6 theSun | THURSDAY AUGUST 20 2009

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Permatang Pasir by-election

Rohaizat not involved

in transaction: Umno
PETALING JAYA: The Barisan
Nasional (BN) candidate in the
Permatang Pasir by-election Ro-
haizat Othman was not involved
in any land transaction handled
by his legal firm partner on be-
half of Koperasi Pekebun Getah
Negeri Pulau Pinang Berhad.
The Umno legal adviser’s
office said in a statement yes-
terday that Rohaizat became a
victim of circumstances after the
partner left the law firm and he
had to bear the burden of resolv-
ing problems arising from the
transaction.
The statement, signed by
Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun,
said the cooperative had hired
Messrs Saif Ariff T. Jayaraj &
Rohaizat to represent it in a
property purchase in Penang.
He said the cooperative
handed over the money for the
purchase to the law firm but
later the transaction had to be
cancelled.
Hafarizam said the money
paid by the cooperative was
received exclusively by the
partner who was handling the
client’s accounts at all material
times.
He said at the time the coop-
erative lodged a complaint with
the Bar Council’s disciplinary
board over the transaction, Ro-
haizad’s partner had already left
the firm and he (Rohaizat) was
named as the respondent in the
complaint, making him a victim
of circumstances.
Rohaizat appeared before
the board for the first time on
Sept 11, 2007, and on that day,
the board had only questioned
a representative of the coop-
erative. The hearing was then
postponed to Sept 14 to enable
Rohaizat to cross examine the
representative of the coopera-
tive and explain his side of the
story.
However, on that day, Ro-
haizat did not attend the hear-
ing because he was sick and a
medical chit on his illness was
submitted to the board, he said.
Following that, he said Ro-
haizat never received any notices
from the board until March 14,
2008, when he received a letter
stating he had been disbarred.
In discharging his firm’s
responsibilities, Rohaizat had
refunded monies due to the co-
operative and following this, the
cooperative had written a letter
to the Bar on March 28, 2008, to
clarify the matter.
In Bukit Mertajam, PAS
vice-president Salahuddin Ayub
challenged Umno vice-president
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid
Hamidi to debate the issue of
the revocation of Rohaizat’s civil
lawyer’s licence.
Salahuddin has given Zahid
24 hours to say whether he
is willing to take up the chal-
lenge.
“I challenge Zahid to a one-
to-one debate. I want to expose
the situation involving the BN
candidate for the by-election,”
he said in a ceramah (talk) in
Permatang Tok Kandu here on
Tuesday night.
He said Zahid, who is also
Penang Umno liaison chief, was
not careful about the selection Top:
of the BN candidate for the by- Several
election. Puteri Umno
“I am shocked, sad and members help
disappointed as a mistake has senior citizens
been made by the Umno vice- Siti Aishah
president consciously or uncon- Mahmood,
sciously. This carelessness is 63, and Din
shameful,” he said. Chik, 65, wear
On Zahid’s statement that surgical masks
PAS should not dispute Ro- during their
haizat’s candidacy, Salahuddin campaign
said: “This is a problem for rounds for BN
the Permatang Pasir residents in Permatang
because if he wins, he will be Pasir yesterday.
representing them.”
Rohaizat, 38, who is the Per- Right:
matang Pauh Umno secretary, Mohd Salleh
will be facing Penang PAS com- Man and PKR
missioner Mohd Salleh Man, 52, reps meet
in the state seat by-election. the people
It is being held following the during their
death of incumbent assembly- walkabout at
man Datuk Mohd Hamdan the Permatang
Abdul Rahman from PAS Pauh market
from heart failure on July 31. yesterday.
– Bernama

S’gor mulls new guidelines

for hillslope development
MACC reopens case
by Tim Leonard
against former DCM
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
by Opalyn Mok a statement from Lim in his office last
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government will allow frozen hillslope
newsdesk@thesundaily.com week pertaining to this case.
development projects that fall under Class 3 and 4 to carry on “We have also recorded quite a
pending completion of a new set of guidelines. GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Anti-Cor- number of statements from several
State Housing, Building Management and Squatters Com- ruption Commission (MACC) has reopened other state executive councillors,” Lati-
mittee chairman Iskandar Abdul Samad said there were many the corruption case against former deputy fah said.
appeal letters from developers requesting for their projects to chief minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairud- She said they had already con-
be allowed to continue. din for alleged involvement in illegal quarry cluded investigations into the case
“We will allow the development to continue but only after we deals here. and have submitted the investigation
have a new set of guidelines,” said Iskandar at the weekly exco Penang MACC director Latifah Md Ya- papers to the MACC headquarters for
meeting yesterday. tim, who called a hasty press conference further action early this month.
“The new guidelines are to effectively prevent landslides or yesterday evening, said they had received On Lim’s allegations that the
disaster from recurring,” he added. new information and documents regarding MACC was targeting Pakatan Rakyat
He also said many developers appealed to the government on the case which warranted the case to be (PR) leaders by opening investigations into
the grounds that their development site contained very low per-
reopened. this case which was already closed, she tioned the need for MACC to
centage of land which falls under the Class 3 and 4 categories.
“Now, we are willing to reconsider, but allow us to come up “We received additional information in said the case was closed earlier because request for certified copies of the state
with the new guidelines first,” said Iskandar. the form of written documentations in June they did not have sufficient evidence to executive council’s meeting minutes and
“We will then call for developers, real estate agents and the which we feel can be used as corroborative prosecute. the Land Committee’s meeting minutes
public to meet us for a discussion on the guidelines. We also evidence in the case,” she said in the MACC “We conduct our investigations pro- related to Fairus’ alleged involvement in
welcome the public or professionals to provide us with their building here. fessionally and objectively, so when we illegal quarry deals when the case had been
views and concerns pertaining to the new guidelines. Refuting Penang Chief Minister Lim receive new corroborative evidence, we closed in April.
“Everything must be done according to a proper method and Guan Eng’s claims that he had refused to have to reopen the case for investigations,” He had accused MACC of playing poli-
guideline, especially hillslope development as we do not want meet them to give any statement, Latifah she said. tics and being used by Barisan Nasional to
tragedies such as the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide to recur,” said the investigating officers had recorded Earlier in the morning, Lim had ques- “attack” PR leaders.
he said.
The order, to stop projects on slopes with 25 degrees and
above, was to preserve environmentally-sensitive areas and
prevent landslides. There are four classes and four levels of height
PAS challenges media to prove Nik Aziz’s statement
under the national highlands and hillslope development planning
by Bernard Cheah recording that shows Nik Aziz uttered he told reporters in the PAS election
guideline. The guidelines also specified the types of development
that can take place on hillslopes and highlands which have now
newsdesk@thesundaily.com those words”. operations centre in Permatang Pasir
been divided into four classes: He said several “pro-Umno” media yesterday.
For Class 1 – slopes would be less than 15 degrees; Class 2 SEBERANG PERAI: PAS has challenged could have intentions to make Nik Aziz Sallehuddin said the constituents
– slopes 15 to 25 degrees, Class 3 – slopes 25 to 35 degrees and the media to provide recordings of its an icon of hatred by reporting such were generally appreciative of the
Class 4 – slopes more than 35 degrees. spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz news and that Nik Aziz was contem- efforts made by the former assem-
The four slopes would be divided into four levels of height Nik Mat uttering the words “Umno plating suing the media companies blyman Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abdul
— low land (below 150m); hill land (150-300m), highland (300- members will not go to heaven”. involved. Rahman.
1,000m) and mountain (more than 1,000m). PAS vice-president Salehuddin “PAS has been friendly with the He expressed hope that the PAS
Selangor has more than 100 hillside projects, mostly located Ayub said Nik Aziz had denied telling media but we hope to avoid suing. candidate for the by-election, Mohd
in Ampang. the media that and “we now challenge We just want them to reveal the Salleh Man, would be able to continue
the media to show us the video clip original verbatim recordings of Aziz,” Hamdan’s legacy.