Archive for November 20th, 2008

Why we continue to sell ourselves short?

Posted by Kit in Good Governance on Thursday, 20 November 2008

Shame for Malacca state and Malaysian nation is the only word at the following report:

Shah Rukh can’t come for award function

Nov 20, 08 2:36 pm

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has postponed a controversial ceremony to award him a Datukship because he is too busy, officials said today.

Shah Rukh is to be presented with an award from Malacca which carries the title “Datuk” after a 2001 film set in Malacca boosted its profile as a tourist destination.

The award has proved contentious, with some questioning whether Shah Rukh is deserving or whether local artists and celebrities should be recognised instead.

“The ceremony has been postponed for now,” a senior Malacca official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Read the rest of this entry »

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Will former Pampena Chairman Chor Chee Heong step forward to explain the RM50 million Pempena scandals?

Posted by Kit in Corruption, MCA, Tourism on Thursday, 20 November 2008

The new Executive Chairman of troubled Tourism Ministry subsidiary, Pempena Sdn. Bhd, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun called a press conference yesterday but refused to answer questions about the RM50 million Pempena scandals of bad investments, criminal breach of trust and financial improprieties declaring:

“I will not answer on things that happened before my time. Now I just want to focus on revamping the company.”

Is nobody to be responsible for the scandalous RM54.4 million Pempena investments in 24 investee companies as at June 2008, where Pricewaterhouse Cooper audit has recommended the immediate closure of five companies resulting in instant loss of some RM20 million!

If Chew does not want to assume responsibility for what happened before her time, why didn’t she get the former Pampena Chairman, Datuk Chor Chee Heong, to appear together with her at the media conference yesterday so that questions about the propriety, accountability and integrity of the RM50 million Pampena scandals could be answered? Read the rest of this entry »

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Khalid – End gender discrimination against women academicians or face RM10 salary cut

Posted by Kit in Gender, university on Thursday, 20 November 2008

The Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin should answer the serious charges by former Vice Chancellor of University of Malaya Datuk Rafiah Salim concerning the “kurang ajar” manner of her termination and gender discrimination against women university academic staff.

Even if Rafiah’s appointment as VC of University of Malaya is not to be renewed, why was she treated so shabbily as to be shunted around from pillar to post without knowing her fate until the very lasi minute? This is clearly a most shameful and ungrateful way to treat a person who has given 34 years of her life to public service.

I have said in Parliament that there is no transparency whatsoever about the Search Committee for the new VC for University of Malaya, why it was conducted in such secrecy that nobody in the university – not even Rafiah – knew that a new VC was being selected!

This has compounded the offence of the Deputy Higher Education Minister, Datuk Idris Haron in casting aspersions on her tenure as the first woman Vice Chancellor of University of Malaya, for which Idris must retract and apologise unconditionally unless he could justify his insinuation against Rafiah in Parliament. Read the rest of this entry »

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