Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Pakatan against option to teach Science and Maths in English, says Nik Nazmi
- Dr M pushes for referendum on PPSMI
- Bar Council HQ vandalised with red paint
- "Bickering Politicians Will Benefit Enemies of Islam"
- It's not a pride parade, say organisers
- PAS reiterates its stand against PPSMI
- Ultimatum to Shahrizat: Answer charges or else
- Govt warned of more workers protests ahead
- Bersih 2.0 urges foreign monitors for GE13
- Dr M says Najib can save PPSMI
- 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
- Najib: My daughter was not in Perth
- ‘Seksualiti Merdeka a collateral damage’
- 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
- Mixed-messages over Pakatan’s application
- Australian government pressured to act on Assange
- MAS-AirAsia deal not violating anti-trust law: Rafidah
- Malaysia bans steamy 'Islamic sex guide': report
- Poetic justice for Guan Eng
- Muhyiddin: Decision on PPSMI final
- AirAsia received RM249m subsidy for rural flights
- Anwar predicts ‘Malaysia Spring’ in next polls
- Nazri: Govt paid FBC Media to repair image abroad
- Pakatan: GST won’t save Malaysia from bankruptcy
- Husni dismisses debt fears, says government has enough funds
- Bahasa Malaysia has no global economic value
- Greek govt heading for meltdown
- Kita is dreaming, says Kedah DAP
- Malaysian companies among the worst ‘bribers’
- How many ministers’ children are studying abroad?
- ETP on track but vision some distance away
- Reforming the A-G’s Office
- Parliament debates docking a month from PM’s pay
- Putrajaya says FBC media helped attract FDI, tourism
- Sack Musa, LDP reiterates
- Dr. Mahathir to sign MoU at business conference
- Assange faces day of judgment in London court tomorrow
- Fuel subsidies to cost RM15.9b for 2011, says MOF
| Pakatan against option to teach Science and Maths in English, says Nik Nazmi Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:15 AM PDT (The Star) - Giving schools the option of teaching Science and Mathematics in English is not part of Pakatan Rakyat's policy although DAP wants it, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said. He said that while it was understood that there was a need for students to master English and to receive quality education, PPSMI was not the way to achieve these objectives. "Pakatan's policy is clear on the matter and should be left at that until and unless the Pakatan leadership decides otherwise," he said. On Monday, the DAP was reported as urging the Education Ministry to give the option to schools to teach Science and Mathematics in English, where the majority of the parents chose to do so. Nik Nazmi said that Pakatan was against PPSMI because the best way to educate children is through the national language understood by everyone. "Educating students in a language that is foreign to them would benefit the English-speaking students at the expense of the rest, thus widening inequality," he said, adding that Pakatan supported the effort to improve the teaching of English through improving the quality of English teachers and the syllabus. He also said that Malaysia's performance dropped significantly in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007 (United States) after the implementation of PPSMI. Nik Nazmi said that PPSMI was not mentioned in the Common Policy Framework or Buku Jingga, which binds PKR, PAS and DAP. He pointed out that PPSMI, which was implemented in 2003, resulted in Science and Mathematics teachers who had a poor command of English being forced to teach in the language, thus affecting the quality of their teaching. "As a result, non-English speaking households had the added burden of coping with teachers who were unable to properly teach the two subjects," he said.
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| Dr M pushes for referendum on PPSMI Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:23 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed asked for a referendum to decide if English should be used to teach science and mathematics, as pressure mounted on the government to reconsider its policy reversion to Malay. "Perhaps we should do a referendum," he told reporters today at the sidelines of the Third World Chinese Economic Forum here. Dr Mahathir also said that a survey should be done on whether a gap is emerging between the rich and the poor due to access to English. "If we do a survey for example whether it is true that rich people are sending their kids to schools that use English but the poor have to go to schools provided by the government that teach in Malay" Mahathir said that it was never too late to backtrack on the decision to abolish the policy and revert to English. "These are man made laws," he said. "It is not God's law. It can be repealed. There is no such thing as a fixed law that cannot be changed forever." The former prime minister also stressed that he was not being unpatriotic for pushing for mathematics and science to be taught in English noting that Malaysians have to be ready to deal with scientific discoveries which were often written up in English. "I am as much a nationalist as anybody else," he said. "I advocated the use of Malay long before many of those people (who are against English) were born. But I realise the practicality of it. We have to master scientific knowledge if we want to develop this country. That is why despite the fact that many of my old friends are against me, I still stand by it." Mahathir added that using English as a medium of instruction for science in the multi-racial, multi-lingual nation would be beneficial. "I believe PPSMI is good for Malaysia whether for Malays, Chinese or Indians," he said.
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| Bar Council HQ vandalised with red paint Posted: 03 Nov 2011 08:12 PM PDT Calling the act irresponsible and cowardly, council chief says incident is connected to its support for the Sekualiti Merdeka festival. (Free Malaysia Today) - Red paint was splashed at the front entrance of the Malaysian Bar Council headquarters in Kual Lumpur about 1am this morning and the council is convinced that it is related to its support for the Seksualiti Merdeka festival. Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said: "It's an irresponsible and cowardly act. We have information it is connected to the Seksualiti Merdeka festival, as pamphlets criticising the festival were found at the scene. "Such a reaction to the event is deplorable and must be condemned. Those who hold a different viewpoint on the festival should be civil and engage in discussion and dialogue." The council has been supportive of the festival which celebrates the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community to freedom of expression. An annual feature since 2008, the festival has drawn much criticism this year with right-wing group Perkasa and Islamic party PAS being two of the most vocal detractors. They alleged that Seksualiti Merdeka promotes unnatural lifestyle. Even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin weighed in and called the event "immoral".
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| "Bickering Politicians Will Benefit Enemies of Islam" Posted: 03 Nov 2011 08:08 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - Muslim politicians that are always at loggerheads with each other was one of the reason why the western secular ideas can easily influenced this country, said PERKID president ustaz Masridzi Sat (photo).
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| It's not a pride parade, say organisers Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:47 PM PDT (New Straits Times) - The organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka yesterday claimed that the event was not aimed at promoting homosexuality but to champion rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). The event's co-founder, Pang Khee Teik, said it "is not a pride parade" but a series of talks, forums, workshops, art, theatre and music performances, interactive installations, and film screenings organised by a coalition of Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Pang said the event was aimed at stopping discrimination, harassment and violence towards one's sexual orientation and gender preference. It is organised by a coalition of Malaysian NGOs including the Malaysian Bar Council, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Empower, PT Foundation, United Nations and Amnesty International. "We hope to create a platform for the community. Some people say this is Western influenced but that is not true as the LGBT community exists across the world and we even have a small population in our country." Pang explained that keeping quiet had not helped the community as many were subjected to high levels of hostility and violence. Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said all human beings should be treated equally. "Individuals have the right to make their own choices in sexual orientation and gender identity in the spirit of equality." The Malaysian Bar's stand is embodied, in particular, in the first three principles of The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, which are; the right to the universal enjoyment of human rights, the rights to equality and non-discrimination and the right to recognition before the law. "In Malaysia, the LGBT community has long been treated as 'outsiders' as they face numerous hardships, including a lack of personal safety due to harassment by civil and Syariah authorities, living in fear of prosecution for the private acts of consenting adults, and constantly facing public discrimination and denigration." PT Foundation acting executive director Raymond Tai said their primary focus was on HIV prevention and care and support for the community most affected by HIV.
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| PAS reiterates its stand against PPSMI Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:42 PM PDT (The Star) - PAS has reiterated that it is against the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had introduced the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) in 2003 to help improve the command of English among students but the policy had failed to achieve this. "The teaching of the subjects in English did not help improve students' ability to speak well in English," he said. Mahfuz added that currently the emphasis on teaching English was mainly on reading and writing and little on speaking, and for this reason the subject should be improved and upgraded to include speaking ability. He also said that the teaching of the two subjects in Bahasa Malaysia was also acknowledging it as the national language and the medium of teaching.
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| Ultimatum to Shahrizat: Answer charges or else Posted: 03 Nov 2011 04:53 PM PDT Opposition group visits National Feedlot Centre's farm in Gemas. (Free Malaysia Today) - PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli claims he has more information than already revealed about Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's involvement in the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) and has threatened to expose them unless she responds to allegations made in recent days. Rafizi visited the NFC farm here yesterday, a day after he alleged in a press conference that most of the beef produced by the centre is supplied to luxury restaurants owned by the family of Shahrizat, the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development. Agriculture Minister Noh Omar had earlier confirmed that members of her family manage the luxury restaurants. "We want to know how much exactly was spent for this farm," Rafizi said after his visit. "How many head of cattle are bred here and how many are slaughtered per day?" He posed the questions in front of more than 70 people outside the farm. Most of them were journalists and publicity officials of opposition parties. "Based on the information I have, they are supposed to breed 60,000 cows per year but I learnt that only 8, 000 cows were produced over a period of three years" he said. Rafizi was accompanied on his visit by five Negeri Sembilan state assemblymen—Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani (PAS-Paroi), M Ravi (PKR-Port Dickson), Aminuddin Harun (PKR-Sikamat), P Gunasekaran (DAP-Senawang) and Ng Chin Tsai (DAP-Temiang). Also in his delegation was Fariz Musa, the chief coordinator of Jingga 13, a PKR-linked NGO.
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| Govt warned of more workers protests ahead Posted: 03 Nov 2011 03:47 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) -- Nov 4: Malaysian Trades Union Congress has told the government to brace for more protests if it ignored opposition to the amendment on Contractor of Labour to Employment Act 1955, passed by parliament on October 6. The amendment, which allows investors to hire Malaysians as contract workers instead of permanent staff, has drawn wide criticism from MTUC, who described it as a form of slavery practised during British rule. The union also said the amendment would not benefit workers, instead, Malaysian workers would be exploited. Human Resources minister S Subramaniam however defended the amendment, claiming it would enable a more systematic monitoring of labour outsourcing agencies, especially in isolated locations. PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who earlier joined some 250 workers in Shah Alam yesterday (pic), said the amendment was illegal as it did not take into account the rights of employees in the country. "With the amendment, every employer will prefer hiring only contract workers to avoid higher costs. "We know that contract workers will not have Employees Provident Fund and SOCSO deductions, so they do not have to bear these costs," said Mat Sabu, who also warned that employees would be deprived of safety assurances at workplace. "And this would greatly affect the affected employees and their family if anything were to happen." The nationwide protests led by MUTC kicked off 5pm nationwide yesterday at 20 spots. MUTC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamad who attended the Shah Alam gathering said the huge turnout was a signal to the government to take the matter seriously. "We will continue to hold protests for as long as the government remains silent," he said. |
| Bersih 2.0 urges foreign monitors for GE13 Posted: 03 Nov 2011 03:42 PM PDT By Kean Wong, The Malaysian Insider
CANBERRA, Nov 4 — Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has challenged the Najib administration to invite international observers for the next general election to demonstrate its confidence in free and fair elections, saying that a Mahathir-era precedent would easily enable this to recur. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has set up an all-party parliamentary select commission to look into demands for electoral reforms, including the eight listed by Bersih 2.0 for its July 9 rally. "If you say the (electoral) system is OK, get international observers. Prove it to us," Ambiga urged the Malaysian government, in an address at a packed Australian National University (ANU) law school theatre filled with students, lawyers and policy officials. "Bring in the international observers, let them observe our elections. That's my call to the Malaysian government. "If you say your system is fine and that it doesn't need (electoral) reform before the 13th general election, I dare you to bring in international observers. And let them determine if our elections are free and fair," said the Bersih 2.0 leader, who received a rock-star welcome at her ANU lecture. Ambiga's appearance at the ANU law school here this week concluded her lecture tour of Australia following several earlier engagements in Melbourne and Sydney. She also held a raft of meetings in Canberra with Australian political leaders from various parties and met with foreign policy officials in the parliamentary zone, highlighting Bersih 2.0's campaign for electoral reform and its eight key demands. Her speech recounting the July 9 demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur and in over 30 cities worldwide, and her explanation of Bersih 2.0's campaign for democratisation, was frequently interrupted by applause. She was also mobbed afterwards by students and other Malaysians eager to photograph and record their meeting with her in Canberra. The ANU organisers said hundreds from around the world had logged on to watch Ambiga's talk and the discussion afterwards on a livestreaming service over the Internet, and a few questions from viewers abroad were answered by the Bersih 2.0 leader in the lecture hall.
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| Dr M says Najib can save PPSMI Posted: 03 Nov 2011 03:41 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - LANGKAWI, Nov 4 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak can stop his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from scrapping the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy that was introduced by the former prime minister before he stepped down in 2003. Dr Mahathir, who is still widely influential in Umno after serving as PM for 22 years, said the current prime minister should do so for the good of the country. |
| 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. |
| 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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| ‘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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| 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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| 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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| 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 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. |
| 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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| Nazri: Govt paid FBC Media to repair image abroad Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:46 PM PDT (The Star) - The Government engaged FBC Media (UK) to improve Malaysia's image abroad which was damaged due to remarks made by the Opposition, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz. He criticised Opposition leaders for making disparaging comments about the country internationally, which had damaged the country's reputation. "If they do not bad mouth the government by feeding lies to the international media, we do not have to pay any money to repair our image," he told Datuk Mohamed Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) in Parliament. Nazri said the use of FBC Media did not breach any local laws. "We were informed that the company was now under investigation for conflict of interest by broadcasters for making editorial programmes without declaring that it had commercial interest with some programmes it had featured. "This may be an offence of UK broadcasting and ethic guidelines but they did not commit any criminal offence during our engagement," he told Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli PAS-Kuala Krai) during Question Time. Nazri said that the government paid FBC Media 19.6mil Euros (RM83.304mil) for three years of services since 2007. Nazri also revealed that the Government spent RM323,268.19 on a two-day trip to Turkmenistan by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Five memorandum of understanding (MoU) were signed to strengthen existing bilateral relations.
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| Pakatan: GST won’t save Malaysia from bankruptcy Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:41 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - The federal opposition said today that implementing a goods and services tax (GST), as suggested by Datuk Seri Idris Jala, will not stop Malaysia from going bankrupt as "it is like throwing money into a pocket with holes." Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers told a press conference that it was government wastage, corruption and mismanagement that caused national debt to jump to 53 per cent of GDP. "The operating expenditure has more than doubled from RM89 billion in 2005 to RM182 billion next year. Until you stitch the hole in the pocket, throwing more money will only make the hole bigger," said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua. Idris, who is the minister in charge of Putrajaya's Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), repeated yesterday his warning that Malaysia could be bankrupt within a decade if it spends borrowed money on operational expenditure such as subsidies. "If our economy grows less than four per cent ... and we don't cut our operating expenditure, if we borrow at 12.5 per cent, if our annual debt rises to 12.5 per cent and our revenue does not grow, then it will happen," the senator said. He also accused the Opposition of forcing the government to delay GST as "every time the government wants to do it the Opposition makes life difficult for them, saying that they will lose votes." But Pua pointed out today that the government did not need more money as revenue has nearly doubled from RM99 billion in 2005 to RM187 billion projected in Budget 2012. "The issue of GST does not arise. Bankruptcy will be due to wastage," said PAS research chief Dzulkefly Ahmad.
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| Husni dismisses debt fears, says government has enough funds Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:39 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah said today that the government could still fund its spending as it has large reserves including some RM30 billion in trust funds which are under review. This comes as concerns rise over whether the government was at risk of going bust due to spending outstripping revenue. The second finance minister also said that the RM407 billion national debt that grew 12.3 per cent last year was still manageable as it had yet to breach critical thresholds such as revenue to debt service ratio. Husni said that the government has asked the Accountant-General to review trust funds worth more than RM30 billion. "These funds were for various programmes but some are dormant," he told reporters at the sidelines of the MIA-AFA Conference here today. "We have huge reserves." The minister also said that the government had more than RM4 billion in contingency funding, RM5 billion in Kumpulan Wang Amanah Nasional, approximately RM1.2 billion in land assets that could be monetised and that it had plugged loopholes in tax collection and has been conservative in estimating its revenue. Husni said that the national debt was still below the critical level of 55 per cent of GDP and that its loan payment to national revenue was at 10 per cent which was below the "prudent" level of 15 per cent. He also pointed out that external loans were well below the RM35 billion limit and the debt serving ratio for external loans was at about two per cent. "It is well within our capability," he said.
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| Bahasa Malaysia has no global economic value Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PDT Whats the point of flagging Bahasa Malaysia when our economy is weak? (Free Malaysia Today) - Sarawak opposition has called on the federal government to be both sensible and practical in dealing with the issue of Bahasa Malaysia as a useable national language. Drawing attention to Sarawak's multi-dialectical communities, state DAP secretary general Chong Chien Jen said it was disappointing to see the government's 'overzealousness' about pushing the Bahasa Malaysia agenda. Said Chong: "From a Sarawakian perspective it is a stupid move…in Sarawak, Bahasa Malaysia, English and native languages are used alongside each other. "This is written in our Malaysia Agreement…there is no issue. "We understand Bahasa Malaysia is our national language. It is important, but we have to also understand that the country is not an island. We are playing in global fields," he said. No economic value He said from an economic point of view the move would be detrimental to the country in the long run. "When the economy is weak, you cannot be overzealous about Bahasa Malaysia. "If our economy is strong, not only our people will start to learn Bahasa Malaysia, foreigners will also start learning the language. "Just like China now where a lot of foreigners are learning Mandarin because her economy is strong," he said alluding to Malaysia's public debt and the frail global economy.
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| Greek govt heading for meltdown Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:28 PM PDT (Agencies) - ATHENS: Greece's government appeared headed for meltdown ahead of a confidence vote after Prime Minister George Papandreou called a referendum on the country's EU debt deal. The shock announcement sparked a call for early elections and a defection that left Mr Papandreou's parliamentary majority on a knife edge, while shares plunged 6.92 per cent. Adding to the chaos, Greece's foreign minister cancelled meetings with three foreign ambassadors, while Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos was hospitalised with an inflamed appendix. Amid the political upheaval,Venizelos – a former party rival of Mr Papandreou – appeared to distance himself from the referendum bombshell on Tuesday when sources close to him said he was unaware of it. The assertion was at odds with an impassioned speech Venizelos gave in parliament on Monday in support of the move. The semi-state Athens News Agency said Venizelos made a flurry of phone calls to European and International Monetary Fund officials to brief them on developments. Papandreou, fighting to keep the country's troubled economic rescue on track, will travel to Cannes, France, on Wednesday where G20 leaders are holding a summit on Thursday and Friday. He will attend a working dinner with host Nicolas Sarkozy of France, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European council chief Herman Van Rompuy, EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, eurozone head policymaker Jean-Claude Juncker, new ECB chief Mario Draghi and IMF managing director Christine Lagarde. In a phone call with Ms Merkel on Tuesday, Papandreou insisted that the referendum would "strengthen" Greece in the eurozone and globally, his office said. His call for a referendum was meant as a bid to secure approval of his disputed economic policies without early elections. But the gambit backfired when a former deputy minister defected, reducing the ruling party's majority in the 300-seat parliament to 152 deputies. Papandreou had faced increasing dissent within his own party over the tougher austerity policy monitored by the EU and the IMF that has sparked general strikes and widespread protests, many of them violent. Although the EU deal agreed last Thursday after marathon talks in Brussels included an agreement to write off 100 billion euros of debt owed by Greece, the Athens government still has to implement a painful package of austerity measures to get its hands on bailout funds.
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| Kita is dreaming, says Kedah DAP Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:26 PM PDT Kedah Kita retorts: So were DAP and PKR in 2008. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kedah DAP today dismissed Kita as an irrelevant party in the state and predicted that its candidates for the general election will lose their deposits. State DAP chief Lee Guan Aik said his Kita counterpart, Zamil Ibrahim, was daydreaming when he spoke yesterday of scoring upset wins in the coming election. He said Zamil was "ignorant of political realities" and "Kita candidates are going to lose their deposits." Zamil, whom FMT contacted for a response, said Kita was only doing what Pakatan Rakyat parties did before the 2008 election. "Pakatan did not expect to win then, but it won," he said. "What's wrong in daydreaming then? Their daydream of forming the state government became a reality. Why not ours?" Lee, who is the state assemblyman for Kota Darulaman and DAP's only representative in the Kedah legislature, said Kedah voters did not even know what Kita stood for. "Kita has a long way to go yet to win over the people," he said. "But they have their right to say what they want to say. Nothing wrong in daydreaming." Yesterday, at a function to introduce Kedah Kita's election manifesto, Zamil said his party was looking forward to replacing PKR and DAP in the state government. He claimed that the two parties never had a firm political presence in Kedah and won in 2008 only because of a "political tsunami". Kita is eyeing six parliamentary and 12 state seats in Kedah. Claiming that both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan were besieged by internal political problems in the state, he said "Kita can fish in trouble waters." Lee said Kita could not get anywhere near DAP's political background and service record in the country. "Our political longevity is second only to PAS," he said, referring to DAP's 44 years of existence as a political party.
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| Malaysian companies among the worst ‘bribers’ Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:07 PM PDT A Transparency International (TI) survey finds that Malaysian companies are most likely to bribe to get businesses. (Free Malaysia Today) - Malaysia is ranked 15th when it comes to companies most likely to pay bribes when doing business abroad, a survey suggests. Malaysia, Hong Kong, Italy and South Africa were in 15th place out of 28 countries in a poll of 3,000 business executives conducted by anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI). Companies from Russia and China are the most likely to pay bribes and were the top two 'bribers'. The Netherlands and Switzerland came top, while the UK ranked eighth, just ahead of the US and France. Bribery was reportedly most common to win public sector works and construction contracts. "It is of particular concern that China and Russia are at the bottom of the index," said TI in its report. "Given the increasing global presence of businesses from the countries, bribery and corruption are likely to have a substantial impact on societies in which they operate and on the ability of companies to compete fairly in these markets." Other major developing economies came much higher up the rankings. India was 19th, while Brazil, in 14th place, was one spot ahead of Italy. The report called for more international action to outlaw companies from paying bribes in foreign countries. "G20 governments must tackle foreign bribery as a matter of urgency," said Huguette Labelle, chair of TI, who said that more resources must be dedicated to investigations and prosecutions. Linked to corrupt governments "Unfortunately… there are no islands of integrity in Russian public and business life," said TI Russian director, Elena Panfilova. Survey respondents were asked to say how likely companies from each of the foreign countries were to offer back-handers. Bribe-paying was seen as much more common by businessmen from countries whose governments were also considered to have the least integrity, according to a separate "corruption perceptions" survey carried out by TI last year. The sector most affected by bribery was public procurement – where companies compete to win contracts from governments for everything from waste collection to road building.
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| How many ministers’ children are studying abroad? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:53 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: The opposition in Sarawak are backing a call for a referendum to find out how many federal cabinet ministers, their deputies and those involved in education policy-making are sending their children overseas to study where the medium of instruction is in English. The Sarawak opposition parties have also urged the government "to be practical" about the issue. According to Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian, many Sarawakian parents along with party members wanted to know where the ministers sent their children to study and how many were sent abroad. "There is a suggestion by certain quarters that there should be a referendum among the federal ministers where and which schools they are sending their children to. "I support this suggestion so that we know where they send their children to. Are they sending their children overseas to learn English? "With this referendum, then we can see whether these ministers are sincere or they just want to make it (using Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science) just a political issue," he said. Bian was responding to Education Minister Muyiddin Yassin's announcement that starting next year all schools will start using Bahasa Malaysia as a medium of instruction to teach mathematics and science. De-politicize education Bian, who is the Ba'Kelalan assemblyman, said that both as a parent and a party member he wants the education policy de-politicised. "As a father and a PKR leader, we would like to make a stand regarding the change of education policy as announced by the Education Minister that the teaching of Mathematics and Science should be changed back to the use of Bahasa Malaysia. "An earlier indication from the school was that that they were given option. But now the use of Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science is absolute and without any option. "Looking at the history of our Education Ministers, each one of them would come with a different kind of policy when he took over the ministry, resulting in very inconsistent educational policies. "Our stand is that you should stick to one policy only as changing it mid-term is really making it worse for our people," said Bian. He added that the government, it appeared, had not learnt from the past. As the country is approaching the 13th general election, he said: "It is irresistible conclusion, as a lawyer would say, that the minister is using it as a political issue to gain political mileage. "As a minister for all races, he should not use it as a political issue. It is not fair to other people," he said.
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| ETP on track but vision some distance away Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:50 PM PDT By Teoh El Sen, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: The government's Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) is on the right track but the light at the end of the tunnel is still some distance away. The ETP was incepted one year ago and the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) chief Idris Jala is pleased with the results, so far.
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| Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:37 PM PDT By Zaid Ibrahim, FMT Abdul Gani Patail has been the Attorney General (A-G) for many years now. He assumed office at an early age, and it is his good fortune that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (who was prime minister at the time) liked him. During my short stint working with him, I found him cooperative and a hardworking civil servant. Abdul Gani will probably remain A-G for a while more, even though he has received a lot of flak and criticism. Some are justified, and some are not. The list of cases and complaints is too long for me to recite here but everyone knows that no one has been brought to book for the MAS scandal that caused losses of billions of ringgit. Everyone knows that those responsible for the death of Teoh Beng Hock, and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed have not been held accountable. Everyone remembers the "no further action" against those implicated in the judge-fixing (i.e., the Lingam Videotape) scandal. There are many other cases involving high-profile personalities who were acquitted or had their charges dropped without the public being given satisfactory explanation of why those cases were not successful. This happened in the 2007 prosecution of Tan Sri Eric Chia for criminal breach of trust. It happened again in the 2009 prosecution of former Land and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam for corruption and cheating. It happened again this year in the high-profile case against Constable V Navindran, who was charged with causing grievous hurt to A Kugan who died in the Taipan police lock-up two years ago. The person who holds the office of AG must be one who make himself transparent and accountable. He must not be the the type who is reluctant to engage with the public. He must not remain below the radar, a personality trait common among those who like fishing. Its true that he is the chief legal adviser to the government and the Prime Minister, and in a sense its true that for as long as his employer is happy with him, why should he care about what the public thinks. But he is wrong to take this attitude. He is no ordinary civil servant. He is ex-officio the Public Prosecutor with powers conferred to him by the Federal Constitution. Malaysian Attorneys-General assume a dual role: they are simultaneously the legal adviser to the government and the Public Prosecutor. Taking responsibility As Public Prosecutor the A-G is entrusted with making sure that the criminal justice system works well and functions with integrity and fairness. As a legal adviser, the A-G makes sure that the activities of the government are legally defensible. The A-G works for the government of the day to make sure that all government actions are in accordance with the law – a good legal adviser will also put his or her foot down when the government transgresses the law. This is easier said than done when there are politicians in the Cabinet who place politics first and law second. Usually the AG will relent in such situation. However as a Public Prosecutor, the A-G works not for the government but for the public at large. He serves the public in providing a justice system that serve them well. As Public Prosecutor, the A-G is a public institution empowered by the constitution with all the discretionary powers in the world to charge or not to charge anyone for any offence or crime. He is the barometer by which we measure our success as a country governed by the Rule of Law. Unfortunately whist he is responsible for the well being of the justice system in the country, he has no control over other stakeholders. He has no say in how the police force should be managed. He has no say in how the investigation team could be improved. He has little say in the efficiency of the court system. He has to accept the quality of politicians managing the country. So its not fair to blame him soley for the weakness and defects in the overall administration of justice in the country. Still he has to assume some responsibility. When a public official has such wide discretionary powers, he or she must exercise them with care, based on established principles and with integrity and fairness. This is where the A-G must be transparent, must engage with the public, and must provide reasons for all his or her actions and decisions. The A-G cannot say "it's my power and that's the end of the matter". The A-G is a public institution and, as such, must be held accountable and answerable to the public. I tried to convince former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the A-G's post should be made a political position and that the incumbent must be made a Cabinet member. The Attorney General, in my view, must be prepared to stand in Parliament and be held fully accountable. I was of, course, unsuccessful in pursuing this. Are the politicians ready? Making the A-G a political position does not mean that the A-G's Office automatically becomes somehow "better" than if it were non-political. The character and personality of the person appointed as A-G would still be the most important factor, but as a political office the incumbent would not be able to escape enquiry and questioning in Parliament.
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| Parliament debates docking a month from PM’s pay Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:33 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia allowed MPs to debate today a motion to dock Datuk Seri Najib Razak's salary by RM22,826.65, or the equivalent of a month's wages. He said that although it was purely politically-motivated, he would allow the motion to be debated based on precedent. "Government backbenchers were allowed to debate a motion to dock the Opposition leader's salary in the past. If I don't allow this, then I will be accused of double-standards," he said. PKR vice president Chua Tian Chang had filed the motion last week to approve the government's 2012 Budget with an additional provision to dock the prime minister's salary. The Batu MP had said that "this is akin to a motion of no-confidence in the prime minister's leadership and administration." When tabling the motion today, he cited reasons such as the increase in national debt to over 51 per cent of GDP; the deaths of former DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock and Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed while in Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission custody; and the clampdown on the July 9 Bersih rally for electoral reform. |
| Putrajaya says FBC media helped attract FDI, tourism Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:31 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — The government said today image consultants FBC Media helped raise the standing of Malaysia as a tourism and investment destination during the RM94 million three-year deal that began in 2007. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Parliament that the London-based media company, which is facing bankruptcy, "supported the efforts of government leaders and ministers" to burnish the country's image overseas.
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| Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:46 AM PDT Sabah's Liberal Democratic Party is convinced that 'someone' paid a group of individuals to disrupt its Sandakan assembly recently. (Free Malaysia Today) - Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) deputy president Senator Chin Su Phin has reiterated that the party could no longer cooperate with Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman. "The LDP will not compromise and we will continue to fight until the Chief Minister is replaced," said Chin despite a call by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Sunday for all Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties to support Musa. "He (Musa) is too much and has been using his power to suppress those who do not follow his instructions," said the outspoken senator who appeared to lay the blame for an incident during the party's 22nd general assembly in Sandakan on Sunday at the door of Musa. The incident was sparked by a group of about 100 people who gathered outside the hall shouting and clapping and mocking the event. They also barged into the hall and began shouting and clapping each time the name of someone was mentioned causing much confusion. The group appeared unconcerned by the presence of senior BN leaders including Muhyiddin, Musa, Umno vice president Mohd Shafie Apdal and Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor who were all there as guest of the LDP. "The Deputy Prime Minister saw the incident himself and he knows what was going on. "He also said that problems within the Sabah BN must be resolved immediately. "We want to make our stand to the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that we in LDP can no longer cooperate with the Chief Minister. "It cannot be denied that the lack of cooperation among the state BN component parties is due to one person "The LDP will not compromise and we will continue to fight until the Chief Minister is replaced," Chin said.
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| Dr. Mahathir to sign MoU at business conference Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:53 PM PDT (Mizzima) – During former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's three-day visit to Burma, which will start on Wednesday, he is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding on investments in Burma, according to Sein Win Hlaing, a member of CEC of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). At the invitation of UMFCCI, the former Malaysian prime minister will visit Burma and attend a Burmese-Malaysian investment forum to be held at Traders Hotel in Rangoon from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday
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| Assange faces day of judgment in London court tomorrow Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:10 PM PDT (AFP) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces a day of reckoning Wednesday when the High Court in London delivers a ruling on whether he will be extradited to Sweden to face questioning over rape allegations. The 40-year-old Australian, whose whistleblowing website has enraged governments around the world, has been fighting a bitter legal battle ever since he was arrested in London last December on a European arrest warrant. The long-awaited decision, which has been deferred since the High Court heard Assange's appeal in July, is not necessarily the final chapter in the saga, but it will be difficult for either side to lodge an appeal. |
| Fuel subsidies to cost RM15.9b for 2011, says MOF Posted: 31 Oct 2011 06:42 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - The government will spend RM15.9 billion in petrol and diesel subsidies in 2011, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai told Parliament today. This is a significant increase from the RM9.6 billion spent last year, more than 50 per cent up. Lim said the government was looking out for the people, easing their financial burden through these subsidies, The Star reported. He said however that they needed to be careful that only those in need benefitted from the subsidies.
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He said that the western ideas such as excessive human rights and homosexuality can easily get into this country as the Muslim politicians who are supposed to guard the constitution and the religion was busy fighting with each other over their political stance.
Masridzi met by Malaysian Digest during a peaceful asembly organized by PEMBELA at the Sultan Salhudin Abdul Aziz Shah mosque compound.
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