PANDU CERMAT, SAYANGKAN NYAWA

PANDU CERMAT, SAYANGKAN NYAWA
INGAT ORANG YANG TERSAYANG

INGAT ORANG YANG TERSAYANG

INGAT ORANG YANG TERSAYANG
PASTIKAN ANDA DAN SEMUA PENUMPANG MENGGUNAKAN TALI PINGGANG KELEDAR

20111221

Bank notes to sport new look from mid 2012; RM20 note comes back


The Ringgit will be sporting a new and exciting look, with the RM20 note making a comeback.
The new banknotes, except for the RM50 note which has been in circulation since 2007, will be in the market beginning mid next year.

The fourth series of the RM50 note was issued in commemoration with Malaysia's 50th Merdeka Day celebration.

The complete new Malaysian currency series - which also include the RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100 banknotes - was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Wednesday.

On the observe side, all the banknote denomination in the new series retain the potrait of the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Tuanku Muhammad, the bunga raya and patterns of the traditional woven fabric - the songket.

The reverse side of each note features different elements of nature, tradition, culture, flora, fauna and the economy that are distinctively Malaysian.

Tindakan saring pelajar asing wajar - 2011/12/21

ISU kebanjiran pelajar asing ter-utama warga Afrika di institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) kini hangat diperkatakan oleh media massa.

Terbaru, cadangan oleh Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), Tan Sri Mahmood Adam bahawa kerajaan akan menguatkuasakan sistem tapisan bagi menyaring kemasukan pelajar asing ke Malaysia.

Kemasukan pelajar asing ke negara ini sedikit sebanyak memberikan kesan negatif kepada imej Malaysia seperti peningkatan kadar jenayah. Keadaan ini menimbulkan kebimbangan dalam kalangan mahasiswa tempatan dan masyarakat sekeliling. Ada golongan warga Afrika ini menyalahgunakan visa pelajar dan pas lawatan sosial mereka. Cadangan pengenalan sistem tapisan untuk kemasukan pelajar asing ini ialah tindakan bijak menerusi proses pengeluaran visa pelajar yang turut diperketatkan.

Diharapkan dengan tindakan mengetatkan proses pengeluaran visa ini dapat mengurangkan kes penipuan oleh golongan terbabit seperti tinggal melebihi tempoh, malah ada juga masalah sosial dan kegiatan jenayah yang membabitkan warga asing ini.

Penggunaan visa pelajar selepas melalui proses penapisan lebih ketat membolehkan pemantauan dilaksanakan oleh agensi berkaitan. Usaha ini seharusnya mendapat perhatian dan kerjasama semua pihak supaya dapat memastikan tiada kegiatan jenayah dan aktiviti tidak bermoral dilakukan di negara ini oleh pelajar asing.

Pada pendapat saya, usaha ini sangat baik dan seterusnya dapat memastikan Malaysia terus menjadi pusat kecemerlangan ilmu dan tidak disalahgunakan oleh pihak tertentu.
Beberapa penambahbaikan perlu dilakukan bagi memastikan pelajar asing yang belajar di negara ini tidak menimbulkan masalah dan memberi ancaman keselamatan kepada masyarakat supaya suasana pembelajaran berlangsung secara harmoni.

Tambahan pula, ada pelajar asing yang berkelakuan tidak sopan di dalam kampus dan tindakan mereka ini adalah bertentangan dengan budaya masyarakat Malaysia.

Selaku Presiden Majlis Tertinggi Mahasiswa, Kolej Canselor Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), saya berpendapat pelajar asing yang memasuki IPT di Malaysia perlu mengetahui, memahami dan menghor-mati adat dan budaya masyarakat Malaysia terutama masyarakat yang beragama Islam.

Sensitiviti dan kesedaran ini perlu ada dalam diri setiap pelajar asing ini dan mereka perlu menghormati sosiobudaya di Malaysia.

SHAFIDAH SAAD,
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

SEKTOR perkhidmatan kini menjadi penyumbang utama ekonomi negara.

KETIKA ini, ekonomi Malaysia sedang mengalami perubahan struktur secara besar-besaran tetapi hanya segelintir rakyat negara ini yang peka mengenainya

Sektor perkhidmatan kini mengambil alih sektor pembuatan sebagai penyumbang utama pertumbuhan ekonomi. Ini akan memberi implikasi meluas ke mana dan di mana orang awam mencari pekerjaan dan apa juga jenis kemahiran yang diperlukan bagi mendapatkan pekerjaan pada masa depan. Sasaran pertumbuhan kerajaan amat jelas iaitu menjadikan Malaysia sebagai negara maju menjelang 2020. Jika merujuk Bank Dunia, ia bermakna Malaysia menuju ke arah mencapai pendapatan perkapita RM49,000 (AS$15,000) menjelang dekad itu. Tahap pendapatan perkapita pada 2010 ialah RM23,000 atau AS$7,000.

“Ini adalah sasaran yang diharapkan dan memenuhi pertumbuhan Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) sekurang-kurangnya tujuh peratus setiap tahun.”

Dari perspektif sejarah, kadar pertumbuhan negara lebih banyak dipengaruhi sektor pembuatan, tetapi apabila menilai semula dasar ekonomi negara tahun lalu, kerajaan sedar yang ia mungkin tidak dapat bertahan dalam jangka panjang.

Ia berdasarkan dua alasan. Dalam ekonomi membangun, sektor perkhidmatan lazimnya menjadi penyumbang terbesar kepada keluaran ekonomi. Tahun lalu, perkhidmatan menyumbang sehingga 77 peratus pertumbuhan domestik Amerika Syarikat (AS), Jerman (71), Jepun (74), Singapura (63) dan Hong Kong (92 peratus). Di Malaysia, kadarnya menunjukkan 58 peratus. Secara logik, ia bermakna masih banyak ruang untuk sektor perkhidmatan berkembang sejajar dengan peningkatan ekonomi negara.

Alasan kedua pula agak kurang menarik. Banyak kelebihan daya saing dalam pembuatan tradisi yang dimiliki Malaysia terpaksa bersaing dalam ekonomi bebas.

“Jalan penyelesaian untuk kita ialah dengan menawarkan nilai tambah tinggi dan memberi lebih banyak teknologi serta intensif modal industri. Perkara ini sedang berlaku tetapi ia akan mengambil sedikit masa.”

Sumber baru pertumbuhan ekonomi perlu diteroka dan kerajaan sudah menetapkan sasaran bahawa sektor perkhidmatan akan memacu pertumbuhan masa depan. Ia dijangka menjana pemilikan sektor berkenaan (termasuk perkhidmatan kerajaan) dalam pertumbuhan KDNK sehingga 67.3 peratus menjelang 2020.

Kerajaan membayangkan pertumbuhan sektor ini akan berlaku secara menyeluruh, terutama dalam industri minyak dan gas, pembinaan, perniagaan dan perkhidmatan profesional, pendidikan dan latihan, teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT), penjagaan kesihatan dan pelancongan.

Tumpuan utama akan diberikan kepada pembangunan sektor yang dikelaskan sebagai tunjang perkhidmatan. Ia akan menjadi satu-satunya penyumbang penting terhadap input pengeluaran dan eksport dalam perkhidmatan lain.
Bayangkan, perkakasan perisian yang kita gunakan untuk mengendalikan lapangan terbang atau jaringan digital yang membolehkan kita menggunakan telefon bimbit.

Bagi memacu pertumbuhan industri perkhidmatan, kerajaan membuka pintu kepada beberapa subsektor perkhidmatan kepada pelabur asing untuk melabur. Langkah membenarkan pelabur asing menjalankan perniagaan di negara ini atau menjalin usaha sama dengan syarikat tempatan akan dapat membantu meningkatkan tahap kemahiran rakyat Malaysia dan juga membantu mereka mengukuhkan perniagaan sambil memiliki jaringan di luar negara.

Beberapa dasar liberalisasi ekonomi yang diambil kerajaan sebelum ini juga bertujuan memenuhi kehendak negara yang sudah menandatangani beberapa perjanjian perdagangan.

Sejak menyertai Pertubuhan Perdagangan Dunia (WTO) pada 1995, sebagai contoh, kita komited dengan pendirian untuk meliberalisasikan sektor yang lebih meluas dalam industri perkhidmatan. Terbaru, kita menyertai Rundingan Doha. Apabila rundingan itu selesai, kita akan meliberalisasikan 11 daripada 12 sektor utama.

Komitmen bersama ASEAN juga menuntut kita menjadi lebih terbuka secara progresif dalam pasaran perkhidmatan domestik untuk bersaing dengan negara ASEAN lain. Sasaran dan tempoh masa yang kita ikuti kini berdasarkan rangka pelan hala tuju untuk mengukuhkan Komuniti Ekonomi ASEAN menjelang 2015. Sehingga kini, kita sudah melaksanakan liberalisasi dalam 96 subsektor perkhidmatan.

Kerajaan juga bertindak secara sebelah pihak untuk memacu lebih pantas liberalisasi sektor perkhidmatan. Pada April 2009, sebanyak 27 subsektor perkhidmatan dibuka. Lebih banyak langkah meyakinkan diumum Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dalam ucapan Bajet 2012 di Parlimen baru-baru ini.

Sebagai tambahan, 17 subsektor akan dibuka kepada pemilikan pelabur luar pada 2012. Perubahan ini membolehkan pelabur luar memiliki sehingga 100 peratus perniagaan tempatan mereka.

Kerajaan juga melakukan rundingan meluas dengan sektor swasta dan awam. Sebagai tambahan, Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri turut mempersiapkan rangka pelan bagi meliberalisasikan sektor perkhidmatan. Buat pertama kali kemasukan ekuiti asing tinggi dalam bidang perkhidmatan seperti seni bina, kejuruteraan, percukaian dan perkhidmatan perakaunan juga akan dibenarkan. Bagaimana semua ini mampu dilaksanakan?

Sebuah badan pemantau dikenali sebagai Majlis Pembangunan Perkhidmatan Malaysia (MSDC) diwujudkan untuk memantau dan menyelaras program liberalisasi yang dilaksanakan kementerian.

MSDC akan menilai syarat dan peraturan yang akan mendorong kepada pertumbuhan industri dan membantu usahawan tempatan khasnya perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) untuk membangun dan mengeksport perkhidmatan mereka.

Potensi eksport daripada sektor perkhidmatan kita tidak boleh dipandang rendah. Tahun lalu, eksport perkhidmatan bernilai RM105 bilion. Pelancongan adalah penyumbang terbesar dalam nilai eksport perkhidmatan itu. Pada 2010, 24.6 juta pelancong melawat Malaysia, membawa keuntungan berjumlah RM56.5 bilion. Jika kita mampu menarik lebih ramai pelancong dari China, Eropah dan Asia Barat, sumbangan sektor pelancongan kepada KDNK akan bertambah.

Sektor pembinaan kita menyumbang nilai eksport sehingga RM3.44 bilion. Asia Barat menjadi destinasi pilihan syarikat pemaju Malaysia dan sejak beberapa tahun lalu, tujuh syarikat pemaju utama Malaysia mendapat projek di Arab Saudi, Sudah, Qatar, Emiriah Arah Bersatu (UAE), Bahrain, Syria, Oman, Yaman dan Maghribi.

Kita juga menjangkakan yang pelancongan kesihatan akan menjadi industri yang berkembang beberapa tahun lagi dan akan memberi kesan tambahan kepada sektor lain dalam ekonomi. Sektor kewangan Islam kita juta terus meningkat dan terus menarik lebih ramai pelabur.

Keseluruhan, kita kini memiliki pelbagai inisiatif yang dapat meningkatkan usaha memacu pembangunan sektor perkhidmatan. Lembaga Pembangunan Pelaburan Malaysia (MIDA) sedang bekerja keras menarik pelabur asing dalam sektor ini, manakala Perbadanan Pembangunan Perdagangan Luar Malaysia (MATRADE) akan membantu syarikat kita untuk mengeksport perkhidmatan ke negara terpilih.

Pada masa sama, syarikat tempatan juga perlu mengambil kesempatan dan peluang yang dapat mengembangkan lagi sektor perkhidmatan penting dalam ekonomi kita sejajar dengan usaha kerajaan melaksanakan Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP).

Jika kita mampu mengekalkan pertumbuhan ini dan kekal fokus, saya yakin kita mampu mencapai pertumbuhan yang disasarkan.

20111023

“HAVE you had rice?”

NO MORE RICE: Land which was once covered with paddy fields has now been developed for housing.


This is one of the first questions that an Iban would ask of a visitor, an old friend or relative or even a total stranger, to his longhouse.

It’s not exactly the equivalent of “How are you?” or “How do you do?” – to find out how life has been treating you generally – but genuinely meaning to find out if you are really hungry or thirsty so that some food could be offered.

From the Iban perspective, the state of health of the visitor is a priority. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that he is a good host. Of course, the cooking of food for the guest is the portfolio of his darling wife, while he gets most of the compliments.

Such is the importance of rice in the culture of many Asians that when the floods in Thailand destroyed vast areas of paddy fields, the rice eaters in Sarawak, especially the non-farmers, began to worry of possible shortages of the commodity in the market. Some resorted to panic buying and some vendors to hoarding of stock in the hope of making a killing when the demand exceeds supply.

This situation arises because we are so dependent on other countries for our staple food. And we are being ambivalent in tackling the situation. Why? Rice farming is not a lucrative undertaking; the investors would rather go for timber and oil palm planting. Or rubber now.

Chronic importer of rice

As a result of this policy, Sarawak is a chronic mporter of rice.

According to the Sarawak Annual Report, 1951, every year we imported rice – progressively from 19.272 metric tons in 1947 to 31,907 metric tons by 1951. That was about 50 per cent of the amount of the commodity produced locally.

The population of Sarawak was then 546,385, and it must have increased progressively for the past 50 years. But the production of rice has not been able to outstrip the increase in the number of its eaters. Now we are told that we have to import 70 per cent of our rice requirements to feed a population of about 2.5 million.

That’s why we got worried when the floods in Thailand destroyed paddy fields there; it is from Thailand that we have been buying our Beras Siam. Now we can also import the stuff from Vietnam, China, even Pakistan. But in Vietnam, there is progressive salination of the paddy lands especially in the lower parts of the Mekong Delta, meaning that there will be less rice produced there. Time may come, if not already, when these countries may not be able to produce enough for export to us. Then we continue to buy the stuff at a subsidised price. Many of these Indochinese countries have been hoarding supplies for their own consumption since last year.

Back to Sarawak, what have we done to reduce the percentage of imported rice since 1947?

The colonial government was rather ambivalent in its food security policy. While admitting that Sarawak could be self-supporting in rice, the government then did not seem to be able to produce a clear self- sufficiency measure in rice. Instead, it lamented the fact that “when prices for the main products are low and there is little money available in the rural areas for purchase of imported rice, the country does of necessity approach self-sufficiency in this commodity. When, however, prices of export products are high (as in 1950 and 1951 when rubber and pepper fetched record prices), interest in padi planting wanes, and Sarawak may become dependent on imports for as much as half its rice requirements.”

Though it had introduced in 1946 a padi purchasing scheme whereby a minimum buying price was guaranteed at $16 Straits Dollars per pikul of un-husked rice, the scheme fizzled out as a result of the rubber and pepper boom. That was the situation then.

No mention of big scale padi planting, let alone a plan for export of the commodity.

However, from the early years of Malaysia, food security became a top priority for the government. In 1965, while flying over the Lower Batang Lupar, our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had a bright idea: there, down below was a vast country, the next rice bowl of Malaysia! Excitedly, he announced this to the reporters waiting for him at the old Kuching airport. I was moonlighting for the Vanguard then. The editor Desmond Leong splashed its front page with the rice the following day. So did the Sarawak Tribune.

Irrigation schemes were introduced and millions invested in areas from Lundu to Lawas. In 1970, I was accompanying the Chief Minister Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub on a tour of Sibuti, Lawas and Bario – keeping all eyes on land for rice and other agricultural crops.

Now some 40 years down the line, I have not been able to find statistics in terms of production of rice from these schemes – all the Tanjungs – Tanjung Purun, Tanjung Bijat, to name two; and various Payas – Selanyau in Sibuti, and so on. One had hoped that rice from these DID schemes be enough to supply home consumption, if not for sale.

But to date we hardly read about success stories of all of these irrigation schemes.

We have heard about a big project in the Lower Batang Lupar, the new Rice Bowl as envisaged by the Tunku, but for this to materialise fully, we will have to wait for five more years.

Better late than never, I suppose.

Meanwhile, there is a scramble for land for oil palms at the expense of land for padi cultivation, including hill padi. In and around Kuching, a lot of land used for padi in the past has been filled up to make way for shop houses and housing estates. Drive up to Serian today and you will see what’s on that land where beautiful rice fields could be seen for miles away – green in November and yellow in March. Drive along that un-named road from the end of Jalan Datu Bandar Haji Mustapha towards Jalan Stephen Yong and you will see the brand new houses on land opposite Kampung Sudat, no longer suitable for rice cultivation.

Well, that’s development, I agree. But fertile land for padi production is getting scarcer and scarcer by the day at the rate we are planting oil palms and building buildings. Not necessarily bad, I must say. But we have to rely more and more on rice from Thailand and other countries. And as a security measure, it would be dangerous to rely on others for the supply of the staple food. We are at the mercy of the exporters. We must reduce the 70 per cent reliance on imports of rice at all costs.

Some people have turned to bread, but wheat is from which bread is made. Australia has been one of our main suppliers but the production of Australia wheat was affected by bad weather and no one can guarantee that we will always get the supplies at affordable prices.

Friends have been teasing me that man does not live by bread alone … I know, he needs rice, that’s his bread.

by Sidi Munan. Posted on October 23, 2011, Sunday

20111012

90 peratus kanak-kanak ketagih layari internet

Pelan strategik lindungi kesan negatif siber dirangka

Kanak-kanak dan remaja di negara ini dilaporkan melayari internet pada purata 19 jam seminggu, sehingga menyebabkan mereka terdedah dengan pengalaman negatif menerusi penggunaan teknologi itu termasuk buli, penipuan identiti dan pornografi.

Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, berkata situasi itu mewakili kira-kira 90 peratus daripada 8.5 juta kanak-kanak atau sembilan daripada 10 daripada mereka berusia lima hingga 18 tahun di negara ini yang dilaporkan terdedah dengan gejala negatif dunia siber, sekali gus mampu mempengaruhi emosi mereka.

Kementerian akan merangka satu pelan strategik merangkumi kajian sama ada perlunya undang-undang atau polisi untuk memberi perlindungan kepada kanak-kanak daripada terus menjadi mangsa kesan negatif internet. - Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat
Sehubungan itu, katanya, kementerian akan merangka satu pelan strategik merangkumi kajian sama ada perlunya undang-undang atau polisi untuk memberi perlindungan kepada kanak-kanak daripada terus menjadi mangsa kesan negatif internet.

Data diperoleh daripada Norton Online Family Report 2010 juga melaporkan hanya empat daripada 10 ibu bapa mengetahui apa dilayari anak mereka dalam internet.

“Jadi, kementerian akan memimpin pihak berkepentingan, termasuk Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM), CyberSecurity dan DIGI mengolah pelan strategik bagi memberi perlindungan kepada golongan sasar kerana ini amat berbahaya dan sejajar dengan Dasar Perlindungan Kanak-Kanak yang dipersetujui kerajaan pada 2009,” katanya kepada pemberita pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Seminar Perlindungan Kanak-kanak Dalam Alam Maya (Child Online Protection) dan pelancaran buku Guide to a family friendly internet experience, di sini semalam.

Hadir sama Ketua Setiausaha kementerian, Datuk Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif CyberSecurity Malaysia, Lt Kol (B) Prof Datuk Husin Jazri.
Shahrizat berkata, selain penekanan aspek perundangan, kementerian melalui pelan strategik juga akan turun padang bagi menganjurkan program advokasi dengan kerjasama Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) untuk memberi pengetahuan kepada ibu bapa mengenai situasi berkenaan.

Katanya, rangka kerja pelan strategik itu rentetan persetujuan kerajaan supaya negara menyertai ‘Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, September lalu.

“Jadi, dengan pelancaran buku ini, ia permulaan bagi pelan strategik itu sebelum kita melakukannya secara menyeluruh,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Husin berkata, CuberSecurity menerima aduan 11,930 insiden membabitkan jenayah siber sepanjang tahun ini sehingga September lalu yang dilaporkan kepada Pusat Bantuan Cyber999.

Beliau berkata, berdasarkan Statistik Insiden Keselamatan Siber, bilangan itu melonjak sehingga 130 peratus berbanding jumlah insiden pada tahun lalu, iaitu hanya 5,181.

Katanya, jenayah siber yang dilaporkan merangkumi penipuan (4,175), spam (3,452), pencerobohan (2,345), kod berbahaya (867), cubaan pencerobohan (525), gangguan siber (354), kelemahan laporan (87), gangguan perkhidmatan (77) dan kesalahan berkaitan kandungan (48)

Berita Harian 12.11.2011

20110530

SUNGLASSES BAN FOR VIETNAM POLICE

HANOI : Communist Vietnam has banned police from wearing sunglasses, chatting, smoking and putting their hands in their pockets while they are on duty in public places, a media report said.

Under a new order from the Ministry of Public Security, officers must also "keep appropriate manners and be in the right position when on duty." said the English language website of the state controlled Tuoi Tre newspaper.

"This means traffic cops must not be behing trees to ambush" and issue fines.

The report, published on Saturday, also said on duty police were now banned from reading books, making or answering non-work related phone calls, drinking alcohol or eating at restaurants that illegally encroach onto pavements.

Vietnam's tarffic police are seen by citizens as notoriously corrupt.

Last year US-based Human Rights Watch urged Vietnam to investigate "widespread police brutality", saying it had documented 19 incidents of reported brutality by law enforcers over the previous year, resulting in 15 deaths. - AFP

(Borneo Post 30/5/2011)

Croc attack in Sungai Skrang?

TRAGIC: Jefferyson’s remains before being sent to Sri Aman District Hospital for a post-mortem.
Borneo Post 30/5/2011

SKRANG: Villager Jefferyson Sali, 26, of Rumah Jangin, Kejemut, Skrang, could have been a victim of a crocodile attack in Sungai Skrang on Saturday.

His remains, which were recovered at Tabut, Skrang, at about 8am yesterday, showed two of his legs were broken, a gaping wound on his right thigh and scratch marks on various parts of his body.

Skrang police station chief Sgt Rasit Bunya said the deceased was found

floating some 3km from where he was believed attacked by the ferocious animal at about 5.30pm on Saturday.

His remains had been sent to the Sri Aman District Hospital for a post-mortem.

Rasit said prior to the incident, the victim was bathing near the Sungai Skrang jetty with another friend, but his friend left earlier.

However, when his friend realised that Jefferyson had not returned to the longhouse later in the evening, he rushed to the jetty to look for him but Jefferyson was nowhere to be found.

A search operation was immediately mounted

20110526

Malaysian bloggers reap up to RM1 million per year

Reporting on a Berita Harian (a Malaysian newspaper) story, The Star (another Malaysian daily) revealed that the annual incomes of local bloggers and blog operators can go up to RM1 million.

These days, many are leveraging their blogs in search of business transactions or advertisement placements. The average monthly income of such bloggers are reported to be a whopping RM70,000.

Berita Harian shone the spotlight on one blogger - Mira Abu Bakar, who hit an advertising revenue of RM12,000 for a month in 2008. She earns RM2,000 on average through her blog Redmummy.com

Of course a blog's revenue is dependent on its popularity - measured in pageviews and visitors. This point was reinforced by Nuffnang (M) Sdn Bhd manager Nicholas Chay. So don't quit your day job just yet.

By MSN News, 1/24/2011

20110525

'Basiswa JPA hanya bagi bidang kritikal'

Pelajar cemerlang SPM tidak semestinya automatik layak: Nazri

Pelajar cemerlang lepasan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) tidak boleh mengambil kursus yang diminati dan menganggap berhak memperoleh biasiswa Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz. Beliau berkata, JPA akan menawarkan biasiswa mengikut bidang yang dikategorikan sebagai kritikal saja seperti yang ditetapkan oleh pihaknya. “Penawaran hanya memberi fokus kepada bidang kritikal seperti perubatan, pergigian, farmasi, kejuruteraan, sains dan teknologi, termasuk sains sosial yang diperlukan oleh perkhidmatan awam di negara ini.

“Selain itu, sekiranya pelajar mengambil 13 mata pelajaran dan berjaya memperoleh 13A+ dalam SPM, jangan anggap berhak mendapat biasiswa ini kerana ia berdasarkan kepada keputusan 9A+ seperti diberitahu pada tahun lalu,” katanya pada sidang media di Parlimen di sini, semalam.

Beliau selaku menteri bertanggungjawab terhadap JPA mendedahkan perkara berkenaan, selepas ramai pelajar cemerlang lepasan SPM tahun lalu yang memperoleh kesemua A+ gagal memperoleh biasiswa sehingga Ketua Pemuda MCA, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong mengkritik wujudnya salah guna kuasa di agensi terbabit.

Mengikut rekod tahun ini, JPA menerima 16,900 permohonan bagi Program Ijazah Luar Negara (PILN) dan 8,857 daripada jumlah itu melepasi syarat serta gred minimum mengikut bidang pengajian.
Nazri berkata, kerajaan memperuntukkan 1,500 biasiswa PILN dan 2,500 biasiswa Program Ijazah Dalam Negara (PIDN), tetapi hanya 300 pelajar saja yang menerima biasiswa PILN berdasarkan kepada kriteria ditetapkan.

“Kita melihat pencapaian akademik mereka, pembabitan dalam kokurikulum, sosioekonomi dan latar belakang keluarga serta prestasi ketika menghadiri temu duga, manakala mereka yang tidak memenuhi kriteria masih diberi tempat untuk belajar di universiti tempatan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, baki biasiswa pula diberi kepada mereka yang layak bagi PIDN mengikut populasi kaum iaitu 60 peratus (900 biasiswa), setiap lima peratus bagi Sabah dan Sarawak (150 biasiswa) serta 10 peratus bagi golongan kurang berada (150 biasiswa).

Nazri turut menegur Wee yang juga Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran kerana tidak bertemu beliau untuk mengetahui masalah sebenar, sebaliknya hanya membawa masalah berkenaan kepada pihak media.


FAKTA:

•Jumlah keseluruhan permohonan yang diterima oleh JPA bagi PILN: 16,900

•Jumlah biasiswa PILN yang ditawarkan: 1,500

•Jumlah pelajar yang layak menerima biasiswa PILN: 300

•Jumlah biasiswa PIDN dan PILN: 4,000 biasiswa

•Kriteria yang digunakan bagi pemilihan dan penawaran biasiswa PILN:
- Pencapaian akademik
- Pembabitan dalam kokurikulum
- Sosioekonomi dan latar belakang keluarga
- Prestasi ketika temu duga.


Berita Harian 24/5/2011

20110523

Malaysia ranked world’s 10th largest consumer of alcohol

Malaysia has been named by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the world’s 10th largest consumer of alcohol despite its small population and size.

Statistics by the international body this year also showed that Malaysians spent over US$500mil (RM1.5bil) on alcohol with a per capita consumption of seven litres.

Beer consumption in Malaysia is 11 litres per capita.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Heng Seai Kie said the problem of alcohol consumption in the country was getting serious.

“Alcohol is not only causing a lot of health issues but is also contributing to a significant number of accidents,” she said here yesterday.

Heng was speaking to reporters after launching booklets and seminars on “Promote Healthy lifestyle: Reduce Alcohol Harm” organised by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) and supported by IOGT International, a worldwide community of non-governmental organisations, and the National Association of the Prevention of Drug Abuse (Pemadam).

She said the ministry, through the National Population and Family Development Board, would hold a campaign to create awareness on the danger of alcohol abuse.

She said 10 seminars would be held nationwide this year.

They would be conducted in Mandarin, Malay, English and Tamil and were aimed mostly at those from the Chinese and Indian communities, which had a high alcohol abuse rate.

“The public has to understand that alcohol is not part of our culture and it will bring harm if it is abused,” she said.

Earlier, in his speech, KLSCAH secretary-general Yong Yew Wei said the Road Safety Council estimated that drinking and driving caused 30% of road accidents nationwide, with 38% of these resulting in fatalities.

“A study also shows that absenteeism from workplace among alcoholics is 16 times higher than others,” he said, adding that non-governmental bodies played a vital role in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Star Online 23/5/11

Tak perlu gusar harga petrol

Rakyat tidak perlu gusar dengan kemungkinan kenaikan harga petroleum termasuk petrol RON95 kerana kerajaan belum membuat keputusan sama ada mengekalkan pada harga semasa atau menaikkan harga bahan bakar itu.

Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, berkata kajian ke atas bahan api itu dilakukan selaras pelan Rasionalisasi Subsidi bahawa setiap enam bulan sekali, satu kajian semula perlu dibuat ke atas subsidi minyak. "Kerajaan mengambil kira semua faktor termasuk inflasi dan beban rakyat kerana rakyat adalah keutamaan Barisan Nasional (BN) sebelum memutuskan sebarang keputusan mengenai semakan semula. "Apa yang saya boleh katakan, minyak tidak akan turun tetapi harga petrol naik atau kekal, akan ditentukan selepas keputusan pelarasan yang akan dibuat akhir bulan ini," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Persidangan Perwakilan UMNO bahagian Batu Kawan, di sini, semalam.

Hadir sama, Ketua UMNO bahagian Batu Kawan, Datuk Mohd Noordin Mohd Kassim.
Ismail Sabri berkata, walaupun harga petrol RON97 meningkat kepada RM2.90 seliter, ia tidak bermakna harga petrol tidak naik lagi dan jaminan harga minyak akan kekal selama-lamanya.

"Tahun lalu tanggungan subsidi hanya RM8 bilion, tetapi disebabkan minyak mentah dunia meningkat hingga mencecah AS$100 setong, tanggungan kerajaan mencecah RM18 bilion.
"Jika difikirkan, mengapa perlu kita menyuntik wang yang banyak bagi mengekalkan harga minyak di negara ini, sedangkan wang itu boleh digunakan untuk projek yang memberi kebaikan kepada rakyat termasuk membasmi kemiskinan," katanya.

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Ismail Sabri meminta semua pimpinan UMNO terutama di Pulau Pinang perlu bekerja keras dan sentiasa mendahului pembangkang dalam mendekati rakyat.

"Kita perlu keluar dari zon selesa dan menjadi sebahagian rakyat supaya masalah mereka dapat diketahui dan dibantu sepenuhnya.

"Apabila timbulnya masalah dalam kalangan orang Melayu, UMNO perlu menjadi juara rakyat supaya rakyat mengetahui bahawa hanya UMNO yang mampu membantu mereka," katanya.


BH ONLINE 23/05/2011

20,000 penjawat awam miskin

Hampir 50 peratus atau kira-kira 20,000 daripada lebih 40,000 penjawat awam terutama mereka yang bekerja sebagai kakitangan sokongan di jabatan kerajaan di sini menghadapi masalah kemiskinan bandar kerana mempunyai pendapatan kurang dari RM1,500 sebulan.

Pendedahan itu dibuat Ahli Parlimen Putrajaya, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. Tengku Adnan berkata, keadaan ini menyebabkan ramai di kalangan kakitangan sokongan kerajaan terbabit terpaksa melakukan pelbagai kerja sambilan termasuk memandu teksi, menjadi pengawal keselamatan dan berniaga kecil-kecilan bagi menampung kos sara hidup keluarga masing-masing. Berikutan itu, beliau berkata, UMNO Putrajaya akan bekerjasama dengan TEKUN Nasional (TEKUN) bagi membolehkan kakitangan sokongan kerajaan terbabit memohon pinjaman sebagai modal untuk memulakan perniagaan secara kecil-kecilan, sekali gus membantu mereka meningkatkan hasil pendapatan masing-masing setiap bulan.

“Kita mengucapkan terima kasih kepada TEKUN kerana meluluskan pinjaman sebanyak RM367,000 kepada 26 kakitangan kerajaan dan penduduk Putrajaya bagi membolehkan mereka memulakan perniagaan.

“Ini adalah antara cara kita membantu kerajaan menangani masalah kemiskinan di kalangan kakitangan kerajaan yang tinggal di bandar besar, terutama Putrajaya,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan seminar keusahawanan anjuran TEKUN dan Pejabat UMNO Putrajaya di sini.

Pada majlis sama, Tengku Adnan turut menyampaikan cek keseluruhan bernilai RM367,000 kepada 26 usahawan termasuk kakitangan sokongan kerajaan untuk memulakan perniagaan masing-masing.
Sementara itu, Pengarah Urusan dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif TEKUN, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hassan, berkata pihaknya sudah memberi pinjaman berjumlah RM1.68 bilion kepada 183,364 peminjam di seluruh negara, sejak 1998.

Katanya, daripada jumlah berkenaan sebanyak RM239.90 juta diagihkan kepada 20,201 usahawan di Selangor.

20110520

Dutch Lady naik harga bulan depan

DUTCH Lady Milk Industries Bhd akan menaikkan harga produknya antara lima hingga enam peratus secara berperingkat mulai bulan depan.

Pengarah Urusannya, Bas van den Berg, berkata kenaikan itu terpaksa dilakukan bagi menampung kenaikan kos susulan peningkatan tinggi harga bahan mentah tenusu dunia yang dijangkakan meningkat sehingga 29 peratus lagi tahun ini selepas peningkatan 27 peratus tahun lalu. Beliau menjelaskan, kenaikan harga bahan mentah tenusu itu berikutan peningkatan permintaan di negara pasaran sedang berkembang dan perubahan persekitaran di negara pengeksport yang meningkatkan kos pengeluarannya

“Di samping menaikkan secara berperingkat harga, syarikat itu juga akan meningkatkan lagi kecekapan operasi bagi menampung sebahagian kesan kenaikan kos bahan mentah berkenaan, ” katanya pada sidang media selepas mesyuarat agung tahunan syarikat itu di Petaling Jaya, semalam

2011/05/20 Berita Harian

Kaji perkenal semula satu sen

Langkah elak peniaga ambil kesempatan menaikkan harga: Muhyiddin

Kerajaan sedang menimbang untuk memperkenalkan semula penggunaan wang syiling satu sen bagi membolehkan pengguna membayar harga sebenar sesuatu barangan atau perkhidmatan serta mengelak peniaga mengambil kesempatan menaikkan harga hanya kerana kenaikan kecil harga bahan mentah.

Jika dilaksanakan kelak, harga barangan atau perkhidmatan tidak lagi dibundarkan kepada jumlah yang paling hampir kepada lima sen, sebaliknya pengguna membayar mengikut harga sebenar. Timbalan Perdana Menteri, kata Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, berkata perkara itu sudah dibincangkan dalam mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kabinet Bekalan dan Harga yang dipengerusikan beliau pada Isnin lalu dan cadangan akan dikemukakan kepada Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) untuk kajian terperinci.

Beliau berkata, penggunaan semula syiling itu antara lain ialah bagi membendung tindakan peniaga yang menaikkan harga barangan setiap kali harga bahan mentah naik.

Katanya, ada yang menaikkan harga barangan sehingga 10 sen apabila harga bahan mentah naik, walhal kos mereka hanya meningkat satu sen sahaja.

“Kita nak cadangkan gunakan balik duit satu sen. Kalau teh tarik naik harga satu sen daripada RM1.30 kepada RM1.31 sen, jangan jadikan ia RM1.35 sen, iaitu naik sehingga empat sen sebab nak genapkan harganya.

“Tak salah kalau kita gunakan satu sen kerana ia tak membebankan,” katanya selepas perjumpaan dengan pemimpin masyarakat, di Dewan 2020, sempena Program Turun Padang Timbalan Perdana Menteri ke Perlis, di sini semalam. Hadir sama, Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu dan Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Muhyiddin berkata, peniaga juga perlu lebih bertanggungjawab membantu mengurangkan beban pengguna berikutan kenaikan pelbagai kos dan harga barangan yang tidak dapat dielakkan ketika ini.

Penggunaan wang syiling satu sen dalam pasaran dihentikan pada 1 April 2008 apabila Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna melaksanakan Mekanisme Penggenapan yang memperlihatkan semua pembayaran digenapkan kepada lima sen terdekat. Langkah itu bertujuan mengurangkan penggunaan syiling satu sen dengan menggenapkan semua bayaran bil atau harga barang.

Muhyiddin berkata, walaupun pada asasnya penjimatan satu sen dilihat kecil untuk satu barangan, ia memberi kesan besar apabila membabitkan banyak barangan yang dibeli atau banyak bil yang dijelaskan oleh pengguna.

“Umpamanya jika 100 kali nilainya sudah menjadi RM1 dan jika 1,000 kali boleh menjadi RM10,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri menolak dakwaan pembangkang kononnya kerajaan tidak membantu rakyat menangani masalah kenaikan harga barangan ketika ini, sebaliknya memberi jaminan kerajaan tetap menangani fenomena global yang menjadi punca kenaikan harga barangan dan bahan asas, terutama minyak bagi memastikan rakyat tidak tertekan dengan peningkatan kos sara hidup.

Sementara itu, Muhyiddin turut mengumumkan kerajaan mengurangkan subsidi minyak diesel untuk kegunaan bot perikanan laut dalam berkuat kuasa 1 Jun ini sebagai langkah penjimatan kos subsidi yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh kerajaan yang dilaporkan mencecah RM20 bilion tahun ini.

BH 20/02/11

20110519

Warga Brazil kini wanita tertua dunia berusia 114 tahun

RIO DE JANEIRO: Seorang warga Brazil, Maria Gomes Valentim, kini menjadi wanita tertua dunia berusia 114 tahun, demikian diumumkan Guinness World Records.

Valentim, 114, mengambil alih kedudukan wanita tertua dunia yang baru itu daripada warga Amerika Syarikat, Besse Cooper, yang muda 48 hari daripadanya, demikian menurut laman web Guinness World Records. Valentim, yang menjadi ibu tunggal sejak 1946 dan hanya mampu bergerak menggunakan kerusi roda berasal dari negeri Minas di Brazil.

Beliau memberitahu, rahsia umurnya yang panjang kerana mengamalkan diet pemakanan yang sihat. - AFP

20110503

20110425

Pelestarian tradisi jamin keutuhan bangsa

PERPADUAN kaum di Malaysia mengalami pasang surut sejak 54 tahun menikmati kemerdekaan biarpun pelbagai dasar diperkenal dan dilaksanakan. Gempa perpecahan pertama kali meledak pada Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) Ke-3, sekali gus mencatat tragedi berdarah 13 Mei 1969.

Sejak itu perpaduan bertaut seketika bagi meneruskan kelangsungan program pembangunan, sekali gus menjaring semula kesejahteraan dan keharmonian rakyat hingga disegani di kalangan negara serantau.

Namun ledakan kedua yang berlaku pada 2008 tiba-tiba mengubah peta geopolitik Malaysia mengakibatkan rakyat berpecah belah dan perpaduan semakin menipis. Pelbagai dasar dan tindakan dilakukan bagi mengeratkan perpaduan, namun perpecahan terus melebar berikutan tindakan agresif kumpulan tertentu menghasut rakyat agar menentang dasar pembangunan kerajaan.

Ramai penganalisis politik tempatan melahirkan kebimbangan mengenai kumpulan radikal ini yang mendakwa memperjuangkan hak rakyat, tetapi ternyata merekalah petualang negara dengan mengutuk semua usaha kerajaan yang bersusah-payah membina negara selama berpuluh-puluh tahun.

Ini diakui Profesor Fakulti Sains Pentadbiran dan Pengajian Polisi Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam ketika berceramah dalam Forum Jati Diri 1Malaysia, bertajuk ‘Perpaduan Negara Melalui Komunikasi dan Media’ di Shah Alam, baru-baru ini, sambil menambah kumpulan radikal ini menggunakan media baru seperti laman sesawang untuk menghasut rakyat supaya membenci kerajaan.

Forum Jati Diri 1Malaysia adalah anjuran Jabatan Penerangan, Berita Harian, Gabungan Penulis Nasional (GAPENA) dan Persatuan Siswazah Komunikasi (PERSKOM). Majlis ini dipengerusikan Prof Dr Mokhtar Muhammad dari UiTM Shah Alam dan disertai pensyarah Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Datuk Prof Dr Rosli Saludin.
Ramlah turut mengingatkan rakyat Malaysia supaya tidak terperangkap dengan hasutan kumpulan radikal ini kerana mereka sanggup berbuat apa saja bagi mencapai matlamat untuk mengambil alih pentadbiran Kerajaan Pusat.

Pada masa sama, katanya, rakyat Malaysia perlu menghapuskan rasa curiga terhadap kepemimpinan kerajaan dan berusaha menjaga perpaduan dalam kalangan pelbagai kaum bagi memudahkan kerajaan meneruskan usaha pembangunan bagi kepentingan bersama.

Bagi mencapai tujuan itu, katanya, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak memperkenalkan slogan 1Malaysia dengan mengajak semua kaum dan keturunan di Malaysia sentiasa bekerjasama dan hormati menghormati bagi memudahkan kelangsungan pelbagai program pembangunan negara.

“Ia bukan slogan politik untuk memenangi PRU Ke-13, tetapi kesinambungan daripada konsep muhibah yang pernah diperkenalkan Perdana Menteri pertama, disusuli reformasi bahasa dan budaya oleh beberapa peneraju berikutnya.

“Semua slogan berkenaan disandarkan pada matlamat membentuk kehidupan selesa dan menghindar perpecahan kaum yang boleh mengundang ketidakstabilan politik.

“Peluang mengerat perpaduan rakyat berbilang kaum boleh dicapai jika rakyat Malaysia berusaha membentuk sikap jati diri yang bertunjangkan semangat kebangsaan seperti dilakukan pejuang negara ketika menentang komunis dan imperialisme Barat,” katanya.

Ramlah berkata, tidak ramai menyedari kepentingan bahasa sebagai kunci perpaduan rakyat. Justeru, kebanyakan kuasa ekonomi terbesar dunia seperti China dan Jepun mendukung semangat kebangsaan yang jitu dan pemimpin mereka berbangga menggunakan bahasa masing-masing sebagai lingua franca di persada antarabangsa.

Selain itu, katanya, rakyat perlu terus menyokong dasar dan pembangunan kerajaan bagi memastikan kestabilan politik berada pada tahap terbaik, sekali gus menutup peluang kuasa Barat, terutama Amerika untuk melebarkan semula imperialismenya di Malaysia dengan helah mahu memulihkan kestabilan politik di rantau ini.

Beliau berkata, kemelut politik di beberapa negara Asia Barat seperti Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya dan Yaman sejak kebelakangan ini membuka ruang kepada penjajah untuk bersekongkol dengan masyarakat setempat bagi menjatuhkan kerajaan masing-masing.

Ramlah berkata, peralihan kuasa tidak memberi faedah kepada rakyat di negara berkenaan kerana rakyat terus sengsara menanggung kesan peperangan.

Katanya, Malaysia bebas daripada cengkaman imperialisme pada kurun ke-20, namun beberapa tanda menunjukkan penjajahan semula akan berlaku di abad ini berikutan tindakan kumpulan penentang kerajaan didapati bersekongkol dengan kuasa Barat dan ini boleh mengundang nasib sama dengan rantau Asia Barat.

Rosli pula berpendapat Malaysia mampu melakar nama sebagai sebuah negara maju dengan keunikannya tersendiri kerana negara ini dibina dan dibangunkan berteraskan budi bahasa, sopan-santun serta susila adat yang tinggi.

Justeru, katanya, ia perlu terus dipertahankan oleh generasi muda sebagai warisan bangsa.

“Bersatu itu teguh, bercerai itu roboh. Bersatu bertambah mutu, berbahasa menunjukkan bangsa. Kalau hilang bahasa tak taulah apa nak kata. Kalau mencari tempat mandi, pertama teluk kedua pantai. Kalau mencari pemimpin terpuji, pertama elok kedua pandai,” katanya yang lebih banyak berpantun ketika menyampaikan ceramah.

Beliau berkata, dalam mengisi nilai kemerdekaan negara, Adat Perpatih, misalnya mementingkan perpaduan supaya masyarakat hidup dalam harmoni dan sejahtera.

“Dalam adat Perpatih ada mengatakan duduk seorang bersempit sempitan, duduk ramai berlapang-lapangan. Apa yang ditekankan ialah elemen muafakat. Jika seorang berfikir seorang, kalau ramai maka banyak idea yang boleh diketengahkan.

“Batu kikir jambatan besi gulai udang sebelanga, fikir-fikirlah dalam hati, daripada seorang elok kita bersama. Jadi, kebersamaan kita dalam negara berbilang kaum ini tanpa mengira agama, bangsa kita bersatu,” katanya.

Rosli menegaskan tunjang utama yang menjamin keutuhan sesebuah bangsa ialah pelestarian tinggalan tradisi dan ia perlu dipertahankan.

Sehubungan itu, beliau mengajak seluruh bangsa yang dianggap bertamadun memartabatkan tinggalan adatnya untuk keampuhan peribadi bangsanya.

Zailani Ahmad
bhnews@bharian.com.my
2011/04/25

20110220

Enforcement and Tolerance

by Zaharom Nain. Posted on February 20, 2011, Sunday

On my way home from picking up my children from make-up classes yesterday, I got caught up in the regular – and infamous – USJ jam. I’ve never really gotten used to these traffic snarls, despite having moved down from laidback Penang more than a year ago, hence consciously try to avoid travelling during peak hours for the sake of my sanity.
This is, after all, Malaysia (or, rather, Peninsular Malaysia) where all those myths of the lazy, laidback, lemah lembut (gentle) native get thrown out the window the moment we get into our cars.

Indeed, many has been the time when I’ve been tailgated by irritated (and damn irritating) small Malaysian cars driven by tudung-clad mak ciks determined, I’m sure, to mow me down in their haste to get home, switch on the TV and possibly watch Datuk Siti Noor Bahyah bashing fellow Malaysians and their beliefs.

Granted, many of us may not honk as loud and as long as our parents used to, but we sure as hell find it unthinkable still to give way to other motorists when caught in a jam, even when we know that giving way would invariably ease the jam.

Indeed, oftentimes it becomes a crazy case of might is right, with the bigger vehicles calling the shots and threatening to destroy the rest.

And such was the case yesterday when, virtually out of nowhere, this lorry moved into my lane from the left – without the indicator light being turned on, of course. Invariably I had to give way since I’m not a crazy mak cik driving a souped-up Kancil or Viva.

As it arrogantly settled itself in front of me, I noticed that this monstrosity had only one rear light working, with a couple of the others being broken – they actually had holes in them, as if having been riddled by bullets in some previous car – or lorry – chase movie.

But, of course, this is quite a common sight on the roads in Malaysia, where you’ll find on a daily basis these unwashed and rust-infested heavy vehicles looking as if they’d come out of those classic Mad Max movies.

What’s tragically funny about these vehicles – and this was certainly true of the menacing-looking lorry in front of me – is that, apart from carrying all these `scars’, they nowadays also carry seemingly-obligatory contact details (from the Road Transport Department, I think) for anybody to call of sms to register a complaint.

Seeing this heap of junk in front of me, and having seen many others which really looked as if they belonged in the scrap metal dealer’s yard, with the RTD form plastered prominently on them, inviting anybody to register complaints, raised a number of questions in my mind.

First, do people really register their complaints with the authorities using the numbers given? While I don’t have the statistics, I’m quite sure some do – or at least try to.

Which leads on to the second question: Is anything then done once these complaints are received or is this all yet another one of those not-so-great Malaysian public relations exercises?

An exercise that our political leaders especially have become rather adept at while kidding themselves that `the fools out there’ can’t see through it all.

Indeed, if something is being done, then why are these vehicles still on the road, risking the lives of many and also often polluting the environment with their black smoke and killer carbon emissions?

I guess in the end it’s the problem of enforcement – or the lack of . After all, we have innumerable rules, regulations, even laws, but, when push comes to shove, if the enforcers can’t – or refuse to, or even, are paid not to – enforce all this, nothing much is going to change.

Indeed, you’ll probably remember, as I do, that awhile ago there was all this talk about government departments, even ministries, having KPIs (that’s key performance indices for you naughty ones not in tune with SatuMalaysiaBoleh).

Lately I’ve heard numerous airheads declaring that their KPIs had been achieved, often without providing concrete evidence, even basic statistics, to support their assertions. Aiyah, that one my 8 year-old child also can do. So let’s stop all this kelentong-ing, ok?

But, the sad thing is, kelentong (bull, spin, lie, bs – take your pick) they still would. And would you want to know why?

Essentially because we have become an extremely tolerant people, bordering on being passive and cowardly, evidently with our tidak apa (never mind) culture.

An incident that affected my expatriate colleague just a couple of days ago will help to illustrate this.

It was 11 o’clock on the night of Chap Goh Mei. His two little kids, both babies still, were asleep. Suddenly the sky lit up and all hell broke lose, with the sound of screaming rockets and other missiles shattering the silence of the night. His neighbour, with friends and family in tow, had set off the firework celebration.

Not so funnily (or politely) the missiles were trained away from the launchers – and directly into his compound.

There was a lull, during which time he tried to calm down his clearly distraught kids. But, of course this was all too brief because no sooner had it stopped when the missile attacks started again.

Clearly upset this time, and with one child in his arms, he marched straight to his neighbour’s, and launched into a tirade aimed at his neighbour. The fact that he’s a Cambridge graduate in English, I’m sure, made the lecture he gave to his suddenly-silent neighbour all the more `show-stopping’, shall we say?

When he asked me, clearly fearing for his life for his outburst, if he’d done the right thing, unhesitatingly I told him that he had. If anybody had lost face, I thought, it was clearly his neighbour. And, of course, all this was proven right when he told me later that his neighbour had the next day delivered a huge bunch of orchids, together with a note of apology.

When I discussed this with my wife, Jackie, her immediate response was that it would have been quite unusual for a Malaysian to have reacted the way that Sean did.

Indeed, for Jackie, him being an expatriate – and one with a family, not prone to having noisy , late night drunken parties, an image which expatriates often are stereotyped or labeled with – made him a `visitor’ who would be respected by someone like his neighbour.

But it probably would have been quite different if both parties were Malaysians.

Many Malaysians, indeed, would have cursed and sworn in the privacy of our homes and silently tolerated the noise principally because we don’t want to `look for trouble’ and fear for our own safety should we be confrontational. We would have privately cursed the neighbour and even the authorities for not enforcing the law. But we would then leave it at that.

Such, indeed, is the nature of our `tolerance’, I guess.

Outsiders and visitors, like my expatriate friend, used to a more open environment, evidently more easily articulate their opposition and dissatisfaction.

We, on the other hand, are continuously berated for `not counting our blessings’ and openly warned not to even consider asking for reforms and change the way the Tunisians and Egyptians (and many others in the region now) have done so.

Hence, we find it difficult, if not well-nigh impossible, to raise objections.

We kid ourselves that it’s all part of our culture when, instead, it’s very much due to a deliberate and sustained programme of socialization, through education , media spin and the (mis)identification of a majority of issues with religion and ethnic identity.

And, sadly, the poorer we have become for all that.

We are too much depending on other for Rice- Do we realize that ?

by Sidi Munan. Posted on February 20, 2011, Sunday

MY favourite grocer at Kota Sentosa shook his head saying, “Haven’t got, boss.”
Since last month, the Beras Nasional 15 has disappeared from the market, he said, pointing to the Chrysanthemum variety. Only RM38 per 10kg bag bah!

I replied, “I see.”

Actually I didn’t.

I still didn’t understand why the rice went out of stock until Monday evening when I heard it over the radio.

One official from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism was explaining the situation: the restaurants and eateries had allegedly snapped up all the rice, and there was nothing the authorities could do because there was no regulation to prevent these businesses from buying the subsidised rice too.

Gahat Mawang rice

Earlier in the day, the headline in The Borneo Post screamed, ‘Bright future for 80,000 padi planters’.

It was the officials from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation talking about the results of research done by Mardi on hill padi in Gahat Mawang. Though the research project will only be completed at the end of August this year, the results are already known to them.

“Through the research we can now enable the smallholders to increase the yield from their farms. If they produce more than they need for subsistence, they can sell and improve their income,” the chairman of the taskforce on food security of the ministry was reported to have said.

He revealed that the project was in line with the economic transformation programme to achieve a high income economy because the PM and the CM want every Malaysian to earn better income, adding that “the transformation programme is not empty talk because we are serious in helping everyone from the big corporations to the smallholders”.

Asked if there would be similar studies carried out in other areas in Sarawak, yes, there would be studies done in Sri Aman, Kapit and Sarikei soon.

Such is the wonder of science that results of research are already known before completion, like the sex of a baby is known before its delivery. The variety has even been christened ‘Gahat Mawang Rice’.

Thirty years ago, I heard of research on planting padi on terraces. Not a word about its success or failure ever since.

While flying by helicopter over the Lower Batang Lupar, our first Prime Minister had a bright idea: there, down below is a vast country, the next rice bowl of Malaysia. Excitedly, he announced this to reporters waiting for him at the old Kuching Airport.

This was sometime in 1965.

Since then talk about this rice bowl has cropped up from time to time whenever VIPS visit the Lupar.

While waiting for the Gahat Mawang Rice to be marketed, may we ask what has happened to the many padi schemes in the state? How productive are they and when can we be self-sufficient in rice?

Millions of ringgit have been poured into the drainage and irrigation of those schemes from Tanjung Purun in Lundu to those in the northern region of Sarawak.

These schemes were part of the self-sufficiency policy in rice because Sarawak has been a net importer of rice since the end of the Second World War. According to the Sarawak Annual Report 1951, we imported some 31,709 tons of rice that year to feed a population of 546,385 (Census 1947). Now to feed a population of 2.1 million (2001), the state needs some many more tons of rice — you work it out for yourself.

How successful is that policy?

Month of dry spoons

This period — December, January and February — is dubbed by rural padi planters as ‘bulan begantong senduk’. It’s that time of the year before harvest, in fact a time of hunger. For the fishermen, it’s a period of rough seas and incessant rains (landas) and time to take a rest from sea fishing. For these fishermen, all would be well after the Chap Goh Meh; for the padi planters, however, harvest time will not be until March or early April.

This is the time to resort to the BN and its disappearance from the grocer’s at this critical juncture adds insult to injury.

Some explanation I heard over the radio ran something like this: The government has classified rice consumers into two broad groups: the lower income are to eat the subsidised BN 15, while the higher income earners, restaurants, and eateries, ought to buy the fragrant variety imported from Thailand and Vietnam. For the past couple of months, these eateries have allegedly snapped up all the rice meant for ordinary mortals.

Hence the shortage.

And there is no law to prevent these food outlets from buying the staple food of the lower income groups. Even if there is such a regulation, it would be almost impossible to impose unless you employ the Japanese style of food control by allowing the lower income groups to get the rice direct from the government’s godowns.

That’s the explanation. I see.

But I’m more interested in getting my BN immediately rather than waiting for the new brand discovered by Mardi. Too old to wait too long.

Rice producers stockpiling

The news about scrambling to stockpile by many rice producing countries does not help; the poor harvests in Thailand and Vietnam — two sources of Malaysian imports — do not make good reading.

Spare a thought for those farmers in Baram

In Sarawak, at this time of the year, paddy fields are murai (blooming) but many farmers in the Baram have experienced bad floods and their fields were destroyed.

The Penans and the longhouse folk in the Baram, especially in the Tinjar-Bakong areas, are in for a long ‘begantong senduk’ unless help comes between now and the following harvest in March 2012.

Once there were green fields

Though the country has been a net importer of rice, mainly for people in town, most rural people, especially those farmers in the Lower Batang Lupar in Tanjong Bijat, Stumbin and Banting, used to have enough rice, even spare for sale, unless there were bad floods, long dry spells or bad attacks by pests (empangau) or rats or sparrows (pipit banda).

But now there is a scramble for land for oil palm plantations at the expense of land for padi cultivation. Those farmers in the Lower Batang Lupar are lucky to sit on fertile land; in the rest of the state, the terrain is either hilly or not suitable for wet padi, which yields more than the hill variety does. Hopefully, Mardi’s research on hill padi will translate into real grains soon.

Have we enough land for rice cultivation, swamp and hill varieties, on a large scale?

You would remember seeing acres and acres of green fields of rice at Siburan and Beratok. No longer – now most of the area has been developed for housing estates.

In the past, you saw vegetable plots everywhere; now you don’t. The vegetable cultivators have moved to the Batu Gong area and even that area will be converted into housing estates in no time.

Driving along that offshoot of Penrissen road on the way to join Jalan Stephen Yong was pleasant at this time of the year, admiring the green fields turning yellow with beautiful grains and flags of all colours acting to scare away the naughty birds. No longer – shop houses have now taken over a large area opposite the junction to Kampung Sudat and more houses are being built there on padi land.

Other competitors

The padi farmers have other competitors, more formidable: the oil palm plantation owners, some of whom have even encroached on peat swamp land. In the 1970s, estate crop developers were not allowed to plant oil palms on such areas. Nowadays anything goes.

This is development, we are told.

Before I get overwhelmed by the thoughts of expensive rice as a result of the shortage in the market and of a scramble for stockpiling by rice producing countries, I must stop for my porridge.

As a state, when will we ever be self-sufficient in the staple food?

Contribution of Mr. Sidi Munan- Borneo Post Online

20110216

Rise in scams targeting e-banking accounts

If you have an Internet banking account, like many do in this modern IT era, take immediate notice.

The number of Malaysians falling prey to Internet banking scams is increasing by the day.
Cyber criminals are on the prowl looking for account holders gullible enough to reveal the two most vital pieces of data — their username and password.

They use fake banking websites, known as “phishing” sites, to try and trap the account holders.
If you fall for it, you can have your entire account wiped out in minutes, depending on the amount of money you have and the transfer limit set by the bank.

According to CyberSecurity Malaysia, a total of 1,426 reports were made last year compared to 634 received in 2009.

It said at least 900 unique phishing sites targeting local financial institutions have been discovered.

The body said those who fell prey are usually new Internet banking account holders and people who don’t understand Internet security

20110118

Politeknik, kolej swasta akan dipantau dalam usaha meningkat kualiti

Penarafan MyQUEST, PolyRate dilaksana tahun ini: Khaled

Mulai tahun 2011 ini, semua politeknik dan kolej swasta di negara ini akan dipantau dan diberi penarafan selaras hasrat kerajaan untuk meningkatkan kualiti institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) negara, kata Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Beliau berkata, semua 402 kolej swasta akan dinilai menerusi Sistem Pengukuran Kualiti dan Kesetaraan Kolej Swasta (MyQUEST) manakala politeknik akan diukur menggunakan Sistem Penarafan Politeknik (PolyRate).

Dua sistem ini dibuat bagi mengukur tahap pencapaian politeknik dan kolej swasta di negara ini, selaras hasrat kerajaan untuk meningkatkan kualiti IPT negara.

Kita sudah mempunyai SETARA (Sistem Penarafan IPT awam) untuk mengukur pencapaian universiti dan kolej universiti, tidak lengkap jika kita tidak melihat kualiti kolej swasta dan politeknik

Kadar caruman berkanun KWSP 11 peratus mulai 2011

Kadar caruman berkanun bahagian pekerja Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) dinaikkan kepada 11 peratus berbanding lapan peratus ditetapkan sebelum ini berkuat kuasa tarikh pembayaran gaji bagi Januari 2011.

Pengurus Besar Perhubungan Awam KWSP, Nik Affendi Jaafar berkata, majikan perlu memastikan jumlah caruman yang betul dipotong daripada gaji pekerja berdasarkan kadar caruman baru ditetapkan dan dibayar kepada KWSP bermula daripada caruman bulan Februari 2011.

Sebelum ini kadar caruman berkanun bahagian pekerja diturunkan daripada 11 peratus kepada lapan peratus untuk tempoh dua tahun bermula gaji Januari 2009 hingga Disember 2010.

20110117

RM100m for Belaga

Prime Minister announces eight mammoth projects which will directly benefit some 28,000 villagers

Belaga District and its population of 28,000 people yesterday received tremendous benefits from the government.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced eight projects there worth over RM100 million when he declared open the town’s new health clinic costing RM46 million.

Najib, accompanied by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Belaga assemblyman Liwang Lagang, was here for a one-day visit, following which he flew to the Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme for a meet-the-people session at Uma Belor longhouse.

To loud cheers from the over 1,000 people present, he first announced the government’s approval for the 35-km Belaga Town-Bakun Dam Road project, saying the project would be undertaken by the army under its ‘Projek Jiwa Murni’ (community project) to save cost.

“The government is aware this is a very important project for the 15,000 people who now cannot travel by express boat to Kapit Town because of certain shallow stretches along the Rajang River due to the Bakun Dam impoundment process.

“The federal government will allocate a sum of RM62 million for its construction which will begin by next month,” he said.

He said a RM35 million project to provide treated water supply to the people in the town and its immediate surrounding areas was implemented in November last year and is expected to be ready by October next year.

Najib also said the government, through the army, would construct a prefabricated steel bridge crossing the Linau River in Lusong Laku soon while a kindergarten would be built in this Penan settlement area.

On the request by the people for a commercial bank, he said Malayan Banking Group had agreed to set up a Maybank counter in three to four months’ time while Bank Simpanan Nasional would set up its branch by end of this year.

Meanwhile, he said a new contractor would be appointed to complete the construction of the boarding house for SMK Belaga.

He said the service of its current contractor had been terminated due to its inability to complete the project as scheduled.

Najib said all these indicated that the government was very serious and committed in bringing development to all rural areas.

“We have allocated a very big budget for rural development under the Tenth Malaysia Plan as well as under the National Key Result Areas projects,” he said.

He added the government too was aware that the rural people had been very strong supporters of Barisan Nasional since the country’s independence.

At the function, Najib also advised the people to take good care of their health and not to take things for granted.

He also said the government would send an X-ray machine as well as medical officers to be stationed at the new clinic.

Among those present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin.

January 16, 2011, Sunday

Wedding of 2011 - A truly glittering wedding

KUCHING: Amidst slight drizzle and an army of security personnel, the mood inside the new State Legislative Assembly complex last night was thoroughly festive with lavish decorations as Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Puan Sri Ragad Waleed Alkurdi held their wedding reception.

It was indeed a ceremony full of pomp and pageantry as some 500 dignified VVIPs, along with an impressive list of ‘who’s who’ in Sarawak, rub shoulders with the nation’s key public and corporate figures in attendance at the reception which was held at the DUN’s Dewan Santapan.
The guest list included Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhamad Salahuddin, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and federal and state Ministers.

Arriving at 8.15pm, Taib was handsomely clad in a black tuxedo while his bride Ragad looked radiant in a stunning white wedding gown. The newly-wed couple was welcomed by deputy chief ministers Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan and Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, along with Taib’s daughters Jamilah Hamidah and Datin Hanifah Hajar.

Najib and his wife Datuk Seri Rosmah Mansor were the next to arrive at 9pm, followed by Salahuddin and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Norkiah about 10 minutes later.

Although not on the same scale as the fairy tale wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer back in 1981, the Chief Minister’s wedding was certainly a class on its own.

Taib’s eldest son Dato Sri Mahmud Abu Bekir, in his appreciation speech, started off by wishing Ragad a ‘Happy Birthday’ as yesterday also marked Puan Sri’s 29th birthday.

“This unification would not have happened if not for Datuk Raziah Mahmud (Taib’s sister) and husband Datuk Robert Geneid. It was Robert’s cousin Iqbal who introduced Puan Sri to my father.

“About five months ago, Puan Sri dreamt that she married King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and he took her away in a Rolls Royce. Coincidentally, a year ago Robert’s niece Rasya also dreamt to have met King Abdullah.

“In her dream, Puan Sri had asked Robert to help Rasya. He gave her (Ragad) a piece of paper and a pen to write her wishes down. Then Puan Sri saw her late father smiling at her,” said Mahmud, adding that now Ragad had moved to Kuching to be with the family and the people of Sarawak.

Among the highlights of the night, apart from the cake cutting ceremony by the couple, were cultural performances by the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation troupe.

Entertainment for the evening included orchestral music led by Safie Obe Haruni, while Sarawak Imam Besar Jorji Suhaili led the prayers for the couple.

Held only the second week into the new year, the ‘Wedding of the Year’ was auspiciously marked as the first of many grand events anticipated in 2011. Taib and Ragad’s `akad nikah’ (marriage solemnisation) was held last Dec 18.

Born in Damascus, Ragad is the youngest of four children to Waleed and Khayami Alkurdi. Along with her brothers Samer and Mohamad, and sister Samar, the family moved to Riyadh when Ragad was still young. Sadly, their father passed away in 2003.

Tracing her roots, Ragad’s great great grandfather was a ‘Wari’ from Orfa, Turkey. His name was Khalil Orfali but only to change it to Alkurdi upon moving to Syria.

Having a background in interior design, Ragad loves singing, dancing, fishing and driving.