Thursday, July 31, 2003

Senior cops sue two for defamation

The Star

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Yusuff and two senior officers have filed a defamation suit against two men who allegedly wrote a false and malicious letter against them.

They named Abdul Jalil Ayed and Said Hassan Said Idrus as defendants in the suit, which was filed at the High Court registry here on Tuesday.

The other two plaintiffs are Tawau district crime officer Deputy Supt Madang Usat and CID investigating officer Chief Insp Lee Ping Keong @ Mohd Farhan Abdullah.

The plaintiffs claimed that the two men wrote the letter at the Tawau Umno division office on Dec 24, and that the letter was faxed to CID Director Datuk Salleh Mat Som at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.

In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs said Jalil and Said Hassan had stated in their letter that there were 27 gambling premises in Tawau and that senior state police officers were receiving bribes from certain taukeh.

The plaintiffs said the letter had implied the officers were involved in criminal activities, were corrupt, dishonest and not fit to be police officers

Monday, July 14, 2003

Kota Kinabalu-Balikpapan link revives growth spirit

Source: New Sabah Times

Kota Kinabalu: When the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) was first formed n Davao City, Philippines in 1994, it was seen to be a “panacea” for the pain and hurdles in promoting greater economic integration among the member nations.

For two years, there had been silver linings with a myriad of Memoranda of Understandings (MoU) being signed that covered numerous areas such as airlinks, joint tour packages and trade.

But the sudden change in the economic tide in 1994 floored the push towards the implementation of well-places plans. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, the proposed joint development within the EAGA framework ran into snail’s pace.

Now, the uncertainty over the EAGA’s future is taking a back seat as the 1994 BIMP-EAGA’s spirit comes to the forefront. The inauguration of the first direct flight by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) from Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, Indonesia on July 4 has been a boost to this spirit. A day earlier direct flights between Kuching and Balikpapan were launched.

“The inaugural flight especially from here to Balikpapan was exciting. I was on the flight.. so I saw for myself the business potentials in East Kalimantan (Kaltim),” Datuk Ajit Galun, President of the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry told Bernama here yesterday.

“It (Kaltim) is a thriving province .. it has oil, gas, coal reserves, big plantations and many other natural resources. I think the prospect is there for joint venture business.”

Ajit was one of the members of the state’s trade delegation that flew to Balikpapan during the MAS inaugural flight. The delegation was led by Sabah Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Baharum Abdul Rahman.

In order to revive the activities within the BIMP-EAGA regions, communication especially an airlink was very important, Ajit said.

“During our visit to Samarinda (the capital of Kaltim), we were briefed at the Governor’s office. They had appointed several corporate figures to look for possible investments in agriculture, mining, infrastructure, tourism and forestry,” he said.

As a result of the direct air link, Sabah businessmen had met eye to eye with their counterparts in East Kalimantan with a view to fostering business cooperation. “We must remember that Balikpapan is the gateway to Kalimantan. In fact once we reach Balikpapan, we an move to other parts of Kalimantan by road or sea. That’s why we should capitalize on this to broaden our business sphere,” he added.

Ajit said the direct link also paved the way for easier movement of skilled labour from Kalimantan to Sabah. Apart from that, he suggested that cross-border trading between Sabah and East Kalimantan be properly coordinated to ensure the smooth running of joint ventures.

Ajit also called for the resumption of the Kota Kinabalu-Davao flight to activate trade particularly between Sabah and Southern Philippines.

“Of course, there are huge potentials and prospects for cooperation in trade and investment. But first of all, for the investors to dump their money in Southern Philippines, security must be in place,” he said. Meanwhile, Executive Director of Malaysia’s Malays Chamber of Commerce Sabah Chapter Mohamad Ghazali Mohamad Nadzir said the direct flight service between Kota Kinabalu and Balikpapan was timely boost to the slow trading activities within the region.

“We can no longer depend on local business opportunities, we must go beyond our territory in line with the globalization process. So we hope that HIMP-EAGA will prosper as planned in future,” he said.

BIMP-EAGA includes Brunei Darussalam, North Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Maluku in Indonesia, Sabah, Saraka and the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia; Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. - Bernama



Thursday, July 10, 2003

Dr Patawari Injured In Road Crash

July 10, 2003 20:28 PM

TAWAU, July 10 (Bernama) -- Sabah's Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk Dr Patawari Patawe, suffered serious injuries when the car he was travelling in crashed at km 21, Jalan Apas, near here, about 4am Thursday.

Patawari, 45, the State Legislative Assembly member for Merotai, fractured his ribs and right shoulder apart from suffering bleeding in his lungs.

One of his right fingers is broken, while his back is also injured.

Patawari's wife, Datin Kasmina Mana, 33, suffered cuts on her right leg. However, their daughter, Siti Nawar, 18, escaped unhurt.

Patawari has been admitted to Tawau Hospital where his condition is reported to be stable.

The driver of the Mercedez Benz car, Majid Amat, 30, suffered minor cuts on his head and hand.

Approached by reporters at the hospital, Majid said when the car reached a bend at km 21, it suddenly went out of control, skidded and overturned several times.

"It overturned several times before coming to a rest near a drain. I found Siti Nawar still seated in front and cushioned by the air bag but Datuk (Dr Patawari) and Datin (Kasmina) were not in the back seat," he said.

Majid said he crawled out of the car and found Dr Patawari and his wife, both of whom were stll conscious, lying near the road.

Dr Patawari was admitted to the hospital at about 5am.

Among those who visited him were Sabah Rural and Entrepreneur Development Minister, Datuk Nasir Tun Sakaran, and Youth and Sports Assistant Minister, Datuk Abdul Mannan Jakasa. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman has instructed the State Public Works Department to conduct a study on the causes of frequent accidents at the stretch.

He said he often heard about accidents along the stretch and some involved deaths.

"I hope a study can be done to identify the causes and find ways to prevent accidents," he told reporters after visiting Dr Patawari at the hospital.

State Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail and several assistant ministers also visited Dr Patawari.

Asked on Dr Patawari's condition, Musa said the medical officer told him that his condition was stable. "However, Dr Patawari and his wife have to be sent to Kuala Lumpur for further treatment," he said.

He said preparations are being made to airlift them to Kuala Lumpur on a Royal Malaysian Air Force plane at 8.30pm Thursday night.

-- BERNAMA

Saturday, July 05, 2003

MAS expands air linkages to Balikpapan

Utusan Malaysia
5-7-2003

KOTA KINABALU July 4 - Malaysia Airlines on Friday launched its scheduled service between Kota Kinabalu and Balikpapan in East Kalimatan as part of its efforts to expand air linkages in the region, particularly in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

MAS will operate twice weekly flights on Tuesdays and Fridays between Kota Kinabalu and Balikpapan.

MAS Senior General Manager, Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan, said that the flight linking Balikpapan in Indonesia was a vital step in its strategy to provide new air routes between Balikpapan and the Orient.

He said this at the sending-off ceremony at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, here on Friday.

"We hope this will be the catalyst for other airlines to fly into Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, adding the presence of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dragon Air, Trans Asia Airways, Uni Air, Eva Air. And most recently Australian Airlines that began services between Kota Kinabalu and Sydney effective June 30, 2003," he said.

MAS on Thursday launched similar flights between Kuching and Balikpapan.

Ahmad Fuaad said that MAS plans to open up Sabah and Sarawak to more domestic and international travel and for Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to eventually occupy a significant place on Southeast Asia's aviation map.

"This will bring added tourism revenues, whilst accelerating the states' economic development and integration in this region," he added.

On board the inaugural flight to Balikpapan was Sabah's trade delegation led by State Assistant Minister of Industrial Development, Samsu Baharum Abdul Rahman and local press headed by Sabah Journalists Association's Recreation sub-committe chairman Kamarudin Liusin.

Among the trade delegation were Sabah Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce, Sabah United Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Sabah Kadazan Dusun Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Sabah Manufacturers and Tawau BIMP-EAGA Business Council.