RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel safety – DAP MPs wants on-the-spot assurance/demo by Samy Vellu before opening
Posted by Kit in Good Governance on Wednesday, 9 May 2007, 3:56 pm
I have sent an urgent fax to the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for on-the-spot safety assurance and demonstration that the RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel is safe for use by the public not only on Monday, when it will start operation, but for the next few decades.
This has become even more urgent with more instances of government building and construction defects, with Parliament again leaking in some six places in the foyer outside the media centre this morning after heavy rain — a repeat of the disgraceful incident in April 2005 when Parliament had to be adjourned summarily because rainwater was pouring into the Dewan Rakyat Chamber as a result a ceiling collapse in a RM100 million Parliament renovaton contract.
With the recent unending series of mishaps in public buildings and construction projects, like the landslide in Putrajaya in March which should not have happened, the defects at the Immigration Headquarters and Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry buildings both in Putrajaya, the unfolding mishaps with every other day at the RM290 million largest court complex in Jalan Duta, and now the return of leaks in Parliament building, Malaysian confidence in the safety of public buildings and construction projects have reached a new low.
In this connection, was a certificate for fitness for occupation (CF) issued for the largest court complex in the world, and if so when. If no CF was issued, why was the court complex allowed to be used; and if there was CF, whether actions would be taken against those who had been so negligent as to issue the CF when there are still so many defects, including structural ones, which had to be rectified?
In the case of the RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel, no margin of mishap could be allowed to happen,as life and limb would be at stake — unlike falling ceilings, leaking buildings and burst pipes which have so far luckily avoided fatalities or human injuries. Read the rest of this entry »
Maybanks’ legal panel – what is the truth?
by I Bernadette
First, my ethnicity is irrelevant — and I am not defending MayBank or/and its policies.
The fact that racial discrimination has been ‘cast in stone’ so to speak, into policies of organizations like MayBank, is nothing new. In Malaysia, corporations linked to the Government and not just MayBank have fine-tuned the art of racial discrimination to a heart beat.
What is new in the case of MayBank in its latest ruling is that it would appear to be encroaching on the principle of free speech as protected by our Federal Constitution of 1957 — asking that law firms hoping to deal with it be first majority-owned by a certain class of Malaysians based on race. What right has MayBank got to go around telling private individuals who go into business as partners, how profits on their earnings are supposed to be distributed among them, what equity participation they should have in their private ventures and what internal policies they should or should not follow? Isn’t this the responsibility of private individuals as free citizens?
But at least MayBank has been forthright on the issue by making public its policy. Others are less so if they ever do. Apparently it arises out of MayBank’s genuine desire to comply with what after all is government policy.
Since the issue is one basically of racial discrimination against certain categories of lawyers based on race, in favor of one class of Malaysians vis-Ã -vis the others, one cannot be faulted for asking whether the proper forum ought not to be the country’s legislative body responsible for such laws i.e. Parliament and not MayBank.
Consider this. For a law firm looking to do work for a bank even on an ad hoc basis, the partners would have to work hard — ‘working hard’ means in most cases many hours on the golf fields at prestigious clubs scattered not only all over the country but overseas with its team of ‘enablers’ if you will where business deals are made. This acts to automatically exclude most of the small to medium law firms with their limited resources, limited experience (on the golf fields rather than in any field) and limited track record as a firm because they are new and the partners are young. Read the rest of this entry »
Indians can change their destiny
Posted by Kit in Indians, nation building on Wednesday, 9 May 2007, 6:58 am
Indians Can Change Their Destiny
by Richard Teo
I fail to agree with Samy Vellu’s assertion that the 3% equity for the Indians had been on the national agenda for a long time and that nothing had been planned and implemented for the community. The failure to reach that equity level lies not wholly with the govt but with the MIC leader which Samy leads.
The dilemma facing the marginalised Indian community will continue as long as they are led by the current MIC leaders. For 25 years the Indian community have been led by these leaders and in many ways the trust bestowed on them have been repeatedly betrayed.
The pitiful and marginalised position the Indian community are enduring would not have occurred had their leaders placed community above self, service and sacrifice above greed.
Partly to blame for this current dilemma are the Indian community generally and the MIC members specifically. Like the proverbial sheep been led to the slaughter house, they had faithfully placed their trust to these same leaders who had deemed fit to plunder the wealth meant for the poor and destitute in the Indian community. Read the rest of this entry »
Merdeka! But are we totally free?
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman, nation building on Wednesday, 9 May 2007, 6:32 am
Merdeka! But are we totally free?
by Azly Rahman
Let me share my thoughts on independence and social contract by first quoting excerpts from a poem by the American poet Emma Lazarus, and next from the Enlightenment thinker Jean Jacques Rousseau.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” (The New Colossus by Lazarus, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in the New York).
“Nations, like men, are teachable only in their youth, with age they become incorrigible. Once customs have been established and prejudices rooted, reform is a dangerous and fruitless enterprise, a people cannot bear to see its evils touched, even if only to be eradicated, it is like a stupid, pusillanimous invalid who trembles at the sight of a physician” (Rousseau in The Social Contract).
The excerpts above inspire my essay on the meaning of social contract.
Let us go back to our history and listen attentively to the idea of the formation of Malaysia. We must revise our understanding of social contract that we derive from state-authored textbooks, written by the intelligentsia; knowledge that has since formed the perception of policy makers.
What revisions do we need to make to our social contract, if we are to be independent? Read the rest of this entry »
Hishammuddin – apologise for “keris-wielding” episodes to restore confidence as a symbol for national integration among students
Posted by Kit in Education, nation building on Tuesday, 8 May 2007, 8:38 pm
During the debate in Parliament today on the Youth Societies and Youth Development Bill, I called on the Umno Youth leader and Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to apologise for his “keris-wielding” episodes to restore confidence as a symbol for national integration among students in the nation’s schools.
This raised the heckles of UMNO MPs in the House particularly Datuk Badruddin bin Amiruldin (Jerai) and Idris Harun (Tangga Batu) who demanded clarifications which I rejected as I had only ten minutes to speak as the second last speaker on the Bill.
As a result, the last MP in the debate, Razali Ismail (Muar) started his speech on the “keris-wielding” episodes, allowing Badruddin to go on a rampage to accuse me of being disrespectful and contemptuous of Malay culture and the Yang di Pertuan Agong in not accepting the keris as a national symbol.
In rebuttal, I made it very clear that I accepted without reservation the Malay keris as part of the national emblem, and that when the Yang di Pertuan Agong unsheathed and kissed the keris, it was a symbol of justice.
However, what was unacceptable was when the Umno Youth leader wielded the keris in the context of extremist and communal demands utterly insensitive of the feelings and rights of all communities in the country. I reminded Umno MPs that at the recent Umno Youth general assembly, an Umno Youth delegate even asked when Hishammuddin was going to use the keris now that he had wielded it twice — highlighting the totally unacceptable circumstances of the keris episodes. Read the rest of this entry »
Religion disrupting families — two more cases
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Religion on Tuesday, 8 May 2007, 5:38 pm
The Cabinet tomorrow must give top priority to end the series of man-made tragedies of religion disrupting families and announce after its meeting a proactive strategy to put an end to such instances which have cast a dark shadow over the nation’s 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations.
For over forty years, such instances of family disruptions because of religion were virtually unheard of but its increasing incidence is giving Malaysia not only a bad name internationally but stand as an indictment of the failure of nation-building and national integration in plural Malaysia on half-a-century of nationhood.
The two latest instances:
1. A hair saloon operator, Benedict Gopal, 32, married his wife Audrey Christina Samuel, 29, six years ago and have two children Melissa, 5 and Jason 17 months. Both are born Christians.
In April, she left the house after differences with her husband, converted to Islam and took the name Nur Adryana Questina binti Abdullah. The two children remained with the father.
On May 3, 2007, she secured an ex-parte order from the Negri Sembilan Syariah Court directing the Negri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department (MAINS) and the Police to co-operate to get Benedict Gopal to hand over Melissa and Jason to the mother.
Benedict Gopal was given 14 days to appear before the Negri Sembilan syariah court to set aside its order.
There have been two unsuccessful attempts involving the police to take Melissa and Jason from Benedict Gopal to hand them over to the custody of Nur Adryana Questina. Read the rest of this entry »
Can Samy Vellu guarantee that the RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel will be trouble-free when it opens on Monday?
Posted by Kit in Good Governance on Tuesday, 8 May 2007, 1:02 pm
Public constructions and buildings have become a national scandal, with burst-pipes, collapsing ceilings, faulty air-conditioning systems in brand-new government buildings almost a daily shame.
As a result of we have the following two reports today:
- “”I have spoken until my mouth is dry’ — PM tired of talking about Terengganu airport maintenance problem” (Sin Chew Daily).
- “Judge loses his cool over faulty air-con” (New Straits Times).
The former referred to the cancellation of all night flights for two nights at the Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu following a power glitch that caused the runway navigation lights to be switched off. The two-day closure affected six commercial flights and some 335 passengers were stranded on the first day. The Yang di Pertuan Agong and his entourage, who were to have left for Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night, were also grounded.
The latter referred to spanking new RM290 million largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur which has earned instant notoriety as the most mishap-prone public building — not only with collapsed ceiling, cracks on the walls, defective lift and toilet, and yesterday, High Court judge Datuk Mohamed Apandi Ali lost his cool with the frequent breakdown of the air-conditioning system in the new court complex as he was forced to postpone an appeal hearing. Read the rest of this entry »
Putrajaya – Mahathir’s Fatehpur Sikri
PUTRAJAYA — MAHATHIR’S FATEHPUR SIKRI
by Z Ibrahim
I refer to the news regarding the various construction defects of buildings in Malaysia’s new administrative capital at Putrajaya. Putrajaya remains an architectural wonder in the forest with its gleaming, sometimes partially completed buildings and bridges. A megaproject during Malaysia’s days of excesses it is reminiscent of Akbar’s deserted capital of Fatehpur Sikri.
Fatehpur Sikri, located 40km west of Agra, was the political capital of India’s Mughal Empire under Akbar’s reign from 1571 until 1585. It shared its imperial duties as a capital city with Agra and is regarded as Emperor Akbar’s crowning architectural legacy. Construction of the new ceremonial capital, with its elaborate palaces, formal courtyards, reflecting pools, harems, tombs and a great mosque commenced in 1571. A large number of masons and stone carvers worked hard for 15 years on the construction of the city the size of which was larger than contemporary London. It served as the capital of his mighty empire for twelve years (1571-1585) and was abruptly abandoned thereafter shortly after the work was completed ostensibly because of the lack of adequate water supply. Read the rest of this entry »
Samy Vellu – why marginalisation of Indians worsened nine years after Anwar sacked from Umno?
MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu yesterday castigated Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim, accusing him of deceit and not helping Indian estate workers when he was in power.
When Anwar was deputy prime minister, he “did nothing” for the estate workers, let alone the Indian community, said the Works Minister.
Samy Vellu said: “I have copies of letters I sent to him seeking assistance (for estate workers when Anwar was deputy prime minister), but he did not lift a finger to help.”
This was the MIC President’s response to Anwar who had said that Indians in estates were treated like slaves and subjected to abject poverty. “They live in fear of thugs and their overlord minister. The Indians are treated as third class, not by us but by you,” Anwar said, referring to Samy Vellu.
Anwar said estate workers were intimidated and bribed into supporting the Barisan Nasional during the recent Ijok state constituency by-election.
Anwar is fully capable to defending himself and I have no intention of replying on Anwar’s behalf.
However, I have received calls from Malaysian Indians wanting to know from Samy Vellu why the MIC President had been a party to the marginalization of Indians and kept quiet for so long even now. Read the rest of this entry »
Freeze new Maybank bumi ruling until EPU methodology on ethnic equity ownership made public
Although Maybank Bhd has said that it will review its new ruling that with effect from 1-7-2007, one of the criteria for legal firms to be on its panel is that 50% of the equity of the partnership of the legal firm must be held by Bumiputras, its statement is ambivalent and unsatisfactory.
This is because the Maybank statement seems to imply two things:
- firstly, that existing legal firms which are already on the Maybank panel, and which had been given one year to comply with the new ruling, may now be exempted from the 50% bumiputra partnership ruling;
- secondly, that for all practical purposes, new legal firms will have to comply with the 50% bumiputra partnership ruling if they are to be emplaced on the bank’s panel.
In keeping with the principles of CSR (corporate social responsibility), Maybank Bhd should not speak in ambiguities but must make clear its policies and guidelines. For this reason, Maybank should clearly explain whether the 50% bumiputra partnership ruling for its panel lawyers will come into force on 1st July 2007 and how it will impact separately on its existing panel lawyers and new firms.
The controversy raised by the Maybank ruling, whether on the blogosphere or among the Malaysian public, have highlighted one important issue — that the few law firms doing good business with the government, statutory bodies or public listed companies with large government holdings are the politically connected ones, which is a more important consideration than whether they are bumiputra owned and operated or with substantial bumi equity.
Or as one poster on my blog put it: “In many of the cases if there is a bumiputra partner he’s probably a retired government servant or a stay-at-home mom who lends their names for a few bucks every month”.
I call on Maybank to be a model of CSR and make public the top 25 legal firms on its panel which have been given the most bank business each year for the past 10 years. This is to allow Malaysians to judge whether the criteria for legal firms on its panel who are given the most Maybank business are the politically-connected ones rather than based on meritocracy or other critera. Read the rest of this entry »
Taib Mahmud digging hole to bury himself with preposterous bill to silence the Opposition?
Posted by Kit in Parliament, Sarawak on Monday, 7 May 2007, 9:42 am
Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud sounded very brave last weekend when addressing Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers in Damai Resort in a seminar with the most inappropriate topic, namely “The role of political leaders: integrity and development”.
In the Star report headlined “Taib: Use law to fight back”, the Sarawak Chief Minister was quoted as telling Sarawak Barisan Nasional State Assembly members: “Fight any smear campaign bravely.”
This has reminded everyone of Taib’s 48-hour ultimatum to Malaysiakini to remove several articles concerning accusations of corruption allegedly linked to him and his family after the Japan Times report implicating Taib in a scandal involving RM32 million in kickbacks paid by Japanese shipping companies for timber from the resource-rich state.
Seventeen days have passed since the expiry of Taib’s 48-hour ultimatum to Malaysiakini to remove the “offensive” articles or he would institute legal proceedings to clear his name and reputation.
Why hasn’t Taib instituted legal proceedings yet?
In his speech last week, Taib told Sarawak BN backbenchers:
“Don’t fear. We have to fight it out.
“I will show you how we can protect ourselves through the legal system.”
Everyone thought Taib was reassuring Sarawak BN backbenchers that he would be instituting legal proceedings against Malaysiakini and others to clear his name when he spoke about using the legal system to “fight back” but everyone was wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
What else does the govt want from us?
Posted by Kit in nation building, NEP on Monday, 7 May 2007, 6:43 am
What else does the Govt want from Us?
by Richard Teo
On the same day when it was reported that two major banks “require law firms to have a minimum of three partners of which one must be Bumiputra with a minimum 50 per cent stake in the firm before they can do any business with the banks” another report in Singapore says “Job ads in the city: No age, race.”
Two different emphasis on policy matters, one from our close neighbour Singapore and one from our own virtually sums up the two different directions we are heading.
After 50 years of being in power our leaders are still promulgating laws and policies which are dividing the nation while in Singapore, the rationale is to eliminate race as a criterion to select candidates for jobs believing in the concept that “multi-racialism is a fundamental principle here”.
How divergent and different each nation’s path has become.One will lead the nation to ultimate destruction whilst the other will grow and prosper.
How can our leaders be so myopic and parochial? Why must it always be the Malays vs Chinese thing? Can’t they adopt a more pragmatic view that the Chinese are not their enemies and that we are all sitting in the same boat. If this boat sinks we sink together. Read the rest of this entry »
Dengue – a failure of medical leadership
DENGUE – A FAILURE OF MEDICAL LEADERSHIP
by Gabriel
I refer to the news that Malaysia is seeing a higher death toll from dengue fever this year. Health Ministry’s Director of Disease Control, Hasan Abdul Rahman said 44 people had died in the first four months of 2007 from 16,214 cases reported, compared to 21 deaths and 10,244 cases in the same period last year.
Even more disturbing is the statement that the disease has seen a rise of 16 per cent in cases every year since 2003 with fatalities reaching record levels in 2004, when 102 people died.
The Ministry’s Deputy Director-General, Ramlee Rahmat further appears to have even identified the cause for the rise attributing it to unkempt construction sites, indifferent contractors and land owners, public complacency and ideal weather conditions for breeding the Aedes mosquito.
Primary health care officials, having already identified the problems, may need to do more if this plague is to be dealt with more effectively.
The time is appropriate for them to speak to the DPM and ask for emergency powers for they may have no clout if some of these problems fall into the domain of the Environmental Ministry or local councils who may take a lackadaisical attitude to this endemic plague which can very well rapidly escalate to be an epidemic if these erratic weather conditions continue to facilitate the exponential breeding of the Aedes aegypti.
How indeed memories are short for authorities do not appear to remember the other great mosquito scourge that swamped this country in its early years — malaria. Read the rest of this entry »
Scrap Maybank ruling on 50% bumi partnership for law firms on its panel – unacceptable NEP extension
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should scrap the inequitable and unacceptable Maybank extension of the New Economic Policy (NEP) by requiring law firms on its panel to have at least 50 per cent bumiputra partnership.
Maybank has imposed the rule that with effect from 1-7-2007, one of the criteria for legal firms to be on its panel is that 50% of the equity of the partnership of the legal firm must be held by Bumiputras. For legal firms which are already on the Maybank panel, they have a year to comply with the new ruling.
Maybank, a government-linked company, has justified the new ruling on the ground that Malaysia was working towards improving the quality of service industries including the legal profession to face the challenges of globalization.
But this is a most unconvincing ground for the new Maybank ruling has nothing to do with the upgrading of the quality of service industries, whether legal profession or other fields. On the contrary, the opposite may be the case.
Furthermore, it will create new national divisions by undermining the nation-building process especially at a time when the country is celebrating the 50th Merdeka anniversary when Malaysians have discovered that the country had not made much progress in promoting national integration in the past five decades. Read the rest of this entry »
PM – reprimand and discipline JJ for racist remarks against Malaysian Indians in California
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should reprimand and discipline the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis for his disgraceful conduct in making racist and derogatory remarks about Malaysian Indians when he met Malaysian students in California on Monday (30th April).
During his official visit to California on Monday, Jamaludin met some of the Malaysian students studying in California especially the ones from TPM Academy twinning programme at the Belacan Grill Malaysian Restaurant, Redondo Beach, Ca.
One of the students was Sheena Moorthy, a third-year Biotech Malaysian student in CALYPOLY.
Sheena complained that during the 3½ hour session, Jamaludin passed a few racial remarks on her, being one of the two Indians present there.
Sheena has formally written to the Prime Minister to complain against Jamaludin for the “totally uncalled-for racial insults”, citing the following instances:
Incident 1 – Each student had to briefly introduce themselves. When it came to her turn, while speaking he interrupted her and asked if she knew Samy Vellu, because he knows him. She did not see any relevance in that and he mentioned it a few times for no apparent reason.
Incident 2 — He gave a speech regarding how agriculture started in Malaysia. He mentioned how the British invested in Malaysia and made farmers work. Due to the lack of work force, “buruh India” was brought in. While mentioning this, he looked at her saying “that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia”.
Incident 3 — After saying he is going to get MARA to help the Bumiputra students, he looked at her and asked “How many Indians are here?” Sheena did not keep track of number of Indian students so she mentioned that in the room there were two (pointing to another Malaysian Indian friend, who is fair skinned) and Jamaludin looked at him and asked “Oh. You are an Indian? Which means you are an upper class Indian and she is the lower class one” (pointing at her). Jamaludin went on to say that, “Oh, I am not going to help upper class Indians, I only help the lower class ones. They are the ones that need it’.
Sheena left the room feeling very insulted as the Minister had judged her based on her skin colour. Read the rest of this entry »
BN no reason to exult over Ijok – but fatal mistake to think next poll is “harvest time” for Opposition
I wish to clarify a Chinese news report today on my statement yesterday with the heading: “Kit Siang rules out polls before September”.
What I said was that until yesterday, I had completely ruled out the possibility of the next general election being held before August 31 as the hundreds of million of ringgit that will be splurged all over the country to celebrate our half-a-century of nationhood would have been planned with an eye to recreate the “feel good euphoria” which had been so successful in the 2004 general election to give the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an unprecedented victory mandate of 91% of the parliamentary seats.]
I said there had been two schools of thought among the election strategists in Umno and Barisan Nasional — whether the next general election should be held next year before end of April when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regains his civil right enfranchisement to stand for elective office or the latter part of this year.
However, as a result of the Machap and Ijok by-elections, there is a third school of thought in Umno and Barisan Nasional, favouring a general election before the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations on August 31.
It is to be seen as to which of these three schools of thought would win the ear of Abdullah, although there are increasing signs of early polls.
The next general election will be a crucial and critical one for Abdullah. It will also be a crucial and critical one for the DAP and the Opposition. Read the rest of this entry »
Next Constitution Amendment Bill – introduce Article 121(1B) to restore non-Muslim rights
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Religion on Saturday, 5 May 2007, 9:00 am
I have been informed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers have submitted to the Government a Constitution Amendment Bill, which is to be tabled to Parliament for passage next week or in the June/July meeting of Parliament from June 18 — July 10, 2007.
The next Constitution Amendment Bill should include a new amendment of Article 121(1B) to clearly restore to non-Muslim Malaysians the Merdeka “social contract” and their constitutional right not to be adversely affected by Syariah law and courts.
Last month, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) conducted a week-long special prayers to express their anxieties, concerns and fears over growing encroachments of religious freedoms and rights in plural Malaysia, although freedom of religion is entrenched in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and the Constitution the supreme law of the land.
This is because the past two years have seen increasing incidence of disputes affecting the human, family, religious and citizenship rights of non-Muslim Malaysians, such as the Moorthy, Rayappan, Subashini, Marimuthu and Revathi cases.
The 1988 amendment of Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution was to provide to Muslims the constitutional protection for their rights to be adjudicated in syariah courts without detracting any rights from non-Muslims.
I have no doubt that if during the parliamentary debate in March 1988 on the Constitution Amendment Bill 1988 which enacted Article 121(1A), an MP had the foresight to ask whether the intention was to create injustices and family grief like the Moorthy, Rayappan and Subashini cases, or to erode and undermine the constitutional rights of non-Muslim Malaysians to seek legal redress in civil court rather than in syariah court, the answer would have been a clear “No” in both instances.
By enacting Article 121(1A), Parliament never intended to take away even one iota of the constitutional rights of non-Muslims to be fully adjudicated under civil law and not under syariah law. Read the rest of this entry »
50th Merdeka – nightmare of public health system
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Health on Saturday, 5 May 2007, 5:45 am
Our Pathetic Healthcare System
by “Product of the System”
Once upon a long time ago, I vowed as a naive medical student to serve fellow Malaysians with my utmost sincerity.
Despite much disappointment with the mediocrity of our local university, I was determined to repay the rakyat for the subsidy they have provided me with.
It has finally dawned on me that it is practically impossible to provide optimum healthcare in a pathetic healthcare system like Malaysia’s.
Indeed, ours is a system that is flawed at its very roots, and top.
An Obsession of Vanity
The shortcomings of Malaysia’s healthcare are anything but oblivious to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Instead of putting in concrete efforts to overcome simple problems with simple solutions, the MOH has instead chosen to busy itself with efforts of vanity and exhibitionism.
Penning a rosy Piagam Pelanggan and a lofty “misi dan visi” for every single sub-department will not translate into better services.
Putting our healthcare personnel through time-wasting, brain-washing Kursus Induksi, Biro Tatanegara (BTN) and Penilaian Tahap Kecemerlangan (PTK) programs will not produce more skillful and knowledgeable staff.
Holding weekly perhimpunan pagi hospital and singing patriotic-sounding songs will not miraculously make anyone serve their fellow Malaysians with greater commitment and efficiency.
Forcing our doctors to don bacterial-laden white coats and equally lethal neck ties is the perfect example of style without substance.
Seeking and attaining MS ISO accreditation is far from reflective of the quality of services our patients are receiving.
These fanciful so-called recognitions have instead added unnecessary red tape and rigidity to a clumsy, obese system already burdened and bloated with excessive bureaucracy and paperwork.
The MOH’s misplaced obsession with ISO recognition and protocol is holding everybody back — doctors, nurses, lab technicians, radiographers and everyone else trying to fulfill their duties in a system that frustrates.
While healthcare in much of the rest of the modern world is cruising ahead, Malaysia’s is so very wedged in the medieval ages, with no signs of any prospective improvements under a greedy government more concerned about serving the interests of its cronies in the money-loaded field of medicine. Read the rest of this entry »
Public building mishaps – end Samy Vellu farce, get Cabinet out of the way and emulate South Korean/Singapore examples
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Good Governance on Friday, 4 May 2007, 6:13 pm
Yesterday was the opening of the RM290 million largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur marked by more mishaps, after the ceiling collapse in the secretarial room of Civil High Court judge Datuk Abdul Malik on Monday.
Firstly, cracks measuring more than three metres appeared on the fourth floor corridors opposite Magistrate Four.
Then one of the lifts broke down, trapping eight passengers for about half an hour.
Car parking is going to be a nightmare for lawyers and the justice-seeking public who have to go to the Jalan Duta Court Complex, which would house 77 courts comprising 26 magistrate’s courts, 21 Sessions Courts and 30 High Courts. The RM290 million Court Complex in Jalan Duta is clearly most unfriendly to the justice-seeking public.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has said that his Ministry will assemble a team of experts to investigate the faults at the court complex in Jalan Duta, the Immigration Headquarters building in Putrajaya and the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry building, also in Putrajaya.
He said the team would deliver a preliminary report on Monday for him to present to the Prime Minister at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday where further details, including repair costs, would be discussed.
I say: End the Samy Vellu farce and get Cabinet out of the way — emulate South Korean and Singapore examples to establish independent inquiries into construction disasters and prosecute defaulting parties regardless of cronies or proxies! Read the rest of this entry »
Congrats and 3 immediate tasks for Raymond Tan as new Sabah DCM
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Sabah on Friday, 4 May 2007, 3:22 pm
Congrats to Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah on his appointment as Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President Datuk Liew Yun Fan as Minister for Youth and Sports..
I do not expect any thanks from the duo, although all Sabahans know that if not for my strong criticisms of the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman during my three-day political tour of Tawau, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan last weekend for leaving vacant the two posts relinquished by Tan Sri Chong Kah Keat and the marginalization of both the Chinese and the Kadazandusun Murut communities in Sabah Baru, both appointments would have remained shelved.
Although the Sabah State Secretary Datuk K. Y. Mustafa said yesterday that Musa had informed the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of the reshuffle on April 25 and he had agreed to the appointments, nobody would believe Mustapha’s statement.
If Mustapha was speaking the truth, then Musa has a blackmark in setting the worst record for any state government leader in having to take nine long days to implement such a decision, which would normally be announced on the very same day itself
Can Musa explain the reasons for such gross incompetence and ineptitude?
Mustafa was clearly trying to shield the Chief Minister and fend off my political criticisms of Musa on this issue, but it is not his job as the state’s No. 1 civil servant to be embroiled in the political waters.
Mustafa should zealously safeguard the independence, impartiality, professionalism and image of the state civil service and not compromise them by doing political yeoman service for his political master.
Mustafa should leave politics to the politicians and do a good job as a model civil servant in the state by demonstrating that as the No. 1 civil servant in Sabah, he fully understands the meaning of civil service independence, impartiality, integrity and non-partisanship and is guided by these principles in his every action and statement. Read the rest of this entry »
