BN will win Kota Samarahan — Abdul Karim

February 3, 2012

ASAJAYA: Several people who are said to be capable grassroots leaders are ready to be shortlisted as the new Barisan Nasional candidate for Kota Samarahan if the incumbent MP Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib is not re-nominated.

Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, however, did not want to say if Sulaiman’s elder brother Dato Sri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib was among them.

He was nonetheless confident that whoever the candidate is, BN would still win in Kota Samarahan in the coming general election because the people’s support for BN in the constituency was still very strong.

“At one time, I heard rumour about him (Abu Bekir), but the rumour has since fizzled out. I’m not too sure whether he’s interested or not (in the seat).

“But if he were to contest, it should not be a problem. Kota Samarahan is a BN stronghold,” he told reporters after presenting the Kota Samarahan parliamentary-level Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) cash aid at Asajaya Sports Complex here yesterday.

According to Karim, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member, the list of potential new candidates for Kota Samarahan had been narrowed down to a few names.

However, Abdul Karim did not want to reveal the numbers and their identities, except to say that the top leaders would make the announcement in due time.

Asajaya first to disburse BR1M aid

January 22, 2012

KUCHING: Asajaya became the first in the state to disburse RM270,000 in BR1M aid to 540 recipients at the Asajaya Sports Complex yesterday.

Maybank Berhad was on hand to process the vouchers and give out the RM500 cash to the first and second phase recipients.

“The third phase will receive their money after the Chinese New Year,” said Asajaya state assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah when handing out the vouchers to the recipients.

The remaining 5,101 people would receive their money in due time.

“We will stagger the disbursement of the money as it involves a huge amount of recipients,” said Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Housing.

According to him, the majority of the recipients were fishermen and farmers.

“For the BR1M, the government has allocated RM3 billion to be disbursed to the rakyat who need a financial boost,” he said.

Galeri: Press Conference on the State Housing Coordination Committee Meeting

January 17, 2012

REDUCING SQUATTERS: Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (second left) flanked by Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais (second right) fielding reporters’ questions during the press conference.

Galeri: Majlis Perasmian dan Penyerahan Kunci Rumah Projek Pemulihan Perumahan Terbengkalai Taman Desa Guru

January 15, 2012

LEGA SUDAH: Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (empat kanan) menyerahkan replika kunci rumah sebagai simbolik penyerahan kunci kepada pemilik rumah di Taman Desa Guru yang disaksikan Datuk Wira Idris Haron (tiga kiri), semalam. Turut kelihatan (dari kanan) Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Sharifah Hasidah Syed Aman Ghazali dan Datuk Fadillah Yusuf dan Abdul Karim (kiri).

PBB agrees with proposed UCCA 1971 amendments

January 10, 2012

KUCHING: PBB is fine with the proposed plan to amend certain clauses of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UCCA), 1971. The party agrees, in principal, with the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had declared Section 15 (5) (a) of the Act as unconstitutional.

The collective stand of PBB was achieved during a meeting chaired by its legal advisor Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah.

It was attended by several Supreme Council members with legal backgrounds. Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who was also present, told The Borneo Post that PBB agreed with the Court of Appeal’s decision.

“After looking into the matter from various angles, we felt that university students should not be restricted from participating in politics.

Participation of university students in politics should be allowed, but with certain limitations.”

He said the party’s resolution would be submitted to representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education, who were here to obtain feedback from various quarters before amending the Act.

It was learned that the federal government had been compiling public views and opinions after the Court of Appeal ruled last year that Section 15 (5) (a) of the Act, aimed at restricting students’ support or against any political party, as unconstitutional.