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India Street pavilion to be a real beauty BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

India Street pavilion to be a real beauty

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 12:09 PM PST

KUCHING: The covered pavilion to be built at the India Street Pedestrian Mall will be more beautiful than the one in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur.

India Street Pedestrian Mall committee chairman Datuk Wee Hong Seng said this when revealing that Kuching North Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai would brief Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on the plan to modernise the 167-year-old India Street on Feb 6.

"Ours is definitely better. Nicer, more beautiful. On February 6, you will see (the plan)," he told reporters during his Chinese New Year open house on Friday.

Wee, who is also on the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) board of advisors, said there will also be a Chinese New Year gathering on Feb 6 organised by India Street, Plaza Merdeka management and the Kuching City Centre Community Association.

"The project already has the go-ahead from all shopowners. They already agreed to the plan and structure, as most of their concerns have been resolved such as roofing, fire hazard and ventilation issues," he said.

Following public consultation, he said, the plan was finally ready last week after it was drawn based on the concerns and worries of the traders and residents.

Tender for the project, to be built at a budget of RM4.3 million from the state government, is expected to be called by April, while its construction is expected to begin immediately after Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the end of August.

"Hari Raya is the busiest time for India Street. The work will start immediately after the Hari Raya and expected to take eight to 10 months to complete. This means that by the following Hari Raya, India Street will be covered up," he said.

Plans to give India Street Pedestrian Mall a modern shopping-arcade outlook, complete with covered rooftop, were announced back in 2012.

The facelift is said to be necessary with the development taking place nearby, including Plaza Merdeka and an upcoming hotel project.

India Street, one of the oldest trading areas in the city, has been been a pedestrian mall for the last 20 years.

The idea for the covered rooftop was first mooted in 2010, following in the footsteps of Bugis Junction in Singapore and Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur for the comfort of shoppers.

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Chances of survival slim

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 12:08 PM PST

by Phyllis Wong, Peter Sibon & Lian Cheng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 2, 2014, Sunday

Soon Koh laments missed opportunities to reconcile despite ample opportunities

SIBU: With the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in possession of the evidence of foul play in Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) branch elections prior to the party's Triennial Delegates Conference in 2011, deregistration of the party may be inevitable following the de-registration of its Piasau and Bekenu branches.

With the party failing to right the wrong within the period of time given to them, SUPP Sibu chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said he had foreseen this coming right from the beginning.

"Apart from Bekenu and Piasau which have been deregistered, the Pending branch election was also conducted in abnormal way where 40 Iban members were unable to vote because the ballot papers were printed only in Chinese," Wong told thesundaypost during the first day of Chinese New Year at SUPP Sibu Branch Open House held at the Civic Centre here.

He pointed that on his part, he actually had met both the chief minister and prime minister to seek their advice on how the party's crisis could be resolved.

"There were many opportunities for us to solve the party's disputes internally; however, all proposals from our side were made to no avail.

"When we fail to resolve it internally as suggested by the top BN leadership, we now leave our fate to ROS. And ROS' decision can be fatal," said Wong.

The Local Government and Community Development Minister also said all his efforts to seek reconciliation within the party had failed.

He insisted that party President Tan Sri Peter Chin would have to take responsibility for whatever happened to the 55-year-old party. On the other hand, Wong stressed that if SUPP were to be deregistered, Chinese leaders and those Dayaks leaders aligned to SUPP's struggles would have to come up with a new platform to represent their communities in the Barisan Nasional government.

"If SUPP were to be de-registered, of course, we being the responsible leaders will have to come together to see or to work out a plan how a new entity can emerge to represent the Chinese community in the government," said Wong.

The Local Government and Community Development Minister said he would not mind playing an advisory role in the new party if it was formed.

"I suggest that perhaps the new entity should be multiracial like SUPP but the emphasis will be on Chinese community," said Wong.

Wong said he was ever ready to step aside, depending on his leaders and voices on the ground.

"No one is indispensable. And I am already 72, age is catching up. This world belongs to the young who are more creative and innovative," said Wong.

As such he stressed that any new entity set up to replace SUPP must be led by young leaders.

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Narrow escape for territorial soldiers in Sungai Rajang

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 12:08 PM PST

KANOWIT: Five territorial soldiers had a narrow escape when strong currents overturned their long boat in Sungai Rajang near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sedaya, yesterday.

The five Iban victims had just finished military training and were on the way back to their longhouses across the river when the mishap occurred.

Kanowit Fire and Rescue senior officer 11, Mohamad Bujang, said the boat started filling with water before capsizing and the men had tried swimming to the river bank.

"However, when they started swimming the waves got bigger. Luckily some long house residents saw the incident and rescued them," he said when contacted here yesterday.

He said three of the victims were stable while the other two were still weak and receiving outpatient treatment at the Kanowit Hospital. – Bernama

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‘Doggone’ start to Year of the Horse for theft victim

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 12:06 PM PST

SIBU: The first day of the Year of the Horse was unlucky for a man whose car was broken into leading to the loss of a bag containing RM550.

The 40-year-old had parked his hatchback near Medan Mall at 9am to meet up with old friends. When he returned, he found the rear windscreen had been smashed and the bag gone.

The man then lodged a police report.

It is said that members of the Chinese community try to avoid misfortune on the first day of the Lunar New Year because they believe the bad luck might dog them for the rest of the year.

In an unrelated case, a man who bought a tablet computer for RM500 at the beginning of last year has faced endless anxiety since it broke down a few months later.

He sent the tablet, which was supposedly under a one-year warranty, for repairs at the shop where he bought it but has not gotten it back since.

The man was initially told to return a month later, as the shop owner said the tablet had to be sent to Kuching.

After a month, he was told the tablet had not been sent back.

He then returned the next month, and again the following month, and each time was told the tablet had yet to be returned.

When he finally lost his patience last month, the man told the shop owner he wanted the broken tablet back.

The owner again told him to wait for it to be sent from Kuching.

Just before Chinese New Year, he went to the shop again but was told the parcel had arrived from Kuching, but his item was not inside.

Finally feeling something was amiss, he lodged a police report yesterday.

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Waves tip fishing boat over, one youth still missing

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 12:05 PM PST

by Anthony Aga, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 2, 2014, Sunday

SARIKEI: A fishing trip turned tragic for four youths as two of them went missing after their boat capsized in Rejang River near Tanah Putih area, about 10 minutes by speedboat from here on the eve of Chinese New Year.

The two youths reported missing and feared drowned on Jan 30 were Anthony Abel Jim, 18 and Freedy Samual Ali, 14, while the two who survived the ordeal and broke the bad news to residents of their longhouse Rumaah Buda are Leonardo David, 14 and Freedy's elder brother, Ebison Jang, 15.

One of the missing youths, Freedy was confirmed drowned after the search and rescue (SAR) team found his body in Sungai Serdeng estuary at 10.50am yesterday.

The SAR operation involving personnel from Sarikei and Bintangor Fire and Rescue Service Department (Bomba), Rela, Civil Defence Department and longhouse folks who are now focusing efforts in determining the fate of Anthony Abel.

According to the survivors, they had set out on a fishing trip that morning and were to return at noon.

On their way back when they almost reached their longhouse, their boat was rocked  by huge waves from a passing vessel and capsized in the middle of the Rejang River.

Meanwhile, Sarikei MP Andrew Wong, on being informed of the tragic news , visited the families of the missing youths and the SAR teams that very afternoon.

Among those those involved in the SAR operation last      Thursday were District police chief Supt. Poniman Margiman and District Bomba chief Suna Kaha.

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Foreman: Payroll missing after car break-in

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 12:05 PM PST

MIRI: A RM24,000 payroll was reportedly stolen when a 26-year-old foreman lodged a police report on Friday afternoon that his car was broken into.

The cash, which he claimed to have kept underneath the passenger seat, was salary meant to pay his workers.

According to the report lodged on that day, the victim had parked his car in front of a commercial bank at Nahkoda Gampar road around 12.15pm.

Minutes later, he went back to his vehicle and was shocked upon to find the car's rear windscreen smashed by unknown person or persons.

Upon inspection, the RM24,000 payroll which he had kept inside the car, was missing.

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