Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged the private sector to voice out their concerns to the government on the impending price hikes.
He said that it was the duty of the business community to point out to the government how the price hikes would affect them as the government may not be aware of the situation faced by the private sector.
"They can send a memorandum (or) meet the government (leaders) to explain their side (of the concerns). It's up to the private sector to tell the government that if the price hike takes place, it will affect them.
"And if it affect us (business community), it will affect the government (too)," he told reporters after appearing as a special guest on RTM2 talkshow live programme "Hello On Two" at Wisma TV in Angkasapuri Thursday.
Many Malaysians are bracing for a tough year ahead due to the government's cost-cutting measures to cut down public sector spending, reduce subsidies for fuel and increase in prices of consumer goods and services.
Earlier, during the talkshow, Dr Mahathir predicted that the year ahead would be gloomy due to recent issues over race relations in the country.
"2014 is going to be a "difficult" year because Malaysia has never before been faced with some of the current controversies and confrontation surrounding race relations.
"People are becoming more liberal and they are demanding for more freedom," he added.
-- BERNAMA
SHAH ALAM: Five men, including four brothers charged with polluting Sungai Gong in Rawang have been released on bail by the Shah Alam High Court.
ReplyDeleteYip Kok Wai, 53; Yip Kok Mun, 58; Yip Kok Kuin, 50, Yip Kok Wong, 60 and Yip Kum Fook, 66( Yip kum fook is president of SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHST TEMPLE) – directors of a machinery repair company – and workshop manager Ho Voon Leong, 59, were released yesterday on a RM400,000 bail each, with one surety, by Judicial Commissioner Norsharidah Awang.
The five had been charged with dumping hazardous materials into Sungai Gong, which had resulted in sudden water cuts in Selangor for several days as the water was too contaminated for treatment plants to process.
The five appeared before Norsharidah after she allowed their review application against an earlier decision by the Sessions Court to deny them bail.
Norsharidah also ordered the men to surrender their passports to the court.
Although they were allowed bail, Norsharidah held in her judgment that she had taken into account the gravity of the alleged offence, as well as the danger if the crime was repeated.
She also said she had taken into account the health conditions of the accused persons.
“This is a serious case which caught the public eye, so the court allows all the accused to be released on bail of RM400,000 each with one surety, besides the additional condition for them to surrender their passports to the court, and if any offence is committed during this duration, the court will rescind the bail,’’ said Norsharidah.
On Sept 17, all five men had filed the review application against the Selayang Sessions Court’s decision to deny them bail.
They were earlier slapped with two charges at the Selayang Sessions Court on Sept 15.
The men were first charged under Section 430 of the Penal Code with causing mischief by injury to irrigation works near the Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd workshop at Lot 4219, Jalan Batu Arang, Kg Sungai Dua, Rawang between Sept 2 and 3 that led to serious water pollution in Sungai Gong.
They were also charged under Section 25 (1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 with discharging scheduled waste without a licence into the environment, leading to pollution.
The accused claimed trial to both charges.
They face a jail sentence of not less than five years and not more than 30 years, or a fine, or both, under Section 430 of the Penal Code and face a fine not exceeding RM100,000, or a jail sentence not exceeding five years, or both, under Section 25 (1) of the Environ-mental Quality Act 1974.
In submission, counsel for the accused Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader said bail should be allowed as there was no evidence that indicated the accused would abscond or interfere with witnesses.
DPP Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah argued that even though the court had the discretion to allow bail, it should consider the gravity of the case which resulted in 1.2 million consumers being affected during the water disruption.
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ReplyDeleteSome MCA leaders such as YIP KUM FOOK (lawyer, MCA Gombak) and Yip Jiun Hann (MCA Gombak youth) are immoral and their names are very bad in Selangor. Especially in Kepong, Selayang, Rawang and other places, such as eating money SAMNAK SAMBODHI, DESA JAYA, KEPONG, damaging other people's families …… ..behaving so badly.
They are trying to tell us to support Donald lim Siang Chai, if this group wins in the MCA party, I am sure the MCA party will sink forever in Malaysia
Don't fall into the trap, support Dr. Wee Ka Siong
SAMNAK SAMBODHI COMMITTEES