Let the people speak
Sep 29
They are the people you see daily, plying a quiet trade on the pavement or in small shops, or scrambling in and out of public transportation as they go about their routines.
From hawkers to security guards and students, they too have opinions on how the countrys economic and financial policies should be shaped.
But such is their lot in life that they are passive recipients of decisions made by the powerful and well connected. So what is on their mind as Budget Day approaches?
Markolis, the cobbler
A cobbler by day and a lorry driver by night, he bashfully concedes that he has no expertise in policy making. But he is certain he can contribute ideas as to what should
go into the budget.
First, though, he has to overcome one source of anxiety: We have the right to speak, but cannot do so. If we speak up, we might get caught and end up in prison.
Markolis, 36, knows it is simpler for the powerful to express their views and points out the obvious that this is not the case for ordinary people. They can say whatever they like, but people like me dont dare (do so). I think they should let the people speak. Only we know what we go through.
Others would not know anything about our difficulties unless they ask us. At the end of the day, we are left to make ends meet.
He suggested that the authorities go around and meet those at the grassroots, to seek out views on what people want from the budget.
It would be good if they could come to us and see what we are doing
how our cost of living has gone up
because of the increase in petrol prices (due to two reductions in the subsidy since May).
Markolis, who has operated at the corner of a row of shoplots in Bangsar for the last five years, is at his pavement post for eight hours a day.
He says the number of customers has fallen by 10 percent this year. On a good day, he could be asked to repair 30 pairs of shoes. When there are no customers, he goes home empty handed to his wife and four children.
(The authorities) should remember that many people have a fixed income and receive some amount at the end of every month, but that others dont. They should take into consideration the impact of economic policies on people at the grassroots.
What to do
I have to look for other sources of income. I drive a lorry for four hours every night. This matter is not easy to talk about. I do not want to
get into trouble.
Markolis hopes that Budget 2006 will ease his financial burden and reduce inflation.
Hanifi, the goreng pisang seller
Hanafi works 12 hours a day, rain or shine, and takes only one day off each month. As he goes about his work with practised ease at a busy street corner, he shouts out his responses over the noise of passing vehicles.
He says he has had little education and can barely keep up with the budget when the details are revealed. However, he knows this much the decisions made by others have a direct impact on his life.
I may be busy with my work, but I do notice the negative impacts of decisions, such as the rising cost of living. Almost everything costs more now, he says.
They are supposed to ask us what we think. Maybe they (the finance ministry) could send its officers to set up a booth at the bus or LRT stations when it is time to prepare the budget. This
will make it easier for us to give our opinion.
Tham, the pensioner
Recently retired, the former IT consultant has time on his hands.
Of course I look forward to the budget. I want to know if (the price of essential food items) is being controlled, he says.
Tham, 57, enthusiastically agrees that the authorities should reach out to the grassroots when preparing the budget, since the decisions will affect everyone.
I think the people who have suffered, and are still suffering, are the ordinary people.
No one is fighting for us. The government says it will protect us, but in the end, it is fellows at the top who benefit from the budget
not us.
In this respect, he wants consumer associations to be more active in protecting the public interest.
Karen, the student
Karen, 23, notes that the authorities only take the trouble to meet the
public ahead of the general elections. She reckons it is time this is done in relation to the budget as well.
They should set up a department, so that we can call up and say what we think should go into the budget, she says.
If everyone co-operates to collectively express their opinions, she adds, the authorities will have no choice but to pay attention.
Yet another hitch in John Doe inquest
Sep 28
The protracted John Doe inquest to identify a body lying in the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre morgue sputtered to yet another stop today after the court was told that the detailed DNA analysis done by a chemist was privileged information.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff, representing the Attorney-Generals Chambers, said the analysis involved a bone marrow specimen extracted on May 23 last year from a body retrieved from the Klang River. Two weeks ago, Kuala Lumpur magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham - acting as coroner - ruled that statements recorded by the police were privileged information that could not be made available to M Puravalen, the lawyer representing G Sara Lily, the mother of missing police detainee G Francis Udayappan (left).
Speaking to malaysiakini after meeting Puravalen and Nazran in chambers, Ishak said the chemistry departments working papers relating to the summary DNA analysis are confidential and open only to the AGs Chambers and coroner.
These are the chemists case notes and, thus, are privileged documents, he said, pointing out that Puravelan has copies of the summary analysis and thus would not need additional details.
The electropherogram charts were summarised in the appendix to the chemists report, of which Puravelan has a copy.
Sara Lily has claimed that John Doe is her son,. She has alleged that Francis was beaten to death while in police custody last April and that his body was thrown into the river.
While she maintained that she identified the body as that of her son through the tattoos on the body and teeth deformities, DNA results had failed to prove a match.
Twelve inconsistencies
During todays proceedings, head of the chemistry departments DNA paternity unit Dr Chang Yuet Meng described her findings.
She said that, while two inconsistencies are usually allowed in any paternity case, this was not the case in her analysis of DNA specimens from the body.
Chang said there were 12 inconsistencies in 15 genetic markers between the DNA sample extracted from the body and those provided by Sara Lily and Francis father S Govindasamy.
Puravelen then asked Chang for the electropherogram charts detailing her analysis of DNA samples purportedly belonging to Francis.
After Ishak objected, Nazran ordered an adjournment to discuss the matter in chambers. Reporters were later told that submissions on the matter would be heard on Monday. Puravelan said there should be
no objections to making available the electropherogram charts containing the DNA profile and questioned why these were being kept under wraps.
We already have the summary analysis. We would just like the working papers to see how the conclusions were reached. They just dont want to give these to us, he said.
Another lawyer for Sara Lily, Ravi Nekoo, said the matter is likely to be referred to the high court for review, whatever the coroners decision.
Pembeli Flat Taman Ampang Mewah kecewa lagi
Sep 28
Pembeli Flat Taman Ampang Mewah kecewa lagi apabila Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ) gagal mengesan pemaju perumahan tersebut untuk mengadakan perbincangan berhubung soal pemberian hakmilik pembeli yang telahpun menyelesaikan pinjaman mereka.
Perjumpaan tersebut dijadualkan diadakan pagi semalam di bangunan MPAJ, sehari selepas pembeli terbabit menghantar memorandum kepada MPAJ berhubung isu tersebut, serta masalah lain yang dihadapi pembeli flat berkenaan.
Seorang pembeli terbabit, Wong Choi Kan berkata, mereka dimaklumkan bahawa pihak MPAJ tidak dapat mengesan alamat syarikat pemaju terbabit Syarikat Seimbang Sdn Bhd.
Dalam perjumpaan di antara penduduk dengan MPAJ kelmarin, Pegawai Perhubungan Awam MPAJ, Norhayati Ahmad memberitahu mereka yang pihaknya akan mendapatkan wakil syarikat pemaju itu untuk menghadiri perbincangan semalam.
Jurutera Bangunan MPAJ, Khairul Nizam Che Azman pula ketika dihubungi
mengesahkan pihaknya tidak dapat mencari alamat syarikat tersebut.
Katanya, ini mungkin kerana syarikat tersebut membina Flat Taman Ampang Mewah kira-kira 20 tahun lalu dan operasi syarikat itu mungkin telah berpindah ke tempat lain.
Syarikat penyelenggara
Bagaimanapun, katanya, urusan penyelenggaraan taman tersebut kini diuruskan oleh Tows West Sdn Bhd yang berpejabat di Subang.
Kami akan mendapat kepastian sama ada syarikat penyelenggaraan tersebut mempunyai kaitan dengan syarikat pemaju, katanya.
Manakala seorang kakitangan Tows West, ketika dihubungi, berkata pegawai yang bertanggungjawab terhadap Flat Taman Ampang Mewah keluar dan beliau tidak dapat memberikan sebarang ulasan mengenainya.
Khairul Nizam berkata, pemeriksaan MPAJ mendapati flat tersebut terbut memiliki sijil layak menduduki (CF).
Mengenai dakwaan penduduk bahawa mereka tidak mendapat hakmilik walapun sudah menjelaskan
pinjaman, beliau menasihatkan mereka merujuk kepada Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Selangor di Shah Alam.
Ketika dihubungi, jurucakap lembaga itu berkata, pihaknya berperanan menjadi orang tengah bagi membantu menyelesaikan pertikaian mengenai penyelenggaraan membabitkan penduduk dan pemaju atau syarikat penyelenggara di kawasan berkenaan.
Hak pembeli
Masalah ini dikendalikan di bawah Jawatankuasa Pengurusan (MC) lembaga itu, katanya.
Bagaimanapun, katanya, urusan pengeluaran hak milik adalah tanggungjawab Pejabat Tanah dan Galian (PTG) negeri.
Beliau menjelaskan, selagi hakmilik sementara tidak diberi kepada pembeli, pihak pemaju perlu mengurus sendiri penyelenggaraan di kawasan perumahan tersebut.
Tetapi kami mendapati banyak penghuni yang tidak menjelaskan kos penyelenggaraan, katanya.
Beliau berkata, apabila masalah ini berlaku, kedua-dua pihak saling menuding jari dan Lembaga
Perumahan dan Hartanah akan memanggil mereka untuk mencari jalan untuk menyelesaikannya.
Bagaimanapun, katanya, pembeli perlu tahu hak-hak mereka seperti kandungan perjanjian jual beli dan tanggungjawab pemaju kepada mereka.
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