Nation

A 23-YEAR-OLD mountaineer from Felda Jerai I Scheme, Gemas, Negeri Sembilan reached the top of Mount Everest at 7.41 local time (9.56 am Malaysian time) to become Malaysia's youngest female climber to conquer the world's highest peak.

Everest Felda Project 2013 adviser Datuk Akmar Hisham Mokhles, in a text message to Bernama, said Siti Hanisah Sharuddin's achievement completed the feat made by seven Felda mountaineers after six male climbers made it to the summit on Tuesday.

THE federal and the Selangor governments are expected to meet soon to resolve the long drawn-out affair of restructuring the water services industry.

Following calls for reconciliation on the matter, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had sent a letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on May 15 hoping the resolve the impasse over the water issue.

It was learned that Khalid had stated in the letter the state wanted the Langat 2 water treatment plant included as part of the water restructuring plan and not as a separate issue.

STAR Publications’ annual general meeting (AGM) yesterday saw its board emphatically deny continuing rumours of a management buyout.

ILLEGAL street demonstrations have never discouraged tourism in Malaysia in the past and are not likely to, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said yesterday.

GERAKAN has made a call for Barisan Nasional (BN) to become a single multiracial party if it plans to survive over the next five years.

"I would like to make an appeal to other BN component parties to open their doors to those (members) outside racial lines if we want to get the support of young voters," party acting president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said.

He pointed out that Umno had shown initiative by accepting non-Malay bumiputra members like Kadazan and Siamese into its fold.

SABAH Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad is against the marriage between a 40-year-old father-of-four and a 13-year-old girl he allegedly raped.

Supporting the minister are the Sabah Women Advisory Council and the State Welfare Services Department.

They are now pushing for the prosecution to charge the man with raping the girl. The offence was allegedly committed in his car near the popular Kionsom Waterfall in Inanam at 10am on Feb 18.

THE Malaysia Indigenous Network or Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JAOS) is demanding an apology from the International Hydropower Association (IHA) and the Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) for barring an indigenous leader from taking part in the ongoing Hydropower and Regional Development Congress in Kuching.

JAOS president Thomas Jalong also demanded that Peter Kallang and other interested indigenous representatives be allowed to take part and articulate their concerns in the congress and future forums without discrimination.

THE proposed new department to prevent crime has been welcomed by various quarters as a proactive measure but questions have been raised on how it will be implemented.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the proposal meant more emphasis and focus on crime prevention.

"It is more important to focus on crime prevention than deal with a crime after it has occurred," said Lee, who quoted the saying "prevention is better than cure" and also suggested an increase in intelligence gathering.

THE federal police have embarked on an ambitious programme to reclaim crimeinfested streets with the setting up of a crime prevention department.

IT was a hit below the belt — one that depicted how low MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek would go to fend off criticism on his stewardship of the party.

This was the reaction of several party veterans who had called for Dr Chua’s resignation as the only way to revive the 62-year-old party.