Malaysia is now 12th most competitive economy

                 

Malaysia is now 12th most competitive economy

by rahimy rahim

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has climbed another three spots from 15th to 12th in world rankings of competitive economies.
The Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2014 showed that Malaysia is the 12th most competitive country, ahead of Britain (16), Australia (17), New Zealand (20), Japan (21) and China (23).
The survey assessed countries according to economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.
It measured how well countries managed economic and human resources to raise their prosperity.

Sixty countries were surveyed.
The rankings released by IMD took into account more than 300 criteria, two-thirds of which are based on statistical indicators and one-third on an exclusive IMD survey of 4,300 international executives.
Among the challenges that Malaysia will face this year are to enhance growth enablers for sustainable economic development, harness talent to achieve higher productivity growth, and to intensify efforts to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and restrictions.
The country would also face challenges in trying to curb higher inflation as a result of subsidy rationalisation and ways to strengthen technological capabilities to enhance value creation, said the report.
“In Asia, both Malaysia and Indonesia (at No. 37) make gains, while Thailand (29) falls amid political uncertainty,” said IMD World Competitiveness Centre director Prof Arturo Bris.
The United States retained its No. 1 spot, followed by Switzerland and Singapore, which came 5th on the previous year.
Yesterday, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the Government was committed to implementing sustainable economic policies as opposed to short-term populist short-cuts that would have negative consequences.
“The right decisions are not necessarily popular. We expect to see a much better performance in the next three to five years as more of our initiatives began to bear fruit,” he said in response to Malaysia’s latest rankings.
Malaysia Productivity Corporation director-general Datuk Mohd Razali Hussain said the improvement in various areas showed that the country was moving towards the right direction.

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/05/22/Malaysia-is-now-12th-most-competitive-economy/

Ipoh-born wins 'MasterChef UK''

By ZAHARAH OTHMAN | news@nst.com.my

WORLD CLASS': Prime Minister tweets his congratulations to the champion

LONDON: MALAYSIAN-BORN chef Catherine Chin Wan Ping Coombes, 32, was crowned UK MasterChef Champion 2014 on Friday, catapulting Malaysia and the humble nasi lemak with sambal ikan bilis on to the international culinary stage.
Beating Jack Lucas and Luke Owen after eight weeks of nail-biting moments to become the show's tenth winner, Ping, a full time housewife who lives in Bath with husband Andrew, and 18-month-old daughter Alexa, won over judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace with dishes she was familiar with when growing up in Malaysia.
Her winning three-course meal, which included a Chinese wonton dumpling soup, nasi lemak and vanilla panna cotta for dessert, was agreed by judges of the BBC1 show as a clear winner, while her two other competitors both agreed the best chef had won.
Her win also got the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who congratulated her via twitter, "@NajibRazak: well done UK Masterchef @WanPingCoombes! Malaysian flavours and talent are truly world class."
"When I eat Ping's food I feel happy, it makes my heart thump," said Torode.
There was a tense moment when Wallace said the sambal ikan bilis was too salty, but the overall presentation won him over.
Visibly overwhelmed by the announcement by the judges last night she said: "The last time I felt such emotion was when my daughter was born. Something that I don't think you get to experience a lot. (It is ) pure joy and pure bliss that feels incredible, epic."
With her mother as her constant inspiration, she added: "My mother would be really proud, I'm sure. But I say this a lot -- I'm sure she still wouldn't let me in her kitchen!"
Her entry into the vast, albeit daunting kitchen of MasterChef was followed closely by Malaysians everywhere and last night's victory was marked with "Ping! Ping did it!", all over Facebook timelines and Twitters.
The new MasterChef champion initially underestimated her ability and was not even confident she would make it to be one of the contestants.
However, once she was on the set, the adrenaline started pumping and she told herself that she was going to make it a great experience "no matter what".
Although her mother is thousands of kilometres away in Malaysia, she finds inspiration in her mum's cooking, and had watched and learnt a lot of her mother's cooking techniques.
She made sure her mother watched her using her iPad.
One of the first to congratulate her was celebrity chef Chef Norman Musa, who had also been tirelessly promoting Malaysian food on the international stage.
He said: "Ping winning MasterChef UK will dramatically boost the exposure of Malaysian food -- my big mission, for which I have been working hard over the last few years. Ping is a great example of how we Malaysians cook and eat our food with passion, which she did so brilliantly. I and all Malaysians are very proud of her!"
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation's (Matrade) Commissioner, Mr Khairul Nizam Moonier, who had been following the programme closely, said Matrade was very happy with the victory and hoped that as MasterChef champion, she would be able to participate in Malaysia Kitchen programmes in the UK.
"I have had a chance to meet Ping when she visited the Spring Market, organised by Malaysia Kitchen recently, and informed her that we would like to invite her to participate in our events, which would include the Malaysia Night at Trafalgar Square."

MasterChef UK champion Catherine Chin Wan Ping Coombes says she is determined to make the journey a great experience

Read more: Ipoh-born wins 'MasterChef UK'' - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/ipoh-born-wins-masterchef-uk-1.599882#ixzz32P2Zh9ec

PORT DICKSON International Triathlon 2014

Kenyir Lake International Triathlon - 16 March 2014 (Results)
Kapas Marang International Swimathon - 20 April 2014 (CLOSED)
KLANG Premiere Ride - 25 May 2014 (Open. Closing date: 18 April)
SCORE Run - 8 June 2014 (Open. Closing date: 25 April)
Port Dickson International Triathlon - 9-10 August 2014 (Open. Closing date: 1 July)
Morib Triathlon
Nusajaya Triathlon


============================================

14 April 2014

PORT DICKSON International Triathlon 2014

Date : 9 - 10 August 2014
Registration OPEN

============================================

http://www.triathlonmalaysia.com/

Miss Lim's carjacked experience! SS2 Petaling Jaya

Miss Lim's carjacked experience!

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have shown tremendous concern and now relate my nasty experience during my recent misfortune.
If you happen to know of anyone who provides daily to and fro transport from SS4,
Kelana Jaya and Sri Garden, please let me know. I am from the primary section.

My Myvi was carjacked by 2 guys in front of my house on Saturday’s night (14/7/12)
when I returned at 9:10p.m. from SS2 Macdonald.

By 9:35p.m., I lost my car and all my personal documents. In fact, when I reached my house, I did look around but I did not see any suspicious car. As I bent down to put on
my shoes before getting down, there was a sudden knock at my driver’s side window.
I looked up and saw a smiling smartly dressed man signalling to me to wind down my window but I ignored him. I proceeded on to look for my shoes. All of a sudden, I heard
a loud bang next to my ears. I looked up and saw a hole with glass shattered around it.
I realized then it was a robbery. I screamed for help and the guy kept hitting the glass splinter onto my face, hair and mouth.

The robbers came in a big, dark coloured car with black tinted windows. I couldn’t drive away as the robbers’ car had blocked my way. My car was also sandwiched between my neighbour’s car and a lamp post. There is a drain next to the playground on my left front passenger’s seat too.

After smashing the window, the robber stretched his hand into my car to unlock it. There was an accomplice behind the guy and I knew that both of them were getting ready to enter my car. I continued screaming as I got ready to escape. The minute I could open
the passenger’s door quietly in the dark, I quickly crawled from the driver seat to the passenger seat and had a quick jump across the drain. I was out and ran helter-skelter
for my life. One of them chased after me. I turned around and saw that I was quite within a striking distance of the robber and his steps were big as he is a tall man. At that moment, I automatically ran in a zigzag manner as I used to play the catching game
‘You Cannot Catch Me’ with the lower level students during the break time; where one
has to run in a zigzag manner to avoid being caught. I could control my movements better than when I played in school because I was bare footed when I escaped.

Soon the distance between the robber and me increased as he stopped a few times during the chase. I continued running very fast with all my might round a tree until he finally decided to give up chasing me. During the chase, his accomplice was already inside my car and getting ready to leave the scene with him. I helplessly watched them drove away my Myvi which I just bought 3 months ago with my handbag and Macdonald food in it. I shouted at the top of my voice during the whole ordeal but nobody was there to help, not even the security guards whom I have been paying RM50.00 monthly for the security of the area.

The last few days, I was in and out of the police station, driving licence & IC dept, bank and insurance company. What an experience to make my life topsy-turvy!

I am a person who never uses the honk system so I forgot about using it or the alarm system when the robber smashed my window. I also forgot to remove my car key when
I made my escape. I should have removed the car key and threw it into the drain.

I am sharing my experience with you because I am the 3rd case when the police inspector interviewed me on Sunday morning at 8:30. The robbers nowadays prefer to target single lady while the car is stationary with the driver inside the car or when she is getting in or getting out of the car. So lady teachers, please be smarter than me!!!

09 August 2013| last updated at 10:01PM

Police investigating another religious insult on facebook

PAGOH: Another religious insult has surfaced through a Hari Raya card posted on the Facebook page of an assemblyman's assistant, showing a roasted pig's head sandwiched by 'lemang' and 'ketupat', with a caption inviting Muslims to enjoy the dish.

A further search for the posting under the account of 'Alan Tang' found it missing.    

However, Alan Tang, assistant to Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen Kah Eng (DAP) claimed through his latest post that someone had used his identity to upload the insensitive photo and caption.   

He further claimed that he received a death threat on his mobile phone about 9am yesterday, from a private number but had ignored it.    

He lodged a report on the matter at the Taman Pelangi police station in Johor Baru later at 4.30 pm the same day, after he found out about the posting.

Johor CID deputy chief ACP Nor Azizan Anan confirmed that police had received the report and was working with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission on the investigation.

Meanwhile, MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek expressed his disappointment with the latest incident and said it proved that the younger generation were unclear on the concept of racial and religious sensitivities.  

Met after attending Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's open house at Kompleks Seri Pekembar here, he said it was a shame that despite more than five decades of independence such incidents were still occurring to threaten the country's peace and harmony.     -- BERNAMA

Read more: Police investigating another religious insult on facebook - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/police-investigating-another-religious-insult-on-facebook-1.334990#ixzz2bWtS04OkRead more: Police investigating another religious insult on facebook - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/police-investigating-another-religious-insult-on-facebook-1.334990#ixzz2bWtKl4vg

Anwar calls for ‘spirit of change’ in CNY address

Anwar calls for ‘spirit of change’ in CNY address By Zurairi AR February 09, 2013 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today blared Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) clarion call for change to the Chinese community as they prepare to usher in the Lunar New Year, saying it would be a step towards improving a country that has been ruled for over half a century by Barisan Nasional (BN). The Opposition Leader, in his Chinese New Year message on TV Selangor's YouTube channel, noted the importance of racial and religious unity among Malaysians when embracing the "spirit of change" to help the opposition pact achieve its Putrajaya goal. "We bring a spirit of change, for a better state of affairs," said Anwar, who could be seen sitting beside a small round table topped with greeting cards, Mandarin oranges and a lantern hanging from the ceiling. "Hopefully we can defend this spirit of change by attaining progress and good victory in the next general elections." The Permatang Pauh MP also insisted that the change promised by the opposition is a "change for the good". Anwar's message comes following claims by PR's political foes, particularly his long time arch-nemesis, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that a vote for change would lead Malaysia to destruction. Dr Mahathir, who is said to still wield influence in ruling Umno, had last week warned Malaysians against voting for change, arguing that it will result in a weak government that would hinder economic progress. In the video, Anwar also urged Malaysians to band together in defending peace and unity between Malaysians of different races and religions, in order to bring about change. He likened the people's struggle for political change over the past year to the journey of Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang in the famous folktale "Journey to the West". According to him, Xuanzang was faced with many hardships along his journey, but managed to triumph at the end of it. "(We've had) years of anguish, with economic problems, graft, corruption, insults to races and religions, rights of citizens, (where) citizenships are still questioned and disputed," he added. Anwar's speech in the video was interspersed with montages of various multicultural festival celebrations organised by PR. This year's Chinese New Year celebrations has seen politicians from both Barisan Nasional (BN) and federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) eagerly taking the chance to reach out to voters, by sending out greetings with a subtle political flavour ahead of Election 2013. The Chinese, who are the second-largest ethnic group in the country, had previously been described by Dr Mahathir as the "kingmakers" in the 13th general election, which must be held within months. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/anwar-calls-for-spirit-of-change-in-cny-address/

Jealous Husband Beats Wife In Confinement

Sunday, 06 January 2013 21:12

KANGAR: Police have detained a man who allegedly battered his wife while in confinement at their home in Kampung Repoh near here.

The 27-year-old mother of two had delivered the couple's second daughter, about 40 days ago.

Investigations revealed that the man was fuelled by jealousy when he struck his wife with a stone pestle, chair and photo frame.

The 40-year-old suspect was also said to have torched the woman's clothes and motorcycle in the incident about 5am Sunday.

District police chief Supt Abdul Rahman Mohd Noordin said the incident occurred when the victim was at the house with the couple's children, the other aged five.

"The man had just returned from Kuala Lumpur when he allegedly struck his wife with a pestle, chair and photo frame, in what we believe to be due to jealousy," he said today.

He said the victim was warded at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital while the suspect was remanded for four days to facilitate investigations.

- Bernama

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/10/01/incentives-for-og-hub-will-reap-great-returns-for-malaysia/

Incentives for O&G hub will reap great returns for Malaysia

Posted on October 1, 2012, Monday

JAKARTA: Various tax and non-tax incentives proposed in the 2013 Budget to make Malaysia an oil and gas hub will reap handsome returns for the country, says Syahril Syazli Ghazali, Economic Counsellor at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta.
He said for example, in Indonesia, there were many international and local companies which were involved in the oil and gas sector.
“Strategic alliance among companies operating in neighbouring countries and Malaysia can speed up the process to attain the oil and gas status for the country,” he said when commenting about the 2013 Budget proposals presented by the Prime Minister.
Syahril said a gross domestic product growth of between 4.5 per cent and 5.5 per cent forecast for next year would augur well to lure more foreign investors to the Malaysian shores.
“In these global economic uncertainties, a GDP growth of about five per cent, expected for this year and next year, will be proof of Malaysia’s resilience,” he told Bernama.
Syahril also said small-and-medium enterprises would also benefit from the one billion ringgit to be provided under the SME Development Scheme to be managed by the SME Bank. The measure will help small-and-medium enterprises gain access  to further financing to develop their businesses and global supply chain.
“SMEs, especially Bumiputera SMEs, should tap resources from the RM200 million Halal Industry Fund to develop halal products,” he said, adding that they should also collaborate with SMEs in Indonesia and Thailand to tap global markets for such products.
In this light, he praised the Prime Minister for proposing that angel investors, individuals with high net-worth, in Malaysia provide capital for business start-ups.
“This will pave the way for more young entrepreneurs to venture further and upgrade their competitiveness.
“Many young entrepreneurs have creative ides but have limited funds to expand.
“With additional funding they will be bold to enter full-swing into business, especially in information communication and technology and, creative industries.
“My wish is for these young entrepreneurs to forge business ties with their Indonesian counterparts,” he added. — Bernama


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/10/01/incentives-for-og-hub-will-reap-great-returns-for-malaysia/#ixzz2Cv1MNjIS

Malaysian Policemen Accused of Raping Indonesian

Malaysian Policemen Accused of Raping Indonesian
November 11, 2012

Kuala Lumpur. Three policemen have been accused of gang-raping an Indonesian woman at a police station in a northern Malaysian town.

Lau Chiek Tuan, a local politician, told AFP that the 25-year-old woman came to his office in the town of Prai just hours after the alleged rape on Friday.

Lau said he held a press conference on Saturday where the woman claimed the three officers in a patrol car stopped a taxi she boarded from a shopping mall in the town of Prai early Friday morning.

“They asked to look at her passport but when she produced a photocopy, they still took her to the police station. It was just an excuse to bring her in.

“She could identify the three cops who raped her in a room where there was a mattress — I don’t know for what reason there is a mattress in a police station,” he added.

However, the former elected representative said the woman did not want to be identified and she could not be immediately contacted.

News reports cited Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi as confirming that three policemen were remanded for a week on Friday night and suspended from duty pending investigations.

“We will make sure that the policemen will not be protected if the allegation turns out to be true,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper on Sunday.

AFP could not reach Abdul Rahim for comment.

The woman, a restaurant worker, was also quoted by the English daily as saying she was scared and “had no other choice but to have sex with the three policemen.”

According to newspaper the Star, she said she was warned “not to tell anyone about the incident” after they sent her back to her home.

Malaysian police are already under fire from rising crime fears as personal tales of abduction, assault and robbery go viral online, triggering scrutiny of official claims that offenses have reduced significantly over in recent years.

Agence France-Presse

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/malaysian-policemen-accused-of-raping-indonesian/555542

The Budget 2013

They set the SPEED traps...now they tell us where are those locations ... That's Malaysia for you

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=60199b23cb&view=att&th=13a92f4b83917ca6&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=e7792aa5eff64fb1_0.1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_to2YXJsUHNXmeUMHbF3Cv&sadet=1351915319384&sads=HsHRICCZCzA-ARKnXtQjFEysMQQ&sadssc=1

Malaysia-born makes camera that takes ‘living pictures’

Malaysia-born makes camera that takes ‘living pictures’

March 05, 2012

 

 

 

Ng holds a Lytro camera during a presentation at HP Auditorium, Soda Hall, University of California, Berkeley February 22, 2012. — Picture by Derrick Coetzee

 

Malaysia-born Ren Ng is revolutionising photography with his Lytro light-field camera.

 

The Australian has developed a new technology for the mass market that allows anyone to adjust the focal point of digital photographs after they have been taken, and without having to fiddle with Photoshop or other image-editing tools.

 

The hand-sized digital point-and-shot camera looks like a torchlight; its key feature is what the California-based company calls “shoot now, focus later”.

 

In an interview with the New York Times last year, Lytro chief executive Ng described the images as “interactive, living pictures” due to their ability to be manipulated.

 

The Lytro achieves this trick with a special sensor called a micro lens array, which puts the equivalent of many lenses into a small space.

 

The camera was listed as Time magazine’s “50 best inventions” in its November 17 edition last year.

The 32-year-old Ng, born in Malaysia and raised in Australia from age nine, started work on the digital camera while studying for his doctorate in computer science at Stanford University in California six years ago.

 

The Lytro camera captures far more light data, from many angles, than is possible with a conventional camera.

 

When pictures are shared online, the “light field engine” travels with each image so anyone can interact with them on their computers, whether on desktops, tablets or smartphones, a technology review in the Sydney Morning Herald reported today.

 

However, the camera is not quite perfect yet, based on first reviews that came out last week.

 

A reviewer with the New York Times, Sam Grobart, noted that adding a filter or importing the image into Photoshop was not possible at the moment.

 

“Should Lytro’s engineers refine light-field photography into something more versatile and cheaper (imagine this on a smartphone), it may turn out to be a game changer,” he was quoted as saying by the Australian daily.

 

Another influential technology reviewer with the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg, reported that the Lytro pictures can currently only be imported to Macintosh computers with its accompanying software, adding that the process is slow because of the relatively large files.

 

The Lytro camera is now available in the market in two storage sizes. The red hot 16-gigabyte (GB) model of the camera costs US$499 (RM1,500) and can take up to 750 pictures.

 

An 8GB version costs USUS$399 and can capture 350 images. It is available in graphite gray and electric blue.

Anwar: Audit report delayed to stifle opposition’s Budget 2013 debate

Anwar: Audit report delayed to stifle opposition’s Budget 2013 debate


UPDATED @ 06:56:46 PM 24-09-2012 By Clara Chooi

Assistant News EditorSeptember 24, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today questioned the government’s motive in delaying its release of the Auditor-General’s Report, asking if this was a deliberate attempt to prevent opposition lawmakers from referring to the document when debating Budget 2013.



The opposition leader said this was an “inappropriate” practice as the A-G’s Report should be used as reference when parliamentarians review the government’s expenditure plans for the following year.



“It seems like this is a tactic of the Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) government to prevent MPs from viewing this report.



“The A-G’s Report is an evaluation of the government’s performance over the year. So in order to fairly debate the budget, we need to read this audit report first,” Anwar (picture) pointed out.



The Permatang Pauh MP vowed that should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) take over the reins of Putrajaya after the coming polls, it would ensure that the A-G’s Report is released to MPs before the budget is tabled.



Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz told reporters in Parliament this morning that the government had decided to delay its release of the A-G’s Report, which had severely embarrassed the government last year when it revealed several financial irregularities in federal expenditure, including the use of a RM250 million loan for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) cattle farming scheme.



The Padang Rengas MP said the public document would only be released in the House “one or two weeks” after Budget 2013 is tabled this Friday.



“The report is ready but it’s not going to be tabled simultaneously (with Budget 2013) because the audit report may take more news that the budget.



“So what we will do is the audit report will be tabled a week or two later but there will still be enough time for the MPs to debate,” he said.



PKR deputy president Azmin Ali accused the government of attempting to hide its weaknesses by delaying the report, pointing out that the audit was meant to reveal any irregularities in federal expenditure.



The Gombak MP agreed that tabling the document before the Budget would help parliamentarians better assess the government’s plans for the country’s finances in the year ahead.



“The government is trying to distract MPs from seeing the facts. This report is important; we do not want to debate with baseless allegations,” he said.



The A-G’s Report is traditionally tabled simultaneously with the Budget but the government had delayed it last year, despite protests from opposition lawmakers.



The 2010 A-G report released on October 24 last year found that nine federal ministries and departments had exceeded their overall operational allocation by a total of RM3.73 billion.



They include the Education Ministry, Health Ministry, Home Ministry, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, Public Service Department, Attorney-General’s Department, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Services Commission.



The report also stated that the overspending was unavoidable due to additional activities and unscheduled payments.

SELANGOR FOLKS CONNED BY FALSE WATER CRISIS

SELANGOR FOLKS CONNED BY FALSE WATER CRISIS


The technical term for the amount of raw water that is wasted due to inefficiencies in the water treatment plant is called “non-revenue water” or NRW.



Under Rozali ismail's SYABAS/PUNCAK NIAGA, Malaysia's NRW is 32%.



A third of the water that enters SYABAS's plant goes to waste. This has been happening for years, meaning nothing whatsoever has been done to mitigate the problem.



For his inefficiency, he is paid RM500k per month, some put it at RM800k in a company that is riddled with almost RM2billion debts.



That really is good news for those yearning to return BN to power in Selangor isn't it? Lol!



http://jtpotshots.blogspot.com/2012/07/selangor-folks-conned-by-false-water.html

BN eyes polls in November, after Budget debate

BN eyes polls in November, after Budget debate By Jahabar Sadiq EditorSeptember 07, 2012

 KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 ― Barisan Nasional (BN) is likely to call the general election at the end of November, a week after the last of the 28,000 Muslim pilgrims return from the Haj and the Budget 2013 is passed by the Dewan Rakyat, sources say. The Malaysian Insider understands that Education Ministry top officials have been asked this past week to check the availability of schools, mainly secondary schools, during that period when the Form Five and Six public examinations are usually held. File photo of voters lining up to cast their ballots in the Sarawak state elections last year.

The speculation now is that the general election will be called at the end of November.“The government is looking at the end of November, just after the last flight bringing back the Haj pilgrims on November 19,” a BN strategist told The Malaysian Insider.

 The next Parliament session starts September 24 and is scheduled to end on November 27, with the highlight being Budget 2013 to be tabled by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on September 28. BN’s mandate expires next April 28, five years after Election 2008 where the ruling coalition under Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi suffered historic losses of its two-thirds parliamentary majority and four more states. Abdullah stepped down in favour of Najib in April 2009. This is Najib’s first shot at getting his own mandate.

 The Malaysian Insider had earlier reported that plans to dissolve Parliament last month have been shelved after two Sabah lawmakers quit the coalition and expressed support for arch-rivals Pakatan Rakyat (PR). There have also been reports of elections to be called earlier and the middle of the year but none have panned out. Najib hinted last week that a general election is near while former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has openly said November would be a good month for elections. Both are also bullish about BN’s prospects in the coming polls.

 “The Budget debate normally takes about four weeks to be passed by the Dewan Rakyat before it goes to the Dewan Negara. So Najib can call snap polls after that,” another source said, confirming that November has been cited as the most probable date for a general election.

 “The government is also thinking of calling elections on a weekday but that depends on the Election Commission (EC),” the source added. He added a BN official has already put a 60-day timeline for the next elections after Budget Day although others are in favour of finishing the current mandate before calling polls. “Not many are in favour of November but influential people like Dr Mahathir have a bigger say,” the source said. Widespread allegations of tampered electoral rolls have forced the EC to defend itself and order a review of the rolls.

The EC is also looking into implementing a 10-day campaign period following proposed reforms by a Cabinet committee after widespread protests calling for free and fair elections. Nearly 13 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots if a general election is called, involving all 222 federal seats and 505 seats in 12 states. However, the four PR-ruled states have yet to say if they will hold elections the same day as the general election as their mandates only expire next April. Sarawak has already had its state election last year.


http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bn-eyes-polls-in-november-after-budget-debate

Najib’s election dilemma — Bridget Welsh

Najib’s election dilemma — Bridget Welsh September 04, 2012

SEPT 4 — When will Malaysia’s 13th general election (GE) be held? Pundits continue to speculate on the election timing, with views ranging from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak making a surprise announcement to speculation that he will go the full term. One thing is certain: the polls have to be held before the end of June next year.

The person who appears most reluctant to hold the polls is Najib himself. He is now Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister without his own electoral mandate — either from his own party, Umno, that has not held elections since 2008 — or from Malaysians. The pressure to call the polls and deliver a comfortable majority remains intense. Najib’s predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was forced to resign when he failed to win two-thirds of the parliamentary seats in the 2008 GE. Based on fieldwork and polling, of the 222 seats up for grabs, 84 per cent of them are “competitive” — and with the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition having about the same number of “safe seats”. It is thus not surprising that Najib has repeatedly delayed facing the electorate. Multiple windows for the GE have been by-passed. Instead, Najib has worked diligently to earn popular support with the aim of tying his personal popularity to a victory for his ruling coalition.

DIMINISHING RETURNS His clock is ticking, as there is less than a year left before the GE will have to be called. The longer Najib waits, the more uncertainty he faces, with the real prospect of diminishing electoral returns. Part of this is a product of the hype surrounding the earlier windows to hold the election. By failing to call the polls on repeated occasions after the election machinery was ramped up and candidate lists forwarded, Najib fuels a possible perception of weakness, as the delays are read as a lack of confidence on his part. Najib also opens himself up to further uncertainties.

Each time the election has been put off, it has either been in the wake of a scandal revelation — such as the National Feedlot Corporation — or after a mass rally such as those involving the electoral reform movement Bersih. A pattern has set in — where weaknesses in Najib’s political reform efforts have been showcased, only to lead to further efforts to reconsolidate support. The question Malaysians are asking is what will come next. Most are saturated with stories of scandal and intrigue, but ultimately the longer the delay, the greater the possibility of further revelations and civil society mobilisation. This was the pattern in 2007-2008 and it is already repeating itself, as illustrated by the recent protest against the controversial amendments to section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950.

 The changes presume that a person is guilty for anything written on their websites and social media mediums. STATE OF THE ECONOMY The most serious unknowns Najib faces with his delaying tactics involve the economy. Malaysia has performed well in terms of growth under his watch — an average of 5.8 per cent growth in the three years. Yet the economy is closely tied to global trends. Slowing growth in China, recession threats in Europe and a lacklustre economic recovery in the United States, cast real shadows on Najib’s political fortunes. A slowdown is already evident, with third-quarter growth figures dropping to 5.4 per cent. Najib’s government has also been unable to stave off the impact of global inflation. In the first six months of this year, stealthily but steadily prices for fuel have risen, with a 10-sen rise in the month before Hari Raya Puasa alone.

 The attention to the economy calls into question Najib’s main strategy of using financial handouts to win support. Billions of ringgit have been doled out to constituents in a variety of forms, from vouchers to disadvantaged families to salary bonuses. More are expected in the upcoming Budget this month, the second year in a row the Budget will have been used as an apparent election primer. While the influx of public sector cash in the economy has boosted consumption, little attention has centred on the long-term implications of short-term allocations and deficit spending.

Malaysia’s fiscal deficit has grown exponentially under Najib’s tenure from -5.6 per cent of gross domestic product in 2008 to -10.2 per cent last year. CLOCK TICKING AWAY In the midst of the myopic election focus, Najib’s efforts have stirred infighting within his own party, Umno. Candidate hopefuls have been jockeying intensely, and this has intensified after the lists were forwarded this year. Positioning for candidacy has dominated attention, reinforcing the pressures on Najib to call the polls according to when different actors believe is “best”. The longer the infighting goes on, the greater the political bruising will be within Umno. Personally, economically and politically, Najib is caught in a political quagmire. When he goes to the polls, he will face a fierce contest.

 And he will face real challenges to his position within Umno. If he delays, conditions will reinforce a process of diminishing returns. The choice to delay has only served to heighten the pressure to perform. As the countdown to the GE continues, Najib’s clock is ticking louder than ever. The next window ahead is early November and time will tell whether he will use this window to face the electorate

.— Today

 * Bridget Welsh is associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University. She spoke on the Malaysian general election on August 14 as part of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) Seminar Series.

 * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider. 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/najibs-election-dilemma-bridget-welsh/

‘China’s RFID requirement nothing to worry about’

‘China’s RFID requirement nothing to worry about’

Posted on September 3, 2012, Monday


KUCHING: Birdhouse owners in Sarawak are advised not to be worried about China’s Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) requirement for the export of bird’s nests.
Malacca Bird’s Nest Merchant s Association president John Chen said the RFID requirement was only for the processing of the nests and not the birdhouse.

He added that RFID was only needed if the bird’s nests were for export to China.

“ I hope that Sarawak birdhouse owners are not worried about the requirement and to support the Federation of Malaysia Bird’s Nest Merchants Association president Datuk Tok Teng Sai in helping those in the industry.”
He said Tok would join Malaysian Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar to Naning, China, for the signing of the protocol for entry of cleaned bird’s nests into China.

Chen said that firstly the protocol was for the acceptance of five per cent clean product export and the second was for the 95 per cent raw material export.
At the moment, the deal with China is for the clean product export with 30 ppm nitrate levels.
The RFID tag allows a product to be easily tracked from the source to the consumer.
The tag contains a microchip embedded with details about the harvest.
The federation has 27 registered bird’s nest association members, of which four are from Sarawak

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/09/03/chinas-rfid-requirement-nothing-to-worry-about/#ixzz25N5XRx5w

CAUGHT LYING BY THE UN: From Utusan to NST to the Star, Najib shames M'sia

CAUGHT LYING BY THE UN: From Utusan to NST to the Star, Najib shames M'sia Written by Lin Mui Kiang The United Nations in Malaysia would like to refer to the article published in The Star newspaper on May 7, 2012 titled “Police: Tear gas used at rally safe, UN-approved’.

 We very much regret that the UN in Malaysia was not consulted before the publication of this article as it contains serious inaccuracies. The UN has consistently condemned the excessive use of force, including through the use of tear gas.

 Please also note that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council have on various occasions publicly expressed concerns about reliable reports indicating that civilians who died from tear gas suffered complications from gas inhalation, and that security forces have been firing metal tear gas canisters from grenade launchers into crowds.

 The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression after his mission to the Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in December 2011 noted that "while the use of tear gas to disperse a crowd may be legitimate under certain circumstances, tear gas canisters should never be fired directly at demonstrators."

 Moreover, unlike what is alleged in the article, the UN does not set international standards on different kinds of irritants, nor has the UN approved ‘CS Gas’ as a ‘riot control’ agent. Journalists AND public officials should be professional As far as the use of force is concerned, the relevant UN instrument is the Basic Principles on the use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which was adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1990, not the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1993. I provide its general provisions below: 1. Governments and law enforcement agencies shall adopt and implement rules and regulations on the use of force and firearms against persons by law enforcement officials.

In developing such rules and regulations, Governments and law enforcement agencies shall keep the ethical issues associated with the use of force and firearms constantly under review.

 2. Governments and law enforcement agencies should develop a range of means as broad as possible and equip law enforcement officials with various types of weapons and ammunition that would allow for a differentiated use of force and firearms. These should include the development of non-lethal incapacitating weapons for use in appropriate situations, with a view to increasingly restraining the application of means capable of causing death or injury to persons. For the same purpose, it should also be possible for law enforcement officials to be equipped with self-defensive equipment such as shields, helmets, bullet-proof vests and bullet-proof means of transportation, in order to decrease the need to use weapons of any kind.

 3. The development and deployment of non-lethal incapacitating weapons should be carefully evaluated in order to minimize the risk of endangering uninvolved persons, and the use of such weapons should be carefully controlled.

 4. Law enforcement officials, in carrying out their duty, shall, as far as possible, apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms. They may use force and firearms only if other means remain ineffective or without any promise of achieving the intended result.

 5. Whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall: ( a ) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved; ( b ) Minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life; ( c ) Ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment; ( d ) Ensure that relatives or close friends of the injured or affected person are notified at the earliest possible moment.

 6. Where injury or death is caused by the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials, they shall report the incident promptly to their superiors, in accordance with principle 22.

 7. Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law.

 8. Exceptional circumstances such as internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked to justify any departure from these basic principles. We at the United Nations appeal to all journalists to correctly and accurately research and report all matters and procedures related to the UN. We believe that such professionalism should also extend to all public officials.

 Dr Lin Mui Kiang is the United Nations Coordination Specialist, Malaysia

Robbery at Taman Mayang, Road SS25/37, PETALING JAYA

Latest, Robbery at Taman Mayang, Road SS25/37, PETALING JAYA

Be careful... even though it was reported that Pemandu said it's efforts have brought the crime rate down, it's just THEIR perception. See email from my friend below. That's reality!    I am the neigbour of the victim,Mr Woo whose house was robbed on Tuesday night at 11.30 pm.   Mr Woo (in his sixties) went out to throw the rubbish at a distance towards the back of his house leaving the front door and gate open.   4 robbers rushed in without  him knowing. There were 4 of them (2 of them had a  2 ft long parang) and 1 robber waiting outside in a white Honda car. When Mr. Woo returned and he noticed the car he thought his son's friends were visiting him. He thought he saw a man with a helmet and he thought his son's cancer patient friend was visiting. As Mr. Woo was very dirty after cleaning the compound and since there were guests in the house, he decided to go to the back door and called for the son.   The son could not respond as he already has a parang to his neck. Mr. Woo  decided to throw another round of rubbish and then went to the front gate again to look and see if the guests have left. As he was hovering around, the robber waiting inside the Honda car informed his accomplices to hurry. (The robber did not know Mr. Woo is the owner of the house). Inside, the robbers started to sapu everything and ask the occupants to give them their jewelry, cash and watches. The victims lost handphones, laptop & ipads.   It was unfortunate that Mr. Woo had visiting relatives from overseas staying over. His nephew from Australia had used his house for a wedding ceremony a week ago. So they were additional valuables. His brother's wife begged the robber to return her handbag and said that she love it very much and they did so.   Finally, the old man after hovering outside for a while decided to go in the house. The robber outside immediately rushed out of the car, grabbed & hold up his two hands from behind. That's when we heard hiim screaming in great fear.  The remaining robbers inside rushed out with their loot and left. Another neigbour hearing the commotion had called the police and as usual they came after the robbers had left. Actually, their modus operandi is to tie up the occupants first with the plastic straps (pictured below). They have left behind a packet - about 20 straps. They then take their time to ransack the house. .  But because Mr. Woo  was hovering outside, the robber waiting outside had informed the accomplices via handphone to hurry so they did not had the time to tie the victims.    The same gang (big-sized indian guys) had struck another neigbour's house, two roads away a month ago. The house door and gate were opened and the robbers rushed in. (The committee of Taman Mayang can verify). In that case, they tied up the whole family and ransacked the whole place.   When they wanted to take the laptop the young daugher pleaded with the robber and said that she has assignments to do. The robber returned the laptop and even told her to study hard.   Just be careful  ... do not leave both the grill door and the gate open without being vigilant..

Open season on Lim Guan Eng

Open season on Lim Guan Eng




April 06, 2012



APRIL 6 — Umno has apparently declared “open season” on Lim Guan Eng.

That they have been stalking their favourite target for years, even

well before he came into prominence, is an open secret.



If they had not maligned, abused and subjected him to unremitting

muck-raking and mudslinging, these Umno stormtroopers would have felt

totally inadequate and that something was missing from their miserable

existence.



They would, like their brown-shirted, fair-haired and blue-eyed Aryan

cousins of the Third Reich, have felt that they were not fulfilling

their historic destiny which is to cause as much mayhem as the police,

in their accustomed manner and wisdom, would allow. It is all in the

name of upholding “ketuanan Melayu”, and nothing should be allowed to

stand in their way, not even the rule of law. Years of blatant abuse

with impunity by Mahathir Mohamad who, in cahoots with his Umno

henchmen, succeeded by means fair and foul, mainly foul, in distorting

the systems of orderly governance as provided for under our

constitutional arrangements.



Imputations of improper motives such as in the case of “the

disappearing mosque land” and innuendos that any fair-minded Malaysian

would regard as completely beyond the pale are standard fare to be

dished out to the likes of Lim Guan Eng as and when it takes their

fancy. What is grotesquely ironic in all of this is that the driving

force behind the campaign to “put the non-Malays in their place” is a

bunch of bloody-minded, misguided “constitutional” Malays who have

been manipulating the Malays for ages.



For all their professed Malayness I am told the majority speak Tamil

at home. We are free to speak any language. However, those claiming to

be Malays must not only practise Malay customs and traditions but also

habitually speak the Malay language. That is what the Constitution

says. But you have to give it to them: they know Malay weaknesses

instinctively and are quick to exploit them.



But then, the Malay is an open book. I do not always see eye to eye

with Mahathir, but reluctantly I agree with him when he says Malays

have a short memory and this has worked to his advantage. Racist I am

not; I am just against any form of hypocrisy, barefaced or otherwise.



I suppose it would be totally unrealistic to expect a party that is

morally deficient in respect of civilised conduct to conform even to

minimum universal ethical standards. Where then is Umno’s legitimacy

to govern? They bleat or, more in keeping with the time in which we

live, moo, “But we have the people’s mandate.” Buying the so-called

people’s mandate with state funds certainly does not confer on Umno

the right to lead this nation.



In a more open and democratic society, the rule of law would ensure

that those lording over us and robbing us blind in the process would

by now be repenting at leisure (and that is being charitable in

assuming they have a conscience) in the blissful peace of a secure

prison at Sungai Buloh. Under the current regime where corruption has

been allowed to develop into a fine art form, a prison term for the

corrupt is a contradiction of Umno’s sacrosanct political philosophy

of no growth without bribery. Naturally all this is being sanctified

in the name of Hidup Melayu with the right connections.



In the present political climate and mood of desperation, much in

evidence in Umno circles, they will give a damn for public opinion.

This is nothing new to them as they have always treated public opinion

with disdain. How else do we account for the unbridled excesses we see

unfolding before our eyes with regular monotony? Guan Eng can always

hope for the best but he knows deep inside as long as he continues to

make a success of his stewardship of Penang, and as long as he has no

truck with unethical practices, he will continue to be harassed and

even physically threatened by Umno thugs.



Some of his detractors are saying that if he cannot stand the heat, he

should get out of the kitchen. It is not the kitchen fire as we

understand it that bothers Guan Eng. It is hell fire and brimstone

that he is being forced to live through each day all because he is

playing by a different, more open and accountable set of rules. Others

are saying “The man doth protest too much.” When William Shakespeare

wrote these words, he had not the faintest idea that there would be a

time when protesting too much against political thuggery in

undemocratic and corrupt Umno-led Malaysia would be completely

justifiable.



It has become a matter of life and death. It is, in my view, more

correct to say that Lim Guan Eng is agonising as the rest of us over

the sorry state of affairs in our once fair land. Unlike most of us,

Guan Eng is sticking his neck out to help bring about a better

Malaysia for all. If he “doth protest too much”, it is his life and

limb he is talking about and given what we saw on Padang Kota Lama

during an anti-Lynas rally recently, wouldn’t you, if you were in his

place, demand police protection? I know I would.



* Tunku Abdul Aziz is a former Special Adviser to the UN

Secretary-General on the Establishment of the UN Ethics Office and was

recently conferred by the University of Tasmania an honorary Doctor of

Laws for his fight against corruption and promoting ethics in business

and government.



* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.