The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Need for more industrial parks
- Company was supposed to build computer labs for 300 schools by 2008
- 100 needy households get food aid
| Need for more industrial parks Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:15 AM PDT JOHOR BARU: Property developers in Iskandar Malaysia have been urged to venture into industrial park projects to cater for the surge in demand for industrial properties here. Johor executive councillor for International Trade and Industry Tan Kok Hong said it was timely for developers to focus on this segment apart from the residential properties area. "Johor is still strong in the manufacturing sector and it remains one of the top three destinations for foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the country," he said. Tan said this at the signing ceremony between Telekom Malaysia Bhd and UMLand Bhd's subsidiary Dynasty View Sdn Bhd for the deployment and provision of TM's high speed broadband (HSBB) network infrastructure and services. TM was represented by its Johor vice-president Mohd Roslan Mohd Rashidi and assistant general manager of SME Mohd Nizam Mohd Yunan while Dynasty View by its general manager Wong Kuen Kong and assistant general manager of finance Tan Siew Ping. He said with Singapore focusing on the service sector, many of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and big manufacturers in the republic were looking elsewhere to relocate their operations. "Logically, Johor Baru is the best choice for them due to its proximity to Singapore and they could have the best of both worlds in two countries," added Tan. He said the cost of doing business in Johor Baru was relatively cheaper compared with the high overhead costs in Singapore and the republic also facing space constraint to build new industrial parks. Tan said new industrial parks within Iskandar Malaysia such as the Senai Hi-Tech Park, Setia Business Park, Tanjung Langsat, IOI Kempas Utama, Southern Industrial Logistic and Cluster were doing well. He said apart from the Singapore-based companies, many SMEs from Japan, Europe and the USA had shown interest to relocate their operations to Iskandar Malaysia. "We can expect more Japanese manufacturers to set up their operations here within the next one or two years following the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters there," said Tan. He said in order to attract more foreign manufacturers to Johor; new industrial parks must be equipped with the HSBB network services as well as upgrading the existing industrial parks with the infrastructure. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Company was supposed to build computer labs for 300 schools by 2008 Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:15 AM PDT A company contracted to build computer laboratories in 300 schools in Sabah had only managed to complete two such labs. The Auditor General's report stated that TimeCom Holdings Sdn Bhd, which specialises in electrical works, was supposed to complete all 300 labs worth RM160.73mil by April 30, 2008. The company was granted an extension of six months, but still failed to complete the project. As a result of this delay, the company was slapped with a Liquidated and Ascertained Damages (LAD) penalty of RM3.17mil from Nov 1, 2008 to May 11, 2009. The report said that TimeCom Holdings had already received RM98.9mil for the project despite the failure to deliver. The Education Ministry (MOE) explained that the directly negotiated contract was cancelled in March 2010. The report also stated that the company was previously given a similar project involving 200 schools in 2001, and had failed to complete construction by the given deadline in 2002. The report said that as of August 2003, only 168 labs were completed handed over, of which six were deemed unsafe for use by the Public Works Department. Samples of water taken from two out of 13 schools were found to be unfit for consumption as it contained unsafe levels of manganese and arsenic. The samples also revealed ten of the schools tested had E.Coli and other bacteria (which may cause cholera, typhoid and Hepatitis A) above the permitted level. As for the audit on the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE), it was found that 107 out of a total of 500 teaching staff from six private higher education institutions did not have teaching permit. Under the law, the offence is punishable with a fine of RM10,000 or a jail term not exceeding a month or both. Among the reasons given were that some of the lecturers did not apply, while some were awaiting approval for the permits. The six institutions are part of the 25 visited by the audit team. The MOHE said the delay was because the issuance of teaching permits for teaching staff in private higher learning institutions was done manually. Six other higher education institutions were slapped with a total of RM60,000 compounds last year for failing to register their premises and another eight such institutions were fined a total of RM80,000 for failing to register extension to their premises. The MOHE said that the delay in issuing the approval for relocation or renovation of premises was caused by the lack of supporting documents from three agencies. However, the three agencies were not named in the A-G's report. The MOHE proposed, among others, to create an online processing system to alleviate the problem of delay. Audit also showed that some private higher education institutions were spared from legal actions despite having relocated before they submit their applications for change of premises or conduct renovations to their premises without prior approval. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| 100 needy households get food aid Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:15 AM PDT MALACCA: National oil-company Petronas, demonstrated its social responsibility by providing a 24 months solution to alleviate the predicaments faced some 100 underprivileged households in the state through a food aid programme. Petronas Chief Executive Office (Refinery) Datuk Nur Iskandar Abdul Samad said a mechanism has been developed by providing fixed assistance of RM80 monthly for the next two years to the poor households throughout Malacca. "For the next two years, those listed as living under the poverty line by the Welfare Department and had registered with us could collect their food supplies from any Petronas Mesra Stores by only displaying their MyKad. "Apart from the food aid, those registered will be also given opportunity to supplment their incomes and methods of managing their financial well-being," he said after the launch of the program that was executed by State Islamic Religious Affairs committee chairman Datuk Yaakub Md Amin at Sungai Udang, recently. Nur Iskandar added his team had also listed the names of poor that were provided by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Malacca based welfare body-MyKasih Foundation. Recipient of the aid, Zurina Hassan said her family fell into a dire strait after her 44-year-old husband, Abdul Razak Nordin lost his job and was unable to provide for the couple's five school-going children. "This two-year grant is indeed came in the right time, we don't have to starve whenever the food supplies at home are depleted," said the 43-year-old housewife. Another recipient Safnah Abdol Talib, 42, said she was grateful to be listed as beneficiary of the programs. "Both, me and my husband are menial labourers, earning less than RM600 a month and this aid would definitely alleviate our burden," she said. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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