Najib, Manmohan rasmi 'Little India'

Najib Tun Razak dan Dr. Manmohan Singh bersama-sama melancarkan Little India di Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, semalam. Turut hadir Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin

KUALA LUMPUR: Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, dan rakan sejawatan beliau dari India, Dr Manmohan Singh, hari ini merasmikan "Little India" sebuah kawasan kediaman masyarakat India di Brickfields di sini.

Pada majlis penuh bersejarah itu, Najib bersama Manmohan yang sedang melawat negara ini, melancarkan sebuah kolam pancutan air yang menjadi simbol bermulanya suatu langkah baru dalam hubungan rapat antara kerajaan dan kerajaan serta rakyat dengan rakyat kedua-dua negara.

"Ini lebih daripada suatu simbol...ia akan menjadi tempat untuk pelancong dan yang pasti, akan memberi manfaat kepada penduduk di sini," kata Najib sebelum bermulanya majlis perasmian itu yang dihadiri kira-kira 5,000 orang dalam kawalan ketat keselamatan di sekitar kawasan berkenaan.

People attending the launch of Little India in Brickfields

Little India meliputi kawasan dari Jalan Travers ke Jalan Tun Sambanthan, dengan fasa pertamanya dijangka siap Disember ini.

Kerja bagi fasa pertama, yang membabitkan kos RM17 juta, bermula Mei tahun ini dan mengandungi pembangunan sebuah kawasan dari Jalan Travers ke Jalan Tun Sambanthan oleh Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB).

Projek dua fasa berharga RM35 juta itu membabitkan pembinaan premis perniagaan baru dan kompleks parkir serta pembesaran jalan.

Kolam pancutan air berkenaan adalah yang tertinggi di negara ini, berukuran 7.62 meter dan terletak tidak jauh dari KL Sentral, hab pengangkutan di ibu negara.
Dalam ucapannya, Najib berkata kehadiran Manmohan ke majlis itu melambangkan keinginan mendalam kedua-dua negara untuk meningkatkan hubungan Kuala Lumpur-New Delhi, bukan saja dalam konteks antara kerajaan dan kerajaan, yang berkembang dengan positif, tetapi "hubungan ini juga menyentuh hati kebanyakan orang yang tinggal di Malaysia dan di kawasan Brickfields".

Katanya, kunjungan pemimpin India itu juga amat penting kerana ia mencerminkan bahawa hubungan antara Malaysia dan India semakin kukuh dari semasa ke semasa dalam banyak bidang.

Najib berkata, majlis perasmian itu amat besar ertinya bagi penduduk Brickfields kerana ia sebahagian usaha penting usaha kerajaan untuk membangunkan semula bandar.

"Kami ingin mempamerkan kedinamikan, kesegaran dan kemajuan Brickfields...Brickfields memiliki keindahan tersendiri...tempat menjamu selera yang hebat. Paling penting, kerajaan telah mengotakan janjinya untuk membangunkan semula Brickfields," katanya.

Najib berkata, kerajaan membuat keputusan untuk membangunkan kawasan itu sebagai Litte India kerana Brickfields, yang merupakan sebuah kawasan menarik, telah hilang serinya.

Katanya, majlis hari ini menjadi pembuka tirai bagi era baru yang akan dinikmati oleh Brickfields.

"Brickfields tidak akan seperti sebelum ini lagi...ia akan menjadi Brickfields yang akan menampilkan kepada dunia...sebuah Little India di Malaysia," katanya.

Dalam ucapannya pula, Manmohan berkata Malaysia mewakili segala yang terbaik dari Asia.

"Ia memiliki kepelbagaian dalam banyak hal dan sebuah negara yang sungguh indah...tempat tinggal rakyat daripada etnik, agama dan latar belakang yang berbeza," katanya.

Beliau berkata, Malaysia juga menampilkan contoh tentang sikap tolak-ansur, keharmonian dan kehidupan bersama secara aman.

"Inilah sebenarnya apa yang kami cuba wujudkan di India," katanya.

Beliau berkata, masyarakat India di Malaysia memberi sumbangan penting terhadap pembangunan negara ini dan mencapai kemajuan dalam pelbagai bidang profesional.

"Keputusan membangunkan Little India ini... adalah suatu penghargaan terhadap sumbangan semua rakyat Malaysia berketurunan India dalam memajukan negara ini," katanya.

Beliau juga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Najib kerana mengilhamkan idea besar ini dan katanya, di bawah kepimpinan Najib, Malaysia memasuki era baru yang penuh dengan kemajuan dan kemakmuran.

Katanya, hubungan Malaysia-India akan terus berkembang pada tahun-tahun akan datang.

Sementara itu, ketika berjalan-jalan di sekitar kawasan itu selama beberapa minit selepas Manmohan meninggalkan majlis berkenaan, Najib diberi sambutan mesra oleh beribu-ribu hadirin yang berkumpul di situ.

Dalam ucapannya, Raja Nong Chik berkata Memorandum Persefahaman (MOU) antara Malaysia dan India mengenai penubuhan bandar raya berkembar KL-Chennai telah diluluskan secara dasarnya dan dijadualkan dimeterai menjelang akhir bulan depan. - BERNAMA

Sumber: Berita Harian

Raja Nong Chik kata takkan jual, takkan jual la

Dah terang lagi bersuluh Raja Nong Chik kata tanah Kampung Baru tak akan dijual kepada orang bukan Melayu. Apa hal lagi mau kecoh? Raja Nong Chik kata cadangan 60:40 tu adalah cadangan dari kerajaan saja, bukannya keputusan muktamad. Tapi ada segelintir nak huru harakan fikiran orang ramai. Inilah susahnya bila dah tutup minda dan hati nak terima orang lain. Langkah ke hadapan kena kutuk, langkah ke kanan orang kata salah, langkah ke kiri orang pandang serong. Bila nak maju kalau asyik buat u-turn je.

Saya pun orang Melayu, tapi fikir mestilah ke hadapan. Cuba fikir sekejap. Kalau kerajaan kata nak majukan kawasan Kampung Baru, siapa yang dapat untung? Orang Melayu jugak sebab tu tanah orang Melayu. Tapi kalau nak bergantung sepenuhnya pada business orang Melayu, terhad lah pembangunan yang kerajaan nak buat. Realitinya sekarang, orang bukan Melayu yang sedang menguasai pembangunan sebab tu lah kerajaan nak tolong orang Kampung Baru. Dalam masa yang sama nak tolong orang Melayu secara general nya.

Sebab itulah, keluar cadangan kata nak guna pengaruh ekonomi orang bukan Melayu untuk naikkan nilai tanah di Kampung Baru. Nilai tanah Kampung Baru RM20 billion yang digembar gemburkan selama ni tu adalah sebenarnya nilai bila dah dibangunkan dengan menggunakan kuasa ekonomi orang bukan Melayu. Cuba kira balik nilai kalau guna kuasa ekonomi orang Melayu je, tak kan sampai nilai tu. Saya bukanlah nak menjatuhkan jauh lagi nak memperlekehkan bangsa Melayu, apatah lagi bangsa saya sendiri. Tapi ini adalah realiti sekarang yang kita perlu buka mata luas-luas dan tengok.

Tapi sekarang ni kita dah tak ada masa nak asyik berlindung bawah payung emas yang bangsa lain pinjamkan pada kita. Kalau diorg tarik balik, apa jadi? Kita senang-senang kutuk orang lain nak majukan bangsa Melayu bangsa sendiri, tapi diri sendiri masih goyang kaki sambil hisap rokok di kaki lima pasar malam. Aku sedih betul la tengok kaum macam ni. Kalau diri sendiri dah bermati-matian cuba hidup tanpa pengaruh orang bukan Melayu, tak apa. Ini tak, baju yang dipakai pun dibeli dari pembekal bukan Melayu.

Sebab tu lah saya kata jangan main kutuk je Raja Nong Chik sebut pasal isu tanah Kampung Baru tu. Tengok diri sendiri, tengok sekeliling, tengok dunia sikit. Pagi tadi, masa saya pergi beli nasi lemak. Makcik yang jual nasi lemak pun tahu kita ni asyik hidup di bawah bayang-bayang orang bukan Melayu. Aduh! Bila la orang Melayu nak sedar?

Karnival Wow Putrajaya

Ni gambar-gambar di sekitar Majlis Pelancaran Karnival Wow Putrajaya oleh Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar, Dato' Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

Serve people is our top priority

Do you aware about the news about the housing issue at Sentul? Well, it has been quite an issue when the developer did something rude.

Here's the news article.

Saturday February 13, 2010

Developer under fire

By BAVANI M and PRIYA MENON
metro@thestar.com.my

FEDERAL Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has lashed out at YTL Land and Development Bhd for snubbing his deputy, Datuk M. Saravanan, whom he tasked with resolving the housing problems of the poor in Sentul.

“What they did is rude,’’ Nong Chik told StarMetro.

Nong Chik was responding to a report in a local daily that YTL preferred to discuss the matter (housing issue) with the FT Minister instead.

“He (Saravanan) has been delegated the job and he has my full support. They (YTL) can come and see me if they want, but to say they no longer want to deal with Saravanan on the matter is disrespectful.

“We are all here to do a job — and that is to serve the people. It is our top priority,” Nong Chik added.

At a meeting with Kg Railway residents on Wednesday, Saravanan said he felt betrayed after the developers of Kampung Railway, Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd (SRSB) sent a message stating that no future proceedings would be conducted with his department with regard to Kampung Railway in Sentul. SRSB is a sister company of YTL.

“I received an SMS stating they would deal only with FT Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin even after I’d stopped a second rally by the Kampung Railway residents because they (developer) agreed to settle matters,” he added.

Saravanan claimed SRSB was buying time to delay the building of the promised low-cost units.

Saravanan said during his meeting with residents in Bandar Baru on Jan 10, the residents had said they would hold monthly protests if the developer did not build the homes.

They had held a protest in December 2009 in front of the YTL office in Jalan Bukit Bintang.

“I cannot stop these people any more. I did it the last time and now they are holding me responsible for it,” Saravanan said.

He also said the problem was not political but concerned the promise made to the poor people 16 years ago when the Sentul Raya developer agreed to build 2,448 low-cost units for the former Keretaapi Tanah Melayu (KTMB) workers.

SRSB took over the project after the original developer, Taiping Consolidated, failed to complete it.

“Our stand is clear: the developer has to build the low-cost units in the Batu area. If they think I am with the people, they should realise the minister is, too,” he added.

During the meeting, residents also questioned SRSB’s failure to meet and discuss the problem with them. They also wanted the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to look into the hygiene problem in the area.

“Rubbish is strewn everywhere while the cement washed out from the factory in the area flows to our homes.

“Our standard of living has dropped drastically. The DBKL came but nothing has happened,” village head Darshan Singh said.

Saravanan, in response, said he would send officers from all relevant departments, including the Health Department, to check on the matter.

“I will also ask them to determine the suitability of a cement factory in Kampung Railway as there are housing areas, schools and a house of worship there,” he added.

The residents also asked the DBKL not to issue the Development Order (DO) for the D7 commercial project until the problem was solved, but Saravanan said he would have to check to make sure such action was not against the law.

Source: the star

1Ticket, 1Seamless Journey

Another brilliant idea to reduce traffic congestion. Although billions ringgit are spent to improve the facilities, the government is still searching for a better solution to the problem.

January 28, 2010 16:17 PM

One-Ticket System For Public Transport In Klang Valley

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- A one- ticket system for public transport in the Klang Valley will be introduced by the end of the year to further encourage the people to use public transportation.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said today the "1Ticket, 1Seamless Journey" project would be launched for all the 16 public transport operators.

Currently, the Rapidpass is used by commuters taking the Light Rail Transit, monorail and bus services operated by RapidKL.

"We are quite keen to have it within this year. Maybe there are some extra efforts that we need to put in to overcome some of the unforseen challenges, there are few things," he told reporters after the launch of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) roadmap by the Prime Minister here Thursday.

Ong said this would ensure that the users would have easy access to the various modes of public transportation without hassle, with the use of only a special cashless pass or ticket.

"There are different operators, we have to identify all these problems and overcome one after another," Ong said.

In addition, he said, the ministry was studying having an integrated public transport terminal for all existing public transportation such as buses, taxies and LRT in the Klang Valley.

As for bus transportation, the Bus Expressway Transit (BET) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and dedicated bus lanes system in the Klang Valley all have disabled friendly facilities.

"The new fleet of buses, especially those already in operation in Penang, is equipped with disabled friendly features like the ramp for getting up and down the bus," he said.

Ong said the public transportation ridership had increased and the ministry was monitoring the progress with positive public feedback.

On the four-car train sets at the Kelana Jaya LRT line, Ong said six were already in operation out of the planned 35 four-car train sets with the rest to be delivered and ready for use in stages by 2012.

Improving urban public transport is one the six National Key Results Areas (NKRA) under the GTP.

-- BERNAMA

RM10m to solve Labuan’s squatter woes - Raja Nong Chik

Raja Nong Chik said RM10 millions needed to solve Labuan’s squatter woes.

LABUAN: A total of RM10mil has been allocated to resolve the squatter problem in Labuan, said Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

He said the allocation was to build low-cost flats over four phases in Kampung Sungai Bangat.

“We still have squatters in Labuan and efforts are in the pipeline to resolve the problem,” he said after launching quarters for civil servants and the extension of the National Land Code to Labuan in Kampung Bukit Kuda here.

Areas with squatters in Labuan include Kampung Rancha-Rancha, Kampung Sungai Bangat, Kampung Muslim and Kampung Kiansam.

Sumber: Bernama

For the love of words

Words are used to express yourself, words are used to communicate... scrabble and expand your vocabulary!

Submitted by pekwan on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

* Lifestyle
* Scrabble Challenge at Starbucks
* Life



Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 02:15:00
Scrabble



REAL TALENT: Contestants working hard during the Scrabble Challenge at Starbucks
BIOLOGY teacher Intan Rahayu came up tops in the Scrabble Challenge at Starbucks after beating her opponents by a wide margin recently at Berjaya Times Square.

The 24-year-old teacher at Bukit Bintang Secondary Boys School has been playing Scrabble since her primary school days, mostly with her father at her home in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

“We played regularly as a family. Dad used to encourage this to foster stronger family bonds while improving the use of English. Now that I am married, I don’t play Scrabble very much, but I still practise my strategy with Dad whenever I visit my hometown,” she said.

Intan believes that Scrabble encourages players to learn new words and understand its meaning, leading to an increase in English vocabulary.

She took home a Scrabble Deluxe set and a Scrabble Dictionary by Collins as well as a Starbucks hamper containing vouchers, gifts and merchandise. Second and third prize winners were Tan Waye and Lee Bee Chu respectively, who each won a hardcover Collins Scrabble Dictionary and merchandise from Starbucks.

The Scrabble Challenge at Starbucks is a preamble to the World Scrabble Championship, which will be held at Zon Regency, Johor Baru from Nov 26 to 29. The biannual international Scrabble tournament will see over 100 of the best Scrabble players around the world vie for the title and a total of USD30,500 in prize money.

“The Scrabble Challenge is an avenue to feature Scrabble as a lifestyle game that can be enjoyed by people of all walks of life,” said Mattel brand manager, Kenny Lim.

He added that the game promotes communication and interpersonal skills between players, which is missing
when one plays online or video games.

Scrabble Challenge organiser, Song Kim Lian feels that playing Scrabble encourages friendship and camaraderie between players.

“I think Scrabble is an excellent game, not just to allow its players to develop skills in English but also to have a bit of fun,” she said.

The mother of four first became a Scrabble organiser in 2004 when she was part of her children’s parent-teacher committee. She was asked to organise a Scrabble challenge, which she enjoyed doing tremendously. Since then, she has been organising tournaments and conducting Scrabble workshops for the young and old.

“It doesn’t matter if the player’s vocabulary is strong or weak, what’s important is to choose simple words that are daring with your word choices,” added Song.

Song has another tip for all Scrabble players — remember as many two-letter words as possible. It may just give you a win.

The Scrabble Challenge at Starbucks will continue to take place at selected Starbucks outlets within the Klang Valley and is open to all Starbucks patrons and the public.

Each challenge is limited to 40 players and beginners who are curious to find out more about the game are welcomed to join a short workshop before the challenge begins. Take part in the next Scrabbles Challenge at Starbucks Centrepoint, Bandar Utama at 11am on Nov 1, Bangsar Telawi 3 at 4pm on Nov 15 and Tropicana City Mall at at 4pm on Nov 22. Find out more at any Starbucks outlet.