The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- GE13: Election results leaves big question mark on Pahang caretaker MB
- School’s environment initiative
- Poor families gain from programme
| GE13: Election results leaves big question mark on Pahang caretaker MB Posted: 08 May 2013 05:02 PM PDT KUANTAN: With the general election completed, all eyes are now focused on whether Pahang caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob will lead the state for another term. The just-concluded elections saw Pahang suffering an unprecedented defeat, losing four parliamentary seats and 12 state seats. Besides retaining Kuantan and Indera Mahkota, the Opposition also took Temerloh and Raub parliamentary seats. PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi scored the biggest upset by slaying incumbent Temerloh MP and former deputy minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. Despite his popularity among the people, Saifuddin has become a "collateral damage" as part of the democratic and constitutional rights of Malaysian voters. He lost by a mere 1,070 votes with the number of spoilt votes reaching close to the margin of victory at 977. This can be translated as a sign of protest by voters in the constituency against the ruling Government, in which 64.3% of them are Malays. Saifuddin himself was cool over his defeat, urging the people not to racialise the results, preferring to accept the decision as "the choice of the voters." Kuantan Umno Youth chief Datuk Mohamed Suffian Awang also lost in his bid to wrest back Kuantan from the PKR, losing by a margin of 4,515 votes. Percentage of Malay voters in Kuantan was 62.5%, which showed that many of the Malay voters also threw their support behind the Opposition. The same situation occurred in neighbouring Indera Mahkota parliament in which Malay voters made up of 64.6% of the total voters. The main grouses of the people was the issue of Lynas plant and water disruptions which translated into votes for the Opposition in oppose to racial or party-based voting trend. In the state-level, besides retaining the four seats Beserah, Kuala Semantan, Triang and Tras which was won in 2008, the Opposition pact also took Tanah Rata, Semambu, Teruntum, Tanjung Lumpur, Mentakab, Bilut, Ketari and Sabai. Beserah, Kuala Semantan and Tanjung Lumpur has more than 70% Malay voters while the community made up of more than 50% of voters in Semambu and Mentakab. Despite a change in leadership in several states, Adnan is expected to lead the state for another term, a post he took over from Tun Khalil Yaakob at the height of the Umno leadership crisis in 1999. Then, Chinese and Indians voters backed Umno to return the Barisan Nasional coalition to power after the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, resulting in a split in the party. Adnan, 63, is expected to take oath in office this week at the Istana Sultan Abu Bakar, Pekan, before appointing a new team of executive councillors for a five-year term. Due to a delay in the swearing-in ceremony, speculation made its rounds of a possible change of guard. Among the names being touted as possible successors were Datuk Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (Peramu Jaya), Datuk Shahiruddin Ab Moin (Dong) and Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin (Lanchang). Although Pahang Barisan lost 12 seats, it managed to retain two-thirds majority, winning 30 out of the 42 state seats. |
| School’s environment initiative Posted: 08 May 2013 06:51 PM PDT KUANTAN: The Garden International School held a beach clean-up programme at Taman Gelora recently as part of its preservation of the environment initiative. Teacher Joanne Julian said it was their third year doing the clean-up. "I think it is very important to educate children from an early age about preserving earth. "I have seen people throwing rubbish out of their cars even when there is people around. We don't have that sort of attitude back home," Julian, who hails from Australia, said. The clean-up, comprising 89 students aged between three and 14, and nine teachers, saw everyone donning plastic gloves and a trash bag for each team as they strolled around the beach similar to a treasure hunt searching for recycleable and non-recycleable rubbish. Among the common rubbish found were leftover food from nearby restaurants, cigarette buds and rotten fish. Julian said every year, the school would switch off the electricity supply to support Earth Day. "We take extra efforts to do what we can for the earth in addition to teaching the children to always dispose their rubbish properly and play their part in making the country a greener place," said Julian, adding that they would try to go to different places each year for the clean-up programme. |
| Poor families gain from programme Posted: 08 May 2013 06:48 PM PDT KUANTAN: The state-level Touch of Hope programme at Wisma Belia near here recently benefitted 200 poor families from Kuantan. The community outreach event was organised by Petronas as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative. Together with the MyKasih Foundation, the less fortunate were given food aid worth RM80 on a monthly basis for up to two years, as well as other supporting activities such as sewing to support the family and bring them out of poverty. Petronas Group senior general manager of corporate affairs division Datuk Mohammad Medan Abdullah said apart from the programme, Petronas also conducted other outreach programmes such as Program Sentuhan Ilmu Petronas, Program Sahabat Pendidikan Pencegahan Dadah Petronas and Program Kenali Anak Kita Petronas. He said such programmes could help nurture youths towards excellence and lessen the burden of the poor and needy. A recipient M. Muniandy, 34, expressed his gratitude to Petronas. The food aid comes in handy to provide for my poor family, Muniandy said, adding that he was very happy to receive a call from the oil giant, informing of his eligibility. Maziah Saari, 38, said she was delighted when a staff contacted her to attend the event. "I am very happy and thankful. The food aid has lessen our burden," she said. Lee Kim Hong, 65, also thanked Petronas for providing her family with the aid. To date, Petronas has helped over 13,500 poor and underprivileged families across the country. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Star Online: Metro: South & East To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan