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City Hall criticised over relocation of squatters
DEPUTY Minister in the Prime Minister
Department T. Murugiah criticised Kuala
Lumpur City Hall for not keeping its
promise to the Kampung Pandan Indian
settlement squatters to relocate them
to an area nearer the place.
He told a press conference at the
Parliament lobby yesterday an officer
who represented City Hall had promised
the squatters at a meeting that they can
move to Sri Alam in Sungai Besi, where
there are 900 empty houses, while wait-
ing for the construction of the low-cost
Fishermen’s demand to be brought to cabinet
THE demand by fishermen to reduce
their subsidised diesel price from
RM1.30 to RM1 a litre will be brought to
the cabinet meeting tomorrow, Agricul-
ture and Agro-based Industry Minister
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said.
However, he said the meeting may
not necessarily decide on the issue as
it is complicated and involves many
parties like the Finance Ministry as well
as farmers, who enjoy a different diesel
rate.
Mustapa said he had met 86 fish-
ermen’s associations and 12 state
flat in Kampung Pandan to complete.
However, Deputy Federal Territories
Minister Datuk M. Saravanan, in a reply
in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 4, said Hall
had refused to let the 250 families move
to Sungai Besi but suggested they can
either move to Puchong or Bukit Jalil.
“The people (in Kampung Pandan)
are not satisfied with the decision and
they will not move out for the demoli-
tion work to take place,” Murugiah said
after receiving a memorandum from
the Kampung Pandan representatives.
representatives since Monday to learn
about their problems.
“Although I have told them the
(average) fish price is still maintained
(from RM2.50 a kg last year to RM3.50
a kg now) and that the government
had spent a lot of money on subsidy,
the fishermen insisted that the diesel
price be lowered,” he told reporters at
the Parliament lobby.
“I will voice their demand to the
government so that they will be able
to earn more money. So, please, do not
pressure the government.”
Husna Yusop and Giam Say Khoon at the Dewan Rakyat
JAC does not go against
Constitution, says Nazri
KUALA LUMPUR: The Judicial
Appointments Commission (JAC)
Bill, which was passed by the Dewan
Rakyat after a voice vote yesterday,
does not go against the Constitution,
Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul
Aziz said.
He said the law has been
formulated after considering the
two articles under the constitution,
namely 122B and 161E, which were
mentioned by several MPs when
debating the bill.
theSun
“The act has been drafted
and worked out in such a way
so that it does not touch at all
the process of appointment and
prerogative power (of the prime
minister) provided under Article
122B of the constitution,” he
said when replying to points
raised during the policy stage.
“Because of this, it can stand
on its own without having to
amend the constitution and
without its provisions going
against the constitution. Thus,
no amendment is made to the
constitution.”
Nazri said the MPs should
understand the difference
between the candidate selection
process as stipulated under the
JAC Act and the appointment of
judges as provided for under the
constitution.
“The process provided for
under the JAC Act precedes the
process of appointment under
Article 122B. It does not in any
way affect the appointment
which is to be done by the
Agong upon the advice of
the prime minister after
consultation is made,” he said.
He said the claim by Gobind
Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong)
that the JAC Act “usurps the
power of the prime minister” is
also not true.
Opposition Leader Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-
Permatang Pauh), Karpal
Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor),
Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Ind-Pasir
Mas) and Mahfuz Omar (PAS-
Pokok Sena) were among the
others who had raised the point.
Nazri also said the MPs from
Sabah and Sarawak do not
have to worry that the JAC Act
violates Article 161E because
it has taken into account the
provisions for the Sabah and
Sarawak chief ministers under
| THURSDAY DECEMBER 18 2008
the constitution.
To another point, he said
that similar to what is being
practised now, the King is
required to act based on the
advice of the prime minister and
does not have the discretion to
reject the advice.
On the appointment of the
“four eminent persons” to
the JAC, Nazri said the prime
minister would surely take
into consideration the issue of
conflict of interests so as not to
jeopardise the objective of the
setting up of the JAC.
Earlier, MPs from both sides
of the House questioned how the
four were to be selected. They
wanted a clearer definition of the
persons – to be appointed by the
prime minister after consulting
the Bar Council, A-G and other
relevant bodies – and asked how
impartial they would be.
“It is vital to check the
background of the four eminent
persons. What are the criteria?
They should be defined clearly.
The government must be
careful in this because they
would be responsible later to
appoint the chief judges for the
high courts and court of appeal,”
Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi
(BN-Batu Pahat) said.
Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-
Rembau) suggested that the
eminent persons be chosen, for
example, from among retired
distinguished lawyers but with
certain conditions.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh
Timur) expressed concern over
the power of the prime minister
to remove the eminent persons
at any time without giving any
reasons.
Gobind asked the meaning
of “eminent persons” which,
he said, is stipulated in a “very
general way”.