Deepavali Greetings

For Deepavali this year, as we extend our good wishes to our friends and loved ones, let us remind ourselves not to allow our hearts to remain full of the darkness of ignorance. PKR has been committed to shedding light on the wrong doing and abuse of power prevalent in Malaysia. PKR members have dedicated time and in some cases their own safety in this continuous challenge.

The conflicts and challenges that inevitably arise in the course of pursuing our goals are indicators that even if we are taking two steps forward but one step back, we are slowly but surely making progress. Self-interest and personal egos cannot co-exist with brotherhood and cooperation. As our homes are lit with lamps with this Deepavali let us symbolically strengthen our resolve to reject all corrupt and immoral elements afflicting our homes and our society.

Press Statement - 25th October 2010

 

 Cononer’s “open verdict” in R.Gunasegaran’s death

I view with extreme outrage and concern at the Cononer’s “open verdict” in R.Gunasegaran’s death in police custody inquest – the latest in the long list of inquests where the magistrates acting as coroners have failed to discharge their duties to impartially inquire into the cause of death and find the perpetrators involved.

Coroner Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin like so many other previous coroners, went out of her way to protect the policemen and the hospital personnel involved in covering up for the police – in order to cast doubt into the cause of death so that an “open verdict” can be found. This effectively meant that the police are not to be blamed as the cause of death was not determined. 

It is a scandal how she can arrive at an “open verdict” when there were 4 eyewitnesses to the deceased being assaulted by Lance Corporal Mohd Faizal Mat Taib. She even pondered whether the injuries could have been caused by efforts to resuscitate the deceased even though the medical officer testified that no effort was made at resuscitation!

It is shocking indictment of the poor standard of the country’s criminal justice system and lawlessness of the PDRM when so many people, mostly young men in good health can be detained by the police but end up dead. The situation is made worse when the medical authorities in charge of conducting post-mortems normally do a poor job as did the Kuala Lumpur Hospital in this instance, had even failed to store the body properly causing it to rot.

The overwhelming majority of deaths in police custody cases are only investigated internally by the police themselves which are obviously unsatisfactory. The few cases that are subjected to inquests have shown to be very slow and ineffective e.g. the inquest into the death of Ulaganathan Muniandy, then 19 years old in 2003 – after numerous postponements, has yet to be completed.

According to the Royal Commission on the Police report in 2005, there have only been 6 inquests carried out for the deaths of 80 people while in police custody between 2000 and 2004.

This trend of hospitals colluding with the police in covering up crimes, and the coroners stamping “open verdicts” in inquests cannot be allowed to continue as I fear that the serious damage done to these key state institutions’ credibility may be irreversible and may lead the rakyat into cynicism or worse take matters into their own hands as the rakyat simply cannot get justice.

The death of R. Gunasegaran, then only 31 years old at the Sentul Police Station, is neither an isolated incident nor the case of a few rotten apples but a wider and serious problem of the institutions’ lack of accountability, transparency and independence that allow such deaths to be covered up with no justice for the rakyat.

We must stop this rot before it is too late.

Released by:

R.Sivarasa

MP for Subang

Keadilan Vice President

response to Zaid Ibrahim’s statement “Empowering Keadilan” on Anwar

In response to Zaid Ibrahim’s statement “Empowering Keadilan” on Anwar
Ibrahim’s trial

20 October 2010



I view with incredulity Zaid Ibrahim’s latest unkind salvo against
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which I sometimes think he forgets is the
party he currently belongs to and is in running for Deputy President.
It is very irresponsible  for him to suggest that
PKR seems to be a one issue party – keen only to champion Anwar
Ibrahim and his ongoing trial.



This myth he knows is not true and is something that we normally only
hear from UMNO-BN politicians. Over the last decade or so, PKR has
grown tremendously and has played a major part in forging the Pakatan
Rakyat alliance while espousing its true multi-racial brand of
progressive politics, leading to the Pakatan Rakyat’s Common Policy
Platform which we believe will pose a strong challenge to the BN in
the next general election.



I am further shocked that Zaid has suggested that by defending Anwar,
the party is unable to defend the rakyat. Again, very UMNO-BN-like
criticism as he knows very well that the party has a good track record
in defending the rakyat on various issues concerning civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights.



I am sure Zaid is well aware that securing justice for Anwar does not
merely mean providing the best legal defence but involves a campaign
outside court to expose the Government’s manipulation of key
institutions to persecute political opponents. Again, this statement
that Anwar has received the best legal defence and therefore there is
nothing else to do – certainly seemed very UMNO-BN-like, and certainly
appalling coming from a PKR leader.



The implication of Anwar’s trial if he does not know is that Anwar’s
current and previous trials represent all that is wrong with UMNO-BN’s
brand of sham democracy – one that enables the government of the day
to make use of all the state machinery including the judiciary,
police, AG’s Chambers and even hospitals to manufacture false evidence
and implicate political opponents.



In case Zaid has forgotten, Anwar has spent six years’ imprisonment on
trumped up charges, and is once again facing the same fate. Surely it
would be extremely unkind and ungrateful of PKR to suddenly abandon
Anwar just when the party is becoming a major political force in the
country.



I am certainly at a loss to understand Zaid’s campaign strategy as he
seems bent on publicly and continuously criticising the party and its
leadership (which I must remind he is also part of) instead of
strengthening the party, and championing the party’s policies,
processes and issues including that of UMNO-BN’s persecution of Anwar.

Released by:

R Sivarasa
Member of Parliament, Subang
Vice President, Parti KeADILan Rakyat

Your MP is concerned - and will get to the bottom of this

41 Selayang traders see red


by Llew-Ann Phang



PETALING JAYA (Oct 17, 2010): The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has "outsourced" the management of an industrial park in Desa Aman Puri to a private company, raising the ire of traders who find that their monthly rentals have increased by 120%.

The livelihoods of 41 petty traders are now at the mercy of Property Development T&L Sdn Bhd, which is the beneficiary of the privatisation agreement.



In late August, the traders were given a notice from the company's lawyers stating that Property Development T&L would be taking over the management of the Bukit Desa Industrial Park from Oct 1, under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) scheme.



On Oct 2, the traders received a set of to-dos, which included an increase in their monthly rental from RM450 to RM1,000.



They were also told the deposit needed to be paid by last Friday, failing which they would have to vacate their units.



"If I lose this spot, I have nowhere else to go and this is my bread and butter we’re talking about," said trader Farid Ahmad, 36 who alerted theSun. He has been operating there for four years.



"We cannot afford to fork out so much money because we’re only small-time operators."



The traders have written to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, Selangor executive councilor for local government Ronnie Liu, Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah and MPS president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim to highlight their plight.



An MPS official said the BOT agreement which allowed Property Development T&L to take over was brought up at a Privatisation Committee meeting on June 23.



"The matter was agreed upon at the council’s full board meeting on June 29 and as a result, the company has authority over rent, the management of the premise and its conditions," a spokesman said.



All’s not lost, however, as Liu has fixed a meeting among all the parties on Friday.



"The meeting will involve the tenants, MPS, the company and councillor Lee Khai Loon and it will also discuss the rate to be charged," Liu said.



He said the privatisation agreement for the stretch of stalls and workshops was signed before the 2008 general election.



"It was under (former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohammad) Khir Toyo and has nothing to do with Ronnie Liu," he said.



"The agreement states that the company would be able to take over the operations of the development. However, I was told by the MPS president that there is a clause in the agreement that allows him to have a say in the rental rates and he is now stepping in to help the traders." -- theSun

Soalan saya di parlimen

Tuan Sivarasa A/L K.Rasiah [ Subang ]

PENERANGAN, KOMUNIKASI DAN KEBUDAYAAN

memandangkan Kerajaan Negeri Selangor di bawah Pakatan Rakyat

telah menggubal satu Enakmen Pembebasan Maklumat (Freedom of

Information Enactment) dalam sidang DUN Selangor yang lepas, sama

ada Kerajaan Persekutuan bercadang membuat undang-undang yang

sama di Parlimen.minta MENTERImenyatakan

Soalan Saya Di Parlimen - Khamis 14hb Oktober

29. PR-1233-L40218

Tuan Sivarasa A/L K.Rasiah [ Subang ]

minta PERDANA MENTERI

menyatakan sama ada Kerajaan boleh bersetuju meluluskan untuk setiap

Ahli Parlimen tanpa mengira parti satu elaun khas yang munasabah tetapi

cukup untuk membiayai kos pengendalian pusat khidmat-pusat khidmat

mereka dan juga gaji kakitangan untuk tugas kaji selidik dan

kesetiausahaan.

Pemilihan Cabang Subang

Pemilihan Cabang Subang

KENYATAAN MEDIA
13 OKTOBER 2010

Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat (JPP) Parti Keadilan Rakyat yang bermesyuarat pada 5 Oktober 2010 telah meneliti laporan oleh pengawas pemilihan darihal Pemilihan Cabang Subang yang telah diadakan pada 26 September 2010.
Setelah dibincangkan, berikut adalah keputusan yang dibuat oleh Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat :
o Pemilihan Cabang Subang pada Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan Cabang 2010 dibatalkan berikutan ancaman dan ugutan yang diterima oleh pengawas-pengawas pemilihan dan petugas-petugas serta ahli JPP, Sdr Sabaruddin Mohd Yassin.
o JPP juga telah memutuskan dua individu iaitu Saudara Muhammad Najmi Samsudin (no ahli B160000934) dan Saudara Sivam a/l Veeramuthu (no ahli B160000800) telah hilang kelayakan bertanding pada pemilihan Cabang Subang yang akan diadakan semula apakala tarikh baru ditentukan oleh sekretariat Ibu Pejabat Parti
o Mereka berdua akan dirujuk kepada Jawatankuasa Disiplin untuk tindakan selanjutnya bilamana mereka akan dipanggil memberi keterangan. Sementara menunggu kes mereka dihadapkan kepada Jawatankuasa Disiplin, keanggotaan mereka digantung mengikut fasal 27.3 Perlembagaan Parti berkuatkuasa sertamerta.
SAIFUDDIN NASUTION
Setiausaha Agung

Sekolah Agama di Sek 8, Kota Damansara

PKNS does its bit for Muslims in Kota Damansara

THE Selangor Economic Deve­lopment Corporation (PKNS) presented RM450,000 as part of funds to build the SK Agama Kota Damansara.
The school, which will be located in Section 8, Kota Damansara, will cater to the Muslim community in the area.
PKNS chief executive officer Othman Omar said the three-storey school would have one block consisting of classrooms, headmaster’s room, teacher’s room, examination hall, meeting rooms and a cafeteria.

Cash aid: Othman (standing sixth from left) presenting the cheque to the school’s chairman Mohd Hassan Othman (seventh from left) while officials and students look on.

“The school will be ready by the middle of next year and will have about 300 pupils.
“Teachers from Al-Azhar Mesir, Islamic colleges and other Islamic institutions recognised by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) will be teaching there.
“We are also planning to build more of such schools in PKNS projects like Antara Gapi, Kota Puteri, SSP2 and Bernam Jaya,’’ said Othman during the PKNS Hari Raya Open House at the Shah Alam Convention Centre in Shah Alam recently.

Residents want problem solved before Damansara-Tropicana link is opened

By FAZLEENA AZIZ
fazleena@thestar.com.my

DAMANSARA Idaman residents want the traffic situation in their area solved before the Damansara-Tropicana link is opened.
Damansara Idaman Owners and Residents Association (Diora) president Wan Annuar Wan Mohd Noor said they wanted a solution instead of letting people suffer.
Diora had filed an injunction against the developer from opening the road in May.
Wan Annuar was speaking after a meeting with the stakeholders, developer, consultant and Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) on Thursday.
The session was chaired by councillor Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin.
Wan Annuar added that the meeting was a step in the right direction as it was important to address the concerns of the residents.
“I think it will be better if everyone walks the talk. We do not want to be worse off than before,” he said.
Tropicana Residents Association chairman Mohamed Shukri Zain wanted to know the macro-traffic impact study before the Ara Damansara-Tropicana link was opened.
He said they wanted to know if the road could take the volume of the cars.
“We are not against the road but we want to see solutions. It is best if the problems are fixed before the link is opened,” he said.
Councillor Khairul Anuar said the meeting was a platform for them to listen to the grievances and find out why the residents were opposing the link.
“We have the macro study on the traffic flow for Ara Damansara and Tropicana as well as the 17 projects and the report has addressed most of the concerns,” he said.
He added that they would be having another meeting with the residents to brief them on the 17 projects and traffic report.

Residents want proposed projects completed soon to solve congestion

By YIP YOKE TENG
mailto:teng@thestar.com.my

WHEN can the Petaling Jaya City Council implement the long-term projects proposed early last year to alleviate the congestion problems plaguing the entire PJU area? The council had approved 17 short-, mid- and long-term projects to address the perpetual traffic problems that have caused housing estates here to be in dispute with each other over the use of roads.
Two long-term projects recommended were to build an elevated road crossing at the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) to connect FAS with Ara Damansara, and another elevated ramp connecting Jalan PJU1A/1, Persiaran Tropicana and Jalan Bukit Mayang Emas.
Almost two years have passed but the council has not given residents an answer as to when these two projects can take off. In fact, most of the short- and mid-term projects are also pending for one reason or another.

Choked: Jalan Bukit Mayang Emas that runs parallel to the New Klang Valley Expressway is always congested during peak hours as it is a main access to many neighbourhoods as well as an alternative to toll roads.

For Taman Bukit Mayang Emas residents, the clock is ticking fast as they are worried that a huge volume of traffic will pour in from Ara Damansara once the missing link connecting to Tropicana via Jalan PJU1A/1 opens.
Construction of the link stopped following a court injunction filed by Damansara Idaman residents but the council was determined to open it to ease the choked-up traffic in Ara Damansara, after completing paper work to prove that the road had been surrendered to the state.
Ara Damansara residents cannot wait any longer and are already using the uncompleted road at their own risk, but residents on the Tro­picana side feel it is impossible for the mostly two-lane roads in their area to bear such a high volume of traffic once the link officially opens.

Internal problems: Cars parked indiscriminately within Taman Bukit Mayang Emas

“The council is merely transferring the problem here if they open the road,” said Taman Bukit Mayang Emas Residents’ Association chairman Steven Foo. The housing estate has been there for 16 years. He said traffic from Ara Damansara would clog up Persiaran Tropicana, the Tropicana tunnels, Jalan Bukit Mayang Emas and Kampung Cempaka roundabout that are at the brim of their capacity, to link to the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP).
He added that most of the stretches have only two lanes interrupted by U-turns and unsynchronised traffic lights, while Jalan Bukit Mayang Emas that runs parallel to the NKVE are already sustaining heavy traffic to and from Sungai Buloh, Kepong and Kota Damansara as an alternative to toll road.

Long crawl: A photo taken by a Ara Damansara resident showing the traffic jam motorists have to put up with along the access via the FAS tunnel during peak hours.

Deputy chairman Lum Weng Fook lamented that there were at least seven projects coming up in the area served by only two-lane roads.
“Residents fear development. Developments in Petaling Jaya do not bring progress but nightmares. We shudder to think what will happen when these projects are ready; we are already suffering every day.
“Just how many more years do we have to wait before the council finds a solution?” he asked.

Dangerous: Water seepage makes the pedestrian walkway along the Tropicana tunnel slippery and dangerous.

Lum added that illegal parking was rampant near the area’s eateries and condominiums, so much so that public buses had stopped plying these roads.
“At the rate these high-rise buildings are mushrooming in PJU, I doubt the traffic projects can end our traffic woes,” he said.
Secretary Jenny Tan said even though residents had been invited to give their views at MBPJ dialogues nothing solid had been done.
“We had our say at the traffic briefing where we were told about the 17 projects but two years have passed. It is still the same,” she said.
Mutiara Tropicana Residents’ Association chairman Muhammad Ismail Muhammad Yusuf said opening the link would endanger the lives of many pedestrians and school-going children.
“There are two schools located near the Tropicana tunnels, many students walk to school from home but the traffic is always so heavy. We shudder to think what will happen when the link opens,” he said.
The new Tropicana tunnel, which opened in August 2009, is in bad condition with water seepage, deep potholes and cracked concrete, affecting traffic flow.
Status of the traffic projects announced in early 2009
Short-term proposals
• Physical improvement to existing Lembah Subang tunnel (done)
• Operate Lembah Subang tunnel and southern section of Jalan Taman Emas 2 as one-way east-bound (done)
• Completion of Jalan PJU1A/44 (pending)
• Conversion of Jalan PJU 1A/4A roundabout with Jalan PJU1A/4D to a signalised T-junction (pending)
• Widening of Jalan PJU1A/4A from two lanes to four lanes (pending)
• Completion of a four-lane road between Jalan PJU1A/1 and Jalan PJU 1A/4A (pending)
• North-South link between Jalan PJU1A/1 and Jalan Lembah Subang (pending)
• Improvement at the ingress from Jalan PJU1/28 northbound into Jalan SS25/29 (pending)
• Improvement of LDP junctions at Jalan SS25/29 and Jalan SS25/23 (pending)
• Roundabout design at Jalan Hilir Bandar Utama/Jalan Tropicana Sela­tan junction (replaced by a U- turn)
• Raising road embankment near Persiaran Surian/Jalan PJU3/31 (pending)
• U-turn facility at Persiaran Surian (pending)
Medium-term proposals
• Improvement of Persiaran Surian (tender put up)
• Realignment of road to avoid residential road in Kelana Idaman (pending)
• Construction of missing link along Jalan PJU1A/1 to connect Ara Damansara and Tropicana (court injunction)
Long-term proposals
• Elevated road crossing at NKVE to connect FAS with Ara Damansara (pending)
• Elevated ramp connecting Jalan PJU1A/1, Persiaran Tropicana and Jalan Bukit Mayang Emas (pending)

Response to Article in Malaysiakini

Dear Editor

I write to state that the impression created in your article that there was jeering and heckling disruption during the Subang Division annual general meeting division meeting is not accurate.  The suggestion that this led to the postponement of the Subang election of division leaders is also not correct.

The AGM had problems in the way the voting by show of hands for nominations for national leaders was handled. But, apart from that, proceeded and was completed.

What was NOT completed was the Subang Division leaders election which is a separate process from the AGM altogether. This could not take place because of defective ballot papers which were rectified late. As a result, the senior election official present En Sabaruddin had no option but to declare a postponement of the election at about 230 pm.

Then I and many other candidates and members left the venue.

Regretably a group of members including a few candidates then used threats of confinement and violence on the election officials and forced them to proceed with balloting. The election officials have lodged reports with the police and the party. I understand that the PKR National Election Committee will decide on the issue next week after receiving all reports.

I hope that this correction can be made to prevent continuing confusion

Yours sincerely

R Sivarasa

I also enclose the following Bahasa version:

Saya menulis untuk membetulkan kandongan di dalam rencana ini yang memberikan gambaran bahawa di dalam Mesyuarat Agung PKR Subang berlaku |”tengkar dan gaduh” dan mesyuarat “tidak dapat diteruskan”. Ini tidak tepat. Walaupun proces pengundian untuk pencalunan dan perwakilan dalam mesyuarat memang tidak dapat dikawal dengan baik, selain daripada itu, mesyuarat berjalan lancar sehingga habis.

Yang tidak dapat diteruskan adalah pemilihan pimpinan cabang yang merupakan proces yang berasingan. Penangguhan pemilihan yang berlaku disebabkan kertas undi yang catat dan kelewatan membetulkannya. Ini mengakibatkan pemilihan sehaja ( dan bukan Mesyuarat Agung ) diumumkan ditangguh oleh En Sabaruddin, seorang ahli Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat yang hadir pada jam 230 petang.  Seterusnya saya dan ramai lagi calon dan anggota telah meninggalkan tempat itu.

Malangnya, selepas itu, ada segolongan calun dan anggota menggunakan ugutan kekerasan dan memaksa pengawas pemilihan untuk meneruskan dengan pengundian.  Isu itu telah dilaporkan oleh pengawas kepada pihak polis dan Parti.  Kami difahamkan Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat akan membuat satu keputusan pada minggu hadapan selepas mendapat semua lapuran.

R. Sivarasa, Calun Ketua Cabang dan juga Naib Presiden.