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Govt to introduce measures to address Christian community's concerns
Pua alleges MAHB withheld crucial information on new KLIA2 site
Felda settlers withdraw injunction application over EGM

Govt to introduce measures to address Christian community's concerns

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 05:35 AM PST

Published: Wednesday January 4, 2012 MYT 9:36:00 PM

PUTRAJAYA: The Government will introduce several measures to address concerns raised by the Christian community.

These include the appointment of heads of mission schools, teaching of Bible Knowledge and tax exemption status for Christian organisations.

The decision made by the Cabinet Wednesday was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a luncheon hosted for senior leaders of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM).

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the Education Ministry would engage and consult the respective school boards so that school heads appointed would be suitable and acceptable.

On Bible Knowledge for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, Dr Koh said the subject would be taught in schools after school hours upon parents' request.

A procedure would also be put in place to ensure donations to churches recognised and certified by CFM would be given tax exemption.

"The Prime Minister gave due recognition to the tremendous contributions of mission schools and their wish that the ethos and traditions of such schools be maintained.

"The Prime Minister also reiterated the support given by the Government to mission schools with a total of RM240mil allocated over the past four years, including RM100mil under the 2012 Budget," Dr Koh said.

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Pua alleges MAHB withheld crucial information on new KLIA2 site

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 05:28 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Action must be taken against those who withheld crucial information from relevant ministry officials over the site where KLIA2 is currently being constructed at a substantially higher cost, said DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua.

He alleged that Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (MAHB) had intentionally chosen not to disclose the information to the officials, despite knowing full well that KLIA West was unsuitable for airport construction and would incur a substantially higher cost, from the originally estimated RM1.7bil in 2007 to RM3.9bil last year.

"The 1992 Master Plan had clearly stated that 'the western part of the site mainly comprises saturated marine clays with an overlay of peat material'.

"It also said that 'the combination of the drainage problems and the type of material means that the western part of the site has poor bearing qualities and is not suitable for airport construction without undertaking significant engineering measures to improve load bearing capacity'," he told a press conference here Wednesday.

He said MAHB had failed to highlight the fact that the new KLIA2 would cost substantially more due to reasons that had already been identified in the 1992 KLIA Master Plan at a presentation to the Finance, Home and Transport Ministries officials on April 15, 2008.

Based on the presentation documents and the minutes of the meeting, he said, MAHB had instead made a 360-degree turn by recommending KLIA West as the new site for the new lost-cost terminal.

At an earlier meeting on July 6, 2007, Pua said MAHB had reconfirmed that KLIA North was the best option available to build the new KLIA2.

When contacted, MAHB Operation Services senior general manager Azmi Murad declined to comment on the matter.

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Felda settlers withdraw injunction application over EGM

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 04:52 AM PST

Published: Wednesday January 4, 2012 MYT 8:52:00 PM

KUANTAN: Four Felda settlers have withdrawn their application for an injunction to stop Koperasi Permodalan Felda Malaysia's (KPF) extraordinary general meeting, as it has been cancelled indefinitely.

High Court judge Justice Mariana Yahya advised Rosdi Ismail, Alias Ibrahim, Abdullah Mohamad and Rakiah Sulong to drop their summons as the court had been told that the meeting scheduled to be held Wednesday had been called off.

The plaintiffs, who were represented by counsel Mohd Harris Abdullah, had filed the originating summons against KPF and Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd (FGVH) in Temerloh on Dec 23 last year.

They were seeking to block KPF's meeting, its decision to dispose of its assets in Felda Holdings as well as the listing of FGVH in Bursa Malaysia.

Mohd Harris said his clients decided to drop the summons as there was no point to continue since KPF's decisions cannot be made now.

"In the event that KPF decides to hold another extraordinary general meeting, we will file another injunction application," he said.

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Rabu, 4 Januari 2012