Pensiangan polls: Kurup's appeal hearing Jan 15

Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Court in Putrajaya has rescheduled to Jan 15, hearing of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's appeal against an Election Court decision that declared null and void his win in Pensiangan during the March 8, 2008 general election.

The appeal was earlier fixed to be heard Wednesday (Jan 7).

Kurup's lawyer George Aludah told Daily Express that the Federal Court informed them last week of the new date of hearing the appeal.

On Sept 8 last year Judge David Wong Dak Wah held that Kurup, who was the Barisan Nasional candidate, was not duly returned as the winning candidate for the Pensiangan parliamentary seat.

He also awarded costs to the petitioner, Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Danny Anthony Andipai, whose candidacy for the Pensiangan seat was rejected by the Returning Officer Bubudan OT Majalu on Feb 24, last year, the nomination day for the country's 12th general election.

The judge held that the wrongful rejection of Andipai's nomination papers by Bubudan had breached his (Andipai) constitutional right to take part in the election and with it the written law relating to the conduct of election.

Andipai, who is Nabawan PKR chief, filed the petition on April 9, 2008 naming Kurup and Bubudan as the first and second respondents, respectively.

He claimed that Bubudan had planned to make available only one counter for the delivery of nomination papers for Pensiangan and the State seats of Sook and Nabawan.

He contended that the plan was to prevent the timely delivery of nomination papers from other candidates to enable Kurup to be returned unopposed in the election on nomination day.

Andipai was represented by Haji Ansari Abdullah and Datuk Chau Chin Tang, while Kurup's lawyers were Alex Decena, Wilson Lai, Hajah Mariati Robert and Lau Cheung Hoon.

Senior Federal Counsel Suzana Atan, Chandradevi Letchumanan and Amrjeet Singh represented Bubudan.

30 per cent surcharge on bus fares from Sept. 15

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 - The government today fixed a 30 percent surcharge on stage and express bus fares for the Hari Raya season effective for one month from Sept 15.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said this was a temporary measure before the ministry could decide on the request for fare increase by bus operators.

"The temporary surcharge on bus fares is to reduce the bus operators' operational costs after taking into consideration their woes and the views and feedback from various quarters," he told reporters at the parliament lobby, here today.

Noh said this tempopary measure was not new as it had been implemented before with a surcharge of RM3 on bus tickets for express buses only.

He said 2,000 temporary licences for imposing the surcharge would be issued and applications could be made at the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board's (CVLB) offices.

"Buses that are allowed to be used as additional expresses buses are stage buses, chartered buses, school buses and factory buses that are not more than 12 years old.".

Noh said the CVLB and enforcement agency would carry out integrated operations on highways and at bus terminals, including monitoring the sale of tickets at the counters to ensure that bus company staff were not in cahoots with touts to indiscriminately hike bus fares.

He said for public convenience, RapidKL would be providing feeder bus service from the Puduraya bus terminal to the Duta bus terminal and Bukit Jalil Sports Complex with a fare of RM3 for a one-way trip.

Noh also said that the government had agreed to liberalise the express bus service by introducing the Premier Class while retaining the Economy and Executive-class services.

"The classification of services is based on the fare charged, passenger capacity and facilities provided.

"The fare for the Economy service is controlled by the government to protect the interest of users, especially the low-income group," he added. - Bernama

15 Krew Harakah buat liputan Muktamar PAS di Ipoh

Harakahdaily
Wed | Aug 13, 08 | 10:19:25 am MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Ogos (Hrkh) - Seramai 15 krew Harakah termasuk Harakhdaily bertolak ke Ipoh petang ini untuk membuat liputan dan laporan khas Muktamar Tahunan PAS kali ke-54 mulai malam ini.

Mereka yang diketuai Pengarangnya, Taufek Yahya bersama Pengarang Berita, Tarmizi Mohd Jam memulakan tugasan malam ini, melaporkan acara perasmian Muktamar Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat di Stadium Tertutup Indera Mulia, Ipoh, jam 8.30 malam.

Ia kemudian diikuti laporan perasmian Muktamar Dewan Ulama dan Muslimat PAS Pusat yang akan diadakan esok, 14 Ogos. Muktamar Dewan Ulama disempurnakan di Dewan Bandaraya Ipoh (DBI) bersebelahan Masjid Negeri dan Muktamar Dewan Muslimat akan dilangsungkan di Hotel Hillcity, Simpang Pulai.

Sementara acara kemuncak, Muktamar Tahunan PAS Pusat yang bermula di Stadium Tertutup Indera Mulia akan berlangsung Jumaat ini, 15 Ogos. Beberapa tetamu dari gerakan Islam luar negara dijangka akan bertandang ke muktamar kali ini disamping kebanjiran ahli-ahli Kelab Penyokong PAS dari seluruh negara.

Liputan berita akan disiarkan melalui Harakahdaily setiap hari dan Harakah cetak untuk edisi Isnin, 18 Ogos akan datang. Hari ini, Harakah cetak edisi Jumaat yang merupakan naskah sulung untuk keluaran dua kali seminggu siap dicetak dan esok akan berada di pasaran seluruh negara.

Naskah edisi Jumaat yang berwajah baru dengan harga RM2 akan dilancarkan oleh Presiden PAS, Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang sejurus selepas selesai Ucapan Dasar Presiden, 15 Ogos, Jumaat ini. - tmj/mks._