UNDECIDED ON WHERE TO CONTEST

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH

TANGKAK: Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman has no time to think about where he will be contesting in the coming general election.

That is because he is busy activating the state’s Barisan Nasional election machineries.

He said his main objective was to ensure all 82 Barisan candidates in the state win in the general election.

Abdul Ghani, who is also the Ledang Barisan chairman, said he had to visit 56 state constituencies and 26 parliamentary areas within the next few weeks to activate the machineries.

He said he had led Johor through two general elections, in 1999 and 2004, and his aim now was to ensure Barisan won all state and parliamentary seats with a bigger majority.

During his visits, he said he would also look into development plans needed by voters and projects promised by the respective representatives, which have yet to be implemented.

“We made election promises to the voters in 2004 and I want to see that all the promises have been fulfilled,” he said after presenting Umno member’s lists to Umno Ledang election directors yesterday.

On new faces contesting in the state, Abdul Ghani said Johor was given many new faces in 2004 and he did not think there would be any new faces this time.

SOURCE: THE STAR, Saturday January 26, 2008

GHANI BELUM SEMPAT FIKIR KEDUDUKAN SENDIRI

MUAR 25 Jan. - Menteri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman berkata, beliau tidak sempat memikirkan mengenai kedudukannya pada pilihan raya umum akan datang sama ada kekal di Johor atau beralih ke Pusat.

Katanya, pada masa ini beliau terlalu sibuk dengan persediaan Barisan Nasional (BN) negeri menghadapi pilihan raya ke-12.

Abdul Ghani yang menjadi Menteri Besar sejak 1995 berkata, ini kerana beliau terpaksa menjelajah ke seluruh negeri dalam tempoh terdekat bagi meninjau persiapan jentera parti.

"Saya bukannya membisu atau melarikan diri daripada media. Semua tempat yang saya lawat, saya berjumpa dengan media, cuma disebabkan kesuntukan masa, saya tidak sempat mengadakan sidang akhbar.

"Bayangkan, saya mempunyai 82 buah kerusi (26 kerusi Parlimen dan 56 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri) yang perlu dilawati dalam tempoh terdekat ini," katanya.

Abdul Ghani bercakap kepada pemberita ketika ditemui selepas menghadiri Majlis Taklimat dan Persediaan Pilihan Raya anjuran UMNO Bahagian Ledang di Dewan Serbaguna Kampung Sri Jaya, Tangkak, dekat sini hari ini.

Baru-baru ini ketika ditemui di Johor Bahru, beliau hanya menggelengkan kepala apabila diajukan beberapa soalan berkaitan calon, kedudukannya serta persiapan BN.

Menurutnya, tumpuan BN Johor ketika ini ialah memastikan semua jentera parti bersiap sedia menghadapi pilihan raya.

Sepanjang lawatannya ke setiap kerusi DUN dan Parlimen itu, kata Abdul Ghani, beliau juga dapat menyelesaikan masalah rakyat.

"Kerajaan negeri di bawah BN selama ini telah melaksanakan pelbagai usaha bagi membasmi kemiskinan dan membina rumah-rumah kos rendah rakyat tetapi mungkin masih ada janji-janji wakil rakyat yang belum dilaksanakan.

"Atas sebab itu, lawatan saya ini dapat memastikan semua janji itu ditunaikan dan saya percaya BN akan terus mempertahankan kemenangan mutlak di negeri ini," tegasnya.

Ditanya mengenai senarai calon BN di negeri ini, Abdul Ghani berkata, beliau belum dapat memberikan gambaran mengenai perkara tersebut.

SUMBER: UTUSAN MALAYSIA, 26 JANUARI 2008

FORMER UTM DON HONOURED

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI

JOHOR BARU: State Tokoh Maal Hijrah award recipient Prof Dr Nasseri Taib vows to work harder in spreading the teachings of Islam in his community.

The 66-year-old former Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) professor said he would focus on gathering knowledge and ibadah in his retirement days.

“I have to make up for lost time because I was too busy working back then.

Recognised: Prof Dr Nasseri (right) receiving the award from Abdul Ghani during the state Maal Hijrah celebration held in Johor Baru.

“Now that I have more time I can focus on my faith and strengthen my understanding of Islam,” he said, adding that the award was an incentive for him to better himself in every aspect especially religion.

Among his contributions in Islamic development in Johor was preparing the working paper to establish the Johor Islamic College and producing academic articles presented in various local seminars and conventions.

On spreading the teachings of Islam, Prof Nasseri said he would focus on Muslims in his housing area in Taman Dawani, Senai.

He explained that he used to print out texts on various chapters and teachings that he handed out after giving lectures at the local mosque.

“Distributing hard copies of my lectures is effective in getting the point across,” he said.

Prof Nasseri was given the award at the state Maal Hijrah celebration held in Pusat Islam Iskandar, launched by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

SOURCE: THE STAR, Monday January 14, 2008

IBU BAPA ELAK ANAK SERTAI DEMONSTRASI

MUAR: Ibu bapa luar bandar dinasihatkan supaya mengingatkan anak mereka terutama yang tinggal di kota besar, terutama di ibu negara supaya tidak terjebak dengan demonstrasi jalanan yang dianjurkan pihak tertentu.

Ahli Parlimen Ledang, Hamim Samuri, berkata tindakan itu penting bagi mengelak generasi muda luar bandar termasuk mereka yang menuntut di pusat pengajian tinggi di ibu negara terbabit dengan gejala kurang sihat itu.

Beliau berkata, pihak tertentu yang mempunyai kepentingan peribadi kini giat mempengaruhi golongan muda supaya menyertai demonstrasi jalanan yang kononnya untuk menyelesaikan masalah dalam pentadbiran negara dan kerajaan.

Sebaliknya, katanya, demonstrasi yang tidak mendapat permit dan kelulusan pihak berkuasa itu menimbulkan lebih banyak masalah, termasuk menjejaskan ekonomi negara terutama dalam bidang perniagaan dan pelancongan.

"Lebih malang lagi sekiranya ada antara mereka termasuk pelajar yang menyertai kegiatan itu dikenakan tindakan undang-undang kerana melanggar peraturan yang ditetapkan pihak berkuasa, sekali gus menimbulkan masalah kepada ibu bapa.

"Berikutan itu, menjadi tanggungjawab ibu bapa memastikan tiada anak mereka sama ada yang bertugas atau melanjutkan pelajaran di pusat pengajian di ibu negara supaya tidak terbabit dengan kegiatan tidak berfaedah itu," katanya ketika merasmikan Program Mesra Gerakan Daya Wawasan (GDW) 2007 di Parit Haji Idris, Bukit Gambir, di sini, kelmarin.

Program anjuran bersama GDW, Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK), Kemas Parlimen Ledang dan Pergerakan Pemuda Umno cawangan itu diadakan di pekarangan balai raya kampung berkenaan.

Hadir sama, Penyelaras GDW Parlimen Ledang, Haliza Zabir, Pengerusi GDW yang juga Pengerusi JKKK, Ismail Sitam dan Ketua Pemuda Cawangan, Ramli Abdul Rahman.

Hamim yang juga Timbalan Ketua Umno bahagian Ledang turut mengingatkan penduduk berbilang kaum supaya mengekalkan suasana keharmonian hidup yang menjadi teras perpaduan dan ketenteraman negara sejak merdeka hingga sekarang.

Beliau berkata, perpaduan di kalangan masyarakat akar umbi membolehkan kerajaan melaksanakan lebih pembangunan untuk meningkatkan sosio-ekonomi mereka pada masa depan.

SUMBER: Berita Harian, 1 Januari 2008

MB: PLANTATIONS SHOULD DEPEND LESS ON FORIGNERS

MUAR: Johor wants the oil palm sector to go into large-scale mechanisation to cut its dependence on foreign labour.

“We are gearing towards becoming a developed nation by 2020 but we still lack people who are innovative and can build specialised machines for the plantations.

“And Malaysia is the world's biggest producer of high-quality palm oil,” Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said after presenting land titles to 131 settlers in Felcra Kebun Baru on Friday.

He said that besides the plantations industry the construction sector should also adopt modern technology to replace manual labour.

He said hundreds of thousands of foreigners were engaged to work in plantations in the country as the locals, especially aged land owners, could not do the harvesting.

Official ceremony: Abdul Ghani presenting a land title to Felcra Kebun Baru settler Lai Sam Moi on Friday.

But if there were specialised machinery that could be operated easily then there would be no need to employ foreigners, he said.

He said he recently went to a barber in Johor Baru and was surprised to see that all the barbers in the shop were foreigners who could not even speak Bahasa Malaysia.

“We want to be a developed nation but if we lack innovation and creativity and continue to depend on foreign workers, Malaysia can never be a developed nation.

“Specialised machines for farmers and contractors can also speed up work and increase productivity,” he added.

SOURCE: THE STAR, Sunday December 16, 2007

CAR RUNS OVER FALLEN BIKERS

TANGKAK: Two Indonesian men were killed when a car ran over them after they fell from a motorcycle in Kampung Serom Lapan.

Another car which tried to avoid the accident crashed into a lamppost and burst into flames. Both drivers were not hurt.

Muar traffic police chief Asst Supt Yahya Manan said the incident happened at about 1pm yesterday and the two victims died on the spot.

He said one of the victims was identified as Surep, 25.

In another incident, a Nepalese factory worker near Parit Bakar was killed when a container truck laden with some 30 tonnes of furniture toppled and crashed into a hostel.

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Sunday December 30, 2007

Two killed after bike skids

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH

TANGKAK: Two Indonesian men were killed when the motorcycle they were riding skidded, causing them to fall on the road and get hit by a car near Kampung Serom Lapan here.

Before the car hit them, another car, which tried to avoid them, crashed into their motorcycle which was on the road before hitting a lamppost and bursting into flames. The car driver escaped unhurt.

Muar traffic police chief Asst Supt Yahya Manan said the incident happened at about 1pm Sunday and initial investigation showed the two victims died on the spot.

He said one of the victims was Surep, aged 25, while the other had no identification papers, adding that police would investigate how the two Indonesians fell onto the road.

"There is no mark on the road to show that their motorcycle had skidded before they were hit by a car.

"However, according to the driver of the car which burst into flames, he saw the two Indonesians and avoided them but hit their bike instead," he said Sunday.

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Sunday December 30, 2007

Motorcyclist’s body found

MUAR: The body of a 24-year-old man who fell from a bridge into Sungai Muar near Grisek on Tuesday was spotted several kilometres downstream on Friday.

Huan Ying Hao, from Panchor, was on a motorcycle when he fell at 9.45pm.

Police said the body, recovered near Kampung Serom Tiga jetty, was sent to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital for a post mortem and collected by family members for cremation yesterday.

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Thursday December 20, 2007

Tables turned on armed robbers

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH

TANGKAK: Two robbers armed with parangs (machetes) had the tables -- and chairs -- turned on them when their victims at a cybercafe near here fought back.

The robbers, who may have robbed the same outlet last month, thought they had easy pickings when they entered the cybercafe in Kampung Serom Empat at about 11.45pm on Wednesday.

They surprised about 10 men, aged between 18 and 20, at their computers, and robbed them of more than RM880 and at least seven cellular handsets.

Cybercafe operator Kong Hong Chuan said some of the victims seemed to recognise the robbers as the same ones who had robbed his outlet last month, taking away more than RM300 and several cellular handsets.

He said after robbing the victims and taking RM300 from the counter, the duo turned towards the door but the men then attacked them with plastic chairs.

Both robbers were injured.

A team of policemen and an ambulance arrived shortly after and policemen handcuffed the robbers before sending them to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital, where they were warded.

Two of the robbery victims also suffered some injuries and were rushed to the hospital, but were given outpatient treatment.

Muar CID chief Deputy Supt. Khoo Leng Huat, when contacted, said the two robbers were under remand to assist in investigations.

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Friday December 21, 2007

Victims turn on robbers at cybercafe

TANGKAK: Two robbers armed with parangs had the tables turned on them when their victims attacked them instead with plastic chairs at a cybercafe near here.

The robbers, who had struck at the same place last month, thought they had easy pickings when they entered the cybercafe in Kampung Serom Empat, at about 11.45pm on Wednesday.

They surprised about 10 youths, aged between 18 and 20, and robbed them of more than RM880 and at least seven cellular handsets.

Cybercafe operator Kong Hong Chuan said some of the victims recognised the robbers from the previous incident, and when the duo turned towards the door, the youths attacked them with the chairs.

One robber was injured on the face and head while the other was bleeding from wounds all over his body.

A team of policemen and an ambulance arrived shortly after the incident.

The robbers were sent to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital where they were warded.

Two of the youths also suffered injuries and received outpatient treatment at the hospital.

SOURCE: THE STAR, Monday December 31, 2007