On The Other Hand - # 308

Nation

Wednesday January 16, 2008

Lingam’s lawyer grilled

KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer was put in a tight spot when commissioners grilled him over whether his client Datuk V.K. Lingam had admitted to being the person embroiled in the controversial video clip about the brokering of judges’ appointments.

R. Thayalan, representing Lingam before the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the video clip, was also queried if his client had said the things contained in the clip’s transcript.

When commissioner Datuk Mahadev Shankar asked if it was Lingam’s position that he was not the person in the video clip, Thayalan said:

“His position is that it does look like him and sound like him.”

Mahadev: But he’s not prepared to say that that is him?

Thayalan: This is what he told me. Let me take instructions from him on this.

‘Let me take instructions’ to mean ‘I was told to shut up’

Thursday is batik day

BY MAZWIN NIK ANIS and

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants will now have to wear colourful batik attire every Thursday from tomorrow instead of having to wear them only twice a month.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said a circular on the sartorial code, signed by Public Services Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam, was issued yesterday.

He said that apart from wanting to give Malaysian batik a boost by getting civil servants to wear it more often, the decision to have civil servants wear batik garments on Thursdays was “to make it easy for them to remember as to when they should put on their batik shirts”.

Thirty years ago we were instructed to put on batik every Saturday. Until now batik industry remains as it was. Now civil servants have to put on every Thursday. Never mine if it doesn’t work you have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to utilize.

Stop on outflow of foodstuff

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI

JOHOR BARU: Foreigners shopping in Malaysia will soon be prohibited from taking controlled food items, such as cooking oil, sugar and flour, out of the country in a bid to help prevent shortages.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal said he would present the proposal at the Cabinet meeting today.

“The prices of these controlled items are already subsidised by the Government.

“Prohibiting them (foreigners) from taking these foodstuff out is one of the ways to avoid shortages,” he said after a briefing and dialogue with civil servants on the price increase of goods here yesterday.

The minister is getting smarter even though it should have been implemented long time ago.

Now I have the opportunity to make more money, ‘ jadi penyeludup’!!!

‘Unconventional partnership’ spells big bucks for duo

KUALA LUMPUR: In an industry dominated by Indians, a Malay woman and a Chinese man teamed up to get into the lucrative scrap metal business about five years ago, hoping for success.

Their hard work paid off when turnover quadrupled to RM20mil.

Yesterday, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen launched their new factory in Kampung Baru Balakong, near the capital.

Laila Shaikh Sulaiman Al Rafie, 50, and Benny Bek, 43, said they met through small business dealings more than 10 years ago.

Laila found Bek to be a sincere and honest businessman, so decided to team up with him and venture into the scrap metal business.

Correction!! she must be arabputra or parkiputra.