Trains delayed - to 2013

The Malay Mail (Sat); The trains Klang Valley commuters have been waiting for to alleviate their misery will be delayed — yet again.

Word from transport industry sources is that planned additional lines and stations for the light rail train (LRT) network is now projected to be ready only in 2013 — three years later than originally planned.

“While the public would be let down by this revelation, the truth is that funding is the major problem,” an industry source told Malay Mail yesterday.

It is learnt that Syarikat Prasarana Nasional Bhd (SBNB), the wholly owned government company (under Ministry of Finance Inc) set up to run key public transport companies, is facing difficulty sourcing the estimated RM5 billion for the 32km project.

The extensions to the existing Kelana Jaya-Gombak and Sri Petaling-Ampang lines were supposed to be ready by 2010, and were later delayed to 2011, the source said.

With the latest developments, the projected 700,000 daily commuters will have to wait till 2013 for the extended network to come on line.

Councillors get threatening calls

Councillors in Petaling Jaya are under a lot of pressure with many of them receiving threats for trying to do their job.

The latest victim was Derek Fernandez, whose outspoken views on the illegal billboards in PJ has not gone down well with some. It took an ugly turn with a death threat being issued to the outspoken councillor.

Fernandez said he received a call from a man using a prepaid phone number on Monday night telling him: “You and your family are going to die.”

“I believe these threats are made because of the firm stand by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) on the illegal billboards,” he said.

Fernandez was obviously referring to the operation to remove an illegal billboard in Jalan SS 2/2 on Jan 14. “This is what happens when you do your job honestly. When they can’t bribe you, they threaten to kill you and your family. I hope the state and federal governments move swiftly to protect its officers and apprehend the perpetrators,” he said. ***

Fernandez, accompanied by Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San, Damansara Utama assemblyman Dr Cheah Wing Yin and several PJ councillors, lodged a police report immediately after he received the death threat.

All-Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Residents Association Coalition (APAC) chairman Liew Wei Beng also lodged a police report on Tuesday night against a man who shouted abuses at him during the billboard operation. more at Star Online

*** where are the gallant police when you need them. Cops so quick to disperse peaceful protesters but nowhere to be seen in cases like these!

Warning! Cooking Gas

Aug.15, 2008 Lately i have been starting to cook own dinner as prices out there are crazy. I made a shocking discovery as my cooking gas (not sure of size but is common size for home use) only lasted me 3 months for past 6 years. I only boiled water for drinking daily and the occassional instant mee.

I switched supplier recently (bought same size tank) and despite cooking 4-5 times a week plus boiling water daily, it is now 4 1/2 mths and still going. If anyone buys gas from a shop in SS6 (nr old Giant), BEWARE! I have been cheated all these years. This guy delivers by motorbike.
more at pjnet forum

Another Landlord from Hell

Well technically we have two landladies from Hell in Kelana D'Putera. Although I have to give this recent find the benefit of the doubt as it is the first complaint. But then again Malaysians are known to just suffer in silence and maybe for every complaint received five goes unreported.

Okay back to the latest hound from hell. The story goes like this,
so yeah i moved in a month ago. the landlords name is JESSICA and her number is 016-6996949. at first she asked me to move in to the 12th floor then on the last day, 6th floor. i was fine with it. we previously agreed i would take the hall section (for those who know kelana putra layout) and she will place a door there for me. end up on the day i am moving in practically driving over with all my stuff, she calls and says the door is not ready. i got no choice im not from kl so i had to move into a hall with no privacy. till now no door, apparently she hired someone to do it the person run away with the money. she said she made police report, i ask for a copy, fail to produce. Now, no electricity. as i about to leave the house, i see a notice from TNB she owes rm1400 for OCTOBER bill. that was before i moved in. My housemates suddenly tells me that she called them and been asking to borrow her money. WTF!!!

there's alot more to tell about this Jessica but guys, please for your own safety, dont ever deal with her. she is a pathological liar. i can tell more about her but i too malas to type. the above is the main things how she been screwing us over. link to pjnet

Intel says she has between 4 to 6 units which she rents from landlords and thereon sublets. I do not have exact unit numbers but two or more units are at Block B and C.

Consumers confused about the new TNB billing system

MANY people have been complaining of high electricity bills ever since Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) introduced a new method of tabulating power usage recently.

“My bill has increased tremendously ever since the new tariff was introduced. All my children are students and need to use the computer and printer which increases the bill,” housewife K. Shanti said.

Shanti, 49, does not understand why the tariff for consumers who exceed 400kWh usage need to pay a 30sen per kWh charge.

“The rate is too high for a home user. Why hasn’t the TNB reduced the cost of electricity after the oil prices have decreased?” she asked. The Star

This is Malaysia where politicians can do anyting and say they are STUPID!

People pay for sweet toll deals

MAKE Big Money Sdn Bhd (MBM), as the name suggests, wants to make mega bucks. Its shareholders have little to invest, but they have "connections". They prepare a "working paper" to be submitted to the government. They want to build bungalows which would be subsequently leased to the government for 30 years. The company doesn’t have the land or the money. The government acquires the land and provides a loan so that the bungalows can be built. So, how can MBM not succeed? Everything is served on a platter and there’s a ready taker when the bungalows are handed over. In the event MBM loses in this venture, the government will compensate the company!

This in a nutshell describes one of the many toll concessions that have been entered into by the government. For long, these concessions had been kept under wraps, for reasons better known to the powers that be. But with the declassification of the documents, it is now public knowledge that some of them were lopsided deals. How and why did the government enter into such deals? No one can answer these questions except the people who were tasked with the responsibility.

How could the government take the financial risks to pay for all costs? Besides, why did it undertake to guarantee concessionaires profits and indemnify them from losses and even ensured the profits?

It is interesting to note that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was quoted in theSun (Jan 9, 2007), as saying: "What you have is a cabinet which is not very knowledgeable all the time because it is not made up of experts but politicians (and) some politicians like myself can sometimes be stupid. The cabinet merely gave approvals in principle and never really studied the implications in some parts of the agreements."

Full story in The Sun

Hapless dad unable to save girl

Before anyone gets excited, no this is not breaking news. It is sad news of what happened just over three years ago in Kelana Mahkota. The only reason why I publish this is that a friend asked me today whether any bad incidents happened in D'Putera.

I told her I recall two suicide cases where I think it was in 2004 that a 14-year old schoolboy jumped off the highest floor. A year later a lady suffering from post-natal stress leaped off her unit (also highest floor). It was also in an instant I recalled the Mahkota drowning incident. I hope this reminds everyone to always be vigilant and not take safety for granted.