Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Smooth transition
- Ministry Sets Up Committee To Study Marine Park Department Purchase
- Court decision a pleasant surprise
- OWC not letting off steam over ban on its sex guide
- Police move against Seksualiti Merdeka sparks heated debate between groups
- A simpler term for it is bribery
- Disabled group upset over ‘terrible’ action
- In Kelantan, hudud to be bellwether for Malay votes
- WIKILEAKS: PAS LEADER FAVORS TAKING POWER THROUGH NEXT ELECTION; SNAP POLLS POSSIBLE
- Najib: My daughter was not in Perth
- We oppose the ban on Seksualiti Merdeka
- ‘Seksualiti Merdeka a collateral damage’
- Dr M, before you look East, you should have looked after your backside first! Part #2
- Govt has RM40b untapped cash reserves, says Husni
- Malaysia performs below average in International Bribe Payers Index
- Police reportedly ban gay festival in Malaysia
- Anwar on highway's RM2b increase, bridge over land
- Muhyiddin: Seksualiti Merdeka is ‘immoral’
- MAS-AirAsia share swap under probe for insider trading
- Mekah bagaikan medan perang bagi Najib dan Rosmah..
- Ayatollah Pun Tak Tahu Quran
- Chua, ask Umno why M’sia is already an Islamic state
- Mixed-messages over Pakatan’s application
- Assunta Hospital
- Australian government pressured to act on Assange
- MAS-AirAsia deal not violating anti-trust law: Rafidah
- ‘Malaysia Spring’ Approaches in Anwar Vision
- Was Malaysian govt silent partner in Maxis-Maran deal?
- Malaysia bans steamy 'Islamic sex guide': report
- Poetic justice for Guan Eng
- Muhyiddin: Decision on PPSMI final
- Our Electricity Concern
- AirAsia received RM249m subsidy for rural flights
- Anwar predicts ‘Malaysia Spring’ in next polls
| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:59 AM PDT By Mastami Mustaza, NST KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will address today all issues on the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English policy (PPSMI), which will put to rest all uncertainties, said its minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The deputy prime minister said he would explain in great detail, addressing parents' worries, including a smooth transition from PPSMI to the successor policy, MBMBI, or Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu dan memperkasakan Bahasa Inggeris (Uplifting Bahasa Melayu and strengthening English language). Muhyiddin said this after meeting participants of SMR HR Group's English teachers project at the Gardens Hotel here. He said the decision to abolish PPSMI was made in 2009 and that as far as the ministry was concerned, this was final. He said the majority of Malaysians understood and accepted why the policy was discarded in favour of one dignifying Bahasa Melayu and strengthening English language use. Instead, decisions were made in the best interests of the people and the nation. |
| Ministry Sets Up Committee To Study Marine Park Department Purchase Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:36 AM PDT (Bernama) PUTRAJAYA -- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has set up a committee to identify elements of non-compliance or negligence in the issue of equipment procurement by the Marine Park Department which was allegedly much higher than the market price as reported in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report tabled recently. According to a statement issued by the ministry here on Thursday, the committee was chaired by the ministry's principal division secretary (management services) Junaidah Kamaruddin. "The committee will conduct a detailed investigation by taking into consideration clarifications by officers involved before deciding the next course of action," the statement said. According to the statement, the purchase was made in one lump sum for a unit of aluminium boat for the use by the department. "The overall procurement totaled RM7,513,429.05 including design, construction, testing and supply of the boat and not the specific procurement of equipment such as binocular, LCD TV, laptop, CCTV and radar as reported. Meanwhile, to ensure the issue does not recur as well as for purpose of improving procedure, the ministry is requiring that a fair price and market study should be carried out for each item including those categorised as accessories. The directive applies irrespective of whether the procurement of supply or work is carried out in one lump sum. Departments are also required to get the involvement of officers from the ministry when they are implementing the procurement project, according to the statement. |
| Court decision a pleasant surprise Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:31 AM PDT By Azmy Sharom, The Star Higher education is not merely about going to the lecture theatre and mugging for your exams. It is about expanding your horizons, taking responsibility for your actions and acting on your convictions. THE Court of Appeal's decision on the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Four case, which declared in a majority 2-1 decision that Section 15 of the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) is unconstitutional, was a very pleasant surprise indeed. The four students from UKM were initially charged by their university for "expressing support for a political party". This is an offence under Section 15 of the UUCA. They were accused of this primarily for being present during a by-election campaign in Selangor. The question before the court was whether Section 15 impinged on the students' constitutional right of expression. One of the reasons that the dissenting judge used in his decision to not question the validity of the UUCA was that his lordship was of the opinion that it was not up to the court to question the harshness of the UUCA. I respectfully disagree, for what is being questioned is not the harshness of the law, but the constitutionality of the law. The thing about our Constitution is that all the protections they give us usually have a proviso. The proviso generally being that Parliament can make laws which limit our rights if it is in the interest of public morality, order and national security. For years and years, our courts have often times simply accepted repressive laws made by Parliament without actually questioning whether these laws are constitutional or not because the Govern-ment said that it was necessary for national security or public order or morality. In effect, there was a tendency to allow the party with a majority in Parliament to do what it wanted. This is derogating responsibility. It is not enough to simply accept the word of the Government when it says "this law is for national security". There should be an examination of it to see whether it really is for national security. Without that examination, any old law can be made. There will be no limitation on the lawmakers and what we will end up with is a system of governance where there is no real protection of our rights. That is why it was so exciting to see the two judges in the UKM Four case clearly stating that any law made has to be scrutinised to ensure that its constitutionality is based not merely on the form of the law but also its substance. In this particular case, they held that preventing students from expressing support for a political party is in no way a threat to national security, public order or morality. The decision is made not only by taking a legalistic approach but is also one based on common sen-se. After all, a person above the age of majority is free to enter into contracts, get married, be the head of a corporation, vote, be Prime Minister, etc, and yet by virtue of being a student they can't express support for a political party. This does not make any sense. Furthermore, how can supporting a perfectly legal organisation be considered dangerous? The stand of the Government as well as the dissenting judge is that the UUCA is there to prevent students from getting involved in politics and thus being distracted from their studies. This too does not make sense. Having been a student myself and having taught them for 21 years, let me assure you that young people can get distracted from their studies by a million and one things and chances are unless you are some serious political nerd, politics is not going to be on that list. We might as well ban students from playing online games if we are so concerned about their focus on studying. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin was also reported as saying that if it is considered that a student's constitutional right of association is more important than his studies, then we can do away with UUCA. Again, I have to disagree. This argument is far too simplistic. When we restrict a person's fundamental freedom, whatever that freedom might be, we are stifling their ability to develop. Higher education is not merely about going to the lecture theatre and mugging for your exams. It is about expanding your horizons, taking responsibility for your actions and acting on your convictions. You can't do this if you are kept chained by repressive laws. But it is still too early to rejoice this victory for fundamental liberties in general and academic freedom in particular. The case might still go to the Federal Court and who knows what their decision will be. Neither is this case reason to say our judiciary is independent. What this case does show is that there are individual judges in our courts who understand and appreciate constitutionalism, there are lawyers willing to argue for this principle and there are young men and women in our student body brave enough to stand up for their rights. There's still much to be done, but for the moment this is reason enough to cheer. |
| OWC not letting off steam over ban on its sex guide Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PDT By Wong Pek Mei, The Star PETALING JAYA: The Obedient Wives Club (OWC) may burn or dispose the club's controversial sex guide book, its national chairman in Malaysia Fauziah Ariffin said. The decision follows the Home Ministry's announcement banning Seks Islam, Perangi Yahudi Untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam Kepada Dunia (Islamic Sex, Fighting Jews to Return Islamic Sex to the World) with immediate effect. "The book is just pocket-sized. If the authorities say we cannot keep it, we will just obey ... put it away or burn it," she said in an SMS yesterday. However, she said it was ultimately up to the members to decide what they wanted to do with it. Fauziah was unfazed by the ban, saying that the members already knew that every book published by them would be banned. "We stopped publication after the first (batch) so we won't appeal (to the Home Ministry) or consider legal action. "Let the public be the judge as we have made society aware that wives have to be obedient to husbands and make their intimate relations lively in order to strengthen their marriage," she added. Fauziah said all the books had been distributed and read by members before the book was banned, adding that the books sold like pisang goreng panas (hot cakes). "It has received positive feedback. Many married couples that had problems in their sex lives said the knowledge the book provided had improved and even solved their problems," she claimed, adding that more than 40 books had been printed. The ministry warned that those found in possession of the book could be fined up to RM5,000. Those found reproducing the book for the purpose of offering it for sale could be jailed up to three years or fined not exceeding RM20,000, or both. The book was written by Hatijan Aam, the OWC founder. The club was formed by Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, an organisation founded by former members of the banned al-Arqam. |
| Police move against Seksualiti Merdeka sparks heated debate between groups Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:23 AM PDT By Steven Daniel and Farah Fazanna Zulzaha, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Police have banned Seksualiti Merdeka with immediate effect, sparking a heated debate among supporters and detractors of the movement that fights for freedom of sexual orientation and gender identity. While some groups felt that the ban was another case of censorship in Malaysia, others were of the view that their religion did not condone same-sex relationships. |
| A simpler term for it is bribery Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:21 AM PDT By Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, FMT The 2012 Budget was indeed the most unique. Never before has a budget been turned into a huge CDM – cash dispensing machine. Money in our hands is a welcome relief and pain remover; but it's not a responsible way of managing a country's budget. Personally speaking, this is the most irresponsible budget that I have ever heard. The capital market is mentioned only in passing as though some phone calls were made to leading bankers in Malaysia to give some inputs on the capital market. Hence, just a cursory almost textbook mention that our ratio is strong and better than the world average. So? How does that translate into accessibility of the small medium enterprises (SMEs) to the capital market? How do we ease imports of capital goods into the country to build capacity? Isn't the theme of this budget "transformation"? Finance Minister-cum-Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's budget for 2012 is RM232 billion. Of this, RM180 billion will be spent as opex (operating expenses). That's money to be spent on operating the economy – paying salaries, servicing existing loans and so on. Can that be the transformative ingredient? Entrenching the rent-seeking mentality Now, as I understand it, to transform an economy, we must have capacity. We all know we need to spend on building capacity, capabilities, skills and technology. But these now are uncertain given that even allocation for education is being reduced. We are simply held back from transforming because we hold back on building capacity and capabilities. We are preaching that in this world, we DO have free lunches. We are entrenching the rent-seeking mentality which is that things can be had for free and without efforts, as long as we install a benevolent, despotic and overbearing government. Ignore their bullying; ignore their excesses. Because what is important is that impoverished people can be made a happy and contented lot once a year when the budget is announced. Let people think that budget time is when the giant ATM machine is taken out. |
| Disabled group upset over ‘terrible’ action Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PDT (FMT) - PETALING JAYA: The banning of the "Seksualiti Merdeka" festival by the police yesterday has earned the scorn of disabled rights activist Anthony Thanasayan. Anthony, the Petpositive (Malaysian Animal Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and the Elderly Association) president said that an event such as Seksualiti Merdeka greatly affected the disabled people as well. "It is a handicap to be disabled. It is a double handicap to be also gay," said Thanasayan, who has counselled many homosexuals, both abled bodied and disabled. "People forget that the disabled, including the deaf and blind, are human too. Sexuality transcends the able-bodied or disabled. They are always advised not to think about sex. For many of us, Thanasayan said it is much worse for a disabled person who has sexual confusion to find help, and this could even lead to those who are not homosexual to turn gay in the process. "This is because the disabled have limited chances to explore their sexuality, whereas an able-bodied person has more chances. Out of desperation, I have seen cases where a man goes into a relationship with an uncle, or brother because they have no other options," he said. Thanasayan, who is also a councillor with the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), said that an event such as Seksualiti Merdeka allows everyone – abled-bodied as well as the disabled – to know themselves and this is vital for a good relationship or marriage. "I went to the Seksualiti Merdeka event and I am so happy, because finally I see some people who can approach such issues with maturity, without discrimination," he said. "But today I see everything has crumbled. This (banning Seksualiti Merdeka) is a terrible step for Malaysia and would earn the derision of other more forward-looking countries. This kind of action is always based on ignorance; it will promote prejudice. Thus, this will increase the frustration of those in the minority community, and can also lead to suicidal tendencies," said Thanasayan.
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| In Kelantan, hudud to be bellwether for Malay votes Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:17 AM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KOTA BARU, Nov 4 — PAS's success or failure in implementing hudud in Kelantan will serve as an indicator of Malay voter support there ahead of a general election expected to be called soon, politicians here say. The Islamist party has repeatedly blamed the federal government for the failure to enforce the law, enacted in Kelantan back in 1993, when it first received objection from then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. |
| WIKILEAKS: PAS LEADER FAVORS TAKING POWER THROUGH NEXT ELECTION; SNAP POLLS POSSIBLE Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:00 AM PDT
Nasaruddin Mat Isa, Deputy President of the opposition Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Member of Parliament, told us on May 21 that PAS was not very happy with talk of ruling National Front (BN) Members of Parliament crossing over to the opposition Peoples Alliance and thus bringing down the BN government. PAS leadership believed that the Alliance at this juncture should maintain the current political status quo and strengthen their administration in the five opposition-held states. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK, REASON 1.4 (B AND D). Summary 1. (C) Nasaruddin Mat Isa, Deputy President of the Islamist opposition party PAS, speaking with us on May 21, said the opposition should seek to take power through the next federal election, rather than through immediate defections by ruling coalition MPs, in part to reduce the risk of a harsh crackdown by the National Front government. PAS leaders are geared up for possible snap national elections, but opposition parties would not rerun elections in the five states they control. Nasaruddin linked Mahathir's surprise resignation from the UMNO party with the Cabinet's decision to release a prominent report on judicial corruption that implicates the former Prime Minister. End Summary. Elections, Not Defections 2. (C) Nasaruddin Mat Isa, Deputy President of the opposition Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Member of Parliament, told us on May 21 that PAS was not very happy with talk of ruling National Front (BN) Members of Parliament crossing over to the opposition Peoples Alliance and thus bringing down the BN government (refs B and C). PAS leadership believed that the Alliance at this juncture should maintain the current political status quo and strengthen their administration in the five opposition-held states. Once the opposition parties can demonstrate to the public that they can deliver, the people will support the Peoples Alliance and topple the BN government in the next election. Furthermore, even if enough BN MPs were to cross over to the Alliance, UMNO and BN leaders will not give up power easily. By virtue of his position, PM Abdullah is still very powerful, and "he still has the option of declaring emergency rule" or using the Internal Security Act (ISA) to detain UMNO's opponents, although Nasaruddin quickly added Abdullah "is no Mahathir" (i.e., not as likely to use authoritarian methods). Snap Polls Possible, But Not in Opposition States 3. (C) PAS leaders were geared up for Prime Minister Abdullah calling a snap election if the current "political impasse persists in UMNO," Nasaruddin said. He stressed, however, that if the PM dissolves Parliament, the Alliance will not follow suit in dissolving the state legislative assemblies of the five states under their control. An MP from Anwar Ibrahim's Peoples Justice Party (PKR) who joined us, nodded in agreement. (Note: State governments need not follow the federal electoral cycle, though in recent history all states except Sarawak have held elections coinciding with the national polls. End Note.) Mahathir's UMNO Resignation Linked to Judicial Probe 4. (C) Nasaruddin pointed out proudly that it was a PAS member who "brought down" Mahathir by precipitating the former Prime Minister's decision to resign from UMNO (ref A). (Note: At a public forum on May 19, Mahathir called on UMNO members to leave the party temporarily as the only way to bring down PM Abdullah. Reportedly, one member of the audience who turned out to be a PAS member dared the former PM to lead the way in leaving the party, and Mahathir obliged on the spot. End Note.) 5. (C) In addition, Nasaruddin contended that Mahathir's shock May 19 announcement was influenced by the Cabinet's decision on May 16 to publish the Royal Commission report probing allegations of corruption in the judiciary (the Linggam inquiry). The report concluded that six prominent government and judicial figures including Mahathir were involved in the manipulation of appointments of top judges for political purposes. The PAS leader speculated that the publication of the photographs of six personalities in the front pages of newspapers even before the Attorney General Chambers started its investigation must have angered the former PM who felt that his legacy was crumbling. In the rural areas, particularly in the Malay heartland, the six photographs are shown at evening rallies (ceramahs) associating them with a famous 1960s Malay movie "Enam Jahanam" (or "Doomed Six"). KEITH (May 2008)
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| Najib: My daughter was not in Perth Posted: 03 Nov 2011 12:10 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today that his daughter was not present in Australia during the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting in Perth which he attended. He was responding through Twitter to allegations that his daughter was on a A$60,000 (RM 193,869) shopping spree in the Western Australia state when Najib was attending the meeting for leaders of states. Najib also clarified to Bernama Online that his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and daughter did not buy jewellery, and asked people to stop spreading rumours and lies. Australian newspaper came out with the controversial report, saying "the first lady known to have bought A$150,000 worth of WA (Western Australian) pearls". The report did not name the person specifically. The prime minister is performing the haj currently with Rosmah in Saudi Arabia.
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| We oppose the ban on Seksualiti Merdeka Posted: 03 Nov 2011 12:09 AM PDT Sisters in Islam Sisters in Islam (SIS) strongly disagrees with the police's blanket ban on Seksualiti Merdeka. We see this as yet another pattern of censorship and banning of freedom of expression, association and the free circulation of ideas in Malaysia. We are also concerned at how the ban is going to be enforced by the police force. Was there, for example, a court order to ban the festival? How exactly do the police intend to follow through this "ban"? While we understand that there are Muslims opposed to ideas of respecting gender and sexual diversity, as a Muslim women's organisation, SIS disagrees with the methods used to stifle these ideas. We ourselves have been subjected to police reports simply for questioning syariah criminal procedures on women, and our publication discussing the impact of religious extremism on Muslim women was once banned by the authorities. We regret that Seksualiti Merdeka has fallen prey to the same kind of state intimidation and harassment. We call on fellow Muslims to exercise compassion and wisdom in dealing with the issues brought up by Seksualiti Merdeka. We also call on the authorities to ensure the safety and security of all those involved in this, especially Seksualiti Merdeka's organisers, volunteers and supporters.
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| ‘Seksualiti Merdeka a collateral damage’ Posted: 03 Nov 2011 12:07 AM PDT The festival organiser thinks government agencies are all out against Bersih's Ambiga and Anwar Ibrahim. (Free Malaysia Today) - Seksualiti Merdeka festival organiser, Pang Khee Teik, believes that the police ban against the festival was because it was to be officiated by Bersih 2.0 chairman S Ambiga and that they have been made a collateral damage. "I think it is because of Ambiga. It is being politicized," said Pang when met at the Burmese refugees fund-raising dinner function at the Annexe, Central Market. "The government agencies are using every opportunity to rouse sentiments against Ambiga and (Opposition Leader) Anwar Ibrahim. "We are mere collateral damage," said Pang. He said this in response to the ban against the festival by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar. Earlier today the DIG said that the police will take action under Section 27 A (1) (C) as well as 298 A of the Penal Code to prevent any functions relating to the programme. Seksualiti Merdeka is an annual festival highlighting issues faced by lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals since 2008. Pang also accused the government of ignoring the innocent and marginalised segments of the community. He stressed that the festival was an avenue to hear out the plight of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community.
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| Dr M, before you look East, you should have looked after your backside first! Part #2 Posted: 03 Nov 2011 12:01 AM PDT Todak Dear Tuan IkwanZ, Without any malice to you, please allow me to defend my statements on which you have commented in my article Dr M, before you look East, you should have looked after your backside first! Yes, if you were PM in the 80s and if you had sweet old buddy like Singaporean Rin who probably showed up with Japanese businessman Kumei, I have no doubt whatsoever that you would have done precisely like Mahathir. I don't know if you are a businessman, but Mahathir never was, apart from selling pisang goreng and nasi lemak during his school-going days (so he claimed, to augment his pocket money). So when a Chinaman and a Japanese Sōgō shōsha man came to "advise" him on advancing his "Look East" policy, Mahathir naturally took that as Gospel truth, could not go wrong. The only time Mahathir tried his hand on big time business (before he became a PM) was when he was Minister of Trade and Industry (MCA Datuk Lew Sip Hon as his deputy). Ill-advised by con-master Marc Rich, Mahathir tried to corner the tin market on the LME (London Metal Exchange). While he got his fingers badly burned, Malaysia lost something like a hefty RM800 million when the American GSA released physical tin stock and the tin price collapsed. Mahathir thought he had learned his lesson not to trust any Westerner the like of Marc Rich (a Jew). So with Rin and Kumei, he regained self confidence especially then as PM, the Lord of all he surveyed. If his buddies told him Mitsubishi, then it was Mitsubishi, nothing else. That was how the choice of techno partner was made for our national car, never through a process of due diligence and evaluation of all possible qualified candidates. However, I must agree with you that Mitsubishi is a huge conglomerate with interests in Oil & Gas, Heavy Industries, Banking, etc, and Mahathir's visit to all these works must have greatly impressed him. But for the automobile industry, Toyota leads in sales volume and technology (Lexus is hard to beat) and Honda in design (the Pininfarina of the East). About a decade ago, Mitsubishi along with Nissan Motors almost collapsed financially. Had it not been for the strength and financial backing of Big Brother diversified Mitsubishi Group, it would have succumbed to a same fate like Nissan which was taken over by Renault of France. Applying the Malaysian analogy, Sime Bank disappeared, but Sime Darby is still going strong. So now, Tuan IkhwanZ, I hope you will agree with me just sedikit sahaja that Mitsubishi was a wrong choice while our other ASEAN member, Thailand got their acts right, Toyota and Honda. If Mahathir had chosen Toyota, today Proton does not need to scout the world for a partner; Volkswagen would come a-begging to us. Now, Tuan IkhwanZ, let us take a slow boat to China. First, I must clear with you that I do not indulge in racial bias and religious sentiments. We have to recognize facts for what they are, devoid of racial and religious paintwork. You said, "China back then (in the 80s + 90s) was nothing; it was when China was granted WTO membership in 2001 that the country started flourishing. So prior to that, which country would you want to focus on for trade? Certainly not China." These were your words, but unfortunately, factually wrong again. A little man by the name of Deng Xiao Peng who was not even the President or Prime Minister of Communist China, was the person who pulled the strings of the Chinese Government and drew open "The Bamboo Curtain" to the world in the 2nd half of decade 1970s. The Sleeping Dragon then awakened, and started to move at great leaps forward. The first western company to invest in China was Swiss lift manufacturer, Schindler. Today Schindler's lift and elevators are seen all over China, Hong Kong and Asia, and exported back to Europe. Volkswagen would have been insolvent had it not for their new market in China. Nowadays FDIs poured into China, with success upon success of all who branched into China. While writing this piece, I just saw on CNN that China's 1st unmanned spaceship has docked with its own space station today, one more up for China. The WTO had no choice, but to hand the membership status to China on a silver plate in 2001. At any rate, the WTO membership and the US "most favored nation" status are nothing more than political apparatus to strangle countries whose ideology is not in line with theirs. The "most favored nation" crap was a joke if you ask me. And finally, Tuan IkhwanZ, without being racial, let me tell you that all the Chinese around the world without exception, are by nature, capitalists. They adopted and welcomed the Communist system because the Nationalist Chinese Government was corrupted beyond repair, so they looked to Karl Marx and Lenin for change. Even today, Communist membership within China account for less than 10% of the population (80 million members only). Therefore, it boils down to one simple characteristic of the Chinese race. Everywhere you go, you'll find Chinese only interested in business, trade and money which give them survival. Politics is least in their mind; to the Chinese any body can rule over them but that body must allow them free and fair business opportunities. They only join the voice of descent if Government policies affect their business adversely. Those in good stead like Francis Yeoh, Tan Kay Hock, Vincent Tan, Lee Kim Yew, etc., etc don't make noise, for reasons you should know. Can we do something here in Malaysia for the ethnic Chinese Malaysians? By now, you may be wondering what ethnic race I belong to. I am not telling, but I suggest you refer to the legendary tale of "Singapura Dilanggar Todak", that may give you a clue.
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| Govt has RM40b untapped cash reserves, says Husni Posted: 02 Nov 2011 07:08 PM PDT By Chong Jin Hun, The Edge KUALA LUMPUR : The government has some RM40 billion of untapped cash reserves which it could use to sustain Malaysia's economic growth in the event of a global economic slowdown, according to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah. Husni said the reserves included the government's trust fund of about RM30 billion, another contingency fund of some RM4 billion, and Kumpulan Wang Amanah Negara which have around RM5 billion. |
| Malaysia performs below average in International Bribe Payers Index Posted: 02 Nov 2011 07:07 PM PDT By Alyaa Alhadjri, The Sun PETALING JAYA (Nov 2, 2011): Malaysia managed a 7.6 score out of 10 in the Transparency International 2011 Bribe Payers Index released today, below the global average of 7.8. The index, with a score of 10 indicating the perception that companies are unlikely to engage in bribery while doing business abroad, placed Malaysia in 15th position together with Hongkong, Italy and South Africa. |
| Police reportedly ban gay festival in Malaysia Posted: 02 Nov 2011 07:05 PM PDT By Sean Yoong, AP KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Police ordered gay rights activists in Muslim-majority Malaysia on Thursday to scrap an annual arts festival aimed at fighting discrimination, news reports said. The "Sexual Independence" festival has been held under low-key circumstances in Kuala Lumpur since 2008, but growing awareness about the event is leading to criticism by politicians and religious leaders. This year's five-day festival — starting Nov. 9 at a private arts center and themed "Queer Without Fear" — planned to feature musical performances of "queer anthems sung by fierce local singers and drag divas who know what it means to love out loud and proud," organizers said. But after criticism by the deputy prime minister and plans by several Muslim nongovernment groups to protest, police reportedly ordered the event to be canceled, local media said. The Malaysiakini independent news website quoted national deputy police chief Khalid Abu Bakar as saying the festival represented "a threat to public order." The Star newspaper said Khalid warned of "strong action" against anyone violating the ban. Khalid could not immediately be reached for comment, and other police officials declined to comment. Earlier Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had described the event as "inappropriate" and a "waste of time," according to the national news agency, Bernama. Gay rights activists did not immediately respond to the event's reportedly being banned. Earlier Thursday, they said the festival was meant to counter widespread homophobia in this socially conservative Asian nation, where a young gay man received death threats last year after posting a YouTube clip defending his sexuality. "Asking us to keep quiet is asking us to take your abuse with a smile ... it's time to put a stop to all the hate and misunderstanding and abuse," festival spokesman Pang Khee Teik said in an online statement posted before the event was reportedly banned. This year's program also included plans for talks on sexuality issues, a poster exhibition and a makeup workshop by a drag queen. One session is titled "Defense Against The Dark Arts: Homophobia 101." Media censorship rules forbid movies and song lyrics that promote acceptance of gays, while a decades-old law makes sodomy punishable by 20 years in prison, though it is seldom and selectively enforced. The festival's sponsors and supporters include the Malaysian chapter of Amnesty International, the country's main grouping of lawyers and other human rights organizations. |
| Anwar on highway's RM2b increase, bridge over land Posted: 02 Nov 2011 07:04 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Nov 3: The delayed completion of the Jabor expressway which forms part of the East Coast Highway caught the attention of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim (pic), who revealed that the cost for its construction had ballooned by more than RM2 billion, from the original RM3 billion to RM5 billion. The project, which started in 2007, was supposed to be completed last year. "This is extremely disappointing and should not have happenned because it involves public money which must be spent appropriately," said Anwar in parliament yesterday. Taking to task the Public Works Department and other relevant ministries over the delay and the cost increase, Anwar anticipated problems over the collection of toll for the highway. "Until now, we still do not know who will operate the toll and who will hold the concession," said the Permatang Pauh member of parliament. The former Finance minister also described as "not smart" the government's project to build a bridge over land in Kemaman, Terengganu, costing some RM174 million, RM70 million higher than the original price tag. "This is just another strange project by UMNO-BN to build bridges on land and with much higher cost than the original pricing," he added. |
| Muhyiddin: Seksualiti Merdeka is ‘immoral’ Posted: 02 Nov 2011 07:03 PM PDT By Teoh El Sen, FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has dismissed the ongoing "Seksualiti Merdeka" programme as "totally non-beneficial" to Malaysians. Speaking on behalf of the government and Umno, Muhyiddin said: "I don't know what our country can gain from this. "Umno and the government feel that something like that is totally not beneficial at all. "I don't understand why they are holding this. Does it have any hidden political agendas? "But for Malaysians, they would have to judge for themselves. For a large number of us, it should not be done, it is a waste of time," he told reporters here today. Muhyiddin, the Umno deputy president, said that Malaysia had clear guidelines and legislations outlawing "unnatural" sexual activities such as sodomy. "We are a free country but there are limits. "The organisers can say this is a free country and they can do anything but there are limits. "In Malaysia, when we talk about human rights, we are signatory to the United Nations Human Rights convention. "Malaysia has the Federal Constitution and its laws, we also have religion and our cultural values," he said. Not in line with Islam Muhyiddin said what Seksualiti Merdeka was advocating was not in line with the various religions, including Islam and Christianity. "In the Islamic context, this is not in line with our religion, it is an immoral (songsang) activity that does not meet our customs, even the Christians also say that they are against," he said. The Seksualiti Merdeka festival, which celebrates the rights of the lesbian,gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community has been held annually since 2008.
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| MAS-AirAsia share swap under probe for insider trading Posted: 02 Nov 2011 07:00 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider The share swap between Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia is being probed by Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission (SC) for insider trading. The finance ministry said today that investigations were still ongoing despite the two airlines agreeing to the deal nearly three months ago. "It will take time because it involves so many accounts and a huge value. So we need to separate those that are genuine and those with inside information," Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Awang Adek Hussin told Parliament today. Shares in budget airlines AirAsia had traded for as low as RM3.14 on June 23 and was finally traded at RM3.92 before being suspended on August 8 before the swap was announced. It later dipped below RM2.80 on October 26. National carrier MAS was suspended at RM1.60 but climbed to RM1.90 following the deal. Awang Adek also said there was no need for either company to file any announcement with Bursa if there was no material development prior to the deal as the matter was considered private and confidential.
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| Mekah bagaikan medan perang bagi Najib dan Rosmah.. Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PDT By Anak Sungai Derhaka  Mekah bagaikan medan perang bagi Najib dan Rosmah.. bergerak sambil dikelilingi oleh hampir 20 anggota Keselamatan Arab Saudi. Sepatutnya dalam mengerjakan ibadat haji tidak dibezakan darjat dan taraf seseorang dimuka bumi ini, semuanya sama disisi Allah, yang membezakannya ialah Iman dan Taqwa.. Cuba korang tengok bagaimana jemaah dari Malaysia yang lain bergerak dibawah ni..    Ini close-up Najib dan Rosmah.
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:57 PM PDT SYED AKBAR ALI I am just reading Robert Fisk's epic and monumental 1,334 page book "The Great War For Civilisation - The Conquest Of The Middle East". The book was first published in 2005. Robert Fisk is a world renowned British journalist (Foreign Correspondent) who has written for The Times of London and then went on to write for The Independent of the UK. He was in Kuala Lumpur not too long ago, where he gave a talk at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies. Robert Fisk's journalism career took off around the time of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. I was 19 years old then and had just finished my Sixth Form. His fantastic book elicits a personal recollection for me because the book covers events and over a period of time that many of us still know personally - through the newspapers, media and personal involvement. (Well in a very small way, I joined campus protests with my Palestinian friends in the US in the 80s and also visited Iraq on a humanitarian mission circa 1998 - when the Americans were still strafing and bombing their highways). This massive book is an epic perhaps in the same category as William L. Shirer's 1,245 page 'The Rise And Fall of the Third Reich' (1960) or Thomas Carlyle's three volume "door stop" -"The French Revolution - A History" (1837). The major difference is that Fisk's book is not an academic work per se. It is the recollections of a journalist who writes first hand about the things he saw, the people he spoke with and the events he witnessed by himself. It is an eyewitness record of many events in the Middle East beginning with the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 10 year Iran - Iraq War, the two Gulf Wars and more. Of course there are many, many facets to a book. We gather so much information and knowledge by reading. I was most interested (but not surprised at all) to read about Robert Fisk's meeting with the Iranian Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkali. For those of you who are at least as old as me, Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkali was known in the media at that time as the "hanging judge". After the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979 and the Ayatollahs took over Iran, they conducted a purge where thousands of people (up to 10,000 or more) from the Shah's repressive regime were executed (hung, shot, skulls cracked etc). The man in charge of sending quite a few of these people to death was Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkali. Here is a picture of the guy (he died in 2003). On page 161 of his book Fisk writes about a new precedent that was set in Iran by Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkali's religious courts. In July 1980, in a place called Kerman, they sentenced four people to death by stoning for sexual offenses. On page 162 Fisk describes his meeting with the Ayatollah over this 'death by stoning' sentence: 'I dont know if I approve of stoning,' Sadegh Khalkali said, flashing a grin at us journalists and at a group of startled diplomats who had also been invited to the Qasr prison. 'But in the Koran, it is mentioned that those who commit adultery should be killed by stoning.' Folks, the Quran says no such thing.
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| Chua, ask Umno why M’sia is already an Islamic state Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:56 PM PDT There is no need for anyone to state a stand as the issue of hudud is already redundant because Malaysia, as declared by BN-Umno-MCA that Malaysia is already an Islamic state. So, please stop spewing garbage to ruin the unity of Malaysians. By Jackson Ng, Retired journalistYET again, MCA's mouthpiece The Star is being used to propagate garbage on the hudud issue to confuse and divide Malaysians. Its boss, the wife-cheating adulterer and MCA president Chua Soi Lek is quoted by his "party organ" that the DAP must openly state whether it agrees that the implementation of hudud law will affect not only Muslims but also non-Muslims. He is not only flogging a dead horse issue, he is just plain stupid. The DAP is not the ruling government. The Barisan Nasional (BN) is the ruling party and that includes MCA. BN-Umno-MCA has already declared Malaysia an Islamic state. So, why are you, as immoral as you are, not directing the questions to Umno instead? It is because Malaysia is already an Islamic state that the Islamic authorities, like Jais, can raid a church without any valid reason or warrant. Why is MCA so quiet about this? Is it because the action was conducted by Umno-controlled Jais? So, you don't have the guts to utter a word? Chua, that thick and shameless head of yours just cannot accept simple logic, is it? Malaysia is already an Islamic state, so what is hudud? Hudud is just part of Islam and an Islamic state, so please get this into your pea brain. It is also baffling why Umno, Perkasa and Utusan Malaysia continue to remain mum with Chua's continuous spewing of insults to the country's official religion. I guess I should not be baffled as it is all BN's political agenda aimed at manipulating the people's political mindset towards disunity. BN's continuous drive to sow the seeds of racial and religious discord is just not 1Malaysia which is just hollow sloganeering. Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has clearly stated that the time is not yet right to implement hudud. What does that mean? It means the long-term agenda of Umno is also to implement hudud. So, Chua, why don't you ask Umno, currently the ruling elite, to state its stand? There is no need for anyone to state a stand as the issue of hudud is already redundant because Malaysia, as declared by BN-Umno-MCA that Malaysia is already an Islamic state. So, please stop spewing garbage to ruin the unity of Malaysians. We demand Muslims to respect other faiths. Likewise, we must also respect their faith and their right to practice. In Umno's case, it is using Jais to infringe the rights of others. Do you see such things happening in Kelantan? Chua, why are you so fearful of hudud? Only criminals will fear hudud, an Islamic criminal law. So, it is criminal-prone Muslims who will have the greatest fear of hudud. Hudud cannot implemented on non-Muslims and this is something that cannot be changed, domestic or globally. It is Umno's manipulations, with MCA's support, and disregard for the rights and laws of the country that is the problem. Not the law. |
| Mixed-messages over Pakatan’s application Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:48 PM PDT Pakatan says that their application to the Registrar of Societies was still pending and questioned ROS director general's statement that a fresh application was needed. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat and the Registrar of Socities (ROS) are at cross-purposes when it comes to registration of the political coalition. Pakatan says their application is stilll pending while ROS director general Abdul Rahman Othman says there has been no fresh application after pro-tem chairman Zaid Ibrahim left PKR last November. Abdul Rahman had earlier made a statement that a fresh application was needed from Pakatan. But Pakatan today said that they have been in touch with an officer within the ROS who has said that their application made right after Zaid's departure was still pending approval. "As soon as Zaid left, we elected (Tumpat MP and PAS central committee member) Kamaruddin Jaafar to replace Zaid and submitted a new application. "We have been in touch with ROS chief assistant director of the societies registration division on the issue of a 'fresh application'. "The feedback that we received was that ROS and the Home Ministry were still looking into our application on the aspect of law," PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution told a press conference today. He added that Pakatan had kept in touch with their contact person in ROS every three to four weeks up till early this month, always getting a similar reply. Other members of the pro-tem committee who were at today's press conference were DAP's Anthony Loke and PAS' Hatta Ramli.
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:48 PM PDT Reply by a Senior Physician I have read the correspondence that has been going on regarding Assunta Hospital. I am puzzled by the letter from A Concerned Malaysian. He first apologizes to the Bishop and the Catholic sister. He then holds them and the Catholic church responsible for the debacle that has occurred. Concerned Malaysian must know that the Bishop and the Catholic mission may not know anything about this state of affairs. They usually leave it to the trustees while they concentrate on getting donations for the hospital. Church leaders and the clergy live a life of prayer and a belief that God will take care of their problems. This may explain what happened to the Catholic schools. They used to be premier schools for the whole country. It was not only a source of pride to the Catholic mission, it could have been a method to influence the minds of future leaders of the country. Unfortunately the church never moved with the times and the political changes that swept across the country. Now schools such as SFI, SJI and SXI are relics of a grand past and lie almost forgotten and decaying where they once stood. Who are the relevant authorities that this Concerned Malaysian is going to turn to? The Ministry of Health (MOH) was probably compliant in this final state of affairs. The enforcement agencies of the MOH have been powerless to investigate Assunta before. So going to the MOH will be useless. Who else is he going to turn to? Wait. I think there is one possible agency that he can go to for help. This is the division of the MOF that is responsible for tax free institutions that use public money. Concerned Malaysian has a right to demand that this agency do a public audit on Assunta Hospital and report its findings to the people who have contributed money. If this does not work he will have to seek the services of a lawyer to find out if he can take some form of legal action against Assunta. In spite of these exchanges in the blog, it is surprising that Assunta Hospital has not responded. It may be because all that has been alleged is really true. I hope Concerned Malaysian succeeds. Best of luck. |
| Australian government pressured to act on Assange Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:34 PM PDT (AFP) - SYDNEY: Lawyers and the mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today ramped up pressure on the Australian government to step in and ensure he gets a fair trial in Sweden. Assange, who is an Australian citizen, lost a bitter legal battle yesterday to block his extradition from Britain to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of rape and sexual assault. Two judges at the High Court in London rejected arguments by Assange, whose anti-secrecy website has enraged governments around the world, that his extradition would be unlawful. Assange now has 14 days to take the case to the British Supreme Court and his legal counsel Geoffrey Robertson called on the government to intervene if the extradition goes through. "I think Canberra may have to do something about it," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "It's got a duty to help Australians in peril in foreign courts. It didn't do anything for David Hicks and that was something of a disgrace," he said, referring to the Australian formerly detained at Guantanamo Bay. "As far as Julian Assange is concerned, Sweden doesn't have bail, doesn't have money bail for foreigners, so he's likely to be held in custody." Robertson added that he does not believe the 40-year-old WikiLeaks founder, who has previously blasted Canberra for not doing enough to protect him in the fallout from the leaks, will face a fair trial in Sweden. "He's going to be tried in secret, and this is outrageous by our standards and by any standards," he said. Assange has strongly denied the rape allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and linked to the activities of WikiLeaks. He has been under virtual house arrest since he was first detained in December. He has expressed fears that his extradition to Sweden would lead to his transfer to the United States to face as yet unspecified charges of spying. His mother told Australian media today she believes her son will go to Sweden to fight the charges as long as the Australian government brokers a deal to ensure he will not be extradited to the US. Christine Assange said Canberra must follow its own diplomatic and legal advice that her son was in "clear and present danger" and seek written guarantees he would not be rendered to the US. "If that was to take place I believe Julian would go to Sweden and not resist it. His concern is that he'll be rendered on," she said. Asked about the matter as she arrived in the French resort town of Cannes for the G20 summit, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said a statement may be issued later. "So we'll get briefed and understand fully what's happened here and make a statement if necessary," she said.
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| MAS-AirAsia deal not violating anti-trust law: Rafidah Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:02 PM PDT (MySinChew) - KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- AirAsia X Bhd chairman, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, said the tie-up between MAS and AirAsia Bhd will not result in monopolistic practices between the two carriers following their share-swap exercise. She also said the share-swap would not result in any behaviour that would violate anti-trust laws. "We (AirAsia and MAS) are guided by strict anti-trust laws overseas and in Malaysia when the competition laws come into force next year. "We'll never be able to do anything that violates any anti-trust laws," she told a media briefing on the Malaysia-Europe Forum's Roundtable here today. The Malaysian Competition Commission is currently reviewing the possible impact of the MAS-AirAsia collaboration on the local market, and would advise both airlines on all possible areas. She said the collaboration may result in cost-cutting for both airlines and it would be beneficial for passengers and customers as they could give better services. Rafidah said the MAS management must continuously hold dialogues with all levels of its workforce through its unions. "This is to explain in detail what's happening and what's going to happen, particularly to the employees, and the areas of cost-saving which will translate into benefits," she said. The Malaysian Airlines System Employees Union (MASEU) has expressed dissatisfaction over the explanation given by the management on the collaboration. MASEU had decided to write to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wanted to meet him to convey their views and opposition to the collaboration. It was also reported recently that the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has urged the Malaysian government to ensure that workers' rights were preserved in any future collaboration between the two airlines. The report said an agreement between the two airlines was reached without union consultation. In a letter dated Oct 19 to Najib, ITF general-secretary, David Cockroft, outlined concerns that a share-swap and collaboration between MAS and Air Asia could lead to the erosion of workers' rights. This could include the right of ITF affiliate MASEU to represent and collectively bargain on behalf of MAS workers. |
| ‘Malaysia Spring’ Approaches in Anwar Vision Posted: 02 Nov 2011 03:58 PM PDT By Ranjeetha Pakiam, Bloomberg Malaysia's opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, said that in the nation's next election, his People's Alliance coalition will end five decades of rule by the National Front as a trend toward democracy strengthens across southeast Asia. "We're taking over the government at the rate we're going," Anwar said in an interview yesterday at his office in parliament in Kuala Lumpur, citing as a sign of support a July 9 rally where thousands marched and called for greater fairness in election practices. Currently on trial for sodomy -- a charge he says was influenced by the ruling party -- he predicted that the opposition would be boosted even if he is convicted. An opposition victory would build on gains made in 2008, when Prime Minister Najib Razak's coalition had its slimmest election win since the country became independent in 1957. In a year that has seen autocratic regimes swept from power in a Middle East upheaval known as the "Arab Spring," neighboring Singapore saw a record vote for the opposition in May, and Myanmar released some political rivals from jail last month. "When will the 'Malaysia Spring' be? The next elections," said Anwar, 64, a former deputy prime minister, anticipating that a vote will come anytime from the end of December to March. "Hopefully, we'll do ours in a peaceful democratic process." Jailed, Then FreedOnce the designated successor of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who ruled from 1981 to 2003, Anwar was removed from office and tried in 1998 for abuse of power and having sex with a man, which is an offense in Malaysia. He was imprisoned for six years before the sodomy charge was overturned. Barred from politics for four years after being released from jail, he then led the opposition to its 2008 election result. A conviction in his second trial on sodomy charges is a "foregone conclusion," said Anwar, who could be jailed for as long as 20 years if found guilty. Najib's administration has said that the trial, which is scheduled to resume Nov. 23, isn't politically motivated. While an election isn't due until 2013, Najib announced a budget last month that stoked speculation about an earlier vote. The plan gives cash to low-income families, raises civil servants' pay and boosts spending on railways to spur growth at a time when global economic risks cloud the outlook for Malaysian exports. Najib, 58, has sought to broaden the appeal of the ruling party, rolling back decades-old protectionist policies, opening up service industries to foreign investors and easing rules on ethnic-Malay ownership in companies. Seeking to bolster his public image after July street protests in the capital led to the arrest of more than 1,600 people, Najib has also pledged to abolish a 51-year-old law allowing the government to detain citizens without trial. Falling Poll NumbersSupport for Najib slipped to 59 percent in August from 65 percent in May, according to a survey by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, an independent research institute based near Kuala Lumpur. "The opposition will probably win more seats, but an outright victory is doubtful," said Afif Bin Pasuni, a professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "If Anwar is convicted, it'll be difficult to hold the opposition together because they have very different political ideologies -- Anwar is adept at handling these differences." The People's Alliance opposition group includes Anwar's People's Justice Party; the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, some of whose members espouse the implementation of Islamic law; and the Democratic Action Party, whose secretary-general is Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Malaysia's only ethnic-Chinese state leader. Coalition DifferencesTheft, illicit sex, alcohol consumption and renouncing Islam are crimes under hudud, or Islamic law, and punishment can involve whipping, stoning to death or amputation of limbs. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party's support for implementing hudud has faced objections from the Democratic Action Party. Anwar said that while coalition members are free to articulate their views, they cannot compel others to agree. If he is convicted, Anwar said, a "mechanism" has been put in place for leadership succession. He declined to identify who would take his place. The alliance anticipates winning more than 40 percent of the vote in the states of Johor and Pahang, making gains in Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu and getting majorities in the five states it won in 2008, Anwar said. "The trend for freedom and democracy is irreversible," said Anwar, who tells his party leaders to read French author Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th-century political work "Democracy in America." "We should be able to do much better."
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| Was Malaysian govt silent partner in Maxis-Maran deal? Posted: 02 Nov 2011 03:55 PM PDT By Raman Kirpal, Firstpost.Business The 2G scam is beginning to create ripples abroad. While that was always likely – with companies ranging from Etisalat to Telenor and Maxis having invested in Indian partners who are now under a cloud of suspicion or in jail – for the first time a foreign government has begun to be impacted indirectly. Reason: Maxis group, which is a Malaysia-based group owned by T Ananda Krishnan, and the Malaysian government are partners in Astro, which invested Rs 629 crore in Sun Direct TV, the Maran family's direct-to-home company. |
| Malaysia bans steamy 'Islamic sex guide': report Posted: 02 Nov 2011 03:53 PM PDT (AFP) - KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has banned an "Islamic sex guide" by a controversial group that reportedly urges Muslim men in polygamous marriages to have group sex with their wives, a report said Thursday. The book was published by the Muslim "Obedient Wife Club", which was formed earlier this year and has sparked controversy with its radical suggestions on sex and marriage in conservative, Muslim-majority Malaysia. The Home Ministry has banned the book, titled "Islamic Sex, Fighting Jews to Return Islamic Sex to the World" with immediate effect, The Star daily reported. It cited Abdul Aziz Mohamad Nor, a top official in the ministry's publications division. Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying the book, the existence of which was first reported last month, was banned because of the wife club's links to the outlawed group Al-Arqam. Some people from the Obedient Wife Club and related organisations are former members of Al-Arqam, a Malaysian-based Islamic sect that was banned in the country in the 1990s as a deviationist cult. Those found in possession of the book face fines of 50,000 ringgit ($15,800) while anyone caught reproducing it can be jailed up to three years, The Star reported. Abdul Aziz could not immediately be reached by AFP. The wives' club caused a stir earlier this year by calling on women to be "whores in bed" to prevent their men from straying and pursuing divorce. Malaysian media reports have said the book suggests Muslim husbands have sex with all their wives simultaneously. One chapter, "How Sex Becomes Worship," reportedly contains unusually explicit sexual descriptions for a Malaysian publication, such as a tutorial on breast-fondling. AFP has not seen a copy of the book. Open discussion of sex is frowned upon in Malaysia, which regularly bans books deemed to be obscene or offensive to Islam. Club organisers have previously said the book was exclusively for its members and was not intended for general distribution and thus should not be banned. |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 03:50 PM PDT By Jeswant Kaur, FMT The recently released Auditor-General's Report comes as poetic justice for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in particular and Barisan Nasional's nemesis, Pakatan Rakyat in general. The report is full of praises as to how the state has successfully improved its financial position. According to the report, Penang last year improved its financial position over 2009. "The audit analysis found that consolidated funds of 2010 had improved compared to previous years and is at the highest level compared to the previous five years," the report stated. Lim took over the state's top post in 2008 after DAP, a member of the Pakatan coalition, nudged Gerakan out in the 12th general election and took charge of Penang. In the three years, despite all brickbats from his BN counterparts, Lim remains steadfastly focused on improving the state's performance. The result? Words of praise by the auditor-general. Still, like all hardworking people, Lim faced and continues to experience stinging criticism from Umno and BN which have left no stone unturned in belittling and condemning his efforts in transforming Penang for the better. With the latest Auditor-General's Report validating Penang's achievements, the state under Lim's leadership promises hope, of ensuring that Penangites continue to enjoy progress. As far as the report goes, Penang has "passed" with flying colours. The state has been lauded where implementation of projects is concerned. The report has hailed the state's performance as "very good", with 99% of the 9,003 projects successfully carried out. The Auditor-General's Report adds: "The state is recommended to make sure revenue collected is put into the correct account and continue its efforts to increase revenue and maintain its prudent spending to ensure a better financial position." It urges the state to continue with its efforts to collect arrears in student loan repayment, rental of properties, land tax and other taxes. These arrears totalled RM78.78 million at the end of 2010. On development under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the AG rates the state's performance as satisfactory, with Penang spending 77.8% of the allocated RM1.01 billion. BN green with envy There is no denying that the thumbs-up given by the Auditor-General's Report to Penang has caused the federal government under the aegis of the BN coalition to turn green with envy. While the Lim administration has received straight "As" for its good management of the state, it is otherwise for three companies owned by Johor which performed badly. The Auditor-General's Report said the three companies – YWJ Citra Holdings Sdn Bhd, Johor Skills Development Centre Sdn Bhd and Kumpulan Pendidikan YPJ Sdn Bhd – were found to be unsatisfactorily managed with two companies facing losses. It will do BN good to buck up and emulate Penang in delivering nothing but the best to the rakyat, instead of resorting to gutter politics, using the dirtiest means possible to force their opponents out. For Lim, in the 36 months that DAP has been helming Penang, much trial and tribulations have come his way, both professionally and personally. Personal attacks on Lim came about when pro-Umno blogs had a fortnight ago accused his 16-year-old son of outraging the modesty of a female classmate which resulted in him being transferred to another school. The bloggers also claimed that Lim had paid the girl's family RM200,000 to keep the issue under wraps. The accusations, however, turned out to be baseless after the girl was found to be a 21-year- old chess champion from Hong Kong named Anya Corke who has since issued a statement denying the incident.
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| Muhyiddin: Decision on PPSMI final Posted: 02 Nov 2011 03:47 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The government's decision to scrap the use of English for science and mathematics (PPSMI) in schools is final, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today. In a response directed towards the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE), the deputy prime minister said there would be no more negotiations on the matter as the government had already decided to do away with the policy in 2009. |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 01:58 PM PDT By Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah via Malaysian Mirror The impetus for the Independent Power Producers (IPP) programme in Malaysia In the early 1990s was several as noted in an article by Jeff Rector entitled "The IPP Investment Experience In Malaysia". "Malaysia's economic expansion created a surging need for power" in terms of industrialization and continued Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country. Tenaga National Berhad's (TNB) monopoly on generation was dismantled following a massive blackout in 1992 and the IPP programme was aggressively pushed forward to "restore an adequate safety margin of capacity and to ensure that the country could meet its anticipated future power needs. However the new capacity "grossly overshot demand growth" and several months before the Asian financial crisis struck Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia had almost 50% surplus capacity." 2. The five successful investors of the first wave of IPPs appeared to be those who were well connected with the government and did not necessarily possess experience in the power sector. All five IPPs were gas fueled, sourced from domestic natural gas resources supplied by Petronas, and financing for the IPPs was also completely domestic with EPF being a key uptaker of the bonds that were issued. "It is said that the five consortiums in the first wave of investment were guaranteed returns of 20% and that their actual returns were even higher. 3. The Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) signed between TNB and the IPPs upon the Government's decision to allow for independent power generation in the country are protected under the Official Secrets Act and as such are not available for public scrutiny despite many calls for transparency. What is known is that the agreements are of a long term nature on a 'take or pay' or fixed pay charges basis such that TNB incurs payment obligations regardless of whether the power generation capacity is utilized optimally. With regard to the first generation agreements, it appears that fuel cost risk was borne entirely by TNB and the terms of the PPAs strongly favour the IPPS. In addition, it is reported that unit cost of electricity purchased from IPPs in some cases was nearly double TNB's own generation cost. And although the PPAs are regarded as bipartite agreements, many accounts state that there was a "strong government presence during the contracting phase. The government had and still maintains a golden share in TNB. 4. One of the IPP projects was the Bakun Hydropower dam project, expected to generate 2400MWs and provide electricity supply to Peninsular Malaysia from Sarawak through undersea cables. The project was originally awarded in 1994 to a Sarawakian timber tycoon who did not have any prior experience in dam construction. Vast tracts of forest were already cleared of timber and natives were moved from their native customary homes when the Asian financial crisis struck causing the project to be shelved. Compensation reportedly in the region of a billion ringgit was paid to the concessionaire. The project has been subsequently revived incurring massive cost overruns. Today there is a lack of clarity as to whether the original goal of the dam to supply electricity to the Peninsula will be realized, and if so, at what cost, both financial and environmental. The Bakun dam was included in Transparency International's Monuments of Corruption Global Corruption Report 2005. 5. As TNB is required to purchase a pre-determined amount from the IPPs at fixed costs, when demand falls, as was the case during the 1998 economic crises, TNB faced overproduction and had to put a stop to its own power generating plant, resulting in both inefficiency and loss of profitability. Additionally, "a higher than necessary cost of power resulted in financial losses to the government controlled utility, higher prices to consumers, and arguably an inefficient allocation of society's resources". Against this however is the fact that "timely expensive power is a far superior outcome than blackouts that discourage FDI and domestic investment and stunt economic growth. 6. Whilst this is arguably true, the type of FDI that is attracted should also be considered. For example, with Bakun, the power is expected to be used in aluminium smelting plants. Apart from the numerous environmental concerns this poses, this arguably fails to fit into our plans of becoming developed by 2020, a high income nation with skilled workers. Aluminium smelting is considered a sunset industry in many developed countries. PROPOSAL 7. In light of the increase in electricity tariff to the consumer (average 7%) resulting from gradual reduction of fuel subsidy amidst an increase in global fuel prices, and potential future tariff increases, it is to be studied: a) The impact on the economy especially in terms of the direct and indirect inflationary pressures this presents; b) The impact in terms of purchasing power to different segments of the Malaysian society; c) Is this the appropriate time to remove subsidies when the global economic pressures are already resulting in inflationary pressures in the country, or are there other concerns such as the high electricity supply reserve margin or leakages due to corruption/patronage that should be addressed first to remove the shortfall in finances? d) What would be an adequate reserve capacity? What are the costs/benefits of operating at the present considerably high reserve capacity and is it feasible to continue this in the future? Are there special circumstances in Malaysia that warrant this high reserve capacity which incurs both capital and operating costs? e) How should the additional profits that Petronas makes with the subsidy removal be invested for the national interest? f) Can this tariff increase be assuaged by the proposed Feed-in-Tariff for renewable energy and if so to what extent? g) Do the circumstances of this increase present opportunities which the nation should seize, for example, to move towards cleaner electricity production and efficiency in electricity use as well as reduction in wasteful spending/consumption? Is enough being done to optimize this, and what are the expected positive outcomes? It is encouraging to see that Malaysia is one of the six ASEAN countries that have agreed that member countries should use peak demand management measures to cope with the up-trend in regional power consumption. Measures that have been employed in other countries include providing "subsidies to industries and businesses that use electricity during off-peak hours so as to reduce the government's massive financial burden of having to invest in power-reserve capacities". What are the measures that Malaysia is considering to manage peak electricity demand? h) Is the tariff increase expected to contribute towards achieving Malaysia's aspiration of reducing carbon emissions intensity of GDP by up to 40% of 2005 levels by 2020 as announced by YAB Prime Minister in 2009? If so, what is its anticipated impact? i) How would coal prices be affected by the rise in oil and gas prices? There appears to have been a "sympathetic" increase in coal prices already, should this trend continue, would the public be subjected to further tariff rises given the move towards coal making up a greater portion of the energy mix under the fuel diversification policies? Would this be in line with the country's carbon emission reduction aspiration? 8. In order to answer at least some if not all these questions comprehensively, a transparent analysis of what has occurred in the past in terms of the IPP agreements is required. Such an analysis is expected to show: a) If there was an incremental cost to TNB as a result of the IPP agreements and if this was reasonable or excessive. If excessive, what proportion of this cost was passed on to the consumers? In other words, could the nation have enjoyed the same tariffs with gas subsidies being lower if TNB was not burdened with these excessive incremental costs? b) If there was an incremental cost, was it justified? For example, was this an appropriate price to pay for power supply security and hence reasonable? c) What was the analysis conducted to warrant the high reserve margin of about 40% and what analysis in terms of scenario planning and cost/benefit analysis was undertaken to justify this high reserve? In other words, was such a high reserve planned for, in which case what is its justification? Or, could better planning, have enabled TNB to lower operational costs and hence electricity tariffs? It is interesting to note that neighbouring countries like Thailand operate at reserves of around 22% which is already considered relatively high. In other words, how much savings would TNB have made without being encumbered with payments for this high reserve margin? Would it have made a difference if TNB was not obligated with contractual payments to IPPS, partly as a result of this high reserve capacity, or would the costs of potential electricity supply uncertainty outweighed any such savings? d) What was the actual cost of encouraging consumers to use more electricity (to absorb the excess that TNB was obliged to pay for regardless of the reduction in demand) as was reported during the fall in demand during the Asian financial crisis? Subsidised gas would have been in a manner of speaking "wasted" to meet this artificial demand. A related issue is to examine to what extent this oversupply of electricity and TNB's payment obligations to the IPPs resulted in disincentives to promote electricity savings/efficiency even after the financial crisis ended, which in turn consumed more subsidized gas than necessary. Did this again give an inaccurate picture of electricity demand for the future which was then met by more capital costs being expended in building power plants? e) To what extent did the IPPs, especially the first generation producers, benefit from the decision to allow IPPs into the business of power generation? What was the cost/benefit to the nation of operating on a closed private negotiations basis? Are accounts that despite being private sector players, the IPPs operations are not optimal and rely on the fuel price subsidy to mask their inefficiency justified? f) What is the true cost/benefit of the Bakun dam project to the public? Who were the gainers, who were the losers, and what are the financial as well as other costs such as environmental, loss of native cultural rights, impact on ecological services? What are the benefits of this project? g) Did we produce cheap energy for the right reasons? Have we formulated cohesive policies to ensure this? Were the benefits distributed equitably, particularly to benefit the lower income groups or did the rich receive a disproportionate size of the benefit? Did we attract "good quality" FDI which brought rise in local income, technology and raised quality of life across different 'income stratas or "bad quality" FDI which increased disparity in income, damaged the environment and quality of life and trapped us in the resource curse. 9. Taking an honest look at these issues will allow Malaysia to learn from the earlier experience in future undertakings and guide future decision making in managing and meeting electricity demand. Making the findings public will instill a much desired sense of confidence in the ability of the system to be accountable to the electorate. This is especially so at a time when managing energy/electricity security is required to not only be met in a cost efficient manner, but also to effectively meet the challenge of depleting resources and limiting carbon emissions to address global warming. 10. In meeting our future electricity demands, an open and transparent tender process for future IPP arrangements is imperative. This will allow for more competitive pricing of electricity while also meeting requirements for clean, secure and sustainable energy sources. Additionally, future arrangements with existing IPPs, especially those of the first generation should take into account the fact that they would have fully amortised their capital cost and already enjoyed considerably high profits. A relatively lower profit margin should therefore be negotiated with these IPPs in the interest of the nation, which could translate to unit cost savings for consumers. CONCLUSION 11. Overall, Malaysia should take a holistic and integrated approach in planning for future electricity supply that includes not only security of supply at affordable costs, but also issues that affect development such as income distribution and sustainability as well as issues of growing concern such as environmental degradation and carbon emissions. In achieving a robust framework within which this can be done, we must learn from the successes and mistakes of the past. Transparency and openness are critical elements in enabling us to do so. TENGKU RAZALEIGH HAMZAH |
| AirAsia received RM249m subsidy for rural flights Posted: 02 Nov 2011 01:51 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — AirAsia was paid RM249 million in public funds to subsidise the budget carrier's rural flight services in Sabah and Sarawak between August 2006 and September 2007, the government said today. Deputy Transport Minister Jelaing Mersat also told Parliament that when Malaysia Airlines (MAS) took over the routes from the low-cost airline's subsidiary Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) in October 2007, "they needed less than half the amount of subsidy." "Between August 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007, the subsidy paid to FAX was RM249 million. "MASwings only needed less than half the subsidy as it is more organised and uses newer aircraft which cost less to maintain," the Saratok MP said. The return of the rural air services (RAS) routes to MAS after just 14 months had raised concerns of whether it would affect the national carrier's turnaround plan under then chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala. But then Transport Minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy had said that it would continue subsidies of RM60 million per year to retain low fares. Pendang MP Datuk Mohd Hayati Othman said in Parliament today that the government overpaid RM65 million in subsidies to FAX, which was later restructured to AirAsia X, a long-haul budget service, as it ended its RAS prematurely. The PAS man also claimed that MAS had to spend RM35 million to modify seven aircraft to ply the rural routes in Sabah and Sarawak. MAS's poor financial performance of late had resulted in the share swap with AirAsia on August 9. It saw state investment arm Khazanah Nasional taking a 10 per cent stake in Asia's top budget carrier in exchange for a 20.5 per cent stake in MAS. This allowed AirAsia boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes to sit on the MAS board, ostensibly to help turn the ailing airline around.
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| Anwar predicts ‘Malaysia Spring’ in next polls Posted: 02 Nov 2011 01:46 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has predicted the coming of a "Malaysia Spring" in the next general election, confidently telling US newswire Bloomberg in an interview that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will wrest Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional (BN). "We're taking over the government at the rate we're going," he was quoted as saying in the interview carried today on the newswire.
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