4 theSun | TUESDAY MAY 19 2009

news without borders

200 left in the lurch

as factory closes
SEBERANG PERAI: Some 200 workers
of a wire and cable manufacturing fac-
tory found themselves in the lurch when
the company abruptly announced it was
closing down.
The workers at Scarmel Sdn Bhd,
located in the small-and-medium scale
industrial zone in Bukit Minyak here,
claim that they were informed of the
shutdown last week even though their
salaries for April and May had not been
settled.
Malaysian Trades Union Congress
(MTUC) state chairman Abdul Razak
Abdul Hamid confirmed that the workers
had filed a report with the state Labour
Office that they had not been paid their
dues.
He said the issue was raised at the
Penang State Human Resources Liaison
Committee meeting yesterday in which
a Labour Office representative gave an
update on the report.
Committee chairman Ajit Singh Jessy
said he had been notified of the matter.
About 120 of the workers are Malay-
sians and the rest foreigners.
Scarmel is a subsidiary of the
Singapore-based Carmel Group, which
operates Carmel Manufacturing Pte Ltd
there. The group also has operations in
Senai, Johor, and Batam, Indonesia.
According to the group’s website,
Scarmel was set up to serve the many
multinational corporations in the indus-
trial areas in Penang, Butterworth, Kuala
Lumpur and other parts of Malaysia.
Scarmel’s general manager, Low Goh
Chai, could not be reached for com-
ment.
Leave the boars alone,
says Wildlife Dept
by Himanshu Bhatt
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
We have TAIPING: A weekly frenzy
to feed and touch a commu-
requested nity of wild boars, said to give
them to good luck, at a temple near
instruct here has put wildlife officials
visitors in a dilemma over how to
protect the animals.
not to The Perak Wildlife and
feed the National Parks Department
boars.” (Perhilitan) is trying to pre-
– Shabrina vent the boars from coming
into contact with people.
State Perhilitan direc-
tor Shabrina Mohd Shariff
told theSun a team from
the department visited Sri
Muneesvarar Alayam temple
on the foothill of the Anak
Bukit forest in Kamunting
last week to investigate and
to caution the priest and
volunteers about
the matter.
“We have requested them
to instruct visitors not to feed
the boars,” Shabrina said,
stressing it was important
that the animals not become
reliant on humans for food.
The hill has become
virtually surrounded on all
sides by development.
The boars started appear-
ing about a year ago and after
the devotees began feeding
a few, word spread about
people winning the lottery
after touching them.
“Such reports make it
difficult for the temple of-
ficials to control the crowds
as more people come to try
their luck,” Shabrina said.
Large numbers of the ani-
mals are now conditioned to
the sounds of the temple bell
when rung in the evening
and respond by coming over
to be fed.
Thousands of pilgrims
converge each night during
holidays and weekends in the
hope of getting good fortune
– to the chagrin of residents
of a nearby housing estate.
Chee Leong Son, secre-
tary of the Jalan Anak Bukit
Rukun Tetangga, lamented
that the 50-odd families have
had to endure the animals’
odour, while finding them-
selves stuck in their homes
when the streets get choked
with vehicles and people.
Shabrina said the de-
partment will monitor the
situation, adding that the
temple officials had been
cooperative.

MASRI CHE ANI/THESUN

Visitors offer food and reach out to touch the wild boars. Perhilitan says it is important the
animals should not become reliant on humans for food.

Ex-director on dishonesty charge

GEORGE TOWN: A former company direc-
tor claimed trial in the sessions court here
yesterday to a charge of carrying out his re-
sponsibilities dishonestly in a case involving
a sum of RM1.46 million.
Jamiley Abdullah Jaafar, 37, had alleg-
edly deposited the amount belonging to his
company, Add Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd,
into his personal account in Maybank for his
personal use between Oct 31, 2006 and May
29, 2007.
He is charged under Section 132 (1) of the
Companies Act 1965, which carries a fine
of RM30,000 or five years imprisonment, if
found guilty.
Jamiley was represented by counsel V.
Amareson.
Judge Rosilah Yop set June 1 for mention.
Companies Commission of Malaysia pros-
ecuting officer Shariah Abu asked for bail to
be set but Rosilah denied the request as it was
a summons case.

Yearly visas for spouses

GEORGE TOWN: The Immigration Department
has clarified that visas for non-working foreign
spouses of Malaysian citizens are normally
issued on a year-to-year basis.
Penang Immigration Department director
Abdul Rahman Harun said the announcement
made by the government about a five-year visa
for non-working foreign spouses last year is
merely a “general statement”.
He said the five-year visa is not given across
the board but that applicants will need to meet
certain conditions and criteria to apply for it.
“For now, applicants can apply for a visa on
a year-to-year basis but we have a separate
programme for working foreign spouses under
our Spouse Programme,” he said.
Abdul Rahman said applicants will need to
visit the department’s Visa, Pass and Permit
Division for more details on the conditions
for the five-year visa for non-working foreign
spouses.
Earlier this month, a reader of theSun,
Raymond Lee, asked for clarification as he had
wanted to renew his wife’s visa and was told it
could only be renewed for a year.
Last year, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak an-
nounced that five-year visas will be issued to
non-working foreign spouses.