The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Safety first in schools
- Celebration a hit with duo
- Objection period for plan extended to give public more time to air grouses
| Posted: 26 Dec 2011 02:59 PM PST KUANTAN: A safety audit carried out at 17 secondary schools in the state showed poor-compliance on occupational safety and health. State occupational safety and health (DOSH) director Abdul Aziz Yahya said the schools lacked in creating a safe working and learning place for staff, teachers,students as well as for visitors and parents. "The department used the same checklist used to inspect factories because secondary schools have chemical laboratories and workshops where light industrial activities take place such as welding. "We need to know whether sufficient safety aspects are in place when students are in laboratories and workshops as outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act,''he told reporters after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on an occupational safey and health mentor-mentee programme here recently. The MoU was between Petronas Gas Berhad's Centralised Utility Facilities (CUF), Urban Environmental Industries Sdn Bhd and DOSH. Abdul Aziz noted that there were several elements missing in the schools such as a safety and health policy and a safety and health committee. "A working place that has more than 40 people is required to establish a safety and health committee. "This is among the safety standards listed in the Act which are not found in the schools and as such, we are now working closely with the education department to address the problem," he added. He said an initiative was currently in progress under the Occupational Safety and Health Masterplan (2011-2015), and was expected to be addressed soon. "It involves bigger and well-established industries volunteering to share their expertise and resources in guiding schools or smaller companies in drafting a sound policy and creating a safe working place", he added. Abdul Aziz said a pilot project for schools was now being implemented in SM Muadzam Jaya in Rompin with the mentor being a multi-national company, BASF Petronas Chemicals Sdn Bhd. "The company will make visits from time to time to guide the school in creating the right safety procedures and having a safe working place. "DOSH will conduct a safety audit on the school after a year," he said. He added that an audit had already been made before the project tookoff so the department would be able to make a better comparison. Abdul Aziz also said the project would identify the weaknesses and recommendations would be submitted to the education department to rectify the situation. "It is about time that strong emphasis is given on having a safeplace for teachers and students,'' he added. On the MoU, Abdul Aziz said Petronas Gas would act as a mentor to Urban Enviromental Industries in formulating the latter's own occupational safety and health policy. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2011 02:59 PM PST BATU PAHAT: Norliana Ismail and her 12-year-old daughter Nor Ashura Osman were among hundreds of people who thronged the Taman Banang basketball court last Friday evening for the Winter Solstice celebration. The 30-year-old housewife said it was their first time experiencing the festivity. "It is a first time we joined the unique Chinese celebration and we are glad to be invited," she said. Besides enjoying the performances such as dragon and lion dances as well as singing and dancing, the mother and daughter also tried their hands in making tangyuan (balls of glutinous rice) that was served during the celebration. "We don't know how it taste like but we enjoyed making them," said Norlina. Norlina and her daughter turned out to be one of the fastest teams in making tangyuan during the tangyang making competition held at the event organised by the Batu Pahat MCA. Participants were required to mix the glutinous rice flour and water before rolling the batter into small round shapes in 15 minutes. Also present at the event was MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who also joined the participants in making tangyuan. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Objection period for plan extended to give public more time to air grouses Posted: 26 Dec 2011 02:59 PM PST KOTA KINABALU: The public objection period for the Draft Kota Kinabalu Local Plan (KKLP) 2020 has been extended by a month to January 26 next year. Kota Kinabalu City Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said city hall decided to extend the objection period due the high number of public requests. He hoped that during the extension period more members of the public especially those whose land are directly or indirectly involved in the new proposed land use zoning in the Draft KKLP 2020 take the opportunity to scrutinise the draft and make written objections if necessary. Abidin said during the three months objection period, which began on Sept 26, more than 300 visitors including property owners, developers, government and non-government bodies, professional bodies and residents of Kota Kinabalu City had visited the exhibition. The venue for the exhibition of the Draft KKLP 2020 is at Level 1, DBKK Meeting Room, which is open on Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5pm. Apart from that, booths were also held during the SHAREDA Propex Exhibition (30th September-2nd October 2011), 1 Borneo (1st-2nd October 2011) and Centre Point's Palm Square (15th-16th October 2011). In total, the Mayor said, its City Planning Department have received 67 written objections from the affected landowners and about 28 written suggestions. With the given time extension of another one month, the Mayor hopes that more people would participate in scrutinising the Draft KKLP 2020 and submit their objection if necessary. Describing the written objections as site-specific in nature, Abidin said they will need to be resolved in a formal, comprehensive and case-by-case manner through public hearings consistent with the Town Planning Ordinance. He said city hall was also in the process of making arrangements on how and when the public hearings should be held and administered. In the meantime, he called on all potential and existing objectors not to wait until the last minute to hand in their completed objection forms. He said the sooner submissions are received, the sooner the public hearings on objections to the Draft KKLP 2020 can be heard. Abidin therefore encouraged all members of the public to visit the exhibition. while it is still on and to read through the "Frequently Asked Questions" brochure and exhibition posters. They can give us their constructive input, exercise their individual right and learn more about the role they can play to transform Kota Kinabalu City into a better place to live, work and visit, he added. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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