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A delegation of top Malaysian business leaders including the Malaysian Premier's son Mirzan Mahathir will be in Sri Lanka to discuss investment opportunities here, Mercantile Merchant Bank Ltd. (MMBL) said.
Mr Mirzan is the head of Konsortium Perkapalan Berhard (KPB), an integrated transport services company which provides, container haulage, freight forwarding, insurance, warehousing, distribution, port services, air and sea transport. KPB is said to be the biggest container haulier and the second largest shipping company in Malaysia.
"Mr Mirzan's vision is to make KPB a major integrated logistics provider in the region," MMBL said.
The delegation is headed by Tan Sri Halim Saad of Renong Berhard, a top Malaysian conglomerate with interests in infrastructure development, construction, power, engineering, oil and gas services, information technology and financial services with 12 companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.
"He is widely known as the infrastructure king of East Asia," MMBL said.
"MMBL was successful in persuading Renong and other leading Malaysian companies to take a closer look at investment opportunities in Sri Lanka."
Several other companies in construction, engineering, power, infrastructure development, project management, shipping, plantation, oil and gas, mining, hotel development and management and cement manufacture are in the delegation.
A top official of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd., has filed action against Lake House demanding Rs. 75 mn. as damages for articles published in the Sunday Observer, Silumina and Thinkaran newspapers last July.
P.P.J. Perera, Deputy General Manager of SLIC claimed the article conveyed innuendoes which were both false and defamatory.
The plaintiff said he had been the Deputy General Manager (Finance) since 1987 and had served SLIC for 14 years. Mr. Perera said he was held in high esteem in society and business circles and the publication of the articles had caused loss and damage to his dignity and reputation.
The normally parched Narammala had been hoping and praying for rain. Then it came. Pouring rain. While all the people, and especially the cultivators, giving thanks for the blessing, a bolt from the sky turned it all into a curse and plunged the village into shock. In an unusually devastating burst of lightning, five people, including three children, were struck down and killed.
Soon after three in the evening, Chandrawathie boarded a bus from Narammala to get back home with some shirt material she had bought for her little son. When she reached Dampelessa, there was a heavy downpour and all who got off the bus took cover in the bus shelter. They waited and waited. The rain only intensified. Chandrawathie then decided to brave the rain. So did Sanath, his wife and their five-year-old child. As they walked they saw a huge tree beside the bus stand falling amidst the thunder showers.
Regardless, Sanath walked on, telling his wife and child to follow. But as soon as Sanath reached the doorstep, he heard screams amidst a bolt of lightning. Running back, Sanath himself was struck with terror, when he found his wife and child along with others fallen unconscious on the road. They were rushed to hospital but four of them were found dead on admission.
The victims were Sanath's wife, and child, Chandrawathie and another. Meanwhile, at Kasungama, a short distance away, another family was struck by lightning.
Francis Fernando who lost his wife Nilmini in the tragedy said his wife had been on bed when suddenly there was a bolt and he could not remember anything beyond that. It was too much of a shock. But Francis' sister, Somawathie who lived next door remembered more of the horrifying details. She spoke of how a "ball of fire" from the sky had hit her house while she was preparing dinner and left her unconscious for about half an hour. When she recovered she heard screams from her brother's house. Running there she found her brother and children virtually paralysed with shock while on the bed she encountered a bigger shock —her sister-in-law lay there struck dead by lightning.
With the help of neighbours the family was rushed to the hospital. But when they were getting down from a vehicle at the hospital lightning struck again. Francis' two children had been so shattered by the experience that they got scared and screamed even when our photographer flashed his camera the next day.
Thunder storms and intense lightning will hit all parts of Sri Lanka this month and the Meteorological Department has advised people to take precautions.
Deputy Director G. S. P. Dharmaratna said intense thunder and lightning activity was not an unusual phenomenon but a normal pre monsoon build-up in the weather.
The Department is advising the people to take the following precautionary steps to reduce lightning hazards:
* The earth wires of electrical circuits should be properly connected to the earth rods which should be installed properly to have their electrical resistances less than 10 ohms (scale of measurement for resistance in electricity).
* Do not have any conducting connections like wires between houses and close- by trees.
* When there are thunder storms:
Disconnect electrical appliances from the main power supply, Disconnect television antennas from television sets and place the antenna close to the earth outside the house, and
Don't expose yourself to the open air.
Try to avoid being in open areas like paddy fields and play grounds.
* Especially avoid working outside holding metal tools like mammoties, knives, and iron rods.
Mr. Dharmaratne said lightning hazards were not always fatal. The extent of the shock depends on the path of the lighting discharged through the body and the intensity of the current. In case a person is struck by lightning, first aid should be given to the patient before taking him/her for medical treatment.
The CID investigations on the Rs. 590 million attempted fraud in which President Chandrika Kumaratunga's former Press Secretary, Victor Fernando, and two others are allegedly involved, will centre on the forged documents, to ascertain whether top level government connections has been used to prepare the documents.
The documents indicated that the money amounting to 10 million dollars had been needed for projects under the Southern Development Authority.
Police sources said several others would be questioned in connection with the alleged fraud which was detected on Wednesday when they attempted to obtain the money from the bank on the forged documents.
Mr. Fernando and two others — A. C. Soris and a Filipino, who were produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate, Shirani Gunawardene were released on bail.
Mr. Fernando in a press statement said he had arranged a meeting with the Chairman of the Southern Development Authority. He said the SDA had informed them that they have studied the preliminaries and wish to consider some of the projects including resort hotels, hospitals and a university for the South.
When 'The Sunday Times' contacted the Chairman SDA, Navin Gunaratne said that he acted only as a consultant for the project and had nothing to do with the financial dealings of the organisation.
Peradeniya police has reported the theft of some western musical instruments worth Rs. 4 lakhs belonging to the sports section of the Peradeniya University on the night of May 7.
Trade union sources said that it could be the work of some interested party wanting to put the blame on the non-academic staff of the campus.
The complaint was made on the following day by a section representing the trade unions in the campus. Police deployed police dogs in their inquiries and finger prints have been obtained but so far no arrests have been made
The monthly English panel discussion on the Dhamma organised by the Y.M.B.A., Colombo will be held next Sunday from 10 to 11.15 a.m. at the library of its new building in Borella.
On the panel are Dr. Asanga Tilakaratne, Dhamma Weerakoon and Mrs. Chandi Udugama while Mr. Rajah Kuruppu will act as the mediator of this month's discussion titled 'Buddhist Diagnosis of the Human Condition'.
South Asian Foreign Secretaries meetin in the Maldives have decided to keep the controversial issue of sub-regional groups within SAARC off the agenda, sources said.
The proposal to set up a sub-regional group within SAARC was mooted by India and strongly backed by Bangladesh, which first conceived the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The move had angered other SAARC members.
"It will not undermine SAARC ... and these groupings (will) only help further SAARC spirit," Bangladesh's State minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury told AFP.
"We have adequately explained the purpose of the group to Pakistan," he said, when told Islamabad was unhappy over the issue.
Bangladesh was to join India in a grouping with Nepal and Bhutan.
Chowdhury said there were examples of such groupings among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while Pakistan was itself involved with Turkey in a grouping.
But Pakistani officials have not hidden their disquiet over the issue, saying it will create "discomfort" within the 12-year-old SAARC.
Analysts here said the two countries have taken clear positions on the issue, which will almost certainly figure in bilateral talks when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed and her Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif meet in the Maldives SAARC summit on Monday.
The seven-nation SAARC, founded in Dhaka and conceived by assassinated president Ziaur Rahman, groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Maldives and Sri Lanka are also reportedly unhappy with the development, but Dhaka explained the four nations were coming together because of their geographical proximity and to cooperate over common areas.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad told the official BSS news agency before leaving for the Maldives: "Sub-regional issues and other forms of cooperation will be discussed ... for the welfare of the region's people."
"These are not political matters but essentially economic issues for common benefits," he said.
China and the United States welcomed the proposed grouping, while the World Bank has undertaken a study on its future.
"Pakistan's antagonism towards the grouping is based on its apprehension that when the sub-regional group takes a formal shape India might take a dominant role on the Kashmir issue," said Ahsanul Huq, a teacher with the Dhaka University's International Relations faculty.
He said Islamabad also feared New Delhi might use the grouping to bolster its image in the world forum and exploit it to ignore Pakistan's demand of a Nuclear Free South Asia.
Bangladesh and other South Asian countries have signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), but India has refused to follow suit.
On Bangladesh's determination to go ahead with the body, Huq and other analysts were of the common view it would benefit Bangladesh in solving its bilateral problems with India as well as reap economic benefits.
Sheikh Hasina also faces hostility to the issue at home from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islamic and other rightwing groups, who charge this would lead to India's "hegemony" in the region.
The story of the super travel agent who owes AirLanka Rs 1 million - as spotlighted in The Sunday Times of April 27 - has taken a strange turn with the agent claiming he made the BTT payments to the national carrier not here but in Singapore.
Our sources in AirLanka say even if these claims were true it would still be a violation of exchange control regulations since the charter deal in 1995 was signed in Colombo and all passengers paid their fares here in Sri Lankan rupees.
After The Sunday Times report, it is learnt that the AirLanka Chairman has ordered a probe on why any special treatment was given to this agent who reportedly has high political connections. Yet, we learn that others at AirLanka are trying to under-play or cover up the deal.
Again we faxed some questions regarding this matter to AirLanka's Marketing Manager Rienzie Pereira.
He says the deal on the charter flights was contracted in Australian dollars. Thus the payments were made offshore and the question of BTT did not arise. Yet our sources say AirLanka's Chief Financial Officer and Accountant are still insisting that proper procedures must be followed and BTT payments made. So the question is who is fooling whom or who is paying whom.
Mr. Pereira in his fax to us says "payments for tickets are a matter wholly between the agent and his or her passengers. AirLanka is not aware of the methods of payment". Who then we wonder is aware of the methods of payment.
Mr. Pereira also claims that the AirLanka Chairman has not ordered an inquiry and feels The Sunday Times has been given a dead rope ('mara lanuwa' as he called it). Perhaps wanting to enlighten us further he was also kind enough to invite us to his office for a discussion. On our part we are wondering who has given whom a 'mara lanuwa' and thanks Mr. Pereira again for the invitation.
A housewife has complained that bread she bought from a popular bakery was spoilt and some even claim they had to take medical treatment.
"I bought a loaf of sandwich bread for Rs. 40 which I found was unfit to eat" Ms. Widya Ilango said. She told The Sunday Times that she was lucky she discovered it before the meal was served. She complained the following day to the sales outlet from which she had bought the bread. They had offered to replace it with another loaf or return the money, to which Ms. Ilango had replied that it was not the point. "It is your duty to make sure that you sell good products, being bakers of repute", she said.
She took the complaint to an executive of the bakery and he had allegedly said, that they deal with a lot of bread that it is difficult to keep checking every single loaf and maybe there is one that gets away according to Ms. Ilango. She added that this is not the first time that this had happened to her.
Another householder told The Sunday Times that he and his family members were sick for some time as a result of partaking short eats from the bakers. However, when
The Sunday Times spoke to the officials at the bakery they said that the bread was not handmade and that there is no room for any defect.
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