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Monday February 28, 2005

Indons object to concessions

Other News & Views
Compiled by SIM LEOI, THAM AI MEI and S. ARULLDAS

INDONESIAN authorities have lodged another protest against Malaysia’s decision to award oil and gas concessions to petroleum giant Shell in the Sulawesi Sea, which the republic claims is within its territory.

Petronas had signed a contract with Shell for the concession last September.

Mingguan Malaysia quoted Oil and Gas director-general in Indonesia’s Energy and Natural Resources Department, Iin Arifin Takhyan, as saying that both the Ambalat and East Ambalat blocks to the east of Kalimantan had long been under Indonesian administration and that contracts for their development had already been awarded to Italian gas company Eni and US oil firm Unocal.

Malaysia’s territorial claim over the area had been protested by Indonesia since 1980.

Mingguan also front-paged a statement by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy that he had written a complaint letter to the Selayang council urging it to act on reports of environmental damage involving a hilly area and the Templers’ Park forest reserve by developers.

“I informed the local council on the need for control of the development because the project has caused a lot of damage. As the Member of Parliament for Selayang, I really hope the council will take action on my letter,” he said.

The daily said that aggressive development near the hilly area and tracts of forest within Templers’ Park could jeopardise Batu Dam, which is the source of drinking water for many Klang Valley residents.

The council’s public relations director Mohd Zin Masod, however, said that development in the area was still under control and was on private land.

China Press reported about a young female backpacker who had travelled to Thailand and was “hypnotised” into parting with RM4,000 for a blue crystal.

The woman said she had visited a shop selling crystals where she met a man who allegedly coaxed her into swiping her credit card to purchase the overpriced gem.

After failing to get help from the Thai Embassy in Malaysia upon her return, she turned to MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong in her bid to return the crystal and get a full refund.

Malaysia Nanban reported that marine archaeologists in India had discovered four more temples in the seabed near Mahabalipuram in Chennai, believed to have been built by the Pallava dynasty.

The temples were found about 500m from the shore near the site of the famous Mahabalipuram temple.

The daily said more than 200 workers, including 15 archaeologists, had began exploring the seabed after Pallava dynasty relics were swept ashore during the Dec 26 tsunami.

The report said historical evidence such as inscriptions on stones and ancient artifacts had revealed that there had been a seven-pagoda temple at Mahabalipuram.

One of these temples had already been categorised as a heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the report added.

Tamil Nesan said Perak MIC was making arrangements to send home an Indian national rescued by police at Medan Kid in Ipoh on Wednesday.

The daily quoted state party secretary Datuk R. Ganesan as saying that the 36-year-old woman, suspected of being mentally disturbed, came to Malaysia to work as a maid.

He said the employment agency which had brought her here has been traced and it has agreed to send her back to India.

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