Doctor Building

Kecuaian sebabkan kecederaan di Jusco Bukit Tinggi

2012-01-28T01:10:00.003+08:00

Wong Kok Onn,

Saya ingin membuat komplen terhadap kecuaian keselamatan di kawasan permainan kanak-kanak yang dipanggil Molly Fantasy Wonders Park di dalam JUSCO Bukit Tinggi.
Pada kira-kira 8:00 petang pada 25 Jan 2012, anak saya Adrianna Wong tercedera oleh objek tajam semasa bermain di dalam kawasan permainan tersebut. Semasa dia mengelongsor ke bawah Slide, dia dicederakan oleh skru yang tajam yang menuju keluar daripada permukaan Slide. Skru tajam itu tercucuk ke dalam kaki kirinya menyebabkan luka yang mendalam.

Kesakitan mengejut dan pengalaman ngeri ini menyebabkan satu trauma kepada anak saya sehingga hidungnya berdarah sambil menggigil.

Salah satu penyelia JUSCO dipanggil untuk menghadapi insiden ini, dan dia secara sukarela telah menyerahkan nama dan nombor telefon bimbit kepada saya dalam hal aduan rasmi.

Dalam kehairanan saya, pengurusan JUSCO sudah mengetahui hal skru tajam ini sebelum insiden kecederaan tersebut berlaku, tetapi masih tidak mengambil apa-apa tindakan!!! Seperti yang ditunjukkan dalam gambar yang pertama, mereka tidak benteng kawasan slaid, mereka tidak mengeluarkan skru tajam tersebut, mereka masih membenarkan kanak-kanak untuk bermain di dalamnya dan walaupun selepas anak perempuan saya cedera, mereka masih membiarkan pelanggan baru masuk!!!

Saya membawa anak perempuan saya untuk berjumpa doktor pada 9:00 pm di poliklinik Kumpulan City. Doktor memberikan anak perempuan saya suntikan anti-tetanus, anti-biotics, parasetamol dan juga meletakkan ubat pada kawasan luka.

Kecuaian tersebut telah menyebabkan bukan sahaja kecederaan fizikal kepada anak saya, tetapi juga trauma psikologi. Sebagai seorang bapa kepada anak saya yang terluka, saya sangat kecewa dengan kecuaian keselamatan JUSCO.

Saya berharap pihak Tuan dapat menyampaikan hal ini supaya pihak JUSCO akan lebih serius dalam isu keselamatan kanak-kanak dan supaya kanak-kanak lain tidak akan mengalami kecederaan semacam itu lagi.
Sekian terima kasih.

Artikel2 Baru DR Building

2012-01-25T14:39:00.004+08:00

BACA artikel2 terbaru di sini

THE FORTRESS - STADIUM UNTUK THE RED WARRIOR...

2012-01-25T09:14:00.002+08:00

Persatuan Pemeriksa dan Penyelia Bangunan Malaysia

2012-01-23T08:25:00.003+08:00

Blog khusus bagi persatuan Pemeriksa dan Penyelia BangunanMalaysia telah diwujudkan. Dapatkan berita2 dan maklumat semasa dengan mengunjungi blog ini. Sila klik gambar untuk pautan atau klik disini

Bangunan KL Sentral terbakar, kawasan sekitar sesak

2012-01-18T12:14:00.002+08:00

Sebuah bangunan pejabat setinggi 31 tingkat yang dalam pembinaan di KL Sentral di Kuala Lumpur, terbakar awal pagi tadi.

Kejadian yang dipercayai berlaku pada 3 pagi melibatkan tingkat 30 dan 31 bangunan itu turut menyebabkan kesesakan lalu lintas teruk di sekitar kawasan berkenaan. Tiada kemalangan jiwa dilaporkan.

Ketua Operasi Bomba dan Penyelamat Kuala Lumpur Azizan Ismail berkata api merebak dengan cepat menyebabkan bahan binaan seperti kepingan kayu jatuh dan membahayakan orang ramai.

"Kita terima panggilan pada 3.53 pagi dan seramai 95 anggota bomba serta 17 jentera dari balai bomba sekitar Lembah Klang dikejarkan untuk memadam kebakaran," katanya kepada pemberita di tempat kejadian.

Katanya bomba menghadapi kesukaran mengawal api dan terpaksa menggunakan perancah mulai aras 26 untuk naik ke tingkat atas bangunan itu. Api dapat dikawal kira-kira 8.30 pagi.

Azizan berkata laluan masuk ke Brickfields iaitu melalui Jalan Bangsar dan Jalan Tun Sambanthan terpaksa ditutup sehingga 12 tengah hari untuk kerja-kerja pemadaman dan siasatan.

Tinjauan mendapati ratusan kenderaan terperangkap dalam kesesakan di laluan sekitar KL Sentral ketika warga kota sibuk menuju ke tempat kerja.

- Bernama

Projek MRT: Pemilik tanah di Jalan Sultan diberi kata dua

2012-01-13T11:18:00.000+08:00

Jabatan Tanah dan Galian telah memberi kata dua kepada pemilik tanah di Jalan Sultan - sama ada mencapai persetujuan dengan MRT Corps menjelang 30 Januari atau akan kehilangan tanah mereka.

Ini didedahkan kepada pengerusi Jawatankuasa bagi Pemuliharaan Jalan Bukit Bintang dan Jalan Sultan, Yong Yew Wei semalam.

Bercakap dalam satu taklimat dengan tuan tanah terlibat malam tadi, Yong berkata, surat bertarikh 4 Januari itu, telah dihantar ke pejabatnya baru semalam.

Dalam surat itu, Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Tanah dan Galian Persekutuan Azemi Kasim memberi amaran bahawa jabatan itu boleh menggunakan Akta Pengambilan Tanah 1960 untuk pengambilan balik tanah di sepanjang Jalan Sultan untuk pembinaan projek MRT.

Menurut surat itu lagi, sekiranya 'persetujuan bersama' tidak
ditandatangani sebelum 30 Januari 2012, jabatan itu akan meneruskan proses pengambilan tanah.

Yong (kanan) menganggapnya sebagai "hadiah Tahun Baru Cina" untuk pemilik tanah di Jalan Sultan.

"Berapa hari lagi yang tinggal sebelum tarikh akhirnya? Perayaan Tahun Baru Cina akan tiba tidak lama lagi, dan pemilik tanah tidak akan boleh tidur menyambut Tahun Baru Cina," katanya.

Beliau juga difahamkan bahawa Stesen Bas Klang, yang terletak di
Jalan Sultan, juga akan dirobohkan dalam tempoh tersebut.

"Ini adalah masa yang terbaik untuk merobohkannya ketika rakyat meninggalkan bandar tersebut."

Bagaimanapun, beliau menggesa pemilik tanah terbabit supaya jangan berputus asa dan terus berjuang walaupun ia terpaksa dibawa ke mahkamah.

Katanya, beliau akan menjawab surat jabatan tanah untuk menerangkan tiga perkara.

Satu di antaranya adalah untuk meminta jabatan itu menjelaskan mengenai kenyatan bercanggah MRT Corp sebelum ini, yang mengatakan bahawa tanah di Jalan Sultan tidak akan diambil.

Taklimat itu dihadiri kira-kira lima puluh pemilik tanah yang terlibat, termasuk dari Jalan Sultan, Jalan Bukit Bintang, TTDI dan Gombak.

Seorang wakil dari Kampung Banda Dalam di Gombak mencadangkan supaya semua penduduk Kuala Lumpur memasang bendera hitam pada hari ulangtahun Wilayah Persekutuan pada 1 Februari sebagai tanda bantahan terhadap projek MRT.\
mkini

Istana Negara Yang Baru

2012-01-09T00:58:00.000+08:00

Istana Negara baru yang dibina dengan ciri-ciri binaanIslam dan tradisional Melayu terletak di kawasan seluas 96.52 hektar

Kenaikan kos KLIA2: DAP mahu tindakan diambil

2012-01-04T14:54:00.001+08:00

Aidila Razak

12:49P

Jan 4, 2012 malaysiakini

Ahli parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara, Tony Pua mahu tindakan diambil terhadap pengurus-pengurus Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) kerana didakwanya gagal mendedahkan maklumat penting tentang tapak KLIA2 sehingga menyebabkan kos projek itu melambung.

Bercakap dalam satu sidang akhbar di ibupejabat DAP di Kuala Lumpur hari ini, Pua berkata perkara itu tidak dinyatakan semasa pembentangan MAHB kepada jawatankuasa pemandu kerajaan dalam satu mesyuarat pada bulan April 2008.

Pua mendakwa, terdapat rujukan khusus terhadap pemindahan tapak dari KLIA Utara ke KLIA Barat, tetapi tiada sebab yang baik diberikan mengapa tapak itu dipindahkan.

Menurutnya lagi, dalam pembentangan pada 15 April 2008, tidak disentuh mengenai sebab-sebab yang dinyatakan dalam pelan induk (1992 KLIA) mengapa KLIA Barat tidak sesuai.

Pada tahun 2007, MAHB memberitahu pegawai-pegawai kerajaan bahawa tapak barat - di mana ia membina KLIA2 hari ini - adalah tidak sesuai kerana ia merupakan tanah liat marin tepu dengan tindihan tanah gambut marin yang lemah kapasiti menanggung beban.

Tahun lalu, Pua membangkitkan bahawa keperluan untuk menangani keadaan tanah tersebut, telah menyumbang kepada sebahagian besar peningkatan RM2.2 bilion kos projek itu, serta kelewatan dalam pembinaannya.

creative door stopper

2012-01-04T12:46:00.003+08:00

source : http://cisdel.com/2011/05/30/koleksi-sendal-pintu-yang-sangat-unik-dan-kreatif/

Bagaimana Piramid dibina..

2011-12-22T16:32:00.004+08:00

Sudah sekian lama para saintis kebingungan tentang bagaimana sebuah piramid yang merupakan salah satu binaan ajaib di dunia ini dibina. Terdapat pelbagai teori yang dikemukakan untuk mengetahui teknologi yang digunakan dalam pembinaan piramid ini kerana teknologi untuk mengangkat batu-batuan besar yang beratnya mencapai ribuan kilogram ke puncak bangunan belum memungkinkan di zamannya. Apakah rahsia di sebalik pembinaan piramid ini?

Akhbar Amerika Times edisi 1 Disember 2006, telah menyiarkan satu berita saintifik yang mengesahkan bahawa Firaun telah menggunakan tanah liat untuk membina piramid. Menurut kajian tersebut, disebutkan bahawa batu yang digunakan untuk membuat piramid adalah dari tanah liat yang dipanaskan sehingga membentuk batuan keras yang sukar dibezakan dengan batu asalnya.

Al-Quran Telahpun Mempunyai Jawapan

Jika dikaji lebih mendalam,
ternyata Al-Quran telah mendedahkan perkara ini 1400 tahun sebelum kajian saintifik dijalankan. Perhatikan sebuah ayat Al Quran yang berikut:

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَلْ لِي صَرْحًا لَعَلِّي أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

"Dan berkata Fir'aun: 'Hai pembesar kaumku, aku tidak mengetahui Tuhan bagimu selain aku. Maka bakarlah Hai Haman untukku TANAH LIAT kemudian buatkanlah untukku bangunan yang tinggi supaya aku dapat naik melihat Tuhan Musa, dan sesungguhnya aku benar-benar yakin bahawa Dia dari orang-orang pendusta."
(Al-Qasas: 38)

Para saintis mengatakan bahawa Firaun mahir di dalam bidang ilmu kimia dalam menguruskan tanah liat sehingga menjadi batu. Teknik yang mereka gunakan adalah sangat misteri jika dilihat dari kodifikasi nombor di batu yang mereka tinggalkan.

Profesor Gilles Hug, dan Dr. Michel Barsoum menegaskan bahawa Piramid yang paling besar di Giza, dibuat dari dua jenis batuan yang terdiri dari batu semula jadi dan batu-batu yang dibuat secara manual hasil dari olahan tanah liat.
Artikel kajian yang diterbitkan oleh majalah "Journal of the American Ceramic Society" menegaskan bahawa Firaun menggunakan tanah jenis slurry untuk membina monumen yang tinggi, termasuk piramid. Kerana tidak mungkin bagi seseorang untuk mengangkat batu berat ribuan kilogram. Sebaliknya pada dasar piramid, Firaun menggunakan batu semula jadi.

Lumpur tersebut merupakan campuran lumpur kapur yang dipanaskan dengan wap air garam dan ini akan menghasilkan wap air sehingga terbentuknya campuran tanah liat. Kemudian olahan itu dituangkan ke dalam tempat yang disediakan di dinding piramid. Ringkasnya lumpur yang sudah diadun mengikut saiz yang dikehendaki tersebut dibakar, lalu diletakkan di tempat yang sudah disediakan di dinding piramid.

Profesor Davidovits telah mengambil sampel batu piramid yang terbesar untuk dilakukan analisis dengan menggunakan mikroskop elektron terhadap batu tersebut. Hasilnya, Davidovits menegaskan bahawa batu itu diperbuat dari lumpur. Selama ini, tanpa penggunaan mikroskop elektron, ahli geologi belum mampu untuk membezakan antara batu alam dengan batu buatan manusia.

Sebelumnya, seorang saintis Belgium, Guy Demortier, telah bertahun-tahun mencari jawapan dari pembuatan batu besar di puncak-puncak piramid. Guy Demortier berkata, "Setelah bertahun-tahun melakukan penyelidikan dan kajian, sekarang barulah saya yakin bahawa piramid yang terletak di Mesir diperbuat dengan menggunakan tanah liat."

Penemuan oleh Dr Perancis Joseph Davidovits ini adalah hasil kajian yang memakan masa kira-kira dua puluh tahun. Sebuah kajian yang begitu lama terhadap piramid Bosnia, "Piramid Matahari" dan menjelaskan bahawa batu-batunya diperbuat dari tanah liat. Ini memperkuatkan lagi bahawa kaedah ini tersebar luas di masa lalu.

Bukti-bukti dari kajian menunjukkan kepada kita semua bahawa bangunan bangunan raksasa, patung-patung raksasa dan tiang-tiang yang ditemui dalam tamadun canggih zaman dahulu, juga dibina dari tanah liat. Al-Quran adalah kitab pertama yang mendedahkan rahsia bangunan piramid, bukan para Ilmuwan Amerika, mahupun Perancis.

Kita tahu bahawa Nabi saw tidak pernah pergi ke Mesir dan tidak pernah melihat piramid, bahkan mungkin tidak pernah mendengar tentangnya. Kisah Firaun, terjadi sebelum masa hidupnya Nabi saw ribuan tahun yang lalu, dan tidak ada satu pun di muka bumi ini pada masa itu yang mengetahui tentang rahsia piramid. Sebelum ini, para saintis tidak pasti bahawa Firaun menggunakan tanah liat yang dipanaskan untuk membina monumen tinggi kecuali beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.

Ajaib, 1400 tahun yang lampau, Nabi Muhammad saw, beratus tahun selepas berakhirnya Dinasti Firaun memberitahu bahawa Firaun membina monumen yang kini dikenali sebagai Piramid menggunakan tanah liat.

Kenyataan ini sangat jelas dan kuat untuk membuktikan bahawa Nabi Muhammad saw tidaklah berbicara mengikut hawa nafsunya melainkan petunjuk dari Allah swt yang menciptakan Firaun dan menenggelamkannya, dan Dia pula yang menyelamatkan nabi Musa. Dan Dia pula yang memberitahu kepada Nabi terakhir-Nya akan hakikat ilmiah ini, dan ayat ini menjadi saksi kebenaran kenabiannya di kemudian hari.
https://www.facebook.com/QurandanHadis/posts/10150452825903601

10 Record-Breaking Bridges

2011-11-22T11:15:00.001+08:00

Ten engineering marvels from around the world that take on a variety of shapes and sizes.

By Beth Collins

Millau Viaduct, France

Courtesy of Richard Leeming / Flickr

Tallest: Millau Viaduct, France

Not long ago, Millau — a provincial town set between two limestone plateaus in the South of France — was known for little more than its traffic jams. Every July and August, the village would become jammed with travelers en route to their summer vacations in Spain. But thanks to the Millau Viaduct, the town is now home to one of the country's major tourist attractions.

Seventeen years in the making, from the first sketches in 1987 to the final touches in 2004, the Millau Viaduct is an architectural feat in more ways than one. Sure, it is held up by the highest pylons in the world (803 feet high) and has the highest road-bridge deck in Europe (886 feet). But, most importantly, it reaches 1,125 feet at its highest point, making it the tallest bridge in the world (for reference, New York's Chrysler Building is only 1,046 feet tall). Impressive stats, to be sure, but it's the bridge's visual effect that has the most impact. Gleaming white and ultra-sleek, it cuts a striking figure against the green valley below and the blue skies above.

Best Vantage Point: Millau Viaduct is closed to pedestrians, but if you're a runner you can sign up for La Course du Viaduc de Millau, a 14-mile race that crosses the bridge. Barring that, hop in a car. The bridge was designed with a slight curve, so you can see it in its entirety just before you cross over.

Hartland Covered Bridge

Courtesy of Wladyslaw/Wikimedia Commons

Longest Covered: Hartland Covered Bridge, New Brunswick, Canada

When the Canadian government was being wishy-washy about whether or not to build a bridge across the St. John River, a group of private citizens took matters into their own hands. They formed the Hartland Bridge Company and opened the 1,282-foot-long bridge in 1901. Five years later, in what had to be a vindicating we-told-you-so moment, they sold it to the government, who took over all maintenance. Though covered bridges are now seen as quaint and old-fashioned, the icon's construction was not without its share of controversy. Shelter made sense in terms of weather—snow and ice are a sure thing throughout the winters here—but the public worried it would encourage risqué behavior among the town's youth. In the end, it was covered, and perhaps their fears were warranted: Legend has it, men would train their horses to stop halfway across the bridge so they could sneak in a kiss before crossing over to the other side.

Best Vantage Point: There's something about a covered bridge that demands you take it slow. Rather than speed across in a car, take the walkway that was added in 1945.

Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge

Courtesy of the XO Directory

Longest: Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China

When it comes to bridges, China doesn't mess around—the country is home to 11 of the world's 15 longest. Three of the top five bridges are part of theBeijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, a $33 billion project that will nearly double the capacity of the route to 80 million annual passengers. Opened to the public in June 2011, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge ranks as the world's longest. It stretches an astonishing 102.4 miles—that's longer than the distance between New York City and Philadelphia!

Best Vantage Point: This is a railroad bridge, so the only way to experience it is by hopping aboard the train. Thankfully, the high-speed rail travels up to 186 mph, cutting what used to be a 10-hour trip to a much more manageable five hours.

Goltzsch Valley Bridge

Courtesy of LianeM / ShutterStock

Most Bricks Used to Build a Bridge: Goltzsch Valley Bridge, Germany

At 1,860 feet long, or about one third of a mile, the Goltzsch Valley Bridge in the eastern German state of Saxony may seem like a minor player in the bridge world. But the length isn't what sets it apart; it's the material. At a time when most bridges were built with stone or metal, this one was built with bricks—20 million of them. It would be an odd (and costly) choice of material in most places, but in this area of Saxony, where there were several large clay deposits, it was an economical one. In fact, it's thanks to those same clay deposits that the second-largest brick bridge in the world, the Elster Valley Bridge, is also in Saxony; it's a quaint counterpart, made with only 12 million bricks.

Best Vantage Point: Take the autobahn to the town of Mylau, and follow the signs to the bridge from there. You'll find a designated parking lot, but don't stay there. Instead, take the path on the left-hand side just before the lot. It will lead you to a meadow, where you'll get spectacular views of the bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge

Courtesy of P. Fuszard / SFCVB

Most Photographed: Golden Gate Bridge, California

With its trademark "international orange" paint, its picturesque surroundings, and the daily rolling in of the morning fog, it should come as no surprise that the Golden Gate Bridge is said to be the most photographed in the world. David Crandall, assistant professor of informatics and computing at Indiana University, thinks the numbers back up this claim. In a recent study, he tracked text tags for nearly 35 million images on Flickr to determine which world sights were shot the most. While other bridges — namely London's Tower Bridge, Florence's Ponte Vecchio, and New York's Brooklyn Bridge — were close runners-up, two simple facts gave the San Francisco structure a winning edge: geography and size.

The City of Hills has so many vantage points — and the bridge is such a looming presence in the skyline — that the Golden Gate manages to sneak into scores of photos, even when it's not the intended subject. Trying to take a shot of the Presidio? The harbor? The city skyline? There's a good chance the Golden Gate might make an appearance, whether as the main focal point or just a happy accident.

Best Vantage Point: At Kirby Cove, in the Marin headlands north of the city, you get the trifecta: a spectacular view, a healthy dose of nature, and no crowds. To get there from Highway 101, take the last exit for Sausalito and follow Conzelman Road until you reach the parking area on the left. From there, walk down the steep dirt path lined with eucalyptus and cypress trees until you reach the cove.

George Washington Bridge

Courtesy of Ed Yourdon / Wikimedia Commons

Most Traffic: George Washington Bridge, New York

Last year, 51 million cars, buses, and trucks traveled eastbound across the George Washington Bridge, which connects Manhattan and New Jersey over the Hudson River. Every one of New York City's 8 million residents would have to cross the bridge over six times to hit that number. Fortunately, the bridge is built to accommodate this kind of record-breaking activity, with a total of 14 lanes of traffic (eight on the upper level, six on the lower level). Of course, this statistic only takes into account motorized vehicle traffic. If you count absolutely everything that crosses the bridge, the unofficial winner is the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, India. The eight-laner is traversed by an estimated 80,000 vehicles, as many as 1 million pedestrians—and countless cows each day.

Best Vantage Point: There are additional lanes on either side of the George Washington Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, but that puts you too close to the action to get a good view. Instead, take the Circle Line's Full Island Cruise, a three-hour tour that circles the entire island of Manhattan and passes under seven bridges, including the George Washington Bridge. Boats leave throughout the day, but hold out for an evening departure so you'll be able to see the bridge lit up against the night sky.

Walkway over Hudson State Historic Park

Courtesy of uticayanks820 / Flickr

Longest Footbridge: Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, New York

When this 6,767-foot-long steel cantilever railroad bridge opened in 1889 over the Hudson River, it ranked as the longest bridge in the world. It carried trains across the river for 85 years until a fire damaged the tracks in 1974, forcing it to close. Thirty-five years later, after several false starts at restoration, a nonprofit group called Walkway Over the Hudson reopened the bridge, this time as a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists, in October 2009. Now a state historic park, the Walkway Over the Hudson is the longest footbridge in the world, serving as a link between trails on both sides of the river for walkers, runners, cyclists, and rollerbladers.

Best Vantage Point: In the fall, the leaves turn the banks of the Hudson into a collage of reds, oranges, and yellows. Picnic on one of the tables at either end of the bridge before strolling across, giving yourself plenty of time to snap photos along the way. walkway.org.

Caravan Bridge

Courtesy of Photographium

Oldest: Caravan Bridge, Turkey

At first glance, there's nothing remarkable about this bridge. The arched stone slab straddling the River Meles, in Izmir, Turkey, extends only 42½ feet and is about as simple as they come. But it's the age, not the physical aspects, of the Caravan that sets it apart. Built in 850 B.C., the bridge is 2,861 years old and has reportedly been crossed by the likes of Homer and Saint Paul. As impressive as some of the other bridges on this list are, it's hard to imagine they'll last even half that long.

Best Vantage Point: Located in old Izmir, the bridge is best reached by taxi. Simply ask your driver to take you to "Sarnic," which is the Turkish name for the bridge. We recommend going during the afternoon, when the light is best for photography.

Pearl Bridge

Courtesy of Tysto / Wikimedia Commons

Longest Suspension: Akashi Kaikyo (or Pearl) Bridge, Japan

Imagine an iconic bridge (the Golden Gate, for example), and chances are you've thought of a suspension bridge. These elegant structures are formed by literally "suspending" the road deck from steel cables strung between towers. This style will never measure as far as other types—viaducts like the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge are supported from below by pylons and can thus stretch as long as needed—but suspension bridges rank among the lightest, strongest, and most beautiful bridges in the world.

At nearly four times the length of the Brooklyn Bridge, Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (also known as the Pearl Bridge) is the clear winner in this category. With three connected spans—two at 3,150 feet and one at 6,532 feet—the Pearl stretches a total of 12,831 feet across the Akashi Strait from the cosmopolitan port city of Kobe to Awaji Island (which, not coincidentally, is the hub of Japan's pearl industry). Japan gets hit with extreme weather conditions, and this bridge, completed in 1998, was built to withstand them all, including winds up to 179 mph and earthquakes up to 8.5 on the Richter scale. But that doesn't mean this bridge isn't a beauty: In addition to its connection to the Japanese pearl industry, the bridge gets its nickname from the lights on its cables, which are said to resemble a strand of colorful pearls at night.

Best Vantage Point: From the Kobe side of the bridge, take an elevator to the Maiko Marine Promenade. The 984-foot tubular observation deck offers views of the strait, the bridge's interior, and Osaka Bay.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Courtesy of Grillo / Wikimedia Commons

Widest: Sydney Harbour Bridge,Australia

Measuring 160 feet across, this suspension bridge has room for eight lanes of traffic, two railroad tracks, a pedestrian walkway, and a bicycle path. A bit much? Not when you consider that the bridge connects Sydney's business district with the residential North Shore, making it the primary route for the city's commuters. A bridge built to accommodate such volume would seem a modern-day creation, but Sydney Harbour Bridge opened back in 1932—it will celebrate its 80th birthday in 2012.

Best Vantage Point: On the walkway at the eastern side of the bridge, you'll find the entrance to the Pylon Lookout, a tower with some of the best views of Sydney and the harbor. As you climb the 200 stairs to the top, stop on each of the three levels to check out the exhibits on the history of the bridge.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40871893
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Kesalahan jenayah bagi pemaju projek terbengkalai

2011-11-16T22:17:00.001+08:00

Pemaju perumahan berlesen yang gagal menyempurnakan projek perumahan dan menyebabkannya terbengkalai akan dianggap sebagai melakukan satu kesalahan jenayah di bawah pindaan Akta Pemajuan Perumahan (Kawalan dan Perlesenan) 1966.

Jika disabit kesalahan, pemaju berkenaan boleh dikenakan hukuman denda tidak kurang RM250,000 dan tidak lebih RM500,000 atau penjara tidak lebih tiga tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali.

Perkara ini diperuntukkan dalam seksyen baru di bawah fasal 9 Rang Undang-undang Pemajuan Perumahan (Kawalan dan Pelesenan)(Pindaan) 2011.

Ia merupakan antara beberapa pindaan kepada peruntukan-peruntukan dalam Akta Pemajuan Perumahan (Kawalan dan Pelesenan) 1966 (Akta 118) yang bakal memberi jaminan dan hak lebih luas kepada para pembeli rumah dan mengelakkan projek terbengkalai.

Menurut rang undang-undang berkenaan, fasal 9 bertujuan untuk memasukkan seksyen baru 18A ke dalam Akta 118 bagi mengatasi masalah projek rumah terbengkalai serta hak mengenakan tindakan undang-undang terhadap pemaju yang tidak bertanggungjawab.

Peruntukan ini terpakai kepada semua pemaju yang enggan meneruskan projek atau menangguhkan atau menggantung atau menghentikan untuk tempoh enam bulan atau lebih atau tempoh siap yang dipersetujui di dalam perjanjian jual beli.

Rang undang-undang berkenaan telah dibaca buat kali pertama oleh Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung di Dewan Rakyat hari ini dan apabila diluluskan kelak akan dikenali sebagai Akta Pemajuan Perumahan (Kawalan dan Pelesenan)(Pindaan) 2011.

Selain itu, fasal 5 yang bertujuan menggantikan seksyen 8A Akta 118 di dalam rang undang-undang tersebut turut memberi hak kepada pembeli untuk menamatkan perjanjian jual beli sekiranya pihak pemaju perumahan enggan meneruskan projek selepas enam bulan perjanjian tersebut ditandatangani.

Rang Undang-undang itu juga bercadang memasukkan fasal 3, yang bertujuan meminda seksyen 6 Akta 118 yang memperuntukkan jumlah deposit bagi memperoleh satu lesen pemajuan perumahan dinaikkan daripada RM200,000 kepada tiga peratus daripada anggaran kos pembinaan.

Cadangan pindaan ini adalah untuk memastikan supaya hanya pemaju yang mempunyai keupayaan kewangan yang mencukupi dibenarkan mengusahakan projek perumahan.

Fasal 8 bertujuan meminda seksyen 16AD Akta 118 telah memperuntukkan untuk menaikkan penalti minimum ketidakpatuhan kepada award tribunal daripada RM10,000 kepada penalti maksimum RM50,000.

Selain itu fasal 6 yang bertujuan meminda subseksyen 16N (1) berkaitan dengan had bidang kuasa tribunal dan memberi kuasa lebih luas kepada tribunal untuk mendengar tuntutan daripada suatu perjanjian jual beli yang melibatkan seseorang pemaju perumahan tidak berlesen.

Cadangan fasal 10 pula bertujuan untuk meminda seksyen 24 untuk menaikkan penalti bagi mana-mana tindakan atau peninggalan yang melanggar mana-mana peraturan daripada denda tidak melebihi RM20,000 kepada RM50,000.

- Bernama

Istana Negara lama kini tinggal kenangan

2011-11-14T21:54:00.001+08:00

Sakini Mohd Said

Selepas mencatat 83 tahun sejarah yang indah berwarna-warni dan menyaksikan pertabalan tujuh daripada 13 Yang di-Pertuan Agong, kini sampailah sudah masanya untuk melabuhkan tirai penutupan Istana Negara pada esok.

Bangunan berwarna putih, yang ditandai dengan dua kubah emas tersergam indah dan tidak asing kepada setiap pengguna jalan raya yang melepasi Jalan Syed Putra, akan secara rasmi menyaksikan satu Istiadat Menurunkan Bendera Peribadi Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong pada 15 Nov.

Pada masa yang sama, Istana Negara yang baru di Jalan Duta akan secara rasmi menjadi istana bagi Yang di-Pertuan Agong yang seterusnya.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, yang akan tamat tempoh jawatannya, mencatat sejarah sebagai Yang di-Pertuan Agong yang terakhir mendiami istana di Jalan Syed Putra.

Di sinilah berlangsungnya pelbagai istiadat merangkumi upacara mengangkat sumpah jawatan dan taat setia oleh Perdana Menteri, para menteri dan ketua hakim.

Istana ini juga menyaksikan beratus-ratus diplomat Malaysia menerima suratcara perlantikan untuk berkhidmat di luar negara dan menerima mengadap Perdana Menteri negara serta Pesuruhjaya Tinggi dan duta dari negara asing yang ditauliahkan ke Malaysia.

Manakala beribu-ribu rakyat Malaysia berkongsi kenangan hidup apabila menghadiri upacara pengurniaan bintang dan darjah kebesaran di Istana Negara.

Banglo jadi Istana

Berdiri teguh di kawasan seluas 11.34 hektar di tepi Bukit Petaling mengadap Jalan Syed Putra, yang sebelum ini dikenali sebagai Lornie Drive, bangunan di tengah ibu kota yang menggamit perhatian sesiapa sahaja ini bukanlah bangunan biasa.

Sesungguhnya, ia adalah satu bangunan yang menjadi lambang keagungan rakyat negara ini kerana ia tempat bersemayam Ketua Negara Malaysia, Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong.

Itulah, Istana Negara, yang menjadi bangunan kebanggaan rakyat dan lambang kedaulatan negara.

Sebagai sebuah Istana Negara yang pertama sebelum wujudnya pembinaan istana baru di Jalan Duta, mungkin masih ramai yang belum mengetahui akan cerita di sebalik bangunan itu.

Sebuah banglo (pada asalnya) yang dibina pada tahun 1928 dengan harga RM150,000, ia menjadi rumah kediaman seorang jutawan dari China, iaitu Chan Wing.

Mendapat cetusan daripada kepakaran firma senibina terkenal, Swan & McLaren untuk mereka banglo berkenaan, ia diduduki oleh jutawan itu bersama keluarganya sehinggalah tercetus Perang Dunia Kedua, menurut majalah Tell.

Banglo yang kosong sebaik sahaja keluarga jutawan itu melarikan diri, telah digunakan sebagai mes Pegawai Tentera Jepun selama empat tahun pemerintahan mereka di Tanah Melayu bermula sejak tahun 1942 sehinggalah 1945.

Namun begitu, pemerintahan Jepun tidak bertahan lama. Sebaik sahaja Jepun tidak lagi berkuasa di Tanah Melayu, keluarga Chan Wing telah kembali pada tahun 1946.

Bertukar milik

Bagaimanapun, mereka tidak menduduki banglo itu sebaliknya ia menjadi milik kepada British Malayan Administration (BMA) untuk digunakan sebagai mes pegawai kanan.

Kemudian, banglo itu bertukar milik apabila Kerajaan Negeri Selangor membelinya dan selepas diubahsuai ia dijadikan tempat bersemayam Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sir Hishamuddin Alam Shah.

Bangunan yang dijadikan sebagai istana kepada Sultan Selangor itu kemudian bertukar milik sekali lagi apabila Kerajaan Persekutuan membelinya dengan harga RM1.4 juta pada tahun 1957 untuk dijadikan tempat bersemayam Yang Di-Pertuan Agong yang pertama, Tuanku Abdul Rahman Tuanku Muhammad, beberapa minggu sebelum pengisytiharan kemerdekaan.

Bagi mengangkat martabat bangunan itu sebagai sebuah kediaman rasmi pemerintah tertinggi negara, Kerajaan Persekutuan telah membelanjakan RM328,000 untuk menjadikannya istana yang sesuai sebagai tempat bersemayam raja bagi sebuah negara merdeka yang baru.

Dengan menggunakan kepakaran arkitek Jabatan Kerja Raya, EK Dinsdale dari sudut rekaan, sementara pengubahsuaian pula dilakukan oleh kontraktor tempatan, proses kerja-kerja menaiktaraf itu tidak mempengaruhi struktur utama bangunan itu.

Ubahsuaian besar-besaran

Pengubahsuaian yang hanya mengambil masa selama empat bulan sahaja menyaksikan jumlah penambahan bilik yang sebelum ini 13 kepada 20 bilik, dengan dapur bagi 100 orang, balai mengadap, empat bilik tetamu, dua balai kemasukan dan satu dewan santapan.

Sebaik menjelang tahun 1980-an, Istana Negara telah mengalami pengubahsuaian besar-besaran dengan penambahan Balairong Seri Utama yang menempatkan singgahsana. Ini adalah kali pertama singgahsana diletakkan di Istana Negara di mana sebelum ini pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong diadakan di Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman terletak di Jalan Ampang.

Proses penambahan singgahsana baru ini yang bertujuan mengangkat martabat Istana Negara telah dibina di bawah pengelolaan arkitek Jabatan Kerja Raya, Kapt David Wee dengan berasaskan kepada alat kebesaran diraja.

Dibina tujuh tingkat dan bertiang tujuh, ia melambangkan alam semesta yang mempunyai tujuh lapisan langit dan tujuh lapisan bumi dan diperbuat daripada kayu cengal yang diukir indah dan halus.

Sebaik sahaja Balairong Seri Utama ini siap, pertabalan Sultan Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Sultan Abu Bakar sebagai Yang di-Pertuan Agong ke-tujuh telah diadakan di sini pada 1980.

Bilik penting

Istana Negara, bukanlah sekadar tempat bersemayam pemerintah tertinggi negara. Malah, ia juga memainan peranan penting sebagai sebuah bangunan yang melambangkan kedaulatan negara.

Untuk tujuan itu, Istana Negara diperuntukkan beberapa bilik penting khusus bagi upacara tertentu merangkumi bilik Singgahsana Kecil, Dewan Mengadap, Bilik Duta, Bilik Permaisuri dan Balairong Seri.

Bagi bilik Singgahsana Kecil, ia digunakan apabila Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong menghadiri Istiadat Pengurniaan Suratcara Perlantikan sebagai TYT Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Istiadat Mengadap dan Menerima Watikah Perlantikan TYT Duta Besar atau Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Malaysia ke Luar Negara.

Selain itu, ia digunakan semasa Istiadat Menerima Suratcara Perlantikan dan Istiadat Mengangkat Sumpah Jawatan dan Taat Setia oleh Ketua Hakim Negara serta Istiadat Pengurniaan Suratcara Perlantikan dan Istiadat Mengangkat Sumpah Jawatan dan Taat Setia serta Sumpah Menyimpan Rahsia oleh menteri dan timbalan menteri.

Untuk bilik yang telah dikhususkan sebagai 'Dewan Mengadap', ia merupakan tempat bagi Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong menerima mengadap tetamu kehormat seperti ketua-ketua negara dan lain-lain tetamu kenamaan.

Balairong Seri

Merupakan dewan yang kedua di tingkat bawah, Dewan Mengadap juga digunakan sebagai ruang rehat oleh Sultan-sultan, Raja-raja dan Tuan-tuan Yang Terutama Yang di-Pertua-yang di-Pertua Negeri semasa persidangan Majlis Raja-raja diadakan di Istana Negara.

Istana Negara juga turut mempunyai Bilik Duta di mana ia merupakan tempat bagi Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong menerima mengadap Perdana Menteri negara serta Pesuruhjaya Tinggi dan duta dari negara asing yang ditauliahkan ke Malaysia.

Sementara itu, Bilik Permaisuri merupakan tempat di mana Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong menerima mengadap tetamu-tetamu kehormat.

Bagi bilik yang menempatkan Balairong Seri pula, ia digunakan bagi menjalankan Istiadat Pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Pengurniaan Darjah-darjah Kebesaran Bintang-bintang dan Pingat-pingat Persekutuan, Hari Keputeraan dan acara berkaitan dengannya.

Selain itu, ia juga digunakan sebagai Dewan Santapan semasa Majlis Santapan Negara meraikan Ketua Asing yang membuat lawatan negara, Majlis Santapan Memuliakan Mesyuarat Raja-Raja dan sebagainya.

Istana Negara yang baru di Jalan Duta akan menyaksikan pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong ke-14 - Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah dari Kedah - pada Disember ini.

Istana baru bernilai RM800 juta ini mempunyai keluasan yang lebih besar, jelas bakal menjadi mercu dan simbol kebanggaan sistem pemerintahan Raja Berpelembagaan negara ini.

Biarpun sudah ada Istana Negara yang baru, namun bangunan di Jalan Istana ini akan terus diingati sebagai sebuah tempat yang menyaksikan kelahiran tradisi diraja dan peranan pentingnya dalam sejarah negara ini.

- Bernama

Kurang 50 peratus rumah terbelangkai berjaya dipulih

2011-11-14T01:43:00.001+08:00

Hanya 83 daripada 167 projek perumahan yang diisytiharkan terbengkalai sejak 2009 berjaya dipulihkan sehingga akhir bulan, kata Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT), Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.

"Sebanyak 62 projek atau 37 peratus lagi sedang dipulihkan dan berada dalam pelbagai peringkat kemajuan manakala baki 22 projek kini dalam perancangan untuk dipulihkan," katanya ketika merasmikan Seminar Perumahan Kebangsaan anjuran bersama KPKT dengan Persatuan Pemaju Hartanah dan Perumahan (Rehda) dan Persatuan Pembeli Rumah Kebangsaan (HBA) di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) di Kuala Lumpur hari ini.

Beliau berkata, kejayaan itu dengan hasil kerjasama pelbagai pihak termasuk kerajaan negeri yang memberi manfaat kepada 9,278 pembeli yang menunggu sekian lama untuk memiliki rumah.

Hadir sama Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Datuk Ahmad Kabit, Presiden Rehda, Datuk Seri Michael Yam dan Setiausaha Agung Kehormat HBA Chang Kim Loong.

Chor berkata, kebanyakan kes projek perumahan terbengkalai membabitkan pemaju tidak berlesen yang mengambil peluang mengaut keuntungan ekoran kurang kesedaran pembeli mengenai hak mereka sebagai pembeli seperti yang terkandung dalam surat perjanjian jual beli (S&P).

Beliau berkata, kebanyakan kes rumah terbengkalai yang dilaksanakan pemaju tanpa lesen pula menunjukkan pembeli rumah tidak memahami aspek asas sebelum membeli rumah, iaitu pemaju memerlukan lesen pemajuan perumahan daripada kementerian.

"Prihatin dengan keperluan rakyat khususnya dalam isu perumahan terbengkalai, kerajaan menubuhkan Pasukan Petugas Khas Pemulihan Projek Perumahan Terbengkalai untuk memantau dan memulihkan projek-projek perumahan yang terbengkalai di seluruh negara," katanya.

"Kerajaan memperuntukkan sebanyak RM63 juta untuk memulihkan 1,270 unit rumah terbengkalai dengan keutamaan kepada kos rumah rendah melalui Belanjawan 2012 yang lalu, dan peruntukan itu adalah bukti keperihatinan dan komitmen kerajaan terhadap masalah ini," katanya.

Chor turut menyarankan supaya laman sesawang Jabatan Perumahan Negara (JPN) yang kini hanya memaparkan syarikat pemaju perumahan berlesen tanpa menyatakan butiran terperinci pemaju seperti tarikh tamat lesen, hendaklah juga memasukkan beberapa maklumat tambahan bagi memudahkan pembeli membuat rujukan sekiranya ingin membeli sesuatu hartanah.

Beliau turut menasihatkan bakal pembeli agar jangan terlalu ghairah dan terpengaruh apabila melihat sesuatu pelancaran perumahan dengan terus membuat bayaran pendahuluan dan menandatangani dokumen pembelian tanpa terlebih dahulu membuat semakan dengan jabatan perumahan.

Sementara itu, Ahmad berkata isu perumahan terbengkalai sepatutnya tidak lagi berlaku jika Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) yang bertanggungjawab dan mempunyai kuasa dalam meluluskan kebenaran merancang, kelulusan pelan bangunan serta tanah lebih efektif menangani perkara itu.

- Bernama

Where does aircraft carrier rank among unusual sports venues

2011-11-11T17:54:00.001+08:00

By Jeff Eisenberg

Friday's matchup between North Carolina and Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson is certainly the most unusual venue for any college basketball game, but it's not the most atypical setting ever for a sporting event. Read on to see where I'd rank the Carrier Classic in my top 10.

1. TENNIS ON A HELIPAD: The most memorable points Andre Agassi and Roger Federer ever played against one another didn't come at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open or any other Grand Slam. None of that compared to the sight of the two tennis superstars trading ground strokes 700 feet above Dubai's Jumeirah beach in a February 2005 exhibition on the helipad on the roof of the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel.

2. THE GREAT WALL MARATHON: Hitting the wall isn't just a figure of speech at this grueling annual marathon. A quarter of the scenic 26.2-mile route takes place on China's famed Great Wall itself, and every runner must ascend about 3,800 stone steps to reach the finish line. The course record belongs to Spaniard Salvador Calvo, who won the 2007 race in 3 hours, 23 minutes, 10 seconds.

3. THE CARRIER CLASSIC: Michigan State and North Carolina will pay tribute to the military by playing a basketball game on an aircraft carrier on Veteran's Day in San Diego. The two teams will don camouflage jerseys with U.S.A. on the back of them, and President Obama and thousands of military personnel will be in the audience. If it's sunny out, the game will take place on the flight deck. If not, it will move a level below into the air plane hangar.

4. GOLF ON GLACIERS: Golf is hard enough in picturesque 70-degree weather, so imagine how much more difficult it is when you introduce arctic conditions. That's the challenge each March in Greenland atthe World Ice Golf Championships, which is played with a fluorescent orange ball and with glaciers and icebergs replacing sand traps and water as hazards.

5. THE BOYS OF WINTER: The popularity of hockey in outdoor football stadiums has steadily increased since Spartan Stadium hosted Michigan and Michigan State in 2001, but the signature event has become the NHL's Winter Classic held annually on New Year's Day. And no Winter Classic has piqued the interest of fans quite as much as the sight of the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins squaring off on the field and famed Fenway Park in 2010. Bruins fans went home satisfied: Their team won 2-1 in overtime.

6. TWO TEAMS, ONE END ZONE: A football game between Northwestern and Illinois at Wrigley Field seemed like a natural fit in 2010, but organizers failed to take into account the lack of space between the back of one end zone and the ivy-covered outfield wall. As a result, only the other end zone could be used for offense due to safety concerns, an embarrassing gaffe for the Big Ten but one that also made the game memorable.

7. THE WNBA TAKES CENTER STAGE: Kicked out of Madison Square Garden as a result of the 2004 Republican National Convention, the New York Liberty seized the opportunity to find a new venue that would bring some rare mainstream attention to the WNBA. They hosted the Detroit Shock at historic Radio City Music Hall, a venue that was especially unusual because seating there allowed fans to watch the game from only one side of the court.

8. KING OF GRASS VS. KING OF CLAY: The above image is not a trick. Tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal really did play a 2007 exhibition match in Mallorca, Spain, on a customized half-clay, half-grass court designed to determine which of the two players was the best all-surface player. Nadal won a tightly contested three-set match much to the delight of the Spanish fans in the crowd.

9. SQUASH AT GRAND CENTRAL: How do you make one of the Professional Squash Association's most significant events more attractive to spectators? Bring it to the masses. The J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is annually held at New York City's Grand Central Terminal in a specially constructed four-walled glass court inside Vanderbilt Hall.

10. DUEL IN THE DESERT: The Carrier Classic isn't the only outdoor basketball game in recent years. The Suns and Nuggets played the first outdoor game in modern NBA history in 2008 at Indian Wells Tennis Center in California, a 77-72 Denver victory marred by poor shooting, gusty winds and frigid desert temperatures.

source http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Where-does-aircraft-carrier-rank-among-unusual-s?urn=ncaab-wp6009

DAP: Pembaziran dalam ubahsuai Taman Mini M'sia

2011-11-08T00:54:00.001+08:00

Elissa Helmy
12:05PM Nov 7, 2011 - malaysiakini

ADUN DAP dari Ayer Keroh, Khoo Poay Tiong sekali lagi membangkitkan isu pembaziran dalam pentadbiran kerajaan Negeri Melaka apabila mempersoalkan perbelanjaan berjumlah RM3 juta bagi projek pengubahsuaian Taman Mini Malaysia dan Mini Asean (TMMA) di Ayer Keroh.

Baginya, ada yang tidak kena apabila projek berkenaan diserahkan kepada syarikat swasta lain padahal semua kos berkenaan ditanggung sebuah agensi kerajaan negeri Melaka.

Dakwa Khoo yang tidak berpuashati dengan langkah tersebut, pihak syarikat swasta berkenaan yang sepatutnya melakukan pelaburan dan kemudian mengambil alih TMMA tersebut.

Paling menimbulkan tanda tanya, katanya, setelah disiasat, syarikat swasta yang diberi kepercayaan itu dipercayai milik individu yang berkepentingan dalam kerajaan negeri Melaka.

"Kami mahu kerajaan negeri jelaskan mengapa syarikat ini dipilih. Syarikat ini baru didaftar pada Januari tahun ini dan baru Jun lalu, individu terbabit dilantik sebagai ahli lembaga pengarah.

"Kita khuatir ada unsur-unsur salah guna kuasa di sini. Kita rasa kecewa kerana sekali lagi kerajaan negeri tidak gunakan wang rakyat dengan amanah.

"Sepatutnya syarikat terbabitlah yang melaburkan RM3 juta dan ubah cantik-cantik tempat pelancongan ini. Ini tidak, kerajaan negeri pula yang menanggung kos sedangkan syarikat ini buat untung," katanya ketika melawat lokasi itu.

Tunggakan sewa

Sementara itu, Khoo turut mempersoalkan jumlah tunggakan sewa sebanyak 18 bulan oleh syarikat swasta yang menguruskan TMMA sebelum ini sejak 1 Mei 2007 sebelum ia diserahkan kembali kepada kerajaan negeri pada Julai 2010.

"Semasa TMMA diurus syarikat berkenaan, jumlah pungutan sewa yang dikutip hanya sebanyak RM156,500 sedangkan terdapat tunggakan hutang berjumlah RM143,500 yang masih tidak dituntut.

"Kita kesal kerana sebelum syarikat itu mengambil alih TMMA, kerajaan negeri telah mengeluarkan peruntukan yang tinggi untuk membina taman berkenaan.

"Kita nak tahu mengapa boleh bagi dia berhutang begitu lama sampai 18 bulan tak bayar. Sedangkan peniaga kecil yang susah dan berpendapatan rendah, baru satu atau dua bulan tak bayar sewa sudah mahu ambil tindakan untuk menghalau mereka.

"Adakah kerana pilih kasih, siapakah mereka itu, adakah kerana berkepentingan politik?" soalnya.

Malaysiakini sebelum ini ada melaporkan mengenai isu 11 peniaga kraftangan dan makanan TMMA di Melaka yang membuat laporan polis kerana mendakwa mereka dianiaya setelah diarahkan berpindah bagi projek pengubahsuaian.

Keadaan itu jelas mengundang kemarahan peniaga di kawasan terbabit yang menganggap kerajaan negeri Melaka tidak mendahulukan hal rakyat malah sebaliknya lebih mementingkan keuntungan semata-mata.

Audit: Lebuhraya Senai-Desaru gagal ujian jalan

2011-10-26T00:05:00.000+08:00

Hafiz Yatim-mkini

Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2010, berhubung pengauditan Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) mendapati beberapa kontraktor telah membina lebuhraya Senai-Desaru di beberapa bahagian dengan turapan Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) yang kurang daripada ketebalan minimum 95 mm.

“Lawatan Audit pada bulan Oktober 2010 juga mendapati kualiti kerja pembinaan lebuh raya kurang memuaskan.

“Mengikut spesifikasi kontrak, ketebalan minumun turapan DBM yang dibenarkan adalah 95 mm manakala ketebalan turapan DBM mengikut lukisanApproved Detail Design adalah 100 mm,” petik laporan itu.

Menurutnya laporan itu lagi, ketebalan paling rendah yang dicatatkan adalah 72 mm manakala bacaan tiga lagi ujian yang dijanlankan menunjukkan ketebalan - 81 mm, 89 mm dan 79 mm.

“Permukaan jalan didapati beralun dan tidak rata di sepanjang lebuh raya bagi Pakej 1 dan 2. Selain itu, beberapa bahagian permukaan lebuh raya telah rosak, kasar dan berlubang walaupun baru setahun dibuka kepada pengguna.”

Ia juga mencatatkan bahawa Pakej 3 iaitu pada kilometer 77, tidak siap mengikut masa pada 18 Julai 2008 dan terpaksa dilanjutkan sebanyak tiga kali sehingga 31 Disember, 2010, kerana kontraktor utamanya menghadapi masalah kewangan, kenaikkan harga barangan yang digunakan dan masalah cuaca.

Bagi Pakej 3 juga, kontraktor sepatutnya membina ‘pelindung sungai’ atau river protectionbagi menghalang hakisan kerana projek itu merentasi lima batang sungai.

“Bagaimanapun, pihak Audit mendapati river protection di tebing jambatan lima sungai tersebut masih belum dibina. Keadaan tebing jambatan yang belum dibina river protection adalah di Sungai Layau dan Sungai Papan.

“Reventment Protection perlu dibina bagi mengelakkan hakisan tanah di kawasan yang telah ditentukan di sepanjang lebuh raya. Pihak Audit mendapati syarikat konsesi belum membina reventment protection di kedua-dua arah lebuh raya,” kata laporan itu lagi.

2011-10-26T00:02:00.003+08:00

Aidila Razak-mkini

Projek pembinaan Kem Muara Tuang, Sarawak yang eslesai pada Februari tahun lalu, masih belum lengkap dan beberapa kecacatan serta kepincangan mula terserlah, kata Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2010.

Menurut laporan itu, hanya 95.7 peratus berjaya disiapkan meskipun kerajaan telah membenarkan tiga kali lanjutan tarikh akhir untuk projek bernilai RM214.43 juta.

Pasukan audit juga mendapati kerja-kerja dijalankan tidak mengikut spesifikasi yang ditetapkan.

Antaranya, kayu yang tidak berkualti digunakan, kecaccatan kerja-kerja konkrit, kerja lepaan simen yang nipis dan bahan-bahan kalis air mula tertanggal.

“Berdasarkan pemerhatian tersebut, pihak Audit telah memberi teguran kepada perunding/kontraktor dan pada bulan Mac 2011, Tim Projek memaklumkan bahawa tindakan telah diambil oleh kontraktor untuk membaiki kerja tersebut.

“Sekiranya kerja yang tidak mengikut spesifikasi/tidak berkualiti yang dibangkitkan tidak diperbaiki, pihak Audit akan mengesyorkan kepada Kementerian supaya nama perunding dan kontraktor ini disenaraihitamkan,” petik laporan itu.

Kontraktor berkenaan Konsortium Jendela Hikmat Sdn Bhd (JHSB) juga didapati belum membayar bon pelaksanaan RM10.72 juta, seperti yang dikehendaki oleh Kementerian Kewangan untuk projek-projek yang bernilai melebihi RM200, 000.

JHSB, yang telah dianugerahkan kontrak berkenaan pada Mei 2006, memberi alasan seperti kenaikan kos bahan-bahan pembinaan akibat perkembangan ekonomi yang tidak menentu memberi kesan kepada nilai tanah yang dibangunkannya.Kos penjara naik tetapi saiz jadi kecil

Di Sarawak pula, pasukan Audit mendapati pemnbinaan penjara baru Kuching, yang bertujuan menggantikan penjara uzur di Jalan Penrissen yang dibina pada tahun 1882, hanya siap kira-kira lapan tahun selepas tarikh permulaan projek itu pada 6 Mei 1997.

“Pelaksanaan projek pembinaan penjara baru Kuching adalah tidak memuaskan kerana projek yang sepatutnya siap dalam tempoh 3 tahun 3 bulan telah mengambil masa 11 tahun 2 bulan.

“Selain daripada kelewatan pelaksanaan projek oleh kedua-dua kontraktor, proses pelantikan kontraktor kedua untuk membaik pulih dan membina semula penjara baru telah mengambil masa 2 tahun 7 bulan,” kata laporan itu lagi.

Walaupun membabitkan kos lebih tinggi, namun saiz penjara telah dikurangkan daripada 103 blok ke 65 blok dan hanya mampu menampung 1,366 nbanduan dan kakitangan penjara serta bukannya, 2,665 seperti mengikut perancangan asal.

Laporan itu membidas kelewatan dalam pelantikan kontraktor kedua, sebagai antara punca kenaikan kos.

Proses untuk melantik TSR Bina mengambil masa dua tahun dan tujuh bulan, dan sepanjang tempoh itu struktur bangunan termasuk besi dan kayu yang digunakan mulai karat dan reput.

RM770,000 untuk bekalkan elektrik kepada satu rumah

2011-10-26T00:00:00.002+08:00

Nigel Aw- mkini

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) membelanjakan RM770,000 untuk membekalkan tenaga elektrik kepada sebuah rumah di bawah Projek Bekalan Elektrik Luar Bandar (BELB), dedah Laporan Ketua Audit Negara.

Menurut laporan projek BELB, dana itu sepatutnya bagi membekalkan elektrik kepada 17 buah rumah di sebuah kampung di Indera Mahkota, Pahang.Bagaimanapun lawatan audit ke tapak berkenaan mendapati hanya terdapat sebuah unit rumah di kampung itu.Dalam penjelasannya, TNB mendakwa ketika projek itu diluluskan, 17 rumah sedang dalam proses dibina tetapi akhirnya hanya sebuah yang disiapkan.“Pada pendapat audit kelulusan projek BELB di kawasan ini tidak memenuhi kriteria yang ditetapkan iaitu jenis rumah di kawasan berkenaan hendaklah merupakan rumah kekal dan didiami serta sesuai dibuat pendawaian elektrik.“Ini mengakinbatkan kerajaan mengeluarkan perbelanjaan berjumlah RM0.77 juta bagi membekalkan elektrik untuk sebuah rumah sahaja di kampung ini,” kata laporan itu.Laporan Audit 2010 juga mendedahkan bahawa TNB meluluskan projek bernilai RM65,193 bagi membekalkan elektrik kepada lima buah rumah terbengkalai di sebuah kampung di Bera, Pahang.Sehubungan itu, laporan berkenaan menilaikan prestasi projek BELB sebagai tidak memuaskan dengan hanya 43.2 peratus atau 16 daripada 37 projek yang disiapkan pada tahun lalu.

Tanah runtuh di Genting Highlands, lelaki cedera

2011-10-21T08:49:00.003+08:00

Seorang lelaki cedera ringan selepas bahagian hadapan keretanya dihempap tanah runtuh dalam kejadian di KM 13.9 Genting Highlands, Bentong malam semalam.

Jurucakap Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Bentong ketika dihubungi berkata dalam kejadian kira-kira pukul 11 malam, mangsa yang berumur awal 40-an sedang memandu berseorangan menuju ke tanah tinggi tersebut.

Beliau berkata mangsa dihantar ke klinik berdekatan untuk menerima rawatan.

"Disebabkan kejadian itu, jalan selepas check point pertama itu terpaksa dilencongkan," katanya.

Tanah runtuh berlaku akibat hujan lebat sejak petang semalam membabitkan laluan menuju ke arah Genting Highlands dan ia tidak menjejaskan pergerakan trafik di sekitar kawasan terbabit.
- Bernama

TRC Synergy, partner clinch RM318m Brunei airport project

2011-10-15T10:50:00.004+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: TRC Synergy Bhd and its partner have clinched a RM318.90-million contract from the Brunei authorities to modernise the Brunei International Airport terminal.

TRC said on Friday, Oct 14 its unit Trans Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd had received the letter of acceptance from the Brunei Economic Development Board for the project. The project was tendered by the unit and partner Swee Sdn Bhd.

“The commencement date of the project shall be the date of the signing of the contract agreement and the project shall be completed within 36 months of the commencement date,” it said.

TRC said the project would contribute positively to the earnings and earnings per share of the TRC Group in the future.

By Joseph Chin of theedgemalaysia.com

World's Top Revolving Restaurants

2011-10-15T10:42:00.000+08:00

These revolving restaurants take the concept to new culinary heights.

By Brendan Spiegel

Perlan in Reykjavik, Iceland

Thorlakur Ludviksson-Hringbrot

Perlan: Reykjavik, Iceland

Built above a geothermal spring, Perlan serves a practical function—storing the city’s water tanks—and the indulgent one of fine dining in its giant glass dome. Enter, and you’re greeted by sweeping views of the deep-blue ocean and volcanic mountains surrounding Reykjavik. Get your fill of fresh local seafood such as sous vide smoked trout ($20) and, in autumn, a special wild game buffet ($73) of Icelandic delicacies like wild goose, reindeer, and puffin.

Heads Up: Strókur, a geyser right outside the restaurant, can provide quite the mealtime show, shooting white plumes of steam high into the air.

Top of the World in Las Vegas

Courtesy of Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower

Top of the World: Las Vegas

Every glittering light of the Las Vegas Strip can be seen from this 844-foot-high restaurant—the crown of the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower. The extravagant four-course tasting menu mixes classics such as lobster bisque and filet mignon with more inventive dishes like roasted miso Mediterranean loup de mer with shoyu ginger glaze, followed by crème brûlée and cheesecake lollipops.

Heads Up: Don't be alarmed if you see a person propel past your window—the new SkyJump thrill ride leaves from right above the restaurant.

Summit Restaurant in Sydney

Courtesy of Summit Restaurant and Lounge Bar, Australia

Summit Restaurant: Sydney

Red carpets, pink-tinged lighting, and sleek lounge furniture create a sultry vibe within this dining room, which revolves past the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and Olympic Park. Australian TV chef-lebrity Michael Moore put local reef snapper and pan-fried quail breasts on the two-course dinner menu ($89). For a more low-key meal, head to the Orbit Lounge Bar and pair an Aussie craft beer like Lord Nelson Old Admiral Strong Ale ($10) with small bites such as deep-fried whitebait—small and savory herring-like fish ($16).

Heads Up: On a clear day, you can see the lush Blue Mountains surrounding the city.

Drehrestaurant Allalin in Saas-Fee, Switzerland

U. Linder/Flickr

Drehrestaurant Allalin: Saas-Fee, Switzerland

The world's highest revolving restaurant is on top of a glacier 11,000 feet above sea level, reached by a remarkable alpine subway. A dozen of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps slowly swirl by as diners warm up with hearty Swiss-German fare like kalbsbratwurst (veal sausage) with hash-brown-like rösti ($32), and Älplermakkaroni: macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce with ham, bacon, potatoes, and stewed apples ($32). If you're still frostbitten, a glass of mulled glühwein wine ($9) should do the trick.

Heads Up: Look southeast toward Italy; if visibility is good, you can see as far as Milan.

Restaurant 181 in Munich

Courtesy of Restaurant 181

Restaurant 181: Munich

Chef Otto Koch's acclaimed restaurant inside the Olympic Tower was recently awarded its first Michelin star. Named for its placement 181 meters above ground, the restaurant has three airplane-esque options. In 181 First, the opulent eight-course tasting menu ($209) starts with langoustine tartare on a bed of sevruga caviar; 181 Business offers à la carte dishes like morel-crusted veal ($43); while the best value is 181 Economy's Sunset Menu, serving a three-course prix fixe ($52) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Heads Up: Don't get lost in the long view of the Bavarian Alps; one of the city's architectural triumphs, the canopied Olympic Stadium inspired by Alpine peaks, is directly below.

Top of the Ritz in Cape Town

Marcel Schwab

Top of the Ritz: Cape Town

Wedged in between the Atlantic Ocean and towering Table Mountain—with the new World Cup Stadium to the north and posh Camps Bay beaches to the south—this dining room showcases Cape Town's main attractions in one gradual revolution. The menu, meanwhile, covers traditional South Africa fare, dishes like ostrich carpaccio ($7) and a salad of biltong (beef jerky) and goat cheese ($7), plus plenty of wine from the vineyards of nearby Stellenbosch.

Heads Up: Robben Island, the offshore prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years, is immediately to the north.

SkyCity in Seattle

Robert Fried / Alamy

SkyCity: Seattle

Atop the Space Needle, in the space that ignited the revolving craze decades ago, SkyCity remains the best place for panoramic views of Seattle, Puget Sound, and snowcapped Mount Rainier. Fortunately, the menu is not stuck in the '60s. Chef Jeff Maxfield puts creative twists on Northwest classics, from Dungeness crab cakes with apple-fennel slaw and herbed aioli ($13) to grilled wild king salmon with blueberry butter, wilted pea vines, and micro herbs ($47).

Heads Up: It's hard to beat a multicolored sunset over the Olympic Mountains across the sound.

Restaurant Näsinneula in Tampere, Finland

Courtesy of Nasinneula Restaurant

Restaurant Näsinneula: Tampere, Finland

A hundred miles north of Helsinki, this 550-foot lakefront tower in quaint Tampere is hardly a tourist trap; its restaurant is consistently mentioned as one of the best in Finland. Local, seasonal ingredients such as just-picked morel mushrooms in spring or vendace roe from Lake Näsijärvi (right outside the windows) in winter are incorporated throughout the menu. You'll just have to trust that some items—such as parfait of white chocolate with juice of sea buckthorn shrub ($16)—are more delicious than they sound.

Heads Up: When the seasons change in October, the red-orange-yellow leaf-peeping here is as good as in Vermont.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40766329

Pindaan Akta Perumahan dapatkan hak milik strata

2011-10-12T23:50:00.000+08:00

Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan akan meminda Akta Hak Milik Strata 1985 dan Akta Bangunan dan Harta Bersama 2007 bagi melindungi kepentingan pembeli harta.

Menteri berkenaan, Datuk Chor Chee Heung, berkata pindaan akta perumahan sedia ada itu bertujuan mewajibkan pemaju membuat permohonan bagi mendapatkan hak milik strata bangunan dalam tempoh enam bulan selepas surat perjanjian jual beli (SNP) ditandatangani.

"Pindaan itu juga membolehkan sijil terbabit (hak milik strata) dapat diperolehi serentak ketika pembeli rumah menerima semua dokumen pembelian yang berkaitan termasuk sijil layak menduduki (CFO).

"Buat masa ini, pemaju memang tidak wajib membuat permohonan mendapatkan hak milik strata bangunan selepas menandatangani perjanjian SNP, kini selepas CFO dikeluarkan baru mereka memohon," katanya ketika menjawab soalan Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAS-Kota Raja) di Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.

Menjawab soalan tambahan daripada Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau) mengenai tindakan ke atas kerajaan negeri khususnya di bawah pentadbiran pembangkang yang menyebabkan rumah mesra rakyat atau rumah untuk golongan kurang berkemampuan terbengkalai, Chor berkata pihaknya akan mengambil tindakan susulan sekiranya menerima aduan.

"Setakat ini kementerian tidak menerima laporan skim perumahan rakyat di Pulau Pinang atau Kelantan yang terbengkalai dan sekiranya mereka mengemukakan aduan baru kita boleh siasat mengapa kerajaan atau majlis tempatan di negeri berkenaan tidak mengeluarkan CFO.

"Kalau ia berpunca daripada masalah politik, ia memang tidak boleh diterima langsung, tetapi kalau ada masalah lain mungkin kita akan cuba selesaikannya secepat mungkin," katanya.

- Bernama

Sungai Besi re-development still in secrecy

2011-10-12T23:45:00.001+08:00

Harakahdaily

Oct 12: The BN government's continued silence over development plans for the Sungai Besi airbase linked to flamboyant billionaire Taek Jho Low has been questioned by a PAS member of parliament.

"Najib’s administration has clearly ignored the people’s concern from the start when he transferred the airbase which has strategic values and history to the 1Malaysia Development Fund (1MDB),” Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub (right) told Harakahdaily today.

The project, which is said to be awarded to Jho Low, has been part the the Budget's second rolling plan as detailed in the 10th Malaysia Plan.

According to Salahuddin, there had been no answer forthcoming on the transfer which was shrouded in secrecy, and linked with 1MDB’s controversial cash investment of RM3.5 billion in PetroSaudi International Limited and UBG Berhad, of which Jho Low was a director.

"The people are questioning whether there is need to involve so many foreign companies like Mubadala Development Company and Qatar Investment Authority as developers of the project when local companies are equally capable,” said the PAS vice president.

Urging the government to come clean over the deal, Salahuddin said such deals proved that the 2012 budget was focused more on "Jho Low-type projects" than to solve people's hardship.

“No wonder the prime minister's wife was so interested with the budget,” he remarked, referring to Rosmah Mansor’s presence at a high profile closed door meeting in the treasury before the tabling of the budget by Najib Razak last Friday.

Last month, Jho Low (pic above, right) said Rosmah (pic above, left) was not his godmother but just a close friend.

Leaning tower of London? Big Ben is tilting

2011-10-11T11:41:00.000+08:00

LONDON (Reuters) - British landmark Big Ben is leaning to such an extent that the tilt can now be clocked with the naked eye, according to a report commissioned by London Underground and the Parliamentary Estates Department.

The 96 meter (yards) high clock tower of the Houses of Parliament-- known colloquially as Big Ben, the name of the great bell it houses -- is sinking unevenly into the ground, causing it to lean toward the northwest.

"The tilt is now just about visible. You can see it if you stand on Parliament Square and look east, toward the river. I have heard tourists there taking photographs saying 'I don't think it is quite vertical' - and they are quite right," emeritus professor and senior research investigator at Imperial College, London, John Burland, told the Sunday Telegraph.

The level of the tilt has accelerated since 2003, increasing to 0.9 mm a year, compared to the long-term average rate of 0.65 mm a year, the report revealed.

These levels are not considered to be unsafe.

"If it started greater acceleration, we would have to look at doing something but I don't think we need to do anything for a few years yet," Burland said.

Years of underground developments have contributed to the clock tower's tilt, according to the report.

This includes the construction of an underground car park in the early 70s and an extension of the London Underground Jubilee Line, as well as changes in ground conditions.

The tilt has resulted in the formation of cracks in the walls and ceilings of parts of the House of Commons, including the Minister's Wing.

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is the site of Britain's House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The construction of the great clock tower was completed in 1858.

(Reporting by Alice Baghdian, editing by Paul Casciato)

http://news.yahoo.com/leaning-tower-london-big-ben-tilting-163801006.html

PERPUSTAKAAN BARU DI SEKSYEN 13 SHAH ALAM

2011-10-06T11:31:00.001+08:00

Bangunan yang anda lihat pada gambar di atas merupakan sebuah perpustakaan yang letaknya di Seksyen 13, Shah Alam. Jika anda pertama kali melihatnya, pasti anda tidak menyangka bahawa bangunan tersebut adalah sebuah perpustakaan kerana bangunannya yang nampak sangat mewah.

Perpustakaan tersebut bernilai RM70 juta dan baru sahaja dibuka sekitar bulan Julai lalu. Melihat keadaan dalamnya menerusi gambar-gambar kat bawah ni, boleh kami katakan yang ianya adalah sebuah perpustakaan di Malaysia yang bertaraf dunia. Ya, bertaraf dunia. Anda lihatlah sendiri.

Info tambahan:

- Perpustakaan ini merupakan hadiah Sultan Selangor kepada rakyat Selangor.

- Menyediakan perkhidmatan XD theater / 6D theater.

- Menyediakan ruangan khas untuk setiap peringkat umur.

- Dilengkapi dengan ruangan bermain untuk kanak-kanak.

- Semua komputer yang disediakan di perpustakaan ini berjenama Apple.

Taj Mahal could collapse within 5 years

2011-10-06T01:00:00.000+08:00

Daily Mail

AGRA, Oct 5: The Taj Mahal will collapse within five years unless urgent action is taken to shore up its foundations, campaigners warn.

The 358-year-old marble mausoleum is India’s most famous tourist attraction, bringing four million visitors a year to the northern city of Agra.

But the river crucial to its survival is being blighted by pollution, industry and deforestation.

Campaigners believe the foundations have become brittle and are disintegrating.

Cracks appeared last year in parts of the tomb, and the four minarets which surround the monument are showing signs of tilting.

The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan, who was grief-stricken by the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in childbirth.

It is India's most famous tourist attraction, with around four million visitors a year.

Its romantic image has attracted film stars and royalty, including Princess Diana, who posed in front of the building after the break down of her marriage to Prince Charles.

A campaign group of historians, environmentalists and politicians say time is running out to prevent a 'looming crisis'.

Ramshankar Katheria, the MP for Agra who is leading the campaign, said: 'If the crisis is not tackled on a war-footing, the Taj Mahal will cave in between two and five years.

'The architectural wonder of the world is losing its shine, and if this persists the minarets may also collapse since the wooden foundation - beneath the wells - is rotting due to lack of water.

'No one has been allowed to go into the foundations for the last three decades. If everything is fine, what have they got to hide?'

Professor Ram Nath, a historian who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Taj, said: 'The Taj stands just on the edge of the river Yamuna which has now dried up.

'This was never anticipated by its builders. The river is a constituent of its architectural design and if the river dies, the Taj cannot survive.'

The Yamuna River has fallen victim to India's soaring growth.

Large numbers of businesses draw water from the Yamuna upstream of the Taj.

Pollution has increased as trees have been cut down to make way for new roads.

The trees also protected the city from the worst effects of regular dust storms which now blow over the Taj unimpeded.

Mr Katheria said: 'The Taj has been enveloped by a smokescreen of dust for the past few years.

'Every year, the water level is coming down by five feet, raising fears of turning the entire area barren.

'Besides, there is an acute shortage of drinking water in Agra. Around 70 per cent of the population is drinking impure water, and consequently suffering from several health hazards.'

The Taj is built on a raised platform on top of a hillock, which is based on wells underneath.

The four 40ft high minarets balance the platform, and are designed to tilt slightly outwards, to prevent them crashing on top of the tomb in an earthquake.

Mr Katheria said around £71million is needed to construct a barrage on the river.

Environmental campaigners also believe a tree-planting campaign and a water pipeline may improve the situation.

The sinking water level is also affecting India's capital, New Delhi, which is at risk of suffering water shortages.

The Indian government has set up body to deal with the Taj Mahal's preservation.

Officials connected with eight projects say the national and state governments are now working together to deal with the issue.

BB Awasthi, regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, said: 'These projects have been held up since 2003 for want of funds.'

He said he expected the projects 'would receive top priority treatment'.
harakah daily

Putrajaya ditches Chinese US$1b Pudu Jail plan for local developers

2011-10-06T00:46:00.001+08:00

By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor

October 05, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — The Najib administration has dropped a mainland Chinese developer’s US$1 billion (RM3.2 billion) redevelopment plan for Pudu Jail in favour of splitting the eight-hectare prime land into parcels to be developed by mainly Bumiputera companies, sources say.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Pudu Jail land owner, UDA Holdings Bhd, has been instructed by its shareholder, the Ministry of Finance (MOF), to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to oversee the redevelopment and carve up the land with two parcels to be given to Bumiputera companies and one to a non-Bumiputera firm.

“UDA Holdings received a letter from the MOF in July rejecting the Chinese bid despite a majority board decision to recommend their plan,” a source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to China’s Everbright International Construction Ltd’s bid.

A source said the eight-hectare piece of prime land will be split into three parcels under different developers. — vitruvianman.blogspot.com pic

UDA Holdings chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed confirmed the MOF directive but declined further comment. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is also the Finance Minister with Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah as the Second Finance Minister.

It is understood that the Pulai MP chaired an UDA Holdings board meeting yesterday to work out the terms of reference for companies interested in redeveloping the site, which became Kuala Lumpur’s main prison from 1895 until its formal closure in 1996.

“The board is working out the terms for the new bids and it will take some time,” another source told The Malaysian Insider, adding the requirements were set by the MOF.

UDA Holdings had recommended Everbright as its partner for the redevelopment after a shortlisting process had been completed with Everbright’s bid providing an integrated commercial and transport hub worth RM2 billion, three times the value of the land. The other bids from local companies were not impressive or gave similar returns, a source said.

The board had planned an integrated commercial and transport hub as the site is near the proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower, the Jalan Shaw Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, the planned Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and UDA’s own Pudu Sentral bus terminal.

The MRT and the Warisan Merdeka project, together with UDA’s proposed Pudu Jail plans, is part of Najib’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) under his New Economic Model (NEM) to turn Klang Valley into the Greater Kuala Lumpur economic district and Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

However, the MOF directive to split the land into three parcels under different developers could jeopardise UDA’s contribution to Najib’s plans, a source said.

He repeated that the government is facing pressure and lobbying from politically-connected local companies who were keen on taking part in the deal, citing the need to keep the iconic redevelopment in the hands of the majority Bumiputera business community.

The MOF had in July rejected UDA’s sale of 3.56 acres of prime land in downtown Kuala Lumpur to 54 per cent Bumiputera-owned Nadayu Properties Bhd, formerly known as Mutiara Goodyear Development Bhd, for not having sufficient Bumiputera holding.

While touting the ideals of meritocracy and the need to bring in more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country under the NEM, Najib has also taken great pains to assure the politically-dominant Bumiputeras that they will continue to have a major share of the economy.

He recently announced that 43 per cent, or RM8 billion, of civil engineering works in the MRT would be given to Bumiputera contractors after complaints that they were shut out of the pre-qualifying tenders by project operator Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana). Prasarana was the project owner until the Cabinet announced in August that an MOF company, MRT Co, will be the SPV owning the project.

UDA came under fire recently from Malay hardliners in Umno, Perkasa and Utusan Malaysiafor allegedly abandoning the Bumiputera agenda by not appointing Bumiputera joint-venture turnkey investors for the proposed Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) on the Pudu Jail site.

Nur Jazlan has denied these accusations, saying UDA has no choice but to be competitive as it no longer received any direct assistance from the government.

UDA, whose assets are estimated to be worth RM2 billion, is over RM900 million in debt. It also holds just RM90 million in cash with an outstanding RM104 million land premium for the Pudu site due last month.

malaysian insider

MB: 'Engineering fault' mungkin punca letupan

2011-09-28T23:11:00.002+08:00

Jimadie Shah Othman malaysiakini

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, beliau diberitahu, letupan di sebuah kompleks di Subang Jaya mungkin berpunca daripada 'engineering fault' dan tidak berkaitan dengan soal keselamatan.

"Saya diberitahu, ia (akibat) engineering fault, dan bukan berkaitan keselamatan," katanya.

Sehubungan itu, katanya, kerajaan Selangor akan memantau perkembangan insiden itu yang menyebabkan empat orang cedera.

Petang ini juga, katanya, beliau sendiri akan turun padang bertemua dengan pemilik dan penyewa di Empire Gallery, Subang Jaya.

"Kami memantaunya tapi tiada 'nilai tambah' yang kami boleh tawarkan. Perkara ini diuruskan oleh bomba, pihak polis dan juga pihak berkuasa tempatan Subang Jaya," katanya. dalam sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat exco di Shah Alam sebentar tadi.

Kejadian jam 3.40 pagi itu turut menyebabkan kerosakan teruk beberapa premis termasuk rangkaian cafe terkenal dengan bumbung dan kaca beberapa premis lain runtuh dan pecah.

Mereka yang cedera itu terdiri daripada dua pengawal keselamatan rakyat Nepal dan dua pelanggan rakyat tempatan yang masing-masing cedera di tangan dan kaki.

Sementara itu, bercakap dalam sidang media sama, exco perumahan negeri Iskandar Samad menafikan dakwaan bahawa tiada rumah kos rendah dibina sejak Pakatan menawan Selangor pada 2008.

Sebaliknya, tambahnya, sebanyak 12,009 unit kini dalam pembinaan dan 9,645 lagi telah mendapat kebenaran merancang untuk dibina (mesti dibina dalam dua tahun).

Menurut statistik yang diedarkannya kepada media, setakat ini seramai 13,436 rakyat Selangor di kesemua sembilan daerah di negeri itu masih menunggu tawaran setelah memohonnya sebelum ini.

Sebelum ini, MCA Selangor dilapor membidas kerajaan Selangor yang didakwa gagal membina rumah kos rendah di negeri itu sepanjang tiga tahun memerintah.

Pengerusinya, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai berkata, sedangkan di kawasan Parlimen Petaling Jaya Selatan sahaja, kerajaan BN telah membina lebih 6,000 unit rumah kos rendah sepanjang 10 tahun lalu.

Kulat serang JPA Cyberjaya

2011-09-14T01:42:00.000+08:00

Beberapa bahagian Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) di Cyberjaya kini membuka bilik operasi di ibu pejabat JPA Putrajaya berikutan pejabat-pejabat bahagian berkenaan diserang kulat yang dikhuatiri
boleh menjejas kesihatan manusia.

Menurut laporan Berita Harian hari ini, pejabat JPA di Blok A, Bangunan MKN-Embassy TechZone di Cyberjaya, Selangor, diserang kulat yang mengeluarkan spora hijau kekuningan.

Kulat tersebut dikesan di lantai dan dinding beberapa tingkat blok berkenaan selepas kakitangan kembali bertugas setelah bercuti panjang sempena sambutan Aidilfitri baru-baru ini.

Antara bahagian yang ditempatkan di blok itu ialah Unit Audit Dalaman, Bahagian Saraan, Bahagian Pengurusan Psikologi, dan Bahagian Pengurusan Maklumat.

JPA dalam satu kenyataan hari ini berkata warga JPA kini diarah bekerja dari rumah dan melaksanakan tugas seperti biasa, dan tidak 'diarah bercuti' seperti dilaporkan.

Warga JPA juga dikehendaki meningkatkan komunikasi berterusan menerusi penggunaan teknologi, komunikasi dan maklumat (ICT), e-mel, sistem maklum balas di JPA dan laman sosial Facebook bagi semua urusan pelanggan JPA.

Pejabat JPA di Putrajaya menyediakan 15 talian khas untuk dihubungi bermula hari ini hingga 26 Sept. depan dari pukul 8.30 pagi hingga 5.30 petang.

Berikut adalah nombor-nombor telefon talian khas:

1) Bahagian Saraan: 0388853194/3201/3227/3232/3283/3072

2) Bahagian Pengurusan Maklumat: 0388853786/3807/3887/3896/3898/3899

3) Bahagian Pengurusan Psikologi: 0388853824

4) bahagian Audit Dalam: 0388853902/3903

- Bernama

Masjid China Rantau Panjang Re-visited

2011-09-13T16:12:00.001+08:00

Kunjungan ke Masjid China Rantau Panjang pada hari Ahad 11/9/11 yang lepas cukup mengecewakan saya sebagai seorang 'builder'. Apa tidaknya, sambutan awal yang diterima adalah dari tembiok yang retak dan kesan karat air yang tak terbela. Melangkah masuk kedalamnya, hati semakin kecewa dengan pelbagai kecacatan baru dan lama yang tidak diberi perhatian. Antaranya ialah kebocoran bumbung, kepudaran cat dan kecacatan hasil dari kecacatan lain seperti penimbunan bahan pada grating longkang akibat dari kecacatan bumbung.

Mulut malas nak berkata2, tangan malas nak menaip. Dipaparkan sedikit dari gambar yg merakamkan antara kecacatan tersebut. Apakah Masjid ini tiada kontraktor pembersihan atau adakah pihak pentadbir masjid ini tidak puya dana yang mencukupi untuk menguruskannya? Entahlah, yang pasti: kecacatan yg sedikit jika dibiar berterusan akan menjadi satu kemusnahan.

Oleh itu pihak yang berwajib haruslah membuka mata tentang isu ini. Sementelah lagi, masjid ini adalah unik dari segi binaannya. Juga, masjid ini adalah satu2nya masjid yang dibina di bawah pemerintahan Tuan Guru Nik Aziz Nikmat. Sayang sekali sekiranya khazanah ini tak dipelihara sebaiknya.

lantai yang basah mengakibat kan jubin berkarat (stained)

Fascia board yang berkulapuk

stained tiles

decolourise of precast handrail

hi-ceiling not maintained

kebocoran dari bumbumg menyebabkan permaidani terpaksa di alas dengan plastik

decolourise of timber panel

decolourise of architectural/deco items

pengumpulan bahan terlarut akibat dari kebocoran pada bumbung

Majlis agama N9 bina menara RM50 juta

2011-09-06T17:45:00.000+08:00

Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (Mains) akan membina sebuah menara setinggi 15 tingkat dengan kos dianggarkan berjumlah RM50 juta di kawasan seluas 0.77 hektar di Jalan Taman Bunga di Seremban.

Setiausaha Mains, Kamal Amran Kamarudin berkata menara tersebut yang akan dinamakan sebagai Kompleks Mains akan memusatkan pengurusan berkaitan hal ehwal agama Islam di Negeri Sembilan di bawah satu bumbung.

"Kompleks Mains ini akan menempatkan pejabat Baitulmal Negeri Sembilan, Pusat Zakat Negeri Sembilan, Mains Holding dan anak syarikat milik Mains, Jabatan Mufti Negeri Sembilan dan sebahagian daripada Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan.

"Manakala Bank Islam akan menjadi penyewa utama menara ini," katanya kepada Bernama hari ini.

Beliau berkata 13 tingkat menara berkenaan adalah untuk blok pejabat manakala satu tingkat untuk parkir dan satu tingkat lagi sebagai podium.

Kamal Amran berkata selain dataran untuk mengadakan pelbagai acara, antara kemudahan lain yang terdapat ialah kemudahan tempat makan dan gerai membeli-belah.

"Kerja-kerja tanah dan meroboh bangunan sedia ada kini sedang dilaksanakan. Menara ini akan mula dibina pada hujung tahun ini dan mengikut rancangan, ia dijangka siap pada tahun 2013," katanya.

Beliau berkata pembiayaan menara tersebut datang dari dana sumber am iaitu hasil dari pelaburan saham, projek kuari dan ladang milik Mains.

"Ini bermakna, menara ini dibiayai sebahagiannya daripada pinjaman bank dan sebahagian lagi dari dana sumber am Mains," katanya.

- Bernama

Kaji penggera kebakaran bangunan tinggi - Exco Selangor

2011-09-05T15:24:00.000+08:00

Harakahdaily

SHAH ALAM, 5 Sept: Kerajaan negeri Selangortelah mengarahkan semua pesuruhjaya bangunan di pihak berkuasa tempatan agarmenyemak keberkesanan sistem perlindungan kebakaran ( fire protection system )di pemajuan mereka.

Arahan ini dikeluarkan oleh Iskandar Abdul Samad Exco Perumahan, PengurusanBangunan Dan Setinggan Negeri Selangor ekoran kebakaran di Grandeur Tower,Pandan Indah baru-baru ini.

Antara isu yang diperbincangkan ekoran kebakarandi bangunan tinggi ini adalah sistem penggera kebakaran yang tidak berfungsisebagaimana sepatutnya.

"Pesuruhjaya Bangunan Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya ( COB MPAJ ) akandiarah untuk melakukan satu siasatan terhadap kebakaran yang berlaku diPangsapuri Grandeur Tower pagi tadi," kata Iskandar yang juga AdunChempaka dalam satu kenyataannya.

Kebakaran tersebut telah memusnahkan dua unit kediaman di tingkat paling atasiaitu tingkat 16.

Dalam lawatan beliau ke tempat kejadian sejurus selepas api dapat dipadamkan,aduan-aduan berikut telah diterima dari pelbagai pihak,

1. Para penghuni mengadu tidak ada sebarang penggera kebakaran (fire alarm)yang berbunyi. Mereka hanya bergegas turun meninggalkan bangunan tersebutapabila mendengar jeritan penghuni-penghuni lain.

2. Pihak Bomba telah memaklumkan kenderaan mereka yang mempunyai 'skylift'tidak dapat memasuki kawasan pangsapuri tersebut. Perkara ini berlaku keranalaluan yang sempit ke laluan masuk pangsapuri itu dan kanopi yangdipasang.

"Kita bernasib baik kerana kebakaran ini tidak mengorbankan nyawa. Walaubagaimanapun satu siasatan terperinci perlu dilakukan kerana kita mungkin tidakakan bernasib baik di masa-masa akan datang," kata Iskandar.

Bagi beliau, perkara-perkara yang melibatkan keselamatan penghuni tidaksepatutnya dipandang ringan.

"Saya turut akan mengarahkan COB di seluruh negeri Selangor untukmengarahkan semua JMB, MC atau ejen pengurusan untuk menyemak keberkesanansistem perlindungan kebakaran ( fire protection system ) di pemajuanmereka," katanya.

Selepas 50 tahun, Singapura serah kemudahan loji air

2011-09-03T09:26:00.004+08:00

31/08/2011 4:30pm

JOHOR BAHRU 31 Ogos – Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar hari ini berkenan menyaksikan majlis penyerahan kemudahan loji rawatan air dan rumah pam secara rasmi oleh Lembaga Perbekalan Awam Singapura (PUB) kepada kerajaan negeri Johor.
Majlis menandatangani penyerahan dua loji rawatan air dan dua rumah pam milik PUB disempurnakan secara bersama oleh Pengerusi PUB, Tan Gee Paw dan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri, Obet Tawil di Loji Air Gunung Pulai di sini.
Turut hadir pada majlis bersejarah itu ialah Menteri Besar Johor, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman dan Menteri Sekitaran dan Sumber Air Singapura, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
Selain Loji Air Gunung Pulai, PUB menyerahkan Loji Air Sungai Skudai, Rumah Pam Tebrau dan Rumah Pam Pontian berikutan kontrak bekalan air selama 50 tamat antara PUB dan kerajaan negeri Johor di bawah Perjanjian Air 1961 hari ini.
Dalam ucapan pada majlis itu, Abdul Ghani mengucapkan terima kasih kepada PUB kerana mengurus dan menjaga semua kemudahan loji rawatan air dan rumah pam berkenaan dalam keadaan baik sepanjang tempoh perjanjian tersebut.
"Loji rawatan air Gunung Pulai adalah berkualiti tinggi dan kerajaan Johor bercadang meneruskan usaha baik PUB itu,” katanya.
Beliau juga berkata, kerajaan negeri menimbang untuk menaiktaraf semua kemudahan berkenaan demi menampung permintaan bekalan air bagi penduduk Johor Bahru dan Pontian. – Bernama

Silicon Valley billionaire funding creation of artificial libertarian islands

2011-08-18T15:34:00.001+08:00

By Liz Goodwin | The Lookout – Tue, Aug 16, 2011
Pay Pal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has given $1.25 million to an initiative to create floating libertarian countries in international waters, according to a profile of the billionaire in Details magazine.

Seasteading Institute city design (Anthony Ling)

Pay Pal founder and early Facebook investor

Thiel has been a big backer of the Seasteading Institute, which seeks to build sovereign nations on oil rig-like platforms to occupy waters beyond the reach of law-of-the-sea treaties. The idea is for these countries to start from scratch--free from the laws, regulations, and moral codes of any existing place. Details says the experiment would be "a kind of floating petri dish for implementing policies that libertarians, stymied by indifference at the voting booths, have been unable to advance: no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons."

"There are quite a lot of people who think it's not possible," Thiel said at a Seasteading Institute Conference in 2009, according to Details. (His first donation was in 2008, for $500,000.) "That's a good thing. We don't need to really worry about those people very much, because since they don't think it's possible they won't take us very seriously. And they will not actually try to stop us until it's too late."

The Seasteading Institute's Patri Friedman says the group plans to launch an office park off the San Francisco coast next year, with the first full-time settlements following seven years later.

Thiel made news earlier this year for putting a portion of his $1.5 billion fortune into an initiative to encourage entrepreneurs to skip college.

Another tech titan, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced in June that he would be funding the "Clock of the Long Now." The clock is designed to keep ticking for 10,000 years, and will be built in a mountain in west Texas.

http://my.news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/silicon-valley-billionaire-funding-creation-artificial-libertarian-islands-140840896.html

SP Setia to build starter homes priced from RM300,000

2011-08-16T15:00:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA - SP Setia Bhd's proposed purchase of 1,010.5 acres in Ulu Langat, Selangor, will see the property group more committed to building starter homes priced from RM300,000.

Last Friday, SP Setia announced its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bukit Indah (Selangor) Sdn Bhd, had entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Ban Guan Hin Realty Sdn Bhd for the proposed purchase of the freehold parcel for RM330.1mil or RM7.50 per sq ft.

The land, with a generally undulating terrain, is situated midway between Semenyih, Bangi old town and Beranang.

SP Setia said the proposed acquisition was expected to be completed during the first half of the financial year (FY) ending Oct 31, 2012.

According to president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, the plan for the land is for a mixed development.

“We are looking at offering starter homes starting from RM300,000 onwards. The target launch should be in the next 18 to 24 months as it will take us this time frame for planning and approvals,” Liew told StarBiz in an e-mail response yesterday.

He added that the buyers targeted would be those from Kajang and Semenyih.

Analysts are generally positive on the proposed land deal given the low land cost and its sizeable land area which is hard to come by these days.

ECM-Libra Research said in a note yesterday the proposed project was expected to tap into strong demand for attractively priced homes by first-time owners and other home buyers in the Semenyih-Kajang corridor.

“This project will generate a net profit of RM630mil based on an 18% net margin, over an estimated 8-year development period. We expect the project to be launched in FY13.

“While the land cost at RM7.50 per sq ft is relatively cheap, meaningful earnings contribution is only expected from FY14 onwards. Its revised net asset value is raised marginally by 17 sen to RM4.07 per share which indicates SP Setia is already fairly valued at current valuation,” the research house added.

An analyst from a local brokerage believes demand for the project would be strong given the captive market and the product mix.

“The project can expect to see a big captive market at its disposal that includes residents in Kajang, Cheras and the larger Klang Valley. With an estimated GDV of RM3.5bil, SP Setia's plan to replicate its highly successful Setia Alam township is a viable proposition.

“The affordable houses that include typical link houses in the region of RM300,000 to RM350,000 should have a strong following, given the severe shortage of such houses in the Klang Valley,” the analyst pointed out.

He said the project was expected to yield a high development margin of 30% based on a break-even cost of RM175 per sq ft and a conservative selling price of RM250 per sq ft.

“SP Setia remains our pick for the sector. It is embarking on an accelerated growth-cycle where a combination of strong pricing trends and value-accretive landbanking should fuel significant net asset value (NAV) expansion for the group.”

He said SP Setia was currently trading at an attractive discount of 29% to its NAV estimate of RM5.41 a share. The counter closed at RM3.84 yesterday.

“We believe it should be trading at par to its NAV estimate given its solid track record and very aggressive landbanking underpinning its strong valuation,” he added.

For the current financial year ending Oct 31, SP Setia is targeting sales of RM3bil, up from RM2.3bil achieved last year.

- The Star

All govt offices to keep air-cond temperature at 24ºC from now

2011-08-12T16:21:00.003+08:00

PUTRAJAYA - All government offices have been ordered to set their air-conditioner temperature no lower than 24 degrees Celsius to give nature a helping hand and to cut electricity bills.

The new regulation is expected to be implemented immediately although the circular on the matter will only be issued by the office of the Chief Secretary to the Government later this month.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chinsaid the order would be extended to the private sector by 2013.

He said a new Bill on energy conservation was being drafted to compel the private sector to follow suit.

“It will be tabled in Parliament soon and we are looking at 2013 as the implementation date for the private sector.

“For now, the secretaries-general of all the ministries who are also the officers-in-charge of the buildings under their ministries must ensure that the air-conditioner temperature is set at 24 degrees Celsius and above unless under special circumstances,” he told a press conference after attending a Green Technology and Climate Change Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

It was also attended by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas.

Chin said certain places like the ICUs and operation theatres in hospitals were, however, exempted from the ruling.

He said the meeting agreed that 24 degrees Celsius was a comfortable temperature for Malaysian climate.

“It is neither too cold nor too hot. In some countries, like China, they are required to set their (air-conditioner) temperatures at 26 degrees Celsius which is too hot (for Malaysia).

“So gone are the days when the ladies have to bring their shawls to the office,” he said, referring to the common scene in many government offices where women staff covered their upper bodies with shawls due to the cold temperature.

Chin explained that for every degree dropped in air-conditioning temperature, the power usage would increase by between 4% and 7%.

He was unable to provide exact estimates on how much the Government could save with the move.

However, he said the ministry's Malaysia Green Technology Corporation building in Bangi which had already imposed the condition saved an estimated RM600,000 to RM700,000 annually on its energy bills.

“Offices in Putrajaya spend between RM30,000 and RM80,000 a month on electricity and about 40% of it is for air-conditioning,” he said.

He added that the meeting also agreed that all bulbs in government buildings that need to be changed must be replaced with energy-efficient CFL bulbs or LEDs.

On Malaysia's commitment to reduce carbon emission intensity by 40% in 2020, Chin said the country has passed the halfway mark.

“To date, we have reduced intensity by 29.7 million metric tonnes and to meet the 40% target, we need to reduce it by 40 million metric tonnes,” he said.

- The Star

2011-08-10T12:15:00.000+08:00

Workers build a footpath around the vertiginous slopes of Shifou Mountain in China

Thousands of metres up the vertiginous slopes of Shifou Mountain in Hunan Province, China, a team
of workers, operating with hardly any safety measures, are building a footpath

The workers are building a plank road on the side of the mountain that, once it is finished,
will stretch for 3km (9843 ft) and be China's longest sightseeing footpath

48-year-old Yu Ji (above) is one of the workers and he has been working on high cliffs building such plank roads for more than 10 years. He comments: "Young people don't want this job, as it requires them to stay deep in the mountains for months or even years"

Yu Ji takes charge of the most dangerous part of the project -
drilling the holes to set up pipes to support the footpath

Building a plank road on Shifou Mountain is difficult because the
cliff stands vertical at 90 degrees, without any slope or alcoves

A finished section of the footpath

XAVIER: BUILD TEMPLES ONLY IF NECESSARY

2011-08-09T12:35:00.001+08:00

by RAM ANAND on 8 Aug, 2011

komuniti kini

Hindus should start building temples only if it would benefit the local community and not to serve the interests of few individuals alone, said Selangor state exco Dr Xavier Jeyakumar recently.

“People don’t come to temples to see the person who has built the temple, but rather to pray to God, and temple leaders should bear that in mind,” he said during the inaugural congress for Hindu temple associations from all over Selangor yesterday.

Xavier was addressing over 1,000 leaders and representatives from temples all over Selangor in a first-of-its-kind congress that was meant to address and engage temple leaders on issues that plague Hindu temples in the state.

Xavier was referring to the mushrooming of unregistered temples, also stressing on the necessity of proper paperwork before building temples.

“If a temple is unregistered and was built on a land that was not gazetted exclusively for the temple, then we have to implement the law and take measures to demolish the temple,” he warned.

“There is not enough land in Selangor. We also need to allocate spaces for churches, Gurdwaras, and Chinese temples. So I urge the people to ponder whether a temple is really necessary in a place before proceeding to build it,” he said.

The congress was held in light of controversies surrounding the demolition and relocation of Hindu temples, the erection of small shrines under trees and also the trend of building private ‘family temples’.

Xavier admitted that he does not know the exact count of temples in Malaysia, with a majority of them still believed to be unregistered.

“When I first assumed office in March 2008, I was surprised to know that there were no documents whatsoever on the Hindu temples in Malaysia. Only after I sent the registration forms to temples around Selangor and over 500 of them have registered so far,” he explained.

“All the temple committees are obliged to explain to the authorities and also to the people who contribute on how they utilize the funds that they get from both parties.”

Xavier’s reminder that temples should be built according to the law was echoed by Malaysia Hindu Sangam deputy president V Kandasamy.

“Temples should have a functioning organization and they should always collaborate closely with the local councils and authorities,” he said.

Kandasamy however stressed that temples should not remain as temples alone.

“Gone are the days when temples are used for prayer purposes alone. Temples serve the role of morally educating the society in its vicinity, so temples should also operate as community centers.”

Kandasamy also announced the introduction of a 1 Hindu 1 Ringgit scheme which is set to be launched by the Malaysia Hindu Sangam later this month.

“This scheme will see each Hindu donating RM1 per month to MHS, which would mean that every individual could contribute RM12 per year. This would amount to roughly RM 1.5 million a year, which will be used to maintain temples and to boost religious programs.”

The attendees were handed a complete manual on how allocations are provided for religious entities within the state law and how Hindu temple leaders can register their temples with the state government.

MHS will be holding a nationwide gathering of temple leaders scheduled for December 18 this year, and Xavier had announced on the stage that the Selangor government is ready to sponsor the event for MHS.

The congress was also attended by fellow Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu, Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan and Senator S Ramakrishnan.

When to break Ramadan fast at the top of the world?

2011-08-08T15:38:00.001+08:00

The National

DUBAI, Aug 8: Muslims who live high up in the Burj Khalifa (pic) will have to wait a little longer than everyone else to break their fast during Ramadan, according to a new religious edict.

Ina fatwa released over the weekend, the Grand Mufti of Dubai called uponMuslims living in skyscrapers, particularly those in the world'stallest tower, to adjust their fasting and prayer times according towhat floor they call home.

Dr Ahmed Al Haddad, who is also thehead of the Ifta centre at the Islamic Affairs and CharitableActivities Department, said the Burj Khalifa, at more than 828 metrestall with 160 storeys, must be divided into three different times foriftar, or the breaking of the fast. He said the three segments arebased on when the actual sun set is "visible" to a tenant.

"Regardlessof where you are, you need to pay attention to the actual sun set," DrAl Haddad said. "You are not to break your fast until the sun sets, andyou can actually see that sun set."

Those living on the lowerfloors of the Burj Khalifa, 80 and below, are to break their fast atthe same time as everyone else — when the call for Maghreb prayers atsunset is broadcast across the Dubai mosques on TV, or can be heardfrom the nearest mosque in the neighbourhood.

For those livingon floors between 80 and 150, starting at about 414 metres high, theiftar time is delayed two minutes after the muezzin calls for Maghrebprayer. These residents are also to start praying the following Eshaprayer two minutes after the call for that prayer, and two minutesbefore the call for Fajr prayers at dawn.

For those living onfloor 150 and above, or from 800 metres and above, residents must delaytheir iftar by three minutes, as well as their Esha prayer. The ruleapplies to Fajr prayers also, which are to begin three minutes earlierthan the call for prayers.

These rules should also be a guideduring Suhoor time, when Muslims stay up at night to pray, and whenthey eat their last meals before they start their Imsak, withholding,and begin their fast with sun rise.

The ruling is based on thebasic premise that the higher you are, the longer it takes for you tosee the sun set because your field of vision is farther the higher yougo.

The religious edict also applies to locations even higher up than any built structures.

"Evenif you are on a plane, you should break the fast according to when theactual sun sets over the area you are flying," said Dr Al Haddad. "Youshouldn't break it if the sun is shining brightly where you are andhasn't set."

Mohammed Badr, who lives on the 61st floor of the Burj Khalifa, said he was "surprised" that elevation made a difference.

"Itwould never cross my mind that where someone lives in a high-risebuilding would make a difference in fasting," said the 37-year-old fromEgypt.

Since he lives below the 80th floor, he will break his fast with everyone else.

"The last two minutes before breaking a fast are tough, so I do feel bad for those living higher up," he said.

Otherfatwas released this Ramadan include allowing women to use pills thatdelay menstruation for the duration of Ramadan so they can fast theentire month without having to make up for missing days.

"Aslong as there is no hazardous effect on the body itself, women areallowed to use this pill to help them fast the whole month withoutinterruptions," said the fatwa.

Women are exempted from fasting on the days they menstruate, but then they have to make up for those days after Ramadan.

Anotherfatwa ruled in previous Ramadans reiterated that using specialisednicotine patches is allowed for fasting smokers, as it doesn't break afast.

Both these fatwas mention the importance of "the intention" behind any decision taken during Ramadan.

Besidesfasting-related rulings, there are rulings related to charity, with thelatest reminding Muslims of their "duty" to help other Muslim nationsthat may be struggling, with Somalia named specifically. The rulingencourages donations through trusted agencies, like the Red Crescent.

Thereligious edicts are issued through the official Ifta or Fatwa centresin Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in response to people's questions about what ispermissible under Sharia law. The questions are either submittedonline, via text or over the phone.
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