Day: October 7, 2009

(Extracts from DAP Alternative Budget 2010 launched on 7th October 2009)

4. Budget Objectives

To meet the challenges of improving Malaysian global economic competitiveness while addressing the growing rich-poor disparity in Malaysia and being mindful of the fiscal constraints and harnessing our oil resources effectively, the DAP Budget 2010 is themed “Malaysian Economic Democratisation”.

The goals of economic democratisation is to ensure that public funds and expenditure by the government will be more effectively and efficiently spent in accordance to the needs of the people, ensure that public projects are structured in mechanisms which will benefit the rakyat as opposed to politically-connected operators as well as enabling Malaysians to achieve greater economic freedom.

The process of “economic democratisation” will hence focus on 3 key thrusts, that are:

1. Economic Democratision – Fiscal Decentralisation

2. Rakyat First – Restructuring & Reallocation

3. Empowerment & Enablement – Capacity Building

Continue reading “Malaysian Economic Democratisation”

The DAP Alternative National Budget 2010 marks the progress the Party has made in the field of economic policy making, and our readiness to assume the role of a governing party in the Federal Government as and when such opportunities arise in the near future.

Our first Alternative National Budget was launch on the 5th September 2007 for the year 2008, before the last historic general elections where Pakatan Rakyat denied the Barisan Nasional two-third majority in the parliament, and winning government in 5 Malaysian states. This new Alternative National Budget 2010 picks up from where we left off in 2007, enhancing our proposed economic policies with stronger strategies and proposals based on further in depth research and analysis.

As Malaysia face one of the most challenging economic period in times of uncertain global demand, it is critical that the Malaysian government takes decisive actions to spur the economy and ensure that we will not only recover from this recession, but also emerge stronger and more competitive than we were before the onset of the recession. However, a review of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s actions to date coupled with its track record over the past 12 years paints a less than optimistic picture.

At a time when the economy is faltering globally, is exactly the time for the government to be pump-priming to boost domestic demand and competitiveness. However, despite the urgent need to boost government expenditure, the BN government is now finding out the hard way that they have in essence, run out of money to spend and are struggling to contain and maintain the high and escalating cost of government. Continue reading “DAP Alternative Budget 2010”

Speaking at the 35th Unesco general conference in Paris yesterday, Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said his 1Malaysia philosophy can be extended to the concept of 1Region and ultimately 1World.

Apart from the 1Malaysia gimmicry which now includes 1Malaysia jokes, what does Najib really mean by 1Malaysia?

Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has publicly expressed his bewilderment and incomprehension of Najib’s 1Malaysia.

Lesser mortals should be forgiven if they are even more confused as to what Najib really means with this slogan.

It cannot mean one overarching Malaysian objective, when it does not even mean 1Umno – which is why Najib had to succumb to pressures to name Tan Sri Isa Samad as candidate for the Bagan Pinang by-election when all the Umno/BN leaders could not be unaware that the choice is utterly inappropriate for a Prime Minister who wants to send out the message that he stands for a new tomorrow. Continue reading “Isa will become “mascot” of Najib’s 1Malaysia with BN victory in Bagan Pinang by-election”

By Martin Jalleh
7 Oct. 2009

Samy Vellu is here to stay – as long as he wants. He has been made indispensable, invincible…even immortal. He will remain as the “Saviour” of the Indians in Malaysia – a god-like status his “devotees” have strenuously bestowed upon him.

This strong message that Samy still reigns supreme was delivered by the majority of the 1,464 delegates at the triennial election of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) held recently. It appears that they would prefer to sink with Samy – rather than swim in the current of change.

Dr M says “MIC is scared stiff of Samy Vellu”. But it is their very own political survival they are shivering and sweating over! Ironically, they felt very secure even if it meant strengthening Samy’s political stranglehold and further suffocating the whole Indian community!

With their future at stake the delegates were not prepared to stick their necks out. In fact, as Dr M once described the members of the MIC, they are “not even ready to stick their little finger out”. Such is the sordid state of affairs in the second oldest political party in the country.

“Everybody is playing safe. If I go against the chief, he’s going to hammer me. Then I won’t get contracts, I won’t be ‘ketua bahagian’ (party division chief),” Dr M succinctly described the sad scenario – which was very similar to Umno when Dr M was its president for 22 years. Continue reading “Sinking in solidarity with Samy”

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak went before the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris yesterday to extend his 1Malaysia motto to 1World.

Four years ago, at the University of Malaya’s centennial celebrations in June 2005, as Deputy Prime Minister, Najib threw the challenge to University of Malaya to raise its 89th position among the world’s top 100 universities in Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) ranking in 2004 to 50 by the year 2020.

Instead of accepting Najib’s challenge with incremental improvement of its THES ranking, the premier university went into a free fall for two years followed by completely disappearing from the Top 200 Universities ranking in the past two years.

After being ranked in 2004 at 89th position in the THES-QS World Top Universities, University of Malaya fell to 169th in 2005 and 192nd placing in 2006, and in the past two years of 2007 and 2008 rankings, not only University of Malaya but Malaysia fell out of the 200 Top Universities altogether!

We can only hope that Najib’s 1Malaysia and 1World calls will not be as dismal as his call in 2005 to University of Malaya to be among the world’s top 50 universities.

Tomorrow, Malaysians will know whether Malaysian universities could redeem themselves and get back into the World Top 200 Universities ranking when the 2009 THES-QS World Top Universities ranking is released, or whether Malaysia has fallen into the “black hole” of international university competitiveness stakes, unable to prove their academic quality, excellence and worth in the international arena. Continue reading “Tomorrow D-Day for Malaysian universities – THES-QS Top 200 Universities Ranking 2009”

by Hussein Hamid

Will someone tell if this Najib is the Prime Minister of UMNO, of the Malays or of Malaysia. I did not mention the Chinese, the Indians and the Others because by default and by his actions he has certainly made these people reject him as their Prime Minister. So that leaves the Malays and Malaysia because he certainly is Prime Minister of UMNO. Now because Malaysia is made up of not only Malays but also the others then again by default he cannot be Prime Minister for Malaysia. So that leaves the Malays.

The jury is still out and deliberating this issue. Yes there are only Malays in UMNO. But are the interests of UMNO and the Malays the same? The Malays are Muslims. And so, it seems are the profess religion of those in UMNO. Tapi cakap bukan serupa bikin. Islam frowns on greed, corruption, and deceit. UMNO does not. Continue reading “Prime Minister of UMNO?”