2 theSun | TUESDAY DECEMBER 23 2008

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‘Bosses must Scrap annual renewal of printing licence: Dompok

inform ministry KOTA KINABALU: The time has come for the
government to consider doing away with the
Murut Organisation (Upko) gathering with the
media here, on Sunday night.
printing permit, Bernama reports.
He also said the efforts of local leaders in

before laying annual renewal of the printing licence for the

print media, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
Dompok, who is also Upko president, said
the country could not have democracy without
the contribution of the media.
voicing out Sabahan issues at national level
were interpreted by some as being devoid of
any national aspiration. “But what we say is

off workers Instead of renewing it annually, it could be

renewed for every five years or so, he said dur-
ing a United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun
He cited Indonesia as an example which he
said practised freedom of the press whereby
the print media was not required to apply for a
actually good for the nation as a whole.
“Because if one part is ‘limping’, (the country)
could not function as a whole,” he explained.
PETALING JAYA: Employers intending to initiate
retrenchment and pay cut and offer voluntary
separation scheme (VSS) are required to inform
the Labour Department 30 days in advance, Hu- and thorough examination

Porn VCD case –

man Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam is to reverse the burden of
said yesterday. proof.
He said it was mandatory for employers to “Such a reversal of the
complete the Retrenchment Form which is avail- burden of proof amounts to
able at the Labour Department offices or can be a substantive flaw resulting
downloaded at http://jtksm.mohr.gov.my. in a miscarriage of justice.
He said errant employers can face a maxi- The requirement in law

Court acquits
mum fine of RM10,000. that a maximal evaluation
“We have established an action centre at be carried out at the close
every district to monitor companies or employers of the prosecution’s case
who might be facing financial difficulties during is not mere incantation
the current economic situation. but requires rigorous
“Our officers will visit these companies and application,” she said.
compile a weekly report which would be sent to Rizal, in his defence,
the state and finally be compiled at central level.
This would enable our ground force to ensure
that the employers will meet their obligations
towards their workers,” he told a press confer-
ence after attending a “teh tarik” dialogue session
with Malaysia Training Providers Berhad.
Subramaniam said his ministry will ensure
Telco
probes
ex-air steward had admitted recording
his sexual activities with a
fellow air stewardess on a
video cassette tape using a
video handy camera for his
personal use.
He had said that when
companies observe the appropriate compensa- SHAH ALAM: A former Terlampau” (The Excessive that he had possession of, he broke off with the
tion that they must pay for retrenched workers, millions Malaysia Airlines steward Lifestyle of a Steward), for or utilised the requisite stewardess, he promised to
which is 10 days pay for less than two years in charged with producing a the purpose of distribution specialised equipment, to destroy the tape and he did
of service; 15 days pay for two to five years of kickbacks pornographic video compact and circulation. effect such transfer. not transfer the contents to
service; and 20 days pay for more than five years disc (VCD) was acquitted Rizal, 36, was sentenced “If it had been considered a VCD because he did not
of service. to staff and discharged yesterday on Dec 17, 2004, to 18 whether a prima facie have the equipment to do so.
On the plight of foreign workers, he said they pg 8 after the High Court here months’ jail for making case had been made out Counsel Rakhbir Singh
will be paid according to their contract. quashed his conviction and and distributing a VCD on the evidence adduced said the trial judge had
He said about 102 companies had filed in with 18-month jail term. containing obscene sex during the course of the failed to consider that
the Labour Department and said 4,749 workers The court, in allowing scenes at No 12, Jalan Sri prosecution case, and if there was no evidence to
will be retrenched in the next three months, with the appeal of Mohd Rizal Banang, Taman Sri Andalas, the requisite law had been show that Rizal had made
the majority coming from the electronics sector. Mat Yusuf, held that Klang, between 1999 and applied to the defence case, or produced the VCD and
“We cannot stop companies which are making the finding of guilt and May 2003. it is unlikely that a decision that he knew or possessed
losses from retrenching their workers. But we will conviction by the sessions Justice P.Nallini, in her to convict Rizal would have the requisite equipment to
do all we can to aid these workers to receive their court four years ago was a 21-page judgment, said been reached. produce the VCD.
compensation. failure of justice. the prosecution witnesses “In these circumstances, Rakhbir also said the
“I am very thankful that the workers unions The main reason was the had failed to draw a link the conviction of the trial judge had failed to
here have not been violent unlike in other coun- failure of the prosecution between the obscene VCD appellant appears to have consider that all prosecution
tries, that they have been quite calm about all of to prove that Rizal had and Mohd Rizal. been occasioned by a failure witnesses had confirmed
this. In light of this situation, the government will made or produced the She said there was no of justice, warranting that he could not have
try to help them find new jobs as well as undergo VCD, entitled “Kehidupan direct evidence to show that interference at the appellate been involved in the sale or
retraining,” he said. – Bernama Seorang Pramugara Yang Rizal made or produced the level,” she said. distribution of the VCD, as
VCD as the evidence adduced She said the grounds of a consequence of which the
by the prosecution only judgment by the sessions element of distribution was
showed that he participated in judge showed that a not made out.
several scenes and recorded thorough examination Outside the courtroom,
on a video cassette tape using and evaluation of the Rizal, who covered his face
a video handycam, which prosecution’s case was with a handkerchief, leaving
he operated with a remote not carried out, but only his eyes exposed,
control. instead, a thorough and told reporters that he was
“There was no evidence comprehensive review was relieved with the decision.
adduced to show that Rizal conducted on the defence. He said he covered
had transferred the contents “The effect of failing to his face because he had
of the video cassette tape maximally evaluate the been sacked many times
onto a VCD. Neither was prosecution’s case, but to before because of the case.
there evidence to show subject the defence to a full – Bernama

Buck up or lose licence, colleges warned

PUTRAJAYA: Private institutions of higher
learning that offer sub-standard courses
risk losing their licences if they continue to
ignore Higher Education Ministry’s warning.
Its deputy minister, Datuk Idris Haron,
said the ministry had given warnings to
three institutions for offering sub-standard
programmes that did not meet Malaysian
Qualifications Agency (MQA) specifications.
“Private institutions must have the
capability and expertise to teach students,
especially those from foreign countries, as it
involves the integrity of the institutions and
the country,” he said.
“Foreign students come here with high
expectations, but if the courses offered are not
up to mark, it would be a big disappointment
to them,” he told reporters after meeting the
administrator of Limkokwing University of
Creative Technology at his ministry yesterday.
The ministry would not withdraw their
licence immediately because there are other
students pursuing their studies there, but it
would not condone those who fail to improve
and would monitor their progress, he added.
– Bernama