Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Offer To Razaleigh Hid From Anwar - JMM
- Ranking: Three Malaysian universities enter Top 500
- Pakatan touts Buku Jingga has political will, unlike BN’s plans
- Najib vows to help Indians if MIC secures their vote
- Food stamps being considered to cushion rising cost of living
- Johor Sultanah: Bersih 2.0 was hijacked
- Blogger: MP ran at cops
- Going global has become the norm
- Najib unfazed by online abuse
- EO6: A bitter lesson for the govt
- Slow response to 1 Malaysia email beta signup
- DAP to MCA: Contracts given on merit, not race
| Offer To Razaleigh Hid From Anwar - JMM Posted: 30 Jul 2011 01:28 AM PDT
(Bernama) -- Opposition leaders are said to have turned their backs on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by offering Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to become the next opposition leader. Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) vice-president Omar Saleh said a discussion on the offer to the Gua Musang member of parliament to replace Anwar as opposition leader was said to have involved PAS Spiritual Leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
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| Ranking: Three Malaysian universities enter Top 500 Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:56 PM PDT
By Priya Kulasagaran, The Star PETALING JAYA: Three Malaysian universities have made it to the top 500 out of 12,000 universities ranked in the Webometrics Ranking Web of World Universities released Saturday. They are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (419), Universiti Sains Malaysia (428) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (462). This is the first time that Malaysian varsities have entered into the top 500 since the ranking's inception in 2004. Meanwhile, American universities dominate the Webometrics ranking, with the top five universities being the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of California, Berkeley respectively. The ranking is an initiative by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group part of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC) in Spain. According to the Webometrics website, the aim of the rankings is to encourage universities to have a better web presence and researchers to publish more scientific content on the internet. Among the main indicators used to analyse university web presence are the size or number of web pages recovered from search engines; visibility; number of rich files available; and the number of citations found in Google Scholar. The rankings are published every six months, and survey around 20,000 higher education institutions worldwide. |
| Pakatan touts Buku Jingga has political will, unlike BN’s plans Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:54 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 – Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders charged that their Buku Jingga reform plans are backed by political will, which is what Malaysia needs to restore competitiveness and the economy in light of increasing living costs. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli (picture) compared the Buku Jingga to the Najib administration's Government Transformation Plan (GTP), Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) and New Economic Model (NEM), which has been in action since 2010. "GTP, ETP took approach of economic grandstanding, long term plan, whereas Buku Jingga is based on what people on the ground want. "There must be institutional reforms to increase investor confidence, we need to quickly lend a hand to the public especially when dealing with rising living costs, and that is what Buku Jingga is about," Rafizi said during a dialogue on public policy organised by Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) here. Among the other panelists present were DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua, Pemandu CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala and MCA central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker. While admitting that BN policies such as the GTP and ETP were "fairly well-written" and had some solid points in managing the economy, Rafizi said that the policies lacked political will because it failed to include "immediate" measures which could help towards reforming the economy. Issues like the direct tender awarding of the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, the current toll system and the government's subsidising of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), according to Rafizi showed that the Najib administration had its limits in implementing political and economic reform. "It shows that there is a certain threshold to the government's political will, these are quick acid tests people want to see," said Rafizi. Using the example of reducing fuel subsidies as an example, Pua stated that if the government wanted to implement something like that, alternative measures must also be in the place so that the backlash or effects are kept at a minimum. "You cannot increase petrol prices without first improving the transport system...when these things happen, people start to doubt the government's political will," added Pua. The Petaling Jaya MP said the Buku Jingga was a preview of how PR's policies would be like should they assume federal power in the next general elections. In response, Jala defended the measures introduced and enforced by the government, and even said PR's Buku Jingga's plans were impossible and unrealistic. |
| Najib vows to help Indians if MIC secures their vote Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:00 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, July 30 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to do all he can to bring the Indian community back into the "mainstream of development" but asked that MIC redouble efforts to secure the community's vote. The prime minister said there must be "quid pro quo" between Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MIC and the ruling coalition if both wished to benefit from their relationship as "loyal friends". "There must be an understanding. Can you all deliver for Barisan Nasional? You can deliver and we will deliver," Najib told delegates at the 65th MIC general assembly here today. Najib also stressed that unity within MIC at all levels was crucial for the party to be seen as the main choice for Indians come polling day. "There cannot be factions within MIC. There must be only one MIC," he said. The Indian community have always been a strong supporter of the ruling coalition but forsook it in Election 2008 after the government cracked down on the Hindraf rally in November 2007 when 30,000 Indians marched for better opportunities. The 2010 census showed there are 1.9 million Indians or 7.3 per cent of the 28 million population, far less than the 2.3 million foreigners in the country. |
| Food stamps being considered to cushion rising cost of living Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:54 PM PDT
By Hamdan Raja Abdullah, The Star MUAR: Providing food stamps is among the options the Government is looking into to cushion the rising cost of food prices in the near future. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said besides food stamps, some countries also provide annual incentives or have a stockpile system in place while Malaysia provided subsidies such as for fuel. "We have not decided yet but I will look into all of this," he said at a press conference after launching a Doktor Turun Kampung programme in Pagoh on Saturday. He said the Government was very concerned over the rise in living costs and had made it the seventh National Key Area Result target. "We will have to look into many areas and factors to determine affective measures to cushion the rising living costs. And from related data gathered by the Domestic Trade Ministry since last year there is a tendency for prices, especially foodstuff, to increase," he added. Muhyiddin, who heads the special committee to study on the rising prices, said it was a global issue which linked with higher prices of fuel which in turn affected food production. |
| Johor Sultanah: Bersih 2.0 was hijacked Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:42 PM PDT
(Malaysiakini) - Almost 3 weeks after the Bersih 2.0 rally, the debate over the event still continues with a key member of royal family saying today that the electoral reform movement "had in someway been hijacked" by other groups and individuals.
"It maybe or may not, there is no right or wrong question, but it may indicate that the country is heading for some kind of maturity." She also said the Bersih rally organizers may have been influenced by the Middle East revolution but claimed that the scenarios are different between the two. "We must realise that in Middle East, what they were reacting - especially in Egypt - was against the rule of one person," she said, referring to the Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak. "The fact that there was so much poverty and they don't really have a big middle class like we do."
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:24 PM PDT
(The Star) - The video showing Batu MP Tian Chua charging at a police line has got PKR scrambling to explain their vice-president's action even as the matter became a major talking point in cyberspace. A committee member of Bersih 2.0, Haris Ibrahim, who is also Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement president, posted the video on his blog, The People's Parliament, and demanded an explanation from Tian Chua. In his postings on Thursday, Tian Chua Have You Been A Bad Boy? and Confirmed Tian Chua Was A Bad Boy, were accompanied by raw footage of the incident. The posts drew a host of comments from netizens, including some who demanded an apology from the MP for tarnishing the Bersih 2.0 rally. The clip showed Tian Chua counting satu, dua, tiga (one, two, three) before rushing towards riot police with several others in tow. His fellow vice-presidents, R. Sivarasa and N. Surendran, held a press conference yesterday in an attempt to explain Tian Chua's actions, claiming the MP never charged at the police line. Surendran said police had boxed in protesters in the narrow underpass and acted excessively without giving time for protesters to disperse and Tian Chua could have come to his own decision to move towards the police line as there was nowhere else to escape once police action commenced. Sivarasa, who is also Subang MP, claimed that the footage was released by the police and was a distortion of facts. "The issue had been picked up by some bloggers who may have completely misunderstood or been misled over the footage," he said. In his explanation posted on The People's Parliament, Tian Chua denied he had charged at the police as insinuated by the mainstream media. "Anybody in those circumstances could notice the danger of staying in the enclosure once the police fired tear gas. The video footage only showed a few people rushing towards the open air," he said. Haris pointed out the footage that he posted were not from the police but were recorded by an eye-witness. The police had also released video clips, which were also aired on RTM, to answer allegations made by those who participated in the rally but none of them addressed the Tian Chua issue. SEE VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFWduXFANAI
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| Going global has become the norm Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:13 PM PDT By Yahoo News/EuroSport Still, it was good of the Malaysian FA to come out and apologise for anything bad a handful of people might have said. I suppose there are idiots wherever you go in the world. I was a little surprised to hear about the alleged abuse a few fans directed at Yossi Benayoun during Chelsea's recent friendly against Malaysia All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur. It is a predominantly Muslim country, but even so I would have expected people there to just appreciate one of the Premier League's biggest clubs coming to town rather than take the opportunity to have a go at a player just because they happen to be from Israel. Still, it was good of the Malaysian FA to come out and apologise for anything bad a handful of people might have said. I suppose there are idiots wherever you go in the world. The incident was barely mentioned here in Singapore, a nation which never usually needs an excuse to have a dig at its neighbour, especially after they recently beat them on a World Cup qualifier. That shows how little importance anyone in the region is attaching to the incident. The people of the Malaysian capital have been spoiled this summer, what with Arsenal and Liverpool both coming to town before Chelsea did. Despite being the Premier League champions until just a couple of months ago, the Blues cannot hold a candle to either of those two sides in terms of popularity in South East Asia, especially Liverpool. The title may not have been held at Anfield for more than two decades, but they are still number one round these parts. If Liverpool ever do win the Premier League for the first time, the place would explode! As I have mentioned previously, there are a few more blue shirts popping up here and there in this part of the world, but they will have to win a few more championships before they can truly hope to crack this market, currently so dominated by Liverpool and Manchester United. And crack it they must. With UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules coming into effect, even clubs owned by billionaire oligarchs now have to start maximising potential revenue. There is such an appetite for football in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, and they will accept any invitation to get involved. It is no wonder the ludicrous idea of a 39th game was mooted not so long ago. Chelsea are now in Hong Kong competing in the Asia Trophy, which also features Aston Villa and Blackburn. Even Rovers, who even cannot fill their own ground, are trying their best to win fans abroad, something a certain dubious advert is being used to do in India. There are potential pitfalls with going on pre-season tours halfway around the world, and Arsene Wenger has perhaps been the most vocal in expressing his fears over fatigue setting in among his players before the campaign has even started. But the Gunners choosing to clock up the air miles rather than have their usual low-key summer in Europe shows just how they have changed their tune. Besides, today's footballers are fitter than ever - they can handle the rigours of the extra travel and hostile climate far better than those of my generation could. Which is just as well, really, because the annual trip to at least one emerging market is now a bare necessity for any club that wants to make any decent money these days. Going global was once viewed with cynicism, but now it has become standard practice. |
| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:55 PM PDT
(Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today he would continue to allow the public access to his online communication platforms although they had experienced serious abuse over the past weeks. He said he arrived at the decision in the spirit of having open and direct communication with the people. "As it stands, I have over 800,000 Facebook 'likes' and close to 170,000 followers on Twitter. Even at the time of writing, I observe that more Malaysians have stepped up in support of civil dialogue and posting constructive comments. Do keep it up. "I hope we as Malaysians can demonstrate responsible, respectful behaviour while commenting online," he said in his latest post on his blog. Many of the abusers seem to be supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) as their profiles bore the Bersih logo and the colour yellow. |
| EO6: A bitter lesson for the govt Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:45 PM PDT By Jeswant Kaur, FMT Abusing the Emergency Ordinance 1969, six breadwinners of their families' were thrown behind bars and defamed with having waged a war against the King, holding subversive beliefs and instigating the rakyat to attend a rally which the police had deemed illegal. Yesterday, 28 days later, all six were set free, unconditionally. The question that begs an answer from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is: What happened in those 28 days' that made him, his cousin the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar realise that the six are innocent and should rightfully be released? Or was it a case of all three parties being well aware of the innocence of the six but proceeded to used them as scapegoats, hoping to teach Malaysians in general a lesson for taking to the streets on July 9, 2011 and challenging the 'powers that be'? The six detained were Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan. Despite cooperating with the police, the six were treated like hardcore criminals, being held in solitary confinement and deprived of all basic necessities including their medication as in the case of Jeyakumar and Sarasvathy. It was much later that the police claimed the six were detained for allegedly being "movers" for the July 9, 2011, rally organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections). However, none of the six were steering committee members of the Bersih 2.0 which was declared illegal by the government. The coalition comprises of more than 60 non-governmental organisations. What rule of law, Najib? "We accept the decision made by the police… it is up to the attorney-general to decide on the next course of action. As a sovereign country we uphold the rule of law." Is Najib confirming that this country has turned into a police state, with the police having absolute liberty to detain and abuse whoever they wish? Premier Najib said Malaysia as a sovereign country upholds the rule of law. The rule of law states that individuals, persons and government shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals. Clearly Najib contradicted himself, for in the case of the six, the rule of law was never applied. It was the arbitrary action of the 'powers that be' that resulted in the detention of the six who later became known as PSM6. And in case Najib has forgotten, the rule of law applies to the government as well, compelling it to obey the law and not manipulate it to serve the interest of a select few.
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| Slow response to 1 Malaysia email beta signup Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:39 PM PDT
By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Thousands are thronging an IT fair in the city but only some 200 have signed up so far for the controversial 1 Malaysia email service, which is entering its beta or testing phase next month. Tricubes Bhd, which is marketing the 1 Malaysia email service as myemail.my, has set up a booth at the Pikom Digital Lifestyle Expo at the KLCC Convention Centre for this weekend, where they have been visited by either those curious about the service or wanting to reserve their usernames. Product Manager Amir Shariffuddin told The Malaysian Insider that the pre-registration started last month at the National ICT Conference 2011 at the Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC), although he did not provide the total number of registered users to date. "It is not just an email. It is a whole platform of information flow. It is also the official electronic correspondence between the government and the rakyat," he said. When asked if Myemail messages sent to government officials will get priority over those sent using other email services, he said "probably". Amir stressed that the service would make it is easier and faster for the government to send official documents to the users. Among the benefits listed in an informational leaflet on Myemail are that it replaces paper bills with digital versions in portable document format (PDF); provides a "marketplace" where exclusive deals are offered to Myemail users; introduces social networking access through the email "dashboard"; provides an email inbox and access to online payment services; and allows direct access to Microsoft Office files. The 1 Malaysia email service, which was supposed to start beta service at the end of April, has been marketed as a move that will reduce the use of paper and save the government RM200 million over 10 years. The project has been met with scepticism by some Malaysians, who question to the redundancy of the facility. Most adults with Internet access have at least one personal email and another for work or education purposes. The Malaysian Insider understands that Tricubes aims to sign up at least 20,000 users for its beta phase although it has yet to secure any government or private sector agencies to test the payment gateway. Hamidreza Ghotb, another Tricubes representative at the booth, explained that the e-payment and paperless bills will only be available to government agencies as well as government-linked companies this year. "Its (Myemail's) ability is limitless. You can incorporate Facebook and everything you can imagine, with Myemail," he said, adding that the possibility will happen "some time in the future". Myemail also promises security, cost-saving, convenience, fast delivery, and a green solution. The catch is, however, those signing up for the email service will have to buy a USB biometric device sold by Tricubes or go to any National Registration Department (NRD) office to use the additional services offered, on top of the emails. Tricubes chief executive Khairun Zainal Mokhtar had also said the USB device would also allow Myemail users opt for the more secure end-to-end data encryption for an additional fee, which he described as "a fraction of the cost".
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| DAP to MCA: Contracts given on merit, not race Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — DAP rapped MCA today for accusing the Penang government of sidelining the Chinese community in the award of contracts, stressing that the state administration's criteria was strictly merit-based. In a strongly-worded reply, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua charged that Barisan Nasional (BN) parties like MCA were stuck with "archaic" policies where they were only interested in attracting votes from the "respective races" they claimed to represent."They fail to recognise their own chauvinism and their total disconnect from ordinary citizens today who are increasingly seeing themselves as Malaysians first," he told The Malaysian Insider today. MCA had accused Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng of awarding all of the state's Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) contracts to Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, leaving the Chinese community out in the cold. Penang Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang claimed yesterday this was likely because the chief minister was "currying favour" with the non-Chinese community as, according to her, the DAP has realised that it could not rely on support from the Chinese forever. Tan was referring to a statement Lim purportedly made on Wednesday that the contractors in all five districts in Penang for DID contracts are Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, with women accounting for 20 per cent. In response, Pua today said DAP and Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s policies were specifically designed from a "merit and needs-based perspective." "Unlike MCA and BN's model, we are race-blind. If one is poor, he or she will deserve assistance, regardless of race, religion or creed. "If one is competent and cost-efficient, they will be awarded government contracts and projects irrespective of company ownership," he added.
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Johor Sultanah Raja Zarith Sofia Sultan Idris Shah, said though the original cause of Bersih rally was genuine, it had been taken over by others.
Instead, she said they should on their own decide on what is right or wrong and try to grasp as much as they can on the current events of the country.
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