Gov’t to announce power tariff hike on Monday
Malaysiakini | May 27, 11
The National Economic Council (NEC) has today approved an increase in the electricity tariff but details will only be announced on Monday.
The NEC convened today in Putrajaya at a meeting involving several cabinet ministers chaired by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
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Sabah KDM BN parties must be firm on gerrymandering
By Daniel John Jambun (loyarburok.com) | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 27 — It had recently been announced that the Election Commission is planning to change yet again the boundaries of the state and parliamentary constituencies throughout the country. And so far, strangely, nobody has made any statement about the matter although we are all very much aware of the serious ramifications of such an exercise.
As a Kadazandusun voter and leader, I see this new redelineation as another opportunity for the Election Commission to indulge in another gerrymandering exercise — the manipulative shifting of electoral boundaries. For all we know, this exercise will be an all-important one in which BN will do its utmost to secure maximum political advantage through various ways.
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Page wants Putrajaya to make stand on English
By Clara Chooi | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Pro-English language lobby group Page today pleaded with the Najib administration to stop delaying its decision on re-introducing PPSMI (Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English) as an option in schools.
Page chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim revealed to The Malaysian Insider today that the group had been invited for a discussion with the Education Ministry on April 29, but said the meeting was mysteriously cancelled at the last minute.
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Let us be blasphemous!
By Zan Azlee | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 27 — I am no longer a believer and will burn in hell for questioning Islam. And, by raising and seeking answers to issues that I am in doubt of, my children will even grow up to have sex with animals.
These are some of the things I have been called and accused of by certain people in reaction to the documentary films and articles I’ve written that deal with my religion.
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Of forest spirits and conservation
Posted by Kit in environment on Friday, 27 May 2011, 12:43 pm
By June Rubis | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 27 — The problem with conservation work is this: when you have finally done a right, it feels like a wrong.
I had only been based in central Kalimantan for less than a year, when the first major controversy of the conservation project that I was managing erupted.
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Di antara Gerakan dan DAP
By Wan Hamidi | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
27 MEI — Ada sebuah parti politik yang hampir semua pemimpin dan anggotanya adalah dari kaum Cina walau pun ia menegaskan perjuangannya untuk semua kaum. Matlamatnya ialah mewujudkan Malaysia yang bersatu, mengamalkan keadilan sosial dan bersifat sekular.
Ia juga mahu mewujudkan masyarakat yang mempunyai hak dan peluang saksama untuk semua walau pun bersetuju bahawa bantuan harus diberikan kepada mereka yang memerlukan tetapi tidak boleh berasaskan kaum.
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10 Days in May (36)
Tweets @limkitsiang:-
TBH RCI Sabarni’s family has cried out “Justice 4Sarbani” just as TBH family had been crying “Justice 4TBH” for 22 mths http://bit.ly/lMG3DL
11:44am
TBH Sarbani Amirnuddin Kugan latest case 17yr-old MohdJohariAbuBakar shot by police in Dengkil 13May tragic fatal cases put govt in dock
11:51am
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LRT lobbying tests Najib’s resolve to push public tenders
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Transport on Friday, 27 May 2011, 11:31 am
The Malaysian Insider | May 27, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The award of a contract to upgrade the light rail transit (LRT) line to European engineering powerhouse Balfour Beatty has sparked intense lobbying which is testing Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s commitment to public tenders.
According to a report in today’s Singapore Straits Times, the intense lobbying over the contract could also delay the PM’s plans to upgrade the chaotic transport network and inject fresh vigour into Malaysia’s economy.
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Pua: Water bonds premium price abuse of public funds
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals on Friday, 27 May 2011, 11:28 am
By Yow Hong Chieh | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The federal government’s decision to buy back Selangor water bonds at a significant premium is not only an abuse of taxpayers’ monies but borders on the outrageous, Tony Pua has said.
Quoting The Edge Financial Daily, the DAP publicity chief said the RM6.5 billion rescue deal will see Putrajaya acquire the bonds for 94.49 against a mark-to-market value of only 54.54 at the end of last month, or 73.2 per cent above market value.
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10 Days in May (35)
Tweets @limkitsiang:-
DAP-Christian Msia May7 front-page not 1st time Utusan exploited bogey. Its worst example. Y it must be stopped @mpkotabelud does not know?
10:57am
Pathetic.MCA Ministers still dare not teamup w BN moderates 2demand action agnst Utusan though CSL shouts:MCA will stick 2stand! What stand?
11:06am
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Gov’t scholarships: Don’t be disheartened, Heama
‘Have the inner strength to carry on your struggle despite this setback. Persevere. The world out there is waiting for you to explore.’
High achiever’s PSD scholarship dreams dashed
Pemerhati: The Sun reported Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz as saying that of the 300 scholarships that were given based on merit, 14 percent were given to bumiputeras while 86 percent were given to the non-bumiputeras.
This indicates that if Malaysia has a meritocractic system, there would be only about 20 percent bumiputeras in the various fields that require strong academic ability.
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Too many top scorers, not enough scholarships
Malaysiakini Your Say | May 27, 11
‘Perhaps the major problem is not there are too few scholarships, but too many applicants from an examination that have too many top scorers.’
High achiever’s PSD scholarship dreams dashed
Wfworker: While I sympathise with parents with ‘brilliant’ children, I like to relate two incidents regarding my friends’ children.
One parent expressed her surprise over her son’s achievement of 5As at the recent SPM examination. The reason being that he had failed in all his subjects at the school trial examination.
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Life is still good here
Posted by Kit in Brain drain, nation building on Friday, 27 May 2011, 10:21 am
By Malik T | May 26, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 26 — It’s a wee bit late for me but I did consider encouraging my kids to move to Australia and for me to get a property for them there. However, I was not keen to do so for the following reasons:
1. The quality of life here is good. There are nice restaurants and pubs such as in Changkat Bukit Bintang, with a big and lively expatriate community. We have a good circle of friends here.
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High achiever’s PSD scholarship dreams dashed
By S Pathmawathy | May 26, 11
Malaysiakini
Every year, we hear stories of high achievers not being able to secure government scholarships to pursue the courses of their choice despite fulfilling the necessary requirements.
Heamanthaa Padmanaban was among those who had suffered this setback to follow her ambition to study medicine abroad and also did not qualify to take up a course in biotechnology locally.
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Keluarga: ‘Kami nak tahu apa status kes Sarbaini’
Oleh Syed Mu’az Syed PutraThe Malaysian Insider
May 27, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Mei — Keluarga Allahyarham Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed mahu polis mendedahkan perkembangan terbaru hasil siasatan kematian penolong pengarah Kastam Diraja Malaysia itu dua bulan lalu.
Ini kerana, menurut sumber yang rapat dengan keluarga Ahmad Sarbaini, sehingga kini masih tiada perkembangan, menyebabkan keluarga itu tertanya-tanya status sebenar hasil siasatan tersebut.
Tambah sumber itu, perkembangan terakhir yang diketahui pada 4 Mei lalu di mana kertas siasatan kematian Ahmad Sarbaini akan dihantar semula ke Jabatan Peguam Negara.
“Kami nak tahu apa status terkini sekarang, kami tertanya-tanya apa yang berlaku dan perkembangan kes ini.
“Saya sendiri tertanya-tanya apa status kes ini sekarang, sebab saya lihat macam tidak ada apa-apa yang berlaku… senyap begitu sahaja,” katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider. Read the rest of this entry »
Wary of flip-flop tag, Cabinet dithers over English
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
May 27, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The Najib administration has not decided on switching back to English for Science and Mathematics (PPSMI) because several Cabinet ministers feel any change would be another embarrassing flip-flop.
The Malaysian Insider understands the Cabinet has discussed the issue but ministers are still divided, leaving Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ask the Education Ministry to work out the various options.
“They don’t want to appear to flip-flop like the Abdullah government,” a government source told The Malaysian Insider recently.
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s rule was marked by several policy U-turns that led to him being mocked by predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other critics. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I would leave Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Thursday, 26 May 2011, 10:24 pm
Hafidz Baharom
The Malaysian Insider
May 26, 2011
MAY 26 — There are a few things in every nation that a person can’t handle. With our nation now in a state of brain drain (or maybe not), it comes as no surprise that there will be people wishing to migrate for what they may consider greener pastures. I have mine as well even if the country’s national flag features a red maple leaf.
The truth is, I do love this country. To be more specific, I love my hometown of Shah Alam. I love the friends I grew up with even if some of them continue to argue that I should join PAS for some odd reasoning that I personally can’t comprehend. I love my dysfunctional and quirky family and perhaps would even go so far as to say that I love the people in the country when they’re not bigoted idiots running on emotional steroids.
What I don’t enjoy in this nation is the fact that we have a government and government agencies that are run exactly like our Parliament, where a whip is so strictly enforced that minority opinions cannot be promoted. In 2009, Shahrir Abdul Samad said that a Member of Parliament from his own party should be censured, and this motion was denied because nobody would go against the whip. Read the rest of this entry »
When belts cannot be tightened anymore
Hsu Dar Ren
The Malaysian Insider
May 26, 2011
MAY 26 — I chatted with an old patient of mine after a consultation yesterday. He was probably suffering from the side effect of stress and not enough rest. I enquired about his job and he told me that he is working two jobs now; a daytime office job and part- time taxi driving at night. He had to do this to make ends meet.
So I told him what any doctor would tell his patient under these circumstances– to rest more.
Then he started to pour out his woes to me: that he has already been tightening his belt over the past few years, that he dreads to think of ways to tighten it some more, since the cost of living is creeping up and food prices are going to shoot up. He told me that there would come a point that the belt cannot be tightened anymore, and that point is fast being reached. Read the rest of this entry »
The reasons I stayed
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Thursday, 26 May 2011, 9:51 pm
Adrian Ng
The Malaysian Insider
May 26, 2011
MAY 26 — There are actually more reasons to leave than stay in Malaysia. But then again, I decided to stay… at least for now. Why?
1. I love the food; I can step out in the middle of the night and still find my favourite food — nasi lemak (tambah telur mata kerbau) with teh tarik kurang manis.
2. I love the weather here, though it sucks at times, but it is still better than being in 20 inches of thick snow or being roasted to death in a 42-degree heat wave. Read the rest of this entry »
10 Days in May (34)
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Teoh Beng Hock on Thursday, 26 May 2011, 7:57 pm
Tweets @limkitsiang:-
TBH RCI – What game MACC up2 demanding special treatment in not meeting yesterday’s RCI deadline 4submissions – while complied by others?
Bar Council justified complaint working “round the clock” 2comply with RCI deadline 4submissions – Y MACC exception w Friday extension?
Question Grave Public Importance:Y MACC need more time than others 2submit what happened 2TeohBengHock dat fateful day @MACC Shah Alam hqrs?
Fully endorse PAS ShahAlam MP KhalidSamad query whether there is any MACC cover-up http://bit.ly/kloK8j MP questions silence on Sarbani case
