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Malaysia, a friend to Japan in good and bad times Posted: 25 May 2011 07:37 PM PDT TOKYO: With Japan still reeling from the March 11 devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear fallout, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has told the people of Japan that Malaysia stands by their country as a friend in good times and even more so in bad times. Emphasising on unity among nations in facing adversity, the prime minister reiterated Kuala Lumpur's commitment to support his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Naoto Kan's ongoing efforts to rebuild areas devastated by the disaster in north-eastern Japan on March 11. In his keynote address at the 17th Nikkei International Conference here Thursday, Najib went beyond economics at the prestigious event to show Malaysia's true sense of friendship and caring. "I offer my words this morning as a tribute to all those who are no longer with us -- may their souls rest in peace," he said in what was described by some participants as almost a moving eulogy on the more than 15,000 people killed during the disaster which has been the toughest and most difficult for Japan since World War Two. The audience, very much appreciative of Najib's gesture, responded by giving an extended ovation when he finished his speech and left the Fuji Room at Imperial Hotel where the event was held. According to the organisers, donations and the registration fees collected from the event will be given to the victims of the disaster. The dangers of an earthquake was very much still on everybody's mind to the extent that the organisers announced prior to the speech that in the event of an earthquake with a magnitude of more than 5.0, instructions will be given to enable an orderly evacuation from the conference hall. About 135,000 survivors are living in 2,500 shelters set up in schools and community centres as the Japanese people undertake rebuilding and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas. Najib also honoured those "dedicated men and women who were working with such dignity and determination to fulfil their responsibilities and to do what is right for Japan." He further said that "Malaysia's commitment to Japan in your hour of need is much more than just a dialogue between governments: it is an understanding between peoples." Najib described how the plight of the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that tore across Japan and the loss of so many innocent lives seen live through television globally had touched the hearts of all Malaysians. The prime minister also paid tribute to the indomitable spirit of the Japanese people, for having met the crisis with honour, discipline and fortitude, saying it would have been all too easy to fall apart by the magnitude of the crisis. "So, in this, Malaysia -- indeed, the whole of Southeast Asia -- is of one mind and of one purpose. "Whereas in the past we have been bound by our interests as economic partners, today in the face of crisis and adversity, we are bound to each other as friends and as members of one community -- a community that, far from being imagined, as some would have it, is tangible and real," he said. The Japanese government, which just approved a reconstruction funding of US$50 billion, has reportedly said that the damage from the disaster could cost US$309 billion, making it the world's most expensive natural disaster. Najib said that given Malaysia's stability, infrastructure and location as an area protected from the ring of fire, it was well-placed to act as a base for those companies which were working to restore Japan. "We stand ready to continue to support them in whatever way we can," he said. The Pacific ring of fire covers a 40,000 square kilometres area encompassing some 10 countries including Japan where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. -- Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Who's in charge of development on no-man's land? Posted: 25 May 2011 10:11 AM PDT PRECARIOUS SLOPE... Malaysian Public Works Institute workers Adam Abdullah (right) and Ramli Abd Aziz conducting soil tests yesterday on the hillslope in Kampung Sungai Gahal, Hulu Langat, where a landslide hit the Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage on Saturday. Sixteen people were killed and nine injured in the incident. — NST picture by Sairien Nafis AS the dust settles on the latest landslide tragedy, remarks by the Kajang Municipal Council president have raised several questions. It is clear that the problem is much more serious. Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman was being honest when he said he did not know about the existence of the orphanage as the area was outside his jurisdiction, and it seemed that nobody was in charge of licensing it. The building was put up on agriculture land but neither the council nor the district office had any say on what could be built there, effectively making it a no-man's land. State Local Government, Research and Development Committee chairman Ronnie Liu said the area laid outside the jurisdiction of MPKJ and it came under the purview of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry. No land assessment tax was collected from the landowners and urban services like rubbish collection and drain cleaning were not provided to them. Hulu Langat assistant district officer Mohamad Fadhlullah Omar said although they were in charge of maintenance and upgrading works, the district office was only responsible for overseeing development on government land. They only monitored illegal developments and encroachment, but could not do anything when it came to privately-owned land. "The place where the landslides struck is a grey area. Nobody is in charge of it. There are many other places here that can be considered grey areas," said Fadhlullah. If this was the case, the ambiguity in the land's status would open the floodgates to a host of buildings on private land, all built without any regulatory approval. Local Government Department director-general Datuk Arpah Abdul Razak said this seemed to be true as being located in a grey area, they only needed to get an architect's approval before construction. But then, an architect is not an expert on whether a hill can be cut or how it should be cut. This was exactly what happened during the construction of the Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage, which led to two landslides last Saturday that killed 16 and injured nine, mostly children. Explaining how it should be done, Arpah said all land must first be gazetted under Article 172 of the Town and Country Planning Act before coming under the purview of local councils. "But this is usually done for urban areas only and they will then enjoy services like rubbish collection, street lighting, bus stops and drainage cleaning." She said many did not realise that only 65 per cent of land in Malaysia came under the jurisdiction of local councils. That means the other 35 per cent is not subjected to the stringent regulatory approvals needed for any development. Arpah said the district offices only carried out upgrading works on basic infrastructure and periodical maintenance. "They cannot be monitoring all the private land." She said even if a landowner wanted to get approval for his building, there was nowhere for him to submit his plans. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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