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A fight for Malaysia

— Dr Kamal Amzan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — The country of nasi lemak, rendang, pasembor, rojak and yong tau hu.

A nation of colourful festivals and public holidays that dot the yearly planner, turning any calendar into a polka-dot collage.

It is where you find everyone is related. We are somebody’s “uncles”, “aunties”, “pak ciks” and “mak ciks”, akin to a super big family celebrating our differences in fashionably colourful ways.

A country blessed with pristine, tranquil mountaintops, sandy white beaches and whatever remains of our rich rainforest heritage everywhere.

A place where the east converges before greeting the west.

This is my country. My home, my heaven and my paradise. Continue reading “A fight for Malaysia”

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Through my aging eyes: Kaamatan – A Blend of Politics and Culture

By Dr Edwin Bosi
DAP Sabah State Secretary
Borneo Post
1.6.11

If my recollection is right the planting season used to be from February to May of each year. I remember the meticulous preparation from clearing a plot of land for the nursery to transplanting and harvesting. Each family had a fenced-up plot where every bit of herbage was removed, and using a sharpened pole my mom would plunge it into the ground, making sure the small holes thus created were in a neat roll. Then the best quality padi grains were placed into the tiny holes and buried by racking the soil at the surface. Up on the trees, little “pipit” or brownish sparrows were waiting to salvage whatever grains were found scattered on the plot. The size of the plot depends on the acreage of ones padi field.

The seedlings upon reaching about a foot tall were ready for transplanting onto the field. While the seeds grew the padi land was prepared by ploughing with the assistance of an obedient and trained buffaloes. The bunds were repaired and made strong enough to hold the water. The soil was then broken or harrowed before the seedlings were transplanted. Usually there were few people involved in the planting in unison using a short small sharpened wood to make the holes in the soil and then sticking the seedlings into them. The job was executed by stepping backward to ensure a straight line was achieved. If I can recall the planting distant between two seedlings was about 18 inches. Continue reading “Through my aging eyes: Kaamatan – A Blend of Politics and Culture”

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I will not give in to fear

— Lim Ka Joy
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — Dear Malaysia,

It is with great joy and hope and also some apprehension that I undertook this task of writing why I have decided not to forsake you even though I have watched you grow from bad to worse over the years.

I speak to you as a single entity because that is what you are. You are a nation. Though not every part of you will understand this, but I am sure your brain does and that is all we need at the end of the day.

Just for the purposes of a personal intro, I am your average Gen-Y Malaysian who hails form Kuching, Sarawak. I was a victim of discrimination after SPM and STPM. However, thanks to my parents who funded the major portion my tertiary education, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in December 2008.

That year, my dad encouraged me to look for a job overseas. “Don’t work in Malaysia,” he said, “it is not worth it. Salary is one reason for leaving, but with the current un-meritocratic and un-progressive stance on politics, education, economics and social issues, our country is going down the proverbial drain.” Continue reading “I will not give in to fear”

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Can PAS help bring about change in M’sia?

by Koon Yew Yin
Centre folr Public Initiatives

A few days ago, someone sent me an anonymous e-mail appeal addressed to voters. According to the appeal, the coming elections, more so than others, is a vital election because we are at a crossroad. If we get it right we will prosper; if we get it wrong, we will suffer as we have seen in our neighbouring countries. I cannot agree more with these sentiments. In the last three years, I have written about the socioeconomic and political crossroad that the country is at, but that has been to a general audience.

I am glad that I now have the opportunity to share my thoughts on this subject with a PAS audience. This is the first time that I am addressing PAS supporters and this is also probably the first opportunity PAS has had to interact with someone like me.
Let me begin by posing a question. The question that I and many other Malaysians want to ask PAS is how will PAS help the country and ordinary Malaysians take the right road to a brighter and harmonious future? Which is the road that PAS and its leaders want Malaysians to follow? Continue reading “Can PAS help bring about change in M’sia?”

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Intel report sees strife in BN, Pakatan

Malaysiakini
Jun 1, 11

Specialist publisher Economist Intelligence Unit has warned that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may face political revolt within Umno and from coalition parties in Sabah and Sarawak, should he fail to secure a clear victory in the next general election.

Divisions among the three Pakatan Rakyat component parties are also likely to widen if PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is jailed for sodomy, the publisher said in the June report for Malaysia.

It predicted that Malaysia’s political stability will come under moderate threat in the next five years due to internal strife within the two main political alliances. Continue reading “Intel report sees strife in BN, Pakatan”

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Current Bumi economic agenda not viable, says UDA chief

By Yow Hong Chieh | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Putrajaya cannot keep throwing money at agencies tasked with furthering the Bumiputera economic agenda without consideration for profit unlike in the past, says Umno leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

The UDA Holdings Bhd chairman warned there will come a day when the government, whose finances were “being stretched over time”, would no longer be able to dole out grants to statutory bodies like Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) as it does currently.
Continue reading “Current Bumi economic agenda not viable, says UDA chief”

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Pass through… What??

By Shanker | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 1 — I refer to the prime minister’s statement that independent power producers (IPPs) would not benefit from a power hike, as he’s quoted by The Malaysian Insider — “It is a pass-through tariff so nobody benefits.”

Er… what’s “pass through”? Could someone please explain in plain English, what is this new terminology? For the life of me, it sure seems to have escaped the notice of renowned economic and financial experts; don’t think you’d find it in anything that, say Paul Krugman, writes.
Continue reading “Pass through… What??”

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Umno anti-1 Malaysia, Kit Siang tells Soi Lek

By Clara Chooi | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang told Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today to observe Umno’s refusal to discard racial politics before defining 1 Malaysia as the government’s “Malaysian first, race second” vision.

Lim pointed out to the MCA president that Umno’s repeated attempts to lure PAS into forming a unity government with Barisan Nasional (BN) was in itself against the concept of 1 Malaysia.
Continue reading “Umno anti-1 Malaysia, Kit Siang tells Soi Lek”

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Putrajaya’s inflation forecast ‘delusional’, says Guan Eng

By Yow Hong Chieh | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — The government is fooling itself and lying to the people if it thinks the recent round of subsidy cuts will have a negligible impact on inflation, Lim Guan Eng has said.

The DAP secretary-general said the 0.27 per cent inflation increase expected by the government following diesel subsidy cuts and power rate hikes was not borne out by the facts on the ground, where prices of basic necessities have gone up more rapidly.
Continue reading “Putrajaya’s inflation forecast ‘delusional’, says Guan Eng”

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RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (2)

This is twitter sequel to “RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong?”:

29th May – 1 June 2011

mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Baru landing di KK. Buka phone, timeline dan DM saya flooded wt tweets abt @limkitsiang’s visit to my beloved Kota Belud. Ish..
29 May

mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Saya dah bermesyuarat &trima memo JK Bertindak Empangan Tambatuon dua bulan lalu. Kluar dlm paper. @limkitsiang playing spin doctor lagi ke?
29 May

mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Tak payah main politik dgn I. U all pun sama. RT @kaikiok: Continue reading “RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (2)”

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Umno’s unfinished revolution

By Sakmongkol AK47 | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 1 — Umno’s unfinished revolution: One step forward and two steps back.

We can’t go back to 1946 and wished the motivations and inspirations that awoken the Malays remained unchanged. That wish would have to assume that every leader is born at the same time and is of similar constitution — boldness in character, dedication to public service, possessing selfless dedication.
Continue reading “Umno’s unfinished revolution”

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Panel: Waste won’t be 100% radiation-free

Malaysiakini | Jun 1, 11

The international expert panel reviewing the controversial Lynas rare earth plant has conceded that the waste produced from the plant cannot be 100 percent radiation-free.

Based on Malaysian Medical Association’s (MMA) notes of the panel’s hearing yesterday, a panelist said that it was “very unlikely” to achieve zero thorium or uranium – both radioactive elements – in the waste produced.
Continue reading “Panel: Waste won’t be 100% radiation-free”

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Using history to make us intelligent, not stupid

By AB Sulaiman | May 30, 11
Malaysiakini

Some years ago, a concerned parent and friend drew my attention to the peculiar case of the current History textbooks for Forms 4 and 5 students. He hinted that apparently they were decked with omissions, errors, half-truths, an exaggerated role of the Malay ethnic group, and minimising or omitting altogether the considerable contribution of non-Malay individuals.

The texts furthermore exaggerated the role and influence of Islam toward the development of human civilisation and the country. His daughter had found the subject unbelievable, bordering on the ridiculous, and also very boring, but had studied on because she had to.
Continue reading “Using history to make us intelligent, not stupid”

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People come first – reveal the power agreements

Malaysiakini Your Say

‘If Mahathir could compel them to sign the deal with IPPs at a giveaway rate, why can’t they be asked to similarly disclose the agreements?’

Minister: Gov’t has no power to reveal IPP contracts

Swipenter: This is one of the many ways the Umno-led government abuse and misuse OSA (Official Secrets Act) for the self interests of their cronies in the privatisation of essential utilities.
Continue reading “People come first – reveal the power agreements”

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Gov’t a monster at times, a mouse at others

Malaysiakini Your Say

‘Peter Chin’s statement that ‘the government has got no power to reveal IPP contracts’ sounds like the lamest excuse given by any politician.’

Minister: Gov’t has no power to reveal IPP contracts

Susah Kes: Funny. For a government that places people under the Internal Security Act, uses police or judiciary powers to suit its whims and fancies, has no qualms about hijacking state governments, has enough thick skin to try and bribe voters, and is not shy in booting Anwar Ibrahim out of his position as DPM in an atrocious manner, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin’s statement that the “government has got no power to reveal IPP contracts” sounds like the lamest excuse given this year by any politician.
Continue reading “Gov’t a monster at times, a mouse at others”

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DAP: IPP deals bleed consumers, fuel tariff hikes

Malaysiakini
May 31, 11

The DAP has hit out at the federal government for raising the electricity tariff but without first restructuring the lucrative independent power producers (IPP) sector.

Currently, IPPs are charging Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) high prices despite facing relatively low production costs, DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said in a statement today.

“And the key reason for this is the unfair power purchase agreements (PPA) which result in ridiculously high levels of electricity reserve margins.

“According to TNB, our reserve margin was 54.6 percent in 2008 and 52.6 percent in 2010, which is double that of Thailand and Java, Indonesia, at 25.4 percent and 26 percent respectively.

“The net effect is TNB is forced to purchase electricity it does not need from the IPPs, resulting in inflated costs for TNB and correspondingly inflated profits for the IPPs,” Pua (right) said. Continue reading “DAP: IPP deals bleed consumers, fuel tariff hikes”

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Maybe the ‘mamak’ leaders can help Indians?

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | May 31, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

Its perhaps time for Malaysian Indians to emulate their Chinese brethrens and dump MIC.

COMMENT

The Malaysian Indians should emulate their spirited Chinese brothers. Once a leading member of the Chinese business community declared that the Chinese don’t need Chinese politicians and ministers to represent them.

That statement sapped the smugness off the MCA. Really, Indians too don’t need to be representation by the MIC.

Maybe they can do so through Nor Mohamad Yakob, Naina Merican, Azeez Rahim, Zambry Kadir?

They too can also talk direct to Malay leaders the way the Chinese do.

Just see how Tony Fernandes (AirAsia) does it and Ananda Krishna (Measat) seems to know how to do it. So to does Ravi Menon (Ara Corporation), Arumugam and G.Gnalingam (Westport). Even the one time driver Kenneth Eswaran (Maicci president) knows how too.

They ALL know how to talk to Malay leaders. So, forget MIC and forget its president G Palanivel. Continue reading “Maybe the ‘mamak’ leaders can help Indians?”

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More Malays in Australia now, says academic

The Malaysian Insider
May 31, 2011

MELBOURNE, May 31 — Thousands of Malays have migrated to Australia, citing career and business opportunities as reasons for their decision, said a Malaysian academic.
Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani said in the in the state of Victoria alone there were about 5,000 Malays, three-fourths of them either permanent residents or Australian citizens, according to a Bernama Online report today.

He said they were both professionals — doctors and engineers — and support staff.

The fellow at University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute said most of them arrived after 1981 under family, skilled workers or business provisions for migration.

The increase coincided with Australian policy changes allowing overseas students to apply for stay extensions. Ahmad Zaharuddin explained this led to many students staying on indefinitely. Continue reading “More Malays in Australia now, says academic”