Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Shahrizat says family works hard, doesn’t deserve attacks
- Malaysia requests AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II Missiles
- Kita casts net for GE candidates
- MoF shows Anwar the money
- BN To Hit Out At Pakatan's Unfulfilled Promises
- Amanah can affect political landscape, say analysts
- Malaysia urged to rescind ban on gay arts festival
- Malacca monorail set to resume operations next month
- Give option to Year One students to study Science and Maths in English, say PAGE and JMM
- Kedai Rakyat not cheaper, Pua says
- ‘Seksualiti Merdeka ban against 1Malaysia’
- Almost as many officials and observers as athletes for the Games
- Pakatan says won’t slash civil service size
| Shahrizat says family works hard, doesn’t deserve attacks Posted: 08 Nov 2011 09:07 PM PST
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said today attacks against her over the RM74 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC) are a political agenda to "destroy Wanita Umno." The minister of women, family and community development told reporters that her family, who runs the national cattle-farming project, "don't deserve the things said by the Opposition because they work very hard." "This is a political agenda by the Opposition to weaken Wanita Umno. But we are not that easily destroyed. "I am ashamed that there is a Malaysian woman like the Wanita PKR chief," the senator said, referring to Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin who had claimed that the NFC had failed despite being given a soft loan of RM250 million and a 5,000-acre plot of land. PKR also alleged yesterday that over RM84 million was siphoned off from NFC to companies controlled by Shahrizat's husband, Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, and her children, Izran Mohamad Salleh and Izmir Mohamad Salleh.
|
| Malaysia requests AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II Missiles Posted: 08 Nov 2011 05:13 PM PST
(Defense Studies) - WASHINGTON – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Malaysia for 20 AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER Block II All-Up-Round Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $52 million. The Government of Malaysia has requested a possible sale of 20 AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER Block II All-Up-Round Missiles, 8 CATM-9X-2 Captive Air Training Missiles, 4 CATM-9X-2 Block II Missile Guidance Units, 2 AIM-9X-2 Block II Tactical Guidance Units, 2 Dummy Air Training Missiles, containers, missile support and test equipment, provisioning, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance and other related logistics support. The estimated cost is $52 million. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in East Asia. The Royal Malaysian Air Force is modernizing its fighter aircraft to better support its own air defense needs. The proposed sale of AIM-9X-2 missiles will enhance Malaysia's interoperability with the U.S. and among other South East Asian nations, making it a more valuable partner in an increasingly important area of the world.The proposed sale of this weapon system will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The prime contractor will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company in Tucson, Arizona. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require travel of U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Malaysia on a temporary basis for program technical support and management oversight. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
|
| Kita casts net for GE candidates Posted: 08 Nov 2011 04:48 PM PST Zaid Ibrahim invites Malaysians to join the Kita democratic revolution by selecting their own MPs from within their communities. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita president Zaid Ibrahim has made two predictions. The first is that Barisan Nasional will probably lose in the next general election, and the second is that Pakatan Rakyat will find those shoes too big to fill. His suggestion for averting such a predicament is to vote in a new brand of political leadership – one that he is confident Kita will deliver if it fields the best candidates from the grassroots. "So Kita is extending an invitation to the good men and women of Malaysia to be parliamentary candidates under the party's banner for the upcoming general election," he told FMT today. "We all know Malaysians want change. But we can only bring about changes if we abandon the false notions that BN and Pakatan cling to today. "They would have Malaysians believe that we need to be a religious state to be moral and principled; that Malays and Bumiputera will be poor and marginalised if we have no discrimination against other communities; that freedom will bring chaos; and that using English in our education system will betray the national language," he added. While Zaid expressed faith in Malaysians to see beyond this propaganda, he also emphasised that a new political leadership is necessary to preserve democracy and abandon previous failed policies. He pointed out that replacing BN with Pakatan would still see Malaysians being governed by the same ideas since the ideologies of both coalitions belong to the same school. "The only difference is that BN relishes engaging in racial politics while Pakatan in religious matters," Zaid said. "But both believe in some kind of hegemony." "BN has the New Economic Policy while Pakatan has the same policy under a different guise. BN will continue with failed education policies but so will Anwar, who architectured the present system," he added.
|
| Posted: 08 Nov 2011 04:45 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — The Finance Ministry today denied claims that RM1.4 billion went missing from the Treasury's contingency fund, pointing out that the expenditure had been accounted for in Parliament. Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said he tabled a supplementary Supply Bill in March or April this year detailing all unplanned expenses which had depleted the fund. "Either they've forgotten, don't get it, or this is an attempt to skew the facts and mislead the people," he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today. Awang Adek later passed around copies of Parliament Order Paper 3 2011, which contained an itemised list of expenses paid for via the allocation. He added the contingency fund was a rolling account that was topped up by RM1.5 billion every year upon ratification of the supplementary Supply Bill. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim alleged yesterday that RM1.4 billion could not be accounted for in the contingency fund. He said the Auditor-General found just RM79.15 million in the fund while the Federal Expenditure Estimates reported that RM1.5 billion had been allocated for that purpose. Anwar also suggested that the alleged discrepancy was the reason this year's national audit report was only tabled weeks after the Budget, unlike previous years. |
| BN To Hit Out At Pakatan's Unfulfilled Promises Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:07 PM PST (Bernama) - SHAH ALAM -- Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) will hit out at the unfulfilled promises of the Pakatan government which has administered Selangor for more than three years in its debate at the State Legislative Assembly Meeting today, said Opposition leader, Mohamad Satim Diman. He said BN as the opposition in Selangor would expose various issues as well as missappropriations in the Pakatan administration formed by PAS, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP after having led the state administration since March 8, 2008. The Pakatan government had failed to fulfil its promises made in its manifesto during the 12th General Election among which were to create a competent, responsible, transparent, efficient, honest, trustworthy and high integrity administration, he told a media conference, here on Tuesday. Mohamad Satim said the state government had not met its promise to reduce assessment by 20 per cent for residential houses till today. "Local authority assessment is one of the major issues as 60 per cent of the community in Selangor are in urban areas and why was the the rate not reduced at the local authority level," he said. Mohamad Satim said there were controversies in the management of the Selangor State Development Corporation's (PKNS) and yet to date, the audit report on PKNS operation had not been released. Touching on the intention of DAP to reduce the size of the civil service to cut down on government expenditure, Mohamad Satim said he would challenge the DAP with PAS and PKR to start reducing the number of civil servants in states administered by the opposition such as Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor and Penang. On transparency, he said the Selangor State Legislative Assembly had yet to receive the complete report of Selangor Islamic Religious Department against the Damansara Utama Methodist Church which sparked a controversy in August. |
| Amanah can affect political landscape, say analysts Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:02 PM PST By T.K. Letchumy Tamboo, Malay Mail KUALA LUMPUR: Is Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, or Ku Li, as he is more popularly known, planning to replace PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim? Will the newly-formed NGO Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) be merely a voice within Umno or a separate entity critical of the current leadership? These were among questions raised by political analysts, who noted with great interest the former Semangat 46 leader's latest political gambit in forming the NGO. |
| Malaysia urged to rescind ban on gay arts festival Posted: 08 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia's government Wednesday to rescind a ban on an annual gay arts festival and amend criminal laws that it said discriminated against homosexuals. The "Sexual Independence" festival was launched in 2008 to promote gay rights in the Muslim-majority nation and was held without interference for three years. But it drew growing criticism this year from politicians and religious leaders after awareness of the event became widespread. This year's festival was due to start Wednesday, but police banned it last week on grounds of national security after several Muslim groups threatened to launch protests against the event. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said police showed no evidence that the five-day event, to be held in a private art center, would disturb public order. "The banning of this festival violates basic rights to freedom of association and expression guaranteed by international human rights law and the Malaysian constitution," the group said in a letter to Prime Minister Najib Razak. The ban contradicted Najib's call to promote unity in diversity and indicated that a "discriminatory, homophobic agenda persists" within the government, the group said. It urged Malaysia to overturn a decades-old law that makes sexual relations between same-sex adults punishable by 20 years in prison. Najib and his aides couldn't be reached immediately for comments. Gay rights activists had said the festival was meant to counter widespread homophobia in this socially conservative Muslim-majority nation, where a young gay man received death threats last year after posting a YouTube clip defending his sexuality. The agenda for this year's festival, themed "Queer Without Fear," included talks on sexuality, an art exhibition and a makeup workshop by a drag queen. Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, currently on trial for sodomy, earlier this week joined the public outcry over the ban and said he supported the movement's right to free expression. |
| Malacca monorail set to resume operations next month Posted: 08 Nov 2011 02:51 PM PST (The Star) - MALACCA: The Sungai Melaka tourist monorail service is expected to resume operations early next month. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said monorail operator Taming Sari Sdn Bhd would meet all the safety and facility standards insisted upon by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD). "Everything will be resolved and the monorail service will operate as usual early next month," he told reporters after inspecting the monorail station in Taman Rempah here Wednessay. SPAD chief operating officer Azhar Ahmad had on Tuesday suspended the monorail service until its operator met the necessary safety and facility standards. He noted that one of the main recommendation was the provision of a "cherry picker" crane to rescue stranded passengers when the coach stalls. "The monorail tyre traction was also not strong enough during the rain and this must be rectified," Azhar had said, adding that SPAD would continue with its inspection once the operator complied with the first two recommendations. Another problem was that the monorail, imported from China, did not come with an operation manual in Bahasa Malaysia or English, which made carrying out repair and maintenance works a challenge. |
| Give option to Year One students to study Science and Maths in English, say PAGE and JMM Posted: 08 Nov 2011 02:45 PM PST (The Star) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) and Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) hope the Government would consider giving an option to Year One pupils who have started learning Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia this year, to study the subjects in English. PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said this would enable the pupils to understand and use scientific terms in English. She also said that both PAGE and JMM would like to thank Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for listening to the voices of parents on the PPSMI issue. Noor Azimah reiterated that the PPSMI policy should continue as it was visionary. "PAGE and JMM will continue to represent the voices of parents," she added, during a joint press conference with JMM here on Wednesday. JMM president Azwanddin Hamzah was also at the press conference. |
| Kedai Rakyat not cheaper, Pua says Posted: 08 Nov 2011 02:42 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider Putrajaya must stop claiming Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) products can help cut living expenses when hypermarkets sell the same items for less, Tony Pua says. The DAP publicity chief said while some goods were indeed cheaper, the price difference was far less than the 30 to 50 per cent discount claimed on the Kedai Rakyat website. "For example, KR1M claims to sell a 425g can of sardines for RM2.99, 'saving' the customer a whopping 51 per cent," he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today. "However, a check at Carrefour showed that a 425g can of sardines... sells for RM2.49, or 20 per cent cheaper than KR1M." Similarly, a 1-litre bottle of bleach sold for only RM1.29 at Tesco compared to RM1.90, or 47 per cent more, at Kedai Rakyat, he said. Pua (picture) also pointed out that, based on a basket of 23 common household goods and food items, consumers would save some eight per cent if they shopped at Carrefour instead of Kedai Rakyat. The basket included rice, minced meat, chilli sauce, fruit juice, detergent, toilet paper and dishwashing liquid, among others. MORE TO COME |
| ‘Seksualiti Merdeka ban against 1Malaysia’ Posted: 08 Nov 2011 01:36 PM PST By K Pragalath, FMT PETALING JAYA: Banning the Seksualiti Merdeka festival goes against the much hyped concept of 1 Malaysia promoted by the the Prime Minister. New York-based International human rights organisation Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to Najib Tun Razak asking him to rescind the ban . "Banning the Seksualiti Merdeka Festival blatantly contradicts Prime Minister Najib's '1Malaysia' call to promote 'unity in diversity' in Malaysia and sadly indicates that a discriminatory, homophobic agenda persists within some quarters of the government. "The prime minister should promptly reverse this wholly unjustified decision and minimize the harm to Malaysia's reputation," said Boris Dittrich, advocacy director of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights program at Human Rights Watch in a letter dated yesterday to Najib. The call to rescind the ban comes as a result of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar who banned it on the grounds that it constitutes a "threat to public order" under section 298A of the Penal Code. The Seksualiti Merdeka festival that has been going on since 2008 and was initially scheduled to begin from today until Sunday.
|
| Almost as many officials and observers as athletes for the Games Posted: 08 Nov 2011 01:29 PM PST By Rajes Paul, The Star PETALING JAYA: The SEA Games are heaven sent for Malaysian sports junket junkies and there are many of them. Officials, and so called observers, will be taking the opportunity to go on a holiday at the taxpayers' expense. Of course several of them are bona fide delegates like the coaches, medical staff and others, but do we really need 261 officials accompanying the contingent. And that does not include the 338 others - VIPS and observers - going for the Games. Malaysia will have one of the largest contingents at the Games in Jakarta and Palembang starting this Friday. The 869-strong contingent is, in fact, the largest to particiapte in the biennial regional Games outside of the country. There will be a total of 608 athletes, 253 of them under Category B (which means they are paying their own way, and 261 officials – a ratio of one official for every 2.33 athletes. But it is the number of the supporting cast – the biggest ever for a Games – that raises the eyebrows. Accreditation cards have been issued for 279 observers and 59 VIPs swelling the number of non-athletes to a staggering 599. The question is how many from this group are making the trip at the taxpayers' expense? The VIPs alone outnumber the 48 people from Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and National Sports Council (NSC), who will actually be doing some work at the secretariat in Jakarta and Palembang. While Category B athletes have to fork out their own money to prove themselves at the Games, some of the officials and observers will be on an all-expenses paid holiday. In the observers' category, there are genuine supporters like those from Famemas (20) and Telekom Malaysia (27), who are sending a big group to cheer on the Malaysian athletes at their own expense. But what are auditors and State financial officers doing with the contingent? A study tour perhaps or maybe a shopping trip? There are many sports officers from the states in the observers' list. What they will be doing is anybody's guess. Wouldn't the money be better spent on the young athletes to gain exposure under Category B? There are 45 observers for athletics - more than the 14 officials who will be looking after the 48 track and field athletes. OCM general secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, while lauding the enthusiasm of the supporters, said they should not use public funds to go on a junket to the Games.  He said that it would do a world of good to the Games' profile if more supporters show interest in the biennial event. And one should not question their intention if these people pay their own travel and accommodation to catch the athletes in action. "It is good if more people are there for the Games. It will draw sponsors and boost the economy of the host country," said Kok Chi. "We at the OCM do not object if sports enthusiasts want to go for the Games but they must be transparent about their funding. We do not condone people using public funds without proper justification. "OCM are all for the effort to build a culture of having supporters for the Games. In Europe, people save money to make their way to support their national or favourite teams. "Some states may fund some of their sports officers for the SEA Games. But it should be worth their investment. It will be good if these officers return home with some sort of report to improve their State sports affairs and not simply enjoy their holiday at public expense. "Look at Vietnam. They will be sending 180 reporters for the Games. The country is taking part in 36 sports and have targeted to win 70 gold medals. This will do good to the profile of the Games." Malaysia, for all its huge presence, are targeting a mere 40 gold medals. Malaysia won 40-40-59 in Laos 2009 and 68-52-95 at Korat 2007. |
| Pakatan says won’t slash civil service size Posted: 08 Nov 2011 01:28 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today said it will not trim the bloated civil service if it takes over Putrajaya, but will instead focus on making government staff more efficient. In what appeared to be a move to quell public sector anger over DAP publicity chief Tony Pua's proposal to reduce civil service headcount, the opposition pact today stressed it would retain existing staff should it win federal power. "Pakatan Rakyat would like to clarify that the position of the 1.2 million civil servants and officers will be guaranteed, as enshrined in [Articles 132 and 135] of the Constitution," PAS vice president Salahuddin told reporters in the Parliament lobby. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan