by Liew Chin Tong

Is the ETP truly transformative or is it just another expensive Public Relations exercise? The Rakyat has a right to know.

The government of Malaysia has invested a significant amount of resources and energy towards its Economic Transformation Program (ETP) which is currently being led by Senator Datuk Idris Jala , CEO of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU). According to a media report, RM66 million was paid to various consultants to establish PEMANDU. And this agency is not cheap to maintain. It’s eight directors have an average salary of RM30,000 a month each while an associate director each receive an average of RM23,300 per month. With this amount of taxpayer’s dollars being spent, the Rakyat has a right to know the concrete results which the ETP is supposed to deliver.

More important than how much PEMANDU costs is the ETP’s goal to transform Malaysia into a high income country. Here, PEMANDU has set very ambitious goals for itself – RM48,000 GNI per capita, 3.3 million new jobs, RM1.4 trillion in new investments, annual growth rate of 6% per annum, from now until 2020. In the eight ETP Updates announced by PEMANDU from October 2010 to November 2011, its transformation roadmap seems to be going on very well, with almost all of its targets achieved.

However, when the ETP is examined in greater detail, as was done in an ongoing series entitled “A Critique of the ETP” by the Research for Social Advancement (REFSA), we find that the ETP is not as transformative as it sounds. For example, we would have reached RM48,000 GNI per capita with or without the ETP. And reaching this target does not mean that we will be twice as rich in 2020 as we were in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa Chi
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

Raja Aziz Addruse

He was elected a commissioner of the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in 2006. Raja Aziz was the third Malaysian to be elected to this prestigious post after former Lord President Tun Mohd Suffian Hashim and senior lawyer Param Cumaraswamy.

Raja Aziz (picture) was elected Bar Council president three times, the first from the 1976-1978, then 1988-1989 and then for the 1992-1993 term.

He appeared before the courts in a variety of high-profile human rights and rule-of-law cases. He was the lead counsel for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy I case.

He was also a member of the Malaysian National Society of Human Rights.

He studied law at the University of Bristol.

“Fundamental liberties no longer exist; this is a harsh thing to say but the courts don’t seem to think that fundamental rights are important.

“To me, the constitution now means nothing because it can be changed at any time,”

Raja Aziz had said at a session themed “What the Constitution means to me” in 2007.

The senior constitutional lawyer said on the last day of the 14th Malaysian Law Conference that the checks and balances that were in the 1957 constitution did not exist anymore.

Tan Sri L.C. Vohrah, a long-time friend of Raja Aziz, and a retired High Court judge, had described Raja Aziz as “a man of immense integrity and a self-effacing person” who deserved to be elected to the commissioner of the ICJ position.

Raja Aziz will be buried after Zohor tomorrow at 1 pm at the Kiara Muslim Cemetery.

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[Admin] LKS discharged after 4-day hospital – present PgCM LGE CKY LHS. Anwar Mansor Malek visited morng. Hourly home treatment. 2weeks off
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[Admin] After 5days “blind” left eye LKS begins 2c w +10% vision. Take weeks even months 2know how much sight recovery of dominant eye.
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[Admin] LKS had successful 90-min Vitrectomy op under GA. Only time can tell if LKS can save his left eye. Thanks all well wishes & prayers
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[Admin] LKS TQ 2wellwishers re Endophthalmitis 2antibiotic injections in2 eyeball 2fight dread infection.Vitrectomy option if no improvement
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[Admin] LKS down with Endopthalmitis, all programmes cancelled on doctor’s advice. Regrets unable complete program in Kcg/visit Sibu-Miri
1 May

Fan Yew Teng: A Husband, Father, Brother, Comrade, Patriot and Humanist

Date: 5/1/2011; Time: 8pm; Venue: YMCA Hall, KL

All are welcome!
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Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays to fellow Malaysians!

In conjunction with celebrating both the National Day and the Malaysia Day, a forum featuring the following speakers will be held on:

Date: 8 Sept 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Crystal Crown Hotel, 12 Lorong Utara A (Off Jalan Utara), Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Speakers:
1) Hannah Yeoh – State Assemblyperson for Subang Jaya
2) Rafizi Ramli – Chief Executive of Selangor Economic Advisory Office
3) V Ganabathirao – Former ISA detainee
4) Azmi Sharom – UM law associate professor
5) Leon Donald – DAP Sarawak Asst Publicity Secretary
6) Tony Pua – MP for Petaling Jaya Utara

With the country and its population still seeking an identity, especially with the recent heated contradictions over race, religion and nationality, the above distinguished panel of speakers will give their thoughts on being “Malaysian”. Do come and share with us on how the country should be moving forward.

All are welcome, the forum will be conducted in English and Malay. Please forward to all friends who may be interested in attending the event. For enquiries, please call 019-2865858 or email [email protected]

Public forum : “RM12 billion PKFZ scandal : In BN we trust?”

Date : 16th June 2009, Tuesday
Time : 8:00pm
Venue : Dewan Hamzah, Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MAP)
Speakers :

• Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader, MP for Ipoh Timur
• Tunku Abdul Aziz, DAP Vice Chairman, Senator
• Charles Santiago, DAP Selangor Vice Chairman, MP for Klang
• R. Nadeswaran, The Sun – Citizen Nades columnist
• Terence Fernandez, The Sun – Down 2 Earth columnist

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DAP Ipoh Barat proudly present English Speaking Dinner on “Political Crisis . . . What’s next?”

Date : 11 June 2009, Thursday
Time : 7pm – 11pm
Venue : Florex Restaurant Ipoh
Ticket : RM 100
For tickets kindly contact : P. Sugumaran 017-5677276

Watch live video from DAP Malaysia on Justin.tv

JPA Scholarships – Seeking A Fair & Equitable Policy
Venue: KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (MAP)
Date: 19th May 2009 (Tuesday)
Time: 8.00 pm

Live webcast : http://tv.dapmalaysia.org

The panellists will include:

• Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor,
• Anthony Loke Siew Fook, MP for Rasah and DAPSY Chief,
• Tony Pua, MP for Petaling Jaya Utara,
• Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad, PAS Research Centre Director and MP for Kuala Selangor
• Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Selangor ADUN for Seri Setia

Dr Goh Cheng Teik, eminent academic, former deputy minister and interviewer for Harvard University admission programme in Malaysia will also be a special guest for the evening.

In addition, for students and scholars who are not able to make it for the forum (e.g., if you are overseas or if you live outstation, you are welcome to submit written submissions to the panel. Please write to: dapscholarship (at) rocketmail (dot) com.

Sticky Post – Scroll down for latest posts.

Live webcast @ http://tv.dapmalaysia.org

Watch live video from DAP Malaysia on Justin.tv

Public forum: “From May 13 to 1Malaysia – The Future of Malaysian Nation Building”

Date : 13 May 2009
Time : 8.00 pm
Venue Civic Hall, MBPJ, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (MAP)
Enquiries: 016-323 1563/ 016-291 3453

Opening by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Speakers:

• Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader, Ipoh Timur MP
• YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, Menteri Besar Perak, Bukit Gantang MP
• Tunku Abdul Aziz, DAP National Vice Chairman/Penang Senator-designate
• Khalid Abd. Samad, Shah Alam MP
• K. Ragunath, President of Bar Council Malaysia
• N.H.Chan, Retired Court of Appeal Judge
• Prof. Azmi bin Sharom, Law Professor
• Tricia Yeoh, Research Officer to Selangor MB
• Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad aka (Dollah Kok Lanas); Former NST Group Editor-in-Chief