External News

BANGI, June 30 — Parents and persons who are directly involved with children are advised to fully utilise the registry of sexual offenders against children (e-DKK).

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the registry, introduced on April 1 this year, had so far received 68 applications from individuals and agencies to check on the background of their potential employees.

Following which, checks were made against 1,254 names, she said in her speech when closing the Social Welfare Department’s Junior Khalifah Programme here today.

Dr Wan Azizah said the system was introduced to enable parents, individuals and employers intending to hire someone to take care or children to check on the background of the potential employees.

This is to ensure the persons applying do not have records for sexual offences against children, she said, adding that the service is provided free.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said intervention programs to address social problems among children, or the Diversion Program, will be implemented in August in Sepang, Selangor, and Seremban  and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan.

She said the project would be carried out to assess the suitability of the program, preparedness and capability of the resources involved and to provide room for improvement, prior to its implementation nationwide.

She said the Diversion program is an alternative approach to handle children with conflict with the law without going through the existing justice system.

“This program is made so that children found involved in minor crimes do not need to go through the remand process and imprisonment.

“We do not want to put them in a situation which can lead them to more serious crime because of their socialising when in prison,” she added. — Bernama

JOHOR BARU, June 30 — There will be no replacement school sessions for all 111 national and secondary schools closed in Pasir Gudang since last Tuesday (June 25) due to air pollution which caused respiratory problems and vomiting among students.

Johor Education Department director Azman Adnan said, however, he would ensure that the schools make an alignment if there were any deficit in learning during the closure of the schools.

“We will ensure that the alignment will be made by the schools through specific learning activities. This (alignment) we will leave it to the schools.

“The alignment includes additional classes. But during the period of closure the State Education Department has provided various alternative study materials which can be obtained via WhatsApp, Telegram, email, virtual learning environment (VLE) and Eduweb Tv,” he told reporters after visiting Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pasir Gudang Empat, here today.

Azman said that, overall, schools which reopened today operated as usual and students attendance was good. 

 “So far, the school session has been normal and students also seem to be looking forward to going back to their schools today,” he said.

He said at the same time, the State Health Department would also provide safety and prevention briefings to 18 schools today including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tanjung Puteri Resort, SMK Taman Nusa Damai, SK Pasir Gudang Empat and SK Kopok. — Bernama

PETALING JAYA: The paperwork on a bill to abolish the death penalty is still not ready although Parliament is sitting on Monday, said de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong.

He hoped the bill can be tabled at this sitting.

He said judges were in the best position to decide on the best sentence for those convicted of murder.

Last October, the Cabinet had given the green light to abolish the death penalty.

If Parliament approves it, the country’s 1,291 death row inmates will get a reprieve.

Liew had previously said the death penalty would be replaced with a minimum jail sentence of 30 years.

There are 18 criminal offences with the death penalty. They include offences such as trafficking in drugs, waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, terrorism, murder, killing victims during kidnapping, possessing and using firearms, rape leading to death and rape of minors.

Liew said the bills ready to to be tabled were the setting up of Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) and lowering the voting age to 18.

“If we manage to pass the bill on voting at this Parliament sitting, 3.8 million new voters will be eligible to vote in the next 15th general election.”

Liew said a motion will be tabled on Monday to make it it compulsory for all MPs, including those in the opposition, and their families, to declare their incomes and assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commision (MACC).

“The speaker will decide on how many MPs will be allowed to debate.

“We don’t need two-thirds support from MPs to pass this motion.

“MPs will have to declare their assets three months after the motion is passed.

“The assets will be declared by the MPs, wives and their children aged below 21.

“This will be extended to senators as well.”

Liew said those who refused to declare their assets will be referred to the speaker, adding that any refusal can be considered as “contempt of the house”.

“Then it is up to the speaker if he wants to refer the MPs to the Privileges Committee to take further action. They will decide on the relevant punishment (give advice or punish).”

Meanwhile, commenting on the government task force into the “enforced disappearance” of pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat, Liew said only the home minister could answer questions regarding this matter.

He said the home ministry had full jurisdiction in the matter as the task force was set up under the purview of the ministry.

KUCHING, June 29 ― Batang Sadong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri should not claim to speak for rural Sarawakians as wanting Datuk Seri Najib Razak back as prime minister, state Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief Chong Chieng Jen said today.

Chong, who is also the federal deputy minister of domestic trade and consumer affairs, said the most Nancy could claim was to be speaking on behalf of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as one of its lawmakers.

“However, to claim that she is in the position to speak on behalf of Sarawakians and that they support Najib to be the prime minister, that is the most ridiculous.

“Not only is her assertion ridiculous, it is also insulting and bringing disrepute and shame to us Sarawakians,” he said in a statement.

Chong believes most Sarawakians do not want Najib in power any more because of a number of corruption allegations for which he is now being tried in court.

The Stampin MP claimed Nancy’s statement exposes the hidden political agenda of GPS to help Najib and his party Umno regain federal power in the next general election.

“The good side of Nancy’s statement is that it reveals the true colour of GPS and its hidden political agenda. 

“If GPS wins the coming state elections, it will pave the way for Najib and Umno to make a comeback and regain federal power in the 15th general elections,” Chong said.

At a forum organised by the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Nancy claimed that rural Sarawakians want Najib back as PM.

In the May 9, 2018 federal election, the Barisan Nasional, led by Najib, lost power in Putrajaya to PH.

KUALA LUMPUR: Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Salahuddin Ayub mengakui ada menerima surat daripada istana Johor mengenai cara pemakaian keluarga diraja negeri itu.

Beliau bagaimanapun berkata teguran itu tidak memberi kesan untuk beliau menghormati Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

“Saya terima surat itu dan saya telah baca dan saya rasa tidak ada masalah untuk saya bagi penghormatan dan kesetian kepada Tunku Ismail, tidak akan terkesan sama sekali.

“Jadi saya anggap satu peringatan biasa kepada saya,” katanya ketika ditemui di Majlis Rumah Terbuka Amanah, hari ini.

Pada 22 Jun lalu, istana Johor bertindak menghantar surat mengenai cara pemakaian keluarga diraja negeri itu kepada Salahuddin, selepas gambar beliau berbaju Melayu dan berseluar hitam tersebar di media sosial baru-baru ini.

“Jemaah Majlis Diraja berharap Datuk sebagai anak Johor, mengambil perhatian kepada peraturan tersebut, seterusnya memelihara dan memartabatkan budaya Johor,” demikian menurut surat ditandatangani Yang Dipertua Jemaah Majlis Diraja Johor, Abdul Rahim Ramli.

Pada 5 Jun lalu, Tunku Mahkota Johor melalui Instagramnya memuat naik gambar Salahuddin berbaju Melayu dan berseluar hitam ketika bersama Perdana Menteri, Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan Presiden PKR, Anwar Ibrahim menunaikan solat sunat Aidilfitri di Masjid Negara.

Menerusi catatan berbeza pada hari sama, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim memuat naik gambarnya bersama adik-beradik dan Sultan Johor berbaju Melayu serta berseluar hitam.

Katanya, seluar hitam dipadankan baju Melayu Teluk Belanga ialah pakaian tradisi keluarga diraja Johor.

Pada 8 Jun lalu, media melaporkan seorang individu diminta menanggalkan sampingnya di depan istana Johor kerana pemakaian baju Melayu berserta samping dan seluar hitam ialah pakaian tradisi kerabat diraja negeri itu.

PUTRAJAYA, June 28 ― The seven telecommunications companies (telcos) which have signed the Consumer First Pledge must comply with the proposed General Consumer Code of Practice which prioritises complaint resolution and customer service quality, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

The seven telcos are Celcom Axiata Bhd, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, TIME dotcom Bhd, U Mobile Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd.

The proposed Code underlines, among others, the need for 60 per cent of the complaints received to be solved within three working days; 90 per cent within five working days; and 95 per cent within 15 working days, he said.

He said it was also an improvement over the existing standard of which 90 per cent of the complaints had to be solved within 15 working days, and 95 per cent completed within 30 working days.

“I hope with this pledge, the problems faced by service users can be addressed urgently and the number of complaints regarding the quality of service will be reduced,” he said in a statement today.

The seven companies pledged to implement various improvements including providing a more transparent mechanism for users to check the status of their complaints; promoting a more accessible complaint handling process; and enable a fair and reasonable complaint resolution.

According to Gobind, the use of fixed broadband service had shown an increase of up to 21.7 per cent over the past six months through the reduction of broadband prices by 49 per cent and the increase of speed, but still many complaints were received about the service.

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) statistics, more than 18,000 complaints were received on broadband service problems in the last quarter of 2018 while 14,000 complaints were received in the first quarter of this year.

As such, he said he would ask the MCMC to monitor all complaints regarding telecommunications services as well as the efficiency of service providers in resolving the complaints in accordance with the pledge.

“The MCMC needs to monitor the process of settlement of complaints and ensure that the pledge is fulfilled.

“The MCMC also reserves the right to put in place the necessary conditions through existing law in its jurisdiction to ensure that complaints are addressed quickly and efficiently in the future,” he added. ― Bernama