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Rethinking wage policy to reposition our economy

― Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 28, 2012

NOV 28 ― Although the minimum wage law is scheduled to take effect in January 2013, the Barisan Nasional government does not seem to be particularly committed to re-imagine the Malaysian economy through wage policy reform. Efforts to smoothen the transition for small and middle industries are seriously lacking too.

Minimum wage is meant to tackle several long-standing structural issues of the economy at once. As the United States and Europe struggle to stay afloat economically, Asia can no longer remain as an exporter, we need to grow our domestic/Asian markets; a higher income among locals will help generate a more vibrant domestic market which in turn will generate more jobs.

Also, with minimum wage, companies and industries will likely to rely less on cheap labour but invest in longer term potentials, capabilities and hence productivity of the workforce.

This is a virtuous cycle that will check dependence on unskilled foreign workers and brain drain at once. Skilled citizens who work in foreign countries are likely to consider resettling back to their homeland if the wage difference between their home and host countries is narrowed. Continue reading “Rethinking wage policy to reposition our economy”

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Its Najib and not Zahid who should respond to Deepak’s most serious allegations at the UMNO General Assembly tomorrow

Defence Minister and UMNO Vice President Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has said that he would respond tomorrow to allegations made by businessman Deepak Jaikishan on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s family which is also related to the high-profile and long-running Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.

It is not Zahid but Najib himself who should be responding in his winding-up speech at the 66th UMNO General Assembly tomorrow, for three reasons.

Firstly, Deepak’s allegations pertain to Najib’s family, that he had paid an undisclosed sum for the premier’s intervention to allow him to come in as a party in a RM100 million defence ministry project in 2005 when Najib was the Defence Minister – stitching a deal with a Selangor UMNO Wanita leader’s company where he would participate as a third party in the project. As Najib is not only around but chief of the pack in UMNO, he should respond as whatever Zahid could say would only be hearsay with neither credibility nor legitimacy.

Secondly, the Deepak connection with the high-profile and long-running Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case. Deepak has expressed regret of his involvement in getting private investigator P Balasubramaniam to make a second Statutory Declaration which reversed an earlier one linking Najib to murdered Mongolian Altantuya. Deepak said in interviews that he got involved in Bala’s case to help “the family of the prime minister”. Again, Zahid’s response to Deepak’s allegation cannot be satisfactory as only Najib is in a position to respond with any credibility. Continue reading “Its Najib and not Zahid who should respond to Deepak’s most serious allegations at the UMNO General Assembly tomorrow”

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RM40m Sabah Umno ‘donation’ is pittance, say Umno delegates

By Mohd Farhan Darwis and Leannza Chia
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 30, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Several Umno members appeared today to dismiss the controversy over Sabah Umno’s RM40 million “political donation”, saying the sum was pittance compared to the millions the party dishes out during elections.

Arsit Sedi @ Sidik, a delegate from Sabah, even described the sum as “a very small dot” and revealed that in the Putatan constituency in his home state, Umno would have to spend up to RM6 million during the polls.

“RM40 million is a small sum, I don’t think it can even support the next election.

“The amount needed is very high, especially Sabah. If you are talking RM40 million, it is not enough to even move the election machinery.

“RM40 million is a very small dot only,” he told The Malaysian Insider when approached on the sidelines of Umno’s 66th general assembly here. Continue reading “RM40m Sabah Umno ‘donation’ is pittance, say Umno delegates”

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Irresponsible threats of May 13 and chaos if Umno loses 13GE, falsely claiming that Malays will lose political power, is best proof of failure and hypocrisy of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy

The irresponsible threats raised by UMNO leaders at the 66th UMNO General Assembly of “May 13” and chaos if UMNO loses the 13th General Election, falsely claiming that Malays will lose political power and will be rendered “destitute in our own land”, is the best proof of the failure and hypocrisy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia policy.

If the 1Malaysia Policy proclaimed by Najib after he became Prime Minister in in April 2009 is more than election gimmicks for votes in the 13GE, its philosophy “to create a Malaysian nation where every Malaysian will regard himself or herself as Malaysian first and race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic status second” should have been the guiding spirit of speeches of UMNO/BN leaders and their party conferences.

But this is clearly not the case despite the onset of the 43rd month of Najib’s premiership, as illustrated by the 66th Umno General Assembly. Continue reading “Irresponsible threats of May 13 and chaos if Umno loses 13GE, falsely claiming that Malays will lose political power, is best proof of failure and hypocrisy of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy”

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Shame on you, Shahrizat: You are a fear-monger

— P. Ramakrishnan
Aliran
Nov 30, 2012

NOV 30 — As a former minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil should have more sense to be responsible and appreciate the democratic process. Instead, she comes across as someone who is not prepared to accept the verdict of the people in a democratic election if that verdict went against Umno.

Is she planting the seeds of hatred in the minds of Umno members and instigating them to run amok and create havoc?

How does one view her statement when she said at the Wanita Umno assembly: “If we are no longer in power, we would lose political stability. Certainly, the Malays, the majority in this country, would be unsettled” (Malaysiakini, November 28).

“I am concerned and worried that this would bring racial tensions that could lead to a repeat of the May 13, 1969 tragedy.”

Is she threatening Malaysians that there will be a recurrence of the May 13, 1969 tragedy if Umno were to lose power? Why should that be so? Is she calling on Umno members to get ready to do the unthinkable if they were forced by the electorate to vacate Putrajaya? Continue reading “Shame on you, Shahrizat: You are a fear-monger”

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Malays not under threat, Umno is

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | November 30, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

There are 18 million Malays in this country and all the security forces plus every level of the government is Malay, so what threat is Najib Tun Razak talking about?

COMMENT

You can’t produce anything different from the same mould. As such, the idea which Malaysians must emulate is to change this government and move forward from there.

Let us all leave Najib Tun Razak and his pot of Mongolian alphabet goulash behind.

Change comes from a changed leadership and a new government.

Now, let us examine what Najib means when he says Malays must unite and Malay unity is no threat to others. Continue reading “Malays not under threat, Umno is”

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Najib’s omission of three paramount issues in his Umno presidential address confirms vital necessity of political change in 13GE to take Malaysia to next step of national development

No Malaysian is shocked that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Umno Presidential Address to the 66th UMNO General Assembly this morning is a war-cry to UMNO leaders and members to “fight like Churchill” to defend UMNO political power in Putrajaya in the 13th General Elections which I expect to be held within four months by March next year.

No Malaysian is surprised that UMNO leaders at the various UMNO Assemblies are raising the warning that the defeat of UMNO in the 13GE would result in the Malays in the country losing their political power, although rational and level-headed Malaysians can immediately see the fallacy of this falsehood as it is the UMNO leaders and not the Malays who will lose political power with the Umno/BN Federal Government replaced by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PKR, PAS and DAP. Furthermore, this is in direct contradiction to MCA propaganda that it is the Chinese and non-Malays who will suffer further loss of their political, educational, socio-economic and citizenship rights when Pakatan Rakyat comes to power in Putrajaya.

Although Malaysians are outraged, it is also not completely outside their expectations that apart from exploiting the race and religious cards at the UMNO Assemblies, UMNO leaders are also try to stoke fear by playing the “May 13 card” – proof that UMNO leaders are under great “pressure” as they know in their heart of hearts that the 13GE could signal the end of UMNO hegemony in Putrajaya despite all the brave front put up by UMNO leaders that UMNO/BN are sure to be returned to power in the 13GE, even to regain its parliamentary two-thirds majority.

But what must have come as a surprise to Malaysians is the total lack of vision in Najib’s UMNO Presidential speech of what Malaysian nation he wants to build in the second half of the first century of the country’s nationhood – apart from the cliché of “high-income developed state”. Continue reading “Najib’s omission of three paramount issues in his Umno presidential address confirms vital necessity of political change in 13GE to take Malaysia to next step of national development”

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UMNO General Assembly re-enacting last year’s “drama”: Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin, Chua Soi Lek or all three?

The 66th UMNO General Assembly is in full-swing but it is only a re-enactment of last year’s 65th UMNO General Assembly “drama”.

At the end of the 65th UMNO General Assembly last December, I posed the question: “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

Although the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will only be delivering his UMNO Presidential address tomorrow and his winding-up speech on Friday, one does not have to be prescient to know it will be equally valid and pertinent to pose this same question at the end of the 66th UMNO General Assembly.

The Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has already started the ball rolling for the re-enactment of this “drama” last year of whether “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

Last night at the opening of the UMNO Youth, Wanita and Puteri Assemblies, Muhyiddin dismissed PAS’ Islamic State goal as “a daydream”.

But this is the very exact opposite of what the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek is warning the Malaysian Chinese and non-Muslims up and down the country of “a point of no return” for the PAS agenda of an Islamic state if Pakatan Rakyat wins Putrajaya in the 13th general election! Continue reading “UMNO General Assembly re-enacting last year’s “drama”: Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin, Chua Soi Lek or all three?”

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It’s the system that turns good leaders bad

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | November 28, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Malaysians think that by changing the present set of bad people with good ones everything will be all right, but nothing is farther from the truth.

COMMENT

People do not want to believe that if you have an intrinsically bad system, you are good at the beginning, but you are eventually going to degenerate.

But people don’t want to accept this.

Let’s assume Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is a good person (he probably is) but the system which sustains him is bad. It will eventually cause him to turn bad.

So it isn’t enough to transform society by changing the people leading it, but the system that structures our society must be changed too.

That is our (Pakatan Rakyat’s ) agenda now. Not just changing of guards, but changing the system that structures our society. Continue reading “It’s the system that turns good leaders bad”

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Academicians: M’sia may descend into ‘kleptocracy’

by Pauline Wong
thesundaily
27 November 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may descend into a “kleptocracy” if corruption is not addressed effectively and comprehensively, academicians warned today.

They warned that the country would be ruled by the corrupt if graft is not tackled in a far-reaching manner which can be felt by the people.

“Kleptocracy”, derived from the words “kleptomania” and “-cracy” or “rule” refers to a government filled with those who seek status and personal gain at the expense of the governed.

At a forum on “Eradicating Corruption: How successful have we been?” organised by the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) today, National University of Singapore Associate Professor Dr Syed Farid Alatas voiced the danger of kleptocracy taking root as corruption is not a random or occasional occurence but tends to be systemic.

He said “kleptocrats” are usually not mid-level officials who extort money as a means to make a living, but high-ranking officials who see it as a way to accumulate wealth. Continue reading “Academicians: M’sia may descend into ‘kleptocracy’”

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Education the key to a better Malaysia

— Hussaini Abdul Karim
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 26, 2012

NOV 26 — “Education is the most powerful weapon, we can use it to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela.

The country needs to change for the better and whoever leads the government that will be determined by the results of the coming 13th general election (GE13) must make change happen as soon as possible and not just continue with rhetoric only.

Given the political situation in the country now, and with the “help” of the Internet, regardless of whether it is spreading nuisance or pleasantries, I do not think it is possible for any coalition of political parties, either Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, or individual political parties to win by a two-thirds majority anymore.

Those days are already gone as hinted in the last general election when a political tsunami favouring the opposition happened. In the coming GE13, I think it is more realistic to believe that it will return results such as a simple majority, split votes or even a result that will culminate in a hung Parliament and there will be individuals who contest as independents or candidates who represent smaller political parties in selected constituencies to play the role of “kingmaker” after winning their respective contests in those constituencies.

It is therefore “smart” for all political parties to think about how to handle the many fence-sitters all over the country; their number is perhaps more than the total number of voters with set minds, who will determine the outcome of GE13. Continue reading “Education the key to a better Malaysia”

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Can MCA deliver for Najib?

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | November 27, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Is Najib lashing out at DAP because he’s frustrated with MCA’s inability to sustain Chinese support?

COMMENT

Why should any self-respecting Malay support Umno which stands idly by and endorses a party like the MCA?

MCA can no longer sustain Chinese support and Umno is absolutely disabled to help.

So it has come to this because all this while Umno has turned MCA into a party of honorary Malays. Now Umno reaps what it has sown.

The prospect of DAP supplanting and eliminating MCA altogether is the main reason why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is attempting meek scare-mongering tactic.

But people are not buying whatever you say now, Mr PM. Continue reading “Can MCA deliver for Najib?”

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The Malaysian government is “broken” and that’s why it must be “fixed” in 13th GE

Over the weekend, in his speech to the state-sponsored NGO gathering “Himpunan Barisan 1Malaysia” at the Putra World Trade Centre, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said:

“Why fix it (the government) if it’s not broken? It’s not broken, far from it. Our country is the envy of many other nations.”

Both at the thousand-people Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat dinner in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday night and the People’s Green Assembly at Dataran Merdeka this morning at the conclusion of the historic 14-day 300-km Kuantan-Kuala Lumpur trek, I had posed the same question whether the “Malaysian government is broken and needs to be fixed?”, and the answer is a thunderous, powerful and united affirmative!

Fortunately, the Malaysian government has not broken down completely, all the more why it must be “fixed” immediately before it reaches a point of no return.

There is a long list why the Malaysian government is “broken” after 55 years of UMNO/BN rule and needs to be “fixed”, but I will only refer to the following instances: Continue reading “The Malaysian government is “broken” and that’s why it must be “fixed” in 13th GE”

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Nurul Izzah’s statement in the Kaum Muda-Kaum Tua context

by AB Sulaiman
CPI
26 November 2012

The case of Nurul Izzah Anwar, the PKR vice president, making the statement that there is no compulsion in religion and that this should apply not only to non-Malays but to Malays as well is now commanding the public domain.

Thanks to Utusan Malaysia and the Internet, the speed at which Nurul’s statement spread was staggering. The very next day, it appeared as a front-page headline in the Malay daily but with a twist: it was reported that she had been ‘suggesting’ Malays could commit apostasy; or showing the way to do so. (Apostasy is considered the greatest sin in Malay reckoning.)

To the Malay-Muslim, she has committed a grave offence for which she must be taken to task.

I will try to identify what really is at issue by way of asking some pertinent and relevant questions. Continue reading “Nurul Izzah’s statement in the Kaum Muda-Kaum Tua context”

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Tweets on 20,000 patriotic Malaysians at Dataran Merdeka protesting against Lynas

Tweets by Lim Kit Siang today

From Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Sabah KK 2Himpunan Hijau Dataran Merdeka KL – quickening of awakening of Malaysians all races religions regions
3hrs ago

Final day of 13-day 300km trek from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur to protest against Lynas rare earth refinery in Gebeng Pahang culminates in 20,000-ppl massive demo
3hrs ago

Most humbling/inspiring sea of confident hopeful patriotic Malaysian faces particularly young generation prepared to stand up for clean/green country
3hrs ago

I told Wong Tack as I joined 20k patriotic Malaysians who loved/cared 4Msia in last lap of 300km Kuantan/KL trek @ Sogo KL, he has made history
3hrs ago

28 Greenwalkers who completed 300km anti-Lynas trek have made history as with massive support of 20k people today, they have sent a powerful messsage.
3hrs ago Continue reading “Tweets on 20,000 patriotic Malaysians at Dataran Merdeka protesting against Lynas”

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Will PR become the proverbial rabbit?

Dr. Hsu Dar Ren
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 23, 2012

NOV 23 — As the end of the year approaches, there is still no sign of any election being called. Now it looks like the general election (GE) will only be held after the automatic dissolution of our Parliament in late April 2013. Another possible date is perhaps March 2013.

Malaysia’s political landscape cannot be more different from that of the United States. Yet the recent presidential election there reinforces one important fact. That even if a person or a party cannot win the majority of the biggest ethnic group, the person or the party can still win the election by winning an overwhelming majority of the minorities.

President Barack Obama won because of the votes of the minorities. He carried almost 93 per cent of the African-American votes, over 70 per cent of the Asian and Hispanic votes, but got only 39 per cent of the votes of the White majority. In contrast, his opponent won the majority of the white votes at around 59 per cent but still lost the election.

Based on this, I think it is possible for Pakatan Rakyat to win the next general election in Malaysia, given that majority of the Chinese will vote for the opposition. What is needed is to make certain that the majority of Indian votes go to PR. Most of the Malay votes (my estimate is over 60 per cent) — the Malays form the biggest ethnic group in the country — will be for BN. Continue reading “Will PR become the proverbial rabbit?”

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Najib tidak boleh samakan buah epal dengan bacang

Aspan Alias
21 November 2012

Najib masih menyanyikan lagu lama dengan dendangan yang lama. Najib seorang yang sangat terdesak dan kata-kata nya pun sangat tidak bernilai sebagai satu ucapan pemimpin yang setimpal sebagai kata-kata dan ucapan seorang pemimpin kepada rakyat yang sedang dalam pencarian ini. Najib terpaksa menggunakan ‘testimonial’ orang lain untuk mendapat kepujian dan pengiktirafan dan tidak mampu menunjukkan ‘testimonial’ sendiri bagi meyakinkan rakyat.

Najib masih meminta rakyat memberikan sokongan kepada UMNO dan BN kerana memberikan sokongan kepada UMNO khususnya kepada beliau itu tidak akan menjejaskan pelan transformasi beliau yang telah beliau umumkan setiap bulan dan minggu itu. Jika memberikan sokongan kepada pihak lain ia akan menjejaskan pelan pembangunan dan kemajuan negara dan akan membantutkan usaha kerajaan pimpinan beliau untuk menjadikan negara ini sebagai negara yang berpendapatan tinggi dan sebuah negara maju menjelangnya tahun 2020 nanti.

Najib mengambil Amerika Syarikat (AS) sebagai contoh pandangannya itu. Rakyat AS telah memberikan ‘continuity’ kepada pentadbiran Barack Obama dari Demokrat dalam pilihanraya Presiden baru-baru ini dan rakyat Malaysia perlu mengikut contoh itu dan memberikan sambungan pentadbiran kepada Barisan Nasional. Mendengar ucapan beliau itu, ramai termasuk diri saya hampir jatuh dari kerusi kerana hendak menyamakan beliau sebagai Barack Obama dan beliau tidak nampak bagaimana AS telah melakukan perubahan acapkali dalam pilihanraya Presiden di negara itu. Continue reading “Najib tidak boleh samakan buah epal dengan bacang”

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Dua prasyarat untuk PR menewaskan Umno/BN dalam pertembungan merebut Putrajaya pada PRU13

Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menyatakan dalam ucapan beliau ketika pembukaan Muktamar PAS ke-58 pagi ini bahawa PAS bersedia untuk mengambil alih kuasa persekutuan dengan teman-teman lain dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Rakyat Malaysia kini dalam dilema pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13, untuk membuat keputusan sama ada Malaysia patut mempunyai sebuah permulaan baru dengan memilih Pakatan Rakyat sebagai kerajaan persekutuan yang baru di Putrajaya, atau sama ada rasuah, salahguna kuasa, ketidakadilan dan ketidaksamarataan Umno/Barisan Nasional perlu terus menggelapkan masa depan, harapan dan kehendak rakyat.

Terdapat dua prasyarat untuk Pakatan Rakyat menewaskan Umno/Barisan Nasional dalam pertembungan merebut Putrajaya pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13.

Perkiatan Pakatan Rakyat yang terdiri daripada PAS, PKR dan DAP mestilah mampu meyakinkan rakyat Malaysia kepada dua perbezaan penting antara Pakatan Rakyat dengan perikatan Umno/Barisan Nasional. Continue reading “Dua prasyarat untuk PR menewaskan Umno/BN dalam pertembungan merebut Putrajaya pada PRU13”