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The Star, Wednesday November 8, 2006

Satay outlet to be torn down

KLANG:KLANG: DZ Satay House which was built illegally on state land in Pandamaran, Port Klang, will be demolished on Nov 23, and its owner Datuk Zakaria Md Deros will be slapped with a RM10,000 fine. 

ALL SMILES: Zakaria leaving the ACA headquarters in Shah Alam yesterday.

A Klang District Land Office spokesman said the restaurant was built without approval on a buffer zone meant for road expansion, and Zakaria would be fined under the National Land Code for trespassing. 

“The District Land Office will issue a notice of demolition under the Land Code tomorrow (today) and tear down the restaurant on Nov 23,” he said. 

“We are giving the owner ample time to remove the furniture and fittings, to minimise losses.”  

Yesterday, the district office surveyed the land on which the restaurant stood as well as the surrounding area. 

“No appeal will be entertained as the land is a buffer zone and can’t be used for other purposes,” he added. 

“We are strict about this and want to ensure that the message goes out to others not to misuse state land or occupy it illegally.” 

Meanwhile, Klang municipal council president Abdul Bakir Zin said yesterday that Zakaria, who is Port Klang assemblyman, had yet to pay up the RM24,000 fine imposed on him by the council for building a four-storey mansion without submitting building plans. 

Last week, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir Toyo said there were many buildings and premises in the state built without approval from the authorities. 

He said the state government had long known about their existence but if all of these were demolished there would be a huge public outcry.  

The Star, Tuesday November 7, 2006

Cabinet not against replacing Causeway, says Najib

JOHOR BARU: The Cabinet had never been against building a bridge to replace the Causeway but the project was cancelled for two reasons, one of which was the reluctance to comply with a couple of requests by Singapore. 

The other reason was the indication by the republic that it wanted to take the matter to the international court. 

“When we wanted to build a straight bridge, Singapore wanted us to sell them a fairly large quantity of sand and to allow them the use of our airspace,” said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.  

“These two requests are difficult to accept from a political stand. 

“When we wanted to build a crooked bridge, Singapore refused to accept, and was indicating about taking action through the international court. 

“So, the Cabinet felt that it was better to just call off the project.”  

Asked if the project would be revived in future, Najib said Malaysia could not make any unilateral decision as the country was tied to international laws and the water agreement with Singapore. 

And what if Singapore decides to sincerely agree with continuing the bridge project?  

Najib said: “If they were sincere on the project, it would have materialised by now.” 

He added that the Government respected the Sultan of Johor’s views that the Causeway needed to be removed to allow ships to pass through the Johor straits. 

Sultan Iskandar said his ancestors were deceived on the Causeway, which was purportedly built so as to develop Keppel harbour in Singapore.  

The Star, Tuesday November 7, 2006

Zakaria faces council action on satay restaurant

KLANG: Port Klang state assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros’ troubles are far from over. 

Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Abdul Bakir Zin said appropriate action would be taken against him soon for building his DZ Satay House illegally on state land. 

“The land office is preparing a notice to be served on Zakaria and action will be taken under the National Land Code,” he said.  

However, Abdul Bakir could not say if the notice would require Zakaria to tear down the structure. 

He added that Zakaria, a former MPK councillor, had yet to submit the building plans for his palatial home in Kg Idaman, Pandamaran, to MPK for approval.  

Abdul Bakir added that Zakaria had also not settled the RM24,000 fine imposed on him for having illegally constructed his mansion 

Fellow MPK councillor Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff, who had committed the same offence, had submitted his plans for approval, said Abdul Bakir. 

Umno Youth chief Faizal Abdullah was the other MPK councillor found to have built his home without approval.  

The Star, Monday November 6, 2006

Mazlynoor will not be forced to resign, says MB

By CHRISTINA TAN

KUALA LANGAT: Klang Municipal Councillor Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff, who built his Kampung Raja Uda bungalow without council approval, will not be forced to resign, said Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. 

Dr Khir said he had decided that any councillor who settled his problem with the council within one or two months, could remain in the post. 

“Now, it’s up to him (Mazlynoor) to decide, I can’t force a person. He is nominated (as a councillor) and he is qualified,” he said yesterday.  

“The only thing is he broke the local government rules. I understand that he will settle the matter within one or two days.”  

Dr Khir was speaking to newsmen after a Hari Raya open house held by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at Pantai Kelanang in Morib here yesterday. 

Mazlynoor is one of three councillors with the Klang Municipal Council who bulit their homes without approval. Two of them – Faizal Abdullah and Port Klang state assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros – resigned as councillors last week. 

Council president Abdul Bakir Zin said Mazlynoor resubmitted the building plan of his bungalow to the council last Friday and it would take two to three days to approve the plan.  

The Star, Saturday November 4, 2006

Mazlynoor mum on whether he will quit post

RealVideo Media Player 

ALL EARS: Mazlynoor (standing, second left) listening to what Dr Khir (seated, left) had to say during a press conference at the MPK open house in Klang yesterday.

KLANG: Klang municipal councillor Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff has met with Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and received the same advice given to the other two councillors who constructed their bungalows without getting all the approvals from the local council. 

However, unlike Faizal Abdullah and Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, Mazlynoor did not confirm whether he would voluntarily relinquish his nomination as a councillor. 

“I explained to the Mentri Besar about the situation of the construction of my house and he was satisfied. 

“I had actually submitted the building plan on May 25 and was given conditional approval the next day,” he told reporters after attending the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) open house at its building here yesterday. 

Also present were Dr Khir, executive councillor Datuk Rahman Palil, Zakaria, MPK president Abdul Bakir Zin, Mazlynoor and Faizal. 

Mazlynoor said the process of the building plan approval was delayed due to land title approval. 

He admitted he could have started work too soon on the bungalow in Kampung Raja Uda before obtaining all the approvals.  

Mazlynoor added that he would meet the MPK building department officers to settle the issues.  

He also apologised to Dr Khir and the people in Klang for his “oversight.” 

However, when asked about his withdrawal as MPK councillor, Mazlynoor declined to comment. 

The council had issued stop-work orders on the three properties belonging to Zakaria, Faizal and Mazlynoor. 

Mazlynoor’s bungalow is a short drive from Faizal’s. 

Mazlynoor is the deputy head of the Klang Umno division.  

Zakaria is the division chief. 

Kapar Umno division Youth chief Faizal, who resigned as a councillor on Wednesday, forwarded his resignation letter to the council on Monday.  

The Star, Saturday November 4, 2006

MB: If Zakaria’s house is torn down, what about the others?

By LOONG MENG YEE, EDWARD RAJENDRA

Media Player| Real Video 

KLANG: Let’s be realistic – there are a lot of buildings in Selangor built without proper local council approval. That is the frank opinion of Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. 

“I have been told I must be fair; to act without fear or favour. If so, then these properties and building extensions are also subject to demolition,” Dr Khir told reporters yesterday. 

“Such properties include temples and even the headquarters of political parties. If I go strictly by the book instead of taking into account public interest and racial harmony, imagine the outcry if I were to execute the demolition orders.” 

Dr Khir said his state government has long known about the existence of many properties, building extensions and even 5,000 factories constructed without obtaining all the approvals from local councils. 

However, he said, enforcement action had been selective because the state wanted to be a friendly government, and not execute drastic measures that might cause hardship for the rakyat. 

Unless a property or building extension was a safety threat; hindered traffic or posed a danger to the public, local councils had been quite tolerant about not taking action although they were illegally constructed.  

“Datuk Zakaria (Md Deros) is not the only person who had constructed a house without getting all the approvals first. 

“I have been told I should not practise double standard. If his house is demolished, can all others in the same predicament accept the demolition of their properties? 

“I have received many calls from the public, saying this place, or that, the neighbour’s extension has no building plan approval, should I demolish them?” asked Dr Khir at the Hari Raya open house organised by the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) at Dewan Hamzah here yesterday. 

He was commenting on calls by certain quarters insisting that Zakaria’s mansion in Kampung Idaman be demolished for being constructed without MPK approval.  

Dr Khir said Zakaria must pay the fines for flouting certain local council building laws. 

He said he wanted all local councils to start checking on properties. Those found flouting laws would be dealt with. 

When asked about the fate of Zakaria’s other properties that were in violation of laws such as the DZ Satay House which was built on state land without approval, Dr Khir said Zakaria was subject to investigations by the responsible authorities. 

On Zakaria’s move to withdraw from the council post only after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi issued advice, Dr Khir said Zakaria had submitted his letter before the Nov 8 deadline. 

“Some have said I was indecisive over the matter. Yes, I could have just revoked the appointment. 

“But it is better for him to withdraw, which he eventually did – that is good, because we do not want to be an inconsiderate government,” he said.  

Clear ‘climate of fear’ says panel Jacqueline Ann Surin PETALING JAYA (The Sun, Oct 31, 2006): The "police state" and "climate of fear" that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says now exist under the current administration are actually his own creations from 22 years of power, the Civil Rights Committee of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-KLSCAH) said. However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must begin democratising reforms if he is sincere in breaking away from Mahathir’s authoritarianism, CRC-KLSCAH chairman Ser Choon Ing said in a statement. Ser challenged both Abdullah and Mahathir to support seven measures to dismantle the "police state" and "climate of fear", including- repealing the Internal Security Act (ISA); establishing the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC); reforming media-related laws through a parliamentary select committee; liberalising the universities by replacing the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) with legislation produced through wide consultation; combating corruption through institutionalised means, for example, by making the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) a statutory body accountable to Parliament; amending relevant laws to uphold the Constitutional freedoms of expression, assembly and association; and establishing truth commissions to hold accountable those who abused power, and to correct the wrong and compensate the victims of the 1987 Operasi Lalang and 1988 judicial crisis. "So far, Abdullah has failed to keep his promises of combating corruption, reforming bureaucracy and listening to the truth. Instead, disappointingly, he has frequently suppressed the freedom of expression and information," Ser said. "If the PM wants to bury Mahathir’s criticisms, he must show his political determination to initiate democratising reforms and to break away from the authoritarianism inherited from Mahathir. Malaysians will then surely rally behind him." He noted that Mahathir’s complaints of having his political freedom curbed were the "standard treatment for political dissent" during his premiership. "Many Malaysians, from his former deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to opposition and community leaders, have suffered worse persecutions," he said, adding that if Mahathir’s criticism are to have credibility, he must now support the seven measures. Last Friday (Oct 27, 2006), Mahathir said in a statement a "climate of fear has enveloped" the country, and he had to criticise Abdullah because no one else was able to. Mahathir also claimed that any person who tried to hold a function that may criticise Abdullah would be "harassed and threatened by the police and government leaders". In a statement today, Inspector- General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said Malaysia was not a "police state". Musa said that especially since he took over, the police have been more open to public views, including holding discussions with the Bar Council and non-governmental organisations. "The police have never denied an application to hold a public gathering except when it was deemed a threat to national security and public order, and have never threatened anyone who wanted to hold a public gathering," he said. Musa stressed that the police have neither detained the organisers of public events involving Mahathir for investigation nor disrupted these events. "In fact, we have provided tighter security for Tun Dr Mahathir at these events since the (pepper spray) incident in Kelantan," he added.

Updated: 07:14PM Tue, 31 Oct 2006

The Star, Thursday November 2, 2006

Down with illegal home extensions

ALTERATIONS and extensions to buildings without planning permission is widely practised, and even tolerated until an aggrieved neighbour blows their cover. 

For these suffering neighbours, complaints to the local authority about illegal works that intrude into or damage the common boundary sometimes add more grief when no firm action is taken. 

Two long-suffering residents along a stretch of double-storey terrace houses in Bayan Baru know only too well the heartache of living next door to a house undergoing invasive illegal alteration work.  

Resident Rogayah Mohd, 41, claimed she spent some RM3,000 to rewire her house after illegal renovations next door unleashed an invasion of termites which damaged the wiring. 

“While extending the porch area, the neighbour cut away the common gutter without informing us and this caused rain water to gush down the exposed end,” she said. 

She said the neighbour also shifted the toilet next to one of her bedrooms that led to a seepage of water through the common wall. 

Following her complaints, the neighbour later repainted Rogayah’s side of the bedroom to cover up water stains and repaired the exposed end of the gutter. 

Another resident of an adjoining house said the council tore down the same neighbour’s extended porch about a year ago but extensions of rooms were left untouched. 

She said the owner, who did not live in the house, had not removed the debris.  

A resident in Bandar Baru Air Itam was exasperated that a neighbour had made an illegal building extension for a food catering business and it encouraged an infestation of rats. 

Another resident at Fettes Park in Tanjung Tokong was at her wits’ end with a neighbour who extended his building too close to the perimeter fencing, thus robbing her family of privacy as she claimed the neighbour would peep into one of her bedrooms. 

These complainants, some having even asked lawyers and politicians to look into their plight, are familiar faces appearing at the council’s Meet-the-people session every last Friday of the month. 

State DAP Action Team chief Tham Weng Fatt said the council should not practise double standards by taking action only against the lower-income group while well-connected people were spared. 

“All illegal extensions should be removed and the offenders taken to court,” said Tham. 

State Local Government, Traffic Management, Information and Community Relations Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said once a complaint was received, checks would be done to ascertain whether the work is illegal. 

“If it is, a notice to stop work is issued and by the end of one month, the owner must revert the building to its original state or apply to get approval,” he said. 

If the owner failed to comply, he said the council could either tear down the extension work as provided for under the Local Government Act 1976 or to bring the offender to court under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976.  

The Star, Thursday November 2, 2006

Stop criticising Pak Lah, Puteri Umno urges Dr M

INFANT HEART PATIENT: Noraini (foreground) and Puteri member Norhamozah Mat Tahir visiting month-old Muhammad Hafiq Ramadhan Jajah at the paediatric ward yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Puteri Umno has urged Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to stop criticising Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi so that Umno can focus on highlighting the Malay agenda during the general assembly. 

Its head Datuk Noraini Ahmad said the wing was expected to touch on the controversy involving the two leaders during the assembly but not in a specific manner. 

“We thought that the meeting between the two leaders during Ramadan was the best Raya gift for the party.  

“It turned out that Dr Mahathir had given more ‘tags’ to Pak Lah. We feel sad,” she told reporters after a charity visit at the paediatric ward in the National Heart Institute here yesterday. 

“As the younger generation, we feel that enough is enough. What else does Dr Mahathir wants?” she asked. 

Noraini said Dr Mahathir’s open criticism might lead to negative implications for the party. 

“There are ways to criticise. There are platforms for it. We appeal to him to stop his criticism.  

“Let Pak Lah do his job. He has a lot to do. There are a lot of agenda to be fulfilled.” 

At the general assembly, Noraini said the wing would table motions relating to social and welfare issues.  

Earlier, she gave away duit raya to 40 young heart patients and contributed reading materials for the setting up of a reading corner at the ward.  

 

Related Stories:
Umno may discuss Dr M’s advisory positions
Mahathir leaves it to Umno to decide on his posts

The Star, Thursday November 2, 2006

Building plans yet to be submitted

By EDWARD RAJENDRA

KLANG: Where are the plans? It has been days since the scandal of Klang municipal councillors building palatial homes without submitting building plans to the council, yet until yesterday, none of the councillors or their architects had submitted plans. 

Two of the councillors have put the blame for the non-submission of building plans squarely on their architects. 

Abdul Bakir: ‘If problems crop up, we go after the house owner, not the architect’

Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Abdul Bakir Zin said that up to yesterday, none of the three councillors or their architects’ representatives had submitted their building plans. 

He said the stop-work orders for the three bungalows therefore remained in force. 

Abdul Bakir said councillors who blamed their architects for not getting approval for their building plans were setting an unhealthy precedent for members of the public to follow.  

“The onus is on the owner to make sure the building plans are submitted. If problems crop up, we go after the house owner, not the architect,” he said when contacted yesterday. 

“So take a keener interest in what your architect is doing.”  

The Star yesterday identified Faizal Abdullah as the third councillor who started construction of a bungalow in Kampung Raja Uda here without getting MPK’s approval. 

The other two are Klang state assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, an MPK councillor who was building a mansion in Kampung Idaman, and Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff, who started work on his bungalow in Kampung Raja Uda. 

Both Zakaria and Faizal blamed their respective architects for failing to make sure all the necessary approvals were obtained before construction work started. 

Faizal had promised that his architect would submit the building plans by Monday next week. 

Abdul Bakir also warned councillors who held land under Temporary Occupational Licence (TOL) not to misuse the land for purposes other than described in the approval of the council’s business licence.  

It was believed Abdul Bakir had voiced his concern because he discovered that some councillors who owned businesses had not complied with the business licences. 

“We are conducting a thorough check on various businesses operating on TOL land. Initial checks showed a few had not complied with conditions in the licences,” he said. 

“In some cases, the council had approved the land for car showrooms but now we see restaurants there.”  

Abdul Bakir said the council would issue notices to the “illegal” businesses.  

Related Stories:
Resign, Zakaria urged
Faizal: Good lesson for me