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Don’t see DAP congress with Umno mindset

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | December 21, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

The recent DAP polls showed that Malays in the party must earn their keep and keep their peace.

COMMENT

A total of eight Malay candidates contested for places in DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) last week. But no Malay candidates won any place.

Also, more Indians offered themselves in the contest but only M Kulasegaran got in.

I don’t hear them grumbling or getting gruffy. Perhaps the Malay DAP members must learn from them a thing or two.

Why didn’t any of the Malays get selected? Perhaps it’s the fault of the candidates and the delegates and also the DAP leadership.

But first let’s set aside one issue – viewing the results with an Umno mindset. Continue reading “Don’t see DAP congress with Umno mindset”

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Don’t they know it is Christmas?

— Blue Christmas
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 21, 2012

DEC 21 —I just received a notice that the first school staff meeting in preparation for the 2013 school term would be held on December 24.

At first I let it pass and marked the date on my calendar and then I realised it would be Christmas Eve. That is the time when friends and family call on us, when the general mood is about looking back on a wonderful year and planning for an even more wonderful year ahead.

Took a second look at the schedule and it reads a meeting for every day after Christmas Day all the way to December 29. Now that’s the time when families get their children’s stuff ready for school — new shoes, bags, uniforms and water bottles. That is also the time when old friends come back to their hometowns to their aged parents and ask for forgiveness and blessings for a good year ahead. They take the extra time to bond with old classmates and the malls, restaurants and the teh tarik places get filled up with fun, joy and merriment.

Then it dawned on me that this holiday mood happens on Hari Raya Puasa, on Chinese New Year and on Deepavali and all my friends usually get this extended holidays either through annual leave and through the extra days taken by schools. So why is Christmas different? Continue reading “Don’t they know it is Christmas?”

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Malaysia’s Education Disaster: The power to change the system is in our hands

by Koon Yew Yin

As election day comes closer, we will be asked for reasons as to why we should want to change the Barisan Nasional Government (BN). When the question is put to me, I tell people that there is no need to enumerate three, four or five reasons. One reason alone is sufficient for Malaysians to elect a new government.

The reason is that the BN has ruined our educational system and put us back at least one generation in our educational standards and standing.

When the country became independent in 1957 our educational system was acknowledged to be amongst the best in the region. Today, after the introduction of NEP policies in education, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel in our standards of educational achievement at all levels. Continue reading “Malaysia’s Education Disaster: The power to change the system is in our hands”

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Malaysia poised for pivotal polls

By Simon Roughneen
Asia Times
21st December 2012

Ahead of what reform campaigners believe will be Malaysia’s “dirtiest ever elections”, the long-ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has engineered something of a clean-up. In recent months, it has reformed some old and oft-derided laws, such as allowing indefinite detention without trial and forcing local newspapers to apply each year for a publication permit, a stipulation that encouraged self-censorship.

UMNO and its allies have governed Malaysia consecutively since achieving independence from colonial rule, a longevity not usually associated with electoral democracies. UMNO and its Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition survived the last election in 2008, though it ceded its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time and lost five out of 13 federal states to the opposition, a coalition of three parties led by controversial former UMNO firebrand Anwar Ibrahim that includes the Islamic party PAS and the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP).

While some in the Malaysian opposition and rights groups have criticized the recent reforms as piecemeal electioneering for next year’s vote, there are indications that the government has made some real positive changes, particularly regarding the overhaul of certain emergency laws and repealing the old Internal Security Act, a law which has in the past been used against the government’s political opponents. Continue reading “Malaysia poised for pivotal polls”

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Senator DAP buat laporan polis terhadap Muhyiddin, portal berita

Jamilah Kamarudin | December 20, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Ariffin membuat laporan tersebut di Balai Polis Tun H S Lee di Jalan Stadium dekat sini tengahari tadi.

PETALING JAYA: Naib Pengerusi DAP, Senator Dr Ariffin SM Omar hari ini membuat laporan polis terhadap Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan laman portal, Antarapos kerana menuduhnya mengamalkan perkauman sempit.

Ariffin yang ditemani peguam iaitu ahli parlimen Segambut Lim Lip Eng membuat laporan tersebut di Balai Polis Tun H S Lee di Jalan Stadium dekat sini tengahari tadi.

Laporannya terhadap Muhyiddin itu berdasarkan petikan berita “Kenyataan Ariffin Melayu Punca Rasuah Diselar” pada 18 Disember lalu apabila menyifatkan ia sebagai satu perbuatan bodoh dan sangat tidak bertanggungjawab.

Respon itu dibuat Muhyiddin selepas Antarapos dalam laporannya 15 Disember lalu memetik Ariffin sebagai berkata rasuah boleh dibanteras dengan lebih berkesan jika perkhidmatan awam dan polis tidak dimonopoli oleh kaum Melayu sahaja. Continue reading “Senator DAP buat laporan polis terhadap Muhyiddin, portal berita”

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Down to the wire

Malaysia’s elections
Banyan Asia
by R.C. | KUALA LUMPUR
The Economist
Dec 19th 2012

ALL year, it seems, Malaysia has been on a war footing. For elections, that is—and thankfully, rather than anything more martial. The country operates on a Westminster-style parliamentary system, so the prime ministers’ five-year term does not officially end until early next summer. Nonetheless, Najib Razak and his people have been talking up the chances of going to the polls before then pretty well continuously over the past 18 months or so, which keeps everyone guessing.

Now, with the end of the year in sight and no further announcements, it seems that Mr Najib will take this down to the wire. Given that he can only go to the country after Chinese New Year next February, most people expect him to plump for the latest date he can in the electoral calendar, which would be about late March or early April.

His supporters say, why rush? With a generally favourable economic outlook, tame state media and all the advantages of incumbency, there is no reason why Mr Najib can’t enjoy the rest of his term of office without worrying about the 13th general election. After all, he has a bit of history on his side, to put it mildly—the ruling political alliance, Barisan Nasional (BN), has never lost a general election since independence in 1957. Continue reading “Down to the wire”

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Latest GFI report on RM196.8 billion dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010 is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned

The latest Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report on the astronomical RM196.8 billion in dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010, resulting in a mind-boggling total of RM871 billion in illegal capital flight from the country over the last 10 years (2001-2010), is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned.

The GFI report marks a trio of adverse international reports about Malaysia in the last month of this year to warn Malaysians why the time has come for a change of Federal government in Putrajaya in the forthcoming 13th General Elections.

There are still 11 days before the end of the month of December for the year 2012. Will there be another adverse international report about Malaysia to make it a quartet of adverse international reports in the last month of this year?

The other two adverse international reports for Malaysia which were published this month are:

• Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2012 – Despite a change of methodology for the TI CPI score and ranking, the ineluctable fact is that corruption under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from 2009-2012 is even worse than corruption under the previous five Prime Ministers, including Tun Abdullah and Tun Mahathir; Continue reading “Latest GFI report on RM196.8 billion dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010 is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned”

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Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays

By Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
19 December 2012

To say that Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali has little between his ears because of his recent pronouncements is to say something too obvious. And yet one might be tempted to do it to dispel the misinformation he seems to be spreading.

His point about the Malays being unable to compete with the non-Malays because Islam forbids the former to participate in businesses involving gambling, liquor and entertainment outlets is, to put it mildly, moronic. And terribly misleading.

What’s more inexcusable is his statement that the Chinese will become a national security threat if they acquire more political and economic power. It could lead, he warned, to another bloody racial conflict like the May 13 riots. This, I have to say, insults not only the Chinese but the Malays as well.

But there’s surely more to Ibrahim’s antic than what’s on the surface. He has not been in politics this long to appear so simple-minded. His agenda was to strike terror into the hearts of voters. He was employing the scare tactics that Prime Minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional (BN) have been resorting to of late as the general election draws near. Coincidentally, at the Umno general assembly last month, Wanita Umno President Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also irresponsibly raised the bogey of May 13.

Ironically, such scare tactics betray a lack of self-confidence on the part of Najib and BN. Ibrahim must have caught on to it and sensed that BN may even lose the elections for the first time. But this does not exonerate him from saying things that are insulting, that could engender hatred. Based neither on fact nor reasoned argument. Continue reading “Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays”

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Muhyiddin’s got it all wrong

G Vinod | December 19, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

I did not attribute corruption to the Malays, says DAP senator Ariffin Omar.

PETALING JAYA: DAP Senator Ariffin Omar today denied claims that he had attributed corruption in the civil service to the fact that the institution is dominated by one race only.

“I did not make such statement. It’s pure slander. The reason why there are more Malays in the civil service is due to the fact that they form 60% of our population.

“All I did was to suggest that the civil service offer more opportunities to non Malays to join the institution,” said Ariffin.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin criticised Ariffin, 63, who was alleged to have attributed the monopoly of civil service by the Malays as a source of corruption. Continue reading “Muhyiddin’s got it all wrong”

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Malaysia’s grand old party

Syawal Hafriz | 18 December 2012
The Malaysian Insider

DEC 18 — I think a party that has been around since 1946 can be considered “grand” and “old”.

This is the party that has led its multi-racial coalition, without fail, in winning all 12 general elections to date.

But things have changed. The party can no longer rely on its coalition partners as much as much as it did in the past. A majority of Chinese and Indian communities are no longer seeing the other coalition partners as being relevant in championing their causes — hence the ruling coalition was punished, and lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Perhaps this could explain the rise of “ultra” elements within the grand old party, namely hardliners who are taking the party to the far right of Malay dominance, who refuse to buy into the multi-racial 1 Malaysia concept put forth by the party leader, the prime minister himself.

They say when you are up against the wall, your true character will show.

A hardliner approach might be the key since Malays represent the majority — roughly 60 per cent of the population and estimated to reach 70 per cent by 2030. The party sought to increase its influence by appealing to the Malay population, given that its other coalition partners can no longer deliver the crucial votes.
Continue reading “Malaysia’s grand old party”

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Hanya kroni yang tergugat dengan dasar ekonomi DAP yang telus dan bertanggungjawab.

Zairil Khir Johari | 18 Disember 2012
Penolong Setiusaha Publisiti Kebangsaan DAP

Dalam laporan akhbar Sinar Harian yang bertajuk “Izat: Ekonomi Melayu gugat jika DAP diberi kepercayaan” pada 17 Disember 2012, Presiden Persatuan Pedagang dan Pengusaha Melayu Malaysia (Perdasama), Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir telah dipetik sebagai berkata bahawa “sokongan orang Melayu terhadap DAP akan hanya menyebabkan ekonomi dan masa depan orang Melayu terumbang-ambing.”

Kenyataan Datuk Izat ini jelas dangkal, bermotif politik perkauman dan langsung tidak berasas. DAP adalah sebuah parti politik yang konsisten dalam pelaksanaan dasar tadbir urus yang cekap, bertanggungjawab dan telus, sepertimana yang dibuktikan oleh pentadbiran kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang selama hampir lima tahun ini. Keberkesanan tatakelola pentadbiran yang dilaksanakan oleh kerajaan Pulau Pinang telah pun mendapat pengiktirafan dan pengesahan daripada Laporan-laporan Ketua Audit Negara setiap tahun.

Bagaimanakah ciri-ciri ketelusan dan kebertanggungjawaban boleh menjadi ancaman kepada orang Melayu? Hipotesis yang kurang waras ini hanya digunakan oleh sesetengah pihak yang tidak mampu berdaya saing akibat kebergantungan mereka kepada sistem kroni dan amalan rasuah.
Continue reading “Hanya kroni yang tergugat dengan dasar ekonomi DAP yang telus dan bertanggungjawab.”

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Orang Melayu – Teruskan Bersatu diluar UMNO!

Ariff Sabri | 18 Disember 2012
sakmongkol.blogspot.com

Sungguh menghairan kita, perkara yang amat mudah tidak boleh difaham oleh UMNO dan pengikut nya. Orang Melayu yang diluar UMNO pun Melayu juga. Melayu, DAP, Melayu PAS dan Melayu PKR tidak kurang keMelayuan mereka dari Melayu UMNO. Yang UMNO hendak sombong dan angkuh mengakui bahawa yang Melayu itu hanya mereka sahaja, mengapa? Kerana mereka membela agama, bangsa dan tanah air?

Hang Jebat tidak kurang Melayu daripada Hang Tuah. Jebat hanya berpegang kepada prinsip raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah.Ini prinsip yang mudah difaham oleh mereka yang berakal waras.

Pemimpin UMNO kesana kemari bercerita mengenai wasatiyah dan maqasid shar-iyah, tapi ketawa bila orang kafir mempermainkan, mengejek dan mempersenda agama Islam. Ketua besar UMNO, parti Melayu yang terbesar memakai baju kami tentang hudud bersama sama dengan orang kafir. Ini tidak mengeherankan sangat kepada mereka yang tahu latar belakang ketua besar UMNO ini.

Pemimpin UMNO bersyarah kepada orang Melayu bawahan supaya berbelanja berjimat cermat dan berhemah, tapi gagal melakukan apa yang mereka nasihatkan. Isteri ada cincin RM74 juta , beg tangan RM300-400 ribu sebuah, jam tangan RM 600 ribu- orang yang serupa menasihati rakyat mengurus wang RM500 dengan berhemah.
Continue reading “Orang Melayu – Teruskan Bersatu diluar UMNO!”

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The DAP Malays

Ariff Sabri | 16 December 2012
sakmongkol.blogspot.com

UMNO and its supporters are making cannon fodder of the unsuccessful attempts by 8 Malay DAP members to get placement in the 20-person CEC. I wrote this article before the appointment of 2 Malays into the CEC.

Lt Colonel Rosli a former serviceman who is now practising as a lawyer in Seremban said it best. The next person sitting to me asked for my name, told him and he didn’t even know I was contesting. I wasn’t going to campaign to him there and then.

Which means, the unsuccessful bid for places in DAP’s CEC is more a case for being relative unknowns. Malay DAP leaders if they wish to get into the CEC must catch the attention and imagination of DAP delegates. Which means the Malays in DAP must earn their keep and keep their peace. Don’t go doing a Tunku Aziz stunt.

The worse thing any Malay DAP member or leader can do is to read what has just happened at the 16th DAP National Congress with an UMNO mindset. Yes, we shall continue to talk about UMNO- because UMNO stands in our way to form the next federal government. We must continue to expose the rotten system that UMNO leaders have built up and that has caused misery to this country, especially to Malays.

The UMNO mindset is that you deserve to get something just because you are UMNO. UMNO is built on the idea, which says you can get ahead by cutting corners, leveraging on politics, exploiting inherited status and so forth. The world does not operate on the terms of a world by which UMNO operates. The world moves on, driven by people’s abilities and on the basis on what they can contribute. That is NOT the UMNO mindset.
Continue reading “The DAP Malays”

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Pakatan Rakyat: berbeza tetapi bersatu

Aspan Alias | 16 Disember 2012
aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

Saya mendapat banyak pertanyaan tentang perbezaan di antara Karpal Singh dan PAS terutamanya setelah mendengar ucapan Karpal dalam kongress tahunan DAP yang sedang berlansung di Pulau Pinag sekarang ini.. Dalam ucapan beliau semalam, Karpal telah berlembut serta mengakui yang PAS merupakan rakan yang terkuat DAP dalam Pakatan Rakyat walaupun ada beberapa perkara yang berbeza di antara kedua-dua parti itu terutamanya tentang isu yang berkaitan dengan agama Islam dan hukum-hukumnya.

Mereka bertanyakan perkara ini kerana saya telah menyertai parti itu di dalam kongress yang sebelum ini pada 8hb Januari yang lalu. Oleh kerana pertanyaan itu datangnya bertalu-talu akhir-akhir ini maka saya merasakan saya perlu memberikan jawapan walaupun ia merupakan jawapan yang pendek sahaja.

Seperti MCA dan UMNO juga, maka DAP dan PAS tentulah mempunyai perbezaan di antara kedua-duanya. Kalau tidak ada perbezaan maka tidak mungkin wujud dua parti PAS dan DAP. Perbezaan itu memang satu hakikat dan tidak mungkin kedua-dua parti itu sama. Itulah sebabnya ada elemen permuafakatan di antara kedua-dua parti itu bersama PKR dalam apa yang di sebut sebagai Pakatan Rakyat.

Oleh kerana wujudnya perbezaan-perbezaan inilah maka timbul usaha permuafakatan yang kuat dengan matlamat yang kedua-duanya anggap sebagai matlamat yang baik. Jika tidak ada elemen perbezaan maka tidak mungkin ada permuafakatan. Begitu jugalah dalam BN atau pun Perikatan sebelumnya. MCA dan UMNO itu jauh perbezaannya. MCA hanya untuk bangsa Cina dan UMNO merupakan satu parti pada asalnya sebagai parti nasionalis Melayu yang sekarang sudah menjadi parti untuk tawkay-tawkay dan kroni pemimpin Melayu yang berkuasa.
Continue reading “Pakatan Rakyat: berbeza tetapi bersatu”

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Sesiapa pun boleh kata apa tentang DAP, BN wajar di jauhi

Aspan Alias | 17 Disember 2012
aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

Media perdana sekarang memainkan isu DAP parti chauvinis dan sebagainya. Media arus perdana memainkan isu DAP sebagai parti Cina kerana tidak ada seorang pun calon Melayu yang bertanding memenangi walau satu kerusi pun. Hanya yang perlu kita ketahui yang DAP tidak seperti UMNO yang telah membentuk mentaliti ‘quota’ dalam mana Melayu mesti di berikan segala keistimewaan dalam semua hal kerana Melayu yang mempunyai negara ini.

Bangsa lain kononnya hanyalah bangsa yang menumpang sahaja sedangkan sekarang ini seorang kaum cina itu merupakan generasi ke empat berada di dalam negara ini. Bangsa Cina yang lahir sekarang ini tidak tahu pun yang mereka itu bukan bangsa Malaysia (seperti yang di katakan oleh pemimpin UMNO) kerana mereka lahir di sini. Mereka (kaum Cina) tidak ada negeri lain seperti juga orang Melayu yang tidak ada negeri lain selain dari Malaysia ini.

Itu sebabnya kita rakyat semua kaum ingin melakukan perubahan kerana jika tidak dilakukan perubahan itu satu-satunya negara yang kita ada ini akan hanyut di telan masa kerana tidak berkemampuan untuk wujud mngikut kehendak masa dan zamannya. Kita tidak ada negara lain dari negara ini. Bagi mereka yang telah mengaut kekayaan melalui kuasa yang ada kepada mereka boleh duduk dan mendiami negeri lain kerana mereka adalah kaum yang mewah dan boleh hidup dimana-mana sahaja hasil dari rompakan harta rakyat yang telah berlaku sebegitu lama tanpa had itu.

Baik DAP mahu pun PAS dan PKR, mereka mewakili semua kaum yang menuntut perubahan ini. Dalam usaha menuntut perubahan sememangnya satu usaha yang sangat susah tetapi apa pilihan yang ada kepada rakyat ini. Jika tidak di ubah rakyat negara kita sendiri akan berubah menjadi rakyat yang hina di sisi rakyat dan masyarakat antarabangsa yang sedang berubah mengikut kehendak zamannya.
Continue reading “Sesiapa pun boleh kata apa tentang DAP, BN wajar di jauhi”

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Quo Vadis Malaysian education system?

For the past week, Malaysians have been waiting for comments from the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the poor results of Malaysian students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 but he has disappointed Malaysians.

Since the world-wide publication of the TIMSS 2011 results on December 11, Muhyiddin had commented on everything under the sun except on TIMSS 2011 results showing unchecked plunge in the standards of mathematics and science for Malaysian students as compared to other countries – powerful testimony that Muhyiddin is neither committed nor interested in his first duty as Education Minister.

Only eight months ago, Muhyiddin shocked Malaysians claiming that the Malaysian education system is better than advanced nations on the ground that Malaysian youngsters are receiving better education than children in the United States, Britain and Germany.

But Muhyiddin’s claim has been debunked by TIMSS 2011, as in the test for eighth-grade students for mathematics, Malaysia is ranked No. 26 with a score of 440 out of 1,000, as compared to United States which is ranked No. 9 with a score of 509 while England is ranked No. 10 with a score of 507. For science, Malaysia is ranked even lower at No. 32 with a score of 426 as compared to England’s ranking of No. 9 with a score of 533 and United States’ 10th ranking with a score of 525.

Malaysia’s scores for both maths and science are below the international average, while the scores in both subjects for United States and England are above the international average. Continue reading “Quo Vadis Malaysian education system?”

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DAP polls a bitter pill for rivals

By Stanley Koh | December 18, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

In 1995, when DAP suffered the worst electoral defeat in its history, pundits and other soothsayers lost no time in predicting the demise of the then 30-year-old social-democratic party.

Even Lim Kit Siang could not hide the tinge of despair in his heart. “Reform or die,” he told his party.

As it turned out, the supremo’s call rang out clear and loud among the party faithful. A year later, at their national congress, delegates endorsed a thorough review of the party’s political strategies. This resulted, among other things, in the recruitment of some 800 young professionals to help carry out the political renewal.
Continue reading “DAP polls a bitter pill for rivals”

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I do not know whether to laugh or to cry – the standard of English in Malaysia has really fallen to disgraceful and abysmal low after four decades of Umno/BN rule.

I really do not know whether to laugh or to cry – the standard of English in Malaysia has really fallen to a disgraceful and abysmal low after four decades of Umno/BN rule.

Last week, Malaysia suffered national and international humiliation when the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( TIMSS) 2011 reports were released, as the nation’s ranking in eighth-grade Maths fell from 20th in 2007 to 26th in 2011 while its ranking in Science fell by an even greater margin, from 21st in 2007 to 32nd in 2011. Our average Maths score fell from 474 in 2007 to 440 and our average Science score fell by an even greater degree from 471 in 2007 to 426 in 2011, both far below the international average for both subjects in TIMSS 2011.

What is even worse, Malaysia also suffered the shame of being only one out of 6 countries out of 42 countries participating in the Maths study and 45 countries participating in the Science study to see falls in both our Maths and Science scores and ranking! Most of the other countries either improved their scores and rankings or stayed at their previous levels.

But the poor attainments of our students in maths and science when compared to international student achievements is not the only bane of the Malaysian education system.

Another equally critical area where the Malaysian education system has failed miserably is the English subject, which was poignantly illustrated in the past 24 hours, placing me in the position of not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. Continue reading “I do not know whether to laugh or to cry – the standard of English in Malaysia has really fallen to disgraceful and abysmal low after four decades of Umno/BN rule.”

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Congress marks the coming of age of the DAP

Ong Kian Ming
Malaysiakini
Dec 17, 2012

COMMENT

The recently concluded 16th DAP Congress held at the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) was my first as a DAP member. It was also my first time seeing a DAP national election up close. The following are some of my observations which may not have received the necessary attention in the media, whether mainstream or online.

DAP as a national party

With 2,576 delegates (an increase from 948 in 2008), 150,000 members (from 84,000) and 1,128 branches (from 311) and with representatives from all 13 states in Malaysia, this congress represented the coming of age of the DAP by firmly cementing its status as a national party and a significant political player on the national stage.

The 29 parliamentarians and 82 state representatives from 10 states and the Federal Territories makes DAP the 2nd largest political party in the country in terms of elected representatives. The capacity crowd at the congress venue, which included 700 observers, was the largest in party history.

With greater political influence comes greater scrutiny, which is probably why this congress was covered by approximately 100 members of the press core. And with this scrutiny, also came more discussion and headlines, including critiques against the DAP’s election system and the subsequent results.

In a sense, this kind of spotlight and scrutiny should be welcomed since it means that the party matters in the public’s eye and is an important part of the larger political landscape. Continue reading “Congress marks the coming of age of the DAP”

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Apology to Najib and UMNO/BN leaders for being elected into DAP CEC at the 16th DAP National Congress and with highest votes

I wish to apologise to the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the UMNO/BN leaders that I was elected into the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) at the 16th DAP National Congress – and with the highest votes.

UMNO leaders, including Najib, had been going round the country castigating the DAP for being undemocratic, alleging that I was in the DAP national leadership although I was not an elected DAP leader.

At the recent 66th UMNO General Assembly at the end of last month, Najib returned to the same theme in his UMNO Presidential Address when he flayed the Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP.

This is what he said about me: “Although only holding the position of member of parliament despite not being an elected leader, Lim Kit Siang is evidently quite a powerful individual in the opposition party”.

It had always amused me when Najib made these attacks against me in his political tours up and down the country, wondering whether he had been misled by his cohorts of political advisers and aides or whether he had deliberately lied although he knew the truth. Continue reading “Apology to Najib and UMNO/BN leaders for being elected into DAP CEC at the 16th DAP National Congress and with highest votes”