6 theSun | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29 2008

news without borders

New Selangor law compels witnesses to testify

by Maria J. Dass
newsdesk@thesundail.com
SHAH ALAM: The state assembly passed
a Contempt of House Enactment 2008
that compels witnesses to come forward
to give their testimonies to select com-
mittees set up to look into misappropria-
tion and abuse of power.
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid
Ibrahim said the enactment compels
those other than government officers
and assemblymen to attend the hearings
and if they do not, action can be taken.
He said the scrutiny by the select
committees involved will help guide the
state in its future undertakings.
Two of the committees which stand
to gain from this new enactment are
the Public Accounts Committee and the
Select Committee on Competency, Ac-
countability and Transparency (Selcat).
Abdul Khalid said: “Whoever subpoe-
naed must attend the hearings, failing
which they will be in contempt of the
House.”
Executive councillor for tourism,
consumer affairs and environment Eliza-
beth Wong, who tabled the enactment,
said: “This enactment will smoothen the
investigation process we have now.
“If there is any cause for action, the
committees will not be acting as judge
and executioner as the matter will be
referred to the police and relevant au-
thorities.”
Once a police report is lodged, if any
element of abuse is found, the matter will
then go through the due process of the
law, she added.
Earlier, an amendment which will
allow the Selangor Sultan to appoint
members of the Selangor Religious Af-
fairs Council (Mais) was proposed.
Previously, the Sultan will consult
and get the advice of the mentri besar in
appointing Mais members.
However former mentri besar Datuk
Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo expressed his
concern, saying: “I’m worried because
the palace may have asked for the
amendments for some reasons.”.
Asked what the implications are,
Mohd Khir said: “The government does
not have any say in the appointment of
Mais committee.”
“In the past we will suggest 10 names
to Tuanku and Tuanku will decide on
which one to choose for the post,” he
said, adding that Mais would run the ad-
ministrative areas of Islam in Selangor.
Asked if Tuanku as the head of
Islam in the state had the prerogative to
choose the council members, Mohd Khir
said: “Ya, it would be much, much better
if there is consultation between the two
parties (Sultan and the mentri besar).”
“We are not questioning Tuanku’s
rights, but why spoil a good thing that is
going,” he said adding that it seems that
the mentri besar’s advice is no longer
needed.
Earlier, during the proceedings, an
argument broke out when Mohd Khir
questioned the move to amend the law
when there are no problems thus far.
Azmin Ali (PR-Bukit Damansara)
then accused Mohd Khir of malicious
intent and of trying to drive a wedge
between the state and the Sultan.

Quarrel over impact of demos

A SELANGOR executive councillor and a Barisan
Nasional representative were at each other’s
throats in the assembly yesterday over the
impact of demonstrations on efforts to draw
investments. It happened after Lau Weng San
(DAP-Kampung Tunku) posed a supplementary
question on the political situation in the state and
how it influences the investment climate.
In reply, state investment, industry and trade
committee chairman Teresa Kok said following
her detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA)
last month, Selangor had missed an opportunity
to get a foreign firm from the solar industry to
invest in the state.
“It’s true I am hoping for a just and more
transparent political climate at least for foreign
investors to see and have confidence to put
money in Malaysia,” she said during the question
and answer session.
This prompted Datuk Mohamad Satim
Diman (BN-Seri Serdang) to pose another
question whether the demonstrations staged by
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had caused anxiety among
foreign investors.
Kok asked Satim whether he was aware now
that the demonstrators in Selangor were not only
from PR but also from the BN.
She said most protests held by PR were in a
stadium and after obtaining the permit while the
BN staged one at the State Secretariat Building.
She said many demonstrations were held
in developed countries but their economies
remained stable. Hence, Kok said she believed
that investors were afraid of investing in Selangor
not because of demonstration but because of
the use of ISA.
‘Decision was MB’s
prerogative’
» From Front Page
suitable candidates will be presented to his
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues. He said PAS was
willing to accept the suggestion of candidates
by other PR partners as long as everyone was
happy with the choice.
Former mentri besar and Sungai Panjang as-
semblyman Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said
the decision on who to appoint as PKNS GM was
the MB’s perogative. “But usually this post is held
by a Malay.
“This move seems to undermine the capabil-
ity of Malays to run a company such as PKNS. I
received calls and memorandum from officers
at PKNS and I told them that this was the MB’s
prerogative and he may have done it for some

Dr M: Not time to abolish

good or otherwise, but it has been a policy for
top management in PKNS to be Malays.”
Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim (DAP)
said the state had made a brave move in ap-

30% bumi equity pointing Low as acting GM.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad disagrees with MCA’s proposal
for the condition of 30 % bumiputra equity owner-
ship in public-listed companies be abolished.
He said yesterday this was not the right time
to do so since the target for bumiputra equity
participation had not been achieved.
“If we have achieved the 30% target for bu-
miputras, 40% for non-bumiputras and 30 % for
foreigners, then we can do away with the condi-
tion. We have not reached that yet ... there’s still
a lot to be done.
“If we reduce it to 20% today and it does not
expand while the economy does, the bumiputra
equity participation will get smaller. We have to
take all this into consideration.”
Mahathir was speaking to reporters at an
Aidilfitri function of the Malaysia Muslim Welfare
Organisation (Perkim) here. Mahathir, who is
Perkim president, said although the equity owner-
ship could be changed, the target for bumiputras
needed to be protected.
He said such a matter should have been
brought to the Barisan Nasional’s attention as it
was raised by a BN component party.
Yesterday, MCA vice-president Datuk Liow
Tiong Lai said the condition for 30% bumiputra
equity in public-listed companies should be abol-
ished in order for them to remain competitive.
Liow was also quoted as saying that the 30%
target set was a hindrance to the creation of true
partnership between Malay, Chinese and Indian
businessmen in the country.
Asked about Malay special rights, he said
many people talked about it but the non-Malays
too have their rights.
“If we take away the rights of the Malays, then
we have to do the same with the rights of the
non-Malays. We have to be rational, just don’t see
only one side.”
On the proposal for debates to be held among
Umno candidates vying for the top party posts, he
said Malaysians had not reached the level of the
Americans yet to have such debates. – Bernama
Outside the gates of the state secretariat,
several members of a non-governmental or-
ganisation, Badan Bertindak Penduduk Bangsa
Melayu Selangor protested against Low’s ap-
pointment.
On another matter, Mohd Khir said the
RM100,000 “bonus” which he received in his
capacity as PKNS chairman was a monthly al-
lowance he accepted only if the company made
profits (see theSun says on page 16).
“I had decided that I would receive the
monthly allowance if there were profits and if
there were no profits, I would not have accepted
it,” he said when asked to comment on the pay-
ment which was revealed by Khalid on Monday
as part of irregularities found in PKNS accounts.
“This is a norm in any company,” Mohd Khir
said, adding that the payment was for a year and
he did not receive anything apart from this.
His role was to pore over some documents
and to sign cheques for amounts above RM1 mil-
lion. This amount is determined by the officers
and not the chairman and it is contained in the
constitution, he said.