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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020





As the year 2019 comes to a close, it is time for reflection - a time to release old thoughts and beliefs and forgive old hurts. 



Whatever has happened in the past year, this New Year 2020 brings fresh beginnings. Exciting new experiences and relationships await. 




Let us be thankful for the blessings of the past and the promise of the future". 


HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020.




A song specially for the New Year:






From :




Mohd. Kamal Abdullah, wife and family,




Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Let’s face our troubles together, says Dr Wee

REPORTER
PETALING JAYA: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has called on Malaysians to work together through tough and not-so-tough times.
In his New Year’s Day message, he shared a Malay proverb: “Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing (A trouble shared is a trouble halved)”.
“(Let’s) overcome all challenges and obstacles and move forward!” he posted on his Facebook on Tuesday (Dec 31).
“Year 2020, let’s be great together, ” he added.
- Star

PH a great disappointment in 2019, says Nancy Shukri

PBB lawmaker Nancy Shukri says no one seems to care where the economy is heading, with the government’s misplaced focus on who is to be the next prime minister.
PETALING JAYA: Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri today said Sarawakians are not the only ones disenchanted with Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) policies in 2019.
”While 2018 was indeed the year PH over-promised, 2019 is the year PH under-delivered.
“Looking back at 2019, it is not just Sarawakians who grew weary and tired of the PH government.
“Their style of politicking does not go down well with our West Malaysian counterparts as well. They have grown tired of PH and have vented their frustration in recent by-elections,” said the PBB lawmaker.
Nancy expressed her “disappointment” with sex scandals, U-turns, dirty politics and infighting which plagued the ruling coalition throughout the year.
In a New Year message to “friends, relatives and fellow Malaysians”, Nancy said the latest in the government’s string of U-turns was the reconsideration of its earlier decision to abolish the critical service allowance for doctors, nurses, engineers and other professionals in the civil service.
She said the PH government had also gone against its own manifesto “to elect one of its own” as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief.
“There were sex scandals involving prominent party leaders, government ministers with fake degrees, no sight of any development of flying cars, and we have yet to see any promises fulfilled from the RM1 billion allocation for the implementation of various projects.
“What we do see instead is the infighting.
“The biggest problem right now with the government is their misplaced focus on who is to be the next prime minister.
“No one seems to care where the economy is heading and, more importantly, how much the rakyat is suffering from their mismanagement of the economy.”
She said the silver lining was the launching of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) — a coalition of former Barisan Nasional parties — in early January.
She said being the third-largest bloc in Parliament, GPS was playing the role of kingmaker, giving examples of this.
For instance, she said GPS backed the amendment to lower the voting age to 18 because “our conditions were met and it included automatic registration as part of the reform bill”.
“On Jan 1, 2019, Sarawak imposed a state sales tax of 5% on all petroleum-related products. All oil companies operating in Sarawak have dutifully paid up, with the exception of Petronas.
“I fail to understand what makes Petronas so unique that it refuses to pay what is rightfully taken from Sarawak.
“My colleagues and I in GPS fully support the move by the state government to sue Petronas for what is due to Sarawak.
“We have also not forgotten about the 20% oil royalty that Sarawak PH has promised to us Sarawakians when they took over the federal government.
“It has already been nearly two years and yet Sarawak PH has been suspiciously silent about it.”
Instead, she said, the Sarawak government had been asked to purchase a stake in Petronas.
“So, in other words, we have been asked to give money to the federal government for a small percentage in a company that refuses to pay us our sales tax. This must be the best joke of 2019 for Sarawakians.
“Again and again, our rights and interests are being greatly challenged and taken for granted. Building a stronger Sarawak demands that we strengthen the precious union between all communities in Sarawak.”
She also spoke about how non-Muslim and Muslim communities in Sarawak have always lived in harmony. This was among the state’s biggest assets, she added.
Nancy noted that the state government had increased allocations for religions other than Islam to RM30 million in 2019.
“As the Batang Sadong MP, I asked for money to be allocated from this fund for the building of a church in Kg Tengelam, which I officiated a month ago.
“This was truly a proud moment for the folks at Kg Tengelam and for the state government as this was the first church to be built in that area.”
She said Christians in Kg Tengelam were able to celebrate Christmas “in the comfort of their new church”.
Nancy said the state government had approved a further RM50 million for this fund in 2020.
She promised to continue fighting for the rights of Sarawakians in 2020. - FMT

New year resolution for gov't - send Zakir Naik back



It is a name we have all heard over and over again from the beginning of 2019 until the very end. Countless news articles, debates, and conversations have centred around the Indian preacher, he even earned the number 8 spot in the top 24 news items selected by Malaysiakini based on an extensive survey.
Zakir Naik, who found solace under the protection of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has been a thorn in the side of Malaysians that gets more painful by the day.
From the beginning, there were objections to the Indian fugitive being granted permanent residency. The controversial preacher, wanted by India’s counterterrorism agency, is no innocent lamb. He has been accused of serious crimes, including inspiring a gunmen attack in Bangladesh with his radical lectures and Islamic TV channel as well as using his non-profit Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) as a front for money-laundering.
Accusations revolving around terrorism and money-laundering are no laughing matter and granting such a problematic and influential man protection was always questionable.

Rather than accept his haven in Malaysia with immense gratitude and shutting up, Naik has spent the last year doing little but biting the hand that fed him.
Naik has been actively stoking racial tension and disunity. He has insulted both Chinese and Indian Malaysians, calling them “old guests” and questioning the loyalty of Indian Malaysians to their leaders.
These hurtful and naïve comments alone should have been the last straw, and Mahathir should have waved goodbye to the man who has done nothing to earn his place here. Rather, Zakir was only barred from making public speeches and sent off with a slap on the wrist.
This has not stopped him from attending important events alongside Mahathir, most recently the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 which saw Muslim leaders from all over the world uniting.
But this is not enough for someone who so craves power and attention. Zakir Naik has had the nerve to sue Penang Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy not once, but twice for defamation. As if his reputation was a spotless gem prior to Ramasamy’s statements.
Tell me, what credibility or right does a wanted money-laundering, terror-inciting suspect have to sue a leader of the country granting him refuge?
Even when Zakir is not actively doing harm, he is a thorn in our side. Outrage has spread through Malaysia following the publicising of an exam question which centred around Zakir Naik. The question, which called him an “icon of the Islamic world” who “is able to reason and answer every question that is asked to him”, was so outrageously biased that it was almost laughable.
And don’t even get me started on an old video of his which is making its rounds wherein the "iconic" preacher allegedly warns Muslims against wishing their friends a "Merry Christmas".
Time and time again, this man has stirred up anger, hate, and the kind of tension that is the last thing we need in Malaysia. The country is going through a hard period as it is and we do not need an extra problem.
We can only hope that one of the government’s 2020 resolutions will be to send Zakir Naik back where he came from. - Mkini

Over 180,000 repatriated under 'Back for Good' amnesty programme



More than 180,000 undocumented migrants have been repatriated under the "Back For Good" (B4G) amnesty exercise that ends at midnight tonight, according to Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
In his new year's message today, Khairul described the implementation of the programme since Aug 1 as one of the department's major achievements this year.

He also identified further efforts to crack down on undocumented migrants who remain in the country as one of three major focus points for the department next year.
"For the year 2020, I have set three main focus points for the department (including) […]
"Large scale operations to crack down on undocumented migrants with a minimum target of 70,000 arrests in the year 2020 through targeted and continuous operations,” said Khairul in a statement.
Under the B4G programme, undocumented migrants may surrender themselves and pay a fine after which they will be deported home permanently.
Khairul Dzaimee Daud
Checks by Malaysiakini found some immigration offices being inundated with last minute-applications from undocumented migrants seeking to return home and they often end up waiting for days.
Some applicants also claimed to have been approached by touts offering various services to help "expedite" their applications.
In his new year statement, Khairul also listed other areas that his department would focus on in the coming year.
These are to improve over-the-counter services as well as improve administrative efficiency through the full implementation of its e-payment system and the National Integrated Immigration System (NIISE).
As for the department’s achievements, he also listed its success in combatting document forgery syndicates and increasing prosecution against employers of undocumented migrants as well as against human traffickers and money launderers.
“I’m confident that with strong determination and a team spirit, we will achieve greater success in 2020 for the peace and security of our beloved nation,” he said. - Mkini

Something is wrong when varsity students are taught Naik is an ‘icon’

Sound religious discourse is the responsibility not just of religious leaders, but of the education sector, when it educates the youth on the ideals of religious harmony.
Ideals here refer both to the principles of religious harmony and individuals who disseminate such messages. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik can hardly be seen to be an epitome of religious harmony.
We enter 2020 with an exam question more or less belittling Malaysians for not wanting to give Naik a chance.
A lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Perlis had posed this question during an exam: “Zakir Naik is one of the icons of the Islamic world. He is very active in spreading true Islam and following the Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW. He is able to reason and answer every question that is asked of him. However, in Malaysia, he is no longer allowed to deliver speeches. In your opinion, as a Malaysian, why does this happen?”
The answers provided were: (1) Malaysians do not bother getting actual information; (2) Malaysians are sensitive and feel threatened for no reason; 3) Malaysians just follow the crowd without verifying any information; or 4) Malaysians are ignorant about their own religion.
All four options paint Malaysians as fools and intellectually inferior to Naik himself. So the choices for answering the question alone are problematic.
The bigger problem is the question itself. Why is he an icon of the Islamic world in the first place?
First, allegations of money laundering don’t fit in neatly with the claim that he is following the Quran. Neither do accusations of inspiring a gunman to launch an attack in Bangladesh that cost innocent lives.
In terms of racial and religious messaging, he has condemned both Chinese and Indian Malaysians, likening them to “pendatang” and questioning the loyalty of Indian Malaysians to their leaders.
What is iconic in all this hullabaloo is that he is a Malaysian permanent resident. I am sure there are other applications for PR still pending, even if these applicants have no criminal records or allegations of criminal activity.
Granting Naik PR shows that Malaysia views him as indispensable to the country’s social harmony.
What we need to deal with is the perspective of supporters of Naik. Once a question like the above is asked during examinations, students (who will one day be our future leaders) may uncritically accept the notion that Naik’s views are fodder for an inclusive Islam when actually they serve to divide.
Naik is merely a reflection of what kind of Islam is being championed in Malaysia. It is one that is divisive.
The forum “The Future of the Ummah: Voices of Unity and Harmony” in Kuala Lumpur in September of 2019 explained examples of this type of exclusivism.
Our standards of intellectual discussions, when it comes to religion, needs to, pardon the pun, “naik” (improve).
We can laugh at him for saying it is wrong for Muslims to wish Christians “Merry Christmas”, but once students are told that he is an icon, that’s when the laughing should stop.
Let us start the new year by being less tolerant of religious exclusivism. Let us also start the year with questions that have more rigour.
Here is one that neither praises nor bashes Naik: “Discourse surrounding preacher Naik can be divided into two camps: those who view him as an exemplary Muslim leader and those who fear his views will incite conflict between Muslim and non-Muslims. How do you feel Naik should be understood and why?”
Such questions will invite debate between students, not to mention debates between students and their lecturers. This is what 2020 should look like — a year where questionable personalities aren’t unquestionably praised.
Syed Imad Alatas is an FMT reader.

2019: When women leaders left the men far behind

The year 2019 will generally be remembered for its supine political leadership, broken promises, compounded race/religion rhetoric, incitement and provocation, and shattered hopes.
Amid all this dust and depression, 2019 will surely be remembered as the year when women led the way — whether in sports, politics, administration of justice, law enforcement or national unity.
This year marked the graceful retirement of Nicol David from competitive squash. Her seamless transition from the world‘s greatest female squash player into the role of an enabler, motivator, ambassador and most of all, a young “elder stateswomen” of her sport may be taken as a guide for those who overstay their positions in the mistaken belief that they and only they can “do the job”.
On the political front, female ministers have also shown the way. Teresa Kok showed the rest on how to focus on one’s own ministry; to understand the challenges and to attempt to overcome the obstacles in its path.
Acquiring a home has been a great challenge to Malaysians generally. A roof over one’s head is becoming increasingly unattainable while housing developers are making inordinate profits. For long, housing developers have been abusing the phrase “affordable housing”.
That catch-phrase has been used even where prices were well out of the reach of the common man. I recall in one instance where houses costing RM600,000 were described as “affordable housing”.
Into this scenario marched Zuraida Kamaruddin. In one fell swoop, the ceiling price on “affordable housing” was brought down to RM300,000. In fact, she caused shivers within the developers’ community when she stated that it was possible to provide reasonable houses at not more than RM150,000.
Zuraida knew that most state governments owned tracts of land on which really affordable houses could be constructed. This would be possible if state governments took a more “egalitarian”, rather than a “business-like”, approach in their dealings. Lamentably, many state governments conduct their affairs as if they are profit-oriented bodies.
In May 2019, our first female chief justice was appointed. The legal fraternity welcomed her with joy and great relief; we just could not take any more of the “same old, same old”. Even from her days in the High Court, Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat had displayed the qualities of judicial courage and independence, reminiscent of a forgotten era in our administration of justice.
At her elevation, Tengku Maimun remarked that she wished to improve the image of the judiciary. Truth be told, she does not have much to do except to continue to be herself. As they say, morale filters from the top. It would surely take some time but given the probable length of her tenure, the administration of justice in our country is headed for better days.
To top it all, for the first time, we now have six women as judges in our apex court. They have already begun deciding cases without fear or favour; a clear example being Justice Nalini Pathmanathan’s lucid judgment on the extent and ambit of “the public servant”.
The appointment of Latheefa Koya as head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was yet another high-water mark. Her detractors tried very hard to derail her: finding fault with the manner of her appointment right down to the manner she wore the rank badges and ribbon bars.
The nation was not impressed with her critics and the tough-as-nails Latheefa was undaunted. Her public pronouncements on the war on corruption sent shivers down the spines of the guilty.
However, it must be admitted that Latheefa has a most unenviable job. It is not easy to undo a culture of corruption that has ingrained itself into the national psyche over the last three decades. Despite the massive challenges and knowing that the ordinary reasonable Malaysian is with her, Latheefa has continued in her mission with fearless consistency, in a manner and style that has put other enforcement bodies in the shade.
Latheefa may want to persuade the government to pass legislation in the nature of the British-like Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) to compel disclosure of unexplained wealth, where the issuance of such orders would have to be by the High Court and the subsequent seizure of the unexplained assets, if at all, would also have to be by way of a court order.
The UWO has two great advantages: the information obtained in the context of a UWO cannot be used in criminal proceedings and, in any event, at all stages, there would be judicial supervision.
I would be remiss if I fail to mention Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali in this appreciation of women leaders. Though she had served as wife of the prime minister before, some did not fully appreciate her role then. Our recent experiences have taught us well.
Siti Hasmah has reminded, indeed re-educated, everyone on the dignity and respect of the person (not “office”) of the spouse, our prime minister. Her leadership lessons have not been lost on us.
Finally, the icing on the collective cake of all Malaysians must surely be our current Queen, Tunku Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah. In our country, over which the threat of being torn asunder by politicians hangs, she has been a beacon of hope.
Her frank sharing of her Chinese heritage, which was courageous, must have irked the political beings who seek to divide and rule. Her simple, down-to-earth style, from her dance moves through her Twitter to her train ride, have earned the affection and respect of most Malaysians.
This song of praise would not be complete if I did not address the leaders of my gender. Other than a few exceptions, our male leaders have failed our nation miserably. There is so much to be done to improve the state of our nation but positive energies seem to be expanded on negative undertakings. The real state of our nation needs no reminder or repetition.
While this is not designed to be a battle between the sexes, the men have to get their act together and show greater will, desire and gumption to keep up with the women.
Happy New Year Malaysia.
Watson Peters, a lawyer for more than three decades, is a reader of FMT.

2020: Dr M seru rakyat terus bersama dengan kerajaan

Perdana Menteri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
PETALING JAYA: Beberapa jam sahaja lagi menuju 1 Jan 2020, Perdana Menteri Dr Mahathir Mohamad menyeru rakyat untuk terus bersama kerajaan, ketika masih ada yang terperangkap dalam polemik politik yang “tidak akan memajukan diri”.
Katanya, walaupun Malaysia pada 2020, tahun keramat dalam wawasan yang diperkenalkanya pada 1991, tidak mencapai sasaran negara maju, masih ada beberapa nilai-nilai masyarakat maju yang rakyat boleh usahakan.
“Nilai-nilai seperti rajin, berdisiplin, menjaga kebersihan, bersifat tolak-ansur, hormat-menghormati, berbudi bahasa dan berjiwa besar ciri-ciri membezakan kita dari mereka yang tidak maju dan mundur,” katanya dalam kenyataan sempena sambutan tahun baru malam ini.
Mahathir berkata sifat-sifat mulia ini ada dalam semua budaya dan agama, oleh itu “kepelbagaian Malaysia seharusnya membuat kita lebih peka kepada nilai-nilai tersebut.”
Perdana menteri berkata ketika masih ada rakyat berbantah kerana politik, dunia sedang bergerak laju ke depan. Pesannya, kemajuan teknologi yang mendadak tidak menjanjikan perjalanan yang mudah untuk semua orang.
“Mereka yang memahami perubahan ini sudah mencari peluang untuk kerja dan pendapatan. Mereka yang tidak berubah sudah hilang punca kehidupan,” katanya.
Mahathir turut menyentuh mengenai kehidupan aman damai di tengah kepelbagian kita, mengatakan kerajaan tidak pernah terlintas untuk memperkenalkan undang-undang yang mengasingkan rakyat atau pendatang berasaskan agama atau keturunan tertentu.
“Walaupun kita mempunyai beberapa peruntukan untuk kaum Bumiputera, ia untuk memastikan kelangsungan mereka dan bukan bersifat menidak dan mengambil hak rakyat yang lain.
“Kerana itu kita dapati kekayaan negara tidak dipegang Bumiputera semata-mata malahan dikongsi dan dalam banyak keadaan dipegang kaum lain,” katanya. - FMT

Stop intervening in internal affairs of other countries

Politicians must remember that the welfare of Malaysians and the country’s economy are more important than intervening in the internal affairs of other countries. This policy has to be written in our book of diplomacy and adhered to by all politicians.
Malaysia should adopt a non-intervention policy when it comes to the domestic affairs of other countries. Intervention in issues confronting other countries will only open the door for them to intervene in ours. They are bound to retaliate in many hostile ways.
The Rohingya issue
In the context of Asean, Malaysia has bilateral relations with Myanmar and this benefits both countries economically. The plight of the Rohingya is no doubt Malaysia’s concern, as many of these people are holed up in the country as refugees. Thousands are seeking refuge in Bangladesh and India.
But this does not mean that Malaysia must boycott or punish Myanmar for its treatment of the Rohingya. The Rohingya refugee problem has no doubt become a bane to many other countries and Myanmar has to be diplomatically engaged in resolving the problem.
It would be wise to mediate with the parties involved, persuading Myanmar to take back the thousands of refugees who have left the country. On humanitarian grounds, help build hospitals, schools and bring other forms of aid to Rakhine state. Beyond this, it is Myanmar’s responsibility.
Seeking to punish Myanmar and intervening in its internal problems is a very short-thinking solution as this will only lead to the disunity among Asean countries.
The Uighur Muslim issue
Both China and India are among Malaysia’s biggest trading partners. They are among the biggest importers of the country’s palm oil. As for China, they have invested a lot in the country. Malaysia cannot afford to make enemies of these two countries.
Regarding Xinjiang, it’s imprudent for Malaysia to intervene in the Uighur Muslim issue. Many Muslim countries are keeping silent on this issue.
Perceived or real, some have claimed that the Uighur Muslims have been victims of discrimination while China claims that they are undergoing a rehabilitation programme.
Even if the plight of the Uighur Muslims is real, it’s only legitimate for Malaysia to take a non-interventionist approach to resolve this issue.
China has remained Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years, with trade growing 8.1% to RM313.8 billion last year. This, according to the international trade and industries ministry (Miti), constituted 16.7% of Malaysia’s total trade.
So, to offend China is to upset the existing bilateral relations and in turn affect Malaysia economically.
Perhaps Malaysia can just give the Chinese advice and offer humanitarian aid to the Uighur Muslims if there is a necessity to do so; but it all depends on the Chinese government to accept it or not.
Regretfully, some zealots have gone into a frenzy, taking the Uighur issue to the streets and the social media just to gain political mileage or public attention and, at the same time, attempting to indirectly slight the local Chinese ethnic minority. The Chinese citizens of Malaysia have no connection to the Uighur Muslims or China, though.
These groups have also snubbed the Malaysian Buddhists over Myanmar and the Rohingya even though the Malaysian Buddhists do not have any link with the Myanmar government.
India’s internal issues
The repeal of Article 370 and 35A of India’s Constitution to revoke the special status of the Kashmir region, the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) are India’s internal issues which have been a point of contention in that country of late.
To discredit India for the Kashmir issue, the NRC and the CAA tantamounts to intervention. Instead, as for the Kashmir issue, Malaysia should have urged both Pakistan and India to resolve the conflict peacefully.
The “integrity and territorial unity” of India is India’s problem and urging Pakistan and India to resolve the issue over Kashmir in a peaceful manner and to diplomatically urge them to ease tension is a wiser stance on Malaysia’s part, instead of taking sides.
It’s up to both these countries to come up with a bilateral negotiation process and for other countries to support their mutual decision, whatever it is.
Geopolitically, Jammu-Kashmir is part of India’s territory. The entire region of Kashmir itself is actually divided into four pieces, all of them controlled by India, Pakistan and China respectively.
But since both India and Pakistan are still in high tension over India-controlled Kashmir, the latest issue on the CAA and NRC, which is much misunderstood, has to a certain extent been exploited by some religious and political factions within India for their political mileage and Malaysia should not have touched on these issues.
This is India’s internal affair so just let them resolve the issue within their country. It should not be our concern.
Malaysia’s current healthy export momentum to India may be significantly stifled if there are restrictions against the import of palm oil by that country. This is because palm oil is the biggest contributor to the overall rise in import demand by India from Malaysia.
Malaysia’s palm oil-related sector is also particularly vulnerable to trade measures by India, given the importance of the latter as an export destination. Malaysia will lose if the Indian government considers imposing trade curbs on Malaysia’s palm oil.
Non-intervention policy
It would be sensible for Malaysia to take the cue from our neighbouring countries. The governments of Indonesia and Singapore, for instance, have a policy of non-intervention in the internal issues of other countries. It’s the same with other Asean countries.
They don’t meddle in other countries’ affairs as they believe this is the international standard way of diplomacy. This has helped these countries receive foreign investments to boost their economy.
Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country, and other Asean countries have written this in their book of diplomacy. Malaysia should follow suit.
In short, a non-intervention policy will mean having good relations with our trading partners and neighbouring countries. When we do not intervene in other countries’ affairs, those countries will not interfere in ours. Being a small country, making enemies with other countries does not bode well for our economy.
Moaz Nair is a reader of FMT.

Closing Mara Corp is taking easy way out, says Malay chamber of commerce

(maracorporation.com.my pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has been urged not to close Mara Corporation and sell off Malay assets in its bid to narrow its scope of responsibilities to just education and entrepreneurship.
Making the call, Malaysian Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM) president Syed Hussein Alhabshee said Mara, instead of taking the easy way out by closing Mara Corporation, should instead strengthen the company’s business.
“Mara should involve stakeholders in formulating policies and strategies based on the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (SPV2030) and fully use its socioeconomic development mandate.
“They should also enhance their capabilities through building competence in economic development, besides having enough expertise in education,” he said in a statement today.
Describing the proposed closing of Mara Corporation as showing lack of confidence in Malays and Bumiputeras, he said this would only set the country back and lead to backwardness.
DPMM, he said, sees this plan as going against the provisions of the Majlis Amanah Rakyat Act 1966.
“Malaysians, especially Malays and Bumiputeras in the interior, are facing difficulties, which should be overcome through WKB2030.
“Mara has a national network to enable it to implement the vision as it has the funds, brand and workforce,” he noted.
DPMM will sit together with other Malay economic development NGOs to urge Mara not to go ahead with its plan, he added. - FMT

Malaysia receives first littoral mission ship from China

Chinese and Malaysian officials at the ceremony to hand over the Keris to the Royal Malaysian Navy at the Wuchang shipyard in Shanghai today. (Twitter pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) officially received ownership of its first littoral mission ship (LMS) from China today.
The vessel, which has been named Keris, is the first of four LMS under a RM1.17 billion contract signed between Putrajaya and the China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co Ltd (CSOC) in 2017 — the country’s first-ever naval ship contract with China.
Construction of the Keris started on July 31, 2018 in Wuhan, China, and the vessel was launched in April at the Wuchang shipyard in Shanghai before being handed over to RMN today.
The vessel will be commissioned at the same location on Jan 6.
“The Keris successfully went through several tests in port and on the sea before being handed over to the government,” stated RMN in a statement today.
“A committee of four government representatives, led by Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman, the secretary of the procurement section at the defence ministry, checked the vessel’s documents and went on a demonstration of its abilities today.
“For the record, the LMS is one of the five classes of ships in the RMN’s 15-to-5 Transformation programme and is one of the four LMS agreed upon by the defence ministry, the Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd and CSOS in 2017,” it added.
The second LMS vessel, the Sundang, is scheduled to be handed over to RMN in April while the remaining two LMS vessels will be handed over in the middle of 2021. - FMT

Zuki is new chief sec to govt

PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya has named Mohd Zuki Ali as the new chief secretary to the government, replacing Ismail Bakar, who is retiring.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the appointment had received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
A statement from the PMO said Zuki, 58, had been working in the public service for 28 years and previously held portfolios within the finance, home, education, rural and regional development, and natural resources and environment ministries.
Zuki, who received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Singapore’s Nanyang University, has also served at the Istana Negara, PMO, Sarawak state secretariat and as the secretary-general at the defence ministry.
The PMO expressed gratitude to Ismail for his service. - FMT

Cara Nak Elak Dari Tercetusnya 13 Mei 2.0

Pemimpin-pemimpin politik termasuk Mufti dan Sultan bercakap tentang perpaduan kaum dan toleransi agama. Tetapi mereka tidak berani bertindak untuk mengatasi masalahnya.


Gov't needs another year for housewives Socso contributions implementation



The government is expected to need another year before it can introduce a new law which will enable housewives to contribute to a new Social Security (Socso) scheme.
Human Resources deputy minister Mahfuz Omar (above) said rigorous scrutiny was needed before the law was drafted and tabled in Parliament to simultaneously enable the non-working group to receive the benefit of Socso protection.
‘’Housewives are not categorised as workers but they are still exposed to accident risks, for example when sending their children to school and when cooking at home.
‘’But, we will settle the i-Suri volunteer contribution under the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) first and after that we will proceed, one at a time, to protect housewives through Socso,’’ he said when met by reporters at a handing over ceremony at a Hardcore Housing Programme (PPRT) to eight recipients at Pokok Sena in Kelantan today.

Last October, Socso chief executive, Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed, said the organisation was drafting a new scheme for groups with a high risk of being involved in mishaps including housewives and widows.
Meanwhile, Mahfuz said, to date, his ministry had not received any application from the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) to help solve the issue of the suspension of its registration by the Registrar of Societies Malaysia (JPPM).
He said his ministry through the National Labour Advisory Council was open to help the congress find a solution.
‘’However, we will not take the responsibility to penetrate them, because it is their right to solve their internal matters, what we do is only to advise and only be a middle man,’’ he said.
Prior to this, the media reported that JPPM gave 30 days from the date of a notice issued to MTUC to give a reply as to why it should not be deregistered.
JPPM, in a statement, said the notice issued on Dec 18 under Section 13(2), namely, a "Statement Before Registration Is Cancelled".
JPPM, at the same time, had also issued Notice 13 (2A), namely, a suspension order on MTUC, to protect the interest of the organisation from continuing to flout any of its rules. - Mkini