Fraudster gadget at Bank ATM

A team of organized criminals are installing equipment on legitimate bank ATM's in at least 2 regions to steal both the ATM card number and the PIN. The team sits nearby in a car receiving the information transmitted wirelessly over weekends and evenings from equipment they install on the front of the ATM (see photos). If you see an attachment like this, do not use the ATM and report it immediately to the bank using the phone on the front of the ATM.

The equipment used to capture your ATM card number and PIN are cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment. A "skimmer" is mounted to the front of the normal ATM card slot that reads the ATM card number and transmits it to the criminals sitting in a nearby car.

At the same time, a wireless camera is disguised to look like a leaflet holder and is mounted in a position to view ATM PIN entries.

The thieves copy the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw thousands from many accounts in a very short time directly from the bank ATM.

Equipment being installed on front of existing bank card slot.



The equipment as it appears installed over the normal ATM bank slot.



The PIN reading camera being installed on the ATM is housed in an innocent looking leaflet enclosure.



The camera shown installed and ready to capture PIN's by looking down on the keypad as you enter your PIN

Trophy Wife & Boy Toy

Trophy Wife

A trophy wife refers to a marriage pattern in Western society in which some men marry attractive women as a form of display intended to exhibit their wealth and success to others.

A trophy wife doesn’t have to cook and clean and get her manicured nails all dirty.

Often rich and successful men who follow this pattern divorce their first wives, often with a generous divorce settlement, and then marry a second much younger woman.

In many cases this pattern is repeated with subsequent wives. This marriage pattern is of interest to anthropologists because is can be seen as a form of serial monogamy and is analogous to patterns of polygamy in other societies.

Rock stars in particular, like Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart, never take anything BUT trophy wives. And there are billionaires like Donald Trump, whose latest acquisition is model Melania Knauss.

And what happens when the trophy wife gets older, like Bianca Jagger and Ivana Trump? Why, the men dump them, usually with a fair settlement, and take another one! It’s like swapping your Jimmy Choos for a newer, better-looking model.

Toy Boy

Encouraged by Madonna and Demi Moore, increasing numbers of women are dating younger men. But what's in it for the toy boys? Oscar Humphreys, 22, explains the appeal.

Demi Moore is set to marry her toyboy lover Ashton Kutcher in a Kabbalah wedding ceremony.

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The couple - who have an age gap of 15 years between them - will tie the knot in November. Moore has been dating Kutcher since April 2003, after being introduced to one another by Puff Daddy at a party in New York.

The marriage will be the 41-year-old star's third - she first wed musician Freddy Moore, whose surname she took, when she was 18.

She then tied the knot with Hollywood actor Bruce Willis - with whom she has three daughters.

The kind of woman who goes for a toy boy is usually financially and emotionally independent; she doesn't require a man for status or security.

SHARON STONE is desperately looking for a toyboy lover - because DEMI MOORE shows dating a younger man can work.

Stone is thrilled Moore's relationship with 27-year-old Kutcher has been a success and wants to find her own younger man.

"They should watch out because if they're not careful, their wives will now be the ones leaving them for younger men.

"Only a few days ago I was chatted up in a bar by a 25 year old. I said, 'I could be your mother.'

"A 25-year-old would be happy to spend the whole afternoon washing your hair for you. But a 40-year-old man who works too hard will get his secretary to send you flowers."

I live with my mother but sometimes I tell people that I live alone. My room is full of overflowing ashtrays and last week's Starbucks cups, and I am constantly surrounded by chaos.

Germaine Greer caused a storm earlier this year when it was revealed that her next book, The Boy, would be a thesis on "why boys have always been the world's pin-ups". Who better, then, to explain to me the appeal of "the boy" to older women?

"Women have always turned on to boys and, historically, older women were expected to introduce boys to the refinement and excitement of sex with the older woman," Greer told me. "They were lovers but they were also teachers. The sexual potency of boys, who have sperm that flows like tap water, is galling to older men. Older men sit in judgement but boys don't do that. They are able to admire a woman for what she has achieved."

Can there be equality in our relationship? Well, there is sexual equality, but, I have to admit, little else (Greer tells me that we are both at our sexual peaks). It is, indeed, an unbalanced arrangement, but that is how my girlfriend likes it.

The way I see it, the kind of woman who goes for a toy boy is usually financially and emotionally independent; she doesn't require a man for status or security. She is therefore able to make a truly honest and objective choice about who she wants to be with.

She doesn't want a bloated banker to buy her dinner; she would rather have fun and laugh with a boy than have boring, responsible weekends in the country with a man her own age. She wants to be reminded that she can still be independent and is still sexy.

Veteran actress Faye Dunaway found an unlikely boy toy in the 22-year-old son of the SULTAN OF BRUNEI

At 64, Dunaway is old enough to be the grandmother of PRINCE AZIM, whose dad is one of the richest men in the world, with a fortune of $47.5 billion (GBP25 billion).

Nevertheless, the pair left exclusive London restaurant Nobu hand-in-hand together last night (27JUN05) prompting reports of a romance.

Pals insist their relationship is strictly business-based - budding film-maker Prince Azim is hoping to persuade Dunaway to appear in a new movie he is making.

But the young lothario has a history with older women - he once sent SIR MICK JAGGER's ex-wife JERRY HALL a bouquet of flowers so large two men had to deliver it, reports the London Evening Standard.

More ...

Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, 26, better known as a hard-hitting journalist to many TV3 viewers, married Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 58, in a closed ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday August 20th, 2005.

Toys & Trophies in Display -Part 2

Former Miss Malaysia Wed Sweetheart

BY JAIVIN DOMPOK

PETALING JAYA: The days of flying as a stewardess for Miss Malaysia Universe 2001 Tung Mei Chin are over.

The 25-year-old beauty queen's career was “grounded” a few weeks before her engagement to John Tang, 29, in September last year.

And Tung, who was a SIA flight attendant for two years, will be married on the date her grandfather set – Sept 18.

“The date is important for both families as it does not clash with the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival,” she told The Star yesterday.

The couple’s love started innocently as they were friends for three years before becoming an item.

“I met John through his friend while I was studying in a college in Petaling Jaya,” she said.

Their relationship grew warmer when Tang was posted to China while she was a stewardess in Singapore.

“When I had my off days he would try to fly to Singapore to visit me and I would try to change my flight destination to Hong Kong so that I could be with him there,” Tung said.

In July last year, Tang proposed in front of a hotel lobby in Kuala Lumpur when they were in the country for a holiday.

“That took me by surprise. I did not expect anything to happen during that short trip,” Tung said, adding that two months later she quit her job as she wanted to be closer to Tang in China.

The couple plan to move to Guangzhou, China, after their marriage to help in Tang’s family business in garment manufacturing.

Tung and Tang, both Penangites, will hold their wedding ceremony in Penang.

Azrinaz Weds Brunei Sultan

WITH politics and other heavy issues hogging the headlines these past few weeks, Berita Minggu instead broke the story of a former TV3 personality marrying the Sultan of Brunei on its front page.

Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, 26, better known as a hard-hitting journalist to many TV3 viewers, married Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 58, in a closed ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

One guest told Berita Minggu that the ceremony was only attended by family members, relatives and close friends of both bride and groom.

Azrinaz took a course in broadcasting diploma at the Malaysian Institute of Integrative Media (MIIM) or Akademi TV3 in 1997 and started work as an executive journalist with the station two years later.

However, the winner of TV3 Promising Journalist for 2000 resigned last May, saying she hoped to explore other fields.

She received a MIIM Alumni Award in 2002.

With Azrinaz’s marriage, the newspaper said, it has solved a riddle that had been circulating so strongly for some time.

The paper also highlighted an award presented by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman to newly crowned Akademi Fantasia winner Asmawi Ani, popularly known as Mawi, for making the state famous.

In his speech before 3,000 spectators, Abdul Ghani said Mawi had successfully projected the image of a clean Malay youth with a winning personality and uplifted the name of the state with his talent.

Both the newspaper and Mingguan Malaysia also highlighted a statement by Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat calling on wives to keep in mind the “problems” faced by aging virgin women, whose number has increased in the country, and not stop their husbands from marrying again.

These wives, he said, should not prevent their husbands’ plans by reacting violently as long as the latter could afford to take another wife.

“Just think of the situation faced by the aged virgin. She will be forced to remain unmarried when in actual fact, there is a man who desires her. Wives should thus give these men room.

“These things will not be resolved as long as people only seek to fulfil their own desires but not think of others’ desires as well,” he said.

Toys & Trophies in Display -Part 1

Love blossoms and he becomes a grandpa at 27

BY DERRICK VINESH

BUTTERWORTH: She is a 47-year-old widow with five children and a 10-month-old grandson. He is 27.

They met eight months ago. Love blossomed and despite the initial family shock and protest, they tied the knot yesterday.

In so doing, Mohd Riduan Husiani may have become the youngest grandfather on record, even if not from a biological viewpoint.

Hasnah Abdullah, looking resplendent in her turquoise blue baju kebaya bridal outfit, smiled shyly as she exchanged rings with her partner during their akad nikah at Masjid Jamek Seberang Jaya.

“My first husband, Ridzuan Said, died from kidney failure nine years ago. I felt lonely after that. Then Mohd Riduan came along.

“Both of them have similar names. I believe it is fate that brought us together.”

Hasnah, a factory operator, met Mohd Riduan, a security officer, at their previous workplace in Permatang Batu, Bukit Mertajam.

Her daughter, Siti Fairus Ridzuan, 17, said the family was initially shocked.

“We told her she was crazy. But after listening to her reasons, we relented and accepted Mohd Riduan as part of the family.

“We find it odd calling him dad though, as he is quite young. So, we have decided on calling him pakcik (uncle) instead.”

Mohd Riduan said his parents, too, initially disapproved of the marriage plans because of the wide age gap.

They later gave their consent, but chose not to attend the wedding ceremony.

“I am proud to be a ready-made grandfather as I love children,” said Mohd Riduan.

“I accept Hasnah's children and grandson as my own, but I hope to have at least two children with her.”

They plan to go on a honeymoon in Pangkor.

“She may be as old as my mother, but I know she will take good care of me, just as I will take care of her,” said Mohd Riduan.

They were among 12 couples who were married in an inaugural mass wedding ceremony for Muslims in the Permatang Pauh constituency arranged by Seberang Jaya assemblyman Arif Shah Omar Shah.

P & D CEO fined $600,000 for CBT

CBT

This is a Criminal Breach of Trust; a failure in performing a fudiciary duty of which it was entrusted to him by the public and of which $26 million was blatantly misused and abused. For that crime, he was fined $600,000 by the Session Court. Isn't it worth? I would want to take this risk, as it's worth the efforts where the public had to pay $26mil?

To add salt, the ACA spent huge sums to investigate the affairs and culminated with this conclusion. Oh.....god is great, but men are greater....

Read the story:

Former chief executive officer of Plantations and Development (Malaysia) Bhd, Yong Tiam Yoon, was fined RM600,000 yesterday for abetting the company in misusing RM26.5mil in public issue proceeds nine years ago. Sessions Court judge Nursinah Adzmi fined Yong, 54, the amount in default 20 months' jail. He paid the fine.

Yong pleaded guilty on Tuesday after initially claiming trial to the offence committed between Aug 1 and Nov 15, 1996, at the company’s premises in IGB Plaza, Jalan Kampar, here. Yong, in his capacity as CEO, was charged in 2001 with abetting P&D in contravening a condition imposed by the Securities Commission, which had approved the company’s application to list on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (now known as Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd).

In a letter of approval dated Feb 12, 1996, the SC had stipulated that RM30.15mil of public issue proceeds were to be utilised for the acquisition of land, financing a joint venture project, acquiring an office block at Sentul Raya and as working capital for P&D. However, the funds were used to reduce loan facilities by several subsidiary companies of P&D and as at Nov 15, 1996, a total of RM26,493,335.57 had been misutilised.

Two others charged with the same offence were P&D executive directors Chua Peng Len @ Chua Peng Jin, 65, and Gwi Chin Fatt, 51. Chua was fined RM250,000 after he pleaded guilty in 2001 while Gwi was fined RM500,000 when he admitted to the offence two weeks ago.

In mitigating for a light sentence, counsel Tan Hock Chuan said that Yong was not the sole person who made the decision on how the said proceeds were to be utilised. He said P&D’s board of directors had decided against the acquisition of land and the office block at Sentul Raya due to the weak property market at the time. He pleaded for a non-custodial sentence for Yong who suffers from diabetes, hypertension and stomach complications.

“The accused is married with three children and comes from a prominent family in Singapore. His reputation has already been affected as a result of this conviction.”

P&D was classified under Practice Note 4 of the KLSE Rules in February 2001 with a negative shareholders’ fund of RM134.5mil as at Dec 31, 1999,

In November 2003, its listing status was subsequently taken over by Fountain View Development Bhd. The new company is also entangled in some legal problems. Businessman and substantial shareholder of Fountain View Development, Datuk Chin Chan Leong, 52, was charged on June 25 with manipulating the company’s shares in the stock market. Former Avenue Securities Sdn Bhd remisier Hiew Yoke Lan, 43, was also charged with abetting him.

Corporate Governance? Minority Watchdogs? Where are they????

Malaysia Boleh Ideology!!!!!

My Obssession with Marina

My obsession with Marina

She is back with another diatribe. She is brunt and straight, and she would not live to be a hypocrite. What has she got to say,; about what? Read below her article in The Star today:

Let them speak

By MARINA MAHATHIR

I’ve always thought that Malaysians are disinclined towards self-reflection and analysis. Why this should be so could probably be blamed on an education system that does not encourage independent thinking and questioning, as well as a dislike for confronting anything unpleasant. This is all very well if you never have to face it for yourself. But lately I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to witness this and you want to just curl up in embarrassment.

First I was at an overseas conference where a Malaysian government official was presenting a paper on a subject that was controversial and has few supporters in the international community. I was surprised that he had accepted the invitation to speak in the first place but having done so, I thought he must have worked out a convincing argument. To the utter bemusement of everybody, he presented a paper more suited to a high school student than a senior government official. Not only was it devoid of any scientific justification, it bore no logic at all.

It made me realise that some officials must live in an insular world where they have no idea what the rest of the world thinks and therefore naively present arguments that they don’t even realise will not hold water among well-informed people. Then they are shocked at the strong reaction they get. Now if they can then respond by presenting cogent reasons for their viewpoint, they might have saved a modicum of respect. But instead they simply give up and refuse to take the challenge of engaging in a debate. Everybody is then left dissatisfied.

I thought this was just an aberration until I witnessed the same inability to read an audience and present an intelligent analysis of a situation from an even more senior official. Perhaps when we are used to an uninformed unquestioning audience, we tend to underestimate the intelligence of every one we face.

It wouldn’t have alarmed me, if I thought that there was a new generation of Malaysians who could be different. So I went to a seminar hoping to listen to more interesting viewpoints. I did find some but not from anyone I didn’t already know. In a panel where university lecturers spoke and students asked questions and ventured opinions, I was struck by how some supposedly highly-qualified academicians had the same inability to provide a rational analysis of real situations and instead resorted to vague generalisations and illogic. Unsurprisingly the students were no better, asking unoriginal questions and spouting well-worn phrases that elicited applause from their own crowd. Not a single student asked any questions which were at all provocative or revealed some real thinking.

I suppose we should not blame our students’ lack of thinking skills when people who don’t have them either are teaching them. (And I know it isn’t just me saying this; some visiting academicians have embarrassingly mentioned the same thing). Students are also not going to stand up and say anything different for fear of attracting derision both from their lecturers and their peers. This is not a country that values original thinking and difference much after all.

The sad thing is, when you get young people by themselves, away from adults that they depend on, they can be very different. They can express opinions that don’t imitate others and you can appeal to their common sense and inherent goodness. But how much opportunity do we give young people to do this safely and without attracting some sort of punishment?

Yet if we expect the next generation to compete on an international level, we have to nurture their ability to speak and stand up for themselves. The types that I’ve been listening to will only be laughed at overseas.

I know what I speak of. As a young university student overseas, I was shocked to find that not only did people have vastly different opinions than me, they were more than willing to tell me exactly why I was wrong. The first few times I would retreat wounded into my room and cry with frustration at my own inability to defend my views. I also wondered how much of my views were in fact my own or just regurgitation of someone else’s. In time I got better at thinking out issues and putting across my opinion. I also learnt that it isn’t the end of the world if everybody disagreed with you.

We have to do something concrete about nurturing the thinking skills of our young people because otherwise they will not survive in the larger world. For a start we could be more stringent about the intellectual abilities of those who teach them. We can also create an environment that would be safe and encouraging for our young people to express themselves. Only then can we hold our heads high wherever we are.

COMMENTS:

Profanity? Ya, to some of the gaudy Malaysian Academicians and senior officials; but to most commoners, Marina is not the only person who scorn these un-ingenious dim-wit. We have often seen it the way she saw it except the fact that she speaks out loud and unassuming.

But the system managers, didn't they know about their own megalomaniacs? oh, oh, oh, they may not for they are megalomaniacs too.....

more ...

Full List of AP to be Published

AP - Full Publication

From Salbiah Said

www.bernama.com



JOHANNESBURG (South Africa), July 27 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Wednesday directed Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz to publish the full list of Approved Permit (AP) holders to avoid negative perceptions from the public.

"Okay publish all, publish all. There's no need to keep. Why should we keep. If by keeping we create negative perceptions, that's not right, that's wrong," he told the Malaysian media at the end of his three-day official visit to South Africa.

He said this in response to allegations from former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the government did not issue the full list to the public.

Rafidah, who was at the press conference, said that she would publish the full list including those owning showrooms.

In a quick response, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry released the list of 2004 AP holders in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier at the press conference, Abdullah said that he had no intention of not publishing what had already been made public.

"The list was the latest until 2005 and the public has seen the latest list. If there's anything that has been left out inadvertently, then we would furnish further. But Rafidah would be in a better position. I have given and published the list on that day," he said .

The prime minister said he was looking at the AP issue from major aspects.

"We may have to review the policy and introduce stricter regulations on the issuance of open APs to prevent abuse. They should be importing cars and selling cars and not selling APs," Abdullah said.

On the franchise APs, he said that the government would also have to review the issuance in the interests of the future, but said that he was not in a position to announce the details on the matter.

As for Proton board's decision not to renew its Chief Executive Officer Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff's contract, he said it was the board's decision which was properly made.

On Tengku Mahaleel's successor, Abdullah said that the new CEO would be experienced and one who had served about 12 years with Proton.

"We'll see who's going to be the CEO. It will not be a foreigner. Don't start speculating," he said when asked to comment on talks that a foreigner might be appointed to replace Tengku Mahaleel.

Abdullah said that clarifications on the matter should be made by the board.

"They will know the answer. I would give the board the benefit of the doubt. The board must act in the interest of Proton as the national car manufacturer. They must have the interest of the national car at heart," the premier said.

"They must ensure that there's been progress by Proton. That is certainly what I want to see. Details of the management are matters for them to decide. I will leave them to make the best of decisions in the interest of the board.

"They may have many reasons for whatever they have done. I would like to remind them and make this statement, that decisions must be made in the interest and progress and development of Proton."

Tengku Mahaleel is on leave effective July 26 prior to his retirement on Sept 30, 2005.

Following the decision to terminate Tengku Mahaleel's contract, Proton appointed Datuk Kisai Rahmat, who was Director of Operations and Datuk Kamarulzaman Darus, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Tanjung Malim Sdn Bhd, as joint operating officers to run Proton Holdings Bhd effective July 26.

Later, after the press conference, Rafidah told reporters that she was too hurt to reply to Dr Mahathir's allegations.

Non Malays Prefer Private Sector?

Private Sector Preferred

New Straits Times report:

The dearth of non-Malay civil servants may be attributed to many preferring private sector jobs instead of a career in the public service. While Chinese accounted for 29.7 per cent and Indians 9.8 per cent of civil servants in the 1980s, their numbers fell to 8.2 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively in 2003. The numbers have, however, been encouraging since 2001, said Public Services Commission secretary Luey Puteh.

"If the numbers of non-Malays applying is small, what can we do? The PSC is an appointing authority and we can’t woo certain racial groups or we’d appear biased."

The PSC, she said, could not conduct recruitment drives among non-Malays alone for the sake of neutrality. She said the drastic drop in the number of non-Malay civil servants since the 1980s was due to the retirement of the post-Merdeka batch of civil servants, who were not being replaced. Luey said efforts to encourage non-Malays to join the civil service were best left to political parties or government agencies.

She added that the PSC functioned as a recruiter, but approval was in the hands of the heads of department in the federal service. There had been a slight increase in the number of non-Malays applying of late for professional and managerial (Grade A) posts. More were also applying to be support staff, but the numbers have fluctuated in recent years.

While few non-Malays look at civil service for jobs, many however succeeded. For instance, 5,668 Chinese applied for Group A federal posts last year, of whom 1,042 made the cut for interviews, with 564 or 54.13 per cent offered jobs. A similar pattern has emerged for other non-Malay applicants.

One reason few applicants turn up for interviews is that it can take up to three years before an applicant is called for an interview. "We have to wait for ministries or agencies to make a request," Luey explained. "Until then, we don’t process the job applications. If one is lucky, there may be a post available sooner."

Luey said the number of vacancies fell short of candidates because there were no new posts being created or applicants did not meet the stringent requirements. "If there are many applicants for few posts, we raise the bar in our vetting process. This can be difficult for applicants to understand. They think they are qualified and get upset when they find we have made vetting more stringent without telling them."

The PSC only handled recruitment for about 30 per cent of all public sector jobs, but is the largest appointing body, Luey said. The rest are under the respective service commissions of the police, armed forces, Education, Legal and Judicial, state and local authorities. Luey said there were generally more applicants than vacancies in public service. Last year, 418,000 applied for vacancies but only 19,000 were hired. She cited an example where 18,000 applications were received for 10 vacancies for Customs officers.

COMMENTS:

Non Malays preferred private sector instead of civil service?

Oh No! Please, please,.... everyone one in Malaysia are interested in civil service. As there are so many who had applied, and the clear preferences based on ethnicity, the non-Malays understand the reality and the onerousness. We accept reality and instead of competing with the privileged and later cause some uproar in UMNO, we prefer to adapt and seek the competitive world of employment - the private sector. In the private sector, excluding the government linked companies, employment is based absolutely on meritocracy, the ability to perform and the commitment to work long hours, beyond normal working time.

Furthermore, in the private sector, if you are a high performer, you will be given the opportunity to rise in the ranks plus the benefits will commensurate with your effort and dedication. In civil service, it is accepted that even if you are more senior, more years of service, and deserving, some positions are sacred and are reserved under the rule of convention. Otherwise, UMNO Youth will be shouting biases and uneven playing field.

To Cik Luey Puteh, thank you very much for your openness and fair comments. We are happy that there are millions of Malays who are fair and reasonable headed, unlike those from UMNO. On behalf of the non-malays, we sincerely appreciate your fairness and competency. We are happy to continue our dog-fight in the private sector. Tho it is tough and stressful, but we have learn to live with the environment and to compete based on meritocracy. Many of us have not been successful but there are many too that had succeed. To those who have not been successful, they are still struggling and will continue to survive; but they are happy tho' poor.

UMNO can have what they want and we will not object as long as they don't try to rob us of what we had achieved thru our hardwork, blood and sweat. We don't need APs, we don't need NEP, we don't need the post of D-G, PM, DPM. We don't need rent-seeking. What we need is basic education and university education for our children and medical benefits offered by the government hospitals to help the poor who could not afford private hospital services. We need social life, self esteem and we need peace of mind.

Thank you to those who understand, including all those from PAS and KeAdilan, and those deprived UMNO members. The problem is only the eunuchs from the inner circle of the dynasty.

No reason for non-Malays to worry

NEP- DON'T WORRY


Najib: No reason for non-Malays to worry

With the Government’s commitment to economic growth for all, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there was no reason for non-Malays to be uneasy over calls to revive the New Economic Policy (NEP).

"The Government is committed to expanding the economic growth of other races, so there is no reason for them to feel worried that their interests will be affected," Najib said.

Though Malays had made strides in various fields since the affirmative action programme for the Bumiputeras was introduced more than three decades ago, he said several targets had not been met. "It is our hope that we can fulfil what has been promised to the Malays as enshrined in the NEP."

Najib was commenting on the statement by Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik that Malay leaders should analyse why the community had failed to achieve a 30 per cent share of the economy.

Lim said the issue could turn into a racial confrontation if Malays failed to address their economic weaknesses.

Najib said that in general, Malay leaders knew the cause of the failure and were the first to admit that the shortcomings needed to be addressed immediately.

"We’re the first to admit that we have to rectify the weaknesses in the Malays, like the ‘leakages’ raised by the Prime Minister in his speech, the Malays’ habit of wanting to get rich quickly, not wanting to strive for themselves, and the many other things that we have criticised them for."

The decision to revive the NEP would finally reside with the Barisan Nasional coalition. "The BN is resilient," he said. "We have found solutions to problems and maintained racial harmony in the country.

"I’m confident that the national development and the national agenda for the country will be tackled in the BN spirit through consensus."

COMMENTS:

Dear Najib, thank you and we appreciate your frankness and fairness. We believe Pak Lah shares your philosophy and ideology. We also thank you that your father, Tun Razak, had done what was necessary for the people of Malaysia, and has help to eradicate poverty particularly, of the Malays and had been successful. The only unfortunate thing is he has only served as PM for only a few years. If he had been PM for another 10 more years, the NEP would have been fully fulfilled and we need not suffer the rumblings from the moronic eunuchs. Sad to say, what Allahyarham had done was deviated since his demise. The policies were abruptly re-invented using innovative and creative wealth creation, benefitting a selected few, at the expense of the majority of the Malays.

We hope someday, when you become PM, you will not forget what your father had done, his philosophy and ideology of equality amongst the Malays, without discriminating the other Malaysians; not of the system of unfair enrichment of the selected few cronies and the policy based on nepotism.

May God bless you and anoint you with His wisdom. Amen.

Maha-REELED

Mahaleeled

PROTON Board SACKS CEO

GAME-OVER for Mahaleel! Proton Board of Directors decided to sack their maverick CEO, after months of altercation.

It must have been a brave decision, considering the well-known fact that Mahaleel has always been protected by Tun Mahathir, Proton's Advisor and our beloved ex-PM. This decision must have received the consent from the prime minister, Abdullah Badawi.

Read the details from Kyodo News:

Malaysia's national carmaker Proton Bhd. chief executive officer Mahaleel Ariff will be replaced, the company said Monday, ending months of speculation triggered by his criticism of government automotive policies.

The company said in a statement the board of directors, in their meeting Monday, "has resolved not to renew the tenure of the group CEO for another term. Under the terms of the current arrangements, he will therefore be retiring with effect from Sept. 30, 2005. Meanwhile, the group CEO will be on leave with immediate effect, from July 26, 2005, till the end of his tenure, Sept. 30, 2005."

The decision ended months of speculation over Mahaleel's future in the company. His feud with the board has been an open secret. His only ally has been Proton adviser Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister.

Mahathir twice saved Mahaleel from an early exit and it has been alleged it was Mahathir's meddling that led to Proton's former chairman, Abu Hassan Kendut, quitting early this year in protest because he felt Mahathir, with no formal executive position, was interfering with management efforts to revamp the long-protected automaker, including axing Mahaleel.

But the latest straw was when Mahaleel, who has been Proton CEO for eight years, went on a head-on collision with the government, which he accused of trying to kill Proton by opening up the automotive market.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi replied the government stood by its commitment to market liberalization, including cutting tariffs on imported cars and urged Proton to improve.

As a national car company, Proton still receives government protection in the form of a 50 percent excise tax rebate.

At a press conference, Proton Chairman Mohammed Azlan Hashim declined to say if Mahaleel's contract was not renewed because of his criticism of the government.

"It's a question of change. Proton is an institution. It's not about an individual," Azlan said.

He added Mahathir has been informed of the board decision and that they are still looking for a new CEO.

Proton was Mahathir's brainchild, created in 1983 to spearhead the country's heavy industry.

It once dominated the market with an up to 80 percent share, but that has dwindled to about 40 percent in a 430,000 unit-a-year market due to the influx of cheaper models from South Korea and Japan.

Proton is currently in talks with Volkswagen AG for a partnership where the German company will use Proton to assemble its cars for the Southeast Asian market while Proton benefits from Volkswagen's technological know-how.

Globalization: The China Doll Effect

China Dolls

The world is swamped with cheap products from China and Malaysian Industries must be prepared to face the competitive onslaught from products from China.

Apart from manufactured goods, China are also exporting massive "Biological weapons" in the form of beautiful-tall babydolls, which provide "extra" services to meet men's biological needs. This time, it is not only the industry that faces the economic onslaught but wifes are facing getter challanges to keep their husband filial.

Hundreds of thousands of tall, beautiful made-in-China ladies are spreading their charm, attracting and seducing men. If you put a nice fish infront of a cat, no matter how hard he tried to resist, the temptation is beyond our biological capability to resist.

In sitiawan, hundreds of wifes are complaining that these "China dolls" are offering their "extra" services, to elderly men in the district for a handsome fee. The women from the Foo Chow district in China are available for "rental" of up to RM6,000 a month depending on their age and beauty. The 20- to 30-year-olds have latched on to local agents who advertise their services by word of mouth to the mostly Foo Chow-speaking members of the local Chinese community.

It is learnt that the women are virtually invisible except for a brief period about 9pm daily when they meet for dinner at a restaurant in Jalan Kampung Selamat. By 6pm, the parking area is filled with expensive cars, from which elderly men alight with the women in tow.

A businessman in the property line here, who declined to be identified, said one needed to be in the right circles to be able to "rent" the women. According to him, the agents set the women up in apartments where those "renting" them can visit daily. The rental period could range between a day and a month. "If you go to the right location, you can see men as old as 70 being accompanied by women in their 20s to breakfast.“

WOMEN from China have also “invaded” Taiping to take up jobs as “short-term mistresses,” Sin Chew Daily reported in July last year.

In August 2004, China Press reported that Chinese families are apparently under threat of being broken up by “seductresses” from China. The daily received many calls, letters and faxes from readers complaining that the women seduced their husbands who often end up losing money and breaking up the families. The women, who came on social visit passes, targeted cities and towns with a high Chinese population, such as Kepong, Jinjang, Tanjung Sepat, Cameron Highlands, Teluk Intan and Seremban. They worked in karaoke lounges, bars and restaurants to get close to the men.

Those who found a sugar daddy would be given accommodation, cars and allowances.

A reader narrated the story of her friend’s husband who was so obsessed with a woman from China that he spent up to RM1mil on her a year. The man’s marriage ended in divorce. He was later abandoned by the mistress who found a “new target” after draining the man of his fortune. The daily said the women were good at gaining sympathy by telling sob stories, such as the tough life they had in China or that their ailing parents and siblings needed money for medical treatment.

While they have made many men happy, they have also made many "OLD" wives unhappy. These "PRETTY WOMEN" act as social escorts, but cautioned against tarring all female visitors from China as there were genuine visitors with relatives in the area. The authorities should take care not to arrest the innocent.

A woman, unhappy that some local men had been calling on the foreigners, approached Perak state immigration director Datuk Ishak Mohamed and told him in broken Malay: “Orang tua keranda punya duit belum cukup lagi mali sini cari itu perempuan (These old men have not saved enough to pay for their coffins and yet they can come here to find the women).”

“The residents are happy that we conducted the raid as they feared such vice activities would spread,” Ishak said yesterday. He added that the women were especially worried their husbands would spend their life savings seeking the services of the foreigners.

Well, we are in the age of globalization and liberalization. Married women must try to stay body beautiful and sweet, otherwise, the China Dolls will relieved them of their duties in bed.

Maybe, soon, the handsome Chinamen may also be seducing the local wifes. Watch out old-men with sweet wifes!!!

Moulded Meritocracy. What?

Moulded Meritocracy

NST SUNDAY INTERVIEW, July 24, 2005, NST

This is an abstract from the NST interview with UMNO Youth President, Hishamuddin.

Q: How do you square the message of bringing back the NEP with the PM’s call to Malays not to expect any handouts?

A: Malays are not competing on a level playing field. If you look at education and the issue of strengthening national schools, there is nothing racial about it.

You are talking about schools that don’t have water and electricity. There is no way that students coming out of schools can compete with students coming from Smart schools, with the best teachers and facilities.

In that context, while we deal with the leakages, corruption, the delivery system, the civil service and the party, it’s very important for everyone to realise that we need to address fundamental issues such as the basic needs of those in the remote areas, villages.

Meritocracy is being discussed today. Umno Youth has always said yes, we want meritocracy. But at the same time, we want meritocracy in our own mould.

WHAT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

MOULDED MERITOCRACY? HAVEN'T HEARD!

I tried checking Oxford dictionary, Webster, and Wikipedia - there is no vocab on moulded meritocracy.

Meritocracy means:

"a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement", or

"leadership selected on the basis of intellectual criteria"

Cambridge Advance Learner's Dictionary described it as:

"a social system or society in which people have power because of their abilities, not because of their wealth or social position"

Wikipedia explains:

Meritocracy is a system of government based on rule by ability (merit) rather than by wealth or social position. “Merit” means roughly intelligence plus effort. One implication is that whatever level in society a citizen reaches is held to be what such an individual deserves. Meritocratic can also sometimes be used to describe a government, or other body, that stresses formal education and competence despite other features (e.g. ancestry or sex or race).

Most systems of government contain some meritocratic elements; for instance, elected officials usually hire expert advisers to help formulate policies. Some would suggest that the military ranking system is perhaps the closest meritocratic organization which can easily be found. Pure meritocracies, however, are virtually unknown.

Proponents of meritocracy argue that a meritocratic system is more just and more productive than other systems, and that it allows for an end to distinctions based on such things as gender and race (though social classes would still exist).

Proponents of critical theory often argue that merit is defined by the power elite simply to legitimise a system in which social status is actually determined by class, birth, and wealth.

MOULDED MERITOCRACY? Tak Ada oh!

Is Hishamuddin trying to say that because rural schools don't have electricity and water in their school, therefore, if they fail SPM but have pass at least one subject, they should be admitted into university to study medicine or engineering?

If that's the case, we will end up with more unemployable graduates.

Whatever decision is made, meritocracy is merit, that is, INTELLIGENCE PLUS EFFORT.

The government can decide what they want and which Malay to put into unversity. I don't think any non-Malays would object. What the non-Malays asked is that their children be provided with educational opportunities if they pass their SPM and STPM with meritocratic results (minimum Bs and Cs as stipulated by the university of equal status; maybe, follow Oxford or Imperial College of UK standard). For UMNO, they can lobby to have those who have Ds and Es to be admitted but others, we only asked to be admitted into university based on the standard set by international quality universities - that, we consider fair and just.


Datuk Dr Norraesah Mohamad, an Umno Supreme Council member, chairman of Bank Rakyat and currently chairman of French telecommunication company, Alcatel Malaysia has this to say:

"It takes sharp business acumen to make it a success. At least, by the time all market barriers come down a few years down the road, there will be those among us who are ready with their “shields” for the “attacks” from foreigners in a globalised world.”

Likening the attacks on Rafidah and the Malay AP kings to herd mentality, Norraesah said:

“At MCA meetings, can you imagine them screaming for the blood of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong for getting the monopoly on the casino licence, Tan Sri Francis Yeoh for his IPP (independent power producer) licence or Tan Sri Vincent Tan for the projects that he got over the years? And no one complains about Ananda Krishan having a controlling stake in Astro.”

The Chinese and Indians, they would not cry foul if anyone gets rich or are given any privilege which they do not enjoy. What concerns them is any attempt to discriminate them by depriving them of the basic social necessity such as education and medical services. So far, we have not complain about the APs being given to Malays, projects classified as Bumi-only, Class F licence for Bumis' only, UiTM for Malays only, PM and DPM for Malays only, GLCs controlled by Malays, Civil services dominated by Malays, Metriculation for Malays, etc, etc.

We can find ways to survive, be it a hawker, a mechanic, pasar-malam retailer, VCD peddler, bookies, mini-casinos, karaoke, coffeeshop owner, insurance agent, salesmen, or any profession that can help us earn a living and feed our children. Leave us alone and don't try intimidate us. Being patient and humble does not mean we are fools. It is just that we love peace and harmony, and strive to co-exist and accept some bearable pain. We do all this to preserve harmony and for the sake of our children and the future generation. Please don't use the UMNO general assembly where you placade your toons and mock all others to derive some joy to camouflage your own mediocrity and weaknesses, which is no fault of others.


“We live in one global environment with a huge number of ecological, economic, social, and political pressures tearing at its only dimly perceived, basically uninterpreted and uncomprehended fabric. Anyone with even a value consciousness of this whole is alarmed at how such remorselessly selfish and narrow interests – patriotism, chauvinism, ethnic, religious, and racial hatred – can in fact lead to mass destructiveness. The world simply cannot afford this many more times”.

- Edward Said 1993, 21

Keep Profit in the Hands of "SELECTED" Malays

Keep Profits in Malays Hands

"The Profound Obscrurity of our Ignorance is scarely illuminated by a few Glimmers of our Insight. ...that the process in the unconscious or in the id obey different laws from those in the Preconscious Ego."

- Sigmund Freud

Keep Profit in the hands of the Malays? Of course! But which Malay? What then if there is no profit?

Where does profit come from? Profit is equal to total revenue minus total expenses and net profit is equal to gross profit minus overhead and taxes.

No one with sound mind would hand over profit to another person, be it their friends, relatives, or person from other races.

When I was young, just started my vocation, my mother told me to keep any money I had and deposit it with her. I asked her why? She said, that way, it will ensure that I won't spent it away. Then I asked her: "Why don't teach me the knowledge of how to save money so that I will learnt to keep them and nurture them myself." She said: "No, you will spent it away."

Today, I told my children: "You must learnt to save for your future." My son said: "Dad, every month I park a few hundred dollars with mum and she will save it for me." I told my wife: "Don't do it for him. You are not educating him if you do it. He must learnt to handle it himself as he will have to plan his own financial freedom. We must let "go" of him so that he can live and survive independently. We can't cuddle him forever. If we don't make him take care of himself, he will continue to depend on us for directions and decisions and someday, we will leave this world and then he will be without our guidance. He will then suffer."

I am absolutely certain, Malays are able to take care of themselve. They are educated and they know how to differentiate between the right and wrong.

When Khairy said: Keep the profits with the Malays, it puzzled me! What does he mean?

My first presumption is: Malays given projects must do it themselves so that the profit will be kept within the community and thus, over the years, more Malays will have achieve financial freedom, meeting the objective of the NEP.

This presumption, I strongly support! It will work.

But caution must be taken as business is also about risk taking. When projects are awarded, every businessmen will take the presumption that every project will make profit. But that is idealism. Take for example of the steel bar price increase of $600 per ton. If you have tendered and awarded a project before the price increase, then subsequently, the price increase will affect the financial bottomline and you end up losing money. But how can businessmen predict accurately what's going to happen? Look at the price of crude oil. One year ago, it was USD30 per barrel. Now, it is USD60.

For the Chinese and Indians, they never had a problem about ALI-BABA-ism. When a Chinese contractor gets a project, almost all of them, will sub-contract it to a few sub-contractors. This is because, they do not have the competency to carry out the operation of the specialized work packages. They would concentrate on management and finance aspects. They are never called Ali Baba. Similar actions are taken by Indian contractors.

But when a Bumiputra contractor does it, they are called AB and most likely, their PKK licence may be withdrawn. At such, most Bumi contractors have to engage their own workers to do the specialized work packages themselves of which they have no competency and technical ability. To add to the complexity, their workers may not perform to the planned productivity which lead to delay and ultimately cost more money. In the end, their profit were eaten up by their high cost and overheads and which lead them to a state of insolvency. Some even suffered termination of contract and bankruptcy. When this happened, the NEP is defeated.

The biggest challenge to Bumi and non-bumi contractor is the political contributions every project had to pay. Known throughout the whole construction industry, only denied at the executive and political level, it cannot be denied and shut-out that most government projects awarded, there is always been an unwritten convention that the potential contractor have to lobby for the project through politicians and there is always a price to pay for the "goodwill" service". Often, the goodwill is millions of dollars for each project. Before you start work, and earned revenue (get progress payment), you have to pay-upfront - likely in millions or hundreds of thousands - that's a sure and certain expenses that has to be paid to get the award letter. With this upfront cost, most bumi contractors (except the PLCs) will have to source the money as they do not have them. The only natural way is to get anyone who is a cash cow towkay to fund the over-the-table money. Naturally, the towkay will have conditions for funding them - thus, it ends up that the towkay will be the China-Baba or Mamak-Baba or Singh-Baba.

That's what caused Ali-Baba-ism.

Can we eradicate it? ONEROUS!

We have yet to see a minister who is not rich! Osu Sukam only spent a few years as federal minister and two years as chief minister, and it was reported in the affidavit that he gambled away RM156 million in the casino (see: The Star: How Osu frittered away those millions ) and lostRM31.17mil at the casino in just seven months, from February to September 2002. Casino gaming manager Robert Whitehall, who filed the affidavit on May 29, 2003, said the lowest amount that the Malaysian politician had gambled was £700,000 (RM4.66mil) on Feb 15 2002. Even then, he lost £600,000 (RM3.99mil). Then in just one day, on Sept 9, 2002, Osu gambled away £2.06mil (RM13.72mil) and lost £1.75mil (RM11.65mil). It seemed the amount he would gamble increased with every visit. The affidavit mentioned that Osu could not afford to repay his £1.75mil debt and an instalment arrangement was therefore made.

I dare not say every minister is corrupt - there is no evidence to support this statement. But in our society, we cannot hide and pretend ...... the political system have been derived from kleptorism and cartelism of the emperor's men. [period].

The greatest sandiwara is about to unfold. It is a master plan and a great master piece of strategic management.

The government under Pak Lah's leadership has declared that mega projects is yesterday's dream. There will be no more pump priming for the construction and development projects. This decision will definiately affect the new emperor's men. In the age of a new dynasty and a new emperor, there are many rising lieutenants that had waited for the crowning glory and the wealth distribution via projects. Now, the emperor pronounced the negative: There will not be anymore mega projects and pump priming! Disappointment and Dismayed ... psychologically betrayed!

Oh, don't worry, the eunuchs are innovative and creative. They now called for the setting up of an agency to assist and to be empowered to advice GLCs and Petronas. They claimed it will promote better management and to act as police and auditors to ensure that the interests of the Malays will be protected and that it could act against rent-seekers through market intelligence measures. WOW, great master tactician!

With lesser projects, attention is turned to Khazanah and Petronas. Now, these eunuch wants the power to influence decision-making in these two organizations because they are the only cows with plenty of milk. Azman Mokhtar and Hassan Merican must bring themselves to be prepared to face and deal with this powerful chief eunuch of the royal chamber.

The Malays are never lack behind in economic prosperity. Over the last twenty years, we have seen the rise of Tajuddin Ramli, Syed Mokhtar, Halim Saad, Wan Azmi, Ahmad Pardas, Jalaluddin Mohd Jarjis, Izham Yusoff, Charon Wardini, Khalid Ibrahim, Nasir Razak, Amin Shah, Jamaladdin, Azman Yahya, Syed Azman, Mohd Haniff, Azzuddin Ahmad, Ishak Ismail, Rozali Ismail, Ahmad Aznan, Johari Abdul Ghani, Izhar Sulaiman, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, Mohammadiah Moner, Zainuddin Abdul Rahman, Zainol Izham, Muhammad Faizal, Ayob Saad, Ramzia Arshad, Faridah Ghazali, Zatizam Ghazali, Diam Zainuddin, Khairy, Kalimullah, etc, etc. There are many thousands more if we have to name them. they are all successful and rich; many are ultra rich.

What is the problem with NEP? It definitely have proven successful in breeding millionaires amongst the Malays and the UMNO politicians and ministers. Be comforted that all Malaysians of other races respect them and in fact feel happy for them.

Probably, the only set-back is that the vast majority in the kampung is still struggling to make ends meet. But will the new Malay Agenda ensure that these kampung folks will benefit. I am not pessimistic; just realistic! IT WON'T!

All the rhetorics made at the general assembly sounds to be fighting for millions of deprived Malays. Believe the truth - it is shouted in their name but any harvest will definitely not meant for their pockets. It will still end up with the eunuch system of the dynasty. Each dynasty that had ended always saw the emergence of a new Phalanx and a mad-wealth grabbing by the phalanx in the name of equality and equity. For 49 years, the same song had been sung so many times, and each time, the voice grows louder and Asphyxiating.

Those in the deprived sector when hearing of it thought: This time is for real; but each time, and each year passes with a new agenda paraded and each time the voice gets incendiary, but, they remain empty handed and they see politicians parading their multi-million dollar bungalows and contributing millions to casinos. This will go on for the next 49 years, and the next dynasty will have to come up with a new agenda to parade in front of the credulous lot.

You can't clean up the system without first cleaning up the house. Charity always must begin from the home. Honesty is a value and can only become a culture within the society if the same value is ingrained within those who inherited and exercise power. No honest person can accumulate hundreds of millions within 5 years; neither can Warren Buffet. It took Warren Buffet more than 20 years to make his hundred million. In Malaysia, even 28 years old protege is worth hundreds of millions but they still cry foul! Is it that they do not have enough? Or, are they benchmarking with Diam?

God bless them and all the Malaysians. May God shower his wisdom on Pak Lah so that he can make a better and prosperous Malaysia for all Malaysian; not just the eunuchs.

ENOUGH? Are You Sure?

ENOUGH

"The Profound Obscrurity of our Ignorance is scarely illuminated by a few Glimmers of our Insight. ...that the process in the Unconscious or in the id obey different laws from those in the Preconscious Ego."

- Sigmund Freud


Government cannot continue to play Santa Claus

THE Government cannot play Santa Claus by continually handing out contracts as “gifts” to Class F contractors, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Conceding that his decision might not be popular, he said there would be no more pump priming of the construction sector because “every cycle runs its course.”

“No one can deny that, in the past, there were among us those who had received too much assistance and too many chances."

“There were those who had not received enough assistance and those who had not been given opportunities at all. This is not fair. This cannot continue."

“We must wake up to the fact that when we award a scholarship to an unqualified bumiputra, we are depriving a more deserving bumiputra recipient. This is clearly unjust,” Pak Lah said.

“Awarding a contract to a bumiputra company that is incapable of doing quality work when there are other bumiputra companies that are more capable is also unjust and cannot be allowed. It must be stopped. We set targets but others mock us."

RENT-SEEKERS and "leakage" in implementation resulted in Bumiputeras failing to achieve fully the targets set under the New Economic Policy. These rent-seekers abused the opportunities given to them. Instead of using the opportunity to expand businesses and enhance capacity, which would have ensured continued and lasting success, they went for short-term gains.

The permits, facilities, contracts and licences allocated to them were instead handed over to others for a quick profit.

After that, they demanded new opportunities again and again. Their actions led to the creation of a class of Malays who transformed the term "middlemen" into a full-time profession.

They were given shares under the Bumiputera quota allocation to meet equity ownership targets. It was a tragedy for the Malay race that these people sold their shares for immediate gain.

Individuals were entrusted to helm companies but were content with symbolic involvement, remaining on the sideline.

The greater tragedy for the race were those who betrayed the trust placed on them by committing fraud.

Our dignity and our survival are at stake. We have to approach our problems with a new mindset and a fresh spirit.

(read: MALAY AGENDA: Success if you embody new Malay spirit )

According to Pak Lah, it is imperative that Malaysia must follow a 10-point plan for collective prosperity. The Plan is aimed at building a knowledge-based economy.

(read: 10-point plan for prosperity)

First, the nation must multiply efforts to ensure higher and sustained economic performance. It would include managing the economy carefully and safeguarding funds and savings for the future, managing public spending, striking a balance between stimulating economic activity and reducing the deficit. “We will reduce the deficit in stages to allow the economy to still prosper; and a reasonable amount of development expenditure has been allocated,” Pak Lah said.

Secondly, there would be a shift in focus from “hardware” to “the software elements that touch on human development.”

The third approach was to strengthen the basics and fundamentals of Malaysia’s economy and to explore new sources of growth.

Forth Point: The Plan also recognises the need to further improve the public sector delivery system. “Investors, including domestic investors, do not have the time or patience to wait long periods. They will choose destinations that facilitate business.

Fifth Point: “Excessive bureaucracy must be abolished. A delivery system that is efficient and expedient plays a big role in reducing corruption, which increases the cost of doing business and consequently blunts our competitive edge.”

Sixth Point: The Plan is designed to enhance integrity and eradicate corruption in every sector and grouping.

Seventh Point: Improving quality of life through housing, healthcare, education and infrastructure development and the eradication of hardcore poverty follows.

Eighth Point: Capacity building and capacity enhancement of human resources were also in the Plan.

The final strategy will be to build a nation that is stable, united, peaceful and prosperous.

COMMENT:

Where is NINETH POINT? Sudah Hilang????

I can find in the print?

Maybe, Pak lah intentionally left it out so that someday, he can add it on if necessary.

BUT.... this is not what UMNO Youth had called for yesterday???

Is Pak Lah's ideology different from his son-inlaw who is UMNO Youth deputy chief?

This is glaring and it can be observed that both the institution are preaching different philosophy and have divergent ideology.

To Pak Lah's vision, Malaysia as a whole has to let go the Santa Claus expectation. To his son-inlaw, Khairy Jamaluddin, Umno Youth wants the return of the NEP and this was no longer a hidden agenda or something only in spirit and soul. He said this should be the basis for the country's economic planning in the coming Ninth Malaysia Plan with no shame or excuses. “No need to hide. This is the Malay agenda." "We want 30% equity for the bumiputras so that they will be on par with the other races.”

On par with other races? Which race? Chinese, Indian, American, English, Jews, Mamak?

In terms of wealth between the Malay, Chinese and Indians, the bumiputras controlled more than 51% of the nation's wealth. But 70-80% of the nation's wealth is in the hands of foreign investors. So, to be on par, UMNO Youth had to buy over the investments from the foreigners which is worth in excess of RM500 billions. And if you want 30% of this, then it would require RM150 billion. Where does he get the money? Steal, rob, burgle, or force a nationalization program on foreign investors? Try do it and see how the nation crumble!!!!

When we deal with economic prosperity, it is not about bulldozing your nose and stuck it into the asshole of another. It is about earning it. It is about capacity and capability building as enunciated by the Prime Minister. It is not about an AGENDA or a SCHEME. It is work hard and spent less. It include tapping wealth from the global economy. Iy requires entrepreneurship skill and risk taking. It is not about rhetorics and shouting loud and trying to frighten others. It is not about INTIMIDATION.

For information, there are more than 50% Chinese still living slightly above poverty level, and more than 70% Indians hovering at the poverty horizon. And they don't shout loud for privilege, social welfare and rent-seeking. They never ask for APs and Contracts. They only seek subsidized education and educational opportunities, and subsidised medical benefits. Yet they are intimidated!

Will Pak Lah's economic doctrine work? No way, if you read the lines of their Youth movement!!!

Bring NEP Back, cries UMNO Youth

NEP

The Star; July 21, 2005; Nation


Bring back NEP, says Youth wing

UMNO Youth wants the New Economic Policy revived as part of the national development policy to protect the interest of the Malays. Movement chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the “growth by distribution” strategy, as outlined by the NEP should be pursued to ensure the 30% bumiputra stake of corporate ownership was maintained. “The NEP definition itself should be reapplied as part of the national development policy, so that the Malays would be empowered and not sidelined from now till the year 2020,” he said in his keynote address at the Umno Youth general assembly. Hishammuddin said the movement was raising the issue again as the same proposal at the last general assembly had not made any headway. Besides the 30% equity, he said there must be an assurance for the Malays to be allowed to dominate selected property sectors. The movement also called for the following:

1. EXTRA effort by the Entrepreneur Development Ministry to produce quality bumiputra entrepreneurs;
2. FRESH approaches in the funding and planning of projects in rural areas;
3. MAKING sure the key performance index of Government-linked companies or privatised companies safeguard the “Malay agenda”;
4. ENSURING authorities responsible for awarding tenders are committed and responsible towards the Malay agenda; and
5. CREATING a monitoring system to ensure a more efficient delivery system for the Malay agenda.

Besides the Malay agenda and the movement’s Jatidiri Pemuda principles of self-resilience, Hishammuddin said, Umno Youth would adopt the principles of Rukun Islam (five pillars of Islam), Rukun Iman (six tenets of faith) and the Rukun Negara (the five principles of nationalism) as its guiding principles.

Meanwhile, the movement's deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin was cheered by the delegates as he praised Hishammuddin and pledged his unwavering support for him to continue to lead. He received thunderous applause when he sought permission for the floor to call for the reintroduction of the NEP.

Khairy, who was booed at last year’s assembly, thanked the delegates this year for not mandikan (ragging) him. He said Umno Youth was calling for a return of the NEP and this was no longer a hidden agenda or something only in spirit and soul. He said this should be the basis for the country's economic planning in the coming Ninth Malaysia Plan with no shame or excuses. “No need to hide. This is the Malay agenda. We want 30% equity for the bumiputras so that they will be on par with the other races.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:


"If you do not know where you're going, any route will lead you to a destination"
- Alice in the Wonderland

I woke up early today, hoping to read some interesting topics in the news published. Grabbing hold of the Star I read the heading: RAFIDAH UNDER FIRE. I thought; they are singing the same old song - boring and bland. The I pick up my New Straits Times and saw the heading: REVIVE THE NEP & REVIEW SUBSIDIES!

My first reaction: WHAT? Revive NEP? First and foremost, when was the NEP scrapped of which no Malaysians were informed? So, if the NEP is still there and alive, how to revive? If ever, it should be REVIEW.

Next to cross my mind is: DO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?

Economics and control of economic asset is not the same. 30% of $10 and 30% of $10 billion is not the same. When the NEP was first mooted three decades ago, the Malaysian GDP is hovering around RM60 billion. So, a 30% stake is about RM18 billion. Tracing the statistics, we should be happy that we had in fact achieved the 30% Bumi participation as planned. But todays GDP is RM260 billion. If you are asking to have 30%, then we are looking at RM78 billion per annum. To understand GDP, we have to take into consideration that foreign investments contributed more than 80% of the GDP figures. We invited foreigners to invest in Malaysia and to make Malaysia their second home. So, they bring in their monies, built factories, set up banks and financial centers, invest in the stock market, and trade in our currencies. At such, they indirectly contributed to the huge GDP figures. So, what does UMNO Youth wants? If you want 30% of what foreigners invested, then we either had to buy over the foreign businesses and get them out of the country or to snatch or steal from them.

In order for Malaysia to grow in prosperity and become a developed nation, we need foreign investors to grow our economy. At the same time, we can't say, we want to control and owned the economy. You cannot have the cake and at the same time eat it!

So, what are we talking about? Khairy is an economic graduate from Oxbridge; doesn't he understand economic theory and the philosophy of economics? Or, they are playing rhetorics in front of their own people, to win votes using smokescreen tactics?

Look at China's economic position. In the 70s, they own close to 100% of the economic activities. Since opening up their economic door, foreigners, particularly Americans and Europeans are creeping in, investing trillions in their economy; building factories, buying over state-owned corporations and financing the Chinese economic activities. As a ball-park figure, foreigners have owned more than 60% of the Chinese economic activities. And the percentages will continue to increase in the coming years.

So, why did China give up control of their state-own corporations to the foreigners? Isn't China not concern about the dwindling economy ownership? Far from it. In fact, with the investments from foreigners, China are bringing in wealth from the global world and building prosperity for their people.

So, what's UMNO shouting about? We want foreign investments but UMNO Youth wants control of others' investments?

On one hand, Pak Lah said: we want to built towering Malays. Najib said we want Malays to be Glocal. On the other hand, we hear that UMNO Youth is directing Government-linked Companies (GLC) to ensure that Bumiputeras dominate in the bio-technology, farming, aero-space, defence, information technology, halal food manufacturing, petroleum and gas, finance, automotive, services and tourism sectors; that Government-linked companies are to ensure efficient and effective business management and at the same time ensure total contribution towards the Malay agenda; and civil servants are directed to fully understand the importance of the Malay agenda when awarding contracts or tenders.

So, what do they want? Towering Malays or Candu? Still hybernating?

I weep for all my Malay friends!

UMNO Youth Poke Fun at Elder Sister

poke fun

Umno Youth delegates vented criticisms and cracked jokes against International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, making no qualms of how they felt about the way she handled the AP issue. The movement's information chief Datuk Azimi Daim asked Rafidah: “If one person gets 25,000 APs and makes a profit of RM30,000 for each one, how much would the total come up to? “How much is RM30,000 x 25,000? Tak kena (It’s just not right). What’s the story about giving one person so many APs?”

International Trade and Industry Ministry secretary-general Datuk Sidek Hassan said he takes the full responsibility over the approved permits (APs) issue. Sidek, who is the chairman of the ministry’s AP Issuing Committee, admitted that he did not consult Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz before issuing the APs. “She (Rafidah) also does not give me any instruction before the APs are issued,” he said, adding that the four-man committee, including two ministry deputy secretaries-general, would decide on the approval of the APs.

Sidek said: “When the authorities approve 51,000 APs, they can not allocate the APs to 51,000 people just to show fairness.” He said that basically, the objective of giving out APs was to develop a business environment for bumiputras.

If you manage a company that imports cars, as a Bumi you are privileged to apply for franchise APs. And if your sales each year exceeds 15,000 units, it is natural you will apply for APs in equal quantity. The question whether each AP will profit $25,000 is cognitive and irrelevant UNLESS it was sold per se to some other people. The basic objective of giving out APs is considered fulfilled if the applicant use it to import the cars which must be above 1,800c.c. - which is not a direct competition with Proton.

Why comment about the benefits and profits of these importers? Is it that when they lose money that will make UMNO Youth happy? Isn't prospering the Bumis the objective? The question why 4 organization are given 40,000 APs are because they are the biggest 4 importers while others are only importing one to two hundred units a year. In fact, some of those who receive 100 APs are not importers at all. So, the problem to attend to is those who do not import cars but were given 100 to 200 APs and are selling it to importers; and these people should be penalized for abusing their privilege.

Sidek Hassan said he had never consulted Rafidah before issuing the APs and Rafidah also does not give me any instruction before the APs are issued. Yet throughout the whole episode, she had never once blame her ministry officials neither did drag them into the controversy. Rafidah had stood by her people in MITI and had taken full responsibility and the blame for whatever shortcomings in her department. Isn't this an example of leadership; leadership of a Bumiputra? Don't Bumi admire the quality she had exuded?

In the June PAS Muktamar, there were calls from PAS Youth for change. Youth leader Muhajid Yusuf Rawa said the outcome of the last general election was proof that voters felt uneasy with the party’s policies and strategies. “We must admit our mistakes and identify where we went wrong before even thinking of coming up with a new master plan to determine the party’s direction,” he said. Another Youth Leader Salahuddin asked the ulama to expand their field of knowledge and to work closely with party intellectuals and activists. In response to the Youth's call, Hassan, the PAS deputy president, told delegates at the party’s Youth assembly here that the wing members should set a higher standard for themselves before setting standards for others. ”For a start, the wing should improve its own image and establish a presence in every single party branch in the country,” he said when opening the assembly.

In retrospect, we can see the maturity of PAS members when dealing with problems and mistakes. The discussions topics and arguments are intellectual discourse aimed for seeking improvements and at the same time the forum exercises respect for the elders. In contrast, UMNO Youth choose to poke fun at their elder sister Rafidah and the issues and languages are clear evidence of contempt and disrespect for their elders. This is clearly against the teaching of the Prophet.

I will not vote for PAS because their doctrines are in contrast with mine. But I admired their maturity and sensibleness when they dealing on subjects concerning with defeats, mistakes and weaknesses.

I would vote for UMNO as their doctrine and policies are more accommodating to all races. But how do you expect others to respect them when they claimed Islam as the national religion but often acted in contempt and showed inmaturity and disrepect/disregard to national policies - the Rukunegara and our national constitution and in particular, against Islam Hadhari?

Islam Hadhari emphasizes the need to respect your elders, the need to work hard to earned respect and the need to seek competency, meritocracy and natural justice. In contrast of this principle, UMNO Youth had in fact demanded the government to MAKE sure the key performance index of Government-linked companies or privatised companies safeguard the “Malay agenda” & CREATE a monitoring system to ensure a more efficient delivery system for the Malay agenda. At such, is Islam Hadhari contravened? I have no right to question it!

What UMNO Youth should seek is a continuous and unwavering endeavor to assist and enable the underprivilege Malays to acquire knowledge and competency that will ensure the Malays will, within a shorter possible period, catch up/close the gap of economic disparities. To ensure this achievement, they should seek the cooperation and assistance of Malaysians of all races and together with the government's "friendlier" and accommodating policies, it will enhance and expedite the process. With the right attitude and mutual respect for everyone, the nation as a whole would rally behind UMNO's initiative to fulfill the vision and mission of a just, equitable and prosperous nation, for the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians, the Melanaus, the Kadazans, the Dayaks, the Sikhs, and everyone who calls themselves Malaysian citizen and must include the foreign citizens residing in Malaysia and who shared the same values.

Would we see this happen? Only UMNO can answer. I hope they will discover the profound knowledge. God bless them. Amen.

DON'T CRY FOR ME, MALAYSIA

TEARS OF SORROW

LET THE ONE WHO HAS NOT SINNED CAST THE FIRST STONE!

ENOUGH! ENOUGH! You are destroying your very own, your very own Malay leader!

I cry for the Malays! How far will you all go? Till you destroy everyone and yourself and till all are casted to the devil?

Don't throw all the blame to Rafidah. She has served the nation for more than two decades and she had served UMNO far longer than two decades. She don't deserve all this.

The AP system was not created by her. It was wrong to have initiated that system in the very first place. What she has done was to fulfill the system design. If ever it was wrong, it was the system. All within the system - the past and present government must share the blame.

The APs only benefit a few? How can the APs which are basically franchise APs be granted to all? It is only granted to those who have foreign franchise, that is, the foreign automakers have contracted to the local distributors who numbered only a few.

How is it that Proton had suffered? The total number of imported cars under 1800cc – those in direct competition with Proton is only 3.2% of the total production of Proton.

Only 17,455 foreign cars were brought in with APs while the total car production by Proton is 530,035 units.

The problem with Proton is the weak management and the failure to strike strategic alliance with strong foreign partners. Look and Hyundai, Kia, Daewoo and Samsung. They have team up with American jaggernauts and have grown stronger, more competitive and leaner.

If Proton is incapable to compete with global players, they should look into themselves and ask why. Mahaleel should shoulder the responsibility instead of blaming everyone. Why hide behind Mahathir and Why drag in Mahathir who has retired from politics to the front line?

Why blame Rafidah? Even if the claim that she had benefited from the AP system, it can only be: because the system has made it possible. Corruption? Oh, don't pick on her! The whole system is utterly corrupt and everyone within the system is just sharing the spoils.

If Pak Lah is serious about mitigating the kleptocratic system, he should start the house cleaning beginning from his home, his family and his party.

Apologise to Mahathir? What for? He was the boss for 22 years and he set up the AP system. It was known that such system would ultimately lead to such consequences as seen today.

Blame Mahathir? What for? He has done everything possible to bring up the Malays to what they are today. He has done everything possible to bring the Malays to the forefront of the world of economics and prosperity. Malays today are big time businessmen and millions have got university education. Isn't that proof of what he has done for the good of the Malays and the nation as a whole?

UMNO and the Malays must stop crushing their own people. They had crush Isa and now they are going to crush Rafidah. What good will it bring to the nation and to the Malays in particular?

Looking back is only good if the system is trying to learn from the past mistakes. Otherwise, it is more important to look forward and to make Malaysia a better nation for everyone.

Globalization and liberalization will devour us if we are not going to adopt and adapt. Meritocracy and Competence should be the maxim. Glocal or Glokal or Towering ... all these ... it won't work!

Think Global and Act Local - that's what we should do! Seek competency; seek meritocracy; built learning organization; seek knowledge; and most of all, seek virtue and seek God.

The current governmental and civil service system needs a complete overhaul. Every minister and top rank civil servant must shed their billionaire dream. The social fabric must be integrated and enhanced. There is no way forwward, until we are prepared to built a system based on competencies and meritocracy.

We can continue to shout rhetorics. We can continue to blame everyone for our failures. UMNO can continue to cry foul and blame meritocracy as discriminating. Another new UMNO manisfesto won't work. Another jargon from their leaders won't work.

ONLY Honesty, hardwork and a strong political will is all that's needed to see a better tommorrow.