Selangor’s Exco Village – a waste of public funds

THE Selangor Government has spent more than RM20mil on the Exco Village to house all 10 state exco members “under one roof”. 

The rationale behind this, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, was to enable the exco members to communicate better and meet at short notice should there be an emergency. 

However, after two years, only four of the exco members took up the offer and are living in the five-room bungalows.  

To make matters worse, at least three of the other bungalows are occupied by relatives of the state exco members.  

One is used as a guest house by one of the councillors who visits the premises occasionally. 

The luxury quarters were completed amidst controversy in early 2005 when state opposition leader Teng Chang Khim claimed that the project was a waste of public funds as in any case state exco members received a monthly housing allowance of RM2,000.  

Source: The Star

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Abu Bakar Hassan’s remarks were utterly baseless

NUJ president Norila Md Daud said the comments were utterly baseless and she questioned how the blame could be put entirely on the journalists when it was obvious that the CCTV operator had ulterior motives.  

“It is clear that the operator had bad intention and took advantage of the monitoring equipment that was at his disposal. The camera is for surveillance purposes only and not anything else.  

“And yet Abu Bakar has pointed the finger at the attire of the reporters,” she said.  

Source: The Star

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Abu Bakar Hassan blames CCTV incident on sexy dress

Abu Bakar Hassan slammed for sexist remark about CCTV incident

Penang Municipal Council president Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan should apologise to the media for his “insensitive” remark over the dressing of women journalists, said state deputy assembly speaker Datuk Lye Siew Weng. 

He said Abu Bakar should have investigated the media’s complaint that a close-circuit television (CCTV) camera at City Hall was zooming onto the thighs of a female journalist covering a full council meeting instead of blaming them for the incident.  

“As a senior officer, Abu Bakar should know better. He must apologise to the journalists for claiming their dressing was inviting trouble,” Lye said. 

“Also, if it is true that the CCTV system at the council chamber was faulty, then the onus is on the council to repair it.” 

Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said it was inappropriate for Abu Bakar to remark that if the dresses of women journalists were not sexy, the camera would not have zoomed on their thighs. 

He said the council should instead focus on the investigation on the incident. 

State MCA youth chief Ooi Chuan Aik called for an independent body to be set up to investigate the incident. 

“The council president should look into how to prevent a recurrence,” he said. 

State Economic Planning, Education and Human Resource, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon said Abu Bakar’s statement was very insulting to women and described the incident as a “serious case of harassment.” 

In Kuala Lumpur, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said female journalists had the right to wear skirts to government functions as long as the attire reached the knees. 

Source: The Star

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Abu Bakar Hassan blames CCTV incident on sexy dress

Abu Bakar Hassan blames CCTV incident on sexy dress

If the dress was not sexy, the incident would not have happened. 

This was Penang Municipal Council president Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan’s response to a complaint that a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the City Hall was zooming in on the thighs of women journalists instead of council proceedings.  

Abu Bakar was unhappy over the “sexy” attire worn by some women reporters during council meetings.  

On Friday, a reporter spotted the image of a woman’s thighs on the CCTV monitor in the control room and alerted other journalists who complained to council secretary Ooi Chin Loo. 

New Straits Times journalist Melissa Darlyne Chow, 23, who lodged a police report yesterday, said she was surprised by Abu Bakar’s “sexist” statement. 

Source: The Star