Prince looks forward to meeting people

JOHOR BARU: For the Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Tunku Ismail Idris Sultan Ibrahim, the Kembara Mahkota Johor programme holds a meaningful and special significance.

"I'm always excited about the Kembara Mahkota Johor programme as it is a time where my father, the sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, and my family have the opportunity to be close to the people, especially in rural areas," he said yesterday.

Tunku Ismail said in the past, the Kembara Mahkota Johor convoy used high-powered motorcycles to reach the state's interior. "However, this time round the convoy will be unique as it is a first time that the Kembara Mahkota Johor programme will reach out to the people via train."

Tunku Ismail is scheduled to join Sultan Ibrahim when he visits the last district of the programme, which is Segamat on Sunday. The highlight of his visit is a top spinning competition where he will give out the prizes to winners in Kampung Paya Merah, Labis.

Later in the day, the sultan will arrive at the Segamat train station where he will be ferried in an antique car to Dataran Segamat. He will join a traditional kuih-making activity to make dodol, lempok durian and kuih bepang. The sultan's itinerary also includes officiating at a Sukan Rakyat event.

The next day, Sultan Ibrahim will ride a bicycle to the Bekok multipurpose hall in Bekok, Segamat, where he will hand out bicycles to needy children. He will then proceed to the Layang-Layang train station. The sultan will be accompanied by his consort, Raja Zarith Sofia, members of the royal family and state leaders.

MORE than 200 patients turned up at a medical camp hosted by the Johor Chinese Medicine, Orthopedics and Acupuncture Association at the Tenang community hall near Segamat recently. The camp was held in conjunction with the visit of the sultan of Johor to Tenang, which was a stopover of the Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) 2010 programme recently.

The sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, went to the medical camp as soon as he alighted from his train at the Tenang station. Welcoming him were Segamat district officer Burhan Amin, Labis member of parliament Chua Tee Yong and association adviser Prof Dr Soo Sheng Ren. The sultan toured the packed community hall which featured exhibits of over 200 potted herbal plants and various equipment used in Chinese medicine.

When the sultan told Soo about the pain on his left elbow, a Chinese physician gave the ruler a tuina (Chinese traditional massage) treatment, followed by acupuncture administered personally by Soo. Sultan Ibrahim said he felt much better after receiving the treatment. Before the sultan of Johor left, Soo presented him with a pot of Goddess of Guanyin Lotus plant (Alocasia cucullata) as a symbol of longevity, fertility and luck. According to Soo, the herbal plant also has medicinal values in treating tumours, influenza and burns.

The sultan proceeded to another community hall nearby for lunch before continuing his journey to Segamat. Twenty-six Chinese physicians and 20 social workers laboured their efforts in the association's 56th medical camp, which attracted patients of different races. Besides the locals, there were also patients who came from Labis, Yong Peng and Segamat.

Apart from internal medicine, the Chinese physicians also treated muscle, bone and nerve-related problems such as those suffering from arthritis, slipped disc and others. All consultations, treatment and medications were provided free of charge.

The three-day KMJ tour covered three districts spanning 391km, all along the state's railway line from Johor Baru to Gemas and back. The sultan of Johor kicked off the tour at the new JB Sentral train station at 10am on June 26 and concluded the tour at the same station in the evening of June 28. The sultan had specially learned to drive a locomotive and took a licence for it to coincide with the tour.

The royal entourage included his consort, Raja Zarith Sofia, members of the royal family and state leaders. This was his first KMJ tour as a sultan after ascending the throne in January. The annual tour was the brainchild of Sultan Ibrahim himself and is known for the high-powered motorcycles used by participants to tour the rural areas in Johor.

JPA Gave 843 Scholarships To Bumis, 657 To Non-Bumis

KUALA LUMPUR June 30 (Bernama) -- The Public Service Department (JPA) gave 843 scholarships to bumiputera students under the foreign degree programme this year.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said they include bumiputera students from Sabah and Sarawak.

He said 657 non-bumiputera students received scholarships under the foreign degree programme, proof that non-bumiputeras were not sidelined by the government.

Winding up debate on the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) in Dewan Rakyat Wednesday, he said JPA gave 1,500 scholarships to excellent students based on merit, race, bumiputeras (Sabah and Sarawak) and the socially disadvantaged.

Of the 300 scholarships on merit, only 59 or 20 percent were given to bumiputera students while 241 or 80 percent went to non-bumiputeras.

"The Chinese received 209 scholarships (70%), Indians 30 (10%) and others 0.7%) under the merit category," Nazri said.

For the race quota, bumiputeras received 557 scholarships (61.8%), non-bumiputeras 343 (38.1%), Sabah and Sarawak races 150 while the socially disadvantaged 150.

-- BERNAMA

Six family members die in road accident

PEKAN, June 8 — Six members of a family died when the Proton Iswara car they were travelling in collided with a trailer at KM78 along the Kuantan-Segamat road near Pekan, at 8.45 last night.

Pekan Deputy OCPD, DSP Amran Sidek said those who died in the tragedy were the car driver, Norfaizah Mansor, 31, her four children Norsyahira Atika Saudi, 13, Norsufia Saudi, 10, Norsuhaila Saudi, seven, and Mohd Shahrul Amir Saudi, three, as well as Norfaizah’s younger brother, Mohd Saiful Anwar Mansor, 14.

Amran said all the victims were returning home to Pekan after visiting Norfaizah’s parents in Keratong 2, Rompin when the accident happened.

“Upon reaching the scene of the accident near Kampung Runchang, the Proton Iswara, which was coming from the direction of Segamat, tried to overtake the vehicle in front but failed and collided with a trailer coming from the opposite direction,” he told reporters, here today.

Amran said both vehicles failed to avoid a collision, resulting in the Proton Iswara ending up under the trailer.

He said all the victims died on the spot due to serious injuries on the head and chest while the 44-year-old trailer driver and his wife, 43, suffered minor leg injuries.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act.

Meanwhile, Norfaizah’s father, Mansor Hamid, 55, said he did not expect that his children’s and grandchildren’s visit would end up in such tragedy.

“Normally, the youngest grandchild would not follow the mother back to Pekan, but this time, everyone wanted to go back,” said Mansor who came to know of the tragedy at 11pm and immediately rushed to the scene.

Norfaizah’s mother, Arfah Sulung, 54, said her daughter came home with her younger brother and children because she wanted to meet her husband, who works in Bukit Ibam, Muadzam Shah.

“My son-in-law had planned to take my daughter and their children to Melaka on a vacation during the school holidays,” she said. — Bernama

Playing our part in building a safer, prosperous world By YAB Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak Prime Minister of Malaysia

As we gather in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the conference of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), the challenges faced by the world and our populations are vastly different from those that prompted the founding fathers to come together to form this organisation 48 years ago.


The repercussions of the global economic meltdown continue to reverberate around the world. The adverse effects on the weakest among us have been the most severe and this through no fault of their own. Many of the economic gains made to pull people out of poverty have been reversed, the unemployment rates in many of our countries have gone up, trade which provides jobs for many of our citizens has slowed and foreign investment flows (FDIs) have declined.


Terrorism continues to loom large as a threat to international peace and security. Religious clashes and intolerance that manifest in many different ways stem from a lack of understanding and appreciation of the numerous similarities in our religious beliefs and cultural practices. The on-going conflict in the Middle East demands a better appreciation for the rights of Palestinians to their homeland and the aspirations of the people for peace and harmony.


The challenges are great, yet our fundamental goals remain the same - to build peaceful, prosperous, fair and just societies. With the on-going challenges how can we achieve these goals even as people, capital, trade and information flow more easily through an interdependent system which has been battered and needs mending.


From Egypt we can send a strong message to the global community on the way forward for us as well as for the global community.


The Muslim world can and should play a vital role in achieving our shared goals, which are also universal goals. Yes, there are many differences in our backgrounds, but fundamentally the aspirations we have for our families, our societies and our futures are similar with those of other religions.


To achieve lasting peace - a shared aspiration - we need to build bridges between the Muslim world and Christian nations to address the misunderstanding that has for too long overshadowed the positive aspects of our different cultures. The NAM family of nations, comprising different cultures, religions and races can show the way through collaboration in various fields for the collective good of our peoples.


In Malaysia, a multi-racial and multi-religious nation, we have seen how challenging it is to create such mutual respect and understanding. But over the years, we listened and learned, built a progressive, strong democratic nation, and have a government committed to the 1Malaysia concept, where all the people play a part in our national conversation and share the benefits and fruits of our unified national peace and prosperity.


I believe that we can achieve such harmony not only within our individual countries, but between nations. It will not be easy. There will be misunderstandings along the way. But the prize of shared understanding is so great that we cannot afford to miss the opportunity that presents itself in this new global context.


To build long term economic prosperity - another shared objective - the Muslim world has a vital role to play. Rich in natural resources, many talented and skilled people and expertise in areas such as Islamic finance, collaborative efforts with partners in all parts of the world will allow for a more holistic approach to long-term economic growth.


In the wake of the current crisis and the failure of the conventional banking system, there is increased interest in Islamic finance. Malaysia, a leader in this area with some 60 per cent of the world's issuance of sukuk (Islamic bonds) originating from Malaysia last year, is prepared to share its expertise and knowledge for the greater and common good of members. In this context, I would like to see closer cooperation between the Gulf States and Malaysia. The Gulf States with their financial resources and Malaysia with the knowledge and expertise in Islamic finance, provide a natural match and synergy for closer cooperation.


There is already some collaboration between the Gulf States and Malaysia. The Securities Commission (SC) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) signed a mutual recognition agreement that allows for cross border distribution and marketing of Islamic funds between Malaysia and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The existing collaboration can be further strengthened with the establishment of an Economic Council between the Gulf States and Malaysia. It will offer far reaching benefits to members as well as other countries in the two regions - South East Asia and the Gulf region and between Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council. In the wake of the current severe international economic shock, such cooperation is not just important but fundamentally necessary.


One of the most important lessons to be learned from the on-going economic crisis is that we must never be boxed in by orthodoxy in economic matters, but focus more on what works, what is needed and what will best serve the long-term needs of our people. We must use the opportunities available to us, even in these difficult times, to strengthen our economies and emerge stronger when the global economic environment improves. I am very confident that it will surely improve, just as the sun will rise again tomorrow.


In Malaysia, for instance, to mitigate the effects of the global downturn, we instituted unprecedented stimulus packages; sweeping, but vital, reforms to foreign investment committee guidelines and liberalization measures in key sectors such as banking and tourism. These initiatives represent difficult, but necessary, decisions. There have been criticisms from those who want to defend the status quo or ignore the different times we live in. But without these policies, Malaysia would be left behind, ill-equipped to compete in the high-value economic sectors of the future that will propel Malaysia into the higher income group. In short, we have to adapt and adopt policies to progress, to develop and to engage with the international community in a new and vastly changed global economic order.


And it is no different for NAM. The Oragnisation was set up under a very different political and economic environment, but the challenges it faces today are no less important. The Cold War may be over, but we are confronted with the most severe economic crisis in decades, new international security threats that strain relationships and questions about shifts in economic power across regions and between peoples. These call for a collective commitment, dedication and resolve from us. We see the need for cooperation. We can overcome differences. And we must embrace the challenge to build new alliances for peace and prosperity around the world

OCBC Opens First Islamic Branch In Southern Region

JOHOR BAHARU, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd's Islamic banking subsidiary OCBC AI-Amin Bank Bhd officially opened its first branch in the southern region today, consolidating OCBC's position as a leading banking partner to individuals and businesses in Johor.

Located in Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/2, Taman Sutera Utama, Skudai, the branch marked OCBC Bank's seventh branch in Johor, in addition to branches in Johor Baharu city centre, Taman Molek, Muar, Segamat, Kluang and Batu Pahat.

Introducing the OCBC AI-Amin Skudai branch, OCBC AI-Amin's director and chief executive officer Syed Abdul Aziz Syed Kechik said the new operations in Johor would cater to the needs of individuals and businesses in both the immediate and surrounding areas by providing Syariah-compliant products and services.

"There remains vast potential in Johor with large number of businesses operating here and the presence of the Iskandar Malaysia in the vicinity illustrates the extent of the opportunities before us," he said.

Syed Abdul Aziz said OCBC Al-Amin believed it could help catalyse the growth of industries such as engineering, plantation, electrical and electronics, education, information and communications technology (ICT), and retail tourism by providing innovative financial services.

He also announced the introduction of the bank's latest offering called Diminishing Musharakah Asset Financing-i.

It is a financing product offered on a floating rate basis made available for corporate customers for financing of industrial and commercial properties.

The Diminishing Musharakah principle is a combination of two Syariah contracts, Musharakah and Ijarah, in which the bank and the customer will first jointly own the asset under the Musharakah contract. The bank will subsequently lease its share in the asset to the customer under the Ijarah contract.

As part of the opening celebrations, OCBC Al-Amin offered customers an attractive wealth management programme called Rezeki Dalam Genggaman, through which customers enjoy an indicative rate of 2.5 per cent per annum on a three-month General Investmnet Account-i and two per cent per annum hadiah (gift) for Savings Account-i.

Customers will also receive free gifts upon signing up for selected products.

-- BERNAMA

PM Launches 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund With RM37.6 Million Allocation

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced a RM37.6 million allocation for the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund to finance the maintenance of the federal capital's low-cost homes, expecially flats, built by the private sector.

The federal government allocated RM20 million, Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Ministry RM5 million, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) RM10 million and the private sector RM2.6 million, Najib said when launching the Federal Territories Day celebrations, here Sunday night.

The simultaneous celebrations are for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.

Najib said the fund was for the maintenance of lifts, painting the buildings, repairs to the roofs and general repair works.

However, he added, the allocation for the maintenance of the low-cost houses and flats would be made with a matching grant from the government to the funds raised by the joint management bodies or management corporations of the housing schemes.

"We will work with the joint management corporations and fix the matching grant, for instance, if a management corporation raises RM100,000, then the government will add RM100,000.

"With this, the responsibility is jointly shouldered by the residents and government. If the residents contribute, they will play a role in ensuring continued proper maintenance of the low-cost houses or flats," he said.

The prime minister said if the financial assistance was given free, the residents would just wash off their hands and the maintenance efforts would not be sustained.

Najib also said that so far, the response to the sale of 44,000 public housing units (PPR) by the National Economic Action Council and public low-cost housing units (PPA) by DBKL had been encouraging as 25,000 units had been taken up.

The government had allocated RM250 million for maintenance of the PPR and PPA housing units and "our efforts will not stop here," he said. Najib said he would continue with the walkabout in Kuala Lumpur and planned to visit Kampung Baru to discuss the stalled development.

He was satisfied with the visits in Kuala Lumpur especially the facelift of Puduraya Bus Terminal where the waiting room was equipped with air-condition just like at airports.

"Our challenge is to develop Kuala Lumpur as a metropolitan to rival other cities and metropolitans," he said.

Federal Territories Day with the theme "1Wilayah Persekutuan Maju dan Sejahtera" at Dataran Merdeka opened with the cultural show "Senandung Budaya Wilayah Persekutuan."

It was followed by Konsert Ambang 1 Wilayah Persekutuan 2010 graced by local singers like Aishah, Datuk M.Daud Kilau, Bob and Mila.

Najib and Rosmah who arrived at 10.30pm at Menara Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) was met by Raja Nong Chik before taking the "Hop On Hop off" bus for the launch ceremony.

They were greeted on arrival with the Selamat Datang 1Malaysia dance followed by a trooping of Federal Territory flags, the song "Maju dan Sejahtera" and capped with a fireworks display.

-- BERNAMA