PLUS - HALIM SAAD DAH KAW TIM DENGAN IZAT EMIR

KUALA LUMPUR 7 Mei - Persatuan Pedagang dan Pengusaha Melayu Malaysia (Perdasama) menyambut baik cadangan pengambilalihan PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) kepada syarikat swasta yang dikaitkan dengan Idaman Saga (Idaman Saga) Sdn. Bhd., milik Tan Sri Halim Saad.

Presidennya, Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir berkata, walaupun cadangan itu dilihat masih samar namun persatuan itu menganggap langkah pengambilalihan tersebut harus dipertimbangkan bagi meringankan beban rakyat.

"Perdasama beranggapan cadangan itu harus dipertimbangkan bagi meringankan beban rakyat sekali gus menurunkan kos tanggungan rakyat dan dapat mengurangkan subsidi yang ditanggung oleh kerajaan setiap tahun," katanya dalam kenyataan kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris pada 25 Mac lalu melaporkan Halim melalui syarikatnya, Idaman Saga berhasrat mengambil alih PLUS dengan cadangan terbarunya kepada kerajaan untuk mengekalkan kadar tol pada paras semasa.

Isu pengambilalihan itu bagaimanapun dibantah oleh Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) kerana bagi pertubuhan itu, PLUS merupakan tulang belakang dan pemacu kepada perkembangan ekonomi negara.

Naib Presiden Perkasa, Syed Osman Syed Mansor semalam berkata, PLUS yang kini dimiliki bersama dua syarikat milik kerajaan (GLC) dan agensi kerajaan, iaitu Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) dan Kumpulan UEM Bhd. (UEM) selama ini juga telah diurus dengan baik.

Menurut Moehamad Izat, tidak dinafikan kedua-dua agensi kerajaan ini menunjukkan prestasi yang baik malah kedua-dua agensi tersebut mendapat manfaat daripada pelaburan mereka dan disalurkan kepada rakyat.

"Bagaimanapun saya percaya cadangan baharu yang dikemukakan oleh Tan Sri Halim Saad itu tidak harus diketepikan. Ini kerana, PLUS merupakan tunjang yang menghubungkan negeri-negeri di Malaysia dan merupakan landasan utama sektor pelancongan dalam negeri.

"Inisiatif seperti ini bukan sahaja membantu meringankan beban rakyat malah merancakkan ekonomi negara," katanya.

ONE IN TEN AMERICANS BELIEVE 'SPACE ALIENS' WERE INVOLVED IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ILL-FATED MALAYSIAN FLIGHT MH370

One in ten Americans think 'space aliens' were involved in the disappearance if the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, it was revealed today. A survey found that nine per cent of the people believe 'space aliens or beings from another dimension were involved'. 

Investigators are still continuing their search for the missing plane and the 239 people on board, which vanished from radars on March 8. The poll by CNN and ORC International found that while most people in the U.S. believe the search for MH370 should continue, half believe authorities are searching in the wrong place.

Findings also showed that the vast majority (79 per cent) believe there are no survivors. Just over half (52 per cent) think we will eventually find out what happened to the flight. However, a further 46 per cent say we will never know. 

The survey comes as 11 terrorists with links to Al Qaeda were arrested in Kuala Lumpur and Kedah and questioned about being involved in the plane's disappearance. Aged between 22 and 55, the suspects were believed to have comprised students, business professionals and odd-job workers. Terrorism was seen as a possible cause of the disappearance by Americans, with 57 per cent of those surveyed saying terrorists were likely involved, despite no group or organisation yet coming forward to take responsibility. 

Furthermore, 42 per cent of the U.S. public believes hijackers were involved, while 52 per cent said a mechanical failure was probably involved. Just a quarter said it was very likely that the crew or plane's pilots had something to do with the disappearance. Yesterday, it was revealed the Malaysian tourism minister has said the government will not inject any more money into the state-owned Malaysian Airlines after the MH370 disaster. The ailing national carrier has suffered a slump in bookings and £750 million losses following the disappearance of the flight two months ago and is undergoing 'restructuring'. 

Mohammad Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture, said the government will not put 'any more money' into the troubled airline. Malaysia Airlines - which is owned by the government through a holding company - had already suffered $1.3billion losses over the past three years as it faced stiff competition and unprofitable routes, Gulf News reports. 

Mr Aziz said that the government is now unsure what it can do - but he added: 'To inject new capital is certainly not an option.' It now looks unlikely that the government will sell the national carrier to private investor after the share price dropped both under the restructuring plans and the flight MH370 disaster. Report Daily Mail UK