8 theSun | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24 2009

news without borders

Ong says no campaign

to topple him Press Digest
AN MCA division in Penang
plotting to bring down party
president Datuk Seri Ong Tee
Keat?
Ong, who has overcome all
odds to become the party chief,
does not think so, and said a
Chinese daily was reading too
much into things for reporting
that the Bukit Mertajam division
is planning to start a campaign
against him.
The report said former deputy
state liaison chief Lau Chek Tuan
and state MCA public services
and complaints bureau chief
Tan Teik Cheng are secretly plan-
ning to initiate the anti-Ong Tee
by Kong See Hoh
Investors coming
back, says Zambry
Keat campaign.
It said Lau, who is the newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Bukit Mertajam division
chief, had used two func- Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon
tions he organised in the division the same day, he said it was the
recently to gauge his strength “daily’s interpretation”. The
and is planning to align himself “At a time when we risk losing investors
with party No 2 Datuk Seri Dr our rice bowl (getting retrenched are IPOH: Perak is regaining investors’ con- in the state legislative assembly when
Chua Soi Lek. because of the economic down- fidence after the Barisan Nasional (BN) three assemblypersons left their parties
returning
According to Oriental Daily turn), do we need this kind of took over the state government early this to become independents friendly to the
News, the report said Lau was to trouble?” he asked. and month, Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry BN, and another rejoined BN after leaving
move a motion of no-confidence State liaison chief Datuk Liow several Abdul Kadir said yesterday. the party.
against Ong. Tiong Lai said he has no time to of them Several major investors, who had Zambry said that during the first state
Ong was mum when asked comment on rumours. have previously deferred their investments, executive council meeting last week, the
to comment after attending the Asked why such a rumour had resumed discussions with the state state government approved a project
Penang state liaison committee had cropped up, his only reply
come to government on how to go about imple- involving a RM50 million investment.
meeting on Sunday morning. was: “It is a rumour, there is no meet me, menting them. “Maybe he (Mohammad Nizar) is taken
However, at a function in basis to it”. and a “The investors are returning and sev- aback because during his time, invest-
series of eral of them have come to meet me, and ments have not been forthcoming. Let
meetings a series of meetings have been held,” him say what he wants,” Zambry said.

Teachers snub school opening have

IN a departure from the norms,
the board of directors of SJK
(C) Sin Ming in Puchong invited
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim to officiate at
the opening of its new school
block-cum-multipurpose hall on
Sunday, Sin Chew Daily reported
yesterday.
Also present were Parti
Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Selangor
exco members,Teresa Kok and
Ronnie Liu, Dong Zong (United
Chinese School Boards Com-
mittee) president Dr Yap Sin
Tian and representatives from
the school’s parent-teacher as-
sociation.
However, conspicuously
missing were the school’s prin-
cipal and teaching staff.
School board chairman Chai
Yun Ping said the school was
informed by the state educa-
tion department a week ago
that its staff and pupils were
not allowed to attend Sunday’s
ceremony.
“The department did not give
any reason but said the principal
and teachers must follow the
directive as they get their salary
from the federal government,”
said Chai.
Khalid promised he will look
into the problem faced by the
school in acquiring vacant land
next to it for expansion.
If necessary, he said, the
state government will exercise
the power vested in it to compel
the land owner to sell the lot to
the school.
The mentri besar later
pledged a RM50,000 grant for
the school.
Anwar demonstrated his
Chinese calligraphy skill and
raised RM150,000 for the school
with his writing of Confucius’
saying “All within the four seas
are brothers”.
Anwar stressed the need
for all the races to work to-
gether and to understand one
another.
been
he told reporters after meeting the civil
servants here.
He was commenting on a state-
On reports that the legal team
representing him and six executive
councillors would be seeking views
held.” ment by former mentri besar Datuk from a queen’s counsel in London,
Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin pertaining to constitutional issues in
on Sunday that the state no longer Perak, Zambry said he had no knowl-
enjoyed the confidence of investors edge about the matter.
because of the political crisis following “It’s up to the legal team to think of
the change in the state government. the best means to handle the case,” he
The Pakatan Rakyat lost its majority said. – Bernama
Shahreeq
checking
on the
condition
of his wife
Jamilah,
who is
warded at
the UMMC.
ANWAR FAIZ/THESUN

Chilli powder attack may be linked to PTA elections

by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SUBANG JAYA: A mother of a pupil at SJK (T) Tun
Sambanthan, USJ 15, was splashed with what
seemed like chilli powder yesterday in an incident
believed to be linked to the Parent-Teacher As-
sociation (PTA) elections.
Jamilah Mohammed, 46, an insurance agent,
was splashed with water believed to contain the
chilli powder when she dropped her daughter off
for school in the morning.
Her husband, project manager Shahreeq
Abdullah, said Jamilah, who had announced her
intention to go for the PTA president’s post on
March 1, had also received two telephone calls
warning her not to contest.
Despite the threats, he said, Jamilah was
determined to carry on.
“My wife said the man, who was wearing a
helmet and what looked like a secondary stu-
dent’s school uniform, approached her and said
‘You still want to contest despite the warnings.
I’m going to pour acid on your face’,” Shahreeq
told reporters at University Malaya Medical
Centre, Petaling Jaya, where Jamilah was being
treated and under observation.
He said Jamilah was out of danger.
“Jamilah ran into the school with red liquid
on her face. Some teachers poured water on her
face but she was screaming that her eyes were
burning,” he said.
Shahreeq, who went to the school after
receiving a call from one of the teachers, took
Jamilah to the hospital in his car.
He said they will be making a police report.

Improve infrastructure first, CM told

by Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: The state gov-
ernment should concentrate
on improving infrastructure,
landscaping and cleanliness
instead of overseas marketing
to promote tourism in Penang,
tourism-related associations
said yesterday.
Penang Association of Tour-
ist Attractions (ATAP) chairman
and Skal International Penang
president Eddy Low said the
state government should look
at improving roads leading to
tourist attractions.
“They should re-tar the
roads and beautify them with
landscaping to give a good
image to visitors,” he said.
He said there should be
proper signages leading to the
attractions. Facilities in places
such as the Botanic Gardens
and Penang Hill should also be
upgraded.
Low said there is no need
to introduce any more tourism
programmes as the current
ones are sufficient.
“We only need to improve
what we have. They should
also start distributing Penang
maps to tourists at all the
entry points,” he said.
Malaysian Association of
Hotels Penang Chapter presi-
dent Marco Battistotti said
the state government should
improve the ports of entry, es-
pecially Penang International
Airport.
He agreed with Low that
basic infrastructure such as
the roads and lighting should
be upgraded.