Archive for April, 2011
Pemandu takes fire as hostility grows over 1 Malaysia email a/c
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) today reiterated the 1 Malaysia email accounts project is a private sector initiative — despite a report that the government had invited bids last November for a RM50 million government services internet solution.
Within 15 minutes of the clarification going live on its Twitter account, @etp_roadmap, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin questioned if the private investment to fund the project was being guaranteed by the government.
The government’s Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) invited bids for the project last November, according to documents sighted by The Malaysian Insider.
It is understood as many as five companies were invited to pitch for the project by Mampu although it was unclear why the task was given to a civil service unit that manages the public service.
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Call for “1Melayu, 1Bumi” by Utusan Malaysia final confirmation that Najib’s 1Malaysia campaign is big vote-getting circus
Utusan Malaysia, Umno’s official organ, today provided the final confirmation that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia campaign is not a serious nation-building concept but a big vote-getting sham and circus involving 1Malaysia T-shirt, 1M Tupperware, 1M mineral water, 1M burger, 1M email a/c and other new-fangled 1M paraphernalia yet to be conjured up by 1M fortune hunters.
Utusan Malaysia’s call today for UMNO to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties, based on the lie and canard that the DAP is intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership, marks the culmination of a two-year anti-1Malaysia campaign by Utusan Malaysia.
This is irresponsible and anti-national politicking at the gutter worst – trying to pit race against race in plural Malaysia based on lies, calumnies and falsehoods.
This is the old politics of race which must give way to the politics of Malaysian multi-racialism which Utusan Malaysia editors and their “real masters” are fighting against and resisting to the last – but are condemned to defeat. Read the rest of this entry »
Experts doubtful of 1 Malaysia e-mail security
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Computer security experts have questioned the rationale behind the 1 Malaysia e-mail initiative and whether the Najib administration can keep the service secure and affordable.
Open source expert Colin Charles said he did not think it was a good idea for Malaysians to use an e-mail account controlled by the government as there was no guarantee its contents would remain safe.
“The worst that can happen is that someone in the government can read your e-mail,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
“My general advice is: don’t use the e-mail account to write about anything you care about.”
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Urban bumis also swing to opposition
Posted by Kit in DAP, Election, Pakatan Rakyat, Sarawak on Wednesday, 20 April 2011
By Wong Teck Chi | Malaysiakini
On top of a huge swing of nearly 40 percent of Chinese voters to Pakatan Rakyat in Miri, a smaller proportion of urban or suburban bumiputera voters has turned to the opposition coalition, which resulted in SUPP losing almost all three state seats in Miri three days ago.
However, the magnitude of the swing is hard to estimate, given that there is no single area in Miri with a super majority of bumiputera voters.
The best example which showed there is some swing to Pakatan among the bumiputera community is Senadin, which is located on the outskirts of Miri.
Despite that that the seat has a mix of 49.98% Chinese, 28.97% Malay or Melanau and 15.88 % Iban, PKR candidate Michael Teo was still able to slash the majority of SUPP incumbent Lee Kim Sin from 4,799 votes in the 2006 state election to just 58 votes.
If not for the controversial postal votes that numbered around 1,000, SUPP would definitely have lost Senadin, and the party would have been totally wiped out from Sarawak’s second largest city.
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Government says voluntary, but 1 Malaysia email KPI 100pc by 2015
Posted by Kit in IT, Najib Razak, Twitter on Wednesday, 20 April 2011
By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
April 20, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Several firms were invited to bid for the 1 Malaysia email project last November and demonstrate a 100 per cent take-up rate for the service, contradicting the Najib administration’s statement that the account is not compulsory.
The Malaysian Insider understands the key performance indicator (KPI) for the project was a 50 per cent take-up rate for those above 18-years old by 2012, before increasing to 100 per cent by 2015.
The winning bidder also had to demonstrate how it would get 50 per cent of the email account holders to use its value added services such online bill payment and public record searches by 2020, according to a document seen by The Malaysian Insider.
However, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who announced the project yesterday, clarified early this morning that the email account is entirely voluntary. Read the rest of this entry »
Suggest DAP and SNAP should seriously consider a merger to accelerate Iban/Dayak political awakening following the 416 Sarawak general elections
Political scientist Dr. Bridget Welsh in her article “The myths of Sarawak polls results” in Malaysiakini today has debunked two myths about the 416 Sarawak general elections:
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That the Chinese voters supported the Opposition while the non-Chinese voters endorsed the Barisan Nasional; and
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That the Opposition received support only in the urban areas while the rural areas are the haven of Barisan Nasional.
Nothing can be further from the truth in both cases.
The 416 Sarawak general elections saw not just a Chinese swing against the Barisan Nasional but also by other communities as well.
Bridget said preliminary findings of the 416 Sarawak general elections highlight that “the movement is greatest in mixed constituencies”, stressing:
Read the rest of this entry »
Najib’s 1 Malaysia circus — 1 email for every Malaysians
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, IT, Najib Razak, Twitter on Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Tweets @limkitsiang:
Are Malaysians so IT-backward? http://bit.ly/ggwc0K All Malaysians to get official 1 Malaysia email a/c (TMI)
04/19/2011 02:26 PM
Will 1 use of 1M a/c get a 1M burger, 2nd use IM-Tshirt, 3rd use 1M-Tupperware? http://bit.ly/ggwc0K All Msians to get 1M email a/c (TMI)
04/19/2011 02:29 PM
Najib’s 1Malaysia circus plumbs new depth – Big Brother-ism gone mad! http://bit.ly/ggwc0K All Msians to get 1M email a/c (TMI)
04/19/2011 02:30 PM
Results Najib’s 1M circus (1)Msians more divided bcos of rhetoric race/religion under UMNO patronage (2)birth new army of 1M fortune hunters
04/19/2011 02:33 PM
Wow! Ripoff of the century! RM50 million 4newfangled 1M email a/c 4Msians that nobody wants. Couldn’t Najib put RM50 million 2better use?
04/19/2011 03:09 PM
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The myths of S’wak polls results
The dust has begun to settle on the 10th Sarawak polls with the BN touting its retention of the two-thirds majority as a victory, while Pakatan Rakyat points to the more than doubling of its seats. This was the most competitive state election in Sarawak’s history and was hard fought by both sides.
BN, led by Prime Minister Najib Razak essentially camped in the state for 10 days to assure the two-thirds, while the opposition also focused is national machinery in Sarawak, bringing in the top guns from Peninsular Malaysia and thousands of party workers.
A closer look at the results show that the opposition has made impressive ground, despite its failure to break the two-thirds threshold. Sarawak is no longer BN’s fixed deposit, and trends in mobilisation and support suggest that it is even more likely not to be so unless Sarawak BN radically changes how it governs.
Myth of Chinese-only swing
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DAP’s giant killer groomed by MCA
By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng | Malaysiakini
When assigned by then MCA president Ong Ka Ting to revive the party’s UK Club in 2005, Ling Sie Kiong never thought that he would one day become a candidate for the opposition.
More than that, he has turned ‘giant killer’ at the age of 28, unseating SUPP president and deputy chief minister Dr George Chan in the Sarawak election concluded on Saturday.
“I met Ong at Sheffield University when I was looking for sponsorship as president of the UK Malaysian Law Students Union,” said Ling in a phone interview, fresh from his electoral success.
“He suggested I revive the dormant MCA UK Club. My friends and I accepted the challenge. We then set up branches in different universities and also created a website for the club.”
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Why do Christians use the word Allah in their Malay language Bible and not tuhan?
By N H Chan
It is because Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God as the God of Abraham
Before we all get confused, it is necessary to point out at the outset that the word which is spelt ‘Allah’ is an English word because it is written in English. The word which bears the same spelling in the National Language is a copy of that word which was first spelt in English in the sixteenth century. The English word Allah is the phonetic spelling of the Arabic word for God.
We all know that the Malay word for god is tuhan. We also know that the God of the Muslims is Allah which is actually what this word sounds like in Arabic. Since most of us do not read or write Arabic, we tend to take the phonetic spelling of the Arabic word for God as used in English dictionaries. However, from the point of view of Christians, Christians worship the same God as Muslims do. The God of Christians and the God of Muslims is the same God as the God of Abraham. So that if you are a Christian, the choice of using the word Allah in their Malay language Bible is obvious since Christians also worship Allah which is the Malay language equivalent – since Malay uses the same English phonetic spelling – of the God of Muslims. In this country to be Malay is to be a Muslim.
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Kudos to Prof Bong and Prof Hanafiah of HUKM
Tweets @limkitsiang :
@UKM Specialist Centre where SohAhKee(Mrs PangHokLiong) underwent miraculous +12hr rare pancreatic cancer operation othr specialists decline
04/19/2011 11:20 AM
Ops on 8/4 830am to 845pm carried out by young HepatobiliaryPancreatic Specialist Prof BongJanJien n team – believed 1st such ops in region
04/19/2011 11:29 AM
Prof Bong n specialists in HUKM show our talents compare w best in world Msia must retain/inspire them 2stay instead of joining braindrain
04/19/2011 11:35 AM
Specialists in Spore Malaysia declined Whipple ops on SohAhKee cos she has tumour virtually encasing her arteries n too dangerous 2operate.
04/19/2011 12:15 PM
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10th Sarawak State Election 2011 Results – A Reflection For GE 13
Posted by Kit in Election, Pakatan Rakyat, Sarawak, UMNO on Tuesday, 19 April 2011
By Richard Loh
My delayed comment on the Sarawak State Election results was because I was on the road the past few days. By now most of you must have read statements from party leaders from both sides, the winners and losers, the experts from the new media and of course the umno/bn controlled media as well.
Was there really a tsunami in this State Election? There was none and let me explain why.
A tsunami cannot happened by itself, it needs an action to trigger it. The recent tsunami in Japan was triggered by a 8.9 Richter Scale earthquake. A tsunami usually will not happened for earthquake less than 5 Richter Scale, it will just create ripples.
In my earlier posting I clearly mentioned that the wind of change in Sarawak was only ripples being formed and there can be no tsunami as yet.
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Sarawak election aftermath: Investigating Taib’s billions
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Election, Sarawak on Tuesday, 19 April 2011
The Sarawak election results have come and gone. It has not been able to change the power equation in the state which has for so long been under the control of Taib Mahmud. A combination of dirty tricks and the well-honed BN election firepower of goodies, spin and support from public and private sector bodies, including those that are supposed to be neutral stake players, helped ensure the victory. What lies ahead for the Chief Minister and his state?
During his three decades of rule, Taib – together with members of his extended family – amassed an enormous fortune whilst the great majority of the population sank further into poverty. Several years ago, Transparency International in its Global Corruption Report named 10 of the world’s most corrupt leaders, “whose corruption has contributed to their countries’ low economic status, placing them among the poorest on the planet” (Forbes magazine). At that time, Taib Mahmud’s name did not appear on the list.
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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #61
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, globalisation on Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Chapter 7: Enhancing Human Capital
Sharpening Malaysian Competitiveness
Trajectory of Progress
Advancement or improvements in a society, like elsewhere, occurs along two patterns. One is the rare person or event that comes once in a while that will radically alter the way we look at things and solve problems. There is no way to predict or encourage this. Discoveries of the steam engines, and later the internal combustion engine, heralded the Industrial Revolution; the integrated circuit (IC) sparked the IT revolution. Similarly with rare individuals like Bill Gates or Ted Turner (the man who started the all-news network, CNN); you cannot train or nurture them. These are random and unpredictable occurrences.
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After Sarawak setback, what next for BN?
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Sarawak on Monday, 18 April 2011
The Malaysian Insider
April 18, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Barisan Nasional (BN) lost significant ground in its stronghold of Sarawak during Saturday’s state assembly election, setting the stage for a shift in government and economic policy as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak works to regain support.
The government recorded its worst performance in 24 years in the poll in a result analysts say reflects the mood across the country, which could prompt Najib to switch tack in his plan to recapture the ethnic minority vote and restructure the economy to catch up with Asian neighbours. Read the rest of this entry »
Chua Soi Lek : “SUPP should stay out”
Tweets @limkitsiang
MCA ChuaSoiLek urges SUPP boycott Swak state cabinet bcos Swak 416 g/e results. Will CSL direct MCA 2quit Najib’s Cabinet 4similar reason?
April 17, 2011 9:21 PM
CSL wants 1hijack SUPP 2serve MCA interests! http://bit.ly/ftu9m1 Chua: It shouldn’t accept Cabinet posts without public support (Star)
April 18, 2011 9:08 AM
Problem when SUPP leadrs vainly looked 2CSL KSK 2save them in Swk g/e when both cannot save MCA Gkan. Will CSL now act on his advice 2SUPP?
April 18, 2011 9:17 AM
Will 4MCA Ministers 7DepMinistrs act on CSL’s advice 2SUPP n annce their posts r suspended pending MCA Central Cttee decision whthr 2resign?
April 18, 2011 9:51 AM
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Poll results blow for PM, say analysts
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Sarawak on Monday, 18 April 2011
M Jegathesan
Apr 18, 11
Malaysiakini
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is unlikely to call snap elections after a bruising state poll in which his ruling coalition lost ground to the opposition in a traditional stronghold, analysts said.
The BN coalition held onto its crucial two-thirds majority after Saturday’s vote in Sarawak but the opposition had its best result for nearly a quarter century in the resource-rich state on Borneo island.
The vote was seen as an important gauge of popularity for Najib, who has dished out money for rural development.
Some observers said it was the most crucial test for the BN since the 2008 general elections when the opposition seized a third of parliamentary seats and threatened the BN’s half-century grip on power. Read the rest of this entry »
PM seen stalling on reform after disappointing vote
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Sarawak on Monday, 18 April 2011
Razak Ahmad
Malaysiakini
Apr 17, 11
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will likely put key economic reforms on ice as he tries to rebuild voter support after his ruling coalition recorded its worst performance in 24 years in a local election in a key stronghold.
Bets are largely off for a snap general election to take place this year, with Najib expected to rethink his strategy of promoting inclusive growth in the Muslim-majority multi-cultural nation to win back the minority vote, analysts said.
In Saturday’s state poll, Najib’s ruling National Front (BN) retained control of its stronghold Sarawak, which accounts for a fifth of its parliamentary seats, but the opposition more than doubled its seat tally as ethnic Chinese mostly voted against the government.
Structural economic changes such as further scaling back fuel subsidies, introducing a goods and services tax and reforming a decades-old race-based policy would be relegated in Najib’s list of priorities for now, analysts said.
“After the outcome in Sarawak, Najib will need a general election mandate before making any big moves,” said Ibrahim Suffian (right), director at the independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center. Read the rest of this entry »
Comment on the 2011 Sarawak election: We need fair election rules
By Lim Yin Kuin
Sir,
I am a Malaysian student in a U.S. university and would like to comment on something I found outrageous about the Sarawak state election.
How is it that Chinese people make up the majority in Sarawak (something the mainstream media is not keen on mentioning often), yet Chinese candidates were left to fight for around 20 or so seats out of 71 in the state assembly? While I’m not a fan of political parties chasing votes from specific communities (PBB vs. PKR for Malays/Melanaus, SUPP vs. DAP for Chinese), how is it that the battle between DAP and SUPP to win the Chinese vote became a sideshow while PBB and Taib retained their political dominance while representing a minority of Sarawak’s population?
Of course, those questions are rhetorical. We all know the reasons behind them and no one dares ask why. For a Chinese person to question his or her lack of political representation is the worst form of political incorrectness in Malaysia.
Yet, this isn’t an issue about one race versus another (like a zero sum game). It’s a question of fairness, and whether or not to allow those in power (with questionable legitimacy) to do whatever they wish, to subordinate whomever they want in their quest for more power and wealth at the expense of those who are subordinated.
This issue paints a relevant picture of the unfair rules that opposition parties have to play by during elections. Again, I would like to emphasize how it sickens me that racial politics dominate our elections, but it does and here’s my take on it: Chinese people are the majority of Sarawak’s population. They are more likely to not vote in favor of Barisan Nasional, hence the electoral boundaries are gerrymandered in a way that: Read the rest of this entry »
Clean sweep for PBB, but Taib still on rocky ground
By Shannon Teoh
April 16, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) won all 35 seats it contested in today’s polls but its president Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will still take the fall for Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s (BN) loss of 16 seats.
Coalition chief Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in a press conference tonight that BN will stick to the pledge that the Sarawak chief minister would step down after the state election.
“When the time is right, we will fulfil the promise,” the prime minister said when asked about whether Abdul Taib would be ending his 30-year term. He did not specify the timing for Taib’s resignation.
Opposition parties improved on their 2006 tally of eight by winning 15 seats this time around.
It was also reported that BN saw its comfortable popular majority of 62.93 per cent slashed to just 55.24 per cent, a clear warning that the state could no longer be considered a fixed deposit in future elections.
Najib also said that he would use the results of the Sarawak election as a guide for when to call federal polls which are expected to be held within a year.
Analysts have said that the results would translate into further losses for BN in Parliament if Abdul Taib is not forced to quit before a general election.
During the 10-day campaign, the Umno president had pledged that Abdul Taib would step down after the polls.
However, the 74-year-old Abdul Taib immediately responded by insisting that he would only resign “after a few years.”
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