This week, Ask Lord Bobo tells you whether you should vote based on person, party, or policy. And what would His Supreme Eminenceness do if elected as Prime Minister of Malaysia?Dear Supreme Being, when I vote in the next General Elections, do I vote based on person, party, or policy? How to decide? @izmil_amri, via TwitterFirstly, you should reject any candidate that resorts to bribery or threats as a form of political persuasion, whether or not you take the money. If you did take the money for whatever reason, that sum and the circumstances under which you received it should, of course, be reported to the police because it is a criminal offence under sections 9 and 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954. The offence is punishable with two years imprisonment and a fine of between RM1,000 to RM5,000 pursuant to section 11 of the same Act. And, surprisingly, this includes promises or guarantees that certain acts would be done this is surprising not because it is included as an offence, but because it is obviously not enforced.Next, avoid partisanship. That means not being blindly loyal to one party or the other. There is no place for blind loyalty when it comes to political parties and politicians. Save the blind loyalty for football. Especially if youre a Liverpool fan youll need lots of that stuff. So what if you have been voting for the same party for last 50 years or more? As a voting citizen, you are not there to serve a political partys interests. It is or rather, should be the other way around. A political party is there to serve you! r intere sts. Ask yourself: Has your favourite political party been performing? (You see why Liverpool fans need that blind loyalty now?) Does their political vision for our country accord with your own views? Do they even have a political vision? What is their stand on issues on issues that matter to you?This is what it means to think deeply about your political choice asking the right questions and searching for the answers in a political partys performance. When you do so, it becomes clear that your consideration of whom you should vote for in the coming and future general elections is based on their stand on issues that matter to you. If, for example, you find the quality of security in the country to be unsatisfactory, and that there has been no improvement despite much moaning, groaning, grumbling, and all sorts of other complaining noises, you should consider what the other parties stand on that issue is. The party that most closely agrees with your view is naturally the party you should consider favourably.It is easy to get caught up in the hoopla and spin-doctored wizardry that surrounds any elections. But dont allow yourself to be confused by the cult of personality of any individual, or pledge blind loyalty (and your votes) to a particular party.Consider the issues.Consider the interests of the rakyat.Consider your interests.And dont get distracted by hidden camera footage of elderly men performing impressive acts of dexterity and stamina well, you can watch those videos if youre into that kinda thing, but when youre done, have a cold shower, clear your head, and then make a proper decision on where your vote is going to go. Tags: Anwar Ibrahim, Ask Lord Bobo, election issues, Elections, Malaysia, policy, political parties, political scandal, Politics, Prime Minister, Selangor Times, sex tape, vote, voter, voter education This entry was posted on 4 April, 2011 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Ask Lord Bobo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. 
From the Selangor Times Issue 17, 25-27 March 2011. Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered!Oh Lord Bobo, if you were "elected" as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, what would you do? @derekqiren, via TwitterTo be honest, this question doesnt really excite the imagination of His Supreme Eminenceness. I mean, were talking about a wonder typewritin! g monkey who has sailed with Marco Polo, dined with Pachacuti in Macchu Pichu, jammed with Jeff Buckley, and bedded Marilyn Monroe. Being elected as Prime Minister of Malaysia? Meh.But Lord Bobo is nothing if not munificent, so we will deign to partake of this question.First, we will set up a Swiss bank account to collect all the perks that come with the job.Second, as a favour to a close friend, we will set up a division within the "Special Police" to assist VVIPs in dealing with problematic partners from extra-marital affairs.Third, when faced with complaints by the public about inflation and stagnant income levels, we will gently advise them to change their lifestyle, but at the same time approve multi-billion ringgit mega-projects.Fourth, appoint an international public relations company to come up with a spirited but ambiguous slogan to mesmerise and perplex the public at the same time, so that they will not notice His Lord and Ladyship taking more overseas trips (ostensibly for work, but really for shopping) than all the former Prime Ministers combined.Fifth, come up with a recipe for power-grabbing a State from the enemy. Main ingredient? Frogs.Sixth, if there is any free time left and there is something in it for our relatives or friends, do something for the little people.Err, sorry, wrong script. That was the "Road To Tunisia." Lets start again.The administration of His Supreme Eminenceness will have at its core a policy of respect for the life, liberty and dignity of the individual. This is the basic foundation which gives birth to all principles of human rights for example, equality, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. His Lordship will enact a Human Rights Act, outlaw all discrimination on racial and religious ground and at the same time set up a Racial Reconciliation Council and an Interfaith Council.Lord Bobo will drag this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century, from third world to first world. Recalcitrant members of society will be sent to an all ex! penses p aid holiday retreat at LoyarBurok Assimilation Centres which will be set up throughout the nation.From alpha to omega, you will be made one of us.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Social Political Buzz & Bulls
Ask Lord Bobo: Casting Votes For Lord Bobo To Lead Malaysia?
Infamous sex video posted online....
Several other pro-Umno websites also picked up the news and posted the link later. The video entitled 'VTS 01 1' was uploaded by a user named 'thepowercam', who had joined the video sharing site only yesterday and is purportedly based in Thailand. This is the individual's only contribution thus far.
Inilah pak s
The video is a black-and-white footage and without audio, matching the description of what was seen by a Malaysiakini journalist who attended the Carcosa Seri Negara screening.
However, instead of shots from four cameras, only one shot is shown in the footage. In the brief footage, a man resembling the opposition leader, wearing only a towel, is seen entering a room with a fully clothed man, while a Chinese-looking female waits on the bed. The video shows the fully clothed man leaving and the woman partially disrobing. Jumping scenes, the clip stops when the man who looks like the opposition leader hugs the woman in the video.
However, the scene depicting the male character standing in front of the camera and putting on his clothes, which shows him w! ith a 'p ot belly' - that Anwar has said is a sure sign the man in the picture is not him - does not appear in this teaser.
This was pointed out by PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli in his tweet a while ago: "Seperti yg kita agak, video diedit utk hnya tunjukkan 3-4 saat yg ada iras muka. part bila perut boroi terdedh, x ditunjukkan," (as we expected, the video was edited to show only 3-4 seconds that has a face similar (to Anwar Ibrahim's), the part where the pot belly was exposed was not included).
Tape on screen gives Bangkok address
A strip of whitish tape appearing across the length of the screen, close to the bottom, carries the words "Phaholyothin Road, Bangkok, Thailand 10400, Copyright 2011", written in Thai script. The number is a postcode of an area in the Thai capital. Phaholyothin Road is a major thoroughfare in Bangkok which runs north all the way to another province.
The sex video was screened to selected journalists and editors on March 21, triggering a denial from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim that he was the man in the footage. He and his wife, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim had been told to quit politics in a statement released by 'Datuk T' - later identified as a trio of political leaders.
The three - businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik and Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim - have conceded that they were the 'Datuk Trio' behind the screening of the sex video. Eskay has claimed that the video was recorded in a Kuala Lumpur hotel on Feb 21.
The police began investigating the matter after Anwar lodged a police report on March 22. Police sources said the probe was to have been concluded today, after journalists and editors who had covered the screening of the video were again ques! tioned a s witnesses.
Meanwhile, in an immediate reaction, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad echoed the position of fellow party members and close confidants of Anwar that the person in the video is not the opposition leader. "After watching the video, my previous statement has been proven true, as the built and body of the main actor, including the pot belly that can be seen, clearly shows that it is not Anwar."This fact may not be clear to those who do not know him well, but as his former private secretary of two years, I know that it is not him (in the video)," Nik Nazmi said in a statement to the media, adding that he knew Anwar to be a pious Muslim and good family man.
The Seri Setia assemblyperson also questioned the identity of the third individual in the video clip, who acted as if he was 'directing' the shoot, something that he said called in to question whether the recording was indeed done in secret, as was claimed by the 'Datuk T' trio.
He also noted that the recording was supposedly recorded at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, something that he said was contradicted by the fact that writing on the video footage in Thai, translates to an address in Bangkok, Thailand. Nik Nazmi submitted that there is the possibility that the footage is a Thai adult movie that has nothing to do with Malaysia.
source:malaysiakini
'Mengapa Saya Kata Itu Bukan Anwar Ibrahim??'
'Video seks Carcosa kini di Internet'
'Video Lucah : SAKSIKAN!! Adakah benar ianya Anwar?'
'Video seks Anwar,ternyata ia bukan Anwar'
Najib's largest frog festival....
The mainly Malay Muslim crowd who greeted him in the sweltering heat was undoubtedly double the number of those who met him during his previous visits to the island. This was noted by Balik Pulau Umno chief and Teluk Bahang assemblyperson Dr Hilmi Yahya.
The majority of them were students sporting turquoise uniforms or batik, and came from all over the state by free busses provided by Rapid Penang.But the cheerful crowd was not the only sight that pleased the BN and Umno chief, who was in Penang for a full working day tour on the eve of his second anniversary as Malaysia's 6th PM.
Whether amused or bemused, Najib recounted an incident where a Chinese woman had come up to him and said he was 'very beautiful' (sangat cantik). I just want to say... my wife is not angry as long as the woman is 60 years and above, he joked, drawing laughter from the crowd. My wife is not here. She sents her greetings. But there's a big picture of her here, I do not forget my wife, he added, referring to the huge banner on stage depicting the first couple.
During his speech, Najib even tried to crack a 'dirty' joke when relating his visit to Rifle Range, where he spoke about the water pressure in the flats being low and annoying. I turn the head of the taps and not much water comes out... we need to pump in more pressure, he told the audience, then broke into a chuckle, Please don't! think o f another head (when I speak about water coming out).
Prelude to the next big event
But this was only a prelude to the next big event that Najib would attend at the Penang International Sports Arena, courtesy of the Penang Indian Development Organisation (Pido) - a newly-formed NGO headed by former PKR division leader M Nyana Segaran.
A host of BN leaders including Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Information, Commuications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, state Gerakan chief Dr Teng Hock Nan and MIC liason committee chairperson PK Subbaiyah graced the event, which was organised by Pido.A political novice from a BN-friendly political party described the event, attended by about 500 participants from all over Penang, as the largest frog festival in the history of the country.
A mainstream journalist who brought his family to the event, thinking that it would be a real carnival, expressed disappointment that the function turned to ashes when speakers like Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohamed Hashim started bashing PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim instead of speaking about the welfare of the Indian community.
Although many clay pots to warm milk, part of the Ponggal festival to honour the earth and its harvest, were lined up at the front of the event venue, not many actually took part in the ritual, not were the audience entertained by good performers. Many felt that the political focus of the event actually hijacked the pure intentions of the gathering, which was supposed to be a festival to promote Indian culture.
The veteran journalist was thankful that he eventually took his wife and 12-year-old daughter to a shopping complex nearby to prevent them from being bored to death with all the political shenanigans of Nyana Segaran (right in picture), who later declared he was quitting PKR after having denied it for two straight days. He then handed over copies of quit letters from 3,226 former PKR members to Najib, who is also the BN and Umno chief, citing disenchantment towards PKR's leadership and struggle as the reason for their dramatic departure.Zahrain did not help either when most of his speech centred around Anwar being a liar who was bent on using others to get his way to the top leadership of the country. The people are bored with all these lies, he said, turning around to praise Najib as the Father of Malaysian Transformation. There will be transformation in Penang, he added, before quickly adding that he did not want to sound as if he were trying to bodek (curry favour with) Najib.
He is already handsome... but that is not the issue, the real issue is he is willing to defend the people, not like the one who is always bluffing the people, Zahrain stressed, coming back to aim his missiles at Anwar.
Anwar continues to haunt BN
From the various events in Penang organised around Najib's visit, it was clear that the obsession with Anwar, the embattled opposition leader, continues to haunt BN leaders as his name pops up in every speech, every address. However, this tactic seems to be less convincing among the people who now tend to sympathise with the former deputy prime minister, especially after a sex video purportedly showing him in a sexual tryst with a prostitute was exposed by individuals closely linked to Umno.
Said a young political activist who feels disgusted at the current state of affairs in the country, BN must fall, it is not learning from i! ts mist akes. BN hits out at PKR about its many resignations which, to me, feels like a cleaning process (for the party). Initially it may give PKR a bad impression but after the frogs are gone, it would be a good thing for the party, good in the long run, added Dalbinder Singh, who recently became disillusioned with Gerakan and Parti Cinta Malaysia, and is now not aligned with any political party.
Let the populist PKR win the next election. It is a joke that BN graces public events with 'frogs' then condemns PKR, he laughed. - Susan Loone
source:malaysiakini
'Mansor: Angin perubahaan beralih ke Sarawak'
Beberapa rakan India aku mempersoalkan kenapa sambut hari Ponggal pada bulan April,walhal masyarakat India lazimnya sambut Hari Ponggal pada bulan Januari?
Kata rakan aku lagi, yang buat majlis ponggal di PISA itu adalah terdiri daripada ahli2 MIC bukan masyarakat India sebenarnya.
Bagi member aku yang pergi melawat Najib di Balik Pulau,rasa terkejut kerana makanan yang banyak,maklum saja tumbang 10 ekor lembu tapi kehadiran tak seberapa,sebaliknya penuh diisi dengan budak2 sekolah dan pasukan beruniform.
Tapi Najib dengan sombong berkata, BN akan tawan semula Pulau Pinang dalam PRU ke-13 nanti. Well...kita tunggu dan lihat saja lah.....
cheers.
'Sex tape must be marked as Parliamentary exhibit'...
Karpal Singh today reiterated his call to speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to allow all MPs to view the Carcosa video in Parliament, on condition that the video be marked as an exhibit and for all party whips to be removed in order that all MPs may vote according to their conscience.Karpal also stressed that Anwar should be allowed to be present for the viewing despite of the latter's six-month suspension from the Dewan.
I want a firm undertaking from Pandikar that ... before the screening of (the video), it must be marked as an exhibit and become part of the proceedings of the House and further become part of the Hansard as an exhibit. said Karpal in a statement today.
Without this safeguard, there cannot be any effective screening of the videotape in the House. This prerequisite cannot be waived.
I do not want a repeat of what happened in 1992, he said.
source:malaysiakini
'Tayang video seks Carcosa di Parlimen, kata Karpal'
Video seks Sooi Lek pun patut ditayang bersama2 sebagai selingan.
cheers.
Injil Melayu: Dasar UMNO Lidah Bercabang!!!!!
Sampai ke tahap 2 gereja kena bakar angkara UMNO mempolitikan isu kalimah Allah tempohari.
Tiba2 hari ini, UMNO sokong INJIL MELAYU dengan rela hati tanpa segan silu. Dalam Injil2 Bahasa Melayu ini, terkandung beribu2 KALIMAH ALLAH.
Kesian saya tengok NGO2 Melayu dan orang2 Melayu yang tertipu dengan UMNO dalam isu Kalimah Allah tempohari. Mereka tak sedar UMNO ni parti lidah bercabang, kelingking berkait.
Mereka akan gunakan agama untuk kepentingan politik mereka. Yang herannya, mereka boleh ambik pendirian dalam satu waktu, dan ambil pendirian yang 100% bertentangan di waktu yang lain.
UMNO tiada prinsip dan mereka memang parti penipu. Tapi, apa kita nak heran. Apa yang haram pada UMNO? Kalau orang Melayu tak geli makan babi, saya jamin UMNO akan terlibat dalam perniagaan babi.
UMNO parti yang tiada agama. Agama mereka adalah agama UMNO, bukan agama ISlam.
Alkitab: NGO Pembela cabar Formula Idris Jala
Oleh Syed Muaz Syed Putra
April 04, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, 4 April Pertubuhan-pertubuhan Pembela Islam (Pembela) menyifatkan langkah Putrajaya menawarkan 10 formula menyelesaikan isu kitab Injil dalam Bahasa Malaysia sebagai keputusan mengalah kepada desakan-desakan dibuat oleh kumpulan masyarakat Kristian dan mahu ia dikaji semula.
Pembela yang dianggotai 19 badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) juga menegaskan langkah terbaru Putrajaya itu akan menyebabkan desakan sama berulang kembali yang bertentangan dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
Kelmarin, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Idris Jala berkata, 10 langkah itu bertujuan untuk menyelesaikan masalah kita! b Injil atau Alkitab yang masih berlarutan sehingga kini - antaranya kitab Injil dalam semua bahasa, termasuk Bahasa Malaysia atau Indonesia boleh diimpot ke Malaysia.
Selain itu, sebagaimana diumumkan minggu lalu, Putrajaya juga memutuskan Alkitab juga boleh dicetak di Semenanjung, Sabah dan Sarawak.
Bagi mereka yang mengikuti perkembangan isu ini sejak ia mula dicetuskan oleh kumpulan-kumpulan Kristian, Formula Idris Jala ini jelas merupakan satu keputusan mengalah dan menunduk kepada strategi konfrontasi, manipulasi dan mendesak yang digunakan oleh kumpulan-kumpulan Kristian untuk mencapai tujuan mereka dalam isu ini.
Pendekatan Formula Idris Jala ini adalah satu trend yang tidak sihat dan akan menggalakkan berulangnya pendekatan konfrontasi dan manipulasi digunakan bagi menuntut sesuatu yang hakikatnya bercanggah dengan Perlembagaan (Persekutuan), undang-undang, sejarah dan budaya negara, kata jurucakap Pembela Dr Yusri Mohamad.
Beliau menegaskan, keputusan yang diumumkan Putrajaya itu langsung tidak mengambil kira pandangan kumpulan yang dibuat masyarakat Islam di negara ini.
Status keputusan ini tidak jelas dan kabur. Kita diberi gambaran bahawa di pihak kerajaan, Datuk Seri Idris Jala dan Peguam Negara diberi peranan utama sedangkan isu ini juga melibatkan kepentingan Islam dan umat Islam.
Perbincangan juga hanya diadakan dengan Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia (CFM) sedangkan pihak-pihak yang mewakili suara umat Islam baik di pihak kerajaan mahupun pertubuhan-pertubuhan Islam langsung tidak diambil kira, kata beliau sambil bertanya kami ingin bertanya adakah ini pendekatan baru yang akan diambil oleh pihak kerajaan dalam menangani isu-isu agama?
Menurut Yusri, pihaknya tetap berpendirian keputusan Putrajaya melepaskan kitab Injil itu bercanggah dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan undang-undang sedia ada.
Oleh itu edaran kitab Injil dalam Bahasa Malaysia bukannya satu keputusan yang boleh dibenarkan begitu sahaja atas tekanan mana-mana pihak.
Apa! yang tu rut menyedihkan, Formula Idris Jala ini juga langsung tidak mengambil pandangan Mempromosikan Persefahaman dan Keharmonian Antara Penganut Agama yang diwujudkan sendiri oleh Kabinet, katanya.
Justeru, kata Yusri, pihaknya mahu agar 10 langkah itu dikaji semula dan diselaraskan dengan undang-undang dan persefahaman antara agama dan kaum.
Oleh kerana isu ini boleh ada kaitannya dengan kedudukan Islam dan umat Islam, pandangan wakil-wakil Islam hendaklah diambil kira dengan saksama dalam mencari formula yang lebih tepat.
Jika tuntutan ini tidak diberi perhatian, Pembela mempertimbangkan untuk mencabar kesahihan Formula Idris Jala ini di mahkamah, katanya.
Dalam kenyataan dikeluarkan petang kelmarin, Idris berkata, kerajaan pusat mengumumkan 10 formula penyelesaian, antaranya kitab Injil dalam semua bahasa, termasuk Bahasa Malaysia atau Indonesia boleh diimpot ke Malaysia bagi menyelesaikan isu Alkitab.
Selain itu, Putrajaya juga memutuskan Alkitab juga boleh dicetak di Semenanjung, Sabah dan Sarawak.
Ini adalah perkembangan baru yang seharusnya diterima dengan senang oleh kumpulan Kristian, kata Idris.
Bagaimanapun, bagi menghormati komuniti Islam yang besar di Semenanjung, kitab Injil dalam Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia mesti tertera dengan Penerbitan Kristian (Christian Publication) dan tanda salib pada kulit hadapan.
Demi semangat 1 Malaysia dan akuan bahawa ramai yang berhijrah antara Sabah, Sarawak dan Semenanjung, tidak terdapat larangan bagi mereka yang membawa kitab Injil dan bahan bacaan Kristian semasa melawati negeri-negeri tersebut.
Idris berkata, adalah harapan saya agar jalan penyelesaian yang berdasarkan 10 aspek yang telah dikemukakan diterima oleh kumpulan Kristian secara positif, adil dan munasabah.
A letter to Dr M on Proton and competition
Dear Tun Dr Mahathir, Harakahdaily recently your defence of the government's protection for Proton (see Dr M: High prices of import cars no fault of Proton)
Predictably, you resorted to ludicrous arguments to justify the protection given to Proton at great expense of the people. True to your track record, you again showed your aversion to letting the people exercise their freedom to engage in economic transactions without the distortions of subsidies, tariff, etc. You also mentioned the potentially catastrophic job losses should Proton be left to compete with other players without government protection.
I hate to break this to you, but it is quite common for an enterprise to go bust and for employees to lose their jobs. In fact, various studies have shown that 9 out of 10 start-ups failed within the first 12 months.
You said recently that you have forgotten a lot of things. Let me remind you of your own initiative of forcing the local financial institutions to merge when you were the Prime Minister.
How many people, Tun, had lost their jobs then? How many of them were breadwinners? Were there any major negative effects on economic growth as a result of the mergers? I don't remember you voicing your concern about job losses at the time. But they weren't part of your pet project so I guess it is natural that you were just not interested in them.
You said the economy will be negatively affected by job losses and the closing down of companies related to Proton. I disagree. Due to high prices paid for cars, we are forced to forgo the opportunity to buy other things. Without protection given to Proton, car prices will drop and people will pay less for cars. The savings then will be used to buy other things.
If my dream car now is cheaper by RM10,000, I could use the RM10,000 'saved! ' to ren ovate my house, pay my debts, further my studies, travel, invest in my retirement funds, etc. How can any of these be bad for the economy? Whichever way I choose to spend the 'saved' money, I would be contributing to the economy. It will also have the added benefit of improving my standard of living.
Here's a crazy idea. Let's allow people to buy and sell as they please, voluntarily, without the distortions of tariff, subsidies, etc. If Proton is good enough, people will flock to the showrooms. If not, people will buy from its competitors. The competitions will give Proton real incentive to improve its cars. Then only we can be proud of Proton.
Dato' Eskay Bakal Dapat RM20juta atas Keterlibatan Beliau dalam Video Blue Rahim?
Diberitakan juga, Eskay berang dengan Anwar Ibrahim kerana tidak mahu menjadi saksi kepada beliau di dalam kes saman beliau terhadap Merong Mahawangsa.
Secara mudahnya, kita semua telah tahu rekod Najib:
1.0 Najib terlibat dalam projek pembelian wakil-wakil rakyat PKR.
2.0 Gobala sendiri boleh bayar jumlah wang sebanyak RM1.4juta
3.0 ada pimpinan PAS yang menjadi geng perpaduang hidup kaya raya sekarang ini
Maka, tidak mustahil jumlah wang RM20juta itu bakal diberikan kepada Eskay sebagai balasan kepada beliau bagi memfitnah dan menista Anwar Ibrahim serta menyokong pembikinan filem blue Rahim Thamby Chik
Tulang Besi
Sabah broadband customers cry foul
Free Malaysia Today » Nation
KOTA KINABALU: Telecommunication companies offering mobile or wireless broadband services here are again being accused of stunting broadband penetration by increasing charges but not the quality of service.
Rumbles of unhappiness are coming from customers in Sabah who are up in arms with the shortened access to the service from five days to two now for RM10.
Popular wireless broadband providers like Celcom, Maxis and DiGi which used to provide five days access for a RM10 reload, have replaced it with the two-day access forcing customers to cough-up more than double the amount for a week’s access to the internet.
They claim the move rubbishes the government’s effort to increase broadband penetration especially in areas like Sabah where broadband penetration still lags far behind Peninsular.
Sabah Minister of IT and Resource, Dr Yee Moh Chai, had said last year that by end of 2009 penetration was only 17% but had targeted 30% penetration by end of last year but it was not known if this had been achieved.
The national broadband household penetration as announced last year by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was already 54% as of October.
A broadband user here, Jurli Dongkok, 21, said he had been using the flexible five-day access for RM10 package as it suits his budget as an unemployed person.
“I only reload my broadband when I am in need of internet and have a five-day access, but now with the same amount, I can only have internet access for two days. They should retain the old package, for the sake of consumers like me,” he told FMT.
Another user, Don Ferrer, 24, said it would definitely be more expensive now to subscribe for this package.
“I don’t understand why they promoted to sell us the broadband modem for RM165 promising a flexible five-day access for RM10 but now suddenly it is only good for two-day access…it is misleading the consumer,” he said.
Cheaper and better in neighbouring countries
The RM10 for 5-day package by DiGi, Maxis and Celcom was considered to be the most conveniently flexible and cheapest for on-and-off internet users. Celcom has introduced a RM100 for 100 days package.
The federal government last year pledged during the Sixth Ministerial Forum on Information, Communication and Technology, to look into reducing broadband access fees nationwide to ensure that more people, especially those in the rural areas, could afford to use the service.
Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, Rais Yatim, said at the time that internet services in Malaysia could be cheaper and compared local broadband prices with Singapore where providers offer speeds of 2Mbps for the equivalent of RM20 whereas the same speed is offered at a hefty RM130 – RM199 in Malaysia.
The minister in-charge of IT also said then that local operators should look at how other countries within the region, like Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand set broadband prices.
Access to the broadband services is through fibre optic, copper line, third generation (3G), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).
As of last year, in Malaysia there were 52 license holders offering broadband services via various technologies, and of these, only 14 companies were offering the services and had clients. The rest were offering the services but still had no clients.
Among the companies offering broadband services here are Telekom Malaysia Bhd which offers the service via wired technologies, while those offering wireless services are Celcom, Maxis, DiGi, U-Mobile, Redtone-CNX, Y-Max, Packet One and Asiapace.
Be courageous and dump BN, DAP tells voters
Free Malaysia Today » Nation
KUCHING: DAP is banking on young and courageous candidates in the hope of changing the fate of Sarawak for the better.
The party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in naming the party’s candidates for the state election, called upon the people of Sarawak to fight with them in making the change.
‘In a sense we are asking the people of Sarawak to have the courage to stand up. Do you have the courage to stand up?
“If Sarawak dares to stand up, Malaysia will dare to step forward for a new era of democracy and justice, freedom and prosperity,” he said.
“This election is so important that it can be likened to the ‘battle of the century’ for Sarawak,” he added.
He asked the people of Sarawak whether they still want the Barisan Nasional to continue to have the totalitarian greed of the affairs of Sarawak until the people are unable to live not only freely but the prosperity that they rightly deserve.
He said this after unveiling Sarawak DAP’s five candidates for the southern region.
The candidates are: Leon Jimat Donald for N27 Simanggang; Christina Chew (N13 Batu Kawah); Chong Chieng Jen (N12 Kota Sentosa); Violet Yong (N10 Pending) and Wong King Wei (N 9 Padungan).
The youngest of the five is Chew, who is only 26-years-old and the holder of a master’s degree in biochemistry; three of them – Wong, 31, Yong, 32, and Chong, 39 – are lawyers, while Leon, 33, is a diploma holder from United Kingdom.
Ten other candidates for the northern region were announced in Sibu.
“Our candidates are not only young, but also have the courage to fight for democracy, justice and the rights of the people,” he said.
He also told the Sarawak voters not to trust Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s retirement plan – due to kick off in the mid term after this election.
“Can you trust Taib? Do you trust him? I still remember SUPP chairman George Chan announcing that he wanted to retire in the last election. Did he retire?”
“No, he continued again. So if the BN wins again, they will use this as an excuse to go on and on,” he said.
He said that the only way to get rid of the BN leaders was by making sure they don’t win in the April 16 state polls.
Seven new faces in Sibu
Meanwhile in Sibu, state DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng announced 10 candidates for the northern region.
Apart from the three incumbents – Ting Tze Fui (Meradong), Chew Chin Sing (Kidurong) and Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek) – DAP has picked seven new faces.
They are Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, who is to face Wong Soon Koh in Bawang Assan, Yap Hoi Liong (Dudong), Leong Kwong Yaw (Bukit Kota), Ling Sie Kiong who is chosen to fight SUPP president George Chan in Piasau, Wong Hua She (Repok), David Wong Kee Woan (Pelawan) and Fong Pau Teck (Pujut).
In presenting the candidates to the press, Wong believed that the party’s line-up of candidates for the coming state election was the best so far.
“We are targeting to win all the seats that we are contesting,” he said.
Stand off with the police
Last night, Lim’s ceramah in Kuching – where he had named the five candides – was marred by the police who insisted that the meeting was illegal.
About 200 DAP supporters at the ceramah became angry when district police chief Mun Kok Kiong led a team to the stage to seize a microphone from state leader Chong Chieng Jen who was addressing the crowd.
Also present at the ceramah was DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang.
Mun’s decision to snatch the microphone caused several DAP supporters to rush to the stage to face-off with the police, causing a moment of tension between the two parties.
Chong told Mun that the event was held at the party’s premises and was only the launching of the party’s mobilization programme and announcement of candidates. The officer however insisted that they must stop and the crowd must disperse.
Later talking to the media, Chong said that the police force appeared to be a part and parcel of Barisan Nasional.
“It looks like that the force is the 15th member of Barisan Nasional,” he added.
The Barisan Nasional announced its list of candidates today – fielding 20 new faces in the 71 seats, including four women. It also dropped Larry Sng, the party-less Pelagus assemblyman.
Police disrupts Anwar's ceramah again....
Police disrupted PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's public ceramah for the third time in a row, at the party's largest ceramah in Betong, Sarawak tonight, the stronghold of Sarawak deputy chief minister Alfred Jabu.The dinner cum ceramah held at a open-air food court in Betong, a small town located 70km north of Sri Aman, started smoothly with local PKR leaders, including four candidates, giving their speeches for over an hour without any interruption.
Anwar took to the stage immediately upon arrival at 9.30pm, welcomed by a nearly 1,000 multi-racial local crowd chanting "Reformasi".
However when the PKR de facto leader started to warm up the crowd after 10 minutes, a uniformed police personnel approached the opposition leader and requested him to stop the speech, raising tensions within the crowd. After a brief negotiation, Anwar agreed to shorten his speech.
He then managed to continue his fiery speech for another 20 minutes before the policeman interrupted again.
'No ceramah before campaign period'
Malaysiakini learnt from the organiser that the police had given PKR a permit to hold an 'ordinary meeting' but not a political ceramah on the grounds that campaigning period has yet to commence.
Before ending his speech, Anwar claimed that the police would not take any action if the ceramah fails to attract large crowd.
"If there are only 10 people, the police would not disturb. But when there are many people like tonight, they will disturb," he said.
According to Sarawak PKR deputy Wanita chief Cecilia Siti Una, tonight's crowd was the biggest in the history of Betong.
"It is not easy to ask peop! le in Be tong to attend a political ceramah," she told Malaysiakini.
Anwar has been restrained from giving public speeches since he landed on the Land of the Hornbills six days ago. Since then, two of his ceramahs in Kuching city and Satok have been disrupted by the police.
Betong town falls under the Layar constituency, an almost 100 percent Iban rural seat that Alfred Jabu has held for seven terms. PKR has chosen Stanny Embat, a retired senior police officer, to wrest the PBB stronghold from Jabu's grip.
source:malaysiakini
'Polis ganggu lagi ceramah Anwar'
cheers.
Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #59
Chapter 7: Enhancing Human Capital
Charter Schools
Another avenue for private sector participation would be a joint private and public partnership to form charter schools. Charter school is a new concept and becoming increasingly popular in America. The underlying idea is to empower the ultimate consumers of schools students and their parents by taking control away from the central bureaucracy and giving it to the schools. The ministry would be concerned only with monitoring the quality and compliance with rules and regulations, and setting the standards.
To gain charter status, such schools must meet certain conditions. Their graduates must demonstrate competency in our national language (Malay) and history. These schools must also recognize the uniqueness and special sensitivity of Malaysian society. Thus their student body must reflect the greater community.
In return, these schools would get state funding the same amount of funds it would have cost the government to educate these pupils in the public system. Additionally, the state would guarantee loans for capital expenses. The actual lending however would be done through private sources. With the guarantee, the interest rate should be favorable.
Any private entity, local or foreign, could establish such schools. Further, parents and teachers must constitute the majority of the governing board to ensure that the schools mission would not be subverted. The board would have total control, including choosing the medium of instruction and the setting of fees. The board would also be accountable to the students and parents; they could monitor the school better than any government official or agency.
Such schools must have clearly stated objectives. They can prepare students for Sijil Tinggi Persekutuan, British GCE, International Baccalaureate, American SAT, or any other matriculating examination. These schools could look to their leading counterparts abroad as their role models. ! Schools preparing students for the American system could emulate Groton and Exeter. Such schools would also attract foreign students and be a source of valuable foreign earnings.
For the non-college bound, there could be vocational charter schools started by Pernas, for example, to train future workers for its hotels. A consortium of construction companies may start one to train plumbers, electricians, and other skilled workers. The schools, not the ministry, would set the curriculum apart from the core requirements mentioned earlier.
If there is a demand, there could conceivable be schools preparing for Arabic, Chinese, or even French universities. Such schools must of course meet the enrollment mix mentioned earlier.
Charter schools would lead to greater social integration of students as they would be taking classes and doing extra curricular activities together, a marked improvement over the present vision schools or the Pupil Integration Plan. These charter schools must also have adequate ancillary facilities (playing fields, auditoriums) to preclude their being set up above shop lots.
I have participated both as a parent and at the board level in a charter school. One innovation we introduced was the senior exhibition as a graduation requirement. Students write a report as well as put on a multimedia presentation on each subject they take to an audience of teachers, students, and interested community members. They would do their own research and preparation, with the teachers guidance. To ensure accountability, they are evaluated not by their teachers but by a panel of outside volunteers. College admission officers are impressed with this innovation. More importantly, feedback from the students revealed that the exhibition exercises were the one high school experience that best prepared them for university. Not only did they learn to study on their own but the experience also built their self-confidence.
Adopting charter schools would require a major shift in the th! inking a nd attitude of the education establishment, a paradigm shift, to use the current clich. The mindset must accept the premise that the government is not the only entity that can provide education, and that in education, there is no one size fits all model that will satisfy the needs of all Malaysians.
Malaysia benefited immensely by allowing private sector involvement at the tertiary level. Unfortunately such institutions, as noted earlier, are currently dangerously segregated along racial lines. American universities long ago recognized that diversity is good not only for themselves and their students but also for the greater community. Harvard today is much more highly regarded than it was five decades ago when it was the preserve of White, Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Diversity in students and faculty is now an important criterion for accreditation. Malaysia should do likewise.
Malaysia should start small, by granting charters to about 20-25 primary schools, 10-12 at the secondary level, and a few universities. After a decade, carefully evaluate the program with a view to enhancing it.
Even without these major innovations there are still much that can be done to enhance public universities and colleges under the present system without resorting to radical changes. For one, the ministry could ease the strict control it has on them. There was much hoopla about the privatization of the University of Malaya (UM). Unfortunately the governing structure may have been changed, but the same control mentality remains. Senior appointments are still made by the minister; nothing has changed there.
The government should consider granting universities a global budget, tied to enrollments, graduation rates, number of science and graduate students, and other explicitly stated goals. Once that budget is established, let the university run its own affairs. If a vice-chancellor fritters that money on grandiose graduation ceremonies and other useless extravaganza like first class air travel! s for th eir deans instead of buying books and computers, let him (or her) do that. Trust the students and faculty, as well as the governing board, to keep the vice-chancellor in line. The minister should be concerned only with selecting the best people to the governing board; they in turn would be responsible for the performance of the university. There is no need for micromanagement from the ministry.
There are at least three major glaring deficiencies with Malaysian universities. First, many have the academic atmosphere of a junior college, at best. In particular, their commitment to research is minimal. Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the choice of individuals selected to lead these institutions. Few have excelled as scholars or researchers.
Second, Malaysian universities do not have well-developed extension and continuing education programs. Such programs would enable the universities to reach out into the community. They also provide avenues of access for non-traditional students. Additionally, a functioning continuing education program instills a culture of continuous learning and self-improvement. It is noteworthy that at many institutions, such programs are financially very viable. Tertiary institutions in my area from Stanford University to the nearby community college have many outstanding community and professional programs. I have taken many such courses both for my professional development as well as for personal enrichment.
Third is the isolation of Malaysian universities from the realities of the marketplace and the community. On many American campuses each faculty, and often a department, has an advisory committee or a board of visitors comprising of potential employers, active practitioners, and supportive alumni. In this way demands of the marketplace are quickly transmitted to the faculty and changes could be rapidly instituted. For example, American business schools were quick to develop courses on entrepreneuralism, seeing how important tha! t is to the new economy.
More recently in the wake of the 9/11 terrorists attacks, universities were putting up new courses on Islam to cater for the anticipated demands for greater understanding of this faith. At UCLA, the university went further and quickly set up a series of undergraduate seminars led by senior professors to deal with the myriad issues triggered by that great tragedy. The massive Enron scandal was still unfolding and American colleges were already offering courses on business law, accounting, and ethics related to that massive bankruptcy. Such rapid responses would be unthinkable in Malaysia.
Malaysian universities are so tightly and rigidly controlled by the ministry that it would take them years to even think of offering new and relevant courses. Beside being the repositories of the brightest talent, universities also represent the pinnacle of the nations universe of knowledge. If Malaysia desires to join the ranks of developed nations, its universities must also aspire to be on par with the best.
Schools are the nations future in miniature, goes an old Chinese saying. When I travel abroad, I can tell the state of the nation by just visiting its schools. Observing Malaysian schools over the years, I have become increasingly concerned about Malaysias future.
The stark deficiencies of the Malaysian system are now obvious. What is sad and disappointing is that there is very little attempt at rectifying them. In early May 2002 the Kubang Pasu UMNO division, Prime Minister Mahathirs own constituency, passed a resolution calling for the setting up of English-medium schools. Such calls coming from the grassroots indicate how concerned and desperate Malaysians are over the education of their children. I was extremely disappointed with Mahathirs response to the resolution. He essentially said that if that were the wish of the people, then he would comply. I would have thought that on such a serious matter as the nations education, leaders must lead and not wait ! for dire ction from their followers.
Next:Sharpening Malaysian Competitiveness
Ku Li balun gomen Najib 1Malaysia...
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah menggesa Putrajaya menghentikan sebarang amalan menganak-tirikan kerajaan negeri pembangkang dan merujuk kepada isu royalti minyak Kelantan sebagai contoh hak rakyat negeri dinafikan ."Saya rasa tak ada perkara yang patut menghalang pemberian wang tunai ini daripada dilanjutkan ke negeri berkenaan (Kelantan). Ada minyak bayarlah, "kata Tengku Razaleigh kepada TVSelangor.
"Tak ada (wang ehsan) dalam Akta Kemajuan Petroleum. Wang ehsan ini sedekah. Rakyat (Kelantan) bukan nak minta sedekah, Ini (royalti) hak dia," tambah beliau.
Tokoh veteran Umno itu menegaskan Kerajaan Pusat tidak harus menganaktirikan kerajaan negeri walaupun dokongan politik masing-masing berbeza kerana ia hanya menyusahkan rakyat.
"Tak kira siapa kerajaan pun, Samada di Kelantan, Kedah, Pahang, Selangor dan Johor sama sahaja. Jadi kalaulah hendak menganaktirikan negeri sebab berlainan politik, tak patut (kerana) yang menanggungnya adalah rakyat, bukan kerajaan yang berkuasa," tegas beliau. "Tak ada keadilan dari segi itu," tambahnya.
Tengku Razaleigh berkata konsep Federalisme di Malaysia tidak akan bermakna jika hak-hak kerajaan negeri dibelakangkan. "Kalau kita dengar ada negeri yang tak dapat layanan sewajarnya, saya rasa itu tak patut. Ia bertentangan dengan semangat Persekutuan itu sendiri. Jadi tak ada makna adanya (konsep) Persekutuan kalau semangat kerjasama dan tolong menolong tidak diteruskan,"kata beliau. Selangor, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Kelantan adalah dibawah pentadbiran kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat. Pemimpin negeri berkenaan sering merungut dipinggirkan dalam pelbagai program kerajaan pusat.
Pengagihan peruntukan untuk negeri-negeri berken! aan juga didakwa tidak setimpal berbanding negeri di bawah pemerintahan Umno-Barisan Nasional. Kerjasama antara Kementerian Persekutuan dan Kerajaan Negeri juga suram kerana arahan-arahan tertentu daripada Menteri berkenaan dikatakan didorong atas pertimbangan politik.
Contohnya Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Datuk Noh Omar dilaporkan pernah melarang kakitangan dan pegawai agensi Kementerian Pertanian menghadiri mesyuarat pembangunan yang dianjurkan di empat negeri pembangkang. Manakala Radio Televisyen Malaysia cawangan Selangor diarah berpindah keluar daripada Bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Selangor oleh Putrajaya, sebaik sahaja negeri itu jatuh ke tangan Pakatan Rakyat.
Tengku Razaleigh berkata tuduhan bahawa Kerajaan Persekutuan menganak-tirikan Kerajaan Negeri Pakatan Rakyat tidak boleh ditolak begitu sahaja.
"Saya dengar ada pihak pusat nak cuba sabotaj pentadbiran negeri. Saya dengar di Pulau Pinang, bukan dari pihak yang berkuasa di negeri itu, tetapi dari rakyat yang memberitahu saya ada (yang) dihasut pegawai supaya jangan beri kerjasama dan sebagainya. Saya rasa tak patut. Seharusnya wajib diberi kerjasama kepada siapapun yang memerintah sebaik mungkin untuk sampaikan khidmat dan apa yang perlu kepada rakyat," kata beliau.
Mengimbau isu royalti minyak Kelantan, Tengku Razaleigh berkata Kelatan tidak harus dilayan berbeza daripada Sabah dan Sarawak semata-mata kerana negeri pantai timur itu dibawah penguasaan Pas. "Kalau negeri nak terima 5 percent, syaratnya minyak kena ada berhampiran dengan negeri. Sabah dan Sarawak terus dapat (royalty). Kalau ikut (prosedur itu), Sarawak pun tak boleh dibayar. Maknanya Kerajaan boleh arahkan Petronas jangan bayar Sarawak,! " kata beliau.Perdana Menteri Najib Tun Razak sebelum ini mendakwa Kelantan tidak layak menerima royalti untuk minyak yang digali di kawasan persisirannya namun akan diberikan wang ehsan RM20 juta sebagai ganti. Tawaran itu ditolak oleh kerajaan negeri yang mengemukakan pelbagai bukti untuk menyokong hujah bahawa rakyat Kelantan berhak mendapatkan royalti sehingga RM2 bilion.
Kerajaan Kelantan mengambil keputusan untuk mengemukakan saman terhadap Petronas berhubung tuntutan royalti minyak yang diperoleh dari perairan negeri itu di sempadan Thailand-Kelantan. Tengku Razaleigh yang juga bekas Pengerusi Petronas juga membayangkan kepimpinan kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional tidak melaksanakan Akta Kemajuan Petroleum secara betul sehingga mengakibatkan pelbagai kemelut.
"Sebenarnya Perdana Menteri dalah Menteri bertanggungjawab mengenai minyak di negara ini mengikut Akta Kemajuan Petroleum. Tapi pelaksanaan akta ini tidak betul. Sepatutnya Majlis Petroleum Kebangsaan menasihati Perdana Menteri mengenai perkara-perkara seperti cari gali dan penyimpanan rizab," kata Tengku Razaleigh.
"Sepatutnya Majlis Petroleum Kebangsaan dianggotai pegawai kanan Kerajaan persekutuan dan negeri pengeluar minyak. Mereka sepatutnya menasihati Perdana Menteri, namun majlis ini tak wujud sekarang," kata beliau.
source:tvs
