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Muhyiddin: No restriction reporting on any issue at Umno general assembly
Pua stands by KR1M milk powder claim
DPM: Flood contingency mechanism in place

Muhyiddin: No restriction reporting on any issue at Umno general assembly

Posted: 25 Nov 2011 07:43 AM PST

PUTRAJAYA: Umno will not impose any restrictions on any quarters, including members of the media, to listen and report all issues raised by speakers and debators at this year's Umno general assembly scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Umno deputy president, said Umno was keeping an open mind as it had nothing to hide, despite knowing that the debate would mainly touch on the interests and the future of the Malays.

"Although the assembly is basically a closed-door event because only selected delegates will participate in the debates, I think it has been our practice to be open and we will continue doing it. There will be no restrictions on people to listem to the debates from outside the hall and for the media to give wide coverage on the event as usual.

"We must be transparent. Even though the debates will touch more on the interests and the future of the Malays, we must understand that Umno plays a vital role in the Government because we are the core party in Barisan Nasional," he said at a special news conference in conjunction with the Umno General Assembly 2011 here Friday.

On this year's assembly, Muhyiddin said it was the most important and would not only attract the attention of Malaysians but also of the international community.

He said was he was also confident that the issues raised at the assembly would be scrutinised by the people from all walks of life, especially among Umno members, to ascertain the credibility of the party and whether it was still relevant with the current struggles of the Malays and Malaysians as a whole.

"Focus will also be given to see whether Umno, which has been fighting for the interests of the Malays, is still having the same principles as its main foundation of its struggles and whether the party has undergone the desired changes and transformation after the 12th general election in 2008," he said.

Muhyiddin said he also hoped that all speakers and debators at the assembly would appear more professsional, understand the issue and not be rhetorical.

"There must be a new approach, new breath and new content with complete data. Don't just simply make baseless statements," he said.

He said this was because the debates would be heard by millions of people who were able to evaluate and whose intelligence could not be underestimated.

A total of 5,447 delegates will take part in the Umno General Assembly 2011 at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade centre (PWTC) from Nov 29 to Dec 3. - Bernama

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Pua stands by KR1M milk powder claim

Posted: 25 Nov 2011 04:15 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua is standing by his claim that milk powder sold at Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) exceeds the permissible Vitamin A content, even though the Health Ministry has deemed it safe.

Pua also refuted a statement from the ministry that he had been misleading the public by giving false information about the quality of products sold by KR1M. "The minister said I had confused the rulings in the Food Regulations Act, and categorised milk powder under Rule 389A (follow-up formula) when I should have categorised it under Rule 395, which means food not elsewhere standardised," Pua said at press conference at DAP's national headquarters here Friday.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP maintained that even if milk powder were to be categorised under the food regulations laid out by Rule 395, the amount of Vitamin A in KR1M's milk powder was still too high if the recommended level of 480gm a day was adhered to.

"The packaging on KR1M's milk powder recommends four scoops of 30gm for up to four servings a day," Pua said.

"The Health Minister earlier said that every 100gm of milk powder contained 3,240 international units (IU) of Vitamin A.

"This means children would be drinking over 15,000 IU, which is three times above the maximum amount recommended which is 5000 IU," said Pua.

Pua also called for a dialogue with the ministry on Nov 29 to compare findings and find a solution to this and other KR1M products.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, tweeting his response, said the ministry welcomed dialogue.

"Pua is accusing us of a mistake he made which he refuses to admit. MOH welcomes the dialogue and is prepared to meet and guide him in whatever way possible.

"MOH is the food safety competent authority and follows international standards. We sit in WHO and the Codex Committee on food safety as well," Liow tweeted.

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DPM: Flood contingency mechanism in place

Posted: 25 Nov 2011 04:05 AM PST

Published: Friday November 25, 2011 MYT 8:05:00 PM

PUTRAJAYA: A flood contingency mechanism is already in place to handle the onslaught of floods in certain states, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

"We expect the floods to be worse than previously, so the preparations are beyond the usual," he said at a special media conference in conjunction with the Umno General Assembly 2011, at the Education Ministry here Friday.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister and national disaster management chairman, said the Information, Communications and Culture ministry had been directed to provide updates on the situation besides launching a flood portal for reference.

"Generally, we have prepared for the floods and everyone knows what needs to be done. It is only a matter of how soon are the victims ready to move and how quickly to act and evacuate them when an area is flooded," he said.

More than 2,000 flood victims are currently staying at relief centres in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. - Bernama

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Jumaat, 25 November 2011