Transfer of PJ mayor frozen, says Khalid

SHAH ALAM: THE Selangor government has frozen the transfer of Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman pending discussions with the Public Service Department (PSD) and state executive councillors.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who announced the freeze yesterday, said the state wanted to decide on the most suitable candidate for the post.

He said Roslan would continue to serve as mayor for the time being.

"Discussions have to be held with the PSD and state executive councillors so that we can select those who we think is suitable for the post," he said after launching Universiti Selangor's (Unisel) research colloquium 2012 here.

The PSD letter to the Petaling Jaya City Council dated Sept 27 stated that Roslan was transferred to the Selangor state secretariat as deputy state secretary I (development) replacing Datuk Noordin Sulaiman effective on Oct 1 (Monday).

Khalid said the transfer was legal but it could not be carried out at the moment, considering its timing.

"We will decided in one or two weeks... Usually transfers are done at the beginning of the year," he said.

"The PSD has every right (to transfer) but it also may have no right. It has a right to transfer (government) staff but it has no right on the position," he said.

In Petaling Jaya, Roslan said he had not received any new directive from the PSD and would continue to serve the Petaling Jaya City Council.

He acknowledged, however, that as a government servant, he was "transferable".

"It is up to the government to transfer me... I just take orders and I must serve the people," said Roslan, who has served the council for the past seven years as mayor, after launching the PJ City Food Bank at PJ8 yesterday.

PJ City councillor Derek Fernandez, meanwhile, insisted that Roslan was still the mayor as the state authority had not revoked his appointment.

He said the directive, decision or instruction by the PSD was illegal and ultra vires.

"The Local Government Act 1976 stated that the power to appoint the mayor is a statutory power vested exclusively in the state authority."

The PSD could not be contacted for comments.

NEW STRAITS TIMES

CUEPACS minta bonus sebulan dikecualikan cukai

PUTRAJAYA 1 Okt. - Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) hari ini memohon kerajaan mempertimbangkan supaya pembayaran bonus satu bulan gaji kepada penjawat awam dikecualikan cukai pendapatan.

Presidennya, Datuk Omar Osman berkata, langkah itu bagi membolehkan penjawat awam yang menerima bonus membuat simpanan, memenuhi keperluan semasa keluarga atau menyelesaikan hutang.

''Ini adalah sejarah dalam perkhidmatan awam apabila kerajaan bersetuju membayar bonus setengah bulan sebelum perayaan Aidilfitri lalu dan satu bulan lagi dibayar pada bulan Disember ini dan Januari depan.

''Kalau boleh bonus satu bulan itu, kami mohon dikecualikan cukai pendapatan dan ini tidak pernah dipohon tetapi kami harap dipertimbangkan oleh kerajaan," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas hadir pada sesi pertemuan dan perbincangan di antara Gabungan Majlis Presiden dan Setiausaha Kesatuan Kakitangan Universiti Malaysia (Gakum) dengan Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi di sini hari ini.

Pemberian bonus satu bulan itu diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semasa membentangkan Bajet 2013 bertemakan Memakmur Negara, Mensejahtera Rakyat: Sebuah Janji Ditepati di Dewan Rakyat, Jumaat lalu.

Dalam pada itu, Omar berkata, CUEPACS turut memohon agar kerajaan mempertimbangkan penjawat awam yang memohon untuk membeli rumah mampu milik yang diumumkan dalam Bajet 2013 itu dikecualikan daripada membayar deposit.

Beliau menambah, kerajaan juga perlu memastikan hanya penjawat awam yang tidak pernah memiliki rumah dibenarkan membeli rumah mampu milik itu.

''Kita mahu skim pinjaman perumahan itu seperti mana yang diamalkan oleh Bahagian Pinjaman Perumahan Kementerian Kewangan selama ini.

''Walaupun mungkin kadar faedahnya bukan empat peratus tetapi apa yang kita bimbang apabila penjawat awam mahu beli rumah itu, mereka dikenakan bayaran deposit dan itu yang kita tidak mahu," katanya.

Sebanyak 123,000 unit rumah mampu milik yang dirancang pembinaannya tahun depan terletak di kawasan-kawasan strategik termasuk di Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam (Selangor), Johor Baharu (Johor), Seremban (Negeri Sembilan) dan Kuantan (Pahang).

UTUSAN MALAYSIA

Poser in transfer of PJ mayor

PETALING JAYA: Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman has been transferred to the Selangor state secretariat as deputy state secretarty 1 with immediate effect.

Roslan said he had no problem with the transfer. He said he was issued a letter by the Public Service Department and his new position was not a promotion, but a lateral transfer.

"It is not like I don't want to go. But based on my visit to the Selangor state secretariat, my position is not vacant," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

He said a source told him that Selangor state financial officer Datuk Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman had been promoted and would be serving in a ministry.

"His position will be taken up by Datuk Noordin Sulaiman, who is the present deputy state secretary 1 (development).

"However, neither Arif nor Noordin had vacated their positions yet. I am supposed to replace Noordin, who was supposed to replace Arif. In my letter of transfer by the Public Service Department, I was supposed to start work today (yesterday)."

As such, he said he would continue to work as the Petaling Jaya mayor.

"Yes, I will be still reporting as the PJ mayor tomorrow (today)."

He is expected to launch the PJ City Food Bank at PJ8 today.

PJ City councillor Derek Fernandez said the directive, decision or instruction by the PSD was illegal and ultra vires.

"The Local Government Act 1976 stated that the power to appoint the mayor is a statutory power vested exclusively by the state authority.

"Any attempt to transfer the mayor by the PSD is a direct usurpation of the act. Once the mayor takes his oath, he ceases to be a mere civil servant. The short notice also shows poor management and is disrespectful to the local authority.

"The mayor is well liked by the Petaling Jaya community and we want him to continue his service."

Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman says he will continue to report to work as the mayor of Petaling Jaya

NEW STRAITS TIMES

Heart-breaking experience at Putrajaya Hospital

At about 9.30pm on Sept 17, my daughter had labour pains and the family rushed her to the Putrajaya Hospital, where she had been going for her pre-natal care and treatment.

After about an hour of registering her at the maternity unit, my daughter was told the wards were full and she could chose to either go to the Kuala Lumpur or Kajang Hospital to deliver her baby.

I argued with the nurses manning the counter they could put my daughter in the new maternity wing.

Instead, I got this reply: “The new wing is only for non-critical cases. It does not take acute cases.”

My daughter was delivering her second baby after 12 years and was considered a “critical case” along with those suffering from diabetes, heart ailments and other acute health problems.

I argued again these critical cases should be given priority to stay in the wards of the recently-opened new wing while the less or non-critical cases should be the ones advised to go to the distant hospitals. That makes better sense, I said.

But the Putrajaya Hospital staff were adamant. “We have our rules here. You can chose to go to KLH or Kajang Hospital and we will get an ambulance ready.”

They admitted, however, there were some empty beds at the new wing at that time.

We opted for Kajang and my daughter and another patient were taken there in an ambulance, while the respective families followed in a convoy.

By the time we registered her at the Kajang Hospital, it was past 11pm and she delivered her baby girl at about 1.30am on Sept 18.

The episode did not end there.

Five days after the baby was born, the child developed jaundice and, again, we went to the Putrajaya Hospital for treatment and care.

This time, a doctor told my daughter to just take the baby to a government clinic at Batu 14, Puchong as “there is nothing to worry about” and the staff could treat the baby.

However, following a check-up at the clinic, my daughter was told to immediately take the sick baby to the Serdang Hospital — where she was instantly warded at the intensive care unit of the paedriatic ward. The baby was discharged on Sept 28.

The question is: Are there reliable and competent policy makers, doctors and staff at the Putrajaya Hospital?

This was not the first heart-breaking incident that my family had encountered at this hospital.

More than two years ago, when my other daughter went there to deliver her second child, she was not even warded.

She gave birth to her baby girl in the labour room ... and, after a few hours was discharged without being warded.

It bleeds my heart to think of patients waiting hoplessly at the hospital for some tender loving care, only to be given harsh treatment to their already anguished state of mind — and even before getting the much needed healthcare and medical treatment.

Can the hospital authorities give some credible clarification to this problem plaguing Putrajaya Hospital?

SHAH A. D.Puchong, Selangor

THE STAR

'Invest RM200 incentive for better returns'

IPOH: The government's special incentive of RM200 per month for all military personnel under 2013 Budget can help generate larger returns if invested wisely.

Second Infantry Brigade Brig-Gen Datuk Md Dzahir Abd Rashid said setting aside the money in the Armed Forces Cooperative or Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad schemes would allow it to grow.

"Those who get enough in monthly salary should consider investing the money," he said in his speech at the annual parade in conjunction with the brigade's 57th anniversary at the army camp here yesterday.

Second Infantry Brigade Brig-Gen Datuk Md Dzahir Abd Rashid giving a word of advice to women recruits at the army camp in Ipoh yesterday

He said based on his calculations, investing the RM200 over a period of 10 years could earn up to RM36,000.

"Families can use this sum to finance their children's higher education in the future."

Dzahir also expressed his gratitude to the government for introducing the group insurance scheme for the armed forces and police.

"Incentives provided by the government should be recognised as a call for the armed forces to carry out their duty of protecting the country to the best of their ability.

"We must realise that as armed forces personnel, we are constantly depended upon to ensure the nation's security."

THE NEW STRAITS TIMES

14 termasuk pegawai JPJ diberkas

KUALA LUMPUR 30 Sept. - Satu sindiket menjalankan kegiatan memperbaharui cukai jalan kenderaan yang diseludup sehingga mampu mengaut keuntungan puluhan ribu ringgit berjaya dibongkar oleh Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).

Sindiket yang aktif sejak beberapa tahun lalu itu, turut dikesan menawarkan perkhidmatan bagi memperbaharui cukai kenderaan tamat tempoh melebihi setahun tanpa perlu pemeriksaan Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) dan Puspakom Sdn. Bhd. (Puspakom).

Malah, sindiket itu juga licik kerana mampu menukar segala butiran lain berkaitan kenderaan, termasuk nama geran dan pemilik asal.

Bagaimanapun, kegiatan yang beroperasi di Pahang dan Perak serta didalangi 'orang dalam' agensi terlibat, tumpas ekoran penahanan 14 individu, termasuk dua pegawai penguat kuasa, orang tengah (runner) dan ejen insurans.

Operasi dijalankan oleh SPRM Putrajaya selama sebulan itu adalah hasil serbuan di beberapa negeri ekoran maklumat awam dan risikan sejak awal bulan ini sehingga semalam.

Kesemua yang ditahan berusia 20 hingga 40 tahun itu disiasat di bawah Akta SPRM 2009 dan Seksyen 420 Kanun Keseksaan kerana menipu.

SPRM juga mengesan dan menyita kira-kira 30 buah kereta yang menggunakan khidmat sindiket itu namun, percaya lebih banyak kenderaan terlibat.

Menurut sumber SPRM, siasatan mendapati sindiket itu mengaut keuntungan dengan cara mengeluarkan laporan tulen Puspakom dan JPJ tanpa kehadiran pemilik atau kenderaan yang diseludup.

"Ejen insurans akan menawarkan kepada pemilik untuk mendapatkan laporan itu dengan bayaran antara RM100 hingga RM800 mengikut jenis kenderaan.

"Pemilik kenderaan yang mahu mendapatkan cukai kenderaan tanpa melalui pelbagai prosedur atau para penyeludup akan menggunakan sindiket tersebut," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari Ini.

Menurutnya, SPRM sudah mengesan sejumlah kenderaan yang terlibat dalam kegiatan itu namun siasatan masih diteruskan bagi menentukan bilangan keseluruhan dan keuntungan diperoleh sindiket.

Sementara itu, Timbalan Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM, Datuk Syukri Abdull ketika dihubungi mengesahkan siasatan kes tersebut.

UTUSAN MALAYSIA

SHOCKING WAIT FOR PENSIONERS

I refer to Public Services Department Circular JPA(R) 81/16/4 kit 6 (H3) dated 30/01/1996.

The civil servants’ calculation of pension for the full period of service, i.e. those with more than 30 years of service, had been highlighted on so many occasions by frustrated civil servants that many of them have since passed away.

Where is the delivery system of the Public Services Department (PSD), which has failed this group of deserving and long-waiting group in an official response?

PSD: lest you forget, “Pensioner’s First, Action Now.”

STILL WAITING PENSIONER
Gombak

THE STAR