FREE buletin Competency Accountability Transparency April 2012: Issue 1/04 Edisi Bahasa Inggeris, Tamil dan Cina A ‘drill’ to be prepared during emergency t was late afternoon on mediate past chairman for 11 April 2012 when Penang, Lim Kok Khong, Ithousands of people said buildings in the country along the west coast of are made based on the strin- peninsular Malaysia felt gent British BS8110 stand- the buildings they were in ard, and are therefore able shake and vibrate to withstand tremors up to a following a tremor certain scale. measuring 8.9 on the Though there are no spe- Richter scale off the west cific requirements for build- coast of Sumatra. ings to be quake proof, large As these people spilled structures like the Penang out of their buildings, an- Bridge and Komtar are de- other group of people signed to withstand quakes quickly rushed to ensure up to Richter 7, he stressed. there were minimal inju- PAM northern chapter ries or fatalities. The hotels chairman Lawrence Lim along the Batu Ferringhi Hua Kwang urged residents beach belt immediately and unit owners to monitor despatched personnel to their buildings for any dam- ask people to evacuate the age, and to call specialists if shoreline area. needed. They were joined by Lim also announced that more than 10,000 officers low-cost and low-medium and volunteers from the cost housing estates can Fire and Rescue Services request that their buildings Department, Police, Civil be checked by the MPPP or Defence Department Mr Saw Bun Liong, Director of Geophysics and Tsunami Division of the Meteorological Department, Petal- MPSP, following the (Rela), village committee ing Jaya, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia briefing CM Lim at the Meteorological quakes. (JKKKs) and the munici- Department at the Department of Civil Aviation, Bayan Lepas. He also urged the public pal councils (MPPP and to be in the know during MPSP) who together helped to ensure the coastline of mechanism was getting ready for any eventuality. The such emergencies by hearing from official sources and the state was vacated for fear of a tsunami. manner in which it responded immediately to the situ- not believe rumours. Although the emergency was called off at about ation showed it was “on top of things”, he said. He pointed as an example rumours spread by social 10pm, the authorities in Penang took the matter very “This mechanism worked and there was no panic, media websites that the Penang Bridge and the ferry seriously and later hailed the experience as a fitting clearly indicating that the state government is on top of services had been closed because of the earthquake and “drill” to test the state’s emergency response system. things and is able to adequately handle the response fears of a tsunami. “These rumours were untrue and Malaysians have still not forgotten the gigantic quake needed for such emergency crisis management and intended to disrupt the economic well-being of the state measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the coast of Aceh, emergencies,” he said. that is dependent on tourism and manufacturing,” Lim which led to the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 “The state government is confident that the recent said. December 2004. This was followed by a Richter 8.7 earthquake that happened in Indonesia has not caused “Any closure of the Penang Bridge and termination that hit Nias on 28 March 2005, and later a 7.6 that any serious impact to the general economy of Penang,” of ferry services must obtain the prior consultation of ripped Padang on 30 September 2009. he added. the state government.” he stressed. And very recently, on 5 March this year, an earth- Also present were representatives of the Federation According to the Malaysian Meteorological Depart- quake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale had jolted an of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Free Industrial ment, the Richter 8.9 tremor at 4.38pm had its epicentre area near Hamparan Perak in Sumatra Utara. Zone Penang Companies’ Association (Frepenca), the 325km Southwest of Simeulue, Indonesia, and 816km Speaking to the media the next day, Chief Minister Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) and Malaysian south-west of Kampar, Perak. There was a very small Lim Guan Eng, who is also the chairman of the state Association of Hotels (MAH). harmless tsunami which only reached the shores of Security Council, said the state’s emergency response Meanwhile, Institution of Engineers Malaysia’s im- western Sumatra. 2 01 - 15 April 2012 Schools benefited from Penang ‘anti-corruption dividend’ Member of Parliament Chong Eng handing over a cheque to the Headmistress of one of the Mission Schools on the mainland. THIS is the fourth time the Penang Pakatan Rakyat State Government handed out annual allocations to various schools in Penang. These allocations are in- cluded in the State Budget and approved by the State Assembly. “This allocation is given out annually and not once every five years. The money is channelled to Chinese Schools, Mission Schools, Tamil Schools and Agama Rakyat Islamic Schools. To ensure that every single Parents-Teachers Association members and School-Heads at the mock-cheque presentation on 2nd cent reaches the schools, the State Government does April, 2012 at Komtar, Penang. not allow any third party to receive it except the Parents- Teachers Association or in Mission Schools - the School CM Lim expressed his hope that the Federal Govern- never allocated any money for these schools. It is only Board,” CM Lim said in his speech during the handing ment will be encouraged to emulate the Penang State when Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang State Admin- of the allocations to Mission Schools. Government’s proactive steps to hand out more alloca- istration that money is given to schools. This historical “Education is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry tions to these schools. The Federal Government’s feat is realised because under the Penang CAT admin- of Education so the main resource must come from the budget is 200 times bigger than the State and hence, istration or Competent, Accountable and Transparent Ministry. Therefore, this allocation from the Penang CM Lim quipped, “Schools should seek 200 times administration, the State is able to afford them. State Government can be seen as an added bonus,” he larger allocation from them.” “You can say this is an anti-corruption dividend,” continued. In the previous administration, Penang State had CM summed up. “Touching Hearts, Changing Lives” FROM land afar, they came to Penang the recent issue on ‘Christianisation’. one hundred and sixty years ago. “Let the word go forth that there were They came with the fundamental be- no efforts to Christianize non-Chris- lief that ALL had the right to educa- tians 50 years ago or even now”, CM tion, especially the poor regardless of said. Several Ministers including race and religion. former Finance Minister, Tun Haji The La Sallian Brothers set the Daim Zainuddin, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri foundation of holistic education, in- Nor Mohamad Yaakop who is Finance corporating intellect, spiritual, physi- Minister II were former students of La cal and emotional in 1852 with the Sallian schools. He expressed disap- establishment of St. Xavier’s Institu- pointment with the Johor Education tion in Penang (SXI). According to Department and claimed, “This fear records, the La Sallian Brothers took mongering talk of threats of Chris- over the management of an existing tianization by the Johor Education Mission School known as St Francis Department is to create hatred and Xavier’s Free School run by French fear between Muslims and Christians Catholic priests. CM Lim in a group photo with the La Sallian Brothers in front of St. and it is done by extremists and racists SXI and the De La Salle schools Xavier’s Institution, Jalan Farquhar, Penang. who at the same time shout ‘1Malay- have produced many excellent indi- sia!’ ”. viduals in various fields. Several Salle schools where the motto is on 31st March, 2012. He was full of CM Lim thanked the La Sallian Ministers in the Malaysian Govern- ‘Touching Hearts, Changing Lives’. praise for the La Sallian education he Brothers for giving the greatest gift of ment including Chief Minister Lim CM Lim was at the joyous occasion and many others have received. How- love by instilling in all the love of a Guan Eng had been educated in De La at the SXI in Jalan Farquhar, Penang ever, in his speech, he also brought up good education to get on with life. 01 - 15 April 2012 3 Keep racist media away from schools IN March 2012, Chinese Primary Schools Lim said: “Non-Malay students read- (SRJK(C)) in Penang received a total of ing Utusan Malaysia will have a dis- RM 4.4 million from the state govern- torted view of a life without any political, ment during a ceremony at Komtar. The civil and economic rights, and that they event, officiated by Chief Minister Lim must accept their position as second or Guan Eng, was attended by representa- third class citizens even though their tives from the various schools. ancestors have been in Malaysia for The meaningful occasion was how- hundreds of years.” Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng with Sinar Harian journalist, Mohd. Iskandar ever to be usurped by an unsavoury and For this reason, he said, Sinar Harian Othman. Iskandar commented, “Sinar Harian reports news and facts.” ill-suited reaction from MCA and Gera- should be preferred over Utusan Malay- kan, the component parties of the Barisan sia and Berita Harian, as Sinar Harian He said he found it shocking that Penang Instead of looking at the benefits being Nasional, to a suggestion by Lim for the does not preach hatred, lie or use the MCA and Gerakan had taken a strong given to the children in Penang through schools to shun racist media.