‘Fare hike should not burden rural folk’

November 5, 2014

Express boat fares must be regulated. -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

SIBU: The increase in express boat fares, while inevitable and necessary, should be implemented in such a way that it would not burden the people.

This is a shared sentiment among several state leaders, in response to reports stating that costs of travelling between Kapit, Song and Sibu by express boats had gone up by RM2 to RM10.

Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) controller William Jinep disclosed that his side was carrying out investigation on the matter.

Galeri: A study visit to Hungary

November 5, 2014

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg  receiving a memento from the Budapest vice mayor Dr Gabor Bagdy. From left are Malaysian ambassador to Hungary Mohamad Sadik Gany, Assistant Minister of Tourism (Local Events and Products) Datuk Gramong Juna, Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Assistant Minister of Culture and Heritage Liwan Lagang.

Galeri: Working visit to Hungray

November 05, 2014

Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg receiving a memento from the Budapest vice mayor Dr Gabor Bagdy in Hungray. From left are the Malaysian ambassador to Hungary Mohamad Sadik Gany, Datuk  Gramong Juna, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Liwan Lagang.

Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg exchanges opinions with the Minister of State for Economic Regulation of Hungary, Bela Glattfelder, as others look on.

GE13: Shame on EC official for making BN candidate change shirt -Karim

Monday April 22, 2013

KUCHING: A lawyer assemblyman is angered and puzzled by the actions of an Election Commission (EC) official in Hulu Rajang which he claims has “humiliated” Barisan Nasional candidate Wilson Ugak Kumbong during nomination day.

Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Hamzah said Ugak and his nominating team were asked by returning officer Joseph Indi to change their Barisan shirts into something without any logo, whereas other nomination centres across the state had no problem with candidates wearing their party’s emblems on theirs.

“I am very puzzled as to why the EC officials in Hulu Rajang had asked of this from Ugak as well as his proposer, Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang, and seconder, PRS Youth chief Baleh Bakat Gira. What made it more humiliating was that the same wasn’t required of another party candidate who submitted his nomination paper at the same centre while wearing a shirt that bore the party’s symbol,” Karim lamented.

He said he was unsure whether the EC official was deliberately doing what he did due to personal reasons but stressed that such action was definitely wrong.

“The EC should ensure that their returning officers know the do’s and don’ts first. From my understanding of the Election Laws, party insignias or symbols are not allowed to be worn by supporters during polling. The EC officers must know the simple definition and difference between polling and nomination day,” he said, adding that if Joseph and others did not even distinguish the definition, they should relinquish their posts from the commission.

“He (Joseph) must have been too lazy to read up the Election Laws and Procedures. It is an embarrassment to Barisan and also to the EC, as it may hint that some EC officials are not impartial in their course of duty,” he said.

In the said incident on Saturday, Ugak, who arrived at 8.30am had to wait 20 minutes for his shirt replacement to arrive, and in the end Liwan just borrowed one belonging to one of their supporters.

Karim appointed as assistant minister

By RINTOS MAIL rintos@thestar.com.my

September 29, 2011

KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has announced his full Cabinet line-up, keeping all the existing ministers in their respective portfolios in a concerted effort to improve and accelerate service delivery in the state.

All the existing assistant ministers are not affected in the reshuffle as they have also been retained in their respective portfolios.

The reshuffle yesterday, done five months after the state Barisan Nasional was returned to power, saw seven new assistant ministers appointed to fill up posts made vacant after the state election in April.

Announcing the changes, which come into effect tomorrow, in his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday, Taib said he had also decided to promote three ministers, namely PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing, SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan and SUPP deputy secretary general Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh to the rank of Senior Minister.

However, in as far as their respective ministries are concer- ned, Masing is still designated as Land Development Minister; Mawan, because his ministry has been renamed, is Social Develop- ment Minister, while Wong is Second Finance Minister as well as Local Government and Com- munity Development Minister, another ministry which has been renamed.

Taib said the role of the Senior Ministers was to cordinate and supervise the changes set to take place in the various ministries.

He said he had decided to keep all the experienced ministers in their respective portfolios because he wanted them to continue supervising the machinery of the government under their ministries as well as the new assistant ministers.