Medical Graduates Unemployed!
(Now that Datuk Liow Tiong Lai has secured the second highest votes and elected as MCA Vice President, it is time that he returns quickly and diligently to his duties as Health Minister which he had considerably neglected of late.
As a result, Malaysians face many grave medical and health problems whether the dengue epidemic which has so have claimed at least 78 lives or the first major outbreak of chikungunya in the country, or the continued bumbling in the administration of the Health Ministry.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I remember when Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek was the Health Minister, he promised to end the long-standing hassle of new doctors having to wait for months on end to get their first posting after their graduation – which is criminal negligence when there is acute shortage of doctors in the public service.
Liow Tiong Lai has been sleeping on his job as seen from the following complaint emailed to me. Time for the Health Minister to wake up! I expect him to explain in Parliament this deplorable state of affairs)
I am a fresh medical graduate who is not satisfied with the way the MOH is working.
I have sent and went through all the necessary processes required to apply to work with the ministry. It was about 3 months ago and until now i have no reply from the ministry.
I tried calling the ministry and was told to refer to their Bahagian Latihan and i did as told and after countless time calling (with them refusing to pick up the phone); they finally took my call and the reply I got was that they themselves don’t know when the “kursus induksi” will start!!
I am now lost since I can do nothing for the past three months; just content to staying at home waiting for the letter everyday for the past three months from the ministry. Continue reading “Medical Graduates Unemployed!”
The RM2.3 billion Eurocopter fiasco – suspend Letter of Intent
The first thing Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did as Defence Minister was to announce on 26th September that the Defence Ministry has agreed to acquire new helicopters from European helicopter manufacturer, the Eurocopter, to replace the Nuri.
This RM2 billion deal lacks accountability and integrity.
Four helicopters had been “short-listed” by the Ministry of Defence to replace the fleet of Sikorsky S61-A4 Sea Kings better known as the Nuri.
The four are the Eurocopter Cougar EC725, Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.
However, Abdullah shocked everyone with his announcement as the “short-listing” had not been completed and the pricing of the EC725 is not competitive compared with the other helicopters.
The pricing offered by the “short-listed” helicopters are:
Eurocopter Cougar EC 725 – Euro 463.44 juta (RM2.317 billion);
Sikorsky – US$427.20 juta (RM1.45 billion)
Canadian Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. Model Kazan MI-172 buatan Russia
– US$312 juta (RM1.061 billion)
This means that there is a difference of RM1.256 billion between Eurocopter Cougar EC 725 with the lowest bidder, the Kazan MI-172 KF – in other words, with US$600 million the Royal Malaysian Air Force can buy 26 units of Kazan helicopters and not just 12 Cougar helicopters. Continue reading “The RM2.3 billion Eurocopter fiasco – suspend Letter of Intent”
“What’s Tunku doing in DAP?”
“Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim raised many eyebrows, not least from associates, when he joined DAP in August and was promptly named a vice-president of the party. The co-founder of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International has no intention of being a token Malay presence in the multi-racial but Chinese-dominated party. He has found a new platform in the DAP to advocate transparency, accountability, justice and equality.
“The Edge Financial Daily caught up with him recently where he spoke about the challenges facing the DAP, especially in reaching out to the Malay community, what ails the country, the spirit of the nation’s founding fathers and his plans in the party. While many would have rested on their laurels at age 74, Tunku Aziz, a former Bank Negara adviser and former group director of Sime Darby, has the enthusiasm of a young man, and is all geared up to help push the ideal of creating a better Malaysia. ”
Read The Edge Daily
Untimely gift of RM160,000 watch for Khir Toyo
The Sun September 12, 2008
Untimely gift of RM160,000 watch for Khir Toyo
by Terence Fernandez and R. Nadeswaran
PETALING JAYA (Sept 11, 2008) : What can you buy with RM160,000? An X-ray machine for one, or five low-cost homes, breakfast for 1,000 poor schoolchildren for two years and feed a hardcore poor family of 10 for almost 20 years!
However, a company owned by the Selangor government, Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB), deemed that it was better to spend the sum on a watch for its then chairman and mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.
On Jan 8, PNSB paid RM159,250 for a Patek Philippe watch as “cenderamata untuk pengerusi PNSB” (souvenir for the chairman of PNSB) – Mohamad Khir at that time.
It is understood that the watch in white gold was presented to the former MB before the March 8 general election.
But Mohamad Khir returned the watch. And it was not until two months later that a buyer was found. Continue reading “Untimely gift of RM160,000 watch for Khir Toyo”
2nd Abdullah premiership – is it to be even worse than 22-year Mahathir administraiton?
To many concerned Malaysians, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has shown his true colours yesterday – he is not that open, liberal and tolerant after all.
He laid down two edicts for his second administration:
• No open forums or dialogues on religious or racial issues as they can undermine peace and stability – no more discussion on matters of religion or race that had already been enshrined in the Federal Constitution; and
• No objection to the use of Internal Security Act and Sedition Act against those who organize such forums like the Bar Council – up to the Home Ministry to act against the Bar Council.
Is it any wonder that Malaysians react to such edicts with the premonition that the second Abdullah premiership could be even worse than the previous 22-year Mahathir administration? Continue reading “2nd Abdullah premiership – is it to be even worse than 22-year Mahathir administraiton?”
PAC Chairman Azmi should step down in MRR2 flyover cracks inquiry – conflict of interest
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid should stand down in the PAC inquiry into the new Middle Ring Road (MRR)2 flyover cracks as the decision-making on the repairs of the RM238 million MRR2 by the previous Cabinet in 2006, of which he was a member, should also be the subject of current PAC investigations as well.
Azmi had announced after the PAC meeting this morning that the PAC will visit the defective MRR2 flyover in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning, two weeks after clumps of concrete and carbon fibre panels fell from the highway pillar into the path of the oncoming cars below.
It is not only most invidious, improper but also a clear and flagrant conflict-of-interest for Azmi to now preside over an investigation into the two-year RM70 million repairs of the six-year RM238 MRR2, including an examination of the rationale and justification for the final Cabinet decision on its repairs when he was a member of that Cabinet – as the whole repair decision-making process at various stages of decision-making, including at the Cabinet level, raises many disturbing questions about their propriety and wisdom. Continue reading “PAC Chairman Azmi should step down in MRR2 flyover cracks inquiry – conflict of interest”
Call for RCI on MRR2 Scandal – Samy Vellu’s final folly with Malaysians again made the suckers
In May last year, I said that the old saying “once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is enemy action” could appropriately be modified to “once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is systemic government collapse” in reference to the spate of government mishaps under the Abdullah premiership.
I was referring to the spate of embarrassing defects in new government offices in a matter of weeks, viz:
• the landslide in Putrajaya (Precinct 9) only inches away from three 15-storey government apartments, damaging 25 cars and evacuating more than 1,500 people from Blocks A, B and C in Phase 11 of the government housing complex on March 22, 2007;
• the closure of the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya after water flooded the seven-floor building following a failure in plumbing, turning away and evacuating more than 1,000 people on April 11, 2007;
• the collapse of a ceiling due to a leaky sprinkler system at the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry in Putrajaya on April 28, 2007; and
• the ceiling collapse in a secretary’s room at the world’s largest court complex at the new Jalan Duta court complex in Kuala Lumpur on April 30, 2007.
This tag “once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is systemic government collapse” can again be invoked over the latest government scandal – the third closure with the reappearance of cracks on the Middle Ring Road (MRR) 2 in Kepong, less than two years after an atrociously exorbitant RM70 million repair of the RM238 million project. Continue reading “Call for RCI on MRR2 Scandal – Samy Vellu’s final folly with Malaysians again made the suckers”
At 84, the fire still burns!
By Ahmad Mustapha
Singapore’s Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore’s founding father, has always been very direct in his comments. This was the man who outsmarted the communists in Singapore (with the innocent help of Malaya then and the willing help of the British) and who later outwitted the British and outpaced Malaysia in all spheres.
Singapore practices corrupt-free meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative action. The former attracted all the best brains and the latter chased out all the brains. The Singapore cabinet consists of dedicated and intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia has one the most unwieldy cabinets. Not only that, brain wise it was below par not even good for the kampong.
With that kind of composition, one that is very brainy, naturally Singapore , with no natural resources could outstrip Malaysia in every aspect of development. Malaysia, on the other hand, was too much preoccupied with its Malayness and the illusory ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ and was also more interested in useless mega iconic development rather than real social and economic development. Continue reading “At 84, the fire still burns!”
Missing the point on the Terrenganu Merc purchases
Letters
by Vijay Kumar Murugavell
Much has been said regarding the purchase of 14 spanking new Mercedes E200’s for the use of Terengganu Exco.
MB Ahmad cited cheaper maintenance, DPM and PM declaring that they themselves use Protons, the press interviewing workshop mechanics, Proton Holdings defending their cars, ACA getting into the picture and many offered punditry and cost comparisons to entertain the rakyat with this dog and pony show.
Almost everyone is missing the point,the PM, ACA, The Terengganu exco and Proton Holdings.
The Treasury has sent out a circular which was blatantly ignored, this is the main issue.
Why are those who ignored this directive not taken to tas ? The policy is clear, so the PM should initiate disciplinary action. The next question would be how can the Treasury who is the one holding the purse strings not check whether policy was being followed.
If a system is open to abuse it should be revamped.
Why is the Treasury silent on this issue ? Makes me wonder what other directives are being ignored draining precious financial resources. Continue reading “Missing the point on the Terrenganu Merc purchases”
Proton/Mercedes fiasco – Big Ears’ Dilemma with Terengganu’s “one ear in, one ear out” defiance
“Defiant act – Exco men use Merc despite Cabinet order” – this is the screaming front-page headline in today’s Sunday Star on the latest twist in the Proton Perdana/Mercedes Kompressor fiasco, viz:
JOHOR BARU: At least four of Terengganu’s eight state executive council members are using newly purchased Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressor cars despite a Cabinet directive against doing so.
Several of them were seen travelling in the cars to official functions and meetings.
Those who were seen taking rides in the car said they were waiting for Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said to make an announcement at Wednesday’s state executive council meeting on when to give up the cars.
Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Za’abar Mohd Adib attended the Malaysian Flora Fest here yesterday in his gleaming new black Mercedes-Benz.
What is the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who prides in having “Big Ears”, going to do in the face of the “One ear in, one ear out” defiance of the Terengganu State Government?
Is he going to crack the whip to impose discipline or is he going to close his eyes and ears and pretend such defiance does not exist? Continue reading “Proton/Mercedes fiasco – Big Ears’ Dilemma with Terengganu’s “one ear in, one ear out” defiance”
PM has turned Terengganu Perdana/Mercedes controversy into pure fiasco
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has transformed the Terengganu Proton Perdana V6 Executive/Mercedes E200 Kompressor controversy into a pure fiasco.
What is the solution? The 14 RM245,000 Mercedes E200 Kompressors purchased by the Terengganu government for RM3.43 million are to be used only by VVIPs – “foreign dignitaries” for “major functions” – while the State Excos must continue to use the fleet of 16 RM130,000 Proton Perdana V6 Executives bought in 2004.
Reason? This is from Abdullah’s own words, explaining the Cabinet decision: “Since the cars have been bought and to sell them would only result in a loss, all of them must be used for state guests or dignitaries.
”This is the decision, nothing more, nothing less.”
Wouldn’t this ridiculous and laughable solution result in greater losses to the public coffers?
Who are the VVIPs or “foreign dignitaries for major functions” who would qualify to be chaperoned around the state in the 14 Mercedes E200 Kompressors? Continue reading “PM has turned Terengganu Perdana/Mercedes controversy into pure fiasco”
Altantuya Murder – Najib should go on leave from his DPM duties until cleared of allegations in Balasubramaniam SD
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should go on leave from his duties as Deputy Prime Minister until all questions implicating his credibility, especially arising from the statutory declaration by private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, are investigated and cleared.
Balasubramaniam’s statutory declaration dated 1st July and made public today in effect challenged the truth and veracity of various statements and denials by Najib in connection with the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in October 2006 – that Najib had not known or ever met Altantunya.
Najib, as well as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, cannot allow Balasubramaniam’s shocking statutory declaration to go unchallenged as it raises grave fundamental issues as to their fitness to hold high political offices in the land.
Balasubramaniam’s shocking statutory declaration has brought back to Malaysians the emotional scene at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court on 16th November 2006 when Razak was charged for abetting the murder of Altantuya, when his wife Mazlinda Makhzan lost her cool and shouted at journalists: “My husband is innocent. My husband is a good man. He supported me and protected me. Why are you writing all these stories about him. He is not out to become the Prime Minister. Why are they doing this to him?”
Mazlinda’s emotional outburst in November 2006 have now been resurrected to the very fore of public consciousness by Balasubramaniam’s statutory declaration, crying out for full clarification. Continue reading “Altantuya Murder – Najib should go on leave from his DPM duties until cleared of allegations in Balasubramaniam SD”
Rationalizing The Role of Government
by M. Bakri Musa
Prime Minister Abdullah and his civil servant accountants delude themselves into believing that the government could actually “save” RM2 billion merely by reducing ministerial allowances. The only way to effectively and substantially reduce the cost of government is to first rationalize its function.
As for any savings, Abdullah would achieve considerably more by getting rid of his luxurious Airbus corporate jet. If he were to do so, the jet would become a revenue producer instead of at present, a costly expense item. He would effectively move it from the liability to the asset column.
The British Prime Minister does not have a private jet, despite leading an economy and nation considerably larger. To think that this Imam of Islam Hadhari, only a generation away from the poverty of the kampong, having such an obscenely extravagant taste, at public expense!
In the wisdom of the kampong, Abdullah, his ministers and senior officials are tak sedar ekor (lit: not aware of their tails; fig: oblivious of their greed). Continue reading “Rationalizing The Role of Government”
Agony of foreign spouses for PR – the worst cases
Lets have the worst cases of the agony of foreign spouses of Malaysians to get PR (permanent residence) status, so that Parliament and the government can hear about them – with the Home Minister having to respond as well.
You can either write on this blog or email me.
A long-suffering foreign spouse has emailed her views and suggestions, which I am sharing here:
CURRENT SITUATION:
Visa rules
There are thousands of foreign spouses who are on Dependent or Employment visas renewable until last year on a yearly basis.
However since 2007, spouses are able to renew their visas for upto 5 years.
(Most often we cannot afford to pay the visa charges for 5 years at one time)
Spouses do not get Permanent Resident status even after spending more than 15 years in the country and we have Malaysian school going children. Continue reading “Agony of foreign spouses for PR – the worst cases”
Why not slash entertainment allowances of Cabinet Ministers by 50%?
The first of many questions that come to the mind of Malaysians on the RM2 billion cost-cutting package announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is:
If the government can increase oil prices from 41 to 63 per cent, why can’t it slash the entertainment allowances of cabinet ministers and deputy ministers by 50% and not just a paltry 10%?
The question becomes all the more poignant when it is disclosed that the current entertainment allowances are RM18,865 for the prime minister, RM15,015 for the deputy prime minister, RM12,320 for ministers and RM6,000 for deputy ministers.
What about all the other allowances, including tips allowances which run into hundreds of ringgit a day, which ministers and deputy ministers are entitled to? Continue reading “Why not slash entertainment allowances of Cabinet Ministers by 50%?”
PM should seek Parliament approval on June 23 for hefty oil price increases
Ipoh’s protest :
KL’s protest :
Some hundred people, including DAP MP for Ipoh Barat, M. Kulasegaran, Perak State Assembly Speaker Sivakumar, Perak DAP State Excos Su Keong Siong, A. Sivanesan and Chen Fook Chye and DAP Perak Assembly members Leong Mee Meng (Jalong), Lim Pek Har (Menglembu), Ong Boon Piow (Tebing Tinggi) and Siva Subramanian (Buntong), together with representatives from trade unions and NGOs, gathered outside the Perak Federal Building this morning to fire the first salvo of protest on behalf of Malaysians at the hefty and unconscionable increase of oil prices yesterday.
The half-hour protest went off smoothly, with Kula, Su, Sivanesan, Chen and myself speaking briefly on the protest.
In Kuala Lumpur, a similar protest, attended by five DAP Federal Territory MPs (Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, Fong Kui Lun, Tan Kok Wai, Teresa Kok, Lim Lip Eng), Manogaran (MP – Teluk Intan) and Selangor DAP State Assemblywoman Jenice Lee Ying Ha (Teratai), was held at the Pudu Market, Jalan Pasar.
Excerpts of my remarks at the Ipoh Protest this morning:
The sudden hefty oil price increases – 40.6 per cent and 63.3 per cent increase in pump petrol price and diesel price respectively – creating a seven-hour nation-wide chaos is an outrage as it is most unconscionable, unjustifiable and deplorable reflecting poorly on good governance in Malaysia especially after ministerial undertaking that there would be no changes until August.
The introduction of annual cash rebate of RM625 to those who own cars of 2,000 cc and below, and pick-up trucks and jeeps of 2,500 cc and below, and cash rebate of RM150 a year for owners of motor-cycles of 250 cc and below, as well as road tax discounts, will not be able to fully cushion the low and middle-income Malaysians from the inflationary spiral which would be unleashed by the greatest hike in oil prices in the nation’s history.
Equally of concern will be the deterioration of the public safety index, with the expected worsening of the crime situation which has already become an endemic problem causing Malaysians, tourists and investors to fear for their personal safety, their loved ones and the safety of property as well! Continue reading “PM should seek Parliament approval on June 23 for hefty oil price increases”
Ordeal of foreign spouses in Malaysia
Letters
by B.R.
It is almost unimaginable the daily trauma that is faced by them, some of them are born overseas but were unable to get registered at the Malaysian high commission or embassy within the stipulated time. They are faced with daily trauma, which includes inability to attend local schools, universities, long waits at immigration to get a visa, when in actual fact they are Malaysians.
I, for one, am a spouse of a Malaysian citizen and 15 years down the line, I am accorded worse treatment than an illegal for at least illegals, after a while, do get amnesty, not spouses. There are many of us here, for 12-20 years still on a dependent pass or on an employment pass and still waiting for years and even decades, not for citizenship but for a mere Permanent Resident status.
Foreign spouses find life in Malaysia really difficult because of inadequate measures for good governance. The laws, if any, are so grey that it varies in interpretation from immigration officer to officer.
Many of us even have to resort to merely doing volunteer service, though it is a necessity to be an income earner. Some of us lucky ones manage to get an employment pass on the spouse visa but not many employers are prepared to employ a foreign spouse due to the tedious paperwork. Only employers with a paid up capital of over RM200K can employ us. Many even exploit us and pay some measly sum as token salary. When we wish to change jobs, there is a cooling off period to cool our heels for six months. Life in Malaysia is near traumatic for us and here’s more.. Continue reading “Ordeal of foreign spouses in Malaysia”
Mahathir says it again – others are more guilty
The nub of Tun Dr. Mahathir’s response to the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Tape scandal – whose finding can be summed up as “He looks like Lingam, he sounds like Lingam, he is Lingam!” – is that the offensive is the best defence.
As shown by the following press report, Mahathir is not putting up any defence that he has done no wrong but the ominous rebuttal that others, including judges were even more guilty than him if what he had done was deemed to be wrong or criminal. And he appeared to be implicating the former judges on the Lingam Video Tape Royal Commission of Inquiry.
As Prime Minister for 22 years, it is both pathetic and tragic Mahathir failed to see that while it is commonplace to lobby for appointments to be Ministers and Deputy Ministers, it is just not acceptable for any lobbying to be done for judicial appointments or promotions.
This is why the Judicial Appointments Commission must be set up immediately, which must affect every new judicial appointment and promotion including that of the next new Chief Justice, with the highest judicial office falling vacant in five months’ time in October.
The Prime Minister’s decisions on the appointment and promotion of judges must be based on the recommendations of the Judicial Appointment Commission. Continue reading “Mahathir says it again – others are more guilty”
Et tu Zaid Ibrahim?
While the Cabinet decision to make public the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video clip is to be applauded, one jarring note is the police report lodged by the Prime Minister’s Department against several newspapers under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for publishing earlier the findings of the inquiry and its recommendations.
Et tu Zaid Ibrahim?
Before his reprieve from the political wilderness as a result of the March 8 “political tsunami” and surprise appointment to the Cabinet, Zaid had called for a purge of the culture of secrecy “once and for all”, proposing that “official secrets” should be defined and limited to matters of “real” national security such as inter-governmental communications, information from the police and military intelligence, issues affecting public order and Cabinet minutes – “that is, where harm to the nation is actual and probable, not according to the whim and fancy of the government”.
What actual and probable harm had been done to national security or public order by the New Straits Times, the Star, Berita Harian and Sin Chew Daily and others for the publication of the findings of the Lingam Video Tape Royal Commission of Inquiry before Friday’s Cabinet decision to make the report public, as to justify Zaid Ibrahim’s directive to the Prime Minister’s Department to lodge police report against the newspapers concerned.
The police report against the newspapers also runs counter to the renewed pledge by the Prime Minister after the March 8 “political tsunami” for a more open, accountable and transparent society including the promise to introduce Whistleblowers’ Protection legislation. Continue reading “Et tu Zaid Ibrahim?”