6 theSun | FRIDAY JANUARY 30 2009

news without borders

Charged with submitting false document

by S. Tamarai Chelvi
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: A quantity surveyor
was charged with abetting a manag-
ing director in submitting a false docu-
ment for payment for construction
of the Kuching Prison Complex, at a
sessions court here yesterday.
Mohamad Hamid, 66, who was ap-
pointed by WMM Holdings Sdn Bhd,
allegedly abetted managing director
Wan Madzihi Wan Mahdza, who is
still at large, in submitting a false
“interim progress payment”, stating
the value of work completed as of
March 8, 2001 for construction work
and mechanical and electrical works
at the prison complex.
The claim for payment was
submitted although construction
was not completed as stated in the
document.
Mohamad Hamid is alleged to have
committed the offence at TZA Associ-
ates Sdn Bhd, No.61-2&3, Jalan 5/76B,
Desa Pandan on March 12, 2001.
He claimed trial.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin
Morais suggested bail be set at
RM7,000 with one surety. Mohamad
Hamid’s lawyer S. Theivanthiran asked
for a reduced bail of RM5,000.
Judge Rostiahanin Arifin allowed
bail at RM5,000 with one surety and
fixed March 30 for mention of the
case.
Meanwhile, Bernama reports that
at the Shah Alam sessions court, an
engineering consultant appointed by
WMM Sdn Bhd, also pleaded not guilty
to a similar charge, allegedly to have
been committed on March 13, 2001.
Azman @ Aas Omar, 55, was al-
leged to have committed the offence
at the office of Perunding Bersatu Sdn
Bhd, No. 9, Jalan SS 15/4 C Subang
Jaya.
Judge M.Gunalan allowed bail of
RM5,000 and also for the case to be
heard jointly with that of Mohamad’s
in the Kuala Lumpur sessions court.
DPP Kevin Morais prosecuted while
Azman was represented by counsel
Shahrul Amali Shafie. – Bernama

Muhyiddin: Retrain,
don’t retrench
KUANTAN: International Trade
and Industry Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin has urged
recruitment of skilled workers
would prove costly.
Asked about the retraining
Govt to allow
factories that have to reduce op-
eration because of the economic
downturn to avoid retrenchment
by embarking on a retraining
programme.
“We urge factories that
have to scale down operation
fund, he said: “ The Cabinet had
decided on a RM200 million fund
and are still gathering informa-
tion from the manufacturing
sector. We may use existing
funds and will go back to Cabinet
if more money is needed.”
Doing
right by
detainees
pg 14
shorter work week
KUALA LUMPUR: The government “However, economic conditions He also said there are no plans to
due to lack of demand for their He said the ministry was
will allow companies and factories are such that we sometimes have no retrain the workers as the focus is on
products not to retrench the monitoring the situation and
to shorten their operations to three choice but to cut back on employment firstly getting them compensation, and
workers but to retrain them until stressed that the retrenchment
days a week, provided workers were to keep afloat,” he said. then getting them new jobs.
the economy recovers,” he told of local workers be the last
agreeable to the move, Labour direc- From October last year to Jan 1, Last week, Human Resources Min-
reporters here yesterday. resort.
tor-general, Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim, about 10,000 workers have lost their ister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said
Muhyiddin said the govern- “Factories wanting to reduce
said yesterday. jobs in the country and more are ex- almost 45,000 workers, mostly in the
ment proposed to allocate a fund the workforce must ensure that
He said the government’s main pected to face the axe if the economic electronic sector, would be laid off.
for retraining so that factories Malaysians are the last to go.
concern was to ensure minimal job situation did not improve. Another 7,000 workers have been
could retain the workers until Foreign workers must be the first
loss and that companies continue to Ismail told theSun the majority of retrenched and they would be assisted
the economy recovers as the to be retrenched.” – Bernama
operate, albeit on a low gear. the 10,000 retrenched workers came by the government.
He said it was necessary for from the manufacturing sector, es- The government had proposed
employers to get the consent of the pecially the Electrical and Electronic that these retrenched workers be
workers, because if working days were (E&E) industry. paid RM500 monthly while waiting for
ing 0.2gm of heroin at Jalan Sultan at
reduced, workers would get less pay. He said his department’s focus is a new job. They might also get an offer
10.50am on Nov 4 last year. The sen-
briefs tences were to run concurrently from
the date of arrest. – Bernama
“It is the duty of the department to
ensure that workers are adequately
protected and at the same time,
on finding the retrenched workers
new jobs based on their skills and the
requirements of other companies.
to be retrained and acquire new skills
or improve on their existing skills.
However, according to Ismail, the
companies do not lose out,” Ismail The department does not have mechanics of the payment and train-
Stiffer sentence No chicken on menu told Bernama. statistics on how many of the 10,000 ing was still being worked out.
KUALA LUMPUR: The magistrate’s court KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Ismail felt that it would be ideal if workers were rehired because some The Malaysian Trades UnionCon-
yesterday slapped a repeat offender with (MAS) has removed chicken from its employers, workers and their unions of those who got new jobs did not gress has pledged full cooperation with
stiffer penalties after he pleaded guilty to inflight menu for flights out of China, could work together for their mutual report to the department. the government and employers to ride
drug possession and abuse. effective yesterday. This follows good and the good of the nation. Ismail said they are trying to get over these difficult times.
Magistrate Faizi Che Abu sentenced the government’s indefinite ban on Meanwhile, the Malaysian Employ- retrenched workers to accept new Its secretary-general G. Rajasegaran
M. Sangar to two years’ jail for possessing chicken imports from that country. ers Federation (MEF) is of the view jobs, with 14,000 vacancies at the said all affiliates had been informed
0.2gm of heroin, two months for injecting In a statement here, the airline that it is better for workers to take a service and retail industry, but several to extend cooperation and maintain
himself with morphine and three months said fish, mixed seafood and beef temporary pay cut than to lose their problems have cropped up. industrial harmony in their respective
for not carrying an identity card. would be served, depending on the job. “Many of them do not want to ac- workplaces.
“I am passing a stiffer penalty as you operating sectors. “As employers, we do not want to cept the new jobs as some of these Deputy Human Resources Minister
have not repented and repeated the of- However, it said chicken would lose our employees and will do our jobs require them to move to another Datuk Noraini Ahmad advised workers
fence for the fourth time,” said Faizi in remain on the menu for flights out of best to retain as many as possible,” state, and most of these workers have who are aware their companies are
passing the sentence. Malaysia, as the meat prepared here is assured MEF executive director Sham- families which makes them harder to folding up or facing imminent retrench-
Sangar, 37, was accused of possess- sourced from local farms. – Bernama suddin Bardan. uproot themselves,” he said. ment to contact the ministry for help.

EPAPIX

CLONED CANINES ...

TWO adipose tissue-derived stem cell Beagles – the world’s first – at the Seoul National University
in South Korea, yesterday. RNL Bio Co Ltd, a leading biopharmaceutical company specialising in adult
stem cell-based therapeutics, announced that the two puppies were cloned using stem cells from
adipose tissue (fat cells) from a Beagle donor.