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Muhyiddin – stop bellyache, just issue a directive cancelling all punitive actions against Nor Izzat and all other teachers for criticising SBA

I advise the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to stop belly-ache and just to issue a directive to revoke all punitive actions against Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) chief Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari and all other teachers for criticising the student-based assessment (SBA) system.

What is Muhyiddin hoping to achieve by denying that he was involved in transferring Nor Izzat who had spearheaded a protest against the SBA system within 24 hours from Jerantut to a rural school in Pahang last week?

Let me tell Muhyiddin that Malaysians are not interested whether the transfer order came from the district education office or otherwise, but that as Education Minister he must take full and personal responsibility for punitive actions taken against Nor Izzat and all teachers who had criticised the SBA – and that his first duty now is to countermand all the punitive actions which had been issued not only against Nor Izzat but all other teachers who had been penalised for the courage of their convictions in speaking out against the disastrous implementation of SBA. Continue reading “Muhyiddin – stop bellyache, just issue a directive cancelling all punitive actions against Nor Izzat and all other teachers for criticising SBA”

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All disciplinary action against SGMM chief Nor Izzat and all teachers who criticised SBA should be immediately withdrawn

With the suspension of the controversial School-Based Assessment (SBA), the Education Ministry should also revoke all disciplinary action against Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) chief Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari and all teachers who criticised the SBA.

The heavy-handed response by the Education Ministry to penalise Nor Izzat and teachers who have come forward to criticise the SBA is totally uncalled for and unjustifiable and must be deplored as a very mean and cowardly manner to suppress legitimate criticism in the education service.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should give his personal attention to ensure that all disciplinary actions against Nor Izzat and teachers who had criticised the SBA should be revoked immediately.

The SBA fiasco transforming teachers into data entry clerks, forcing teachers to get up at 2 or 2 am just to input the grades of students because of online network problems, should be an expensive lesson in the so-called educational transformation of the country. Continue reading “All disciplinary action against SGMM chief Nor Izzat and all teachers who criticised SBA should be immediately withdrawn”

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Cabinet Ministers and senior government leaders need a re-education in Rukunegara as they seemed to have forgotten its principles and objectives

At the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should direct all Cabinet Ministers and senior government leaders to undergo a re-education in the Rukunegara as they seemed to have forgotten the Rukunegara principles and objectives 43 years after their promulgation.

Although the five Rukunegara principles have been taught in the schools in the past four decades, many Malaysians, including the Cabinet Ministers and senior government leaders will not be able repeat them offhand.

The Rukunegar principles are:

BELIEF IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION
The RULE OF LAW
GOOD BEHAVIOUR AND MORALITY

Continue reading “Cabinet Ministers and senior government leaders need a re-education in Rukunegara as they seemed to have forgotten its principles and objectives”

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Karpal’s sedition conviction has brought Malaysia back under international radar as a “rogue nation” in its system of justice

DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh’s sedition conviction has brought Malaysia back under the international radar as a “rogue nation” in its system of justice.

When a veteran political leader and senior lawyer could be convicted of sedition for stating the law and giving his opinion on the 2008 constitutional crisis in Perak as there was a belief by certain quarters that the rulers enjoyed immunity and no legal action could be taken against them, Malaysia has undone all the “puny” efforts in the past decade to restore national and international respect and confidence in a truly independent judiciary and a just rule of law in Malaysia.

The convergence of recent events, with blatant examples of the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers involved in a series of unprofessional activities and selective prosecutions, have not helped in restoring public esteem in the independence, efficiency and integrity of these two key institutions – and the judiciary – in the nation’s system of justice. Continue reading “Karpal’s sedition conviction has brought Malaysia back under international radar as a “rogue nation” in its system of justice”

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Is there a high-powered plot to frame me up like Teresa Kok in 2008 so that I could be detained on the ground of being anti-Quran and inciting racial and religious disharmony?

I must give credit to the diabolical “cleverness and creativeness” of the UMNO cybertroopers and those committed to incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities, hatred, conflict and tension in recent months to create racial chaos and religious conflagration in coming out with a new accusation against me.

I thought after some 48 years of Malaysian politics, there will be no accusation that had not already been hurled against me and there could be no new accusation against me.

I had been accused of being anti-Malay, anti-Indian, even anti-Chinese of being anti-Chinese Chinese-educated, anti-Chinese English-educated (not yet accused of being anti-Chinese Malay-educated); I have been accused of being anti-Islam, anti-Hindu, anti-Christianity; I have been accused of being a CIA agent, KGB agent, Australian Secret-Service Agent, a Singapore agent even Special Branch agent at home – and anti-nationalist!

I have even been accused of having caused the May 13 riots in 1969 (if so, why have I been allowed to be at large in Parliament and Malaysian politics over four decades) and most disgusting of all, that I have urinated at the flagpole of the then Selangor Mentri Besar’s residence in Kuala Lumpur when in fact I was in Sabah at the time. Continue reading “Is there a high-powered plot to frame me up like Teresa Kok in 2008 so that I could be detained on the ground of being anti-Quran and inciting racial and religious disharmony?”

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Fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Anwar as candidate

The Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday that the Barisan Nasional (BN) is going into the Kajang by-election as the underdog but pledges to work doubly hard to ensure the best possible outcome.

It will be a fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate.

It is imperative that the Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP speak with one voice and act as one unit not only to secure victory for Anwar in the by-election on March 23, but with a convincing majority greater than the majority won in the 13th general elections on May 5, 2013.

Every vote in the Kajang by-election must be fought and won and not taken for granted. Continue reading “Fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Anwar as candidate”

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Putrajaya clamps down on dissent, transfers anti-assessment system teacher

by Lee Shi-Ian
The Malaysian Insider
February 22, 2014

The man behind the teacher pressure group’s planned protest today against the student-based assessment (SBA) has been given a 24-hour notice of transfer to a rural school in Pahang in what is seen as Putrajaya’s clampdown on dissent by civil servants.

Despite the sudden transfer notification, teacher Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari, 29, who is the Suara Guru-Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) working group chief, refused to be cowed and said the protest would go ahead as planned.

The group planned to gather at the Bandar Baru Bangi mosque prior to the rally.

Nor Izzat, who has been called “Guru Setahun Jagung” (greenhorn teacher) by the ministry for being a vocal critic of the SBA, said his transfer was proof that the Education Ministry was exercising its powers over him.

He told The Malaysian Insider that his good friend and colleague, Mohd Zulkefli Seman, who teaches at the same school in Jerantut, Pahang, also received a transfer letter yesterday morning.

Nor Izzat said Zulkefli was not a SGMM member, but had accompanied him to meet with Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh last year. Continue reading “Putrajaya clamps down on dissent, transfers anti-assessment system teacher”

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Anwar Ibrahim has to be put away; otherwise, Umno is doomed!

by P Ramakrishnan
Aliran
21 February 2014

What is important in any hearing is fairness to the accused. But certain judges don’t seem to be very bothered about this principle, says P Ramakrishnan.

The survival of Umno in the forthcoming GE14 is hanging by a thread. By all counts, it may be the end of the road for the party that has dominated Malaysian politics for more than half a century.

Umno is aware of this. And that is why it is desperately trying to put Anwar Ibrahim away to save its skin. A free Anwar will sound the death-knell for Umno.

Politically it may not succeed in its attempt to do away with Anwar because his influence is wide and far-reaching. He is seen by the majority of Malaysians as the only hope of toppling Umno from its power base – which will pave the way for an alternative government.

All the lies that Umno has concocted against Anwar have not made any impact on the people. This approach has been tried since 1998 – to tarnish his reputation and smear his image – but every attempt failed miserably. People have wised up to the tricks and manipulations resorted to by Umno at every opportunity and during elections, but such ploys have had no effect to benefit Umno.

Moreover, the people are aware that Umno is no longer the sole mouth-piece for the Malays. Pas and Keadilan are equally capable of representing the Malays far more effectively when compared to Umno. To add to their headache, the Malays are even turning to the DAP and supporting their candidates. Clearly, it is a losing battle for Umno. Continue reading “Anwar Ibrahim has to be put away; otherwise, Umno is doomed!”

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When the Opposition starts serving up déjà vu

Erna Mahyuni
The Malay Mail Online
February 19, 2014

FEB 19 — Wouldn’t want to be a PKR supporter right now. The “Who gets to be Selangor MB” game is getting pretty old and rather symptomatic of the prevailing malady permeating our country — having the wrong priorities.

Umno’s culture of selfishness and infighting with poison pen letters and hidden knives in the dark is well-documented. But to see the same culture of factionalism and infighting in PKR makes you wonder if the party is just a rebadged Umno. Same crap, same people (stop recruiting ex-Umno people already, Anwar) but just a different party name.

I can’t comment on the merits of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim versus Azmin Ali versus Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because I frankly do not give a rat’s behind.

What is certain is that it is entirely possible for Pakatan Rakyat to lose Selangor, without even waiting for the next general election. Continue reading “When the Opposition starts serving up déjà vu”

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Time to just let MAS crash

– Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
February 20, 2014

MAS has just reported a fourth consecutive quarter of losses with a net loss of RM343 million for this last quarter.

For the full financial year 2013, the net loss amounted to RM1.2 billion, compared with a net loss of RM433 in FY12.

The question is whether this eye-popping loss will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In the past, there have been incorrigible cheerleaders for the airline, regularly claiming that the company is in recovery mode and will soon return to profitability.

This time, even the most optimistic experts have given up. Continue reading “Time to just let MAS crash”

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Islam At A Crossroad in Malaysia

by Din Merican
February 8, 2014

I am writing this as I contemplate the fate of our country while resting after being involved in a nasty accident last week. I feel very sorry that my wife’s car. Dr Kamsiah’s black beauty is now a total wreck and we are not sure how long the adjusters will assess the loss as a total loss or whether it has to be repaired.

I hope the insurance company and its adjusters would be kind to my wife and I by not prolonging the painful process of making an insurance claim. The positive thing from that accident was that the driver of the other car, a non-Muslim Chinese and I, a Malay Muslim, did not have a quarrel. We resolved matters in the manner that accidents are resolved. We showed care and compassion for each other to ensure that neither of us suffered grievous bodily injury. We were civil despite our different race and religion even in those tense moments. We behaved as how civil people behave. We behaved like we are one people, like true Malaysians.

What was heartening also was that I received an immediate message from my young friend, Lawyer Rosli Dahlan, who heard about the accident although he was away. He was so concerned to make sure that we were not injured and made prayers for me from Makkah. Apparently, he was in Jeddah for a meeting and entered Makkah to perform umrah and made doa’ (prayers) for our safety.

To Rosli, I say thank you. At my ripe age, doa from well wishers are very meaningful. Alhamdulillah, I am safe in one piece although I was pretty jolted when the airbag exploded. I pray to Allah that the driver and passengers of the other vehicle will also recover as I have. Continue reading “Islam At A Crossroad in Malaysia”

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More useful and urgent for IGP Khalid to form a special division to stamp out reckless incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred to cause racial and religious strife than to set up a department on SOP compliance

On Monday, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar announced that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is to set up a new department, to be known as the Integrity and Standard Compliance Department, to improve Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) compliance, including disciplinary procedures for police personnel.

The new department is expected to be fully operational in two months and would be led by a director with the rank of commissioner.

Khalid said the setting up of the department has been approved in principle and the police are in the midst of discussing with the Public Services Department on the recruitment of staff.

He said that with the department in place, the police hoped to improve the SOP compliance in all aspects of assignment, including disciplinary procedures for police personnel. Prior to this, disciplinary matters and procedures for police personnel were managed by the Management Department.

The proposed new Integrity and Standard Compliance Department has been subjected to severe, valid and pertinent criticism by the chief of the anti-crime group, MyWatch, R. Sanjeevan, who said the new department would only result in overlapping duties and a further waste of public funds for the hiring of new staff or the promotion of existing officers, when what the PDRM needs is not a new department to check its officers on SOP compliance but a total revamp of its existing set-up to improve crime-fighting efforts.

Sanjeevan contends that all matters involving police integrity and procedure compliance can be handled by PDRM’s existing Management Department, which already handles disciplinary breaches. Continue reading “More useful and urgent for IGP Khalid to form a special division to stamp out reckless incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred to cause racial and religious strife than to set up a department on SOP compliance”

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NUCC’s Samsudin Osman vs Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali a battle of “patriots vs traitors” for moderates to save Malaysia from extremists who want to foment racial chaos and religious conflagration?

At the forum on “Legacy of Tunku Abdul Rahman” at New Era College in Kajang on 10th February 2014, I called on all moderates and patriots in Malaysia, whether in Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat or those outside the two political coalitions to unite and isolate extremists and traitors of the country who want to foment racial chaos and religious conflagration through incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension.

I said that I believe that the overwhelming majority of Malaysians, whether in DAP, PKR or PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, or in Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the other component parties in Barisan Nasional, or outside the two political coalitions, do not want another May 13 riots in the country as they want, like Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman, love, peace, harmony, solidarity and prosperity to prevail in Malaysia.

But all the moderates in Malaysia, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat or outside the two political coalitions, must act to unite and isolate extremists and traitors of the country who want to foment racial chaos and religious conflagration through the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension – or they will lose by default and allow the irresponsible and reckless few to hijack the national agenda which can only lead to ruination and sent the country down the abyss of a failed state.
Continue reading “NUCC’s Samsudin Osman vs Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali a battle of “patriots vs traitors” for moderates to save Malaysia from extremists who want to foment racial chaos and religious conflagration?”

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IGP should stop talking tough and start acting swiftly against irresponsible and reckless elements who want to cause racial and religious disharmony and strife through incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred

Enough of the Inspector-General, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar talking tough as he should start acting swiftly against irresponsible and reckless elements who want to cause racial and religious disharmony and strife through incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred.

Why is Khalid talking about the use of any law, including Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), inciting racial tension when the police has not even sent investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to arrest and for charges to be laid against those responsible for the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs’ “chicken and slap” demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 6 where a slew offences had been committed including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against a woman, incitement of violence against a Member of Parliament, incitement of another May 13 riots?

For more than three weeks, not a single person had been able to step forward to point out where DAP National Vice Chairperson and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” video is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Rulers, although I said I would ask Teresa Kok to withdraw and apologise for the video if there is such evidence.
Continue reading “IGP should stop talking tough and start acting swiftly against irresponsible and reckless elements who want to cause racial and religious disharmony and strife through incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred”

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Islam, freedom and salvation

Zairil Khir Johari
The Malaysian Insider
February 19, 2014

Islam and freedom are two inseparable concepts, though one may not arrive at this conclusion based on the behaviour of many Muslims worldwide, particularly those claiming to carry the torch for the religion.

When the Prophet Muhammad introduced Islam in the 7th century, he not only brought with him a new deen (faith), but also through it delivered fundamental moral and social reform to the Arabian society. As it were, Islam brought light to end the darkness of slavery, female infanticide and social injustice.

At its height of glory during the Islamic Golden Age from the 8th to the 13th century, the Arab-Muslim world transformed from a warring, largely illiterate society to one characterised by major intellectual advancement in culture, mathematics, life sciences and philosophy.

It was an era of inclusiveness, symbolised by the establishment of the Baitul-Hikmat, or House of Wisdom, in Baghdad, where scholars both Muslim and non-Muslim converged to exchange and produce knowledge. Inspired by the call to ijtihad (independent reasoning), the goal was always to expand and include, and not to retreat and exclude. Continue reading “Islam, freedom and salvation”

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How pathetic, now MCA must get its candidature to be cleared not only by UMNO but even by Perkasa!

Again the MCA newspaper The Star has blacked out my second reply to the daily MCA political offensive against me in the run-up to the Kajang by-election which is still 32 days away.

On Monday, the “7-11” political party, MCA, launched its political offensive against me, using a lowly MCA flunkey in a report entitled “MCA dares Kit Siang to explain why he is afraid of directly offending UMNO”.

I gave a 15-paragraph reply but not a word came out in the Star.

Yesterday, another MCA lackey was used to launch a second attack on me, entitled “Stop picking on MCA, Lim told”.

I issued a 24-paragraph reply. Of course it did not see the light of day in the MCA Star. Continue reading “How pathetic, now MCA must get its candidature to be cleared not only by UMNO but even by Perkasa!”

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What is IGP doing and where is the rule of law when merchants of hate could openly threaten “volcanic eruption” with the intensification of their campaign of hate?

The question Malaysians are asking today is where is the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and where is the rule of law in Malaysia when merchants of hate could openly threaten “volcanic eruption” with intensification of their campaign of hate to incite racial and religious animosities, hatred, conflict and tension in the country.

The merchants of hate, who had been escalating the racial and religious tensions in the country in the past several months with an incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities, hatred and conflict have delivered a very clear message that they would not cease and desist from their nefarious and treacherous designs to cause racial chaos and religious conflagration in the country.

This clear message was delivered in the interview with The Malaysian Insider (TMI) by two spokesmen of the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” which staged the Feb. 6 demonstration in Kuala Lumpur offering RM1,200 (now raised to RM2,000) for anyone who slap DAP National Vice Chairperson and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok for the “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” video and the “chicken-slaughtering and blood smearing” on images of DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Continue reading “What is IGP doing and where is the rule of law when merchants of hate could openly threaten “volcanic eruption” with the intensification of their campaign of hate?”

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They slaughtered, but I dissect Teresa’s video

Stephen Ng
Malaysiakini
18th Feb 2014

Public figures will be subject to public ridicule and satire, whether they like it or not, unless they choose to be out of the public domain like Malaysia’s fifth prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

We all know Bill Clinton was impeached, and was forced to step down as the president of America because of the sex scandal. Even Barack Obama is not spared from political satire.

Cartoonists have rightfully poked fun at the politicians for ridiculous things that were said, and unless you are Mao Zedong, you have to live with public cynicism for what you say in public even years after you have kicked the bucket. Continue reading “They slaughtered, but I dissect Teresa’s video”

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On the eve of the Teachers’ Spring?

Azly Rahman
Malaysiakini
Feb 14, 2014

“School-based assessment”, “Data-driven decision-making”, “Professional Learning Communities”, “Systems-based schooling”, “Authentic-based assessment”.

All these are nice words for Malaysian schools to have but alien to teachers driven to death by administrative work to even understand let alone enculturalise scientific thinking in teaching and learning and in managing student progress.

We have a society with scientific buzz-word and sloganism governing, but not yet a society whose members value scientific and rational thinking. That is why we have tribal practices in schools, of:

*Magic pills administered for students taking tests;

*Magic and miracle water drank to increase intelligence;

*Strange sounding pills sold to enhance brain power;

*Teachers punishing students to eat grass, asking them to go back to where they belong, and all kinds of methods used to punish children not skilled in memorising facts that will become obsolete.

Continue reading “On the eve of the Teachers’ Spring?”

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Onederfully wanton NGOs

Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Feb 17, 2014

Ironically, Teresa Kok’s ‘Onederful Malaysia’ film, has managed to ‘unite’ Malaysians, in a perverse way. The characters in her satirical video speak Chinese, and the clip has both Chinese and English subtitles. Incredibly, non-Chinese people, ranging from the mighty Mahathir Mohamad to nondescript Malay NGOs, have watched this video. Teresa has managed to engage Malaysians, in true ‘1Malaysia’ fashion.

Credit must be given to the Malay/Muslim NGOs. They have generated interest in Teresa’s video and exposed the hidden, serious messages, to a much larger audience than if they had not publicised the video.

The Malay/Muslim NGOs know that they are above censure and can expose whomsoever they wish. No mainstream media would dare expose the profligacy of a certain spouse of a prime minister of a South-East Asian nation. The last paper to publish her alleged extravagance had its fingers singed, when the paper’s printing permit was revoked.

Abdul Rani Kulup, the chairperson of the Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM) is the first person to publicly state that he thinks that Mrs Jit, in Teresa’s video, is Najib Abdul Razak’s spouse, the self-styled ‘First Lady’ Rosmah Mansor. It would be interesting to learn his basis for this assumption.

Abdul Rani is either very foolish or a very brave man. Perhaps, he has a personal grudge against Najib and is providing ammunition to the faction within Umno Baru which is trying to bring Najib down. Continue reading “Onederfully wanton NGOs”