Isnin, 19 Disember 2011

Charles Santiago

Charles Santiago


அரசியல் விழிப்புணர்வு இல்லையேல் எந்தக் கோரிக்கையும் செல்லுப்படியாகாது.

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 10:18 PM PST

மூலம் : மலேசிய நண்பன்



இண்டர்லோக் மீட்பு : விமான நிலையத்தில் தமிழ் ஒலிக்கும் – தமிழர்கள் மகிழ்ச்சி

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:53 PM PST

மூலம் : மலேசிய நண்பன்


Najib’s Peaceful Assembly Bill Affront to Democracy and in the Wrong Side of History?

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 06:28 PM PST

This period in time is certainly Malaysia’s historic tragedy for rights. Why do I say this? It is because the country’s prime minister NajibTunRazak has played a double game when it comes to basic rights of the people.

While the world’s biggest-selling news magazine, TIME, has named the protesters as Person of the Year, Najib’s administration had bulldozed through the Peaceful Assembly Bill in parliament – an act that poses a grave threat to the civil and political liberties of Malaysians as it tries to keep the protesters away from the streets.

How Najib maneuvered this dangerous turn of events is interesting. He spent weeks playing the reformist role – making an unannounced entrance at a pop concert, cycling with Penangites and announcing a so-called people-friendly budget.

These dramatic gestures were peppered with self-styled proclamations vowing to widen the democratic space in the country. Even I wished this was for real.

But just before the excitement settled, Najib introduced the Bill which prohibits street protests. He did it with a touch of arrogance and an enormous amount of audacity. Then his stooges went to town backing the Bill, fashioning it out to be a piece of legislation that would ensure peace and stability in the country.

The TIME article described the protesters as the “prime makers of history”". In Malaysia, the unarmed protesters were met with baton-wielding anti-riot policemen, water cannon laced with mace and tear gas.

The article further summed up the protesters as the group of people who, in the 1960s in America, marched for civil rights and against the Vietnam War; rose up against Iran and Portugal in the 70s and in the 80s spoke out against nuclear weapons in the US and Europe, against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, against communist tyranny in Tiananmen Square and Eastern Europe.

These people, like fellow Malaysians, braved arrests and torture in the hands of the enforcement authorities to condemn brutality by nation states and fight for their basic rights. They are the ones who went down in history as the people who struggled to make a change; to make the world a better place.

Here, the protesters took to the streets to call for an end to repressive laws, to fight against water privatization, to defend the rights of workers, to mourn the death of democracy in the country, to denounce the abuse of power by the police and other enforcement authorities and to demand a clean-up of an electoral system which is blatantly open to abuses and favors the ruling government.

Following the arbitrary passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill, we have seen Malaysians from all walks of life gathering at KLCC to demand the legislation be thrown out at the Senate. It’s a long shot but their protest has been registered.

It does not take a genius to figure out why this Bill was hastily introduced and pushed through Parliament. We all know the embarrassment Najib and his administration faced following the Bersih 2.0 rally which saw tens of thousands of people protest on the streets to call for free and fair elections.

The image of the police force took a further whack for the violence unleashed on the protesters and the large-scale arrests, which made headlines worldwide. And more importantly, Najib  and UMNO were frightened of the large swell of crowd and its potential to overthrow the ruling government.

As fear is the operating word here, we saw Najib playing the race card to win the hearts of the Malays at the recently-ended UMNO general assembly. His racially inflammatory speech was echoed by other UMNO leaders who are equally frightened of losing the grip on power.

The overthrow of any repressive regime comes from the strong will of the people who protest to bring about reforms and change.

Since the 1950s a series of popular uprisings and protests forced president Frederik Willem de Klerk to begin negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa. The unrelenting protest for a democratic nation has paved the way for the Burmese junta to begin engaging with the icon of democracy, Aung San SuuKyi.

In Malaysia, decades of fighting to abolish the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows for detention without trial compelled the government to announce the repeal of the Act.

Therefore, the protesters in Malaysia would continue to make their demands heard. It’s rather odd that Najib and his administration do not get this simple fact.

Charles Santiago

Member of Parliament, Klang


提供水灾救援 拨款改善排水 巴生市设“3S”防洪队

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 05:43 PM PST

Source: Nan Yang San Pau

 

  • 巴生区国会议员查尔斯推行防范水灾觉醒运动,拉大队到早市分派传单。

(巴生17日讯)巴生市议会救灾防范措施双管齐下。

巴生市议会既成立精明服务队或简称"3S"队(Smart Service Squad)提供水灾即时救援和地勤服务,又向州政府申请5000万令吉的拨款改善排水系统,严阵应对水灾的发生。

巴生市议员何福强说,3S队伍的设立主要是希望能在发生水灾后,马上采取应对行动,特别是一旦发生突如其来的大水灾时,才不会措手不及。

"有关精明服务队隶属市议会企业小组,随时待命,在发生水灾提供地勤和支援服务。该队伍也备有船艇,以及相关的救灾设备。"

何福强今日参与巴生区国会议员查尔斯到班达马兰巴板路早市分派防范水灾传单活动时对记者这么指出。

申请逾5千万待批

另外,巴生市议员杨文来表示,巴生市议会在大约半年前已提呈计划书,向州政府申请约5000万令吉的拨款,以解决巴生南区的水灾问题。

他说,这笔5000万令吉的拨款主要是用在调整巴生南区,包括风景园的排水系统。

"水灾的肇因除了是气候变迁外,市民乱丢垃圾导致排水道阻塞,以及早期发展规划不当,过于靠近河流或把河流改道都是导致排水系统出现状况,引发水灾的原因。"

高阳苑拟建蓄水池

他表示,在等候上述5000万令吉的拨款批准的期间,巴生市议会本身也采取局部的措施,以解决和纾缓水灾问题。

"其中市议会增加了巴生池龙花园和高阳苑的排水出口,高阳苑方面更计划开设地下蓄水池。这些都是市议会在等候州政府批准拨款前,计划或已进行的局部防洪措施。"

巴生国会水灾行动委会 拟划分8区防范水灾

巴生国会水灾行动委员会主席尤嘉表示,上述四个地区的水灾问题,除了市议会允诺的士罗佳路和学校路在七天内采取解决行动外,武吉丁宜2和高阳苑在与市议会对话隔日,当局便派员前往清理当地的排水道。

加宽2区排水道

"武吉丁宜2和高阳苑今次的水灾肇因主要是排水道被垃圾阻塞;至于学校路则是排水道过小,当局计划加宽有关5至6公尺的排水道。"

他表示,该委员会接获很多的水灾投诉主要都是与垃圾有关,有些地区的居民在水灾后,也自动自发清理垃圾。

"委员会计划将巴生国会选区划分为八个小区,每个小区将有两至三名代表,地区包括巴生港口、班达马兰、高阳苑、八打灵花园和池龙花园等。

欢迎志愿者加入

尤嘉说,该委员会也欢迎志愿人士的加入,一同防范水灾的发生。"

查尔斯:旧区沟小不利排水 巴生4住宅区逢雨成灾

查尔斯表示,一般闪电水灾黑区都是旧区,因为旧区的排水道过于窄小,排水不及,有些地区不到5分钟便泛滥成灾。

他举例说,巴生港口士罗佳路、池龙花园和高阳苑便是面对这类的问题;再加上,有关地区的排水道在过去十年,少有维护,加剧水灾灾情。

"自我在本月4日成立巴生国会水灾行动委员会后,共接获巴生区有四个地点面对水灾问题,即巴生港口士罗佳路、巴生港口学校路、武吉丁宜2,以及高阳苑。"

市会实地巡视灾区

他表示,该委员会也针对上述地区的水灾问题,于本月11日实地巡视灾区,之后在13日与巴生市议会进行会议。巴生市议会在同意在七天内采取行动,解决是士罗佳路和学校路的水灾问题。

"根据世界银行在三周前发表的2011年马来西亚经济监督报告(精明城市)指出,马来西亚在过去五年共有2万9800平方公里的地区遭遇水灾,涉及500万人,造成3亿令吉的损失。"

他说,报告指发生水灾的原因包括过于蓬勃的发展、气候变迁、砍伐森林,以及厄尔尼诺现象。

推行防范水灾运动

"最近加影发生40年来最严重的大水灾,该水灾报告显示肇因是垃圾阻塞排水道,以及森林砍伐。因此我们决定推行防范水灾运动,今日将派发5000张传单,唤醒市民预防水灾,勿要乱丢垃圾。"


應對水災緊急疏散民眾‧市會設精明隊防洪

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 05:36 PM PST

Source: Sin Chew

 

  • 查爾斯(前排右5)發起防洪醒覺運動,提醒巴生民眾要未雨綢繆。(圖:星洲日報)

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(雪蘭莪‧巴生17日訊)最近國內許多地方發生水災,巴生市議會吸取前車之鑑,成立了精明服務隊,負責在發生水災時緊急疏散民眾。

巴生市議員何福強表示,這支服務隊名為"Smart Service Squad",簡稱3S,當水災發生後,這支隊伍會馬上行動。

他指出,這支隊伍備有救生艇、手電筒等逃生工具,負責在緊急狀況中扮演後勤的角色。

他說,如果巴生地區發生嚴重水災,民眾可以致電市議會熱線(1-800-88-23826)或天災行動室(03-33714404)求助。

楊文來:申請5千撥款提昇防洪

另外,市議員楊文來表示,巴生市議會已向雪州政府申請5千萬令吉撥款,以提昇巴生南區的防洪計劃。

他說,州政府還沒有批准這項申請,市議會唯有在能力範圍內局部改善南區的排水系統,例如計劃在高陽苑蓋一座地下蓄水池。

楊文來指出,巴生地區會發生水災,除了因為民眾亂丟垃圾所導致外,早期發展規劃不完善也是肇因之一。

他表示,很多早期興建的房屋靠近河流,且沒有顧及到往後的蓬勃發展,以致當今的排水系統不盡理想。

查爾斯:老舊住宅區水災較嚴重

此外,巴生區國會議員查爾斯也說,老舊住宅區的水災情況比較嚴重,這是因為早期住宅區的溝渠設計都比較窄小。

查爾斯不久前成立了巴生國會選區水災行動委員會,只要是選區內發生的水災問題都可以向這個委員會投訴。

查爾斯今日聯同巴生市議會及巴生國會選區水災行動委員會,到班達馬蘭巴板路巴剎派發傳單,旨在提高民眾的防洪知識。

查爾:4地區水災嚴重
7天內將解決2區問題

自從巴生國會選區水災行動委員會在本月初成立以來,已接獲不少民眾的投訴,目前為止所鑑定問題比較嚴重的地區有4個,即武吉丁宜第二區、高陽苑、巴生港口的塞羅加路及學校路。

查爾斯指出,這個委員會曾在12月11日的下午到上述地點視察,並在13日與市議會開會,市議會承諾會在7天內先解決巴生港口塞羅加路(Jalan Seroja)及學校路(Jalan Sekolah)的問題。

另外,水災行動委員會主席尤佳指出,委員會跟進民眾的投訴後發現,其實很多時候是因為民眾亂丟垃圾,導致溝渠阻塞而引發水災。

提高醒覺意識勿亂丟垃圾他說,像巴生港口的塞羅加路及學校路,便是因為溝渠被垃圾阻塞,導致排水不通,才會在大雨的時候淹水。

有鑑於此,他說,民眾必須提高醒覺意識,不能隨處亂丟垃圾,這也是今天派發傳單的目的。

另一方面,查爾斯指出,根據世界銀行不久前發佈的報告,馬來西亞在過去5年,有2萬9千800平方公里的地區曾發生水災,造成500萬人受影響及3億令吉損失。

他說,報告指出,發生水災的原因主要有4個,即發展急促、氣候變遷、砍伐森林及埃厄尼諾現象。

巴生地區水災投訴熱線
巴生市議會熱線:1-800-88-23826
天災行動室:03-33714404
巴生國會選區水災行動委員會
鄭忠源:012-2339544
尤佳:012-3030430
西華拉祖:016-2619311(星洲日報/大都會)


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