soft cats

The pro & cons evolution of the 21st century

Cons
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Our labour - Effortless

Our relations - Fruitless

Our attitude - Careless

Our feelings - Heartless

Our politics - Shameless

Our education - Worthless

Our mistakes - Countless

Our arguments - Baseless

Our youth - Jobless

Our ladies - Topless

Our boss - Brainless

Our jobs - Thankless

Our needs - Endless

Our situation - Hopeless

Our salaries - Less and less

Pro
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Our communication - Wireless

Our phones - Cordless

Our cooking - Fireless

Our food - Fatless

Our Sweets - Sugarless

Cats face

JPJ monitoring four death stretches

KUCHING: At least 32 death stretches have been identified along the state’s trunk road stretching from Sematan to Lawas but only four will be observed by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) during this coming festive season.

State JPJ director Abdul Hamed Akob said that the department would be intensifying its enforcement exercise throughout the festive period and their main focus will be along the places that had been categorised as death stretch.

“However, with the strength that we have it is impossible for us to patrol all the dangerous spots. In the coming festive season we will be on the lookout for these four dangerous stretches, from km 11 to 24 of Jalan Kuching-Serian, Jalan Bukit Sebangkoi, Sarikei (km 19 to 25), Jalan Oya Sibu (km 10 to 21) and Jalan Kidurong, Bintulu (km 5 to 22),” he pointed out.

He said this at a media conference on Ops Sikap XX11 which aimed to minimise road tragedies in conjunction with Hari Raya at the Biaramas Depot at Mile 8, Penrissen Road near here yesterday.

On the road safety campaign which will begin tomorrow (Sept 4) until Sept 19, Hamed said that about 80 enforcement officers will be deployed to patrol the areas to ensure that motorists drive with extra care to avoid any untoward incidents.

“This time our approach will be a bit different. We will not conduct static road blocks but our enforcement officers will be patrolling and are visible. We want to create a perception of being caught (POBC) among the road users,” he said.

Abdul Hamed said that this time their focus will be on public transport, particularly express buses, which travel on long distance and therefore these drivers should be road worthy at all time.

“We will continue to visit express bus companies to inspect their vehicles, brakes and tyres. Apart from that, their log books, co-drivers, and the necessary permits and licenses for vehicles and drivers will also be checked. We want to make sure that all the documents are valid,” he noted.

He said apart from the public transport, the department will also be monitoring taxis and hired vehicles for any possibilities of them committing offences such as over charging, failure to use metres for taxis in Kuching, Sibu and Miri, or refusing to take passengers.

“Passengers who encountered any of these situations can file their complaints directly to the JPJ enforcement officers on duty at the bus terminals in the major towns of the state. They can also call our control room at 082-628725 or email to p.sar@jpj.gov.my

Meanwhile, Abdul Hamed forewarned motorists to avoid being captured breaking the road traffic rules.

“Our officers will go undercover and take photos of people committing offences such as beating traffic lights, jump queue, overtaking on double line, reckless driving and overloading.

“Summonses will be issued to offenders and the compound for all offences will be a maximum RM300,” he warned.

On the other hand, he advised motorists to always be courteous when driving and before heading out on a long journey, make sure drivers have enough rest and vehicles are in good condition.

“Send your vehicles for servicing to ensure that they are roadworthy, especially if you plan to go on a long distance journey,” he said.

After the press conference, the enforcement officers inspected the Biaramas express buses to ensure that they are fit to go on the road.

Among those present at the press conference were State Road Safety Department (JKJR) director Rano Aylwino Akat, Biaramas Express Sdn Bhd director Henry Lai and the company’s manager Lai Sin Kiong.

Glomac acquires seven-acre land in Cyberjaya for RM27.4 million

KUCHING: Glomac Bhd (Glomac) announced that it entered into a sales and purchase agreement with Cyberview Sdn Bhd and Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd for the proposed acquisition of a seven-acre land in Cyberjaya, for a purchase consideration of RM27.4 million.

The company would finance the acquisition through a combination of internal funds and bank borrowings, said RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd (RHB Research) in its research note yesterday.

On the surface, the total consideration translated into a land cost of RM90 per square feet (psf),  compared with RM26 psf for Mah Sing Group Bhd and RM36 psf for Paramount Corporation Bhd.

The research firm further stated that considering Glomac’s land was a commercial land with higher plot ratio and density compared with residential land, the acquisition price of RM27.4 million was therefore reasonable.

This seven-acre land is located in the centre of the Cyberjaya Enterprise Zone and adjacent to Glomac’s existing Glomac Cyberjaya project. Fronting the main road, the land is also surrounded by other prestigious buildings such as those housing corporations HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd, IBM Malaysia, DHL Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Ericsson (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and others.

Upon completion, the same concept as Glomac Cyberjaya will be adopted for the land as an extension to the project’s existing development.

Comprising mainly commercial shop offices and a 15-storey office block, 75 per cent of the project had been sold with the remaining 25 per cent to be launched in the next financial year, targeted for ‘en-bloc’ sales.

“As the gross development value of the new piece of land was not given in the announcement, we maintain our financial year 2011-2013 forecast, pending update from the management,” said RHB Research.

Based on this year’s general outlook, the research firm pegged Glomac’s target price at RM1.56 per share.

Govt urged to set up Veteran Department

KUCHING: The status of ex-police personnel and people’s perception of them would change if their contributions are formally recognised by the government.

In connection with this, the State Ex-Policemen Association chairman Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he would continue to push for the setting up of a Veteran Department, hopefully by 2011.

He also wants the government to acknowledge those who served during the insurgency period by awarding them the ‘Pingat Jasa Malaysia’ (PJM).

“The country’s peace and stability that we enjoy now is the result of their sacrifice. We should not take it for granted,” he said.

Wan Junaidi, who is also Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament and  Santubong MP, said he has written to and met with the Home Minister and  has  discussed  with  Deputy Prime Minister the setting up a department similar to what the Armed  Forces have.

He was speaking to reporters yesterday after handing over financial aid totalling RM8,700 and rice to 58 widows of ex-policemen.

It was still very difficult to get any sort of help from the community, especially in financial support, Wan Junaidi said.

“We don’t have any resources. We get our support from the public through our fund-raisers, donations from individuals, and personal contact with people whom we feel are able to contribute.”

He also revealed that out of the hundreds letter they sent, they only get about 10 per cent response.

“It’s  not  tiring to sign a letter, but it is disappointing that your letter is not even worthy of a response,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the association also wanted to declare their unanimous support for the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“We  are  not  a political group, but we pray that he continues to lead us,”Wan  Junaidi said.

Also present were the association’s state deputy chairman, Jack Joni, and vice chairman Iskandar Abdul Kadir Merichan. The Sarawak Ex-Policemen Association has more than 5,000 members.

Taib unsure whether to contest in State election

KUCHING – Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has yet to decide whether to defend his state seat in the coming 10th state election.

The 74-year-old Taib, who is the state’s longest-serving chief minister for 29 years since March 26, 1981, said he could not decide for himself on this as it needed to be discussed and approved by others.

“I don’t know… it is up to the party and the prime minister,” he told reporters after presenting Amanah Raya Berhad (ARB) scholarships to three Sarawak students pursuing their studies at Al-Azhar University today.

The students are Mohammad Zubair Mustafa who was studying at Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan in Labu, Negeri Sembilan, Faliq Asraf Jafri from SMK Agama Tunaz in Kuching and Nadira Hamapei from SMK Agama Miri.

Taib, who was previously Asajaya assemblyperson before moving to the Balingian state seat in 2001, said he was ready to quit if the situation required him to do so.

“A lot of people say I’m not needed. If I’m not needed, I will go out,” he said.

Taib who is PBB president since 1981 and Sarawak BN chairperson, said he had wanted to quit politics in 2006 but many within the party were against it and finally he decided not to retire.

As to when he would likely call for the state election, he said the matter had not been decided yet.

On Chinese voters’ sentiments in Sarawak that still preferred the opposition rather than BN, he said the trend puzzled him until today.

“I’ve also asked the same question, I want to know,” he said, adding that the state goverment had sincerely tried to win the hearts of Chinese voters but it still failed to do so until today.

In the 2006 state election, PBB won 34 of the 71 state seats, followed by SUPP with 11, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) nine and Sarawak Progresive Democratic Party (SPDP) eight, while the rest were won by opposition parties. – BERNAMA