Hari Raya is coming..better get ready earlylah wahai Ibu dan Ayah

Hari Raya is coming soon...well not so soonlah, we still have to do our fasting in Ramadhan first. Anyway for those of you who have children and is thinking about nice and exclusive dresses for them, cuba browse artikel Harian Metro ini:

Si cilik tampak anggun

Oleh Faizatul Farlin Farush Khan 

ffarlin@hmetro.com.my

Fesyen kanak-kanak kini semakin berkembang dan tidak terhad kepada gaun comel, seluar ataupun blaus. Malah, golongan cilik mempunyai cita rasa mereka sendiri dan sudah pandai memilih gaya digemari.

Melihat kepada perkembangan itu, butik Cipta memperkenalkan fesyen lebih anggun melalui koleksi jubah kanak-kanak menggunakan fabrik crepe Itali yang berkualiti tinggi serta rekaan eksklusif.

Menampilkan potongan menarik, jubah moden ala gaun kanak-kanak perempuan itu dijahit dalam tujuh saiz bagi disesuaikan dengan usia bermula setahun hingga 13 tahun.

Lebih menarik, jubah yang dijual pada harga bermula RM159 itu ditawarkan dalam sembilan warna ceria dan lembut antaranya hijau zamrud, hitam, krim, merah jambu, ungu, merah dan biru firus.

Menurut pengasasnya, Arif Eddy, jubah berkenaan dihasilkan memandangkan ia mendapat banyak permintaan daripada pelanggan yang mahukan pakaian kanak-kanak fesyen Muslimah yang menggunakan fabrik dan mempunyai rekaan berkualiti.

“Lebih penting, selain nampak anggun, kain yang dipilih juga tidak panas, sesuai untuk keselesaan kanak-kanak. Saya juga menambah perincian yang eksklusif pada jubah seperti penggunaan manik yang membuatkan ia juga sesuai digunakan ketika majlis perkahwinan termasuk sebagai pakaian gadis pengiring pengantin,” katanya.

Menurutnya, kotoran tidak mudah melekat pada fabrik jubah berkenaan selain ia mudah dicuci dengan tangan. Jubah itu dikeluarkan dalam stok terhad dan boleh didapati melalui laman Facebook: CiptaRTW dan Instagram: CiptaRTW.

Artikel ini disiarkan pada : Sabtu, 30 Mei 2015 @ 5:17 AM

In case some of you are wondering the founder of CIPTA RTW is Arif Eddy, my son.

An Opinion Piece by Awang Puteh - 'The ‘Guardians’ Who Have Betrayed The Nation’s Trust'

I thought I should share this post, from the Malaysian Reserve,  yes, I thinks its important that if you really want or needed to put a Malay, then put honest, selfless and dedicated Malay professionals to run GLCs and Gomen Trust Institution:

The ‘Guardians’ Who Have Betrayed The Nation’s Trust

OPINION by Awang Puteh Thursday, May 28, 2015

The current polemic in this country, specifically on the ongoing saga relating to the financial affairs of a particular government-owned investment company and other trust agencies in Malaysia reminds me, to paraphrase what one western author wrote more than two centuries ago: 

“It is the worst of times, in the age of foolishness, it is incredulity, it is the season of darkness, and it is the winter of despair”.

The situation is clearly ruinous for our country. It affects not only the sentiment among the business community, but much worse, and more detrimental, is the negative repercussions on the psyche and motivation of the entire Malay community, young and old, in towns and in the kampungs, given that the scandal involves almost entirely Malay politicians and professionals, and sacrosanct Malay Muslim trust agencies.

It truly saddens me; the betrayal by these Malay professionals, who are the trustees for the community, have supremely failed to protect the interests of the community. It is unimaginable that they have the audacity to betray the trust of the poor Malays who painstakingly saved their hardearned savings with the sole aim of financing for their pilgrimage.

Regardless of the heavy hand of sinister influence and pressures assumed to be exerted by the gamut of players in the political world, these professionals’ first and only fiduciary responsibility is to exercise the duty of care in the best interest of their depositors and stakeholders. They are ultimately responsible to no one else but Allah and their community. That is the true measure of their mettle as Muslim professionals.

One is prompted to ask if these “guardians” have an ounce of morals? From their irresponsible acts, which are currently being uncovered and peeled like onions, they are akin to slowly driving nails into the Malay’s flesh. They are, in actual fact, traitors to this nation.

The money lost can be recovered, those assets that have been sold can be substituted, but the loss of trust and pride are priceless, and possibly will take a very long time to be redeemed.

Worse, it has a negative and long-lasting impact on the future of the honest, educated, and hard-working, Bumiputera professionals and managers.

We have come a long way in developing Malay professionals and managers, but the ill-advised action of the select few has destroyed what we toiled so hard to achieve. The great men of yesteryears sacrificed and invested their sweat, tears, and blood to be successful, and to become a role model and inspiration to the poor and underprivileged Malays.

The Malay professional class was truly professional then; although the majority depended on the public sector, a sizeable group managed to seek independence in the private sector, even outside the country working for major banks and corporations, as well as consultancies.

Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) is a classic example. The idea of the establishment of the institution came from among the luminaries of Malay thinkers and intellectuals — a real hero — Royal Professor Ungku Aziz.

And the first MD of the first board of management of LTH was the highly respected Kedah-born Malay professional Tan Sri Hanafiah Hussain who was the first Malay to become a chartered accountant, and the founder of the first Bumiputera accounting firm.

They, and other Malay professionals then blazed the path for LTH to be not only one of the richest and profitable trust agencies in the country, but one of the most respected Haj institutions in the Muslim world.

The same goes for Permodalan Nasional Bhd. Its first chairman was another highly respected Malay — the late Tun Ismail Ali, the first Malaysian to be appointed as governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, and once the ED of the World Bank.

We had class, flair, and panache in those days.

However, the current leadership of these institutions are nowhere near when measured against those great Malay professionals and managers. The current cohorts, albeit not all, are in reality, in full frankness, individuals sorely wanting in ethical principles, moral convictions, in observance of tenets of good governance and selfless service to the nation. They have let us all down miserably. A disgrace to the nation, and, in particular, to the Malays. Their meek rebuttal or justifications are an insult to the entire Malay community.

While it may be perfectly understandable and unsurprising about those acts pulled off by these politically-appointed individuals or pseudo-professionals, the blatant betrayal by the professionals in these now tainted institutions cannot be forgiven.

Separation must be made between genuine and pseudo-professionals. The latter are not professionals but have been put to run these important, and sacred institutions, for none other than political reason. We have seen many government-linked investment companies, and government-linked companies, led by this kind of people, instead of real professionals. The former, while they are truly professionals, are sometimes no better, given their abject poverty in morals and ethics.

Because of them, the entire Malay professionals are being seen as untrustworthy, incompetent, and a slave to their political master. Their “bebalism” — or collective stupidity, as coined by another great Malay intellectual, Professor Syed Husin Alatas, has grievously tarnished the reputation of their cohorts, and the younger generation. Kerana nila setitik rosak susu sebelanga.

To me, this is the worst outcome of the entire saga. Not the impact in terms of monetary or financial repercussions, but the long-term damaging psychological and sociological impact on Malays.

Is there any possibility of redemption left? Is there hope for the Malays? Yes, we can do two things to regain back the trust.

First, the entire top management and Board of these tainted institutions must resign, or be sacked immediately, and if any legal transgressions have been committed, they must be brought to justice. We should not have much sympathy for them.

Second, and with immediate effect, only those Malay professionals with high integrity and who are well credentialed, with demonstrated capability, hardworking, and honest, should be allowed to serve in the position of responsibility in these trust institutions.

No politicians, no court-jesters, no shady characters, and definitely no inefficient and corrupt individuals should ever again be allowed to run these trust agencies. No twoways about it if we are serious to regain and re-build the trust and the confidence again.

Importantly, the trustees of this nation and its institutions must not forget their amanah, and they must not betray the heavy trust reposed upon them, nor take advantage of their position.

It’s worth reminding what Sheik Haji Abdullah Fahim sagely said half a century ago:

"Jangan pula ada pemimpin kita mengaut kekayaaan di atas belakang rakyat...sesiapa yang berjuang dengan nama Allah dan berniat baik sentiasa dalam keredhaanNya, tetapi, sesiapa yang lupakan niat, khianat, dan tamak akan dimurkai Allah, akhirnya menjadi hina"

*Awang Puteh is a researcher for a major think tank.

Don't ask people to resignlah, just answer the 1MDB questions, can?

Kawan tertarik dengan beberapa berita hari ini, antaranya:

Stick with me on 1MDB or resign, Najib tells ministers

The above is a bit harsh, apparently there is more than meets the eye:

TERKINI! SYARAT & PENYELESAIAN ISU 

#1MDB @hishammuddinH2O @mpkotabelud

The agreement to rehabilitate #1MDB by the Cabinet Ministers are not without conditions apparently, going by these tweets from YB Hishamuddin Hussein and YB Rahman Dahlan:

Its good to know that some in the Cabinet are not Pak Turuts or Pak Pandirs and I hope when Minister MK2 do really give his explanation it will be proper answers: 

.......not another red herring or  none answers or just fishing trips that lead to the rakyat asking more questions, ok.

And by the way PM sir, please don't have Ministers who say these things:

“Tidak Suka PM, Boleh Letak Jawatan” – MB Negeri Sembilan

Ministers be they Menteri Besar, Chief Ministers or Cabinet Ministers or even State Excos must understand that a party official in this case BN's Najib Razak was appointed to become PM and head the Malaysian Government precisely because BN won more Dewan Rakyat seats than the loose Malaysian Opposition in PRU13. 

Maka janganlah penyokong2 Najib suka-suka cakap macam MB NS ni, kalau berani tujukan soalan tu kepada YB2 Ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional dan suruh mereka buat secret ballot suka atau tidak suka PM. Kalau boleh buat...baru boleh cerita...kalau tidak don't waste people's time talking nonsense lah. It does not solve the trust deficit that is getting bigger by the day and if not controlled will become fire that consume BN in PRU14.

Thank You.

Its D-Day for MAS people today, I wish them best of luck and please have plenty of patience

Latest update 1st June 2015:

Red-letter day for 20,000 staff

Best of luck to my MRSM Kuantan buddies Johari and Hibban. 

Updated 1:

I hope good news for  MAS people:

A better MAS layoff deal

Original Post:

This week, today is D-Day for the 20,000 or so MAS people some of whom are my friends that I know way back from my MRSM days. I wish them all the best of luck, no matter what happens banyaklah bersabar......as one door closes many other doors will open, InsyaAllah.

Related News:

It will either be tears of joy or anguish for 20,000 MAS employees

Perhaps read some background:

The 21 years of mismanagement that brought 

MAS to its knees

I understand the new Airline replacing Malaysia Airlines Berhad will be completely new, I hope they also throw away the kite logo:

...................totally unsuitable, as a kite in real life has got a string attached to it....let the new logo be a bird....let it soar.

Those who does not remember the past are condemned to repeat it - George Santayana

'The recipe for the downfall of any company is taking on short-term debt to fulfil long-term projects. This is what symptomises 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) ills, which needs some RM40bil in the next nine years to meet its debt obligations'

Leong Hung Yee

Just so you know, this is how much money that 1MDB needs to pay and when, from TheStar:

1MDB’s cash crunch

The next nine years are crucial for fund, as its obligations are estimated at some RM40bil

THE recipe for the downfall of any company is taking on short-term debt to fulfil long-term projects. This is what symptomises 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) ills, which needs some RM40bil in the next nine years to meet its debt obligations.

The increasing limelight that the fund has come under – not only from politicians but also from the man in the street – does not help its case either.

The tipping point for 1MDB to be a topic of discussion among the kampung folk is Lembaga Tabung Haji’s (LTH) purchase of a parcel of land in the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) that is to be developed by 1MDB for RM188.5mil.

The momentum increased when a video of Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin telling members in a closed-door party function that the 1MDB issue had to be resolved now and that the board and management must be replaced emerged.

It is easy to fathom why the debt-laden 1MDB issue has to be resolved quickly. The fund has taken loans from banks and the capital market to purchase assets, including independent power producers, while failing to generate sufficient cashflow.

1MDB has cashflow problems, something that even Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah has admitted to. This has raised questions on the company’s ability to meet its debt obligations of RM42bil.

Estimates based on publicly available data and current market prices have put its annual interest payment cost at RM1.4bil a year between 2016 and 2022.

What is even more worrying is the massive principal bullet payments of RM13bil in 2022, RM10.9bil in 2023 and RM1bil in 2024.

Altogether, 1MDB has debt and interest commitments of about RM14.5bil in 2022 and another RM11.7bil in 2023, assuming bullet repayments of the principal at the maturity of its loans.

This year, 1MDB has obligations of RM5bil to meet, and the bulk of it is in the form of a US-dollar term loan amounting to US$975mil (RM3.5bil) that matures on Aug 31.

“But we have to bear in mind that some of the debt can be refinanced if 1MDB’s credit standing improves,” says a banker.

Nevertheless, the next nine years will be crucial for 1MDB. Adding on to the burden is that the bulk of the liabilities are in US dollar-denominated bonds and notes. Based on the notes in the latest annual report, 1MDB has been using money raised for development projects to meet its debt obligations, including the servicing of interest.

For instance, according to its financial report, 1MDB has redeemed US$2.3bil in segregated portfolio company in Cayman Islands and has received US$1.2bil, with the remaining redemption of US$1.23bil to have been received last November.

The company said the US$1.2bil has been utilised for debt interest payment, working capital and payments to Aabar Investments PJSC to extinguish the options agreement.

Similarly, a portion of the money utilised for the development of TRX has been used to settle debt obligations.

On March 19, 2013, 1MDB Global Investments Ltd, a subsidiary company, issued debt papers worth US$3bil, with the money to have been used as capital to develop TRX jointly with Abu Dhabi Malaysia Investment Co Ltd.

According to the 2014 accounts that were signed off by Deloitte, a portion of the proceeds amounting to US$1.5bil had been placed in various investment portfolios under the custody of a licensed financial institution with good credit ratings.

“In 2014, the remaining net proceeds had been utilised by the company for working capital and debt repayment purposes,” 1MDB said in the report.

According to the 2014 annual report, the finance cost for its debts in 2014 stood at RM2.39bil while in 2013, it was RM1.61bil.

The cashflow situation of 1MDB has prompted lenders to recall their debts due from the Government-sponsored fund earlier than scheduled.

Towards this end, a consortium of banks in Singapore led by Deutsche Bank has asked for the repayment of the US$975mil loan months ahead of its due date.

According to the report, the lenders were jittery after doubts arose on the collateral of the loan held in a foreign bank based in Singapore.

“The Singapore office has come under pressure from Deutsche Bank Global. It has bigger issues such as the situation in Greece to worry about and does not want to be bogged down with too many problems,” says an executive.

What is even more disturbing is that the Government has revealed that 1MDB does not have cash in the Singapore bank but assets.

Ahmad Husni did not elaborate on the form of assets 1MDB had, but stressed that the savings were in the form of “units”.

He added that the units were backed by sovereign wealth funds and that the Government hoped to repatriate those funds as soon as possible.

The 1MDB fiasco is also beginning to drag down the auditors who have given it a clean bill of health since its inception in 2009.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed says the auditors seem to have applied the lower end of the auditing standards in arriving at their unqualified opinion of the accounts.

“I am going to focus on a few major accounting principles in the preparation of the accounts, which seem to have been applied with the lower end of the auditing standards, which high-risk and high-economic-impact government-linked companies (GLCs) like 1MDB should not use in the preparation of accounts,” he says (see separate story on the PAC).

Independent economist Lee Heng Guie says the sooner the issues surrounding 1MDB are resolved, the better. It will provide assertion from the Government on how to address the lingering uncertainly involving 1MDB amid all the negative perception.

“To a certain extent, the market and the economy will be somewhat dampened,” he tells StarBizWeek.

He says the Government needs a more proactive approach in handling 1MDB’s issues and cannot let it continue to drag. Its accountability is at stake.

Putting things in perspective, Lee says an RM42bil debt is a huge amount in terms of gross domestic product exposure.

He hopes that everything can be resolved soon, as there will be implications on the Government’s credibility, given that 1MDB is a company under the Finance Ministry.

“There will be fiscal implications to the Government if 1MDB were to need further injections,” he says, adding that hopefully, there would be no more future injections from what the Government had already given the fund.

On the bright side, Lee says it is good that the Government is reportedly working on restructuring 1MDB and presenting the proposal to the Cabinet next week.

Reminiscent of Renong?

The problems of 1MDB today remind one of the collapse of Renong Bhd in 2001. The conglomerate had assets but lacked cashflow. It funded long-term projects with short-term funding. Renong had debts of more than RM20bil in the late-1990s. There was also an RM3.2bil put option that its major shareholder, Tan Sri Halim Saad, had to fulfill. Halim claimed he had wanted to fulfil the option and could have got Renong out of the debt quagmire but was not allowed to do so.

Eventually, Khazanah Nasional Bhd took over Renong. It spent some RM5.2bil in that exercise.

The reason was that the Government could not afford the collapse of Renong, which would have impacted the banking system. Likewise, a default in 1MDB would trigger a cross-default of its loans and also impact the credit rating of the Government.

“This is why a committee comprising the likes of Ahmad Husni is looking into resolving 1MDB’s problems,” says an official.

1MDB’s present predicament is due to over-paying for the power assets it had acquired from the Genting Group and the Tanjong Group in 2012. The fund has also come under scrutiny for acquiring 260 acres of land in Penang for RM1.38bil in April 2013. The fund’s strategy of raising money in the country and putting it outside with foreign fund managers also does not help. A delay in the listing of its energy arm, Edra Global Energy Bhd, is not helping matters either.

Although 1MDB has assets in TRX and Bandar Malaysia, these will take time to be monetised. In this respect, 1MDB said it would sell land development rights and/or enter into profit-sharing joint ventures with regards to TRX and Bandar Malaysia.

But who will be the takers?

In a meeting of GLCs two weeks ago in Putrajaya, the GLCs were told of opportunities in TRX.

But the question is: Which GLC would put in money after seeing what LTH is going through?

Although 1MDB’s assets outstrip its liabilities, its financials are unsustainable due to the debt obligations. Hence, this has forced the hand of the Government to step in and resolve the problem.

Ahmad Husni says he is in the midst of completing a report on 1MDB’s restructuring plan, which would be submitted to the Cabinet next week.

Furthermore, Prokhas Sdn Bhd, the in-house restructuring outfit of the Finance Ministry, has been tasked to help 1MDB deal with its cashflow problems tied to its debt obligations.

This certainly should not surprise anyone.

Read in full in TheStar Business here.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

George Santayana

Timbalan Presiden UMNO bercakap mengenai 1MDB

Sack 1MDB board, Muhyiddin advises PM

'Saya sangat setuju'

Me

Ku Li: This man should be asked to serve our nation as PM

Perhaps our history would be different had Ku Li won the Umno Presidency in 1987:

MPs failing to put nation and people first, say lawyers

Instead of fulfilling their oath to serve the electorate, members of parliament have abdicated their responsibilities to their political masters, constitutional lawyers said, warning that the nation and its people will ultimately suffer if the lawmakers failed to perform their duties.

They said it appeared that members of the Dewan Rakyat, especially Barisan Nasional MPs, mechanically administered their oaths to discharge their duties, including protecting the Federal Constitution.

Senior lawyer Datuk Dominic Puthucheary said the Dewan Rakyat has failed to play its constitutional role because political parties have taken control of the house, and turned into a “Dewan Parti”.

“Representatives to the Dewan Rakyat are elected by voters but the elected have given their loyalty to political leaders and the august body has become a Dewan Parti," said the 82-year-old who was a one-term Nibong Tebal MP from 1995.

He said most elected representatives never understood their role or bothered to find out what they were expected to do as prescribed in the national charter.

"For many, it is a career and not to perform a public duty as lawmaker," he said in response to an impassioned speech by Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to his fellow members to put the nation and the people above anyone else.

The 222 Dewan Rakyat members begin sitting today for a month to discuss the affairs of the state.

In the March sitting, when debating the royal address, the Kelantan prince, fondly known as Ku Li, said Malaysia was in a state of political and economic gridlock and this could only be unlocked by Dewan Rakyat members.

He expressed concern over the mounting debt incurred by 1Malaysia Development Berhad as a result of obtaining unauthorised loans as well as the implementation of the goods and services tax.

"We are facing an unprecedented challenge to fulfil the pledge to serve the nation and the people.

“This is because the truth is that the power of the Dewan Rakyat has constitutionally shifted to the leadership of the political party,” said the 77-year-old Razaleigh, who has been elected without fail since 1974.

“The concentration of that power in any individual is unconstitutional. That is not what constitutional democracy is about.

“Therefore, the members of the Dewan Rakyat have to decide whether they want to fulfil the pledge that they have taken or abdicate their responsibility to a power outside the Dewan Rakyat," said Razaleigh.

Dominic said there was no doubt that Razaleigh hit the nail right on the head in his speech but admitted there needed to be a revamp of the entire system of governance.

He also expressed dismay over the parochial attitude of representatives from Sabah and Sarawak who were more concerned about their territories and interests, instead of national issues.

"They do not see the importance of having a competent prime minister for the nation," he added.

Lawyer R. Kenghadharan said any parliamentarian who was unable to adhere to noble values was a misfit and should vacate office as he or she was a gross liability to the democratic process. 

"Such incompetent parliamentarians will seriously damage the democratic process and governance and we have many of those.” 

He said the Dewan Rakyat represented the people's voice but unfortunately, there have been considerable efforts to taint the assembly with incompetence and poor leadership which was vigorously abusing the weakening democratic process. 

“Unless the people rise to save this institution, we risk our current system of governance collapsing completely and Malaysia becoming a failed state," he added.

Lawyer Edmond Bon said the constitutional ideal was that elected representatives voted according to their intellect and conscience to be accountable to the people.

"The reality, however, is that they are able to win elections due to support from their parties," he said, adding that was a reason independent candidates failed to be elected.

Bon said MPs could not act independently like introducing a motion of no-confidence against the leader of the house as the party whip was enforced to maintain discipline.

He said what was articulated by Razaleigh had been advocated by civil society for the removal of the concentration of power within the hands of an individual or select few.

Bon also said the proportionate representation system of MPs based on the percentage of popular votes obtained should be looked into when parliamentary reforms were undertaken, as done in the West.

"We should also allow citizens direct access to the Dewan Rakyat if a respectable number signed a petition to debate public interest issues," he added. – May 18, 2015.

1MDB...the big guns speak, DrM is not alone

1MDB.. the big guns speak, Dr. Mahathir is not alone:

Nazir to 1MDB board: Explain or resign

excerpts:

He(Nazir) said that a responsible board should appoint an independent auditor to verify the accounts immediately and deal with the mistrust pertaining to the financial position of 1MDB instead of waiting for the Auditor General (AG) to do the job.

“The immediate check for a responsible board is to appoint an independent (auditor) now … otherwise the board and management, in my view, should resign.

”It is your basic responsibility. There’s a complete mistrust in your financial situation. You have to responsibly deal with that. But instead you sit there and wait for AG.

“To me that’s irresponsible. If you do that then it’s better for you to step down and let someone else come in and take over,” Nazir told the media over a luncheon at the Asean Business Club (ABC) forum.

1MDB, a government fund has cash flow problems and unable to meet obligations to debts of RM42bil although it has assets in excess of RM51bil. But the bulk of the assets are in the form of property to be developed while the cash flow from its power generation plants are insufficient to cover its debts.

1MDB and the sacred duty of public agencies

Whatever the ramifications of the 1MDB controversy – including its impact upon the government of the day – it is crucial that Malaysians do not lose sight of its real significance to the nation and its future.

1MDB is about integrity and accountability. A strategic development company, wholly owned by the government and therefore answerable to the people, it has got into a huge mess reflected in massive debts, questionable investments, and dubious land transactions which in turn have fuelled speculations about money being siphoned off and loans approved without the consent of the authority concerned. The general public has been shocked into realization that something is terribly wrong with the company by the 1MDB –Tabung Haji deal largely because the latter is perceived as the trusted custodian of the savings of a lot of ordinary Muslims planning to fulfil a once-in-a-lifetime religious obligation.

It is because the issues of integrity and trust are so fundamental that many of us welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement last March that the Auditor-General would conduct a thorough audit of 1MDB and submit his report to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Malaysian Parliament. While we recognize that an audit attempting to unravel the complex operations of 1MDB will take time, the people would want the exercise to be completed as expeditiously as possible. The report, it is hoped, will be honest and forthright and will not attempt to protect anyone, however highly placed.

In this regard, it is commendable that the PAC has already begun its probe. If need be, it should, with the help of an international auditing firm, conduct a forensic audit to ascertain if there are actions of a criminal nature in any of 1MDB’s operations. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has already expressed its readiness to participate in the investigation. The police, it is reported, have set up a task force.

All these institutions of state should realize that establishing the truth – the whole truth – about 1MDB is their sacred responsibility. It is a responsibility entrusted to them by the Malaysian people. They should never ever subordinate this responsibility to the interests of an individual or a group. They should always remember that they are trustees of the public good, not protectors of an individual.

If the well-being of society is sometimes compromised in Malaysia as in many other countries, it is mainly because the trustees of the public good have failed to uphold their trust. This is why those who have been given the task of revealing the truth about 1MDB should heed the wise words of the first of the righteous caliphs in Islam, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, “Behold me, behold me, charged with the care of government. I am not the best among you. I need all your advice and all your help. If I do well, support me; if I make mistakes, counsel me. To tell the truth to a person commissioned to rule is faithful allegiance; to conceal it is treason.”

Dr Chandra Muzaffar chairs the Board of Trustees of Yayasan 1 Malaysia.

In the mean time where is 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy? he need to answer this question:

What was Arul Kanda’s role in RM3.6 billion loan to 1MDB, asks DAP

Immediately reselling when criticised is not rational

'Lembaga Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was wrong to have followed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's advice to sell the plot of land the pilgrims' fund bought from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) as the fund's board should act independently'

Datuk Gopal Sri Ram

Wrong for Tabung Haji chairman to follow Najib’s advice to sell land, says ex-judge

excerpt: 

Lembaga Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was wrong to have followed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's advice to sell the plot of land the pilgrims' fund bought from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) as the fund's board should act independently, a retired judge said.

Datuk Gopal Sri Ram said the directors of a company or institution were by law required to be independent and to act in the best interests of their organisation.

"They should not act upon the dictation of a third party but let the board decide"

"If they do so and the institution suffers a loss, they will be personally liable," the former Federal Court judge told The Malaysian Insider following Tabung Haji's move to sell a 0.63ha piece of land it bought from 1MDB for RM188.5 million.

The purchase caused an uproar among the pilgrims' fund depositors and leaders from both side of the political divide because the deal involved the government-owned 1MDB, which is known to be sitting on a pile of debt.

In a hastily called press conference on Saturday, Azeez said that the fund had been advised by Najib to sell the land at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) project in order to respect the "sensitivity" of Tabung Haji depositors.

Azeez said Najib had advised him to dispose of the land so that the fund's reputation would not be "tarnished" due to its business transaction with 1MDB.

I support 110% DYMM Sultan of Johor's call for English Medium Schools

Saya sokong 110% cadangan DYMM Sultan Johor:

Education groups back Johor Sultan’s call for English-medium schools 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Education groups supported today Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s call to emulate Singapore’s English-medium education system, saying his proposal was long overdue. 

Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE) chair Datin Noor Azimah Rahim pointed out that 200 buses with schoolchildren commute from Johor to neighbouring Singapore daily, which she said was a “poor” reflection of Malaysia’s education system.

“I think he has raised this issue because Johor is especially affected,” she told Malay Mail Online today.

News portal Malaysiakini reported yesterday Sultan Ibrahim as saying in his address at the Johor state assembly sitting that Johoreans should be open to change regarding Malaysia’s education system, citing Singapore’s unity that was fostered from the republic’s single-stream education system with English as its medium of instruction.

The state ruler reportedly said a single-stream education system would foster racial integration and produce a united and harmonious society.

Malaysia’s education system is largely fragmented with national schools using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction, while the vernacular Tamil and Chinese schools use Tamil and Mandarin respectively as the mediums of instruction.

Noor Azimah stressed today that Bahasa Malaysia and native languages would not be sidelined if Malaysia were to use English, instead of the national language, as the medium of instruction in schools.

“There would be no such thing as the unity being affected but the reverse, where more often you see a fantastic integration of races. You can still learn the national language, despite English being used, as well as their own native tongue under the People’s Own Language (POL) system in schools,” she said.

Noor Azimah also said replacing Bahasa Malaysia with English as the medium of instruction will help the government cut costs by doing away with the import of foreign native English speakers.

“At the very least, the English medium schools should produce the English teachers that we so desperately need, instead of importing expensive native speakers,” she said. 

Herald of Penang for Education (HOPE) deputy chairman Krishna Sreenevasan said the problem of unity, which Sultan Ibrahim highlighted, could be tackled by using English as the medium of instruction. 

“There is a deeper issue that he is calling out. We are very much divided. English is the right way to go,” he told Malay Mail Online.

He also alleged that many ministers and rulers are English-educated and that they send their children to English-medium schools.

“There has also been a mushrooming of international schools in the country,” Krishna said.

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Kalau Federal tak setuju, apa kata Kerjaan Negeri Johor buat sistem pendidikan English Medium sendiri untuk rakyat Johor macam Johor buat Sekolah Ugama dibawah naungan Kerajaan Negeri .