1. MM 18/06/2007 Nursing dreams dashed (486 wds) (Main Section)
SHE dreamt of becoming a nurse and after registering for a nursing course, she thought she was on her way to achieving her dreams. However, 19-year-old Atikah Muklis from Temerloh, Pahang, had given up after she did not receive any response from the college after paying the registration fees.
2. MM 18/06/2007 Errant cabbies warned(433 wds) (Main Section)
TOE the line or face the consequences. This is the stern message from Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board secretary Zainuddin Ahmad directed at errant taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur in the wake of numerous complaints the board has received from the public.
3. WM 16/06/2007 School raises funds for heart kids By (238 wds) (Main Section)
THE families of eight-month-old Siti Zalina Mat Isa and Khor Xiang Hao, eight, who sought donations for corrective heart surgery can breathe easier, thanks to the Garden International School. The school donated RM17,000 to Siti Zalina while New Straits Times readers chipped in RM13,000 to enable the baby to be operated on recently.
4. MM 15/06/2007 Flood damage not covered by insurance(567 wds) (Main Section)
IT was an act of God, thus the damage is not covered by public insurance. That was what Kuala Lumpur City Hall director-general Datuk Salleh Yusop told The Malay Mail yesterday, following claims by residents on losses they suffered during Sunday's flash floods.
5. MM 14/06/2007 Another week to clean up (171 wds) (Main Section)
ALAM Flora Sdn Bhd has spent RM130,000 so far to clean up flood affected areas and the cost is expected to soar to over RM400,000 when work is completed next week. Some 23 tonnes of sand and 13 tonnes of rubbish were cleared during the three-day operation, which started after the floods subsided at 11pm on Sunday, said Alam Flora chief executive officer Abdul Majid Shah.
6. MM 14/06/2007 Living in fear of flash floods(348 wds) (Main Section)
RESIDENTS of TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, have developed a phobia of the rain. This is because the area has become synonymous with flash floods.
7. MM 13/06/2007 Father plans to sue(427 wds) (Main Section)
"I DON'T care if the police want to press charges against my son. I will still go ahead and sue them." So said Ishak Tulus, whose son, 20-year-old Hairul Anuar, was allegedly beaten up by cops after the youth tried to escape a police roadblock at Pesiaran Kayangan, Shah Alam, on June 3.
8. MM 13/06/2007 `Not fair for traders to hike prices' By (298 wds) (Main Section)
AS of Monday, goods worth RM95,000 were seized by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement teams from traders who increased their prices indiscriminately under Ops Gaji. Compounds totalling more than RM138,000 were issued to errant traders under the operation, which started on May 21.
9. MM 12/06/2007 Residents all riled up(323 wds) (Main Section)
ENOUGH is enough. Kampung Baru residents are angry, and understandably so. Some 220 residents were forced to move out of their homes after flood waters rose to about two metres following a thunderstorm on Sunday.
10. MM 11/06/2007 Biker alleges police brutality(445 wds) (Main Section)
"I AM not an animal for the police to beat me as they like." This was what Hairul Anuar Ishak said from his hospital bed at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang. The 20-year-old from Kampung Sungai Serdang in Kapar, Selangor, alleged that he was beaten by policemen when he tried to evade a roadblock at Persiaran Kayangan, Shah Alam, at 2am on June 3.
11. MM 08/06/2007 Business as usual at market(226 wds) (Main Section)
IT was business as usual at the Chow Kit wet market in Jalan Raja Bot yesterday with most chicken traders saying they were not affected by the reported bird flu in Sungai Buloh. Two traders, however, admitted that the price of the birds dropped 10 sen per kg yesterday.
12. MM 08/06/2007 Govt clinic shut at 3.30pm (197 wds) (Main Section)
SEGARAN, of Shah Alam, is upset with the Shah Alam Veterinary Services Department, which he claims closed its clinic earlier than usual. He says he recently went to the clinic to seek treatment for his pet dog. However, he was surprised to find that the place was closed
13. MM 08/06/2007 Why no bills, TNB? (214 wds) (Main Section)
LIM, of Kepong, is wondering whether Tenaga Nasional Berhad cares about its customers. He says TNB has not been sending his monthly bills since April. So he took the initiative to check. But he found it was a frustrating and futile exercise.
14. MM 08/06/2007 Neighbour's unit causing leakage (318 wds) (Main Section)
MELANIE, of Tivoli Villas condominium in Bukit Bandaraya, is upset with her neighbour who made extensive renovations to the unit above hers. "In 2005, my neighbour had illegally constructed a wooden apron at his open balcony. The balcony functions as a shelter to my unit as it is connected to the ceiling and roof of my balcony," she says.
15. MM 07/06/2007 Use local coins (533 wds) (Main Section)
FAKE coins, paper, foreign coins, pieces of wood as well as pieces of iron. These are among the items found in parking meters in Kuala Lumpur, resulting in losses to IIUM Holdings Sdn Bhd, the company given the job to manage parking space by City Hall, and Syarikan Kejuruteraan Elektrik Suria, the maintenance company appointed by IIUM Holdings.
16. MM 07/06/2007 Public lauds move to extend LRT services (423 wds) (Main Section)
THE proposed move to extend light rail transit services to more areas in Selangor gets positive response from the public. The plan, which is expected to cost the Selangor State Government RM12 billion, is to promote greater use of public transport, as well as to ease traffic congestion in the urban and suburban areas.
17. MM 04/06/2007 Full support for motorbike lanes (344 wds) (Main Section)
THE call by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for motorcycle lanes to be built on highways has been given the thumbs-up by Kuala Lumpur residents. The prime minister on Friday asked for the lanes to be incorporated into the five roads being built or upgraded in Cheras and Bandar Tun Razak, which cost RM300 million.
18. MM 04/06/2007 Faulty new PC stumps owner (329 wds) (Main Section)
HOW can a new computer malfunction? This is what HONG, of Hulu Langat, wants to know.
19. MM 04/06/2007 Neighbour hogs open space (180 wds) (Main Section)
JENNY, of Cheras, is unhappy with her neighbour for hogging the parking space on Jalan Midah 4, Taman Midah. She says her neighbour has been conducting extensive renovation work and there are bricks left outside the home.
20. MM 04/06/2007 Illegaly parked cars pose a hazard (232 wds) (Main Section)
PUA AI LEE, of Hampshire Park, is fed up of motorists who park illegally on Jalan Persiaran Hampshire, off Jalan Ampang, near Wisma OSK. "The road is narrow and when the cars are parked on the road, it is difficult for me to enter the road to my house," she says.
21. MM 04/06/2007 Varsity refuses to cover surgery(376 wds) (Main Section)
"MY daughter was hit by a car within her university's grounds. Why isn't the university willing to pay her hospital bill then?" So said N. Vasudevan, whose daughter, 23-year-old Roobhadewi, is now in hospital after an accident on May 15.
22. WM 02/06/2007 Upset by noisy hostel(252 wds) (Main Section)
PREM Kaur, of Subang Jaya, is unhappy with the disturbance caused by her neighbours. She is unhappy that the Subang Jaya Municipal Council allowed two houses at Jalan SS17/1F to be converted into a student hostel for two years.
23. WM 02/06/2007 Tired of frequent water cuts (202 wds) (Main Section)
RAVI, of Seremban, is fed up with the Water Works Department for frequent disruption of water supply. RAVI, who lives in Taman Bukti, says that it is difficult for everyone when you have to go to work and there is no water to bathe.
24. WM 02/06/2007 Price different from advert(162 wds) (Main Section)
WHAT is the price of a tin of Milo? This is what JINDER, from Subang Jaya, wants to know after discovering that the price of Milo, displayed on a billboard by Giant hypermarket was different from that sold at the hypermarket.
25. WM 02/06/2007 Shoddy work causes retaining wall to collapse (177 wds) (Main Section)
CAN'T they do their job properly? A shoddy construction job by a contractor appointed by Templer Park Golf and Resort Berhad has left TAN Eng Kaw of Selayang fuming.
46. MM 23/05/2007 Refused treatment at emergency unit (161 wds) (Main Section)
WHEN his daughter came down with severe stomachache two days ago, she went to the emergency unit of University Malaya Medical Centre. "To my horror, the female receptionist refused to allow treatment. She was told she did not have an appointment to see the doctor!" he says.
Malay Mail telah menukar karateristiknya
Ini adalah sebahagian daripada 80 buah berita berserta byline (byline atau nama yang tercatat bersama-sama berita adalah perkara sukar yang sangat diingini oleh wartawan, selepas itu poket koyak belanja rakan) yang ditulis oleh rakan saya di Malay Mail ketika beliau bertugas di sana. Malay Mail telah menukar karateristiknya daripada seorang yang tidak tahu bercakap, malu, cepat hilang idea kepada seorang yang tegas, bersungguh-sungguh dalam mencari maklumat dan mempunyai perspektif pelbagai dalam satu isu yang diberikan kepadanya.
Tiada peluang kedua
Kerana satu soalan beliau diberhentikan dari tempat kerja barunya. Saya yang mencadangkan. Tiada peluang kedua, tiada tindakan tatatertib (kesalahan?) tetapi surat memaklumkan dia diberhentikan.
Rasa bersalah
Saya rasa bersalah kepada beliau kerana peristiwa ini. Beliau sudah menggunakan wang simpanan datang dengan keretapi kerana usaha saya membawa beliau datang ke sini. Saya merasa bersalah kerana beliau sudah melunaskan wang rumah sewanya beserta deposit yang bukan sedikit. Saya merasa bersalah kerana beliau tidak dapat berkhidmat sekurang-kurangnya 30 hari agar mendapat gaji penuh supaya ada ruang survival sementara. Saya mohon maaf kerana janji saya hari ini menjadikan beliau berhadapan keadaan luar jangka ini.
Saya yakin pengalaman beliau bermula daripada Meja Berita Umum kepada Meja Berita Jenayah dapat membantu institusi tersebut. Tetapi kerana personaliti dan gaya kerjanya yang berbeza dan terkejut dengan keadaan luar jangka menjadikan dia mangsa selepas sepuluh hari bekerja.
Ini ialah kisah yang pertama kali saya dengar. Kerana tidak sukakan satu soalan, beliau diberhentikan. Ada juga rantaian kisah-kisah lain.
Twist dari perkara kecil ke perkara besar.
Saya bimbang pemberhentian beliau menjadi isu akhbar. Dari sudut pandang saya, media sukakan provokasi. Bukankah ini provokasi yang bagus apabila wartawan-wartawan yang mengenali beliau datang dan mencipta twist dari perkara kecil ke perkara besar. Sahabat saya tidak menang kalau rakan-rakan media menghidu, tetapi ia adalah serangan terhadap label dan penciptaan persepsi yang memerlukan penjelasan demi penjelasan. Bukankah sekarang ini Anugerah Perdana Menteri?
Soalan-soalan keras
Semalam sahabat di Malay Mail memaklumkan, beliau menghubungi institusi ini bagi mendapatkan pengesahan laporan pelajar yang dihantar ke meja berita. Saya sudah jangka perkara ini akan berlaku. Apa pula selepas ini.
Ia mengingatkan saya kepada pengalaman kerja di MITV, Ansar Channel. Kami diajar memberikan soalan-soalan keras bagi melihat tahap profesionalisme orang yang ditemuduga. Ia mengingatkan saya kepada satu soalan yang saya ajukan kepada wakil Telaga Biru ketika pelancaran buku Ustazah Nor Bahyah di Restoran Seri Melayu, Jalan Raja Chulan.
"Kita sudah mempunyai banyak buku motivasi. Jadi adakah produk ini akan menjadi produk yang sudah boleh dijangka sama dan serupa seperti yang lain. Jadi di mana istimewanya?"
Bagi penghasil produk, soalan seperti ini dengarnya seperti merendah-rendahkan produk beliau. Tambahan lagi, saya membawa video kamera merakam kenyataan beliau. Saya tidak sedar bahawa saya orang pertama yang bertanyakan soalan itu. Kata orang dalam dunia berita, soalan perangkap.
Baca di sini 1
Tetapi beliau tenang, “Buku berkonsep santai, berwarna, ilustrasi serta foto dengan penyampaian bersahaja, mudah dan ringan menjadi pendekatan yang dipilih untuk disasarkan kepada pelajar, remaja dan dewasa,” jelas Tuan Haji Muhammad Zakaria, penulis bersama ketika majlis sembang buku.
Beliau marah? Mungkin sedikit. Tetapi sikap profesional menjadikan kami saling bertukar kad dan mencipta hubungan.
Kami dilatih menjadi pendesak
Kami dilatih menjadi pendesak, pencari kepada maklumat dan tegas dengan prinsip. Ia mengambil masa yang lama untuk mengubah sikap gila-gila saya yang diajar oleh media ini apabila bekerja di tempat lain. Sama halnya dengan sahabat saya, beliau berhadapan dengan keadaan mengubah lanskap pemikiran secara kejutan sama seperti saya setahun lalu.
Tambahan lagi beliau wartawan jenayah. Faham-faham sahajalah.
Tetapi sekali-sekala terlepas juga.
Kepada sahabat, dalam kedukaan aku mohon maaf.
Ulasan