Musings on a Sunday

I note a few things that each side of the political divide needs to addressed with the public before it overwhelms them in the PRU14 and these are only samples that have reached the surface of of our national conscience, maybe there are more in the next two years or so before the big one in 2018 :

1. 1MDB scandals.

2. YaPEIM VVIP spendings.

3. The world renowned 2.6B donation from the Pak Arab fella.

and the latest,

4.  Nurul Izzah photograph with the Princess Kiram.

I have always thot that if the Pakatan wants to win the next election all they have to do is to sit back relax and watch as Umno and BN burn themselves with their own problems. Yup and hope to God that Najib still stays as Umno Presiden and PM. 

Of course Pakatan parties need to tone down their rhetorics and start talking and sitting down to solve their differences and above all .......not let the Anwar's family obsession to make the sodomy convict Malaysia's PM, throw a spanner in winning the next election. 

As in the case with Nurul Izzah Anwar meeting with the Kiram Clan princess which to me is a traitorous thing to do...hey Nurul the Kiram Army invaded Sabah lah for God Sake, and as Malaysia elected representative you should know better. Nurul's awesome display of insensitivity to the families of our fallen heroes in Lahad Datu is astounding and Pakatan meek response does not help their quest for Putrajaya at all as this issue is easy to understand by the masses. Expect BN to whack Pakatan on this one all the way to GE14. thank you Nurul for giving BN a much needed lifeline.

But Pakatan can exploit BN too, the belly of the beast is now exposed with the 1MDB scandals, 2.6 Billion donation and YaPEIM power abuses to name a few. The 1MDB scandals is too complex to be understood by the masses well including myself and together with the 2.6 Billion donation both are still being investigated. 

YaPEIM, ok lets call it for what it is ok-a big problem for Umno.... is another matter, it can easily be understood by the masses, maknanya orang-orang Melayu/Bumiputera di luar bandar tu. YaPEIM money is understood to be for the orphan and destitute. Faham-faham lah ye orang Umno...isu YaPEIM ini bahaya untuk persepsi kepada Umno it can easily be manipulated by Pakatan.

Anyway saya terbaca Joceline Tan punya artikel pasal Najib menang... I think many people especially the pro Najib people, Joceline included missed the point of Dr. Mahathir's battles, its nothing to do with his ego or his legacy its about BN continued rule over the country:

drM vs najib is not abt najib wins n survive 2 b PM. Its abt can BN win PRU14 if Najib is still PM lah. its nothing personal just politics.

— eddydaud. (@eddydaud) November 22, 2015

Good night and have a productive week.

Numb and Powerless

I speak everyday of sympathy,

To the innocent victims of violence, 

Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, Palestine & now Paris,

I am numbed & powerless to the violence.

Tak payah Council of Elders lah Dr Mahathir, its not constitutional

Baru-baru ini my super hero Dr Mahathir got roasted by many people for suggesting a Council of Elders to advise the Prime Minister of Malaysia. 

Dr. Aziz Bari was one of the first to get off  the starting line:

Dr Mahathir’s ‘council of elders’ not constitutional, says law expert

...and not going to miss the chance is Dr Mahathir's prime target the Prime Minister Najib Razak himself:

Najib shoots down Dr Mahathir’s ‘council of elders’ proposal

My question is, if this Council of Elders are unconstitutional what is the status of the various advisors the PM appoint to the PM's office like Shahrizat and a few other Consultants who basically play the role of advisors to the PM or his office? Are they meaning the post they hold Constitutional?

I understand why Dr Mahathir wants a Council of Elders having observed and witnessed first hand what has happened to the office of the Prime Minister after he retired many years ago in 2003.

Though I think his intentions are good, actually I don't agree with Dr Mahathir's suggestion. I think to ensure that a PM behaves in the best interest of the country what we need is:

1. A reform, to time bar the Prime Minister's post to at the most two consecutive terms.

2. A reform, to have mandatory scheduling of the General elections every five years from the previous election date.

I think if leaders do not have to think how long they can serve the country as PM, they can focus more on Good Governance and making our country a great place to live and work.

Happy Deepavali friends

Happy Deepavali to all my Hindu friends.

.....May the divine light of diwali spread into your life peace, prosperity, pleasure and good health.

Interlude - Mana Hilang 2.6 Bintang

A good song actually, this young Malaysian song writer and singer got talent:

Read more on Amirudin here.

A layman's brief on the Khairuddin-Matthias case

I am recording this interesting case in my blog by highlighting what I think is relevant news report and press releases that I found from the internet:

Lawyer Matthias Chang arrested under Sosma

AG: Wrong to say Khairuddin, Chang charged under Sosma

Press Release | Respect the Rule of Law and Release Dato' Sri Khairuddin and Matthias Chang

Gani Patail: Sosma introduced to deal with terrorism

So it comes to a question that perhaps everyone who reads and follow the case would like to ask which Blogger SatD have expressed quite clearly in his latest twit:

I know what Khairuddin and Mattias did last summer Do you? pic.twitter.com/Jgp9x5eihP

— satD (@satD) November 3, 2015

Enlarged for clarity

I presume that all this information and others would be material to be adduced in court as evidence in due time.

Anyway, here is the latest report on the case:

Khairuddin-Chang case goes back to High Court over Sosma


In the mean time something to ponder from DrM's blog:
SABOTAGE 

2 Nov 2015 | 1MDB
1.​ I am confused by the AG’s statement that Dato Seri Khairuddin and Matthias Chang are being charged with sabotage of the nation’s banking and financial system.

2.​ I assume that their reports to the police authorities in the UK, Switzerland and Hong Kong, where the transactions took place, are the basis of these sabotage charges which if convicted may land them in jail for up to 15 years.

3.​ But the publication by the foreign press of the shenanigans in the investments by 1MDB came out long before Khairuddin reported. These news reports were not casual reports but were very detailed descriptions of what and who were involved. They were reporting on what is well known to the whole world.


4.​ Why were these newspaper reports not satisfactorily rebutted by 1MDB or the MOF since the impression created about Malaysia’s alleged abuses of the financial and banking systems could result ultimately in the loss of confidence in Malaysia’s political and economic health and its financials?

5.​ But had there been no 1MDB and no 42 billion Ringgit being borrowed, the press would not report nor would there be any police reports. Wouldn’t these press reports then be considered as sabotage?

6.​ 1MDB may sell the 60 Ringgit p.s.f. land that it bought from the Government at 5000% above the purchase price and repay the loans. But the fact remains that had 1MDB not been created, the huge sum of borrowed money would not have disappeared. For this 1MDB and those responsible must still be charged for abuses of the banking and financial system, repayment of the loans notwithstanding. The creators of 1MDB and the managers are the people who sabotaged this country, which before this had a good record for financial management and a sound banking system. They are the people who should be charged in court for sabotage of the Malaysian banking and financial systems. Since it was Najib who created 1MDB, borrow 42 billion Ringgit and invested the money and losing it, Najib should also be charged with sabotage.

7.​ Alternatively everyone, from the initial set-up of 1MDB to the borrowing, to the newspaper reporters and the reports to the police should all be charged with sabotage of Malaysia’s financial and banking systems.

VERSI BM

SABOTAJ

1. Saya keliru dengan kenyataan Peguam Negara bahawa Dato Seri Khairuddin dan Matthias Chang sedang didakwa kerana sabotaj sistem perbankan dan kewangan negara.

2. Saya menganggap bahawa laporan mereka kepada pihak berkuasa polis di UK, Switzerland dan Hong Kong, di mana urus niaga itu berlaku, adalah asas kepada caj-caj sabotaj yang jika disabitkan kesalahan boleh dikenakan hukuman penjara sehingga 15 tahun.

3. Tetapi penerbitan oleh akhbar asing mengenai tipu helah dalam pelaburan oleh 1MDB keluar lebih lama sebelum Khairuddin melaporkannya. Laporan-laporan berita ini bukan laporan sambil lewa tetapi penerangan yang sangat terperinci mengenai apa dan siapa yang terlibat. Mereka melaporkan apa yang sudah diketahui umum di seluruh dunia.

4. Kenapa laporan-laporan akhbar ini tidak disangkal dengan memuaskan oleh 1MDB atau MOF sedangkan tanggapan yang telah terujud mengenai pendakwaan penyalahgunaan sistem kewangan dan perbankan Malaysia boleh akhirnya mengakibatkan kehilangan keyakinan terhadap kesihatan politik dan ekonomi Malaysia dan kewangannya?

5. Jika sekiranya tidak wujud 1MDB dan tiada RM42 bilion yang dipinjam, akhbar tidak akan melaporkan dan tidak akan ada laporan-laporan polis. Tidakkah laporan-laporan akhbar itu dianggap sebagai sabotaj?

6. 1MDB boleh menjual tanah yang dibeli dengan harga RM60 kaki persegi daripada Kerajaan pada kadar 5000% atas harga pembelian dan membayar balik pinjaman. Tetapi pada hakikat seandainya 1MDB tidak dicipta, jumlah besar wang yang dipinjam itu tidak akan lesap. Untuk ini 1MDB dan mereka yang bertanggungjawab masih perlu didakwa kerana penyalahgunaan sistem perbankan dan kewangan, tidak terkecuali juga pembayaran balik pinjaman. Pencipta 1MDB dan pengurus-pengurusnya adalah mereka yang mensabotaj negara ini, yang sebelum ini mempunyai rekod yang baik bagi pengurusan kewangan dan sistem perbankan yang kukuh. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang patut didakwa di mahkamah kerana sabotaj sistem kewangan dan perbankan Malaysia. Oleh sebab Najiblah yang mencipta 1MDB, meminjam RM42 bilion, melabur wang itu dan menghilangkannya, Najib juga sepatutnya didakwa kerana sabotaj.


7. Atau sebagai alternatif semua orang, dari awal penubuhan 1MDB hingga pinjamannya, pemberita-pemberita akhbar dan laporan kepada polis, semuanya harus didakwa kerana sabotaj sistem kewangan dan perbankan Malaysia.

End.

Panas: Tony Pua dedah 10 soalan ‘bocor’ untuk Presiden 1MDB jawab

kamu nak kutuk tony sampai thn depan kutuklah,tapi kawan ingat berpeluh arul nak jawab 10 soalan tony mengenai 1mdb: https://t.co/q2eGSXX3yv

— eddydaud. (@eddydaud) November 4, 2015

Tony Pua dedah 10 soalan ‘bocor’ untuk Presiden 1MDB jawab 

Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara, Tony Pua hari ini mendedahkan sepuluh soalan bocor untuk dijawab Presiden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Arul Kanda Kandasamy pada rancangan temu bual kelak.

Beliau tidak membawa sebarang soalan berunsur politik sebaliknya semua berkaitan aliran kewangan, malah tiada maklumat kerahsiaan Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) didedah kerana ia diperoleh dalam sumber umum.

“Ini bukan untuk memperoleh keuntungan politik tetapi bertujuan mencari kebenaran sejak Arul secara konsisten menegaskan 1MDB tidak ada apa-apa untuk diseleindungkan,” katanya pada kenyataan media, hari ini.

Sepuluh soalan itu ialah:-

1. Mengapakah Bank Negara Malaysia menarik balik kelulusan untuk 1MDB memindah lebih US$1.8 bilion ke luar negara? Adakah kerana dana itu dipindah ke akaun yang tiada kaitan dengan projek usahasama 1MDB dan Petrosaudi International Limited (Petrosaudi) seperti yang didedah dalam minit mesyuarat lembaga pengarah? Adakah akaun itu dimiliki Good Star Limited dan siapa sebenarnya menguasai syarikat itu?

2. Benarkah 1MDB melabur US$1 bilion untuk memperoleh 40 peratus daripada 1MDB-Petrosaudi sedangkan Petrosaudi hanya perlu melabur haknya untuk rizab minyak di Laut Caspian di Argentina? Benarkah hak untuk rizab minyak itu dibatal Petrosaudi sekitar dua bulan selepas menandatangani perjanjian usahasama, sekaligus Petrosaudi memastikan kepentingan 60 peratus tanpa melabur apa-apa?

3. Benarkah 1MDB tergesa-gesa menandatangani perjanjian usahasama dengan Petrosaudi tanpa mendapat kelulusan lembaga pengarah seperti yang dinyatakan dalam minit mesyuarat lembaga berkenaan?

4. Kenyataan 1MDB bertarikh 31 Mac 2013 dan 2014 menyatakan US$1.4 bilion dijadikan deposit kepada International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC) sebagai syarat IPIC untuk jaminan dalam isu bon 1MDB bernilai US$3.5 bilion. Bagaimanapun, penyata kewangan IPIC pada Disember 2013 dan 2014 yang diaudit Ernst & Young tidak menyatakan syarat untuk jaminan berkenaan. Laporan imbangan IPIC juga tidak menyebut deposit itu diterima atau sebaliknya. Mengapa 1MDB tidak mempersoal IPIC berkaitan deposit itu?

5. Adakah 1MDB membayar US$993 juta daripada US$1.22 bilion sebagai penebusan daripada dana pelaburan Cayman Islands dan US$975 dipinjam daripada Deutsche Bank yang menyebabkan penamatan pilihan 1MDB kepada Aabar Investments (Aabar) sebagai sebahagian syarat tambahan untuk IPIC menjamin bon 1MDB bernilai US$3.5 billion? 

Apakah jumlah sebenar yang dibayar kepada Aabar atau IPIC? Mengapa penyata kewangan IPIC pada Disember 2014 menunjukkan 1MDB berhutang US$481 juta untuk penamatan itu? 

Sebagai tambahan, jika US$993 juta itu ditebus daripada Cayman Islands tidak dibayar kepada Aabar atau IPIC, ke manakah perginya wang itu?

6. Penyata kewangan 1MDB, jawapan parlimen dan kenyataan media menyebut 1MDB Global Investment Limited meminjam US$3 bilion pada Mac 2013 untuk melabur secara 50:50 dengan Aabar. Persoalannya, bagaimana US$1.5 bilion dari pinjaman itu digunakan untuk hal lain seperti yang ditunjukkan Audit pada Mac 2014, apatah lagi usahasama itu belum dimulakan?

7. Arul ada menyatakan, berpandu kepada minit mesyuarat yang dibocor, baki pelaburan Cayman Islands yang berjumlah US$1.108 bilion sudah ditebus sepenuhnya dan disimpan di BSI Bank Singapore. Bagaimanapun, Arul menyatakan ia bukan dalam bentuk tunai sebaliknya unit dana (fund units) bernilai US$940 juta. Mengapa ia masih dalam bentuk sama, bukan tunai atau aset seperti harta dan saham? Jika ia masih bentuk sama adakah ia bermakna dana itu tidak pernah ditebus?

8. Arul ada membuat pengumuman mengenai ‘pertukaran hutang untuk aset’ (debt for asset-swap) dengan IPIC yang dianggar bernilai RM16 bilion daripada hutang 1MDB sebagai tukaran kepada aset 1MDB. IPIC sudah mendahulukan US$1 bilion dalam persetujuan itu. Bagaimanakah 1MDB dapat menunjukkan aset yang dipindah ke IPIC pada 30 Jun 2016? Kementerian Kewangan pula menyifatkan pertukaran itu merugikan. Adakah ia kerana 1MDB gagal menunjukkan aset itu hingga mendorong kementerian membayar pampasan kepada IPIC?

9. Arul juga mengisytihar pelupusan anak syarikat, Edra Energy yang membolehkan hutang RM16 hingga RM18 juta dihapus. Bagaimanapun, jumlah hutang keseluruhan 1MDB dianggar RM36 bilion, berbanding bon US$3.5 bilion, pinjaman RM5.7 bilion dan lebih RM8 bilion pinjaman sedia ada. Jadi, pengurangan hutang kepada RM18 bilion melalui pelupusan itu masih menjadikan 1MDB memiliki hutang tertunggak. Bagaimana penjualan anak syarikat itu menyelesaikan masalah aliran tunai 1MDB sedangkan tiada aset dimiliki untuk membayar baki hutang RM18 bilion?

10. Adakah  Kerajaan Persekutuan mengeluarkan surat sokongan pada Mei 2015 kepada Bank EXIM untuk membuat pinjaman US$150 juta untuk 1MDB membayar pengambilan tanah daripada Tadmax Resources Bhd yang dianggar bernilai RM300 juta. Jika benar, berapakah baki pinjaman yang tinggal?

.........di atas ialah penterjemahan dari blog Tony Pua. The original written by Tony in his blog can be read here. Please note the original in English will prevail over the translation in Bahasa Melayu above. 

The Gomen need to step up their act on the teaching of English for our children, now!

An articles I would like to share with friends to show the importance of English for Malaysians. Maybe the Bahasa Melayu extremists should read the articles too. 

Remember in this internet age everything is globalised and Malaysia as the 16th biggest trading nation on earth must be prepared for competition. 

Its English proficiency or be left behind dudes.

Having a workforce who understands and speak English is requisite  for us to move higher in this rapidly changing world. Understand this, we will be left behind if our English proficiency does not improve.

Bring back English, firms tell Putrajaya

Malaysia is encouraging schools to teach more classes in English as manufacturers and company chiefs say a deteriorating command of the language is hurting the country’s competitiveness. More than 90% of the 190,000 respondents in an online poll this month said there should be an option to take more subjects in the language, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, head of the government’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit, said in an interview on Monday. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak introduced a dual-language programme during his budget speech last week.

The poll highlights the challenges for Malaysia even as the World Bank’s annual Doing Business report showed the country is making progress on becoming more investor-friendly, having made it easier and less costly for companies to pay taxes. “Malaysia has lost its competitiveness due to our standards in English going down,” AirAsia Bhd co-founder Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said on Twitter this month. It’s a critical time “to reverse decades of decline in English”, he said. “Our children have suffered.” 

The government has flip-flopped on policies for English for more than a decade. A delay in August on making it a compulsory pass subject in a major exam for secondary-school students renewed debate about the education system. It drew criticism from manufacturers who say the move would weaken efforts to make Malaysian graduates more employable amid a goal of becoming a high-income nation by 2020. 

‘More prevalent’

“As it moves towards this goal, it’s inevitable that the use of English, be it in education or business, will be more prevalent,” said Weiwen Ng, a Singapore-based economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Measures to boost the use of the language are “a long-awaited step in the right direction”. The country shifted to Bahasa Melayu from English as the primary language used by teachers in a bid to promote integration between the Malay majority and ethnic Chinese. The government revived Maths and Science lessons in English in 2003, only to reverse that in 2012. In 2013, an education blueprint said it would be compulsory to pass English for Fifth Formers taking a national exam starting 2016. That, too, changed in August.

More time 

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, which represents more than 2,600 companies, said it was disappointed with the Education Ministry’s decision to postpone making English a must- pass subject. 

“The employability and quality of Malaysia’s human capital is at stake and also the country’s efforts to achieve developed nation status,” it said. 

Idris defended the government’s move, saying it would give educators and students more time to prepare. He cited a competency assessment several years ago where 70% of English teachers failed the Cambridge Placement Test.

“The fundamental problem is we have been entrenched for such a long time on Bahasa,” Jala said.

“When you have the teachers not making the grade, surely you have fundamental problems.” 

Najib has announced plans to spend more than RM135 million in Budget 2016 to raise the proficiency in English, as well as Malay. 

The government is maintaining the budget allocation for the education ministry even as a separate one overseeing tertiary institutes faces a cut in proposed spending.

Declining performance 

Still, the quality of Malaysian education hasn’t kept pace with most peers in East Asia, the World Bank said in a 2013 report, highlighting a declining student performance in Maths, Science and deteriorating English proficiency. 

Critics say the focus of Malaysia’s spending may have been misplaced. “It’s all about building schools but not about changing the curriculum,” 

Bridget Welsh, a senior research associate at National Taiwan University’s Centre for East Asia Democratic Studies, said about Najib’s spending plan next year.

– Bloomberg, October 29, 2015. 

After the Gomen under Najib Razak burned the PPSMI, I think they are now trying to undo the damage by applying the Dual Language Programme (DLP) to address the English deficiency problem.

Unfortunately the DLP application seems half hearted and a bit elitist as it does not apply to all schools but only 300 selected ones. I bet those 300 will mostly be in urban areas. Sadly it seems that the gap between the urban and the rural divide would not be getting any smaller soon.

I still think that the PPSMI should be resurrected as it would encompass all students in the urban and rural areas in the Sekolah Kebangsaan System. If the vernacular schools don't want it, so be it...the English teaching teachers can be regrouped for the Sekolah Kebangsaan.

Bottom line is Gomen muct act now! ...and please do not do piece meal policies please.

Additional Read:
Johor Sultan says Malaysia should adopt Singapore policy on English in schools

Asia tops biggest global school rankings

Cautiously excited over dual language move