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Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan RM100

By P.P.

The purpose of this note is to share my thoughts with you.

Today my daughters received a notice from their teachers at school. My younger daughter studies at SK Taman Perling 1 and my elder daughter studies at SMK Dato Usman Awang (Perling 2). This notice was in reference to Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan where my daughters are entitled to RM100 each.

My younger daughter only received the note today and my elder daughter did not even receive a note but a mere announcement of the same.

This exercise requires the parents to be present with the child when the monies need to be collected. This is hardly fair given that the notice only comes the day before the event. What then happens to parents who cannot come, the school will not give the monies to the children alone.

My point is that due notice must be given to parents knowing that almost every household on the average has both parents working to support their families. This being so when due notice is given, parents can take time off to be with their children to collect these monies which can be useful.
Continue reading “Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan RM100”

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The 2012 Budget for a class of seven-year-olds… and voters

By Shern Ren | November 16, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

NOV 16 — Tomorrow my younger brother is going to school to collect the RM100 that the government has promised him as a school-goer. It’s all well and good for him to get a bit more spending money, but what difference does it make in our national Budget? Here’s an imaginary conversation that will take place tomorrow in a school far too close to home…

Hi, and welcome to Class 1 Malaysia in SJK Pelancar(1). As you’re all aware, our class president (who’s also the class treasurer) has magnanimously decided to give RM100 to all schoolchildren — that’s you and me! But before you all line up to receive his magnificent gift, he’s asked me to make a little speech about how far we’ve come as a class.

There are fifty of us in this class, 1 Malaysia. Who’s bringing in the dough? Well, 21 of us are employed, but only six of us will have any qualification higher than the SPM. Only three working people earn enough to pay any class fees at all to the class fund, which makes it all the more interesting that two of you guys are actually working for the class and earning your living from that same class fund. Don’t get too comfortable in your job though — there are eight fellows from other classes like 1 Donesia willing to do our jobs for half the price, or two of them for every five of us.
Continue reading “The 2012 Budget for a class of seven-year-olds… and voters”

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Kenapa Yang Berhormat dan bukan Yang Berkhidmat?

By Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos (loyarburok.com) | November 16, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

Saya kerap bertanya soalan tersebut selama hampir 20 tahun: Kenapa dipilih untuk mengelar wakil-wakil rakyat dengan istilah “Yang Berhormat” dan bukan dengan istilah “Yang Berkhidmat”?

Semalam, saya ditanya oleh seorang pemuda aktivis soalan yang sama! Katanya ramai pemuda-pemudi hari ini kurang senang dengan isitlah “Yang Berhormat” kerana mereka merasakan ia tidak tepat menjelaskan kedudukan wakil-wakil rakyat. Saya setuju.

Pertama, pada faktanya, wakil-wakil rakyat diundi oleh rakyat jelata untuk berkhidmat kepada pengundi-pengundi yang berada didalam kawasan Dewan undangan negeri atau dalam kawasan Parlimen mereka. Mereka tidaklah diundi untuk bermegah atau untuk mencapai kejayaan peribadi sebagai seorang wakil rakyat atau untuk memperkayakan diri. Maka jika mereka menawarkan diri sebagai calon dan diundi untuk berkhidmat, bukankah lebih tepat mereka digelar sebagai “Yang Berkhidmat”?
Continue reading “Kenapa Yang Berhormat dan bukan Yang Berkhidmat?”

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Minister changes testimony, says Liong Sik’s letter not government guarantee

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 15, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop changed his testimony today, reversing his assertion made a day earlier that Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik’s support letter in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project amounted to a government guarantee.

The former second finance minister testified yesterday that only the Finance Ministry could issue a letter of support with the Cabinet’s approval, and that every time such a letter was issued, the government would have to bear the responsibility if anything went wrong.

Nor Yakcop also said that Dr Ling’s letter of support was actually a “guarantee letter” as it helped secure a top-tier rating for bonds raised for the construction of the scandal-hit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) and was sold for a profit of RM40 million.

But the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department also stressed that the support letter from the transport minister had not received the approval of the Finance Ministry or the Cabinet. Continue reading “Minister changes testimony, says Liong Sik’s letter not government guarantee”

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Pakatan says will back constitutional changes to allow indelible ink

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 15, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The federal Opposition said today it will support amendments to the Constitution to allow the use of indelible ink in future elections.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters today that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will back such a proposal if it is tabled in Parliament during the current session.

“The Attorney-General (AG) has said it cannot be done without amendments. This is just a trick to delay.

“But PR agrees to support the amendments if they are done immediately and tabled within this sitting,” the opposition leader said. Continue reading “Pakatan says will back constitutional changes to allow indelible ink”

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Why indecent hassle to distribute RM100 to schoolchildren?

By D.C
14 November 2011

My wife and her colleagues were called for an emergency meeting at about 12.30pm ! The school will be dismiss at 1pm! The Headmistress just came back from a meeting with the Officers at the Gombak District Education Department (GDED). She wanted to pass some instructions to all the teachers. It was regarding the RM100 to be given to the pupils.

The teachers have to fill in the names of the class pupils, their parent or guardian’s name( who ever come to take the money) and their IC number. It must be completed tomorrow! Because the ADUN from Taman Templer YB Dato’ Subahan bin Kamal will be coming on Wednesday at 10.00 – 11.30am to hand over the money to the parent/guardian! The school must get ready about 100 pupils for the occasion. The rest of the pupils will be given by the class teachers to their parent/guardian. The parent/guardian must bring along a photocopy of their IC before they can sign and take the money. The GDED already have a schedule for YB to visit a few schools on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Some school teachers will be ask to go back in the afternoon for this purpose, if their school is given the afternoon schedule! Her school was lucky to be given in the morning!

Now, she has a big problem. She has to withdraw about RM150,000 cash from the bank, rush back to school for the occasion. The bank will only open at 9.00 am! Moreover she said there might be other school as well at the bank. So she need some men teachers to go along with her. Each male teacher will be given about RM10,000 to be taken back to school and distribute to the class teachers! She doesn’t want to be responsible if anything happen! My God!
Continue reading “Why indecent hassle to distribute RM100 to schoolchildren?”

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‘Cattlegate’: For BN, business as usual

By Mariam Mokhtar | Nov 14, 2011
Malaysiakini

Hey diddle diddle,
The MP on the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
Khairy laughed to see such sport,
And Noh cow-ed like a buffoon

‘Cattlegate’ has exposed the Women Family and Community Development Minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s ill-advised foray into the cattle business.

Shahrizat and her family are alleged to have misappropriated the taxpayers’ money; with RM250 million for the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), an RM800,000 overseas junket and a further RM10 million to purchase a luxury condominium in Bangsar.

Shahrizat’s husband operates the NFC and her three children, Izran, 27, Izmir, 31, and Izzana, 25 are chief executive and executive directors.
Continue reading “‘Cattlegate’: For BN, business as usual”

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Malaysians being ripped off (2) – with photos

By Mimi Chih

Thank you for putting my article online.

The reason I enclosed those photos was to drive home the point how much more expensive those same items are in Malaysia. If you go back to Sarawak, they are even more expensive. e.g. even after conversion to RM, it is still more expensive in Malaysia e.g. Yoplait yogurt is SGD7.05 while in KL it is at least RM22, Farmhouse milk is 2 litres for SGD4.85…in KL it is RM10 per litre. Did you see how much the US imported cereals are selling for in Malaysia?

As for simple foods, look at how cheap it is, especially when you are earning SGD. You can still get kopi si peng is still SGD90 cents.

That is the reason why my niece sent out her resumes so many times since last year. She finally got a job in Oct, 2011 as an auditor (2 years experience). Her salary is gross SGD2600. When she earned RM2850 at Ernst & Young, she would never eat at Starbuck, didn’t even dare to look at Farmhouse milk or SPAM luncheon meat, and definitely, would never indulge in Yoplait yogurt. She is now able to enjoy all of those and more and she can send home SGD300. Her parents had to subsidize her when she was in KL even though she lived frugally.
Continue reading “Malaysians being ripped off (2) – with photos”

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Assembly sitting ‘illegal’, says Sarawak DAP

By Joseph Tawie | November 14, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s budget announcement this morning at the State Legislative Assembly was ‘illegal and unlawful’, according to the state opposition DAP.

State party chairman Wong Ho Leng added that the proceedings was a ‘breach of the standing order’ and that the CM’s budget introduction was ‘tainted with impropriety.”

Taib, who is also state finance minister, had tabled the Supply (2012) Bill, 2011 during the State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.

According to Wong apart from failing to give the opposition assemblymen advance copies of the Supply Bill 2012 and the Supplementary supply Bill as mandatorily required by Standing Order 63, the assembly had also switched off all their microphones.
Continue reading “Assembly sitting ‘illegal’, says Sarawak DAP”

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Will Najib’s speech at the UMNO General Assembly next month pass muster for the inaugural International Conference on the Global Movement of the Moderates in January?

This is mind-boggling which completely defies the imagination.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is to launch and institutionalize “the Global Movement of the Moderates” in Kuala Lumpur at the inaugural International Conference on the Global Movement of the Moderates from Jan 17 to 19.

This was revealed by Najib in his talk at the East-West Centre in Honolulu yesterday.

Najib first made the call for a Global Movement of Moderates in his speech at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September last year, urging moderates from all faiths to reclaim the agenda for peace and pragmatism and to marginalize the extremists.

The question that befuddles Malaysians is how Najib can expect his glib call of “Moderates Unite” in international forums to have any credibility when the most extremist racial and religious incitements under his premiership not only emanate from but are nurtured in the UMNO bosom, such as the mainstream media mouthpieces of UMNO particularly Utusan Malaysia?
Continue reading “Will Najib’s speech at the UMNO General Assembly next month pass muster for the inaugural International Conference on the Global Movement of the Moderates in January?”

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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #88

By M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 10: Freedom, Justice, and the Law

The Judiciary: Justice in Jeopardy

Not only must there be respect for the rule of law, but the laws themselves must be just. Those administering the law too must be just and be seen to be just.

The Malaysian judiciary began on a very high note with judges held in the highest esteem. Tun Suffian set the tone not only with his exemplary personal example but also the depth of his legal judgment and scholarly analysis. The low point of the Malaysian judiciary occurred when the King, acting on the advice of the prime minister, suspended the chief justice and a few of his associates. Sadly from there the judiciary seemed to breach new lows every so often. A retiring senior appellate judge recently publicly confessed his shame for having been a member of that august body. He bluntly blurted about Malaysian litigants being confident of winning even “hopeless cases” as long as they were filed in “certain courts.” A more damaging indictment would be hard to find.
Continue reading “Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #88”

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Writing on the wall and the perils of procrastination

— Nawawi Mohamad
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 13, 2011

NOV 13 — Silvio Berlusconi, the flamboyant, scandalous media billionaire who practically jumped into Italian politics by organising the People of Freedom party, reigned for seventeen years. He has now resigned. He left Italy with about €1.9 trillion in national debt.

After being so preoccupied with his scandals, both creating them and defending himself from the repercussions, he had procrastinated in dealing with Italy’s troubled economy and serious financial problems.

Berlusconi only agreed to the proposal to reduce the deficit in June, when in March his advisers had already literally shouted at him to start taking action.

His government managed to get everything in order only by September this year and got the vote of final approval in the Italian Senate by a margin of 156 to 12 just before his resignation; too little too late.

The final straw is not his scandalous life but the neglected state of the economy and finance in Italy.

With our own version of scandals, mismanagement, complacency, wastage, extravagance and callous spending by the Umno/BN government, Malaysia is not much different from Italy.

Unfortunately the Umno/BN government seems to be oblivious to the so many writings on the wall pertaining to our economy, financial status, deficits, national debts and the road that Malaysia is now on. Continue reading “Writing on the wall and the perils of procrastination”

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Najib should intervene in the RM10 million “condominium for cattle” scandal by recalling RM181 million loan to NFC not used for purpose of cattle production

As shocking as the revelation about the RM10 million “cattle for condominium” scandal is the self-righteous statement by the Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Datuk Noh Omar aiding and abetting a gross misappropriation of public funds.

Claiming that the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) had not used government funds for the purchase of the RM9.8 million Bangsar luxury condominium, Noh said that once NFC received money from the government, it was thereafter considered the company’s private funds and the government had no say as to how it would be used.

Noh said the government had loaned NFC RM250 million made into a special loan account (SLA) in Maybank that was controlled by the Finance Ministry.

Noh said RM181 million from that account had been disbursed to NFC based on the latter’s claims.

The government only had control of funds that were in the SLA, but had none over how the company spends the money once it has been disbursed, said the minister.

“If the money has been paid to NFC after fulfilling set conditions, the government cannot control what NFC does with it, including purchasing the said condominium, because it is then considered the company’s money. Continue reading “Najib should intervene in the RM10 million “condominium for cattle” scandal by recalling RM181 million loan to NFC not used for purpose of cattle production”

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Should we settle for this nonsense?

— Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 13, 2011

NOV 13 — It is left to us, ordinary Malaysians, to show outrage at the thievery, corruption, mismanagement and subterfuge that is happening in our country.

Let us just ponder at what has happened since the Auditor-General noted that the National Feedlot project was a failure or on the verge of being a failure. First, you have the deputy prime minister downwards trying to convince Malaysians that the project was a success, with arguments that defy logic.

Then you had Noh Omar and Khairy Jamaluddin speaking up and defending the track record of the project and the main beneficiaries of the RM250 million soft loan: Shahrizat Jalil’s family.

Their defence of the incredible — the squandering of public funds — indicated that the old and new of Umno are joined at the hip by ignorance, stupidity and a seemingly endless acceptance of bad practices. Continue reading “Should we settle for this nonsense?”

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Obama Says Europe Making Progress as APEC Nations Fear Worst

By Shamim Adam and Michael Forsythe
Bloombert Businessweek
November 12, 2011

Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) — U.S. President Barack Obama said formation of new governments in Greece and Italy may help calm world markets roiled by the European debt crisis, which is having a “dampening effect” on the global economy.

“We’re not going to see massive growth out of Europe until the problem’s resolved,” Obama told corporate chief executive officers gathered in Honolulu today as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The president said he was “cautiously optimistic” of getting through the current crisis.

Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis was a frequent topic at the summit aimed at improving economic ties in the Asia-Pacific region as officials said they are bracing for a worsening of the situation in Europe that may push the global economy into a recession and increase volatility in financial markets. Investors this week pushed Italian bond yields passed the 7 percent level that drove Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek bailouts, ahead of the resignation today of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

“You can’t talk about Asia without talking about Europe right now,” Jerry Webman, chief economist at OppenheimerFunds Inc. in New York, told Bloomberg News in Honolulu yesterday. “Having a prolonged economic slump in Europe is really threatening to the export-oriented Asian economies.” Continue reading “Obama Says Europe Making Progress as APEC Nations Fear Worst”

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Malaysians getting ripped off

by Mimi Chih

When Tunku Abdul Rahman decided to expel Singapore from the Federation of Malaya leading to the Independence of Singapore on August 9, 1965, the world did not expect this tiny island Republic with a population of 1.8 million then to stand tall as one of the original Four Asian Tigers, along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan 46 years later. Well, this Lion City has certainly ventured forth roaring all the way with a lion heart.

How does one measure the success of a country? To the people, it is reflected in their overall standard of living. Not every country is lucky enough to have a team of intelligent people whose passionate objectives drive them to make their country a better place to live – for everyone. Singapore is one such country. Today this island republic has one of the highest standard of living in South East Asia.

Which Malaysian could imagine that some 46 years after the split, Singapore’s exchange rate to the ringgit would hit a dizzying rate of RM2.41 (Nov 11, 2011)? August 1972 was the last time that the SGD (Singapore Dollar) was almost on par with the (RM) ringgit at SGD100:RM100.10. For an average wage earner in the Lion City making SGD2500 a month, going for a 10 days holiday to the US or Australia or Europe once a year is a relatively small matter.

What happened to Malaysia? In 1965 when Singapore was expelled, Malaysia had everything that the island republic glaringly lacked – ample land, a plethora of natural resources, an operating government, and 9.3 million people. Continue reading “Malaysians getting ripped off”

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Najib’s magic trick for 13th GE

Mariam Mokhtar | November 11, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The rakyat should support calls for the 13th general election to be postponed until after ALL the recommendations (on electoral reforms) have been implemented.

COMMENT

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s flurry of reforms in the last couple of months, raises disturbing questions about his desire to make Malaysia the “best democracy in the world”.

Who stands to benefit most from his idea of the “best democracy” in the world? The rakyat or the Barisan Nasional (BN) political elite?

The naïve rakyat, who are lulled into a sense of security by Najib’s rash of reforms, may think it will be the main beneficiaries. On the other hand, BN’s political elite and their cronies hope to woo the electorate by appearing to accede to calls for political reforms and then undo the reforms, after they have secured a win.

Judging by the number of times BN has reneged on election promises in the last 54 years, it will be the latter group who will benefit. Continue reading “Najib’s magic trick for 13th GE”

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Wrap-Up: Italy braces for new govt, IMF warns Asia on euro fallout

Reuters
Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:16pm EST

By Barry Moody and George Georgiopoulos

Italy lower house set to vote on cuts, new govt seen by Sunday

ROME/ATHENS, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Italy’s parliament was set to approve austerity measures on Saturday, triggering the formation of an emergency government to replace that of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and meeting European Union demands to avert a euro zone meltdown.

After months of dither and delay, Rome appears to have got the message as bond markets pushed it to the brink of needing a bailout that the euro zone cannot afford.

President Giorgio Napolitano and Italian lawmakers have put the process on a fast track: the Chamber of Deputies was due to start debating at 1130 GMT and final approval of the cuts by the lower house marks the Berlusconi government’s final act.

Berlusconi was expected to hold a last cabinet meeting and then hand his resignation to Napolitano at the Quirinale Palace.

A largely technocratic government headed by former European Commissioner Mario Monti was seen in place by Sunday night or Monday morning. Continue reading “Wrap-Up: Italy braces for new govt, IMF warns Asia on euro fallout”

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‘Rosmah, a thorn in Najib’s side’

Tarani Palani | November 11, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Umno grassroots members wish BN would lose at the polls just so her antics and extravagant lifestyle can be toned down, says the author of ‘Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib’.

KUALA LUMPUR: The author of “Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib” (Najib’s Mistakes), Shahbudin Husin, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should step down if he does not rectify his errors soon.

Shahbudin (picture below), a member of Umno’s Wangsa Maju branch, said: “It serves as a warning… he should correct his mistakes before the next general election.”

“If he fails to do so, then he should step down. We support our party but we cannot support a weak leader,” added the former deputy Youth chief of Wangsa Maju.

Shahbudin’s 267-page book touched on various issues, including Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, his use of international public relations firm Apco and the alleged influence of his wife Rosmah. Continue reading “‘Rosmah, a thorn in Najib’s side’”

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Now Italy – What’s Next

by Alex Lee
10th November 2011

After seeing his parliamentary majority decline further in a routine vote earlier today, Italian PM Berlusconi offered to resign once Parliament approves new austerity measures, possibly towards the end of next week. We see three possible outcomes at this delicate stage, with different implications for the BTP market and Italian risk premium more broadly:

*Most likely scenario: In the coming weeks, the current centre-right coalition of the Northern League and PdL moves to rally round another candidate who can gain wider acceptance domestically and internationally. In order to broaden its support, the new government may reach out to smaller centrist parties which can advance their own political agenda.

A centre-right executive backed by a broader coalition and committed to implementing the ‘troika’s’ economic platform could eventually stabilize markets. But the newly appointed Cabinet would need to prove itself first, and the protracted uncertainty would weigh on economic growth. Furthermore, reforming the pension system could meet resistance from the Northern League. Still, it would be hard for the ECB and Italy’s EMU peers not to stand by a new Italian government genuinely trying to pursue reforms. Under this scenario, thanks to the ECB’s interventions, we would expect BTPs to remain capped at around current levels (400-450bp) over the average of Germany, France and the Netherlands until measures are gradually approved. Continue reading “Now Italy – What’s Next”