Day: December 29, 2011

by Praba Ganesan
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 29, 2011

DEC 29 — An important time is arriving in Malaysia, and it does not matter if you are for it or not; that’s not material anymore. The growing fear is that the nation is about to enter this phase without a seat belt.

History students in the distant future will love 2011. When in doubt in a class history quiz, 2011 is, as they say in basketball, a high percentage shot (or guess in that situation). The world has plenty of discussion points from this year, with the death of Kim Jung-il tipping the year to epic proportion.

However for Malaysians, despite its share of watershed moments this year, 2012 will be the one that is monumental.

Two inevitable events in 2012 will dictate life in Malaysia for some time.

A general election and a court verdict. Continue reading “A change is gonna come”

— Zaharom Nain
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 28, 2011

DEC 28 — In Malaysia, politics has been central to many academic matters for a pretty long time, from as far back as 1971 at the very least, when the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) was introduced.

The UUCA, like other legislation such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), is an obscene piece of legislation which really has no place in a democracy.

Two recent controversies highlight the extent to which politics has virtually swamped Malaysian academia and the resultant mess that has emerged. First has been the on-off suspension of Professor Abdul Aziz Bari by the International Islamic University (IIU) and the accompanying police investigation. Second was the recent Appeal Court verdict on the UKM4 and the judgment given on Section 15(5)(a) of the Universities and University Colleges Act. Continue reading “Messing around with Malaysian higher education”

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 28, 2011

28 DIS — Isu Shahrizat Jalil dan NFCnya masih tidak terlerai dan tidak ada apa-apa keputusan. Ia tidak akan terlerai dalam masa yang singkat ini kerana yang terlibat ialah seorang Menteri Kabinet kerajaan persekutuan. Di Malaysia seorang menteri itu bukan senang hendak diketepikan kerana menteri itu merupakan orang yang sangat besar dalam masyarakat kita terutamanya orang kita Melayu ini.

Etika kepimpinan kita sangat rendah dan moral kepimpinan memang tiada. Lima tahun dahulu seorang ahli Kabinet Britain, Blankett ,telah hilang jawatannya semata-mata kerana beliau telah mempercepatkan proses permohonan teman wanitanya untuk mendapatkan permit kerja untuk “maid”nya. Beliau telah dikatakan telah menggunakan kuasanya sebagai menteri bertanggungjawab kepada permit pekerjaan mempercepatkan pemohonan teman wanitanya yang memerlukan permit kerja untuk “maid”nya itu.

Apabila diketahui umum, maka beliau telah meletakkan jawatan kerana beliau telah bertindak secara tidak beretika dalam meluluskan permohonan permit itu. Itu sahaja sebabnya. Begitulah tingginya etika kepimpinan di negara itu.

Sebaliknya di negara kita perkara-perkara yang tidak beretika itu berlaku tanpa hadnya dan jika semuanya mengambil tindakan ke atas mereka yang melakukan kerja-kerja yang tidak beretika itu hari ini, tidak ada seorang pun yang kekal dalam Kerajaan Persekutuan pada hari ini.

Kes NFC dengan Shahrizat tidak langsung menjadi apa-apa kepada Shahrizat. Tetapi sebaliknya beliau masih berada di dalam Kabinet sehingga hari ini, malah beliau telah menyatakan bukan beliau sahaja yang bermasalah dalam Umno, semua menteri-menteri lain pun juga bermasalah. Continue reading “Berdayakah Najib dan kepimpinan Umno mengenepikan Shahrizat?”

Mariam Mokhtar | Dec 26, 2011
Malaysiakini

The spirit of Christmas lives on in Malaysia, regardless of race or religion. I know of several non-Christians who have not forgotten the joy of giving and thinking of others before themselves. Some find solace in singing carols in a group. Others delight in thinking about what to get for friends, family or colleagues.

A few join in the season of goodwill by the simple act of volunteering, while others help relieve Christian colleagues who want the day off to celebrate Christmas. Perhaps, there is something about the magic of Christmas, which even diehard Muslim extremists will never destroy.

When I was in primary school, Lembaga Letrik Negara (LLN), the pre-cursor of Tenaga National Bhd, used to hold Christmas parties for children, principally of its employees.

It was an event that every child looked forward to eagerly. As Christmas fell during the school holidays, it was another happy occasion that children and parents found welcoming.

It did not matter if the child was Malay, Chinese, Indian or Eurasian. No one bothered if the child who went was Christian or not. It wasn’t just the children who were excited. The accompanying parents enjoyed the get-together, which was always held at the Kilat Kelab. Continue reading “All I want for Christmas”