8 œ theSun | FRIDAY NOVEMBER 7 2008

news without borders

Multilingual road signs good

for tourism, says Azalina

Two ordered out by speaker

TWO DAP members
were sent out of the
Dewan Rakyat by the At the Dewan Rakyat
speaker after arguing with
him over his decision
not to call one of them to
debate the 2009 Budget at
committee stage.
Fong Po Kuan (DAP-
Batu Gajah) had got up at
about 3.30pm, the scheduled
time for Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Datuk
Seri Nazri Aziz to make his
winding-up speech, to raise a
point of order.
She said Speaker Tan Sri
Pandikar Amin Mulia should
have given her a chance
to debate as she had been
standing since the day before
each time an MP finished his
or her speech, but until the
end of the debate session, she
was not called.
“Didn’t you see me
standing? You have cut off my
chance to bring up the issues
of my people. It seems so
strange. Why wasn’t I called?”
she asked.
Pandikar Amin replied:
“My brief answer to you is, I
did not see you (standing).”
Fong was not happy and
reconsider his decision, (DAP-Jelutong) asked what
THE Tourism Ministry is responsible for putting up
signboards in several languages only at certain loca-
tions, its minister, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said,
said.
She said the signboards were put up for the benefit
of foreign tourists, who could also obtain information
saying that in this case, one should do to attract the on places of interests from pamphlets and brochures,
nobody was in the wrong. speaker’s attention to speak. written in several languages, prepared by the ministry.
by Husna Yusop and Giam Say Khoon Pandikar Amin Pandikar Amin ignored Despite the use of other languages, she said, Malay
newsdesk@thesundaily.com thanked Anwar but said them and asked Nazri to is still the main language of reference.
he was sticking to his continue. “The suggestion to have multi-language signboards
pleaded to be given attention, decision as his job was At the lobby, Fong said for roads and names of places is a good effort which
saying she was just asking for to make sure the House was she wanted to debate to ask should be done to get more tourists to Malaysia,” she
justice but Pandikar Amin said in order and he had never whether the Election Act said in response to a question by Datuk Seri Azmi
she should not argue further as purposely decided not to give would be amended so that Khalid (BN-Padang Besar).
he had given his answer. way to Fong. the Election Commission Referring to statistics on the arrival of tourists from
However, Fong continued “I am not going to could be empowered to act West Asian countries, who are said to have huge buy-
to state her displeasure withdraw. Batu Gajah and against bribery during the ing power, Azalina said it would be apt to have road
against Pandikar Amin’s Bandar Kuching, please campaigning period. signs and names of places written in Arabic.
decision, raising her voice at leave the Dewan. Sergeant- “It is difficult for me to However, she said, the putting up of road sign-
times. of-arms, please do your job accept the answer from the boards was the jurisdiction of the state government
Minutes later, Pandikar (accompany them out),” he speaker that he did not see me and the municipal councils. – Bernama
Amin said that since Fong had said. (standing),” she said.
refused to comply with the Lim Kit Siang (DAP- Fong, a three-term MP, 271,000 illegals held from
chair’s decision, he instructed Ipoh Timur) stood up and was seen sobbing after the
her to leave the House until said: “For the good name of speaker ordered the two 2001 to 2007
the day’s sitting ended. the Dewan, so that it is not of them to leave. She was A TOTAL of 271,375 illegal immigrants were de-
Fong refused to budge, only fair but also seen to be once suspended in 2001 for tained through enforcement by the Immigration
saying: “I hope the speaker fair, please reconsider your six months without pay for Department, Rela and police between 2001 and
could be fair. That’s all I’m decision.” speaking out on the Certificate last year.
asking for.” Lim said there had been in Legal Practice issue. Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Chong Chieng Jen times when the BN MPs were With Fong and Chong said the government estimated that there were
(DAP-Bandar Kuching) also stubborn but no action receiving the marching about 1 million illegal immigrants but the situation
tried to defend her but was taken against them. orders, and Tian Chua was under control because of the concerted and
Pandikar Amin told him not to Fong then said it would not (PKR-Batu), who was sent continuous enforcement by the three agencies.
interfere. be nice for Pandikar Amin to out from the House during It cost RM205 to deport each illegal immigrant
Opposition Leader create history for having the the Finance Ministry’s budget by sea, he said in reply to Amran Ab Ghani (PKR-
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim most number of MPs asked to wrap-up on Tuesday, there Tanah Merah).
(PKR-Permatang Pauh) leave or suspended while he were three opposition MPs Deportation by air ranged from RM1,200 to
asked Pandikar Amin to was in charge, and Jeff Ooi sent out in just a week. RM3,600 an immigrant, depending on the country
of origin.
Syed Hamid also said that about 2% of the

DAP condemns Tajuddin’s choice of words

crimes in Malaysia were committed by illegal
immigrants. – Bernama

THE DAP condemned the use of the
words ‘b*****d’ and ‘bloody b*****d’ by
Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s
(BN-Pasir Salak) in the House on
Wednesday.
Tajuddin had used the words on
M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat).
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur)
said although Tajuddin had withdrawn
his remarks, as instructed by Deputy
Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku
Jaafar, his act was unacceptable.
“Clearly, he had used an offensive
term. The word will be used one of these
days and withdrawn. How can we allow
such contempt of Parliament?” he told
reporters at the parliament lobby.
“I call on the prime minister to pay
serious attention to this. Is he going
to allow his MPs to behave in such an
uncouth and disgraceful manner?”
Lim said Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi must take action against
Tajuddin to ensure such behaviour is not
repeated.
He said it is an insult not only to
Kulasegaran but also to all MPs and all
Malaysians.
Tajuddin claimed he was provoked
by Kulasegaran, who told him the Indian
community in Pasir Salak hated him and
did not vote for him.
Kulasegaran, who was present at
the press conference, said he regretted
Tajuddin’s choice of words.
“When debating, we can agree and
disagree but there is no reason to use
such offensive and demeaning words. His
remark was uncalled for.
“What is worse is that he said ‘let’s
go and fight outside the House’. We are
MPs and we fight and argue in the House
on matters intellectually. I will agree
and disagree with many people. So, why
should there be a fist-fight?”
Earlier, before the start of the debates
on Budget 2009 at the committee stage,
Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor)
raised a point of order, calling for action
to be taken against Tajuddin.
“The word b*****d is worse than an
unparliamentary word. It cannot simply
be retracted like that. What should be
done is for Tajuddin to apologise or
disciplinary action should be taken
against him by referring him to the
Privileges Committee,” he said.
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia
said the matter had been settled by the
deputy speaker.
Welfare aid promptly paid,
says deputy minister
PAYMENTS of welfare aid are disbursed by the Social
Welfare Department to the recipients promptly, the
Dewan Rakyat was told.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Develop-
ment Minister Noriah Kasnon said no case had been
detected of recipients getting their payments late.
Responding to K. Rasiah Sivarasa (PKR-Subang),
who claimed that there were delays in the disburse-
ment of welfare aid payments, she said that if there
was a delay, it was because the recipient could not
be located.
Noriah said the ministry always took steps to
ensure payments were made promptly.
These payments were made through four methods
– banks, one-stop payment counters, Social Welfare
offices and, for the physically disabled, payments sent
to their homes. – Bernama