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OVER A hundred senior citizens have so far elected to return the RM100 they received as part of the Penang state government's “Senior Citizen Appreciation Programme”, as the money is said to have come from gambling activities. “For Muslims, we are not allowed to receive money from forbidden sources and it is considered as ‘duit haram’, which all of us have decided to return,” said Hasbah Said, 81, at a press conference call by Bayan Baru Umno division chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Saibu. Read here.
In addition, 100 youths staged a protest at the Penang International Airport as Chief Minsiter Lim Guan Eng returns from a trip to Adelaide, Australia. The group, calling themselves “Pemuda Pulau Pinang”, are condemning Lim for the aid. Read here.
Reacting to the controversy, state Exco member Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said that the return of the funds was “probably just an act”, adding that the senior citizens may have been influenced into doing so by third parties. Abdul Malik emphasised that the money did not come from gambling sources, but was the result of the state government's success in saving money. Read here.
Water tariffs rise
Water tariffs for trade consumers will increase on November 1 by 27%. Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) general manager Jaseni Maidinsa said that the tariffs would still be among the lowest in Peninsula Malaysia. “If we can reduce the consumption of water and use it wisely, we can delay and pace out additional infrastructure investment over a longer timeline to make the industry more sustainable,” he said. Read here.
Kedah will also raise its water tariffs. But rather than limiting the rise to trade consumers, the Kedah state government will increase tariffs across the board, excepting religious and charity organisations. Read here.
In Penang, reactions from trade consumers are generally positive, if cautious. Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang Chapter president Marco Battistotti said that hotel rates will not increase because of this, while Penang Coffeeshop Owners Association (Seberang Prai) chairman Lee Chong Soon said that the association's members will have to bear with the extra costs for now. Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers northern branch chairman Datuk OK Lee expressed his hope that the PBAPP will use the extra profits to increase its efficiency. Read here.
Other news
Where hijabs, bindis, prayer beads coexist: A melodic Arabic prayer echoed through the streets of George Town on a recent afternoon, during a visit to this Malaysian town on the northwest coast of the peninsula. Read here.
New Civil Courts to open in Penang and Selangor next year: Two more New Civil Courts (NCvC), one in Penang and the other in Selangor, will be opened next year to settle backlog of civil cases, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria said. Read here.
Two public housing projects for Perlis and Penang: Two public housing projects (PPR) will be built in Perlis and Penang to provide more comfortable homes for the poor, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung. Read here.
For more information on last week's happenings in Penang, click through to iGT NetBuzz Sept 27 to Oct 3, 2010 here.
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