Curtail gambling habit, urges Karim

November 1, 2015

SIBU: Any games of chance that can lure people into picking up gambling habits should be curtailed, says Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, stressed that prompt action needs to be taken to prevent especially the youths from getting ‘hooked’ on the bad habit.

He said this yesterday when asked on concerns by members of public on certain centres hosting the ‘Fishing Game’ which was said to be a form of gambling reported in the media recently.

“Yes…it is not just the public who are concerned but the government and political leaders from both BN and the opposition are concerned with the ‘sprouting’ of cyber gambling centres offering various types of wager… whether it’s “Fishing games”, “Monkey games” or even “one arm bandit”.

“Any game of chance or any form of gambling which could entice youths or public picking up gambling habits should be curtailed.

“We have seen many of these centres mushrooming and we do admit the authorities are doing many raids to check on this.

“We hope the police and councils can beef up their efforts to eradicate these gambling premises instead of sweeping it under the carpet and/or telling off Wakil Rakyat who raised this matter up as if they have “lost touch with the ground”,” Abdul Karim told the sundaypost.

‘BN can make inroads into opposition-held constituencies’

October 3, 2014

SIBU: Barisan Nasional (BN) can make inroads into constituencies held by the opposition if the contesting BN component is focused and united in their desire to win.

A PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this in response to whether BN would likely recapture several urban seats come the next election.

“No constituency is too strongly held by any party that it could not be ‘captured’. This applies to existing opposition-held seats or BN seats,” said Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman.

He added that no party could claim a certain constituency was already theirs until the people had cast their votes.

“Winning or losing a seat depends on many things, among others, the people’s mood, performance of the party, the choice of candidate, the party machinery manning the election campaign, and so on.”

SUPP Kota Sentosa chairman Lo Khere Chiang reportedly said wresting back Kota Sentosa seat from the opposition was not an impossible task for them (SUPP).

However, Lo admitted it would be an uphill battle, saying the decision laid with the electorate and hoped the people would return to support SUPP and BN so that they would no longer lose out in terms of government grants.

Karim nafi akan lawan Fadilah

August 27, 2013

KUCHING: Ahli Majlis Tertinggi (AMT) Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah menafi khabar angin mengatakan beliau akan bertanding untuk jawatan ketua pemuda pada konvensyen parti nanti.

Abdul Karim yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Asajaya berkata, beliau telah melalui era Pemuda dan tidak berminat untuk bertanding bagi merebut jawatan tersebut.

“Jika terdapat khabar angin seperti itu kedengaran, ia cuma sembang kosong sahaja,” ujar Abdul Karim ketika ditemui selepas merasmikan Mesyuarat Perwakilan Cawangan PBB Batu Kawa di sebuah hotel kelmarin.

Menurutnya, Pemuda kini mempunyai ketua yang berkebolehan iaitu Datuk Fadillah Yusof dan beliau yakin Pemuda akan dijaga dengan baik olehnya.

“Saya tidak pasti sama ada Fadillah akan mempertahankan jawatannya, namun jika beliau berbuat demikian saya yakin beliau akan mampu berkhidmat dengan baik untuk bahagian Pemuda parti,” jelas Abdul Karim.

Sementara itu, beliau turut memberitahu bahawa sesi pemilihan cawangan serta ranting parti di seluruh negeri berjalan dengan lancar walaupun sesetengah daripadanya mengalami perubahan dari segi pucuk pimpinan.

“Ia merupakan perkara biasa dalam amalan demokrasi di mana kita akan melihat beberapa perubahan baharu dalam sesi pemilihan perwakilan cawangan dan ranting.

Karim dashes rumour of taking on Fadillah

August 26, 2013

DUE CREDIT: Abdul Karim (third right) presents the appreciation award to Ahmad.
Also seen are Lo (second right) and Sahferi.

KUCHING: PBB Supreme Council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has dismissed talk about him challenging Datuk Fadillah Yusof as the Youth chief come the party’s Triennial General Assembly (TGA) in October.

Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister for Youth Development (Urban), said he had “passed the youth era quite a long time ago” while lauding Fadillah as “a good leader”.

“Any rumour of that nature, I would look at it as just rumour. We already have a capable leader for Youth although I am not sure YB Fadillah is still going for the post.

“If he is, he will be able to look after the wing. Presently, preparation for the coming convention is going on very well and branch elections are so far so good,” he told reporters after opening the Triennial General Meeting (TGM) of PBB Batu Kawa branch at a hotel here yesterday.

Abdul Karim said ineffective leaders at the branch level would be replaced although the party’s top leadership would not see major changes.

While the party upholds the spirit of reaching consensus, he said it would not bring about a change of leadership just for the sake of changing.

“I do not see any major changes in the coming line-up since we are expecting the state election in two to three years. A change of leadership might lead to some differences and would not do good to the party.

Sistem tarikh tetap pilihan raya usaha pembangkang mengelirukan rakyat

September 6, 2012

KUCHING: Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah tidak percaya dengan pendapat pembangkang bahawa mereka akan mengadaptasi sistem tarikh tetap pilihan raya sekiranya mereka memerintah negara ini.

Sebaliknya beliau merasakan, niat pembangkang untuk membawa isu berkenaan adalah semata-mata untuk mengelirukan rakyat bahawa sistem pengundian sedia ada tidak bagus.

Bercakap pada satu sidang media di sini semalam, beliau tidak melihat ada sebarang keperluan untuk menukar sistem pilihan raya kerana ia telah diterima secara meluas dan tidak ada sebarang masalah dihadapi.

“Ia bukan sesuatu yang unik dan bukan negara kita sahaja yang mengamalkannya. Negara yang pernah dijajah England mengamalkan sistem yang sama.

“Mungkin pembangkang membuat cerita dengan menyatakan sistem itu tidak bagus. Jika mereka dalam kerajaan mereka juga akan melakukan perkara yang sama. Saya berasakan mereka tidak akan mahu berubah,” kata Menteri Muda Perumahan itu.

Abdul Karim menganggap sistem sekarang telah mengujakan lagi pilihan raya kerana: “Ia memberi banyak keterujaan apabila kita tidak diberi tarikh, semua spekulasi menjadikan momentum pilihan raya lebih menarik.”

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negari (ADUN) Asajaya itu berkata demikian bagi mengulas mengenai kenyataan Setiausaha Agung Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) Lim Guan Eng baru-baru ini, bahawa beliau akan mencadangkan kepada Pakatan Rakyat (PR) untuk menetapkan tarikh pilihan raya, sekiranya mereka memerintah.

Galeri: Durian Banquet and Charity

December 14, 2011

DELIGHTFUL FEAST: (From left) Visitors at the Durian Banquet and Charity function Jones Voon, MPP chairman Lo Kher Chiang, Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, along with Mew Yeh Nursery's directors Voon Fui Pin and Jenny Voon.

Karim urges Bumiputera not to be 'pengkhianat bangsa'

October 3, 2011

FOR THE ALBUM: Karim (fifth right), Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang (second left)
and other guests with the recipients of Merdeka Raya Special Award.

KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Housing Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has reminded the people, especially the Bumiputeras, not to blindly support the opposition without first understanding their real agenda.

Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Social Development, said the people should ponder why, for instance, the DAP was so keen to penetrate the rural areas after the April 16 polls.

“This is because they (DAP) have realised that only if they could gain the support of the rural populace would they have the chance to form the new government. Don’t forget that they are only fighting for a single race all this while. I don’t mean to be a racist, but this is the fact.

“The problem is that some Bumiputeras, who are not aware of the real situation, have given the opposition their support. Don’t become ‘pengkhianat bangsa’ (a quisling),” said Karim, who is also PBB Supreme Council member, at a Hari Raya gathering at SK Jalan Haji Baki near Kota Sentosa here.

Citing the statement by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu on the battle at Bukit Kepong, Abdul Karim said the opposition would do anything, including altering historical facts, to gain political mileage.

Besides, DAP-governed Penang, he said, had decided not to continue low-cost housing project based on the weak argument that such a policy would not be good for the unity of the people as the majority of the residents of such housing estates were Bumiputeras.

“But the truth is that they (Penang government) don’t want Bumiputeras to gather together as they might become a hindrance for them to win the coming election. I believe the DAP would do the same if they were to govern Sarawak. I’m not here to threaten you but please think carefully.