Archive for May, 2011
Shafee: Focus on Teoh death, not MACC clangers
Posted by Kit in Teoh Beng Hock on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Shannon Teoh
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) lawyer today urged the public to focus on Teoh Beng Hock’s death and not the blunders by the anti-graft body in its investigations into Selangor DAP.
Datuk Seri Shafee Abdullah, who is representing the MACC in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Teoh’s death, said that despite these errors, justice must still be served and the question of whether the DAP aide committed suicide be answered.
“Ask yourself honestly, whatever monkey things the MACC officers may have been blundering, wrong in certain procedures, a little harsh in questioning, the hallmark question is whether this suicide or not,” he told reporters outside the RCI courtroom today. Read the rest of this entry »
Giving my family a better chance
Posted by Kit in Articles, Brain drain on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Narayan
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
MAY 18 — I am Narayan, aged 44, and an Australian today. I was Malaysian till last year. I moved to Australia in February, 2007. My family joined me in Australia in July, 2007.
My children are Australian and my wife is Malaysian… still holding on to a string of hope to maybe retire in Malaysia.
Why did I leave? Am I a “pengkhianat” (traitor)?
Let us examine it from my family’s eyes.
Economy of the middle-class: In Malaysia as a senior manager in various private sector companies and even in a GLC at one time, I would be paying 30 per cent tax. In return, I could keep a reasonable home 45km out of the city, travel by public transport, have a maid, kids in suburban Sekolah Kebangsaan, need insurance to top up for medical costs, and go to a private hospital each time. Read the rest of this entry »
Tunku Aziz: I have failed to attract Malays
Posted by Kit in DAP, Tunku Abdul Aziz on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Shannon Teoh
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim admitted today that his appointment as DAP vice chairman in 2008 has failed to bring in Malay support to the party that has been labelled as Chinese chauvinists by its critics.
However, he said that this was not the fault of the party whose members are largely Chinese as it has shown its commitment to multiracial policies, but that Malays and Bumiputeras were the ones choosing to hold back.
“If it was to recruit more Malays, then I admit that I’ve failed completely,” he said of his appointment as vice chairman three years ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I left Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Articles, Brain drain on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By ES
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
MAY 18 — I’ve left Malaysia for about nine years now, and lived and worked in several countries such as Singapore, China and, now, Hong Kong.
The past and recent news reports on brain drain have pretty much summarised the reasons for leaving Malaysia except they were not accepted by our leaders. I’ll just echo some of the findings by relating my personal experience.
Social injustice
Unable to get into local universities even with good academic results. Mine was a working-class family and my dad had to work extremely hard to save (barely) enough money to put me through a private college (whose quality could be questioned).
It was a twinning program with an American university. A large portion of our class (100 per cent non-Bumiputera) didn’t end up going to the America for their final year to “twin” with the university because of financial difficulties. Those who did, like me, mostly have remained overseas. Read the rest of this entry »
Why, why, why?
By KJ John | May 18, 11
Malaysiakini
Why would the ‘naughty boy of Malaysian journalism’ Utusan Malaysia carry such a headline as Kristian agama rasmi? (Christianity as the official religion?), when it is probably not the truth, not reality either, and not possible, and never in the minds or hearts of any Christian.
Christians are generally rational and not merely emotional but we also seek to love every neighbour at the end of the day. And yet the recalcitrant publication accused all Christians with one sweep of their ink-spill. And, most terribly, even the government of Malaysia’s initial reactions were also ‘idiocratic’ to say the least.
I am really upset, hurt, and therefore insist and ask Utusan for an apology for hurting our feelings and sense of dignity; of every Christian in Malaysia.
Read the rest of this entry »
Cops release Bidayuh villagers suspected of arson
Posted by Kit in environment, Sarawak on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Keruah Usit | May 18, 11
Malaysiakini
Five Bidayuh defenders of Native Customary Rights (NCR) to land were released today after being initially suspected of committing arson at a logging camp in Tebedu, Sarawak.
The camp is owned by Alliance Bahagia, a logging contractor employed by the state-run Sarawak Foundation.
Papai Anak Atin, Barak Anak Kolol and Mani Anak Marin of Kampung Temang Mura, Karia Anak Daruh of Kampung Patah and Peter Anak Laiong of Kampung Mawang were arrested in Tebedu last Friday and taken to Kuching, around 90 minutes’ drive away.
Read the rest of this entry »
RCI to re-examine ‘suicide’ note
Posted by Kit in Teoh Beng Hock on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Teoh El Sen | May 18, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: The “suicide” note purportedly written by Teoh Beng Hock would be re-examined to extract and decipher a few words that were blacked out by someone, perhaps even the author.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry investigating Teoh’s death was re-convened briefly this morning to decide on the application made by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to re-analyse the note.
Shafee’s application made via a letter last week (May 11) had asked the commission to ascertain what was written beneath an erased part of the note and subsequently admit that as evidence.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar to lead even if jailed, says Guan Eng
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Lim Guan Eng, Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Clara Chooi | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng declared today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will remain as Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) opposition Leader in Parliament even if he is jailed for sodomy.
Lim said the PR leadership have agreed that Anwar will hold on to the post “as long as he is still an MP” and until all legal avenues are exhausted.
“There is no replacement of opposition leader. Definitely no replacement. As long as he is an MP, he will not be replaced,” he told reporters after attending the launch of the George Town Festival 2011 at the Lot 10 shopping centre here this morning.
Read the rest of this entry »
Non-Muslim PM! Why not?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, nation building on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By RK Anand | May 18, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
Huddled in the driver’s seat of those red and white cars zipping through traffic is a political animal, whose eyes light up when prodded on the happenings in the nation. These are the asphalt soothsayers who predict the fate of politicians and political parties for a fee determined, at least among the more scrupulous ones, by a meter affixed to the dashboard.
In one such episode on a sweltering afternoon, the catalyst being a mangled Proton being towed, a cabbie laments about the deplorable state of Malaysian-made cars and how he is forced to drive a particular make, because that is the rule.
Read the rest of this entry »
TI-M chief confirms no ‘Christian Malaysia’ pact
Posted by Kit in nation building, Religion, UMNO on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — There is no pact between Christian and DAP leaders to turn Christianity into the constitutional religion of Malaysia, Datuk Paul Low asserted today.
The Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president, who was an invited guest speaker at the Unashamedly Ethical Conference (UEC) on May 5 in George Town, vouched for the organisers of the event and stressed that the only pledges which were presented then were anti-corruption pledges.
“I categorically confirm that no pact or pledge for Christianity as an official religion or for a Christian prime minister was made on the evening of May 5 or at any time during the conference,” Low told reporters here today.
Read the rest of this entry »
DAP: Remove IPP subsidies first
Posted by Kit in Economics, Energy, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Yow Hong Chieh | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 – The Najib administration should first cut billion-ringgit subsidies for independent power producers (IPPs) rather than burden the people with subsidy cuts on essential items, DAP has said.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the government would only spur inflation by removing the diesel super subsidy before cutting “big opium” gas subsidies worth RM19 billion for IPPs and commercial power sectors.
“Remove the big opium of gas subsidies that can save tens of billions of ringgit annually before dealing with the opiate for the masses that only save hundreds of millions of ringgit,” he said in a statement today.
Read the rest of this entry »
10 days in May (15)
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Tweets @limkitsiang:-
Will Cabinet 2day endorse Najib’s call 4Global Movement of Moderates n launch Msian Movement of Moderates? Or is it only 4int publicity?
1st agenda of Msian Movement of Moderates: Save Msia from Utusan “Christian Msia” extremism/bigotry by rallying moderates from all faiths
How many BNMinisters qualified 2join MsianMovementofModerates (MMoM)?Hw mny BNMinisters r extremists,genuine moderates or just opportunists?
Will Hishamuddin qualify 2b member of MMoM w his Keris-wielding, support of cow-head stomping n condoning Utusan “Christian Msia” bogey?
Read the rest of this entry »
1Care outpatient scheme – middlemen didahulukan?
Joint letter by Drs Ong, Haniffah & Palaniappan | Apr 19, 11
Malaysiakini
The government is introducing a new financing scheme for primary care (1Care for 1Malaysia) by forming a private company/corporation to act as an insurance company and managed-care organisation (MCO). We believe this company will:
i) collect funds from all working adults and employers
ii) pay for all primary care expenses ie. for outpatient visit, test and medication at both private and government clinics
In theory this scheme will save consumers from having to pay out-of-pocket for their primary care and thus protect them from excessive healthcare expenses. In reality the new company may become a middle man profiting from patients and their caregivers, with the result that healthcare costs go up, standard of treatment may drop and the public is burdened with a new healthcare tax.
Read the rest of this entry »
Case for English-medium schools
By Lan Boon Leong | May 17, 2011
The Sun
THE United Nations in its various declarations and conventions has continually affirmed the universal rights of minorities, including indigenous people, to an education where the medium of instruction is their mother tongue.
Mother tongue is usually narrowly defined as the language of one’s ethnic group. A wider definition of mother tongue, according to the Oxford dictionary for example, is the language that one first learns to speak as a child – in other words, one’s first language. In this broader sense, a person could have more than one mother tongue and the ethnic language may not even be a mother tongue.
Our present education system caters for minorities but only those whose mother tongue is either Mandarin or Tamil through national-type schools.
Read the rest of this entry »
Many wrongs won’t make Ibrahim right
Comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers
‘Why then the moment someone mentioned the volume of azans, the ISA was quickly used against Selangor exco Teresa Kok?’
Nazri: No action against Ibrahim Ali
Phoenix Star 88: I always thought de facto law minister Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz was one of the better leaders in Umno, but now it seems that even he has started to go with the flow.
If a Christian leader had used the word ‘crusade’ in response to the controversial article in Utusan Malaysia, he would likely be detained under the ISA and people will be hopping mad as if it’s the end of the world.
Read the rest of this entry »
Moderation? Clean up our backyard first
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers
‘The nation is crying out for firm action and we get more sweet-smelling words. The only thing moderate about Najib are his words.’
Moderation is the way forward, says Najib
Loyal Malaysian: Malaysia is “synonymous with moderation, inclusiveness and good governance”, said PM Najib Razak.
I beg to differ. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool thinking Malaysians. Moderation? Your government forbid Christians from using the word ‘Allah’, claiming it is exclusively for Malaysia’s Muslims.
Read the rest of this entry »
The ancient covenant and punishment
Posted by Kit in nation building on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 18 — One of the most cherished cultural codes of conduct of the Malays is the saying “pantang Melayu derhaka!” In English, it can loosely be translated to mean, the people shall never be disloyal to the king.
The term disloyal is used in a most general import. The common man never trespasses the king in any way and form; never shall he insult the king in mind, never speak evil and more so does not commit trespass of the person upon the king. The term treason is also a close description.
Strange as this may sound, the origins of this injunction which sadly has been presented one-sidedly, sprung from the sexual drives of one mythical king. Sex therefore has always been a mainstay in Malay politics right to the present day. So I actually find it bemusing to discover that the preoccupation of our country, especially among the Malays, has, since the past recent decade, been the topic of sex.
Read the rest of this entry »
Preaching moderation globally, practising it locally
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
The Malaysian Insider | May 17, 2011
MAY 17 — Perhaps it is really the Malaysian thing. Go abroad and we are all Malaysians, we live together, play together and tell everyone that we are a multi-racial, multi-religious muhibbah country.
Then we come back home and argue with each other, go the extreme length and then cite sensitivities to stop the argument as we nurse ill-feelings towards each other.
So, it’s no surprise that Datuk Seri Najib Razak went to Oxford University and promoted his idea of a coalition of moderates and inter-civilisational understanding.
Well and good.
Read the rest of this entry »
Toleransi politik yang sudah luntur
Oleh Aspan Alias | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
18 MEI — Kerana terlalu banyak politiking kita lupa kepada asas politik yang sebenarnya. Kesungguhan dalam politik sudah tiada bagi kita orang Melayu. kita melebihkan tumpuan kepada politiking; siapa yang menang dan siapa yang kalah, siapa yang berkuasa dan siapa yang tidak berkuasa. Politik yang asasi, iaitu politik yang membawa penyatuan secara jujur sudah tiada. Politik dan kuasa adalah empunya orang yang berkuasa.
Apabila kita menjadi ahli sesebuah parti matlamatnya ialah untuk menyatukan pemikiran dia antara ahli-ahli dan jika ada perbezaan kita “co-exist” dalam parameter toleransi yang luas. Diawal zaman kemerdekaan negara dahulu pemimpin-pemimpin kita dari berbilang kaum telah meletakan asas kerjasama di antara parti yang di asaskan kepada kaum-kaum di negara ini. Orang Melayu dengan Umnonya, orang Cina dengan MCAnya dan India dengan MICnya.
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Pakatan faults BN for subsidy ‘opium’ addiction
Posted by Kit in Economics, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 18 May 2011
By Clara Chooi | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have blamed Barisan Nasional (BN) for failing to address the country’s addiction to subsidies with alternatives, rebuking Datuk Seri Najib Razak for transferring the “opium’ to cronies.
They said escalating cost of living and stagnant wages have made Malaysians dependent on subsidies, warning that any sudden removal would bankrupt people instead of encouraging competition and wiping out market distortions.
The PR lawmakers suggested the Najib administration take a more holistic approach to cut its burgeoning subsidy bill through a total restructuring of the system by reducing subsidies to corporate giants instead of to the poor, implementing a minimum wage council to boost salaries, and providing better public transportation system to reduce dependency on vehicle ownership and fuel consumption.
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