Wheelchair for amputee

■Aid for the needy: Sukir using the new wheelchair. With him are Ooi (right) and Sarkuru.

SUKIR Kasbani, whose right leg was recently amputated after it became gangrenous, has to remain outside his low-cost flat in Jalan Mohd Saad, Butterworth, for more than eight hours a day. His son Ahmad Firdaus, 24, would carry him down from their unit on the third floor of the walk-up flat block before going to work.

The 65-year-old retired factory operator would only be able to go back home when his son returned from work in the evening. “This has been my daily routine since my leg was amputated last month,” he said after receiving a wheelchair donated by the Rotary Club of Butterworth on Friday.

Sukir said he hoped the state authorities would help him get a ground floor unit in the neighbourhood so that he could move around easily. He said he could not balance well using crutches on the staircase, noting that he was still seeking daily dressing at the Butterworth district clinic.

“I spend my time with some friends at the nearby food court till my son comes and gets me.
It can be quite tiring, but I have no other option for the time being,” he said, adding that he had been living at the flat since 1992.

Bagan Jermal assemblyman Ooi Chuan Aik said Sukir had been using a borrowed wheelchair since the amputation. “Now, we hope he can move independently within his flat and along the corridors in his own wheelchair,” he said.

Ooi, who also gave Sukir RM300 from his state constituency emergency fund, said he would get the state Housing Department to help resolve Sukir’s predicament.

Rotary Club of Butterworth president G. Sarkuru said the club had raised funds to buy 20 wheelchairs at a discounted price of about RM400 each. “We hope to give out these wheelchairs to needy handicapped persons under our wheelchair charity programme this year,” he said.

Those keen on applying for the wheelchair aid can contact Sarkuru at 04-3331188 or 012-9838485.

Be honest when tackling issues

By DERRICK VINESH

BE transparent and sincere when explaining issues to young Chinese voters.

Ooi: We must be resilient and brave to face the challenges.This is the message Penang MCA Youth chief Ooi Chuan Aik is sending out to his 20,000-strong youth members statewide. Ooi said it was important for the party’s youths to tackle the issues at hand in a professional manner. “Voters these days have access to information from various sources, including the Internet. “So, we must not take them for granted. We must instead be more realistic and learn to handle issues in a more practical manner,” he said in Butterwroth yesterday.

Ooi said the movement was all geared up for the next general election, noting that he would convey the matter during a state MCA Youth committee meeting in Butterworth tomorrow.
He said the party’s youth members played a vital role in explaining some of the current issues to the younger generation.

“The Opposition may hurl all sorts of allegations at us during the elections. But, we must be resilient and brave to face the challenges,” he said. Ooi, who is also Bagan Jermal assemblyman, said he expected the Opposition to put up a tough fight to wrest the state seat from Barisan Nasional. “But we are not going to give in easily.

We have been consistent in our services and our track record speaks volumes,” he said.
He said of the 21,347 voters in the Bagan Jermal state constituency, 51.3% were female voters.
“The high number of female voters in my area shows that more women want to be involved in the decision-making process,” he said.

Paying our Last Respect

To: The Late Mr. Lau Kim Kee

BUKIT MERTAJAM: More than 500 friends, relatives and MCA members attended the funeral of Lau Kim Kee, the father of state MCA deputy chairman Lau Chiek Tuan yesterday.
Kim Kee, 75, who died of natural causes at 8am on Friday, was survived by his wife Seah Gaik Soon, 73, four sons, a daughter and 13 grandchildren. He was laid to rest at the Berapit Chinese cemetery.

Chiek Tuan, the eldest son, described his father as a “humble and simple man who was very down to earth and patient”.
“He was a person who would not easily get angry or throw his tantrums at others. And he had never complained of any pains or aches while he was alive,” he said.

Last respect:(From left)Batu Kawan MCA division chairman Tan Lee Huat, Paya Terubong assemblyman Datuk Dr Loh Hock Hun, Padang Lalang assemblyman Tan Teik Cheng,State Assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk Lye Siew Weng and others present at the funeral yesterday.


More than 400 mourners from 168 organisations including schools, welfare bodies, Rukun Tetangga and Residents' Associations followed the funeral procession yesterday.
The cortege left the house in Taman Bukit Indah at 11am.

On Saturday, Transport Minister-cum-state MCA chairman Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy had led state MCA leaders and members to the house to pay their last respects.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow, Penang chief minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon and state MCA leaders were also among the over 10,000 people who paid their last respects during the five-day wake.

總會長拿督斯裏黃家定2008年新年獻詞

首先，我要恭祝全體馬來西亞人民，新年快樂，百尺竿頭，更進一步。

一國的發展，跟政府與人民的努力及關係息息相關。我國過去建國50年來能夠取得的豐碩發展成果，就是有賴於政府與人民多年來的努力、共識和緊密配合所聯手開創的。

過去的一年，國內的局勢經歷了不少的演變和挑戰，包括通貨膨脹、汽油漲價以及全球化衝擊等壓力。迎向全新的一年，只要政府和各族國民繼續秉持這種勤奮工作、有良好配合的積極性態度，在馬來西亞國民精神的大前提下，團結一致共同努力打拼，我們將能夠共同跨越和克服前方各項挑戰，打造一個更美好和發展蓬勃的明天。

過去的一年，我國也渡過了收穫不俗的一年。我國代表，在幾項國際賽事中取得優異的成績，包括羽球、壁球、舞獅、大專辯論、音樂創作等，甚至已經具備世界級競爭水準，證明我們只要發奮圖強也可以跟世界強國一爭長短。我國的宇航業也寫下歷史性的一頁，成功遣送第一名馬來西亞太空人上太空進行研究探索。

經濟領域的發展是大馬華裔所極為關注的，也對族群的生計和基本生活需求帶來廣泛性影響，各階層的人民都希望擁有穩定的工作、事業順利，生活可以過得更好。重視群眾路線的馬華，一直以來都有關注和瞭解各階層人民在各行業所面對的問題，並把這些人民的意願反映到內閣，確保政府所推行的經濟政策能夠有效帶動國家發展、符合全球化的開放制度並具有競爭力，進而讓各族國民受惠。

我深信，今年隨著第九大馬計畫底下的各項重大計畫和工程已經正在落實中，而涵蓋南馬、北馬和東海岸的經濟特區或走廊計畫也已經陸續推展，國內的經濟和投資氣氛將會逐漸改善，國內各族商家將擁有更開放的參與空間，也將吸引更多外資的注入，進而帶動國內各行業的商機和成長。

馬華將繼續在內閣爭取，改善和糾正任何已經落伍和含有針對性的封閉型經濟政策，並將平衡兼顧各族群和整體國家的經濟發展空間。在處理貧窮和赤貧問題方向，馬華也將確保政府以更宏觀的跨族群態度，協助任何面對生活壓力的各族低收入族群。

馬華將繼續推動符合華社利益的各項文化、社會及政治計畫，在政府內部發揮影響力糾正在推行策略時所出現的偏差，並不斷的促使各項政策的制定能更公平、合理地惠及全民。從1999年截至去年，在馬華的積極爭取下，政府已經批准增建了9間華小，並搬遷61間華小。這70間全新華小校舍的建築工程全數落成後，初步估計將在全國各地增加超過6萬個華小學額。

而在這新的一年，馬華將繼續爭取在華人人口密集的地區增建和搬遷更多華小，確保有興趣接受華文教育薰陶的華裔子弟們都有機會到華小就讀。另外，除了教育部例常撥款，馬華今年已經成功向中央政府申請到為數不少的特別華校發展撥款，協助有需要的華校，包括進行搬遷、擴建、修建工程，或應付緊急需要，確保各地華校的校務獲得穩建發展。

在英文教數理的考試媒介語課題方面，馬華一直堅持華社的意願，並在去年末成功爭取獲得首相的同意，批准華小以母語作答。今年馬華將繼續關注這項英文教數理制度的推行進展，並適時向教育部反映意見以作出檢討。

在大專獎貸學金方面，相比起1980及90年代每年只有幾位華裔生申請到公共服務獎學金，自2000年至今，在馬華的積極爭取下，已經有超過2，100名華裔優秀生在短短8年內獲得有關獎學金，到美國、歐洲、日本、澳洲、印度等各國著名大學就讀專業科系。

在其他政府獎貸學金包括最高元首獎學金和高等教育基金方面，我們也將繼續確保符合資格的各族優秀生都有機會獲得協助。

馬華旗下的各項獎貸學金計畫，包括來自拉曼大學、拉曼學院和自立學院的獎貸學金、張明添教育基金等，也將繼續運作協助有需要的學生完成高等教育或技職課程。

為了鼓勵更多華裔加入公共服務領域，馬華將成立一個特別秘書處，在內閣和公共服務局的配合下，爭取現有更多有能力的華裔公務員獲得升職，尤其成為高級官員；提供更多在國內大專就讀的公共服務獎學金給華裔優秀生；在中文報章刊登招聘廣告；以及到各大專進行彙報會等策略，鼓勵更多華裔大專青年成為公務員。

馬華將持續加強打造健康政治文化的決心，以其能獲得新時代華社民眾的認同與支持。馬華在接下來的日子，將繼續為廣大華社和全體大馬子民謀求更良好的生活保障，在經濟、教育、治安、文化、宗教、弱勢關懷，和新村發展等方面，繼續盡最大的努力，以務實的態度和誠懇的民族良知，發揮在政治主流的力量，並以九大政綱作為鬥爭目標，為族群和國家打造更美好的未來。