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Also like Suhakam, I think Suhakam's budget and expenses have to be
approved by the PM's Office or something like that?

>
>

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Speech  by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timor Lim
Kit Siang at the opening of the Nalla N/V DAP Branch   on Sunday, 9.10.
2005:

Call on all MPs whether Barisan Nasional or Opposition to take a common
stand to oppose establishment of Department of Parliament which will turn
Parliament into a government department like the ACA
==========================

All Members of Parliament, whether Barisan Nasional or Opposition, should
take a common stand to defend parliamentary independence and the doctrine
of separation of powers by opposing the establishment of Department of
Parliament, which will turn Parliament into a government department like
the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

At present, the head of Parliament administration is the Setiausaha
Parliament who is answerable only to the Speaker and Parliament.  When a
Department of Parliament is established, the Setiausaha Parliament will
suffer a double demotion of powers and functions as he will cease to be
the top-ranking  administrative and parliamentary officer, having to be
answerable to a new Director-General for the Department of Parliament,
who will in turn be responsible to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department.

The Malaysian Parliament will have the dubious distinction of being the
only parliamentary system where Parliament is downgraded so blatantly
into a department of the Executive, totally repugnant to the doctrine of
separation of powers among the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary which
the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri  Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had pledged to
uphold in his first official maiden speech as Prime Minister in
Parliament on November 3, 2003.

I am shocked that the first person to come out in support of a Department
of Parliament which will turn Parliament into a government department is
none other than the Chairman of the Barisan Backbenchers Club, Datuk
Shahrir Abdul Samad, who expressed the hope that “the department’s
director-general would improve the administration and support services”
in Parliament. (NST  7.10.05)

I call on Shahrir to lead Barisan Nasional MPs to work with Opposition MPs
to oppose the establishment of a Department of Parliament and the
appointment of a Director-General of the Department of Parliament  so as
to protect the little that is left of parliamentary independence and
autonomy.

Shahrir should not forget that he was Chairman of the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association (CPA) about two decades ago, and it is most
shocking and completely unacceptable to Malaysian, Commonwealth and world
Parliamentarians  that a former head of CPA could support the very notion
of the usurpation of Parliament’s distinct role, powers and functions by
turning it into a government department like the ACA.

-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com
-http://limkitsiang.com


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On 10/07/05 08:51 Jason said the following:
> You do not share the sentiments of parents wanting to send children to
> Chinese or Tamil schools. I am a product of an English medium school way

i obviously dont, for i see the need to communicate. and in communication a
critical requirement is to be speaking the /same/ language at the very least.

> will never have the chance to practise your mother tongue and sometimes the
> teacher have to use English to translate the Mandarin...rediculous isn't

dont these kids practice their mother tongue at home ? what is the role of
the parent in this then ?

additionally, and correct me if i am wrong here, mandarin is not a mother
tongue of all chinese in the country now, is it ? iirc, it's cantonese,
hokkien, hakka et al. mandarin is the official language of china though.

> They can't communicate well? This is a whole load of bullshit! You mean

this is true, and i've seen this problem in the job market. many from
chinese-ed schools cant communicate with their peers, be it in english or
bahasa malaysia. while the standard of english in some rural schools are
atrocious, at the least communication in bahasa malaysia is possible.

> Chinese or Tamil schools are as patriotic as those from Government school.

i never brought up patriotism. why are you feeling this bugbear on your
shoulder ? touch a nerve, did it ?

--
Regards,                           /\_/\   "All dogs go to heaven."
dinesh@...                (0 0)    http://www.alphaque.com/
+==========================----oOO--(_)--OOo----==========================+
| for a in past present future; do                                        |
|   for b in clients employers associates relatives neighbours pets; do   |
|   echo "The opinions here in no way reflect the opinions of my $a $b."  |
| done; done                                                              |
+=========================================================================+

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Media Statement (3) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh
Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Saturday, 8th  October 2005:

Call on Prime Minister to suspend all implementation of the Cabinet
decision to establish a  Department  of Parliament until approval by both
Houses of Parliament and full assurance that it is not the most  serious
threat to the separation of powers doctrine pertaining to Parliament in
nation’s history

I am raising the alarm that the establishment of a Department of
Parliament can  plunge the country into a grave constitutional crisis
concerning the doctrine of separation of powers  akin to the judiciary
crisis of 1987 but this time pertaining to the usurpation of powers and
functions of Parliament by the Executive.

The director-general for the Department of Parliament has already been
appointed and is ready to move into Parliament next week to take over
large chunks of powers and functions currently exercised by the
parliamentary administration.

I am very disturbed and upset by this development, as it poses  an
unprecedented and the gravest threat to the doctrine of separation of
powers concerning Parliament, and at the pace with  which such a change
with far-reaching implications for parliamentary democracy is being
forced through without the fullest consultation with MPs, the civil
society and the Malaysian populace.

Malaysia risks being the laughing-stock of the global parliamentary
community as we would be the only country in Commonwealth Parliaments
where there is a Department of Parliament which virtually runs
Parliament, destroying its independence and autonomy.

India has a Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs but the Indian Department
of Parliamentary Affairs is external and separate from Parliament, and
its establishment does not  encroach or usurp the  powers of Parliament
by the Executive.  Its functions are clearly delimited to “efficiently
handling diverse and enormous  parliamentary work on behalf of the
Government in Parliament” and not to virtually  take over the running of
Parliament.

I call on Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to suspend all
implementation of the Cabinet decision to establish a  Department  of
Parliament until MPs and civil society are satisfied that this is not the
most  serious threat to the separation of powers doctrine pertaining to
Parliament in the nation’s history.



The designated director-general for the Department of Parliament should
stay put in his present post, and no action should be taken to establish
the Department of Parliament, until there is full approval by Parliament
and the civil society -  in particular the two Chambers of Dewan Rakyat
and Dewan Negara.

In the case of Dewan Rakyat, the House Committee should convene an urgent
meeting to discuss the import and implications of a Department of
Parliament, submitting a report  and recommendation to the House on how
it would impinge on the doctrine of separation of powers affecting
Parliament in general and the principle of parliamentary autonomy and
independence in particular.

A full debate and decision by the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara are
indispensable for the establishment of a Department of Parliament which
will completely restructure the powers,  functions and administration of
Parliament.


-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsing.com
-http://limkitsing.blogspot.com

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Media Statement (2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh
Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Saturday, 8th  October 2005:

Why can’t Isa resign immediately as Federal Territories Minister but  must
take a week to resign?
====================

After his suspension as  UMNO member was halved to three years by the UMNO
Supreme Council for the corruption offence of money politics in last
year’s UMNO party elections, Tan Sri Mohamed  Isa Samad said:  “If they
want me to resign, I will resign. I have no problem resigning from the
post.”

Two days ago, the embattled Minister for International Trade and Industry,
Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz, told the New Straits Times in an interview: “If
the Prime Minister asks me to resign, I will certainly resign.”

Both statements are utterly meaningless. They give the impression that
both Ministers  are very generous in being  prepared to do the government
in general and the Prime Minister in particular  a great personal favour
by agreeing to resign in the circumstances they described, when under the
Westminster system of parliamentary democfacy that Malaysia practises,
both would have no option but to resign or be sacked.

There are at least three public-interest questions about Isa’s position,
two of which relates to his Cabinet post, which call for answer from the
Prime Minister:

Firstly, since his  six-year suspension  as an UMNO member by the UMNO
Disciplinary Board on June 24 after he was found guilty of vote-buying
and using agents in the UMNO party elections in September 2004, why was
Isa allowed to continue as Cabinet Minister although he was immediately
suspended from all party posts, including his UMNO vice-presidency and as
Teluk Kemang UMNO division head.  I understand that Isa had not attended a
single Cabinet meeting since his party suspension 15 weeks ago. If so, why
the precedent of a non-Cabinet-attending Minister?

Secondly, why must Isa take a week to resign as Federal Territories
Minister and not immediately?  What is this “unfinished work” he has in
the Federal Territories Ministry when he had 15 weeks since his
suspension as UMNO member to clear them?

Thirdly, as money politics is corruption, will the Anti-Corruption Agency
(ACA) be given a free hand to investigate and prosecute Isa under the
corruption laws of the land?

Isa’s need for a week to clear up “unfinished business” reminds me of the
most unhealthy practices by some  outgoing Mentri Besar or Chief Minister
who were being transferred to the federal level and heading a caretaker
state  government during the general election period between dissolution
and polling. There have been instances where the outgoing Mentri Besar or
Chief Minister had abused their caretaker government powers by taking the
most improper  and probably illegal decisions such as to  alienate land or
conduct  transactions involving state resources.

In the interests of promoting  a national integrity system, the Prime
Minister must tighten up rules and procedures making it unlawful and a
corruption offence for any caretaker Mentri Besar or Chief Minister to
alienate land or contract transactions affecting state resources during
the caretaker period.


-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com
-http://limkitsiang.com


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Media Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh
Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Saturday, 8th  October 2005:

Call on MPs, whether BN or Opposition, to use  next week’s budget debate
to give full support to Kayveas’ denunciation of local governments
nationwide for failures  of transparency, accountability and delivery of
efficient services and to demand revamp of local government as a top
national agenda
====================

When I spoke on the 2006 Budget debate in Parliament on Monday, 3rd
October 2005, I had quoted with approval the denunciation of the Deputy
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk M. Kayveas  of the
local governments nationwide for their failures of transparency and
accountability.

I  told Parliament that Kayveas’ courageous dissection of the ills of
local governments should not be left  without any effective follow-up
action to revamp the local councils and end  the decades of  miseries of
the  long-suffering ratepayers as a result of the failures of
transparency, accountability and delivery of efficient services by the
unelected local government system.

Speaking at the 2005 People’s Progressive Party (PPP) annual general
conference on Sunday, Kayveas  said the councilors in local government
functioned as a “rubber-stamp”. The unelected councillors approved
projects behind closed doors without consultation from representatives of
citizen groups.

He said the time has come to see actual transparency, debates, arguments,
exchanges of ideas and intellectual planning in all local governments
which  cannot continue to be run like a secret society.

Kayveas, who was formerly the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local
Government, pointed out that there are 146 local governments in Malaysia
but none of them  is up to any standards.”They may be good in different
things, but not good in everything."  Of  the top 10 local governments in
the world, three are  in Australia, "(but) we are no where near there".

In the past few days, Kayveas had been denounced by powerful voices like
local council presidents and councillors  who have a common vested
interest to perpetuate the abuses and excesses of the unelected local
government system where they can operate without  transparency,
accountability and continue to enjoy immunity and impunity for
inefficient delivery of basic services,. Kayveas has however been
enthusiastically embraced by the long-suffering ratepayers throughout the
country  who demand a qualitative change in local government services.

The crucial question is whether the call for the revamp of the local
government system has been heard loud and clear by the  highest
decision-making authorities in the country.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was present when
Kayveas denounced the local councils, as Abdullah was there to declare
open the PPP General Assembly.

There are no indications however that the revamp of the local government
system to end the decades of inefficiency, incompetence, abuses of power
and waste of public funds will become urgent agenda any time soon, let
alone top priority agenda, of the government and Cabinet.

This is why I call on Members of Parliament, whether Barisan Nasional or
Opposition, to make full use of  next week’s budget debate  to give full
support to Kayveas’ denunciation of local governments nationwide for
failures of transparency, accountability and delivery of efficient
services so that a total revamp of the local government system becomes a
top national agenda, whether in government,  Cabinet or Parliament,
whether in  the 2006 Budget or the Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010.

In the past three weeks, the AP scandal, the controversy over the national
automotive policy and the irresponsibly long parliamentary absence of
Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz
had dominated parliamentary proceedings. The 41-day budget meeting,
however, cannot have only one major theme or concern.   This is why I
call on all MPs to make the end of the 40-year sufferings of Malaysian
ratepayers in the hands of inefficieint, unaccountable and untransparent
local government another major parliamentary theme and agenda in this
session.


-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com
-http://limkitsiang.com





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I have also come across a theory that army ants tend to get smarter as they
interacts more with other ants, whereas human gets dumber.



Here is the list of literatures (there are many more):

Collective Intelligence Quantified for Computer-Mediated Group Problem
Solving
Dan Steinbock, Craig Kaplan, Marko Rodriguez, Juana Diaz, Newton Der,
and Suzanne Garcia (2002)

Upending the Status Quo: Cognitive Complexity in U.S. Supreme Court Justices
Who Overturn Legal Precedent
Deborah H. Gruenfeld and Jared Preston
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, (Vol 26) August 2000

Study affirms: Two heads are better than one
Yvonne Chiu Hays
Princeton Weekly Bulletin, (Feb 12, 2001) Vol.90, No.16
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/01/0212/1b.shtml

Jonathan Wolff, Introduction to Political Philosophy, Oxford University
Press, 1996



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> How can an elected MP with law background make a medical decision if
> he or she is not a medical doctor themself. Would you go into an
> operating room knowing that a lawyer will operate you? If not, why let
> a lawyer made your medical decision for you?

I think it doesn't matter if the MP is a very rational person and
refers to advisors. There have been many politicians who have made
decisions out of their league.

Sivarasa from Keadilan has academic qualifications in both genetics and
law. But studying one thing doesn't mean you're not qualified in
others. Albert Einstein was also offered to be the President of Israel,
though he declined.

> ..the decision made by a bunch of knuckle heads are better than one
> Einsteins (there are many good scientific research on this subject out
> there).

Very interesting -- I have always thought differently -- that one
thinker can do more than a thousand idiots.

Can you list the sources of the "scientific" research you are referring
to?


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The system of government that we have right now is NOT based on the doctrine
of separation of power.

The executive branch (cabinet ministers) is made up of parliamentary
members. My previous political science lecturer argued that this is actually
a good thing, because the cabinet ministers come from a pool of people we
elect. I think this is a total BS. How can an elected MP with law background
make a medical decision if he or she is not a medical doctor themself. Would
you go into an operating room knowing that a lawyer will operate you? If
not, why let a lawyer made your medical decision for you?

It is time to get rid of all the unqualified people in the cabinet, and
replace with the RIGHT AND CAPABLE professionals. Let the wisdom (if any
left) of the parliment decide who should take on which cabinet post. Not to
downgrade our PM, but the decision made by a bunch of knuckle heads are
better than one Einsteins (there are many good scientific research on this
subject out there).

I have one question for you people out there.  Democracy (do not confused
with human rights) works ONLY in country where the opposition is almost
equal in strength with the one in power. Otherwise, democracy fails. Any
opinion?

Ting



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Media Statement (2)  by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for
Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Friday, 7th October 2005:

What Cabinet should set up is a Ministry or Department of Parliamentary
Affairs to efficiently manage the government’s parliamentary business but
not a Department of Parliament which will be the greatest threat to the
doctrine of separation of powers and parliamentary independence from the
Executive in nation’s 48-year history
===========================

What the  Cabinet should set up is a Ministry or Department of
Parliamentary Affairs to efficiently manage the government’s
parliamentary business but not a Department of Parliament which will be
the greatest threat to the doctrine of separation of powers and
parliamentary independence from the Executive in nation’s 48-year
history.

India created the Department of Parliamentary Affairs as far back as 1949
with five major functions, viz:

• efficient and smooth running of  the parliamentary machinery;

• mapping out the time of the session and providing details of the
Government's programme of business;

• to extract from the proceedings of the House, assurances, promises and
undertakings given by Ministers on the floor of the House and to watch
and report to the House the progress of action taken on these assurances
from time to time;

• co-ordination of the activities of the standing committees attached to
various Ministries; and

• to act as an instrument of co-ordination effecting liaison between the
various government sections which come in contact with   Parliament
Over the half-century and more of Indian parliamentary democracy,  the
Department expanded into a Ministry, with one Minister of Cabinet rank
and two Ministers-of-State,  with increased functions, including:

• Fixing  of dates of summoning and prorogation of the two Houses of
Parliament;

• timely preparation of the programme and business for the session through
co-ordination of legislative proposals emanating from various Ministries;

• laying down priorities and order of Government Business for each House
from day to day;

• broad allocation of time between Legislative and non-Legislative
Business;

• determination of Government Stand on recommendations made by
Parliamentary Committees in their Reports;

• to maintain informal contact with Leaders of Opposition/Groups and to
ascertain their views on allocation of time  for various discussions and
to render assistance to individual members interested in discussions on
specific problems of public importance.
The Ministry or Department of Parliamentary Affairs in India does not
replace or usurp the Parliamentary  autonomy to be responsible for its
own administration.

If the Cabinet is effecting administrative changes to bring about a
Ministry or Department of Parliamentary Affairs under the Minister in
charge of parliamentary affairs, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, it is a welcome
development if it leads to a more purposeful  and meaningful
inter-relations between Parliament and the Executive, e.g. the government
support that could be given to transform the Malaysian Parliament into a
First World Parliament.

However, if the whole idea of a new Department of Parliament is to
cannibalise and remove   large swathes of the existing  parliamentary
administration and staff  to create a new entity under Nazri, it would
constitute a grave threat to the doctrine of separation of powers and the
principle of parliamentary autonomy from the Executive -  a dangerous
trend that must not be permitted.

DAP MPs in particular and I believe the civil society at large should be
very concerned as to what the new Cabinet decision announced by Nazri
yesterday with regard to the creation of a Department of Parliament
entails, not only financially  and administratively  but also from the
standpoint of democratization of the political process and the
empowerment of the ordinary citizenry in the country.

I will meet Nazri next week to ask for details  of the Cabinet decision on
the creation of a Department of Parliament.


-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.com
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com

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Media Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh
Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Friday, 7th October 2005:

Shahrir’s unprovoked attack on me reflects the depth of his pining to
return to the Cabinet in a reshuffle after 18 years in the political
wilderness
======================

I am surprised that the Chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club
Datuk Shahrir Samad has launched an unprovoked attack on me.

In an interview with New Straits Times today, he blamed my “intervention”
and “ego” during Tuesday’s  question time when the  Minister for
International Trade and Industry, Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz made her 31st
appearance in six years in Parliament as a result of a specific Cabinet
directive to answers questions about the AP scandal and the national
automotive policy controversy.

He accused me of being “unproductive”. Even more serious, he accused me of
acting like a politician and compromising my position as a
parliamentarian.  I do not believe even   Barisan Nasional MPs understand
what he is talking about. In fact, I do not think Shahrir himself  really
knows what he is talking about, or is he prepared to have a public debate
to defend his unprovoked attack on me?

Shahrir launched his attack on me from the very start of the NST
interview, as follows:

Q: You have said that Members of Parliament had basically wasted their
chance to ask Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz the questions they should have
posed on Tuesday in the Dewan Rakyat. Could you elaborate on this?

A: It is more because of the intervention by the leader of the Opposition
(Lim Kit Siang) and also due to the character of the person. One problem
politicians have is their ego and sometimes the Opposition Leader in his
feeling that he will be the one who can break the shell or destroy the
minister, in his haste to do so and show the Government is inefficient,
tends to introduce other aspects and issues into the mix.

So in this case when he stood up to ask the minister, as usual and as
expected, he added his personal criticisms of the minister which were not
related to the issue. So that allowed the minister to just reply to the
non-related matters and not even answer the question...

So what I’m saying is very simple. We sometimes have to forget that we are
politicians and remember that we are parliamentarians. That way, we can be
productive, ask questions, and get results and answers. If we want to
score points with our rivals, then our position as parliamentarians is
compromised.

Shahrir is a bundle of contradictions in the NST interview, as illustrated
by the following instances:

• Shahrir  accused me of allowing Rafidah to avoid full accountability
during question time because of my “intervention” and “ego”, yet in the
next  breath in the interview, he admitted: “In Parliament a minister can
deny, deny and deny. And he has immunity.” This was what Rafidah was doing
on Tuesday.

• When asked what about the questions by the BN  MPs, as I asked only the
second of six supplementary questions with the rest all asked by BN,
Shahrir simply dumped the responsibility of the failure of the BN MPs on
me on the ridiculous ground that “the mood had changed when the leader
opened his mouth and behaved like a politician”.  If so,  what is the use
of the Barisan Nasional having 92 per cent majority in Parliament when one
Opposition MP can change the entire dynamics in the whole House?

• When asked how he would have crafted the questions to Rafidah, Shahrir
made the most damning statement in the NST interview: “My own personal
feeling is that I have no more interest in the AP issue. But
unfortunately apparently there is no closure.”  If Shahrir has “no more
interest in the AP issue”, what right has he to pass  judgment on other
MPs  persisting in seeking answers on behalf of Malaysians who have not
abandoned their interest and commitment for accountability, transparency,
integrity and good governance?

• Shahrir’s attempt to  blame me for MPs wasting their chance to ask
Rafidah is contradicted by his statement  repeated more than once in the
interview that the whole Q&A  and even requiring Rafidah to turn up in
Parliament to account to MPs were  a waste of time, as reflected by the
following extracts from his interview:

“The AP issue is perhaps the one issue the Government has been very open
and transparent about. All the information has been given, the questions
have been answered. Now it’s the question of judgment and making a
decision on whether what we have done is right or not.”

“But as far as I was concerned, it (AP issue) was already closed when it
was announced the AP and the National Automotive Industry Policy would be
handled by the Prime Minister’s Department. I was surprised that at the
end of the day, instead of JPM (Jabatan Perdana Menteri) answering the
question, it was MITI answering.”

“But if it was me, I think it (AP issue)  is no more an issue. Of course,
the Opposition is out to get some more blood.”

Clearly, though BBC Chairman, Shahrir had drifted far far away not only
from the innermost feelings of MPs, whether Barisan Nasional or
Opposition, but even from  the public at large – regarding the whole Q&A
session of Rafidah a total waste of time, not just  because of my
“intervention” and “ego”, but because the government had been “very open
and transparent” and had answered all questions and given  all the
necessary information.

Shahrir is probably a minority of one among parliamentary backbenchers,
whether BN or Opposition, to hold such a view.  In the past two days, for
instance, the AP scandal and the controversy over the national automotive
policy continued to dominate the Budget debate, whether in the speeches
of BN  or Opposition MPs.

I challenge Shahrir to walk the streets and his constituency  of Johore
Baru with me to find out whether he has the right pulse of his
constituents (let alone the people of Malaysia) in holding that there was
  no need for any Q&A on the AP scandal in Parliament or for Rafidah to
appear to answer questions on the national automotive policy.

Shahrir is the last person to accuse other MPs of not being “productive”
when he had not asked a single question or supplementary question in the
past three weeks of parliamentary meeting. I checked the Order Paper for
the entire current budget meeting and found to my shock that Shahrir had
not submitted a single oral question  for the 41-day budget meeting!

A total of 275 questions for written answer were also submitted for this
session, but again not a single one from Shahrir, when other former
Ministers like Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Tan Sri Law Hieng Ding and Dr.
Ting Chew Peh had been quite productive and diligent in the performance
of their parliamentary duties with their questions to keep the government
on its  toes.

It is clear that Shahrir’s mind, heart and soul are no more with
Parliament or the backbenchers, least of all with the problem of
parliamentary productivity and how to ensure that  the Malaysian
Parliament becomes a First World Parliament.

He is pining for his lost political opportunities and a return to the
Cabinet after 18 years in the political wilderness since 1987 after
serving as Cabinet Minister for four short years – though with the
distinction of being the youngest Cabinet Minister to be appointed at the
age of 34.  Shahrir was Minister of Federal Territory from 1983 and
Minister for Welfare from 1986 – 1987.

But Shahrir should not try to buy a ticket to return to the Cabinet in the
impending and long-overdue Cabinet reshuffle at the expense of
parliamentary credibility by acting as executive spokesman to stall
parliamentary scrutiny of the AP scandal, claiming that there was no need
to question Rafidah anymore on the spurious ground that the  government
could not be more open and transparent in the handling of the AP scandal.
   There is of course another reason for Shahrir’s shocking stance, which I
will leave for another occasion.

-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com
-http://limkitsiang.com



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Dear Dineah and Muammar,

You do not share the sentiments of parents wanting to send children to
Chinese or Tamil schools. I am a product of an English medium school way
back in the 60's. At that time my parents thought it was great to send
their children to an English medium school, after all they do have a period
or two of manadarin/Tamil per week. Let me tell you. It is different. You
will never have the chance to practise your mother tongue and sometimes the
teacher have to use English to translate the Mandarin...rediculous isn't
it. What is the problem anyway if parents wants to send their children to
study in a Chinese school? It is after all only for the first 6 years,
after that they would be integrated into a Government secondary school?
They can't communicate well? This is a whole load of bullshit! You mean
people from the kampung can communicate better than those going to
vernacular schools? Please think! A lot of people who comes out from
Chinese or Tamil schools are as patriotic as those from Government school.
It is just that they are passionate about the language as well as they want
their children to be moulded in the correct discipline in the formative
years. This area has been a total failure in the Sekolah Kebangsaan.

Jason

-----Original Message-----
From: Dinesh Nair [SMTP:dinesh@...]
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 12:59 AM
To: bungaraya@...
Subject: Re: [BUNGARAYA] Chinese Primary Schools Are Over-Crowded! {Virus
Engine Scanned}

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On 10/06/05 17:19 Muammar Kris Khaira said the following:
> why is it this way?
> Chinese parents should bring their kids up in a multiracial environment,
> harmonious, or not.

i share these same sentiments. chinese schools traditionally follow an all
mandarin medium syllabus, and as a result will produce a generation of kids
who are unable to communicate with the rest of the country.

at the same time, the need for all to practice their mother tongue (or any
other language for that matter) is critical. i really cant understand why
the system cant be the way it was when i went to school, medium of
instruction was in bahasa malaysia with POL classes for mandarin and tamil.

i cannot see the push for mandarin medium schools as being in line with
what malaysia needs to achieve.

--
Regards,                           /\_/\   "All dogs go to heaven."
dinesh@...                (0 0)    http://www.alphaque.com/
+==========================----oOO--(_)--OOo----==========================+
| for a in past present future; do                                        |
|   for b in clients employers associates relatives neighbours pets; do   |
|   echo "The opinions here in no way reflect the opinions of my $a $b."  |
| done; done                                                              |
+=========================================================================+

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On 10/06/05 17:19 Muammar Kris Khaira said the following:
> why is it this way?
> Chinese parents should bring their kids up in a multiracial environment,
> harmonious, or not.

i share these same sentiments. chinese schools traditionally follow an all
mandarin medium syllabus, and as a result will produce a generation of kids
who are unable to communicate with the rest of the country.

at the same time, the need for all to practice their mother tongue (or any
other language for that matter) is critical. i really cant understand why
the system cant be the way it was when i went to school, medium of
instruction was in bahasa malaysia with POL classes for mandarin and tamil.

i cannot see the push for mandarin medium schools as being in line with
what malaysia needs to achieve.

--
Regards,                           /\_/\   "All dogs go to heaven."
dinesh@...                (0 0)    http://www.alphaque.com/
+==========================----oOO--(_)--OOo----==========================+
| for a in past present future; do                                        |
|   for b in clients employers associates relatives neighbours pets; do   |
|   echo "The opinions here in no way reflect the opinions of my $a $b."  |
| done; done                                                              |
+=========================================================================+

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Media Statement Issued By YB Mr Ngeh Koo Ham, Perak State Assembly
Opposition Leader and State Assemblyman for Setiawan on 6-10-2005 at
Ipoh.

DAP to YAB Menteri Besar of Perak:
Reveal the list of Perak State Assemblymen/women who have obtained land,
timber conssession or contract from the Perak State Government
========================

The Perak DAP would like to join the pomelo farmers of Tambun to express
their outrage and disappointment with the Perak State Government in
giving the land they have been cultivating the famous Tambun pomelo on to
a company belonging to the wife of an Executive Councillor. What was worse
was that the land that was given to Syarikat Yushan Construction Sdn Bhd
for the purpose of housing was sold to Brilliant Leisure Sdn Bhd for a
clean RM5.0 million!

The DAP Perak elected representatives have repeatedly asked the Menteri
Besar of Perak, Dato’ Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali in the State
Assembly to reveal the list of names of the State Assemblyman/women who
obtain land, timber concession  or contract from the Perak State
Government but he has steadfastly refused to do so.

Giving land, timber concessions and contracts to State Assemblymen/women
is a form of bribery to silence them from their duty as legislators to
check on the executive. This bribery must be stopped immediately to
prevent the Perak State from rotting further. The per capital income of
the residents of Perak has gone down to below national average at
RM12,546-00  while the national average is expected to rise from
RM16,616-00 in 2004 to RM17,741-00 this year.

Action should also be taken against the Executive Councilor for misleading
the State Government when he has no intention to develop the land he
(through his wife’s company) applied for into a housing scheme. The YAB
Menteri Besar is also duty bound to explain why priority  was not given
to the existing pomelo farmers when alienating the land. The company of
the State Executive Councillor’s wife was out to make a quick buck but
the land was a life-line to these pomelo farmers.

The Perak DAP once against calls on YAB Menteri Besar of Perak to reveal
the  list of State Assemblymen/women who have received land, timber
concession or contract from the State Government.


-NGEH KOO HAM-



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On Oct 6, 2005, at 5:03 PM, DAP MALAYSIA wrote:

> In making matters worst, the
> government continues with impudence, by wasting the taxpayers’ precious
> money, in building new national primary type schools which are under
> enrolled and less popular, even amongst non Chinese parents.

The fact that national schools are less popular than Chinese schools
are the problem on the part of Chinese parents. We should ask ourselves
-- why is it this way?
Chinese parents should bring their kids up in a multiracial
environment, harmonious, or not.

I think a good solution is for the government to form a national school
out of the Chinese school, but to allow Chinese students to continue
taking Mandarin lessons.

If education itself cannot be unified, what will happen to our sense of
nationalism?

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Press statement by YB Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh and Publicity Secretary
of DAP on 6th October 2005 at Kuala Lumpur

76.7% Of National Primary Schools Has Enrolment Below 600. The Education
Ministry Should Be Prudent In Allocating Resources In Building Primary
Schools
=========================

I have asked the minister of education in Parliament to state the number
of national primary schools (SK) with less than 600 students and the
number of Chinese primary schools (SJKC) with more than 2000 students-
throughout the country. I also asked why the government would not convert
the national type schools with low number of students to Chinese primary
schools.

The answers that I received are as follows:

“There are 5,761 national primary schools throughout the country, and out
of this figure, 4,418 (76.6%) has enrolment below 600. The total number
of Chinese primary schools are 1,287 and 58 (4.5%) of them have enrolment
above 2,000 students.

The government would not convert national type primary schools to Chinese
primary schools. It is not the policy of the government to convert a
particular type of school to other type (for example from SK to SJK or
the reverse). The 1996 Education Act has clearly stated the types of
schools that are allowed to be operational in the country and parents are
free to choose any type of school for their children. However, the
government will strengthen and promote the national primary schools (SK)
as the main stream type of school for all races - for the sake of unity.”

In reply to the above answer of the Minister of Education , YB Tan Kok
Wai, MP for Cheras asked the Hon. Minister on the primary school reserves
site in Kuala Lumpur on 4th October 2005, the Hon Minister said that the
government has outlined 9 school reserve lands in Kuala Lumpur which is
under the school development project and all of them are for national
type primary schools. Besides, the government has also identified 10
primary school reserve lands which have not planned for the construction
of schools.

I am appalled to read that 76.65% of the national primary school has
enrolment less than 600 students throughout the country, and I am also
appalled that the government still insists on building about 19 national
primary schools in Kuala Lumpur when many Chinese primary schools in
Kuala Lumpur are over-crowded simply because many parents, including
non-Chinese parents, prefer to send their children to Chinese primary
schools, instead of the national type.

The reply of the Education Minister further reflects the government's
imprudence and lack of vision, in the allocation of resources in school
construction in that it did not use the taxpayers’ money accordingly and
in consonance with the need and desires of the majority of people in
Kuala Lumpur. The resultant effect is that the Chinese primary schools
continue to be over-crowded and their plight gets no notice nor
assistance from the Education Ministry. In making matters worst, the
government continues with impudence, by wasting the taxpayers’ precious
money, in building new national primary type schools which are under
enrolled and less popular, even amongst non Chinese parents.

Hence, I would strongly urge the government to be practical and prudent
and review its policy of school construction. The government should
respect the wishes of the taxpayers and practice impartiality and
fairness in allocating scarce resources in building schools.


-Teresa Kok-


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Media Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP
for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday, 6th October 2005
at 10.45 am:

I’ll not tell Rafidah to jump from Petronas Twin Tower,  KLCC – as the
issues at stake are nothing personal, but concern the credibility and
success of the Prime Minister’s pledge of accountability, transparency,
integrity and good governance
=============================

I’ll not tell the Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk
Paduka Rafidah Aziz to jump from the Petronas Twin Tower at KLCC  to
reciprocate her statement in her interview with New Straits Times today
that “Lim Kit Siang can go jump into the lake”.

This is because there is nothing personal between us in my pressing for
accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance whether in
the AP scandal, the controversial Proton national car and national
automotive policy, or other aspects of MITI decisions, whether policy,
macro or micro.

What is indisputable is that Rafidah has failed to give convincing,
satisfactory and acceptable explanations to the multitude of questions
swirling around the AP scandal and national automobile policy
controversy, as reflected by the virtual unanimity of views by all MPs,
whether Barisan Nasional or Opposition.

Rafidah claims in the NST interview that she had “answered all there is to
be answered on the AP issue”. I will be very surprised if a poll of MPs
could turn up more than a handful of MPs who are  prepared to go public
to declare that Rafidah had answered all that has to be answered on the
AP scandal and that there is no need for her to make another
parliamentary appearance to give proper accountability on the AP scandal.

In actual fact, Rafidah has left more questions unanswered instead of
having “answered all there is to be answered”.  For instance, she has not
fully answered my question of Sept. 20 which had sparked such a storm with
the release of what Rafidah claims to be a partial and unauthorized list
of MPs allocated with MPs – as I had asked for a full list of all APs
issued whether to open, franchise or individual AP receipients in the
past 27 years since 1978.

Only yesterday, MPs from both sides of the House were united in telling
the Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mah Siew Keong
to secure an assurance from Rafidah that she would appear in Parliament
during the winding-up of the 2006 Budget debate in mid-month to
personally reply on issues raised concerning MITI.

I admit that in the past four months, I had not let up pressure on Rafidah
to demand full disclosure and accountability on the AP scandal and the
Proton and national automotive policy controversy.
The issues involved are larger than Rafidah, APs or MITI – for if Rafidah
can successfully stonewall legitimate demands for full disclosure,
accountability, transparency and integrity on the AP scandal, then it
reflects a larger and very serious  crisis in the public polity and
governance under the new Prime Minister.

It can only mean that despite nearly two years of the premiership of Datuk
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and  his repeated pledges of far-reaching
reforms in government accountability and integrity as well as an
unprecedented general election mandate of 92% parliamentary majority, not
much have  changed.  In fact, in many areas, things have got worse – or
the towering  arrogance of Rafidah, showing contempt not only to the
populace, Members of Parliament but even to her other  Cabinet colleagues
would not have become so blatant, intolerable and  such a public
spectacle.

I am quite intrigued by his “go jump into the lake” outburst, for it was
not just directed at me.  Let me quote in full her “go jump into the
lake” jewel of a statement:

“Q: Kit Siang had said it was better if you resigned.
“A: I couldn’t care a damn what Lim Kit Siang asked me to do. He is not
the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. If the Prime
Minister asks me to resign, I will certainly resign.
Lim Kit Siang can go jump into the lake ... and this goes for anybody
else. I was appointed by the Prime Minister. I am in service at his
pleasure and no one should try to usurp the Prime Minister’s prerogative
about any minister in his Cabinet.

Don’t let anybody think that they are equal (to) or above the Prime
Minister.
And, so far, the Prime Minister has said nothing less than full support
for what I am doing. For this I am very very happy and (it) has motivated
me to even work harder. I say this not to "mengampu" the Prime Minister.

I say this with clear conscience and I say this as a member of his Cabinet
who wants to see him succeed as a Prime Minister,who wants to see him lead
this country through the many challenges we are facing now and will face
from now on into the future.”

Any discerning and sharp-minded political observer would have noted  that
she was  not just referring to me, and in fact I was not her main target,
but “anybody else” with the warning that  “no one should try to usurp the
Prime Minister’s prerogative about any minister in Cabinet”.

My reading is that she is more worked up against these unnamed persons
than me, for it is these “anybody else”  who are “trying to usurp the
Prime Minister’s prerogative” about her ministerial position – and they
point at other Cabinet Ministers and even the Deputy Prime Minister,
Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Has she now realized that although she is the second longest-serving
Cabinet Minister after Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, having just celebrated
her 25th anniversary of her first Cabinet appointment in September 1980,
she has very  few friends, supporters and sympathizers left in Cabinet?

Is this the reason why  she had to appear at the Cabinet meeting
yesterday, although she was supposed to start her medical leave for a
knee-cap operation yesterday? And is this why, as revealed by his deputy
Minister, Mah Siew Keong, to reporters in Parliament, although she will
be on one-month medical leave she would still be handling official duties
during her  three-week recuperation period.  Is   she afraid that a strong
Acting MITI Minister would be appointed during her one-month full medical
leave who might discover a lot of skeletons in her cupboard in MITI?


-Lim Kit Siang-
http://limkitsing.blogspot.com
http://limkitsiang.com

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Kenyataan media oleh Naib Pengerusi Kebangsaan DAP dan Ahli Parlimen
Tanjong pada hari Selasa, 4hb Oktober 2005 di Bangunan Parlimen, Kuala
Lumpur:

Ahli-ahli Parlimen Pembangkang menyeru Perdana Menteri jangan mengambil
tindakan disiplin atas YB Sri Gading dan YB Kinabatangan.

Pada petang 4hb Oktober 2005, Ahli-ahli Parlimen Pembangkang telah
menghantar surat kepada Y.A.B.  Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi untuk menyeru beliau jangan mengambil tindakan disiplin beliau Y.B.
Sri Gading dan Y.B. Kinabatangan kerana menyokong usul Ketua Pembangkang
Y.B. Lim Kit Siang di Dewan Rakyat semalam. Surat itu adalah berbunyi
seperti berikut:
===============================================



PARLIMEN  MALAYSIA


4hb. Oktober 2005

Y.A.B. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,
Perdana Menteri,
Malaysia.

Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri,


TINDAKAN DISIPLIN ATAS Y.B. SRI GADING & Y.B. KINABATANGAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kami, sekalian Ahli-Ahli Dewan Rakyat yang menandatangan di bawah, ingin
menyuarakan prihatin kami sekalian terhadap berita dua ahli Ahli Parlimen
Barisan Nasional akan dirujuk kepada Kabinet kerana menyokong usul Ketua
Pembangkang Y.B. Lim Kit Siang semalam di Dewan Rakyat.

Kami sekalian rasa tindakan Y.B. Sri Gading dan Y.B. Kinabatangan sekadar
menyuarakan keprihatian mereka terhadap pengendalian isu A.P. oleh
Kementerian dan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri.

Ini sejajar untuk hasrat Y.A.B. Datuk Seri untuk menawarkan kepada rakyat
jelata satu pentadbiran yang mementingkan prinsip ketelusan, keterbukaan
dan sifat kepertanggungjawapan.

Untuk mencapai matlamat tersebut ini, kami sekalian rasa Parlimen menjadi
satu institusi demokrasi dan forum yang amat penting di mana
prinsip-prinsip tersebut boleh dapat diujikan dan ahli-ahli Parlimen
haruslah digalakkan untuk memainkan peranan ke arah mencapai matlamat
murni ini.

Kami sekalian rasa dasar dan amalan di mana penyokong-penyokong kerajaan
tidak boleh menyokong usul yang dibawa oleh wakil pembangkang adalah satu
dasar yang ketinggalan dan perlu dikaji semula apabila ia menyekat
perjalanan demokrasi di dalam institusi Parlimen.

Kami sekalian rasa Y.B. Datuk Mohamed Aziz dan Y.B. Datuk Bung Moktar
Radin telah melakukan sesuatu yang mulia untuk menuntut
kepertanggungjawapan Menteri atas suatu isu yang menarik perhatian rakyat
keseluruhannya.

Kami sekalian rasa jika tindakan disiplin diambil atas dua ahli wakil
rakyat tersebut di atas akan menyampaikan mesej kepada rakyat bahawa
dalam pentadbiran Y.A.B. Datuk Seri yang ingin melihat penghayatan slogan
“Cemerlang, Gemilang dan Terbilang”, ahli-ahli wakil rakyat dari kerajaan
perlu menutup mata dan telinga mereka apabila berlaku masalah dalam
pentadbiran kerajaan.

Oleh sebab ini, kami sekalian menyeru Y.A.B. Datuk Seri untuk melihat
kejadian yang berlaku dalam Dewan Rakyat semalam dengan sikap yang
terbuka.

Kami sekalian merasa sebarang tindakan disiplin yang mungkin diambil atas
dua Ahli Parlimen ini hanya akan menjatuhkan martabat dan imej Dewan
Rakyat.


Sekian, terima kasih.

Ahli-ahli Parlimen Dewan Rakyat.


Chow Kon Yeow
(4/10/2005)



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Media Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP
for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Wednesday, 5th October
2005:

Call for re-opening of the case of scandal involving Rafidah in connection
with the allocation of millions of bumiputra-reserved shares to her
son-in-law in her capacity as Chairperson of MITI Bumiputra Shares
Allocation Committee
========================

Yesterday, during question time,  the Minister for International Trade and
Industry, Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz evaded  all six of my supplementary
questions.

I had asked in particular whether the 1997 decision to give APs to MPs,
when for 27 years from 1970 to 1997 MPs were not entitled to APs, were
meant to silence MPs in connection the corruption scandal involving
Rafidah in connection with the MITI allocation of 1.5 million Leader
Universal Holdings Bhd. shares and 4.1 million FACB shares to her
son-in-law Fazrin Azwar.

Although Rafidah said the decision to give APs to MPs was a Cabinet
decision, which had been contradicted by the former Prime Minister Tun
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who had said that he did not know that MPs had been
given APs, who had brought the APs for MPs issue to Cabinet, what was the
rationale for this decision, and as  Dr. Mahathir said he knew nothing
about this decision, how was this matter and decision smuggled into the
Cabinet.

In my supplementary question, I had referred to the conclusion  in 1995
by the then head of the Prosecution Department in the Attorney-General’s
Chambers, Gani Patail, who is now the Attorney-General, that there is
prima facie basis for the arrest and prosecution of Rafidah on five
counts of corruption under Section 2(2) Ordinance 22, 1970.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor was convicted under
the Official Secrets Act and served jail sentence for possession of the
document certififying that Gani Patail had made such a recommendation to
prosecute Rafidah for corruption, which is another proof of the veracity
of such a document.

In view of the latest developments in the AP scandal, I call for the
re-opening of the case of the scandal involving Rafidah in connection
with the allocation of millions of bumiputra-reserved shares to her
son-in-law in her capacity as Chairperson of MITI Bumiputra Shares
Allocation Committee, based on the 1995 recomemndation of the head of the
prosecution of the Attorney-General’s Chambers for the prosecution of
Rafidah.


Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, had publicly said that he
had saved Rafidah three times.  Let Mahathir or Rafidah say whether this
is one of the three times in which Rafidah was saved by the former Prime
Minister, and what were the other two occasions.

I want to reiterate what I  said in Parliament last  evening during my
interruption of the speech by Bung Moktar Radin (BN – Kinabatangan), when
  I wished Rafidah a good knee operation and speedy recovery in her month’s
medical leave. I pointed out however that one month is a very long time at
this critical juncture for MITI, with so many problems awaiting
satisfactory handling.

I call on  the Prime Minister to  appoint a strong Acting Minister for
International Trade and Industry who could come to Parliament regularly
to personally respond to MPs’ concerns about the multitude of problems
faced by MITI – including calling up files and resolving outstanding
issues.

This is because her answers in Parliament yesterday was basically a
“wash-out”, evading all the pertinent questions, in particular had failed
to explain why she created three “AP King of Kings”, Tan Sri Nasimuddin SM
Amin, Datuk Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim and Datuk Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz – who
were collectively issued 33,218 APs or 50.1% of total AP allocation for
2004 and 28,283 APs or 41% of total AP allocation for 2005.

Just before my interruption of Bung Moktar’s speech yesterday, the MP for
Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah entered the Chamber and followed the
debate. I pointed at him and said that the Prime Minister could also
appoint Razaleigh as Acting Minister for International Trade and
Industry. Razaleigh was in fact the Minister of International Trade and
Industry until she was replaced by Rafidah – after Razaleigh lost out in
that fateful 43-vote defeat to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in the contest for
the UMNO President’s post in 1987.

The Prime Minister should give serious consideration to bring Razaleigh
back into the Cabinet.


-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com
-http://limkitsiang.com



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Speech  (3) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timor
Lim Kit Siang on the 2006 Budget in Parliament on Monday, 3rd October
2005:

Broadband For All
============

The development of information and communication technology in Malaysia is
full of contradictions, and setbacks.

Malaysia was the earliest among developing countries to have a
government-sponsored plan for ICT development, namely the RM 5-billion
Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project. But MSC has failed to live up to
its expectation to become regional IT hub for R&D and other high
value-added activities.

Today, MSC/Cyberjaya has downgraded itself to serve the low-end of global
IT value chain – shared services and outsourcing (SSO) activities. Let us
not to fool ourselves anymore. While it is true that new investments and
jobs accompanied MSC’s transformation into an international call centre,
one should be reminded that such scenario has vastly deviated from MSC’s
original purpose as the engine to drive Malaysia into the high-end of the
IT world.

The Government’s IT policy since mid-1990s is flawed because it only
focuses on one area, not every corner of the country; and it only
intended to serves the interests of multinational corporations (MNCs),
not all ordinary Malaysians.

The government was only interested in land development in Cyberjaya and
attracting investments from MNCs but failed to realize that it is the
local talent pool that matters most. One notable example is that the
success story of India’s Bangalore lies in its ubiquitous institutes of
technology that train numerous capable English-speaking software
engineers. Very few key players in the industry relocated its regional
headquarters to MSC despite generous incentive being dished out.

The Prime Minister now wanted to “re-examine the package of incentives
that we offer to make the MSC a more compelling choice for investors”
(NST 9/9/2005). Instead of showering potential investors with
unrealistically generous packages, isn’t it better to look inwards at why
MSC fails its mission. The lesson from the MSC failure would be useful for
future ventures, such as the biotech sector – the government’s new
favorite.

In 1997, I told this chamber that “the MSC may be the crown jewel of the
National Information Infrastructure which Malaysia must build if we are
to make the transition to the information society, but it is not the
infrastructure.” I said, “In the ultimate analysis, the IT revolution
must be about people….This is why any national IT policy, strategy and
plan must be people-centred and not project-centred or MSC-centred”
(Debate on Royal Address, 25/3/2997).

The DAP adopted the “IT for All” slogan in that year and called for an
equitable IT development for all without creating a new disparity between
“information-rich” and “information-poor”. (DAP, “IT for All”, 1997).

Sadly, MSC did not turn out to be what it should be and the overall ICT
development in Malaysia is a disappointment. Eight years after MSC was
launched, the government launched the second MSC in Bayan Lepas, Penang
and Kulim, Kedah. Why is there a need for a second-tier MSCs? Shouldn’t
the entire nation have access to facilities available in a MSC after so
many years of government-initiated development in the IT sector?

Broadband for All

A key indicator of ICT development in a country is its broadband
penetration rate. Compared to narrowband, broadband offers speedier
download and better quality of transmission, which will allow more
activities to be conducted via internet at a faster speed.

Sadly, more than five years after broadband was commercially available,
the broadband penetration rate is still below 1 % of Malaysian population
while other countries experienced quantum leap.

Energy, Water and Communications Minster Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik
claimed that the government is open to proposals to boost penetration
rate in broadband service to 30%-40% by 2008, despite the National
Broadband Plan having a modest target of 10% of population. He said,
“even if we cannot reach South Korea’s broadband penetration of more than
60%, languishing at 1% of the population is politically and socially
unacceptable” (Telecom Asia Daily 6/7/2005).

I agree with Keng Yaik that Malaysia is “already ten years behind leaders
such as South Korea.” Whether Malaysia reaches 10% or 40%, others will
not wait for us. Korea will literally achieve “IT for All” and “Broadband
for All” when broadband is rolled out to almost every household in the
next two or three years.

But how did the “politically and socially unacceptable” below-1%-broadband
penetration rate happen? The most important obstacle preventing the rise
of broadband in Malaysia is TM’s delay in opening up the last mile, or
local loop access to consumers. TM owns more than 90% of the last mile
access.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) finally
mandated TM  to unbundle the local loop in June 2005. In August, Jaring
signed a deal with TM, signaling the opening up of the last mile access.
However, TM is obviously taking its sweet time to comply with MCMC’s
Access List as it is not keen to open up the access to its competitors.

No holder of monopoly would let it go without a fight. It is the onus of
the government and regulatory agency to enforce competition. There is no
point to hope that WiFi or WiMax or any other wireless tools would have
the magical power to increase Malaysia’s broadband penetration rate
substantially.

The most realistic and inexpensive way to improve the lackluster
performance of the broadband development is to increase competition among
internet service providers (ISPs) and drive down the price.

DAP calls for a “Broadband for All” policy, modeling after the Korean
success, to be included in the 9th Malaysia Plan. The Ministry of Energy,
Water and Communications and MCMC should ensure that TM will not be an
obstacle to the development of a broad-based IT literacy and usage.

Open Source – “kow tow” to Microsoft?

Another example of the government putting corporate interest above the
national goal of broad-based IT literacy is the shelving of a plan to
experiment with open source operating system.

In April 2004, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr.
Jamaludin Jarjis announced that Mimos Bhd was tasked with creating an
operating system for computers using open source software. According to
NST, it is “a move that when completed will make information
communication technology cheaper and accessible to all” (29/4/2004).

Microsoft holds a monopoly on operating systems for personal computers and
charges expensive royalty and fees usage and upgrade. Open-source is
software for which the source code (the instructions for the software) is
available for distribution and modification. The modifier retains the
copyright for his work, but the source code is public domain.

Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and recently Peru,
among others, have been actively moving toward the Linux operating system
and other open-source alternatives that can mean millions of dollars in
savings. Institute of Information Technology, a Brazilian government
agency working to promote digital inclusion, estimated that Brazil spent
USD 1.1 billion on royalties and licensing fees for imported software
programmes in 2002. According to the same source, Brazilian government
agencies that have adopted free software had their costs reduced to a
mere three percent of what would have been paid for proprietary
programmes.

Datuk Jamaludin pointed out then that the Government wanted to look at
ways to boost computer literacy among Malaysians without the burden of
paying high fees. Malaysia spent about RM 7.86 billion on IT in 2003, of
which RM 1.8 billion were on software. If the cost of using open-source
software is 10% of Microsoft’s product, the RM 1.6 billion savings could
be utilized to reduce the gap between the “information haves” and
“information haves-not”.

Less than two months after Jamaludin’s announcement, Micosoft’s boss Bill
Gates visited Malaysia, met with the Prime Minister and other ministers,
and donated RM 10 million to some schools.

Since then, the discussion on open source operating system vanishes from
public discourse. It is time for the government to reexamine the
potentials of open-source and stop “kow tow” to Microsoft. Therefore, the
IT policy of Malaysia must be a policy that champions “IT for All”, not
favoring big corporations.

Let me put down some quick thoughts  by a  local IT specialist on several
IT issues facing the country:

1. Allocation of RM29b for education. Hopefully,  this is spent wisely in
ICT training in the schools, universities and colleges. More often than
not, the training in these schools do not prepare the student for proper
ICT literacy but instead are specific to products from a single company,
microsoft. As a result, we're utilizing government/taxpayer funds to
provide training services to a foreign MNC. Ideally the training should
be focussed on the utilization of software tools and be centred around
creating proper letters, documents, presentations and spreadsheet
calculations. This way the student will learn how to  use the software
productively instead of just user training on a specific product.

2. Expansion of the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office capacity. This
is the body which regulates patent approval in the country and is tied to
the software patent issue.  . Software patents are instruments which cover
abstract ideas and as a result many readily used concepts are patented by
large corporations and patent houses in order to prevent others from
performing any innovation in that area. A simple example is the
"one-click patent" from amazon.com where the company has patented the
CONCEPT of a single web click and as a result has locked out  others from
utilizing the same idea even though they may have independently come up
with the idea and independently written the software to implement it.

Software patents should not be confused with software copyrights which
exist today. Software copyrights have been used by all as adequate and
strong protection for software programs under WIPO and intellectual
property laws. Software copyrights protect the source code (i.e. the
blueprints) of a computer program and are the mainstay of software
development.

Software patents go further than software copyrights in that they extend
the lock in to generic and abstract ideas. The risk in this is that due
to the frivolous nature of software patents, large MNCs who have a
portfolio of software patents can cripple the Malaysian software
industry. The only ones who would be able to survive in such a scenario
would be the MNCs themselves, leading to the dissolution of local
software companies and the goals of the MSC. Only nations with huge
patent portfolios will benefit like the US and the UK.

The European Parliament has voted to reject software patents for these
reasons.

3. Extension of period to carry forward absorbed losses/capital allowance
during pioneer period (tax free period) of MSC companies is laudable and
will further increase the benefits of companies under the MSC. However
this initiative needs to be confined solely to local companies as they
are the ones who're being sidelined in the MSC push today.
Multinationals, including their Malaysian wholly owned subsidiaries,
should not be allowed to enjoy this benefit as it would be counter
productive to the government's aim to build a local technology-centric
industry.

4. Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation. Will this be the same as MDC ?
what are the key performance indicators for this corporation and what are
the checks and balances in the system? Will we see another MDC which
continues to give excuses 10 years after the MSC was conceptualized ?

5.Improvement of basic amenities including housing and transport at
cyberjaya is a good thing. A suggestion to increase frequency and
reliability of bus services within cyberjaya to the erl station at
putrajaya in order to make it easier for commuters should be a high
priority.

6. What exactly will the ICT Development Institute be doing which is
different from what is provided by our public and private universities?
Wouldnt it be better to concentrate on producing more quality graduates
and skillsets instead of having to set up another institute? Perhaps the
funds spent for the institute may be better spent on redefining the
curricula and teaching methodologies at our secondary schools and
universities instead.

I asked another Malaysian IT pioneer, Bala Pillai, who operates from
Australia, for his thoughts and assessment of the MSC and Malaysia’s IT
plans and ambitions.

He gave a response which is so unconventional but original that I think it
deserves the serious consideration of MPs and policy makers if we are
serious in wanting to propel Malaysia into  an information society,
knowledge economy and  IT superpower.

He encapsulated his thoughts with the title “Problems = Opportunities and
No Problems = No Opportunities”.
This is what he has to say:

“The harder a problem, the greater the reward, the lesser the competition,
and the more uncertain resourcing is.

“The corollary, the easier a problem, the lesser the reward, the greater
the competition, and the more certain resourcing is.

“Low Hanging fruits lie in the sweetspot between ‘not too easy a problem
such that competition makes the rewards so unworthwhile’ and ‘not too
hard a problem such that resourcing is so uncertain’.

“Let us talk about the Low Hanging Fruits for Malaysia in ICT.

“But first let's remind ourselves of the bigger picture.  The Malay
Archipelago was a producer of quantum inventions up to about a thousand
years ago. In fact, up to then, Southeast Asia together with China and
India produced nearly every quantum invention in the world.

“By quantum invention, I mean a significant leap in order of
problem-solving from cave man days up to now. Examples being taming of
fire, domestication of rice and pepper, invention of paper, wheel,
gunpowder, Minangkabau architecture, urban social systems, ocean-going
vessels to Madagascar, printing press, electricity, TV, credit cards, the
Internet – you get the picture.

“What happened? Why did we stop producing these quantum inventions and
their near cousins?

“The government should  engage the deepest and broadest thinkers available
to narrow down the likely causes for this turn of events. Like thousands
of streams flow into tributaries which flow into a few rivers onto the
ocean, let's converge into a few clear schools of thought on why we
stopped producing quantum inventions.

“It is because of a switch from objective perception to subjective
perception. A switch from expecting our world to be roses, thorns and
in-betweens and finding it to be such to expecting our world to be roses
and thus trained to spot thorns. When we all become thorn spotters, in
time it becomes uncomfortable to spot our own thorns. In time, this
breeds greater amounts of disagreements. These disagreements drastically
reduce the social and trust capital that is required for inventiveness.

“If we want a proper solution rather than a quick-fix, we should address
this underlying mental soil issue. Average seeds sown on great soil will
grow but great seeds sown on stone won't. We have to find the inner
strength to ask the tough questions, knowing full well that as painful as
this might be, NOT asking these questions will have even more painful
consequences.

“In determining Low Hanging Fruits, we would look at our strengths. Let me
point towards some less emphasized aspects

1)   Around 1400 AD, Malaysia or Malacca was the happening place in the
world. The most adventurous brains, Arabs, Indians, Chinese wanted to be
here. In global adventurousness terms, the Spice Trade and Malacca then
was what Silicon Valley and ICT  today is. Even Christopher Columbus if
he had not lost his way, in his pursuit of spices might have ended up
here.
Question: We didn't give any tax credits and yet they came like bees to
honey. How come? I will not answer this, I would like you to reflect on
it. I would like you to reflect on the energy that made us such an
exciting buzz. And which attracted the best self-starters here and
self-starters overseas with fires in their belly to make the world
happen.

2) As the giants India and China rise up, today we are presented with
another opportunity. Like that piece of sand in an oyster, without which
a pearl cannot form, we can be the catalysts for India and China to rise
levels above or faster in their ICT in social entrepreneurship aims.
“Some areas we can consider focusing on are:-

  a)   Microentrepreneur ecosystems – make it much easier for an eager
Instant Messaging using high school student to step that adaptiveness
towards online or Skype or convergence facilitated self-employment.
Knowledge workers.

b)   China and India have a large swell of people who want to be their own
boss. It is as if on a personal level, many want to go back to how things
were a 100 years ago when nearly all of us were self-employed. Let's
consider leading this for ourselves, China and India. For example,
organize frameworks and structures for tele-entrepreneur franchisees to
inhabit, grow and thrive.

c)   India is well known for its movie industry and the Tamil and Hindi
movie industries magnets of attention amongst our citizens. Many would
love the chance to be models, actors, script-writers, producers. The
weakness of these industries are in the capital raising, investments
unitizing and distribution sides. The US has come a long way in
organizing this. Let's flow US expertise with the passion of our
entrepreneurs to streamline these aspects of these industries. In this
ecosystem deepening process, the Malay movie industry will also benefit.

d) The biggest opportunity in Asia today is in Change Management in the
many forms it takes. For example in identifying the best bang for the
buck in change management. In making change fun. In accrediting trainers.
I urge in depth look into these problem and opportunity areas.”
I commend these and other  thoughts of Pillai to MPs.

-Lim Kit Siang
-http://limkitsiang.blogspot.com
-http://limkitsiang.com






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Press Statement of Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng
Jen and DAPSY Deputy Chairman on 03-10-2005 in the Parliament lobby:

Government Should Restore the Local Government Election to improve the
Efficiency and Performance of the Local Governments
=====================

Government should restore Local Government Election which was suspended
sine die since 1965.

Datuk Kaveas in the 52nd Convention of People’s Progressive Party had
expressed disappointment on the performance and bureaucracy of 146 Local
Governments all over the country and claimed that the cure is to have
local government election.

We, Democratic Action Party, knew long ago about the inefficiency and
bureaucracy of the local government and that the only cure to rectify
such illness is to have regular local government elections so that the
local governments are subject to public scrutiny and assessment now and
again.

That is why we have, early this year, launched the year-long campaign to
restore the local government election which was suspended sine die since
1965 on the ground of the Confrontation with Indonesia.  Despite the
promise by our former Prime Minister that local government election will
be restored after the Confrontation and notwithstanding that the
Confrontation was over for decades, the Barisan Nasional government still
refused to restore the local government election.

Under the present system where councilors and Board members to the local
government were appointed by various Barisan Nasional component parties,
the selection and appointment of these councilors are not based on
competency for the job but more on favoritism and loyalty to Barisan
Nasional.  The appointment of councilors has become a form of political
reward for supporting Barisan Nasional.  A person may be totally
unsuitable for the job of a councilor but yet is appointed for such
political reason.

The inefficiency of local governments have also hampered business
development as the local governments are the authorities entrusted to
regulate many business activities, issuance of licences and approval of
building plans and development projects and city or town planning.  Not
only are the local governments inefficient, but they are also reported to
be one of the most corrupt government departments.

The only way to stop such bureaucracy, inefficiency and corruption is to
have local government elections regularly so that all such dirty linen
can be exposed and not be swept under the carpet.  We call on People’s
Progressive Party to support our Restore Local Government Election
campaign.  We also call on the Prime Minister to serious consider
restoring the local government election if he is serious in his call to
have a more transparent and clean administration.


-Chong Chieng Jen-



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