Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Islamic leaders question non-Muslim rights
- Zahid expose DAP's plan to name Malay candidates in General Election
- The Perkasa link in the Anwar car sabotage or murder bid
- ‘Malaysians have lost their purchasing power’
- Bersih rally: PAS promises 100,000 supporters
- Can Ahmad Bashah regain Kedah for BN?
- Something fishy in Bank Islam-Muamalat merger?
- Will Anwar Overcome the Barriers to Putrajaya?
- Tragedies from lessons unlearnt
- Decision soon on fuel prices
- Jala surprised by fall in world competitive ranking
- We need to know how the PSD failed
- Ananda’s telco deal under Indian CBI spotlight
| Islamic leaders question non-Muslim rights Posted: 22 May 2011 01:34 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Several Islamic leaders have questioned the loyalty of non-Muslims in the country, declaring today the community's rights must be re-evaluated if Malaysia is to call itself an Islamic state. Former president of Islamic Da'wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim), Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad, said treatment of non-Muslims must be based on the social contract agreed and pointed out that the government has been too gracious to the community. "In attempts to get vote and support of non-Muslims, we have been very gracious in giving them their civil rights. Civil rights given to them includes the rights to vote, participation in politics, hold office, involvement in the military and so forth but we cannot just willingly give them everything. "Our offer must be based on religious practices. If we look at the prophet's agreement in the Madinah constitution, civil rights were given to the Jews but the rights must be paid back with responsibility. They must have the responsibility and agree to defend our country and not insult the agreement," he said during a forum here. Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia an Islamic state a decade ago in a move to counter PAS' growing influence among the country's key Malay Muslim population. The issue cropped up this month when several groups asked for amendments to the Federal Constitution to stipulate only Muslims can be the prime minister after Utusan Malaysia carried an unsubstantiated report of a Christian plot to usurp Islam's position as religion of the federation. Nakhaie stressed that non-Muslims that have broken the social contract must be expelled from the country and asked the government to adopt a tough approach in safeguarding Muslim interest. "If the agreement is broken then actions must be taken against them. If they break our agreement then they are our enemy and must be expelled from the country. We must not compromise with them. We must be stern with them when it comes to the social contract agreed," he said. Nakhaie added it is important that high level government positions not be awarded to non-Muslims for national security. "We cannot give them important government position as it is not allowed for non-Muslims to become ministers in a Islamic state. Head of military must also not be given to non-Muslims. "Without thinking about the future of our country, we are so willing to give them everything. Granting them their civil rights must be balanced with Islamic preaching so they will understand justice in Islam and the Islamic system," said the former PAS member who defected to Umno years ago. He also warned Muslims to unite as non-Muslims will become stronger if the community continues to quarrel among themselves. "They are brave now and are willing to say anything because they are becoming dominant. They (non-muslim political parties) are only working with us to only achieve their goals. It is a marriage of convenience. We know what is their programme. We are already losing economically and now we want to give political rights?" he asked.
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| Zahid expose DAP's plan to name Malay candidates in General Election Posted: 22 May 2011 01:12 AM PDT (Bernama) - Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has exposed a plan by the DAP to name Malay candidates in several states in the next general election. He said DAP was now identifying suitable Malays to contest seats in states like Perak, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan. "They're taking measures to ensure that the candidates (Malays) would be accepted by voters," he told reporters after opening the Masjid Tanah Umno divisional meeting here today. Ahmad Zahid, who is Defence Minister, said DAP planned to name Malay electoral candidates in Perak in hopes of conquering the state and naming one of its own as menteri besar. "This is because the Perak constitution forbids non-Malay from becoming menteri besar. For this reason, the DAP is planning to name a Malay candidate to contest a state seat so that eventually a DAP menteri besar could be sworn in," he said. In other states, he said, DAP was likely to name Malay candidates in Malay-majority constituencies and in areas where Barisan Nasional (BN) fielded non-Malay candidates. Ahmad Zahid described the strategy as something that could be plausibly executed by DAP. He noted that DAP had started a blogsite in Malay after using mainly English and Mandarin to reach out to the people all this while. "We've managed to sniff out the plan which is concocted without the knowledge of PAS and PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat). I'd like to remind PAS and PKR not to become a mere tool of the DAP," he said. Ahmad Zahid also reminded members of Umno and other BN component parties to be wary of the DAP's ploy. "We shouldn't remain complacent in the face of DAP's actions. I'd like to urge Malays not to associate themselves with the DAP, whether by becoming their candidates or partners under Pakatan Rakyat," he added.
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| The Perkasa link in the Anwar car sabotage or murder bid Posted: 22 May 2011 01:03 AM PDT Written by Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle Rowdy ultra Malay-rights group Perkasa has been linked to the sabotage of a car used by the wife of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, causing an accident that could have resulted in her death. A police report has already been lodged on the incident, and pending investigations, PKR leaders have maintained an uneasy silence. But few have hesitated to call the accident a murder attempt - aimed more at Anwar than Wan Azizah, who is also their party president. Pointing out the link is Anwar himself, who asked how it was that Perkasa had known and lodged a police report that his car - a Mercedes 350 - would be tampered with months before it occured. "They need to be asked. Now that there is a real accident and a threat on Azizah's life, they have to explain. No, I'm not implying anything (but), how do you expect me to respond to rumours?" Malaysiakini reported Anwar as saying. In February, Perkasa predicted the accident that would happen in April The accident to Anwar's car happened on April 19. It was a serious one but Azizah and her travelling companion escaped harm. The mechanic's report showed that a caliper-guide bolt-pin that support the brake disc had been removed. "I was told that it is impossible for the bolt to come off without someone removing it. Based on what the mechanic told me, there are also elements of sabotage, considering that the vehicle is regularly used by Anwar," his driver of 28 years had said. The 51-year old driver was the one who lodged the police report earlier this month. But way in advance on February 11, Armand Azha Abu Hanifah, then the Perkasa Youth chief, had lodged his own police report claiming a plot by Anwar and PKR leaders to stage an accident so as to gain public sympathy. Armand also said the real purpose of the ruse was to spirit Anwar out of the country to a place where he can seek political asylum. "We feared that he would mobilise and cause chaos in Malaysia from overseas like (ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who was said to have a hand in the bloody demonstrations in Bangkok last year)," said Armand. How credible is Armand's explanation can only be decided by Malaysians themselves. The former Perkasa rabble-rouser is now the PJ Utara Umno youth information chief. Deathly political game Indeed, the links to Umno, or more specifically to the Umno elite and in particular Mahathir Mohamad who is also the Perkasa founder, cannot be denied. There is a clear trend and design to shut out Anwar and his family from the Malaysian political scene. Malaysian politics is both simple and complex at the same time, hinging on the Malay community which forms 60 per cent of the 28 million population. Whether Anwar is now on a politcal upswing or as the Umno insists on the downcycle, he is still the only Malay leader seen as capable of bridging the divide between the community and the other races. Thanks to the policies practised since indepndence from colonial rule in 1957, and especially during the Mahathir era, there have been blatant efforts by the government to keep the races apart. Divide-and-rule was Mahathir's chosen policy, and racial polarization under Prime Minister Najib Razak's watch is now at its worst. Some say that is because the chances are now very real that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition led by Anwar could topple Najib's BN in the coming election. Anwar's daughter, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah, has also received an SMS threat to kidnap her children if she did not persuade her father to quit politics. Again, like the car sabotage, police reports have been lodged but little action taken by the authorities. "If the allegations are anything that involves something criminal then the police must investigate, there should not be a cover-up," complained Anwar. "Now there is a semblance of a cover-up, for both cases - the accident and the threat to Izzah's daughter. This can be amplified by the manner the investigation is conducted and the statement by the minister of defence. I don't have any issues with Zahid Hamidi. You want to preserve your position in the party and be prepared to go to that extent, where people's lives are being threatened ...". He was referring to Defense Minister Zahid Hamidi, who recently accused Izzah of trying to gain public sympathy. Zahid's callous accusations stirred up a storm of public outrage, but like his Umno colleagues, they conveniently see Anwar and his family as 'fair game'. "This is now what Anwar's enemies are trying to do. To twist the truth and when it can't be twisted anymore, they even try to kill him off. I appeal to the BN or those extremists in BN to stop before we go past the point of no return. Please respect the people's wishes for a government of the people for the people by the people," Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham told Malaysia Chronicle.
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| ‘Malaysians have lost their purchasing power’ Posted: 21 May 2011 07:00 PM PDT The ratio of income against the cost of goods in Malaysia is at an unhealthy level, notes a newly elected assemblyman in Sarawak. (Free Malaysia Today) - Any increase in retail prices, no matter how small, is a heavy burden on the ordinary Malaysian who is already living on an overstretched budget, said newly elected assemblyman Wong King Wei. Fresh off the ballot box, Wong is not alone in his views as more and more consumers are concerned over rising inflation and how far their salaries will go. Bank Negara recently said inflation could double to 3.5% this year. Already it is 3%. For the ordinary man on the street earning RM1,000, a 3.5% inflation would simply mean he would instantaneously see RM35 disappear from his pocket and with no purchases to account for. And if the inflation rate raises to 5%, he would then lose RM50, which could, if used, translate to a provision list of rice, sugar, oil and onions to last a few days for a family. Said Wong: "The government cannot keep lying about the situation… removing subsidies will affect the ordinary man everything from travel to eating out and marketing. "We are not getting value for money spent. The ratio of income and the cost of goods for Malaysians is currently at a very unhealthy level." According to Wong, the DAP Padungan rep, the spiralling prices of consumer goods has made Malaysians lose their purchasing power. "We're lagging behind many countries now. Even people in Kuala Lumpur who used to have the highest purchasing power compared to other Malaysians are feeling the pinch. "It's all there in the 2010 Prices and Wages Report," he said alluding to the Swiss financial conglomerate UBS AG's revealing fact that Malaysians are lagging behind their global counterparts in terms of purchase power. Citing South Korea, Wong said 40 years ago, the republic was on par economically with Malaysia, but today the citizens enjoyed a purchasing power which was 17% higher than Malaysians. Corruption and cronyism The report noted that although the price of goods in these places were twice that of KL, the purchasing power in Kuala Lumpur was still more than twice lesser. Blaming the weaker purchasing power on the gap between income earned and cost of goods, Wong said there was a 'significant disparity' in wages in Malaysia. Compounding the situation is the fact that Malaysians had to deal with 'corruption and cronyism.'
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| Bersih rally: PAS promises 100,000 supporters Posted: 21 May 2011 04:30 PM PDT PAS promises to bring 100,000 supporters for the rally, which is scheduled to be held on July 9. (Free Malaysia Today) - PAS has pledged its support and 100,000 supporters for the polls watchdog Bersih 2.0′s rally, dubbed the "Walk for Democracy." This was announced by PAS central committee member Mohamad Sabu and Kuala Krai MP Dr Hatta Ramli at a press conference here this afternoon. "We will mobilise 100,000 members and supporters from PAS alone," said Sabu who is eyeing the party's number two post. He revealed that the rally would be held on July 9 at 2 pm in Kuala Lumpur. Asked on the motive behind the rally, Hatta said the government had not agreed to the demands made in the first rally four years ago. "The Election Commission is trying to curb us. The government also doesn't know how to differentiate whether an action constitutes bribery," he added. In 2007, Bersih, which is made up of more than 60 NGOs, demanded for the use of indelible ink, registered voters roll clean-up, abolition of postal votes and access to the government-controlled print and broadcast media for opposition parties. This time around, the Bersih 2.0 rally would see an addition of two more demands.
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| Can Ahmad Bashah regain Kedah for BN? Posted: 21 May 2011 12:49 PM PDT By Sheridan Mahavera, The Malaysian Insider ALOR STAR, May 22 — Barisan Nasional's (BN) new point-man in its quest to retake Kedah is supremely confident in the gospel of 1 Malaysia.
For Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, it is the key to breaking Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) hold over the minds of Kedahans and putting their belief back in the BN. After a Chinese New Year dinner in late February, he had stated that 1 Malaysia's message of inclusiveness was bringing the Chinese community back into the BN, which is key to winning Kedah's mixed seats. "Kedahans have seen that PR cannot fulfil their promises. Their confidence is returning to us," declares Ahmad Bashah, Kedah Umno's liaison chief and the man handpicked by BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak in January this year to spearhead the national coalition's take-over of Kedah. For the four-term assemblyman, 1 Malaysia's tenet of unity extends to how state governments should be in sync with the coalition holding federal power. He believes only this will move Kedah forward. A straw poll of 70 Kedahans conducted by The Malaysian Insider, however, challenges the claim that 1 Malaysia is sparking wide interest among the public. Though he is a veteran leader among Umno leaders and BN allies, Ahmad Bashah's appeal does not percolate down to the man-on-street or even among many Umno supporters. He also has to deal with the clawing factionalism in Kedah Umno's 15 divisions. It was partly the back-stabbing within divisions over who was chosen as candidates in the 12th general election that derailed their machinery and turned off the party's supporters. A northern Kedah Umno division leader describes the fight ahead as steep and hard for Ahmad Bashah and the BN. Even though the PR administration has been less-than-stellar, BN must endure painful changes if it wants Kedahans to take them back. A familiar hand Ahmad Bashah was a senior leader in the Kedah BN state Cabinet prior to 2008. He takes over the state Umno and BN leadership from Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who was more of an interim appointee after Kedah fell to PR. The former businessman started being active in Umno at about the same time "Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became a deputy education minister". A consummate party man, he worked his way up from a branch leader to a youth leader in the Alor Star division before becoming its head. He first contested and won the Bakar Bata state seat (which was then called Alor Merah) in the 1995 elections. In an interview with The Malaysian Insider, Ahmad Bashah said his main message to Kedahans was the importance of returning to BN to power in order to get the necessary investment and funds to grow Kedah. "Datuk Najib is the torch bearer of Malaysia," he said, referring to the prime minister's attempt at bringing development via the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and the National Key Results Areas (NKRA) initiative. "So we (Kedah BN) have to help Najib bring that torch to Kedah. Kedah must be ruled by the same parties that controls Putrajaya," he adds. This is a truism that is often overlooked. Kedah is largely a paddy-based agrarian economy. On its own, the state is unable to attract large-scale ventures in manufacturing or electronics that bring in jobs, raise local spending power and help spur small business growth. Such previous ventures such as the Sharp Roxy plant in Sungai Petani, the Kulim High Tech Park and the Perwaja Steel plant in Gurun, were set up with the aid of federal government agencies that deal with trade. Similarly, the big universities and colleges that are transforming Kedah's landscape like Universiti Utara Malaysia in Changloon and AIMST University in Semeling were made possible by the Higher Education Ministry. "We have seen that under Pakatan, the state has gone backwards. Only BN can bring it forwards." New line up, Same faces Bashah admits that factionalism is a problem but insists it is manageable, claiming it is more a "perception problem among the grassroots" rather than a debilitating cancer. |
| Something fishy in Bank Islam-Muamalat merger? Posted: 21 May 2011 12:46 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, May 20: Another bailout? This is the question summing up concerns by PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub over the merger proposal between Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad and Bank Muamalat, involving tax payers' money. "I am afraid this is another bailout that has been the unhealthy culture in our country and which continues to burden the people," he told the media yesterday. Salahuddin (pic) argued that the merger idea might be mooted to rescue Bank Muamalat, which was rumoured to be in trouble, at the expense of Bank Islam, adding that his suspicioun was fuelled by absence of any official statements from Bank Muamalat over its woes. Salahuddin said the merger would not benefit Bank Islam as it was part of BIMB Holding Bhd with Tabung Haji as its biggest share holder at 51 percent. "What is the point of merging with Bank Muamalat? What are the benefits? Bank Islam already has 115 branches nationwide. What will it get by merging with Bank Muamalat? "If it has only few branches, one can say it is reasonable, but Bank Islam's network spreads nationwide. Ditto Tabung Haji," stressed Salahuddin, who is also the Kubang Kerian member of parliament. Salahuddin reiterated that PAS was not 'comfortable' with the proposed merger because it smacked of a bail-out using public funds. 'Don't burden Bank Islam' Last week, DRB-HICOM, the biggest shareholder in Bank Muamalat, expressed its interest to Bank Islam on the prospect of merger with the Islamic bank, but stopped short of saying whether it would give up controlling stake of 70 percent in Bank Muamalat. The other 30 percent stake is held by Khazanah Nasional Berhad. |
| Will Anwar Overcome the Barriers to Putrajaya? Posted: 21 May 2011 12:30 PM PDT By Dajmarizal Zolkipli, Malaysian Digest In 2008, when asked on the possibility of Anwar Ibrahim becoming the next prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad responded sarcastically, "He would make a good Prime Minister… of Israel". That pretty much sums it all up on what a former premier feels about his own former protégé and the person he himself groomed throughout his years as prime minister. Back then when Anwar was deputy prime minister, who would have the slightest thought that the one who was thought to have been destined to be Dr Mahathir's successor would turn out to be the most controversial opposition leader the country have ever bred. By now, Anwar is already the most renowned Malaysian politician. Being the only Malaysian who made it to Time Most Influential People in 2008, Anwar has also masterminded the formation of the Pakatan Rakyat following the March 2008 political 'tsunami' of which both changed the political landscape significantly. We can see now that, since the formation of Pakatan with Anwar as its leader, the Malaysian political scene has been divided into two sides – those who wish to stay with the existing system of governance, and those who wish to reform and change the style of governance. But more recently, the nation is yet again divided in their personal verdict on the sex video that has emerged in April implicating the PKR de facto leader. The only difference this time is even those in the Opposition are divided in their views on whether the sex video is genuine. For some, the video that was exposed by 'suspicious' characters by the likes of Datuk 'T' (Shazryl Eskay, Rahim Thamby Chik and Shuib Lazim) was artificially created as a plot to end Anwar's political career. To some of these guys, the sex tape could be an attempt by rival Barisan Nasional (BN) to 'even out the scores' since its coalition party MCA's president himself has a sex video of his own that was leaked out earlier. Whatever the people's views are, the police have already confirmed that the sex video footage is a genuine recording. Now it's up to the Attorney-General to decide whether Anwar has to enter defense or not. Sodomy II We are all familiar with the fact that Anwar is no stranger to controversy and the legal procedures involved in alleged sex scandals. That being said, on 16 May, the opposition leader was ordered to enter defense on his second sodomy charge. On June he will once again take the stand as a witness and defend himself against the charge of sodomizing his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. Anwar and his team of lawyers led by top counsel Karpal Singh who's also his DAP partner in Pakatan will be put to the task in raising doubt in the prosecution's case of which is built on Anwar's DNA matching that of 'Male Y'. For Anwar to win the case his legal team must prove that the said DNA sample had been tampered with or it was planted. They also need any alibi saying that he was not there at Bukit Damansara (the vicinity of the condominium where of the alleged crime had taken place) at all material time of the alleged crime. Proving that there was no penetration into Saiful's anus would also be another tough endeavor, As it is, with Anwar's DNA samples taken from a water bottle, towel and toothbrush accepted as evidence, the opposition leader could easily be found guilty. What he can do to save himself though is to take an oath in front of the judge to deny his relation with the persecution's case. Even if Anwar successfully gets Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor to take the stand as witnesses like he had vowed to do nothing much can be gained as these two would be more partial towards the persecution team. However, if it were to happen what it would achieve for Anwar and his defense team is it would sensationalize the case even more and, with that, more attention from the international media. As I said, Anwar is no stranger to this game. He will use the foreign media to his advantage to get sympathy while gaining popularity and, of course, ultimately, get the international community on his side. This sodomy trial looks to be another lengthy affair. If Anwar wins the case, prosecution will appeal to Court of Appeal and vice versa all the way to e Federal Court – making this court and trial saga reminiscent of the 1998 trial. Will Anwar's Pakatan Stand the Test of Controversies? Anwar also has another thing to worry about on top of the alleged sex scandals. With the general election looming, the Pakatan coalition is showing signs of cracks. There's a lot of buzz on a possible PAS-Umno merger and with Hadi Awang's continued leadership this could be a reality. Meanwhile, DAP has totally outshined PKR (and PAS) after its (DAP's) impressive outing in the Sarawak state election. |
| Tragedies from lessons unlearnt Posted: 21 May 2011 12:25 PM PDT (NST) - HIGHLAND Towers. Karak Highway. Taman Hillview. Bukit Antarabangsa. And now, Felcra Semungkis. These names alone are enough to evoke the most painful images -- of wrecked houses and cars, of families in grief and of rescue workers pulling out bodies from under piles of soil and rubble. The continuing failure to prevent fatal landslides is nothing short of a national tragedy, one that highlights a stubborn refusal on the part of developers, local authorities and the public to learn from the harsh lessons of the past. Few details have emerged so far, but it is, perhaps, no coincidence that this most recent disaster at the Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage at km14 Jalan Hulu Langat, occurred during a long spell of daily torrential rain. Landslides are an unfortunate but common feature of the nation's geology, part of the perils of living in a tropical country where heavy rainfall plays a large role in soil erosion and destabilisation. In recent years, rapid urbanisation, overdevelopment and deforestation have contributed further to the destabilising of soil, with a greater number of heavy, concrete structures being built upon gradually weakened earth. According to a study, 26 landslides were reported in the media between 1993 and 2002. These events have caused 150 deaths, 30 others injured and thousands more to be evacuated. This works out to more than five deaths in each incident. Yet there are few signs that we have learned to live with the reality of landslides, the way the Japanese have learned to adapt to life with regular earthquakes. Rampant deforestation continues with no blanket ban issued on hill slope development. At least one minister has defended the decision to continue development in hilly areas as a way of dealing with a rapidly growing population and increasing land scarcity. Demand among house-buyers for hill-slope properties has not diminished either, despite warnings from the victims of previous landslides about the potential of heavy personal and economic losses one would incur when such a tragedy occurs. Some may also point a finger at overzealous developers who fail to be fully transparent when presenting the safety details of their building projects to prospective buyers and local authorities. The Public Works Department's slope engineering division, set up in 2004, has the expertise in slope maintenance, landslide risk assessment and methods to reduce them. However, the lack of resources and manpower at local councils have left them ill-equipped to adequately evaluate development plans, to monitor risk areas or to undertake the quick action needed to prevent landslides. And despite efforts to look into the causes of landslides, most of the studies have been conducted after the fact. Not enough attention has been given to coming up with workable methods and early warning systems that can warn us of landslides and therefore, minimise the loss of life, One thing is certain, landslides are here to stay. Lives can only be saved when one finds the right balance between the need for development and the need to protect the public. A balance that can only be attained with knowledge and political will. |
| Posted: 21 May 2011 10:34 AM PDT By M. Hamzah Jamaludin, Hanif Salim and Sulaiman Jaafar, NST KEMAMAN: The government's plans to rationalise the fuel subsidies should not be exploited as the increase in global prices of the commodity will eventually make the amount involved too big to manage, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Hitting out at the opposition in particular, Muhyiddin said it was easier for them to blame the government as they were not the ones who had to find solutions to the problem, especially when the subsidies involved had increased from RM10 billion to RM18 billion. The opposition has been exploiting the issue of an imminent fuel price hike although the government has yet to make a decision on the matter. Muhyiddin said the government would take into consideration all factors before making any decision on the fuel subsidies, which had helped maintain the prices of other products and services. Asked when the government would make the decision on fuel prices, he said the matter would be announced after a cabinet committee that he chaired received reports from all the agencies involved. Muhyiddin said it was important for the public to also help absorb the increase in fuel prices as the time would come when the government could no longer shoulder the subsidies which could affect the development plans for the country. |
| Jala surprised by fall in world competitive ranking Posted: 21 May 2011 10:28 AM PDT By Yuen Meikeng, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala has expressed surprise that Malaysia has fallen six places in international competitiveness ranking from last year. However, Jala, who is also the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) CEO, said he accepted the ranking and would look into areas which could be improved. "We are studying the report on Malaysia's position in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2011. "We will look into issues and areas of weaknesses and find ways to improve them," he said after the "How you can participate and benefit from the Economic Transformation Pro-gramme (ETP)" seminar held at Wis-ma Chinese Chambers here yesterday. Jala added that the Government would analyse the details of the report next week. In the scoreboard released by Switzerland-based Institute of Management Development, Malay-sia's ranking dropped from 10th place to 16th out of 59 participating countries. Jala said the ranking was produced from interviews with 110 people although there were about 28 million Malaysians. "The ranking is the result of the views of those 110 people. If you ask another 110 people, they may have different views," he said, adding that it had only been six months since the ETP was introduced. "It will take time for the ETP to show fruition in the economy. "I remain positive that this is a great country with a great future," he said, adding that there was still a need to improve government and business efficiency. On the Chinese community's acceptance of the ETP, Jala said their response was excellent and he was very encouraged by it. "Many Chinese small and medium enterprises have raised their issues with us and we are looking for solutions," he said. |
| We need to know how the PSD failed Posted: 21 May 2011 10:25 AM PDT (The STar) - THE Public Services Department (PSD) is in the soup for the reported mishandling of scholarship awards that is at odds with government policy. Many among the 363 full A+ students were denied overseas scholarships they had applied for. Last year, 1,218 SPM students had scored 9A+ or better but were still denied scholarships. Evidently the PSD has much explaining to do, since its designation demands that its duty is to serve the public interest. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had even extended scholarship eligibility to students who had scored 8A+, but the department has let him down. The MCA acted swiftly to press for proper rectification. Party Youth chief and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong has announced that the PSD will review the scholarship applications by top students. Results of the findings will be made known from tomorrow. The issue will also be thrashed out at the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The PSD's failure to do its job is a disservice to the nation and producing a loss to the country. It has also shaken public confidence in the nation's governance, especially among the younger generation. Any wilful element in that failure is insubordination to the nation's executive that amounts to treasonable conduct. An apology from the department is the least that the public can expect from it. There should also be appropriate penalties for those officers who had knowingly deviated from official policy. How else can they be deterred from further misconduct? All this provokes some essential questions in the public mind: what prompted the deviation, who are the guilty officers, and what other misconduct remains unknown? Central to the problem is the lack of transparency in the handling of scholarship applications. The obvious solution is to publish past selection procedures besides making future procedures publicly known. Since the award of scholarships involves large sums being given by some individuals to certain individuals, a thorough inquiry is needed to restore the PSD's reputation. If necessary, an independent investigation into the many anomalies should involve the MACC. It is important for public confidence to return to official institutions, particularly those tasked to serve the public. The PSD itself should be the first to seek all the remedies needed to clear the air. |
| Ananda’s telco deal under Indian CBI spotlight Posted: 21 May 2011 02:49 AM PDT The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation is looking into alleged discrepancies in the ownership change in Aircel by Ananda Krishnan's Maxis Communications. (Free Malaysia Today) - Business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan could face Indian investigations over his takeover of Chennai-based cellular company Aircel in 2006. The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking into alleged discrepancies in the ownership change in Aircel by Ananda Krishnan's Maxis Communications. The inquiry, as directed by the Indian courts, is to examine decisions taken by the Indian Telecom Ministry, including the decision to allow the takeover of Aircel by the Malaysian telco giant. A report in the New Delhi-based Economic Times today stated that the CBI is likely to name former Telecoms Minister Dayanidhi Maran and Maxis over the ownership change. Maran is now the Indian textile minister. The daily reported that a preliminary investigation is expected to be filed before July 6. "Yes, we are at an advanced stage of investigations into the case. We will be in a position to file the FIR (first information report) before July 6," a CBI official added. During the deal entered by Maxis to takeover Aircel in 2006, the Indian telco was owned by C Sivasankaran. CBI officials investigating the case believed that Sivasankaran was under pressure to strike the deal. According to the Economic Times report, the CBI is likely to allege in the FIR that actions of Maran in not clearing Aircel's application for licences and spectrum as a telecom minister caused Aircel to be sold to Maxis. CBI officials believed, the report added, the delay in granting licence and spectrum to Aircel was a 'ploy' to get them to sell to Maxis. "A person, who was close to the negotiations between Sivasankaran and Maxis at that time, confirmed that pressure was brought upon the former to dispose off his stake," add the report. CBI officials also claimed that Ananda Krishnan was close to the Maran family. Astro's deal under spotlight too Sun Direct is a part of the Sun Group owned by Kalanidhi Maran, southern India's largest vernacular language broadcaster. He is also minister Maran's brother. Economic Times said Dayanidhi Maran refused to comment on the matter.
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