| Create 'Toilet Minister' Post, Says Samy Vellu |
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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- "We will have a Toilet Minister lah," that is the spontaneous reply from Works Ministry Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu when the Opposition Leader again brought up the toilet problem in Parliament which is said to be not functioning well.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) who raised the issue when Samy Vellu was winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2006 for his ministry, claimed that the toilet was in a dire state due to the failure of the appointed contractor to renovate the Parliament building.
Monday, Lim also brought up the same matter when Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mohamed Nazri Aziz was wrapping up the debate on the same bill, jesting that the Parliament should have a special post of Toilet Director General to oversee parliamentary affairs, including the toilets.
"As suggested by the member of parliament for Ipoh Timur, we will create a Toilet Minister's post. When we have a Toilet Minister, we will have a Toilet Opposition Leader," he said in response to Lim's remarks.
Samy Vellu added: "The first day after renovation, everything in the toilet is the most beautiful like a new bride. If it had long been in use and people do not care anymore, then it will not be beautiful anymore."
Dissatisfied with Samy Vellu's answer, Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) rose and explained that the Parliament sitting was about 70 days a year and the use of toilets should not be too frequent until it could be spoilt in such a short period.
Samy Vellu, later assured the opposition that when the parliament renovation works had been completed, he would take the necessary actions before returning the building to the Parliament.
Meanwhile, Samy Vellu said the government was currently considering the construction of a second Penang bridge, adding that a study on the possibility of constructing a second bridge had been completed.
However, he said, in order to overcome traffic congestion in the existing bridge, the government had widened the bridge into three lanes from both directions, including adding motorcycle lanes.
Besides that, Samy Vellu said his ministry, through the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), had identified all locations in need of overhead bridges, including schools, mosques, clinics, night markets and other public areas, and constructions were either ongoing or underway in the crucial areas.
-- BERNAMA
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