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Dr Tony Tan takes oath as new president of Singapore
Highway traffic slow at some stretches (Update)
Hisham: M'sia and Aust to find other ways to fight human trafficking

Dr Tony Tan takes oath as new president of Singapore

Posted: 01 Sep 2011 07:06 AM PDT

SINGAPORE: Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (pix) has been sworn in as the seventh President of Singapore at a ceremony held at the Istana on Thursday.

Dr Tan, 71, took his oath in the presence of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong for a six-year term.

In his speech, the soft spoken Dr Tan said he "wants to be President for all Singaporeans and a President all Singaporeans will be proud of."

The former Deputy Prime Minister said he would devote all his energy and all his heart to the new task, which he described as the biggest challenge of his political career.

Witnessed by Cabinet ministers, members of the judiciary, parliamentarians and senior civil servants, Dr Tan said Singaporeans have to work together to respond to the new challenges that the country was facing.

Dr Tan takes over the president's post from President S.R Nathan, 87, whose term ended on Aug 31 after serving as Singapore's head of state for the last 12 years.

He won the presidency in a four-cornered fight last week and after a recount of votes which saw him won by just over 7,000 votes.

Highway traffic slow at some stretches (Update)

Posted: 01 Sep 2011 07:01 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: Several stretches of the North South Expressway are experiencing slow moving traffic.

PLUSTrafik said the slow traffic on the roads (mentioned below) as at 10pm Thursday were due to the increased in the number of vehicles especially those heading to Kuala Lumpur.

- Around Plaza Tol Juru heading south;

- Pendang to Gurun;

- Bukit Tambun to Jawi (due to an accident);

- Gopeng to Gua Tempurung;

- Bertam to Sg. Dua;

- Kuala Kangsar to Meru Tunnel;

- Taiping to Menora Tunnel;

- Pedas Linggi to Seremban R&R;

- Jasin to Ayer Keroh;

- Gombak, Bentong and Karak toll plazas heading to Kuala Lumpur.

PLUSTrafik can be contacted at 1-800-88-0000 for updates.

Vehicles on the NPE are expected to increase from now as people make their way back to the Klang Valley after the holidays.

Seventeen deaths were recorded under Ops Sikap on Wednesday while the number of accidents stood at 1,036.

Of the fatalities, 14 were motorcyclists while the rest were motorists.

Hisham: M'sia and Aust to find other ways to fight human trafficking

Posted: 01 Sep 2011 05:26 AM PDT

Published: Thursday September 1, 2011 MYT 8:27:00 PM

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia and Australia will find alternative ways of combating international human trafficking while respecting the Australian High Court's decision blocking the refugee swap deal between the two countries.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the court's decision on Wednesday would not affect the good relations between the two countries.

"The law must be respected. In the meantime, Malaysia and Australia will find alternative ways to continue the fight against human trafficking," he said Thursday.

He was asked to comment on the court's decision to block the deal which would have seen 800 asylum seekers in Australia sent here in return for 4,000 refugees in Malaysia to be sent to Australia.

The case was brought to the court by 16 asylum seekers who were to become the first to be flown to Malaysia from the Australian territory of Christmas Island.

More in The Star Friday

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 1 September 2011