Ahad, 8 September 2013

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:47 PM PDT

Umno's maiden attempt at democratising its election process is more likely to produce a mixed bag than the dream team of leaders that some are expecting.

The pro-Umno bloggers have been quite critical of the government of late. They had run down Najib's election war-room team, they were not impressed with the Cabinet line-up and, more recently, they have been going for Pemandu, the body that oversees the government's transformation programmes.

Joceline Tan, The Star

DATUK Syed Ali Alhabshee does not believe in doing things in a half-hearted way. That also applies to the way he talks.

Syed Ali is the Cheras Umno division chief and some of the Umno people around him often joke that: "Our boss' mouth is like a bazooka rocket, badaboom, badaboom! Even ghosts are scared of him."

His annual Cheras Umno Hari Raya open house is often proclaimed as "the best" albeit by the Umno chaps in the division

But their Raya do this year was a showstopper. Syed Ali turned the strip of no-man's land beneath the elevated highway next to his party headquarters into a twinkling fairyland with giant ketupats dangling everywhere.

The VIP guest Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who has seen more than his share of Raya open houses, turned his head this way and that, taking in the crowd, the noise and the lights.

"You are very creative," the Prime Minister told Syed Ali when he realised that all the festivity was taking place underneath a busy highway.

Anyone who has been to Cheras Umno for Raya would know that Syed Ali is no ordinary Umno warlord because apart from Najib, the other VIP guests included Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Puan Seri Noorainee Abdul Rahman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and a string of ministers.

Fireworks lit up the sky when the two Tuns arrived. More fireworks exploded when Muhyiddin came and also when Najib's car drew up. Everyone thought that was about it with the pyrotechnics but the last of the fireworks went off when Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor arrived at about 10.30pm from a Raya do elsewhere.

The First Lady had skipped dinner at her earlier stop, and she told Syed Ali: "Syed, I came because of you."

Cheras is one of those Chinese-dominated seats where the DAP always does well. Malays make up only 10% of the voters and politicians like Syed Ali will always be the electoral bystander. But he is the go-to man for the average Joe in Cheras and his division has helped people in trouble and in need.

The unspoken is sometimes more significant than the spoken in Malay politics. It is not easy to get the "big three" of Umno around the same table and the fact that they were in Cheras says a lot.

"My boss (Syed Ali) has shown it is not the position you hold but the role you play in the party that matters. He is only a division chief but he speaks up, he fights for Umno, he defends the party, he is committed to the party's survival. For him, it's not about position, it's about the party and the leaders appreciate that," said Datuk Zurainah Musa, the Wanita Umno vice-head of Cheras.

Moreover, Cheras Umno is the only division that Dr Mahathir has allowed to use his name for the "Tun Mahathir Scholarship".

The signal from the Umno top guns is clear: Umno needs more leaders who can stand up for the party even though they do not hold a big post.

"People are always asking me to contest for a supreme council seat. They phone me, they SMS, they even come to my office. They tell me I will win but I tell them I can work even without a post," said Syed Ali.

Syed Ali's politics is probably too Malay right wing for most people's comfort. But for someone who is still rather old politics, he has made excellent use of the new media.

His political blog (umno bahagiancheras.blogspot.com) is filled with hard-hitting statements. He has asked a former Hindraf leader to resign his deputy minister post and he slammed DAP for their attacks on theTanda Putera film. He defends the police, he labelled the Chinese education group Dong Zong as racist and is opposed to Chin Peng's return because he said Malay hearts are "still bleeding" over the atrocities of the communists.

Lately, some of his "bazooka rockets" have been aimed at those within the party and in connection to the party election.

He told those eyeing posts in the Umno election that such contests are not "for fun" and those going for posts should look into the mirror and ask themselves if they deserve it. He also appealed to delegates to elect those who are clean and do not have baggage.

His earlier call for Wanita Umno leader Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil to make way caused a stir but he has since toned down because he can see that the tide is with Shahrizat.

Syed Ali is one of the few people airing comments and opinions on the Umno election. That is the beauty of not vying for a post – it frees one from having to pretend to be, as they say, all sugar and spice and everything.

Those vying for posts are on their best behaviour which in Malay politics would equate to being humble and friendly to all. Open attacks against an opponent is a definite no-no. For that matter, any over-the-top promotion of oneself would be seen as boastful.

It is a delicate balancing act, and the only other person offering frank commentary on the Umno polls is Dr Mahathir except that he does it in a more polished way than Syed Ali.

Campaigning has been going on in a subtle way at Hari Raya open houses although nomination day is still another three weeks away.

On Wednesday, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam confirmed what many had expected – he is going for the vice-president (VP) post, thus making it a total of five candidates for the three posts, so far.

The former Malacca Chief Minister was quite bitter about losing in the general election and his supporters blame the Chinese for it. But the upside of this is that he is now free to move around to campaign and he has been seen at almost every major Raya open house where he is welcomed like an old friend and hero.

Mohd Ali said he is going in because he wants to defend Malay rights and he expressed concern over the way Islam is being challenged by certain quarters.

The Chinese language papers played up his comment about closing down the Genting casino which he said caused social problems and crimes. Some were puzzled where that comment was coming from but it is, of course, part of the election campaign.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein took out a full-page colour advertisement inMingguan Malaysia last Sunday, ostensibly to wish everyone a happy Merdeka. The ad showed him looking handsome and fit with lots of pictures of the minister mingling with the troops and army veterans and on duty in Sabah during the Sulu intrusion.

His Merdeka message was "Hargai kedaulatan, cintai kemerdekaan, pertahankan ibu pertiwi" (treasure our sovereignty, cherish our independence, defend our motherland). As some noted, it could very well have been his campaign slogan to defend his VP post.

Syed Akbar Ali, the pro-Umno blogger known as Outsyed The Box, ran an online poll on the VP Race. The names he listed included the three incumbents Hishammuddin, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal plus the three other VP candidates, Mohd Ali, Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir even though Mukhriz has not shown any interest in the post.

The poll showed Mukhriz leading, followed by Zahid and Mohd Ali. Fortunately for those trailing, the online voters will not be the ones voting in the Umno election. But it is still an interesting indication of how the online inhabitants view the candidates although some saw it as Syed Akbar egging Mukhriz to take the leap.

Some claimed the bloggers harbour an anti-Najib agenda but according to the loudest of them all, Zakhir Mohamed aka Bigdog, their attacks have nothing to do with the Umno election.

"We are not against Najib. He is still our choice for president, we want him up there but we don't approve of some of the people he has appointed and the shadow hands behind the scenes," said Zakhir.

Zakhir and his gang are also very pro-Mahathir. They worship the ground he walks on, they see the Mahathir era as "Umno's golden years" and they hanker for the time when the Government was strong and tough.

In that sense, the Umno election is also about the party struggling to make the transition into the new politics.

The younger set in Umno, especially those based in urban centres, can feel the ground shifting under their feet. They know that to survive, Umno has to come to terms with the changes taking place around them.

Umno, said Umno Youth exco member Datuk Zaki Zahid, has to take to heart what the voters want.

"Everybody has a voice these days, that is the sign of the new era. The people have spoken and the new team has to be able to interpret the changes. Our language and rhetoric have to be consistent with the new thinking," said Zaki.

Part of Umno wants to return to the way things used to be, part of it knows it has to keep apace with the times to survive.

But even those calling for Umno to change and transform are basically talking about dismantling the way the warlords control politics in the party.

They want to change the way the warlords block new and genuine talent from coming into the party and rising up. For instance, they believe that they could have done better in Selangor if not for warlordism.

"The basic core values of Umno as a Malay nationalist party, that it stands up for 'bangsa, agama dan negara', all that remains. No one is challenging those core values," said an Umno official.

These are the conflicting forces that Najib has had to grapple with from the day he took over as president and it is all about to come to a shake-down.

Predicting the Umno polls is not as easy as it used to be with the new election system. Some imagine that given the new and democratised mechanics, capable faces without baggage can easily join the race, get elected and become part of the new team.

But, said the Umno official, the established faces and those who are often featured in the Umno-affiliatedUtusan Malaysia will have the advantage because the majority of the delegates who will be voting are pretty ordinary party members who do not look too deep into issues or personalities.

"I doubt if we will get really outstanding faces emerging. It will be a mixed bag," he said.

Former NST boss: Ability, not birthright, should decide Umno’s leadership

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:42 PM PDT

"After blaming Barisan Nasional's poor performance on the Chinese tsunami, will Mohd Najib and the Umno leadership thank the Malays and sons of Sarawak and Sabah for saving BN and Umno last May 5 by giving what they have been neglected?" he said, referring to Barisan's dismal victory in the recent 13th General Election.

The Malay Mail

What does Umno want? The question was posed by former New Straits Times editor-in-chief Datuk A. Kadir Jasin in a recent blog post as the country's biggest political party gears up for elections in December.

The pro-establishment writer said the leadership of the Malay party — which is also the country's leadership by default as Umno's anchor position within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition — should be based on a person's ability and not his birthright, if its members wished to continue with the aspirations of its former president, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

"Power, he said, lies in the hands of the Malay community and to benefit from that power, intelligent Malays should be among the elite which is determined by ability, attitude and commitment to the country overall," Kadir said, quoting Abdul Razak in his latest post on his blog The Scribe.

"Class, birthright and money are not major factors," he added.

Kadir's opinion appears to suggest a new power to challenge Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the party's incumbent president and the son of Abdul Razak.

The veteran journalist, who helmed the once-popular daily when the still-influential Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister, also questioned whether Umno was still championing the rights of Malays.

Likening the impending Umno elections to a train ride, Kadir said the excitement leading up to the party polls should spread to all its passengers and not just be contained within the locomotive at the front.

"If just the locomotive is hot but the passengers are mopey, unsettled, fed up and disgusted and can't wait to get off or want a new attractive locomotive, then it is pointless," he said.

Putting the question to Umno members, Kadir asked if they were in it just to turn a quick trick or dig their heels in and fight for the ideals that form the foundations of Umno.

"If its just to choose leaders and get short-term personal gain, then Umno members don't need to think so hard. Just choose the ones with deep pockets and shallow principles.

"But if they want a leadership with a patriot's spirit and capable of restoring the party's dignity and return to the struggle for the interests of race, religion and country, then they need to choose well.

"If they want the Malays and other bumiputera races to get the chance to free themselves from being third-class economic citizens, they must choose leaders who are intelligent, brave, knowledgable and with vision.

"If they feel that an economic growth policy tagged to equitable division as laid out in the New Economic Policy (NEP) is good for them, they must choose leaders who are not apologetic in pursuing the rights of the majority," he said.

The NEP was an affirmative action policy, lasting for some two decades, in favour of the Malays and implemented following the deadly May 13 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur.

Shifting his sights on to Najib, Kadir questioned the direction in which the Umno president - who typically assumes the role of Prime Minister - is taking the party and country.

In an apparent swipe at Najib, Kadir asked whether Umno has any heirs to the leadership of the late Abdul Razak, or his deputy the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman or Dr Mahathir.

"After blaming Barisan Nasional's poor performance on the Chinese tsunami, will Mohd Najib and the Umno leadership thank the Malays and sons of Sarawak and Sabah for saving BN and Umno last May 5 by giving what they have been neglected?" he said, referring to Barisan's dismal victory in the recent 13th General Election.

"Will Mohd Najib table the Malay agenda, bumiputera agenda and a sustainable agenda for the poor before or during this coming Umno General Assembly?

"Or will Mohd Najib and his advisors (who are as long as a Butterworth-Padang Besar container train) continue to implement their failed GE 2013 'war room' strategy?"

Kadir said it would be wise for Umno idealists who wished to push the Malay agenda and "growth with equity" to only believe in what has already been delivered.

"If someone promises a glass of water, do not believe it until we drink and do not die of poison. The moral is not to easily believe and that we must always have a remedy for poison.

"Insyak-Allah (sic) we are safe, our race is safe, our country is safe and our religion is safe and Malays can say 'I am Malay first' without being heckled by the non-Malays," he said, in an apparent reference to deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin raised a nationwide uproar when he declared in 2010 that he was "Malay first, Malaysian second", explaining that if he put being Malaysian first, he would be shunned by the Malay community.

This year's party elections will be a historical first for Umno, as it will be the first time voting will be opened to regular members.

Previously, the party leadership was selected by around 2,500 delegates afforded voting rights. After the party constitution was amended in 2009, voting has since been opened to around 150,000 members.

Nominations for the various posts will be opened on September 28, followed by the party elections on October 19. The party general assembly will be held later in December.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Penang CM blasted for running down M’sia
Mind your own business, Anwar tells Khairy on shadow cabinet
Let the mobs rule then, says Zaid
LDP supreme council suspends sec-gen, 23 others
Give it a rest Ku Li (and you take one too), says Utusan’s Awang Selamat
You are desperate, says Liow to Chua
Michelle Yeoh Launches iM4U Street Watch Campaign To Fight Crimes Against Women
Make all rural schools English ready by 2014, says Perkasa
Pakatan: Dr M’s financial advice too little, too late for BN

Penang CM blasted for running down M’sia

Posted: 08 Sep 2013 06:14 AM PDT

NGO slams Guan Eng for washing dirty linen at international forum

Athi Shankar, FMT

A non-government organisation today slammed Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for often condemning the country and the Barisan Nasional federal government when he was abroad.

Sensible and Ethical Malaysians United Team (Semut) president Huan Cheng Guan demanded explanation from Lim on his politically-charged speeches frequently running down the country's investment climate and government competency in international forums.

He called on Lim to publicly show a detailed report on how each point raised in his speech at a Penang diaspora in Hong Kong last week can boost business confidence and attract potential investors and business partners to Malaysia.

"Failing which, Lim must be punished to personally bear the cost for the foreign trip," said Huan in a statement here today.

He wondered on whether Lim knew a special formula unknown to Harvard Business School to increase the circular flow of income and offer solutions to all economic problems by running down one's own nation.

Huan said it was shocking to see a state leader on an official trade mission in foreign land running down his motherland instead of highlighting salient points to increase business confidence of potential investors.

Citing the Hong Kong speech, which was posted in his blog, Huan slammed the Bagan MP for accusing the Barisan Nasional federal government of being penny wise, pound foolish, corrupted, debt ridden, incompetent and playing up racial, religious, and extremist sentiments.

Huan blasted Lim for condemning the federal government on its fiscal policies, fuel price hike, debts and education policies before foreigners.

Huan alleged that Lim had also gave an impression to his international audience in Hong Kong and China that Malaysia was not a safe place by questioning the competence of police and stating that only 10% of the force was involved in investigation work.

"What is the point of going on an official mission to Hong Kong only to declare to the audience that Malaysia is less attractive, less safe and less competitive?

"The Chief Minister must explain on why he persisted in running down and shaming our country by giving public and international airing to such issues.

"Any sane person would not wash dirty linen before foreign public," Huan, formerly Batu Kawan MP, said in a statement today.

Guan Eng shames Malaysia

Huan said Lim was accompanied by an official state delegation to Hong Kong, which coincided with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) investment mission to Hong Kong and China led by Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Mustapa Mohamed.

Huan noted that in Lim's speech on Sep 5, he had said: "Many high technology knowledge-intensive foreign investors lament about the poor and declining quality of our workforce at all levels, especially the poor command of English. With BN's fixation on mediocrity instead of a culture of excellence, on political quotas rather than performance and on empty rhetoric rather than concrete action, Malaysia risks being left behind by not only high-tech foreign investors but also our best talents leaving to other countries like Hong Kong."

Huan pointed out that Lim had also said that "the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak can only convince the public of his sincerity and necessity of raising RON 95 petrol prices by 20 sen to save annual subsidy costs of RM3.3 billion by also implementing open competitive tenders and fighting corruption which would save RM51 billion annually. Without accompanying measures, that demonstrates the federal government's commitment against corruption, the public would easily see through such fake sincerity and counterfeit necessity to cut costs."

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 06:40 PM PDT

(TMI) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed Sports and Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's call on Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to form a shadow cabinet.

"He should do his job and it is better for him to focus on his duties first before interfering in PR matters," Anwar said yesterday, reported Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Khairy made the call echoing PAS Youth head Nasrudin Hassan who said Pakatan Rakyat should name their shadow ministers.

"Don't dilly-dally, do it without delay," said Khairy, who has been at the forefront of opposition on Anwar's recent call for a dialogue between Barisan Nasional and PR.

Anwar told Sinar Harian that his statement was misinterpreted by Umno leaders, adding that he had never endorsed a unity government.

Referring to Khairy, Anwar said, "He has not read my Merdeka message. My statement only referred to a dialogue.

"I had only touched on four issues which are governance, crime, economy and race relations."

Let the mobs rule then, says Zaid

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 06:37 PM PDT

(MM) - Malaysia may as well return to mob rule instead of settling disputes through the courts, a former de facto law minister suggested today as Islamic authorities here flex muscle before Tuesday's appeal hearing on the "Allah" word.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim noted that powerful government religious agencies have been making "provocative and threatening statements" over the "Allah" row, placing immense pressure on judges that could affect their ability to try the case independently.

"Don't pressure our judges. Of late provocative and threatening statements are issued by those in authority with regard to the Allah issue," the one time minister in the Abdullah administration said on his Twitter handle, @zaidibrahim.

"If we don't want the court to decide on any matter pass a law in Parliament to that effect. Do it properly; not by intimidation," he said.

Islamic authorities here have been targeting non-Muslims in the run-up to the Home Ministry's legal push to ban the Catholic Church from publishing the Arabic word for god in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its local paper, the Herald.

Just days before the "Allah" row returns to court, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) hit out at non-Muslims for deigning to challenge the government for use of the term, and called upon Muslims to unite in a "holy struggle" against enemies of the faith.

In a nationwide sermon last Friday, JAKIM also laid claim to a list of words asides from "Allah" that it purports to be exclusive to Muslims and prohibited to non-Muslims.

The federal Islamic authority stressed that the ultimate goal of its opponents, which it failed to name, is to confuse Muslims and put every religion on equal terms, which will then lead to a "sea of apostasy".

Last week, an international Muslim organisation had alleged that the Catholic Church's fight to use "Allah" is part of a failed colonial-era strategy by Christians here to proselytise Muslims.

Last month, Muslim activists had alleged a global Christian evangelical conspiracy behind the "Allah" row, as they described a clandestine agenda to colonise Islamic souls and countries.

In a feature run in Malay daily Utusan Malaysia's weekend edition, Mingguan Malaysia, they claimed the Christian insistence on using the Arabic word "Allah" was out of a desire to proselytise to Muslims, even challenge the Federal Constitution and the Malay rulers.

But Zaid, a lawyer-turned-politician, reminded the government that it too was subject to the rule of law.

"If government don't respect the judges then we will have 1988 all over again," he said in a series of tweets earlier today, referring to the 1988 judicial crisis when the courts were stripped of their independence as a separate arm of government.

He added: "its the job of Police to maintain order, to defend decision."

The man who had once held high posts in both the ruling party and the opposition also referred to a news report today by The Malaysian Insider claiming government lawyers would be centring their argument to ban the Church from using "Allah" on the potential public disorder it may cause.

"The argument that a decision not approved by the people will lead to chaos is stupid and contemptuous. This is mob rule," Zaid said.

Religious tensions have been long been simmering in Malaysia in recent years, with the latest controversy surrounding a proposed law on child conversions to Islam deepening divisions between the Muslim majority and religious minorities.

The "Allah" row erupted in 2008 when the Home Ministry threatened to revoke the Herald's newspaper permit for its reference to God as "Allah", prompting the Catholic Church to sue the government for violating its constitutional rights.

Christians subsequently argued that the word predates Islam and that their right to use "Allah" in a non-Muslim context was affirmed by the government's own 10-point solution issued in 2011.

The 2009 High Court decision upholding the Catholic Church's constitutional right to use the word "Allah" had shocked many Muslims that consider the word to only refer to the Islamic God.

It also led to Malaysia's worst religious strife, with houses of worship throughout the country coming under attack.

Muslims are Malaysia's largest religious group, followed by Buddhists. Christians are the third-largest at 2.6 million, according to statistics from the 2010 consensus.

LDP supreme council suspends sec-gen, 23 others

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 05:56 PM PDT

(The Star) - Embattled Liberal Democratic Party president Datuk V.K.Liew moved further to strengthen his position as his supreme council suspended his former secretary general Datuk Teo Chee Kang and 23 others.

Liew said on Sunday Teoh, who is state Special Affairs Minister, and the others were suspended for bringing disrepute, hatred and contempt by their action that disregards the party's constitution.

Teoh together with suspended deputy president Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin were mounting a legal and grassroots challenge Liew's move to suspend or sack nearly 27 of the 35 supreme council members that supported a challenge to president's post.

Following the suspensions and sackings, Liew has since replaced most of the key positions held by the suspended members using his presidential powers and he reconstituted the supreme council over the last one week.

Following the supreme council meeting on Saturday, Liew announced that party vice president Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming, who is a state assistant minister, was appointed acting deputy president of the party.

With Teoh taking legal action to nullify Liew's moves via the courts, Liew maintains that his actions were in accordance to the powers of the president under the party's constitution.

He said the action to suspend those involved was necessary, as they have caused disaffection and disunity amongst the party members.

"They have rebelled against the party and have no respect to the party's Constitution.

They were given ample time to resolve the matters or disputes, if any with the president but they refused, failed or neglected to do so,'' he said in announcing the suspensions.

On move by Teoh's group to hold a rival supreme council meeting, Liew, who a former deputy minister who lost the Sandakan parliament seat in the last elections, said that they did not recognise it.

Give it a rest Ku Li (and you take one too), says Utusan’s Awang Selamat

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:58 PM PDT

(TMI) - In a further sign that it remains an open question whether former Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (pic) will run against the Prime Minister for the party's top post, an Umno-backed Sunday newspaper got stuck into him today.

Ku Li, as Tengku Razaleigh is popularly known, is just too long in the tooth for the job and should retire, suggested the Awang Selamat column in Mingguan Malaysia.

Ku Li is 76 years old. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is 60 years old.

By convention, the Umno president is also the Prime Minister as the party is the backbone of the government.

The column endorsed Najib as the best choice to lead the party and the government because of a better performance in the recent general election compared to 2008.

Awang Selamat is the pseudonym for the collective voice of the paper's editors, although the column is written as if it's the voice of one person.

"I do not deny his leadership qualities and contributions but hope he will make a wise decision. His age factor must be considered," said Awang Selamat, referring to Ku Li.

The column pointedly added that leaders of Ku Li's era like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Musa Hitam have retired from politics.

The editorial said the political landscape has also changed and Ku Li must realise his influence among the grassroots is not the same as in 1987. That is the year Ku Li challenged then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the president's post but lost by a 43-vote majority.

Ku Li later led a splinter party, Semangat 46. In the 1990 general election, he teamed up with PAS and DAP to challenge the Barisan Nasional.

Kelantan, which was in the hands of BN from 1978, fell into the hands of PAS and Semangat 46. BN has not regained the state since.

In the name of Malay unity, Semangat 46 was dissolved in 1996 and its members rejoined Umno.

But since his return to Umno, Ku Li has offered himself again and again for the top post – against Dr Mahathir (2000), Tun Abdullah Badawi (2004) and Najib (2009) but failed each time as he did not secure the minimum nomination required.

READ MORE HERE

You are desperate, says Liow to Chua

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:10 PM PDT

MCA deputy president paints his boss as man who twists facts in favour of himself

Alyaa Azhar, FMT

MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai has dismissed claims that he is impatient to be the new party president, as claimed by MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, and called the move by the latter a "desperate attempt".

"I am disappointed that Dr Chua stated that I have persistently confronted him to step down. This attempt to colour me as impatient and power hungry is unjustified and desperate," said Liow.

The Bentong MP claimed that this is the second time Chua has publicly referred to private and personal conversations between them.

"The first of such conversations were initiated by him on May 11 2013 before the presidential council meeting where he declared his intention to step down as party president and the need for a smooth transition.

"There were many other subsequent meetings where upon conversations covered numerous issues regarding party interests and I am shocked that he misinterpreted my earnest participation," said Liow.

According to Sin Chew Daily, Chua had accused Liow of being impatient to be the new party president. He claimed that Liow had met him three times after the 13th general election (GE13) asking him to step down.

"At the second and third meetings, Liow asked when am I going to retire and requested me to give him a date so that he can take over as president. According to the party constitution, once the president steps down, the deputy can take over the post without being acting president," said Chua.

Chua then revealed that with this move, Liow can be the president and come the year-end party polls, he will not be challenged.

Liow however maintained that "MCA's interests are above all personal agendas and the leadership should be looking into the transparency and governance issues facing the party today."

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 12:29 PM PDT

(Bernama) -- 1Malaysia For Youth (iM4U) mentor Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh today launched the iM4U Street Watch Campaign to fight crime and raise awareness on women's safety especially in the areas where women are particularly vulnerable.

Yeoh said this was her first initiative after being appointed as iM4U mentor.

She said it was aimed at raising awareness among all Malaysians to pledge their support for the "Women's Safety and Respect for Women" campaign.

"I believes it is important to educate the public and instill a sense of pro-activeness among Malaysians to make our country a safer place for all.

"iM4U also developed a series of five pledges and five tips to be shared via special media platforms and promotion with the support of RapidKL on it's various transportation and networks," she told reporters here, today.

At the launch, Yeoh joined some 20 volunteers on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to distribute safety packs containing a whistle and safety tips card to women passengers.

Meanwhile, Events and Outdoor Activation director Moots Marimuthu said in partnership with RapidKL, they would be conducting various safety awareness programmes including the placement of iM4U volunteers at selected LRT stations to help escort women to their vehicles if needed.

"We want people to be more self aware and alert with their surroundings. They should report any suspicious activities," he said.

Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad's Infrastrucure Services Group Director Masnizam Hisham said the company is committed to the safety and security of they guests and will ensure that they have a pleasant experience when using the LRT.

Make all rural schools English ready by 2014, says Perkasa

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 12:23 PM PDT

(MMO) - To ensure no Bumiputera student is left behind, Malay rights group Perkasa wants the Education Ministry to equip all rural schools with English-trained teachers and reading materials by next year now that the language is a must-pass subject for national examinations.

Echoing the sentiments of the Malay Consultative Council (MPM), Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said they agreed with the government's decision to make it a compulsory passing subject as English is the world's tongue and the language of knowledge.

"To ensure Bumiputera students in rural areas are not left behind, the Education Ministry must make sure every rural school has sufficient trained teachers in English, English books and reading materials to help the students.

"All needs must be met starting 2014 even though it is compulsory only from year 2016," the former Independent federal lawmaker told The Malay Mail Online.

Yesterday, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced English as a mandatory passing subject in the national SPM examination for Fifth Formers in an apparent nod to education lobbyists who have been pushing for its return to schools to boost the learning standard.

Muhyiddin, who is also deputy prime minister, had also said the number of lesson hours for English would be increased, to ensure the plan works.

The teaching of science and mathematics in English -- better known by its Malay initials of PPSMI -- had been introduced in national schools as an option around 2003 by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in an effort to turn the country's economy from manufacturing-based to knowledge-centric.

The education policy was later reversed in 2010.

The Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE), a leading advocate for PPSMI, however felt that making English a mandatory passing subject suddenly would leave rural students out in the cold, and expressed concern the latest policy change would put more emphasis on exam results instead of actual learning.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also voiced caution in making English a must-pass, saying it should only be carried out when all schools were on an equal footing.

Conversely, MPM - which had been against the revival of PPSMI - welcomed the plan.

The coalition of some 200 Malay organisations, including businesses and education groups, said the policy was in tandem with the government's goal of strengthening students' command of Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 12:01 PM PDT

(MMO) - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's advice for Putrajaya to tighten its belt has come too late, say Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs who predict a dire financial outlook for Malaysia unless the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government quickens its pace in carrying out comprehensive austerity measures.

It was because the former prime minister of 22 years was profligate with public money that the country is faced with government spending that's potentially spiralling out of control, lawmakers from the three-party opposition pact said.

But they added there was no point in sniping at the 88-year-old now when the real issue at hand was for the present Najib administration to check financial wastage and monetary leaks to lower Malaysia's sovereign debt, which now stands at an alarming 53 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP), just slightly below the government's self-imposed debt ceiling of 55 per cent.

"As much as I think much of the spending is inherited from his time, the real issue is the government's spending going out of control," PKR's Rafizi Ramli told The Malay Mail Online.

He said the lack of seriousness shown by Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the sixth prime minister and finance minister in controlling public spending is the real problem.

"They continue to harp over and over again on one or two billion ringgit of subsidies (for fuel), but these are marginal subsidies compared to many other items such as power production.

"I think it's dishonest. Fixing the financial problems in Malaysia need to be taken as a whole package, and it has to start with the personal commitment of the leadership to show they are serious in tackling wastages and leakages," the Pandan MP said.

Dr Mahathir on Friday posted in his blog, chedet.cc, that the government must be more prudent with its spending and whatever financial assistance is doled out, such as the 1Malaysia People's Assistance (BR1M), must be "properly budgeted for".

He said cash aid programmes like BR1M should be done more selectively, and should not become a crutch like the public's dependence on fuel subsidies.

Dr Mahathir, who also held the finance portfolio, added that the impact of the recent 20 sen reduction in RON95 and diesel subsidies would only contribute to between 1 and 5 per cent inflation to the price of goods and services.

Oil-producing Malaysia had last week hiked up the pump prices for the widely-used grade of fuel as part of the government's subsidy rationalisation programme introduced soon after Najib came into office in 2009.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Spelling the blues over English ruling
PAS must focus on substance
The same poop in different packaging?
Pak Samad isn’t the problem here

Spelling the blues over English ruling

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:53 PM PDT

If 100,000 students don't make the grade in SPM English three years from now, they will leave school without an SPM certificate.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is right when he says that his proposal to make SPM English compulsory has received much support from parents and the public. If it worked with BM in the 1970s to get everyone to take the language seriously, why shouldn't it work with English?

Leanne Goh, The Star

Our SPM students do best in Bahasa Malaysia and worst in English.

Going by last year's SPM results, 23% of the candidates failed English and this group risks completing 11 years of schooling without that final paper qualification come 2016 when a pass in the language is made compulsory.

They number more than 105,000 out of the 459,118 candidates who sat for the exam last year.

And to compound the problem, there will be another compulsory pass next year (besides BM) – History. This core subject saw the biggest decline in passes in last year's SPM – 19.7% failed compared to 16.7% the year before.

So, in the near future, low achieving students have to overcome three "hurdles" to obtain that SPM certificate or join the workforce without paper qualification. And we are talking about potentially a six-figure number.

This puts tremendous pressure on everyone. And no one knows it better that the Education Ministry as the mastermind of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which was launched on Friday.

For decades, the decline in English proficiency has been of serious concern to all and one of the most vocalised problems in the media.

The blueprint is set to address this issue, among many others. Generally seen as a no-holds barred master plan where, for the first time, the warts and all of our education system are revealed, it charts our path towards world class education.

It acknowledges, for example, that since 2006, poor English proficiency among fresh graduates has consistently ranked as one of the top five issues facing Malaysian employers.

We are also in the bottom third among 74 countries against international benchmarking. A comparison of scores shockingly reveals that 15-year-olds in Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Shanghai are performing as though they have had three or more years of schooling than their Malaysian counterparts.

The blueprint also highlights that only about a quarter of our SPM students achieved a minimum credit against Cambridge 1119 standards.

But there will be much pain before any gain, as circumstances have changed.

At the students' level, how do we persuade them to see the relevance of English proficiency in their lives, especially among rural children? No one wants to learn something they don't need, says an educator. Hence, the need to create that relevance.

Bumiputra students, according to statistics, perform the worst compared to the Chinese and Indians when it comes to English.

The ministry realises that the failure rate is high in certain states like Sabah, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – more than 40%.

It has also identified more than 1,000 schools as hot spots, mainly in the rural areas, and prioritising them for action.

Is increasing the teaching or contact hours the solution? The blueprint says the time is insufficient and the ministry is looking at extra contact hours after school.

But an education consultant shares that based on existing contact hours – 300 minutes in primary and 200 in secondary schools – students should have achieved the "independent user" band of B1/B2 (able to effectively express views and hold one's own in social discourse) of an international benchmark.

"It's not about the contact hours but the teaching and learning process," she says.

One problem is that English is taught as a single subject with total disconnect with other subjects, thus limiting students' perception of its relevance and their vocabulary.

Over the past week, there have been intense "labs" working on how to bring about the culture of wanting "an English experience".

"We've been tasked with thinking of ways to help students soak the culture of English and to enjoy it as an experience. Unfortunately, the objective of getting an A often takes the fun out of learning," shares an educationist.

With so many organisations involved in teacher training and curriculum development, the observation of a few who have been involved in the labs is that not everyone is on the same page.

Many are working in silos and not talking to each other.

"There is no clear direction and we're not achieving the objectives. We have the corporate suits who are not educators dishing out management jargon like 3-feet plan, backfill, granular and syndication. And they have no clue about what really happens in schools," he adds.

One heartening note from the blueprint is the Government's plan to increase the number of Trust Schools to 500 by 2025. Trust schools are selected public schools that undergo "transformation" with private sector input.

The first batch of 10 schools in Johor and Sarawak, launched in December 2010, have seen tremendous positive changes at student and teacher levels and the school culture as a whole.

This is in large part due to the autonomy granted to the school to do as it sees fit with help from full-time education advisers with international experience. The aim is to raise the quality of the school's education to global standards.

Those who have been to visit have come away gobsmacked by the transformation they see. Teachers put in longer hours but are happier and the kids are bursting with questions and confidence.

As one teacher puts it, Trust Schools are "sheltered from all the madness" that many public schools are subjected to, especially poor leadership and paperwork. In most schools, more effort and time are spent doing work outside the classroom than in.

The powers that be should seriously take note of the research findings in the blueprint that: only 50% of lessons are effectively delivered and high performing teachers can improve student outcomes by up to 50% over three years versus low performing peers.

Countries like Singapore and South Korea choose quality over quantity and willingly pay more for quality teachers.

We had a successful stint of producing more than 1,000 "standout" English teachers about 10 years ago under the "overseas linking programme" for Bachelor of Education in TESL (Teaching of English as a Second Language).

This five-year post-SPM programme that offered a two-year study at British universities managed to attract top scorers who would otherwise have not had the opportunity for a foreign education.

A lecturer involved in this programme shares that it has successfully put in schools teachers who make a difference. Unfortunately, the scheme came to an end when funds dried up in an economic downturn a few years later.

A civil servant friend with two bright daughters who graduated from this programme says there must be greater incentive to get the best brains into the teaching service.

"Getting the right person will solve many of the problems. She will want to motivate the kids, focus on the teaching and learning process, do her own research for best teaching practices, etc ..." says a teacher who is about to throw in the towel.

After more than 30 years of teaching, she wants to call it a day as she does less teaching but more paperwork each year.

"And I can't stand working under a pengetua whose entire idea of education does not extend beyond the repainting of walls and retiling of floors, not to mention getting skirts for tables!"

And she will soon join the group of retirees that the ministry is trying – and failing – to rehire as they are among the last of the Mohicans with strong language skills.

Note: A frustrated teacher shares this with me: "Our schools are running on documentation. I can actually create a whole school on paper. I can give you attendance, records, photos, reports and even slip it by the authorities."

And she's not kidding!

PAS must focus on substance

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:37 PM PDT

PAS must also realise that it is heading towards tumultuous years ahead, carrying bruises of perceived underperformance in the 13th General Election, most evidently by its loss of the state of Kedah.

Radziq Jalaludin, TMI

The ulama-professional dichotomy in PAS has been the subject of interest and intense debate within the party in the last few years. This debate has once again manifested in the wake of the upcoming muktamar (or general assembly).

To some, this debate is unwanted and unproductive, but to others this is indeed a crucial discourse that will shape the future of PAS. The result of this discourse will affect the way delegates at the muktamar are likely to vote.

I do not wish to enter the fray by taking sides because I believe that the more pertinent issue is the need to reconstruct the terms of this debate. PAS members should not make their choice simply based on whether the ulama or professionals are more competent to helm the party.

Rather, the debate should be reframed and should be about ascertaining the leadership qualities of a leader and not his appearance or ideological position alone. I also believe that it is imperative that PAS focus its attention on strengthening its capabilities to govern.

To start with, who is an "ulama" and who is a "professional"? Evidently there is no clear answer. However, there is an informal segmentation of the people (read: potential candidate for party leaders) within the party.

This segmentation is rather arbitrary and judgmental. At the discretion of those preaching the idea of the importance to make a stance on the debate, is the pitiful end in mere labelling of the "other side". This suggests that the very notion of the debate lacks a solid foundation to even merit a useful discourse.

As such, PAS delegates should not be drawn into this debate. Instead, they must exercise caution in ensuring that they do not just view potential office holders from the prism of this divide.

Additionally, PAS members should now start to objectively evaluate the qualities needed for one to be an effective leader. In doing so, PAS members must turn a blind eye towards the "labels" attached to candidates.

PAS members should up the ante by voting in leaders who not only qualify to lead the party but, more importantly, leaders who could lead the nation as a whole.

This would also inevitably lead to another polemic of giving the right meaning to "quality". We can expect many views coming from many vantage points, asserting their own meaning to the word "quality". This could create an intense debate in the party, but this debate is not only important but necessary. Members will postulate their views so that others could try to understand or at least to agree to disagree, subject to the party being matured enough to allow discussion to flow without any quarters trying to suppress it by resorting to calling it un-Islamic.

READ MORE HERE

The same poop in different packaging?

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:26 PM PDT

It really does not require a genius to arrive at the conclusion that government spending is the biggest attribute in the worsening of the country's debts.

Vidal Yudin Weil, FMT

More than 100 days have elapsed since the passing of the general election and what has Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak done, let alone achieve, for the people – NOTHING…!

Despite all the colourful and feel-good press statements released in the mainstream media, including state and crony-owned television and radio stations, about how well the economy is doing, the dark shadow of recession is looming over the whole federation.

The entire scenario will spell out in no uncertain vocabulary the naked fact that incompetent management of taxpayers' money and institutionalised corruption will in the end bankrupt this country.

Every day we hear Najib and his ministers dishing out lame excuses to confuse the citizenry; it is a clear indication that for the remainder of his term nothing will come out productive and beneficial to the people anytime soon because even in doing the wrong things lies the fat mark of sloth and stupidity.

Like any other thing that went wrong, the shrinking economy and escalating cost of living is proving to be too complicated and convoluted for Najib's government to understand; it really does not require a genius to arrive at the conclusion that government spending is the biggest attribute in the worsening of the country's debts!

Because it is actually very straightforward, Najib should pursue a policy of trimming down his pot-belly administration where everyone in it is a factor as a transparent sign of substance instead of the present rhetorical distraction to cover up for his ineptness!

Even when he has no idea how to find alternative sources of funding, instead of raising the prices of fuel which will inadvertently cause the hike of everything else and burden the people, Najib should have immediately conceive reducing the size of his government as a more tactical and effective approach followed by selling all the government-linked corporations.

READ MORE HERE

Pak Samad isn’t the problem here

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 12:17 PM PDT

How will putting a poet behind bars make a difference to the BN government?

Jeswan Kaur, FMT

Outsiders get murdered in Malaysia and the murderers are never convicted. The country's Islamic Development Department (Jakim) blatantly misuses the Friday sermons to incite the Muslims against the non-Malays but that too is alright with the federal government.

What however Putrajaya under the Barisan Nasional government cannot digest is the fact that there are Malaysians who are willing to forsake glory to uphold their belief in the truth.

Be it then the Bersih chairperson S Ambiga or its co-chairperson A Samad Said, the national laureate-cum-activist, both have experienced the wrath of the BN government for standing up against injustices and wrongdoings.

Just for being honest and dedicated to a cause, both Ambiga and Samad were censured and calls made for their citizenships and honorific titles to be revoked.

Ambiga who was the force behind the Bersih rallies that demanded a clean-up to the electoral system, remains true to her cause, the 'obstacles' coming her way in spite.

Now, it is the 78-year-old poet and novelist Samad who is going through the same motion – the disrespect and uncouth treatment meted out by the authorities to him speaks volumes of their desperation in appeasing the 'powers that be'.

Samad, the 1979 recipient of the Southeast Asia Write Award, found himself in trouble when he was arrested for allegedly flying the Sang Saka Malaya flag on the eve of Merdeka celebrations at Dataran Merdeka.

The country's Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, notorious for his racist sentiments, has described the laureate's actions as indecent and shameful.

The Sang Saka Malaya is a red-and-white flag with 12 yellow stars set in four columns and was reportedly proposed as Malaya's national flag in the 1940s.

The flag was used by the first Malay party, Kesatuan Melayu Malaya (KMM) formed in 1938, that had fought against the colonial British for the country's independence.

This is the second time in two years where authorities have taken action under the Sedition Act 1948, on those caught holding up the Sang Saka Malaya flag.

Muhyiddin said the display of the Sang Saka Malaya was politically-motivated.

"Samad's involvement is incredibly embarrassing and it's improper since he carries the title of a laureate," Muhyiddin had said in his speech at Universiti Malaya on Friday.

The DPM who is also the Eduaction Minister added: "I don't know what intention he has in flying the Sang Saka Malaya. It can't be that someone who is so respected and who has produced many major works of literature would do something so shameful.

"It is not that he is uneducated. He is, and better than us," the DPM had said.

Bingo! Muhyiddin got it right that Samad is far better enlightened that him and everyone else occupying the comfortable offices of Putrajaya.

It is precisely because he is far more 'educated' than prime minister Najib Tun Razak or Muhyiddin that Samad has no remorse over his actions.

As far as this reticent poet is concerned, the authorities can do whatever they please to 'make their point' and calls by Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek for Samad be stripped of his 1985 national laureate title following this incident far from bother him.

BN's fear of truth-seekers

The DPM said the display of the Sang Saka Malays was politically motivated. Even if it was, what was so wrong in that? What was it about the Sang Saka Malaya that left BN insecure to the point that it had scramble to its feet to find scapegoats for reasons best known to it?

How will putting a poet behind bars make a difference to the BN government? To abuse the Sedition Act and punish Malaysians for having the courage to fight against injustices is fast becoming the hallmark of BN.

Is the BN government so unsure of its standing in the eyes of the rakyat that it had to despatch the police at midnight to nab Samad?

How has Muyhiddin arrived at the conclusion that flying the Sang Saka Malaya flag was politically propelling?

What about the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu? Was her death by C4 explosives not politically connected?

What about the fact that despite having been rejected by the rakyat, former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Jalil has been appointed as special adviser on women affairs to Najib? Is this not an obvious case of political agenda at work?

The flimsy tale cooked up by the Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar that Samad had gone into hiding when the police went to his house to arrest him past midnight has further damaged the battered image of the police force.

Khalid claimed the arrest was made according to procedures and that the police went to Samad's house on Tuesday afternoon but the national laureate was not at home.

"Samad returned home at midnight and tried to sneak but we caught him. Why blame the police for arresting someone who shamelessly desecrated the flag of our beloved country?," was Khalid's outburst.

The IGP claimed that the police had urged Samad to surrender himself but he failed to do so.

The truth as Samad has pointed out is something else.

"I was at home. I was not in hiding. I was at home all the time, though I did go for a walk at Bangsar and had tea at a mamak shop near my house," he was reported as saying.

The tables have now turned with Samad, more popularly known as Pak Samad, accusing Khalid of fabricating a story to justify the 12.40am Sept 4 arrest at his home in Bangsar.

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RON95 & diesel price increases: Feeling disenfranchised

Posted: 07 Sep 2013 01:35 PM PDT

In Malaysia, it's generally true that vehicles used for business purposes run on diesel, and petrol is used for private motoring.

This week the Government of Malaysia reduced the subsidy on RON95 petrol and diesel by 20 sen per litre; 2 days later the government reduced the subsidy on RON97 petrol by 0.15 sen per litre.

The price-at-the-pump is now RM 2.10 for RON95, RM 2.00 for diesel; and RM 2.85 for RON97.

The news analyses and comments I've seen in response to the increases are mostly negative.

We've been reminded that in February the Prime Minister said fuel prices will not be raised, and in April, the Minister for Domestic Trade said the same thing. The PM and the Minister said the government would continue to subsidize fuel at pumps, despite the fact that the cost of subsidies is, according to one news report, RM 30 billion per year. So, we're to conclude "the election's over, time to break the promises." Sigh.

We've been told about inane comments by BN politicians, e.g. Bung Mokhtar, saying the increase in prices will not burden "kampung people." Sigh.

We've been shown a few photos taken at petrol stations which show some who queued to grab the "cheaper fuel" before the midnight price hike were driving large new cars. So, we're to conclude the poor aren't complaining, it's just the rich who're complaining. Sigh.

We've been reminded that the Fitch ratings agency pushed our nation's credit rating outlook to negative, due to over-spending by the government, including "high and rising weight of subsidies in expenditure," as reported in The Malaysian Insider. Some take this to mean we should conclude prices at the pump must be raised in order to please foreigners! Sigh.

I've just returned to Kuala Lumpur after living for a year in the Netherlands. I know how cheap fuel is in Malaysia relative to other countries.

For a litre of RON95, last week, in Amsterdam, I paid RM 8.01 (EUR 1.85), while this week in Kuala Lumpur, after the price hike, I paid RM 2.10. The Dutch pay 4 times as much as Malaysians! [I should also add that the Dutch do not pay tolls.] This source gives you the price of fuel in Europe.

I am NOT surprised by this report on the extent of Malaysia's fuel subsidies:

"In 2011, the IEA [International Energy Agency] reviewed the consumer subsidies of 12 economies in the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which together represented roughly a quarter of global subsidies. On a per-capita basis, Malaysia had the third-highest fossil-fuel subsidies, spending US$199.6 per person in2009, behind Brunei at US$804.1 and Russia at US$274.3 (IEA, 2011). The study also indicated that Malaysia spent 2.4 percent of GDP on fossil-fuel subsidies, just behind Vietnam, with the highest Expenditure by GDP at 2.8 percent." (source: the Canada based International Institute for Sustainable Development)

When I reviewed news reports and comments, I noticed the reduction of subsidies and the subsequent increase in price-at-the-pump is being 'analyzed' in overly simplistic terms. We seem to gravitate towards us-versus-them, 2-dimensional slanging matches, and miss the big picture.

Odd. Few seem to think fuel consumption will go down as a result of the price increase. Isn't it odd that an increase in price doesn't translate to a reduction in demand?

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Sabtu, 7 September 2013

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