The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Families still out and about with children despite worsening haze
- God’s gift is free
- Executive ordered to enter defence
| Families still out and about with children despite worsening haze Posted: 23 Jun 2013 04:05 PM PDT PASIR GUDANG: Despite high air pollutant index (API) readings here, parents, especially with small children, were still having picnics, fishing and allowing their children to play at the playground in Bukit Layang-Layang here. Checks by The Star revealed that although the number of visitors were few, there were a handful of families who had brought along young children including infants. Most of them were not wearing facemasks despite the whole area being blanketed by haze. Logistics officer Yunos Jumail, 36, said that it was his two children aged 8 and 12 who insisted that the family go to the lake. "My boys were restless as schools have been told to close and they have been cooped up at home. "This is the main reason why I decided to bring them here today," he said adding that although the haze was quite bad, he planned to only spend a few hours outside. Yunos who admitted that his throat felt itchy and uncomfortable also said that he only had the weekends to spend with his family. Another parent, businesswoman Zulhasni Md Zulkifli, 26, also said her three daughters had insisted that she bring them out despite the haze. "The haze is quite bad in my area and waking up to the smell of smoke is something of a norm now. "My husband and me however, decided to bring my children out to the park as it is a weekend and we usually participate in some family activities," she said, adding that her daughters were aged 3,4, and 9. When asked if she was not concerned that the haze could affect her children's health, Zulhasni said that she had brought along masks if the condition worsened. Meanwhile, State Health Department director Dr Mohd Khairy Yaakub said that it was dangerous for children to be out and about in the haze. "The levels in Johor are high and the suspended particles in the air can irritate and harm the respiratory system, especially for children. "The affects may not be seen immediately but the haze contains dangerous chemicals including sulphur dioxide and nitrous dioxide which can cause children to develop all sorts of illnesses," he said. He added that the vulnerable skin of children could also be irritated by these chemicals. "Parents should be responsible and not wait until the air quality turns hazardous before taking precautions," he said adding that outdoor activities were unadvisable. The latest readings by the Department of Environment show that all areas in Johor are above the unhealthy levels with Muar leading with an API of 373, Pasir Gudang, 190, Kota Tinggi, 187 and Larkin Lama, 170. |
| Posted: 23 Jun 2013 04:13 PM PDT KOTA TINGGI: For the past 10 years, locals have been crying foul over the mandatory entrance fee at the Kota Tinggi waterfalls here. Businessman Datuk Mohamad Mahmood, 56, who voiced out the issue to state government officials during a dialogue session here, said that the state government have deprived the locals of their favourite recreational place. "The waterfall is God's gift for all, and it is one of the favourite recreational spots here, but since the government has privatised the area, we locals, especially the poor, cannot afford to visit it often," he said. He added that visitors are charged a sum of RM7.50 per person for entrance regardless of their age and another RM5 for parking. "Foreigners only pay an additional RM2.50 for their entrance fee," he said adding that he has brought up the issue several times to the Kota Tinggi Municipal Council, but the council had failed to look into the matter. In reply to the issue, Kota Tinggi district officer Mohd Noorazam Datuk Osman said that the waterfall was currently under the care of Johor Economic Planning Unit (UPEN). "We have reviewed the issue and discussed the matter with UPEN, and have mutually decided to discontinue the agreement. "Termination of the agreement is in process but I will write an official letter to UPEN to request them to speed up the process," he said. The community dialogue session was headed by Johor State deputy secretary Norizan Kulop, with a panel of 17 officials including the Prime Minister's Office Public Complaints Bureau (BPA) head Datuk Mahani Tan Abdullah. The session, which was organised by BPA, was held at Dewan Jubli Intan here on June 14. Datuk Mahani said that since January this year, BPA had received a total of 4,529 complaints nationwide, of which 208 complaints were made against government departments and agencies in Johor. "We will follow up with the complaints made here today, to ensure that the rakyat's issues are addressed and resolved as soon as possible," she added. About 480 Kota Tinggi residents came forward to voice out their concerns over various issues including security and safety issues as well as the lack of road signs in the district and a total of 65 official complaints were made during the session. |
| Executive ordered to enter defence Posted: 23 Jun 2013 03:28 PM PDT JOHOR BARU: A 28-year-old contract executive was ordered to enter his defence after a Sessions Court here found he had a case to answer for insulting the Johor Sultan on a social networking site. The prosecution had proved a prima facie case against Ahmad Abd Jalil for posting the insult on Facebook under the profile name of 'Zul Yahya' at around 10pm on October 10, 2012. He committed the offence under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Ahmad was first charged on Nov 8, last year where he pleaded not guilty to the offence committed on a computer in his office in Jalan Wangsa Delima 11, Seksyen 5, Kuala Lumpur. Sessions judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin ordered Ahmad to enter his defence on July 25 and 26 where the defence would call up four witnesses. Muhammad Jamil said that the court found circumstantial evidence against Ahmad, which was the IP address traced from his office computer and mobile phone that was the exact one as derived from the Facebook post. The prosecution was led by Johor prosecution unit head Umar Saifuddin Jaafar and DPP Norashikin Ibrahim while Ahmad was represented by defence lawyer Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin. |
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