- B E R I T A _ H A R I _ I N I _ 2 0 0 8 -

Browneyes

Originally posted by fatz2 at 23-5-2008 07:03 PM
ICJ awards Pedra Branca's sovereignty to Singapore
Posted: 23 May 2008 1755 hrs

THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands has awarded sovereignty of ...

----no comment----

Browneyes

Originally posted by fatz2 at 23-5-2008 10:00 PM
PM Lee pleased with ICJ's ruling on Pedra Branca
Posted: 23 May 2008 2135 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpOLILJt.jpg

SINGAPORE : Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsi ...

komen yg ni lah-- hensem nya LHL

SweetCandy

expected alreadi

Browneyes

aku expected semua batu tu kita dapat...boleh tambak kasi lagik luas.... siot dapat satu aje

fatz2

nak tambak apanya....dlm gambar, dekat la nampak...
tapi jarak p bt putih tu dgn middle rock tu abour tampines dgn bedok mrt jauhnya...

fatz2

Doctor suspended for being grossly negligent
By Elena Chong

A CONSULTANT paediatrician has been suspended for three months and censured for professional misconduct.

Dr Low Eu Hong, of EH Low Baby N Child Clinic, East Shore Hospital, was convicted by the Singapore Medical Council's disciplinary committee of failing to refer his patient - a premature baby - to a consultant paediatric ophthalmologist for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening expeditiously in 2000.

The premature baby was discharged in June after 2-1/2 months in the neonatal intensive care unit.

About five months later, Dr Low noticed a possible squint in the left eye of the seven-month-old and referred the baby to a paediatric ophthalmologist for the first time.

The infant was subsequently diagnosed to be suffering from Stage 5 of ROP when total detachment occurs and partial retina detachment in the right eye.

A statement from the SMC said Dr Low should have referred the infant for ROP screening earlier.

Had he done so, the disease could have been detected and steps could have been taken to manage it.

Dr Low was ordered to give a written undertaking to the SMC that he will abstain from such conduct or any similar conduct in future.

The committee also ordered him to pay the costs of the proceedings.



Ex-remisier fined $120,000 for misuse of clients' accounts
By Elena Chong

A FORMER remisier with OCBC Securities was fined a total of $120,000 on three charges of using clients' securities accounts to trade for the benefit of then Citiraya Industries' chief executive officer and director.

Chia Hock Joo, 50, who pleaded guilty on Friday, had conducted trades for the benefit of Ng Teck Lee, then CEO and director of Citiraya Industries - now renamed Centillion Environment and Recycling - in seven OCBC Securities securities trading accounts belonging to four clients.

The offences took place in 2004 and 2005.

Chia knew that the four clients had lent their securities trading accounts to Ng, who is on the run, to trade and that the securities company did not permit such practices.

Four other similar charges under the Securities and Futures Act were taken into consideration.


Man jailed for brick attack
By Elena Chong

A 23-YEAR-OLD man was jailed for seven months on Friday for using a brick to hit another on the head.

Kenny Lee Jialong, then a full-time national serviceman, admitted hitting Mr Heyden Tan on the head with the brick along Mosque Street on Aug 26, 2006.

The 26-year-old victim and his brother had gone to a pub there at about 11pm on Aug 25 to meet their friends. Lee and his friends were also at the Whitehouse Pub.

Sometime past 3am while Mr Tan was outside, Lee suddenly came from behind and attacked the victim with the brick, said Assistant Public Prosecutor Christine Liu.

Mr Tan lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Lee dragged him to a distance away and started kicking him with a few other unknown men.

Mr Tan's brother and friend later rushed to help but the latter was attacked as well.

The assault eventually subsided when some other patrons came to help.

Lee, who has previous convictions for theft, was awaiting to be sentenced for rioting then.

He could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined up to $1,000 for voluntarily causing hurt.



Man charged with molesting maid
By Elena Chong

A MAN was charged on Friday with three counts of molesting his Indonesian maid and also insulting her modesty.

Saharom Jailani, 33, a driver, is said to have kissed the 23-year-old on the cheeks, licked her neck and fondled her breasts one Sunday last October.

He was also accused of molesting her around mid-November.

He allegedly intruded into her privacy by entering the toilet when she was inside on Dec 9. The next day, he allegedly outraged her modesty.

All the alleged offences took place in a Jurong West flat.

Bail of $15,000 was set.

Saharom will appear in court on next Friday.

If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to three years or fine or caning of any two such punishments for each charge of outraging of modesty.

The maximum penalty for insulting modesty is a jail term of up to one year or fine or both.

fatz2

Singapura : 24 Mei 2008        

PEGUAM: KLINIK TIADA MASALAH KEWANGAN

Oleh
Chairul Fahmy Hussaini

KLINIK yang menawarkan khidmat rawatan kecantikan, Eden Medical Aesthetics Pte Ltd (EMA), tidak menghadapi masalah kewangan, kata peguam plaintif dalam satu kes tuntutan.

Klinik itu masih menjana pulangan, hujah Encik Ang Cheng Hock, pada hari terakhir perbicaraan kes tuntutan anak guamnya, Dr Tam Tak Chuen, di Mahkamah Tinggi, semalam.

Mengakui hal itu di depan Hakim Judith Prakash, akauntan bagi defendan, Encik Lim Yeong Seng, berkata dari segi undang-undang, syarikat itu tidak mempunyai masalah kewangan, tetapi dari segi realit ia 'sebenarnya mengalami kerugian'.

Namun, plaintif menolak kenyataan itu kerana laporan perakaunan Encik Lim mengambil kira hanya nilai aset dan tidak meliputi pendapatan yang diraih tiga doktor rakan kongsi klinik itu.

Dua lagi rakan kongsi adalah defendan, Dr Khairul Abdul Rahman, dan Dr Ashraff Shamsuddin Eilyaas.

Dr Ashraff, yang sebelum ini dinamakan sebagai defendan kedua, telah memutuskan untuk menyelesaikan tengkarah itu di luar mahkamah.

Mahkamah diberitahu menerusi perkhidmatan rawatan kecantikan yang ditawarkan EMA, Dr Tam menikmati pendapatan sekitar $77,000 setahun, manakala Dr Khairul sekitar $40,000 dan Dr Ashraff sekitar $50,000.

Menurut Encik Lim, dalam perkiraan perakaunannya, pendapatan mereka itu telah dikelaskan sebagai 'pulangan ke atas pinjaman kepada pengarah'.

Langkah ini dibuat dengan tujuan mengurangkan cukai.

Dr Tam, 39 tahun, dan Dr Khairul, 43 tahun, sebelum ini menjadi juga rakan kongsi seimbang Eden Family Clinic di Jurong West Street 41.

Selain itu, perniagaan mereka meliputi Eden Aesthetics Private Limited dan Eden Healthcare Pte Ltd.

Perniagaan mereka dianggarkan bernilai lebih $2 juta.

Mahkamah diberitahu Dr Tam dan Dr Khairul meraih pendapatan sekitar $250,000 setahun setiap seorang daripada klinik di Jurong West.

Hubungan mereka retak apabila hubungan sulit Dr Tam dengan seorang pembantu klinik, Cik Joanne Chew, 25 tahun, terbongkar hasil rakaman sulit pada Disember 2006.

Dr Tam dalam tuntutannya mahu mahkamah memutuskan dokumen pecah kongsi yang ditandatanginya pada 4 Mac tahun lalu tidak sah dan segala haknya ke atas syarikat dikembalikan.

Hakim mengarahkan peguam plaintif dan defendan mengemukakan hujah bertulis pada 20 Jun dan jawapan balas terakhir pada 11 Julai.


kaya2 arr doktor singapore ni...

rosslyn

clinic ni is one of my hubby nyer company clinic..kira dari dulu, kalau sakit, my hubby jumpa dr khairul ni...
mmg doc ni kaya raya..few years back, dr khairul ade plan nak migrate ke negara lain..

[ Last edited by  rosslyn at 24-5-2008 03:38 PM ]

fatz

Road above Circle Line construction site caves in
By CNA/938LIVE | Posted: 24 May 2008 2045 hrs



SINGAPORE: A section of the road above a Circle Line construction site near Holland Road caved in on Saturday morning, creating a massive hole.

The hole, directly in front of two private houses along Cornwall Gardens Road, measured 8 by 7 metres and is 3 metres deep.

No one was injured but the road is temporarily closed to traffic.

According to the Land Transport Authority, tunnelling work about 25 metres under the road was in progress when it caved in. The tunnelling work is part of the last few stages of the Circle Line construction in the area, between Holland and Farrer Road stations.

LTA engineers and contractors have assessed the situation there and they confirmed that there is no risk to residents in the area. But LTA advises the public to avoid the road. Work is underway to fill up the hole and LTA is monitoring the situation.

LTA apologises for any inconvenience caused to motorists and residents in the Cornwall Gardens area.

One family, whose house is right in front of the cave-in, said they noticed a huge crack at about 8.30pm on Friday before that section of the road collapsed at about 5am the next day.

"This morning (when) I woke up... my little brother and I went out to look and there was a huge hole in the road about 20 feet long and maybe 10 feet wide and it is filled with water," said 14-year-old Eliot Sperling.

Eliot and his brother, Owen, said that after the incident, their water supply and Internet connection was cut off.

Three other households in the area also lost their access to cable TV and Internet as the cables were severed after the accident.

938LIVE understands it may take weeks before the cable wires can be restored.

LTA has offered one of the affected families transport and temporary hotel accommodation to minimise further inconvenience.

This is not the first time roads have caved in near tunnelling works of the Circle Line.

Last year, the Building and Construction Authority issued a stop-work order for the Telok Blangah site after a stretch of the road, about 7 metres long, sank 20 centimetres. - CNA/938LIVE.

fatz

3-tier stage for NDP 08
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 24 May 2008 2343 hrs


Artist's impression of NDP 08 stage


Model of NDP 08 stage

SINGAPORE: Spectators at this year's National Day Parade performance will be getting a closer view as the stage area has been brought nearer to them.

The stage, which will rise six metres above the Marina Bay floating platform, can accommodate up to 2,800 people.

The three-tier stage measures 100 metres by 70 metres and weighs some 500 tons, about half the load limit of the floating platform.

This was revealed by the organising committee of this year's NDP.

There will also be two bridges constructed on either side of the floating platform so that performers can move about quickly.

An exact replica of the stage set, constructed using 141 storage containers, is currently being used for rehearsals at Bedok Camp.

Major Ronnie Yap, NDP 08 Organising Committee's chairman of infrastructure & decorations, said: "Instead of building a stage at the edge of the floating platform, we're pulling the stage closer to the centre so that we can maximise the visual frontage....

"So, you'll see the performers closer, you can view the glory of the costumes, you can see the full effects of the lights and the props up close this year."

Organisers are also lowering the light and sound towers on stage to give the audience, especially those at the corners, a better view.

The key inspiration for the stage design is the letter 'S' , which stands for the "Singapore Spirit", part of this year's parade theme.

Randy Chan, NDP 08 stage designer, said: "We took on the idea of the spirit, the big 'S' that actually gave us the overview of the model we wanted to do. We wanted to soften it. You can see that there are a lot of curves, curvilinear features that actually exude the spirit of Singapore."

Mr Chan is an architect by training from the company Zarch Collaboratives. He was previously involved in designing the stage for NDP 2004.

Meanwhile, applications for tickets to the NDP shows will close on May 25. Members of the public can apply for either 2, 4 or 6 tickets. Regardless of how many applications are sent, organisers said they will take the latest application for e-balloting.

Since last Friday, organisers said they have received nearly 300,000 applications for tickets to the preview and the actual show.

In response to queries about how some callers could not access the phone lines and the website, organisers said some phone lines may be barred from accessing 1-900 numbers, and advised the public to contact their phone service providers.

Organisers also added that there has been no traffic overload on the NDP website so far. The public can call the helpline at 1800-6372-008 if they experience problems when applying for tickets online. - CNA/ir/ls

fatz2

DRAF PELAN INDUK URA

KAMPUNG MELAYU GERAI SERAI AKAN DIROBOH

Rancangan sama bagi Tg Katong Complex demi beri jalan pada pembangunan

Oleh
Soraya Salim

KAMPUNG Melayu Geylang Serai dan Tanjong Katong Complex bakal dirobohkan apabila tempoh pajakan mereka berakhir.

Ini untuk memberi laluan kepada perkembangan baru di sekitar Geylang dan Paya Lebar.

Pembangunan kawasan di sekitar Stesen MRT Paya Lebar untuk menjadi hab komersiol Paya Lebar Central itu termaktub dalam Draf Pelan Induk 2008 Penguasa Pembangunan Semula Bandar (URA).

Pelan tersebut merupakan panduan bagi pembangunan Singapura untuk tempoh 10 hingga 15 tahun mendatang.

Mengumumkan rancangan itu semalam ketika melancarkan pameran pelan tersebut di Bangunan URA, Menteri Pembangunan Negara, Encik Mah Bow Tan, berkata Paya Lebar Central akan menjadi lokasi menarik bagi perniagaan yang tidak perlu berada di kawasan bandar tetapi ingin berdekatan.

Dalam pada itu, beliau memberi jaminan URA akan berusaha mengekalkan ciri-ciri kemelayuan kawasan itu dalam melaksanakan pembangunan tersebut.

Antara perubahan utama di Paya Lebar Central ialah pembinaan ruang plaza dan pusat sivik yang akan menempatkan kelab masyarakat, pejabat majlis pembangunan masyarakat (CDC) dan mungkin juga perpustakaan.

Kerja-kerja pembangunan di kawasan itu dijangka bermula dalam satu hingga dua tahun ini.

URA telah mengesahkan Kampung Melayu Geylang Serai akan dirobohkan apabila tempoh pajakannya berakhir dalam 2011.

Ditanya Berita Harian mengapa kompleks itu tidak disertakan dalam rancangan pembangunan tersebut, Encik Mah berkata Kampung Melayu Geylang Serai merupakan satu inisiatif privet yang dibangunkan secara swasta.

'Jadi apabila tempoh pajakannya berakhir, kita perlu memenuhi objektif mengekalkan budaya dan warisan Melayu yang kaya di kawasan ini menerusi cara lain.

'Jadi kami ingin mencapai objektif ini dengan menyuntik lebih tenaga dan memperkenalkan kegiatan di kawasan itu dalam bentuk lain.

'Berdasarkan laporan, konsep Kampung Melayu tidak begitu berjaya, jadi kita perlu melihat cara lain untuk memelihara budaya itu.'

Sementara itu, URA berkata tarikh pembangunan belum ditetapkan bagi Tanjong Katong Complex, yang merupakan hartanah pemerintah yang diuruskan Penguasa Tanah Singapura (SLA).

Di acara semalam, Encik Mah turut mengumumkan rancangan untuk membangunkan sebahagian kawasan unggul Kallang.

Antara lain, 4,000 rumah privet dan 3,000 bilik hotel dirancang dibina di kawasan yang dipanggil Kallang Riverside itu.

Pemilik Kaki Kaki, pusat refleksologi baru di Kampung Melayu Geylang Serai, Cik Siti Suhaila Yahya, menerima berita pembangunan Paya Lebar Central itu secara positif.

'Memandangkan Geylang Serai akan sentiasa kekal sebagai hab utama masyarakat Melayu, saya pasti Kaki Kaki akan terus mempunyai kehadiran di sini.

'Saya harap URA akan melibatkan penyewa (Kampung Melayu) dan memberi kami keutamaan dalam rancangan pembangunan semula ini,' katanya, yang juga pemilik spa Wayan Retreat.


sesiapa yg nak menyimpan sebarang kenangan tempat2 ni...eloklah pi amik gambar banyak2 kat situ...

SQ154

S'porean doc among 23 held for baby-for-sale racket

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - Police have uncovered a baby-for-sale racket with the arrest of 23 people including a Singaporean gynaecologist and senior registrar of the National Registration Department (NRD).

To date, police have also recovered four babies including three boys and a girl, in a series of raids at a private clinic and four homes in the city over the past few days.

The babies, aged seven months to a year old, have since been handed over to the state welfare department and will be sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital to have their DNA samples taken for analysis.

It is learnt that police have also arrested several nurses, agents who acted as middlemen in the transaction and the childless couples who bought the babies.

All the suspects, aged 20 to 60, have since been remanded to assist in investigations.

Sources said police were trying to establish the racket's activities including ascertaining the Singaporean doctor's role in the racket.

'As far as we know, he has a clinic in the city,' the sources said, adding that his wife, also a Singaporean, was detained to assist in investigations.

Johor CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Amer Awal attributed the success to information from the public, which led to the raids on the houses and clinic. Officers from the Johor police and Bukit Aman jointly conducted the raids.

'Police have also seized a computer and a laptop, several documents, mobile phones and RM4, 199 in cash,' SAC II Amer said, appealing for others with information on such activities to call the police hotline at 07-2212999

fatz

Malay Village's demise: 'It's time'
Community says place has seen its best days, but hopes redevelopments will retain area's traditions
By Tan Dawn Wei and Nur Dianah Suhaimi


A deserted Malay Village on a weekday afternoon. Only 1,800 tourists visited the village's museum last year and of the 80 shop units there, fewer than 10 are open daily. Many of them are being used instead as storage facilities by businesses. -- ST PHOTOS: ASHLEIGH SIM

Ms Siti Suhaila Yahya opened a foot spa at the Malay Village just three weeks ago. But she is already shopping around for a new location within the Geylang Serai area as the URA annouced that the village will be demolished when its lease ends in 2011.



After years of being branded a 'white elephant', the death knell has finally sounded for the Malay Village in Geylang Serai.

No one seems particularly upset to see it go - not even those who mooted the idea or some of its current tenants.

'There's no point keeping it if we're not able to sustain it. It has become an eyesore. Each time I pass by the place, I feel my heart breaking,' said Major Ibrahim Bulat, 63, who was one of five members of the Malay Village advisory committee set up in 1992.

Since the 2.2ha development - about the size of two football fields - was first approved by the Ministry of National Development in 1981 to showcase Malay traditional kampung living, it has been plagued with problems and never lived up to its billing.

Of the 80 shop units, fewer than 10 are open daily even though Malay Village Pte Ltd, its current management company, said 70 of them are leased out.

Many of them are used as storage facilities by businesses.

About 1,800 tourists visited its museum last year, said Malay Village. But when The Sunday Times dropped in on Friday, its doors were shut. A security guard appeared after we told him over an intercom that we wanted to tour it.

Visitors who step into the two- storey museum, are often greeted by a whiff of cat urine and bat droppings on the floorboards as they pass dusty artefacts such as old musical instruments, cooking appliances, traditional games and a replica of a Malay wedding hall.

The guard, who doubles as the museum's guide, said the place is kept locked unless a visitor drops in. Visitors have to pay an entrance fee of $5 and a tour of the museum takes about an hour.

Mr Dai Foh Chin, 80, one of the village's few tenants who stay open, lamented: 'People call this the Malay Village; I call this place a holiday resort. I open my shop from 7am to 7pm daily, but there are hardly any customers,'

The provision shop owner, who has been there for a year and pays under $3,000 in rent, said he has been making a loss of $1,000 a month.

Business is so bad that he gets his children to take his goods to be sold elsewhere.

A more recent addition to the village is Ms Siti Suhaila Yahya, 30, who opened a foot spa there three weeks ago. She spent $250,000 to set it up, but was unperturbed by news that the place will be demolished.

'It is the norm in the retail industry for the tenancy period to be three years with no guarantee of subsequent renewal. The fact that I have until 2011 is already beyond the normal duration of tenancy,' said Ms Siti who is already shopping around for a new location within the Geylang Serai area.

Revamp in the works

Under a new draft Master Plan unveiled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) last Friday, the Malay Village will make way for a new civic centre and plaza as part of the Government's efforts to rejuvenate the area while preserving its local character.

The civic centre - which could take on Malay design elements - will house a community club, Community Development Council offices and possibly a library and gallery showcasing the area's history.

Proposed pedestrian malls leading up to the Paya Lebar MRT station will also mean more space for bazaars and cultural performances.

Going too, will be Tanjong Katong Complex farther up from Malay Village.

The URA told The Sunday Times the development date for the complex, a state property managed by the Singapore Land Authority, has not been fixed but will take place after the current leases - all short-term - run out and when the land is needed.

Crucial to retain culture

But with village's demise, will a slice of Malay history also be lost?

At least one person spoke up for the beleaguered landmark.

Associate Professor Hadijah Rahmat, head of the Malay language department at the National Institute of Education, thinks the concept behind the Malay Village is still valid and the authorities may be too hasty in wanting to demolish it.

There is a need to show how rural Malays used to live and the Malay Village still fulfils the criteria, she said.

'But we should study how the place can be made more vibrant and dynamic. Heritage centres cannot be 100 per cent commercially run. Usually, the authorities will give a helping hand.'

The company behind the project, Malay Village Pte Ltd, still believes it can make a go of it and may appeal to have its lease extended beyond 2011.

General manager Jeffrey Chan, 35, said the company's plans for a $50 million revamp of the village are on hold until he sees the URA blueprint for the area.

He said he had submitted a draft proposal to the authorities last month to rebuild it with a similar 'kampung ambience' and with 20 per cent more retail space.

At least half of the 40 Geylang Serai residents, shopkeepers and hawkers The Sunday Times spoke to said they hoped to see some elements of Malay tradition preserved in the redevelopment.

Just as many, however, said they want a mall in its place, with a supermarket; even better if it comes with a movie theatre.

'The place was supposed to remind people of the kampung days so that our future generations will know what it was like in the old days,' said Malay grassroots group Majlis Pusat president and former MP, Mr Zulkifli Mohammed, 60. He was also was one of the MPs who supported the idea of setting up the Malay Village.

'Now, they will probably have to go to Malaysia or the Riau Islands to see what a kampung looks like.'

But he did agree that it is no longer viable to keep the Malay Village as it is.

'It has not achieved the objective of showcasing Malay culture. I think the Malay Heritage Centre in Kampong Glam has taken over that role,' said Mr Zulkifli.

He held out hope that the proposed gallery at the civic centre would offer a link to the area's history.

The MP for the area, Dr Fatimah Lateef, 42, said while redevelopment is necessary, new structures that will be introduced, be they malls or civic centres, should 'keep the Malay identity to a certain extent'.

Beyond incorporating Malay aesthetic elements into the designs, she hopes the new civic centre can exhibit Malay culture amid its other necessary functions, like a library and community club.

Referring to the Malay Heritage Centre, she said: 'People may not specifically go to look for it. But if you reach out to them at the civic centre where they go to for community services, you're bringing it out to the community rather than keeping it within four walls.'

Additional reporting by Stacey Chia and Becky Lo

[email protected]

fatz

May 26, 2008         
Brunei tightens belt as fuel subsidies quadruple in 3 yrs

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - BRUNEI'S government has lashed out at citizens who waste energy resources after public subsidies to keep the sultanate's fuel prices extraordinarily low quadrupled between 2004 and last year.

The Prime Minister's Office revealed on Sunday that 202 million Brunei dollars (S$202 million) was spent to subsidise gasoline and diesel prices for motorists last year. It was the highest figure since the subsidies were introduced in 1978.

The subsidies could have funded 2,880 low-cost houses, 20 health centres, 12 schools, 100,000 new computers for schools, 1,400 scholarships for university students and 170km of new roads, it said in a pamphlet released to launch a Subsidy Awareness Campaign.

Energy Minister Awang Yahya said that subsidies in 2004 totalled 50 million Brunei dollars, but the figure has since skyrocketed as Brunei maintained retail gasoline prices at 53 Brunei cents per litre, or 2 Brunei dollars per gallon, despite soaring global prices.

'We must study and be envious of the lifestyle of people living in developed countries where energy efficiency and conservation have long been given priority,' Mr Yahya said.

'Some of us seem to have forgotten or have neglected the need to be prudent when using these commodities.'

The minister urged government departments to enforce energy-saving measures and advised the public to take practical steps such as using bicycles or walking whenever possible.

'We must erase the assumption that the responsibility belongs to somebody else as this no longer has any place in society,' Mr Yahya added.

Brunei's huge oil and gas resources have long made it one of Asia's richest economies. Experts have estimated the country's oil reserves should last another 25 years, while its gas reserves are predicted to be enough for 40 years.

Mr Yahya warned that Brunei's crude oil and gas exploration efforts were growing difficult because many available reserves were located in deep water areas.

The minister also urged people not to 'silently remain inactive against activities that could affect the energy supply situation, such as fuel smuggling, theft of electrical equipment, vandalism and misuse of government properties.'

Customs authorities have reported 48 cases this year of people attempting to smuggle fuel, mainly diesel, out of this tiny country on Borneo island. The figure has already exceeded the 43 incidents recorded last year. -- AP

SQ154

Government Bans Sale Of Fuel To Foreign Cars This Friday


KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- The government has decided to ban all petrol stations at the country's borders from selling petrol and diesel to foreign cars beginning Friday.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said at the Malaysia-Thailand border, the ban involved petrol stations that were 30-50km from the border.

He said the ban covered Perlis, Kedah, North Perak, Kelantan and several districts in Johor including Kulai and Johor Baharu.

"A written directive regarding the ban under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 will be issued to 200-300 petrol station operators in the near future," Shahrir told reporters at the Parliament lobby after attending a meeting of the Cabinet Committee On Inflation at Parliament House.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the ban would be in force until his ministry could determine an appropriate subsidy management system to block "optimistic" buying and selling. "This move is a stern act by the government to reduce the leak in subsidy that involved high cost and which should actually be enjoyed by the lower-income group in the country.

He said his ministry's officers will be deployed at the stations concerned to monitor and act if there were station owners who flouted the ban.

The penalty for flouting was a fine up to RM250,000 or three years jail or both, he said.

Shahrir said the matter was brought up in the meeting which agreed to stop what was being practised at the northern border where cars from Thailand came to buy petrol and diesel.

He said the suggestion by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) that petrol subsidy be given based on the size of the engine was also being considered.

-- BERNAMA

rosslyn

bila difikirkan balik, those petrol station yg kat s'pore yg untung.
kalau dulu, kita isi cun cun 3/4 penuh setakat nak lepas dari causeway tapi skarang kita dah nak kena isi penuh2 so that the car can go beyond 50km from the border. which ever way, yg kesian is those m'sian yg bawak kreta s'pore. diorg yg tersepit ditengah2.  nak beli minyak sini, mahal.
nak beli kat negera sendiri, kena ban.

Kopi-Topi

GAY IN SINGAPORE
AgenceFrance Presse.
May 21, 2008


A majority of Singaporeans can accept a gay member of the family, agreed that oral sex between adults in private should not be prohibited, and feel that employers should not discriminate against homosexuals, according to a ground-breaking survey. These are among the results of what is believed to be the first community-based opinion poll on homosexuality and gay-related issues in tightly ruled Singapore, where oral sex is punishable by life imprisonment and open displays of homosexuality are often frowned upon.

揂 large number of Singaporeans would be able to accept a gay brother, sister, son or daughter,

fatz

Visitor arrivals for April reach new record for the month
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 May 2008 1724 hrs


Singapore skyline

SINGAPORE - Singapore received a record 826,000 visitors in April, up 0.8 percent over the same month a year ago, tourism officials said on Tuesday.

Indonesia, China, Australia, India, and Malaysia generated the most visitors to the city-state last month, accounting for 51 percent of total arrivals, the Singapore Tourism Board said.

The average hotel room rate jumped 32.5 percent to S$254 (US$187), while the average occupancy rate dropped 1.0 percentage point to 84 percent over April last year.

Indonesia was the biggest source of visitors with 131,000 travellers arriving last month, followed by China with 107,000, Australia with 63,000, India with 63,000 and Malaysia with 53,000.

Singapore's long-term target is to attract 17 million visitors generating S$30 billion in receipts by 2015.

Singapore is building new attractions - including the two integrated resorts, expected to open by 2010 - and is trying to become an arts and entertainment centre.

It will host the first ever Formula One Grand Prix night race this September and the inaugural Youth Olympics in 2010. - AFP/vm

fatz

PUB clears river sludge along Robertson Quay
By Jinny Koh, TODAY | Posted: 27 May 2008 0952 hrs



SINGAPORE: The air along Robertson Quay has finally been cleared. And the source of the offending stench a 1m-thick layer of sludge lining the bed of the Singapore River has been removed, giving the area a breath of fresh air.

The years of muck that lined a 50m stretch of riverbed could have been due to dead leaves, litter and silt discharged from nearby worksites, especially after rain, said a PUB officer during a media briefing at the quayside on Monday.

The sludge fronting the Red House at The Quayside had been assailing the nostrils of visitors, patrons and tenants for the last three months. And while the PUB assured that the air is clean again, the agency would 揷ontinue to monitor the situation

sutera_abadi

50km dorang start kira dari checkpoint ehh???
agak-agak kota tinggi ada tak dalam 50km dari jb checkpoint??

Originally posted by rosslyn at 27-5-2008 03:06 PM
bila difikirkan balik, those petrol station yg kat s'pore yg untung.
kalau dulu, kita isi cun cun 3/4 penuh setakat nak lepas dari causeway tapi skarang kita dah nak kena isi penuh2 so that the  ...