Sarawak wants "White Paper" for healthy politics

November 02, 2010

KUCHING, Nov 2 (Bernama) — Sarawak is expected to become the first state in the country to come up with its own set of regulations or guidelines to curb unhealthy political practices that may disrupt racial harmony or cause religious tension.

The Sarawak state assembly today passed a motion for the state government to prepare and publish a “White Paper”. 

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (BN-Asajaya) during his winding-up speech after tabling the motion said the proposed “White Paper” should be formulated by the state government as unhealthy trends in politics that was confined to Peninsula Malaysia has crept into the local political scene, based on experience in Batang Ai and Sibu by-elections. 

“What we are debating today is not creating new laws but proposing to come up with the “White Paper”, he said.

Quoting a definition from online encyclopedia Wikipedia, Abdul Karim said “White Paper” is an authoritative report or guide often oriented towards a particular issue or problem and used to educate readers and help the people make decisions, and often requested and used in politics, policy, business and technical fields.

Abdul Karim said the proposed “White Paper” should not be seen as a regulation or guideline that confined only to opposition party but applied to all, irrespective of their political belief.

When replying to a question from Wong Ho Leng (DAP-Bukit Assek), he said it was a normal phenomena for the federal or state government to announce new or ongoing projects that were requested by the people, during election campaigns.

Bantuan akan diberikan kepada mangsa ribut - Karim

October 13, 2010

Puluhan buah rumah di Kampung Empila, Melayu dan Mangka Semong rosak teruk

ASAJAYA: Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Asajaya Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah mendedahkan Jabatan Kebajikan dan Pejabat Residen telah diarahkan untuk membantu penduduk tiga buah kampung yang mengalami kerosakan rumah akibat ribut.

MANGSA RIBUT: Sebuah rumah PPRT dan rumah keluarga Kipli rosak teruk selepas bumbung diterbangkan ribut semalam.

“Saya telah meminta pihak kebajikan dan Pejabat Residen untuk melakukan sesuatu bagi membantu mangsa,” katanya ketika dihubungi.

Menurutnya, pihak berkenaan juga akan melakukan penilaian ke atas kerugian berikutan kejadian itu.

Beliau kemudian meminta supaya penduduk kampung berkenaan yang terlibat dalam kejadian itu supaya bersabar.

Puluhan buah rumah di tiga buah kampung di sini musnah selepas dilanda ribut kuat petang semalam.

Dalam kejadian yang berlaku pada jam 4 petang itu beberapa buah rumah rosak teruk selepas dilanda ribut yang turut memusnahkan bumbung rumah serta atap-atap puluhan rumah yang lain dalam kejadian yang berlaku tidak sampai 20 minit itu.

Turut musnah ialah beberapa buah rumah yang dibina menerusi Program Perumahan Rakyat Termiskin (PPRT) milik beberapa penduduk kampung terbabit.

Low production main reason why Bario rice cannot be exported

By RINTOS MAIL
rintos@thestar.com.my
Friday October 8, 2010

BARIO rice is of high demand outside Malaysia but production could not meet the need.

Beras Corporation Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of PadiBeras National (Bernas), said production constraint was one of the main reasons why Bario rice could not go beyond Malaysian shores yet.

Its chief executive officer Mohd Kamaluddin Mohd Effendie said they had tried to promote the rice in Italy, Hong Kong and Singapore, and the response was good.

”There were also requests for this rice to be exported there, but unfortunately we are unable to meet the requirement, especially on the production part,” he told newsmen at the launch of the new Bario Rice trademark at its premises in Kuching yesterday.

The Bario rice has been re-branded under the name “Bario O’ Grain”.

Mohd Kamaluddin said so far the total production for Bario rice was only about 50 tonnes per year while the supply was dwindling now.

He said the decreasing trend was likely to continue since most of the youths from Bario had migrated to towns and cities in search of work and higher income.

Commission to give out more netbooks

By SHARON LING
sharonling@thestar.com.my
Tuesday August 31, 2010

MORE netbooks will be distributed in Sarawak before the end of the year by the Malaysian Communi­ca­tions and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) under the National Broadband Initiative (NBI).

State regional director Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin said some 14,500 netbooks had already been given out in 29 areas in the first phase of distribution.

“In the first phase, we focused on areas where we have set up community broadband centres, with 500 netbooks for each area,” he told reporters after a netbook presentation ceremony at SMK Asajaya, about 70km from Kuching, yesterday.

He said a second phase of distribu­tion would be implemented as part of efforts to increase the broadband penetration rate in the country.

Valuable tool: Abdul Karim (left) presenting netbooks to students of SMK Asajaya in

Kuching while MCMC state regional director Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin (right) looks

on.

Under the NBI announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in March, a total of one million netbooks will be distributed to underprivileged students nationwide to enable them to access the Internet.

Chief political secretary to the Chief Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who presented the netbooks to 250 students of SMK Asajaya, said the scheme was a good way to reduce the communication gap between the students and the wider world.

“The netbooks will provide a new way for students to obtain information. They will be able to learn not only in school and the library but also access the Internet for information,” he said.

Go-kart lures more enthusiasts

Story and Photo by CALVIN YEO
sarawakstar@thestar.com.my
Monday August 16, 2010

A GO-KART demonstration in conjunction with the Kuching Festival at the compound of the Kuching City South Council’s building attracted a considerable number of people.

More than 30 racers took part in the event yesterday morning.

A participant, Simon Fang said go-kart enthusiasts would normally gather at the State Stadium during weekends to race and test out their machines which cost between RM10,000 and RM20,000.

“The event today gives people an opportunity to be exposed to go-kart and what racing sports is all about,” he said.

He said the go-kart engines varied from 700cc to 1,000cc and almost all were imported from Kuala Lumpur.

Nice drive: Karim trying out one of the go karts while (from left to right), Simon, Mohd Taufik Abdul Ghani, deputy mayor, Abang Affandi Abang Anuar and Kenny Bong look on.

Chief Political Secretary to Chief Minister, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who launched the event said go-kart was a new sport which could draw the interest of younger people.

“What we need is only a big space like a car park for this activity to be organised,” he said.