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Choosing the IMF’s next leader

By Joseph E Stiglitz
June 5, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

NEW YORK: Sooner than expected, the International Monetary Fund will have a new managing director. For more than a decade, I have criticized the Fund’s governance, symbolized by the way its leader is chosen.

By gentlemen’s agreement among the majority shareholders – the G-8 – the managing director is to be a European, with Americans in the number two post and at the head of the World Bank.

The Europeans typically picked their nominee behind the scenes, as did the Americans, after only cursory consultation with developing countries. The outcome, however, was often not good for the IMF, the World Bank, or the world. Continue reading “Choosing the IMF’s next leader”

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The fate of Malaysians

By Othman Wahab
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 5 — Such is the fate of Malaysians that we have to stomach insults and condescension on a daily basis. If it is not Datuk Ibrahim Ali, it is Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein or Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

At least one of them will insult our intelligence on a daily basis. In a speech to mark the Yang diPertuan Agong’s birthday, the prime minister warned those who caused disunity and stoked the embers of discord that their time is up. His administration would come down hard on them.

Seriously, does he expect us to believe this? Perkasa and Ibrahim and Utusan Malaysia have cornered the market on creating discord in the country and nothing has happened to them. Continue reading “The fate of Malaysians”

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RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (4)

Twitter sequel Part 4

Part 1 , Part 2 & Part 3>

Iskandarbak Jun 04, 8:42pm
@mpkotabelud u back from Spore? hoping to get ur response on my feedback to ur post in ur blog re: dam in Kg T

Iskandarbak Jun 04, 8:46pm
@mpkotabelud I just checkd ur blog. U have updated it with d translation. But, i dont see my feedback comments there. I had also emailed u.

mpkotabelud Jun 04, 8:47pm
I got ur reply. On the move now. Tak dak masa utk think. Soon will reply. RT @Iskandarbak:
Continue reading “RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (4)”

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To laugh or cry at Utusan Malaysia’s “garbage of all garbage” write-up today accusing me of being a mastermind in PAS party elections?

Should I gnash my teeth and pull my hair out in anger and frustration at Utusan Malaysia’s “garbage of all garbage” write-up accusing me of being a mastermind in PAS party elections?

Or should I just dismiss it with all the contempt which all calumny, lies and falsehoods deserve?

Indeed a classic “do not know whether to laugh or cry” situation!

Penned by Utusan editors hiding behind the pseudonym Awang Selamat, the “garbage of all garbage” must be read by all Malaysians to forewarn them of the terminal mental disease condition afflicting certain powerful personalities walking the corridors of power in the Najib Razak administration. Hence it is quoted in full as follows: Continue reading “To laugh or cry at Utusan Malaysia’s “garbage of all garbage” write-up today accusing me of being a mastermind in PAS party elections?”

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Will PAS’s new dream team be Umno’s nightmare?

By Sheridan Mahavera
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

ANALYSIS – June 5 — The election of veteran activists, parliamentarians, state administrators and think tank experts into the top PAS leadership has appeared to put the party on a firm war footing.

This line-up of Mohamed Sabu as the PAS deputy president and vice-presidents Salahuddin Ayub, Datuk Husam Musa and Datuk Mahfuz Omar is expected to not only stand shoulder to shoulder with allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but it is said that they want to spearhead the coalition in its march to Putrajaya.

Their election perhaps speaks of the party’s changing membership and support base, and the rank-file’s desire to see the party move beyond an Islamist movement to a national-level ruling party. Continue reading “Will PAS’s new dream team be Umno’s nightmare?”

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Berani pilih sedia berjuang

By Wan Hamidi Hamid
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

5 JUN — Ulama tidak kalah, profesional tidak menang dalam pemilihan PAS. Yang membentuk wajah PAS sekarang ialah gabungan kedua-dua kumpulan di samping mereka yang bukan ulama dan bukan profesional — guru, pegawai perkhidmatan awam, peniaga dan aktivis.

Pemisahan antara kumpulan-kumpulan itu yang wujud lebih sedekad lalu tidak lagi menjadi isu dalam PAS kerana latar belakang mereka disatukan atas kesetiaan perjuangan mereka berlandaskan perlembagaan parti.

Yang menang adalah para perwakilan yang dilihat kecewa dengan kelembapan kepimpinan PAS dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang selama ini terganggu dek pujuk rayu Umno yang kononnya mahu mewujudkan perpaduan Melayu. Continue reading “Berani pilih sedia berjuang”

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Why needs-based affirmative action makes no sense

By Lee Hwok Aun
June 01, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 1 — We commonly hear these days that Malaysia should shift from a race-based affirmative action (AA) to needs-based affirmative action. Pakatan Rakyat started advocating this; Barisan Nasional followed.

The idea seems too nice, constructive, and harmonious to criticise. Both political alliances believe they have found a formula that can gain popular support and shift us away from the testy and rancorous debates over race-based AA and the New Economic Policy.

Unfortunately, needs-based affirmative action makes no sense, much as even I want to believe in it. The notion is, at best, imprecise and partial; at worst, incoherent and delusional. Continue reading “Why needs-based affirmative action makes no sense”

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Don’t turn talent outflow into brain drain

By Lim Mun Fah
June 04, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 4 — The world is fighting for talents. We can hardly find another country having a messy overseas scholarship system and yet blames the media for causing chaos, like Malaysia.

I have a book entitled “The Talent War” on my bookshelf. It wrote: “Talent outflow in European countries has made the United States the first country to successfully detonate atomic and hydrogen bombs, as well as send satellites into space and astronauts to land on the moon. Meanwhile, talent outflow in China and India has created Silicon Valley, a home to many of the world’s largest technology corporations, in the US. Talents are more important to a country compared to oil, financial streets and nuclear weapons.” Continue reading “Don’t turn talent outflow into brain drain”