Latest news with #OngAhTeong
The Star
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Getting the inside scoop on rare durian at annual treat
THE leafy surrounds of a pocket garden in George Town provided the perfect backdrop for Penang's pressmen to indulge in durian. About 50 of them tucked into well-loved varieties such as Red Prawn, Green Skin and Hor Lor during the treat organised by Batu Lancang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong. Cheers erupted when hyped variants like Musang King and Black Thorn were brought out by the vendor at the fruit stall along Jalan Anson. By the end of the event, the guests devoured over 90kg of the fruit. Fruit stall proprietor Ang Hock Leng said he also served up two equally good but less well-known varieties on the day – the Big Red and Puppet King. He said the Big Red, better known by its Chinese moniker Da Hong, got its name from its orangey-coloured flesh. 'It has a bitter but complex flavour with thick, custard-like flesh,' Ang explained, adding that it should not be confused with the Little Red or Xiao Hong which is sweeter and creamier. Ang said the Puppet King or Kong Zai Wang is actually an old cultivar previously known as Jantung. 'It was rebranded recently and even finished second in a competition last year, behind Musang King,' added the vendor who has been operating on the site since 1979. He also urged durian lovers to indulge within these few weeks as harvests will hit their peak before tapering off in the latter half of the month. Ong said this was the third year his office organised the gathering. 'These few weeks are said to be the peak of durian season in Penang, so what better way to get together? 'It's great to see everyone tucking in and enjoying themselves,' he added. Nanyang Siang Pau reporter Wong Soon Eng said, 'These are nice occasions for us to have a good time together, and the durian fruits are specially picked so the quality is there.'
The Star
28-06-2025
- The Star
QuickCheck: Was there a fish heist at a market in Penang?
A screen capture from the CCTV footage showing the thief making off with the fish from the Batu Lanchang Market in Penang on Sunday (June 22). Reports of theft at local markets can raise concerns among traders and the community. Recently, there have been claims of fish being stolen from Batu Lanchang Market during the night. Is this true? Verdict: TRUE Fishes stored at the Batu Lanchang Market in Penang, were reportedly stolen early in the morning on Sunday (June 22) before the traders opened their stalls. According to Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong, the issue was brought to attention after a seller lodged a complaint, leading to an investigation. "Video footage reviewed at the scene clearly showed an individual making off with a styrofoam box filled with fish around 2am," said Ong in a Facebook post. It is believed that this was the third such incident reported at the market recently. A police report has been lodged, and a copy of the CCTV footage has been submitted for further action. Ong also mentioned that a request has been made to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to install additional CCTV cameras around the market, especially in exterior areas such as the parking lot. "The request has been approved and the added surveillance is expected to help improve security at the market," he added. References:
Free Malaysia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Fury in Penang assembly as exco blasts fellow party rep over ‘leaked' reply
State exco member Lim Siew Khim (left) said Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong's remarks were based on an incomplete answer prematurely uploaded to the assembly's portal. GEORGE TOWN : A Penang executive councillor tore into a fellow DAP backbencher after the latter accused her of dodging a question on the operations of the state's homeless shelter, sparking a rare open clash at the state assembly. State social development and welfare committee chairman Lim Siew Khim lambasted Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lanchang) for citing an official response, which she said had not yet been formally answered in the assembly. The response pertained to Ong's oral question on the operations and costs of the Jalan CY Choy homeless transit centre. He had brought up this subject to raise concerns over financial transparency and staffing expenses. He said the centre's RM598,610 annual operating cost was excessive, with over 67% spent only on the salaries for its seven staff. However, Lim said Ong's remarks were based on an incomplete answer prematurely uploaded to the assemblyman's portal, which she had not yet had the opportunity to address. She accused Ong of misleading the assembly and going against protocol. Oral answers are only shared publicly and with the assemblyman posing the question after being read out in the assembly to make sure everyone obtains the information at the same time and in the right order. 'This is about ethics as a wakil rakyat. You have been here for two terms. The question has not reached its turn, yet YB Batu Lanchang cited a half-complete answer to accuse me of failing to respond. That's a serious allegation,' Lim said. She also rejected Ong's claim that the centre had received public or NGO cash donations. 'The centre only accepts donations in kind, like clothes and food. If there's any evidence otherwise, submit a formal report. If not, withdraw your statement,' she said. When Ong tried to explain that he had based his remarks on the official reply from her via the assembly's internal portal, Lim raised her voice and repeatedly told him to sit down. The confrontation prompted speaker Law Choo Kiang to step in, saying the prematurely uploaded answer was due to a clerical error by the assembly secretariat, which he said he 'deeply regrets'. 'There was an unintentional error by our secretariat. Normally, replies are only uploaded (to after being formally answered. 'In this case, all oral answers were prematurely uploaded to the portal,' he said. Law said the system error had since been rectified and thanked both lawmakers for flagging the issue. Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow also weighed in, backing Lim and calling on the speaker to order a full probe into the error. He said it was only right for Ong to apologise. Fellow executive councillor Daniel Gooi rose on a point of order, saying Ong should not only apologise but also retract his remarks as they amounted to accusing another member of acting in bad faith. Ong later apologised and withdrew his comments, saying he did not wish to further disrupt the sitting.
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Leak of assembly portal data a serious intrusion
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has called for a thorough investigation into a security breach and data leak involving the official online portal used by state assemblymen. This follows the leak of an answer to an oral question from Ong Ah Teong (DAP – Batu Lancang), directed to state Social Development, Welfare, and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim (DAP – Sungai Pinang).Chow said the matter was serious and required immediate attention from State Speaker Datuk Seri Law Choo Kiang to uphold the integrity of the assembly."Only state assemblymen should have access to the portal."However, some unauthorised individuals accessed it, took screenshots of the information, and shared them — this is a serious intrusion," he said the premature circulation of the information before it was officially answered in the state legislative assembly was highly urged action to be taken against the officer responsible for uploading the answer ahead of time, citing confirmed that the error had been addressed and the answer removed from the said answers were typically uploaded only after they were presented during an assembly sitting."We will ensure such incidents do not recur."We also hope that assemblymen will help maintain confidentiality when others are given access," Law leak sparked a heated response from Lim during her winding-up speech who had responded to the leaked answer earlier, later apologised and retracted his said the leaked version did not represent the complete response and criticised Ong for making assumptions based on partial information.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bukit Lanchang rep: Penang has know-how to build quake-proof towers — so why haven't we used it?
GEORGE TOWN, May 19 — Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong today proposed that technical guidelines for high-rise buildings in Penang be updated to include mandatory earthquake-resistant designs. The DAP lawmaker argued that new policies and guidelines must be formulated to compel all new high-rise projects to be earthquake-resistant. 'Adjustments to the Uniform Building By-Laws (UBBL) and the Local Plan need to be made to suit current needs and address modern disaster risks,' Ong proposed while debating his motion of thanks to the Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri at the state legislative assembly today. He urged local councils and relevant agencies to conduct structural audits of existing buildings, particularly those exceeding 20 storeys or constructed before 2000. 'It is proposed that the state government introduce an Earthquake Protection Scheme similar to that practised in Taiwan, where earthquake disaster coverage is part of fire insurance policies,' he suggested. Ong also recommended the establishment of a Penang State Disaster Protection Fund in collaboration with the insurance and financial sectors. 'The safety of the people of Penang is our shared responsibility, so we should act before anything happens,' he said. Ong said the collapse of a 33-storey building in Bangkok, following tremors from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28, should be a 'wake-up call' for Penang to strengthen its structural safety policies. He noted that Penang also experienced tremors from an earthquake in North Sumatra on May 11. 'Many residents in Batu Lanchang felt anxious and shocked, considering that this area houses numerous high-rise apartments,' Ong said, adding that hundreds of densely populated high-rise residential buildings are located in the Batu Lanchang area. Ong expressed shock that local authorities reportedly do not possess specific data on buildings designed to withstand earthquakes. 'This means there is no legal requirement so far to ensure that all high-rise buildings are constructed according to earthquake-resistant specifications,' he said. Pointing out that this issue was raised in the state legislative assembly 14 years ago, in 2011, he said there has been no significant change in policies, guidelines or legislation since. 'As far as I know, only two structures in Penang have been designed to withstand earthquakes since the 1980s until now,' he said. The two structures were the first Penang Bridge and Komtar Tower, which houses the Chief Minister's Office and the State Executive Council members. He said the structures were designed based on resilience to an earthquake strength of 7.0 on the Richter scale and within a 300-kilometre radius of the epicentre. 'This shows that the technical capability and structural planning for earthquake resistance exists so it is time that this technology and requirement be extended to all high-rise residential buildings,' he said.
