2 theSun | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24 2009

news without borders

Docs who do not

briefs
IRB will consider
staggered
tax payment
SEREMBAN: Businessmen facing
financial burden because of the
global economic crisis can breathe
easy as the Inland Revenue Board
(IRB) is ready to accept staggered
income tax payment.
IRB chief executive officer
Datuk Hasmah Abdullah said the
payment by installments would,
however, apply to deserving
cases and based on the merit
of the cases.
“IRB does not practise such
procedures but in these difficult
times, we will consider appeals
from businessmen,” Hasmah told
reporters after opening a new IRB
branch at Menara MAA on Jalan
Lintang yesterday. – Bernama
Police bust two
black money rings
KUALA LUMPUR: The police
busted two ‘black money’ syndi-
cates masterminded by African
nationals, with the arrest of six
suspects, including four African
students, here recently.
City police chief Datuk Wira
Mohammad Sabtu Osman said
the first case involved two
African students whose modus
operandi was to pose as trust
holders and trick victims into
thinking they had inherited
US$12,520,050.
He said, following a tip-off, the
police detained the duo during a
communicate
top complaints
PUTRAJAYA: Lack of com-
munications skills among
government doctors and
Wee dares Anwar to swear
and show proof
nurses in hospitals and gov-
ernment clinics top the list of
complaints from patients. “I was also told the school might
Health Minister Datuk Seri invite Selangor Mentri Besar Tan
Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday Sri Khalid Ibrahim to officiate at the
he was informed that 34 com- opening of the new four-storey block
plaints had been received by of classrooms and that Khalid would
the Public Complaints Bureau make a donation to the school.
since January, pertaining to by Giam Say Khoon ence at the parliament lobby. “So I told them why don’t we wait
communications or the lack of newsdesk@thesundaily.com “The list of Chinese schools which and see how much the MB was going
it from doctors and nurses. will receive the RM23 million alloca- to donate and decide how much is
“Some doctors speak very KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Education tion has not even been finalised (so) still needed for the school to repair
Nurses from
little, some hardly speak to Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong chal- how could I order the withdrawal of the classrooms.”
the Health
patients. Doctors must have lenged Opposition Leader Datuk Seri funds?” He said he did not threaten the
Ministry
good interaction skills with Anwar Ibrahim yesterday to swear Wee said the ministry only gives board of governors that he would
display the
patients because some may and show proof that the Education out allocations to schools: withdraw the funds.
ministry’s
require more than just medi- Ministry had threatened to withdraw » Which suffer from termite infesta- Wee said the Opposition is trying to
new theme.
cal treatment,” he the school allocation if Pakatan Rakyat tion; politicise the situation because if the
told reporters after leaders were invited to officiate at a » Old buildings aged more than 50 ministry decides to give the money,
opening a Corpo- ceremony. years needing immediate repair; the allocation will be claimed as an
rate Culture cam- He said the statement by Anwar, » Schools which need to build new effort by the PR to fight for the school
paign yesterday.
following his appearance at the open- classrooms; and and if the application is rejected, “they
Liow, who
also launched the
ing of a new school block at SJK(C) Sin » Replacement of broken furniture. will tell the people the ministry has
ministry’s logo and
Ming in Puchong on Sunday, that Wee The ministry will send a team to taken its revenge on the school”.
should not threaten the school for access the situation based on the The list will be finalised at the end
new theme “Kami
Sedia Membantu”, inviting PR leaders to attend events school’s application before deter- of the month.
was an “utter lie”. mining the amount of money to be He also denied that the ministry
hoped the new
approach and ini- Wee said Anwar should not use an approved. would give instructions to stop teach-
education institution as his political He said a team will be sent to Sin ers from attending school events.
tiative would help
eliminate future arena to gain cheap publicity. Ming this week. “The board of governors had, in
“I challenge him to swear on which-
c o m p l a i n t s. H e “Sin Ming’s board of governors the beginning, told us the MB might
ever holy book he likes and I want to
said the ministry came to see me on Feb 11 to tell me be coming to the school but never
would undertake know from him when I made such a about the termite infestation in the mentioned about inviting the ministry
a number of ini- directive (to withdraw the allocation of school and that it needed RM120,000 and I only got the invitation in the
tiatives, including the school),” he said at a press confer- to repair the classrooms,” he said. morning,” he said.
making it compul-
sory for medical staff to un-
dergo communications skills-
related courses. – Bernama

raid at a hotel on Feb 13.
Earlier, the suspects had
conned a 58-year-old Austral-
ian woman into parting with
US$26,500, in exchange for her
‘inheritance’ which they claimed
to be holding in trust for her
recently-deceased uncle.
The police chief said they
handed the woman a bag con-
taining the ‘inheritance’ which
was nothing more than counter-
feit currency with a face value of
US$12,520,050.
Meanwhile, four people,
including two Cameroonian na-
tionals were detained by police
at another hotel in connection
with another ‘black money’
syndicate. – Bernama
Weaknesses detected
in PNSB records
SHAH ALAM: The state gov-
ernment has asked two senior
executives of Permodalan Negri
Selangor Bhd (PNSB) to go on a
month’s leave so audits can be
carried out on the company’s ac-
count. A statement issued by the
Mentri Besar Office said the state
government found several weak-
nesses the way the company’s
financial records were kept.
Among the records involved
were Inland Revenue Board’s
documents and transactions
involving the buying and selling
of properties in Mecca between
2006 and 2007. – Bernama
Najib: No decision yet on size of mini budget
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has denied that the
mini budget, which will be presented in the
Dewan Rakyat on March 10, will involve
more than RM30 billion.
“I cannot confirm anything at this stage.
Anything you hear at this stage is specula-
tive as no decision has been made by the
government,” he told a press conference
after chairing the cabinet committee
meeting on the development of the Indian
community yesterday.
Last week, Sin Chew Daily reported
that the second stimulus package, or mini
budget, aimed at boosting the economy
will involve more than RM30 billion, and
benefit people from all trades. It quoted
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Kong Cho
Ha as saying the mini stimulus package will
help stem the tide of unemployment.
On the outcome of the committee
meeting, Najib said the government has
decided to allocate a total of RM20 million
to fund the Indian Youth Skill Development
Programme, which aimed to produce about
3,000 skilled workers.
He said the Human Resources Ministry
has identified the skills which will be trained
by private institutions.
“The trainees will be paid an allowance
and they will also learn new skills which will
enable the transformation of (Indian) youths
from estates when they move to the cities
and get a job with a decent pay,” he said,
adding that the programme is opened to
youths aged between 18 and 40.
Najib said the cabinet also agreed that
the Public Services Department scholar-
ship, which was initially given based on
meritocracy, will consider the composition
of the races to make a fairer offer of the
scholarship.
On the killing of six suspected criminals
by the police in Kulim last week, which
resulted in calls by various quarters to
probe the shooting, Najib assured that the
government will not condone the abuse of
power in the enforcement agencies.
He said the government takes the case
seriously as it had been discussed in the
cabinet committee meeting.
“We don’t condone any abuse of power
and if there is any individual or organisation
found to be abusing their power, proper ac-
tion will be taken against them but proper
investigation has to be first undertaken,”
he added.