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Now here come the smelters…

Anil Netto

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23 Oct 2010

Smelters are set to sprout in Sarawak to guzzle the energy that is expected to be produced by Bakun Dam, now that the government appears to have given up on the submarine cables.

This is the situation at the moment:

Press Metal Sarawak Sdn Bhd-Sumitomo Corp
Current capacity – 60,000 tonnes.
First phase – 120,000 tonnes.
Second phase – 240,000 tonnes.

Salco: Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS)-Rio Tinto Alcan
Planned capacity – 720,000 tonnes. This would make it one of the largest in the world.

GIIG Holdings Sdn Bhd-Aluminium Corp of China Ltd (Chalco)
Planned capacity – 330,000 tonnes.

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No-tower Facebook page: 116,000 ‘likes’

Anil Netto

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23 Oct 2010

19

More than 116,000 folks have already “liked” the 1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower Facebook page.

And the number opposing the RM5 billion 100-storey tower is rising by the minute. Have a look here.

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NUJ president calls for press freedom

Anil Netto

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22 Oct 2010

0

How times have changed. It was not so long ago that the National Union of Journalists seemed mainly concerned about collective bargaining to secure the best terms of employment for its members.

Now, the new NUJ president, Hata Wahari, has joined civil society in articulating the call for greater press freedom.

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The recent logjam on the Rajang River was a natural disaster caused by heavy downpour and not by over-logging or impoundment of the Bakun Dam – so says an initial report by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

kpt-bp-201010-jl-Water Watch 3 — This photo taken on Wed morning at 8 am ... a general view of Kapit water front ... the Kapit/Sibu jetty at far end - Photo credit: Borneo Post.

Rajang River dries up — The edge of the river, which had about 2m of water (inset) is now little more than a muddy bank - Photo credit: The Star.

Sarawak Forestry CEO Len Talif Salleh was reported by Bernama as saying that a ‘3D Airborne Hyperspectral Sensor’ taken on 15 October showed that the area was still covered by forest but traces of landslides could be seen due to heavy downpour at the Ulu Sungai Melatai catchment area. “We want to clarify the misconception and nonsense from an overseas source that the logjam was caused by over-logging or impoundment of Bakun Dam.” Over-logging was not an issue, he said, because there was no logging activity on both sides of Melatai River since 2006.

Some questions and concerns:

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1MDB in two massive projects

Anil Netto

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21 Oct 2010

10

While the controversy over the megalomaniacal 100-storey tower is still swirling, many seem to be unaware of two other massive property development projects in the pipeline.

1MDB is bringing in Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Co to jointly develop a RM26 billion financial district on a 36ha plot in Jalan Tun Razak.
1MDB will also partner Qatar Investment Authority in another huge project on the present RMAF Sungai Besi land.

Three questions come to mind.

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Only 6 ‘baby friendly’ private hospitals?

Anil Netto

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21 Oct 2010

4

The Penang state government may be interested in promoting the state as a centre for meetings and conventions – but the state already has a reputation for being a hub for civil society activities, not just nationally but globally as well.

Over the weekend, two global forums were held – the Friends of the Earth International Asia Pacific forum “Ecological equity: Sharing the stories, reclaiming our rights” and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’s Global Breastfeeding Partners Forum.

I dropped by to find out what was being said at each forum. At Waba’s forum, delegates were pleased to hear that the maternity leave for Malaysian civil servants would be extended to 90 days (which is 12 weeks, still well short of the ILO target of 40 weeks.) And what about private sector employees? Still 60 days? Shouldn’t the 90-day maternity leave be included in our labour laws?

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Press freedom: How low can we go?

Anil Netto

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20 Oct 2010

28

If you thought Malaysia’s press freedom ranking was already bad, think again.

Singapore has surpassed Malaysia in the latest RSF global ranking for 2010. Singapore! Now Singapore may have made great strides in terms of material progress but press freedom is not exactly its forte.

Singapore is now ranked 136th (133rd in 2009) – ahead of Malaysia’s 141st (131st in 2009). That’s about the same as our football Fifa ranking of 144th place! What else do you expect when even a cartoonist can be arrested?

The ‘democratic’ nation of Brunei, at 142nd, is now breathing down our necks.

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Next up: Penang Housing Board Bill

Anil Netto

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20 Oct 2010

10

Can we look forward to more affordable housing in Penang?

The Penang Chief Minister has announced a Penang Housing Board Bill – “next State Assembly by Housing Exco Wong Hon Wai,” tweeted Kit Siang last night.

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Shamrock condos: No approval yet

Anil Netto

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19 Oct 2010

10

No approval has been given so far for a high-rise condominium project on the green stretch opposite Shamrock Beach in Batu Feringghi.

But residents are worried that the council may eventually approve the project. Following howls of protest, the project was scaled down from 37 storeys to 22 storeys.

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