KUCHING: The due date for payment of the
second half year 2016 assessment rate is on 31 October,.
In view of this, the Padawan Municipal
Council counters at Kota Padawan will open this Saturday and Sunday to assist
property owners who wish to pay their assessment rates.
The counters will operate from 8.00am until
4.00pm including the lunch hours.
On normal working days, the counters at the
council are always open during the lunch hours.
Payment of the assessment rate bills which
are not overdue can be made at all the payment counters at DBKU, MBKS, SESCO,
KWB, STM and POS. Payments can also be made at all H & H Supermarket
Outlets here.
Ratepayers can also pay online by accessing
www.paybillsmalaysia.com or via the Padawan Municipal Council website
http://www.mpp.gov.my.
In addition, payment of the current year
and overdue assessment rate bills can be made at the Urban Transformation
Centre (UTC) at Jalan Bukit Mata here which is open daily from 8.30am until
8.00pm.
The 2016 assessment rates for residential
properties paying an annual assessment rates of RM700.00 or below have been
reduced.
Ratepayers, who are unsure of the amount of
assessment rates they need to pay for the second half of 2016 or have not
received their assessment rate bills or have mislaid their assessment rate
bills are requested to contact or come to the Rating and Valuation Division of
Padawan Municipal Council at Kota Padawan. All telephone enquiries can be
chanelled to 082-615566.
A surcharge of 1% per month or part thereof
will be levied if payment of rates is made after 31 October, 2016.
KUCHING: Padawan Municipal Council (PMC)
has announced that the due date for payment of the second half year 2016
assessment rate is on 31 October.
PMC
secretary Andrew Joris Noyen said the counters at PMC’s office at Kota Padawan
here would be opened this Saturday and Sunday (29 and 30 Oct) to assist
property owners who wished to pay their assessment rates.
He
said the counter would operate from 8am until 4.00pm, including lunch hour, as
on normal working days.
“Payment of the assessment rate bills which
are not overdue can also be made at all the payment counters at Kuching North
City Hall, Kuching South City Council, SESCo, Kuching Water Board, Syarikat
Telekom Malaysia and Pos offices,” he said.
He
said payment can also be made at H&L Supermarket outlets in Kuching and
online by accessing www.paybillsmalaysia.com or via PMC website
http://www.mpp.gov.my.
In
addition, he said payment of the current year and overdue assessment rate bill
can be paid at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) at Jalan Bukit Mata, here,
which opens daily from 8.30am until 8pm.-Bernama
KUCHING:Batu Kitang Assemblyman, Lo Khere Chiang when commenting on the 2017
Budget said it was well presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul
Razak with poise and diligence.
“The
2017 Budget saw a slight increase from the 2016 Budget indicating a growth in
our economy amidst a drop in world oil prices which also affects our country’s
revenue.
“Our
Prime Minister’s budget is very people oriented judging by the increase in
allocations for village roads, street lightings, flood mitigation projects, new
hospitals and schools,” said Lo when interviewed via text messaging.
He
added that doctors’ salaries have also been increased which means that the
government is improving medical and health care for the people.
“The
best doctors will be retained in government hospitals to look after our people
which means that our people do not have to pay high medical fees in order to be
seen by good doctors.
“Even Chinese and Tamil schools are receiving
increased allocations in the 2017 Budget. It’s very liberal of Najib’s
administration to acknowledge the high quality of education provided by these
schools and the economic and social contributions of both Chinese and Tamil
schools in the country,” he said.
Lo
who is also chairman of Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) said that the only
reservation he has is that there is no mention of how much Sarawak will get.
“It’s a sensitive issue for the Prime Minister
but I hope that Sarawak and Sabah will be given a bigger portion of the
allocation for street lightings, water supply projects, village roads and
drainage as Sarawak lags far behind Peninsular Malaysia in these areas of
infrastructure development,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kedup Assemblyman, Martin Ben
commented that for housing, it benefits first time buyers, low income and
five-year rental for the newly employed.
“The
new housing budget is specifically to address the sky high property market. For
the BR1M, it will certainly help the targeted groups in the rural areas,” he
said.
KUCHING: State Assemblyman for Batu Kitang,
Lo Khere Chiang was pleased to find residents of RPR Landeh coming out in full
force to clean a park and their surrounding areas, yesterday.
In a
brief address, Lo said on weekends many people would prefer to spend time with
their families but he was glad that they had all come out to clean their
surroundings.
He
also urged the residents to throw their rubbish properly to prevent disease
outbreaks and become mosquito-breeding places.
Lo
hoped that the villagers would continue to look after the cleanliness of their
houses and surrounding areas.
KUCHING: A call has been made to Padawan
Municipal Council (MPP) to increase the frequency of inspection on roads in
areas under its jurisdiction.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public
Complaints Bureauchief, Cr Wilfred
Yap said council officials should also ensure that these roads would always be
in good condition and undergo regular maintenance.
Yap, in a statement yesterday, said he was
approached by residents from Kampung Semaba who complained about uneven road
surface and potholes in the vicinity of their neighbourhood.
Yap said following the complaints, he and
another MPP officials had gone to inspect and assess the situation.
“The problem there has now been solved. The
MPP Road Maintenance Division who have since filled up and resurfaced various
sections of the road affected in and around the neighbourhood,” he said.
SPCB is ready to lend a helping hand to
anyone facing problems but does not know how to deal with it.
Anyone requiring assistance can call SPCB’s
mobile number at 016-7797688 or 082-246999 or go to SUPP Head Office during
office hours.
Yap (second left) monitors the resurfacing and maintenance works in
Kampung Semaba.
Fatimah (left, first row) arriving at Kampung Lintang before the
ceremony, accompanied by Sharifah Hasidah (second left, first row) and
Dr Abdul Rahman (fourth left, second row) yesterday.
KUCHING: Tourist attractions along the river banks in the state will
lose their appeal if the communities living near have drug problems.
Reminding of the devastating effect of drugs, Deputy Chief Minister
Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said rivers should also be kept clean
by not throwing rubbish into them.
He gave an example of how drugs could destroy tourist attractions
along the Sarawak river such as the Kuching Waterfront and the other
side of the river.
“Just imagine if the villages near these places of interest have drug
problem and are listed as black areas. It would destroy the economy of
the locals who depend on tourists coming to their area for income,” he
pointed out.
Thus he encouraged anti-drug programmes to be conducted often in areas along the river banks.
Abang Johari’s text of speech was read by Women, Welfare and
Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah during the launching ceremony
of the ‘My Kempen
#PerangiDadahHabisHabisan/#KebersihanDanKeselamatan-Sungai’ organised by
the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) and other agencies, NGOs and
Kampung Lintang JKKK at the Kampung Lintang jetty here yesterday.
Adding to what Abang Johari said, she mentioned that most domestic violence cases in the state resulted from drug abuse.
“The rate of domestic violence in the state can be reduced if the
drug problem does not exist anymore. It is possible to have a family
life if family members do not get involved with drugs,” she said.
Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and
Telecommunication) Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Assistant Minister of Early
Childhood Education and Family Development Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman
Ghazali, Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang and AADK management
deputy director-general Datuk Jabidah Monseri attended the event.
Later, Fatimah led all guests of honour to raise the anti-drug campaign flag at the Kampung Lintang jetty.
KUCHING: Padawan Municipal Council
(MPP)has reduced the 2016 assessment
rates for residential properties with rates of RM700 or below in areas under
its jurisdiction of Padawan Municipal Council (MPP).
The
reduction in these assessment rateshas
been approved by theState Cabinet.
Effective 1 January, 2016, assessment rates
of RM50 and below enjoy 100% reduction, RM50.01 - RM100 (90%), RM100.01 - RM150
(80%), RM150.01 – RM200 (70%), RM200.01 – RM250 (60%), RM250.01 – RM300 (50%),
RM300.01 – RM350 (40%), RM350.01 – RM400 (30%), RM400.01 – RM500 (20%) and
500.01 – RM700 (10%). There is no reduction for assessment rates of above
RM700.
The due date for payment of assessment
rates for the second half of this yearis 31 October, 2016.
Ratepayers are urged to check with the
Rating and Valuation Division of MPP if they did not receive their reduced
assessment rate bills or are uncertain of the amount they have to pay.
For ratepayers, who have paid their 2016
assessment rate bills, especially the first half, based on the old rates, the
differencewill be credited to their
second half year bills.
Meanwhile, for those who have paid the
assessment bills for the whole year, the overpaid amount will be credited to
the 2017 assessment rate bills.
The payment counters at MPP open from
Monday to Friday (8.00am to 3.30pm).
The reduced 2016 assessment rate bills
canbe obtained from the Urban
Transformation Centre (UTC) Kuching which opens daily from 8.30am until 8.00pm.
Gluma (third, right) seen with other guests of honour on stage during a photo call before the start of the competition.
KUCHING: Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) Kuching branch has a
huge role to play when it comes to promoting the Iban traditional dance,
ngajat.
As a dance, ngajat is an icon of Iban culture and heritage and it
would be a sad thing if it is not preserved or promoted, said Sarawak
Dayak National Union (SDNU) vice-president I Dr Gluma Saban.
In his opinion, Sadia should take the lead in guiding other Iban
Dayak-related NGOs, associations and clubs in promoting and preserving
ngajat as the responsibility for the preservation and promotion of Iban
Dayak culture and heritage belongs to the community itself.
“Ngajat is such a beautiful dance and has been synonymous with the
Iban community here in the country. There is no reason why we shouldn’t
do anything to strengthen the development of our culture through
ngajat,” said Dr Gluma, on behalf of SDNU president Tan Sri William
Mawan, who officiated at the Solo Ngajat dance competition organised by
Sadia at the Christian Ecumenical Centre on Friday.
Among his recommendations for Sadia was that the association should
make the effort to persuade schools, especially in the rural areas, to
introduce ngajat classes for students.
Apart from that, Dr Gluma also reckoned that Sadia should set up
centres to groom more teachers to spread the knowledge about the art.
Learning ngajat should not be restricted to only learning the dance
moves too as it also involves understanding the culture that goes with
it, such as the costume worn while performing the dance and the music
used to accompany it.
“I gave these recommendations because like any Iban, I want to see
our culture and heritage preserved. I believe it will be further
empowered if all of us work together to make it happen,” he said.
During his speech he also announced a pledge of RM10,000 in the form
of MRP grants from Mawan for the purpose of helping Sadia Kuching branch
with their activities while Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang,
who was also present during the dinner, pledged RM2,000.
Six male and five female dancers participated in the competition which was divided into two gender categories – male and female.
Jeremiah Albert emerged the winner of the male category while Caroline Billy was the winner of the female category.
Also present during the event were organising chairman Philip
Sampurai, Sadia Kuching branch deputy chairman Peter Moni, SDNU youth
chief Churchill Edward Drem, Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA)
president Dr Dusit Jaul and Association of Churches Sarawak (ACS)
secretary general Head Elder Ambrose Linang.
The male contestant of the competition pose for a group photo.
KUCHING: Semenggoh Wildlife Centre is again in celebratory mood after
it was presented with a second bundle of joy, an orangutan baby
yesterday, barely three weeks after one was born on Sept 16.
Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) announced that Selina, 12, showed
up at the feeding platform in the afternoon of Oct 9 with her first
offspring.
Pregnant Selina was last seen on Oct 2 and when she returned to the
feeding platform on Oct 9, she had a male baby clinging onto her.
The management of Semenggoh Wildlife Centre believed that Oct 6 was the most likely date of birth of the new addition to the
centre. Mother and child look healthy and mother is eating well. With
these two births, the centre now has 28 free-ranging orangutans in the
forest of Semenggoh Nature Reserve where the centre is located.
Of these 28 orangutans, 17 were born at the centre. In fact, six
orangutans at the centre have given birth to multiple offspring at an
interval of about five years, whereas female orangutans in their
original habitat have been recorded to produce offspring at an interval
of eight years.
The rising population of orangutans at the centre speaks volumes of the soundness of its rehabilitation programme.
Considering that Semenggoh is not a natural habitat for orangutans,
it is a manifestation of the success of Sarawak’s orangutan conservation
plan. SFC has an Orangutan Adoption Programme for the public to adopt
an orangutan. An individual can adopt an orangutans for one year by
contributing RM200. Corporate adoption starts from RM10,000 per year.
Proceeds from the adoption programme are used to fund conservation
activities, particularly orangutan conservation.
Besides the Orangutan Adoption Programme, there is also the
‘Heart2Heart with Orangutans’ Programme at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and
Matang Wildlife Centre that gives participants hands-on experience in orangutan husbandry and rehabilitation.
KUCHING: Padawan Municipal Council (MPP)
reminded ratepayers that the due date for payment of the
second
half-year of the 2016 assessment rates falls on Oct 31.
In a press statement yesterday, MPP urged ratepayers to check with
the council’s Rating and Valuation Division if they have yet to receive
their reduced assessment rate bills or are uncertain of the amount they
have to pay for the second half of 2016.
The statement also noted that the 2016 assessment rates for
residential properties with an annual assessment rates of RM700 and
below has been reduced effective Jan 1 this year following approval by
the state Cabinet.
Ratepayers who have paid for the first half-year 2016 assessment rate
bill without the said reduction need not worry as any excess payment
will be credited to the second half-year 2016 assessment rate bill.
They will only be required to pay the balance of the second half-year assessment rate.
For those who have paid both bills or for the whole year, the excess amount will be credited into the 2017 assessment rate bill.
Ratepayers are urged to visit the Rating and Valuation Counters at
the MPP building at Kota Padawan here to get their reduced 2016
assessment rate bills.
Counters are open Monday-Friday from 8am-3.30pm, including lunch hours.
The reduced 2016 assessment rate bills may also be obtained at the
Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) at Jalan Bukit Mata here which opens
daily from 8.30am-8pm.
For further enquiries, ratepayers can call MPP’s Rating and Valuation Division at 082-615566.
KUCHING: The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) is facing an uphill battle cleaning up after litterbugs.
MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang said the council has been forced to
spend more time and resources to clean up affected areas under its
jurisdiction.
“Littering is becoming a challenging issue in the city, especially in
areas under the local council. We are spending more and more time and
resources to sweep and clean the affected areas. The environmental
impact caused by littering is accumulative. It does not only tarnish the
beautiful landscape but it can lead to public health issues as it
accumulates over time,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“I urge the public to refrain from littering, especially in public
spaces or even tossing litter out of their moving vehicles. Let’s
collectively be responsible and conscious of the way we dispose of
litter. Find a bin and put the litter into the bin. Every small action
will make a huge difference to our environment and health in general.”
Meanwhile, Trienekens senior manager (logistics and services) Sarius
Lee said rubbish bins, especially communal ones, are often misused.
“While there is still space inside the bin, some residents prefer to
leave their garbage bag outside of the bin or hung at the house fence or
gate. This attracts stray animals or pests and the bags are often
forced open, causing spillage. Smaller, light pieces of waste get blown
or carried away by the wind or stray animals, causing it to scatter and
dirty the surrounding location,” he explained.
He said while the company makes every effort to deliver efficient
services to all areas, public cooperation is necessary when it comes to
looking after rubbish bins and not littering or dumping waste
indiscriminately.
For more information about waste management services provided by
Trienekens, call the hotline on 082-612300 or report illegal dumping to
MPP on 082-615566.
Dr Sim (front row, 11th left) leads the cake-cutting ceremony to mark
SUPP Stampin sub-branch fourth anniversary celebration. Also on stage is
Lo Khere Chiang (front row, ninth left).
KUCHING: Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian has hit out
at the state Democratic Action Party (DAP) on claiming credit for
pointing out problems affecting the people.
He said DAP Sarawak should not resort to pointing fingers and making
irrelevant ‘noises’ (complaints); instead, they should strive to solve
the problem.
“If the DAP think they can do it better, why not they address the
complaints instead? Rather than pointing here and there, making noises,
why don’t they cooperate and work with us – work with the relevant
authorities?” he argued.
Dr Sim – who is Batu Kawah assemblyman – cited Stampin as an example
of a parliamentary constituency that had not seen significant changes
over the past five years because ‘some people just go about pointing
fingers’.
“The importance of political powers in the right hands is extremely crucial,” he pointed out.
“Stampin is an area where my late father Tan Sri Datuk Amar Sim Kheng
Hong, in the 1980s, fought for the illegal squatters to have a place
not just to call home but also for them to become land owners for the
first time. These are facts that should never have been ‘misrepresented
or misinterpreted’ through history,” he stressed.
Dr Sim was making these remarks in officiating at SUPP Stampin
sub-branch fourth anniversary celebration and also mid-autumn dinner at
Stampin Resettlement Scheme community hall recently.
On matters relating to residents’ complaints and infrastructure
improvements on the area, he pointed out that politicians were not
‘magicians’.
“The DAP cannot just point out a problem and expect us to make it
disappear or expect that we will resolve it immediately. We do things.
We resolve problems. We take proper action with the specific authorities
to solve the complaints and issues, but all these would take time as
there are protocols to be followed.
“Just because there’s a waiting time-frame, it does not mean that we
are not doing anything to resolve (problems) – it simply means that it’s
still in process,” he explained.
Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president,
underlined that most of the time works were in progress after the
councillors had gone to the ground.
However on subsequent days, the DAP members would point at complaint
sites and make ‘noises’ about how this and that had not been done or
completed.
“Let me remind the public that works are already in progress in terms
of paperwork and everything else; yet, the DAP takes advantage of the
situation by ‘pointing (fingers)’ just for the sake of a picture (on the
media) – probably to claim credit that they had been the ones making
noises and therefore, works were being done. That’s utterly undermining
of them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim took the time to thank the organising chairman of the BDC sub-branch/Sentosa branch chairman, Liew Zhi Kuang.
The celebratory event was also attended by Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo
Khere Chiang and political secretaries to the chief minister, Tan Kai
and Datuk Alfred Yap.
Dr Sim said he would be working very hard towards enhancing the
council’s management, stressing that no excuses would be acceptable.
He said he wanted works to be done at all cost – be it a switch of manpower or in management approach.
SUPP councillors and branch leaders in a photocall in front of their party headquarters. Dr Sim is at eighth left, front row.
KUCHING: About 150 people comprising SUPP councillors and branch leaders from across the state attended a one-day ‘Councillors’ Workshop’ at party headquarters here yesterday.
Their president Datuk Dr Sim Kian Hui said the workshop was meant to provide the councillors with clearer view and insight of their roles, broad range of responsibilities, code of conduct, practices and procedures as well as regulations and legislation to ensure better governance and outcome of services.
“The workshop enables the newcomers to have better knowledge and understanding of their roles and whatever that entails them to carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently,” he said when met before the party’s central working committee (CWC) meeting started.
Dr Sim said many councillors who have served for a long time were at the workshop to talk on various subjects and share their experiences with the newcomers to equip them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their role.
“I want to see all SUPP councillors to perform beyond the party and public expectations in accordance with the legislation.”
Among the speakers at the workshop were officers from the Local Government Ministry, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the various local councils.
Dr Sim also told the press that the meeting (yesterday) would discuss, among others, the Hudud issue following Malaysiakini’s report yesterday that Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said that BN had arrived at a consensus
regarding PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill seeking to amend Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355.
Tengku Adnan, however, declined to reveal what the decision was.
“I need to get clarification from the secretary-general (Tengku Adnan) as to what exactly have been discussed or agreed.
“We must make sure that the ‘consensus’ he discussed with Hadi Awang is the consensus arrived at during the BN Supreme Council meeting and not just an individual opinion,” he added, stressing the
need to be extremely cautious about the content of the consensus Tengku Adnan claimed to have reached with Hadi Awang.
Dr Sim said Sarawak formed Malaysia in 1963 as a multi-religious and moderate society with a single legal system.
“We are not against Islam but we are against Hudud in the Constitution because we believe in moderation and not extremism.
“When we formed Malaysia, we agreed to uphold the spirit of pluralism, moderation and multi-religious…so if they make changes to the Constitution, that’s not the original spirit we formed Malaysia,” he added.
If that was the case, Dr Sim said Sarawak had to review its position in the federation.
SUPP vice presidents Datuk Lee Kim Shin and Datuk Lily Yong, secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting, treasurer Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing, deputy secretary-general Temenggong Datuk Tan Joo Phoi and assistant publicity and information secretary Lo Khere Chiang were among those present at the meeting.
