GREEN BEHIND THE EARS?

The Himpunan Hijau crowd seem to be running out of ideas.  They held a desperate demonstration on Christmas Day outside the HSBC branch in Kuantan, because the bank supposedly handles the financing for Lynas.

Children were forced to waste their holiday by standing in the rain with signs obviously not written by themselves saying ridiculous things like ‘Radioactive wastes rob joys from Christmas’ and ‘Our Christmas has been darkened’.

The demonstrators wanted to prove a point, but it being a public holiday and all, and with the staff of HSBC not there, it ended up seeming a bit pointless, even pathetic.  After standing around for 25 minutes in the rain and taking some pictures they left, leaving a black Christmas tree at the bank’s doorstep. 

Apparently the demonstrators, all 50 of them, were protesting so they could put pressure on HSBC to cease its dealings with Lynas, which HSBC is obviously going to do now, after seeing a black Christmas tree at their door… 

What next?  Demonstrations at the restaurants where Lynas workers eat?  Things seems a bit desperate for our friends at Himpunan Hijau.  What with their PG-12 version of a hunger strike (100 hours) and some New Year’s car pool nonsense, have they finally used up all the gimmicks in the Demonstration and Protests for Dummies handbook?   

Lawmaker Says Supply Of Raw Water In Selangor Will Deplete If New Sources Untapped

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Selangor may be on the verge of a shortage of raw water should new sources of water remain untapped amidst the ongoing challenge to supply adequate treated water to numerous homes, offices, restaurants and factories in the state, says a federal lawmaker.

MCA Pandan MP Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the Selangor government must take stock to ensure that the current supply of raw water would be in tandem with population and industrial production growth, noting that certain portions of raw water currently sourced could not be treated and consumed by the state’s population.

“Why must we confuse the people by portraying that we have sufficient raw water? We know very well that not all the raw water that we have is suitable for treatment because we do understand that the raw water in certain areas may contain heavy metal, and this might even cost you a fortune in seeking (medical) treatment,” he said in an interview.  

Ong criticised the Selangor government for not tabling “convincing figures” or statistics in the state assembly that would put an end to the water impasse, saying that Selangor was grappling with two water issues on different fronts, namely, the shortage of raw water and raising the capacity of water treatment plants.  

“Pakatan Rakyat state legislators have been saying that we have enough raw water just because it is now the rainy season and all the dams are full. By saying that the reservoirs are full of water doesn’t mean that you have enough raw water in reality. We want the state government to come up with some unbiased statistics in order not to confuse the people,” said the seasoned politician.

He said the role of Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) was confined to the distribution of treated water to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and that it was the state government’s jurisdiction over the issue of raw water to be provided to water treatment plants.  

Ong, who is a former transport minister, also questioned the state government’s ability to guarantee uninterrupted flow of water if it were to secure a 100 per cent stake and full management rights of Syabas against the backdrop of not constructing new water treatment plants and not tapping new sources of raw water.  

“Just by reshuffling or maybe taking control of the management rights and the water assets of the concessionaire, do you think the state government can resolve a water crisis in the long run? I doubt so,” he said.

Ong pointed out that the Langat 2 mitigation project was among several programmes that were planned before the 2008 general election to cope with the high demand for treated water due to the mushrooming of factories and business parks in the state, saying that the state authorities should look at it objectively and prevent a repeat of the 1997-98 water crisis.

“I do understand that the state government is playing hard ball with the federal government, especially when they make it a prerequisite to be guaranteed the transfer of the management rights of all the water assets, including the Langat 2 treatment plant (upon completion), before they agree to grant the green light to the project (Langat 2),” he said.

Last week, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui told the Dewan Negara that the Langat 2 water treatment project had fallen behind schedule by 29 months and that the Selangor government should withdraw its directives to local councils to hold off giving the approvals that would allow 22 tender packages related to the plant to be disbursed.

The minister said the project, according to the original schedule, should have been 68.95 per cent ready as of October this year but the status of the project was only 28.40 per cent complete.  

On the Selangor government’s announcement to reopen the Bukit Jelutong water treatment plant as a pioneer project for membrane technology to treat water, Ong said the people had yet to see it translated into “real action” and it was vital for the state to announce new sources of raw water other than that from Pahang.

“On the Pahang raw water, I still remember, the current state administration said we do not need that, meaning they claim that they have sufficient raw water. But, actually, this is not true. So how are they going to handle such a situation? Ultimately, you have to face the people,” he said, adding that the existing capacity of the 34 water treatment plants in the state was at the optimum level.

In September, it was reported that the Pahang government would consider cancelling the raw water supply agreement with Selangor if the latter continued to politicise the issue.

The water transfer project between the two states will see 1,890 million litres of raw water pumped daily from Sungai Semantan in Pahang to the Hulu Langat water treatment facility in Selangor.
 
Questioned on the possibility of a sharp tariff hike with the current Langat 2 project proceeding as planned, Ong replied: “It depends on the negotiations between the state government and the federal government. I see no reason why the state administration wants to make this an issue.

“By making this an issue, alleging that they have to pay high tariffs because of Langat 2, is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.” — Bernama

ROADBLOCKS TO LYNAS PLANT MAY SEE FOREIGN INVESTORS LOSE APPETITE IN MALAYSIA

Further roadblocks to the operation of the Australia-owned Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng, Pahang, will trigger lowering of investor confidence and slow the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Malaysia to levels seen during the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009.

Malaysia’s FDI inflow fell from RM23.4 billion in 2008 to a mere RM4.43 billion in 2009 as a result of the financial crisis which also placed the country in the red for the first time in 15-years.

The nation’s FDI inflow for 2012 may be on track to exceed the RM32.9 billion, in 2011 that was underpinned by the aggressive promotions and incentives by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, but the embattled implementation of LAMP will curtail Malaysia ’s attractiveness as a leading trading nation in the ASEAN region.

Against the backdrop of the LAMP protest, foreign investors that have been eying Malaysia as an investment destination will have second thoughts to place their money here as they will be under the impression that implementation of an industrial operation can be on hold despite having the green light from federal and state governments and complying with safety requirements.

LAMP has received the nod from regulatory and independent bodies including the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) Malaysia, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Department of Environment, Parliamentary Select Committee and the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) albeit conditions such as long term waste management disposal and radiological monitoring were recommended from a technical perspective.

The fate of LAMP, a state-of-the-art RM2.5 billion rare processing plant, now hinges on the High Court which will deliver its judgment on November 8 on whether to grant a temporary operating licence (TOL) to two groups of Kuantan residents. Lynas was granted a two-year TOL by the AELB in September but the TOL has been challenged.

While November 8 is crucial, LAMP may not be able to fire up its long completed rare earth refinery until all legal avenues have been exhausted. As such, a protracted legal battle and protests by Kuantan residents will not be in line with Malaysia ’s recent ranking as the 12th most business friendly country globally by a World Bank report.

Malaysia’s FDI stands to dwindle if the Australian public-listed Lynas Corporation Ltd pulls-out and heads to another destination in ASEAN to start its plant rolling. Such an abrupt end to the LAMP here will also put a dent to the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will take effect January 1, 2013 following conclusion of negotiations between the two countries earlier this year.

The LAMP operation is expected to bring substantial benefits to the Malaysian economy. The facility will create 400 skilled jobs plus a multiplier of 5-8 times in secondary jobs through the economic ecosystem created by the plant. LAMP will also have 200 permanent contract workers and 1,000 indirect workers provided services to its facility. The capital investment to build the LAMP is RM2.5 billion while operating expenditure will total RM600 million per year.

Lynas prides its plant in Gebeng as the most technologically advanced rare earth plant in the world that enables production to be done in a safe and environment ally friendly manner. According to the company, rare earths were crucial for “autocats” in vehicles that could convert harmful gasses into inert gas, thus enabling increased thermal stability and reduction in precious metals.

Among others, rare earths are components to produce high power neo magnets for disk drives and speakers as well as polishing powders that are used for TV and computer screens.

The granting of incentives such as a 12-year tax exemption to Lynas for its LAMP operations will be academic should the company exits its project in Gebeng. Malaysia ’s credibility as a choice investment destination will be affected in the near term and the possibility of the economy taking a dip may surface as steady FDI inflows have been widely accepted to provide increased competition, technological spillovers and innovations, and rise in employment.

FDI is considered necessary to stimulate the economies of developing countries but with stiff competition in the ASEAN region and the controversial LAMP project, Malaysia’s FDI can return to that of the financial crisis levels of 2008-2009 as foreign investors often look for destinations that have attractive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives such as tax holiday, government support, and fast turnaround time.

Malaysia was ranked third for FDI inflow into ASEAN in 2011 with US$11.97 billion, while Singapore and Indonesia positioned at the top with US$64 billion and US$18.91 billion respectively.

The LAMP protest can not afford to go on at the expense of affecting Malaysia ’s economic fundamentals. Malaysia ’s economic performance registered a 5.1% growth in 2011 while it is projected to grow between 4.5% and 5% in 2012. In 2013, the economy is forecast to grow between 4.5% and 5.5% underpinned by domestic demand as proposals implemented under Budget 2013 picks up pace.

As the government continues to create a healthy business environment to sustain FDI inflow and promote private investment particularly in increasing the manufacturing and services sectors, a deadlock in LAMP’s operations will put a bump to intensified efforts in attract investors to new growth areas and drive private investment amounting to RM115 billion by 2015 as per the 10th Malaysia Plan.

In October, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak described the RM13 billion FDI recorded in the first quarter of 2012 as a clear signal of investors' confidence in Malaysia despite a gloomy global economy and criticisms from Opposition parties.

The “feel-good factor” for the economy should not fizzle simply due to LAMP protest as Malaysia ’s stock market this year has been above the crucial 1,600 point level and is among the best performers in the world with huge listing such as the RM10.5 billion Felda Global Ventures Holdings now on board.

The launch of the Tun Razak Exchange in July also positions Kuala Lumpur as a leading global centre with more than RM3.5 billion worth of FDI expected to flow into the country under phase 1. The Exchange is a national initiative to spur sustainable growth in new areas and lead the way for the federal capital to be a sustainable, smart and liveable city.

The LAMP operations must kick-off soon so as not to affect the government’s long term plan to spearhead Malaysia into a developed nation which will see productivity levels that are on par with industrialised economies. The government, through the implementation of 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs), is committed to transform Malaysia into a high-income status by 2020 that will see the per capita income at US$15,000.

IS OUR LOCAL MEDIA READY FOR THE FUTURE?

Noted bloggers have panned the results of Edelman’s Trust Barometer for suggesting that there is a ‘trust deficit’ between the public and the  mainstream media.

Edelman’s Global CEO Matthew Harrington told StarBiz that the level of trust the public has for the local media can be improved and that, “Having better engagement with readers, having constant dialogue and being more transparent about its agenda is needed to create more trust for the Malaysian media sector.”

MP P Kamalanathan however questioned how the survey was conducted.

“It may be a subjective issue, but if you speak to a pro-opposition supporter, he or she will express their distrust in the print media...however, if you speak to pro-government people, they will say that they trust the media,” he said.

Criticism aside, the Edelman survey is among the few on the influence of the Malaysian mainstream media.

If global trends hold sway in Malaysia, the mainstream outlets should be panicking over the loss of revenues as a result of the internet, but that discussion, while not absent in this country, has not reached the franctic levels as seen in the UK or the US.

Paywalls, a major discussion point in those markets, is a subject rarely expored here.

There are exceptions of course: Malaysiakini has been subscription-based since 2002, while publications under the Utusan banner only post partial articles to nudge readers into buying the physical copies.

The push to bring screens to new screens, on the other hand, has gained prominence. Almost every major newspaper in the country has some kind of tablet app that packages their daily editions into digital formats.

Arguably right now those iPad editions appear to be straight ports of the print editions but it’s early days yet, and digital exclusive content is slowly emerging.

JOHOR TOURISM TO SOAR WITH ISKANDAR MALAYSIA, SAYS STATE TOURISM CHIEF

Tourist arrivals in Johor are expected to surge to unprecedented levels following newly-developed tourism products in Iskandar Malaysia that are family-oriented and suitable for all ages, says the Director of Johor Tourism Department, Md Za'nal Misran.

"Iskandar Malaysia is equipped with infrastructure and facilities that enable the state's tourism industry to comprehensively provide family tourism, edu-tourism and health tourism within a single location," he said in an interview.

"Johor tourism has (in the past) been very much dependent on coastal and island tourism, eco-tourism as well as its culture and heritage. We now have Iskandar Malaysia transforming the tourism industry in Johor with its family entertainment concept and high value products," he added.

Za'nal said with the opening of international theme parks such as Legoland Malaysia and upscale shopping complexes like Johor Premium Outlets, Iskandar Malaysia has attracted droves of local and foreign tourists to the southern part of Johor.

"The Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park featuring entertainment characters such as Hello Kitty, Barney and LAT's Place theme restaurant will be operational before year end. These will add to the theme attractions in Iskandar Malaysia and see more families coming here," he disclosed.

The 76-acre Legoland Malaysia, which opened to more than 10,000 visitors on Sept 15, will open its Legoland Water Park in the second half of 2013 followed by Legoland Hotel Park in 2014.

Khazanah Nasional Bhd is the prime mover of Iskandar Malaysia, which is targeted to secure cumulative investment of RM383 billion, over a 20-year period until 2025.

The southern development corridor has received cumulative investment commitment of RM95.45 billion between 2006 and June 2012, with the figure expected to hit RM100 billion by year end.

Expressing optimism on tourist arrivals to Johor, Za'nal said the numbers would surge this year, thanks to Iskandar Malaysia, and noted that the state has been recording a steady increase in tourists from about 3.5 million in 2009 to 3.6 million and 3.7 million respectively in 2010 and 2011.

The number of visitors to Johor rose by 22 per cent to 10.31 million in the January-June 2012 period from 8.28 million in the same period last year.

Za'nal said the positive effects of the increased visitor arrivals has resulted in greater business and job opportunities, thus making Johor better off economically.

In addition, he said Iskandar Malaysia also promoted educational and learning experience through its theme park attractions, adding that they help to drive family tourism and complement other projects.

They include spurring edu-tourism through various educational institutions in Iskandar Malaysia that cater to students of different age groups. For instance, Marlborough College Malaysia and Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia have built the momentum to attract students from various parts of Malaysia and neighbouring countries.

"There will be several more notable foreign universities coming to Iskandar Malaysia. As such, it will be cheaper for foreign students to study in EduCity than to go to a far-away country since the cost of living is much lower here," said Za'nal.

EduCity is also home to institutions such as the University of Southampton Malaysia, University of Reading Malaysia, Netherlands Maritime Institute of Technology, Raffles University Iskandar and Singapore Management Development Institute which are opening in the next year or two.

To complement the students' needs, EduCity will also have an international students village, a stadium and sports complex.

On health tourism, Za'nal said the opening of the 82-bed Columbia Asia Hospital in Nusajaya coupled with several more specialist hospitals being developed at the Afiat Healthpark could help promote Iskandar Malaysia as a world class healthcare centre for foreign and local patients.

The 300-bed Gleneagles Medini Hospital together with a 150-suite medical office block is expected to be opened by 2015. To be built in phases, the hospital will also have a rehabilitation centre, nursing home and hospital residency.

Meanwhile, the managing director of SN Vacation Sdn Bhd, Sharifah Nur'aini Al-Edros, said travel agencies were now customising their travel packages to include Legoland Malaysia, noting that theme park attractions and the completed development in the Kota Iskandar state administrative centre would also help boost tourism in Johor.

She felt that they can now market packages at overseas travel fairs to showcase international-class attractions like Legoland Malaysia and the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park featuring Hello Kitty.

Other than theme parks, Sharifah Nur'aini said this was also a good time to promote Johor's rich culture and traditional cuisine such as laksa Johor, mee rebus and otak-otak.

MARTIAN CONGLOMERATE

(Credit: NASA)

If you were thinking of a conglomerate in the sense of a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure, then you're wrong.

Nasa’s Mars rover Curiosity has found a Martian conglomerate, which is a rock that could only have been formed from water-borne debris, and could be proof that the red planet supported life.

KEBANYAKAN SUNGAI DI SELANGOR TERCEMAR, ANCAM BEKALAN AIR

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Okt (Bernama) -- Kebanyakan sungai di Selangor yang menjadi sumber utama bekalan air mentah didapati tercemar dan berpotensi menjadi ancaman serius kepada keperluan asas yang amat penting ini jika tidak ditangani, seorang ahli sains memberi amaran Khamis.

Ketua Unit Permodelan Alam Sekitar, Pusat Penyelidikan Forensik Alam Sekitar (ENFORCE) Universiti Putra Malaysia, Dr Hafizan Juahir, berkata bahagian air bersih di sungai-sungai ini semakin pendek akibat aktiviti guna tanah yang terlalu tinggi, terutama pembangunan kawasan perumahan.

Sebagai contoh, beliau mendedahkan panjang Sungai Langat, sungai utama di antara beberapa sungai di Selangor yang menjadi sumber air mentah ialah 149.3 km tetapi bahagian air bersih hanya tinggal 49.3km sahaja manakala selebihnya 100km sudah tercemar.

Dalam satu temuramah dengan Bernama, Hafizan berkata, pencemaran sungai dikategorikan kepada empat kelas iaitu 1 dan 2 belum tercemar, manakala 3 dan 4 tercemar secara serius.

"Sepanjang 100km Sungai Langat sudah masuk dalam kelas 3, 4. Dan jika kualiti air sungai lebih teruk daripada ini, ia sudah dikira sungai mati," katanya.

Hafizan menjelaskan data-data ini adalah terkini yang diperolehi oleh para pelajar beliau yang membuat persembahan penemuan mereka mengenai keadaan Sungai Langat hanya tiga hari lepas.

Beliau berkata di daerah Hulu Langat kini keadaan semakin meruncing dan mengancam sungai akibat terlalu banyak pembangunan terutama kondominium, rumah-rumah kedai dan peningkatan populasi yang memberi impak negatif terhadap kualiti air akibat air cucian, sisa-sisa domestik dan sampah yang masuk dalam sungai.

"Saya adalah ahli sains dan penyelidik. Saya bercakap berdasarkan fakta mengenai kualiti air. Saya lihat secara terperinci setiap parameter kualiti air atau pun trend indeks kuailiti air. Jadi kuantiti air yang bersih sahaja pun tinggal sikit sahaja," tambah beliau.

Hafizan berkata ramai orang terkeliru apabila bercakap mengenai sumber air kononnya negara yang kerap hujan untuk mengisi empangan seperti di Malaysia tidak perlu bimbang tentang sumber air.

"Empangan hanya air untuk tujuan rawatan sebelum kita bekalkan kepada pengguna akhir seperti kita semua, pengguna domestik atau perindustrian. Tetapi sumber air daripada ini tadi perlu kita teliti daripada mana datang sumber air ini. Sumber air ini datang daripada sungai.

"Kalau nak mengharapkan hujan, memang jumlah hujan kita tinggi tetapi ia jauh daripada mencukupi dengan keadaan pembangunan yang pesat, pertambahan dan peningkatan dalam populasi. Tidak dapat tidak, permintaan bekalan air bersih dan air terawat terus meningkat dari semasa ke semasa," katanya.

Hafizan keadaan kualiti sungai yang semakin tercemar dan kuantiti air bersih yang semakin merosot bermakna kos rawatan air akan menjadi lebih tinggi dan ini akan mencetuskan persoalan sama ada kerajaan akan terus mampu memberi subsidi.

Ditanya mengenai dasar kerajaan negeri yang lebih mementingkan rancangannya untuk penstrukturan semula air di negeri itu daripada mengatasi masalah seperti ancaman pencemaran sumber-sumber air dan kekurangan kapasiti pengeluaran air terawat, beliau berkata penstrukturan semula seperti yang dicadangkan itu tidak akan memberi apa-apa makna sekiranya masalah-masalah yang lebih kritikal tidak diatasi.

"Tanpa mengambil kira bagaimana untuk mengawal pencemaran sumber air kita ini, meningkatkan keupayaan loji, mengambilkira aspek kuantiti air bersih, penstrukturan ini tidak akan memberikan apa-apa kebaikan," kata Dr Hafizan.

Beliau juga menyatakan sokongan terhadap rancangan kerajaan Persekutuan mendapatkan sumber air dari Sungai Pahang ke Selangor bagi mengatasi kekurangan sumber air dan pembinaan loji rawatan Langat 2 sebagai langkah tegas mengelak krisis air yang dijangka melanda Selangor, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya menjelang 2014.

Lagi pun, katanya, air dari Sungai Pahang tidak tercemar seperti sungai-sungai di Selangor.



-- BERNAMA