MPP refutes neglect claims over Taman Phoenix park, cites upgrade plans
KUCHING (July 16): The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) has refuted claims alleging that it has neglected the Taman Phoenix public park.
In a statement, MPP chairman Cr Tan Kai said the council remains fully committed to maintaining public amenities for the benefit of residents under its jurisdiction, including through regular allocation of funds for park upkeep.
'Our MPP Landscape team has inspected the park equipment and confirmed it remains safe for public use,' said Tan.
He pointed out that the Taman Phoenix park has been earmarked for upgrading under the state's Projek Rakyat initiative — a project identified by Deputy Premier and Batu Kawa assemblyman, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
'The MPP team has conducted a site visit, and we are now preparing the scope of works and tender documents for the project,' Tan disclosed.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, Tan said MPP focuses on tangible action rather than public criticism. He also noted that, to date, the council has not received any funding from the Stampin MP to assist in improving local facilities.
'Unlike the approach of the DAP, which often resorts to public criticism, the council will continue working on the ground for the betterment of the rakyat,' he added.
He was responding to Democratic Action Party (DAP) member Michael Kong, who issued a statement urging MPP to take immediate action to address the poor condition of the public park at Taman Phoenix.
Kong, who is special assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, said he was shocked to see the state of neglect when he visited the park recently.
'The jogging track is overgrown with grass, making it difficult and unpleasant for residents to use. The playground equipment and outdoor exercise machines are worn out, poorly maintained, and show obvious signs of disrepair,' he said in the statement.
He also claimed the rubber safety mats at the park as dangerously slippery due to moss growth, with many sections peeling off and posing further hazards to children and the elderly. lead MPP public park Taman Phoenix
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
8 hours ago
- Daily Express
Trump demands resignation of Malaysian-born Intel CEO over China ties
Trump demands resignation of Malaysian-born Intel CEO over China ties WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump demanded today that the new boss of US chip maker Intel resign 'immediately', after a Republican senator raised national security concerns over his links to firms in China. 'The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, a day after senator Tom Cotton said he had written to Intel questioning ties between CEO Lip-Bu Tan (pic) and Chinese firms. Advertisement Tan 'reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army', Cotton wrote in his letter, a copy of which he posted on his website. Cotton also noted Tan's role as the previous head of Cadence Design Systems, which he said recently 'pleaded guilty to illegally selling its products to a Chinese military university and transferring its technology to an associated Chinese semiconductor company without obtaining licenses.' SPONSORED CONTENT Tan was head of the company at that time, Cotton said. The Malaysian-born tech industry veteran took the helm at struggling Intel in March, announcing layoffs as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddied the market. Advertisement He has said it 'won't be easy' to overcome challenges faced by the company. Intel is one of Silicon Valley's most iconic companies, but its fortunes have been dwarfed by Asian powerhouses TSMC and Samsung, which dominate the made-to-order semiconductor business. Advertisement The company was also caught by surprise with the emergence of Nvidia as the world's preeminent AI chip provider. Intel's niche has been in chips used in traditional computing processes, steadily being eclipsed by the AI revolution. - AFP
Free Malaysia Today
10 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Lawyers urge prosecutors, media not to link Guan Eng to witness's assault
Lim Guan Eng's lawyers said the DAP adviser remains confident in the judicial process and is fully committed to defending himself through lawful means to prove his innocence. PETALING JAYA : DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng's lawyers have criticised recent media reports and prosecutorial remarks that allegedly link him to the assault of a key prosecution witness in his ongoing graft trial. In a statement issued today, law firm Haijan Omar & Co, acting on behalf of the Bagan MP, condemned what they described as 'premature and misleading' speculation surrounding the incident. They also urged the media to refrain from reporting unverified claims about the assault, warning that such reports risk undermining the judicial process and Lim's presumption of innocence. 'The insinuation of any connection between the incident and our client – echoed by remarks from the lead prosecutor – is baseless, unfair and prejudicial,' the statement read. Yesterday, a prosecution witness in Lim's trial was reportedly attacked by 10 unidentified individuals at his home near here. According to Malaysiakini, lead prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said he was awaiting instructions from MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki on the next course of action, including whether to seek court protection for the witness. While Lim's legal team acknowledged the need for protective measures in cases where safety was a genuine concern, they emphasised that such action should not be based on 'speculative and tendentious assumptions' that unfairly associate their client with the assault. The lawyers also took issue with Wan Shaharuddin's statement, suggesting it was made while a police investigation was ongoing and without full knowledge of the facts. They said it was unclear whether Wan Shaharuddin had sought clarification from the police regarding the motive behind the incident prior to making his remarks. The lawyers cited a clarification by Petaling Jaya police chief Shahrulnizam Ja'afar, who confirmed that the case was a 'clear-cut robbery' with no element of witness tampering. 'We welcome the swift clarification by the police confirming that the incident was an armed robbery, wholly unrelated to the trial,' the statement added. Lim's legal team said they intend to raise the 'prosecutorial impropriety' in court when the trial resumes at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court on Aug 19. The lawyers said their client has confidence in the judicial process and is fully committed to defending himself through lawful means in order to prove his innocence against all 'baseless charges'. Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask a businessman for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel project and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks. He is also accused of two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land.
The Star
12 hours ago
- The Star
Trump calls on 'highly conflicted' Intel CEO to resign over China ties
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Thursday demanded the immediate resignation of Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, calling him "highly conflicted" due to his ties to Chinese firms and raising doubts about the future of the American chip icon. A change in leadership could pile pressure on the company as it pushes through a major strategic reset started by Tan that aims to slash costs by shrinking its workforce and halting construction on some of its planned manufacturing plants. Trump's comments came a day after Reuters reported U.S. Republican Senator Tom Cotton had sent a letter to Intel's board chair with questions about Tan's ties to Chinese firms and a recent criminal case involving his former firm Cadence Design. Reuters reported in April that Tan - himself or through venture funds he has founded or operates - invested in hundreds of Chinese companies, some of which are linked to the Chinese military. "There is no other solution to this problem," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, knocking shares of Intel down around 4% in U.S. premarket trading. Intel is a key pillar of U.S. efforts to boost domestic chipmaking and last year secured nearly $20 billion in grants and loans, the largest federal award under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, to subsidize leading-edge semiconductor production. Intel and Tan, who took over the CEO role in March after the ousting of his predecessor Pat Gelsinger late last year, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. An Intel spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday that "Intel and Tan are deeply committed to the national security of the U.S. and the integrity of our role in the U.S. defense ecosystem." The company said it would address the matters in the letter with the Senator. The Intel CEO invested at least $200 million in hundreds of Chinese advanced manufacturing and chip firms between March 2012 and December 2024, Reuters reported in April. A source familiar with the matter had at the time told Reuters that Tan had divested from his positions in entities in China, without providing further details. Chinese databases reviewed by Reuters at the time had listed many of his investments as current, and Reuters was at the time unable to establish the extent of his divestitures. Once the dominant force in chip-making, Intel has in recent years lost its manufacturing edge to Taiwanese rival TSMC. It also has virtually no presence in the booming market for artificial intelligence chips dominated by Nvidia. To revive Intel's fortunes, Tan has set a goal of slashing the chipmaker's workforce to 75,000 people by year-end, a reduction of around 22%. Intel also vowed to take a more disciplined approach to manufacturing investment. (Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru, Doina Chiacu and Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
