Bunga Tanjong's Dissolution, Donation To Bakti Deemed Ultra Vires

PENANG, May 4 (Bernama) -- The Penang government regards the action of the Pertubuhan Bunga Tanjong (PBT) office-bearers to dissolve the association and to donate its funds to Bakti (Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers) as ultra vires to its constitution and against the law.

Political secretary of the Chief Minister, Ng Wei Aik, said it was unethical for the PBT (Association of Wives of Penang Elected Representatives) management to dissolve the association or make decisions on it as they no longer qualified to lead it or be its ordinary members.

In his letter to PBT president, Puan Sri Chui Kah Peng, and faxed to the press here, he demanded that Chui clarify whether three-fifths of its 45 members had, on March 9, the right to make the decision to dissolve PBT and to hand over RM350,000 of its funds amounting to RM590,665, to Bakti as they had lost the right to be PBT members under its constitution.

According to the PBT constitution, membership is restricted to the wives of Penang assemblymen and parliamentarians, except from the opposition.

"There is no mention of wives of BN assemblymen and MPs and the association's registered address is the Chief Minister's Office, 28th Floor, Komtar," Ng pointed out.

"Therefore, accordingly, PBT should be led by and comprise the wives of the elected representatives of the new state government."

Ng also questioned why PBT had donated only RM240,665 to Penang charitable bodies and the rest to Bakti as the state government had also donated RM10,000 yearly to the association.

He said to resolve the issue, the money donated to Bakti should be returned to the state government and for Chui to address the legal and ethical issues before challenging the state government to a debate.

Ng said the Chief Minister was prepared to listen to PBT's clarification on the matters raised and asked Chui to contact him for a meeting with Lim Guan Eng.

Meanwhile, in a statement released here Sunday, Chui said she was disappointed that Lim refused to accept her challenge for an open debate to defend PBT and also to let him justify his allegations.

"After he has made baseless allegations against us in public, it is no longer proper and acceptable for us to discuss this behind closed doors," she said.

Chui also stressed that PBT was a registered society, not a government body to be handed over when a new government took over (the state).

"We were under the jurisdiction of the ROS and not the state government as Lim himself had admitted (Kwong Wah on May 1). We have acted in good faith and have done everything in accordance with the PBT constitution, and it's all above board.

"In view of Lim's rejection for an open public debate and Ooi's (Jelutong MP and blogger Jeff Ooi) failure to respond (to allegations against PBT) by the deadline, we will continue to take appropriate measures to defend our integrity and dignity," she said.

-- BERNAMA

Penang Umno To Go All Out To Bring Development To Penang

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama)-- Penang Umno will strengthen and streamline further the state's Bumiputera Participation Steering Committee to enhance development in Penang.

Penang Umno liaision committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah said they would also rope in the Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda) and other bumiputera organisations in the effort.

He told this to reporters after some 650 Umno leaders from Penang held a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Penang Umno president and Penang Umno chief, at the Putra World Trade Centre here Saturday.

It was the first of a series of meetings Abdullah plans to have with leaders of Umno divisions and branches from throughout the country.

Also present at today's meeting, were Information Miniser Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor and Umno information chief, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib.

Touching on the meeting, Abdul Rashid it was done in an open and frank manner with Abdullah responding positively to the feedback given following the poor performance by Umno and the Barisan Nasional in the March 8 election.

All the leaders also voiced their undivided support for the leadership of Abdullah and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president), he said.

--BERNAMA

PKR Lodges ACA Report Over Balkis Fund Transfer

SHAH ALAM, May 2 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) over the transfer of funds by the Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation (Balkis).

Selangor PKR information chief Mohd Nasharudin Abdul Aziz alleged that the transfer of RM9.9 million to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) was against Balkis constitution.

He said the 15-page report was made to Selangor ACA officer Mohd Anuar Ismail.

"We were told this was the first report on the wife of former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo (Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik, who was then Balkis president)," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Naza Group founder and chairman dies of lung cancer in LA

KUALA LUMPUR, Fri:

Founder and Chairman of the Naza Group, Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin, died Thursday morning in Los Angeles, California, of lung cancer at the age of 53. Nasimuddin, who is also chief executive officer of the conglomerate, had been receiving treatment for cancer at a private hospital in Long Beach since January this year, Consul Ahmad Asmawi told Bernama over the telephone from Los Angeles.

Ahmad said Nasimuddin's wife Puan Sri Zaleha Ismail and children were by his side when he passed away at about 9am Pacific time Thursday morning .

The Malaysian Islamic Society of North America will prepare his remains and hold a prayer at the Islamic Centre.

His remains will be embalmed and sealed in a casket to be flown to Malaysia on Malaysia Airlines MH94 on May 3 on its early morning flight at 1.40am, Ahmad said.

The Naza Group, formed in 1974, has 14 business divisions including motor trading, motorbikes, manufacturing, transport services, machine tools and parts, engineering, plantation, cigarette distribution, credit and leasing, water crafts, properties, hotel operation and insurance agency.
Naza Group is the franchise holder for Ferrari, South Korea's Kia, Peugeot, Brabus, Hamann and Ducati bikes in Malaysia.

It also holds the import permits for Mercedes-Benz and Mazda vehicles.

In August 2005, Naza opened its doors to a new automotive showroom which became the company's landmark - Naza Auto Mall.

The group has property development - TIDI Development Sdn Bhd - and hotels in Malaysia and Los Angeles, including Howard Johnson in Torrance and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in San Pedro, Los Angeles.

Born on Jan 25, 1955, Nasimuddin studied at Sekolah Menengah Tuanku Muhammad in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan.

He began his automotive business at the age of 21 with a capital of RM80,000 he had accumulated by working for his father who was in the contracting business.

He made his first million a year later by applying for government-issued Approved Permits (APs) to import used cars from Japan.

He was quoted as saying: "I have always loved cars since my teenage years. That is why I am in this business. My father's construction business was not my cup of tea."

--NST

Mahathir starts his own blog

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is now a blogger.

He is blogging through his website www.chedet.com, which is named after the pseudonym he used when he wrote articles for the newspapers.

In his profile, Dr Mahathir lists himself simply as the “Prime Minister of Malaysia 1981 – 2003”.

Dr Mahathir wrote that the site was dedicated to publishing his writings as and when he was able to pen his thoughts and opinions.

He added that interested parties, including the media, were allowed to reproduce or quote materials published in his site but to credit them tochedet.com.

Comments and feedbacks accompanied by names or pseudonyms were welcome, while anonymous ones and those containing profanities and obscenities would be rejected, he wrote.

His first article, posted at 1.27am yesterday, was on the appointment of judges, in which he posed a few questions on the setup of the proposed commission on the appointment of judges, and how recommendations would be made.

Dr Mahathir wrote that it would be interesting to know the full details of the procedures especially with regard to the role of the Prime Minister in the appointment of judges.

He pointed out that any changes to the appointment of judges required the Constitution to be amended and, as the Government did not have two-thirds majority in Parliament, it needed votes from the Opposition.

“Is the Government proposing to work with the Opposition on these issues, and so display its weakness? Will there be a quid pro quo, a bargain with the Opposition? It would be interesting to see how the PM proposes to deal with this,” he wrote.

Dr Mahathir's blog received more than 10,000 visitors by 5pm yesterday. Many commentators welcomed the former prime minister to the blogosphere and said they had been waiting for him to start blogging.

Many said they were eager to hear his thoughts on various issues and welcomed the fact that they could interact with him through the blog.

Some who left comments on his first posting disagreed that it would be a weakness on part of the Government to work with the Opposition to reform the judiciary. They felt that national interest should prevail over partisan politics.

One commentator also asked Dr Mahathir if he thought that the ex-gratia payment for the judges affected in the 1988 judicial crisis was tantamount to contempt of court.

--THE STAR