Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Billionaire Syed Mokhtar gets Mahathir’s support to buy Proton
- Is this Umno’s last hurray?
- For Malaysian Christians, an anxious holiday season
- Permata centre ‘wasn’t safe for my child’
| Billionaire Syed Mokhtar gets Mahathir’s support to buy Proton Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:24 AM PST "Mahathir's view and approval would be sought by Khazanah if it wants to sell Proton," said Ratnam, an analyst in Kuala Lumpur. "He is the adviser and founder of Proton, the company is still very close to his heart even as he has retired." By Chong Pooi Koon, Bloomberg Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, Malaysia's second-youngest billionaire, received former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's endorsement to acquire a controlling stake in automaker Proton Holdings Bhd. DRB-Hicom Bhd., Syed Mokhtar's auto assembler, is the best candidate to buy the government's 43 percent stake in Proton, Mahathir, now an adviser at the carmaker he founded in 1983, said in a joint interview yesterday in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur. Officials at DRB and Khazanah Nasional Bhd., the government investment arm holding the Proton shares, weren't immediately available to comment. The support of the man who was Malaysia's prime minister for two decades indicates DRB's purchase of the stake -- valued at 993 million ringgit ($314 million) at current prices -- is imminent because of the former premier's lingering influence, according to James Ratnam, an analyst at TA Securities Holdings Bhd. Proton would add the owner of the Lotus sports car brand to Syed Mokhtar's business empire, which includes ports, airports and power plants. "Mahathir's view and approval would be sought by Khazanah if it wants to sell Proton," said Ratnam, an analyst in Kuala Lumpur. "He is the adviser and founder of Proton, the company is still very close to his heart even as he has retired." Proton advanced 6 percent to 4.23 ringgit yesterday, extending its lead as the best performer on the 100-stock FTSE Malaysia Index in the past month to 57 percent. DRB-Hicom was unchanged at 2.12 ringgit. General Offer Should DRB seek to buy a 43 percent stake, it would be obliged to make a general offer for Proton's remaining shares under Malaysian acquisition rules. Syed Mokhtar, 60, is the Southeast Asian nation's second- youngest billionaire after Berjaya Corp. Chairman Vincent Tan, according to Forbes magazine's latest rankings. His ties to Mahathir, who describes the Malaysian tycoon as a friend, stretch back more than a decade. About a year before Mahathir stepped down in 2003 as prime minister, he awarded a $3.8 billion rail project -- then the nation's biggest infrastructure undertaking -- to contractors including Syed Mokhtar's MMC Corp. DRB would be able to consolidate and expand its share of Malaysia automotive market with a Proton acquisition, TA Securities' Ratnam said. DRB manufactures, distributes and assembles a range of vehicles from motorcycles to garbage trucks for brands including Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz and Yamaha. It has eight assembly plants of which four are for cars, including one in Malaysia's southern Malacca state where Hondas are made. Volkswagen Partnership Selangor-based DRB began manufacturing its first Volkswagen AG Passat vehicles several weeks ago after signing a partnership agreement with the German carmaker last year. Proton, whose vehicles are driven by taxi drivers across Malaysia, are among the cheapest cars sold in the country. The company, which had two annual net losses over the past five years, is poised to see its profit fall 51 percent in the year ending March, according to the average of 13 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Proton has been looking for a strategic partner to compete with global automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. Partnership talks to form a partnership with Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, ended last year. While Khazanah approached local companies Naza Group and Sime Darby Bhd. about buying the Proton stake, Syed Mokhtar's DRB may be the best fit, said Mahathir. "DRB seems well-run," Mahathir said. "It is already producing cars for Suzuki, Mercedes and Volkswagen. They have the capacity to turn around Proton and won't undermine its vendors." --With assistance from Elffie Chew and Manirajan Ramasamy in Kuala Lumpur. Editors: Young-Sam Cho, Suresh Seshadri
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| Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:10 AM PST Let Umno now celebrate its mirage of victory at the 13th general election. There will be many in Umno who are already packed to go. Those in Umno who do not have the stomach to stand and fight on a level playing field with Pakatan Rakyat will go through the motions secure in the knowledge that defeat will not necessarily mean a life too removed from the one they are enjoying now – courtesy of their plundering of our nation's wealth while they were in government. CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today Let us all hold our positions while Umno hang itself in the euphoria of all the delusional grandeur that it had conjured up in its last general assembly before it is relegated to the opposition bench. At every Umno general assembly, Umno gets intoxicated with its perceived greatness in being able to rule our country for the last 54 years. And it thinks it can do so for another 54 more years. We will let Umno think so. Let it celebrate now its mirage of a victory at the 13th general election. But remember (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) had promised RM5 million to the people of Sibu. With sweat drippinng down his face, he (publicly) pondered if RM5 million was enough to persuade the people of Sibu to vote Barisan Nasional (BN). As we now know, that it was not enough! Not RM5 million, not any amount of money because the people of Sibu have had enough of BN and enough of Najib. If Sibu can make Najib sweat buckets, think what a general election will do to him. What you now see at the Umno general assembly is Umno's last hurrah. It is a "us versus them" situation. You are either aligned with Umno or against them. 'We are in it together' I am against Umno. The people of Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Kedah are with me, too. Then there are those who are in PKR, PAS and DAP. Do not forget Bersih. Do not forget Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), and the people's power. MCLM candidates have been urged to be faithful to the rakyat and not to MCLM. My heart swells at the selflessness of MCLM – the rakyat, always the rakyat. Then there is Kita – who says "it's not government that matters, but governance". Malaysia Today, Barisan Rakyat Bloggers, Zorro Unmasked and me… do not forget me! Everyone of you that has borne the brunt of being messed around by BN and Umno, remember we are all in this together. For now we are restrained. No date has been set for the 13th general election. Even restrained we still rejoice as the time nears for regime change. For Umno, the inevitability of having to face its nemesis is not a matter of if but of when. Without Najib, Rosmah does not matter Put yourself in KJ's (Khairy Jamaluddin) place and ask yourself what is it that he is now fighting for? You know he is just fighting for face. Do not talk about a position in Cabinet – holding on to his Umno Youth post would be hard enough. And everything you do now is money down the drain, never to be recouped. And what about Muhyiddin Yassin (Deputy Prime Minister)? In his mind's eye he waits for the call to serve – not to serve Umno but to serve Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) and to serve himself. If it comes, he knows that Umno is on life support and his work is only to execute Umno's exit strategy to ensure the least amount of damage is inflicted on the thieves, thugs and robbers from Umno and BN as Umno leaves Putrajaya. Without Najib, his wife Rosmah (Mansor) does not matter – to Umno or to us. Like the last days of the Fall of Rome, the Last Days of the Third Reich and the end of the Americans in South Vietnam, history will record that Umno was a victim of its own arrogance and hubris. History will record that no one caused the downfall of Najib more than Rosmah. That it was Mahathir, not Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) or Najib, that started the descend of Umno into an abyss of deceit, lies and money politics which ultimately will lead to its defeat at the polls in the 13th general election.
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| For Malaysian Christians, an anxious holiday season Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:41 AM PST The governing coalition, which has led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, suffered its biggest loss in the 2008 elections, losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time. Some analysts say UMNO is trying to play on religious sensitivities to win back support from Malay Muslims. Beneath windows framed with forest-green wreaths studded with red and gold baubles, worshipers at St. Mary's Anglican Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in , knelt and clasped their hands in prayer. As part of the Advent service, they celebrated a baptism and sang their way through a series of hymns including "Child in the Manger." But their voices masked the unease many Christians in Malaysia are feeling this season, following accusations that they are trying to "Christianize" this Muslim-majority country by converting Muslims, which is illegal. "It's unfortunate that the authorities don't take the relevant action against those making such wild allegations," said Bishop Jason Selvaraj, who led the service at St. Mary's. "We are upset about that. There's a sense of justice is not done. We have not done anything wrong." The Malaysian Constitution both guarantees freedom of religion and designates Islam as the official religion — ethnic Malays are automatically considered Muslims. While Muslims are free to proselytize to others, most states have laws that prohibit members of other religions from proselytizing to Muslims. In Selangor State, the penalties can include a year's imprisonment and a fine of up to 10,000 ringgit, or almost $3,200. While the central government's Department of Islamic Development says no one has ever been formally charged with trying to convert Muslims, recent statements by Muslim politicians and groups promoting Islam have left many Christians, who make up just 9 percent of the population, feeling victimized. Many are convinced that they are being used as political pawns to win support among Muslim voters in advance of the next general election, widely expected to be held next year. "I think Christians are generally feeling that there is kind of a Christian-bashing going on," said the Rev. Thomas Philips, a Syrian Orthodox priest and vice president of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, a group that represents Protestant and Orthodox churches. While Christians, for the most part, work and live peacefully alongside Muslims in Malaysia, several incidents have heightened tensions in recent years, including the firebombing of churches in 2010. The latest round of religious tensions was set off in August, when Selangor religious officials interrupted a church dinner outside of Kuala Lumpur, saying they had information that these Christians were proselytizing to Muslims. Although the sultan of Selangor eventually concluded that there was "insufficient" evidence to take further legal action, Muslim politicians and leaders of Himpun, a new organization that has pledged to protect Islam, have continued to charge that there is a plot by some opposition political parties and Christian organizations to "Christianize" the country. On Nov. 29, Ahmad Maslan, a deputy minister from the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, the dominant party in the governing coalition, asserted that Islam would be "lost" if the opposition gained seats in the next election, according to a report by The Malaysian Insider, a news Web site. "Say goodbye to Islam, because they are agents of Christianization," he said, referring to the Democratic Action Party, a member of the opposition alliance. The governing coalition, which has led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, suffered its biggest loss in the 2008 elections, losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time. Some analysts say UMNO is trying to play on religious sensitivities to win back support from Malay Muslims. Meanwhile, Himpun is planning a series of rallies around the country to "save and protect" Islam. The group, which held a rally in Kuala Lumpur in October that attracted 5,000 people, complains that the government is not enforcing laws that prohibit trying to convert Muslims. "If we have a law which is not enforced, then it's a mockery on the part of the religious authorities," said Mohammad Azmi Abdul Hamid, Himpun's chairman. Christian leaders deny that they are part of a plot to "Christianize" the country. They say recent comments about "Christianization" by UMNO members indicate that the party is trying to shore up its support among Muslims, its traditional support base, before the election. "The present climate and mood is more political than anything else," said the Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, the Roman Catholic Church's weekly newspaper in Kuala Lumpur. Father Philips, who is also vice president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, said he believed that UMNO was seeking to portray itself as the "savior of Muslims." "They are thinking that it will unite the Muslims together, but I don't think that any Malaysians buy it," he said. "It's a political game." Farish Ahmad Noor, a political science professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, agrees. While Prime Minister Najib Razak has been seeking to present Malaysia as a moderate Muslim nation and has opened diplomatic relations with the Vatican and spearheaded a "1Malaysia" policy to promote national unity and inclusiveness, Mr. Farish said his efforts were being undermined by conservatives within his party who were trying to appeal to Muslims. These elements, he said, threatened to alienate non-Muslims affiliated with other parties in the governing coalition, which includes the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Malaysian Indian Congress. "It may prove to be counterproductive in the long run," Mr. Farish said. "If this fringe in UMNO thinks this is the only way they can secure the Malay vote, they have to understand that the coalition as a whole has to secure the votes of as many Malaysians as they can, and that includes Christians." Mr. Farish said while groups like Himpun say they are independent, "in the minds of Malaysians they are seen as another front" for the governing coalition. Ng Kam Weng, director of the Kairos Research Center, which studies issues related to Malaysian Christianity, said that UMNO politicians may also be trying to intimidate Christians who were becoming more politically active and playing a greater role in civil society groups. He said churches were careful not to proselytize to Muslims precisely because this could provoke a "backlash from authorities." "I think if the Christian community is clear in its conscience that it has maintained its integrity in how it practices its faith, I suppose we trust in God that he will override human mischief," he said. Bishop Selvaraj said the recent controversies would not dampen celebrations at St. Mary's in the days leading up to Christmas. He has discussed the allegations in his sermons and urged the congregation — Malaysians of Chinese and Indian ethnicity, Africans, Indonesians and Europeans — to pray for peace. He said he has been encouraged by messages of support from Muslim friends. "The majority of Muslims are good people," he said.
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| Permata centre ‘wasn’t safe for my child’ Posted: 11 Dec 2011 04:07 PM PST Where are the millions of ringgit of 'direct' funding to Permata really going when there are separate fundings from other government agencies? This year alone, the government allocated RM150 million for more than 300 nurseries which were turned into Permata centres to facilitate the Anak Permata programme. Aneesa Alphonsus, Free Malaysia Today For a parent whose child qualifies to receive free Early Childhood Education, Sharifah Noor isn't too happy. A recent visit to a Permata Centre in Kepala Batas, Penang, has made her change her mind about sending her four-year-old son there. She is uncomfortable at the inadequacy of the centre's safety features, especially since it involves children. She was fortunate to have noticed the water feature play area in the centre. "It just wasn't safe for a child…There are sharp corners and it doesn't look very safe, " she muttered, adding: "I saw some children running around the area and I was so afraid that they would cut themselves." Sharifah is not alone in her discomfort. Another parent who requested anonymity said she witnessed a young child suffer an asthma attack and the teachers did not know what to do. The petrified parent immediately withdrew her child from this other Permata centre. Neither parent was comfortable discussing the shortcomings in the Permata centres. In fact, what was strange was the hushed tones each parent used when speaking about the centres and their constant worry that someone might overhear them. Fundamental to early childhood education is health, safety and the development of cognizance skills for these children. When approached with these cases, Dr Rohani Abdullah, who is Permata's head of training, took a defensive stance. An associate professor at University Putra Malaysia, she said: "Permata is more focused on the content in the child's learning syllabus. "Teachers are trained on knowledge-based curriculum which comprises information on activities for children, and module development which includes music, art and reading. "We also put together a one-day first aid course for the teachers. "As for the water feature issue, the contractors didn't follow our specifications – they did it differently. "We have suggested that they remove certain things but since these are already imbedded, doing so would require that the entire structure be taken down and rebuilt," said Rohani when contacted by FTM. She was not available for further comments. Close to RM2 billion to Permata For all the money that's been channelled towards Permata, which is under the patronage of Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister, one would assume that no expense is spared to ensure that the centres meet with every health and safety requirement, particularly since it deals with children as young as four-years old. This year alone, the government allocated RM150 million for more than 300 nurseries which were turned into Permata centres to facilitate the Anak Permata programme. Some speculate that close to RM2 billion has already been given out to Permata by the government. Mind you, this allocation, they said, is only for structure. There were also separate funds for the following:
Suraya Ahmad (not her real name), who has been involved in the early stages of the Perrnata project, claims that there are many inconsistencies where the Permata centres are concerned. "When they started the centre five years ago, the curriculum didn't follow a proper child development curriculum and it still doesn't. "The intention to have Permata was very impressive and inspiring because all children below the age of four would be entitled to an education. "But I became very disillusioned when I saw so much money being spent unnecessarily." Citing an example of a typical Permata centre, she said: "There is a huge waiting area furnished with items from Ikea, expensive wood was used for the miniature playhouse and the elaborate water feature looks dangerous plus a too-large sand pit area." "But when it comes to office items such as fax machines and even printer ink, we would have to wait for Permata to give the approval and budget to go ahead with the purchase," she said.
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