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“Every single sen of the state fund belongs to the people. The money must be

translated into

developmental programmes for the good of “ the people of this state.

#HereWeAre #undirosak Uphold Rule Health Exquisite Of Law Protection For Staycation Civil Servants

FEATURE 15 FEATURE 11 NEWS 3 LIFE STYLE 6 LIFE STYLE 8

BUSINESS Economic Debt Repayments Powerhouse on The Rise Can We Afford

elangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s recent visit Them? to Japan in January 2018 saw the signing of two business collaborations worth more than RM 1.26 billion. This sizeable investment from a foreign country further The ECRL is one of several Federal projects that is cements Selangor’s role in driving the Malaysian S expected to burden the rakyat further. economy. In 2016, Selangor contributed 22.7% Story continues on page 4 of the nation’s GDP amounting to RM251.6 billion. According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), for the period between January to September 2017, Selangor raked in investments worth RM3.049 billion through 132 manufacturing projects while creating 5,494 job opportunities. This collaboration is another testament of Selangor being the most preferred investment destination for Japanese corporations. It also reflects foreign investors’ confidence in the strong fundamentals and administration of Selangor which is based on a policy of good governance, transparency and accountability to fight corruption. One of the practices of good governance in the state is the practice of open tenders. This process upholds transparency and accountability standards that are pegged against international best practices to ensure there are no elements of corruption and the misuse of power. Since 2014 till 21 February 2018, this practice has recorded a savings of RM615.1 million. In the past Malaysia had a “look East” policy but lately it appears that “the East” is looking towards Selangor for consultancy and business opportunities. Countries like Japan and Taiwan are looking at Selangor as a regional partner in many areas but at the forefront is Selangor’s expertise in the halal industry that is creating various opportunities for collaboration. Story continues on page 5 02 NEWS March 2018 | Selangor Journal

he US$ 250 million allege the large, modern vessel Malaysia’s New Straits Times it luxury super-yacht named Equanimity had been was “disappointing that, rather Equanimity, is said to attempting to evade them in than reflecting on the deeply Equanimity be the 54th biggest Southeast Asian waters by dis- flawed and politically moti- yacht in the world. abling its automated identifica- vated allegations, the DOJ is At 90 metres, it has a swim- tion system to avoid question- continuing with its pattern of Tming pool on deck, a helipad, ing over a $US4.5 billion fraud global overreach — all based on in Troubled movie theatre, spa and sauna case. entirely unsupported claims of — and cabins for 28 crew and The US Justice Department wrongdoing”. 18 guests. claims the Equanimity is owned Mr Low’s whereabouts are The FBI had tipped off In- by 36-year-old Malaysian finan- unknown. Over the past 180 Waters donesia that the massive yacht cier Jho Low, who is believed to days, the Equanimity is believed was in its waters somewhere have been part of the scheme to to have sailed from Malaysia near Bali, Indonesian police siphon billions out of a Malay- and Singapore to Bali, then to traced the yacht to the island sian investment fund between Papua and back. However, there of Lombok, then seized it as 2009 and 2015. On Thursday, were several points where its it sailed into Bali. FBI officials a spokesman for Jho Low told movements were unclear.

Ijok Truth Revealed NEWS Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 03

SPAN Urged To Review SPLASH Concession

ne of my constit- Syabas nor Air Selangor were the dams. uents said that responsible for the mess. After repairing the fourth people don’t re- Syarikat Pengeluaran Air pump, the surge vessel system member what the Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd exploded during the process Selangor state (SPLASH) was awarded a 30- of reactivation, injuring five government has done for them year concession by the previous workers. Oin the last five years, but they Barisan Nasional-led Selangor It is clear that the plant was will certainly remember the state government in January poorly maintained and as a re- last seven days. 2000 to build, operate and sult placed thousands of house- And the last one week hap- maintain the water plant. holds without water, distress Syarikat Pengeluaran pens to be just before the next This means that SPLASH is and not to mention the extra “Air Sungai Selangor general election, described as the concessionaire and suppli- expenses incurred by that peo- Sdn Bhd (SPLASH) one that would be the most er of treated water to SYABAS, ple to buy food and water. fiercely fought in the country. and therefore responsible for As such, the National Water was awarded a 30- The seven days were ex- the water disruption. Services Commission ( SPAN) year concession cruciatingly painful for some SPLASH has not just failed needs to investigate as to why 500,000 people in Selangor to provide regular updates on the three water pumps were not by the previous tion to ask is whether SPLASH’s who were stranded without the status of repair works but repaired for more than a year, Barisan Nasional- concession agreement should water due to a surge vessel sys- also didn’t have proper contin- the causes of the explosion, led Selangor state be terminated given the poor tem burst in a water treatment gency plan to handle an emer- if procedures were followed, maintenance and staggering plant. gency. whether systems were main- government in debts.

They were furious with the Apparently, three of the wa- tained properly and if SPLASH January 2000 to People in Selangor cannot state government and frustrat- ter pumps were not repaired or should compensate consumers. be left highly vulnerable again ed with having to deal with maintained since 2016. The water concessionaire is build, operate and “ because of SPLASH’s poor per- overflowing toilets and inabili- And the fourth pump was also facing financial problems maintain the formance. ty to even buy drinking water, recognised as faulty by Air given that their debts with water plant. as they were selling out fast. Selangor because of consum- Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Their anger is justified. But er complaints and a loss of 30 run into millions of ringgit. Charles Santiago neither the state government, MLD (million litres a day) from As such, the crucial ques- Member of Parliament Klang

Ijok Land Uphold Rule of Law Finally Settled ormer MP Mohamed he said. Tawfik Ismail has re- He added that allowing the minded all members Bill to be listed in the Order Paper n 2000, the former BN to the developer. It would of parliament to up- “opens the door to further ero- government of Selangor then be developed for the hold the rule of law sion” of the Federal Constitution. persuaded the settlers in benefit of the Selangor as PAS’ Private Member’s Bill, The Private Members Bill Ijok to sell their land to people. or RUU355, is listed in the par- to amend the Syariah Courts Mujur Zaman, LBCN and F (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act liamentary order paper despite Liputan Canggih – at that time a court order prohibiting it 1965 — also known as RUU355 crony companies of UMNO/BN Cost from being tabled. — was listed on Tuesday and I Wednesday as the fourth item – in exchange for compensation RM In an open letter to all and houses worth RM180,000 MPs, Mohamed Tawfik quot- on the list, behind three gov- each. This was a deal that was 500,000 ed Article 38 of the Federal elected MP must swear to pre- ernment Bills, for second read- never fulfilled by UMNO and over Constitution, which states that serve, protect and defend the ing and debate. its corporate cronies. 980 Parliament must obtain the Federal Constitution. However, it remains unclear The Selangor government settlers Conference of Rulers’ consent “As the next general elec- if RUU355 will see the light of under Khalid Ibrahim acquired The handing over of before listing any matters of re- tion is imminent, members the day. 1,000 acres of Alam Perdana in RM180,000 compen- ligion in the Order Paper. from both sides of the House Last March, Tawfik filed an 2010, using the Land Acquisi- sation and houses now He said listing RUU355 in must stand united and obey the application seeking to declare tion Act 1960. However, it was worth around RM500,000 theOrder Paper is in defiance very laws you passed, demon- the Private Member’s Bill, bet- blocked by a court stay order to each one of over 980 of the judgement from the High strate your sworn commitment ter known as RUU355, as un- from doing the same on the re- settlers and their heirs Court and in blatant contraven- to the nation that gave you the constitutional and that it flout- maining 2,200 acres of Alam after an 18 year struggle tion of the Constitution. sacred duty to defend, uphold ed Parliament procedures. Mutiara and Alam Utama. This was a good deed facili- He added that the move also and protect their constitutional The Bill seeks to amend the private land is the subject of tated by the present Se- contradicted Dewan Rakyat rights, and demand the Private Syariah Courts (Criminal Juris- the RM1.18 billion deal. langor State Government Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Member’s Bill be withdrawn diction) Act 1965 to give sya- The RM1.18 billion recently under the leadership of Mulia’s decision in the past to from the Order Paper immedi- riah courts the power to mete paid came from a private devel- Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri stop debates on matters that ately,” said Mohamed Tawfik. out harsher punishments. oper with no links to the state. Mohamed Azmin Ali. had gone to court, including “Not to do so is clear con- Mohamed Tawfik had named One of the conditions imposed After 18 years of disap- foreign courts. tempt of His Majesty and His Pandikar and Dewan Rakyat sec- was that the new landown- pointment, uncertainty The moderation advocate Majesty’s judges, in blatant de- retary Datuk Roosme Hamzah as ers and creditors would drop and ill-treatment, they fi- also reminded MPs to remem- fiance and contravention of the defendants in his suit. any compensation claims on nally have what they were ber the oath they took as he did Constitution, and the trust that On Feb 22 this year, the the state in exchange for their promised. when he was an MP in 1986. the citizens of this nation High Court denied Pandikar’s claims being settled by the sale The oath states that an have placed upon you all,” bid to strike out the suit. 04 BUSINESS March 2018 | Selangor Journal

Continued from cover page...

ly populated west coast of the n March 12th ECRL project. It is one such peninsula, carries only about 2018, Parliament infrastructure project that will ( E a s t six million tonnes of freight per proceedings de- heavily burden the rakyat in Coast annum. If we fail to achieve scended into rau- terms of debt in years to come Rail Line). this projected freight tonnage, cous heckling as the project lacks transparen- will the project still be finan- when Selangor Menteri Besar cy and accountability. This is Lacks cially feasible or will taxpayers ODato Seri Mohamed Azmin one of those future generations transparency have to pay a huge subsidy for Ali directed a question to the will pay for. Mega-projects such as the ECRL? Prime Minister about the ef- RM the ECRL, Tun Razak Ex- fect of the 1MDB debt issue on RM 13,559 change, and Bandar Malaysia Cautionary tale interest payments and he re- million 48,025 million should be scrutinised by an The ECRL is part of the many sponded with a flippant, “the RM fourth independent bipartisan par- projects under China’s Belt and water issue in Selangor is even 35,466 quarter liamentary committee chaired Road (BRI) initiative, that is million more critical.” 2017 by a member of the opposition building infrastructure and Quoting an international third ing countries. quarter party for transparency purpos- boosting regional connectivity news report last month, which 2017 es. In Kenya, Mombasa to and trade across strategic mar- stated that Malaysia had spent The appointment of the Chi- Uganda is estimated at RM itime and land routes. China Malaysia Government Spending 12.5% of its revenue on interest nese state-owned enterprise 7.37 billion (RM61.42 million plans to invest 750 billion US payments for the national debt for the ECRL project, China per km), in Bangladesh, Dhaka dollars in BRI countries over in 2016 compared to 9% in The increase of RM 13,559 Communications Construction to Jessore is estimated at 14.65 the next five years. Malaysia is 2009, Mohamed Azmin asked million in just one quarter is Company (CCCC) was howev- billion ringgit (RM68.14 mil- one recipient of this initiative. if the 1MDB debt issue affected certainly very alarming es- er done via direct negotiation lion per km) in Ethiopia, Awash In the case of Sri Lanka, the rise in national debt inter- pecially when the total gov- method and not on an open to Weldia is estimated at 7.12 China provided loan worth 1.2 est. ernment debt as of end June tender basis this pre-empts billion ringgit (RM18.07 mil- billion US dollars to build port “The report says that this 2017 stood at RM 688 billion transparency. lion per km). Hambantota. This initiative has year we are expected to spend or 50.9% of the gross domestic If the 688km ECRL which It’s interesting to note that been beset by problems. The RM31bil of revenue just to pay product (GDP). costs 55 billion ringgit fails to rails in Kenya and Bangladesh Hambantota port did not have interest, and this is the same as Government spending re- generate the expected level of include the costs of bridges and an accompanying industrial two-thirds of (the total) GST fers to public expenditure on demand and return on invest- other infrastructure and that zone or other local businesses collection. goods and services through ment, it can put the govern- the Ethiopian one is built 986 to drive demand and the port Has the 1MDB debt issue af- policies like setting up budget ment highly in debt with China. metres above sea level and struggled to attract ships and fected the rise in our debt inter- targets, adjusting taxation, in- through tricky terrain, all of cargo volumes. est or is there a more respon- creasing public expenditure Huge interest which cost lower than Malay- In the end it was a loss-mak- sible reason for this?” asked and public works or infrastruc- Some 85% of the ECRL project sia’s ECRL. ing infrastructure and con- Mohamed Azmin. ture projects. costs will be funded by China’s Malaysia is borrowing mon- tinued consuming massive After a few minutes of heck- ey from China in order to pay Malaysia Government Spending Exim Bank through a soft loan amounts of national revenue to ling by Federal Members of at an interest rate of 3.25% per a Chinese company to do the operate and maintain. Parliament, the Prime Minis- 50000 annum and the rest through job, and after seven years, we Last July, Sri Lanka’s Prime ter responded that it was not still need to pay back the loan 45000 a sukuk programme by local Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe MYR Millio a question of the quantum of banks. plus interest to China. Not only proposed to China’s Ambassa- national debt, but the ability to 40000 At a rate of 3.5% per annum, does China get back its mon- dor Yi Xianliang a debt-for-eq- repay it and that “Singapore’s n ey immediately in the form of 35000 the interest bill for the project uity swap that would see the national debts are bigger than will be huge. Although inter- payment for the work done by Hambantota port and the Mat- 30000 ours and their repayment abili- est repayment of the loan only CCCC, it will get more money tala airport go to Chinese com- ties are also existent”. 2016 2017 2018 from us when we repay the JAN JAN JAN begins after a seven-year mor- panies in exchange for 1.2 bil- Needless to say the internet loan. lion US dollars’ worth of debt Disproportionate funds atorium, the government will exploded as netizens respond- have to subsidise this project It does not matter whether relief. China agreed. ed in anger and disbelief at the The issue of overspending which it can ill afford because the ECRL is profitable or not, manner in which the Prime raised comments from vari- it is also involved in several we still have to repay the loan. Another burden Minister and Federal MPs dis- ous quarters including Former other multi-billion ringgit port The risk and liability are com- It is therefeore crucial for the missed such a valid and per- United Nations assistant sec- construction projects while the pletely on the shoulders of Ma- government to look at its ex- tinent question by Mohamed retary-general Jomo Kwame repayment of those loans will laysian taxpayers and zero on penditures and seek out ways Azmin. Sundaram, Dr Francis Loh, also come calling about the China. to exercise spending discipline The issue at hand is not formerly a professor of politics and to relook at areas in which same time. Questionable viability whether Singapore or Venezu- at Universiti Sains Malaysia At RM 80 million per kilo- it can save by re-prioritising ex- ela or any other country can and Wan Saiful Wan Jan, the metre, it has been slammed The commercial viability of penses in areas that incur high repay or not but rather why is former CEO of the Institute by critics as the costliest rail the project has also been ques- expenses. Malaysia spending so much of for Democracy and Economic project ever. The government tioned. The forecast being the If Malaysia’s debts contin- its revenue on repaying debts? Affairs (IDEAS), all of whom claims that the total costs in- ECRL, despite running through ue to rise, including taxes, it is And if so what debts are we re- were concerned with govern- clude planning and design less industrialised parts of Ma- the everyday man on the street paying? ment spending, sighting the costs and that it includes the laysia, will carry almost 60 who will be paying the price for The question does not arise East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) tunnels that need to be dug million tonnes of freight per poor fiscal management if the country can repay, the project. and the difficult terrain that annum by 2035. This is amaz- It would also bode well for question is why our GST, taxes Overspending by Prime needs to be traversed. ing because even KTM Bhd, the current federal government and everything else that we are Minister’s Office (PMO) and A property newspaper com- which has rail networks in the to humbly remember who actu- made to pay to the government disproportionate allocation of pares similar rails in develop- more industrialised and dense- ally repays all these debts. is used to repay debts that we development funds has led to are not fully aware of. the official government debt A point to note is that the increase. ability to repay these debts ris- Recommending that allo- es from the rakyat’s pockets. As cations to the PMO be slashed Mohamed Azmin has pointed to lower rising debt, Jomo said out we are paying 2/3 of the most infrastructure spending is GST collected for debts in- not on the federal budget and curred by an overspending and often involves dubious pub- careless federal government. lic-private partnerships further A prime example of how reducing transparency and ac- the Malaysian government is countability as witnessed in the currently overspending is the recent rush to start the ECRL BUSINESS Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 05

Japan 1% 1% 1% TOP 15 INVESTORS 1% United States IN SELANGOR (BY 2% ACCUMULATED 2% Singapore INVESTMENT VALUE) 3% 6% Germany 3% Collaboration Taiwan Agreement between Halal 5% Korea, Rep. International Selangor 5% United Kingdom and Halal 30% International China Japan. 7% Sweden

Thailand Continued from cover page... 14% 19% Australia

Halal International Selan- of GSPP’s current paper mill This expansion will add anoth- Switzerland gor (HIS) will introduce its business in Kuala Langat, it er 90,000 tonnes of annual ca- consultation programs such will allow GS Paper to produce pacity to the group by 2019. Hong Kong as Halal Technical Competent an additional 450,000 tonnes Netherlands Selangor the gateway for Person (HTCP) and its accred- of containerboard paper per Others itation program - Halal Trade year. foreign investments draw investment to the State. Delivery Assurance (HTDA) to Japanese investment in Selan- Selangor, among all other Halal International Japan. This Investing in water gor has been growing and re- states of Malaysia is best po- in turn will provide a platform treatment mains the dominant top 15 of sitioned to serve as a gateway for both Japan and Malaysia to The involvement of Worldwide foreign investments into Selan- for foreign companies doing learn from each other’s exper- Holdings in the water project gor. The Selangor government business. This will be a natural tise and how best to meet glob- will help create a platform is focussed and is active in its outcome of Selangor’s vision to al halal industry compliance for further development of effort in making Selangor an transform it into a regional smart standards. the water treatment business, investment hub for the ASEAN state and also to attract potential Through the HTCP pro- giving a strategic impact for region and actively continues to employment in Selangor. gram a trained person will be Worldwide Holdings to expand equipped with Shariah and its business portfolio. halal management knowledge This partnership constitutes Selangor, Engine Of Growth in line with the internation- part of the State’s long-term al halal trade standards. They initiative to nurture the State For Malaysia’s Economy will also have exposure to halal GLCs to become industry lead- Tokyo Olympics industry requirements that en- ers locally and regionally. 2020 able them to practice and main- The collaboration between The Japanese market in par- tain the halal guarantees in an GSPP and WHB was estab- ticular holds great promise organization. lished since mid-1990s. GSPP for Selangor’s halal indus- HTDA serves as a halal ser- is also a long-term customer try with the approaching of vice centre that coordinates of WHB as they use Worldwide the Olympics 2020. Serv- the accreditation program and landfill facility to dispose their ing Japan’s upcoming To- halal guarantee process. It also sludge. This joint venture signi- kyo Olympics in 2020 will carries out performance ratings fies a sustainable and trusting provide an emerging niche and rating systems for prod- relationship not only between halal market for Selangor’s ucts, service integrity, reliabil- GSPP and WHB but also with halal industry players as it ity, safety and quality. the Selangor state government. prepares for the influx of Acrosx Japan of Halal In- The involvement of WHB Muslim visitors and spec- ternational Japan, Selangor’s will help create a platform for tators who will be flying to counterpart will mobilize this further development of water the country for the Olym- agenda. This collaboration will treatment business under the rom 2013 to 2016, GDP. Selangor topped the list pics. benefit both parties in terms of state-government company, Selangor also suc- with a share of 22.7%, followed According to a rating trade and services market pen- giving a strategic impact for cessfully attracted by WP Kuala Lumpur (15.3%), agency, more than 20 etration support, international WHB to expand its business RM34,425,688,466 Sarawak (9.8%), Johor (9.4%), million tourists are human resources, investment portfolio. in total capital in- Pulau Pinang (6.7%) and Sa- expected to land in Japan in and technology transfer. The high value investment vestment for 1,008 projects bah (6.7%). 2020, and over one million by Oji Holdings Corp and GSPP with total employment of The Selangor State govern- of them are Muslims. 1.26 billion ringgit F reflect Selangor being the most 72,806 from the manufac- ment through Invest Selangor Selangor’s participation will expansion program preferred investment location turing sector. From 2016 to as the state’s investment pro- not only bring in revenue The Selangor delegation’s vis- among the states of Malaysia. September 2017, Selangor motion agency (that promotes to the state, it will also it to Japan also attracted more This is in line with the State’s garnered total investment of and facilitates investments in promote Selangor to the investments to Selangor. continuous effort in being an RM3,049,396,790. Selangor), is always supportive global halal arena. Worldwide Holdings Bhd investment hub for ASEAN. According to Department of foreign investment into Se- Halal International Se- (WHB, a wholly owned sub- Oji Holdings Corp, the largest of Statistics Malaysia, GDP langor especially in facilitating langor is a Selangor State sidiary of the Selangor State paper manufacturer in Japan, contribution in 2016 by six better project execution and Government initiative which Development Corporation) and owns GSPP. states accounted for 70.6% necessary approvals. This ini- is a Global Halalan Toyyiban GS Paperboard and Packaging The agreement between tiative of the Selangor govern- Trade and Industry (GHTTI) (GSPP) Group signed an agree- GS Paperboard and World- ment makes it easier for invest- platform solution that com- 14 Domestic ments to pour in seamlessly. ment which will allow for a wide Holdings marks a major Foreign prises of real estate, delivery 12 1.26 billion ringgit expansion milestone and reflects the sus- Total Selangor Menteri Besar, assurance, human capital of the GS Paperboard’s current tainable and growing business 10 Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin and market development to paper mill business in Selan- relationship between Selangor 8 Ali’s recent achievement is a meet the needs of halal con- gor. and Japan. testament that Selangor under sumers globally. 6 This agreement creates a Oji Holdings currently has his administration has proven Billion (RM) joint venture company to devel- six packaging plants and one 4 to be more than successful in Halalan toyyiban means op, manage and operate a new paper mill in Malaysia. It was 2 increasing the state’s revenue, food or products that are water treatment plant to supply recently reported that Oji Hold- 1 making huge contribution to allowed and permissible for treated river water to GSPP for ings is planning to increase its 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Malaysia’s GDP, creating more consumption with relation to its paper machine operations. market share in the Malaysian TOTAL DIRECT INVESTMENT jobs and bringing material ben- Syariah law as long as they Besides paving the way for a corrugated carton industry to (MANUFACTURING SECTOR) efit for the rakyat of Selangor. are safe and not harmful. 1.26 billion ringgit expansion 40% from the current 30%. IN SELANGOR (2011 - 2016) 06 NEWS March 2018 | Selangor Journal

Health Protection For Civil Servants

elangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali recently un- veiled the “Skim Getting To The Heart Peduli Sihat Penjawat Awam SSelangor” for the state’s civil servants. of The Matter “The takaful scheme is an endeavor to help Selan- gor civil service members obtain quality healthcare. The scheme will guaran- OUR-year-old Siti Nur the integrated healthcare “In the past 25 years, IJN tee protection to over 10,000 Mujahidah has finally scheme includes basic health- has succeeded in providing personnel of grade 44 or been given a helping care, pneumococcal vaccina- quality and affordable treat- less, covering administrative hand after living with tions, palliative care services ment to Malaysians. assistance, general workers, a hole in her heart for cancer patients and health “IJN faces high demand enforcement officers, securi- and other heart-related illness- insurance for civil servants as when it comes to heart patients ty officers and drivers. Fes since birth. well as farmers. locally and internationally. “The state government Her treatment was fully During the launch of the “However, those who are has allocated RM3 million funded by Selangor govern- heart treatment scheme, Men- from lower and middle-income and we will bear the full ment and Selangor Econom- teri Besar Dato’ Seri Mohamed group have problems getting cost of this comprehensive ic Development Corporation Azmin Ali said it was part of access to treatment as costs scheme,” Azmin said. (PKNS) through the recently Selangor’s approach in mak- keep increasing,” he said. Some of the scope in- launched Selangor Heart Treat- ing quality healthcare services With this in mind, he said, clude: death, work-related ment Scheme. more accessible to its people. the state government decided disability, medical care, dis- The special programme is He announced that RM10mil to help ease Selangorians’ fi- ease related death, disability part of the RM44.1mil budget al- was allocated to help 500 or nancial burden especially those due to disease, hospitalisa- located for an integrated health- more heart patients in Selangor in B40 and M40 categories, by tion and outpatient medical care scheme for Selangorians. to receive treatment from IJN funding their treatments at care in private and public Apart from heart treatment, this year. IJN. hospitals.

Editorial We are just an “advanced breed Team of monkeys on a

minor planet of a very average star.

ADVISOR MANAGING EDITOR But we can Editorial Advisory Board, CCSB Ameena Siddiqi understand the “ universe. That CHIEF EDITOR WRITERS makes us something Cecelia Alphonsus Prem very special. G Sara

Aras 2, Carlton Holiday Hotel & Suite, No 1, Persiaran Akuatik 13/43 Seksyen 13, 40100, Shah Alam, Selangor Stephen Hawking Tel 03-5523 4856 Fax 03-5523 5856 1942 - 2018 Email [email protected] BUSINESS Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 07

The Fourth Industrial Revolution – Propelling Selangor Forward

report on the future of jobs, Not surprisingly the drivers tor in the anticipated impact with the advent of the Fourth of change in the technological of the changes that will result. Industrial Revolution there sector all point to the fact that Moving towards a smart state isn’t time to develop major new the speed of change and the would require a new workforce skill sets on a large scale over rate at which certain skills be- strategy of which a major re- decades as it was the case with come obsolete should give us quirement will be “skills evo- previous industrial revolutions pause and compel us to take lution.” by because of the unprecedented urgent steps to recalibrate our A mindset transformation Prof Dr. Mohd Faiz rate of change in technological human resource strategies. amongst Government Linked Abdullah advances. Currently in many Companies (GLCs) is warrant- academic fields, there are situ- What does this mean for ed to optimize talent pooling ations where that by the time Selangor? in areas such as reinventing students graduate from a four- While Selangor is moving to- the HR function, utilizing data year technical degree course, wards becoming a smart state, analytics, talent diversity, le- half the knowledge acquired in the Fourth Industrial Revolu- veraging flexible working ar- the first year of the course be- tion will undoubtedly herald a rangements and online talent comes obsolete. new era of job opportunities to platforms for the short term. The findings of the WEF that end in a myriad of fields Report suggest that practical opened up with creative inno- Selangor the Future of skills will undergo accelerat- vation, however, the trade-off Malaysia ing change and major disrup- “As we approach will be the loss of jobs that The direction for the longer tion. It is expected that in three were once needed under the term, has already been spear- o borrow a phrase 2020, increasing years’ time, more than a third old paradigm. headed by the State Govern- from renowned of skills not regarded as crucial presence will come Thus, failure to implement ment and it entails rethinking guru of smart cit- today will actually become the changes in the modalities of education systems, incentiv- ies and now CIO from advanced core skill sets of most occupa- instruction as well as syllab- izing lifelong learning, cross for the State of Il- robotics and tions. The impact is already ic content will render not just industry and private-public linois, Hardik Bhatt, we need noticeable in mobile internet autonomous the courses but the university collaboration. In line with its to “leapfrog from legacy tech- T and cloud technology, advanc- transport faculties and schools to be in- people-centric citizen engage- nology to global leadership in es in computing power and creasingly divorced from the ment strategic thrusts, human becoming a smart state. While Big Data, crowd sourcing and with artificial demands of reality. The bench- resource building initiatives Selangor may not be a global peer-to-peer platforms. The re- mark for excellence then must are bound with a democrati- leadership yet but aspiring to intelligence and

port highlights the rise of the first and foremost be founded zation of education and skills become a smart state is enough machine learning, middle class in emerging mar- on academic quality, commer- training agenda to expand the challenge. For that to happen, kets and as we are witnessing, advanced materials, cial and industrial utility. accessibility of tertiary insti- Selangor has to first earn the young demographics, rapid ur- “ Therefore, the strategic tutions as TVET opportunities status of being the nation’s first biotechnology and banization, changing work en- thrust must be geared towards to the rakyat. At the end of the smart state. vironments and flexible work- genomics. transforming from a labour-in- day, the leadership factor is The onset of the Fourth In- ing hours. tensive economy to a knowl- crucial in propelling Selangor’s dustrial Revolution is what we Developed economies with edge economy where creative change into a regional smart are witnessing now, the mesh- longevity and ageing societies innovation plays a central role. state. It is in this regard that ing and overlapping of domains are witnessing new consum- Innovation is the ability to the role of the Menteri Besar ie. the physical with the digital er concerns about ethical and “change the rules of the game”, is crucial and goes beyond just realms and both with the bio- privacy issues, women’s ris- deliver new products and ser- holding on to the reins of pow- logical sphere has created an ing aspirations and economic vices and apply ideas that are er but also to be a beacon of en- unprecedented impact in terms power. As we approach 2020, creative, novel and useful. lightenment in governance. of velocity, scope and systems. increasing presence will come However, in light of the disrup- With all that in place achiev- Not the least of which is the from advanced robotics and au- tive nature of the Fourth Indus- ing a regional smart state status disruptive impact concerning tonomous transport with artifi- trial Revolution and the rapid in the Fourth Industrial Revo- existing skill sets. cial intelligence and machine pace of change, strategies for lution will no longer be a mere According to the latest learning, advanced materials, the attainment of smart state dream but a realistic aspiration World Economic Forum (WEF) biotechnology and genomics. must in all circumstances fac- capable of full realization. 08 LIFESTYLE March 2018 | Selangor Journal

Travelling is more 6 Exquisite “fun – hell, life is “ more fun if you can treat it as a series of Selangor impulses! Staycations Bill Bryson Bamboo Village Jalan Pelangi 5, 43100 Hulu Langat, Selangor Southern Home 019-227 5620 850L1, Bagan Sungai Lima, 42940 Pulau Ketam, Selangor hen that impulse An absolutely rustic retreat that is perfect for 010-4032440 hits to throw groups or families looking to reconnect with na- routine out the #01ture. However, if you are overly attached to your door or when air-conditioning and hot water, this place isn’t for you are just tired you as they only provide electric fans and cold of the daily grind, here are 6 es- showers. But for the more adventurous, Bamboo Wcape haunts right in Selangor that Village offers the chance to explore the surround- won’t bust your budget (too badly). ing attractions like the Sg Serai Hot Springs (15 min- Just a hop, skip and a jump from utes walking distance) or Sg. Congkak Recreational the city-centre, tranquility awaits Forest (20 minutes by car). You can also opt to just you. Go ahead, take that weekend chill at their own private pool or take in the sights break, you know you deserve it! and sounds of the local town.

Kampung Kuang Retreat Lorong Orkid, Kuang, Sungai Buloh, 47000 Kuala Lumpur. +603 2262 0288

Kuang Kampung Retreat is a quaint classic Malay- #02sian home designed and crafted by a Kelantanese artisan. Constructed from balau timber and stone, repurposed from an old palace in Pahang, this ar- chitectural gem showcases Malaysian heritage right from the Malaccan decorative bathroom tiles to the antique furniture pieces reminiscent of a bygone era. Soak in the luxurious heritage as you relax in the pool, far from the noisy disruptions of city life.

A unique jungle getaway just 45 minutes away from Taman Sari the city-centre. Imagine sleeping in an open bed- Batu 18, Hulu Langat room that offers a panoramic view of the forest (directions will be given reserve right from your king-sized bed. The Bothy @ upon booking) Taman Sari is truly the perfect private getaway if you +6019 271 4299 are looking for quality time with the other half amidst a lush tropical jungle.

If you are planning a group getaway, The Cottage by the garden is ideal for an intimate group to bond over tranquil surroundings.

Templer#03 Park Rainforest Retreat 22, Jalan 3/2, Templer Height, Templer Park, 48000 Rawang, Selangor 016-203 8562

A sprawling hilltop retreat surrounded by 360° views of the Kanching Rain- forest Reserve just a 30-minute drive from the city. An ideal venue for family gatherings or get-togethers in a tranquil environment surrounded by nature’s flora and fauna. The Retreat is in a gated and guarded community and offer, amongst other facilities a 1.2m deep infinity pool to splash about. There are also viewing decks strategically located for you to soak in majestic views of Bukit Takun, a lake and the green fairways of a golf course. The surrounding area is home to a number of animals like monkeys, colourful tropical birds, wild fowl, monitor lizards, squirrels and large butterflies that sometimes like to pop-in to check out the human inhabitants at The Retreat. #04 LIFE STYLE Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 09

The Kabin Jalan Haji Zainal, Jeram, 45800 Kuala Selangor 017-924 7800

A fun, vibrant and unique staycation spot near Remis Beach, The Kabin promises a one of a kind holiday ex- #05perience in the laid back coastal town of Kuala Selangor. Designed using the smart modular concept, this container boutique resort is constructed from recycled shipping con- tainers and transformed into luxurious, hip accommodation units that can house up to 78 guests. This is an ideal loca- tion for a fun beach getaway with friends and family where you can chill by the pool, hangout in the game room or even belt out a few songs in the karaoke room if you are not playing beach games.

Southern Home 850L1, Bagan Sungai Lima, 42940 Pulau Ketam, Selangor 010-4032440 There is pleasure in the “pathless woods, Pulau Ketam is a quaint Chinese There is rapture on the

fishing village on an island across #06 Port Klang. Time has virtual- lonely shore,

ly stood still here where most There is society where houses are built on stilts and connected by plank walkways. none intrudes, You will find traditional fishing “ boat makers here and practi- By the deep sea, and music cally everyone is in the shrimp in its roar; business. Southern Home is a delightful white and blue cottage I love not man the less, but which is run by a charming and Nature more. friendly host. It is a cozy bed and breakfast with 4 rooms that have been breezily decorated in George Gordon Byron shades of sea blue and white. For an exquisite seafood getaway, this is a must-try staycation.

Hello you alls my So when Eva and Meena asked that. Ok very skinny orphans me to write something and share but still. beloved readers, my gossips with you all. I was my name is Sri and elated. So sayangs, I hope you I read somewhere that handbags everyone calls me like it. I hear this and that, so I are very sought after, and some- Puan, so I am Puan will share with you all this love- one actually paid RM 1,485,252 Sri okay. ly news. last year for a rare 2014 Hi- Macik malaya Birkin - a matte white I live in Selangor you know, in When I go for some functions handbag by Hermes. the Royal town of Klang. My I see nowadays all these who’s children are all grown up and who, the second wives, the re- So my favourite lady is very clev- Puan Sri live everywhere in Malaysia. I married divorcees, the wanabe er she buys these bags not just used to work but now I am re- minister’s wife, and all. All have for fashion but for investment tired so I take the bus to KL, one thing in common. Can you too maybe someday when there jalan jalan here and there. I guess? Well it’s their handbags. are no more donations from have lived in Klang all my life. I hear one of those handbags “friends” she might just have to can cost more than my poor hus- sell them to live like the “queen” I spend most of my time reading band’s one year salary betul ke? she is. papers, facebooking, instating Can it be true? and my most favourite of all But I find her penchant for ex- gossiping. Nowadays they call I hear a certain lady in our pensive handbags is good for gossip fake news. country whom I adore because her. It makes her feel close to she still has the hairstyle from the female population and helps I love to gossip it is so enjoyable. my younger days you know. I her stand tall. They admire her We Malaysians can fight about am so proud of her. Every time for her fashion sense while won- everything but we are united you see her she is carrying such dering how did she manage to when it comes to gossip. beautiful handbags. have such an expensive handbag This lady really loves handbags meh? Her husband is a govern- I have my Chinese neighbour, he rumour has it that she owns at ment servant just like my poor passes me some hot tit bits, and least 12 Hermès Birkin Bags of husband. then my Indian bread man who many colours and they cost to- passes me some crumbs here and tal RM4.46 Million, I can buy Anyway this is it for today, they there. And the best are my Ma- 5 Bungalows in Shah Alam you won’t let me take over the paper lay beasties. I have such a full know with that money! Can you so tata, till the next issue my be- life because of fake news. imagine that? She could have loved readers! fed 10 orphans for 3 years with 10 LIFESTYLE March 2018 | Selangor Journal

Consulting A Specialist Clinic – How To Get The Most Out Of Your First Visit

am sure many of us have doctor’s name. Occasionally, patient list down or take a pic- sis. Patients should write down been to a specialist clin- there are initials that I have ture of their medication using their concerns and feelings ic in Malaysia for various never seen before. Currently, their smart phones. As a der- about their illness and present reasons, and after the vis- there are no governing bodies matologist myself, I find that this piece of information when it realised that we should in Malaysia to confirm these medication lists are extremely seeing their specialists. have prepared ourselves better. titles. Most people would think helpful in considering if the pa- IEven as a doctor myself, I still (albeit wrongly) that having so tient may have an adverse drug Be proactive consult with another doctor to many letters behind the doc- reaction. For example, if my pa- On the day of the appoint- gain a holistic perspective of my tor’s name means that they are tient has eczema, the names of ment, it is always good to bring health. To get the best service better qualified. soaps, moisturisers and topical a friend or a partner. For me by from your healthcare provider, Under the Medical Act 1971, applications used previously it was a relief that I had pre- take into account the location all medical practitioners both must be provided. pared myself and brought my Dr Kartini Farah Rahim of the practice, the convenience specialists and non-specialists If a patient is aware of an ill- partner along which helped Consultant Dermatologist of making an appointment, the who practice in Malaysia must ness or disease that they have, ease my worry. To get a good experience of the doctor, the be registered with the Malay- it is pertinent that they read gauge of the doctors’ ability, it cost and recommendations sian Medical Council (MMC). If up about it. However, patients is wise that you set up at least by your friends into consider- in doubt, the public can check should bear in mind the source one appointment with the spe- ation. Your choice should also the specialists’ credentials on of their information. Most rep- cialist to assess. A good doctor factor in your health insurance the National Specialist Register utable international journals will listen and communicate plan and affordability. The de- (NSR) database online which is are in English or in other for- well by involving the patient cision-making process can be a database of members of the eign languages that may not in the process of healing. This quite stressful for a patient who Academy of Medicine Malaysia. be understood by most. In- is called patient-centred com- is already ill. The most conve- Confirmed specialists are listed stead, patients can summarise munication-the process of pro- nient choice most Malaysians in the NSR which displays the what they know and come up viding patients with enough make is to visit the local spe- specialists’ current and pre- with three questions from their knowledge and understanding cialist at the nearest govern- vious place of practice, their preferred reading materials to to enable them to make in- ment hospital However, given qualifications, the awarding seek clarification. The most im- formed decisions. that some patients can’t afford bodies and the year of awards. portant questions apart from The specialists’ medical to wait for an appointment; the Patients will be able to select the diagnosis are: the causes, knowledge may be assessed next best option is to see a pri- their specialists based on their the course of treatment, the from their answers to pa- vate specialist. years of experience and level of line of inquiry and the progno- tients’ questions. An excellent knowledge. doctor will avoid any medical Choosing a specialist You can also look up pub- jargon and deliver informa- A patient can surf the Internet lications (local or internation- tion in small portions to allow Friends’ testimonies to search for a list of specialist al) by these specialists as well ‘processing’ time. When fur- doctors. However, according to as their contributions to the ther inquiries or treatment is and word of mouth various surveys, friends’ tes- society. The MMC discourag- required, the doctor must be is amongst the timonials and word of mouth es medical professionals from able to explain the process, the topmost item that are the top considerations that advertising their services and purpose and possible risks and influence a person’s decision holds strong views against doc- complications. There are times influence one’s on the choice of doctors. Once tors who resort to publicity, in The Malaysian Medical when the doctor may be unable decision on the a shortlist of doctors has been any form of media including to make decisions due to the social media and billboards, to Council discourages complexity of diagnosing the choice of doctors. selected, check their experi- ence and qualifications. In Ma- promote their skills and prac- medical professions to illness despite years of medical laysia, having an M.D., MBBS tice to gain advantage or pub- advertise themselves training, as it is impossible for or MB BCh degree (depending lic approval. The MMC Code of doctors to know everything. on the university) means that Professional Conduct and the and holds strong view In this case, it is vital that the the doctor has completed their guidelines for good medical against a doctor who doctor is honest about their undergraduate medi- practice explains how a doc- resorts to publicity, in level of knowledge and encour- cal course. The sub- tor may present themselves or any media including the age patients to refer to another sequent titles that their practice to the public. specialist. This shared under- follow are usually social media and bill- standing inspires confidence the postgraduate Make a list boards, to promote his in a doctor. Personally, I like qualifications (e.g. Once you have chosen your skill and practice to gain doctors who summarise all the MMED or MS), a specialist next step is to set an advantage of public important points before I leave. membership (e.g. appointment. Once that is set- The other concern is confiden- MRCP) or a fellow- tled it is advisable to compile approval. tiality-which is the obligation ship from one of your medical history. A special- to keep patients information the Royal Col- ist will want to gather infor- private and confidential. leges of Special- mation to diagnose your symp- Doctors should be able to ists (e.g. FRCP). toms, using your past medical put patients at ease and build a At times I am history. They will require a list good rapport. As a patient, you intrigued by a of medications including sup- should be able to step out of a plethora of ini- plements that you have been clinic feeling positive, under- tials behind a taking. I would suggest that the stood and well taken care of. FEATURES Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 11

#Undirosak Should We? UNDI A ister’s Department Azalina that being radical means “to go UNDI B Othman Said also recently to the root of the problem.” Voters on the street are divided said 1.97 million new voters Should We Spoil Mong 37, a dentist believes Muzzammil, 24 year old were registered between 2013 lawyer. and June this year, 2017, while Our Votes? that regardless of the fail- “I say #Undirosak Minister for Youth and Sports The question then arises, is the ures of the Opposition it is is as much an exercise of de- Khairy Jamaluddin has esti- spoiling of one’s vote, the best important to break the grip mocracy as voting. The right by mated that there would be six way to get to the root of the of power that the federal to vote any person of your million young voters in GE14. problem? Not quite according government has had for 60 liking must include the right G Sara years. to abstain. So by abstain- Ensuring that this group to Law Professor Azmi Sharom Prem 30, understands the importance of of the University of Malaya. “Is feels that #Un- ing, or by going to the polls, Voters 2018 their vote cannot be underesti- #UndiRosak an effective way diRosak may be a game stand there for 40 minutes mated. for youth to show their unhap- changer in the political scene under the hot sun, only to Total piness? That’s a bit complex. because it presents an alter- draw moustaches on the can- The Right to Vote native view on voting rights. didates is also the exercise of Ultimately, what does spoiling Aznir, 36 14.62M The right to vote in this sys- your vote really prove? If you’re sympathises with democratic right. I doubt it voters tem is one of the fundamental unhappy with both sides, one the cause of #UndiRosak but will change anything, but it cornerstones, it therefore also side will still win. The rul- ultimately feels that one has is part and parcel of democ- allows for the right to protest. ing party is more likely to be to do their duty to make their racy so just let them be.” Presently, a section of Malay- the biggest beneficiary of this vote count and not ruin it. sian youths who are an import- movement.” ant part of the equation as they “I think that spoiling your Professor Azmi Sharom. The Fight For would make up to a large num- vote as a form of protest would At the moment #UndiRo- Women To Vote ber of voters for the upcoming probably be more useful if sak is seen as a campaign GE 14, are not happy with the we have an equally vibrant In the nineteenth century, geared towards urban youths women were not allowed to way things are and they want two-party political system who are more likely to be to show their displeasure. therefore, if people are un- vote. During this period, the fence sitters. “#UndiRosak is movement for women’s rights happy with both sides, not meant to be a long-term Entry of #Un- it would make a dif- had begun although there was thing. It is not meant to de- no particular political focus. 21 - 30 years old voters diRosak ference. ter people from voting. It is By the close of the nineteenth The recent entry The vot- simply to put out the option of #UndiRosak, ing process is century, the issue of the vote 42% to people who feel that they became the focus of women’s a movement the best way to don’t have a choice,” clarifies which emerged change things struggle for equality. Maryam Lee. The first country to grant alaysia is a on social media in this country. As we approach Election and Twitter cre- But the fact of the national-level voting rights to constitution- Day, who do we want to win women was the self-governing al monarchy ated a channel for matter is despite the the elections? A ruling coa- mainly youths who feel issues that we have, we British colony of New Zealand, under the lition mired in corruption which passed the Electoral Bill Westminster disillusioned with the current must try to use the system in and who indirectly buys vote political climate to show their order to make the very first in September 1893. The British parliamentary system and is via promise of billions in colony of South Australia grant- categorised as a representative displeasure that stems from the change this country has ever infrastructure development M notion that major political par- had and if we don’t what is the ed full suffrage in 1894, giving democracy, therefore it prac- to the rural population? Or ties in the country do not of- alternative?” women the right to vote and to tices a system of government for the Opposition who is stand for parliament. Britain’s elected by all the eligible mem- fer viable alternatives to bring Professor Azmi Sharom fighting a cause greater than about systemic changes in the further adds that, “Elections Parliament passed the Eligibil- bers of the population, through themselves. The Opposition ity of Women Act in November elected representatives. There- country. The campaign encour- are not the be-all and end-all. despite its shortcomings is ages youth to spoil their votes Elections are only one part 1918, which allowed women to fore it practices a system of for the people by the be elected to Parliament. Sim- government elected by all the and exercise their rights. of the democratic pro- people. We cannot According to Maryam Lee, cess.” “#UndiRosak ilarly in 1918, Azerbaijan be- eligible members of the popu- say the same for came the first Muslim-majority lation, through elected repre- one of the leaders of the #Un- does not invali- the ruling co- diRosak campaign, spoiling date those who (although secular) country to sentatives. alition with enfranchise women when it in- It is important for all citi- one’s vote is a legitimate form vote. It should their opulent of protest, “Although there are be accepted as troduced universal suffrage. In zens to understand how valu- lifestyles and 1920, the United States passed able this is. We were lucky we many avenues for youth to pro- part and parcel out of touch test the current political situa- of the democratic the 19th amendment which didn’t have bloodshed to attain leaders. guarantees all American wom- independence and democracy, tion in our country, one of the process. Nobody While #Un- best ways to do it is through the said democracy en the right to vote. but many a country had blood- diRosak may work In Malaysia, women never shed just to get the right to an ballot box. This is not the first is pretty.” in a vibrant and ma- time that Malaysian youth have The current ruling coalition had to fight for their suffrage independent democratic na- ture democracy, our country and first exercised their dem- tion. We take things for grant- protested. We have protested has ruled since independence in is a young democracy that many times before in the past. 1957, and despite massive street ocratic right to cast their votes ed and even consider our votes has yet to see the effects in the first general election unimportant. However, due to the failure of protests and scandals, its politi- of a mature political scene institutions to effect real po- cal leaders have prevailed over ever held in 1955. According There is also apathy among due to sixty years of rule by to the Election Commission of the younger generation when litical and legitimate change, the toughest periods in four de- the same political party. It youths feel that they have no cades owing to a divided opposi- Malaysia, in 2013, women con- it comes to voting. Watan, a is time our youth stand up stituted 50.23% of the thirteen non-partisan NGO motivated choice but to radicalise.” tion and support from rural vot- and be counted. It is time we Maryam Lee is quick to ers. “Malaysia has a long fight million registered voters while to inspire youths to be voting give our country a shot at a male voters constituted only Malaysians claims that the un- point out that being radical is ahead, and it is something that mature democracy and do not the same as being a terror- can’t be solved in one election. 49.7%. This paved the way for der 30s form two-thirds of the what is right for the greater the increasing representation 3.7 million who are not regis- ist or an anarchist. She men- Any government that comes to good. As John F. Kennedy tions that she grew up being power must be observed and of women candidates in politics tered but eligible voters in the aptly said “And so, my fel- where 168 women candidates country. Of this, 2.43 million apolitical and that it was only held accountable. It is import- low Americans: ask not what in university that she decided ant to have a system that allows were fielded in the 2013 elec- are aged between 21 and 30, your country can do for you; tion compared to 120 women according to pollster Merdeka to radicalise after realising what people to keep an eye on the ask what you can do for your being institutionalised really government. The price of free- candidates fielded in the previ- Centre. country.”— Inauguration ad- ous election in 2008. Minister in the Prime Min- meant. Maryam Lee believes dom is eternal vigilance,” says dress, January 1961. 12 FEATURES March 2018 | Selangor Journal

Price Of Child Poverty

ewer Malaysians live the study concludes that 22 per in extreme pover- cent of children below 5 years ty than ever before. of age are stunted, about Even as Malaysia’s 15 percent are underweight, population has grown and 23 percent had obesity. to 31 million people, the num- Both poverty and malnutrition Fber of poor has gradually fall- are well-known risk factors for en. The Malaysian government poor child development, in- has managed to eliminate cluding cognitive functions. Low-cost housing in Kuala Lumpur poverty through the Millenni- “Children in low-cost flats um Development Goals imple- live in Kuala Lumpur, within mented since 1990. The goal- easy proximity to amenities; a child. Due to the rise in food ratified the Convention on the er role in tackling child poverty to halve the number of people yet, have less access to nutri- prices, the weak value of the Rights of the Child (CRC) in and malnutrition. living on less than a dollar a tious food, don’t go to pre- ringgit, inflation and the Goods 1995, Malaysia has done lit- If Malaysia wishes to realise day by 2015 has already been school, live in perceived unsafe and Services Tax, the purchas- tle to uphold its commitment her aspiration to become a top achieved. However, not every- areas and have less opportuni- ing power of households have to the protection and welfare 20 nation as expressed under one has benefited equally and ty to learn and play than most been reduced significantly con- of all children with regards the 2050 National Transforma- that some, notably children, other children in Malaysia. tributing to a poverty trap that to poverty and malnutrition. tion (TN50) and Agenda 2030, are being left behind. The reality is: poor children limits access to better nutrition. To date, there is no national the roadmap for the implemen- are among us but they often “One of the optimal ways feeding program to help un- tation of the Sustainable Devel- Blind spot remain unseen. It’s clearly a to ensure that every child in dernourished children similar opment Goals (SDGs) in Ma- A new study by UNICEF re- data blind spot,” said Marianne Malaysia has an equal start in to programs implemented in laysia, it is time that tackling vealed that there are higher Clark-Hattingh, UNICEF repre- life is by providing a compre- India and the Philippines. Real- child poverty and malnutrition levels of poverty and malnutri- sentative in Malaysia. hensive social protection floor,” ising the consequences of pov- become a part of our national tion among children living in added Marianne. “This will erty and malnutrition among conscience. If it takes a whole low-cost housing in Kuala Lum- Eating Right facilitate equal access to basic children, the Selangor State village to raise a child, it takes pur compared to the national The first two years of a child services such as health, educa- Government launched KISS (a an entire nation to eradicate average. Although the national is a critical period of rapid tion and nutrition for the most scheme to help mothers in poor poverty and malnutrition. It poverty rate is less than 1%, growth and brain development. marginalised families, thus households provide better for starts with each of us person- the report indicates a 100% of During this period, nutrition mitigating the effects of depri- their families) in early 2018. ally. relative poverty amongst chil- and environmental factors play vation on children, and help The scheme hopes to fill the dren living in low-cost flats in important roles in the growth break the cycle of poverty”. void where the federal govern- the nation’s capital. Further, and cognitive development of Even though Malaysia had ment has failed to play a great-

BUSINESS Perangsang Selangor Acquires CPI Penang

iversified group moulding division focuses on management certifications to ring unforeseen circumstances, Kumpulan Perang- engineering thermoplastics supply to these industries, in- the proposed acquisition is tar- sang Selangor (ETP) with higher-performing cluding ISO9001:2008, ISO/TS geted to be completed before Berhad (KPS, the thermal and mechanical prop- 16949:2009 (Automotive), ISO the end of Q1 2018, contrib- Group, Bursa: erties. CPI is currently operat- 14001:2004 (Environment) uting to KPS’ financial perfor- 5843; Bloomberg: KUPS:MK; ing in the Bayan Lepas Indus- and ISO 13485 (Medical). mance as a group. DReuters: KPSB.KL) announced trial Zone in Penang. It intends CPI recorded a consistent Elaborating further on KPS’ its acquisition of Penang-based to add to its property portfolio revenue growth trend in FYE role in CPI post-acquisition, fully-integrated EMS player, for expansion of its EMS capac- 2015 and 2016 with year-on- Fariz added: “We are commit- CPI (Penang) Sdn Bhd (CPI), ity in the near future. year growth of 16% and 17% ted to maintaining the superior marking the Group’s entry into CPI’s proven capabilities respectively. Over 50% of the quality that CPI has consistent- a new sub-sector under manu- ratio of 6.5 times, will be fully contribute towards its good annual revenue is from exports ly delivered to its customers facturing. satisfied in cash from internal track record at retaining cus- while local sales are primarily throughout the years. A key KPS entered into a condi- funds and bank borrowings. tomers, with significant ma- to Malaysia-based subsidiaries driver to CPI’s historical growth tional Share Sale Agreement Founded in 1990, CPI today jority having been with CPI of multinational groups. is the continuous exploration (SSA) for the acquisition of offers complete EMS solution for at least 6 years. The clien- Post-acquisition, KPS in- and investment in resources for 100% equity stake in CPI from to its customers, from end-to- tele of over 90 corporations tends to retain the senior man- capacity expansion and to drive HK Resources Sdn Bhd and TCS end plastic injection moulding worldwide comprises market agement team of CPI, includ- improvement in operational ef- Resources Sdn Bhd for RM250 services encompassing product leaders and multinational com- ing the Chief Executive Officer fectiveness and efficiencies of million. The purchase consid- design or conceptualisation, panies from the automotive, who is also one of the indirect CPI. It is a culture that we sup- eration, which values CPI at an tool fabrication and produc- medical, telecommunications shareholders of the company. port, and we look forward to enterprise value to earnings be- tion, to complete box-build as well as industrial and con- The proposed acquisition is working with the management fore interest, tax, depreciation services. Its plastic injection sumers industries. CPI holds not subject to the approval of team on the ongoing efforts to and amortisation (EV/EBITDA) various international quality the shareholders of KPS. Bar- serve the customers better.” PROPERTY Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 13

Bridging The Gap

ne of the key Promoting the wellbeing of themes of this individuals and communities year’s UN Habitat is fundamental to the work of 9th World Urban local governments. As the high Forum: Caring cost of living continues to im- Government-Caring Commu- pact on vulnerable individuals Onity which was held from Feb- and communities, it is import- by ruary 7-13 is the important ant that local governments G Sara role that local governments bolster the wellbeing and resil- play in creating caring com- ience of the local population. munities. Shakir Ameer, City Local governments today are listic, positive environment for munity can reach their poten- Council Member of Shah Alam facing up to the challenge of un- the community to thrive. tial and live a good life. City Council who attended the precedented cuts in expenditure Although there is no fixed To ensure that local gov- forum explains how local gov- and services, and must demon- formula, it has long been rec- ernments and communities ernments and communities strate the economic and social ognized that local governments achieve Malaysia’s sustainable should work together to build value of its services. This is why are key players in creating the development goals (SDG 17), holistic societies, “We need to local governments have to go conditions for material wellbe- the challenge that local govern- constantly bridge the gap. We beyond the provision of public ing. Local governments help to ments need to overcome is the need to constantly address so- services. One of the ways local increase employment opportu- provision of practical support cioeconomic issues. We need to governments can demonstrate nities, regenerating the physi- and access to resources that empower the people to look af- the social value of its services is cal environment and strength- is the foundation for material ter one another. We also need by providing platforms for com- ening the local economy. and psycho-social wellbeing. to cultivate this awareness munities to engage with one an- Recent evidence also highlights That way, people with differ- among the younger generation other. The participation of com- the role of local governments of ent levels of capacity can affect because charity starts at home. munities in local government nurturing psycho-social well- change in their communities. There is always a need to ad- programs will not only improve being in local populations so dress social matters.” their welfare, it will create a ho- that all members of the com-

Vicious Cycle Of Property Scandals Paid Lost RM 160M The years 2016-2017 were busy years for Malaysians, as RM117M for a property in Kuching, they were both entertained and provoked by revelations of Sarawak when the actual while a joint venture between Felda fraud, abuse of power and impropriety in the buying and price was RM 50 million. selling of land and properties involving statutory bodies Iffco and Abu Dhabi based IFFCO and government agencies. resulted in RM 23.6M. (Compiled from various published sources)

70 acres of TRX land were acquired from the Felda land on government for Jalan Semarak RM 194M LTAT lost worth at RM64psf. 1.6 acres were then RM 270 transferred sold to Lembaga Tabung Haji for RM 12M in investments under million questionable RM 188.5M circumstances. at RM2,800psf and 1.25 acres sold to Armed Forces Fund for RM 255M at RM4,700psf Sabah Water Depart- ment senior officials were engulfed in a Mara purchase scandal that saw the of student MACC confiscating Lembaga Tabung Haji had purchased accommodation jewellery, handbags, two plots of land at the TRX for the in Melbourne was RM 114 M, cars, land titles and price of inflated by along with other items worth AUD around RM 53.7 M RM 772 million in cash using depositors money in an 4.75M attempt to bail out 1MDB. 14 BUSINESS FINTECH March 2018 | Selangor Journal

Unshacklingby Cecelia Alphonsus the Blockchain WEB 3.0, TICKING TIME The discerning feature of blockchain technology is its BOMB FOR ability to allow digital infor- mation to be distributed but GOLIATHS? not copied. This past couple of years has seen a flurry of The Davids – blockchain startups activity to uncover other po- are aiming their catapults on the tential uses for the technol- following three Goliaths target- ogy aside from facilitating ing their market share through cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. the use of crypto tokens. To date, the total value of Bit- coins has been valued close to USD$9 billion, however, blockchains have the poten- tial to create other types of digital value.

Listia, an existing marketplace is developing a decentralized version Next Wave in of eBay called Ink Protocol. Its Astounding, but what hat started to the chain to create a chain Technology vision is to decentralize peer-to- exactly is blockchain? out as web in- of blocks, not unlike stringing Melanie Swan, author peer marketplaces by giving the frastructure Authors of Blockchain Revo- a pearl necklace. The beauty of Blockchain: power back to the buyers and to facilitate lution, Don and Alex Tapscott of the blockchain is that it is Blueprint for a New sellers from the companies that run them so that more value can be the mining of describe it as “an incorrupt- continuously reconciled and Economy believes that distributed back to the actual user. digital currency, Bitcoin, block- ible digital ledger of economic the database isn’t stored in any decentralized networks, chain technology has created transactions that can be pro- single location. It is simulta- like Blockchain will be W grammed to record not just fi- the next huge wave in the backbone of a revolution- neously hosted by millions of ary layer of the internet. The nancial transactions but virtu- computers and its data is acces- technology. By design, World Economic Forum pre- ally everything of value.” sible to anyone on the internet. blockchain operates on a dicts that 10% of global gross Simply put, it’s a record of However, because no central- user-to-user or peer-to- domestic product (GDP) will be new transactions, for example ized version of this information peer basis. This kind of stored on blockchain platforms cryptocurrency or any other exists, it is virtually impossible mass collaboration opens A new generation of startups like Flixxo, Stream and Theta want to by 2027. kind of data. Once the block of for a hacker to penetrate and the door to many new information is done, it is added possibilities. decentralize platforms that will corrupt data. allow content creators to interact directly with their audiences with the use of crypto tokens. Users will get more choice on how their attention is monetized and can even contribute part of their computing power to the opera- Going Beyond Bitcoin tion of the system.

urrently, the most end to phantom votes and oth- man trafficking and to moni- Recently the World Wild- well-known applica- er forms of vote rigging would tor illegal migrations? Through life Fund (WWF) launched tion for Blockchain definitely be the bane of any blockchain an individual can be “Bait-to-Plate” to fight the is in the mining of corrupt government regime. made visible and traceable via a illegal fishing of tuna in the cryptocurrencies, Closer to home, state-owned unique data identifier that can Pacific Islands. Consumers such as Bitcoin, Litecoin and postal service, PT Pos Indonesia be linked to any person – thus can download an app to trace Imagine after spending a lot of Ethereum. However, imagine in partnership with Corechain immediately making their em- store-bought tuna all the way time and money on creating the C perfect soundtrack to your life if you will, the potential of this launched a system called Digi- ployers accountable. Combined to the source. decentralized system that pre- and you can’t move those pref- ro.in and want to use this tech- with an advanced biometric ID Ready or not, pervasive erences to another service? It serves blocks of information nology for different services. In system (similar to India’s Aad- revolutionary technology is is frustrating to say the least, as on public ledgers, and can be a Media Indonesia report, PT haar system,) it has the poten- taking hold of all forms of Jesse Grushack from Consen- shared by all parties (nodes) on POS Indonesia Managing Direc- tial to create a unique identity communication, informa- sys’s Ujo, a blockchain-based the blockchain but cannot be tor Gilarsi Wahju Setijono ex- database that can be monitored tion and transactions in the music supply chain provider says, tampered with? plained that POS Indonesia has by regulatory bodies and put an world. Up till the advent of “We are being locked into these While most of the focus now always held the function of a end to traffickers confiscating blockchain, tech giants own systems controlled by corporate is on fintech and turning tra- financial institution; it serves passports from workers. the database of the technol- giants.” Viberate is another com- ditional banking on its head, payments, money transfer and Provenance, an early adopt- ogy or site they create and pany that is looking to eliminate can you imagine the profound unscrupulous agents with smart even the payment of civil ser- er of blockchain technology, has they largely controlled how contracts. impact it can have on govern- vants and army members’ pen- pioneered a system that tracks and what we could do on ment transparency? Tomicah sion. With the launch of Digiro. seafood supply chains all the their site but now with decen- Blockchain will be the next huge Tillemann, co-founder of the in, current account asset man- way from catch to consumer. Its tralized ledgers, it belongs to wave in technology. By design, Blockchain Trust Accelerator agement is expected to become pilot project in Indonesia, has the community. The cherry blockchain operates on a us- Initiative plans to use block- more borderless and help elimi- pole and line-caught skipjack on the node is that the com- er-to-user or peer-to-peer basis. chain to increase voter turnout nate high-level bribery and cor- and yellowfin tuna tagged with munity can now build lots of This kind of mass collaboration and to make election tampering ruption. RFID tags by local fisherman different business models on opens the door to many new impossible. A decentralized re- Microsoft and Accenture using handheld devices, they top of the database to create possibilities. cord of votes cast in any election are trying to attempt a block- then scan and upload the digital its own digital value. A decentralized electoral roll that will be kept on a public ledger chain system that would record information to the cloud. The The irony is that “block” is open to public scrutiny and that cannot be altered without the fingerprints of refugees to data then sits on Provenance’s “chain” has quite literally cannot be tampered with would the entire chain being alerted create a trans-national digital blockchain ledger, thus creating “liberalized” and “freed” the definitely be the bane of any cor- of the attempt. A decentralized record of their existence that a permanent record as the fish internet by decentralizing rupt government regime. electoral roll that is open to is accessible from anywhere in passes through every stage of the world wide web. public scrutiny and cannot be the world. Just imagine how the supply chain till it reaches tampered with that will put an this can be used to curb hu- consumers. LIFESTYLE Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 15

DESIGNING #HereWeAre – Women WOMEN There is nothing more empowering than a woman living at cause, de- signing her own future despite the Empoweringby Cecelia Alphonsus One Another norms of society and the curve balls life throws at her. Marisa and Kiran are examples of two such women ecently, Twitter bought its first ever ad – a 60 second be visible on the front line of society. who allowed their light to shine spot aired during the live telecast of the Oscars, link- The Selangor Journal had the privilege and honour driven by the need for freedom. ing its brand to a message of female empowerment by of talking to two stellar women, YAM Tengku Datin Paduka promoting the hashtag #HereWeAre. In a tweet, they Setia Zatashah and Jocelyn Ng, who despite the advantages Marisa R Ng is declared to stand with women around the world to that come by being their father’s daughter, they were ada- an artist who re- make their voices heard and their presence known. It is incredibly mant to make their own way in the world. Here they share cently held her sadR that, here we are in 2018, nearly 200 years since the start of the some of their thoughts and experiences on the empowering of first solo curated suffrage movement in the US and we are still, apparently, fighting to women. show at the Na- tional Art Gal- YAM Tengku Datin ceed on her own merit and to prove them wrong. lery – ONG: It Paduka Setia Zatashah “For a woman to feel empowered it means financial in- came from a place of love. It was an dependence, it means to work hard and make a success out exhibition dedicated to her grand- Women’s Day means of whatever you decide to do. It is time for us women to mother. A single mom, Marisa’s a celebration of past dare to aspire, to be bold.” ambition is to carve a name for her- self as a successful female artist in achievements by women That said, a common misconception often perpetuated South East Asia that produces pow- and role models. It’s not by the media is that an “empowered woman” is often por- trayed as a high-profile corporate go-getter or a savvy busi- erful works of art that would make about breaking the glass nesswoman. This inadvertently creates a divide amongst a difference. Her biggest fear in life ceiling anymore, it’s about women themselves as many feel that if they are not in that was having to clock in and out of an smashing that glass ceiling. world then they are not “empowered”. office and doing office work, to her it Tengku Zatasha sees an empowered woman as one who was suffocating. “I need my freedom “can make decisions on her life, a woman who knows her to express, to explore, to be creative A royal Princess by birth but an iconic woman in her own right, strengths and is in control of her life and ready to take on at my own pace and time where I Tengku Zatashah is the epitome of the modern woman. Do not challenges.” can work independently and in soli- underestimate this petite graceful beauty with the down to earth “She can be a low-income housewife who is able to earn tary. Without this freedom to create, charm of the girl next door, she is laced with steely determination a small income I die.” She hopes that in another 10 and an indomitable spirit to fight for what she believes in. sewing quilted years she would be able to build her Going against the tide isn’t easy for anyone, princess or not, blankets from “Every time you suppress own dream studio. “Live life as au- women are consistently told not to rock the boat or bask in the home or a single some part of yourself or allow thentically as you can, stay focused limelight. This she believes is the biggest challenge for women - mom from a poor others to play you small, you and believe in yourself,” says Marisa. the need for self-belief and visibility. urban family sell- are ignoring the owner’s man- “I have found from my career and experience that in fact for ing cakes to the ual your Creator gave you. Kiran Kuckreja women to realize their true potential is to shine, to be visible. To community.” As What I know for sure is this literally woke realize our true potential is to believe that we can achieve our Tengku points out, – you are built not to shrink up one morn- ing to find that goals, that we can be independent and self-sufficient, that we empowerment re- down to less but to blossom her world had have the right to dream big and seize opportunities when they ally has got noth- into more, to be more splen- come our way.” ing to do with changed over- did, to be more extraordinary, Many women can relate to the fact that there will be countless social status, job night. Suddenly naysayers who are bent on raining on your parade no matter what position or back- to use every moment to fill she found herself with her savings you decide to do. It is this very negativity that spurred her to suc- ground. yourself up.” cleaned out, no more business, no house, no car and only RM100 in her wallet. She knew she needed to do something and fast. Due to her Jocelyn Ng Confidence is key in empowering yourself for bigger circumstances as a single mum it and better things in life.“From a personal self-development was difficult to get a full-time job Focusing on our perspective, I think we should try and live by the 4Cs – that would fit within her son’s school schedule and she certainly didn’t inadequacies rather than Confidence, Courage, Communication and Care.” Jocelyn believes the 4Cs are key for women to be able have the means to afford a babysit- our talents is a common to stand up for what we believe in, speak up when some- ter either. She knew that she had to trait among women that thing is not right, to mean what we say and say what we find a way to earn an income while transcends culture or mean and most importantly to care for people, to respect being a full-time mum. That’s when educational backgrounds. diversity and include it in our lives and ultimately, to care it hit her, that she could start market- We’d all do a lot better if for ourselves. ing online a weight-loss product she we focused more on our Quite often in the workplace, it is a dog-eat-dog world. was using and had achieved amazing strengths. This is precisely why to stand out and be visible, Jocelyn results. Generally, a private person, says “we need to influence stakeholders.” And to do so, Richard Branson’s mantra “Screw allies, sponsors and mentors are important. “Senior wom- IT, Let’s Do IT!” became her driving en in the workplace need to actively sponsor and mentor force and she took the plunge with Jocelyn was the first Malaysian and first woman to be appointed younger woman.” fingers crossed. What made her stand General Manager of PepsiCo Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Mon- “As policy-makers, we need to set targets for the hiring out from the countless number of on- golia and the Pacific Islands. She was also the first Malaysian and and promotion of women. Notice that I said targets and line sellers was her desire to make first woman to be appointed Chief Operating Officer of UNIQLO not quotas because setting a quota means ticking a box, meaning in people’s lives and not just Malaysia which was no mean feat considering but setting a target means that we have a make money, that combined with her that in the consumer retail industry, these posi- clearly stated objective of what we need devising her own system and packag- tions are normally held by expatriates. “When I am prepared, to do, and we will put in place strategies, es to market the products, saw phe- “Everyone has ambition in life,” says Jocelyn. I do things well and measures and plans to meet the objec- nomenal results – in her customers “I set goals for myself – my ultimate goal was to when I do things well, tive.” and her bank account. “Life gave me run a company, preferably a multinational com- my confidence builds. It “I believe we all have immense possi- lemons and I made lemonade out of pany in Malaysia. My first job was in market re- is really about doing the bilities within us. We just need to awak- it. I refused to let circumstances to search, I set a goal to be a brand manager, then little things well.” en them. So, my request to all Malaysian control me – I’d like to think I took marketing manager and so on till I reached my women is not to be shy about showing the control of circumstances,” says Kiran. ultimate goal of running a company.” world how great you are!” LIFESTYLE Selangor Journal | March 2018 | 16 Around Town

Immaterial’ is a group exhibition that focuses on highlighting the possibility of unconventional material in art making. This exhibition does not Multi award-winning singer Ruth Sahanaya has only aim to emphasize on materials alone but been carving out a well-deserved place in the also to disclose the impact that it has on cre- Tickets to the Czech Republic Film Festival 2018 Indonesian and Asian music scene. Now cele- ating new and innovative art process as far as will be screened for FREE, courtesy of the Em- brating 30 years of her music career, she con- the style and technique goes. The show is fea- bassy of the Czech Republic in Kuala Lumpur. tinues to charm audiences as one of the fore- tures ten aspiring local fine artist namely Agnes most pop and R&B divas. Lau, Anisa Abdullah, Azizi Latif, Bakir Baharom, To redeem the free tickets, just present a print- Fazrin Abd Rahman, Jamil Zakaria, Nor Tijan Fir- out or take a snapshot of any Czech Republic The concert will feature an eclectic mix of her daus and Yim Yen Sum. respectively. There will Film Festival 2018 article in any publication, on- evergreen and latest hits, and also a tribute to be approximately 20 artworks ranging from wall line postings, GSC digital channels, or just men- If you are tired of wandering around town, curl her favourite artist. pieces to three-dimensional pieces. tion “Czech Republic Film Festival 2018” and up in bed with the current top 3 movie down- you will be able to get two (2) complimentary loads on Netflix: WED 21 MAR 2018 8:30PM Immaterial’ runs from 10th March until tickets only at GSC Mid Valley or GSC Pavilion 1. The Goodfellas – Director: Martin 24th March 2018 at G13 Gallery. Gallery KL box office counters. Scorcese Tickets: RM380 RM270 RM210 RM150 opens daily from 11am to 5pm, closed on Sun- 2. Mudbound – Director: Dee Rees Visit: http://www.mpo.com.my/ for more days and Public Holidays. For more information, visit www.gsc.com. 3. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2 – Written details. Visit: www.g13gallery.com for more details my or https://www.mzv.cz/kualalumpur & Directed: James Gunn

• The cycling lanes connect scenic cycling route in PJ is a 2km several residential areas and stretch across the most beautiful takes an interesting route part of Petaling Jaya. It profiles a and is shady most of the way. flat cycling area. Taken for a Ride The website recommends • Unlike the motorcycle lanes other cycling regions in Selangor, on the Federal Highway State Investment, Industri- which includes Kampung Baharu that run relatively and al and Trade, Small and Medi- Balakong, Kampung Baru Subang, boringly straight, the cycling um Industry and Transportation Putra Heights and Shah Alam. lanes here often take a Committee chairman Datuk Teng Shah Alam also has a dirth of meandering route. It keeps Chang Khim said the incentive scenic cycling spots. Taman Botani one wondering what’s round was to encourage the councils to Negara in Shah Alam is one. Lo- the next corner. design bicycle lanes in their areas. cated at Malaysia’s Agriculture • You will find mini-orchards After the deadline, the Park, it’s 15 minutes’ drive along at the back of residential amount will be reduced by 50% the Federal Highway. You may rent houses that gives shade to but the tender will have to be a bicycle at RM10 for 1 hour and cyclists. awarded by June. Datuk Teng en- RM1 for each subsequent hour. • From the residential area, couraged all the councils to seize With 1,295 hectares of tropical the lanes lead to the Shah this opportunity. rain forest, Malaysia’s Agriculture Alam Lake Gardens. Teng added that the idea was Park is one of the largest parks in also to ensure that the councils were the world. There are many gardens • Further along it connects in line with the state government’s in this park waiting to be explored to Section 14, the main initiative to reduce traffic conges- with a bicycle. commercial hub of the city. tion and build a green community. The other attraction in Shah Here is where many of the The state’s current development Alam is bicycle lane introduced high-rise buildings of the city required residential developers to by the Shah Alam City Council can be found - one of which is the Shah Alam City Hall. Datuk Teng Chang Khim with Shah Alam residents provide bicycle lanes. (MBSA) which connects those liv- Selangor government’s plan ing in Section 4, 5 and 14 in Shah Next to this is the Selangor this year was to have 128km of bi- Alam, Selangor. It is simply called State Museum. • Due consideration of the by Prem ycling is a healthy habit. cycle lanes by local councils and as safety of cyclists have been Unfortunately Malay- of now about 3.2km has been built taken into account when sians are finding it hard by developers which is a positive these tracks were planned. Selangor to pick it up due to bad sign. Bridges span across drains. dedicated bicycle traffic, road conditions In housing areas like Putra Bollards have been installed and lack of suitable cycling spots. Heights where the development is lanes to prevent cars from parking However, the Selangor state complete, fear not, the bicycle lane C shares with the existing road and onto these tracks. Low government has now made it pos- galvanized railing prevents Current sible for the rakyat to be able to cy- is called ‘shared lane’. cyclists from falling into cle around Selangor in designated So if you are thinking about adjacent drains. Many areas. All the local councils within making cycling a lifestyle then stretches are fairly wide to 148 Selangor state will each have their look out, your housing estate allow bi-directional cycling. own bicycle lane. may be the next recipient of this Median road lines divide km To date 148km of bicycle lanes project. the two directional lanes. have been successfully designated, Besides this, avid cyclists may Some of the cycling lanes Aim 52km of it were built in new also find it useful to know that are shared with pedestrian. housing estates by developers and there are about 362 cycling routes handed over to the council. in the state of Selangor. • The cycling lanes here have The state’s aim was to have You may find routes, maps Trek Basikal Shah Alam. very adequate signages. 1000 and comments from avid cyclists The lane starts from Section 4 1,000km of bicycle lanes in Many shows that these tracks km Selangor by 2021. at www.bikemap.net. It’s a dedi- from the parking area of Taman are for cycling and walking The Selangor government will cated and comprehensive website Tasik Shah Alam. Unfortunately, so that other motorists will provide up to RM200,000 to lo- for those of you who wish to take you may have to bring your own take note. Special Zebra cal councils that award tenders to up cycling seriously. The website bicycle. The Shah Alam Lake Gar- crossings are provided for build dedicated bicycle lanes by comes highly recommended. den situated nearby serves a scenic cyclists too. March 31,2018. It also suggests that the most pit stop.

Published by the Selangor State Government PERCETAKAN TURBO (M) SDN BHD (140879-U) No. 8, Jalan Sekinchan 26/9, Section 26, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel 03 5192 9800 Fax 03 5192 9803