Hear the cry of the Sungai Pulai

90% of the letter has been published in The Star, 21 November 2007

Save Mangroves in Sungai Pulai

We are writing to express our shock and disappointment of a report on 13 November 2007 on “PTP gets green light for terminal project”. This means that 2,255 acres of pristine mangrove forest in Sungai Pulai, which can be approximated to 913 soccer fields - this will disappear permanently from the global map.

Clearly, no action was taken after the Johor Menteri Besar had ordered for a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) to be carried out in August 2007. It thus seems that the developer and the government officials are taking environmental cause less seriously, despite the area’s unique biodiversity by having the largest seagrass bed and the densest seahorse population in the country, as well as dugong population.

Save Our Seahorses (SOS) has expressed strong disagreement with the project taking over extensive tracts of mangroves, which serve as a first buffer, will cause run-off and in turn smother seagrass communities and cloud out the water. Surely, there will be more adverse impacts to the environment when the proposed petrochemical and maritime industries start operating.

The Sungai Pulai mangrove area is crucial in preventing coastal erosion and providing protection from strong winds and waves to 11,000 people living in 38 villages. If the mangrove forest is gone, all these villages will be destroyed by strong winds or a tsunami.

For their livelihood, it used to be the home to at least 111 fish species and other inhabitants like prawns. For every 0.4ha of mangrove area destroyed, sea products will be reduced by 304kg. Destroying the mangrove area is equal to take away the livelihood of the fishermen.

Although the project proponent had recently declared that they will help to gazette Pulau Merambong and adopt seahorse and dugong, and made some donations to the local NGOs, we feel that if they are really concerned about the environment, they should first do the DEIA, and not pay lip service to boost their image in the sudden wake of the need to attract investors.

By the time Pulau Merambong Park is ready, most living things had probably perished amid the pollutants discharged by the petrochemical and heavy industries located upper stream.

Therefore, there is a need for decision makers to halt any green light for developers to destroy our mangroves. Our decision makers must make a strong stand and transcend above political influence. Just as a reminder, the environment is what we borrow from our future generations.

Thing Siew Shuen,
Secretary,
Save Our Seahorses (SOS) Action Committee

PTP gets green light for terminal project

I feel very disappointed and helpless,

once our wetland is gone, it is gone forever... ...

(Pic From left: Datuk Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman, PTP CEO Harun Johari, Long Hoo Hin and Dr Maketab Mohamed)

PTP gets green light for terminal project

By ZAZALI MUSA

GELANG PATAH: Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), which has received approval from the Department of Environment for its multi-billion ringgit petroleum terminal storage centre, will begin construction next year.

Chairman Datuk Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman said the terminal, on a 2,200-acre site within the port vicinity, would take about 30 months to complete.

“The terminal will supply petroleum for vessels calling at the port and for our own usage,” Sidik told a press conference on Friday.

Development of the area surrounding the port, he said, complete with marine-related industries, would be crucial.

“The choice to build a second port in Johor at the mouth of Sungai Pulai was not by chance but by choice,” Sidik said, adding that there could not have been a more strategic location to develop a mega port capable of competing with the best in the region other than at the mouth of the river. The Sungai Pulai mouth, located at the southern tip of the peninsula, is at the confluence of international trade, which goes right into the world’s busiest strait, the Straits of Malacca.

Sidik said the success of PTP's project would not only bring revenue and value to Johor but would also contribute to the success of the Iskandar Development Region.

He said to date, PTP had managed to attract more than RM10bil in investments to Johor, specifically at the port and the surrounding areas.

Earlier, Sidik presented a RM60,000 cheque to Malaysian Nature Society Johor (MNSJ) chairman Assoc Prof Dr Maketab Mohamed.

The allocation will be used by MNSJ to collect and document data on the unique ecology of the Sungai Pulai estuary, including its flora, fauna and marine species.

Also present at the event were Johor state tourism and environment chairman Freddie Long Hoo Hin and PTP chief executive officer Harun Johari.

Batak Pos with me

Malaysia Tak Seindah yang Kita Bayangkan

Jakarta, Batak Pos

Pembangunan ekonomi serta kesejahteraan Malaysia ternyata tak seindah yang diduga. Selama ini, kita mengenal Negeri Jiran itu serba bagus dibanding Indonesia atau negara Asean lainnya. Tak aneh jika banyak tenaga kerja asing termasuk TKI yang ramai-ramai mengais “Ringgit” ke Malaysia. Namun sejak lengsernya Perdana menteri (PM) Mahathir Muhammad segalanya menjadi lain. “Pertumbuhan ekonomi melemah, jumlah rakyat miskin bertambah serta arus modal asing ke Malaysia tak sehebat dulu,” ungkap Aktivis Democratic Action Party (DAP) Malaysia Thing Siew Shuen kepada Batak Pos di Jakarta, Minggu (4/11).

Kinerja pemerintah Malaysia dibawab kepemimpinan PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, kata Thing jauh lebih buruk dibanding masa Mahathir Muhammad dulu. Kebebasan pers yang dulu cukup bagus, kini perlahan dikungkam. Dengan begitu, hak rakyat untuk mengetahui informasi menjadi terhambat.

“Jumlah rakyat miskin tinggi, laju inflasi tinggi serta arus penanaman modal asing jauh merosot. Akibatnya bisa ditebak, tingkat kesejahtreraan rakyat juga makin rendah. Sedang jumlah penduduk Malaysia hanya 27 juta jiwa, jauh dibawah Indonesia yang mencapai 220 juta jiwa lebih,” kata dia lagi.

Tingkat keamanan di Malaysia juga tak senyaman dulu. Kerusuhan dan percikan-percikan kecil muncul di berbagai wilayah Malaysia. Pelanggaran hukum juga sering terjadi di Malaysia. Terlepas apa penyebab semua itu, namun aku Thing, demikianlah kondisi Malaysia sekarang ini. “Kenyataan tersebut tak seindah yang disampaikan rezim yang berkuasa di Malaysia sekarang,” kata dia.

Tindak kekerasan terhadap pekerja asing termasuk TKI, menurut Thing bukan perkara asing di Malaysia. Tidak sedikit pekerja asal Indonesia disiksa bahkan para pekerja perempuannya diperkosa oleh oknum aparat keamanan Malaysia. Kasus penganiayaan wasit kareta asal Indonesia Donald Pieter Luther Kolopita tak lepas dari kritik Thing. Di Indoensia sendiri, kasus tersebut sempat memicu aksi demontrasi ribuan massa di depan kedubers Malaysia di Jl.HR.rasuna Said Jakarta Selatan.

Padahal, pemerintah Malaysia mengakui, kontribusi pekerja asing sangat besar pada perekonomian negeri itu. Pekerja asing yang mencari nafkah di Malaysia berasal dari berbagai negara, seperti Indonesia, Bangladesh, Filipina, dan negara lainnya. Jumlah pekerja asing di Malaysia diperkirakan antara 2,5 sampai 3 juta orang. Dari jumlah tersebut, hanya satu setengah juta bekerja dengan dokumen yang sah di negara yang jumlah total penduduknya adalah 24 juta orang.

Sejak dulu jumlah warga asing yang tinggi ini sangat penting bagi pembangungan ekonomi di Malaysia. Mereka merupakan pendorong pembangunan di negeri tersebut. Ketika Malaysia masih dijajah Inggris, jutaan warga Cina datang ke negara itu untuk membuka usaha dan bekerja di pertambangan timah. Warga Tamil dibawa untuk bekerja di perkebunan karet, sedangkan warga Punjabi dan Shikh bekerja sebagai petugas polisi dan pegawai kereta api. Saat itu, jumlah mereka sekira 45 persen dari keseluruhan warga negara Malaysia. Kini, pekerja dari Indonesia dan Filipina yang memenuhi pabrik-pabrik, projek pembangunan, dan perkebunan. "Sekira 11 persen pekerja adalah warga asing," ujar Shamsuddin Bardin, Direktur Federasi Pengusaha Malaysia.

Tingkat korupsi di Malaysia, papar Thing, juga tak kalah hebatnya. Laporan Transparancy International menyebutkan, tahun 2006 Malaysia menduduki perangkat ke 37. Sedang pada masa pemerintahan Mahathir peringkat Malaysia masih berada di angka 24. Kebebasan pers di Malaysia juga turun menjadi perangkat 122. “Artinya, rakyat Malaysia semakin dikekang tak peluang untuk mendapatkan informasi publik makin terbatas,” papar wanita asal Selangor Malaysia itu.

Saat ini, terjadi proses diskriminasi yang makin kuat di Malaysia, terutama di bidang ekonomi. Kebijakan pemerintah yang pro bumi putera (Melayu), tukas Thing, ternyata hanya untuk kepentingan segelintir orang tertentu di terutama anggota kerajaan di Malaysia. Sedang rakyat banyak, apalagi non Melayu makin menderita. Alih-alih dapat ikut menikmati hasil pembangunan yang ada, justru kesejahteraan mereka makin menurun. “Tingkat Gini atau kejurangan sosial di Malaysia adalah yang terburuk di Asean,” tukas dia serius.

Diakui Thing, pengaruh Bank Dunia atau lembaga perekonomian multilateral lainnya relatif kecil di Malaysia. Namun begitu, Malaysia masih tetap menjadi tujuan investasi modal kapitalis yang cukup besar. Saat ini, tercatat ada tiga negara pemasok modal Malaysia, masing-masing Amerika Serikat (AS), Eropa dan Jepang. “Tiga negara besar itulah yang paling dominan dalam investasi asing di Malaysia,” aku wanita energik itu.

Menurut Thing, inevasti asing di Malaysia tahun 2006 tercatat sebesar 4,62 miliar dolar AS. Jumlah itu setara dengan 17,09 miliar Ringgit Malaysia. Namun jika dibanding dengan realisasi investasi tahun 2004, yang mencapai 4,62 miliar dolar AS. “Ini kasus pertama sejak tahun 1990 Indoensia mulai mengambilalih posisi Malaysia dalam investasi asing. Jumlah investasi asing jauh dibawah Indoensia yang mencapai 5,26 miliar dolar As tahun 2006 silam,” tukas dia.

Data yang dihimpun Batak Pos menyebutkan, strategi pembangunan ekonomi yang sangat fokus selama dua dasawarsa terakhir, tidak diragukan lagi dampaknya terhadap kinerja ekonomi Malaysia seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh indikator-indikator sebagai berikut. Prestasi utama dari kepemimpinan Mahathir adalah stabilitas makro ekonomi. Inflasi turun dari sekira 10 persen pada tahun 1981 (saat Mahathir mulai memimpin Malaysia) menjadi hanya sekira 0,3 persen di tahun 1983.

Pertumbuhan ekonomi yang pesat dan stabil juga terjadi pada hampir sepanjang dekade 1990-an. Antara tahun 1992 dan 1997, Malaysia berhasil pertumbuhan ekonomi rata-rata sebesar 9 persen per tahun, dan pertumbuhan pendapatan per kapitanya merupakan salah satu yang tertinggi di Asia Pasifik. Walaupun kinerja ekonomi Malaysia tampak sempurna, pada tahun 1998 Malaysia terkena krisis ekonomi yang mengakibatkan perekonomiannya terkontraksi sebesar 7,4 persen. Walaupun demikian, ekonomi Malaysia telah berhasil kembali ke trend pertumbuhan pesatnya.

Selama ini, banyak orang melihat keberhasilan Malaysia Selain karena kebijakan ekonomi, pembangunan ekonomi Malaysia juga didukung oleh tersedianya tenaga kerja yang ahli dan terdidik, sebagai dampak dari kebijakan pendidikan dasar yang wajib dan gratis, serta dukungan kepada pendidikan tinggi. Pemerintah Malaysia memberikan ratusan ribu beasiswa kepada kaum Melayu untuk melanjutkan pendidikannya sampai ke perguruan tinggi, bagi yang mampu secara akademis.

Puluhan ribu beasiswa juga diberikan bagi kaum Melayu untuk melanjutkan ke perguruan tinggi di luar negeri. Sejak awal tahun 1990-an, "Visi 2020" Mahathir telah menjadi landasan pembangunan ekonomi Malaysia. "Visi 2020 Malaysia" menargetkan peningkatan GDP delapan kali lipat, dan pencapaian status negara maju pada tahu 2020. Kebijakan ini menetapkan swastanisasi sebagai kunci dari pembangunan ekonomi nasional, peran investasi asing untuk mendukung industrialisasi yang berkelanjutan, serta pembangunan bangsa secara menyeluruh dari aspek ekonomi, politik, sosial, spiritual, psikologis, dan budaya.*isk

StarBiz Interview MMC CEO Feizal Ali

StarBiz Interview MMC CEO Feizal Ali

Contributed by admin

Friday, 05 October 2007

MMC Corp Bhd group chief executive Feizal Ali tells StarBiz about the business proposition behind the RM16bil memorandum of understanding with Dubai World and how the project will create a new petrochemical and maritime industry in Johor.

How did this partnership come about and please brief us about the project?

In the course of doing business in the Middle East, we developed relationships with various infrastructure groups, including Dubai World. Being an infrastructure and utilities group, we recognized potential synergies that can be drawn between MMC and Dubai World.

Dubai World’s subsidiary, DP World, is one of the largest global port operators and another subsidiary, Nakheel, has practically transformed Dubai into one of the most vibrant cities in the region, through the creation of unique projects, such as The Palm Islands and The World.

Dubai World also has a very strong track record in the development of logistics parks.

When executives from Dubai World visited South Johor during the last three months, they became aware of the tremendous potential of the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and South Johor generally. They were very interested in our landbank of 2,255 acres at Tanjung Bin as well as the 500 acres next to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), which had been earmarked for industrial development, and we had discussions on the possibility of working together to jointly develop these lands.

Our discussions led to the recent signing of an MoU with Dubai World, and we are now working on developing a maritime centre masterplan for our land, that will comprise oil terminal activities, drydocks, shipyards, conventional cargo handling facilities, logistic parks and real estate development.

We view this project as being in line with the call of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman to develop the South Johor corridor.

This development will create a new petrochemical and maritime industry with an estimated gross development value of RM16bil, which we hope will become the next engine of growth for South Johor and at the same time complement IDR.

What is Dubai World’s role in this project?

We had developed our own masterplan for the development of this land. We recognised, however, that this is a greenfield project and working with a strong strategic partner would enable us to take this project to the next level.

In Dubai World, we found a company with proven project management experience, marketing strength and a global footprint that enable us to reach out to the international market.

Dubai World brings to the table a brand that has been very successful not only in Dubai but also in other parts of the world. We believe our partner brings strength and credibility to this project as well as the requisite expertise and experience to jointly develop this area to a level that is on par with other international endeavours.

From our perspective, the participation of a premier brand such as Dubai World reflects its trust in MMC’s ability to deliver world class projects and also underscores MMC’s position as an emerging global utilities and infrastructure group.

What equity stake will Dubai World take in this project?

We are in the midst of discussing our masterplan in detail with Dubai World. We will come to an agreement on the equity structure of this partnership once this masterplan has been agreed upon by both parties.

What do you think persuaded Dubai World to join MMC in this project?

Dubai World chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem has said they see a bright future for this exciting multi-faceted development. He expressed the view that an integrated maritime centre will improve efficiency and Dubai World appeared very keen to capitalise on the opportunities within the region as well as in Malaysia’s vibrant and rapidly growing economy.

What is the timeline for the development?

Work on Tanjung Bin land will begin right after acceptance of the masterplan by both parties next year. We expect the project to be fully developed by 2012.

What is the value of the Tanjung Bin land?

The average offer that we have received, on an “as is where is” basis,is RM20 per sq ft on a 30-year lease. However, we do not wish to completely sell or lease all of the land in one go just to record one-off gains.

Instead, we want to plan this project well and maximise the use of the land by building supporting infrastructure and services to support the entire project, which will also allow us to generate recurring income.

In our initial study, the cost of developing the infrastructure and services required would be about RM2.5bil. This would include an industrial port, three oil jetties and supporting infrastructure. This proposal is, of course, subject to regulatory approvals from the

Federal and state governments. Naturally, the value of the land will increase with these supporting facilities in place.

Are there any environmental concerns?

The area earmarked for development is outside the area identified as a wetland sanctuary under RAMSAR.

Expert opinion confirms that the proposed development is balanced and will not damage the RAMSAR site. As part of our corporate social responsibility, we will ensure that the development will not, in any way, compromise the environment.

In developing the masterplan, particular attention will continue to be given to preserve the RAMSAR site. We will have very stringent requirements to ensure that all emissions will be in full compliance with all environmental requirements.

In fact, we are already in dialogue with the Malaysian Nature Society and other NGOs on how we can work together. Our plans will also take into consideration the overall environment including the views of experts, professionals and NGOs to ensure that the goal of a balanced development is achieved. We will also pay serious attention to the wishes of the state government.

A good example of a balanced development is PTP. We built this world-class port while successfully preserving the surrounding environment. PTP works closely with the Fisheries Department on dugong programs to preserve the species.

Together with NGOs such as the SOS committee, PTP is also involved in monitoring the sea grass bed, which is the habitat for seahorses. Our experience shows it is entirely possible to preserve the environment while building a world-class facility and that continues to be our objective as a responsible corporate citizen.

Congratulations!!! 恭喜恭喜！！！

In the latest worldwide press freedom index released by Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Malaysia scored two "worsts" – the sharpest plunge of 32 spots from 92 to 124 placing, which is also Malaysia's worst ranking in the RSF annual worldwide press freedom ranking since it was started in 2002.

无疆界记者组织（Reporters Without Borders）公布《2007年度全球新闻自由指数》，马来西亚创下两项“最糟"记录，即排名暴跌32位。除了从去年的第92名跌至第124名外，这也是有关指数自2002年首次出炉以来，我国历来最差的排名。

RSF Worldwide Press Freedom Index (Malaysia)

2002 - 110 (out of 139 countries)
2003 - 104 (166)
2004 - 122 (167)
2005 - 113 (167)
2006 - 92 (168)
2007 - 124 (169)

垃圾管理慎防头不到岸

（此文已在2007年10月16日《星洲日报》言论版刊登）

雪兰莪州巴生市议会于6个月前，以实验方式在一个巴生中路设立“垃圾回收及再循环中心”，据新闻报道说反应不俗。

上述中心的运作方式是市民主动将民宅垃圾送到该中心回收，每公斤垃圾（家居废料、小贩废料及可循环物品）换取10仙。

当局发现，上述中心启用后，一些路段的沿途垃圾减少、当局无需再委任承包商，每个月可节省3万8千令吉；对市民而言，一些“垃圾生产量”较高的市民还可以“赚回”门牌税。

鉴于上述种种好处，雪州行政议员拿督庄祷融于是建议在各地方政府设立回收站。

垃圾问题困扰我国政府已久，巴生市议会的实验若正如报道所言，固然可喜可贺。然而，这并不表示其它地方也适合同样的处理法。

房屋及地方部官员多年来周游列国考察各地的废料管理方法后，今年才在国会提呈两项新法案：固体废料及公共卫生管理系统法案、固体废料及公共卫生管理机构法案。

政府还将拨出10亿令吉成立一个机构，全权处理全国各地的垃圾，地方政府在处理废料上的权限将收归中央。在新法案下，有关私营化三大废料处理公司是否会依据目前市议会的方案处置垃圾？届时，市议会所设立的垃圾再循环中心会不会被废置？

若将这项巴生市议会的每公斤付10仙的概念扩大进行，意味着一些地方政府可以省下聘请垃圾承包商的费用，那么以营利为主的废料处理公司是否愿意这样，还是计划两年后继续上门收垃圾，并向市民额外征收垃圾费？

说实在，房屋地方政府部在提呈法新案以来，根本没有提出什么根本上推动民间“再循环、再使用、再减少”的政策，就连是否立法再循环、是否规定以不同颜色垃圾袋将垃圾分类的具体方案也交不出来。（此段落被删）

北京政府为了应付人口稠密、迎接奥运会激增的垃圾问题，依然朝往“资源节约型、环境友好型”的垃圾分类方向。反观我国政府，还频频在思衬着是否在两年后征收额外垃圾费？要从日本购买什么款式的焚化炉？一切还是以怎样从人民身上榨钱、怎样让各种各样的承包商从大大小小的工程中获益做考量。

新法案的实质内涵将如何影响民生及市议会的操作？笔者认为，有关部门必须针对新法案到各地汇报，废料管理的讨论不应只限于几个官员和大老板。

在特定地区设立垃圾回收及再循环中心的方法若可取，也可说是一种教育公众的好方法。然而，有关当局推行前宜征询市民意见，以照顾那些不良于行、没有交通工具的市民。

在损益表上，或许当局也应该算一算，每公斤10仙的垃圾是否足于补贴居民驱车倒垃圾的所耗费的燃油，还有，民众驱车前往倒垃圾所导致温室气体排放量是否超过一辆垃圾车穿行市区的排出量？最后，当局售卖可循环物品中所得的费用，是否能让市民在门牌税中获得回扣？

Getting worse there... ...佛都有火！

... ... it has made a big difference when the whole world witnessed on the pictures of brutal crackdowns by the military regime on unarmed monks and protesters on the television screen.

However, after these pictures and footages had reached around the world, the security forces nowadays are making sure that this does not happen again. They closely monitor both local and foreign travelers, sometimes even stopping people on the roads and searching cameras and cell phones. International access of internet inside Burma is still shut down

There have been atrocious things happening in Burma but this time almost out of international radar for the world to witness. The detained people, monks, student leaders, and protesters inside are facing horrendous fate in detention centers, in jails and in hiding.

However, people still try to find ways to send out information. Eyewitness accounts reveal that hundreds of monks in these detention centers have been forcibly disrobed and tortured while hundreds of detainees have been transferred to distant places.

Raids and arrests continue on daily basis. At least 4 more youth activists have been arrested in Rangoon yesterday and today. About 400 people were arrested during the UN Special Envoy Mr. Gambaris visit. Large number of monks, novices and activists now are in hiding and running in fear of arrest and repercussion and we are gravely concerned of their situation.

There were also eyewitness accounts of about 80 people who were burnt during night time on September 29 at Yay-wae cemetery in a northern outskirt area of Rangoon. Most were dead bodies while a few were still-alive, including a pregnant woman. (An article in Sunday Time on this situation attached FYI).

This does not surprise me at all!!! I remember vividly that during the 1988 uprising after the September massacre, I had a chance to witness a video documentation of the same kind of situation where an unknown number of people both dead and still-alive were piled in a building under the dim light while a few men were talking to each other in this heavily-drunk voice that they were scared to burn those bodies.

Even writing this makes me feel so sick from my stomach. This is the most ruthless regime that has no hesitation at all to shoot and kill people -- be peaceful protesters in the cities or be ethnic civilians in remote frontier areas.

We would like to urge all of you to stay alert and keep up with all these tremendous actions that you have already been organizing as Burma seriously needs your support at this critical time more than ever.

A few monks and people who have just fled to the border areas retold their stories with obvious trauma in their eyes and their body gestures. As they related their stories a monk in his late 40s cried in disbelief how brutal the military regime and its thugs were.

The regime released a number of monks and demonstrators just before the UN Security Councils meeting last week usual action by the regime in order to buy time or prevent international pressure especially from the UN.

Meanwhile, it launched a major propaganda campaign in its attempts to mislead the world that the people support its sham national convention and oppose the peaceful protest movement by collecting people and holding mass rallies in some states and divisions, including Kachin State. There are reports of those who didnt want to go had to pay money to the authorities.

What is encouraging is that on October 6, about 200 Kachin youths in Maijayang, Kachin State rallied to express their discontent with the ceased-fire Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) for participating in the regime-sponsored public rally to support for the results of this sham national convention (NC).

It is apparent that people are looking for the opportunity to carry on with their movement as small defiant actions were seen in various parts of Rangoon during the past few days despite of the heavy security presence all over the city.

If the UN, ASEAN and other important players of the world are unable to intervene and the military regime continues to rule the country, social breakdown, economic meltdown and distrust among people will further be bred out and Burma will become a complete failed state.

Besides, the regime shows no intention to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from under house arrest until now.

(A letter from APPPB )

Simple, recycling corner in my office