Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Did Malaysia mature when we were not looking?
- WIKILEAKS: UMNO SETS PARTY ELECTION FOR DECEMBER, ABDULLAH LOSES TERENGGANU FIGHT
- Lapuran Ketua Odit Negara- kenapa kita bising2
- Umno 'beri lesen' MCA hina Islam?
- The solution
- Tail Wags the Dog
- We deserve better services from civil servants: Yeow
- Najib Likely to Announce Election Date During Umno Assembly
- Live Streaming for Bersih Public Lecture at ANU
- Agents of change
- Kepada Prof Aziz Bari, saya doakan saudara selalu
- PAGE warns BN of polls backlash from PPSMI snub
- West a failed model, says Dr M
- Muhyiddin terus `gempur’ Selangor
- Karpal: Crimes will rise under hudud laws
- Sistem 2 parti lebih mudah kalahkan BN
| Did Malaysia mature when we were not looking? Posted: 30 Oct 2011 09:31 AM PDT The Malays continue to decide the national discourse, as they have done since the beginning. But most hearteningly, diversity is taken for granted, and a lot of activism is done in collaboration with non-Malays. by Ooi Kee Beng, Today Online The flurry of Malay organisations making the news in Malaysia bodes well for the country, whether or not these group together extreme rightists, opposition voices, concerned students or professors, or green or human right activists. |
| WIKILEAKS: UMNO SETS PARTY ELECTION FOR DECEMBER, ABDULLAH LOSES TERENGGANU FIGHT Posted: 30 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT
Mahathir upped the ante in his tussle with PM Abdullah by launching corruption allegations against the First Family in an article appearing in the March 28 edition of the Sun, an English language daily owned by Mahathir crony Vincent Tan. Related to the conflict between the King and the Prime Minister in Terengganu, Mahathir suggested that contracts for mega projects in the state "all went to one person and (people) are suspicious that behind this person are members of the First Family." According to rumors, Mahathir wrote, "the Prime Minister might have influenced the (Chief Minister) into doing wrong things." Mahathir called for "foreign agencies" to launch an investigation. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK, REASON 1.4 (B AND D). Summary 1. (C) The March 27 Supreme Council meeting of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) decided the party's election will be held December 16-20, 2008. The election is widely anticipated to feature a challenge to Abdullah's continued leadership. The election process formally will kick off in July with local UMNO branch contests. The Supreme Council also endorsed the King's choice for Chief Minister in Terengganu state rather than continue on with PM Abdullah's own candidate, an outcome one UMNO division leader described as a "major slap" to the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh, reportedly with the support of former Prime Minister Mahathir, gathered a small host of UMNO leaders to his home to press his own campaign for leadership change. Mahathir, in an article published in the mainstream media on March 28, upped the ante by suggesting the Prime Minister and members of his family could be involved in corruption and called for an investigation. The UMNO Supreme Council's announcement of a timetable for party elections this year may help to thwart calls within UMNO to move more quickly to reexamine Abdullah Badawi's leadership, but the Prime Minister's battle for survival is far from over. End Summary. Party Election in December - UMNO Supreme Council 2. (U) The UMNO Supreme Council at its March 27 meeting decided to hold the party election in late December. This represented a compromise of sorts between calls for the election to be held as early as August, and those who favored postponing the poll until 2009. At the end of a four-hour session, the UMNO Supreme Council announced that UMNO branch level elections would take place July 17 - August 24, divisional level elections October 9 - November 9, and the election for the party supreme council would coincide with the annual UMNO general assembly on December 16-20. 3. (SBU) Comment: As the UMNO election likely could feature an attempt to oust PM Abdullah, a later date is seen as favoring the politically wounded Prime Minister. UMNO's constitution provides for party elections every three years, with the possibility of postponing the election by up to 18 months. UMNO held its last election in September 2004, indicating that the party poll must take place by March 2009. End Comment. 4. (SBU) Party Information Chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib had told reporters March 25 that several UMNO division and state leaders who had been meeting party President PM Abdullah had urged the President to defer the party polls to 2009 to avoid "havoc and disaster." However, the UMNO management committee in a meeting one day before the Supreme Council, recommended the election be held this year. The committee is led by Deputy President/Deputy Prime Minister Najib and includes UMNO Vice President Muhiyiddin Yassin, both possible successors to Abdullah. Terengganu Fiasco 5. (SBU) In a major reversal for PM Abdullah, the UMNO Supreme Council meeting also endorsed the appointment of Ahmad Said as Terengganu Chief Minister, a man backed by the Sultan of Terengganu who currently holds Malaysia's rotating kingship. PM Abdullah had endorsed outgoing Chief Minister Idris Jusoh to continue in the post, a decision ignored by the King in a exercise of royal prerogative not seen since the 1970's. PM Abdullah on March 23 had declared it would be unconstitutional to appoint anyone but Idris. Nevertheless, Abdullah told reporters after the UMNO Supreme Council meeting that endorsing Ahmad's appointment was "the best decision" based on the need to form the state government and also given Idris' willingness to accept whatever decision was made. 6. (C) An UMNO divisional leader in Kuala Lumpur told us on March 28 that the PM realized after his March 26 meeting with the King that Abdullah would not succeed in getting Idris reappointed as Chief Minister. Furthermore, an impasse in the formation of the Terengganu state government would further embarrass UMNO especially in the eyes of the UMNO grassroots and the Malays. The Islamist opposition party PAS had begun to take advantage of the situation by charging UMNO with "derhaka" or treason for going against the King. The divisional leader stated candidly, "this episode was a major slap for Abdullah." Razaleigh Continues Campaign 7. (C) While the UMNO Supreme Council was having its meeting, veteran UMNO leader Tengku Razaleigh held court with some 10 UMNO division leaders and 100 other party officials at his "White House" styled mansion in Kuala Lumpur. Razaleigh has lobbied UMNO divisions to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on May 11, the anniversary of UMNO's formation, and he has traveled the country seeking UMNO grassroots support. While ostensibly addressing the reasons for UMNO's set-back in the March 8 elections, the EGM is seen as a means to challenge Abdullah's position and also promote Razaleigh's own announced ambition to seek the UMNO presidency. On March 25, a close associate of Mahathir told us the former Prime Minister backs Razaleigh's efforts as a means to depose Abdullah Badawi. We identified a number of those attending Razaleigh's March 28 meeting as associates of former Prime Minister Mahathir. 8. (U) According to press sources, the ten UMNO divisional leaders who attended the meeting pledged their support for Razaleigh to challenge Abdullah. They also pledged to launch a campaign calling for the abolition or relaxation of UMNO rules that require a challenger for the presidency to obtain endorsements from 30 percent of UMNO divisions before his name can appear on the ballot. In the 2004 party election, Razaleigh attempted to challenge Abdullah for the presidency, but only managed to secure one division's nomination. Mahathir Raises First Family Corruption Rumors 9. (U) Mahathir upped the ante in his tussle with PM Abdullah by launching corruption allegations against the First Family in an article appearing in the March 28 edition of the Sun, an English language daily owned by Mahathir crony Vincent Tan. Related to the conflict between the King and the Prime Minister in Terengganu, Mahathir suggested that contracts for mega projects in the state "all went to one person and (people) are suspicious that behind this person are members of the First Family." According to rumors, Mahathir wrote, "the Prime Minister might have influenced the (Chief Minister) into doing wrong things." Mahathir called for "foreign agencies" to launch an investigation. Comment 10. (C) The UMNO Supreme Council's announcement of a timetable for party elections this year may help to thwart calls, such as those by Mahathir and Razaleigh, for UMNO to move more quickly to reexamine Abdullah Badawi's leadership, but Abdullah's battle for survival is far from over. The establishment of the elections time frame will kick off maneuvering at the branch and division levels to line up the proper support for the December leadership contest, and money politics likely will play a major role. Abdullah's political capital hit another low as the UMNO Supreme Council failed to produce a face-saving resolution for Terengganu and the Prime Minister lost his public tug-of-war with the King. Prior to the March 8 election, it would have been unthinkable for the mainstream press to carry articles, such as Mahathir's, with corruption allegations that named the Prime Minister and his family; instead, such writings were confined to the unregulated Internet media. As the publication of Mahathir's article suggests, Malaysians are still testing the limits in the post March 8 political environment and have yet to reach any firm boundary. KEITH (March 2008)
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| Lapuran Ketua Odit Negara- kenapa kita bising2 Posted: 29 Oct 2011 08:43 PM PDT SAKMONGKOL AK47 Saya mendapat komen yang panjang lebar dari sahabat blog saya, Encik Walla. Oleh kerana saya inginkan memanafaat fikiran bernas yang ada dalam komen tersebut di kongsi oleh seramai mungkin pembaca, maka saya menterjemahkan komen tersebut kedalam bahasa Melayu. Mudah mudahan, selaras dengan saranan dan pegangan MP Pagoh, ianya memperkasakan bahasa Melayu. Begini bunyi nya komen Walla. Pendedahan yang memualkan oleh lapuran ketua odit negara (LKON) membatalkan semua rasa gembira dari bajet 2012. Malahan, pendedahan tersebut telah mengukuhkan lagi persepsi bahawa kerajaan yang di pimpin oleh UMNO secara sistematik membohong dan menipu rakyat setiap tahun hanya untuk memperkayakan imam2 perang UMMO dan Napoleon2 kecil. Pengundi2 simpanan tetap- penjawat awam, guru, bekas tentera dan polis serta petani yang akan mendapat faedah dari bajet 2012, menikmati itu semua diatas penghukuman yang di kenakan keatas sektor swasta dan akan memudaratkan aliran tunai masa depan negara ini. Semua mereka ini yang akan menerima imbuhan jawab lah sendiri sama ada bolehkah mereka mendapat durian runtuh itu semua, tanpa rompakan dan samun yang berleluasa yang tidak di bendung? Dimana mereka dapat menunjukkan muka ketika mereka menadah tangan menerima imbuhan yang disebut dalam najet 2012? Bagaimana rupa wajah sang guru wanita ketika dia mendapat gaji baru sambil menyatakan bahawa harap harap gaji bertambah tidak bermaka kerja pun bertambah? Sektor swasta yang menyumbang jumlah cukai untuk membiayai pembelian kerajaan sekarang akan berfikir dua kali sama ada mereka mahu tulus terus membayar cukai kepada kerjaan yang hanya pandai memutar belit, cuai, mencuri dan bercakap soal perkauman yang ekstrim. Mat Salleh yang menjadi pakar runding pembentukan imej PM Najib akan mendapati tangan nya terlalu penuh. Bagaimana dia mahu menunjukkan bahawa Najib ok manakala sekeliling Najib kucar kacir? Pinjam tongkat sakti Hermione? (Hermione ialah watak budak perempuan yang bersama dengan Harry Potter). Memakai minyak pati SK-11? Atau suntikkan botox keatas pentadbiran Najib? Sejak awal lagi, rakyat di beritau dengan tegas bahawa kita akan menjadi sebuah negara kaya dunia pertama; sebutan yang menyukakan seperti transformasi, kerajaan yang mengambil berat dan perihatin, 1 Malaysia, dan sebutan2 rengkas Pemandu tumbuh seperti buih untuk menggambarkan aura kemajuan dan kejayaan. Tapi sebenarnya, di belakang tabir, mereka membohongi rakyat yang di janjipalsukan dengan masa depan yang bersyuragaloka di bawah pimpinan UMNO. Dari proksi perniagaan dalam GLC GLC kepada pemalsuan harga yang menjahanamkan, UMNO telah menipu dan mencuri dari rakyat negara ini dan melemahkan semua sektor2 ekonomi kita. Suatu ketika dahlu, kita mempunyai system kawalan dalaman. Kita ada undang undang serta peraturan dan protocol. Semua ini di laksanakan tanpa rasa takut, berat sebelah atau berbau perkauman. Hari ini, terutama sejak rejim talam dua muka Mahathir, semua ini telah di anakkampangkan. Sejajar sangat dengan tradisi lanun bugis dari Sulawesi, semua nya di halalkan asal sahaja status quo yang menyokong penyandang kerajaan di pelihara; dan mereka yang mempunyai kuasa dan kedudukan berada di atas undang undang dan peraturan. Undang undang dan peraturan hanya untuk rakyat bawahan dan orang biasa yang akan di momokkan dengan pelbagai cerita seram supaya memastikan yang berkuasa terus berada di tampuk kuasa. Jika tidak, bagaimana kita menerangkan Dr Mahathir di kebalkan dengan selimut Teflon yang kalis peluru manakala professor Aziz Bari hanya perlu di takutkan dengan sebutir peluru? Walhal, cacian keatas raja Melayu yang di lakukan oleh Dr Mahathir dahulu lebih dasyat dari yang termampu di buat melalui teguran seorang tokoh akademik. Pecacai UMNO yang mengencing para raja Melayu hari ini tampil kehadapan konon menjuarai kemaksuman raja raja Melayu. Podah lah! Sila beri kita jawapan bagaimana Piawai Ilahi boleh di peliharai apabila prinsip prinsip keadilan semua nya di korbankan untuk tujuan muslihat politik, kerakusan peribadi yang akhirnya mendedahkan hipokrasi dan permunafiqan bangsa Melayu untuk di perlihatkan kepada seluruh dunia. Dimanakan harga diri orang melayu? Malu orang Melayu menggelarkan diri mereka Melayu jika berpegang kepada hipokrasi UMNO ini. Untuk apa semua hipokrasi ini? Untuk mendapat bayaran progress pertama dari pembinaan hospital yang mengenakan caj RM 1 juta per katil? Atau untuk mendapat pandangan dari seoang jaguh longkang yang berani memukul seorang insan lain yang tidak boleh mempertahankan diri sehingga lebam seluruh anggota dan mengorbankan hak seorang manusia lemah mendapat perlindungan dari yang berkuasa dan gagah walaupun yang mengharapkan ehsan itu lain bangsa dan agama nya? Sesungguhnya, bangsa Melayu kita sudah di beri makan dengan rerumput kebodohan oleh pimpinan zalim di negara kita. Bayangkan-lapuran ketua odit negara utu hanya bahagian atas gunung salji sahaja. Ini yang termampu di kesan oleh pasukan odit negara dari maklumat yang ada dalam rekod dalam tempoh odit yang terhad ketika sentiasa dalam pemerhatian pegawai pegawai yang bermuka masam dan kemarahan. Bagaimana pula hal hal yang mencurigakan yang hanya mampu di sahihkan dan di terangkan oleh kemahiran perakaunan dan rekod simpanan akaun yang belum sofistikated? Kita tidak boleh terangkan kecuali menyatakan, kita belum cukup ilmu untuk menerangkan nya. Jika sektor swasta boleh mempunyai perkara perkara seperti pasaran bayangan, tidak mungkinkah sektor awam juga mempunyai perbelanjaan bayangan? Bagaimana kah rakyat yang siuman akan mempercayai kerajaan ini walaupun sesaat. Maka disini lah letak nya jawapan mengapa kita semua mesti bising apabila lapuran odit negara di kemukakan- sebab amanah rakyat sudah di cabul. Apabila amanah, keyakinan dan kepercayaan sudah di cabul, tidak ada harapan lagi untuk kita mengharapkan kerajaan ini akan melakukan yang baik dan ikhlas. Setiap waktu dan saat adalah satu lagi lembaran muka perlakuan jinayah yang akan hanya di report dalam lapuran odit tahun hadapan. Sebab itu lah sebagai contoh, walaupun berada sendiri dalam majlis tersebut, MP dari Bagan Datuk tidak boleh membezakan antara harga pasaran dan harga yang di bayar kepada kontraktor kroni UMNO. Perbezaan ini YB, bukan nya RM 6 tapi Enam Bilion Ringgit. Itu RM 6,000, 000,000. Enam Ribu Juta ringgit. Tentu YB fahamkan. Bayangkan berapa banyak paket angpow hijau atau merah yang boleh terhitung oleh seribu jebat si anak tani yang membanting tulang dalam kerjaya masing2? Dan seorang bekas Komrad perjuangan rakyat menyifatkan inilah bajet yang terbaik kerana memuliakan para petani dan pesawah. Bersyukurlah kerana saudara komrad sudah terjumpa jalan pulang. Adakah jumlah wang yang begitu besar akan mengalami nasib serupa seperti dalam projek2 kementeian pertahanan yang melibatkan antara nya, kapal selam yang tidak boleh tenggelam, kapal peronda yang terkinja kinja, tangki yang bocor, dan program latihan yang melibatkan alatan letrik di tempat yang tidak ada bekalan letrik yang hampir pula dengan ampangan yang dibina beratus juta Ringit yang tidak ada air! Hampir2 saya ingatkan yang jadi menteri Pertahanan ialah Samy Velu. Pada masa yang sama, elok kita bertanyakan soalan, ketika lidah kita masih belum kelu, mengapa wang simpanan EPF rakyat di jadikan ah long dan ceti yang membiayai syarikat2 tenat? Adakah dengan memberi pinjaman2 raksasa kepada syarikat syarikat tertentu, tanpa jaminan bayaran semula dan di luar penglihatan pemegang saham dana ini yang sebenarnya- iaitu lebai malang rakyat biasa- adakah kerajaan berkata bahawa mereka telah mejumpai zikir atau jampi yang akan menghindari pencarum2 EPF dari malapetakan kerugian yang mengerikan? Kalau lah pinjaman itu semua gagal di bayar, adakah kerajaan akan mengambil langkah mencitak matawang dari kilang percitakan matawang mereka di Shah Alam untuk menampung kekurangan dana caruman , atau sebagai langkah untuk menyokong gerakan hijau mengurangkan penebangan pokok untuk membuat kertas citak, kerajaan akan menggalakkan pencarum2 yang pencen supaya mati segera? Atau adakah, dengan segala pembohongan ini, sebetulnya rakyat mampu menyimpulkan sikap sebenarnya kerajaan terhadap rakyat dengan satu sebutan? Iaitu:- TiuuKauw
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| Umno 'beri lesen' MCA hina Islam? Posted: 29 Oct 2011 08:40 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - mempersoal adakah benar kononya Umno mahu memperjuangkan Islam sedangkan parti itu hanya diam membisu ketika MCA sedang berpesta menghina Islam. AJK PAS Pusat, Idris Ahmad berkata, kenyataan menghina Islam terbaru dari Presiden MCA, kononnya hukum Islam menjejaskan ekonomi dan membawa kemunduran, seperti "direstui" Umno dan NGO yang pro mereka.
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| Posted: 29 Oct 2011 08:20 PM PDT
Malaysians lament about the racism, religious intolerance, persecution and discrimination that prevail in Malaysia. Thus far, over the last few months, all we are hearing are grumbling, lamenting, bitching, whining, complaining, and whatnot. Everyone has ideas on what is wrong. No one has suggested how to put it right. Well, in that case, I am forced to take matters into my own hands and propose the solution. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
1. Encourage inter-race marriages a) The government should give a one-off marriage grant and interest free loan to all those who marry outside their race. (Later, say after 20 years or so, ban same-race marriages altogether by passing a law in Parliament to make it illegal to marry someone of your own race). b) Places in schools, colleges and universities should be reserved for children from mixed marriages. Introduce, say, a 30% quota. (This quota can be increased every five years). c) If all being equal, those of mixed marriages should be given first priority for jobs. (Later, say after 20 years or so, pass a law where at least 30% of employees must be from mixed marriages). d) Currently, Malaysia has two classes of citizens -- Bumiputeras (first class) and non-Bumiputeras (second class). Create another first class, say mixed or campuran class, and let Bumiputeras be second-class and non-Bumiputeras third-class. (Basically, the mixed class will replace the Umnoputera class, who are higher than the Bumiputera class, and which will now be abolished). e) Abolish the need for non-Muslims to convert to Islam before they can get married to a Muslim partner. Also, children of mixed marriages must not be forced to follow the religion of their father. Allow them to grow up as freethinkers until they reach the age of 21 (the age when they are allowed to vote) and let them choose what religion they want to follow -- or become an atheist if they wish. Religious education for children must be banned and anyone below 21 must not be made to go to the mosque, church or temple. 2. Introduce a single language, identity and culture a) Vernacular schools and mother-tongue education should be banned. Have only one type of school -- national schools that teach in the National Language. b) All signboards, books and whatnot that are not in the National Language should be banned. Allow only those in the National Language. c) Allow only Malaysian names on birth certificates. Names that reflect a Malay, Chinese, Indian or native identity must be banned. (The government will come out with a list of approved Malaysian names). d) Ban all cultural activities. No dances, costumes, festivals, celebrations, holidays, etc., that reflect a Malay, Chinese, Indian or native identity must be allowed. Only Malaysian festivals and culture should be allowed and the Cabinet will decide what this new Malaysian culture/identity will look like. Probably the American culture can be adopted as the new Malaysian culture since it does not reflect Malay, Chinese, Indian or native culture. Once the above is implemented, by the next generation, say in 20 years time or so, racism, religious intolerance, persecution and discrimination will end and by the third generation there will no longer be any Malays, Chinese, Indians or natives in Malaysia. The bottom line is, we shall all sacrifice to ensure that after some time we shall become a Malaysia of Malaysians and no longer a Malaysia of Malays, Chinese, Indians and natives. And this plan of action is better than just grumbling, lamenting, bitching, whining, complaining, and whatnot, but doing nothing about it other than blaming 'the other side' for all our troubles. |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2011 07:16 PM PDT By Masterwordsmith What might happen if a businesswoman who has ZERO clue about running a country becomes the leader of the government? Her favourite response could be "Let's form a committee" or "Let's pray about it" in challenging situations. And Barbie Doll might say, "Yep, my good and faithful servant. I will build a wall to protect your farm."
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| We deserve better services from civil servants: Yeow Posted: 29 Oct 2011 06:29 PM PDT Yeow said the 600,000 civil servants in the country had drawn more than RM14bn in retirement benefits and another RM54.5bn in pensions over the past ten years. A total of RM170m in retirement benefits and another RM800m in pensions were disbursed to the country's civil servants in 2010 alone. There are currently 1.2 million civil servants in the country, about 17,000 of them retiring each year. Translated by DOMINIC LOH, Sin Chew Daily exclusive You may not be aware that our civil servants are actually very much loaded with money. As taxpayers, we therefore ought to demand better services from these people, and there is no way we should connive with indolence in the public sector. During an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily, the Public Service Department post-service division chief Datuk Yeow Chin Kiong said public servants were not only entitled to their monthly salaries, they could also claim their monthly pensions after their retirement all the way until their deaths, after which their families not only could get RM3,000 of condolence money, but their spouses could continue to enjoy their pensions. "If the monthly salaries of civil servants are what they are entitled to, the pensions paid to them after their retirement should be considered a kind of 'gift' from the government. In other words, we can say that taxpayers are financially supporting our civil servants life-long." He told Sin Chew Daily civil servants were also entitled to all kinds of tax-exempted allowances including unlimited overtime pays. As if that is not enough, Yeow said the civil servants, along with their parents, spouses and children, could also enjoy free medical attention at government hospitals, and such benefits would be extended to them beyond their retirement. He said if certain medicines were not available in government establishments, civil servants could visit private clinics or hospitals for the prescribed drugs and claim from the government. He pointed out that civil servants did not have to make EPF contributions while government would offer them 4% p.a. of low-interest loans for house purchase. Besides, he said they also did not require medical cards from insurance companies like ordinary people. "Since civil servants are provided such handsome incomes and perks, Malaysians should demand better quality of services from them when visiting government departments. "We always complain that their attitudes are undesirable, not knowing that we are actually conniving with their indolence." Yeow said Malaysians should lodge a complaint to the authorities if they discovered that some of the public servants were not performing up to the mark, adding that civil servants would lose all their benefits if they were dismissed because of their poor performances. He emphasised that the public had the right to demand better services from even people like senior government officials, MPs and Cabinet ministers. RM65.5bn paid to civil servants in ten years Yeow said the 600,000 civil servants in the country had drawn more than RM14bn in retirement benefits and another RM54.5bn in pensions over the past ten years. A total of RM170m in retirement benefits and another RM800m in pensions were disbursed to the country's civil servants in 2010 alone. Retirement benefits are one-off sums paid to public servants upon retirement while pensions are monthly sums paid to them after retirement, which will be adjusted in accordance with increments in the public sector. Civil servants include also members of parliament, ministers, deputy ministers and judges, although the retirement benefits and pensions they are entitled to are calculated in different ways. He told Sin Chew Daily that the government had to fork out a sum of pensions equivalent to 2% of the country's GDP to retired civil servants every year. He pointed out that Malaysia's pension system was actually inherited from the British, whereas in many other countries, there are things similar to our EPF but no pensions in the public sector. He highlighted the fact that corruption in the public sector was particularly rife in countries without the pension system, adding that our pension system to a certain extent had a dampening effect on public sector corruption. He said civil servants could choose from either EPF or pensions. If they choose the latter, they have to ensure that they perform up to the requirement, as they will lose all their benefits if they are removed from office due to indiscipline or poor performances. As a result, he said the pension system could help keep these civil servants in good attitudes and work performances, and the public had the responsibility of monitoring their performances. When asked about the effects of raising public sector retirement age to 60, as proposed in the 2012 Budget, Yeow said this would indirectly help reduce the government's financial burden. There are currently 1.2 million civil servants in the country, about 17,000 of them retiring each year.
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| Najib Likely to Announce Election Date During Umno Assembly Posted: 29 Oct 2011 06:19 PM PDT To be sure of winning though, Umno must reassure rural and less well off Malay voters that they can continue to depend on government assistance and positive discrimination, while recovering support from urban Malays and the Chinese and Indian minorities who favor economic and political reform.
"Sarawak assembly should be the last big one before national snap polls later in the year," reported Asia Sentinel. This was written four months ago – back then when many people predicted that national elections will happen by the end of this year. How do Malaysians know that the General Election is approaching? The answer is simple – when the tell-tale signs go viral. What are the tell-tale signs one might ask. When a middle-aged prime minister appears in public on a bicycle clad in a T-shirt and cycling helmet, and showing up in a concert, it is reasonable to assume that an election is in the offing. However, the prime minister said nothing about an early poll when he donned his cycling gear at a rally in an opposition-held state of Penang last month. But any doubt that an election is likely within months disappeared with Najib's tabling of the national Budget which appears to be aimed at shoring up the economy and Barisan Nasional's core support in the public sector as well as the Malay voters. State Visit The meet-the-people programs at various states were carried out by Najib so that he could listen to the problems of the people. Time Frame FactorA strong win in election would give Najib, who took office in April 2009, the political mandate to break through resistance to reform from sections of the Malay majority who fear their rights are under threat. Najib has pledged pro-market economic reforms to lure lagging foreign investment and turn around his ailing coalition.He has tried to woo the alienated ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who abandoned the ruling coalition in the last election in 2008, leading to its unprecedented losses, but there are few signs that he can win them back. Holding back would give him and Umno machinery time to rebuild minority support and implement reforms such as the GST, fuel subsidy cuts and further market liberalization while managing any potential backlash. Government's popularity has improved following a series of economic and civil liberties reform initiatives, including the proposed repeal of laws allowing indefinite detention without trial. Policing in a modern and open society requires laws to be repealed, amended and a new framework formulated to strike a balance between national security and individuals' rights. Policing philosophy introduced during the insurgency is no longer relevant. To be sure of winning though, Umno must reassure rural and less well off Malay voters that they can continue to depend on government assistance and positive discrimination, while recovering support from urban Malays and the Chinese and Indian minorities who favor economic and political reform.
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| Live Streaming for Bersih Public Lecture at ANU Posted: 29 Oct 2011 06:05 PM PDT
Time : 3.00 pm (Malaysian time, UTC +08) Date : Tuesday, 1 November 2011 Instructions : Head to ustream.tvand type 'ANU Bersih 2011' at the channel/search bar. |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:28 PM PDT Everyone has it within himself to choose the path he wants to take, if not chart it. The ones that complain are those who, even if given the opportunity to run a company or lead a country, are most likely to run it into the ground. They believe that other people are responsible for their problems, instead of looking for solutions within themselves. By DZOF AZMI, The Star AS part of my day job, I have to talk to people from industry about the problems they face in getting skilled staff. Everybody is finding it hard to find talents, but not all companies approach the problem the same way. One group, in essence, says: "Good people are hard to hire because …" A second says: "Good people are hard to find, but …" Spot the difference? Which group do you think I find more engaging to talk to? Remember the proverb about teaching a man to fish instead of just giving him a fish? I understand that good fish is scarce, but those who are already trying to find better ways to fish are going to be better off. Yes, the world in general is big, and chaotic, and out of any individual person's control. But the world within your reach is very much in your control and you have the potential to mould it however you wish. The ones that complain are those who, even if given the opportunity to run a company or lead a country, are most likely to run it into the ground. They believe that other people are responsible for their problems, instead of looking for solutions within themselves. Malaysians are no exception. Take petrol subsidies for example. Many complain when prices go up, even at the token price of five sen a litre. They argue that because Malaysia produces oil, the government should give some of it free to the citizens. It does not matter that oil has significant value and is scarce, and that subsidies encourage wastage. Or look at the relationship between the races. I hear politicians politicising and the rakyat can only watch from the sidelines, even as those on the soapboxes widen the divides. Who can blame them for saying that 1Malaysia is just lip service? It is true that there are many things outside our individual spheres of influence, but the challenge we must take up is to find the path that skims as closely as possible to the edge. Only then can we hope to push the boundaries a bit further. "The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own," said Albert Ellis, the psychologist who developed Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). "You realise that you control your own destiny." (REBT is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy which emphasises, among other things, that how you view your problems can change how you are affected by them.) This is a point of view I came across relatively late in my life, and I think my teenage years would have been far smoother if I had realised it earlier. Think of the time you waste and the stress you get from worrying about problems that are out of your control. Because you think you can't do anything about them, you don't. Now imagine instead if you realise that there are things you can do to make things better within your local scope. Think of it as owning a problem. People who change the world are those who take responsibility for the things that others imagine are out of reach. If the price of petrol goes up, why don't more people talk about reducing their use of it? Car-pooling would effectively reduce the use of petrol significantly. But even little things like sending your vehicle for regular maintenance or making sure your tyres are pumped to the correct pressure can make a difference. Or, instead of sitting within fragmented communities which suspiciously complain that others don't understand, why not help them see you in a better light? In Britain, many mosques frequently hold open days during which people of all faiths are encouraged to visit and learn about what it means to be a Muslim. This very simple act is enough to make people want to change themselves. And even while there are those who cynically condemn 1Malaysia as an unsubstantial slogan, can we at least agree that squabbling among ourselves gives our competitors the opportunity to outstrip us, and that the right thing to do instead is to see ourselves as a one country, moving in a one direction, charting our own way in the world? I do know it is unrealistic to expect everybody in Malaysia to view our problems in this way. But I am sorely tempted to jump on the bandwagon that aims to move us forward and sever ties with those who want to be left behind. Let us help those who want to help themselves, and I say do not worry about the naysayers and pessimists, because meaningful change only needs the contribution of a committed few.Are you one of them? Malaysia is a country whose public policies are those that reward inclusion. We promise free education and universal health coverage and we subsidise a number of important goods. I think it is right that we do this, because I believe it's important for the government to create opportunity where none had existed before and to help those who otherwise cannot help themselves. So I do support the initiatives in the 2012 budget to help companies attract more talent by giving tax incentives to those that look to hire Malaysians from abroad, and to give young Malaysians internship opportunities. And I hope these incentives are well enough promoted so that all companies will understand the opportunities before them. As for those who still want to be given fish, I suggest that they go on a diet. > Logic is the antithesis of emotion but mathematician-turned-scriptwriter Dzof Azmi's theory is that people need both to make of life's vagaries and contradictions.
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| Kepada Prof Aziz Bari, saya doakan saudara selalu Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:18 PM PDT Kepada Prof Aziz Bari saya hanya memohon supaya bersabar dan melalui dugaan ini dengan penuh keimanan. Walaupun beliau seorang professor yang hebat tidak salah jika saya yang tidak mempunyai kepandaian seperti beliau untuk memberikan nasihat dan sokongan moral kepada beliau. Aspan Alias, The Malaysian Insider Prof Aziz Bari telah menerima surat dengan berisi peluru pada pukul 11.45 pagi semalam dan ini merupakan satu lagi usaha untuk menekan masyarakat yang berfikir. Nampaknya sekarang hanya satu sahaja cara untuk kita hidup aman di negara ini; iaitu dengan mendiamkan diri sahaja dan tidak memberikan tentangan tentang pandangan kuning masyarakat kita khususnya mereka yang bersama pihak berkuasa. Jika ada telinga hanya dengar sahaja dan jika ada mata hanya tengok sahaja. Jangan bercakap benda yang benar. Tugas kita hanya menganggok seperti burung balam sahaja walaupun yang kita dengar itu adalah perkara bodoh dan sumbang untuk negara. Jika kita telah bersekolah tinggi jangan gunakan ilmu itu kerana yang penting kita di minta mengikut sahaja apa yang dilakukan oleh pihak yang sedang berkuasa. Yang boleh menyentuh Raja-Raja Melayu hanyalah Umno. Orang lain nak bercakap benar dan tidak pun menderhaka kepada raja akan diambil tindakan seperti Aziz Bari. Dulu Umno kata kita tidak perlu Raja kerana raja-raja ini hanya memeningkan kepala rakyat kononnya. Kita boleh baca semua kenyataan pemimpin Umno semasa krisis perlembagaan 1993 dahulu. Saya dah sebut isu ini puluhan kali dan tidak bercadang untuk mengulanginya lagi. Apabila terdesak Umno menggunakan raja-raja Melayu untuk berlindung dari pengaruh pembangkang yang kian hari kian bertambah. Umno cuba memisahkan pembangkang dengan raja-raja sedangkan DAP, PAS dan yang lain tidak pernah membuat tekanan terhadap raja-raja. Sekarang Umno sudah menjadi parti yang pengecut; terpaksa berlindung macam kucing di celah ketiak raja-raja Melayu yang pernah mereka hina dahulu. Apabila kerajaan Selangor ingin meminda perlembagaan negeri untuk memberi kuasa kepada Tuanku Sultan dalam memilih Setiusaha Kerajaan Negeri Umno pula yang menyanggah dan tidak mahu memberikan kuasa itu kepada Sultan Selangor seperti yang di peruntukan kepada Sultan Selangor sebelum krisis perlembagaan 1993 dahulu. Sekarang pula bila ada seorang professor undang-undang dan pakar dalam isu perlembagaan Umno marah-marah pula dan menggantung tugas professor itu. Hari ini professor itu menerima pula surat berisi peluru yang datangnya dari orang yang tidak gemar dengan tindakan professor itu. Saya tidak menuduh Umno yang menghantar peluru itu kerana nanti kena saman pula kita. Tetapi yang jelas ianya datang dari pihak yang bermain politik kotor yang tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan yang berbeza. Pihak berkuasa amat takut dengan pengaruh Aziz Bari yang kian bercambah di kalangan rakyat yang sudah pandai berfikir. Yang menentang pandangan Aziz Bari ini hanyalah mereka yang bermain politik dan tidak tahu pun tentang undang-undang jauh sekali untuk memberikan tafsiran undang-undang dari sudut moral demokrasi yang kita kononnya anuti itu. Dengan isu ini kita telah nampak yang Umno sudah terdesak dan terasak ke dinding. Maka Umno terpaksa menjadi "aggressive" dan melakukan tindakan provokatif pula. Kepada Prof Aziz Bari saya hanya memohon supaya bersabar dan melalui dugaan ini dengan penuh keimanan. Walaupun beliau seorang professor yang hebat tidak salah jika saya yang tidak mempunyai kepandaian seperti beliau untuk memberikan nasihat dan sokongan moral kepada beliau.
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| PAGE warns BN of polls backlash from PPSMI snub Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:15 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Barisan Nasional (BN) risks losing votes in upcoming polls if it continues barring students from learning science and maths using English in schools, a parents lobby group said today. The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) wants the 10-year-old policy of teaching science and maths in English at national schools (PPSMI) to be made an option for students in primary and secondary schools. "If it is political (decision on PPSMI) give us the PPSMI option in national primary and secondary schools, and we will give you the two-thirds majority, which you are making increasingly difficult for us to do. "Do not make us give the opposition our vote," said PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said in a statement to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today. "We would not like the Najib administration to be remembered for abolishing PPSMI, for not regaining the two-thirds majority and for making our children yet another lost generation," she said bluntly. Noor Azimah stressed that the government's past decision in introducing PPSMI in schools was not "flawed", adding it would empower students with the skills and knowledge needed to compete with other countries should the policy be retained. She criticised Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for saying yesterday that the education system will turn chaotic if parents were allowed to freely choose the medium of instruction for their children. Calling it "unacceptable", Noor Azimah charged that all science and mathematics teachers should be able to teach in either Bahasa Malaysia or English as the PPSMI policy had previously been in place for nine years. "If the number of schools that choose English are small, then it would be even easier to provide the teachers. The reasons should be addressed head-on and not swept under the carpet after spending RM3 billion of the rakyat's hard earned income. We want an explanation," she said. Noor Azimah said that the current education system only divided children according to race-based schools, a split that was slowly incorporating class differences as seen in the growing popularity of private and international schools. She stressed that PPSMI was not about learning English through science and mathematics, but to provide the context to put the language into practise.
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| West a failed model, says Dr M Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:08 PM PDT The former prime minister says he made the right decision to introduce Look East policy. (Free Malaysia Today) - Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia and other Islamic countries should look to other Eastern countries and not the West as a model for their development. He said he believed he made the right decision in introducing the "Look East" policy of emulating work ethics and business techniques from Japan and South Korea during his tenure as the prime minister. "Right now, there are so many problems with Western countries. The problem in the West is that they have borrowed too much and cannot repay. You cannot have that kind of a country as a model. "If you see countries like (South) Korea, Japan and China in the East… China has US$3.2 trillion in reserves. They are swimming in money. Korea can come up with major products better than that produced by companies in the West. "Japan, as you know, is a country which lost a war… totally destroyed but as it rebuilt itself, it become the second biggest economy in the world. If you want to copy or learn something, learn from the successful people, not from the failures," he said during a question-and-answer session at the Third Langkawi Islamic Finance & Economics International Conference (LIFE 3), here. The three-day conference, with the theme "Islamic Banking and Finance: Waqaf, Zakat and Sadakah as Community Empowerment and Strategies for the Economic Transformation of the Ummah", began yesterday. Mahathir said one could not learn much from the West because it was a total failure. "So, we should continue to look to the East and not to the West. The West is going bankrupt," he said. He also said that he was personally against socialism because it would make everyone poor.
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| Muhyiddin terus `gempur’ Selangor Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:03 PM PDT Beliau akan hadir dalam program yang dinamakan `Nurani rakyat sayangi Selangor' di Kelang dan Shah Alam. (Free Malaysia Today) - BN terus menggempur Selangor bagi merampas semula kerajaan negeri yang terlepas kepada Pakatan Rakyat dalam pilihan raya umum 2008. Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang juga pengerusi BN Selangor sudah beberapa kali menggempur Selangor dan kali terakhir sehari selepas beliau membentangkan bajet 2011 pada 7 Oktober lalu. Begitu juga dengan timbalannya, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang melawat beberapa daerah di negeri itu hujung minggu lalu. Khamis ini, sekali lagi timbalan perdana menteri akan menggempur Selangor. Beliau akan hadir dalam program yang dinamakan `Nurani rakyat sayangi Selangor' di Kelang dan Shah Alam.
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| Karpal: Crimes will rise under hudud laws Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT Criminals would prefer hudud laws because it will be impossible for the prosecution to prove its case without four witnesses, argues the DAP national chairman. (Free Malaysia Today) - Hudud laws will boost, and not deter, crimes because of the high standard of proof that would impede the prosecution from establishing its case, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said here today. He said the rigid requirement to have four witnesses under hudud laws meant that the case must be proven with certainty. He said this was contrary to the current criminal legal system which only required the prosecution to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt. Moreover, he added that under the hudud legal system, the four witnesses must be upright and good practising Muslims. He said the prosecution would face a thorny task to produce four such witnesses to prove cases like adultery, zina, and khalwat or close proximity. "Criminals would prefer hudud laws because it will be impossible for the prosecution to prove its case. "Hudud will indeed set criminals to roam freely and crime will increase," Karpal told reporters during his visit to his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency. Currently, the country is being governed by uniformed criminal laws for all enacted by Parliament. The state governments, however, have the power to enact Muslim family or personal syariah laws. Karpal brushed aside suggestions that hudud laws were God-made laws to deter crime and instill fear in the people, describing it as "a misconception". Referring to global human rights watchdog Amnesty International's declaration that the death penalty was cruel and unjust punishment, he questioned the severity of amputating legs and arms under hudud laws. "Hudud laws have no place in the country's legal system," he added. He was commenting on Kelantan state executive councillor Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah's call for the criminal laws to be made as severe as hudud laws to deter crime. Amar is deputy chairman of the state technical committee studying hudud enactments and the Kelantan government official spokesman on hudud issues.
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| Sistem 2 parti lebih mudah kalahkan BN Posted: 29 Oct 2011 04:57 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - PAS merumuskan sistem dua parti pasti akan berlaku juga di negara ini suatu masa nanti dengan jangkaan sekitar lima tahun lagi dan paling lewat 10 tahun dari sekarang. Kewujudan sistem itu berdasarkan perkembangan dan tuntutan semasa, tetapi bergantung kepada kesediaan ahli-ahli PAS sendiri untuk menerimanya setelah mereka memahami dengan jelas mengenai perkara itu. Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali berkata, keadaan sekarang masih tidak mengizinkan untuk diwujudkan sistem itu kerana masih terdapat di kalangan ahli PAS sendiri yang tidak bersedia untuk menerimanya. Menurut beliau, keadaan itu berlaku disebabkan sesetengah ahli PAS masih tidak memahami keperluan sistem 2 parti, ekoran kegagalan mereka memahami "Tahaluf Siyasi" antara PAS, DAP dan PKR dalam Pakatan Rakyat. Katanya, sungguhpun begitu, perkembangan ke arah kewujudan sistem 2 parti telah pun berlaku di negara kita sekarang dan ia tercetus hasil kerjasama politik antara PAS dan parti S46 beberapa tahun lalu. "Sistem 2 parti merupakan perkara penting bagi PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat kerana dengan itu akan lebih memudahkan usaha bersama untuk mengalahkan BN dalam pilihanraya. "Dengan adanya sistem 2 parti barulah PAS, PKR dan DAP dalam Pakatan Rakyat boleh menggunakan lambang satu parti seperti yang dilakukan oleh parti-parti dalam BN yang hanya menggunakan lambang BN ketika menghadapi pilihanraya," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian ketika menjawab soalan peserta pada Forum Tarbawi: Masa Depan Perjuangan PAS Dalam Landskap Politik Semasa di Dewan Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor di Kolej Universiti Islam Zulkifli Mohamad (KUIZM) di Taman Melewar, di sini, hari ini. Selain beliau, turut menjadi ahli panel pada forum itu Pengerusi Lajnah Pendidikan PAS Pusat, Datuk Abu Bakar Chik, manakala moderatornya Pengarah Akademik Kepimpinan Pemuda PAS Malaysia, Nazri Chik yang juga Exco dewan tersebut.
Sebelum itu, Mustafa berkata, kerjasama politik atau "Tahaluf Siyasi" antara PAS, DAP dan PKR dalam Pakatan Rakyat tidak seharusnya menjadi pertikaian ahli-ahli PAS kerana ia berasaskan hukum syarak. "Sebelum diadakan kerjasama itu, pucuk kepimpinan tertinggi PAS telah pun "bermerah mata" membincangkannya secara mendalam berhari-hari, termasuk membawa kepada perbincangan bersama ulama-ulama Islam di seluruh dunia yang berada dalam gerakan Islam," katanya. Konsep "Tahaluf Siyasi, tegasnya, adalah salah satu strategi atau pendekatan yang diambil oleh PAS dalam politik untuk menang dalam pilihanraya dan ia berbeza sama sekali dengan dasar perjuangan PAS untuk mendaulatkan Islam di negara ini. Perkara itu perlu difahami dengan mendalam oleh setiap ahli PAS agar tidak menimbulkan kekeliruan mengenainya, apatah lagi sehingga boleh melemahkan semangat perjuangan untuk menegakkan Islam sebagai ad-deen di muka bumi ini. "Tapi walaupun tidak faham, ahli-ahli PAS tetap juga wala' dengan pemimpin. Itulah sifat terpuji yang ada pada ahli-ahli PAS. Sungguhpun begitu, jika tidak faham kenalah bertanya kepada pemimpin. Paling tidak, bertanyalah kepada pesuruhjaya PAS di negeri masing-masing," katanya. Sehubungan itu, beliau akan mengarahkan bahagian penerangan PAS untuk menerangkan perkara itu kepada ahli-ahli parti, bagi membolehkan konsep "Tahaluf Siyasi" yang dilakukan itu difahami oleh ahli-ahli PAS di segenap peringkat.
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Forum tersebut diadakan sempena Ijtima' Tarbawi Pemuda PAS Peringkat Kebangsaan 2011 anjuran Dewan Pemuda PAS Malaysia yang berlangsung selama 3 hari bermula semalam, dengan disertai ribuan pemimpin pemuda PAS termasuk di peringkat pusat, negeri-negeri dan kawasan-kawasan di seluruh negara.| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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