'SELAMAT DATANG KE BLOG 'PUSAT MAKLUMAT RAKYAT KUCHING'

Kami menyediakan bahan maklumat mengenai dasar-dasar kerajaan serta perkhidmatan internet bagi para pelanggan.

LEAVING THIS BLOG NOW...................

As I will be on a long months' holidays starting 7th July 2010 prior to my retirement in October 2010, I will suspend my service in updating my blog on daily issues or facts of interest.

I would like to thanks everyone for having the interest in surfing my blog and sharing the thoughts with me.

Thank you to everyone.


Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Power to peninsula by 2013

Bakun expected to be operational by 2010 will start transmitting electricity too Peninsular Malaysia by 2013

The Bakun hydro-electricity dam project, about 180km from here, will start to transmit power to Peninsular Malaysia by 2013, said Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum.

Salang, who visited the project over the weekend, told reporters here the RM3.2 billion project was expected to be operational by 2010.

About 100 megawatt (MW) to the state grid through the Similajau HVDC (high voltage direct current) lines which would be ready by next year.

By 2013 it is expected to begin transmitting 1,600MW to Peninsular Malaysia via the 676-km submarine cables across the South China Sea. The project would initially operate with three of its eight turbine generators, each with 300MW capacity, and would use the rest as more water was available in the reservoir area. The 695 sq km reservoir is almost as big as Singapore. It provided sustainable energy source. The 205-metre Bakun dam would be the second highest rockfill dam in the world after the Shibuya dam in China.

Civil works for its wall, spillway (to flush out excess water), power intake, power tunnels and powerhouse were expected to be completed by June 2010.

The process of draining water into the dam is expected to begin on Nov 21 this year. The dam will be filled in 18 months

Bakun will be the most beautiful dam. It will have six islands and will offer immense eco-tourism potentials.

100 ditahan dalam Ops Sapu

Sebahagian 100 pemuda yang ditahan dalam Ops Sapu

Remaja berusia antara 10 dan 21 dicekup di Kompleks Medan Pelita, dalam usaha polis atasi gejala negatif

Kira-kira 100 remaja berusia antara 10 hingga 21 tahun ditahan dalam Ops Sapu yang dilancarkan Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Kuching, di sekitar bandar raya ini bagi membanteras kegiatan negatif di kalangan anak muda di sini, semalam. Pegawai Operasi, Cif Inspektor Mohd Morsidi Abdullah, berkata seramai 20 anggota polis dari Balai Polis Sentral bersama Bahagian Siasatan Jenayah dan Narkotik, menahan remaja yang sedang melepak di Kompleks Medan Pelita, Tebingan Kuching dan kawasan sekitarnya.


"Semua remaja yang ditahan dibawa ke Balai Polis Sentral sebelum ujian air kencing dilakukan ke atas mereka selain pemeriksaan rekod dilakukan sekiranya mereka terbabit dengan kegiatan jenayah.

"Beberapa senjata berbahaya seperti rantai dan tali pinggang besi dirampas dengan mereka yang negatif ujian saringan akan dilepaskan, namun dinasihatkan supaya tidak melepak di sini lagi," katanya selepas mengetuai operasi berkenaan. Ada antara remaja berkenaan yang masih bersekolah ditahan dalam keadaan mabuk dan khayal disyaki akibat mengambil minuman keras serta mengambil pil khayal dari jenis 'nospen' yang dijual secara berleluasa di sini.

Morsidi berkata, remaja yang didapati positif mengambil dadah atau pil khayal akan ditahan dan disoal siasat bagi mengesan pengedar dadah yang menjadikan golongan remaja sebagai sasaran mereka.

"Ada antara remaja yang ditahan mempunyai kesan suntikan di lengan mereka selain berada dalam keadaan khayal dipercayai baru saja memakan pil khayal murah yang kesannya tidak terlalu lama.

"Ops Sapu ini dilancarkan IPD Kuching sebagai antara usaha polis memastikan kawasan sekitar Tebingan Kuching dan pusat tumpuan pelancong bebas dari kegiatan jenayah," katanya.

Kawasan Tebingan Kuching yang menjadi antara kawasan tumpuan pelancong ke bandar raya ini sering berlaku perbuatan jenayah seperti ragut dan samun dengan pelancong asing menjadi sasaran utama.

Sebagai langkah keselamatan, IPD Kuching bersama Unit Polis Pelancong melancarkan Ops Sapu dan rondaan berkala selama 24 jam bagi memastikan kawasan berkenaan bebas daripada gejala negatif selain memastikan ia selamat.


Monday, April 21, 2008

UiTM to double student intake to 200,000

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), the largest university in the nation, will double its intake this year from 100,000 students to meet the country’s future needs in human capital.
“The higher student intake is inline with the country’s aspiration to produce more graduates in the professional and semi-skilled fields as the country progresses towards becoming a developed nation,” said UiTM Sarawak director Associate Professor Dr Jamil Hamali at a media appreciation dinner here Saturday.

He said the campus in Kota Samarahan and Mukah would also increase its intake accordingly towards the end.

The Kota Samarahan campus would be further expanded to make UiTM a world-class tertiary education provider and the preferred choice among Malaysians, he added.

Jamil said UiTM Sarawak would start its Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) programme designed for experienced business executives soon.

UiTM will be holding its first preview and consultation on EMBA programme at Mega Hotel in Miri on May 9 (Friday) between 2pm and 6pm.

The programme has been carefully structured to ensure that all courses can be completed within two years even while the students continue to handle their own professional duties full-time.

This is accomplished by scheduling the lectures on in the weekends during the two-year period.

An independent research project has to be completed during the second half of the programme.

Sarawak the nation’s ninth rice bowl

Sarawak will be turned into Malaysia’s ninth rice bowl in an effort to increase rice production under the nation’s Food Security Strategy (FSS).

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said he would be going to Sarawak on Saturday to discuss with the relevant quarters there the plan, aimed at ensuring adequate supply of rice at all times.

He would also look at the land and other needs of the farmers there, he said after visiting a 46ha honey orange cultivation project involving 38 participants.

“Sarawak has good potential as the population is not big while there is a lot of land for agriculture compared with the peninsula,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government will be tabling the FSS as a short-term and long-term effort to ensure sufficient supply of food at all times.

Mustapa recently had said that the FSS which would involve several ministries was now in the final stage of planning and would be submitted to the cabinet soon.

The FSS is aimed at avoiding not only a rice shortage crisis but also of other essential items like sugar, flour, cooking oil and livestock meat.

Mustapa said his ministry would also look into the kind of infrastructural assistance needed, including irrigation canals, and also at the annual subsidies for rice production like on fertilisers, pesticides and machinery.

He said his ministry had also completed the FSS report, which would be presented to the Cabinet next week.

According to him, the FSS encompasses the important crops to be focused on by the government, cost implications which include for subsidies and infrastructure, and the methodology for the policy implementation to ensure the success of the plan.

He also announced that Jeli district would be made a model for an agriculture special project in the effort to popularise it as a food supply centre for Kelantan and the country.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said Jeli had plenty of land suitable for crops.

As such, a one-stop centre would be established in Jeli to hold courses on crop cultivation and motivation as well as to look into the problems faced by farmers.

He also said that the ministry would develop idle land in a move to exploit the potential fertility of arable land in Jeli. The honey lemon orchard is an example of crop cultivated on idle land.

Mustapa said the farmers involved in the honey lemon project were expected to reap an income of RM2,000 per tonne of honey lemon when the fruits were ready for harvest next year.

Jeli has been earmarked as an agriculture centre under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) programme.

— Bernama

Friday, April 18, 2008

Pertemuan CUEPACS dengan Perdana Menteri - *Kerajaan setuju tingkat had umur bersara * Tiada honorarium RM2,000

Kerajaan bersetuju memenuhi lima daripada enam permintaan Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) yang dikemukakan bagi meningkatkan kebajikan 1.2 juta kakitangan awam di negara ini.

Presiden CUEPACS, Omar Osman berkata, lima tuntutan yang diterima itu adalah berkaitan kadar pencen, lanjutan umur persaraan, pemansuhan peperiksaan Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK), pemberian semula elaun kritikal dan penambahan elaun perumahan.

Bagaimanapun, kata beliau, tuntutan CUEPACS supaya kakitangan awam diberikan honorarium RM2,000 tidak dapat diterima kerajaan.

‘‘Kami gembira dan puas hati dengan pertemuan hari ini. Tolak honorarium sahaja, yang lain kami dapat. Butiran lanjut mengenai lima tuntutan yang dipenuhi itu akan diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri sedikit masa lagi,” katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini.

Terdahulu, beliau yang mengetuai sembilan pegawai kanan CUEPACS mengadakan pertemuan dengan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bagi membincangkan enam tuntutan kongres itu di Pejabat Perdana Menteri di sini.

Pertemuan selama 45 minit itu turut dihadiri Ketua Setiausaha Negara (KSN), Tan Sri Mohd. Sidek Hassan; Ketua Pengarah JPA, Tan Sri Ismail Adam dan Ketua Setiausaha Perbendaharaan Kementerian Kewangan, Datuk Dr. Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.

CUEPACS sebelum ini mengancam akan memboikot sambutan Hari Pekerja 1 Mei ini jika kerajaan enggan memenuhi enam tuntutan yang telah dikemukakan oleh kongres itu sejak tiga tahun lalu.

Enam tuntutan tersebut ialah pemberian honorarium RM2,000 kepada kakitangan awam, pemberian kadar pencen mengikut perkhidmatan, lanjutan umur persaraan daripada 56 tahun kepada 60 tahun, pemansuhan peperiksaan Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK), pemberian semula elaun kritikal dan penambahan elaun perumahan kepada RM230 berbanding RM180 hari ini.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Wayang pacak’ to make come-back next month

The Information Ministry said it would re-introduce the ‘wayang pacak’ (free film shows) next month.

The Information Department-sponsored free film shows, popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, were effective in imparting information and entertainment among rural and sub-urban folk, said its minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

It’s a well known fact that ‘wayang pacak’ was in the olden days an avenue for the people to interact and catch up with each other.

Ahmad said apart from screening interesting movies, including cartoons, the free film shows would also show footage on developments, which the people had enjoyed over the years.

“The ministry treats the free film shows as an effective tool for the rural villagers to obtain valuable information on government policies,” he told a press conference after attending a dialogue session with officials and staff of his Ministry at the RTM Auditorium in Jalan P Ramlee here yesterday.

Ahmad said the programme was scrapped in the mid 80s because it could not compete with the increasing popularity of television and newspapers.

Believing that free film shows could be made popular again, Ahmad said the ministry would have to find innovative ways to attract people to watch them.
He said the shows could still be relevant in today’s society.

On another matter, Ahmad said the aim of showing ‘live’ parliamentary sessions on television for 30 minutes each time, was to ensure that people would be well informed on the latest debates or progress on the bills and laws.

“We will not show the whole sitting but only the relevant debates,” he said.
He said that based on his first tour of duty to Sarawak, he noticed the state government’s commitment in strengthening ties with the federal government.

He was also impressed with the state’s commitment in wanting to see the New Economic Policy be continued in an effort to eradicate hardcore poverty as well as to promote harmony and stability among the people.

Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Dato Sri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan who is also minister in-charge of information in the state, Ministry of Information secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Siaraf, Bernama general manager Datuk Azman Ujang and state Information director Resat Salleh, political secretary Dr Junaidy Abdul Wahab and senior private secretary to the Information Ministry Idris Mahmood were also present at the press conference.

Earlier on, Ahmad paid courtesy calls on the Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin and also on Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Ahmad is the former parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to his appointment as Information Minister after the just concluded 12th General Election.
He was in town yesterday for his first working visit to Sarawak.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

AirAsia to impose baggage handling fee

Starting April 21, every bag checked in will be charged

Budget airline AirAsia Bhd will charge a fee for handling checked baggage for flights booked from April 21 onwards.

Group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said the fee was only applicable for bookings made after April 21 and would be implemented across AirAsia’s network.

“One of the major causes is obviously fuel … You use more fuel when the aircraft is heavier. What we are going to do is that every bag that you checked in, we will charge RM5 per bag, but if you buy online on the days before then we will charge RM3 per bag. AirAsia X has been doing this and has proven quite successful.

Hence, we are going to do it at AirAsia from April 21,” he said at a media briefing here yesterday on its plan to impose checked baggage handling fee.
He said the fee would not be imposed on customers who already booked their flights.

Fernandes said the airline has to shoulder huge costs, especially in an area that people generally “fly with the house” such as Indonesia and China.

“So, this is a way of passing on some of the extra costs directly to the people who need those extra bags,” he said.

He said the move has already been done in Europe and had proven successful.
“In fact, some of the premium airlines (in Europe) have been doing it,” he said. Fernandes, however, said passengers travelling with only hand luggage would not be charged.
He said previously, the cost of checked baggage was automatically included in the fees.

“This means that those travelling with only hand luggage were subsidising those travelling with heavier checked baggage. Now, the guests will pay for the bags they wish to travel with,” he said.

On whether AirAsia would also raise fuel surcharge, Fernandes said: “We have no intention even though the jet oil in today’s market is at US$130 per barrel.”

Fernandes said the imposition of the fee was expected to help the company defray up to 10 per cent of the fuel cost while at the same time keep its fares low.

“We have to find new and innovative ways to keep our fares low so that the consumers are not hurt. It is not much (contribution from the new fee), but it adds up with all the other things we are doing currently such as priority boarding, selling merchandise and food on the flights,” he said.

Fernandes said AirAsia would soon introduce the use of mobile phone services.
“We going to introduce that (mobile phone on planes)… we are working on it now and this is another innovative and value-added idea from us,” he said.

–Bernama