Khir, Mukhriz to contest Umno Youth chief

Apr 4, 08 2:29pm

One day after Hishammuddin Hussein said that he would not be defending his Umno Youth chief post, two party leaders have expressed their intention to contest for the coveted post.

Former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and Umno Youth exco member Mukhriz Mahathir have both confirmed that they would be vying for the post in the December party polls.

khir toyo interview 121207 asuredKhir (left), also Umno supreme council member, had earlier strongly hinted that he would go for top post in the party's Youth wing.

“If I have enough support, I will definitely contest,” Khir said today.

“I am only 43 years old and with my experience as a menteri besar, supreme council member and also in the Youth movement, I think I can provide a new dimension to the Youth wing in handling current political problems,” he added.
mukhriz mahathir hari raya open house 091106 sniggerMeanwhile, Mukhriz (right), who is son of ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, said he decided to contest the post after receiving positive feedback from the party grassroots.

“I welcome challenges. We should allow as many Umno Youth members to offer themselves to lead the movement and to contest for other posts,” said Mukhriz in Kedah earlier today.

“I hope the party elections in December will give members room to offer themselves for any posts to help Umno,” he said.

It is now left to see if Hishammuddin’s deputy Khairy Jamaluddin, who is embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son-in-law, will also be standing for the top post.

Both Mukhriz and Khairy are first-time parliamentarians winning in Jerlun (Kedah) and Rembau (Negri Sembilan) respectively, while Khir retained his Selangor state seat of Sungai Panjang in last month's general election.

Khir however resigned as state party chief after Selangor, which he had led for eight years as menteri besar, fell to the opposition. Nevertheless, he has assumed the position of state opposition leader.

Distancing himself from Khairy

hishammuddin hussein pc 030408 03Yesterday, Hishammuddin (left) announced at a press conference that he would not be defending the post which he has held since 2000.

He told reporters that he was stating his intention early so that others may vie for the seat in December, but stressed that he would not be endorsing any candidate.

"I'm not directly or indirectly supporting anyone. We'll let the delegates decide."

He also appeared to have distanced himself from supporting Khairy in succeeding him.

"It's not for me to decide. I can only decide for myself and that is the issue for the Youth wing to look at in order to move forward".

He also denied that it was a tradition for the deputy to take over the chief's place when a vacancy arises.

He also refused to confirm if he would be contesting for one of the three vice-president posts, stating that he was leaving it to party members and delegates.

Khairy awaits sign from grassroots

khairy jamaluddin interview 011107 poisedMeanwhile, Khairy (right) was quoted by Bernama today as saying that he would leave it to the movement's grassroots to determine whether he should contest for the top seat.

"As the Umno Youth vice chief, I represent an institution and because of this, I cannot make any hasty decisions at my personal will."

On the decision by both Khir and Mukhriz to succeed Hishammuddin, Khairy said he respected anyone's decision to contest for the Umno Youth chief's post.

"What is important is democracy is respected and practised in our party because through a democratic process, we, God willing, will be able to produce the best leaders to lead Umno.

"I hope anyone who offers himself to contest for a post in the youth movement is able to unify and put party solidarity as the main agenda," he added.

He also said that he would back Hishammuddin to contest for “any post he feels is suitable at the December party elections”.

Charge non-Muslims for khalwat: Your say

Apr 4, 08 12:04pm

big thumbnail‘Such practice is not the norm in many Muslim countries and moral policing by state religious authorities has often led to rampant abuses of power.’


On Focus on corruption, not khalwat

Sunny Dasingu: I believe this is absurd to charge a non-Muslim in a civil court for committing khalwat. Firstly, these so-called Muslim bodies should know there's no such thing as khalwat in non-Muslim religions.

If I were to have a sexual affair with a Muslim woman it's my prerogative and my affair is with the woman and not her religion. As such I believe the government or the court has no jurisdiction over this and my civil rights will be violated.

And furthermore, I guess the Islamic authorities are being very unreasonable to try a non-Muslim for khalwat in a civil court because a non-Muslim cannot set foot in a Syariah court. What about those cases of body-snatching and those cases where one parent converted to Islam and then also converted the child to Islam leaving the other parent without any avenue to fights for their rights?

I believe that if they want to try a non-Muslim for khalwat in a civil court then they should allow all other cases which involves a Muslim and a non-Muslim to be heard in a civil court.

Yih Feng Low: How is sentencing both the Muslin and the non-Muslim fair to both parties? The non-Muslim obviously holds no Islamic beliefs and thus should be left alone and not prosecuted under Islamic laws.

It is such acts by leaders of Islam that prejudice the rest of the world against them. By having selfish, draconian views, and forcing their beliefs onto others.

Ratormo: Khalwat is not a major crime and it does not bother the common man (unless he is a busybody). But Mat Rempits are a major problem in Malaysia. When are the religious officers going to tackle this Mat Rempit problem seeing that almost all the Mat Rempits are Muslim? Are these religious busybodies frightened of their motorcycle helmets?

Jane: What wonderful proposals from the bright sparks at Ikim and the Syariah judiciary department! Bravo to those brave souls who would do battle with us immoral/amoral lot who are destined for hell; it's guaranteed to send them straight to paradise.

They sure read the election results right: it was a wake up call to clean up this pit of immorality called Malaysia.

Sigh, will they never learn? And guess what? It's taxpayers money - including hard-earned cash from us amoral/immoral lot - that pays the salaries of some of these overfed guardians of public morality. Surely accepting such ‘tainted’ money disqualifies them from paradise?

Norhayati Kaprawi: Sisters in Islam wishes to reiterate our strong objection to the current practice of moral policing by the state. It contravenes the Qur'anic injunction laid out in various verses such as ‘do not pry into others' secrets" (Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12) and ‘Do not enter other houses except yours without first asking permission and saluting the inmates. If you are asked to go away, turn back. That is proper for you’ (Surah An-Nur 24:27, 28).

The practice of barging into people's houses, and bedrooms in particular, clearly violates an individual's right to privacy and human dignity protected by the Qur'an. SIS wishes to remind the authorities that khalwat raids were never carried out during the prophet Muhammad s.a.w.'s lifetime and it was reported that the second Caliph Sayidina Umar was rebuked for barging into a suspect's residence.

Such practice is also not the norm in many Muslim countries. Moral policing by state religious authorities has often led to rampant abuses of power and there have been many reported cases where the moral guardians themselves did not behave in a moral conduct in their treatment towards those detained.

The zealousness of religious officials in 'promoting good and preventing evil' has often led to public outrage because those arrested, especially women, were shamed and humiliated. Sisters in Islam calls on the religious authorities to instead focus their resources on chasing after errant fathers who do not pay maintenance to their children and ex-wives.

With the on-going debates on this issue amongst Muslims still unresolved, how then can it be extended to non-Muslims? (The writer is programme manager, Sisters in Islam).

Yow Lop Siaw: Although Muslims may not be comfortable seeing non-Muslims committing khalwat with Muslims, the authorities who advocated this new initiative must be mindful of the federal constitution. The Syariah laws are applicable only to cases within its ambit and to advocate something outside this is simply unacceptable.

The BN government has definitely not learnt its lesson from the GE2008. It should instead, as the report said, ‘focus its efforts on bigger and more serious issues such as corruption instead of criminalising moral issues’. Corruption, public security, and the rising prices of goods are much more pressing and serious issues that need immediate attention.

Rob: The Islamic authorities should put more effort in eradicating corruption rather then wanting to charge non-Muslims for khalwat. I am sure that the Islamic authorities would object very strongly if non-Muslim religious practices be forced upon Muslims and as such,they should not do the same to non-Muslims.

Corruption or rasuah is also haram and there needs to be even more emphasis to get rid of corruption and not spend time going around charging non-Muslims for khalwat.

Non-Muslim BR: There is no need for a rule for the Islamic bodies to arrest a non-Muslim person and charge them in court for khalwat. Why do these busybodies suddenly want to make a new rules?

There are lot of other issues that the government needs to pay attention to such as corruption and the increasing crime rate in our country. Why concentrate on this sexual issue now and involve non-Muslims at that?

Arianna: If anything, prosecuting someone for khalwat is tantamount to persecution. All the Islamic authorities need to do is catch a man and woman together and that's enough for a conviction, even if the two are merely friends and simply want to talk.

It is indeed a draconian law similar to that of the Internal Security Act, where the authorities concerned accept no explanations, no arguments. They need not have to prove that a crime or immorality has been committed but that you are already proven guilty because the authorities caught you 'berdua-duan'.

This kind of charges and accusations would never stand in a court of law but the overzealous Islamic authorities saw it fit to make it a crime without having to provide any proof. If indeed Ikim is concerned about the issues of immorality then there are a lot of immoral activities out there that is far more serious than khalwat and which warrants Ikim's immediate attention.

And why must non-Muslims be subject to this khalwat persecution? Should the civil courts be turned into a kangaroo court and simply convict a non-Muslim for being caught 'berdua-duan' with a Muslim man/woman, on the weight of the one-sided Syariah ruling? If so, then our courts have simply gone to the dogs and the federal constitution rendered obsolete as it cannot guarantee the freedom and rights of the people, let alone justice.

Braveheart14: From where I see it, the motive is good, but the method and urgency is wrong. It is good to see people trying to groom a high-moral society, but charging them by ‘intruding’ into their privacy is at the corrective end and there is a high possibilty that it won't meet the objective.

How to charge someone who isn't expected believe the law in the first place? However, do similar raids and investigations related to corruption at the national level first. That is a far more serious offence that is undermining the nation's stability.

As for curbing immoral behaviour, try to think of a way to prevent it rather than concentrating on locating, detecting, suspecting and correcting once it has taken place.

Johari: We, the silent majority, reject the call for non-Muslims to be charged with a Muslim in a suspected khalwat case as it will allow abuse of power. This is an attempted 'rape' on the rights of non-Muslims.

We, the silent majority,a lso propose that a heavier penalty for syariah enforcement officers who intrude into premises without the proper respectful procedure and when they display violent abuse and assault against the suspected khalwat offenders. Try looking up the behavior of anti-khalwat officers in YouTube. They behave like terrorists.

Oddpapa: C'mon laaaa, how can you force a religious law onto a non-believer of that faith? Ain’t Malaysia a secular state? It’s stupid enough to be even discussing this what more than trying to implement it.

John Liu: Suaram is alarmed at this proposal. Khalwat is currently an offence under the various state Islamic laws but not the civil law. This in effect forcefully imposes the Syariah law on non-Muslims in Malaysia. For a non-Muslim to be charged with a criminal offence for his/her personal conduct based on principles of a religion that he/she does not subscribe to is unjustifiable. This is a clear infringement of freedom of religion and the rights of the non-Muslims, which is enshrined in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.

Further, it is also feared that such a law will lead to other serious human rights violations. The high probability of overzealousness of the enforcement authorities in carrying out their duties could, for example, lead to intrusion into rooms and houses, violating individuals’ rights to privacy.

In Malaysia, where ethnicity and religion are intertwined, the proposal of imposing laws on non-Muslims based on Syariah principles could cause ethnic relations to further deteriorate. In recent years, issues relating to religion have put ethno-religious relations and nation-building in Malaysia to a serious test. Forcing Islamic law upon non-Muslims will definitely not help resolve, and could even further worsen, the situation. (The writer is Suaram coordinator).

Samy to defend post one last time

Apr 4, 08 7:22pm

Embattled MIC president S Samy Vellu is not ready to thrown in the towel just yet.

samy vellu pc 120308 talkingThe 72-year-old politician today said he will be defending his post for the last time in the presidential elections in March next year.

The former works minister reiterated that it would be his last term leading the party and that he would not contest in the next general election.

"I will definitely contest for the president's post. I've already said I will retire after 2012.

"But I will not contest anymore in the general election. It's enough," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Samy Vellu, who lost in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in last month's general election, said he welcomed contest from anyone who wanted to challenge him for the top post which he had held for 27 years.

"Let anyone contest, I don't want to say who will contest or what. Anybody can contest and I will be very happy because I want to see what strength they have," he said.

Rebuild the party

He was returned unopposed in the presidential election for the 10th consecutive term, making him the longest-serving MIC president.

Samy Vellu said he would be choosing candidates for the next general election should the 13th general election be held before or in 2012.

"I will still be deciding on the candidates, then I say goodbye," he said.

As for now, the MIC supremo said he would be focusing on overhauling the party at all levels, starting with a series of meetings with grassroots leaders from next month.

Samy Vellu said he would revamp the state MIC liaison committees after the party's general assembly in July.

He also said the party had set a target to rope in at least 200,000 young members in the next two years as part of the drive to rejuvenate the largest Indian-based party to remain relevant to the community.

The party suffered a blow in the March 8 general election, winning only three of the nine parliamentary seats and seven of the 19 state seats.

"We want to overhaul the party and have changes in the leadership," said Samy Vellu. "I am happier now. I am able to do more work and contribute to the party."

PAS needs power without politics

Apr 1, 08 3:11pm

That there are now two ruling coalitions in Malaysia - respectively led by Umno and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim - aptly describes Malaysia’s post-election reality. For the first time, the opposition’s credibility is being put to test at the governing level.

The aftermath of the elections has become an open season for everyone, including Umno stalwarts, to turn on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, with some even demanding his resignation.

Several states retained by Umno have been embroiled in delays and crisis in forming their governments: even the sultans, who have traditionally listened to the prime minister’s recommendations, are for the first time using their constitutional powers to refuse Abdullah’s choice of state leaders.

pak lah abdullah ahmad badawi putrajaya malaysiaThe opposition’s success has cost Abdullah many prominent ministers and party leaders, forcing him to trim the cabinet and for the first time admit mistakes, with even Umno stalwarts calling for reforms within the government.

Many attribute the success to Anwar and rightly so, especially after his intense campaigning, criss-crossing the country, which is typical of his modus operandi. His almost-one-man battle against relentless eleventh-hour personal attacks by the government media ensured a last-minute swing of sympathy votes from Malays.

Anwar was not abashed to admit this either: “Newspapers were full of vicious personal attacks against me, so I knew things had to be going well,” he told Newsweek.

The most painful reality for Umno, however, is the fact that Anwar has been able to return to mainstream politics, and that too on a multi-racial platform, a feat rarely achieved by opposition leaders because of racial prejudices that are exacerbated and exploited by the Barisan Nasional (BN).

anwar ibrahim and mahathir argue fightAnwar’s lifelong prime ministerial ambition, for which he was seen as a threat and punished by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, can now be regarded as an achievable possibility after years of uncertainty.

As if that were not enough to frighten Umno leaders who have tried hard to forget or ignore him, Anwar has been playing on the idea that he needs only 30 defecting MPs from the BN to form a federal government, a move many warn will backfire if what he claims is true. And even if this does not happen, there will be constant tension, as one observer puts it, from the fact that it might.

In tandem with Umno’s loss of five states, calls for ‘Malay unity’ have resurfaced. The move may be a veiled effort to woo Malay opposition members, especially from PAS, which is part of opposition-controlled states, to abandon their present coalitions and join Umno to form coalition state governments.

Owing to the victories of non-Malay candidates, the new coalitions have increased the non-Malay composition in the new state governments, spelling an end to Umno’s dominance via business contracts given to cronies who hitherto greased the party machinery.

Irony of gains

The possibility of PAS switching is remote, although not non-existent. It gobbled up almost all the seats in Kelantan, won control of Kedah, and its candidate became menteri besar of Perak although the party won fewer seats than its coalition partners.

Yet one of the ironies of PAS’s gains is that the party has become more defensive than ever about its Islamic commitments. Even before the elections, it had not taken such pains as now to explain that an Islamic state (which effectively means implementing Islamic policies, and not necessarily the implementation of Syariah or hudud laws) is not its aim.

pas logoIt was forced to lodge police reports against leaflets claiming that PAS will begin curtailing sales of alcohol and close gambling outlets, as it did in Kelantan. In Kedah, PAS controls a state which includes the popular tourist destination of Langkawi island, but leaders have been almost silent about any possible action to control the influx of tax-free alcoholic drinks for the tourism industry.

In Selangor, PAS’ participation is required to give the coalition a majority to rule a state which has in its economy the presence of one of the region’s largest breweries. Odd as it seems, the party appears stronger in exerting pressure over Islamic matters when it is in opposition; but it seems to be on the fringe when it is part of the government.

The fact that Anwar has sprung back to challenge the BN makes the question of PAS’ dependence on him ever more relevant.

nasharuddin mat isa 01Not long ago, when pressed to answer this claim, PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa explained that its strategy was drawn from the Prophetic example, in which the Prophet (saw) “used different strategies when addressing the Makkan and Madinan communities”.

In July 2005, Nasharuddin told this writer: “Our relationship with Anwar and the others ... is because we know it is quite impossible for PAS as an 800,000-member organisation to govern at the federal level.”

PAS is being forced to display ‘openness’ to maintain its fragile majority in several of the coalition state governments. While such openness is an attitude required from a Muslim party, it is not being displayed from a position of strength, nor from an Islamic moral high ground, but rather for political expediency, to deny Umno and its allies an opportunity to get back to power.

Its present share of power has been mostly due to the art of electoral politics. In order to be more effective and not only popular, PAS will ultimately have to generate power without politics: an exercise which requires far more commitment and solutions whose terms are longer than five years.

As such, the question posed in the conclusion to an earlier article is still valid, albeit with a new twist, that this time it is to be answered from a position of victory rather than defeat: what is PAS’s future role in a quasi-democratic, multi-racial, multicultural Muslim country such as Malaysia, now that it has met with some electoral success?

PAS’ answers will be seen in how it handles non-Muslim support in the new states, at the same time keeping its raison d’etre intact.

barisan rakyat pas pkr dapThe opposition may claim it has won the trust of the electorate; pro-government observers keep arguing that the results of the election were mostly a protest vote. While both interpretations may have some truth, the burden of victory on the opposition is heavier than the burden of defeat faced by the wounded BN.

The initial promises to pay more attention to people’s welfare, make large cuts on unnecessary luxuries and pledge zero tolerance on corruption, are positive steps. Any failure to improve things will mean not having such a chance again for a very long time.

After all, it’s not for every general election than an Anwar Ibrahim will be there as an alternative prime minister to show the opposition’s seriousness about forming a new government.

For now, it remains to be seen whether Malaysia’s small but uniquely crowded political landscape will be permanently altered.

Our education system: Time for radical change

Apr 3, 08 1:31pm

It is quite obvious now that Malaysia is heading towards a two-party system. This is certainly good for the country. There will more checks and balances. The winning and ruling party cannot do things according to their whims and fancies without worrying about the possibility of losing the next election.

Thus, as the country is heading towards a political maturity some drastic changes in our education systems are called for and perhaps are becoming inevitable. It does not matter which of the two eventual political parties rules the country. But the changes that I would like to suggest here are for the benefit of the country.

It is imperative that in this era of globalization and the fact that we want to make Malaysia more competitive as well as to make it a regional educational hub for attracting foreign students, we need to improve the quality of our education so that it is comparable if not better than the best in Southeast Asia.

Let me start first with our school systems. The outputs of the schools are the inputs of the universities. Thus, if we want to produce good products the raw materials must be of good quality as well. Every citizen of the country must have access to education. Hence, it must be made mandatory that every child attends school at least up to the lower secondary level. Thus, the school
education in this country must be free for all. And it must be fee all the way up to the high school level.

Next, we need to have good and qualified teachers for our schools. Thus, most if not all the teachers, must have a bachelor’s degree in education. Those without a degree majoring in education need to also have a teaching credential such as the one-year diploma in education offered by some of the local universities.

Lately, we have heard a lot about the need for the country to have a meritocracy system. This can only happen if we have a level playing field for all our school children. Thus, if we are really serious about implementing such a system facilities of the rural schools must be comparable to those of the urban ones.

All schools – whether urban or rural-based - need to have, among others, good Internet access, instructional aides, library, sport, and other facilities.

While there is a need for us to have a common national language so that all our citizens can communicate with each other in our multi-ethnic country, it makes a lot of sense that our children are multi-lingual as well. The current situations that most Malays can speak Bahasa Malaysia and perhaps English, but most on-Malays can speak at least two and perhaps three or more languages.

Hence, this imbalance needs to be addressed. Malay students should be encouraged to learn Chinese or another local language as well. Once our students have the choice to choose their additional language (especially their mother-tongue) in addition to the national language in the national schools, then the need to have he separate Chinese and Tamil schools (vernacular schools) in the country will disappear.

The presence of these vernacular schools in the country goes against he spirit of national integration. Of course, the offering of other languages for our students must be based on demand and it must be cost effective. More third language teachers must also be trained.

Bringing back English

Later, I will talk about the need to reintroduce English as the medium of instructions in universities. Thus, to prepare for this, the teaching of the English Language in schools need to be upgraded so that when the students enter universities, they will not be handicapped. Hence, more English language teachers need to be trained in the country.

Last, but certainly not the least, we need to introduce a semester system in all ur schools. This system needs to be standardized and synchronized with those of the developed world. In other words, our schools should have fall, spring and summer semesters where most students will go to school during the fall and spring semesters and they will take a vacation during the summer semester.

During the summer the older children, particularly those in cities and towns can start learning to earn money by taking up part-time or short-term employments in such places as fast-food restaurants or shops in the shopping malls. Of course, the system needs to be synchronized with the university system as well, so that on graduation, they will not be idle too long while waiting to enter universities.

I will now talk about the required reforms for our universities.

Universities are excellent places for our country to train its citizens and future leaders in its efforts to fulfill the needs for skilled and knowledgeable human resources. University students are excellent change agents for the country. Thus, first and foremost we need to amend the Universities and Colleges ct of 1971 (UCA). The clauses that prohibit or restrict the independence of cademics and students must be removed.

There is also an urgent need for us to abolish the mandatory requirement for the employees to sign the ridiculous and silly “Akujanji”. University employees, particularly the academics, should not be made to obey the instructions of the overnment or political masters’ blindly. Instead, intellectual discourse should be encouraged because it can be a good source of creativity and innovation for the country.

Top and senior management are crucial to the success of any organizations. In the past, the appointments of university vice-chancellor and his/her deputies re made or at least required the approval of the minister.

This practice has not to stop because most appointments were based on the candidates’ political affiliations or inclinations rather on merits. Appointments of someone to these posts should be made based on the suitability and the capabilities of the candidates for the jobs. They should be made by a search committee instead.

Revise salaries

In a big company or a corporation the appointment of the chief executive officer is made by the board of directors. Therefore, the appointment of the vice-chancellor or the president of a university should be made by the board of regents or a similar body. Of
course, some of the members of the committee can be appointed by the minister.

Similarly, the appointment of deans can also be made via a search committee. Vacant positions for deans or even departmental chairs could also be advertised and relevant media such as newspapers or websites like the Chronicle of Higher Education to invite more capable candidates.

The salaries of academics should be revised. The current salaries for academics, articularly the starting salary for an assistant professor (someone with a PhD) s pathetically low and very unattractive and need to be increased to a level that is comparable to those in Singapore.

The salary scales of academics should also be different from those of other government servants. After all, the nature of their jobs and the required cademic qualifications are different. The current practice where the salaries or academics are decided by the Public Service Department officers always favour the civil servants, particularly the so-called PTD (administrative and diplomatic services) officers and not the academics.

Attractive salaries will not only attract the best candidates but it will also attract more top graduates to be interested in becoming academics by opting to become tutors after their first degree and to pursue their graduate degree leading to a PhD in their field. Otherwise, as the saying goes, “if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.”

Government should also set aside funds to enable our best graduates from universities who are interested in becoming tutors to get enough stipends and scholarships to carry out their graduate research at the research universities in the country. This will help the country save money by not having to send them to foreign universities.

Nevertheless, top graduates should also be sent to study abroad but they should only be limited to those who manage to secure laces in the top universities of the world or in those areas of expertise that are lacking in the country.

If we look at the list of academics in all our universities, we cannot help but otice that a substantial percentage if not the majority of them are holders of only a master’s degree instead of a PhD. This deficiency needs to be urgently ddressed. Once the salary scheme is revised appropriately, this problem can be overcome gradually as more top students will be interested in pursuing research which culminates in a PhD degree.

We should be aware that before anyone, especially a prospective foreign student, begins to apply for a place in a university, s/he will first visit the niversity’s website and among the first information they will seek is the list of academic staff of the prospective department where s/he plans to study.

Thus, well qualified teaching staff will attract more students. Hence, this should bode well towards making Malaysia an education hub for the region by attracting more foreign students from all over to enroll in our universities, particularly the private ones.

The academic ranking of positions in universities should also be standardized across all the universities in the country. It should be based on academic qualifications and experiences in teaching, research, and community work.

A person with a master’s degree should only be given a position of a lecturer. Those with a PhD should start as an assistant professor. As s/he gains more experience and produces more outputs in those three areas of work s/he can gradually climb the academic ladder to associate professor and eventually to the rank of a full professor.

The English language is now regarded as the international language. Just look at he availability of television networks across the world which broadcast free rograms in English via the satellites in their efforts to reach international udiences.

The major and common ones from among the countries whose native language is not English includes Al-Jazeera International (Qatar), DW TV Germany), Euronews (European Union), France 24, Russia Today, CCTV9 (China), and Arirang TV (Korea).

Thus, there is no doubt that our citizens now need to be proficient in English. And the best way to do just that is to revert the teaching of our students in our universities, especially in important fields of specializations such as business, economics, sciences, and engineering to English. After all, most of the text books in these fields are in English.

Here, I am assuming that our school children who graduated from high schools are lready proficient in our national language, in addition to one or two more of ther languages. We cannot compromise on this for the sake on peace and harmony n our country.

Malaysia needs to improve its competitiveness level in order to face the challenge of globalization and to remain relevant in this world. In this globalize world our citizens need to participate meaningfully in whatever international activities, be it business, economic, social, political, legal, or governmental. Thus, they must be proficient in English. Period.

Many universities in the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain) countries have already switched heir medium of instructions, especially for programs in business, economics, sciences, and engineering, from Arabic to English. It is not too late for us to do the same.

Exchange of academics

The current practice in the country of allowing private universities to offer academic programs in English while not allowing the government ones to do so is ot only discriminatory but it is also disadvantageous to those who graduate rom the government universities since they will be less conversant in English nd thus making them more difficult to find jobs in the industry where English is very much in use.

These graduates will depend more on the government for jobs. The current situation where there are many unemployed undergraduates is probably the result of this practice.

Last, but again certainly not the least, there is a need to for the country to introduce the semester system into our universities. Just as I proposed for our chool system above, our universities need to adopt a semester system as practiced by the universities in other countries. Most universities in other, particularly developed countries have a tri-semester system comprising Fall September-January), Spring (February-June), and Summer (June-August).

By having a standardized and synchronized system with other countries it will facilitate exchange of academics between our universities with their foreign counterparts. It will also enable foreign students to enter our universities ithout having to wait too long after they graduated from their high schools. This will again help promote making Malaysia as the education hub.

During the summer holiday, summer classes can be offered to those students who want to graduate faster and the academics who are willing to teach classes during that time can earn extra income. Those students who do not take summer classes can take part-time or short-term employments in the town and cities, just like the case for older school students mentioned above, giving them an
opportunity to earn and save some money before returning to their school.

Those are some suggestions which I would like to propose to the government in order make Malaysia a better and a more competitive country.

Assets declaration: No half-hearted measures, please

Apr 4, 08 5:12pm

Half-hearted measures will not solve the problems of corruption and the restoration of public confidence in the integrity of elected and appointed officials, said Transparency International Malaysia.

transparency international judiciary corruption report 240507 ramon navaratnam“Why should you show us just the tip of the iceberg but not what lies below? If you say you want to be transparent and accountable to the people, half-hearted measures will not solve the problems,” TI Malaysia president Ramon Navaratnam said today.

Navaratnam was commenting on the Selangor governnment’s decision to have its state executive council members declare only “general information” about their assets to the public.

Before the announcement, Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had explained there were some within the state exco who did not want to declare their assets in public for 'family reasons’.

Contacted today, Navaratnam said it was incumbent on all government officials, from local councillors up to cabinet ministers, to declare their current interests or shares, including in controversial projects.

On his suggestion that public officials declare their net assets acquired only from the time they were sworn in, Navaratnam said this compromise is to ensure the assets declaration initiative is not nipped in the bud by those who perceive it as being too “dramatic”.

Citing the example of Sweden which has a Freedom of Information Act and requires all officials to declare net assets acquired both before and after acquiring public office, Navaratnam said Malaysia does not have as yet a long tradition of accountability and transparency.

“I am just suggesting something which I think is practical and pragmatic. I do not want this (initiative) to stop all because some people would refuse outright to declare everything,” he said.
“Ideally, they should reveal everything. After all, the electorate voted them into government. We should be able to know these things about the people we have chosen,” he added.

ezam md noor aca corruption pc 260207 toughtDeclare to a select group

Democracy and Anti-Corruption Movement (Gerak) chairperson Ezam Mohd Noor had earlier told Malaysiakini a proper asset declaration exercise should include past financial records as current asset declarations alone do not guarantee accuracy.

“It is easy to transfer assets before a declaration. It takes just one day to close an account. All one has to do is maintain one account and make a deflated declaration,” said Ezam.

Addressing this, Navaratnam reiterated an earlier statement that such a declaration of an official’s total wealth may subject him or her to security and safety risks.

Alternatively, said Navaratnam, holders of public positions may also be made to declare their assets to a select group of persons from both government and opposition political parties.

There cannot be any significant reduction in the incidence of corruption unless and until the public are involved in combating the problem, he said.

“It cannot be left solely to the government. Just as crimes, if left completely to the police to tackle, will not decrease, corruption also cannot be reduced unless it becomes a national movement or a truly people’s issue.”

Gua Musang seeks sweeping changes in Umno

Apr 4, 08 4:27pm

The Gua Musang Umno division today passed a resolution calling for the party leadership to hold an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the party’s abysmal performance in last month's general election.

ku li tengku razaleigh and umno agm 241106The division, led by former party vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, agreed that the EGM - which it suggested to be held on May 11 or any other suitable date - was important to safeguard the future of the Malay race and the party.

The division also proposed several key amendments to the party constitution.

Among the main amendments proposed are the setting up of an independent 21-member committee to handle to election process of the party, creating a bigger and more powerful supreme council and the removal of the quota system for challengers to the party posts.
On the new independent election committee, the division said that the committee should consist of members which has no posts in the party.

key resolution by gua musang umno divisionThe division proposed severe changes to the all-powerful supreme council, recommending that its membership is increased to 35, all to be directly chosen by the party members.

At present the delegates at the party’s annual meeting elect 25 members while the party president has the powers to appoint another 12. Moreover, top party post holders are automatically allowed to sit in the council, bringing to total the final membership to about 50 people.

The Gua Musang division also proposed that all top posts in the party are open for election every three years, to be elected by the members of the respective wings of the party.

And in keeping with recent calls made by Tengku Razaleigh for the removal of the quota system for those wanting to contest in party polls, the division today proposed that the quota system is abolished and replaced with the previous system whereby a candidate would need just two nominations.

The division also recommended that the supreme council would be tasked to set the dates for the party’s annual general meeting as well as the AGMs to be conducted by all branches and divisions.

More role for supreme council

The division also wants the new-look supreme council to choose candidates for general elections as well as those to be appointed to the various local municipal councils.

At present party president has the responsibility to choose election candidates while state leaders appoint persons to the local councils.

In all, the Gua Musang division has proposed four new clauses to be added the party constitution and at the same time amending 11 other clauses, mostly in relation to the election of party posts, and six others totally removed.

Tengku Razaleigh, also the Gua Musang MP, is hoping that the reforms proposed by his division will revitalise the party to be able to regain the trust of the voters.

He has also offered himself for the top post, seeking to challenge Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during the party polls which would be held during the annual general meeting starting on Dec 16.

Tengku Razaleigh has said that he could heal the party if given the chance to lead it.

However before he could put up a proper challenge, he is required by the party regulations - under the quota system - to obtain backing from one-third of the party's divisions.

umno party post polls quotaThe system, introduced by immediate past president Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is in place to protect the top leaders from being challenged during party polls.

Under the system, a challenger would need about 58 nominations to contest for the president’s post and 38 nominations for the deputy president’s post.

In 2004, Tengku Razaleigh had sought to challenge Abdullah but was able to only obtain only one single nomination - that from his own division.

Absence of democracy

Earlier in his speech Tengku Razaleigh said there were several factors which contributed to Umno's weaknesses and the main cause was the absence of democracy in Umno when it imposed the requirement on the 30 percent divisional nominations needed to contest for the party presidency.

"The rationale is to curtail members from contesting for posts merely for the sake of contesting but I don't think there are Umno members who will simply challenge the party president without any strong reasons," he added.

He said that the quota system also created a situation where members were more loyal to the leaders instead of the party, as well as indulging in money politics in Umno.

The Gua Musang EGM today was attended by 423 delegates from 119 Umno branches in the division.

Also present were about 100 representives from other states - Perlis (4), Kedah (5), Negri Sembilan (2), Selangor (8), Perak (12), Pahang (4), Johor (15), Terengganu (47) and Kuala Lumpur (2).

Ku Li calls for a party purge

Apr 4, 08 4:21pm

Umno can only be saved if the "bad, corrupt, uncultured, immoral and unwise" people at the top are purged, said party veteran and Gua Musang Umno division chief Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today.

umno 2007 khairy jamaluddin 061107 02In his opening speech at the Gua Musang Umno division’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM), the 71-year-old former finance minister also launched a very thinly-veiled attack against Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

"There are those who graduate from Oxford, Harvard and so forth but are not intelligent, not wise and culturally illiterate. Such people are not qualified to be Umno leaders.

"Why? Because they don’t possess enough ‘Malay spirit’ in their hearts, are not wise and do not excel in speaking or explaining (issues) to the people.

"They are probably qualified to be academic researchers, but not leaders for the Malay-Muslim race," he said.

Khairy is the son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and is said to wield great influence over his father-in-law.

Numerous quarters, including former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, have blamed the 32-year-old Oxford graduate and his associates in the ‘fourth floor’ of providing wrong advice to Abdullah, culminating in Umno and Barisan Nasional’s worst ever election showing on March 8.

Open reflection needed

Bemoaning the crumbling of the Umno and BN fortresses in what he described as a "political disaster", Razaleigh pointed out that the top leadership has yet to initiate any action to discuss why this turn of events took place.

"There has been no effort to invite Umno delegates from all levels to have an open reflection - one that is critical but calm, matured, rational and not emotional..."

Such a move, he said, would help the party find ways to repair itself and prevent a disaster of an even greater magnitude in future.

"We have been hearing all sorts of reaction, views and concerns, criticisms and accusations from individuals in Umno, most of it coming from certain leaders and ministers in Umno. Some are saying that we did not lose, (that) we won. Some also say ‘BN will rise again to redeem itself’.

"There are those who blame the Malays for choosing another party and say that they are ‘not grateful’ (I don’t know to whom and for what).

"There are those who blame the young generation for purportedly ‘not understanding the Umno struggle) or for not getting true news, information and stories about the government, Umno and BN via the mainstream media but (choosing instead) to read it in ‘anti-government’ and ‘anti-Umno’ blogs."

ku li tengku razaleigh interview 241106 smileRazaleigh said this reflected the old culture of not wanting to examine one's own mistakes but rather shifting the blame to others, such as the voters and the opposition.

"The party leaders, but not all, try to stifle the voices of the grassroots, not wanting to listen to their views and criticism. We go to and fro to spread the propaganda and myth that the grassroots must leave all the problems to the top leaders, otherwise the party will be affected.

"Don’t they realise that the biggest weakness in Umno which led to the political disaster is not the grassroots but the top leaders, including the Umno ministers, some of whom do not have a good record, moral or culture.

"These are the people who do not want Umno to change, they are the ones who want the Umno leadership to remain, not be replaced or contested against."

Razaleigh said the problems in Umno do not only concern a few, but all its members.

"Umno is not an exclusive club for the elites and businessmen. Umno is a Malay nationalist party. Its role is not to protect the rice bowl of the top leadership."

The veteran leader also likened Umno to a battered ship which could sink at any moment because of its weak captain, "a captain who often leaves the control of the vessel in the hands of the crew".

According to Razaleigh, Umno is facing an ‘emergency’ and this must be tackled swiftly before it spreads and destroys whatever that has been built since 1946.

"The people of today are different from those 30 or 40 years ago. Their hopes are different from that of their parents. Their hopes are not similar to the hopes of their parents or grandparents. Umno must continue to remain relevant to the people’s ambitions, hopes and demands," he said.

Democracy must return

To rectify the situation, Razaleigh said democracy must return to Umno whereby the 30 percent nomination quota requirement should be abolished.

umno party post polls quota"Every time the party elections come, there are certain people or groups who tell members that the positions of president, deputy president, women’s chief and youth chief should not be challenged.

"They have no right to do this. It is the members’ right to choose the leaders they want from the grassroots level to the president."

He also said that the party must control the government and not the other way around.

"Umno members who hold party positions cannot be more powerful than the party. The party is the one which must control, monitor and evaluate their performance."

umno 2007 opening day 081107 flag"If they introduce policies which are against the party’s policies, they must be questioned by the Umno supreme council. The logic is simple. The prime minister, deputy prime minister and other ministers from Umno will not be holding these posts if they were not picked by party members.

"Even if the prime minister introduces and implements a policy which could destroy the Malay language or Islam, he must be reprimanded and be disciplined by the party."

On that note, Tengku Razaleigh said the policies and visions of Umno must transcend racial boundaries and the party must not be seen as serving the interests of the Malays alone.

"We want Umno to become a supra-ethnic party, a national party which is fair to all while at the same time keeping in line with its ‘traditional vision’, which is to defend the motherland from the political, economical, ideological and cultural colonisation of foreign powers."