Day: September 2, 2008

An Open Letter (Part 2) to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, 2nd September 2008:

5. Zero tolerance for corruption

Let the Cabinet declare a new National Integrity Plan objective of zero tolerance for corruption – with Malaysia ranked among the top 10 countries which are least corrupt in the world.

Although there is a flurry of arrests by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), Malaysians are reminded of the earlier flurry of ACA activities in the first few months of the new Abdullah premiership which finally fizzled out into nothing – with Malaysia’s ranking in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index plunging from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 43 in 2007.

Are the Prime Minister and Cabinet prepared to give full liberty and authority to the ACA to fight corruption even against Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers, Mentri-Menteri Besar and top Barisan Nasional leaders without getting any greenlight from the Prime Minister?

6. End the brain drain

Is the Cabinet prepared to admit that one fatal mistake of our nation-building policy which has led to our diminishing international competitiveness and why Malaysia has lost out to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore in the past half-a-century and continuing to trail behind more and more countries is injustice and discrimination meted out to the best and brightest talents driving them overseas.

Is the Cabinet prepared to end this crippling denial syndrome to end the brain drain of the best and brightest talents overseas – in particular stemming the brain-drain to Singapore by reinstating the principle of meritocracy and ensuring that Malaysia’s best and brightest, regardless of race, can get the best educational and employment opportunities in their own country?
Continue reading “Open Letter (Part 2) to PM & Ministers – Lessons of two “political tsunamis” in six months”

ADVERTORIAL
New Straits Times
23 August 2008, page 43

HONORARY DEGREE AWARD
7TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY UNIVERSITY TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
TO
YANG AMAT MULIA RAJA ZARITH SOFIAH BINTI ALMARHUM
SULTAN IDRIS AL-MUTAWAKIL ALALLAHI SHAH
D.K.II, S.P.M.J., S.P.C.M.

Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah has born on 14th of August 1959 in Hospital Batu Gajah, Perak. Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith is a third son to Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzwan and Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Mazuwin binti almarhum Raja Arif Shah.

Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah get early education in Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Datin Khadijah Kuala Kangsar in the state his birthplace namely in Perak. After end of the education in primary school, Yang Amat Mulia continue the education to form one at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Raja Perempuan Kalsom Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

In the month of September 1972, Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah have set forth to England for further education in Chaltenham Ladies College, Gloucestershire to form six. Then, Yang Amat Mulia continue learning it in Davies College London in September 1977 and his following year in receive enter to Somerville College, London after having passed Oxford Entrance Examination.

After graduated at Oxford University with Bachelor of Art in June 1983 and follow the traditional University of Oxford, Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith will receive Master of Art after three years in 1986. Yang Amat Mulia also is a linguist follow several courses including language Mandarin at the tertiary level, French and Italy language.
Continue reading “Horror of Malaysian Education System”

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, 2nd September 2008:

YAB Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister,
YB-YB Cabinet Ministers,

Ten challenges which the Cabinet must address tomorrow to demonstrate that it has learnt the lessons of the two political tsunamis in six months

I believe the overwhelming majority of Malaysians have one common reaction when they read or learnt of the news of the announcement by Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukudu of his sudden resignation yesterday – when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is going to resign as Malaysian Prime Minister despite his earlier announcement of the power-transition schedule in June 2010.

This may be unfair but this is a fact. Why is this so when four short years ago, the Prime Minister had won the country’s biggest mandate in the 2004 general election winning an unprecedented 91 per cent parliamentary majority?

This was one of my thoughts when I hiked up Penang Hill “48” this morning, which I had not done for a very very long time. The hour hike up and down Penang Hill “48” provided me with a very conducive atmosphere to think about the multiple crisis of confidence afflicting Malaysia – political, economic, educational, judicial, institutional and nation-building.

The idea to pen this Open Letter also came from this hike as the Cabinet meeting tomorrow is the first one after the Permatang Pauh by-election, presenting an acid test whether Barisan Nasional government has learnt the lessons of the two “political tsunamis” in six months to save the country from the multiple crisis of confidence confronting the nation.

There are at least ten challenges which the Cabinet must address tomorrow: Continue reading “Open Letter to PM & Ministers – Lessons of two “political tsunamis” in six months”

Income:-
	Walk-in Donation –
		Ipoh Timur Centre	30,073.20
		Canning Centre	16,469.10
		Tebing Tinggi Centre	759.00
		Pasir Pinji Centre	3,538.80
	Online Donation		4,105.00
	Ceramah Collections		142,647.90
		Total:	197,593.00
Expenses:-
	Rental — Hall & Centres		4,900.00
	Operation Centres set-up & maintenance		23,050.14
	Ceramah set-up		19,876.21
	Logistic		8,182.00
	Postering — materials & labour		31,255.95
	Voting day — food & stationary		2,571.27
	Thanksgiving — dinner & gifts		13,761.50
	Service Centres — set-up/renovations*		26,000.00
	Total:		129,597.07
	**Balance		67,995.93

* Pasir Pinji RM8,000, Canning RM8,000, Tebing Tinggi RM10,000
** The balance fund will be kept for future activities/next election in Ipoh Timur.

Mike Lee emailed me a blog hoping I could put it up here.

I read it and agreed. It provides a silver lining to the black clouds of nation-building a-gathering in recent months. An example of what every Malaysian can do as Bangsa Malaysia in everyday life to make the new generation feel that they are one united people instead of a separate divided nation.

It is something the keris-wielding Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein can learn from ordinary but conscientious and patriotic Malaysian teachers who care for all students regardless of race, religion or class instead of just wanting to be a communal hero!

This is a blog by a self-confessed “very stressed out English (PE) teacher who feels she is about to collapse with all the work she has” but has never lost sight of the responsibility and vision as a “human engineer” for the new generation of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or class. Keep it up, Chris Chan. Dedicated teachers and nationalists like you keep alive and strong the hopes of a Bangsa Malaysia.

Friday, August 29, 2008
Majlis restu

Today marks a very important day in Sri Aman. Most people probably did not see its significance. But here it is …. why it is significant. Majlis restu has always been held for the PMR, SPM and STPM candidates in this school … ever since I could remember … for Muslims only. It was done with the purpose of encouraging the students and to remind them to turn to God at this time of severe stress and anxiety. For the first time, today, a separate majlis restu was held for the non-Muslim candidates. Why? Because ALL Sri Aman students deserve to have one done for them. ALL Sri Aman students are nervous, stressed and anxious about their public exams. So, under the Pendidikan Moral panel, the first ever Majlis Restu was held for the non-Muslim students. Continue reading “Silver lining to black clouds – something for keris-wielding Hishammuddin to learn”