Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad has written an open letter to the residents of Section 23 regarding the relocation of a Hindu temple to their area.
Bagan Pinang: Postal votes could be crucial
Update: Postal votes could be crucial in Bagan Pinang. According to the chart here, Pusasda (Pusat Latihan Asas Tentera Darat) Kem Si Rusa falls under this state assembly seat with close to 2,000 postal voters. In March last year, Harakah reported an alleged irregularity involving a Bagan Pinang postal voter here.
Bagan Pinang Adun Azman Md Noor (BN) passed away in Seremban, according to a tweet from Khairykj.
In the 2008 general election, the first-term assembly member won the seat with a 2,333-vote majority over his Pas rival, winning by a 6,430-4,097 margin.
Perak Adun Keshwinder injured during arrest
Malim Nawar assembly member Keshwinder Singh reportedly suffered a hairline fracture on his forehead, a CAT scan revealed.
He was among three elected Pakatan reps detained when they tried to attend a sitting of the Perak State Assembly on 2 September.
LIVE: Mayhem as 3 Buah Pala houses wrecked
Photos by Anil
Just another day in Perak
Speaker Sivakumar tries to convene the Perak State Assembly near the Democracy Tree, but the Pakatan reps are blocked by police and later hold a session at the Heritage Hotel – Photos by Kinta Kid
Photo story:
- The entrance to the State Secretariat building is solidly blocked.
- The Democracy Tree is also out of bounds for the Pakatan reps.
- Pakatan reps nonetheless proceed to the Perak State Assembly at the State Secretariat complex.
- But they are blocked by the now familiar police officer, Glenn.
- “Do not go any further”…
- … unless you have a yellow T-shirt?
- … like these guys.
- … from this team.
- Walking two by two is not allowed either.
- Otherwise you face arrest – Ngeh was the first.
- Keshvinder was next.
- And then Chan Ming Kai, who is seen here being handcuffed.
More on the Penang Hill Railway
After I highlighted Ric Francis’ and Dr Choong Sim Poey’s letters to the press on the Penang Hill Railway issue, a reader, Garth Johnson, sent in this comment:
I was very interested to read this. The railway was designed by my great uncle Arnold R Johnson and opened in 1923. His very clever design involved carving the hillside taking into account the weight of the cable. That was why he divided the track into two sections with a central station. Maybe modern cables can be thinner and lighter than the old ones making it possible to use a single stretch of track without a central station?
When it was first opened, the Penang Hill Railway was described as “one of the finest hill railways in the world”.
Forest Explorers provides some brief background:
Perak Speaker fails in injunction bid
Sivakumar (left) speaking to the press after the court decision this afternoon. His lawyer, Mohd Asri Osman, is in the centre and on the right is lead counsel Chan Kok Keong. – Photo by Kinta Kid
1949: Sivakumar’s counsel had objected to the state legal advisor’s request for 14 days adjournment to file affidavits to oppose the Speaker’s application for an injunction. The Speaker’s argument was simple: does the State Secretary, who is the head of the civil service and not of the State Assembly, have the power to interfere in the affairs of the State Assembly?
Although the court dismissed the injunction with respect to tomorrow’s sitting of the State Assembly, the judicial commissioner fixed 1 Oct for the application for the injunction to be heard.
1632: The Pakatan side has failed to get the injunction they were seeking on the grounds that the application was made too late, according to another contact at the scene.
Zunar refutes Home Ministry’s allegations
Just after our Merdeka celebrations, it’s back to reality. Cartoonist Zunar, who could be jailed for up to three years if he is convicted under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, feels he has been unfairly treated. “If drawing cartoons results in three years imprisonment, imagine the state of media freedom and freedom of expression in Malaysia,” he laments.
Referring to the news article in Malaysian dated 29 August 2009 which quotes the Home Minstry’s Corporate Communication Unit’s Head, Jamilah Taib that Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd, a company that I own will be charged for publishing material without a publishing license. According to Jamilah, Sepakat Efektif will be charged under Section 5(2) (b) of the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 for distribution unlicensed publications. If convicted, the penalties are not more than three years prison or a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or both. The statement by Jamilah refers to the publication of a cartoon magazine titled ‘Gedung Kartun’.
Hill railway: Safer, cost-effective option
Here are a couple of letters to theSun on the federally funded project to upgrade the Penang Hill Railway written by tram engineer Ric Francis and heritage activist Dr Choong Sim Poey.
Ric has his say here:
As an experienced engineer who was responsible for the alternative proposal for the up-grading of the Penang Hill railway, that the NGOs presented to the Ministry of Tourism, I am insulted by the accusation that my system will be a clone. It is obvious that the JKR has neither learnt from the 1905 failure of the first Penang Hill railway which was a one-stage system similar to what is being proposed nor studied the original report prepared by the engineer who built the existing railway.
I have the support of several Japanese and American railway experts who say that my proposal is far superior to that of the JKR as it will result in a system that will be cheaper, safer, as efficient and preserves one of the world’s heritage railways.