Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- 'Eton of the East' reminiscences
- Suhakam needs more legal bite, says civil society
- If other Muslim countries can have Shias and Sunnis, why can’t we? asks Suhakam chief
- All eyes on Kelantan MB when he names officials
- Johor Sultan buying stake for RM250m cash in Berjaya Times Square
- Compassionate and caring Ruler
- Making the rakyat pay
- Follow the rules, IGP tells PR MPs
- This is no bullshit crowd
- Khairy is spot on
- Cronyism in MAHB?
- Harun Din orang nombor dua dalam PAS, kata Mat Sabu
- Isu Syiah: AJK PAS Pusat mengalukan tindakan terhadap Mat Sabu
| 'Eton of the East' reminiscences Posted: 10 Dec 2013 11:09 AM PST
MEMORABLE REUNION: Shahar Effendi Abdullah Azizi, an old boy of Malay College Kuala Kangsar, recalls his student days at the exclusive school Naveen Mathew Menon, NST TO be an old boy of Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) is to be in the company of some of the who's who of Malaysian society. Known as the Eton of the East, the school has produced outstanding personalities in the country. Sultans, menteris besar, prominent politicians and captains of industry have passed through the portals of this leading institution. When men in well-tailored suits complete with the right accessories gathered at the Malay College Old Boys Association's (MCOBA) 2013 reunion dinner at Hotel Istana recently, they smacked of this exclusive MCKK heritage. Groups of old boys were seen laughing and joking with one another as they reminisced about their good old days at the college. One of the students, mining engineer Shahar Effendi Abdullah Azizi, 53, director of Johor Department of Minerals and Geo Science, who graduated from the class of 1978 painted a concise picture of what it was like to study at the elite boarding school. "I used to hear stories from my grandfather Mat Som, my father Abdullah Azizi and even my eldest brother Ahmad Anuar about how fun, exciting and fulfilling it was to gain a solid education at MCKK. "It became my childhood dream to study in such a good school and I studied hard to make my dreams come true. "It was hard for me to get into MCKK. With only 4 As instead of 5, I had to study for a month in SM Sains Perlis because I did not get into MCKK. "I re-appealed to the MCKK's board and they decided to let me study there after noting that my grandfather, father and even eldest brother were all alumni of the school.
"In 1974, I was admitted into MCKK and I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness because I knew that my childhood dream had just come true! "I made many friends at the school and we soon became like a big band of brothers. As this was a boarding school, our gang soon became the best of friends and we had a great time studying and playing games together," he said. "The school which is known to produce the creme de la creme of society counts Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, managing director of Khazanah Nasional Bhd; Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Defence Minister; Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education; and many others as distinguished alumni members. "As we were all a tightly-knit group of friends, we came up with nicknames for one another. "One of my best friends, Ahmad Azhari Abdul Manaf, was called 'Nyamuk' while another, Mazlan Madon, was called 'Melon'. At one point in school, I used to keep my hair long and after giving it a 'gonceng' (short haircut), my friends in school started teasing me by calling me 'Gonceng'. "Over time, this nickname was changed to 'Jenggo' because of the haircut and because my friends thought it was cool to name me after popular musician Django Reinhardt who was all the rage then," he said. "Once in a while my friends and I would sneak out of school in the middle of the night to frequent the nasi lemak stall nearby. We had to watch out for prefects, our strict discipline teacher Mr Gupta and our headmaster Wan Aziz. Recalling the strict discipline in MCKK, he said, "We had to make sure that our beds were made each morning, our shoes were shined, our toothbrushes were clean and that we always looked neat and tidy, otherwise we would be punished. "I remember how my friends and I would wake up at 5am daily to queue up to use the common toilets with our soap cases in hand. "At times, when the queue was so long, we would skip our bath so that we could make it to class on time and not be reprimanded for being late. Those who skipped their bath would joke that it was 'dry cleaning' day," he said. "Friends used to pass around cigarettes and I caught the smoking habit even though I was a good student who usually obeyed the rules. "We used to hide our cigarettes in our socks and in secret places to avoid getting caught and disciplined. Cigarettes we smoked then included Rough Rider (not available now), Benson & Hedges and Dunhill," he said. "On the rare occasion when I was disciplined because cigarettes were found in my clothes that were hung out to dry on railings outside our dormitory, I had to attend detention class, clean the toilets, mow the lawn, sweep the school or do other chores. I was rarely disciplined though because I was a good student," he said. "One funny incident that stays with me till today is how my friend Azhari or 'Nyamuk' used to sport an afro hairstyle back in 1978.
"In order to avoid getting caught, he would style his hair with gel and comb it down so it looked like he had short hair. One day, our disciplinary teacher called his bluff when he touched his hair and suddenly it puffed up again," he said laughing, adding that 'Nyamuk' was immediately disciplined for breaking the school regulations. "As I was on a RM100 scholarship, this monthly allowance, which is probably worth more than RM500 today, was sufficient to pay for whatever I needed back then as in those days inflation was low. "My friends and I used to enjoy eating together in the 'mess hall'. When some friends could not make it to lunch or dinner because they had other appointments, we used to tell the kitchen staff that we would 'keep' their food for them on our table but instead would help ourselves to it. "On some days, the chicken tasted like plastic. We used to look forward to sitting with our teachers and prefects on a special platform overlooking the mess hall where the food served was better and tastier and we even enjoyed ice-cream!" he said. "Another of my fond memory is that of my friends and I playing music as a group since Form One. I learnt to play the angklung and the guitar and we would have fun jamming at the school. "Our band 'Wheel Machine' was a hit among the students and we would play at school functions. "Artistes like the Bee Gees, Doobie Brothers, Santana, P. Ramlee and others were popular then. My friends in school were like brothers to me. Even today, my friends and I still play as a group, but Wheel Machine now performs at weddings, birthdays, corporate and other functions," he said. "Joining the Cadet Club in Form Two was a great experience, too, as I enjoyed going on camping trips with my friends to the Port Dickson Army Camp where I learnt to use a real rifle. "I am indebted to my favourite teachers like Mr Nadarajah who taught us English throughout high school and to my other English teacher, Gitu Chakravathy who taught me in Form Five," he said. "I went on to study mining engineering at the University of Leeds from 1981 to 1984 before returning to Malaysia to work," he concluded. During the reunion dinner, the alumni members enjoyed a sumptuous meal and were treated to a series of interesting performances. The were plenty of laughter and cheers as a humorous skit and soulful music performances kept the crowd entertained throughout the reunion dinner and concert. If you have a reunion coming up and would like them to be featured, let us know by sending an email to streets@nst.com.my. Please include the date, time, venue and contact details.
 Shahar Effendi Abdullah Azizi (second from right) with Malay College Kuala Kangsar alumni members (from left) Ahmad Zaidi Ahmad, Ahmad Zabidi Ismail, Wan Mohamed Kamsani Wan Mahmud and Solihuddin Ahmad. |
| Suhakam needs more legal bite, says civil society Posted: 10 Dec 2013 11:02 AM PST
(The Star) - The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) needs to be given more bite to address weaknesses in Malaysia, said Human Rights Movement (Proham) secretary-general Datuk Dr Denison Jayasoona. Denison, who spoke at the Proham-organised discussion entitled "Human rights priorities for Malaysia beyond 2013 UPR to 2018" said the annual Suhakam report should be debated in Parliament and not ignored. "We cannot run away from that after spending millions of Ringgit in producing the report - you cannot allow Suhakam to be abused politically. "We should respect it as it has legislation supporting it. Its report has to be debated in Parliament," said Denison. Denison called for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 to be strengthened and for a Parliamentary Select Committee to be set up to monitor human rights issues in Malaysia. "There should be something that looks at the implementation of human rights decisions and monitors their progress. "The Government should amend the Suhakam legislation to provide for a Human Rights Court. Such a court is needed for Suhakam to have the bite and penalise people who have violated and abused human rights," said Denison. He added that a Human Rights Action or Human Rights Transformation Blueprint was needed, saying that Suhakam had proposed such a blueprint in 2001, and had even prepared a draft of it. "Human rights are good for all people. No-one needs to fear it. Only abusers of human rights need to fear it - these rights are good for all races and communities. And you cannot say that the United Nations Conventions on human rights are against Islam as all the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) countries have ratified them," added Denison. He called on the government to ratify the Conventions, pointing out that out of the nine conventions, Malaysia had only ratified three Conventions, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. "We cannot go on not ratifying these Conventions. We are embarrassingly behind the Asean and OIC countries. Ratification is fundamental, the core instruments of social, cultural and economic rights have to be ratified. We have signed some declarations," said Denison. Similar views were given by Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) chief executive officer Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, as he also called for Suhakam to be given more bite. "Suhakam reports have to be debated in Parliament and a Parliamentary Select Committee needs to be set up focused on human rights, the formulation of the National Human Rights Action plan and amendments to the relevant Act have to be made to allow Suhakam to have powers of investigation and enforcement," said Saifuddin. He also called for the UN Conventions to be ratified by the Malaysian Government. "Some technical committees have been established to examine the Conventions but we are hoping to see the results before 2018, which is when the third United Nations' Universal Periodic Review is. "We understand ratifying these Conventions is a symbolic effort by governments but not ratifying it actually puts Malaysia among the bottom ten countries in the United Nations," said Saifuddin. At the last Universal Periodic Review on Oct 24, Malaysia received 249 recommendations to ratify the Conventions and other Treaties - some of them being the International Convention Against All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights, and the UN Convention Against Torture. Meanwhile, Former UN coordination specialist Dr Lim Mui Kiang pointed out that Malaysia's international standing was poor when it came to ratifying UN human rights Treaties and Conventions. "Malaysia's standing among the UN member states is quite dismal. In the Asean region, it ranks eighth out of the ten member states, and in the Non-Aligned Movement, Malaysia is ranked 108 out of a total 110 countries, in the OIC sphere it ranks at 55th place out of a total 55 members, and in the Commonwealth it is ranked at 49th place out of 54 countries," she said. Lim pointed out that in 2010, the then Deputy Foreign Minister, Senator A Kohilan Pillay announced the government had set up a technical committee to look into the ratification of the human rights treaties. "But until now there has been no progress. In 2012, the legal division of the Prime Minister's Department initiated meetings for the drafting of the Human Rights Action Plan, but that too has not moved," she said.
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| If other Muslim countries can have Shias and Sunnis, why can’t we? asks Suhakam chief Posted: 10 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST
Sheridan Mahavera, TMI The Malaysian Human Rights Commission, or Suhakam, has called for a dialogue between the country's predominant Sunni Muslims and the tiny number of Shia Muslims. Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam, saying the Federal Constitution provided for freedom of different communities to practise their faith, called for such a freedom to be extended to other denominations within Islam. "If other Muslim countries can have Shias and Sunnis living side by side, why can't Malaysia?" asked Hasmy, adding that the sensitive issue could still be solved through dialogue. Hasmy said despite followers of two schools involved in violent conflicts elsewhere, both groups should work out their differences through dialogue. Shiism is the second largest denomination of Islam, and according to Washington-based Pew Research Center, its adherents make up 10% to 20% of the global Muslim population, now estimated to be at 1.6 billion. Despite their small number in Malaysia, Shia Muslims have been targeted by local Islamic authorities. The move is ironic, as Malaysia has good relations with Iran, a predominantly Shia Muslim nation. Hasmy's call, which was made during an event to mark Human Rights Day yesterday, followed months of belligerent talk by political parties, Muslim groups and government agencies against local Shia Muslims who they said posed a "threat" to Sunni Islam. Last week, during the Umno general assembly, party leaders took turns in calling for a clampdown on Shia Muslims. Other local Muslim groups have called for the same treatment towards Shias, although they said the denomination should not be recognised as a branch of Islam in Malaysia.
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| All eyes on Kelantan MB when he names officials Posted: 10 Dec 2013 10:01 AM PST
(The Star) - Following his appointment as the new PAS state commissioner, all eyes will be trained on Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob when he names his officials in the new state party team. Observers said it would test his mettle as a leader as it would have a bearing on GE14. Ahmad, 63, has a tough decision to make to maintain unity and balance of power within the outfit, following spats among senior PAS leaders that led to party vice-president Datuk Husam Musa criticising the state government during the state assembly sitting in early October over several administrative issues. Husam's feud with the Kelantan government led party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and the central committee to intervene and a meeting was held at the Mentri Besar's official residence at JKR 10 here on Oct 22. Present were Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, Kota Baru MP Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, Pulai Chondong assemblyman Zulkifli Mamat and state executive committee members. Abdul Hadi said no action would be taken against the Salor assemblyman for his outburst but advised that any criticism should be done within the boundaries of decorum and respect. Political analyst Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, who did a PhD thesis on PAS in the era of the ulama leadership, said although it would seem as if the feud between Husam and the state leadership had simmered, Ahmad had a difficult decision to make if he wanted unity within his outfit. "It is my opinion that not appointing Husam in the line-up may exacerbate power struggle within the party because Husam is Salor asssemblyman as well as Kubang Kerian PAS commissioner and a party vice-president," he added. "Alternatively, it would be appropriate for Ahmad to appoint Mohd Amar as state deputy commissioner I and Husam as deputy commissioner II while other senior PAS leaders, like either Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud, Datuk Mohd Hanifa Ahmad or Pasir Mas MP Nik Abduh Nik Aziz, as deputy commissioner III," said Dr Kamarul.
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| Johor Sultan buying stake for RM250m cash in Berjaya Times Square Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:41 AM PST
(The Star) - Fresh from selling six plots of land in Johor Baru for a whopping RM4.5bil, the Johor Sultan has entered into an agreement to buy a 20% stake in Berjaya Times Square Sdn Bhd (BTS), which among others, owns the Berjaya Times Square Mall in Jalan Imbi, for RM250mil cash. This is not the first investment the ruler of Johor has made in recent months, as he is seen to be picking up assets and emerging as shareholder in companies. Yesterday, Berjaya Assets Bhd told Bursa Malaysia that it had inked an agreement to dispose of 150 million shares of RM1 each, or a 20% equity stake, in BTS to Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. A unit of Berjaya Assets, BTS owns and manages Berjaya Times Square Mall which has a gross built-up area of 7.5 million sq ft on 4.05ha in Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. The building comprises a 12-level shopping mall, two 46-storey towers of serviced suites and hotel, five levels of basement and 10 floors of annexed carparks. Besides that, BTS is also involved in the operations of carparks and theme park, and its other subsidiary owns and manages Berjaya Waterfront, Johor Baru (formerly known as The Zon in Johor) with properties spreading over 7.28ha of prime land in Johor. Berjaya Assets said the sale allowed it to raise immediate cash and that the Sultan's entry into BTS would enable him to participate more actively in the future direction and developments of the BTS Group. Berjaya Assets intends to use the proceeds for working capital and future investments. Just over a week ago, China-based developer Guangzhou R&F Properties Co Ltd bought six plots of land totalling 47ha in Johor Baru from the Sultan for a whopping RM4.5bil or RM891 per sq ft. It is a record deal as just months earlier another developer from China, Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd, had bought 22.26ha in Danga Bay for RM376 per sq ft from another developer. It is said the estimated sellable floor area of about 3.5 million sq m for the R&F deal worked out to a plot ratio of 7.5 times and that is seen as high, given that the land is worth about RM891 per sq ft. In comparison the Danga Bay plot ratio is 5.22 times. That aside, Berjaya Assets is part of Berjaya Group which is ultimately majority owned by Tan Sri Vincent Tan. He is a long time investor in REDtone International Bhd and in July bought more shares to raise his stake to 13.86%, making him the second largest shareholder in the telco and WiFi infrastructure builder. Earlier in May, the Johor Sultan ended with a 51% equity stake in REDtone Network Sdn Bhd (RN) via a transaction with REDtone International, whose stake in RN has been reduced to 49% from 70%. RN is one of the three companies that was shortlisted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission in November last year for the digital terrestrial television broadcast (DTTB) infrastructure contract.
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| Compassionate and caring Ruler Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:29 AM PST
Wani Muthiah, The Star Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is known for being a well-read and knowledgeable Ruler who is able to speak on many topics and issues with finesse.
He always keeps abreast of happenings in the state and steps in whenever there is a need for him to do so. Being a just man, Sultan Sharafuddin also speaks up when he feels and believes there is a violation of individual or collective rights. In 2009, when the privacy of a state assemblyman was violated with private pictures of her being circulated in cyberspace, Sultan Sharafuddin immediately voiced his concern. The Sultan issued a statement that he was upset and worried over the intrusion of privacy and private rights for the purpose of destroying a person's dignity and reputation. He added that he was saddened that private lives were being made public and subject to public scrutiny via the mass media.  Sultan Sharafuddin shaking hands with Selangor football veteran P. Somasundram Sultan Sharafuddin also raised concerns over the plight of the orang asli (aborigines) and had asked for their rights, especially with regards to their land, to be returned to them. He urged the state government to expedite the identification and gazetting of orang asli land in his speech during the opening of the state legislative assembly sitting in 2009. Sultan Sharafuddin said in his speech that the orang asli community had undergone an erosion of identity and it is time their rights be returned to them with the resolution of their land problems. "I want to stress the need to acknowledge and preserve orang asli land which had been seized from them in the last few years,'' the Sultan had said. Klang's Orang Besar Daerah Datuk Setia DiRaja Datuk Abdul Ghani Pateh Akhir said the Sultan always put the people's welfare first. "Tuanku is always concerned about his subjects and emphasises that whatever projects planned by the government and other parties must first and foremost benefit the people," he said. He added that the Sultan also often stopped to speak to people whenever he attended public events or prayers at mosques.  Sultan Sharafuddin greeting the orang asli community at the perkampungan orang asli in Pulau Indah. "He has never not stopped and listened and responded when people come forward to speak with him. Whenever he attends charitable events involving the needy, he would speak to them and ask them about the problems they faced," said Abdul Ghani. Sultan Sharafuddin's love for books goes a long way back and he is the proud owner of a massive collection on all topics. His private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani had been quoted in a previous interview saying Sultan Sharafuddin spent almost all his spare time reading. "Tuanku is always reading whenever he has some free time. He also reads while travelling in the car," Mohamad Munir said. The Sultan's collection of books is kept in his palace as well as several other locations and the ruler has also donated a substantial amount of books to libraries. Sultan Sharafuddin is also known as a working Ruler and is said to use his vast experience as a former civil servant when carrying out his royal duties. Tuanku had served in the Selangor state secretariat as well as the Kuala Lumpur district office and the police after returning from England upon completing his studies. Sultan Sharafuddin is also known to be very direct and is a stickler for detail. However, any decision he makes is always after meetings and discussions with relevant parties. Meanwhile, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the Sultan's guidance in matters related to the state was valuable.  Sultan Sharafuddin looking through the titles available at the Raja Tun Uda Library in Section 13, Shah Alam during the handing over of books worth RM200,000 to the library. — Bernama "We are blessed to have a capable Sultan who not only supports us but also guides us with the wisdom of his experience," said Khalid. Sultan Sharafuddin was born on Dec 24, 1945 at Istana Jemaah in Klang when his father, the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah was the Selangor Crown Prince. Sultan Sharafuddin, whose birth name is Tengku Idris Shah, became the Raja Muda of Selangor at the age of 15 in 1960 when his father was installed as the Sultan of Selangor. He ascended the throne in 2001 after Sultan Salahuddin's demise. On his 68th birthday, the rakyat of Selangor wish Sultan Sharafuddin good health and many more blessed years ahead. Daulat Tuanku!
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| Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:14 AM PST The recent price hikes are just the beginning. Tolls, public transport fares, Quit Rent, sewerage and cooking gas too will go up soon enough. Selena Tay, FMT No leader of a nation will trouble its citizens unless he himself is in trouble. And this seems to be the case with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for right now he is having trouble in servicing the nation's national debt. The solution however is very simple. He just needs to trouble the citizens by obtaining funds from them to service the debt and that is what he is doing now via subsidy cuts. After the petrol hike in early September, we had subsidy cuts for sugar and then the hike in assessment for KL and Ipoh followed by the hike in power tariff which will begin in three weeks time. One after another it is just bad news for the low-wage earner at year-end. According to the former PAS Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad, the low-wage earner not only has to bear the burden of these hikes but also the 'knock-on chain effect' from these price increases. "All these hikes will cause the price of groceries and services to go up, not to mention the fact that factories will also be increasing the prices of their products. "The low-wage earners suffer the most because they will not be getting big pay hikes to commensurate with the increase in the cost of living unlike those in the executive level," remarked the current PAS Research Director. This will simply mean that the low income group will need to tighten up their belt more which will in turn adversely affect their standard of living. "The inflation rate for the poor and the low-income group will be much higher than 4% which may cause them to default in their monthly loan repayments. As of now the statistics concerning the Non-Performing Loans (NPL) has been purposely kept a secret by Bank Negara. "Will there be more bankrupt cases then?" questioned Dzulkefly, adding that the prime minister is highly irresponsible in squeezing money out of the citizens via the GST (Goods & Services Tax) which burdens the poor more than the rich. Najib is certainly a cruel leader for reducing the subsidies and then implementing the GST. It is certainly a double-blow for the poor citizens and low-income folks. And these price hikes which are coming fast and furious is just the beginning. Tolls, public transport fares, Quit Rent, sewerage and cooking gas too will go up soon enough.
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| Follow the rules, IGP tells PR MPs Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:16 AM PST The Inspector General of Police told Pakatan Rakyat leaders to follow the rules at the planned gathering to hand over a memorandum to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall on Dec 16. (FMT) - Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar this evening lambasted Batu MP, Tian Chua for refusing to follow guidelines of the Peaceful Assembly Act for a planned protest against quit rent hike proposed by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, on December 16. The senior top cop said rules and laws have been provided to ensure smoothness of the assembly and that the police were ready to assist the protesters by manning traffic in the area. "There are laws why can't they just follow it. We are here to help them and to help everyone else," he said. He added that the police might take precautionary measures to prevent any unnecessary incidents on that day. "We would take action to prevent unwanted incidents. I urged them to apply for a permit and follow the rules." "This is to ensure that everyone else is happy. We could take care of the traffic and so forth," he said. This morning, Batu MP Tian Chua told FMT that there was no need for Pakatan Rakyat to submit an application under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAC) for their rally at Dataran DBKL next week. Speaking to FMT he said that it is only a submission of the objection letters to the rate hike.
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| Posted: 10 Dec 2013 12:59 AM PST
I was on the streets the day the government of Thailand resigned and Parliament was dissolved
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| Posted: 09 Dec 2013 04:52 PM PST There is no doubt that non-bumiputera firms discriminate the Malays - the reality is we are playing ignorance. Narinder Singh, FMT What is the big deal if Khairy Jamaluddin says that the non-bumiputera firms discriminate Malays when it comes to employment especially in the private sector? Why should anybody be irked by his statement or be hypersensitive and skew it into a racially inclined tone? Well, Khairy is merely calling what a spade should be called. Let's not be greyish on this matter. Khairy has stated the truth and many non-bumiputera firms and politicians just cannot chew and digest the hard facts that everybody knows and yet play dumb. There is no iota of doubt that the non-Malay firms in the private sector prefer to employ their own kind. Just walk into any Malaysian Chinese company; the facts will speak louder. Majority of private companies in Malaysia are family owned; even the big public listed conglomerates. It is an open secret. Analyse the profiles of the companies and it will confirm what Khairy says. If there is no discrimination, why do then some Chinese firms insist that for one to apply a job with them must be able to read, write and speak fluent Mandarin? Some even further demand that one must speak the different dialects. If that is not discrimination, then what? When there are majority Chinese in a meeting, the primary language is their mother tongue. This is a typical scenario even in multinational companies. Having attended many business meetings and dinners myself in the course of my life in the corporate world, it is disgusting to note that the Chinese have no or little respect to the other races when the majority seated are them and all conversations are in Chinese. Why? They feel they are superior. And if your superior is Chinese, there is really no hope of getting any significant promotion or salaries at par. In the commercial world, if you are not a Chinese, the chances that a Chinese run entity doing business with you is near nil. They believe that the economic wealth must be contained and rotated among their own community thus severing ties with other races is no issue.
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| Posted: 09 Dec 2013 04:46 PM PST An insider from the airport regulator alleges of high level meddling in the tender process for MAHB publication, Convergence. G Vinod, FMT A senior executive at the Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) has been accused of practicing cronyism in awarding an in-house publication contract to a local publisher. A MAHB insider has claimed that the head of MAHB corporate communication department Nik Anis Nik Zakaria had allegedly facilitated the dubious deal in awarding the contract to a less deserving publisher when there were other candidates who were better. In the letter which was posted today in popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's Malaysia Today, the anonymous staff said that MAHB publishes a bi-monthly magazine called Convergence to promote the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The contract to publish the magazine expires as the end of this year. "With its contract ending this year, the department had called for a fresh tender process and those bidding were given one month to come up with their working papers," said the staff in the letter. The insider added that from the bidding process, two companies were shortlisted, companies A and B, adding that the present publisher was not even in the top three category. However, the insider accused Nik Anis of interfering the tender process. "And from Nik Anis' re-evaluation, the present publisher was shortlisted, with company B getting knocked out for some technical reasons," said the staff. The MAHB employee said that later, the two remaining companies, company A and the present publisher, were instructed to present their working papers to the MAHB committee on Nov 18, in the presence of senior officials of the airport regulator. "What is strange is that the email inviting both companies for the presentation were only sent on Nov 15, at 5.05pm, giving the companies short notice to prepare themselves. "But I believe the present publisher was informed of the matter way earlier," claimed the staff.
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| Harun Din orang nombor dua dalam PAS, kata Mat Sabu Posted: 09 Dec 2013 04:44 PM PST Mat Sabu tidak gentar dengan kenyataan Zahid Hamidi untuk mendedahkan bukti secara terperinci mengenai pemimpin PAS yang terlibat dengan fahaman Syiah. (FMT) - Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu berkata beliau tidak pasti sama ada Naib Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi memaksudkan dirinya kerana Timbalan Presiden PAS bukan jawatan nombor dua dalam parti Islam itu. "Di dalam PAS, jawatan tertinggi adalah Mursyidul Am yang dipegang oleh Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Manakala jawatan kedua tertinggi adalah Tuan Guru Datuk Harun Din," katanya. "Peguam masih lagi kaji tindakan susulan yang akan dilakukan. Kita tunggu dulu pendedahan dia," katanya merujuk kepada Ahmad Zahid. Dalam Perhimpunan Agung Umno (PAU) Sabtu lalu, Menteri Dalam Negeri tidak menyebut nama Mohamad Sabu ketika mendakwa ada pemimpin nombor dua PAS menganut fahaman syiah. Bagaimanapun, Mat Sabu tidak gentar dengan kenyataan Zahid Hamidi untuk mendedahkan bukti secara terperinci mengenai pemimpin PAS yang terlibat dengan fahaman Syiah. Timbalan Presiden PAS itu berkata, beliau sudah biasa dengan tuduhan seumpama itu termasuk ketika pemilihan parti Islam itu baru-baru ini. "Umur saya sudah 59, kalau terpaksa habiskan sisa-sisa hidup saya naik turun mahkamah dan masuk penjara, saya akan hadapi," katanya. Mohamad berkata, sejak menyertai PAS pada awal 1980-an, beliau sudah biasa dipenjarakan termasuk dua kali ditahan mengikut Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) pada 1984 dan semasa Operasi Lalang pada 1987. Semalam, Zahid berkata, beberapa bukti bahawa pemimpin PAS terlibat dengan fahaman Syiah akan diterangkan secara terperinci dalam satu sidang akhbar khas dalam masa terdekat. Katanya, sidang akhbar itu akan diketuai Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Mohamad Radzi serta pegawainya. Sehubungan itu, katanya, pemimpin yang didakwa terlibat itu tidak perlu takut atau menafikan penglibatannya dalam fahaman Syiah. "Kenapa dia takut. Kalau pegawai saya tunjukkan bukti dia nak cakap apa? "Salah satu elemen orang Syiah ialah berpura-pura," katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas menghadiri perhimpunan bulanan KDN di Putrajaya, semalam. Zahid berkata, kerajaan tidak mahu umat Islam berpecah-belah seperti negara lain hanya kerana fahaman mazhab berbeza. Dalam perkembangan lain., Pas mencabar Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) untuk mendedahkan bukti keterlibatan pemimpin parti itu yang didakwa mengamalkan ajaran Syiah. Ahli Jawatankuasa Kerja (AJK) Pas Pusat, Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz berkata, tindakan menteri berkenaan yang dikatakan bakal mendedahkan bukti didakwa hanya sekadar mainan mahu mendapatkan sokongan politik. "Berdasarkan pemantauan, tiada seorang pemimpin Pas terlibat dengan Syiah dan kami telah pun membuat penafian berhubung perkara ini."Ia hanya spekulasi pihak luar yang khabar angin untuk mereka dan juga Umno sahaja. Jika KDN ada bukti, sila buktikan, jangan hanya bermain politik sebegini" katanya.
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| Isu Syiah: AJK PAS Pusat mengalukan tindakan terhadap Mat Sabu Posted: 08 Dec 2013 08:29 PM PST
(Astro Awani) - AJK PAS Pusat, Dr Riduan Mohd Nor hari ini mengalu-alukan supaya tindakan dikenakan terhadap Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu sekiranya benar beliau adalah seorang penganut fahaman Syiah. "Saya mengalu-alukan tindakan JAKIM, PDRM dan lain-lain agensi terhadap 'Mat Sabu' sekiranya benar beliau adalah penganut Syiah. |
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