My questions for 3rd Parliament sittings

SOALAN-SOALAN LISAN

1) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI PELAJARAN menyatakan apakah rasional Kementerian melarang wakil Lembaga Pengarah Sekolah daripada menjadi salah seorang penandatangan atau “signatory” cek Akaun Kumpulan Wang Kerajaan dan Akaun Kumpulan Wang SUWA di semua SJKC dan SMJK dan samada Kementerian akan menarik balik arahan tersebut . (19 Ogos 2008)

2) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI KEWANGAN menyatakan samada Kerajaan bercadang untuk menurunkan kadar faedah pinjaman untuk pembelian rumah untuk menjana industri perumahan dan membantu golongan berpendapatan rendah supaya lebih mampu memiliki rumah milik sendiri. Sekiranya ya, bila dan berapa kadarnya? Sekiranya tidak, mengapa? (20 Ogos 2008)

3) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI KERJA RAYA menyatakan hasil kajian yang dilaksanakan oleh pihak Kementerian mengenai terma-terma perjanjian konsesi lebuhraya di seluruh negara dan apakah tindakan susulan daripada pihak Kementerian untuk mengurangkan beban pengguna? (27 Ogos 2008)

4) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta PERDANA MENTERI menyatakan samada Kerajaan akan mengubah dasar pemberian diskaun dalam pembelian rumah supaya semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum yang berpendapatan rendah menikmati diskaun tersebut. Sekiranya, bila dan apakah mekanismenya? Sekiranya tidak, mengapa? (28 Ogos 2008)


5) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI PERUMAHAN DAN KERAJAAN TEMPATAN menyatakan secara jelas dan terperinci langkah-langkah spesifik dan pendekatan yang diambil oleh pihak Kementerian untuk menyelesaikan masalah projek rumah terbengkalai di seluruh negara dan berapakah projek yang telah diselamatkan di Negeri Sembilan? (13 Oktober 2008)

6) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI KERJA RAYA menyatakan berapa jumlah batang lampu jalan yang telah dipasang di antara Plaza Tol Nilai Utara dengan Seremban, kos setiap batang, jumlah perbelanjaan, siapa yang menanggung perbelanjaan tersebut, siapa kontraktor yang menjalankan projek dan jenis tender yang dilaksanakan. (15 Oktober 2008)

7) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta PERDANA MENTERI menyatakan secara terperinci semua aset dan tanggungan yang dimiliki oleh Khazanah Nasional Berhad dan 10 pelaburan terbesar yang sedang diceburi oleh Khazanah termasuk jenis industri, nilai pelaburan dan lokasinya. (21 Oktober 2008)

8) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI PERDAGANGAN ANTARABANGSA DAN PERINDUSTRIAN menyatakan secara terperinci semua misi perdagangan antarabangsa yang telah dijalankan dari 8 Mac 2008 sehingga terkini termasuk jumlah kos dalam setiap misi dan jumlah nilai pelaburan yang direalisasikan. Adakah pihak Kementerian menjemput Menteri Besar atau Ketua Menteri Pakatan Rakyat menyertai misi-misi tersebut?(23 Oktober 2008)

9) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta PERDANA MENTERI menyatakan secara terperinci 10 langkah yang telah diambil oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk mengurangkan beban perbelanjaan kerajaan dan jumlah perbelanjaan yang telah dijimatkan dalam langkah-langkah tersebut. (4 November 2008)

10) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI PERTANIAN DAN INDUSTRI ASAS TANI menyatakan apakah dasar kementerian samada membenarkan industri penternakan khinzir dihidupkan semula di kawasan Bukit Pelandok, Negeri Sembilan yang telah diberhentikan selama 10 tahun semenjak wabak JE merebak di kawasan tersebut. Kalau tidak, mengapa? (11 November 2008)


SOALAN-SOALAN BERTULIS

1) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta PERDANA MENTERI menyatakan senarai penuh semua kereta rasmi yang dimiliki oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan dalam bilangan mengikut jenis model kereta, nilai semasa kereta-kereta tersebut dan jumlah kos penyelenggaraan mengikut setiap model kereta tersebut.

2) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI KERJA RAYA menyatakan statistik jumlah bilangan kenderaan yang masuk dan jumlah kutipan tol di Plaza Tol Seremban, Port Dickson dan Senawang mengikut bulan dari Januari hingga Oktober 2008.

3) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI PELAJARAN menyatakan secara terperinci nama sekolah-sekolah rendah dan menengah di seluruh Negeri Sembilan mengikut kategori bantuan penuh dan bantuan modal

4) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta PERDANA MENTERI menyatakan secara terperinci senarai penuh projek-projek Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan yang telah selesai dilaksanakan di seluruh Negeri Sembilan setakat ini dan senarai projek yang telah dibatalkan atau ditunda dalam Kajian Separuh Penggal untuk Negeri Sembilan

5) Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI PENGGAJIAN TINGGI menyatakan statistik terperinci jumlah pelajar mengikut kaum di setiap fakulti di setiap Institusi Penggajian Tinggi Awam pada masa kini.
Read more!

A productive weekend...

Well, it was a hectic weekend for me especially on Saturday. I think it was the most hectic day for me since 8th March..went for 6 functions on a single day. During the election campaign, i spoke in at least 4 ceramahs every night throughout the 2 weeks.

Attended the party's central executive committee (CEC) meeting on Friday night in DAP PJ Headquarters. CEC is the party's highest decision-making body. The meeting was probably the last one before the party's national congress on 23-24 August in KL. This means the CEC's term for 2004-2007 is up and a fresh committee will be elected by the delegates to the Congress. The congress was postponed for 12 months due to the general election. I have served 4 years in the CEC as the Political Education Director and glad to say that i have a 100% attendance record in all the meetings as i put CEC meetings as my top priority above everything else.

There is not much campaigning in DAP's congress unlike other political parties and i don't see the neccesity to do so. It's up to the delegates who they want to be in the CEC. My principle in the party is very simple. I never lobbied for any posts but if the party entrust me to carry out any responsibilities, i will abide to it.

I have to say that yesterday was the day that i met many of my constituents since March 8. I went for a lunch function in a Chinese temple in Rasah new village, one of the 4 chinese new villages in Rasah constituency. Hundreds of villagers were there. Later at 3 pm, went for a dialogue with the Chinese educationists group at NS Chinese Assembly Hall. The most pertinent issue discussed were the latest instructions by the Education Ministry to bar representatives from the Board of Directors of Chinese Primary Schools from signing cheques. They are worried that their influences over the schools' matters will be diminished with the move. I promised them to raise the issue in the coming Parliamentary session.

In the evening, my programme started in Ulu Temiang (an area within my Lobak state constituency). One local association organized a prayers session in conjunction with the "Kwan Ti" anniversary (a warrior during ancient China). Spent more than half an hour in the first stop.

My 2nd function was the annual dinner and AGM for Bukit Rasah Residents Associations, an establised residential area in Rasah where many local professionals and retired civil servants resides. The Chairman of the RA, Mr Keshvinder Singh is my former classmate in SPI. He handled the meeting so well and are very sincere in serving the community. Was given the privilege to give a short speech and i thank their support and pledge to work closely with the RA. Met my mandarin tutor who is a resident in the area. I also went up to Tan Sri Dato' Chan Choong Tak (former Sec-Gen of Gerakan and former President of the Senate). He is also the past President of Old Paulians' Association.

My 3rd stop for the night was the annual dinner of Wong Kei Sheung Wushu Association, a prominent chinese martial arts group in Seremban. They have produced a number of medalists in SUKMA and SEA Games in various wushu categories. Was given the chance to speak as well. Spoke about the popularity of Chinese kung fu today where even Hollywood adopted the martial arts in their films, the latest being the animated "Kung Fu Panda". I told them the word "Wushu" which is widely used in official sports events is neither an English or Malay word but a "ping yin" of the Chinese character. I also lambasted the government for not giving equal treatment to all sports associations in terms of fundings although wushu is a medal-winning sport for the country.

After 3 functions in Seremban till 9.30 pm, i rushed to Kuala Pilah to attend a Pakatan Rakyat's ceramah to a pre-dominantly Malay audience. Reached the venue around 10.30 p.m. and asked the permission to speak before Sdr Shamsul (PKR Youth Chief). Focused on whacking the state and federal UMNO leaderships and try to convince them that we should break the old political mould of racial politics. I asked them whether they have ever seen an MCA leader speaking in a Malay ceramah? I stressed that politicians of today must be able to speak up for all races and voter's evaluation shall not be based on race but on their performances and contributions to the society. I am taking the efforts to reach out to the Malay masses throughout the state and hopefully they will understand DAP better. Will be back in the area on the coming Tuesday with Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim for a ceramah perdana.

I'm supposed to rush back to attend a BBQ gathering among young DAP members in Mambau new village but by the time I reached Seremban, it was well past midnight and most of them aleady left. I am thankful to my comrade Sdr Teh Eng Kiong who drove me around last night. Last night was special in the sense that I delivered 3 speeches in 3 different languages; english, mandarin and malay. It was a day well-spent as i reached out to a very diverse electorate.

No rest on Sunday too. Went to the Seremban market where we have a weekly mobile counter to meet voters and receive complaints from 9-11 am. The MP for Seremban, Sdr John Fernandez will be there every week while other DAP assemblymen in Seremban take turns for their duties. Have some time for blogging in the afternoon and prepare my parliamentary questions (deadline tomorrow)and will attend a dialogue with abandoned house buyers in Mambau later in the evening.

That's life of DAP politicians...but no regrets about it. Happy blogging and wish you a productive week ahead! . Read more!

Report from Star Metro

Hospital urged to go electronic
By C.S. NATHAN

THE Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital (TJH) outpatient department, which receives an average of 1,000 patients daily, should introduce an electronic registration (e-registration) system to reduce waiting time, said Rasah MP Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said it was necessary as he had received many complaints of long waits to see the doctor.

Loke said the matter should be expedited as the authorities had been talking about ways for a more efficient public delivery system for some time now.

“One of the reasons for the long wait is the need for patients to be manually registered. This is an outdated system and I hope that they will come up with an online registry and a system that would link up all other related areas such as the patients’ records.

“This department sees many patients daily and the bulk of them are from the lower income group,” he said.

However, services at the hospital have improved since Loke’s last visit. From this month, the outpatient department has extended its operating hours until 9.30pm on weekdays to serve the community better.

A patient who only wished to be known as Ranjini said services had improved by leaps and bounds.
“Before, coming to the outpatient clinic was at least a half-day affair. But now, the system is more efficient and we don’t have to wait so long. It is less than an hour from registration until we collect our medicine,” he said.

Currently, it takes patients anything from 10 to 30 minutes just to get from the information to the registration counter.

Patients are then assigned a number for a corresponding treatment room where they would be attended to by the doctor in charge.

Waiting their turn could again take anything from 10 minutes to half an hour depending on the number of patients and doctors for the day.

Treatment time varies depending upon the nature of illness and whether a patient would need to be referred to other departments such as the lab or radiography.

The second issue that Loke highlighted was the need for up-to-date medical equipment.

“I think the clinic needs to procure a funduscope, which is an instrument used to examine the background of the retina, as it would come in handy for the routine eye screening of diabetics to ensure that they do not suffer from vision problems.

“I understand the clinic treats many diabetics and currently it can take up to a couple of months before a patient with diabetic retinopathy to be properly diagnosed compared to instant results with a funduscope.

“Although the funduscope costs more than RM100,000, it would be well worth the investment considering its benefits,” he said.

Loke said these issues had been brought up at the mid-term review in Parliament and Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai had agreed to look into both matters.

Patients who were present during Loke’s visit were appreciative of the heavily subsidised cost of treatment at the hospital but many had the same requests on their wish list: improved efficiency and upgraded facilities.

Loke was accompanied by Temiang assemblyman Ng Chin Tsai.
. Read more!

Catch Astro Awani 501 tonight!

I am invited to appear in Astro Awani (channel 501) live at 8.30 p.m. tonight. There is a live debate programme every Thursday night on a specific topic featuring 2 politicians from opposite side. I will be debating with YB Datuk Nur Jazlan, the MP for Pulai, Johor.

The topic for tonight will be "Different political views but working together to bring in Foreign Direct Investment". I'm preparing some notes now for the debate.I've shared same stage with YB Nur Jazlan before and found him to be quite a reasonable guy, one of the rare one in UMNO. Hope it will be interesting tonight. Read more!

Do you have any questions?

Parliament was adjourned sine die last night at 9 pm after meeting for 16 days. It will meet again on 18th August for the budget session. I am back in Seremban and will spend the next one month visiting different areas in my constituency to monitor progress on the ground and to listen to feedback from the people. It is also time to meet government department heads to follow up on some outstanding issues. Anyway, I will be going to Kuantan tomorrow to attend a PKR ceramah with Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Will be back on Sunday to attend the royal banquet in conjunction with the Yang Di Pertuan Besar's official birthday.

Although we just ended our session yesterday, all MPs have to submit our questions for the next session by the end of next week! Deadline is 25 July and for my DUN questions, it is 1 August. Therefore, i would like to consult the voters in Rasah and Lobak to suggest if you have any particular question that you want to get an answer from the government. However, questions must be confined to government policies or the progress of any government projects or programs.

I welcome everyone to give their feedback ASAP but i will scan through every question before submitting and i shall reserve the rights to reject or edit any of the questions. I hope you understand my responsibilities.

For Parliament, i can ask 10 oral questions and 5 written questions. For State Assembly, can ask 6 oral questions and 10 written.

So, feel free to ask! . Read more!

New Digital Funduscopic Camera for Klinik Kesihatan Rasah

Below is the answer from the Minister of Health, Dato' Liow Tiong Lai to my debate during the mid term review of 9th Malaysia Plan on health issues:

"Yang Berhormat bagi Rasah ada membangkitkan tentang perlunya kementerian membeli sebuah peralatan digital funduscopic camera di samping menyediakan sistem pendaftaran secara elektronik, e-registration di Klinik Kesihatan Rasah memandangkan sistem pendaftaran sedia ada yang dilakukan secara manual menyebabkan pesakit tepaksa menunggu lama.

Untuk makluman Yang Berhormat, kementerian sedang dalam proses perolehan mesin, digital funducospic camera bagi menggantikan mesin manual yang telah rosak untuk keperluan para pesakit diabetes. Kementerian juga menyedari waktu menunggu yang lama di Klinik Kesihatan Rasah di mana jumlah kedatangan pesakit adalah dianggarkan sejumlah 800 hingga 1200 orang sehari. Sehubungan dengan itu kementerian akan mengkaji tentang kegunaan sistem pendaftaran digital ini bagi memudahkan bagi pesakit mendapatkan rawatan dalam tempoh waktu yang sewajarnya." Read more!

Fight for police station in Rasah Jaya

Read more!