New Proposed Education System is As Good As 'No Change' Especially for STPM!

Malaysia to Move Away From Exam-Centric Education System

There will be a shift towards continuous assessment of students instead of assessment purely on centralised exams in two years' time.

The proposal to introduce other methods of assessment has been on trial for two years, it was revealed today, and is aimed at addressing what parliamentarians called the "A syndrome" where people are obsessed simply with scoring as many As as possible for exams.

This trend has resulted in difficulty on the government's part to justify the awarding of public scholarships as it claims it has to balance academic and non-academic qualifications.

The new system, called the National Education Assessment System (SPPK), will see five assessments being introduced; school, central, psychometric, physical activity and co-curriculum, as well as central exams.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong told Parliament today that a pilot project has already been rolled out in 50 last year and 500 schools this year respectively, although it had no set date to roll out the system.

He said this in reply to a question by Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) who said that the current reliance on central exams has created an "A syndrome" where teachers and parents focus solely on racking up distinctions.

Wee, acknowledging that the trend has become a community-wide obsession, said that the new policy would allow "schools to evaluate students independently" based on certain guidelines set out by the ministry.

By 2011, the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), the national pre-university course, will shift towards a "modular" system from the current "terminal" one.

"This means that each semester you will be tested only on what you learnt that semester," Wee told reporters later.

However, he said that a final exam would still be conducted and this would make up 70 to 80 per cent of the final marks with the exams module taking up the rest.

Later on, the ministry is proposing that the primary school-leaving Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah exam allow for 70 per cent grading outside a central exam.

The lower secondary evaluation Penilaian Menengah Rendah would be split evenly, while the crucial school-leaving Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia would have 70 per cent weightage for a final central exam.

Wee explained that the ascending scale of importance for central exams was due to a need for a streamlined assessment prior to government allocations for public university places and scholarships.

Such a system would also make non-exam evaluation crucial at an early age, build soft skills earlier and set up the right foundations for students to have what Wee called "educability, trainability, employability and marketability."

Source: Shannon Teh, 18th June 2009, The Malaysian Insider

Is the government really working toward a better standard of education in Malaysia? The plan proposed by the ministry of education is not really convincing especially for the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM). The proposed plan might sound interesting to parents but not for the future form 6 students due to the fact that, we, the students understand the system more than anyone else.

The first glance through what the deputy education minister had said sound great on the plan however if you have read it properly, there is a little catch in the article on what Datuk Wee Ka Siong had said:

By 2011, the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), the national pre-university course, will shift towards a "modular" system from the current "terminal" one.

"This means that each semester you will be tested only on what you learnt that semester," Wee told reporters later.

However, he said that a final exam would still be conducted and this would make up 70 to 80 per cent of the final marks with the exams module taking up the rest

From here, my understanding as a reader in simple form is 'Form 6 will have semesters like colleges, universities and matriculations'. That's sound good news for students who plan to take Form 6 in the future, isn't it? And the catch is located at the last paragraph, final exam still be conducted and that will make a weightage of 70-80% of the students' STPM grade.

So in another word, the STPM system is rarely modified to lighten the burden of the STPM takers. What the point of having a semester to semester system for STPM if the final exam bring a high weightage toward the grading? Unlike in matriculation, students just need to study what is taught during the semester and take the exam in per semester basis. But in STPM, it is totally a different case, the system might run as semester per semester basis but in the end of the day, all the STPM takers will still have to remember what has been taught for one and the half years. And bare in mind, it is not only one subject but four subjects and each subjects have two thick text books at least.

Why don't the education ministry consider to revised the overall system for the pre-university and the qualification of the university entry as well as the syllabus taught? I would not want to say much about it as you can read what Tony P. and his fellow bloggers writen here.

As I already argued in my previous article on education issues that the ministry of education (MOE) and the ministry of higher education (MOHE) should revised the entry of local universities and the courses offered especially for the students with STPM qualification. From my point of view, the standard of STPM and Matriculation are totally different in term of the examination, syllabus and the time frame taken to complete the whole course. The MOHE argued that the both of the examinations are similar in standard (Osman, 2005), however this is not the case. As I had mentioned above, students with STPM qualification would find it more difficult to get the course they wanted to enroll in local universities rather than students from Matriculation.

The issue of local universities entries is being debated in the Parliament almost every year and yet, there are no solution yet from the ministry in charge. The transparency of the local universities intake is still very murky. The statistics for the local universities intake in category of STPM and Matriculation is not available as a browse through the MOE and MOHE official web site, here and here has been done. The latest data I able to collect is from one of the current DAP MP, Tony Pua in his blog. The data shows that the number of students getting CGPA 4.0 in STPM is much lower by 1:4 if to compare with the number of students getting CGPA of 4.0 in Matriculation. This proved that STPM is more difficult than Matriculation examination. No doubt about that.

The government should consider in revising the current higher education system and is better to change the current dual pre-university system into single pre-university system. Changes can be made by making it compulsory for all the students to study Form 6 (STPM) if the students interested to enroll themselves in local universities or to standardise both Matriculation and STPM examination by mean, Matriculation and STPM will still run their own system but the students from both side will have to take the same exam paper at the same time. And the result from the final exam grading will determined the place and the courses in local universities, in another word - meritocracy.

KL Among Top Riskiest Offshore Places, says survey

Kuala Lumpur is listed among the top five riskiest offshore locations in the world while Singapore is in the top five safest locations in a worldwide survey.

The riskiest and safest lists are published in the 2009 edition of the Black Book of Outsourcing, brought out every year by US-based Brown-Wilson Group.

The annual publication is considered a major independent analysis and advisory research for the outsourcing players and investors globally.

The rankings of safest and riskiest places are based on factors like high terrorist or rebel target threats, uncontrolled environment waste and pollution, corruption and organised crime, unstable currency, geopolitical conditions and unsecured networks and technology.

In the riskiest 25 list, Bogota in Columbia is at the top followed by Bangkok in Thailand, Johanesburgh in South Africa, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Kingston in Jamaica among the top five.

In the safest 25 list, Singapore is followed by Dublin (Ireland), Santiago (Chile), Krakow/Warsaw (Poland) and Toronto/Montreal (Canada) in the top five.

The three Chinese cities Beijing, Shenzen and Shanghai have been ranked as 9th, 22nd and 24th safest destinations respectively.

India may have been hailed for long as the world's top outsourcing destination, but the new study has named as many as eight cities in the country among the world's 25 riskiest places.

The national capital region comprising Delhi Gurgaon and Noida has earned the dubious distinction of being the worst offshoring destination within the country, the Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted a survey in the annual Black Book of Outsourcing, as saying.

The NCR is followed by Mumbai as the second riskiest offshoring hub within India, while Kolkata has been ranked as least riskiest in the country.

The other domestic cities named in the global list of 25 riskiest offshoring destinations include Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Chandigarh.

In the overall global list, NCR has been ranked as sixth most riskiest, Mumbai ninth, Chandigarh 15th, Pune 20th, Chennai 21st, Bangalore 23rd, Hyderabad 24th and Kolkata the 25th most riskiest in the world.

Meanwhile, no Indian city has managed to find a place on a separate list of 25 safest offshoring destinations.

In terms of terrorism threats Mumbai has been ranked as the location with the highest risk, followed by Delhi NCR and Jerusalem in Israel.

Further, Delhi NCR has been ranked as the riskiest place when it comes to heightening transnational and geopolitical concerns.

Bangalore, another leading outsourcing destination in the country have been ranked as the riskiest place in terms of uncontrolled environmental waste and pollution.

While India accounts for the maximum number of cities in the 25 riskiest places, while China and Mexico lead the tally in the 25 safest list with three cities each.

There is just one Chinese city, Dalian, among the 25 riskiest places at 12th place.

The three Chinese cities Beijing, Shenzen and Shanghai have been ranked as 9th, 22nd and 24th safest destinations respectively.

Source: Malaysia Today retrieved from Bernama, 1st June 2009, 1634 hours


Follow up by the article from The Malaysian Insider,

Economy and Security Still Main Concern of Malaysians

Bread and butter plus security issues are at the top of Malaysian minds, the first public opinion poll conducted since Datuk Seri Najib Razak took over as prime minister two months ago revealed.

Independent pollster Merdeka Centre carried out a survey last month to track the public’s views on current issues and national leadership. One thousand and sixty-seven randomly selected registered voters aged 21 and above were interviewed at the height of the Perak political disputes in court and the start of the deadly H1N1 flu outbreak.

Three out of 10 Peninsular Malaysians polled said they were most worried about the way the economy is headed, citing, among others, “unfavourable economic conditions in general”, the climbing prices of goods and the fear of not landing a job.

Their second biggest worry is the growing incidence of social problems among youngsters ranging from the increasingly volatile road bully culture of “Mat Rempits” and moral decline to drug abuse.

This is followed closely by concern over crime and their personal safety while in public areas, brought on by the increased presence of foreign workers.

Interestingly, close to a quarter of those polled expressed optimism that the general economy is getting better with Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, at the helm.

Almost half the people questioned are confident the economy will be on the upswing in one year’s time.

Retrieved from The Malaysian Insider, 1st June 2009.

KL is among the top five riskiest offshore places while Singapore is among the top five safest offshore places. It is funny to heard that we are neighbour with each other but we are far apart in term of world safest location survey.

I am not sure to congrats myself as Malaysian because my beloved country is rated as among 'the top' and sad to say that not being the top for good record but bad record. According to the second article which is the result of the poll carried out by Merdeka Centre shows that Malaysian main concern is about the economy and security.

These two articles can be served as the light for the government and PDRM to really open their eyes on the increasing of crime rate in the country. It is really a shame to our country especially our nation leaders go international and by saying that our county is developing and progressing toward the correct path but the citizens are living in fear because of the criminal activities running below the noses of the police.

I am not condenming the polices but this is fact, the police always justified that they are unable to take care all of the citizens as aw hole as they are lacking in man-power which is true. However, this fact sometime make me puzzle too because when comes to street protest or on the recent DUN Perak issue, the man-power from the police forces are amazingly strong. I wonder where they get all the reinforcement?

If the police able to reinforce so much just 'to keep peace' like what they assume, I kindly suggest to the police force, 'Why not reinforcing the police force just to strengthen the man-power in countering crimes?' As you see, the polices are goin down hard on peaceful protesters and opposition leaders. If and only if the polices really go down hard to fight those crimes from growing, it is not impossible. Our country crimes rate is climbing fast and it is going to reach the critical level soon if the police and the government are not going to do anything about it.

Being a citizen of Malaysia walking along the street of our capital, Kuala Lumpur, I do not really feel safe, not even on the main road. One might get snatched for her handbag from snatch thieves, get robbed behind the backstreet, get robbed in your own house with a parang held on you, get picked-pocket especially in crowded place; example: public buses, KTM, monorail and most recent case that shocked our PM, Ah Long brutality.

When Ah Long cases were quite mild back to thetime of Tun Dr. Mahathir, the only ways those Ah Long to find you is by photocopies your IC picture together with some sentences demanding the victim to pay back and put it up along the street on the light pole and sign board. However during Tun Abdullah time, Ah Long are more brave in doing their underground job which include splashing red paint on the victim house, spraying sentences demanding the victim to pay back in red spray, chain up victim's house and threaten to burn down the house with family members inside. Recently, Ah Long are getting more aggresive by chaining their victim like an animal and feed them with bread and water once everyday 2 days. All these brutality of Ah Long are getting worst day by day, and the police are only starting to fight and going hard on Ah Long.

Why the polices waiting until crimes getting worst only they act? Why can't they just pro-active in fighting crime? Why they prefer to be re-active?

In term of law, the law that we have here to fight crimes are not strict or heavy enough. Furthermre, the implementation of the law to the communities are not really effective too. There are still alot of loop holes that the criminal could escape an arrest if they are caught.

When the Police is Sleeping and the Snatch Thief is Awake

Badminton Coach Rexy's Wife Hurt in Snatch Theft

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — National badminton head coach Rexy Mainaky's wife suffered injuries when she was dragged by two snatch thieves in Ampang last night.

Cheras police chief ACP Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim said in the 11pm incident, Rexy and his wife Henny were walking to their car from a restaurant at Ampang City here when two assailants on a motorcycle tried to grab her handbag.

Henny was injured when she tussled with her assailant, causing her to be dragged and suffering minor injuries to her left arm.

Rexy jumped into his car and chased the suspects and knocked down the thieves’ motorcycle, causing the pillion rider to fall.

Ahmad Amir said passers-by caught the fallen suspect while his accomplice fled the scene.

He added the 33-year-old suspect had six previous records for molest, drugs and Restricted Residence Act offences.

"He will be remanded for four days to facilitate investigation," said Ahmad Amir, adding that police were looking for his accomplice, aged 40.

Meanwhile, Henny received treatment at a private hospital. — Bernama

Source: The Malaysian Insider

The Star

JOHOR BARU: The killers on motorcycles have done it again — this time, snatch thieves took two lives when they tried to rob pregnant Jamilah Selamat.

Jamilah, 31, suffered severe head injuries after falling from her motorcycle on Sunday. She died at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital at 7.30am yesterday without regaining consciousness.

The Star

KUANTAN: A housewife was injured in yet another case of snatch theft, the scourge of the nation which recently saw two pregnant women and their unborn children being killed.

The 58-year-old unnamed victim, from Bukit Sekilau, injured her hands and shoulder when she fell after a pillion rider on a motorcycle pulled at her handbag containing RM4,000, a cellphone and other valuables.

Hey readers, I am back to writing. Sorry for being away for months due to my busy life and yes, No Kacau Don't Kacau is being covered by a thick layer of dust.

Okie, if you all noticed, above are all about snatch theft. Those are just a few but if I would want to list down all, I don't think it will be necessary because the list is too long and you have to agree with me.

If you noticed lately, snatch theft crime is coming to a serious level in our country. They are now not only being a thief but as murderer too. Just look at the newspaper, the frequent of snatch theft news are so high that different snatch theft cases around the country are published almost 3-4 times each week. Well, it is getting serious day by day. Citizen especially those females are now in danger of their handbag being snatched anytime and anywhere. And some might end up lying in the hospital bed and worst, in the coffin. My point here is, what are the police forces doing while more and more innocence citizen being killed because of this crime?

Are the police forces going to wait until the crime shoot up like a rocket until it reached a very critical point then only they start to react? There is a saying the 'Prevention is Better than Cure'. I will hope that the police forces are really into doing something to counter those crimes to prevent it being more critical. People including myself do not feel safe even I walk along a busy street or have a jog in a park, or even in taking public transportation. This is due to the fact is our crime rate are shooting up like no one business. Yes, NO ONE BUSINESS. No one will know when one will get robbed, pick pocketed, push pocketed and etc etc.

According to Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin said the offenders (sntch theft) should also wear signs on their shirts that read “I am a snatch thief” to shame them so that they repent (the Star, 13th May 2009). I would more to welcome Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri move on how to shame the snatch theft. But the question that lingering in my mind is 'Will Datuk Seri suggestion become a reality?'

Nik Aziz says 'bumiputera' Term Is a Racist

In extraordinary remarks today, Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said the use of the term “bumiputera” smacks of racism and deprived other races of government aid.

His comments, made in Kota Baru today, will ceratinly spark debate, especially since it comes from a Malay leader who is widely respected even by his foes in Barisan Nasional and Umno.

In calling the term bumiputera racist, he appears to be drawing a clear line between his Pas party and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) from that of Umno, which has been championing the special rights of Malays.

Nik Aziz’s remarks was made in response over growing criticism from the conservative spine of Umno against comments made by DAP’s Dr Boo Cheng Hau, the opposition leader in Johor.

Dr Boo was reported to have compared “bumiputeraism” with apartheid.

Umno leaders have demanded an apology from Boo, and say his comments were a challenge to Malay rights and the constitution.

Umno’s Utusan Malaysia also described Boo’s remarks as a part of DAP’s agenda to form a republic.

But Nik Aziz was reported by Bernama as saying today that not only did the term smack of racism but deprived other races sharing similar rights and having the same identity cards of government assistance.

“In an election, other races are allowed to cast one vote, so are the bumiputera," he said.

Nik Abdul Aziz said the government should form a body to manage aid for the poor in the country and not cater only for a single group known as the bumiputera.

“I don’t like the (use of the) word bumiputera. What I like is (use of the word) poor, for all races,” he added.

He said the poor, regardless of their race, should be given assistance.

His statement appears to be also in line with Anwar Ibrahim’s concept of “Ketuanan Rakyat,” or supremacy of the people, which has been used to diffentiate PR parties from Umno’s “Ketuanan Melayu,” or Malay supremacy.

Source: The Malaysian Insider, 1st March 2009.

5th February 2009, the Day When the Silver State's Democracy Dies

Ku Li: Not Right Way to Take Power

Umno veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has warned its party leaders that gaining the Perak state government without resorting to elections would result in enmity of the Perak voters come the next general election.

Razaleigh, who is also Gua Musang MP, said Umno and BN should try and win the hearts of the people and not gain the government by dubious means.

“If the Ruler decides not to accede to the MB’s request for the dissolution of Parliament, and BN is invited to form a state government on the basis of these dubious crossovers, I think it would anger a large section of the Malaysian public,” said the Kelantan prince in his blog.

“Our taking control without resorting to elections would cement the enmity of the very people we should be trying to win back at the next election. Come the next general election, they are likely to reject both our state and parliamentary candidates with greater vehemence, and not just in Perak.”

Calling the BN leaders celebration as “premature”, Razaleigh said the constitution states the role of the Ruler in crisis must be respected.

He said the Sultan of Perak is sworn to uphold and protect this constitutional process and the Ruler’s powers and those of the legislative assembly act as checks and balances on each other to prevent abuse of power.

“Defections are not the basis for the formation of a government. Elections are.”

“Governments are formed after citizens have expressed their choice through free and fair elections. Our constitution specifies a formal process for the formation of a government,” said the Gua Musang MP.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is the newly-appointed Perak BN chief, called on Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin and the Pakatan Rakyat-led government to step down.

Umno in critical condition

This follows three assemblypersons, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (PKR-Behrang), Osman Jailu (PKR-Changkat Jering) and Hee Yit Foong (DAP-Jelapang), declaring they are independent BN-friendly representatives.

Nasaruddin Jamaludin who left Umno last week to join PKR has now rejoined Umno after 10 days.

Razaleigh said there is also ethical and political issues which has to be resolved.

Describing Umno as in critical condition, he said its biggest challenge both as a party and as the governing party is to tackle corruption at every level.

“We are under close public scrutinity in addressing this problem. Unless we implement radical reforms and are seen to be doing so, we are finished politically come next election,” he said.

The Kelantan prince questioned the calibre of the four elected representatives for the switch especially the two former PKR representatives who are with charged with corruption.

“It is precisely this kind of open abuse of the public’s trust for the sake of personal gain that causes people to hate Umno.”

“The circumstances of these defections, complete with mysterious dissapearances, sudden reversals, and weak explanations show ample signs of illegal inducement.”

Razaleigh said no matter what the truth of the matter is, let us not fool ourselves.

“People will not believe these crossovers were honest. This mistrust will taint any government formed on the back of these crossovers. Elections are the sole source of the government’s authority in a democratic society and in the end we shall have to face elections,” he said.

Source: Malaysiakini, 5th February 2009, 1456 hours

I am not here to go against the Sultan or the palace as I respect them as my country Ruler but I am disappointed with the decision made. From my point of view, decision on not to dissolve the Perak state assembly is like robbing the Perakians from their rights and their votes. Example, say I voted MP Bob, who is running for Party A, because I disliked Party B. And one day, to my horror, MP Bob decides to join Party B. What happens to the votes that put him in office in the first place? Those votes were for Party A too. Doesn't it sound ridiculous?

So now BN are happy with the Sultan decision, but 'Winning A Battle, Doesn't Mean Winning The War'. Come the next GE, this dirty political tactics will bring bad effect to BN. Yes, you can argue with me about September 16. But I never agree with Anwar Ibrahim tactics about the September 16 and that time, I was against his decision. So losing the Perak state will teach Pakatan Rakyat a lesson on not to touch about the hopping parties issue. Who wan a bad and rotten apple? Get my point?

Well, for the 4 state assemblymen that resigned from PKR and DAP. We wish all you the best. All the Perakians will never forget and forgive what you have done to rob the people there.

Anyhow, I am still at Pakatan side and I hereby support the Menteri Besar of Perak to call a dissolve to the state assembly and run a fresh election. This solution is the best and fair for the people of Perak, if the Perak people think that Pakatan administration do not administrated the state well. So thrown them off in the election but not my ditching the whole state government by baiting some of the assemblymen to crossover in order to get the close majority. This is just the dirtiest tactics that I have seen so far in the political scene in Malaysia.

The people of Perak already decided on March 8 by who they would like their state to be administrate, by just some frogs jump from one party to another party and causes the whole state government to be changed. Do this tactic proved that BN are people-friendly as they always admit their are or just money and power-friendly?

Little Write Up on Kuala Terengganu By-Election

Days getting closer for the the people of Kuala Terengganu (KT) to throw their votes. It will be probably 5 days to go. Many articles, blogs and write ups I have been reading since the nomination day. As usual, something that can't run out of topic - 'The Bias-ness of the MSM'. But logically thinking, the 'staffs' will never go against the 'owner'. So what to do, we have been reading lots and lots of lie. Lies after lies, when will they stop? Are we (the rakyat) look so fool to be lied? I guess I should just continue to boycott the MSM, it was some bullshits years ago and it is still bullshit now. I would agree with Haris Ibrahim to boycott the MSM and don't waste your money to buy those papers for reading and news. Not worth your money. Well, this is a little touch on MSM.

Back to KT, it will be another 3 way battle between Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid, PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut and Independent Azharuddin Mamat Adam. Analysis has been carried out shows that both BN and PAs have the equal chances of winning this by-election while Azharuddin has, however, been written off (Malaysia Today, extracted from NST, 8th January 2009). The breakdown percentage according to races in KT are as followed - Malays take up 88% of the total voters, Chinese make up about 11% while 1% will be Indians and others. With the 88% of Malays in KT, analysis shows that the Malays voted are equally divided between both parties thus the Chinese votes which are 11% or 8800 votes together with the 1% of Indians and others might decide the victory of which parties' hand (SAPP, extracted from Malaysiakini, 5th January 2009). So the Chinese in KT, please please make the right choice. Eventhough we make a mistake during last year March election, this is the time and chance that we have to undo the mistake.

To all the people in KT especially the Chinese, remember who is the one that labeled us as 'squatter' and caused an innocent reporter to get jailed under the ISA for a few days? I hope you all remember who is he and which party he is from but I surely and confidently know that he is not from PAS or PKR or DAP. Just look around KT will do, those big and beautiful houses are belong to who? Ask yourself!
Where all the Terengganu oil royalty gone to? Ask yourself again!! See Raja Petra's blog.
Why terengganu is so rich with oil yet the state is not developing fast? Ask yourself again and again!!!
Well, isn't it obvious that we should open our eye and ear big and make our senses alive for those things that happened under the table and behind the curtain? So people of KT, is time to change.

On Hudud law, I am not against or supporting it. Implementation of this law is still unclear and agreement still can't be achieve. Firstly, one must know that Malaysia is not an Islamic country according to the Constitution thus implementation of Hudud law on non-Muslim is a big no no and disagreement from me. But if PAS do mention that Hudud la only applicable on Muslim, then I will not touch on this issue as I am out of the issue. Secondly, to amend the Constitution, one must have at least 2/3 majority of the Parliament seats and bare in mind that it is just simply imposible for PAS to win a whooping 2/3 seats of the Parliament as for now, they have more or less 20 seats in the Parliament. So KT's Chinese, some of the parties and the MSM are playing up this issue just to make you all change your mind and scared you all of. Well, I doesn't need to explain much on this issue as RPK already explained it loud and clear in his blog.

As the ending of my article, I would like to thanks all the fellow bloggers who are in KT right now, RPK and wife, Haris, Zorro and others to campaign for PAS/ Pakatan Rakyat. Honestly speaking, if I am there, I will too campaign for PAS. I have no problem hoisting PAS/PKR/DAP flags.

Make the right choice when the day comes. Happy voting.

'Every vote for PAS in KT is a vote to fight and go against ISA and racism'

A Year Shaped By Politics

It does not take a genius to guess that for most Malaysians, 2008 was all about the 12th general election.

It marked such a huge political change that it became politically correct again to use the word "tsunami" after grieving for the millions of victims in 2004.

But with the new year looming, and both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat settling into their new roles, will 2009 simply see a consolidation of these lines or yet more changes afoot?

It will depend, of course, on how events pan out, and how Malaysians themselves act and react.

While most will have clear memories of March 8, just as many will probably have forgotten what it was like in the two months of the year prior to the polls. How long ago it seems now, when there was no such thing as Pakatan Rakyat.

There was only Barisan Nasional. Powerful, unchallenged, its domination was absolute for the past four years after claiming over 90 per cent of the seats in Parliament in the previous general election.

The opposition parties were scattered, each pursuing their own agenda. But when an energy and economic crisis loomed, everyone could smell a change in the air. Malaysians were ready to make their mark.

Talk of the opposition doubling its meagre 21-seat haul from the 11th GE slowly grew to tripling it as time went by.

Realising that the bread-and-butter issues of income and cost of living would only get worse, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called a snap election, realising that an imminent price hike in fuel prices would only damage BN more.

Few can honestly say they predicted such a blow for BN, ceding 82 parliamentary seats, the heaviest defeat for the ruling coalition in the nation's electoral history.

Even members of the opposition were caught unprepared. Who was going to be the menteris besar and chief minister? As it turned out, the fledgling opposition coalition, soon to be announced as Pakatan Rakyat, was nearly undone before it could take off, by the squabbles over control of state governments.

Yet the irony is that despite the defeat, Abdullah was probably right. He may indeed have overseen a worse performance for BN had he not decided to call elections then.

The next six months saw the momentum rushing in favour of PR, with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the economy consistently rocking BN's boat. The former deputy prime minister showed his ability to make people sit up and pay attention.

He sent tremors through the political sphere by proclaiming that he would take over the federal government by convincing at least 30 BN MPs to join PR on the symbolic date of Sept 16, Malaysia Day, a statement so bold that it saw his colleagues once again being caught unawares.

It set him up as prime minister-elect. Every time he spoke, lodged a report, got arrested, accused of sodomy or appeared in court, it scored points for his strengthening coalition and chipped away at the wobbly BN.

After losing five states including the economic engines of Selangor and Penang plus its two-thirds hold of Parliament for the first time in nearly four decades, knives were being sharpened for Abdullah.

Chief among those calling for his blood was the man who had appointed him as his successor, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Slowly but surely, Dr Mahathir got his way. Abdullah agreed to a 2010 transition plan, handing the reins over to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

But even this failed to galvanise BN, who meekly handed Anwar an increased majority in the Permatang Pauh by-election, allowing him easy entry back into Parliament as opposition leader at the end of August.

By Anwar's own admission, this was supposed to begin the countdown to Putrajaya for PR. He had now fulfilled his own constitutional obligation to be the new PM. All he needed were the numbers.

For all his claims that he indeed had the numbers, Sept 16 never materialised amid excuses of security concerns by the opposition.

Seeing an opening, Umno pressed on towards putting an end to Anwar's threat. By pushing the transition plan to March 2009, it effectively made Najib the No. 1 man there and then.

They were giving Malaysians a new PM and as predictable as ever, the country seems willing to give him a chance.

The rest of BN might still be a shambles today, but belief is there among the Umno ranks that the ship would be steadied and indeed returned to its former glory under the reign of the son of the acclaimed Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysia's second Prime Minister.

And so the tide has changed again. As 2008 turns to 2009, the buzz is now all about feuds within the opposition. Pas and DAP still argue over hudud, while PKR and DAP are facing infighting within their own parties due to a relatively small matter of the relocation of a bus station in Selangor.

Meanwhile, Najib gears up his troops for the Jan 17 Kuala Terengganu by-election. A win here, which BN claimed by just 600 votes on March 8, would be the perfect fillip for Najib as he seeks to banish any more talk of advancements by PR and rebuild BN through 2009 and beyond.

With Umno's own party polls looking more like a case of musical chairs now, the Pas and PKR elections may turn out to be the real political events of 2009.

It will decide how united the nascent PR is behind Anwar's ambitions and whether it can pull through a much-hyped genesis and become a serious alternative to the five-decade-long rule by Umno and its partners.

As such, there will be no let up in the politically-charged atmosphere Malaysians now live in. Change, it seems, is somewhat infectious.

Source: Shannon Teoh, 3oth December 2008, The Malaysian Insider

Happy New Year 2009 everyone.

I will be back to write more in 2009. Sorry for only articles without my writing in all the December postings.

A Middle Class Malay Perspective

The children of the Establishment tackle some difficult issues.

IN the strident and unnecessarily unpleasant debate over the concept of ketuanan Melayu and the Malay community’s political future, the quiet voices of urban middle-class Malays have yet to make themselves heard.

As a partial corrective, I spoke to several members of a tribe that, while small in number, is intriguing from a social anthropology perspective.

The Malays of the anak Datuk class – the children of senior civil servants and technocrats whose parents’ careers in public service predated the Mahathir era – are interesting in that their values and ideas about Malaysia must have been formed at least in part by their families’ experiences of nation building.

As their parents made the country, it stands to reason that they would have a considerable emotional stake in how it develops in the future.

Even within this rarefied sub-caste of children of the Establishment who are not themselves involved in politics, however, their feelings about ketuanan Melayu show a marked diversity.

Fahmi Fadzil, 27, is a writer and performer. He is the son of Datuk Fadzil Yunus, the former director-general – and later general manager – of the Felda group of companies, and Datin Fauziah Ramly, a senior civil servant who was most recently a Commissioner with the Public Service Commission.

I asked him what he makes of the concept of ketuanan Melayu.

“I never grew up thinking about it very much. My parents never spoke to me about it. Even when I was in college the whole matter was never really present in how I saw things.

“I think because I live in KL – and especially because my parents came from that group of earlier middle class Malay civil servants – I don’t think I would subscribe to ideas of ketuanan Melayu.”

But does he subscribe in any way to the idea that the Malays are the natural leaders – or in some way the owners – of Malaysia?

“No. On my father’s side I’m the fourth generation born on this peninsula, on my mother’s side just the third generation, so I see myself as a pendatang too. I don’t subscribe to the idea of a natural leadership role for the Malays.

“More than that, as a Muslim, I don’t see the need for this. There is no such thing as one group being ethnically superior to another.

“The thing I remember most from school, from kelas agama, (is that) from the early days of Islam there was a clear message that you were all the same. Whether you were Arabs or not, you are all the same now.

“We should be talking about values and principles held by people rather than subscribing to simplistic ideas of certain ethnicities being the owners of the land. I don’t subscribe to that, and even if I did, I think the rightful owners would be the Orang Asal.”

Datuk Zahim Albakri, 45, the director and actor, is the son of Datuk Ikmal Hisham Albakri, the first Malay architect and the first President of Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, who designed the National Library, Putra World Trade Centre, and the Bank Bumiputera headquarters in KL.

Zahim’s grandfather, Datuk Seri Mustafa Albakri, of the Malayan Civil Service, was the first Commissioner of the Election Commission and the first Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal.

For Zahim, coming to grips with the concept of ketuanan Melayu means dispelling ambiguity: “There seems to be a confusion between the bumiputera policy (the New Economic Policy) and the idea of ketuanan Melayu. The bumiputera policy was a reaction to the riots of 1969, whereas ketuanan Melayu, in the Constitution, I don’t think is particularly giving special privileges or rights to the Malays, it’s to ensure that the Malay Rulers have a certain place, to ensure that those institutions continue.

“I grew up in a family where we were brought up with the understanding that the Malay rulers are there, and this is our history, our culture.

“I grew up with my granddad being proudly Malay, and proudly Orang Perak. There was this sense of being proud of our culture. But never were we made to think that being Malay gave us a right to something beyond.

“I was brought up (to believe) that every citizen in Malaysia was equal. I was never brought up believing that Malays should have more than everyone else.”

How would he feel about a non-Malay Prime Minister?

“I have no problem with a non-Malay PM. It should be about their competence. It should be the best person for the job.”

The composer Datin Saidah Rastam comes from a family steeped in public life. Her maternal grandfather was Perak’s 14th Datuk Panglima Kinta, who held 56 public service posts at the time of his death. Her father is Datuk Rastam Hadi, the former managing director of Petronas and former deputy governor of Bank Negara. Her husband is the urbane lawyer-turned-banker Datuk Charon Mokhzani (who, with exquisite politeness, declined to be interviewed for this article).

Says Saidah, “I think the races should be treated equally and the biggest thing that makes me uneasy about the concept of ketuanan Melayu is that it’s increasingly being used in fascist ways.”

She believes that the NEP “was a necessary thing at the time, given the racial tensions, but that’s different from the concept of Malay supremacy”.

She points to the historical record: “Tun Razak said that that was only for that time, and this NEP thing would end at some point, so that’s different from the notion that there’s an inherent Malay supremacy that can’t be questioned, which I’m very uneasy with.

“I’m somebody who benefited from the policies which favoured Malays – at the outset I’m happy to admit that. But looking at things today, my personal view is that we should give everybody equal opportunities because the policies favouring Malays haven’t been used properly.

“And given that the people who are supposed to safeguard the correct implementation of the policies are the same ones who benefit from them, I’m not optimistic that those policies will be correctly implemented.”

Dain-Iskandar Said is a writer and film director. His father was Datuk Mohamed Said Zain, a diplomat and intelligence officer.

He sees the concept of ketuanan Melayu as “outmoded, out of step with the times we live in, when the world is becoming more and more global. The world over, people are bringing down barriers of race, yet we are trying to instill and install those outmoded values.”

In his eyes, there are many aspects to the problem. “First, what is a Malay? Most Malays I know are some kind of mix, so who defines being Malay? Who are the guardians of the definition?

“The definition of ketuanan Melayu seems to be Umno; it always seems to lead back to Umno’s agenda.

“I’m not saying that outside of it it’s not valid; it may be valid to a lot of people. I can understand that. The main problem is the way it’s implemented. The tone of it is fascistic.”

For him, the promotion of the tenets of ketuanan Melayu “exposes deep insecurity, because if you really believe you are leading this country, what are you so scared of? I don’t think any of the other races want to take that away from you. They can’t, because in the Constitution are enshrined certain precepts.”

Dain argues that our debate is impoverished. “While many of us middle class Malays can be liberal and open, there’s never been any kind of infrastructure that supports ideas or traditions of openness.

“So on the one hand you have people who are willing to be open and liberal, but on the other hand it is so easy to destroy it, because there is no critical, intellectual or educational infrastructure to support those ideas.

“When you attack something that has no support, it is so easy to play to the rural Malay masses, to instill that kind of fear, and make people feel extremely powerless.

“There’s no tradition of talking critically about race and identity politics. You’re almost suspended in a vacuum.”

This is a vacuum that we need to fill with the plurality and diversity of our opinions. It has always been the position of Wide Angle that Malaysia’s many problems and tensions should not be ignored; they need to be addressed by continued, forthright yet respectful debate by citizens, and the issue of ketuanan Melayu is no exception.

Source: Huzir Sulaiman, 14th December 2008, The Star online.

After Nearly 2 Years, We Still Have This Problem (Mat Rempit)

Article Wrote by Azly Rahman

Stop Glorifying Mat Rempits!

I once wrote the following article concerning a cancer in our society...

Stop glorifying Mat Rempits!
Azly Rahman
Mar 12, 2007

"The (North Pole Free Fall) expedition is among the latest controversial moves by Umno to engage youths, especially Mat Rempit, in a series of baffling activities…. This includes a 50,000-strong carnival gathering which never took off, a road trip tainted by sex and booze allegations and a proposed programme to reward mat rempit for nabbing snatch thieves."

- Malaysiakini newsreport March 10, 2007

Again and again we are sending a wrong message to the children of tomorrow concerning what good behavior for our youth should be. Wrong model.

Why are we allowing Umno Putera to glorify Mat Rempits and reward them with something they do not deserve?

Don't these youth leaders know what education means and how to educate these 'damaged' youth? We do not understand what being "fair but firm" means in educating troubled youth.

Worse, we do not understand the root cause of why children fail in school but graduate to become Mat and Minah Rempits or "Ah Longs" and all kinds of human beings alienated by the system we built together.

The 50,000 strong gathering, the name-change to Mat Cemerlang, the proposed drag race circuit, and now the North Pole jump – what are these for in the name of 'education for good citizenship'? How many will 50,000 Mat Rempits multiply into in a decade? What will be the consequence for our nation already falling apart from corruption and mismanagement?

We need more than just quick fix solution to the issue of 'juvenile delinquency' that is getting out of control. We need a "zero-tolerance policy" on "rempitizing behaviors".

Don't the ministry of education know what the taxpayers want for the education system? Why not spend money preparing good teachers to prepare good curriculum and teaching strategies to deal with the children of the Millennium generation?

Why not spend money making sure that all schools meet the minimum standards of technology, resources, safety, and teacher competency? Why not beef up the "rempit division" of the police force?

Why continue to arrogantly trumpet pseudo-humanistic approach to curing the disease of rempitism when there are better long-lasting ways we can employ to make sure students do not become what they shouldn't be becoming?


The Wrong Model

Mat Rempit wannabes will think that even if they do not do well in school and not be disruptive, they will still grow up protected by the system created by those who want to continue to preach the "welfare mentality".

There will be youth political parties trying hard enough to negotiate with the "motorcycle gang" so that the latter can be of help in maintaining the hegemony of the ruling party.

The compromising approach towards those who "terrorize" neighborhoods, law-abiding citizens, or even rob and maim others will give more and more power to many others to follow the footsteps of the motorcycled mob.

"I'll make you an offer you can't refuse" said Don Vito Corleone of Mario Puzo's The Godfather fame – would be the best way to describe the philosophy of how we reward these troubled youth.

A wrong model of youth education will produce more youth who will see national development through wrong lens.

Perhaps our minister of education need to spend one class period a month in different classroom settings, as an undercover substitute teacher, to understand the culture of the classroom and to make sense of why many things are failing.

Perhaps top ranking officials of the ministry without classroom experience need to take turns doing this undercover job to see why we are not producing the graduates we want.

Perhaps these officials can be given a class period to teach in the urban schools and where Mat and Minah Rempits reign – schools in Puchong for example. Or they can sit in classroom in Arau Perlis where broken door, blackboard, windowpanes, ceilings ands walls welcome new students daily.

These are the real stuff of teaching – ones that ministers do not see. Many are merely interested in 'officiating' smart schools and have photo sessions with Microsoft's Bill Gates or Sun Microsystem's Scott McNealy in Dengkil – schools that will produce no Mat and Minah Rempits.

Many do not even want their children near National Service camps that has taken the lives of 8 our precious youth to date! We now have a movement towards the three school system – public, private, and international – each catering to the degree of fear parents have towards their children's education.

This is the lifeboat mentality we have cultivated as a nation.

But education is about hope and love. It is about modeling best practice. Where do we begin then?


The Right Model

First, we need to stop sending the wrong message. We need to reward those who are doing well academically regardless of race, and help channel their creativity through the spectrum of their educational experience.

We need to create classrooms with smaller sizes so that the needs of these children can be met according to their interest. The "small schools" movement that identify children's career interest at an early age can be a good model to work from – schools modeled after the concept of "academies".

Let experts from the MRSM (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA) system for example help suggest good ideas on how to help our troubled youth.

Next, get funding to create alternative schools for troubled youth, that would also include a course in 'motorcycle education'.

We need to study the "ecology" of the child and the "anthropology of the modern Malaysian school" and classroom in order to ascertain why children become disillusioned in schools and declare their freedom and irresponsibility on the streets, past midnight.

We need to find out where their parents are.

We need to study the socio-economic make-up of the youth at risk and ascertain the nature of psychological emotional, and even spiritual derangement that is plaguing our youth. We need to hold parents accountable for their children's behavior, not just leave already stressed and poorly-paid teachers to become "correctional officers", while trying to create success for all.

Parents must be given trainings in what matters for their children in school and how to monitor behaviors. Schooling should be a peaceful partnership between the child, parents, teachers, and the society we wish to create.

It is not about stealing the minds of children of tomorrow or the benefit of politics of the here and now

We need to study the ecology of the media and the nature of fast changing economy to see the impact of it on the youth of today. What are the youth watching on TV? Who produces junk programs that produces the "GIGO" (garbage-in-garbage-out) mind? How does the media exploit the insecurities of our youth?

Certainly a lot to study and act upon.

But first and foremost, we must study ourselves as a nation—where are we going?

And—we need to stop political parties from further nurturing 'rempitism'. There are better ways—by being fair yet firm.

Let us pray that those with "rempitised" minds do not become our political leaders.

Source: Azly Rahman, 8th December 2008, 1207 hours

It is sad to see the problem that we are facing since long ago and has been highlighted a few times in the medias are still in large till now. The question is 'When will it be over?'

No one knows, this is because some politicians still glorifies those Mat Rempits as Mat Cemerlangs which give them the opportunities to prove that they are on the correct side. Besides that, this problem is still here to stay due to the lack of attentiveness from the police force. The way they approach those Mat Rempit, less arrests, more to chasing those Mat Rempit away from the areas. Do you think this will work? Logically think, if the police chase those Rempits away from an areas, they will still re-group and do their racing in another are. Isn't true?

Mat Rempits not only risking their lives on the road but they also posed risk toward innocent road users. And this problem is getting out of hand day by day, we often read news about Mat Rempits robbing and etc etc on the news. Some quarters disagree with the news reported as they say Mat Rempits will not do this accept illegal racing. Illegal racing is already tarnished the image of the country, so why should some quarters still protecting them? Isn't it weird?

Well, if some politicians and quarters keep glorifying the Mat Rempits, I guess we can try out by making Mat Rempit as a tourists attraction. Welcome to one of the Malaysia hot tourist spot - Mat Rempit - 'The One and the Only One in Asia and Some Say Whole World'.

Amend It Properly, If Can't, Abolish It

Kayveas: We will leave Barisan if ISA is not amended

The People's Progressive Party (PPP) will pull out of the Barisan Nasional if the Internal Security Act is not amended before the next elections, party president Datuk M. Kayveas said.

“I have to follow what the Youth and Wanita divisions have proposed to the party and they want the ISA abolished.

“As a responsible party I told them let’s go halfway and ask for amendments to the Act so that it is not a draconian law imposed on innocent citizens,” he said when opening the Youth and Wanita meeting and elections yesterday.

“The Barisan has to make changes before the next general election. It would be suicidal if we do not.

“The problem with the Barisan is its success the past 50 years. Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.

“The March election has shown what the voters are looking for: good governance and multi-racialism.

“The solution has always been multi-racialism but to date the Barisan is still caught in its own political racial configuration and so what is said is not implemented fast enough.”

Wanita leader C. Josephine Anne said the Barisan had to act now to “fast-track development programmes for all races, show our sincerity and start by uniting the Barisan parties.”

“The Barisan must work towards a common society to regain the confidence of the rakyat, and not just offer lip service and continue to use the race card.

“In this day and age, we cannot continue to pit one race against the other and talk about unity.”

PPP Youth chief T. Murugiah said they did not support the use of the ISA against ordinary citizens.

“The ISA was designed to handle a terrorist threat and should be used only for the purpose.”

Source: Krishnamoorthy, M., Kuala Lumpur, 1st December 2008, The Star online

I have to admit before this, I don't support to abolish ISA totally nor I do support ISA like some quarters appeared in Kuala Lumpur with banners and start walking on the street linking ISA with racial issues (The News Straits Times, 24 Nov 2008). Let me cruise out of topic a little, I read up the news about it and it make me puked, seriously! Support ISA?!?! I guess they don't understand what is ISA and how the act should be use? So why don't I suggest you guys who support ISA get the feeling of ISA-ed before you open your big mouths.

If you would say that ISA is for terrorists and communists, I would more than agree with you but not for shutting people mouth because someone know more you do or someone who do his/her job as a journalist or politician. If you guys feel that some quarters trying to stir up so racial issues, kindly request the Barisan government to come out with some racial acts la. So next time when someone trying to stir racial tension, just take them and throw them into the courts. Let them defend themselves. Isn't this sound fair? By the way, so far I forget that in here, 'fair' and 'equality' words don't exist in my vocabulary.

Alright, back to the topic. Smart move by the PPP, I do realised that many of the component parties have the gut to speak out after March 8. True, tell your 'big boss' Barisan to amend the ISA, suggest to them ISA is STRICTLY FOR TERRORISTS AND COMMUNISTS; NOT FOR INNOCENT CITIZEN.

If the government and our 'beloved' Home Minister continue to have the thinking that they are always right and the people are always wrong. Then we should tell them that Malaysia has turn into a laughing stock for many countries round the world. You want to know why? Have your heard that innocent people is taken into ISA become her life is in threat (Jeff Ooi, 13 September 2008; NST, 13 September 2008). What a joke? I think the person that make this statement suit to be a comedian more than a politician. Since he is good in making stupid statements which able to make most of the Malaysians laugh till their breath out including myself. Isn't it true?

So amend the ISA properly, if can't, throw it into the dustbin. We have enough of this nonsense and rubbish acts.