The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- New bus service to ease transport problems for tertiary students this December
- SK Yong Peng to build two-storey building after receiving funds
- East Asean customs work towards better practices
| New bus service to ease transport problems for tertiary students this December Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:53 PM PDT KUANTAN: Tertiary eduction students would benefit the most from the new RapidKuantan bus service which is due to begin its operation on Dec 1. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the state had requested Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd to place students as its top priority under the service and comply by planning a route from the Gambang Community College to Terminal Makmur in the city itself. "The first route will cover 49.4km from Universiti Malaysia Pahang, the Kuantan Airport, Taman Tas, Sungai Isap, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan and the state mosque," he said at the unveiling of RapidKuantan's logo here. Adnan added that the other two routes would cover Bandar Indera Mahkota to Teluk Cempedak and from the Kuantan Court Complex to POLISAS Semambu. "The emphasis of the bus service will be efficiency, frequency, affordable fares and comfort. We will request Prasarana to detour the third route from POLISAS to Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia to fulfil the transportation needs of students," he said. Adnan said the service frequency would be at a minimum of 15 minutes. "It is of utmost importance because sometimes we have to wait for a bus for one hour only for it to pass by when we need to use the toilet. "For RapidKuantan, the bus will arrive every 15 minutes and move even when it is not full," he said. Up to 32 buses would begin operation from a temporary depot on a 2.8ha land owned by the Pahang Agriculture Development Authority. Adnan said in the long term, the government would allocate four hectares for RapidKuantan's permanent depot to be located between Wisma Belia and Kuantan Sentral as well as for a possible expansion of the Transit Oriented Development. The fares would be determined by the Government through the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD). Prasarana group managing director Datuk Shahril Mokhtar said two more routes had been planned from Beserah to Terminal Makmur and from Tanjung Lumpur to Terminal Makmur while the third route would be extended from Kampung Padang Perdana. "A day after the RapidKuantan initiative was announced by the Prime Minister in his Budget 2013 speech, Prasarana had issued advertisements looking for suitable drivers. We hope to begin training by the middle of this month," he said. Shahril added that Prasarana would begin planning on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's proposal that public bus services be set up in Seremban, Ipoh, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. |
| SK Yong Peng to build two-storey building after receiving funds Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:53 PM PDT YONG PENG: The SK Yong Peng would construct a new school building to replace its old classrooms after receiving RM680,000 from the government recently. Its headmistress Lee Bee Hoon said the school board had consulted with an architect on the project. "The building plan is done and we are now fine-tuning it. "We hope that the construction can begin in the next few months," she said at the school recently. Lee said the school's board of governors had received the allocation on Sept 10 from Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon at a presentation ceremony held in Segamat. The plan is to demolish the 56-year-old single-storey building with four classrooms and build a new two-storey building. It would feature six new classrooms, a canteen, an office and a staff room. Lee added that the current termite-infested building is not safe for occupation. She said the school received RM60,000 of allocation under the Education Ministry in 2008 from Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong to repair the roof, beams and damaged part of the classrooms. "Repairs were carried out previously, but it was unable to curb the termite infestation. "We hope with the new building will provide a more conducive study and working environment for the children and teachers," she added. In January, Dr Wee announced a total of RM100mil would be allocated to upgrade and repair 436 missionary schools nationwide. The funds were channeled under the Budget 2012 to upgrade the school's premises, build new classrooms or facilities and carry out repairs. |
| East Asean customs work towards better practices Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:32 PM PDT KOTA KINABALU: Customs regulations in four countries making up the East Asean Growth Area (EAGA) are evolving in a bid to ensure a smoother flow of trade among them. Customs director general Datuk Khazli Ahmad said annual meetings of customs authorities of Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines had resulted in the 'harmonisation' of some regulations among the nations involved. "These meetings have allowed us to look at and consider for adoption the best customs practices of member countries such as Brunei, for example," he said after the opening of the sixth BIMP-EAGA heads of customs conference by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman recently. He said trade facilitation among the member regions – Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan in Malaysia, Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia and southern Philippines as well as Brunei – had always been a priority in the conferences. "We are constantly finding ways to make the process smoother so that goods can be released on time," Khazli said. "Our aim is to shorten the process where possible," he added. Philippines Bureau of Customs deputy commissioner Peter Manzano said the meetings had resulted in the streamlining of some customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) procedures among the regions. "Of course there is more to be done. It is still work in progress," he added. Earlier, Musa said he was optimistic that the EAGA would become more dynamic in its effort at becoming a prosperous sub-region in Asean. He said this would make the participating regions become more resilient in facing challenges. Musa said it was thus important for customs officials in the region to be in constant contact. "The customs administration plays an integral role in ensuring supply chains remain fluid and secure leading to further economic, social and political progress in the sub-region," he added. |
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