JUNE 2019 FREE selangortv.my f facebook.com/selangorjournal twitter.com/selangorjournal selangorjournal.my

I would like to wish the people of Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin. May you have a safe journey back to your hometown this raya season. Amirudin Shari Selangor Menteri Besar

May this Eid be a source of immense blessing and joy for you and your family.

SelamatSelamat HariHari RayaRaya AidilfitriAidilfitri

Amirudin - Leading

Water supply from Sungai with passion and Langat treatment plant restored Page 3 compassion Federal Govt Adopts ’s June 2018 began a brand-new era for Selangorians as they heralded Housing Formula a new Menteri Besar for Selangor. The successor to Dato’ Seri Page 12 19Mohamed Azmin Ali was revealed to be a young and vibrant candidate by the name of Amirudin Shari, the second youngest candidate to ever hold No unfair currency practices in the position of Selangor Menteri Besar. Story continues on Page 4 , says BNM Page 14 Be a Mentor to Neoliberal Empower Women Reforms or a woman, having a mentor who Strengthening is also a woman can prove to be Monopoly Power Fextremely beneficial, as navigating the work landscape can be complicated at and Abuses Page 15 times— particularly in an industry that is dominated by the opposite sex. Story continues on Page 7 02 NEWS June 2019 | Selangor Journal

Use of Smart ‘Mysterious Deaths’ Not Verified “We suspect that it is caused by a pol- Selangor App Begins luted pond (air tandak),” he said, add- — Claims of ‘myste- ing Health Clinic and the Chiku 3 Health ing that the pond was their source of rious’ deaths plaguing the Batek Orang Clinic in Gua Musang, Dr Zaini said. water. — Residents in the Asli community in Kampung Kuala Koh Out of the 29, 12 were treated as out- Mamat Pokok suspected the pollution Municipal Council cannot be verified, says the patients, while 17 were referred to Gua was caused by waste from an iron ore (MPSJ) area are able to use the State Health Department. Musang Hospital and three others to mine that has been operating in the area Smart Selangor Parking (SSP) app Its director Dr Zaini Hussin said that Kuala Krai Hospital for further treatment. for the past four years. from 22 May. as of 7 June, no official reports had been “Clinical examination showed signs of Kelantan chairman Smart Selangor Delivery Unit made on the alleged deaths. infection in the respiratory area,” he said. Senator Datuk said urgent (SSDU), in a statement, informed “The claim that 12 residents have died Dr Zaini added that the two hospitals action must be taken to save the Orang that MPSJ is the seventh local au- could not be verified as no one has offi- were carrying out further tests to deter- Asli community. thority (PBT) to use the application. cially reported the deaths, whether at hos- mine what caused the infection. Investigations should be carried out According to the statement, the pitals or health clinics in the area,” said Dr He said three out of the 29 were ba- on whether the community was affected SSP application developed by the Zaini in a statement issued on 7 June. bies and 10 were children. by contaminated water. state government through SSDU is However, Dr Zaini said there had been Meanwhile, there were claims that “Immediate measures to supply clean a uniformly-integrated online pay- a cluster of respiratory tract infections 13 members of the Batek tribe living water should be implemented and the ment and parking payment system. among members of the community. in Kampung Kuala Koh had died from impact of the nearby iron ore mining “The application also includes The Health Department and Orang a ‘mysterious’ illness that was plaguing plant should also be investigated and other additional functions, such as Asli Development Department (Jakoa) the community. addressed,” he said. reminders of parking timeout peri- instantly dispatched a health team to the Kampung Kuala Koh headman Mamat At the same time, he also called on all ods, cross-user credit sharing and Orang Asli village, where 29 people were Pokok stated that the illness plagued relevant agencies to look into the issue registration of up to six different ve- found to be suffering from the infection. members of the community throughout and take proactive measures to save the hicle numbers,” the statement read. The infected were referred to the Ar- the Ramadan period. victims. “For credit purchase transactions, several online channels are avail- able to facilitate users such as on- line banking, credit cards and even e-wallets.” —Selangor’s Model Smart City Meanwhile, the SSDU stated that the SSP application also enables lo- CYBERJAYA — Cyberjaya will contin- cal authorities to monitor and aids ue to be the model smart city of Selan- in their enforcement process, espe- gor, said Officer Mohd. cially in issues relating to miscon- Yazid Sairi. duct and parking payment. He said the model included the de- The application is a Smart Selangor velopment of the Cyberjaya City Center initiative developed under the “Smart and the Cyberjaya Innovation Fund for Transport and Mobility” domain. the Future. Its aim is to educate the people of According to Mohd. Yazid, the estab- Selangor to use smart technology for lishment of the Cyberjaya Regional Fi- the convenience of the government’s nancial Technology and Hospital Hub service delivery. was also a model for regional develop- “It also reflects that the state gov- ment. Mohd. Yazid said various types of “This coastal development is expect- ernment remains committed to pro- “The , especially Cy- high-impact development had enabled ed to transform the landscape of Sepang viding the best facilities, in line with berjaya, has been selected for the de- Sepang to become the leading district in as an attractive tourist destination, of- the agenda [of moving] towards velopment of high-tech clusters and Asia. fering hotel facilities, theme parks, vil- [becoming a] Smart State by 2025,” science parks that include the Aeropo- “Moreover, we have the Kuala Lum- las, restaurants, conference halls and said the statement. lis and Aerospace cluster at the Kuala pur International Airport (KLIA), which shopping centres,” he said. The Smart Selangor Parking ap- Lumpur International Airport, while the contains commercial business com- At the same time, Mohd. Yazid said plication can also be used in ar- eco-tourism cluster is along the coast of plexes, independent commercial zones, the private sector also played a part in eas under the purview of the Shah to the Pelek River,” he said. theme parks, hotels, conference halls, the development in Sepang, which in- Alam City Council, Sepang Munic- He said this in his speech to His Royal nature conservation zones and green volved the building of various types of ipal Council and Petaling Jaya City Highness (DYMM) , tourism zones,” he said. housing, as well as business and indus- Council. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, at the Meanwhile, he stated that tour- trial projects. It can also be used in areas under Fast-Breaking with the People in con- ism-oriented development projects were He said the participation of the pri- the Municipal Council, Se- junction with the Nuzul Al-Quran cele- also planned, beginning with the KLIA vate sector was a catalyst for the cluster- layang Municipal Council and Am- bration at Raja Fi Sabilillah Mosque, on Aeropolis project from ing development strategy introduced by pang Jaya Municipal Council. 22 May. beach to Tanjung Rhu beach. the state government.

ADVISOR Editorial Advisory Board, CCSB The significance GROUP EDITOR Fathi Aris Omar which is in unity Editorial Team MANAGING EDITOR is an eternal Ameena Siddiqi wonder Aras 2, Carlton Holiday Hotel & Suite, WRITERS No 1, Persiaran Akuatik 13/43 Batrisyia Jay Rabindranath Tagore Seksyen 13, 40100, Shah Alam, Selangor Muhaimin Merican

Tel 03-5523 4856 DESIGNER Fax 03-5523 5856 Naqiuddin Muaz Email [email protected] Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 03 Hari NEWS Raya Aidilfitri Water supply from —First Woman to Head MACC Sungai Langat treatment plant — Rights lawyer, Latheefa Beebi Koya, has been appoint- restored ed as head of the Malaysian Anti-Cor- ruption Commission (MACC), replacing SHAH ALAM — Selangor Water Sup- Mohd Shukri Abdull whose contract was ply Company (SYABAS) announced granted to expire ahead of its deadline that water supply in Kuala Lumpur, on 17 May, 2020. Petaling and Hulu Langat affected by On 6 June, the Prime Minister’s Office a blockage of the Sungai Langat water (PMO) announced that Latheefa would treatment plant’s mechanical filtration serve as MACC chief for two years be- system has been fully restored. ginning 1 June. Abdul Raof Ahmad, Head of Client “The appointment is among the steps Relationship and Water Management towards reform in government institu- Communication Sdn. Bhd., said the tions,” it said. problem has been identified to be a Latheefa is the fifth MACC chief com- result of a malfunction due to heavy missioner, taking over from Datuk Seri rains upstream and the quantity of Mohd Shukri Abdull. rubbish accumulated in the river. This makes Latheefa the first woman “The appointment is final, and the de- Latheefa is a partner at the law firm “We are thankful to our customers in the nation to head the Malaysian An- cision has already been made,” he added. Daim&Gamany, having worked with the and all those who have been cooperat- ti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Tun M said this when met at an Aidi- firm since May 2002. ing during the interruption period and Besides being the first woman to filtri open house hosted by Ment- Latheefa is now tasked to steer the apologize for any inconvenience,” he head the MACC, Latheefa is also the first eri Besar, Datuk Seri , anti-graft body to aid the realisation of said in a statement on 7 June. woman to be appointed as head of the and his wife Tok Puan Norzieta Zakaria, the government’s National Anti-Corrup- He also advised users to download country’s anti-corruption authority, in- at the latter’s official residence in Seri tion Plan 2019-2023 launched last Jan- the Air Selangor mobile app to gain in- cluding MACC’s predecessors Anti-Cor- Mentaloon on 8 June. uary, as the MACC is determined to con- formation about water supply. ruption Agency (ACA) and National Bu- Born in Kerala, India, Latheefa has tinue its vital role in the battle against Production of treated water at the reau of Investigations (NBI). lived in Kuala Lumpur since she was 3 corruption within the nation. Sungai Langat water treatment plant Many viewed the move to be unilat- months old. Numerous high-profile bribery -cas had been affected by heavy rains up- eral. However, Prime Minister Tun Dr The 46-year-old grew up in Petaling es involving individuals are set for trial stream which had caused large quan- says the decision Jaya and is an alumna of Taman Petaling in the months ahead during Latheefa’s tities of rubbish to clog the mechanical to appoint Latheefa Koya as the new Girls School and the Assunta Girls School. two-year contract as MACC chief. filtration system, causing the malfunc- Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Latheefa worked while studying for These include the likes of Najib’s wife tion. (MACC) chief is final. her law degree, which she obtained Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Umno trea- The incident had affected water “I have appointed many people and from the University of London in 1997. surer Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku supply in several areas in Hulu Langat, many officers and she [Latheefa] is one On 8 February 2001, Latheefa was ad- Mansor, as well as former Umno Kuala Lumpur and Petaling in stages. of the officers,” said Tun M. mitted to the Malaysian Bar. chief Tan Sri Musa Aman. 04 FEATURE June 2019 | Selangor Journal

Amirudin - Leading with passion and compassion

By Batrisyia Jay Amirudin’s journey towards becoming Dato’ Menteri Besar of Selangor:

2004 Active involvement in KEADILAN Amirudin revealed that there are five

SELANGOR JOURNAL Youth’s Wing; elected as Vice Chief of main areas he intends to focus on to the division. ensure the state’s continuous growth. 2007 These are providing affordable homes, Continued from cover page... 2008 Elected as the Vice Chief of Angkatan an effective transportation system and Won a seat in the Selangor State Muda Keadilan (AMK). an integrated health care system for With an easy-going and laidback de- Assembly on his first attempt in the the people of Selangor, creating an en- meanour, the people have come to know 12th general elections as a candidate 2013 vironmentally-friendly state, and, last Amirudin as an approachable and recep- for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). The Re-elected as Member of the Selan- but not least, creating quality high-in- tive individual ever since he clocked in (DAP) and gor State Assembly. come jobs for the people. “I believe that as the new Menteri Besar for the state the Islamic Party (PAS) formed the these are the main areas which will help a year ago. coalition, defeating 2014 boost economic growth and ensure the To commemorate his first year in of- the for the very first Appointed as the Selangor State Ex- well-being of the state and that its peo- fice, Selangor Journal decided to shed time in Selangor electoral history. ecutive Councillor for Youth Develop- ple are well taken care of,” he said. more light on the man now helming the ment, Sports, Culture and Entrepre- golden state of Malaysia with much suc- 2014 neurship Development under Dato’ cess. Contested for the Keadilan Youth Azmin Ali’s administrations. Chief’s post in party polls but lost to A Walk Down Memory Lane Nik Ahmad. 2014 I believe that Amirudin Shari began his career in Appointed as manager to the Selan- politics at the tender age of 18 after hav- gor FA football team who lead the these are the ing discovered his passion for politics team in two consecutive Malaysia amidst the twists and turns Reformasi Cup Finals and the famous 33rd mis- main areas which ’98, a movement that he diligently fol- sion to win was accomplished in the lowed and kept abreast throughout his same year. will help boost student years. 2016 The then-18-year-old entered UPM to Led the Selangor FA football team to 2017 economic growth pursue his degree and decided to join the Malaysia Cup finals and to win Officiated the 2017 Selangor Litera- several student movements, where he SUKMA 2016. The same year, Amiru- ture Award (Anugerah Sastera Selan- and ensure the met people who shared the same inter- din hosted the Yamaha 125z Mega gor) as the State Executive Councillor est in politics. “My first taste of politics Gathering and successfully gathered in charge of Youth, Sports, Culture well-being of the was with [Keadilan Youth Movement] 15,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to and Entrepreneurship. This marked Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK), where demonstrate that not all youth activ- the beginning for furthering efforts state and that its I was elected as the EXCO of AMK in ities related to motorcycles are neg- to reviving the culture and arts scene charge of the student affairs bureau,” ative. in Selangor. people are well said Amirudin in an exclusive interview with Selangor Journal. taken care of. In 2007, Amirudin, who by then had risen up the ranks in AMK, was elected as the Vice Chief of AMK. He rose fur- Selangor Menteri Besar, ther in the political scene to the position Amirudin Shari of Executive Secretary of Parti Keadilan Rakyat Selangor two years later. Cur- 2017 rently, the father of six and husband to Hosted the second Yamaha 125z Masdiana Mohamad is a member of the Mega Gathering with over 30,000 party Central Leadership Committee. participants for the Kapcaipackers of Ever since he was elected as the Men- Therefore, continuing the legacy from the ‘Selangor to London’ programme, teri Besar of Selangor a year ago, Amiru- the previous administration has always an expedition of a Selangorian cou- 2018 din has been diligently following up on been the focus for the Selangor Menteri ple on a moped through 25 countries. Appointed as the new Menteri Besar the growth thrusts in order to further Besar. of Selangor on 19 June 2018. improve the mechanisms of the state. Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 05 Hari FEATURE Raya Aidilfitri

Amirudin’s A Triumphant First Belanjawan Selangor Support and Love achievements and On 23 November 2018, Amirudin revealed a state budget of from the People triumphs as the RM 2.56 billion based on six main thrusts in infrastructure, econ- Selangor Menteri Besar omy, education, social and rural development, and health while To further commemorate prioritizing physical development. Amirudin Shari’s first year in his one year in office: In presenting his inaugural budget for the state at the State in power, Selangor Journal Legislative Assembly, Amirudin stated that the budget was equally asked Selangorians what divided between operating and development expenditures, with they had to say about our each receiving an allocation of RM 1.28 billion. Dato’ Menteri Besar:

Ensuring Selangorians are that these policies will solve ing of the Rumah Idaman Aba- Homeowners many issues related to housing, di units and ground breaking Gifting Selangorians with an such as the loan approval pro- ceremony at Bandar Teknologi “I am surprised with how Increasing Job Opportunities affordable housing scheme has cess, in addition to balancing Kajang on 6 April. diligent the new MB is. Be- and Maintaining a Stable always been the topmost prior- the ratio of affordable housing “Today, the Selangor govern- ing a reader of the paper I Economy ity for Amirudin. Thus, he was and independent pricing today. ment has introduced a compre- am constantly updated with On August 2018, developer happy to report that a total of It has been reported that con- hensive solution to affordable the whereabouts and latest Central Spectrum (M) Sdn. 24,869 units of Rumah Selan- struction of Rumah Selangorku home ownership that will revo- activity carried out by the Bhd. announced that furniture gorku will be fully complet- units has surpassed the initial lutionize the country’s housing MB, and I’m happy to see retailer IKEA will be investing ed by 2025—proving that the target of 15,000 units set in industry,” he added. that he is addressing most of RM 908 million to set up a new State Government is commit- 2018, with 28,639 units built The Rumah Idaman project the issues faced by the peo- regional distribution and sup- ted to ensuring the well-being as of 31 August last year, and is a smart partnership between ple within the state and has ply chain centre in , and socioeconomic position of 3,770 units delivered. the Selangor Government and come up with solutions to Selangor. the people of Selangor through As of September last year, the private sector using high combat it such as the afford- From then on, construction owning their own homes. As there are a total of 204 ap- technology innovation and able housing issue. Keep up of the biggest regional DC (Dis- such, regular monitoring is of- proved projects offering close collaboration with fi- the good work MB!” tribution Centre) in the Asia ten carried out to ensure de- 104,460 affordable homes to el- nancial institutions.It offers a Pacific region commenced, and velopers comply with various igible buyers, thus proving that residential area of ​​more than Muhd Amir Aziz | 26 the centre is expected to be requirements concerning the the Rumah Selangorku scheme 1,000 square feet, three bed- Sales Executive open in September 2020. The construction of Rumah Selan- introduced five years ago has rooms, two bathrooms and two aforementioned centre will gorku units. met with a good response. car parks with a net price of supply the Southeast Asian and “As I have stressed before, On 6 April 2018, the state only RM 250,000. What makes Indian markets, IKEA said in a the state government will not government launched the Ru- it all the more unique is that statement on 29 January 2019. hesitate to cancel the approval mah Idaman Rakyat Selangor each unit of the Rumah Idaman “The new MB, Amirudin In other words, IKEA’s new if the developer does not coop- scheme. Implemented by Selan- houses is supplied with televi- Shari, heeds the people of regional distribution and sup- erate even though the negoti- gor Menteri Besar Incorporated sion sets, refrigerators, TV cab- Selangor’s concern on water ply chain centre in the Pulau ations have been made for 18 (MBI), this scheme aims to fur- inets, kitchen cabinets, air-con- issues and seems to be very Indah Industrial Park will lead months after the approval has ther boost the construction of ditioning in every room and a responsible about it. This to a positive spillover effect and been granted. In fact, the state affordable housing in the state. water heater in the bathroom. comes as a relief, especially accelerate the socio-economic government believes that the “The Selangor government, The project will be devel- to those like me as a house- development of the area. problem of affordable housing through the Menteri Besar In- oped in Kajang, Bangi, Am- wife with four children, as Central Spectrum (M) Sdn. can be overcome with the con- corporated (MBI), Permoda- pang, Shah Alam, Cyberjaya, the lack of water or water Bhd., the developer of the cen- struction of Rumah Selangorku lan Negeri Selangor Berhad , , , disruption can be very trou- tre, is hopeful that the centre units,” said Amirudin. (PNSB) and the Selangor Hous- , Bandar blesome for us. Just the oth- will open up at least 500 job With strong support from the ing Estate Board (LPHS), has and North Kuala er day I saw how quick the opportunities. “We believe with Federal Government, Amirudin developed a strategy to provide Langat. The state government MB was to reach and help IKEA’s establishment in Pulau is confident the implementation the best residential property is currently targeting the con- the citizens over a burst wa- Indah, many foreign investors, of the National Housing Policy solutions for the people of Se- struction of 30,000 units of ter pipe incident, and this namely from China, Korea and 2.0 and the Affordable Housing langor,” said Amirudin on the affordable housing within the proves my point. I think he is Japan will also follow IKEA’s Policy can be realized. He feels housing scheme at the launch- next five years. on the right track in becom- footsteps and set up their busi- ing a great MB for the state.” ness in Pulau Indah,” said Gen- eral Manager (Development) Improving Selangor’s IPR state government’s assistance,” progress as a developed state Nurdiana | 37 Noor Azhuril Adnan. Programme said Amirudin on the matter. since 2005 has also contributed Housewife Amirudin agrees with the no- The Inisiatif Peduli Rakyat (IPR) The Selangor Menteri Besar to the applauded programme’s tion, adding that these vacan- Programme has been created stated that even though it is implementation. cies will involve and be opened in order to ensure the liveli- the government’s responsibili- In a special interview to those with a specific and hood of Selangorians all over ty to help, the ultimate aim is through the Politics Talk pro- qualified talent as the ability to the state is in good hands. Af- for people to be empowered. gramme titled ‘Selangor Road- “For me, I am impressed influence and bring in foreign ter 10 years of introduction to Hence, he intends to focus on show 2019: Progress Along’ on with the MB’s ability to en- investors is always a good sign the public, Amirudin decided to this aspect. TV1, Amirudin was quoted as sure that the people of Se- in any business. “Although it is further improve the programme “Our task is not only to give Selangor would prove to have langor are given an afford- a large logistics hub, some of it and focus on empowering the cash directly to the people but a capable group, and that is Pa- able housing scheme. With involves automation or robotics people’s lives. He noted that to also ensure that their skills katan Harapan (PH) who will the economic issues we are and the rest of the skilled man- although the state government and potential are sharpened for “govern, manage and maintain currently facing, this is ex- power and is open to graduates is still providing assistance to the better.” the state’s advanced status and actly what the people need. to fill in these kind of job vacan- target groups, a paradigm shift A total of RM 3.2 billion has bring prosperity to the people”. The features of the units are cies,” he said. should be made so that the peo- since been spent by the state Amirudin explained that the extremely beneficial to the On 29 January, the Selangor ple will not rely solely on such government since 2008 to re-alignment of the IPR—as buyers and I read that more Menteri Besar had inaugurated contributions but will have the implement the Inisiatif Pedu- set out in the Selangor Budget units are to be built in dif- the ground-breaking ceremo- initiative to strive for a better li Rakyat (IPR) programme 2019—does not mean that the ferent areas around Selan- ny of the IKEAS’s DC in Pulau life. by distributing state revenue state is halting the assistance gor. I’m very happy with the Indah. With so much potential “We are doing some stud- through a special livelihood as- provided. Instead, it now aims progress and the opportuni- and opportunities on hand, the ies to see how far the IPR pro- sistance for the lower income to empower and increase the ty that is given to the people development is sure to further gramme has managed to change group in Selangor. recipient’s skills and potential, of Selangor. boost the investment industry lives and keep the people out of According to Amirudin, the thus gifting the people of Selan- in Selangor and Malaysia in poverty. We need to see wheth- administration’s ability to pro- gor with a better quality in life. Edmund Lim | 32 general. er the people rely solely on the fessionally maintain Selangor’s Businessman 06 ECONOMY June 2019 | Selangor Journal

Tabung Harapan to Repay RM 300 duit raya for Felda settlers he government 112,635 settlers. Part of 1MDB’s Debt handed out RM 300 On 23 May, Economic Affairs for all Felda settlers Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali as duit raya during had said the government did KUALA LUMPUR — ’s (THM) the Aidilfitri festive not intend to give duit raya to entire funds of RM 203.29 million will be used to repay season. Felda settlers throughout the a portion of 1Malaysia Development Bhd.’s (1MDB) debt, TAccording to Prime Minister, country as the country’s finan- said Finance Minister . Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the cial situation did not permit it. During its meeting on 24 April, the THM trust accounts assistance totalling RM 34 mil- He had said that the govern- committee had decided that the THM money be used to pay lion was provided because the ment was focusing on providing a portion of 1MDB’s 2019 debt amounting to RM1.7 billion. government took into account the settlers with aids for cost of “While the THM funds may not be able to repay 1MDB’s the financial burden of settlers living and advance on produce. entire debt of RM51 billion, the funds will remain as a sym- who are waiting for their trees However, according to the bol of ’ loyalty and patriotism when it comes to to bear fruit. circular released by the Eco- repaying the country’s debt,” said Lim in a statement on 16 According to the Econom- nomic Affairs Ministry, all Felda May. ic Affairs Ministry, the Cabinet settlers were to receive RM 300, According to Lim, the total amount of the funds stood at agreed to give the duit raya, as well as arrears due to them, RM202,716,775.10 as of 14 January, the closing date for together with arrears due, to before Aidilfitri. contributions. Moreover, there was an interest amount received from fixed deposit investments totalling RM 575,342.31 up to 31 March. Alliance Islamic Bank Launches Social Crowdfunding Platform

Ringgit Recovery After Bank Negara Initiatives

KUALA LUMPUR — RHB Research sees the ringgit re- covering against the US dollar following the six major ini- tiatives carried out by Bank Negara Malaysia to improve liquidity of the local financial market, as well as to strength- KUALA LUMPUR — Alliance individuals be financially in- tion raised from the public.” en the domestic forex market. Islamic Bank Bhd. launched its dependent and stable, either Umar Munshi, Ethis Group Its head of rates/forex strategy, global treasury and glob- first social crowdfunding plat- through starting or growing a and Ethis Ventures’ manag- al markets, Suresh Ramanathan, said these enhancements form, SocioBiz, with the aim to business, or through acquiring ing director and founder said in the FEA rules are seen as an encouragement to mitigate create a greater socioeconomic new skills. the partnership with the bank and/or to soften the impact from recent external head- impact for the financially disad- “This charity ecosystem also would bring to the communi- winds that are affecting the ringgit. vantaged. seeks to address two key chal- ty a social crowdfunding plat- “We believe Malaysia’s fundamentals are still intact, With the tagline “Empower- lenges for donors and recipi- form under GlobalSadaqah. growth at 4.5 per cent in Q1 2019 and above market con- ing Communities through En- ents, that is, the transparency com, which integrates Islamic sensus. Current account balance in surplus of RM 16.4bil- trepreneurship”, the AIS’ Socio- of the overall allocation and finance principles. lion vs RM10.8billion in Q4 18, was larger than expected Biz platform targets individuals distribution of funds sourced “Through partnership, we while Brent prices are north of USUSD 70 per barrel,” he seeking to raise funds to start for charity, and the credibility offer donors and recipients an said. or expand a business, or to ac- of the cause or recipient,” he innovative and transparent He sees the ringgit growing to 3.90 against the USUSD quire a new life skill for earning said. platform to connect. We hope in Q2 and 3.86 in Q3 and 3.80 in Q4. The ringgit is antici- a sustainable livelihood. According to Rizal, this was to inspire more donors and fi- pated to firm up further to 3.76 in Q1 of 2020 and 3.70 in Alliance Islamic Bank had one of the projects through nancial institutions to partner Q2 of 2020. signed a memorandum of col- which the bank seeks to channel with us and create an impact on According to Suresh, the ringgit faced risks mainly from laboration with Islamic fintech zakat in a meaningful manner. other areas of need within our the lack of dollar liquidity in the onshore market, and was a venture builder, Ethis Ventures “Our role is to connect com- communities,” said Umar. key driver of the recent underperformance of the currency. Malaysia, and beneficiary part- munities to viable and sustain- Alliance Islamic Bank’s So- “We believe the inclusion of Trust banks’ and Global cus- ners, Yayasan Kebajikan Negara able financial solutions. For the cioBiz’s aims to identify and todians in the dynamic hedging programme will increase (YKN), Yayasan Noor al-Syakur first year, 100 per cent of the promote at least two recipients the dollar liquidity into the system and provide the smooth (Yanas), and Pertubuhan Keba- funds sourced will be chan- each month on the platform. FX transaction for offshore investors when they profit-take jikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim). nelled to the recipients as AIS To-date, SocioBiz has rolled in their trades,” said Suresh. Rizal Il-Ehzan, CEO of Alli- will bear all the administration out six campaigns, and raised “The ability to buy forward contracts in Ringgit beyond ance Islamic Bank said the plat- fees,” he stated. over RM23,000 through its the current 25 per cent of underlying assets indicates the form aims to provide an ecosys- “This will enable individuals platform. onshore forward market and the offshore forward market tem where people can channel seeking funding to leverage on In future, the SocioBiz plat- (NDF) gap could narrow, since offshore investors can hedge their donations to empower in- this opportunity at no cost to form will include social enter- more in the onshore market,” he added. dividuals to be economically in- them. This year, we aim to help prises that are focused on el- “We are keeping intact our USD/ringgit forecast levels dependent through businesses. raise up to RM240,000 for the evating or improving social or and the recent initiatives by Bank Negara strengthen our Funds obtained through this different campaigns. We also environmental issues, start-ups, conviction [that] further gains are in store for the currency.” platform will be used to help pledge to match the contribu- and SMEs. Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 07 Hari WOMEN Raya Aidilfitri

In an era where women leaders are on the rise, women mentors are beginning to have significant importance, particularly in our women-centric state of Selangor.Thus, with the aim of empow- ering our women readers through sharing their success stories and to inspire more women to excel, we have listed the top five ways to becoming a role model and mentor to train a fellow woman protégé as the next woman leader in the workplace:

By Batrisyia Jay 1. Train her to lead Training your protégé on how to take the lead in certain aspects is the best thing a mentor can do. Help her to develop leader- ship skills and, step by step, you will notice that your protégé will take the initiative to take ownership of her career, thus pre- Be a Mentor to paring her for long-term success. Be sure to ask her the right questions in order to help your protégé reflect on her career issues and personal goals, while being clear as to why you are Empower Women training her to take the lead.

merican actor, director and producer, Denzel Washington once said, “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone 2. Encourage and help her acquire challenging tasks who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care In order for your protégé to be able to build her self-confidence and critical skills, and to be effective, it is vital for her to take on whatA you do for a living—if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone challenging assignments and executive roles. Your task is to iden- cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” tify her weaknesses and advantages as this will help her to grow her skill set. Moreover, having your protégé handle an important task will help elevate her reputation and broaden her network This is certainly accurate, help the government formulate part of the state government’s while prepping her for more responsibility in the future. as a mentor is often deemed policies and strategies to em- roadmap for the development to be the catalyst for elevating power women towards a more of women in the state. the career development of an inclusive, sustainable and fair To commemorate the In- individual. Relaying real-life Selangor. Its advisor, Minister trnational Women’s Day last lessons and skills to their fel- of Housing and Local Govern- March, Selangor Menteri Besar, low protégés, mentors tend to ment, , Amirudin Shari, announced open pathways to professional has stated that IWB aims to that the state government will 3. Find someone who is different than you are networks, while helping and continue to implement the The most common mistakes mentors tend to make is to find an enabling their understudies to agenda to raise the status of exact replica of themselves to be their protégé. While you are connect to other industry pro- women through various pro- meant to be the teacher in this relationship, mentoring an indi- fessionals, who in turn can help grammes in the state. These vidual often means that you are also learning something new shape their protégés careers include the Kasih Ibu Smart each day, and this works better when your protégé is not a ‘mini successfully. Selangor (KISS) initiative, the you’. Identify an individual that has the opposite skill set, views, Offering emotional support, establishment of the Selangor weaknesses and strengths as you do, in order for both of you to acting as a role model and ac- Women’s Empowerment Insti- benefit from the process. tively supporting their protégé’s tute (IWB) and Women’s Em- career, a mentor often acts as a powerment Centres (PWB) in coach who assists an individu- all 56 State constituencies in al in successfully completing Selangor. challenging assignments and, It is to promote Amirudin firmly believes that occasionally, protecting them the image of the role of women should not politically as well. be confined to family affairs 4. Be accessible to your protégé For a woman, having a men- women in this only, and that they should also As a mentor, it is your task to ensure that your protégé is always tor who is also a woman can state and make be hailed as decision-makers able to contact you.When you do not engage with your protégé prove to be extremely bene- Selangor an and policy implementers in pol- often, you will find that she will not be a hundred per cent ficial, as navigating the work example of a itics and economics. committed to her tasks, and this in turn will stunt her growth landscape can be complicated “Hence, this year we have and progress in the workplace. Thus, be sure that you are able at times— particularly in an woman-friendly demonstrated commitment to dedicate and commit your time to the development of your industry that is dominated by state. through ‘Work From Home’ pol- protégé amidst other projects. the opposite sex. Thus, having icies, where KISS programme a woman mentor who herself Zuraida Kamaruddin participants can actively engage has experienced the trials and in building their own micro-en- tribulations often faced at the enhance women’s socio-econ- terprises to generate income, workplace, such as overcoming omy while speeding up their instead of being restricted from gender stereotypes and nego- abilities in leadership and deci- economic engagement simply tiating raising a family during sion-making. because of the responsibility of 5. Train them on professional etiquette peak career development stag- “It is to promote the image having to take care of the chil- While it is vital to help your protégé to find a process that will es, is no doubt a massive advan- of women in this state and dren,” he said. aid her in executing her task perfectly, prepping her on how to tage, particularly for a young make Selangor an example of On that note, Selangor has sound and look professional is just as important in the work professional. a woman-friendly state,” she become the only state with field.Thus, coach your protégé on the expected etiquette and For Selangorian women, the said. To date, the IWB has aid- 30 per cent participation of skills, such as good public speaking skills, proper presentation Empowered Women’s Institute ed in formulating the Selangor women in executive bodies, skills and even the proper attire required of a high-profile exec- (IWB) acts as our very own Women’s Policies and Action namely in the State Executive utive woman—factors that present them as suitable and reliable ‘mentor’ as it is committed to Plan for 2017 to 2020, which is Council. executives in the workplace. 08 FEATURE June 2019 | Selangor Journal

as industrial areas for tin mining. Mod- ern-day towns such as , Subang Jaya and are all results of early mining activities in the . The tin mining industry in the Petaling District was one of the main reasons that the towns boomed and be- came populated. The Petaling Jaya Town Authority was in charge of the district’s local gov- ernance from 1954 up until 1974, when Petaling was split from Kuala Lumpur and the latter was declared the capital city of Malaysia. After the split, the Petaling Jaya City Council was set up to govern the Petal- ing District. The Damansara and were added to the Petaling District. In 1997, the Subang Jaya Municipal By Council was created to administer over Muhaimin Merican the Southern part of the Petaling Dis- trict. In 2006, Petaling Jaya or PJ, as it had come to be fondly known, was officially Petaling: declared a city. As a city, Petaling Jaya received the honour of being awarded the UNESCO Best Learning Cities Award in 2019 for its role in promoting Educa- Heart of Selangor tion and Lifelong Learning. Businesses in the Petaling ubbed the ‘Heart of Selangor’ due to its location right District The Petaling district is one of the wealth- in the middle of Selangor, the Petaling district is one iest in the state and this can be of the most populated districts in Selangor. It borders attributed to the economic activity with- multiple districts in the state such as to the in the district. D There are multiple malls in the dis- North, Klang to the West, Gombak to the East, and Hulu trict, as well as several business areas. Langat to the South. It also borders the nation’s capital city, Prominent malls in the area include the Amcorp Mall, The Curve, IPC, and Kuala Lumpur, in the Southeast direction. 1 Utama—the latter being the country’s largest shopping mall and the seventh Once a part of Kuala Lumpur, the Pet- jurisdiction. largest in the world! aling district is located right in the midst The district is home to of the and is home to 1.6 eight Parliamentary seats that million people. Even so, the district only are represented in the Federal Petaling covers an area of 484.32 sq. km, making Parliament (Dewan Rakyat). Selangor it the smallest district in Selangor. In addition, the district also The Petaling District houses multiple has 16 DUN seats which are cities, towns and municipalities that are represented in the Selangor The Petaling District houses known as urban centres, such as Petal- State Legislative Assembly multiple cities, towns and ing Jaya, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya and (Dewan Undangan Negeri). municipalities that are known as Damansara. urban centres, such as Petaling The district is comprised of four Founding and Growth Jaya, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya and mukim (sub-districts), namely Bukit The Petaling District was Damansara. Raja, , Damansara and Pet- founded in 1952 by the then-British 1 Utama—the latter being the coun- aling. High Commissioner of Malaya, Sir Ger- try’s largest shopping mall and the The district is comprised of four ald Templer. Named after the Petaling seventh largest in the world! mukim (sub-districts), namely Governance tree that was common in the area during Bukit Raja, Sungai Buloh, Although the district is made up of four its development, Petaling was created Through these malls and business ar- Damansara and Petaling. mukim, its local administration is di- on the old Effingham estate in order to eas, multiple franchises are brought in vided into three local governments: the deal with the overpopulation affecting into the district. Popular franchises in- Shah Alam City Council, the Petaling Kuala Lumpur at the time. clude Sushi King, Kaison, McDonalds, Jaya City Council and the Subang Jaya Its location within 10 km of Kuala IKEA, Daiso, H&M and many other in- Municipal Council. Lumpur made Petaling an ideal loca- ternational sale and services brands. The Shah Alam City Council admin- tion for a satellite town. A satellite town The district also supports profession- isters the Shah Alam city centre as well was necessary, according to Sir Gerald al-type businesses. Accountants, archi- as the , Bukit Raja, Setia Templer, to help move some of the pop- tects, lawyers, audiologists, bacteriolo- Alam, Subang and the Sungai Buloh ulation out of Kuala Lumpur, as well as gists, engineers, dentists, optometrists, area. to curb the then- rampant communist osteopaths, physicians, psychologists, The Petaling Jaya City Council admin- activity in the area. Because of this, the surgeons, and veterinarians have estab- isters over the Petaling Jaya city centre first few settlement areas were fenced lished their firms or practices within the and Damansara.. off from the surrounding areas. four mukim in the district, contributing The Subang Jaya Municipal Coun- The development of Petaling Jaya to the economy of the district. cil administers over the south of the commenced in 1952 with the construc- Moreover, the industrial district in district, with heavily populated areas tion of 800 houses in the area known as Shah Alam has attracted international such as Subang Jaya, UEP Subang Jaya “Old Town” today. names such as Volvo, Nestlé and Cad- (USJ), , BatuTiga, parts of In addition, the southern and west- bury to open their factories and manu- Puchong and under its ern parts of the district were developed facturing plants in the area. Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 09 Hari FEATURE Raya Aidilfitri

Historical Significance Petaling Jaya: Satellite Town To better understand the life in the Petaling District, we went down to the The Petaling District is host to many turned City four mukim (sub-districts) to interview everyday people on their experience places of historical significance. Having started out as town to accommo- on living in the Petaling District. This is what some of them had to say: The SJK (C) Han Ming which is locat- date overpopulation in Kuala Lumpur, ed in Puchong Batu 14 today, is known Petaling has now grown to a district con- as one of the oldest Chinese schools in taining a city. the district. It has been in operation However, many residents who wit- since 1921. nessed the growth of this district feel In 1954, the then-Chief Justice of Ma- that it is important to avoid overpopu- laya, Michael Hogan, brought a nun, Sis- lation and overdevelopment in order to ter Enda, to Petaling Jaya to set up the preserve the special and nostalgic ambi- Assunta primary school. From then on, ence of this district. during the 65 years it has been active, the Assunta Girls’ School has produced Mukim Bukit Raja: some outstanding alumnae, among them are former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz as well as Mercy Malaysia founder and former president I love it here, they have everything in My family has lived here for three gener- Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood. Petaling! ations and we still wouldn’t move. Petal- Muhammad Ariff | 25 ing just feels right for me Graphic Designer, Bukit Raja Wong Kah Meng | 28 Mechanic, Bukit Raja

Assunta Girls’ School has produced some outstanding Assunta Girls’ School Mukim Sungai Buloh: alumnae, among The Elmina Estate is the second old- them are former est oil palm planta- Bank Negara tion in Malaysia I was born here in 1996 and I’ve also I love the diversity you can find here. studied here. I’ve been in Petaling my The Chinese schools, the Malay villages governor Tan Sri Zeti whole life. It is my home and I have a and Hindu kuil. Everyone just accepts feeling it will continue to be my home that their neighbour is different and we Akhtar Aziz as well Siti Atikah | 22 celebrate tha as Mercy Malaysia Student, Sungai Buloh Natania Stevens | 18 Retail Assistant, Sungai Buloh founder and former president Tan Sri Dr Mukim Damansara: Jemilah Mahmood.

Japanese Airlines (JAL) flight 715 crashed as it was approaching Sub- ang Airport in 1977

Damansara is just a nice and fun place In the north of the Petaling District, I had no idea our IKEA in Mutiara Dam- to live in. Everything is in the area you can find the Elmina Estate. The El- ansara was the biggest one in Southeast Daarshini | 29 mina Estate is the second oldest oil palm Asia. And I live just 10 minutes away! Communications Manager, Damansara plantation in Malaysia. Established in Samantha Ng | 32 1917, the estate was bought over by Businesswoman, Damansara The Selangor Oil Palm Company Ltd., who purchased the 3,407-acre estate in 1923 and opened a new oil palm factory there in 1927. The estate is also the site where Japanese Airlines (JAL) flight 715 crashed as it was approaching Subang Airport in 1977. Remains from the crash were found in the soil surrounding the Mukim Petaling: estate up until 2011. One of Petaling’s most famous land- marks is the first drive-through restau- rant in Malaysia. Established in 1965, the now iconic A&W located in the heart I grew up here with all my friends. Now, of Petaling Jaya was the country’s first My grandma used to live here. It’s a everyone has moved away with their introduction to the drive-through con- wonderful place. Everywhere you look, family. But I will never forget the beau- cept popular in the West in the 1950’s. there’s something for everyone ty we had when we were growing up. Today, the outlet itself makes about RM Lina Tan | 45 Petaling will always be a magical place 4 million. Sadly, the outlet will be clos- Housewife, Petaling Jaya for us ing down by the end of this year to make A&W located in the heart of Tan Mei Mei | 68 way for a parking area. Petaling Jaya Retiree, Petaling 10 NEWS June 2019 | Selangor Journal

SELANGOR QUICK TAKES

SELANGOR JOURNAL

Selangor government Kajang Prison buildings to ban grants seven-day disposable plastics release to two prisoners

Aidilfitri incentives for civil servants, The Selangor government will enforce a campaign to stop the use of single-use mosque staff plastics at all departments and agencies under the state’s administration from 1 July. State Environment, Green In the spirit of Ramadan, Dato’ Menteri Besar, Amiruddin Shari, has Technology, Science, Technology and announced that he will be handing out the Selangor Mahabbah Incentive. Innovation Committee chairman, Hee This incentive is a special financial assistance that is equivalent to one Loy Sian, said the proposal for the month’s salary, to be paid out to 19,244 civil servants of Selangor and 739 implementation of the campaign was Federal staff serving in Selangor. In addition, the state government has approved by the state government also introduced Ramadan Mahabbah Incentives for the 2053 surau and last Wednesday in line with Malaysia’s 390 mosques in the state. This incentive benefits 12,995 mosque andsurau ‘Roadmap Towards Zero Single-use staff throughout Selangor. Plastics 2018-2030’.

Selangor records Kajang Prison allowed two highest death toll prisoners to join their families for Hari Raya for a week in Op Selamat under its ‘release on licence’ programme. Selangor and Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur The death toll on the tenth day of Op Prisons director, Abd. Kadir Selamat has risen to 176. Royal Malaysia Rais said the release is a form Police corporate communications head, of rehabilitation for prisoners Senior Asst Comm Datuk Asmawati through the involvement of Ahmad, said a total of 16,470 their families. The feeling of accidents involving 23,263 vehicles being reaccepted and being were reported between 29 May and with their families is an 7 June. The Op Selamat 15 road safety important form of support for operation was launched on 29 May in prisoners, especially those who conjunction with the Aidilfitri festive are trying to return to society. season. A total of 164 fatal accidents Well-behaved prisoners who were recorded resulting in 28 deaths in have served not less than Selangor. Traffic offenders in Selangor four years with the remaining raked up 30,529 summonses followed sentence of one year are by 17,706 summonses issued in considered for this programme. and 16,464 summonses issued in . Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 11 Hari NEWS Raya Aidilfitri

NATIONAL NEWS QUICK TAKES

SELANGOR JOURNAL

Civil servants urged to stay neutral

Civil servants have been advised not to tie themselves to any ruling party. This is to ensure that they remain neutral and are PM and cabinet host Aidilfitri open house in able to focus on their tasks and responsibilities. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysians from all walks of life turned up at Seri Perdana in their best Hari Former being non-partisan will enable Raya outfits for the Prime Minister’s Hari Raya Open House. Numbering in ruler Sultan Ahmad each and every civil servant to the hundreds, the visitors, including families and children, began arriving at undertake and implement their the main gate of the Seri Perdana complex as early as 8.30 a.m. Visitors were Shah passes away service in a more effective manner allowed to enter the compound of the Prime Minister’s official residence at for the ruling government. 10 a.m.

Former Pahang ruler Sultan Ahmad Shah passed away at 8.50 a.m., on 22 May, 2019. Pahang Menteri Besar said Sultan Ahmad In his Hari Raya address, Tun Dr Shah, 88, died at the National Mahathir Mohamad reminded Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians today to be thankful The Sultan was said to have been to foreign workers who toil undergoing intensive treatment nationwide to ensure Hari Raya at the institute. Sultan Ahmad Aidilfitri could be celebrated Shah, who served as Pahang ruler without any disruptions. The Prime for almost 45 years, abdicated in Minister said that while Malaysians January this year. He had been ill enjoying the festivities throughout for some time. He was succeeded the Raya celebrations, Malaysians by his son, Tengku Abdullah, who must remember that without became the country’s sixteenth foreign workers, the country Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 31 would have continued to be a poor January. Under the rotational state that cannot be developed. system of the Malaysian In his message, Dr Mahathir also constitutional monarchy, Sultan took the opportunity to ask for Be grateful to foreign Ahmad Shah himself served as forgiveness for any wrongdoings workers, Dr M tells the seventh Yang di-Pertuan he or his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Agong from April 26, 1979 to Mohd. Ali, may have committed Malaysians April 25, 1984. throughout the year. 12 PROPERTY June 2019 | Selangor Journal

“We have also spent a smart state was in full swing Federal Govt Adopts RM174.6 million in maintain- with the installation of 100 per ing some 50 public housing cent LED streetlights, the first schemes since 2008 in Penang,” plan the country has ever seen. No More Penang’s Housing he said. The project will be complet- “We will continue with this ed on the island and mainland Formula programme.” in five years. Affordable Jagdeep stated that the cur- “Through a pilot project un- rent Penang government al- der YTL Communications (YES) Housing ready had 11 years’ experience Sdn. Bhd., we brought the Ter- in managing the state. ragraph WiFi network to the is- Policy “It is different for the Feder- land’s heritage zone which can deliver 170 mbps, touted as one of the fastest in the world,” he for Civil said. This is far higher “Our smart parking system Servants than the 75,531 units at council-run parking lots pledged in Pakatan using [a] mobile application and e-wallet payment will Harapan Penang’s be completed in two years’ GE14 manifesto to be time.” KUALA LUMPUR — The gov- delivered by 2025. Jagdeep said he had also in- ernment will no longer provide PENANG — According to “This is far higher than the Housing, Town and Country structed both the Penang Island allocation of affordable homes Housing, Town and Country 75,531 units pledged in Paka- Planning and Local Government City Council and Seberang Prai built by the government for civ- Planning and Local Govern- tan Harapan Penang’s GE14 Committee chairman, Jagdeep Municipal Council to double il servants. On 13 May, Housing ment Committee chairman, manifesto to be delivered by Singh Deo the number of trees to be plant- and Local Government (KPKT) Jagdeep Singh Deo, Penang still 2025,” he told a press confer- ed from 100,000 to 200,000 Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin leads in many areas, including ence at Komtar on 9 May. trees. revealed the reasons for such a in the implementation of hous- Jagdeep was outlining the al Government, which has been The move is aimed at com- move. ing policies. successful projects under his under the Pakatan rule for just bating the effects of possible “The implementation of this Jagdeep said that the state’s portfolio since the last general a year now,” said Jagdeep. climate change in the state. new policy follows the setting formula on housing was adopt- election on 9 May 2018. “It would be unrealistic to In regard to town and coun- up of a new sole entity that ed by the Federal Government Jagdeep noted that achieve all that has been prom- try planning, Jagdeep added makes Perbadanan PR1MA after Pakatan Harapan took RM 32 million had been spent ised within a year,” he said, that the local plans on the is- Malaysia, Syarikat Perumah- over last year. on 370 projects in eligible pri- referring to Pakatan Harapan’s land and mainland would be an Negara Bhd. (SPNB), Uda “To date, 102,054 affordable, vate housing schemes, all under having taken charge of the Fed- finalized soon, with impending Holdings Bhd., the Housing low-cost and low medium-cost the state’s 80 per cent Mainte- eral Government for the past approval of the Penang Struc- Programme for the Hardcore units have either been built, are nance Fund programme imple- one year. ture Plan 2030 by the state Poor (PPRT) and 1Malaysia Civ- being built and approved to be mented for housing units val- Jagdeep went on to explain and National Physical Planning il Servants Housing (PPA1M) to built in Penang,” he said. ued up to RM150,000. that the move for Penang to be Council. be standardized under one roof to empower the [achievement of the] objectives of the Paka- tan Harapan administration,” she said. me about the cracks but we are Zuraida was reported as say- not sure if it is because of the ing that such a policy is meant blasting,” said Nor Hisham. to create a mix of residents from “We will look into remedi- society in affordable housing al works and the cost involved developments, and to encour- once the investigation is con- age social interaction between cluded.” civil servants and the public to Nor Hisham noted that al- share their views, experience though the residents are living and knowledge to enhance a at the border of Selangor, the sustainable community. projects involved are situated She explained that the new in Kuala Lumpur. policy takes effect immediately “As such, DBKL will look into and civil servants will now have it,” he said during a visit to both to apply for such housing like the project sites, as well as Ban- other Malaysians. dar Damai Perdana on 7 June. According to Zuraida, KPKT Tina Khoo, the secretary of at the moment has 13 afford- Bandar Damai Perdana 2 Res- able housing projects with idents’ Association, said more 38,000 units from three proj- than 20 house owners had com- ects already completed, and plained about cracks and noise 122,000 units in 10 projects Cause of cracks in Bandar Damai pollution. undergoing development at the One of the residents, retiree moment. Perdana homes probed Danny Yap, said the cracks in Meanwhile, civil servants his house became apparent af- union Cuepacs president, Da- ter the rock blasting activities tuk Azih Muda, said that the KUALA LUMPUR — Kuala struction of a tunnel for the began near by. KPKT should not have made Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is in- Langat 2 water treatment plant “The contractors are mon- such a “sudden announcement” vestigating the cause of cracks project in Taman Desa Cheras— itoring the situation but the and should have “consulted that have appeared in several is likely to be the cause. noise is still very loud,” he said. with stakeholders”. houses in Bandar Damai Per- Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Yap also indicated that he “The minister should dis- dana in Kuala Lumpur. Ahmad Dahlan stated that in- should be compensated for the cuss with Cuepacs to find the According to residents, blast- vestigations would take about damage. best mechanism in resolving ing activities at two project two weeks. Representatives of both proj- the method of homeownership sites—a housing development “About 13 residents living ects were present but declined among civil servants,” he said. in Alam Damai and the con- near the projects complained to to comment. Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 13 Hari FEATURE Raya Aidilfitri By Muhaimin Merican Traditional Dishes One of the most important parts of Hari Raya Aidilfitri that Hari Raya Aidilfitri everyone looks forward to is the food. In Malaysia, each state has their own version of traditional dishes that are served to guests during this festive season. Aside from ketupat, another very special rice dish that Traditions makes its way to the table during the Aidilfitri season is le- mang, which is a glutinous rice dish. Both ketupat and lemang he festival of Eid, known in are usually served with rendang. Rendang is a dish made from Malaysia as Hari Raya Aidil- stewing meat or chicken in coconut milk with spices until the fitri or Hari Raya Puasa, falls liquid has evaporated and the meat is tender. on the first day of the month While it may appear like a humble rice cake, lemang is of Syawal, the tenth month one of the most complicated local dishes to make. To make of the Islamic calendar. Duit Raya lemang, rice and coconut milk are first mixed to get the rich TTraditionally, it is a celebrated as a During the Aidilfitri season, children look forward to receiv- texture for which this dish is known. After this, the mixture joyous occasion following the comple- ing duit raya—which can be roughly translated as ‘celebra- is filled into the hollow sections of bamboos that have been tion of one month of fasting during Ra- tion money’. lined with banana leaves on the inside in order to avoid the madhan. The handing out of duit raya is a big part of the celebra- rice from sticking to the bamboo. Unlike in the Middle East, Aidilfitri tion during the Aidilfitri season and is based on the Muslim In our neighbouring country, Brunei, the must-serve dish celebrations in Malaysia often outdo practice of giving alms or sedekah (charity) to the less fortu- during Hari Raya is ketupat, though rendang and dodol (a sticky the festivities that accompany Hari Raya nate. The tradition has grown beyond giving money to chil- confection made from coconut milk and palm sugar), which are Aidiladha or Hari Raya Haji—the festi- dren, however, and has since evolved to include youth who served during Aidilfitri in Malaysia, are not popular there. val marking the successful completion are not yet married or not yet working. A dish that you would find in most Bruneian households of the haj pilgrimage season—which fol- Duit Raya is handed out in specially-made colourful pack- during the Hari Raya season is satay, the regionally-famous lows about three months later. ets, and this could be an influence of our Chinese friends grilled meat skewers. The term Hari Raya is Malay for ‘big who hand out ang pow or red packets of money during Chi- In Bangladesh, sweets take centre spot on the dining table (or grand) day’, thus denoting a festival nese New Year. during the festive season. One of the most popular sweet dish- day. Puasa is the Malay word for ‘fast- However, the tradition is not limited to only Malaysia. es is a pudding called kheer. It is made by boiling with milk ing’, and the entire phrase, Hari Raya The practice is also popular in other countries in the region, and sugar one of the following: rice, broken wheat, tapioca, Puasa, is a rough translation of the Ara- such as Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia. It is also practised vermicelli, sweet corn, and various others. It is most often fla- bic term, Aidilfitri, which in itself means in Sri Lanka, where money is given in notes and not in spe- voured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’. cial envelopes. Much like in Malaysia, the custom is mostly almonds or other dry fruits and nuts. Malaysian culture has made Aidilfitri limited to children but some homeowners do give money to Another popular dish in the Middle East during Hari Raya is a little different here from how it is cel- unmarried youth. Om Ali. Roughly translating as ‘Ali’s Mother’, this dish is a type ebrated around the world. This rang- This tradition is also popular in countries such as Bangla- of pastry that is divided into pieces and blended with pistachios, es from the food served to the clothes desh and Qatar. Due to the prosperity of the Middle East, the coconut flakes, raisins and plenty of sugar. Milk, sometimes worn, and to how the entire festive sea- concept of Eidi, which roughly translates into ‘gift’, is often with cream, is poured over the mixture, which is then sprinkled son is celebrated. a more generous gesture. While usually only small bills are with cinnamon. Finally, the mixture is baked in the oven until given to houseguests in Malaysia, Eidi in the Middle East can the surface is golden brown. It can be eaten hot or cold. be a much larger amount.

To find out what Hari Raya Aidilfitri meant for people around the world compared to how we celebrate it in Malaysia, we sat visit over the next two days. down with 7 people who had spent Hari Raya in different parts The‘open house’ concept has been introduced over the past of the world like the Nusantara region, the Middle East, the few decades, whereby hosts invite friends and relatives on a Indian Subcontinent and the West. This is what they had to say: certain day to come to their house and a variety of tradition- al Hari Raya dishes are served. This concept has now been Hasheef, celebrated Hari Raya in Sri Visiting Relatives picked up by businesses to hold Hari Raya gatherings during Lanka: The fireworks and firecrackers are Hari Raya Aidilfitri is often celebrated this season. a big part of Hari Raya in Sri Lanka. On around the world for one or two days, In Brunei, the visiting of relatives is often followed by a the Eve of Eid, the whole family gathers beginning on the first day when Muslims tahlil or doa selamat—special prayer gatherings—where together and begins to light them and it go to the mosque to pray and listen to members of the family hold prayers for their loved ones who just brings us closer together the Aidilfitri khutbah (sermon). Then, have passed away. Although the visiting the graves of loved on returning home, they receive guests ones is also practiced by some Muslims in Malaysia, it is much Nur Amalia, celebrated Hari Raya in and relatives who come to pay them a more prominently practised in Brunei. Qatar: Hari Raya in Qatar is not cele- brated as grand as it is here. It is a much more traditional affair. Aidilfitri Songs If there is one thing uniquely Malaysian about how we cele- BK Saba, celebrated Hari Raya in Ban- brate Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysia, it is the Hari Raya songs gladesh: The food served during Eid in that will be played on the radio and in shopping malls and Bangladesh is not the same as the food bazaars. Radio listeners and shoppers will be serenaded with they serve here but the excitement is still tunes that have become evergreen and are known to genera- The catchy choruses and melodious the same! tions of Malaysians. tunes are awaited all year long by ev- Since the first Hari Raya Aidilfitri song was created in eryone of all ages. Akif, celebrated Hari Raya in Brunei: 1936, such songs have enjoyed popularity among Malaysians These melodic gems along with the Brunei doesn’t have rendang, lemang or and even Singaporeans and Indonesians. Some of Malaysia’s scrumptious food, duit raya and the dodol like what we hear in the Malay- biggest names in the local music industry such as P. Ramlee, ‘open house’ tradition are what make sian Raya Songs. I never associated those Sudirman, DJ Dave, Aishah and Siti Nurhaliza have created the Aidilfitri celebrations in Malaysia food with Hari Raya. signature Hari Raya Aidilfitri hits that are played every year. uniquely our own. Hadi, celebrated Hari Raya in Washing- ton, USA: The United States is a melting A Time for Rejoicing pot for Muslims from different racial Hari Raya Aidilfitri is celebrated by Muslims around the world. backgrounds. We celebrated Hari Raya While there may be some variations, especially in the types of Selamat based on how Malaysians celebrated it food served, the true essence of the festival is never forgotten: Hari Raya and it made us really miss celebrating to celebrate the successful completion of one month of Rama- Aidilfitri! Hari Raya in Malaysia. dan fasting. 14 BUSINESS June 2019 | Selangor Journal

No unfair currency practices in Malaysia, says BNM

alaysia’s inclusion in the currency manipulator list by the US treasury will not affect the country’s Meconomy, according to the Bank The Malaysian Negara Malaysia (BNM). The central bank said Malay- economy remains sia supports free and fair trade, resilient, and does not practise unfair underpinned by currency practices. It also men- strong economic tioned that Malaysia adopts a floating exchange rate. fundamentals, There will be no consequenc- including the es for the Malaysian economy flexibility accorded by from Malaysia’s inclusion in a floating exchange the list, according to the central bank rate and strong “The Malaysian economy re- external balance. mains resilient, underpinned by In the latest report, besides strong economic fundamentals, Malaysia, the list of countries including the flexibility accord- monitored for currency manip- ed by a floating exchange rate ulation included China, Japan, and strong external balance,” Korea, Germany, Italy, Ireland, FMM welcomes effort BNM said in a statement. Singapore, and Vietnam. to return waste

alaysia will send back some 3,000 metric tons of non-recyclable plastic waste to their originating countries in a move to avoid becoming a dumping ground for rich nations. The move by the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment Mand Climate Change Ministry (MESTECC) to return the waste to countries such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia was well-received by the The Federation of Malaysian Manufactur- ers (FMM). FMM president Datuk Soh Tian Lai was “fully supportive” of the “decisive step” taken by the Ministry. “This would help Malaysia restrict the import of such waste from other countries more effectively,” he said in a statement. Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, , had earlier announced that 60 containers filled to the brim with contaminated waste had been intercepted en route to illegal processing facilities in Malaysia. Items in the intercepted containers included cables from the UK, contaminated milk cartons from Australia and compact discs from Bangladesh, as well as bales of electronic and household waste from the US, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and China. Malaysia still No. 22 in World Competitiveness Yearbook

alaysia remains Datuk Darell Leiking. namely economic performance, at the 22nd spot The report showed improve- government efficiency, business This would help Malaysia in the IMD World ments compared to the previ- efficiency and infrastructure Competitive Year- ous year in terms of rankings with each encompassing five restrict the import of such book (WCY) 2019 which rates and value scores in institution- sub-factors. waste from other countries Mthe competitiveness of coun- al-related indicators such as Malaysia emerged second tries around the world. bribery and corruption, trans- among the 28 economies with more effectively. Among the 63 countries list- parency, bureaucracy, justice, gross domestic product per cap- ed this year by the IMD World social cohesion and public fi- ita less than USD 20,000. FMM president Datuk Soh Tian Lai Competitiveness Centre in Lau- nance. Overall, Malaysia continues sanne, Switzerland, Malaysia “All these indicators in- to be ahead of Belgium (27th), scored 82.54 out of 100 points. creased in value score more South Korea (28th) and Japan With a score of 82.54 out of than 10 per cent, ranging be- (30th). 100 points, Malaysia sustained tween 10.8 per cent in public fi- Malaysia was narrowly over- its position for the second year, nances to 31.1 per cent in brib- taken by New Zealand by one The government has clamped down on dozens of illegal plas- reflecting the positive senti- ery and corruption,” he said in spot to be ranked 7th among tic recycling facilities that had mushroomed across the country, ments of the business commu- a statement. the 14 Asia-Pacific economies, shuttering more than 150 plants since last July.Yeo said China’s nity towards the new govern- The WCY 2019 assess- and was second only to Singa- plastic waste ban had “opened up the eyes of the world to see ment, announced International es economies based on four pore in Asean, outpacing other that we have a huge garbage and recycling problem.” Trade and Industry Minister, competitiveness input factors nations in the region. Selamat June 2019 | Selangor Journal 15 Hari BUSINESS Raya Aidilfitri other Congressional committees and federal agencies. The OMI recommends beginning with pharmaceuticals, hospital fees, dominant platforms, advertising, la- bour, inequality, agriculture, other FTC Neoliberal priorities, the US Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, trade and national security. Reforms Developing countries? It is doubtful, however, that the rest of the world, especially developing coun- Strengthening tries, can count on US policy reforms to protect, let alone advance, their best interests, whether in terms of develop- ment or even appropriate competition Monopoly Power policy. Given the limited size of most de- veloping economies, a single-minded obsession with competition may well and Abuses undermine the likelihood of achieving economies of scale and international competitiveness, both important for ac- By Digital Public Policy? celerating economic development. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Facebook and Google are able to collect Size matters, and what may be ap- Anis Chowdhury considerable amounts of personal data, propriate for large economies may not enabling them to secure monopoly prof- be appropriate for smaller national its by renting their platforms and data to economies. Furthermore, the limited third parties. jurisdiction of US legislation is likely KUALA LUMPUR and SYDNEY, May 07 These third parties can These third parties can then use the to encourage corporations to engage in (IPS) Facebook and Google platforms and regulatory arbitrage abroad to their own then use the Facebook their vast personal data troves to ma- advantage. ver the last four decades, and Google platforms nipulate what individual users see, read, In any case, even if US lawmakers the growing concentra- think and buy. Google thus earned some and regulators are able to protect and tion of market power in and their vast USD 95 billion, while Facebook earned advance US public interest through ap- the hands of oligopolies, if personal data troves about USD 40 billion in 2017 alone. propriate and effective regulatory poli- not monopolies, has been Appropriate public policy can make cy, there is little reason to assume that greatly enabled by ostensibly neo-liberal to manipulate what this business model far less lucrative. the best interests of others will be best Oreforms, worsening wealth concentra- individual users see, The US has previously used various served by the effective exercise of US tion and gross inequalities in the world. ‘common carriage’ rules to limit or pre- regulations. The ‘counter-revolution’ against read, think and buy. vent railways, telecommunication com- Keynesian and development economics panies and other monopolistic owners four decades ago, which inspired the Google thus earned of essential infrastructure from discrimi- *** Washington Consensus, claimed to pro- some USD 95 billion, nating among different users. mote economic liberalization, including For example, AT&T was not allowed Excerpt: market competition. However, strength- while Facebook earned to set different rates or terms of service ening property rights entitlements, es- about USD 40 billion for different people based on what it Visit this story at pecially for intellectual property, has could learn about their personal lives. been far more important. in 2017 alone. Applying similar rules to Google, Face- ipsnews.net/2019/05/neoliber- Such oligopolistic and monopolis- book and Amazon now would reduce al-reforms-strengthening-monop- tic trends have recently accelerated in much of their incentive to collect, use, oly-power-abuses much of the world, while already feeble sell or rent personal data by limiting anti-trust efforts have lagged far behind. their means to profit from thus using Over a century after US President Ted- such information. dy Roosevelt’s anti-trust initiatives, with While a national privacy legislation To be sure, Apple also benefits from the neoliberal rhetoric of recent de- should include these principles, the pro- the Google and Facebook business mod- cades, many all over the world still have posals do not recognize that transparen- els. In 2018, Google paid Apple USD 9 great expectations of similar US reform cy and post-hoc control do not address billion to become the default search en- initiatives. some of the worst dangers posed by on- gine on Apple products, while Goldman line platform monopolies such as Goo- Sachs expects such payments to increase Privacy Legislation For...? gle and Amazon. to USD 12 billion in 2019. Responding to the ‘big data’ controversy, Their monopolistic market power Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent Time mag- implies that users are often not really US reforms today Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a former eco- azine opinion called for US privacy leg- able to exercise their notional rights to The US-based Open Markets Institute nomics professor and United Nations As- islation informed by four principles for privacy. For example, without a realistic (OMI) has proposed new laws to over- sistant Secretary-General, was a member user rights: firstly, corporations should alternative to Google’s search function, rule pro-monopoly judicial precedents of the new Malaysian Government’s Coun- collect as little user data as possible; people have little option but to provide and to empower employees, consumers cil of Eminent Persons. secondly, users should know what data personal information about themselves, and small businesses against abuses by has been collected and why; thirdly, especially when their work or partic- large monopolies. users should be able “to access, correct ipation in society requires them to use Accordingly, the OMI has proposed and delete [their] personal data”; and Google. four measures to the US Congress’ Ju- fourthly, data should be secure, “without Effective privacy legislation thus re- diciary Committee: firstly, to investigate which trust is impossible”. quires regulating such corporations, so growing concentration in and control of Cook has also proposed a US Federal that they no longer have any incentive specific industries; secondly, to conduct Trade Commission (FTC) ‘data-broker to exploit user data. As Cambridge Ana- hearings on the relationship of such clearinghouse’, with all entities han- lytica whistle-blower Christopher Wylie concentration to political corruption; dling data required to register, so that has suggested, “We should take a step thirdly, to educate the public about what the public can track how their data has back from this narrative of consent and it describes as the national ‘monopo- Anis Chowdhury been sold, and delete their own, if they start to look at the fact that people don’t ly crisis’; and fourthly, to advocate an- so choose. have a choice.” ti-monopoly policies and principles with SELANGOR JOURNAL Published by the Selangor State Government Printed by Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (PNMB) 1, Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Chan Sow Lin, 55200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur