The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- 'Wall collapse due to overload'
- Dr M: Students will lose if English not used to teach
- Four remanded over body-in-boot murder case
| 'Wall collapse due to overload' Posted: JITRA: Excessive loading has been cited as a reason for the collapse of the wall of an illegal mall here. According to Kedah Housing and Local Government, Water Supply and Water Resources Committee chairman Badrul Hisham Hashim, an initial probe revealed that the building structure could not support the renovations made when it was illegally converted to a mall. "The building was meant as a storage facility but was not strong enough to support subsequent renovations when the developer turned it into a mall," he said at the site of the incident at the Darulaman Industry Area here. Badrul Hisham said the mall has no Certificate of Fitness and the Kubang Pasu Municipal Council (MDKP) was investigating the developer for misusing the building-planning permit approved for a storage facility. He said MDPK only realised that the developer had misused the building permit when a signboard for the shopping mall was put up several months ago. At 8.45am on Tuesday, two Cmart workers escaped unhurt when the concrete wall, ceiling and roof collapsed while they were on a routine inspection an hour before the mall opened. "MDPK has started action against the developer, and we have sealed the building and three blocks of single-storey shop lots in front of the building owned by the same developer," he said. "Tenants will need to discuss with the developer as they have agreements with the developer to rent the shop lots," he said. MDKP president Zahari Ismail will chair a special committee consisting of the Public Works Department, Syarikat Air Darul Aman, Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia and also the Mineral and Geoscience Department to investigate the incident. Meanwhile, Intra Growth Sdn Bhd property manager Kim Lin Teng, said the company would cooperate with MDKP in their investigation. He claimed renovations to the building were according to the building plan and they "were baffled as to how the wall can collapse." Kim added that all of his company's tenants at the building and at the three blocks had abided by the MDKP directive to stop operations pending investigations. |
| Dr M: Students will lose if English not used to teach Posted: KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned that Malays will be left behind if the Government continues to neglect the teaching of science and mathematics in English. "It is sad for me, and I do not agree with the Government (on its policy on English). I don't like to see a Malay who is lacking in knowledge," he said when addressing participants at the National ICT Association's (Pikom) Leaders Summit here yesterday. He said he had brought the matter up with the Government on the importance of English as the language of knowledge but his call fell on deaf ears. "Do you go to school to acquire knowledge or to learn a language? "The emphasis today is more on learning how to speak a particular language and I think this is a mistake," said Mahathir, who added that the Malays would be left behind if English continues to be neglected. "You may be able to speak fluently in Malay but you will not be able to talk science," he said, adding that there were limited scientific books and materials translated into Malay. "Every day, new discoveries are made and scientific papers published in English but not translated into Malay." He lamented that the decision to revert to Bahasa Malaysia was politically motivated following protests from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in 2008 but it failed to translate into support at the recent polls. Addressing graduates at the Asian University Presidents Forum on Monday, Dr Mahathir expressed concern that the poor command of the language amongst students would adversely affect their future. MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu also shared Dr Mahathir's sentiments, saying that while it is the duty of Malaysians to uphold Bahasa Malaysia, the medium of instruction in universities should remain in English. "The reality is, English has become the global communication tool for commerce and professions. "It will be suicidal for us to live in self-denial, in the name of strengthening Bahasa Malaysia, to detach ourselves from the international language in our own institutions of higher education," said Gan. Both were referring to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's recent call to institutions of higher learning to strengthen the use of Bahasa Malaysia in their campuses. |
| Four remanded over body-in-boot murder case Posted: IPOH: Police have remanded four men over the kidnap-cum-murder case of two men whose bodies were found in a car boot. Perak CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim said the men, aged between 26 and 33, would be remanded until Oct 15. "The remand order was issued at the Parit Buntar magistrate's court," he said yesterday. He said three of the four men had been arrested by the Penang police last Friday in connection with the murders. "The fourth suspect was also arrested in Penang," he said, but declined to elaborate on the matter, noting that police from the Penang and Perak contingents were investigating. It is learnt that two of the suspects were colleagues. The other two are believed to be related. Seu Hong Chee, 19, and Ting Liong Chin, 28, were found dead in a car boot at the south-bound Alor Pongsu rest area on Oct 4. Their bodies were found tied with a rope and their heads wrapped in plastic bags. Both friends were believed to have been kidnapped in Penang and were reported missing on Oct 2 by a friend. |
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