Archive for January, 2020
Pakatan Harapan has a long hard road back to restore public trust in government and national institutions although this is also a grave global problem
Posted by Kit in IT, nation building, science/technology on Wednesday, 29 January 2020
After nearly 21 months of the historic transition of power in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018, where PH Government could do no wrong in the first months of power in 2018 but where it could do no right last year, Pakatan Harapan has a long hard road back to restore public trust in government and national institutions although this is also a grave global problem.
A new report released last week found widespread global distrust in societal institutions – defined as government, business, NGOs and the media — despite a strong global economy, a phenomenon it deemed a “trust paradox”.
The report concluded that people’s fears about the future are driving this trend, and proposed institutions prioritize balancing competence with ethical behaviour to rebuild public trust.
The “Trust Barometer 2020” report was conducted by the communications firm Edelman, which has been running the survey for the past 20 years.
The Barometer, which aims to survey trust and credibility around the world, surveyed over 34,000 people in 28 countries. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysians do not want to be cow herders or pig herders but want to be on the cutting edge of technology, leveraging on the best values from the four great civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia, to build a world top class nation
Posted by Kit in Fake News, nation building, PAS on Tuesday, 28 January 2020
The outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus has also seen the outbreak of another “virus” – the Internet virus of lies, fake news and hate speech which is even more critical.
The previous deadly coronavirus outbreaks, whether Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) which originated from China or Middle East Respiratory Synbdrome (MERS-Cov) which originated from Saudi Arabia, have shown that mankind is capable of prevailing over them, and it is reassuring that the Universiti Malaya Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC) director Professor Dr. Sazaly Abu Bakar has said that unlike SARS and MERS. the Wuhan coronavirus has a low case fatality ratio (CFR) and appears to be less virulent at present, with the exception of the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
But mankind has to find a solution to the Internet “virus”.
In fact, the “cyber-enabled information warfare” of lies, fake news and hate speech is one reason why the Doomsday Clock in 2020 now stands at 100 seconds to midnight, the most dangerous situation that humanity has ever faced.
Why is the Doomsday Clock so close to midnight so long after the end of the Cold War? Read the rest of this entry »
Let us make 2020 a Year of Positive Vibes for Pakatan Harapan and a New Malaysia
Last Thursday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which takes stock of the threats posed by nuclear war and climate change each year, moved the Doomsday Clock to 100 seconds before midnight.
We are now measuring how close the world is to catastrophe in seconds — not hours, or even minutes. It is the closest to Doomsday we have ever been since the clock was created in 1947.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which was founded by those who worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II, and now includes 13 Nobel Laureates on the board, issued a statement on Thursday that read:
“Humanity continues to face two simultaneous existential dangers—nuclear war and climate change—that are compounded by a threat multiplier, cyber-enabled information warfare, that undercuts society’s ability to respond. The international security situation is dire, not just because these threats exist, but because world leaders have allowed the international political infrastructure for managing them to erode.”
In 2018, the Doomsday Clock moved to 2 minutes to midnight, as close as it has ever been in the clock’s history because of two existential threats to humanity – nuclear risk and climate change. Read the rest of this entry »
2020 is the year to leave the negative vibes of last year behind
Posted by Kit in Corruption, nation building on Saturday, 25 January 2020
Last year, Malaysia was virtually drowned in a sea of negative vibes.
In the first seven months of the new government in 2018, there was nothing that the Pakatan Harapan government could do wrong. But in the past year, there was nothing that the PH could do right.
This is one reason why the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019 Report which was released on the eve of the Chinese New Year was met with such grudging response, although it was the best TI CPI report in 25 years.
Without the phenomenal improvements in both TI CPI ranking and score last year , Malaysia would not be making the crucial and critical break from a global kleptocracy.
If there had been no change of government, Malaysia will be sliding down the CPI score to the thirties bracket, to find new company among the more corrupt nations of the world in the lower rankings. Read the rest of this entry »
TI CPI 2019 Report best in 25 years and should be basis for new era of anti-corruption in Malaysia by achieving the best TI CPI score next year to embark Malaysia on the road to become one the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity before 2030
Posted by Kit in Corruption, nation building on Friday, 24 January 2020
I regard the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019 Report the best in 25 years since Transparency International started its annual Corruption Perception Index report in 1995, and should be the basis for a new era of anti-corruption in Malaysia by achieving the best TI CPI score next year, which will embark Malaysia on the road to become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity before 2030.
The National Integrity Plan (NIP) 2004-2008 launched in 2004 had one of its objectives the placing of Malaysia among the world top 30 countries in public integrity.
At that time, Malaysia was ranked No 37th with a score of 5.2 out of 10 in the TI CPI 2003.
The National Integrity Plan was a total failure as Malaysia never improved on its TI CPI ranking and score, and instead went on a downward decline, ranked No. 47 out of 180 countries with a score of 5.1 out of 100 in TI CPI 2008 at the end of NIP, before heading for another period of decline, falling to TI CPI ranking of 62 out of 180 countries with a score of 47 of 100 points in the TI CPI 2017.
Malaysia’s TI CPI 2019 score of 53 out of 100 is just short of Malaysia’s top score of 5.32 out of 10 in the TI CPI 1996 which placed Malaysia on the ranking of 26 out of 54 countries.
Malaysia should aim not onto to exceed the results in the TI CIP 1996, but should also aim to achieve the NIP objective of being ranked among the world top 30 countries in public integrity before 2030. Read the rest of this entry »
Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019 the best Chinese New Year present to Malaysia and should spark the start of virtuous circle of delivery of Pakatan Harapan general election promises and achievements in 2020
Posted by Kit in Corruption, General, Pakatan Harapan on Thursday, 23 January 2020
The Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019 released midday today is the best Chinese New Year present to Malaysia and should spark the start of a virtuous circle of delivery of Pakatan Harapan general election promises and achievements in 2020.
It is the best antidote to the atmosphere of doom and gloom which has descended on Malaysia.
In 2017, Malaysia’s TI CPI ranked No. 62 (lowest for Malaysia in 25 year since 1995) with a score of 47 out of 100; while in the TI CPI 2018 released in January 2019, Malaysia was ranked No. 61 out of 180 countries with a score of 47.
In the TI CPI 2019 released today, Malaysia is ranked No. 51 with a score of 53, registering a single-year improvement six points for the TI CPI score and 10 placings in TI CPI ranking, which is the best performance for Malaysia in the past quarter of a century.
| Year | Score | Rank | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 5.28 | 23 | 41 |
| 1996 | 5.32 | 26 | 54 |
| 1997 | 5.01 | 32 | 52 |
| 1998 | 5.3 | 29 | 85 |
| 1999 | 5.1 | 32 | 99 |
| 2000 | 4.8 | 36 | 90 |
| 2001 | 5 | 36 | 91 |
| 2002 | 4.9 | 33 | 102 |
| 2003 | 5.2 | 39 | 133 |
| 2004 | 5 | 39 | 145 |
| 2005 | 5.1 | 39 | 158 |
| 2006 | 5 | 44 | 163 |
| 2007 | 5.1 | 43 | 179 |
| 2008 | 5.1 | 47 | 180 |
| 2009 | 4.5 | 56 | 180 |
| 2010 | 4.4 | 56 | 178 |
| 2011 | 4.3 | 60 | 183 |
| 2012 | 49 | 54 | 176 |
| 2013 | 50 | 53 | 177 |
| 2014 | 52 | 50 | 175 |
| 2015 | 50 | 54 | 168 |
| 2016 | 49 | 55 | 176 |
| 2017 | 47 | 62 | 180 |
| 2018 | 47 | 61 | 180 |
| 2019 | 53 | 51 | 180 |
School is the best part of one’s life where students can be idealistic and must dare to dream big dreams to make Malaysia and the world a better place for everyone
Posted by Kit in Education, nation building on Thursday, 23 January 2020
The seventh Majlis Selamat Tahun Baru Cina of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mutiara Rini is most meaningful because school is not only the best part of one’s life, but even more important, students can be idealistic and must dare to dream big dreams to make Malaysia and the world a better place for everyone.
Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation and we are the confluence of four great civilisations of the world – Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western.
Instead of the great diversities and the multi-colours in our midst being national liabilities, we have in our hands the challenge to leverage on the best qualities and values of these four great civilisations to achieve a great Malaysian nation which leaves lasting footprints in the history of human civilisation by being a world top class in certain aspects of human excellence and achievement.
This why Malaysians regardless of race and religion celebrate each other’s festivities, whether Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali or Christmas.
In fact, these festivities are given official recognition as they are declared National Holidays in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Let us move away from daily fixation and obsession with the transition of power
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Harapan, PH Government on Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has advised Pakatan Harapan leaders not to discuss the transition of power issue openly and to honour the consensus on the matter reached in January 2018.
Let us move away from the daily fixation and obsession with the transition of power and focus all our efforts on how to deliver our promises in the 2018 general election as 2020 is going to be a make-or-break year for Pakatan Harapan.
Undoubtedly, one of the most important Pakatan Harapan promises is the successful and amicable transition of power from the seventh Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to the eighth Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The details of the transition of power should be left to the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council although there no need to for a special meeting on the matter.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 22nd January 2020)
Malaysia must preserve and promote her diversity and colours as a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation as the alternative is a failed state which will not benefit anyone in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in nation building on Tuesday, 21 January 2020
Tonight’s lighting up of Kangkar Pulai for the Chinese New Year highlights the vitalities of Malaysia, and we must preserve and promote Malaysia’s diversity and colours as a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation as the alternative is a failed state which will not benefit anyone in Malaysia.
Malaysia has recently become a very polarised nation because the extremists in our society have been allowed to exploit race and religion to poison the Malaysian national life, so much so that what had been accepted as part of Malaysian life has been distorted and painted as a grave threat to different communities and religious faiths.
In fact, we have reached a stage where there are Malaysians who pride themselves as racists, something which is completely unacceptable in the past five decades.
We seem to be retrogressing in nation-building. Why are we going backwards?
There are several reasons, but one important reason is that for the past decade, Malaysians seem to have forgotten the basic national documents which formed the basis of Malaysian nation-building, be it the Federal Constitution or the Rukunegara.
Read the rest of this entry »
Many public interest issues raised by the nine audio tapes released by MACC but among the biggest is that after a week, none of the protagonists whether Najib, Rosmah, Dzulkifly or Azeez had denied their veracity or claimed they are doctored or fake
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Many public interest issues have been raised by the disclosure of the nine audio tapes released by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission but among the biggest is that after a week, none of the protagonists, whether former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife Datuk Seri Rosmah Mansor, former MACC Chief Commissioner, Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad or Baling MP Datuk Seri Azeez Abdul Rahim had denied their veracity or claimed that they were doctored or fake tapes.
In fact, Najib had indirectly confirmed the authenticity of the tapes when he claimed that the infamous “Can I advise you something” audio tape wasn’t “Rosmah scolding me, it was a normal chat” between husband and wife or his ridiculous claim that the tapes on his conversation with the United Arab Emirates crown prince Mohammed Zayed Al Nahyan on July 22, 2016 to intervene for his stepson Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz proved that he had not been lying about the 1MDB scandal.
The resolution of these many public interest issues raised by the disclosure of the nine audio tapes, including the shocking disclosure of a prime minister involved in the high crime of treason participating in an obstruction of justice, is one of the greatest challenges facing Malaysia in the new year.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 13th January 2020)
What is the use of an individual winning if the nation loses as a result?
Posted by Kit in nation building on Saturday, 11 January 2020
When I visited Salem, India in August last year, I said that Malaysia seemed to be trapped in an extraordinary situation which, if not addressed, will only lead to greater division and disunity, stagnation and failure to leverage on the best values and qualities of the Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia to build a great Malaysian nation.
This extraordinary situation was one where every community was made to believe that its ethnicity, rights, culture and future were facing an existential threat – where the Malays felt threatened, the Chinese felt threatened, the Indians felt threatened, the Kadazans felt threatened and the Ibans felt threatened.
Not only the various races felt threatened, Islam felt threatened and the non-Islamic religions felt threatened.
But who was creating all these threats to all ethnic groups in the country? Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia should offer our firefighters’ help in the Australian bushfire crisis
Posted by Kit in environment, International on Sunday, 5 January 2020
Malaysia should offer our firefighters’ help in the Australian bushfire crisis, which will be in the spirit of good neighbourliness.
Australia is facing an unprecedented bushfire crisis, which is reported to be entering a dangerous new phase with high temperatures and strong winds set to exacerbate the already devastating fire conditions across the country.
There are fears a number of still-raging blazes could merge to create “monster infernos” in Victoria and New South Wales.
A victory for the Warisan candidate in Kimanis Karim Bujang will be an endorsement of Sabah and Malaysian nation-building formula of inter-racial and inter-religious unity, co-operation, understanding and tolerance and rejection of lies, fake news, hate speech and most irresponsible extremism
Sabah and Malaysian nation-building formula of inter-racial and inter-religious unity, co-operation, understanding and tolerance and rejection of lies, fake news, hate speech and most irresponsible extremism.
I have found myself in a most difficult and unenviable position in the past 20 months.
I had been attacked as the greatest threat to Malay rights and interests in the country, who had reduced the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to a mere puppet, to further my ulterior agenda as a Chinese chauvinist and a communist. And yet to the Chinese, I had been attacked as having sold out the rights and interests of Chinese in Malaysia and have become a puppet and a “running dog” to Mahathir.
We must reject all these lies, fake news, hate speech and most irresponsible extremism in Sabah and Malaysia for Mahathir is not my puppet and neither have I become Mahathir’s “running dog”.
But what is most shocking is that these most irresponsible extremists who spout such contradictory lies, fake news, hate speech could co-operate politically to want to destroy the Pakatan Harapan-Warisan government in Putrajaya and Sabah. Read the rest of this entry »
Let Kimanis by-election be another great victory for Warisan-Pakatan like the Sandakan by-election
I call on the Kimanis voters to give another great by-election victory for the Warisan-Pakatan team like the Sandakan parliamentary by-election in May last year.
Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had a good reception when he visited Membakut in the Kimanis constituency yesterday, but Najib also had a good reception when he visited Sandakan during the Sandakan by-election but the Pakatan-Warisan candidate, Vivian Wong won the by-election with a greater majority as compared to the general election.
I hope there will be a repeat in the Kimanis by-election, for Sabah will be delivering an important lesson to the rest of Malaysia that a stand must be taken against corruption and abuses of power of the previous administration.
For close to a decade, Malaysia suffered the shame and ignominy of being regarded by the world as a global kleptocracy, and Malaysians must demonstrate to the world that we want to put this shameful chapter in the nation’s history firmly behind us and that there is no room for those who want to forget the kleptocratic past or even to allow leaders who had been responsible for turning Malaysia into a global kleptocracy to return to power.
Malaysia has made a historic turnaround to build a clean, honest, accountable and transparent government. Read the rest of this entry »
Let us learn from the lessons of the past 19 months
Posted by Kit in nation building, PH Government on Thursday, 2 January 2020
Former top civil servant Tan Sri Alwi Jantan’s following 2020 New Year’s Day poem yesterday “Change” is food for thought for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, who care and love Malaysia and only want the best for Malaysia and our children and children’s children:
CHANGE
We voted for a change
From kleptocracy to Malaysia Baru.
You won’t believe it but it’s strange
What we get are all true.Black shoes and khat for schools,
Zakir Naik the hate guru.
As if we haven’t been taken for fools,
Flying car and crooked bridge too.Academics become cheer leaders
In search of lost dignity.
Not fit to become teachers
At any university.O Lord, my wish for the New Year,
Show us the way to salvation.
Let us together strive and bear
The burden of rebuilding this nation.
I agree with Alwi that a lecturer who could set an university examination paper on ethnic relations extolling the preacher Zakir Naik as an icon in the Muslim world is not promoting but undermining ethnic relations in Malaysia and is ‘Not fit to become teachers at any university”. Read the rest of this entry »
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