Charles Santiago

Utusan Malaysia Should Stop Bullying Unionists & Journalists.
Teoh Beng Hock’s Coroner Verdict: Neither Suicide nor Homicide but Travesty of Justice.
CADANGAN PINDAAN UNDANG-UNDANG TUBUH NEGERI SELANGOR 1959 AKAN DIBUAT SECARA TERTIB
Saliran air bawah tapak parkir
Charles : Kekenaikan cukai perkhidmatan bebankan rakyat

Utusan Malaysia Should Stop Bullying Unionists & Journalists.

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:35 PM PST

Why do some people behave so irrationally? How many times must they be told that persecuting journalists for doing their work amounts to seriously traversing on the freedom of the media and expression?

All Hata Wahari, a senior journalist with Utusan Malaysia and President of the National Union of Journalists, did was to be true to his profession.

He maintained his journalistic integrity by penning his thoughts, which the Malay daily has translated to tantamount to insulting the company’s management and tarnishing its image.

In his articles, Hata criticized Utusan Malaysia for its pro-UMNO articles and slammed its editorial policy for a slide in circulation.

Instead of a public rebuttal of Hata’s comments, the newspaper has called him to answer a domestic inquiry, after which he may end up being fired.

Hata is also not allowed to seek help from outside representatives.

Clearly the management is anti-union and is sending a strong signal to other journalists in Utusan Malaysia not to dissent but to toe its editorial line.

In September, 2010 Amran Ahmad then president of the NUJ-Utusan Melayu was terminated. He was terminated for making a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over procurements made by Utusan Melayu Berhad, the company that publishes Utusan Malaysia.

Thus, the intimidation of whistleblowers including critiques appears to be a favoured policy of the daily to silence internal dissent and free expression.

However the harassment against Hata must be viewed against the backdrop of Malaysia’s political manoeuvres to keep a lid on media freedom in the country.

Despite more vocal calls for media freedom in the country, Malaysia’s press ranking has been slipping fast.

It ranked 131 in the Press Freedom Index 2009, by Reporters Without Borders.

But these statistics carry little weight with the government leaders who dismiss them casually as an opposition-led conspiracy to taint the image of the nation.

Last year, the resignation of a senior producer with NTV7 further caricatured the tight control imposed on the media by the ruling UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government.

Then TV2 producer Chou Z Lam also complained of political interference.

The close association enjoyed by the mainstream media with the ruling elite has led to the mushrooming of independent blogs and alternative media in the country.

If newspaper managements do not use domestic inquiry to silence their staff, the government has a wide array of laws to choose from to gag the media workers and bloggers.
Some of this includes The 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act, Communication and Multimedia Act of 1998, Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act and Sedition Act.

Media organizations also run the risk of not having their annual publishing licenses renewed as required by the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

And the Malaysian government’s selective outrage at independent websites and the foreign media has allowed Utusan Malaysia to repeatedly print seditious articles and comments aimed at fanning racial sentiments in the country.

A free press acts as a watchdog for a fair and accountable government. Free and fair elections, an independent judiciary, protection of minority rights and the rule of law depend on a healthy press.

All is not lost. We could still make a change.

And therefore, as a first step to restoring freedom of the press in the country, I call upon Utusan Malaysia to stop intimidating Hata and call off the domestic inquiry initiated against him.

I also call upon the Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, to revoke the Printing Presses and Publications Act to allow the media to work in an independent environment.

Charles Santiago

Member of Parliament, Klang

–

Teoh Beng Hock’s Coroner Verdict: Neither Suicide nor Homicide but Travesty of Justice.

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:32 PM PST

If in 2011, Malaysians want to take a peek at the future of the country, they need not go any further than the inquest verdict delivered in Teoh Beng Hock’s case.

Using the old gimmick of “let’s get the culprits off the hook” has resulted in the coroner, Azmil Muntapha Abas, delivering a shocking open verdict.

He ruled that the case is neither suicide nor homicide.

This is a gross travesty of justice and serves to continuously persecute the family, which has been grieving since Teoh fell to his death on July 16, 2009.

The recorded open verdict further erodes the confidence of the public on government institutions as the decision negates any responsibility on the part of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) and its officers in contributing to Teoh’s death.

This is despite the fact that Teoh was found dead, after overnight interrogation, in the building which houses the anti-corruption commission.

The inquest hearing which began on July 29, 2009 has been fraught with controversy, with expert witnesses giving contradictory evidence and allegations of threats and intimidation against the Thai pathologist, Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, engaged by Teoh’s family.

Significant efforts were made to fake the death as suicide, including a suicide note which was tendered as a last-minute evidence, despite the fact that Teoh was looking forward to his marriage the very next day.

Teoh was called for an interview and interrogated for nine hours for an allegation that his boss, Ean Yong Hian Wah, had spent RM2,400 for flags to be used in Merdeka Day celebrations.

It remains a mystery as to why Teoh was investigated with such urgency and preferred to spend the night in a couch at the anti-graft office when he was free to go.

The coroner himself has concluded that force was used on Teoh, who had sustained bruises to his neck, prior to the fall which ultimately killed him.

But evidence leading to Teoh’s neck injury came to light only after the second post-mortem which was conducted by Pornthip, following the exhumation of Teoh’s body.

The anti-corruption commission had insisted no force was used on Teoh.

The inquest hearing had a narrow scope which does not include establishing a reason for Teoh’s death.

Clearly there are many sticking points which need to be ironed out to allow Teoh’s family to move on.

Therefore, it is troubling to note that neither government institutions nor high-ranking ruling party leaders have any genuine interest to do so.

After decades of political manipulations I do not expect the Barisan Nasional leaders to act with compassion, let alone conscience.

My heart goes out to Teoh’s parents and siblings who have put up a brave front and battled on to seek justice for their beloved son and brother.

I pledge solidarity with their struggle.

Charles Santiago

Member of Parliament, Klang.

CADANGAN PINDAAN UNDANG-UNDANG TUBUH NEGERI SELANGOR 1959 AKAN DIBUAT SECARA TERTIB

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:04 PM PST

SHAH ALAM: Kenyataan bahawa DYMM Sultan Selangor mempunyai kuasa eksekutif dalam pelantikan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri hanyalah pandangan peribadi Setiausaha Sulit DYMM Sultan Selangor, Dato' Mohamad Munir Bani.

YAB Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, berkata pindaan Perlembagaan pada 1993 secara jelas telah menghapuskan kuasa Sultan dalam pelantikan tiga pegawai eksekutif.

"Sebelum 1993 (sebelum Perlembagaan dipinda), dinyatakan dengan jelas bidang kuasa Sultan dalam pelantikan pegawai eksekutif," katanya pada sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Exco di sini.

YAB Menteri Besar berkata, cadangan meminda Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Selangor 1959 akan mengembalikan kuasa kepada Sultan untuk melantik Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri, Pegawai Kewangan dan Penasihat Undang-undang Negeri.

"Saya yakin DYMM Sultan memahami situasi yang berlaku selepas 1993 dan keadaan yang berlaku sekarang," katanya.

Beliau berkata, Penasihat Undang-undang Negeri telah diminta melihat cadangan pindaan ini. Selain itu, Kerajaam negeri melantik dua pakar undang-undang, Prof Dr Aziz Bari dan Dato' Param Cumaraswamy untuk memberi nasihat dan pandangan.

YAB Menteri Besar, cadangan pindaan ini akan dibuat dengan tertib dan akan dimaklumkan kepada DYMM Sultan Selangor sebelum dibentangkan pada sidang Dewan Negeri Selangor (DNS) yang dijangka diadakan dalam tempoh terdekat.

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, berkata mesyuarat MMKN hari ini bersetuju menyerahkan usul untuk mengadakan sidang DNS dan surat mengenai perkara itu telah dihantar kepada Speaker DNS, Dato' Teng Chang Khim.

Dikeluarkan oleh:

SEKRETARIAT AKHBAR

PEJABAT DATO' MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

Saliran air bawah tapak parkir

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 01:33 AM PST

Source: Selangorkini

uesday, 04 January 2011 | Ruangan: Berita

Iskandar meninjau saliran yang terdapat di bawah tapak parkir

Oleh NAEEM RAFFI

KLANG, 4 Jan – Exco Perumahan, Pengurusan Bangunan dan Setinggan, Ir Iskandar Samad berkata, masalah banjir kilat yang sering berlaku di Taman Palm Grove, Taman Chi Liung dan Taman Bayu Perdana, berkemungkinan daripada saliran berbentuk 'L' yang terletak di bawah tapak parkir bangunan Habour Place.

Jawatankuasanya bersama Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK) hari ini turun padang bagi mengenal pasti masalah sebenar punca banjir kilat di kawasan itu yang berlaku sejak hampir 12 tahun lalu.

"Apa yang kita lakukan hari ini bagi mengenal pasti punca banjir dengan meninjau sepanjang perparitan, sama ada terdapat sebarang halangan dalam saliran.

"Di sini (Habour Place) didapati saliran peparitan berpusing ke arah sebelah kanan dan kita tidak dapat kenal pasti masalahnya kerana saliran terletak di bawah kawasan parkir sepanjang 200 meter," katanya.

Iskandar menjelaskan, kemungkinan besar banjir kilat berpunca di kawasan saliran bawah tapak pakir tersebut.

"Sama ada pusingan ke kanan saliran ini puncanya, saya harap pihak MPK buat kajian sendiri, tetapi apa yang harus diambil keutamaan ialah turun ke bawah dan kenal pasti terdapat halangan atau tidak.

"Mungkin laluan air itu terhalang di bawah jalan raya ini," jelasnya.

Selain itu, pihaknya juga mengenal pasti langkah penyelesaian masalah banjir kilat ini dengan meluruskan saliran berbentuk 'L' tersebut tetapi ia melibatkan MPK terpaksa membeli tanah persendirian yang terletak di sebelah saliran.

Yogasigamany

"Untuk jangka masa panjang, ia boleh diluruskan tanpa mengikut 'right angle' tetapi cadangan ini, MPK terpaksa membeli tanah tersebut seluas satu ekar," katanya.

Turut hadir dalam tinjauan tersebut ialah Ahli Parlimen Klang, Charles Santiago, Adun Kota Alam Shah, Manoharan Malayalam, Ahli Majlis MPK, Lim Lip Suan dan Pengerusi Jawatan Kuasa Bertindak Banjir Zon N48C, Yogasigamany.

Yogasigamany ketika ditemui berkata, selain daripada penduduk terpaksa berdepan dengan kerugian harta benda dan wabak penyakit akibat banjir, mereka juga terpaksa menanggung desakan pasaran yang mengheret harga hartanah turun setengah kali ganda berbanding harga asal.

Charles : Kekenaikan cukai perkhidmatan bebankan rakyat

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 01:27 AM PST

Source: Selangorkini

SHAH ALAM, 1 Jan – Selesaikan dahulu masalah gaji minima yang membelenggu nasib pekerja di negara ini sebelum menaikkan cukai perkhidmatan yang ternyata cukup membebankan bukan sahaja rakyat miskin bahkan memberi kesan kepada golongan kelas pertengahan.

Ahli Parlimen Klang , Charles Santiago yang dihubungi Selangorkini berkata kenaikan kadar cukai perkhidmatan daripada 5 kepada 6 peratus berkuatkuasa hari ini akan menyebabkan caj hospital,bil elektrik serta bil-bil perkhidmatan yang lain sekaligus memberikan tekanan kepada rakyat yang kini terbeban dengan kenaikkan harga barangan keperluan.

"Bukan sahaja golongan berpendapatan rendah sahaja merungut tetapi golongan kelas pertengahan turut merungut bahawa harga barang keperluan naik tetapi gaji tidak naik.

"Menurut laporan Bank Dunia menunjukkan 34 peratus daripada pekerja Malaysia, gaji mereka kurang daripada RM700, iaitu kurang daripada garisan paras kemiskinan di negara kita," katanya.

Tegasnya, dalam keadaan begini apakah tindakan kerajaan dalam membela nasib mereka soal beliau.

"Apa keluarga ini akan buat dalam membela nasib mereka jika harga naik seperti itu.

"Oleh kerana itu, kita hendak satu gaji minima (bukan gaji minima seperti dicadangkan oleh kerajaan untuk pengawal keselamatan). Apa yang kita hendak adalah gaji minima yang berpatutan bagi menyara keluarga mereka," ujar beliau.

Menurut Charles, gaji minima yang dicadangkan oleh kerajaan daripada apa jumlah yang digunakan bagi menampung keluarga mereka khusus yang tinggal di bandar-bandar.

"Apa yang jelas ialah selepas 53 tahun Barisan Nasional menguruskan ekonomi negara kita, kebanyakkan nasib pekerja di Malaysia masih lagi berada di bawah paras kemiskinan.

"Oleh kerana itu, kita hendaklah adakan konsep baru dalam menetapkan gaji minima," katanya.

Sebelum itu, dalam ucapan Bajet 2011 Perdana Menteri yang juga Menteri Kewangan Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Oktober lalu mengumumkan kadar cukai perkhidmatan atas semua perkhidmatan bercukai dinaikkan daripada berkuatkuasa mulai 1 Januari 2011.

Cukai perkhidmatan itu turut akan dikenakan ke atas perkhidmatan penyiaran televisyen berbayar yang juga akan berkuatkuasa mulai 1 Januari 2011.