Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Budget 2012: Hardly transformative
- 2012 Budget Highlights
- Greenpeace Speaks Up In Support Of The Vet Taib’s Assets Campaign!
- Najib, what’s it to be? Free and fair elections after electoral reforms, or Tahrir Square?
- ‘Truth In Advertising’ – Ta Ann Exposed!
- It's hard for me to say I'm sorry
| Budget 2012: Hardly transformative Posted: 08 Oct 2011 10:26 AM PDT It's themed as a transformative budget. The only transformative feature in a budget described to induce that effect, is converting a cashless person to a person with some cash through a sudden but temporary windfall. The jaga who is a former home-guard will get a RM3,000 windfall after which he remains a jaga to sustain a living. The language used is the language of a gambler. Hence, his minders leaked information that this is a break the bank budget, a language more suited to the roulette table. The house doesn't have sufficient funds to cover the value of the chips on the table. Yet it lets people win to encourage more to play at the table. Because in most cases the house eventually wins, so the PM's minders reasoned, that law will also operate on the 2012 budget. So spend. PM Najib is gambling. Create the illusion that voters can win by getting money now, while the house is depleting itself. But in the end because the house usually wins, Najib is going ahead to spend. At around the same time, a former PM who was also a former finance minister also never known for fiscal frugality, warned the west not to spend in denial. Was he also targeting our current PM? In a world set upon by slower economic growth, where do we sell our exports? Can we maintain our price of oil and gas to ensure we have enough funds to finance the 2012 budget? These seem to worry the finance minister the least for now. So, he will and can call elections any time. Best, call it before the end of the year. But then, Umno people are just going through the drill attending courses here and there. The Umno Assembly is slotted sometime at the end of the year. The PM is leaving for Hajj pilgrimage for about two weeks. Perhaps there he will be seeking divine signs on the dates to hold elections. God is on BN's side just as God is a Republican in the US. It's impossible not to win. I will say, the elections will be around March 2012. In recent years, the budget instead of being a solemn account of what the government earns and how it will apply and appoint the revenue has become Santa Claus's bag of goodies. The 2012 budget breaks all barriers — all social groups conceivable by the finance minister and the group which prepared the budget are included as recipients of some sort of money. It pays everyone to secure their vote. How the nation's budget is employed is not dissimilar from the way the Ketua Bahagian Umno of Pekan sorts out problems in Pekan — pay every damn person. That's a small way to make people forget about the trials and tribulations of life — the rising prices of food stuffs and goods, the horrendous levels of corruption and abuse of office for self-aggrandisement, the unfair distribution of wealth, the rapacious profiteering around government projects, the arrogance of those in power. The 2012 budget gives a pain killer to treat a more troublesome agony. With all the money that is going to be given out, the country will have excess liquidity unless it has the absorptive capacity. So where is the build-up of productive capacity to absorb the excess liquidity that will surely add to inflationary pressures? What we see is a catalogue of spending and not much information on an overall plan to do justice to the 2012 budget theme — to transform society. Mr Finance minister, Mr Optimus Prime falls short here. How do you do that? We can achieve that transformative agenda by building capacity, cultivating skills and other productive enhancing capabilities. We are deluged with the overzealous desire to hand out money to all sorts of people. Indeed, we appreciate and salute the sacrifices of the home guards, special constables and so on giving them RM3,000 one-off payment. That's RM500 per month if you earn a salary of a jaga which will last you for six months. The retraining scheme of our servicemen who serve no longer than 21 years has been an ongoing program since so many years back. So, it's just a re statement of an existing plan. There is always this funfair atmosphere surrounding the presentation of our national budget. Everyone thumps the table upon hearing this group will receive a one off payment, that group another lump sum payment. The loudest response of course came when PM announce MP's allowance will also be revised. A budget is a solemn document. It's an account of how much this country earned as revenue, its sources and then the proposals to commit that income. It's a revelation one the exercise of financial management and discipline. Those are the things we must direct our attention to. For example, everyone clapped when the finance minister said; this year's budget is a lower proportion of our GDP. Yes, but isn't our GDP this year bigger than last year's? Look at the absolute figure too. It's still a deficit suggesting perhaps financial indiscipline and even worse unjustifiable leakages. Have the leakages been dealt with? The budget is humongous — RM232.8 billion which is a lot of money, especially with a 9.4 per cent rise in expenditure. Despite the country's deficit being reduced to 4.7 per cent from 5.4 per cent of GDP, the fact remains that in terms of absolute mount, it would be the biggest deficit in Malaysian history. Biggest deficit. Our growth rate of five to six per cent? Malaysia should be performing a miracle next year. Our finance minister is confident that Malaysia will do a five to six per cent growth rate, whereas the world will grow from a negative figure to maybe three per cent max. So is the five to six per cent growth rate realistic and achievable? Or is our finance minister confidently pulling wool over our eyes? Please tell me — when is it, during the 50 over budgets presented have we ever heard the commentaries that followed the budget ever described the budget in negative terms? The analysts sometime behave like children just given some lollipops gushing with uncontrollable exuberance. Before the 2008 elections, Pak Lah presented the budget in much the same way — giving out goodies to everyone he can capture in the dragnet, yet it didn't stop the BN losing a large number of seats. So when friends told and confided in me, then the 2012 budget strikes fear in the hearts of the opposition, I told them to let the realities of the budget sink in first. Similar feelings were evident after the budget before the 2008 GE. I don't watch TV at all during a budget presentation preferring to listen to old school radio. Listening to just a verbal presentation, excludes the urge to agree on account of facial expressions, speech giving antics and so forth. Also I usually refrain from giving a spontaneous response again preferring further analysis of the budget. People can easily be overwhelmed by the feel good nature of an election budget. Did I say an election budget? That's what it is really despite the DPM's usual dour rejection to suggestions that it is. But nowadays not many people take the DPM seriously. So we can excuse his monotonal warnings and posturing. Nowadays people are easily charmed by the form by which the budget is presented. Hence people will comment on the language used by the PM, the way he presented it and so forth. This reminded me of the time when Anwar Ibrahim was the finance minister. He presented his budget quoting phrases from the Quran, almost all the philosophers known and read by him, used new phrases — prompting Johan Jaafar, then head honcho of Utusan Malaysia then, to describe Anwar Ibrahim as our best finance minister. We could almost imagine Johan Jaafar getting wet in the pants when describing Anwar Ibrahim as such. Today, Johan Jaafar is of course ensconced in the bowels of BN's media citadel somewhere. If he were asked to describe PM Najib yesterday when presenting the budget, he will likely do so with the same awed glorification. I don't understand why there is so much hype around a budget unveiling. It seems the politics is more important then the contents, ramifications and implications of a budget. It's also erroneously used as a platform to announce a slew of projects which has nothing to do with a budget. But this year, we are spared the announcement of construction of towers by PUNB, Felda and so forth. The finance minister stays close to the script. The budget is an account of money coming in and where the money is going. That's it. Then the issues and factors that have affected the coming ins and going outs. How has he addressed the issue of rising cost of living? People are sceptical about the official inflation rate said to be around five per cent. What goods and services are contained in the basket of goods chosen by Bank Negara? One year ago one kilo of ikan kembong was 60 per cent cheaper. So inflation can't be five per cent. The most important goods and services which the public are looking at are the price of foodstuffs — easily rising beyond five per cent, education, housing, transport, cost of fuels etc. inflation just can't be around five per cent. Will the disposable cash increases all around tackle the root cause of rising prices? What's the cause of rice shortages that forces us to incur large import bills on rice? Why should be allow Bernas to own a monopoly over rice imports causing market distortions? The minister has announced plans to develop the agriculture sector so that we can increase food production and so forth. That will take a few years down the road so that the immediate and effective way to sort out food import bills is to remove any form of monopolies.
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| Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:17 PM PDT * Government will introduce other transformation programmes, culminating in the National Transformation Policy, effective 2011-2020. * RM232.8 billion allocated to implement all government development plans, focusing on the well-being of the rakyat, with RM181.6 billion for operating expenditure and RM51.2 billion for development expenditure. * RM13.6 billion allocated to the social sector, including education, training, health, welfare, housing and community development. * Government will implement a special stimulus package through private financing initiative, through which total projects amounting RM6 billion will be carried out. * 2012 announced as the year of National Innovation Movement, with a RM100 million allocation to implement several strategic initiatives. * RM50.2 billion for the education sector, with a development allocation of RM1.9 billion for the Education Ministry to be spent on all types of schools. * RM1 billion to be provided through a special fund for the construction, improvement and maintenance of schools, particularly to cater to their immediate needs. * Abolition of RM24.50 and RM33.50 for co-curriculum, internal test papers, Malaysian Schools Sports Council fees and insurance premium involving students in primary and secondary schools respectively, beginning the 2012 school year. * Financial contributions from companies and individuals to upgrade school facilities to be eligible for tax deductions, to encourage more charitable activities. * Existing National Agrobusiness Terminal (TEMAN) in Wakaf Che Yeh (Kelantan) and Gopeng (Perak) will be developed as Rural Transformation Centres pilot projects, with four more RTCs to be developed in Kedah, Johor, sabah and Sarawak. * Establishment of Professional Services Fund to encourage professionals such as lawyers, doctors and accountants to set up firms in small towns, with BSN providing RM100 million for soft loans with an interest of 4 per cent. * RM110 million for the implementation of the Rural Mega Leap Programme covering 6,500 hectares in 11 Agropolitan Projects nationwide for the cultivation of commodity and cash crops as well as cage fish culture. * RM140 million to implement RISDA's new planting and rubber re-planting programmes benefiting 20,000 smallholders. * RM5 billion proposed to strengthen the development of rural basic infrastructure in a more comprehensive manner. * RM500 million to continue implementing projects to upgrade basic infrastructure under "Projek Penyelenggaraan Infrastruktur Awam" and "Projek Infrastruktur Asas", providing opportunities for 29,000 Class F contractors registered with the Contractor Service Sector. * RM50 million to expand rainwater harvesting programme to Sabah. * RM400 million to upgrade water supply infrastructure in selected Felda areas, besides RM50 million to connect the reticulation system in estates to the main pipes. * RM150 million to be provided to the Public Transport Development Fund in the SME Bank to enhance bus services for the rural community. * RM90 million for the provision of basic necessities which includes expanding the clean water supply project as well as income generating programmes for the Orang Asli community. * Introduction of the New Civil Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) to replace the current scheme. * Improving the salary of civil servants through a single-tier structure with additional increments to enable civil servants to continue receiving annual increments over a longer period. * Annual increment of civil servants to be increased between RM80 and RM320 according to their grades, beginning 2012. Those who opt for the SBPA will receive an annual increment of between 7 per cent and 13 per cent. * With the implementation of SBPA, more than 600,000 government pensioners will benefit from a pension adjustment involving an allocation of RM600 million. * Effective 2013, the government will implement an annual pension increment of 2 per cent without having to wait for any review of the remuneration system or salary adjustments. * Extension of compulsory retirement age from 58 to 60 years old to optimise civil servants' contribution. * Additional bonus of half-month salary with a minimum payment of RM500 for civil servants and an assistance of RM500 for government pensioners, to be paid together with December 2011 salary. * RM120 million to offer 5,000 Masters and 500 doctoral scholarships for eligible civil servants, including teachers. * The government will offer 20,000 places for diploma teachers to pursue undergraduate studies. * A special one-off payment of RM3,000 to 4,300 individuals who have completed their contracts with the Department of Special Affairs (JASA) and Social Development Department (KEMAS).
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| Greenpeace Speaks Up In Support Of The Vet Taib’s Assets Campaign! Posted: 07 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT The Chief Executive Officer of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Dr Linda Selvey, has personally written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, backing requests by the Bruno Manser Foundation, PKR and Sarawak Report for an investigation into the Taib family's string of investments in that country.
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| Najib, what’s it to be? Free and fair elections after electoral reforms, or Tahrir Square? Posted: 06 Oct 2011 11:30 AM PDT These were the electoral reforms for which thousands of Malaysians converged on the streets of Kuala Lumpur to send a strong message to Najib's government : we, the rakyat, are not prepared to have another general election until we have the reforms we have demanded. You will all recall that between the BERSIH 2.0 event on 19th June to announce the rally of 9th July, and the days after leading up to the rally itself, Najib, his ministers,Ibs and Perkasa, UMNO bloggers and the mainstream media were in complete denial that our 8 demands for electoral reforms had any basis. The sheer numbers, the determination and the solidarity of the rakyat out there on 9th July, notwithstanding the blockades to prevent thousands getting into the city that day and the brutal treatment meted out by the FRU on those who managed to get into the rally, however, must have sent a chill down Najib's spine. On 15th August, Najib announced the intention of the government to form a parliamentary select committee to look into reforms to our electoral system. "Recently there have been demands for free and fair elections. The government's response is that we will propose the setting up of a parliamentary select committee soon, which will be made up of members from both BN and opposition…The committee will discuss all electoral reforms that needs to be implemented in order to achieve bipartisan agreement without any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government," , Malaysiakini reports Najib as saying. Najib is also reported to have said that he will not form a government unless it is truly elected by the people. "Don't think that we do not want a clean process of electing the government, we are committed to the tradition of parliamentary elections," he is reported to have said. Two days later, Nazri Aziz brushed aside demands from the opposition that assurances be given that no general election will be called until the requisite electoral reforms are put in place. "They are a minority and this is the right of the government. They cannot dictate to us," , Malaysiakini reports Nazri as saying. Two days later, as reported in Malaysiakini, Najib reiterated what Nazri had said : the next general election can be held anytime and is not bound by the work of the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms. Since then, rumours abound that the 13th GE is imminent. 11th November, 2011, cause Najib is fixated with the number 11. 5th November, cause, it seems, that is Rosmah's preference. On 3rd October, Parliament passed a motion to establish the parliamentary select committee (PSC) to look into electoral reform. Malaysiakini reports that Nazri Aziz, who tabled the motion in Parliament, when winding up the debate on the same, said that "PRU-13 (the upcoming 13th general election) will not be the last GE for Malaysia and after that the world ends. If a snap election is called, the PSC's recommendations can be implemented in the 14th, 15th, 16th and GEs thereafter." In other words, even as the committee discusses and discovers serious flaws in our electoral process, we, the rakyat, are expected to acquiesce to UMNO and BN going ahead to hold the 13th GE without those flaws being first put right. |
| ‘Truth In Advertising’ – Ta Ann Exposed! Posted: 05 Oct 2011 10:15 AM PDT The report, published today by the Huon Valley Environment Centre of Tasmania, spells out Ta Ann's hypocrisy and it is uncompromisingly titled "Behind the Veneer: Forest destruction and Ta Ann Tasmania's lies". [click for report]
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| It's hard for me to say I'm sorry Posted: 04 Oct 2011 01:33 PM PDT Perhaps UMNO and BN think getting Lim Guan Eng to apologise represent a major coup. If UMNO BN thinks this represent a significant political triumph and would swing loads of votes from Pakatan, I am not fully convinced. If all politicians have to apologise for all private statement and personal opinion, then they would have no time to service the rakyat properly. Do we not all have public and private opinion that differs? Do we not bitch behind clients/bosses/colleagues/spouse/relatives? If a Singaporean got robbed in Malaysia and bitched about it in Stomp, can UMNO BN be consistent enough to chase the Ah Beng down and demand an apology? If UMNO BN thinks Voyeurism politics is the way to go, then let's make that an official election manifesto for voters to identify with. I love my hometown of Seremban. I mentioned to my friends that Port Dickson is a boring holiday place and I preferred Phuket and Langkawi. Do I need to apologise for my personal opinion? Isn't democracy about differing opinions? Shouldn't the federal and state administration that are empowered and enabled to develop Port Dickson should apologise for failing to deliver? UMNO-BN demanded, and the Johor Sultan gotten the apology from Guan Eng. The fact that Lim Guan Eng apologized, showed that maturity, humility and an awareness the world does not revolve around his own ego. If you want apologies and remorse, look no further than the following events and wonder if an apology from the culprits would ever be forthcoming. 1) Noh Omar, then as Deputy Education Minister In 2007, when Ean Yong Hian Wah submitted a fairly innocuous memorandum to the then Deputy Minister Noh Omar with regards to violent conduct by a teacher in a secondary school on behalf of the abused student's parents, Noh Omar appeared to lose control of his faculties and verbally abused Ean Yong, crumpled the official memorandum and threw it away, before it was picked up by his officer. He accused Ean Yong and the DAP of interfering in a school disciplinary matter. Noh Omar even exclaimed at one stage that he will not handle any case referred via the party. · Should Noh Omar apologise for his violent and uncalled for behavior which did not solve the issue at hand and probably terrified the young student who went there as a bully victim seeking help? 2) Ahmad Ismail, the wonder drug for BN harmonyin Penang Ahmad Ismail called Chinese "penumpang" obviously inconsistent with so many recent (i.e. close to GE time) praises from Najib and Nazri about the appreciated role of Chinese as main tax payers. Penumpang? Malaysian Chinese purchase their property in accordance with laws passed by UMNO-BN law makers and unless in cases of default, paid every ringgit and sen for their property. You can see in the video, Ahmad Ismail's recalcitrant and arrogant refusal to apologise and the unruly supporters behind him. Should he apologise to all who are offended by him? Since he has failed to apologise, should the UMNO higher up do so for him for the sake of a few more Chinese votes? 3) That legendary Najib video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwNLT428PqU In the Sibu by-election, Najib's legendary speech "you help me, I help you" seems to infer to me that perhaps he agreed to some lousy advice that Chinese in Sibu are easily bought and equate their sacred vote to by election dead man angpow. The Chinese there have replied by voting against BN, should Najib apologise for underestimating them and painted to the world, an extremely regrettable of how democracy is being played out in Malaysia? 4) Temple demolition Before UMNO BN lost Selangor, according to the Hindraf source above, numerous Hindu temples were demolished, defaced, relocated next to sewerage tanks, burnt to the ground, deities forcibly removed, police report ignored and what not. While UMNO BN have signal to "retake Selangor at all cost", a simple apology and pre-election promise of not to do this again seems to be beyond them. |
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