Day: December 18, 2011

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 18, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak must justify his government’s purchase of six patrol ships for a whopping RM9 billion, an increase of RM3 billion from the original RM6 billion approved earlier this year, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang demanded.

The opposition politician rang the alarm after a local shipbuilder said it won a RM9 billion “letter of award” from the Defence Ministry late last Friday.

Lim said the PM had promised full transparency in government procurement projects and must now take responsibility and explain the price hike. — file pic“Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd had received the Letter of Award dated 16 December 2011 from the Ministry of Defence Malaysia for the Contract to design, construct, equip, install, commission, integrate, test and trials, and deliver six units of ‘Second Generation Patrol Vessels Littoral Combat Ships (Frigate Class)’.

“The Contract carries a ceiling of RM9.0 billion, to be implemented over three Malaysia Plans, 10, 11 and 12. The delivery of the First of Class ship is estimated in 2017 with follow on ships every six months thereafter,” Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Bhd (BHIC) said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia.

Lim said the prime minister had promised full transparency in government procurement projects and must now take responsibility and explain the price hike.

“Justify the increase. Was the contract open to tender? The basic rules of integrity and accountability should be followed,” the Ipoh Timur MP told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. Continue reading “Politicians demand Putrajaya explain RM9b nod for six patrol ships”

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | December 18, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The recent Umno general assembly proved one fact, which is that the party survives ‘by fabricating lies and manufacturing stories’.
COMMENT
Let me ask you this question. How does Umno sustain itself? You get the answer if you analyzed what just went on in the recent Umno general assembly.

Umno gets on by making Malays believe that they are being besieged, attacked, assaulted and victimized. That’s how Umno can survive. How does it do that?

By fabricating lies and manufacturing stories. The Chinese are going to eat you up. The Chinese are going to Christianize you. They are going to wipe out the sultans, ban use of Bahasa Malaysia, and abolish Jawi and so forth.

You feed on people’s irrational fear. You want to maintain stupid and mute people.

Can you sustain whole people like that – turning people into xenophobes? I say this is a recipe for destroying Malays, not cultivating them to become self-confident people. Continue reading “Feeding on people’s fear”

— Dr W. Vinita Perera
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 18, 2011

DEC 18 — I wish to bring to your attention the deep concern being conveyed, regarding the approach taken in the recent appointment of the new principal at SM Convent Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur. Before this is turned into yet another debacle of ethnicity and creed by any quarter, I look forward to your timely and wise intervention to resolve the matter objectively.

The points of contestation are as follows:

The FT Education Department is in gross breach of the terms stated in the revised Royal Commission on Teaching Services Report which reads: “The assignment and deployment of teachers for these schools, especially the head teacher, should be done only after consultation between the personnel management authority and the boards of these schools”.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reaffirmed and pledged that the government would honour this, to consult mission school authorities over the choice of school heads and teachers, at a meeting with the Heads of Churches in Kota Kinabalu in 1998.

In this case — all parties involved — The Board of Governors, Parents Teachers Association and the Old Girls Association were all in the dark about this appointment. The recommendation submitted was completely disregarded. Continue reading “Open letter to Education Minister over CBN”

— Victor
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 17, 2011

DEC 17 — Democracy should be a symbiotic relationship between the rule of law, general socio-economic well being of the ruled and the political ruling class.

Perhaps in Malaysia this symbiotic relationship is accentuated by the political realities which manifest themselves in rather unsavoury light. That may be the reason why socio-economic well being is not felt by the general populace and the rule of law is not exercised by appointees with a sense of justice and equity. The necessary independence and objectivity is not present within the components of the various arms of government, I think.

The political class preponderates over the trilogy of democratic institutions which warp the whole of Malaysian societal structures resulting in complete social disequilibrium. If only some of the Malaysian diasporas will return to infuse some fresh blood into the anaemic blood streams which affect every sphere of Malaysian society we may yet have a good future. I have always been proud of the many talents in Malaysia but unfortunately most stay abroad because of the language issue.

I am not a talent in the true sense of the word but I stayed out of Malaysia because my Malay competence falls far below the level which will enable me to function reasonably well in my particular professional area of expertise. So I stayed on in Singapore as the only language which I am most comfortable with English is the professional tool used in Singapore.

I think there are many like me around the four corners of the globe trying to make their living in the most pragmatic manner. What if all of us are back in Malaysia? Would our concerted presence make a difference? I doubt. Continue reading “The Democratic Institution in Malaysia”