First woman brigadier general in Malaysian Armed Forces

KUALA LUMPUR: Colonel Norhuda Ahmad created history when she was promoted as the first woman Brigadier General from the Malaysian Armed Forces general duty.

Norhuda, 54, who was previously the Head of the Asean Branch, Integrated Intelligence Centre (IIC), Strategic Directorate, Defence Intelligence Staff Division, was promoted as Head of the Directorate's Training Division.

She was among 27 senior officers from the Army to be promoted to various ranks.

Two women in the Royal Medical Corps had been promoted to Brigadier Generals previously, namely Brig Gen Datuk Dr Roshidah Ishak and Brig Gen Dr T. Thavachelvi S. Thangaraja.

Army Chief General Datuk Seri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said Norhuda was eligible to be promoted to Brigadier General because she had fulfilled the criteria stipulated.

He disclosed this to reporters after the donning of the ranks for Senior Army Officers at the Wisma Transit, here Wednesday.

Zulkifeli said the Army would consider promoting other women officers if there were vacancies as there were now many women of calibre in the Armed Forces.

However, he said that among the elements considered for promotion, regardless of gender, were a good track record, experience and intellect.

Meanwhile, Norhuda, when approached by reporters, said she was thankful and happy over the promotion after having gone through various obstacles and difficulties while serving in the Army.

However, she was sad that her late father, who had always given her inspiration and truly wanted to see her donning the general's epaulette was not around to see her achievement

Restoring Raub’s former glory

THE Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) intends to play a major role in bringing Raub back to its glory days when it was once a prominent and bustling town.

RAGM director Datuk Seri Andrew Kam said mining benefitted the local community when foreigners started large-scale mining in Raub about 100 years ago.

“Early records show there were more than 8,000 local workers employed at the mines and interestingly, the people of Raub were the first in the country to enjoy electricity supply.

“The first power station was built and operated by Australians in the Sempan River on July 4, 1900,” he said in his speech during a 1Malaysia Chinese New Year gathering at Dataran Raub on Saturday.

Public concerned over more vehicles with xenon lights

THE number of vehicles using bright xenon lights keeps increasing despite the recent announcement by the Road Transport Department (RTD) that its enforcement officers will check vehicles fitted with xenon headlights.

The department has repeatedly said it was illegal to install high intensity discharge (HID) lights on vehicles without approval. Even luxury car importers must get approval from JPJ if their cars have HID installed at the factory.

There is always the risk of blinding effect from the HID lights when one drove along highways, trunks and coastal roads, which could lead to accidents.

Those who support the ban question why anyone would install lights that posed such a hazard to other drivers.

Kelantan to organise assembly for common stand against sinful acts

KOTA BARU: An assembly comprising leaders of all faiths in Kelantan will be held to take a common stand against sinful acts.

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the assembly would be organised in the near future to get such leaders to attest that all religions abhorred behaviour including illicit sex, gambling, baby dumping, Mat Rempit, snatch theft and corruption.

"I will be launching the assembly soon with the intention to get a common say from all leaders from different faiths that such sinful acts are abhorred and that their followers should refrain from these acts.

"All these leaders will come up with a joint statement on their beliefs and an attestation that not only Islam prohibits such acts but other religions also have a common stand on such matters," he told reporters on Wednesday after launching the Al-Ziwayi Gateway scheme.

The scheme provides RM1,000 to poor couples who lack funds to get married.

Nik Abdul Aziz, who is also PAS spiritual adviser, added that the assembly is part of education for the people of Kelantan to fear Allah and not the enforcement officers, who have been given the task to prevent and carry out laws laid down by the Government of the day.

"We want to educate the Kelantanese based on Allah's laws and not by the secular system that is prevalent today.

"We want to have good deeds and prevent evil ones. By doing so, the people will automatically detest sinful acts and do good for the betterment of mankind," he said.

He also said that one example was the Al-Ziwayi Gateway to encourage male Muslims to seek women in a halal manner and not commit fornication or flirt with women before marrying them.

Sabah stops all bids for coal power plant

KOTA KINABALU: The state government has put a stop to all bids for a coal power plant in Sabah, in a move to protect the environment.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said both the federal and state governments had agreed to pursue alternative energy sources like natural gas to meet Sabah's energy needs.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had asked Tenaga Nasional and Petronas to come up with alternatives to replace the proposed 300MW coal fired plant in Lahad Datu.

Speaking after chairing the state Cabinet meeting Wednesday which endorsed the decision to pursue other energy options, Musa said:

"Sabah needs to increase power supply to meet the increasing development but the state cannot afford to put its natural environment at risk."

Thus, he said it was of paramount importance that the state put priority to protect the environment.

"We must protect the environment especially when it is the biggest tourism draw," he said, adding that the growth of eco-tourism depended on how the state kept its natural environment.

The proposed coal-powered plant in Lahad Datu had come under intense public criticisms. A detailed Environment Impact Assessment was rejected by the Department of Environment.

However, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd through its subsidiary had made attempts to re-submit another report.

Bi-Anne wants say in custody battle.

PUTRAJAYA: Eleven-year-old Low Bi-Anne wants to have a say on matters concerning her custody before the Court of Appeal and an application has been filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, seeking leave from the court to appoint social worker B. Vijayakumari G. A. Pillai, 60, as her Guardian ad Litem.

(A Guardian ad Litem is a volunteer appointed by the court to protect the rights, and advocate the best interests of a child involved in a court proceeding).

The application is scheduled to be heard before a senior assistant registrar on Friday.

The application was filed under Rule 86 (1) and (2), Rules of the Proceedings Divorce and Matrimonial 1980 and Order 76 Rules of the High Court 1980 by lawyer Jagjit Singh on Nov 9, last year.

In the application, Jagjit said he was approached by Vijayakumari, the Please Save the Child Association president, who had read about Bi-Anne in local newspapers.

He said he then contacted Bi-Anne's father Low Swee Siong through his lawyer to obtain permission to speak with the child.

Subsequently, he said Bi-Anne met with Vijayakumari at the Please Save the Child Association and "expressed her feelings which were not taken into consideration by the court so far".

He said the child, who was the subject matter in the court proceeding at the Court of Appeal, had expressed her wish to have Vijayakumari appointed as her Guardian ad Litem to take care of her interests in the court proceedings.

There are six appeals lodged by 40-year-old Swee Siong, a real estate negotiator, at the Court of Appeal over the decision of a Family Court.

Among the decisions of the Family Court were to allow Bi-Anne's mother Tan Siew Siew, 37, a restaurant manager in London, to take the child (Bi-Anne) to Britain; ordering the surrender of the girl's passport; dismissing Swee Siong's interim access to the girl; and finding and convicting him for contempt of court and refusing a stay order.

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal's three-man panel led by Justice Datuk Wira Low Hop Bing adjourned the hearing of the appeals to March 2, after lawyer K. Bowanes informed the court that she received instructions from Tan to stop acting on her behalf.

Justice Low directed Tan to engage a new counsel of her choice on or before the next hearing date to represent her in the six appeals.

Earlier, the panel, also comprising Justices Datuk Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad and Datuk Mohamed Apandi Ali, declined to consider some documents which were forwarded to them by Tan's brother through the senior assistant registrar.

Justice Low, in making the order to return the documents, said the documents were not properly filed in the court, pursuant to the Rules of the Court of Appeal 1994. It was not known what the contents of the documents were.

The panel also rejected Swee Siong's application for an interim stay of the fine, pending disposal of the appeals.

On Sept 13, last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court fined Swee Siong RM20,000 and a RM400 fine for each day of delay in handing over the girl to Tan, for disobeying a court order that he hand over Bi-Anne to his ex-wife.

Swee Siong and Tan were married in 1999. The couple divorced in 2006, and custody of Bi-Anne was given to the father. Two years later, Tan, 37, applied for and won custody and Low was given reasonable access.

However, Bi-Anne has refused to be with her mother and insisted that she live with her father.