Live Anwar, RPK in London
Watch :http://anilnetto.com/europe/live-anwar-rpk-tunku-abdul-aziz-in-london/
courtesy of anilnetto.com
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Social Political Buzz & Bulls
Live Anwar, RPK in London
Watch :http://anilnetto.com/europe/live-anwar-rpk-tunku-abdul-aziz-in-london/
courtesy of anilnetto.com
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?
Election Shams
Letter By John Doe
A show election, also known as a sham election or rubber stamp election, is an election that is held purely for show, that is, without any significant political purpose. Show elections are a common event in dictatorial regimes that still feel the need to establish some element of public legitimacy.
Results predictably show nearly 100% voter turnout and nearly 100% support for the prescribed (often the only) list of candidates or for referendums that favor thepolitical party in power. Examples of such elections include elections in the Soviet Union, North Korea, and Baathist Iraq. A predetermined conclusion is always established by the regime, either through suppression of the opposition, coercion of voters, vote rigging, forged number of "votes received" (e.g., the State of Vietnam referendum, 1955), or some combination. In an extreme example Charles D. B. King of Liberia claimed he received 243,000 votes, which exceeded the number of eligible voters over 15 times.[1]
Ballots in a show election may contain only one "yes" option. In case of a simple "yes or no" question, people who pick "no" are often persecuted, thus making the "yes" choice the only option. For example. the elections in North Korea require a voter to publicly reject the official candidate. People are often coerced to vote. For example, people who voted in the election of the People's Parliaments in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in 1940 received stamps in their passport. Those who did not have the stamp were persecuted as the "enemy of the people".[2]
In some cases, show elections can backfire against the party in power, especially if the regime believe they are popular enough to win without coercion or fraud, e.g., in the Burmese general election, 1990 as well as the upcoming Nov 7th Elections.
Why does UMNO even bother having elections? With all these dead voters turning up, the 1.5million civil Servants (including the guranteed Postal Votes of the Military, RELA, Police, and other Govt-Linked Institutions), why not just declare Elections as "costing too much Public Money & Resources", and go ahead, and declare UMNO the next Ruling Regime for the next 99years. Burma did it since 1990, and Singapore just gave the above reason for not having any by-elections.
UMNO wants itself to look as if it is Championing the "malays", and yet the people who are raped the most (financially at least), are the very people they pretend to Champion. And then of course, there is the God factor. How can you argue against "God told me to tell you that....".
The easiest way to keep a Population under it's control, is to make sure that it is poor, and stupid. First, they would be too poor to bother arguing and fighting against the Govt. So, unless you have some "Thaksin who feeds the Red Shirts money to demonstrate at MBK", no "poor and stupid person" would ever have time, or the resources to go on a demo. The second, is the simple fact that the stupid are too dumb to even realize that there is a better-life-out-there. The only exception which I know of, would be the Indonesians.
They are fantastic at organizing "Demos". They have perfectly timed buses, which would transport the people in and out of Jakarta, with absolutely NO TRAFFIC JAMS, and all 10,000 or more people would arrive punctually, and orderly at the demo (at least at the start of it anyway). My question to them was this, "Wow, you are so professional at organization, and getting things done accurately & correctly and no one is late for a demonstration, but how come no one can do this on regular workday?"
Well, elections are coming again. PKR has an internal pissing-contest, and UMNO is going to win again. Why not just declare that "Elections are costly. Therefore no more elections until the year 3011" and be done with it?
In my best Manglish, "Oi ! UMNO ! No balls to announce this ah?"
Bersih 2.0 and 1Malaysians say ‘Nah!’
By Pahlawan Volunteers
The smart thing for all Malaysians to do now is to just lie low and vote BN out at the next elections…
BERSIH (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections) 2.0 is an entirely civil society movement pushing for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia. BERSIH 2.0 will be having its official launch soon, so watch this episode of PopTeeVee with Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0. to find out when!
Meantime, on Perkasa declares war against Namewee, it’s Time for 1Malaysians to say ‘Nah!’
“Pemerhati: The authorities at the New Era College probably reasoned that it was better to cancel the event for the sake of the safety of their students. This is because it has become increasingly obvious that Perkasa, like the cow-head protestors earlier, has the full backing and blessings of the top Umno leadership and the Polis DiUmno Malaysia.
The top Umno people love to have this type of racial tension going all the time as they can use it as an excuse to introduce all sort of draconian measures to continue to rule the country, if they suspect that they are likely to lose the next elections.
The smart thing for all Malaysians to do now is to just lie low and vote BN out at the next elections…“
Have you registered as a VOTER yet? If not, head to the nearest post office NOW.
Check if you are registered as a voter here.
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written by cpchen, October 02, 2010 14:01:13
Si mata sepet dan Si Kaki Botol, it's time to wake up.....................
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written by AzizKadir2u, October 02, 2010 13:44:04
yes, we all rakyat must stay and lie low. do not need to shout or demonstration. just quietly, and silently, register voter, make sure all rakyat do their part register and vote the right party. we make sure the BeeN are RIP rest in peace. we rakyat can, yes, we can. we rakyat say, enough is enough, we will do it, this round, we will vote for change, this is it, we will make things happen. we will do it. this isour last chance to save malaysia. we together with RPK , PKR, PR, and all the malaysian rakyat, we will do it , yes, we can. es we can, just do it.
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written by Catharsis, October 02, 2010 12:30:05
Instead of squabbling over positions and other non-issues the component parties of PR SHOULD BEGIN to OIL ITs ELECTION WAR MACHINERY NOW and not wait until the ELEVENTH HOUR....................IT IS SO TYPICAL........for the opposition to complain of lack of funds, lack of time, lack human resources, LACK OF JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING .................. to match the government of the day........................so stop complaining and begin preparation now- ......................YOU CAN.FORGET ABOUT YOUR ROAD TO PUTRAJAYA IF YOU ARE NOT PROACTIVE........................DON'T SHOW ME HOW BIG YOUR' b..........................S' ARE BUT SHOW ME how much YOUR grey matter is before I can give you my vote
The smart thing for all Malaysians to do now is to just lie low and vote BN out at the next elections…
BERSIH (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections) 2.0 is an entirely civil society movement pushing for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia. BERSIH 2.0 will be having its official launch soon, so watch this episode of PopTeeVee with Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0. to find out when!
Meantime, on Perkasa declares war against Namewee, it’s Time for 1Malaysians to say ‘Nah!’
“Pemerhati: The authorities at the New Era College probably reasoned that it was better to cancel the event for the sake of the safety of their students. This is because it has become increasingly obvious that Perkasa, like the cow-head protestors earlier, has the full backing and blessings of the top Umno leadership and the Polis DiUmno Malaysia.
The top Umno people love to have this type of racial tension going all the time as they can use it as an excuse to introduce all sort of draconian measures to continue to rule the country, if they suspect that they are likely to lose the next elections.
The smart thing for all Malaysians to do now is to just lie low and vote BN out at the next elections…“
Have you registered as a VOTER yet? If not, head to the nearest post office NOW.
Check if you are registered as a voter here.
Set as favorite
Comments (3)Add Comment
...
written by cpchen, October 02, 2010 14:01:13
Si mata sepet dan Si Kaki Botol, it's time to wake up.....................
* report abuse
* +9
* vote down
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...
written by AzizKadir2u, October 02, 2010 13:44:04
yes, we all rakyat must stay and lie low. do not need to shout or demonstration. just quietly, and silently, register voter, make sure all rakyat do their part register and vote the right party. we make sure the BeeN are RIP rest in peace. we rakyat can, yes, we can. we rakyat say, enough is enough, we will do it, this round, we will vote for change, this is it, we will make things happen. we will do it. this isour last chance to save malaysia. we together with RPK , PKR, PR, and all the malaysian rakyat, we will do it , yes, we can. es we can, just do it.
* report abuse
* +10
* vote down
* vote up
...
written by Catharsis, October 02, 2010 12:30:05
Instead of squabbling over positions and other non-issues the component parties of PR SHOULD BEGIN to OIL ITs ELECTION WAR MACHINERY NOW and not wait until the ELEVENTH HOUR....................IT IS SO TYPICAL........for the opposition to complain of lack of funds, lack of time, lack human resources, LACK OF JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING .................. to match the government of the day........................so stop complaining and begin preparation now- ......................YOU CAN.FORGET ABOUT YOUR ROAD TO PUTRAJAYA IF YOU ARE NOT PROACTIVE........................DON'T SHOW ME HOW BIG YOUR' b..........................S' ARE BUT SHOW ME how much YOUR grey matter is before I can give you my vote
Kinky Bike Lock
Submitted by: An2
Everybody’s getting a ride on this dirty bike. ~Not-So-Handy Andy
CUBA TEKA - MARI KITA TEKA
from Tukar Tiub
nota:
apa yang terfikir
oleh malaon malaon
ini bila terbaca berita...
kah kah kah..
nota:
berita hantu raya
kah kah kah
YOU TUDUH I JANDA - I FIRST LADY LAAA
CILAKA DAGING BELIT KEPALA SUSAH NAK BERFIKIR ... HABIS MASA DEPAN
YOU INGAT PROJEK TU DIA YANG FIKIR - ITU IDEA I LAA
apa yang terfikir
oleh malaon malaon
ini bila terbaca berita...
kah kah kah..
nota:
berita hantu raya
kah kah kah
YOU TUDUH I JANDA - I FIRST LADY LAAA
CILAKA DAGING BELIT KEPALA SUSAH NAK BERFIKIR ... HABIS MASA DEPAN
YOU INGAT PROJEK TU DIA YANG FIKIR - ITU IDEA I LAA
APA KAKI BODEK JJ FIKIR?
APA KJ FIKIR ?
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
ni
kah kah kah
berita:
madey masuk hospital
di melbourne australia
kah kah kah
Berita dari Forum Penyokong PAS: -
Rakyat Malaysia berdoa agar Che Det mamapus cepat cepat !
YB Gobalakrishnan : Is Zaid being marginalised in PKR?
Got this press statement from YB Gobalakrishnan’s office a little while back
PKR vice-president Dr Lee Boon Chye’s statement against fellow leader Datuk Zaid Ibrahim was played up by all the mainstream media today. The New Straits Times even used it as the main news today, all in an attempt to undermine our party and our efforts to Putrajaya. What was the reason for Lee to issue such a statement in the first place? Was he trying to portray himself as PKR’s champion with the statement or was he instructed by someone to continue the attacks on Zaid? This is not the first ‘anti-Zaid’ statement that has come from the party leaders. Even the party’s communications directors Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has opted to take sides in joining the attacks against Zaid Ibrahim, thus belittling his position which warrants that he remains neutral. And then we had the deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali joining the fray. After that vice-president R Sivarasa, Wanita Chief Zuraida Kamaruddin and party strategist Tian Chua have also continued with the attacks. Strangely all these leaders spoke to the media about this. Why is Lee now criticising Zaid for giving interviews to the media? It is quite clear that Zaid is being continuously marginalised in the party. The various incidents during PKR cabang elections around the country in the past two weeks will show that the ‘anti-Zaid’ sentiment is being put in place by someone high-up in the party. The question is who is responsible for this? Judging by the statements coming out from our very own leaders, including the Ketua Umum who warned of Trojan horses in the party, I can only conclude that these people are all in one group – the group which wants Azmin to defeat Zaid for the deputy’s post. Am I wrong in making this assumption? Based on what’s happening in the party, I don’t think so. I am starting to believe the stories about the Azmin cartel now. It will be a sad day for the party if we have to forget our aims and principles, all to ensure Azmin is given a free ride to the top post. I hope not to see that day. Let’s allow PKR to remain free and independent.
N Gobalakrishnan
PKR must not sweep this under the carpet
Ng Lum Yong, PKR member No. 00012, according to him, and unheard of to most of us until yesterday, revealed at a press conference in KL evidence of a possible conspiracy from within the ranks of PKR to topple Selangor MB Khalid. The basis for his contention : a CD containing what appears to be a phone conversation between two individuals, and which Ng says he received in the mail some 10 days ago. Ng also claims to be able to recognise the voice of one of the two individuals who feature on the CD. According to Ng, that individual is one Ramlan, involved in an initiative called Reformis, and known to Ng for a long time. Why did Ng choose to go public with this information? He claims that this is out of his love for the party. He wants the party to investigate this matter. He will send a copy of the CD to the party HQ so that it can investigate this matter. He says he was neither induced nor coerced by anyone to do what he did yesterday. What have we got here, then? An allegation of fact and a statement as to motive. The first, a serious allegation, is capable of verification if meticulously investigated. Ng mentioned Ramlan of Reformis.
Now you can assess Ng’s demeanour for yourself. Let us also now observe the demeanour of the PKR leadership as at grapples with this latest debacle.
Ramlan Abu Bakar who threatened to protest in the nude He says he knows this individual, who was involved in a threat to stalk the Selangor MB in the nude. Ng clearly could assist the party in an investigation of this allegation. As to Ng’s stated motive, what might suggest that his reasons for this revelation are other than altruistic? A thorough investigation of this allegation that establishes the same to be baseless? Perhaps, somewhat like Mahathir’s stated motive when he sacked Anwar on 2nd September, 1997. Allegation of fact : Anwar was unfit to ascend to the office of prime minister given his homosexual inclinations. Motive for the disclosure : in the interest of the nation. At the time, no one that I knew believed Mahathir’s stated motives. As for the allegation of fact, the farcical trial that proceeded left everyone convinced that these were trumped up charges to justify Anwar’s sacking. And thus floundered Mahathir’s stated motives. On the other hand, if an investigation finds the allegation well and truly made out, does not motive for the disclosure become secondary? One of the factors taken into consideration in the evaluation of the worth of the evidence of a witness at a trial is his or her demeanour, as observed by the trial judge. This is one of the reasons why appellate courts are slow to overturn the findings of fact of the trial judge that turn on the assessment of witnesses and their respective credibility. Appellate judges do not have the benefit of observing the demeanour of those witnesses. I was at the press conference yesterday. I was able to ask Ng questions and observe Ng’s demeanour sufficiently to make certain preliminary conclusions. Most of you were not there. Below are two video clips. The first is of Ng’s opening statement before he played the CD for all those present to hear. The second contains his continued press statement after the CD had been played.
Now you can assess Ng’s demeanour for yourself. Let us also now observe the demeanour of the PKR leadership as at grapples with this latest debacle.
PKR, DAP, Enough Is Enough, Fight All You Want & Let The Third Force Arises!
by
Political parties are trying to reach out to the fence sitters but PR is driving supporters to become fence sitters, how irony. I am almost up to my neck to become a graduated fence sitter even though I am a card carrying life member of DAP.
Pakatan Rakyat has yet to get into their heads that the 308 tsunami is not the love for PR but more towards hating the corrupt, arrogant and racist umno/bn.
Arrogant and power crazy had started to creep into PKR and DAP, thinking that they are sure to have the people support in the coming 13th GE to capture Putra Jaya. They are fighting for top positions assuming that they will have a place in the government once they capture Putra Jaya, this is what I called building castle in the air.
We can see so much infighting, arrogant and disgraceful happenings in PKR party election and yet their leaders are not doing anything at all, instead championing it as a "true democracy". There are several hot spots brewing in DAP but at least their leaders are trying to do something about it but why the needs for all these nonsense to occur in the first place.
Most of PR elected reps are still young and have many more years in their political life, why the hurry to fight for powerful positions? Work out some kind of solution to allow those young capable politicians to rotate and share power equally during their political life.
I had a conversation with Haris Ibrahim of People's Parliament regarding the third force. At that time I was not really keen nor interested about the whole thing but with what is happening to PR especially PKR and DAP, I am about to look and study more on the third force.
Can PR or DAP blame me for that? If you do, I will show you all my middle finger because it is you all that drove me to make such a decision.
Even with what I had said above, my position is still the same, we must rid of the corrupt, arrogant and racist umno/bn in the coming 13th GE. PR, please do not misread me here that my strong support is still with you. If you all continue the infighting, power crazy and display your arrogant, I will go for the third force or just spoiled my vote.
You wanted the peoples support, make sure that you are sincere in working for the people and not for your self benefits. Be a gentleman, be the first to give way to your fellow members if things are getting hot. Let them take the lead if they think that they are that good to be a leader. The results of their performances, good or bad can be seen by all.
Lastly, can you give me one good reason why I should continue to fight for change alongside Pakatan Rakyat after seeing all the nonsense happening inside PR and that my effort will go to waste.
Do not tell me that it is the parties internal problems, because whatever PR does internally, it will reflect on the public opinion as well.
Serdang MP Teo gives statement to cops over surau incident
Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching has given her statement to the police who had called her in because of the recent ruckus kicked up by Umno leaders over her entering a surau or Muslim prayer hall in Kajang some two months ago.
Teo agreed to give her statement after the police informed her that they wanted to know what had actually happened and not because they wanted to prosecute her. She had initially been reluctant to do so because of the high-handed manner in the police had approached her.
"I believe I have not committed any offence and I asked the police to investigate the matter and resolve it quickly," she told reporters outside the police station.
Nie Ching was accompanied by Selangor DAP chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo. They arrived at the station at 10.45am and left at 12.30pm.
Creating hatred
Over the past few months, there has been a concerted attack by Umno against DAP leaders, where situations have deliberately been blown up in a bid to create suspicion and hatred amongst the Malay community for the non-Malays.
Nevertheless, the Umno media led by Utusan painted her visit to hand over a cheque on behalf of the Selangor government as an attempt to trample on Muslim rights.
The Umno-controlled Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (MAIS) also suspended the surau committee and issued Nie Ching a warning letter.
After her interview with the police, Nie Ching recounted on Twitter that she had been quizzed by Investigating Officer Badrul. Some of the question that she was asked included:
"Did YB understand that such an action (her entering the surau) would not create a harmonious situation? Did YB feel that YB had caused the Muslim community unhappiness?"
The Investigating Officer also told her "Some people lodge a police complaint, so we must investigate."
In response, the quick-witted Nie Ching asked: "If I lodged a police report against someone for entering a museum, would the police also investigate and then close the fail."
Latest Penang Umno ruse: Even senior citizens RM100 unspared
For those who are up to their ears with the incessant Umno attacks against the Pakatan Rakyat Penang government, you still have to read this sob-sob report. Rumour has it that certain leaders - allegedly encouraged by Umno - exchanged RM200 for RM100. The purpose for their sacrifice - so that senior citizens 'unhappy' with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's special ang-pow would 'volunteer' to give back their warga mas allowance because it is derived from 'haram or tainted gambling sources' .
GEORGE TOWN (Malaysian Insider) - Fifty senior citizens from Bayan Baru returned today the RM100 compassionate payment they received from the state government following claims by Umno that the money is from gambling revenue.
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| Tak Nak! |
Bayan Baru MP Datuk Zahrain Hashim’s special assistant Ismail Abdul Ali was also among those who returned the money today. He was there to return the RM1,000 burial benefit given to him by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government after his mother died in July.
Ismail said he was thankful to Umno for highlighting that the money came from gambling sources.
“I don’t need this money. I urge Abdul Malik not to play up this issue although I am the special assistant to MP Zahrain,” said Ismail referring to state executive councillor Abdul Malik Kassim who had claimed the money was not from gambling revenue.
Senior citizen Habsah Saib, 81, said she made up her mind to return the money when she found out that the funds for Penang’s Senior Citizen Appreciation Programme came from gambling sources.
“I can pay the money now when I am alive, but I will not be able to do so when I am dead. I don’t want this money,” she sobbed.
“I have been with Umno for 53 years, never once I have heard them doing something like this,” she said.
Abdul Rahim said the senior citizens were disturbed when they found out that the RM100 payout came from gambling sources.
“These senior citizens received the money with happy hearts but after knowing that the money came from gambling sources, they are worried and decided to return it,” he told reporters after receiving the money from the senior citizens.
“They can be Malays, Indians or Chinese… nobody wants gambling money,” he said, adding it was time that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng stopped “spinning lies”.
“It doesn’t matter whether or not they separated the funds into two different accounts. All races are against receiving funds from gambling sources,” he said.
Abdul Rahim said division leaders would consult with state Umno leadership before deciding on their next course of action.
“We might give it out as donation or to the temples, but whatever it is, this money cannot go to Muslims, we have to give to the kafirs,” he said.
Umno Taman Brown chief Datuk Hamid Araby Md Salih, who was also present, said Muslims in the state would have never accepted the compassionate payments if they had know the funds for this programme were from gambling sources.
“It is odd and usual for any state government to use funds from gambling sources to help its people. I have never seen this in my 45 years with Umno,” Hamid said.
“Religious committee member Malik is useless and should resign … he’s cheated the people, but don’t cheat the God,” he said.
“I challenge the state government to stop this activity immediately,” he added.
Read more at http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/50-bayan-baru-senior-citizens-return-rm100-compassionate-payment/
Related Story:
Guan Eng slams "deviant BN" for false Turf Club accusations ...
Malaysia Semakin Ketirisan Tenaga Mahir Kepada Negara Lain
NOTA EDITOR: Artikel di bawah amat merisaukan. Nampaknya, tenaga-tenaga mahir Malaysia tidak berminat untuk bekerja di Malaysia. Ini akan menyukarkan Malaysia untuk menaikkan taraf ekonomi kepada ekonomi pendapatan tinggi (high income economy).
Ramai orang Melayu masih tidak faham. Sekiranya dalam beberapa tahun ini Malaysia gagal menjadi "High Income Economy", maka ekonomi Malaysia akan turun ke taraf Filipina ataupun Myanmar.
Malaysia kelak terpaksa bersaing dengan Timor Leste dalam tangga pencapaian ekonomi Asia Tenggara.
Tak risau ke nasib anak cucu kita?
Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysias Growth
SPECIAL REPORTS
Saturday, 02 October 2010 Super Admin .
I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown, said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.
By LIZ GOOCH, The New York Times
Rachel Liew, center, interviews prospective freshmen at a meeting held by the Astronomy Club at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where she serves as a committee member.
With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.
Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapores clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.
As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually ! get marr ied to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown, said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.
That is exactly the kind of sentiment Malaysias policy makers are desperate to change.
Many Asian nations have long been concerned about the outflow of human capital to more developed countries, but here in Malaysia, the need to address the problem has assumed a new urgency in the final decade for reaching its long-established goal of becoming a developed country by 2020.
Companies have long complained about a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia, and economists say it is severely affecting the countrys ability to attract more high-technology industries. The government is acutely aware of the shortage in skills and the potential hurdle it poses to the countrys 2020 goal.
We dont get it right, we are in serious trouble, the human resources minister, S. Subramaniam, said during an interview.
Studying and working overseas have long been considered attractive options for those Malaysians who can afford to make the move. About half of those living abroad can be found in neighboring Singapore. Australia, Britain and the United States are also popular.
Robert K. Chelliah, who runs an Australian immigration agency in Perth, with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said by phone that the number of Malaysians contacting his company with inquiries about moving to Australia had soared 80 percent since 2008.
In the last two to three years, the motivation to acquire Australian permanent residency has sharply increased across all age sectors as well as across racial backgrounds, he said.
Like Ms Liew, most of the seven people interviewed for this article said that better education, wages and career opportunities could be found abroad, while parents wanted to ensure that their children received an internationally recognized education in English.
Many interviewees, when ! asked ab out their concerns about returning to Malaysia, cited racial tensions and the countrys affirmative action policy, which gives special privileges to ethnic Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The government has recognized the need to change the policy, which was introduced in the 1970s to improve the economic standing of Malays, who were more highly represented among the nations poor than its Chinese and Indian minorities.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has repeatedly emphasized that affirmative action would be made market-friendly, merit-based, transparent and needs-based under the countrys latest plan, the New Economic Model, which is designed to steer Malaysia toward its development goals. Ethnic Malays, or bumiputras, still benefit from privileges like discounted housing, and some government contracts are available only to companies they control.
A Malaysian Chinese businessman, who left Malaysia for Canada as a university student in the 1970s and stayed there, said that because of the policy, only a handful of his Malaysian Chinese classmates who also studied abroad had returned to Malaysia. Several other Malay and non-Malay interviewees also described the system as unfair.
Danny Quah, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says that the brain drain has had a huge effect on the countrys economic and industrial development.
People have left, growth prospects have dimmed, and then more people continue to leave, said Mr. Quah, who is also a member of the Malaysian National Economic Advisory Council. Its a vicious cycle that the economy has had to confront for the last decade or longer.
Malaysias growth rate dropped to an average of 5.5 percent a year from 2000 to 2008, from an average of about 9 percent a year from 1991 to 1997.
Private investment, meanwhile, has fallen to about 10 percent of gross domestic product in 2008 from more than a third of G.D.P. in 1997, and the World Bank has warned that a lack of h! uman cap ital is a critical constraint in Malaysias ambition to become a high-income economy.
Stewart Forbes, executive director of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said foreign companies faced difficulties finding skilled workers in fields like electronics, the petrochemical industries and engineering. Some companies complain of poor communication and English skills.
I dont think its yet reached the stage where companies are saying, I cannot do my business here, Mr. Forbes said. I think its true to say, however, that theres lost investment opportunities here because of the labor situation.
Mr. Forbes contrasted the skill shortage in Malaysia, where 80 percent of the work force has only a high school education, with a country like Taiwan, which emphasizes the number of holders of graduate degrees available to investors.
Previous government attempts to lure back Malaysian expatriates, namely the Brain Gain Malaysia and Returning Expert programs, have had little success. Despite financial incentives like importing cars tax-free and efforts to ease access to permanent residency for foreign spouses, they have attracted fewer than 3,000 applicants.
The government now plans to enhance and consolidate those programs under a new agency, to be known as the Talent Corp. Its financing will be announced as part of the countrys 2011 budget on Oct 15. It will recommend ways the country's education and training systems can be overhauled to produce graduates who better fulfill industry needs, especially in sectors like information technology and financial services.
Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysias deputy prime minister and education minister, is leading a major review of the education system. There will definitely be a major overhaul of the system, he said in an interview, adding that the system needed to foster creativity and innovation.
Enhancing the skills of the existing work force, encouraging universities to work more closely with industry and increas! ing the number of students enrolled in vocational training are also priorities.
Mr. Muhyiddin said that Malaysia needed to record annual economic growth of 6 percent for the next 10 years to achieve its 2020 goal and that a work force with the right skills was a precondition for such growth.
Still, enticing Malaysian expatriates home, when salaries there remain lower than abroad, presents a major challenge.
In Malaysia, the average income per capita is currently about $7,000, a figure the government wants to increase to $15,000 by 2020. In Singapore, by contrast, the figure hovers around $37,000, World Bank data show.
Mr. Subramaniam, the human resources minister, says that he expects salaries to rise as more high-technology industries develop and that, in the meantime, improvements in other factors, like work opportunities, may help lure Malaysians home.
If we give them a good working environment, an area where they can grow, and its stimulating and satisfying, they might be willing to take a slight cut in their salary, he said.
Still, some economists remain skeptical about the governments initiatives to reverse the diaspora.
Terence Gomez, a professor on the economics faculty of the University of Malaya, said that changing the affirmative action policy remained a highly contentious issue, with the government under pressure from right-leaning groups and members of its own party, the United Malays National Organization, to maintain it.
But he said it was vital that Malaysia become more of a meritocracy if it is to succeed in drawing back the diaspora. For instance, non-Malays need to be assured that they can be appointed to senior civil service positions, and the private sector must be based on transparency and fairness, rather than race, he said.
Otherwise, professionals wont come back and work in the public sector, and investors wont come back and invest in the private sector, he added.
Mr. Quah of the London School said that it was not affi! rmative action alone that had driven the brain drain and that higher wages and economic growth, and good schooling opportunities, were vital to enticing expatriates home.
This is an economically astute middle class, and they will see whether its in their interests to return or not, he said.
Chen May Yee, 39, a Malaysian Chinese journalist who lives in Minneapolis with her American husband and two children, is yet to be convinced that Malaysia can offer the work opportunities and lifestyle she wants for her family. She said she had taken a pay cut each time she had previously moved back to Malaysia after stints in the United States or Singapore sometimes as much as 50 percent.
Id love to move back for family and friends, but I just dont see how to make it work economically, she said.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Ramai orang Melayu masih tidak faham. Sekiranya dalam beberapa tahun ini Malaysia gagal menjadi "High Income Economy", maka ekonomi Malaysia akan turun ke taraf Filipina ataupun Myanmar.
Malaysia kelak terpaksa bersaing dengan Timor Leste dalam tangga pencapaian ekonomi Asia Tenggara.
Tak risau ke nasib anak cucu kita?
Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysias Growth
SPECIAL REPORTS
Saturday, 02 October 2010 Super Admin .
I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown, said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.
By LIZ GOOCH, The New York Times
Rachel Liew, center, interviews prospective freshmen at a meeting held by the Astronomy Club at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where she serves as a committee member.
With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.
Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapores clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.
As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually ! get marr ied to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown, said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.
That is exactly the kind of sentiment Malaysias policy makers are desperate to change.
Many Asian nations have long been concerned about the outflow of human capital to more developed countries, but here in Malaysia, the need to address the problem has assumed a new urgency in the final decade for reaching its long-established goal of becoming a developed country by 2020.
Companies have long complained about a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia, and economists say it is severely affecting the countrys ability to attract more high-technology industries. The government is acutely aware of the shortage in skills and the potential hurdle it poses to the countrys 2020 goal.
We dont get it right, we are in serious trouble, the human resources minister, S. Subramaniam, said during an interview.
Studying and working overseas have long been considered attractive options for those Malaysians who can afford to make the move. About half of those living abroad can be found in neighboring Singapore. Australia, Britain and the United States are also popular.
Robert K. Chelliah, who runs an Australian immigration agency in Perth, with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said by phone that the number of Malaysians contacting his company with inquiries about moving to Australia had soared 80 percent since 2008.
In the last two to three years, the motivation to acquire Australian permanent residency has sharply increased across all age sectors as well as across racial backgrounds, he said.
Like Ms Liew, most of the seven people interviewed for this article said that better education, wages and career opportunities could be found abroad, while parents wanted to ensure that their children received an internationally recognized education in English.
Many interviewees, when ! asked ab out their concerns about returning to Malaysia, cited racial tensions and the countrys affirmative action policy, which gives special privileges to ethnic Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The government has recognized the need to change the policy, which was introduced in the 1970s to improve the economic standing of Malays, who were more highly represented among the nations poor than its Chinese and Indian minorities.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has repeatedly emphasized that affirmative action would be made market-friendly, merit-based, transparent and needs-based under the countrys latest plan, the New Economic Model, which is designed to steer Malaysia toward its development goals. Ethnic Malays, or bumiputras, still benefit from privileges like discounted housing, and some government contracts are available only to companies they control.
A Malaysian Chinese businessman, who left Malaysia for Canada as a university student in the 1970s and stayed there, said that because of the policy, only a handful of his Malaysian Chinese classmates who also studied abroad had returned to Malaysia. Several other Malay and non-Malay interviewees also described the system as unfair.
Danny Quah, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says that the brain drain has had a huge effect on the countrys economic and industrial development.
People have left, growth prospects have dimmed, and then more people continue to leave, said Mr. Quah, who is also a member of the Malaysian National Economic Advisory Council. Its a vicious cycle that the economy has had to confront for the last decade or longer.
Malaysias growth rate dropped to an average of 5.5 percent a year from 2000 to 2008, from an average of about 9 percent a year from 1991 to 1997.
Private investment, meanwhile, has fallen to about 10 percent of gross domestic product in 2008 from more than a third of G.D.P. in 1997, and the World Bank has warned that a lack of h! uman cap ital is a critical constraint in Malaysias ambition to become a high-income economy.
Stewart Forbes, executive director of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said foreign companies faced difficulties finding skilled workers in fields like electronics, the petrochemical industries and engineering. Some companies complain of poor communication and English skills.
I dont think its yet reached the stage where companies are saying, I cannot do my business here, Mr. Forbes said. I think its true to say, however, that theres lost investment opportunities here because of the labor situation.
Mr. Forbes contrasted the skill shortage in Malaysia, where 80 percent of the work force has only a high school education, with a country like Taiwan, which emphasizes the number of holders of graduate degrees available to investors.
Previous government attempts to lure back Malaysian expatriates, namely the Brain Gain Malaysia and Returning Expert programs, have had little success. Despite financial incentives like importing cars tax-free and efforts to ease access to permanent residency for foreign spouses, they have attracted fewer than 3,000 applicants.
The government now plans to enhance and consolidate those programs under a new agency, to be known as the Talent Corp. Its financing will be announced as part of the countrys 2011 budget on Oct 15. It will recommend ways the country's education and training systems can be overhauled to produce graduates who better fulfill industry needs, especially in sectors like information technology and financial services.
Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysias deputy prime minister and education minister, is leading a major review of the education system. There will definitely be a major overhaul of the system, he said in an interview, adding that the system needed to foster creativity and innovation.
Enhancing the skills of the existing work force, encouraging universities to work more closely with industry and increas! ing the number of students enrolled in vocational training are also priorities.
Mr. Muhyiddin said that Malaysia needed to record annual economic growth of 6 percent for the next 10 years to achieve its 2020 goal and that a work force with the right skills was a precondition for such growth.
Still, enticing Malaysian expatriates home, when salaries there remain lower than abroad, presents a major challenge.
In Malaysia, the average income per capita is currently about $7,000, a figure the government wants to increase to $15,000 by 2020. In Singapore, by contrast, the figure hovers around $37,000, World Bank data show.
Mr. Subramaniam, the human resources minister, says that he expects salaries to rise as more high-technology industries develop and that, in the meantime, improvements in other factors, like work opportunities, may help lure Malaysians home.
If we give them a good working environment, an area where they can grow, and its stimulating and satisfying, they might be willing to take a slight cut in their salary, he said.
Still, some economists remain skeptical about the governments initiatives to reverse the diaspora.
Terence Gomez, a professor on the economics faculty of the University of Malaya, said that changing the affirmative action policy remained a highly contentious issue, with the government under pressure from right-leaning groups and members of its own party, the United Malays National Organization, to maintain it.
But he said it was vital that Malaysia become more of a meritocracy if it is to succeed in drawing back the diaspora. For instance, non-Malays need to be assured that they can be appointed to senior civil service positions, and the private sector must be based on transparency and fairness, rather than race, he said.
Otherwise, professionals wont come back and work in the public sector, and investors wont come back and invest in the private sector, he added.
Mr. Quah of the London School said that it was not affi! rmative action alone that had driven the brain drain and that higher wages and economic growth, and good schooling opportunities, were vital to enticing expatriates home.
This is an economically astute middle class, and they will see whether its in their interests to return or not, he said.
Chen May Yee, 39, a Malaysian Chinese journalist who lives in Minneapolis with her American husband and two children, is yet to be convinced that Malaysia can offer the work opportunities and lifestyle she wants for her family. She said she had taken a pay cut each time she had previously moved back to Malaysia after stints in the United States or Singapore sometimes as much as 50 percent.
Id love to move back for family and friends, but I just dont see how to make it work economically, she said.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
October 2, 2010: Singapore Prime Ministers Beloved Mother Passes on
October 2, 2010
Singapore Prime Ministers Beloved Mother Passes on
Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, the wife of Singapores founding father, died today at 5.40 pm at age 89, the Straits Times reported.The newspaper quoted a statement from the Singapore Prime Ministers Office.
According to the Straits Times, the wake will be held at Sri Temasek, official residence of the Prime Minister on Monday and Tuesday. Visitors can pay their last respects from 10am to 5pm on Monday and Tuesday.
A private funeral will take place on Wednesday at Mandai Crematorium, said the PMO.In May and June 2008, Mrs Lee suffered a series of stroke and was bedridden and unable to speak until her recent demise.
Born Kwa Geok Choo in 1921, Mrs Lee is the wife of Singapores Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and mother of the city-states current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong.
A Queens Scholar at Cambridge University in the 1940s, she was also was one of the partners in law firm, Lee & Lee.
Lee Kuan Yew, 87, the architect of modern Singapore, has been in hospital since Wednesday for a chest infection. In an unusually frank interview last month, Lee said his wifes illness was one of the hardest things for him 
to face. What to do? What else can I do? he told the New York Times. I cant break down. Life has got to go on. I try to busy myself, but from time to time in idle moments, my mind goes back to the happy days we were up and about together.
She understands when I talk to her, which I do every night, he added. She keeps awake for me; I tell her about my days work, read her favourite poems.
I told her, I would try and keep you company for as long as I can. Thats life. She understood. But he also sa! id: Im n ot sure whos going first, whether she or me.
I wanted someone my equal, not someone who was not really grown up and needed looking after. And I was not likely to find another girl who was my equal and shared my interests, Lee wrote in the first volume of his memoirs, The Singapore Story.
The couples younger son, Lee Hsien Yang, ran Singapore Telecommunications, the countrys biggest company, for 12 years before becoming chairman of property and beverages conglomerate Fraser & Neave.
Their daughter, Lee Wei Ling, is a director at the countrys National Neuroscience Institute. Reuters
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Tengku Razaleigh Nafi Terima Perlantikan Pengarah PRK Galas BN
Ketika pimpinan Umno Barisan Nasional (BN) beriya-iya mencanang persetujuan Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah sebagai Pengarah Pilihan Raya Umno-BN Bagi Pilihan Raya Kecil Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Galas, Ahli Parlimen Gua Musang itu menafikannya.
Malah, sehari selepas Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengumumkan persetujuan Tengku Razaleigh menyandang jawatan itu, Timbalan Presiden Umno turut mencadangkan beliau sebagai calon DUN Galas.
"Rakan, rakan, saya tidak berkata ya ataupun tidak. Saya akan menjelaskan berhubung Galas apabila saya pulang ke Malaysia, katanya pada jam 6.35 waktu tempatan.
Kenyataan ringkas itu adalah reaksi sulung Tengku Razaleigh yang kini berada di luar negara kerana melawat Queen's University di Belfast, Ireland, terhadap pelantikan kontroversi itu.
Rentetan paparan twitter itu, bekas Presiden Semangat 46 yang dijadual pulang 9 Oktober ini, mendapat reaksi pengikut twitter yang bertanya: "Harap maaf Tengku, tetapi kenapa TPM asyik berkata bahawa anda telah persetujui? Bukan sekali tetapi hampir setiap hari.
Tanpa memberi sebarang kata putus, Teng Razaleigh hanya berkata: "Itu, kita kena tanya beliau. Saya setakat ini belum membuat sebarang kenyataan.
Sumber - .: TVSelangor.com :.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Malah, sehari selepas Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengumumkan persetujuan Tengku Razaleigh menyandang jawatan itu, Timbalan Presiden Umno turut mencadangkan beliau sebagai calon DUN Galas.
"Rakan, rakan, saya tidak berkata ya ataupun tidak. Saya akan menjelaskan berhubung Galas apabila saya pulang ke Malaysia, katanya pada jam 6.35 waktu tempatan.
Kenyataan ringkas itu adalah reaksi sulung Tengku Razaleigh yang kini berada di luar negara kerana melawat Queen's University di Belfast, Ireland, terhadap pelantikan kontroversi itu.
Rentetan paparan twitter itu, bekas Presiden Semangat 46 yang dijadual pulang 9 Oktober ini, mendapat reaksi pengikut twitter yang bertanya: "Harap maaf Tengku, tetapi kenapa TPM asyik berkata bahawa anda telah persetujui? Bukan sekali tetapi hampir setiap hari.
Tanpa memberi sebarang kata putus, Teng Razaleigh hanya berkata: "Itu, kita kena tanya beliau. Saya setakat ini belum membuat sebarang kenyataan.
Sumber - .: TVSelangor.com :.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Emphasise moderation to sustain peace and harmony: Koh
KUALA LUMPUR, Saturday 2 October 2010 (Bernama) -- Malaysians need to continue to emphasise moderation in order to sustain peace and harmony in the country, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
He said everyone must fully support the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for moderation in society and also in the global community to promote peace and harmony.
"Moderation is definitely the key word and indeed we should be proud to be moderate," he told reporters at the "International Day of Non-Violence" event organised by the Gerakan here today.
In his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Najib had urged all nations to "choose moderation over extremism" in an effort to promote international peace and harmony.
Asked about Penang Gerakan's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Oct 10, Dr Koh who is also the Gerakan president declined to comment.
Some Penang Gerakan members have called the EGM to seek the ouster of Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nam.- My SinChew
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?
Muhyiddin insists NEM protects Malay agenda
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 The Najib administrations New Economic Model (NEM) will continue to protect the Malay agenda and Bumiputera affirmative action polices, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
The deputy prime minister also stressed each of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) protects Malay participation in the economy.
Many Bumiputera entrepreneurs have asked where is the Malay agenda in the New Economic Model. I assure the Bumiputera business leaders that NEM is committed to the involvement of the community in the countrys economic sectors.
We do not need to explain each of the NKEAs to see that the NEM protects Malay and Bumiputera participation In the country's economy, Muhyiddin (picture) told reporters after attending an event by the Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The chamber earlier announced that it was launching a Malay lab to study the socio-economic status of the community.
To support the government because Idris Jala has conducted so many labs, the chamber will launch a Malay lab. We have decided to establish a Malay socio-economic lab which will be in line with the governments Malay agenda, said its president Syed Ali Alattas.
Pemandus CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala recently launched National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) Lab Open day for the public
The deputy prime minister said the lab was in line with governments policy.
I support 100 per cent the efforts by the chamber to establish a Malay lab because it is in line with the government leadership to ensure the Bumiputera affirmative action policies remains in the New Economic Model.
This will help the government in its efforts to have greater involvement of Malays and Bumiputera in all aspect of the economy, he added.
Pemandu has identified 12 NKEAs which include oil and gas, palm oil and related products, financial services, ! wholesal e and retail, tourism, information and communications technology (ICT), education, electrical and electronics, business services, private healthcare, agriculture and Greater Kuala Lumpur revitalisation.
The government will be using recommendations from the NKEA labs to formulate initiatives to transform the nation into a high-income economy though its Economic Transformation Program (ETP).
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Foundation charts path to help Penans before Sarawak Poll, Why?
By Malaysian Miror
Yayasan Sejahtera, a foundation which seeks to alleviate hardcore poverty in the country, is to implement a plan to uplift the life of the Penan people in Sarawak.
Its chairman, Shahrir Abdul Samad, said the plan, which would focus on the Lusong Laku and Pulau Beruit areas, would be launched on Wednesday by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.
The comprehensive community development plan would encompass support for sustainable livelihood, basic food needs, building and rehabilitating of homes and, at the same time, provide basic community services, he said in a statement.
He said these initiatives were part of the efforts of the members of parliament in Sarawak to see development come to the interior areas of the state which were not readily accessible.
Our programmes are decided through consultative bottom-up planning and local participation, said Shahrir, who had just completed fact-finding visits to Lusong Laku as well as Kampung Song Song in Kota Belud, Sabah.
He said the foundation planned to repair 20 longhouses in Lusong Laku and carry out a food pantry programme for 200 households in early December.
It was also looking at the possibility of a micro hydro source of electrical power generation, as well as padi farming and cultivation of other crops as a source of income, he said, according toBernama.
Yayasan Sejahtera, created under the auspices of the Putrajaya Committee on GLC (government-linked company) High Performance, seeks to alleviate hardcore poverty by helping vulnerable communities create better lives for themselves by providing access to the necessary tools, skills and infrastructure.
It is also linked to the six National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak towards raising the living standar! d of low -income people, as well as upgrading infrastructure in the rural and interior regions.
Shahrir said that as part of the foundations effort to raise funds for its various projects, it welcomed donations from the public through the www.sejahtera.my or Maybank2u platform under Tabung Maybank Sejahtera.
Filed under: corruption, Dams, penan, Politics Tagged: Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia, indigenous people, penan, penan women, Sarawak politics, Save Sarawak, Taib Mahmud
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?
50 Bayan Baru senior citizens return RM100 compassionate payment
Abdul Rahim (right) said the senior citizens were disturbed to find out that the RM100 payout came from gambling sourcesGEORGE TOWN, Oct 2 Fifty senior citizens from Bayan Baru returned today the RM100 compassionate payment they received from the state government following claims by Umno that the money is from gambling revenue.They returned the money to Bayan Baru Umno chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Saibu in a simple ceremony held at his office here.
Bayan Baru MP Datuk Zahrain Hashims special assistant Ismail Abdul Ali was also among those who returned the money today. He was there to return the RM1,000 burial benefit given to him by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government after his mother died in July.
Ismail said he was thankful to Umno for highlighting that the money came from gambling sources.
I dont need this money. I urge Abdul Malik not to play up this issue although I am the special assistant to MP Zahrain, said Ismail referring to state executive councillor Abdul Malik Kassim who had claimed the money was not from gambling revenue.
Senior citizen Habsah Saib, 81, said she made up her mind to return the money when she found out that the funds for Penangs Senior Citizen Appreciation Programme came from gambling sources.
I can pay the money now when I am alive, but I will not be able to do so when I am dead. I dont want this money, she sobbed.
I have been with Umno for 53 years, never once I have heard them doing something like this, she said.
Abdul Rahim said the senior citizens were disturbed when they found out that the RM100 payout came from gambling sources.
These senior citizens received the money with happy hearts but after knowing that the money came from gambling sources, they are worried and decided to return it, he told reporters after receiving the money from the senior citizens.
They can be Malays, Indians or Chinese nobody wants gambling mo! ney, he said, adding it was time that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng stopped spinning lies.
It doesnt matter whether or not they separated the funds into two different accounts. All races are against receiving funds from gambling sources, he said.
Abdul Rahim said division leaders would consult with state Umno leadership before deciding on their next course of action.
We might give it out as donation or to the temples, but whatever it is, this money cannot go to Muslims, we have to give to the kafirs, he said.
Umno Taman Brown chief Datuk Hamid Araby Md Salih, who was also present, said Muslims in the state would have never accepted the compassionate payments if they had know the funds for this programme were from gambling sources.
It is odd and usual for any state government to use funds from gambling sources to help its people. I have never seen this in my 45 years with Umno, Hamid said.
Religious committee member Malik is useless and should resign hes cheated the people, but dont cheat the God, he said.
I challenge the state government to stop this activity immediately, he added.
courtesy of Malaysian Insider
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Tun Dr Mahathir admitted to Melbourne hospital for flu and cough
MELBOURNE, Oct 2 Former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was admitted to a hospital here last night for flu and cough.
He is currently resting at the Epworth Hospital.
In an SMS reply, Dr Mahathirs special officer Sufi Yusof confirmed that the former prime minister was admitted to the hospital for observation due to flu and cough.
Dr Mahathir (picture), 85, arrived here a few days ago to address a seminar on human development organised by the Australia Melbourne Umno Club at the University of Melbourne today.
He was scheduled to share his opinion and idea on the topic Are We Ready for 1 Malaysia: Does Race Still Play A Part?
MORE TO COME
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?
Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysias Growth
I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown, said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.
By LIZ GOOCH, The New York Times
Rachel Liew, center, interviews prospective freshmen at a meeting held by the Astronomy Club at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where she serves as a committee member.
With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.
Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapores clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.
As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown, said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.
That is exactly the kind of sentiment Malaysias policy makers are desperate to change.
Many Asian nations have long been concerned about the outflow of human capital to more developed countries, but here in Malaysia, the need to address the problem has assumed a new urgency in the final decade for reaching its long-established goal of becoming a developed country! by 2020 .
Companies have long complained about a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia, and economists say it is severely affecting the countrys ability to attract more high-technology industries. The government is acutely aware of the shortage in skills and the potential hurdle it poses to the countrys 2020 goal.
We dont get it right, we are in serious trouble, the human resources minister, S. Subramaniam, said during an interview.
Studying and working overseas have long been considered attractive options for those Malaysians who can afford to make the move. About half of those living abroad can be found in neighboring Singapore. Australia, Britain and the United States are also popular.
Robert K. Chelliah, who runs an Australian immigration agency in Perth, with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said by phone that the number of Malaysians contacting his company with inquiries about moving to Australia had soared 80 percent since 2008.
In the last two to three years, the motivation to acquire Australian permanent residency has sharply increased across all age sectors as well as across racial backgrounds, he said.
Like Ms Liew, most of the seven people interviewed for this article said that better education, wages and career opportunities could be found abroad, while parents wanted to ensure that their children received an internationally recognized education in English.
Many interviewees, when asked about their concerns about returning to Malaysia, cited racial tensions and the countrys affirmative action policy, which gives special privileges to ethnic Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The government has recognized the need to change the policy, which was introduced in the 1970s to improve the economic standing of Malays, who were more highly represented among the nations poor than its Chinese and Indian minorities.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has repeatedly emphasized that affirmative action would be made market-friendly, meri! t-based, transparent and needs-based under the countrys latest plan, the New Economic Model, which is designed to steer Malaysia toward its development goals. Ethnic Malays, or bumiputras, still benefit from privileges like discounted housing, and some government contracts are available only to companies they control.
A Malaysian Chinese businessman, who left Malaysia for Canada as a university student in the 1970s and stayed there, said that because of the policy, only a handful of his Malaysian Chinese classmates who also studied abroad had returned to Malaysia. Several other Malay and non-Malay interviewees also described the system as unfair.
Danny Quah, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says that the brain drain has had a huge effect on the countrys economic and industrial development.
People have left, growth prospects have dimmed, and then more people continue to leave, said Mr. Quah, who is also a member of the Malaysian National Economic Advisory Council. Its a vicious cycle that the economy has had to confront for the last decade or longer.
Malaysias growth rate dropped to an average of 5.5 percent a year from 2000 to 2008, from an average of about 9 percent a year from 1991 to 1997.
Private investment, meanwhile, has fallen to about 10 percent of gross domestic product in 2008 from more than a third of G.D.P. in 1997, and the World Bank has warned that a lack of human capital is a critical constraint in Malaysias ambition to become a high-income economy.
Stewart Forbes, executive director of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said foreign companies faced difficulties finding skilled workers in fields like electronics, the petrochemical industries and engineering. Some companies complain of poor communication and English skills.
I dont think its yet reached the stage where companies are saying, I cannot do my business here, Mr. Forbes said. I think its true to say, however,! that th eres lost investment opportunities here because of the labor situation.
Mr. Forbes contrasted the skill shortage in Malaysia, where 80 percent of the work force has only a high school education, with a country like Taiwan, which emphasizes the number of holders of graduate degrees available to investors.
Previous government attempts to lure back Malaysian expatriates, namely the Brain Gain Malaysia and Returning Expert programs, have had little success. Despite financial incentives like importing cars tax-free and efforts to ease access to permanent residency for foreign spouses, they have attracted fewer than 3,000 applicants.
The government now plans to enhance and consolidate those programs under a new agency, to be known as the Talent Corp. Its financing will be announced as part of the countrys 2011 budget on Oct 15. It will recommend ways the country's education and training systems can be overhauled to produce graduates who better fulfill industry needs, especially in sectors like information technology and financial services.
Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysias deputy prime minister and education minister, is leading a major review of the education system. There will definitely be a major overhaul of the system, he said in an interview, adding that the system needed to foster creativity and innovation.
Enhancing the skills of the existing work force, encouraging universities to work more closely with industry and increasing the number of students enrolled in vocational training are also priorities.
Mr. Muhyiddin said that Malaysia needed to record annual economic growth of 6 percent for the next 10 years to achieve its 2020 goal and that a work force with the right skills was a precondition for such growth.
Still, enticing Malaysian expatriates home, when salaries there remain lower than abroad, presents a major challenge.
In Malaysia, the average income per capita is currently about $7,000, a figure the government wants to increase to $15,0! 00 by 20 20. In Singapore, by contrast, the figure hovers around $37,000, World Bank data show.
Mr. Subramaniam, the human resources minister, says that he expects salaries to rise as more high-technology industries develop and that, in the meantime, improvements in other factors, like work opportunities, may help lure Malaysians home.
If we give them a good working environment, an area where they can grow, and its stimulating and satisfying, they might be willing to take a slight cut in their salary, he said.
Still, some economists remain skeptical about the governments initiatives to reverse the diaspora.
Terence Gomez, a professor on the economics faculty of the University of Malaya, said that changing the affirmative action policy remained a highly contentious issue, with the government under pressure from right-leaning groups and members of its own party, the United Malays National Organization, to maintain it.
But he said it was vital that Malaysia become more of a meritocracy if it is to succeed in drawing back the diaspora. For instance, non-Malays need to be assured that they can be appointed to senior civil service positions, and the private sector must be based on transparency and fairness, rather than race, he said.
Otherwise, professionals wont come back and work in the public sector, and investors wont come back and invest in the private sector, he added.
Mr. Quah of the London School said that it was not affirmative action alone that had driven the brain drain and that higher wages and economic growth, and good schooling opportunities, were vital to enticing expatriates home.
This is an economically astute middle class, and they will see whether its in their interests to return or not, he said.
Chen May Yee, 39, a Malaysian Chinese journalist who lives in Minneapolis with her American husband and two children, is yet to be convinced that Malaysia can offer the work opportunities and lifestyle she wants for her family. She said ! she had taken a pay cut each time she had previously moved back to Malaysia after stints in the United States or Singapore sometimes as much as 50 percent.
Id love to move back for family and friends, but I just dont see how to make it work economically, she said.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Ipoh Barat MP Kulasegaran pulls out, cites calls from top brass
Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, who is expected to voice his dissatisfaction over the state DAP leadership on Saturday in a press conference, has pulled out at the last minute.
Kulasegaran, who is expected to also announce his resignation from the state DAP leadership, told reporters gathered at his office that a "top brass in the party had called him to hold on."
The deputy Perak DAP chairman claimed that he had even prepared a statement for the press conference.
He is scheduled to leave for a holiday overseas soon.
Speculation has been rife that Kulasegaran has been on a head-on collision with the Ngeh-Nga DAP leadership in the state.
courtesy of Star
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No burden, carry rocks - tiada beban, batu di Galas
This is an old Malay proverb. It means, the stupidity of someone who proactively seeks to burden himself. At the end of the day, people mock his stupidity. You begin with having no problem, but you intentionally create one for yourself.
I read with incredulity a suggestion that TRH-Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah be made the BN candidate for Galas state seat. That would be like using a thoroughbred horse pulling a milk cart. Why don't we suggest that TRH be made the finance minister instead?
This is the major problem within UMNO. All this talk about human capital, people being the most important asset etc etc are just gimmicks to show you have read the current management literature. When it comes to practice, you throw out everything through the window. The number one rule is, it's all in the name of expediency.
In the case of the Galas by election, TRH should be asked to do what is expected of a Ketua Bahagian. If you want to ask him to be the director of operations in the elections, ask him to suggest the candidate. After all he is the ketua Bahagian, the most senior of all the MPs in Parliament.
Coming back to asking him to be an ADUN. He is a former finance minister, the first chairman of PETRONAS. His credentials will probably fill up the suitcases of many UMNO leaders. Clearly that suggestion is an attempt to further humiliate the only UMNO leader now who commands non partisan respect.
Tengku Razaleigh as long as he is healthy in body and mind is more suitable for national office. With the country facing a lot of economic problems and a serious creditability image, the better strategy is to appoint TRH to a senior government post and then persuade him to lead BN in Galas buy by-election. You reme! mber wha t the former Speaker of Congress Tip O'Neill said of Reagan- when Reagan was compared to some respected leader- half of that man's brain is equivalent to the whole of Reagan's person. The same thing can be said of Tengku Razaleigh compared to many UMNO leaders now.
Update: I hear on this 9th of October, the man with the personality of a wooden post, Dato Mustapha Mohamad will lead a delegation, welcoming back TRH from overseas trip. This kind of reception is usually accorded to statesman with a stature like Dr. Mahathir or currently serving PM. if it has come to this, it can only mean, the the acceptance of Ku Li as Director of Operations is not a done deal. Muhyidin is therefore doing a kite flying ruse. Who is Muhyidin trying to spook into action?
Here is a man whose insights and accumulated wisdom you can leverage in managing the country, but has so far been ignored. Its like Singapore dismissing the wisdom and insights of MM Lee Kuan Yew. TRH shouldn't be asked to do more that what is expected of a Ketua Bahagian. He is as loyal as any other UMNO leader to the causes of UMNO. With this kind of stature, people are asking him to be ADUN of Galas. Its like asking Dato Najib to be the ADUN of Peramu Jaya in Pekan.
courtesy of Sakmongkol47
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public
Need FDI? Listen Up, Malaysia
October 2, 2010
Skills, Equity Hurdles
by Tan Choe Choe (choe@nstp.com.my)
Germanys Envoy says Malaysia must have qualified, hands-on people to stay competitive
Several factors are deterrents to a larger number of German investors putting their money into Malaysia, and top of the list is the lack of a qualified workforce.
Malaysia doesnt need Nobel laureates or a man who can go to the moon but qualified, hands-on people to
Doses of Humility is what Malaysia needs badly
raise their level of competence, said German Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Guenter Georg Gruber. He said Malaysians appear to have the notion that an engineers work is to get suited up and sit in the office all day.
Nobody in Germany does that. A qualified engineer goes down to the pits and repair the machines himself, if need be, and he is respected for the willingness to get his hands dirty. Here, the engineers are different.
He said this boils down to the lack of emphasis and importance placed in vocational training.Possibly, it stems from the lack of social acceptance of a person who works with his hands here, Gruber told Business Times in an interview in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany tomorrow.
Social acceptance is equally high in Germany whether you are a painter, an electrician or an engineer as long as you are a master of your craft. In fact, if you are a good electrician, you will be highly respected and earn good money.
This appreciation of applied knowledge is probably what propelled Germany to become a world leader in innovation, science and technology today! . As a c ase in point, he cited his two brothers: one who is a painter and the other, an electrician. Both earn more than he does.
Malaysians are too engrossed in the paper chase that they forget about skill acquisition. Parents role in this obsession cannot be downplayed, Gruber said.
You should always ask what the industry needs. But here, parents only want to send their children abroad, (probably) to some third-class university to get a foreign degree.
Another factor which he feels is holding back German investors is the Bumiputera equity policy. Germanys hidden champions the powerful, often family-owned small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) are keen to invest here, but are wary of having to give up a substantial share of their business to a complete foreigner.
These are often businesses which have been kept in the family for possibly hundreds of years. They would not want to share their company with someone they dont know.
Although they have heard of many positive news from the government on reducing the equity quota, Gruber said that many were still hesitant and adopting a wait and see attitude to assess how the new policies would be implemented.
One major German SME which is already here, B-Braun Medical Supplies Sdn Bhd, is currently suffering from market access problems due to the Bumiputera issue, he disclosed.B-Braun is a company with worldwide presence and an established history of supplying medical solutions in the surgical, pharmaceutical and healthcare management fields.
It does not have a Bumiputera partner, which prevents the company from bidding for government contracts. B-Braun has been investing since 1972 because they have had good experience here and want to continue. But they are being excluded in public tendering because of the Bumiputera issue, said Gruber.
Although this was initially regarded as a small issue, it is now becoming a sore point for the company as a new Asean rule states that any company excluded f! rom publ ic tender in an ASEAN members market would be excluded from all ASEAN markets.
This is not a very positive image for Malaysia if you want to attract more foreign investments, Gruber said.
Germany has long been recognised for its highly specialised small and medium enterprises segment. They are often called hidden champions because most produce inconspicuous products but are global market leaders in their own segments.
We dont want to impose any ideas on the Malaysian government. They have to choose for themselves whether they want to evolve to remain competitive. Malaysia is doing a lot of reforms as we speak and many initiatives are laudable and fantastic. But implementation, as always, has been a bit of an issue here.
Germany is one of the top four investors in Malaysia in terms of cumulative investment value, currently at more than RM16 billion. Even during times of economic crisis, such as last year, when overall foreign direct investments into Malaysia dwindled considerably, fresh money was still coming in from Germany of about RM200 million.
Gruber said that although German investments have remained quite constant, Malaysia has to work harder to stay competitive.
We have to be frank. A lot of investment goes to China now and to be and remain a world-class leader, Malaysia has to find its niche.
He suggested that the country look at expending its efforts in developing the renewable energy and pharmaceutical sectors.
Malaysia is uniquely blessed with many renewable energy sources palm oil, biomass, sun, water but it has not fully capitalised on them, Gruber said.
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