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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• So, who calls the shots then?
• Now write your election manifesto
• What is ethics?
• What are you looking for?
• Iqraq
• Not talking about the budget
• Allow me to respond
• So, teach me the 'jalan yang betul' then!
• The chicken and the egg
• What we are not and why we can never be

So, who calls the shots then? Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:38 PM PDT Two days ago, it was announced that Gadang Holdings has been awarded the Shah Alam hospital contract for a price of RM410.87 million. This is RM60 million above the approved price of RM352 million. The Ministry of Finance actually rejected Gadang Holdings as well as the price increase but the Ministry of Works went ahead and awarded the contract to Gadang Holdings and at a higher price as well. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Gadang subsidiary gets RM410.87m Shah Alam hospital job (The Edge, 11 Oct 2011) -- GADANG HOLDINGS BHD has accepted a RM410.87 million contract from the Public Works Department to undertake the completion of the abandoned works at the Shah Alam Hospital.  It said on Tuesday, Oct 11 that its wholly owned subsidiary Gadang Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd had accepted the letter of acceptance for the project at the 300-bed hospital. Gadang said the contract was to be completed within a period of 24 months from the date for possession of site and was expected to contribute positively to its future earnings. **************************************** Now read the exchanges of letters below between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health. It appears that the contract was awarded to Gadang Holdings at this higher price even though the Ministry of Finance rejected BOTH Gadang Holdings and the application for a price increase.

Now write your election manifesto Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:45 AM PDT We have discussed what we want to see in a government and what we want to see implemented in Malaysia. We have also discussed about our understanding of ethics. Assuming a political party appointed you to be in charge of drafting its election manifesto, what will this election manifesto look like? Now let's see you write your election manifesto. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin POST YOUR COMMENTS HERE Just write ONE of the articles of the election manifesto. Choose any one but note what others have already written and unless you can draft it better than that then try to address a different article. Start with a heading, then the objective(s), and then how you propose to meet this objective. Remember, just one, any one.

What is ethics? Posted: 10 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT Okay, in the posting yesterday (What are you looking for?), many comments have been posted as to what Malaysians would like to see in their government and what they would like to see implemented in Malaysia. But would not all this be possible and realised if we had a government (and politicians) that put ethics above politics, economic growth, development, etc? Would not what we want be automatically achieved through an ethical government? What, in your opinion, is ethics (from your understanding of the concept)? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW As a guide, maybe you would want to address the issue of RELATIVISM -- where what is ethical within one society may not be in another. Also consider what is 'morally acceptable' against the backdrop of Malaysian society and norms. Also note that 'morals' is subjective and depends on your upbringing and the community you live in plus your religious persuasion. Therefore, when you talk about ethics, you may want to qualify it as ethical relativism and not ethical absolutes. This discussion may help you understand how far you are prepared to go and whether you have set limitations and boundaries into achieving what you aspire to see and also how much compromises you are prepared to make on ethics as long as it achieves the end.

What are you looking for? Posted: 09 Oct 2011 03:52 PM PDT Over the last month or so, since Malaysia Today opened up the comments section to all and sundry and allowed readers to post 'no-holds-barred' comments -- even when they were stupid, bigoted, out of topic, bad language, etc. -- we have read many views, some of them warped as well. But we are yet to read about THE most important view of all, and that is what it is that you are looking for. Today, we shall discuss that.  NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin POST YOUR VIEWS BELOW As a guide (but not necessarily you MUST touch on all these issues), you may want to take into consideration the present state of affairs in Malaysia, what in your opinion is wrong with the country, and what you would like to see as the NEW DEAL (New Deal meaning changes, reforms, better system, etc., and could be about the health, education, economic, judicial, etc., system(s)). You may also want to touch on what you view as the limitations or obstacles (such as cultural, religious, economic, historical, legal, etc.) that the government would face if it wanted to implement some of these proposals and therefore what kind of compromises and how far these compromises would have to go to at least meet these aspirations part of the way. I have used the word 'government' not in the context of the present Barisan Nasional government or the 'future' Pakatan Rakyat government but as government in general (meaning that we should not concern ourselves about who forms that government but that whosoever does form the government would have to do all this -- a hypothetical government of sorts). A short 500-word essay would be good rather than one-liners, but it is crucial that your essay is not out of topic or flies off tangent.

Iqraq Posted: 08 Oct 2011 05:38 PM PDT The Muslims believe that the first word ever revealed to Prophet Muhammad was IQRAQ (read). I am sure this was done for a reason. So READ, and understand what we are talking about. To scream and shout, "You know nothing about Islam. You are not learned. Go learn from an ustaz," is not good enough. Even those ustaz you are talking about do not read those three books I mentioned above. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin There are some who say that those who know nothing about a subject matter should not be talking about it. I can agree with that. But then it all depends on what you mean by 'know nothing'. Maybe there are some who don't know how the Islamic Shariah laws should be applied or interpreted. This is because they are not judges or lawyers. But then, they could be historians and they know their history very well. And because of that, they know the HISTORY of the Shariah. Which means they are certainly qualified to talk about the Shariah from the historical aspect of those laws. Therefore, to tell a historian to stop talking about the Shariah because he or she is not trained in Islamic laws is not quite correct. If this historian not only knows the history of the Shariah but is also lecturing about it in one of the universities, this makes him or her more than qualified to talk about it. For Muslims and non-Muslims alike, I would like to recommend you to buy and read just three of the many books I have in my library. These books are: ISLAM AND THE SECULAR STATE (NEGOTIATING THE FUTURE OF SHARI'A) by Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im (Harvard University Press)   THE MANY FACES OF POLITICAL ISLAM (RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD) by Mohammed Ayoob  (National University of Singapore)   A HISTORY OF ISLAMIC LAW by N. J. Coulson (Edinburgh University Press)   These three books will suffice for now to be able to make you an 'expert' on the Shariah. I can recommend another dozen more books if you are still 'hungry' for more knowledge. The Muslims believe that the first word ever revealed to Prophet Muhammad was IQRAQ (read). I am sure this was done for a reason. So READ, and understand what we are talking about. To scream and shout, "You know nothing about Islam. You are not learned. Go learn from an ustaz," is not good enough. Even those ustaz you are talking about do not read those three books I mentioned above.

Not talking about the budget Posted: 07 Oct 2011 05:20 PM PDT So, we will eventually lose these people when Malaysia is no longer lucrative. And we have already lost many Malaysian citizens who have sent their money overseas to invest in other countries. And this is not only of late but has been happening over the last 20 to 30 years, but has become more critical over the last five years or so. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin No, I am not going to talk about the budget. So many others have analysed the budget in detail so you can read what they have to say. What I do want to talk about is: how is Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (or even Anwar Ibrahim for that matter, if he happens to become the next Prime Minister) going to stop Malaysia from continuing down the slippery slope? First we had the brain drain. More than one million Malaysians, the majority of them non-Bumiputeras, of course, live and work overseas. These are people with education, qualifications, and/or skills/abilities (and in many cases, money as well). I met many waiters/waitresses and restaurant workers all over the UK (all Chinese, of course) who were from Ipoh, Penang, Sungai Siput, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Ipoh, and so on. And now they work all over London and in Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, etc. And you know what? The minute I walk into the restaurant they start whispering. Then, one by one, they come over to our table to talk to me. They recognised me the minute I walked into the restaurant -- and this is because they read Malaysia Today. Yes, they may be merely waiters/waitresses or restaurant workers, but they are internet-savvy and loyal Malaysia Today readers -- even though you may think they are merely 'labourers'. And they are not here in the UK working in restaurants because they are stupid, unqualified, uneducated, etc. It is because they have lost confidence in Malaysia -- plus they get more money working in the UK than in Malaysia. You may think that the cost of living in the UK is higher. Maybe it is higher in some areas but not in everything. You can buy a house for 100,000 pounds (which will cost RM1 million or more in Malaysia for the same type of house) and a car for 8,000 pounds (which will cost more than RM150,000 in Malaysia for the same car). You earn ten times or more in the UK than what you earn in Malaysia for the same job but the cost of living is not ten times higher, especially outside London. Anyway, we have more than one million talented Malaysians serving foreign countries when they could be serving their mother country instead. And they spend their money here. They don't send it home to Malaysia. How are we going to convince them to come home to Malaysia and serve Malaysia? Then we replace these one million Malaysians with four million 'imported' workers. For every one 'quality' Malaysian we have lost we replace him or her with four 'lower quality' foreign workers. Is this a good exchange, quality for quantity? Then these four million foreign workers (many now given citizenship so that they can vote for Barisan Nasional) send more than half their earnings home. They don't spend their money in Malaysia. So Malaysians don't get to see any trickle-down affect. They send their money home. So billions of Ringgit leaves the country every month. Go check with Bank Negara if you want the details (which is what the opposition should be doing instead of arguing about hudud). Okay, that is about the brain drain. Now what about capital flight? Do you know that for the last 20 to 30 years, Malaysian tycoons have been quietly investing overseas? Some have even wound down their businesses or sold off their investments in Malaysia to transfer their operations and investments to other countries. The government screams about how great Malaysia's FDI is. It is like screaming about how much money I earn every month. Yay, I earn RM5,000 a month! But I do not tell you that I spend RM10,000 a month. So what's so great about my RM5,000 earnings a month? Sure, we have FDIs. But the foreign investors are only here because they can make money. Many foreign companies even have a policy of not buying property in Malaysia. They would rather rent, even if they have to pay more for rental compared to if they bought this property. This is so that they can wind up their operation and go home super-fast if they need to. If they own property, it takes longer to get out of Malaysia because they need to sell of their assets first. So rent, don't buy. So you see, they do not intend to become Malaysian 'corporate citizens'. They just want to make money and then go home when they can't make money any longer. They are not loyal to the country. They are just loyal to money. So, we will eventually lose these people when Malaysia is no longer lucrative. And we have already lost many Malaysian citizens who have sent their money overseas to invest in other countries. And this is not only of late but has been happening over the last 20 to 30 years, but has become more critical over the last five years or so.  As I said, I do not want to talk about the budget. That's because I am not impressed. I want to know how the government (and the opposition if it becomes the government) is going to stop Malaysia from continuing down this slippery slope of brain drain and capital flight. Please also read this: After brain drain, now capital flight?

Allow me to respond Posted: 06 Oct 2011 06:26 PM PDT Below are just some of the many comments in my article 'So, teach me the 'jalan yang betul' then!' I would like to respond to them as I feel further debate or clarification is required so that we can 'clear the air' on this matter that appears to be dividing us and threatens to break up the opposition like it did once before about a decade ago. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Dear RPK Recently your posts have become more convoluted with everything ending up in a paradox. Bear in mind I believe the majority of Malaysia Today readers are reasonably educated and have broader mindset, If they weren't they won't even bother visiting. I'm afraid if this continues, such tedious yet complex arguments may deter the growing viewership might plummet to the depth of the ocean. Malaysia Today is the instrument of the third force as you claim so cater to the third force. Stop this nonsensical bashing and continue to direct people to the right path. I feel that Malaysia Today has entered another stage of in its struggle for freedom. I'm pretty much aware that most of the people that visit have realized the Injustice that they are living in yet we are still confused on what to do. Yes, we know the system is corrupt, so what do we do? Do we just quit our jobs and protest everyday on the street or just keep on and increasing our political bashing on the net. Therefore I hope you could focus your efforts on the next step, which is showing the people what to do next. written by Almassy, October 07, 2011 05:39:22   MY RESPONSE: The fight for reforms or change is not a 'single-focus' job. It is 'multi-prong' job. We have to do, as what in the IT world they would say, multitasking. So we do not talk about just one issue. We take about many issues because there are so many things that ail Malaysia. We continue to reveal the transgressions of those in the corridors of power -- although due to the 'selective prosecution' policy that is being practiced in Malaysia (where those close to the powers-that-be are 'immune' from the long arm of the law) very little is going to come out of this effort other than merely 'educating' the Malaysian public so that at least they get to know their government better. To you, getting to the bottom of the hudud matter may be nonsense. As you said: 'Bear in mind I believe the majority of Malaysia Today readers are reasonably educated and have broader mindset….' I suppose this also means you. However, judging by the quality of the comments that you read in Malaysia Today, does this give you the impression that 'the majority of Malaysia Today readers are reasonably educated and have broader mindset'? The impression I get is that the reverse is true. Anyway, we should not just focus on the comments to form our opinion. Can 100 readers who comment give you a good yardstick when more than a million others who read Malaysia Today do so quietly without commenting? What about the private e-mails and phone calls I receive from readers who express their opinion and their opinion is they are not sure yet whether they are going to vote for Pakatan Rakyat come the next election? So we need to respond to what people say. This is because other people may get influenced by what is being said. For example, some are of the view that if hudud is implemented, pork, gambling, liquor, etc., will be banned. So we have to counter that. Some are of the view that if they vote Pakatan Rakyat then for sure hudud is going to be implemented. Again, we have to counter that. So we need to constantly rebut and reply to negative comments because, if we don't, then people might believe these comments to be true and Pakatan Rakyat is going to suffer a serious erosion of support come the next election. We are not talking religion here. We are talking about politics and reforms. But when religion is being dragged into politics, then we have no choice but to face it head on and address the issue. And that is what I am doing: engaging the religionists who want to treat this matter as if it were a religious issue when in fact it is a political issue. ****************************************** Pete, You are learned man and I sense that as you are getting old and perhaps been 'exile' for such a long time you are getting 'religious' in your posting. Also most of the posting are for argument. When one gets older he tends to be closer to his God or his beliefs. But Pete, MT is getting too 'religious'. Its time you go to Malaysian politics and as our election is looming you may have to use your MT to drive in some message of changes so that readers will be more updated about what is going on with our political parties. You have deep throat around and of course you always get the wind first. written by neilahmad, October 07, 2011 08:10:55   MY RESPONSE:  I think I have covered most of the points in your comment in my response above. I just want to add one more point. Malaysia Today is not getting more religious. Religion is being used more now than before to gain political mileage. And this hudud issue has set the opposition back a wee bit and has given Umno a slight upper hand (which can escalate if we are not careful). So we avoid addressing this matter at our own peril. ****************************************** RPK, I would like to say that even you are not in the position to comment about Hudud unless you know more than the others. Why not we let people know what hudud is all about. Its not merely chopping off people hands... written by monty, October 07, 2011 09:29:10   MY RESPONSE: Hudud is not about religion. It is about the law and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. And people well versed in the law and the constitution ARE addressing this matter. (See here: 'Right to question hudud law' and 'At variance with the Constitution') But then the religionists (in this case the Islamists) are shouting them down and telling them that they should not talk about hudud and that only religionists should talk about it. This is where we have to 'out-shout' them. Is hudud a religious issue or a legal cum constitutional issue? I say it is a legal/constitutional issue and it not only affects the constitution but democracy as well (if the minority pushes it down the throat of the majority). ****************************************** RPK, I think you should stop wasting time in changing or bashing the Malay Muslim. They are not going to change since they are brought up in such narrow minded. Don't talk about ordinary people even the educated Malays also sometimes act very funny when comes to religion. You should continue write about Islam because I believe more non-Muslim are starting to understand the beautiful of Islam and how open is Islam is. written by DR Politics, October 07, 2011 09:35:13   MY RESPONSE: Ah, this is my favourite topic. The non-Malays and non-Muslims lament that the 'noisy minority' is screaming their heads off while the 'silent majority' is keeping quiet. "Where is the silent majority Malays-Muslims?" they ask. "Why are they keeping quiet? They should speak up!" Well, I am one of those in the 'silent majority' that you are talking about -- only that I am not silent but I speak up. Do you want me to keep quiet and just let the noisy minority go on screaming? I can, if you wish. At least the Malays would not become so angry with me, like now. ****************************************** Most of the Malays can't even understand Arab language, what more to say understanding Hudud? They are depended to Ustaz, Imam and etc. Ask that particular Malay, does he fully understand Islamic law or the Quran? written by Meh, October 07, 2011 10:49:02   MY RESPONSE: There is nothing complicated here. Hudud laws, as the name implies, are about the law. The question is: which laws do we want for Malaysia? My answer is: parliament makes the laws. That is why we call them lawmakers. So, can we let parliament do its job? Now, if you are not happy with parliament, then vote the parliamentarians out of office. Install a new parliament. Just hope that the new parliament is better than the old parliament. And that is our job as voters. ****************************************** Conclusion : All Muslims are taught to think that way, but some like Azmi dare to risk his life and question the religious teachers and the Quran. That is the argument about. If no one question Islam, then the nation will be like Somalia and the Islamic nations. Saudi and Brunei had the money and their countries are built by infidels or kafirs or using kafir's technologies. What is there to be proud of? And for the information, today a Nobel peace prize may be awarded to a Muslim, but a woman, for questioning the Islamic authorities. Are you going to say that the Nobel committee had intended to insult Islam? In a democracy, we question all things and are free to think and follows our faith or believe in anything we want to believe. Sadly Malaysia is a false democracy - a semi theocratic and racist nation. How much longer are we going to lie to the world? written by earthman, October 07, 2011 11:09:43   MY RESPONSE: And this is the crux to the whole matter. In a democracy, we have a right to question and to express our views. However, when it comes to hudud, suddenly we have lost that right. Why is that so? Because, according to the Islamists, hudud is God's law so we cannot question it. So, are you saying that we need to suspend democracy? PAS introduced the slogan 'PAS for all'. 'All' would mean non-Muslims as well, right? Or is PAS going to change its slogan to 'PAS for all-Muslims only'? Malaysians have a right to defend their democratic right to question and to disagree. PAS should be the first to recognise this since it is accusing Barisan Nasional and Umno of being undemocratic. ****************************************** There are highly intellectual Muslims who support Hudud. Not just narrow minded ones. Why we support? We have digested in our mind that Islam is the correct religion. Then it follows the Quran is the word of God. And since the Quran says Hudud is just as wajib as solat and fasting we support Hudud. A lot of people do not even understand Islam how do we expect them to understand Hudud. The least they could do is to follow Dr Tan the Catholic Archbishop and study the Quran. Dr Tan after studying the Quran supports Hudud. But these people think they are cleverer than Dr Tan, the Catholic Archbishop. He is a well read intellectual with a PhD! I rest my case. written by johann, October 07, 2011 11:33:48   MY RESPONSE: I have already responded to this above. Hudud is about the law and the constitution, not about religion. You don't need to understand Islam to understand that. ****************************************** Generally it is true that an expert of any subject or skill is more knowledgeable than the non-expert. That is true for a Hudud expert when compared to the layman. However, in this case and the main point of Azmi Haron's contention is not about the contents of Hudud but rather 'In a democracy, EVERYTHING can be questioned'. If Hudud and its limits cannot be questioned because it is divine and God's law, then it should not be proposed for implementation in a democratic nation like Malaysia. Even if it is not democracy, normal human rights should grant permission to any human to question everything as a critical thinker. To demand that one should not question Hudud because one is not a Hudud expert is beside the point, irrelevant and a 'strawman' to the point debated in that article. As normal human beings with basic human rights, we need not be an expert on Hudud to question its effectiveness and impact on society. One need not be a professional engineer, theologian, drug scientist or gambler to raise questions when there are negative impacts arising from their activities. One can apply out-of-the-box critical thinking techniques besides employing other experts to handle the in-the-box questions. It is very easy to tackle the Hudud question. If one must insist on God-commanded-Hudud, prove God exists first. If one cannot prove God exists, then one should keep God & Hudud private for psychological/emotional reasons and not bring it into public where it can effect (in grey cases) non-believers negatively. No immutable laws carved in stone tablets for 2011 onward pls written by TMT, October 07, 2011 14:57:09   MY RESPONSE: I doubt I need to add anything more to the above. He/she took the words right out of my mouth.

So, teach me the 'jalan yang betul' then! Posted: 06 Oct 2011 03:31 AM PDT Next, he or she assumes that the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, is not knowledgeable about the subject matter that he wrote about. And he or she made this assumption merely because the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, has a different view. Therefore, if you have a different view, then this means you are not knowledgeable about the subject. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Saudara azmi anda kena jelas betul2. Anda Muslim Dan org yg berpelajaran tinggi Dan ramai pengikut....jgn samapi kita bawa mereka ke Jln yg sesat.....sy tk kata u sesat....tp rujuklah dulu pd mereka yg lebih mahir dlm bab Hudud. Yg u baca bukan maknanya u faham...u faham cara u...maybe betul maybe tak betul!!!! Innalillah...... written by Eshmaelajenoor, October 07, 2011 00:48:57 ******************************** The above comment was posted by Eshmaelajenoor in the news item 'Right to question hudud law' by Azmi Sharom, originally published in The Star. I have noticed many such comments posted in Malaysia Today, mainly by Malay-Muslim readers. They are all almost similar in nature. First of all, the impression I get is that this reader is very lazy. He or she does not even bother to string a proper sentence with correct spelling, grammar, capitals, etc., and he or she uses incomplete or substitute words like 'u', 'tp', 'yg', 'sy', etc. This does not give an impression that this reader is serious in commenting. Next, he or she assumes that the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, is not knowledgeable about the subject matter that he wrote about. And he or she made this assumption merely because the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, has a different view. Therefore, if you have a different view, then this means you are not knowledgeable about the subject. That is a very pompous attitude. If you do not share my view then this means you have no knowledge about the subject matter. This is the stand that many Malays-Muslims take and it is time these people accept the fact that not everyone shares their view. And it could be possible that they do not share your view not because they are ignorant. In fact, the opposite may be true. They may, in fact, be very knowledgeable and this is the main reason why they have an opposite view to yours. Anyway, for Eshmaelajenoor to be able to know for a fact that Azmi Sharom is not knowledgeable about the subject can only be because Eshmaelajenoor IS knowledgeable about that subject. So, since Eshmaelajenoor IS knowledgeable about the subject, let us then engage in a discourse on Islam so that we can gauge the depth of Eshmaelajenoor's knowledge and assess whether Azmi Sharom, therefore, may actually be less knowledgeable about the subject matter he wrote about. Allah, or God, in the Islamic perspective, has 99 properties or attributes -- what Muslims would call the 99 names of Allah. The most crucial attribute of all is that Allah is omnipotent. This means Allah is all-powerful and nothing is beyond Allah's power. Probably the second most important attribute is that Allah is not born and Allah does not die. Allah is eternal. Even the Jews and Christians believe this. Okay, if Allah is omnipotent and there is nothing Allah cannot do, can Allah commit suicide? Since Allah is eternal and cannot die, then logically speaking Allah cannot commit suicide. If Allah commits suicide then Allah will die, which means Allah would not then be eternal. Hence, Eshmaelajenoor, if Allah is not capable of committing suicide, then how do you explain how Allah can be omnipotent when there are still some things that Allah is not capable of doing? Yes, Eshmaelajenoo, please enlighten us on that and once you can satisfy us that you are certainly knowledgeable on matters of theism we can then probably accept your argument that Azmi Sharom is not knowledgeable enough and should not be talking about matters he clearly does not have enough knowledge to talk about.

The chicken and the egg Posted: 05 Oct 2011 07:38 PM PDT I believe we are moving towards better system like UK. We are in the move to balance up two-party system. But first, we have to win the election and PR to enforce MCLM as third force and act as referee for two-party system. Since both parties are not as mature as UK, they might use dirty tricks to kill each other. MCLM will be used to monitor both parties come clean and fair (written by jacko2012, October 06, 2011 13:44:29). NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin I want to write just a short piece today. I am busy with my studies so that means I can afford little time with cheong hei articles. (Someone asked me what cheong hei means. It means long-winded). The comment above by jacko2012 is just one example of many such comments (and I mean MANY). I thought I would pick that one up (not that that one is special or above the rest) to demonstrate what many -- and I mean MANY -- readers like to comment. It is always: yes, I agree. That is what we must do. That is not what we are currently seeing in Malaysia. But first we need to change the government. First we need to kick out Barisan Nasional. First we need to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. And then we can talk about all that. But that is just it. We are looking at the chicken and the egg syndrome. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? While you may argue: yes, I agree. That is what we must do. That is not what we are currently seeing in Malaysia. But first we need to change the government. First we need to kick out Barisan Nasional. First we need to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. And then we can talk about all that. I would like to argue: we must first do all that BEFORE we have any chance of seeing the government change. For example, I am saying that we need electoral reforms. You then say: forget it. This will not happen under Barisan Nasional. Wait till we change the government. Then we can talk about electoral reforms. But then that is just it. Without electoral reforms we shall have no chance in hell of changing the government. Barisan Nasional, which has been in power for almost 54 years (earlier as the Alliance Party), will continue to be in power for another 54 years. So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do we push for electoral reforms NOW or wait until after Barisan Nasional is kicked out and Pakatan Rakyat comes into power? Can Pakatan Rakyat win the election without electoral reforms? If we can change the government without electoral reforms, then why do we need to embark upon electoral reforms after successfully changing the government? Do you get my point? And the same applies for all the other issues as well. We can't wait until Barisan Nasional is kicked out before talking about it because ONE of the criteria to see a change in government is to talk about this NOW. For example, how many voters (who are not happy about Hudud) are prepared to vote for PAS first, and then later, after Pakatan Rakyat becomes the federal government, we will argue and fight about Hudud? They will want the Hudud matter resolved BEFORE they decide whether to vote for PAS or not.  So you might say: yes, I agree. That is what we must do. That is not what we are currently seeing in Malaysia. But first we need to change the government. First we need to kick out Barisan Nasional. First we need to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. And then we can talk about all that.  However, one million other voters will say 'no way!' and will either vote for Barisan Nasional or will boycott the election and not come out to vote at all. And this applies not only to the Hudud issue but to many other issues as well. So don't be shiok sendiri. Just because you place ABU (anything but Umno/asal bukan Umno) above all else, and are prepared to 'talk only after PR comes to power', does not mean that 10 million other voters also share your view. They would rather tread carefully. And if they are not sure, they would rather not vote for you. So that is my very short article for today. And yes, I know, 80% of the comments will be about whether it is the chicken first or the egg first while they ignore the more important message in my article. I have grown accustomed to readers who argue about the colour of the rope rather than whether so-and-so committed suicide by hanging or was murdered.

What we are not and why we can never be Posted: 05 Oct 2011 04:47 AM PDT Yes, so why bother? If we know that it is futile, we might as well save all our time, energy and money and just let Barisan Nasional walk in uncontested. Well, in that case, do we even need to hold any elections? Maybe we should consider the Saudi Arabian model instead then. At least there is no cheating and bribing of voters there since there are no voters and no elections. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Come now, RPK, you do know that in Malaysia appointments to the Cabinet are a bit more complicated, what with the PM having to satisfy the demands of the 14 parties that make up the BN. No one likes to have 3 football teams in the Cabinet, but that is the political reality in Malaysia. The urgency for Pakatan to have a Shadow Cabinet is not there, as compared to the UK. This is because, in the UK, the Opposition Leader is recognised as a legal position, and he/she must be invited to all official functions, especially functions involving the Queen, and the Palace. Otherwise, the British PM has to answer to the Queen. Indeed, the Opposition Leader in the UK has to be provided with a staff of his own, and that is the law. There are legal provisions, traditions, and conventions, that the Opposition Leader is given equal respect and recognition, equivalent to the PM. The Opposition Leader is sometimes just as powerful as the PM, as his position is ruled by law. In the UK, the Opposition Leader is an integral part of the tradition and process, when the opening of Parliament is performed. When the Opposition Leader writes to any Govt. Dept., it must be, by law treated as an important correspondence that requires the absolute truth be revealed. Etc, etc, etc. In the UK, Opposition Leaders are knighted by the Queen, and honoured with MBE's, CBE's and the likes, and are even appointed to the House of Lords. Please watch the PM's Question Time in Parliament, every Wednesday. Do you think that it's ever possible to have that in Malaysia? Will Najib ever will want to face Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament, the way the way the PM and the Opposition Leader do in the UK? After all, we do practice the Westminster Model in Malaysia too, don't we? I think not. What do you think RPK? In Malaysia however, the Opposition and the Leader is a non-entity, is given no respect, no recognition, not invited to ANY functions, and he can even be framed up with sodomy. Surely you know these things, RPK, seeing that you are a British Citizen now. The political reality and situation in the UK is completely different from Malaysia. Please say it as it is, Sir. written by Ernest , October 05, 2011 23:10:49 ******************************* The above was what Ernest commented in my article called 'The point we are making'. I decided to pick it up and reply to it because it is both a good as well as negative comment. It is good because what Ernest said is a fact when it comes to the Malaysian situation. It is negative because he (I assume Ernest is a he) is focusing on what we are not and is accepting that without challenge rather than choose to discuss and explore that: since this is what we are not, and since this is what we should be, how we do strive towards having a mature parliament just like in Britain? The post of Opposition Leader in Parliament is an official post, one that allows for an office in Parliament House together with staff and whatnot. This means the taxpayers are paying for this job of Opposition Leader plus what other costs involved in maintaining this position. In other words, Parliament recognises the post of Opposition Leader although, as Ernest says, the government may not quite give it the respect due to it. Okay, Ernest has already told us what we are not. He has also, in his own way (probably inevitably), told us what it should be when he explained how it is in the UK and how in Malaysia this is not followed. Now, what do we do to make sure that what we see in the UK we also see in Malaysia? I take it that Ernest is trying to tell us that the UK example is a good example. And he is also telling us that the Malaysian example is a bad example. I assume this is what he is saying. So, the next logically step would be to ask ourselves how we can make Malaysia (which is the bad example) follow the UK (which is the good example). Rather than lament that Malaysia is no good and in Malaysia this is not being done and Malaysians are not mature enough, and conclude that, therefore let us just forget about the whole matter, is not only a negative approach but a defeatist attitude as well. I am now 61. Say the doctor diagnoses me with cancer and I tell him I am going to die one day anyway so why bother to try to cure me? That is a negative stand and a defeatist attitude. I might as well tell him that God has already decided when and how I will die before I was born. So no doctor can help me live another ten years if it has been decided that I am to die within two years. Old age will catch up on me anyway and never mind how healthy I may be, even without cancer I am going to die of old age. So let's just sit back and count the days till I die. In that same spirit, Malaysian politicians are not mature. They don't respect the opposition and opposition leaders. Malaysia is not as advanced as Britain. So let us forget about trying to reform or change the system and accept this very primitive system and narrow-minded attitude as the Malaysian way and learn how to live with it. I suppose, in that same spirit, we can say that Malaysian elections are never fair. They will cheat and bribe the voters and Barisan Nasional is still going to win, never mind how much effort we put into trying to win the elections. So why bother? Yes, so why bother? If we know that it is futile, we might as well save all our time, energy and money and just let Barisan Nasional walk in uncontested. Well, in that case, do we even need to hold any elections? Maybe we should consider the Saudi Arabian model instead then. At least there is no cheating and bribing of voters there since there are no voters and no elections. End of problem!

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• PAS will ask Hu to explain statements
• Home Ministry asked to explain illegal registration claims
• Within a year, 300% increase in new voters
• Dr M: Make laws, regulations innovation-friendly
• The Kampung Baru Saga
• Perkasa claws at Suhakam’s Bersih rally rights probe
• OWC book urges Muslim women to have joint sex
• Malays must change freebie mindset, says Dr M
• Hu defies party gag order
• ‘Govt holding on to Auditor’s report’
• Najib urged to give details of RM10.1m travel bill
• So, who calls the shots then?
• The sorry state of our education system
• A Sad Day for Lawyer Rosli Dahlan when the Justice was blind
• Fuziah: Lynas sending rare earth to Kuantan this month
• IMF: Asia at risk from Europe, US spillover, outflows
• MIER trims GDP estimates as global economic slump bites
• PR Strategy Not To Dissolve State Assemblies In Four States?
• WIKILEAKS: Malaysia's Current Economic Performance Masks Need for Structural Change
• DAP, PAS 'agree to disagree' on hudud issue
• Mahathir: Malays will lose power in 10 years if they don't unite
• Malay votes in Penang may swing to Umno
• Free economy will lead to political and social freedom, say economists
• Lim Guan Eng on Budget 2012
• Proposal of A Different (Fair and Caring) Economical Framework
• Stemming the Malaysian Exodus
• KL land row threatens to derail MRT project
• Malaysia's new generation steps forward
• Jais-DUMC row: Sultan not properly informed
• Jais can’t hide behind spurious logic
• Freeing the Malays and Muslims from religious mind control
• What now for Dr Koh, Gerakan
• Recession risk high and rising, says RHB
• ‘Gambler’ Najib will ‘break the bank’
• More controversy with Taib-linked Ta Ann
• ‘Najib’s handouts bad for the country’
• Deflate the bloated civil service
• RM4.7 billion spent on National Service
• Now write your election manifesto
• SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO ANOTHER DUST-UP
• Malaysia's youth energises political landscape
• Wee defends MCA ‘glam girls’
• MACC urged to probe Ananda Krishnan
• Probe may hurt Ananda Krishnan’s Aircel loan plans, says Indian daily
• RM1 juta untuk PM ke Kazakhstan
• A philosophical comparison of the budgets
• Missing: The Auditor-General’s report
• Home Ministry under siege, mentally
• Firefly must be sold to avoid price fixing, says Pakatan
• Secret order to snoop on WikiLeaks

PAS will ask Hu to explain statements Posted: 13 Oct 2011 01:38 AM PDT (Bernama) - The PAS Central Committee will be calling up PAS Supporters Congress head Hu Pang Chaw to explain certain media statements he made which were not consistent with the party's policy. PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said even though the party practised democracy in dealing with members, when it came to internal issues, they were urged to resolve them within the party. "Undeniably PAS as a major party cannot run away from internal challenges, hence the various channels for the party to obtain feedback and explanation on any disagreeable issue," he said in a statement here Thursday. On Wednesday Hu was reported as saying the media in the country had the right to get the real picture of what was happening in PAS, especially with regard to implementation of hudud laws.

Home Ministry asked to explain illegal registration claims Posted: 13 Oct 2011 01:18 AM PDT (The Sun Daily) - The Home Ministry has been pressed to address allegations concerning the illegal operations of a syndicate registering foreigners as voters. PAS leaders suspect that there is a syndicate, possibly involving civil servants, which conducts this illegal operation of granting citizenship to Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Cambodians in Putrajaya. "There have been disclosure after disclosure but we still do not have an answer from the Home Ministry on this issue," said PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian). "Pakatan Rakyat (PR) members of Parliament (MP) will bring up this issue in Parliament for a concrete explanation from the ministry," he told a press conference at Parliament lobby. He claimed that there are eye-witnesses and visual evidence to support the claims. "Yesterday (Oct 12), six buses from Johor spotted at the Putrajaya mosque in the morning, were later sighted at Astana Dugang Country Resort at Kg Desa Putra, near the Putrajaya International Convention Centre," he said. "The buses were spotted dropping of passengers at a private training centre." He said witnesses confirmed that the passengers were Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Cambodians from their appearances and accents. Salahuddin said one eye-witness, the party's Youth treasurer, Mohd Adram Musa, who was also present at the press conference, claimed to have seen several government vehicles and civil servants, mainly police officers and Health Department officers from Senai, Johor, allegedly assisting the passengers. "This was a very suspicious scenario. The government has to explain what these officers were doing there and what sort of activity was held at the centre," Salahuddin said, claiming that there are attempts to register foreigners as voters. Mohd Adram claimed that there are attempts to grant citizenship to foreigners who are permanent residents. It was reported that PAS members had gathered outside a resort in Bangi, believed to be Astana Dugang, after being tipped off that six buses had brought some 240 foreigners from Kulai in Johor to Putrajaya. Mohd Adram said PAS had formed a group to investigate the alleged incident and it had more or less succeeded in proving the allegations. "We have identified an individual suspected to be heading the operation," Salahuddin said. "The individual claimed that the foreigners were brought in for an entrepreneurial course at the centre," Salahuddin said showing a picture of the man to reporters. Mohd Adram said, "But when we asked some of the Indonesians (at the centre), they said they came to receive identification cards (MyKad)." However, he said the group did not spot any officials from the Immigration Department or the National Registration Department. Salahuddin said that even if the foreigners were permanent residents, the government must "follow the proper procedures in granting citizenship" instead of transporting them in buses to a remote locations.

Within a year, 300% increase in new voters Posted: 12 Oct 2011 07:27 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Even as the controversy surrounding various revelations about electoral fraud continues, minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz dropped a shocking figure of newly registered voters, showing a three-fold increase in 2010 compared to 2009. In his parliamentary reply to Bukit Bendera member of parliament Liew Chin Tong, Nazri revealed that a total of 820,156 people had been registered as voters in 2010 compared to 276,621 in 2009. According to Nazri, the sharp increase was not surprising and attributed it to rising political awareness among Malaysians. He said it was usual to see low number of registration after a general election, adding that the number of new voters would gather pace "when the election is around the corner". Nazri added that a total of RM500,000 was allocated for new voter registration exercise.

Dr M: Make laws, regulations innovation-friendly Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:22 PM PDT (Bernama) - The government must re-examine all the laws and regulations and update them if necessary to make them innovation-friendly, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed. He said the government should review its policy to ensure it is still relevant to the current business conditions and fast changing environment. "We have to think whether the laws are still applicable on Thursday or not," he told reporters after the launch of the FMM Innovation Conference here on Thursday by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili. "Unless we understand and accommodate the changes, we are not going to make any high salaries," he said, referring to the high-income economy envisioned by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Apart from the government's efforts, the people also need to change their mindset to think in innovative ways, he said. "If we have the mindset, it is easier for us to innovate," he added. However, he said businessmen should not treat rules and regulations as barriers to innovation in their business, and urged them to think innovatively to get around the regulations. "If they (businessmen) look carefully, they can find a niche for themselves with the skills they have," he said.

The Kampung Baru Saga Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:59 PM PDT ZAID IBRAHIM In the early 1990s then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad initiated a move to develop Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur. The sleepy Malay enclave desperately needed development so as not to become a slum in the middle of the Golden Triangle. At the time, the stumbling block was the unrealistic demands by some of the owners regarding the price that their properties could fetch. Ownership in Kampung Baru is complicated: lands in Kampung Baru are usually jointly owned by members of the family. This is largely due to Islamic inheritance laws. An owner usually has an undivided share in the land, and as such, that owner has a say in the matter of the whole piece of property represented under that title. It matters not that he owns only one-twentieth of the total property — he can still veto any transaction. Development in Kampung Baru must therefore take an innovative approach. It requires Government intervention and it needs a legal mechanism to ensure that unreasonable demands of a few are not allowed to scuttle the wishes of the majority of owners. In addition to a viable legal structure, it needs a capital injection that only the Government can provide. It also needs good marketing and a maintenance organisation to ensure that properties built can command good prices comparable to the surrounding area. Today, 20 years after Dr Mahathir's initiative, Kampung Baru residents have another chance at getting the development they need. The decision of the Federal Government to develop the area should be viewed positively. Of course, the proposal needs careful study and landowners must be able to get fair market value. It will be better still if owners can also have a share in the profit of the development of the area. What is important is that landowners must not be coerced or influenced by politicians who pander only to emotion and say things like "the Malays are going to lose their land." The Malays can be better off economically only if they participate in the development of their assets. Without development, Kampung Baru will continue to be an asset that produces no income. READ MORE HERE

Perkasa claws at Suhakam’s Bersih rally rights probe Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:49 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali demanded today the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) justify its inquiry into allegations of rights violations during the Bersih 2.0 rally, saying the commission should not entertain complaints by illegal groups. The commission's inquiry commenced on Tuesday with witnesses testifying that riot police had fired tear gas directly at a crowd of peaceful and "non-hostile" Bersih supporters and that demonstrators were violently shoved to the ground and kicked by police personnel during July 9 rally. The rally for free and fair elections turned chaotic when police fired tear gas and water cannons at thousands of demonstrators, resulting in nearly 1,700 arrests, scores injured and the death of ex-soldier Baharuddin Ahmad, 59. Today, Ibrahim told Suhakam to explain why it considered human rights violations to have occurred during the rally, when the both the event and its organiser were deemed illegal by the government. "By entertaining the complaints by illegal groups like Bersih 2.0, Suhakam has given recognition to other illegal groups as well," he said in a statement. The Pasir Mas MP insisted that human rights "cannot go above our country's laws". "I hope Suhakam, which has a role to uphold human rights, also understands the issue that I'm bringing up and that the people who do not like chaos on the road also have human rights," he said. The outspoken Malay rights group leader then said human rights are not just for Bersih supporters. "What about the rights of people who hated Bersih's actions? Where are their human rights?" he asked. Suhakam said it had received the names of 26 individuals who had agreed to record their statements and testify. Three witnesses have testified so far. The inquiry has set itself three terms of reference — to identify human rights violations on or before July 9; to determine how the violations occurred as well as the process and agency involved; and to make recommendations to prevent any recurrence.

OWC book urges Muslim women to have joint sex Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:39 PM PDT (The Star) - The controversial Obedient Wives Club (OWC) has set off another round of public outrage with an "explicit sex book" which encourages a Muslim husband to have joint sex with all his wives. The 115-page book titled Seks Islam, Perangi Yahudi untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam kepada Dunia (Islamic Sex, fighting Jews to return Islamic sex to the world), has a picture of the late Asaari Muhammad, the banned Al-Arqam leader, on the cover. An excerpt from a passage printed on the back encouraged Muslims husbands to have sex simultaneously with their wives. The book stated that research showed women only gave their husbands 10% of what they wanted from their wives' bodies, a local daily reported yesterday. According to the report, chapter eight titled Bagaimana seks menjadi ibadah (How sex becomes worship), contained explicit descriptions of sexual acts. Facebook page "We do not want sexist nonsense from Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd" founder Matthew Ong expressed outrage over the book and urged Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to intervene.

Malays must change freebie mindset, says Dr M Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:36 PM PDT (The Star) - The Malay community should work hard to reap rewards, instead of merely looking forward to receiving "free things", said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "I know many people in this country go for free things. But we should feel ashamed when we take something for free," he said in his speech when launching the Ummah Unity and Economy Semi­nar organised by the Malaysia Isla­mic Welfare Organisation (Perkim) and Malay Chamber of Commerce here yesterday. Dr Mahathir, who is the Perkim president, added that Muslims, who were among the poorest communities in Malaysia, should work hard to be financially stable. "When you are wealthy, you can help develop your religion. "For example, if you are rich, you would have the means to donate to the construction of mosques and so on. "However, Muslims must know how to manage their finances well. "There is no use being a billionaire if you spend more than what you have. You will only end up owing the bank," he said. Dr Mahathir added that the Malays would lose their power in the country in the next 10 years if they did not unite now. He said if the community was to split into different factions, they would become minority groups in the country. "The minority cannot rule the country in a democratic framework, under which the majority rules," said Dr Mahathir, urging the Malay community to be united based on their Islamic faith. Dr Mahathir regretted Muslims in the country were not taught the importance of uniting from young. "When we were young, our religious teachings taught us to be devout. However, these did not stress on unity among Muslims. "The reasons as to why we should be united were not imparted to us either."

Hu defies party gag order Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:34 PM PDT (The Star) - PAS Supporters Congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw, who opposes the hudud law championed by the party, said he has been warned not to talk about the issue to the press. He said, however, he would not stop talking about the possible effects the hudud law will have on non-Muslims. "The media has the right to know what is happening in the party. I am not afraid to face disciplinary action as what I am doing is for the good of our congress members," he said in an interview here. Kelantan PAS Youth chief Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman in a statement published by Harakahdaily.net had reportedly told Hu not to threaten the state government or the party over the issue. Abdul Latif said Hu, a former journalist with a Chinese daily here, should discuss his grouses within the party and not go to the media to air his grievances. "This is the problem, the party is not transparent on this issue," said Hu. "It is my opinion that Kelantan PAS should have done the proper groundwork to explain the mechanics of implementing the hudud laws before announcing it to the country," he said. "I leave my fate to the top leaders and they can take any action they wish," he said. The congress stemmed from the setting up of the PAS Supporters Club at the start of the 2004 general election to draw non-Muslims to the party and to break the hoodoo that the party is against them. The club became the PAS Supporters Congress and was recognised as a full-fledged party wing in May last year to promote the party's re-branded "PAS for All" image. In another development, Kelantan Umno chief Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad said more disillusioned PAS members were expected to join Umno. He said they were not happy that their party seemed more concerned about the hudud law than addressing the bread and butter needs of the people. "Previously, they kept away from Umno. Now that the political scenario has changed, they have shown interest by attending Umno programmes," added the International Trade and Industry Minister. He was speaking to reporters at a function where more than 300 PAS members handed their applications to join Umno at Kampung Kursial Baru in Tanah Merah on Tuesday. Former Kampung Baru Kursial Baru PAS branch secretary Zahari Hamat, 46, said he was fed up with the empty promises made by party leaders to champion the cause of the people.

‘Govt holding on to Auditor’s report’ Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:19 PM PDT Pakatan Rakyat MPs claim that the government is deliberately delaying the release of the Auditor-General's Report. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Auditor-General (A-G) Report is apparently being held back by the government despite being completed prior to the Budget 2012, Pakatan Rakyat MPs claimed. Sungai Petani MP (PKR) Johari Abdul said that he called the A-G's office yesterday, only to be told that the report was already sent out. "The A-G's office said they finished it (the report) much earlier than last year. They said they've done a better job (too), but the reports are not here," he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today. "The A-G's office was shocked when they heard that MPs did not get it… where is it (the report)? Is it in the A-G's office, in the Prime Minister's Office or in Parliament?" he asked. Johari was also accompanied by Balik Pulau MP (PKR) Yusmadi Yusoff, Pokok Sena MP (PAS) Mahfuz Omar and Tumpat MP (PAS) Kamaruddin Jaafar. At the same time, Mahfuz confirmed that some states, including Kelantan, had already received a copy of the individual state audit reports. "There are some states that have gotten a copy of the report but Parliament hasn't gotten it yet," he said. Earlier this week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said that the report would be released after a go-ahead from the Cabinet this Friday. It is expected that the report, which is usually given out before the annual Budget is announced, would only be released two weeks after this Friday. READ MORE HERE

Najib urged to give details of RM10.1m travel bill Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:55 PM PDT The admission that RM10.1 million was spent for trips this year by prime minister Najib Razak has prompted PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution to reveal a breakdown of the expenses. "Najib must give every detail (of the amount) in the parliament so that Pakatan Rakyat can check every cent that has been spent," said Saifuddin as quoted by PKR's online organ KeadilanDaily. The Machang member of parliament said 90 percent or RM9.1 million of the RM10.1 million was spent on flights for Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, which included the semi-official RM1 million Kazakhstan's trip where the couple had discussed their daughter's engagement. According to Saifuddin, Najib's travel expense for 2011 exceeded the combined expense of the past three years. "This is proof that Najib continues to live lavishly and is not concerned with the people's sufferings," he said, and called for a review on the criteria of international visits, especially in view of the RM1 million bill for the short stay in Kazakhstan. Earlier, the Foreign ministry told Parliament that Najib and Rosmah spent RM1,739,332.85, RM4,811,837.48 and RM5,140,307.99 on oversea trips in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. Until June 2011, the government has forked out RM5,427,172.26 for the same expenses.

So, who calls the shots then? Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:38 PM PDT Two days ago, it was announced that Gadang Holdings has been awarded the Shah Alam hospital contract for a price of RM410.87 million. This is RM60 million above the approved price of RM352 million. The Ministry of Finance actually rejected Gadang Holdings as well as the price increase but the Ministry of Works went ahead and awarded the contract to Gadang Holdings and at a higher price as well. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Gadang subsidiary gets RM410.87m Shah Alam hospital job (The Edge, 11 Oct 2011) -- GADANG HOLDINGS BHD has accepted a RM410.87 million contract from the Public Works Department to undertake the completion of the abandoned works at the Shah Alam Hospital.  It said on Tuesday, Oct 11 that its wholly owned subsidiary Gadang Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd had accepted the letter of acceptance for the project at the 300-bed hospital. Gadang said the contract was to be completed within a period of 24 months from the date for possession of site and was expected to contribute positively to its future earnings. **************************************** Now read the exchanges of letters below between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health. It appears that the contract was awarded to Gadang Holdings at this higher price even though the Ministry of Finance rejected BOTH Gadang Holdings and the application for a price increase.

The sorry state of our education system Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:32 PM PDT By K Kabilan, FMT Recently a friend, who is a senior professor in a local public university in the Klang Valley, related to me his experiences in conducting classes for his undergraduates. He said that as part of his educating process, he would ask his students – all from creative studies department – to identify countries from a large world map in his classroom. Sometimes he would also ask them to identify Malaysia. To his utter chagrin, he said, some of these students even failed to correctly locate where their own country is on the global map! Worse still, some can't read the names of the countries in the map, with at least one saying that Greenland "looked like Malaysia". The friend also had other anecdotes to share. Like how most of his students had no idea about the tsunami which hit Japan in March this year. They also did not know about the nuclear reactor meltdown caused by the tsunami. Neither did they know about many other local, national and international happenings. He added that most of his students do not read. They don't read their study materials. They don't read books. They don't read magazines. And they don't read newspapers. Coming from a part of the world where reading is almost part of the culture, he was dumbfounded by the attitude of his students. But his biggest shock is that his students like to plagiarise, not just in their daily worksheets, but also for their courseworks, and this seemed to be an acceptable culture in the university although it has a strict policy against copying. There is simply no enforcement but there is a subtle approval from the university management as long as the pass rates are kept at a good level, he reasoned. This is not a joke. This is reality. This is happening in a popular local public university in the Klang Valley. I am not saying that this is the scenario in all our universities but a snapshot from this one particular institution is sufficient to show how bad our education system has become. This university, or at least this particular class of undergraduates, symptomises how bad things have become. A scary future These students are the leaders of tomorrow but they are ignorant, clueless and products of a system which is only interested in churning out graduates with paper qualifications but not amply educated and not adequately equipped for the highly competitive job market. Add to this a recent news report that there were thousands of national service trainees (Form 5 school leavers) who were illiterate. This is shocking when Malaysia is supposed to have a high literacy and school attending rates, even endorsed by the United Nations. We should not be blaming these students at all. They are the victims here. Unknowingly, they have been programmed in a system established, tweaked and reworked over and over by the politicians. Under this programmed system, our students have forgotten how to ask questions, discuss matters and debate issues. They have become so lame that they wait for their teachers, and then their lecturers, to spoon-feed them with what is necessary to pass with flying colours. Some of them will then end up as teachers themselves and this cycle will continue. If this goes on, there is little hope for our education system. The government has got its priorities wrong. In the Budget 2012, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced allocations to increase the salaries of civil servants, including teachers. In all he allocated RM50.2 billion for the education sector. This will include: - development allocation amounting to RM1.9 billion on all types of school; - a sum of RM1 billion to be provided through a special fund for the construction, improvement and maintenance of schools, particularly to cater for the immediate needs of schools; - the abolition of school fees for primary and secondary education; - tuition fee assistance to civil servants, including teachers, to further their studies on part-time basis; and - offer of 20,000 places for diploma teachers to pursue their undergraduate studies. However, glaringly missing are any specific allocations for re-training in teaching methods and self-improvements for teachers and other educators so that their quality will improve collectively. Likewise, there is no mention of allocations to improvise the numerous teachers training schools nationwide. Re-educating our teachers In order to kickstart a change in our education system, the government should start with the teachers and educators first. One reason for the failure of the teaching of Science and Maths in English (PPSMI) is that the teachers themselves failed to fully grasp the use of English to teach the two subjects. Just ask any student, particularly from the rural areas, and they will say that the use of English is almost non-existent. How will the policy be a success then? Many of our teachers are ill-equiped to produce global leaders. They will have to be re-tuned first. They should be given re-training. Where is the money for this? Where are the opportunities for this? Money should also be allocated to take away clerical tasks from the teachers. Let them just concentrate on creating brilliant students who can stand equal in the global market. READ MORE HERE

A Sad Day for Lawyer Rosli Dahlan when the Justice was blind Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:24 PM PDT DIN MERICAN I had a lunch appointment with my young friend, Lawyer Rosli Dahlan yesterday. There was a lot that I wanted to catch up with him. I have not seen him for a while to the point that I was beginning to believe what most people were saying that he was avoiding me. So, I was very happy when he agreed to meet up for lunch. Then, at 12 noon, Rosli texted me to say he was in court and would try to see me after he finished. I waited until past lunch time and then finished my meal alone, but he still did not turn up. I texted him several times but he did not reply. I felt a bit annoyed and rather disturbed that my young friend had stood me up. I called some friends and was told that Rosli was in court, not to conduct a case for his clients, but to attend to his own case. I was told that this was his RM 50 million suit against several officers of the MACC, the A-G Chambers, the Government and the media who had conspired to fix him up in 2007. I was perplexed why he did not tell me about this case as I would have attended court with him. Back to 2007 My readers would remember that in 2007, Rosli Dahlan acted for Dato Ramli Yusuff and the Commercial Crimes Investigations Dept (CCID) when AG Gani Patail abdicated his constitutional duties by refusing to act for the CCID in the case against an underworld operator, Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku Goh. Apparently, this criminal had explicitly named former IGP Musa Hassan in various court papers and affidavits. Eventually the criminal got scot free and six junior policemen, Rosli and Dato Ramli got charged. The  Non-Existent RM 27 Million Cop To discredit Rosli who prepared various court papers for Dato Ramli and the CCID, Rosli was fixed up in a most dramatic fashion which befits a suspense thriller movie. For months, the MACC leaked to the press that Dato Ramli was the "RM 27 Million Cop" and that it was hidden in the account of a lawyer. Then, in the holy month of Ramadan of 2007, the MACC agents stormed Rosli's office, humiliated and shouted at Rosli in front of all his employees, then brutally handcuffed him so tightly until his wrists swelled and split his skin that he bled. The MACC then threw Rosli into the MACC underground cell, refused him bail and deliberately held him overnight just to teach him a lesson. In the month of Ramadan of 2007, the MACC stormed Rosli's office, humiliated and shouted at him in front of all his employees, then brutally handcuffed him so tightly until his wrists swelled and split his skin that he bled The next day, just one day before Aidil Fitri, the MACC paraded Rosli along the court corridors like a circus freak and charged him in a most sensational fashion to leave a permanent impression that this was the lawyer who hid RM 27 Million. That story fizzled out immediately when it was shown there never was that money and neither Rosli nor Dato Ramli was ever charged for any illegal asset. I have been writing about this case so that the public would know of this brutal display of power. I wanted the public to be conscious that nobody is safe if all these can happen to a senior Muslim lawyer with an unblemished track record during his period of fasting. And all that happened to Rosli just because he acted for former CCID Director, Dato Ramli Yusuff who, at that time, was the target for career elimination by Musa Hassan, A-G Gani Patail and the MACC. The rest is history. The Infamous Conspirators Since then, the six junior Policemen, Rosli and Dato Ramli have all been acquitted. The various courts have also pronounced damning judgments against those who fixed Dato Ramli and Rosli especially former IGP Musa Hassan and DPP Kevin Morais. On the day, he was acquitted, I wrote that Rosli referred to those who did all these cruel things to him as "the Rogues in Government" and vowed to hold them accountable so that no one else would suffer the things that he had suffered. When Rosli filed his Statement of Claim, he gave explicit description of the various parts of the conspiracy including the part involving a Bank Negara officer who had colluded with the A-G and the MACC to conduct illegal financial searches on him. Rosli only knew the secret things they did when the banks started withdrawing his banking facilities, cancelled his credit cards and refused to do business with him. To a professional and those in the business world, this can be devastating. This was a death call that can end a professional's business and livelihood. That was what happened to Rosli and so he sued all of them, including the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) officer who caused the illegal search. Since BNM denied being involved in the conspiracy, Rosli offered to withdraw his suit against that BNM officer if BNM would send a letter to the banks to clarify that Rosli was never under investigations by BNM. This seemed reasonable enough, but BNM refused to do that implying they had something to hide. It was clear to me that all Rosli wanted was accountability and to get to the bottom of the conspiracy in order to put a stop to all these shenanigans by these rogues in the corridors of power. On  April 15, 2008, the powerful Utusan Malaysia even admitted to their wrongdoings and published an unqualified public apology in the following words: READ MORE HERE

Fuziah: Lynas sending rare earth to Kuantan this month Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:18 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Lynas Corp will ship its rare earth ore to Kuantan this month despite not having met government requirements to do so, PKR vice president Fuziah Salleh said today. The Kuantan MP, who has led protests against the Australian miner's controversial RM1.3 billion refinery, said the Kuantan Port Consortium told land occupants of the port area "that Malaysia can expect the rare earth oxide from Mount Weld to arrive in Kuantan by the end of this month." She said this was mentioned in the monthly Health Safety and Environment Committee meeting held last week. This comes despite Lynas not having fulfilled the 11 conditions recommended by an expert review panel from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Putrajaya have adopted. The federal government has said that "there will be no importation of raw materials into the country, and no operational activities will be allowed on site" until Lynas meets the conditions. Among others, these include a comprehensive, long-term and detailed plan for waste management that extended to the decommissioning and remediation levels. As of yesterday, local regulators Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) said that it has received the waste management plan but has yet to analyse it. "I do not consider it submitted until we make sure it is in accordance with international standards," AELB director-general Raja Datuk Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan was quoted as saying. "Lynas Corp must not be allowed to bully us Malaysian, neither the citizens, nor the authorities. They have been behaving as if this is their father's country," Fuziah told reporters today. The rare earth refinery being built in the Gebeng industrial zone has raised fears of radiation pollution among local residents and environmental activists. But the mining giant has gone ahead with a deal with Thai engineering firm to complete a second phase of the plant by the last quarter of 2012, subject to approval from local authorities. Lynas says that its plant — which will extract rare earth metals crucial for high-technology products like smartphones, hybrid cars and wind turbines — will create a RM4 billion multiplier effect annually and 350 jobs for skilled workers.     READ MORE HERE.

IMF: Asia at risk from Europe, US spillover, outflows Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:58 PM PDT (Reuters) — Near-term risks to Asia's economies are "decidedly" rising due to Europe's debt woes and a slowdown in the US, requiring policymakers to be nimble and prepared to rapidly reverse course, the International Monetary Fund said today. The IMF also warned about a risk of capital outflows from the region, saying foreign investors from advanced economies could reverse the large positions they had built in Asian markets since 2009. "A sudden liquidation of these positions could trigger a loss of confidence, and contagion could spread from bond and equity markets to currency and other markets," the IMF said in its regional economic outlook report for the Asia and Pacific region. "The sell-off in Asian financial markets in August and September 2011 underscores that an escalation of euro area financial turbulence and a renewed slowdown in the United States could have severe macroeconomic and financial spillovers to Asia," it said. For Asia, risks were "decidedly tilted to the downside", the IMF said. It noted that credit flows could also dry up if European and US banks cut credit lines in Asia when faced with large losses at home. The IMF said heightened economic risks amid persistent overheating pressures confronted Asian policymakers with "a delicate balancing act". "They need to guard against risks to growth but also limit the adverse impact of prolonged easy financial conditions on inflation." It said that many of the region's countries needed to continue normalising easy macroeconomic policies to address inflation risks, both through higher interest rates and more flexible exchange rates. "However, in economies where inflation is within central banks' target ranges and the exposure to severe external shocks is greater, a pause in monetary tightening may be warranted until the global uncertainties have lessened," it said. Growth forecasts cut The IMF last month cut 2012 growth forecasts for developing Asian countries as well as for Japan, citing slower growth in the rest of the world. It also slashed its global growth projections. For now, the IMF maintained that domestic demand in the region remained strong and was expected to cushion the impact of weaker external demand on overall growth in the near term. But listing some of the possible shocks originating elsewhere in the world, the IMF said a big drop in China's exports and thus worsening of exporters' balance sheets would increase Chinese banks' non-performing loans and lead them to significantly tighten credit conditions. Japan could suffer if a rise in global risk aversion spilt over to concerns about sustainability of its sovereign debt and led to tighter financial conditions, it said. In general, Asian economies still had the scope to use a range of measures to cushion the impact of overseas shocks on economic activity, as many did in response to the 2008 global financial crisis, the IMF said. "At the same time, the weakness in global demand only confirms that Asia would greatly benefit from further progress in rebalancing growth by developing domestic sources of demand," it said, adding that structural reforms, infrastructure investment and social spending would be needed for such rebalancing. Should extreme economic risks materialise, Asian policymakers could stop withdrawing fiscal stimulus and central banks could draw on their large foreign exchange reserves and regional reserve pooling arrangements, the Washington-based international lender said.

MIER trims GDP estimates as global economic slump bites Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:52 PM PDT By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) cut to 4.6 per cent, from 5.2 per cent, its projection for the country's economic growth this year, citing a sliding global economy that it said could hurt exports. The government-funded MIER also downgraded its estimates for 2012 to 5.5 per cent, which is within the Najib administration's projected growth range of between five and six per cent. Some market and bank analysts have described next year's projections as too rosy, with RHB Research Institute saying this week that Malaysia's economic growth could slow to just 3.6 per cent next year, from a projected 4.3 per cent, this year due to the increasing risk of a double dip global recession. MIER executive director Zakariah Abdul Rashid said today that while the 2012 Budget unveiled last Friday will help boost private consumption, it will not be able to offset a slump in external demand. "The 2012 Budget is insufficient to overcome external weakness," he said in a briefing today. Zakariah said that MIER's tentative forecast for next year was five per cent, pending the collection of more data at the upcoming National Economic Outlook Conference meeting next month. "We will not be able to say confidently it is five per cent," he added. Most research houses have estimated growth at less than five per cent for next year, with Bank of America Global Research predicting Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 4.2 per cent in 2012. Maybank Investment Bank said it expected Malaysia's GDP to expand at between 3.5 and four per cent, and CIMB Investment Bank forecast a GDP growth of 3.8 per cent next year. MIER's Business Conditions Index, which tracks domestic manufacturing, dropped by 9.6 points to 104.5 in the third quarter from the second quarter. The CEO Confidence Index, meanwhile, also fell from 111.9 to and 93.3 points. The Consumer Sentiment Index rose slightly, however, to 108.7 points but remained below the 115.8 point level seen during the same period last year. In his Budget 2012 proposals, Datuk Seri Najib Razak promised cash handouts, more money for civil servants, schools and a fund for "high-impact development" projects as part of measures to put money in the pockets of the majority of Malaysians who live in the lower income group.     READ MORE HERE.

PR Strategy Not To Dissolve State Assemblies In Four States? Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:43 AM PDT (Bernama) - The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) may not dissolve the legislative assemblies in the states under its rule simultaneously with the dissolution of Parliament in conjunction with the 13th general election, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. e said this could be one of the strategies of the opposition pact to focus its attention and strength to the states under Barisan Nasional (BN) rule. "The election at the state assembly level will depend on the respective state governments whether to dissolve the assembly or otherwise. If all the state legislative assemblies in the four states under the PR are not dissolved, we will see the election being confined only to the states under BN rule. "As such, they (PR) already have four states under their rule. They will concentrate on the other states to expand their domination. "However, if the general election is held too close to the expiry of the five-year mandate, they (PR) will have no choice (but to dissolve the state assemblies)," he told reporters after meeting with the organisers of the Sahara Run at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here. Suwaibah Mohd Nasir, a former Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) personnel, will start the 1,112 kilometre solo run across the Sahara Desert from Aswan to Port Said for 35 days beginning Feb 1, next year. Dr Mahathir said the BN government did not have to be hasty in holding the general election because the current mandate only expired in March 2013.

WIKILEAKS: Malaysia's Current Economic Performance Masks Need for Structural Change Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT Education was among Ariff's primary concerns. Ethnic Malays were poorly prepared for university, he explained, largely due to a separate one-year "fast track" matriculation which was designed to enable them to secure a place in college more easily. Non-Malays were required to complete a more rigorous two-year program and pass an exam. The end result was that the non-Malays did better once they entered university. Moreover, separate education before college led to patterns of self-segregation at the university, and Ariff observed that the various ethnic groups had little interaction. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 1. (SBU) Summary:  Malaysia's central bank Deputy Governor considers the country's banking sector unexposed to the turmoil in the US sub-prime mortgage market and believes that the economy remains on track for six percent GDP growth in 2007.  Private sector economists, however, point out that Malaysia's economy is performing under its potential growth rate by as much as two percentage points due to poor government policy.  The racial preference policies set out in the New Economic Policy (NEP) are viewed as the primary source of growth-restraining distortions which primarily have served to enrich political cronies.  In the process, not only has the NEP failed to reduce poverty among ethic Malays, it has directly contributed to greater income inequality and poverty.  It continues to crowd out of healthy private sector investment by government linked corporations.  Perverse education policies have chipped away at Malaysia's ability to produce a competitive work force for a global economy.  Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is not perceived as a politician prepared to make the hard decisions necessary to reform the policies upon which his political supporters have come to depend.  Middle of the road rates of economic growth prevent a greater sense of urgency among policy makers, but over time these structural policy failures are expected to create even stronger constraints on Malaysia's ability to deliver on robust economic growth. End summary. CENTRAL BANK: LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE 2. (U) In a meeting with Economic Counselor and Financial Attach for Southeast Asia, Ooi Sang Kuang, Deputy Governor of Bank Negara, Malaysia's central bank, expressed confidence that the Malaysian economy would remain largely on track to reach government forecasts of 6% growth for 2007, even in light of the U.S. sub-prime lending problems. Ooi said that, although Malaysia was fairly insulated from the U.S. sub-prime lending market, he was concerned about how the "sentimental effect" of a significant reduction in financial markets could impact the global economy.  He described the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to lower interest rates by fifty basis points as having done "wonders" for the global economy. MANUFACTURING SECTOR MUST IMPROVE 3. (U) Ooi described Malaysia's overall manufacturing sector as "not robust" and said it would need to become more competitive.  The sector that would suffer the most from an economic downturn in the U.S. was electrical & electronics (E&E), which was largely dependent upon U.S. demand for semiconductors, he explained.  He said Malaysia was not moving up the value chain rapidly enough, and that the country needed to transform its economy, particularly in light of a strengthening currency that would make Malaysian exports more expensive. 4. (U) Ooi pointed out that the ringgit's long-term value was increasing, and said Malaysian manufacturers would be forced to either "move up the value chain" or relocate if necessary.  He said many Malaysian companies were investing overseas, with labor-intensive manufacturing moving to Vietnam and Indonesia. "MANAGING" FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES 5. (U) Ooi said Bank Negara continued to intervene in the foreign exchange market, but only to "smooth it out" and "manage" volatility, since large volumes could "disturb or excite markets" if they were not kept within "tolerable levels" of flexibility. He claimed that the central bank intervened in both directions - to smooth both the highs and the lows.  (Note:  when asked about this, one private sector banking professional responded that this might be true on a one-to-ten ratio, with the central bank mitigating the "lows" once for every ten times it intervenes to mitigate the "highs.")  ECONOMY STILL CHUGGING ALONG 6. (U) In spite of the setback in E&E, strong domestic demand continued to fuel the economy, explained Ooi.  Demand was being driven largely by higher rural incomes resulting from high commodity prices, a recent 35% civil service salary increase, and large government projects being implemented under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. He estimated that the government projects would remain the primary driver of domestic demand until mid-2008, by which time he expected the private sector would strengthen and the government-funded projects taper off.  The economy would also benefit by the imminent opening of the Kikeh oil field, Malaysia's first deepwater operation. FINANCIAL SECTOR LIBERALIZATION 7. (U) For its part, the Government of Malaysia (GOM) would continue to enact financial liberalizations, just as it had been doing for the Islamic finance sector.  According to Ooi, the GOM had been adhering to the ten-year Financial Sector Master Plan and in some areas was ahead of schedule.  This, coupled with the GOM's recent announcement that corporate tax rates would be reduced to 25% in 2009, would help boost the Malaysian economy. AN ANALYST'S VIEW 8. (U) While Ooi was upbeat about the Malaysian economy's resilience, Dr. Mohamed Ariff, President of the Malaysian Institute for Economic Research (MIER), was more willing to discuss the weaknesses as well as the strengths.  He cited similar economic indicators and pointed to the same strengths - strong domestic demand, government stimulus, and a reasonable forecast of 5.3 to 6 percent growth.  But Malaysia had much more potential than that, he said.  Malaysia would need to "move up the value chain" to position itself to complement, rather than compete with, China and other low-wage manufacturing centers in the region.  In fact, he said the GOM had rejected many applications to bring low-tech labor-intensive manufacturing to Malaysia, some of which had requested bringing in a few thousand (low-wage) foreign workers.  Rather, the GOM was approving higher-tech manufacturing in the E&E sector, but these more capital-intensive investments were not bringing in many jobs for Malaysians, with 20% of new jobs going to foreigners. REFORMS NEEDED 9. (SBU) To surmount the hurdles and achieve Malaysia's full potential for economic growth, Ariff argued that the GOM would need to enact some politically sensitive - and perhaps unlikely - reforms.  First on the list would be to address the "New Economic Policy" (NEP), a system of race-based preferences for ethnic Malays. Most benefits were going to cronies; intra-ethnic inequality was increasing, especially among Malays; and the entire system was creating a "dependency syndrome," putting low priority on academic achievement, he said.  10. (U) Education was among Ariff's primary concerns.  Ethnic Malays were poorly prepared for university, he explained, largely due to a separate one-year "fast track" matriculation which was designed to enable them to secure a place in college more easily.  Non-Malays were required to complete a more rigorous two-year program and pass an exam.  The end result was that the non-Malays did better once they entered university.  Moreover, separate education before college led to patterns of self-segregation at the university, and Ariff observed that the various ethnic groups had little interaction. 11. (SBU) Government-linked companies were another politically sensitive issue that would need to be addressed, as they were crowding out other players in the market, according to Ariff.  In 1985 the GOM privatized a number of companies, but these simply went to cronies, he said.  It was time for another round, but this would need to be done fairly. 12. (SBU) The race-based preferences in general and the poor educational system in particular were impediments to reaching Malaysia's full potential, but Malaysians were afraid of change, he explained.  "We need a new NEP," said Ariff, "and a free press not owned by the Barisan Nasional" (the ruling coalition which has been in power since independence in 1957). 13. (U) Ariff also was disappointed that the newly released 2008 budget contained no reference to the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) which had been pending since 2004.  The GST, similar to a value-added tax, would be desperately needed in several years' time when Malaysia was expected to become a net importer of oil. Currently Petronas, the national oil company, provides 38% of the federal government's revenue, and the country's tax regime will need to be restructured to avert a crisis.  14. (U) Comment:  There is widespread agreement on what to expect in the near term for the Malaysian economy: not much.  The economy will continue to chug along, growing at five to six percent; cronies will continue to benefit from the current system; and, despite Malaysia's greater potential, there will be little demand for change until things get measurably worse.  With elections near, no one expects the GOM to take actions that are politically difficult - least of all changes to the NEP, which is the Malays' sacred cow. KEITH (October 2007)

DAP, PAS 'agree to disagree' on hudud issue Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:30 PM PDT (The Star) - DAP and PAS have agreed to disagree on the hudud issue, following a high-level meeting between Pakatan Rakyat allies Monday. "Hudud is not the common agenda of Pakatan Rakyat for the forthcoming general election," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said, adding it would not be a common policy even after the next general election. He said "the meeting concluded with both DAP and PAS agreeing to disagree on the hudud law." It was the second such meeting held within a span of two weeks to end the deadlock. Among the Pakatan top guns present at the meeting were Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Azmin Ali, Dr Mohd Nur Manuty, Mohamad Sabu, and Datuk Mustafa Ali. Stressing that hudud was not part of Pakatan Rakyat's policy, Lim said it was neither included in the Common Policy Framework nor in Buku Jungga. Lim said the Pakatan government would only implement policies agreed upon by the three component parties.

Mahathir: Malays will lose power in 10 years if they don't unite Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:07 PM PDT (The Star) - BANGI: Malays will lose their power in the country in the next 10 years if they do not unite now, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He said if the community were to split into different factions, they would become minority groups in the country. "The minority cannot rule the country in a democratic framework, under which the majority rules," said Dr Mahathir, urging the Malay community to be united based on their Islamic faith. Dr Mahathir said this in his speech when launching the Ummah Unity and Economy Seminar organised by the Malaysia Islamic Welfare Organisation (Perkim) and Malay Chamber of Commerce here Wednesday. Dr Mahathir, who is also Perkim president, said Muslims in the country were not taught the importance of uniting when they were young. He also urged the Malay community not to look forward to receiving "free things" but instead work hard to reap rewards. He added that Muslims, which were among the poorest communities in the Malaysia, should work hard to be financially stable.

Malay votes in Penang may swing to Umno Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:58 PM PDT MCA and Gerakan may be wiped out again unless they changed their political outlook and strategies, says a NGO. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Malay votes in Penang may largely swing to Umno while the DAP will get the lion's share of the Chinese electorate in the coming general election, says a NGO here. Persatuan Anak Jati Melayu Pulau Pinang (Pajim) said the prediction is based on feedback from the grassroots and conversations with interest groups. Pajim adviser Ahmad Mokhtar Muhammad said this trend is unhealthy for multi-ethnic Penang where a party wins entirely on support from only one race. "It is unhealthy for a state as diverse as Penang. The mixed seats would definitely be up for grabs but essentially the battle is between Umno and DAP. It is not good as either side has the traditional support of only one race," he said in a statement sent via SMS. He said a state cannot be progressive if it is bogged down by a perceived lack of harmony among its inhabitants. Mokhtar also claims that support for PAS and PKR in Penang is eroding because their supporters are abandoning them due to their tolerance of DAP's alleged aggressive style of governance in Penang. He said DAP, in its haste to appease its traditional base of supporters, tends to overlook the interests of other groups such as hawkers, squatters, and the low-income earners. Such groups are mainly Malays, and hence their gradual shift to Umno, although the party may remain as the opposition here. "PAS and PKR may pay the price for being docile over certain DAP policies which are seen as an affront to the Malays," Mokhtar said. He added that the Malays may gravitate back to Umno because they believe that the party can solve their problems such as stable jobs and affordable housing. He said it remains to be seen if Umno's partners – MCA, MIC and Gerakan – can survive in the next general election in Penang. READ MORE HERE

Free economy will lead to political and social freedom, say economists Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:52 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Without a free economy a country is less likely to achieve political and social freedom, contrary to the impression most activists have in Malaysia, economists said here today. Dr Tom Palmer from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation emphasised that political liberalisation is very important for maintaining economical liberalisation. "One must understand the freedom of competition as a process, not as a stake of the market," he said during the Economic Freedom Network Asia Conference 2011 today. He suggested that it is important to build a regional free trade agreement and promote free trade on a unilateral basis like in Singapore. The emphasis on a free economy was also pointed out by Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), one of the conference organisers. "Maybe it is time to suggest that we have a free and prosperous economy before achieving political and social freedom in Malaysia. This is because when the people are comfortable with the quality of life, they will also fight for political and social reform in the country. "To change, we need a bigger middle class, and this will only exist if our economy is free," according to Wan Saiful in the foreword of the Economic Freedom of The World 2011 annual report by the Fraser Institute. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has liberalised foreign investment in 17 sub-sectors, which critics said had for years forced foreigners to partner Bumiputeras before being allowed to set up businesses in the country. Critics, however, said the reform measure will not have much impact because few of the workers hired in those sectors were Malays, who form the majority population and were the target of affirmative-action policies. The report also pointed out that a lot of activism in the country focuses too much on the political and social angles, while neglecting the importance of fighting for economic freedom. "If the people live in conditions that force them to constantly think of how to cope with the cost of living, there would be a high possibility that they do not have enough time to work on political transformation, or get involved in the civil society arena. "So if we want to shape a country which is politically and socially free, we have to ensure that our economical system is also free. The concerns about political and social freedom, and effective activism in all angles only exist and flourish once the economy needs are fulfilled," Wan Saiful said. READ MORE HERE

Lim Guan Eng on Budget 2012 Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:38 PM PDT By Lim Guan Eng Unlike PR State Governments That Funds Aid To The Poor From A Surplus Budget, BN's 2012 Election Budget Relies On Deficit Spending And Borrowed Loans To Give Money To The People That Has Still To Be Repaid By The People. Whilst giving out cash aid to the poor and Malaysians are welcome, questions are raised as to where the Federal government is going to find the money, when even Petronas is expected to contribute only RM28 billion next year or RM2 billion in dividends less as compared to 2011. The numbers just do not add up when the Federal government still expects revenues to increase from RM183 billion this year to RM186 billion next year despite the lower dividend payments from Petronas. Unlike PR state government that funds cash aid to the poor from a surplus budget, BN's 2012 Election budget relies on deficit spending to buy votes. Many economists have warned that the 2012 Budget risks committing the country to the path of unsustainable spending at a time when the global economic outlook appears to be a recession. Dr Marie-Aimee Tourres, a senior research fellow at the faculty of economics and administration at the University of Malaya, said that the budget's "goodie strategy" was not linked to any productivity commitment. Clearly this Election Budget is designed to please voters. At the same time, DAP does not find any measures to combat corruption or plug leakages so that resources can be released for public benefit. For this reason, the Federal government's target of reducing the budget deficit from RM45.5 billion this year to RM43 billion in 2012 or 5.4%  to 4.7% of GDP is unlikely to be reached. Revenue collection is overly optimistic and may result in higher federal government debt to fund the deficit spending. The Federal government debt to GDP(Gross Domestic Product) ratio has increased yearly from 53.1% in 2010, 53.8% in 2011 and 54.8% in 2012. Federal government debt rose by 12% in 2011 to RM456 billion from RM407 billion in 2010. To ensure debt sustainability, the Federal government has imposed a 55% ratio to GDP rule. This 54.8% ratio to GDP by 2012 hovers dangerously close to the 55% Federal government debt to GDP  rule. More worryingly, Bank Negara's Annual Report 2010 revealed that Malaysia's household debt at end of 2010 was RM 581 billion or 76 per cent of GDP. Malaysia has the second-highest level of household debt in Asia, after South Korea. The Malaysian household debt service ratio was   47.8 per cent in 2010 or almost half of a household's income goes to repaying debts. A debt service ratio of more than 33% would be considered unhealthy. As a rule banks would not lend money to those whose total servicing of interest exceed one third of their income. Clearly Malaysians are becoming an indebted nation with the Malaysian government leading the way by giving the people money from borrowed loans. This is one essential difference between BN and PR state governments. PR does not give money to the people from borrowed money, which ultimately has still to be paid by the people. PR state governments give money from budget surpluses where the people or their children are not required to repay back in future.

Proposal of A Different (Fair and Caring) Economical Framework Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:32 PM PDT By Charlie Lee The Current Economical Framework  Based on the some study that 20% of people controlling 90% of wealth and 80% of people owning the remaining 10% wealth in this world, it is obvious and dreadful to have such a wide gap between the wealthy and the poor. The wealthy have the tool (money) to invest and become market mover to make sure that they are on top and those not in their class unable to catch up with them. Therefore, the open and free market as promoted by the countries in the so-called developed countries will be heading to disaster in 10 or 20 years due to innovative/creative of financial tools giving benefits only to the wealthy or the elite circle, non-sustainability of welfare system, scarcity of basic commodities, likes minerals, foods, oil, etc, coupled with larger world population and climatic changes. Greediness of people is another factor aggravating the situation with now the wealthy and able seizing every opportunity, be it in bad or good times, to maximize income. Speculating on the future market is just one of the methods manipulating the prices of basic commodities and pushing the prices high rocketing later. Some say what go up must come down. Sure, it will but in drastic manners, like war, famine, riot, disease, other unrest etc, with world population substantially reduced as a result (nature self-adjusting).  Why we have to wait the disaster to strike and not to warn all to take precaution to avoid such eventuality? Based on human history, there are sufficient preceding events on the matter and we shall start now to minimize, or even better, overcome the impact of such eventuality. The following will discuss on what as an individual (a person or a family or a community) and the government can do to resolve the not-so-distance bad eventuality. The Proposed Economical Framework  Minimum Wages, Necessities and Luxuries First, the price of all goods and earning of people must be kept to fair and reasonable level. The minimum wage shall be formulated and based on education level, experience, frequency of absence from works, working hours and performance of the company. The wage increase shall also be specifically formulated accordingly so as to be fair to both employee and employer in the case of good profit or loss incurred. Here is example on minimum wage formulation.  Goods can be categorized into foods, necessities and luxuries. In order to price goods fairly and reasonable, the prices for foods and necessities shall have profit fixed within the range of 5% ~ 20% and the prices for luxuries shall have profit no more than 200%. The so-called necessities and luxuries shall be studied and sorted out in priority list. Such list shall cover all items in everyday life, like hand-phone, computer, living facilities, car, house, vacation etc. This list is intended to advise people not indulge to pursue luxuries but contain with necessities. A proposed list of necessities and luxuries is tabulated below.   In fact, cost prices of all goods can be worked out in details and, once the equations and formula set in place, it is just a click in front of the computer that one can know the cost prices of goods and the effect if there is price variation on some raw materials or components. With the limit set on profit, a seller has to sell more to earn more and he is not allowed to raise the price drastically if there is great demand or shortage. Looking at a boarder scenario, volatile market can be kept in check and the majority of obedient and hardworking class can be better ensured of a smooth and steady life style.  Maximum Limit or Capping Limit of Earning Second, the government shall act as mediator or coordinator to distribute wealth of the country to all people fairly. It is hard to define and formulate a "fair" way to distribute the wealth among the people as people have diverse abilities, attitudes, background etc. Failure of communist country is living proof that same wage for all people or least difference in social status are not likely to motivate people to work hard and aim to earn for a good living. It would be unwise to limit creativities and abilities of people to earn for a good living. In contrast, the capable people shall be encouraged to develop and achieve higher and higher goal in life. The method proposed here is that earning by a person must be capped with a maximum limit and, from thereon, the maximum earning achiever shall assist others to earn until the maximum limit. On assisting the others to earn well, the maximum earning achiever shall be entitled for prestigious social status conferred by the government. The other consideration to implement the second method is to deter unlimited wealth gaining of a person, which may turn the person into a powerful long living tyrant/dictator/demi-god with assistance of genetic engineering, scientific breakthrough in medical research and advancement of new technology. They are other plus points for the maximum limit on earning because once a person has reached the maximum limit, he/she has to give up the excess either paying tax or giving out to assist other person, and this will discourage corruption as no one can have more than the maximum limit. To start with, the proposed maximum limit is as follows.  To hasten the process of wealth distribution, the government can lower the maximum limit.  Once implemented, there should not be any difficulty to change the current economical framework to the proposed economical framework. The big company can be divided into many smaller companies and, instantly, there will be many opportunities for other capable people because the big company will have to ensure the owners of the smaller companies are capable persons in order that all can work towards a common goal as a team. The only problem is that the current owners of the big company are not willing to accept the proposal. But if there is political will or very strong urge or movement from the 80% people, it is very like the few have to agree and accept the need of the majority. Discussion  A government can implement either the first proposal or the second proposal or both at the same time. I strongly feel that it is time to reform the current economical framework as ideologies of both socialist and capitalist systems are good but need refining taking into account of bring out the good nature of man to give and assist one another to prosper. I hope one day to see that the above proposals be implemented to find out the results and suggest the first proposal to be implemented in socialist country and the second proposal in capitalist country.  P/S: I am not an economist but just a simple guy after surviving donkey years of hardworking under the current economical framework. If you have any comment on the article, you are welcome to email to charlie.sabah@gmail.com.

Stemming the Malaysian Exodus Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:28 PM PDT By The Voice of Reason Recently, YB Teresa Kok asked me "Why are Malaysians so keen to leave this country? Life overseas is not necessarily easier!" I agree that life overseas is not necessarily. In fact my cousins living in Hong Kong, Singapore and London tell me regularly that they miss the food and that things are much cheaper at home. They complain about the weather, high cost of living and their long working hours. Despite this, when the possibility of coming back home is raised, they give me a smile and a shake of their heads. Is living in Malaysia really so bad? What is it that other countries have that we don't? Lim Kit Siang posted on his blog in December 2009 that more than 630 Malaysians are migrating overseas everyday, and that number is increasing year on year.  This is a worrying statistic and the brain drain issue is one that the current government acknowledges that it is a problem. However, the best they can come up with to make them come back are tax breaks, and tax free vehicles. From day one, it has become apparent these 'perks' would simply not work.  This government has a habit of tackling problems in this country by providing quick fixes. The 2012 Budget should really be called the 'quick-fix' budget as RM232 billion is mindlessly spent, with unrealistic economic growth forecasts to back it up.  Yes, 60% of households would receive a RM500 relief and we thank the government for it. What then? RM500 does not combat rising costs, or inflation. How far can RM500 bring us nowadays? Not very far.  In no time at all, that RM500 has become a distant memory and we are back to square one.  The Kedai 1Malaysia initiative was put in place by the government to sell cheap products subsidised by the government, and more are to be opened across the nation. Shop owners are now screaming in displeasure as they cannot possibly compete. If the government is intent on handing out subsidies, subsidise the shops which are already operating! Another poorly planned quick fix that provides no long term solution.  Where is the long term economic plan? Where is the investment in our children's future? Fixing school buildings is an excellent initiative, but the real problem lies in the fabric of the education system.  Our children are taught to be robots, to regurgitate material and not to question their teacher. Many scoff at the lowering of standards in the ongoing PMR exams, and an Additional Mathematics SPM paper was allegedly leaked out to tuition centres. Is all this in the name of grades, just to make the Education Ministry look good? How can this system prepare our children to be competent, effective members of society? The biggest losers in all of this are our nation's children.  A friend over dinner told me earnestly that he was preparing to leave the country for the sake of his children. As disheartening as it was to hear, he proceeded to tell me why.  His vision for his children was for them to grow up in a society in which they would not be discriminated against. Although racism is also prevalent in other countries, inMalaysia racism is institutionalised and sanctioned by the Barisan Nasional government.  Furthermore, corruption is rampant throughout all levels of government. The payment of corruption money in cases of obtaining building or business licenses is so prevalent, that many businesses have included such a payment in their expense budgets. How can this continue be the case? READ MORE HERE

KL land row threatens to derail MRT project Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:15 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The ongoing land rights dispute between the MRT project owner and city traders here has turned into a political hot potato that could see the country's most expensive infrastructure project delayed. The months of discussions, public engagement talks, court challenges, street protests and interventions by civil society groups and politicians across the divide have made no headway in resolving the issue. Today, Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang traders — backed by former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and DAP's Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun — attempted to up the ante by threatening to raise their grouses directly with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak if their demands are not met. The ad hoc committees encompassing traders from both streets have also banded together to form the "Committee of preserving Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang", a special joint taskforce aimed at pressuring the government into considering a realignment to the MRT's Sungai Buloh-Kajang line. But a meeting held last Thursday with MRT Co already gave the group clear indication that the project owner was just as unwilling to budge from its planned acquisition of prime properties located along both the iconic streets. According to Ong, MRT Co officials gave "not one chance" to the traders to present their alternative route, which would see their properties saved. "The realignment proposal was shot down, or rather, it was not allowed to be presented at all. Not one chance was given, leaving no room for alternative views," he lamented today. People protest against the proposed land acquisition in Bukit Bintang, October 12, 2011. — Picture by Jack Ooi MRT Co has also allegedly approached individual traders with offers of attractive compensation packages aimed at enticing them into giving up their properties. The move has spread fear among traders that their struggle to keep their properties would eventually fall apart. "Do not tell me that this is the only line available and we cannot even consider an alternative route," the joint taskforce's chairman Tan Yew Sing told press conference held at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) this afternoon. Co-chairman Stanley Yong also gave a detailed briefing on the proposed alternative route, which would see the SBK line rerouted from Jalan Sultan to Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and include integrated terminals with the LRT Pasar Seni station and KTMB line and another with the Puduraya bus terminal. The alternative line, he said, may force a 200m extension to the original route but would reap in more benefits in terms of attracting more tourists into Chinatown, reviving Plaza Rakyat beside Puduraya, improving inter-transport connectivity and saving the heritage structures along Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang. "Also, with the original line, the tunnelling would have to go through limestone... this is more tedious and takes longer. Furthermore, there will be vibration and cracks to the old buildings, affecting the safety of structures above ground," he said.   READ MORE HERE.

Malaysia's new generation steps forward Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:11 PM PDT By ABC Radio Australia News Malaysia's youngest sitting politician says his generation of leaders is ready to move away from race-based politics. Politics in Malaysia is centred on race and religion, with the Malay UMNO dominating a multiracial political coalition. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program the opposition coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat, is ready to take power. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad: 'The younger Malays come back and they start to question the analysis that Malays . . . need political protection in order to survive.' [Australia Network] Nik Nazmi, who is 29, is a member of the assembly in Selangor state, Malaysia, and communications director for the opposition Parti Keadilan. He says all signs are pointing to an early election - as soon as November this year, or in the first quarter of 2012. He also called for a more equitable distribution of wealth in Malaysia. NIK NAZMI: The problem we have today is that the economic policy we have in Malaysia is very much a trickle-down one for the ordinary people, regardless of race. Of course, the politicians would like us to see in terms of racial paradigms, but in reality the ordinary Malaysians, regardless of race, lose out, whereas those who are politically connected, regardless of race, benefit. So I think that currently the government talks about liberalising the NEP (New Economic Policy), moving away from the NEP, adopting our own rhetoric, which is good, but in terms of reality, we think that it also means an over-emphasis on liberalisation, without a balance in terms of social justice, which is bad I think for the country as a whole. SEN LAM (PRESENTER): But in politics appearances count for a lot as well. How do you think that will sit with your Malay constituents, who might feel that they're losing their rights? NIK NAZMI: It is, the problem for the ruling coalition is that they have shaped the debate for so long in terms of race-based analysis. If a Chinese gains, then that means the Malays and Indians lose, and vise versa. Whereas our emphasis has always been about the ordinary people against the powerful. Even the One-Malaysia campaign (of Prime Minister Najib Razak) is not being accepted by their own (UMNO) party, because they've always been talking about Malay supremacy - Ketuanan Melayu. So I think that's where the government faces a problem, as a result of they've become the victim of their own rhetoric. The children of those who benefited from the NEP, the younger Malays, who, their parents, studied in Australia, in the US and in the UK, come back and they start to question the analysis, that Malays are naturally weak and that the Malays need political protection in order to survive. So in that sense, I believe that rather than being a headache for us, it's actually a headache for everyone in the country, because this is your 'Gen Y', which is shaped by a different mindset than the previous generations. They tend to be critical of the government, which means BN (Barisan Nasional) rather than the (opposition) Pakatan. But they're not as loyal in terms of party politics as their parents were. You know, I think that's a phenomenon across the world, where in the past, our parents' time, where they would vote for a certain party from cradle to grave, but today the younger generation are more interested in voting along the lines of issues. LAM: So are you saying, that the future in Malaysian democracy and in a more vibrant political landscape, lies in this current and future generations of younger people? NIK NAZMI: Definitely, I mean, Malaysia especially being a very young country - the population pyramid in Malaysia is very broad-based because of the number of young people. So in that sense, definitely, the young people are the ones we should focus on. They are shaped by a very different view and things are changing so fast, the tools that are out there, we cannot take them for granted any more, definitely. LAM: If elections were called in early 2012, how do you think the Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition coalition, how do you think you'll fare? Do you think you'll get more than five states? NIK NAZMI: Predictions are not my thing, but I would think that generally, the two coalition systems are here to stay. Malaysians do not want the time where one coalition knew best or one party knew best, or during Mahathir's time, perhaps one man knew best. I think those times are over. People see the benefit because now, both parties, the Opposition coalition has just been elected. I think there's a greater desire, younger more energetic, they work harder but at the same time, the ruling coalition has been to a certain extent, woken up from their slumber. And they're trying to win (voters) over. At the end of the day, the people benefit. So I think the people are smart enough to realise that. The government has lost the monopoly of information. LAM: Through new and social media? NIK NAZMI: New and social media, definitely. People are more interested to hear both sides of the view. LAM: So, is the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition . . . are you prepared to take over federal politics? To take over government? NIK NAZMI: We are better prepared than we were in 2008, definitely. It was a loose coalition in 2008, there was no formal coalition between Keadilan, the Islamic PAS and the DAP. And we have come out with a common "Orange Book" which details our common policies. Yes, there are differences, I will admit that, but it's natural. There is no coalition or party in Malaysia that would not have differences, because it's a reflection of the diverse spectrum of Malaysian society. LAM: Well, some people might argue that the Barisan Nasional stayed in power for so long because it had UMNO at the helm, it had a galvanising factor, a party that's strong enough to hold everyone together. It might be argued that Pakatan Rakyat lacks that cohesiveness -what do you say to that? NIK NAZMI: Well, that model worked in the 20th century. It worked in 1955, it worked all the way until 2008. But I think the Big Brother model of politics, where you have one dominant partner, is not relevant for the 21st century. People want a partnership of equals. And I think it has to go out from the race-based political situation that you have today. Definitely, there have been differences, issues, but I think at the end of the day, all the three parties have accepted the constitutional concensus in Malaysia, where Islam is the religion of the federation, but the rights of other adherents to practise their faith are fully respected. We need to stick to things that we agree on, rather than harp on the things that divide us. I mean, I think we're all learning here. It's all a maturing process. The "Arab Spring" has shown whether you're Islamist or whether you're a liberal, that democracy is ultimately the most important thing to fight for, because it's something that we need to run governments. At the end of the day, without a functioning democracy, then countries cannot function, nation states cannot have peaceful transitions of power. LAM: I read in one blog, that recommended you as a politician of the future, and as the sort of politician that Malaysia needs, because, the argument of the blog goes, you are Malay and ultimately, Malaysia still needs Malay leaders because the Malays are the majority. So that's still race-based though, isn't it? NIK NAZMI: That is the reality in Malaysia, because I think you want to talk about political change. It used to be about Malay supremacy, I think the opposition has rejected that. We talk about "people's supremacy" but I think at this point of time, change still needs to be Malay-led because people still vote along racial lines, that's a reality. I think all countries have this - I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's a political reality. But what is better is that enlightened Malay leadership is better than this ignorant Malay leadership. But I would say that, while there are those challenges, the good thing is that because of social media, because of the internet, people are better-informed. This is the Reformasi, the Bersih generation, you know, the concerns are different. So in that sense, the parameters are different, that provides an opportunity. The problem is that some politicians still want to dumb down old politics, but I think if we keep making the argument for a Malaysia that moves forward, then I believe that the younger generation is ready to step into the 21st century.

Jais-DUMC row: Sultan not properly informed Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:43 PM PDT Ng Kam Weng, The Micah Mandate The Christian community has waited with anticipation for DYMM Sultan of Selangor to come out with a statement that will help resolve the inter-religious crisis sparked off by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on Damansara Utama Methodist Church on August 3, 2011. We welcome the Sultan's wish that religious harmony should continue in the state and his decree that there be no prosecution against any of the parties involved. However, the Sultan's statement does raise a few issues of serious concern for the non-Muslim community as there are views expressed therein that suggest that the Sultan may not have been properly informed by his advisers. First, the statement suggests that "the actions of Jais were correct and did not breach any laws enforceable in Selangor," as they "are in line with the jurisdiction provided under Syariah Criminal Procedure (State of Selangor) Enactment (2003), Syariah Criminal (State of Selangor) Enactment, 1995 and the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment of 1988" (herein referred to as the "Selangor Enactment") With all due respect, I beg to differ from this interpretation of the state enactments. In the first place, the jurisdiction granted by Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution was to permit the state to control or restrict the propagation of religion among people professing to be Muslims. This must be read in the context of the Article itself which fundamentally provides for every person the freedom to profess, practice and propagate his religion. Such power to control or restrict propagation cannot be understood as absolutely prohibiting any conduct or activity on the excuse of some unspecified complaint that they are for the purposes of propagation of religion. Such power cannot be taken as licence for officials to intrude or trespass into a function conducted within the premises of what is clearly a non-Muslim religious institution (in the present case a Christian institution) without legal authority There is no legal provision under the Propagation Enactment that allows Jais officials to intrude into the premises of DUMC, much less carry out a raid. From my reading of the Selangor Enactment (1988), the closest possible justification that can be offered by Jais are Sections 12 and 13, which specify that "an authorised officer may investigate the commission of any offence under this Enactment and may arrest without warrant any person suspected of having committed any such offence." He may also apply for warrants of arrest from a Magistrate to require the attendance of witnesses. There is, however, simply no unilateral power to carry out an entry and search under the Propagation Enactment or for that matter even to apply for a search warrant. If the officer responsible for the raid intends to conduct an entry and search, he must base his power from some legal source. Jais officers appear to have acted under Syariah Enactment that does NOT apply, however, to non-Muslims and cannot be imported into the Propagation Enactment. While superficially this provision seems to grant disturbing power to this "authorised officer", the enforcement must be consistent with the more fundamental provisions under Part II of the Federal Constitution relating to fundamental liberties and the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593) relating to search and arrest which presumes that a search warrant should have been sought as a matter of course, and that the warrant is granted only upon reasonable suspicion that a seizable offence has been committed at the DUMC premises. The requirement of a search warrant is a fundamental recognition of the right to privacy within one's own domain and space. More importantly, given the sensitivity of inter-religious relations and the sanctity of religious places of worship, such a warrant should be granted only by a magistrate or judge from the Civil Court and only upon firm and clear grounds. The fact remains that Jais carried out the raid with disregard for established provisions and procedure of law — the leader of the Jais party failed to present relevant identity documents to confirm he was indeed "an authorised officer", specify the offence(s) or suspected offence(s) relating to propagation under the Selangor Enactment that was alleged to have been committed and that he had obtained a search warrant from a Magistrate or the High Court, especially when a church was the target of the raid. For these reasons, it may be argued contrary to the Sultan's statement, that prima facie, Jais had not acted lawfully within the bounds of law when it raided DUMC. Second, it should be noted that the statement claims "there were attempts to subvert the faith and belief of Muslims but that the evidence obtained would be insufficient for further legal actions to be taken." The plural word "attempts" suggests Christians at DUMC were guilty of subverting Islam not only on August 3, 2011, but that they were repeatedly committing the alleged offence. This is a most unfair and misleading accusation that imputes guilt to DUMC without offering any evidence that could be verified or refuted. It may be noted that the English version of the Sultan's statement uses stronger words than the official Bahasa version — it translates the word "memesongkan (distort, deviate) fahaman dan kepercayaan fahaman orang Islam" with the word "subvert the faith and belief of Muslims" The statement unwittingly exposes the feeble foundations of its accusations when it concedes that there was insufficient evidence obtained for further legal action. In simple terms, this must means that Jais had FAILED to make a prima facie case against DUMC. I may add that despite the attempt to hide behind the legal term of "insufficient evidence", the reality is that there was simply NO evidence of subversion of the Islamic faith. Beating a hasty retreat from the threat of prosecuting DUMC was the best option left for Jais. Third, it is alarming that the statement describes the activities of DUMC as subversion of the Islamic faith. This charge is injurious to the integrity of Christians with regard to their profession and practice of faith. READ MORE HERE

Jais can’t hide behind spurious logic Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:38 PM PDT Bob Teoh, The Micah Mandate Jais cannot hide behind its spurious actions and be exonerated from its controversial intrusion into a charity dinner held at a church recently. It must be held accountable for its actions because it strikes at the very heart of criminal jurisprudence, law enforcement, and administration of justice; Islamic or otherwise. Jais cannot resort to "lempar batu sembunyi tangan" – being the hidden hand behind a spurious act and allowed to get away with it through flawed reasoning. Its actions are spurious simply because they are not what it purports to be. Its line of reasoning may be apparently valid but not factually so. Did Jais know what it did was wrong? If it did, then this alone can be indicted as a criminal offence. Jais has turned the table on itself – the law enforcer becomes the offender. In what appeared to be a vigilante action, Jais, or the Selangor Islamic Department, descended upon a charity function held at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church without invitation, permission or due authority on 3 August. While the media described this as a raid, Jais claimed it was a search. The problem is it did not have a search warrant. Conducting a search without a warrant or an order from the court is considered an extra-judicial action. Is Jais, therefore, exempt from due process? And if so, why so? Having exposed itself as the hidden hand that threw the proverbial stone, Jais resorted to more spurious actions. It hastily assembled a preliminary report to justify its action. That report found its way into Youtube and blogs complete with video streams of twelve Muslims found at the dinner that night together with their full names and identification numbers and photos. How did that report get onto the internet when it is obviously privy to only few top Jais officers? Following the sinister publication of the report, the twelve have been feathered and tarred as apostates without much hope of redeeming themselves. This is gross travesty of justice as it violates every rule of natural justice and that of a fair trial in the event that they are called to defend themselves later. This is nothing less than a miscarriage of justice. To compound their predicament further, the twelve are now directed to undergo counseling by Jais to "restore their faith and belief in the religion of Islam". What is intriguing is that it now appears that whatever evidence Jais purported it had was not even sufficient to press charges against the alleged offending parties. It now appears that Jais didn't have prima facie evidence. It was fishing for evidence in that raid but in vain. Strangely enough the Selangor executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs, Hasan Ali, was quick to jump to the defence of Jais immediately following the uproar over the raid. But in the first place, as the state minister in charge of Islamic affairs, how come he was not keep informed of the raid? READ MORE HERE

Freeing the Malays and Muslims from religious mind control Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:20 PM PDT PAK SAKO, CPI There appears to be a Malay-Islamic Inquisition in Malaysia. It does not involve burnings at the stake. It comes as ostracism at school, the workplace and in the community for failing to comply with rigid parameters. Not wearing a headscarf is frowned upon. Transgenders are institutional pariahs. Religious arrogance and zealotry are norms. Muslim leaders can assuredly rebuff equal partnership on inter-religious discussion panels. The Islamic moral police is free to raid churches and insult the Malay person's dignity and autonomy. Refusal to play along with another community's passion for its customs is condemned as chauvinistic or unconstitutional – the fate of elected representatives in Sarawak who chose the customary suit and tie over expensive uniforms and songkoks for a state assembly opening. Closing the gap with South Korea or Singapore at the top of quality-of-life indicators such as the UN Human Development Index is a minor national concern. We are prouder to have been ranked by the Pew Forum's Government Restriction Index alongside Saudi Arabia and Iran as world champions in constricting religious freedoms and other civil rights. The time has come to face the facts. 'Moderate Malaysia' and 'moderate Islam' are as good as dead. If our interest is to revive moderateness, we do not flog dead hypes. We must address the causes of death. The problem Two pervasive mentalities stand out among the chief culprits. They are racial and religious supremacy. Racial supremacy expects non-Malay citizens to be eternally grateful to the Malay race for granting their forefathers citizenship at Independence. It demands from the non-Malays unquestionable deference to the Malays, their culture and arbitrary declarations of Malay rights or privileges. Religious supremacy is the conviction that the Islamic belief is superior to all other beliefs and that it is the only path to true spirituality. Its adherents must not compromise on officially stipulated Islamic ideas and practices and cannot opt-out of the religion. Non-believers are fodder for conversion. A set of underlying reasons drive these mentalities. Political motives aside, there is a historical fear of disenfranchisement; a concept of entitlement as an exclusive birthright; envy; low self-esteem; a craving for a source of self-pride; a fear of the new or alien; meekness; and narrow-mindedness. Supremacism is sold as the cure-all. But it only adds to the problem. The projection of cultural or religious might becomes a pretext for the powerful to impose conformity and thereby control upon a majority. Behind the false security of religious dogma or ethnic nationalism, it is spiritually and psychologically defeating. It turns what should be a happy bazaar of exchange between cultures into a cautious tightrope walk. It sabotages nation-building, whatever the unifying slogan or initiative devised. Consider how this plays out in Malay-non-Malay relations. The ordinary Malay in Malaysia is kept at a near constant state of anxiety by the tirade about the non-Malays seeking to usurp Malay political and economic rights. The Malays are repeatedly called on to be united in the name of race and religion to fend off this imagined strike. To alleviate his insecurities the Malay is offered: A political guarantee that national policy will be dictated by the Malays (or Muslims) and economic concessions in the form of government jobs for the unemployable etc. These are promised in exchange for support for certain political parties and obedience to hierarchy; Supposed spiritual salvation by thorough religious submission. This is codified in law, taught in religious education, enforced by religious bodies and reinforced by social and peer pressure; and Financial incentives such as easy loans and credit for material intoxication by retail therapy and a temporary relative wealth effect vis-à-vis the non-Malays. There is no commensurate effort to unleash the Malay mind and encourage the Malay person to seize the day, excel, question, take charge, propose or dissent. Political leaders and the religious bureaucracy do not favour this; an empowered people puts at stake their political influence and economic privilege. The outcome is a large class of Malays that is averse to thinking, recoils from taking responsibility and content with following instructions. Ennui, the deep weariness and dissatisfaction stemming from mindless satiety and boredom, is a common affliction. It is to this oppressive vacuity that the non-Malays are portrayed as 'threats'. It is also implied that the non-Malay cultures and attitudes can weaken Malay religiosity or morals (see, for example, Jakim's 'Guidelines for Muslims celebrating religious festivals of non-Muslims'). The Malays, for their part, are seen by the non-Malays as being exclusive and hegemonic with their loudspeakers and educational and economic quotas. The result is isolation between the communities, the straining of social ties under the slightest provocation and the successful thwarting of real solidarity between the races. The usual prescription is for the non-Malays to toe the line, to adapt without protest, or— told more gently by a prominent Malay DAP member— to be "responsive" to the Malays' "primordial sentiments of culture and religion". This misguided paradigm must go. READ MORE HERE

What now for Dr Koh, Gerakan Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:59 PM PDT Apart from that, chances of Gerakan retaining two parliamentary seats - Simpang Renggam (Johor) and Gerik (Perak), that the party won in the 2008 general election also seem to be getting tougher because Gerik was on loan and is speculated to be returned to Umno as Gerakan will get back its Taiping seat from the People's Progressive Party (PPP). Bernama With Sunday's Gerakan national delegates conference just days away, many delegates and political observers cannot help but ponder on at least five pertinent questions, answers for which must be made crystal clear for the party to steer its future. First and foremost, of course, is the question of whether first-term elected president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon wants to go for a second term at the party elections next year. Dr Koh has stated his intention to lead the party for at least two terms but until now, after he was verbally attacked for not coming out strongly in defending himself and Gerakan, party members claim they are unsure of that as there have been no signals to that effect as yet. Secondly, many wonder if Dr Koh will contest in the next general election, the 13th, or choose to lead and strengthen the party's position in the Barisan Nasional without any other post for himself that could affect his solid focus on the party. "It depends whether he wants to continue to lead the party for a second term. If he wants to lead the party, then he has to contest," said political analyst Datuk Cheah See Kian in an interview with Bernama. He believes that should Dr Koh decide to lead the party for a second term, he would likely stand as a candidate in a parliamentary seat either Batu in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur or Batu Kawan in Penang. "But I don't think he would want to go back to Tanjong (Penang). It very much depends on whether he wants to be in Kuala Lumpur or Penang. Even if he decides to lead Penang, I still believe Batu Kawan is still the better bet for him," he added. Dr Koh stood in Batu Kawan in the last general election, in 2008, and lost to Prof P. Ramasamy, the current deputy chief minister of Penang. Internally, some party members and leaders are already getting restless with Dr Koh who has so far kept the answer only to himself despite his earlier stand that he will lead the party in the next general election. He may already have the answer but is still keeping it very much to himself, being the careful leader that he is. There is talk that he may even decide to contest in Simpang Renggam (Johor), a seat considered safe for him. "However, many leaders and party members are against him standing in Simpang Renggam, including those from Johor. They feel it is inappropriate for him to do that," said a party insider. Many would love to see Dr Koh as a gallant party president contesting in a tough seat and being an undisputed winner, which would automatically earn him more respect from party members and even from BN leaders. Gerakan Youth chief Lim Si Pin announced two months ago that he would not defend his youth chief post and would not want to be a candidate again in the next general election. In the 2008 general election, Lim, who is the only son of former Gerakan president Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, was fielded to contest the Batu parliamentary seat but was defeated by PKR vice-president Tian Chua. Apart from that, chances of Gerakan retaining two parliamentary seats - Simpang Renggam (Johor) and Gerik (Perak), that the party won in the 2008 general election also seem to be getting tougher because Gerik was on loan and is speculated to be returned to Umno as Gerakan will get back its Taiping seat from the People's Progressive Party (PPP). Thus, another question arises and has put Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe (who represents Gerik) in limbo as to where she would be contesting in the next general election should the party decide to retain her in its line-up. Gerakan secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow did not rule out the fact that some delegates may raise this issue and seek clarification from Dr Koh during the delegates conference. "We can't stop delegates from asking that. It's the delegates' right and they can raise any issue they want at the conference," he said. However, party vice-president Datuk Mah Siew Keong believes that Dr Koh will do what he thinks is best for the party as the situation is quite fluid at the moment. "In not announcing ahead, Dr Koh has made the correct move. Why disclose everything before the time is ripe. I'm sure he has the party interest at heart and will make the best decision," he said. Apart from that, another question is whether Gerakan will take a similar stand as the MCA not to accept any Cabinet post if it fails to perform in the next general election. Dr Koh has said that the party has yet to decide whether or not to accept any Cabinet post if it fails to perform in the next general election. However, many political observers would like to hear what the party veterans, through the party's Life Members Council, have got to say about the current party affairs when they meet on Oct 15. Keng Yaik is the chairman of the Gerakan Life Members Council. Many party members believe it will only be fair to them to have Dr Koh give them crystal-clear answers to all the questions.

Recession risk high and rising, says RHB Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:54 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Malaysia's economic growth could slow to just 3.6 per cent next year from a projected 4.3 per cent this year due to the increasing risk of a double dip global recession, said the RHB Research Institute. The RHB unit's growth projection issued yesterday is significantly lower than Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's forecast of five to six per cent growth for 2012 in his proposed RM232 billion Budget 2012 tabled last Friday. The research house said that the risk of a double-dip global recession is high and rising as both the US and Europe cannot withstand another shock although a recession could be averted if leaders in both continents act fast enough to contain the debt crises and avert a contagion that could lead to a complete meltdown in confidence. It also expected businesses to cut spending in view of rising uncertainties although some growth will come from the implementation of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Private investment growth is projected to soften further to 4.6 per cent in 2012, after slowing to an estimated 5.7 per cent for 2011, the report added. Exports, meanwhile, are expected to grow at just 1.1 per cent compared to 3.4 per cent this year due to dampened foreign demand for electronics and electrical items. Domestic demand is projected to grow at a slower pace of 5.1 per cent in 2012, compared with an estimated 5.8 per cent for 2011. RHB said, however, that consumer spending is expected to remain "reasonably resilient" and grow at around 5.3 per cent in 2012, compared with 6.0 per cent for 2011, given high savings, rising consumerism and an increase in salary. Most research houses have lowered their 2012 growth projections for Malaysia despite Najib's optimism in the Budget proposals, which critics have say is primed for the next general election that must be called by early 2013. Bank of America Global Research estimated Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 4.2 per cent in 2012 while Maybank Investment Bank said it expected Malaysia's GDP to expand at between 3.5-4 per cent. CIMB Investment Bank forecast a GDP growth of 3.8 per cent next year. READ MORE HERE

‘Gambler’ Najib will ‘break the bank’ Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:42 PM PDT The language Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak used when presenting the budget was the kind often used by gamblers. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today I don't understand why there is so much hype over the unveiling of a budget. It seems the politics is more important than the contents, ramifications and implications of a budget. There is always this funfair atmosphere surrounding the presentation of our national budget. Everyone thumps the table upon hearing this group will receive a one-off payment, that group another lump sum payment. The loudest response of course came when Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also Finance Minister, announced that the allowances of all Members of Parliament would also be revised. A budget is a solemn document. It's an account of how much this country earned as revenue, its sources and the proposals to commit that income. It's both a revelation and reflection of an exercise in financial management and discipline. Those are the things we must direct our attention to. Biggest deficit in history For example, everyone clapped when Najib, said: "This year's budget is a lower proportion of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product)." Yes, but isn't our GDP this year bigger than last year's? Look at the absolute figure too. It's still a deficit, suggesting perhaps financial indiscipline and, even worse, unjustifiable leakages. Have the leakages been dealt with? The budget is humongous – RM232.8 billion which is a lot of money, especially with a 9.4 percent rise in expenditure. Despite the country's deficit being reduced to 4.7 percent from 5.4 percent of GDP, the fact remains that in terms of absolute amount, it would be the biggest deficit in Malaysian history. Hear this – "biggest deficit" in Malaysian history! While our finance minister is confident that Malaysia will do a five to six percent growth rate, the rest of the world will grow from a negative figure to maybe three percent at the maximum. So is the finance minister's five to six percent growth rate realistic and achievable? Or is he pulling wool over our eyes? Language of a gambler I would usually refrain from giving a spontaneous response; I would rather prefer giving further analysis of the budget. People can easily be overwhelmed by the feel-good nature of an election budget. Did I say an election budget? That's what it is really despite the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's usual dour rejection of suggestions that it is. But nowadays not many people take the DPM seriously. READ MORE HERE

More controversy with Taib-linked Ta Ann Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:37 PM PDT An advert countering Ta Ann's claim to producing 'eco-wood' from Tasmania has drawn a response from the Australian Election Commission. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has dismissed a complaint by the Liberal Party about an advertisement which clarified the status of the Tasmanian wood produced and marketed by controversial Sarawak timber company Ta Ann. Liberal Party state director Sam McQuestin said he had received a five-page response from the AEC to his complaint about an advert headlined "Truth in Advertising", which he claimed promoted Australia's Green Party. The AEC, however, was of the view that the advert was not an attempt to promote the Greens. The advert published in Tasmania's largest-circulating daily newspaper, The Mercury, last week was placed by online Sarawak Report founder-editor Clare Rewcastle Brown. Rewcastle Brown had placed the advert to counter Ta Ann's claims that its Tasmanian produce was "eco-wood". In the advert, RewcastleBrown states that Ta Ann has accused the Green Party of not telling the truth in advertising when in fact it was Ta Ann's company advertisements promoting its timber as eco-wood which is a "lie". In an e-mail to FMT, Rewcastle Brown said: "The 'Truth in Advertising' was the story I placed. "Our reports have shown that adverts describing Ta Ann's wood from Tasmania as eco-wood are false. "None of it is eco-wood. It is all taken from valuable old growth jungle that the Australian government has been trying to put a protection order over. "The logging of much of the wood is in defiance of an agreement between the state of Tasmania and the Australian federal government to protect these areas in return for a grant of millions of dollars." Ta Ann 'on notice' Meanwhile, a disappointed McQuestin said he would accept the AEC's decision. Another Tasmanian publication "The Examiner" quoted McQuestin as saying that AEC chief legal officer Paul Pirani had noted in his five-page letter that "the advert did not constitute electoral material". The AEC also said it was beyond its jurisdiction to act on the complaint "because it was organised overseas". Ta Ann has been mired in controversy over its involvement in the Tasmanian timber industry. Early this month, the Green Party had put Ta Ann Tasmania "on notice" over its logging activities and six years of losses despite being awarded "numerous perks and subsidies" by the state. Rewcastle Brown in her FMT column said the "tactics of Sarawak's logging industry are causing increasing dismay in Australia, where Chief Minister Taib Mahmud-linked Ta Ann group has opened two major timber processing mills. "There has been a level of intrigue ever since 2005 as to how it was that Tasmania's state government was persuaded to welcome this foreign company at what have been clearly give-away rates." READ MORE HERE

‘Najib’s handouts bad for the country’ Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:30 PM PDT The Wall Street Journal says the combination of temporary handouts and tax breaks doesn't help Malaysia's competitiveness. (Free Malaysia Today) - US business paper Wall Street Journal said today Najib's Budget 2012 handouts is bad for the country as it will not boost competitiveness. "This combination of temporary handouts and tax breaks on one hand and welfare spending on the other doesn't help Malaysia's competitiveness. "The export-dependent economy is already hurting from weak markets abroad and a rising cost of living at home—GDP growth fell below 5% in year-on-year terms for the last two quarters—and needs long-term incentives to invest and build a stronger domestic consumer market," stated the paper in an article today. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who also holds the finance portfolio was also criticised as the government failed to do away with food and fuel subsidies despite pledging to do so earlier. "He even likened subsidies to "opium" and made small but noteworthy cuts last year. He could have continued that rehab this year by incrementally raising regulated prices to bring them closer to market levels. In addition, WSJ also predicted that the 9.4% rise in expenditure only indicates wastage in resource because Najib did not propose permanent changes to tax structure. He also did not reduce regulation and spending. WSJ also had less than kind words for Najib on the reforms for 27 subsectors and instead called for reforms in major industries. "These are small industries that don't hire many Malays. The government needs to tackle bigger reforms in industries like manufacturing, where regulations still gives Malays dominance. READ MORE HERE

Deflate the bloated civil service Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:25 PM PDT It is time the government addresses the issue of the overbloated civil service. If you take pensions into account, emoluments and pensions as a percentage of the government's operating expenditure, the increase is from 29.8% in 2006 to 41.6% in 2010. Despite the fact that the annual budget is always increasing, the emoluments and pensions percentage proportion of the Budget is also ballooning! Selena Tay, Free Malaysia Today The 2012 Budget has failed to address the serious issues of soaring prices, rising inflation, minimum wage, corruption, cronyism, wastages and leakages in government departments but make no bones about it. Malaysia's civil service has got to go on record as being the most overbloated in the world. As at 2010, it numbers about 1.2 million employees on the government payroll out of a population of 28 million. What gives? The civil service has been expanding rapidly since the 1990s and its growth has been accelerated especially fast since 2007. In 1990, the government had 773,997 employees, by the year 2000 there were 894,788 staff members and by 2010 about 1.2 million. One of the key objectives of privatisation under the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was to increase the efficiency of the delivery system and to reduce the civil service staff members to just above 500,000. Therefore, it could be said that the privatisation exercises were a complete and dismal failure in creating a lean and efficient civil service as the number now is more than twice its targetted size of 500,000. The overbloated civil service has for the most part to do with the government's policy of making our civil service the job saviour for the unemployable graduates, at least 70% of whom were Bumiputeras. This will result in a poor quality workforce but worse than that it also depletes the government's treasury. The Budget will be negatively impacted for the present and future years if the government does not restructure the civil service. Their pay rise itself will be a waste of public funds if there is a lack of efficiency and productivity. 'Iron rice bowl' In fact the civil service is none other than an "iron rice bowl" for no one can recall the government sacking any of its under-performing staff. Civil service staff, for example teachers who are racists are merely transferred to another school where they can still remain safely and securely employed even if they have done a disservice to the nation by inculcating young minds with racists tendencies. This simply means that their paychecks are safely guaranteed by the government for the rest of their lives. This spurs them on to vote for Barisan Nasional come what may. Thus, their loyalty is secured as their morality and conscience go down the drain. In 2005, the government's emoluments expenses to maintain the civil service is RM25.6 billion and in 2008 it was RM41 billion (an increase of 60.2%). The civil service, therefore, is a heavy burden on emoluments as a percentage of Malaysia's financial budget. From taking up 23.3% of the nation's operating budget in 2006, it has been nothing but a yearly increase as it grew to 25.5% in 2007, 28.1% in 2008, 24.6% in 2009 and 33.1% in 2010 in spite of the yearly massive increase in operating expenditure from 101.2 billion in 2006 to RM154.2 billion three years later in 2009. If you take pensions into account, emoluments and pensions as a percentage of the government's operating expenditure, the increase is from 29.8% in 2006 to 41.6% in 2010. Despite the fact that the annual budget is always increasing, the emoluments and pensions percentage proportion of the Budget is also ballooning! The Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) shows Malaysia having the highest ratio of civil servants to the population in the Asia-Pacific region at 4.68% with Indonesia having 1.79%, Philippines 1.81%, South Korea 1.85% and Thailand 2.06%. Therefore the overbloated civil service is a major contributory factor to the financial burden of the government. In 2007, the government created 2,000 jobs in the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to give jobs to unemployed graduates as "price monitors". Their job was to jot down the prices of goods at wet markets, supermarkets and hypermarts. What is the purpose of this job is anyone's guess. READ MORE HERE

RM4.7 billion spent on National Service Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:22 PM PDT The Defence Ministry says there was no follow up on the training scheme, stressing that the programme was a success. (Free Malaysia Today) - The question members of Parliament wanted to know was how effective is the National Service programme since RM4.7billion has been spent on it over seven years. All they got was evasive answers from the Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad. He told the Dewan Rakyat that RM4.7 billion was spent but there was no follow up done to see how effective the programme was. Abdul Latiff Ahmad confirmed that the government did not conduct any studies in regards to NS trainees still being involved in crimes after their programmes ended. "No detailed studies linking the National Service (trainees) to crime have been conducted, but we will consider this in future studies." he said. Abdul Latiff, who is also Mersing MP, then defended the programme, and claimed that it was successful in instilling good values in NS trainees. He said this in response to a query by Tanah Merah MP (PKR) Amran Ab Ghani, who asked about the amount of money allocated by the Defence Ministry since the NS programme was introduced. The PKR MP had also asked if the NS programme was successful in creating an "early awareness" among youths, and if former trainees were still involved in crime. Amran then asked if these NS camps were still getting allocations from the government. Question of auditing At this stage the deputy defence minister lost his cool and insulted Amran by saying: "He is deaf, but good thing (for him) that he is not mute." This prompted Pakatan Rakyat MPs to demand that the Mersing MP withdrew his comment, which he eventually did after being advised by Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee. Abdul Latiff said that the 87 NS camps in operation were not owned by the government. READ MORE HERE

Now write your election manifesto Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:45 AM PDT We have discussed what we want to see in a government and what we want to see implemented in Malaysia. We have also discussed about our understanding of ethics. Assuming a political party appointed you to be in charge of drafting its election manifesto, what will this election manifesto look like? Now let's see you write your election manifesto. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin POST YOUR COMMENTS HERE Just write ONE of the articles of the election manifesto. Choose any one but note what others have already written and unless you can draft it better than that then try to address a different article. Start with a heading, then the objective(s), and then how you propose to meet this objective. Remember, just one, any one.

SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO ANOTHER DUST-UP Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT On October 6, members of a private, volunteer Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's cultural attache to Malaysia. The latest incident follows on the heels of several cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working in Indonesia. For example, Indonesians were outraged when an Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August and when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas, alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a month by a Rela volunteer. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d). 1.  (U)  This message was coordinated with Embassy Kuala Lumpur. 2. (C) SUMMARY:  The brief detention--on illegal immigration charges--of an Indonesian diplomat's wife based in Malaysia has sparked an uproar in Indonesia.  Despite a formal apology, the Indonesian national legislature (DPR) has demanded that the GOI take steps to freeze ties with Malaysia.  The Indonesian government has rebuffed those demands and ties remain stable, but Indonesians--who are already inflamed over cases of alleged migrant labor abuse in Malaysia--are feeling increasingly touchy toward their neighbor.  END SUMMARY. A BRIEF DETENTION 3. (U) On October 6, members of a private, volunteer Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's cultural attache to Malaysia.  The uniformed personnel--officially authorized to pick up illegal immigrants and deliver them to detention centers--reportedly failed to recognize Nurdin's diplomatic ID.  Rela detained the woman for about two hours while her daughter fetched her passport, according to media reports.  The Indonesian Embassy filed a formal protest.  Embassy official Shanti Utami Retnaningsih was quoted as saying -- "They treated her like an illegal immigrant...It's unacceptable.  This incident shows disrespect to members of our embassy." MALAYSIANS APOLOGIZE 4.  (SBU) Reacting to the incident, Malaysia's Ambassador to Indonesia gave an official apology on October 10.  Despite this, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak went on to deny publicly that Nurdin was detained at all, claiming that she was merely asked to wait while authorities verified her credentials, according to a Malaysian media report which also received coverage in Indonesia. BACKLASH IN INDONESIA 5. (C) For their part, Indonesian legislators reacted strongly in the week following the incident.  Several DPR members spoke out publicly, calling for withdrawal of the Indonesian ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, freezing the export of Indonesian migrant labor to Indonesia, and halting annual joint military exercises.  Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said--given the official protest and official apology--the matter should now be laid to rest.  Based on Pol/C's soundings over the October 13-14 weekend, Indonesian politicians were still angry over the incident, claiming that it shows that Malaysians have "no respect" for Indonesians. 6.  (SBU) Sentiments of bruised nationalism have spilled over into culture as well, with recent calls by prominent Indonesians to boycott Malaysian products because of allegations that Malaysia has infringed upon the copyrights of popular Indonesian folk song "Rasa Sayang" ("Feeling of Love").  A song with the same tune and near identical lyrics has recently been employed to promote Malaysian tourism. Theo Sambuaga, Chairman of the DPR's Commission I which deals with foreign and security affairs, stated publicly on October 9 -- "We ask Malaysia, its apparatus and the media, to stop denigrating Indonesians." TIES A BIT BRUISED -- BUT STABLE 7. (C) The latest incident follows on the heels of several cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working in Indonesia.  For example, Indonesians were outraged when an Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August (ref B) and when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas, alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a month by a Rela volunteer (ref A). 8. (C) In spite of all the problems, Indonesian-Malaysian ties remain stable.  The perception is growing among Indonesians that they are somehow not being treated with respect, however.  At the heart of the matter, is sentiment among Indonesians that Malaysians have a superiority complex and treat Indonesians as if they are second-class citizens. A bit embittered, Indonesians increasingly are taking a touchy, nationalistic stance toward their cousins across the strait --  "They just treat us like dirt," said one official to Dep/Pol/C. HUME (October 2007)

Malaysia's youth energises political landscape Posted: 10 Oct 2011 08:47 PM PDT Malaysia's youngest sitting politician says his generation of leaders is ready to move away from race-based politics. Politics in Malaysia is centred on race and religion, with the Malay UMNO dominating a multi-racial political coalition. 29 year old Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad says all signs are pointing to an early election - as soon as November this year, or in the first quarter of 2012. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad also calls for a more equitable distribution of wealth in Malaysia. Sen Lam, Radio Australia Presenter: Sen Lam Speaker: Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Selangor state assemblyman, Malaysia and Communications Director for the opposition Parti Keadilan. He was in Melbourne as a guest of the Asia Institute, Asialink and the Asia Society Listen: Windows Media NIK NAZMI: The problem we have today is that the economic policy we have in Malaysia is very much a trickle-down one for the ordinary people, regardless of race. Of course, the politicians would like us to see in terms of racial paradigms but in reality, the ordinary Malaysians regardless of race, lose out, whereas those who are politically-connected, regardless of race benefit. So I think that currently, the government talks about liberalising the NEP (New Economic Policy), moving away from the NEP adopting our own rhetoric, which is good, but in terms of reality, we think that it also means an over-emphasis on liberalisation, without a balance in terms of social justice, which is bad I think, for the country as a whole. LAM: But in politics, appearances count for a lot as well, how do you think that will sit with your Malay constituents, who might feel that they're losing their rights? NIK NAZMI: It is, the problem for the ruling coalition is that they they have shaped the debate for so long in terms of race-based analysis. If a Chinese gains, then that means the Malays and Indians lose, and vise versa. Whereas our emphasis has always been about the ordinary people against the powerful. Even the One-Malaysia campaign (of Prime Minister Najib Razak) is not being accepted by their own (UMNO) party, because they've always been talking about Malay supremacy - Ketuanan Melayu. So I think that's where the government faces a problem, as a result of they've become the victim of their own rhetoric. The children of those who benefitted from the NEP, the younger Malays, who, their parents studied in Australia, in the US and in the UK, come back and they start to question the analysis, that Malays are naturally weak and that the Malays need political protection in order to survive. So in that sense, I believe that rather than being a headache for us, it's actually a headache for everyone in the country, because this is your 'Gen Y', which is shaped by a different mindset than the previous generations. They tend to be critical of the government, which means BN (Barisan Nasional) rather than the (Opposition) Pakatan. But they're not as loyal in terms of party politics, as their parents were. You know, I think that's a phenomenon across the world, where in the past, our parents' time, where they would vote for a certain party from cradle to grave, but today, the younger generation are more interested in voting along the lines of issues. LAM: So are you saying, that the future in Malaysian democracy and in a more vibrant political landscape, lies in this current and future generations of younger people? NIK NAZMI: Definitely, I mean, Malaysia especially being a very young country - the population pyramid in Malaysia is very broad-based because of the number of young people. So in that sense, definitely, the young people are the ones we should focus on. They are shaped by a very different view and things are changing so fast, the tools that are out there, we cannot take them for granted anymore, definitely. LAM: If elections were called in early 2012, how do you think the Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition coalition, how do you think you'll fare? Do you think you'll get more than five states? NIK NAZMI: Predictions are not my thing, but I would think that generally, the two coalition systems are here to stay. Malaysians do not want the time where one coalition knew best or one party knew best, or during Mahathir's time, perhaps one man knew best. I think those times are over. People see the benefit because now, both parties, the Opposition coalition has just been elected. I think there's a greater desire, younger more energetic, they work harder but at the same time, the ruling coalition has been to a certain extent, woken up from their slumber. And they're trying to win (voters) over. At the end of the day, the people benefit. So I think the people are smart enough to realise that. The government has lost the monopoly of information... LAM: Through new and social media? NIK NAZMI: New and social media, definitely. People are more interested to hear both sides of the view. LAM: So, is the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.. are you prepared to take over federal politics? To take over government? NIK NAZMI: We are better prepared than we were in 2008, definitely. It was a loose coalition in 2008, there was no formal coalition between Keadilan, the Islamic PAS and the DAP. And we have come out with a common 'Orange Book' which details our common policies. Yes, there are differences, I will admit that, but it's natural. There is no coalition or party in Malaysia that would not have differences, because it's a reflection of the diverse spectrum of Malaysian society. LAM: Well, some people might argue that the Barisan Nasional stayed in power for so long because it had UMNO at the helm, it had a galvanising factor, a party that's strong enough to hold everyone together. It might be argued that Pakatan Rakyat lacks that cohesiveness -what do you say to that? NIK NAZMI: Well, that model worked in the 20th century. It worked in 1955, it worked all the way until 2008. But I think the Big Brother model of politics, where you have one dominant partner is not relevant for the 21st century. People want a partnership of equals. And I think it has to go out from the race-based political situation that you have today. Definitely, there have been differences, issues, but I think at the end of the day, all the three parties have accepted the Constitutional concensus in Malaysia, where Islam is the religion of the Federation, but the rights of other adherents to practise their faith are fully respected. We need to stick to things that we agree on, rather than harp on the things that divide us. I mean, I think we're all learning here. It's all a maturing process. The 'Arab Spring' has shown whether you're Islamist or whether you're a liberal, that democracy is ultimately the most important thing to fight for, because it's something that we need to run governments. At the end of the day, without a functioning democracy, then countries cannot function, nation states cannot have peaceful transitions of power. LAM: I read in one blog, that recommended you as a politician of the future, and as the sort of politician that Malaysia needs, because, the argument of the blog goes, you are Malay and ultimately, Malaysia still needs Malay leaders because the Malays are the majority. So that's still race-based though, isn't it? NIK NAZMI: That is the reality in Malaysia, because I think you want to talk about political change. It used to be about Malay supremacy, I think the Opposition has rejected that. We talk about "people's supremacy" but I think at this point of time, change still needs to be Malay-led because people still vote along racial lines, that's a reality. I think all countries have this - I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's a political reality. But what is better is that enlightened Malay leadership is better than this ignorant Malay leadership. But I would say that, while there are those challenges, the good thing is that because of social media, because of the internet, people are better-informed. This is the Reformasi, the Bersih generation, you know, the concerns are different. So in that sense, the parameters are different, that provides an opportunity. The problem is that some politicians still want to dumb down old politics, but I think if we keep making the argument for a Malaysia that moves forward, then I believe that the younger generation is ready to step into the 21st century.

Wee defends MCA ‘glam girls’ Posted: 10 Oct 2011 07:43 PM PDT By Tarani Palani, FMT Are we so chauvinistic that we can't stomach pretty women in politics? KUALA LUMPUR: A rattled MCA Youth chief, Wee Ka Siong, has slammed PKR over lurid photos of several girls whose presence at the party's recent Youth AGM on Oct 2 had sparked a debate on whether they were brought in as "eye-candy". Labelled MCA's 'glam girls', photos of what appeared to be these girls were photo-shopped and posted on some blogs. Wee told reporters today that lurid photos of five of the MCA 'glam girls' had surfaced on pro-PKR blogs. Slamming the party for engaging in such slanderous acts, he said: "I am very saddened that the party has embarked on such unethical acts. "Pictures of these girls have been superimposed on naked bodies and posted on some blogs. "There has been numerous complaints from the Beliawanis (MCA's women youth wing) on this matter." Wee claimed the matter had become a hot issue after PKR youth wing, AMK had picked it up. He said MCA took such matters seriously and had already engaged lawyers to deal with the issue of the lurid photos. "They are contemplating taking the matter up with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), " he said. Does occupation matter? The presence of the 10 girls at party's convention had caused a stir, with some quarters asking if it was a publicity stunt arranged by the party to promote the its women youth wing. Doubts were also raised if they were genuine MCA party members. Wee, when asked if he was aware of the girl's professions, answered in the negative. "Many people attended the party's ceramah … it is impossible to know the occupation of every single attendee. "I knew the occupation of some of the girls. Some were property negotiators and some worked in banks. "Why does it matter what their occupations are if they have genuine interest in politics?," he asked. He denied that the girls were 'eye-candy' saying that they were all there as observers. "What is wrong in the girls attending the event to gain exposure about the political process?" he asked and urged all parties to act "gentlemanly" and not engage in gutter politics.   READ MORE HERE.

MACC urged to probe Ananda Krishnan Posted: 10 Oct 2011 07:38 PM PDT By Patrick Lee, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: A formal investigation by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Maxis Communications Bhd tycoon T Ananda Krishnan and its director Ralph Marshall should spur its Malaysian counterpart to do the same, according to PKR. Subang MP R Sivarasa said that there was no excuse for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to claim ignorance over the matter. "It would be a bit difficult for the MACC to say that they don't know about this," he told reporters st the Parliament lobby here today. Sivarasa said this while holding today's edition of the Sun newspaper, with the headline: "India Probes Tycoon" on its cover. The paper was referring to a New Indian Express report – an Indian newspaper – that both Ananda and Marshall were being investigated on charges of criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. India's telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi as well as three companies (Astro, Maxis and Sun TV) were also implicated in the scandal. Citing the MACC Act, Sivarasa said that Malaysians guilty of bribery or corruption out of the country could be charged in Malaysia. "The MACC should treat this report as a report to them. They should not wait for us to go to them and lodge a report," he said.   READ MORE HERE.

Probe may hurt Ananda Krishnan’s Aircel loan plans, says Indian daily Posted: 10 Oct 2011 07:33 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — India's fifth-largest mobile operator Aircel will find it tough to get banks to fund its expansion with police investigating its biggest shareholder T. Ananda Krishnan for criminal conspiracy over his stake in the company, the Times of India reported today. Indian investigators have named Ananda (picture), his top executive Ralph Marshall and two Malaysian companies, Maxis Communications Bhd (Maxis Communications) and Astro All-Asia Networks (Astro) in their probe which centres on graft allegations against former Indian telecommunications minister Dayadhini Maran and his media mogul brother, Kalainidhi. "Naming Aircel in the FIR is not significant. But with others like [Ananda] and Marshall named in the FIR, it would become difficult for Aircel to raise funds from banks," a lawyer told India's top English-language paper today, referring to the First Investigation Report. Aircel, which has 55 million subscribers, recently partnered Virtela — the world's largest independently-managed network in security and cloud computing services — to boost their global business operations through faster, safer and more mobile networks. The Indian telecommunications company had budgeted US$1.4 billion (RM4.4 billion) for its nationwide coverage expansion in June last year. Aircel planned to double its India investment to US$10 billion over the next four years to rollout new services and expand its existing network to include wireless broadband coverage nationwide. "We have already invested US$5 billion, including 3G spectrum price and network rollout, and by 2014, we will pump another similar amount to take up our investment to US$10 billion to ramp up our capacity," Aircel chief operating officer Gurdeep Singh was reported saying in February this year by several Indian media Ananda owns a 74 per cent stake in Aircel through Maxis Communications which also has a 70 per cent stake in Malaysia's telecommunications giant, Maxis Bhd. The 73-year-old telecommunications, media and property tycoon is reported to be worth US$9.6 billion and is ranked by Forbes as Southeast Asia's second-richest man and the world's 89th. The controversy centres on Maxis' 74 per cent stake in Aircel, which was said to have been bought for Rs78.81 billion (about RM506,556,185). Apart from the case filed against the Maran brothers, Ananda, Marshall and the Malaysian companies, India's Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has named the Maran brothers' Sun TV Network.   READ MORE HERE.

RM1 juta untuk PM ke Kazakhstan Posted: 10 Oct 2011 05:53 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Kerajaan membelanjakan RM1,072,213.22 untuk lawatan rasmi Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak ke Kazakhstan Jun lalu. Dalam satu jawapan bertulis hari ni, kerajaan memaklumkan lawatan 5 dan 6 Jun itu di atas jemputan Presiden Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazabayev. Najib kemudiannya juga mengetuai deligasi negara ke Forum Ekonomi Islam Sedunia ke-7 di Astana pada 7 hingga 9 Jun. "Untuk makluman Dewan yang mulia ini, jumlah perbelanjaan yang digunakan bagi lawatan rasmi YAB Perdana Menteri ke Kazakhstan adalah sebanyak RM1,072,213.22," jawapan itu dipetik. Penjelasan itu diberikan kerajaan bagi menjawab soalan Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) yang menanyakan Menteri Luar Negeri, apakah matlamat utama rombongan Perdana Menteri ke Kazakhstan pada Jun dan Perth pada Hari Merdeka serta kos yang terpaksa ditanggung kerajaan untuk rombongan itu. Dalam jawapan itu juga turut menjelaskan Perdana Menteri juga turut ke Turkmenistan pada 11 hingga 12 Julai 2011 juga atas jemputan presiden negara itu. Untuk lawatan itu pula, kerajaan memaklumkan telah membelanjakan RM323,268.19.

A philosophical comparison of the budgets Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:18 PM PDT On the surface, both appear to be quite similar in intent and target, namely, to help alleviate the rising cost of living particularly amongst the lower-income groups. Yet the philosophical formulation of the two documents cannot be more divergent. Breaking through the sheath of populist pronouncements, one would discover a sharp contrast between the underlying ideologies that define the two budgets. Zairil Khir Johari, The Malaysian Insider And so it has come to this. The last push. With the general election expected soon, both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional are preparing themselves for the final assault. Barricades have been erected, cannons lined up and guns trained on the other side. In the last week, we have witnessed the opening salvos launched by both sides. First to the tilt was Pakatan Rakyat with a modest offering encapsulated in the title "kesejahteraan untuk semua" or "prosperity for all'. And just as it was about to gain traction the ruling Barisan Nasional descended with a no-holds-barred mega welfare budget, coincidentally called "bajet membela rakyat, mensejahtera negara", or "defending the people and prosperity for the country". Without a doubt, both sides have angled the budget with an election in mind. Thus, there is no escaping the menial comparisons between the two sets of proffered "goodies" — RM500 for lower-income households compared to RM1,000 for lower-income housewives, or cash and book voucher bonuses for students compared to RM700 childcare allowances, or a restructuring of teachers' salary schemes compared to an outright increase in teachers' allowances. In short, most comparative discourse has been about whose sack contains bigger and better presents — Santa Najib or Santa. On the surface, both appear to be quite similar in intent and target, namely, to help alleviate the rising cost of living particularly amongst the lower-income groups. Yet the philosophical formulation of the two documents cannot be more divergent. Breaking through the sheath of populist pronouncements, one would discover a sharp contrast between the underlying ideologies that define the two budgets. Take the position on expenditures. Again, both appear similar on paper — BN's RM232 billion compared to PR's RM220 billion, with BN curtailing the long-running national deficit to 4.7 per cent of GDP compared to 4.4 per cent for PR, though the latter is based on a more conservative GDP projection. However, closer inspection would reveal that the essence of PR's spending policy is necessarily tempered by a commitment to prudence, efficiency and sustainability. For example, the PR document promises to issue Approved Permits (APs) at market value, thus raising RM1.2 billion in what can only be described as lost revenue. In addition, an open tender system as well as an Unfair Public Contracts Act is promised in order to increase value-for-money and to ensure public interest is protected. More importantly, there is also a commitment to reducing the Petronas dividend to 40 per cent of projected net profits, thus ensuring our national cash cow is able to plough its profits back for reinvestment. The BN's spending approach, on the other hand, is really just about spending. In this case, reducing the deficit merely means spending controls and reallocation of resources without necessarily addressing wastefulness, inefficiency and the need for sustainable economics. Another key difference is the discretionary budget of the Prime Minister's Department (PMD). The BN's budget has carved out RM13.5 billion for the prime minister's use, while PR has pledged to reduce that amount by a third, returning it to the levels of half a decade ago. Reducing the prime minister's spending is only half the story — the true intention of this exercise is to take steps towards decentralisation of power. Over the last few years, multiple new agencies have been created and parked under the blossoming aegis of the PMD. This has not only served to consolidate power under the prime minister, it has also emasculated various ministries which have seen their functions replicated and usurped. Seen in this context, PR's reduction of PMD expenditure is therefore not only an attempt to return power to its rightful ministries, but more importantly to reduce the arbitrary power of the prime minister. Following this, a promise was also made by the opposition leader, coincidentally also the last finance minister to table a surplus budget nearly 15 years ago, that a PR prime minister would not concurrently sign the treasury cheques — another clear commitment to devolvement and decentralisation of power. Both budgets also apparently target a very specific group — households with cumulative incomes of below RM3,000 — representing nearly 60 per cent of our population. To assist this group, BN is doling out cash bonuses of RM500 for each family, RM100 for schoolchildren and RM200 for tertiary students as a means of riding out the expected economic storm. The PR budget, while also promising assistance in the form of a RM1,000 homemaker allowance and a RM1,000 bonus for the elderly, will also grant childcare allowances of RM700 a year in addition to the facilitation and establishment of certified childcare centres. This incentive is designed to encourage female participation in the workforce, thus increasing productivity and income of the targeted households. READ MORE HERE

Missing: The Auditor-General’s report Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:12 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Something has been missing prior to the debate of the 2012 Budget in parliament yesterday, as pointed out by Opposition Leader who is also the former Finance minister, Anwar Ibrahim. "Unfortunately, we are debating the budget today, but the Auditor-General's report has not been presented," Anwar told Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He questioned whether the delay was deliberate to prevent members of parliament from discussing the Auditor-General's contents. In his response to the budget tabled by prime minister Najib Razak last Friday, Anwar accused Najib of repackaging past failed programmes and unfulfilled promises under new names requiring large amounts of money. The Permatang Pauh MP also lashed out at Najib's growth projection of 5 to 6 percent for 2012, saying that the number was way too high based on various analysis and research. Anwar also said the 4.7 percent deficit prediction was without basis, saying such a projection must be based on economic growth in 2011 and the projected growth total national income for 2012, and added a country making unrealistic growth and revenue projection would suffer the repercussion. "First, it will worsen the country's deficit. Secondly it will also sideline the critical need to adhere to physical discipline and prudent spending of public funds," said Anwar, who also echoes an earlier statement by PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man that BN would table a supplementary budget bill by mid of 2012. As such, Anwar said if the forecast GDP could not be achieved, Parliament should convene a special sitting to take Najib to task.

Home Ministry under siege, mentally Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:08 PM PDT By John Inbaraj, Aliran In an earlier article which appeared under this section entitled "Something is rotten about migrant workers' entry rules" (19 September 2011), I had quite openly implied that the government lacked the will to fight the undocumented workers problem in the country and that rampant corruption had blurred the vision of the authorities from within and without the country in creating a clean and safe environment for locals hiring foreign workers and for foreign workers themselves. I had also called for the authorities to stop the flood of undocumented workers and to keep our shores safe from health-related and social problems and "undocumented" criminals roaming in our midst without fear. It did not take long for all of the above to be reinforced in the media in the days that followed. theSun (21 September) carried a front page article which shouted "Unapproved labour"! The Star and New Straits Times carried similar articles. The Home Minister revealed that 2320034 foreign workers were registered via the biometric system. Of these 1303120 were illegals (almost 50 per cent), some 327991 of whom were employed in mining, car workshops, fast food restaurant and food stalls and as fishermen and newspaper vendors. Some of these illegals are self-employed and some have become employers. These areas are not in the approved list of work for foreigners. The saddest part of this whole episode is that Hishammuddin, whose Home Ministry was accorded No. 1 status for Key Performance Indicators (KPI) achievements, is quoted as saying "Even though the scenario is not new, it is difficult for the authorities to take action against them due to falsification of documents and identities and other abuses of work permits and passes." And mind you, he adds, "As such, the Home Ministry is considering suggestions by employers who have pleaded that special permission be given for the illegal workers in the non-approved sectors, to be included in the legalisation process." I am exasperated, breathless and completely lost. People who challenge conditions set by the Home Ministry, falsify documents, cheat, lie and abuse are granted a reprieve? You even have fast food chains – "respected" and probably internationally recognised food outlets – employing illegal workers? And you condone that! Hey Minister, have you any respect for yourself? Doesn't it anger you when foreigners and especially local employers don't give a damn for your rules and regulations and what you say? At this point let me digress a little and draw our readers attention to an incident that happened to a friend of mine some time back. This was over an sms informing him of a substantial cash winning. My friend, recognising that it was a scam originating from an Indonesian mobile number, called to threaten the sender with a police report but the response he got was "Report-lah! Malaysian punya polis semua bodoh-lah!" As a Malaysian how did I feel? Anger yes, but at the same time wasn't he right? Has this scourge now spread to the Home Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister too?   READ MORE HERE.

Firefly must be sold to avoid price fixing, says Pakatan Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:04 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have told Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to dispose of its subsidiary Firefly to ensure competition for air travel after the national carrier's share swap with AirAsia. DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said the August 9 deal, which saw Tune Air Sdn Bhd hand over 10 per cent of the low-cost airline to Khazanah Nasional Bhd in exchange for 20.5 per cent of the flag carrier, will see "a collusive duopoly seeking to protect profits instead of being dictated by market forces." The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said even if there was no active price fixing "there will be collusion as 'I don't reduce, you don't reduce, we all make money'." He pointed out that despite fuel prices increasing by over five times since AirAsia began operations 10 years ago, passengers have enjoyed more than a 50 per cent reduction in domestic and regional air tickets. The controversial share swap has come under fire from politicians on both sides of the divide. MAS has said that Firefly will be turned into a full-service regional airline following the deal under the "Comprehensive Collaboration Framework" between MAS and AirAsia. PAS research chief Dzulkefly Ahmad said unless Firefly was sold to the highest bidder, "it is a case of one step forward, two steps back for Datuk Seri Najib Razak's liberalisation." The prime minister has introduced market reforms since taking office in 2009 but a recent spate of takeover bids by government-linked companies has raised questions over his administration's commitment to freeing the market for private sector players. Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) has made a mandatory offer to take property development giant SP Setia private after increasing its stake to over 33 per cent. Sime Darby Bhd's recent acquisition of 30 per cent of property developer Eastern and Oriental (E&O) for RM766 million from a group of businessmen has also sparked concerns of insider trading and both counters were suspended this morning. Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly said these moves reduced competition and were a "bottleneck to an efficient market" which would lead to capital flight.

Secret order to snoop on WikiLeaks Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:59 PM PDT (Reuters) - WASHINGTON: The U.S. government obtained secret court orders to force Google Inc and a small Internet provider to hand over information from email accounts of a WikiLeaks volunteer, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The U.S. request included email addresses of people that Jacob Appelbaum, a volunteer for the campaigning website, had corresponded with in the past two years, but not the full emails, the newspaper said, citing documents it had reviewed. Internet provider Sonic said it fought the government order legally and lost, and was forced to turn over information, the company's chief executive, Dane Jasper, told the newspaper. Appelbaum, 28, has not been charged with any wrongdoing, the daily said. Google, the world's No.1 Web-search engine, declined to comment on the matter, the Wall Street Journal said. WikiLeaks last year angered the U.S. government by making public tens of thousands of secret U.S. files and diplomatic cables that embarrassed Washington, as well as a classified video of a contested American military operation in Iraq. The Google order dated January 4, 2011, directed the search giant to turn over IP address from which Appelbaum logged into his Gmail.com account and the email and IP addresses of the users with whom he communicated dating back to November 1, 2009. It isn't clear whether Google fought the order or turned over documents, the Journal said. The controversial court orders are expected to add fuel to a growing debate over a controversial law -- the Electronic Communications Privacy Act -- that allows the U.S. government to secretly obtain information from people's email and cellphones without a search warrant. This year, micro-blogging website Twitter fought a similar court order to hand over details of the accounts of several WikiLeaks supporters, including Appelbaum, as part of a criminal investigation launched by the Department of Justice into the major leaking of confidential U.S. documents. Appelbaum is a developer for the Tor Project Inc., a nonprofit organisation that provides free tools that help people maintain their anonymity online, the Wall Street Journal reported. Twitter has not turned over information from the accounts of the Wikileaks supporters, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the investigation.

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