whether in the form of music, fashion, visual like men, they are simply different.
arts, dance, literature, films, etc. A subculture’s Gabrielle gives another example of the gam-
intention is to differentiate itself. ing subculture. “More girls play Farmville, and
Ironically, while Rotten denounces the old more guys play Grand Theft Auto, [yet] both
order, subcultures are sucked into the gender genres are socially significant in terms of par-
“norm”. Most major subcultures are male-cen- ticipant numbers, industry size, and so on.”
tric and have male origins. Female-dominated Origins, dominance, dynamics. There is
subcultures exist but are few and far between, much literature discussing women’s roles in
though this is quickly changing. subcultures. This can be seen as too simplistic.
Mohd Ikmal, 23, a hip-hop enthusiast, at- Dr Ong Kian Ming, a political scientist, reasons
tributes this to the “headstart” men have “due this by giving the example of more “out” and
to the restrictions imposed on females in the queer activists who disagree on gay marriages.
past”. Therefore, “it is more likely for a male to The question is not only about gender, but
have originated hip-hop,” he says. It follows that also society’s limitation of the number of
since most cultures were dominated by males gender and number of persons in a relation-
for a long time, “it is only natural that most ship. “Advocates of gay marriages marry queer
subcultures are initiated by males”. people. There are others who choose other
That said, it is a common sight to see hip- arrangements. It can be a committed relation-
hop girls. In fact, their numbers can rival those ship involving more than two people, or a
of hip-hop boys. The same can be said of other three-men-and-a-baby kind of a thing.”
major subcultures such as punk, hipsters, rock, Distinctions remain between the tradi-
bohemian and anime. tional “male” and “female” roles in subcultures;
“A woman did not start punk. She could the cacophony of factors involving these will
have, but she did not,” according to Yench, 21, exist, at least for now. Ikmal states: “Regardless
a law student. “Men did. Or men popularised of which gender initiated it or how big the
it. Like any other revolution: a group of disen- majority of the people in the subculture are of
chanted, angsty young men.” a specific gender, the more important issue is
He believes the root of subcultures is the what the subculture is about and whether it
need for expression, be it by smashing guitars appeals to a certain individual.”
or smoking weed and listening to Miles Davis. In a constantly evolving society, subcultures
“Men were more likely to express these then.” She cites queer subculture: “Gay males are added criteria to participate. To enter a male- are a permanent fixture. There will always be
Gabrielle Chong, 23, a Malaysian student more visible than gay females, even though a dominated subculture involves manouvering a rebels, be it a boy or a girl or whoever you are
at Wellesley College, disagrees. She reasons larger percentage of females are bisexual, simply complex, set of norms i.e. being “one of the guys” within the 3D polygon of sexuality. At the end
that this perception of males being more because women tend to be less promiscuous”. versus retaining their feminity. A girl racer might of the day, the discourse on subcultures is not
dominant, or creators of these subcultures, is Participation may be even, but they are nev- have the attitude, style of dress and language of about gender. It’s about individualism – that is,
due to males having a more overt nature. ertheless still different. For women, there is an counterpart male drivers, but would perhaps the individual, you, against mainstream society.

Young and mild-mannered

• FROM PAGE 12

KB Pandamaran veterans say things began to change in Lee and Chenny Lim, “nothing has changed.” And they
the 1990s. The usual suspects were fingered: development, might be right.
development, development. Modern life was going to be Tracing their young working lives, a metaphorical ba-
thrust upon them whether they liked it or not. But mea- ton seems to have been passed from generations of yore.
sured along the brief lives of two 23-year-old locals, Raison Lee, born and bred in the village, went straight to work
in Port Klang after finishing
school, pretty much as his vil-
lage’s ancestors did. Only the
details differ: instead of a coolie,
Lee is a supervisor for truck re-
pairs at Westport.
His friend and former school- Raison Lee
mate, Lim, was born just outside
the village. But she has been There’s hardly any crime or danger to be wary about.
working at the Pasar Pagi on Jalan “Gangsters were a problem in school,” says Lee. “They would
Papan since she was 10, selling fight, and police come almost every day. But they fight over
food supplies. small things only.”
“Business has gone down over They divide their free time between the “city life” available
the last five years since Tesco (in in nearby Klang or Bukit Tinggi and the “kampung life” in
Bukit Tinggi) and Giant (in KB Pandamaran. After work, they hang out with friends,
Klang) opened up.” yam char, play snooker, mahjong, or go to the nearest inter-
While some friends have net cafe in Bukit Tinggi to “play Facebook.”
moved on to KL (“They won’t And what do they talk about during yam char?
come back, except for Chinese Lee: “Work, girls.”
New Year,” says Lee), both of them Lim: “We don’t talk about politics.”
are content to continue living and Lee: “We don’t really know about it.”
Chenny Lim working at the morning market. working in the kampung. Lim: “It’s not our business also.”
 NEWS 15
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Smash and grab New buildings to

harvest rainwater
on the rise in Klang SHAH ALAM: Selangor will
accept Putrajaya’s new standard-
ised guidelines for universal
The rainwater collected can
be used for gardening, cleaning
houses and cars and flushing
KLANG: Cars owners who un- of community policing at Bandar tracting attention,” said Yap. design and all its new buildings toilets.
wittingly leave valuables in their Bukit Tinggi 1 and 2, said seven He said his members positioned must be installed with rainwater Treated water is only needed
vehicles risk returning to find other cars on Jalan Batu Nilam 13, themselves around the area on the harvesting systems in future. for cooking, drinking and bath-
their windows smashed and their Bandar Bukit Tinggi 1 suffered the next night in an attempt to catch the Ronnie Liu, executive coun- ing.
goods stolen. same fate. thieves, but the culprits did not cillor for local government, said Liu said the measure would
“I only left my car for less than 30 Two other similar incidents were show up again. only terrace and low-cost hous- also help the public save on
minutes,” said Lee Huey Wen. reported at the Taman Chi Liung Yap said they would continue es are exempted from the ruling. water bills.
The 19-year-old, who lost her night market. to patrol the area to act as a All other residential and Meanwhile, Liu said Selan-
laptop worth RM2,000 during the Yap said all the incidents on the deterrent. commercial developers are re- gor’s local councils would also
incident on May 18, said nobody same night, and he had rushed to He added that he has checked quired to build a system to adopt the National Landscape
heard a thing although the parking the scenes after receiving calls from with the police, but none of the harvest rainwater in their build- Policy and merge it with exist-
lots were across the road from residents. victims lodged any reports. ings in order to reduce the na- ing state-level landscaping
where she was. “Nobody heard anything even Yap urged the public to alert tion’s demand for treated water. guidelines.
Her laptop was in the backseat though they were nearby. We sus- the police of thefts so that they

Green technology
while she went to meet her friends pect the thieves used special equip- are able to increase patrols in ar-
in a café for a short chat. ment instead of a hammer to smash eas where there are spikes in crime
Yap Kim Huat, who is in charge the windows quietly to avoid at- rates.

Tips to avoid car break-ins at property expo

1. Keep doors locked and windows By Basil Foo He explained that there are
closed. many benefits for homeowners,
2. Keep valuables such as electronics, SHAH ALAM: Green technol- businesses, and property develop-
accessories, as well as empty ogy and environmentally friendly ers to initiate green practices in
shopping bags out of sight. products will be the focus during their buildings.

3. Don’t leave towels or sheets in the the Selangor Lifestyle and Property “I’ve been to a 16-floor apart-
car looking like they are covering Expo 2011 from June 10 to 12.
 ment in KL which used environ-
something. “Visitors to the expo can expect mentally friendly building materi-
4. Install an alarm system. to gain a lot of knowledge and learn als and managed to save RM1
5. Park the car in well-lit and well- more about cost-efficient green million while keeping their build-
populated areas. technologies,” said Datuk Zulkifli ing temperature cool,” he said.

Mohamad.
 Matthias, who has been voted
Lee pointing to her smashed car window.
The Shah Alam Convention Greenest Person on the Planet, said
Centre (SACC) chief executive he plans to create an awareness that

Emphasis on early
officer said they have invited guest eco-friendly does not have to mean
speaker Matthias Gelber, an inspi- inconvenient or costly.

rational speaker on eco issues. The Selangor State Develop-
As entrance is free, Zulkifli ment Corporation (PKNS), which

breast cancer detection estimates that about 30,000 visi-

tors will attend the three-day
event, which will open from 10am
to 8pm daily.

is the platinum sponsor for the
expo, set their sales target at RM34
million throughout the event.

“We have also started to install
Selayang Hospital for their “There will also be RM500,000 green technologies in our develop-
check-up on Tuesday. worth of prizes to be won by visi- ments, the first being the construc-
He hopes these women will tors, over RM300,000 of which are tion of our new headquarters in
ask their friends and neigh- health-related like fitness-centre July,” said Noraida Mohd Yusof.
bours to sign up for the second memberships,” added Zulkifli.
 The PKNS deputy general
batch of check-ups. Matthias, who has been living in manager of administration and
Breast cancer is on the rise, Malaysia for several years, said he development added that they are
and all women should take would be “talking about hijau all the targeting house buyers under 35
advantage of this free check- way” during the lifestyle and prop- years of age and around the
up to make sure they are erty expo.
 RM3,500 income group.
healthy.
Those who are tested posi-
tive for breast cancer will be
asked to go back for subse- Solution to sticker
quent tests and consultations
by the hospital.
Teng wants to stress that
menace
this programme is free and By Gan Pei Ling  posters in just five minutes.
participants are not expected   Local authorities will also be
Teng (right) with the participants of the free mammogram programme. to pay for anything. SHAH ALAM: The headache of using a special aerosol spray to
Transportation and food removing unsightly posters or prevent Ah Long from pasting new
By Brenda Ch’ng will also be provided. stickers offering services of illegal stickers and posters on traffic
“I don’t think I could have gathered these women loan sharks (Ah Long), massages lights, street lamps and Tenaga
KLANG: Women are being urged to take advantage if it weren’t for my friends, who helped me spread the and sex toys is now over with a Nasional substations.
of the state’s free mammogram programme to protect word directly to residents and helped them register,” special glue remover. Any sticker or poster will come
themselves from breast cancer. said Teng. The special solution, which has off easily if they are pasted on sur-
“It is disappointing to see the lack of response in Teng thinks the programme is not reaching as many been adopted by local governments, faces that are sprayed with the
my area, Sungai Pinang, despite the numerous adver- women as it could because Selangor is currently the will easily remove the eyesore. special solution within six months.
tisements and write-ups for the free check-up,” said first and only state in the country to have this free “We tried to use kerosene, pet- Liu said both the glue remover
Datuk Teng Chang Khim. mammogram test. rol and other solutions in the past, and aerosol spray would not affect
He is urging all women to sign up at their respec- “It will take time for it to become a well-known but [it] didn’t work,” said executive the paintwork.
tive assemblyperson’s service centre and make full use programme,” he said. councillor Ronnie Liu. He added that both solutions
of the opportunity for a free check-up. In the meantime, Teng hopes word of this pro- A demonstration for the press are affordable, but he did not dis-
Teng organised the first batch of 39 elderly women gramme will spread, and that assemblypersons’ offices on Tuesday showed that the solu- close the amount councils would
from his constituency, who will be taken by bus to the will be more active in promoting it at events. tion could remove stickers and be spending on them.
16
NEWSMAY 27 — 29, 2011

Free services to
commemorate PJ city status
By Alvin Yap comprehensive health check-ups: Assunta Hospital,
KPJ Damansara Specialist, Kelana Jaya Medical
PETALING JAYA: Folks will enjoy a host of free Centre and Tropicana Medical Centre.
services on June 20 in conjunction with the Petaling Alam Flora will collect large-bulk trash, and old
Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) fifth anniversary. and discarded furniture from homes on that day.
“I call all Petaling Jaya residents to come and MBPJ is also organising a host of events begin-
celebrate the occasion,” said Petaling Jaya mayor ning June 10 leading to the anniversary. On June
Datuk Roslan Sakiman. 18 and 19, there will be a Street Food Carnival from
On that day, parking fees will be waived by MBPJ, 10am to 10pm at the Petaling Jaya Stadium at
and there will be no charge for using the city council’s Kelana Jaya.
swimming pools and sports facilities. Petaling Jaya, better known as PJ, grew out of a
Roslan also announced that the MBPJ commu- satellite town around Kuala Lumpur in the 1950s
nity library on Jalan Selangor will be giving free which had become overpopulated.
one-year memberships to the first 500 visitors on On 20 June 2006, it was granted city status by the
that day. Sultan of Selangor, making it the first non-capital
The first 500 members whose library cards have city in Malaysia.
expired will have their membership renewed for free. The local authority changed its name to Petaling
Usage fee for using the library’s CD archives will Jaya City Council following the granting of the
also be waived. status.
Roslan (centre) announcing what’s in store for PJ folks. The following hospitals will also provide free It is home to some 600,000 residents.

Record attempt Mother’s Day help

with photo collage for single moms

Lee presenting
a schoolbag to a
student.
By Alicia Mun to come forward and pledge their sup-
port to do their part to help needy
Datuk Abdul Ghani Pateh Akhir gesturing to a picture of the Kota Bridge. Looking on PETALING JAYA: Schoolbags and families and single mothers.
is Tourism Selangor general manager Noorul Ashikin Mohd Din (left). groceries were distributed to single “Companies must participate in
moms and their children here last Sat- more Corporate Social Responsibil-
By Basil Foo tempt at such a record any- used, and they had to be rele- urday in recognition of Mother’s Day. ity projects in collaboration with
where in the world. vant to the theme of the event. Edward Lee said the event was or- non-governmental organisations such
KLANG: Tourism Selangor Orang Besar Daerah Klang “They must be of the pur- ganised to ease the burdens faced by as BGLS to help those in need espe-
will attempt to set a record for Datuk Abdul Ghani Pateh pose to promote Klang, to be single mothers. cially during difficult financial times,”
the longest photo collage in the Akhir praised the efforts to approved by us,” she said. “The state would like to address he said.
country by setting it up along promote Klang as a historical The photo collage is part of their needs, and this event is a good Diabetic patient Ong A Su, who was
the Kota Bridge here. destination for tourists. the Selangor Heritage Photo opportunity for us to get to know them among the recipients, said she was
“We chose this bridge be- He said Klang has as much Carnival 2011, to be held on better so we can help to improve their grateful for the aid.
cause we want to introduce historical depth as Malacca, but June 4. living conditions,” said the Bukit Gas- BGLS has been working closely
Klang as a royal city which is full the latter received more tourists Co-organiser Photo Creator ing assemblyperson. with Lee’s office to help the commu-
of history,” said Fazly Razally. due to its aggressive approach Publication chief editor Jessica A total of 28 schoolbags sponsored nity in Bukit Gasing, including offer-
The Tourism Selangor events to marketing. Chan said the event will not be by Tupperware and 35 bags of grocer- ing free tuition services for Form Five
and marketing manager said Malaysian Book of Records just for photographers, but will ies comprising a 10kg pack of rice, a students.
during a press conference on representative Leona Paul said be more of a family day. bottle of oil, a packet each of sugar and Other projects in the pipeline in-
Monday that the bridge had about 250 pictures would be Activities to be held include salt, were presented to single moms and clude daycare services as well as pre-
been completed on the same photography competitions, their children. The groceries were school learning centres to provide free
day as Independence Day. free children’s photography sponsored by the state. education for poor children under a
The photo collage is planned workshop, traditional arts and The event was jointly organised by programme called Projek Harap.
to be placed along 181 metres food demonstration, and fire- Bukit Gasing Leadership Services “The mission of Projek Harap is to
of the bridge. works display. (BGLS) and Lee’s office. eradicate poverty through education.
“About a third of the photos “Those interested to take part “The poor and and single mothers [This will be done] by equipping
we will use come from the in the various competitions can are the most vulnerable groups in our people with living skills to promote
royal collection of the late Sul- sign up on Tourism Selangor’s society. It is the responsibility of our harmony in Malaysia and instill loy-
tan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz website (www.tourismselangor. government and state lawmakers to alty to the country, because the future
Shah,” said Fazly. Tourism Selangor events org), through their Facebook help them to cope with the many hard- of Malaysia depends on the future of
According to the organis- and marketing manager page, or at the Klang Municipal ships that they face,” said Lee. our children,” said BGLS adviser
ers, this would be the first at- Fazly Razally. Council building,” said Chan. He also urged the corporate sector Richard Rajoo.
 FICTION 17 MAY 27 — 29, 2011

A Starry Hill
Fiction by Alfian Sa’at appearance was not deliberate and laboured; own ironing. A couple of them had mixed studying at the London School of Economics,
they were effortless clouds of colour and scent. features, with eyes and hair that would prob- and was back for the summer vacation. He

D
uring their school holidays, Shazeela The girls always felt confident walking ably reveal their fiery brown hues under the bought jugs of drinks for his friends, who
and Nurdiyana always made it a point around Kuala Lumpur. They knew that they sun. would wander off and come back, but who
to visit Kuala Lumpur. They would were attractive, but part of that confidence— After a few minutes, one of the boys turned never attempted to join in the conversation
save up for the coach ride and a three-night or superiority—also came from a certain to the girls and asked, “Can I top up your with the girls.
stay at a modest three-star hotel. self-image as Singaporeans. They were certain drinks? What would you like?” Shazeela could see that Nurdiyana was
Kuala Lumpur was different without their that they had an advantage over other girls in He was not one of the mestizos, but he was quite smitten: she recognized the forced
parents around. They would not have to tail Kuala Lumpur, like the ones who came from fair-skinned, with thick, inky eyebrows. laughter, the anecdotes she had heard before,
them on trips to handicraft markets, where smallholder farms (whom they called Minah “We’re fine for now,” Nurdiyana replied. now polished for another airing. Shazeela
their mothers would coo over gaudy batik assigned to herself the role of a watchful but
scarves, or eat at “Western” restaurants that somewhat indulgent chaperone.
were not halal in Singapore, their fathers en- When the girls left the bar, Nurdiyana
thusing over grilled steaks and roast chicken. showed Shazeela the namecard the boy had
There was something provincial about their passed her.
parents’ conception of Kuala Lumpur, which “Tengku Azlan,” Nurdiyana said. “He said
was perceived as a place of both familiarity he’s going to call me tomorrow.”
(everyone spoke in Malay), as well as freedom “But we’re going back tomorrow,” Sha-
(there were few dietary barricades). zeela said.
But the girls knew that the place wasn’t just “Maybe we can extend?” Nurdiyana asked.
an expanded Geylang Serai bazaar. There was Shazeela did not like the scratch of hope she
a pulsing energy to the city, and a dizzying detected in her voice.
cosmopolitanism that they could not find in But the boy did not call. Nurdiyana waited
Singapore. until it was time to check out, and then rang
Once, after jaywalking in front of the Pa- him up herself. Three times. Nobody answered
vilion Shopping Mall, they found themselves her call. On the bus, she was silent, leaning
assailed by a sight they could not make sense back in her seat with her sunglasses on.
of: Iranian women in chadors, Burmese men “You know why we keep going up?” As her
in cleaning services polo tees, towering Scan- eyes were shielded, it seemed as if Nurdiyana
dinavian backpackers. was not addressing anyone in particular. “We
The girls also felt that the nightlife in do it just like our parents. We go up to dis-
Kuala Lumpur held more promises of noctur- cover who we really are.”
nal adventures (cars audaciously parked on Shazeela wanted to feel some sympathy for
pavements, faces of indeterminate ethnicities). her friend, but it was annoyance that she felt
One of their favourite spots was the Bukit instead. Nurdiyana was too old to be nursing
Bintang stretch. Since they were not locals, some fantasy of becoming a princess, or a
the name still retained its etymological in- member of some royal entourage. She should
nocence, and its very mention enchanted Felda), or the “skanky ones” who wore low- “Where are you girls from?” the boy asked. know better, coming from Singapore, where
them, conjuring up a hill where people riding jeans which exposed spotty posteriors “Singapore,” Nurdiyana replied, flattered there were no palaces or farms, no peasants or
climbed to gaze at stars. (whom they called Minah Bohsia). that he had asked. “This is my best friend kings. How silly these notions were!
One night, the girls decided to check out In the bar, the girls bought some soft drinks Zeela. And I’m Diyana. Are you from KL?” No, Shazeela thought, we go up so as to
a bar at Bukit Bintang, which a website guide and parked themselves in a corner. One of the other boys, who was listening discover who we are not. And we’ll keep going
described as having a “mixed expat and local The crowd was thickening, and the girls in, said, “He’s from the Royal House of Ke- up to discover it again and again.
crowd”. The girls had spent close to an hour tried to be nonchalant to the glances that were dah!” But she did not voice her thoughts aloud.
ironing their hair, matching their clothes, darting in their direction. A group of boys The boy who spoke first frowned at this She turned to the window, watching curtains
ensuring that their eyeliners ended in perfect appeared and occupied the seats beside them. interruption. “Are you on holiday?” he asked of trees whisk by.
calligraphic upstrokes. They were Malay youths, but well-dressed, in the girls. She wondered what it would feel like to
After all that, they would spray perfume on crisp ironed shirts, though something in their Nurdiyana replied that they were, and in reach her hand out, through the glass, to brush
themselves, to create the impression that their manner suggested that they did not do their the next few hours found out that the boy was her fingers against the sun-shimmering leaves.

Students hold charity

concerts for Japan By Basil Foo

KUALA LUMPUR: Stu-

dents from Help University
College here held two charity
concerts to raise funds for vic-
tims of the recent natural dis-
asters in Japan.
“We hope our contributions
will help the people [there] to
recover faster,” said 22-year-old Cheong (left) with Deem, a musical group from Help, at
Howen Cheong. the concert.
The Music Club president
said singers and bands from the food and their way of life. We Guests were serenaded by
student body took part in the also admire their handling of members of Help’s Music Club,
concerts. the tragedy,” he said. where Cheong also serves as a
Cheong, a public relations The concerts, themed “love” vocal trainer and multi-instru-
student, said many students and “hope”, were held at the mentalist.
wanted to contribute as they 160-seat Theatrette Hall in the Cheong said they would
felt they owed a lot to Japanese Pusat Bandar Damansara cam- hold a ceremony today (May
culture. pus on Wednesday and Thurs- 27) to hand over the proceeds
Help University College volunteers who helped to raise funds for Japan’s “People here love Japanese day (May 18 and 19). to the university.
disaster victims.
18
technology
may 27 — 29, 2011

Playing safe on Facebook

By Edwin Yapp posting things in an open manner, they are
using this resource safely. For instance, your

S
ocial networking came into being pictures can be tagged (labelled) by your
more than five years ago with sites like friends, and although they may not have your
Friendster and MySpace, but it was explicit permission to be tagged, they end up
not until Facebook appeared that the world on your friends’ sites, which may be unse-
was bowled over by the social media cured.
phenomenon. While you may be able to remove some
Today, Facebook is the undisputed king pictures on Facebook, you can’t control what
of social networking, with over 500 million gets posted in third-party websites, and
members and counting. But as the world gets consequently, you can’t delete them from
so dependent on this social media utility, the those websites.
risks of exposure are also greater.
The fact is that as more of us go online Taking care of your settings
and post personal information about our- The privacy settings on Facebook are also
selves in that space, we’ve got to realise that, quite a handful to go through. But generally
probabilistically speaking, the risk of us be- speaking, click on “Only Friends” under the
ing exposed is higher. sharing preferences screen. “Only Friends” is
So unless you’re going to completely shun the setting that is recommended for sharing
social networking, there are some steps you any information on Facebook.
can take to ensure that you’re not totally At the very bottom of every page on Fa-
exposed. cebook, there’s a link that reads “Privacy.”
The first thing to understand if you want The linked page is “A guide to privacy on
to get into Facebook, you’ll have to reset your Facebook”, which contains the latest privacy
mindset to realise that everything you put functions and policies.
online is in public domain and can be seen It’s a good idea to go through these pages
by all. The general rule of thumb, then, is that with a fine-tooth comb so that you’re aware
you should never publish anything on your of what’s going on with Facebook’s latest
Facebook wall that you wouldn’t want to policy. Always check this page to ensure that
read on the front page of a newspaper. you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Because of the openness and highly col- As tedious as this may sound, it’s important
laborative nature of Facebook, privacy set- to go through these terms of service carefully.
tings on the site are limited and require in- One of the most powerful things you
tervention from its users to lock down de- could do on Facebook is to add applications
fault settings. for you to do various things on it. The trou- a link sent to your e-mail, asking you to out things about you, including future em-
So what are some of these best practices? ble with this is that you tend to install from enter your username and password, when in ployers, and even prospective dates.
Begin by telling yourself to never post sensi- third-party application providers, which may fact, you’re surrendering your details to cy- Because there is a tendency for some in-
tive information such as your address, phone just turn out to be applications created by bercriminals. Be aware of this and never dividuals to lose their objectivity, it’s impor-
number, birth date or other information that cybercriminals. So never install any applica- follow that link that may lead you to mali- tant that you be alert, and take the necessary
could be used for identity theft. tion from an untrusted source. cious websites. actions to have good online presence. Avoid
Common-sense practices include never One way to check to see what people say negative posts about people or organisations
post that you’ll be on vacation or away from Common techniques about you on the Internet is to do a Google/ and be careful of what you say.
home for an extended period of time; never One technique that’s often used by cyber- Yahoo/Bing search of yourself to see what Also ensure that your PC and/or laptop is
add friends that you don’t know; always criminals is called “phishing,” in which an returns. By doing so, you can further en- protected with a good antivirus program and
choose a difficult password, one that mixes e-mail is sent to you purportedly from Face- hance your security and improve your pri- make sure you update it as often as you can.
and matches letters and numerals; and don’t book scaring you into action by selling you vacy settings. Lastly, be aware lest you get too addicted
be afraid to deny people access if you’re not a story about your account being compro- Conversely, this means that other people to Facebook and allow yourself to be dis-
sure who they are. mised. can check up on you, and because everyone’s tracted from work, which can ruin your repu-
Never assume that if other friends are You would then be duped into following connected with each other, people can find tation with your employers and loved ones.
may 13
recoll:
reconc ection
s& TI-M
p 12 & iliation 13 disputhe ad
es
Christia Wesak
n a time Day:
state cl giving for
aim
p 4 p 15

Where to get your

commun
ity

May 20
— 22, 2011
/ issue
25

By Will
iam Tan
Petal
ed low- ing Jaya:
cost Dilapida
angor may flats through t-
a pilot progget a new lease out Sel-
such hom ramme to rehaof life if
es
The amb is successfu bilitate
kind proj itious and l.
first

Sentul – Port Klang

the Peta ect is being carr -of-its-

LRT Stations (Distribution by hand) – Bandar Tasik Selatan Giant (Puchong,

(MBPJ) ling Jaya ied out by Keeping
tas Design in collaboraCity Council safe: Faizabandoned
tion with demons ah Mohd Tahi babies
pan y, and Group, a priv Veri- trating
commun Rum ah Air ate com- baby hatc the use r (left)
ity-b Datin Sofi h as local of the

Salak Selatan Port Klang

Pan as,
The sing ased charity.

Morning Kajang, Bandar

a a celebrity
Maju Jaya le block at • STory Jane looks on.
the  on pag
houses 59 apartments here Taman e 10
to und ergofamilies, will , which
be
which inclu the tran sfor the first

Ampang – Sentul Timur Bukit Badak

furb ishm des renovatio mation,

Kinrara, Klang, physical ents whi le keep ns and re-

aspe ing the
"All wor cts intact.
sions mad ks are based on
social active by the resid the deci-

Shopping Malls Shah Alam

ents," said

Ampang Pandamaran,
ist Won
Wong, g Hay
pointed who mooted Cheong.
dents were out that the idea
many of ,

Facelift
flats whe forced to mov the resi-
demolishn squatter settlemee into the

Cahaya (From Saturday noon) Bandar Selayang, Kota Damansara, Subang Jaya
facilities ed, but the buil nts were
were hard dings and

for old
“The ly adeq
Gro up, entr y of Veritasuate.
RM100 whi ch has con Design
,000 and trib

flats
uted

1 UTAMA Jalan Templer

architect the skill

Cempaka Taman Setiawangsa, Putra Heights,

change,” s], means that s [of their ryinWong said the
said is going priv
As man Wong. to Cor g out the proj ate firm is car-
relocate y as 50,000 fam porate ect as part Their
Social of its
d (CS
2000 and to low-cost flats ilies were last R) programme, Resp onsibilit technolo architects, usin
gies g the
teri Besa 2008 under formbetween for two years layin having spent they rem ode l the and techniqu latest arch

Pandan Indah Tropicana Mall Taman Connaught, Kelana Jaya, Bukit Petaling
g the grou es, itect Iska
Squatter r Dr Khi r Toy er Men- the proj
ndwork budget, whic buil ding on a will Iskandar ndar Razak.
icised for poli cy6391_
LB_24 whic o's Zer o The comect. than RM h is estimated tight  added that
creating h has
Sun_m been crit- with the fampany has been 500
“It is very ,000.
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from vario obta in comit was very busi in what they
14.ai
high-rise ilies regu liais
ghettos.5/12/feed larly to ing ever ything challeng ing;
1
11 back
9:56 on
them deci PM their get wirin the proj us parties at mitments ness cont need from
need needs to alm “Despite acts.   their

Sunway Pyramid
s and be redone. ost ous issueect, with fund the start of

Antarabangsa, Subang Jaya, Bukit

de on prac

Pandan Jaya
g
tical solu help and theis horrible, the roof The . ing still a port it all,
seri- that ant project forthis is a very im-
tions. septic tank emit is leak The
stench,” ing, spon success of a city shou us as
said Ver the
itas Des s an awful nent sorships for the project rests on by the wea ld not be we believe
ign Gro s,
up part such as the various strata of lthy only, but inhabited
supp compo- juvenati society.
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Rawang – Seremban
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ng the city,” we are re-
y hopes If the pilo said
to t is successfu Iskandar.
• Turn l, the com
To pag -
e2

Sentul IOI Mall Kuala Kubu Baru

Plaza Damas Sungai Buloh
Kelana Jaya – Terminal Putra Ikano Power Centre Kepong Sentral
Kelana Jaya Empire Subang Carrefour (Bukit Rimau, Subang Jaya, Kepong
Taman Bahagia MetroPoint Wangsa Maju, Sri Petaling, Kepong, Pasar
Taman Paramount Centro Mall, Klang Puchong, Ampang, Jalan Peel, Jalan Morning Wet Markets Seri Setia
Asia Jaya Bangsar Shopping Complex Kapar, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, S23 (Saturday morning) SS9A/1
Taman Jaya Shah Alam) Jalan SS2/62 Pasar Kg Chempaka
Universiti Hypermarkets Taman Medan Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Sri Rampai (From Saturday noon) Jusco Jalan 17/27
Wangsa Maju (Bukit Tinggi, SS15 Subang Jaya Hospital
Taman Melati Tmn Maluri, Taman Kuchai Lama Forrest Medical Centre
Wangsa Maju, Bandar Baru Klang, Taman OUG
Sri Petaling – Sentul Timur Tesco (Puchong, Kajang, Mutiara Mahkota Cheras) Pasar Taman Megah Colleges
Taman Melati Damansara, Rawang, Bukit Tinggi, Pasar Jalan Othman Help Institute
Sri Petaling Setia Alam, Ampang, Extra Shah Alam, Commuter Stations Pasar Jalan 17/2 College Bandar Utama (KBU)
Bukit Jalil Kepong) (Distribution by hand) – Morning Pasar Sek 14 Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia
 food 19
May 27 — 29, 2011

Chilli Jack Dog.

By Basil Foo

A
coffee shop on Tropicana City
Mall’s ground floor is sure to evoke
a chuckle out of passers-by with its
donkey mascot and garish neon sign
proudly displaying the words “Bad Ass
Coffee”.
Visitors to the outlet will be greeted by
Hawaiian paraphernalia decorating the in-
terior, with surfboards, palm trees, and post-
ers of native girls to set the mood.
The coffee shop’s origins and tongue-in-
cheek name come from the time when
donkeys were used to haul bags of harvested
coffee beans down the hills of Kona, located Visitors are welcomed by donkeys.

Coffee and
on the southwest side of the Hawai-
ian island.
The Kona community is located
on the slopes of Mouna Loa Mount
Hualaiai, where coffee is grown in

donkeys
the rich volcanic soil.
Bad Ass staff were helpful in
pointing out crowd favourites from
the extensive drink menu, which
had standard Kona coffee and those
with mixers.
Hesitant to try out the 100%
Kona coffee after hearing friends’ late and raspberry mix, and Snick- Dog (RM9.90) and minestrone
tales of how their earlier sampling erlicious (RM13.90), a mix of dark soup (RM9.90).
of the beverage resulted in sleepless chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut. The pizza came as a thin-crust
nights, we settled on the 10% in- The powerful aroma of the Kona and thick-cheese concoction with
stead. beans permeated the mixed drinks, lots of veggies, on top of the usual
The 12-ounce Frosted Kona which left us barely tasting anything meat chunks and pineapple slices, (Clockwise from left) Chocolate Donut, Snickerlicious, Haoles
(RM8.60), made up of a 10% Kona other than coffee and chocolate in and was a simple tasty dish. Menehune, Frosted Kona, Tiramisu Cup.
brew mixed with white chocolate, the Snickerlicious. The Jack Dog was a foot-long
had the heady taste of freshly ground Deciding to add the optional sausage smothered in what appeared tomato soup, meat, pasta, and mixed Cup (RM9.50), which did not have
coffee with a slight sweetness about whipped cream on the Haoles gave to be ground meat in spicy spa- vegetables with a side of garlic bread. any pastry or cake in it but was filled
it. The hot brew would be the perfect the drink a heavier texture, while the ghetti sauce, with a side of fries. This Warm and fulfilling , the soup to the brim with a form of custard,
answer to a rainy night when there’s sweet raspberry was a nice exotic dish would not be recommended for could have used more water as it some crunchy coffee beans, and
nothing interesting on TV, and you touch, fitting the outlet’s theme. those who cannot take spicy food dried out quickly when left un- topped with tiramisu powder.
have 300 pages of your favourite Apart from coffee, Bad Ass offers – even we could not finish the serv- touched for too long. The bill, which included govern-
author’s latest work in your lap. a variety of typical Western café ing due to its spiciness. For dessert, we ordered a choco- ment tax, was mostly padded by the
We also ordered the Haoles Me- food, with 10-inch chicken Hawai- The dish that stood out was the late donut (RM5), which was obvi- drinks. Some food dishes were rea-
nehune (RM13.90), a white choco- ian pizza (RM15.90), Chilli Jack soup, which was a thick mixture of ously intended for more than one sonable, while others were not
person because it was as large as worth the price.
three regular-sized donuts. They Good for a quick coffee run or a
heated the pastry before serving, lazy gathering among friends, Bad
letting the chocolate melt a little for Ass serves up a solid variety of food
a more satisfying bite. and beverage in cozy surroundings
Lastly, we ordered a Tiramisu and lilting island music.

Among the palm trees and surfboards, the outlet has a line of Bad Ass donkey merchandise on sale. Minestrone soup.
20
FOOD
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

This lor mee is the real deal

The days of going all the way to Ulu Yam Lama for lor mee are over. LIN ZHENYUAN finds out that there
is a genuine Ulu Yam lor mee restaurant in Kepong

Ulu Yam Mee House in Kepong Baru.

even though could swear I heard time we emptied the claypot of lor mee, our
them speaking Hokkien at the next stomachs were complaining of congestion.
table. But their Hokkien did not The waitress took my suggestion of packing
sound anything like Penang Hok- the unfinished lobak and fish cake into a
kien. I surmised they could have styrofoam box. Both of us had big smiles on
come from Klang, where the resi- our faces when we left the restaurant.
The yummy Ulu Yam lor mee lives up its reputation. dents speak the “China”
version of Hokkien.

F
oodies say that distance is never a that proclaimed Ulu Yam Mee House. It made It was my good fortune that the
deterrent if a particular dish is worth
my heart miss two beats. The next day, which plate of fried cabbage was one of the
the effort. So for some time now, somewas Wednesday, I made a quick trip to that best I have ever tasted. It was spiked
friends have been travelling for the better part
restaurant. with tiny dried shrimp, one of my fa-
of an hour or so to Ulu Yam Lama. Much to my surprise, it was shut. I later vourite ingredients.
   Ulu Yam Lama, to the uninitiated, sounds
learnt that the restaurant closed on alternate The claypot lor mee soon arrived.
like a sad, forgotten town in the middle of Wednesdays. But that minor setback only I gingerly added two tea spoonfuls of
nowhere. That’s partly true, but lovers of lorstrengthened my resolve to revisit that place. vinegar, as was the requirement of all
mee will swear on their plate of “fat mee” that I made good on my promise to return, just lor mee consumption. I cautiously
this dish is what helped build the town. like General Douglas MacArthur’s pledge to took one mouthful and looked at my
Since then, the fame of Ulu Yam’s lor mee the people of Philippines during World War lunch partner. Was it the real Mc-
has spread beyond its own borders. There are II. When I finally paid a visit, Ulu Yam Mee Coy? Yes, it was indeed. I was men-
several outlets that lay claim to their authentic
House had only one table of customers at tally comparing it to the real lor mee
lor mee, and the flavour reaches all the way 3pm. Where was everybody? in Ulu Yam Lama where I have vis- Herbal drinks went down well with the dishes we
back to Ulu Yam. Even the waiters ignored me as I sat down. ited several times in the past. ordered.
Last week, I had the good luck to spy on aOnly when they realised that I was ready to The lor mee was par excellence. The
big sign outside a restaurant in Kepong Baru order after staring in confusion at the long list noodles inside the claypot was of such great The bill came to just RM34, inclusive of
of menu items on the wall did volume that it could easily feed four people. two big glasses of herbal tea, or pak chee choe,
one of them come over. Luckily, I had a tiffin carrier in the boot of my as the Cantonese call it. It was a real bargain.
The only thing on my mind car. Nothing must be wasted, as my moth- I pledged that on our second visit to Ulu
was lor mee, so it was all I er always said. I was just following her Yam Mee House, we should sample some of
could utter when the guy came orders. the other 25 items we had missed out on. It is
with his pen and pad to take I had the presence of mind to also order definitely a food trip worth making.
my order. I stretched my hands the fish cake and the house specialty, lobak. Ulu Yam Mee House is located at 38,
to make a visual impression of The lobak was better than what all the other Jalan Ampong 4, Kepong Baru. Contact
a bowl big enough for two. lobak stalls in Petaling Jaya and Kota Daman- numbers: 016-2720198 and 012-3197719.
Fortunately he understood my sara had to offer. It was that good. Operating hours are from 10am to 9pm. You
vague gestures. It didn’t take long for my companion and wouldn’t want to show up when their doors
I also said a plate of greens me to realise that we had over-ordered. By the are closed.
would be nice. The waiter rat-
tled off in rapid succession a
list of vegetables which I could
The plate of veggies springs a little surprise of its own. not make head or tail of. I only
heard “choy sum” and
agreed to it. When
the veggies came, it
turned out to be cab-
bage. My compre-
hension of Canton-
ese isn’t so good after
all.
The history of the
Kepong Baru Ulu
Yam Mee House goes
back to the early
1980s when its own-
er, Koh Pek Kong,
relocated his entire
family from Batang
Kali to Kepong. It
seems that the Koh
The lobak and fish cake make the meal complete. family are Hakka, Long list of menu items on the wall, all in Chinese characters.
 Media 21
May 27 — 29, 2011

Roasters Run raises

RM65k for charity

Introducing Fujifilm’s
Men’s division posing with (from left) Chua Hong Wee, NKF chief executive officer; Kenny Rogers
Roasters mascot; Datuk Francis Lee; and Lee Siew Weng, Kenny Rogers Roasters senior general
thinnest compact
manager.
SHAH ALAM: Looking for an range, which stretches from 28-
SHAH ALAM: It was a quirky rity Fitness, Fudgeez, Isotonic Yayasan Budi Peyayang Malaysia easy-to-use, high quality compact 280mm (35mm equivalent) also lets
balancing act for a good cause at the H-Two-O, Milo, Unilever Food and House of Joy and Faith; Yayasan digital camera that is to carry you shoot images – from wide-
seventh annual Roasters Chicken Solutions and Yeo’s. Sunbeams Home; Rumah Juara; along, wherever you go? Fujifilm’s angled landscapes, cityscapes and
Run at Sunway Lagoon on May 22 In previous years, the run had Rumah Kanak-kanak Tengku Bud- new FinePix T300, with its 10x large group photos to closely
More than 3,000 runners gath- successfully raised more than riah; Rumah Sayangan; Malaysian zoom compact, is the thinnest cropped portraits and close-up,
ered at Sunway Lagoon for the RM300,000 for a variety of chari- National Kidney Foundation – Di- model to capture those important detailed photos.
unique charity run organised by table organisations and homes such alysis Treatment for the Young ; moments. And to avoid blurry images, the
Kenny Rogers Roasters, which as Tabung Kebajikan Pesakit Rumah Hope; Rumah Kebajikan W i th a re s o l uti o n o f 1 4 T300 has incorporated a powerful
helped raise RM65,000 for the HUKM; Pediatric Unit HUKM Anbu Illam; Rumah Charis Ti- megapixels, the new FinePix T300 CCD shift Image Stabilisation
National Kidney Foundation of (Oncology); Unit Tutur – Aural Ratana Welfare Society; and Tabung delivers photos that can be printed (CIS) system that helps eliminate
Malaysia (NKF). Rehabilitation Centre for Hearing Kebajikan Pesakit PPUKM – Young out at A3 size without the need for camera shake and deliver sharp
People of all ages took on the Impaired Children together with Diabetic Patients. any software resizing. Its 10x zoom images in a wide variety of lighting
designated route in the surrounding conditions, including low-light

Sexual violence has

area of Bandar Sunway while balanc- and at night.
ing an egg on a cone. Runners had According to Fujifilm, the T300
to ensure that the egg remained in- is so stable, it can even be used
tact when they completed the des-
ignated route of 4.8km (Adult &
Junior Categories) or 2.8km route
reached epidemic levels without a tripod or other support in
a wide range of shooting situations.
Another useful feature the T300
(Kids Category). All Women’s Action Society numbers would easily double. has is the Motion Panorama Mode,
Berjaya Roasters (M) Sdn Bhd (Awam) notes with concern The According to the 2010 Malaysia which allows you to stitch three
executive director Datuk Francis Malay Mail’s front-page story on Millennium Development Goals suggests that our court system is photos together to create a single
Lee flagged off the run. May 19 on the alarming rate of report, Malaysia ranks among the also failing. Meanwhile, the Wom- panoramic image – perfect for wide
“While I am proud that the sex crimes.  highest in the world for reported en’s Ministry is virtually silent on landscapes, tall buildings or large
Roasters Chicken Run has been a According to the report, 10 cases of rape. tackling sexual violence. groups of people.
success, I am also humbled by the women become victims of rape Sexual violence has reached epi- Rape is a crime that is seem- It also features Face Recognition
generosity and kindness of Malay- every day, and that on average, ev- demic levels in the country. It is a ingly committed with impunity, – a very useful feature if you shoot
sians when it comes to lending a ery two and a half hours one wom- widespread social, development and where many perpetrators escape a lot of portraits, as you’ll quickly be
helping hand to those in need,” an gets raped, according to latest public health issue that needs to be the law and get off scot-free. able to find all the shots of a specific
said Lee. statistics released by Bukit Aman. radically addressed and dealt with. We need a national strategy to individual. When a shot is taken,
The funds raised from this char- While these statistics are alarm- Prior to this report, these statis- deal with sexual crimes, which in- you can store the name of the
ity run will help the NKF to fund ing, they don’t convey the true tics were classified as “sulit” and cludes the involvement of all agen- person/people in the image. The
the operational costs and treatments scale of the crime. Applying the withheld by police, suggesting a cies such as service providers, judi- T300 will automatically find other
for the needy patients. general rule of thumb that only one sweep-under-the carpet mentality ciary, police, and medical staff. imag es on the memor y card
“NKF is grateful to Kenny Rog- in 10 cases of rape is reported, the which betrays a resistance to tackle Prevention strategies which featuring the same person.
ers Roasters and their supporters for more accurate picture is approxi- this issue openly. promote education, awareness of The T300 also features a three-
their contributions. The proceeds mately one rape happens every 15 Similarly, our government’s gender equality and securing wom- inch LCD screen where images
raised will help more than 1,300 minutes in the country. ambitious Government Transfor- en’s rights are a long-term strategy and menus are d isplaye d in
NKF patients as we continue to This means that each year in mation Programme and National to reduce this scourge. We need to 230,000 pixels.
subsidise their dialysis treatments Malaysia, the number of victims is Key Result Area to reduce crime approach this epidemic with the Other features offered by the
and medication,” said NKF director enough to fill Bukit Jalil stadium make no mention of reducing will and the resources to eradicate T300 include image search and
Dr Lee Wan Tin. to capacity. If we include other sexual crimes, betraying perhaps a sexual crimes. HD video (720p HD video at 30
This year’s run was co spon- sexual crimes such as incest and disconnect with the reality that frames per second).
sored by co-organiser Sunway harassment, experienced not just sexual violence is on the rise. Ho Yock Lin The recommended retail price for
Lagoon, and supporting partners by women alone but also the trans- The pitifully low rate of prose- Acting President the new Fujifilm FinePix T300 is
Berjaya Air, Berjaya Hotels & gendered and people of all ages, the cution of 162 rapes in 2009 also All Women’s Action Society RM748 and comes with a free 8GB
Resorts, Sunway Pyramid, Celeb- SD memory card and soft case.
22
Gallery
MAY 27 — 29, 2011

Single mothers and their children

received free groceries and
schoolbags in conjunction
with Mother’s Day. The event
was organised by Bukit
Gasing Leadership Services
and the office of Bukit Gasing
assemblyperson Edward Lee.

Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Revenue Management Department manager

Khairul Nizam Zainal Abidin notifying a shopkeeper that the council will soon be
seizing property belonging to business owners with assessment tax arrears.

Executive committee member and Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok during a visit to
the Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage in Hulu Langat, which was hit by a landslide last Saturday,
claiming 16 lives. On her left (in sunglasses) is Kajang Municipal Councillor Steven Chan.

Factory workers standing up for their right to minimum wage and

singing along to the labour union song at an event held at the
Selangor Youth and Cultural Complex in Shah Alam.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim with the family member of a landslide victim at the Ampang Children lighting candles on Wesak Day on May 17 at the Subang
Hospital on Monday evening. Looking on (right) is Dr Xavier Jayakumar. Jaya Wihara Buddhist temple.
 Culture 23 May 27 — 29, 2011
Compiled by Nick Choo – [email protected]

(From left) Jordan MacVay,

CALENDAR
two fans, Shanthini Live @ The Actors Studio:
Venugopal, Sharon Bakar, Singer-Songwriters
Uthaya Sankar SB and Brian
Gomez. Music; May 27 & 28; The Actors Studio @ Lot
10; 03-21442009, www.theactorsstudio.com.
my

Original compositions written by Malaysia’s

own independent singer-songwriters.
Featuring Ida Lisa, Nightlights, Rashdan
Harith, Priscilla Xavier, Joshua Foong and Ariff
Akhir on Friday (May 27); Ian Chow, Wani Ardy,
Tony Leo, Markiza and Peter Hassan, Khairil M
Bahar and Devon Chew on Saturday. Free admission.

Projek Disko Baldi

Comedy; May 28 & 29; PJ Live
Arts @ Jaya One; RM10 (for
preview on May 28) / RM35; 03-
79600439, email: boxoffice@pjla.
com.my; www.pjla.com.my

Photos by Uthaya Sankar SB

“A journey of random, ‘what the
what?’, ‘gila dowh’ sketches” (sic).
“Parodies, satires, original songs
and 100% zaniness — you’ll
never know what hit you.” Projek Disko Baldi is a comedy ensemble under
Playground Productions, comprising Megat Sharizal, Redza Minhat, Farah
Rani, Iedil Putra Alaudin, Ashraf Zain, Shamaine Othman and Tuan Faisal.
Part of PJ Laugh Fest 2011.

By Terence Toh

Readings from Actorlympics!

A
man adrift at sea comes Comedy; May 31-June 2; PJ Liva Arts @ Jaya One; 03-79600439, RM30/

Readings from
across six naked maidens RM60; email: [email protected]; www.pjla.com.my
trapped on a floating tree
trunk. A woman discovers a “1. A competitive activity or sport in which theatrical players contend with
unexpected carton of eggs on each other according to a set of rules; 2. A theatrical, improvisational,

Readings
her doorstep, which her friends comical activity providing entertainment or amusement; 3. An evening of
suspect were placed with sinister entertainment provided by a collection of Malaysia’s best comedy improv
intentions. A cat applies to actors; 4. The best night of laughs you have had in a long time with the
become a government official. most amount of actors onstage at one time.” Featuring Adlin Shauki,
No, these are not the Harith Iskander, Nell Ng, Rashid Salleh, Ida Nerina, Patrick Teoh, Kuah
synopses of the latest Haruki Jenhan, Douglas Lim and Reza Zainal Abidin. Part of PJ Laugh Fest 2011.
Murakami novel or David Lynch Jordan MacVay
film, although they very well reading his story The Moon Speaks For My Heart:
could be. These are the plots of The Six Maidens. Teresa Teng, Her Life, Her Songs
some of the stellar short stories
in Readings from Readings, a Musical; May 19-29; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; RM60-RM255;
compilation of Malaysian poetry, 03-62019107/62019108, email: [email protected]; www.
fiction and non-fiction submitted damaorchestra.com
and read by local writers at
Readings, Kuala Lumpur’s Dama Orchestra’s latest concert is a tribute to the legendary Teresa Teng.
longest-running live literature Savour the sweet melodious music and songs that made Teng a truly
event. international icon. Featuring Tan Soo Suan, Evelyn Toh, and Chang Fang
Edited by Bernice Chauly and Chyi, with narration in English by Sam Tseu.
Sharon Bakar, Readings from
Readings is an inspired showcase White Crane Silat & Dance
of the best of Malay­sian literary
talent, a delicious rojak platter
Dance; May 30; The Actors Studio @ Lot 10; RM10; 010-3061100 /
of stories profound, rib-tickling
0126560812; email: [email protected]
and thought-provoking. Editor
Bakar describes it as a “dip-
Performance and demonstration by Jane Chen from Indonesia. Born
into collection”: whenever and powerfully written, Rastam’s free Uthaya Sankar SB then read in Jakarta and moved to Bali after she graduated from the Art College,
wherever you dip into it, you will verse was stirring and evocative, Cat (previously published in she has been practicing “white crane” silat, an Indonesian martial art
always find something good to an effective expression of the Selangor Times) with the first that promotes a sound mind and fit body, for the past 22 years. The
read. innate beauty found in simple part of his story read in English, craft evolved from the ancient Southern China Shaolin and Bodhidarma.
In conjunction with the things, whether it be the tranquility and the second in Bahasa Limited seats available.
book’s recent publication, MPH of a beach at night, or the touch Malaysia. A rib-tickling, surreal
Bookstores recently organised a of someone close to you. piece about a cat applying for a
reading of the book on May 15 Brian Gomez, author of novel government post, Sankar’s piece
The Fulfillment of Solitude
at its 1-Utama outlet. Featuring Devil’s Place, then read from his was well-received by readers,
several of the authors in the story a/p, a moving account of who Sankar successfully cajoled Exhibition; May 10-31; EQ Fine Arts; 03-62010985/019-2809985, email:
anthology, the event was a childhood innocence affected by into miaowing along with him at [email protected]; free admission
delight, attracting a small crowd religious and racial strife. Gomez certain parts of the story.
eager to hear stories being read. proved an engaging reader, Bakar closed the event with A selection of photographs by HRH Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (1907-
Opening the event was bantering with the audience a reading of Homunculus, an 1979). “The 25 photographs carefully chosen for this exhibition are some
editor and emcee Sharon Bakar, before he read: “I use profanity in experimental three-sentence story of his most celebrated, and also several that were never before printed.
who welcomed the crowd and everything I write. I think it’s a fair she was inspired to write after These are pictures that reveal the true character of the photographer, who
introduced the first reader, reflection of Malaysians. We can participating in a writing activity also happened to be a Malay Sultan. They also reveal his relationship with
Shanthini Venugopal, who swear in four languages. And so from an online writing course. The the human element of his subjects, as well as the countryside that he
read an excerpt from her piece can Singaporeans, but what have story drew upon the medieval belonged to.” Viewing by appointment only.
Chicken or the Egg?. Based on they got to swear about?” legend of an artificial human as
a true experience, Venugopal’s Following Gomez was Jordan a metaphor for the effects of a Land of Gods & Shadows
tale of the sudden appearance MacVay reading The Six Maidens, debilitating disease, and was
of a carton of eggs combined about an Indonesian man lost at moving in its poignancy. Exhibition; May 9-29; Pentas 2 Foyer, KLPac; 03-7958 2175, email: stag@
mystery and humor, and sea, and the peculiar company All in all, the session of tm.net.my; www.shaliniganendra.com
effectively charmed the listening he meets. In a true testament Readings from Readings proved
audience. “To this day, I still have to truth being stranger than to be a delightful experience, a Pictures by photojournalist Rahman Roslan, taken during frequent visits
no idea how the eggs got there,” fiction, MacVay shared how many lovely opportunity for Malaysian to Bali in 2010. “As a frequent stranger to this land, Bali offers many
Venugopal said with a smile. thought the events in his story book fans and writers to get surprises. On my second visit, I was able, due to familiarity, to capture
“My friends think it was part of were fictional, when amazingly, all acquainted with each other. images, people met, and landscapes touched, and the feeling of the
a jampi, but who would want to of it really happened, as related to Storytelling, after all, should be breeze. What I see has more meaning now and grows from the image,
jampi me? I’m broke!” him by one of his students, Rizal a two-way experience, with both because from the visual I explore the multiple layers beneath. Sometimes
Venugopal was followed by Sahputra, who was swept out to the reader and the writer playing a beautiful marriage occurs between the ancient and contemporary, or
writer Alina Rastam, who read sea by the 2004 Indian Ocean vital roles, and this engaging the obvious and the subtle. These relationships, shadows, and realisation
two of her poems, Pantun and tsunami and actually experienced live reading proved to be a fine brought the mesmerising energy for this series.” Presented by Shalini
In My Lover’s Hands. Simple yet the events of the story. testament of this. Ganendra’s Fine Art.
Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.