JOHOR BARU, Oct 13 — The Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) today welcomed federal allocations for the state according to Budget 2020 that Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng presented in Parliament on Friday.

In a joint statement announced by Johor PH assistant information chief Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, they expressed their gratitude for the allocation of RM85 million for the purpose of overcoming Johor’s congestion issue along the Johor Causeway.

“The government is committed to opening 50 additional counters for motorcyclists and also immigration counters where highway concessionaire PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) operations will also be improved.

“We also welcome the government’s decision to continue the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS) project between Johor Baru and Singapore as stated in the Budget 2020 speech.

“We believe that this decision will relieve the vast majority of Johoreans working in Singapore who are estimated to reach 300,000 daily,” said Sheikh Umar in the statement today.

The joint statement was signed by Johor PH chairman and Johor Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Johor Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) chairman Aminolhuda Hassan, Johor PKR chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh and Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong.

in addition to that, Sheikh Umar said other items involving Johor included RM42 million for the construction of the Sungai Segget river treatment centre and an RM30 million allocation to enhance the state Department of Environment (DoE) and Chemistry Department especially when the state was particularly alarmed by the incidents of Sungai Kim Kim.

He also said RM95 million was allocated for improving the infrastructure and medical facilities such as in the Pontian Hospital.

“These commitments prove the government’s concern on issues affecting the people of Johor,” said Sheikh Umar.

In his Budget 2020 speech on Friday, Lim said as part of a longer term solution to address the congestion at the Johor Causeway, the government intends to proceed with the RTS project. However, he did not elaborate on the matter.

Later that day, Transport Minister Anthony Loke was reported as saying further details about the Johor Baru and Singapore RTS project will be revealed within the next few weeks.

BEIRUT: Pemberontak pro-Ankara yang mengambil bahagian dalam serangan Turki di bandar sempadan Kurdis di timur laut Syria, dilaporkan telah “membunuh” sekurang-kurangnya sembilan orang awam termasuk ahli politik wanita semalam, kata seorang pemantau.

“Sembilan orang awam telah dibunuh dalam keadaan berbeza di selatan bandar Tal Abyad,” kata badan Pemantau Hak Asasi Manusia Syria.

Pemimpin politik Kurdis, Hevrin Khalaf dan pemandunya adalah antara menjadi mangsa pembunuhan.

Hevrin, 35, “diambil dari keretanya semasa serangan yang disokong Turki dan dibunuh puak tentera dibayar, yang didukung Turki,” kata ketua politik Pasukan Demokratik Syria (SDF) yang diketuai Kurdis, dalam kenyataan.

“Ini bukti jelas Turki meneruskan dasar kriminal ke arah orang awam yang tidak bersenjata,” katanya.

Hevrin adalah setiausaha agung Parti Masa Depan Syria.

Mutlu Civiroglu, pakar dalam politik Kurdis, menggambarkan kematian itu sebagai “kerugian besar”.

“Dia mempunyai bakat untuk diplomasi, dia selalu mengambil bahagian dalam pertemuan dengan orang Amerika, Perancis, delegasi asing.”

Turki dan pemberontak yang bersekutu memulakan serangan Rabu lalu untuk mengusir semula Unit Perlindungan Rakyat (YPG) Kurdis, tulang belakang SDF, dari sempadan wilayahnya.

Para pejuang sekutunya adalah bekas pemberontak Syria yang pernah melawan rejim Presiden Bashar al-Assad.

Tetapi konflik itu telah merosot sejak meletus pada 2011, dan puak-puak ini kini menerima latihan dan pembiayaan Ankara.

Aktivis Kurdis mengedarkan dua video berkaitan pembunuhan itu di media sosial.

Salah satu yang diposkan di akaun Twitter kumpulan pemberontak Ahrar al-Sharqiya, menunjukkan dua orang dalam pakaian awam berlutut di tanah manakala pejuang di sebelah mereka mengumumkan kedua-duanya telah ditangkap oleh puak itu.

Kedua, seorang pejuang yang tidak dikenal pasti membakar seseorang yang memakai pakaian awam.

Badan hak asasi manusia mengesahkan kesahihan video tetapi AFP tidak boleh mengesahkannya secara berasingan.

Kematian tersebut membawa kepada 38 orang awam terbunuh di pihak Syria sejak bermulanya serangan itu, kata badan hak asasi manusia.

Ia berkata seramai 81 pejuang Kurdis terbunuh dalam pertempuran.

Ankara berkata YPG adalah kumpulan “pengganas” yang mempunyai kaitan dengan pemberontak Kurdis di Turki yang telah melancarkan pemberontakan selama tiga dekad.

AMPANG, Oct 13 — The government and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) assisted 24 squatter families who lost their homes in a fire by offering them transit homes in public housing.

Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said of the 40 families formerly living at the Indian Settlement Area in Pandan Jaya affected, 24 qualified for the aid.

“Although their homes were constructed illegally, the government provided assistance in light of the difficulties they faced,” she said during the handover of the offer letters and keys at Pandan Jaya.

The families have been granted permission to reside in the transit homes for up to three years. Dr Wan Azizah said the other 16 families were determined to have homes elsewhere which they could fall back upon.

“Originally, only three families were given assistance when the first fire occurred in May last year. However, since then, several other fires have also taken place, leading to more families in need.

“The fires were largely caused by faulty electrical wiring for lighting, and in one instance caused by children who tried to cook while playing house,” she said.

To prevent such fires from occurring in the future, Dr Wan Azizah said she has instructed Tenaga Nasional Berhad to fence off the affected areas from further encroachment.

“This will be done as soon as all the families have moved into their respective transit houses.

“I want to thank DBKL, Pandan Indah assemblyman Izham Hashim, Ampang Jaya City Council, and the Pandan People’s Service Centre for assisting in this effort,” she said.

PETALING JAYA: Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC) mendesak Dewan Negara menolak rang undang-undang pindaan Akta Perhubungan Perusahaan 1967 kerana ia dibentangkan tanpa persetujuan kesatuan itu dan Persekutuan Majikan Malaysia (MEF).

Presidennya, Abdul Halim Mansor berkata Menteri Sumber Manusia M Kula Segaran sebelum ini memberi jaminan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan mematuhi semangat “tripartisme” dalam meminda tiga undang-undang perburuhan termasuk Akta Perhubungan Perusahaan.

Selain Akta Perhubungan Perusahaan, Akta Kesatuan Sekerja dan Akta Kerja juga dibentangkan.

“Apa yang dibentangkan di Parlimen tidak lebih daripada pindaan yang hanya dipersetujui kementerian tanpa mengambil kira pandangan dan keinginan pekerja serta majikan.

“Ini adalah satu bentuk pengkhianatan oleh menteri terhadap pekerja dan kesatuan sendiri.

“Kami percaya rang undang-undang itu diluluskan di Dewan Rakyat kerana ramai ahli Parlimen tidak menyedari pencabulan kuasa oleh menteri apabila beliau meminggirkan NLAC dalam membentangkan pindaan berkenaan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Abdul Halim Mansor juga berkata MTUC sudah mengutus memorandum kepada 65 ahli Dewan Negara, meminta mereka menangguhkan kelulusan pindaan tersebut.

Beliau juga berkata pihaknya memberi penerangan secukupnya kepada ahli Dewan Negara supaya pindaan undang-undang di rujuk kembali kepada untuk penelitian dan pertimbangan NLAC, seperti mana yang dijamin Kula Segaran sebelum ini.

Sebelum ini, MTUC mendakwa Kula Segaran berbohong apabila mendakwa beliau mengadakan perbincangan terperinci dengan pihak berkepentingan sebelum membentangkan pindaan RUU tersebut di Parlimen.

Setiausaha Agungnya, J Solomon berkata Kula Segaran memungkiri janji bahawa segala cadangan pembaharuan undang-undang perburuhan akan dikaji dan diperakui oleh jawatankuasa teknikal.

Bagimanapun, Kula Segaran berkata kementeriannya mengadakan sembilan mesyuarat NLAC tahun ini, selain pelbagai mesyuarat jawatankuasa teknikal sejak Januari.