Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Tenaga faces cash shortage
- The battle for Malaysia starts with Selangor
- Pakatan Rakyat Sokong Protes Jika PRU Dipanggil Sebelum Syor Panel Khas
- ‘Graduates not competitive due to poor English’
- WIKILEAKS: RELIGIOUS, RACIAL POLITICS MARK RUN-UP TO CRITICAL BY-ELECTION
- Najib faces second rally threat
- Why Umno Malays are NOT Muslims
- MALAYSIA: A collapsing grand narrative
- Seksualiti Merdeka shows PAS kowtowing to ‘Anwarinas’, says Utusan
- Quality of English still ‘an issue”
- No need to renominate EPF beneficiaries, workers told
- Pro-BM group wants PPSMI scrapped immediately
- Greek parties ignore appeal for rapid compromise
- AirAsia denies gain from subsidies for rural service
- VIDEO : PKR leaders, NGO refused entry at Feedlot Project managed by Shahrizat's family?
- Tamil schools in Malaysia denied fully financial aided status
- Gerakan ‘Massa’ tuntut penambahbaikan pilihan raya
- WIKILEAKS: HOME MINISTER ASSEMBLES DIPLOMATS, DEFENDS HANDLING OF ANWAR CASE
- Recognising Malaysia's stateless Indians
- Dr M says Najib can save PPSMI: The falling out between Mahathir and Muhyiddin?
- SPEAKER’S CORNER - UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA
- MCA: Make English a compulsory pass for SPM
- PPSMI and the Malaysian education malaise
- Bahasa Inggeris wajib dipertingkatkan - tetapi PPSMI bukan penyelesaiannya
- Police to question Ambiga over Seksualiti Merdeka
- The Third Estate
- ‘Stop hiding behind the Buku Jingga’
- Calls to keep PPSMI policy for future generations
- Derail unnecessary railway projects
- A ‘strong’ BN win not likely
- Malay a fruitless language
- Be fair to PM’s family
- Huge Malaysian transit project hits rough patch
- ETP to keep Malaysia on the right track to high-income status by 2020
- The importance of proper procurement
- Learning in English to continue
- PAGE says likely to continue PPSMI struggle
- Pakatan against option to teach Science and Maths in English, says Nik Nazmi
- Sean Murray’s Kuching Construction Connection – Expose
- Dr M pushes for referendum on PPSMI
- Self cannibalization: the latest political tool to win at all costs
- Mission schools: cheated by the system they trusted
- I am not allowed
- PPSMI: The Language of Politics
- Nazri talking through his hat!
- UUCA ruling a great legal milestone
- Bar Council HQ vandalised with red paint
- "Bickering Politicians Will Benefit Enemies of Islam"
- Way to go!
- Ultimatum from the Rakyat to Barisan Nasional: Call Snap Polls before Electoral Reforms and be ...
| Posted: 06 Nov 2011 11:38 AM PST (The Star) - The situation confronting the power sector is becoming more convoluted by the day. Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is crying foul over its cash running out as it struggles to pay for the high cost of alternative fuels. This follows another gas supply shortage occurring this time on a larger scale. There were suggestions of cost-sharing, based on the previous experience in 2002, on a ratio of 40:30:30, to be borne by the gas supplier Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), TNB itself and the independent power producers (IPPs). But that seems to have fallen on deaf ears. While TNB says it is no longer able to pay, the IPPs are saying there is obligation to pay. Meanwhile, Petronas says that up to August this year, it has already paid RM143.4bil in price differential, out of which RM103.2bil was for gas supplied to the power sector. Back in 2002, the country also experienced a gas supply shortage albeit on a smaller scale. The IPPs were forced to pay back based on the ratio of payment. "In those days, the perception was that IPPs made a lot of money at the expense of TNB,'' an analyst said, adding that the current situation was looking worse than before. "Now, the first generation IPPs are about to expire in 2015, so there is no need to squeeze them further.'' TNB is said to be paying RM400mil per month on the price differential between using distillates and gas as fuel. Research houses like Maybank Investment Bank (IB) Research are projecting that TNB's cash will run out in three to four quarters. "The IPPs are just offtakers of gas from TNB,'' said an analyst with a bank-backed brokerage. "The negotiations on gas prices are between TNB, Petronas and the Energy Commission. The shortage is so acute, with supply of less than 1,000 million std cu ft per day (mmscfd), this time. Due to the usage of distillates and oil, there is faster wear and tear. So the IPPs are also unhappy.'' The analyst suggested that TNB and Petronas each foot half of the bill as it was within its (TNB) right to ask Petronas to bear the cost. "The Economic Planning Unit had given the undertaking that TNB gets a certain amount of gas (1,250 mmscfd) from 2009 to 2011, and the power structure was based on that understanding. "By right, the Government has to pay the difference and TNB should be able to claim from Petronas,'' said the analyst. A source told StarBiz that the matter related to payment by the IPPs did not arise anymore, especially since TNB and the IPPs came together to issue a joint letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last week. Moreover, TNB did not seem to be pursuing the matter with the IPPs anymore, the source said. "The Government can raise tariffs, provide a subsidy to TNB and ask Petronas to pay for the gas shortfall. However, for TNB to make a cash call or do a rights issue to service working capital is a sure sign that things are not looking good. "As a monopoly company, they should not be making a cash call for working capital. The Government should take over the extra cost,'' said the analyst from Maybank IB Research. | |
| The battle for Malaysia starts with Selangor Posted: 06 Nov 2011 11:25 AM PST By Shannon Teoh, Clara Chooi and Sheridan Mahavera, TMI KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — An inscription on a monument in Malacca describes how important the port city was to Europe in the 16th century: "Whoever holds Malacca, holds the throat of Venice". Four hundred years later, the same could be said of Selangor and its relation to Putrajaya. In May, Barisan Nasional supremo Datuk Seri Najib Razak told a gathering in the Selangor capital, Shah Alam, that the coalition must win the state back "with any weapon". Besides being the country's richest state, a quarter of Selangor's population are migrants as far as Perlis, Sabah and Kelantan. The money and the ideas that gestate in the Klang Valley are taken back to the most remote corners of Malaysia where they can be translated into votes. It is why Pakatan Rakyat (PR) activists are passing out packets of propaganda to youths and families travelling back to their kampungs so that the pact's message gets spread far and wide. "One of the ways we get old folks in the kampung to support us is to get our supporters, who work in the Klang Valley, to persuade their parents and relatives when they balik kampung," said Rosli Md Nor, a PAS activist in northern Johor when talking about strategy in rural areas. Political odds-makers like to claim that the PR can still retain Selangor. Their arguments are based on the assumption that the more urbanised a state, the more its residents have access to new ideas, hence the more pliable they are to PR propaganda. But this claim underestimates the complexity of the state's social landscape. As the movement of people, the competition for opportunities and the legacy of racialism interact in unexpected ways to influence how a Selangor resident votes. So while the profile of a Selangor voter can still be broken down by race, class and geography, the state's unique landscape makes it hard to stereotype them. Migration The industries and businesses in the Klang Valley pull between 20 and 25 per cent of the populations in what is considered the state's countryside such as Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Langat to work and reside in central Selangor. Dr Badrulamin Baharon, of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said these migrants, 60 per cent of whom are young adults, are still registered as voters in their kampungs. Living in cities exposes them to new ideas and experiences which shape their political attitudes or, in many cases, challenge the presumptions that they were taught in their villages. During weekends, these youths bring these new perspectives back to their villages and spread them to their parents and relatives. This makes every area in Selangor a mixed constituency as the divide shrinks between urban and rural in terms of political attitudes. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said that many urban poor in Batu Caves and Shah Alam, for instance, have been retrenched. This has consequences when they return to the rural areas to vote. "Those working-class Malays and Indians who come to the city have no other way out. They are affected most directly by inflation," said the Selangor PKR chief. Competition At the same time, being exposed to new ideas does not guarantee their acceptance as PAS and PKR has found out among urban, young Malays. The core PR concept introduced in the 2008 elections is its needs-based, colour-blind approach to policy, whether it's awarding contracts, civil service positions, scholarships or welfare handouts. This is in contrast to the BN, whose policies involve carving out allocating quotas based on race. Despite promoting its non-racial philosophy in Selangor, the PR still finds it hard to change mindsets rooted in the BN race-first paradigm, says Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad. "Malays can see the corruption and the wastefulness in BN. But they are unsure that voting for PR is the right solution. They have been told for 50 years that only Umno can help the Malays," said Khalid. The insecurity runs across racial boundaries. DAP central working committee member Gobind Singh Deo said poor Indians also feel the same way. "The fact is they cannot communicate. Poor Indians cannot speak anything but Tamil and it's the same with other races so it still leads to racial insecurity," the Puchong MP said. Many band together in their ethnic groups as they come from mono-racial villages and are thrust into a landscape where they come face-to-face and must compete with other races for opportunities, said Gobind. He added that the lack of mutual understanding at close quarters led to conflicts that voters looked to both BN and PR to solve.
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| Pakatan Rakyat Sokong Protes Jika PRU Dipanggil Sebelum Syor Panel Khas Posted: 06 Nov 2011 05:30 AM PST KELAB GREENBOC Datuk Seri Najib Razak kini berhadapan dengan protes jalanan besar-besaran kedua jika pembaharuan pilihan raya gagal dilaksanakan sebelum memanggil pilihan raya umum ke-13, langkah yang dijangka boleh mengganggu usaha pentadbirannya mendapatkan majoriti dua pertiga di Parlimen. Semalam, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) dan Pergerakan Kebebasan Sivil Malaysia (MCLM) memberi perdana menteri kata dua bahawa pihaknya akan mengadakan protes mirip Bersih 2.0 jika membubarkan Parlimen sebelum pembaharuan pilihan raya dikuatkuasakan.
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| ‘Graduates not competitive due to poor English’ Posted: 06 Nov 2011 05:21 AM PST "This generation will have to face international standard and competition in terms of job market, as part of globalisation," said Tourres. She cited Pakistan as an example, where she gives lectures. "In Pakistan, although the people speak different dialects, next to the Urdu language, their English is better than our graduates," she pointed out. BERNAMA The quality of Malaysian undergraduates in having a good command of English still remains an issue says a Universiti Malaya academic. Marie Aimee Tourres, a senior research fellow at the Department of Development Studies, Universiti Malaya, said it was crucial for graduates to have a good command of English to ensure they would be able to compete effectively, in the global job market. Nevertheless, "in terms of education spending, Malaysia is comparable to some countries in the region based on the percentage spent over its gross domestic product (GDP) growth," she told Bernama in an interview, Kuala Lumpur. She said Malaysia was actually spending more vis-a-vis other countries. In Budget 2012, RM13.6 billion was allocated to the social sector, including education and training, health, welfare, housing and community development. Tourres said there was also a lot of focus given for training and re-training for graduates, which was important to continuously upgrade skilled and knowledge workers in the country. However, the quality of undergraduates remains an issue in Malaysia, since the students find it difficult to grasp the English language. "Language is definitely an issue," she said, citing a recent publication by the World Bank entitled , 'The Road to Academic Excellence', which was a study on what contributes to a world-class research university. The study compared University Malaya (UM) and National University of Singapore (NUS) in a chapter entitled 'The National University of Singapore and the University of Malaya: Common Roots and Different Paths'. In the report, it was stated that as NUS kept pace with the demands of a growing economy that sought to become competitive internationally, with English continuing as the language of instruction and research, UM began to focus inward as proficiency in English declined in favour of the national language. The publication, which is based on a study conducted by two scholars, Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi, also stated that because UM taught courses predominantly in the national language, it had much more limited internationalisation of programme, academic staff and student body. Can grads compete internationally? "This generation will have to face international standard and competition in terms of job market, as part of globalisation," said Tourres. She cited Pakistan as an example, where she gives lectures. "In Pakistan, although the people speak different dialects, next to the Urdu language, their English is better than our graduates," she pointed out. It made them more marketable in the competitive global environment, she noted. "The immediate result of their English capacity is that you can find many Pakistanis who work for international organisations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund," noted Tourres. She believed that even if Malaysia gave more focus in English, the national language and culture could still prosper, provided that teaching was made interesting. "More English in school will not deter Malay, Indian and Chinese culture per se. We should not mix the issue of a command of good language and the preservation of national heritage," she said. As for the distribution of the book voucher worth RM200 to all Malaysian students in public and private local institutions of higher learning, matriculation as well as Form 6 students nationwide, she believed that it should be monitored to ensure that it served the purpose. This assistance is expected to benefit 1.3 million students with an allocation of RM260 million. "That is a lot of money. Probably, it could have been done based on meritocracy to ensure that it is properly utilised," said Tourres, pointing out that there were risks of students re-selling the voucher, especially when the new targeted generation lacked the reading habit and preferred to go online to search for their study materials.
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| WIKILEAKS: RELIGIOUS, RACIAL POLITICS MARK RUN-UP TO CRITICAL BY-ELECTION Posted: 05 Nov 2011 08:29 PM PDT
A hostile crowd of about 500 protesters assembled in front of the building, including representatives from the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS), Anwar Ibrahim's People Justice Party (PKR) (including a Member of Parliament), the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), and Muslim-based NGOs. A group of protesters led by Peninsular Malay Students Federations (GPMS) Vice-president Jais Abdul Karim and PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin stormed the building shortly after the forum began. Police at the scene made no attempt to stop the protesters, but actually escorted them inside, where the demonstrators disrupted the proceedings, using racial epithets and other derogatory language and forcing Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan to close the forum. Police did not make any arrests of the protestors, but have announced that they are investigating the forum's organizers. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: Classified By: Acting Political Section Chief William G. Gray for reasons 1.4 (b and d). 1. (C) Summary. The ruling National Front (BN) coalition is gearing up to oppose Anwar Ibrahim's return to parliament via an August 26 by-election. BN tactics include intense rhetoric with religious and racial connotations. A Malaysian Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam was shut down by a group of Muslim protesters spanning the political spectrum, a development that has provided the BN and government-controlled media with opportunities to rouse the emotions of their Muslim/Malay base. In the meantime, the Government has again threatened to shut down a Catholic newspaper for "dabbling in politics." Government and BN spokesmen continue to label Anwar an "American stooge" and accuse the USG of "meddling" in the internal affairs of Malaysia. Post expects the rhetoric to continue to intensify with both sides viewing the by-election as part of the zero-sum power struggle between UMNO and Anwar. End Summary. Protesters Block Forum 2. (SBU) The Malaysian Bar Council attempted to hold a forum, entitled "Conversion to Islam," at their national headquarters on August 9. Included in the forum was a panel discussion of two high profile conversion cases involving the difficulties faced by non-Muslims in conversion cases related to religiously mixed marriages. A hostile crowd of about 500 protesters assembled in front of the building, including representatives from the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS), Anwar Ibrahim's People Justice Party (PKR) (including a Member of Parliament), the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), and Muslim-based NGOs. A group of protesters led by Peninsular Malay Students Federations (GPMS) Vice-president Jais Abdul Karim and PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin stormed the building shortly after the forum began. Police at the scene made no attempt to stop the protesters, but actually escorted them inside, where the demonstrators disrupted the proceedings, using racial epithets and other derogatory language and forcing Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan to close the forum. Police did not make any arrests of the protestors, but have announced that they are investigating the forum's organizers. 3. (SBU) Criticism of the forum has crossed political lines and split both the opposition and ruling alliances. On August 8, de facto Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, taking a position similar to that of Deputy Prime Minister Najib, said that such forums should be held behind closed doors and not openly. However, PKR Deputy President Syed Husin Ali condemned the group that entered the Bar Council, including PKR MP Zulkifli. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said he hoped such forums would not be organized in the future, explaining, "issues concerning religion are very sensitive" and since matters on religion "are spelt out," there was no need for discussions. Abdullah added that he would leave it up to the Home Ministry to decide whether action, including using the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Sedition Act, might be taken against the Bar Council. 4. (SBU) Syed Hamid, Home Minister, said he "hoped that the Bar council got the message that there are certain things that are out of bounds for public discussion, even if held in a private place." DPM Najib dismissed the protesters' disruption, saying it was "expected" and blamed the disruption on the Bar Council for its "stubborn" insistence on holding the forum. De facto Religious Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid encouraged authorities to take action against the Bar Council for its "defiance" by proceeding with the forum. He claimed the forum had a "hidden agenda to disparage Islam." While UMNO leaders have united in criticizing the Bar Council, the non-Malay parties of the BN, including Gerakan and MCA, have emphasized the need to address the problems the Bar Council was attempting to discuss. Catholic Herald Under Renewed Pressure 5. (SBU) GOM has renewed its pressure on the Catholic weekly newsletter Herald for allegedly "dabbling" in politics (reftel). The Home Affairs had issued a show-cause letter on July 16 accusing the paper of committing two offenses - not focusing on religion and religious activities, and carrying an article purportedly degrading Islam. The division issued another warning on August 12 that Herald's permit will be suspended if it goes ahead with a planned editorial on the Permatang Pauh by-election in its forthcoming issue. The Herald has a circulation of 12, 0000 and carries reports in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and Chinese. Editor Father Lawrence Lim denied that the publication had breached permit conditions. In his reply to the Home Affairs Ministry, Father Lim stated that the Ministry had not defined the concept of "religion" in the application form for a publishing permit and neither is there a definition in the Constitution. Father Lim pointed out that the forthcoming editorial was only asking people to pray for a just and fair by-election. Anwar Portrayed as U.S. Puppet 6. (SBU) The GOM is continuing its fierce rhetoric on Anwar Ibrahim, describing him as an American lackey. Foreign Minister Rais Yatim fired the first salvo by stating that the USG should not meddle in Malaysia's internal affairs, arguing that even the UN secretary-general has not said anything about how Malaysia is handling its legal matters. The press has quoted Rais as saying that he planned to write a letter to the UNSYG Ban complaining about U.S. "meddling. Rais has maintained that the official U.S. stance as well as statements by former Vice President Gore and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Charter. Echoing the foreign minister's view, UMNO Youth Internal Bureau Chairman and former PM Mahathir's son Mukhriz Mahathir described Anwar as a political puppet of the United States government. He added that the statements by the USG and its former leaders are "a concerted conspiracy to install their lackey in Malaysia." The UMNO-owned Malay newspapers have also prominently editorialized on allegedly close links between the U.S. and Anwar. The Next Steps 7. (SBU) Anwar and BN continue to prepare to submit their by-election nominations on August 16 while his lawyers, confident they have a very strong case, prepare for the next stage of the legal process, which resumes on September 10. Anwar is expected to make appearances at a series of political rallies leading up to election day. Although BN publicly talks about defeating Anwar, privately they concede his likely victory and seek to make the margin as small as possible. Poloffs will monitor the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party Congress on August 15 in the Opposition controlled state of Perak as well as the by-election on August 26. Comment 8. (C) The response to the Bar Council forum has illustrated the Government's willingness to utilize religious sensitivities and tensions for political gains. The involvement of party members from PAS and PKR show the fragile nature of the Opposition's coalition and the potential for UMNO strategists to continue exploiting the coalition's lack of cohesiveness, especially along religious and racial lines. The Malay language press on August 13 gave prominent and sympathetic coverage to a demonstration by thousands of students at the exclusively Malay Mara Technical University against a proposal by the new PKR-controlled Selangor state government to "integrate" the university by allotting 10 percent of the places for non-Malays. As the by-election draws near, BN will likely increase the rhetoric, including implications that Malays' preferred status will disappear if Anwar and the opposition seize control of the government. The message emerging in the Government-controlled media is that Anwar represents increased instability and a loss of sovereignty to the West, particularly the United States. While fierce, religious and ethnic-tinged rhetoric is not unusual in Malaysian politics, the intensity of the current campaign likely reflects the views of the major players that the Opposition/BN power struggle is a zero-sum game. Anwar believes he must become prime minister or go to jail over the politically-motivated sodomy charges and top UMNO leaders fear political defeat would mean loss of their positions of privilege and in some cases even result in exposure to possible criminal charges for graft and corruption. KEITH (August 2008)
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| Najib faces second rally threat Posted: 05 Nov 2011 05:08 PM PDT By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is now facing the threat of a second major street protest if electoral reforms are not implemented before the polls, an outcome that could derail his plans to regain a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) and Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) threatened the prime minister yesterday with a protest ala Bersih 2.0's July 9 rally if polls are called before reforms are implemented. Several Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers expressed their support today for the proposal and vowed to hold Najib to his promises. They said the prime minister must allow the parliamentary select committee (PSC) he had formed to complete its six-month probe into the country's election process and implement its reform recommendations before calling the 13th general election. PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar told The Malaysia Insider today that PKR will lend its support to another such protest if there is a need for it. "I believe the rakyat are awaiting the proof of the pie from the pledges of reform made by the PM on September 14 this year. "Hence, at the bare minimum, the GE (general election) must be held post PSC for work on and implementation of much needed electoral reforms, some of which can immediately be implemented (such as the) use of indelible ink, automatic voter registration and longer campaigning period," she said via SMS. "Since these issues remain relevant to Bersih 2.0's struggle, then there's much necessity to have a third wave," Nurul Izzah added. Najib and his reformist image suffered in the wake of strong condemnation from the international media when his administration ordered a widespread clampdown on Bersih 2.0's July 9 protest. The election watchdog had rallied thousands to the streets of the capital in a march for free and fair elections, an event said to have strengthened the country's civil society movement significantly. Najib mooted the formation of the PSC shortly after the July 9 protest this year, Bersih 2.0's second, promising to look into Bersih 2.0's demands. The PSC will, however, be dissolved along with Parliament if polls are called before its six-month probe is completed. The move, along with the subsequent decision to repeal the Internal Security Act, relax security and press laws and promise increased civil liberties, was seen as the administration's attempt to recoup its losses after a backlash from July 9.
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| Why Umno Malays are NOT Muslims Posted: 05 Nov 2011 04:43 PM PDT This great annual convention of faith demonstrates the concept of equality of mankind, the most profound message of Islam, which allows no superiority on the basis of race, gender or social status. The only preference in the eyes of God is piety as stated in the Quran: "The best amongst you in the eyes of God is most righteous." NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Hajj: Equality before God Ahmad Al-Akhras, Harakah Daily Every year, Muslims from all over the world take part in the largest gathering on Earth, the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah. The Hajj is a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfill, if financially and physically able, at least once in his or her lifetime.
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| MALAYSIA: A collapsing grand narrative Posted: 05 Nov 2011 04:14 PM PDT Have Malaysians failed to examine their lives, borrowing the Socratic maxim "the unexamined life is not worth living"? Are we summoning our greatest enemy - ignorance - to lead us to the path of developmentalism and putting knowledge in front of the firing squad circa Merdeka/Independence, borrowing again another Socratic maxim "the greatest enemy of knowledge is ignorance"? A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman What is ailing our society? Are we moving into the final stages of social, political, and moral annihilation, judging from the levels and forms of violence we are seeing emerging? We see no respect for the rule of law, an increasing gap between the rich and the poor, conspicuous consumption at the highest level of vulgarity, a continuing massacre of the voice of critical sensibility, a direction-less educational progress, production of public statements championing racial and religious bigotry, prostitutionalisation of the electoral process, drunkenness of politicians in attacking pluralists and multiculturalists, fear and trembling upon hearing the words "socialism" and "communism" - all these are indicators of the chaos Malaysians are experiencing in their attempt to understand where their leaders are taking them and why this nation is being torn apart. Has Malaysia made a wrong turn in conceptualising its economic, social, and political policies, merely transplanting a system left by the colonials? Why are we experiencing this phenomenon? Why are our elected officials becoming corrupted to the core - both in the way they use power and the way they display the image of being in power? What has crept cancerously into the cognitive faculties/thinking process of our leaders in these five decade of unilinear developmentalist agenda that necessitates such a brutal image of arrogance in the way the leaders react to the voices of discontent as in the Bersih rally and in investigations on corrupt practices? Have Malaysians failed to examine their lives, borrowing the Socratic maxim "the unexamined life is not worth living"? Are we summoning our greatest enemy - ignorance - to lead us to the path of developmentalism and putting knowledge in front of the firing squad circa Merdeka/Independence, borrowing again another Socratic maxim "the greatest enemy of knowledge is ignorance"? I suppose we have installed rulers who are not philosophers. We continue to install exploiters and abusers of power that use the ideological state apparatuses to allow a certain paradigm of human and material development to reign supreme. We have installed robber barons who speak with a two-pronged tongue of national development; skilled users of Orwellian doublespeak. What we have is now, after over 50 years of independence, are a broken education system; a population that does not read books that help in the improvement of the soul, mind, and spirit; a ruling regime that is holding its last dying breath by chanting the mantra of racial and religious bigotry in the hope that it can continue to live in luxury for the next decade or so. A philosophically dead society We have a philosophically dead society by those who could not even see the need to look at society through the lens of political economy but rather see the bastardised version of specialised functions of governance as the only way to run society as a political entity. We need to groom philosopher-rulers - not as an elitist Platonic or Confucian type of ruling elitism, but to create the everyday philosopher-ruler in our project of grooming future leaders in virtually all sectors of our lives. Through education conceived differently to meet the needs of a degenerating society, members of society need to be taught how to analyse complex social, ethical, technological, and social issues in this post-industrial and informational age and offer scientific ideas to effect humanistic and social change in virtually all sectors of human intellectual-macro level activities. To save this nation from total destruction, we must go back to philosophy and through a rigorous curriculum adaptable to varying contexts of learning, teach our future leaders the following:
Such is the newer design we ought to explore to renew our intellectual prosperity. We must begin to become a nation of philosophers more than a nation of plunderers. DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. | |
| Seksualiti Merdeka shows PAS kowtowing to ‘Anwarinas’, says Utusan Posted: 05 Nov 2011 03:24 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — PAS will continue to stand idly by as Islam is attacked so long as the party stays under the thumb of pro-Anwar leaders and DAP, Mingguan Malaysia said today. The Umno-owned newspaper said PAS's silence in the face of Seksualiti Merdeka, a gay rights festival, showed the Islamist party was more worried about protecting its political masters than safeguarding Islam. "Until now, PAS has not yet stated its official position on the programme that promotes free sex. What we have are just the reactions of certain individual leaders," its editors said in the Awang Selamat column. "In two other issues that challenged the interests of Islam, the Jais (Selangor Islamic Religious Authorities) examination of a church and the anti-apostasy rally, PAS too was quiet as it chose to look after DAP's interests." Mingguan Malaysia said PAS has never kowtowed to other parties' demands but said this would be par for the course if PAS remained controlled by "Anwarinas", or supporters of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. It singled out PAS leaders Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Mohamad Sabu for inspiring the organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka "to do whatever they want" by showing support for the banned Bersih rally for electoral reform held in July. "However ... Muslims still place hope on the rational faction within the party. They include Dr Hasan Ali, Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi and Nik Abduh. Mustafa Ali, Harun Din, Harun Taib, Nasharudin Mat Isa and Azizan Razak can also be trusted. "They, along with other members and supporters, still place the importance of Islam above political trickery and private agendas," the paper said. The Malay-language daily also warned that Seksualiti Merdeka would legitimise the practice of unnatural sex, the spread of which has gone unnoticed, if allowed to take place. It said this would lead to many more gay parades in Malaysia, and thanked those who protested against the festival for making their objections heard. Mingguan Malaysia added that it was not enough that the police had banned the festival and urged authorities to charge the organisers under existing laws. It warned that Seksualiti Merdeka would threaten faith, the Constitution, culture and the institution of the family, and remained a threat that needed to be monitored closely by the authorities.
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| Quality of English still ‘an issue” Posted: 05 Nov 2011 12:42 PM PDT (Bernama) - Malaysia is on par or ahead of some of the regional countries in terms of investment in education. However, the quality of its undergraduates in having a good command of English, still remains an issue. Marie Aimee Tourres, a senior research fellow at the Department of Development Studies, Universiti Malaya, said it was crucial for graduates to have a good command of English to ensure they would be able to compete effectively, in the global job market. Nevertheless, "in terms of education spending, Malaysia is comparable to some countries in the region based on the percentage spent over its gross domestic product (GDP) growth," she told Bernama in an interview here. She said Malaysia was actually spending more vis-Ã -vis other countries. In the 2012 Budget, RM13.6 billion was allocated to the social sector, including education and training, health, welfare, housing and community development. Tourres said there was also a lot of focus given for training and re-training for graduates, which was important to continuously upgrade skilled and knowledge workers in the country. However, the quality of undergraduates remains an issue in Malaysia, since the students find it difficult to grasp the English language. "Language is definitely an issue," she said, citing a recent publication by the World Bank entitled , "The Road to Academic Excellence", which was a study on what contributes to a world-class research university. The study compared Universiti Malaya (UM) and National University of Singapore (NUS) in a chapter entitled "The National University of Singapore and the University of Malaya: Common Roots and Different Paths". In the report, it was stated that as NUS kept pace with the demands of a growing economy that sought to become competitive internationally, with English continuing as the language of instruction and research, UM began to focus inward as proficiency in English declined in favour of the national language. The publication, which is based on a study conducted by two scholars, Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi, also stated that because UM taught courses predominantly in the national language, it had much more limited internationalisation of programme, academic staff and student body. International standard "This generation will have to face international standard and competition in terms of job market, as part of globalisation," said Tourres. She cited Pakistan as an example, where she gives lectures. "In Pakistan, although the people speak different dialects, next to the Urdu language, their English is better than our graduates," she pointed out. It made them more marketable in the competitive global environment, she noted. "The immediate result of their English capacity is that you can find many Pakistanis who work for international organisations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund," said Tourres. She believed that even if Malaysia gave more focus in English, the national language and culture could still prosper, provided that teaching was made interesting. "More English in school will not deter Malay, Indian and Chinese culture per se. We should not mix the issue of a command of good language and the preservation of national heritage," she said. As for the distribution of the book voucher worth RM200 to all Malaysian students in public and private local institutions of higher learning, matriculation as well as Form 6 students nationwide, she believed that it should be monitored to ensure that it served the purpose. This assistance is expected to benefit 1.3 million students with an allocation of RM260 million. "That is a lot of money. Probably, it could have been done based on meritocracy to ensure that it is properly utilised," said Tourres, pointing out that there were risks of students re-selling the voucher, especially when the new targeted generation lacked the reading habit and preferred to go online to search for their study materials. | |
| No need to renominate EPF beneficiaries, workers told Posted: 05 Nov 2011 12:39 PM PDT (The Star) - The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has debunked talk that contributors must renominate their beneficiaries once they reach their retirement age. They only needed to do so if they had made Age 55 withdrawals before Feb 1, 2008, said EPF public relations general manager Nik Affendi Jaafar. (On Feb 1, 2008, the EPF made it compulsory for those who continue to work after 55 to remain contributing until the maximum age of 75 at a revised rate of 5.5% for employees' contribution.) A chain email has been circulating, in which the writer claimed that a sister-in-law had to go through the legal process to claim the funds left by her husband after he passed away at the age of 60. The writer said: "EPF did not allow her to withdraw even though she was the sole beneficiary. "According to EPF, one has to rename their beneficiaries at the age of 55, making all previous nominations void." Nik Affendi explained that the case was only true if members had made Age 55 withdrawals before Feb 1, 2008. "Therefore if a member were to continue to contribute to the EPF, he would need to make a new nomination. However for EPF members who have made Age 55 Withdrawals after Feb 1, 2008, their nominations remain valid until a new nomination is made," he said. This also applies to members who are 55 years old but have not made the said withdrawal. Age 55 Withdrawals refer to EPF members who took out their savings upon reaching 55. The money, which could be withdrawn either in a lump sum or partially, is meant to provide financial support during their retirement period. | |
| Pro-BM group wants PPSMI scrapped immediately Posted: 05 Nov 2011 12:30 PM PDT By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — PPSMI (the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in English) remains abolished but a Bahasa Malaysia lobby group here is demanding Putrajaya discontinue the policy immediately instead of gradually phasing it out. Gerakan Mansuhkan PPSMI (GMP) insisted that the government's continuance would indicate it is "not serious" with its plan to revert to using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for the two subjects. Its chairman Prof Dr Shaharir Mohd Zain pointed out that under Putrajaya's decision on Friday, PPSMI would only be completely phased out in nine years, during which time the government could still change its mind. "The government should follow the same strategy of implementing PPSMI ... otherwise it will send many wrong signals and indicate the government is not serious or fully committed. "I think it is unfortunate that he (Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) is doing something different from what most people expected him to do," the senior research fellow at Universiti Malaya (UM) told The Malaysian Insider. He said it would take too long for the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia to be fully implemented and urged the government to make the switch immediately. Muhyiddin, who is also the deputy prime minister, announced on Friday that while PPSMI remains abolished, the government would allow those already studying under the programme to continue until they have completed their secondary school education. Stressing that this does not mean the administration was backpeddling on its 2009 decision to scrap the policy, Muhyiddin had reasoned that the move would bring "relief" to many parents who have been lobbying for PPSMI. He explained the decision meant that students between Year Three and Form Five next year would be allowed the option of learning science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia, English or both languages, as allowed under PPSMI, until they complete their primary and secondary education.
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| Greek parties ignore appeal for rapid compromise Posted: 05 Nov 2011 12:25 PM PDT (Reuters) - Greece's ruling socialists and opposition conservatives offered rival plans for saving the nation from bankruptcy and safeguarding its euro zone membership, ignoring an appeal from the president to cooperate now on tackling the mess. For Prime Minister George Papandreou, only a coalition government ruling for at least several months can set Greece on the road to national salvation and secure a financial lifeline from international lenders before the money runs out. But the conservative opposition flatly rejected the idea, offering its competing vision of snap elections -- and demanding Papandreou's resignation after two years of grappling with economic, political and social crisis. All this disregarded an appeal by President Karolos Papoulias for the opposing sides of Greek politics to overcome their differences and get to work solving a crisis which risks wrecking international faith in the entire euro project. "Consensus is the one and only way," Papoulias told the prime minister when he went to the presidential palace to launch his drive for a coalition government. At immediate stake is the fate of Greece's 130 billion euro bailout, agreed by euro zone leaders to keep Athens afloat, and restore confidence on global financial markets that the euro zone nations can handle a crisis that could afflict much bigger economies such as Italy and Spain. NOT GOOD AT COMPROMISE On Sunday the president will meet Antonis Samaras, who heads the conservative New Democracy party, as he tries to nudge the party politicians into something they are not good at -- compromise. Papandreou's socialist cabinet is due to meet informally also on Sunday, as his PASOK party searches for support among the smaller parties, with Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos playing a leading role. Only a week ago the bailout deal seemed in the bag, but then Papandreou dropped a bombshell by announcing he would hold a referendum on the package -- which demands yet another wave of austerity be imposed on the long-suffering Greek population. With the deal threatening to unravel, Germany and France told Papandreou that Greece would receive not one cent more in aid unless it fulfilled its side of the bargain. Papandreou retreated on the referendum, but only after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Greece must make up its mind whether it wanted to stay in the euro or not. A CHASTENED PAPANDREOU Chastened, Papandreou was forced to signal that he was willing to stand down. He himself raised the specter of Greece's future in the euro. "My aim is to immediately create a government of cooperation," he said at the presidential palace. "A lack of consensus would worry our European partners over our country's will to stay in the euro zone." Here he hit a raw nerve. Greeks have fought tooth and nail against the spending cuts and tax rises demanded by their international lenders in the euro zone and IMF, with some protests turning violent on the streets of Athens. But there is also a widespread fear that Greece might be forced out of the euro and will have to go it alone with a revived national currency. "Europeans don't trust us anymore, they will throw us out," said Tassos Pagonis, a 48-year-old Athens taxi driver. "I hope we don't return to the drachma." The opposition showed little sign of giving ground. "We ask for a short-term transitional government in order to restore a sense of stability and then the country goes to the polls," said Samaras. "We did not seek a role in this government, only that Mr. Papandreou, who has become dangerous for the country, resigns." Opinion polls suggested Greeks favor Papandreou's model of a longer-serving unity government. One survey commissioned by Proto Thema newspaper showed 52 percent of the public back the idea of a national unity government while 36 percent wanted snap elections. Another poll commissioned by Ethnos newspaper put support for the rival ideas at 45 percent and 41.7 percent respectively. A government source said Papandreou's deputy, Finance Minister Venizelos, was already negotiating behind the scenes to win support from the smaller parties for a government that Venizelos himself wants to lead. "Venizelos is having contacts with party leaders to secure their agreement," said a government official who requested anonymity. In snubbing Papandreou, who survived a parliamentary confidence vote in the early hours of Saturday, Samaras acknowledged the leading role being played by Venizelos in the maneuvering for power. "Whenever we try to find a way out, the Papandreou-Venizelos government invents new obstacles to block it," he complained. | |
| AirAsia denies gain from subsidies for rural service Posted: 05 Nov 2011 11:04 AM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — Aviation tycoon Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has denied his AirAsia benefited from the RM249 million in federal subsidies paid to its Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) for rural flights four years ago. Putrajaya said it paid the amount when FAX operated the Rural Air Services (RAS) — flights to rural communities in East Malaysia — between August 2006 and September 2007, after which the service was handed back to flag carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) "Fly Asian Xpress was the sole operator of the Rural Air Services and not AirAsia Berhad. AirAsia Berhad did not receive any financial benefit arising from the RAS operations," the AirAsia boss said in a blog post yesterday. "Although the shareholders of FAX were similar to AirAsia Berhad, they ended up losing almost RM5 million of shareholder capital, because the wind-up costs of FAX, including retrenchment payments, were not covered by the government subsidy." Fernandes said when RAS was operated by MAS and subsequently MASwings, both carriers similarly incurred significant operating costs, which were also subsidies by the government. Deputy Transport Minister Jelaing Mersat told Parliament on Thursday that Putrajaya paid RM249 million to AirAsia to subsidise its rural flights to Sabah and Sarawak. He also said that MASwings needed less than half the amount of subsidy when it took over the routes from the no-frills carrier's unit subsidiary FAX in October 2007. "MASwings only needed less than half the subsidy as it is more organised and uses newer aircraft which cost less to maintain," Jelaing had said. But Fernandes explained the higher subsidy bill was due to an "abnormally high" number of overhauls and repairs needed for aircraft it inherited from MAS in 2006. He pointed out that FAX had paid RM48 million in maintenance costs at market rates to MAS Engineering, rather than at cost as had been offered to the national carrier previously. "With MAS as the only licensed engineering provider, no supplier competition was available to extract better rates," he said. FAX also paid RM72 million to a third-party for additional maintenance not provided by MAS as the national carrier had been slow to respond to requests and had wanted to charge higher rates. On top of that, FAX paid RM25 million for ground handling and other services by MAS; RM16 million on loan spares from MAS; RM9 million for pilot secondments from MAS between August 2006 and March 2007; and footed a write-down on spares worth RM9 million. "Finally, another contributing factor in the difference in subsidy claims is the higher global fuel price versus prior years under MAS: RM10 million," Fernandes said. "MASWings benefited from the amount spent by FAX because 80 per cent of the amount spent would not have to be incurred in the 12 months after MASWings took over," he added. The return of RAS routes to MAS after just 14 months had raised concerns of whether it would affect the national carrier's turnaround plans under then-chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala.
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| VIDEO : PKR leaders, NGO refused entry at Feedlot Project managed by Shahrizat's family? Posted: 05 Nov 2011 12:05 AM PDT By Malaysians Must Know The TRUTH        Just LOOK where are the cattle supposed to have been reared:  NO cattle or animals CAN BE SEEN. Watch the video and read at: http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2011/11/video-pkr-leaders-ngo-refused-entry-at.html | |
| Tamil schools in Malaysia denied fully financial aided status Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:57 PM PDT In National/Malay Muslim school system the theme seems to be to produce excellence. In the Chinese school system the theme seems to be to produce world class and competitive students. Whereas the Indian Tamil school system is groveling with basic issues like no electricity, no fields to play for school children and ill equipped classes in poor conditions. By Dr Paraman VS From pre-school education to primary schools, vocational & technical training as well as tertiary education, the Malaysian Indians have been neglected for several decades now. The drastic reduction of Tamil primary schools from 888 in number in 1957 to currently 523 even though the student population has more than doubled from 50k to108k now, is just one of the many glaring examples of state neglect. In National/Malay Muslim school system the theme seems to be to produce excellence. In the Chinese school system the theme seems to be to produce world class and competitive students. Whereas the Indian Tamil school system is groveling with basic issues like no electricity, no fields to play for school children and ill equipped classes in poor conditions. Most Tamil schools lie on private lands and hence apparently do not come under the Federal Education Ministry to qualify for fully aided status. Out of sheer indirect neglect by the UMNO government, most of these Tamil schools remain in pre-independence state. There have been numerous articles written about the Tamil vernacular schools in Malaysia over the years: 1) Tamil school problems by S. Indramalar and Hariati Azizan, March 12,2000, The Star. 2) Is abolishing Tamil schools the solution by M Nadarajah , October 9, 2000 Malaysiakini. 3) Don't forsake Tamil Schools by Vasanthi Ramachandran, September 16, 2002, New Straits Times. 4) Tamil schools have important role to play by Ve Elanjelian , November 30, 2004, Malaysiakini. 5) Vernacular education system and the Left (Parts 1&2) by Lee Ban Chen September 14,15, 2005, Malaysiakini. 6) Pre-Merdeka Tamil school in a quandary by K Kabilan January 4, 2007, Malaysiakini. 7) Tamil schools, sacrificial lambs of a political agenda by Prof P Ramasamy April 10, 2007, Malaysiakini 8 ) Are Tamil schools ever meant to be an integral part of the National Education System ? by Jiwi Kathaiah July 29, 2011, Malaysiakini. These are the numerous articles highlighting the terrible condition these Tamil schools are in: 1) SJK(T) Ladang Bukit Jalil was relocated from a cemetery to the basement of DBKL low cost flats. 10/04/2008 Malaysiakini. 2) SJK(T) Ladang Escot finally received piped water supply after 50 years. 03/05/2010 Bernama. 3) Four acres of land allocated to SJK(T) Midlands , Shah Alam had gone missing. 01/11/09 Tamil Nesan. 4) SJK(T) Ladang Sungai Salak, Lukut where the school was situated upstairs in a shophouse. 10/08/2010 Malaysiakini. 5) SJK(T) Kuala Muda Hose, Sg Petani faces closure due to lack of transport. 08/01/2010 Makkal Ossai. 6) SJK(T) Jugra in Banting have to put up with overcrowding. Steel shipping containers were used as a solution for this problem. Previously 2 classes were sometimes even held in the canteen due to shortage of classrooms. 24/02/2010, Malay Mail. 7) Kindergarten in Ladang Bagan Pasir that was operating for 34 years was closed suddenly without giving any notice, according to shocked parents. 02/03/2010 Makkal Ossai. 8 ) MIC vice president Datuk Dr S Subramaniam said less than 10% of students in SJK(T) attended pre-schools which was well below the targeted 87% pre-school's student by 2012 under NKRA (National Key Result Areas). National average was 76%. 15/03/2010 Star. 9) Sungai Para Estate kindergarten seen to appear like a cow shed. 07/09/2010 www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com. 10) SJK(T) Sentul had electricity and water problems for a whole year. 25/01/2011 www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com. 11) Pupils of a Tamil school at Ladang Jeram in Kuantan have been using a container as their class room for the past decade reported Tamil Nesan. The school building had been reportedly been demolished by a company which took over the estate for commercial development 10 years ago on the condition that it will build a 6 classroom building and a Temple. However there has been no development to date. Efforts to put up a school building have been futile hence enrolment has been dwindling. 11/02/2011 Star. 12) Bagan Serai Tamil School congested with 350 pupils and no extension of building given. It has only 5 classrooms. 10/05/11 Malaysian Nanban. 13) Malaysian Nanban reported that a Tamil school in Gurun would be closed down due to low enrolment. The 70 year old school would be relocated to Gurun town as the estate wanted the land back. 02/06/11 Star. 14) Pictures appear to show dilapidated colonial wooden Kulai Tamil school building. 23/06/11 Malaysian Nanban. 15) Deputy Urban & Wellbeing Minister and MIC vice president Datuk M Saravanan said nearly a quarter of the Tamil school children in KL were underperforming because they come from poor homes. He added there were a large number of pupils who could not afford to pay school fees (RM 24 per year). A survey conducted in 2010 by an NGO found that 42% of Tamil school pupils in the country cannot read and write because they come from poor homes. About 10k Tamil school pupils attending year one are illiterate because they cannot afford to attend kindergartens. 29/06/11 Star Metro. 16) Primary School unsafe for 163 pupils. SJK (T) Ladang Kulai. The Star, 24/09/2011. 17) Many more schools are listed under the Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010 which can be read from http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/books/annualrightsviolations2010.pdf. For many decades now, the Malaysian public has been lead to believe that vernacular schools are the responsibility of the respective communities and the government's role are at best acts as a mere supplementary caretaker only. As Tamil schools are the bottom worst among the vernacular schools, this article shall be focusing on it. Most often than not, a fictitious stale serial comment is given stating, Tamil vernacular schools in particular, cannot receive fully aided status as most of the these Tamil schools (371 out of 523) are located on private lands. I used the term 'fictitious' because after going through the Razak report 1956, Rahman Talib report 1960, Mahathir report on education 1976, Education Act 1996 as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, and I have till date not come across anything that justifies the misconception that any school lying on private land will not be entitled to fully aided status. | |
| Gerakan ‘Massa’ tuntut penambahbaikan pilihan raya Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:20 PM PDT Jika PM gagal, protes secara besar-besaran bagi menuntut proses demokrasi pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil akan diadakan. (Free Malaysia Today) - Gerakan yang dikenali sebagai 'Massa' memberi amaran kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak agar melakukan proses penambahbaikan pilihan raya sebelum pilihan raya umum diadakan. Pengerusi Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shaharin berkata jika gesaan sedemikian gagal dipenuhi, pihaknya tidak menolak kemungkinan akan mengadakan protes besar-besaran bagi menuntut proses demokrasi pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil. "Kami bersama teman-teman organisasi massa yang lain hari ini mewakili rakyat Malaysia keseluruhannya memberi amaran kepada PM bahawa PRU hanya boleh dipanggil setelah proses penambahbaikan proses pilihan raya dilakukan," kata beliau dalam satu sidang media hari ini. Beliau yang juga dikenali sebagai CheguBard berkata beliau merujuk kepada janji Najib selepas Himpunan Bersih 2.0 September lalu di mana beliau mengumumkan pembentukan sebuah Jawatankuasa Terpilih Parlimen untuk mengkaji perkara ini. Bagaimanapun, CheguBard melahirkan kebimbangan dengan beberapa 'maklumat' yang diterima bahawa Najib bakal membubarkan parlimen pada 11 September ini sebelum sebarang penambahbaikan diimplementasikan. Sementara itu, Pengerusi Gerakan Kebebasan Sivil Malaysia (MCLM) Haris Ibrahim menyatakan jika ini bukan kesnya, Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri dan Pengerusi Barisan Nasional harus menyatakan pendirian beliau dan berterus-terang dengan rakyat.
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| WIKILEAKS: HOME MINISTER ASSEMBLES DIPLOMATS, DEFENDS HANDLING OF ANWAR CASE Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:38 PM PDT
The GOM is becoming aware of the negative impact the Anwar case has had on its international reputation and is acting to change the negative foreign perceptions. Today's briefing was an attempt by the GOM to influence the diplomatic community, counter Anwar's own messaging the day before, and work against critical international media attention. The Minister shared no new information with the group as a whole and we doubt the briefing swayed diplomats to change their prior opinions; indeed, we heard a good measure of cynicism from some of the gathered diplomats. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK, REASON 1.4 (B AND D). Summary 1. (C) Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar briefed foreign diplomats, including the Ambassador, on the sodomy case against Anwar Ibrahim on July 23, one day after de facto Opposition leader conducted his own diplomatic briefing. Syed Hamid dismissed claims of conspiracy, defended the police handling of the case, and emphasized that Anwar was being treated fairly as "Malaysia follows the rule of law." In a follow-on conversation, the Home Minister told the Ambassador the government believed the criminal act of sodomy was consensual, and stated authorities would decide whether to prosecute prior to the expiration of Anwar's bail on August 18. Today's briefing reportedly was the result of a Cabinet decision. The GOM is becoming aware of the damage the Anwar case has had on its international reputation and is acting to challenge negative foreign perceptions. End Summary. Home Minister: "We want the truth to be told" 2. (SBU) Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar on July 23 delivered a hastily-arranged briefing on Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case to 96 representatives of the diplomatic corps. The Ambassador and poloff attended. The briefing came the day after Anwar's own briefing to diplomats (ref A). The Minister stated the briefing was not a "rebuttal," but just to "state the facts" and present the government's side of the case. Syed Hamid explicitly and repeatedly encouraged the assembled diplomats to use the information in the briefing to "put some of the picture right." The Minister acknowledged the government is "fighting a battle of perception" and that Anwar's case was making "Malaysia familiar with (the concept of) trial in the media." He said the idea of a government conspiracy against Anwar was "nonsense." After the briefing, he told reporters, "To us, there is no need to be afraid of the truth. Let them hear both sides. Whether they believe it or not is another matter but I think they will appreciate our transparency." 3. (SBU) Syed Hamid's briefing reiterated previous declarations that the GOM was not influencing the case. He repeatedly offered examples of how the police responded with deliberate caution in its investigation of the allegations. The Minister stated Anwar received special treatment, not usually afforded suspects, such as not being arrested immediately and having his lawyer present while the police questioned him. He defended the manner in which police arrested Anwar by stating Anwar's home is well fortified and protected by armed private security. He denied police wore baklavas (masks) when making the arrest, noting that "normal police" arrested Anwar and those in Baklavas were merely providing security. 4. (SBU) Syed Hamid referred to Anwar's sodomy charge in 1998 to support the current allegations of sodomy. He further stated, "We want the truth to be told. Let us investigate it and we will then know whether to proceed (with charges)." "Malaysia follows rule of law" 5. (SBU) Syed Hamid explained that officials had not yet provided Anwar with the police report alleging sodomy because Malaysian law prohibits releasing such a report until the accused is formally charged. He reiterated that every part of the investigation and police actions is within legal boundaries and that "Malaysia follows the rule of law." He cited the removal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Attorney General (AG) from an active role in the case because Anwar accused them of abuses when Anwar was in custody in 1998. He declared the police and attorney general personnel investigating the case do not report to the IGP and AG. (Note: The government announced the AG and IGP's recusal several weeks into the case. End Note.) Minister takes swing at "outside" interference 6. (SBU) Alluding to but not specifying critical statements made by USG officials and American NGOs, Syed Hamid said Malaysia does not need the involvement of outside bodies to ensure citizens are protected. He continued by describing Malaysia as a rule of law country willing to do whatever was necessary to protect its citizens. The Minister also stated Malaysia has different morals and standards from other countries, represented by its own laws, which it must follow. Decision to prosecute before August 18 7. (C) Ambassador Keith and other selected western diplomats had the opportunity to sit with the Minister following the briefing. The Ambassador asked Syed Hamid how often it pursued sodomy cases and whether prosecutors treated consensual cases differently from non-consensual ones. The Minister replied that there were many sodomy cases and that once a police report was filed, prosecutors still tended to file charges regardless of whether the act was consensual or not. He confided to the table that police believe the accuser, Saiful, consented to being sodomized, but later regretted participating in the act. Syed Hamid alleged the 23-year old was so upset over the sodomy that he attempted suicide prior to filing the initial police report. Saiful made his official complaint only after he went for a regular medical exam and told the doctor he was previously sodomized. The Minister also told the Ambassador prosecutors would make the decision on whether to charge Anwar prior to the expiration of his bail on August 18. Comment 8. (C) The GOM is becoming aware of the negative impact the Anwar case has had on its international reputation and is acting to change the negative foreign perceptions. Today's briefing was an attempt by the GOM to influence the diplomatic community, counter Anwar's own messaging the day before, and work against critical international media attention. The decision to hold the briefing was taken by the Cabinet earlier in the day at its regularly scheduled meeting, a ministry official told us, which accounts for the lack of advance notice. The Minister shared no new information with the group as a whole and we doubt the briefing swayed diplomats to change their prior opinions; indeed, we heard a good measure of cynicism from some of the gathered diplomats. The government's decision to hold the event and the Ambassador's discussion with the Home Minister afterward served to reinforce our belief that the GOM already has decided to charge Anwar for sodomy, and it will take this next step by mid-August. KEITH (July 2008)
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| Recognising Malaysia's stateless Indians Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:21 PM PDT Indians arrived in Malaysia a century ago but many of their descendants still lack formal status. (Al Jazeera) - Ethnic Indians comprise nearly eight per cent of the Malaysian population, yet an inability to obtain their proper documents has rendered generations stateless. Official government estimates say 40,000 ethnic Indians, the descendants of Indians who arrived in Malaysia to work on plantations a century ago, do not have birth certificates or identity cards. Activists say that number is much higher. Lacking basic documentation, many ethnic Indians do not have formal education and are unable to seek legal employment or cast a ballot. The government recently launched a drive to register ethnic Indians, but for many, even proving the nation as their birthplace presents a difficult hurdle. Al Jazeera's Florence Looi reports from Kuala Lumpur.
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| Dr M says Najib can save PPSMI: The falling out between Mahathir and Muhyiddin? Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:49 PM PDT
To have Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (a man who hated the British like poison) to come out in defense of the English language is really something like a 180° about-turn looking West, linguistically speaking only. One of the very rare times that Dr. Mahathir has put on his thinking cap and saying something sensible. Science is definitely not a subject that our kids should learn using Bahasa Malaysia because many scientific terms cannot be translated and carried by BM. It may be alright if we say "bas" while the Orang Inggeris say "bus" as the sound of both almost the same. Science students will tell you the same cannot be applied in scientific terminology. Our Malaysian scientists trained in BM Science in future will make a mockery of themselves if they speak at international forum and the other delegates have to crane their ears and still at a loss to know what the speakers are talking about. From the face of things, to the ordinary eyes, Dr. M's move is just a paradigm shift, but an analysis of events, stories we have been hearing, reading and receiving from grapevines, blogs, kopitiam talks, etc., seem to suggest a shift or a break-up of the so-called 3M Alliance (Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz). This linkage between Mahathir and Muhyiddin never occurred before, so the breakup could be due to some mega project(s) and political strategy going drastically sour and irked Dr M. The answer, my friends, is probably written in the wind, the wind that carried rumors to my distant ears that the change of attitude could possibly have something to do with up and coming, and derailed projects in Johor such as: Double Tracking Rail Project being the final leg of EDTP project in the Peninsular, the Segamat-Tangkak and Central Spine Expressway, mega property projects in Iskandar Region (hidden reason for DPM's recent visit to Singapore), and even perhaps the RM50 billion newly announced Petronas Pengerang project in Johor (Muhyiddin's home state). But what I gather from the various blogs, news articles and news from close friends back home in Malaysia, the most controversial and likely one is the Double Tracking Rail project from Gemas to Johor Bahru as a start-off point and breakup of this 3M Alliance, for the following reasons. All Malaysians know that the original contract was awarded to MMC (Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary) by Dr Mahathir during his reign as PM. Then Pak Lah cancelled it, and Mahathir started his campaign to kick out Badawi which he did successfully. The in-coming PM Najib was supposed to toe Mahathir's line, but Rosmah wanted it her way (killing Mahathir's favorite song softly "My Way"). Then came RPK's article about making millions by being PM Najib's golfing partner in which it was revealed George Kent's Big Boss, Tan Sri Tan Kay Hock, demanded RM500 million from China CREC, RM200 million for Rosmah and RM300 million for himself. Even though Puan Sri Tan Swee Bee (Kay Hock's wife) and Cindy (Desmond Lim's wife) had been paying for all Rosmah's overseas trips and extravagant shopping, the revelation by RPK forced Rosmah to temporarily give Tan Sri Tan Tay Hock and company, a wide berth, while friendship and gratitude may remain in tact. This was when Kay Hock went to Muhyiddin (a Johorean) and Mukhriz (with Mahathir's blessings) to grab the project with another Chinese horse since CREC was tarnished by RPK. This was the start of the 3M Alliance with the main objectives to secure the project, to remove Najib (and say good-bye to Rosmah), to install Muhyiddin as PM and Mukhriz as his Deputy (the dream of Mahathir Dynasty coming true for Dr Mahathir to finally retire!) However, this idiot Muhyiddin is never liked by the Johor Malays including MB Ghani Othman and Kerishamuddin (for obvious reason Mukhriz going on top of him) including least of all, the Sultan of Johor. You will find that whenever Muhyiddin goes to Johor, it is always balik kampong Pagoh, his constituency and his only base to prop up his tenure and dying popularity in UMNO. Something must have gone astray in the 3M Alliance, either to do with the projects or politics. We don't know, but we know Dr M is not happy with Muhyiddin and he has no qualm showing his displeasure publicly, wielding his influence within UMNO as usual. It does seem to the Rakyat that the 3M is more focused on 3P - Power, Politics and Projects, the common denomination of which is Money. JO
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| SPEAKER’S CORNER - UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:45 PM PDT
After an absence of 37 years Malaysia's original Speakers Corner will once again be the site of a historic and emotional gathering of many pioneer activists who kept it alive between 1966 and 1974. Encouraged by the recent govt. initiative to revive this tradition of student activism and public oratorical skills, a small group of veteran activists got together, obtained the authorization of the VC, Tan Sri Dr Gouth Jasnon, and plan to hold a grand Reunion to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Speaker's Corner that will be open to all past and present students of University of Malaya. The event will be held at the original site (across from the Arts Faculty and near the Library) on 30th November 2011 at 10.00am. This will be a social gathering of veteran and current activists from near and far away places including Puerto Rico, USA. We are hoping the media will give this historic event the publicity that it deserves. It is with this in mind that I contact you. We will appreciate it very much if the Star will cover this event before, during and after this gathering.
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| MCA: Make English a compulsory pass for SPM Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:09 PM PDT By Melissa Chi, TMI KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — MCA moved today to back Putrajaya in scrapping PPSMI (teaching and learning of mathematics and science in English) but suggested that English be turned into a compulsory pass subject like Bahasa Malaysia in the SPM examination. Currently, Form Five students have to pass Bahasa Malaysia and history to receive their SPM certificate. The party also suggested making English literature a compulsory subject in schools to add emphasis on the usage of the language, saying it would help Malaysians "keep up with the rest of the world". "The government has listened to the voices of the rakyat in coming up with the win-win situation for all stakeholders concerned. "It is however the fervent hope of the MCA that the Ministry of Education put emphasis on the usage of English to equip Malaysians with the universal language to keep up with the rest of the world," MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said in a statement today. Dr Chua was responding to Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement yesterday that students who have already been using PPSMI may continue with it until they complete their secondary education. But the deputy prime minister stressed that this did not mean the government was making a U-turn in its decision to scrap the policy. He explained the decision meant that students between Year Three and Form Five next year would be given the option to learn science and maths in Bahasa Malaysia, English or both until they complete their primary and secondary education. But this year's Year One students, the first batch to undergo MBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening Command of English), would have to continue learning the two subjects in Bahasa Malaysia when they enter Year Two, he said.
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| PPSMI and the Malaysian education malaise Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:37 PM PDT By de minimis One of the part that worries me about the PPSMI saga is the claim by the Minister of Education that the matter of reversing the PPSMI policy has been given deep thought by all and sundry in the Cabinet. What worries me is that the Malaysian education system is too fragmented to the point that it now mirrors Astro programming. And, what do I mean by that? It is disturbing to see that Malaysian children are being shafted into different directions in the name of seeking quality education, culture and/or just plain, affordability. Parents who perceive that the quality of education in national schools (sekolah kebangsaan) have deteriorated precipitously have been sending their children to national-type Chinese schools or international schools. Other parents who doubt the quality of national schools have been sending their children to private schools using the national syllabus. Parents who believe that their children need to maintain their perceived "cultural identity" have been sending their children to Mandarin-medium or Tamil-medium schools. Let's not forget that there was also a time when Malay parents would send their children to Malay-medium schools with the same intent. Parents who believe that their children should be at the apex of society with a fighting chance of being entrenched as the elite of Malaysian society and/or be competitive at a global level, have been sending their children to international schools based in Malaysia!!!! That's what I mean by the Astro-programming parallel. And, I believe this to be the major issue. This is the pink elephant in the room that the Minister of Education and the Cabinet has chosen to ignore. Granted that this issue is a delicate and complex one, someone still has to address the issue. Or, maybe this is the precise point. It is NOT a political issue because no one, on either side of the Parliamentary divide, be they Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, have bothered to deal with the matter. Yet, everyone who has school-going children and anyone who has undergone any of the education routes I have outlined above should know or recall, the educational anomaly that exists in Malaysia. Who amongst the political leaders of contemporary Malaysia has the courage to raise this issue? Who dares to bell this cat? No one. All we have are parochial and chauvinistic gallery-pandering politicians and educationists who champion their own little causes. Will no one stand for the Malaysian nation?
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| Bahasa Inggeris wajib dipertingkatkan - tetapi PPSMI bukan penyelesaiannya Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:25 PM PDT ASPAN ALIAS Dr Mahathir berkata DS Najib boleh menyelesaikan isu PPSMI yang sedang dibahaskan oleh rakyat. Dr Mahathir merupakan orang yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakan PPSMI semasa beliau menjadi Perdana Menteri selama 22 tahun dahulu. Muhyidin telah mengambil keputusan dan meminta sokongan dari kabinet dan Parlimen untuk kembali kepada mengajar Matematik dan Sains dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Apabila isu ini masih menjadi perbahasan kita tidak terlepas dari bertanya, kenapa sudah 54 tahun merdeka isu medium pengajaran dalam bahasa apa ini masih tidak terlerai.
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| Police to question Ambiga over Seksualiti Merdeka Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:23 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Police have summoned prominent lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan for questioning in connection with her support for a banned sexual rights event. "I can confirm that Datuk Ambiga has been asked to go to Dang Wangi (police station) on Tuesday for questioning... in connection with Seksualiti Merdeka," Bersih steering committee member Andrew Khoo told The Malaysian Insider today. Ambiga (picture), chairman of outlawed electoral reform group Bersih, had earlier agreed to launch Seksualiti Merdeka on Wednesday. She stressed, however, that she did not organise the event and had only agreed to officiate the festival as a private citizen and not as a representative of Bersih. Seksualiti Merdeka, a movement championing the freedom for sexual orientation and gender identity, has been holding the festival annually since 2008 but sparked a heated debate after the government banned the celebration yesterday. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said the police were not against freedom of expression or human rights but had to step in because the organisers did not have a permit to hold the festival in public.
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| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:55 PM PDT
What do you know about the Third Estate? Basically, the Third Estate is the third of the traditional social classes after the clergy and nobility -- meaning the common people or rakyat. Whether you want to call this group of people the Third Estate (like 200 years ago) or the Third Force is immaterial. The important thing is this is the force that should tell the rulers/government what it wants and not the other way around. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
The French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault on the Bastille in July, the passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August, and an epic march on Versailles that forced the royal court back to Paris in October. The next few years were dominated by tensions between various liberal assemblies and a right-wing monarchy intent on thwarting major reforms. A republic was proclaimed in September 1792 and King Louis XVI was executed the next year. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution) When Louis XVI summoned the Estates General in 1788, he faced a difficult and insurmountable problem: the Third Estate. The last time the Estates General had been called was in 1614; the Estates General was set up in such a way that each Estate got the same number of members. In effect, this meant that the First and Second Estates, comprised almost unanimously of the nobility, could always outvote the Third Estate. Since 1614, the economic power of the Third Estate had increased dramatically; in 1788, the popular call was to double the number of representatives from the Third Estate so that they'd have equal voting power in comparison with the other two estates. Louis initially declined to increase the number, but he finally gave in the waning days of 1788. The question of "doubling the Third Estate" was preventing the solution of the deepening financial crisis; with Louis's compromise, the Estates General met in May of 1789. Louis, however, had vacillated on the question for too long. He had lost any support he had among the wealthy members of the Third Estate -- in addition, the aristocracy had tried to solve the problem in its own way. The Parlemen of Paris conceded the doubling question in September, but then declared that all voting would be done by individual Estates -- that is, each Estate would get one vote. That meant that the Third Estate could be outvoted two to one every time. Angry at the king and sickened by the efforts of the aristocracy to control the Assembly of the Estates General, all the members of the Third Estate walked out en masse when the Assembly met in Versailles. They were joined by some clergy, members of the First Estate, and they then declared themselves the National Assembly and the only legitimate legislative body of the country on June 17, 1789. They were fired by ideas ultimately derived from Rousseau, ideas about social contract and rights, and no person more eloquently defined the spirit of the National Assembly than the clergyman Abbé Emmanuel Sieyès, who declared that the Third Estate was everything, had been treated as nothing, and wanted only to be something. The rallying point was Rousseau's idea that the members of a nation are the nation itself; this is what legitimated the claims of the new National Assembly. (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080307060521AArTCk8) | |
| ‘Stop hiding behind the Buku Jingga’ Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:33 PM PDT MCA mocks Pakatan Rakyat for constantly hiding behind the Buku Jingga whenever there are disagreements among the opposition coalition members. (Fee Malaysia Today) - MCA has slammed the opposition coalition for always using their common policy framework, the Buku Jingga as their "shield" when there are disagreements between the Pakatan Rakyat coalition members. "Whenever a disagreement occurs, they will just play the Buku Jingga card and say that it is not listed in the book," said MCA National Organising Secretary, Tee Siew Kiong. Tee said that the Buku Jingga was again used as a shield in the latest disagreement within the opposition on the PPSMI (Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science in English) issue. On Monday, DAP's publicity chief, Tony Pua had said that it was important to have an option for students to learn Science and Math in English. However, PKR communications director, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said on Thursday that PKR does not support the policy as it was not mooted by Pakatan Rakyat's common policy framework, the Buku Jingga. Yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reiterated again his party's stand for options to be made available and argued that there was no conflict between the opposition coalition members. Tee said that the differing views that showed that DAP's position in the Opposition coalition was "precarious".
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| Calls to keep PPSMI policy for future generations Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:29 PM PDT Parents are happy with the government's about turn on the PPSMI issue but they want the policy to be kept for future generations. (Free Malaysia Today) - There is a sense of relief that the students will be allowed to continue learning Mathematics and Science in English but at the same time parents want the policy to be continued for future generations. "What has been announced is a half measure, it is not a total reinstatement of PPSMI…it is a knee-jerk reaction because of the demands of parents. This is just a move to please as the elections are around the corner. "English is important for scientific knowledge. the body of knowledge of Math and Science are in English," said Shamsudin Bin Hamid a father of four school-going children. " The younger generation should not be deprived of this." he said. Yesterday, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the cabinet has decided to allow students under the PPSMI policy to continue learning Mathematics and Science in English or in Bahasa Malaysia. Muhyiddin who is also the Deputy Prime Mnister said that this was this is to address the concerns of parents whose children are already studying the subjects in English. However, he said that the abolishment of PPSMI as decided in 2009 still stands and students coming into Standard One next year will learn the two subjects in Malay as the MBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language, Strengthening the English Language) commences. Shamsudin said Bahasa Malaysia as the national language will still be given importance as a medium of instruction for other subjects. "I fully support former primer Mahathir Mohamad's suggestion that other subjects such as history and geography should be thought in Malay, as it is our national language, but it is imperative for Math and Science to be thought in English," he said. Another parent, Lee Hui Seng, whose 16 year-old son is studying in a school in PJ said all parents whose children are directly affected will be happy however the struggle must continue to keep this debate alive.
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| Derail unnecessary railway projects Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:26 PM PDT It is important that taxpayers' money be spent wisely on projects that are feasible and which generate economic returns for the country. At a time when there is a need to enhance public transport within cities to relieve congestion and to reduce vehicle use, spending a total of RM16 billion on rails from Ipoh to the Thailand border and Seremban to Gemas is rather puzzling. Selena Tay, Free Malaysia Today Malaysia is one of the only countries in the world with a very high number of car ownership according to the population ratio. This problem is most acute in the Klang Valley where car ownership per 1,000 persons in 2002 is 994. This means that out of 1,000 persons, 994 of them own a car. This demand for private transport has been mainly driven by the lack of efficient public transport alternatives to cope with the accelerating demand in urban centres. To illustrate, the percentage of trips using private vehicles rose significantly from 47% in 1985 to 71% in 2005 while in the same period the share of public transport dropped from 35% to 16%. According to the National Key Result Area (NKRA) report by Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit), this figure is even lower in 2010 at 13%. This malaise is the cause of urban congestion in the Klang Valley. In addition to traffic congestion that costs Malaysia in lost productivity, the excessive use of motor vehicles has led to noise and atmospheric pollution, accidents, environmental decay and unsustainable energy use. Therefore, making public transport more convenient and efficient is imperative and this is where the KTM commuter train comes in as it is fast and economical, not to mention saving us the hassle of being caught in traffic jams or paying expensive car park charges. However, it is sad to note that KTM Bhd (KTMB) has incurred a loss of RM92.6 million in 2009, which, of course, is a massive sum indeed. One of the reasons for this is that KTMB has a high number of outstanding debtors As at the end of 2008, KTMB had failed to collect debts amounting to RM40.7 million. Another reason is that KTMB does not have enough electric multiple sets (EMUs) to support its commuter train services, which can generate much income if properly managed. There are now only 36 train sets compared to its original 62 train sets when the KTM commuter service was first established in 1995. This is despite the fact that new stations have been added and passenger demand has tripled; for instance, the Rawang-Seremban Line has been extended to Sungai Gadut and the Port Klang-Sentul Line has been extended to Batu Caves. Economic benefits Besides the new stations extending from these two lines, the Rawang-Seremban line has also seen new stations being added within the line itself, that is, Kepong Sentral added between Kepong and Sungai Buloh and Mid-Valley just after KL Sentral besides another subsidiary line extending to Tanjung Malim. As train sets have decreased, commuters have to put up with cancelled or delayed trips. Another issue that merits attention is the 1Malaysia KL-Ipoh Express which reduces travel time from three hours to two. This train is definitely making a loss as it is almost always three-quarter empty because not many people travel from KL to Ipoh or Ipoh to KL everyday. This is compounded by the fact that there already exists ordinary trains running from KL to Ipoh and vice-versa daily, albeit the journey takes three hours. Currently these express trains are being used to double up as commuter trains for the Rawang-Seremban line as the KL-Ipoh route is highly under-utilised. Part of the problem pertaining to public transport is because the government has spent our money on building more highways instead of focusing on improving the rail service. Public transport investment priorities by the federal government are skewed towards mega-projects which are not necessarily the projects which will produce the most effective and efficient outcome for public transport utilisation in Malaysia. One has to question the economic benefits arising from the double-tracking railway from Ipoh to the Thailand border that will cost taxpayers RM12.5 billion, out of which RM5 billion alone is spent just for signalling. The 329km Ipoh-to-Padang Besar railway will cost a massive RM38 million per kilometre, which is 62% higher than the RM23.5 million for the 179km double-tracking railway from Rawang to Ipoh, which was completed for only RM4.2 billion.
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| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:22 PM PDT Investment banker OSK Securities' prediction that Barisan Nasional will see greater victory in the next general election is 'simply inflated'. In its Oct 20 report, the investment bank said: "While we cannot predict the number of seats that BN may clinch, we believe that it will be an improvement over the 63 percent secured in 2008." Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today One piece of news that intrigued me greatly in recent weeks was the research undertaken by OSK Securities. OSK said, according to its research findings, the Barisan Nasional is set to win the next general election with bigger margins. In its Oct 20 report, the investment bank said: "While we cannot predict the number of seats that BN may clinch, we believe that it will be an improvement over the 63 percent secured in 2008." OSK also anticipated the fiercest battles to take place in Kedah, Perak and Selangor. Now my question is, where did they get their material from? Were they relying on the "operatives" in JASA, Kemas, MIO, the Special Branch and the numerous point men relied on to carry good stories? If that be the case, then BN and Umno are doomed. Anyway, the state which I am most familiar with is my home state – Pahang. My belief is that overall, OSK has overstated the BN and Umno chances by at least 30 percent. MCA wiped out in Pahang What did the report say about Pahang? Pahang has 14 parliamentary seats. The report said BN will retain 12 seats. It will lose in Kuantan and Indera Mahkota the two seats now held by PKR. My own assessment is, based on the assumption that its chances are overstated by 30 percent, the BN can only win nine parliamentary seats. Which are the seats it will lose? Well, it will lose in Jerantut, Raub and Bentong. No MCA parliamentary hopefuls or incumbents will win in Pahang in 13th general election. The parliamentary seats in Bera and Temerloh are also in jeopardy. An interesting seat to watch is Cameron Highlands where there is much grumbling about the incumbent parliamentarian, SK Devamany. If I hear it correctly, MIC president G Palanivel is set to stand in Cameron Highlands. If Devamany is retained, BN may lose that seat.
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| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:10 PM PDT
A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman Lovely is the English language More fruitful than that of the Malays I could see the fruitfulness of it And learn to appreciate juiciness when you bite into it Unlike the dryness of that of the Malays
You can call someone an apple of your eye And when you fall in love with that person you can go bananas In Malay you can't call your date a rambutan and be mistaken as an orangutan you can be crazy in love and go bananas but you can't say that I am going to be a pisang no no no -- Malay is a fruitless language
Fruity is the English language Better than that of the fruitless Malays
You can fall out of love and become a sour grape When the apple of your eye left you for the Big Apple You can see politicians become sour grapes When they are no longer favoured in their Banana Republic In the fruitless Malay language, when you become a sour grape You can't call yourself a kedondong and sit under a tree like ikan temenong You can't even call your ex-girlfriend a pulasan as you were the first to 'perasan' and became a sour grape
Ahh Tutti Frutti English Language Ahhh no such things as ... buah muah ... in Malay language simply won't go as Malay is a fruitless language
English is in demand as a fruity language Malaysians should have command Americans can drive a 'lemon' Can Malaysians drive a 'longan'?
Ahhh ... there there is an English fruit called 'squash' One can even play the fruit and be good at squash Can Malaysian be good at durians And roll them down the bowling lane? How fruitless is the Malay language
I have often wondered why traditional English parents love the fruit cantelope They feed their girls that thing at an early age Now that I am in love with the English language I know it means ... "can't elope" ... hah ... how fruity is the beauty of the language But can you Malays come up with a fruit that "can't elope" I bet you can't ... you fruitless language The best you can tell a girl is that she is a "jambu" but she will still elope.
When you are in love and with the apple of your eye When you go bananas and saved from being a sour grape When you go on a date in Strawberry Fields Your heart will always be on Orange Alert You will be cheery like wild cherry No-- can the Malay language be as fruitful and fruity as this No it can't How could you call your girlfriend a lychee And not expect her the smack you with her tai chi And you go crazy over her like a Siamese mango without biji And your heart beat fast like a magoesteen on 100-meter dash to eternity
Fruity is the English language Darling are the clementines Like in the song "Oh my darling ... clementine" Try using that line via the fruitless Malay language Trying saying "sayang ku .... limau kasturi" And you'll see Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu running after you crying like a Portuguese fruit under a Melakka tree
English even have "pomegranade" Of which the word grenade emanate Fruitless language Malay don't have this The closest is the sound of the popping of buah getah As a child visiting grandma and grandpa in Penang I would wonder what the heck is that little C4s of a fruit's doing
Okay maybe there is one fruity word the Malays can be proud of is when they call their love one "buah hati" or "fruit of the heart" now logically, do hearts have fruits? or fruits have heart? unless you talk about love that is coming to fruition and the heart is cheery like a shaved rambutan or a repented durian that finally bathe in perfume water made from a concoction of limau kasturi and fermented lychee
So-- what then must we worry Fruitless it will be Of which language is more fruity When we all now know which one is the good .. the bad ... and the fruity ... !
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| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:41 AM PDT By Rizal Omar via The Malaysian Insider I have not met Datin Seri Rosmah or her children. Neither do I have any connection with the prime minister's family but I am a regular reader of The Malaysian Insider and other news websites and I think many people have been unfair to her. People are saying and thinking the worst things about her based on rumours and lies. I also read the report in the West Australian about how her daughter spent A$60,000 (RM192,000) on a shopping spree. This was proven to be false, just like the accusation that Rosmah bought a ring for RM24 million. A DAP MP asked a question about the PM's wife having many Birkin bags which cost several hundred ringgit each. First thing is: is this question by the DAP MP based on factual information or rumours. And if it is factual, why shouldn't the First Lady of Malaysia own some expensive items? Is it a sin to dress well and with class? There is just too much envy and gossiping in this country and not enough emphasis placed on the good charity work being done by Rosmah. For example, at the Vienna Boys Choir performance a couple of days ago, the audience was pleasantly surprised when an image of the PM's wife was produced on stage at the end of the show. Even though she is away performing the haj, she delivered a recorded message. The opposition wants to demonise her and the PM's family as spendthrift and not connected to reality and the rakyat. If that is based on factual information, then they have a right to do so. But this bringing down of the PM's wife is based on rumours and envy. And still she has carried herself with grace and should be respected for her charity work. | |
| Huge Malaysian transit project hits rough patch Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:31 AM PDT By Julia Zappei, AFP KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Judy Lam never saw herself as an activist -- until officials turned up at her family's small hotel in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown and announced plans to take it over. Now Lam, 50, is among dozens of landowners in the capital who have emerged as a surprising stumbling block for a project central to government economic stimulus plans -- a multi-billion dollar mass rapid transit line. The 51-kilometre line is Malaysia's biggest-ever infrastructure project, set for completion in 2016 and projected to transport 400,000 commuters daily to ease the city's excruciating traffic. But its route through central Kuala Lumpur has hit loud landowner opposition in a country where mega-projects have traditionally been rammed through. Opponents accuse authorities of attempting to grab valuable properties and fear the project will alter unique neighbourhoods like Chinatown that highlight the country's multi-ethnic flavour. "We didn't even know about the planned land acquisition until one day (in August) someone came to measure the land!" Lam said of her family's 70-year-old Lok Ann Hotel. Few dispute that mass transit is needed to ease the dreaded daily traffic jams in the city, whose greater metropolitan area has a growing population now estimated at more than six million. It is "crucial" to upgrade public transport to project an image of modernity, attract investment and boost the economy, said Yeah Kim Leng, chief economist with financial research firm RAM Holdings. The line linking central Kuala Lumpur with sprawling suburbs is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Najib Razak's plans to spur a slowing economy amid trouble in Malaysia's overseas export markets. Construction is expected to create 130,000 jobs. Promotional materials show modern high-rises and skybridges sprouting along the line. But the system would wind through bustling neighbourhoods marked by British colonial-era buildings, reminders of Malaysia's vibrant mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other cultures -- and stubborn longtime residents. The Lok Ann Hotel's modest orange facade is set amid other old Chinese-style shophouses. Around the corner, pavement vendors sell fish, cheap watches, used shoes and trinkets. The hotel's coffee shop, a social hub as far back as 1957 when Malaysia declared independence from Britain in nearby Merdeka Stadium, still packs them in. Opponents fear project-related development would lead to more of the charmless shopping malls proliferating in the city at the expense of heritage properties. "If the government takes it, it's daylight robbery," Lam said. "(Our neighbourhood) is about history, heritage, culture. We hope the government will listen to us." Malaysian law allows the government to take over land -- with compensation -- for public purposes. But with Najib expected to call elections within months -- and recently promising a break with the country's authoritarian past -- the government has to tread lightly. State-owned MRT Co. said last month it would drop plans to appropriate land in hotly disputed downtown areas like Chinatown and instead pursue deals with landowners to allow construction for underground stations and tunneling. It also guaranteed no historic Chinatown buildings would be destroyed. That means Lam's hotel would be spared demolition but she still worries that underground construction work may damage her property and irrevocably change the area Opposition lawmaker Tony Pua said the "U-turn" rubbished earlier claims that land takeovers were needed and proved citizens "need to mobilise and speak up for their rights". But opposition politicians and activists also complain of a lack of transparency in the project, warning it could lead to the sort of poor planning and corruption frequently exposed in large Malaysian projects. They have called for public release of a master plan justifying costs that the government has warned could run past an initially announced $11.5 billion and passenger projections seen by some as too high. Officials insist the project must move forward. "If we do not have the MRT, I can tell you by the year 2020 this city will be choked," Idris Jala, who heads an office spearheading Najib's economic growth plans, was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency. But Rajiv Rishyakaran of public transport advocacy group Transit said questions surround the project, adding that the affair highlights an emerging spirit of civic action in Malaysia. "(Before), people just accepted what the government was doing. Now the demands for greater transparency and accountability are much higher," he said. "We are still on square one when it comes to transparency. There is a lot of mess because it's a very rushed project. It wasn't planned properly," he added. Officials have ruled out a route realignment and insist the project is still on track. That leaves other properties, particularly in the colourful Bukit Bintang shopping and entertainment district, in the firing line and some landowners there are readying court challenges. Meanwhile, Lam and others are determined to keep up pressure for a full realignment. "We are going to fight until the end," she said. | |
| ETP to keep Malaysia on the right track to high-income status by 2020 Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PDT By Cecelia Kok, The Star BEING a small and open economy, Malaysia may not be totally insulated from the effects of a global economic slowdown expected in the year ahead. But the last thing we have to do, says Datuk Seri Idris Jala , is to bury our heads in the sand. Quoting his favourite quote by American author Helen Keller, Jala says: "If we keep our faces to the sunshine, we will not see the shadows." The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department who also acts as the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) is confident Malaysia has sufficient measures in place to not only cushion its economy against potential turbulence, but to also maintain it on the right path to become a high-income and developed nation by 2020. "As long as we remain focused on our key growth areas and keep on promoting a competitive environment through our strategic reform initiatives, we will not be derailed," Jala says. Indeed, focus on the 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) and ensuring competitiveness through Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs) have become the two keys driving Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) that aims to propel the nation to high-income status by 2020. The ETP was launched a year ago by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak . It contains a set of reform and growth measures to boost Malaysia's gross national income (GNI ) to US$523bil (RM1.7 trillion), or GNI per capita of US$15,000 (RM48,000), by the end of this decade, so as to meet the World Bank 's threshold for high-income nation. And in line with the GNI target, the ETP is expected to draw in US$444bil (RM1.4 trillion) worth of investments and create 3.3 million additional jobs by 2020. The ideal situation for this to happen smoothly is to grow the economy, or gross domestic product (GDP), at an annual rate of 6% for the next 10 years. But the ongoing global economic uncertainties stemming from unresolved problems in Western developed nations might just be a damper to the plan. While Jala concedes that Malaysia's GDP growth could at times fall short of the annual target on its journey towards becoming a high-income economy, he believes those external challenges would not pose much inhibition for the country to keep on growing its GNI, investment levels and the number of new jobs created to meet the ultimate targets set in the ETP. "It's more important for us to be focused on meeting the targets for those three elements that make up the country's high-income agenda, even as the GDP growth fluctuates, because when we do, we know we are on the right track," he explains. As revealed in Jala's recent presentation, the ETP at its nascent stage is already bearing some pretty good results. Year-to-date, the programme has already realised some RM10bil worth of investments, or 64% of the RM15bil committed for 2011. Idris says the remaining RM5bil worth of investments will be making its way into the economy before the year ends. So far, the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) have been progressing at very encouraging pace as well. A total of 70 out of the 131 EPPs, or 53%, have already taken off. Thanks to some of the EPPs having multiple projects, the economy is currently seeing 97 projects in various stages of implementation. Tourism NKEA For instance, under the Tourism NKEA is the Johor Premium Outlets in Genting Indahpura. Already 95% completed, the project has been scheduled for a grand opening next month. So far, more than 80 designers and brand names have confirmed their presence at the Johor Premium Outlets. Under the Oil, Gas and Energy NKEA is the Pengerang Independent Petroleum Terminal, which started its first-phase construction last month. The facility is scheduled for completion by December 2013 and the first oil is expected out in January 2014. Under the Palm Oil NKEA, on the other hand, 186 mills with a dedicated quality enforcement officer have been established, thereby increasing the country's oil extraction rate this year from 19.7% in January to 20.54% in September, and resulted in a RM2.2bil increase in crude palm oil production. The other nine NKEAs financial services; wholesale and retail; information and communication technology (ICT); education services; electrical and electronic; business services; private healthcare; agriculture; and Greater Kuala Lumpur are also seeing encouraging progress in terms of project implementation. "We are hitting all of them just about right. By being focused on the 12 key growth areas, the private sector's confidence in the local economy has also increased," Jala says, pointing to growth in private investments during the first six months of 2011 as evidence. During the period in review, private investments outstripped that of the public sector after it registered a growth of 23.4% to RM51.2bil, representing 62% of the RM83bil targeted for the entire year. In terms of GNI, Malaysia had already reached RM288bil, or 58% of its target for 2011, during the first half, and created 344,000 additional jobs, or 50% of target. Drawing lessons from other economies that have made it from middle to high income, Jala is mindful that Malaysia cannot attempt to be the best at everything, lest it loses focus and ends up being just an average nation, while remaining trapped in the middle-income bracket. "In this highly competitive world, we cannot afford to be Mr Average," he explains. Still, there is not shortage of critics who say the pace of project implementation under the ETP has not been up to mark. To this, Jala says, the Government has a whole list of projects listed on Pemandu's website for all to check on the progress. "Most projects are driven by the private sector; so if they criticise, they are actually criticising the private sector, not the government... the speed of project implementation in contingent upon the private sector to run," he explains. As far as the Government is concerned, Jala says, it has a governance structure to ensure delivery and the smooth implementation of projects. "The NKEA and SRI teams are in constant contact with project owners. If there are any problems, we deal with it swiftly and promptly by escalating them to the respective steering committees chaired by the lead minister. Problems that cannot be solved at that level will be escalated to the Economic Council, which the Prime Minister chairs every Monday for three hours," he explains, adding that he personally receives weekly reports from each of his team at 5pm every Friday with no exceptions. Stuctural reforms Jala emphasised that the ETP is more than just about achieving the numbers through projects, and that the Government is serious about structural reforms of the country's economy to boost its competitiveness. "There's where we have the six SRIs to enable competitiveness to flourish in our economy," he explains. "It is absolutely critical for competitiveness to thrive in our economy, especially in times of a global slowdown, so that when the global economy rebounds, we can soar even higher. We have to build resilience so that we can continue to explore opportunities in times of crisis," Jala says. As part of an effort to boost the country's competitiveness, Jala reassures the fact that the Government will continue to reduce its involvement in business to encourage the private sector to take over as the driver of growth. The Government announced in July it had identified 33 companies ready for divestment. Under the plan to rationalise the portfolio of government-linked companies (GLCs), the Government will reduce its stakes in some of these companies, list a few others and sell the rest. The divestment plan is still under way. "I want to tell the private sector do not worry too much about the GLCs," Jala says, adding that the Government is very clear of its role, and that is to be the catalyst for business growth, and not to be involved in business except in specific areas. Four criteria According to Jala, the Government has set four criteria under which its involvement in business would still be required. These include when the private sector needs co-investment in projects that are GNI-positive such as the regional corridor developments, when it involves national security such as defence and rice-production industries, when large capital investment is needed and the investment has long gestation period such as nano-technology. Another is in national infrastructure projects such as renewable energy and public transport. Jala has observed that oftentimes, the people turn out to be their own worst enemy when it comes to the pursuit of economic success. Malaysians have become too hung up on what he calls a "small piece of cake", known as the domestic market. "We are all at fault for quarrelling too much among ourselves over the share we get out of this small piece of cake'," Jala says. "We cannot propel our economy by doing that. The huge market is out there," he adds. Instead of bickering, Malaysians should work together as one to produce "winners" that could be the "Apples" or the "Samsungs" of the world by 2020, Jala points out. As the ETP enters its second year of implementation, Jala says there are calls for the Government to raise the bar higher after an encouraging performance during the first year. Nevertheless, new targets for 2012 have yet to be set and will only be identified when the Government sets new KPIs for the respective ministries at the end of this year, he says. "We still have a long way to go to 2020. We're on the right trajectory, but we've not achieved our vision just yet, so we can't declare victory. We must remember this is not a sprint, but a marathon," Jala says. | |
| The importance of proper procurement Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:26 AM PDT By P Gunasegaram, The Star From night view binoculars and thumb drives see the recently released Auditor-General's report) to mass rapid transit systems (see our cover story this week) managing procurement is a vital part of government. Mismanage that and you have spiralling costs spinning out of control to cause damage to government finances especially in the current scenario where worrisome world conditions threaten growth and prosperity, and by extension government revenues. We simply cannot afford to waste money in the same way that we have been doing in the past. There are three aspects to procurement – first prioritise to buy only what you need and if there are competing needs as they always are, buy what you need most. Second do your damnedest to ensure that what you buy fits the need and third get it at the lowest cost possible. Sadly, the evidence, as indicated by the AG's report, is that we as a nation routinely do not follow any of this when in fact we should be adhering to all three of them like a blood-starved leech on human skin in the virgin jungles of Pahang. Let's take a look at night binoculars, a terribly amusing tale if not for the seriousness of it all. According to an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission or MACC following the AG's report, they could have been bought for RM5,000 a pair by the Marine Park Department but instead the department was charged RM50,000 by the company or 10 times more! Surprisingly, MACC's deputy chief commissioner Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdul told a news conference there was no case of graft. He inexplicably maintained that there were no financial irregularities in the purchase of the two pairs of binoculars but conceded the department had ignored Treasury procedures. Surely the question is, WHY? According to news reports, the AG's report for 2010 had said that the department paid RM56,250 for a pair of night vision binoculars which has an estimated market price of RM1,940. But what the department got instead was a non-night vision pair worth RM1,069. Whichever body you listen to its clear that the wastage was enormous – at least 10 times market price according to the MACC and at least 50 times according to the AG's report. Yes, the base amounts are relatively small but small amounts repeated numerous times add up to quite a bit. How is it possible that up to 50 times the market price is made for the purchase of an item and nobody is eventually held to account for that? That kind of lack of accountability simply ensures that the misdeed will be repeated over and over again. Let's take the My Rapid Transit (MRT) system now. The debate over whether we need it or not is over. The decision has been taken to proceed with it and there can be little doubt that Kuala Lumpur badly needs it, even if many other things can and should be done to improve the traffic situation first. Yes, there is a plan in place and tenders have already been pre-qualified for the tunnelling works for the first line. This first phase could cost up to RM30bil, perhaps less. That's a massive amount of money. It is important to ensure that it is built at the lowest cost possible for the required specifications. It is necessary to ensure that it works and there is a huge coordination effort required. Work on the other two lines will have to start soon too and there will be overlap in terms of time with the first. There will be many phases, many tenders and many contracts. On it will depend the future of KL, whether it will be a city choked by its own traffic becoming increasingly unliveable or whether it will gain a lifeline by finding a suitable, affordable and more humane commute for millions who work in the city and surrounding areas. It is good to note that the tenders will be open but equally important that the tenders are evaluated by those who know how to evaluate them and will do so fairly without any interference. If that is done, the price can be kept reasonable and there will be some hope that the MRT will operate well. Property development will help to defray very little of the overall costs of the project and limited land acquisition will actually help to keep project costs lower and cause far less angst among those whose properties are affected. It is clear that the government will have to bear the brunt of expenses for the project but it may not be all that much considering that the project will be spread out over 8-10 years, with the first line spanning some 5-6 years. If total costs were RM50bil and if these were spread out over 10 years, then the cost per year may be around RM5bil, give or take some to account for lumpiness of at least some of the project costs. That is within the government's affordability level but still costs must be kept as low as possible. It is vital for good government finances to keep a tight grip on buying. Patronage and politics must play no part in procurement, big or small. P. Gunasegaram is taking a break for the rest of the year before he decides what to do next. He wishes readers all the best and thanks them for their attention, interest and comments. He considers it a privilege to have connected with them through The Star these past three years. | |
| Learning in English to continue Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:24 AM PDT (The Star) - PUTRAJAYA: Students who have started learning Science and Mathematics in English will continue to do so until they complete their studies in Form Five. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the decision was made by the Cabinet to ease the concerns of parents. This meant that pupils from Year Two onwards would continue learning under the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy, he said. "I am not interested in the PPSMI debate and I hope parents understand that the Government is responsive. "A circular on the issue has already been prepared and we will send it out to schools very soon," he told reporters after briefing ministry staff on the "soft landing" of the policy. Muhyiddin said schools would have the option to teach Science and Mathematics fully in English, Bahasa Malaysia, or bilingually. "Students will continue with whatever system they have in place now, be it in English, Bahasa Malaysia or both languages." The two subjects will be fully taught again in Bahasa Malaysia starting 2016 for primary schools and 2021 for secondary schools. Muhyiddin said research had shown that most schools were already teaching both subjects in Bahasa Malaysia. "Less than 5% of 7,495 primary schools use English to teach the subjects, and for secondary schools, less than 9% out of 2,192 use English," he said. When pressed for more information, Muhyiddin said this meant that the medium of instruction for the two subjects in schools would be based on the needs of children and teachers. "The schools would know better than me," he said. The PPSMI policy was initiated by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and implemented in phases, beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003. It was then announced in 2009 that the Government would reverse the policy and revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools, while more emphasis would be placed on English as a subject. At the time, it was also announced that Form Six students would not be affected by the reversal so as to help them in their transition to tertiary studies. Muhyiddin said public examinations for the two subjects would continue to be bilingual until 2016 for primary schools and 2021 for secondary schools. "It is up to students to choose to answer in any language they are comfortable in. "They can even answer one question in English and another in Bahasa Malaysia in the same examination paper," he added. Muhyiddin also said the ministry had produced textbooks in Bahasa Malaysia to cater to schools which were already teaching the two subjects in that language, as they had been using translations of the present English textbooks. He added that the abolition of the PPSMI policy did not mean that the Government was ignoring the importance of mastering English. "Under the policy on Upholding Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening English, the ministry is implementing new initiatives to improve the mastery of English among students," he said. | |
| PAGE says likely to continue PPSMI struggle Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:19 AM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) will likely pursue its cause to retain PPSMI in schools despite expressing "deep appreciation" to the government for allowing those already enjoying the policy to continue. PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim told The Malaysian Insider she was "pleasantly surprised" by yesterday's announcement by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin but admitted the decision still fell short of the group's demands. "We are in a difficult situation now... we do deeply appreciate what the government has agreed to and we sincerely thank them. "But at the same time, we want this (PPSMI) policy for our future generation, to go beyond 2020, until we are all dead and gone. We want this opportunity given to all," she said when contacted last night. PAGE had earlier warned the Barisan Nasional (BN) government of a voter backlash if it refused to consider retaining PPSMI (the teaching of science and mathematics in English) in schools. Muhyiddin announced yesterday those students who have already been using the PPSMI policy may continue with it until they complete their secondary education. But the deputy prime minister stressed that it did not mean the government was making a U-turn in its decision to scrap the policy. He explained the decision meant that students between Year Three and Form Five next year would be allowed the option of learning science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia, English or both languages, as allowed under PPSMI, until they complete their primary and secondary education. But this year's Year One students, the first batch to undergo MBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening Command of English), would have to continue learning the two subjects in Bahasa Malaysia when they enter Year Two next year, he said. MBMMBI was mooted in July 2009 to replace PPSMI and came into effect in January this year for Year One students. PPSMI was introduced in 2003 by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Noor Azimah questioned the sudden decision, pointing out that until Thursday, Muhyiddin had appeared bent on pressing on with the government's original decision to scrap PPSMI completely next year.
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| 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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| Sean Murray’s Kuching Construction Connection – Expose Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:34 AM PDT SARAWAK REPORT Sean Murray and Jamilah Taib (Taib Mahmud's eldest daughter) We can reveal that the husband of Taib's eldest daughter, the Canadian, Hisham (Sean) Murray, has grabbed control of one of Kuching's most lucrative property developments on the so-called Kuching Isthmus, a venture sponsored by the State Government. The RM380 million luxury hotel and office complex was announced at the end of last year as a key initiative on the site, which has been designated by the State Government as a 'Special Development Area' and is being touted as the new Central Business District for the capital. CMS Land Sdn Bhd, a joint subsidiary of the largely Taib family-owned company CMS and the State Government, acquired ownership of the entire 240 acres of development land on the Isthmus, after it was alienated from local title-holders through a series of controversial forced purchases, in the late 1990s.
If that was not favouritism enough, the company has now been granted numerous incentives to build through the injection of huge sums of public money into the area. CMS Land has officially estimated that the project has a "gross development value of RM2.8 billion"! However, we can demonstrate that this latest major construction project on the site is actually being driven forward by a mysterious off-shore company, run by an inner-circle of Taib's immediate family. The controlling share in the Joint Venture, which is situated on 10 acres provided by CMS Land, belongs to a company called Premier Cottage Sdn Bhd. The Director of that company is Sean Murray, along with Taib's other daughter Hanifah and his favoured sister-in-law, Gertie Chong. However, the sole shareholder of Premier Cottage is an off-shore company, Pioneer City Enterprises Limited, which supplies no profile or country address, despite having been awarded a significant public project.  The planned Kuching Tower - projected to be the tallest building in Sarawak This is not the first time that the Murrays have claimed a stake in the Isthmus. Their company City Gate Corporation (part of the Sakto Group based in Ottawa) also snaffled a $110 million dollar contract to design the much talked about Kuching Tower, together with another company called ZW Group. ZW Group, interestingly, shares the same address as the Ottawa-based Aberdeen Project Facilitators Inc, who were formally awarded the management of the Kuching Tower project back in 2006. The Director of Aberdeen Project Facilitators and the Project Manager of ZW both happen to be one Thady Murray. Thady Murray also acts as the President of City Gate Corporation and is one of the many members of Sean Murray's family, who work out of the Sakto/City Gate Headquarters in their Preston Tower building, Ottawa!
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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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| Self cannibalization: the latest political tool to win at all costs Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:41 PM PDT  By Lee Wee Tak According to this report by China Press, which surely would not make it even to the dust bins of Utusan Malaysia sub editors, an interesting elector roll management trend" (to call it politely) has emerged in Seremban. Anthony Loke reveals yet again elector roll irregularities" On the right: if all complaints are raised, fee of RM8,320 is payable. More waste of money, it seems.On line version here:  From an inspection of the recently released 2011 Q3 supplementary electors roll, Anthony Loke, the MP for Rasah, discovered that: · 110 voters were transferred into Temiang state constituency , bearing addresses of 16 vacant houses in Taman Bukit Zamrud, Seremban · Some of the vacant houses have "for sale/rent" signs hanging at the gate · 6 females and 1 male were transferred to address no. 126, Taman Bukit Zamrud . Apart from one aged around the twenties, the rest were more than 50 years old. Among the 7, 2 were taken from Paroi, 2 from Jempol and 1 from Senawang · Majority of the transferred voters are Indians, with some Chinese as well. The above makes interesting reading. Obviously this is not the work of Pakatan Rakyat. The motive is obvious, moving voters into one of Pakatan's constituency as signs of a snap election reaches fever pitch. | |
| Mission schools: cheated by the system they trusted Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:34 PM PDT Defaced with grafitti: the perimeter wall of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in George Town earlier this week. Photo from Anil Netto.com Alas, the church leaders could not have foreseen how dishonest and corrupt that the system, and that civil service, would also become, corrupted and turned by the dishonourable politician. By uppercaise "A Senior Physician" in a letter to Malaysia Today concerning Assunta Hospital, blames church leaders for allowing mission schools to have deteriorated under government hands. He is too harsh on the church. The source of the deterioration lies in the rapacious, dishonest and corrupt politicians that have been elected to power for 40 years, and an electorate willing to put their trust in men and women of no honour.In his letter, he said: " … the Bishop and the Catholic mission may not know anything about this state of affairs. They usually leave it to the trustees while they concentrate on getting donations for the hospital. Church leaders and the clergy live a life of prayer and a belief that God will take care of their problems. This may explain what happened to the Catholic schools. They used to be premier schools for the whole country. It was not only a source of pride to the Catholic mission, it could have been a method to influence the minds of future leaders of the country. Unfortunately the church never moved with the times and the political changes that swept across the country. Now schools such as SFI, SJI and SXI are relics of a grand past and lie almost forgotten and decaying where they once stood." The open question was then whether the Brothers and Sisters who taught and administered the mission schools would follow along and become absorbed into the teaching service, so that they could continue to teach and be in charge of the administration of the schools.That is hardly the case. Mission schools were incorporated into the Malaysian educational system after much debate. The essence of the matter at that time (in the 1960s) was, in my recollection, that the church agreed after much discussion to allow the schools to become sekolah jenis kebangsaan — but retaining ownership and not transferring the land and the buildings to the government — in order to receive government financial support. It was eventually decided that the Brothers and the Sister would not join the education service, but would remain on the Board of Governors of the schools and thus supervise the administration of the schools this way. One factor would have been to obviate any potential church-state conflict. Over the years members of the La Salle Brothers and the Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus have agonised over that decision, as their schools steadily decayed in standing, suffered abuse and desecration, and became political tools, notwithstanding that many Malaysian leaders and members of royal houses were themselves educated at mission schools of the 1950s-70s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWlSYZyzg-I&feature=player_embedded To my mind, the church relied on two factors in making the decision to let the government run their schools and to stay out of the education system: • They trusted the honesty and goodwill of the Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Raman, that the schools would be cared for, and that the government in all sincerity, merely wished to relieve the church of the financial burden • They trusted in a system of government that seemed to be based on democratic principle and one that would honour promises made. They were wrong to trust any one individual. Politicians come and go. They were naive to believe the succeeding politicians would honour the word of another. It should have been possible to put trust in the system. Institutions of the system and the civil service that goes with them, remain while politicians come and go. They are designed to be a bulwark of the common citizen against the dishonest politician. Read more at: https://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/mission-schools-cheated-by-the-system/ | |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:30 PM PDT My existence is not allowed. Somehow, the person that I am - and I have to assume, the person that we all are for people the likes of me - have been reduced to no more than a threat. Somehow, I am a threat to a religion I do not practice, a threat to a nation I have no intention of harming, a threat to a culture I participate in and therefore shape. I am to be dealt with by the strong arm of the law, in the harshest of terms because I am not allowed. By Leroy Luar In response to the atrocity that has befallen my friends in Seksualiti Merdeka, I present this story of what happens to a dream deferred.
I mean, look at these people. They are wildly talented and rightfully recognised for their immense contributions to the annals of Southeast Asian literature. I dreamed of someday joining the pantheon of these gods, share the same airspace with them. In wanted to be just like them. No 'scientific experiments' in space, I dreamed of being the read deal. In short, I wanted to be a great Malaysian, recognised for verifiable excellence in my chosen field of expertise. Dreams will remain just that if no effort was put into the making of those dreams into reality. We've been told as much since the very first day we stepped foot into school. "Apakah cita-cita anda?" (What is your ambition?) became an all but consuming obsession in the matter of our nurturing. Naturally, things were no different for me. Like everyone else with a dream, I put time into honing my skills in narrative crafting. Practice makes perfect they said and I was determined to make things fall into place. A couple of years ago, I won a micro-fiction writing competition alongside a group of other talented writers. What may look like a small achievement to others was to me the pebble that may be responsible for bringing down a mountain. Earlier this year, I made the shortlist in the 2011 Commonwealth Short Story Competition; the only Malaysian in this year's shortlist and the first in five years to receive this privilege. When told of the news, I thought to myself 'Greatness is possible, I am not untalented." However, as of several hours ago, I am no longer master of these dreams of greatness. Greatness, it appears, is not possible. Not for me and for people the likes of me anyway. To put it simply, I am not allowed. I attempt to refine this statement: greatness is not that which I am not allowed to achieve, it is I - the person this pronoun refers to - that is not allowed. My existence is not allowed. Somehow, the person that I am - and I have to assume, the person that we all are for people the likes of me - have been reduced to no more than a threat. Somehow, I am a threat to a religion I do not practice, a threat to a nation I have no intention of harming, a threat to a culture I participate in and therefore shape. I am to be dealt with by the strong arm of the law, in the harshest of terms because I am not allowed. | |
| PPSMI: The Language of Politics Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:26 PM PDT This is a calculated political gamble which could land Umno/BN some crucial swing votes in the rural areas. Their logic would be that proponents of PPSMI are from urban areas, and since urban areas are against BN anyway, they would have to pander to the sentiments of the rural population in order to retain the federal government. PKR has not ignored this effect, which is why they have also come out to say that they support the change in policy. By Douglas Tan With Muhyiddin Yassin slamming the door shut on PPSMI, the debate continues to rage on within both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat alike. PKR comes out to support the abolishment, whereas the DAP wants to give parents the choice. Read more at: http://dougtan.blogspot.com/2011/11/ppsmi-language-of-politics.html
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| Nazri talking through his hat! Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:22 PM PDT It is extremely disturbing that the Minister for Law has shown scant respect for the judicial process by not taking the Court decision seriously. His dismissive remarks mock our judiciary and he himself comes across as a bumbling clown. By P. Ramakrishnan, President Aliran Nazri has given expression to the saying, "Talking through the hat!" That was what he was doing when he rather foolishly commented on the majority decision of the Court of Appeal which ruled in a landmark case that Section 15(5)(a) of the Universities and University Colleges Act was unconstitutional. In spite of the Court of Appeal's ruling, for the Minister of Law to insist that "it does not invalidate the Act" and to dismiss the Court's decision as "an opinion in passing" is appalling and shocking, exposing his alarming ignorance of the judicial process. Section 15(5)(a) has been invalidated as unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal ruling – which means that the provisions of that section are no longer applicable and cannot be enforced. That section, as a result of the Court's decision, is void and invalid. It is a binding decision and cannot be dismissed merely as "an opinion of the Court" without any consequence. Until and unless the Federal Court overturns or sets aside this ruling – thus upholding the High Court decision – no power on earth professing the democratic tradition can ignore this decision. It is as simple as that! It is extremely disturbing that the Minister for Law has shown scant respect for the judicial process by not taking the Court decision seriously. His dismissive remarks mock our judiciary and he himself comes across as a bumbling clown. "This is law, passed by us as lawmakers. There must be separation of powers," he thundered. If he respects the separation of powers, then he must not poke his nose where it does not belong! The judiciary has an inherent independent authority conferred by the Federal Constitution to "act without fear or favour (and) discharge their grave responsibility of pronouncing judgment on the validity of executive and legislative acts and on the meaning of any provision of the federal and state constitutions …" as clearly expounded by the late Tun Mohamed Suffian. According to Tun Suffian, Courts have the power to pronounce on the validity of legislative acts and to interpret the Constitution. When great minds have given their considered opinion, it is futile to split hairs. Perhaps Nazri, as he is prone to be so vocal, can help us in clarifying what is deemed as a contradiction. Is there a contradiction in the UUCA in that it doesn't seem to be applicable to all the university students? Why is it that the UUCA is only applicable to students of local universities? Why are students of overseas universities exempted from this Act? And the more pertinent question is: Why do almost all nations espousing democratic traditions refrain from subjecting their university students to such restrictions as spelt out in our UCCA? How is it that Umno Club members comprising overseas students are permitted to attend the Umno General Assembly regularly? Aren't they also violating the provisions of this Act which state no student shall express or do anything which may reasonably be construed as expressing support or sympathy with or opposition to any political party in or outside Malaysia? These Umno Club members openly express their support for Umno and by doing so, don't they fall foul of this Act? Or is it a case of selective application? Now that the Court had ruled, these Umno Club members henceforth can legitimately attend Umno General Assemblies, something that was not right previously. | |
| UUCA ruling a great legal milestone Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:16 PM PDT
For decades now, our freedom of thought and speech has been curtailed so much that many Malaysians are suffering from the disease of blindly obeying and mindlessly believing what certain leaders are telling them. Isn't it any wonder that not many people are daring enough to oppose certain mental manipulations by leaders, kowtowing and nodding their heads as if they are in a deep state of hypnosis? By Daniel John Jambun I cannot help feeling extremely elated that last Monday by a three-judge panel made a ruling that a provision in the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971 which restricts students from expressing in support of, or opposing any political party, is unconstitutional. This is history in the making, to say the least!
I also feel that the remarks by one of the three-man panel of judges, Datuk Mohd Hishamuddin Mohd Yunus Yunus, are worth repeating here, and even be carved onto stone for future generations to read and excite over, as much as today's generations still gloat over the Magna Carta (the Great Charter) which was presented to King John of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in 1215, with the warning that if the king refused the charter, they would depose him. The Magna Carta was later passed into law to limit the power of the King.
Hishamuddin stated unequivocally that Section 15(5)(a) of the UUCA was irrational as it impeded "the healthy development of the critical mind and original thoughts of students, the objective of which higher education institutions should strive to achieve. Universities should be the breeding ground of reformers and thinkers, and not institutions to produce students trained as robots. Clearly the provision is not only counter-productive but repressive in nature. Freedom of expression was one of the most fundamental rights that individuals enjoy and that right was also recognized in numerous human rights documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. Freedom of speech is accorded pre-eminent status in the constitutions of many countries…"
How should the country's ruling political leaders react to this ruling by the nation's court of appeal? If any member of the political elite decides to appeal the ruling, if that is possible under the law, such an appellant would have to answer to Hishamuddin's rationales that he was "at a loss to understand in what manners a student, who expresses support for, or opposition against, a political party could harm or bring about an adverse effect on public order or public morality. Are not political parties legal entities carrying out legitimate political activities? Most university students were of the age of maturity where they could enter into contracts, sue and be sued, can marry and become parents and undertake parental responsibilities, vote in general elections if they were 21 years of age. Yet lies herein the irony that they were told that legally they cannot say anything that can be construed as supporting or opposing a political party."
I would also add that if we open and operate many universities with hundreds and millions of ringgits to educate our young people, why tell them they are not, will never be, intelligent enough to make any judgment about what's right and wrong as long as they are students and scholars? How will they write short analyses and theses in which they are required to make mature evaluation of political and national governance issues as causes, and connect these evaluations to socio-economic consequences? Are university students supposed to refrain from making the right analyses for fear that they would be going against Section 15(5)(a) of the UUCA? What kind of thesis would it be that is biased and dishonest, and what kind of university graduate would it be who can't even tell what's right and what's wrong because the government had told him he couldn't support or oppose any political thinking? How ridiculous can a law be!
I have thought all this while that we are supposed to have universities to develop the country through the creation of generations of intellectuals who will take over the country, not a bunch of graduates who fear the government and when they become leaders will also make the same silly rules to gag future students. I believe that if we succeed in spending millions upon millions of ringgits to produce puppets and robots, our country will simply go down the drain, like what is already happening to us now! For decades now, our freedom of thought and speech has been curtailed so much that many Malaysians are suffering from the disease of blindly obeying and mindlessly believing what certain leaders are telling them. Isn't it any wonder that not many people are daring enough to oppose certain mental manipulations by leaders, kowtowing and nodding their heads as if they are in a deep state of hypnosis? Since their time in primary schools, they have been brainwashed, through the Ministry of (Dis)Information, that the government is right all the time, and that the people's duty is just to believe and obey. And worst, we are still being made to believe that the opposition is lying, day-dreaming, making empty promises they can't keep, can't do anything to help the people, just a bunch of noise makers and irritants, even deluded and evil leaders who will cause chaos and disasters if they take over the government! But are the people frightened of the opposition? Hardly, judging from the recent Sarawak general election and the 2008 political tsunami!
We can pose more and more question on this and will only make this anti-intellectual provision more and more ridiculous. What we need to realize is that, all this while the institutions of higher learning are places where students and professors are muted and curtailed from performing their duties to produce generations of critical, creative, innovative and pro-active leaders in all spheres of national activities. Section 15(5)(a) was actually included in the UUCA because the government feared, and still do fear, students from becoming too smart and eventually lean towards the opposition. But they forget that truth can't be hidden forever, and university students will eventually know who is actually lying to them. With or without Section 15(5)(a), they will still voice out their feelings one way or another, and this is more dangerous to the government because they will be working undercover and discreetly.
The BN should understand that they are borrowing time from the next generation of leaders, which are the present students. The future belongs to the new generation, not to the present ruling elites. As I see it, the present leaders are succeeding very well in destroying the future, and the future leaders will have a very hard time trying to repair a lot of damages which are being done and will be passed on to them. If the BN is sincere about wanting to do the right thing, it would now let students participate fully in the political process, to say what they want to say. The future is already their responsibility NOW, not later! Khalil Gibran was right when he wrote of children: "...they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls; For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams." If you try to shut them up, they will one day shut you up. It's as simple as that! | |
| 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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| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 07:48 PM PDT Sometimes I wonder whether Hitler could have been right after all. He took action against gays and Jews and so do we. He dreamed of a national car and so do we. He wanted the tallest, biggest, longest, etc. building to be erected in Germany and so do we. He believed in Ketuanan German and so do we -- Ketuanan Melayu. Nazi Germany and Malaysia are almost like carbon copies. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
At mosques, strident protests against sexuality festival (The Malaysian Insider) - Within minutes of ending their Friday prayers at the National Mosque here today, Perkasa sounded the clarion call for Muslims to defend their faith being sullied by organisers of a three-year-old sexuality festival. Springing into action, the vocal Malay rights group's youth chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris called on Malays to unite and set aside their political differences to reject homosexuality. Backed by 30 demonstrators and under the watchful eye of 20 policemen at the mosque compound, Irwan raged against the Malaysian Bar for backing organisers of the Seksualiti Merdeka programme. "Lawyers are not qualified to be called lawyers for giving support to Seksualiti Malaysia," he yelled, drawing the attention of some 30 onlookers. The small group of demonstrators swiftly moved to cross the road where another Perkasa leader said they would deliver a memorandum to the city's Islamic religious department demanding it obtain an immediate court order to stop organisers of the Seksualiti Merdeka programme. The memo, signed by Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, reads: "We believe what the festival organiser is promoting clears goes against the teachings and demands of Islam. Promotion of this festival has sullied and insulted the purity of Islam." In Shah Alam, a group of 10 demonstrators making similar demands rallied outside the Selangor state mosque. Chanting "Allahuakbar", the protestors held green placards that read in Malay: "Don't hide behind human rights. Respect our human rights as Muslims in Malaysia" and "Suhakam, don't be the anti-Islamic enemy's tool". ********************************************** It's not a pride parade, say organisers (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. ********************************************** It is good that 30 Perkasa activists demonstrated against gays. At least the view of more than one billion Muslims worldwide has been heard today. And the added benefit to this is that Malays are finally united, which was what Umno has been trying to do for some time but thus far has failed. Now, finally, PAS and Umno are speaking as one voice. And this augurs well for Malay unity. The PPSMI issue is another issue that has united PAS and Umno. The way things are currently going it appears like the future of the Malays is assured after all after the shock on the March 2008 general election when there was much anxiety that the Malays are going to be reduced to second-class citizens in their own country. At last, PAS and Umno are seeing the light and have woken up to the reality that the future of the Malays rests in a united PAS-Umno and, failing which, there will be a real danger that the Chinese will take control of the country, like what has happened in Penang and, if we are not careful, will also happen in Selangor. The organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka talk about championing the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. Hello brader…..what rights are you talking about? Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders have no rights, okay? Only straight people have rights. In fact, even oral sex is a crime in Malaysia in case you were not aware. These people are all perverts. Why can't they be normal like the rest of us? I was told that as high as 50% of Malaysians may have homosexual tendencies even if they do not actually act on these tendencies. That is very frightening. Imagine every second person you see on the street may have gay tendencies. That is an alarmingly high rate. And I was told that homosexuality amongst Malays is higher than amongst non-Malays. And that is the even more alarming thing if it is true considering that Malays are Muslims and are supposed to be very pious and god-fearing and will never harm people, take bribes or steal the rakyat's money. I think we must push this anti-gay effort even further. PAS and Umno, and the Christians who are true Christians, should pass a new law in Parliament to make it mandatory for every Malaysian to go through a polygraph test to determine whether he or she has gay tendencies. That would be easy enough to detect. Then, once these people have been detected, their identity cards can be marked accordingly so that we know who these people are. We probably can also make them wear a star on their chest or something like that, like what the Nazis did to the Jews in Germany. In fact, since Malaysia is anti-Jew and anti-homosexual, just like Nazi Germany, this move would be very appropriate. The law can even stipulate that all Jews and homosexuals must wear a star on their chest -- maybe a yellow star for Jews and a pink star for gays. It is not enough we take action against professed homosexuals. Even closet homosexuals must be hunted down. We know that only 1% of those who are homosexuals reveal themselves or 'come out of the closet'. This means another 99% remain hidden. So we need to flush them out and take action against them – like what we do for apostates, Wahabbis, Shias, etc. It does not matter even if they are merely thinking about it and do not actually act on their homosexual tendencies. Even thinking is a crime in Malaysia and is also not allowed in Islam. Do you know that Malaysia has a law called the Internal Security Act (ISA) that detains people who think the wrong thing? Ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told us this. He said that it is no use arresting someone after the crime has been committed. You need to detain them before they commit the crime even as they are thinking about it. Many Malaysians have in fact been detained for thinking the wrong thing. For example, those who think that Shia is the correct version of Islam have been detained over the last many years and were sent for rehabilitation. Many of them were university lecturers and religious scholars. Recently, some people from PSM were detained under suspicion that they were thinking about Communism. So there is no harm in arresting people for thinking the wrong thing. Malaysia has been doing this for years, before some of you were even born. So, if you have gay tendencies, then this means the government can arrest you. Thinking that gay is right is no different from thinking that Shiism or Communism are right. If the government can detain you for one crime then why not for the other? Sometimes I wonder whether Hitler could have been right after all. He took action against gays and Jews and so do we. He dreamed of a national car and so do we. He wanted the tallest, biggest, longest, etc. building to be erected in Germany and so do we. He believed in Ketuanan German and so do we -- Ketuanan Melayu. Nazi Germany and Malaysia are almost like carbon copies. Heil Najib! | |
| Ultimatum from the Rakyat to Barisan Nasional: Call Snap Polls before Electoral Reforms and be ... Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:06 PM PDT
The latest information, from reliable insider sources, is that, upon his return to Malaysia on 6th November, 2011, Najib will, on 11th November, 2011, seek and obtain His Majesty's consent to the dissolution of Parliament whereafter, the Election Commission will fix 1st December, 2011 as the date for nomination of candidates and 10th December, 2011 as polling day. The world has, in recent times, witnessed People Power triumph over dictatorships in several nations. In Malaysia, on 9th July, 2011, thousands descended on to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand reforms to our nations electoral process, long fraught with irregularities that render the citizens participation in governance illusory. Yet, even as the government led by Dato Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak established a Parliamentary Select Committee to look into the matter of reforms to the electoral process, public statements are constantly issued by members of the government, including the Prime Minister himself, that the 13th general election is imminent. The latest information, from reliable insider sources, is that, upon his return to Malaysia on 6th November, 2011, Najib will, on 11th November, 2011, seek and obtain His Majesty's consent to the dissolution of Parliament whereafter, the Election Commission will fix 1st December, 2011 as the date for nomination of candidates and 10th December, 2011 as polling day. On behalf of the rakyat, political, non-governmental orgnanisation and civil society leaders will hold a press conference to issue a final ultimatum to Najib, UMNO and Barisan Nasional as to the consequences they must be prepared to face if they proceed to call for snap polls before our electoral process is reformed. Details of the press conference are as follows : Date : 5th November, 2011 Time : 2.30pm Venue : Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall We would appreciate if you could send your journalist to cover the event. For clarification, please contact the following numbers : (1) +6012-2070534 (2) +6017-6688404
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The Hajj is a reminder of the Grand Assembly on the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before God waiting for their final destiny, and as the Prophet Muhammad said, "God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but he scans your hearts and looks into your deeds."
'Ripe for development' – the whole area just outside Kuching has been turned over to the Taib family firm CMS in a 'joint venture' with the state
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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