New EPF withdrawal rule

The Star
Thursday July 14, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Contributors to the Employees Provident Fund who wish to take out their savings under Incapacitation Withdrawal will now be interviewed by EPF officials.

The new requirement also applies to members withdrawing their savings to sponsor themselves or their children in private institutions of higher learning under the Education Withdrawal.

“This requirement comes into force with immediate effect following the discovery of fraudulent withdrawal cases,” said EPF Senior (Public Relations) Manager Nik Affendi Jaafar in a statement.

He said the EPF had implemented the requirement to ensure that only genuine cases were approved and contributors used their EPF savings for the intended purpose.

“Under the Education Withdrawal, those applying to study at public institutions of higher learning need not go through an interview.

“It only applies to those who are withdrawing to pay tuition fees at private institutions,” he added.

For contributors applying for Incapacitation Withdrawal who could not be physically present at the EPF counters, arrangements could be made for the interviews to be conducted at their homes or at the hospital, he said.

Nik Affendi said the new procedure was not to burden contributors but to ensure their savings were properly used.

“Members must realise such fraudulent withdrawals will deplete their retirement savings,” he said.

As a national savings scheme, the EPF took its role as the custodian of employees’ retirement savings very seriously, he added. – Bernama

Act of Man not Act of God

Flyover collapse caused by human error

Update by The Star Newsdesk
PUTRAJAYA:
Human error caused the collapse of the half-completed NKVE-Jalan Meru Link flyover on Sunday.

That is the finding of the expert contractor entrusted to carry out a preliminary study on the mishap that injured nine Bangladeshi workers.

Acting Works Minister Datuk Mohd Khaled Nordin said he had briefed the Cabinet on the incident and the findings of the preliminary study by the expert contractor.

"According to initial findings, the incident was caused by human error. It happened when workers prematurely and without authorisation removed the temporary top stress-bars on both sides of the flyover.

"This caused the half-completed structures to collapse almost simultaneously," he told reporters after chairing the Ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

Khalid, who is also the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister, said that one lane of the highway was opened to traffic Wednesday – a day earlier than expected - as works to ensure the safety of the structure was completed ahead of schedule.

Greater incentives for all medical staff

A good move by the government.

Better benefits:
All government doctors and health service personnel will enjoy more benefits, effective Jan 1 this year, under a move to retain them and attract new employees.For doctors, the incentives include their employment being extended to age 65 and tax-exempted allowances.

RM8 eat-all-you-can fruits carnival

A friend forwarded this knowing that I will go for it
and why not?! Check it out.

For just RM8, you can eat as much local fruits as you can at the Taman Warisan Putrajaya on July 23 and 24.

The programme "Jom Makan Buah" (Come and Eat Fruits) will start from 10am to 10pm. Those aged between 10 and 18 years old only need to pay RM6, said a statement issued by Taman Warisan Putrajaya yesterday.

It said the two-day programme would offer several local fruits including durian, pulasan, mangosteens, rambutan, salak, duku langsat and honey lemon.

Each visitor will also receive a bottle of mineral water free.

The fruit carnival is held in collaboration with the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) and Marditech Corporation Sdn Bhd.

Putrajaya location map below.
http://www.i-putra.com.my/map_alamanda/flashalamanda.htm
(Taman Warisan is next to Deputy Prime Minister's Residence)

A mishap in KL - Flyover collapse: Nine Bangladeshis hurt

DEAD END: Workers putting up barriers after several
girders of the New Klang Valley Expressway-Jalan Meru
Link flyover near Bukit Raja collapsed Sunday. The
girders, forming a 10m stretch, collapsed at 1.40pm
onto the expressway bringing down 17 workers working
on them. --STARpic by AZHAR MAHFOF

It's most unfortunate about the flyover collapse.

SINGAPORE 2005: LONDON ELECTED AS THE HOST CITY FOR THE GAMES OF THE XXX OLYMPIAD

So London has been elected host of the Olympiad 2012.


IOC/S. Romeu

06 July 2005

The host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad will be
the city of London.

Results of the vote.

Essential Facts and Figures.


Backing the Bid:
David Beckham
"It would be great if the Games came to Britain where the people really appreciate their sport. Holding the Olympic football tournament throughout the UK will be a huge benefit to the game itself and enable thousands of people around the country to be directly involved in the Olympics."
Source: http://www.london2012.org/en/news/

Live 8 rocks the world, but will it help the poor?

The crowd gathers during the Live 8 Italy concert inside Rome's ancient Circus Maximus July 2, 2005. Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters

By Mike Collett-White and Mark Egan

LONDON/PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - After a galaxy of stars
rocked the world in the largest live concert ever held,
organisers on Sunday looked to a summit of rich nations
to see if people power would change policy on poverty.

Over a million people listened to rock and pop musicians
at venues across four continents on Saturday to demand
that leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised
countries meeting in Scotland on Wednesday relieve
African debt and boost aid.

Read story...

Magnetic bottle opener

Goes to show that useful gadgets need not be
high-tech. This household item of a bottle opener
is surely a winner - no maintenance needed. It's
made of stainless steel with a non-scratch magnetic back.