The Star Online: Metro: South & East

MCA stays strong despite DAP’s claim of getting support from the Chinese community

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:26 PM PST

BENTONG: The DAP's claim of getting support from 90% of the Chinese community will not dampen the MCA's spirit to continue to serve the people well.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said MCA had always banked on good services to win the people over, and also to counter the DAP's tactic of tarnishing the party's image.

"Let them (DAP) continue to talk and lie.

"We (MCA) must be always confident and never give up fighting for the future of the people and country," Dr Chua said during the Pahang MCA 64th anniversary celebrations at Dataran Bentong in Bentong last Sunday.

While the Barisan Nasional and MCA are not perfect, Dr Chua said the people would not be easily misled by DAP's tactics of inciting anger and hate towards the ruling coalition.

Contrary to DAP's claim that MCA would wind up after the last general election, more than 80,000 people had joined MCA since then till last year, he said, adding that only 985 MCA members left the party within that period.

"This shows that the people still harbour hopes on MCA," he said.

MCA, the second largest Barisan component party, only retained 46 parliamentry and state seats in the last elections against 107 in 2004.

Dr Chua said the people's response to MCA's determination and sincerity to serve them had resulted in encouraging response.

Apart from that, he said the people were also aware that political and social stability in the country was the foundation that must never be compromised.

Dr Chua pointed out that the foundation was not by accident, but a result of Barisan's ability to create and maintain a harmonious multi-ethnic society for more than five decades.

"The foundation can be fragile if we do not make a conscious effort to protect it," he cautioned.

Dr Chua said politicising each and every issue would not find solutions to the problems.

While Barisan was aware of issues that needed to be resolved and taking steps to do so, the MCA president said the coalition needed the people's support to do so.

Dr Chua said the country's economy had been able to flourish because a stable government could boost investor confidence.

He said a good and strong economy would enable the Government to continue the implementation of projects that benefit the people.

Dr Chua said facts and figures were the best proof of the country's performance, pointing out that the country's foreign direct investment was RM34bil in 2011 against RM5bil in 2009.

He was confident that the good performance would continue, and be even better, when Barisan under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's leadership is returned to power with a bigger mandate this coming elections. With elections expected to be held anytime now, Dr Chua advised MCA grassroots leaders to intensify their efforts to reach out to the people on the ground with sincerity and humility.

He believed the people could feel the difference and recipocrate accordingly.

Sungai Melaka rehabilitation and beautification project continues

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:33 AM PST

MALACCA: The Natural Resources and Environmental Ministry has allocated RM285mil to spearhead the second phase of the Sungai Melaka rehabilitation and beautification project.

The project that commenced in 2011 as part of extending the river cruise passage to cover more sites is expected to be completed by 2014.

Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas who took a tour along the river to evaluate the project revealed that the water quality along the second phase would also be improved.

"With the success of the first phase that covers from the tip of the rivermouth to Hang Tuah bridge, we are optimistic that the second parcel would meet our desired standards," he said, adding that the first phase of the project witnessed the construction of two new jetties and an archway across the river.

Uggah Embas said phase one of the project had brought about numerous advantages to the state government in terms of prospering its tourism industry.

He revealed that the second parcel was also executed with the same aim and also to improve the water quality of the river while turning the project into a most sought after tourism product.

Apart from that, Uggah Embas said the second phase would also see the debut of water taxis in Malacca.

He said the location of the second phase would start at the Hang Jebat bridge up to the Tidal Control Gate at Batu Hampar, covering 5.2km.

Uggah Embas said the consecutive phase would be divided into three main work packages, where the first would cover a 2.4km waterway from the Hang Jebat bridge to the Tun Razak bridge, followed by 1.2km from the Tun Razak bridge to the Melaka Sentral bridge, and the final package from the Melaka Sentral bridge to the Tidal Control Gate that stretches for 1.6km.

He said the three packages had been awarded through an open tender, where the work scopes include, deepening the depth of the river, constructing walls and walkways along the river, landscapes, three water taxi stations at Taman Rempah and Jusco AEON, building unique bridges and beautifying the corridors of the river.

"Once the project is completed, we expect the water quality of Sungai Melaka to improve from class 111 barometer to class 11B by the year 2015.

"The project would see a 50% increase in the arrival of tourists to Malacca, to generate more revenue for the state government," he added.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 7 Februari 2013