Carolyn Khor's blog

It must have come as a pleasant surprise that three women from PKR were selected to be Selangor executive council members together with three others from DAP and four from PAS. Dr. Daroyah joins rank with Elizabeth Wong and Rodziah Ismail in an all-women three-member team after being sworn-in at the palace today. PKR Selangor had fielded six women candidates for its state seats, out of which five won. Twelve others from PKR who won are men. In contrast, Penang has only one woman exco which is held by Chong Eng, the DAP state assemblyman for Padang Lalang. During the 13th General Elections, PKR Penang fielded a total of two women candidates for the Penang state seats, out of which only one succeeded - Dr. Norlela Ariffin from Penanti. Nine others from PKR who won are men. The vast difference in women representation within PKR is largely attributed to the role of women in politics in these two states. At the same time, it must be lauded that Tan Sri Khalid has no qualms appointin...

Dato’ Mustafa Kamal, Director of Elections for PKR Pulau Pinang successfully gathered about 500 election workers at several meeting points all around the Bayan Baru (P52) parliamentary district last Sunday. Dato’ Mansor Othman, the Deputy Chief Minister addressed the 300-strong crowd at its main site at Dewan JKKK Taman Pekaka, Batu Uban, together with several other personalities like YB Sim Tze Tzin (ADUN Pantai Jerejak), Dato’ Malik Kassim (ADUN Batu Maung) and YB Raveen (ADUN Batu Uban). The air of excitement was further enhanced when a motorcycle convoy of about 30 bikes arrived at Taman Pekaka along with a decorated trailer behind blasting the Parti Keadilan song. After a short briefing, all volunteers participated in a house-to-house exercise to meet the voters in the three state constituencies in Bayan Baru. When the crowd were asked: “Are you ready for Pakatan Rakyat?” the crowd replied in a very spirited ‘Yes!’ The overall response from the ground was very ...

Much has been said about climate changes in the last few decades with not much being done to address the escalating problem. This is especially unfortunate when the environmentalists are up against corporate giants who silence the policy makers into submission with their huge funding by reaping profits from nature. Climate changes is a term used to acknowledge weather patterns over a period of time and is commonly linked to environmental changes including global warming and the greenhouse effect, significant flooding and even storms – the most recent being Superstorm Sandy. Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economist mentioned in his address during a recent visit to Penang that the term ‘climate change’ was not even uttered once by the re-elected President of the United States during his nationwide election campaign. This shows the severity and the clout of apprehensiveness in acknowledging what deserves to be approached in a more aggressive manner to save the environment. However, a...

Original Article in Mandarin by: Teng Kok Liang Green scenery always makes people feel refreshed. It is wrong to think that living in high rise building prohibits us from keeping plants. On the contrary, there are many indoor plants that we can grow to keep our environment green and beautiful. Penang Green Expo 2012 which was held in September 2012 displayed a variety of indoor plants. The Expo also provided an opportunity to learn more about choosing the correct species for planting and decorating the home. For clean and fresh air, the Cactus, Chlorophytum or Scindaprus tops the list as natural purifiers. These plants should not be underestimated as they can help lower the hazardous substances released from electronic appliances and at the same time help purify air pollutants. An alternate choice is the Sansevieria and Boston fern. These plants contain natural plant anion that absorbs Benzene and Trichloroethylene from the air to restore good air quality. For spa...

Green Building Index In keeping pace with the demands of modern living, designers and builders equally reflect their concerns about the environment through incorporating a voluntary green rating scheme which is managed by a board of registered architects and engineers. The Green Building Index has a total of 290 buildings as at June 2012 and nine townships registered for certification throughout the nation.  According to the Northern Chapter President of Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) and also Penang Green Council committee member, Mr. Lawrence Lim, Penang currently has 30 buildings applying for certification while 10 buildings are on provisionary certification. “Penang was the first state in Malaysia to embrace the Green Building Index,” he added. Among the more notable developments that have applied for the GBI are The Light Project by IJM, The Setia Greens by SP Setia, Brooke Residence and Penaga Hotel, a heritage hotel in George Town.  “Despite the pre...

YB Chow Kon Yeow Level 52 Komtar 10503 Penang 04-2619888 chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my PRESS STATEMENT 11 October, 2012 In support of the family of the late Cheah Chin Lee (died in police custody): Police Yet to Inform Courts of Chin Lee’s Death ¬¬ It is now close to two months after Cheah Chin Lee died in the Police’s custody. I am here today with Chin Lee’s family members who are still waiting for answers. Sadly, despite numerous promises made to the family, the Police have been unable to show any progress for the family to have faith in their efforts. The family’s lawyer wrote to the Magistrates Court of George Town, Penang to enquire about initiating inquest proceedings and received a reply from the court registrar on 25 September, 2012 saying that the courts have not received a Sudden Death Report regarding Chin Lee’s death on 13 August. Section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Code requires, “when any person dies while in the custody of the police or in a mental hospita...

KENYATAAN AKHBAR KONGRES MELAYU PULAU PINANG, (KMPP) Tarikh: 27hb Januari 2012 Kepada: PIHAK MEDIA TEMPATAN. Tajuk: ISU TANAH TANG HAK JU, “Barisan Nasional Berhutang kepada Rakyat Pulau Pinang”. Kenyataan akhbar ini dibuat oleh pihak KMPP adalah mewakili rakyat Pulau Pinang yang terpaksa menanggung wang pampasan RM500,000.00 akibat daripada kecuaian sehingga menyebabkan penipuan keatas seorang individu yang dikenali sebagai Tan Hak Ju. Keputusan oleh Mahkamah Rayuan pada 10/1/2012 tersebut jelas bahawa Kerajaan Negeri sekarang terpaksa menanggung liabiliti yang ditinggalkan oleh kerajaan terdahulu (Barisan Nasional) dimana rakyat negeri ini harus membuka mata bagaimana rakusnya dan licik pentadbiran Kerajaan sebelum ini sehingga mengheret rakyat negeri ini bersama menyelami kemelut kes ini. Walaupun pampasan telah dikurangkan dan sekalipun ianya bernilai RM1.00, ianya tetap wang rakyat yang menjadi pembayar cukai. Janganlah pula Pimpinan Barisan Nasional negeri ini c...

Cubaan Membunuh Presiden KEADILAN 8 Januari 2012 Angkatan Muda KEADILAN Pulau Pinang (AMKPP) hari ini mengecam sekeras-kerasnya terhadap insiden cubaan membunuh Presiden KEADILAN, Dato’ Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail pada malam tadi. Serangan itu walaupun dapat dielak oleh Saudara Fayyad al-Bakri, pengawal keselamatan Keluarga Anwar Ibrahim, ia tetap diklasifikasikan sebagai cubaan membunuh! Pihak Hospital Seberang Jaya telah mengesahkan serangan itu berpunca dari tusukan jarum yang menyuntik kandungan morfein berlebihan ke tapak tangan Fayyad. Suntikan beracun itu telah menghentikan nadi Fayyad buat seketika. Allah Maha Besar, terkini setakat 10.00 pagi, Fayyad sudah sedar dan dilaporkan stabil. AMKPP memandang serius akan isu ini, kerana cubaan membunuh Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan keluarganya seakan sudah diatur sekian lama sejak penglibatan Anwar Ibrahim di dalam politik tanahair. Kita masih ingat akan insiden helikopter terhempas pada tahun 1994, rempuhan ala gestapo di ruma...

Boxing Day was just going to be another usual day if not for an unscheduled visit with a friend to a newly opened restaurant at Cintra Street – The Malabar Restaurant, Dine and Chill. Occupying two of the corner lots of the heritage building in Georgetown, the new kid on the block looks chic with its designer look and matching colours. The wallpaper and overall interior decoration adds to its charm and ambience of a comfortable dining experience. The original timber which can now only be found in heritage buildings can still be seen in parts where they are not covered by the lowered plaster ceiling. “We want to make people feel at home. One part of the shop is for dining and the other is the bar,” says the petite and pretty restaurateur Tracy Yeoh, adding that she designed the shop herself. Eager to impress us with their food, we were first served with a starter – Lobak, the chef’s personal favourite. This was followed by the Braised Garlic Pepper Pork Ribs, Rendang Chicken, Otak...

100 children were presented with RM100 vouchers last Sunday at BJ Kompleks to help families prepare for the new school term. S.Raveentharan had set aside RM10,000 from his allocation to lighten the burden of parents with school-going children. This is a yearly event that has drawn much support from the community. All recipients were from the Batu Uban constituency. The vouchers were obtained from the Kamdar store in BJ Kompleks. Families with the voucher may exchange the voucher for apparels needed for school.Apart from the 100 children, some 40 other children also received RM100 vouchers from Pusat Urus Zakat, which is also meant for school uniforms. “This is the people’s money. It is only right that we redistribute it to deserving parties and will continue to do so in the future,” said S.Raveentharan, the state assemblyman for Batu Uban. S.Raveentharan thanked the management of Bukit Jambul Kompleks and Kamdar for their cooperation in helping making the event a success. “Bu...