Month: January 2012

Thomas L. Friedman | January 05, 2012
The Jakarta Globe

Two things struck me about the Republican presidential candidate debates leading up to the Iowa caucuses. One is how entertaining they were. The other is how disconnected they were from the biggest trends shaping the job market of the 21st century. What if the 2012 campaign were actually about the world in which we’re living and how we adapt to it? What would the candidates be talking about?

Surely at or near the top of that list would be the tightening merger between globalization and the latest information technology revolution. The IT revolution is giving individuals more and more cheap tools of innovation, collaboration and creativity — thanks to hand-held computers, social networks and “the cloud,” which stores powerful applications that anyone can download.

And the globalization side of this revolution is integrating more and more of these empowered people into ecosystems, where they can innovate and manufacture more products and services that make people’s lives more healthy, educated, entertained, productive and comfortable.

The best of these ecosystems will be cities and towns that combine a university, an educated populace, a dynamic business community and the fastest broadband connections on earth. These will be the job factories of the future. The countries that thrive will be those that build more of these towns that make possible “high-performance knowledge exchange and generation,” explains Blair Levin, who runs the Aspen Institute’s Gig.U project, a consortium of 37 university communities working to promote private investment in next-generation ecosystems. Continue reading “Wire Up, or Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Jobs”

by Joshua Kurlantzick
Council on Foreign Relations, US
January 3, 2012

The year 2011 saw some of the biggest political developments in Southeast Asia in decades. Burma finally seemed poised for real change, while Thailand continued to move closer to the brink of self-immolation, as political in-fighting worsened. The United States, China, and ASEAN nations continued to raise the stakes in the South China Sea, to a point where, now, it seems unlikely anyone can back off their claims and truly sit down at the table to negotiate some kind of agreement. Singapore had its most competitive election in generations, while in Malaysia massive street protests clearly have rattled the government. Even smaller states faced political turmoil: Papua New Guinea went for weeks with two prime ministers and the potential for civil strife, before the situation was resolved.

What, then, should we expect for an encore? Here are several trends to watch: Continue reading “Southeast Asia: What to Expect in 2012”

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2012

6 JAN — Dalam kegawatan politik yang sedang dihadapi rakyat kini, banyak perkara yang dapat kita pelajari dan ianya melambangkan sikap dan nilai pemikiran masing-masing yang bermain dalam politik ini. Berbahas dalam politik tidak ada etikanya di sini. Kalau di negara maju mereka berbincang dan berbahas menggunakan isu yang sedang hangat diperkatakan ramai.

Tetapi di sini mereka berbincang tentang budi dan membalas budi walaupun yang berbudi itu sekarang sedang melencong jauh dari apa yang sepatutnya mereka lakukan dan perjuangkan. Kalau telah mendapat subsidi gigi palsu dari jabatan kesihatan mereka tidak boleh lagi menegur kerajaan yang korap itu dan wajib menyokong pimpinan yang melakukan korapsi itu.

Jika kita telah mendapat pinjaman untuk anak kita belajar ke luar negara, kita di minta jangan mempersoalkan apa-apa yang tidak baik yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan dan pimpinan. Rakyat di kurung pemikiran mereka semata-mata telah mendapat gigi palsu percuma dan pinjaman dan pembiayaan pelajaran anak-anak kita. Apabila termakan sedikit wang rakyat yang bukan pun wang BN atau pun Umno, rakyat mesti duduk diam dan memerhatikan sahaja segala kerja rasuah dan salahguna kuasa oleh pihak yang memimpin.

Budaya ini telah dibentuk oleh Umno sejak bertahun-tahun dahulu dan ini membuatkan orang Melayu tidak boleh berfikir jauh sedikit dari pemikiran mereka yang melakukan tekanan ini. Continue reading “Kalau dunia nak kiamat pun, janganlah kita jadi pembawa dalilnya”

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2012

6 JAN — Berita mengenai kami berdua masuk DAP mencetuskan reaksi yang di duga dari penentang kami dalam dunia blog. Yang boleh di duga ialah isi serangan. Serangan peribadi dan personal. Memperlekehkan perwatakan. Orang2 kecewa. Di bayar oleh DAP. Agaknya, ini cara Umno menggalakkan orang lompat? Bayar sana sini. Yang saya tahu itu dia cara Najib Razak operates — pays his way through.

Dan seumpamanya. Jika benar, maka tidak perlu Umno dan penyokong rasa cemas dan gusar. Mudahlah mengalahkan mereka berdua.

Kalau Aspan bertanding di Seremban, semua menteri berasal dari Nogori Sembilan akan hentam dia. Teruklah dia kena belasah. Saya pula, mana lah terdaya menentang Ng Yen Yen di Raub — dia ada billboard yang berharga RM1.9 juta, ada website yang bernilai jutaan ringgit juga. Dia menteri. Dia boleh buat hebohan yang rapi lagi mantap. Lainlah kalau saya bertanding di Triang. Tapi Leong Ngah Ngah has done a sterling job. Biar dia disana.

Dua orang tua (Muhyiddin, Najib Razak dan ramai lagi pimpinan Umno lebih tua dan ganyut) tidak menjadikan kudis pada Umno. Aspan pula tidak hensem walaupun ada menteri Umno kita pandang macam-macam. Umno gagah dan perkasa walaupun pemimpinnya dari yang tertinggi ke yang tidak tinggi semua korap dan rasuah. Bukan saya yang kata, Dr Mahathir yang kata. Bukan saya kata, tapi Shahrizat yang kata. If I go down, the other clowns go down with me. Mana pemimpin Umno yang tidak ada masaalah tanya Shahrizat? Continue reading “Umno: Pelindung atau pemusnah?”

— Spencer Gan
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 05, 2012

JAN 5 — In 1998, then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed promised Catholic Church leaders that the church would be consulted when it comes to the appointment of principals and heads of mission schools.

That promise was elastic and was made just before the Sabah election, and at a time when Dr Mahathir was shaky after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. This historical fact was made public a few weeks when Archbishop Murphy Pakiam informed Catholics that the government had reneged on its promise to consult the church on the new principal of Convent Bukit Nanas.

Only after threatening noises by the church did the government back down. So please excuse my scepticism about the “assurance” given by Najib Razak at a lunch with Christian leaders that the government would consult in future before any appointments are made. Once again, this promise is being before an election.

Given this administration’s big propensity for flip-flopping, it would not surprise me if in the new future the Catholic Church may once again have to highlight another episode of the government going back on its word.

So unless there is some written agreement between church and government, this assurance by Najib will count for not much. Continue reading “Why no apology?”

— Azmil Tayeb
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 05, 2012

JAN 5 — In my previous incarnation as a student in the United States, I occasionally attended gatherings at the Malaysian Embassy and consulate offices, some of which were hosted to receive various ministers and other high-ranking government officials.

In addition to being stuffed with delicious home-made Malaysian food — the main reason why I think most of us were there — we were also fed with the exhortations that we were not supposed to get involved in politics, not to pay any attention to the political issues currently brewing in Malaysia, and instead to solely focus on our studies.

Don’t sweat your innocent, highly impressionable minds with all these slanders and negativities you hear from home, said the avuncular minister. The time will come soon enough for you to get involve and subsequently enjoy the experience of being bashed senseless in the head by the FRU.

Okay, the minister didn’t say that last part. But the point I’m trying make here is that there’s no better moment to assume a proactive role in the society than during this unique window of time and place occupied by these so-called innocent, highly impressionable minds.

The recent “controversy” concerning the lowering of the PM’s banner at PWTC by the students and the alleged assault on student activists at UPSI on new year’s day by the police brings to light the familiar issue of whether Malaysian students should be allowed to get involved in politics, particularly via protests and other acts of civil disobedience. Continue reading “The government doth protest too much”

By Zairil Khir Johari | January 05, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

JAN 5 — Three-and-a-half years ago, in line with the fad of reviving old TV drama serials such as “90210” and “Hawaii-5-O”, Malaysians were treated to a remake of a soap opera that began its first run in 1998. Though the original had been universally panned by industry critics and foreign audiences, it nevertheless enjoyed somewhat limited domestic success. Of course, it also helped that the producers of the drama also controlled every media outlet in the country.

As is the case with unimaginative remakes, the same formula is once again rehashed. And while a coterie of new characters including a young, tall and handsome antagonist was thrown into the fray in an attempt to inject some semblance of freshness, the same actor, now visibly aged, was re-casted as the reluctant protagonist.

In staying true to the spirit of the original version, Malaysians were once again treated to a roller coaster of absurd plot twists, logic-defying scenarios and draggy story arcs involving numerous sub-plots detailing tales of sordid sex, DNA manipulation and — in keeping with the times — leaked video tapes.
Continue reading “109: The day we must move on”

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 05, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak should respect the law and start removing rules and policies that have seen Christians being victimised by the bureaucracry, a national group representing over 90 per cent of churches said yesterday.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) called on the prime minister to check the growing systematic religious attacks against Christians nationwide over the past one year.

It also called on Najib to act and stop the attempts to “murder” and “destroy” his commitment and legacy to religious moderation he is championing.

Anglican Bishop Ng Moon Hing, who heads the CFM, urged the PM to set up a non-Muslim religious affairs ministry to safeguard and protect the interests and rights of not only Christians but Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and Hindus. Continue reading “Churches tell Najib: Respect law, remove anti-Christian rules, policies”

– Ang Jian Wei
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 04, 2012

JAN 4 — Upon returning from the New Year’s countdown, the last thing I expected to read was news of a clash between the police and the student body that decided to hold a sit-in outside Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). The latter did so to champion academic freedom.

The result of that clash is a terrible way to start the year. The reaction of a just government should always be measured and proportional to the incident at hand — even if it’s done in the name of security. That did not seem to be the case in Tanjung Malim. It was way out of line and uncalled for.

It bordered on paranoia.

The numbers don’t add up. Why on earth do we need the police to demand the dispersal of a sit-in demonstration that we all know is temporary? These are students and their most lethal weapons are probably flashlights and an amplifier. I don’t think that will cause anybody to wet his/her pants. Continue reading “Designed to make us free”

— Jacob Sinnathamby
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 04, 2012

JAN 4 — I just read the report in The Malaysian Insider that Prime Minister Najib Razak is to meet selected Christian church leaders for lunch today.

I have some sympathy for the church leaders because, if they were to poll their individual congregations, then the overwhelming view would be that the likes of Archbishop Murphy Pakiam and his friends should decline to break bread with Najib because the administration and even the PM have not been honest in their dealings with Christians. If anything, certain individuals and groups have been given the freedom under the Najib government to denigrate Christianity like never before.

But some of the main tenets of the faith are forgiveness and compassion, so I can understand why many Christian leaders will go ahead and meet Najib today. Still, may I caution all Christians to remember a few things and events and not to view the lunch in isolation. Continue reading “How sincere is Najib?”

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 03, 2012

3 JAN — Dalam masa seminggu ini saya di hujani soalan adakah benar saya dan saudara Aspan Alias akan memasuki DAP? Cuba baca berita yang mula2 di keluarkan oleh The Malaysian Insider. Disana di nyatakan bahawa tiada keputusan yang di capai. Ertinya, karya TMI itu bersifat spekulatif. Demikian juga rencana yang di keluarkan oleh Free Malaysia Today. Artikel itu juga bersifat spekulatif dan menimbulkan lebih banyak persoalan dari memberi jawapan.

Tidakkah terfikir oleh sesiapa bahawa jika kami berdua cederung menyokong DAP atau parti lawan Umno, sikap tersebut ialah kerana di dorongi oleh kepercayaan dan prinsip2 tertentu? Kita tidak boleh konsisten jika hanya di dorong oleh rasa frust, dendam dan sebagainya. Sikap konsisten hanya datang dari asas yang lebih stabil dan kekal- seperti di pacu oleh keyakinan dan kepercayaan kepada prinsip2.

Sebagai contoh, kami berdua merasakan Umno sudah bertukar watak menjadi suatu Frankenstein yang tidak lagi boleh di kawal. Ia menjadi wadah untuk mencuri harta benda rakyat, membelakangkan political decency, memanipulasi rule of law, dan paling dasyat sekali melupakan budi orang Melayu kepada Umno. Continue reading “Hutang Umno pada budi orang Melayu”

— Dr Lim Teck Ghee
CPI
Jan 03, 2012

JAN 3 — During the past few months, the government and Felda authorities have been engaged in a public relations exercise aimed at persuading Felda settlers as well as the public that the proposal to float Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) on Bursa Malaysia is in the best interests of the settlers.

But is it really so?

What has emerged from the government-controlled media has been almost exclusively the government version as to why the listing should go ahead. What is missing are answers to the questions raised by the opposition and independent analysts on the real benefits to settlers as well as a credible response to allegations that the interests of settlers are being subordinated — and even marginalised — in favour of other parties.

The stakes involved in the proposed listing exercise go well beyond those of any past Bursa listing exercise. At stake are not simply concerns of how well the offering will be received by investors; the initial IPO pricing; and other market-related issues. This is not your ordinary listing exercise aimed at reconciling the interests of a small group of initial shareholders with those of other new parties; neither is it a question of how much gains the initial settlers and shareholders can make from this listing exercise. Continue reading “Is the Felda Global Venture Holdings listing in the interest of settlers?”

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 03, 2012

3 JAN — Sejak berita yang dilapurkan oleh The Malaysian Insider dan Utusan dan beberapa blogger yang pro Umno beberapa hari yang lepas, blog saya telah dibanjiri dengan pelawat yang ramai dan kebanyakkannya memberikan sokongan kepada saya jika saya menyertai DAP.

Media perdana Utusan dan blogger Umno telah menulis dengan panjang lebar dan membuat kritikan keras terhadap saya. Tetapi yang menggalakan ialah sokongan dari orang-orang biasa ini sangat menggalakan dan ianya benar-benar membuka minda ramai orang Melayu yang sebenarnya menyertai DAP itu bukannya satu jenayah dan juga tidak “unpatriotic”.

Tidak ada parti akan dibenarkan untuk ditubuhkan jika parti-parti itu tidak memperjuangkan kebaikan untuk negara dan rakyatnya. Apa yang asas kepada segala-galanya dalam penubuhan parti itu ialah Bab Asas dan Tujuan dalam Perlembagaan sesebuah parti itu. Kalau di selidik secara teliti semua parti yang terdaftar dengan halal di negara ini bertujuan yang tidak lari dari kandungan dan peruntukan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Semuanya mempunyai matlamat menyatukan rakyat berbilang kaum dan agama di negara kita ini. Apa yang membezakan dari satu parti dengan parti yang lain ialah samada pimpinan sesebuah parti itu benar-benar mengikuti apa yang diperuntukan di dalam Bab Asas Dan Tujuan yang terkandung di dalam parti-parti itu. Baik atau tidak sesuatu parti itu bergantung samada pimpinan parti itu benar-benar mengikut lunas-lunas yang telah di tulis dalam Perlembagaan parti itu.

BN pada asasnya bukannya tidak baik, tetapi semangat yang ada di dalam BN itu tidak di sempurnakan dengan betul sehinggakan rakyat tidak lagi berselera dengan komponen itu. Continue reading “Pertembungan di antara Umno dengan rakyat bertambah serius”

By Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | January 3, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Some folks in my hometown Pekan are now calling me Dato’ DAP. Its quite amusing and comical.

The most common question to me is why DAP? Weren’t they the ones who started May 13?

The thrust of that reminder is to remind us – fellow blogger Aspan Alian and me -of their commonly-held belief that DAP started the May 13, 1969 incident.

Well since they want to know, what if I said Tun (Abdul) Razak allowed it to happen because the ensuing troubles would give him an excuse to kick out (then Prime Minister) Tunku Abdul Rahman?

The point is, there was no single contributor to the May 13 incident.

But I would place some blame on Tun Razak who as Home Minister allowed things to degenerate. He allowed it so that a proclamation of emergency could be made.
Continue reading “Umno fears loss of monopoly”

By Ambiga Sreenevasan | January 03, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

JAN 3 — Dare we Malaysians dream that in 2012:

• Bersih 2.0’s eight demands will be implemented before Parliament is dissolved.

• the run-up to the elections will bring out the best in everyone and not the worst.

• we have free and fair elections run by an Election Commission which is empowered, independent and brooks no cheating.

• the selling of our country to foreigners for votes (as is widely believed to be happening) will be halted and punished as the highest treason.

• every single registered voter votes in the 13th general election.

• justice will be done in Sodomy II.
Continue reading “What we dream of”

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 02, 2012

2 JAN — Isu saya yang dispekulasikan akan menyertai DAP membuatkan pihak tertentu marah-marah dan yang marah-marah itu seorang dua memang saya kenali. Saya tidak bercadang untuk menjawab dan melayani mereka ini kerana seperti yang saya katakan mereka ini masih bercabang kencingnya dan belum lagi kenal yang mana satu tangan kanan untuk menyuap nasi dan yang mana satu tangan kiri untuk beristinja’.

Bagi pihak yang mengkritik saya ini, mereka tidak ada isu untuk membahaskan apa yang telah saya perkatakan selama ini: tentang apa yang terlalu kurang dalam Umno. Mereka ini belum pun pandai menyebut nama Umno itu tetapi bercakap mempertahankan Umno itu seolah-olah mereka telah lama mengenali Umno dan perjuangannya.

Saya ini kononnya bangkrap politik dan telah menjadi barang “reject”. Kalaulah betul apa yang dikatakan terhadap diri saya itu saya hairan kenapa isu ini diperbesarkan sedangkan saya ini adalah barang “reject” dan bangkrap politik.

Saya ingin menyatakan dengan terang dan jelas. Yang telah bangkrap ialah Umno dan yang sedang di “reject” ialah Umno dan keseluruhan sekutunya. Mereka yang kononnya pejuang ini harus berfikir bukankah Umno hanya tinggal 56 kerusi sahaja di Semenanjung dan 13 kerusi sahaja di Sabah. Jumlahnya hanya 69 semuanya. Umno telah kalah dalam banyak kerusi dan akan kalah banyak lagi dalam pilihanraya yang akan datang ini.

Siapa yang kena “reject” ini? Kalau Umno kena “reject” tentulah ada sebabnya. Orang seperti saya bukan suka-suka hendak “reject” Umno tetapi oleh kerana keadaan yang membuatkan Umno itu terpaksa di “reject”. Saya perhatikan pemimpin-pemimpin Umno dan penyokong-penyokongnya yang membela membabi buta ini hanya mahu mendengar apa yang mereka hendak dengar sahaja. Continue reading “Siapa yang pengkhianat? Introspeksi betul-betul”

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 02, 2012

JAN 2 — I am not going to respond to the xenophobic responses around news that Aspan Alias and Sakmongkol are about to join the DAP. No explanation will be able to change preconceived biases. So why bother? So we are about to join or have joined the DAP.

The DAP is a democratic party committed to the rule of law, good governance and good government. It abhors corruption and abuse of political office. To me those are attractive propositions. Umno, on the other hand, has turned its back on these. It harps only on one primal worry of Malays — when Umno is threatened it shares the threat with Malays at large. So a threat to Umno is translated mindlessly into a threat to Malays as a whole. Nothing can be farther from the truth. That is how Umno has approached politics in Malaysia basically — make its fears public, make the gains private for selected Malays within Umno.

I have only one message to that; those salad days and that halcyon period are over.

Umno is trapped by its own successes. Indeed its supporters and leaders assume ownership of the wrong things and end up digging in to support the wrong choices.

My answer is, if we do indeed change our political vehicle that is what we are actually doing. Don’t read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. The DAP is more relevant and functional in achieving a more democratic and abuse-free society. As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah.

So, I thought it would be more substantive to answer my critics by writing an article, why shouldn’t Malays embrace DAP politics? That’s the only way to dominate and conquer your fears.

How has DAP politics been inimical to the general political health of this country? Can any DAP Chinese leader be a PM when it’s contesting only at most 50-55 seats? Can any DAP non Malay leader harbour the dream of becoming a PM in a country dominated by Malays? Has the DAP threatened the institution of the Malay Rulers? The DAP has never done that or will not be mad to countenance such rebellious idea, but Umno, on the other hand, has insulted the Malay Rulers way back in the 1998 constitutional crisis. Can we reasonably accept the allegation that the DAP is instrumental in claims that Malays are being converted into Christians when most DAP members are themselves not Christians? We have to do better than that to take Malays as imbeciles. Only Umno seems to do that. Continue reading “Malays should not fear the DAP”

by Mat Zain Ibrahim
2 January 2012

For last year, several thousands of “Amils”(tithe collectors)were appointed nationwide. KL about 800 with a collection of RM7.5 mil. Selangor with 2437 amils that collected about RM16 mil.

The action taken against one amil in Kulaijaya for misappropriating RM19,510 should not undermine the integrity of the amils to be appointed for the coming Ramadhan 2012.

The action taken by Johor Police should be lauded and act as a deterrent to future amils.

However we are worried what would happen should many of the amils this year, make use of the tithes collected by themselves for personal matters after seeing what happened in MAIWP as confirmed by the Auditor General?

What would the Government say if many of the amils said they have used their collections first to pay for their medical expenses,or for preparations of their school-going children,or for performing Umrah or to settle several traffic summonses?,and that they would reimburse the money after getting some funds from somewhere?

If the Minister in charge of Islamic affairs can make use of the zakat funds, why can’t the amils? It is not a question of amount misused. The question is whether the zakat funds can be used other than those already stated in the Quran and the laws. Certainly the Zakat funds are not managed like “the Ah Longs” and “chettiars” run their business! Continue reading “Zakat funds abuse vs abuse of NFC funds”

by Bakri Musa
Chapter 11 : Embracing Free Enterprise
Encouraging Entrepreneurialism

As a long distance observer, let me suggest some reasons for NEP’s failure in this endeavor.

They all boil down to that basic defect of too much central planning and too rigid top-down command. Instead of trying to create an environment where budding Bumiputra entrepreneurs could thrive, the government went much further to actually select which individual Bumiputras would thrive and succeed.

These central planners presume to know the traits of a successful would-be businessman. That these planners—politicians and bureaucrats—have no experience in starting or running a business is conveniently ignored. Such hubris!

No surprise then that the pseudo entrepreneurs that the system produced were more adept in cashing in their close association with the politically powerful rather than being true creators and builders of wealth. They in turn perpetuated that same system in choosing their own set of suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors. Thus was born a class of Bumiputra entrepreneurs and businessmen more skillful at commercializing their political ties rather than being true wealth creators; a class of rent seekers and economic parasites rather than of genuine entrepreneurs. Continue reading “NEP’s Failure to Nurture Malay Entrepreneurs”