Will Singapore Reconsider?

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia will explain to Singapore the reason behind the recent toll charges implemented at the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex on Aug 1.

The cabinet had tasked the Transport and Foreign Affairs Ministries with meeting their Singaporean counterparts soon to clarify the matter, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said yesterday.

It was hoped that the meeting would push Singapore to reconsider its decision to increase toll rates at the Woodlands checkpoint, which will start early next month, he said.

The two ministries were tasked to do so after a recent cabinet meeting.

“As far as I know, there is no prior agreement to the republic matching the toll rate if Malaysia were to raise its rates.

“We need to explain to them (Singapore) that we are imposing the toll rates so that we can pay the concessionaire of the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL).”

Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Chinese business community, comprising more than 30 associations, at Wisma Tiong-Hua here, Wee said the government had to pay RM11 million every month to EDL’s concessionaire, which paid for the construction of the EDL.

To this end, the government had set up a toll booth at the CIQ at the end of the EDL, Wee said.

“If we were to place the toll booth anywhere else, more motorists would be affected.

“Moreover, we have already exempted motorcyclists from paying as we know many locals go to Singapore to work using motorcycles.

“If Singapore justifies its toll rate hike by saying it is only matching our toll hike, then it would seem as if we were to blame for the increased rates.”

Wee said community leaders had proposed that the government use part of the proceeds of the soon-to-be imposed Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) to pay the concessionaire.

On Sept 12, the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced its new toll rates that will take effect next month following Malaysia’s toll rate imposed at the CIQ on Aug 1.

The LTA said it had been a long-standing policy for Singapore to match the toll rates set by Malaysia at the Causeway and the Second Link.

The toll rates at the CIQ are RM9.70 and RM6.80 for inbound and outbound cars, respectively.

Singapore’s new toll rate for cars will see an increase from S$1.20 to S$3.80 (RM3.03 to RM9.62).

Hudud For All: Star Exclusive

by Rahmah Ghazali

KAJANG: After taking over PAS supporter’s club from Hu Pang Chow last April, the new chairman of the non-Muslim wing has reversed his predecessor’s position on the shariah laws.

Unlike Hu, N. Balasubramaniam (pic) believes that the Islamic penal code could serve as a preventive law in reducing the crime rate in the country.

“I believe that the hudud law is effective for the people. It is already enshrined in the holy book, there must be a reason why it is there,” he told The Star Online at a recent interview.

Hailing from Kuala Lipis, Pahang, 56-year-old Balasubramaniam said a similar criminal law was the practice of an ancient kingdom in India and asked why there is now objection to it.

“The (criminal) law was called manu neethi sastram. It was a similar law to hudud that required offenders to have their hand chopped for stealing, or stoned to death for some other offences,” he said.

Balasubramaniam, who joined PAS in 2008, felt that non-Muslims can accept hudud if the right explanation is given.

“I have organised a number of forums with various NGOs on hudud law and they seem to be receptive to it.

“They also agreed that the Islamic penal code could bring down the crime rate significantly,” he said.

Hu’s outspokenness on the matter had seen him removed from helming the non-Muslim wing, but Balasubramaniam said this was just a part of forming a new committee.

“Hu was not sacked, but PAS merely wanted a new committee as he had held the position for four years.

“Besides, what he said about hudud was his personal views and the party could not take any action based on that,” he said.

Notably PAS has also been at loggerheads with its Pakatan Rakyat partners over its persistence on the implementation of the hudud law.

Now that he is given the responsibility of spearheading the PAS’ supporter’s club, Balasubramaniam said they will carry on with activities in the field and try to garner more members.

He said he would give himself a period of three years to prove to the party that the wing is capable of attracting new followers.

"In return, PAS should reward us with more seats in the next general elections with one non-Muslim candidate fielded in each state,” he said.

During GE13, three non-Muslim PAS candidates were fielded at two state seats and one parliamentary seat, but all were defeated. To date, the wing has 40,000 members  registered nationwide.

- source Star online

We Need To Talk

JOHOR BARU: The government will soon meet with the Singapore government to better explain on the implementation of the toll hike for the Causeway here on August 1, which has also triggered a matching toll by the republic's authorities next month.

The federal government will hold a meeting with their Singapore counterparts soon to discuss the matter in addition to explain the action of the recent increase in toll rates at the Sultan Iskandar Building's Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the Transport Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry have been tasked to meet their counterparts soon to convey the message, after being given the nod at a recent Cabinet meeting.

"As far as I know there is no prior agreement that the republic must match the toll rate if Malaysia also raises its toll.

"We need to explain to them (Singapore) that we are increasing our toll rate so that we can pay to the concessionaire of the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL)," Wee said after a closed-door meeting with
the hinese business community from more than 30 associations at the Johor Baru Wisma Tiong-Hua here today.

Also present was Johor tourism, domestic trade and consumerism committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.

The toll charges for cars will increase from S$1.20 (RM3.03) to S$6.50 (RM16.44) while the charges for vans and light goods vehicles from S$1.90 (RM4.81) to S$9.80 (RM24.79). Heavy goods vehicles S$2.60 (RM6.58) to S$13 (RM32.88). Taxis S$0.60 (RM1.52) to S$3.30 (RM8.35) and buses S$1.00 (RM2.53) to S$5.30 (RM13.40).

Pas Congress 9

Some Pas members want to appease Pakatan by rejecting MB's post

by Shahrum Sayuthi

NST online

BATU PAHAT: Concerned with the possibility of Pas leaving the Pakatan coalition following dispute over the Selangor leadership crisis, some members insisted that the party leadership reject the MB post if selected by the Sultan.

The topic continued to be the main talking point on the second day of the party's muktamar (annual general meeting).

First speaker of the debate session today, Wan Kharizal Wan Khazim from Perlis called on the party leadership not to accept a possible appointment of the Selangor Menteri Besar post from among their assemblymen.

He said Pas could not afford to offend PKR and DAP by accepting the post which he insisted should be given to PKR.

"We must maintain our moral integrity and not break our promise to our Pakatan friends," he said.

It was reported that a new MB would be sworn in front of the Selangor Sultan on Sept 23.

Sources had indicated that the Selangor palace was keen to appoint a Pas assemblyman as the new MB instead of one from PKR.

The Selangor leadership crisis was triggered by PKR's Kajang Move which was designed to replace current MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The Pas leadership was divided over the issue with the ulama (religious leaders) faction led by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang being against the PKR's move while another faction, led by his deputy Mohamad Sabu being supportive of it.

Wan Kharizal said Pas will lose the support of the non-muslim community if it breaks relation with PKR and DAP.

"We have made a lot of gains among the non-muslims in the last general election with the help of our friends. Therefore, we must be sincere with them," he said.

Second speaker, Khairul Anwar Wafa from Negeri Sembilan called on the party leadership to move an urgent motion at the muktamar to reject the possible appointment of its assemblyman as Selangor MB.

"We must make known to our Pakatan Rakyat friends that we do not want the post," he said.

Khairul Anwar, nonetheless qualified his suggestion by pointing out that Pas should not at the same time defy the wish of the Sultan of Selangor if indeed the Ruler wants a Pas assemblyman to be the new MB.

"At least when the time comes, after we had made the urgent motion, we can tell our friends (PKR and DAP) that the appointment is the wish of the Sultan and not ours," he said.

Hadi Hits Out At Pas Critics

by Joceline Tan

Star online

Party president put those who had tried to dilute the views of the ulama in their place, telling them there will be no compromise on the party’s Islamic struggle.

DATUK Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has lost weight – some 10kg, it seems. He is on a special diet of more vegetables, no sugary drinks, less meat and fish, and, for some strange reason, he has to control his water intake.

His old fire-and-brimstone speaking style also seems to have been replaced by a more sedate tone. It is probably doctor’s orders – too much excitement is not good for his heart.

As such, his presidential speech at the opening of the PAS muktamar yesterday was delivered in a measured tone with none of his trademark crescendos and dramatic pitches.

His admirers said his calmness and serenity in the face of the criticism levelled against him over the last few months are marks of his spirituality.

But the content of his speech was something else altogether. Hadi’s speech hit out at the critics of PAS, both inside and outside the party. It was one of his most fiery political speeches in years and a few people on the stage definitely felt the heat.

He put those who had tried to dilute the views of the ulama in their place, telling them there will be no compromise on the party’s Islamic struggle.

Hadi was out to set the record straight – the party is not detouring from the Islamic course, it is not going for the sake of power and short-term gains.

Its struggle, he said, exists because of the belief in Allah and the party’s original objectives take precedence. He did not say it out loud, but those objectives presumably involve the Islamic state.

He did not mince his words as he called on members to cleanse the party of “hypocritical elements” and the weak-spirited who have lost focus of the struggle.

He warned that coalition politics should not mean that PAS has to give up its Islamic policy, a point that was clearly aimed at those who want the party to go along with the secular politics of its Pakatan Rakyat partners.

He also rubbished talk that PAS would hook up with Umno.

In short, Hadi used the muktamar to set the party firmly back on its “leadership by the ulama” footing.

The tug-of-war between the ulama and the Erdogan groups has been going on for several years but became untenable following the Selangor mentri besar crisis.

The Erdogan group’s open backing of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the top job was in open defiance of the ulama stand.

The fiery mood from the Youth gathering carried over to the main muktamar as delegates let off steam after watching the antics of Pakatan leaders in Selangor.

Not everyone approved of the walkout staged against deputy president Mohamad Sabu when he opened the Youth muktamar on Tuesday. They felt it was disrespectful.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad complained to some reporters that it was “destructive”.

However, Mat Sabu, as he is known, had it coming. Seen as the hero of the Erdogan group, he has been very outspoken of late, ruffling feathers in the ulama camp.

He kept up a brave front during a joint press conference with Hadi yesterday but when reporters asked Hadi about their relationship, Mat Sabu tried to end the press conference. The body language between the two was simply not there.

It looks like the ulama group has regained the upper hand after years of playing second fiddle to the Erdogans.

A great deal of it is due to the rising influence of the young Turks in the ulama group. They are well educated and they mean to take charge of the party in the years ahead.

PAS may not be in the best of shape today but its leaders have this unfailing belief that the Almighty will take care of them.

Their choice of Batu Pahat for the muktamar was a signal that they aim to replace Umno one day because this was where Umno was born.

The gathering took place under giant white tents on land belonging to an elderly supporter who was so thrilled to meet Hadi that he almost cried.

PAS is still with Pakatan but its love affair with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is over. The return to its ulama roots may yet be the signal that it is prepared to go its own way should the need arise.

Sharing Of Hardships

“Today, we see mainly oil palm plantations. Before that it was rubber and pineapple plantations. But in the old days, the cultivation of gambier had transformed Johor Baru from a virgin forest to what it is today,” Johor Baru member of Parliament Tan Sri Shahrir Samad.

Not many of today’s generation know of the significance of the humble gambier, a tropical shrub instrumental in the development of Johor Baru.

If you were to look at the design of the Johor Baru City Council’s crest and the arches, street lamps and flower pots in Jalan Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk here, one would notice the gambier and pepper motifs. It is also a symbol of the Johor royal family.

The history of the Chinese community began in the early 1800s with the arrival of the Teochews from Swatow province, China.

In Johor, the Kangchu title was given to the Chinese headmen, who were known as the “kapitan”.

The Kangchu system was a socio-economic administration system developed by the Chinese agricultural settlers near the rivers of Johor in the 19th century. The settlers formed informal associations (similar to the kongsi of other Chinese communities) and chose a leader among themselves.

Later, other waves of immigrants arrived via Singapore and Indonesia. Most notable were the Hokkien from Fujian and the Cantonese, Hakkas and Hainanese, all of whom were eager to start a new life in Johor.

Temenggong Ibrahim, who was the ruler then, had invited Chinese settlers in Singapore, who had emigrated from China, to Johor.

The ruler issued “surat sungai” (river documents) to more than 140 headmen to start their own gambier plantations.

Today, there are no more gambier plantations in Johor.

The contribution of the Chinese community toward the development of Johor was acknowledged by the Johor royal family then, and till the present day.

Head to the "Sharing Of Hardships - Exhibition on Gambier & Pepper" which will be held at the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum at Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, from now to September 18, 2015. 

Entrance fee for adult RM5, senior citizen RM3 and student RM2.

The museum opens from 9am to 5pm daily. It closes on Monday.