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80% of govt
projects
behind
schedule,
says
Shaziman
KUANTAN: The practice
of giving extension of time
(EOT) will be restricted to
ensure government projects
are not delayed, Works Min-
ister Datuk Shaziman Abu
Mansor said yesterday.
He said the matter should
be given serious attention
as it could lead to cost over-
runs.
Currently, he said about
80% of development projects
were given EOT which ham-
pered the public from enjoy-
ing the facilities on time.
“About 80% of the projects
have the EOT, but please
bear in mind that it’s not all
the Public Works Depart-
ment (PWD)’s fault. Some-
times, there are problems
with land acquisition, utility
transfer and price hikes,” he
said after opening a meeting
of senior PWD officers, here.
He said, however, the
PWD would still have to
take the responsibility as
it concerned the country’s
development.
On other matters, he said
the ministry had identified
10 “black areas” nationwide
that needed to be upgraded
before year’s end to reduce
road accidents.
He said a RM2 million
allocation had been set aside
to upgrade these accident-
prone stretches.
Among them are Km8,
Section 189 Jalan Muar-
Malacca (Tanjung Gading),
Johor; Section 41.8, Jalan
Serting Tengah, Negeri
Sembilan; Sek 399, Jalan
Kuala Terengganu-Kuantan,
Terengganu; Km35.2 Jalan
Kangar-Mengkuang Layar,
Perlis and Section 35.2 Jalan
Damar Laut-Pantai Remis,
Perak. – Bernama
| TUESDAY JUNE 2 2009
22 RTD personnel sacked
MALACCA: Twenty-two Road warnings and one had his salary assistant enforcement officers. effective service to the customers.
Transport Department (RTD) per-
sonnel were dismissed between
reduced.
“These disciplinary actions
Solah also urged the public
who were not satisfied with the
Meanwhile, he said the continu-
ous recruitment of staff especially
January 2008 and March this year
for abusing power, violating the
started when we set up the
Integrity Task Force in October
service offered by RTD to lodge a
complaint via email at aduan@jpj.
for the post of enforcement as-
sistant and assistant enforcement
rules and being absent without
leave.
JPJ director-general Datuk
2008,” he told reporters after clos-
ing an induction course for 353
RTD enforcement assistants in
com.my.
“We monitor the complaints
daily and we will respond in less
officer would smoothen the RTD
service especially in conducting
driving tests and vehicle registra-
Solah Mat Hassan said throughout the Malacca International Trade than three days except for cases tion.
the same period, eight Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here that need further investigation,” “We have 4,254 vacancies for
other personnel yesterday. he said. enforcement assistants and assist-
were also sus- He said most of the personnel Solah said the public com- ant enforcement officers and 3,500
pended, three involved in the disciplinary actions plaints were the best input for RTD have been recruited so far,” he
were given were enforcement assistants and to offer a more friendly, faster and added. – Bernama
Indonesian model escapes from Kelantan prince
JAKARTA: A teenage Indonesian fine with her new husband. she escaped her guards by pushing the
model has returned to her family in But the young woman – a well-known Singapore hotel elevator’s emergency but-
Indonesia with tales of abuse at the socialite in Jakarta – alleged that she was ton. She blasted the Indonesian embassy
hands of a Malaysian prince, after given occasional drug injections that made in Malaysia, saying: “They made it worse
her dramatic escape with the help her vomit blood. by telling lies, saying that I was fine while
of Singapore police. She said she was usually held under I was suffering in Kelantan.”
Manohara Odelia Pinot (pix), guard in her bedroom and was injected A spokesman for the Indonesian for-
17, told a press conference that she with tranquillisers whenever she com- eign ministry insisted the embassy had
was mistreated after her marriage to plained. “I am still traumatised by all that done everything it could to help Manohara
Tengku Temenggong Mohammad happened and it has left an impact on me,” and said the government would assist her
Fakhry of Kelantan last year. she said on Sunday, after escaping during if she wanted to file charges against her
Her mother, Daisy Faja- a trip to Singapore over the weekend. husband.
rina, said she would press The teenager, whose fairy-tale wedding Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri
charges against the to the prince captured the imagination of Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday the gov-
31-year-old prince, and Indonesia, said she would be tortured if ernment will not investigate the claims.
blamed the Malaysian she did not appear to be happy when she “I think this is more of a personal mat-
and Indonesian gov- attended social functions with Fakhry. ter. To date we have not been dragged into
ernments for trying to “Every time I went for events they it, so we want to leave it as it is,” he said.
cover up the alleged forced me to smile and would torture me There has been no comment from the
abuse. if I did not do what they said,” she told the Kelantan royal family.
The Malaysian press conference. Manohara’s lawyer, Yuri Darmas, said
government had She said she secretly called police and she would have a medical examination
ignored her pleas for pleaded for help after the royal family took to back up her allegations of abuse. “We
access to her daugh- her to Singapore when they accompanied need one to two days to gather evidence
ter and had blocked Sultan Ismail Petra Shah for medical before we file a lawsuit with the Malay-
her from entering treatment. “No one could force me against sian police,” he said, adding he intended
the country, she said, my will in Singapore and I knew I had a to pursue both criminal and civil lawsuits
while the Indonesian chance to escape,” she said. against the prince.
embassy had said The model, once voted as being among Manohara has already filed for divorce,
that Manohara was Indonesia’s “100 Precious Women”, said her mother said. – AFP
MACC nabs former forestry enforcement officer
KUANTAN: The Malaysian Anti- Pahang MACC director Sutinah the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com-
Corruption Commission (MACC) Sutan said the suspect was detained mission (MACC) Act 2009.
has detained a former State in Karak at 9.30pm on Friday. The offence carries a jail term of
Forestry Department enforce- “The suspect is believed to have not more than 20 years and a fine
ment officer who is believed received the bribe for a logging trans- of not less than five times the value
to have accepted an action,” she said yesterday. of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever
RM11,000 bribe from a Further investigation was being is higher, under Section 24 of Act.
businessman. carried out under Section 16(a)(A) of – Bernama