Share |

Thursday 6 March 2014

Protesters try to storm court during Allah trial





Jealous husband 'killed Westernised Muslim wife after her birthday sex with another man'

Court is told Jahangir Nazar was a possessive, controlling and violent partner who stabbed his wife to death in a "ferocious attack"
Jabeen Younis
Farkhanda Younis was stabbed 19 times in the neck in a "ferocious" attack at her home in Oldham 
By News agencies

A jealous husband killed his "promiscuous" wife after she returned from having "birthday sex" with another man, a court has heard.

Farkhanda Younis, 30, known to friends as 'Jabeen' was stabbed 19 times in the neck in a "ferocious" attack at her home in Oldham, in the early hours of April 19, 2013.

Her body was found after her young son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, rang 999 because he could not rouse her and her bedroom door was locked.

Jahangir Nazar, 35, who married Ms Younis in an Islamic ceremony in 2012, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder in a Manchester Crown Court trial, claiming his responsibility was diminished by mental illness.

The prosecution say the takeaway delivery driver's behaviour after the killing, when he allegedly withdrew money, disposed of blood-soaked clothing and filled up his car, shows a "mental agility" inconsistent with his account.

John Jones QC, opening the case for the prosecution, described Nazar as a possessive, controlling and violent partner who set up a mobile phone as a 'listening device' to check up on Ms Younis when he was out.

He was also said to have been facing deportation and to have believed that marrying Ms Younis in a civil ceremony would secure his stay in Britain.

The court heard that hours before her death, she met up with another man, who was also married, for sex to '"celebrate his birthday". In that time, Nazar tried to call her 25 times, but none of the calls were answered.

It is alleged that when she returned home Nazar was "lying in wait for her".

Mr Jones said: "It's clear that Jabeen and the defendant had entirely different attitudes to life - it's clear from others who witnessed the couple that the defendant was very possessive and very controlling of Jabeen.

"She was far more Westernised, outgoing and one has to say, promiscuous in the conduct of her life, if what other witnesses say about her is correct.

"That is not said in a critical way, Jabeen was entitled to behave in a way she chose, this is not a court of morals or a judgement on her lifestyle.

"But, the fact remains that Jabeen lived in every sense an entirely Westernised lifestyle. She went to nightclubs, she had many boyfriends, she drank alcohol and she wore Westernised designer clothing. It's clear she was a very attractive and flirtatious woman.

"Nazar resented it and sought to control it, and on the night in question, it led to uncontrollable rage.

"The end result was a significant attack by a man fearful of deportation, jealous of other men, and resentful of the promiscuity of his girlfriend."

Najib revives Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs

After a three year hiatus, the Prime Minister will chair the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs today.

MIC najibPETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has revived the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs and the committee made up of MIC top guns will meet at the Prime Minister’s office today for its first meeting in three years.

The meeting will be attended by MIC president and Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel, Health Minister and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam, Youth and Sports deputy minister M Saravanan, who is also MIC vice-president and P Kamalanathan, the deputy Education minister and MIC central working committee member.

The chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa will also be in attendance.

The cabinet committee on Indian Affairs became dormant after Palanivel took over the MIC presidency from former president S Samy Vellu in 2010.

Questions are now being asked why the Prime Minister revived this committee at this time? Is Najib unhappy with the way the MIC president has been running things in the party in serving the community? Or is it due to the resignation of P Waythamoorthy as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Sources say the answer to both the questions was a resounding ‘yes’.

“It is a bit of both. Palanivel has forgotten what he needs to do to win back the community. Nothing is moving in the MIC. The party has come to a stand still in addressing problems of the Indian community,” said a source in the Prime Minister’s office.

Hindraf’s Waythamoorthy was made deputy minister after he signed a memorandum of understanding with the government before the last general election

He was entrusted to look into Indian affairs but resigned abruptly last month saying that Najib did not have the will to walk the talk as far as Indians are concerned.

“The revival of the committee also shows that the Prime Minister intends to deal with Indian issues on his own. He is not letting MIC tackle these issues on their own because the party is not doing anything. Nothing has happened after the general election. This meeting would kickstart programmes for the community,” he said.

Among issues to be discussed at the meeting today would be the plight of Tamil schools, seats available for Indian students in public and private higher learning institutions, issuance of MyKad and birth certificates for Malaysian Indians and creation of more job opportunities for Indian in the government.

The cabinet committee will also deliberate on skills training and economic empowerment of Indian youth, construction and refurbishing of temples and community halls.

The government had in 2010 awarded RM100 million to upgrade Tamil schools in the country. The announcement was made in the 2011 Budget tabling by Najib in Parliament.

“This proposal was put up by Samy Vellu and SK Devamany (former deputy minister and ex-MIC vice-president). Najib decided to approve this and made the announcement. But since then MIC has been dragging it feet and this is alarming the Prime Minister.

“This is why he has taken it upon himself to look into this matter. He wants aid and assistance to reach the community fast. He is speeding things up but can the party keep up with this speed is another matter,” said the source.

201 kelahiran bayi direkod di Sekolah Harapan

Sehingga kini seramai 216 remaja hamil dari seluruh negara ditempatkan di sekolah berkenaan.

sekolah harapanMELAKA: Pusat perlindungan remaja hamil, Sekolah Harapan di Jasin mencatatkan sebanyak 201 kelahiran bayi sejak penubuhannya pada September 2010.

Exco Wanita, Pembangunan Keluarga dan Hal Ehwal Kebajikan Melaka Datuk Latipah Omar berkata sehingga kini seramai 216 remaja hamil dari seluruh negara ditempatkan di sekolah berkenaan dengan mencatatkan 14 penghuni pada 2010; 2011 (84); 2012 (51); 2013 (61) dan enam penghuni bagi dua bulan pertama tahun ini.

“Perbelanjaan keseluruhan sekolah adalah ditanggung oleh Majlis Agama Islam Melaka dengan pengisian keagamaan dijalankan pada sesi pagi manakala sesi petang diisi dengan pelajaran akademik,” katanya ketika menjawab soalan Md Rawi Mahmud (BN-Tanjung Bidara) mengenai perkembangan pusat perlindungan itu pada persidangan pertama penggal kedua Dewan Undangan Negeri Melaka ke-13 di sini, ini.

Katanya dalam tempoh itu juga sebanyak 28 penghuni mengambil peperiksaan awam dengan 21 orang menjalani peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan Penilaian Menengah Rendah (7).

Dalam sidang akhbar selepas itu, Latipah berkata bayi berkenaan kebanyakannya dijaga oleh ibu kandung mereka selain ada yang diserah kepada keluarga angkat.

Katanya pihak Sekolah Harapan turut melakukan pemantauan berkala terhadap remaja terbabit yang kembali kepada keluarga masing-masing setelah habis tempoh berpantang.

“Sehingga kini, kita tidak menerima sebarang aduan mengenai kes pengabaian bayi dan juga tiada laporan mengenai berulangnya kes hamil di luar nikah,” katanya.

Bernama

Federal Court reserves decision on ‘Allah’

The Federal Court has reserved its decision, whether to grant leave to the Catholic weekly publication, the Herald, to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God.
UPDATED

protest fed courtPUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court today reserved its decision to a date to be fixed later on whether or not to grant leave to the Catholic Church to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision which prohibited its weekly publication, the Herald from using the word Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia version.

The Federal Court made the ruling after seven senior judges heard arguments for and against the Court of Appeal judgment which had barred the Catholic weekly publication from using the term ‘Allah’ to refer to God.

The panel judges were lead by Chief Justice Ariffin Zakaria.

The other six judges were Court of Appeal president Raus Sharif, Chief Judge of Malaya Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Suriyadi Halim Omar, Zainun Ali and Jeffrey Tan.

The panel had earlier heard submissions from lawyers representing the church, six state Islamic religious councils and the Malaysian Chinese Muslims Association (Macma) as well as submissions from a senior federal counsel representing the Home Ministry.

The six states are Terengganu, Kedah, Johor, Malacca, the Federal Territories, and Selangor.

Earlier a group of supporters from different agencies and non-government organisations (NGOs) who are Muslims performed solat hajat in front of the Palace of Justice square.

The members, clad in red or black, arrived by the bus loads earlier this morning to protest against the Church’s bid to overturn the Appellate Court’s decision.

They began shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is great) while waiting for the verdict and ran in droves towards the building’s exit, where they were blocked by the police, who formed a human barricade.

“Let us show them that we Malays are not weak! We have been patient and tolerant for far too long,” the protesters shouted.

They tried to negotiate with the policemen on duty to allow them into the court room which turned out to be fruitless. They eventually gave in and dispersed.

A few of these protesters however said the scene would have turned ugly if the policemen were not Malays.protest fed court1

Others vented their frustration by hurling items at the Federal Court building, although they were stoped by fellow protesters who reminded them not to harm government property.

Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali who was with the protesters said if the Federal Court verdict was not in favour of the Muslims, then it would jeopardise the nation as Malays were the majority.

“Even minus the non-Muslim Bumiputeras, Malays are still the majority. We inherited this land when it was still called ‘Tanah Melayu’ (Malaya)… All the rulers, the royals are Malay Muslims,” Ibrahim told reporters.

“We respect any decision made by the court, but still I am worried what could happen to the country,” he said.

Ibrahim added that should the Federal Court allow the appeal to proceed, the Malay NGOs would come here each day to support the “Malay cause.”

In October last year, the Court of Appeal banned the Herald from using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly newspaper.

A three-man bench chaired by Mohamed Apandi Ali delivered the decision then, ruling that the government’s appeal was allowed.

The church filed an appeal against this ruling and the Federal Court heard arguments on the leave application today.

On Dec 31, 2009, the High Court allowed the church’s judicial review application and lifted the Home Minister’s ban on the use of the word in the Herald.

Judge Lau Bee Lan had said then that the church had a constitutional right to use the word Allah in its newspaper on the grounds that religions other than Islam can be practiced in peace and harmony.

Subra: Medical fee cap to protect public

Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam says competition among private healthcare providers will reduce costs.
UPDATED

medical feesPUTRAJAYA: The fee hike for private healthcare costs is done in order to protect public interest, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam said today.

He said the fee amendments under the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Privates Hospitals and Other Private Health Facilities) Regulations 2006 would make private healthcare providers compete among themselves to provide better services.

“Under the revised fee, action can be taken against doctors who charge more than what is proposed in the schedule,” he said, adding the ministry was instructed to review the prices in 2010.

Subramaniam added that the 14% rate hike for private medical and dental practitioners was done after studying the consumer price index (CPI) for healthcare between 2002 and 2010.

“In my experience, the public will avoid any clinics which charge high fees. Thus, I believe the private hospital would not impose the maximum charges,” he said.

The revision included a spike in consultation charges from between RM10 and RM35 to RM30 and RM125 for general practitioners, and from between RM30 and RM125 to RM80 and RM235 for specialist doctors.

Fees for medical procedures have soared between 14% and 18%.

Dr Subramaniam said the Health Ministry reviewed the 13th schedule on Sept 22, 2010.

Fees for consultation and medical procedures have not been revised since 2002 and is considered low compared to other nations.

“Consultations and meetings were held. We established two committees and a working group. We then forwarded the proposal to the cabinet which approved the amendment to the 13th schedule on Oct 12, 2012,” he added.

The amended schedule fee structure, was presented to the Attorney-General’s chambers on April 29, 2013 and gazetted on Dec 16 after the cabinet’s approval.

The minister also assured Malaysians that the fee structure would not be amended again, at least for another three to four years.

“It was just gazetted last year. The people need not to worry about the increase of the fees after this,” he added.

Hot air balloons by both RPK and Dr Lim on the MoU between HINDRAF and BN


P Waytha MoorthyHot air balloons by both RPK and Dr Lim on the MoU between HINDRAF and BN.

Before even divulging into to the contents of the MoU between BN and HINDRAF, one needs to look into the intention or what was intended.

To understand the intention, one needs to look why and how the intention came about.

Why and how the intention is purely based on the 4 issues stipulated in the MOU which is:

1. Uplifting displaced Estate Workers;

2. Addressing Statelessness among the Indian Poor;

3. Increasing educational opportunism from Pre-school to University for the poor Indians;

4. Increasing Employment and Business Opportunities for the poor Indians.

What is an MoU and how effective of the MOU actually becomes obsolete when the intention is not met. Whether it is workable or not is not the issue but was there an intention.

The intention is entered in good faith on a gentleman agreement based on the spirit and morality of it, not one to figure out what is the time line, what it could have been and what should have been for a community that is long neglected but rather a genuine intention to hold to one’s end of the bargain to bring them in par with the rest of them.

Both these laureates meaning RPK and Dr Lim Teck Ghee don’t delve on the issues but rather indulge with their swing song on why, how and what is should have been rather than having the courage to address the issue as listed above.

Really!!! Are these the soothsaying martyrs for the community?

Does it really matter whether there is an MoU or not between BN and HINDRAF if there is no real intention by the governance of the day.

Does it really matter whether HINDRAF can take BN to court over the breach of intention of the government of the day?

Does it really matter what anyone can say about it without actually being in a position to do anything to resolve the impending issue for the poor Indians.

Does it really matter, if we individually in our heart are still driven for who is going to be in power and who is not in anticipation within our own cocoon without actually understanding the predicament of the Indian poor and their ability to sustain their pride and dignity to live a normal life in Malaysia without fear and favor?

Does the intention meet’s the objective for the poor Indians or another political drive as and when it fits us?

Intention does not need a legal standing or an abridged method but works on a pure sense of morality and principle on the issues that seems to keep haunting us when we fail our social responsibilities in our self- indulged manner.

Social human responsibilities to our own mankind are not derived on who says or what fits an agenda but rather whether you have the courage on a subjective basis to address it when the truth faces you like the state of the poor Malaysian Indians.

So in essence it really does not matter who says what, but rather what is the role, what and how an intention plays a part in any individual who seek to ensure that the plight of the wilfully neglected Indian poor in Malaysia can continue to have a voice in a non-partisan manner.

Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith. The faith can only be sustained when the role we play collectively has the liberty not to fool ourselves subjectively in the truth that affects our fellow poor Malaysian Indians in an unjust manner.

Thank you.

R.Shan

(Human Being)

‘Let voters decide on Kajang move’


Ambiga(The Sun Daily) - Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (pix), still unhappy over how the Kajang by election was “forced’ upon constituents, wants voters to decide whether the reasons for the “Kajang move” are valid.

The former Bersih 2.0 chairman said she had made her position on the matter very clear from the start.

“I’m not so naïve to see that these things do not ever happen. What I said was they must give a good reason (on why the by-election is necessary) and I think they’ve given some reasons,’ she told theSun.

Ambiga said she knows all too well why the Kajang by-election is being held but added that voters should accept the reality of the situation.

“I urge the Kajang voters to use the by-election as an opportunity to voice their grievances by casting their ballots on polling day set for March 23,” the former Bar Council chairman told theSun.

The by-election follows the sudden resignation of former assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh on Jan 27.

It is expected to be a six-cornered fight with four independents and MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun going up against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto PKR leader.

Ambiga, who is now the legal adviser for the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), also called on the government to be more serious in combating corruption and for perpetrators to “face the full force of the law”.

“They should make it clear that there is zero tolerance for corruption, which means if anyone is caught, they would be charged and face the full force of the law.

“But, above and beyond that, leaders must show leadership. They need to show that they won’t indulge in any of these practices and abuses of power that we’ve been complaining about in the past. Therefore, strong leadership is important,” she said.

She added that educating the public and conducting anti-corruption programmes at the state or national level would benefit the nation.

Court of Appeal Registrar Must Reveal Reasons for Unusual Haste in Fixing Fitnah II Appeal dates


Subject: Press Statement: Court of Appeal Registrar Must Reveal Reasons for Unusual Haste in Fixing Fitnah II Appeal date

I refer to the appeal of the Fitnah II case by the BN government against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on 6 &7 March 2014.

We are disturbed by the unusual haste in which the March 6 &7 dates have been fixed.

The appeal had been fixed for case management on 28.2.2014. Anwar’s lawyers then received a call from the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal (CoA) asking for free dates between March 7 and March 10, 2014. It should be noted that the dates insisted upon by the CoA are on the eve of the nomination day for the Kajang by-election. ( If Anwar is convicted, he would be disqualified from contesting the by election.)

On 28 February 2014, the court insisted on fixing March 6 &7 as the appeal dates. The dates were fixed despite Anwar’s lawyers stating that those are not their free dates. Why was the CoA in such a hurry to fix these dates?

More surprisingly, the CoA had on 12 Feb had allowed a stay of the Fitnah II appeal pending disposal of Anwar’s appeal to Federal Court on the application for Judy Pereira to be recalled.

Having granted the stay, why did the CoA rush to fix the appeal dates even before the Judy Pereira appeal was heard?

In fact, Anwar had up to 6 March to file his petition of appeal for the Judy Pereira appeal to the Federal Court. However in a highly unusual move, Shafee Abdullah filed an application to strike out the Judy Pereira appeal. More surprisingly the Federal Court allowed on 4th March the striking out of the Judy Pereira appeal, which decision was clearly wrong in law and in fact.

It should be remembered that the Fitnah II appeal is a matter of great public interest. The court must be candid and transparent in managing the Fitnah II appeal.

The Malaysian public has a right to fullest disclosure pertaining to this appeal.

We hereby call upon the Chief Registrar of the CoA to disclose the reasons for the hurried fixing of the Fitnah II appeal dates.

Issued by

N Surendran

Vice President Keadilan

&

Member of Parliament, Padang Serai

IGP Khalid and AG Gani must explain why they have abdicated from their responsibility to uphold the rule of law and preserve the peace in Malaysia in allowing Perkasa to break laws and commit breaches of peace outside Federal Court

By Lim Kit Siang,

It has been reported that the 500-odd people mobilised by Perkasa outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya this morning hearing the appeal on the use of the term ‘Allah’ turned unruly and threw objects at the front-door of the Palace of Justice, with many trying to breach the police barrier and enter the court building.
This is the report from The Malaysian Insider by Jennifer Gomez entitled “Perkasa supporters upset by church lawyers, try to get into courthouse”:
“The crowd outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya turned unruly just before the Federal Court stood down with many trying to breach the police barrier and enter the court building.
“Shouting and screaming, some members in the crowd threw a microphone and water bottle at the glass door entrance to the building.
“The crowd was 4m from the main door as police stood guard.
“Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said that the crowd advanced towards the main glass door of the Palace of Justice as they had got word that Catholic Church lawyers questioned why the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians was being made an issue now when it had been in use in the weekly Herald for 14 years prior to 2009.
“’The supporters heard that this was the submission made by the Catholic Church lawyer, so they got upset.’ He added that no one had instructed them to advance.”

Ahmad Fadli KC of Malaysiakini filed the following report “Angry crowd tries to barge into court”:
“A fracas erupted outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya today, where members from various Malay rights NGOs had gathered for the appeal hearing on the use of the term ‘Allah’.
“About 11:15am, members of the crowd, who demanded that ‘Allah’ be exclusive only to Muslims in Malaysia, tried to push through policemen guarding the entrance to enter the court lobby.
“The crowd chanted ‘La ila ha Illalah (There is no God except Allah)’ and marched in solidarity to pressure the policemen.”
Imagine what would have happened if it was not Perkasa, but some Catholic organisation which had mobilised the 500-odd supporters outside the Federal Court this morning which had “turned unruly”, “shouting and screaming, some members in the crowd threw a microphone and water bottle at the glass door entrance to the building”; “tried to push through policemen guarding the entrance to enter the court lobby” allegedly in protest for being offended by submissions made by the Muslim lawyers demanding that ‘Allah’ be the exclusive term only to Muslims in Malaysia?
Would there be police arrests of the Catholic organisers and supporters of the gathering, including being charged for offences under the Penal Code for offences against the public tranquillity such as Section 141 for trying to “overawe by criminal force or show of criminal force” the judiciary from the lawful exercise of its public duties?
Or what would have happened if there had been two groups, one mobilised by Perkasa and the other mobilised by some Catholic organisers, outside the Federal Court, and both had turned ugly and unruly this morning?
The police and Attorney-General’s Chambers should explain why the double-standards in not upholding the law to prosecute Perkasa leaders and supporters for offences against public tranquility in seeking to overawe the judiciary outside the Federal Court this morning?
Very irresponsible and even reckless statements were made at the Perkasa gathering outside the Federal Court this morning, which continued the pattern of incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred in recent months in utter disregard of the law and the national objective to promote inter-racial and inter-religious peace, harmony and goodwill in Malaysia.
Are the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers going to continue their stance of the traditional three monkeys, of having eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not?
At a time when the country is facing the unprecedented threat to inter-racial and inter-religious peace and harmony caused by incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred calculated to cause racial chaos and religious conflagration, the government agencies and institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law and keeping the peace and harmony in the country cannot continue to abdicate from their responsibilities.
Malaysians have a right to expect the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to speak up and explain they have continued to be remiss in their oaths of office to uphold the rule of law and to preserve the peace and harmony of the diverse races and religions in the country.

Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge Will Help Spur Economic Growth - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Wednesday he believed that the launching of the Second Penang Bridge - named Jambatan Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah - will act as a catalyst for more economic activities not only in Penang, but also in the northern region.

The Prime Minister said the launch of Second Penang Bridge was another testament of the Federal government's unwavering will to deliver on its promises.

"Above all else, we are committed to improving the livelihood of the people. It is my sincerest hope that people in the northern region will capitalise on the development opportunities generated by the Second Penang Bridge project.

"The bridge was built with you in mind. The bridge is there to serve you; make the most out of it," Najib said in his latest posting in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my.

He said apart from its most obvious role of providing connectivity and accessibility to the Penang International Airport, he foresaw that the bridge would eventually become a national icon much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

Najib said facilitating the movement of goods and people galvanised a nation's commerce and that was why he held dearly to the idea that an efficient transportation system was one of the most important components of economic growth.

"The government has set continuous plans to improve public transportation and infrastructures - LRT, MRT, improvements in railway connectivity, highways around Peninsular and East Malaysia, etc, to ensure social mobility for all Malaysians," he said.

Built at a cost of RM4.5 billion, Northerners could now look forward to shifting their economic focus from agriculture to industry, said Najib.

"I have been made to understand - and fully expect - that 65,000 job opportunities will be created by the development projects surrounding the Second Bridge.

"The government's central thrust has always been to deliver on our promise: that all Malaysians shall stand to benefit from any federal development project," he said.

"In many ways the Second Bridge is an important milestone for Malaysia. The idea was first mooted in 1995 by (Malaysia's fourth prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"This was followed through by (Malaysia's fifth prime Minister) Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who decided that it should be located in the southern part of the island so as to stimulate economic growth in the northern states well as in the Northern Economic Corridor," he added.

He said the Second Bridge - connecting Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland - will serve as the alternate crossing to Penang.

"It is estimated that number of vehicles using the first Penang Bridge (built in 1985) will increase by 68% (i.e. 67,000 vehicles) by 2020.

"Thus, the second crossing will greatly ease congestion of incoming and outgoing traffic to the island. I am convinced that this will, in turn, tremendously boost the income potential and quality of life of the people in the surrounding areas," Najib said.

The Second Bridge, he said, was in itself a modern day engineering marvel.

He said it was the also the longest bridge in the world that incorporated the High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB) as its seismic isolation system with the ability to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.5, besides being the longest bridge in South East Asia, spanning 24 kilometres (16.9 kilometres over water).

"Another innovative feature is the emphasis on environmental friendliness in the design and construction of the toll plaza serving the bridge.

"It carries a Gold rating of 80% on the Green Building Index (GBI). This measure is aimed at promoting energy efficiency, internal environmental quality and sustainability in operating the Toll Plaza," he added.

The colour purple to spread message of peace