Archive for December 22nd, 2007

Fake thesis and pseud-PhDs – why no action by Mustapha and higher education ministry?

New Straits Times carried a scoop today with its front-page expose: “PSST, WANT YOUR THESIS WRITTEN” and its page 4 lead story “Phantom writers an ‘open secret’” on “Hundreds of master’s and PhD students are getting ‘professional thesis writers’ to pen their theses”.

The Higher Education Ministry is aware of such intellectual fraud and university scam but is not doing anything about it.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Kiat admitted:

“I have heard that some students are even placing notices at campuses requesting for the services of thesis writers.

“There are also those who offer their services by placing notices at the campuses.

“The institutions should immediately find out who these people are.”

Ong advised students not to resort to such unethical means to obtain their degrees as they were not only cheating themselves but also society.

He said his ministry was unable to take action as neither the students, the professional thesis writers nor the institutions of higher learning had come forward with complaints or information.

The NST reported a case of RM8,000 paid by a mature student to get a Masters thesis written. Read the rest of this entry »

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No IPCMC “lion” with teeth and claws but a toothless/clawless SCC mouse

The Parliamentary Roundtable on the Special Complaints Commission (SCC) Bill – the fake Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) – will be held in Parliament House next Friday, 28th December5 2007 at 9.30 am. Instead of the originally announced Thursday, 27th December.

This is because on Thursday, 27th December 2007, I will be in Shah Alam Sessions Court for the sentencing of the Batu Caves 26 for unlawful assembly and causing mischief charges.

Although the ludicrous “attempted murder” charges against the 31 – and the manhunt for at least another 30 on a similar charge of attempted murder of a cop – had been dropped, the ordeal of the total of 403 days which the 31 had to spend under incarceration in prison (i.e. 13 days each) as they were not allowed bail, is an unforgettable experience for the 31 who were innocent of the attempted murder charge and a blot on the system of administration of justice in Malaysia!

I will be at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Thursday as a sign of solidarity with the Batu Caves 26 (as charges against five students had been withdrawn) and well as a gesture of protest against the system of justice which could deprive a total of 403 days of freedom from 31 innocent persons!

Is the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail prepared at minimum to publicly tender a public apology for the 403 days of incarceration he had caused the Batu Caves 31 when was a clear abuse of his discretionary prosecutorial powers – not to mention the sufferings he caused the families concerned as well as hardships for those who lost their jobs as a result of the unjust incarceration ?

Invitations to NGOs and NGIs, as well as the 16 Commissioners of the Royal Police Commission, to the Parliamentary Roundtable on the SCC Bill next Friday are in the process of being sent out.

Instead of an IPCMC “lion” with teeth and claws, a toothless and clawless SCC mouse has been produced wasting four years of the Abdullah premiership, making a total mockery of Abdullah’s pledge to reform the police and the Royal Police Commission Report with its 125 recommendations to create an efficient, accountable, incorruptible and professional world-class police service to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Political tsunami by Malaysian Indian voters in next general election?

There is a political awakening akin to a political “uprising” among the Malaysian Indian community, seeking to shake off their long-standing political, economic, educational, social, cultural and religious marginalization by asserting their political rights as Malaysian citizens.

Can Malaysian Indian voters create a political and electoral tsunami in the next general election expected next March in 50 parliamentary and 133 state assembly seats where they comprise more than 10 per cent of the electorate, or in 21 parliamentary and 73 state assembly seats where they constitute more than 15% of the electorate?

I had said in Ipoh yesterday that there are 62 parliamentary seats and 138 state assembly seats where Indian voters comprise more than 10% of the electorate and that there are 28 parliamentary and 78 state assembly seats where the Indian voters constitute more than 15% of the voters where they can play the role of “kingmaker” in the electoral outcome.

These figures are wrong as they were based on the 2004 general election electoral roll. The latest electoral data gives a different picture as there is a reduction of these constituencies – i.e. 50 parliamentary and 133 state assembly constituencies where Indian voters comprise more than 10% of the electorate and 21 parliamentary and 133 state assembly seats in Peninsular Malaysia where the Indian voters constitute more than 15% of the electorate.

On Thursday night, the MIC President and sole Indian Cabinet Minister for over 28 years, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu did the greatest disservice to the Indian community and Malaysian nation when he appeared on RTM1 programme 60 Minit Bersama Menteri as he continued to mislead the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the country in denying deep-seated, widespread and most legitimate grievances of the Malaysian Indians at their long-standing marginalization as to become the new underclass in the country. Read the rest of this entry »

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Unfree Penang Free School

by Allen Chee

I am your blog’s regular reader and an active follower of the Malaysian Politics.

Today I read your assertions on the various dysfunctional measures which the Government have undertaken that promotes racial polarisation and intolerance amongst the different races in Malaysia. I would like to point to Saudara Lim to a particular matter which I have taken a personal interest.

I believe Saudara Lim would know that the oldest school in Malaysia is Penang Free School. I am from this school and I am very proud to be associated with this school as an ex-student.

However the impression of Penang Free School being a premier school started to change over the past decade where efforts are covertly undertaken to islamize the school. The changes, have effectively change the landscape of education in the school with more islamic activities being conducted and so on and so forth.

I heard from anxious parents and ex-frees about all these and to be honest, I felt rather helpless on how to stop this from happening as technically speaking it is not legally wrong but perhaps only morally wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

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