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Completion of KKIA upgrade now expected by first quarter of 2012 Posted: 06 Aug 2011 10:56 PM PDT KOTA KINABALU: Upgrading of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) has yet again been delayed and is now expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the contractors were struggling to meet the various earlier deadlines, especially in the expansion of the 2,988-metre runway and taxi-ways due to several factors. "There have been many constraints for the contractors, especially in the expansion of the runway as part of it is still being used for take-off and landing of aircraft. "There is very limited time as works are mainly done after midnight when the runway is closed," he told reporters after being briefed by Malaysia Airports Berhad on the current situation of the project, here, today. Kong hoped the contractors would put in more effort, including hiring more manpower, to meet the new deadline as KKIA was receiving more demands from international airlines to fly to Kota Kinabalu. He said due to those demands, the development of the airport, which was 89.78 per cent complete as of July 31, was now in a critical situation as it had become the second busiest airport in the country after Kuala Lumpur. - Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Govt aims to reduce queues at KTM Komuter lines with new trains Posted: 06 Aug 2011 10:45 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: When the newly-acquired trains from CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive from China are put into service for the KTM Komuter lines by the end of this year, the government hopes to reduce the agonising wait of more than 30 minutes among train commuters during peak hours. Commuters on the Rawang-Sungai Gadut, Batu Caves-Port Klang, Sentul-Port Klang and Batu Caves-Rawang routes will benefit from the additional capacity from the trains, technically known as electric multiple units or EMUs. The first of the 38 EMUs will arrive next month and will be tested before they are put into service. About 100,000 commuters jam KTM Komuter trains daily during weekdays to travel in about 20 sets of EMUs of three cars each available to them. From a schedule of 15-minute intervals at one time, which theoretically required at least 36 EMUs to be provided each day by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB), this has since slowed down to 20-minute intervals or, which theoretically means 25 EMUs. But KTMB does not even have the luxury of 25 EMUs. Since September 2009, their availability has been down to around 21 EMUs daily because of broken down trains which have not been repaired from 62 EMUs at one time. On bad and unfortunate days, this can sink to a precariously low of 15 to 18 EMUs per day. Hence, delays of 40 minutes or more on certain sectors are not uncommon with KTM Komuter trains always packed like sardines during weekdays. This also amplifies the fact that there is no shortage of passengers for KTM Komuter trains in view of its relatively cheap cost as it only costs RM6 from KL Sentral to Seremban. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha told Bernama that the government had decided to improve the situation through a number of initiatives under the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) for public transport. The NKRA initiatives were launched in July 2009 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as part of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) towards achieving Vision 2020 and improving the government's service delivery to the people. Besides improving capacity, Kong said the measures were also to raise the daily ridership to 600,000 public transport commuters in the Klang Valley by the end of 2012. This target, he said, was 2.5 times more than the current ridership, "It's a tall order for us but we are working hard to achieve our target," Kong said. The current daily ridership is about 240,000 for public transport in the Klang Valley, estimated to represent 10 to 12 per cent of the total population in the country's busiest urban centre. Kong explained that the Klang Valley's public transport services had already been filled to the brim, particularly for rail services (KTM Komuter, RapidKL, LRT and Monorail). Such a pressing situation demanded the creation of an additional capacity for 360,000 more people to migrate to public transport from private vehicles, he said. Of the potential increase, 58 per cent or 207,000 will be for rail and 42 per cent or 153,000 will be for buses. Rail will be the biggest contributor, with KTM Komuter contributing around 95,000 passengers, the Kelana Jaya LRT line 62,000 and the Ampang LRT line 33,000. The first step towards improving capacity took place at the end of 2010 when new four-car train sets were introduced on the Kelana Jaya LRT line, the most congested rail line in the Klang Valley, from the previous two-car train sets. The initiative was to secure "quick wins" for the people's benefit under the NKRA for urban public transport. - Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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PM's Kluang visit: A commentary Posted: 27 Mar 2011 03:59 AM PDT 2011/03/27 By Shahrum Sayuthi news@nst.com.my I WAS quietly amused when my hometown friend Fiona reacted with much enthusiasm when I told her that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was making a stopover at her alma mater, the Chong Hwa High School, during his visit to Kluang on Saturday. She is after all a DAP supporter and had not made it a secret to me who she voted for when she had cast her vote for the first time in the 2008 general election. "Oh my God! That's so great of him!" was what she text messaged me in return before proceeding to relate how when as a student she had, along with others, lined the street leading to her school when then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad went there in 1987. "That was the last time a prime minister visited our school. I remember it was a very hot day and we were sweating, but we were all so happy that a prime minister visited our school," she added. If Fiona was at the school on Saturday, she may have thought she had been transported back in time to that day. The over 2,000 students, in their all white uniforms, were equally enthusiastic in welcoming Najib. The highlight of Najib's visit to the school was when he mentioned in his speech the government's "landmark decision" to allow Unified Examinations Certificate holders with three credits including passes in Bahasa Malaysia and English, to take part in the special intake for the Chinese language degree course to become Mandarin teachers. The students cheered as he made the announcement. "We (the government) are committed to being fair to everyone and will continue to strive for this. Dreams will not be realised until we are at peace with one another," Najib had said. My colleague Chuah Bee Kim interviewed some of the students and teachers on how they felt about Najib's visit. Seow Yu Sheng, 15, a Form Three student said it was a memorable day as it was the first time he had seen the prime minister in person. "I am happy to see him. Furthermore, he was here today to launch our school's green programme which my teachers have always promoted among us," he said. Another Form Three student, Dana Lim, 15, echoed Seow's sentiment but lamented that Najib's hour-long visit was such a brief one. "My classmates and I nonetheless feel very honoured to have the prime minister at our school," Lim said. Liong Kok Kiong, 32, a geography teacher at the school for the past six years said the announcement made by Najib regarding UEC holders was very uplifting as it was a step towards the success of the 1Malaysia policy. "I also hope that Najib's visit will encourage more English language teachers to join our school as we need more of them here," he said. Later in the night, Najib attended a "dinner with the people" function at down town Kluang which was attended by more than 10,000 people. Such was the overwhelming response given by the crowd when Najib arrived at the function that Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had to pause several times to compose himself while delivering the welcoming speech. Expressing his pleasure, Najib in his speech, suggested that judging by the crowd's response at the function and during his walk-about in several parts in Kluang earlier in the day, Barisan Nasional may probably recapture the lost ground it suffered during the coalition's disastrous outing in the 2008 general election. He told the crowd how an old Chinese lady gave him a 51-year-old Jalur Gemilang during the walk-about. "I was so touched because she told me that it was a gift for my effort in initiating 1Malaysia," he said to thunderous applause from the crowd. The prime minister probably had in mind that Kluang, with its huge Chinese community, was the DAP's first stronghold in Johor before it was overwhelmed there by BN in the late 1970s. However, in 2008, DAP captured the Mengkibol state seat there when its Ng Lam Hua defeated Gan Ping Shou of MCA by a majority of 1,281 votes. Ng had got 13,538 votes while Gan received 12,257. When Najib announced an allocation of RM105 million for the construction of a dam in Kahang to ensure no recurrence of a water supply problem which hit Kluang during last year's Chinese New Year, I immediately sent a text message to Fiona. After all, she was the one who had pushed for me to initiate extensive news coverage about the problem in the first place. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Gamis students released after statements taken Posted: 14 Mar 2011 03:24 AM PDT Gamis students released after statements taken 2010/10/31 By Aidi Amin aidiamin@nst.com.my GUA MUSANG: Police today recorded statements from four university students who were detained for several hours yesterday for allegedly distributing political pamphlets in the Galas state constituency. Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the students, aged between 18 - 25 years old were taken to the district police station and released soon after. "We are investigating if the students are from Gua Musang or outsiders," he said after a briefing at the police operations centre here. He said they would also work with the Election Commission and the students' universities during their investigations. The students are from a group, calling themselves Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia (Gamis) and were allegedly distributing brochures urging the locals to exercise their democratic right to vote. A spokesman yesterday said the group represented students from various universities and had come to Galas to observe the campaign process and also explain to the people certain national issues, including the 2011 budget and how it effects them. Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the detention of the students should not be politicised as they were merely detained for not possessing a valid permit to distribute the pamphlets. "The students were not aligned to any political party and were merely there to urge the people to come out and vote. They are acting on their own and nothing to do with their respective universities. "However, I would like to advise these students to go home and concentrate on their studies instead," he said when contacted. On another issue, Ismail also said the police had to date received four reports on minor incidents involving the parties contesting the by-election here. "I urge all parties to adhere to the laws and prevent any untoward incidents," he added. Air your comment on this issue: Gamis students released after statements taken Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment. New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Badminton: Be wary of Lin Dan's antics Posted: 06 Aug 2011 05:12 PM PDT 2011/08/07 K.M. Boopathy boopathy@nst.com.my Lee Chong Wei (left) has proved to be Lin Dan's most feared rival. NATIONAL coach Rashid Sidek believes that Lee Chong Wei will be at his best in the World Championships which begins in London tomorrow but winning the men's singles crown will depend more on the form of Lin Dan. Lin Dan, who has won everything at stake on the international stage, has been playing mind games with his opponents by withdrawing from competitions and showing a lack of motivation. "Lin Dan has been playing psychological games with his rivals and he is able to do it because he has won everything in badminton. Chong Wei has to watch out for his antics again," said Rashid. "When people think Lin Dan is the favourite, he can lose early but when he is not the favourite, he proves everyone wrong. "Nobody quite has the experience and skills to handle the pressure of a major event like Lin Dan and this makes him the most dangerous player despite the fact that he has slowed down." Chong Wei is chasing his first major title while Lin Dan is a three-time world champion. "The good thing is Chong Wei has always treated Lin Dan seriously and has avoided falling into the trap of underestimating him. "Having said that, I feel that this year's World Championships will see Chong Wei at his best since he made his debut in 2005. "We hope it would be a grand finish for Chong Wei, and hopefully Lin Dan doesn't become the spoiler again." Rashid said Chong Wei has some difficult early matches and China's Chen Long, whom the Malaysian is expected to meet in the last eight, will be formidable. It will work in Chong Wei's favour if Lin Dan falters in the last eight, where he is expected to meet Japan's Sho Sasaki. Rashid pointed out that the Olympic champion had shown his vulnerability on a few occasions. "Lin Dan also has some tough matches in the earlier rounds and if he loses, that will see a momentum shift to Chong Wei," added Rashid. "Chong Wei's toughest early round opponent is Chen Long but he has the edge." Chong Wei and his Malaysian teammates had their first training session at the Wembley Arena late yesterday and will have another session today before the competition begins tomorrow. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Swimming: Cai Lin wants more Posted: 06 Aug 2011 05:10 PM PDT 2011/08/07 Ajitpal Singh ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my KHOO CAI LIN KHOO Cai Lin may have dipped under the Olympic invitational time to qualify for next year's London Games in the 800m freestyle but she has no intention of slowing down. The swimmer hopes to sizzle in the World University Games (Aug 11-22, Shenzhen) and Indonesia Sea Games (Nov 11-22). Under the new qualifying format, a swimmer has two ways to qualify for the Olympics - beat the Olympic qualifying time known as Category A or beat the "Olympic invitation time". Any swimmer who meets the much faster Olympic qualification time merits an automatic entry to London while a swimmer who beats the invitational time is also eligible for entry. But it will depend on a ranking system and a country can only have one representative in each event. Cai Lin met the invitational time at the Malaysia Open in April when she clocked 8:49.28 to dip under the invitational time of 8:51.82 in the 800m freestyle. She is, however far from satisfied and is already targeting a better performance in the world varsity meet and Sea Games. The 23-year-old was hoping to improve her time in the recent World Aquatics Championships in China but she failed miserably by clocking 8:57.17. "I felt confident in the world meet but I was overzealous. I made a mistake by being too fast at the start and thus failed to maintain my momentum," said Cai Lin during the launch of Herbalife's new product - NW Formula - at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. "I have a 50-50 chance to qualify for my second straight Olympics as I have yet to qualify under Category A (Olympic qualifying time). "I can't be satisfied because I have yet to qualify for the 400m freestyle and even in the 800m." The automatic qualifying times for the 400m and 800m are 4:09.35 and 8:33.84 respectively. On her target at the World University Games, the Selangor-born swimmer said she hopes for a respectable performance. "I went straight into the pool after returning from China. Training has been intense and tiring," added Cai Lin. The qualifying period for the Olympics ends next June. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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UDA Holdings acting managing director dies Posted: 30 Jul 2011 11:27 PM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content]UDA Holdings Bhd acting managing director Muhammad Radzi Mohd Basar, 53, died at a hotel in Kuantan about 6am today.

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US lawmakers, media say rating downgrade 'a wake-up call' Posted: 05 Aug 2011 10:55 PM PDT WASHINGTON: Top US lawmakers late Friday expressed concern about Standard & Poor's decision to cut the US credit rating, saying it was "a wake-up call" for a nation saddled with a debt exceeding 14 trillion. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid said "the action by S&P reaffirms the need for a balanced approach to deficit reduction that combines spending cuts with revenue-raising measures like closing taxpayer-funded giveaways to billionaires, oil companies and corporate jet owners." Reid said it was important to appoint a bipartisan committee tasked with finding additional spending cuts with "members who will approach the committee's work with an open mind - instead of hardliners who have already ruled out the balanced approach that the markets and rating agencies like S&P are demanding." Standard & Poor's cut the US credit rating for the first time in history Friday, saying the country's politicians are increasingly unable to come to grips with its massive fiscal deficit and debt load. S&P cut the US rating from its top-flight triple-A one notch to AA+, and added a negative outlook, saying it could be further downgraded in two years if progress is not made in cutting the huge government budget gap. It was the first time the US was downgraded since it received an AAA rating from Moody's in 1917; it has held the S&P rating since 1941. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said the downgrade served "as yet another wake-up call that we must put politics aside as we work to put our nation's fiscal house back in order." Republican House Speaker John Boehner called the decision by S&P "the latest consequence of the out-of-control spending that has taken place in Washington for decades." The speaker assured that congressional Republicans remained committed to ensuring the United States always met its financial obligations. "Though we are outnumbered in Washington, we will continue to press Democrats to join us in taking meaningful steps to rein in our debt and deficits," Boehner said. In the newspapers, columnists displayed the traditional political divide. "On one hand, there is a case to be made that the madness of the right has made America a fundamentally unsound nation," wrote liberal economist Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize winner, in the New York Times. "And yes, it is the madness of the right: if not for the extremism of anti-tax Republicans, we would have no trouble reaching an agreement that would ensure long-run solvency," he said, referring to protracted negotiations on the US debt ceiling in which conservative Republicans insisted on deep budget cuts. But Krugman also questioned the agency's ability to assess sovereign ratings, saying: "it's hard to think of anyone less qualified to pass judgment on America than the rating agencies." "The people who rated subprime-backed securities are now declaring that they are the judges of fiscal policy? Really?," Krugman asked. The Wall Street Journal, a conservative newspaper, said "a cornerstone of the global financial system was shaken Friday." The paper predicted that the downgrade will force traders and investors to reconsider what has been an elemental assumption of modern finance. "It's possible the blow in the short run might be more psychological than practical," The Journal said. "Rival ratings firms Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings have retained their top-notch ratings for US debt in recent days. And so far, U.S. Treasury bonds have remained a safe haven for investors worried about the health of the US economy and the state of Europe's debt crisis." Columnist Ezra Klein wrote in The Washington Post that if Washington hadn't tied the debt ceiling to a deficit-reduction package, "perhaps S&P would be less bothered now. "But the bitter disagreements of the last few months have carried a cost," Klein wrote. "By showing how much trouble the two parties will have cutting a deal now, they've left observers like S&P wondering if we can cut one later, either." -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Typhoon Muifa bears down towards China Posted: 05 Aug 2011 10:46 PM PDT SHANGHAI: China rushed to prepare Saturday for the onslaught of its worst typhoon in recent years, evacuating more than 200,000 people from its eastern coast and shutting down transport services. Typhoon Muifa was expected to make landfall near China's commercial capital Shanghai on Sunday morning or afternoon, or possibly head further north, the National Meteorological Centre of China said in a statement on its website. That timing marks a change from an earlier forecast by the government agency which said the typhoon could make landfall as early as Saturday evening. The typhoon, which was packing winds of up to 162 km per hour, would bring strong winds and torrential rains to a wide band of eastern China, the centre said. China's eastern Zhejiang province had evacuated more than 200,000 people and called more than 30,000 fishing boats back to port, state media said. The typhoon could be Shanghai's worst since 2005, when Typhoon Matsa killed seven people and caused 1.3 billion yuan (202 million) in damage. China's three largest airlines all warned of disruption to flights to and from the region, with at least 140 cancellations. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways encouraged passengers to postpone trips to Shanghai and three other Chinese cities until Monday, a company statement said. Shanghai warned it may limit or halt metro services for the first time, while bullet train services could also be disrupted. The Shanghai government urged residents to stay indoors, according to an official statement carried by local newspapers. -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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2 trillion error in S&P calculations: US Posted: 05 Aug 2011 06:40 PM PDT 2 trillion error in S&P calculations: US WASHINGTON: The US Treasury Friday hit back against a Standard and Poor's downgrade of its AAA credit rating, saying there was a 2 trillion dollar error in the agency's calculations. "A judgment flawed by a 2 trillion dollar error speaks for itself," a Treasury spokesman said, just after the US lost its AAA rating for the first time ever and was downgraded to a AA+. It was the first time the US was downgraded since it first received a triple-AAA rating from Moody's in 1917; it has held the S&P rating since 1941. Moody's and a third ratings agency, Fitch, say they continue to study the deficit plan to see if the US merits being kept in their ranks of AAA countries. Earlier, an official close to the discussions with S&P said: "There are deep and fundamental flaws with the S&P analysis." -- AFP Air your comment on this issue: 2 trillion error in S&P calculations: US Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment. New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Full text of S&P statement on US downgrade Posted: 05 Aug 2011 06:37 PM PDT Full text of S&P statement on US downgrade WASHINGTON: The United States was dealt a severe blow Friday when it lost its coveted triple-A credit rating as Standard and Poor's downgraded the nation's debt standing. Here is the full text of the S&P statement: "We have lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of America to 'AA+' from 'AAA' and affirmed the 'A-1+' short-term rating. "We have also removed both the short- and long-term ratings from CreditWatch negative. "The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics. "More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011. "Since then, we have changed our view of the difficulties in bridging the gulf between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics any time soon. "The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. We could lower the long-term rating to 'AA' within the next two years if we see that less reduction in spending than agreed to, higher interest rates, or new fiscal pressures during the period result in a higher general government debt trajectory than we currently assume in our base case." -- AFP Air your comment on this issue: Full text of S&P statement on US downgrade Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment. New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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<b><small>ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR:</b></small><br>Pas goes 'under the radar' Posted: 15 Mar 2011 03:57 AM PDT 2010/10/30 Zubaidah Abu Bakar news@nst.com.my Even the presence of Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat at a ceramah in Pas stronghold Sungai Terah on Thursday failed to draw the crowd. Many blamed the heavy rain which started to pour earlier but the rain had stopped before the Tok Guru took the microphone. There was an estimated crowd of about 200 people; its usually not the case as Pas supporters would braved the rain, willing to be soaked to the skin to listen to the party's spiritual leader and Kelantan menteri besar speak. The Sungai Terah polling district has about 95 per cent of Malay voters; in the 2008 general election, Barisan Nasional only managed 78 votes compared to Pas' 215 votes. That was how strong the Islamist party's influence there then. But Umno leaders are anticipating that the situation could change, they believe the level of support to Pas may dip when some 300 registered voters there go to the ballot again on Nov 4 to pick their new representative in the state legislative assembly. "Our candidate Abdul Aziz Yusoff had done a good job in the area, the people know him well because he had served the area as a manager in the South Kelantan Regional Development Authority (Kesedar). "He could well be the reason behind the positive signs we are getting in the area," says Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan. The "ceramah perdana" in Sungai Terah are among the few big public rallies that Pakatan Rakyat had outlined for its bigwigs to speak -- the other speakers at the ceramah that day were Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Pas is adopting a "low profile, below the radar" campaign strategy for Galas and this had somewhat toned the otherwise heated campaigns like during the Manik Urai by-election, which is the first by-election in Kelantan, last year. Pas leaders wanted more direct contacts with voters be carried out; opting for small group ceramah and door to door campaigning, which ironically the same strategy that Umno and BN has adopted. No big rally had been planned on BN's side either, including the "Pentas Pemuda" that usually make its appearance in past by-elections. Only eight mini ceramahs involving between 30-40 people and similar number of 'salam sayang" programmes (chit chat sessions) by wanita Umno are being organised daily. Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and his troops have been knocking on doors of those identified as fence-sitters in several areas daily. They even bumped into their opponents during their campaign trails, like the on in Kampung Mentara where Pas had won by 11 votes in the area in 2008. A source also revealed there is a list of do's and dont's for Pas campaigners and that include not touching the Kelantan oil royalty issue and on Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is also the BN by-election director. Canvassing for votes in whatever forms will continue until the eve of polling. For Abdul Aziz and his opponent from Pas, Dr Zulkefli Mohamad, the days ahead will be long and tiring. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

BN aims for smaller, but effective meetings Posted: 15 Mar 2011 12:34 AM PDT BN aims for smaller, but effective meetings 2010/10/30 By NST team in Gua Musang, Kelantan news@nst.com.my GUA MUSANG: Barisan Nasional candidate Abdul Aziz Yusoff said he would continue with his plan to personally meet as many voters as he could although such an approach could slow down his campaign trail. "I want to know them apart from introducing myself as BN candidate. I also want to know the problems faced by the voters here," he told a press conference at BN operations centre in Bukit Cekati here. Aziz, who is Gua Musang Umno division secretary, also refuted claims that the BN election machinery for Galas by-election was too slow. He said the party machinery was actually giving more focus on small gatherings which would enable them to understand the people's problems and needs. "From the feedback that I personally gathered from voters, they are frustrated with the Pas state government's failure to issue land titles and provide affordable homes for them," he said. Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan who was present said BN would continue with its present approach, which was to hold dozens of small gatherings at different polling districts daily. "We will use these gatherings to explain on BN government's development plan and counter all the allegations made by the opposition. "It's more effective compared to big ceramahs," he said. However, he said no gatherings would be held tonight as to allow BN campaigners and voters here to watch the Malaysia Cup final match between Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan. He said BN would put giant projector screens at 14 locations as to allow the people here to watch the final match live. Air your comment on this issue: BN aims for smaller, but effective meetings Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment. New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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