Karim: Jangan ambil mudah perpaduan

November 2, 2013

MAKLUMAT: Abdul Karim (dua kanan) mendengar taklimat daripada Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif IIC Zabariah Matali (kanan) semasa melawat pameran yang diadakan sempena Forum Belia Soul2Soul 2.0 semalam. Turut kelihatan Mohd Ariff (dua kiri). — Gambar Chimon Upon

KUCHING: Generasi muda tidak harus mengambil mudah perpaduan serta kestabilan sedia ada di negeri ini yang telah sekian lama terpelihara.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, sebagai generasi yang akan memegang tampuk kepimpinan negeri dan negara, adalah amat penting bagi mereka memahami perpaduan masyarakat Sarawak.

“Sarawak telah dapat hidup dalam harmoni melalui perpaduan pelbagai kaumnya selain sikap toleransi dan mampu menerima kepercayaan masing-masing.

“Segala pembangunan serta perubahan yang kita nikmati kini juga adalah hasil kestabilan yang kita pelihara selama ini, dengan itu generasi muda tidak harus mengambil mudah perkara ini,” ujarnya.

Beliau berkata demikian berucap merasmikan Forum Belia Soul2Soul 2.0 ‘Tweeting-Up’ (Perpaduan Sosial melalui Media Sosial) anjuran Angkatan Zaman Mansang Sarawak (AZAM) dengan kerjasama Pusat Penerangan Islam Sarawak (IIC) di Pusat Ekumenikal Kristian di sini, semalam.

Tambah Karim, hal-hal berkaitan agama termasuk baru-baru ini mengenai penggunaan kalimah ‘Allah’ dalam majalah gereja Katolik, bukan isu bagi Sarawak.

“Bagi kita di sini, kita saling membantu antara satu sama lain tanpa mengira kaum dan agama dan amalan toleransi telah menyebabkan Sarawak dapat terus membangun,” kata Menteri Muda Perumahan itu.

  

Terima penemu orang bukai sereta tanka pemaik

November 2, 2013 

KUCHING: Nembiak rebak baru patut ngetan enggau ngemeratka ulah ti ulih nerima penemu orang bukai, pemaik enggau pengelantang sereta penegap ti dikemeranka rayat enggau menua tu, ngambika sama diasaika rebak dudi.

Menteri Muda Pemansang Nembiak, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah madah, tu laban semua nya ulih ngemujurka perintah bejalaika pemansang di nengeri tu.

Ulah ti ulih nerima penemu orang bukai ku iya patut ulih dikemeran sereta dikemeratka rebak baru berindik ari menua kelebih agi Sarawak ti diuan mayuh pupu bansa, adat enggau main asal sereta mayuh jalai pengarap.

Nembiak rebak baru enda patut ngambi mudah pasal pemaik enggau pengelantang sereta penyerakup ti udah lama dikemeranka, ku iya.

“Kita (rebak baru) enda tau enda bebendar ngetan sereta ngenukuka ulah ulih nerima penemu orang bukai, pemaik enggau pengelantang sereta penegap, ngambika ulih meri pengelikun, pengelantang sereta sama ulih diasaika rebak dudi.

“Laban ketegal ulah ti ulih nerima penemu orang bukai, ketuai ti engekeman, pemaik enggau pengelantang, penyerakup enggau penegap, kitai (perintah) ulih ngemansangka nengeri tu.

“Ari tu mayuh ubah pemansang ti udah nyadi di menua tu nyengkaum di Kuching, Bintulu, Betong, Miri enggau Kota Samarahan enggau kandang menua bukai,” ku iya seraya muji peninggi ulah ke ulih nerima penemu orang bukai ti dikemeranka rayat nengeri tu.

Soul2Soul 2.0 truly inter-faith interaction

November 2, 2013

KUCHING: The ‘Soul2Soul 2.0: Tweeting-Up Unity’ forum being organised by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak in collaboration with the Sarawak Islamic Information Centre (IIC) and held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre is something truly beautiful, said Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Hamzah.

“This is very common in Sabah and Sarawak because people in both states help and understand each other,” he said when officiating at the opening of the forum yesterday.

Karim delved into his past by revealing that he went to a mission school and was familiar with the way Christians go about their daily lives.

“That did not make me any less of a devoted Muslim. This inter-faith interaction is a beautiful thing that youths should embrace.

“Youths in Sabah and Sarawak should be proud of the existence of this harmonious environment in their respective states,” he said.

Karim went on to say that despite living in a multi-religious, multi-cultural, and multi-racial community, Sarawakians were able to live together peacefully and accept each others’ differences.

“This harmony has allowed us to progress and it cannot be denied that a lot of changes had been happening around us.

Sarawak expects to get fair share of affordable houses

November 1, 2013

SIBU: Assistant Housing Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah expressed optimism that Sarawak will set a fair share of the 223,000 affordable houses planned for 2014.

“The provision of affordable houses has been ongoing by the present state and federal BN governments all these years and 2014 is not an exception,” Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He was reacting to Sarawak Division Cuepacs secretary Ahmad Malie’s call for fair allocations of the 223,000 affordable houses announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak under Budget 2014.

Malie said doing so could make it easier for the people, including civil servants to buy their own houses.

He added that the result of the escalating prices of houses, particularly in Kuching, Bintulu and Miri, was that people especially those in the public sector could no longer afford them.

Malie said Najib should look into this problem as there were many people desperate for their own homes because house rentals were also going up.

“The state Housing Ministry is aware of the spiralling cost of houses which is due to increased demand and increased cost of building materials and is cushioning this increase by building more affordable houses especially in areas where the demand for houses are higher,” said Abdul Karim.

 

Azmin, please look at countries implementing GST

November 1, 2013

SIBU: Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a system adopted by almost 200 countries worldwide, Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said yesterday.

“Had the tax system been counter-productive, it would not have been adopted by a majority of countries in the world, whether developed or undeveloped,” he pointed out.

“GST is implemented in 160 countries in the world…definitely, there will be hitches here and there when it is implemented come 2015. But Malaysians would soon adjust themselves to this new system,” he said.

He was reacting to Gombak MP Azmin Ali who had said that Malaysia was seen as not ready to implement the new tax because more than 40 per cent of the people had household income of less than RM2,500 a month, with 80 per cent being Malays and Bumiputras.

Azmin was reported by Bernama as saying that GST would squeeze the low income earners and the poor.

He said the government must take a leaf from developed nations which only implemented GST after their tax infrastructure were strong and income taxes were reduced to avoid burdening the people.

Meanwhile, Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said: “I do agree with YB Azmin, MP Gombak. That the current tax infrastructure must be strengthened and consolidated so that the tax system is efficient and only hit the right target and objectives.